part spotted with doctrine of Free-will of Merits of Inuocation of Saints and such like And page 473. he saith Surely you are not able to reckon in any age since the Apostles times any company of Bishops that taught and held so sound doctrine in all points as the Bishops of England doe at this day Whereupon Luther in his booke De seruo arbitrio tom 2. Wittenb 1551. affirmeth the Fathers to haue been blinde and most ignorant in the Scriptures to haue erred al the time of their liues from his doctrine and that vnlesse they were amended before their deathes they were neither Saints nor pertaining to the Church of Protestants And in his Colloquijs mensalibus he saith In the Writings of Hierome there is not a word of true faith in Christ and sound religion Tertullian is very superstitious I hold Origen long since accursed Of Chrysostome I make no account Basil is of no worth he is wholly a Monke Cyprian is a weake Diuine The Apologie of Philip Melancthon doth farre excell all the Doctors of the Church and exceede euen Augustine himselfe POMERAN a Protestant vpon Ionam saith Our Fathers whether holy or not holy I esteeme nothing they haue been blinded with the Spirit of Montanus by humane traditions and doctrine of diuels c. They doe not teach purely of Iustification Beza in his Preface vpon the New Testament Dedicated to the Prince of Condy printed 1587. affirmeth That euen in the best times the ambition ignorance and lewdnesse of Bishops was such that the very blinde may easily perceiue how Satan was President in their assemblies or Councels because they taught opposite doctrine to the doctrine of the Protestants of this age Whereupon Perkins in his Exposition of the Creede page 400. in behalfe of himselfe and all Protestants saith Wee say that before the dayes of Luther for the space of many hundred yeares an vniuersall Apostasie from Protestantisme as hee meaneth ouer-spread the whole face of the earth and that our Church of Protestants was not visible to the world And many more Protestants confesse that the Faith or doctrine which Protestants now teach and professe hath been no where visibly knowne published or preached since the Apostles times vntil Luther as is set down more at large in the Protestants Apologie for the Roman Church And it is of it selfe so manifest that no Protestant hath hitherto bin able to assigne in the time betweene the death of the Apostles and rising of Luther one onely Protestant Minister Doctor Writer or Teacher that held professed or taught the doctrine which Protestants doe now hold and teach Whereby it is manifest that in all that time which is about the space of one thousand foure hundred yeares there were no knowne Protestants but all knowne Christians who liued within the compasse of these yeares were either Roman Catholikes or reputed Heretikes by both parties Whereupon we rightly inferre that all knowne Christian men who liued in all ages since the time of the Apostles vntill the rising of Luther knowne Heretikes and so reputed by both partie onely excepted doe testifie that our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ was Author of the Catholike Romaine Faith euery Christian beleeuing that our Lord Iesus Christ was the Author of this Religion and Planter thereof vpon earth Now that there were knowne Roman Catholikes liuing and being during these fourteene hundred yeares Protestants themselues confesse Fulke in his Treatise against Stapleton page 25. affirmeth Some Protestants haue written that the Pope hath blinded the world these many hundred yeares some say a thousand some one thousand two hundred some nine hundred And the same Protestant in his retentiue Motiues pag. 248. speaking of Leo and Gregory Bishops of Rome the first of them liuing about the yeare of our Lord 440. and the second of them about 590. saith The mystery of iniquitie so he calleth the Pope and our Catholike Faith wrought in the Sea of Rome neare fiue or six hundred yeares before them MIDLETON in his Papisto-mastix page 193. affirmeth saying Wee are sure that the mysterie of iniquitie so he pleaseth to call the Pope and our Catholike Faith did worke in Pauls time and fell not a sleepe as soone as Paul was dead c. and therefore no maruell though perusing Councels Fathers and Stories from the Apostles forward wee finde the print of the Popes feete SEBASTIAN FRANCVS in his Epistle De abrogandis Statutis ecclesiasticis affirmeth That for certaine through the worke of Antichrist so he calleth the Pope and our Catholike Faith the externall Church of Protestants together with the Faith and Sacraments vanished away presently after the Apostles departure So potent were the Pope and Roman Catholikes euen in the Apostles times that presently after the Apostles departure they were able to make the externall Church of Protestants together with the Faith and Sacraments of Protestants vanished away as this Protestant affirmeth Brokard in his Treatise vpon the Reuelations pag. 110. affirmeth That the Church of Protestants was troden downe and oppressed by the Papacie euen from Syluesters time vnto these times Which he there and page 123. accounteth to haue been for the space of 1260. yeares Napper in his Treatise vpon the Reuelations pag. 68. saith Betweene the yeare of Christ 300. and 316. the Antichristian and Papisticall raigne began raigning vniuersally and without any debatable contradiction 1260. yeares and pag. 145. he saith euen 1260. yeares the Pope and his Cleargie hath possessed the outward visible Church of Christians Yet the Pope and his Cleargie could not come to raigne vniuersally and without any debatable contradiction vpon a sudden as wee see by experience in Protestant Ministers who haue beene now about an hundred yeares and yet doe not reigne or possesse their Religion in any one Countrey without some opposition whereby it is manifest that the Pope and his Cleargie were many hundred yeares before they could obtaine to reigne vniuersally without any debatable contradiction Downham in his Treatise of Antichrist lib. 2. cap. 2. pag. 25. affirmeth That the generall defection of the visible Church foretold in the second of the Thessalonians which hee esteemeth to haue beene wrought by the Pope and Roman Catholikes began to worke in the Apostles times Caelus secundus Curio in his booke De amplitudine Regni Dei lib. 1. pag. 43. saith Are we ignorant in how great darkenesse blindnesse and ignorance so he calleth our Catholike Faith the world hath continued almost from the Apostles age to these very times in which aboue all expectation our Lord began to manifest himselfe And Perkins vpon the Creed page 307. affirmeth That during the space of nine hundred yeares the Popish heresie so he pleaseth to call the Catholike Roman Faith hath spread it selfe ouer the whole earth whereby appeareth that it was fiue or sixe hundred yeares before since it could not spread it selfe of a sudden ouer the whole earth And by these confessions of Protestants themselues and by many
Papistrie since that the Brittans receiued it as is before said from the Apostles or Disciples and they from our Lord and perseuered in it with Saint Gregory and Saint Augustine and the rest of the Christian world without any alteration or change sauing some mysteries vsed in Baptisme and the keeping of Easter vpon a wrong Sunday In all things else they were so agreeable to the Faith and Religion which Saint Augustine held and taught that these two things reformed he desired their helpe and assistance in the conuersion of the Pagan English Nation by preaching vnto them the Word of God which hee neither could nor would haue done had they not both these two things excepted agreed in one in al points of Faith and Religion neither did S. Austen labour to teach or reforme the Brittaines in any thing else and seeing in these two things which to Protestants seeme of little moment Saint Augustine made so great difficultie that hee would not receiue them into the Communion of the Catholike Roman Church vntill they condescended to reforme them far greater difficultie would he haue made in receiuing them if they had held any point of Protestantisme and had denied the Masse prayer for the dead worship of Images and esteemed him an Antichristian man or Idolater c. Neither would he though they should haue offered themselues haue admitted them to preach and contradict and defame him amongst the English Pagans or Gentiles vnto whom hee was sent as an Apostle much lesse would he haue required their ayde and assistance in preaching vnto them if they had accused him as Protestants do now of Idolatry Antichristian doctrine and to haue been sonne of the Whore of Babylon c. That the Catholike Roman Faith which Saint Augustine planted amongst the English Saxons is at this day and in all ages and times since the said planting hath been confessed by some knowne English inhabitants in this Iland all our Writers Chronicles Histories and Monuments Lawes in ancient time made in fauour of it Statutes of late yeeres made to suppresse it the death of many for it and the prisons full of such as at this instant doe professe it giue ample testimony and if any require further proofe I referre him to a booke intituled The prudentiall Ballance of Religion which treateth hereof at large Whereupon I conclude that our Sauiour was Author of the Catholike Roman Faith and that the keeping of Easter vpon a wrong Sunday and some mysteries vsed in Baptisme excepted it hath in al ages and times since the plantation thereof by the Apostles or Disciples continued in this Iland and that no man can or may preach or teach any doctrine for Christian doctrine but the Catholike Roman Faith vnder paine of Anathema c. according to the words of Saint Paul saying Although we or an Angell from Galath 1. 8. heauen Euangelize to you besides that we haue Euangelized to you be he Anathema as wee haue said before so now we say againe If any Euangelize to you besides that which you haue receiued be he Anathema that is seperated from God according to the words of our Sauiour saying Depart from mee yee accursed into euerlasting Matth. 24 41. fire which was prepared for the Diuell and his angels So I appeale to your Maiestie well pleased to consider the wrong and iniustice your Protestant Ministers doe vnto vs Catholikes your ancient subiects in persecuting vs for professing that Faith and Religion which was planted vpon earth by our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ and euen from the Apostles times vntill this day hath continued in this Iland and humbly beseech your Highnesse that you would not thinke vs disloyal or vnfaithfull to your Person or State for that we will not become Anathemaes from God For the difference which was betweene the ancient Brittans and Saint AVGVSTINE about the time of the keeping of Easter it is manifest by Saint Beda lib. 3. cap. 4. that the Brittans fell into this error for want of skill in Astronomie For they knew saith Saint BEDA as Christen men doe that the resurrection of our Lord ought alwayes to be celebrated on Sunday But as Wilfred in S. Beda l. 3. ca. 25. ignorant men in Astrologie they had not learned when that Sunday should come That the Brittans fell into this error after Constantine his time is manifest by Eusebius who lib. 3. de vita Constantini cap. 8. affirmeth that the same keeping of Easter was obserued in the Citie of Rome in Italy Africke Aegypt Spaine France Britanie Lybia and all Greece in the Diocesse of Asia and Pontus and finally in Cicilia with one vniforme consent CHAP. III. Wherein is briefely proued by the generall consent of all knowne Christian people who liued in all ages and times betweene the death of the Apostles and rising of Luther that our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ was Author of the Catholike Roman Faith which Protestants call Papistrie knowne Heretikes on both parties only excepted FIRST Protestants themselues confesse That the true Church so they call their Church decayed presently after the Apostles times So Fulke in his answere to a Counterfeit Catholike page 35. Sebastianus Franciscus in his Epistle de abrogandis statutis ecclesiasticis affirmeth That for these fourteene hundred yeares the Church of Protestants hath been no where externall and visible Peter Martyr de Votis page 477. saith That errours so they call our Catholike Faith did begin immediatly after the Apostles times And page 476. he saith That presently after their age men began to decline from the word of God so they esteeme their Protestantisme The Protestant Author of the booke intituled Antichristus siue Pronostica finis mundi page 13. affirmeth That from the Apostles times till Luther the Gospell of Protestants had neuer open passage Melancthon in 1. Cor. cap. 3. affirmeth Thet presently from the beginning of the Church the ancient Fathers obscured the doctrine concerning the iustification of Faith encreased Ceremonies and deuised peculiar Worships Whereupon Peter Martyr de Votis page 476. saith As long as wee shall insist vpon Councels and Fathers we shall be alwayes in the same errors And Whitaker in his Controu 2. quest 5. page 299. de Ecclesia saith BELLARMINE doth bring foorth certaine testimonies out of Caluin and the Centurie Writers who haue noted certaine errors of the ancient Fathers which they hold common with Papists that is to say of Free-will of Merit of the Limbe of Inuocation of Saints of the Vnmaried life of Bishops of Iustification c. I answere that it is true which Caluin and the Centuries haue written that in many things the ancient Church hath erred as of the Limbe of Free-will of the Merit of Workes and in other things which are aboue rehearsed WHITGIFT in his Defence to the Answere to the Admonition page 473. saith How greatly were almost all the Bishops and learned Writers of the Greeke Church and Latine also for the most
