of the Church vicar of the souerain head essential Iesus Christ and successor of S. Peter in that vicareige to whom al Catholikes which are dispersed throughout the world are ioyned as members to their head Loe here 12. markes of the true church That is to say 1. The possessiō propertie of the name Catholike 2. The succession of the Apostolike priesthood 3. Antiquitie 4. The long cōtinuance without interruptiō 5. The largenes of the kingdome 6. The victorie of the whole world by efficacie of doctrine 7. The conformitie in doctrine with the primitiue Church 8. The holynes of doctrine 9. The holines of life of the possessours 10. The gloire of miracles 11. The Infelicitie of the impugners and prosperitie of the Protectours 12. And the vnion of the members with their head the successour of S. Peter These are comprised in fower woordes of the Creed that is to say in that she is one Holy Catholike and Apostolike I doe not enter here into the groundes of the doctrin of the Catholike Church The principal scope of this present treatise was onely to shew that out of the Catholike Church man can not be saued whatsoeuer thing he doth whereunto I haue added these outeward markes the which without farder disputation may be sufficient to euery Christian mā to resolue him selfe touching all difficulties whatsoeuer for all the controuersies which haue bene are and euer shal be in the faith doe rest therein and are reduced to that onely head to finde the true Church Which being ones found a man is out of all hazard and peril of errour For all agree vpon this principle that there is but one Church and that the same can not erre being as saith S. Paul The piller and seur grounde of truth And therefore whosoeuer shall doubt of any thing as of Sacramentes of the Inuocation of saincts of praying for the dead or of any other point of lerning he must onely marke that which the Church doth teach thereof and then therevpon to resolue him selfe more assuredly then if an Angel of heauen were descended expressely to informe him of the same And euery other cōgregation which shal call it selfe the church teaching the contrary must needes be conuinced of falsehood of being sent from sathan of heresie and of impietie All the markes of the Catholike Church are euidenly found in the Romain Church The respect of the name Romain is not to the town of Rome but the to chaire of S. Peter which hath that highnes of glory to haue bene cheefely and especially priuileged by the prayer and promise of our sauiour who prayed for S. Peter to that ende that his faith might not faile and founding vpon him his Church hath promised vnto him that the proud gates of hel shall neuer preuail against her as in fact we see that sathan hath ouercome the Churches of the other Apostles and ouerthrowen their chaire In Hierusalem in Alexandria in Ephesus and els where But not the chaire wherewith S. Peter hath innobled the citie of Rome This Church is onely inuincible insupplantable immouable frō her foundation It is she that hath born away the victory of the whole world She hath destroyed Paganisme ouerthrowen Idolatrie expelled al heresies tamid kingdomes Empires ouercome the Philosophers driuen away the darkenes of the world hath gained to god all men of good will She hath troden down and always shal tread down the head of sathan She hath ben euer sithēs S. Peter an obiect vnto the world very apparant as a moūtain of vnderstāding A burning light not to be quenched and an infallible Pole starre directing the way of God To her onely in the troublesome and tempestous sea of variable opinions of men we must haue regard She is the quickening plant that God hath planted in earth hauing her Roote in heauen Yt is not possible for men to root her out no more than it is to throw downe God from his heauenlie seat vpon whom she is founded All the heresies of the world haue bent them selues against that Church Titans Hypocrites and euel Christians haue assaulted her but she remaineth victorious ouer all her enemies not by the merits of men but by the efficacie of that prayer which our sauiour made to his father for the faith of S. Peter and to make his promise effectuall The promises of the truth it selfe can not be vaine Iesus Christ sayd of the temple of Hierusalem that there should not one stone remayne vpō an other and so it came to passe The Iewes edeuonred them selues with might and maine to build the same again but fier came from heauen and placed it self in the foundations for to hinder their intreprise He said of his church that it should endure as long as the world shal remain And men doe see that hither to she remaneth as long as the world hath indured heauen and earth shall passe but the woordes of our Sauiour shall not passe Let these wicked Spirites heretikes Schismatikes Hypocrites and deuelishe men lay their embushes conspire make warre and doe all they can against that Church yet shal they get nothing They fight against the prayer and promise of our Sauiour they doe fight against GOD him selfe The deuils haue not gotten the victory in heauen against the Angels neitheir shall they get it in earth against the Church Many Angels did fall many members of the Church doe fall dayly But as the kingdom of Angels was neuer wholly ouerthrowen so the whole Church shall neuer be vanquished Hel may shake the earth but not the heauens The Church is not an earthly building a building of Adam a building of no other foundation then natural It is an heauenly building whollie supernatural and diuine whereof not man but God him selfe is the foundation and founder and the holy Ghost is the Architect which hath gathered together the liuely stones This building is not made of men borne by nature as the children of Adam but of men made heauenlie regenerate by grace as the children of God Faith which is the bond of the bodie of that Church is aboue the heauen the obiect of that faith which is IESVS Christ Author of that regeneration doth appertain more to heauen by his diuine person then to earth by that humain nature Therefore a thowsand hels shal neuer be able to preuaile against that church whosoeuer thou art therfore which hast separated thy self from that Church what so euer thing thou doest thou art not apparteining to IESVS Christ thou art a member of sathan and a pray of euerlasting damnation Goe about the earth and the see trott vp and downe the world and goe where thou wilt searching the truth thou shalt not find the same out of this Church The Church Catholike Apostolike and Romain is the same of whom doth spring rise as from a center all the droctrine of Christianitie the chaire of S. Peter is the chaire of Iesus Christ and of the truth it self al other
