third place wherein the Fathers of the New Testament were which could not obtain Heaven till Christ had shed his Blood for them according to that of Saint Paul speaking of the Faith of those holy men yet he saith Heb. 11. v. 39.40 All these having obtained a good report by faith received not the promise which was Heaven God having provided some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect But the common objection and deceit against this which takes so much is that Christ hath satisfied Gods Justice for our sins what need we do any thing at all and this is the usuall juggle of those that teach against this point of satisfaction but we are to consider how far Christs satisfaction extends to us that is he dyed for the pardon of our original sins and not for our actual transgressions though they be the easier pardoned by the merits of his Death too for if all our actual sins were pardoned and satisfied for by the Death of Christ why then all Heathens and Turks and Whoremongers and Murderers and Blasphemers should be saved which Saint Paul saith Shall never enter into the Kingdom of Heaven so that this is but a trick of our Adversaries making the people believe that they attribute all to Christ when indeed if justly considered they load his shoulders with their actual sins that hath suffered enough already for our original ones and so they would fain free themselves from all kinde of sufferings here and hereafter when our Saviour saith We cannot enter into life eternal without much tribulation but as I said God is merciful to save so he is just to punish and it is not good for us to presume too much upon hhis mercy lest we fall into a provocation of his Justice and so perish everlastingly And since it is so plain both by holy Scripture and Reason that there is a purging place or temporal punishments in the life to come proportionable to every ones sins let every man consider what obligation he hath first to believe it to be so secondly to live so holily in this life that God may be pleased to spare us by extenuating our sufferings in those purifying flames agreeable to that of B. St. Bernard Serm. 6. tribulat in fine Oh would to God some man would now before-hand provide for my head abundance of water and to mine eyes a fountain of tears for so haply the burning fire should take no hold where running tears had cleansed before Chap. 4. Proving that none of the Holy Fathers of the Old Law enjoyed Heaven till Christ came and that there was a distinct place where they waited for their Redemption by his coming REason doth tell us and experience will justifie the same that all the glorious and splendid things of this world are obtained with much difficulty and travel so that scarce the tythepart of men have the fruition of them and is it not to be lamented that we have so poor and beggerly apprehensions of heavenly glory as to think it requires no difficulty no patience nor no suffering to obtain that Kingdom the contrary will plainly appear when I shall prove by Scripture that no soul from Adam till Christ dyed enjoyed heavenly Glory but suffered with long patience and expectation till they were redeemed by the precious Blood of our Saviour and so freed from their long captivity conformable to Saint Paul who writing of our Saviour Christ Ephes 4. v. 8.9 saith When he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men And again Now that he ascended what is it but that he descended first into the lower parts of the earth Now I would from these words have every Protestant consider these two things First to what place Christ descended after his Death and secondly who they were that he led with him captive at his ascension from that place It is clear to all Christians that Christ did not descend to the Hell of the damned to release them from any captivity for as I said before there is no redemption for them what other thing can be concluded but that he went to release them which could not be saved till then for is it not madness to think that any people went to Heaven before Christ had redeemed them with his precious blood next you shall see what St. Peter saith concerning this point 1 Pet. 3. Ver. 18. Ver. 19. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God being put to death in the Flesh but quickned by the Spirit by which also he went and preacht unto the spirits in prison Now what can be desired more plain then this showing so plainly that when Christs flesh lay dead his spirit preacht to those that were long in expecting of him in a prison to them that sighed so long for his coming the same did the Prophet Zachariah foretel where speaking to Sion Behold Zach. 9. ver 9. saith he thy King cometh he is just and having salvation lowly and riding upon an Ass and upon a Colt the foal of an Ass here he speaks of Christs coming and in the other verse Ver. 11. As for thee also by the blood of thy Covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein was no water Now what pit can this be imagined to be but this place where these holy men were in which he prophesies that Christ at his coming to Sion would deliver them out and if we consider this point as we ought to do we shall finde it to be an Article of our Creed Article 4. of our Creed which saith He descended into Hell the third day he rose again Now some object by this Hell is meant the grave but how absurdly let every one judge that considers how ridiculous it is to think Christs soul should remain in the Grave his Body we grant did so but his glorious Spirit went to perform what