God an infalible spiritt of rightly understanding the Scripture In which hee walked Religiously according to Doctor Whitakâ—rs definition of the privat Spiritt Wee Catholicks that have nothing to doe with this privat Spiritt doe firmly believe God hath given a speciall Grace and infalible Spiritt of expounding the Scripture and defining Theorems of faith to generall Councells assembled together in the Holy Ghost Vbi duo vel tres congregati sunt in nomine meo ibi ero in medio illorum That likwise the Pope hath this infalible Spiritt quando loquitur ex Cathedra but privat men bee they ever soe great Saints or learned wee doe not allow this infalibility unto them though wee doubt not but the Doctors of the Church who submitts themselves in all to the Church are specially assisted by the Holy Ghost in interpreting the word of God The pride of this privat Spiritt makes Protestants to make noe account of the ancient Fathers and Doctors nor of generall Councells or any diffinition or determination of the Church Ex. G. the second Counsell of Nice defines the Doctrin of Tradition in this manner Si quu Traditionem Ecclesiae sive scripto sive consuetudine valentem non curaverit anathema sit The privat spiritt of Doctor Whitaker spurning at this Councell said Generall Councells may erre Behold one Doctor of the English Church doth blast with a breath all the authority and creditt of this generall Councell Tell mee Sall is not this a Spiritt of pride in Doctor Whitaker a little Pigme contesting with soe many tale Gyants of Sanctity and learning all the Biphops and great Doctors of that famous Councell If wee produce the Authority of Fathers and Saints excellently learned as Cyprian Gregory Ambross Ierom Augustin and others behold the Father of Protestanisme your prime Doctor Luther whom your Church terms a holy man and the Hely-as of Germany speaks resolutly Gods Word is aboue all the Devine Majesty makes for mee in soe much as I regard not if a thousaad Augustins and as many Cyprians stood against mee Was this man in his sences Luth. Tom. 2 contra Henricum Regem Angliae when hee vapered in this kinde but how did Luther prove the devine Majesty made for him by noe other means but by his privat infalible spiritt which hee supposed though by Scripture hee could not prove it hee himselfe had and those Saints had it not See now Sall if you are happy in hauing Luther a monster of sinne with his privat Spiritt on your side and Cyprian Augustin and the rest of holy Doctors against you whome you have forsaken to stick unto Luther By this privat Spiritt you Protestant Domineer over all sorts of men interpreting Scripture as you please and who interprets otherwise be they universitys Doctors Fathers Councells yea and the very high Bishop of old Rome himselfe all erre and why soe because they have not the privat Spiritt of Protestanisme what a rediculous thing this is even Common reason teacheth us By this privat Spiritt you Protestants admit for Canonicall Scriptures all you please and you declare Apocriphall what you please by this Spiritt you take what Traditions you please and by the same reject what you please by this Spiritt you disâ—anon the Books of the Machabees Ecclesiasticus and others those said Books have bine acknowledg S. Aug. in doct Christ l. 2 c. 8. Can. 47. for Canonicall by Saint Augustin and the third Councell of Africk You will doubtless tell mee that your chiefest Doctors Luther and Calvin had this infallible Spiritt in expounding the Scriptures and yet they give quite contrary interpretations of one and the same passage of Scripture as this Hoc est Corpus meum Luther understands Matt. cap. 26. that Text Secundum Litteram and says it is soe of faith to be understood and condemns for Hereticks the Sacramentariant Swinglians and Calvinistes who understand that place figuratively Luther hath this saying Englished I doe Luth. Ep. ad Har vagium Tom. 7. VVitt f 380. art 28. contra Lovanienses Tom. 2. VVitt. f. 503. protest before God and the world that I doe not agree with them the Sacramentarys nor ever will while the world standeth but will have my hands cleare from thee blood of those sheep which these Hereticks doe drive from Christ deceive and kill And againe in the same place Cursed be the Concord and Charity of Sacramentaryes for ever and ever to all Eternity Luther hee understands the above cited place litterally and possitively affirms that the body and blood of Christ is realy and substancially in the Sacrament of the Altar Hee likwise affirms but erroniously that bread is there with the body of Christ Calvin takes a quite Contrary way and affirms possitively the Body and blood of Christ is not realy and substantially in the Sacrament but figuratively see as hee expounds this Text Hoc est Corpus meum thus Hac est figura Corporis mei now what is more different then the Body of Christ to be realy in the Sacrament and the Body of Christ not to be realy in the Sacrament Sall reconcile the best you can these two great Doctors of your Church for plaine reason tells us if the Spiritt of one of them bee true the other must bee a lying Spiritt And those are the men these Monsters of incontinency and pride cover'd with all sort of vices are the Doctors and Masters you have now chosen Seeing then this privat lying Spiritt approves of expounding Scripture at will and pleasure allowing only such exposition of Gods Word as sorts well to the supporting of theire owne errors seeing it tramples all Authority of Councells Fathers and Doctors who expounded Gods Word differently from the Protestant Church seeing it ingenders contrariety in Doctrin even in the injoyers thereof as was now shewed in Luther and Calvin through each mans misconstruction of Scripture To conclude seeing the exorbitancy pride and petulancy of this Spiritt is such that it