Scriptures wherin those Miracles are found as for Church Miracles they seem to make noe more account of them then of fables or of ridiculous things but holy men and those that feare God doe much esteem them by Church Miracles I first understand such as the most antient fathers have left upon record never questioned never call'd into doubt by any 2. I understand by Church Miracles such as in latter ages have been aproved by the Sea Apostolique chiefly at the Canonization of Saints wherof wittnesses have been produced upon oath and all Imaginable sinserity or severity rather used to avoyd heresies and to make truth openly knowne Wee Catholicks distinguish between the received Miracles of the Church and those which particular men relate wherof some are only probable others Dubious others false the Protestants doth not distinguish them but make all fish that coms to Nett The Catholicks alsoe distinguish the Miracles of Christ and other Miracles those of Christ are immediatly wrought by God and the other by Gods servants but In Nomine virtute Dei soe that Christ is the Magnus Thaumaturgus quia sine illo nihil possumus facere when one baptizeth Saint Augustin doth affirme that Christ doth Baptize with him even soe wee say when any of Gods servants workes a wonder Christ works that Miracle with him and consequently all the Miracles of the Saints are Christs Miracles If Sall and other Protestants shall deny Gods servants to have received from Christ the power of working Miracles I say Sall and his Companions in this doe not beleeve the Prophesie of Christ saying expresly Amen Amen I say unto you hee Ioan. cap. 14. that beleeves in mee the works that I doe hee alsoe shall doe and greater works then these shall hee doe These are Christes owne words who cannot deceive or be deceived For a more exact notice of the nature of Miracles and how they are differenced I remitt my reader to an excellent Treatise printed at Antwerp anno 1674. Thus intitled The Infallibility of the Catholick Church and her miracles Now that Miracles are not Monstrous as Sall prophanely speaks but Glorious and the true seals and Characters of the true Religion and Church the ensuing Chapter will declare XXI CHAPTER Of undeniable Miracles proving the Faith and Sanctity of the true Church Mi ∣ racle 1 VVHen the people of Israel were most devided in matter of Religion and very many of them bended theire knees to Baal the Prophet Elias said to them in zeale and Anger How long halt you of two sides if Lib. 3. cap. 18. our Lord be God follow him if Baal follow him And the people did not answer him aword Such a zealous postulation is necessary to those that are neither hott nor cold in Religion but luke-warme such as the Angells themselves detest Apocall Cap. 3. then the Prophet made a motion to them of clearing the truth in point of Religion between him and the Priests of Baal by that famous undoubted Miracle of burning an Ox upon the Alter without kindling fyre under this way was well approved of by the people and they all answering said a very good proposition Gods Prophet was but one and alone in this conflict and the Prophets of Baal then present 450. The reason wherfore the people willingly condescended to the Prophets proposition was that in common sence they judged that God would not permitt a falshood to be confirmed by Miracle in soe publique a tryall where the veracity of God was soe particularly concerned on the other side the Prophets of Baal durst not refuse soe faire an ofter as Elias made in the presence of all the people fearing they would fall from them and the Worship of Baal their God What end say you had this faire Tryall who had the Victory who but Elias the true servant and Prophet of God The Priestes of Baal began to pray and cry upon Baal theire God with great fervour and many Ceremonyes they cryed till noon-day the tyme the Sacrifice should be burnt but their God Baal sent them noe fyre Then Elias after gering the foolish prayres and exclamations of those 450. Prophane Priestes of the Idol Baal began to pray to the living God in this kind Lord God of Abraham and Isaac and Israel shew this day that thou art the God of Israel and I thy servant and that according to thy Commaundement I have done all these things Heare mee Lord heare mee that these people may learne that thou art our Lord God and that thou hast converted theire hart againe And the fire of our Lord fell and devoured the Holacaust and the wood and the stones licking alsoe the dust and the Water that was in the Water gutter Which when all the People had seen they fell on theire face and said Our Lord hee is God our Lord hee is God Sall two things you may here observe the first that the people of Israel seeing the Miracle of the fyre coming from heaven detested Baal and adored God crying out Our Lord hee is God our Lord hee is God Secondly That the Devills power was here restrained and soe chained that hee was not able to help those Priestes of Baal demaunding fyre from him to burne the Holocaust and soe it is still when Miracles are attempted for the Tryall of truth then only truth will be testifyed and Sathan confounded having noe power to the contrary which is according to that of Saint Mark Our Lord working with Mark cap. 16. all and confirming the Doctrin