before had been said of him according to his own most blessed words when he said That as Jonas was three dayes and three nights in the belly of the whale so shall the Son of man be three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth so his body as I said was in the Grave and his Soul in the other place which is commonly called Hell because it is believed to be under the earth as the Hell of the damned is Now this place may suffice to any reasonable Christian yet I shall propose one or two things more to your considerations as first concerning Lazarus John 11. v. 42 43. who was dead and buried four dayes and was raised to life by our Saviour I hope none will say he was in Hell with the damned and had he been in Heaven you may be sure his Sisters had a better sense of that Glory then to wish him upon earth again and if he had been
ravening Wolves But again our Saviour saith in Saint Marks Gospel Mark 10. v. 29 30. There is no man that hath left house or lands or Wife and Children for my sake and the Gospels but he shall receive an hundred fold here and in the world to come eternal life Thus in many places is this truth made so clear to us by Christ himself that I hope none will be so much an Infidel as to practice the contrary But further to show you this truth observe this notable place concerning this point where our Saviour speaking concerning the general day of Judgement declares for what causes some are saved and some damned for to the just he saith Mat. 25. v. 34. Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you and then in the next verse he tells them for what causes they are made eternally happy Ver. 35. For I was a hungry and you gave me meat I was thirsty and you gave me drink naked and you clothed me c. And the reasons why them on his left hand received the sentence of hell fire was because they did not do these good works which the other had done Ver. 41 42. and so as the just by good deeds had obtained heaven so the wicked by their evil ones had obtained hell Now I verily think that if a Heathen or Jew should read this Book they would say it was rather made for instructing them in the Faith of Christ then for those that profess themselves Christians and to believe the Bible and yet to deny all this thus proved by the Bible Now having proved this by the words of Christ we will see what Saint Paul his Apostle saith who I will warrant you is of the same minde as you shall see by his words to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 3. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour by which words it is plain that every man shall receive his reward according as he hath himself deserved And in the second to Timothy he saith I have fought the good fight I have kept the faith Chap. 4. v. 7.8 henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which God the righteous judge will give me at that day and to all that love his appearing Now here we see that Saint Paul knew his reward for those good works and declares that all that loves Gods appearing shall be rewarded at the last day And more in his Epistle to the Hebrews Heb. 6. v. 10. he speaks to the purpose in this point That God is not unrighteous to forget you work and labour of love which ye have shewed towards his name in that ye have ministred to the Saints Now you may perceive St. Pauls Opinion which was that it would seem unjust in God if he should not reward our good works but as certain it is that God cannot be unjust so is it as certain that he will reward our good deeds done in communion with his Church which if our works did not deserve or merit we should receive no reward at all but on the contrary receive an eternal punishment Again Saint John Evangelist saith in the Revelation Rev. 3. v. 4. To him that shall overcome shall thus be invested in white Garments and I will not put his name out of the Book of Life and I will confess his name before my Father and before his Angels And again Ver. 12. He that shall overcome I will make him a pillar in the Temple of my God and he shall go out no more And in another place he saith Ver. 21. To him that shall overcome will I grant to sit with me in my Throne I might and could produce many more places out of holy Scripture to this purpose but they that will not believe these will not care for ten thousand proofs made against their perverse principles but I will onely advise those that have any care of their salvation to consider first what Gods word which is truth it self declares to them And secondly what the practise of our Church is in this and other points of Religion and how agreeable to the same word as is clearly shown for in reason onely is this apparent to all Christians that if God as he doth inspire us to do all our good works then must needs those works be meritorious because God inspired them to be done and hath promised to reward the doing of them according to that of Saint John Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life Rev. 22. v. 12. And behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give every man according to his work Chap. 11. Proving that Gods Church cannot Erre in her Doctrine of Religion and so may be trusted in by every Christian contrary to Protestants opinion DID the Adversaries of Gods Church but consider with themselves what authority and courage and order it hath exercised for this sixteen hundred years they would surely conclude that no government but that of Gods holy Spirit could ever perform the like for by its authority it hath alwayes supprest