de unitati Ecclesiae Ninthly They both deny Prayer for the Dead Fasts in Lent or at any other time c. This heretofore taught the Arrians Witness Epiphanius Heres 75. and St. Aul de Heres c. 33. Tenthly Both of them deny Veneration to Sacred Images of Christ and his Saints and to Holy Relicks and call it Idolatry The same of old did Vigilantius as St. Hierome witnesseth and so did the Iconomachists witness Zonoras Cedrinus Nicephorus Iconomachis Hereby is clearer than the Sun at Noon day that the Chief Tenets of Luther and Calvin's Religion are old Heresies long ago condemned by the Church and were always taken for Heresies in the Church The same might be easily proved of other Sects Hence it follows that these New Religions are nothing but the Filth and Scum of old Heresies formerly condemned Vid. Bel. de nov Eccl. c. 9. Coccium de sign Eccl. l. 8. c. 30. The Eleventh Reason from the want of a Rule of Faith THese New Religions have no certain Rule of Faith which you may follow Therefore they are not to be allowed For Points of Religion ought to be defined certain and immutable That they have no certain Rule of Faith whereby can be determined what is necessary to be believed and what not is manifest First Because they will not allow the Traditions of the Church nor the Authority of General Councils nor of the Ancient Fathers and Doctors of the Church who were before our Debates Luther rejects all Traditions in the First Chapter to the Galat. And Calvin l. 4. Instit And both of them teach That nothing is to be believed nor received which is not contained in Holy Seripture L. 4. c. 8. s 6 7 8. in Antidoto ad 4. Sess Coneil Triden General Councils which have had hitherto in the Church the highest Authority for they are as the Assemblies of Princes and Noblemen in Christ's Kingdom Luther so contemns that whatsoever they have defined he would have it all to be subject to the judgment of every private Person Nay he says 'T is a great madness that Councils should conclude what we are to believe In Art 115. c. Moreover what we ought to believe and what not is to be left to the judgment of every Spiritual Man The same Calvin insinuates saying ' The ' Church ought not to judge what Books are Canonical and what not but this belongs to the private Spirit L. 1. c. 7. s 1.24 Lastly as touching the Fathers Luther ' cares not for a thousand Augustines ' nor a thousand Cyprians Lâ— cont Reg. Augl Calvin also in many places contemns them and averrs that they erred Therefore none of these is a Rule of Faith to them Whether the Scripture is a sufficient Rule of Faith but they say The Scripture it self is their Rule of Faith for this cannot err But 't is easie to shew that this Rule is not sufficient First Because by this Rule we cannot judge of Scripture it self that it is Scripture So that this Rule is uncertain to us which ought to be the most certain of all things For it cannot appear out of Scripture that this or that Book is truly the Scripture that it is not supposititious or counterfeited by some Impostor that this or that Sentence is not perverted c. Lastly that there is nothing added or diminished pertaining to the substance of Doctrine All this cannot appear out of Scripture but is only proved by some humane and weak Conjectures if you exclude the Tradition of the Church and so the whole Foundation of our Faith will depend upon a few uncertain Conjectures Then again the force of Scripture consists not in the sound of Words but in the Sence which is the Life and Soul of Scripture But there may be a thousand Controversies of the Sence which cannot be decided out of Scripture if you exclude Tradition and Exposition of the Fathers as 't is manifest by experience For touching the sence of these Words This is my Body and of many others there is a great dispute between the Lutherans and Calvinists If you say with Calvin that the Judge of Scriptures Whether the judgment of Scripture belongs to the private Spirit and the Sence thereof belongs to the inward Spirit this is nothing else but to constitute the dictamen of the Interior Spirit that is the private judgment of every one to be the chief Rule of Faith For every one may say that he has the Spirit and by his inspiration judges this part to be Holy Scripture and not that this to be the right sence of Scripture and not that So a Lutheran according to his Spirit judges the Epistle of St. James to be straw and the Revelations of St. John to be of doubtful Authority But a Calvinist by his Spirit judges both to be the Word of God So Luther judges by his Spirit to abolish the false Opinion That there are Four Gospels In the Prologue of the New Testament for the Gospel of St. John is the only true beautiful and principal Gospel and to be preferred far before the other three Likewise the Epistles of Baul far excel Peter's The thee Gospels of St Matthew Mark and Luke he would willingly have renounced because they are clearly for Merits necessity of Good Works and Observation of the Commandments and commend Chastity and Poverty But since he durst not totally reject them he is willing to disparage their Authority and to insinuate that they were not written by the Spirit of God In like manner Calvin by his Spirit judges this to be right sence of these Words This is my Body That is This Bread is the Figure of my Body But Luther according to his Spirit judges otherwise and says these Words of Christ This is my Body are thus to be understood This Bread is truly my Body I omit many other sayings whereby it is manifest that according to them the private Spirit of every one makes a Rule of Faith or which is the same thing the Scripture is expounded according to every Ones private judgment Secondly That is not to be held a proper Rule of Faith which is equally accommodated or fitted to all contrary Opinions For all the Sects of this time although they are at Daggers-point about many principal Tenets adopt the Scriptures to be their Rule and fit it for their purpose For the Lutherans say they rely upon Scripture so do the Calvinists and likewise the Anabaptists nor is it any wonder because every one receives the Scripture not according to the common understanding of the Church or exposition of the Fathers as Catholicks do but according to the sentiment of every one's private Spirit So you may easily adapt the Scripture for all Heresies Whence it is plain that a Rule thus framed can be of no moment being referred to every one's private judgment Thirdly If there should be a Judge that should so give sentence in any
