was worth euery droppe of blood yea his most pretious life that you might liue for euer in eternall glorie in neuer ending pleasures and the rich fruition and possession of his immense Maiesty the All Good the supreame Good and the soueraigne sole Good Let not momentary pleasure procure you an everlasting paeine nor let á short sufferance depriue you of an infinite reward Breuis voluptas sempiterna poena modica passio infinita gloria Saith the Seraphicall Father Saint Francis Therefore whilest you haue time work well for your soule the one thing which is necessary differre not so consequent an affaire least forgetting God in your life he forsake you in your death bedde according to that dreadfull saying of S. Augustine Hac animaduersione percutitur peccator vt moriens obliuiscatur sui qui dum viueret oblitus est Dei Aske then I beseech you timely of the old paths which is the Good way and walke in it and you shall finde refreshing for your soule These old paths which is the Good way in which all the godly and holy persons walked to the heauenly Hierusalem is the infallible iudgment of the supreame Pastours and Gouenours of Gods Church which they followed as the guide of faith and necessary way of Salvation In the old law it was strictly commaunded by almighty God Exod 17. insomuch as whosoeuer should be so proud as that he would not obey the order and commaund of the Cheife Priest who was the iudge in Ecclesiasticall affaires he was to die This also in the beginning and foundation of the new law our B. Sauiour so strictly commaunded as he that would not obediently harken to the Church he was to be reputed not as one capable of life euerlasting but as à beathen and publicane that is à person out of the state of saluation This was the way S. Austen whom euen the Protestants affirme to haue beene à most excellent wittnes of Antiquity as liuing about the Primitiue times of Christs Church tooke to resolue himselfe infallibly in doubts of Religion as is to be seene in diuers places of his diuine workes finally this also is the finall and continuall way in all ages since all Orthodoxe professours haue folowed in the determination of controuersies of faith as is manifest by the perusall of the Ecclesiasticall Records This way did my deceased Brother take to resolue himselfe employing all his cares to finde out the true Church of Christ that is the Catholique Church which the Apostles in their Creed only teach vs to belieue at all times it being true at all times to say I beleeue in the holy Ghost the holy Catholique Church and to rest himsefe touching all points of faith in her iudgmēt she being infallible therin as perpetually being taught by the holy Ghost all truth and no errour He sought humbly with perseuerance and through Gods mercifull goodnes found it out'seeke also and you shall finde Shall you vouchsafe to peruse impartially this his Manifest I am confident it will contribute much direction to the knowledge and embracement therof to the glory of God the ioy of the Angells and heauenly Saints the saluatiō of your soule and comfort of your best friends among whom he is one who will not cease to pray our Blessed Lord and Sauiour that he will illuminate the darknes of yours my other friends and Countrymens soules that he will giue you à true faith an assured hope à perfect Charity and endue you with the knowledge of him that vnited to the Catholique Church in all things all manner of wayes you may accomplish his holy pleasure in this life and in the next enioying him with all the Saints you may sing his mercies for euer Which is and shall be the dayly praier of him who humbly begging that the necessary discharge of his bounden duty for your soules Good may finde pardon for his freedome remaines euer as he professeth and subscribeth On the Vigill of all Saints 1650. HONORABLE DEARE SIR Your most dutifull and affectionate poore Nephew H. P. TO THE READER ALLTHOVGH to some it may seeme superfluous to print any thing in this nature for any of our Countrymen for that the present confusion and destruction of the English Church is manifest to all who know what belongeth either to the Hierarchie doctrine or discipline thereof By which it is evident their Religion was neuer Scripturall but parlamentary founded on the changeable vote of à Maior parte Yet to satisfy the will of the dead I haue done it to the end it may the more easilie be communicated to all his Protestant friends as it vvas by him intended Some happily might haue expected in the publication I vvould haue diuided it into certaine Chapters and in the end of them according as occasion required haue confirmed vvhat therein is said or supposed vvith some additions But I am as vvell acquainted vvith the humour of the times vvhich loatheth prolix tracts as I am vvith the multiplicity of mine ovvne occasiōs vvhich vvill not permit any such fraternall office Besides that it is my intention only to print it according to the Copy of the Originall vvhich is in the hand of à Protestant friēd vvho is à man of qualitie I could truly haue vvished that I had had the benefit of those Protestant books he perused in order to this Manifest that I might haue put the forme and yeare of the editions of these Authours he cites in regard the seuerall editions and change of the forme in the editions sometimes in quartò another time in folio or octauo make the citations not so easilie to be found out as othervvise besides many enlargements in the latter editions vvhich disorders the text of the former yet this in part is obserued by the Authour In the 14. page I knovv not hovv the quotations of M. Bruges Broughton and D. Whitaker vvere omitted but knovv that M. Bruges vvordes are in his 6. Section of his Apologie and M. Broughton in his aduertisment to the Bishops M. Whitakers in his Ansvver to M. William Reinolds pag. 225. As for the faults escaped in the printing I must in the Printers behalfe craue thy charity to couer his defects for that he vvas à stranger to our language to say nothing of the ill caracter of the Manuscript vvhich for the orthographie and mispointing must pleade his pardon for vvhat is othervvise materiall I haue represented vvith the correction leauing the rest to thy charity and recommending thee to svveet IESVS our Blessed Sauiours fauorable mercy and protection ERRATA PAg 3. linea 17. In steed of their read your P. 4. l. 11. ouer vvauetring ouervveening P. 16. this his P. 12. alibi infalloble Infallible P. 22. 23. 31. insepable Inseparable P. 27. Champpon Champion P. 38. Conditions Traditions P. 30. Praeches Preachers P. 37. tho the P. 39. Mose Moyses P. 4. Antinomay Antinomians P. 50. Alleagtion Allegation P. 54. 58. Maine Many P. 62.
