who convert King Lucius and his Subjects Scotland ows its conversion to Pope Victor by his Envoys and Legates Ireland to Pope Celestine who sent thither S. Patrick England to S. Augustine sent by S. Gregory the great Clovis first Christian King of France is converted by S. Rhemigius Bishop of Rhemes the Franconians by S. William the Thuringians Hassits and a great part of Germany by S. Boniface the Flemins by Eligius the Danes and Swedes by Ansgratius the Sclavonians and Hungarians by the two Adelberts the Polonians by Aegidius Tusculanus sent by Pope John the 13. run thus through all the other Kingdomes and Provinces of the Christian World you shall constantly find the same And this as in all former Ages so in ours witness the Conversions of the Japonians Indians Brasilians Mexicans Peruans Canadas Algonquins and many other Savage Nations in America the Coasts of Afric and remotest corners of the Earth where the Catholick Roman Church ever like to her self in the Primitive times and her Pastors and Preachers to the Apostles continue their Labours to this day with such success by the blessings of God that they have converted ten to the Christian Faith for one Protestants have perverted But what Kingdom Province or Town did ever Protestancy enter in which it did not find Catholick Never so many Sects of Hereticks yet not one goes to convert Infidels all their business is with Papists and all their Forces employed against the Roman Church a clear Demonstration she is the only true Church so generally opposed by them all But whatever they can do is in vain shee being built on the Rock against which all the Powers of Hell shall not prevail Their Disputes serve for nâ—thing but to clear her Doctrine their Controversies but to confirm her Faith their Persecutions but to Crown her sufferings their unchristian Maxims against the Evangelical Counsels of voluntary Poverty vowed Chastity and a retired humble devote austere and obedient life but to make more gloriously appear the incomparable Sanctity Holiness and Vertues of her Saints And this is the third thing remarkable in the Apostles and Primitive Christians which in all following Ages hath so gloriously shined in the Catholick Roman Church their examplary holiness in following Christ by renouncing to the World living chast contemning both Riches and Pleasures their holy hatred of themselves the hardship of their travels and labours for the conversion of others their continual Fasting and frequent Prayer This Mark of the Churches Sanctity is set down in the Creed I believe the holy Catholick Church It is confirmed by Authority of Scripture S. Paul in the beginning of all his Epistles almost calling the Churches to which he writes holy as in that to the Romans Corinthians Ephesians Philippians and Colossians as S. Peter calls the Church generally the holy Nation it is also Visible to all as the goodness of a Tree is seen by the Fruit so the holiness of the Church by her Works Now let us see in what Church the greatest Lights of the Christian Religion have shined what Church hath most Monuments of Christian piety in what Church the Examples of Christ and his Apostles have been most narrowly followed Who have built most glorious and goodly Edifices of Churches to the honour and for the service of God who so many Monasteries to harbour his more devoted Servants who so many Hospitals for the poor who best Evidenced true Faith by good Works who have most put in practice all the hardest Maxims of the Gospel who taken greatest pains for the Salvation of Souls who show'n greatest love towards God and greatest charity to their neighbour whether Papists giving so liberally to God and his Church or Protestants taking back what they had given By their Fruits ye shall know them says our Saviour Christ our actions give testimony of our Faith The holy Fathers writing so many lives of our Saints witness enough their unparallel'd piety yea and God himself working so many Miracles by them How many Princes and Monarches in the Catholick Roman Church have laid down their Crowns at the foot of the Cross have quitted Kingdoms renounced pleasures forsaken the World taking themselves to a poor humble mortified and austere life how many thousands yea millions of Eremits Monks and other Religious persons men and women have totally consecrated their lives to the service of God No Age no Order no degree of Persons in this Church wanteth most Eminent men in Sanctity and Holiness Above 30. Popes have been all most glorious Martyrs besides many more Saints as our Gregories Leo's Celestines c. our holy Bishops are in number above the Stars of the firmament and our Priests and Religious like the Sand of the Sea S. Henry Emperour S. Lovis K. of France S. Edward King of England S. Malcolme and S. David Kings of Scotland with S. Helena Mother to Constantine the great S. Margaret S. Cunegund S. Elizabeth and many others all Kings and Queens have shown the Sanctity of our Monarchs See the holy Court and History of the Church for the holiness of so many amongst