conclude that it was the truth vvhich they preached Hereunto what can they answere truely nothing but only that which the blasphemous Pharisees answered of our Sauiour Luke 11. that by the Diuell hee worked his Miracles no man being able to put any difference betweene the miracles of Christ with his Apostles and of these holy men the one sorte to be defended with no reason but with the same reason the other sort may be likewise defeÌ„ded For that these holy men were of our side it is so well knowen that they confesse it that they were of God wonderfully coÌ„mended by the gift of Miracles euen to the healing of desperate disseases by the touch of their gâ—rments skirts and to the raysing of the dead also it is so manifest in all stories that it cannot be denied One example will I here alledge of Saint Bernard but that such a one as may rather be called many aâ—d as may suffice for all being both Personall and Dogmaticall so commending his person that it also directly confirmed his doctrine and the same our doctrine and that not in one or two pointes but in all almost that at this day the Heretikes haue called in question So it was that in Saint Bernardes time there were certaine Heretikes named Henricians of one Henrie vvho of a Monke became an Apostata Pet. Clun in opere suo con illos Ber. in CaÌ„ Ser. 66. These Heretikes burned Images destroyed churches denied the reall presence of Christs Bodie in the Blessed Sacrament Transubstantiation of the Bâ—ead into the same the Sacrifice of the Masse praying for the dead praying to Saintes and many other articls which also the Protestantes and Puritans doe now denie They raigned much in the Countrie about Tholousa in Fraunce For vvhich cause Saint Bernard being desired often and at length brought thither to preach against them did the same with great working also of most wonderfull Miracles De vita S. Ber. lib. 3. cap. 5. as writeth Godfridus a Monke and Disciple of Saâ—â—t Bernards Amongst many others of that which I would aleage thus he writeth Est locus in regione eadem Sarlatum nomen est illi vbi sermone completo plurimos ad benedicendum panes sicut vbique fiebat Dei famulo offerebant Quos ille eleuata manu signo crucis edito in dei nomine benediceÌ„s in hoc inquit scietis vera esse quae a nobis falsa quae ab haereticis suadentur si infirmi vestri gustatis panibus istis adepti fuerint sospitateÌ„ Timens autem venerabilis Episcopus Carnotensium magnus ille Gaufridus siquidem praesens erat proximus uiro Dei si bona inquit fide sumpserint sanabuntur Cui pater sanctus de domini virtute nihil haesitans Non hoc ego dixerim ait sed vere qui gustaâ—erint sanabuntur vt proinde veros nos veraces Dei ministros esse cognoscant Tam ingens multitudo languentium gustato eodem pane conualuit vt per totam prouinciam verbuÌ„ hoc diuulgaretur vir sanctus per vicina loca regrediens ob concursus intolerabiles declinauerit timuerit illo ire A place there is in the same countrie of Tolousa the name of it is SarlatuÌ„ where after the Sermon was done they offered to the seruant of God as euery where the vse was many loaues to blesse Which he by lifting vp his hand by making the signe of the Crosse in Gods name blessing saide thus In this shall you know Miracles by Holie Bread that the things are true vvhich we and that the things are false which the Heretikes labour to perswade you if your diseased persoÌ„s by the tasting of these loaues shall get their health Whereat fearing the Reuerend Bishoppe of the Carnotians that same great GAVFRIDVS for hee vvas present and stoode next to the man of God If quoth he they take it with a good Faith they shall be healed To vvhome the Holy Father nothing doubting of our Lordes power said It is not this that I vvould say but verilie whosoeuer they be that tast it they shall be healed that thereby they may know vs to be the very and true Ministers of God And there so huge a multitude of diseased persons by tasting the same bread recouered that ouer al the countrey this word was talked and the holie man returning ouer the places vvhich were there by was faine to goe out of his way for intollerable concourse of people and feared to goe thither Ep. 241. And of the same doth Saint Bernard himselfe in his Epistle afterward to those Tolousians make mention in these wordes Wee thanke God for that our comming to you was not in vaine Our tariance in deede vvas short vvith you but not vnfruitfull Veritate nimirum per nos manifestata non solum in Sermone sed etiam in virtute deprehensi sunt Lupi The truth being by vs made manifest not only by preaching but also by working the Wolues were deprehended c. In which his writing hee imitateth S. Paule to the Thessalonians 1. Thes 2. where hee saieth Euangelium nostrum non fuit ad vos in Sermone tantum sed in virtute c. Our Gospel was not vnto you in preaching onelie but in working of Miracles c. And vnto the Corinthians he saith touching their false Apostles Veniam autem ad vos cito si Dominus voluerit 1. Cor. 4. cognoscam non sermonem eorum qui inflati sunt sed virtuteÌ„ c. I will come vnto you quicklie and if it be Gods will and then will I consider not of the preaching of those