Protestant Religion And seeinge fayth is à fupernaturall guifte descendinge from the Father of Light and the goodnes of the Allmighty of his parte is such that he would haue all saved and forsaketh none that Cordially humbly and perseverantly seeke him It was daylye my earnest and humble petition to him soe to illumenate me that if I were in the right I might be Confirmed therin If not to state me in that Church which is the pillar and foundation of truth assureing my selfe that in such à disposition and resignation of my selfe into the hands of God I should never be confounded but secured accordinge to that of the Royall Prophet hee that dwelleth in the aide of the heighest shall abyde in the protectioÌ„ of the God of heaven And therfore freely excite vs with an Accedite ad Deum illuminamini facies vestrae non confundentur Psal. 33. v. 6. Now then to the eye of the matter amongst many other motiues which warrants my aversion from the Englishe Congregation to omitt the many absurdityes and daingerous Consequences of Protestants Iustification by fayth onely the impossibility of Gods Comaundements the blemishinge the best works with sinne their impious impugnation and hatred to Gods dearly beloved freinds the heavenly Saynts the negation of Frewill the neglect of the Sacrament of pennance and the penitentiall Acts vzt humble confession harty Contrition and effectuall satisfaction the fcoffinge at fasts Corporall mortifications and such lyke Doctrynes of theirs tendinge to vitious liberty of lyfe As allsoe the manifould deceipts falsifications and impostures Protestant wrighters doe practice to support their Religion of whom Sir Edwin Sandes an eminent man amongst Protestants In his relation of matters of Religion pronounceth these words The Protestant writers in relation of things haue abused this present age and preiudiced posteritye Loue and dislyke haue soe dazelled their eyes that they cannot be beleiued Agreeable to which is the Confession of that Learned and ingenious Protestant Zantius in his 10. Epist. to Strumus in the end of the 7. booke and 8. of his Missellans wher he vttereth these words of the proceedings of Protestante wrighters Doctors and pillars of the reformed Church The state of the question that it may not be vnderstood wee often with sett purpose ouerclowde with darknes Things which are manifest wee impudently denye Things false without shame wee auouch Things playeinly impyons wee propose as first principalls of fayth Things Orthodoxal wee condemne of harisye Scripture at our pleasure wee detort to our dreames c. To omitt I saye the prementioned motiues with many more which exceedingly averteth me from the Protestant Congregation the prime motiues which warrante my aversion from Protestants are for that not onely I haue ofen heard them averre that the Church of Christ might erre in matters of fayth and read their many testimonyes that it hadd erred made an vniversall Apostasye and that for à longe space Truth was vnknowne before that Martin Luther an Apostata both from the holy order of S. Augustins Eremitticall Fryers and the Catholique Church became à new Apostle to them whom they tearme à man sent from God to illuminate the world another Elias First Apostle of the pure refined Gospell The father of Protestants and reformer which restored the decayed Church of Christ to the primitiue Modell which is most blasphemous contrary to the predictions of the auncient Note Prophetts contrary to the promises made by God and Christ touchinge the perpetuall existence and assistance of his Church yea distructiue of Christ himselfe The new Testament The Creed of the Apostles and exceedingly strengthennige and advantaginge the perverse Sinagogue of the Iewes as here after in place convenyent I will further declare not onely I saye this which principally moveth me aboue all but allsoe that I finde in the 39. Articles of the publique Confession of the fayth and Religion of English Protestants that particuler Churches as namely Ierusalem Antioch c. might as well erre in matter of fayth as in livinge and Ceremonyes Now seeinge in reallitye the Englishe reformed Congregation is but à particuler Church not onely for place but for that it is never able to demonstrate that any other Congregation of men in the vniversall World eyther before Luther or since Luther ever had Communion with them in the 39. Articles which is the propper essence of our Englisse Protestant Religion Note Howbeit by the way I doe graÌ„t that as ther are many falsityes howsoever different compared to each other yet all are against one truth Soe lykewise all Sects that formerly were and now are as Protestants Anabaptists Puritanes Brownists Sacramentaryes Hugonotes Arminians Gomorists Sosinians Semilutherans c. howsoever they iarr and impugne one another in many and werghty controuersies of fayth as appeare by their innumerable bookes eagerly writt against one another yet in this one thinge they accord by Common vnion or rather Conspire to witt against the Roman Church which clerely discovereth it to be the true Church of Christ were all Catholiques silent in her behalfe If then the English Congregation be but à particular Church For that it wants Communion with the Christian World in the 39. Articles of their Religion consequently by her owne acknowledgment shee may erre in matters of fayth Which beinge soe what infallable assurance generally I pray yow can the meÌ„bers of such à Church haue for their salvation Seeinge accordinge to the testimony of holy witt It is impossible to please God without fayth wzâ—t orthodoxall much lesse to inioy him Beinge then that the Certaynety of the salvation of the Churches members necessarily dependes on the Certaynty of à true fayth without which they cannot please God noe members that really tenders their soules salvation can with à secure Conscience followe or haue Communion with such à Church which by her owne confession is lyable to erre in fayth which is further thus demonstrated For eyther such à one followeth his whole Churches authority and doctrine or he dissents from it If he follow his Church and generall doctrine of his Pastors and teachers then hath he noe certaynty or securitie seeinge she is subiect to erre in matters of fayth accordnge to his owne Confession If he dissents from her then is he more perplexed and endaingered for if his whole Church be lyable to erre in matters of fayth how much more any private member therof and indeed it were intollerable pride for any inferior member to arrogate without showinge anye Divyne warrant such à privilidge of not erringe in fayth which his whole Church as he supposed accordinge to his owne confession doth not participate Now to come to the pretended foundation of Protestant Religion which is vsually to all other heretickes the more colorably to disguise their errors imitatinge the Divells transformation into an Angell of light and vsurpation of That it is written I meane the Byble which they soe much appeale too though with as little
Protestant Ministers and teachers haue of any Lawfull ordination or vocation for their pretensiue reformation and departure from the Roman Church with whom sometyme their Sect-masters were vnyted in Communyon of fayth but their owne errable authoritye And consequently seinge their Church can erre how can Protestants be assured that their Church doth not erre in Condemninge the Roman Church of superstition Or how can the vulgar be sure they are taught the truth when their teachers themselues confesse that their Church and all their Pastors may lye In à word noe Protestant can produce any prooffe on t of Scriptures in his owne defence or impugnation of Catholique Religion but it is glossed or expounded litterallie or misticallie eyther by his Church or his owne private Spiritt If by his Church what Certaynty or security when confessedlie she may erre If by his private Spiritt much lesse is he free from error And indeed by how much the more I heare and see Protestants amayne striue to maintayne that the Church may erre in matters of Fayth it renders me more averse from them and Iustly to suspect their Religion for that they seeme to be heires of vnworthie progenitors to witt of the Arians who taught all Counsells to be subject to error The hereticall Donatists who condemned the whole Church of Error As lykewise of the Wiklefians and Waldenses And would yow know the fundamentall reason of this their assertion Truely ther is noe other then that by disgraceinge the Churches authoritie whith errability their doctrine might be exempted from the note of heresie and themselues avoyd the tytle of hereticks for if the Church could erre in the determynation of controuersies of Religion why might not