the Presbiterians gain-say Saint Paul Hee saith the office of a Bishop is a good worke and they say it is Tyrannicall and Anti-Christian wherin they show themselves prophane presumptious fellows in seeking to distroy the Doctrin of the Holy Ghost pronounced by the Mouth of the great Apostle two evills they doe in this They contradict the Oracle of God secondly they incurre the curses threatned by the Prophet Woe unto them who call evill good and Isay Cap. 1. good evill Let us for confounding those Presbiterians cite in this Matter some of the ancient Fathers Saint Augustin upon that place of Saint Paul who seeks a Bishops Office desireth a good thing saith th' Apostle would show what the Office of a Bishop is to witt A Name of Aug. lib. 19. deCivi Dei cap. 19. Labour and not of honour that hee may know himself not to be a Bishop who desires to preside and not to profitt Saint Hierom says That in the primative Church the calling of a Bishop was the next degree to Martyrdom wherfore saith hee the Office of a Bishop being soe Hier. Ap. Cornel. in hunc Loc. high and excellent soe hard and dangerous it was noe wonder th' Apostle required many excellent quallitys and vertues in a Bishop to exercise profitably his Office which Saint Paul calls a good worke Saint Ignat. Epist ad Tarscens Ignatius Bishop of Antioch Disciple of th' Apostles and a holy Martyr describes an excellent subordination of Pastors in the Church Priests saith hee be subject unto your Bishops Deacons unto Priests and you People unto Priests and Deacons who shall observe this comlyness of Order I would willingly change my Soule with theirs and our Lord be with them for ever 2. The second comly worke of the Presbiterians Reformation was to lay a side the Lords prayer and to put it out of use and creditt and all sett Prayers was not this a horrible Tentation of the Deuill What more sublime holy and devine then our Lords Prayer Christ made this Prayer the Scripture containes it our Saviour taught his Disciples to say it when you pray said Christ say Father hallowed Luke cap. 11. be thy Name Children learn this Prayer sucking theire Mothers Brest The Church of God hath ever esteem'd and practis'd it wherfore th'Abollishment of the Lords Prayer must come Tert. lib. de oratio from the Deuill there is noe way of excusing it This Prayer is short devine and substantiall according to that of Tertulian Our Lords Prayer is short in words but large in sense The Waldenses defended an error just Gualter Chron. Saecul cap. 11. de VVal. Errore conttary to this of the Presbiterians for they maintain'd noe other Prayer should be said noe other forme to be admitted but this of the Lords Prayer this had som collour of Piety and speciall respect done to that devine Prayer but to abollish it as the Presbi exâ—ans have done is a most execrable Impiety Could a Christian man beleeve there would be Christians found on Earth that would contemne this devine Prayer instituted by Christ Iesus and commaunded to be sayd commended by the holy Fathers and practised by the whole Church tyme out of memory and speak contumeliovsly against the use of it A great Rabbin and Preacher of the Covenant called publickly the use of saying often the Lords Prayer a Papisticall Charme and another Minister in Galloway did Glory that hee had bannished The impious words of a Minister out of his Parish two Idols to wit Our Father which c. And God of Glory and peace c. A short Grace that was said ordinarily after meat but a Lay-man answered the impudent Minister in these Words If you have bannished these two which you call Idols I feare you will bring in worss Idols in theire place O God! thy Patience is great with these prophane wicked men the seed of Canaan Qui claudunt ora Laudantium te And that forbid men to speak to your devine Majesty in a Prayer made by your Sonne Iesus and commaunded by him to be sayd by all 3. From Laying aside the Lords Prayer the Presbiterians goe a stepp farther in theire holy Reformation what think you doe they a wicked business They abollish that hymne of praysing God usually sayd in the end of each Psalme Glory to the Father the sonne and Holy Ghost c. even by the Protestants themselves singing the Psalmes which hymne doubtless had its begining out of holy Scripture as this passage of Saint Iohn may testifye And saith the Saint A voyce came out from Apocal. cap. 19. v. 19. the throne saying say prays to our God all ye his servants and you that feare him little and great The Presbiterians in theire hott zeal contradict Saint Iohn and hinder little and great to sing this mellodious hymne of prayse to the Holy Trinity can any thing bee more impious then men acknowledging the Mistery of the Blessed Trinity If Presbiterians doe acknowledg it to abollish this divine Hymne wherby the Trinity is glorifyed It happened after they had agreed upon this ungodly Reformation that the People in the Church singing the Psalms and knowing nothing of the determination they had made coming to the end of a Psalme sayd as they were wont to doe Glory to the Father to the Sonne and to the Holy Ghost c. The Presbitertan Minister hearing them cry'd out in a fury noe less ridiculously then scandelously Noe more Glory to the Father noe more Glory to the Father c. Was ever the like heard among Christians The Arians who deny'd the Divinity of Christ and that hee was equall to his Father did mainly strive to change and pervert this Hymne for as they had changed the forme of Baptisme by saying I Baptize thee in the Name of the Father by the Sonne in the Holy Ghost Baron Tom. 3. Anno 323. N. 174. Soe alsoe they corrupted this Hymne of Glorification by singing Glory to the Father by the Sonne in the Holy Ghost But the great Saint Basile shewes how Basil ad Amphilich dispute 5. the Hymne of Glorification was used from the tyme of th' Apostles for when the Sacrament of Baptisme was administred by the Priest when hee said I baptize thee in the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost The faithfull present answered Glory bee to the Father to the Sonne and to the Holy Ghost The Holy Counsell of Niâ—e was pleased to add to the said Hymne this Appendix As it was in the begining and now and ever shall be World without end Amen Which clause appears in my Iudgmentâ— like a Prophesy serving not only for the Confusion of th' Arians but alsoe of the Presbiterians 4. What more holy things did remaine in the Church to bee reformed by the Presbiterian congregation The Creed stood in theire way they would have it discredited and not to bee esteemed or caled
Faith that was not soe before nor likwise make any Proposition Hereticall that was not soe before but only defines that Proposition to be of Faith that is and was ever soe and condemns that for an Heresie that is and was soe Nor are Articles of Faith as Sall affirms repugnant to human reason but transcending human reason as Saint Thomas teacheth Fidem non esse contra sensum sed esse de eo ad quod sensus non attingit much less is Faith repugnant to reason a nobler faculty then that of sence yet for all this wee may not say that reason can comprehend an Article of Faith Will you beleeve nothing Sall but what you can comprehend and as it were demonstrat by human reason and discourse This is not Faith but Science The silliest Catholick old woeman in your Country will tell you that in beleeving you must take Faith and leave reason And Saint Augâ—stin saith the same as thus S. Aug. lib. de utilitatâ— credendâ— Quod inteligimus debemus rationi quod credimus Authoritati Had you ankored your selfe Sall upon the Authority of the Church as most eminent Schoolmen of our side doe you had not fallne into Heresie but you presumed to much on your owne witt and wanted humility and necessary vertue Saint Augnstin reprehends such kinde of men as would circumscribe matters of Faith within the sphere of reason and discourse in these words Eccè qualibus Argumentis omnipotentiae Dei humana contradicit infirmitas quam possidet vanitas That is Behold with what kinde of Arguments doth human weakness mastered by vanity contradict the omnipotent power of God The Paulin difinition of Faith the most perfect of all diffinitions doth clearly demonstrate that the force of reason cannot comprehend Articles of Faith Illa particula Argumentum non aparentium clarè significat objectum fidei esse rem non visam cui firmiter adhaeret intellectus non ex rei evidentia sed ex auctoritate divina per illam particulam non apparentium distinguitur fides a Scientia intellestu per quem aliquid fit apparens That is The Argument of things not appearing doth clearly signify the object of Faith to be a thing not seen to which the understanding doth adhere not for the Evidence of the thing but for the devine Authority revealing it and by that particle of things not appearing Faith is distinguished from Science and understanding of objects by which a thing is made apearing This is the Opinion of Nicholas de Lira and others It is alsoe the Opinion of Devines commonly Visum non esse objectum fidei S. Tho. 1. 2. qs 67. S. Tho. 2. 2. q. 1. a. 4 And Saint Thomas saith elswher Quod nihil est objectum fidei nisi sub ratione non apparentis XVIII CHAPTER The Doctrin of Transubstantiation defended against Sall a new Protestant THere is noe Protestant soe maddly obstinate as to give God the lye to his face and in plaine tearms to say though hee did know God did reveale the Doctrin of Transubstantiation as the Church of Rome doth propose and maintaine it I would not beleeve it noe all Protestants acknowledg and generally all Hereticks God to bee truth it selfe and not able to deceive or bee deceived The obstinacy therfore of Protestants against Gods verityes is not as they are uttered immediatly by himselfe but as they are proposed by his Church as in the point of Transubstantiation Sall become lately a Protestant doth not beleeve the Catholick Church proposing that Doctrin as revealed by God but says it is not warranted by devine writt the same hee says of Indulgences Purgatory worship of Images c. but introduced and made an Article of faith by the use and Authority of the Roman Church Against cleare evidence there can be noe obstinacy the object of it must be involved in some obscurity otherwise the will which is the source of obstinacy would not bee able to master the understanding There is nothing more cleare and evident to the understanding then this proposition If God said or revealed any thing it s very true The obstinacy therfore of Hereticks doth not contest with this cleare and confessed truth It only doubts or denyes that God said or revealed any such thing as the Church pretends By this it appears in what Sall and I doe differ about Transubstantiation for hee doth not beleeve the Church proposing and defyning the Doctrin therof as revealed by God The Heretick beleeves what the Church proposeth as revealed only conditionally if God reveal'd it reserving to his owne privat Iudgment or to that of his privat Patriarks Luther Zwinglius Calvin c. this determination but the Catholick Absolutly and doubts not but God revealed what the Church proposeth as revealed submitting his Iudgment in matters of Faith to what soever the Church doth define or declare This is the case of Hereticks They protest if they had thought or beleeved that the Doctrin of the Roman Church in controverted points were revealed by God they would hartily imbrace it but they doe not consider this very if or doubt is Heresie for they have noe reason to doubt but that the Roman Catholick Church hath Commission and power of defining and declaring what is revealed by God seeing it hath the evident signes of a true Church as Miracles Sanctity of Doctrin and Life continuall Succession from the Apostles to the present age both of Pastors and Doctrin These signes may be easily perceived and knowne by all people as Clownes Souldiers and other illiterate persons let them examin the Histories of theire owne Countryes and the Religion of theire Ancesters which soever amongst all the Christians Churches had and hath the aforesaid signes that Church must be heard obeyed and beleeved as having Gods Authority and Commission to deside all doubts and Controversies of Faith who soever beleeves not her diffinitions and obeys not her decrees and Canons in points of Faith is an obstinat Heretick and such is Sall having deserted and condemned this Church But Sall tells us the Doctrin of Transubstantiation is a novelty not found in Scripture but brought into the Church by the Councell of Lateran anno 1215. This is a great mistake in Sall The very condemning of Berengarius as an Heretick for impugning Transubstantiation anno 1050 which was before the Councell of Lateran 165. years proves it was noe novelty but an Article of Faith before that Councell There were present at this Counsell the Emperors Roman and Greek and of the Kings of France Spaine England Hierusalem and Cyperus their Ambassadors euen from the Apostles tymes For otherwise I pray you how were it possible that the Patriarks of Hierusalem and Constantinople 70. Metropolitans 400. Bishops and 800. Conventuall Pryours who were all present at that great Counsell should all agree in declaring Transubstantiation to have been revealed by God to the primitive Church how can this agree with what Sall affirms
Lutherans Calvenistes and Romans about the blessed Eucharist the question stated hee said Est itaque questionis scopus quam nempe in hac opinionum varietate Ecclesia Ruthenia seu Graeca teneat Sententiam partesne Ecclesiae Romanae an Lutheranae vel Calvinianae tueatur That is It is therfore the but of the question what Sentence in this variety of Opinions holds the Ruthenian Church and whose part doe they hold and maintaine that of the Roman Church or the Lutheran or the Calvinian The Metropolitan answered possitively in a long and learned discourse that the Ruthenian and all the Greeck Church agreed with the Romans in Transubstantiation Real-presence and worship of Adoration due to Christ in the Holy Eucharist The Romans said hee only differ from our Church in the matter of this Sacrament that the Greeck Church doth consecrate in Levin-Bread and the Latin in Azime wherfore wee Grecians call the Latins Azimits but hee further said this differrence between us is not essentiall for that Levined and unlevined Bread are ejusdem speciei In like manner the Surian or Syrian Church agree's with the Roman in all touching the Eucharist and likewise in some other points of Faith denyed by the Protestants of England as doth evidently wittness the ensuing Testimony of severall Bishops and Priestes of that Country and Church Testimonium seu Professio quorundam Articulorum apud Nationem Surianam In Oriente In Nomine Patris Filii Spiritus Sancti 1. CHristi Corpus Sanguinem verè realiter in Eucharistiae continer◠firmiter credimus non figuram tantum ejus atque virtutem ut Heretici commenti sunt 2. Item Panem Vinum in verum Christi Corpus Sanguinem realiter substantialiter vi Divinae Consecrationis mutari atque converti seu substantiari quod idem est 3. Christum in Eucharistia residentem Latriae cultu adorari debere ita ab omnibus Ecclesiae nostri fidelibus adorari 4. In Sacra Lyturgia verè ac propriè dictum Sacrificium pro vivis mortuis propitiatorium Deo offerri 5. Sanctos recte a fidelibus coli invocari 6. Presbiterum non esse qui ab Episcopo Impositionem manuum non acceperit 7. Licere Ecclesiae carnium Escas certis diebus prohibere fidelibus statuta per annum jejunia indicere 8. Contra Sentientes pro Hereticis prophanis haberi excomunicari Haec est ac semper fuit Ecclesiarum nostrarum fides hanc acceptam a majoribus servamus seruabimus nec ulla apud nos mentio ullorum a memoria fuit aliquando qui aliter docue runt Ita nos Testamur die 29. Februarii Anno 1668. 1. PAtriarcha Surianae Nationis 2. Andreas Curatus Abdella Choulac Nationis Surianae 3. Curatus Matove N. S. 4. Curatus Abdella Moyl Religiosus Sacerdos N. S. 5. Sacerdos Nam N. S. 6. Sacerdos Benjamin N. S. 7. Curatus Chaida N. S. 8. Sacerdos Abdella Chay N. S. 9. Sacerdos Abraham N. S. 10. Sacerdos Abraham Egeir N. S. 11. Dominus Abraham Sacerdos N. S. 12. Dominus Ioannes Episcopus N. S. 13. Dominus à Deodatus Sacerdos N. S. 14. Dominus Theodorus Sacerdos N. S. 15. Dominus Chacardour Sacerdos N. S. 16. Dominus Gregorius Episcopus N. S. 17. Dominus Baptista Decanus Ecclesiae Beatae Virginis N. S. 18. Dominus Sergius Sacerdos N. S. There are the like Testimonies of the Patriarck and many Bishops and Priestes Armenians dwelling in Aleppo signed the first of March 1668. In like manner all the Armenian Churches agree with the Romans touching the Eucharist in all which are very many under two Patriarcks the one dwelling in Arard a Citty of Armenia whose aboad is in the Monastery of Ermiasin or Heruisin and hath under him 200. Bishops The other Patriarck keeps in Cis a towne of Carmania hauing under him 50. Bishops By what is said Sall may see and must confess that the Ruthenian and Greeck Church the Syrians and Armenians agree with the Romans in the Faith and Doctrin of Transubstantiation Real-presence and Worship due to Christ in the Eucharist Who desires to informe himselfe more at large of what I have here aleaged I remitt him to that excellent learned Treatis thus intitled La perpetuite de la foy de l'Eglise Catholique touchant l'Eucharistie defendue contre le Liure du Seiur Claude Ministre d◠Charanton printed at Paris 1669. What I here set downe and much more hee will finde in the 12. Book of the third Treatice they are in all 4. Vollums in 8. The reading of this excellent worke as I have bine informed converted that famous generall Mareshall de Turene and after him was converted Prince de Tremoile one of the noblest Princes of France and after them many more Persons of quality The Greek and Ruthenian Church Armenians and others agree in more points of Religion with the Romans then with the Protestants of the English Church IT was my happ many years agoe to have perus'd an answer of Father Paul Harris a learned Priest that liu'd in Dublin I knew the man well to a Sermon of Doctor Vsher Protestant Primate of Ardmach or as they us'd to speak of al Ireland a man of great fame made at Wainstad before King Iames anno 1624. In this Sermon the Primat haled into his Church and Communion all those of the Greek and Ruthenian Church Armenians likewise and other Sectarys in the Eastern Church affirming Salvation was found in all those Congregations Father Harris confuted the man shewing evidently that all those differed from Protestants in many substantiall Articles of faith and consequently could not bee of theire Communion and was not this I pray you a pleasant Imagination of Doctor Vsher But let Vsher build his great new Church of Greeks Ruthenians Arminians and English Protestants in the Clouds wee know the Catholick Church is built upon a Rock and will never be destroyd Father Paul Harris in his answer to Vsher speaks thus The Grecians Ruthenians and Armneians defend and maintayne that Baptisme is necessary to salvation and that originall sinn is remitted therby the riged Calvinistes teach the contrary The Greeks Ruthenians c. hold Transubstantiation the Reael-presence of Christes Body and Bloud in the Sacrament and the worship of Latria due there unto the Protestant generally not The Greeks Ruthenians c. hold that good works with faith do justify the Protestants that faith alone doth justify The Greeks c. free will in the best actions the Protestants not the Greeks c. hold seven Sacraments the Protestants not the Greeks c. beleeve Christ dyed for all Godly and wicked the Protestants not but only for the elect they pray and offer Sacrifice for the dead the Protestants not they Invocate Saints and Angells the Protestants not They worship Crosses and Images the Protestant not They hold merit of good works the Protestants not You may see what good Agreement in Articles of
