be no excuse before that dreadfull Iudge who takes no other euidence but that of our own conscience This only we must consult in matters of Eternity and not think that a Clergy or Religion established by a temporal law is lawfull though it should be called legal by an Act of Parlament Q. Sir I haue seen the Registers of Lambeth you would haue me suspect as forged I assure you I see no sign of forgery in them And as for Bishop Iuels not answering Doctor Harding demand concerning the first Protestant Bishops and particularly Parkers Consecrator perhaps he thought it an idle question and underualued so weak an obiection A. Forged Registers are often the most formal all counterfeit ware standing in need of being set forth with great artifice Vve haue seen Registers and Records of publik Courts of Iudicature so artificialy changed and corrupted that nothing but their not being produced many years before when they were called for could conclude the forgery Doctor Harding called for the Registers of the first protestant Bishops Consecration as well as for the Consecraters name Neither did B. Iuel contemn this demand as you imagin He went as far in the answer as he durst He answered 1. that the first protestant Bishops in the beginning of Queen Elizabeths reign were consecrated in due form by Archbishop Parker their Metropolitan But being again pressed by Harding to name Parkers Consecrator he put off that impertinent question wherof the whole controuersy and the credit of the Church of England depended by a wild digression and long discourse of the ancient Bishops being consecrated without aquainting the Pope But sure Mr Iuel might aquaint Doctor Harding with the name of him who consecrated Parker as well as he named Parker for Consecrator of the other Bishops and certainly would if Parker himself had bin realy consecrated by a Bishop If you do not belieue my relation read Doctor Hargings bookes against Iuel and Iuels own Apology for the Church of England where they treat of this particular Q. Gentlemen I would to God you did agree among yourselues and not break the Layties heads with your disputes You haue put so many doubts into mine that I can hardly belieue any thing On both sides you seem to bee honest and learned men therfore I think my best way is to continue in the Church of England and trust in God that I shall not be damn'd for not being of that of Rome untill I be better satisfied that the points wherin it differs from ours are necessary for saluation And this requiring longer time the particulars being so many than I am like to liue t' is not credible God would oblige me or any other illiterat person to spend our dayes rather in controuersies than in prayer and good works and in the end be as litle satisfied with ourselues as our and your Clergy are with one an other Yourselues grant that implicit Faith is sufficient for such ignorant people as I am that Faith I am sure I haue for I do belieue all that God reuealed though I do not know what it is he reuealed or whether he hath apointed the Church of Rome rather than that of England to instruct the world and inform us of his reuelations And truly I belieue a man may be saued without troubling himself to know which of them it is that God hath apointed for our instruction prouided we be redy to be members therof when that shall be made cleer to us by better arguments than I am able to inquire after A. This is so dangerous doctrin that I iudge it worth my pains to shew yet further the obligation the most illiterat men haue to search after the true Church and how easiâ—y they may find it out by visible signs and how you may without any help but that of common sense be satisfied of the truth of euery particular point of doctrin wherin Roman Catholiks differ from Protestants And all this in the space of less than two houres time Q. Nay Sir if you perform your undertaking I deserue to be damn'd for all Eeternity if I will nor hear you for so short a time as two hours I pray Sir proceed CHAP. VIII HOVV EVERY ILLITERAT PERSON may easily and in the space of two houres find out the true Church and the truth of euery point of doctrin controuerted betvveen Catholiks and Protestants VVHen the people of Israel were most diuided in matters of Religion 3. Reg. 8. the Prophet Elias made a motion to them of cleering the truth by that famous dogmatical Miracle of burning an Ox upon the Altar without kindling the fire under it This cleer and compendious way was hugely approued of by the multitude as suting best with their capacities for they needed not learning to dispute their eyes were sufficient Iudges and they had so much common sense as to know that God would not permit a falsood to be confirmd by a miracle in so publik a trial wherin his Veracity was so particularly concerned The Prophets therfore of Baal durst not refuse so fair an offer as Elias made in their presence and I hope the Protestant Clergy will be ashamed to refuse mine Let us not delude the people with school subtilities or obscure texts of scripture If the Church of England or Scotland or any other reformed one be the true Church and its doctrin the true doctrin let that be tried by miracles I shall try ours of Rome by that test I challenge then all the Bishops and Ministers of the Church of England and all others of the Reformation or all the Protestants of the world to work or mention any one miracle euer yet wrought by any Protestant to confirm any one point of doctrin wherin they differ from the Roman Catholik Gentlemen summon your Sinods search into all histories profane and sacred set your heads together and produce at least som probable testimony of as much as one miracle to grace your Reformations And if you can not find undoubted miracles at least shew som thing that lookes like a miracle som thing that may be mistaken for one wherof the falsood or fraud hath not bin as yet discoured such as you say many of ours are Perhaps you will pretend that your Protestants are not so easily foold with false miracles as our Roman Catholiks But this must be a gift and priuilege of your priuat spirit for the Spaniards Italians and French are not by nature so dull as our Northen Protestants and are as loath to be cheated out of their moneys by Masses Miracles Pilgrimages and other pretexts of deuotion as you are And yet they belieue such Miracles as haue bin motiues for the Popes or people to Canonize our Saints and those also wherby Heathens and heretiks haue bin conuerted to our Religion Q. I doubt not Sir but that the Catholiks are as unlikely and loath to be imposed vpon as Protestants therfore I would fain heare som of those undeniable miracles