the Mass Veneration of Holy Relicks and Images Pilgrimages Invocation of Saints Monasteries Monks Obedience to the See of Rome and other things proper to the Catholick Religion which hath ever flourished among these nations ever since their Conversion till of late they were abolished by these New Religions Who that considers these things can doubt but the Roman Catholick Religion is the true Religion of Christ In it we see this Divine Promise of the Conversion of Nations fulfilled Hereunto so many Peoples so many remote Nations so many potent Kingdoms have fled and forsaking their Idols impurity of Life multiplicity of Wives barbarity of Manners and former licentiousness humbly stoop to the yoke of Christ have imbraced the fear of God conformed to an honest Life and were inflamed with contempt of the World and love of Heaven How can it be that this Religion should be false and impious which makes so great a change in the Minds of barbarous People To conclude how can it be that the Divine Providence for so many Ages should permit all these Nations to be deceived when they willingly forsook their Idolatry imbraced the Truth and united themselves to the Church of Christ and be plunged into other pernicious Errors and a new Idolatry and that by those who in the Church were esteemed by every one the most Lawful Ministers thereof as being famous for Holiness of Life Wisdom and Miracles God forbid we should so judge of the Divine Goodness and Providence which has so much care for the Salvation of Men. But now on the other side there has never been any Conversion of Nations made by the Lutherans Calvinists and Fanaticks never any accession of Pagan Kingdoms to their Religion but only a Revolt of those who bearing the Name of Christians but weary of their former Religion and Discipline have followed their Novelties and Liberty of the Flesh which is a clear Argument of Heresie For Heresie is nothing else but a corruption of the Catholick Doctrine and revolt of Christians from the Primitive Religion retaining still the Christian Name and it is the study of Heretical Doctors not to convert Heathens but to pervert Christians Therefore Tertullian hits them home Lib de Praescrip What shall I say touching the Ministration of the Word since it is their business not to convert Infidels but to seduce Catholicks They take greater Glory to ruine those that stand than pains to lift up them that are down For this Work of theirs is not of their own building but a demolishing of the Truth They undermine our Church to raise their own so that they can easier destroy the House that stands than raise a new Building out of ruines The Sixth Consideration from the Name of Catholick and the thing signified by this Name THat Religion is to be judged the true Christian Religion which has always been accounted and called Catholick according to the Apostles Creed I believe in the Holy Catholick Church But the Roman Church is only called Catholick and the Professors thereof Catholicks Therefore the Roman Catholick Religion only is the true Religion of Christ That it alone has been always and still is called Catholick 't is evident First By the general use of the Name over all the World Hence it is that even Hereticks many times call it the Catholick Religion and the Professors thereof Catholicks nor did ever any Sect merit this Name For the Marcionists Montanists Vid. Pacia Epist denom Cath. St. August c. 4. contr Epist sund Manicheans Donatists Pelagians Vigilantians Waldenses Lutherans Calvinists Anabaptists c. were never called Catholicks nor their Doctrine the Catholick Religion only the Church of Rome and that part of Christianity which adheres to it is called the Catholick Church and the Religion Belief and Doctrine of this Church the Catholick Religion the Catholick Faith and Catholick Doctrine and her Followers Catholicks Secondly Because the word Catholick signifies the same as Vniversal The Catholick Religion is spread over all the World or General spreading over all the World But such is the Roman Religion because being spread over all the known inhabited parts of the World it extends it self to all Nations and Kingdoms For there is no Kingdom nor Nation known to us which has not still this Religion or formerly had it or doth not now begin to profess it yea at this very time there is well near amongst all Nations a publick profession of our Religion namely in Japan China the Indies Persia Tartary Turky Affrica Brazil Peru Mexico c. For in all these places there are Catholicks to be found Churches Altars Images of Christ and his Saints celebration of Mass administration of our Sacraments observation of our Feasts and Fasts and in Fine there is publickly held the Roman Catholick Religion Who can doubt that this is the true religion and the true way of Salvation which our Lord would have proposed and preached to all Kingdoms which he hath made to grow and increase at convenient times in all Kingdoms and which every where in a manner he now preserves causing Catholicks to be dispersed through the whole World that Infidels by them might come to the knowledge of the true Religion Moreover it is Catholick in point of Time as well as Place The Catholick Religion extends it self to all Ages for it has been derived thro' all Ages from Christ's and his Apostle's time For there is no Age since that time can be assign'd wherein this Religion was not held In all Ages Mass was celebrated for the living and dead Festival and Fasting days were kept Monastick Vows were frequented the Saints invocated and their Relicks honoured with other things proper to our Religion in use and practice as 't is manifest by all Ecclesiastick Writers On the contrary if we consider all kind of Sects No Sect is called the Catholick Religion none of them were ever called the Catholick Religion or the Professors of them Catholicks as aforesaid but they took the Name of their Religion from the first Broachers of it as Simonians from Simon Magus Valentinians from Valentine Pelagians from Pelagius Lutherans from Martin Luther Calvinists from Calvin c. and none of their Religions are spread over all the World Nor dilated over all the World At first when the Catholick Religion began to appear and shew it self it was not long before it was diffused over all the World and did increase and fructifie almost in every Kingdom notwithstanding the Persecutions thereof as S. Paul tells us Rom. 10. Colos 1. But the religion of Luther Calvin and Fanaticks now for the time that it hath been in the World which is about 150 years hath made no such progress but being confined only to some few Countries does daily lose ground either by crumbling into other Sects or else by returning into Catholick religion again As also not one of them is of any ancient standing but all of them of new invention but