the Nobility and Gentry and the Lives of our Saints and Writings of the Fathers for the eminent virtues of innumerable â—f others both amongst the Gentry and Commons S. Chrysostome S. Ambrose S. Augustine S. Bernard and other holy Fathers having honoured their Memory and Festival days with most Eloquent Sermons in their praise as God by his Omnipotency and Power hath sealed their sanctity with undoubted Miracles both in their Lives and in their Deaths What can all the Sectaries which have ever been shown like to this or what can they say against it shall it be that all are not Saints even amongst our most Austere Religious men but neither were all Saints amongst the Apostles and the Primitive Church even in their time wanted not its scandals which showeth it was not only composed of the Elect the total separation of the good from the bad is not the work of men now but of the Angels at the last day till then as the Tares grow up in the best Fields of Corn so shall there be ever many wicked and scandalous in the true Church But out of it no Saints no safety for sinners no Sacraments that sanctifie no means of reconciliation with God I insist not here any further on the other Marks of the true Church as their Antiquity Universality Unity and the very name of Catholick which are to be found at length verified of the Roman Church in many whole and large Volumes No other Church having eâ—er been generally called by this name or known under it but all by their private Denominations as the Arians Pelagians Eutychians Macedonians c. in Old so the Lutherians and Calvinists now And if we call this Catholick or Universal Church also the Roman Church we speak with S. Paul calling the Catholick Faith spread through the whole world theirs No other Church having constantly appeared
Countreys what truth can there be in Humane Affairs if no credit be given to these things In Poland that most notorious Miracle of a man raised to life after he had been seven years dead and brought before the King sitting in Justice to witness he had sold such a piece of Land to the Church In England we have from their best Authors how in a publick Assembly the opposers of a single life in Priests are all smothered under the ruines of the room only S. Dunstan and those who with him defended it being miraculously preserved where also the many Miracles of S. Winefride Virgin to the great good and constant cure of the multitude having recourse to her Chppel and Fountain continue even in our days In Scotland a Miracle makes the armes of one of our chief Cities others of S. Mungo S. Fiaker S. Margaret c. are famous in our Chronicles yea the ever continued Miracles in many places consecrated in old time to God and his Saints make the people as yet to frequent the very rubbish and ruines of our Chappels Now to reflect a little upon what I have said 1. The Miracles I here speak of are for the most part the same or like to those which Christ and his Apostles did 〈◊〉 as the suddain cure of naturally incurable Diseases the raising of the Dead the casting out of Devils c. 2. They have been done in all Ages in the Catholick Roman Church and in no other 3. The Workers of them are Popes Bishops Priests Eremits Monks Fryars Jesuits and others all knowingly opposers of Protestancy all living in Communion with the Sea of Rome 4. They are witnessed by the most Learned Judicious and Vertuous Witnesses of the Christian World yea are so notoriously Evident that Hereticks cannot but avouch them with the Centurists of Magdeburg and others 5. Many of them are not only Personal Miracles Witnessing the holiness of the Person that Worketh them as these which serve for the Cononization of our Saints but also Dogmatical confirming our Doctrine against Protestants as being wrought by Reliques and Invocation of Saints the Sign of the holy Cross holy Water saying of Mass Exorcisms Pilgrimages to holy Chappels of our blessed Lady and other Saints by real Apparitions of our Saviour Christ in form of a Man in the Consecrate Host c. What then can Protestants Answer with any show of Probability to this first Mark of the Catholick Roman Church Shall they grant a false Religion to have so many Miracles and theirs which is the true to have none or shall Christs promise in S. John Ch. 14. made to faithfull Believers prove false that Protestancy may at least seem to be true They will rather deny these Miracles which I have brought and all others since the Apostles for their Negative Faith Engageth them ever to a strong Denial as all their New Religion is but a denying of most Antient and known Christian Truths Yet shall any man upon their bold denyal distrust such a croud of so Famous Witnesses and Writers Shall they say many Miracles have been fained so some Gospels but what maketh that more against these of the Catholick Roman Church then those of Christ and his Apostles What has not been counterfeited Gold Silver Jewels Wines doth it follow there be none true or that no man can distinguish things Sophisticated from pure and real Could not S. Justin