causarum cognitionem arrogare c. He is therfore cursed by the Protestant vvriters as bearing the mark of the beast in acknowledging the Popes supremacy and for subduing all Christian Churches to his iurisdiction so Frigiuillaeus in his palma Christiana dedicated to Q. Elizabeth pag. 35. saying that Constantin preferred the Bishops of Rome and Constantinople before others yet attributed the Primacy before all to the Roman And pag. 34. saith that Constantin gaue the povver of the beast to Pope Iulius vvhich Iulius presently exercised for Constantin also carried the mark of the Dragon in his armes c. And Mr Napper in his Treatise vpon th Reuelations dedicated to King Iames saith After the year of God 300. the Emperor Constantin subdued all Christian Churches to Pope Siluester from vvhich time till these our dayes the Pope and his Clergy hath possessed the outvvard and visible Church Q. Pardon Sir that I interrupt you from proceeding further in the Proof of Constantins being a Papist I am fully conuinc't he was of your Popish Religion and seing Mr Napper sayes to King Iames that Popery possessed and gouerned the visible Church euer since that time I would willingly know whether it was so before Constantins time or whether that Emperor bestowed this supremacy vpon the Pope and pulld down Protestancy to set up Popery A. To satisfy your curiosity I will remit you to your own Protestant writers the Centurists and others I will only tell you that one of the most learnest protestant writers called Philip Nicolai took great pains in this matter in his work de regno Christi undertaking to discouer the first beginning and increase of the papal dignity or supremacy and concludeth at last with these words pag. 221. Primatus affectatio communis fuit infirmitas Apostolorum ac etiam primorum Vrbis Romae Episcoporum The affectation of the Primacy was an infirmity common to the Apostles as also to the first Bishops of Rome Mr Midleton likewise in his Papistomastix pag. 193. saith that perusing Councells Fathers and stories from the Apostles forvvord vve find the print of the Popes feet Vve may therfore follow securely steps so ancient and so authentik If Popery were not the right way to heauen certainly the ancient Councells would haue condemn'd it the Fathers would haue declin'd it and the Histories would haue recounted how it entred into the Church and supplanted the former Religion that Christ and the Apostles had preach't And yet not a vvord of this change or corruption in Councells Fathers or any History This is the greatest of Miracles that the doctrin and publik profession of Popery being in itself so contrary to Protestancy vvhich is supposed by its Professors to haue bin the pure and primitiue Christianity should steale so early and so insensibly into the Church notwithstanding the vigilancy of those primitiue Pastors and the great concern of euery faithfull to obserue and oppose the least nouelty whatsoeuer in matters of doctrin any change or corruption therof inuoluing a damnable heresy Q. Though the conuersion of all heathen Kings and Nations were as you say to Popery and performed by Papists and that it is not credible God vvould permit so general a peruersion vvherby the end of instituting his Church would be frustrated yet I vvould vvillingly know vvhether you can produce any Miracles against our Protestant doctrin vvherby we differ from the Papists A. See D◠Humfry in Iesuitismi p. 2◠rat 5. p. 5. 627. Bishop Bale in Act. Rom. Pont. pag. 44.45 46. Osiand in Epit. Cēt. 6. p. 289. 288. And the Magdeb. Centur. 6. cap. 20. All the Miracles that moued the Pagans to be Papists were wrought against Protestancy I will instance it in the conuersion of our Saxon Ancestors vvho vvere Pagans and made Papists by the preaching and Miracles of St Austin the Monk Apostle of England The Protestant writers confess he conuerted the Saxons to the Chaos of Popish Ceremonies and superstition and specify worship of Images praying to Saints Purgatory Mass Transubstantiatiation holy water c. And yet themselues confess with St Bede that his doctrin and that of the ancient Britans of that time B p. Iuel in his pageant of Popes B p. Goduin in his Catalogue of Bishops p. 1. Fox in his Acts and Monum printed 1576. pag. 463. difered only in a ceremony of Baptism and in the day of celebrating Easter St Austin confirming his own practise therin by a confessed Miracle of restoring sight to a blind man Now it being euident by our English Chronicles and the Protestant vvriters vvherof Mr Iohn Fox Bishop Goduin and Bishop Iuel are to be particularly noted as being most eminent that the ancient Britans after receiuing the Catholik Faith in the Apostles time held the same untill Austins coming and neuer forsook it for any manner of false preaching of other nor for torments c. It must be concluded that the ancient Britans were first conuerted to Popery and so continued untill Austins time and that his and their doctrin was the same in all particulars contrary to Protestancy and confirmed by Miracles But because you seem to desire a dogmatical Miracle that is one vvrought in confirmation of Popery not only as it is