in the last Century Therefore neither in respect of time nor in respect of place can these religions be called Catholick I add farther that the Roman Catholick religion is one and the same every where but these new religions are divers differing one from another even in Fundamental Points of Doctrine while one accuses and condemns the other of Heresie How then can they be counted Catholicks For we must take notice that this Name Christian given at first to all Believers and to the whole Church was specially used to distinguish them from from the Jews and Heathens who believed not at all in Christ as the same now severeth and maketh known all Christian People from Turks and others that either deny Christ or know him not But when Hereticks began to rise from among the Christians who professed Christ's Name and owned some Articles of Faith as true Believers do while they denied others and brought in new Doctrines of their own the name of Christian was too common to distinguish and sever these Hereticks from the true faithful People and thereupon the Apostles by the Holy Ghost imposed this name Catholick upon such Believers as in all points were obedient to the Church's Doctrine When Heresies were risen says S. Pacianus and endeavoured by divers Names to tear the Dove of God meaning the Church and rent her in pieces Epist ad Sympho the Apostolical People acquired their Sirname whereby the uncorrupted might be distinguished c. and so those that before were called Christians are now sirnam'd also Catholicks Christian is my Name saith he Catholick my Sirname Hence this word Catholick is the proper note whereby the Holy Apostles in their Creed taught us to discern the true Church from any false Heretical Congregation what soever .. The very Name of Catholick says S. August keeps me in the Bosome of the Church And again We must hold the Communion of that Church which is named Catholick not only by her own Cont. Epist fundam c. 4. De vera Relig. c. 7. but also by her Enemies For whether they will or no the Hereticks and Schismaticks themselves when they speak not with their own Companions but with Strangers call no other Church Catholick but this for they could not be understood unless they did distinguish it by this name whereby it is known and called over all the World The Seventh Consideration from Succession THat Religion is to be judged the true Religion whose Pastors are all descended from the Apostles and are the Apostle's Successors or who derive their Authority and Ordination from them For by this reason it is evident that that Religion and that Church which holds that Religion is Apostolical but such is the Catholick religion therefore that is the true religion Now that all Ministers of the Catholick religion descend from the Apostles whether you regard the Power of Order or Jurisdiction is manifest for all her inferior Ministers especially Sub-deacons Deacons and Priests are ordained by Bishops the Bishops receive their Order from other Bishops and these again from others and so upwards to the Apostles who receiv'd this Power immediately from Christ as Christ from his Father As my Father sent me says he I send you and so must you send others and so I am with you and them to the end of the World As therefore all Men according to the Life of Nature by a long tract of Generations descend from Adam so all the Ministers of the Catholick Church according to Super-natural Power by a long race of Ordination and Consecration descend from Christ our Lord who is the Second Adam There is no Minister therefore in the Church of God but can derive his Power of Consecration to offer Sacrifice absolve from Sins and to administer other Sacraments whereby Christians are sanctified from Christ the Chief Fountain and Author Whence it follows that all his Works which he does by this Power are attributed to Christ as the Supreme Author who instituted this Power and invisibly presides and assists therein Man being only his Instrument whereby he does all this as St. Augustine and other Fathers excellently observe and teach In like manner all power of Jurisdiction of Ministers to rule and govern Christians to preach the Word of God to them Tract 5. in Joan. Chrysos hom 80. ad pop Ambros l. 4. de Sacram. c. 4 5. and officiate in their Pastoral Duty descends from Christ and may clearly be reduced to him for the Curates or Parish Priests have their Jurisdiction from the Bishops and Bishops from the Chief Bishop the Pope the Pope seeing he is Blessed Peter's Successor in the same Chair and Authority of governing the Vniversal or Catholick Church must needs be invested with the same Jurisdiction which was immediately conferred upon St. Peter and in him to all his Lawful Successors And also only those who have not an ordinary but a delegated Authority in the Church must have it from Parochial Pastors or Bishops or the Pope So that there is no Minister in the Catholick Church no Preacher of God's Word or Catechizer who cannot shew plainly his Mission and demonstrate the same to be derived from Christ And indeed if they could not do so they were in no wise to be heard but suspected and esteemed as Wolves in Sheeps-cloathing since they enter not into the Sheep-fold by the door but creep in privately another way Joh. 10. This Argument alwas the Ancient Fathers chiefly made use of Irenae l. 3. c. 1. Tertul. de prescrip to convince all Hereticks for by it the Continuation of our Religion from several Ages up to the time of the Apostles is clearly shew'd The Succession of Priests from the See of St. Peter the Apostle to whom our Lord commended the care of feeding his Sheep to this present Bishop August Epist 165. Optatus l. 2. cont Parm. Hier. cont Lucif keeps me in the Church says St. Augustine and the like says St. Hierome in his Dialogues But now none of the Ministers of the New Religions can shew this And indeed the power of Order whereby the Sacraments are administred and the People sanctified they cannot derive from Christ and his Apostles because they have taken it quite away Nor is there any amongst them that have received the Episcopal or Sacerdotal Order unless it be some Apostares from the Catholick Religion whose Orders then are of no more use and service and yet the Church of Christ has had always these degrees and been govern'd by them Likewise they never had any power of Jurisdiction to preach the word of God as true Pastors or to administer Baptism and rule the People in Spirituals and Divine Worship For I ask of whom had Luther and Calvin this power Of whom was either of them sent to preach their New Gospel and Reform the People For they were not sent by the Ordinary Pastors of the Church as 't is sufficiently manifest They came therefore of their own