proud Masters but of their power in working c. For these true Ministers of our Sauiour Iesus Christ Saint Paule and Saint Bernard knew well that the same our Lord had giuen such a token to know his Ministers saying Signa autem eos qui crediderint haec sequentur Mar. 16. In nomine meo daemonia eijcient linguis loquentur nouis serpentes tollent si mortiferum quid biberint non tis nocebit These Miracles shall follow such as beleeue in me In my name they shall cast out Diuels they shall speake new languages they shall take vp Serpents and if they drinke any poison it shall not hurt them For which cause Saint Paule in his second Epistle to the Corinthians threatning to come againe vnto them and then to Excommunicate the offenders without sparing of anie 2. Cor. 13. Praedixi praedico vt praesens nunc absens iâ—s qui aâ—te peccauerunâ— caeteris omnibus quoniam si venero iterum non parcam proueth this authority of his to excommunicate with the power of Christ vnto such as would perhaps not feare it by his working of Miracles amongst them with the power likewise of Christ An experimentum quaeritis eius qui in me loquitur Christus qui in vobis non infirmatur sed potens est in vobis What
auncient vndoubted writers that no man can possiblie with any reason make answere vnto it or exception against it Vide sermones nouos Aug. editos 1564. Louanii cum Epistolis Aniti Luciani duâ—bus libris Euodii de signis S. Stephani In S. Augustine alone may be seene examples very many of such helpe done to such men by this Martyr if anie man please to read his two twentith Booke De Ciuitate Dei the eight chapter his Sermons De diuersis in the tenth Tome from the Sermon 34. to the Sermon 40. of which Sermons he maketh mention himself De Ciuitate Dei in the place which I haue said and also Posâ—idonius in Indiculo operum Augustini There shall you finde how that by S. Steuens Relickes was cured a Bishop of a Fistula by the same was reuiued perfectly restored a boy that with a wheele was killed and crushed many likewise reuiued by thinges that had but touched his Relickes Six reuiued there as by oyle clothes and floures One of those exaÌ„ples because it serueth well to many good purposes I thinke it good to recite here at large in Saint Augustines owne wordes Such a Miracle doe wee know saith he amongst many others to have beene done at Vzalis a citie here in Africke Ser. 38. in Diuer To. 10 qui est Ser. 10. in noua edit A certaine woman lost in her lap her sonne by sicknes being a Catechumen or one appointed to be christened a sucking babe Who seeing that he was lost and irreparably perished began to weepe for him more of faith then as a mother For she did not desire the life of her Sonne but in the world to come and that life she bewailed the losing the perishing of it and full of confidence vp she took him dead as he was and ran to the Memorie of the blessed Martyr Steuen and began of him to require her Sonne and to say O holy Martyr thou seest that I haue no comfort left For I can not say that my sonne is gone afore whom thou knowest to be perished For thou seest why I doe make this lamentation Restore vnto me my Son that I may haue him in the sight of God that crowned thee As she in these other like words made her petition with teares after a sort not desiring but as I saide requiring him her sonne reuiued and because she had said thou knowest wherefore I seeke him God would also shew forth the truth of her minde and meaning By and by to the Priestes shee brought him baptised he was sanctified he was anointed hee was Imposition of handes was done vpon him Completis omnibus Sacramentis assumptus est and all the Sacraments being so fulfilled he was assumpted or taken out of this life vp to Heauen But shee then with such a countenaunce followed him as though shee brought him not to the rest of buriall but to Steuen the Martyrs bosome Probatum est cor fidele mulieris and so was proued faithfull the heart of the woman Here haue we that children although theyr Parentes be Christians perish without Baptisme We haue also that in baptisme they must be anointed after baptisme also an other Sacrament of coÌ„firmation by a Bishoppe or Imposition of handes Finallie wee haue here praying to Saint Steuen and by the two straunge miracles of the childe 's both reuiuing and assumpting wee haue the same confirmed both by Saint Steuen by God himselfe Wherupon who seeth not how plainely it followeth that Saint Steuen was no Protestant but cleane of the other side all against them And certaine it is I say that Saint Steuen and all the other Holy martyrs were of one Religion Therefore certaine it is also that no one of all those martyrs vvas a Protestant Which is so plaine a demonstratioÌ„ that the simplest of all may see it so sure a knot that not the cunningest of all our Aduersaries can euer possiblie either vndoe or breake it As the partie I say which prayeth to the martyrs so likewise the martyrs them-selues that with such miracles answere such praiers be both against the Protestantes And therefore be all the true Martyrs of old time against the Protestantes Quia per totum orbâ—m in locis sanctis quae frequent at nostra