repose in God a name vtterlie denying him selfe to the end he may be ouerwhelmed in God and that to leane and staie vpon the Church is to leane and staie vpon God him selfe and that contrarie wise to staye vpon him selfe that is to say vpon his owne iudgement is to stay him selfe vpon the deuil they should knovve that the Church teacheth the people faythfully and that she is assisted of the holie Ghost that she hath the trevve traditions of the Apostles and doth take the scripture in the Euangelical sense sayeth nothing of her selfe putteth nothing of nevve dothe not make any article of fayth but only giueth vvitnes of the Euangelical sense and discerneth the good from the euil pasture euen as the holy Ghost doth reueale to her in common And contraryvvise that the heretike is not stirred but of his ovvn particular spirit hath not any tradition but of his owne proper making taketh the scripture in a sense by him self inuented handling the same as if him self were the authour making him self a prophet to hym self and iudge of God and somtymes setteth him self aboue al that which is God in som much that he doth iudge by his owne priuate sense the eternal woord of God in such sort as al heresie maketh a new paradox putteth a new sense neuer Euangelized not of the holy Ghost but inuēted of Satan by the mouth of one particular man The spirit of God is not particular but common and the same is in common to the Church to whom hath bene giuen the assurance of the holy Ghost to shew vnto her al truthe in such sorte that as it is certein that the holy Ghost is authour of the scripture so is it certein that the holy Ghost is the soule and lyfe of the Church by whose direction she can neuer erre for which cause S. Paul doth cal her the piller and ground of trueth And 1. Tim. 3. this is it that S. Augustin did confesse o lord S. August lib. 12. cōfess c. 25 sayeth he thy trueth is not myne nor this mans or that mans but it is euerie mans whom thou publikly Veritas tua est domine nōmea nec illius aut illius sed omnium nostrū quos ad cōmuniomem publice vocas terribiliter admones ne priuatam veritatē habeamus ne priuemut ea Ioan. 8. calleste to the communion therof warnyng vs terribly that we take greate heed to chalenge that in priuate lest so we be vtterlie depriued of it For he which speaketh of his owne telleth a lye And as many particular opinions as are in the world so many banners are there displayed by the deuil A true catholique doth estrange him self as much as he can from all particular opinions and from al attributing to him self his being his liuing his power and knowledge and neuer doth vse these termes I am I can I wil as for me this is my opinion and such like speches which be termes of deuelish arrogancie He dares not so much as to say of him self that he is a part of Christendom standing as it wear by him self alone but holdeth this for a principle that he can not so much as thinke any thing that good is without the continual dependence of God and instruction of the Church vnto whom in all simplicitie and in deep humlitie he leaueth him self to be edified and instructed euen as a litle childe of his mother so that it is in a maner easier to plucke a sterre out of the element than to plucke a true catholique out of the bosome of the Churche Litle Iacob when Rebecca his mother commanded him to faigne him self to his father that he was Esau to get thereby his blessing he answered like a childe that he feared lest the deceit being discoueced he should procure hym self malediction in stead of benediction but then his mother sayd to him that maledictiō Genes 27. my sonne be vpon me only obay thou my voyce in that I commaund the which he did and was blest euen so it is in our obedience to the Church If the Church should deceiue vs then vpon her be the maledictiō to vs doth apperteyn the glory of obedience with the which we be very wel assured to obteyn the euerlasting benediction But now the Church can not deceiue vs yea I say further that the iniquite of him that is in the Church is better that is to say is lesse dānable then the good works of him which is in heresie For if one of the howshold of the Church haue sinned he hath but committed that sinne wherein he is fallen the which is blotted out by pennance in the Churche and he may obtein the promisses of the kyngdome of heauen but he which is fallen out of the Church sinneth alwayes in al that he doth for al that which is not of faith is sinne as S. Paul saith Yea although he do pennāce yet cā he obtein no pardō because in the societie where he is there is no remission of sinnes there is no good worke meritorius no pennance no vertue to be rewarded withe life euerlasting where faithe is not and that persone dothe not fruitfully fulfil any comaundement of God which doth not fulfil the same in the Church The pretended good works of those which be out of the Church be like a swyft running out of the way and lyke great paynes taken for a matter of nothing where no reward is to be gotten He which runneth out of the listes shal neuer carie away the price he must be first with in the barriers of the Church seing that the course of good woorkes shal be crowned according to the merits of the rightuousnes of eache one I meane according as euery one shal shevv hymself valiant and couragious in christian spirit and according as the new regenerat man in him hathe brought foorth due fruits and effects of his regeneration There is no good without the soueraign good The soueraign good is God God Iesus Christ and the Churche are three things coherent and fast vnited together There is no accesse to God but by Iesus Christ and there is no accesse to Iesus Christ but by the Churche let no man sayeth S. Ambrose accept good woorks done before faith Faith is the soule of good woorkes without the which they be dead and be not to be rewarded with lyfe euerlasting faith is the soule of our soule the substance of man in such sorte as man without faith is without substance True it is that an heretyke renouncing his heresie is straight wayes cleane and incorporated againe to the Church and as a member partaker of the prayers of all the vniuersal Church he is made woorthy of the body of Iesus Christ after he hath purelie and entierlie renounced his heresie in which case a Ioh. Clim grad 15. fornicator repenting hath need of teares of tyme to be throughly clensed and to extinguish vtterly the concupiscence which hath occupied the
