are not we Ministers at all for we are Ministers of those Ministers Therfore out of the principles of Christian wisedome men should rather heare Catholike then Puritan Preachers The third Proposition Protestants by the principles of their Religion See Iohn White his way pag. 126. Euery particular man must iudge of the Churches teaching are bound to heare Catholike Sermons THis I proue because the Iudge is bound by the law of God and man and light of reason to heare both partyes before be giue sentence for or agaynst eyther and to condemne eyther side vnheard is intolerable wronge But euery particular Protestant and euery one of the common people is a iudge appoynted of God hauing the publick authority of Gods spirit speaking openly vnto all in Scripture wherby he may reproue the greatest and most Catholike Church in the world No priuat iudgment but the publicke censure A priuate man may find fault with the best Church pag. 128. to wit the Roman and may find a fault in the best Church in the world to wit the Protestant as themselues most earnestly teach auerring that this doctrine was neuer denyed by any Church but the Roman that knowing her doctrine to be drosse durst not put herself to this triall Therfore euery particular and priuate Protestant is bound by the law of God and Man Grace and Reason to heare the Roman Church as well as the Protestant The fourth Proposition They that heare not our Sermons but condemne vs vpō trust of their Ministers cānot be saued THis I proue Because they that built vpon the trust and credit of the Protestant Church and passe not to the triall that they may say of their certayne knowledg this is errour this is truth these cannot be saued This is cleere because none is saued without diuine and supernaturall most certayne Fayth Sine Fide impossibile placere Deo Heb. 11.6 Field in his Appēdix p. 2. p. 18. but Protestants themselues acknowledge that Fayth built vpō the authority of their Church is but humane acquisite and fallible seeing the same may erre therfore they that build vpon the trust and credit of their Church cannot be saued But they that heare not the Roman Church condemne her only vpon the trust and credit of the Protestāt for they cānot say vpon their own knowledge that this or that is her doctrine nor consequently that she is in errour Therfore except they heare the Catholike Church her sermons if they can that they may say of their owne knowledge her doctrines are erroneous and theirs the truth Euery particular man must Try all things Iohn Whites way p. 126. they cannot be saued For how can they be saued except they comply with that Precept Try all and hold the best this Precept as Protestants teach being Diuine and such a one as doth concerne euery priuat man Is not the Roman Religion one amongst all Religions that are to be tryed yea the only one amongst them all How then can they be saued that will not try the Roman among the rest that not vpon trust but by their owne triall they may know whether her Doctrine is to be held Wherfore they that reprehend those Protestants for comming to this Sermon are ignorant euē in the first principles of their owne Fayth Hence I inferre that our Aduersaries cannot esteeme of this Accident as a punishment of God if without passion they will pronounce sentence by the principles of their owne Religion supposing which is most certayne that the subiect of the sermon was the duty of Charity to forgiue each other to be ready to giue account vnto God whē we are called out of the world For what was there in that Sermō that God may be thought to haue punished by that fall the Doctrine preached the order to preach it being both his owne If this mischance ought to be taken as a token of Gods vengeance agaynst the doctrine of the Iesuits surely God was singularly offended with that doctrine the Iesuit did actually preach at that very instant when by the fall his breath was stopped which was the doctrine of Charity and Peace O heauenly doctrine and O happy breath that is lost in the preaching therof which was the last sermon and Cygnaean songe as of this Father of the Society of Iesus Hier. in ep ad Gal. l. 3. c. 6. so likewise of the Disciple beloued of Iesus whose life ended whose breath expired in breathing forth this doctrine Loue ech other Hence also appeares the vanity of thē that haue found this farre fecht argumēt agaynst vs. This accidēt say they happened vpon the Papists on the fifth of Nouember stilo nouo therefore it was a punishment of the Treason they intended agaynst vs on the 5. of Nouember stilo veteri First this their arguing is folly because in their comparison or congruence agaynst the rules of Logick they do transire degenere ad genus that is compare things togeather of different kindes stilo nouo stilo veteri being different kindes of computation So that if we take the thing according to the truth and not according to the sound of words the 5. of Nouēber stilo veteri is not the 5. but the 15. of nouēber stilo nouo Secōdly agaynst this vanity groūded vpō words without sense we haue an argumēt inuincible deriued from the first principles of Christianity to wit that God being iust cannot punish men for sinnes they neuer committed but euer detested Now these that fell at this Sermon neuer intended that gunpowder-treason as these accusers bely them nor euer thought therof but with detestation and terrour Therfore certainly God being holy iust did not intend this accident to punish that sinne vpon them Finally what sense or congruence is there in this prouidence for that a sinne commited agaynst Christian Charity many yeares agoe God should now punish men altogeather innocent therof and this in the act of preaching Christian Charity agaynst rancour and malice which doctrine of all other is opposite vnto such execrable vndertakings Some perchance will say that though he preached Charity yet he preached in the Popish fashion that by deedes of charity they merit heauen I do not know if he made mention of merit De Ciuit. l. 2. c. 29. Casta celebritate confluunt vbi audiant quà m bene ad tēpus viuere debeāt vt beató semperque viuere mereantur suppose he did Is the sermon and meeting to be censured in this respect Let these censurers receaue their doome by the mouth of S. Augustine They be sayth he impious they are vngratefull vnto God they are deepely oppressed by the wicked spirit who murmure agaynst the chast celebrity of such meetings where men are taught how they are to liue well for the time in this present world that so they may MERIT to liue blessedly for euer in the next world CHAP. IIII. Comfort from the Ends and Intentions of God in this Accident
