presumptuous Canonizing into the ranke of sacred Scriptures apocriphall bookes of errable men so reputed and esteemed by venerable antiquitie Againe their vaine presumption in defining their metaphysicall and paradoxicall transubstantiation by which out of those most venerable and sacramentall words of Christ this is my body by an admirable Math. 26. Luk. 22. kinde of logicke neuer heard of nor dreamed of in the auncient Fathers they doe by transubstantiation place and set their Christ in such a manner of being site and disposition of body within the round wafers which they consecrate that I could neuer as yet heare any one of them dare to affirme in what sort Christ is there whether sitting standing or lying whether prone or supine with his face vpward or downeward whether like Ianus bifrons double-fore-headed or with as many faces as there be imaginary parts in the wafer This only by the way I giue the Reader to vnderstand that when their famous Vasquez publike Reader of diuinitie Vasquez his chimericall conceit touching transsubstantiation in the Ignatian schooles at Rome was treating of the manner of Christs being in their sacrament he did then and there not without admiration and astonishment to my selfe deliuer that looke howsoeuer and in what sort and manner soeuer the deuout Receiuer will imagine Christ to be there whether as standing vpright or as sitting or like as hanging vpon a crosse hee shall so haue him truely and realy his reason was because Christ is in the sacrament in like sort as mans soule is in his body totus in toto totus in qualibet parte whole Christ in euery part of the wafer and whole Christ in the whole wafer so that although the whole face of Christ be in the whole wafer and in euery part of the wafer and the feet of Christ be in the whole wafer and in euery part of the wafer yet it is said hee in the power of the Receiuer to imagine the face to be in one part the hands in an other the brest in the third and the rest in other parts in such sort as might best serue for his deuotion And that this doctrine was there publikely deliuered I call the heauens to witnesse but what neede I so to do when this their superstitious diuinity is so frequently taught and deliuered in their meditations and pulpits and it is so agreeing to that their principle that Christ is wholie in euery part and wholy in the whole wafer that by necessary consequence it followeth thereout as the intelligent Reader will easily obserue Further a third instance I adioyne of their doting and fatuouse indulgences which are so farre from being founded and grounded in any expresse practise of the primitiue Church that the acutest of themselues confesse and acknowledge that they were only implicitely deliuered in those words to Peter whatsoeuer thou Math. 16. shalt binde shall be bound and whatsoeuer thou shalt loose shall be loosed which wordes being by their inerrable Iudge expounded for their indulgences thereupon they haue coyned according to their diuinity a new article of faith By all which with infinite more instances it is as cleere as the very heauens that they doe beleiue many things as necessary points of religion which the ancient Church neuer dreamed of And when vpon this point they are vrged and tould as Christ taxing the Iewes errours spoke to them that ab initio non erat sic from the beginning it was not so Abraham non fecit sic Math. 19. 8. Christ his Apostles the primitiue Church did not so then they recurre to their rotten sanctuary that although the primitiue Church did not so expressely yet they did so implicitely although they did not so beleiue in expresse tearmes yet they did so beleiue in principijs in those principles and premisses out of which their Holy father by his vnerring Spirit hath deducted these new conclusions and vpon whose declaration wee receiue and beleiue them as the very Oracles of God But how is this diuinitie confronted by the Apostle Galat 1. 8. 9. who hath denounced an Anatheme to him whosoeuer shall deliuer as matter of faith for so the Apostle must be vnderstood beside what was then deliuered how can the Pontficians shew me any commandement of God by which I am bound to beleeue new articles of faith which were not expresly beleeued and receiued in the Apostles times and primitiue Church by what This is catholike faith and profession which the Apostles haue deliuered Martyrs haue confirmed which the faithfull hitherto do keep Vigil against Eutich principles can they euince that the faith which was sufficient for the Apostles and their immediate schollers is not sufficient for the faithfull of this time by what scripture or authoritie of any ancient Father can they shew that the Pope can deliuer new Articles of faith touching manners which were not beleeued in the primitiue Church surely by none and yet they trauaile egerly therein but their issue being fruitlesse and they not being able to be deliuered of a masculine childe to defend this their paradoxe they recurre and runne to that vaine and fond bulwarke of all Heretikes and false Prophets miracles forsooth prodigyes visions and wonders must be deuised there they rest there they triumph and sing but before the victorie as easily I by Gods assistance will make it manifest in this my discourse rest they triumph they insult they neuer so much The manner of the Papists vrging of their miracles prodigyes and visions is so peculiar and essentiall to