againe Then the maine care is to find what religion our Sauiour taught whilest he was vpon the earth And heere I would pray euery man of reason to consider 1 That our Sauiour did leaue nothing in writing but taught his Religion to his Apostles by word of mouth 2 That he commanded not his Apostles to write his Religion but to teach it ite praedicate 3 That of twelue Apostles seuen did leaue nothing at all in writing but taught their successors the Religion of Christ by word of mouth 4 That Saint MARKE Saint LVKE and Saint PAVL who wrote most of the new Testament were not of Christ his company whilest he was vpon the earth and therefore must needs learne their Religion of the Church before they wrote it 5 That diuers others did write the Religion of Christ as they did apprehend it but their Gospels and Epistles were reiected by the Church LVKE 1. 1. 6 That at the day of Iudgement there will be no writing to trie true Religion from Heresie but only the eternall truth of Christ in the soules of his Saints 7 That the Scriptures were written by men of the Church admitted Canonicall by Councels of the Church preserued from Tyrants by the care of the Church and euer vntill of late expounded by the consent of the Church 8 How few men are able to reade and expound the Scriptures any way and whether it be not easier to beleeue the Church then to beleeue a few priuate men that say they can expound Scriptures better then the Church 9. That all sorts of Heretikes haue alwaies boasted of Scriptures and despised the Church The Heretikes haue euer beene wont to pretend Scriptures the more easily to deceiue the simple They know full well that all the Fathers all Doctors all ancient Writers all generall Councels Canons Traditions all Ecclesiasticall Histories all Chronicles and monuments of Antiquitie all Martyrs Confessors Virgins and all testimonies both in heauen and earth are flat against them and therefore they will pretend the word of God which they know is a plausible perswasion to the simple and so they delude and deceiue them more easily These Scriptures they misinterpret corrupt falsisie and abuse most shamefully to serue their turnes as VINCENTIVS LIâ—INENSIS most excellently sheweth in his golden treatise Contra prophanas haeresum nouitates against the prophane nouelties of heresies Vpon these considerations any man may assuredly pronounce that whosoeuer beleeueth not the Church of Christ can neuer come to know what is the Religion that Christ did teach and which he hath hitherto maintained And therefore it is impossible for such a man to know which is the true Christian Religion The meanes then to know which is the true Religion of Christ is to enquire which is the true Church of Christ Heere it cannot be denied but that that is the true Church of Christ which Christ himselfe did found whilest he was vpon the earth to continue vntill the worlds end And whatsoeuer Church is founded by any other authoritie then that which Christ left vnto his Apostles only cannot be the true Church of Christ although all the Princes in the world would agree to make it so and cause all their subiects to sweare it were so Now to know which is the true Church our Sauiour did found we must obserue that this word Church doth signifie diuers things 1 Sometimes the Church doth signifie the building or house of Gods seruice in this sense our Sauiour founded no Church by himselfe but gaue power to his Apostles and Disciples to found and consecrate Churches as countries should be conuerted 2 Sometime the Church doth signifie the Congregation of all those that are baptized as the Church of Corinth Rome c. in Saint PAVLS Epistles In this sense our Sauiour founded no Church by himselfe for he baptized none but gaue power to his Apostles and Disciples to baptize 3 Sometime the Church doth signifie the Clergie or Spiritualtie chosen out of the number of all Christians to dispence the grace of Christ committed to them for the benefit of the whole bodie In this sense our Sauiour did by himselfe immediatly found a Church when he did call and send his Apostles and did giue them the same power which himselfe as Man had receiued of his Father Sicut pater misit me sic ego mitto vos Ioh. 20. qui audit vos me audit Luke 10. quorum peccata remiseritis remittentur eis Ioh. 20. mittam vobis Paraclitum quivos ducet in omnem veritatem Ioh. 14. Super hanc Petram aedisicabo Ecclesiam c. Then to know which is the true Church we must enqâ—â—â—â— which is the Clergie that was founded by Christ and continueth in the vnitie of the Church by perpetuall Succession from the Apostles so from Christ himselfe for your certaine resolution hereof you haue three infallible arguments 1 The report of Chronicles and Histories whereof there is great variety that can tell you the beginning and occasion of euery Schisme if you doe but turne the bookes ouer 2 The vniuersalitie antiquitie and consent of Doctrine taught in the true Church and the variety nouelty and repugnancie of Doctrine taught in Schisme herein you may inquire of the most learned and most honest to informe you 3 The Scriptures 1 Of the old Testament to which our Sauiour sends vs IOH. 5. Scrutamini Scripturas By those S. Augustine proues the visibility of the Catholike Church against Donatists 2 Of the new Testament by which is proued the perpetuity of the Catholike Church Portae inferi non praeualebunt Matth. 