your calling is naught and pernitious to Christs Church The like is written by Amandus Polanus Andreas Musculus and other chief Protestant Writers And therefore the holy Fathers St. Athanasius St. Hilary St. Hierom St. Austin and Tertullian doubted not to call such as took upon them ecclesiastical ministeries without being lawfully called unto them false Prophets Wolves in sheeps garments theeves entring not by the doore to kill and destroy the flock of Christ Children without fathers c. Those Lib. 4. c. 43. saith St. Irenaeus being onely true Doctors and securely in Christs Church to be followed who with the truth of heavenly Doctrine have had their Succession from the Apostles The Ordination likewise of these men was and is still suitable to their Vocation in all Sects and Assemblies Lib. de doctrina moribus Secta of them of which George Wicelius a learned man who lived in Luthers time and saw the beginnings of them writeth thus They reject the Roman Rite of Ordination and without more ado he whom the Visitors like is sufficiently called to the ministery elected and ordered amongst them Neither is their manner of Ordination yet fully agreed upon so as since that time several Sects therein observe different fashions and particularly amongst the Calvinists the Elders are to choose and approve such as are to be ordered and together with their Ministâ—r Impose their hands on them wherâ—in their Oâ—dination chiefly consistâ—th neither holy nor much to be regarded according to Lutherâ— Doctrine who to vilifiâ— the Sacrament of Oâ—der and take away all use thereof in Christs Church expresly affirmeth all sorts of Persons men women and children to be in their very Baptisme mâ—dePriests and Bishops admitting no Tom. 2. Witâ—enbâ—rgensâ— sol 90. l. de capt Babiloniâ—a distinction at all between Clergie men and Lay persons as Tertullian in his Prescriptions said of Hereticks in his time One is a Bishop this day and none to morrow another a Priest now that was none yesterday for that all amongst them are admitted to Priestly Functions Neither doth Luther stay his madnesse here but saith that the Devil himself in humane shape may conescrate the holy Eucharist and administer other Sacraments if he will have a right intention therein and do what Christ commanded neither saith he would I lay a wager to the contrary but that he hath at one time or other plaid so the part of a Pastor perchance in their Churches who have scarcely any thing but Baptism sacred amongst them Lastly Concerning Church-government and particularly that of Geneva craftily devised by Calvin to gain therby to himself and his Ministers the government of that City as Hooker in his Preface of his Ecclesiastical Policy modestly declareth it and Bancrost more roundly relateth the manner thereof I may after many learned mens judgements written of the same rightly affirm it to be a politick confusion of Civil and Ecclefiastical power together A diabolical invention of establishing Christ in his Throne as they term it but indeed of disturbing the peace of States and subverting the government of Christian Kingdomes under a colour of propagating the Gospel insomuch as Bullenger who had somewhat holpen Calvin in his erection thereof seeing the inconveniences ensuing from the same and writing to the Bishops of England compared these Consistorial Lords not in title but in power to the seditious Tribunes of Rome wont to gain power and honour unto themselves by moving tumults amongst the people Gualterus likewise his successor in Zuirick admonished in one letter the Bishop of London and in another the Bishop of Eli to look in time to that Genevian Hydra rising then with new heads amongst them in whose Consistories each Minister hath Pretorial and Episcopal power enjoyned together as able with his ignorant Elders to examine and punish with Excommunication first and greater penalties after wards if he be not obeyed all sorts of Delinquents And these Elders are in Cities Towns and Vilages for the most part ignorant Tradsmen chosen and put in authority for a year onely and then returned to their shops again without any manner at all of consecration yet able that year whilest they are in Office to determine with their Ministers and conclude seditious Councels of War against Princes and States which they live in of which France Flaunders Scotland Poland and other places are able to affoâ—d dreadfull examples And in setting up this Destruction as I may rightly â—erm it of all antient Church government Calvin hath misappliâ—d the word Presbyter and givâ—n it to his Elders For albeiâ— according to the Greâ—k and Grammâ—tical signification thereof it may signifie any Eâ—dâ—â— in agâ— or authority yet according to thâ— Ecclesiastical and sacred use thereof even in scripture it self it signifiâ—th a Priest consecrated and ordâ—inâ—d to offer the sacrifice of our Lâ—rd bodâ— and bloud at the Altar administer Sâ—craments and preach I ad Tim. 5. to the peoâ—le according to St. Pauls words affirming such Priests to be worthy of double honour as labour in the word and doctrine dâ—stinguish