holie scriptures The Samaritanes were heretiques and did fortifie them selues with the texte of the law of Moyses Our sauiour hath condemned them with his owne mouth when being asked of the Samaritane whether God should be worshipped in Hierusalem or in Samaria he answered you worshippe that you know not wee worshipp that Iohan. 4. we knowe the saluation is of the Jewes For it is as yf he had sayd yow Samaritanes which be distracted from the Iewes you shal haue nothing in the treasure of saluation and you can not but erre This only voice thundering from heauen you worshipp that you know not is a sufficient flash of lightening to ouerthrow all that these deuided felowes frō the Curch can imagine to haue eyther holie or godlie Let no mā be ouertakē by the deuil through ignorance of this doctrine S. Augustin teacheth vs clearly that although heretikes S. August in Enchrid ad Lauren. do preache the name of Iesus Christ yet that name is not their seur groūd as it is to Catholikes but remayneth proper to the Church only for if one consyder aduysedly that which belongeth to Iesus Christ he shall not fynde it amongst heretikes what so euer but in tytle and shew only the effect of the vertue shal not be there they sound out with full mouth that they holde the sonne of God for the redeemer of the worlde but notwithstandyng after they haue pronounced those woords because they spoyle hym of his vertue dignitie that which S. Paule sayth Collos 2. is truly proper vnto them that they keepe not the heade whereof the whole body which is the Church by ioyntes bandes being compacted groweth to the increase of God And according to this Optatus properly sayth that the buylding Opt. li. 3. 6. of heretykes is but only a wal which hath no corner stone nor couerture aboue in such sorte that if they make a gate he that entreth in is alwayes without subiect to wyndes rayne tempest theeues and to wylde beasts But the Catholike Church is an entier howse in the which God doth dwel and he dwelleth not in any other Al that which is inclosed therein is couerd wel assured out of daunger of the incommodytyes of the ayre of theeues and of all external harme Furthermore he compareth heresie to artificial trees which fowlers fashion in likenes of a natural tree hauing the shew of a true tree but full of snares and of glew where the brides searching their life fynde their death wheras the Church is a true tree in deed full of good fruits without snares and fraude But aboue al. S. Cyprian hath very wel sayd that heresie and idolatrie be in Lib. de vnit Eccles the same damnatiō as daughters of the same father when sayth he by the coming of Iesus Christ the light being reuealed vnto the gentiles and the sonne of saluation shyning to the face of al people the darknes of idolatry was chased out of the world Satan seing his seates and temples desolate and his Idols forsakē of al people on te earth which did runne vnto the Churches of Iesus Christ he found a new craft vnder the self same name of Christian to intangle them that were not wel aduised and to make them fal from the grace of Iesus Christ that is he hath sturred vp heresies with the which he hath subuerted the fayth corrupted the truth and broken the vnite of concorde in such sorte that those whom he can not longer hold in the auncient way of blyndnes he hath deceaued by the error of a new way so spoyleth men euen within the Church deceauing them with an other kynd of darkenes to the end that not contynewing in the vnitye of the Church they may yet cal them selues Christians and walking in darkens they may perswade them selues to haue the light making them blinde without perceauing their blyndes yea then when they thinke them selues most sure of the light For as he is a cunnyng woorkeman to transforme him self often into an Angel of light he leadeth them in to likelihoodes of truth that he may so deceiue them in the truth affirmyng the night for day death for life infidelitye for faith Antichrist vnder the name of Iesus Christ And ther is not any absurditye how monstrous and foule so euer it be that he doth not make them receyue and that very greedelye and hauing once bleared them with his iugling tricks he holdeth theyr iudgements so fast tyed and hampered that they can not see the very open and manyfest truth so that hauing now no more roote in God they be cast into a reprobate sense turnyng to their owne destruction al that is presented vnto them and sticke not now to stād and fyght agaynst God him self Now to them wich suffer them selues to be deceiued it happeneth sayeth S. Cyprian for not searching the truth of faith by the right way according to the