16. Vsque ad consummationem seculi Matth. 28. Consider then deare friends what a happy thing it is for a man to liue in such a Church that is with such a Clergie as being lawfully called and continuing in the vnity of the Church haue the very same power that the Apostles themselues yea that Christ himselfe as he was Man had to forgiue sinnes vnto the penitent to conuey grace by Sacraments as Christ conueyed it himselfe sometime without Sacraments to exhibite the Reall presence of Christ vnto the faithfull and to preach the glad tidings of saluation both by word and writing And on the contrary side what an vnspeakable misery it is to haue such a Clergie that is such a Church as hath no calling but from a Ciuill Magistrate and consequently no power from Christ no remission of sinnes no grace in Sacraments no Reall presence of Christ amongst them nor warrant from Christ either to preach or expound the Scriptures although they talke of them neuer so much I will not determine against the succession of the Clergie in England because it is to me very doubtfull but although the successions were neuer so good if there be not vnitie there can be no grace conueyed from the head vnto such parts of the body as are by Schisme cut off and with hostilitie opposed as you see most of the Clergie of England
his affaires because he was very pious and Catholike that in the battels he fought with his enemies their owne weapons darts and arrowes were retorted vpon the authors God almighty fighting for him Moreouer L. Theodoret in his fift booke of history cap. 24. reporteth that S. Iohn and S. Philip the Apostles appeared fighting for the Emperour Theodosius in the same battell riding vpon white horses Of HONORIVS also who was a most Catholike Emperour and most addicted to the Pope as in his epistles to Pope Boniface appeareth as writeth S. Aug. l. 5. de ciuit Dei c. 23. that God did so fight for him as in one battell he slew of the Gothes aboue an hundred thousand and did take Radagaisus the King with his sons and put him to death and which was most admirable there was not so much as one of his armie either killed or wounded Of THEODOSIVS the yonger writeth Socrat. l. 7. hist cap. 18. that his armie skirmishing with the Barbarians and himselfe in the meane space making his prayers vnto God within the city about an hundred thousand of the Sarazens were beaten and driuen by Angels into the riuer Euphrates and so perished miserably IVSTINTAN the elder whilest he was Catholike raigned most prosperously in so much as he restored to the Romane Empire-Italy Africk and many other Prouinces as appeareth in Euagrius l. 4. hist c. 26. sequentibus But after he became an Heretike and purposed to set forth an Edict for receiuing of his heresie forthwith he died suddenly and so deliuered the Church from great feare as writeth the same Euagrius lib. 4. cap. vlt. HERACLIVS also as appeareth in Zonoras and other Historiographers whilest he was Catholike got a most honorable and admirable victory against the Persians and recouered the holy Crosse at which time the state of the Roman Empire was altogether desperate but after he fell into the heresie of the Monothelites he euer had euil successe nothing euer succeeding with him and himselfe was extinct of a new and strange disease Also it is manifest by the histories of the Greekes that the Emperours of the East from that time by reason of the dissension about Images they diuided themselues from the Church of Rome still decreased in power and authority vntill at last they vtterly lost the Empire And in the West it is plaine by the histories of the Latins that the Emperours did more or lesse flourish as they were more or lesse addicted to the Church of Rome In the time of VRBANE the second vnto the yeare of our Lord M. xcviij the Christians in that holy war made by the Pope for the recouery of Ierusalem when they were in most desperate state because of the approching of an infinite hoste of the Turkes and Persians and they were but a few in number and wel-neare sterued for lack of food in so much as euen the most valiant and stoutest men did goe leaning vpon their staues neither had they but a few horses so as the principall of them to wit Godfrey was forced to borow a horse and many Princes were constrained to ride vpon Asses at last God reuealed where was the Launce of Christ and it being carried before them gaue victory in the warre in so much as there were slaine of the Turks