fulfill both parts of Christian duty decline from evil and do good and prescribes the means the other gives occasion to sinne freely and puts a barre against vertue the one hath a pleasant taste at first and seemingly rellisheth well but in the operation proves rank poyson to the soul the other seems harsh and hath somewhat of the bitter in it but in effect it proves a true cordiall the teachers of the one are those of whom our Saviour bids us beware that come in the sheeps cloathing of soft indulgent and condescending Doctrine but the effects of it proves them to be interiourly ravenous wolves the others are like good shepherds who restrain yet feed their sheep and govern them well In fine the one doctrine leads to the narrow way and strait gate which leads to life the other points out the broad way and wide gate which leads to perdition Inferre secondly that since these tenents of Sectaries make many become Sensualists and Syren-like have a sweet sound pleasing to the ear yet destroy and kill those therefore that desire to escape all danger must imitate Ulisses whose companions being inveigled by the charms of Circe were metamorphosed into Hogs an excellent Hieroglyphick of some Sects and the effects they produce but Ulisses himself by stopping his ears miss'd the hearing of her bewitching voyce and by that means got safe away If you shun not the occasions of hearing bad language and dangerous Doctrine Saint James his words He that loves danger shall perish therein will be verified in you Where your eternal interest is concern'd seek the greatest security and adhere to that Doctrine which most favours fanctity which the more you shall love the more shall you resemble the holy of holies Christ himself The eighth Meditation Of the Conversion of Nations by the efficacy of Doctrine The first Point COnsider first how that the great Commander of the world in chief Christ Jesus resolving to reduce into that one Kingdome of his Church all those Nations which the rebellious Princes of darknes had kept enthral'd in the slavery of infidelity for the effecting of this great designe first made choice of twelve men which he called his Apostles who were to be seconded by new supplies from time to time till that great conquest were finished the arms because the war was a spirituall one in which souls were more looked after and esteemed a greater booty than bodies were to be such as that noble Champion Saint Paul gives us a list of to wit Verity for the sword belt or scarfe the breast plate justice the shield of faith the helmet of salvation and the sword was to be the word of God this he calls the Armour of God This word was the sword which was to doe the deed Of this the same Saint Paul said that the word of God was Efficacious and more penetrating than any two edged sword and of it our Saviour meant when he said I will give you a mouth and Wisdome against which all your adversaries shall not be able to resist And he expressed their Commission in these words Goe teach all Nations baptizing them Consider secondly what may be hence infer'd as undenyable First that efficacy of Doctrine and the conversion of souls thereby is a signe and mark of Christs true Church for at this aimed king David when he said that the Law of the Lord was not only immaculate but converting soules Secondly that that Church was and is the true Church of Christ which hath in all ages and doth still prosecute the same work of converting soules The second Point Consider now the efficacy of the Roman Catholick doctrine And first a priori as from the cause Mans intellective faculty aimes at truth and seeks to perfect it selfe in the knowledge thereof as being it 's naturall object and for the rationall appetite the will good is that which it hunts after Now certaine it is that the Church of Rome teacheth the most noble and sublime things that can be studyed or conceived Such are the nature of the Divine effence and its perfections the eternall beatitude of man and the most comfortable and efficacious means to obtaine it and how to remove the letts and impediments to the purchase of it Add to these the excellency of Christs Church and its holy Sacraments and Sacrifice together with the doctrine contained in the Second point of the former meditation And as for the verity of this Catholick doctrine it is grounded upon the greatest authority that can be exacted yea or wished for to wit the veracity of God and the testimony of that Church which undoubtedly deserves more credite than any single person or particular Sect in the world that is the Church of the Roman Catholicks dispersed over all the world Now these things so great and so beneficial to mans soul established also by so unquestionable authority how can they but move the will that is the rational appetite of man the sensitive indeed