ravening Wolves But again our Saviour saith in Saint Marks Gospel Mark 10. v. 29 30. There is no man that hath left house or lands or Wife and Children for my sake and the Gospels but he shall receive an hundred fold here and in the world to come eternal life Thus in many places is this truth made so clear to us by Christ himself that I hope none will be so much an Infidel as to practice the contrary But further to show you this truth observe this notable place concerning this point where our Saviour speaking concerning the general day of Judgement declares for what causes some are saved and some damned for to the just he saith Mat. 25. v. 34. Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you and then in the next verse he tells them for what causes they are made eternally happy Ver. 35. For I was a hungry and you gave me meat I was thirsty and you gave me drink naked and you clothed me c. And the reasons why them on his left hand received the sentence of hell fire was because they did not do these good works which the other had done Ver. 41 42. and so as the just by good deeds had obtained heaven so the wicked by their evil ones had obtained hell Now I verily think that if a Heathen or Jew should read this Book they would say it was rather made for instructing them in the Faith of Christ then for those that profess themselves Christians and to believe the Bible and yet to deny all this thus proved by the Bible Now having proved this by the words of Christ we will see what Saint Paul his Apostle saith who I will warrant you is of the same minde as you shall see by his words to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 3. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour by which words it is plain that every man shall receive his reward according as he hath himself deserved And in the second to Timothy he saith I have fought the good fight I have kept the faith Chap. 4. v. 7.8 henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which God the righteous judge will give me at that day and to all that love his appearing Now here we see that Saint Paul knew his reward for those good works and declares that all that loves Gods appearing shall be rewarded at the last day And more in his Epistle to the Hebrews Heb. 6. v. 10. he speaks to the purpose in this point That God is not unrighteous to forget you work and labour of love which ye have shewed towards his name in that ye have ministred to the Saints Now you may perceive St. Pauls Opinion which was that it would seem unjust in God if he should not reward our good works but as certain it is that God cannot be unjust so is it as certain that he will reward our good deeds done in communion with his Church which if our works did not deserve or merit we should receive no reward at all but on the contrary receive an eternal punishment Again Saint John Evangelist saith in the Revelation Rev. 3. v. 4. To him that shall overcome shall thus be invested in white Garments and I will not put his name out of the Book of Life and I will confess his name before my Father and before his Angels And again Ver. 12. He that shall overcome I will make him a pillar in the Temple of my God and he shall go out no more And in another place he saith Ver. 21. To him that shall overcome will I grant to sit with me in my Throne I might and could produce many more places out of holy Scripture to this purpose but they that will not believe these will not care for ten thousand proofs made against their perverse principles but I will onely advise those that have any care of their salvation to consider first what Gods word which is truth it self declares to them And secondly what the practise of our Church is in this and other points of Religion and how agreeable to the same word as is clearly shown for in reason onely is this apparent to all Christians that if God as he doth inspire us to do all our good works then must needs those works be meritorious because God inspired them to be done and hath promised to reward the doing of them according to that of Saint John Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life Rev. 22. v. 12. And behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give every man according to his work Chap. 11. Proving that Gods Church cannot Erre in her Doctrine of Religion and so may be trusted in by every Christian contrary to Protestants opinion DID the Adversaries of Gods Church but consider with themselves what authority and courage and order it hath exercised for this sixteen hundred years they would surely conclude that no government but that of Gods holy Spirit could ever perform the like for by its authority it hath alwayes supprest and beaten down Heresies and by her courage overcome all the torments and sufferings her enemies could invent to lay upon her and by her Order hath ever retained in her Members one uniform Faith and Obedience in all places where her Doctrine hath been spread which if it be granted or can be proved that Gods Holy Spirit is at all times with his Church to direct her in her Doctrine I hope none will deny but that then she is infallible and so cannot possibly be capable of Errour and that it is so shall be made manifestly to appear if you will believe Christ himself who cannot deceive us where in Saint Johns Gospel telling his Disciples that he must go to his heavenly Father to prepare them places at length he gives them and his whole Church this Consolation And I will pray the Father and he shall give you another comforter that he may abide with you for ever John 14. v. 16. Now we all know that the Apostles were not to remain for ever upon earth for they are dead and gone so that this promise of Christ was to them and his Church after them which is to remain to the end of the world and in the next verse he tells them who this comforter shall be Even the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive Now I would fain know how Gods Church can Erre in what she declares to us of Faith Ver. 17. when Gods Holy Spirit is with it And again But the Comforter Ver. 26. which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things Now we may be sure that since the Holy Ghost is to teach the Church all things there can be nothing but Truth taught