S. Irenaeus S. Chrysostome S. Basile and S. Augustine relating so many done by Reliques and Invocation of Saints judge of true ones Or were S. Athanasius and S. Hierom relating the Miracles of S. Anthonie S. Gregory of Nisse and S. Basile those of S. Gregory Thaumaturgus Severus Sulpitius and S. Gregory of Tours those of S. Martin Theodoret those of S. Nicolas S. Gregory the great those of S. Bennet S. Bonaventure those of S. Francis so easily deceived shall they deny the Workers of such Miracles to have been Members of the Roman Church or them to have been wrought in Confirmation of the present Romish Faith But it is by saying of Mass making the sign of the Cross Invocating of Saints honouring of Reliques they have been done Shall they have recourse in fine to the false Miracles of Infidels Hereticks Magicians the Antichrist or Devil So did the Arians Eunomians and other Hereticks as reports S. Ambrose in his Sermon of S. Gervase and Protase S. Hierome against Vigilantius and Victor Uticensis in his second Book of the persecution of the Wandales and is the same the Jews did say to Christ but more then either Men or Devils can do All those things which Hereticks or Infidels have done or that Antichrist shall do being but like these of Pharaoh's Magicians little curious Trifles of a short lasting and that may proceed from Natural Causes But so are not the Miracles I speak of for they are the very same with those of Christ and his Apostles they are attested by the holy Fathers and Doctors of the Church who could best judge of true and real ones and as they have been wrought in the Catholick Roman Church and in her only in all Ages so in every Age have they brought in some Nation of Infidels to the bosome of the same Church This is the second thing remarkable in the Apostles and no less Conspicuous in the Catholick Roman Church Whosoever then desires to see this second Mark of the true Church verified in the Roman Church Let him but cast an Eye over all the Nations which were ever converted from Infidelity to Christianity since the Apostles and then but take a view in their respective Histories and Records who were their Apostles out of which Church they were sent and to which Church they did at first bring in their Proselytes and Converts And he shall find all this great Work to have been done by no other then Popes Bishops Priests and Religious men all living in Communion with the Roman Church all acknowledging her Headship over other Churches all teaching her Doctrine all submitting to her Authority and all propagating her Faith See for this in general the Theater of the Conversion of all Nations Written by Mermannius and the History of the Church by Baronius and Spondanus â—ll in particular the Records of each Nation yea and the Magdeburgian Centurists though Protestants It being so notoriously evident that even our adversaries cannot deny it and if they should the very Walls of Churches Chappels Monasteries adorned with Crosses Statues Images and other marks of the present Roman Religion might sufficiently prove it against them Pope Alexander the 1. is glorious for the conversion of so many of the Roman Senators and Nobles Pope Sylvester for that of the first Christian Emperour Constantine the great the Bulgarians are converted by Pope Nicolas the 1. the Bohemians by Stephen the 7. Norway by Adrian the 4. the Pomeranians by Nicolas the 3. all Popes S. Elutherius Pope sends to this our Island two of his Clergy
infallibly credible which is taught in her as the great Seal God sets to her Doctrine In the first Age the Miracles of the Apostles and Disciples are set down in holy Scripture so need no other Testimony In the second Age Justin Martyr quaest 28. reporteth many wrought by the bodies and at the Sepulchers of Martyrs and Irenaeus l. 2. C. 58. innumerable others for the conversion of the Gentiles In the third Age many most great ones are wrought by S. Gregory sirnamed Thaumaturge or worker of Miracles related by S. Gregory Nissen in his Life and S. Basil de Sp. Sanct. c. 29. divers whereof by the Sign of the Cross S. Cyprian serm de laps relates with many others three very strange Miracles in this Age confirming the Real Presence In the fourth Age a dead body is restored to Life by the holy Cross when it was first found by the Empress Helena as witness Ruffinus Nicephorus and others Many other Miracles are wroughe by Reliques witnessed by S. Chrysostome orat contr gentes by holy Water attested by S. Epiphanius haer 30. by Adoration of Christ in the Sacrament witness S. Gregory Nazianzen orat 11 by Prayer to our Lady says the same Authour in S. Cyprian by the Merits of Martyrs as relateth S. Ambrose Serm. 21. In the fifth Age S. Augustine l. 22. de civit c. 8. many by the Reliques of S. Stephen and an house dispossessed of Devils by saying of Mass S. Chrysostome says by the sign of the holy Cross Eusebius Cremon writes S. Hierome being dead the blind deaf dumb and sick were cured by touching and kissing his Corps In the sixth Age Miracles are wrought to confirm