holie scriptures The Samaritanes were heretiques and did fortifie them selues with the texte of the law of Moyses Our sauiour hath condemned them with his owne mouth when being asked of the Samaritane whether God should be worshipped in Hierusalem or in Samaria he answered you worshippe that you know not wee worshipp that Iohan. 4. we knowe the saluation is of the Jewes For it is as yf he had sayd yow Samaritanes which be distracted from the Iewes you shal haue nothing in the treasure of saluation and you can not but erre This only voice thundering from heauen you worshipp that you know not is a sufficient flash of lightening to ouerthrow all that these deuided felowes frō the Curch can imagine to haue eyther holie or godlie Let no mā be ouertakē by the deuil through ignorance of this doctrine S. Augustin teacheth vs clearly that although heretikes S. August in Enchrid ad Lauren. do preache the name of Iesus Christ yet that name is not their seur groūd as it is to Catholikes but remayneth proper to the Church only for if one consyder aduysedly that which belongeth to Iesus Christ he shall not fynde it amongst heretikes what so euer but in tytle and shew only the effect of the vertue shal not be there they sound out with full mouth that they holde the sonne of God for the redeemer of the worlde but notwithstandyng after they haue pronounced those woords because they spoyle hym of his vertue dignitie that which S. Paule sayth Collos 2. is truly proper vnto them that they keepe not the heade whereof the whole body which is the Church by ioyntes bandes being compacted groweth to the increase of God And according to this Optatus properly sayth that the buylding Opt. li. 3. 6. of heretykes is but only a wal which hath no corner stone nor couerture aboue in such sorte that if they make a gate he that entreth in is alwayes without subiect to wyndes rayne tempest theeues and to wylde beasts But the Catholike Church is an entier howse in the which God doth dwel and he dwelleth not in any other Al that which is inclosed therein is couerd wel assured out of daunger of the incommodytyes of the ayre of theeues and of all external harme Furthermore he compareth heresie to artificial trees which fowlers fashion in likenes of a natural tree hauing the shew of a true tree but full of snares and of glew where the brides searching their life fynde their death wheras the Church is a true tree in deed full of good fruits without snares and fraude But aboue al. S. Cyprian hath very wel sayd that heresie and idolatrie be in Lib. de vnit Eccles the same damnatiō as daughters of the same father when sayth he by the coming of Iesus Christ the light being reuealed vnto the gentiles and the sonne of saluation shyning to the face of al people the darknes of idolatry was chased out of the world Satan seing his seates and temples desolate and his Idols forsakē of al people on te earth which did runne vnto the Churches of Iesus Christ he found a new craft vnder the self same name of Christian to intangle them that were not wel aduised and to make them fal from the grace of Iesus Christ that is he hath sturred vp heresies with the which he hath subuerted the fayth corrupted the truth and broken the vnite of concorde in such sorte that those whom he can not longer hold in the auncient way of blyndnes he hath deceaued by the error of a new way so spoyleth men euen within the Church deceauing them with an other kynd of darkenes to the end that not contynewing in the vnitye of the Church they may yet cal them selues Christians and walking in darkens they may perswade them selues to haue the light making them blinde without perceauing their blyndes yea then when they thinke them selues most sure of the light For as he is a cunnyng woorkeman to transforme him self often into an Angel of light he leadeth them in to likelihoodes of truth that he may so deceiue them in the truth affirmyng the night for day death for life infidelitye for faith Antichrist vnder the name of Iesus Christ And ther is not any absurditye how monstrous and foule so euer it be that he doth not make them receyue and that very greedelye and hauing once bleared them with his iugling tricks he holdeth theyr iudgements so fast tyed and hampered that they can not see the very open and manyfest truth so that hauing now no more roote in God they be cast into a reprobate sense turnyng to their owne destruction al that is presented vnto them and sticke not now to stād and fyght agaynst God him self Now to them wich suffer them selues to be deceiued it happeneth sayeth S. Cyprian for not searching the truth of faith by the right way according to the direction of our heauēly Maister who doth send vs to the chayer of S. Peter which of his proper auctoritie by prerogatyue he hath ordeined to be head as the fountayne roote of his Church And this was a greate benefit of God that he hath giuen a certaine seat to his Church as auncyently was the chayre of Moyses to the end that in the doubtful points of faith men myght haue a place to resorte vnto as to a certeine Vniuersite to receiue their iudgement and resolutiō and so to kepe the vnitie of faith among so many dyuers nations that were to enter in to the Church This is certeinly the point whereby all heretikes in the world haue perished doe perishe now and shall alwayes perishe for that they like not not sauour not the Sacramēt of the vnitie of faith in the vniuersal brotherhood of the Church nor acknowledge that there is one certain Church the only mother of al the children of God which is only holie Catholike and Apostolike vnto whom Iesus Christ her spouse head hath giuen the character of the order of his eternall Priesthood the keyes of the realme of heauen all aucthoritie ouer his howshould vnto whom he hath promised assistance of his holie spirit vntil the end of the worlde in whom is the wil of God the forgiuenes of sinnes and the distribution of graces who only hath the woord of God in keeping the pure doctrine of the Gospell the true vse of Sacraments to whom only therefore doth appertain to iudge of the true sense of the holy scriptures and to decyde the controuersies of faith that rise among men whose iudgements in earth be ratified in heauen which Church being but one and vndiuided in faith yet extending it self in her cōmuniō as the beames of the sunne as long and as wyde as the whole world encreasinge multiplyinge dayly without end or lymit continueth inseparably vnited to her head as the beames to the body of the sunne not liuinge but of his grace not breathing but of his