the decrees of the Church in Condemninge of hereticks be called in question and soe in fine ther would remayne noe meanes to know who are hereticks for if yow goe to the scripture which they whith great forwardnes will alledge and seclude the Churches exposition of the true sence they can never be Convinced but will allsoe easilye elude whatsoever Text can be brought against them as long as themselues be iudges of the controversie and sense And whem I Consider the many doctrines renewed by Protestants which formerly haue been Condemned by the Church as hereticall Noveltyes cōtrary to the fayth generally and aunciently professed how can I againe imagine otherwise then that they maintayne this dangerous and absurd position of the Churches errabilitie for noe other end then that their doctrine might be the betther freed from the Censure of heresies for what is not the denyinge of mans frewill the heresie of Simon Magus Is not the affirmeinge that distinction and order ought not to be observed in the Church of God the heresie of the Prepusians Is not the denyinge that all synnes are forgiuen by the Sacrament of pennance the heresie of the Nouatians Is not denyinge of the water of Baptisme to availe any thinge to our salvation one of the heresies of the Mamkeans Is not the denyinge to offer sacrifice for the Dead ād that ther is noe difference betwene à Bissopp and à simple Preist and that the fasting dayes of the Church ought not to be kept the heresies of Aeriaus Is not the affirmation that by fayth onely men maye obtayne life everlastinge the heresie of the Eunomians Is not the theachinge that Infants may be saued without Baptisme one of the heresyes of the Pelagians Is not the theachinge Marryage to be as acceptable to God as virginitie and that it is lawful for Nonnes and Monkes to Marry the heresies of Iouinian Is not the denyinge the intercession of Saints And the honoringe of the Martyrs reliques the heresies of Vigilantius Is not the breaking downe the Images of our Lorde Iesus and of his Saints the Iconomachians heresie Is not the denyinge of the body of our Lorde Iesus to be really present in the Sacrament of the Alter the heresie of Beringarius In à worde to omitte many other renewed heresies of the Albigenses Waldenses Wicklifts Hussitts and other detestable hereticks many yeares agoe condemned by the Church of God Is not the denyall of the possibility of Gods Comaundements condemned as the famous and auncient Doctors S. Ierome S. Augustin witnes Condemned I saye in certayne ould hereticks yea verilie What marvill then is it that when they see their Doctrine Condemned of hereticall novelty if they contemne the Churches authority in Generall Counsells and reiect the auncient Fathers As patrons of Papistrie Note What marvill I saye seeinge in these they finde their condemnation in most Articles now in contestation if they affirme the Churches errabilitie in matters of Fayth True it is as S. Paul sayes that an heretick is condemned by his owne Iudgment seeinge he disclaymes from the authority of Gods Churchs Which is the pillar and foundation of truth and betrampleth the Pastors and Doctors lights of the Church in which he manifestly preferreth himselfe before the holy Ghost the ruler and director of the Church Accordinge to Christ infallible promise Note And what is this else but to extoll himselfe aboue God Super omne quod dicitur Deus Which is one of the speciall markes of Antichrist and yet this Antichristian arrogancie in treadinge vnderfoot the diffinitions of the Church and the authority of the auncyent Fathers and Doctors therof is the verie mayne grownd of Reformers And therfore Peter Martyr one of the pryme wpholders of the Reformed Church endoctrinates his fellowes with this principle sayinge That soe longe as wee stand to the Counsells and Fathers soe longe wee shall remayne in the Papists errors Lib. de votis Oh when I seriously considered and discussed the former discourse with many daingerous Consequences which thence yssued and seeinge my selfe to sayle in the barke of such à Congregation which had noe assured safegard against eternall Shippwrack it was high time to leaue her and spedily to imploy all my endeavours for findinge out of that Church which is the Arke of safetye the mother of the faythfull the pillar of truth Soe beutifull à spouse of Christ which hath neyter spott nor wrincle soe infallible à Iudge of all Controversies of Religion as whosoever shall refuse to receive her sentence is to be reputed as à Heathen and Publican It is this vnspotted Church not lyable to error in fayth espoused to Christ for ever who is with her to the consummation of the world and directs her by the holy Spiritt which shall abyde whith her for ever and teach her all truth It is this vnspotted spouse of Christ I saye my cares were incumbant spedily to procure for my mother to the end I might haue God for my Father The Caracteristicall and insepable marke of Christ Church which is but one is that in her shall allwayes be found Pastors and Teachers for the Contineuall preachinge of the word and administration of the Sacraments the ordynarie meanes necessarie to Salvation To this effect are alledged these words
therof iustifieth not à Christian Catholiques haue expresly worke out your salvation with feare and trembling Phillp 2. Protestants haue noewher eyther that à man can worke nothing towards his owne salvation beinge helped by the grace of God or that à man should make it is beleiffe to be saved without feare or doubt Catholiques haue expresly Vow yee and render your vowes psal. 75. Protestants haue noewher vow yee not or break your vowes as beinge vnlawfull to vow Catholiques haue expressly Doe ye the worthie fruits of pennance Luke 3. Protestants haue noewhere that fayth onely is sufficient without all satisfaction and other works of pēnance on our partes Catholiques haue expresly That every man shal be saved accordinge to his works Revela 20. Protestants haue noewhere that men shal be Iudged accordinge to their fayth Catho haue expresly That the Angell of our Lorde sayd Oh Lorde of host how longe wilt thou not haue mercy on Ierusalem and on the Citiyes of Iuda with which thou hast been angrie Za. 1. 10. Protestants haue noewhere that Angells or Saints Make not intercession for men in this miserable life and therfore that it is idle to craue their prayers Catho haue alsoe expresly that Another Angell came and stood by the Alter of gould which is before the throne of God and the smoke of the incenses of the prayers of Saints ascended from the hand of the Angell before God Revel. 8. Protestants haue noewher that Angells and heavenly Saints doe not offer the prayers of the Saints of the Militant Church on earth and that they cannot know them to present thē vnto God Catholiques haue expresly Grace to yow and peace from him that is and that was and that shall come and from the seaven spiritts which are in the sight of his Throne and from Iesus Christ Revel. 1. 4. Protestants haue noewhere that S. Iohn the Evangelist did not invocate the seaven Spiritts or Angells wherof in the first Chap he maketh mention for the obtayninge of grace and peace for the Churches of Asia and that only wee must pray to God alone and not to Christ as man and the Angelicall Spiritts and heavenly Saints Liuing with Christ Catholiques haue expresly that God is wonderfull in his Saints psalm 67. Protestants haue noe where that he is dishonnored in them Catholiques haue expresly without any limite of time And these signes shall follow them that beleive In my name shall they cast out Divells they shall speake with new tongues they shall take vp Serpents and if they drinke any deadly thinge it shall not hurt them they shall laye handes on the sick and they shall recover Mar. 16. And againe verily verily I saye vnto yow he that beleiveth in me the works that I doe he shall doe allsoe and greater workes then these shall he doe Io. 14. Protest haue noe where that none which are of Christ Church or fayth and Congregation shall doe any Miracles lyke vnto his and that it is à signe of an Antichristian Church to worke such profitable Miracles Catholiques haue expresly that From Pauls bodie were brought vnto the sick handkircheeffes or napkins and the diseases departed from them and evill Spiritts went out of them Act. 19. 12. Protestants haue noewhere that by the Reliques of Saints Miracles may not be wrought and that they are not to be esteemed or regarded Catholiques haue expresly Concerninge Virgins I haue not à Commaundement from our Lorde but Counsell I give 1. Cor. 7. And againe the vnmarried shal be more blessed if she remaine soe accordinge to my Counsell Ioan. 40. Protestants haue noe where that it is not lawfull to doe anie thinge except it can be warranted by an expresse Commaund from God Catholiques haue expresly And the Apostles Elders came together for to consider of this matter Act. 15. 