in the same Church and I pray then where will your Errours remain but in your own bosoms But see further the truth of this our Saviour parting out of this world tells his Apostles That he would be with them even to the end of the world so that we have two Persons of the Blessed Trinity promised to assist the Church of God for ever Matth. 28. v. 20. besides God the Fathers Divine aid and if this Church Erre with their guiding then there can be no truth at all for us to be guided by for this is as clear as the Sun that if the Church of God be guided by an Infallible Spirit it cannot Erre And the Church of God is guided by an Infallible Spirit therefore the Church of God cannot Erre And though I have made this good already yet I will make it more plainly appear from Christs own words where he exhorting Brethren to be reconciled one to another which if they will not do by reasonable perswasions they should tell the Church Matth. 18. v. 17. and if they will not hear the Church let them be as Heathens and Publicans by which it is plain that if the Church were not Infallible Just and free from Errour our Saviour would never have tyed us to her Judgement in our Faith and Manners under so sad a penalty as being a Heathen if we do not hear and submit to her and therefore it is very necessary for every one to submit to Gods Church which is infallibly true lest they be Heathens in the esteem of God and Man and consequently out-lawes to the Kingdom of Heaven Again see what our Saviour saith to this purpose in the same Gospel And I say unto thee Matth. 16. v. 18. that thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my Church and the Gates of Hell shall never prevail against it now if the Church could be erroneous then you must deny this Gospel to be true for no Errours can be in the Church but by the prevailing power of the Devil which is meant by Hell-Gates and which our Saviour saith shall never prevail against it so by this we are certain the Church cannot Erre and we may confidently confide in her in all matters of our Salvation But for your further assurance if our Saviour be not enough I will show you what St. Paul saith concerning this truth where he confirms all that hath been said of it speaking to holy Timothy 1 Tim. 3. v. 15. But if I tarry long that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave they self in the house of God which is the Church of the living God the pillar and ground of the truth Now here I might stop and say no more for Saint Paul hath said enough for if it be the piller or support of truth and the ground from whence truth is derived is it not monstrous to think of Errour and I would fain know in what place Christians should ever be free from errour in their Faith if not in the Church of God and for to say that there is no way to be free from it would be very strange for then all men would grope in dark uncertainties which is quite contrary to the Qualities and Excellencies of Gods Church as was foretold by the Prophet Isaiah speaking of the Church of Christ Chap. 35. v. 8. And an high way shall be there and it shall be called the way of holiness and fools shall not erre therein now if there be no possibility for fools to erre in it certainly wise men cannot But this is no small subtilty of our Adversaries to hold this opinion well knowing that their Church hath been and is full of errours and that the gates of Hell hath prevailed against it hath manifestly appeared and doth now appear when all that they can do cannot allay the furious spirits of one Kingdom nor reduce them to any Obedience to their Church so that if they did not hold this Opinion as an Article of their Church all the world would see theirs was not the Church of God because it hath errours by which they are forced to maintain it as well as they can though it be against both Scripture and Reason too Now that this Church of God is onely the Roman Catholick is plainly shown already by her conformity to and practice of Gods holy word in all her points of Faith which she teacheth Christians to believe and therefore all her enemies wrong her and themselves too in saying the contrary for wheres they cry out the Roman Church was once the true Church of God but she is fallen from it now as they never could prove the time when nor the occasion how so is it impossible it ever should because as I have already shown Gods Holy Spirit guides and directs it that the Gates of Hell can never prevail to overthrow it nor bring it to errour And now having sufficiently proved the Infallibility of Gods Church I cannot but advise every one that hath any care of their eternal welfare to imbrace and believe what she preacheth concerning the same and so conclude with that of St. Augustine Many things saith he with much reason kept me in obedience to the Catholick Church the consent of people and Nations holds me the Authority of the same Church which is risen up by Miracle nourished with Hope augmented by Charity established by its Antiquity the succession of Bishops holds me therein whâ—ch beginning in the See and Authority of Saint Peter to whom God recommended the care of his Flock is maintained to this present time lastly the name of Catholick holds me in it and addeth he would not