th year of Nero's Region who first of the Roman Emperours began open Persecution against Christians and put to death St. Peter and St. Paul In this time I say of Toleration under the Roman Empire which continued the space of 36 years the blessed Apostles and Disciples had preached one uniform Gospel and Faith throughout all the World as may appear by their Acts recorded and by the peculiar Testimony of St. Paul to the Romans Rom. 1. which thing being most miraculously done by the Divine Power and Virtue of Christ Bishops Pastors and Governours being ordained in every Country and Church for guiding and directing the same by themselves and their Successors in perpetuum this I say being once brought to pass then the blessed Apostles for preventing of new false Doctrines that might afterward arise most earnestly exhorted and with all vehemency called upon the people to stand fast in the Doctrine Documents and Traditions then received to hold firmly the Faith and Doctrine already delivered as a Depositum or Treasure committed to them to be safely kept till the last day And above all other things they forewarned them to beware of new fangled Teachers whom they called Hereticks who should break from the Unity of the Universal Body already made and knit together and should devise new Glosses Expositions and Interpretations of Scripture bringing in new Sences Doctrines Opinions and damnable Divisions to the utter renting of Christ's Church Kingdom City already builded and all this to the perdition of infinite Souls Hence it is that St. Paul Tim. 1. pronounceth peremptorily of a contentious and heretical Man that he is damned by the testimony of his own Judgment or Conscience for that he abandoned the common direct publick way which all Men might see devising particular Paths and pernicious Turnings to himself and the ancient Fathers of the Primitive Church disputing against the same kind of People defended always that their Error was of Malice and wilful Blindness and not at all of Ignorance for they will not behold the plain direct sure safe unerring and infallible way among Christians wherein no man can err tho' never so simple but only of blind wilful and obstinate malice Yet by promises of Christ himself in the Gospel we are absolutely ascertained that the same visible Congegation Body Common-wealth Church Kingdom and Government which was established by Christ and propagated by the blessed Apostles shall endure and continue by Succession of Followers in perpetuum and that no new Teacher of later Doctrines dissenting from the first shall ever prevail against it albeit divers Errors and Heresies have sprung up and made great blustering and disturbance for a time yet have they been repress'd and condemn'd by the same Church and her visible Pastors and Doctors in the end For Example-sake in the first Age there arose up certain seditious fellows among the Iews as Simon Magus Nicolaus Cerinthus Ebion Meander c. that were Hereticks against these stood in defence St. Peter who broke the Neck and Black Art of Simon Magus even by his Prayer And after him St. Martialis St. Dionysius Areopagita St. Ignatius Policarpus and others In the second Age rose up Basilides Cerdon Marchion Valentinus Tacianus Apelles Montanus and divers others against these stood in battel Iustin Martyr Dionysius Bishop of Corinth St. Ireneus Clemens Alexandrinus Tertullian with many others their equals And so all along downward from Age to Age unto cursed Luther's days whatsoever Heresie or new false Opinions hath been raised contrary to the general consent of Christ's universal Church it hath been check'd controul'd silenc'd and condemn'd by vigilant Pastors and Doctors chief Governours of the same Body by general Assemblies and Councils gathered from time to time as occasion serv'd in all Parts of the World Whereby it 's evidently most manifest that he who relieth upon this general consent of Christ's Church and the judgment thereof cannot err in matters of Belief but walketh in that sure secure and infallible Path wherein 't is said in Isaiah 35.8 That a very Fool cannot go amiss Hence one may be persuaded of the Churches perspicuity and infallibility in her Traditions and Doctrines through God's Divine Providence which did and will always preserve it from corruption having a warrant for it out of Scripture Isa. 59.21 My Spirit which is upon thee and the words which I have put into thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy Seed nor out of the mouth of thy Seed's Seed from henceforth for ever And St. Austin said Ep. 118. That to dispute against a living multitude of the whole Church is insolent madness And to say she may err through ignorance wilfulness or negligence is most absurd and blasphemous she having Christ for her Head and the holy Ghost for her Guide and Spirit who was sent by our Saviour to teach it all Truth wherefore to tax that heavenly Government with errors in Faith is either to tax the holy Ghost with them or to blaspheme against Christ our blessed Redeemer by saying He has not kept his word and promise in sending the holy Ghost to teach his Church