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
Countries can find as it seemeth none to name but Suitzerland Basil Bohemia Ausburge Flanders Saxonie Sueuia Wittenberge France yet in France there are ten Catholikes for one Protestant in Suitzerland six Cantons or Prouinces of Catholikes in Bohemia many Catholikes Ausburge but one Citie Wittenberge a Citie and these are but a heap of diuers Sects whereof the chiefe are Caluinists Lutherans and English Parliamentary Protestants The Caluinists who are most in number deny the Supremacie of Kings and authority of Bishops which is Treason amongst the English Protestants the Lutherans hold Consubstantiation in their Communion and deny the Communion of both Caluinists and English Protestants and they both the Communion of Lutherans all of them esteeming their Communion a Sacrament and matter of Faith Many more Sectes there are amongst theÌ„ as Anabaptists Hussites Arians Brownists Family of Loue Thrasquites and others Octiect 13. In time of Elias there was no visible Church Elias saying I alone am left therefore the 3. King 15. Church may decay and become inuisible Ans When Elias spoke those words of lamentation there were two Kingdomes of the Iewes the one knowne and called by the name of Iuda and the other called and knowne by the name of the Kingdom of Israel ouer Iuda at this time reigned Asa a good King ASA did right before the sight of our Lord as 3. King 15. DAVID his Father did ouer Israel reigned ACHAB a wicked King And ACHAB did euill in the sight of 3. King 15. our Lord aboue all that were before him ELIAS speaketh of the Kingdome of Israel and not of Iuda saying The Children of Israel haue forsaken thy Commandement 3. King 15. c. And our Lord said to him I haue left me in Israel seuen thousand men whose knees haue not bowed before BAAL of whom at that time it seemeth Elias knew not of So in the time of Elias the Church was so farre off from being inuisible that besides the seuen thousand in Israel there was the whole visible Kingdome of Iuda vnder Asa and Iosephat his sonne who was likewise a good King IOSEPHAT walked 3. King â—2 in the way of ASA his Father and he did that which was right in the sight of our Lord. Obiect 14. I haue saith the Puritan a true feeling of the Spirit and am assured to be saued all others may erre I am assured I cannot for my spirit doth tell me that I am in the right way of saluation Answ The way of a foole saith the holy Ghost is Prou. 12. 15. right in his owne eyes I desire thee to consider what a misery it is to be obstinate in opinion since it maketh a man to vse all the meanes and shifts he can to get to hell and doth not giue leaue either to reason or to the sences to execute their functions God Almighty hath promised that the Christians shall be as the Stars of heauen Gen. 22. and as the sand that is by the sea shore and that they shall possesse the gates of their enemies the mountaines shal be moued and the hils shal tremble but his mercy shal not Isay 54. depart from them and the couenant of his peace with them shal not be moued According to Gods promise such a seed or succession of Christians wee see Writings Registers Chronicles Antiquities Churches Chappels the report and traditions of our Parents al spake it our Aduersaries themselues confesse it experience doth teach vs that it must be so All seeing it fulfilled from Abraham vntill the Natiuitie of our Sauiour for one thousand nine hundred yeares or thereabouts yet rather then the obstinate man will yeeld to so manifest a truth and saue his souâ— he will seeke out all the corners malice shifts tricks and doubts that can be to denie it and go to Hell and if none will serue to cloake his obstinacie yet rather then hee will change his nature he will go on he will not beleeue any thing but his owne fantasies and imaginations All others may be deceiued he is sure he cannot O be not obstinate but haue pity on thy poore soule Was thou neuer deceiued in any thing in all thy life whereof thou esteemedst thy selfe sure certainly thou hast And if thou wilt not bee an Ethnicke and Publican to thy owne Congregation of Protestants thou must defend that nothing is more certaine then that the Church of Protestants millitant and visible may erre as is affirmed in the English Creed Art 19. prop. 6. Art 21. So if thou beest not already gotten into heauen into a triumphant Church and art become an inuisible man in thy owne militant Church