with signes following And why should not I in this place in the name of the Catholick Church make such an offer to Sall and all his Protestants in England Ireland and Scotland as Elias made to the Priestes of Baal I hope they will be asham'd to refuse it for that were to confess that the Roman Doctrin is true and theirs false The Roman Church the true Church and the Protestants the false Sall let us not delude the people with School subtilitys or obscure Texts of Scripture If the Church of England or Scotland or any other reformed one be the true Church and its Doctrin the true Doctrin let that be try'd by Miracles I shall try ours of Rome by that Test I challenge then all the Bishops and Ministers of the Church of England and all those of the Reformation or all the Protestants of the World to work or mention any one Miracle ever yet wrought by any Protestant to confirme any one point of Doctrin or Religion wherin they differ from the Roman Catholick Gentlemen summon your Synods search into all Historyes Prophane and Sacred set your heads to gether and produce at least some probable testimony of as much as one Miracle to grace your Reformations Mi ∣ racle 2 When the same Prophet Elias raised from death to life the child of the Widow of Sareptha of the Sidonians and delivered him to his Mother and Lib. 3. Regum cap. 1â—8 said to her behold
thing to be examined by you to know the Author matters nothing I desire not that Athistâ—â— read my writings such as 〈◊〉 not in God can make no 〈◊〉 fit of Godly things for my part I make more Esteem of a Pagan that adores stocks anâ— stones thinking there is a Deit â— in them then of Aâ—hises Neâ—ther is it my ayme thaâ— Maho metans or Jewes read this worke the first not believing Christ to be the Sonn of God though they hold him to be a holy Prophet and borne of a Virgin the other believe not the Mesias is yet come whose Fathers Crucify'd him when hee was borne and came among them and made Evident by wonders and miracles that hee was the true Sonne of God and the now living Jewes as blinde and obstinate as theire Fathers tred theire stepps spitting on the Crucifix and whipping it in theire Chambers and stobbing with poyniards the H. Sacrament with horrour and extream Malice wherof there are Many Authentique Histories My wish is this Book be only read by Roman Catholicks and by Protestants the first will likely be well satisfyed with this my endevours and from the protestant reader I only pray that hee will be pleased with atention and without prejudging to read all and after to speak with God alone about the state of his owne Soule and what Religion hee will Chuse for his eternall salvation The argument I doe not handle Scholastically conceiving not that the better way to haue my sence rightly understood I am for the way of fact declareing ingeniously what happen'd in England upon the comming in of both Religions what kinde of men were instrumentall in bringing them in what theire manners vertues or vices who of them were of Sanctity and who not who of them wrought Miracles which are Evident signes of true Religion which was brought into all Kingdoms Countrys and Provinces by Sanctity and Miracles I deny what Sall falling from his faith who gave me the occasion of writing afirms to witt That the Roman Catholick Religion is repugnant to humaine reason It were to make Religion fabulous and foolish to say it is contrary to wisdome and reason for what can be oppositt to wisdome and reason but folly and fables As Scripture by which soly many Protestants will haue Religion try'd excluding tradition even Apostolicall it selfe though it be Verbum Dei non Scriptum is the Word of God supernaturall written in paper with the hands of his holy scribes by Revelation so is Reason Gods naturall Word and Gods truth written by his owne hand in our soules Signatum est super nos Lumen vultus tui Domine Doth not all this prove a great agreableness between Religion and reason whereby is clearly evinced that Religion is not repugnant to humaine Reason Haue not Pagan Philosophers even by the light of reason without any other teaching perceiued in many things what is honest and what dishonest what just and what uniust what vertue what vice this is that light in mans soule which S. Basill calls Iudicium quoddam naturale per Bas homilia aâ—â— populum quod ab iniquis bona facile discerniâ—us And S. Augustin accounted soe much of reason that hee said Recta ratio vertus est And S. Aug. de util Credendi Cap. 12. if Caluins Authority were worth any thing he says Semen Religionis est in mente humana But I pray you heare S. Paul telling you the Philosophers were unexcusable for not hauing made the right use they could and should haue made of the knowledg they had of Cod by the light of reason Because saith Ad Rom. Cap. 1. hee whereas they knew God they haue not glorify'd him as God or given thanks but are become vaine in theire cogitation and theire foolish hart hath bin darckned How have these Philosophers knowne God not by faith but by the light of reason and knowing him soe they should have as the Apostle teaches glorify'd him as God I shew in this Book the number of Catholick Arch-Bishops that sate upon the Chaire of Canterbury to haue bin sixty one many of these haue bin nobly borne and