d from the Laity and â—xâ—rcisâ—â—g their hiâ—â—â— Office of governing under Bishops Christian People commited in several Churches to the government of them having under them foâ— the ministry of the Altar Deacons Subdeacons and other inferiour Church Officers as glorious St. Ignaâ—ius in his Epistles particularly mâ—ntioneth them What saith he Epist ad Trallianâ—s is the Bishop but Father Prince and Head of the Clergie What is Priesthood but a holy institution of being Counsellour and assistent to the Bishop What are Deacons c. but helpers of Bishops and Priests in performing a clean immaculate work as most blessed Stephen did to James Timothy and Linus to Paul Anacletus and Clement to Peter in serving them at Masse distributing the Chalice to the people keeping and dispensing the Treasures of the Church as St. Laurence told Sixtus his Bishop desirous to be Martyred with him Priests are good and Preachers of Gods Word Epist. ad Smiâ—nenses but the Bishop is better than they honour him as the Father of Priests and chiefest of them resembling God himself and like unto Christ amongst his Disciples c. And writing to his own Church at Antioch I salute saith he the Priests and Deacons Subdeacons Lectors Acolathists Cantors Doorkeepers c. your Colledge of Virgins c. having then particularly written unto Hero his Deacon and told him how our Saviour had revealed unto him that he should next in that See succeed him So as the whole order and form of Ecclesiasticall government used in the Apostles time is there according to all degrees thereof declared by him Calvin therefore and his Companions in changing the same have done as if a few Rebels invading some part of a greaâ— and well sâ—tled kingdome should change the old laws and government thereof to be new in that as in other points of their Doctrine and refusing to follow those
therein of whom Christ said He that heareth Epist 1. c. 4. you heareth me and of whom St. John said He that knoweth God heareth us and ho who knoweth not God heareth us not in this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of errour Christ having before told his Apostles and such no doubt as succeeded them in the government Joan. 15. of his Church I will send unto you the Holy Ghost and he shall give testimony unto me and so shall you c. joyning so together the inward teaching of the Holy Ghost and outward teaching of the Church both to be embraced and obeyed by all her children For albeit saith St. Austin he uttered all Enarrat in Psal 47. these promises to his Apostles cum illis loquebatur noâ— intelligebat yet speaking to them he meant us also who were to the worlds end to succeed them for whom he prayed and obtained the Holy Ghost of his heavenly Joan. 77. Father not to remain for a time but for ever with them The third Controversie Of the Bishop and Church of Rome NOt as it is the Patriarchial and particular Church of that City but as it is head and chief of all other Churches subjected unto it And I do not here without hearty grief entâ—r into this Controversie whilest I consider with my self how violently and virulently our Adversaries have after the accustomed manner of other Hereticks before them by preaching and writing slanderous untruths made not to men and women only but even unto very children the name of Pope Papistry as they call our Catholick Faith hatefull and scarcely with patience to be mentioned amongst them notwithstanding all learned men know that antiently the Church of Rome hath been for the profession of her faith and glory of her Martyrs renowned above other Churches so as thirty three Bishops successors of S. Peter in that Chair were slain in that City for Christ amidst their flocks and innumerable Martyrs with them after the two chief Apostles Peter and Paul had planted by their preaching and watered with their bloud the true Doctrine of Christ therein thus extolled by Calvin himself after many Lib. 4. insti tut c. 6 â— untruths uttered by him I deny not saith he but that thâ— ancient Fathers do yeeld every where great reverence to the Church of Rome and speak highly of her calling her for honours sake the Apostolical Sâ—e of the West as freer from troubles and more firmly retaining her first Faith than other African or Grecian Churches Wâ—ence it came to passe that holy Bishops injured and driven from their Sees retired thither as unto a Port of Safety and have been from time to time by the Authority of Popes righted and restored to their Churches Others also in questions and doubts of Religion have repaired unto them St. Policarp for example Disciple to John and ordained Bishop of Smyrna by him came to Pope Anicetus about the due observance of Easter aâ— St. Irenâ—us Eusebius and St. Hieâ—â—me have left written And St. Irenaeus after him came to Rome as Tertullian recounteth about condemning some Heresies then nâ—wly rising Origen likewise as St. Hierom testifieth submitted Epist. ad Pâ—machiuÌ„ Ocâ—anum himself to Pope Fabian and recanted some doctrines written by him Saint Cyprian in like manner wrote many Epistles to Pope Cornelius about sundry businesses