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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96976	Meditations upon the marks of the true Church of Christ: or, Motives of credibility in behalf of the true religion: and, the easiest way to finde it out. / By H.W.	H. W.; Wilkinson, Henry, 1610-1675,	1655 (1655)	Wing W36A; Thomason E1666_1; ESTC R208388	95,687	283

of a Judge which is clearly to pronounce sentence so that both parties which contest about the thing controverted may understand and acknowledge who is cast who hath got the better 2. There is a difference betwixt the written laws and the judge in civill matters the one is the rule acording to which the judg must give sentence but the other to wit the judge must give the sentence he is the mouth of the law and must interpret its land the legislatours mind now the same Analogy and comparison holds betwixt the holy scripture and the written law of God and the ecclesiastical judge 3. About the scriture it self arise many controversies which have been long agitated to and fro as what Books are Canonical which Apocriphal the Roman Catholicks say the books of Judith Toby Wisdome Ecclesiasticus the first and second of the Macchabees are canonicall scripture the Protestants deny them to be so Now how shall this great controversie be decided the scripture cannot give sentence for it hath not a living voice in like manner about the sense and meaning of many places of the canonical scriptures many long quarels have been amongst different Sectaries themselves and betwixt them and Roman Catholicks the scripture it self can never compose these controversies for want of a living voice 4 The old Hereticks had never been convinced nor condemned i● the scripture had been appointed for judge for still they wou'd have had evasions the scripture neither did nor could give sentence against them but the Church by the Pope and General Councels As for the private spirit this must either be supposed to be an infallible judge or not if not Sectaries can never have their controversies truly decided for this judge may erre give a false resolution and so expose poore soules to an evident danger of frequently believing that to be a point of divine Faith which is not so or the contrary If infallible what shameful presumption will it be to challenge to your own particular person such an assistance of the Holy Ghost as by it you shall infallibly judge a right in whatsoever point of Controversie and yet deny this to the whol body of the Roman Church 2. The question is whether that private spirit be the holy Ghost or a wicked spirit or your own spirit to wit your own judgment or fancy How shall this question be determined O miserably misled souls of such Sectaries do you not see in what labyrinths of errours and miseries you wilfully involve your selves Is not this to walk in a circle like the wicked But since you will be so heare the word of the Lord Wo be to the foolish Prophets who follow their own spirit Ezcek 13. Mark these words well and amend least your folly in following your own spirit bring you to eternal wo. But O thou infinite goodnesse God send forth thy pirit that these deluded souls may become new creatures make them members of that Church to which only the spirit of truth teacheth all truth Amen The sixteenth Meditation Of Persecution and Martyrdom The first Point COnsider the many and clear Texts of the holy scripture in which our Saviour doth denunciate to his Apostles and Disciples and in them to the succeeding members of his church that for their professing and propagating of his faith they shall undergo persecutions of all forts yea death it self Beware of men for they will deliver you up to the Councels and ye shal be brought before Governours and Kings for my sake Mat. 10.17 18. And ye shall be bated of all men for my name sake v. 22. But when they persecute you in this City fly into another v. 23. The time cometh that who soever killeth you will think be doth God service Matt. 16.2 They shall lay hands on you persecute you delivering you up to the Synagogues and into prisons Luke 21. v. 12. And some of you they shall cause to be put to death v. 16. Gather hence first that God permits for he could hinder it if it pleased him his Church to be persecuted to wit by the Devil and his Emissaries wicked men Secondly that persecution is a mark of Christs Church and much more martyrdome Thirdly that to fly in time of persecution is lawfull till God dispose the circumstances for their sufferings The second Point Consider first that what our Saviour foretold begun soon to be verificd of men that persecuted Christs church the Jews Pagan Princes hereticks are the chief The Jews not onely persecuted Christ whom they hanged on a crosse and his Apostles and Disciples before his Passion but after his sacred death they were most bitter and violent against the young flock of his church as may be read in the Acts of the Aposeles yea their sacrilegious and savage handling and abusing the blessed sacrament other holy things when they laid hands on them by stelth as also their very crucifying of even Christian chrildren argues an implacable and incredible