many of them very learned and vertuous twelve haue bin canonized saints Your number of Protestant Arch-Bishops have not as I think bin aboue six as Parker VVhitgift Grindal Branckfort Abots Laud and Sheldon all of them lowly born and as wee heare meanly Learned of theire vertues wee heard Little And could those few and less learned and vertuous know more of Gods verity and holy will then soe many Eminent Catholick Arch-Bishops what in Gods name would make any man think soe You had fifty two Catholick Monarchs of England Kings and Queens I speake nothing here of seventy small Kings when England was devided into seven Kingdoms many of these haue bin of the Gallantest Princes in Christendome as Egbert that first reduced England to a Monarchy Ina Edgar Canut William the conquerour Henry the second Edward the third Henry the fifth and Henry the seventh many of them vertuous and Godly Princes and som of them acknowledged for Saints by all the Church of God the Protestants have had but five in all the first a Child of nine yeâ—ars Edward the sixth the second a Woeman Queen Elisabeth a Cruell a woeman who put to death Queen Mary of Scotland the present Kings great Grandmother which was an open Murther and soe Esteemed by all the world as alsoe in the tyme of her raigne 200. Priests and Religious men soly for theire Religion A woeman druncken Apâ—c Cap. 17. of the blood of Saints and of the blood of the martyrs of Iesus A woeman fitter for Brauery then devotion thee other three King James a lerrned and wise Prince his Sonne Charles a sober and good King the last our present Souveraigne King Charles the second of him let those speak that shall survive him But certain it is Protestant Historians will not preferr those Protestant Princes in vertue valor glorious atempts and magnificence to the Catholick Princes To speak of both Religions Catholick and Prorestant and which of them is safest for salvation I offer you here a remarkable reflexion and consideration as thus Ask of the Mahometan the Jew and of the Scismatick Christians as the Ruthenians Armenians and all of the Greeck Church yea and of the Lutherans and Calvinists that disagree among themselves which is the best and safest Religion they will all say after their owne the Roman is the safest which is an Evident Jugment that the Roman is the fafest of all much like that the grave Judges gave for the Lacedemonians when all the Provinces of Greece claimed for the Palm and praise in the glorious victory they obtained against the Persians Those excellent Judges before whome the cause was brought demanded of every one of them whome they thought to have deserued best after themselues and all answering that the Lacedemonians the wise Iudges gave sentence that indeed the Lacedemonians had
faith Doctor Vsher found between the Greeks Ruthenians Armenians c. For bringing them into his owne Church and Communion but if they agree in any Articles with the Protestant though they differ'd in many more 't was enough for Vsher to make them all Protestants as Fox made Saints of all Sectarys as in what wee have said before is prou'd But wee Catholicks doe not nor may not receive into our Communion and Church the said Greeks Ruthenians c. Though agreeing with us in many Articles becaus they differ in others according to that of Saint Iames Qui offendit in uno factus est omnium reus Wee are now to speak or to deal with Sall for his contumelious Language to witt for saying that the tenets of the Roman Church against the XXXIX Articles are false and Superstitious especially that of Transubstantiation as forcing upon Christians a beleef of monstrous Miracles c. of which I shall treat in the ensuing Chapter XX. CHAPTER Miracles are ttue and cleare marks of a true Religion and the power of working them hath been given to the true Church and remaines therin The Anger Sall hath conceived against Gods wonders caling Miracles Monstrous gave mee occation of enlargeing this Chapter A furious zeale in his new Religion hath made the man ungodly It was not enough for him in his Recantation to declare his minde in the ensuing words Wherfore I resolved to declare as I doe hereby seriously and in my hart without Equivocation or mentall Reservation in the Presence of God and this Congregation declare that I doe give my full and free assent to the XXXIX Articles of the Church of England for holy and wise and grounded upon the insalliable word of God But hee must alsoe add Acknowledging the Romish tenets against them to be false and Superstitious especially that of Transubstantiation as forcing upon Christians a beleefe of Monstrous Miracles repugnant to humane reason and not grounded upon divine Testimony nor necessary either for verifying Christ his words in the Institution of this Blessed Sacrament or for the effects of it Sall verè durus est hie sermo quis potest eum audire Let any Catholick Reader tell mee Nonquid haec est atrox homuncionis insultantis Christo Ecclesiae rabies I did not think poor Sall was come to such a hight of Impiety as to belch up soe virulent a contumely against Gods Wonders But let him bee as much discontented as hee will Miracles are owned by the pious and learned by the Bishop and the Peasant and by all true and Godly beleevers because they are wrought In Nomine