Complex or comprehension of all those things which pertain to Faiths But no body before him ever taught all the same Tenets This is also convinc'd by another reason for 't is manifest the ancient Doctors and Fathers florishing in former Ages were not of Lutheran's Religion for They all confess Free-Will the necessity of Good Works Merits of life eternal and possibility of keeping Gommandments They approve of the Invocation of Saints the Veneration of holy Relicks and Images the Sacrifice of the Mass for the living and dead the Ordination of Ministers the Evangelical Counsils of Monaftick Vows the custom of Fasting in Lent c. all which Luther's Religion denies and denounces as superstitious injurious to God and wicked That the ancient Fathers confess and approve all these things is clear by their Writings nor can Lutherans and Calvinists deny the fame but say they were the Spots of the ancient Fathers beautiful spots indeed Superstition Idolatry Impiety But if the Doctors of former Ages were not of this Religion but always decry'd and condemn'd the same 't is evident that it is not Ancient but New Now in the Church there is no Religion taken for the true Religion of Christ besides that which the ancient Fathers and Doctors of the Church have held Hence it plainly follows that the Lutheran Religion is not the Religion of Christ for Christ's Religion is not new but old But Luther's Religion is new and not old as 't is shewed The Religion of Christ has been always in the World from the time of the Apostles but the Religion of Luther has not been always but began in the year of our Lord 1517 as aforesaid Again if Luther's Religion is the true Religion of Christ the Congregation of People holding this Religion is the true Church of Christ therefore the Church of Christ was not before Luther as has been declared because the Lutheran Religion which constituted this Church was not before Luther If you say it was in the Apostles time and some Ages heretofore it is to be proved there were some then living that held all Luther's Tenets We can for certain and with ease prove the contrary For it is aparent the Sacrifice of the Mass for the living and the dead Ordnation of Ministers Monastical Vows and the like which are repugnant to Luthers Religion were in the Church of God in the Apostles time and the Ages nearest to it Moreover suposing but not granting that that it had been in the Apostles time and some time after yet at least in the Third and Fourth Age it began to vanish and be quite lost which also the Lutheran Doctors confess in the Book of Centuries published by them Therefore Cent. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. cap. 4. for 1300. years the Church of Christ fell away and perished For at least so long it is manifest the Lutheran Religion was not but what florished was point blank contrary to it The true Religion then for so so many Ages was extinct the Gospel obscured the Church of Christ overthrown till Luther the German Prophet rose and dispell'd this mortal darkness brought into the World the light of the Gospel and repaired the ruines of the Church The Lutherans in several Towns of Germany declare this in writing upon the Frontispiece of their Houses in Capital Letters in these or the like words in such a year the true light of Christ's Gospel shin'd first in this City by abolishing Superstition c. Now if the Church of Christ had perished for so many Ages how is it true that it was built upon a Rock Matth. 16. and not rather upon Sand How is it true that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it How is the House of God the Ground and Pillar of Faith 2 Tim. 3. How is the Kingdom of Christ which is th Church stable firm eternal and never to be dissolved Dan. 2. If you say the Church and Lutheran Religion hath continued in all Ages from the time of Christ and his Apostles but lay hid it is more than can be proved and without any probability as hath been demonstrated But les us grant it to be hid therefore it was not the Church of Christ For the Church of Christ is like a City placed upon a Hill which cannot be hid Matth. 5. She is the Mountain of our Lord's House established in the top of the Mountains and exalted above the Hills conspicuous to all and all Nations shall flow unto it Isa 2. She is extended from Sea to Sea and from the River unto the ends of the Earth Psal 71. She is that great Mountain which filled the whole Earth Dan. 2. For the Church of Christ ought to be manifest that by her Worship Splendor Manners and outward Form the Nations might be attracted to her and that those who desire to be made Christians might know whom to go to advise with and receive instructions from In like manner her Doctrine and Belief ought to be manifest or else 't would be unprofitable to the World and could not convert Nations Therefore in the time of Persecutions it was never so obscure but every where known as Ecclesiastical Writers tell us And from hence came such a multitude of Martyrs Again if it lay dormant so many Ages it was altogether unworthy of the Christian name For how could this be call'd the true Church of Christ which durst not confess the sincere Doctrine of Christ But was of such a cowardly nature and so affraid of death as to hide it self in the dark and not dare for so many Ages to appear in the light Nay did not only hide her self so many Ages and suppress the sincere Profession of Faith but also confess a false Faith namely the Papistical adore Idols and defile her self with a thousand Superstitions and Sacriledges For before Luther all Christians in outward shew at least behav'd themselves like Catholicks or else they would have been presently taken by the Inquisitors and Bishops and punished as Heriticks So that the Church of Christ would have been more miserable and deformed than the ruines of the Synagogue or the Jewish Sect which always held their Meetings in some places or other and made a profession of their Religion nor was ever compell'd at least in general to the Worship of Idols It would also have been more wretched and in a worse condition than all Heretical Sects For there has been no Sect of any name which has not had their Churches Preaching Houses or Conventicles and some form and prtfession of their religion whereby it was known From these things it is clear nothing can be more absurd than to say that the Church of Christ for so many Ages absconded I conclude therefore with this Dilemma either the Lutheran and Presbyterian religion were before their Authors or not If not then they are plainly Novelties and therefore not the Religian of Christ which is ancient but if they were existent then they