believe the Gospel it self if he were not assured of it by the Catholick Church Chap. 12. Proving the Doctrine of Remission of Sins as commanded by Christ and practised by his Apostles contrary to the Opinion of Protestants WEre not the mindes of many men corrupted with imperious principles they could not be so evil as to question yea deny the gifts both of Grace and Nature that God hath given both to Angels and Men when we have much reason to adore and praise him that he hath so much esteem of any of our Nature as to bestow such prerogatives upon them amongst which this is not the least that I am to treat of concerning remission of Sins by a Priest which though there be a grand mistake in this Point amongst Protestants and we are abused in it yet I shall by Gods assistance and by his holy word clear the mistake which may easily remedy the abuse for in all Mysteries of Christian Religion we are to consult with Gods word which if rightly understood cannot deceive us and not with our own shallow understandings which easily may neither are we to be led away with aiery fancies of our own nor with a giddy multitude nor ought the slanderous tongues of men to be trusted in but if you finde it plainly declared
great Benefice to another not at all considering that if they were true Pastours they should feed Gods Sheep that is go preach in remote places of the world amongst Pagans that know not God as the Apostles did and as Catholick Priests do to this day and as all must do that follow the examples and commands left by Christ or else they cannot be of his sending by which we have very great reason to suspect all these new teachers that lie at home at ease and pleasure and are so far from taking the toil and pains of converting Pagans This is too truly proved by many that dye and never have either Sacraments nor any other comfort from them in their agony of Death that many of them will not stir to a poor person that lies a dying because they cannot receive a golden Recompence Again in the Catholick Church there be many thousands of her Members that are Royally and Nobly Born to great Possessions that quit them all to serve God in strict courses of Religion as Fasting Watching Praying giving Almes and many other bodily Mortifications in Religious Houses where nothing but the Service of God is exalted The vast difference of the two Churches practice Now I would fain know from whence the doing of so much good doth proceed but from the inspiration of God and for to finde one now of any other Religion nobly born or of mean quality to forsake an Estate for the Service of God in their way would be such a miracle as was yet never heard of amongst them nor never will be but on the contrary all people of all conditions take their full career in doing what they please themselves for they will not hear the Church nor Fast nor Pray nor receive the Sacrament but when their fancy pleases and so are let run in a negligent state never to give an account for their sinful actions to the Church at all as God commands we should and so by tis means the flood-gate of all evil is opened for all manner of people to plunge themselves over head ad ears in misery and utter calamity I could enlarge my self in showing the vast difference in many other practices as the beauty and ornaments of Catholick Churches when others are like Barnes in comparison of them the Reverence and Devotion of the Catholick people in them who on their knees adore God whilst others sit at ease some gazing and some asleep with many other practices of the like kinde but this may and will suffice for all those that desire to entertain truth and to minde the salvation of their souls to show clearly which is Gods Church and which is not so that which the Prophet Isaiah foretold is here made good that the Church of God should be a plain way and a direct way so that fools could not erre therein so that all those that itnend at the last day to be separated from the goats must now in this life graze with Gods Sheep that is they must enter into communion with his Catholick Church whereof Christ Jesus is the Head The Conents of the Chapters Chapter 1. Proving the Blessed Sacrament page 1 Chap. 2. Proving Confession to a Priest page 11 Chap. 3. Proving Purgatory page 16 Chap. 4. Proving that none went to Heaven before Christ dyed page 25 Chap. 5. Proving that Angels and Saints know our actions on earth page 31 Chap. 6. Proving it lawful to pray to them page 39 Chap. 7. Proving it lawful to worship them page 52 Chap. 8. Proving the lawfulness of Images page 59 Chap. 9. Proving Free-will in Man to do good page 67 Chap. 10. Proving Good Works to be Meritorious page 76 Chap. 11. Proving that Gods Church cannot Erre page 84 Chap. 12. Proving the Churches Authority in Remission of Sins page 91 Chap. 13. Proving the Churches Vniversality page 98 Chap. 14. Proving the lawfulnesse of Fasting page 108 Chap. 15. Proving the difficulty of understanding Scripture page 114 Chap. 16. Proving the necessity of the Churches Service in one Tongue in all Kingdoms page 126 Chap. 17. Shewing in general the vast difference of both Churches page 137 FINIS