faith Doctor Vsher found between the Greeks Ruthenians Armenians c. For bringing them into his owne Church and Communion but if they agree in any Articles with the Protestant though they differ'd in many more 't was enough for Vsher to make them all Protestants as Fox made Saints of all Sectarys as in what wee have said before is prou'd But wee Catholicks doe not nor may not receive into our Communion and Church the said Greeks Ruthenians c. Though agreeing with us in many Articles becaus they differ in others according to that of Saint Iames Qui offendit in uno factus est omnium reus Wee are now to speak or to deal with Sall for his contumelious Language to witt for saying that the tenets of the Roman Church against the XXXIX Articles are false and Superstitious especially that of Transubstantiation as forcing upon Christians a beleef of monstrous Miracles c. of which I shall treat in the ensuing Chapter XX. CHAPTER Miracles are ttue and cleare marks of a true Religion and the power of working them hath been given to the true Church and remaines therin The Anger Sall hath conceived against Gods wonders caling Miracles Monstrous gave mee occation of enlargeing this Chapter A furious zeale in his new Religion hath made the man ungodly It was not enough for him in his Recantation to declare his minde in the ensuing words Wherfore I resolved to declare as I doe hereby seriously and in my hart without Equivocation or mentall Reservation in the Presence of God and this Congregation declare that I doe give my full and free assent to the XXXIX Articles of the Church of England for holy and wise and grounded upon the insalliable word of God But hee must alsoe add Acknowledging the Romish tenets against them to be false and Superstitious especially that of Transubstantiation as forcing upon Christians a beleefe of Monstrous Miracles repugnant to humane reason and not grounded upon divine Testimony nor necessary either for verifying Christ his words in the Institution of this Blessed Sacrament or for the effects of it Sall verè durus est hie sermo quis potest eum audire Let any Catholick Reader tell mee Nonquid haec est atrox homuncionis insultantis Christo Ecclesiae rabies I did not think poor Sall was come to such a hight of Impiety as to belch up soe virulent a contumely against Gods Wonders But let him bee as much discontented as hee will Miracles are owned by the pious and learned by the Bishop and the Peasant and by all true and Godly beleevers because they are wrought In Nomine virtute Dei omnipotentis wherfore the Doctrin of Miracles is well grounded and delivered from hand to hand a long from the Apostles Tymes and the Church is called Ecclesia Sancta Sanctitate Miraculorum It is true Sall you have passed to a Congregation of men that deny and contemne manifest Wonders because noe Miracles were ever done in theire Church I defy you to shew mee one Miracle wrought by any of Foxes Saints or any Protestant since your holy Father Luther first brought in Protestanisme tell mee when and where and the man that did the Wonder Sall I see you deale with Miracles as the Fox did with a faire ripe bunsh of grapes hee jumpt and leapt to bring downe the grapes but when hee could not reach them said they were green and worth nothing But whether I pray you shall I beleeve you in a kinde of rage against Gods wonders caling them Monstrous or Saint Thomas the Prince of devines teaching What a Miracle is dicit enim Quod S. Tom. part 1. quest 105. a 7. nomen Miracâ—li ab Admiratione sumitur Admiratio autem consurgit cum effectus sunt manifesti causa occulta That is The Word Miracle coms from Admiration and this Admiration doth arise when the effects appeare and the cause is hidden Likewise Saint Augustin tells us what a Miracle is cum Deus saith the Saint Aliquid facit S. Aug. lib. de quest contra cognitum nobis cursum solitumque naturae magnalia vel mirabilia dicuntur When God doth any thing against the knowne course of nature and custome therof they are caled Magnalia or wonderfull things I pray you good Sall give God leave to doe wonderfull things by his Saints and servants to his owne Glory when it shall soe please him and be not angry therwith caling impudently these wonders Monstrous Miracles take rather Saint Augustins good Counsell speaking thus to you and mee and all men Dicamus Aliquid Deum posse quod nos fatemur investigare non posse in rebus enim mirabilibus tota ratio saciendi est potentia sacientis That is Let us say God is able to doe somthing that wee must confess wee are not able to search into or comprehend in wonderfull things the whole ground of doeing them is the power of him that can doe them That God hath Impowered those hee sent by an extraordinary way for converting Nations with the grace of working Miracles is a truth you will not deny having been evidently made appeare in the written Law and Law of Grace when the people see Miracles they beleeve the man that doth them is sent from God This made Moyses when hee was commaunded by God to lead the Israelits out of Egypt to answer God in these Exod. cap. 5. tearms The people will not beleeue mee nor heare my voyce but they will say our Lord hath not appeared to thee Hee proposed the difficulty of the Embassy wisely and God iudgd what hee sayd to carry great reason and therfore gaue him the power of doeing wonders and this suffised to make the people beleeue hee was sent from God with an extraordinary Authority Sall wee are still demaunding from your Prophets and Doctors Luther Caluin and the rest of them who say they were sent from God by an extraordinary mission to sanctify the world and to pull downe the whore of Babilon soe they name the Roman Church and alsoe you of England and all Protestants affirme the same to wit that Luther Calvin and the rest were impowered with extraordinary authority even as the true Prophets of God and other holy men that wrought Miracles for proving theire mission were sent from God in former ages but till this day you could never name any Miracles wrought by your Doctors Now if the Israelits would not take Moyses his word though hee was a holy man that hee was sent from God without doing wonders shall wee take Luther or Calvins word who shew'd noe Sanctity in theire manners but much impurity that they are sent from God without working Mitacles to prove it this would be in us a great folly There are three kinde of Miracles those of Christ those of the Apostles and Church Miracles if Sall and those of the English Church will not beleeve the two first kinde of Miracles they doe not credit the
aussi That is And you doe the same 2. The Saduceans deny'd a part of Canonicall Scriptures You doe the same 3. The Scribes and Pharasies depraued the Bible You doe soe too 4. The Capharnaits would not beleeve the Body and Bloud of Christ in the Eucharist Nor doe you 5. Simon Magus said God was Author of Sinn deny'd Marriage was a Sacrament deny'd Free-will made a warre against Saint Peter You doe soe too 6. The Menandrens saith Saint Ignatius deny'd the Eucharist the Sacrifice of the Masse and averred the Body of Christ was not there You doe the same 7. The Gnosticks held them selves only wise and learned accused the Fathers of Ignorance Soe doe you 8. The Montanistes vaunted the Holy Ghost was only in theire Church they deny'd Confession and the Sacrament of Pennance Soe doe you 9. The Novatians held that the Church had noe power to remitt Sinn deny'd Confession rejected the Sacrament of Confirmation soe attesteth Saint Ambrose of them deny'd any Superiority in the Church affirmed all th'Apostles were equall and that Saint Peter was not cheefe soe attesteth Theodoret. You doe the same 10. The Catharians rejected the Sacrament of Pennance deny'd Purgatory affirmed Priests ought to Marry You doe the same 11. The Manichees mocked Virginity deny'd Marriage to be a Sacrament reproched Catholicks for VVorshipping Saints broack downe the Images deny'd Free-will mocked Catholicks for having memoryes of the feasts of Martyrs called Catholicks Idolaters for saying Masse for the dead said the Saints did not pray for us Threw away the Reliques of Saints as acurssed and abhominable things held the Eucharist as the Councell of Nice reports was but a Figure that the Body of Jesus Christ was not there You doe the same 12. The Arrians deny'd prayers for the dead would not receive Traditions said Bishops and Priests were equall cast downe Alters and Crosses hated Monks like aplague admitted nothing but the old and new Testament You doe the same 13. Jovinian mocked Celibatt or the state of Continency preferred Marriage to Virginity gested at the Vow of Religion derided Monks detested fasting on Fryday and Saturday and in Lent made noe Distinction between eating and fasting Marryed theire Priestes held that Fasting and Chastity did noe way profitt the Soule that Jesus did pray and fast for us all denyed the meritt of good VVorks affirming Jesus Christ had satisfy'd for all that all were Priestes that aman may live in vvhat Religion hee vvill You doe the same 14. The Waldenses that began the yeare 1160. Mocked the use of Chrisme in Baptisme and Benedictions Mattins and Canonicall Houres prayers to Saints and Lent deny'd Purgatory said Extremunction was noe Sacrament scoffed at prayers for the Dead denyed the power of the Pope derided Pardons and Indulgences said the Devill had invented Monks and Religious Orders held the Priest was as high as the Bishop You doe the same There are about forty Heresies more in said Litanie which for sauing tyme I omitt the same Author says that Luther with his German Apostata's raked up from Hell 404 Heresies Of Calvin I have given you an account in his owne Words Page 124. beginning thus Calvin comme une meschante Arragneé c. What ought to be considered in this place is that the afore mentioned Hereticks and their Heresies have been condemn'd by the Church and generall Councells this being soe I shall pray Sall as hee tenders the Salvation of his owne Soule to examine with how many of these Heresyes are the Protestants infected and how many of them are delivered as Doctrin of the Confession of England in the XXXIX Articles of the Church of England let him look well to what hee hath done it is certaine noe man sound in his witts will drink of a Fountaine wherin snakes and todes spitt theire Poyson no man will stay in a House infected with the plague if hee can gett out The second Advertisment Cleare places of Scripture in many points controverted make for the Catholicks THere is nothing more frequent then Protestants to bragg that Scriptures are for them in all Articles controverted between them and Catholicks This great Evidence they have as they say on theire owne side and therfore they lay a side Traditions ancient Fathers Councells Canons and Schoole Arguments they will stand to noe other Tryall but Scriptures and when they come to this test they are aground and faile quite in produceing formall Scriptures for themselves of the other side wee Catholicks admitt of Councells Fathers Traditions c. for good Evidences in desiding differrence of Religion between us and them which they denying wee bring express places of Scripture which they cannot doe as doth clearly appear in the ensuing Articles and matters controuerted between us them For example-sake wee Catholicks Real-presence for proving the Real-Presence have expressly Math. cap. 26. Ioan. cap. 6. Iac. 2. Iustification This is my Body You have noe where this is the signe of my Body Wee have expressly The Bread that I will give you is my Flesh You have no where It is but the signe of my Flesh. Wee have expressly A man is justifyed by Works and not by Faith only You have noe where A man is justifyed by Faith alone noe nor that hee is justifyed by Faith without works talking of works that follow Faith wherof only our Controvercy is Wee have expressly Whose sinns you forgive Absolution Ioan. cap. 20. are forgiven whose sinns you retaine are retained You have noe where That Priests cannot forgive or retaine sinns on Earth Wee have expressly The doers of the Law shall be justifyed Rom. cap. 2. You have noe where That the Law required at Christians Hands is impossible or that the doing therof justifyes not Christians Wee have expressly Vow ye and render your Vowes Psal cap. 75. Vowes You have no where Vow ye not or if you have vow'd break your Vowes Wee have expressly Keep the Traditions which you have learned Traditions Epist 1 Thess cap. 2. either by Word or Epistle You have noe where The Apostles left noe Traditions to the Church unwritten Wee have expressly Commaundements Math. cap. 19. If thou will enter into life keep the Commaundements And when hee said hee did that already If thou wilt be perfect goe and sell all thou hast and give to the poore and follow mee You have no where That either the Commaundements can not be kept or that wee are not bound unto them or that there is noe degree of life one perfecter then another Wee have expressly Work your owne Salvation works Phillip cap. 2. with feare and trembling You have noe where Either that a man can worke nothing towards his owne Salvation being helpt with the grace of God or that a man should make it of his beleefe that hee shall be saved without all doubt or feare Wee have expressly Doe ye worthy frutes Pennance Luc. cap. 3. of Pennance You have noe where That
which are flatt Heresies and for all these Impietyes and abominations there are not that I heare of any Lawes made in Parlament for punishing these Presbiterians Noe but all the lightning thunder and tempest of the Bishops and that kind of Protestants and of the Presbiterians likwise doth fall upon the poor Catholicks our Religion is made treason to owne the Pope head of the Church in Spiritualibus as realy hee is is punish'd with death to worship Images superstition to invocate the Angels and Saints Idolatry wee suffer disgrace in Court and Country wee suffer the loss of livings wee suffer Imprisonments and death it selfe the Extirpation of our Faith is desired sought and put in Execution and men receive pleasure which is inhumane and cruell in our Miserye and Distruction and all these Afflictions fale upon us soly for the hatred men have to Religion What comfort can wee finde in these Extremityes That only and that is enough which our Saviour hath promised to his Servants Beati qui persecutionem patiuntur Math. Cap. 4. propter Iustitiam quoniam ipsorum est Regnum Caelorum That is Blessed are they that suffer Persecution for Justice for theirs is the Kingdome of heaven Sall wee heare you have preached in July 1674. before the Lord Lieutenant and State in Christ-Church in Dublin a long premeditated Sermon for Justifying your departure from the Romish Communion and you then told your Auditors that you had found in the Romish Church three Abominations to wit Idolatry Impiety and Tyranny and those you called Abominationem desolationes stantem in loco Sancto And that therfore according to our Saviours Admonition you departed from that Congregation But I tell you you have forged a pernitious Calumnie and Imposture in charging the Church of Rome the Mother of all Churches with Idolatry Impiety and Tyranny And I further say my Opinion that an Idol which is found in all your Congregations the pride of the privat Spiritt that Spiritt Doctor Whitaker see Pagina 17. discribed made you charge the Church of Rome with Idolatry Sir your zeal in your new Religion is soe furious that you have render'd your selfe at present incapable of Councell and all advice but in tyme you may become colder Non est abrevitae manus Domini And think better of what you have done however for the true love I have for you and especially for your Soule which is the maine and principal part ought to bee taken care for I hartily pray you what kinde of thing is Parlament Religion a ssippery and changable Religion which is thus declared For Satisfying King Henry the eight The Parlament changed some Articles of Faith as soone as hee dy'd they changed that Faith into Zwinglianisme to comply with the Protector Summerset young King Edward the sixt his Vncle within two or three years after they changed Zwinglianisme into Calvinisme and at the sute of Calvin reformed the Liturgy accordingly After the young Kings death they return'd with good Queen Mary to the old Faith and by new acts abolished those acts they had lately made before against Catholick Religion with Queen Elizabeth they restored againe the new Religion with some Alterations when King Iames succeeded they changed the translations of