of his Church and the Novations then beginning to be troublesome unto him St. Athanasius and many other Bishops of Aegypt and Libia together addressed themselves by a most humble and earnest Epistle to Pope Foelix the second to crave of him a true Copy of the Nicene Councel which the Arians had in all places burned and suppressed to demand also a restitution to their several Churches and to be redressed in other wrongs done unto them for that the relief of wronged Bishops and other chief businesses of the Church for the eminency of hiâ— authority over all Churches and Bishops belonged unto him as it had been declared by the Fatherâ— of the Nicene Councel at which some of them selves had been present And accordingly he that will read the Epistles of St. Leo and St. Gregory both surnamed great for that high and holy esteem which the Christian world is known to have had of them shall find them as other Popes had done before to have exercised authority over all Eastern and Western Bishops as Causes happ'ned even Patriarchs themselvâ—s without exception howsoever this certain truth be by Calvin impudently denied Insomuch that the very next Popes to St. Peter so holy in their livâ—s and glorious in their Martyrdomes for Christ that it would be an impious temerity for any man to object as some of our Adversaries have done any affectation of Pride and Ambition unto them are known by the prerogative of their Chair to have both claimed and exercised this Universal Authority Tom. 1. Conciliorum Epis 3. Saint Anacletus for example the fourth Pope after S. Peter hath these words This holy and Apostolical Church of Rome hath obtained not from the Apostles but from our Saviour himself a Supream and eminent power over all Churches and the whole flock of Christ when he said unto the most blessed Apostle Thou art a rock and upon this rock I will build my Church c. S. Victor likewise so claimed this power and exercised the same over other Churches as he excommunicated all Bishops of the lesser Asia for their Judaical and obstinate observance of Easter for which S. Irenaeus blamed him not because he wanted authority but for that he had used therein overmuch severity S. Calixtus in his Epistle ad Benedictum expresly affirmed the Church of Rome needfully to be obeyed and followed by all Churches as Head and chief of them The like authority was challenged and exercised by all these holy Popes living within the first 300. years after Christ Antherus Fabian Lucius Dionysius Foelix the first Marcellus and others Neither were holy Fathers in that time lesse earnest in defending the Supream and Universal Authority of the Roman Church than Popes themselves S. Irenaeus for example calleth Lib. 3. c. 3. the Church of Rome the greatâ—st most antient and best known Church founded by the two most blessed Apostles Peter and Paul c. Whereunto for her more powerfull principality all other Churches were to be conformed in the doctrine of Faith and practice of Religion naming Popes untill this Li. de pudicitia time succeeding each other Tertullian likewise from the succession of Bishops in that See numbred by him prescribeth against Hereticks the truth of Christian Doctrine calling the Bishop of that Church Episcopum Episcoporum Bishop of Bishops and Father of the Catholick Church S. Cyprian in a like manner after he had declared how Christ promised to build his Church on S. Peter and commended the government Lib. de unitat Eccles of his flock unto him saith that albeit all the Apostâ—es received
Hebrew and translated by his Grand-childe into Greek as appeareth by his short Prologue before it worthily called by some Authors Panaretes a receptacle to wit or store-house of all vertues fit to instruct all sorts of Persons and containing as I have said of Sapientia Salomons dispersed Sentences diligently by the Author collected held by some also to have been one of the 72. Translators and divinely inspired to write this book cited for Scripture by St. Clement of Alexandâ—ia by Origen Lib. 1. paedagogi c. 8. hom 8. in numer homil 1. in Ezechiel Oâ—at 2. in Julianum by S. Cyprian de opere Elcemosina by S. Athanasius in Synopsi li. de virginitate by S. Basil in regulis disputatis responsione 114. by S. Gregory Nazianzen by S. Epiphanius heresi 76 in Anchorato by S. Hilari by S. Ambrose by S. Chrysostome by S. Austin and sundry in Psal 144 lib. de bono mortis c. 8. other chief Fathers yet able to prevaile nothing at all with men heretically swayed to the contrary So as the Nicene Councels Decree about the Book of Judith is slighted also and regarded nothing at all by them The second Controversie Of Christs Catholick Church in generall not colourably now amongst Protestants The first Part. FOr a good beginning of this Controversie I wish my Reader if he be no Catholick seriously to consider with himself how much it importeth him to finde out Christs true Church and to make himself a member thereof because a Christian man saith S. Austin ought not to fear any thing more than to be separated from Christs mysticall body for that so he remaineth no more a