Christianity in general but at it is Christianity in particular and opposit to Protestancy I will endeu or to satisfy your curiosity hoping therby to setle your conscience CHAP. IX St. BERNARDS VNDENIABLE Miracles vvrought by God to confound Protestants and confirm the doctrin of the Sacrifice of the Mass Transubstantiation Purgatory Prayer for the dead Prayer to Saints their vvorship and that of Images Chrisme the Popes supremacy c. SAint Bernards learning sanctity and Miracles are so generaly confessed by all Protestant writers that Doctor Stillingfleet in his late Comedy of the Idolatry and Fanaticism of the Church of Rome durst not bring him vpon the stage Vvhitaker de Ecclesiâ pag. 369. saith of him I do realy belieue Bernard vvas a true Saint Osiander cent 12. saith Saint Bernard Abot of Clareual vvas a uery pious man c. Gomarus in speculo Ecclesiae pag. 23. saith one pious man your Church had in many years Bernard your Saint And Pasquils return into England pag. 8. 13. saith he vvas a good Father and one of the lamps of Gods Church He was so famous for his learning humility deuotion and Miracles that after his refusal of all Ecclesiastical dignities he gouerned not only the Church but the temporal Princes were sayd by him and submitted to his iudgment King Henry 2. of England forsook a Schismatical Pope which he had supported against the King of France by saint Bernards persuasion The King of France gaue ouer troubling the Bishops for his sake VVilliam the Duke of Aquitain was conuerted from a deuouring wolf to a meek Lamb by his words All the world lookt upon saint Bernard as the Apostle of that age wherin diuers heresies were
the help of the body and if it can act independently of the help of the body it may exist also without help of the same and so the soul is proued to be immortal or not to dye with the body by its acting in the body contrary to the dictamen or appearence of our senses Q. Methinks this argument only proues that the soul may act and by consequence exist independently of the body for som ryme but proueth not that it may exist for euer independently of the body and the immortality of the soul is not euery existen â—ce but an euerlasting existence independent of the boby A. True it is that the immortality of the soul is an euerlasting existence without necessity of the bodyes help or support and as true it is that reason as soon as the soul knowes it self doth direct it to desire and endeauour its own happiness which â—nuolues not only a perpetuity of existence but an euerlasting felicity in the same existence That reasons cleerest act after the soul knowes its own existence is to direct and inspire into the soul a desire and endeauours of its own happiness is manifest not only by that regret and remorse of conscience which men feel when they deuiat from the direction or dictamen of reason but also by the loue which men bear to themselues which loue being confessed to be most euidently rational can not but be directed by the cleerest principle of reason Vvherfore this desire of the souls happiness being directed by the cleerest principle of reason can not be pretended to be a dreame or delusion vnless you will maintain that the cleerest reason is the greatest folly and by consequence destroy the fundamental ground of all human discourse and rational endeauours If therfore the souls desire of euerlasting happiness be grounded vpon so cleer a principle of reason this if it be not folly must haue a real obiect wherunto we are directed and wherwith we may be satisfied without any possibility of mistake and if so 't is as demonstrable that the soul is immortal as it is that the most rational desires and endeauours are not manifest follies and that the fundamental and experimental principles of reason can not be false or fallacious But if any one will be so mad as to grant that the first and fundamental principles of human reason are false and fallacious besides that herin he reflects vpon Gods wisdom goodness and gouernment wherwith such a supposition is not compatible he must grant that there are som other contrary fundamental principles true in opposition wherunto ours are false and fallacious Let him therfore produce them and maintain that it is reasonable in lieu of honoring our parents to hate them in lieu of desiring our happiness to wish our misery c. and if he can not produce any others besides these he can not think it reasonnable we should credit these or feare our selues can be misled so long as we stick close to our own principles of reason and follow that light which shines and euery man sees in certain actions necessarily and naturally assented vnto and therfore common to all mankind CHAP. III. OF THE VVORSHIP OF GOD and the sacrifice due to him Q. Seing you haue proued that there is a God and that the soul is immortal I would willingly know how God ought to be worshipt A. God being the Author of all good Mr Beacoz a learned ProtestaÌ„t in his Tratise intituled the reliâ—ues of Rome edit 1560. f. 344 saith the Mass vvas begotten conceiued and born anone after the Apostles tyme if all be true that Historiographers vvrite Sebastianus Francus an other learned Protestant in his Epistle for abrâ—gating all â—he Canon lavv sayth imâ—â—diatly after the Apostles all things vvere turnd vpside dovvn c. The Lords supper vvas trans formed into a sacrifice Mr Ascham in his Apology for the Lords supper p. 31. doth acknovvledge that no beginning of this change can be chevved The ancieÌ„t rathers call the Mass the visible sacrifice the true sacrifice the dayly sacrifice the sacrifice according to the order of Melchisedech the sacrifice of the body and bloud of Christ the sacrifice of the Altar the sacrifice of the Church and the sacrifice of the nevv Testament See St Ignatius the Apostles Scholar in his Epistle to the Church of Smirna St Irenaeus l. 4. c. 32. of vvhom the Centurists say that he speakes very in comodiously vvhen he sayes that Christ tanght a nevv oblation vvhich the Church receiuing from the Apostles doth offer to God in all the vvorld See Cent. c. 4. col 63. and Cent. 2. cap. 10. col 167. they affirm St Ignatius his vvords to bee dangerous and quasi errorum semina See also Terrul ad scapul cap. 2. Origen in numer hom 23. St Cyprian lib. 2. 