Antichristianisme and to the great Patriarke of the same the man of sinne and sonne of perdition that I suppose there are no passages of sacred Scripture which do more clearely euince poperie to be Antichristianisme and the Pope to be the man of sinne then that they so egregiously insult for their false prodigyes and tryumph for their lying visions that if it were possible they would Matth 24. Marc. 13. draw the very elect into errours and heresies were they not vpheld by the hand of him qui nouit qui sunt cius 2. Timoth 2. who knoweth his and were they not taught by his voice Ioh 10. and fortified by his holy inspirations to flee from the hearing of any Alien in matters concerning faith religion and worship of God but being by his holy word and spirit sufficiently instructed whensoeuer they heare the sound of any errours broched from Rome though for continuance they might haue a thousand yeeres of age vsed in times of errour ignorance and superstitious darknes yet if that of Christ Ab initio non erat sic from the beginning it was not so in the Apostles time it was not in certaine ages after it was not so may Matth 19 8. iustly be opposed against them they dare constantly auouch such customes to be not christian but hereticall not antiquities but long inserted nouelties not able to prescribe against Christ his
A SVRVEY OF THE MIRACLES OF THE CHVRCH of Rome prouing them to be ANTICHRISTIAN WHEREIN ARE examinedaâ—nd refuted the six fundamentall Reasons of IOHN FLOOD Ignatian published by him in defence of Popish Miracles By RICHARD SHELDON Catholike Priest and sometimes in the Church of Rome Mr. FLOODS COLLEAGVE IEREMY 50. 14. Put your selues in aray against Babilon round about all yee that bend the bowe shoote at her spare no arrowes for she hath sinned against the Lord. LONDON Printed by Edward Griffin for Nathaniel Butter and are to be sold at his shop at S. Austens Gate at the signe of the Pyde Bull. 1616. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE VVILLIAM Earle of Pembrooke Lord HERBERT of Cardiffe Marmion and S. Quintin Lord Chamberlaine to his Maiestie Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter one of his Maiesties most Honorable Priuie Councell RIGHT HONOVRABLE SVCH is the condition of bookes though the lynes of them may haply be as apples of beaten gold that like houses without couers they are not reputed perfect vnles they beare in their Fronts the Name of some Potent Patrone whereby they may be shadowed from the blasts of ignorant and malicious Censurers Our most Christian and victorious Soueraigne hauing as another Dauid with the flint of Gods word and the slâ—nge of his admirable Spirit smitten the Golias of Rome in his forehead wherewith he lyeth prostrate on the ground groueling in the ignominie of his meretricious enormities hath by his Princely example drawne diuers of his Worthies to gather vp the spoyles of his victories amongst whom and behinde whom my selfe as a souldier postliminio in praelium reuertens haue being moued thereunto by the zeale of Gods truth vndertaken this taske to reueale the Antichristianisme of his Exuuies I meane his rotten and ragged miracles Hauing finisht the Treatise and bethinking my selfe of a Patrone I conceited thâ—t the Patronage of such an argument was meete for the Emperour himselfe and also that his shield would be more then needfull for the defence of a poore Souldier against a world of Aduersaries Yet weighing with my selfe how his most learned eyes and victorious hands are filled with presents of Bookes from euery hand and of euery argument I resolued not to presume in this kinde and yet for my securitie and safetie I determined not to depart a latere Principis whose Princely fauour I haue already layd vp as a crowne vpon my heart To your most Honourable Selfe therefore who for your rare Vertues are honoured with the grace of being Comes Pallatinus à latere I haue presumed to present this my worke and to lay it into the hands of your most Honourable and Christian Patronage I nothing doubt of your Noble admittance of the same such a Humanitie is seated in your Noble brest as in a naturall Center and such is the nature of the argument handled that it beareth this affiance with it selfe that it will not bee vnwelcome to so Religious and Christian a Peere of the Church If I be demanded the Reasons of this my Dedication to your Honour I summe them vp thus Loue Opinion Religion Loue for I confesse ingenuously the very first moment I saw your Honour attending vpon our Soueraigne your most Noble aspect did present to my apprehensfull view true Nobilitie adorned with a Christian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a Panoplie of all vertues which then like a Load-stone drew my minde to loue and admiration of your most Noble Person the which some courteous respects of your Honour to my selfe haue since confirmed Opinion and Fama verax which reporteth your Honour to be a worthy Fauourer of learning an Honourable Mecaenas to all such as desire your Patronage a noble testimonie of true Nobilitie brought forth in your birth nourished by your education perfected by your affectation and prosecution of all noble studies Religion wherein your Honour by the hand of heauen for this Donum optimum is from aboue à Patre luminum appeareth by imitation to be another Iob sincere vpright and fearing God siding to no side but walking via regia via media before the Christ of our Lord and Christ our Lord by which Christian Collar of vertues though your place be most Honourable I may say in Agesilaus his words Conciliasti loco dignitatem When I weigh with my selfe how his most Excellent Maiestie clothed with the zeale of the glorie of Gods house after a most learned Premonition with pen hath in his excellent Declaration pro iure Regio consecrated himselfe Pugilem a Champion to the warres of the Lord I cannot but be comforted to thinke what commanders he would finde who like Isadas holding lance in one hand and sword in the other will be ready ruere in hostes And would God the day were come that the old Romanes wisdom were followed who resolued to fight against Philip in Grecia lest they should be put to defend themselues against him in Italie So our Christian Monarch would be pleased to command the Capitoline Ioue of Rome to be assaulted who now by himselfe in his Breefes and by his Ignatians furiall bookes sendeth Sentences most furious into this Kingdom not to be written with inke but with blood as his Maiestie writeth which his presumptions what are they else but incitements to some hellish and furious Rauillacs At whose head and Crowne doth Suarius ayme and point in his most furious booke My pen dreadeth to write what his Maiestie hath declared in his most learned Declaration touching the same point And may not Clemencie it selfe be awaked with such roares to doe such things as appertaine to the seueritie of iustice Opus alienum opus eius What shall we say Let vs pray Memento Domine Iacobi tui omnis mansuetudinis eius Let his enemies o Lord be confounded who proiect euill to his soule And grant Lord that the presage which one Worthington hearing of the happie Inauguration of our most gracious Soueraigne vttered at Valladolid in these words We are vndone we are vndone Iames of Scotland is proclaimed King of England Let it O Lord proue a true prophecie against them and their Ioue let them be vndone at home and abroad night and day sleeping and waking in themselues and in their posterities who thirst thus after the blood of thy Annointed Ones and haue made thy house a den of theeues If peaceable Salomon become Lion by their traiterous prouokings let them impute it to themselues Sanguis eoruÌ„ supra capita eorum And so most humbly leauing my Booke vnder your Honors gracious protection I pray most heartily the Lord Iesus to blesse your Honour with an assured pledge of true happinesse in this life and with fullnes thereof in the life to come Amen Your Honours most humbly deuoted RICHARD SHELDON The Contents of the Treatise Following CHAP. I. A Prelude shewing the Popes Psendochristianisme in respect of his lying signes and wonders the same is declared by diuers particulars Page 1. CHAP. II. A
your holy Ignatius eager and hungrie after some vision Rome not corrupt when as the Romane Predicant Fryers haue been so impudent as publikely to preachin Chap. 1. pulpit that there grew such amorous loue betwixt Christ and Catharine of Sienna his sweet Spousesse that there was a true enterchange of hearts betwixt them which impious vanitie of theirs I haue already refuted I could particularize in sundrie like instances but these are sufficient to shew how inexcusable M. Flud is who dareth to compare their trash with the most venerable miracles of Christ Is it not true that if one vntruth could be found in the Gospell the whole credit thereof were at an end what credit then may wee giue to your Romane Church which hath played falsefingers so often It was foretold by S. Iohn that your Adulterous Mother should haue her mouth full of blasphemies which Apoc. 13 6. to her confusion wee now obserue And so ceasing to adde any more about this your first reason I note by the way another vnreuerent if not sacrilegious speech of yours when you thus write If coniectures would suffice the Pharisies could haue alleaged diuers for their blasphemie against Christ And is not this a Iolly Ignatian who rather then he will seeme not to haue sufficiently refuted vs will yeeld coniecturall proofes to the Pharisies against Christ Sir bethinke your selfe of those coniectures against Christ and I dare assure you that the Iewes will account themselues beholding vnto you for the same But let vs now come to your second reason and examine whether there be more modestie or pith in it then in your first thus you frame it CHAP. V. Wherein is examined Mr. Floods second reason shewing him to peruert the Fathers meanings Mr. FLOOD THe second reason is that Protestants haue no more reason to condemne these as Antichrists wonders then the miracles reported by ancient Authors long before Antichrist appeared according to their owne account For those ancient miracles are thunder claps that shake the foundation of your Gospell no lesse then ours of this present age Call to minde the points of our faith you most impugne in your letter you shall finde most famous miracles to confirme them recorded by most graue and learned Fathers What Lipsius of Louayne did euer write wonders either more for number or greater for quantitie done at the shrine of any Saint then those that Saint Austen in his 22. booke of his Citie of God hath registred as most certainly wrought by the reliques of Saint Stephen x x Plurimi conficiendi sunt libri nec tamen omnia colligi poterunt lib 22. de ciuit cap. 8. Read that booke Sir and I dare say that you will there finde either miracles