whatsoeuer hee had commanded them came within so short a time after the death of our Lord into this our Iland of great Brittan as that the Britaines ancient inhabitants of this Iland receiued their Faith and Religion from Saint Simon Zelotes Saint Paul Saint Ioseph of Aramathia a Disciple of our Lords or from all or some of them as besides these ancient Writers Theodoret de cur Graec. affect lib. 9. Dorotheus Bishop of Tyre in suo Synopsi Apostolorum Aristobulus in his Epistle which he writ to the Romans Guildas cap. 7. Nicephorus lib. 2. cap. 40. doe affirme also these Protestant Authors Camden in his Britania pag. 40. 52. and 157. Bale Cent. 1. cap. 26. Doctor Caius de Antiq. Cantab. Harrison in his Description of Brittaine annexed to Hollinshead his great Chronicle of the last edition vol. 1. pag. 23. Clapham in his Soueraigne remedie against Schisme pag. 24. Fulke in his booke against Heskins Saunders c. pag. 561. and in his Confutation of Purgatory pag. 332. Godwin in his Catalogue of Bishops pag. 1. Barlow in defence of the Articles of the Protestant Religion pag. 21. Mayson in his booke of the Consecration of Bishops c. That it might be verified which was spoken by the Prophet Isay saying I will send of them that shall bee saued to Isay 66. 19. the Gentiles to the Ilands farre off to them that haue not heard of me Againe The Ilands expect mee and the Isay 6. 9. ships of the sea in the beginning that I may bring thy sons from a farre c. That the Brittans the ancient Inhabitants of this Iland did perseuere in this said Christian Faith and Religion which they receiued from the Apostles or Disciples not onely these ancient Writers doe testifie euery one for his time Tertullian lib. contra Iudaeos Origen in Ezechiel hom 4. Athanasius in his Epistle to the Emperour Iouinian Theodoret hist Eccles lib. 1. c. 10. But also Protestants themselues giue ample testimonies that the Britaines who inhabited that part of the Iland which is now called England being destroyed and their name extinct by the Pagan Saxons yet the remnant of the Brittans which remained in Wales retained the Faith and Religion which they receiued from the Apostles or Disciples euen vnto the comming of Saint Augustine into this Iland for to conuert the English Pagan Saxons which was about the yeare of our Lord 599. as Bale in his Pageant of Popes where he saith The Brittans being conuerted by Ioseph of Aramathia held that faith at Augustines comming And Fulke in his Answere to a Counterfeit Catholike pag. 40. where hee saith The Brittans before Augustines comming continued in the Faith of Christ euen from the Apostles times FOX his Act. pag. 463. printed 1576. saith The Brittaines after the receiuing of the Faith neuer forsooke it for any maner of false preaching of others And Midleton in his Papisto mastix pag. 202. proueth by the testimony of the ancient Fathers in succeeding ages that the Brittaines did not forsake the Faith and Religion which they receiued from S. Paul and Saint Simon Zelotes and Saint Ioseph of Aramathia but continued in it with the Catholike Christians in other parts of the world That this Faith and Religion which the ancient Brittaines receiued from the Apostles or Disciples and perseuered in vntill the comming of Saint Augustine into this Iland did not differ from that Faith and Religion which Saint Augustine professed and planted in this Iland amongst the English except the keeping of Easter vpon a wrong Sunday out of ignorance in Astronomie and the accomplishment of some mysteries vsed in Baptisme besides the testimony of Saint Beda hist lib. 2. cap. 2. these Protestant Authors do affirme Francis Mayson in his book of the Cōsecration of the Bishops of the Church of England pag. 58. where he saith that Augustine said to the Brittaine Bishops If you will in these three things obey me that is in celebrating of Easter in due time in accomplishing the mysteries of Baptisme by which we are borne to God according to the maner of the holy Roman and Apostolicall Church and last of all in preaching with vs to this English Nation the word of our Lord all your other ceremonies fashions and customes though they be contrary to ours we will willingly suffer and be content to beare with And the like affirmeth Hollinshead Vol. 1. pag. 103. Godwin in his Catalogue of Bishops pag. 6. And the Protestant Author of the History of Great-Brittaine printed 1606. lib. 3. page 133. Whereby it is manifest that the keeping of Easter vpon a wrong Sunday and the accomplishment of the mysteries of Baptisme excepted Saint Augustine and the ancient Brittaines held professed and taught one and the same Faith and Religion and planted it amongst the English of this Iland who then were Pagans That the Faith and Religion which Saint Augustine professed and planted amongst the Pagan English of this Iland was the same which at this day the Roman Catholikes of this Iland doe professe not onely all Catholike Authors doe affirme but also Protestant Writers doe confesse as Iohn Bale Cent. 1. cap. 73. where he saith That King Ethelbert an English Pagan King First of all English men receiued of Gregory the first Bishop of Rome by Augustine the opinions of the Roman Religion And Cent. 13. cap. 1. hee saith That AVGVSTINE brought in amongst the English who before were Pagans Monkes Altars Vestments Images Masses Chalices Crosse Candlestickes Banners holy as they call them Vessels holy water and bookes of Roman custome Their chiefest studies were about the oblation of Masses Doctor Humfrey in his Iesuitisme part 2. pag. 5. and 627. affirmeth That Saint Gregory and Saint Augustine professed and taught Masse Purgatory Oblation of the holesome Hoast prayer for the dead Relikes Transubstantiation hallowing of Churches Indulgences Monkish life Papacie and the rest of the caos of Popish superstition as he calleth it And these saith he did AVGVSTINE a great Monk taught by GREGORY a Monke bring to the English who before were Pagan Ascham in his Apologie pro Caena Domini contra Missam pag. 33. affirmeth That Augustine was The establisher of all Popish doctrine HARRISON in his last edition of his Description of Brittanie Vol. 1. pag. 27. saith That Augustine brought in Poperie amongst the English Saxons who then were Pagan And the like affirmeth Osiander in his Epitom hist Eccl. Cent. 6. pag. 289. The Century Writers in the 6. Cent. chap. 10. col 748. and other Protestants set downe more at large in the Protestants Apologie for the Roman Church Now seeing that the Brittaines the keeping of Easter vpon a wrong Sunday the accomplishment of the mysteries vsed in Baptisme excepted were all of one Faith and Religion with Saint Augustine and Saint Augustine was in Faith and Religion a Roman Catholike or Papist we rightly inferre that our Sauiour was Author of that Faith and Religion which Protestants doe call
multiplied as the Starres of heauen and as the sand that is by the sea shore that presently after the Apostles times it became no where externall or visible as we haue shewed in the precedent Chapter And it is of it selfe so manifest that Protestants are not able from the time of the Apostles vntill the rising of Luther which is during the space of fourteene hundred years or thereabouts to assigne one knowne man of the Religion they now professe If this oath be made to Protestantisme where is the seede of Protestants multiplied as the Starres of heauen and as the sand that is by the sea-shore Seeing that for many hundred yeares neuer a Protestant Starre appeared And if this oath was made to Protestants That they should possesse the gates of their enemies and that in their seed all the Nations of the earth should be blessed As he spake to Abraham and his seede Luke 1. for euer How commeth it to passe that presently after the Apostles times Protestants were so ouercome by Roman Catholikes that from that time vntill Luther they haue been no where visibly knowne but so latent and inuisible as for all that space they cannot produce one Protestant Minister or Doctour who taught or maintained the doctrine they now teach If it be true that the God of the Protestants hath made these promises and this oath to them it must needs be that he is a very wretched vnfaithfull God that hath for fourteene hundred or fifteene hundred yeares together violated his oath and promises And I appeale to your Maiestie well pleased to consider how great injustice it is to haue your ancient Subjects spoyled of their Lands Goods Libertie and Life and be condemned as Fellons and Traytors for that they wil not beleeue in such a prejured God And how happie a thing it is to be a Roman Catholike seeing this oath of God is so manifestly fulfilled in them that as it is set downe in the last Chapter euen our Aduersaries themselues confesse for twelue hundred ceares together they haue bin dilated ouer the world and possessed the gates of their enemies and blessed all the Christian Families of the earth with temporall and spirituall birth by regeneration in Baptisme and education c. These are the seed of Abraham his seruant Psal 104. the children of Iacob his elect he is the Lord our God in all the earth are his iudgements he hath bin mindfull for euer of his Testament of the Word which he commanded vnto thousand generations Our Lord is not as Deut 32. 31. their Gods our enemies also are Iudges It may please your Maiesty to obserue the notes and markes of our Catholike Romane Church and Faith heere set downe in this oath of God to Abraham viz. Vnity Vniuersality and Succession The Vnitie is promised in these words Thy seed not diuers seeds that there might bee as many sects as men as some Elizabethians some Lutherans some Caluinists some Hussites some Anabaptistes some Armenians some Gomaristes some Trasquits all differing in Faith and Religion but one seede Faith or Word of God planted in the hearts of men by the preaching of our Lord as witnesseth our Sauiour expounding the Parable of the Cockle of the field said to his Disciples He that soweth good seed is the Sonne of man Againe Matth. 13. 37. The good seed those are the children of the Kingdome Matth. 13. 38. Againe O Father the words which thou gauest me I Io. 17. 8. haue giuen them and they haue receiued and knoweth in very deed that I came forth from thee and haue beleeued that thou diddest send me to fulfill the promises made to Abraham the Patriarkes and Prophets The second marke is Catholike or Vniuersall heere promised in these words And I will multiply thy seed as the Starres of heauen which doe manifestly appeare and shine in all Countries And God brought Abraham Gen. 15. 5. forth abroad and said to him Looke vp to heauen and number the Starres if thou canst And he said to him so shall thy seed be as the Starres of heauen shining in all Countries not onely in Brittanie France or in Germany but in all Nations according to the oath of God saying In thy seed shall be blessed all the Nations of the earth Whereupon our Sauiour said He that soweth good seed is the Sonne of Man c. and Matth. 