virtute Dei omnipotentis wherfore the Doctrin of Miracles is well grounded and delivered from hand to hand a long from the Apostles Tymes and the Church is called Ecclesia Sancta Sanctitate Miraculorum It is true Sall you have passed to a Congregation of men that deny and contemne manifest Wonders because noe Miracles were ever done in theire Church I defy you to shew mee one Miracle wrought by any of Foxes Saints or any Protestant since your holy Father Luther first brought in Protestanisme tell mee when and where and the man that did the Wonder Sall I see you deale with Miracles as the Fox did with a faire ripe bunsh of grapes hee jumpt and leapt to bring downe the grapes but when hee could not reach them said they were green and worth nothing But whether I pray you shall I beleeve you in a kinde of rage against Gods wonders caling them Monstrous or Saint Thomas the Prince of devines teaching What a Miracle is dicit enim Quod S. Tom. part 1. quest 105. a 7. nomen Miracâ—li ab Admiratione sumitur Admiratio autem consurgit cum effectus sunt manifesti causa occulta That is The Word Miracle coms from Admiration and this Admiration doth arise when the effects appeare and the cause is hidden Likewise Saint Augustin tells us what a Miracle is cum Deus saith the Saint Aliquid facit S. Aug. lib. de quest contra cognitum nobis cursum solitumque naturae magnalia vel mirabilia dicuntur When God doth any thing against the knowne course of nature and custome therof they are caled Magnalia or wonderfull things I pray you good Sall give God leave to doe wonderfull things by his Saints and servants to his owne Glory when it shall soe please him and be not angry therwith caling impudently these wonders Monstrous Miracles take rather Saint Augustins good Counsell speaking thus to you and mee and all men Dicamus Aliquid Deum posse quod nos fatemur investigare non posse in rebus enim mirabilibus tota ratio saciendi est potentia sacientis That is Let us say God is able to doe somthing that wee must confess wee are not able to search into or comprehend in wonderfull things the whole ground of doeing them is the power of him that can doe them That God hath Impowered those hee sent by an extraordinary way for converting Nations with the grace of working Miracles is a truth you will not deny having been evidently made appeare in the written Law and Law of Grace when the people see Miracles they beleeve the man that doth them is sent from God This made Moyses when hee was commaunded by God to lead the Israelits out of Egypt to answer God in these Exod. cap. 5. tearms The people will not beleeue mee nor heare my voyce but they will say our Lord hath not appeared to thee Hee proposed the difficulty of the Embassy wisely and God iudgd what hee sayd to carry great reason and therfore gaue him the power of doeing wonders and this suffised to make the people beleeue hee was sent from God with an extraordinary Authority Sall wee are still demaunding from your Prophets and Doctors Luther Caluin and the rest of them who say they were sent from God by an extraordinary mission to sanctify the world and to pull downe the whore of Babilon soe they name the Roman Church and alsoe you of England and all Protestants affirme the same to wit that Luther Calvin and the rest were impowered with extraordinary authority even as the true Prophets of God and other holy men that wrought Miracles for proving theire mission were sent from God in former ages but till this day you could never name any Miracles wrought by your Doctors Now if the Israelits would not take Moyses his word though hee was a holy man that hee was sent from God without doing wonders shall wee take Luther or Calvins word who shew'd noe Sanctity in theire manners but much impurity that they are sent from God without working Mitacles to prove it this would be in us a great folly There are three kinde of Miracles those of Christ those of the Apostles and Church Miracles if Sall and those of the English Church will not beleeve the two first kinde of Miracles they doe not credit the
which are flatt Heresies and for all these Impietyes and abominations there are not that I heare of any Lawes made in Parlament for punishing these Presbiterians Noe but all the lightning thunder and tempest of the Bishops and that kind of Protestants and of the Presbiterians likwise doth fall upon the poor Catholicks our Religion is made treason to owne the Pope head of the Church in Spiritualibus as realy hee is is punish'd with death to worship Images superstition to invocate the Angels and Saints Idolatry wee suffer disgrace in Court and Country wee suffer the loss of livings wee suffer Imprisonments and death it selfe the Extirpation of our Faith is desired sought and put in Execution and men receive pleasure which is inhumane and cruell in our Miserye and Distruction and all these Afflictions fale upon us soly for the hatred men have to Religion What comfort can wee finde in these Extremityes That only and that is enough which our Saviour hath promised to his Servants Beati qui persecutionem patiuntur Math. Cap. 4. propter Iustitiam quoniam ipsorum est Regnum Caelorum That is Blessed are they that suffer Persecution for Justice for theirs is the Kingdome of heaven Sall wee heare you have preached