and beaten down Heresies and by her courage overcome all the torments and sufferings her enemies could invent to lay upon her and by her Order hath ever retained in her Members one uniform Faith and Obedience in all places where her Doctrine hath been spread which if it be granted or can be proved that Gods Holy Spirit is at all times with his Church to direct her in her Doctrine I hope none will deny but that then she is infallible and so cannot possibly be capable of Errour and that it is so shall be made manifestly to appear if you will believe Christ himself who cannot deceive us where in Saint Johns Gospel telling his Disciples that he must go to his heavenly Father to prepare them places at length he gives them and his whole Church this Consolation And I will pray the Father and he shall give you another comforter that he may abide with you for ever John 14. v. 16. Now we all know that the Apostles were not to remain for ever upon earth for they are dead and gone so that this promise of Christ was to them and his Church after them which is to remain to the end of the world and in the next verse he tells them who this comforter shall be Even the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive Now I would fain know how Gods Church can Erre in what she declares to us of Faith Ver. 17. when Gods Holy Spirit is with it And again But the Comforter Ver. 26. which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things Now we may be sure that since the Holy Ghost is to teach the Church all things there can be nothing but Truth taught
Justice expected satisfaction by repelling them from thence and yet for that sin many thousands have and shall be damned and for the sins of the world we know Gods Justice was so urgent for satisfaction that he drowned the whole world except those in the Ark he satisfied his Justice also many times in the punishing of the Israelites in the desert and for the sins of Corah Dathan and Abiram we all know what satisfaction God gave to his Justice Num. 16. v. 31.32 when he caused the earth to open and swallow them up alive Now is it not strange to think how little reason we have to flatter our selves as we do and think we shall get to heaven in a dream without any satisfaction on our part at all If we did but truly consider our own state we should not have so good an opinion of our selves as to think God should punish so many to satisfie his Justice and we should scape scot-free Nay those whom he dearly loved as Moses in depriving him of entrance into the land of Promise 2 Sam. 12. ver 10. But more to our purpose is that of holy David where for his sin with Bathsaba God told him the Sword should never depart from his house Now here Davids sin was pardoned as to the eternal punishment but yet Gods justice requiring from him this temporal satisfaction as the sword cleaving to his house and the death of of his Childe Ver. 14. A plainer place cannot be to prove what is here treated of and I hope it is good Scripture But to let you see further that you may be totally undeceived conform to this place is another concerning the same man where for his sin in numbring the people 2 Sam. 24. ver 14.15 16 c. though God told him by the Prophet Gad he had pardoned him his sin yet he to satisfie his Justice caused his Angel to destroy seventy thousand of them which to Davids heart was a hot Purgatory or temporal punishment Thus you see many times God hath been pleased to be so favourable to some of his dearest friends to purge them here by the fire of tribulations as Adam Moses and David with many others which might be shown but this to reasonable men will suffice since it is so plain by the holy word of God And now it will concern me to shew you by the fame word that there is a temporal punishment or Purgatory after death I will onely give you this reason for it before I quote my Text which is that since there be many servants of God which dye unpunished here in this life for their sins committed and so have not satisfied Gods Justice must of necessity do it by being purified before they can go to heaven for the Scripture saith plainly that no unclean thing can enter in there and if so we may easily judge how unclean thousands are which dye Christians and in communion with Gods Church but yet not jump just to heaven but are purged by fire And to satisfie you in this you must observe what Saint Paul saith in his Epistle to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 3. v. 12.13 where first he tells us the different sorts of works by the similitudes of Gold Silver precious Stones Wood Hay Stubble and then how this fire shall try them for saith he Every mans works shall be made manifest and the day of our Lord shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is Again saith he Ver. 15. If any mans work shall be burnt he shall suffer loss but he himself shall be saved yet so as by fire by which it is plain that we must pass through this fiery tryal before we get to heaven either by great crosses here in this life or else in the purging place of the life to come It would be worth our time did we but seriously consider how that many persons which have been the dearly beloved friends of Christ have had in this life the greatest share of temporal punishment as his ever Blessed Mother though I will not say for her sins the twelve Apostles and many thousands of Martyrs which have satisfied Gods Justice with the loss of their blood and yet we now adayes hug our selves in a sottish security and think we shall be conveyed