that may conuert your heart to some feare of God or else matter for senselesse infidelitie to driue away melancholie fits with loud laughing You may behold histories as incredible to humane reason and yet no lesse seriouslie tould by Saint Austen then these are of our blessed Ladies in both her chappells which Lipsius doth recount ANSWER This your reason flowing à comparatis is void of reason for whilest you in the beginning thereof are in your generalls first you tell vs like miles gloriosus that such miracles as are recounted by ancient Fathers before Antichrist appeared euen according to our owne account doe like to yours of these times shake the foundation of our Gospell Secondly you brauingly inuite Sir Edward to call to minde how such articles of yours as he impugneth were confirmed by most famous miracles Thirdly you elegantly flourish with a demand what Lipsius of Lonayne did euer c. These be bragging flourishes your proofe in particular is first pretended out of Saint Austen thus who in his 22. booke of his Citty of God say you hath registred wonders as great for number and quantitie as certainly wrought by the reliques of Saint Stephen as euer any Lipsius of Louayne did write done at the shrine of any Saint Hauing added thus out of Austen as if you had got the victory you inuite Sir Edward not without most bitter taunts to the reading of the same you tell him of loud laughing and melancholie fits and you your selfe may be told iustly culpa carere oportet qui in alium paratus est dicere To this your reason which is not worth one blew point to the matter we haue in hand First I denie your proposition for the miracles related by the ancient Fathers and yours differ genere generalissimo your profe out of Saint Austen serueth not your turne First what if I should say that all you bring out of that booke is none of Saint Austens can you euince the contrarie no assuredly you cannot For if you obiect and say that the said booke hath beene reputed for S. Austens for many hundreths of yeares before this age I grant it And were not I beseech you these bookes to wit of Questions vpon the old and new Testament the booke of 83. Questions the booke de fide ad Petrum the booke de mirabilibus sacrae Scripturae the booke de vera falsa penitentia the bookes de moribus Ecclesiae de salutaribus documentis the booke called Hypognosticon his manuale his Soliloquia with his booke de visitatione infirmorum with sundrie other bookes epistles very many Sermons innumerable reputed to be that Fathers for many hundreths of yeares before this age and yet are they not now cashired from being his some by one some by another as either by Baronius Bellarmine Turrian Posseuine Sixtus Sâ—nensis Remists Louanists c. If these your Champions may cashire so many of his woorkes because in them there are some things found not beseeming or contrarie to Austen why then may not some contrarieties which are to be found in this booke from other of that Father bee a iust cause to call the credit of it in question But I denie not the booke to be his yet if I should affirme that he is corrupted by some false-fingers in this Chapter you cite and some others I should not want reason for so saying for doth not Vines in his Preface protest that there was such corruption in the manuscripts he had that he could not know the true reading of Austen but diuinando coniecturis by deuining and coniectures And if you now in this light of the Gospell dare by command of a Councell corrupt not onely the ancient Fathers but euen your owne late Authors by adding and taking away words sentences yea whole paragraphes and chapters Why may not we think the same Spirit to haue been raigned in your cloystered Viues saith there is no doubt but that in thâ—s 8. chapter of the 22. booke many things haue been added by those who wiâ—â— their filthy hands haue defiled all the writings of noble Authors Viues annot in 22. lib. August deciuit cap. 8. ones when they might do the same without any touch of infamie What could they
wit that their Church is come to that perfection of vertue that it seemeth worthy to be ruled and gouerned onely by reprobates Touching the second our Sauiour in this place aymeth and pointeth at Antichristian prophets I proue it thus First because without doubt in the 12. and 13. verses which are so connexed by a continued discourse to the 15. and 16. verses hee meaneth the same false prophets which he doth in these now that in these hee intendeth Antichristian false prophets it is confessed Pontif. paene omnes See Stapletâ— in Promtu Moral Cathel by the aduersaries who are most eager to fasten the same imputation not vpon any of their owne but vpon such whom they call Heretikes and whom they make Antichristian at least as forerunners of Antichrist Secondly our Sauiour professeth that he will say vnto them at the day of Iudgement that he neuer knew them the which as it is easily vnderstood of Antichristian false prophets who nether in life nor in doctrine were euer approued by Christ So it is hardly to bee applied to such true Prophets which preach his truth sincerely and confirme the same by miracles though their life and conuersation be wicked what will not Christ nor neuer did Christ acknowledge his doctrine and miracles in wicked persons Obserue how hee speaketh of true teachers and wicked liuers Super Cathedram Moysis c. Vpon the chaire of Moses there sate Scribes and Pharisees doe what they say but doe not what they doe Thirdly I suppose the Papists must needs so interpret this place for in so long a continuance of their Church whereof they so greatly glory I doe not thinke they will name any one of their Church who hath done wonders in the name of Christ and cast out diuels in his name whom they will professe to be operarium iniquitatis Matth. 