Truth I say then that it is at once disingenuous dangerous and silly to entertain such blind thoughts I pray God these motives may have a strong influence upon you by the assistance of God's Grace which is never wanting to those that are not wanting to themselves and imprint in your Soul the Character of Truth that you may conquer all oppositions of Vnderstanding or Will which may bar your ready Obedience thereunto First divest your mind of all prepossess'd Opinions and worldly respects in favour of any Sect or in dislike of the true ancient Church so as truly having deposed all obstinate prepossessions of your Iudgment you 'll be easily persuaded that the Roman Church is the true Church wherein only is Salvation to be had Pursue this Quest my Lord suffer not your self to be mis-led by the seducing of flattering blind Guides or Obstinacy Adjourn not this Quest Say not as Felix said to St. Paul Acts 24.25 When I have a convenient season I will call for thee The World expects your happy Return to the Glorious Liberty of the Sons of God. Alexander the Great my Lord being asked if he would run at the Olympick Games said I could be content so I might run with Kings Begin then to exercise a Virtuous Ambition in running after Kings at the Olympick Game for an Eternity of never-ending Glory in the Roman Communion in so doing you may know that you run with two and twenty brave Kings of England that were Saints you run with King Charles II. whose dear Favourite you have been who by the quick-sighted piercing eye of his natural Iudgment said in his Speech That Christ can have but one Church and that the same is the Roman Catholick Church and that Christ left his Power to it even to forgive sins He desired to know How came that Church to lose that Power and by what Authority men separated themselves from it His Majesty answers saying That it was that particular men raised Schism for their own advantage Here my Lord you see the King leaves the heavy guilt of SCHISM at the door of the Protestant Sect. You run with our most Sacred Leige and Sovereign King JAMES II. whom God preserve for many many happy years whose Motto is Let Life and Three Kingdoms lie at stake Before I damn my Soul or true Faith forsake Run with King James I. of ever Renowned Memory who did acknowledge in open Parliament That the Roman Catholick Church is the only Mother-Church of all Churches See Stow pag. 840. Run finally my Lord with all the present Kings in Christendom excep those of Swedeland and Denmark who reign in that Cold Cloudy and Sin-darkned Northern Corner of the World where Heresie is entertained by a company of dull stupid people that will not penetrate Run I pray with the best part of Mankind in all Ages with the wisest Heads of the World for unfeigned Holiness and Learning Run along with these irradiant Pole-Stars and you cannot go astray and it 's an undoubted truth that the Life Example and Heroick Actions of a Prince have usually a greater sway upon the minds of his Subjects than his Laws for the Example of a King is a living Law which secretly over-rules mens minds and bends them to a compliance with it None can deny this but those who have their Iudgments swallowed up by prejudice and whose blind passions have over-run their reason Listen therefore to the Voice of Heaven Apoca. 18.24 Go out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues Schism my Lord and damn'd Heresie to which you pertinaciously adhere are most grievous Plagues from it redeem your precious Soul from forfeiture that has been this long time mortgaged to Death for Sectae non possi debunt Regnum Dei and non est prudentia nec concilium contra Dominum and Sapientis est mutare concilium Make it my Lord your daily Prayer to God to settle you in the right This said my very good Lord begin to put on in the Name of Ever-glorious Iesus a Noble Resolution to shake off those Chains and Bonds of that Monstrous Tyrant Schism which detains you in slavery let the scales of blind misguided Zeal fall from your eyes that you may see to find out a most secure Vnerring Guide in your Iourney towards a happy Eternity I beseech the Father of Lights and Mercy to illuminate your Vnderstanding with Beams of his Saving Grace that you may learn embrace and practise the Faith of Christ which shall be the daily Prayer of me who intreats your Grace to bestow one Grace which is to permit me to bear all my Life-time the Title of your humble Chaplain being always Your most obsequious and faithful Servant I. E. He may be won that longest does resist To pray for your Return I 'll ne'r desist I 'll ne'r despair of any whil'st I see A fruitless Tree may next year fruitful be A WINDING-SHEET FOR THE Schism of England CHAP. I. THe ALMIGHTY as a most Divine Architect rais'd the Fabrick of his Church in this World as a medium to Salvation a Man for not hearing this Church is term'd in St. Matth. 18.18 a Publican or Heathen Protestants segregating themselves and not hearing this Church are in a most lamentable state Sure a natural unity and connection of the Parts among themselves and to the Head is necessary for the conservation of the natural Body Christ promised that there should be Unity in his Church St. Iohn 10.16 They shall be made one Fold and one Pastor This Unity is most requisite in God's Church St. Iohn 17.11 Christ prayed that his Disciples should be one And again 1. Cor. 1.10 I beseech you that you all speak one and the same thing and that there be no Schism among you but that you be perfect in one judgment Protestants denies and flyes from this Unity being divided and subdivided Christ praying Sure his Prayer took effect his People his Flock and Congregation being still one in the bonds of Peace The pretended Reformation have no Unity differing in most essential Points for Salvation therefore no true Church the Roman Catholick Church and no other stands firm and infallible against all the tempests of Apostacy Heresie and Schism and this by her Unity and Uniformity Sure by confession of Protestants the Roman Church was once the true Church according to St. Paul Rom. 1.8 First I thank my Lord through Iesus Christ that your Faith is spoken of throughout the whole World. And again v. 7. To all that be in Rome beloved of God call'd to the Saints Grace to you and Peace Now I say having it once how could they but retain the same Faith still infallibly For no general Council even ever yet condemned her of Error none of the holy Fathers ever wrote against her and by no authority was she to this day reproved of Schism for she left no Church or Company