an hundred thousand and scarsely foure thousand of the Christians lost And there fell from heauen a dewe vpon them which comforted and refreshed both their bodies and their soules Finally there appeared from heauen three holy men fighting for them See Paulus Aemilius lib. 4. Guill Tyr. lib. 6. neare the end and Dodechimus which continueth the story of Marianus Scotus In the time of INNOCENTIVS the third in France of eight thousand Catholikes were slaine in one battell an hundred thousand of the Albigensian Heretikes as writeth Aemilius lib 6. hist Francor In our daies 1531. the Catholikes of Heluetia fought fiue battels in defence of the Catholike faith against the Heretikes of Heluetia and in euery one of them the Catholikes got the victory whereas they were both in number and power farre inferiour to the Heretikes See Io. Coclaeus in Act. Lutheri 1531. CHARLES the fift got a victory against the Lutherans not without a miracle from heauen Anno 1547. Many other miraculous victories which the Catholikes haue got against Heretikes both in France and other parts might hereunto be annexed but let these suffice Regi saeculorum immortali inuisibili sâ—lt Deo honor gloria in saecula saeculorum Amen THE ENDS OF BVRDEN OF DOVER AND OTHERS HIS ASSOCIATS WHICH IN THE beginning of Queene ELIZABETHS Raigne went to Canterbury from Douer in derision and lewde sort to take their leaue of diuers Catholikes of Canterbury Burden was the Controwler of the Custome in Douer 1 BVRDEN being their Pope within a few yeares after died at Douer in most lothsome and miserable sort his friends which came to visite him were not able to abide the intollerable stincke of his body 2 STORER a Preacher which caried the Pix with some filthy thing in it in their Procession died at Maydston in Kent being the Preacher of that towne he rotted from the toe vpwards vntill he died he did sauour so as he was lothsome to all that in good will came to visite him in his sickenesse and so most miserably died at Maydston 3 ROGER WOOD the Towne-clerke of Douer being the Crosse-bearer died in Smith field at London foming at the mouth with his tongue hanging out in lothsome sort as bigge swolne as a bullocks tongue and died most miserably with his tongue hanging out of his mouth 4 MINGE a Iurate of Douer another of that lewde company himselfe sitting at table eating the loft ouer him fell downe and pressed him to death His house was at the Peter at Douer where this befell him 5 IOHN ROBBINS a Iurate of Douer another of this company being at Dunkyrk in Flanders and putting his barke from the kaye of Dunkyrk fell into the water and bet
A Copy of a Letter vvritten by M. Doctor CARIER beyond Seas to some particular friends in ENGLAND Whereunto are added certaine collections found in his Closet made by him as is thought of the miserable ends of such as haue impugned the Catholike Church To which Also is annexed a briefe exhortation to perseuere constantly in the said Catholike Church what opposition soeuer may occurre and the danger of liuing out of the same And lastly a few examples of the admirable prosperity of such as haue defended the Catholike Church 1615. Pax hominibus bonae voluntatis MY most deere and louing friends if the times were such as when it shall please God they may be I would much rather choose to haue a poore Vicarage where I might preach the truth amongst you then a rich preferment in any part of the world besides where I might not enioy your company and friendship But seeing it is otherwise I will lay the fault vpon no body but rather haue compassion vpon all for such is the violence of the streame that no one man no not the Master of the ship himselfe is able to stirre the ship out of the streame and yet the course that is held is certainely very dangerous not onely for all the passengers that are therin but euen for the whole vessel wherin they are carried If the losse of me might haue helped it I had beene happily bestowed at home but seeing that my presence did nothing but procure great danger to my selfe euery way and great anger to them whose game I seemed to marre as a stander by I thought it the surest way to saue my selfe and to becken to as many of my friends as may please to beleeue me that they would also looke well about them lost they be ouertaken with death as with a storme that in such sommer times doth often come when it is least looked for and therfore against all aduentures to conuey themselues into a surer ship I do not desire they should follow me and leaue their lands and liuings their friends and Countrie and the presence of their deare and dread Soueraigne and yet if there be no remedie for the honor of Christ and his truth all must be forsaken much lesse doe I allow that any man should withdraw his allegiance and true seruice from King IAMES and to bestow it vpon any other Prince or Prelate in the world Only for the dutie I owe vnto God who hath called