A vvord of Comfort OR A DISCOVRSE CONCERNING The late lamentable Accident of the fall of a roome at a CATHOLIKE Sermon in the Black-friars at London wherwith about fourscore persons were oppressed WRITTEN For the Comfort of Catholiks and Information of Protestants By I. R. P. Printed Anno M.DC.XXIII TO THE READER LET the duty of weeping for the Dead Tempus flendi Eccl. 3.6 in this late dismall Accident so rufull to flesh and blood which from our hartes both common Humanity and priuate Friendship enforce Tempus loquendi giue place vnto the duty of writing in the behalfe of the liuing which at our handes both Christian Charity and Priestly obligation exact Let Nature which at this present makes me more willing to wett my paper with teares then with inke Ipsi pene viuendi vsui cessationem hoc tempus indicit neduÌ„ studijs l. 2. de Consid Cap. 4. 31. Cap. 9. 1. and as S. Bernard sayth of himselfe in a like dolefull disaster weary not only of studying but euen almost of liuing that in lieu of penning discourses of erudition and learning I could much rather powre forth vntaught sighs in the language of Ieremy his Threnes Defecit anima mea propter Inteâ—fectos My soule is gone from me in sorrow of them that are slayne and Quis dabit capiti meo aquam oculis meis flumina lachrimarum plorabo die ac nocte Interfectos filiae populi mei Who will giue me water vnto my head and fluds of teares vnto mine eyes that I may be wayle day and night the Slayne of my Country Let I say this weake inclination of Nature yeeld vnto Gods holy will and vnto the motion of heauenly Grace concurring with Obedience to preferre before priuate sorrow for friendes the publicke defence of our Catholike Cause seeing ignorant zeale is ready vpon any the least occasion to disgrace it Let mourning for corporall Death which the Holy Ghost confines within the compasse of seauen dayes Eccl. 22. v. â—â— Luctus mortui septem dies especially for them whose soules as we with reason hope do raigne in glory be changed into mourning for blind Ignorance and Impiety which the same Holy Spirit will haue commeasured vnto the length of their life luctus fatui impij omnes dies vitae eorum to wit so long as there is hope by teares of instruction to reclayme them This Duty is necessary for foure ends and vndertaken for the satisfaction of foure sortes of persons First to refute their folly who with this darke mist of Gods vnsearchable Counsels seeke to obscure the cleare light of his reuealed Doctrine shyning in the Catholike Church Secondly to still their teares who thinke they cannot weepe inough for their Friendes not so much at their death as at their being taken away by so strange and dreadfull a mischance Thirdly to allay the wondering of them that secretly may complayne of the seuerity of Gods iudgments that in these circumstances he would not spare his owne People not spare his owne Name Fourthly to somewhat asswage their sorrow who grieue not for temporall respects Psal 41.3 but their teares are to them bread day and night to see Gods Enemyes insult vpon his Church to say vnto her where is thy God Which foure kinds of persons styrred vp and troubled with different affections by one and the same commiserable mishappe we shall endeauour to quiet by foure kind of Arguments by Testimonies of holy Scripture by Examples of former Christian tymes by comparison with some more prodigious euents vnto our Aduersaries finally by shewing Gods ends in the permission of this Accident of which we may make our Profit CHAP. I. Comfort from the holy Scriptures THere is not any greater affliction vnto Gods seruants in this life nor any more sharpe corrasiue vnto their hart then the happening of strange dreadfull mischances that carry a shew of his anger agaynst their Religion wherby the enemies therof harden their soules as stone agaynst it And Gods Omnipotent Wisdome as he resolued for reasons best known to himselfe to deuide indifferently amongst the good bad these terrible casualityes of mortall life So likewise in his Mercy Cui vanitati intimandae totum illuÌ„ librum vir Sapientissimus deputauit Aug. l 10. de Ciuit. c. 3. The Preacher c. 8. 