de Eucharistia And was adored with outward Gestures as the true Body of Christ in Concil Ephes. in Epist. and Nestor in Concil Nicaen c. 14. To give prime Honour and supreme to St. Peter Bishop of the first See as Universal Pastor and Vicegerent of Christ Concil Nicaen c. 15. Concil Chalced. Act. 4. 16. constit c. 5. To pray to Saints that they may intercede for us in Concil Chalced. Act. 11. Prayers for the Dead offered publickly and privately in St. Augustin's time August de cura pro mortuis In those days the Church held the Fast of Forty days of Lent as Apostolical Tradition St. Hier. ad Marcel Ep. 54. Fridays likewise Confession and priestly Absolution St. August Homil. 49. saith The Keys given to the Church is to some purpose sure We must not frustrate the words of Christ. So St. Basil Tertullian St. Clement c. And thus of all other Points in Controversy we may find Reason Authority Practice and uninterrupted Custom in all Ages as Napier in his Treatise on the Revelations pag. 145. confesseth saying After 300 years the Emperour Constantine subdued all Christian Churches to Pope Silvester from which time till these our days the Pope and his Clergy hath possess'd the outward and visible Church Protestants employment being not at all to convert Heathens but to pervert those already converted Tertul. praescr c. 42. And we may find in the Writings of Roman Catholick Authors Orthodox Fathers that the Doctrine now held by Protestants were condemned as Heretical in those Persons that then held them For Example The Protestant hold that the Church may err so did the Donatists who were condemned by St. Augustin Potestants deny unwritten Tradition and urge Scripture only so did the Arrians and were condemned by St. Augustin and Epiphanius Protestants teach that Priests may marry so did Vigilantius and condemned by St. Hierom contr Vigilant c. 1. Protestants deny Prayers for the Dead so did Arrius condemned by St. August haer 53. and St. Epiphan haer 75. Protestants deny invocation of Saints so did Vigilantius for which he was condemned by St. Hierom contra Vigilant c. 3. Protestants deny the Real Presence so did the Capernaits and Berengarius who reclaimed and did Penance Protestants deny confession of Sins to a Priest so the Novatian Hereticks did reproved and condemned by St. Ambros. lib. de penitent c. 7. So did the Montanists condemned by St. Hierom Epist. ad Marcel 54. I leave off an addition of many other Points which makes really the new-moulded Protestant Sect appear but a meer frippery or hodge-podge of old condemned Heresies Hence you may understand that the Doctrine of the Roman Church is this day as it was 1600 years ago still one Holy Catholick Apostolick and Unchang'd grounded on such a solid unshaken Foundation that it is never to be brought down by the Gates of Hell i. e. Heresie Schism Apostacy Wranglings foolish Fopperies Lyings Railings c. Now Sir if you are sufficiently toss'd and wearied out with variety of Disputes and desire to put an end to them now follow the guide and direction of the Roman Catholick Church in Faith Religion Sacraments Sacrifice and Doctrine all which are derived from Christ himself to his blessed Apostles from the Apostles down to us and is to continue in the same heavenly Channel of Succession unto the end of the World Which Roman Catholick Church hath obtain'd supreme Authority from the Apostolick See by a wonderous succession of Bishops by the judgment of the People by the gravity and authority of Councils and lastly by the Majesty of Miracles And not to submit to this Divine Authority sure is the height of Impiety and precipitant Arrogancy and not to Dotages of particular idle Intruders Now as Rebellion is the bane of Civil Government in Kingdoms and Peace and Concord the preservation of the same so is Schism Division and diversity of Faith the ruin and calamity of the Church and Unity Peace and Uniformity the special Blessing of God therein and in the Church above all Commonwealths because it is in all points a Monarchy tending every way to Unity there being but one God one Christ one Church one Faith one Hope one Head one Body one Baptism Christ's Church is a Society of those that God hath called to Salvation by the profession of the true Faith Religion dread Sacrifice the sincere Administration of Sacraments and the adherence to a lawful Pastor as Head which Description is so fitted and proportioned to the Church that it resembles the Nest of the Halcyon which according to Plutarch is of such a just and exact size for the measure of her Body that it can serve no other Bird either greater or lesser Since Christianity is a Doctrine of Faith a Doctrine whereof all Men are capable of and since the high virtue of Faith is in the humility of our Understanding and the merit thereof in the ready obedience to embrace it what madness it is for any Man to tire out his Soul to wast away his