spirit and not seing but of his light and who so euer kepeth not this vnitie he kepeth not the law of God he hath no faith and he can neyther haue the life nor the saluation of Iesus Christ It is S. Paul him Ephes 4. self that teacheth this Sacramēt of the vnitie of faith in the vniuersalitie of the Church as there is not saith he but one sole God lord father of all so there is but one faith one hope one trust one bodie one spirit the head of which bodie is the sonne of God Iesus Christ who being him self the spring of lyfe euerlasting doth inspire lyfe to all the bodie doth furnish it dayly with strength by his holy spirit Whosoeuer is not a member of that bodie can not take lyfe of the spirit of Iesus Christ he is a straunger he is prophaned he is an enemie he is dead drye and wythered without moysture of all diuine grace and that no part of the promises and rewards of Iesus Christ he is the braunche Iohan. 11. cut from the true stocke appointed to the fyer to be burned If any of those which were out of the Arcke of Noe vvere saued those also shal be saued which are founde out of the Arke of the Church If the riuer cut from his spring dryeth not vp if the braunche diuided from the tree can bear fruit if the member cut from the bodie can take lyfe of the same bodie then also the man that is diuided and cut from the Church shal liue of Iesus Christ He can not haue God for his father which wil not haue the Church for his mother and he can not be vnited with God which is not vnited with the Church At the same instant that man doth separat him self frō the Church he dyeth from Iesus Christe and leeseth the grace of the holy Ghost For euen as the vniuersal sensible light is tyed to the bodie of the sunne which doth spread and distribute it to all the world in the absence wherof there is nothing but darknes euen so al grace of reconciliation to God was annexed to the bodie of Iesus Christ yea to this bodie of his which dayly groweth by increase of the chosen preordinate to lyfe euerlasting which is the bodie of the Church which he doth gather together taking out from the heape of mankynd al men of good wyl which haue bene are and shal be to the end of the world out of which bodie there is but the wrath and malediction of God Search where you wil out of this Church you shall fynde nothing but death To be short he which is not in the Church hath no God he hath his owne proper iudgement his phantasie and his owne presumption for his God he maketh him selfe an Idol doth worship only his owne imagination in place of God If such a man calleth him self a Christian that is as the deuil often sayth he is Christ and if he be kylled for his heresie that is no martirdom bur the reward of his heresie which is not yet al purged by his owne death Dying he goeth to yeld and ioyne him self eternally to the darkenes which he hath worshiped and to his head which is the deuil There is no martirdom nor death pretious before God but in the catholique Church in the which only is the grace of the Gospel of Iesus Christ the which only she doth preach in sinceritie and truth and without any hazard or possibilitie to erre because she taketh her direction of the holy Ghost of the tradition of the Apostles and of the holy scriptures together which be the three grounds set downe by the holy scripture it self the which doth shew that not shee only buyldeth vp the Churche but is also holpen of the traditions of the liuely voyce of the Apostles to the which she often tymes referreth men Kepe sayeth S. Paul the traditions 2. Thess 2. Tenete traditiones quas didicistis siue per sermonē siue per epistolā nostrā Act. 15. 16 which you haue learned of me be it by woord or by our epistle and it is written in the Actes of the Apostles that in al places whear S. Paule passed by he recommended to the Churches to kepe the ordinances of the Apostles and of the elders which were things not written When the Apostles had planted the Gospel they did not say al things at one time nor in one howre nor wrote al that they sayed but according as occasion was giuen they planted their doctrine so that the holy scripture which we haue of the Apostles and of the Euangelists is not so muche a full doctrine of faith as a witnes of the faith that they preached Now if wee will goe higher the law of Moyses cōsisted no lesse in tradition than in writting and not only the sense but the letter and text thereof was to be learned by tradition For they had the scriptures in maner but by half the pointing beeing not yet put to the hebrew text But the holy Ghost alwayes hath in formed the Church of the true traditions and the true sense of the scripture in such sorte as the Church and the holy scripture are so linked together that they both be as an indissoluble cheyne of golde The Church is not aboue the scripture but the authoritie of the Church doth shew the true scripture And when the Church hath need of wholsome information she doth goe to the scriprure and if there be any darknes in the scripture the holy Ghoste is giuen to the Church for to interpret the same Euen so in the olde law in al difficulties that rose the law of Moyses ordained that they should goe to the hygh priest for the tyme being and that they Deut. 17. Malach. 2. should folow his verdit not turnyng either to the right syde or the left vpon paine of death The Prophets also sent them thether and in the Gospel it self our sauiour commaundeth that if any obey not the Church Matt. 18. he be degraded from the name of Christian and holden for an Eathnike let no man now seeke excuses in a corner God hath appointed at al tymes the priests of the Church present to iudge the present controuersies and willeth that men should repayre vnto them his holy spirit assisteth them to that end He hath not promised vs in them more then in other men example of holynes but he hath promised vs by them the Oracles of his truthe Oh that al those that do erre in faith did know the vertue of the name Catholique and the horror of the name heretike how the Catholique in his faith doeth renounce his own reason his own iudgemēt his vnderstanding his wil and all his senses for to hearken simplie and absolutely vnto that that the Church doth teache how on the cōtrarie side the heretike doth groūde builde his fayth vpon his owne iudgement They should knowe that the name Catholique is a name of