14. he would haue his seruants warned heerof abundantly by his holy Word For not only euery Booke of the diuine Scriptures be full of documents agaynst this discomfort but also as S. Augustine noteth one whole booke of that heauenly learning to wit that of Ecclesiastes beginning Vanity of Vanities and all things vanity is entyrely spent in the prosecution of this argumeÌ„t That there is this Vanity vpon earth that there be iust men vnto whome it happeneth according to the worke of the wicked agayne there be wicked men vnto whome things happen as if they were iust that so sayth the same Father Men might loue the life that hath not Vanity vnder the sunne but verity vnder him that made the sunne Out of which booke I will alleadge only one sentence but the same so full and so fit for our purpose Cap. 9. initio as it may seeme written a purpose by the spirit of PrescieÌ„ce to be vsed in this occasion This is the worst of all things vnder the sunne that the same things happen alike vnto all to the iust and to the wicked to the good and to the bad to the cleane and to the vncleane to them that sacrifice and to them that contemne Sacrifice to them that sweare the Truth and to them that are forsworne Hence the hearts of the sonnes of men are filled with malice contempt in their life tyme and afterward shall be carried vnto Hell To these wordes of the Holy Ghost what can be added as more cleare in proofe of our Argument what may be spoken more complete proper and pithy for our comfort in this accident Heere by Gods holy Word we are informed that such is his prouidence in this life that an house or roome may fall no lesse vpon the Iust as they are hearing his heauenly Doctrine then vpon the Wicked as they are blaspheming his blessed Name No lesse vpon the Good that are weeping for pardon and remission of their sinnes then vpon the Badde that feast and banquet riot and reioyce in their sinnes No lesse vpon the Cleane that by humble Confession and penall Satisfaction purify their soules Psal 6.26.2 then vpon the vncleane whose wayes are at all tymes impure the iudgments of God by the doctrine of only Faith being taken away from before their eyes No lesse vpon them that offer the Christian vnbloody Sacrifice of the immaculate Lambe then vpon theÌ„ that contemne this holy Sacrifice would rather massacre the Priests that coÌ„secrate the same Finally no lesse vpon them that sweare the Truth that that doctrine is Christian which from the mouth of Christ
what cause of sorow you haue which he had not in greater measure what solace had Iob that you want That his Children so suddainly slayne were of holy life Lib. 1. in Iob. The same you may presume of these your Friendes and take the wordes of Origen as agreeing equally vnto them both They were simple and sincere of hart chast and pure in soule of vnspotted conscience beloued of God deare to his Angels for their innocency full of brotherly charity one towards another not any did or could speake of them an euill word That they had byn sanctified not long before by the sacrifices then in vse These also on the very same day were expiated by the Christian Sacraments by a sacrifice of a farre greater force yea of infinite price De sanctitate secuÌ„ loquentes cum sororibus c. That they died holily in an action of brotherly charity and loue In a farre more holy action and exercise of piety were these taken away that what Origen sayth of theÌ„ is much more certayne of these They were taken as they were discoursing of Piety and Sanctity among themselues honouring God in their hartes praysing him as their Creatour adoring him as their Benefactour giuing him thankes as vnto their Foster-father Filij sancti sanctissimi Patris As little Innocents sit and stand play and sport togeather without any malice or vncleanes in minde so were these holy Children of their most holy Father when the blow came vpon them On the other side what cause haue you of afflictioÌ„ that did not presse more heauily vpon the fatherly hart of holy Iob You haue lost them that were deare vnto you but not more deare then was vnto him his whole family of children A stroake sayth Origen whereof none can coÌ„prehend the dolefulnes but such as know by experieÌ„ce what is the loue of a Father though the sole imaginatioÌ„ therof may moue any mans hart vnto teares of compassion He lost his Sonnes whom he had nourished to whom he had giuen best education Orig. l. 1. in Iob. that now were come to ripe yeares His Sons whom he had brought vp in piety seasoned with the feare and worshippe of God settled in charity and mutuall loue made in all kind of sanctity like to himself His Sonnes whose yssue he did desire to see whose posterity he did so earnestly expect from whom in his old age he did hope for comfort These Sonnes and not they only but also his Daughters so chast so pure so religious immaculate without blemish on whose heades on the day of their mariage he did intend to set garlands of ioy All these perished togeather at once and togeather with them spes quanta nepotum all his ioyfull hopes of glorious ofspring The death of your Friendes was dreadfull horrible wherof the very remembrance is execrable how much more the sight Not more rufull terrible then the death of the holy Children of this blessed Patriarke which Origen describes in these wordes Orig. vbi supra They dyed not an ordinary but a most lamentable death they were most miserably slayne Their bodyes were torne in peeces with stones bruysed with the weight of beames couered and defiled with dust lime and rubbish Mamocks of their torne flesh togeather with peeces of their broken bones their braynes their bowells their bloud the brothers with their sisters the sisters with their brothers lay mingled with clay morter and stone in one inseparable masse For the Diuell left nothing of them entyre not their sculls not their bowels not their stomackes not their armes not their handes not their leggs not their feete in summe not any part of their body A rufull spectacle a wofull sight yea rather no spectacle no fight at all For nothing was to be seen nothing that could be known flesh and bones stones and timber clay and morter bloud and wine lay so confusedly togeather in one heape Neyther the maisters from the seruants nor the brothers from the sisters nor his children among themselues were discernable the one from the other eyther by their faces or by their persons Thus dyed the holy innocent Children of Iob whose death yet was deare and precious in Gods sight that we might not iudge of the sanctity of mens liues by the hydeous â—hew of their deaths But Iob his Religion you will say was not reproached in regard of this accident Yes and