expects that all men should receive from it as from a second Moyses the Tables of our Evangelicall Law I pray sitt downe and saddly consider what you have done in following this pestiperous Spiritt and wandering with it have separated your selfe from your holy Mother the Church IV. CHAPTER BEfore resolving any thing upon this Ad tertum quere to wit of what Religion is Sall become having forsaken the Catholick Religion I must tell you hee hath been weakly armed against the evill temptation that overcame him hee hath not been a tale strong oak resisting the storme sathan rais'd against him but a wavering reed without strength or stay hee stood not stiffly upon the Rock of Peter but yielded without fighting Tempore tentationis recessit harken weake pusilanimus Sall to old Tertulian telling you Quod Hereses apud Tertul. prescrip cap. 2. eos multum valeant qui infide non valent That is that Heresies are strong against those who are not strong in theire
Faith that was not soe before nor likwise make any Proposition Hereticall that was not soe before but only defines that Proposition to be of Faith that is and was ever soe and condemns that for an Heresie that is and was soe Nor are Articles of Faith as Sall affirms repugnant to human reason but transcending human reason as Saint Thomas teacheth Fidem non esse contra sensum sed esse de eo ad quod sensus non attingit much less is Faith repugnant to reason a nobler faculty then that of sence yet for all this wee may not say that reason can comprehend an Article of Faith Will you beleeve nothing Sall but what you can comprehend and as it were demonstrat by human reason and discourse This is not Faith but Science The silliest Catholick old woeman in your Country will tell you that in beleeving you must take Faith and leave reason And Saint Augâ—stin saith the same as thus S. Aug. lib. de utilitatâ— credendâ— Quod inteligimus debemus rationi quod credimus Authoritati Had you ankored your selfe Sall upon the Authority of the Church as most eminent Schoolmen of our side doe you had not fallne into Heresie but you presumed to much on your owne witt and wanted humility and necessary vertue Saint Augnstin reprehends such kinde of men as would circumscribe matters of Faith within the sphere of reason and discourse in these words Eccè qualibus Argumentis omnipotentiae Dei humana contradicit infirmitas quam possidet vanitas That is Behold with what kinde of Arguments doth human weakness mastered by vanity contradict the omnipotent power of God The Paulin difinition of Faith the most perfect of all diffinitions doth clearly demonstrate that the force of reason cannot comprehend Articles of Faith Illa particula Argumentum non aparentium clarè significat objectum fidei esse rem non visam cui firmiter adhaeret intellectus non ex rei evidentia sed ex auctoritate divina per illam particulam non apparentium distinguitur fides a Scientia intellestu per quem aliquid fit apparens That is The Argument of things not appearing doth clearly signify the object of Faith to be a thing not seen to which the understanding doth adhere not for the Evidence of the thing but for the devine Authority revealing it and by that particle of things not appearing Faith is distinguished from Science and understanding of objects by which a thing is made apearing This is the Opinion of Nicholas de Lira and others It is alsoe the Opinion of Devines commonly Visum non esse objectum fidei S. Tho. 1. 2. qs 67. S. Tho. 2. 2. q. 1. a. 4 And Saint Thomas saith elswher Quod nihil est objectum fidei nisi sub ratione non apparentis XVIII CHAPTER The Doctrin of Transubstantiation defended against Sall a new Protestant THere is noe Protestant soe maddly obstinate as to give God the lye to his face and in plaine tearms to say though hee did know God did reveale the Doctrin of Transubstantiation as the Church of Rome doth propose and maintaine it I would not beleeve it noe all Protestants acknowledg and generally all Hereticks God to bee truth it selfe and not able to deceive or bee deceived The obstinacy therfore of Protestants against Gods verityes is not as they are uttered immediatly by himselfe but as they are proposed by his Church as in the point of Transubstantiation Sall become lately a Protestant doth not beleeve the Catholick Church proposing that Doctrin as revealed by God but says it is not warranted by devine writt the same hee says of Indulgences Purgatory worship of Images c. but introduced and made an Article of faith by the use and Authority of the Roman Church Against cleare evidence there can be noe obstinacy the object of it must be involved in some obscurity otherwise the will which is the source of obstinacy would not bee able to master the understanding There is nothing more cleare and evident to the understanding then this proposition If God said or revealed any thing it s very true The obstinacy therfore of Hereticks doth not contest with this cleare and confessed truth It only doubts or denyes that God said or revealed any such thing as the Church pretends By this it appears in what Sall and I doe differ about Transubstantiation for hee doth not beleeve the Church proposing and defyning the Doctrin therof as revealed by God The Heretick beleeves what the Church proposeth as revealed only conditionally if God reveal'd it reserving to his owne privat Iudgment or to that of his privat Patriarks Luther Zwinglius Calvin c. this determination but the Catholick Absolutly and doubts not but God revealed what the Church proposeth as revealed submitting his Iudgment in matters of Faith to what soever the Church doth define or declare This is the case of Hereticks They protest if they had thought or beleeved that the Doctrin of the Roman Church in controverted points were revealed by God they would hartily imbrace it but they doe