Scripture and other things In King Charles the firsts tyme Prelatick Protestancy was puld downe by Presbitery and this by IndePendency and the last puld downe quite Kingly Authority and took of the good Kings head from his Body Prelatick Protestancy being restored by King Charles the second the forms of Ordination where upon depends the validity of the Protestant Ministry Church and Sacraments being not thought sufficient were amended and are now changed into more Catholick Forms adding to the Forms the words Priest and Bishop which hath quite discredited theire Character of Priesthood and Episcopacy for those two Words being held by them as Essentiall in these two Forms the former orders given without these Words must have been invalid and in like manner all things in theire Ministry that depends upon Ordination are uncertaine and doubtfull for if the Church of England hath acknowledged to have erred in a thing of soe great importance as the Forms of Ordination what reason can it have in not erring in all the rest In a word Protestants in the Kingdome of England in one age have made more changes of Religions then Mahometans in the ten ages they have continued What I have sayd being duly examined tell mee Sall is not Protestant Religion slippery and changable and consider well what shall become of you in the sad exchange you have made The fourth Advertisment Learned Protestants of the Church of England doe confess that English and Irish Pagans venerable Beda called them Slaves of Idols were converted to Christian Faith by men sent from the Popes of Rome holy men that wrought Miracles in those Conversions IF any shall demaund to what end doe I make Mention of these Protestant Authors what doe I inferr from theire Testimoneys I make this Illation that said Authors did attest the Conversion of those Pagans to have beene made by those sent from Rome to a true and sauing Faith and for this Verity there are two convincing reasons The first that the Veracity of God was herein concerned which neuer confirm'd by Miracles a false Faith The second that the Goodness of God would not have Pagans brought from Idolatry to Heresy or to such a Religion wherein they would bee as certainly damn'd as in Idolatry to Iudge this of the goodness of God were a horrible Blasphemy for it were noe less then to cale him a cheate Sall examin now seriously what Faith that was the Saints Fugatius Damianus sent from Pope Eleutherious taught to the Pagans of England when King Lucius the first Christian King his Queen and thousands more were converted what the Faith which Saint Augustin the Benedictin Monk sent from S. Gregory Pope denounced to the Saxon Pagans In what Faith did S. Parrick sent from Pope Celestinus instruct the Idolaters of Ireland doubtless you will confess it was the same Faith then professed in Rome and by all the People that obey'd the Pope now all these professed as Articles of Faith the Real-Presence in the Eucharist the Invocation of Angells and Saints the seven Sacraments the Sacrifice of the Mass worship of Images and the like And aforesaid Saints Fugatious Damianus c. delivered them for such to the Pagans of both the Nations they likewise wrought Miracles for proving the truth of the Religion they taught and the Pagans seeing those Miracles beleeved they were sent from God They were indeed sent to those Idalaters as Moyses Elias and others Prophets to the People of Israel and as the Apostles to the Gentils doeing wonders In Nomine Virtute Dei. I observe in this place that the Religion the S S. Fugatious Damianus Patrick and Augustin preached to the Pagans of these countryes was not the Faith now Professed by Sall and
wheat in his Barnflower out of which Sall like light chaff of pride thou hast flowen away wanting the weight of fortitude in thy faith Look well about you straying lost man and consider what you have done you have fled away from the Camp of Israel to the tents of Philistim you have stayned as much as in you lay the fame and renowne of the Order of the Society of Jesus you are the first of that Order of our Country that ever fell you have defamed your Nation you have poluted the â—and of Saints qua hactenus carebal Monstris But such sliders back and Apostata's as you and latly som others will make our holy I land an Africa you have in this your Apostacy dispised the power of Allmighty God you have belyed his truth you have againe Crucify'd Jâ—sus the Angells you have made angry the Saints you have dishonoured and men you have offended and scandalized Dic crgo mihi jam Sall hominum miserri me si non feceris scelera multa in domo Dei But whither glorying and boasting in that which is your shame your Apostacy soe runs the rumor of you whither will you turne your face where will you hide your selfe from the wrath of God where can you finde an azile of safty who will defend you who will take your part in the day of Extremity you are become for which my hart is much grived ludâ—brium fabula in gâ—ntibus Doe not say my words are bitter it is your great sinn against heaven makes mee bitter and to quarrell with you for my custome hath beene all my life pacem habere cum hominibus cum vitiis bellum I follow S. Augustins Rule Diligere homines interficere errores naturam amarâ— culpam odio habere quia ea faedatur natura quam homines amamus Soe that my Anger against you at present is piety and shall pray to be soe understood in this whole tract or confutation of your flight from the Catholick side for how can I be longer a frind to him that is becom a declared Enemy to God and his Angells by a publick Abjuration of holy faith In the first place the manner of of abjuring your Religion under the Tytle of a Recantion c. is vile and infamous could not you have performed this ungodly bussiness in that Arch-Bishops Chamber a work of darkness should have been Smoothered in silence and darkness noe but you must have used a solemnity in facie Ecclesiae Protestanticâ— ro have many wittnesses of your Ignominys would any man become bankroote a great infamy to a Marchant Publish his minde to the world If an incontinent woeman should put out in the Market-place a Declaration that shee was to make sale of her body soule and honour would not all of that sex cry upon her a shame upon the strumpet cauté si non casté This much to the Tytle of what Sall hath done now to what was done the Uggly Abjuration wherof much is to be said and spoken 1. What drew Sall out of Gods House 2. What guid led him the way 3. Having forsaken the Catholick Religion what Religion is hee become of 4. Who are the Doctors hee hath parted with and who they hee hath now embraced 5. What Company hath hee forsaken and who are they hee sticks unto 6. A discussion upon some principall parts of the Recantation 7. Certaine advertisments to said Sall. 8. The Authors harty Exhortation unto him for his speedy returning to his Mother the Roman Catholick Apostolick Church Those poynts I will handle as briefly as the Importance Of the matter will require and shall indevour by Gods blessing to give the pious and indifferent Reader all rationall satisfaction II. CHAPTFR TO the first query What drew Sall Ad primum out of Gods House Hee answers for himselfe that hee determined this change on a serious examen and ponderation hee had made upon the XXXIX Articles of the Confession of the Church of England for the safty hee found in them for salvation heare himselfe speak in his Recantation After ernest prayer saith hee to God for the assistance of his Devine light in soe weighty a matter I pen'd downe for better consideration the reasons I did heare read and conceive against the Romish tenets controverted I did alsoe carfully peruse and seriously reflect upon the XXXIX Articles Canons and Lithurgie of the Church of England to be safer for my salvation then that of the Roman Church You see gentle Reader this man pretended feare of his salvation if hee remained in the Catholick Communion and past to that of the Protestant Religion for the Devine Doctrine and satisfaction hee found as hee says in the XXXIX Articles of the English Confession Truly Sall I took you for a better Devine then to have changed soe rashly and unlearnedly the party you professed formerly to be of for any light truth or sanctity could be found in said XXXIX Articles I meane those of them different from the Catholck Religion One of these Articles vigesimus secundus Cui titulus est de Purgatorio runns thus Romana Doctrina de Purgatorio Indulgentiis Veneratione Adoraâ—ione taem Imaginum quam Reliquiarum ut de invocatione Sanctorum est absurda inaniter inventa nec ulla Scripturae authoritate nititur sed potius Dei verbâ— repugnat That is to say The Roman Doctrine of Purgatory Indulgences Veneration and Adoration as well of Images as of Reliques as alsoe of the Invocation of Saints is absurd and vainly invented nor is it grounded upon any Authority of Scripture but is rather repugnant to the Word of God Sall this is a false prophane hereticall Article of thy new Chosen faith Wheras the Worship of Images and Relicks wee Catholicks doe Worship but not adore Images and Reliques The Doctrin of Purgatory Indulgences and the Invocation of Saints is warranted by Scripture and Apostolicall Tradition and hath beene from age to age from the very tyme of the Apostles maintained taught and defended by ancient Fathers and Doctors Nominatim the foure most famous of the Church Gregory Ambros Augustin and Jerom as alsoe by the generall Councells and the continual practice and use of the holy Church and those who opposed themselves to those tenets and to the Doctrin derived touching them have beene condemned in all tymes as Hereticks Ergo this Article you Imbrace for a Theoreme and principle of faith for soe it is in the English Church is an heresy and you an heretick and soe I must esteem you to be If it were my purpose to sift and examine one by one such of these XXXIX Articles as ars different from the Catholick Doctrine I should not be in great trouble to prove them to be what indeed they are false and hereticall but that is done to my hand by a pious learned person bred in the Protestant Religion and for a long tyme a zealous defender of said XXXIX Articles
but after a long and due Examination of the substancâ— of them hee refuted them soe substantially as to this day noe man of the Church of England hath answer'd him I observe in this place that this Gentleman spent a great deale of tyme in deliberation about seaven years before Adjuring said XXXIX Articles which hee once believed as you doe now Sall as Articles of faith which belief and Doctrin hee suckt from his Cradle much more tyme I say hee had bestow'd and deliberation in quitting them then you have done in deserting the Catholick Religion and its holy Communion in which you were bred and your parents before you which can not be spoken but to your shame and infamy The light and grace God gave to Mr. White the Gentleman I speake of led him out of Babilon in to Ierusalem and you without great musing on the weightiest matter can ever concerne you the damnation or salvation of your soule are fled from Ierusalem to Babilon The Tytle of Mr. Whites Book Schismatis Anglicani redargutio Authore Alexandro VVhite ex eodem Schismate per Dei gratiam ad fidem Catholicam Converso Viro qui coripientem dura cervice contemnet repentinus ei superreniet interitus cam Sanitas non sequetur Proverb cap. 29. Lovani typis Jeronimi Nempaei 1661. This Book Sall if you have it not allready you will finde with som of the Priestes there Such is my opinion and of the Devines of my side of the sound substance of this Book and the Reasons and Arguments and Authoritys of Scripture Apostolicall Tradition Counsells and Fathers hee produceth that I presume without all vanity to give a Challenge on the behalfe of Verity and the Roman Catholick Church to you and to the Protestant Arch-Bishop of Cashell I say I give a Challeng to you both and all that Profess the XXXIX Articles in the three Kingdoms to make answer to this Book This is not a Thrasonical defiance such as Mr. Iewell Bell and others Protestant Divines made to all the Catholicks in the world of disputing with them about Religion but the place of disputing must have beene in England they being sure the state would not allow therof this Challenge is only for answering this Book wherin Mr. White hath distroy'd the Babell tower of your XXXIX Articles which you will neuer build up againe This mans Arck hath cast downe your Dagon hee hath impeached your new English Creed the XXXIX Articles af a treason against heaven and verity I pray you Sall if you have any memory as yet left of mee peruse seriously sedato animo this learned Book one of two effects it will have that either it will convert you or confound you Now if your Arch-Bishop and you and the rest of your Devines shall refuse this Challeng doe not vapour hereafter of the light Doctrin and Sanctity of your XXXIX Articles nor of your owne maistership in Devinity for 18. years in Spaine My Reader you have heard Sall tell why hee went out of the Catholick Church But S. Augustin gives another kinde of answer wherfore such men goe a way from us Habent says the Saint calumnias suas August Tom. 8. in Psal 118. Conseioâ— 26. 1 Haeretici habent Scismaâ—ici quos omnes superbia de membrorum Christi compage proecidit When men begin highly to prise their owne learning and to censure and contemne the Doctors of Holy Church generall Councells and even the high Priest himselfe the Pope in matters of Religion as Sall hath now done and to interpret Scriptures according to their owne braine and fancy then swelling with vanity they break out of the pales of the Church Nature is strong in such kinde of men and grace weak and soe they easily fall into sinn Quia quod Creatura peccare non possit habet ex bono gratiae non ex conditione nature Poore Sall this presumption hath pulled you out of the Temple yea periit ipse Angelus superbia tumidus propria potestatis delectatione corruptus this hath beene and is your disease Smoth the matter the best you can pride will be found one of the greatest motives of your departure from us III. CHAPTER VVHat Guid led Sall out of the Ad secundum House of God it was likly the privat Spiritt of Protestanisme a kinde of Serpent that with hissing whispers infects the brains of curious men this spirit hath much helpt to loose the man Doctor Whitaker esteemed agreat Devine in the English Church defines this private spiritt to be an inward In Contro 1. q. 5. C. 3. contrae Bellarum perswation of the truth from the Holy Ghost in the secret Closset of the believers hart Sall with this deceiving guid you made your fatall Transmigration from our side I would faigne know where in Scripture or the ancient Fathers did Whitaker finde a ground for such a definition of his privat Spirit hee found it noe where and therfore likly hee made it in a dream This Spiritt hath not been knowne to the ancient Fathers and Doctors of the Church for full fiftien ages they heard nothing of it nor doe any of us claime it it is only a priviledg of your Church a pleasant Imagination that makes your people madd Exempli Gratia A Protestant with whome I conferred about Religion som years past told mee in plaine termes hee needed noe light or assistance from Saint Augustin or Saint Paul himselfe for to understand Scripturs being certaine Iesus who redeemed his soule would have a care that hee should not err in expounding of Scripture or any thing that touched his salvation I demaunded from him could hee prove by Scripture hee had that infaliable spirit or sacred light hee answered hee could and cited that place of David Signatum Psal 4. est super nos Lumen vultis tui Domine The light of thy Countenance O Lord is signed upon us I told him that Lumen was commonly expounded to be ipsa ratio by which man is the image of God as hee might read in the Book of Genesis and that by this light man was in his nature distinguished from a brute and that a Turck and a Pagan alsoe had this light as well as hee and by a good consequence had an infalible privat spiritt of expounding Scripturs as well as hee I alsoe assured him that his owne Devines would tell him the light understood by David was noe other then reason which is the image of God whereto wee are created like which was fixed in our understanding that wee may see and know there is a God that ought to be served adored and loved and that hee will reward his servants Next said I t is absurdity to say that a Pagan which denys Scripturs should haue a spiritt to expound the Scripturs which follows from your opinion But this and all I could say could draw noe other answer from the man then that hee was sure hee had himselfe from