Spirits in tracing out all the thorny Paths of the main Controversies of these our backsliding days wherein to err is easie and dangerous what through the malice of Authors abusing him what through Sophistry beguiling him what through blind Passion and Prejudice transporting him and not rather betake himself to the right way of Truth whereunto Christ Reason Nature and Experience do all give witness and that is to associate himself to that Church established by Christ whereunto the custody of a heavenly and supernatural Truth hath been from Heaven it self committed to weigh and find out discreetly which is the true Church to receive it chearfully and discreetly without doubt or discussion whatsoever it delivers without any farther inquisition she having the warrant that he that hears her hears Christ and whosoever hears her not hath no better place with God than a Publican and Pagan And what folly is it now to receive Scriptures upon the credit of her Authority and not to receive the interpretation of them upon her Authority and Credit also Sure if God should not always protect his Church from Error and yet peremptorily commanding Men upon pain of Damnation to obey her always then had he made very slender provision for the Salvation of Mankind which conceit concerning God would render us very ungratefully impious These Considerations or Motives may very easily perswade Persons of Reason and Piety to embrace and maintain that which they know to be the Religion of their Fore-fathers before her Adversaries had a Name her Doctrine having had a very long continuance which cannot easily be supposed in the present possessors to be a Design since they have received it down from so many Ages and it is not likely that all Ages should have the same purposes or that the same Doctrine should serve the several different ends of divers Ages relying upon the Grounds to wit that Truth is more ancient than Falshood
relieving even in the dead of Winter and to the hazarding your life with extraordinary speed the City of Waterford when besieged eighteen days by the Vsurper Cromwell he having assured all his Adherents that that City was most extremely his These my Lord your Heroick Vndertakings to promote Loyalty the same Loyalty which now stands the top and most visible of your Grace's most Illustrious Titles and Characters which rendred you all along a great Favourite of our late deceased Sovereign and makes you now most dear unto his present Majesty King JAMES the Second These I say are so notoriously known both at home and abroad that even base Envy and Detraction have but rendred them to be the more acknowledged and most illustriously conspicuous These my Lord not common actings are patterns of your unbounded Merits these Heroick Efforts Vndertakings and brave never-to-be-forgotten Performances proceeded sure from that your Noble Genius or natural propension to Monarchy in detestation of Democracy and Anarchy Now my Lord you are to apply that your clear Eagle-ey'd Iudgment and great Wisdom in owning and honouring that great Monarchy which Christ established here on Earth governed by one Visible Head the Vniversal Pastor Vicegerent of Christ and Successor to St. Peter to whom he gave special warrant to govern his Flock And it 's an undoubted truth my Lord that the Interest and Conservation of Kingly Government is twisted with true ancient Christian Religion that it seems animated with one and the same Soul for like to Hippocrates's Twins they smile and weep together and live and die together For even as Rebellion is the bane of Civil Kingdoms and Peace and Concord the preservation of them even so Schism is the utter ruine of the Church of Christ Peace Vnity Vniformity the special gift of God therein and in the true Church above all Kingdoms or Common-wealths because it 's in all points a glorious conspicuous Monarchy tending every way to Vnity there being but one God one Christ one Flock one Pastor one Hope one Faith one Body one Head as the Apostle assures us To this heavenly Monarchy my Lord you are invited all Sects or false new-fangled Churches cannot pretend to be a Monarchy having no Head nor united Body but a confused Chaos I am confident that your Grace is a Master of more solid reason than to ground your Faith upon an uncertain Foundation or to pin the Salvation of your Soul on the bare sleeves of any Sect whose Guides are failable and fallible in all mens Opinions when you may enquire and find out a secure Infallible Guide leading to that Eternity of Glory you were created for The great reason my Lord the great motive that excited Dr. Vane Dr. Cressey Dr. King Bishop of London the Bishop of Glocester with very many more to separate from the Protestant blind Sect was because they found no safe secure certain human infallible unerring warrantable Iudge to interpret Scriptures and define questions of Faith without errour with any promise and privilege from Christ among the Protestants And consider my Lord that it 's very probable that the last Verdict and Sentence of the forlorn Protestant Sect is already written in Heaven that it must soon yield and fall to nothing as all other damn'd Heresies have done for it 's but folly to pretend to secure by human arts that which God is resolved to destroy Are you peradventure afraid or asham'd that Sectaries will blame you of inconstancy in changing or removing to the Roman Communion Sure we Mortals have above bruit Beasts the Resurrection of our Bodies we have above Devils to repent reclaim and flie from sin especially that most heinous sin of Schism and Heresie for Sectae non possi debunt Regnum Dei Galat. 