me to the knowledge of his truth and the loue I beare vnto my Countrie and to all my friends that are therein I doe most humbly and hartily desire them that they would seriously consider and looke to the state of their soules which being immortall cannot be saued by any such religion as is temporall mutable and dissonant in it selfe And seeing no man can be saued that dieth out of charitie with his neighbour for that an vncharitable soule cannot be altered and made charitable after it is departed Let euery good soule take heed how by the railing slanders of ignorant malicious and proud men it be brought and held out of charitie with a whole Church and especially such a Church as cannot bee deemed to be the mother of that Church that is in England and being a mother Church it is worthy at least to be heard quietly to tell out her tale at length before she be condemned by the outcries of those that either of malice or of custome doe raile vpon her which I write not that I would haue the Church of Rome gaine by the goods of England for I know she intends it not and the State may prouide against but that I desire the soules of England should gaine by the Church of Rome which if you might freely heare her speake you would certainely desire also And although she may not be suffered to speake to you yet you may enquire of her and heare what indifferent men without choler or passion doe say and write of her And if you doe find her indeed to be the true Mother suffer not the Diuell to possesse your vnderstanding by heresie nor your wills by malice for any worldly respect whatsoeuer but vnite your vnderstanding to the vnderstāding of the Church by faith and your affections to the wil of the Church by loue charitie and if it be possible vnite your outward man also to the authority of the Church by the participation of the Sacramēts and by al spiritual obedience But if you finde impossibilitie therein then hauing done your best to helpe the Catholike Church by your faith charitie as S. AVGVSTINE exhorteth in his booke de vera relig cap. 6. Call vpon Christ who is the immortall Priest and Bishop of your soules that hee would vouchsafe by his absolute power to supply the want of his owne ordinance and to doe that by himselfe without Sacraments which you vnfainedly would but cannot haue done by any Priest of his sending and by the Sacraments that he hath appointed And there is hope that he will doe it as Saint BERNARD writeth in his booke de Anima This was the Course I tooke vntill God gaue me oportunitie to take a better for which I humbly thanke his heauenly Maiestie and am desirous to giue all good men satisfaction that haue any religion at all But I doe consider that there are as you may easily see amongst your selues foure sorts of Christians in the world out of the Catholike Church 1 Some doe not beleeue either hell or heauen and therefore they are content to goe to any Church and be of any religion but care for none at all 2 Some do beleeue that there is hell and heauen but that all things fall out by absolute predestination as by fatall destiny and therefore there is no Church nor religion can doe a man good but only to reade Scriptures and heare Sermons and to beleeue that a man is predestinate 3 Some doe beleeue there is hell and heauen and that Some religion is necessarie but it is no great matter what so a man obey the Kings Lawes and liue like an honest man For they say euery man may be saued in his owne religion All these I am out of hope to satisfie although their follies be against the light of naturall reason but they haue lost reason 4 Some there are that beleeue there is hell and heauen and that there is no way to auoide the one or attaine the other but only true Christian Religion which they would gladly embrace if they could know which it were To them and for their sakes I would take any paines to giue satisfaction And I am certaine if they will heare mee with patience they will be satisfied And for the ground of this question I thinke it will bee granted on all sides that that only is the true Christian Religion which our Sauiour Christ did teach himselfe when he was vpon the earth and which as he promised shall continue vntill he come
