ever yet she went not forth from any Body or Congregation how could she being infallible in her self 1 Tim. 3.15 she being the House of God which is the Church of the Living God the Pillar and Firmament of Truth if not why should any be esteemed a Heathen and Publican for not hearing her Add to this Christ being the Head of the Church the Holy Ghost the Soul thereof guiding and directing in all truth the Church could not err unless you 'l make Christ and his Spirit an Impostor and a Lyer which is down-right Blasphemy seeing that he prophesied That the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against her viz. Error Falshood Schism or Heresie hence I infer by good illation that any Congregation of People despising Christ forsaking his Church and remaining out of it pertinaciously is guilty absolutely of Apostasie and Schism see St. Luke 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me c. Lo the misery of Protestants who are likewise really guilty of Heresie in adhering to so many false opinions and errors of Faith contrary to the generally approved Doctrine of the Church of Christ from which they wilfully and blindly divided themselves breaking of Communion with the ancient one Holy-Catholick Apostolick Roman Church And sure that Church to which Apostacy Schism and Heresy doth agree is a false and erroneous Church and this is the Church of the pretended Reformation The Power of glorious Jesus our Redeemer did marvelously shine in the Empire of his Church which his heavenly Father did put into his hands to build it raise it cement it with his Sacred Blood to illuminate it with his Light nourish it with his Body to make Laws in it establish Sacraments as conveyances of Divine Graces to eternize a most dread and propitiatory Sacrifice to create Pastors and Priests invisibly to rule it by a visible Head a Power never to be shaken even to the Gates of Hell to exercise a Jurisdiction over Souls to bind them unloose them pardon Sins and change Hearts and you may know that this ever blessed Jesus having the source of all power in him did in Divine Providence distribute the same his Divine Power to Popes and Kings constituting the one for Spiritual Government leading to eternal Glory the other for the Temporal and it is his will and pleasure we honour the Character of that his Divine Authority both in the one and the other and not to argue controul or impugn upon idle whimsical Phantasies those heavenly Powers And it is most evident that in all times before Heresie began there has been rendred to Popes Vicegerents of Christ and lawful Successors to St. Peter the Honour they deserved as such and as the sovereign universal visible Pastors under Heaven see the Council of Calcedon in Epist. ad Leonam Papam where the Pope is called Caput omnium Episcoporum totius Christi Ecclesiae Also we confess and acknowledge our Sovereign Liege-Lord and most gra-King IAMES the Second true and absolute Monarch of these his three Kingdoms singularly honouring and obeying him and with most true cordial faithful loyal affection loving him as an animated real Portraiture of the greatness of the Divine Majesty and sure there is no Science more noble nor more advantageous than to honour and obey these two Powers neither can there be any true lasting Felicity but in the accomplishment of the Will of the Almighty the Sovereign Master and Ruler of all On the contrary it is observed in the History of many Ages that dire Vengeance and Wounds from Heaven have fallen signally upon those who have disobeyed these two Powers for the Wind blowing from blasphemous and seditious Mouths returned on their own Heads since it is fit such Impiety and horrid Iniquity should first kill it self with its own Poyson What the Soul is to the Body the same is true Religion to a Kingdom the Body without a Soul signifies nothing even so a Kingdom without true Religion is disjoynted confused and comes to ruin whereas Divine Religion in it self is the Basis and Foundation of all Moral Virtues the ground and support of all just pious Laws the cement that strongly combine all human Society and is the very life of upright impartial Justice and constant Honesty Finally true supernatural Religion is the golden Chain that unites God to Man and Man to his Duty to God and brings down the rich Blessings to poor mortal Sinners on Earth O what a glorious and most happy Kingdom is that where are to be seen as in a clear optick Glass these two most heavenly Objects the King 's most excellent Majesty prostrate on bended knees paying with ravishing Devotion the humble religious Homage of Heart Hands and Knees to the Divine Majesty of Almighty God! As a Member and obedient Child of the visible Church of Christ honouring a visible sepreme head Vicar of Christ and Successor to St. Peter as Universal Pastor of all Pastors And it is a most undoubted truth that Kings are not made by the invention of active ambitious or politick Wits as blind Enthusiasts Dreams neither are they Creatures of the People's making or the Product of a giddy Multitude as the Independents with many other seditious blind