there is nothing more certain then that thou mayest erre Well then thou mayest be deceiued in this that thou thinkest thy selfe so sure of Thou wilt grant mee this principle that God Almightie can neither deceiue nor be deceiued since he is veritie it selfe and the first cause so if hee affirme one thing and thou and Luther and Caluin deny the selfe-same thing yet that must be true which God Almighty affirmeth and that false you affirme Thou willest not deny this But God Almighty affirmeth that the Christians the Seede of Abraham the people of Gen. 22. God should be multiplied as the Starres of heauen and as the sand which is by the sea shore and should possesse the gates of their enemies and bee dilated to the East and to the West and to the North and to the Gen. 28. South for euer Well then it must be true though thou Luke 1. 55. Luther and Caluin deny it But thou wilt say these promises are not made to Christians Againe whom shall we beleeue in this God Almighty or thou or Luther or Caluin God Almighty affirmeth that these oathes and promises of God are to bee fulfilled vpon the Christians saying All things must needs be fulfilled Luke 24. 44. which are written in the Law of Moyses and the Prophets and Psalmes of mee And the like affirme the Apostles as we haue set downe at large in the eleuenth and twelfth Chapter So if thou wilt not according to thy owne confession bee wilfully deceiued thou must beleeue that there must be Christians the people of God the Seed of Abraham embracing one and the same Faith multiplied as the Stars of heauen and as the sand that is by the sea shore dilated to the East and to the West to the North and to the South possessing the gates of their enemies As he spake to our Fathers to Abraham and his Luke 1. 55. Seed for euer And if thou doest not beleeue this thou must confesse that that thou art so farre off from being of the Seed of the Faithfull Abraham that thou doest not beleeue the promise which God Almightie made vnto him and so mayest manifestly see thy owne infidelitie And this second principle supposed to be a diuine truth as now thou confessest Art not thou againe wilfully blinde that
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
more set downe in the Protestants Apologie it is manifest that the Catholike Roman Faith did begin euen in the Apostles times and hath raigned vniuersally ouer the visible Church of Christians 1260. yeares if wee will beleeue the confession of our Aduersaries themselues So dread Soueraigne if the testimonies of all known Christian men who liued in all ages and times from the Apostles times vntill the rising of Luther may find grace and credit with your Maiestie they all knowne Heretikes and so reputed by both parties onely excepted doe witnesse that our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ was the Author of the Catholike Romane Faith for that they all beleeued and esteemed our Lord to be Author of that Religion they themselues professed And this were sufficient to shew vnto your most excellent Maiestie that the Sonne of God was Author of the Catholike Roman Faith but because Protestant Ministers do so often bragge that the Scriptures or written Word of God doth make for them I will further examine the Scriptures to see what they say of the Religion which was to be planted by our Sauiour and wil begin with the old Testamēt according to the directions of our Lord saying Search the Scriptures the olde Testament for as then no part of the New Iohn 5. 39. was written for you thinke by them to haue life euerlasting and the same are they that giue testimony of me and after descend downe vnto the New and so prooue by the generall consent of the whole Scriptures that our Sauiour was Author of the Catholike Roman Faith CHAP. IV. Wherein is proued by the testimony of Moyses and the Patriarkes that our Sauiour was Author of the Catholike Roman Faith TO discerne the true Prophet from the false and to discerne the word of God from the words of arrogant men God Almightie gaue vs this rule saying If in secret cogitation thou answere How Deut. 18. 21. shall I vnderstand the word that our Lord spake not This signe thou shalt haue that which the same Prophet foretelleth in the name of the Lord and commeth not to passe that our Lord hath not spoken But by the arrogancie of his minde the Prophet hath forged it And the Prophet that being depraued with arrogancie Deut. 18. 