5. So as that you must want constancy only to sin Sapientis est mutare consilium nullus pudor est ad meliora convertie Sure it was no blemish to St. Paul to turn to Christ from a Persecutor it was no shame to Constantine the Great of a Heathen to become a Roman Catholick Converted and Baptized by Pope Sylvester and it was no blemish to Louis I. King of France to be drawn to Christ's Faith by a Woman Then what shame can it be to your Grace to forsake Schism and come to the true Mother-Church the which King James I. of Blessed Memory did acknowledge in open Parliament to be the only Mother-Church of all Churches I hope my Lord you are none of those who say to God Job 21. Depart from us we will not have the knowledge of thy ways I hope you are none of those which abhor to hear good Inspirations flie and detest good Company and Books lest by such occasions they might be touched in conscience and so be converted and saved I hope you are none of those most unfortunate hard-hearted men whereof the Prophet Isa. 28. speaketh We have strucken a league with Death and made a bargain with Hell it self which is in effect as much as if they had said Trouble us not molest us not with thy persuasions spend not thy words and labour in vain talk to others who are not yet settled let them take Heaven that will we for our parts are resolved we are at a point we have made a league that must be kept we have made a bargain that must be performed yea though it be with Hell and Death everlasting O what a wonderful fury and obduration of an unrelenting heart is this My Lord when men are byass'd or prepossess'd they lie open to be imposed upon to the belief of a down-right Lye or to the disbelief of a manifest demonstration of an infallible Truth and so to be mis-led to a plausible Errour The great reason why there are few in comparison who now-adays come to a right understanding and a well-grounded persuasion in matters of Faith is because they are not many who make a due enquiry with sincerity and unbyassed disposition sure such who wilfully remain under the power of the false Principles which were instill'd in them in their Education or who blindly following failable and fallible Guides whose persons they have in admiration and veneration resolving never to trouble themselves with a free and impartial use of their own Iudgment concerning those Doctrines which they have in their own Opinion wisely and safely as they imagine taken upon trust led away by lofty conceits and opinion of their own Reason and Capacity will not suffer them to attempt any sincere ingenuous Examination of such things as imply a possibility of being deceived in points of Faith whence it comes to pass that they weigh only what is offered in favour of their own side and make it the great end of their search not to follow what shall appear to be true upon enquiry but rather to be confirmed in their present erroneous Persuasion it 's no wonder then that such as do enquire thus are rather hardned in Errour than convinced of the
of Belief thus What I believe I received from the present Church the present from the Primitive the Primitive from the blessed Apostles these from Christ Christ from God and God the prime supreme Fountain of Verity from no other Fountain different from his infallible Knowledge So as we must cleave to the present Church firmly believing the constant Tradition thereof successively So as if any have taught contrary points of Faith than what is revealed the Catholick Church hath condemned them for Hereticks which is a sufficient proof that until such heretical Spirits some one or more Traditions of the Church were universally believed As for Example The Doctrine of Christ's consubstantiality or being of the same substance with the Father no Man of reason will deny but that it was generally believed in the Church before the days of the Arch-heretick Arrius and that the Council of Nice condemning him was a sufficient proof that the Doctrine he opposed was the Universal Tradition of the Church by force and vertue whereof he was overthrown and not by Scripture only The various ridiculous attempts of Protestants had hitherto no better success than Achelous had in fighting with Hercules who took upon him several shapes hoping in one or other to overcome him but was by Hercules beaten through all his shapes and forced at last to take his own proper shape and yield Even so Protestants fighting against Roman Catholicks are daily by them beaten thro' all their changes forms shifts and inventions through which they wander yet are forced at last to take their true form of Protestancy which is obstinately to deny and even protest against manifest Truth against general Councils holy Fathers and consent of all Nations But I do heartily pray that it would please God to bring them to the true ancient heavenly form which they ought to have which is of Roman Catholick and not perpetually roul like the blinded Sodomites wander and grope in the darkness of uncertainty and instabibity until eternal Torments seize upon them One great egregious fraud you may observe amongst the Canonical Protestants viz. That when they dispute against Roman Catholicks they have recourse to the Scripture and will be tryed by that only but when they dispute against Puritans and other Sectaries who can deal with them at their own Weapon the Scripture only then they have their recourse to the Fathers and the old Tradition of the Church just using the very same Arguments against Sectaries that Catholicks do against them particularly in the baptising of Infants against the Anabaptists and the keeping of the first day of the week holy against the Sabbatarians who would have Saturday for either of which there is not any command in Scripture And shall Tradition serve them in those cases and not in others And this shift is such a one as St. Augustin