not consider this very if or doubt is Heresie for they have noe reason to doubt but that the Roman Catholick Church hath Commission and power of defining and declaring what is revealed by God seeing it hath the evident signes of a true Church as Miracles Sanctity of Doctrin and Life continuall Succession from the Apostles to the present age both of Pastors and Doctrin These signes may be easily perceived and knowne by all people as Clownes Souldiers and other illiterate persons let them examin the Histories of theire owne Countryes and the Religion of theire Ancesters which soever amongst all the Christians Churches had and hath the aforesaid signes that Church must be heard obeyed and beleeved as having Gods Authority and Commission to deside all doubts and Controversies of Faith who soever beleeves not her diffinitions and obeys not her decrees and Canons in points of Faith is an obstinat Heretick and such is Sall having deserted and condemned this Church But Sall tells us the Doctrin of Transubstantiation is a novelty not found in Scripture but brought into the Church by the Councell of Lateran anno 1215. This is a great mistake in Sall The very condemning of Berengarius as an Heretick for impugning Transubstantiation anno 1050 which was before the Councell of Lateran 165. years proves it was noe novelty but an Article of Faith before that Councell There were present at this Counsell the Emperors Roman and Greek and of the Kings of France Spaine England Hierusalem and Cyperus their Ambassadors euen from the Apostles tymes For otherwise I pray you how were it possible that the Patriarks of Hierusalem and Constantinople 70. Metropolitans 400. Bishops and 800. Conventuall Pryours who were all present at that great Counsell should all agree in declaring Transubstantiation to have been revealed by God to the primitive Church how can this agree with what Sall affirms
qui non tantum infamiâ— Transfugae impia dogmata fraudesque dissoluit sed etiam primos Haeresum Architectos suis coloribus depingit eorumque malas artes ac calumnias omnium oculis accuratè exponit â—e porrò innocuum Christi gregem in fraeudem inducant Hinc ego divinae gloriae animarum saluti oportunum fore ceuseo si viri de sua Patria Ecclesia optime semper meriti doctissima lucubrationes in publicam lucem prâ—deaâ—t Datum 27. Martii 1675. J. C. S. Th. Professor Illustrissime ac Rme Dne GRatias humillimè ago pro exemplari novi Operis impressi quod Gratiae vestra munificentiâ cum litteriâ— ad me pervâ—nit Quoad meum de illo judicium non possum sanè non probare singularem Authoris zelum ac eruditionem qui plurimas depromit folidas pias ac convincentes rationes quibus non tantunt ille Apostata sed quilibet non pertinacissimus ab errore ad veritatem caecitatâ— ad lucem revocari posset et deberet Munit quoque firmatque in futnrum ceteros Fideles ne fallaci aliorum exemplo et errore a primaevae Fidei firmitate abducantur Praestat denique partes omnes veri et Apostolici Pastoris praebendo ovibus Christi Sal vera Doctrinae et sapientiae ne Salis infatuati corruptelâ inficiantur Rogabo diuinam bonitatem ut Ecclesiae suâ— tales pastores perpetuâ— prospiciat et Gratiam vestram eidem diutistime conseruet 2. Maji 1675. Illustrissimae ac Rmae Gratiae Tuae Servus in Christo humillimus R. A. Illustris Reverendis Dne Recepi perlegi Librum restrum contra Sallum Apostatam magna voluptate opus doctnm eximium Invenient in eo sapientes viri Docti multa quae in vastiâ— voluminibus praevie legerunt nonnulla plurimi quae nunquam ante a viderunt Plurae omitto quae in libri laude dicenda occurrunt vnum mihi summopere placet D. Vest Illâ—n tam sepe utiâ—ipsorum Authorum Protestanticoâ—um attestatione ad eorundem sequaciumque confusionem c. Sum Illm. Dne Illme Rererendssimae D. V. obsequentissimus famulus 7. Maij 1675. J. O. S. My ever honoured Lord. I finde my selfe highly obliged for the gift you sent mee your book against the Apostate Sall. You send the Ioseph of your old age to Egipt to recover your revolting bretheren who exercise the fury of theire Ignominious fall on theire owne persons by spirituall selfe murther in deserting the Army of the liuing God to assist the Goliath that upbraids him the heavens I hope will plentifully power downe blessings on your indeavour to convert that persecuting Saul to a Penitene Paule to turne that deformed Serpent into an Araons rodd which may flourish by repentance and plentifully feed in the house of our heavenly Father Rather then a prodigal child in a starving condition in the desert of heresy Live long therfore our faithfull leremie to lament the common captiuity the pollution of our somtyme Glorious temple the distruction of sweet Sion and the shamfull flight of Sall infatuatum who after many years travells desperatly cast himselfe out of the ship which can be tossed but never overcome by the stormes of persecution without which there is noe safty into the bottomlesse gulfe of perdition c. Your Lordships humble Servant J. O. D. 23'th Aprill 1675. Fugam Saalis a sancta fide Sacroque in quo vixit ordine damnant redarguuntque Sanctus Ambrosius Tertullianus MAgni periculi res est si post Prophetarum Oracvla post Apostolorum Testimonia post Martyrum vulnera veterem fidem quasi novellam discutere praesumas post tam manifestos duces in errore permaneas Sanctus Ambrosius de sanctis Nazario Celso Etiam de Olivae nucleo mitis opimae necessariae asper Oleaster oritur Etiam de papavere ficus gratissimae suavissimae ventosus vanus Caprificus exsurgit Tertull. de praescript I. CHAPTER A Distribution of the contents of this worke O Sall tell us what domineeringspiritâ— of Darkness what black Tentation hath drawne you out of the house of God O misguided soule thou hast forsaken the Arke to drowne thy selfe in the deluge harken unhappy man flying out of the Temple