persons maintains but they are grounded on the very Law of Nature in high paternal Authority coequal with the World they are founded on the pure Law of right Reason which gives a Dignity and Authority to the First-born over all his Brethren so as Kings are rooted in the Original Laws of Nations as Cicero lib. 3. de legib testifies Omnes antiquae Gentes Regibus paruerunt All the ancient Nations in the World were ruled and governed by Kings They are confirmed by God's unerring Law who instituted Kingly Government over his own chosen People Deut. 17.15 and gave express command for David to be anointed King of Israel 1 Sam. 16.1 Finally Kings are prophetically promised as a very great Blessing to his Church Isa. 49.23 Kings shall be thy Nursing Fathers and Queens shall be thy Nursing Mothers And Plato that Seraphick Philosopher calls Kingly Government the most Divine Government Herodotus who is stiled Pater Historiarum The first Historian among the Heathens calls it The most ancient Government Aristotle the most rational of all Philosophers stiles it The most excellent Government for Monarchical Government is the meer imitation of the Government of Heaven which is by one God 't is the restitution of the Primitive Government in this World which was by one King and it is the meer reflection of the admirable Government of Nature which rules the many Members of the Body by one Soul. Daily experience proves that Ship to be best guided which is steered by one Pylot tho' trimm'd by many Saylors that Army sure is best ordered which is commanded by one General tho' assisted by many inferiour Officers Ergo that Nation is more happy and best governed by one King tho' advised by
th year of Nero's Region who first of the Roman Emperours began open Persecution against Christians and put to death St. Peter and St. Paul In this time I say of Toleration under the Roman Empire which continued the space of 36 years the blessed Apostles and Disciples had preached one uniform Gospel and Faith throughout all the World as may appear by their Acts recorded and by the peculiar Testimony of St. Paul to the Romans Rom. 1. which thing being most miraculously done by the Divine Power and Virtue of Christ Bishops Pastors and Governours being ordained in every Country and Church for guiding and directing the same by themselves and their Successors in perpetuum this I say being once brought to pass then the blessed Apostles for preventing of new false Doctrines that might afterward arise most earnestly exhorted and with all vehemency called upon the people to stand fast in the Doctrine Documents and Traditions then received to hold firmly the Faith and Doctrine already delivered as a Depositum or Treasure committed to them to be safely kept till the last day And above all other things they forewarned them to beware of new fangled Teachers whom they called Hereticks who should break from the Unity of the Universal Body already made and knit together and should devise new Glosses Expositions and Interpretations of Scripture bringing in new Sences Doctrines Opinions and damnable Divisions to the utter renting of Christ's Church Kingdom City already builded and all this to the perdition of infinite Souls Hence it is that St. Paul Tim. 1. pronounceth peremptorily of a contentious and heretical Man that he is damned by the testimony of his own Judgment or Conscience for that he abandoned the common direct publick way which all Men might see devising particular Paths and pernicious Turnings to himself and the ancient Fathers of the Primitive Church disputing against the same kind of People defended always that their Error was of Malice and wilful Blindness and not at all of Ignorance for they will not behold the plain direct sure safe unerring and infallible way among Christians wherein no man can err tho' never so simple but only of blind wilful and obstinate malice Yet by promises of Christ himself in the Gospel we are absolutely ascertained that the same visible Congegation Body Common-wealth Church Kingdom and Government which was established by Christ and propagated by the blessed Apostles shall endure and continue by Succession of Followers in perpetuum and that no new Teacher of later Doctrines dissenting from the first shall ever prevail against it albeit divers Errors and Heresies have sprung up and made great blustering and disturbance for a time yet have they been repress'd and condemn'd by the same Church and her visible Pastors and Doctors in the end For Example-sake in the first Age there arose up certain seditious fellows among the Iews as Simon Magus Nicolaus Cerinthus Ebion Meander c. that were Hereticks against these stood in defence St. Peter who broke the Neck and Black Art of Simon Magus even by his Prayer And after him St. Martialis St. Dionysius Areopagita St. Ignatius Policarpus and others In the second Age rose up Basilides Cerdon Marchion Valentinus Tacianus Apelles Montanus and divers others against these stood in battel Iustin Martyr Dionysius Bishop of Corinth St. Ireneus Clemens Alexandrinus Tertullian with many others their equals And