3. vers fin St Ambrlib 5. Ep. 33. Missam facere coepit c. St Leo Ep. 81. ad Dioscor St August term 91. de Temp. lib. 9. Confess cap. 12. in Enchird cap. 110. c. Sayes that the Sacrifice of our price vvas offerd for his mother Monica being dead and that it is not to be doubted but that the souls of the dead are relieued vvhen for them is offered the sacrifice of our Mediator c. the only beginning and cause of our existence the end and hopes of our happiness it is fit we exhibit vnto him the greatest honor we can not only euery one in particular by an inward submission of our souls acknowledging his infinit excellencies and our own nothing and imperfections but also by an outward offering or oblation of som visible thing that ought to be consumed or changed therby to own Gods infinit power and Dominion ouer his creatures and consecrated to his Diuine maiesty by a solemn ceremony and publik Minister This way of worship is called a Sacrifice and the publik Minister who offers it is called a Priest It hath bin practised since the beginning of the world as appeareth in the sacrifices of Abel Noe Melchisedech Abraham Isaac Iacob Iob. and others in the law of nature and in the written law of Moyses great part therof is nothing but rules and ceremonies concerning the manner of sacrificing and the habit and method which the Priest ought to obserue in performing that publik ministery Q. Vvhat is the sacrifice of the Christians or of the law of grace A. It is the sacrifice of Christs body and bloud offerd for the liuing and for the dead vnder the species or appearence of bread and wine and is commonly called the Mass Q. Is not the sacrifice of Christs body and bloud as it was offerd vpon the Cross the proper sacrifice of Christians or of the Catholik Church A. It is the most excellent sacrifice that euer was offered nay all other sacrifices in the law of nature of Moyses and of grace did and do deriue their virtue and efficaciousness from the sacrifice of the Cross but because
in ouercoming this last great difficulty consists chiefly the supernaturality which is most peculiar to the act of Faith Heretiks therfore may be conuicted of obstinacy and heresy though they do not cleerly see nor we euidently conclude by tradition or any thing else that God reuealed what they deny or doubt of and the Church proposeth as reuealed by him For heresy doth not consist in an impossibility but it would be one if it were requisit that learned heretiks be obstinat against a cleer and conclusiue euidence of God hauing reuealed what they deny or doubt of How can any passion or pride blind a learned heretik if it depriues him not wholy of his wits and then he can not sin or be an heretik so far as to make him deny or doubt of what he sees euidently concluded God sayd or reuealed That were to deny God is God or the existence of a Deity A learned heretik therfore can not be better or more cleerly conuicted of heretical obstinacy than by our euidently concluding against him that he is obliged in conscience to auoyd the threatned danger of damnation if he doth not belieue the Church whose testimony is confirmed with Miracles to assent to that doctrin as Diuine which is deliuered by Catholik Tradition and confirmed by the motiues of credibility though it be not cleerly euident that its doctrin is Diuine or its tradition infallible More of this hereafter Now I will proue the euident obligation all men who are informed of our Faith haue to belieue the doctrin of the Roman Catholik Church as Diuine as also how they are obliged in conscience to inform themselues therof CHAP. V. HOVV THE MIRACLES OF THE Roman Church euidently conuict all its Aduersaries of damnable obstinacy and hovv a credible report of them obligeth all men to inform themselues of those miracles and doctrin confirmed by them and that of all Christian Congregations the Roman Catholik alone is the true Catholik Church Q. Supposing the Catholik Church can not be composed of all or any two Congregations dissenting in the least point of doctrin as hath bin proued in the precedent Chapter I desire to know which of them all is that one true Catholik Church we ought to belieue according to that article of the Apostles Creed I belieue in the holy Catholik Church and out of which there is no saluation A. You know the true Catholik Church is only that Congregation of Christians which hath the signs Christ sayd Marc. 16. should follow the true belieuers and that those signes are the casting out of Deuills not by coniuring but in the name of Christ the gift of tongues the conuersion of Nations to Christianity the curing of diseases raising of the dead and other supernatural marks of Gods trust and truth committed only to the ministery of that Church and by which marks iâ— must be discerned from all false Congregations pretending to be either the whole or a part of the Catholik Church Q. Out of your discourse I gather that all the markes of the true Catholik Church are reduced to miracles because supernatural sanctity the conuersion of Nations to Christianity the gift of profecy c. are as great miracles as the casting out of Deuills curing diseases raising the dead and the gift of tongues But it is a common saying among Protestants that miracles are ceased in the Church and som Catholiks grant they are so few and wrought in those remote regions of Iapan and China that you can hardly meet with one who did euer see a miracle How therfore can miracles be the marks wherby euery man may be directed to know the true Catholik Church if few