harken to God crying upon thee Quid est quod dilectus meus Ierem. cap. 11. fecit in domo mea scellera multa What is it that my beloued hath in my House done much wickedness as if God would say in a complaining way what have I done to this man that hee is become soe wicked and ungratefull O Sall Apostatans a fide feetsts iâ— dâ—mâ— Deiscelerae mulâ—ae First what sinn soe abominable as Abjuration of holy faith which is a spirituall rebellion a treason against heaven a separation from God eternally a declared warre against the holy Trinity Secondly Deserting your faith without which there is noe salvation you have damned your owne soule for all Eternity And what doth it prâ—fitâ— Matt. cap. 16. a man if hee gaine the whole world and sustaine the damage of his soule or what permutation shall a man give for his soule Thirdly The scandall and occasion of sinn you have given to the Catholick People deserting them in tyme of tryall and persecution when they most needed constancy and good example in you and in all Churchmen of the Catholick Communion is a sinn crying to heauen against you Woe be to the world by reason of scandall and woe to that man by whome scandall cometh doth not Christ himselfe say Matt cap. 18. Hee that shall scandalize one of those little ones that believe in mee it is expedient to him that a milston be hanged a bout his neck and that hee be drowned in the depth of the Sea Sall read diligently the Scriptures and you shall finde noe sinn more forewarned more forbidden more detested and more threatened then scandall except Idolatry woe be then to the Sall for having scandalized soe many thousands to whome you have before brooken the bread of life and preached holy Doctrin if but one of those shall forsake the Catholick Religion by your evill example eternall woe will fall upon you Thy errour is a stumbling block and tentation to the plaine simple People In Ecclesia Dei Vincent Lyri nensis lib. ad versus prophanas novitates Hares cap. 1 21. saith a Father tentatio est populi error Magistri tanto major tentatio quanto ipsâ— esset doctior qui peccarâ—t In the Church of God the Error of the Master is a tentation to the People and by soe much greater is the tentation by how much the Maister that gives the scandall is the more learned But my confidence is in amiable Iesus that hee will in his mercy preserve those little ones that know not soe much as you those innocent souls Tanquam fâ—umentum in area sua â— qua tu Sall superbiae leuis palea evolasti carens pondere fortitudinis in fide As
VVicklifs Errors about that Sacrament Accidentia non manent sine subjecto in â—odem Sacramento substantia panis naturalis vini naturalis manent in Sacramento Altaris Errores damnati in Concilio constantiâ—nsi the Doctrin of Purgatory and other Articles will you heare Sir Iohn Oldcastle a prime Wicklifian his Protestation at his death of believing the Real-Presence after confessing Articles about the Blessed Trinity and Christes Diety Sir Iohn Old-Castle cometh to treat of the Sacrament of the Aulter hee protesteth thus as Fox himselfe writeth And for as much as Sir Ioh. Old-C his Protestation at his death I am falsly accused of a misbeliefe in the Sacrament of the Aulter I signify here to all men that this is my faith concerning that I beleeve in that Sacrament to be contained very Christs Body and Bloud under the Similitudes of Wyne and Bread yea the same Body that was conceived of the holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary donne on the Crosse dyed and was â—uryedâ— and a rose the third day from death and now is glorify'd in heaven The said Old-Castle shew'd his beleefe about three sorts of men thus The holy Church I beleeve to be devided into three sorts or Companyes wherof the first are now in heaven c. The second sort are in Purgatory Fox pag. 314. abyding the mercy of God and a full deliverance of payne The third upon Earth c. You see that Old-Castle a Wâ—ckclifian doth clearly beleev'd the Doctrin of Purgatory which Fox did not nor doe the Protestants of England now wherfore to this speech of Purgatory Fox thought best least it might disgrace his new Martyr to add this parentesis of his owne if any such place bee in the Scriptures c. which was perfidiously done of Fox It is to be supposed that Wicklif held some things with us and some things with the Protestants and somthings different from both and yet Fox must have him and his Sect to be of his owne Communion and make him a Martyr though hee confesseth and soe doth Iohn Ball alsoe that hee was neuer as much as imprison'd for his faith but his bones were taken up forty years after his buriall and burned by the Commaundement of the Councell of Constance for his Heresies discovered after â—his death and for this Fox made him a Martyr and consequently hee became Martyr without feeling any paine or without the Consent or Concurrence of his owne will Take here some Articles of Wicklifs Doctrin to which I presume the Protestant will not agree One is That it is against Scripture for any Ecclesiasticall Minister to have any temporall possessions at all What think you will the Ministers of England agree to this Another That as long as a man is in deadly sinn hee is neither Bishop nor Prelate Another That Temporall Lords may according to their owne will and discretion take a way the temporall goods from any Church-men when soever they offend Think you that the Protestant Church-men of England agree to this Article Another Tythes are meer Almes and may be detained by the Parishoners and bestow'd where they will at theire pleasure This Article alsoe cannot rellish Protestant Church-men These and many more Articles of Wicklif have been condemned by the Catholick Church as Hereticallâ— and himselfe as an Heretick though hee held divers poynts of the Catholick Religion as holy