beheaded All this heere compendiously touched is set downe in Baronius at large together with the Authors Ecclesiasticall which write the same This fellow was exalted and eleuated as a Ceder of Libanus but forthwith his place was not to be found Psal 36. CHRISAPHIVS a most potent Courtier vnder Theodosius the Emperour patronizeth Eutyches the damnable Heretike persecuteth and deposeth Flauianus the holy Patriarke turneth all vpside downe perswadeth Theodosius to fauour the Heretike and to destroy the Catholike Bishop But God almightie justly punished him For Theodosius finding out his treachery repented hee had permitted him to protect this monster whereby such a pestilent sect long after troubled the Church and therefore he presently depriueth this potent Courtier of all his places and substance and at last putteth him to death Marcel l. 14. c. 49. Niceph. Cedren 〈◊〉 Baron BARDAS who ruled all vnder Michael the third grieuously persecuted the Church deposed Ignatius the Patriarke of Constantinople a holy man and contrary to the Canons of the Church intruded Photius It is wonderfull to consider how hotly euery one of these as wel the Emperour who was a most beastly monster persecuted Gods Saints and all holies as also the vsurper Photius and the tyrant Bardas what a horrible Schisme they made See all in Baron and other Authors cited by him at large for it is most memorable These monsters most grieuously afflicted the Church for some few yeares but God almightie after long patience powred forth his indignation against the factious and schismaticall Princes Michael the third which gaue himselfe to nothing but his filthy pleasures as also Bardas who swayed all And first for Bardas Curopalutes describeth his miserable death also Cedren Glicas and Nicetas doe the same almost in this manner Bardas had a vision which was viz. He saw Saint Peter the Prince of the Apostles and two terrible men assisting and Saint Peter being set he saw Ignatius the Patriarke whom he had expelled out of his See lying at Saint Peters feete crying O Porter of the Kingdome of heauen and the Rocke vpon which Christ hath built his Church for as much as thou knowest how I haue beene iniured comfort my old yeares which haue suffered many euils And Saint Peter saith to Ignatius shew thy enemy which hath done thee so much wrong Et Deus faciat vna cum tentatione prouentum and God will make together with temptation issue And Ignatius turning to me pointed me out with his right hand This Bardas is he who all aboue others hath offended and iniured me neither yet ceaseth more and more to afflict me Then Saint Peter said to him that assisted on the right hand take away this execrable and cursed Bardas out of the Church and presently cut him in peeces and therefore I was led to death All this Bardas saw in a vision and moreouer hee saw him shake his head against the Emperour saying Impie sili expecta parumper This terrible vision Bardas himselfe all affrighted and with teares reported to Philotheus his faithfull friend Who notwithstanding all this ceased not more grieuously to afflict the holy Patriarke Ignatius for three moneths after at the end of which time followed the execution of this vision When as Bardas with the Emperour and his armie went into Crete where being suspected of treason the Emperour commanded him to be hacked in peeces Now for the Emperour himselfe he tooke one Basilius a Macedonian to be his consort This Basilius created Emperour studying to reclaime Michael from his wicked and detestable manners and conuersation procured Michael to hate him in so much as he perceiued the Emperour Michael sought to destroy and make him away as hee had done Bardas and therefore rather desiring to kill then to be killed contriueth presently the death of the beastly monster which act though it was not lawfull yet was the persecutor justly punished for his crueltie against Gods Church Zonoras Nicetas and others This Basil sendeth Embassadors to the Pope restoreth peace to the Church expulseth Photius the vsurper from the Patriarchall See and restoreth the true Bishop Ignatius into the same to the great joy and exultation of all people Many more like examples might be added to these but these are most notorious As God almightie hath a speciall prouidence ouer his Church in the law of grace as it shall neuer be destroyed by any impugnation of what enemies soeuer but shall still remaine glorious though neuer so much persecuted by tyrants which tyrants and enemies of Gods Church often perish miserably euen in this world besides the eternall miseries they fall into after this life if they die impenitent So is it to be noted that the same God almightie had also a wonderfull care ouer his Kingdome and people euen in the old Testament and such as persecuted them we may see by many examples to what miserable confusion they fell at last PHARAO with all his hoast was drowned in the red sea AMAN which had contriued the meanes to put to death and massacre all Gods chosen people vnder Assuerus was hanged vpon a gibbet fifty cubits high which he had prepared for Mardocheus Hest 7. IESABEL which slew Gods Prophets was throwne downe out of a window killed with the fall and eaten of dogs 4. King 9. ANTIOCHVS most grieuously and extreamely persecuted and afflicted Gods people as we reade in the 2. of the Machabees but as it is in the ninth chapter of the said book God which seeth all strake him with an incurable and inuisible plague Hee threatned to destroy Ierusalem and all the people and God almightie presently vpon it laid his heauy hand vpon him Reade the ninth chapter of the second book and you shall