hatred of them against christian religion 2. As for the Pagan Princes Nero Demitian Trajan Aurelian Maximean Dioclesian and Galerian with many others how cruelly and barbarously did they torture Christians In Rome alone three hundred thousand Christians were martyred amongst which were twenty seven Popes and the sacred bodies of 180000 of them were buried in that famous Churchyard of Saint Calistus Pope and Martyr Now if in the City of Rome alone so many were martyred to what an immense number would all that suffered for the same cause in all other parts of the world if they were added to these amount 3. And for the Hereticks it is their main maxime and a principle in which generally all the sects of them are united to oppose and band against the Roman Church their heads and judgements look all severall ways but in this point they are tyed together out of this opposition sprung hatred and this egged them on to persecute Catholicks which they did most bitterly The Arian Emperours the Kings of the Huns Gothes and Wandels and Martyrdome sent many thousands of Catholicks martyrs to heaven nor were they a few hundreds that were put to death for the same religion under Henry the eighth King of England and Queen Elizabeth And could thou be so cruell England as to see thy own bowels so often unbowelled at Tyburn and not yet repent Not yet give over seeing thine shed thy own blood and this for thee For the old religion the true religion thy religion The third Point Consider the admirable effects which the Divine Providence hath drawn out of these sufferings of Martyrs the first effect and that a happy one was an increase thereby of Catholick religion that very medium which the enemies of the Church took for the destroying of it the same the Divine Wisdome made use of as an instrumental cause for the greater propagation of it The Church is not lestned by persecutions but augmented saith St. Leo Ser. I. de Petro

by sudden death before the morning came Oecolampadius going well in health to bed with his woman was found next morning lying stone dead by her an untimely end as is to be feared for one who had been not onely a Priest but was tyed also to the religious order of St. Briget with the triple cord of his three Vowes some Suppose hee was killed by the Devil others write that hee killed himselfe Nor was the end of Carolstadius less terrible for of him the Ministers of Basil write in their Funeral Epistle of him that hee was killed by the Devill he had been Archdeacon of Wittenberg and a Priest but presently upon Luthers revolt sided with him and took a Concubine Zuinglius who had been a Canon of Constance the incendiary of a bloody civill warre in his own Country was at last massacred in one of the battels himself his pretence was to extirpate Popery and to plant the Reformed religion as they called it But Erasmus in his Epistle to Goclenius sayes plainly That the aym of Zuinglius as also of Oecolampadius was tyranny and that they affected some temporall dominion Osiander before his miserable end was suddenly struck dumb like a beast as may be read in Prateolus And Calvin's end was by being eaten up by Vermine the horrour of which punishment and the frightfull terrours injected into his conscience made him spend his last minutes as Hierom Bolsecus writes in execrations and blasphemous ejaculations with invocation of the Devils O dreadfull punishments tragicall and dismall deaths untimely ends so truly spoke St. Paul when he said It is a horrible thing to fall into the hands of God Heb. 10.31 so truly said David that God is Terrible in his counsels upon the sons of men Psal 66.5 and can you still adhear to those your sects which had such founders Still persecute the Church of Rome and read such punishments Harken rather to what the Prophet saies and fulfill his words yea the words of God Love ye peace and verity saith the Lord Omnipotent Zach. 8 Consider lastly the unsuccessefull affairs and finall ends of three secular Princes who in their several countries did most harm to Roman Catholicks King Henry the eighth in England William Nassaw in the Low countries and Gustavus Adolphus in Germany they had been all three once Roman Catholicks and how sad enemies they proved afterwards to the persons places and practice of that Religion and yet not so much out of hatred of that religion as to compasse their other designs few are ignorant but they themselves were overwhelmed in the ruines they made and of the tragedies by them begun the Catastrophe fell chiefly upon them The one was delivered over to his own sensuality and made a slave to it even his very body was metamorphized out of that of a man almost into that of a monster he sunk still deeper into sin till his souls danger grew almost desperate and all his latter years were full of punishments of his Schisme and Sacriledge The second when death rushed in at the windows of those wounds which the bullets made in his breast and carried him presently to render up the accounts of his Stewardship to God and his King was not the heavy hand of God upon him The third after an ocean of Innocent bloodshed in his unjust invasion of the Empire after such a ruine of