Orders Consecration Excomunication Purgatory and other like But Fox makes him a Martyr for holding some poynts with the Protestants though differing in other Materiall poynts But this is the Beggery of his new Church that it cannot be made up but by such dunghill cloutes as Wicklefians Lollards Albigensians and the like which are cast of by the Catholicks and rejected for that they have not agreed in every point of the Catholick beleefe according to the creed of Athanasius such is the integrity severity and Majesty of our Church that wee reject as spotted and blemish'd raggs all such as beleeve not all Articles of Faith propos'd by the holy Catholick Church this is according to Saint Augustins Doctrin Ecclesia Vniversaliter perfecta est in nnllo claudicat That is The true Church is Universally perfect and doth hault in noe one poynt of beleefe Now you shall see how Wickless fellow Saints condemn'd him for an Heretick and consequently one that should not be placed in the Calendar of Saints Luther the great Elias and Prophet of Germany as Ioannes Cockleus Ioann Cochl in vita Luteri Surius in hist Anno Dom. 1517. 1518. Melan. Epist ad Fredericum Miconium and Surius doe recount held Wicklif for an Heretick such alsoe was the Iudgment of Phillip Melankton which against Iohn Fox must needs be much avaylable who placed him for a fellow Saint together with Wicklef in his Calendar What then says Melankton of Wicklef hee speaks thus Inspexi Wicklefum qui valde tumultuatur in hac Controversia c. That is I have look't over Wicklef who behau'd himselfe tumultuously in this Controversy of the Lords supper and more then this I have found many Errors in him by which a man may make Iudgment of his Spirit It is certaine hee neither understood nor held the Justice of Faith Hee said in another place Plane furebat Wicklefus Melan. in Apolâ— tit de human tradit qui negabat licere Sacerdotibus tenere proprium That is Wicklef was playnly out of his wits when hee did deny that it was lawfull for Priests to hold in locis com tit de potestat Ecclesi any thing proper Well then Wicklef a furious man that stirred up sedition and was ignorant of the very foundation of the Protestant Ghospell to wit of theire Doctrin of Salvation by only faith as both Melankton and Luther affirmed Wicklif to be with what spirit think you doth your Apostata Fryer Bale call him an Elias a morning starre an Organ of Christ an habitacle of the holy Ghost But if you will listen to Catholick writers who liu'd about the same tyme with Wicklif as Thomas Walsingam and Thomas Waldensis in theire learned writings you shall finde him to have been one of the most pernicious wicked dissembling Hypocriticall impugners of Christ and his Doctrin that ever was in the Church of God Walsingam VVals in hist Ricard Rigis 2 anno Dom. 1382 doth beginn a Narration of Wicklif thus Eodem tempore ipse verus Hypocrita Angelus Sathanae Antichristi prae ambulus non nominandus Ioannes Wicklef vel potius wicked-beleefe Hereticus sua deliramenta concinnavit reassumens damnatas opiniones c. That is At the same tyme the very true Hypocrit the Angell of Satan the forerunner of Antichrist the heretick Iohn Wicklif or rather wicked-beleefe not being worthy the naming continved his madde and new devises renewing againe old damned opinions and heresies c. You see how holy a man Wichlef was by the Testimony of Catholick writers who knew him better then Fox did
there discribed After followes the fight between Lucifer and those of his side and Michael the Arck-Angell Captain of the innumerable Legions that remaind obedient to God and these had the victory And there was made Apocal. ibid. agreat Battle in heaven Michael and his Angells fought with the Dragon and the Dragon fought and his Angells and they prevailed not neither was there place found any more in heaven And that great Dragon was cast forth the old Serpent which is called the Deuill and Sathan which seduceth the whole World and hee was cast into the Earth and his Angells were throwne downe with him From Heresie and Hereticks in heaven let us pass to those on Earth Hereticks in the Law of Nature AS soone as God began to be Cain the first Heretick worshipped on Earth the Heresie of Cain sprang up who deny'd Gods Providence and murthered his brother Abel for maintaining Gods Providence Cains Envy could not brook Abels Innocency The second Heresie was that of Lamech Lamech the second Heretick who marryed two wives at once and soe deny'd the Unity of the Church God drew but one Ribb out of Adam and of that made but one woeman and said to them Erunt duâ— Genesis cap. 2. in carne una Lamech violated this Law by taking two Wives which was an Heresie 3. The Gyants were the third sort of Hereticks 4. All those that did not enter the Arck and perished in the Deluge were Hereticks 5. C ham after the Deluge mocked his Fathers nakedness and was Eo Nomine Pratriarck and Father of all those scoffing Hereticks that contemne the holy Fathers saying they were ignorant unlearned and blind You see by this there was one Heretick Cham in the Arke wherin were in all but eight Soules 6. Those that were building Babell were Hereticks and the figure of Hereticks that follow'd them God confounded theire tongues soe that they could not understand one another it is soe this day with Protestants strucken by God with a giddiness and soe disagreeing in Religion and Opinion as upon this one Text of Scripture HOC Math. cap. 26. r. 27. EST CORPVS MEVM There are 400. Opinions and Interpretations God hath confounded them in theire understanding tongues and writings 7. Esau for persecuting his Brother Iacob therby opposing himselfe to God and Israel These are Sall your Companions in the Law of Nature Hereticks in the written Law 1. FRom the tyme the Church of God was planted in Egypt wee find by