in July 1674. before the Lord Lieutenant and State in Christ-Church in Dublin a long premeditated Sermon for Justifying your departure from the Romish Communion and you then told your Auditors that you had found in the Romish Church three Abominations to wit Idolatry Impiety and Tyranny and those you called Abominationem desolationes stantem in loco Sancto And that therfore according to our Saviours Admonition you departed from that Congregation But I tell you you have forged a pernitious Calumnie and Imposture in charging the Church of Rome the Mother of all Churches with Idolatry Impiety and Tyranny And I further say my Opinion that an Idol which is found in all your Congregations the pride of the privat Spiritt that Spiritt Doctor Whitaker see Pagina 17. discribed made you charge the Church of Rome with Idolatry Sir your zeal in your new Religion is soe furious that you have render'd your selfe at present incapable of Councell and all advice but in tyme you may become colder Non est abrevitae manus Domini And think better of what you have done however for the true love I have for you and especially for your Soule which is the maine and principal part ought to bee taken care for I hartily pray you what kinde of thing is Parlament Religion a ssippery and changable Religion which is thus declared For Satisfying King Henry the eight The Parlament changed some Articles of Faith as soone as hee dy'd they changed that Faith into Zwinglianisme to comply with the Protector Summerset young King Edward the sixt his Vncle within two or three years after they changed Zwinglianisme into Calvinisme and at the sute of Calvin reformed the Liturgy accordingly After the young Kings death they return'd with good Queen Mary to the old Faith and by new acts abolished those acts they had lately made before against Catholick Religion with Queen Elizabeth they restored againe the new Religion with some Alterations when King Iames succeeded they changed the translations of Scripture and other things In King Charles the firsts tyme Prelatick Protestancy was puld downe by Presbitery and this by IndePendency and the last puld downe quite Kingly Authority and took of the good Kings head from his Body Prelatick Protestancy being restored by King Charles the second the forms of Ordination where upon depends the validity of the Protestant Ministry Church and Sacraments being not thought sufficient were amended and are now changed into more Catholick Forms adding to the Forms the words Priest and Bishop which hath quite discredited theire Character of Priesthood and Episcopacy for those two Words being held by them as Essentiall in these two Forms the former orders given without these Words must have been invalid and in like manner all things in theire Ministry that depends upon Ordination are uncertaine and doubtfull for if the Church of England hath acknowledged to have erred in a thing of soe great importance as the Forms of Ordination what reason can it have in not erring in all the rest In a word Protestants in the Kingdome of England in one age have made more changes of Religions then Mahometans in the ten ages they have continued What I have sayd being duly examined tell mee Sall is not Protestant Religion slippery and changable and consider well what shall become of you in the sad exchange you have made The fourth Advertisment Learned Protestants of the Church of England doe confess that English and Irish Pagans venerable Beda called them Slaves of Idols were converted to Christian Faith by men sent from the Popes of Rome holy men that wrought Miracles in those Conversions IF any shall demaund to what end doe I make Mention of these Protestant Authors what doe I inferr from theire Testimoneys I make this Illation that said Authors did attest the Conversion of those Pagans to have beene made by those sent from Rome to a true and sauing Faith and for this Verity there are two convincing reasons The first that the Veracity of God was herein concerned which neuer confirm'd by Miracles a false Faith The second that the Goodness of God would not have Pagans brought from Idolatry to Heresy or to such a Religion wherein they would bee as certainly damn'd as in Idolatry to Iudge this of the goodness of God were a horrible Blasphemy for it were noe less then to cale him a cheate Sall examin now seriously what Faith that was the Saints Fugatius Damianus sent from Pope Eleutherious taught to the Pagans of England when King Lucius the first Christian King his Queen and thousands more were converted what the Faith which Saint Augustin the Benedictin Monk sent from S. Gregory Pope denounced to the Saxon Pagans In what Faith did S. Parrick sent from Pope Celestinus instruct the Idolaters of Ireland doubtless you will confess it was the same Faith then professed in Rome and by all the People that obey'd the Pope now all these professed as Articles of Faith the Real-Presence in the Eucharist the Invocation of Angells and Saints the seven Sacraments the Sacrifice of the Mass worship of Images and the like And aforesaid Saints Fugatious Damianus c. delivered them for such to the Pagans of both the Nations they likewise wrought Miracles for proving the truth of the Religion they taught and the Pagans seeing those Miracles beleeved they were sent from God They were indeed sent to those Idalaters as Moyses Elias and others Prophets to the People of Israel and as the Apostles to the Gentils doeing wonders In Nomine Virtute Dei. I observe in this place that the Religion the S S. Fugatious Damianus Patrick and Augustin preached to the Pagans of these countryes was not the Faith now Professed by Sall and