6. Allsoe wee haue sent therfore Iudas and Silas who shall allsoe tell yow the same things by mouth for it seemeth good to the holy Ghost and to vs c. Ibide ve 27. 28. Protestāts haue noewhere that when important Controversies of Religion doe arise men must be sent onely to Scriptures and to every ones private Spiritt or that it is needles to assemble Counsells of the Pastors of the Church for the determination of them and that their decrees be not infallible and proceeds not from the holy Ghost Catholiques haue expresly that He that hath determined in his hart beinge settled not havinge necessity but havinge power in his owne will and hath iudged this in his hart to keep his virgine doth well therfore he that ioyneth his virgine in Matrimony doth well but he that ioyneth it not doth better 1. Cor. 7. 37. Againe tho Lust therof shal be vnder thee and thou shalt haue dominion ouer it Gen. 4. 7. Protestants haue noewhere that mā hath not free will or power to choose good and to eschw that which is badd througe the assistance of Gods grace Catholiques haue expresly This is my body this is my blood Mat. 26. Alsoe the bread which I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world Alsoe my flesh is meat indeed and my bloud is drinke indeed Io. 6. Protestants haue noewhere that vnder the externall accidents of bread and wyne that really the body and blood of Iesus Christ is not there and that it is not in substance flesh and blood indeed but only à figure or signe of it Catholiques haue From the risinge of the Sonne even to the goeinge downe great is my name amongst the Gentiles and in every place ther is sacrificinge and there is offered to my name à Cleane oblation because my name is great amonge the Gentils sayth the Lord of hoste Mall 1. 11. Protestants haue noe wher that ther is noe sacrificeing or publique oblation since Christ offerred himselfe at Ierusalem vpon the Crosse Catholiques haue expresly Hould the traditions which yee haue learned whether it be by worde or by our Epistle 2. Thess. 2. Allsoe my words which I haue put in thy mouth Shall not depart out of thy mouth and out of the mouth of thy seed and out of the mouth of the seed of thy seed sayth our Lorde from this present and forever Esay 59. and 21. Protestants haue noewhere that Apostolicall vnwritten conditions are not to be observed and that none of Gods word by divine assistance shall be cōtinnallie deliuered by word of mouth and not openly be still professed nor that there is noe infallible deliverie of true doctrine by word of mouth Catholiques haue expresly I will giue yow another Paraclet that he may abyde whith yow forever the Spiritt of truth he shall teach yow all truth 10. 14. 16. and 16. 13. Protest haue noewhere that the Church is not ever assisted by the holie Ghost and that at some tymes she may teach some errors Catholiques haue expresly Thou art Peter and vpon this rock will I build my Church Mat. 16. 18. and that I haue prayed
grosse survay of Poperie is soe bould to nickname antiquitie the alleagtion of the holie Councell vnder S. Silvester aboue thirtene hundred yeares agoe hestilles Thevaine shew of Moath worme Antiquitie and wheras Bellarmin thinketh it à probable opinion that Antichrist shal be of the Tribe of Dan For that manie of the Auncient Fathers probablie soe held namely S. Ireneus Hippolitus Ambrus Augustine Prosper Theodorett S. Gregory c. M. Willett without ever strayninge of Curtesie calleth them playne Hereticks It is à verie fable and Couseninge device of Heretickes quoth he to make men beleive that Antichrist shall come of the Tribe of Dan. Surly D. Parkes in his rejoinder pa. 7. pa. 365. had good reason to tell him lyke à brother of his yow haue committed such faults even in that great worke wherof yow bragg soe much as yow can neyther defend with honestie nor with modestie excuse yea the same D. Parkes his fellow Minister as Willett himselfe recounts in his Lodoromast Chardgeth him with folly Hipocrisie falshood lyeinge Infidelitie Impudencie Machivilisme Athisme c. And iudeed who but à Machauilian Athist if really he had thought that there had been à God after this life to haue punished durst haue made such à protestation And to omitt the lyke vaine cracks of M. Vsher copiously discouered by Mallone in his replie to his answere It is most true that which Zantius à great Protestant ingeniously confesseth of Protestant writers viz Scriptures at our pleasures wee detorte to our dreames wee boast of Fathers when wee will followe nothinge lesse then their doctrine soe he in his Epist. 10. to Sturmius But is not Luther then the author of the Protestant reformation with his brethren to be esteemed for havinge endeavoured to reforme the Church in diverse manie points of Fayth wherin they affirme for manie ages she hath erred Surlie noe except wee should honnor and esteeme those who renew Auncient condemned heresies and hereticall manners wherof Luther and his sectaries are in à heigh degree guiltie But as for reformation in matters of fayth wherin they pretend the Church hath erred They are rather to be avoyded who glories in any such title Note Seinge that herein they destroy the Godhead of Christ and make him an imposture for if the Church of Christ which he promised soe firmely to build on à Rocke as that Hell gates should never prevaile against her and vnto the Pastors wherof he promised that he would assist to the Consummation of the world and give them the spiritt of Truth to abyde with them forever for the teachinge of them all truth If I saye the Church of Christ could or had erred in matters of fayth as the pretended reformers affirme Then doth it follow that they make Christ not ominipotent able to vphold his Church against her enemies and soe destroy his Godhead or an imposteur in not fullfillinge what he promised because the Church for Errors of fayth and want of truth is as much destroyed as à man if he wanteth or is deficient in any one of his essentiall parts to witt if he be not à livinge or à reasonable Creture The defect of any of these destroyes him Soe in lyke manner if the true Church of Christ could Erre in fayth or fayle in truth which is essentiall to the Church it could not subsist possiblie For accordinge to themselues the Church essentiallie is à Congregation of faythfull where truely the worde of God and the Sacraments are administred wherfore if the worde and Sacraments haue erroniously been administred for soe many ages as they pretend then Consequentlie of necessitie hath the Church of Christ perisht and Hell gates prevayled against her And soe by this doctrine it followeth that Christ is not God and that the Iewes may well reiect him and the Gospells anounceinge and speakinge of him as à grande impostour which is most blasphemous And this doctrine of the Churches error in fayth by which Protestants pretend to iustifie their revolte and speration of there reformed congregation from the Catholique Church is the maine motive why I ame averted from their societie and relinquish their Communion And soe much in proffe that the Protestant Congregation wants the insepable marke of Christ his true Church and in confutation of there shufling evasions Secondly the Iewes haue not inioyed in all ages Pastors and Doctors to administer truely the word and Sacraments for their Church at this present is not Christian nor the Arians Pelagians Manicheans Donatists Wicklifians c. for they haue all perished and that in such serte as had not Catholique Doctors impugned them in their wrightings and that these present reformers haue here and there renewed some of their heresies ther had scarcely remained any memory of them Neither also the Graecians for they were in Communion with the Roman Church of and on about one thowsand yeares Soe that for such à space since the Apostles tyme they cannot be sayd to haue bin à distinct Church from the Roman Church from whom the Patriarke of Constantinople was Confirmed and the Bishopp of Rome by himselfe or his legate presided in all lawfull generall Councells Celebrated formerly in Greece although now vnfortunatelie as all knowes they be sepated by reason of the heresie touchinge the Holie Ghost c. Mereouer their successiō hath bin interrupted by the intrusion of maine hereticall and not lawfully ordayned Bishopps as confessedlie is auerred by all Catholiques and cannot be denied by Protestants Neyther the Turkishe Mahometans for they haue not had existance in the world ever since Christ his tyme and soe cannot glorie of their Antiquitie professinge