Psal. 80. witnesses to be common to Foxes and now to Hereticks for even as the Foxes have two holes to save themselves by one when they are driven from the other so Hereticks whom the Scripture figured out by Foxes Cant. 2.15 have a double passage to save themselves by the one when they are assaulted by the other so that he that will catch them must set his Nets before both issues and besiege both passages As ever yet to this day the excellent Writers among Catholicks have done and have left them neither Tradition nor Scripture whereby to escape Confusion and the shame of Schism and Heresie for it is but folly to pretend to secure by human crafty Arts that which God is resolved to destroy AN APPENDIX PRotestants corrupts Scripture in their Translations most shamefully wickedly and impiously for to make good and justifie their Schism To make Catholicks Idolaters they in the year 1562. corrupted the Scripture 2. Cor. 6. How agreeth the Temple of God with Idols They translated and printed in the English Bible How agreeth the Temple of God with Images The same wickedness they practise in 1. Cor. 5. If any that is called a Brother be a Fornicator Covetous or server of Idols they printed in the year 1562. Or a worshipper of Images It were too tedious a business to specifie all their false and absurd Translations by which they brought the word of God to be ridiculous to the world Priest in their Language is Elder Church Synagogue holy Ghost holy Wind Soul Carcass Christ Anointed Lord Baal Eucharist Thanksgiving Baptism Washing Hell Grave Devil Slanderer Beelzebub Lord of a Fly Angels Messengers So that an exhortation to Devotion in the Protestant Scripture-Language will move Men more to Laughter than to Piety whereas in the Catholick Translation and Phrase it moves to compunction Suppose a Catholick Priest should exhort the People thus I who am a Priest placed in the Church by the holy Ghost for the feeding of your Souls do denounce to you in the name of Christ our Lord That unless you come to the Eucharist with more Devotion and perform better your Promises made to God in Baptism ye shall be condemned Body and Soul to Hell and your Portion shall be with the Devil I say with Beelzebub and his Angels Sure this Exhortation in the Protestant Language of Scripture goes very absurdly Let us suppose that a young spruse Protestant Minister should step up to the Pulpit and repeat the Priests Exhortation in his own corrupt Phrase thus I that am your Elder placed in the Synagogue by the holy Wind for the feeding of your Carcasses do denounce unto you in the name of the Anointed our Baal that unless you come to the holy Thanksgiving with more Devotion and perform better your Promises made to God in washing ye shall be condemned Body and Carcass to the Grave and your Portion shall be with the Slanderers I say with the Lord of a Fly and his Messengers How therefore can any Man of reason and judgment joyn in Communion with such impious Sectaries that thus corrupts the holy Word of God for to keep Souls in Schism Heresie and Damnation Away away Fie fie on such hellish Practises The main thing Protestants deny is the Antiquity of the Doctrine of the Roman Church saying most impudently That the Primitive Fathers taught the Protestant Doctrine and not that which the Roman Church now-adays teacheth which is found to be most false by the examination of Particulars Let us take a view of the Roman Doctrines as they were held in S. Augustine's days and the four first General Councils which were held between the year 315 and 457 to which four Councils Protestants give much honour and subscribe to their Decrees Sure in those times the Church believed in the true and real Presence of the eating with the Mouth the Body of Christ in the Eucharist as Zuinglius the Prince of the Sacramentarians acknowledge in these words From the time of St. Augustin the opinion of Corporal Flesh had really got the mastery St. Aug. lib. de vera falsa Religione cap.
being a perpetual Excellence of a spotless Light and Irradiancy From this City of the Sun Decrees of pure Faith are daily call'd for a pure Fountain from whence to the universal world streams of heavenly Truths Doctrines and Sanctity daily flow This is the most triumphant Tribunal of Christ whence the real Conviction and Condemnation of Heresies Sects and Errours do proceed the Oracle of Christians by which and in which alone infallibly all arising doubts about true saving Faith are resolved It 's the sublime and invincible Seat of glorious Peter wherein to this day doth reign and invisibly as President resides Christ never forsaking the same This is the holy Land consecrated by the Sacred Blood of the Apostles in which 72 Popes are Saints so many our B. Saviour's Disciples were O glorious triumphant Hierarchy O Queen O invincible and ever-blessed Kingdom of Christ O flourishing potent and brave resplendent City O Army embattell'd in a heavenly martial order where Christians must stand always upon their guard with weapon in hand fighting here to be crowned in Heaven labouring here to rest there sowing of tears here to reap joys there in a storm here to be in a calm there and therefore our Roman Catholick Church is called Militant here but Triumphant there both which are correlatives I said it is a well-ordered Army set in Battel-array in which the King and Chief in Command is Christ his Under-Vicegerent Vicar-General Universal Pastor is the Pope his Colonels the Archbishops Bishops Prelates and Pastors his Captains and Engineers are all Under-Priests of all Estates his Trumpetters are the Evangelical Preachers his Souldiers all stout Christian Catholicks This heavenly Army is furnished with all the Sacraments Matrimony peopleth the Army with men Baptism presseth and enrolleth them Confirmation armeth and strengtheneth them the most Blessed Eucharist provideth the Camp with Ammunition-bread and heavenly Victuals O brave Church of Christ ever Glorious founded on a Rock and this was Christ who said Matth. 