perchance much more then the Catholike now is in respect of this late Euent For I am perswaded that all moderate Protestants behold this mischance with the eye of pitty as a misery indifferently incident vnto mankind not with eyes of disdayne as an argument of iust contempt of the ReligioÌ„ of them that stood obnoxious therunto Neyther do I thinke that they vnto whome indiscreet auersion from euery thing of our Church hath giuen the name of Pure do presse this fall as a iust reason to fall from our Religion except they be so voyd of discretion and vnwise as to make the truth of GODS Word which will not fayle though heauen earth passe away to depend on the staÌ„ding or falling of an house If some whom the temporalities they haue gotten by the banishment of our ReligioÌ„ engage and late vayne and idle feares of loosing what they haue gotten enrage against the Roman Church if these men I say by their declamations in pulpit incense the rude vulgar multitude to take this occasion to insult vpon our Religion Beato Iob insultabaÌ„t Reges Tob. 2.15 they do no more vnto vs then was also done vnto the most holy Iob in his distresse by the Ministers of Satan For who knowes not how he was assaulted and iusulted vpon by them that vpon the newes of his mishapp came to comfort him Orig. l. 1. in Iob. but the Diuell changed their hartes into bitternes agaynst him filled their mouths with blasphemyes and iniurious wordes So that in place of consolatioÌ„ they fell to reproach his Religion vrging the sayd mischance to condemne his sincerity of diuine seruice true practise of piety Wherfore as you are the consorts of holy Iob in your triall so be like vnto him in your trust and confidence in God and from his goodnes expect in deuout silence the like reward of your constancy not only a crowne of patience in the next world but also increase of temporall comfort in the present CHAP. II. Comfort by the Examples of former Christian tymes THe comfort of holy Scripture is seconded by the practise of Gods Prouidence in the Christian Church QuaecuÌ„que sunt carnis incoÌ„moda SaÌ„ctis sunt cum ceteris sine exceptione communia Cyp. ser de mortal which hath been still subiect vnto the dreadfull mischances of mortality no lesse then other men wherby both Pagans and Heretikes haue byn moued to insult vpon the Catholike Christians as I shall demonstrate by diuers Examples of the first six hundred yeares during which tyme most
kind of worldly felicity the hart of man could wish On the other side that Christians might know that they are not to serue God for these temporall goods he would haue the raigne of Iouian a most pious Emperour more short then that of Iulian the Apostata Also Graetian a godly Prince not so gracious in name as in manners he permitted vnto the sword of a rebellious Tyrant Secondly this felicity the Marke of the Church is knowne by the End which is the saluation of soules by dilatation of Christian Religion amongst Heathens and by maintenance of peace vnity in the ChristiaÌ„ Church agaynst the breaches of factious doctrine For without question Felicity that serues to so diuine heauenly an end is diuine and heauenly and sheweth the Church in fauour wherof the same is granted to be the only true Christian Church Neyther it is hard for any man to discerne vnto which Church this felicity mantayning peace of Religion amongst Christians dilating Christian Religion among the Heathens doth belonge as also where that accursed kind of felicity is found by which no Nation of Infidells hath been conuerted but only the quiet of Christendome in matters aswell of Religion as of ciuill Gouernement peruerted Thirdly this felicity proper vnto the Church is made euident by the Effect to wit by the pious workes godly liberalityes therof shining in the Princes vnto whome the same is granted For as God doth by speciall prouidence honour and enrich these Princes for the benefit of his Church so likewise by secret inspiration he doth infuse acknowledgment heerof into their hart and moueth them to discharge their debt of gratitude towardes him by shewing their liberalityes vnto his Church Thus Cyrus though a Pagan did acknowledge his temporall felicity in being made Monarch of the world from the haÌ„d of the God of Israel 2. Paralip c. 36. v. 23. for the comfort of his banished people whome therfore he set at liberty restored vnto their country and assisted them both with his authority and liberality to rebuild their Temple Who doth not know the reuerence vnto the Church the obedience vnto Bishops the magnificent bounty of erecting euery where Temples vnto Christ that shined in the most mighty and fortunate Christian Emperours as were Constantine Theodosius and Charls all three surnamed the Great Who doth not see the workes of true Christian felicity in our country and of what Religion those Princes were by whom Churches Monasteryes Hospitalls and other workes of Piety with their temporall endowments were founded This then is that kind of Temporall felicity which is to be held a Marke of the Church to wit That wherof Gods miraculous prouidence is the Authour Propagation of Christianity amongst Heathens the end Liberalityes in teÌ„poral workes of Piety the effect Without these respects to make happy Euent a note of the truth or vnlucky successe a signe of falshood what is it but to set Religion on the dyce to expose Conscience vnto chaunce to make Fayth mutable with the wind If the Professors of true ReligioÌ„ cast out of Churches by the piety of their Ancestors built meete to heare Gods word in a priuate chaÌ„ber shall Truth that remaynes for euer Veritas Domini maner in aeternum Psal 136. stand obnoxious vnto the rottenes of the roome must their fayth also fall to the ground and perish with their bodyes if happily the place breake through the weight of the multitudes