direction of our heauēly Maister who doth send vs to the chayer of S. Peter which of his proper auctoritie by prerogatyue he hath ordeined to be head as the fountayne roote of his Church And this was a greate benefit of God that he hath giuen a certaine seat to his Church as auncyently was the chayre of Moyses to the end that in the doubtful points of faith men myght haue a place to resorte vnto as to a certeine Vniuersite to receiue their iudgement and resolutiō and so to kepe the vnitie of faith among so many dyuers nations that were to enter in to the Church This is certeinly the point whereby all heretikes in the world haue perished doe perishe now and shall alwayes perishe for that they like not not sauour not the Sacramēt of the vnitie of faith in the vniuersal brotherhood of the Church nor acknowledge that there is one certain Church the only mother of al the children of God which is only holie Catholike and Apostolike vnto whom Iesus Christ her spouse head hath giuen the character of the order of his eternall Priesthood the keyes of the realme of heauen all aucthoritie ouer his howshould vnto whom he hath promised assistance of his holie spirit vntil the end of the worlde in whom is the wil of God the forgiuenes of sinnes and the distribution of graces who only hath the woord of God in keeping the pure doctrine of the Gospell the true vse of Sacraments to whom only therefore doth appertain to iudge of the true sense of the holy scriptures and to decyde the controuersies of faith that rise among men whose iudgements in earth be ratified in heauen which Church being but one and vndiuided in faith yet extending it self in her cōmuniō as the beames of the sunne as long and as wyde as the whole world encreasinge multiplyinge dayly without end or lymit continueth inseparably vnited to her head as the beames to the body of the sunne not liuinge but of his grace not breathing but of his
throwgh the world doe not stumble against de litle stone but against the mouÌ„taine Esaie expressely fortold that the Church Esa 2. 54. 66. shal be as a mountaine manifestly lifted vp aboue the mountaines whervnto all nations Matt. 5. shall resort vvhich our Sauiour him selfe confirmed saying that his Church is a citie set on a montaine which can not be hidden what shal I say more sayth S. Augustin the Churche is shee not manifest doe not we shew it with our fingar and those that doe not see so great a mountaine be they not blinde which against the shining candle put in a candelsticke do shut theyr eyes S. Bernard writeth elegaÌ„tly hereof against the heretikes of his time the stone cutt without the hand is becomme the mountaine filling the vvorlde and thincke you saith he that it is within your dennes this is to caluÌ„niat al the vniuersal vvorld Thou maiest easily see the citie sett vpon a mountaine the Church catholique which can not be hiddeÌ„ Moreouer S. Augustin saith that by Gods prouidence it Aug. in psal 101. hath bene so disposed that the testimonies of Iesus Christ are obscure in the olde prophets but those of the church are manifest to the end that men should haue recourse to the Church for couÌ„seil to learne of hir their saluation And he saith forther that the Church sithens the Apostles time hath not only not lost any part of her light but also hath alwayes augmented the same still proceeding and encreasyng as the new moone from smal light to a greater If any one saith he doe not perceiue the moone in the first point of hir increasing one might excuse the vveakenes of his eyes but he that doth not perceiue the same in her fulnes that man is starke blinde From the tyme of the Apostles vvhen the Church did not shew as yet very much hir face vpon the arth simple men were deceiued by false teachers saying here is the Church here is Christ vvounding as it vvere in the dark of the moon simple and plain meaning folke but now how blinde is he that erreth in the ful moone Pope Leo the S. Leo. first S. Hilaire and other auncients vvhich liued in the mayn course of mightie heresies S. Hilarie doe vvitnes that the Church vvas neuer darkenid sithens the Apostles by the infectioÌ„ of heresies The Church say they may be diminished in the Globe of multitude of children but not in light and clearnes much lesse by the persecutions of tyrannes for as sayeth Tertullian the bloud of Christians is the seed of the Church and euerie martyr is as the grayne of wheate falling on the earthe which bringeth foorth manye Poore Cicero Cic. l. 2. q. Ac. searching the soueraigne God complaineth saying by the dissention of philosophers vve are constrained to be ignorant of our Lord and can not know vvhich is he