13. 37. the field is the world Againe You are the light of the Matth. 5. 15. world Againe Teach yee all Nations c. The third marke is Succession which is promised in these words Thy seed shall possesse the gates of his enemies Gen. 12. As he spake to our Fathers to Abraham and his Luke 1. 55. seed for euer not that the Succession should decay or become inuisible that there should neede new missions but that it should continue vntill the worlds end according to the words of our Sauiour saying I haue Ioh. 15. 16. appointed you that you go and bring fruit and your fruit abide Againe And this Gospell of the Kingdome shall be Matth. 24. 14. preached in al Nations and then shal come the consummation of the world Againe The gates of hell shall not Matth. 24. 3. preuaile against it c. And the like three markes or notes of the Church which was to be planted by our Sauiour your Maiesty may obserue to be set downe almost in euery Prophecie though I omit to speake more of them for breuities sake Secondly God Almightie promised to Isaac saying I will performe the oath which I sware vnto Abraham Gen. 26. thy father and I will multiply thy seed as the Starres of heauen and in thy seed shall be blessed all the Nations of the earth because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my precepts and Commandements Thirdly hee promised to Iacob saying Thy seed Gen. 28. shall be as the dust of the earth thou shalt be dilated to the West and to the East and to the North and to the South and in thee and thy seed all the Families of the earth shal be blessed and I will be thy keeper wheresoeuer thou shalt go and I will bring thee againe into this Land neither wil I forsake thee vntill I haue performed whatsoeuer I haue spoken Which Prophecies we see haue been manifestly fulfilled in our Catholike Roman Faith which hath been vniuersally and successiuely dilated ouer all Nations according to these Prophecies as we haue proued in the former Chapters and can no way be verified vpon Protestantisme since it decayed presently after the Apostles times and for a thousand and foure hundred yeares together was neuer knowne to haue been taught or practised and now is but scattered in diuers corners of the earth diuided into many sects teaching opposite doctrine in matters of Faith and heere we seeke for one Faith or seed dilated ouer the world God Almightie heere saith I will performe the oath which
Transiluania and Hungary and many English at Tripolis Algiers and Tunis And some learned Protestants as Sebastian Cestalio Bernard Ochine Dauid George Adam Neucers and others who being obstinate against Catholike Religion either turned Turkes or Iewes seeing the Prophecies not fulfilled in Protestantisme Secondly for that they are not able to produce any one Heathen or Pagan King or Queene that hitherto hath embraced Protestanisme Your Maiesty and other Christian Kings and Queenes your Predecessors in the Kingdome of Great Brittanie haue had no other Christendome then that they haue receiued from Catholike Romane Priests Thirdly It is not the custome of Protestants to adore their God with such respect or reuerence as the Prophet Isay heere speakes of euery Protestant is so well assured of his saluation that hee hath no need to humble himselfe befor his God to aske forgiuenesse of his sinnes or saluation of his soule Not a Protestant Boy or Girle that doth not vse more respect or reuerence to their masters when they speake vnto them and all Protestants in their degrees and estates to their temporall Lords and Princes then they doe when they pray or speake to their God When they speake to their earthly Lords or Kings either they Note stand or kneele handsomely with their hats in their hands but when they speake to their God commonly they either speake sitting with their cappes on as haile fellow well met with their God or else with their noses thrust into their hats for feare as it seemeth that the euill smelles which come from their God should infect their braines Their Temples and Synagogues are not so neate as their Bed-chambers Galleries or Chambers of Presence or audience and when they come into their Temples to treate with their God or heare his Word or Law vnlesse it be for respect of some man there euery one without respect to his God sitteth him downe and putteth on his cap In so much as the God of the Protestants is the most vnciuill euill-mannered God of all those who haue borne the name of Gods vpon earth yea worse then Pan the god of Clownes that can endure no ceremonies or good manners whereby it is manifest that this Prophecie is not verified vpon so vnciuill and vnmannerly a Religion as Protestantisme is but vpon our Catholike Romane Faith and Religion which all the knowne Christian Kings and Queenes that euer haue been before Luther professed reputed Heretikes by both parties onely excepted as we haue set downe in the third Chapter Againe God Almightie by the Prophet Isay saith to the Gentiles whom he calleth the barren women for that before the Incarnation of our Sauiour they were without fruit of eternall life Prayse O barren Isay 54. 1. woman which bearest not sing prayse and make ioyfull noyse which diddest not beare because many are the children of the desolate of the Gentiles which were before the comming of Christ desolate of spiritual helpe more then of her that hath a husband the Synagogue of the Iewes enlarge the place of thy tent and stretch out the skins of thy Tabernacles for thou shalt penetrate to the right hand and to the left and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles Againe For a moment a little while haue Isay 64. 7. I forsaken thee and in great mercies will I gather thee in a moment of indignation haue I hid my face a little while from thee and in mercies euerlasting haue I had mercy on thee saith thy Redeemer our Lord. As in the dayes of Noe is this thing to me to whom I sware that I would no more bring the waters of Noe vpon the earth So haue I sworne not to be angry with thee and not to rebuke thee for the mountaines shal be mooued and the little hils shal tremble but my mercy shal not depart from thee and the couenant of my peace shal not be mooued saith our Lord thy Miserator Againe Euery vessel that is made against Isay 64. 17. thee shal not prosper and euery tongue resisting thee in iudgement thou shalt iudge This is the inheritance of the seruants of our Lord. This Prophecie of Esay cannot bee verified vpon Protestantisme for that since our Sauiours time there hath not been more Protestants then Iewes neyther haue the children of the Protestants bin more in number then the children of the Iewes who are a great people in number and haue continued visible in great numbers dispersed through many parts of the world as Protestants themselues confesse as the Centurie Writers in the fourteenth and fifteenth Chapter of euery Centurie where they make mention from time to time of their abode and at this day the Synagogue of the Iewes is more dilated and greater then any one Sect of Protestants in the world Secondly neither can this be verified of Protestantisme that after our Sauiours comming They should enlarge the place of their tents penetrate to the right hand and the left and that the seed of Protestants should inherite the Gentiles Neither could this oath of God bee made to Protestants I haue sworne not to be angry with Protestants and not to rebuke them for the mountaines shal be moued and the little hils shal tremble but my mercie shal not depart from Protestants and the couenant of my peace shal not be moued saith our Lord thy Miserator vnlesse they will make God Almighty forsworne since they themselues confesse that Protestantisme vanished away presently after the Apostles times and was so extinguished that for a thousand and foure hundred yeares they cannot name one Protestant man that taught the doctrine they now teach In such sort as this malediction of the Prophecie is fulfilled in them as vpon the enemies of our Sauiour where it is written Euery vessel that is made against thee shal not prosper And all the blessings of this Prophecie are verified vpon our Catholike Romane Faith which was planted by the Apostles and hath beene dilated ouer the world and embraced of all Christian people who liued betweene the death of the Apostles and rising of Luther reputed Heretikes to both parties only excepted as wee haue prooued in the first second and third Chapters And by this oath of God heere set downe it is as certaine that the Catholike Roman Church and Faith shall neuer bee suppressed as it is certaine that the world shall not be drowned with water any more the oath and promise of God Almightie being equally giuen for assurance of both saying As the day of Noe is this thing to me to whom I answere that I would no more bring in the waters of Noe vpon the earth so haue I sworne not to be angry with thee or rebuke thee for the mountaines shal be moued and the little hils shal tremble but my mercy shall not depart from thee and the couenant of my peace shal not be moued saith our Lord thy Miserator And your Maiestie may be pleased heere to obserue that those Kings and people who persecute
according to the testimonie of the new Testament our Lord was Author of our Catholike Faith and Religion And first the Angell Gabriel foretelling the estate of the Church to come saith to our blessed Lady Thou Luke 1. 31. shalt conceiue in thy wombe and shalt beare a Sonne and thou shalt call his name IESVS he shal be great and he shal be called the Son of the most High and our Lord God shal giue him the seat of Dauid his Father and he shal reigne in the house of Iacob for euer and of his Kingdome there shal be no end And in like manner an Angell of our Lord said vnto the Shepheards Behold I euangelize Luke 2. 10. to you great ioy that shal be to al people not to one people of Brittans or Germans but to al people because this day is borne to you a Sauiour which is Christ our Lord. And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heauenly armie a multitude of Angels praysing God and saying Glory in the highest to God and in earth Peace to men of good wil. As it was foretold by the Prophet Isay saying A little childe is borne to vs c. His Empire shal be multiplied and there shal be no end of peace he shal sit vpon the throne of Dauid and vpon his Kingdome that he may confirme it in iudgement and iustice from this time and for euer That the Kingdome heere spoken of is the Church professing the Faith or Gospell planted by our Sauiour our Lord himselfe doth witnesse saying In the Matth. 13. 14. end of the world the Sonne of Man shall send his Angels and they shal gather out of his Kingdome all scandals and them that worke iniquity Againe And this Gospell of the Kingdom shal be preached in the whole world Againe Matth. 24. 14. And Iesus went about teaching and preaching the Gospel Matth. 4. 23. of the Kingdome So if the Angels of God and multitude of his heauenly Armie may finde grace and credite with your Maiestie to be beleeued by their testimonies it is manifest that our Sauiour came to plant the Catholike Romane Church and Faith which as we haue proued in our first Chapter was taught by our Sauiour and planted by the Apostles amongst the Romans hath continued and shall continue amongst them vntill the day of Iudgement and as is confessed by Protestants hath reigned vniuersally without any debatable contradiction 1200. yeares as is set downe in the third Chapter CHAP. XI Wherein is proued by the testimony of our Sauiour himselfe that he was the Author of the Catholike Romane Faith OVR Lord Sauiour Iesus Christ foreseeing that many Heretikes would arise and say that his Seede Faith Word Church or Gospell had failed and decayed and that they were immediatly sent from God to plant a new Faith or reforme or restore the Gospell c. To preuent their hereticall falsehood hee warneth all his faithfull that they should not beleeue them saying Doe not thinke that I came to breake the Law the olde Matth. 5. 18. Testament or the Prophets I am not come to breake but to fulfill for assuredly I say to you Till heauen and earth passe one iot or one tittle shall not passe of the Law the olde Testament till all be fulfilled and the Church of Matth. 5. 