holy Chaire of Peter noe less praised and honoured for flying and hyding himselfe from that highest Dignity on earth then in enjoying it Did the world see a more holy and stouter Bishop then Ambross what Combats had hee with Emperours and potentates for Piety and Religion and in all had the Victory Soone after being consecrated conferring with the good Imperour Valentiniane the elder about great affaires of Church and Common Wealth hee complained in a grave speech for hee was very eloquent that Potentates in those days much oppressed the People instigated therunto by wicked members that were about them this worthy Emperour was noe way offended with this Christian and Priestly Liberty but praising Ambross his Candid minde said to him Noveram prius hanc tuam Ambrosi libertatem macte igitur vertute age quod tui muneris est cnra ut res Christiana consistat incolumis ut vetteris Religionis Disciplina incorrupta perseveret doce quae amare doce quae sugere debeamus That is Ambross I knew your Liberty take Courage doe what appertains to a good Bishop have a care that the great affaire of Christians be safe and sound that the Discipline of the ancient Religion persever untoucht teach us what wee ought to love and what to fly O wise and Godly Emperour thus began Ambross with a holy freedom and soe persevered till his dying day One of the greatest Combats hee had for Religion and the Glory of God was with Iustina the Empress a perverse Arrian and a fervent protectrix of that Sect. This Lady after the death of her husband Valentinian in whose life tyme shee dared not declare her selfe to be what shee was an Arrian shee began to belch out the poyson within her and to afflict sharply Saint Ambrose Shee furiously angry against the holy man for opposing himselfe to the Arrians resolved to have him bannished thinking by that meanes to pull downe a strong Pillar of Gods House and to raise up Arrianisme shee made account shee was able to accomplish her wicked undertaking her Sonne Valentinian the Emperour being yong and in her power and Disposition to him shee complained that Ambrose had contumeliously dishonoured her here upon the yong Emperour who much lou'd his Mother became incensed against the good Bishop and commaunded him being there unto incited by his Mother and others of that Religion to come to court and dispute with some of the Arrians but hee refus'd to come saying hee would not honour obstinate Hereticks with any conferrence or Disputation they being obliged to believe as the Universall Church did otherwise were lyable to punishment according to the laws made against Hereticks in that case this denyall being made the Empresse procured a peremptory commaund from her Sonne to Ambross to deliver up a Basilica or great Church to the Arrians for their Communion and a band of Souldiers imploy'd to that effect were to bring him prisoner if hee refus'd it The Saint was then praying God in the Church and singing Psalmes with his flock the people though unarmed profered to defend their Father but hee would have noe resistance made hee was sure the Angells of God attending their Lord in the House of Prayer would defend him and soe it happened for the Souldery did not lay hands on him but asked him with all mildness and humility in the Emperours name a Church for the Arrians but hee flattly denyed what the Emperour demaunded and said hee neither would nor could deliver to the Empress Gods inheritance his Church to be poluted by Hereticks that in this matter hee could not obey the Emperour and that hee feared not prison or death it selfe in soe good a quarrell It was then hee spake that Devine and magnificent Language Soluimus quae sunt Caesaris Caesari Ambr. Tom. 3. 5. Epist Oratin Auxentium de Basilicis tradendis quae sunt Dei Deo tributum Caesaris est non negatur Ecclesiae Dei est Caesari utique non debet addici quia jus Caesaris esse non potest Dei Templum quod cum honorificentia imparatoris nemo dictum potest negare quid enim honorificentius quam ut imperator Ecclesiae Filius esse dicatur quod cum dicitur sine peccato dicitur cum gratia dicitur That is Wee have payd to Caesar what was Caesars and to God what was Gods tribute is due to Caesar it cannot be deny'd the Church is Gods it can not be given to Caesar because the Temple of God cannot be Caesars right which noe man can deny is said with honour to Caesar What is more commendable and honourable then for the Emperour to be cal'd a Child of the Church which is spoken without sinn and without offence of Caesar and with great Grace and respect After this by a letter to his sister Marcellina hee gave an ample account of what had past in this bussiness and said these words Mandatur denique tradi Ambr. Tom. 3. E. L. Epist 33. ad Marcelinam Sororem Basilica respondeo nec mihi fas est tradere nec tibi accipere imperator expedit allegatur imperatori licere omnia ipsius esse universa respondeo noli te gravare Imperator ut putes te in ea quae Divina sunt imperiale aliquod jus habere noli te extollere sed si vis diutius imperare esto Deo subditus scriptum est quae Dei Deo quae Caesaris Casari That is It was commaunded by Caesar a Church should be given up I answer I have noe power O Emperour to give a way a Church nor is it expedient for you to receive it It is aleadged all things are lawfull to the Emperour that all apertaine to him I answer doe not trouble your selfe O Emperour doe not think you have any imperiall right to those things that are Devine doe not extoll your selfe but if you have a minde to raigne long bee subject and obedient to God for it is written quae Dei Deo quae Caesaris Caesari What speech was ever spoken by a Bishop more sound and glorious then that of Saint Ambrose to Auxentious the Arrian Imperator bonus intra Ecclesiam non supra Ecclesiam est That is a good Emperour is within the Church not aboue the Church And after said to the Emperour himselfe Domum-privati non potes jure temerare Domum Dei existimas auferendam You cannot rightly violate a privat man's House and doe you think the House of God can be taken away and said further Ad Imperatorem pertinent Palatia ad Sacerdotem Ecclesiae publicorum tibi moenium jus Commissum est non Sacrorum That is The Palaces appertaine to the Emperour Churches to the Priest To thee O Emperour the right and defence of the wales of the Citty is committed not of Churches or holy Places Saint Ambress his minde is cleare and evident by his words to wit that hee acknowledges the Emporour Lord of Pallaces and of the Wales of the Citty
but not of Churches for hee allow'd no power or Jurisdiction to the Fmperour over or in the Church Sall you see how Ambrose by this undaunted generous answer denyed to yield to the Emperour one Basilica or Church for the Liturgy of the Arriaens the Empresse being of that Religion and you have joyned in Communion and Religion with those Protestant Bishops and Clergy-men that made and signed the XXXIX Articles and delivered up to Queen Elizabeth all the Churches in England and all Eeclesiasticall Iurisdiction and power over themselves and all the people in Spiritualibus which I am a shamed to write with those I say you have joyned denying to the Pope against all piety and reason over that Kingdome and People all Spirituall Superiority and therin you seperate to your great shame from Saint Ambrose The next conflict Ambross had was with Maximus who had kild the yong Prince Gracianus the holy Bishop goeing to seek the body of the dead Prince behaved himselfe like a noble and stout Prelate hee excomunicated the Tyrant for sheding Innocent blood and commaunded him to doe severe pennance for soe cruell a Murther After this Ambrose had a great encounter with the Emperour Theodosious which fell out in this manner Theodosius after defeating the Tyrant Eugenius who was killed in the fight which victory hee atributed to Saint Ambrosse's prayers and power with God being transported with an implacable anger against the Cittizens of Thessalonica for the death of one of his Courtiers slaine by that People in a tumult to revenge this mans death hee invited the People to the Spectacula or usuall pastymes in those days and gave order to the armed Souldery to inviron and Massacre the innocent multitud without Distinction of Age or sexe there were slaine by this blooddy Edict seaven thousand Soules This butchery being ended the Emperour took his way for Millan and thinking according to his ordinary custome to goe to the Church Saint Ambross with a Godly anger opposed himselfe and denyed him ingress giving him a severe reprehention in this kind Quid inquit tentas Caesar quid moliris tune Domini Templum post tam Crudelem innocentium hominum stragem intrare audes noli Caesar noli Priorem iniquitatem tuam haec te-meritate augâ—re exhorresco hoc tam immane facinus tuum gladium civium Innocentium tam iniqua morte cruentnm videre non possum Glamat Caesar de Terra ad Caelum contra te Sanguis innocentum That is What doe you atempt Caesar what are you about to doe doe yon dare to enter Gods Temâ—le after soe Cruell a Massacre of Innocent People Caesar doe not doe not augment the sinn you have committed with this new Temerity I abhorr thy cruell Act and I cannot indure to see your sword blooddy with the unjust death of soe many innocent Cittizens Caesar the blood of the Innocent Cryes to heauen against you What did the Emperour in this encounter receeving soe sharpe a rebuke hee revered the reprehention and the liberty of the holy Bishop and began to lament bitterly his great sinn and soe retyred to his Pallace not daring to enter the Church I may in this place say O Incomparabilem Pontisicis dignitatem O Imperatoris piâ—tatem insignem Soon after came on the feast of the Nativity when the Emperour much afflicted for his being kept out of the Church sent Rufinus prefect of the Pallace to have the Excomunication taken of this powerfull Courtier made account the Saint would instantly yield but the Bishop would not heare him wherfore the Emperour wholy compunct and penitent came in person to Ambrose humbly demaunding hee would give him Entrance into the Church on that holy Feast that heâ— might partake of the joy the poorest men in the Citty enjoyed but the Bishop said Quid agis Caesar quid poscis num tam immane scelere tuo dignam penitudinem ostendisti tuum est said Caesar remedia dare meum accipere imperâ— quid fieri velis non obsisto hoc solum ambio ut cum Deo meo in Gratiam redire possem That is What doe you Caesar what seek you from mee have you done condigne pennance for soe great a sinn It is said Caesar your part to commaund and praescribe a remedy and myno to receive the same Commaund what you will have done I shall not resist this only I seek that I may be reconciled to my God Then Ambrose seeing and admiring Caesars most Christian example in contrition and obedience received him into the Church with great joy of all the People Was ever under the heavens a more noble and pious contention then this between Tbeodosius and Ambrose I have enlarged my selfe a little longer though I hope not unprofitably upon this rare History and example of the zeale and fortitude of a good Bishopl and of the piety and obedience of a good Emperour Had wee in this age but a few Ambroses they would I dare say make the Church of God and the Monarchy of the world more Godly and happier then now they are And how to Saint Augustin Was there ever from the Creation of the world a more learned and humble man then this Saint What Heresiarch in his tyme lifted up his head that hee did not refute and knock downe doe not all learned men at this day draw from him as from a Spring and Fountaine all Wisdome and Learning Who among men was a greater defender of verity and the Church then hee What quantity of vollumes and books hath hee set forth to this effect noâ— Doctor profounder none more learned nor more penetrating hard questions and difficultyes in Scripture Fathers and Divinity then hee but in nothing more gloriovs then in his humble Books of Confessions Are not you Sall confounded in your soule for parting from this great Catholick and most holy and learned Doctor and adhering to those new unCatholick Bishops of England with theire XXXIX Articles for the most part of them condemned Heresies who have but the titulary name of Bishops and noe holy Order at all and consequently cannot conferre holy Orders on others wherfore as was well observed by a late Author the Church of England is noe Church because it wants Priest and Sacrifice What shall I say now of holy Hierome the great Oracle of the world for expounding Scriptures to him from all Places and Provinces Fathers and learned men did write for clearing and resolving deep difficultyes and obscure sences of the Scripture who a greater Enemy to his body then this Saint Who more mortify'd what an austere life did hee lead in the Wilderness of Syria where hee cry'd out in this Language O quoties ego ipse in eremo constitutus Epist 22. ad Eustochium in illa vasta solitudine quae exusta solis ardoribus horridum Monachis prestat habitaculum putabam me Roman is interesse deliciis Sedebam solus quia amaritudine repletus eram Horrebant sacco membra deformia
all the world is a most insolent madness You have don this in siding with the XXXIX Articles and opposing your selfe to the four Saints Doctors of the Church and to generall Counsells and to the sence of the Church and its diffinitions and determinations wherfore sitt downe and consider well if a kinde of madness hath not ceasd upon you Gentle Reader you see these ancient Fathers and Doctors tells us clearly that Sall hath deviated from the right way of settling himselfe in true Religion the ready and sure way when hee began to doubt was not in reading many Authors when one Contradicts and impugnes the other nor of making notes of that kinde hee speaks of in his Recantation for it is more easy to gather doubts then dissolve or resolve them it is more easy to rays up dust then to lay it downe againe the certaine and infallible way of searching true Religion and setling therin without all fluctuation and danger is that a man leave his owne Iudgment and rely upon the Authority of the Universall vissible Christian Church what privat man or Doctor bee hee ever soe well learned or holy is soe wise as the whole Congregation of the Church as is commaunded by Christ himselfe I meane a Church descending from age to age from the Apostles For a publick Direction in this to all who are troubled about any dark question in matters of Faith Saint Augustin gives a good Counsell to Sall and all men the same hee gave to Cresconius Quisquis August Lib. 1. contra Crescon cap. 33. said hee falli metuit hujus obscuritate questionis Ecclesiam de ea consulaet That is Who soever feareth to be deceived by the obscurity of this question wherabout wee two doe contend let him goe and aske the Church therof Saint Augustin must needs meane the Governours and the chief Pastors of the Church Wee are to keep herein to the found Rule of ould Tertulian which if wee doe wee will not be deceived in Theorems and Articles of believing Caeterum Terrul depraescript cap. 28. said hee quod apud multos unum invenitur non est Erratum sed Traditum audeat ergo aliquis dicere illos Errasse qui Tradiderunt That is That which is found one and the same with many is not an error but a Doctrin delivered from hand to hand and who will dare say those have erred that delivered this Doctrin Sall look upon the Succession of Pastors in the Church from age to age downe from the Apostles and your work is surely done for in that Church you have true Faith for defect of such Succession Tertullian provoked the Hereticks to prove theire descent Edant said hee Heretici origines Ecclesiarum suarum evoluant totum ordinem Eptscoporum suorum per Successionem ab initio decurrentem ut primus Epsicopus aliquem ex Apostolis vel Apostolicis viris qui tamen cum Apostolis perseveraverit babuerit Authorem Antecessorem Had Sall examined the English Church according to this sure Rule of Tertulian hee had neuer taken up a place among them Having said soe much of these four great Doctors of the Church and theire Vertues let us now see what kinde of men were the new Doctors Sall hath closed with for comparing their lives and manners with one another wee shall according to that of the Philosopher unum quodque magis apparet contrario juxta si posito bee the better able to Iudge who were the true Dostors chosen by God to teach the Doctrin of Salvation who knows light knows darkness quia eadem est potentia cognoscitiva oppossitorum unde visus qui cognoscit lucem cognoscit tenebras Let us therfore examin a little the Doctrin lives and manners of the new men Sall hath chosen for his Doctors and Masters VI. CHAPTER Of the Doctrin and manners of Luther and some other principall Hereticks THe Discription of theire Lives and Proceedings who for an age and more under a faire pretence of Reformation have impugned our ancient and long before continued and universally professed Catholick Faith alas in many Provinces and Regions they have almost extinguished it will be a necessary Instruction to shun such men and abominate theire Doctrin and to contract noe kinde of amity with theire Desciples and followers God hath ever more out of his Devine and sweet Providence chosen for Reformation of his Church when decay'd in Disciplin or Doctrin men in theire lives not dissolute or licensious but auster and sanctifyed such were Moyses Elias and many of the old Patriarcks and Prophets such the Apostles and after them many Bishops and Apostolicall men all those brought in Faith and chased out Idolatry by Vertue Sanctity and Miracles Take great heed saieth our saviour of false Prophets c. And againet doe men gather grapes from Thornes or Matth. cap. 7. figgs of Thistels Certainly Sall you could not gather grapes from those Thornes nor figgs from those Thistels you are falne in love with they were other kind of men that God us'd to assume for sowing the seed of heavenly Doctrin and teaching the Devine lesson of Salvation hee said not to Plagitious wanton Moncks and Priestes running away with nunns and wenches such as your new Apostles and Doctors were Euntes ergo docete emnes gentes Baptizantes eos in Nomine Patris Matt. cap. 28. Filii Spiritu Sansti docentes eos servare omnia quaecunque mandavi vobis ecce ego vobisoum sum omnibus diebus usque ad consumationem seculi That is Going therefore teach ye all nations Baptising them in the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost teaching them to serve all things whatsoever I have commaunded you and behold I am with you all days even to the consumation of the World These words our saviour spake to the eleven Deciples in the mount holy and sanctify'd men chosen by God to enlight and sanctify the World This charge of converting Soules requires in its owne Nature by all means men of Vertue and Integrity Quiae Sancta Sanctè tractanda a Sanctis If those great reformers which keep agreat noys in the world they vapor much of a justifying faith but of good works they have noe care quite against Saint Pauls sentiment Who would have that they which believe be carefull to excell Epist ad Tit. cap. 3. in good works If those reformers I say have bin vertuous and mortifyd men wee here are to examin and shall begin with Luther the Father of Protestanisme and principall Doctor of the Church of England who is most highly praised and esteemed generally by Lutherans and Calvinists through all the Provinces and Countryes they have infected they all reverenced Luther as being sent by God as the light of the Ghospell and Doctrin Evangelicall Bishop Iewell a chief pillar of Protestanisme in Iewell in his defence of the Apolog. printed 1571. MrFox Act. and Mon. printed 1563.