that vve ought to worship for Lord and gouerner of the world This can not besayd of the Church the contradictions which heretikes doe make against her doe not darken her but make her rather better knowne and as Vincentius Lyrinensis sayth Vinc. Lyr. doe scoure her and make her brighter geuing occasion to catholikes to vnderstand cleerlie and feruentlie that vvhich before they beleued couertly and coldly And it is certeiÌ„ that the Church had more knowleige of God in some certein articles in the tyme of S. Augustin then in other tymes before and in the tyme of S. Bernard then in the tyme of S. Augustin and at this day more then she had since the tyme of the Apostles so that ther is now none that seeth not cleerly in the light of the Church except those vvhose eyes satan hath put out and vvhich are willingly blynde sith all now doe know vvhere is the cheire of S. Peter the Church Catholike Apostolique and Romain which hath the name of Catholike the succession of Bishoppes sithens S. Peter to this day the consent of people and nations and many other wel knowen markes whiche do distingwishe the same from all false religion of panims of Iewes and of heretikes and doth make it sufficiently euident that none can be excused neither those which refuse to ioyne vnto her nor those that do depart from her I wil not here sett downe all the markes of the true Church as if this present treatice were to that end but I shal touche only some few TWELVE MARCKES OF the true Church THe first marke of the true Church is the name Catholike which although all heretikes would pretend to be theirs yet neuer could they obthain thus much sayth S. Augustin S. August lib. cont epi. fund c. 4. that if a Panime demaunded of an heretike the place where the Catholikes doe assemble them selues he durst not shew his owne Sinagogue And S. Ciril sayth if thou goest in a Cyril cat 18. citie doe not aske vvhere is the Church nor where the house of GOD is for the heretikes say that they haue the Church and the howse of god but aske where is the Catholike Church for that name Catholike is proper to the holy Church mother of vs all that are of right beleif and an heretyke vvould be mocked and laughed at to shew his Churche for the catholike Pacianus hath treated of this point expressely where he saith Christian is my name Catholike is my surname that doeth name me this maketh me knowne the name catholike is not deriued of any one man it doth not sound any thing of an heretike it is not referred to any particullar Authour it agreeth to the principal head body of that tree vvhose braunches beinge cutt of are the sectes of heretikes but the tree it selfe liueth mainteined by his roote and coÌ„tineweth alwaye the same vvhich is all one whole body and called Catholike but euerie heresie taketh the name of some one which is the authour therof where vpon S. Athanasius â—than serm â—â—â—nt Arria against the Arrians sayth Christian people neuer tooke their names of their Bishoppe no we are christians and so named not of the Apostles them selues but of our lord in whome we haue beleued by the voice of Bishoppes and Apostles Those which haue taken their faith of others are by good right surnamed from the cheefe of their heresie Lactantius sayth the only Catholike â—ct li. 4. c. 3. Church is that which keepeth the true worshippe of God this is the fountein of trueth the house of faith the temple of God in whom if any do not enter or from whom if any doth depart he cutteth him self of from hope of lyfe and of euerlasting saluation but euerie sect of heretikes doth pretend that the catholike Church is on ther syde how be it bearing the names of Marcionites or Arrians they are no more Christians they haue lost their name christian in taking straunge names of men Likewise Iustine the martyr S. Ireneus S. Iohn S. Chrys hâ— 33 in act Apost Iust mar contriph S.
fight against it The Arrians would not agree to any one point if it were not expresly in the scripture The Mahometanes pretend the gospel to make for them and alleage the same for their soueraigne aucthoritie The deuil him self hath cyted the scripture against our sauiour and thereof it is that he prepareth snares and cordes to strangle such as harken to him making that which should bring them life to be deadly vnto them and conuerting bread in to poyson It is certain that the scripture is giuen vs of God for our saluation this principle can not be shaken When the holy scripture speaketh it is the maiesty of God which doth shew his truth and his wil vnto men vnto the which euery man must beare inuiolable reuerence and yeld vnto it as to the assured and infallible verditt of