soule and defiled the body the reliques of the one being harder to be healed then of the other but if the one and the other die in their sinne the heretike shal carie a more rigorous iudgement than the fornicator This point then is without contradiction that in all the vniuersal vvorld there is but one only Church vvhich doth administer eternal lyfe vvhich hath the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen in vvhich good deeds be revvarded vvith lyfe euerlasting vvhich dravving out of the holy Scriptures the right line of interpretation both prophetical and Apostolical according to the sense that hath bene preached and taught geueth her children assured certentie of the good pasture knowledge of the euil whō who so obeyeth not shal neuer see God For this cause S. Paul according to the care vvhich he had more then fatherly of the saluation of men doth exhorte very earnestly to be carefull to kepe the vnitie of spirit which is to hold them selues ioint firme and locked in the bosome of the Churche knowing that euerie where out of the same dwelleth death and that euerie particular assemblie out of the same is the Synagog of Sathan All diuinitie out of the Church is vaine false basterdly cōfuse ful of deceit impietie When the heretike alleageth woordes of the Gospel that is now no more saieth S. Hierom the Gospel of God The Gospel in their mouth becometh the woord of man and the woord of the deuil the trueth is poysoned by their leauen in suche sorte that it is altogether vnlike to it selfe wherin they fare as the false and leud counseilors of a prince or state whoe in giuing counceil redounding to ther owne particular profit and not of the Prince or common welth doo betray the Prince and the comon welthe euen so the heretiks be traitors to God and to the holy scriptures And let no man be deceiued if somtimes they seeme to teach the same doctrine that the catholikes do betwene the true and the false there is but a hears difference But now suppose they preached in all throughout the self same doctrine of faith and Sacraments as the catholiques doe that they be also otherwise irreprehensible of their life in external honestie yea finallie though they spend their bloud for the name of Iesus Christ all this notvvithstāding fith S. Aug. lib. de fide ad petro they make a bodye apart and hold not the vnitie of the catholike Church they be in state of perdition The vse of the Sacraments the woorks of mercie and the gloriouse confession of the name of Iesus Christe can not profit but vnto him which is in the vnitie of the catholique Church Which vnitie who holdeth not he diuideth the body of Iesus Christ which is one and indiuisible and his Church hath not two bodyes Iesus Christ is not diuided sayth S. Paul and that point is of so great importance as the creed of the faith which is dayly songe in the Church doth expressely shew that there is but one Church to the end that all men might know that out of the same there is no saluation Such as come near the brinke of a deep pit or of any dovvneright pitche conceiuing the horrour of tēporal death all trembling they retier far of for fear to fall therin but there is not any deep pit or dovvneright pitche or peril vvhat so euer in this vvorld vvherein a man should conceiue so much feare to fall as into heresie For in all heresie dvvelleth the horrour of eternall death And to fall from the assured firmament of the Churche in to heresie is to fall from cleaning to God to the bottomles pit of him self vvhich is as the fall of Satan vvhen he vvas headlonge throvven dovvne from heauen to hell Let vs then take heed God Christian people of separating of our selues hovv litle so euer it be from the catholike Church no not in one only litle thought let vs yeeld vniuersallie to all that the Church doth teach vvithout reseruing any thing vvhat soeuer it be to our particular iudgement against the iudgement of the Church Looke hovv much any man reserueth to his ovvn resolution vpon his ovvn proper sense in matters of faith so nigh he is to the losse of his lyfe so farre is he in darknes of errour so near is he to death so much diuided from God so fast cleaueth he to the deuil Farre from all those vvhich haue care of their ovvn euerlasting saluation be that deadlie presumption vvhich would share his faith vvith the Church that is vvould make a choise and particular separation of the points vvhich it pleaseth him to beleeue or not to beleeue vvith the Church as if that syde vvhereunto by our ovvn direction vve resolue to leane vvere to vs a better euidence and cleeret testimonie than the vniuersal Churche This is in verie deed to censure the Church and to make our selues iudges of the Church and of the holy Ghost also vvhich teacheth her This is to be too too much ignorant of our own ignorance vveaknes and mesure of our ovvn state and condition The iudgement of one particular mā hovv vvise so euer he may be is but as a litle candle in the darknes of the night the which giueth light scant fovver or fiue pases in circumference but is incōtinent obscured inuironed with the exceding force of vniuersal darknes Wher the Church vvhich as S. Iohn sayeth is clothed with the sunne hauing the moon Apoc. 12. vnder her feet dothe cast her beames vpon the face of the vvhole earth taking her brightnes from aboue and drawing her light out of the sea of the Intelligence diuine Avvay say I vvith this presumption farre be it from all our friends farre from the chosen and elect of God farre from al those vvho haue an earnest desire of their ovvn saluation wolde vvillinglie forsake this worlde to see God eternallie and to attain vnto the glori of eternal felicitie Avvay vvith this rashenes of particularities in opinions seuered from the Church This is the verie cockle of wicked spirits This is the vvay to fall in to the hands of the deuil vvho being not able to wound a man to death by making him to forsake the Church absolutelie dothe yet vvound and disfigure the integritie and sincere purenes of a Christian in this point at least that novv he is not sound and sincere nor such a one as the beautie and state of a christian requireth Deformed is that member sayth S. Augustin which is not conformable to the whole Raither suffer the soule to be diuided August Turpis est omnis pars vniuerso suo non congruens from the bodie with all the torments in the worlde than to be diuided from the Church or to dissent from the Church in any one iote only or in any one sole litle point He that would agree with the Church in all except one only point is not a catholike Faith is more