7.25 26. The Rain fell the Floods came the Wind blew and rushed upon the house and it fell not for it was founded on a Rock But the pretended Reformation established by Law on the 20 th of May 1549 And was it not quite abolished on the 26 th of November 1644 by the like failing Authority Assuredly it could expect but the fate of the Fool 's House It fell for being built upon the sandy foundations of humane Invention and black Arts. This sure happened by God's sweetly-chastising Mercy that by weighing their fatal dissolution and the causes of it they may retrieve their wanderings and at length recollect their scattered and distracted Members into the ever firmly united Body of the One Catholick Roman Church This made Mr. Hooker that prudent Protestant-writer affirm That the Protestant Church was not likely to continue more than fourscore years lib. 5. num 79. Nor could he judge otherwise seeing it bears evidently the Principles of corruption and mutability in its very constitution viz. the materia prima of a meer secular Basis the first Governours of it being none of those to whom Christ promised his continual assistance to the Worlds end Forsake then and leave Sirs that fleeting and unbodied shadow of Shism return and unite your selves to the Catholick Church be not wandring Brethren dry and sapless now seeing that as the Elements never rest contentedly but in their Centre so you 'll find no rest but in the bosom of the true Church which is the proper place of every Christian to which I invite the brave Nobles of England to begin to open their Eyes and consider that it 's very strange how that in a manner all the Nobility of England fell from their old Religion establish'd by unfeigned Miracles and readily embraced a pretended Reformation Sure it was not for Conscience sake some fell for liberty some for flattery some for ambition and some for sordid lucre of Church-Lands I ask whether Henry the Eighth or the Nobles that fell with him found any fault or exception against the Sacraments Divine Service or the other holy Rites of the Church Not at all then their woful fall must proceed from their perverse wills which they made their Law hinc lacrymae Sure this dismal change in King and Peers was the sad in-let of all the Wars Confusion and Calamities in Church and State that hapned ever since in this brave Kingdome this general defection from God against Conscience of the Nobility may plead in some measure a plausible excuse their being excited and provok'd thereunto by the example of their passionate King who hath strong influence on his Subjects according to the Poet Claudian Regis ad exemplum totus componitur Orbis Mobile mutatur una cum principe vulgus Scilicet in vulgus manant exempla Regentum Sure we may perceive a just judgment inflicted on the Nobility of England after their revolt pray what 's become of all that manly Courage Prowess Gallantry and Valour that made them still renowned in all Countreys of the whole World All now degenerated into a shameful effeminacy debauch'd cowardice and inconstancy Sure a touch of blindness and madness possessed them and whetted their high Spirits on to such impious actings as to yield to Injustice Sacriledge Schism and Heresie how came they I say to be so stupified as to forget the great Zeal and courage of their Christian Ancestors Who for some small temporal Concern or Priviledge have often bid defiance to their Prince yet in King Henry the Eighth's time the Nobility prov'd Cowards their Spirits low and base in the Cause of God and his old Religion so as very few withstood the Innovation and Usurpation of Henry the Eighth's hinc illae lachrimae think you could the Nobility in whose hands and power it lay to impede the innovations and unparrellell'd Sacriledge of their King expect to escape the Vengeance of God who is a jealous God revenging the Crimes of Parents upon their Posterity even to the fourth Generation yet the floud-gate of of Gods mercy is still open to all Sinners who with a contrite heart shall lay hold on Jesus Christ by Conversion from Schism to his Faith found only in the Roman Catholick Church Fair warning take O brave Nobility sound a retreat fight not any longer against Heaven call to mind the dishonour you have done to glorious Jesus trampling on his precious blood by your Sacrilegious contempt of his Sacred Religion and Sacraments Know that non est concilium nec Sapientia contra Deum leave off to be embroil'd any longer in that most pernicious quarrel of Henry the Eighth's unjustly undertaken Vna manus vobis vulnus opemque feret Sure your will gave you the deadly wound of Schism and Heresie the same must sure heal you by perusing this small Treatise with Gods assistance it may convince your understanding and reduce your perverse will to obedience Begin therefore to reclaim its high time for you to