2. God begunne in Ierusalem and Iuda be dilated to the West and to the East and to the North and to the Gen. 28. South as God spake to Abraham and his seed for euer Luke 1. 55. So supposed that our Sauiours words are true and that hee was the Messias and came to fulfill and performe the things promised by the Prophets and not to breake or violate their promises the Sunne was neuer more manifest in the moneth of August then it is manifest that he fulfilled the Prophecies by planting the Catholike Romane Faith and not by planting Protestantisme since Romane Catholikes haue been visibly multiplied ouer the world for many hundred yeares some Protestants say for nine hundred years some say for a thousand other Protestants say for twelue hundred and others say for more as is set downe in the third Chapter whereas the Prophecies haue beene so farre off from being fulfilled in Protestantisme that presently after the death of the Apostles it vanished away and hath been no where visibly knowne for one thousand foure hundred yeares So we may speak to Protestants who imagine that their Religion is true or was the Faith planted by our Sauiour and say to them in the words of our Sauiour Doe not thinke that our Sauiour came to break the Law or the Prophets Matth. 6. 18. he came not to breake but to fulfill Secondly our Sauiour foretelling the estate of his Church to come saith All things must needs be fulfilled which are writted in the Law of Moyses and the Prophets Luke 24. 44. Gen. 22. and the Psalmes of me And the Law of Moyses saith I wil multiply thy seed as the Starres of heauen c. The Prophets say Behold thy King will come to thee the Iust one and Sauiour himselfe poore and riding vpon an Zach. 9. 9. Asse c. He shal speake Peace to the Gentiles and his power from sea euen to sea and from the riuers euen to the end of the earth Againe And I wil send of them that shal be saued to the Gentiles into the sea into Asricke Isay 66. and Lidia into Italy and Greece to the Ilands farre off to them that haue not heard of me and haue not seene my glory And they shal shew forth my glory to the Gentiles and they shal bring of your brethren of al Nations a gift to our Lord vpon horses and in chariots and in horselittors and on Mules and in coatches to my holy mountaine Ierusalem Because as new heauens and a new earth which I make to stand before me saith our Lord so shal your seed stand and your name The Psalmes say Al the ends of the earth shal remember and be conuerted to our Psal 41. 28. Lord and all the families of the Gentiles shal adore in his sight Againe Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten Psal 2. 7. thee aske of me and I will giue thee the Gentiles for thine inheritance and thy possession the ends of the earth Againe I wil put his seed for euer and euer and his throne Psal 88. as the dayes of heauen I haue sworne in my holy if I lye to Dauid his seed shal continue for euer All which and many more the like promises and Prophecies of the encrease continuance and dilatation of the Christians the seed of our Sauiour the seed of Dauid the seed of Abraham ouer the world must as our Sauiour Luke 24. 44. saith needs be fulfilled and yet we see by experience that they are fulfilled in no other people kindred or Nation but Romane Catholikes whom Protestants confesse to
haue reigned vniuersally ouer the world for twelue hundred yeares as is set downe in the third Chapter And so I conclude out of our Sauiours words that the Catholike Romane Faith must needs be the Faith and Religion which our Sauiour planted and that Romane Catholikes are true Christians since neither the promises in the bookes of Moyses nor in the Prophets nor in the Psalmes are or can bee verified or fulfilled in or vpon any other Thirdly our Sauiour speaking of the estate of his Church saith The Kingdome of heauen is resembled vnto a man that sowed good seed in his field but when men Matth. 13. 24. were asleepe his enemies came and ouer-sowed Cockle among the Wheate and went his way and when the blade was shut vp and had brought forth fruit then appeared also the Cockle And the seruants of the Good-man of the house comming said to him Sir diddest thou not sowe good seed in thy field Whence then hath it Cockle and he said to them the enemie man hath done this And the seruants said to him Wilt thou we goe and gather it vp And he said noe lest perhaps gathering vp the Cockle you may roote vp the Wheate also together with it suffer both to grow vntill the haruest and in the time of haruest I wil say to the Reapers Gather vp first the Cockle and bind it into bundles to burne but the wheate gather yee into my Barne And expounding this Parable of the Cockle of the field he said to his Disciples He that sowed the Matth. 13. 37. good seed is the Son of Man and the field is the world and the good seed those are the children of the Kingdome and the Cockle those are the children of the wicked one and the enemy that sowed them is the Diuell but the Haruest is the end of the world and the Reapers are the Angels So our Sauiour in describing his Church by which description it is manifest that our Sauiour sowed the Catholike Romane Faith and that Romane Catholikes are the children of the Kingdome of God and all other Sects of what kinde or sort soeuer are Cockle sowed by the Diuell after death or at the end of Matth. 13. 38. the world to be gathered vp and cast into a Furnace of fire Since there neither is at this instant nor yet hath been heretofore any Nation People Faith Religion or Sect which challenged the name of Christians that hath been successiuely dilated ouer the world according to our Sauiours description but the Catholike Romane Faith which as Perkins a Protestant saith Vpon the Creed fol. 307. During the space of nine hundred yeares spread it selfe ouer the whole earth Fourthly our Sauiour speaking of his Church saith The Kingdome of heauen is like vnto a mustard-seed Matth. 13. 31. which a man tooke and sowed in his field which iâ— the least surely of all seeds but when it is growne it is greater then all hearbes and is made a tree so that the fowles of the ayre come to dwell in the branches thereof Againe The Kingdome of heauen is like to Leauen which Matth. 13. 33. a woman tooke and hid in three measures of meale vntill the whole was leauened Againe The Kingdome of heauen Matth. 13. 47. is like to a net cast into the sea and gathering together of all kinde of fishes Which words of our Sauiour cannot bee verified vpon Protestantisme supposing that it was in the Apostles times as they affirme since it did not encrease or grow greater then al other sects nor leauened the whole world nor gathered together all kinde of people But so vanished away after the Apostles departure that for fourteene hundred yeares together they are not able to assigne one man professing the Religion they doe now Fiftly Our Sauiour setting downe the state of his Church to come saith I chose you and haue appointed Iohn 15. 16. you that you go and bring fruit and your fruit abide Againe This Gospell of the Kingdome shal be preached in Matth. 24. 14. the whole world for a testimony to all Nations and then shal come the consummation Againe Holy Father I pray Iohn 17. not that thou take them away out of this world but that thou preserue them from euill c. And not for the Apostles only do I pray but for them also that by their words shal beleeue in me Againe Teach yee all Nations and Matth. 28. behold I am with you all daies euen to the end of the world Which words of our Sauiour cannot be verified vpon Protestants that our Sauiour hath appointed Protestants to goe and preach in the world and bring fruit and their fruit abide or that Protestantisme should be preached to all Nations or that our Sauiour prayed that Protestants should not be taken away out of the world but be preserued from euill or that our Sauiour would be with Protestants ayding and assisting them in the conuersion of Nations euen to the consummation Matth. 28. 20. of the world since wee see it false by experience Sixtly Our Sauiour speaking of the estate of his Church saith to the chiefe Priests and Ancients of the people Haue you neuer read in the Scriptures The stone Matth. 21. 42. which the builders reiected the same is made the head of the corner By our Lord was it done and it is marueilous in our eyes Therefore I say to you that the Kingdome of God shall be taken away from you and giuen to a Nation yeelding the fruit thereof And he that falleth vpon that stone shal be broken and on whom it falleth it shal al to bruise him These words of our Sauiour cannot be verified vpon Protestants that our Sauiour should become head to vnite Iewes and Protestants together in one family of Christians or should take away his Church and Kingdome vpon earth from the Iewes to giue it to Protestants or that the Church of Protestants should yeeld more fruit then the Church of the Iewes or he that should fall vpon the Church of Protestants should be broken since as Sebastianus Francus a Protestant In epist de Abro stat Eccl. affirmeth That for certaine through the worke of Antichrist the external Church of Protestants together with the Faith Sacraments vanished away presently after the Apostles departure and that for these fourteene hundred yeares the Church of Protestants hath bin no where external and visible Which being so dread Soueraigne I appeale to your Maiestie wel pleased to consider how ignorant hee should be in the Scriptures that should make himselfe a Protestant out of hope to become one of the Kingdome of God heere spoken of That all these promises and Prophecies of our Sauiour are verified vpon Papists Protestants themselues giue sufficient testimonie who affirme that Papistrie began in the time of the Apostles and hath raigned vniuersally for twelue hundred yeares as is set downe in the third Chapter So if the words and
testimonies of our Sauiour himselfe may finde so much grace and fauour with your Maiesty as to be credited it is manifest that by this testimony and description of his Church that he was the Author of the Catholike Romane Faith CHAP. XII Wherein is proued by the testimony of the Apostles that our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ was the Author of the Catholike Romane Faith FIRST Saint Peter speaking of the estate of the Church planted by our Sauiour saith MOYSES indeed said that a Prophet shal the Act. ◠22. Lord your God raise vp to you of your brethren as my selfe him shal you heare according to al things whatsoeuer he shal speake to you And it shal be euery soule that shal not heare that Prophet shal be destroyed out of the people And al the Prophets from Samuel and afterward that haue spoken could of these dayes you are the children of the Prophets and of the Testament which God made to our Fathers saying to Abraham and in thy seed shal all the Families of the earth be blessed To you first God raising vp his Sonne hath sent him blessing you That this Seed heere spoken of is the Church of Christians our Sauiour and Saint Paul do witnesse saying The good seed those are the children of the Kingdome Againe If you Matth. 13. 38. Galath 3. 