tradition that Iamnes and Mambre Tim. 2. cap. 3. who resisted Moyses were the first Hereticks of those speaks Saint Paul But as Iamnes and Mambre's resisted Moyses soe these alsoe resist the truth men corrupted in minde reprobat concerning the faith 2. All those that dyed in the desert murmouring against God and Moyses and his directions and commaunds 3. Chore and Dathan with theire seditious companions that opposed Moyses and his authority 4. Nahab and Albiu that put strange fyre in the Insence of the Lord. 5. All those strange Kings that made warre against the Children of Israel 6. All the false Prophets of Baal and all of that kind All these Sall are your companions in the written Law Hereticks in the Evangelicall Law IN the tymes of the Law of nature and of the written Law there haue not been if I am not mistaken above 20. Kindes of Hereticks but in the Evangelicall or in the Law of grace they have been above 600. of them A man would say it were hard to beleeve this seeing the standart of the Cross after Christes passion hath been lifted up against hell and heresie the kingdom and power of the Devill diminished Idols cast down Atheisme bannished and the Empire of Hell on Earth as it were destroy'd by the Bloud of Iesus Vertue Piety and the light of Grace for all this woefull experience proues what I have said to be true And Saint Cyprian giues you the true reason S. Cyp. lib. de Vnitat wherfor in these words Cum videret inimicus idola derelicta templa sua deserta exâ—ogitauit novas fraudes hereses inuenit scismata â— quibus fidem subuerteret When Sathan saw after our Sauiours Passion the Idols cast away and his tempels deserted hee thought of new fraudes hee inuented heresies and scismes by which hee might subuert faith and sanctity Sathan therfore the Father and Author of all lyes and Heresies seduced men from the way of truth and stirred them up against the Church and Verity these kinde of men sowed Heresyes and Scismes and some of them began like Hypocrits covering theire damnable Doctrin with a cloack of Sanctity such were Arius Iohn Wicklef and many more and even the worst livers of them pretended a kind of Piety in theire Opinions and as it were a speciall regard of the glory of God grounding all Sanctity and Salvation upon Sanctifying faith alone and upon this account some of them took away free will others good works fasting pennance and allkind of Mortification they did but mock all these things others took away the Invocation of Saints and Angells and Doctrin of Purgatory Indulgence and Prayers for the dead others reduced seven Sacraments unto two or rather to one to wit Baptisme and others have even destroy'd this Sacrament teaching infants to be saved in the faith of theire Parents and that Baptisme is but a meer cerimony that might be used or omitted without sinne others said the Commaundements were impossible to be kept and others held they did noe way oblige Christians and that they were only made for the Iewes but oboue all Calyin was soe zealous in attributing mans Salvation only to the Passion and Bloud of Iesus that hee held all the good works man could doe of noe value or effect yea hee termed Bona opera hominis piacula sordes inquiuamenta By this you see the Doctrins taught by Hereticks were but mera somnia deliria and a good part of the thirty nine Articles of the Church of England are such I shall herafter in a convenient place give you a long Letany of Hereticks but it will be noe way holy In this place I will only set downe the Sect of Quakers that sprung up in England some years agoe theire principall theorems and tenets are 1. That they are imediatly cald by Iesus and sent to convert the world as the Apostles were by an extraordinary mission 2. That God being a pure Spiritt is to be honoured only by the Spiritt wherfore they condemne all bending of knees and all exteriour signes of Religion and worship due to God 3. That it is superstition to light Candles by daytyme to weare Capps Copes Albs or any sacred vestments 4. That it is Idolatry to build Churches put up Crosses or the Images of Christ or his Saints or render them any Worshipp 5. They denye and reject the name of Sacrament and affirme that Baptizing in water is not of devine Institution 6. They
faith Doctor Vsher found between the Greeks Ruthenians Armenians c. For bringing them into his owne Church and Communion but if they agree in any Articles with the Protestant though they differ'd in many more 't was enough for Vsher to make them all Protestants as Fox made Saints of all Sectarys as in what wee have said before is prou'd But wee Catholicks doe not nor may not receive into our Communion and Church the said Greeks Ruthenians c. Though agreeing with us in many Articles becaus they differ in others according to that of Saint Iames Qui offendit in uno factus est omnium reus Wee are now to speak or to deal with Sall for his contumelious Language to witt for saying that the tenets of the Roman Church against the XXXIX Articles are false and Superstitious especially that of Transubstantiation as forcing upon Christians a beleef of monstrous Miracles c. of which I shall treat in the ensuing Chapter XX. CHAPTER Miracles are ttue and cleare marks of a true Religion and the power of working them hath been given to the true Church and remaines therin The Anger Sall hath conceived against Gods wonders caling Miracles Monstrous gave mee occation of enlargeing this Chapter A furious zeale in his new Religion hath made the man ungodly It was not enough for him in his Recantation to declare his minde in the ensuing words Wherfore I resolved to declare as I doe hereby seriously and in my hart without Equivocation or mentall Reservation in the Presence of God and this Congregation declare that I doe give my full and free assent to the XXXIX Articles of