member of him nor can he be quickned with his holy Spirit nor receive any Li. de unit Ecclâ— Light or Life of Grace from him they remain not saith St. Cyprian with God who live not concordiously in the Church of his Son for should any out of the same fry in flames that Death would be no crown of Faith but a punishment of infidelity such may be killed but not crowned This Church was to be that Hill cap. 1. of our Lord prepared on the top of mountains which Esay spake of raised above other hills whereunto the Gentiles should flow as a Sea saying unto each other come let us ascend unto the hill of our Lord and to the house cap. 54. of Jacob to wit Christ and his Church c. willed by the same Prophet to inlarge the place of her Tents to spread out the Curtains of her habitation for that she should increase on the right hand and on the left and cap. 60. that her Seed should possesse the Gentiles that her gates should be open day and night and never shut that the people might enter continually into her that Kings should be her cap. 42. nursing Fathers and Queens her Mothers c. And it cannot be doubted but whatsoever is spoken in the Psalms and Prophets in a hundred severall places concerning the propagation greatnesse glory and continuance of Christs Church and Kingdome here on earth wherein all Psal 71. 2. Princes to the ends thereof were to adore him and Nations serve him hath been and shall be accordingly fulfilled To say therefore as commonly our Adversaries print in their Books and preach in their Pulpits that this once glorious and Catholickly dilated Church of Christ hath fallen away from the true faith and service of him by becomming Antichristian Idolatrous and abominable in her Rights and Superstitions some say 800. some say 1000. some 1360. years together yea and to have declined in her Doctrines from the very time of the Apostles first Planters thereof and onely Enarrat in Psal 101. to have remained in a few hidden Believers of Protestancy but not daring to professe it in our Churches is as S. Austin termed it a most false temerarious blasphemous and witlesse assertion contradicted by many plain Predictions of the Prophets Promises of Christ himself shewing that this City built upon a hill cannot be hidden that this Tabernacle of God placed in the Sun to illuminate the world with the heavenly Rayes of her doctrine cannot be obscured That the bloud of Christ once shed to redeem souls shall never for that purpose be fruitlesse and un-effectuall That Hell gates shall never prevaile to overthrow that building by himself on a rock firmly established against them That Gods Covenant made with men to save the world by his Sons death and passion should never be frustrated and made void by any power of the Devill or wickednesse amongst them Because God himself speaking thereof saith thus The heavens shall Esay c. 9. vanish away like smoak the earth also shall â—remble and wear away like a garment but my salvation shall last for ever and my justice shall never fail and again saith he I will place my tabernacle amongst men and be their God and they shall be my people and the Gentiles shall know that I am their Lord when my sanctification shall be for ever amongst them Daniel likewise speaking of Christ saith That his power shall be an everlasting power and his kingdome shall never be broken or taken from him Cap. 2. Micheas also speaketh most plainly of Christs Church whereunto cap. 4. all people shall flow and our Lord shall raign over them for ever Our Redeemer saith Esay shall come and remove all iniquity from Jacob and this saith God shall be my league my spirit which is in thee speaking to his Son and the words which I cap. 59. have put into thy mouth shall not depart from it nor from the mouth of thy seed nor from the mouth of thy seeds seed from henceforth and for ever Which Texts so plainly proveth the continuance of Christs Church and the truth of heavenly Doctrine therein remaining to the worlds end as Calvin himself in his Exposition thereon writeth thus Here God promised that the Church should never be deprived of that inestimable blessing of being still govern'd by the holy Ghost and maintained in the truth of heavenly doctrine because it would have little availed us to have had the Gospel once preached or the holy Ghost for a time onely given unto us unlesse he remain continually with us c. Wherefore our Lord promised here to remain still with his Church and to have a care that it shall never be deprived of true Doctrine which being Calvins own words may well serve to shew his plain contradictions in other places about the Churches having faln away for many ages together from the truth of heavenly doctrine first planted in her and to prove likewise that all pretended reformers of her catholick and ever continued faith have been impostors onely and produced nought else but hereticall innovations from the first to the last of them For if Christ had a will and power to build this house of God and firm foundation of truth as St.