him for so great a good as is this pure Sacrament of his Body and Blood I shall now begin to forsake the Shadows and let the Sun-shine of our happiness appear in clearly proving by the Holy Word of God that we now injoy in reality what they did but prefigure to us And first from the words of Christ himself by Saint Matthews Gospel Mat. 26. v. 26.27 28. where he saith in private to his twelve Disciples onely Take eat this is my Body and drink ye all of it for this is my Blood he names here no Figures but in plain tearms This is my Body and had not our Blessed Saviour meant what he here said he would have expounded his words both for the benefit of his Apostles and all us besides who have no better assurance in any thing for our salvation then his word which is truth it self The second Text is from Saint Marks Gospel where he saith Christ took bread and blest it and said Take eat Mark 14. v. 22. 23 24. this is my body which shall be given for you and so of the Cup he said to them This is my Blood of the New Testament which shall be shed for you now I leave it to all reasonable Christians that are not partial to their own Souls to consider whether Christ did onely in Figure give his Body to dye for us and his Blood in Figure to be shed or his real Body and Blood if he gave them really for us to death he saith here that this is that Body and that same Blood in this Sacrament so that to deny this is to give our Blessed Saviour the flat lye and in refusing of Christs words here may as well shake hands and bid adieu to all points oâ— Christian Faith for that Saint James his Apostle saith That he which breakâ— one Commandment is guilty of all meaning in the not believing of one he may as well not believe any Our Saviour to confirm to us what he told us by the two precedent Apostles hath inspired Saint Luke to publish this great mystery Luke 22. v. 19 20. where in the Text you may finde the same words recited as was before by Saint Mark but above all you shall finde the beloved Disciple more ample in declaring the words of his Master John 6. v. 50 51 52 c. where he saith That the bread which I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world now the Jews wanting faith as too many now adayes do said as Hereticks now do How can this man give us his flesh to eat not understanding what manner Christ meant to bestow it on us Our Saviour who came into the world to lead us into all truth would have opened undoubtedly his meaning to them if he had had any other but he was so far from shewing any other meaning of his words that he reiterates them over and over again saying Except you eat the Flesh of the Son of man and drink his Blood ye have no life in you and so proceeds in the confirmation of what he said before and which is very remarkable his Disciples which followed him and had frequently heard his Doctrine could not comprehend how this great mystery should be brought to pass so distrusting his Godhead Ver. 60 61. wherein his power lay to accomplish it They went away saith the Text and walked no more with him By which every Christian may easily understand that if our Saviour had not meant what he said concerning this Sacrament he would not have suffered his Disciples which he loved so well to have gone away and left him but would have then as he did at other times when he spake parables expounded the meaning but you see he had no other meaning for he sweetly complains to the others and will ye also go away Ver. 67. but St. Peter answers for them that stayed To whom shall we go Ver. 68. thou hast the words of eternal life so that we may understand that they believing in his words stayed behinde with him and would not leave our Saviour as the rest did therefore it concerns every Christian as they tender their salvation to consider what hath been said by our Blessed Saviour concerning this grand Mystery of Christian Religion and not any more to question Christs meaning for since we know he hath often said it is his Body and Blood and we likewise know that it was in his power to make the Bread and Wine so by his Divine Benediction there remains nothing for us to doubt but to humble our Spirits in submitting to our Blessed Saviours Doctrine and to say as Saint Peter did Lord thou hast the words of eternal life And that you may in this great point of Faith receive further satisfaction I shall reduce to your memory the opinion of Saint Paul who you shall see verifies what hath been said before for faith he The Cup of blessing which we bless 1 Cor. 10. v. 16. is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ and the Bread of blessing which we break is it not the Communion of the body of Christ he names no Figures here nor fancies of we know not what but of Communion of Christs sacred Body and Blood who came into the world to abolish all Figures and out of his immense goodness to leave us his divine self for the consolation of our souls And for our further assurance Saint Paul in his next Chapter treateth more amply and telleth the manner of the institution 1 Cor. 11. v. 24 25 26 27. as you may read in the places cited in his Epistle where likewise he saith That by frequent partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ we shew forth the Lords death Perhaps some will answer it is meant for a remembrance of his Death and of them I would demand what better memorial can there be of any person then to have the said person present for example when our Saviour appeared to Saint Thomas and shewed him his sacred wounds then he remembred him and cryed Thou art my Lord John 20. v. 27 28. and my God and so it is frequently amongst friends that hath been long absent that are forgot one by another till frequent conversation reduces to their memory the knowledge of each other and do commonly say in such cases O! now I remember you So by frequent Communion with Jesus Christ in the Sacrament we have the best memorial his goodness could leave unto us Again he saith That whosoever eateth and drinketh these mysteries unworthily eateth and drinketh his own damnation not discerning the Lords Body so that by these words it is plain there is a Body to be discerned by the eyes of our Faith and as plain that damnation would not follow by eating bare bread and Wine From these so evident places of holy Scripture I hope every good Christian will be induced to the belief of this