let them look well to theire Religion I think they have need As Luther abolished the Masse and began his work of opposition to the Romish Church by the conference and direction of Sathan soe hee endeavoured alsoe to prove that hee took of Sathans spiritt in his actions and writings Wee have now shewed how scornfully hee hath reviled the Fathers let us now see how petulantely hee abuses a great Monarch King Henry the eight I talke saith hee to King Desen p. 16. sol 337. sol 337 Heury with a lying scurrill covered with the tytle of a King a Thomisticall braine a clownish witt a doltish head a bugg an hypocryte of the Thomists most wicked foolish and impudent Harry This glorious King lyeth stoutly like a King And heare now must I deale not with ignorance and blockishness only but with obstinate and impudent wickedness of this Harry for hee doth not How intolerable is this in a runegate Fryer only ly like a most vaine scurre but passeth a most wicked knave in detorting of Scripture See whether there be any sparke in him of an honest man Surely hee is a chosen vessell of the Devill I would to God piggs could speak to judge between this Harry and mee But I will take asses that can speak Judge you ye Sophists of the Universityes of Paris fol. 339 Lovan and Cullen what this Harries Logick is worth I am asham'd See the pride of an Apostata against three famous Vniversitys Harry of thy impudent fore-head which art noe more a King now but a sacrilegious theefe against Christs owne words I will feigne here certaine fooles and madmen to the end I may set out my King in his colours and shew that my bedlam King doth passe all bedlamness it selfe What need had I of such piggs to dispute with all Thou lyest in thy throate foolish and sacrilegious King This block my L. M. Harry hath taught togeather with his asses and piggs and now hee is mad and cryeth and foameth at the mouth Neither could I with all my strenght make this miserable King soe filthy and abhominable a spectacle to the world as hee by fury maketh himselfe What harlot ever durst bragge of her shame as this most impudent mouth of his doth This foole must have a Dictionary to learne what a Sacrifice is Oh unhappy that I am to be inforced to loose tyme with such monsters of folly and cannot get a learned man to contend with me Soe hee And I leave infinit dispilefull slaunderous and scurrill words which this impudent Apostata useth against his Majesty And som care soe dishonest as I am ashamd to English them as where hee saith Jus mihi erit Majestatem Auglicam stercore fol. 333 conspergere And againe Sit ergâ— fol. 337 mea haec generalis responsio ad omnes sentinas insulsissime hujus larvae Againe Haec Luthers Spirit in rayling speach sunt robora nostra adversus quae obmutescere coguntur Henrici Thomistae Papistae quicquid est faecis sentinae latrinae impiorum sacrilegorum ejusmodi sordes istae labes hominum Tbomistae Henrici Sacrilegus Henricorum asinorum cultus furor insulsissimorum asinonum Thomisticorum porcornm os vestrae dominationis impurum saecrilegum And a hundred more like sentences IX CHAPTER Of Luthers Incontinency Lvther after his conference with the Devill having resolved to build upon this foundation the structure of his reformation indeavoured by all meanes to gaine to his side many Poets Painters Players and Printers to discredit with schoffing Ballets Pamflets Poems and Pictures the Roman Religion which untill then had been called and esteemed the only Catholick and Apostolick and to divulge his new Doctrin amongst ignorant and vitious People For the incouragement of dissolute Clergy-men to joyne with him hee taught against the Doctrin and Practice of the whole Church ever since the Apostles tymes that Priestes and professed Monks and Nuns might lawfully marry and were bound to doe soe This liberty of marrying and joyning together Monks and Nuns with his principle of Justification by only faith drew to him from sundrey parts of Europe incontinent Clargy-men all Monks and Nuns that were weary of solitude and pennance rann out of their Cloysters some of the chiefest of those Apostatas weare Carolostadius Arch-Diacon of Witimberg Justus Jonas head of a Colledge of Canon Regulars Oecolampadius a Monk of Saint Brigitts Order Zwinglius a Canon of Constance Martin Bucer a Dominican Fryer Peter Martyr a Canon Regular and some Augustin Fryers of Luthers owne Order each of these having taken a wench were ingag'd in Lurhers quarrell against the whole Church And they soe domineered with their dancing woemen and Nuns and with the favour of the People given to all kind of liberty and dissolution that they dar'd say Omnia judicemus reganemus A word or two in particular of Luthers flaming incontinency Few have ever matcht him that way though wee should compare Mahomet the Author of the Alcaron with him Luther would not yeild to him in lust or dissolution Before his Apostacy from our Catholick Church during the tyme hee was a young man and Monk hee lived Voyon upon the Cataloge of the doctors printed 1598. pa. 180. in his Monastery punishing his body with Mortification fasting and prayers honour'd the Pope out of meer Conscience kept chastity poverty and obedience Soe saith Simon de Voyon And what soever saith Luther I did I did it with a single hart with good zeal and for Luth. words upon the Galatians Englished in Cap. 1. fol 35. the glory of God fearing grievously the last day and desirous to be saved from the bottome of my hart But after his revolt from the Church harken to what hee says and his most barbarous speeches Nothing saith hee is more sweet or loving vpon Earth then is the love of a woeman if a man can obtaine it And againe Hee that In Prov. 31. v. 1. Lrth. Tom. 7. VV ittemb in Epi. ad VV olsangum fol. 505 resolveth to be without a woeman let him lay aside from him the name of a man making himselfe a plaine Angell or Spirit yet more As it is not in my power that I should be noe man soe it is not in my power that I should be without a woeman c. In soe much as hee acknowledgeth himselfe to have been almost madd through the rage of lust and desire of woemen exclaiming out yet further and saying I am burned with the great flame of my untamed flesh c. But saith hee It suffiseth that wee have knowne the Riches of the Glory of God the Lamb which taketh away the sinns of the world from him sinn cannot draw us although wee should commit fornication or kill a thousand tymes in one day In fine having left of prayer and all Mortification for eight days together at the last having cast of his Religious habitt anno
that the Doctrine of the life to come and of the last Resurrection are meer fables c. Thus farre hee And all this hee setteth downe resolutly as you see without citing any one Author or Authority in the Text or Margent but only noting these words The Athisme of Popes All which is an impudent lying Accusation and Callumny Calvin in his first Book of Institutions writeth resolutly that in the first Calvin lib. 1. Iustit cap. 11. five hundred years after Christ there were neuer any Images in Christian Churches This is a false Callumnie And Mr. Walsengham in his Search into Matters of Religion found it to be soe in Coccius a Catholick Author who cited the words of 21. wittnesses and some of those Fathers that liu'd in som of those five ages and Mr. Walsengham found all those Citations to be true Lastly Calvin in his fourth book of Institutions and 19. Chapter hath these words against the Catholicks for esteeming as hee saith more Chrisme or holy Oyle in Baptisme then water Praeterita aqua saith hee nullo numero habita unum Oleum in Babtismo magni faciunt That is They letting pass and esteeming nothing at all the water in Baptisme doe only magnify theire Oyle or Chrisme Is not this a strange and bould accusation about Baptisme whereas the Protestants themselves doe know wee hold water essentiall and necessary to Baptisme not soe Oyle and that wee hold the Baptisme of Protestants for good and essentiall though they use noe Oyle yea the Councell of Concil Tred Sess 7. caw 2. 4. Trent hath soe expressly determined the Matter that none shall be rebaptized that are baptized by Protestants How then coms this impudent man to tell the world that wee esteeme more the Oyle then Water in Baptisme Even this manifest Callumnie with others of the same kind takes away all creditt and esteem from Calvin and even for this reason Sall you should not rely upon such an open lyer in the bussiness of your Salvation Of Calvins Life and Conversation AS concerning Calvins incontinent and ill life Hierom Bolseck a Doctor of Physick who lived at the same tyme with Calvin in Geneva and was then of the same Religion published the same and confuted Beza that canonized Calvins Sanctity and Vertues but who would believe a Sodomite Beza praising Calvin another Sodomit Bolsick beginns the life of Calvin with this Protestation I am here for the love of truth to refute Theodore Beza his false and shameless lyes in the praise of Calvin protesting before God and all the holy Court of heaven before all the world and the holy Ghost it selfe that neither anger nor envy nor evill will hath made mee speake or write any one thing against truth and my Conscience You are to observe that Bolseck being scandaliz'd with Calvins life became Catholick Then hee relates how Caluin was borne at Noyon in Picardy anno 1509. and was a Priest and branded for Sodomy with a burning Iron upon the shoulder and therefore retyred from his Country and how this punishment was testiyed by the Citty of Noyon under the hand of a publique sworne Notary to Monsieur Berteliet Secretary to the Councell of Geneva which testimony faith Bolseck is yet extant and I and others have seen it hee then tells us of Calvins incontinency with a gentle woeman of Mongis who stealing from her husband at Lausanna made aboad at Geneva with Calvin hee alsoe speaks of his adulterous attempting at Geneva of the Lady Ioland of Bredrode wife to a sickly noble man called Iames Burgoigne Lord of Fallaise in soe much as shee perswaded her husband to leave Geneva and goe to Lausanna where shee revealed the whole matter Then hee discribes his delicate Diet how his wine was choyce and carryed with him in a silver pott when hee dyn'd a broad that alsoe speciall bread was made for Calvin only and the same made of fyne flower wett in Rose-water mingled in Sugar Sinamon Annaiseeds besides a singular kinde of bisquit and this hee affirmeth as a matter knowne to all Geneva This delicasy of Diet was not prescribed to preserve his health but prepared to foment his lust and lewd Conversation with a Gentlemans wife of Lausanna and others This Calvin impious Calvin after hee had broaken and defaced the Images of Christ and Saints in Geneva caus'd his owne picture to bee set up in severall places and used alsoe to give little pictures and Images of himselfe to Gentle-woemen and Gentlemen to carry about theire necks And when one told him that some thought much of this hee answered Qui non potest hoc ferre rumpatur invidia That is Hee that cannot abide it let him burst with envy O prophane Hipocrit that preferd his owne picture to the Image of Christ Hee attempted the working of a miracle to prove his extraordinary Vocation and Mission to augment his owne creditt and to cheate the world with a fained Miracle you shall see how hee came of It happen'd thus Hee agree'd with a poore man called Bruleus a Tayler to faigne himselfe dead promising him great rewards if hee acted his part handsomly in this Trage-comedy and would bee secret none knew of the plot but Bruleus and his wife who upon the day and hower appointed satt in her house lamenting her husbands death Calvin passing by with agreat number of his frinds as it were by chance and hearing the Lamentation of the poore woeman seemed to pitty her sad Condition and moved forsooth with Charity and Compassion fell downe upon his knees with the rest of his Company praying in a loud voyce and beg'd of God that for the manifestation of his Glory and for the Confirmation of his servant Calvins Doctrin and Mission hee would vouchsafe to revive the dead Carcass which hee took by the hand and bid him rise in the name of the Lord. The wife seeing her husband did not move or rise as hee had promised drew neer and preceiving hee who had beene well but halfe an houre before was now dead lamented in good earnest the loss of her husband reviled Calvin as a murtherer cheate Hypocrit heretick c. And related to the whole Company what had past between them Calvin seeing Bruleus had acted his part more naturally then hee wished retired with hast and confusion to his Lodging This is one of the miracles of Heretick Prophets such as an Arian Heretick did worke when hee made a man blinde that saw well before this made Tertulian say Isti Apostoli de mortuis Tertul. de prescrip suscitabant ipsi Heretici de vivis Mortuos faciunt That is The Apostles rayse the dead to life and the Hereticks make those dye that were living Conradus Schlusselburge a man of Principall estimation in the Protestant Church and noe less learned and as great an Enemy to the Pope as Calvin himselfe giveth this publick Testimony of Calvins fearfull end Deus manu Schlusselburge in Theolog Calvin printed
in Heresie And by very reasons of state and the Law of Nations hee was bound to doe soe and to this purpose conduced the wise Councell Mecaenas gave to Augvstus as an axiome contra Novatores as Dyon recordeth Libro 52. Eos qui indivinis aliquid innovant odio habe coerce non deorum solum causa quos tamen qui contemnit nec sant aliud quidquam magni fecerit sed quia nova quaedam numina ij tales introducentes multos impellunt ad mutationem rerum Vnde conjurationes seditiones conciliabula res profecto minime conducibiles Principatui That is Hate those said Mecaenas to Augustus that make any change in Religion and chastise them not only for respect of the Gods though hee that contemneth them shall neuer doe any great thing but because those that introduce new Gods doe stirre up the people to mutation and discorde from this springs up conspiracies seditions and dangerous meetings and consultations things noe way agreable or profitable to the Kingdome And surely by such innovation did Beza insinuate himselfe into the favour of the discontented Princes as Conde Collignie and others and there by cast the strong and flourishing Kingdom of France into such convulsions as it hardly ever recovered its former strength and vigour Noe man did ever more vilefy and contemne the holy Fathers then this wanton Poet his insolency here in is intollerable Will you heare him utter the greatest petulancy that could be spooken Itaque dicere nec immerito quidem Beza ia Epist Theolâ— printed Geneve 1572. Epist 1 pag. 5. ut opinor consuevi dum illa tempora Apostolicis etiam proxima cum nostris comparo plus illos Conscientiae scientiae minus habuisse nos contrá scientiae plus Conscientiae minus habere haec mea sententia est Therfore saith Beza I was acustomed to say and not without reason when I compare those tymes even next to the Apostles with our tymes that they the Fathers had more of Conscience and less of Science and wee on the other side haue more learning and less Conscience then they c. As for Conscience hee said most true but to preferre himselfe and his Brethern Sectaries in learning to the ancient Fathers hee would not have don it unless the Spirit of lying and pride had throughly possessed him That wee may loose noe more tyme with this man of abomination that preferrs Calvin to all the Fathers in this language Magnus ille Ioannes Calvinus beatae memoriae veteres recentiores omnes longè superauit That is The great Iohn Calvin of blessed memory did farre excell all the antient Fathers and later Authors alsoe Hee means in expounding and interpreting Scriptures Let mee tell you what Heshusius a Hesh in libro Verae Sanae Confessionis c. learned Protestant says of him worsse cannot be said Spurcissimus suis moribus dedecori fuit ipsis diciplinis honestis quique nefandos amoris illiciti concubitus scortationes faeda Adulteria Sacrilego Carmine decantavit orbi non contentus eo quod ipse more porci in fimo volutaret nisi etiam aures studiosae juventutis sua illuvie contaminaret That is Beza by his most dishonest and villanous manners was a staine to honnest studyes and learning who published to the world in wanton sacrilegious vers vnlawfull and horrible coppulations of his beastly love horedomes and filthy Adulteryes Let us make an end with that knowne and scandalous Epigram by him made of his inordinat liking to his Ganimed termed Andebertus and to his young woeman called Candida in which as therby appeareth hee much debateth whether sinn hee may preferre and in the end concludeth with preferring the boy before his Candida The Epigram hath this tytle Theodorus Beza de sua in candidam Andibertum benevolentia It beginns thus Ab est Candida Beza quid motaris Andebertus ab est quid hic moraris Tenent Parisii tuos amores habent aurely tuos Lepores tu Vezelys mauere pergis procul candidula amoribusque Imo Vezely procul valete vale pater valete fratres nam Vezelys carere possum carere his illis At non Candidula Andibertoque g sed utrum ergo praeferam duorum utrum invisere me decet Priorem An quenquam tibi Candida anteponam An quenquam anteferam tibi Andeberte Quid si me in geminas secem ipse partes harum ut altera Candidam revisat currat altera versus Andebertum At est Candida sic auara novi ut totum cupiat tenere Bezam sic Bezae est cupidus suus Andebertus Beza ut gestiat integro potiri Amplector quoque sic hunc illam ut totus cupiam videre utrumque integris frui integer duobus h Praeferre attamen alterum uecesse est ó duram nimium necessitatem sed postquam tamen alterum necesse est Priores tibi defero Andiberte qnod si Candida forte conqueratur quid tum Basiolo tacebit uno Who understands this Epigram may tell you how fitt a man Beza was to reforme the Church or if God would Chuse such an uncleane Monster to doe it XIII CHAPTER A Brief Relation of the manners and Conversation of others of the Protestant Religion and pretended Reformers of the Church THose were Zwinglius Philip Melankion and others Of Zwinglius HEe was a Priest and Chanon of Constantia Prince of the Sacramentarians a seditious and turbulent man Hee had a conferrence with an evill Spiritt utrum albus an ater whither hee was white or black hee did not know and upon the same hee abolished the Mass as Luther did before him Hee at once with other votary Priestes as continent men as himself offer'd a petition to the Helvetian common wealth which Englished goeth thus Wee ernestly request that the use of Mariage be not deny'd to us who feeling the infirmity of our Flesh perceive that the love of Chastity is not given us by God for if wee consider the words of Paul wee shall finde with him noe other cause of Mariage then for to satisfy the lustfull desires of the Flesh a Carnall saying and false which to burne in us wee may not deny seeing that by means hierof wee are made infamous before the congregation Was not this a fyne Confession of Zwinglius and Companions hee had still in his mouth this bloody saying Evangelium fitit sangunem That is The Ghospell thursteth after blood Indevouring by fighting and by bloodshed to inforce his new Ghospell upon some Cantons and Countrys of the Switzers hee was slaine armed in a Battle And Luther gave this noble Character of him Obiit latro armatâ—â— obiit That is The theefe dy'd and hee dy'd armed Now Sall think on it if this man came from God or the Devill Phillip Melankton A Devine of eminent rank among Protestants prefered by Luther to Saint Austin himselfe maintained three distinct Divinities as there are three distinctt persons Hee taught