to heaven in Beds of Roses as if God were so partial to mankinde to punish those that were good and holy and spare us that have much more deserved it But now again to the Scripture to let you see what our Saviour saith concerning paying our debts to God and remission of sins in the next life as in Saint Matthew he saith Mat. 5. v. 27. We should be at agreement with our adversary lest he deliver us over to the Judge and the Judge throw us into prison from whence we shall not get out till we have paid the utmost farthing Now in respect of our sins God is our adversary and if we agree not with him here that is to satisfie his justice by Alms-deeds tears and suffering in this life he will throw us into the prison of Purgatory till we have satisfied the debt there Again saith our Saviour Mat. 12. v. 32. Whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost shall never be pardoned in this life nor in the world to come by which it is plain that as Gods justice is satisfied here by the pardon of sins so there is sins to be pardoned in the life to come which must be in Purgatory for out of Hell is no redemption nor no expectation of pardon of sins Did there not want a right understanding in the hearts of men concerning Scripture there could not be so much errour and blindeness in the reading of it as there is for all those places which plainly show Christian Religion and the Catholique Faith are past by and no more minded then if they had no relation to Gods word at all If most Protestants that happens to read this book should but examine their own consciences they could not but confess that most places here cited to prove our faith was so little taken notice of that they knew not whether they were in the Bible or no And now after all these Texts here mentioned out of holy Writ to prove this point if any Protestant will or can shew me but one place in all the Bible that any one went or was conveyed to Heaven as soon as they dyed I do assure them I will as once I was be of their Faith but if they cannot then are they obliged in conscience to believe what is said or be guilty of Infidelity to God and his Holy Word and to the intent that I may plainly discover the errour of those that believe there is nor before Christs coming was any other places then Heaven and Hell after death it is my purpose therefore in the next Chapter to prove that there is a
in either place we know there is no coming out as Saint Luke saith Luke 16. v. 26. speaking of Dives and the other Lazarus so that we must conclude his soul to be in that temporal Hell spoken of in our Creed or no where at all and Holy David cryes out to God saying Thou wilt not leave my soul in Hell for Lord thou lovest me c. Now this may be objected two wayes against Protestants First that if it meant the Grave what should his soul do to be left there And secondly if it means that temporall Hell as undoubtedly it doth then it plainly shows that his soul was there because it saith Thou wilt not leave it in Hell We may gather much to our present purpose from the last Text mentioned in Saint Luke where Dives being in Hell lift up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off ver 23. and Lazarus in his bosom which plainly proves Abraham and Lazarus not to be in Heaven for could the damned in Hell see the Saints in Heaven it would be no Hell to them since the sight of Heaven is so glorious it would take away the sense of Hell and so make them happy in that unhappy place Again if Abraham had been in Heaven according to Protestants opinion they could not hear one the other speak being at that vast distance as Heaven and Hell is for they say how can the Saints hear our prayers on earth much less if not so could they hear them in Hell We may again observe that the place where Abraham and the Fathers were was not far from the local Hell of the damned but as St. Augustine saith The upper part or over it some distance where holy Abraham saith ver 26. there was a gulf that separated the passage one to the other because they could both see and speak one to the other And thus having made it so manifestly appear I hope none that professes the truth of the Bible will now any more defile their souls with envy to the holy Catholick Church which teacheth all truth and nothing but the truth if you had but as right an understanding of all that is there taught as you have of this but be rather induced to the practice of it and with Saint Augustin to conclude Who is there but an Infidel August 99. Ep. in prin will deny that Christ was in this temporal Hell Chap. 5. Proving that Angels and Saints in Heaven do know what passeth here on Earth and so consequently may be prayed to by us for their mediation to God in our behalf THe mindes of men being naturally inclined to search and know the nature of hidden things doth oftentimes take indirect wayes to accomplish the knowledge of them and yet come short in their designs too This thing as it was the sin of our first Parents so is it a great corruption in this present age amongst many thousands which would make us believe they know on earth what power and happiness the Blessed Angels and Saints have in heaven and will grant them no more priviledge then what their shallow brains can comprehend they have quite contrary to that saying of Saint Paul 1 Cor. 2. ver 9. Eye hath not seen nor ear hath not heard neither hath it entered into the heart of man the things that God hath prepared for them that love him so infinitely out of our understanding are the qualities of glorified