Christian fayth as indeed also not beinge Christians and soe consequentlie comes not into question For here wee treat of the perpetuall existence and Antiquitie of à Church professinge Christian Doctrine accordinge to the Markes which insepablie accōpaine Christ his Church as in the begininge was established Finally the lyke may be demonstrated of any other Christian Church that may be assigned to witt that they want the insepable Marke of Christ his Church that is the enioyinge of à continuall succession of Pastors in all ages to administer the worde and Sacraments On the contrarie by the confession of the Protestants the Romaine Church many hundred yeares was the true Church of Christ and noe Protestant is able by evidence of any Authenticke Ecclesiasticall historie to shew any Christian Companie or Church In rerum natura more Auncient of different fayth from whence the Romane Church departed Therfore as yet she is and ought to be esteemed and consequentlie must enioye in all ages Pastors and Teachers for the administration of the worde and Sacraments beinge the true Church cannot fubsist without them Heer then I vrge that if the Romane Church whose fayth as testifieth the Apostle Ep. ad Rom. c. 1. was published and renowned throughout all the world that is with whom all the Christian world had Communion of fayth here I
the Romane Church which is only remarkable with the cognisance and markes of Christ vnspotted Spouse whose infallible rules and prescriptions I will followe as à secure guide of my fayth to procure the peace of reconciliation and mercy of God And whosoever shall follow this Rule to speake with the Apostle peace be vpon them and mercie This is the way soe direct as that fooles cannot erre in it This is the Church whose Fayth as testifieth the Apostle was published through the world that is which had the Communion of the Christian World which truely makes it Catholick that is the Church with whom all the renowned Saints and Martyrs haue had vnion And of this they vtter such honorable testimonies as are agreeable to noe other thē Christ his Church S. Lucius B. and Martyr Epist. 1. thus speaketh of her The Romane Church is Apostollicall ād mother of all Churches which is never proued to haue erred from the path of Apostolicall traditiō nor depraued with hereticall novelties to haue fayled accordinge to the promise of the Lorde himselfe saying I haue prayed for thee that thy fayth fayle not S. Cyprian the glorious Martyr avoucheth in his 52. Epist. that to haue Communion with the B of Rome to be all one and the same as to Cōmunicate with the Catholick Church And in another place That to this Sea trecherie can haue uoe accesse beinge the Chayre of Peter S. Hierome alsoe that renowned Scripturist and Doctor of the Church thus writeth to Pope Damassus I beinge à sheep doe require from the Preist the host of salvation and from the Pastor fasafegard c. I speake with the Successor of the Fysher c. I follow none first but Christ and ioyned with Communion to thy Holynes that is to the Chayre of Peter vpon that rock I know the Church to be builded whosoever out of this howse eateth the Lambe is Prophane whosoever shal not be in the Arke of Noah shall perishe in the deluge S. Augustin in his 162. Epist. puttinge à Catalogue of the Bishopps of Rome beginnes first with S. Peter and sayth that the principallity of the Apostolicall Chayre hath ever florished in the Church of Rome And in another place aboue prementioned affirmes the succession of these Pastors from Peter amongst other motiues to haue kept him in the bosome of the Catholick Church S. Ambrose calleth the Bishopp of this Sea governor of the whole Church That holy Seate sayth Theodorett houlds the sterne of governinge the Churches of all the worlds S. Ireneus that great hamerer of Hereticks sayth That for the more powerfull principallity it is necessary that all Churches haue recourse vnto it S. Prosper avoncheth that the Apostles Peter and Paul founded the Church of the gentiles in the Cittie of Rome where they taught the doctrine of Christ our Lorde they deliuered vnto their Successors peacable and vnited together they consecrated it with their blood and memories accordinge to the passion of our Lorde à Christian communicatinge with this generall Church is Catholick but if he be seperated from it he is an Heretick Antichrist Soe this glorious Doctor in his Treatise de Promis Predict dei part 4. E. 5. finally both East and Westerne Fathers assembled together in the Councell of Florenee thus decreed wee define that the holy Catholick Sea And Bishopp of Rome haue the primacie over the whole world And that the Romane Bishopp is the Successor of blessed Peter Prince of the Apostles and the true viccar of Christ and head of the whole Church and Father and master of all Christians And that vnto him in S. Peter is given by our Lorde Iesus Christ full power to feed rule and governe the vniuersall Church Note If then the Romane Church bearinge the inseperable marke of Christ his Church be accordinge to the Fathers the Apostolicall Chayre of S. Peter Christes Vicar never depraved with hereticall novelties with whom à Christian communicatinge is Catholick from whome beinge seperated is an hereticke what shall I regard more the impious raylings and fictions of an ignominious Apostata Martin Luther and his adherent Sectaries against the Romane Church then the vncontroulable testimonialles of the venerable Auncient Fathers whose sanctitie and learnige the whole Christian world hath ever reverenced Or shall I adhere rather to à new reformed Congregation The Pastors and teachers wherof are never able more to make good their vocation of the Ministry of the worde and Sacraments then any other hereticall Intrudors clymeinge lyke theeves by an vndirect way Or shall I follow à Congregation of such teachers which confesseth her selfe lyable to Error in Fayth or rather cleaue to that Church which is founded vpon à Rock against which the gates of Hell shall never prevayle as beinge directed accordinge to the infallible promise of Christ by the ever assisting Spiritt teachinge all truth and noe falsehood Note Certainly to this Rock will I adhere otherwise shall I change à Certainty into an vncertainety an infallibilitie into à fallibilitie A securitie into à Ieoperdie yea otherwise in à matter that concernes my soules greatest good or ill I should effectually demonstrate that I make noe reckoninge of the dreadfull generall accountinge day nor haue any feelinge thougts of the hideous horror of the infernall Lake of the rauenige Devills wher it is true that tenn hundred millions of millions of yeares in vnsuportable torments is but the beginnige as it were of inexplicable dolors o Eternitie o Eternitie wher it is true that all the greuous paines that from the begnimge of the world all men vpon earth ever endured or could excogitate is but the greatest ease or consolation O extreame torments in the vnquenshable scorchinge flames of Hell fier O God what an Abisle is thy iust Iudgment in punishinge Scismatickes and Hereticks who for wordly endes willfull ignorance obstinate adheringe to their owne private spiritts will rather feele them then before hand prevent them by seekinge to incorporate themselues into the true Church of Christ which is the vyne out of which if any branch be it shall vndoubtedlie be eternall fuell for Hell fier But some will peradventure saye that feinge the Moderne Lawes of the realme inflicts such great penalties vpon Catholickes It had bin better for me to haue deferred my conversion vntill my death and then to haue repented me and then with harty sorow to haue confessed my sinnes bin reconcilid to the Catholike Church To these I answere that though true it be At what time soever à sinner hartely repents For soe longe communicatinge with Schismaticall and hereticall new Congregations he may finde favour yet consideringe the innumerable daingers which often vnespectedly depriues man of this liffe who is he that can promise himselfe Gods grace without which he cannot repent and be reconciled yea must he not rather thinke that he shall be debarred thereof when he shall refuse to come to the banquet of the holy Lambe in the Catholike Church beinge