or none see them A. I grant that all the marks of the Catholik Church must be miraculous otherwise they were not fit motiues for prudent men to submit their iudgments to the testimony or ministery of that Church as to the Church of God But miracles are not ceased nor confind to those remote regions of Iapan and China There is not a Catholik Nation in the world which doth not shew som things at least so like supernatural miracles that as wise and wary men as any in Christendom belieue them to be so And such Protestants as pretend they are not can not with any probability shew that the matter of fact is false or that the manner of working them is fraudulent or natural seing therfore Christ himself assures vs that supernatural miracles shall follow the true belieuers and that vntill the end of the world there will be true belieuers and by consequence a Catholik Church we are bound in conscience to belieue that only is the true Church wherin we see or at least heare credibly reported there are true miracles or things so like true miracles that as wise and as wary men as any in the world after a seuere scrutiny and serious study mistake them for true miracles notwithstanding they know that vpon their not being mistaken in so important a matter doth depend their euerlasting happiness or misery Dr Dovvnham in hiâ— Treatise of Antichrist l. 1. c. 9. pag. 111. saith neither Turks nor Ievves nor any other Churches of Christians but only the Pope and Church of Rome do vaunt of miracles Q. Is there but one Congregation of Christians that pretends to such miracles A. No. Q. Vvhich is that A. The Roman Catholik Q. If all other Christian Congregations be against the Roman Catholik and that in euery Christian Congregation there be as wise and wary men and as willing to be saued as any Roman Catholiks why should any man be bound in conscience to belieue the Roman Catholik miracles are true when as great or a greater number of wise and learned men do maintain they are not true miracles A. Vvhen learned parties agree in the fact of an accident so extraordinary that no natural cause therof after diligent scarch can be knowen but seemes to be aboue the power of all natural causes and human industry doubtless the party which belieues the fact to be supernatural or a miracle deserues to be credited before all which contradict the same and can giue no good reason for their contradiction 1. Because in som Christian Congregation or other there must be true miracles otherwise Christs words Marc. 16. can not be verified And seing no other Christian Congregation but the Roman Catholik pretends at least vpon so publik and probable grounds to haue true miracles the Roman Catholik is to be credited in this point before all others 2. It is not consistent with Gods infinit veracity to permit so publik and probable an appearance of true miracles for confirming falsood as the appearance of miracles in the Roman Catholik Church is For that veracity is an inclination to truth and an auersion from falsood and by consequence the Diuine veracity being infinit inuolues an infinit auersion from falsood But an infinit auersion from falsood is not consistent with Gods permission of so probable
and plausible an appearance of true miracles to confirm any false doctrin as we see in the Roman Catholik Church Therfore if the miracles of the Roman Catholik Church be not true Gods infinit veracity as also his goodness and prouidence may be questioned This may be explained to the vulgar sort by a similitude Suppose there were in som shire or town of England or Scotland a company of men acting in the Kings name as his priuy or great Councell with all the formes and formalities therof as a Lord Chancellor or Commissioner Tresurer Secretaries members of Parliament Clerks c. and that a considerable part of the Nation obeyed their orders and commands as men authorised by the King who is not ignorant of these publik proceedings and by consequence can not be rationaly thought auerse but rather seem to approue of them especialy if he be able without danger of disturbance to hinder and humble this pretended Councell by declaring them to be but a counterfeit Assembly of Cheats and Rebells and by punishing them accordingly A King I say that might hinder such a counterfeit Parliament or Councell from abusing himself and his subiects by so seeming a legal authority and yet would not can not be thought to haue any truth goodness or iustice because by his conniuance at those impostures which he might haue discouerd without trouble or inconueniencies he doth countenance and confirm that Councell as commissioned by himself This may be easily and aptly applied to the Roman Catholik Church which is inuested with so many miraculous marks of Gods authority and therfore doth act by a warant so seemingly Diuine that Gods bare permission of such a cheat as Protestants suppose the Roman Catholik Church to be would conclude his want of prouidence goodness and veracity and by consequence there can be no excuse or rational hopes of saluation for Protestants or any others that will not submit their iudgment to a Church and doctrin so publikly commissioned and confirmed by Gods great seal Miracles as yet shall more particularly appeare in the ensuing sections SECT I. VVHETHER THE CREDIBLE and constant report there is of true miracles vvrought in the Roman Catholik Church be a sufficient euidence to conuict of damnable obstinacy and heresy such as stight them or vvill not heare of them Q. Is it then vpon this ground of not belieuing the Roman Catholik miracles which are recounted by the ancient Fathers or others Roman Catholiks say that we Protestants are obstinat heretiks and that such of vs as dye not members of your Church are damned Is not this a foolish and vncharitable opinion A. One of the grounds of that censure is the Definition of Heresy which is an error in the understanding and