the Church of England for holy and wise and grounded upon the insalliable word of God But hee must alsoe add Acknowledging the Romish tenets against them to be false and Superstitious especially that of Transubstantiation as forcing upon Christians a beleefe of Monstrous Miracles repugnant to humane reason and not grounded upon divine Testimony nor necessary either for verifying Christ his words in the Institution of this Blessed Sacrament or for the effects of it Sall verè durus est hie sermo quis potest eum audire Let any Catholick Reader tell mee Nonquid haec est atrox homuncionis insultantis Christo Ecclesiae rabies I did not think poor Sall was come to such a hight of Impiety as to belch up soe virulent a contumely against Gods Wonders But let him bee as much discontented as hee will Miracles are owned by the pious and learned by the Bishop and the Peasant and by all true and Godly beleevers because they are wrought In Nomine virtute Dei omnipotentis wherfore the Doctrin of Miracles is well grounded and delivered from hand to hand a long from the Apostles Tymes and the Church is called Ecclesia Sancta Sanctitate Miraculorum It is true Sall you have passed to a Congregation of men that deny and contemne manifest Wonders because noe Miracles were ever done in theire Church I defy you to shew mee one Miracle wrought by any of Foxes Saints or any Protestant since your holy Father Luther first brought in Protestanisme tell mee when and where and the man that did the Wonder Sall I see you deale with Miracles as the Fox did with a faire ripe bunsh of grapes hee jumpt and leapt to bring downe the grapes but when hee could not reach them said they were green and worth nothing But whether I pray you shall I beleeve you in a kinde of rage against Gods wonders caling them Monstrous or Saint Thomas the Prince of devines teaching What a Miracle is dicit enim Quod S. Tom. part 1. quest 105. a 7. nomen Miracâ—li ab Admiratione sumitur Admiratio autem consurgit cum effectus sunt manifesti causa occulta That is The Word Miracle coms from Admiration and this Admiration doth arise when the effects appeare and the cause is hidden Likewise Saint Augustin tells us what a Miracle is cum Deus saith the Saint Aliquid facit S. Aug. lib. de quest contra cognitum nobis cursum solitumque naturae magnalia vel mirabilia dicuntur When God doth any thing against the knowne course of nature and custome therof they are caled Magnalia or wonderfull things I pray you good Sall give God leave to doe wonderfull things by his Saints and servants to his owne Glory when it shall soe please him and be not angry therwith caling impudently these wonders Monstrous Miracles take rather Saint Augustins good Counsell speaking thus to you and mee and all men Dicamus Aliquid Deum posse quod nos fatemur investigare non posse in rebus enim mirabilibus tota ratio saciendi est potentia sacientis That is Let us say God is able to doe somthing that wee must confess wee are not able to search into or comprehend in wonderfull things the whole ground of doeing them is the power of him that can doe them That God hath Impowered those hee sent by an extraordinary way for converting Nations with the grace of working Miracles is a truth you will not deny having been evidently made appeare in the written Law and Law of Grace when the people see Miracles they beleeve the man that doth them is sent from God This made Moyses when hee was commaunded by God to lead the Israelits out of Egypt to answer God in these Exod. cap. 5. tearms The people will not beleeue mee nor heare my voyce but they will say our Lord hath not appeared to thee Hee proposed the difficulty of the Embassy wisely and God iudgd what hee sayd to carry great reason and therfore gaue him the power of doeing wonders and this suffised to make the people beleeue hee was sent from God with an extraordinary Authority Sall wee are still demaunding from your Prophets and Doctors Luther Caluin and the rest of them who say they were sent from God by an extraordinary mission to sanctify the world and to pull downe the whore of Babilon soe they name the Roman Church and alsoe you of England and all Protestants affirme the same to wit that Luther Calvin and the rest were impowered with extraordinary authority even as the true Prophets of God and other holy men that wrought Miracles for proving theire mission were sent from God in former ages but till this day you could never name any Miracles wrought by your Doctors Now if the Israelits would not take Moyses his word though hee was a holy man that hee was sent from God without doing wonders shall wee take Luther or Calvins word who shew'd noe Sanctity in theire manners but much impurity that they are sent from God without working Mitacles to prove it this would be in us a great folly There are three kinde of Miracles those of Christ those of the Apostles and Church Miracles if Sall and those of the English Church will not beleeve the two first kinde of Miracles they doe not credit the