invited by many inspirations soundinge in his eares This day if yow shall heare my voyce obdurate not your harts and affect not to be ignorant of the true Church least yow should be converted and liue forever Moreover if yee consider the nature of Celestiall glorie which is such as the least glimpes therof but for one moment in an eminent degree surpasseth all wordly honnors pleasures and riches that ever the eye of man did see in this world or is able to see the eare to heare yea or then can be comprehend by the vnderstanding of man which in one quarter in thought can represent farre more then the eye can see in many yeares or the care heare in à long space what Marchant then is he who would not give all to procure the inestimable treasure of everlastinge glorie in noewise to be purchased but by those that be members of the Catholicke Church For them doe I pray not for the world doe I praye but for them whom thou hast given me because they be thyne 10. 17. ve 9. For none indeed be Children of the heavenly Father who be not Children of the Church who soe is sound to be out of her Communion sayth S. Augustin de Simb ad Catechu He shal be excluded from the number of Gods Children nor shall he haue God for his father who would not haue the Church for his Mother and it shall avayle him nothimge that he beleived c. to the same purpose he speaketh in diuers other places as de verit Eccles. ad Bonif. And S. Cyprian the glorious Martyr in his booke of the vnity of the Church sayth that he belongeth not vnto the rewards of Christ who abandoneth the Church of Christ Hee is an alyen he is prophane he is an enimie he cannot now haue God for his Father who acknowledgeth not the Church for his mother Yea sayth S. Cyprian that great Champian of the Church saith in the same booke He maye be killed but he cannot be Crowned for he professeth himselfe to be à Christian noe otherwise then the divill faineth himselfe to be Christ accordinge to our Lordes sayeinge Luke 21. Manie will come in my name and saye I ame Christ O then sayth S. Fulgentius another Phoenix Lett them all make hast whilst they haue tyme vnto their Lawfull mother For even as within the Catholick Church fayth is in the hart vnto Iustice and Confession is made with the mouth vnto salvation Soe without the same Church an evill selfe persuasion attayneth not vnto rightuousnes but vnto punishment and à wronge Confession bringeth death and not salvation to him that maketh it c. Hould it then for most certaine and vndoubted that noe Hereticke noe Scismaticke though baptizred in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Goast c. can possiblie be saved vnles he be recounsiled to the Catholick Church Thus S. Fulgentius And that the Romane Church is that societie out of which is noe salvation yow haue heard before by the many testimonies prealledged of the Fathers and by what I haue demonstrated of These most dearly beloued Father and best freinds are the motiues which amongst many other I haue reade and Collected which haue occasioned my spedy aversion from the English reformed Congregation of Protestants which I haue confirmed by the manifould confessions of your owne brethren not for that I weigh their Authoritie but partly for that Protestants contemne all authority of the Church Councells and auncient Fathers and with vnreasonable pride and arrogance will haue their owne words stand as Gospell partlie allsoe for that these can not be à more excellent witnessinge then where an enimye doth approue our cause and Criminalls confesse the truth against themselues These allsoe are the principall motiues of my Conversion to the holy Catholike Apostolicall Church of Rome that is to the Cōmunitie which by obedience and in vnion of fayth communicates with the Bishopp of Rome Successor of the holy Apostle S. Peter and Christs Vicar vpon earth From whose Communion in the Secte masters of Protestancy viz Luther Calvin c. ye haue departed not without the iust Censure of Schisme as invinceblie and vnanswerably is thus demonstrated by M. D. Hardinge in his Text related by your great Campion M. Iewell in his defence of the Apologie of the Church England parte the 6. fol. 576. printed 1567. in folio Whosoeuer departe from the Catholike Church They be Schismatikes yee haue departed from the Catholike Church of these nine hundred years ergo yee be Schismatikes The first proposition yee will not deny the second your selues confesse the Conclusion then must needes be true if we say the same blame vs not neither say we that onely but also that yee ar Heritikes Soe M. Harding to which argument drawne from Protestants owne confession M. Iewel giveth the slipe without answer fathering in his marginall note à manifest vntruth according to his vsuall manner vpon D. Harding which any one that hath the least dramme of witte may euidently perceiue These most dearly beloued freinds I say are the motiues of my auersion frō the pretensiue Reformed Church of England and of my conversion to the Catholique Roman Church my mother of which I hould soe great an accoumpt and esteeme that fearing those more who can slay both body and soule then those who haue power ouer the body only as had I as many liues as haires on my head I would most willingly depose them rather then be separated from Christ his vnspotted Spouse the Cathelique Church my mother to the end I may haue God for my Father Corde creditur ad iustitiam ore autem fit Confessio ad salutem S. Paul to the Romans c. 10. v. 10. FINIS Confirma hoc Deus quod operatus es in nobis A templo sancto tuo quod est in Hierusalem OREMVS DEVS qui corda Fidelium Sancti Spiritus illustratione docuisti da nobis in eodem spiritu recta sapere de eiusdem semper consolatione gaudere per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum filium tuum qui tecum viuit regnat in vnitate eiusdem spiritus Sancti Deus per omnia saecula saeculorum Amen O My God that I had neuer offended thee in any erroneous beleefe or sinfull life thee I say who art my only good worthy to be loued for thine owne selfe with all possible loue for thy loue I firmly pourpose neuer to offēde thee more but by thy grace to do whatsoeuer shall be necessary and I hope in thy mercy which by the merits of thy Sonnes sacred Passion o Father of Mercies graunt vn to me Amen
reason as ever auy Sect for if these plaintiffes that accuse the Roman Church of Error superstition Noveltye and Idolatrie be vrged to produce any playne place of holy writt to proue their accusation for example sake wher in holy writt it is syad That Gods Commaundements are impossible to be kept or where in holy writt ther is any prohibition to craue the assistance of the heavenly Saints to ioyne their prayers with ours to our Lorde Iesus Christ that wee may be made worthie of this promises c. the whole pack of them are not able to produce not soe much as one expresse text to that purpose but givinge slipp to the demaund in question they fly to bye difficultyes fabulous or impertinent narrations relatinge many tales of Cockes and Bulles of this Pope and that Pope of this Bissopp or that Fryer Soe destitute are they of the ayde of holy writt which vaynely and frequently they pretend soe that the sayeinge of the holy Prophet is well verifyed in them The vngodly haue tould me their fables but not as thy Lawe Ps. 118. But wheter haue these frivolous impertinences of Protestants wrested my discourse To retorne then to the Byble on which solye they pretend to build all their fayth although it be not controuerted betuene Catholiques and Protestants or any other nomynated Christians whether God hath any worde written which is infallable vsually called the holy Scripture As it is one thinge to question whether ther be à Kinge of Spayne and another thing wether Phillip or Ferdinando be the Kinge therof For that though the first to witt that ther is à Kinge of Spayne be most Certayne yet the latter may be debated which is the Lawfull true Kinge vzt Ferdinando or Phillip Soe though it be most Certayne that there is à written worde of God infallable yet iustly may it be questioned whether that booke which Protestants haue and call the Byble be the holy Scripture or noe For as the Learned doe obserue in the Scriptures three thinges are to be consydered First the Cannon or Catologue of divyne bookes Secondly the translation And thirdly the sence which is the soule of the Letter Now then I demaund of Protestants what Infallible assurance they haue that the bookes which be in their Cannon be onely divyne And those which they reiect as Apocripha be really such Will yow saye with Luther and with other Protestants as Whitakre and Doue that yow received them from the Roman Catholique Church Then it followeth if her authoritye who yow Credit therin be infallible yow are allsoe bound to stande to her worde in other poynts of Religion For if she be infallible as she must if yow haue any infallible assurance that the Scriptures yow received from her be really divyne in à matter soe fundamentell much more is she to be Credited in other poynts as namely concerninge the true interpretation therof c. Secondly out of this answer it followeth that the Roman Church cannot be Antichristian as some Protestants vaynly