obstinacy in the vvill against any truth or authority that is sufficienly proposed as Diuine Now the great appearance and moral euidence there is of the Roman Catholik Church together with its tradition doth sufficiently propose or declare its doctrine and authority to be Diuine For though it be not demonstratiuely euident that the Roman Catholik miracles are true miracles nor that its tradition and testimony is infallible yet it is moraly euident and by consequence sufficiently euident that its doctrin is Diuine and that God is Author of the same it being confirmed by such Miracles and that by them he doth authorise that Church as Princes do their officers by letters patents under their great seale Miracles being the great seale wherwith Gods Ministery and doctrin is made authentik Q. Vvhat is moral euidence of a miracle A. Moral euidence of a miracle is so credible and so constant a report therof that to deny or doubt of the fact reported argues imprudence in the dissenter and renders his caution of not belieuing both rash and ridiculous because it destroyes at least all historical and human Faith Q. May not a man belieue History and rely vpon human authority though he belieues not the stories of the most authentik Roman Catholik miracles A. No if he discourseth consequently and according to the rules of reason wherof one principal is that the same cause produceth the same effects and the same authority the same assent or belief If therfore the same ancient Fathers or Authors vpon whose testimony or tradition you rely for belieuing a miracle of Christian religion in genral or of the Trinity or Incarnation in particular recount the like miracles of Transubstantiation prayer to Saints or Purgatory you are rash and irrational in contemning that same authority which you credited in as difficult a subiect and as much aboue your comprehension for you ought to belieue both the miracles and mysteries or neither Q. Is moral euidence of true miracles sufficient to conuict of damnable obstinacy and heresy all such as slight that euidence and will not examin the grounds and effects therof A. Yes The reason is 1. because they are a sufficient euidence that the doctrin confirmed by them is Diuine 2. because Christs miracles were only moraly not demonstratiuely euident as miracles for if they had bin demonstratiuely euident as such none of the Iewes could deny them to be Diuine or could think they were wrought by the power of Beelzebub And though it was but moraly euident that Christs miracles were true miracles yet that moral euidence was sufficient to conuict the incredulous Iewes of damnable obstinacy and heresy Q. I desire to Know what it is you call damnable obstinacy A. Damnable obstinacy is a setled resolution of remaining in your own opinion of religion or a neglect of inquiring into the grounds of any other notwithstanding the prudent doubts you haue or would haue had if you had not bin carless of being saued in the way wherin you haue bin educated or made choice of Q. I do agree with you that if one doubts of the truth of his own religion he will be damnd unless he inquires into it or som other untill he doth what he can to be satisfied but I can not be persuaded that a man is bound to doubt of that religion wherin he hath bin bred because he heares of miracles wrought in an other unless his own be so absurd or inconsequent that he must doubt of its truth whether he will or no. A. There are two sorts of doubts 1. is a doubt which occurrs to ourselues by our own observation 2. is a doubt not started by ourselues but by som other more learned in matters of religion and as much to be credited and as litle to be suspected of hauing any design but our saluation in our change of opinion as he whom we most confide in Doubts of our own obseruation are very ordinary being grounded vpon the most obuious occurrences as a publik change of Religion either vpon the score of conscience or interest this last is as suspicious euen to the dullest comprehensions as the other is edifying Not only the change into a thriuing religion but constancy in a persecuted one doth
declared by the Parliament of Q. Mary a bundel of Cranmers errers and priuat opinions which himself and som few others inuented or borrowed from Luther and Caluin and other Innouators who had resolued to make themselues popular and powerfull by setting vp their own priuat interpretations of Scripture and opinions for points of Religion So that though all England or a greater part of the world than England is should embrace that Reformation and submit their iudgments to that Church their protestant Tenets are still priuat opinions and the submission of their iudgments to the same doth still inuolue that pride and preference of their own choice of a nouelty or new interpretation of Scripture before the ancient doetrin and against the publik testimony of all precedent English Parliaments as also against the tradition of the Catholik Church As for Queen Elizabeth shee accommodated her religion to the times untill shee got the Croun and then shee made use of the new Faith to serue her turn and secure her interest Indeed Iohn Fox his Martyrs were great but foolish sufferers their ignorance was proportion'd to their obstinacy they cast themselues into the fire without Knowing wherfore And yet Iohn Fox sayes those Tinkers Tanners and silly women confuted the Bishops that endeuored to saue their liues which themselues had forfeited acording to the ancient lawes of the land And though they dyed not Martyrs yet they dyed like Englishmen that is with as litle concern and as great courage as if their cause had bin better But this is no miracle in England though the foolish partiality of Iohn Fox his pen doth endeuor to make his Protestant Readers mistake those proud mad fellows for pious Martyrs Q. Though I do approue of your difference between heretical obstinacy and Catholik