put on black and warning take FINIS TO THE Most Puissant and most Renown'd JAMES the SECOND KING Of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith Long and Prosperous Reign is Wished and Prayed for OUR bright Orient Star King IAMES long may shine With True Faith's Rays most Powerful and Divine Whom the Lustre of Glorious Greatness Crown'd May God his Foes Convert or them Confound Whom all Admire whom all almost Adore Who to his Subjects doth now all good restore Who for Valour Wisdom Piety and Stature Is a wond'rous Master-piece of Nature His Deliverances from Plots a Miracle His rare Judgements Royal word an Oracle He out-brav'd all Perils his Prowess met A calm Spirit amidst main Storms he kept In Heaven's Annals his Royal Acts are Enroll'd His Heroick Feats are still in Flanders told In Spain and France his pure conduct is Renown'd And now through the World doth his Vertue sound Ne'r since the Grecians call'd this World their own Or Romans theirs was greater Valour known Than his if yet new Worlds to Conquer Were Sure Brave IAMES were the fitter Conquerer His Valour and Conduct surpassing far Great Champions that were Thunderbolts of VVar Bravest example of most Heroick worth That ever yet this later Age brought forth VVhat Tongue or Pen is able to express His matchless Gifts Graces and high minds Hapiness Therefore Can Royal IAMES fear the VVhigs those Scare-Crows then Those Bugbear VVretches the meer shades of Men NO NO for He wants no Arms to fit him for the Field His Prayers are his Sword True old Faith his Shield He in sweet Jesus by true Faith confides Mark Christ all safety still for him provides VVhigs when they list may for VVar and Storms call They with loud Thunder shall in fury fall In vain they Plot Contrive Conspire Combine They 'll fail by God of their most damn'd design For if by Sedition they his Power contemn For him Christ will dire Vengeance fling on them For God's Transcendent Providence still bear sway Which Plots against Kings doth with sorrow pay Lo VVhen the Rare Arabian Bird doth burn Her Beauties are not lost but doth return For when her Body 's laid on sweet Flames to Death Out of her Cindars a new Bird takes Breath From blest Queen Mary's Ashes and Royal Blood Y'our Sovereign Leige a Lovely Flower did bud For your Deiform Zeal for True Old Faith doth show That her Blood in your Sacred Veins do flow Lo God printed in your Pure Serene Face Mild Majesty Royal Terrour dreadful Grace Live long unpeer'd great Prince I Prayers amain Will daily offer for your most Happy Reign And humbly beg of God's Eternal bounty That Peace Union One Religion Plenty Of all Blessings from his most Potent Hand Be pour'd down upon this thy British Land And on Christ's in thy Kingdoms Faithful Flock Built on St. Peters Rome and St. Peters Rock Reign long great Phaenix now 'mongst Earthly Kings Still prosper Great IAMES for VVits pure managings Now you appear with mild and sweet fervour 'Gainst forlorn Sects Lies Schism and all Errour Y'own St. Ambrose Hierom and St. Austin Before Mad Luther Beza and blind Calvin Your Majesty hates the new Sin-sick Tricks Of deluded deluding Schismaticks Who to new fangled Faiths are so affected That by them Christs Faith is quite rejected Whose curs'd Spawn adventur'd t' expose to Sale The best of Kings their Faith their Souls and all Who to Rent his Church daily do devise And God's pure Spouse still Harlot like despise Lying Pamphlets Pulpits their black Art do try To stop True Faith's most Triumphant Victory In vain they Plot Contrive Conspire Combine They 'll fail by Gods power of their damn'd Design Therefore Let blind VVhigs stoop to serve at Royal IAMES's Feet Where Valour VVisdom Mercy and Justice meet Sure non can frown at King IAMES his gentleness But those that have an apparent Guiltiness Or such as at length to foul Death must run As Monmouth aiming at the Crown have done God bless our KING defend him from his Foes Ill Fate befall those that will him oppose VVe bless his Birth-Day and the Ground he tread FOR His Zeal for True Faith through all VVorld is spread Christ bless King IAMES Queen MARY and then Let all True Real Loyal Subjects say Amen On their Seat their Seed may ever Flourish VVhich may in One Truth Three Kingdoms Nourish God grant that never any other Hand Then Royal Stuarts sway the Scepter of this Land. May it please Your Most Sacred Majesty this is the daily Humble Prayer of J. E. one of Your Majesties most devoted Subjects Who For shew of his True Real Loyal Affection Plain Lines and Life offers to Your High Protection Perge age prosper abi Rex Vince JACOBE Secunde Hostes Armipotens Religione Fide. A Divine Poem Disswasive from Shism IN this vast World none full content can find For tho one may be rich indeed yet his mind Is empty still for still he covets more And is amidst his main heaps of riches poor Lo the Spherick figure cannot suffice Equally to fill what is triangle wise Lay one upon another and you 'll see Always some corner will unfurnish'd be When the Almighty made man's Soul the same Triangular by high Providence did frame To represent his matchless self and be The image of one God in persons three Ordaining man to love fear obey and serve God alone who always doth reward reserve For here beneath sure nothing can be found In this low Orb that 's Spherical and round Can satisfie Man's Soul nor can man rest In Creatures who is ord'red to be blest By Gods sweet fruition who to him gave The sublime being and essence which he have Good Sir Slight not eternal goods and with much pain For blind Schism ev'rlasting torments gain Renounce thy right t'Heaven and purchas Hell Chosing in dungeon fire and chains to dwell Don't forsake Christ ways safe true and immense Pursuing lying false doctrine to please thy Sence Which will debase thy nature and the fruit Will be to leave thee level with the bruit What will enoble you and truly raise Are Visions of those beams which God displays From his reconciled sweet face shall make Your Soul of his bles'd nature to partake Nought Sir can here be offer'd to thy eye That can the glory of Heaven outvie Nought here beneath of comfort doth so thrive As when God pure hearts doth with grace revive Gods light must guide thee how grace must be us'd Mercies proves judgment when they are abus'd Schism breeds blindness and beats reason back Forgets shames blush and doth honour wrack By faith we know immortal Souls to be And that for Souls there 's an Eternity Become what will of all the rest you have Pray Sir mind still thou hast a Soul to save A Soul your only Soul which when you die Is either sav'd or damn'd eternally This only thought will dark Schism controul Saying avant