29. be Christs then are you the seed of Abraham heires according to promise That this blessing can no way bee verified vpon Protestantisme is manifest for that it vanished away presently after the time of the Apostles and for faureteene hundred yeares together there is not to be found one man that professed it much lesse one Family or all the Families of the earth That this blessing in generall hath been verified vpon Roman Catholikes Protestants themselues confesse some Protestants affirming that Papistry hath been spread ouer the world for nine hundred yeares some for a thousand some for twelue hundred and some for more as it is set downe in the third Chapter So if the testimony of Saint Peter Moyses and all the Prophets from Samuel and afterward may finde so much grace and fauour with your Maiestie as to be credited they all affirme that our Sauiour was to bee the Author of our Catholike Romane Faith And supposed that there were Protestants in our Sauiours and the Apostles times who after their departure vanished away as Protestants affirme it is manifest by the testimony of Moses and Saint Peter that they were enemies of Christian Religion and so were destroyed from among the people according to the words of Moyses and Saint Peter saying Euery soule that shal Act. 3. Deut. 18. not heare that Prophet shal be destroyed out of the people Secondly Saint Poter speaking of the estate of the Church saith Behold I put in Syon a principall corner-stone 1. Pet. 2. elect preciaus And he that shal beleeue in him shal not be confounded To you therefore that beleeue honor but to them that beleeue not the stone which the builders reiected the same is made into the head of the corner and a stone of offence and a Rocke of scandall to them that stumble at the Word c. But you who beleeue are an elect generation a Kingly Priesthood a holy Nation a people of purchase that you may declare his vertues which from darknesse hath called you into his marueilous light Now supposed that there were Protestants in our Sauiours time yet these words of Saint Peter cannot be verified vpon them that they should not bee confounted but honored and made an elect generation a Kingly Priesthood or holy Nation a people of purchase to declare our Sauiours vertues in fulfilling the promises by conuerting the Gentiles to the Christian Faith Since they vanished away presently after the departure of the Apostles Thirdly Saint Paul describing the estate of the Church to come saith Christ ascending on high he led captiuity captiue he gaue gifts to men And he gaue some Ephes 4. 8. Apostles and some Prophets and other some Euangelists and other some Pastors and Doctors to the consummation of the Saints vnto the worke of the Ministery vnto the edifying of the body of Christ vntill we meet all into the vnitie of Faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God that now we be not children wauering and carried about with euery winde of doctrine in the wickednesse of men in craftinesse to the circumuention of error So Saint Paul describing the estate of the Church to come If this be spoken of the Church of Protestants where were their Protestant Apostles Euangelists Prophets Pastors and Doctors for fourteene hundred years together Since for all that time they are not able to assigne one man who held the doctrine they now hold much lesse one Apostle Euangelist Pastor or Doctor and yet Saint Paul saith that they should teach and preach truth euen vnto the Consummation of the Saints that the Church might not be wauering and carried about with euery winde of doctrine in the wickednesse of men wherby we see that if Saint Paul were a true Apostle and Prophet the Church of Protestants is a false Church That this Prophecie of S. Paul is verified vpon Roman Catholikes is manifest for that Romane Catholikes haue had Doctors Preachers and Teachers in all ages as we haue proued in the first second and third Chapters Againe Saint Paul speaking of the estate of the Church to come saith God according to his promise Act. 13. hath brought forth to Israel a Sauiour Againe We preach Act. 13. 32. vnto you that promise which was made to our Fathers which was I will multiply thy seed as the Starres of heauen Gen. 22. c. As God spake to our Fathers to Abraham and Luke 1. 55. his seed for euer which words and preaching of Saint Paul should be false if Protestantisme were the Faith and Religion planted by our Sauiour and Preached by Saint Paul since it hath been so farre off from fulfilling the promise that it vanished away presently after the Apostles times Againe Saint Paul speaking of the estate of the Church saith By the offence of the Iewes saluation is to Rom. 11. 11. the Gentiles that they may emulate them And if the offence of the Iewes be the riches of the world and the diminution of the Iewes the riches of the Gentiles how much more the fulnesse of them Againe If the losse of the Iewes Rom. 11. 15. be the reconciliation of the world what shal the receiuing be Againe Blindnesse in part hath chanced in Israel vntill the fulnesse of the Gentiles might enter and so all Israel might be saued Which cannot bee verified vpon Protestātisme supposed it were in the Apostles times since Protestants haue neither been so eminent as that the Iewes should emulate them nor the riches of the Gentiles neither hath the world been reconciled to Protestantisme neither hath the fulnesse of the Gentiles entred into Protestantisme
which for fourteene hundred yeares together was not knowne vnto the men of the earth That all these words of Saint Paul are verified vpon Romane Catholikes Protestants themselues giue ample testimony as is set down heretofore By these and many more Prophecies of the estate of the Church to come set downe by the Apostles and Euangelists it is manifest that our Sauiour was the Author of the Catholike Romane Faith So dread Soueraigne if the Generall consent of both Testaments the testimonie of God of Angels of Patriarkes of Prophets of Apostles of Euangelists and of all knowne Christen men that euer were before Luther may find grace and credite with your Maiesty to be beleeued they all reputed Heretikes by both parties onely excepted affirme that the Sonne of God was Author of that Catholike Romane Faith which is now persecuted within your Dominions CHAP. XIII Answeres to Obiections OBIECT 1. ALL Protestants doe not affirme that their Congregation hath been inuisible for these fourteene hundred years which were betweene the death of the Apostles and the rising of Luther but some say that they were visibly conuersant in the world administrating the Sacraments and preaching the pure Word Ans These Protestants did not liue in any of those ages to affirme that which they did see Reuelations Miracles Traditions they deny Writings Records Antiquities Councels Histories or any ancient testimony of such a visible company so administrating of Sacraments they haue none yet there is no other meanes of knowing things past but by a vaine imagination of an idle braine proper to lunatike men in Bedlam and Bridewell who talke of strange phantasies and chimeraes we looke for a people that should be made Princes ouer all the earth To whom Kings were Psal 44. nursing fathers and Queenes nurses That did ouerflow Isay 66. the glory of the Gentiles That did possesse the gates of their Gen. 22. enemies in whose seed all the Nations of the earth should be blessed And they tell vs of a people that supposed they were yet they were the most base vile contemptible and wretched people that euer liued vpon the earth such lyars and dissemblers as that it could not be knowne what Religion they professed So impious that it is neuer heard of that euer they vsed any Sacraments Sermons or Prayers So barbarous that it is not found vpon any Record that euer they were married but if they were it seemeth that they accompanied together like horses and dogges so ignorant that there is not found one man amongst them that euer writ any thing so vile that they neuer did any thing worthy of memory So lawlesse that there is not found any Order Statute or Decree they had such Rogues and Vacabonds that none vntill this day can finde out where any of them dwelt Such enemies of Christ and Christianity that not any testimonie can be found of their being Baptized or Christened So if they were it seemeth that they were rather the seed of the Diuell then of Abraham or Christ Iesus or of any Christian man Obiect 2. Waldo who liued in the yeare of our Lord God 1220. and Wickliffe who liued in the yeare of our Lord 1370. and Iohn Husse who liued in the yeare 1400. were Protestants and held and taught the same doctrine Protestants doe now Answ First Waldo did so extoll merit for good works that he did forsake all things to become poore and follow Christ and euangelicall perfection as witnesseth Doctor Humfrey a Protestant in his Iesuitisme part 2. fol. 270. Secondly hee denied the Sabbath in regard whereof the Waldenses were called Insabbatists that is to say people who had no Sabbath as affirmeth Fox Acts and Monuments fol. 41. Thirdly hee taught that Lay-men and women might consecrate the Sacrament and preach Fourthly that there should be no diuision of Parishes Fiftly that men ought not to sweare in any case Sixtly That neither Priest nor Ciuill Magistrate being guiltie of mortall sinne did enjoy their dignities or were to be obeyed and many the like as witnesseth ILLIRICVS in catel testium veritatis Wickliffe taught that if a Bishop or Priest were in deadly sinne his ordaining of Priests Consecrating and Baptisme was not Valide and that Ecclesiasticall Ministers should not haue any Temporall possessions Fox Acts fol. 96. Moreouer hee condemned lawfull oathes as affirmeth Osiander in his Epito hist. Eccles fol. 459. Yet maintained he the worshipping of Images intercession to our blessed Lady the Masse and seuen Sacraments as is manifest in his bookes And for Iohn Husse except the doctrine of the Communion in both kinds which he would haue giuen to Lay-men and the doctrine of Wickliffe in defending that if a Prince Priest or Bishop committed mortall sinne they did lose their dignities and were not to be obeyed for the most part he retained the Articles of our Catholike Faith as the Seuen Sacraments the Popes Primacie the Masse in so much as Luther in Colloquijs Germanicis ca. de Antechristo saith of him The Papists burned Iohn Husse when as yet he depapted not a fingers breadth from the Papacie for he taught the same which Papists doe Obiect 3. The Church of the Protestants was in that of the Papists so if Protestants were not neither should Papists be Ans That is to confesse that the Papists Church is the true Church and that Protestants are Schismatikes or Heretikes according to the Scriptures saying They went out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had Iohn 2. 19. been of vs they would surely haue remained with vs. Againe Out of your selues shall arise men speaking peruerse Act. 10. 30. things Obiect 4. The Church is compared to the Moone so it may encrease and diminish and yet bee a true Church Ans The Church is compared to the Moone not for that it waneth increaseth euery month as the Moon in our Horison doth but for because what it loseth in one Countrey it gaineth in another as what light the Moone wanteth on the one side it hath on the other and so as the Moone changeth his light sometimes on the one side and sometime on the other according to the aspect â—e hath to the Sunne and yet except it bee by an Eclypse for a little while alwayes hath his full light So the Church of God vnlesse it be for a little Eclypse of persecution is alwayes dilated ouer the world though more manifest in one Countrey then in another as wee see by experience that the losse which the Church hath in England and some corners of the earth is more then restored in Asia America So it was promised by the Prophet saying Thy Sunne shall go downe no more and thy Moone shall not be diminished Isay 60. 20. because our Lord shall be vnto thee for an euerlasting light As our Sauiour said I am with you all dayes euen Matth. 28. 20. to the consummation of the world And this was the promise of