God his truth submitting all his vnderstanding to the yoke and obedience of faith in suche sorte that it is treason to God his maiesty and damnable sacrilege for the boldnes of humaine vnderstanding to gaynsay the same yea or only to be so bolde as to thinke it for if any one gainsay the same he cutteth him self from God and maketh him self a companion of the deuil he is an heretike accursed and reprobate neuer shall haue parte with God For the holy scripture is the key which doth open vs Paradise it is the way which doth guyde vs the rule which doth teache vs the lampe which doth ligten vs in the middest oft he darknes of this world it is the looking glasse where in we behold the face of God the royall sceptre by the which he doth Gouerne his people the witnes of his good wil towards vs and the instrument of his aliance to the vvhich vvho so doth not bowe downe his vnderstanding he doth oppose him self against God with an ingratitude deuelish presumption Now al the heretikes of the vvorld haue made shew to agree to this principle haue whyted their ruinouse walles with no other colours than those nor haue no other thing in their mouthes but the texts of the scriptures What shal the simple man then doe hearing the word of the maiesty of God in the mouth of Catholikes and of heretikes This is it whereof I wold informe such as haue care of their saluation and teach them how they shal neuer be deceyued S. Gregor Nazianzene sayth that In Orat. ad Athanas the scripture is like vnto certaine paynted Images which what way so euer you turne you you thinke their eye foloweth you yet notwithstanding the right looke doth consist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in some one point to the workman intended those that are cunnyng in that arte know it very well Likewise the holy scripture is to be taken in many senses and farre more then the scriptures of men for so much as the scriptures do participate of the nature of the author But so it is that God him self is the author of the holy scriptures whose vnderstanding being infinite the sense of his scriptures may be also infinite Notwithstanding there is one proper sense certaine assured in the scriptures whiche the holie Ghost hath vouchsafed to reueale vnto men which is the sense of the Gospel that is to say the right trew and natural sense of the voyce of the Prophets and the Apostles which is in effect the gospel For properly the Gospel doth not consist in figures of letters and dead characters of the writing of the Euāgelists Those thinges be but as an Image of the sense of the Gospel But wil you know what is properly the gospel It is the solemne publication of the sonne of God descended from the bosom of his father and shewed in fleash for to delyuer mankynd from the state of perdition in which he was and to reconcile him to God geuing power to the children of Adam which beleeue in his name to be made children of God renewing them in him self and regenerating them to God by diuine Sacraments by the which he hath made them partakers of his iustice of his life and of his glory and hath lifted them vp with him from changeable time to the eternitye of his father S. Paul doth define the Gospel to be the mighty povver Rom. 1. of God to saluation to al those that beleue that is to say a vertu supernatural diuinely infused ennobling mans nature aboue it self and eleuating it to a diuine estate the which of his owne force and faculty he could neuer attayne vnto no not only conceiue the same Lab. de prapa Euang. it is sayeth Eusebius that Gospel which doth shew the reuelatiō of goods not these earthly perishable which do decay but of the true soueraigne diuine euerlasting and incorruptible goods promised from the beginnyng of the world and foretold of all the Prophetes that which doth giue the meanes to get them To be short the Gospel is a nevv resurrection of the worlde and as it is sayd in the Godspel it selfe it is the seed of eternitie All the matter is to knovve vvho be the true sovvers and dispensators of the misteries of the Gospel that be sent and auouched of God For God doth not auouche all those vvhich thrust them selues into this diuine embassage he hath sayd to the vvicked vvho gaue the charge to rehearse my iustices take my testament in thy mouth And he complayneth him selfe in Ezechiel of false Prophetes vvhich runne vvithout Psal. 49. Ezech. 13. sendinge They runne sayth he and I sent them not they say the lorde hath sayd it and I sayd no such worde Our sauiour him selfe by his Matth. 