souls which Angels and Saints are But to let those people know how much they deceive themselves in fostering such pernicious opinions I will prove both by Scripture and Reason that they do know all our actions here on earth and that it is agreeable to the nature of Angels to know them my first place is from Saint Lukes Gospel Luke 2. ver 13. where so soon as our Saviour was born on earth the Angels came from heaven to the Shepheards to anounce it to them and singing with great joy a little before one in particular told them ver 10. that he preached to them great joy for a Saviour was born to them by which it is plain that the Angel knew when he was in heaven that he was born so likewise our Saviour when he was in the Wilderness after his temptation the Text saith Mat. 4. ver 11. The Angels came and ministred unto him by which you may see how ready those blessed Spirits are in all things and occasions to assist in our salvation Again when our Blessed Saviour was in his direful Agony in the Garden sweating drops of Blood for us Saint Luke saith Luke 22. ver 43. There appeared an Angel to him from heaven and strengthned him from which words we may gather 1. That if Angels lent their assistance to strengthen Christ who is the God of strength much more will they to us by Gods permission who are of our selves nothing but weakness 2. That if they knew not what passeth on earth how could they so readily assist us as we read in many places of the Bible they have done and as I shall prove hereafter Our Saviour saith likewise by the same Evangelist Luke 15. ver 13. That there is joy in heaven of the Angels at the conversion of a sinner by which it is clear that they must know when every sinner is converted or how should they know when to rejoyce So likewise in the tran figuration of our Saviour Christ Moses and Elias appeared to him and talked with him so that if they being out of this world had not known of his being on Mount Thabor Mark 9. ver 4. how should they have waited upon him And again our Saviour saith That his Apostles shall sit with him in judgement Mat. 19. ver 28. and judge the twelve Tribes of Israel and Saint Paul saith The Saints shall judge the world 1 Cor. 6. ver 1.2 which could not be if they did not know what passeth in the world for in reason no Judge can or will pass Sentence upon any man before he knows what he is guilty of by all which it is as manifest and clear as to see the Sun when it shines in the Firmament that Angels and Saints know what passeth here on earth Again it is very much to our purpose to consider what passed at the Death of Saint Stephen where the Text saith He looked into heaven Acts 7. ver 54 55 56. and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God and said Behold I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God from whence it is evident and plain that if Saint Stephen could upon earth see into heaven where God himself was that he can now being glorified in heaven see and know what passeth upon earth in a far larger measure and so may be prayed unto for his assistance Ver. 60. for if he at his Death had so much charity to pray
fill a large volume to confirm you I will onely conclude with that of Saint Augustine Aug Med. 40. where invoking the Saints he saith O holy and Immaculate Virgin Mary Mother of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ vouchsafe to intercede for me to him whose Temple thou was deserved to be made holy Michael holy Gabriel holy Raphel holy Quire of Angels and Arch-Angels Patriarchs and Prophets A postles Evangelists Martyrs Confessors and all the Just I humbly crave that you would vouchsafe to intercede to God for me a poor Sinner that I may be delivered from the Jaws of the Devil and from Eternal Death Amen Chap. 7. Shewing that in all Ages Angels have been assistant to Man for his good and that we ought to reverence the Memory both of Angels and Saints as they are the chief Attendants on the living God IT is no wonder we are so little acquainted with those glorious Citizens Angels and Saints when we consider how the memory of them is slighted and contemned in this our unhappy Age and that men now adayes desire no more society with them then they would do with those that designs their ruine so miserably hath Satan depraved our natures and suggested to us a slighting of those Blessed Spirits to the intent he may draw us the more to his hellish service and so consequently to our utter destruction But to undeceive a little those that are thus corrupted with this principle I shall plainly show you many examples from holy Scripture both of the great good they have done to many holy men and also what Worship and Reverence they have done to the Angels The first is from that of holy Abraham Gen. 18. v. 2. when the three Angels appeared to him to let him know the good news of his having a Son the Text saith He ran to meet them from the Tent-door and bowed himself toward the ground The second place that of holy Lot Gen. 19. v. 1. And there came two Angels to Sodom at even and Lot sate in the gate of Sodom and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them and he bowed himself with his face towards the ground and said My Lords turn in I pray you Ver. 2. c. Now here I may demand why the holy Scripture should instance to us their bowing with their faces to the ground but onely to show us that as they are the heavenly Ambassadours that kinde of reverence is due to them Thirdly when the Angel appeared to Joshua by Jericho Josh 5. v. 13.14.15 he demanded who he