that thither ouer-zealously flocke Desire of the food of their soule so drawing away their thoughts as they did not aforehand apprehend the daunger of their corporall life God forbid Progidious thinges that did happen at the change from Catholike Religion in England VVIll our Aduersaries themselues be content to haue their Religion put to this triall If they be content things in this kind recorded by their Annales will bring their cause in danger When King Henry the eight had withdrawne himself from the obedience of the Sea of Rome togeather with Schisme though agaynst his will did enter Irreligion towards the most blessed Sacrament reserued in Churches what happened Stow or Howe 's cronicle they shall vnderstand in their owne Croniclers wordes Vpon the 25. of May the rood of S. Margarets Patins by the Tower-street in London was pulled downe and broken in peeces togeather with the Tabernacle And three nights after to wit on the 27. of May was a great fire in the same S. Margarets Parish not farre from the Church the which flre consumed there more then a dozen â—ouses and many persons men and women brent to death Was not this a iudgment did not God presently punish that fact of Heresy with fire the punishment by Christian custome appoynted for that kind of impiety Did not the fire come iust in time to punish that irreligious act hauing giuen them first three dayes to repent according to that decree of the Scripture Esd 10. 8. He that within three dayes shall not come backe to HierusaleÌ„ his whole substance shall be consumed Did not the fire fall right in the place where the sin was committed as if God by sending that fire had sayd vnto them you haue disquieted my Tabernacle violated my house abused my sacred Body left you vnder the forme of bread and would not repent therfore in vengeance therof I now burne your tabernacles fire your houses consume your bodyes into ashes When Queene Elizabeth in the second yeare of her reigne had put Catholiks from all Churches not permitting them so much as one for the Religion that all her Christian Progenitours Kings of England had professed who knowes not what happened vnto the Chiefe the most goodly and glorious of all those Churches presently vpon the very next yeare their Religion being scarse yet warme in the profession thereof An. Reg. 3. On the fourth of Iune sayth the same Annalist betweene foure and fiue of the afternoone the steeple of Paules in London was fired by lightening The fire brast forth as it seemed to the beholders two or three yardes beneath the foote of the Crosse and from thence brent the speere which was of two hundred and sixty foote downe to the stone-worke and bells so terribly that within the space of foure houres the same steeple with the roofe of the Church so much as was timber or otherwise combustible were consumed which was a lamentable sight and pittifull remembrance to the beholders therof Thus he This was the welcome Heauen gaue vnto the new Religion then entring into our Kingdome by fiering vpon them that most magnificent Temple which vnder Catholikes had stood almost a thousand yeares They that vrge the falling of an old chamber as miraculous vengeance sent from heauen vpon Catholike ReligioÌ„ what can they with any shew of probability answere vnto theÌ„ that will presse them with this prodigious lightening fiering which came directly from heaueÌ„ vpon them Specially seeing therwith their Communion-table was also fired though
their Cronicler to saue the credit of their Ghospell make no mention therof Neyther is it without mystery that this fire brake forth from vnder the foote of the Crosse as comming agaynst the enemyes of the signe of the Crosse and to shew Gods anger agaynst them for their contempt of that most holy instrument of our redemption What will they say vnto another Prodigy also set downe in their Annals that vpon the tyme their Religion was begotten by Q Elizabeth and christened in England Iust at the same tyme so many monstruous births happened within two or three moneths as the like is not noted in any of our antiquityes This yeare sayth the sayd M. Stow were many monstruous births In march a mare brought forth a foale with one body and two heades and as it were a long tayle growing betweene the two heades also a Sow farrowed a pig with foure leggs like to the armes of a man-child with handes and fingers c. In April a Sow farrowed a pig with two bodyes eight feete and but one head Many calues and lambes were monstruous some with collars of skins growing about their neckes like to the dubble ruffes of shirts and neckercheffs then vsed On the twentith of May a man-child was borne at Chichester in Sussex the head armes and legges wherof were like an anatomy the breast and belly monstrous bigge from the nauill as it were a longe stringe was hanging about the necke a great collar of flesh and skinne like to the ruffe of a shirt comming vp aboue the eares playting and folding Thus he Was it by chance thinke you that so many monstruous and vgly Births happened thus on a heap togeather with the birth of your Ghospell or rather were they not sent by Gods prouidence to lay before eueÌ„ your carnall eyes the fedity and deformity of your change from the fayth of all your Christian Auncestors I will heere conclude without passing into forrayne countryes only I will intreate our Aduersaries to looke out of England no further then they may almost from thence reach with their corporall sight to wit vnto the Hill on the Sea-shoare neere vnto Deepe There the ruines of one of their Temples are yet to be seen which fell vpon their reformed Puritan Auditory at the tyme of the Preach wherwith foure hundred with the Minister were oppressed The cause of this ouerthrow was not vulgar and ordinary as in our case but a strange and terrible whirle-winde raysed and