throwgh the world doe not stumble against de litle stone but against the mouÌ„taine Esaie expressely fortold that the Church Esa 2. 54. 66. shal be as a mountaine manifestly lifted vp aboue the mountaines whervnto all nations Matt. 5. shall resort vvhich our Sauiour him selfe confirmed saying that his Church is a citie set on a montaine which can not be hidden what shal I say more sayth S. Augustin the Churche is shee not manifest doe not we shew it with our fingar and those that doe not see so great a mountaine be they not blinde which against the shining candle put in a candelsticke do shut theyr eyes S. Bernard writeth elegaÌ„tly hereof against the heretikes of his time the stone cutt without the hand is becomme the mountaine filling the vvorlde and thincke you saith he that it is within your dennes this is to caluÌ„niat al the vniuersal vvorld Thou maiest easily see the citie sett vpon a mountaine the Church catholique which can not be hiddeÌ„ Moreouer S. Augustin saith that by Gods prouidence it Aug. in psal 101. hath bene so disposed that the testimonies of Iesus Christ are obscure in the olde prophets but those of the church are manifest to the end that men should haue recourse to the Church for couÌ„seil to learne of hir their saluation And he saith forther that the Church sithens the Apostles time hath not only not lost any part of her light but also hath alwayes augmented the same still proceeding and encreasyng as the new moone from smal light to a greater If any one saith he doe not perceiue the moone in the first point of hir increasing one might excuse the vveakenes of his eyes but he that doth not perceiue the same in her fulnes that man is starke blinde From the tyme of the Apostles vvhen the Church did not shew as yet very much hir face vpon the arth simple men were deceiued by false teachers saying here is the Church here is Christ vvounding as it vvere in the dark of the moon simple and plain meaning folke but now how blinde is he that erreth in the ful moone Pope Leo the S. Leo. first S. Hilaire and other auncients vvhich liued in the mayn course of mightie heresies S. Hilarie doe vvitnes that the Church vvas neuer darkenid sithens the Apostles by the infectioÌ„ of heresies The Church say they may be diminished in the Globe of multitude of children but not in light and clearnes much lesse by the persecutions of tyrannes for as sayeth Tertullian the bloud of Christians is the seed of the Church and euerie martyr is as the grayne of wheate falling on the earthe which bringeth foorth manye Poore Cicero Cic. l. 2. q. Ac. searching the soueraigne God complaineth saying by the dissention of philosophers vve are constrained to be ignorant of our Lord and can not know vvhich is he that vve ought to worship for Lord and gouerner of the world This can not besayd of the Church the contradictions which heretikes doe make against her doe not darken her but make her rather better knowne and as Vincentius Lyrinensis sayth Vinc. Lyr. doe scoure her and make her brighter geuing occasion to catholikes to vnderstand cleerlie and feruentlie that vvhich before they beleued couertly and coldly And it is certeiÌ„ that the Church had more knowleige of God in some certein articles in the tyme of S. Augustin then in other tymes before and in the tyme of S. Bernard then in the tyme of S. Augustin and at this day more then she had since the tyme of the Apostles so that ther is now none that seeth not cleerly in the light of the Church except those vvhose eyes satan hath put out and vvhich are willingly blynde sith all now doe know vvhere is the cheire of S. Peter the Church Catholike Apostolique and Romain which hath the name of Catholike the succession of Bishoppes sithens S. Peter to this day the consent of people and nations and many other wel knowen markes whiche do distingwishe the same from all false religion of panims of Iewes and of heretikes and doth make it sufficiently euident that none can be excused neither those which refuse to ioyne vnto her nor those that do depart from her I wil not here sett downe all the markes of the true Church as if this present treatice were to that end but I shal touche only some few TWELVE MARCKES OF the true Church THe first marke of the true Church is the name Catholike which although all heretikes would pretend to be theirs yet neuer could they obthain thus much sayth S. Augustin S. August lib. cont epi. fund c. 4. that if a Panime demaunded of an heretike the place where the Catholikes doe assemble them selues he durst not shew his owne Sinagogue And S. Ciril sayth if thou goest in a Cyril cat 18. citie doe not aske vvhere is the Church nor where the house of GOD is for the heretikes say that they haue the Church and the howse of god but aske where is the Catholike Church for that name Catholike is proper to the holy Church mother of vs all that are of right beleif and an heretyke vvould be mocked and laughed at to shew his Churche for the catholike Pacianus hath treated of this point expressely where he saith Christian is my name Catholike is my surname that doeth name me this maketh me knowne the name catholike is not deriued of any one man it doth not sound any thing of an heretike it is not referred to any particullar Authour it agreeth to the principal head body of that tree vvhose braunches beinge cutt of are the sectes of heretikes but the tree it selfe liueth mainteined by his roote and coÌ„tineweth alwaye the same vvhich is all one whole body and called Catholike but euerie heresie taketh the name of some one which is the authour therof where vpon S. Athanasius â—than serm â—â—â—nt Arria against the Arrians sayth Christian people neuer tooke their names of their Bishoppe no we are christians and so named not of the Apostles them selues but of our lord in whome we haue beleued by the voice of Bishoppes and Apostles Those which haue taken their faith of others are by good right surnamed from the cheefe of their heresie Lactantius sayth the only Catholike â—ct li. 4. c. 3. Church is that which keepeth the true worshippe of God this is the fountein of trueth the house of faith the temple of God in whom if any do not enter or from whom if any doth depart he cutteth him self of from hope of lyfe and of euerlasting saluation but euerie sect of heretikes doth pretend that the catholike Church is on ther syde how be it bearing the names of Marcionites or Arrians they are no more Christians they haue lost their name christian in taking straunge names of men Likewise Iustine the martyr S. Ireneus S. Iohn S. Chrys hâ— 33 in act Apost Iust mar contriph S.