Catholick Houses Villages Towns Cities Monasteries and Churches after such a ransack of Religion and threats against Rome and the Vicar of Christ himself to be killed without a moments respite to repaire what was amisse was not this a fearfull scourge of God undoubtedly it was Hence infer that the whole complex of these examples proves evidently that the Roman Catholicks are the true Church of Christ and for this reason amongst others because God hath laid so remarkable punishments upon their enemies and persecuters Secondly gather that these examples efficaciously prove against Atheists that there is a God who punisheth wickednesse Thirdly infer what misery and punishment Luther made himself lyable to for his giving the first Allarum to all the Heresies of these later times O Luther what got thou by imitating Lucifer thy pride and disobedience to the true Church was like his to God thy fall from that state which is a kinde of heaven upon earth was like to his and I fear thy doom is not unlike to his The twentieth Meditation Confession of the Adversaries The first Point FOr the Conclusion of this Work let the subject of this last Meditation be that which these late Sectaries grant in behalf of the Roman Church and against themselves Consider therefore that the Sectaries since Luthers time and particularly Protestants do grant and acknowledge many things in behalf of the Roman Catholicks First they confesse that the Fathers and Doctours of the Primitive Church believed and taught the same things which the Roman Catholicks now hold and in which they and other sectaries differ First That Saint Peter was ordained by Christ the head of the Apostles and of the whole Church 2. That the Bishop of Rome succeeded S. Peter in the Primacy of the whole Church 3. That the Books of Toby Judith Esther Wisdom Ecclestasticus and two first of the Machabees were truly Canonicall scripture 4. Traditions 5. The reall presence and Transubstantiation 6. That Masse was a sacrifice truly propitiatory for the living and the dead 7. That Christ gave Priests power to forgive sins and the necssity of auricular Confession 8. Pardon or Indulgences 9. Purgatory and Prayer for the dead 10. Praying to Angels and Saints 11. Placing Christs image and his Saints in Churches and reverencing them 12. Reverence to the relicks of Martyrs and other Saints 13. That such as were made Clergy-men could never afterwards marry 14. That not only Faith but also good works do truly justifie and that these are meritorious of grace and glory These and diverse other Tenents of the Roman Catholicks are acknowledged by chief Protestant Writers to have been taught believed and practiced by the antient Fathers That the protestant Writers confesse these points which indeed is a strange thing and utterly ruines their cause those learned and laborious works to wit the Protestants Apology the Progeny of Catholicks and Protestants as also many other Authors do most amply declare and cite the very words of all the chiefest Protestant Writers most faithfully about the the forementioned points Secondly they confesse that Roman Catholicks dying Roman Catholicks may be saved this the most of all Sectaries grant both in their Writings and in their ordinary discourse truly as this acknowledgment ought to bring no smal comfort to Catholicks when they reflect that they are of a religion which even in the opinion of their Adversaries is soul-saving so me thinks it should make a great impression upon others which are not Roman Catholicks and move them to embrace that religion in which all parties think and say men

against that decree which was made against them at the Dyet in Germany Luther was presently writ against and confuted by many learned men in all Catholick Countries his Doctrine and he were condemned first by Pope Leo the tenth and afterward by the Councel of Trent so that Luthers going out and the beginning of his new Sect are most certainly known and recounted by many Yea the falshood and novelty of Luthers doctrine as also his going out of the Roman Church and that the said Church of Rome is Christs true Church is plainly demonstrated further by this thing which is most worthy to be taken notice of At that time when Luther began his new sect there were not in the world any Religions but these the Roman Paganisme Judaisme Mahometisme the relicks of Nestorianisme in Greece and some Hussites in Germany some one of these was Christs true Church for he had a visible Church upon earth Therefore the Roman must be it for even the Lutherans deny that any of the other could be it Hence infer first that Luther could not but know that he went out and separated himself from Christs Church by forsaking all Churches one of which he knew must be it Secondly that he could not but know that the Roman Church was it thirdly that supposing the Church of Rome were it which must be supposed or else the denyers must say Christ had no true Church upon earth it could not be guilty of any Heresie or Idolatry nor give any just cause to Luther of going out of it and consequently by his revolt from the communion of it he incurred the sin of schisme by teaching doctrine contrary to it