23. 2. a worker of iniquity No it is abundantly sufficient in their Church that their Ioue may canonize any one for a Saint if it can bee proued that he did wonders and cast out Diuels in the name of Christ let them name but one if they can whom their Pope and his hath neglected to account and esteeme as holy and Saintly if he haue prophecied in Christs name done wonders and cast out diuells in the same they cannot doe it Let this therefore remaine as an vnremoueable cognisance to the Pope and his Prophets that they are operarij iniquitatis workers of iniquity and although they preach Matth. 7. 13. in the pretensed name of Christ though in the same they cast out diuels and doe many wonders yet notwithstanding their miracles are to be accounted Antichristian their casting out of diuels a Satanical conspiracy And so concluding this discourse I would God were pleased to giue them grace to apprehend and by it to amend that terrible denouncement which is threatned against such as they are Ecce ego ad prophetas Behold saith the Ier. 23. 32. Lord I am against those prophets who dreame alye and shew the same and haue seduced my people in their lye and in their miracles when I had not sent them nor had commanded them saith the Lord. CHAP. XV. Wherein is examined a second prophesie of S. Paul THe fourth place is taken out of S. Pauls prophesie to Timothie thus Now the Spirit speaketh expressely that in the latter times 1. Tim. 4. 1. 2. 3. some shall depart from the faith giuing heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of Diuels Speaking lies in hypocrisie hauing their consciences seared with a hot iron Forbidding to marry and commanding to abstaine from meats which God hath created to be receiued with thankesgiuing of them which beleeue and know the truth This holy prophesie which is so expresse and so cleere may thus cleerely bee fastened vpon the Pontifician Church The circumstance of time in those words in the latter times most euidently thus for if the Pontificians themselues doe apply this prophesie onely to the Manichees Encratites Patritians who were many hundreds of Remists in 1. Tim. 4. in their Annotat. Pontificij omnes yeeres before these times and of whom there is now hardly any shadow in the Churches much rather in respect of more laternesse of time it may bee applied to the Popish Church in Gregory the seuenths time when marriage in Priests was more strictly forbid then euer before for the inhibitions made against Priests marriage by Siricius and Calixtus were but flea-bitings in comparison of the thundering commands which Gregory the seuenth roared out I say that the Pontificians did apply the prophesie onely to the Manichees Encratites Tatianites Patritians and such like of old which their application I cannot see how it will iumpe with those who vnderstand this prophesie of the times of Antichrist as some doe Guilliaudus maketh the argument to the fourth chapter thus Guilliaudus in Epist ad Timoth. in cap. 4. Argumente Errores Antichristi predicit the Apostle foretelleth the errours of Antichrist Thus hee how agreeingly to his owne glosse after I referre to some Burgundian to answer for him yet doubtlesse his argument is very true for for howsoeuer the Encratites and Manichees did forbid marriage in some sort as Antichrist and his do notwithstanding there are some circumstances of the text which cannot so fitly be applied to those ancient Heretikes as first the circumstance of time In the latter times by which words the Apostle doubtlesse aimeth at the times 2. Thessal 2. of the Apostasie and defection mentioned by himselfe in the second to the Thessalonians Secondly the Apostle sayth that those who shall teach these doctrines shall therein attend to Seducing Spirits insinuating thereby that they shall be led to the same by pretence of visions miracles and prodigies done by spirits of errour the Diuels themselues which is egregiously acted by the Pontisicians who do not ground this their inhibition against marriage eating of meats vpon the word of God but rather vpon such visions miracles wonders as they pretend for the same we doe not read that the Encratites and Patritians were so attentiue after visions and miracles or did so glorie in them as the Pontificians now doe yea they are so shamelesse oftentimes as to mooue their pretended possessed persons or See first chapter aboue as they pretend the Diuels in them to deride the marriage of Priests The note of lying hypocrisie with seared consciences howsoeuer it may bee imputed to those ancient Heretickes yet verily it cannot be doubted but that the Pontifician Leaders and Commanders doe heerein surpasse them what els doth searing of conscience denote and designe then a most obstinate and obfirmed resolution in their doctrins which in the Popes theirs is so past all measure as the world can witnesse that although their own more temperate Professours Cardinals Emperours and Caesars Kings and Potentates Princes and Magistrates Prelates and Priests the Laity of all sorts doe considering the horrible