sent by Gods speciall prouidence to punish them The remembrance of this whirlwind and wofull accident will happily take from them their insulting spirit or at least so blow away their vayne and friuolous clamors that this accident was Gods vengeance vpon vs for our ReligioÌ„ as they will not be heard with esteeme by any man of iudgment The death of the Catholike Preacher of this Sermon compared with the death of Caluin and Zuinglius BVt they thinke we shall not find amongst their Ministers any that was stroken with so suddayne and disastrous a death as the Iesuite Preacher of this SermoÌ„ was This shews how ignoraÌ„t they are of their owne Church and how like the Lamiae of whome Plutarch writes that being at home they pull their eyes out of their head Luther tom 7. WitteÌ„b fol. 230. a. post medium Conradus Schlusselburg in Theolog. Caluin l. 2. fol. 72. and locke them vp in coffers and they only vse them when they are disposed to goe abroad to visit their Neighbours Doth not Luther write that their great Grand-sire Oecolampadius was killed in his bedde shaken with horrible frights the Diuell appearing to him and this in punishment of his errour agaynst the Sacrament Doth not a famous Protestant Super-intendent giue this testimony of the death of the Puritans Dad Iohn Caluin God sayth he in the rod of his fury punished Caluin before the dreadfull houre of his vnhappy death with his mighty hand For being in despayre and calling vpon the Diuell he gaue vp his wicked soule swearing cursing blaspheming He dyed on the disease of lice and wormes increasing in a most loath-some vlcer about his priuy partes so as none present could endure the stench These be the wordes of that Protestant But because this happend within the walls of Geneua and in Caluins priuy Chamber we cannot haue such proofe therof but Puritans will outface both Protestants and vs. Wherfore we will bringe them out of the walls of Geneua into the open field out of Caluins closet into the sight of heauen and earth Iuell defence of the Apology pag. 6â—6 Osiander in Epitom hist Eccl. Cent. 16. pag. 203. Gualt Apol. fol. 30. a. prope finem obijt in bello Zuinglius Armatus obijt vnto a spectacle wherof two whole armyes were witnesses Behold Hulderick Zuinglius whom they honour as a Prophet ioyned in commission with Luther to preach the eternall Ghospell as an excellent man sent of God to giue light vnto the whole world in the midst of darknes wheÌ„ truth was vnknowne and vnheard off This Minister or rather Patriarke of the Ministry as themselues confesse hauing sought by famine to oppresse fiue Catholicke townes and force them by want of victuals to consent vnto his doctrine when they stood in their defence came armed into the field where hauing first embrued his sword in much Christian bloud himselfe togeather with fiue other Militant Ministers was slayne in the battayle I desire the Christian to compare togeather these two deaths the one of Robert Drury that dyed preaching by this last accident The other of the Reformitan Zuinglius which I haue set downe out of their owne recordes This done then in the sight of that God that hateth iniquity and loueth charity let him define which of the two deaths be iudgeth most Christian and happy or with which of the two Preachers he would rather wish his soule Lutherani apud GualteruÌ„ in Apol. fol. 8. a initio Gladium à Christo prohibituÌ„ corripuit Gladius Spiritus quod est verbum Dei Eph. 4.26 Zuinglius the Patriarke of Puritans Ministers dyed as he was pransing on his warlike palfrey with his pistoll at his side and launce in his hande This Father of the Society of Iesus sitting in a chayre the seate and ensigne of Apostolicall authority to preach clothed with such Priestly ornaments as the Church doth prescribe for the more decent performance of that office The one with a sworde in his hand stretching forth his arme to spill ChristiaÌ„ bloud the other with the sword of Gods holy truth in his mouth the enemy only of sinne and vice spreading abroad his armes to gather into the bosome of God and his Church soules redeemed with Christ his most precious bloud The one exhorting both by word and example his armed auditory Noui exquisitissimi facinoris fax auctor Osiand vbi supra to reuenge to murder to massacre The other * His text was serue
this Holy Hoste in which the Emperour was in person with other great Princes of Europe And the Saint wrought many miracles as the healing of diuers that had byn borne blind and lame to shew it was Gods will they should goe They went they were dispersed they were killed they dyed of Famine very few returned backe into their countryes A most sad accideÌ„t and so dreadfull as it filled all Europe with lamentations and teares Why was this done Gods holy purpose heerin was that men by that leauing their friends and country by the pious labour of the iourney Vide ep Bern. 333. by that offering their liues vnto danger for Christian Religion being cleansed and hauing satisfied for their sinnes might in the seruour of their pennance happily dy be eternally saued Some holy meÌ„ that liued in that Age Ioâ—annes Abbas Casaemarij had reuelations wherin whilest the whole Christian world was drowned in sorrow for the dishonour and death of their friendes they saw the Angels exult in heauen and heard them reioyce singe because many of their seates made voyd by the fall of their fellowes were filled agayne with the saued soules of them that dyed in that voyage O how contrary vnto the iudgments of flesh bloud are the courses of God! who to worke the saluation of soules little regards yea laughes at the temporall disgrace ouerthrow and slaughter of a thousand of armyes and no wonder seing in this case he spared not the bloud of his only Sonne What can Christian Piety thinke better of Gods infinite goodnes but that he