pretend For it cannot stand that they should preserue the Scriptures for soe many ages wherin yow pretend your Church was vnknowne and latent For then may Israell be fownd in Babilon and participation bebetwene Christ and Belial And she who is falsehood it selfe be by your owne inference the pillar and foundation of truth To be shorte then must the whore of the Apochalips Thus is Antichrist become Christ Servante and best supporter Keep safe those Recordes wherby those many hundred Thowsonds of Christ virgins make their Clayme to the inestimable reward alloted for their vowe of Chastitye As easily wee may beleiue that the Arke and the Idoll Dagon may be placed together But indeed though yow haue the Roman Churches warrant that those bookes that yow admitt as Canonicall to be divyne yet never did the Roman Church warrant or assure yow that onely those bookes placed in your Cannon be divyne and the rest which yow reiect to be Apochripha It resteth then that the greatest assurance yow haue is the authority of your owne Church which Confessedly is lyable to Error what infallible assurance haue Protestants of the purity and incorruption of their translation especially seeinge many of their brethren hardly Censure it How shall I approue sayth M. Burges vnder my hand à translation which hath many omissions many additions which sometymes obscureth sometymes perverteth the sence beinge sometymes senceles sometymes Contrarye M. Bronghton the great Hebritian thus sayth The publique translation of the Scripture in English is such as it perverteth the Text of the old Testament in eight hundred forty and eight places and it causeth Millions of Millions to reiect the new Testament and to runne into eternall flames And to omitt how Bishopp Tunstall noated two thowsand Corruptions of the Bible in Tindalls translation And allsoe how the Remists noated two hundred and tenn corruptions of the new Testament out of Greeke which Protestants pretended to translate not Chardginge them with an infynite number of their Corruptiōs repugnant to the auncyent authenticke Lattin To omitt I saye these and many other Catholique observations for which they Iustly except against the English Bybles I add this Cōfessiō of the famous Protestant D. Whitakre who though favouringe the Englishe trāslation of the Bible as much as possible he might yet thus he confesseth I haue not sayd otherwise but that somethings in the Englishe translation might be amended Now what infallible assurance I saye haue they to warrant their translation as incorrupt seeinge the greatest warrant they haue for it is the authority of their Church which by their confession may erre And with what Conscience can they Commend vnto the people their English Byble thus Corrupted for the pure word of God Note Againe what infallible assurance haue they of the sence which is the life of the Letter to witt that their expositions be the true meaninge of the holy Ghost but the authority of their Church which by their owne Confession is subiect to Erre On the contrarye what infallible assurance haue they that the Catholiques Cannon translation and exposition of the Byble are not Orthodoxe but the authority of their errable Church Note Now thē if fayth be an infallible Knowledge for by falliable and errable doctrine it is impossible to be saued can anye one with à safe Conscience build all his fayth vpon such à Byble whose Cannon translation and interpretation hath noe infallible assurance And in this I was infinitely confirmed when afterward I read in M. r Shillinghworths booke approued by three Oxford Doctors as conformable to the Doctrine of the Church of England vzt that ther was noe infallible Certaynety to be assured That the Scriptures were really Gods worde Which in effect is to suye That Protestants who pretend to beleiue nothinge but that which is contayned in Scriptures haue noe infallible assurance whether their Congregation be truely faythfull Christiains or no Moreover I demaund what certayne warrant
for thee that thy fayth may not faile Allsoe Iesus sayd to Simon ' Peter Simon of Iona lovest thou me more then these he sayd vnto him yea Lorde thou knowest that I loue the c. Hee sayd vnto him feed my sheep 10. 11. 15. To thee will I give the keyes of the Kingdome of heaven Mat. 18. Prostest haue noewhere that vpon S. Peter by grace made à rock the Church was not built nor that he was instituted Pastor to feed the Christian flock and that to him were not given the Keyes of principallitie and that he had not the priviledge after that he was Pastor of not erring in matters of sayth But can ther be à more evidēt argument that the holy Scriptures cōfirme not Protestāt Religion how impudētly soever they pretēd Scriptures then their impious detraction from the authoritie of Moses the Evangelists the Apostles and their writings Wheras Mose was the first that writt any parte of Scriptures and he who writt the Lawe of God or tenne Commaundements Luther thus reiecteth him and his tenn Commaundements Tom. 3. Serm. fo. 40. 41. and in Colloq. Mensal Ser. fol. 152. 153. Wee will neyther he are nor soe Moses for he is given only to the Iewes neyther doth he belonge to vs In Colloq. Menfal C. de lege Evangel I will not receive Moses whith his Lawe for he is the enemy of Christ And ibid. fol. 118. Moyses is the master of all hangmen and in Serm. de Moyse The tenne Cōmaundements belonge not to Christians and in Convin Coloq cyted by Ourifal Cap. de lege let the Commaundements be altogether reiected and all heresies will presently cease for the tenne Commaundements are as it were from whence all heresies springe Islebius Luthers Scholler taught that the decalogue was not to be taught in the Church And from him came the Secte of Antinomans who publikly taught that the Law of God is not worthie to be called the worde of God If thou beest à whoremonger if an adulterer or otherwise à sinner beleive and thou walkest in the way of salvation when thou art drowned in sinne even to the bottome if thou belivest thou art in the middest of happines All that busie themselues about Moses that is the tenne Commaundements belonge to the Divell to the gallowes with Moses Luther doth not belive all things related in the booke of Iob. And with him it is as it were the argument of à fable He sayth of Ecclesiasticus this booke is not prefect manie things are taken away it wanteth bootes and spurres that is it hath noe prefect sentence And in his preface vpon S. Iames Epistle he styles it contentious tumide strawie and vnworthie of an Apostoticall spiritt and againe Luther preposterously comparinge the fower Evangelists among themselues preferreth the Epistles of S. Paul farre before the three former to witt before S. Mat. S. Marke and S. Luke and iudgeth that the onely Gospell of S. Iohn is excelent and true Castalio commaunded the Canticles of Solomon to be thurst out of the Cannon As an impure and obsceane songe Calvin feared not to affirme that S. Iames approved superstitious vowes and brought Paul to consent with him in the same faults in Ca. 21. Act. and vpon the 2. of S. Math. wrights that Mathew did improperly and often cyte the sentences of the ould Prophetts against their true and proper sence See him alsoe vpon the 4. Chap. 13. ve and in 8. C. v. 17. and n. 27. C. v. 9. And in his institutions li. 2. C. 16. 8. 10. doubt whether the Apostles Creed were made by the Apostles and in the 15. C. Act. affirmes that S. Marke Was à forsaker of his vocation and an Apostata c. and that he had filthilie through his owne fault fallen from his Chardge Elebitius opposeth the Evangelists one against another for in his victorie of truth and ruine of Poperie he hath these worde Marke and Mathew deliver the Contrarie therfore to Mathew and Marke beinge twoe Witnesses more credit is to be given then to one Luke Swinglius Tom. 2. cont. Anabapt. chardgeth the Anabaptists with ignorance for that they thinke the Commentaries of Evangelists the Epistles of the Apostles to haue been then in authoritie when Paul did wright these things as though Paul did attribute soe much to his Epistles that what soever was contained in them wus sacred c. which thinge sayth Swinglius were to attribute immoderate arrogancie to the Apostle Others as Witakres cont. Bell. Controu. 2. 9. 4. p. Fulk 32. Fulke against the Rem Test in Gal. 2. fo. 322. Condemne S. Peter to haue erred in matters of fayth even after the holie Ghosts descendinge vpon the Apostles Note But these things once admitted how then were the Evangelists and Apostles Scribes of the Holie Ghost and Erred not in their preachings M. Rogers vpon the 6. Article confesseth and nameth sundry of his brethren Protestants reiecting for Apocriphall S. Paules Epistle to the Hobrewes the epist. of S. Iames the 1. 