a thing not more excellent in man than in bruits finds the effects of Luther and Calvin's doctrine more agreeable to it but speaking of the soul as rational in loves that which is truly good Quid enim fortius desiderat anima quam veritatem As truly said Saint Austin Tract 26. in Joan. Consider secondly the efficacy of this doctrine à posteriori or from its effects the forcible attractivenesse of this converted all that have been converted after the successefull labours of the Apostles and Disciples of Christ other Apostolicall men put for ward the work and amongst the first was holy Pantenus who converted many Indians soon after which the Scythians Dacians Nemians and Morines of which Paulinus writeth were brought into the Church as also the Armenians and Hurmes as Saint Hierom recounteth In the fifth Age the Scots were converted by Saint Palladius a man born in Rome and sent from Rome by Pope Celestine into Scotland to preach the Faith of Christ to that Nation This is recorded by Prosper Bede and Baronius soon after Saint Remigius and Saint Vaus authorized both by the same power of the Bishop of Rome brought the French Nation to embrace the Catholick Faith at which time Clodoveus their King received the first tincture of Christianity by being baprized by Saint Remigius As for our own Nation England whose the conversions patently convince these late Sects of Novelty and falshood the first time of its being enlightned by Christs Gospel was in the Apostles time the second illustration of it was when Pope Eleutherius sent the men of God Fugatius and Damianas thither who baptized King Lucius and converted his Subjects And thirdly it was totally converted by whom By St. Austin and his companions Justus Mellitus Laurence and others Whence they From Rome By whose order Saint Gregories the Pope And here is matter for amazement when a man reflects how ungratfully our English off-spring like an unnatural brood defiles the Nest
is the ordinary sequel punishment of schisme witnes England from the Church of Rome and so by denying due Allegiance to that See they became by the judgments of God to be made subject to the Turk To the See of Rome therefore all these Nations in point of Religion were then subject Adde to these Italy Spain Sicily France Scotland and England which were all under the same obedience After the death of that holy Pope new Nations came in with their voluntary subjection to the Roman See apace Flaunders with the other Low Countryes and adjacent places and Germany with its adherent Provinces and after these Denmark and Sweathland Russia Norway Poland Hungary and Transylvania All these Kingdoms and Countries with their Kings and Princes became voluntary subjects to the See of Rome and so persisted many hundred years till Luthers licentious doctrine began to seduce Germany and to give occasion of new heresies and many revolts both from their tenporal Princes their Spiritual Prelats and their true and Antient Religion Such is the nature of heresy Consider secondly how far the limits and bounds of the Roman Religion extend themselves in these our dayes all Italy Venice Sicily Spaine and Portugal with many other adjacent Hands are intirely Roman Catholick France excepting some places hath every Towne and Province of the same Religion of the seventeen Provinces the far greater part is intirely Catholicke and of Germany more than three parts are Faithful professours of the same Roman Faith as also of Poland and Hungary add to these the many hundred thousands of Roman Catholicks mixt promiscuously amongst other Sectaries in England Holland Sweathland Denmark the revolted Townes in Germany and Switzerland and other the like places And then Consider whether this be not that mark of Magnitude and far extended bounds promised by the Prophets to Christs Church Let us passe further And first into Affrica all which Simon Lathus the Protestant sayes the Jesuits have filled with their Idols he means that they have planted the Roman Religion every where in it From thence let us passe over the main Ocean every way and further then ever any earthly Empire went to the East Indies to the west America to the north in Japan and to the south in Brasil and from thence into the furthest and vastest Kingdom in the world China into all these have the Roman Priests advanced the royal Standard of Christs Crosse Fables which had the liberty to attribute to their Heroes and Baccus and Hercules what feats and travails they pleased never fained so much as these men have really affected in their extending the dominions of the Roman Faith Caesar and Alexander never went near where these are now Preaching Christianity nor had the old Roman Empire near so great Dimensions of longitude and latitude as the Spiritual Empire of the Church of Rome now hath and it dayly gets