to that bold persuasion of some who perswade themselues that saluation may be had in any religion or in either of some two religions or in any faith soe that they beleeue in Christ for they shall finde one day that disobedience to the true Church is a sinne which deserueth damnation S. Augustine againe in another place Epist. 104. Being out of the Church and diuided from the heape of vnity and the bond of charity thou shouldst be punished with eternal fire although thou shouldst be burned aliue for the name of Christ The Church is honored in the scriptures with many noble and glorious titles The titles of Church It is called the kingdome of God the house of God his spouse his faire one his onely one and the very body of Christ He gouerneth it as his kingdome he prouideth for it as his household and loueth it as his deere spouse and as his owne body pleasing and delighting himselfe in the soules of good Catholikes that serue him It is compared to the holy city of Hierusalem in which the true worship of God flourished and in which diuine sacrifice was duely offered It is compared to the arke of Noë out of which there was noe saluation but a general death and destruction Infidels that haue not the faith of Christ are out of the Church Haeretiks Schismatiks and excommunicated persons although they beleeue in Christ yet because they heare not the Church that is obey it not they are also our of it as heathens that participate not the benefits of it The Catholike Church hath two parts The triumphans and militant Church the one Triumphant the other Militant The Triumphant Church is the company of blessed soules in heauen who hauing gotten victory ouer their spirituall enemys in this life are now triumphing in euerlasting glory The Militant Church is the company of the faithfull vpon earth liuing as it were in a warrfare where we are allwais fighting with the enemys of our soules and by perseuering vnto the end in the seruice of God we shall be crowned like good and faithfull souldiers The Militant Church conteineth both good and euill liuers Mat. 3. and therefor it is compared to a field that beareth both good corne and cockle to a nette that gathereth together both good and euill fish The good are kept Mat. 13. but the bad are throwne away It is compared to tenne virgins fiue of which were wise and had prepared the light of good works against the comming of Christ to reward them Mat. 25. and therefor they were admitted into his heauenly nuptials but the other fiue came like fooles and although they had the faith of Christ and were christians yet wanting the oile of the loue of God and the light of good works they were excluded from his blessed ioyes By these and the like places we are giuen to vnderstande that it is not enough to haue the true faith and to be Catholikes if our liues be dissonant from our profession that we liue not like good Catholikes for there are many euill liuers in the Catholike Church who as bundles of cockle shall be throwne into the fire The Communion of Saints Communion of Saints S. Iohn Euangelist writing to the faithfull giueth them as the cause of his writing that you also may haue society with vs Io. 1.1 and our society may be with the father and with his sonne Iesus Christ That is that you may keepe in the society and Communion of the Church and be partakers of those good works and meanes of saluation which are to be had in it For there in is the Catholike Church such a participation of good works that all Catholikes that are in the state of grace participate with one another in them and receiue benefit by the good works of others The reason is because the Catholike Church is as it were one body and all the members of it liue by the same spirit of the Holy Ghost and of Iesus Christ who keepe them in that holy vnion and Communion together And as all the members of the body concurre and helpe to the good of each other soe euery member of the Catholike Church helpeth to the good of the rest and receiueth good by the rest participating of their good works Ps 118. â—am partaker of all that seare thee Saith he holy psalme And in the Pâ—ter nester our Sauiour hath taught vs soe to pray that euery one should aske in the name of all saying giue vs forgiue vs c. Those who are guilty of mortall sinne as they haue noe reward of grace for any worke of their owne which is done in that state soe they loose the benefit which they should receiue by the good works of others For although they be members of the Catholike Church yet wanting the life of grace they are as dead and rotten members into which the rest haue noe spirituall influence The benefit which is reaped by the good works of others is participated by euery one in measure and proportion to the disposition which he hath for it and according to the intention of him that performeth the worke for as we are more or lesse in his intention soe doe we participate more or lesse benefit by the worke which he doth For this it is enough to say that our good works are offerings which we make to God and are therfor receiued and applyed by him according to the offerers intention By all which we may see what a happinesse it is to be in the Catholike Church Ps 83. and in the state of grace Blessed are they who dwell in thy house ô Lord. Now let vs speake OF THE AVTHORITY of the Church BY these words of the Creede it appeareth that the Catholike Church is of diuine authority for euery article of the Creede being of diuine authority and we being by this article bound to beleeue the Church it followeth that the Church hath diuine authority and that we are bounde to beleeue and to obey it as hauing the authority of God And therefor this article was most profitably and necessarily made by the Apostles as the ground and foundation of diuine faith and worship For although in the scriptures it be plane and by reason must needes be true that we are allwais to be gouerned by the authority of the Church yet this article being soe commonly and often professed it is agreat curbe to the rizing of new sects and haeresys all which beginne in the disobedience of some priuate men to the authority of the whole Church and it can not but be a horrour to their mindes and a greeuous wounde to their owne consciences to see how they contradict the common Creede of the Apostles And therefor S. Paul might well say that a man that is an haeretike is subuerted and sinneth Tit. 3. being condemned by his owne iudgment The authority of the Church is diuine in that it is declared also by the