that this Doctrin was first invented in the tyme of that Councell The Canon or Diffinition of that great Councell was In haec Verba Verum Christi Corpus sanguis in hoc Sacramento Altaris sub speciebus Panis Vini ver aceter continentur Transubstantiatis Pane in Corpus Vino in Sanguinem potestate divina For the better declaring of this truth Sall you know the Church doth not make new Articles of Faith when it defines any controverted Doctrin It only declares that such Doctrin was delivered to the primative Church and soe downe along to us and groundeth its difinition upon Scripture or authentick Tradition As the Protestants object against Transubstantiation that it is a nouelty Soe did the Arrians against Consubstantiality that it was a novelty brought in by the Councell of Nice wheras said Councell did only define Consubstantiality to have been from the Apostles tyme an Article of Faith and decreed the same should be declared and signify'd by the word Omousion in like manner the Councell of Lateran did define for a mistery of faith Transubstantiation which was soe before theire Difinition and then they agreed upon the word Transubstantiation but the thing by that word signifyed was before beleeved as an Article of Faith by the whole Church though expressed in other tearms as those of Mutation Transmutation Transelementation Conversion of the Bread and Wine into the Body and Bloud of Christ In the mean tyme I can not understand how Sall a new Sacramentarian should dispute with us about the Doctrin of Transubstantiation seing hee slattly denyes the Body and Bloud of Christ to be realy and substantially present in the Sacrament What is more impertinent then to dispute of the manner of a thing or being that you hould has noe being The Lutherans who beleeve the Body and Bloud of Christ to be realy and substantially in the Sacrament though erroniously they likwise hould Bread to be there have some reason to dispute with us about the manner of Christes being there by Transubstantiation or otherwise The first Hereticks that impugned Transubstantiation were the Capharnites who said Quomodo potest hic nobis carnem Ioanes Cap. 6. suam dare ad manducandum And againe Durus est hic sermo When our Saviour said I am the living Bread that came downe from heaven If any man eat of this Bread hee shall live for ever and the Bread which I will give is my flesh for the life of the World The Iewes therfore strove among themselves saying How can this man give us his Flesh to eat This saying is hard and who can heare it Sall you see by this is becom a Capharnite and in this point soe are all that imbrace the XXXIX Articles of the Church of England About the yeare 780. certaine Greek Hereticks called Iconomachi held this Sacrament to be only an Image of Christ and that his Body was not realy in the Sacrament In the yeare 800. one Ioannes Scotus of the Latin Church fell into the same Heresie and after him two ages and more in the year 1050 Berengarius denyed Transubstantiation and the Real-Presence Before these men none did impugne this high mistery of Faith but all the Church did quietly and unanimously beleeve the Real-Presence of the Body and Bloud of Christ in the Sacrament and the aforesaid Iconomachi and all other in this point were confuted by the Fathers and condemned by the Church in severall generall Councells The latter Hereticks as Zwinglians Calvinists and and the like Sacramentarians have alsoe been condemned by the Church In this high point of Doctrin wee are to beleeve and maintain what the Canons and Counsells of the holy Church have defined as that of Lateran aboue cited and others and of the Councell of Trent expressly and distinctly Concil Triden Sess 13. Cap. 1. 2. 3. 6. difining this mistery in the 13. Session in the sixth Chapter it defines more especially the Doctrin of Transubstantiation which is the Conversion of the whole substance of Bread into the substance of the Body of Christ our Lord and of the whole Substance of Wine into the Substance of his Bloud Quae Conversio soe ends the Chapter convenienter propriè a Sancta Catholica Ecclesia Transubstantiatio est appellata The first Canon is in haec verba Si Cone Triden Sess 13. Canon 1. 2. 6. quis negaverit in Sanctissimae Eucharistiae Sacramento contineri vere realiter substantialiter Corpus Sanguinem una cum anima divinitate Domini nostri Iesu Christi ac proinde totum Christum sed dixerit tantummodo esse in eo ut in signo Vel figura aut virtute Anathema sit This Canon is point-blanck against Calvinians and Sacramentarians The second Canon is against Wicklefians and Lutherans the sixth doth define the Worship of Adoration due to our Saviour in the holy Sacrament of the Eucharist Wee cannot follow better guides and masters herein then the ancient Fathers men inspired by God in theire writings who all of them concerning the Sacrament of the Aulter have beleeu'd as wee doe and asserted the true and Catholick Doctrin touching the same in theire writings if Sall hath any esteem for those holy men let him take paines to read theire writings and hee shall finde I promise him that they all held this Article to bee of Faith to witt that Christ is realy and substantialy present in this Sacrament by Transubstantiation or Conversion of the whole Substance of Bread and Wine into his Body and Bloud I will not goe lower then the fifth age because Ptotestants regard not the Authority of Fathers later then that age in which liued Chrisostom Hierom Cyryllus of Alexandria Augustin Proclus Constantinopolitanus Theolet Gelasius Leo Hillarius Eusebius Emissenus c. In the fourth Century wherin the first Councell of Nice was celebrated Athanasius Hillarius Cyrillus of Hierusalem Ambrose Basill Optatus Gregorius Nyzenus Gregorius Nazianzenus Epiphanius In the third age lived Origen Tertulian Cyprian In the second Iustinus Martyr Pius Pope Irinaeus In the first the tyme of the Apostles Ignatius Dionisius Ariopagita Pollicarpe and others Out of all these Fathers and many more can be produced an infinity of passages clearly declaring that they beleeved the Real-Presence and maintained Transubstantiation or the thing therby signifyed and beleeved and that it was delivered from age to age from the Apostles tyme and that this was the Faith of the whole Church I will content my selfe which I hope will content my Reader in aleaging the Authorityes of some of them Tertulian who lived in the third age says Caro abluitur ut anima emaculetur Tertul lib. do Resurrectione carnis caro ungitur ut anima consecretur Caro Corpore Sanguine Christi vescitur ut anima de Deo saginetur That is The Flesh of man is washed with true substantiall Water that the Soule may be cleansed the Flesh is anoynted with true Oyle that the Soule
Scriptures wherin those Miracles are found as for Church Miracles they seem to make noe more account of them then of fables or of ridiculous things but holy men and those that feare God doe much esteem them by Church Miracles I first understand such as the most antient fathers have left upon record never questioned never call'd into doubt by any 2. I understand by Church Miracles such as in latter ages have been aproved by the Sea Apostolique chiefly at the Canonization of Saints wherof wittnesses have been produced upon oath and all Imaginable sinserity or severity rather used to avoyd heresies and to make truth openly knowne Wee Catholicks distinguish between the received Miracles of the Church and those which particular men relate wherof some are only probable others Dubious others false the Protestants doth not distinguish them but make all fish that coms to Nett The Catholicks alsoe distinguish the Miracles of Christ and other Miracles those of Christ are immediatly wrought by God and the other by Gods servants but In Nomine virtute Dei soe that Christ is the Magnus Thaumaturgus quia sine illo nihil possumus facere when one baptizeth Saint Augustin doth affirme that Christ doth Baptize with him even soe wee say when any of Gods servants workes a wonder Christ works that Miracle with him and consequently all the Miracles of the Saints are Christs Miracles If Sall and other Protestants shall deny Gods servants to have received from Christ the power of working Miracles I say Sall and his Companions in this doe not beleeve the Prophesie of Christ saying expresly Amen Amen I say unto you hee Ioan. cap. 14. that beleeves in mee the works that I doe hee alsoe shall doe and greater works then these shall hee doe These are Christes owne words who cannot deceive or be deceived For a more exact notice of the nature of Miracles and how they are differenced I remitt my reader to an excellent Treatise printed at Antwerp anno 1674. Thus intitled The Infallibility of the Catholick Church and her miracles Now that Miracles are not Monstrous as Sall prophanely speaks but Glorious and the true seals and Characters of the true Religion and Church the ensuing Chapter will declare XXI CHAPTER Of undeniable Miracles proving the Faith and Sanctity of the true Church Mi ∣ racle 1 VVHen the people of Israel were most devided in matter of Religion and very many of them bended theire knees to Baal the Prophet Elias said to them in zeale and Anger How long halt you of two sides if Lib. 3. cap. 18. our Lord be God follow him if Baal follow him And the people did not answer him aword Such a zealous postulation is necessary to those that are neither hott nor cold in Religion but luke-warme such as the Angells themselves detest Apocall Cap. 3. then the Prophet made a motion to them of clearing the truth in point of Religion between him and the Priests of Baal by that famous undoubted Miracle of burning an Ox upon the Alter without kindling fyre under this way was well approved of by the people and they all answering said a very good proposition Gods Prophet was but one and alone in this conflict and the Prophets of Baal then present 450. The reason wherfore the people willingly condescended to the Prophets proposition was that in common sence they judged that God would not permitt a falshood to be confirmed by Miracle in soe publique a tryall where the veracity of God was soe particularly concerned on the other side the Prophets of Baal durst not refuse soe faire an ofter as Elias made in the presence of all the people fearing they would fall from them and the Worship of Baal their God What end say you had this faire Tryall who had the Victory who but Elias the true servant and Prophet of God The Priestes of Baal began to pray and cry upon Baal theire God with great fervour and many Ceremonyes they cryed till noon-day the tyme the Sacrifice should be burnt but their God Baal sent them noe fyre Then Elias after gering the foolish prayres and exclamations of those 450. Prophane Priestes of the Idol Baal began to pray to the living God in this kind Lord God of Abraham and Isaac and Israel shew this day that thou art the God of Israel and I thy servant and that according to thy Commaundement I have done all these things Heare mee Lord heare mee that these people may learne that thou art our Lord God and that thou hast converted theire hart againe And the fire of our Lord fell and devoured the Holacaust and the wood and the stones licking alsoe the dust and the Water that was in the Water gutter Which when all the People had seen they fell on theire face and said Our Lord hee is God our Lord hee is God Sall two things you may here observe the first that the people of Israel seeing the Miracle of the fyre coming from heaven detested Baal and adored God crying out Our Lord hee is God our Lord hee is God Secondly That the Devills power was here restrained and soe chained that hee was not able to help those Priestes of Baal demaunding fyre from him to burne the Holocaust and soe it is still when Miracles are attempted for the Tryall of truth then only truth will be testifyed and Sathan confounded having noe power to the contrary which is according to that of Saint Mark Our Lord working with Mark cap. 16. all and confirming the Doctrin with signes following And why should not I in this place in the name of the Catholick Church make such an offer to Sall and all his Protestants in England Ireland and Scotland as Elias made to the Priestes of Baal I hope they will be asham'd to refuse it for that were to confess that the Roman Doctrin is true and theirs false The Roman Church the true Church and the Protestants the false Sall let us not delude the people with School subtilitys 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 try'd 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 those of the Reformation or all the Protestants of the World to work or mention any one Miracle ever yet wrought by any Protestant to confirme any one point of Doctrin or Religion wherin they differ from the Roman Catholick Gentlemen summon your Synods search into all Historyes Prophane and Sacred set your heads to gether and produce at least some probable testimony of as much as one Miracle to grace your Reformations Mi ∣ racle 2 When the same Prophet Elias raised from death to life the child of the Widow of Sareptha of the Sidonians and delivered him to his Mother and Lib. 3. Regum cap. 1â—8 said to her behold
thy sonne liveth And the woeman said to Elias now in this I have knowne that thou art a man of God and the word of our Lord in thy mouth is true Sall wilt thou beleeve that the Miracle made this woeman beleeve Mi ∣ racle 3 When the Prophet Elizeus raised to life the dead child of the Sunamite saying to her Take thy sonne Lib. 4. Regum Cap. 4. Shee came and fell at his feet and adored upon the ground and took her Sonne and went out c. Behold Sall the force of the Miracle Miracle 4 This is a pretious one the preservation of Sidrach Misach and Abdenago three of the Children of Israell in the midst of the flames of burning fyre where they walked in the midst of Dan. Cap. 3. the flame praysing God and blessing our Lord. And did not Nabuchodnozor moved with this Miracle breaking forth say Blessed be the God of Sidrach Misach and Abdenago who had sent his Angell and had delivered his Servants that beleeved in him And after said By mee therfore this decree is made that every people tribe and tongue whatsoever shall speak Blasphemy against the God of Sidrach Misach and Abdenago hee perrish and his house be wasted for there is none other God that can soe save This Miracle made Nabuchodonozor confesse There was noe God could save but the God of Israel In the Law of Grace you will finde that God gave the power of working Miracles to witt of casting out Devills Math. cap. 10. of curing all manner of Infirmityes Where our saviour says to his Diciples And going preach saying That the Kingdom of heaven is at hand Cure the sick raise the dead cleans the lepers cast out Divells gratis you have received gratis give ye Mark Mark cap. 16. 