were occult and therefore could not be the Religion of Christ which hath been always visible manifest and publick What hath been said and proved in this Discourse against the religion of Luther and Calvin may be also said of all other Protestants whether Anabaptists Independents Quakers and the like Heresies for there is the same Novelty in them all and therefore the same reasons may be urged against them but for clearness sake and not to cloy the Reader with repetition of Names I have only made use of One or Two I conclude therefore in the Words of St. Hierome Dialog contr Lucif in fiae who writes thus I 'll tell you briefly and plainly my Opinion We must live and die in that Church which being founded by the Apostles remains to this day If in any place you hear some who are called Christians to derive a Name from some other Person besides Jesus Christ as Marcionists Valentinians Montanists Lutherans Calvinists c. know they are not of the Church of Christ but the Synagogue of Antichrist For by this very token that they have been brought in under such a Name in after Ages they are known and convicted to be some of those whom the Apostle foretold Nor let them flatter themselves by quoting Scripture for their Tenets since the Devil quoted Scripture also which consists not in the reading but understanding of it As Novelty therefore is a sign of Heresie foretold by the Apostle so such a Sectary Name a sign of Novelty and as for bringing of Scripture it is common to the Devil as well as Hereticks The Second Reason from a defect of Succession ANother reason why these Religions are not to be approved is They want Succession because they want a Succession of Ministers derived by a continued Order from the Apostles which Succession is necessary that our Religion or Church should be judged Apostolical For without this Succession it cannot be continued with the Religion of the Apostles Hence it is the Fathers teach every where that those who would be accounted the true Church of Christ ought to shew the Succession of their Bishops by a continual Series or order of them from the Apostles But if they cannot do this 't is a clear sign that they are not of the true Church of Christ So Optatus Milevitanus to convince the Donatists that they were not of the true Church saith Shew the Original of your Chair if you claim to your selves the true Church And Tertullian Let Hereticks shew the Original of their Churches Tertul. prescrip advers Heret let let ehem declare to us the Order of their Bishops by such a continued Succession that their first Bishop have either an Apostle or Apostolical Man for his Predecessor The same Argument other Fathers mke use of as Irenaeus Epiphanius St. Hierome and St. Augustine Iren. l. 3. c. 3. Epiph. Her 1.27 infir cont Lucif August c. 4. cont Epist fundam But it is manifest that neither the Lutherans Calvinists or Fanatticks have the least appearance of any such Succession for to whom I pray succeeded Luther who was for the most part the Author and Parent of those Religions Whose Chair and Authority did he seize upon Who was Chief of the Lutheran religion before him Who of the Presbyterian religion before Calvin and Swinglius But if none can be nominated it is clear they want that Succession which the Fathers require to make their Church Apostolical Again They do not only want Succession of Chair and Authority but also a degree Ordination of descending from the Apostles For a double Power in the Ministers of the Church has been always requisite and both of them to be derived by a continued Order from the Apostles as aforesaid in the Seventh Consideration to wit the power of Order whereby Sacrifice is offered and the Sacraments administred to sanctifie the Faithful and the power of Jurisdiction whereby a Right and Authority is granted to govern and feed the Church with the Word of God c. But neither of these can they derive from the Apostles not the power of Jurisdiction as it has been shew'd nor likewise the power of Order for who ordained Luther or Calvin Bishops of their Church If they say that Ordination is not necessary they contradict all Antiquity and the continual practice of the Church for there was never any made a Bishop in the Church to perform all Episcopal Functions unless by another Bishop to whom two other Bishops were to be assisting according to the Institution of the Apostles as is expresly commanded Can. 1. Apost Can. 4. Synod of Nice And St. Paul insinuates the same writing to the Bishop St. Timothy saying Neglect not the Grace that is in thee which is given thee by Prophecy with the imposition of the Hands of Priesthood 1 Tim. 4. That is the Assembly of Bishops who laid their Hands upon him that was to be ordain'd as the Fathers expound it Hereby it is clearly manifest that the Lutherans and Calvinists have neither of the said powers of Order and Jurisdiction from the Apostles and that they are not descended from the Apostles according to either nor can trace back either of these two from themselves up to the Apostles and consequently that they have neither true Religion nor the Church of Christ among them for this ought to descend and be as it were continued from the Apostles by the means of these two Powers as hath been declared For all Spiritual Power ought to be derived from Christ by the Apostles and their Successors through a certain continued Succession and Communication upon other Ministers as our corporal Life by a chain of Causes is derived from the First Man Adam and so must be to the last Man that shall be born For as in the Old Testament none were to be Priests unless they descended from Aaron of the Tribe of Levi so in the New Testament none are Priests or Bishops unless they derive their degree of Order and Jurisdiction from Christ the Chief Bishop by the Apostles and their Successors As therefore the Synagogue of the Jews could not be without Priests descended from Aaron by a continued Race so the Church of Christ cannot be without Priests or Bishops descending from the Apostles to their Successors by a perpetual continued Order and Succession But the Congregations of Luther and Calvin had never any such Ministers they never had any Bishops lawfully ordained amongst them that could derive their power of Jurisdiction from the Apostles and their Successors to govern the People 'T is plain therefore that they have not the Church of Christ amongst them The Third Reason from the defect of Mission THE Third Reason is from a want of Mission because they introduced these Religions of themselves without any Lawful Authority This therefore should make them worthily to be suspected as erroneous and the Authors of them to be Wolves and Seducers For no body in the