2. and S. Io. of Iude and the revelation of S. Iohn wher by the way yow may observe the Concorde or Communion which Protestants haue even touchinge the Scripture and pretended principales of their fayth finallie doe not our Englishe Protestants discarde as Apocriphall and rase out of the auncient Cannon of the Church Tobie Iudith Esther Baruch the booke of Wisdome the 1. 2. of the Machabees c. here I saye nothinge of the manifould corruptions and erronious interpretations made by Protestants even in these Scriptures which themselues admitt to be Canonicall and how their Apostle Martin Luther whom they soe much magnifie sayth in his 1. Tom. witt fo. 155. In regarde that Christ is the treasure I care not for all the sayings of the scripture Planè nihil curo omnia Scripturae dicta And to omitt allsoe how in his Colloq ad Mensall fo. 286. he calles the Apostles great Knaues these be his wordes Apostoli etiam fuerunt peccatores crassi magni nebulones C. 2. p. 18 Note Here I appeale to the indifferent Iudgment of an impartiall reader whether any men livinge wold ever like vnto the Protestants and reformers soe reiect deride and Censure eyther the Prophetts Apostles Evangelists and the sacred Scriptures if they did favour their cause as they vaynly pretend Now to come to the tryall of the auncient Fathers who interpreted the Scriptures with great fame and prayse in the Church of God and lived within the first sixe hundred yeares which tymes they acknowledg to be pure and therfore appeale vnto them as best able to wittnes the profession of fayth of the primitiue Church as beinge the Pastors and Doctors therof For brevity sake I will forbeare to alledge the Fathers testimonies in prooffe of Catholiques doctrine which I haue reade But I will make evident by the playne Confessions of the best Champions of the reformed Church and greatest aduersaries of Catholiques that the auncient Fathers in
wee must be vnited if wee will be saued she onely beinge infallable and secure in her doctrine For if she onely beareth the cognissance and inseperable marke of Christ his Church as hath bin demōstrated then necessarily to her only are agreable those prerogatiues which by holy writt are conferred and confirmed on Christ his Church to witt that she is the foundation and pillar of Truth 2. ad Tim. 3. That she hath the spirit of truth ever to abyde with her Pastors to teach her all truth Io. 14. c. and 16. c. That she is the spowse of Christ without wrinkle or blemish which he hath espoused to himselfe by à continuall assistance vnto the consummation of the world Eph. 5. And finally that she is the Church to whose Iugment in Controversies of Religion wee are to referre our selues and to whose determination without further appeale wee ought to obey vnder the penalty of beinge reputed Heathers and publicans Math. 28. Math. 18. Wherfore I thus resolue that seeinge the Romane Church is Christ his true Church if he hath any on earth as most certainly he hath and that in no age or season Christ his true Church can erre in matters of fayth I ame resolued I saye to receive for à verity of fayth that which the Romane Church hath or shall declare to be such and on the contrary reiect and disclayme from whatsoever doctrine she hath or shall disapproue or condemne as repugnant to Gods worde written or vnwritten Let then her Athistical aduersaries presse never soe much to receive nothinge but that which by their naturall reason they can be convinced of I ame prepared accordinge to the advice of the Apostle to Captiuite my vnderstandinge obsequiously to the mysteries of fayth as beinge supernaturall and transeendinge naturall reason And therfore will I rest in the Iudgment of the Church which is ever directed by à supernaturall Agent that teacheth her all Truth Hee that seeketh fayth seeketh not reasō Sayth Tertullian and Chrisologus Athens hath nothing to intermeddle with Hierusalem nor the Academy with the Church our schoole is the porch of Solomon which teacheth vs that wee must search for God with simplicity of Hart and not with frivolous curiositie of naturall reason what wronge doth the Creator to vs if he would haue vs beleiue more then wee are able to comprehend It is not for the iron to aske of the Adamant from whence those charmes and secret influences come wherwith he attracteth and captiuats him It is enough that he followe when God proposeth à verity to vs by the voyce and generall consent of the Church wee are not to appeale to humaine reason and to sence which haue winges tooshort to vndertake such à flight while one proceedeth in this Manner fayth wil be noe true fayth but à fantesy or opinion If S. Peter would not haue beleiued Christ to haue bin the sonne of God except naturall reason and carnall sence had convinced him therof Our Saviour had not pronounced Blessed art thou Simon Bariona for that fleshe and blood hath not revealed it vnto yow c. vpon this Rock will I build my Church For in the comprehension of the verities and the misteries of fayth It is the spirit that quickeneth and the fleshe profitteth nothinge as our blessed Saviour avoucheth against those which were incredulous that the bread which he would giue to eate was his fleshe for the liffe of the world For according to S. Gregoire Fides non habet meritum vbi ratio praebet experimentum and therefore blessed ore those who beleeue and doe not see viz by the evidence of natural reason or sense Lett also Heretickes obiect against any Article of our fayth any Texte of Scriptures perversly or malitiously interpretted and to theire owne perdition misvnderstood according to the dictamen of their owne private vnwarranted spiritt Lett them I saye with noe lesse pryde then madmes proclayme the Churches authority lyable to Error in declaringe what is truly Cōformable or repugnant to the worde I value not their erronious Iudgments knowinge full well that she is ever assisted by the spirit of all teachinge truth accordinge to the infallible promise of Christ and cānot teach any thinge repugnant to the worde of God noe more then God can teach contrary to himselfe who is her director And therfore whosoever harkenneth vnto her voyce that is to the generall Iudgment of the Pastors and teachers heareth the voyce and word of Christ soe that the worde of the Church is the worde of Christ Whence S. Augustin who dilligently observed this rule sayeth The truth of Scripture is holden by vs when wee doe that which know hath pleased the vniversall Church which the authority of the same Scripture doth commend that seeinge the Holy Scripture cannot deceive whosoever feareth to be deceived by the obscurity of this question lett him take Counsell therof from the Church which without any ambiguitie the Scriptures doth demonstrate And in another place he sayth it is most insolent madnes what she professes and practices to call in question Epist. 118. ad Ianuarium cap. 5. And why I pray is this most insolent madnesse to question what the Church professes and practiseth but because this in effect is to denie or dispute against the Canonicall Scriptures aknowledged on both sides For if in the aknowledged worde of God by most cleare testimonies the authority of Christ his Church is soe highly magnified as that she is styled the pillar and foundation of Truth the vnspotted Spouse without wrinkle his body his Lott his Inheritance and kingdome given him in this world in which he hath placed Apostles Doctors and Pastors to the Consummation of the Electe which Doctors are ever assisted by the spirit that teacheth them all truth and accompanied by our Saviour to the Consummation of the world who Comaunds vs to harken to his Spouse the Church Sub poena of beinge reputed Heathens or Publicans Tell me then is not this most insolent madnesse to call her profession and practice in question Note To be soe Antichristianly proud as to preferr our owne Iudgments and expositions of the worde before the Church which is directed by the Spirit of Truth Is not this in words to boast much of Scriptures and indeed not to follow them for if yow search the Scriptures that is profoundly and not superficiasly or malitiously consider them yow shall finde that the same are they that give testimony of her and how she is to be obeyed and as eagerly followed Wherfore to draw to à Conclusion seeinge the true Church of Christ which is but one cannot Erre in matters of Fayth and onely the Romane Church beareth the vnseperable marke of it To vse the Apostle S. Paules words From hence foward lett noe man trouble me for I beare the markes of my Lorde Iesus in my bodie ad Gal. 5. from hence forth let noe man goe about to molest my conscience for being incorporated in the bodie of