so all along downward from Age to Age unto cursed Luther's days whatsoever Heresie or new false Opinions hath been raised contrary to the general consent of Christ's universal Church it hath been check'd controul'd silenc'd and condemn'd by vigilant Pastors and Doctors chief Governours of the same Body by general Assemblies and Councils gathered from time to time as occasion serv'd in all Parts of the World Whereby it 's evidently most manifest that he who relieth upon this general consent of Christ's Church and the judgment thereof cannot err in matters of Belief but walketh in that sure secure and infallible Path wherein 't is said in Isaiah 35.8 That a very Fool cannot go amiss Hence one may be persuaded of the Churches perspicuity and infallibility in her Traditions and Doctrines through God's Divine Providence which did and will always preserve it from corruption having a warrant for it out of Scripture Isa. 59.21 My Spirit which is upon thee and the words which I have put into thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy Seed nor out of the mouth of thy Seed's Seed from henceforth for ever And St. Austin said Ep. 118. That to dispute against a living multitude of the whole Church is insolent madness And to say she may err through ignorance wilfulness or negligence is most absurd and blasphemous she having Christ for her Head and the holy Ghost for her Guide and Spirit who was sent by our Saviour to teach it all Truth wherefore to tax that heavenly Government with errors in Faith is either to tax the holy Ghost with them or to blaspheme against Christ our blessed Redeemer by saying He has not kept his word and promise in sending the holy Ghost to teach his Church all truth for ever King IAMES in a publick Speech made in his Parliament acknowledged the Church of Rome to be our Mother-Church saying I acknowledge the Church of Rome to be our Mother-Church This you may find in Stow pag. 840. Sure the Sacred Blood of his glorious Mother Queen Mary the ever blessed Martyr ran in the Veins of this her Royal Son King Iames who would do wonderful things in favour of the Roman Catholick Church if it were not for the black contriving of the Gun-powder Plot by the Matchevilian Policy of crooked Cicil only for to hinder King Iames from favouring the Church of Christ Sanguis mantirum semen Ecclesiae See Osburn Sure there is no other certain Testimony to any prudent considering Man no firm Ground or Motive to believe that the Primitive Church received her Doctrine from the blessed Apostles these from Christ Christ from God the Father nor any way to bring it down from those times to these our days but only the Tradition of the Church from hand to hand For we may observe three properties of the Doctrine of Divine Faith to be true to be revealed of God to be preached and delivered by the Apostles The highest ground by which a Man is perswaded that his Faith is true is the Authority of God speaking and revealing it the highest proof by which a Man is assured that his Faith is revealed is the Authority of Christ and his blessed Apostles who delivered the same as descending from God but the highest ground that moveth a Man to believe that his Faith was preached by the blessed Apostles is the perpetual constant Tradition of the Church succeeding the blessed Apostles unto this day assuring him so much according to the saying of Tertul. depraes c. 21. 37. who made his Ladder
Sacraments Where that Children who cannot yet believe or answer for themselves are to be Baptized c. And so many other things of this nature which makes us sufficiently understand they ruine themselves by their own Hands and Weapon the Bible which they force and wrest to fit it to their depraved purposes Alas poor deluded Pretenders To whom do you trust your Souls for Salvation your Honours and Lives having blindly rejected the old Belief and Truths of your Fore-fathers upon a bare pretext of Scripture cast and moulded on the heads of changeable Men Let us therefore follow and embrace the Generality the Antiquity and common Consent let 's hold what is held every where and always and by all so it be authorised by the Divine Law and the Catholick Church's Tradition Let us now see what the Ministers of Protestantism oppose against so many infallible Proofs to cover their want of Antiquity Mission Succession Miracles Sanctity Judgment and Reason They cease not to buzz out every where a false pretext of Scripture 〈…〉 ich verily is the greatest illusion that can be imaginable for these pitiful ones seeing themselves batter'd on every side from the beginning of Reformation know well in their consciences that the Scripture is against them yet say they to mock at the faith of Mankind and lead Souls to Atheism We must avoid the decision of a Power lively and lawful we must only take colour from the holy Text we will make it say what we list we will maintain nothing is to be believed but what is written we will disguise it with glosses and consequences to catch these who seem to have reason and wit. Behold the only means to colour their pretences Who are endued with sufficient