Church ought to Preach but those that are sent by Lawful Authority according to the Apostle How shall they Preach unless they be sent Otherwise a great confusion would spring in the Church For every one then would take upon him the Office of Preaching and governing the Church and sow what Errors he pleased For if in a Temporal Republick or Humane Government no Man can intrude himself and assume the Magistracy to govern the People in Earthly Affairs pertaining only to this Life but ought to have Commission from the Prince how much less in the Church in the Spiritual Kingdom of Christ can any one arrogate to himself the Office of a Pastor to govern the People in things belonging to their Eternal Salvation but ought to have Authority from the Supreme Head of the Church For a confusion of Government in the Church is much more to be avoided than in a Republick since this tends to a destruction of Souls whereas the other is but the loss of our Fortunes or Bodies Again He that entreth not by the door into the Sheepfold but climbeth up some other way the same is a Thief and a Robber saith our Lord Joh. 10. But he that without any Lawful Mission and Authority assumes the Office of a Pastor in the Church does not enter in at the door but climbeth up some other way as the Fathers every where expound it and as 't is plain enough of it self For what is it else to enter by the door than to enter by a Lawful way by legitimate Authority For a door is the ordinary way appointed whereby to enter into the Sheepfold and signifies this Lawful Authority whereby Ministers ought to be admitted into the Sheepfold of Christ to govern and feed Christ's Flock Moreover our Lord says by St. John He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own Glory but he that seeketh his Glory that sent him the same is true and no injustice is in him Joh. 7.18 By which Words he signifies we must not believe those who come of themselves and are not lawfully sent because they seek their own glory and profit to which end all their Doctrine is directed Lastly The Apostle in his Epistle to the Hebrews judges this Mission to be so necessary that he requires it in Christ our Lord No Man taketh this Honour to himself but he that is called of God as Aaron So Christ also did not glorifie himself that he might be made a High Priest but he that said to him Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Hence it is that our Lord so often inculcated to the Jews his Mission namely that he did not come of himself but was sent by his Father and confirms the same many ways Hereby it is clear that Luther Calvin and the like new Doctors are not to be heard nor their Doctrine believed but avoided and detested because 't is apparent they came of themselves without any Lawful Authority It is evident that they have usurped to themselves this Function and Duty of Pastors and a Right to Reform the Church It is manifest they entred not by the door and by a legal way but climb'd up another way into the Sheepfold and therefore according to the Sentence of our Lord they are to be taken for Thieves and Robbers Perhaps they will say they were sent immediately from Christ Christ sent them not as of old God sent the Prophets in an extraordinary manner to Reform the People and as Christ sent his Apostles to convert the World and as St. Paul after our Lord's Ascention was not sent by Men nor received the Gospel from Men but immediately from our Lord Jesus Christ But First 't is not enough to say this and boldly to affirm it but they must prove it and evince it to be true lest the People and other ordinary Pastors lawfully renounce them as Impostors As the Prophets of old and the Apostles did not only say that God sent them but abundantly prov'd and demonstrated the same by many Miracles Secondly All Arch Hereticks and false Prophet in all Ages have said the like namely that they were sent of God and received their Authority from him Therefore all are to be imbraced or none For why should I believe for example sake that God sent Calvin rather than Luther Munster Arrius or any other Arch Heretick since he cannot shew greater Proofs or Reasons of his Mission than the others Thirdly If God sent Calvin then he did not send Luther and so the contrary because if two Prophecy contradictions and condemn one another in their Doctrine of resie they destroy the Religion of each other Wherefore if God sent both of them he should be against himself deny and overthrow himself destroying by one what he built up by the other Amongst the Prophets which God sent there was always an exact agreement of Doctrine Fourthly If God sent Luther or Calvin to reform the Church I ask at what time and in what place did God confer on them this Ministry What Words did he say to them either outwardly or inwardly How did he declare to them the points of Reformation what order and method did he prescribe them How or in what Form did he appear to them Whither exteriourly in a visible manner as he did to St. Paul or interiourly by an imaginary Vision in some ecstasie as to the Prophets and to S. John the Evangelist in his Revelations For all these things God is wont to do when he sends any One extraordinarily and the Prophets themselves presently when they began to Preach declared all this that the People might understand by whom they were sent or what charge was given them as it appears by the Prophet Isai Chap. 1. c. Ezek. 1. c. Dan. 2. and 9. c. In fine all the Prophets were used to Evidence this in the first place as you may see in their Prophecies In like manner it is known at what time and by what Words our Lord sent his Apostles and what he enjoyn'd them c. But these new Prophets were so inconsiderate that they never thought of this to be reputed immediately sent from God for there is no mention hereof made by them which is a most certain sign that they are compelled of necessity to tell a most grievous untruth by saying God sent them For who can doubt if they had the least colour of Divine Mission they would not have inserted it in their Writings and presently manifested the same to the whole World expressing the time place manner and precept of our Lord together with other circumstances Fifthly If God sent them he did not only send them as Reformers of Manners as the Prophets were sent but as Reformers of all Doctrine and Religion and therefore an exact narration and description of their Mission was chiefly necessary and a nomination of the points which God would have reformed and in his Name and Words propounded to the Church as the Prophets