2. Cor. cap. 12. the Evangelist doth attest the same Saint Paul alsoe avouched Miracles for the signes of his Apostle-ship The Miracles of Saint Peter and the rest of the Apostles are many and evident as is manifest by undenyable tradition All this being soe goe now Sall and tell thy Protestants Miracles wrought in the Catholick Church are Monstrous But if you will know the Miracles wrought by Hereticks Tertullian in a few words wil give you an account therof hee speaking of the Apostles said Apostoli de mortuis vivos saciebant Tert. de prescr That is The Apostles gives dead men life And then speaking of Marcion Valentinus Nigidius Hermogenes and other Hereticks said Isti de vivis mortuos faciunt These make living men dye soe is it speaking of mens Soules and somtymes of theire Bodyes as the Miracle of Calvin upon the Taylior Bruleus and of a certaine Arian that made aman seeing well quite blinde Another grave Father tells us of another kind of wonders Hereticks doe Invenerunt saith hee Matres quas de captivis monialibus fecerunt mulieres That is Of Nuns who were in theire power as it were captives they made woeman and Mothers Luther Beza Bucer Ochinus Peter Martyr and hundreds more wanton Monks Priests and Apostata's were excellent at working such Miracles Here Sall will tell mee hee makes noe question or doubt of Miracles attested in holy Scripture if soe hee must confess they are undenyable signes and proofs of a true Church and Religion and though they were says hee you cannot conclude other Miracles to be soe hee means Church Miracles and all such as are not found in Scripture these are they hee accounts for Monstrous Yet Luther himselfe confesseth these Words of Christ Hee that beleeveth in mee Iohn cap. 14. the works that I doe hee shall doe and greater Are understood of the power Christ left of working Miracles to the whole Body of the Church in whome this Vertue doth shine for ever and your English Bibles Edit 1576. in the marginall notes referrs this power to the whole Body of the Church A Deo discimus saith Luther accepimus aeternum verbum veritatem Luther Tom. 7. Lib. de Iudois c. fol. 220 Dei hactenus mille quingentis annis Miraculis signis consessam confirmatam That is Wee have learn'd and received from God the eternall Word and Verity of God hither to a thousand and five hundred years to have been confessed and confirmed by Miracles and Wonders But Protestants now a days contradict their holy Father Luther in this particular as all men must who maintaine errors and say when wee press them to relate some of theire Miracles that Miracles are now superfluous and therfore none wrought in the Church And some hold them ridiculous but Sall goes further saying they are Monstrous But I shall aleage some Miracles in Confirmation of the Roman Catholick Doctrin and more especially of Transubstantiation that some Protestants themselves will acknowledg to bee Miracles of undoubted creditt XXII CHAPTER Six Miracles confirming the Doctrin of the Catholick Church touching Transubstantiation and the Adoration of Christ in the Sacrament SAint Nilus relateth how Saint Ghrysostome S. Nilus in Ep. ad Anastasium almost every day had visions of Angells assisting and adoring the blessed Sacrament untill the Sacrifice was finished In the Ecclesiasticall History is recorded this example which Euagrius Euagr. Orthodoxus lib. 4. cap. 35. anno D. 552. writt as a thing notorius and done in his owne Tyme In the Tyme of Patriarck Menas saith hee there happened a Miracle worthy to be remembred It was an ancient Custome in Constantinople A Miracle for the Communion under one Kinde when many Parcels of the pure and unspotted Body of Christ our God were remaining after Communion little Children were caled out of the Schools and were permitted to eat them It happened that a little boy whose Father was a Iew by Profession and a maker of glass by his Trade being among the rest did eat alsoe his share of the aforesaid Reversion of the blessed Sacrament but coming some what late home and his parents demaunding the cause the child told innocently what hee had done which the Iew his Father understanding was soe enraged that unawares to his wife hee cast his little sonne into the burning ouen wherin hee us'd to melt and frame his glass The Mother missing the child sought for him three days together but hearing noe news of him abroad shee returned home with an heavy hart and sitting downe at the work-house house doore shee began to bewail the loss of her Sonne caling him by his name the boy hearing and knowing his Mothers call did answer within the oven where at the woeman starting burst the work-house doore and rushing in espied her child standing amidst the coles without receiving any harme After coming out being demaunded how hee escaped burning soe long a woe man said hee came often Tymes unto mee and brought mee water to quench the force of the fyer wherwith I was invironed and withall gave mee meat as often as I was hungry This accident being told unto the emperoor
have said of this Miracle is but a Papisticall dreame or fable if hee say soe the Testimony of the Miracle before soe many thousands and the Examination therof upon the Saints Canonization will prove him impudent and if hee shall say that Consecrated Host which Saint Bernard held between his hands over the Patena which the Saint said was the same Body that took Flesh from the Body of the blessed Virgin was not the true Body of Christ hee affirms the Saint to bee a cheat and if this hee says wee shall make bold without being unmannerly to averre that hee belyes the Saint and that what hee says is a callumny In a word there is noe way left for Sall to discreditt this Miracle The other Miracle wher with Saint Bernard daunted and terrify'd William Earle or Duke of Aquitaine and changed as wee may say a Lyon into a Lamb happened thus This Duke took part with Antipape Petrus Leo against Innocentius the true Pope and in this Opposition shew'd great obstinacy and used great Tyranny against all those that obeyed Innocentius and stuck to him in his Canonicall Election hee deprived severall Church-men of their Benefices thrust out violently Bishops out of their Chaires and Churches and did very great Outrages against many of his subjects It was found meet and fitting to reason with this furious man and try if hee could be reduced to a due obedience and agreement with the Popes party to this purpose Saint Bernard the Bishop of Chartres with many other persons of quallity came to conferr with the Duke The holy man seeing him stubborne and refusing to reconsile himselfe to the Bishops and Church-men hee had oppressed betook himselfe to stronger weapons that is to say began Mass with great feruour and deuotion and coming to Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi c. Came abroad the Duke being forbidden to assist at Mass did not enter the Church with the Sacrament over the Patena and began to handle this proude Prince in this kinde The above mentioned Author of Saint Bernards life relates the History in this manner Homo Dei c. That is The Guliel Abbas in vita S. Bern. lib. 2. cap. 6. man of God not now carrying himselfe like an ordinary man puts the Body of our Lord upon the Patena and takes it with him and with an angry countenance and flaming eyes not praying but threatning came a broad and setts upon Duke William with the ensuing vehement words Wee have hithertoe pray'd you and you have dispised us in our last meeting of some servants of God the whole multitude humbly besought you and you contemned us all behold now coms to you the sonne of the virgin who is head and Lord of the Church whome you persecute thy Iudge here is present in whose name all knees bend in heaven on Earth and in Hell thy Iudge is present in whose hands thy Soule shall com Will you dispise him as you have contemned us his poore Servants All then upon the place powered forth teares and all attentive to theire Prayres waited for the end of the bussiness and cogitations of all suspended did expect some devine and great Matter to be done The Duke seeing the Abbott coming upon him in a vehement Spiritt and carrying in his hands the most Blessed Body of Christ feared mainly and trembling in all the members of his Body was like a man stiff of cold in this trembling and feare fell upon the ground and lifted up by the Soldiers fell againe upon his face nor had hee power to speak a word nor look upon any Body his great beard all defiled with spittle breathing out deep sights look't like a man in the Fallen-sickness Then the man of God came neare unto him and touching him with his foot commaunded him to rise and stand upon his feet and heare the Sentence and Iudgment of God upon him Heer is present saith the Saint the Bishop of Potiers whome you violently thrust out of his Church goe and make peace with him and bring him back to his Church and for Satisfying God give him Glory for the contumely you have show'd and in all your Dominions commaund your People to obey Innocentius the true Pope and have noe more to doe you nor they with Anti-Popes What will you doe William of Aquitaine imbraced the Bishop of Potiers and the rest and obeyed in all glorify'd God and became afterwards a great Saint Sall doe you take the tameing of this fierce Lyon of Aquitaine by the Lamb of God Christ Iesus in the Sacrament in the hands of his servant Saint Bernard wrought by him take you this I say for a Miracle Noe man will bee soe impudent as to deny the creditt of the History published and beleeved over all the World and beleeving the History you must confesse this Wonder was done in Confirmation of Transubstantiation Did ever your Piece of Bread in your figurative Sacrament cast to the ground a furious impious Tyrant as Duke William was or cast out a Devill as the Sacrament in Saint Bernards hands did in Millan Goe now Sall a furious zealott in your new Religion and Preach to your Bretheren that Miracles are Monstrous XXIII CHAPTER Certaine Advertisments to said Sall. First Hereticks are knowne by certaine Marks 1. HEreticks deny and hate Tradiditions soe saith the Counsell of Nice 2. Hereticks accuse the ancient Fathers of Ignorance and blindness soe saith Saint Bernard 3. Hereticks dispise thâ— head of the Church and speak contumeliously of him soe affirms Saint Cyprian and Augustin 4. Hereticks say and uphold there is noe need nor use of Miracles 5. Hereticks say they are sent extraordinarily from God to reforme the Church and sanctify the World and yet they work noe Miracles the true signes of such a Mission 6. Hereticks mock the simplicity of Priests Innocent the third a learned Popâ— affirms this saying Simplicitatem Sacerdotem illudunt Heretici 7. Hereticks cannot give reason of theire Chaire nor prove theire Succession from the Apostles 8. Hereticks are still disputing but will in the end beleeve nothing but what themselves hold 9. An Heretick defends his owne opinion with pride and obstinacy soe saith Saint Augustin Cap. 10. Lib. 9. De Civitati Dei 10. Hereticks love not the vettue of chastity they hate saith Saint Hierom the Virgin and Virginity Difficile est saith Tertulian Hereticum invenire qui diligat castitatem It is hard to finde an Heretick that is a lover of Chastity These are the marks of an Heretick as ancient Fathers obseru'd I leave Sall to consider to whome these marks can be fittly atributed to Roman Catholicks or Protestants Wee come now to a Litany of Hereticks George l'Apostre a French Author hath this Litany in a worke intitled Le Tombeau des Heretiques Hee calls the Litany La Litanie Hugenote Hee begins thus 1. CAin denyed the Providence of God and the meritt of good VVorks and then says to the Hugenotes Vous
hand of God All which Articles saith this Doctor doth Calvin willfully corrupt in his expositions in the favour of Iewes Arians and other such enemyes of Christ which hee proveth by alleadging above forty or fifty places citing Calvins owne words and commentaryes therupon soe clearly and perspicuously against sence and expositions of all holy Fathers that if his commentaryes therin were to bee admitted those foure named points or Articles of Christian Religion can not be defended against the force and adversaryes of Christes name And is not this a brotherly agreement between Lutherans and Calvinistes in Principall points and misteryes of Religion but the Lutherans have the best of it for wheras Luther and his followers to this day condemne the Calvinists as Hereticks especially for not beleeving the Body of Christ to bee realy and substantially present in the Sacrament of the Altar the Protestants of England who are Calvinists and deny the Real-presence hold Luther for a holy man and theire Father and hold all the Lutherans theire very deare bretheren in Christ as Doctor Whitaker above cited doth averre To leave Germany and to speak of the Professors of Protestanisme in England Scotland doe not many of them entertaine quarrells and falings-out among themselves about Principall Articles of Religion doe not the greatest part by much of the Protestants in England hold the King is supreme head of the Church all of one opinion with the Bishops maintaine this as an Article of Religion in that Protestant Church but the Protestants of Geneva and all depending upon theire Doctrin in France and elswhere doe not hold this Kingly supremacy for an Article of Faith and are not Catholicks punished by Law and somtymes put to death for denying this supremasy which would be a meer murthering of them and the greatest cruelty in the World if those that put them to death did not hold that supremecy to be an Article of Faith Now if you will be pleas'd to demaund what those Protestants in England and Scotland caled Presbiterians or Puritans say to this Article they flattly deny this supremacy to be an Article of Faith though none of them did ever suffer death for denying the same nay they are esteemed not with standing theire opinion in this to be of the Protestants communion A gaine all Protestants that follow the Bishops hold the dignity and superiority of Arch-Bishops and Bishops to be agrecable to Gods word and as the Devines speak de Iure Devino and what say the Presbiterians to this By theire Champion Martin Mar-Prelate and his mutenous moke-bates that band under his cullors cry all of them in the Name of the Lord as Thomas Rogers doth attest That the calling of Bishops is In his Sermon printed by Iohn windet 1590. pa. 13. unlawfull that they be Ministers of Antichrist worss then Fryers and Monks Deuills Bishops and Deuills In-carnate Sall you must grant mee these dissentions between Protestants and Protestants in England and Scotland about the Kings supremacy and the Order and Dignity of Bishops are not Triueall but Fundamentall and they have been now many years contending in theire Writings and Conferrences and still are about these points and others that are the very sinews and Soule of theire Religion in endless quarrells and Contensions If that were my Business I could sett downe many and great differrences quarells and contensions between these two kinde of Protestants In this place I think it pertinent to say somthing particularly of the Protestants called Presbiterians who were neuer by any act of Parlament that wee could heare of proscribed from the Communion of the Protestants that stick to the Religion of the King and the Bishops Impiety Fury and Rebellion gave beginning to this Sect and Religion in Scotland as hath been aboue said in Page 164. and 165. They had two Reformations the first was begun by Iohn Knox an Apostata Priest and though his Reformation was ungodly and unreasonable the second was farre more unreasonable and ungodly A Presbiterian that was converted to the Catholick Faith describes the Presbiterian Piety in this kinde There was among us a pretext of Piety but wee had not the substance of it wee had indeed much preaching praying fasting and such like exercises but our long preachings were nothing but continuall prayses of the Covenant the solemne League which they cry'd up to the heavens butt wee omitted as our Saviour observed of the Pharisies the weighty Matters of the Law as Iudgment Mercy and Faith Our Ministers told us wee were the happiest People of the World for they said wee only of all Nations had the honour to be Covenanters with God and that wee had the truth of the Ghospell in greater purity then Geneva it selfe that wee had soe cleare a light that the like had not shined to any Nation since the tymes of the Apostles yea one who was esteemed a principall Apostle among us did not stick to say in the pulpitt amidst the many Miserys Confusions and Troubles which then lay upon this Church and Nation That the Angells and Saints of heaven if they could leave the sight of God would be glad to come downe and see the admirable beauty of the Presbiterian Church of Scottland Soe farre this new Catholick And was not this ridiculous preacher with the beauty of his Scottish Kirck a great Hipocrite and Pharisie It was much observed that shortly after solemne fastes of Presbiterians the country and state was allways sure of some unhappy claps the puritan fast was still fatal and ordinarily a preparation to some violence or evill worke that was intended this made many understand what Queene Mary Stuart meant by that famous saying That shee was as much affraid of a fast of the Ministers as of an Army of Souldiers for experience taught her that those fasts were prognostick signes of ensuing tempests theire long prayers alsoe did not prove them to be Saints more then the like did sanctify the Pharasyes they bragged much of the spiritt but shew'd noe fruites therof these bee the fruites of the spiritt which Saint Paul recounts to the Galatians The fruite of Ad Galat. cap. 5. the spiritt saith hee is love joy peace long suffering Gentelnesse goodness Faith meekness c. This second Presbiterian â—eformation beganne with a prodigious abolishment of all holy things Mala arbor Malos fructus faciâ— 1. They condemned and cast downe Episcopacy this they doe whersoever they have power quite contrary to the Law of God for Episcopacy is de Iure Divino This order and degree they abhor'd as Tyrannicall and Anti-Christian yet Saint Paul writing to Timothey saith If a man desireth a Bishops Office hee desireth 1. Tim. cap. 3. a good thing The Apostle likewise affirmeth that Bishops are to Order Priests and Iudge them wherfore hee saith in his Epistle to Titus That hee left Ad Titum Cap. 1. him in Cret to Order Priestes by Cittys By this it is plaine and evident that