and solid Judgment cannot but consider and discover how deceitful weak and ruinous their Foundation is Now behold the powerful and invincible Reasons which made St. Austin resolve upon the Religion we profess Many great Reasons said he with much reason keep me in the obedience of the Catholick Church the consent of People and Nation 〈…〉 hold me the Authority of the same 〈…〉 which is risen up by Miracles m 〈…〉 ed with Hope augmented by Charity established by its Antiquity the succession of Bishops holds me therein which begins in the Seat and Authority of St. Peter to whom God recommended the Care of his Flock is maintained to this day Lastly the name Catholick holds me to it adding Contra Epist. Manichaei He would not believe the Gospel it self if he were not convinced by the Authority of the Church What can be more clear Yet tho' the Scripture doth so straitly recommend unto us in the practise of Humility the seat of Grace not to make our selves over-wise or able Rom. 12. Not to rest upon our own proper Judgment or Prudence Prov. 35. To hearken to our Fore-fathers to obey Pastors who have lawful Succession to work out our Salvation in fear and trembling What may a Man think of a Protestant Sect which authorizeth a peculiar Spirit which hath ever been the Seminary of all Schisms and Disorders in Church and State which without distinction puts the Scripture into all hands to judge of Points of Faith Verily from hence it is an admirable thing to behold how the petty Spirits of silly Artificers Mechanicks and even simple Women busie themselves with their Bible and to what degree of Pride they come when abused by some imaginary Text of Scripture they are puffed up with their own poor Ability flattering themselves deluded Souls by some Text not rightly understood with assurance of Salvation and Predestination in the greatest Exorbitancies and neglects of Life What Pride more irregular than this to see Men not content with the Religion practised in England's three Conversions doing all they can to deifie their own Opinions What Pharisee ever came near this height of Pride Yet the Bible they daily read and use Verily I plainly see they must hereafter live in Re-union it is the Spirit of God that commands it and will effect it in due time Whereas now a days Shism and Faction has evidently prevailed over Unity Pride over humble Submission to reveal'd Truth and ill stubborn Nature over real Truth CHAP. V. Plain Testamonies of holy Scripture both Old and New for the Church's Infallibility WE read that the Jewish Synagogue had a Supream Court of Judicature to end all arising difficult controversies from whence there was no Appeal because God promised that the Judge there should shew them the Sentence and threatned Death to those who should do presumptiously and not harken to the Priest or Judge Deut. 17.8 nay Christ himself commanded the people even in his time to do as they said who sate in Moses Chair but not to do as they did Matth. 23.3 So that till the spirit of God forsook the Synagogue it was to be obeyed and by consequence was secured from giving a false Sentence in necessaries to Salvation And can we imagine that God would leave his Spouse his Church without this so great a priviledge to whom a Covenant with better promises hath been given Heb. 8. The Prophesies that speak of the Churches the New Law tells us that there shall be in those daies a way of Holiness that the way-faring Men tho' Fools shall not Err therein Isa. 35.8 Furthermore the Prophesies tells that God had made a Covenant with his Church that his Spirit shall be upon her and his words which he had put into her mouth shall not depart out of her mouth nor out of the mouth of her Seed nor out of the mouth of her Seed's Seed for ever saith the Lord Isa. 59.20.21 Therefore no Errors Read besides the 60. Chapter of Isa. Say that all Nations that will not serve Her shall perish she will Suck the Breasts of Kings that her Sun shall not go down nor her Moon withdraw it self but the Lord shall be to her an everlasting light sure this is to secure her from teaching false Doctrine or falling into Idolatry the most abhorred of all Vices From the New-Testament Christ promises that he will Build his Church upon a Rock and that the Gates of Hell which the Fathers interpret Error and Heresie shall not prevail against it Matth. 16.18 That he will be with her Pastors and Preachers even to the end of the World Amen Matth. 28.20 That he will send them another Comforter the spirit of Truth to abide with them for ever Iohn 14.16 To teach them all things and to bring all that he has taught them to their remembrance ver 26. And that he shall guide them in all truth chap. 16. v. 15. Moreover he has laid an Injunction upon all persons to hear his Church under the severe Sentence of being look'd upon as Heathens and Publicans Matth. 18.17 Christ told his Disciples and their Successors that who heard them heard him Luke 10.16 he commanded to teach all Nations and told them that they who believed should be