of old were used to do when they proposed to the People the Divine Commandments in the Name of God But these New Prophets have not proceeded in this manner but by chance and as their matter required they fell from one Opinion to another as it happens in Disputes and Contentions when their Minds were more and more exasperated and as by experience they could learn how to accommodate themselves in their Affairs and incommode or undermine the Pope's Authority which condemned them For what ever they perceived would be most prejudicial to the See of Rome or advantageous to it they decreed points of Faith accordingly and varnished them over with the Word of God as I shall shew hereafter Sixthly In Humane Policy if any should pretend Authority to govern it is not sufficient to say that he was sent by the Prince of the Country who was far of and could not conveniently come himself but he must shew his Patent or Commission signed with the King's Seal which then is diligently examined least there should be any fraud in the case and if there should be the least sign of a shamm or cheat it is not to be admitted till a full and certain proof thereof be made The same we see in the Apostolical Legates who all shew their Patents authentick wherein their Mission and Commission is contained otherwise they are not credited nor have Authority What madness is it then to admit into the Church and Kingdom of Christ not only New Pastors but likewise Reformers of the whole Religion of the Church only upon their saying that Christ sent them and that they have the Spirit of God without shewing any Patent or Miracle to prove it Seventhly The account of time also is strongly against them for if the Church fell away about 600 years after Christ and became the Synagogue of Antichrist as they teach Why was the Mission of these Reformers delay'd to these times Why did God forsake his Church 900 years together and suffer it to continue in its ruines in Superstition and Idolatry as nothing belonging to him and after the accomplishment of so many Ages should send first to her these New Reformers or Chief Masters Is this the Love of Christ towards his Church which he hath cleansed with his Blood which he hath quickened with his Spirit and which he hath adopted or chosen for his Spouse He shew'd himself much kinder to his Handmaid the Synagogue by sending them many Prophets to reclaim them still prone to Idolatry and grand Impieties Therefore if these Men would have been thought Reformers they should have feigned the Church to have faln but a little before them and not for so many Ages to have lain putrified in its ruines Otherwise this long distance of time confutes their Mission and shews it to be very imprudently forged Eightly Hereunto may be added other most certain signs that Christ did not send them as their vicious Life Pride contempt of the Holy Fathers the Errors and Lies wherein they were taken besides their inconstancy of Doctrine which I shall declare in the following Reasons Ninthly and Lastly They teach that nothing is to be believed but what is in Scripture Let them therefore shew out of the Scriptures that they were sent by God to reform the Church In what place and by what Words of Scripture did our Lord give this Authority to Luther or Calvin Otherwise we cannot believe them being themselves Judges nor receive them as Reformers of the Church And here I cannot forbear to insert a ridiculous fancy of the Lutherans which yet made a great noise among them They endeavoured to establish the Mission of their Prophet by a certain Prophecy of St. Ambrose and St. Augustine contained forsooth in this verse Tibi Cherubin et Seraphin incessabili voce proclamant that is To thee Cherubins and Seraphins continually do cry For some years ago they erected an Effigies of Luther cut in Brass with this Inscription A divine and wonderful Prophecy of St. Ambrose and St. Augustine shewing the time and coming of Luther wherein he began to write against the Roman-Antichrist as it is contained in the Letters of this Versicle representing the date of the year which is a thing worthy the note and admiration of all Faithful Christians TIbI CherVbIn et SeraphIn InCessabILI VoCe proCLaMant The Numeral Letters of this Versicle are 1517. in which year of our Lord Luther began first to Preach But this was certainly a very poor shift For First By such Numeral Hitts nothing certain can be concluded by any Wise Man as hath appeared by many Examples in former ages from the success of things But Secondly Grant it a prophetical speech concerning Luther the exultation and gratulation of the Celestial Spirits for the Preaching of Luther need not to be signified thereby as the Lutherans would have it but rather the blindness of Luther and all that are of his Sect as in the 6th of Isaiah where the Seraphins in like manner cry Holy holy holy is the Lord God of Hosts the whole Earth is full of his Glory from which place these Versicles are put in the Hymn is designed the excecation or blindness of the Jews as by the sequel it is gathered For God is provoked at the view of his Holiness which abominates all Sin to execute revenge and just Judgment upon so great Wickedness and Impiety In like manner they shall cry for Vengeance at the end of the World Apoc. 4.8 To conclude if we write these Names according to the Hebrew manner by m and not by n that is Cherubim and Seraphim as they ought to be written so the Number will rise to 3157. which being ended the Cherubims and Seraphims will still cry Holy holy holy but this Clamour will not be for joy of the success of Luther's Gospel but an approbation of his just punishment whereby he and all his Associates shall be tormented to all Eternity The Fourth Reason from a want of Miracles Miracles necessary THese new Religions with the Authors of them are very much to be suspected because they were introduc'd without Miracles or Signs from God For these were chiefly necessary First That so they might shew themselves to be no Impostors but true Pastors sent by Almighty God and to convince the World they ought to be received For since it is manifest in Scripture that in the later days many false Prophets shall arise bragging to be sent from God therefore our Lord gave us a special warning of them not to give ear to them without infallible proofs of their Mission which cannot be but by Signs and Tokens from God as are Miracles Prediction of things to come Revelation of things hid c. for since these things are above the power of Creatures 't is plain demonstration they are of God And therefore they are like Patents signed with God's Great Seal in proof of their Mission from him Hence it is that as many as were ever