ground and continually dilates it selfe for these more then Herculean labourers there find still plus ultra O that our natives of England were but spectators awhile of the infatigable and succesful labours of these Roman Priests they would see in them most clearly these signa Apostolatus those signes of Apostle-ship signes of truly Apostolical men which would make them have an other manner of opinion of them and the Religion they all preach But one thing more is most worthy of a mature consideration and that is that the Roman Catholicks in these foreign Nations are not confined to a private exercise of their Religion as Catholicks in England are but there are whole Townes yea Countryes and those many intirely Catholick and without any mixture of Infidels and in these there are Churches many and richly adorned and Collegies as at Goa Mexico and in many places besides in which the studies of Humanity Philosophy and Divinity are taught And in this posture are Catholick affairs in these many and vast Nations converted to Christianity by Roman Priests Hence we infer that it was thee Rome and thy Faith to which these large promisses of Nations for thy inheritance were made for in thee only they have bin performed And since the bounds of the earth are given to thee who can deny but they were promissed to thee The third Point Consider now and make a survey of the greatest and most populous Sect now extant in Europe But if the distinction of Sects be taken from the different body of Articles or different number of points of Faith as really it must there will be no proportion or degree of comparison betwixt the Roman Catholicks and any one Sect left For he that will hold that the number of Roman Catholicks in Holland or England is as Copious as any one sect taken according to this true distinction of sect from sect in either Nation holds a very probable opinion But take all Sects now on foot amongst Christian Countries Conglobate them all into one by aggregation yet their dominions would not out reach yea equalize the above mentioned bounds of the Roman Church Look upon the compendium of the earth either the Map or Globe and your eye will satisfy your understanding in this point As for great Personages amongst Sectaries What and how many Magnificent Benefactors hath any of these Sects or all together had As for the Religion of the Roman Catholicks Kings indeed hath been its nursing Fathers Queens its nursing Mothers such were Constantine and Hellen such were Lucius Ethelbert Inas Ethelred Oswald Alfred Edward and many others in England such were Lewis in France Richardus in Spaine Casimer in Poland Stephen in Hungary Wenceslaus in Bohemia Canutus in Denmark Henry and many of the house of Austria in the Empire In fine such were Cimegundis Blanch the Elizabeths of Hungary and Portingal with many more of that sex O royal souls be ever Crowned with Glory for managing your earthly Crownes so well towards the maintaining of the Church of Christ Well did you know that to serve Christ was to reigne and that so to reigne was the means to reigne eternally The great ones which ruled where Sectaries swarmed such were the Duke of Saxony the King of Denmark Queen Elizabeth the Palsgrave the Landgrave of Hesse the Prince of Orange the King of Sweathland what Universities what Bishopricks what Abbeyes what Churches Chappels and Altars have they founded yea rather what have they not destroyed Now confer dominions parallel Princes and compare Religions together and then chose according to equity and prudence The fourth Point Out of what hath been here handled make these reflections in order to thy Spiritual profit First that since large extent of limits hath been promissed to Christs Church and since it is patently apparent that only the Roman Church hath this Amplitude none but it can be Christs true Church Secondly that since the Scriptures in the first point cited with other places in Isay and Daniel as also the great promisses made by God to Abraham and
Independent or the like being about to die is desired to declare himself in point of Religion he will not say thus I die a Catholick for the spectatours and auditours would immediately conclude that he dyed a Papist but he would declare himself thus I die a Protestant Presbyterian or the like or I die a member of the Church of England which is in effect to say he dies a Protestant and thus the titular Archbishop of Canterburie Mr. Laud and some other great Personages that died the same death before and after him declared themselves at that instant which was both most unseasonable for dissembling and at which period a man should be serious if ever and yet these great Persons to hold an argument whilest they were in discourse upon who had the best claim to the honourable title of Catholick would undoubtedly have stood for