divers prudent and religious Counsellors And even Nature gives us a Hieroglyphick hereof in the Bees whose sweet Commonwealth is ordered by one King See Georg. lib. 4. Quemadmodum mirantur omnes circumstant fremitu denso stipantque frequentes They all follow and obey like little nimble Courtiers their little King c. All this considered will not a good Judgment see that to go about to oppose any of these two Powers is to do that which St. Austin said To suffer ones self to run into a folly which hasten'd into the height of Insolency and Madness and in the end find nothing but an Ocean of Disturbances and unavoidable Perdition and Ruin. God bless King IAMES our most gracious Pole-Star no sooner His Royal Brother King Charles the Second of ever glorious Memory died but he publickly went to hear Mass confiding in the mercy of ever blessed Jesus who for him doubtless will all Safety and Prosperity provide O Prodigie never to be duly pondered for which he is through all the World praised and admired Magna est Veritas praevalet We must not meddle with things Sacred but with due reverence we must not confound the true Churches Spiritual Authority with the Regal Civil and Temporal both being distinct in Office and severally given and appointed by the Almighty they are like the two Arms of his Divine Power employed by him and distributed to their several Uses the one exercising the meer Spiritual and Persuasive Power the other the Corporal and Coercive Power the one holding the Pastoral-directing and Soul-corrective Staff the other swaying the Royal and All-subjecting Scepter the one unsheathing the Spiritual Sword cutting off by Authority Disobedient Schismatical or Heretical Sinners from the communion of the faithful Flock and from eternal Life the other brandishing the Kingly Sword cutting off the Lives of the Offenders of established just Laws and even as God holds this World in his hands that the vast Sea and firm Land may not mix together but observe their just bounds lest they should come to another Chaos So he will not have those two sovereign distinct Dignities be blinded into one least Confusion and inevitable Ruine should follow Sure since King Henry the Eighth revolted from the Monarchical Spiritual Power of Christ's Church nothing to this day followed but confusion misery disasters in this brave Kingdom of England by degrees ascending to height of unheard-of Iniquity and Tyranny as to cut off the best of Kings Charles the First assuredly those miscreant Hell-hounds that murdered him would not stick to murder even Divinity This is the woful Catastrophe of disjoyning the Spiritual from Kingly and Monarchical Government Now I must say this much of the Roman Catholick Church that according to St. Paul Rom. 1. was and is yet and will continue in perpetuum famous for Faith Religion Sacrifice and Sacraments throughout the Universe for the sound of her Doctrine hath been heard every where and her Fame to the utmost Parts of the World so as it is the same to say Roman as Catholick or Vniversal whereas there where the Roman Eagles Wings did never spread the Roman Faith did reaching down to all Ages and spreading over all Kingdoms for who can view Christianity in its extent but must consider how all Kingdoms and Nations were by Roman Emissaries converted to the true ancient Faith of Iesus we need not make any further Enquiries but embrace and walk confidently in those plain Paths in which Fools cannot err following the foot-steps of the true Flock and the heavenly good Pastor where alone Sanctity Verity and all Virtues inerrability infallibility and perpetuity are found for when where or how she ever err'd or fail'd no Authentick Author have yet related no faithful candid Writer recorded nor have any of those watchful Luminaries and Sentinels whom God hath placed in his Church ever given the least alarm of Innovations gotten into the same only Schismaticks and Hereticks combining conspiring and reviling and in vain CHAP. II. Of the CHURCH THe Church of Christ is one Society or Company of Men link'd and combin'd together in one and the same profession of Christian Faith Religion Sacrifice and use of Sacraments under lawful Pastors and under one supreme visible Head Pastor or conservator of Peace Union and Verity This is a true notion or definition of the Church established by Christ and propagated by the blessed Apostles here the true nature essence and constitution of a Church is manifested and doth truly distinguish it from all Hereticks and Schismaticks vain Pretences whatsoever for they are apparently excluded from Christ's Church and she appears glorious without spot wrinkle or any such thing she is described in holy Writ by the Emblems of a City orderly govern'd by one chief supreme Governour or of an Army govern'd by that Military Discipline that requires subjection to one Generalissimo the King had placed over it of the Body each Member in due subjection to its visible Head on Earth and the Pope in point of Government rul'd by his invisible Head in the highest Heaven Hence it followeth by order of good consequence that Divine Faith and Belief wherein consisteth as well the ground and foundation of our eternal