God to Dauid saying His seed shall continue Psal 88. 37. for euer and his Throne as the Sunne in my sight and as the Moone perfect for euer Obiect 5. Our Sauiour calleth his Church little flocke saying Doe not feare little flocke because it Luke 12. hath pleased your Father to giue you a Kingdome Ans Little in the beginning after to encrease according to the words of the Prophet Isay saying Iacob Isay 27. 5. shall florish and Israel shall grow and they shall fill the face of the earth with seed So our Sauiour compared Matth. 13. 31. his Church to a Mustard-seed which is the least of all seedes when it is sowen but when it is growne it is greater then all herbes And to Leauen which a woman Matth. 13. 33. tooke and hid in three measures of meale vntill the whole was leauened Obiect 6. In the time of Constans Constantius and Constantinus the Arians so preuailed that there remained no Catholike Bishops but Liberius and Athanasius Answ In their times was the Councell of Sardis where were three hundred Catholike Bishops as is set downe in the said Councell Obiect 7. Our Sauiour saith That many are called Matth. 20. 16. but few chosen Ans He hath called the earth from the rising of the Psal 49. 1. Sunne vnto the going downe thereof So in respect of the number of all people of what sect or sort soeuer the Elect shal be but few yet dilated all ouer the earth as our Sauiour witnesseth when he saith That at the day of Iudgement he will send his Angels with a great Matth. 24. 31. sound of Trumpet and they shall gather his Elect from the foure windes from the one end of the heauen to the other Obiect 8. Our Sauiour saith of the Iewes I know Iohn 8 that you are Abrahams seed and yet saith Yee are of your father the Diuell Ans This place demonstrateth that men are not iustified by Faith only shewing that neither the Iews who were Abrahams seed by carnall generation nor the Christians who are his seed by Faith onely shal be saued without good workes saying I know you are Abrahams seed but yee seeke to kill me therefore yee are 1. Iohn 3. 8. of your father the Diuell begotten of him by euill life Catholikes doe not defend saluation by Faith onely but by Faith and good deeds Obiect 9. Some of the Fathers doe vnderstand by Babylon spoken in the 17. of the Apocalyps Rome Apocal. 17. Ans Tertullian lib. contr Iudeos and Saint Ierome Epist 17. ad Marcellum vnderstand by Babylon Rome as it persecuted Christians and worshipped Idols and not Rome Christian S. Augustine vpon the 26. Psalme Aretas vpon this place Haymon and Saint Bede do vnderstand by the great Whore great Babylon c. not Rome but the vniuersall Citie of the Diuell which in Scriptures is called Babylon and is opposite to the Citie of God which is his Church and by the seuen Hills these Fathers vnderstand the generall estate of proud men as the Scriptures vse saying Euery Vally Luke 3. 5. shal be filled and euery Hill shal be humbled Obiect 10. In our Creede we say I beleeue in the Catholike Church but the things that wee beleeue cannot be seene therefore wee cannot see the Catholike Church but must beleeue it onely Ans Herein consisteth the ignorance of Protestants that in one and the same thing they distinguish diuers acts as the act of Faith and the act of corporall seeing both in one and the same man but doe not distinguish in the same men or things diuers obiects as the obiect of the act of Faith and the obiect of the act of corporall seeing So the things that we beleeue we cannot corporally see by an acte of Faith that is true otherwise our Faith should be in our eyes The thing that we beleeue we cannot corporally see with an act of seeing that is false the Apostles did both see and heare our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ and beleeued him to bee our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Catholikes can corporally see the Catholike Church but not with an act of Faith proceeding from their eyes and beleeue the same Catholike Church but not with an act of seeing proceeding from their vnderstandings but with an act of Faith proceeding from their vnderstandings and so at the same time though not with one and the selfe-same act both see and beleeue the same Catholike Church But see it as it is obiect of their eyes and beleeue it as it is obiect of their Faith which for the saluation of their soules I wish Protestants could doe Since the same God Almighty and the same Prophets which tell me I must beleeue the Church doe also tell me that it shall be corporally visible according to their descriptions vntill the worlds end and he maketh God and the Prophets lyars that denyeth it Obiect 11. The Protestants yet may hope that the Prophecies may be verified vpon Protestantisme hereafter Answ That were to make Luther the Messias and him and his Ministers of greater power then our Sauiour and the Apostles and is contrary to the promises of God and Prophecies Againe the Prophets do not speake of conuerting Papists but Gentiles to our Lord which are in great part conuerted already and there is no probability that Ministers tyed to women children seruants good fare soft beds commodities of the world and flesh should goe to conuert Gentiles in Africa or America Againe What should they conuert them vnto to beleeue That the God of the Christians hath for fifteene hundred yeares failed of his oath and promises That the Apostles and those men who planted Christian Religion are not to be called nor esteemed of as Saints That Baptisme is not necessarie to saluation That the Sacraments of the Christians doe not conferre grace That the whole Church and Generall Councels of Christians may erre in things that appertaine to God That Fasting and Pennance is not necessarie to saluation That the Masse is superstition That the Romish doctrine concerning Purgatorie Pardons Worshipping and Adoration as well of Images as of Reliques and also Inuocation of Christian Saints is a fond thing These and many the like Articles of the English Creed the Heathen and Pagans beleeue and haue beleeued many hundred years before Luther and Caluin or any Protestant man was borne that held and maintained the same Faith Protestants doe now Obiect 12. The Church of Protestants is farre extended and so in some part the Prophecies may bee verified vpon it Ans Though it were as farre extended as Turcisme yet it would bee inferious to the promises and latitude of our Catholike Church and wanteth the other properties set downe by the Prophets all Heretikes haue possessed some place or Countrey and at this day Protestantisme is but in this corner of the world Thomas Rogers a Protestant seeking out the Rogers vpon the Creede Protestants of other
will not see those Christians the Seed of Abraham the people of God to be the Catholikes whom thou callest Papists since at this day there are no Christians vpon whom this promise can be fulfilled but vpon them and as for former ages thy owne fellow Sectaries confesse that for many hundered yeares The Popish Heresie hath spread it selfe ouer the whole earth as is set downe in the third Chapter and since for one thousand foure hundred yeares together thou art not able to bring forth any writing testimonie antiquitie or euidence of any one Protestant Minister or Doctor that held the doctrine Protestants now teach Wilt not thou then obstinately go to hell that will be a Protestant and in thy imagination find out them which haue not bin to the dishonor of God and thy damnation And willest not see a multitude of men which are and haue been as the Stars of heauen for the saluation of thy soule and glory of God in fulfilling his oathes and promises But thou wilt say that suppose there were such an infinite number of Christians the people of God so visible as that they possessed the gates of their enemies as God Almightie affirmeth yet I cannot finde such a multitude of men professing one and the same Faith To which I answere that hereby thou shouldest most manifestly see that thou art obstinate thou wilt confesse that all Christians which euer haue beene may be comprehended vnder one of these three sorts knowne Heretikes to both parties Protestants and Papists knowne Heretikes on both parties thou wilt confesse not to haue been this seed of Abraham Protestants thou canst not assigne one that taught and held the doctrine thou now holdest in all them one thousand foure hundred yeares See now if thou beest not obstinate that will not know that the seede of Abraham were the Papists when it is so manifest that reputed Heretikes to both parties excepted for one thousand foure hundred yeares together thou canst finde none else Againe knowne and reputed Heretikes thou acknowledgest to haue bin amongst the Christians during the time of them one thousand foure hundred yeares but they were not knowne or reputed such in these ages by Protestants who then were not but by Papists who both spied them out and ouercame them according to these Prophecies So art not thou obstinace that doest not see the Prophecies verified vpon the Papists Againe all the Christian Kings and Kingdomes knowne Heretikes on both sides excepted as their Histories Chronicles Lawes Antiquities reports of Parents doe testifie were Papists then art not thou obstinat that will not see the Prophecies to be verified vpon Papists But thou wilt say that the Papists Church hath failed but so should not the seed of Abraham To which I answere that God Almightie affirmed that his Church the seed of Abraham should not faile and cannot be contrary to himselfe and thou findest no other congregation of men which euen in thy owne judgment hath longer endured according to the Prophecies of the Prophets then the Papists euen admitting the worst thou sayest of it so if thou wilt not bee obstinate and fall into Atheisme thou should conclude certainly it is false that the Papists Church hath failed for when thou sayest that the Church of Papists fell thou canst not say that it fell to Protestantisme so it maketh nothing for thee vnlesse thou wouldest be an Atheist and proue that God Almighty hath violated his oathes and promises and go against the first principle and say that God may be deceiued but man cannot and likewise against the second principle and say there were no knowne Christians of the seede of Abraham vpon earth for many hundred yeares together If thou beest a creature of God Almighties thou art first bound to maintaine his honor and glory and shew vpon what Christians his promises are fulfilled and then thine owne otherwise thou makest thy selfe an Idoll and denyest God So first shew vs Protestants multiplied as the Stars of heauen and as the sand that is by the sea shore dilated to the East to the West to the North and to the South which possessed the gates of their enemies and then shew vs when and where the Papists Church decayed and what Religion they embraced when they fell from Papistrie That it did decay thou alledgest the authoritie of some few that it did not decay I bring thee the authoritie of Scriptures and the generall consent of all knowne Christians for one thousand foure hundred yeares together knowne Heretikes and so reputed on both parties onely excepted as is set downe in the first second and third Chapters So if any reason may preuaile with thee thou must needs confesse that Papists are the Seede and children of Abraham and that our Lord by the testimony of the Prophets and Apostles and himselfe planted that Religion Protestants call Papistrie Neither mayest thou object that the testimonies of the Prophets concerning our Sauiour and his Church are obscure and their meaning hard to be found out when God Almightie affirmeth by the mouth of Saint Peter That they are as a candle shining in a darke place 2. Pet. 1. 19. into which if thou doest but looke and not obstinately shut thy eyes thou mayest see light So open thy eyes and accommodate thy vnderstanding to the Prophets and beleeue firmely that to be the true Seed of Abraham which hath been spread ouer the earth many hundred yeares according to the Prophecies do not accommodate the Prophets to thy vnderstanding take not for a first ground that thy sect is true and then seeke to shape the sayings of the Prophets to thy vnderstdanding and to thy sect so thou shalt make thy selfe an Idoll and be alwayes blinde vntill thou fall into euerlasting darknesse and there lamenting say We haue groaped as blinde men for the wall and as Isay 59. without eyes haue feeled we haue stumbled at none day as in darknesse in darke places as the dead that could not see the Seede of Abraham the Church of Christ a multitude of men which held one and the same Articles of Faith vpon earth without preuaricating in sense when euen in our dayes they were multiplied as Gen. 22. 28. the Starres of heauen and as the sand that is by the sea shore dilated to the East and to the West and to the North and to the South in Europe Asia Affrica and America ouerflowing the glory of the Gentiles and being a light and Isay 49. saluation to the furthest parts of the earth who had Kings their nursing fathers and Queenes their nurses who with countenance cast downe to the ground adored them and kissed their feete Desarts as delicasies and wildernesses Isay 51. wherein liued contemplatiue men as the gardens of our Lord vpon whose walles stood watchmen day and night holding not their peace keeping the Quier in one place or other perpetually Wee sencelesse esteemed their life 〈◊〉 5. 4. madnesse and their end without