the Congregation of the now English Church ergò the Protestant Authors attesting the verity of the Religion taught by Fugatious and the rest and confirm'd by Miracles give Testimony against theire owne Religion I meane the Protestant My last illation from those Protestant Authors and against theire owne Religion and for mine is that Sall hath cause to feare his owne Damnation for having deserted the true Faith those holy men sent from Rome denounced to the Infidels Imbraceing a new Religion opposit to the ancient and orthodox The names of the Protestant Authors Devines and Historians testifying the Conversion of England and Ireland from Idolatry by the aforesaid Saints sent from Rome 1. Abbots pretended Arch-Bishop of Canterbury that writt against Bellarmin 2. Bale pretended Bishop of Ossory in Ireland reckened among theire learned men hee writ Centurys of the writers of Britaine and said of himselfe hee had read the Historys and Chronicles allmost of all Antiquitye 3. Bilson pretended Bishop of Winchester esteemed a learned writer 4. Caius Doctor of Phisick soe well seen in Antiquity as an Oxonian Orator tearmed him the Antiquary 5. Camden well knowne for his Discription of Britany an excellent Antiquary 6. Couper pretended Bishop of Lincolne and after of Winchester well knowne for his Dixionary and his Chronicle 7. Dangerous positioner some say it was D. Banckrofte pretended Arch-Bishop of Canterbury others say it was Doctor Sutclife 8. Fox most famous amongst Protestants for his acts and monuments of theire Martyrs 9. Fulk Doctor of Divinity and a great writer against Catholicks 10. Godwin a devine Sonne to Godwin pretended Bishop of Bath 11. Holinshed notorious for his great Chronicle and mosT earnest against Catholicks 12. Humphery Doctor of Divinity and the Queens Reader therof in Oxford 13. Iewell soe famous and known to Protestants as I need say nothing of him 14. Reynolds Doctor of Divinity famous with Protestants 15. Stow well knowne for his Chronicle and other his writings of Antiquity 16. Sutelife Doctor of Divinity and Dean of Exetor and a great writer against Catholicks 17. Surueyer soe I call the unnamed Author of the Suruey of the pretended holy Discipline 18. Whitaker Doctor and Professor of Divinity and a great writer against Catholicks very famous in the English Church tearmed by some a worthy learned man by others a Godly learned man These and thus esteemed are the Protestant writers that give Testimony of the Conversions of England by Saint Augustin and other Saints It is therfore agreed upon by Catholick and Protestant writers that King Luctus sent to Pope Eleutherius two holy men Elvanus of Avalonia and Medwinus together with these came commissionated from said Pope two other holy men Fugatius and Damianus who baptized the King and Queen and those of theire Family and many more that imbraced the Christian Faith Authors Catholick and Protestant stile these Legats of Pope Eleutherius Prelatos Episcopos for without such Authority and Character they could not erect Bishopricks consecrate Churches dispence Orders and the like this conversion was made and the King and Queen baptized anno Domini 183. to which Conversion agreeth Fox Jewell Godwin Abbots Fulk Whitaker Sutelife Reynolds Couper Stow Holinshed Camden Bale and others Bale one that would write nothing to the Credit of Rome if not convinced Bale Cent. 1. cap. 19. by evident Verity doth attribute this Conversion to Pope Eleutherius and with him joyned in this the Magdeburgenses Of the Conversion of the Irish Idolaters by Saint Patrick Saint Prosper that lived at the same tyme giveth a clear Testimony and after him venerable Bede Marianus Scotus and others who affirme alsoe that Saint Patrick dyed in the yeare of Christ 491. being 122. years Paladius was indeed sent to that work before Saint Patrick but though hee Religiously behaved himselfe in that divine Function the Glory of Converting the whole Nation from Paganisme was reserved for Saint Patrick who is therfore Iure merito stiled Apostle of Ireland Let us now heare Bale I pretermit other Protestant Authors that testify the conversion of the Irish Idolaters confirming the coming of Saint Patrick from the Sea of Rome and how hee gave the light of Faith to the Irish Pagans the testimony taken from an Enemy such as Bale against Catholicks is of the greater weight and force against himself Bale then who usually cal'd the Pope Anti-Christ and the beast and named the Primitive Church of England in the tyme of its greatest purity a Carnall Synagogue as great an enemy to the Pope as hee was speaks of Saint Patrick coming from the Pope thus Patrick saith hee surnamed Bale descrip Britan. Cent. 1. fo 250. Magonius who studied Divinity at Rome sent by Pope Celestinus did preach the Ghospell to the Irish-men with incredible feruour of Spiritt for forty years together and did convert them to the sincere Faith of Christ hee