was for and the Angel said Nay but as Captain of the host of the Lord am I come and Joshua fell on his face to the earth and did worship and the Angel bid him pull off his shooes for the place where he stood was holy ground So here you see is first the Angels assistance in coming to fight for them and secondly a high worship done to him and the place where he stood by pulling off his shooes and yet so miserably blinded are people now adayes to think and say that these kinde of things are Superstition not at all considering that it ever hath that it is and ever will be the practice of all holy men to do this homage to them Fourthly an Angel appears to the Israelites at Gilgal Judg. 2. v. 1.4 and for their good tells them of what things God had done for them which when he had done all the people lift up their voices and wept Fifthly an Angel appears to Gideon to comfort and strengthen him against the Midianites Judg. 6. v. 12.22 23. and when he perceived it was an Angel of God he was afraid he should dye till God told him he should not by which we may see what a reverend apprehension he had of the Angel Sixthly an Angel appears to Sampsons Mother and tells her being barren the glad news of a Son if you read the whole Chapter Judg. 13. v. 3. it is much to our purpose both to see how the holy Angel conversed with his Father and Mother both as also with what reverence they treated with him Seventhly we read that the holy Prophet Elijah being a sleep under a Juniper-tree 1 Kings 19. v. 5. an Angel awaked him which brought him both to eat and drink in the Wilderness where he was and where no bread was to be had and the Angel appeared to him the second time Ver. 6. and he rose and eat what the Angel brought him and by vertue of that went forty dayes and forty nights on his journey A ninth place is of an Angel assisting the people of God in the slaying of the Assyrians Isa 37. v. 36. 185000. men which came against them and Hezekiah their King Again in the Book of Tobias we read of many good things done by the Angel Raphel as to young Tobias in guiding of him in his journey from all dangers Tobit 3. v. 17. in chasing away and binding the Devil Asmodius in curing of old Tobias and many others of that kinde Chap. 12. v. 15. and at last he tells him who he was and how he was one of the seven Angels that presents the Prayers of the Saints Ver. 16. and goes in and out before the holy One then they were both troubled and fell upon their faces for they feared which trouble we may conceive was because they had not done him before the worship due to an Angel I could produce many other places out of the old Testament to prove this but I will now proceed to the new and first of that most happy and ever blessed news of our Redemption where the holy Angel Gabriel was imployed for our eternal good to declare to the Blessed Virgin Mary the Incarnation of the Son of God in her Virginal Womb Luke 1. v. 26.27 28. we may devoutly imagine there passed much reverence between two such creatures as they which were in so high esteem with God the one to be his Mother and the other his Ambassador Secondly the same Angel came to Zacharias the Priest and told him the glad tydings of his Son John yet when he saw him he trembled and was afraid for very reverence to the Angel So again thirdly two Angels appeared to St. Mary Magdalen Luke 20. v. 12. and the Disciples to tell them the good news of our Saviours Resurrection which was no small comfort to them and after that an Angel visits St. Peter in prison and breaks his gives and chains and opens the doors Acts 12. v. 7.8 9 10. and the City Gates and lets him free Again an Angel appears to Cornelius and assists him by counselling him to send for Peter about his salvation Acts 11. v. 3.4 and when he saw the Angel he was afraid nay when Saint Peter came he fell down before him as being a holy man but his humility would not suffer him to continue so In like manner the
so I will first show it you by the Infallible Prophesies of the Prophets of God Isa 2. v. 2. and first of Isaiah And it shall come to pass in the last dayes that the Mountain of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the Mountains Christs Church and shall be exalted above the hills and all Nations shall flow unto it so here is one true testimony that the Catholick Church shall be spread in all parts and all Nations shall partake of her holy Doctrine and not to lye hid in a corner as in one Kingdome or City or Congregation or this mans Church or that mans Church as all Sectaries do by which I shall plainly prove they cannot be any thing like Gods Church And again the same Prophet saith speaking of the many benefits that we shall enjoy under Christs Church That the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord Chap. 11 v. 9 10. as the waters cover the Sea Now as we know they are spread in all parts of the world so is the knowledge of Gods truth spread by his Church in the same manner which quality agreeth to no other Church but the Roman Catholick The same Prophet declares further Chap. 49. v. 22 23. That Kings shall be thy nursing Fathers and Queens thy nursing Mothers and to show the great reverence they should bear to this Church of God saith he They shall bow down to thee with their faces toward the earth and lick up the dust of thy feet Now I would demand what Church or Sect in the Christian world that hath Kings and Queens for their nursing Fathers and Mothers but the Roman Catholick and so by consequence cannot be the Church of God but are as