he fell into the sin of heresie Fourthly that all that entered into that schismaticall league with him and embraced his opinions were guilty of the same sins so far forth as ignorance did not make their acts involuntary Fifthly that that schisme unlawfully begun by Luther cannot be lawfully continued by others and therefore all that are not Roman Catholicks expose themselves to evident danger of their souls unless they return to the communion of the Roman Church The fourth Point Consider now what may be drawn out of all the precedent points first that antiquity is not onely a mark of the true Church but it is one by which even the most ignorant soules may easily finde out which is the true Church and which are late sects and consequently false for a smal enquiry will bring them to the knowledge of which Religion is of the longest standing and a far lesse will discover unto them which are of the latest for of Luther above mention is made Calvin begun at Geneva anno 1538. and Protestant Religion in England begun under Queen Elizabeth though some symptoms of falling into it were difcovered in her predecessor Edward the sixth his dayes as is evident out of John Stows Chronicle and other Protestant Writers as also out of the Stature book 2. That since according to Saint Austins rule which is that if there be any thing practised in the Church universally and no time of its being introduced can be assigned that thing is to be supposed to have its first origin from the Apostles times no known beginning of the Roman Catholick Religion since the daies of the Apostles can be specified it must be the true Religion On the contrary since both the going out from the Roman Church and also the first beginnings of all later Sects are easily demonstrable none of these can be true or a soul saving Religion 3. That all who are not Roman Catholicks for these know it have great reason yea are obliged to inform themselves about the requisitenesse of antiquity in point of Religion For by a neglect of this they expose themselves to the danger of making an imprudent choice to the great prejudice of their soules whereas a compliance with this obligation of searching after the antiquity of Religion will bring them easily to a perfect insight into the defectivenesse and falshood of all save only that Religion of the Roman Catholicks Inquire therefore of the old paths you who are out of that way which your Ancestors held for above eight hundred years together in England before Luther was born you who have left the true worship of God and sacrifice to the Idols of your own fancies learn that lesson well which Moses reads to you Do ye thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise remember the dayes of old consider the years of many generations ask thy Father and he will shew thee thy Elders and they will tell thee What The ancient being and truth of the Catholick Religion and the non-entity of these late ones of our miserable times The Eleventh Meditation Of Unity The first Point Consider first that the true Church of Christ is but one The Scriptures Councels Fathers History and Reason prove this truth imprint in thy minde the many divine Oracles with which the true God of Wisdome hath confirmed this One is my Dove my perfect one Cant. 6. One God one Faith one Baptisme one body one spirit sayes Saint Paul Ephes 4. who also recommends to all Christians most earnestly that they will stand fast in one spirit with one minde Phil. 1.27 and that they will be like minded having the same love being of one accord and one minde Phil. 2.2 in all which places and many more he exhorts to unity in Faith Judgment and opinion Our Saviour every where speaks of his Church in the singular number tell the Church upon this rock will I build my Church intimating thereby it is but one the General Councell of Nice and Constantinople received by Protestants define and professe in their Creed that the Catholick Church is but one the holy Fathers all unanimously fight for the unity of Christs Church against Hereticks and schismaticks and History delivers unto posterity the continued succession of Popes Bishops Priests Doctours Confessors Virgins and Martyrs for fifteen centuries of years together and more all whose lives deaths books and blood have published signed and sealed their attestations that there is but one Church the Roman Church which is the Catholick Church Consider secondly and that seriously what forces natural reason brings to establish this Unity verity it self is but one and that indivisible and propositions contradictory cannot possibly be both true how then can Sects or Religions contradicting one another in one and the self same points be more than one of them true Different Nations people of different callings and qualities may meet in conjunction together and make one and the same body in Faith and Religion as it happened in the Primitive Church But different Sects and People of a contrary beliefe about the self same material objects or points of Faith for example about the real presence of Christs body in the Eucharist about Justification about Purgatory about the infallible Authority of the Church and such like cannot