was most excellent in Learning and Holiness and among other Miracles hee did continue in Prayers and Fasting for forty days and forty nights founded many Churches healed many Sick delivered many possessed of Deuills and raysed to life sixty that were Dead Thus far Bale Behold here how Iohn Bale confesseth Saint Patrick was sent by Pope Celistinus and soe sent hee converted the Irishmen to the sincere Faith of Christ what more can any man say or more honourably of the Pope clearly allowing of Authority and power in him to send Doctors and missioners for converting nations to the true Faith In speaking of Saint Patrick hee mentions truly the vertues and duty of Apostles and preachers sent from Rome to enlighten nations as to fast and pray to found Churches heale the sick and worke Miracles Let Bale himselfe tell us if the blouddy Reformers of the Kirk of Scotland or himselfe Peter Martyr Buaer and the rest at the tyme of the Innovation they made in England did any of those holy works done by Saint Patrick and such Missioners as were lawfully sent from the holy Sea into the vineyard of our Lord I dare challenge in this place all the multitudes of those new men repayring as themselves say the house of God to give one Saint Patrick or Saint Augustin that fasted and prayed healed the sick and wrought Miracles I defye Bale to doe this with all his studyed tomes of centuries or Fox esteemed by the Protestants a most holy grave and pious man and plainly a devine man with his great and numerous volume of Acts and Monuments of theire Ridiculous Martyrs soe Credited in England as they have beene set in divers of theire Churches to be read by all or delicat Calvin the great Patriarck of Geneva with his soe adored books of Institutions or wanton Beza Reforming forsooth the Church of France with legions and troopes in set Battailes and beseeging the Kings goodly Cytties Garded by two fierce Giants in steele the Prince of Conué and the Admirall Coligny As Bale hath testifyed Saint Patricks Miracles soe
may not returne voyd Let not deare Sall all my paines and the expressions of my good affection bee lost by an obduration in you look to it my frind while there is tyme of Consideration having noe less at stake then an Eternity of Salvation and Glory or of Flames and Damnation if after all my ernest requests and harty Prayers you will not think of Returning to Hierusalem but willfully stay in Babilon I can but say with a lamenting Soule Perditio tua exâ—te Israâ—l denying to joyne your will with Gods Grace Peribis in Aeternum For Saint Augustin tells you Qui creavit te sine te non salvabit tâ— sine te creaâ—it nescientem salvabit volentem Hee that has created thee with out thee will not save thee with out thee hee created thee with out thy knowledge but will save thee with thy will One word more and then adue untill wee shall appeare before the great Iudge of all at the last day in old English dooms-day what word say you This only that I conjure you by all that is holy and pretious on earth and in heaven I conjure you I say in the name and in the behalfe of the Almighty that your great and only care in this life bee when the Angell of God shall come to kill the Aegyptians by Exod. cap. 112. night darke night of theire Iniquityes that lie finde in thy house the marke of Pardon the Bloud of the lamb Iesus sprinkled on the Postes of the Doore of thy Soule which cannot be unless you are then found a true professor of the Holy Roman Cathoclick Apostolick Faith without this marke the Angell will destroy you with th' Aegyptians muse deeply on this Important point and ever think with feare and teares to what eternity the last moment of life shall deliver thy soule O praetiosum Momentum ô Aeternitas ô Momentum a quo pendet Aeternitas ô Deare Iesus redeemer of the world have mercy on Sall that hath a bandoned verity and Santity and bring him home againe and have mercy on mee poore sinner now praying for him Amen Fugam scelestam pudendam Andreae Sall ex castris Israël ad papiliones Phylisthijm palam justè redargutam Deo Auspice finivimus 12. die Martii Anno 1675. divo Gregorio P. M Sanctae Ecclesiae Doctori Sacro omnia quae Scripsimus indubitato Sanctae Matris Ecclesiae Oraculo submittentes Ut Scripta omnibus prosint summopere cupimus Catholicis ad fidem constanter servandam Heterodoxis ad eam faeliciter Amplectendam Ad Majorem D. O. M. Gloriam THE TABLE Of the Chapters and Advertisments contayned in this Book are as followeth SAll's Recantation The Author to the Reader I. Chap. A Distribution of the contents of this worke in 8. principall points pag. 1 1. VVhat drew Sall out of Gods House 2. VVhat guide led him the way 3. Having forsaken the Catholick Religion what Religion is hee become of 4. VVho are the Doctors hee hath parted with and who they hee hath now embraced 5. VVhat Company hath hee forsaken and who are they hee sticks unto 6. A discussion upon some principall parts of the Recantation 7. Certaine Advertisments to said Sall. 8. The Authors harty Exhortation unto him for his speedy returning to his Mother the Roman Catholick Church II. Chap. VVhat drew Sall out of Gods House pag. 8 The Tytle of Mr. VVhites Booke Schismatis Anglicani Redurgutio c. pag. 13 III. Chap. VVhat guide led Sall out of the House of God pag. 16 