constancy yet I must still condemn your application therof to protestancy and popery for an other reason which is that Protestancy is so far from inuoluing pride that the Church of England doth not as much as pretend to be infallible in its doctrin neither doth it exact from its children a submission of their iudgments to itself but only to Scripture And I hope there is as much humility I am sure there is more safety in submitting our iudgments to Gods written word as to the tradition of the Roma Catholik Church A. As I commend the Church of Englands modesty and ingenuity in acknowledging its fallibility and in dispensing with the submission of your iudgments to the same no fallible Church can exact or expect a submission of iudgment in any points of doctrin so must I continue in my opinion of the pride and obstinacy of protestancy 1. Because you will not belieue any thing inculcated to you by God vnless it be deliuered to you in writing as if the Diuine maiesty had not as much right to command by orders intimated to us by word of mouth as by his writing All the true belieuers of the world vntill Moyses his law were gouernd by the testimony and tradition of the Church without any writing or Scriptures neither is any thing written in the old or new Testament wherupon Protestants may with any color of probability ground their pretended priuilege of not belieuing any thing but Scripture and this doth in many places tell them they are as much obliged to belieue Tradition or Gods unwritten word as the written Now why Englishmen and som Northen people alone should refuse to obey the Catholik Church vnless it shewes for euery particular Gods order in writing is not intelligible themselues and all other Nations owning the contrary to be prudently practised in all human gouernments This must be pride and obstinacy 2. The pride and obstinacy of this their pretended priuilege which is the life and fundation of all Protestant Reformations is further discouered by the practise of aprinciple wherin all Protestants agree which is that not one of them thinks he is bound in conscience to submit his iudgment to any of their own or any other Congregations sense of Scripture in controuerted texts if that sense agreeth not with his own priuat interpretation If that of his Church agree not with his own sense he may stick to his own and reiect the other And this is the reason why Protestants are diuided into so many sects How this principle and practise may be excused from heretical pride and obstinacy I know not For they stand at a defiance with all Churches and will as litle submit their iudgments to their own as to that of Rome Euery Protestant is by the fundamental Tenet of the Reformation his own Master and a supreme Iudge of Gods written law Doth not this demonstrat how those Reformations are founded vpon pride and obstinacy Can there be greater than that simple men and silly women should presume to be Masters and Iudges of those Diuine and incomprehensible mysteries That they should preferr their priuat iudgments before that of their own Church and of ours vnto which the greatest Doctors in all ages haue submitted Vvhat a proud foolish insolent and obstinat people would the English conclude any other to be wherof not one would acquiesce in the iudgment or sentence of the Courts of Iudicature but euery one assume to himself the power of deciding his own law suites and of appealing from the Chancery or euen from the Parliament to his own priuat opinion and iudgment Let euery Protestant know this is his own case in matters of religion He appeals in what concerns Faith and the sense of Scripture from his own Church and the Catholik and general Councells to his own proper iudgment Doth he think that Christ would institute so absurd a spiritual gouernment Can any man of sense imagin it agrees with Scripture To what purpose then should the Scriptures and St Paul bid us be of one belief peaceable and humble Is any of these virtues or that of Catholik Faith consistent with such pride obstinacy and dissentions as this principle must inspire and we see in all the reformed Churches and in that of our own Countrey You see therfore that your reformed Churches and interpretations of Scripture haue so litle in them of the vnity obsequiousness and humility of Christian Faith so much recommended to us by St Paul that they seeme to the most learned Roman Catholiks not only to sauor of heresy but to be the very source of heretical pride and damnable obstinacy so far are they from hauing the least smack of the fundation or fruit of Christianity SECT III. SOM INFERENCES FIT TO BE considered by all Protestants and vvhether any may be saued if they dye in that persuasion IF Protestancy doth inuolue that pride and obstinacy which I haue endeuored to proue and deduce from its principles without doubt he who dyes a Protestant is damn'd But Because som are called Protestants and yet know not what protestancy is I will deliuer my opinion how far their ignorance may excuse them from being