the Sacrifice of the Mass witness S. Gregory l. 4. dial C. 57. by the Reliques of S. Martin as is related by S. Gregory of Tours de Miracul S. Martini l. 1. c. 11. Two others says S. Gregory l. 3. dial C. 3. by John the first and Agapitus both Popes In the seventh Age we have Miracles in defence of vowed Virginity related by Sigibert an 670. wrought by Reliques in Bede l. 5. c. 11. By the Images of S. Anastasius at the very sight whereof â—evils fled and diseases were cured in act 2. Synod Nicen. In the eighth Age divers Miracles are wrought at the translation of S. Augustines Reliques from Sardinia to Ticinum by Luitprand King of the Longâ—bards after he had redeemed it with a great sum of money from the Sarazens witness Oldardus Ep. ad Carol Magn. A Crucifix in the City of Berith stabbed by the Jews bleedeth and the blood cureth all diseases witness Crantius with the Magdeburgians Cen. 8. In the same age Pope Leo the third having his tongue cut and his Eyes pulled out by the Pagans had them both restored by the Intercession of S. Peter as it is Recorded by Anastasius Baronius and many others In the ninth Age innumerable Miracles are done at the Tomb of S. James and by a Picture of S. John Baptist related by Curopalates Baronius and other most approved Authors as also most famous Miracles of three Popes Stephen the fifth Paschalis the first and Formosus In the tenth Age by S. Romuald and S. Dunstan to be seen in Surius Baronius c. by touching S. Peters Chains in Sigibert an 965. In the approbation of the single life of Priests and the exemplary punishment of them who opposed it see for this Matthew of Westminster an 975. And Osbert in the life of S. Dunstan In the eleventh Age by three Popes Leo the 9. Victor the 2. and Gregory the 7. the Authors you have in Baronius who with him confirm them By S. Edward King of England for which see Alredus in his life by S. Anselme Bishop S. Odilo Abbot S. Chunegunde Virgine related by Surius and other Writers of their lives In the twelfth Age the Miracles of S. Malachy Apostle of Ireland are recounted by S. Bernard whom even Calvin calls a holy man one whereof confirmeth Extreme Unction and another the Real Presence Many likewise are to be seen in the Life of S. Bernard himself and one most notable in confirmation of the whole Catholick Roman Faith In the thirteenth Age we have the many famous Miracles of S. Dominic S. Francis of Assisium S. Antony of Padua S. Lovis of France S. Celestine Pope and S. Clare witnessed by S. Antonine S. Bonaventure Petrus Cardin. Camerasc Baronius and others all most renowned Writers In the fourteenth Age the Miracles of S. Nicholas Tolentine S. Roch S. Katherin of Siena are Chronicled by S. Antonine Surius Baronius c. In the fifteenth Age S. Antonine 3. par hist tit 23. testifieth thirty eight dead persons to have been restored to life by the Prayers and Merits of S. Vincent Many sick are also cured by the Intercession of our blessed Lady at her house in Loreto and the Turkish Army terrified by Miracles from sacking it as Reports Tursellin l. 2. hist laur In the sixteenth Age many great Miracles done by S. Francis of Paula S. Ignatius of Loyola and S. Terese are Authentickly proved in the process of Canonization and the Authours of their lives In the same Age S. Francis Xavier called commonly the Apostle of Japonie and the first Jesuit sent to the Indies raiseth four from death and worketh innumerable other Miracles attested by the Viceroys Governours Prelates Pastors and people of those Countries in which it is reported he Baptized about twelve hundred thousand souls with his own hand Some moderate Protestanâ—â— even honour his memory and make mention of his admirable Conversions and if others should deny his Miracles we might come to that S. Augustine calls the greatest of all to wit that he should have converted so many and wrought none Many thousand more Miracles are recorded in the Writings of the Fathers in all Ages in the Monuments of the Church yea and in the Histories of each particular Christian Nation as in France that famous apparition of our Saviour Christ in the Consecrate Host at Paris in the time of King Lovys the 9. to which were eye witnesses most inhabitants of that great City In Spain that miraculous Cross placed on the Altar by an Angel at the conversion of a King of the Moors desirous to hear Mass which is kept in the Town of Caravaca and worketh Miracles to this day In Italy the wonderful Translation of that holy house wherein our blessed Saviour lived at Nazareth to Loreto at which so many Miracles have been wrought by the Intercession of our Lady and attested by so great Gifts and Offerings that of a mean Cottage it is now the richest Chappel in the World In Flanders the miraculous cures at our Ladies Chappels of Hall and Sichem written in two Books by that Famous and Learned Authour Justus Lipsius and of which he giveth this Testimony in his first Chapter Behold things done in the Eyes of us all beholâ— them celebrated with the Concourse Applause Fruit and Benefit of whole