A LEGACIE left to PROTESTANTS Containing Eighteen Controversies viz. 1. Of the Holy Scriptures 2. Of Christs Catholick Church c. 3. Of the Bishop and Church of Rome 4. Of Traditions needfull c. DOWA Printed 1654 To the Reader THese ensuing Controversies were found in a learned mans study dead nine years since and commended to the care of a Friend who dyed soon after him or otherwise they had been printed long since with the foresaid Title by the Author himself prefixed uâ— to them desiring not to have his name or any dedication added unto them but this That many learned Freinds had read and approved them that he heartily wished they might help to convert unto the true faith of Christs Catholique Church such Protestants as should read them which I wish also his Friend Whilâ—st he lived T. B. A Table of the severall Controversies 1. OF the Holy Scriptures pag. 1. 2. Of Christs Catholick Church in generall not colourably now among Christians the first part pag. 14. The second part pag. 30. 3. Of the Bishop and Church of Rome pag. 48 4. Of Traditions needfully added into the Canon of Scripture pag. 69 5. Of Protestancy begun here in England under Queen Elizabeth pag. 82 6. Of the holy Eucharist pag. 92 First part concerning our Saviours reall presence therein ib. Second part pag. 101 7. Of honouring Saints and praying to them pag. 109 8. Of reverencing of Saints Reliques pag. 116 9. Of holy Images kept and honoured by us pag. 120 10. Of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead pag. 131 11. Of Sacramentall Confession pag. 135 12. Concerning the number and effects of Sacraments pag. 145 13. Of Free-will pag. 157 14. Of Calvins Solifidian Justice pag. 16â— 15. Concerning the merit of good Works pag. 169 16. About the possibility of keeping Gods Commandements pag. 177 17. Of Feasts and Fasts Apostolically ordained and neglected both by English Calvinists and Independents pag. 183 18. Concerning praedestination pag. 191 THE First Controversie Of the holy Scriptures WHerein our Adversaries do notoriously wrong us and make simple people believe that we Catholicks yeeld no more authority to sacred Writings then our Church alloweth them Whereas we firmly believe them to have been inspired by God and therefore attribute a divine and infallible authority unto them when they are sufficiently declared to be such and truly Expounded unto us For without the former condition to wit an undoubted knowledge of them no man can securely rely on any doctrine contained in them and without the latter condition of being rightly understood all Heresies have been formerly and may now also be drawn pernitiously from them So as about these two points our Adversaries and we chiefly and indeed only differ They for example Calvinists especially for a certain knowledge of them rely upon-their own private Spirit and an imaginary light shining to all faithfull Readers of them no lesse clearly distinguishing true Scriptures from false then light by our eyes from darknesse is discernable by us which internall light is a meere Chymaera say we and other great Protestants with us by Calvin purposely devised to accept or reject what Scriptures he liked and interpret them as he pleased without any authority to controle him which is as St. Austine told Faustus his Manichean Lib. contra â—um 13. c. 5 Adversary to take away all authority both of Church and Scripture licensing every man to believe what he lifteâ—h Whereas we Catholicks for a certain knowledge of true Scriptures rely upon the exteriour and infallible tâ—stimony of Christ's Church by himself warranted unto us when he commanded us to heare and obey such as he appointed therein to govern and guide us no lesse then himself And whereas Calvin deemeth it a thing very inconvenient and against the Majesty of Scripture to be subjected to mens judgements about declaring the sacred authority thereof we say no and prove it to be no more inconvenient for Scriptures then for other points of Faith to be made known by the Church's testimony unto us And if the holy Scriptures have been written by men divinly inspired and guided in the penning of them as assuredly they have been why may they not also by men assisted by the holy Ghost be made known infallibly unto us especially sithence they cannot give testimony of themselves as Hooker and other chief Protestants Lib. 2. sect 14. Lib. 2. sect 4 7. Lib. 3. sâ—ct 8. have proved because if part of Scripture should give credit to the rest that very part might be doubted of likewise Unlesse besides Scripture there were something elsâ— that might assure us which he acknowledgeth to be the authority of Christs Church Insomuch as Egidius Hunnius a cheife Colloquio Ratisbonen si Lutheran Divine and sixteen others with him at Ratisbone before sundry Princes of Germany were by Gretzerus and Tanner Catholick Divines inforced to admit the Church's testimony and historicall tradition as they câ—lled it altogether needfull for an undoubted knowledge of Scripture as heretofore many forged Scriptures have been rejected and others approved by it Albeit they proceed not conformably therein by not admiting into their Canon all Books and parts of