Scriptures wherin those Miracles are found as for Church Miracles they seem to make noe more account of them then of fables or of ridiculous things but holy men and those that feare God doe much esteem them by Church Miracles I first understand such as the most antient fathers have left upon record never questioned never call'd into doubt by any 2. I understand by Church Miracles such as in latter ages have been aproved by the Sea Apostolique chiefly at the Canonization of Saints wherof wittnesses have been produced upon oath and all Imaginable sinserity or severity rather used to avoyd heresies and to make truth openly knowne Wee Catholicks distinguish between the received Miracles of the Church and those which particular men relate wherof some are only probable others Dubious others false the Protestants doth not distinguish them but make all fish that coms to Nett The Catholicks alsoe distinguish the Miracles of Christ and other Miracles those of Christ are immediatly wrought by God and the other by Gods servants but In Nomine virtute Dei soe that Christ is the Magnus Thaumaturgus quia sine illo nihil possumus facere when one baptizeth Saint Augustin doth affirme that Christ doth Baptize with him even soe wee say when any of Gods servants workes a wonder Christ works that Miracle with him and consequently all the Miracles of the Saints are Christs Miracles If Sall and other Protestants shall deny Gods servants to have received from Christ the power of working Miracles I say Sall and his Companions in this doe not beleeve the Prophesie of Christ saying expresly Amen Amen I say unto you hee Ioan. cap. 14. that beleeves in mee the works that I doe hee alsoe shall doe and greater works then these shall hee doe These are Christes owne words who cannot deceive or be deceived For a more exact notice of the nature of Miracles and how they are differenced I remitt my reader to an excellent Treatise printed at Antwerp anno 1674. Thus intitled The Infallibility of the Catholick Church and her miracles Now that Miracles are not Monstrous as Sall prophanely speaks but Glorious and the true seals and Characters of the true Religion and Church the ensuing Chapter will declare XXI CHAPTER Of undeniable Miracles proving the Faith and Sanctity of the true Church Mi ∣ racle 1 VVHen the people of Israel were most devided in matter of Religion and very many of them bended theire knees to Baal the Prophet Elias said to them in zeale and Anger How long halt you of two sides if Lib. 3. cap. 18. our Lord be God follow him if Baal follow him And the people did not answer him aword Such a zealous postulation is necessary to those that are neither hott nor cold in Religion but luke-warme such as the Angells themselves detest Apocall Cap. 3. then the Prophet made a motion to them of clearing the truth in point of Religion between him and the Priests of Baal by that famous undoubted Miracle of burning an Ox upon the Alter without kindling fyre under this way was well approved of by the people and they all answering said a very good proposition Gods Prophet was but one and alone in this conflict and the Prophets of Baal then present 450. The reason wherfore the people willingly condescended to the Prophets proposition was that in common sence they judged that God would not permitt a falshood to be confirmed by Miracle in soe publique a tryall where the veracity of God was soe particularly concerned on the other side the Prophets of Baal durst not refuse soe faire an ofter as Elias made in the presence of all the people fearing they would fall from them and the Worship of Baal their God What end say you had this faire Tryall who had the Victory who but Elias the true servant and Prophet of God The Priestes of Baal began to pray and cry upon Baal theire God with great fervour and many Ceremonyes they cryed till noon-day the tyme the Sacrifice should be burnt but their God Baal sent them noe fyre Then Elias after gering the foolish prayres and exclamations of those 450. Prophane Priestes of the Idol Baal began to pray to the living God in this kind Lord God of Abraham and Isaac and Israel shew this day that thou art the God of Israel and I thy servant and that according to thy Commaundement I have done all these things Heare mee Lord heare mee that these people may learne that thou art our Lord God and that thou hast converted theire hart againe And the fire of our Lord fell and devoured the Holacaust and the wood and the stones licking alsoe the dust and the Water that was in the Water gutter Which when all the People had seen they fell on theire face and said Our Lord hee is God our Lord hee is God Sall two things you may here observe the first that the people of Israel seeing the Miracle of the fyre coming from heaven detested Baal and adored God crying out Our Lord hee is God our Lord hee is God Secondly That the Devills power was here restrained and soe chained that hee was not able to help those Priestes of Baal demaunding fyre from him to burne the Holocaust and soe it is still when Miracles are attempted for the Tryall of truth then only truth will be testifyed and Sathan confounded having noe power to the contrary which is according to that of Saint Mark Our Lord working with Mark cap. 16. all and confirming the Doctrin with signes following And why should not I in this place in the name of the Catholick Church make such an offer to Sall and all his Protestants in England Ireland and Scotland as Elias made to the Priestes of Baal I hope they will be asham'd to refuse it for that were to confess that the Roman Doctrin is true and theirs false The Roman Church the true Church and the Protestants the false Sall let us not delude the people with School subtilitys or obscure Texts of Scripture If the Church of England or Scotland or any other reformed one be the true Church and its Doctrin the true Doctrin let that be try'd by Miracles I shall try ours of Rome by that Test I challenge then all the Bishops and Ministers of the Church of England and all those of the Reformation or all the Protestants of the World to work or mention any one Miracle ever yet wrought by any Protestant to confirme any one point of Doctrin or Religion wherin they differ from the Roman Catholick Gentlemen summon your Synods search into all Historyes Prophane and Sacred set your heads to gether and produce at least some probable testimony of as much as one Miracle to grace your Reformations Mi ∣ racle 2 When the same Prophet Elias raised from death to life the child of the Widow of Sareptha of the Sidonians and delivered him to his Mother and Lib. 3. Regum cap. 1â—8 said to her behold