7. holy mouth doth aduertise vs saying Take heede of false Prophets which come to you in sheeps clothing but within they are rauening wolues Now if in the traficke of this world we feare to medle with a false marchant how much more owght vve to feare in the traficke of euerlasting saluation If then vve vvil not be deceaued Sainct Paule therein doth geue vs a true meane vvhen he sayth How shal they beleue in him whom Rom. 10. they haue not hearde And how shal they heare without preaching And how shal they preach yf they be not sent There neede not so much disputing nor so much making of bookes to confound the heretikes Men do in a maner defile them selues vvhen they examine their doctrine there is no doute but that God is greatly offended with the ouermuch regarde that is geuen vnto them and those which wolde that men shulde heare them reason haue not the spirit of the feare of God An heretike before all other thinges should be asked not what he sayth but of whom he is sent and the marke of his sending And so without any more disputing he shal be confounded and put to silence For neuer heretike was sent of God they are al of the spirit of the deuil and al condemned of God what allegation so euer they make of the
spirit and not seing but of his light and who so euer kepeth not this vnitie he kepeth not the law of God he hath no faith and he can neyther haue the life nor the saluation of Iesus Christ It is S. Paul him Ephes 4. self that teacheth this Sacramēt of the vnitie of faith in the vniuersalitie of the Church as there is not saith he but one sole God lord father of all so there is but one faith one hope one trust one bodie one spirit the head of which bodie is the sonne of God Iesus Christ who being him self the spring of lyfe euerlasting doth inspire lyfe to all the bodie doth furnish it dayly with strength by his holy spirit Whosoeuer is not a member of that bodie can not take lyfe of the spirit of Iesus Christ he is a straunger he is prophaned he is an enemie he is dead drye and wythered without moysture of all diuine grace and that no part of the promises and rewards of Iesus Christ he is the braunche Iohan. 11. cut from the true stocke appointed to the fyer to be burned If any of those which were out of the Arcke of Noe vvere saued those also shal be saued which are founde out of the Arke of the Church If the riuer cut from his spring dryeth not vp if the braunche diuided from the tree can bear fruit if the member cut from the bodie can take lyfe of the same bodie then also the man that is diuided and cut from the Church shal liue of Iesus Christ He can not haue God for his father which wil not haue the Church for his mother and he can not be vnited with God which is not vnited with the Church At the same instant that man doth separat him self frō the Church he dyeth from Iesus Christe and leeseth the grace of the holy Ghost For euen as the vniuersal sensible light is tyed to the bodie of the sunne which doth spread and distribute it to all the world in the absence wherof there is nothing but darknes euen so al grace of reconciliation to God was annexed to the bodie of Iesus Christ yea to this bodie of his which dayly groweth by increase of the chosen preordinate to lyfe euerlasting which is the bodie of the Church which he doth gather together taking out from the heape of mankynd al men of good wyl which haue bene are and shal be to the end of the world out of which bodie there is but the wrath and malediction of God Search where you wil out of this Church you shall fynde nothing but death To be short he which is not in the Church hath no God he hath his owne proper iudgement his phantasie and his owne presumption for his God he maketh him selfe an Idol doth worship only his owne imagination in place of God If such a man calleth him self a Christian that is as the deuil often sayth he is Christ and if he be kylled for his heresie that is no martirdom bur the reward of his heresie which is not yet al purged by his owne death Dying he goeth to yeld and ioyne him self eternally to the darkenes which he hath worshiped and to his head which is the deuil There is no martirdom nor death pretious before God but in the catholique Church in the which only is the grace of the Gospel of Iesus Christ the which only she doth preach in sinceritie and truth and without any hazard or possibilitie to erre because she taketh her direction of the holy Ghost of the tradition of the Apostles and of the holy scriptures together which be the three grounds set downe by the holy scripture it self the which doth shew that not shee only buyldeth vp the Churche but is also holpen of the traditions of the liuely voyce of the Apostles to the which she often tymes referreth men Kepe sayeth S. Paul the traditions 2. Thess 2. Tenete traditiones quas didicistis siue per sermonē siue per epistolā nostrā Act. 15. 