you pretend to haue in your Church and for confirmation of the doctrin wherin you differ from us But I pray let them be Miracles like those of Christ for I will not belieue any others I giue you this caution for feare you should trouble me with Mother Iulianas fits and one Finaghtyes triks wherwith he deluded the common people heer in England and Ireland where that mans Miracles as I heare are mightily cryed up A. Sir you haue reason to expect I should relate unto you Miracles like those of Christ seing himself hath sayd Iohn 14.22 Luther to 7. l. de Iudaeis c. fol. 210. A Deo didicimus accepimê° aeternum verbuÌ„ veritatem Dei hactenus mille quingentio annis miraculis signis confessam confirmatam he that belieueth in me the vvorks that I do he shall do and greater Vvhich words not only Luther the first Protestant Reformer but your English Bibles edit 1576. in the marginal notes referr to the vvhole body of the Church in vvhom this virtue doth shine for euer Though I must confess both Luther and our English Protestant writers contradict themselues again in this particular as all men must who maintain errors and say when we press them to relate som of their Miracles that Miracles are now superfluous and therfore none wrought in the Church But I shall deal so impartialy with Protestants in this matter that I will not mention any miracle for confirmation of the Roman Catholik Church and doctrin which the best Protestant writers themselues do not confess to be miracles though others of them attribute the working therof to the power of Beelzebub as the obstinat Iewes did of Christs and that for no other reason but because the miracles were wrought by Papists and to confirm Popery As for Finaghtyes miracles I made it my buisness to inquire after them and him also and do find that so soon as he began to work his miracles the Popish Archbishop of Tuam in Ireland who was his Ordinary questioned him for that presumption and finding him both ignorant and obstinat he forbid him the further tempting of God and scandalizing the Church by his foolish attempts But the mans zeal or vanity preuailing more vpon his Spirit than his Superiors commands he continued his ridiculous course and therupon was commanded out of the Archbishops Prouince After that vigilant Prelats death Finaghty lurking for som time in other places came into England and from thence returned to Dublin where he playd the fool with breathing and beating the Deuil in good ernest one Stanton an other mad Priest of his Countrey printed many of his rash attempts for great miracles Finaghty after that his manner of exorcisms had hin examind and found to be different from those of the Church and his dispossessing of Deuils to be without any visible marke or sign of the Deuils possession or at least departure was silenc't by the Clergy of Dublin and commanded out of that Province From thence he went to his own Conaght and falling again to his old miracles he was by the Popish Bishop of Elfin depriued of his general Vicarship and that extraordinary respect forgot which the simplicity of the people had offered to his supposed sanctity by vvhom now he is much slighted My charity inclineth me to belieue that his greatest fault was folly and that he was more cheated by the Deuil than so simple a man could design to cheat others I haue bin more diffuse upon this subiect than you may think it deserues because the world may be satisfied None suspects the truth of miracles nor corrects the foolish Pretenders of working them more than we Roman Catholiks it being one of the greatest cares of our Bishops and Pastors to preuent such impostures and to punish the Impostors And this hath bin the continual practise of our Church euer since the beginning of Christianity Q. You haue giuen me great satisfaction by your relation and opinion of Finaghty and his miracles If they had not bin so soon and sesonably condemn'd by his own party I should suspect that all your other miracles reported in Legends and Saints liues were of the same nature But now I see that miracles which were neuer contradicted or suspected by yourselues are credible I pray therfore relate those which you say are confessed or allowed of by the learned Protestants and yet confirm your doctrin in opposition to theirs SECT I. THE CONVERSION OF THE Heathen Kings and Nations from Paganism to Christianity and Popery is an euident miracle and mark of the truth of the Roman Catholik Church and doctrin in opposition to that of all Protestant Reformations It s continuance euen from the Apostles to this present demonstrated as also the impossibility of its pretended insensible change THe greatest of all miracles it being the end for which they haue bin wrought and the Christian Church instituted is the conuersion of the Heathen Kings and Nations to Christianity If therfore it be proued that all the Heathen Kings and Nations which haue bin conuerted from Paganism to Christianity were conuerted to no other but to that Christianity which Protestants call Popery and that the sayd conuersions were performed by knowen Papists and confessed miracles our Aduersaries must acknowledge that the Roman Catholik Church and it alone is the true Church of God otherwise it will follow that Christ instituted his Church to no purpose and that his design and desire of the conuersion of Nations and sauing their souls came to nothing Nay it will follow that Christ is not the Messias to vvhose doctrin and Church as the Scriptures and Prophets foretell all Nations shall flovv and their Kings Minister the multitude of the seas shall be conuerted the Iles shall vvayt for and the Heathens be its inheritance and the end of the earth its possession All this the Protestants themselues confess to be prophecied of the true Christian Church as you may see in their marginal notes upon the English Bible edit 1576. in Esay 60. vers ult And in Daniel 2. vers 45. This argument made so great impression upon many of the most learned Protestant writers who had resolued not to be Papists that som of them turned Iewes others Atheists others Turks as Bernardin Ochin Sebastian Castalio Dauid George Adam Neuserus Allemanus and others Q. Sir though I doubt not of your sincere dealing yet I must not take upon your single credit that learned Protestants could turn Turks and Iewes vpon the score you mention A. Sir I hope you will belieue themselues Read Bernardin Ochins Preface to his Dialogues wherin you will find these words vvhen I did consider hovv Christ by his povver vvisdom and goodness had founded and established his Church c. and again discerned hovv the same vvas utterly ouerthrovvn I could not but vvonder and being desirous to knovv the cause I found there had bin Popes From this conceit of the Popes preuailing against Christs Church