welfare as also the Fruit and entire Utility of Christ's coming into this World is to be had in the Church made plain by the Prophet Esay 45. he foreshewed the wonderful Providence of God in providing for Christians so manifest a way of Direction for their Faith and Religion as that the most simple and unlearned Man in the World should not be able but out of wilfulness to go astray therein his words directed to the Gentiles are these Take comfort and fear not behold your God shall come and save you then shall the Eyes of the Blind be opened and the Ears of the Deaf shall be restored and there shall be a Path and way and it shall be called The holy way and it shall be to you a direct way as Fools shall not be able to err therein Sure the plain and direct way mentioned by Esay wherein no simple or ignorant Men can err is the general Body of Christ's visible Church upon Earth planted by his Apostles throughout all Nations and Countries and continuing by Succession unto the World's end in which Church who remaineth and believeth all things taught therein cannot at all fall into any Error of Faith for that this Church is guided by Christ's Spirit and therefore in no ways subject or within the compass of Error For which cause St. Paul ultimo calls it The Pillar and Firmament of Truth And the same Church is so conspicuous and evidently manifest that it is more easie to find it out than it is to see the Sun or Moon when it shineth brightest at Noon or to behold the greatest Hill or Mountain in the World and for more declaration of this it 's to be noted That in the time from Christ's ascension until the 13
of Belief thus What I believe I received from the present Church the present from the Primitive the Primitive from the blessed Apostles these from Christ Christ from God and God the prime supreme Fountain of Verity from no other Fountain different from his infallible Knowledge So as we must cleave to the present Church firmly believing the constant Tradition thereof successively So as if any have taught contrary points of Faith than what is revealed the Catholick Church hath condemned them for Hereticks which is a sufficient proof that until such heretical Spirits some one or more Traditions of the Church were universally believed As for Example The Doctrine of Christ's consubstantiality or being of the same substance with the Father no Man of reason will deny but that it was generally believed in the Church before the days of the Arch-heretick Arrius and that the Council of Nice condemning him was a sufficient proof that the Doctrine he opposed was the Universal Tradition of the Church by force and vertue whereof he was overthrown and not by Scripture only The various ridiculous attempts of Protestants had hitherto no better success than Achelous had in fighting with Hercules who took upon him several shapes hoping in one or other to overcome him but was by Hercules beaten through all his shapes and forced at last to take his own proper shape and yield Even so Protestants fighting against Roman Catholicks are daily by them beaten thro' all their changes forms shifts and inventions through which they wander yet are forced at last to take their true form of Protestancy which is obstinately to deny and even protest against manifest Truth against general Councils holy Fathers and consent of all Nations But I do heartily pray that it would please God to bring them to the true ancient heavenly form which they ought to have which is of Roman Catholick and not perpetually roul like the blinded Sodomites wander and grope in the darkness of uncertainty and instabibity until eternal Torments seize upon them One great egregious fraud you may observe amongst the Canonical Protestants viz. That when they dispute against Roman Catholicks they have recourse to the Scripture and will be tryed by that only but when they dispute against Puritans and other Sectaries who can deal with them at their own Weapon the Scripture only then they have their recourse to the Fathers and the old Tradition of the Church just using the very same Arguments against Sectaries that Catholicks do against them particularly in the baptising of Infants against the Anabaptists and the keeping of the first day of the week holy against the Sabbatarians who would have Saturday for either of which there is not any command in Scripture And shall Tradition serve them in those cases and not in others And this shift is such a one as St. Augustin Psal. 80. witnesses to be common to Foxes and now to Hereticks for even as the Foxes have two holes to save themselves by one when they are driven from the other so Hereticks whom the Scripture figured out by Foxes Cant. 2.15 have a double passage to save themselves by the one when they are assaulted by the other so that he that will catch them must set his Nets before both issues and besiege both passages As ever yet to this day the excellent Writers among Catholicks have done and have left them neither Tradition nor Scripture whereby to escape Confusion and the shame of Schism and Heresie for it is but folly to pretend to secure by human