all truth for ever King IAMES in a publick Speech made in his Parliament acknowledged the Church of Rome to be our Mother-Church saying I acknowledge the Church of Rome to be our Mother-Church This you may find in Stow pag. 840. Sure the Sacred Blood of his glorious Mother Queen Mary the ever blessed Martyr ran in the Veins of this her Royal Son King Iames who would do wonderful things in favour of the Roman Catholick Church if it were not for the black contriving of the Gun-powder Plot by the Matchevilian Policy of crooked Cicil only for to hinder King Iames from favouring the Church of Christ Sanguis mantirum semen Ecclesiae See Osburn Sure there is no other certain Testimony to any prudent considering Man no firm Ground or Motive to believe that the Primitive Church received her Doctrine from the blessed Apostles these from Christ Christ from God the Father nor any way to bring it down from those times to these our days but only the Tradition of the Church from hand to hand For we may observe three properties of the Doctrine of Divine Faith to be true to be revealed of God to be preached and delivered by the Apostles The highest ground by which a Man is perswaded that his Faith is true is the Authority of God speaking and revealing it the highest proof by which a Man is assured that his Faith is revealed is the Authority of Christ and his blessed Apostles who delivered the same as descending from God but the highest ground that moveth a Man to believe that his Faith was preached by the blessed Apostles is the perpetual constant Tradition of the Church succeeding the blessed Apostles unto this day assuring him so much according to the saying of Tertul. depraes c. 21. 37. who made his Ladder
ever yet she went not forth from any Body or Congregation how could she being infallible in her self 1 Tim. 3.15 she being the House of God which is the Church of the Living God the Pillar and Firmament of Truth if not why should any be esteemed a Heathen and Publican for not hearing her Add to this Christ being the Head of the Church the Holy Ghost the Soul thereof guiding and directing in all truth the Church could not err unless you 'l make Christ and his Spirit an Impostor and a Lyer which is down-right Blasphemy seeing that he prophesied That the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against her viz. Error Falshood Schism or Heresie hence I infer by good illation that any Congregation of People despising Christ forsaking his Church and remaining out of it pertinaciously is guilty absolutely of Apostasie and Schism see St. Luke 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me c. Lo the misery of Protestants who are likewise really guilty of Heresie in adhering to so many false opinions and errors of Faith contrary to the generally approved Doctrine of the Church of Christ from which they wilfully and blindly divided themselves breaking of Communion with the ancient one Holy-Catholick Apostolick Roman Church And sure that Church to which Apostacy Schism and Heresy doth agree is a false and erroneous Church and this is the Church of the pretended Reformation The Power of glorious Jesus our Redeemer did marvelously shine in the Empire of his Church which his heavenly Father did put into his hands to build it raise it cement it with his Sacred Blood to illuminate it with his Light nourish it with his Body to make Laws in it establish Sacraments as conveyances of Divine Graces to eternize a most dread and propitiatory Sacrifice to create Pastors and Priests invisibly to rule it by a visible Head a Power never to be shaken even to the Gates of Hell to exercise a Jurisdiction over Souls to bind them unloose them pardon Sins and change Hearts and you may know that this ever blessed Jesus having the source of all power in him did in Divine Providence distribute the same his Divine Power to Popes and Kings constituting the one for Spiritual Government leading to eternal Glory the other for the Temporal and it is his will and pleasure we honour the Character of that his Divine Authority both in the one and the other and not to argue controul or impugn upon idle whimsical Phantasies those heavenly Powers And it is most evident that in all times before Heresie began there has been rendred to Popes Vicegerents of Christ and lawful Successors to St. Peter the Honour they deserved as such and as the sovereign universal visible Pastors under Heaven see the Council of Calcedon in Epist. ad Leonam Papam where the Pope is called Caput omnium Episcoporum totius Christi Ecclesiae Also we confess and acknowledge our Sovereign Liege-Lord and most gra-King IAMES the Second true and absolute Monarch of these his three Kingdoms singularly honouring and obeying him and with most true cordial faithful loyal affection loving him as an animated real Portraiture of the greatness of the Divine Majesty and sure there is no Science more noble nor more advantageous than to honour and obey these two Powers neither can there be any true lasting Felicity but in the accomplishment of the Will of the Almighty the Sovereign Master and Ruler of all On the contrary it