IV. Chap. Of what Religion is Sall become having forsaken the Catholick Religion pag. 25 V. Chap. Answer to the fourth Quaere pag. 46 VI. Chap. Of the Doctrin and manners of Luther and some other principall Hereticks pag. 79 VII Chap. Of Luthers Doctrin pag. 84 VIII Chap. Of Luthers Pride and contempt of the Fathers and belying them pag. 98 IX Chap. Of Luthers Incontinency pag. 106 X. VVhat frutes followed Luthers Doctrin and Reformation pag. 116 XI Chap. Of Calvins Doctrin his Calumnyes against Catholicks and of his life and Conversation pag. 123 Certaine Calumnyes of Calvin against the Fathers and other Catholicks pag. 138 Of Calvins Life and Conversation pag. 141 XII Of Beza's Doctrin and Conversation pag. 141 XIII Chap. A Brief Relation of the manners and Conversation of others of the Protestant Religion and pretended Reformers of the Church whose names are as followeth pag. 159 Of Zwinglius pag. 159 Phillip Melankton pag. 161 Jacobus Andreas otherwise named Smedelinus pag. 162 Carolostadius pag. 163 John Knox. pag. 164 Oecolumpadius pag. 166 Christopher Goodman pa. 167 XIV Chap. A Narration of the English Religion and Reformers in King Edward the 6'th Raigne pag. 169 VVho the Contrivers of the XXXIX Articles and first reformers of Protestant Religion pag. 172 XV. Chap. Sall if hee mindes his Salvation should not stay in a Church wherin Murtherers Traytors Hereticks Theeves Negromansers and other Mallefactors are canonized for Saints pag. 186 XVI Chap. The fift Quaere what Company hath Sall forsaken and who are they hee now sticks unto pag. 218 Hereticks in the Law of Nature pag. 222 Hereticks in the written Law pag. 224 Hereticks in the Evangelicall Law pag. 225 XVII Chap. A Discussion of some parts of Sall's Recantation pag. 231 XVIII Chap. The Doctrin of Transubstantiation defended against Sall a new Protestant p. 240 XIX Chap. The Ruthenian and Greek Church and the Armenians hold the same in the Article of Transubstantiation as the Roman Catholicks doe pag. 263 Testimonium seu professio quorundam Articulorum apud Nationem Surianam pag. 267 Ita nos Testamur die 29. Februarii Anno 1668. pag. 269 The Greek and Ruthenians Church Armenians and others agree in more points of Religion with the Romans then with the Protestants of the English Church pag. 271 XX. Chap. Miracles are true and cleare marks of a true Religion and the power of working them hath been given to the true Church and remains therin pag. 275 XXI Chap. Of undeniable Miracles proving the Faith and Sanctity of the true Church pag. 284 XXII Chap. Six Miracles confirming the Doctrin of the Catholick Church touching Transubstantiation and the Adoration in the Sacrament pag. 294 Saint Bernards Miracles pa. 298 Two other excellent Miracles of S. Bernard the one in Millane the other in Aquitaine pag. 301 XXIII Chap. Certaine Advertisments to said Sall first Hereticks are knowne by certaine Marks pag. 310 Le Tombeau des Heretiques pag. 312 The second Advertisment Cleare places of Scripture in many points controverted make for the Catholicks pag. 320 The third Advertisments A dissention in fundamentall points and Articles being betvveen Protestants they must hold one another for Hereticks Ergò Sall if hee mindes his Salvation vvill part from that Church pag. 329 The 4'th Advertisment Learned Protestants of the Church of England doe confess that English and Irish Pagans venerable Beda called them Slaves of Idols vvere converted to Christian Fáith by men sent from the Popes of Rome holy men that vvrought Miracles in those Conversions pag. 364 The fift Advertisment â— offer here certaine learned Catholick Anthors to be perused by Sall likely they came not all of them in his vvay pag. 381 The 6'th Advertisment Three vveighty points offered to be considered by Sall. pag. 388 The 7'th and last Advertisment Olim Possideo Prior Possideo The Roman Catholicks strong defence against the claime of all kind of Hereticks and theire Attempts pag. 397 XXIV Chap. Containing a firvent Exhortation to straying Sall for a tymly returning to his Holy Mother the Roman Catholick Church that there may be joy in heaven upon a sinner doeing Pennance pag. 416 FINIS ERRATA Pag. Lin. Faults Corrected 3 15 the thee 11 18 are are 25 14 pestiperous pestiferous 35 10 nequo neque 35 14 quam cum 35 18 Iesus Iesu 38 23 motius motives 39 8 Latanys Letanyes 40 21 motius motives 48 10 vertute virtute 48 12 vetteris veteris 66  commoderit commederit 78 19 si se 105 21 dispilefull dispitefull 105 24 care are 109 1 usith vvith 124 11 compaesant composant 125 21 nonquid nunquid 130 22 origenalâ— originalâ— 131 1 hier here 132 25 the thee 160 18 hierof hereof 160 22 Sangunem Sanguinem 166 2 malum mulum 178 14 ane and 180 22 vvicked vvicked 180 23 marters matters 191 14 prosteritas posteritas 197 24 sith fift 196 11 leage liege 202 20 vvare vvere 204 17 saire faire 228 6 inquivamenta inquinamentae 232 1 mought might 234 10 altquid aliquid 237 25 inteligimus intelligemus 239 2 intellestu intellectu 252 14 hodte hodie 268 5 nostri nostrae 273 2 Armneians Armenians 275 4 ttue true 296 18 Emperoor Emperour 316 8 beld held 347 20 contrary contrary 361 19 declated declared 371 4 Magdeburgenfes Magdeburgenses 371 15 felfe selfe 380 16 vvife vvise 394 3 patted parted 407 21 Keligion Religion