damn'd Sect I must save my soul Thus retreat now convert thy self and next Give joy to Angels Church and Friends perplex't Turn Sir live by true Faith e're you die Making provision for eternity Is your precious soul's glorious future state Not worth caring for Wilt thou inhumane be Unto thy self O wretched cruelty If you will curs'd Heresie close pursue Turning your self from Christ I bid you adieu By cautions warnings and sad remors You 'll feel the hazard of that thy woful course How in the paths of sad Schism you do stray And to Satanick wiles become a prey In Christ's most divine face with scorn you spit Finding but pains of that your darkn'd wit. What 's that most perverse Sect to which you 'r gon But from Christs Church a revolted Squadron Turn then to your Mother who as a guide Sure means to Heaven will for you provide What Angel from God came to you to tell That errours are in Christ pure Faith and Gospel Sanctity of life none could e're have seen In any who a Protestant have been You 'll say your Sect hath Scripture on her side Such vain conceit none can but fools abide Know you not That Hereticks and Devils Us'd Scripture to cloke their damn'd black evils To fly from Christ and his pure Faith what worse To strengthen Schism deserves a double curse Remember Sir that your poor soul has cost A price too great by Heresie to be lost Then Sir with-draw your self from Apostar's place And with speed listen to the call of Grace Lo true faiths day-spring shining from on high Will relieve you that in deaths shade do lie And will direct thy wandring thoughts aright Out of dark Schism to saith's pure light Look Sir to 't awake shake off those cruel bands Of dismal Heresie and proud commands Of the Devils powers return and cry Then like the Dove to Christs blessed arms fly Where Mercy 's ready still to comfort all That yields obedience to God's gracious Call Pray Sir don't resist but without delay Close in with glorious Jesus's voice this day Know Sir that it's truth which alway bare date That true repentance never comes too late Be wise beware for he that will not take Example now sure must example make Relent reclaim don't in Schism pleasure take Least you fall in flames of that fiery lake The scorching pile whereof is kindled by The breath of an incens'd great Majesty O woful state Those torments who can tell Which with consuming fire for ever dwell Still fill'd with lamentations mournings woes With floods of wrath that from dire vengeance flows Lord who 'l be so mad as for empty toys Lose for ever pure substantial joys Sure it 's but stark madness now to reject Those counsels which to faith doth thee direct How oft you have extinguish'd that clear light Offer'd by friends to guide thy soul aright Sure there 's a war that gives your mind no rest Your judgment tells thee old faith's waies are best Gold jewels honour high promotion wealth Revenues soveraignity pleasures and health What are all these vain transient things without true faith souls to damnation brings Your Conscience checks you that you don't obey Shewing you the danger of your blind delay What you should do you know not this you find That strong convictions still assaults thy mind Till conscience with Gods help will interpose And by strong grace your dark Schism overthrows O good Sir don't for dark Schism lose that place Where Saints and Angels still beholds the face Of God's eternal glory and do sing Joyful Hailelujah's to their King of Kings Come Sir and tread those paths that will thee bring Unto a glorious everlasting spring And on a most rich Throne thou shalt sit down And there for ever wear a triumphant Crown Thy Soul 's immortal Sir look what can agree To it's nature sure that must satiate thee Nothing but the blest fountain God that will Suit with thy soul and thy poor spirit fill All worldly pleasures thou injoyest to day To morrow will take wings and fly away Though true faiths happy ways may seem to be A thorny rough unpleasant path to thee Yet try it Sir for what at first seems hard Will prove to thee sure welcome afterward For when thy heart is enlarg'd with love Unto those glorious things that are above Then wilt thou run these ways with great delight And wild Schism ways with all thy soul will slight Turn then and believe thy conquest shall be sure If thou in Christ's faith till the end endure Ask those who follow th' old faith they 'll say They feed on hidden Manna in their way By acts of faith and love they now possess They feel strong sweetness which they can't express Oft men of Note thro' pride are prompt to stray Thinking themselves too great for virtues way No truth no faith in that Sect you profess Which can your drooping soul with grace refresh No fast nor maceration of the flesh Of pomp lust and vain pleasure full excess No Priest no Mass no moving sacred thing That sighs from hearts or tears from eies may wring Oh Sir return to Christ in whom from pain Unalter d joys unmix'd delights you 'l gain To him the only object of thy love Let thy poor panting heart and will now move For to true faith 's old ways thou ought`st to groan And so work for eternal bliss alone May Christ dissolve your Schism and pull down All those that do oppose Christs tripple Crown In holy wars the Pope still triumphs alone And when Schism's disarm'd he then extends his Throne Christ's Gospel steers to union and true love And by conviction on hearts doth move I. E. FINIS