16 which you haue learned of me be it by woord or by our epistle and it is written in the Actes of the Apostles that in al places whear S. Paule passed by he recommended to the Churches to kepe the ordinances of the Apostles and of the elders which were things not written When the Apostles had planted the Gospel they did not say al things at one time nor in one howre nor wrote al that they sayed but according as occasion was giuen they planted their doctrine so that the holy scripture which we haue of the Apostles and of the Euangelists is not so muche a full doctrine of faith as a witnes of the faith that they preached Now if wee will goe higher the law of Moyses cōsisted no lesse in tradition than in writting and not only the sense but the letter and text thereof was to be learned by tradition For they had the scriptures in maner but by half the pointing beeing not yet put to the hebrew text But the holy Ghost alwayes hath in formed the Church of the true traditions and the true sense of the scripture in such sorte as the Church and the holy scripture are so linked together that they both be as an indissoluble cheyne of golde The Church is not aboue the scripture but the authoritie of the Church doth shew the true scripture And when the Church hath need of wholsome information she doth goe to the scriprure and if there be any darknes in the scripture the holy Ghoste is giuen to the Church for to interpret the same Euen so in the olde law in al difficulties that rose the law of Moyses ordained that they should goe to the hygh priest for the tyme being and that they Deut. 17. Malach. 2. should folow his verdit not turnyng either to the right syde or the left vpon paine of death The Prophets also sent them thether and in the Gospel it self our sauiour commaundeth that if any obey not the Church Matt. 18. he be degraded from the name of Christian and holden for an Eathnike let no man now seeke excuses in a corner God hath appointed at al tymes the priests of the Church present to iudge the present controuersies and willeth that men should repayre vnto them his holy spirit assisteth them to that end He hath not promised vs in them more then in other men example of holynes but he hath promised vs by them the Oracles of his truthe Oh that al those that do erre in faith did know the vertue of the name Catholique and the horror of the name heretike how the Catholique in his faith doeth renounce his own reason his own iudgemēt his vnderstanding his wil and all his senses for to hearken simplie and absolutely vnto that that the Church doth teache how on the cōtrarie side the heretike doth groūde builde his fayth vpon his owne iudgement They should knowe that the name Catholique is a name of
for the reuerence of their priesthood ought Optatus to be as Melchisedech without father vvithout mother vvithout genealogie Hebr. 7. kinges of peace and of Iustice that is to say all spiritual al pure all holie vvithout fleashelie affection as if they vvere descended from heauen not subiect to the passions of men yf they be not such if thei preach the good and do the euill they be like the carpenters of the arke of Noe which taking no care to saue them selues did not enter therin or like the candle vvhich giueth light to others and consumeth it self or as the markes which shew the vvay and sturre not from theyr place Noe did not cast him self in to the water because of the vncleanes of the beastes vvhich weare in the arke so vve must not depart from the Church for the vices of men If a sike man should refuse the remedie of a Phisition for that the phisition him self is subict to the like disease he were misaduised The grace of the Sacramentes is not of lesse force for the euill life of a priest and the diuinitie can not be impeached by the corruption of persons If the beames of the sunne do not defile them selues passing by vncleane places much lesse doe the Sacramentes of god wich be remedies purging al coÌ„tagions A man must neuer ground his religion vpon the perfection of creatures for that vvere idolatrie It is vpon the vvord of God that he must make his foundation And I vvill say more that it vvas expedient for vs to haue for our pastors men taken from among men which be of fles he and blood as vve are weake and vnperfect as wee and can haue compssion on vs for to distribute the Sacraments according as our weaknes doth require If God had giuen vs Angels for pastors they would haue required too great perfections of vs. God hath giuen to priestes the ministerie of his giftes It is of priestes that our