see the miserable end of this most proud and cruel enemie of God and his Kingdom He could not go but was carried his dolours and anguish was intolerable and that by the just judgement of God for he had most vnmercifully tortured and afflicted Gods people wormes crawled out of his body and the horrible stincke thereof annoyed his whole armie who a little before was so proud and insolent as he thought he could reach the starres of heauen him no man can now carry or come neere for intolerable stincke This cruel homicide and blasphemous wretch miserably ended his life in his peregrination See more in the Machabees In the fourth booke of Kings and the nineteenth chapter you may see recorded the miserable dostruction of Sennacherib and his whole armie which had besieged Hierusalem blasphemed God and threatned to destroy the Citie the holy King Ezechias and all his people But God almightie who knoweth how to deliuer his faithfull people sent his Angell into the tents of the Assirians which slew a hundreth and eightie fiue thousand of them in their tents after which Sennacherib returned into his owne countrie where he was slaine of Adramelach and Sarasar his owne sonnes Reade the seuen and thirtieth chapter of Isal It is also
of Monkes and religious persons was killed with lightning and fire from heauen MAVRITIVS the Emperour who persecuted S. Gregory the Great was slaine of a common souldier his wife and all his children before put to death in his owne sight and so cried Iustus es Domine rectum iudicium tuum Thou art just O Lord and righteous is thy judgement Blondus lib. 3. Decad. 1. CONSTANS the Nephew of Heraclius banished Pope Martine for which he was hated of all his subiects saith Zonoras and so leauing Constantinople liued in Cicely and there was killed in the Bathe of his owne people about him Paul Diac. lib. 18. MICHAEL Emperour the sonne of Theophilus which behaued himselfe proudly against Pope Nicholas the first and most iniuriously deposed Ignatius the Patriarch of Constantinople when he went drunke to bed one night standing at his bed side was slaine of his owne domesticals Zonor Annal. tom 3. in Constante Michaele CONSTANTINVS PROGNATVS the son of Leo Isauricus a most cruell persecutor of the Catholike Clergie was stricken with fire from heauen and so died blaspheming Sigeb ad Ann. 778. These wonderfull and notable judgements of God Almightie happened to the greatest Princes in the East which persecuted Christ Iesus in his Vicars c. And there haue beene no lesse renowned in the West PERSECVTORS IN THE WEST CHVRCH HENRY the fourth the first of the Westerne Emperours which opposed himselfe against the Church after many iniuries offered thereunto being excommunicate by Gregory the 7. was depriued of his Empire by his owne sonne and at last forsaken of all died in great calamitie in exile out of the limits of the Empire Nauclerus vol. 3. gener 37. FREDERICVS BARBAROSSA which for many years persecuted the Church of God very rebellious and proud against the See Apostolike when he was bathing himselfe in a riuer for his pleasure in Cilicia was drowned of a sodaine and so ended Naucl. gen 40. OTHO the fourth after exceeding great iniuries done to the Church throughout all Italy being assaulted in warre and put to flight by Philip the French King in low Germany a little after died a priuate man in Saxony Staplet in prompt mor. in dom pass text 4. FREDERICVS the second a most cruell persecutor not onely of the See Apostolique but of all the Clergie throughout the whole Empire excommunicated by Innocent the fourth was slaine of his bastard sonne Manfrede in Apulia as some write poysoned as others report hanged and all his race following the steps of their wicked father came to the like miserable end His eldest sonne Conradus for like cause excommunicated by Innocent the forth was killed by the same Manfrede in Apulia And the same Manfrede entring vpon the Kingdomes of Apulia and Sicilia being himselfe a cruell enemie of the Church excommunicated by Alexander the fourth was vanquished and put to flight by Charles brother to the King of France whom Vrbane the fourth declared King of Sicilia and Apulia CONRADINVS sonne to the said Conrade vanquished by the said Charles was put to death And Eutius the other son of Frederick the second after many warres made against the Church being taken of the Bononians was committed to perpetuall imprisonment and so all the race and stock of the sacrilegious Emperour great in number and power in short time extinct left to posteritie an example of their wicked rebellions against God and his Church LEWES the fourth Emperour twice excommunicate by the See Apostolike in whose defence against the immunities and priuiledges of the Church of Rome those Poets and Rhetoritians for this cause infamous Petrarcha Dante 's Marsilius and Io. Occhamus Schoole-man write so many things God almightie judgeing this cause when he was