crafty Arts that which God is resolved to destroy AN APPENDIX PRotestants corrupts Scripture in their Translations most shamefully wickedly and impiously for to make good and justifie their Schism To make Catholicks Idolaters they in the year 1562. corrupted the Scripture 2. Cor. 6. How agreeth the Temple of God with Idols They translated and printed in the English Bible How agreeth the Temple of God with Images The same wickedness they practise in 1. Cor. 5. If any that is called a Brother be a Fornicator Covetous or server of Idols they printed in the year 1562. Or a worshipper of Images It were too tedious a business to specifie all their false and absurd Translations by which they brought the word of God to be ridiculous to the world Priest in their Language is Elder Church Synagogue holy Ghost holy Wind Soul Carcass Christ Anointed Lord Baal Eucharist Thanksgiving Baptism Washing Hell Grave Devil Slanderer Beelzebub Lord of a Fly Angels Messengers So that an exhortation to Devotion in the Protestant Scripture-Language will move Men more to Laughter than to Piety whereas in the Catholick Translation and Phrase it moves to compunction Suppose a Catholick Priest should exhort the People thus I who am a Priest placed in the Church by the holy Ghost for the feeding of your Souls do denounce to you in the name of Christ our Lord That unless you come to the Eucharist with more Devotion and perform better your Promises made to God in Baptism ye shall be condemned Body and Soul to Hell and your Portion shall be with the Devil I say with Beelzebub and his Angels Sure this Exhortation in the Protestant Language of Scripture goes very absurdly Let us suppose that a young spruse Protestant Minister should step up to the Pulpit and repeat the Priests Exhortation in his own corrupt Phrase thus I that am your Elder placed in the Synagogue by the holy Wind for the feeding of your Carcasses do denounce unto you in the name of the Anointed our Baal that unless you come to the holy Thanksgiving with more Devotion and perform better your Promises made to God in washing ye shall be condemned Body and Carcass to the Grave and your Portion shall be with the Slanderers I say with the Lord of a Fly and his Messengers How therefore can any Man of reason and judgment joyn in Communion with such impious Sectaries that thus corrupts the holy Word of God for to keep Souls in Schism Heresie and Damnation Away away Fie fie on such hellish Practises The main thing Protestants deny is the Antiquity of the Doctrine of the Roman Church saying most impudently That the Primitive Fathers taught the Protestant Doctrine and not that which the Roman Church now-adays teacheth which is found to be most false by the examination of Particulars Let us take a view of the Roman Doctrines as they were held in S. Augustine's days and the four first General Councils which were held between the year 315 and 457 to which four Councils Protestants give much honour and subscribe to their Decrees Sure in those times the Church believed in the true and real Presence of the eating with the Mouth the Body of Christ in the Eucharist as Zuinglius the Prince of the Sacramentarians acknowledge in these words From the time of St. Augustin the opinion of Corporal Flesh had really got the mastery St. Aug. lib. de vera falsa Religione cap.
hidden sences furnished with variety of Parables Examples Histories Revelations Figures Allegories so as it cannot be proved directly to be the word of God but by Tradition The Christians of the Primitive Age on pain of Damnation held nothing of Faith but what they received from Christ and his blessed Apostles for Moral and Apostolical Tradition without written Scripture or written Books was the means of planting and conserving Christian Religion see St. Paul Galat. 21.8 Altho' we or an Angel from Heaven preach to you besides that which we have preached to you he be Anathema And again 2 Thes. 15. Therefore Brethren stand ye fast and hold ye the Traditions which ye have learned whether by Word or by our Epistle Sure Apostolical Tradition is the sure Guide by which we may infallibly be assur'd what Doctrin for Salvation Christ and his blessed Apostles left many years before any thing was written or printed CHAP. IV. The Scripture of Protestants decry'd FIrst I say that all Sectaries tho' never so many and opposite one to another have ever risen and have still pretended to Scripture nay the Devil urged his Temptation with a scriptum est Matth. 