wandering sheep having no true shepherd and so are daily exposed to the rage and fury of that ravening wolf John 10. v. 12. the Devil Again the same Prophet speaking how largely Gods Church should be stretched forth under the Gospel Isa 54. v. 2 3. saith Enlarge the place of thy Tent let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitation spare not lengthen thy Cords and strengthen thy stakes for thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles and make the desolate Cities to be inhabited Now let the understanding Reader judge where this Prophesie is fulfilled in Protestants and Sectaties or in the Roman Church which is thus stretched out and hath her Members in the West-Indies and East-Indies in China in Tartary in Egypt in Assyria in Africa and Asia in Turky and all parts of Europe as the Empire of Germany the Kingdoms of Spain France Poland England Dominions of Italy and every Land in Christendom is either all or a considerable part of this Church which none in the world can say besides and so are very far off from fulfilling this Prophesie And in another place he saith Chap. 66. v. 18. And it shall come to pass that I will gather all Nations and Tongues and they shall come and see my glory Thus hath this holy Prophet by Gods inspiration foretold clearly the Universal or Catholick State of the Church of God in the time of the Gospel and Jeremiah the Prophet hath not been silent in Prophesying the fame for saith he Jer. 31. v 37. If heaven above can be measured and the foundation of the earth searched out beneath then will I cast off the seed of Israel and the measuring line shall go forth from Gareb to compass about Goath all which do declare the large extent of Christs Church And for confirmation of these Prophesies and what else hath been said I shall produce now the words of our Blessed Saviour himself who telling his Disciples of all the troubles they were to suffer for his name before Kings and Judges Ma k 13. v. 10. but saith he The Gospel must first be published among all Nations which plainly shows that Gods Church must be Catholick or Universal and I would fain learn from our Adversaries what Church hath taken the pains to publish the Gospel to all Nations and so fulfil these Prophesies but the Pastors of the Church of Rome for this may be urged to the shame of all Sects that if none took more pains in converting of Heathens Jews and Infidels then they do many millions of souls might perish for want of the knowledge of the living God but they instead of labouring to convert forreign Nations and so make the Church Universal lie at home in a corner of the world jangling one with another and sleeping on beds of Doun in Ladies bosoms and yet by all means theirs is the true Church and they the onely Pastors sent to convert the world and yet never intend to go about any such matter It is a wonderful thing to consider that men that read the Bible and all these Prophesies can be so ignorant to think that Gods Church should be pinn'd up in so narrow limits as any one Sect or Congregation did Christ himself preach for that and command his Apostles to publish the Gospel to all Nations who did so and lost their lives in that work was all this done I say to have his Church thrust up in a corner and to be no where else how then shall all Nations come to know God how shall they be Baptized in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost how shall they partake of any Sacraments how shall the Church hear their differences Mat. 18. v. 17. and decide them as our Saviour saith it shall how I say shall all this be done if it were so straitned but since she is a Catholick Church she is every where and so all persons inspired by God in all places may receive if they will the foresaid benefits which otherwise can never be done And thus is plainly shown you that there is an Universal Church and that it is the Roman Catholick is as plain in its agreement with Gods Word according to Saint Paul who highly commends the same Faith Rom. 1. v. 7 8. in these words To all that be in Rome beloved of God called to be Saints grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ First I thank my God for you all that your Faith is spoken of throughout the whole world from which words we may gather that if the Faith of the Romans was so inlarged in the world sixteen hundred years ago that now it is much more for then Gods Church was but in her Infancy and now she is in her flourishing State she was then under most cruel persecutions by Tyrants and now praised be God she is at rest with her friends so that now we may clearly see that all those that are shut up in such narrow Corners are meerly Sects and Heresies and are clean shut out from the bosom of the Spouse of Christ which is his Holy Catholick Church