Scripture so approved For if the Churches testimony be false in declaring some Books surely it cannot be certain in declaring others and so we can receive no infallible assurance from her Turtullian notwithstanding prescribeth Lib. 1. praescript c. 6. this for an undoubted truth that what the Apostles preached and Christ revealed unto them cannot be testified unto us but by the Churches which they founded and St. Austine so affirmed the same as he saith He Tom. 6. contra Epist fundament cap. 5. would not believe the Gospel were it not that the Church by her authority commended the same unto him So far was he and other Fathers from dreaming of Calvin's inward light communicated to all faithful Readers of Scriptures wherein the Lutherans might claim an equall share with him as his Companions and so they might agree about their Canon of Scripture as now they do not nor with any antient Church before them Lib. 33. contra Faustum cap. 6. Whereas St. Austin speaking of our Canon which himself amongst other African Bishops had declared in the third Councel of Carthage as St. Innocentius the first had done before him and many both Popes and Councels Epist ad Exupâ—rium have done since those Books saith he by the consent of Christian Churches and Bishops of them succeeding each other downwards from the Apostles have been warranted for true Scriptures unto us and are onely denyed by you speaking then of the Manicheans as we doe now of Protestants few in number and lately risen because they make not for your Doctrine And whereas they provoke us to the Originals to wit the Hebrew and Greek Texts of the old Testament and seek by what means they can to disgrace our Vulgar Edition We answer them first that they
Paul calleth the Church so surely on a Rock as Hell-gates Heresies to wit Schismes Scandals Persecutions or any hellish power else should not prevail against it as he expressily promised if he Mat. 6. likewise intended to remain with it to the worlds end by his power to wit of guiding and protecting it if he Mat. 28. performed his repealed promises of sending the holy Ghost to abide ever with it for no other end but to coÌ„fort Jo. 16. 17. guide and lead it unto all truth how without blasphemy and plainly accusing him of falsehood in his promises Can any Christian affirm her to have been idolatrous and Antichristian in her Religion for many ages together evacuating so the glory of Contra Luciferianos our Saviours Crosse saith St. Hierâ—m and subjecting himself to the Devill as able to bereave him of his Church and Kingdome God forbid saith the same Father that Christ should be said to have died in vain and his Passion become at any time fruitlesse and ineffectuall to save us No no the eternal Fathers promise is fulfilled willing his Son to ask him and he would give for an inheritance all nations of the Gentiles unto him and the utmost bounds of the earth for his possession Esay 62. called therefore by the Prophet Esay Lord of the whol earth and it will be Apoâ— 7. a joâ—fâ—ll and eternall cry of Saints in Heaven Thou hast redeemed us O Lord God out of every Tribe Tongue and People c. So as I may say here to Protestants what St. Optatus told the Donatists if you seek to shut up the Catholick and Universal Church into corners and Lib. 2. coâ—tra Parmenionem seclude all nations besides your selves from the communion thereof where is that then which the Son of God hath merited for us How then will his Fathers promise be fulfilled of giving all Nations unto him Why do you infringe his promise and seek to streighten his ample Kingdom why do you deny his Fathers great love and bounty to him why do you war against his merits and not permit him to enjoy what was promised unto him why do you limit to places and times his Universal and everlasting Dominion Wherefore to finde out this true Church of Christ and distinguish the same from heretical conventicles and Congregations the Apostles in their Creed and the two first general Councels of Nice and Constantinople have fitly assigned these foure marks of being one holy Catholick and Apostolical which no other Church but ours can in their true sence colourably claim here briefly declared by me She is said to be one and the same in her Faith amongst all Nations communicating Lib. de unitat Ecclâ—s with her so that illuminated by our Lord saith St. Cyprian as a Sun she spreadeth her Rayes throughout the world yet so as her light is one as a fruitful Vine she extendeth widely forth her branches but as from one root and body which they grow in as a full and flowing fountain she powreth out her streams yet so as there is still one head and origine of them And according to St. Optatus his comparison the multitude of particular Churches remaineth in her as many fingers in one hand distant in places but united in Doctrine for that the very name of a Church importeth Union and collection of many together in faith government and practices of Religion as all those things do unto which Christs Church is likened for example to a kingdom to a City to a house or family to a flock to a body consisting