4. And so many frequently deprave the Scriptures to their own perdition 2 Pet. 3. I decline not Scripture but allow admit and embrace it as containing that irrefragable Doctrine which eminent Persons in the Church of God penn'd even a thousand years before Printing was invented Scripture is a good Instrument to draw Men from Paganism to Chistianity but not Protestants to the Catholick Faith. When the Christian explicit Articles of Faith prepared and delivered to us by our Primitive Pastors according as they had received them from Christ the prime Inventor were rashly annull'd taken away and rejected by Sectaries and the Bible put into all hands for to search and find out by our own skill the Results and Principles of Religion implicitly couch'd in the Bible is not this extream Madness and Tyranny to Souls Is it not a tyrannous Cheat and an Abuse hardly to be parallell'd to put Men to seek for a thing with a fore-imprinted prejudice of that they go about to find and seek for Faith with a prejudice against Faith With such-like prejudice do the English People read the Bible being afore-hand advised by their Reformers fully to believe that the Catholick Mass is abomination the Real Presence a late invention the Merit of Good Works a Dream fasting and mortification of sensual Appetites folly and madness the indifferency of Man's Free Will to Good or Evil an Error the making a Vow a Chimera restitution or satisfaction of Injuries done a prejudicial Mistake all Expiation of our Sins an inexpiable Crime honour to blessed Saints Idolatry Sacrifice Altars and the whole Priesthood of Christ Prophaneness the conscionable practice of Sobriety Justice and Piety necessary to Eternal Life detestable Popery for God's sake what good can accrew to the drooping Soul of an Heretick by reading of Scripture with these Prejudices these Diabolical Anticipations these Antichristian Preconceptions these meer Obstructions to all Faith Grace and Salvation Yet thus forewarn'd and prepossess'd all Sectaries read the Scripture no sound or solid Fruit arising thence to their Souls but hardness of Heart Pride Schism sencelesness of God's Judgments desperateness in all Sin and Injustice Sure the Scripture do little or no good but as it is presented by the Church and received with her Interpretation and practised in her Bosom The Ark of God so long as it was upheld by the Priests comforted and sanctified them but look'd into or touch'd by others destroy'd them nor was it to them an Ark of Salvation but an Offence and occasion of Fall Therefore it was a heavenly Caution that which we received by a Voice from Heaven Act. 10. Things that God hath sanctified do not make common We see Scripture takes up Figures Allegories Parables c. wherein are inclosed Truths of a differing strain to what the Letter relates which will cause an obscurity almost invincible even to Church-men singularly assisted and inspired It is therefore but madness to undertake Labour and Hazard for naught The Law and Government of the Messias differs from the Law of Moses in this That one was committed to Paper but the Doctrine of Jesus should be written in the Heart and Entrails of his Church He is a God that writes on the Paper of the Heart unto Eternity indelible Tenets The Law of Christ is written not with Ink but with the Spirit of the Living God not in Tables of Stone but in fleshly Tables of the Heart promising to animate the Body of his Church with his own Spirit which should lead them into all Truth so as in very truth Scripture of the New Testament was drawn by the Rule of our traditional Doctrine and explicit Faith and not our explicit Faith gathered out of them neither was ever any General Council called together to teach the Church her Doctrine but upon the rising of Heresies judging by the Rule of Tradition declared against Heretical Innovations Here I infer how they are bereaved of Human Understanding that do not see palpably that a pretended Church which begun by breach of Promises to God by Sacrileges and Impurities of Apostates by general Revolt against Kings against Divine and Human Laws by the filth and ordure of the Carrion and caitive Flesh by the dissolution of good Manners by Blood Furies and Confusion could not come and take its source from the Divine Spirit yet they boldly say they find Scripture of their side Ah lamentable Illusion To whom did the Scripture send them but to the Priests and lawful Pastors What said the Scripture unto them but that they ought to keep the Traditions and obey Prelates That they must not trust to their own judgment but captivate it in matters of Faith and that it was better to believe with holy Simplicity than question with a proud Curiosity And it 's observable how the poor deluded People in England after using their Bible now above a hundred years how they have a Church without Apostolical Preachers these without Character Mission Priesthood or Divine Jurisdiction Sheep without true Pastors faithful without Churches Christians without Sacraments Temples without Altars Altars without Sacrifices Religion without form or fashion a Law without Obedience a Faith without Works and Grace yet they all peruse Scripture and all is but that they overthrow themselves by these Scripture ways by which they seek to establish themselves for if we ought not to believe any thing but that which is written in what place of their Bible will they find that the revealed positive and affirmative Principles of our Church must be denied and abrogated In what place will they shew that these words Hoc est Corpus meum must be understood figuratively not really In what place will they find that Sunday must be kept holy and not Saturday Where will they find that there are but two