a hunting taken sodainly with a palsey of all his members falling from his horse died sodainly Memorable it is which Nicephorus writeth of Narcissus Bishop of Hierusalem Three maleuolous persons falsely accused this holy Bishop wishing euill to themselues if they dealt falsely The first that he would be burnt The second that he should die of the falling euill or some other detestable disease The third wished his eyes out of his head But Gods diuine reuenge not sleeping the first with al his house kinsfolkes and substance was burnt by one sparke that fell from a candle The second was taken with a most grieuous disease which entred vpon his whole body The third forthwith confesseth the deceitfull dealing and fraudulent proceeding ceased not to weepe and shed teares vntill he perceiued with his teares to lose the strength and sight of his eyes These torments of few may be examples for all THE VNHAPPY ENDS OF ARCH-HERETICKES ALthough God almighty punisheth and scourgeth his seruants and children yet alwayes at last he casteth the rod into the fire Deut. 32. Laudate Gentes populum eius quia sanguinem seruorum suorum vlciscetur vindictam retribuet in hostes eorum You Gentiles praise his people because he will reuenge the bloud of his seruants and will repay vengeance vpon their enemies This thing is manifest by that which is aboue-written And it may further appeare by the vnhappy and miserable ends of Apostataes and Arch-heretiques As first of SIMON MAGVS when he began to flie he was throwne downe by the prayers of Saint Peter brake his legges and a little after died with great ignominy Hegesip lib. 3. cap. 2. de excid Hierosol Arnob. lib. 2. contra Gentes MANICHAEVS was flayed aliue by the King of Persians not for his Heresie or his faith and religion but for that taking in hand to cure the Kings sonne he killed him Epiphan haeres 66. MONTANVS THEODORVS and their prophetesses hanged themselues Euseb lib. 5. hist cap. 16. Certaine Donatistes when they did cast the blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist to the dogs were of the same dogs torne in peeces Optat. lib. 2. contra Parmenianum ARIVS when hee was going to the Church with great pompe was sodainly troubled with ache in his belly and so forced to diuert a priuy or house of office and there together with his excrements auoided both his entrailes and his life Witnesse S. Athanasius Orat. 1. contra Arianos Ruffin lib. 10. histor cap. 13. IVLIAN the Apostata was slaine from heauen miraculously he was neuer buried but as saith S. Gregory Nazianzen in his Oration made in praise of S. Athanasius neere the end the earth of it selfe opened and swallowed him vp VALFNS the Arian which succeeded Iulian in persecuting Catholikes was burned aliue by the Gothes which also were Arians Ruffin lib. 2. hist cap. 13. NESTORIVS perished most miserably his tongue being eaten and consumed with wormes Euag. lib. 1. hist c. 7. ANASTATIVS the Emperour a fauourer of the Eâ—tichian Heretikes was killed with lightning as write Cedronus and Paul the Deacon in his life LEO ICONOMACHVS that is Image-breaker burned sacred Images in the open market place of Constantinople Presently after which fact the pestilence consumed three hundred thousand
people in Constantinople See the Chronicle of Matth. Palmer Anno DCC XLI TO OMIT MANY OTHERS AND TO ASCEND TO THE MONSTERS of our age LVTHER died sodainly for hauing supped very delicately and pleasantly being in perfect health and hauing delighted all his company with merry conceits the same night he died Coclaeus in vita Lutheri ZVINGLIVS was slaine in war which he made against Catholikes and a little after his brother Oecolampadius going to bed in good health one night was found dead by his wife in the morning Coclaeus in act Luth. an 1531. ANDREAS CAROLOSTADIVS the Ministers of Basil write to haue been killed of a Diuell in their Epistle of the death of Carolostadius IOANNES CALVINVS was eaten and consumed of wormes and died as did Antiochus Hunery Maximinus c. as witnesseth Hieronymus Bolsecus in his life who also addeth that the Arch-heretique died blaspheming cursing and inuocating Diuels This Heretique that besides his other heresies denied prayer to Saints at his death prayeth vnto Diuels To all these former examples we might adde infinit more of notorious persecutors and enemies of Gods Church which all came to miserable ends and so shall all others come to confusion which hate Sion which oppose themselues against Gods Church and Kingdome which our Sauiour hath built vpon a firme Rocke and therefore no stormes windes or tempests can ouerthrow it Matth. 16. 