of different members ordered and compacted together She is one by a continuall Succession of Pastors and faithfull people in her still professing the same faith whereas Hereticks are choosers of what they will believe and divided into so many sects as there are heads almost amongst them She is called holy as the mysticall body of Christ vivificated by his holy Spirit governed by a holy Law sanctified by Sacraments continually by him having none but faithfull servants of their divine Lord remaining within her amongst whom there are still to be found many holy Persons whilest others are like fruitlesse branches in a Vine and dead members in a living body She is said to be Catholick for her large extent embracing many Countryes and Kingdomes of the world united in faith and governed by her so that she is still greater than any sort or Sect of Hereticks opposite unto her She is Apostolical in her descent as being able to prove her Origine from the Apostles themselves according to Tertullians prescription saying The Apostles founded Churches in divers Cities and appointed Bishops to govern them and from these latter Churches by receiving and persevering in their faith become Apostolical also which prescription is used by ancient Irenaeus instancing against Hereticks Lib. 3. c. 3. lib. 4. c. 36. of his time the succession of Roman Bishops in one Sea and Faith without any mutation different from that first professed by them St. Optatus likewise and St. Austin have done the samâ— and pressed the Donatists with this prescription who like to the Hereticks of this time wanted antiquity and had no unity amongst them Wherefore our Adversaries fly from those ancient marks of a true Church and assign two others of their own devising true preaching of Gods word and a due administration of Sacraments against which we object first that the essence rather than the sigâ—es of a true Church consisteth in them Secondly that all sorts of Hereticks do equally claim them so as no Church can be known to be a true Church certainly by them Thirdly that any man desirous to be a Christian must first know the Church before he can know the truth of her Doctrine c. Fourthly that this judgement of the Churches true doctrine and due manner of administration of Sacraments cannot be made by ordinary persons but by such as are learned whereas the signâ—s of a Church are to direct all sorts of persons to the knowledge of her Fiftly these marks may be found amongst Schismaticks damnably separated from a Catholick and charitable communion with other Christians as S. Austin in sundry places proved against the Donatists who at their first rising at least wanted neither a true Doctrine nor Sacraments but a will onely to live peaceably with their Brethren so as to speak truly Protestants have purposely devised these marks of a Church as otherwise knowing that the great division which is amongst them in points and practises of faith novelty of rising the smalness of their extent hitherto in the world and want of pastorall succession would convince them to be a rabble onely of Hereticall Conventicles jarring one against another Yet rather than they will admit ours to be the true Church of Christ in whom these signes may be found confessedly by themselves and all predictions of the Prophets exactly fulfilled concerning the amplitude glory and continuance of Christs
earthly inheritance and kingdome they will make him a King without any Dominion a Head without a body a Father without a family and a Pastor without a flock for many ages together Yâ—a if we will believe some of them Christs Church was no sooner settled in the truth of heavenly Doctrine but it dâ—clined superstitiously and wickedly from it The Centurists for example in their second â—â—p 4. Century after a deniall of Saint Denis Areopagita his known Works becauâ—e they contain many points and practices of Doctrine against them have accusâ—d St. Ignatius who lived with our Saviour himself and waâ— both for his life and death gloriously renowned for speaking of Priests Altars Sacrifice and severall Orders of Church Ministers not admitted by them of Colledges of Virgins and Widdows vowing to live chastly concerning the merit of good works and other declinings from the first purity of Christian Doctrine They accuse St. Irenaeuâ— for mentioning a Sacrifice according to the Order of Melchisedeck instituted under the forms of Bread and Wine by our Saviour himself in his last Supper taught by him to the Apostles and offered since in all parts of the World according to Cap. 1. Malachies prediction thereof and figured long before by Melchisedeck's oblation c. Others say Christs Church failed in Constantines time when it first began as a bright Sun to break out of the â—ark clouds of ten horrible Persecutions and spread its beams clearly throughout the world to the excessive joy of Christians as if at that very time Antichrist had begun his raign when Christs Church most flourished because then Pope Silvester a most glorious Confessor of Christ had the City of Rome for his residence assigned unto him by that