to the Apostles you are owt of the communion of the Church of IESVS Christ you be without Church without priesthood and without any mediation towards God for that you haue not any preist of the order of the Mediator Your ministers be those that S. Ciprian speaketh of who without lawful S. Ciprian lib. 4. ep 9. calling without gods ordinance without ecclesiastical order doe appoint them selues to be head ouer rash men take to them selfs titles of Bishops and like apes they resemble mens actions and them selues being not in in the Church counterfait the face of the Church arrogating to them selues her authoritie truth blessing others being them selues cursed of God promising life being theÌ„ selues dead calling vpon God being blasphemers administring priesthood being theÌ„ selues prophane presenting theÌ„ selues to the altar as intercessors to God being theÌ„ selues sacrilegiouse prouokers of gods wrath their preaching is not preaching but preuarication of the woord of God their priesthood is not priesthood but a seruice of the deuil and ministerie of Antichriste for Apes be alwayes Apes and neuer shal be men and heretikes alwayes heretikes how so euer they doe counterfait and neuer shal be Catholikes except they enter again in to the bosom of the Church where the lauful succession of priesthood of the Apostles doth remain The third marke is Antiquitie for euen as the good seed was sowen in the field by the house houlder before the cockle by the enemie so it is certein that the true church is more auncient than the false Now that the catholike Apostolike and Romain Church is the same that IESVS Christ him selfe hath instituted more auncient then all the sects of heretikes this argumeÌ„t wil forse them to confesse In all notable chaunges of religion six things are to be marked the Author the new opinion the tyme when it began the place where it began the Impugners that it had the small number of folowers when the same began to make her separation of communion from the religion that it dyd forsake first vve know that the Author of the heresie of ArriaÌ„s was a preist of Alexandria named Arrius of Nestorians a Bishop of ConstaÌ„tinople named Nestorius of Lutherans a monk of the order of S. Augustin named Luther Secondlie we know that the new doctrine of Arrius imported that the sunne of God was a creature Of Nestorius that there was two personnes in Iesus Christ Of Luther that the Eucharist is not a sacrifice and that man is Iustified by that onely special faith which he hath of his own iustification Thirdlie we know that the sect of Arrius dyd beginne the yere of our Lord 324. that of Nestorius the yere of 431. that of Luther the yere 1517. Fowertlie we know that the Arrianisme dyd beginne in Aegipte the heresie of Nestorius in Thrace that of Luther in Saxonie Fiftlie we know that the Arrians were Impugned by Pope Syluester by the Councel of Nice by S. Athanasius ' by S. Hilarie and many others the Nestorians by Pope Celestin by the Councel of Ephesus by S. Ciril and many others the Lutherans by Pope Leo the tenth by the Councel of Trent by all vniuersities catholikes and by many Doctors Finally vve know that in the beginning when all those archeheretikes did separate them selues from the communion of catholikes they were small in number an that euen then the catholikes were dispersed throughout the world in infinite numbers None of all those thinges can be obiected by the Lutherans and Caluinists againste the catholikes First they haue neuer obiected vs the autor of our faith contrary to theirs neither haue they named vs after any particular man vvhich they wolde verie willinglie haue done if they could Secondly they doe not shew the beginninge of any our nevv doctrine if they ascend not vp to the Apostles vvhose nouelty is ours and is our antiquitie against all heresies They are not also hable to shew any tyme certain of our faling from the Church nor the place neither where it should haue begun nor those which did impugne the same as new nor that any councels haue bene celebrated against her nor finally that this our Church catholike Apostolike and Romain did separate it self from some greater that was before in such sorte as those which did coÌ„municate with the Romaine Church vvere fewe in member and that the rest of Christians were farre more greater For it appeareth by the epistles of S. Gregorie the Pope vvhich he did vvrite to the Bishops of the East of Afrike of Spaine of France of Italie that almoste all the Christians of the world did coÌ„municate with him Now it is a thovvsand yeeres past sithens S. Greg and the doctrine of faith vvhich he did teache is the same that the Church doth teach at this day The fowerth marke is continewance without being interrupted It is foretould in Daniel Dan. 9. that the raigne of the church shall neuer be dispersed and in sanct Paule that heresies 2. Tim 3. can not long stand the Churche being like the brightnes of the firmament vvhich shineth in perpetual eternitie Heresie is as a Comet conceiued of the vapours of the earth vvhereof the flame ceaseth so sone as his earthly norishement doth faile The Church in an other sorte is as a continual flud which can not drye Heresie is as a flud of tempest vvhich presently doth faile wherof S. Augustin sayth Be not you sayth he amased to see the fluds swellinge and roaringe In illud psa 97 Ad nihilum dâ—uâ—nâ—ent tanquam aqua deâ—urrens for a tyme. It is a violence of vvater vvhich runneth downe and shall cease verie sone for the same can not long continue many heresies be alredie dead they haue runne in theyr channel as long as they could they be slydden away the rootes be drie and hardlie shal one finde the marcke where they were It is verie certein that the Church catholike Apostolike and Romain hath coÌ„continued since the Apostles in her visible brightnes vnto this day vvhich thing if heretikes doe not fullie grant yet doe they confesse that those things which they blame in the same vvere alredie brought in before a thowsand or twelue hundred yeres But vvhat heresie hath euer lasted any thing near that tyme yet I vvil confound them by this argument Before that Luther did start vp besydes the Romaine Church there was not in the vvorld but thes religions Paganisme Iudaisme Machometisme and the relikes of Nestorianisme in Grece But it is certein by the confession of Lutherans and Caluists them selues that the Church of IESVS Christe was not in any one of thies sectes vvhereof it foloweth that she was in the Romaine Church or els quyte extinguised in al the vvhorld vvhich can not be Trulie this marke of the true church is famous for sythens Theobutes and Simon Magus the first Archeheretikes vntil Luther two hundred diuers heresies haue had their course wherof some were vpholden by verie mightie Patrones by