ordayned this meeting for the saluation and entrance into heauen of many soules at once seing they were afore hand so Religiously prepared for death For that day the most of them were purified by the Sacrament of the Church and all of them afterward sanctified by the preaching of Gods holy Word and the doctrine of Charity which hydeth the multitude of sinnes Prouerb 10.12 1. Pet. 4.8 Isa 6.3 Why then may we not thinke that as their bodyes by the weight of nature fell to the ground so their soules with the Seraphicall winges of Charity which the Sermon gaue them tooke their flight togeather at the same tyme into the bosome of God Illuminatos oculos cordis Eph. 1.18 They that haue the eyes of their Fayth more quicke then their sight of flesh and bloud will easily belieue there was not greater weeping amongst their friendes on earth for their bodyes then was reioycing among the Angels in Heauen for their soules 〈◊〉 the saying of S. Hierome be true and what more true being taken from the mouth of Verity it selfe Hier. ep ad Heliod Luc. 12.37 Beatiserâ—â— quos cum venerit Dominus inuenerit vigilaÌ„tes Happy the â—an whom the LAST HOVRE findes imployed in the Diuine â—eruice Then were these men most happy whom the LAST HOVRE yea moment of life found in the … blest act of the Diuine seruice hearing his holy Word â—ith great content and deuotion of soule As for Protestants that were present it is likely there were few such in hart yet it there were any we may … pe yea we need not doubt of Gods mercy towardes … hem in that moment He endued their harts with the … ght of true Fayth with sorrow for their sinnes with … uall or at least virtuall desire of the Sacraments of the Church and so they found by happy experience the … th of that Diuine promise Isa 45. 1â— Ezec. 18.21 1. Pet. 3. Matth. 24.37 Hier. in qq Hebr. Bellar. l. 4 de Christ c. 11. In whatsoeuer houre the sinner … ene vnto me I will not remember any of his sinnes If many that â—â—â— been incredulous in the dayes of Noe feasting and banquetting i … derision of the Deluge he threatned to come vpon them … en they saw themselues inclosed with inundations of water cryed vnto God and God as soone as they cryed 〈◊〉 pardon sent vpon them the Spirit of his grace heard 〈◊〉 grones and sighs of their pennance notwithstanding 〈◊〉 hydeous roaring of waues may we not with more … son hope of the conuersion of these that came spontaâ—â—ously to this Sermon They were taken not feasting … d banquetting but in an exercise of piety not as they … e deriding but as they were diligent in hearing Gods … y Word and as they were by the power therof mol … ied togeather with others to sorrow for their sinnes Could the cracke of the chaÌ„ber in the fall so drown their grones as they passed not into the eare of Gods mercy Could the dust rubbish so hide their lifting vp of harts and handes for pardon as not to be perceaued by the eye of his goodnes Can we thinke that God that loueth soules brought these men desirous of sauing truth to a Sermon where the same was preached Sap. 11.17 to dye in the very preaching therof but that they should be saued He prouided them a Preacher to sound the word of Saluation to their care shall we thinke his spirit was waÌ„ting to print the same in their hart A Sparow though not worth a farthing falles not to the ground without the heauenly Father Matth. 10.27 and could men desirous of sauing truth for whome Christ dyed fall with the sound therof in their eare without the Heauenly Father working in their soules No no Surely it was for their eternall happines that he conducted them where they should be so Religlously occupyed so deuoutly disposed Eue. 13.30 so penitently affected in that moment on which eternity dependes Comming with the last they were rewarded with the first and they haue proued with the holy Prophet Psal 83.11 that it is a better choyce Abiectus esse in domo Domini quà m habitare in tabernaculis peccatorum To be abiected or cast downe to the ground in the house of God theÌ„ to liue in the Tabernacle of sinners Now to returne vnto the Catholikes slayne some may obiect that they dyed suddainly wheÌ„ they did not think I answere that suddaynes of death is a fauour in them that are prepared as these were In this their death coÌ„curred what is good and to be wished in each kind eyther of suddaine or expected death The good of suddaynes is to be quit of the terrour of expectation of death which many times is more terrible then death it selfe â— longè grauior expectata quà m illata mors Hier. in vita Malchi They that expect death as imminent their good is to be prepared by harty coÌ„trition of sinnes agaynst it the want wherof is the only thing feared in them that are suddainly taken away Now behold the happines of these men they wanted the terrour of the expectation of death but not the piety of preparation for death through the suddaines of the accident wherby they dyed the weakenes of Nature had scarse any time to feele the terrour of death through the