it themselves The fourth Point Out of these former points make these ensuing reflections first that the name Catholick is and hath been alwayes esteemed by venerable antiquity a mark of the true Church yea even Sectaries alwayes esteemed it so upon that account would somtimes challenge it thereby to Patronize and vent their new fashioned Religions the sooner 2. That those who desire to be accounted Catholicks by all Sects and sorts of people yea and which is better by God himself must joyn with those whom they call Roman Catholicks in the same Belief Communion and obedience to the spiritual Prelates 3. That the denominations of Catholick Papist or Roman Catholick are in substance all one thing and as it were termini convertibiles or synonima Now to the â—nd a man may be saved since it is not sufficient to bear onely the extrinsecall appellation of a Catholick but he must lead a life conformable to that name and Religion therefore Grant good Lord a large contribution of thy grace both to all aliens from thy Church that they may become members of it and to those also who are adopted into that honourable family already that they may speake by a good life what they professe in their belief Amen The fourteenth Meditation Of the Gift of Prophecy The first Point FOr a perfect information and understanding of this truth that the priviledge of prophesying is a mark of Christs Church Consider first the infallible testimony of Gods word Your sons and your daughters shall prophecy and your young men shall see visions Joel 2. Behold Gods promise by his Prophet and that this was made to the Church of Christ witnesse the Prince of the Apostles Saint Peter who cites these very words of Joel Acts 2. to prove what 's here intended Nor is Saint Paul inferiour to Saint Peter in the proof of this point for in his induction of the graces given to the Church Gratis he ranks the gift of Prophesie amongst the rest so that no doubt can be made of this truth Consider secondly the excellency of this endowment and how sufficiently able it is to notifie unto us which is the true Church Prophets are called videntes by reason of that kind of intuitive knowledge which they have of future things not as at a distance onely but as actually present they need no such window in mans breasts as that momus wished for thereby to see into mens hearts they anticipate what the succession of time brings to others and the celestiall secrets which others have from the second or third hand they have them immediately from the divine Wisdom and certainly the knowledge of future things contingent is not attainable either by the nature or art of man it can only be had from God and who have it may deservedly be held for great correspondents with him and this truth is expressed to the full in these words following Declare the things that are to come and we shall know that ye are Gods Isa 41. Now if these by this gift of Prophesie become as it were Gods or men of God certainly that must be the Church of God which is highly endowed with the same gift The second point Consider now how eminent the Roman Church hath been at all times in this point and to say nothing of the predictions of Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus mentioned by Saint Basil in his book of the Holy Ghost cap. 29. Of Saint Anthony recounted by Saint Athanasius the Writer of his Life of the Abbot John of whom Saint Austin in in his Book of the City of God makes honourable mention cap. 26. And to passe with silence the Saints of the Primitive Church famous in this kinde we will come to those times and persons which Protestants themselves acknowledge for papistical the argument will be the stronger by this supposition Saint Benedict the spiritual Father of many thousand Monks amongst his other strange Prophesies foretold Totilas King of the Goths that he should enter the City of Rome then crosse the Seas homeward and that he should depart this life after the period of nine years should be expired all these things Saint Gregory sayes he knew to have been effected Lib. 2. dial c. 25. Saint Cuthbert foretold the totall rout of Egfrid King of the Northumbers his Army by the Picts and the Kings death amongst the rest in the field and this the year before it hapened and the next year upon the approach of the time and a disaster prenunciated he went on purpose to Carlile to comfort the Queen Egfrids wife and to be with her against that fatall day there in spirit he saw the whole tragedy as it was acted a far off in the Country of the Picts and related the same to the Queen the same Saint foretold his own Election to be Bishop with the time when and other circumstances he foretold his own departure out of this life to the holy Ermit Herebert who earnestly requesting the Saint that he would negotiate with the divine