is observed in the History of many Ages that dire Vengeance and Wounds from Heaven have fallen signally upon those who have disobeyed these two Powers for the Wind blowing from blasphemous and seditious Mouths returned on their own Heads since it is fit such Impiety and horrid Iniquity should first kill it self with its own Poyson What the Soul is to the Body the same is true Religion to a Kingdom the Body without a Soul signifies nothing even so a Kingdom without true Religion is disjoynted confused and comes to ruin whereas Divine Religion in it self is the Basis and Foundation of all Moral Virtues the ground and support of all just pious Laws the cement that strongly combine all human Society and is the very life of upright impartial Justice and constant Honesty Finally true supernatural Religion is the golden Chain that unites God to Man and Man to his Duty to God and brings down the rich Blessings to poor mortal Sinners on Earth O what a glorious and most happy Kingdom is that where are to be seen as in a clear optick Glass these two most heavenly Objects the King 's most excellent Majesty prostrate on bended knees paying with ravishing Devotion the humble religious Homage of Heart Hands and Knees to the Divine Majesty of Almighty God! As a Member and obedient Child of the visible Church of Christ honouring a visible sepreme head Vicar of Christ and Successor to St. Peter as Universal Pastor of all Pastors And it is a most undoubted truth that Kings are not made by the invention of active ambitious or politick Wits as blind Enthusiasts Dreams neither are they Creatures of the People's making or the Product of a giddy Multitude as the Independents with many other seditious blind persons maintains but they are grounded on the very Law of Nature in high paternal Authority coequal with the World they are founded on the pure Law of right Reason which gives a Dignity and Authority to the First-born over all his Brethren so as Kings are rooted in the Original Laws of Nations as Cicero lib. 3. de legib testifies Omnes antiquae Gentes Regibus paruerunt All the ancient Nations in the World were ruled and governed by Kings They are confirmed by God's unerring Law who instituted Kingly Government over his own chosen People Deut. 17.15 and gave express command for David to be anointed King of Israel 1 Sam. 16.1 Finally Kings are prophetically promised as a very great Blessing to his Church Isa. 49.23 Kings shall be thy Nursing Fathers and Queens shall be thy Nursing Mothers And Plato that Seraphick Philosopher calls Kingly Government the most Divine Government Herodotus who is stiled Pater Historiarum The first Historian among the Heathens calls it The most ancient Government Aristotle the most rational of all Philosophers stiles it The most excellent Government for Monarchical Government is the meer imitation of the Government of Heaven which is by one God 't is the restitution of the Primitive Government in this World which was by one King and it is the meer reflection of the admirable Government of Nature which rules the many Members of the Body by one Soul. Daily experience proves that Ship to be best guided which is steered by one Pylot tho' trimm'd by many Saylors that Army sure is best ordered which is commanded by one General tho' assisted by many inferiour Officers Ergo that Nation is more happy and best governed by one King tho' advised by
saved and that they who believed not should be damn'd Math. 28.19 Mark 16.15 O Soveraign and Heavenly Promises Priviledges and Graces of the true Catholick Roman Churches Infallibility Add to this how the Apostles tell us that the Chuch of the living God is the Pillar and ground of truth 1 Tim 3.15 Sure we may securely rely upon her and they assure us that Christ gave his Son Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers for the perfection of the Saints that henceforth we may be no more Children tossed to and fro c. Eph. 4. Are not these plain and wondrous texts of Scripture and cannot you see clearly an infallible assistance promised to the directing and guiding men that they should not be carried about with every wind of false Doctrine by the slght and wiles of men and cunning craftiness whereby some lie in wait for to deceive No other Congregation under the Sun but the Roman Catholick Church can stand up or pretend to these great Priviledges it follows that Protestants are as they aver fallible saying so they tell all the World an Infallible truth and thereupon we may be infallibly assured that they always are failable and fallible And hence it follows whilst Protestants themselve declare they are fallible they can no ways pretend to be the infallible Church of Christ For if the Word of God should have the first place and serve as a basis for the perpetuating of a Church infallible as it is most reasonable I incessantly challenge Ministers to shew but one only Text of Scripture express formal and irreprovable contrary to the Articles of the Roman Catholick Church sure this they could never yet perform for hitherto they have produc'd nothing but Semblances Stories Lyes and Railings for to