communio tanta mirabilia vel exauditionum v l sanitatum fiunt c. Seeing ouer all the world in the Holy places which our companie doth frequent so great Miracles of hearinges and healinges be wrought c. Aug. de vni Ecc. cap. 10. So that all men may easily see that if they desire to be with those Martyrs they must not be with the Protestantes Whereby againe may all men see what are these new Martyrs of theyrs of whome they are wont so much to brag whose worthie Actes and Monumentes Foxe the Martyrmaker hath put in writing For a full answere to them all although the very naming of our Catholike Martyrs euen of this our time to any reasonable man may suffice as the Bishoppe of Rochester Sir Thomas More the Monkes of the Charterhouses with very many moe vnder K. Harry and now of latter time all our holie Martyrs that haue beene and daily are made vp by losse of their liuings Let Elâ—â—â— remember his Tragedie of the Scottish friar at Lincol. by prison by poyson by whipping by famishing by bannishment Bishops Priests Deanes Archdeacons Canons Ecclesiastical persons of all sortes Knightes Esquires Gentlemen Laymen likewise of all sorts so many likewise that haue openly suffered the good Earle of Northumberland D. Storie Felton the Nortons M. Wodhouse M. Plumtree and so many hundreds of the Northern-men such men both in their life and at their death that neither the enimies haue to staine them as their owne consciences their own talke and the world it selfe doth beare good witnesse many of them also and therefore all of them bycause of their owne cause beyng by God himselfe approued by Miracles most vndoubted although I say no reasonable man will thinke those stincking Martyrs of the Heretykes worthy in any respect to be compared with these most glorious Martyrs of the Catholikes yet supposing that otherwise they were equall and ours not sensibly better then theirs this one consideration were notwithstanding inough to declare most plainly that ours are Gods Martyrs and theirs the Diuels bycause that ours as you see died in the faith of S. Steuen the first Martyr and of all his fellowes and theirs cleane against the same If a man be an heretike although he suffer death euen for Christ yet goeth he vnto damnatioÌ„ as S. Paul doth plainly say 1. Cor. 18. If I deliuer my body to be burned and haue not charity it profiteth me nothing vvhat then must we thinke of them that burne against Christ and against his truth No doubt as they that suffer death for him haue the greatest croune in Heauen so they that hold against him and that to leese their
if need be As on the contrarie side for their owne confession of the truth of our Religion not onely in some part as in the two points afore touched of the Sacrament and Supremacie but also in the very whole well nere much may be alleaged out of their writings One place for this time may serue that out of Luthers booke against the Anabaptistes written many yeares after his fall where thus he saith An. 1528. we confesse that vnder the Pope-dome are manie good Christian thinges yea all good Christian thinges and that from thence we had them We confesse pardie that in the Popedome is the true holie Scripture true Baptisme true Sacrament of the Aultar true keyes to remit sinnes true office of preaching true Catechisme as the Lordes prayer and tenne Commaundements and Articles of the Faith c. I say moreouer that vnder the Popedome is true Christianitie yea the true kernell of Christianitie The Catholike Faith in England mightilie planted and lightly chaunged IN this place before I goe anie further to bring more light vnto our matter according to the example of S. Paules question to the Galathians changing their first religion from the faith of Christ to the law of Moyses Qui tribuit vobis Spiritum Gal. 3. operatur virtutes in vobis ex operibus legis an ex auditu fidei God giuing the Holy Ghost vnto you and working Miracles amongest you did hee it by workes of the Law or by preaching of the faith as if wee would say now by preachers of Protestancy or as they call it of Papâ—strie according to this example of S. Paule I say let it be first remembred what Religion that was in which was planted in our Countrey at our first conuersion vnto Christ by our Apostle Saint Augustine the Holie Monke that Saint Gregorie sent vnto vs about a thousand yeares agoe at which tyme wee English-men were first made Christians being before alwayes as other Paynims and Heathens without hope or knowledge of Christ and saluatyon giuen wholly to the seruing of Idols And to be short this matter may be soone knowen out of the Ecclesiasticall History of our owne Countryman Saint Bede a man of great holynes and learning of great credit fame throughout the vniuersall Church of God both in his life and euer since his death who lyued shortly after the time of our first Conuersion and vvrote the Historie of it in 5. bookes a worke very worthy S. Bedes Storie very expedient very profitable and verie necessarie to be read of all English-men that desyre to haue vnderstanding of things belonging much to their saluation There shall you finde it so plainlie that the Religion then brougt in