Majesty for his passage together with his presently the Saint replyed that his petition was granted and indeed one and the same day carried them both out of this mortal life together He foretold but with the qualifying particle perhaps out of his humility that after his death men should have recourse to his body as to an asylum it proved so and that for the space of eight hundred and forty years These predictions with many more Venerable Bede recounts in a particular Book extant in his Tomes of S. Cuthberts life King Edward the Confessor whilest he was hearing Mass upon Whitsunday saw the King of Denmark fall into the Sea as he was going out of a Long-boat into the Admiral and drown by which accident that his intended invasion of England with that Navy was spoiled Saint Hugh Bishop of Lincolne whilst he was yet Prior of the Charterhouse Monks at Witham next under God delivered King Henry the second out of a dangerous Tempest at Sea for that King in that great danger had most earnestly wished for the assistance of Saint Hugh
his prayers immediately upon which the fearfull storm ceased to the great astonishment of the King and increase of his reverent respect to the man of God Saint Bernard being requested by a Noble mans son that he would pray for the conversion of his Father returned him this answer be not perplexed be not perlexed I shall bury him in this Monastery of Clarevall a perfect Monk and so it fell out he foretold also the conversions of foure more Saint Francis foretold the Captains of the Christian Army that if they gave the Sarazens battail upon their intended day they should loose the field they took little notice of the holy mans Caveat ingaged with the enemy and were defeated Saint Dominick falling sick at Bolonia called for the Religious Fryars of the Convent there and exhorting them to the study of perfection told them he should die of that sicknesse and yet it was far from mortal then Saint Ignatius founder of the order of the â—ociety of Jesus foretold that Francis Borgia then Duke of Gandia should forsake the world become religious and General of the forementioned order so he died and is now beautisied Hence infer that the Roman Church is highly priviledged with this Prerogative and gift of prophesie for these blessed men are known by all to have lived and dyed Roman Catholicks As for the Writers of their lives or Prophesies Saint Athanasius S. Austin S. Gregory Venerable Bede S. Bonaventure and other Authors of known fidelity with what face can they be suspected either of feigning or recountting these things without an assured knowledge of the truth of them The third Point Consider first for prevention of objections against the gift of prophesies being an argument that the Roman Church is the true Church that though God may or have revealed things to come by persons not known to be of the true Church or in his favours as he did by Balaam Number 24. v. 17. foretell the Star which appeared at our Saviours birth and by the Sybils whose acrostick Poem is full of most clear predictions about our Saviour Yet he will never permit a thing contingent to be foretold and fulfilled in confirmation of a fals religion Besides this makes nothing against the intent of this Meditation which is to shew first that the gift of prophesie is a mark of Christs true Church and this is proved by scripture 2. That this gift is found to be eminent in the Roman Church and so it appears evidently proved in this point going before 3. That that Sect cannot possibly be the true Church which is destitute of this gift because it wants this mark which is inseparable from the true Church for the Negative here as in all other marks admits no latitude but excludes all sects devoid of these marks from possibility of being the true Church and to understand how truly Sectaries are destitute of the gift of Prophesie Consider secondly that in reall truth they could never instance any particular Prophesies delivered by members of their Sects in confirmation of their doctrine nor indeed have they any person endowed with the gift of any true prophesie at all True it is that Luther prophesied once that if he lived but to preach his doctrine two years longer the Pope Cardinals Bishops Monks Nuns Towers Bels and Masses would all vanish away he preached afterwards according to his manner not onely two years but almost twenty two yet these things are al extant none of them vanished hence infer that Luther proved himself a false prophet by this and his doctrine false according to what is Writ in Deuteronomy cap. 18. of false prophets and that of Jeremy Thy Prophets England have seen false and foolish things Lam. 2. Calvin indeed prognosticated more truly but to the destruction of his own Sect in these words Concerning posterity I am so anxious that I dare not think of it for