Sauiour doth say as thow hast sent me to the worlde sol I haue sent them into the world I haue giuen them thy word and I do not praie onlie for them but for those which shall beleue in me by their word How contemptible so euer the person of the priest be I consider God in him and not the man and honoring the contemptible man in that he is the vicar of God I honour God more than if I honored a holie man which were perfect because I doe it not for any other respect than for the loue of God where as in holie men it is the holines of life the prerogatiue of vertues which maketh them venerable To be short we must not onlie receiue Iesus Christ in his own person but we also must receiue the holie Ghost in his Church As Iesus Christ is the head so the holie Ghost is the soule of the Churche and the chaire of Iesus Christ shall not haue lesse priuileige than that of Moises From Moises vnto the Messias the Sinagogue alwayes taught the truth so the chaire of Messias shal teach the truth to the end of the world The grace of the chaire is of that force that the same doth constraine those to say wel which do not wel but manie in that chaire do the one the other For conclusioÌ„ of this marke Among Catholikes there be good people all may be such but among heretikes there be none good nor none can be The tenth marke is the gloire of mirakles which be diuine operations surmounting Exod. 4. Math. 10. Ioh. 15. Mar. vlt. Haebr 2. Aug. li. de vti â—red 22. de câ—uit Dei c. 8. Tert. l. de praes the habilitie of all creatures as to raise the dead to make the blind to see to helpe the lame and to cure diseases which are naturalie incurable And this marke is necessarie for to persuade a new faith or an extraordinarie sending euen according as the scripture and all the fathers doe teach But neuer were there true miracles in the worlde but among the Iewes and the Catholikes The Iewes haue not had anie sithens Iesus Christ The Mahometists haue neuer made anie Mahomet sayth in the Alcoran that the miracles haue bene giuen to Iesus Christ and the sword to him The Panimes also neuer wrought any true miracles Those wich they report touching an oxe and an Image vvhich did speake water caried in a siue by a vestal virgin a rasor that did cut a whetstone and Tit. Liuius Cicero Val. Max. such like be al light toyes tending not to the vinification or bettering of anie creature but be secret trickes which the deuils might easilie doe for to amaze and to maintein the folies of Paganisme But true and liuelie miracles bringing sound counfort to men neuer Sathan nor his angels nor the false prophets nor the Panimes nor the heretikes Suetonius Corn. Tacitus haue euer done any Those that SVETONIVS and TACITVS haue written of Vespasian that he did make one that was blinde to see with his spitle and heale one that was lame and an other that had a drie hande those be the miracles of Iesus christe which those prophane persons wold rob him of for to attribute them to their Empereur and they them selues discouer their theft by their owne writtings TACITVS doth write that the saide blind man sayd to Vespasian that he had in reuelation of the God Serapis to come to him Now the Panimes which had not yet hearde then of IESVS Christ did thinke that the Christians did worship Serapis as it doth appeare an epistle of the Empereur Adrian to Seruianus consul as apeareth in Vopiscus where he sayth that in the towne of Alexandria they that worshippe Serapis were Christians whereby one may see that the Author of the healing of that blind was the God of the christiaÌ„s The cause of the error in the name Serapis cometh of that that theÌ„ throughout al the world men talked of the miracles that Iesus Christ and his Apostles had done in Iurie and the countres round about and did not declare them according to the pure truth as coÌ„monlie things which be done in countries fer of be disguised and altered by them vvhich report them the Panimes at al times haue bene rashe folishe to iudge of things to them vnknowen giuing for historie that vvhich they did imagin according to their darknes as it appeareth euen by the scripture it self Euen so the SiriaÌ„s being ouercome by the Iewes said that the God of the Iewes vvas the God of Mountanes and 3. Reg. 20. 4. Reg. 18. that they must intrappe him in the valleis Euen so Rapsaces did iudge that Ezechias had destroied the aultars of the God of the Iewes wheÌ„ he destroyed the idols Likerwise the Licaonians did call Barnabas Iupiter S. Paul Mercurie for that he was the cheef speaker In like manner the Panimes in the time of Act. 14. the Apostles vnderstanding that the Christians did vvorship Iesus Christ