which is in some measure an anticipation of the fruition of heaven But yet to make it more manifest to the intent that either you must deny Scripture or confess this truth see what Saint Luke saith in his Gospel that the rich man being in hell prayed to Abraham which I hope you will say is a Saint And he cryed Luke 16. v. 24. and said Father Abraham have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water to cool my tongue for I am tormented in this flame from which we may gather that if this damned man prayed and hoped for mercy to be obtained for him by Abraham to whom he chiefly applyed himself is it not unreasonable to think that Christians which are in hopes of heaven and in the state of Grace may not do the same to Abraham or any the other Saints Ver. 25. with more hopes then he could have and better success and you may read here that Abraham heard him where ere he was and told him it could not be done because he had enjoyed his pleasures in this world and the other pains so by this we may see that the practice of this Article of Faith is not grounded upon weak foundations but on the Infallible Word of God which cannot deceive us unless we deceive our selves by the misapplying of it Besides let every Christian consider what a great folly they are guilty of when they say the Angels do not know this nor the Saints do not know that and so must not be prayed to when we do not know the nature of our own sinful souls that is within us and yet will be so vain as pretend to know the power and nature of those glorious Spirits who in knowing God do know all things and by our having Communion with them we have fellowship with the Blessed Trinity by our praying to them God is so much the more honoured as they are in Dignity and Desert above us and as we know by experience that a King granteth sooner the desires of a mean Subject by the Mediation of his grand Favourite so in reason we may believe that the King of Heaven will do the same to us by the Mediation of his Saints in Heaven The common objection by Protestants and others is that our Saviour faith Come unto me all ye that are laden and I will refresh you This was Christs goodness to invite us to come to him and how poor a shift this is for them to prove that we must not pray to Angels and Saints shall appear plainly for if because Christ invites us to come to him we must not apply our selves to any others then we must not pray one for another as Saint James commands us Jam. 5. v. 16. then why do we desire Priests or Ministers to pray for us when we are sick and upon many other occasions wherein we have need enough onely because we think their prayers to God is more acceptable then our own now all this is done without derogation to Christ nay you know it is to his honour and glory to pray one for another we all account it a great charity and if it be so then there is no doubt but that we may desire the blessed Saints to pray for us to God through the merits of Christ and it will redound more to his glory then our praying one for another can possibly do Rev. 5. v. 18. One Text more I shall shew you and not of small concern as to this point in Saint Johns Revelations where he saith the four and twenty Elders fell down before the Lamb or Christ having their harps and golden vials full of Odours which are the Prayers of Saints by which it is plain that they offered up their Prayers to Christ Ver. 3.4 for so Saint John expounds it himself that these vials full of Odours were the prayers of Saints and in the eighth Chapter he saith And another Angel came and stood at the Altar having a golden Censer and there was given to him much Incense that he should offer it with the Prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar which was before the Throne and the smoke of the Incense which came with the Prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand so by this it is apparent that we may pray to them and that they do offer up our prayers to God and pray for us Now it will be necessary to clear that mistake in Protestants who think we make no difference between our praying to Christ and our Intercession to Saints It would be a great Heresie for any one to hold 1 John 2. v. 1. that the Power and Mediation of Christ should not be far above all that of Angels or Arch-Angels and Saints in heaven Rhem. Test on this place therefore we are to understand what kinde of Mediatour Christ is and how he is our Advocate to the Father The Calling and Office of an Advocate is in many things proper to Christ and to him onely it appertains to procure us Mercy from his heavenly Father by the general ransome price and payment of his Blood for our delivery as is in the Sentence following He is the propitiation for our sins and not for our sins onely but for the sins of the whole world in which sort he is our onely Advocate because he is our onely Redeemer and hereupon he alone immediately by his own Merits without the aid or assistance of any man or Angel in his own Name and right confidently dealeth in our Causes before God our Judge and so procureth our pardon and this is the highest degree of Advocation that can be by all which you may see that we Catholicks attribute to Christ in a more excellent sort his power in his Mediatorship then Protestants do or imagine who make poor ignorants believe that none must mediate for us but Christ thinking meerly by a bare show of zeal to Christ to null all other mediations when by that means they dishonour him by comparing or valuing his Mediation at no higher a price then we do Angels Saints and Mens Now when we pray to an Angel or Saint we desire them to pray for us to God the Father or the Blessed Trinity that they would obtain for us of God this or that favour through our Lord Jesus Christ so that all is desired through the Merits of our Saviour And when we pray to Christ for any thing we ought to pray to him as he is God and not to say O Christ pray for me as we do to an Angel or Saint for that were a dishonour to him in making him of less power then the two other Divine persons of the blessed Trinity who is equal to both and who in three persons makes but one true and ever-living God blessed to all eternity Should I produce the Authority and Practice of Gods Church and the ancient Fathers I might