unlesse God send marvellous succour from heaven I seem to see extream barbarousnesse hang over the world and I pray God our children may not erelong feel that this is rather a prophesie than a conjecture Thou hadst had Calvin no need of such fear if thy sect had been that Church which Christ built upon that rock for the gates of Hell would not have been able to prevail against it But conformably to what Gamaliel said since thine is the work of man thy prophesie will be accomplished it will come to nothing And he that will apply to the Protestant what Hooker appropriated to the Puritan King Davids words of the life of man and withall summon up the years betwixt the establishing of Protestant Religion by Queen Elizabeths Parliament and the abolishing of the same by this late parliament will sinde a kinde of prophesie of the ruine of it in these the royal prophets words The dayes of our years are threescore years and ten and if by reason of of strength they be fourscore years yet is their strength labour and sorrow for it is soon cut off Psal 90. Thus speaks the Protestant Bible and thus out of this point it appears that Sectaries have not that gift of prophesie which is promised by scripture to Christs Church as a mark of it The fifteenth Meditation Of Easie decision of Controversies The first Point COnsider first what means the divine wisdome provided the Jewish religion with in order to deciding of Controversies amongst them In Deuteronomy 17. God declared in expresse terms many particulars concerning this matter and first he appoints for judge of the hardest controversies not the scripture as Sectaries doe but the Priests a living judge and particularly the chief Priest Secondly he commands all to stand to the definitive sentence of that judge even upon pain of death v. 12. And thirdly he promiseth that that judges definition verdict and decree shall be infallibly true v. 9 10 11. but particularly in these words He shall shew thee the truth of judgement judicii veritatem which words in the Protestant Bible are falsly translated the sentence of judgement Consider secondly the necessity of a living judge No form of Government be it Monareby Aristocracy or Democracy can subsist in an orderly being without it No suit either in Civil or Canon Law no action of debt or dammage can come to a tryal no sentence can be passed upon any person or cause without the voice of a living judge two Counsellors cannot without a Judge as Umpire put a final period to any one cause for example in the Court of Chancery so as that both parties shall understand and acknowledge it to be decided much lesse will the Plaintiffe and Defendant end their quarrell by themselves alone without a Judge for each one would still plead for himself the dead letters of the written law can never sufficiently expound either the legislatours mind or it is own meaning nor shal men at any time understand by it alone who is cast who
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 iâ— 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
at this sequel denyes the former proposition pretends that the protestant Church was visible in every age But first neither he nor any other could ever yet prove any such visibility Secondly this argues that the protestants are here also as in other points at variance amongst themselves Lastly they confess and in confessing this alone they grant enough to undo themselves and establish the truth of the Roman Church that they went out from the Roman Catholicks The thing indeed in it self is most true and it hath been often proved by Catholicks that Waldo Wicliffe Hus Luther Calvin and the cheif of these new Reformado's were sirst Catholicks and members of the Roman Church before their change But the thing now to be considered is their own consession of this truth As for Luther he acknowledgeth in many places of his Works that he had been a Papist and went out from them And Caloin sayes in plain terms that he and his departed from the Church of Rome yea and from the whole world Discessionem à tot mundo facere coactisumus Mr. Jewel Fox Rainolds Mason and many more of them acknowledge their Church to have gone out of the Roman Church so that nothing remains now but to take notice of what sequels result out of this and their other ingenuous confessions The third Point Consider lastly Some inferences which may be drawn out of the two former points first by their granting that they went out of the Roman Church acknowledging also that those who dy in the same Church may besaved they evidently make themselves guilty of schisme 2. granting in this manner Salvation to Roman Catholicks whom they confesse also not to erre in fundamentals the latter of which is also inferred out of the former nor to want any of those things which are essntial requisites to salvation