glorious Emperour and they are inforced to this Blasphemy or else to allow of our present Church and Religion undoubtedly professed in Constantines time by the Sacrifice of the Mass solemnly celebrated with lights on the Altar with Prayer for the Dead Honour done unto Saints adoration of the sacred Host and kneeling before it images used in Churches c. as is in the Protestants Apologie for Catholicks plainly proved in a whole Chapter together Others affirm the utter overthrow of Christs Church to have happened in the time of Pope Boniface the third so as it hath been no where since vouchable and visible in any part of the world but wholly râ—tired to the hearts of some faithfull Persons knowing but not daring to professe true Religion members indeed of a Church framed onely by imagination and fancy and living perchance in the land of Faries or â—ome inchantâ—d Ilands or in Concaves of the Moon out of this world where there is no memory to be found of them whereas our Catholick Church even in the horriblest times of persecution was by the glorious Martyrdoms of innumerable Saints men and women children also amongst them Apologies written in defence of our Christian Religion meetings of Bishops learned expositions of Scriptures and in many other manners maintained as is now testified unto us Wherefore other Protestant Doctors not to trouble themselves with such fopperies of an invisible Church remaining still in ours for so many ages together affirm our Catholick Church at all times to have been the only Catholick and known Church of Christ but not to have been altogether free from erroneous Tenents and practices of doctrine reformed forsooth by them since Luthers and Calvins departure from it Yet so as the Authors of this opinion differ about the imagined errours of our Church some affirm them to have been fundamentall damnable idolaâ—rous and Antichristian which is the same as to say that during so many ages Christ had no true Church at all whilest others make a milder judgement of them and say that the being of a true Church was not hindred by the belief and practice of them so as they agree not in the very being before Luther of their Church and Religion The second part AND because they pretend our Church and Religion to have been resormed by them they shall give me leave here to declare what manner of men these Reformers were how they were first called to make this Reformation How they began it And to what antient Faith and Form of Church government they sought to reduce it And to discuss these points Comment in cap. 1. ad Galatas orderly my Reader must know that the first father of these Reformers was Martin Luther an Apostate Friar of St. Austins order who as he writeth himself lived chastely and well in his Monastery for fifteen years together but after his departure from it he became Sâ—â—m de Matrim by his own confession a very monster of Lust no more able to live without a woman than he could leave to be a man or forbear natural necessities of eating drinking spitting c. and luxury at one time so raged in him as for eight dayes together he could neither pray nor study and shortly after to asswage the heat thereof one night after Supper he married forsooth and took for his Bed-fellow Katheriue Bore a lusty Nun after eight years of her religious profession which troubled so much his friends and Melancthon chiefly that in an Epistle to Camerinus You know saith he the manner of Luthers life wherefore I had rather you should conjecture the rest then I write thereof onely I may say Luther is not a man made to live without a woman which surely was no great commendation for an apostolicall man as he by his discipâ—es is pretended to have been Carolastadius Luthers first Schollar Priest and Dean of Witâ—enberg Church and Father of modern Sacramentarian Hereâ—icks fierce unlearned and void almost of common judgement as Melanctâ—on described him prevented his Master in a like marriage and was quickly followed therein by Peter Martyr a Priest and Canon Regular by Martyr Bucer a Dominican Friar who both took Nuns for their B dfellows and soon after Oecolampidius a Brigitan Monk did the same and Bernardius Ochinus a Capuchin with him drawing others like themselves to follow their example insomuch as Zuinglius Priests and Canon of Constance Operum ejus tom 2. sol 110. with the rest of his fâ—llows in Swizzerland so much longed to have this Evangelical liberty of wiving also granted unto them as they humbly petitioned the Mâ—gistrates of that country for the same as having already not without scandal of others experienced their own infirmity and unablenesse to live without women Calvin in like manner an under-Pastor of Noion after he became Luthers disciple had his Idoletta a Widdow of Strasburg and Beza his Candida truly called Claudia de Nossa with whom he lived four years before he married her enjoying her and Audibert his boy at the same time as himself in a wanton Poem expressed his lustfull delights wherein he seemed to have had most pleasure in his Boy to be much troubled that he could not enjoy them both together