authority they can or may pretend or challenge either to administer Sacraments Teach or Preach or execute any other spiritual supposed function neither can English Protestant Ministers deny it vnlesse they deny the Queenes Supremacie and proclaime themselues to be perjured in the oath of Supremacie which they haue sworne Whereupon they are justly and truly called Elizabethians and ought not nor should not be called by any other name seeing they haue no other Author or Founder of their Religion and Priesthood but Queene ELIZABETH as we haue proued by publike Statutes And this Queene ELIZABETH did not that shee did thinke that she being a woman had Supreme authoritie in all Spirituall things or causes the Scriptures saying Let women hold their peace in the Church 1. Cor. 14. for it is not permitted them to speake but to be subiect Againe It is a filthy thing for a woman to speake in the Ibid. Church Againe Let women learne in silence with all subiection for I doe not permit a woman to teach But desirous 1. Tim. 2. to reigne in this world with whatsoeuer dishonor of God and danger soeuer of losing of her soule and damnation of her Subiects shee tooke vpon her IEROBOAMS Policies to strengthen her selfe against Your Mother So I appeale vnto your Maiesty well pleased to consider the wrong and injustice your Protestant Ministers doe vnto vs Roman Catholikes your ancient Subjects in persecuting vs with the losse of goods lands libertie and life for that we will not forsake the Religion planted vpon earth by the Sonne of God to professe in place thereof a Policie inuented by an Illigitimate woman THE CONCLVSION AND for Conclusion I humbly beseech your Maiesty well pleased to consider that without a true Faith it is imposible Hebr. 11. 6. Iohn 3. 8. to please God Againe He that doth not beleeue the Faith planted by our Sauiour is already iudged And the Iudgement is Get yee away from me yee accursed into fire euerlasting Matth. 25. which was prepared for the Diuell and his angels And presently after this sentence giuen they are cast into Hell which is as the Prophet Isay saith A profound and spacious roome his food is fire and store of wood the breath of our Lords mouth doth kindle the same like a maine Riuer of Brimstone and there bound hands and feete they are placed in a bed of Moathes to gnawe perpetually on their carkasses and in scorne of the pride of life in which they liued vpon earth couered with a couering of Lice as the Prophet Isay witnesseth saying Thy pride is drawne down into Hell thy carkas Isay 14. is fallen the moath shal be strowen vnder thee and wormes shal be thy couering And placed in this wofull and lamentable estate they are deliuered vp into the hands of Diuels who as ministers of Gods wrath power out vpon them Fire haile famine death teeth Eccles 39. Apoc. 14. of beasts scorpions and serpents And the smoake of their torments shall ascend vp for euer and euer Without any hope of ease or any possibilitie for one moment euer to haue their torments lessened for that they shall bee for euer the same as the Prophet saith He loued cursing Matth. 25. Psal 108. and it shal come to him and he would not blessing that with which God hath blessed all Nations of the earth according to his promise and it shal be far from him in all eternitie he shall neither heare or haue any which considerations ought much to moue the heart of your most excellent Maiesty to take pity vpon a number of your Subjects who haue no other Faith or Religion then that which is grounded vpon the maledictions of God and out of your compassion to restore vnto them againe the liberty of embracing the Catholike Roman Faith which as wee haue aboundantly prooued was planted vpon earth by our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ the Sonne of God and there is no saluation in any other And by so doing your Maiesty shall much honour God put an end to all new Sectes establish your Throne as the dayes of heauen bring abundance of peace and quietnesse to your afflicted Subjects and as you haue vnited the two Kingdomes of England and Scotland in one so you shall vnite your selfe and them to God and the rest of the Christian world and be partaker of all the blessings promised to the Catholike Church The meanes is so easie that if your Maiesty please you may do it without infringing any Law by dispensation out of your Prerogatiue Royall with all Statutes made against the Catholike Roman Faith which Faith not being euill in it selfe but truth and verity as we haue abundantly proued the Lawes of the Land giue your Maiesty full leaue to dispence with then all as is set downe in Termino Michaelis An. 11. Henrici Septimo Your most worthy Ancestor Chap. 35. saying The diuersity betweene malum prohibitum malum per se malum prohibitum is where the Statute doth prohibite that a man shall coyne no money and if he do he shal be hanged this is malum prohibitum for before the said Statute it was a lawfull act to coyne money but not after and for this euill the King may dispence c. Euen so if a man ship wooll for other places then for Calleis this is malum prohibitum for it is prohibited by Statute and for this euill the King may dispence c. in like case But malum in se neither the King nor any other can dispence withall as if the King would pardon to kill another or giue leaue to robbe vpon the high-way this is void yet when they are done the King may pardon them So it is if a man be bound by Recognisance in the Chancery to keep the Peace at the suite of another man the King cannot release the duetie for the preiudice which may happen to the other yet when it is forfeited he may well release and before not and so neither King Bishop nor Priest can giue leaue to one to commit Lechery because it is euill in se in the Law of Nature but when it is done they may absolue them very well Thus the Lawes of the Land giue libertie to the Kings of the Land to dispence with any thing which is not euill in it selfe but made euill by Act of Parliament as was the Catholike Roman Faith in the Parliament holden in the time of King Henry the eight Edward the sixt Queene Elizabeth and yourt Maiesty Whereby it is sufficiently manifest that your Highnesse may out of your prerogatiue Royall as well and with as good authoritie dispence with all penallties imposed by Statute vpon your Subjects for professing the Catholike Roman Faith and giue them free liberty to professe it as you may dispence with Merchants freely to transport out of the Realme Siluer Wooll or other Merchandize forbidden by Act of Parliament And the reasons or motiues which ought
and not a man of them left to pisse against the wall according to the words of God And amongst the many temporall maledictions which God promiseth to send vpon that Nation which shall forsake his Word and Law to follow humane inuentions and policies for Religion this is one That the stranger that liueth with thee in the Land a fornicator Deut. 28. 43. after mans inuentions as thy selfe shall ascend ouer thee and shal be higher and thou shalt descend downward and be inferiour He shal be as the head and thou shalt be as the tayle Whereupon the children of Israel after they had embraced Ieroboams policies for Religion were deliuered into the hand of the spoilers vntill God threw them away from his face euen now from that time 3. King 17. when Israel was rent from the house of Dauid and made Ieroboam the son of Nabat their King for Ieroboam seperated Israel from our Lord and made them to sin a great sin c. And Israel was transported out of their Land vnto 4. King 15. 19. the Assirians and made slaues and tayles vnto those Idolaters with whom not long before they had made couenants of association and defence So the whole people of the Iewes renouncing our Sauiour the Messias are as we see by experience euen vntill this day the tayle of all people and vnder all and aboue none Many people and Nations forsaking the Catholike Roman Faith to embrace Arianisme became tayle to the barbarous Goathes Africa infected with the Heresie of Donatus was conquered by the Vandals The East Church which whiles it was Christian Catholike held the Empire of the world now for her Schisme is become slaue and tayle to the Turke and many Kingdomes in Asia and Africa which heretofore haue flourished vnder the Catholike Roman Faith by forsaking it either became base vile and contemptible or quite extinct to the verifying of the words of God saying Whosoeuer shall glorifie me I will glorifie him and they 1. King 2. 30. that contemne me shelbe base And who is able to expresse the present maledictions which are fallen vpon Germanie by forsaking in this our age the Catholike Roman Faith Since before it flourished both in dominion and prosperitie aboue all the Nations of the West which now is punished with all the plagues of God as Famine Pestilence Sects Ciuill warre and in danger to be swallowed vp by the Turke And if before the rising of Luther there euer were any Christians that made profession of the Religion now publikely professed in England as some of your Protestant Ministers would seeme to affirme wee see by experience that they were the tayle drosse and refuse of all people so lodened with the curses and maledictions of God as that there resteth no more memory of them then if they neuer had been to the verifying of the Prophecies saying The enemies of our Lord forthwith Psal 36. 20. as they shal be honored and exalted vanishing shall vanish as smoake Againe I haue seene the impious lightly Psal 36. 35. exalted and aduanced as the Cedars of Libanus And I passed by and behold he was not and I sought him and Psal 36. 38. his place was not found Againe the vniust shall perish together the remaynes of the impious shall perish God Almightie hauing created all creatures and giuen to euery creature whatsoeuer good it hath and to certaine Kingdomes and people particular diuine fauours and graces aboue other people as the Faith planted vpon earth by his onely Sonne by the practise whereof they may liue vpon earth like Citizens of Saints and domesticals of God and euen in this life taste of the comforts and consolations of diuine pleasures when this people in stead of gratitude shall become so base and vile as to forsake this Faith to follow the crafty inuentions and politick deuices of men Then saith MOYSES Our Lord will not forgiue him Deut. 30. 19. but then his fury will most specially fume and his zeale against that man and all the curses sit vpon him written in Deutronomie And the generation following shall say and the children that shal be borne from henceforth and the stranger that shal come from a farre And al the Nations seeing the plagues of that Land shal say Why hath the Lord done this to this Land And they shal answere Because they forsooke the couenant of the Lord which hee made with their Fathers therefore the fury of the Lord was wrath against this Land to bring vpon it all the curses written in Deutronomie That the iust may see and Deut. 28. feare and say Behold the man that hath not put God for Psal 51. 8. his helper Behold they that make them farre from thee Psal 72. shal perish thou hast destroyed all that Fornicate from thee Fiftly they are Lawes and Statutes made against all Law and the grounds of Law for that Protestants would not be content that the Catholike Kings of France or Polonie who haue many Protestant subjects should make Protestantisme treason or felonie yet as our Sauiour saith Whatsoeuer you wil that men do to you Matth. 7. 12. doe you also to them for this is the Law and the Prophets And to conclude the precident of making or approuing such Lawes followed will serue to make any thing Fellony or Treason or to change the Monarchie into a Common-wealth or to set vp any Intender or Vsurper whereof your Highnesse ought to haue especiall care both for the good of your Person Posteritie and Kingdomes ouer which God of his goodnesse grant that your Maiestie and your Posteritie may most happily Reigne in the estate of Monarkes and absolute Kings vnto the worlds end FINIS The faults escaped I leaue to the courteous Reader to correct