it followes that these other are not only guilty of Schisme but of heresie also if they hold any thing as they hold many contradictory to these confessedly foule saving tenents of Roman Catholicks 3. This grant of their going out from the Roman Catholicks which thing is evidently proved also in the third point of the meditation of antiquity this alone makes the protestant Religion guilty of novelty and by consequence of falshood for the true church of christ began in the time of the apostles theirs comming after that time could not be it by reason of its posteriority but some other false sect 4. The whole sum of what they have granted in behalf of the Roman catholicks and against themselves proves evidently that the Roman catholicks are the only true church of christ Since therfore in this great suite betwixt Sectaries especially Protestants and Roman catholicks about the true church of christ and whose it is by right we have not only proved that the marks of it and of that of the Roman catholicks are all one and consequently that these two are not in reallity two but one and the same church but our adversaries have moreover given us a judgement by confessing in substance that our claims are good and their own ill grounded what remaines but execution not that which the ministers of divine justice doe upon the wicked which God avert but that rather for such are my cordial wishes which the equity of this cause exacts to be done by convicted persons upon themselves by putting in execution that true conversion to the catholicke faith to which the evidence of these most credible testimonies the markes of the true church must needs incline an impartial reader Confident I am that the substance of these meditations cannot but convince that the markes of christs true church are to be found amongst the Roman Catholicks and only amongst them If passion prejudicate opinions obstinacy be laid aside if self-ends and temporal interests be not prevalent and disturb reason undoubtedly the testimonies of these markes will make it give sentence for the catholicke party Away with these fears of sequestration or temporal incumbrances heaven is a happy purchase though it cost you these yea life it selfe Such premisses as the praxis of your belief and life prepare such conclusions will death draw out in the end Nor can either belief or life be good in a Religion which is bad Choose therefore the best whatsoever it cost since thy salvation depends upon thy Election in point of Religion Mean while Let this be the last though not the least of the sequels which may be drawn out of the precedent Meditations to wit a cessasion of persecution Can reason yea can nature choose but cry out in seeing Catholicks persecuted where all Sects are tolerated and in beholding those mens blood shed or sought for even by those for the good of whose souls these others are so piously prodigall of their own blood England England which kill 's the Prophets and with the averse affections of thy hard heart ston's those that are sent to thee How often and how willingly would they have gathered thy children together as the Hen her Chickins under that shelter which he wished for who said Under the shade of thy wings protect me but thou wouldest not Behold thy house is left like a desert without Altar without Priest without Sacrifice stone upon stone and scarce that some where Alas The dayes will come in which thou must repent thy not taking notice of the visites which thy Saviour gave thee by his Servants England remember from whence thou hast fallen do pennance and do thy first works Return to thy self and consider how many thousands in the house of thy Father abound with bread the bread of Angels their daily bread whilest thou perishes with famine Rise goe and say Father I have finned against heaven and in thy sight now I am no more worthy to be called thy daughter since I have forsaken thy Spouse my mother And thou O God of hosts look down from heaven and behold and visite this vinyard and the Vineyard which thy right hand once planted let it by the same be again repaired to thy eternall glory Amen Soli Dei honor gloria ERRATA PAge 2. line 25 read proximus and marg Rom. 6.22 p. 3. l. 12 get p. 4. l. 11 dele all p. 8. l. 9 an oblation p. 14. marg dele Isa 7.9 p. 16. l. 27 dele ment p. 27. l. 13 what they are p. 28 marg Elogium's p. 40. l. 19 ingenuous mar del Jo. 5.24 p. 41. l. 10 machins p. 46. l. 20. Mar. 16.20 p. 54. l. 10 the enemy l. 13 eye witness reports p. 55. l. 7 a great blunder is l. 14 cambinding p. 47. marg 14.12 p. 57. l. 1 Ephpheta l 7 that way in p. 58. marg dele Lev. 15.16 p. 61. l. 26 believing p. 63. l. 18 least p. 65. l. 13 r. Patrick l. 15 Silverius p. 68. l. 21. Iohn Fox p. 85. marg 76.11 p. 86 l. 20 besanctified l. 25 need I p. 87. l. 6 I can p. 95. l. 3 Nervians p.