by the vniuersall cry of Christian Preachers in all Ages hath byn successiuely sounded vnto theÌ„ then vpon theÌ„ that depose their priuate conceyts gotteÌ„ by their own inquisition into Gods worde to be the only Christian diuine sauing Truth so filling the world with innumerable dissonant sects For as what fancy thinketh that the bell ringeth so what Heresy imagineth that in their conceyte the Scripture soundeth This being so why doth Heresy insult vpon Religion in regard of an accident common vnto men and vnto which their owne sect is continually subiect Why should Charity be frighted to see such deaths in their dearest Friends that may happen and often do happen vnto greatest Saynts Why doth Fayth complayne or wonder at this course of Gods prouideÌ„ce which he hath set down to himselfe in his Word and which hath been still his ordinany since the world Why doth zeale grieue without comfort to see the Church her enemies triumph not rather pitty their case that after a moment of malice and contempt shall be carryed to burne for euer in Hell The Holy Ghost doth acknowledge this kind of Crosses to be the greatest the worst vnder the sunne yet not so ill vnto you the children of the Church as vnto the sonnes of men I meane them whose Religion as different from the Catholike is humane nothing but a denyall of high mysteries * As that the Eucharist is not bread but the body of Christ That the Saintes heare our prayers That God assist his Church she cannot erre That the Body of Christ is in sundry places at once That Sacraments worke Grace Priests remit sins c. Tobias c. 2. contrary to the seeming of flesh and bloud Vnto these Humanists I say this accident is worse and causeth greater mischiefe then vnto you It doth grieue and afflict your hart it doth harden and obdurate their hart It doth fill you with sorrow and sadnes It filleth them with malice and contempt It bringeth teares from your eyes grones from your breast it fetcheth blasphemyes from their mouths iniuries from their handes It makes you weary of mortall and miserable life vnder the sunne not desiring comfort till you come to enioy with your Friends the felicity aboue the sunne It makes them ioy in the sunne-shine of the greatest vanity vnder the sunne not admitting of the light of Faith that looketh aboue the sunne so continuing in their errours vntill they be carried from vnder the sunne vnto the greatest mysery that is vnder the earth Call to mind the ExaÌ„ple of the holy Tobias in whom you may behold a patterne of your present afflicted state He was strucken blind with swallows dunge falling into his eyes when coÌ„ming home from burying the bodyes of the faythfull that had been slayne he cast himself down vnder the wall of his house to sleep through wearines of pious labour not able to go further A strange miserable accident scarse euer heard of before sent as it might seeme by the hand of Gods prouidence vpon him euen in his most feruent exercise of Religion Amici cognati eius deridebant eum c. 2. v. 15. Neyther was infidelity then waÌ„ting straight to scorne and deride his piety yea his owne countrymen and kindred insulted vpon him Where is thy hope for which thou didst good workes Now thine almes-deedes appeare As if they had sayd Now the fruite of thy deedes of Charity is seene Now thy Religion of workes is brought to light Thou art punished with blindnes that thou maist see thine own blindnes to thinke that one by workes can please God winne his loue merit his fauour purchase heauen Thus did auncient Infidelity speake in the Puritan language which now dayly soundes in our eares HeÌ„ce we know that for God to send strange disasters vpon his seruants hath been euer his custome wherby their ReligioÌ„ hath byn brought into scorne and themselues into sorow as now we are In which occasion on what can we better thinke for our comfort then on the golden wordes of this glorious Toby which he spake in answere vnto his deriders shewing the TraditioÌ„ of his holy Auncestors that deliuered from hand to hand that doctrine vnto him from which they had changed Nolite ita loqui quia FILII SANCTORVM sumus vitam illam expectamus quam daturus est ijs qui Fidem suam NVNQVAM MVTANT ab eo Do not speake in this manner because we are the ChildreÌ„ of the Saints or holy Fathers and we exspect that life which God will giue vnto them that NEVER CHANGE THEIR FAITH froÌ„ him vpon any accident or occasion whatsoeuer Put before your eyes the patience of holy Iob in that most rufull and horrible disaster when all his ten Children with many seruants were oppressed by the fall of an house togeather all once Betwixt which accident and our mischance there are so many similitudes In domo fratris primogeniti Iob. 1 13. Le Filz aisné de l'Eglise Hoc est Praecepâ—uÌ„ meum Ioa. 15. 22. Orig. l. 1. in Iob. corporall in their behalfe spirituall on our side as that may seeme to haue byn a figure of this That happened in the house of the first begotteÌ„ sonne of Iob This in his house who represents the person of that King that is tearmed the fiâ—st-begotten Sonne of the Church They were oppressed as they were sitting at the meate of their body These as tâ—ey were taking the ghostly refection of their soule They died as they were keeping a Feast in token of their fraternall vnanimity and concord These as they were at a spirituall banquet at a Sermon wherin was preached vnto them the Christian Precepts of mutuall charity and loue So the words of Origen are true of them both Tunc nouissimum vnanimitatis concordia prandium pranderunt super terram In coelis namque aeternae gloriae incorruptionis beatitudine pariter fruuntur The cause of that slaughter was Satan in malice agaynst the Religion of their Father The cause of this slaughter was the same Satan for he is the Author of all euill in hatred of the ReligioÌ„ of their Fore-fathers of the Holy Catholike Church their Mother See Titelmanus in Iob. FactuÌ„ est in principio Hebdomadae ita paraphrasis Chaldaica Iob. 1.5 They were slayne after the circle of the seauen dayes were runne about on the Sabboth when in the morning before they had byn sanctified by the sacrifice of their holy Father offering an Holocaust for euery one These also were slayne when the weeke was expired on the day of the Christian Sabboth when the most of them at least had byn sanctified in the morning by the Christian most pure Sacrifice and by being partakers of the Sacrament or Holocaust of Christ his most pretious Body and Bloud giuen whole and entire seuerally to euery one Compare your case with that of this holy Prophet and consider what reason of comfort he had which you haue not much more strong