delude weak inferior Judgments of the giddy Multitude being unable to make them good before considering and learned understanding Men And if a lawful Succession sacred Mission Character and real Consecration of true Pastors be required which is absolutely necessary for the establishment of an Ecclesiastical Hierarchy the Roman Church can shew that from the Apostles hitherward our Popes and other inferior Pastors do all to this day successively follow one another above two hundred and thirty Popes Magna est veritas prevalet If the Authority of Councils be requisite which are the Sinews Mouths and living Oracles of Religion in the Revolution of sixteen Ages all Councils will be found call'd for to confirm the Roman Church confute and condemn her Adversaries If the Interpretations of Holy Doctors who have been the Lights of their times Instruments of the Holy Ghost and Secretaries of the Divinity they all with one accord and consent speak for the Roman Church condemning loudly the Errors and Schism of new Sects If Miracles which were wrought in all Ages and in the sight of all Mankind with so much approbation that they have evicted Confession even from the most Incredulous and Reverence from the most Stupid Millions and unfeigned Miracles were and are daily wrought in confirmation of the verity of the Roman Catholick Religion So as that there is not a Country wherein the Roman Catholick Religion is profess'd which doth not produce Testimonies so prudently and evidently credible of true Super-natural Miracles that to deny them were to destroy all Humane Faith. Did not Simon Magus impiously boast by the Spirit of his private Fancy that he would do wonders as St. Peter did who provok'd by the said Simon Magus did prove that he had the Spirit of God by raising a Child from Death which the other with all his Black Magick Art could not do yet boldly challenging St. Peter to fly from the Capitol to Mount Aventin while he was doing so by the Prayer of St. Peter loe he came tumbling down and brake his Leg whereof he died soon after Even so that false Apostle Calvin for the credit of his new Damn'd Doctrine he would fain make a shew to the People of doing a Miracle hir'd one that was Sick to counterfeit himself Dead who when Calvin should speak certain words was to arise as it were from the Dead but he not stirring was found dead indeed Withall mark how that the Son of Calvin being bitten by a Mad Dog his Father not being able to cure him sent him to St. Hubert in Arden where the Body of that Saint is kept with Veneration and frequent Miracles wrought thereby where he was perfectly made whole whereupon abjur'd his Fathers Sect became a Roman Catholick and lived and died so Yet Protestants object its strange themselves never see any Miracle being so desirous and miracles so frequent as we pretend Herod was also very desirous to see a Miracle but his curiosity excluded him from that favour Men who believe nothing but what they see deserve not to see Miracles because they are obstinate Yet there are few Protestants who do not see Miracles what greater Miracle than that all Catholicks turn not Protestants If the continual Victory over natural and vehement Inclinations doth require a Miracle of super-natural Grace we are as naturally and vehemently inclined to their Religion as we are to our own Liberties and Pleasures What greater Miracle than that Roman Catholick sober and learned Men should be perswaded that their Senses are deceived in the Sacrament of the Altar and that they should suffer death for the Mystery of Transubstantiation There must be effects of super-natural Grace and not of Ignorance or Obstinacy which cannot be laid to our charge seeing we submit our Judgments to every definition of the Roman Church and our very Adversaries know we are learned Men. Sanctity of Life is a super-natural sign and effect of Grace and of the true Church This Sanctity is evident in the Roman Church Not to speak of Antonies Hilarions or Stillitas let 's draw nearer our times and consider the Lives of St. Bernard St. Dominick St. Francis St. Vincent Ferrer St. Francis of Paula St. Charles Barromeus St. Teresa St. Francis Xaverius St. Anthony of Padua and many more who were known Roman Catholicks professing the same Tenets and Obedience to the Pope which we now maintain against pretended Reformation And not to speak only of the Dead let any indifferent Person consider how in all Vocations of both Clergy and Laity we have many Persons eminent in Virtue far above that degree of morality Let our English Protestant be pleased to weigh with himself whether young Ladies of as great Quality Fortunes and Gifts of Nature as England doth afford could forsake their native Country Kindred and Friends contemn all pleasures of the World and themselves by embracing a religious poor and penitent Life in perpetual Inclosure submitting their wills to the Obedience and Humour of a Woman could this I say be performed by so many so continually and with so great alacrity and content of mind without a miraculous and super-natural Grace of the Almighty In my judgment it is a greater Miracle