Apostolicale will you heare these holy men speake in theire owne Cathechisme Albe it say they the substance of the Doctrine comprised Catebhisme VVest infine in the abridgment commonly called th' Apostles Creed be fully sett forth in each of the Cathechismes soe as there is noe necessity of incerting the Creed it selfe Yet it is here anexed not as though it were composed by the Apostles What new masters or rather Monsters are these What ungodly pestiferrous Doctrin is this to say and teach the Creed is a human Collection and not made by the Apostles this they declared as was said and after such Declaration they did not say it neither did they require it to be said any more of others as the custome was formerly at Babtising infants all this they did to put the Creed out of Estimation and use now this Innovation calling the Creed in question the beleevers therafter could be sure of nothing Thus the Presbyterians indeavered to dash th' Authority of the Cymbol the principall foundation of Religion O abomination of furious zealots that would change the Apostolicall Creed which was taught for such and soe beleeved and esteemed in all ages by the consent of all Christian Nations and said dayly by all the Servants of God young and old But against the Impiety of those men wee have the Authority and Testimony of all the ancient Fathers for the Credit and Estimation of the Creed Cardinall Barronius in the first tome of Baron Tom. 1. Annal. an 44. N. 15. seq his Annals doth shew by the Testimony of the holy and ancient Fathers that the Creed was composed by the holy Apostles a little before they were to part and goe into severall Countryes to preach the Ghospell unto the Gentils to the end there might bee a certaine short cleare rule of Faith in which they all agreed wherin they were to instruct all persons and by which as by a certaine badge all Christians might be knowne Be pleased now to heare the Fathers speak of the Symbol Saint Ambrose saith Let us beleeve the Symbol S. Amb. Serm. 18. Epist 81. of the Apostles which the Roman Church doth ever preserve and keepe inviolate Saint Hierom saith The Symbol of our Faith and hope which was delivered by th' Apostles is not written in Paper or Ink but in the fleshly Tables of the hart Saint Augustin speaks thus The comprehension Aug. Serm. 42. de trad and perfection of our Faith is the Creed It is simple saith hee short and full That its simplicity might serve the rudeness its shortness the Memory And its fullness the Instruction of the hearers Else where hee saith this is a Symboll brief in words but large in Misteryes for whatsoever is declared in the Scriptures or foretold by the Prophets c. is contained and briefly confessed in it To show the excellency of the Creed which is therfore to be often sayd Saint Augustin speaks thus Render Aug. homil fortitu your Symboll render it unto the Lord be not weary to rehearse it the repitition of it is good least forgetfullness creep one thee doe not say I sayd it yesternight I sayd it to day I say it every day I have it well Remember thy Faith Behold thy selfe let thy Creed be a mirrour unto the there see thy selfe if thou beleeve all that thou confessest thy selfe to beleeve and rejoyce dayly in thy Faith Let it be thy Riches the dayly apparell of thy Soule Doe you not cloath your selfe when you rise Soe by remembring thy Creed cloath thy Soule least per-adventure forgetfullness make it naked Saint Ambrose cales this the Seale of our Ambr. lib. 3. de Virgin Tom. 4. hart which wee ought dayly to review and the Watch-word of a Christian which should bee in a readiness in all dangers Wee have the Creed by an assured Tradition and Testimony of the Church which Saint Augustin holds of noe less certainty then the Scriptures as is signifyed by these words I would not have beleeved saith the Saint Aug. Cont. Epist fund Cap. 5. the Ghospell unless the Authority of the Catholick Church had moved mee c. And that Authority being once weakned neither can I beleeve the Ghospell Seeing these Presbiterians have abollished the Authority of the Crâ—ed saying it is not Apostolicall what in Gods-name have these Doctors given to the People in place of the Symboll The holy Covenant and as the Creed is denyed by these men to be Apostolicall soe is the Covenant cry'd up to be Divine for they call it Gods Covenant and the Confession of the Scottish Kirck This was truly a rare exchange to deny the Creed to be Apostolique and to cry up the Covenant to be devine To Rob us of a most ancient clear briefe positive sacred Confession of Faith made by the holy Apostles famous in all ages and Universally received throughout the whole world full of great Misteryes and divine Expressions and to give us in place of it a new long obscure negative Confession or rather noe Confession of Faith full of terrible oathes Execrations and Combinations devised by some few discontented heads and by cunning and force obtruded upon the Nation much suspected at the beginning to bee nothing but a meere pretence of Religion as it was notoriously known to be a humane Invention and as it 's now at length after all its disguises manifested for such unto the World It 's good fame hath not lasted long neither at home nor a broad It gott some footing in England by cunning and worldly interest but these soone failing it was quickly detected and rejected The Christian Mediator sayth to this purpose That the last Reformation Christ Mod. pag. 2. settled with soe solemne a Covenant and carryed on with soe furious a zeal is already by better lights discovered to be meerly humane and therfor deseruedly layd aside These are the words of the converted Presbyterian Sall I would now faine know what is your Iudgement of these kinde of Protestants perhaps you will say they are noe Protestants but Geneva the acknowledged school of English and Scottish Protestants will tell you that Presbiterians are the purest Protestants of all and for ought I could ever learne the Church of England held and holds them soe according to Doctor Whitakers manner of speaking Tell mee Sall have you ever seen any act of Parlament in England declaring that Presbiterians are not Protestants or any penal lawes enacted against them noe such thing though they differ as was said from the Episcopall or Royall Protestants in fundamentall points of Religion that of the order and dignity of Episcopacy which they hold to bee Anti-Christian and Tyranicall and noe way de Iure Divino The other of the kings supremacy in Spiritualibus which they flatly deny they alsoe differ from the Kings Protestants in abollishing the Lords prayer and the Hymne of Glorification to the B. Trinity and in denying the Greed to be Apostolicall
the Congregation of the now English Church ergò the Protestant Authors attesting the verity of the Religion taught by Fugatious and the rest and confirm'd by Miracles give Testimony against theire owne Religion I meane the Protestant My last illation from those Protestant Authors and against theire owne Religion and for mine is that Sall hath cause to feare his owne Damnation for having deserted the true Faith those holy men sent from Rome denounced to the Infidels Imbraceing a new Religion opposit to the ancient and orthodox The names of the Protestant Authors Devines and Historians testifying the Conversion of England and Ireland from Idolatry by the aforesaid Saints sent from Rome 1. Abbots pretended Arch-Bishop of Canterbury that writt against Bellarmin 2. Bale pretended Bishop of Ossory in Ireland reckened among theire learned men hee writ Centurys of the writers of Britaine and said of himselfe hee had read the Historys and Chronicles allmost of all Antiquitye 3. Bilson pretended Bishop of Winchester esteemed a learned writer 4. Caius Doctor of Phisick soe well seen in Antiquity as an Oxonian Orator tearmed him the Antiquary 5. Camden well knowne for his Discription of Britany an excellent Antiquary 6. Couper pretended Bishop of Lincolne and after of Winchester well knowne for his Dixionary and his Chronicle 7. Dangerous positioner some say it was D. Banckrofte pretended Arch-Bishop of Canterbury others say it was Doctor Sutclife 8. Fox most famous amongst Protestants for his acts and monuments of theire Martyrs 9. Fulk Doctor of Divinity and a great writer against Catholicks 10. Godwin a devine Sonne to Godwin pretended Bishop of Bath 11. Holinshed notorious for his great Chronicle and mosT earnest against Catholicks 12. Humphery Doctor of Divinity and the Queens Reader therof in Oxford 13. Iewell soe famous and known to Protestants as I need say nothing of him 14. Reynolds Doctor of Divinity famous with Protestants 15. Stow well knowne for his Chronicle and other his writings of Antiquity 16. Sutelife Doctor of Divinity and Dean of Exetor and a great writer against Catholicks 17. Surueyer soe I call the unnamed Author of the Suruey of the pretended holy Discipline 18. Whitaker Doctor and Professor of Divinity and a great writer against Catholicks very famous in the English Church tearmed by some a worthy learned man by others a Godly learned man These and thus esteemed are the Protestant writers that give Testimony of the Conversions of England by Saint Augustin and other Saints It is therfore agreed upon by Catholick and Protestant writers that King Luctus sent to Pope Eleutherius two holy men Elvanus of Avalonia and Medwinus together with these came commissionated from said Pope two other holy men Fugatius and Damianus who baptized the King and Queen and those of theire Family and many more that imbraced the Christian Faith Authors Catholick and Protestant stile these Legats of Pope Eleutherius Prelatos Episcopos for without such Authority and Character they could not erect Bishopricks consecrate Churches dispence Orders and the like this conversion was made and the King and Queen baptized anno Domini 183. to which Conversion agreeth Fox Jewell Godwin Abbots Fulk Whitaker Sutelife Reynolds Couper Stow Holinshed Camden Bale and others Bale one that would write nothing to the Credit of Rome if not convinced Bale Cent. 1. cap. 19. by evident Verity doth attribute this Conversion to Pope Eleutherius and with him joyned in this the Magdeburgenses Of the Conversion of the Irish Idolaters by Saint Patrick Saint Prosper that lived at the same tyme giveth a clear Testimony and after him venerable Bede Marianus Scotus and others who affirme alsoe that Saint Patrick dyed in the yeare of Christ 491. being 122. years Paladius was indeed sent to that work before Saint Patrick but though hee Religiously behaved himselfe in that divine Function the Glory of Converting the whole Nation from Paganisme was reserved for Saint Patrick who is therfore Iure merito stiled Apostle of Ireland Let us now heare Bale I pretermit other Protestant Authors that testify the conversion of the Irish Idolaters confirming the coming of Saint Patrick from the Sea of Rome and how hee gave the light of Faith to the Irish Pagans the testimony taken from an Enemy such as Bale against Catholicks is of the greater weight and force against himself Bale then who usually cal'd the Pope Anti-Christ and the beast and named the Primitive Church of England in the tyme of its greatest purity a Carnall Synagogue as great an enemy to the Pope as hee was speaks of Saint Patrick coming from the Pope thus Patrick saith hee surnamed Bale descrip Britan. Cent. 1. fo 250. Magonius who studied Divinity at Rome sent by Pope Celestinus did preach the Ghospell to the Irish-men with incredible feruour of Spiritt for forty years together and did convert them to the sincere Faith of Christ hee was most excellent in Learning and Holiness and among other Miracles hee did continue in Prayers and Fasting for forty days and forty nights founded many Churches healed many Sick delivered many possessed of Deuills and raysed to life sixty that were Dead Thus far Bale Behold here how Iohn Bale confesseth Saint Patrick was sent by Pope Celistinus and soe sent hee converted the Irishmen to the sincere Faith of Christ what more can any man say or more honourably of the Pope clearly allowing of Authority and power in him to send Doctors and missioners for converting nations to the true Faith In speaking of Saint Patrick hee mentions truly the vertues and duty of Apostles and preachers sent from Rome to enlighten nations as to fast and pray to found Churches heale the sick and worke Miracles Let Bale himselfe tell us if the blouddy Reformers of the Kirk of Scotland or himselfe Peter Martyr Buaer and the rest at the tyme of the Innovation they made in England did any of those holy works done by Saint Patrick and such Missioners as were lawfully sent from the holy Sea into the vineyard of our Lord I dare challenge in this place all the multitudes of those new men repayring as themselves say the house of God to give one Saint Patrick or Saint Augustin that fasted and prayed healed the sick and wrought Miracles I defye Bale to doe this with all his studyed tomes of centuries or Fox esteemed by the Protestants a most holy grave and pious man and plainly a devine man with his great and numerous volume of Acts and Monuments of theire Ridiculous Martyrs soe Credited in England as they have beene set in divers of theire Churches to be read by all or delicat Calvin the great Patriarck of Geneva with his soe adored books of Institutions or wanton Beza Reforming forsooth the Church of France with legions and troopes in set Battailes and beseeging the Kings goodly Cytties Garded by two fierce Giants in steele the Prince of Conué and the Admirall Coligny As Bale hath testifyed Saint Patricks Miracles soe
fellow in one of the Oxford Colledges it is one of the rarest and most learned Books ever saw light of that kinde the argument of the worke is by way of Paralel to compare the Religion of a Calvinist and that of a Turke This man Reading the sleights Shufflings Lyes Falsifications and corruptions of Mr. Iewell pretended Bishop of Salsbury one of the falsest men that ever set pen to Paper forsook the Protestant Religion saying it could not bee a sauing and true Religion that used Falsifications and sleights for a support of keeping it up hee went in the yeare of Iubily to Rome and submitted himselfe with his writings and works to the Iudges of th'Inquisition who received with all joy soe pretious a man Father Persons the Iesuit accompanied him came afterward to France there lived a holy life and there dyed a happy Death 4 ' th Author THe Legacy of Doctor King Bishop of London or his Motives for his change of Religion written by himselfe and delivered over to a Frind in his lifetyme A most rationall moving piece printed Anno 1622. 5 ' th Author THree Conversions of England penn'd by the very vertuous Father Persons one of the best works ever was set out in English All in this Book is strong here you will finde Iewell and Fox two pillars of the English Church tottering and cast downe and bruesed like a Dagon Both are evidently convinced to have beene the most infamous Lyers ' Shuflers and Falsificators that ever lived of the English Nation or I think of any other 6 ' th Author A Search made into Matters of Religion by Francis Walsingam Deakon of the Protestant Church before his change to Catholick Religion a Book full of prudent Observations printed Permissu Superiorum Anno 1609. 7 ' th Author REdargutio Scismatis Anglicani ' Authore Alexandro White a Confutation of the XXXIX Articles of the Confession of England See above pag. 13. 14. 15. Printed at Lovain Anno 1661. 8 ' th Author PRotestancy without principles or Sectaryes unhappy fall from infallibility to Fancy layd forth in foure Discourses by E. W. printed at Antwerp by Michael Cnobbaert 1668. This Author shewes playnly to the Eye Protestant Religion sinking downe for want of Principles as a House layd upon a very weak Foundation t is one of the most learned pieces of this kind and convincing that I ever handled There is another Book of the same Author intiteled The Infalibility of the Roman Catholick Church and her Miracles defended against Doctor Stillingfleets Cavills c. printed at Antwerp 1674. An excellent worke the Preface therof is a Pearl Sall I pray you read with Attention these two Books if you are able you have some kind of Obligation to answer the last having denyed Infallibility to the Roman Catholick Church I think you will finde this E. W. hath read as much as you have done if not som-what more and that hee is a subtile School-man I have reason to know what mettle is in the man and partly what in you 9 ' th Author A Book that lately came out stiled a Treatice of Religion and Goverment the Argument which is learnedly handled whether Protestancy bee less dangerous to the soule or more advantagious to the state then the Roman Catholick Religion The conclusion that Piety and Policy are mistaken in Promoting Protestancy and Persecuting Popery by penall and Sanguinary statutes This man gives a perfect Anatomy of the English Church shewes clearly to the eye the Falsifications Iuglings Corruptions Shuflings absurd lyes and artifices of Protestant writers and Doctors Hee expounds briefly and soundly the XXXIX Articles of your English Creed and Confession and declares them to bee Pernitious Finally hee doth as it were demonstrat the Church of England to be without Sacraments Priest and Sacrifice and consequently noe Church and where there is noe Church there is noe true Religion This Book is not Easily had but I am ready to furnish you with one you will finde I assure you the discourse learned and worth your reading Sixt Advertisment 3. Weighty Points offered to be considered by Sall. MOre then twenty years agoe I lighted upon a Book written by a learned Protestant in the days of the Usurper caled the Christian Moderator wherin hee shew'd a great kindness and tenderness of hart toward us Catholicks then much afflicted hee spake much good of us and said wee were a People of a tender Conscience shy in taking oathes but Religious Observers of them once taken hee maintained our Religion was not inconsistent with Obedience to the Prince and Magistrate and that the farr greater part of us were commendable in our manners and Conversation and honest in our dealings hee wyp't away an envious Callumny objected to us to wit that wee held as a constant Doctrin in our Schooles and Practises in our Proceedings Fidem non esse servandam Hereticis which hee shew'd to bee most false out of Catholick Authors especially out of Paulus Layman a Iesuit Hee likewise indeavoured to persuade by good Arguments that Persecution of Religion was not lawfull nor could be warranted by the Law of God Law of Nature nor the ancient Lawes of the Land Among many good things this Author said I took speciall Notice of three remarkable Points which I will express the best I can in my owne words having not his Book at hand Primum Punctum HEe said it was observed that Roman Catholicks who turnd Protestants commonly became worse liuers then before great libertins dissolute in theire manners and careless of Salvation especially Priests and Religious men who breaking theire Vowes took Wives and wenshes and ever after lived in Sensuality and Sinn without all shame and feare of God giving Scandall to all kinde of men and that many of them came to an Obduration of hart and dy'd in Dispaire I will give you here a true and lamentable Narration of two fearfull Examples in this kind of two Apostata's Priests that marryed and had Children whome I knew very well One of them having studyed in the University of Salamaâ—â—a was made Priest in Spaine had a rich Benefice in those parts I liu'd in but was borne in the Province of Sall hee was sufficiently learned and audatious in the highest degree and had sometymes preacht before the State in Dubblin as latly Sall hath done In his Conversation hee was a meer Publican and most vaine lying vapering insolent debaust and Drunkenest Companion that was knowne in those parts As soon as the Rebellion began in England hee bid a Deiu to his Loyalty went to England and stuck to those then in Rebellion thinking therby to make a great Fortune came over with Crumwell and was a meer scourge and plague to the Catholick Clergy bringing Souldiers and wicked men to the Houses of all the Priests hee knew Infine hee dyed of the plague in a Ditch deserted of all of both Religions crying as they say for a Priest but found none The