their Apostles such as Luther Calvin Melancton Zwinglius c. who they suppose were indued with the Spirit of God or because each one by his own judgment conceives them to be contained in the Scriptures or lastly because the private Spirit inwardly witnesseth them to be true or that such is the sence and meaning of the Holy Scripture For whatsoever the Sectaries of this time believe they believe for some of these three reasons and one of the three they make the foundation of their Faith and motive of belief But these three Foundations or Motives of belief are altogether deceitful as you shall see That the first Foundation namely the authority of Luther Calvin and others that devised these New Religions is deceitful is manifest because experience shews they could be deceived and did really err in many things For many things they revoked many things they corrected they contradicted themselyes in many things as is clearly demonstrated in the Ninth Consideration and Sixth Reason of my Consult about Religion Hence it is that now but few depend on their Authority saying they were Men subject to Errour and therefore their Followers desert them as they list where they think they can find some better Doctrine Their Authority therefore is deceitful even in the Opinion of their own Disciples and Followers Nor is the other ground less deceitful to wit their own private judgment whereby they expound the Scriptures For many things which are indeed false to a private Judgment seem to be true and those things which at first seemed to be true are afterwards found to be false Hence it is that there are such diversity of Opinions such chopping and changing of Religions because Humane Judgment is very weak especially in the Mysteries of Faith and Understanding of the Scripture which transcend Humane Capacity Many Answer that in believing Whether they rely on Scripture they do not rely on their own judment but the Holy Scriptures which cannot err How miserably they are deceived herein appears by this that almost all Sectaries say they rely upon Scripture when they disagree in many things amongst themselves and teach things contrary to one anothers Doctrine which could not rationally be done if they relyed upon the lawful understanding of Scripture and not on their own private judgment For the Scripture is no where contrary to it self it disagrees in no place with it self therefore the reason why they so much differ amongst themselves is because they interpret the sence of Scripture according to their own private Judgment which is divers according to the variety of Judgments and Understandings of Men. They rely therefore upon Scripture not as 't is interpreted by the Holy Fathers of the Catholick Church but according to their own private Judgment For the virtue and efficacy of the Scripture consists not in the naked Words but in the right meaning and interpretation Therefore their whole foundation is their own private judgment which how deceitful it is the dissentions of so many Sects clearly demonstrate Lastly The Third Foundation of their belief on which many The private Spirit at this time depend is the most deceitful of all because among the Fanaticks who pretend most of all to the instinct of the Spirit there are the greatest differences and divisions amongst themselves which could not be unless the Spirit which rules and governs them and on which they depend were deceitful and various The same is observable amongst the Lutherans and Presbyterians and the different Sects and Factions of them both for every one is certain of the truth of his Opinion by the private Spirit which instructs him whereby it is most manifest and clear that this Spirit is not the Holy Spirit the Spirit of God and Truth which cannot teach contradictions and be against it self but the Wicked Spirit the Spirit of Errour Who is a Lyar from the beginning and the Father of Lies who lives in the Children of unbelief Joh. 8.44 of whom the Apostle says Because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved therefore God shall send them strong delusions to believe a Lye c. 2 Thes 2.11 And in another place In the latter times some shall depart from the Faith attending to the Spirits of Errour and Doctrines of Devils 1 Tim. 4.1 for every Heresie is the Doctrine of Devils And S. John Believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the World 1 Joh. 4.1 This is that Spirit which rules in the Hearts of Hereticks and whose Testimony brag of as thinking it to be the Holy Ghost This so blinds their Understandings and perverts their Fancies that they take Light to be Darkness and Darkness Light they esteem the most clear Truth of the Catholick Faith to be Errour and their own foul and dismal Errours to be the clear Truth and certainly were they not totally bewitched and blinded they might easily perceive that that Spirit which inwardly they feel is not the Spirit of God or at least they could not choose but doubt of it since every Sect amongst whom there is so great dissension touching their chiefest Principles lays equal claim to the Testimony of this Spirit boast of it and follow it and in maintaing their Tenets repugnant to each other chiefly depend on it But this happens by the just Judgment of God For as the Jews who would not receive Christ were permitted to be blinded by the Devil as 't is plainly gathered from the Apostle 2 Thess 2. So Hereticks who have deserted the Catholick Faith which is no less a Sin than that of the Jews are permitted to be blinded by Satan and led into all Ernour And if a Man but attentively consider A greater facination of the Devil in our Hereticks than in the Jews he shall perceive a more powerful operation of the Devil in our Hereticks and a greater facination of their Mind than there is in the Jews and Turks and this for two Reasons First Because the Jews agree in their Belief and have no different Sects amongst them Among the Turks or Mahometans there be only two and they not much different But amongst the Hereticks of our days there are numbers of Sects some propagated one out of another by the rise of New Opinions mutually condemning one another of Heresie and all these are sprung up within 100 years or thereabout which is a clear sign that the Devil has a great power in the Minds of these Man to disturb their Fancies pervert their Imaginations and Judgments that they can neither stand nor rest any where Secondly Because the vulgar People among the Jews and Turks rely not upon their own judgment nor the instinct and testimony of the private Spirit but upon the judgment of their Doctors or which is the same thing upon their Scripture as 't is expounded by the Doctors of their own Religion Therefore they