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
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
I sware to Abraham neither will I forsake thee vntill I haue performed whatsoeuer I haue spoken And I appeale to your Maiesty wel pleased to consider whether it bee more conuenient to beleeue the words of God when hee saith hee will performe his oath and promises then the words of Protestant Ministers who affirme that the seede of Christ hath failed and now after a thousand and fiue hundred yeares they are sent to plant it in corners of the earth What is found more madde saith Saint AVGVSTINE then this folly or August cont epist Parmeniani lib. 1. rather frenzie In so many Nations of the world and for the most part God hath fulfilled and doth yet fulfill vntill it come vnto all which he hath promised who said I will not leaue thee vntill I doe these things which I haue spoken vnto thee And now these Protestants doe beleeue such as tell them that it is not fulfilled what God promised and that therefore the seed of Abraham which is Christ to haue decayed in those parts of the earth in which it was planted and that the promises of God are voide because they are not admitted into their Communion amongst whom it is fulfilled Thus Saint Augustine So If the oath of God or the Promises made to Abraham Isaac and Iacob written by Moyses may finde grace and credit with your Maiesty it is manifest by their testimonies that our Sauiour was the Author of the Catholike Romane Faith CHAP. V. By the testimony of the Prophet DAVID and the Psalmes our Sauiour was Author of the Catholike Roman Faith OVR Sauiour saith That all things must Luke 24. 44. needs be fulfilled which is written in the Psalmes of him So we will examine what the Psalmes say of our Sauiour and his seede the Christians that wee may see whether the Prophecies contained therein be verified vpon Romane Catholikes or vpon Protestants it being now a thousand and six hundred yeares since the Natiuitie of our Sauiour those must needs be his seed and true Christians vpon whom they are verified seeing that it is impossible Hebr. 6. for God to lye First the Psalmes say Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee Aske of me and I will giue thee the Psal 2. 7. Gentiles for thine inheritance and thy possession the ends of the earth Secondly All the ends of the earth shal remember Psal 21 27. and be conuerted to our Lord and all the Families of the Gentiles shall adore in his fight Because the Kingdome is our Lords and he shall haue dominion ouer the Gentiles Thirdly For thy fathers there are borne sons to thee Psal 40. thou shalt make them Princes ouer all the earth they shall be mindefull of thy name in all generation and generations for euer and for euermore Fourthly The God of gods our Lord hath spoken and Psal 49. 1. hath called the earth from the rising of the Sinne vnto the going downe thereof Fiftly Their sound is gone into all the earth and their Psal 18. words into the ends of the world Sixtly He shall descend as raine vpon a fleece of wooll Psal 71. 6. and as the drops distilling vpon the earth In his dayes shal arise Iustice and abundance of peace so long as the Moone endureth And he shall rule from sea to sea and from the riuer vnto the end of the world Seuenthly I will put him the first begotten higher Psal 88. 27. then the Kings of the earth I will keepe my mercies vnto him for euer and my Testament faithfull to him I will put his seed for euer and euer and his Throne as the dayes of heauen But if his children shall forsake my Law and keepe not my Commandements I will visite their iniquitie with a rod and their sinnes with stripes but my mercy I will not take away from him neither will I hurt in my truth And many more the like Prophecies of the conuersion of the Gentiles and propagation of the Faith or seede of our Sauiour ouer the world for euer which cannot bee verified vpon Protestants or Protestantisme who haue beene so farre off from hauing the Gentiles for their inheritance and their Possessions vnto the ends of the earth or conuerting all the Families of the Gentiles or from hauing abundance of peace as long as the Moone endureth or from hauing their seed to endure for euer and their throne as the dayes of heauen that in all the time which was betweene the death of the Apostles and the rebellion of Luther which is for one thousand and foure hundred yeares or thereabouts they are not able to assigne one Doctor Preacher or Writer that held or taught the doctrine Protestants doe now preach and teach That our Catholike Romane Faith was planted by the Apostles and Disciples of our Lord and hath continued successiuely dilated ouer the world according to these Prophecies we haue proued in the first second and third Chapters Whereupon wee rightly inferre that by the testimonie of Dauid and the Psalmes our Sauiour was the Author of the Catholike Romane Faith and conclude this Chapter with the words of Saint AVGVSTINE saying We may see many accuse themselues of their former August epist 48 blindnesse who could beleeue that Christ was exalted aboue the heauens though they did not see it and yet did deny that his glory was ouer all the earth although they did see it When the Prophet hath so clearely comprehended them both in one sentence saying Be exalted aboue the Psal 107. heauens O God and thy glory ouer all the earth CHAP. VI. By the testimony of the Prophet Isay our Sauiour was Author of the Catholike Romane Faith THE Prophet Isay speaking more abundantly of the seed Faith and Religion which was to be planted by our Sauiour then the rest of the Prophets saith It is a small thing that thou Isay 49. shouldest bee my seruant to raise the Tribes of Iacob and to conuert the dregges of Israel Behold I haue giuen thee to be a light to the Gentiles that thou mayest be saluation euen to the furthest part of the earth Kings shall see and Princes shall rise and adore for our Lords sake because he is faithfull and for the holy one of Israel who hath chosen thee Againe Behold I will Isay 49. 22. lift vp my hand to the Gentiles and to the people I will exalt my signe And they shall carry thy sons in their armes and thy daughters vpon their shoulders And Kings shal be thy nursing fathers and Queenes thy nurses with countenance cast toward the ground they shal adore thee and they shal licke vp the dust of thy feete and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. This Prophecie cannot be verified of Protestanisme First for that they were neuer yet any light to the Gentiles and a saluation to the furthest part of the earth that they might become Christians many Protestants denying Christianity become Turkes in
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