18. Portâ— inferi non praeualebunt aduersus eam The gates of hell shall neuer preuaile against it as hath promised our Sauiour Whatsoeuer the diuell can doe by Tyrants Heretickes or any other aduersaries against this Church it standeth immoueable Deus fundauit eam in aeternum God hath founded it for euer Psal 47. Saint Augustine expoundeth this of the Church of God This Church is Gods Kingdome whereof it is said Luk. 1. Regni eius non erit finis and of his Kingdome shall be no end Of this Kingdome it is said Dan. 2. Iu diebus autem regnorum eorum suscitabit Deus coeli regnum quod in aeternum non dissipabitur regnum eius alteri populo non tradetur comminuet consumâ—t vniuersa regna haec ipsum stabit in aeternum This Kingdome then of God his Catholike Church shall stand and continue for euer No tyrannie nor persecution can destroy this Church no it cannot diminish but rather encrease it as euidently hath beene seene in all ages And this is that Saint Leo writeth Ser. 1. de Petro Paulo in these words Non minuitur persecutionibus Ecclesia sed augetur semper dominicus ager segete ditiori vestitur dum grana quae singula cadunt multiplicata naseuntur The Church is not diminished by persecution but increased and alwaies our Lords field is clothed with richer graine whilest the graine which one by one doe fall into the ground doe spring vp multiplied And although God almighty sometime leaueth some particular country and people for heresie and sinne yet he will still haue his Church he wil raise others and call other countries as we may see after the fall of the Church in Africk and some parts of the East many other goodly Kingdomes and Prouinces were presently conuerted to the faith of Christ heere in the West-Church as in Ecclesiasticall histories may cleerely be seene And now since the fall of our Countrey and some other places neere vnto vs from the Catholike faith wee know that innumerable people in Africk in the East and West Indies are conuerted to this same Catholike Church and true faith of Christ whereby wee see verified that dreadfull threate of our Sauiour Christ Auferetur a vobis regnum Dei dabitur genti facienti fructus eius This Kingdome that is the preaching of the Gospell is taken from vs because we brought not forth the fruits of it and squared not our liues according to the rules thereof Therefore God hath take from vs our true Teachers and lawfull Pastors hauing lawfull mission and vocation without which none euer preached or taught Catholike truth but were brochers of seditious doctrine and pernicious heresie as we now see by lamentable experience in these parts of Christendom This considered I hope all good Catholikes and seruants of Christ which are in the lap of the Catholike Church will be of good comfort cleaue vnto this Rocke the piller and foundation of truth as the Apostle calleth it In so doing they shall neuer be drowned in the waues of Heresie and Infidelitie If some Catholikes either out of feare of imprisonment or losse of their temporalties fall from this Church God almightie will call others yea euen Puritanes and other seduced soules These will he call to the knowledge of his truth these will he gather into his Church and these once seeing what a singular benediction what a soueraigne benefit it is to bee within the house of God which is his Church will for euer laude and praise his holy name therefore Those will say with the royall Prophet Psal 83. Melior est dies vna in atrijs tuis super millia Better is one day in thy Courts aboue a thousand and beati qui habitant in dome tua Domine in saecula saeculorum laudabunt te blessed are they which dwell in thy house O Lord for euer and euer they will praise thee and Elegi abiectus esse c. I had rather be an abiect in the house of our Lord then to dwell in the Tabernacles of sinners And therefore vnderstanding the greatnesse of this benefit they will pray with the same holy Prophet Psal 23. Vnam petij a domino hanc requiram vt in habitem in domo domini omnibus diebus vitae meae One thing haue I besought of our Lord and this will I aske againe that I may dwell in the house of our Lord all the dayes of my life Out of this house that is the Catholike Church there is no meanes of saluation neither by preaching nor by Sacraments out of this Church no remission of sinnes out of this Church no good worke can be meritorious of euerlasting life Whosoeuer falleth out of this Church as he cannot merite by any good worke of prayer fasting or almes because he is not in state of grace so he loseth the merite of all his former good workes though neuer so many What losse can euer be comparable to this Whosoeuer falleth out of this Church Ioseth the communion of Saints setteth himselfe out of Gods grace sauour and protection out of the patrociny of Angels and Saints such cannot be Gods children but his enemies such can receiue no influence of Gods grace no sanctification no justification no comfort of the holy Ghost such can haue no peace or quiet of conscience such as be out of Gods Church cannot presume God will heare their prayers according to that Psal 65. Iniquitatem si aspexi in corde meo non exaudiet deus Such as are not capable of any Sacrament and consequently not of saluation such as