vvas this very same that now the Protestants haue thrust out that no man either can or as I remember doth denie it For example in the first Booke Cap. 25. they came in with Crosse Image of Christ with ProcessioÌ„ cap. 26. in Dover they vsed to say Masse with many other points of our ReligioÌ„ that may there be found Goe on then consider how the said Monke our Apostle with his fellovves perswaded our Nation to that Religion In the first boke Cap. 26 you shall find that the King was brought to beleue to be baptized by their working of many Miracles and namely in the second Boke cap. 2. how that hee chalenged the stubborne Britons who being Christians yet dissented from the rest of the Church in peculiar practise of some certayne pointes of Religion to trie the truth betwene them by restoring a blind man to his sight in such maner as Elias vpon sure confidence in God chalenged the false prophets of Baal The Britons could not doe it 3. Reg. 28. but Saint Augustine did perfourme it as hee wrought also very many mo such wonderfull Miracles In somuch that S. Gregorie in an Epistle that hee sent him which is to be seene Lib. 1. ca. 31. thought good to admonish him of humilitie knowing that S. Paul him-selfe had neede to haue giuen vnto him an Angel of Satan to boxe and buffet him 2. Cor. 12. least that in the greatnes of hys VisioÌ„s he might haue chaunced to take pride Likewise that he had the gift of Prophecie and thereby foretold the destruction of those Britons which euen so came afterward to passe you shal find in the second Boke second Chapter Al this now wel considered whereas the Protestants for that they see this maÌ„ of God to haue byn so euidently on our side speake much horrible Blasphemie of him not fearing God at al who so coÌ„mended him for his true seruant let vs thinke that wee here him say vnto vs in hys ovvne commendation compelled thereunto by these our corrupters and his dispraysers as Saint Paul in the like case and vpon the like necessitie said of himselfe vnto his Corinthians 1. Cor. 9. Si alijs noÌ„ sum Apostolus tamen vobis sum Nam signaculum Apostolatus mei vos estis in Domino If vnto other people I be not an Apostle yet vnto you I am For the seale of my Apostleship you are put as it were to my letters Patentes by our Lorde through whose power I conuerted you to the faith of Christ 2. Cor. 12. And againe Nihil sum signa tamen Apostolatus mei facta sunt super vos in omni patientia in signis prodigijs virtutibus Nothing am I in deed yet the signs of an Apostle were wrought by me among you in all patience in Miracles and wonders deedes of power What wil we answere to this his saying or what can we answere Can wee denie his argument but it is Saint Paules It proued well Saint Paul to haue binne an Apostle whether those false masters of the Corinthians would or no. It proueth therefore Saint Augustine likwise to haue byn an Apostle a man sent of God vnto vs vvhether our false Preachers will or no vvhereunto no doubt they shal neuer be able to answere Let vs then againe consider vvhat causes or reasons haue carried vs awaie from his true Gospell into the false gospel of these men what Miracles what Visions what Scriptures what Catholikes what Traditions what Councels vvhat Bishopps of the See Apostolike vvhat other such thinges as afore I haue shevved to make for hys Gospell If none of all these thinges lead vs into this new Gospell but against them all we went into it say then what els did the deed An odious matter it is to rip all vpp in particular and wise men know all well only in generall doe I appeale to all mens consciences whether anie thing els first lead and now keepeth our vnhappie Countrie in thys false Gospell but only the world the flesh and the Diuell And therefore may our Apostle Saint Augustine say well vnto vs as Saint Paul the Aposte said to his Galathians Gal. 2. Miror quod sic tam cito transferimini ab eo
darknes into the which he would not with hym that another Parable speaketh of wher it saith Mat. 22. Tunc dixit Rex ministris ligatis manibus pedibus eius mittite eum in tenebras exteriores ibi erit fletus stridor dentium Then said the King to his seruantes Bind him hand foote and cast him into more outward darknes there shall be weeping gnashing of teeth Sure To Continue Novv to go on your way in the vvhich vvee were before this last Motyue by the same places of Holye Scriptures there mentioned are vvee admonished agayne of another consideration what Church that is which as it hath so manifestly and gloryously lasted euer vnto this time so is it most sure and certayne from this time to last agayne euen continually till the world shall end And what Church that is on the other side which as it is lately start vp so is it most sure and certayne quickly agayne to fall to nothing Of the first was Saint Augustine bolde to say to his frind Honoratus a Manichee De vtili cred ca. 8. Si finem laboribus vis imponere sequere viam Catholicae disciplinae quae ab ipso Christo per Apostolos ad nos vsque manauit ab hinc ad posteros mana tura est If thou desire to make an end of al thy troubles folow the way of the Catholike doctrine vvhich from Christ himselfe