for the reuerence of their priesthood ought Optatus to be as Melchisedech without father vvithout mother vvithout genealogie Hebr. 7. kinges of peace and of Iustice that is to say all spiritual al pure all holie vvithout fleashelie affection as if they vvere descended from heauen not subiect to the passions of men yf they be not such if thei preach the good and do the euill they be like the carpenters of the arke of Noe which taking no care to saue them selues did not enter therin or like the candle vvhich giueth light to others and consumeth it self or as the markes which shew the vvay and sturre not from theyr place Noe did not cast him self in to the water because of the vncleanes of the beastes vvhich weare in the arke so vve must not depart from the Church for the vices of men If a sike man should refuse the remedie of a Phisition for that the phisition him self is subict to the like disease he were misaduised The grace of the Sacramentes is not of lesse force for the euill life of a priest and the diuinitie can not be impeached by the corruption of persons If the beames of the sunne do not defile them selues passing by vncleane places much lesse doe the Sacramentes of god wich be remedies purging al coÌ„tagions A man must neuer ground his religion vpon the perfection of creatures for that vvere idolatrie It is vpon the vvord of God that he must make his foundation And I vvill say more that it vvas expedient for vs to haue for our pastors men taken from among men which be of fles he and blood as vve are weake and vnperfect as wee and can haue compssion on vs for to distribute the Sacraments according as our weaknes doth require If God had giuen vs Angels for pastors they would haue required too great perfections of vs. God hath giuen to priestes the ministerie of his giftes It is of priestes that our Sauiour doth say as thow hast sent me to the worlde sol I haue sent them into the world I haue giuen them thy word and I do not praie onlie for them but for those which shall beleue in me by their word How contemptible so euer the person of the priest be I consider God in him and not the man and honoring the contemptible man in that he is the vicar of God I honour God more than if I honored a holie man which were perfect because I doe it not for any other respect than for the loue of God where as in holie men it is the holines of life the prerogatiue of vertues which maketh them venerable To be short we must not onlie receiue Iesus Christ in his own person but we also must receiue the holie Ghost in his Church As Iesus Christ is the head so the holie Ghost is the soule of the Churche and the chaire of Iesus Christ shall not haue lesse priuileige than that of Moises From Moises vnto the Messias the Sinagogue alwayes taught the truth so the chaire of Messias shal teach the truth to the end of the world The grace of the chaire is of that force that the same doth constraine those to say wel which do not wel but manie in that chaire do the one the other For conclusioÌ„ of this marke Among Catholikes there be good people all may be such but among heretikes there be none good nor none can be The tenth marke is the gloire of mirakles which be diuine operations surmounting Exod. 4. Math. 10. Ioh. 15. Mar. vlt. Haebr 2. Aug. li. de vti â—red 22. de câ—uit Dei c. 8. Tert. l. de praes the habilitie of all creatures as to raise the dead to make the blind to see to helpe the lame and to cure diseases which are naturalie incurable And this marke is necessarie for to persuade a new faith or an extraordinarie sending euen according as the scripture and all the fathers doe teach But neuer were there true miracles in the worlde but among the Iewes and the Catholikes The Iewes haue not had anie sithens Iesus Christ The Mahometists haue neuer made anie Mahomet sayth in the Alcoran that the miracles haue bene giuen to Iesus Christ and the sword to him The Panimes also neuer wrought any true miracles Those wich they report touching an oxe and an Image vvhich did speake water caried in a siue by a vestal virgin a rasor that did cut a whetstone and Tit. Liuius Cicero Val. Max. such like be al light toyes tending not to the vinification or bettering of anie creature but be secret trickes which the deuils might easilie doe for to amaze and to maintein the folies of Paganisme But true and liuelie miracles bringing sound counfort to men neuer Sathan nor his angels nor the false prophets nor the Panimes nor the heretikes Suetonius Corn. Tacitus haue euer done any Those that SVETONIVS and TACITVS haue written of Vespasian that he did make one that was blinde to see with his spitle and heale one that was lame and an other that had a drie hande those be the miracles of Iesus christe which those prophane persons wold rob him of for to attribute them to their Empereur and they them selues discouer their theft by their owne writtings TACITVS doth write that the saide blind man sayd to Vespasian that he had in reuelation of the God Serapis to come to him Now the Panimes which had not yet hearde then of IESVS Christ did thinke that the Christians did worship Serapis as it doth appeare an epistle of the Empereur Adrian to Seruianus consul as apeareth in Vopiscus where he sayth that in the towne of Alexandria they that worshippe Serapis were Christians whereby one may see that the Author of the healing of that blind was the God of the christiaÌ„s The cause of the error in the name Serapis cometh of that that theÌ„ throughout al the world men talked of the miracles that Iesus Christ and his Apostles had done in Iurie and the countres round about and did not declare them according to the pure truth as coÌ„monlie things which be done in countries fer of be disguised and altered by them vvhich report them the Panimes at al times haue bene rashe folishe to iudge of things to them vnknowen giuing for historie that vvhich they did imagin according to their darknes as it appeareth euen by the scripture it self Euen so the SiriaÌ„s being ouercome by the Iewes said that the God of the Iewes vvas the God of Mountanes and 3. Reg. 20. 4. Reg. 18. that they must intrappe him in the valleis Euen so Rapsaces did iudge that Ezechias had destroied the aultars of the God of the Iewes wheÌ„ he destroyed the idols Likerwise the Licaonians did call Barnabas Iupiter S. Paul Mercurie for that he was the cheef speaker In like manner the Panimes in the time of Act. 14. the Apostles vnderstanding that the Christians did vvorship Iesus Christ