20. will speake in my name the things that I did not command him to say shall be slaine Whereupon our Sauiour saith All things must needs bee fulfilled which are written in the Luke 24. 44. Law of Moyses and the Prophets and Psalmes of mee otherwise Moyses and the Prophets should haue been false Prophets and our Sauiour none of the Messias but a seducer and deceiuer and the God of the Scriptures a false God So supposing that our Sauiour was the Messias promised to be sent for the redemption of mankinde and that the Prophets of both Testaments were true Prophets and not guiltie of death but prophecied things which must be infallibly fulfilled We will seeke out what they say of the Seed Faith Religion or Gospell which was to be planted by our Sauiour vpon earth And to let passe other promises and prophecies written by Moyses we will begin with that great promise and oath made by God to ABRAHAM the Father of all that beleeue Whereupon is grounded and Rom. 4. 11. founded the succession of the Church in all ages the oath of God being the highest act that can bee made in heauen or in earth in confirmation of a truth it cannot bee contradicted without great impietie or denied to be fulfilled without making the God of Abraham our Lord to bee forsworne and a false God which is the highest kinde of vntruth opposite to the greatest truth that can be giuen Abraham going to sacrifice his only begotten son Isaac according as God had commanded him so greatly pleased his diuine Maiestie in that act of obedience that he confirmed his former promise made vnto him that he should be heire of the world by an oath saying By my owne selfe haue I sworne saith the Lord Gen. 12. 3. and 15. 5. Rom. 4. 13. Gen. 22. 16. because thou hast done this thing and hast not spared thy onely begotten sonne for my sake I will blesse thee and I will multiply thy seede as the starres of heauen and as the sand that is by the sea-shore thy seede shall possesse the gates of his enemies and in thy seede shall be blessed all the Nations of the earth because thou hast obeyed my voyce He saith not saith Saint Paul and to seeds as in many Galath 3. 16. but as in one and to thy seede which is Christ That in Christ Iesus the Sonne of Dauid the Sonne of Abraham not the Nation of the Iewes or Brittans onely but all the Nations of the earth should be blessed and become children of Abraham and sonnes and seede of Christ Iesus borne againe as Saint Peter saith not of corruptible seed but incorruptible by the word of God 1. Pet. 1. 23. Whereupon Saint Paul saith to the Corinthians In 1. Cor. 4. 6. Christ Iesus by the Gospell I begate you And to the Ephesians he saith That the Gentiles are coheires and of the same body and partakers of his promise by the Gospel And so saith That Christ hath redeemed vs from the Galath 5. 14. curse of the Law that on the Gentiles the blessing of Abraham might be made in Christ Iesus that we may receiue the promise The Scriptures foreseeing that God instifieth Galath 3. 8. the Gentiles by Faith shewed vnto Abraham before that in thee shall all Nations be blessed Not for a day or a yeare but for euer according to the words of Saint Luke saying He hath receiued Israel his childe Luke 1. 55. being mindfull of his mercy As he spake to our Fathers to Abraham and his seed for euer So likewise God said to ABRAHAM SARA thy wife shall beare thee a son Gen. 17. 19. and thou shalt call his name Isaac and I will establish my couenant to him for a perpetuall couenant and to his seed after him Whereby wee see that this oath of God to Abraham is to bee fulfilled in and vpon Christians professing the Faith and Gospell planted by our Sauiour and that those Christians vpon whom this oath can or may be fulfilled are the seede of our Sauiour and the children of his Kingdome and heires of the Promises none else vnlesse we will make God Almightie forsworne which is too great impietie and a vanitie for any man to acknowledge him for a God whom he professeth in deeds to be a violater of oathes and promises So it resteth to examine whether this oath of God be verified vpon Roman Catholikes or vpon Protestants that we may clearely see which of them are true Christians and heires of the Promises and seed of our Sauiour And as for Protestants they themselues confesse that their Faith and Religion which they now professe hath been so farre off from being
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
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