by the Apostles euen to vs is descended and from hence to Posterity shal descend And againe to his coūtreymen the simple people of the Donatists Psal con Par. Don. shewing them the sure way to be againe grafted in Christ Numerate Sacerdotes vel ab ipsa Petri Sede Et in ordine illo Patrum quis cui successit videte Ipsa est Petra quam non vincunt superbae inferorum portae Count the Priestes hardly from the very See of Peter And in that order of fathers consider who to whom succeded That same is the Rocke which the proud gates of Hel do not ouercome If any man at that tyme or at any time had beene bolde so to haue said of any other Apostles See had he not by this time bene proued a lyer And were those other Sees more impugned I pray you by Tyrants and Heretikes thē vvas the See of Peter Yea hath not Peters See vvith all kindes of engyns by all sortes of enimyes ten thousand folde bene more impugned But all in vayne De. vtili cred .. 19. Frustra circumlatrantibus Haereticis saith Saint Augustine In vayne is the barking of Heretykes all about it All is in vayne And for what other cause Let them if with al their wits and wysdomes they can giue vs any other but only because Christ our Sauiour God Almighty hath said the word Tu es Petrus Mat. 16. super hanc Petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam portae inferi non praeualebunt aduersus eam Thou art Peter or a Rock vpon vvhich Rocke I wil build vp my Church and that spite of Hel gates they shal not preuayle against it be they neuer so manie neuer so mighty neuer so politike neuer so eloquent neuer so hardie and vvhat soeuer els can be thought or named Vpon this most plaine and most sure word of him that is truth and might it selfe haue our Fathers bin alway bold to say that the See of Peter should neuer faile neyther in succession neyther in faith And vpon the same word be wee much more bold if more may be because we see that it hath held on almost two hundred forty Bishops whereas they say not forty And wee againe besides the fighting against it that they saw haue seen an infinite deale of more Therefore be we bold to say with them that neuer shal hell gates ouer come this Rocke but that both the Successiō shall endure also the very same faith of it endure Who can say so of the B. of Cāterbury of London or any other or either of these either I say that alwaies there shall be a Bishop or that for the time he is he shall not chaunge his faith These Heretikes all the world seeth how soone they fade faile one alwaies eating vp another as a great morsell of Luther eaten vp by Zuinglius of Zuinglius by Caluin of the Protestantes by the Puritans c. And so in themselues euery one vvonderfully diminishing in the meane time the Catholike vnitie meruailouslie increasing For example whereof wee need not to goe to India where the multiplication is miraculous nor to other Countries of Europe verie manie persons and partes vvhereof doe daylie repent theyr Heresie and returne to vnitie Euen in our owne Countrie vvho seeth not the gracious and incredible increase of Catholikes so that now after sixteene yeares preaching of the Heretikes as long silence of the Catholikes all libertie maintenaunce help and law for the one all restraint persecution and oppression of the other yet at this day thankes be to God there are innumerable moe Catholikes and they more godlie more learned more zealous more constant then they were what time Pharao first arose that knevv not Ioseph Whereby anie vvise man may coniecture what will be their increase within few yeares yea although the commādement of exponing the men children should continue specially then when it shall be free for all to depart them out of the house of bondage and to heare Moyses preach vnto them at libertie which by the grace of God to be quickly these wonders that hee worketh both in heauen and in earth and specially in the hearts of men vnlesse I be deceaued doe seeme to promise God graunt if it be his blessed will that whensoeuer it be it be with the Egyptians own saluation that they indurate not their owne hartes euen to the destruction of their Primogeniti Well be that generall deliuerie when God will euer or neuer easily may the Heretikes see by this that the people of themselues do see their follies that much more plainely much more generally would they see it if the Catholiks might be suffered for to shew it Which sufferance although God hithervnto for the infinite sinnes of vs and our Countrie would not haue to be yet hath hee by other meanes wee see and daily doth more more declare that they be such as S. Paule speaketh of where hee saith Sed vltra non proficient 2. Tim. 3. insipientia enim eorum manifesta erit omnibus But they shall not still proceed for theyr folly shall be manifest to all men at the length as was the folly of Iannes and Mambres the Magitians of Pharao who for a while with theyr sorcery withstood Moyses For so wee see that partly Catholike mens writinges and Councels of Bishops partly time it selfe all with the helpe of God hath and doth make knowen theyr folly euen there where by all reason of man they should haue rooted in themselues for euer and