the Catholike Romane Faith do but bring misery and vnhappinesse vpon themselues according to the word of God in this Prophecie saying Euery vessel that is made against thee shal not prosper and after all their rage and crueltie of hanging drawing and quartering imprisonments and seuere Lawes made against Romane Catholikes they must come to be judged by them according to the words of God in this Prophecie saying That euery tongue resisting thee in iudgement thou shalt iudge this is the inheritance of the seruants of our Lord Iesus Christ and their iustice with me saith our Lord to bee Iudge of those who resisted them in judgement Againe God Almightie speaking of the encrease of Christian Religion saith Arise be illuminated Ierusalem Isay 60. because thy light is come the glory of our Lord is risen vpon thee Vpon thee shal our Lord arise and his glory shal be seene vpon thee And the Gentiles shal walke in thy light and Kings in the brightnesse of thy rising lift vp thine eyes round about and see al these gathered together they are come to thee thy sonnes shal come from a far and daughters shal rise from thy side Then thou shalt see and abound and thy heart shal maruaile and be enlarged when the multitude of the sea shal be conuerted vnto thee the strength of the Gentiles shal come to thee Againe For Isay 60. the Ilands expect me or the ships on the sea in the beginning that I may bring thy sonnes from far Againe And Isay 60. thy gates shal be open continually day night they shal not be shut that the strength of the Gentiles may be brought to thee and their Kings may be brought For the Nation and the Kingdome that shal not serue thee shal perish Now suppose that there were Protestants in our Sauiour and the Apostles times yet is it manifest that these Prophecies cannot be verified vpon them That the Gentiles should walke in the light of Protestantisme and Kings in the brightnesse of their rising and the multitude of the sea be conuerted vnto them and the strength of the Gentiles or that the Islands did expect Protestantisme and the ships of the sea in the beginning or that the gates of Protestants Temples were open continually day and night that the strength of the Gentiles might be brought to Protestanisme and their Kings Since the Protestants themselues confesse that after the Apostles times Protestantisme vanished away and was no where so much as visible for a thousand and foure hundred yeares In such sort as within all that space they are not able to name any one man much lesse one Heathen or Pagan King conuerted to the Religion they now professe So suppose that in our Sauiours time there were Protestants it is manifest that they were these enemies of Christian Religion vpon whom was verified this part of the Prophecie saying The Nation and the Kingdome that shall not serue thee shall perish Againe God Almightie speaking of the Christians after our Sauiours comming saith by the same Prophet I will giue their workes in truth and make a Isay 61. perpetual couenant with them and they shall know their seed in the Gentiles and their bud in the middest of peoples all that shall see them shall know them that these are the seed which the Lord hath blessed Againe Vpon thy Isay 62. walles Ierusalem I haue appointed watchmen al the day and al the night for euer they shal not hold their peace And you that remember our Lord hold not your peace and giue not silence to him vntil he stablish and vntil he make Ierusalem the praise in the earth Our Lord hath sworne by his right hand and by the arme of his strength If I shall giue thy wheate any more to be meate to thy enemies and if the strange children shall drinke thy wine wherein thou hast laboured Because they that shall gather it together shall eat it and shall praise the Lord and they that caried it together shal drinke it in my holy courts Suppose that there were Protestants in our Sauiours the Apostles times yet these Prophecies could not be verified vpon them that God Almightie should make a perpetuall couenant with Protestants visibly to maintaine their seed in the Gentiles and their bud in the midst of peoples Neither can this oath be verified vpon Protestants Our Lord hath sworne by his right hand and by the hand of his strength that he would giue the wheate of Protestants no more to be meat for their enemies and that strangers should not drinke the wine wherein Protestants haue laboured who decayed presently after the Apostles times as they confesse and were so farre off from enioying these blessings heere promised that all the maledictions prophecied to wicked and impious men enemies to Gods truth fell vpon them in such sort that there is lesse memorie of them then of Sodom and Gomorra which was destroyed with fire from heauen or of Coar Dathan and Abiron who were swallowed vp quicke into the earth of whom there is some mention made in other mens writings But of Protestants liuing after the Apostles times who should before Luther hold and teach the doctrine they now teach No Author doth giue testimony of any such men or make so much mention of them as of any of their names or Countries where they dwelt or where they were destroyed wherefore it seemeth that if euer they were in these times they were enormous wicked vile people cursed of God aboue all the men that euer liued vpon the face of the earth euen such abominable people as all men were ashamed to name or make any mention of any one of them people that descended into hell quicke of whom they would keepe no memory Now that all these Prophecies are verified vpon our Catholike Romane Faith and Religion we haue sufficiently shewed in the first second and third Chapters of this booke whereupon we inferre that by the testimonies of the Prophet Isay our Sauiour was Author of the Catholike Romane Faith and planter of it vpon earth And so conclude this Chapter with the words of Saint AVGVSTINE saying What can be exacted August de Vnit. Ecclae to be spoken more manifestly Behold how many and how cleare testimonies haue been brought out of one Prophet and yet there is resistance and contradiction made not to any man but to the Spirit of God and to the most euident truth And yet the glory of Christ is enuied by those who will boast of the name of Christians that those things wbich haue been so long before foretolde of him may not be beleeued to be fulfilled whereas now they are not foretold but shewed seene and possessed So Saint AVGVSTINE and we with him That these Prophecies of Isay are spoken of the Church of Christ Protestants themselues confesse in the Collections of the Contents of the Chapters set downe before euery Chapter in their English Protestant Bibles CHAP. VII
Wherein is proued by the testimony of the Prophet Ieromie that our Sauiour was the Author of the Catholike Romane Faith THE Prophet Ieremie speaking of the estate of the Church after our Sauiours comming saith Behold the dayes Ierem. 31. 37. shall come saith our Lord and I wil make a new couenant with the house of Israel c. And this shal be the couenant that I will make with the house of Israel after these dayes saith the Lord I will giue my Law in their bowels and in their heart I will write it I wil be their God and they shal be my people And a man shal no more teach his neighbour and a man his brother saying Know our Lord for all shal know me from the least of them euen to the greatest saith our Lord for I wil be merciful to their iniquitie and their sinne I wil remember no more Thus saith our Lord that giueth the Sunne for the light of the day the order of the Moone and of the Starres for the light of the night that troubleth the sea and the waues thereof doe sound the Lord of hostes is his name If these Lawes shal faile before me saith our Lord that there be no more Sunne for the light of the day and Moone and Stars for the light of the night and ebbing and flowing of the Sea then also the seed Israel shal faile that it be not a Nation before me for euer Wherupon our Sauiour saith This Gospel of the kingdome shal be preached in the whole Matth. 24. world for a testimony to al Nations and then shal come the consummation of the world and the Sun shal be darkened and the Moone shal not giue her light and the stars shal fall from heauen Vntill then if wee will beleeue the Word of God the seed of our Sauiour the Church of God shall in all ages and times so flourish vpon earth as that the Christians shall not neede secretly one to teach another But all shall know our Lord from the least of them to the greatest and be a visible Nation for euer So I appeale to your Maiesty well pleased to consider how ignorant hee should bee in the Scriptures that should make himselfe of the Congregation of Protestants in hope to enter into this Testament with God when they haue been so inuisible for one thousand and foure hundred yeares together that they are not able to assigne one man who for all that time professed the Faith they now hold much lesse one Nation So if Protestants would prooue by the Scriptures that their Religion which hath been so many hundred yeares vnknowne were the Faith planted by our Sauiour they should first proue that for one thousand and foure hundred yeares there hath been no Sunne for the light of the day or Moone for the light of the night to make good the Word of God otherwise they proue nothing but that they are ignorant in the Scriptures and in effect and deede blaspheme God and his holy Word by affirming him in effect and deed to be a violater of his promises written in the Scriptures That this promise of God heere spoken of is to be performed in and vpon Christians Saint Paul witnesseth in the eight to the Hebrewes where he repeateth the foresaid words of Ieromie as to be fulfilled in and vpon Christians That our Catholike Romane Faith hath successiuely continued according to this Prophecie wee haue shewed in the first second and third Chapters CHAP. VIII Wherein is proued by the testimony of Ezechiel That our Sauiour was the Author of the Romane Catholike Faith THE Prophet Ezechiel speaking of the estate of the Church after the comming of our Sauiour saith I will saue Ezech. 34. my flocke and it shal be no more into spoile c. And I will raise vp ouer them one Pastor who shall feed them my seruant Dauid he shal feed them and he shall be their Pastor And I the Lord wil be their God and my seruant Dauid the Prince in the middest of them I the Lord haue spoken and I will make a couenant of peace with them and will make the cruel beasts to cease out of the Land And they that dwell in the desart the Hermits and religious men who now and in the Primatiue Church liued in the desart as witnesseth Saint Austine Epist 121. shall sleep secure in the forrost And I will put them round about my hill his Church a blessing And I will bring downe the shower in his time there shall bee raynes of blessing abundance of spirituall graces and consolations of the holy Ghost according to the words of our Sauiour saying He that beleeueth in me out of his belly shal Iohn 7. 38. flow riuers of liuing water And the tree of the field our Sauiour the Vine or Oliue tree shal giue his fruit and Iohn 15. Rom. 11. the earth humane nature of which it is said thou art earth shal giue his spring and they shal be in their Land Gen. 3. without feare and they shal know that I am the Lord when I shal haue broken the chaines of their yoke and shal haue deliuered them out of the hand of those that rule ouer them And they shal be no more for a spoile to the Gentiles neither shal the beasts of the earth deuoure them but they shal dwel confidently without any terror and I wil raise vp to them a bud of name and they shal be no more diminished for famine in the Land neither shal they beare any more the reproach of the Gentiles This Prophecie to be spoken of our Sauiour vnder the name of Dauid first Protestants in their Bibles confesse it secondly it is manifest for that Dauid the Prophet was dead many yeares before the time of Ezechiel Yet this Prophecie cannot bee verified vpon Protestants that Protestants shall liue in their Land without feare deliuered out of the hand of those who rule ouer them and bee no more for a spoile to the Gentiles nor be any more diminished nor beare any more the reproch of the Gentiles since they haue bin so spoiled and oppressed for one thousand and foure hundred yeares together that during all that time they are not able to assigne one knowne man who professed the Religion they now professe This Prophecie to be verified vpon Romane Catholikes wee haue shewed in the first second and third Chapters CHAP. IX Wherein is proued by the testimony of the Prophets Daniel Ioel Micheas Abacuc and Zacharias That our Sauiour was the Author of the Catholike Romane Faith AND in like manner all the rest of the Prophets as often as they haue occasiō to speake of the estate of the Church after the comming of our Sauiour say that it shal be vniuersally dilated ouer the world for euer as Daniel saying In the dayes of Dan. 2. 44. those Kingdomes the God of heauen wil raise vp a Kingdome that shal not be destroyed for euer and this Kingdom