was strucken of God with a suddaine leprosy which then in the sight of all broke forth of his forhead soe that for his prowde aspiring to the dignity and office of Priests he was then for his leprosy to be excluded euen from the people And Saul for offering of holocaust being a king onely and noe Priest although compelled as he thought by necessity vnto it lost notwithstanding his kingdome from himselfe and from his posterity for euer Some times Emperours and Prince are present at General Councells to grace and protect them from turbulent men but they giue not their voices in any thinge Soe Constantine the first christian Emperour was present in the first General Councell of Nyce but how he came in the last of all and hauing a litle low seate sette for him he satte not downe vntill the bishops made him a signe to sitt downe And as for the decrees of the Councell we reade that three hundred and eightteene bishops subscribed to them but not that Constantine euer subscribed Soe also men of more sanctity of life and eminent in abilitys although not bishops are sometimes called to assist in General Councels but not to giue sentence or to subscribe to the decrees by their owne authority The gouernment therefor which Christ ordained in his Church was by S. Peter and the Apostles that is to say by one head or cheife bishop and by inferiour bishops vnder him And their authority is most full and obliging when it speaketh by a General Councell Then the head of the Church exercizeth more fully his supreme authority calling together the pastors of the world and assigning to them the place of their meeting The bishops and others who for sanctity wisdome and learning are in reason to be thought the best deseruing of the whole world are present at them Being come together solemne dayes of prayer are instituted for the inuocation of the Holy Ghost Euery one of this absolute company hath then liberty to speake his minde freely and by the grounds of his owne religion is bounde not to dissemble but to speake the truth according to his conscience they being for the most part meere strangers to one another All things being well examined they subscribe in order first the head bishop and then the rest after him according to their dignity This is the harmony which Christ hath composed in his Church of people concording with their pastors and of pastors with their supreme head Now what more satisfaction can our soules desire then from such an assembly of soe many holy and learned men who haue the voyce of the whole Catholike Church and the assistance of Christ and of the Holy Ghost Let any christian speake truely and he must needes confesse that it would be a horrour to his conscience and that his owne thoughts would condemne him of errour if he were condemned by such an authority And therfor S. Paul might well say that the haretical man is condemned by his owne iudgment Tit. 3. Because he seeing his doctrine to be publikely condemned by the general sentence of the whole Catholike Church that then is in the world can not but see his owne peruersed obstinacy in still mainteining it and that he breaketh the concord of people with their pastors confoundeth all order of gouernment in the Church destroyeth the certaine ground of all diuine veritys and maketh the Creede scriptures and all principles of faith to become subiect to the censure of euery priuate man Wherefor the Apostle biddeth vs to take heed of such men and our blessed Sauiour himselfe hath commanded vs to regard them noe otherwise then as Heathens and Publicans Victor an auncient and graue authour Vis l. 2. de pâ—rses Vandal who liued in the age of S. Augustine about twelue hundred yeares since relateth a passage worthy to be remembred to shew the comfort and confidence which Catholikes haue in General Councells and how that haeretiks are affrayed and dare not stande to them Hunnericus king of the Vandals persecuting the Church summoned the Catholiks of his dominions to come to Carthage to a publike disputation with his Arian bishops Bishop Eugenius in the name of the Catholikes answered in this manner Let the kingknow that trusting in God we are ready and very glad to haue a publike triall of our cause but we desire that all the world may be present at it for we will not take vpon vs to decide the generall cause by our particular votes Let therfor all those beyond the seas know that the vniuersall cause is here to be treated and not onely the cause of the Affrican Prouinces for we will be tryed by the vniuersal authority and consent of all And when the king returned answere by his Prefident that he would grant him his desire if he would bring all the world vnder his power Eugenius replyed againe Thou shouldest not desire that request of mee which is not in my power to performe That which I say to the king is that if his maiesty desire indeede to be sdtisfyed in our religion which onely hath the true faith let him sende vnto his friends and I will sende vnto my fellow bishops and especially to the Romane Church which is the head of all Churches The bishop suspecting the intention of the king denyed to come to his city and wisely appealed to the generall authority and especially to the bishop of Rome but noe haeretike will euery yeeld to that appeale where the question is to be tryed by the vniuersal authority of the whole Church but as owles and battes fly from the sunshine soe doe they from such a glorious tryall and as they beganne in the disobedience of a few obstinate persons or of some one silly man soe they are affrayed to be tryed by the vniuersal Church which is at all times and was then when their disobedience beganne Disp Lyps Luther was contented to haue a tryall of his doctrine by single disputation and when that worthy man Dâ— Eckius the glory of Swedland publikely confuted and shamed him he broke forth into blasphemous words vnworthy to be repeated But he durst not come to the Councell of Trent which he needed not to hâ—ue feared if he would haue submitted to the authority of the vniuersall Church as all good Christians ought to doe Now let vs see WHICH IS THE CATHOLIKE Church Quest Giue mee a difference betwixt the true and all salse Churches Ans The true Charch continueth allwais in vnion and obedience to its head pastors all false Churches beginne in dissentions and disobedience to the head and pastors of the Church Thus S. Cyprian S. Hierome and others alleadged S. Peter being constituted of Christ as the head and supreme pastour of the Church as I haue shewed and is confirmed by all that which I haue to say of his successour the Bishop of Rome and that authority being necessary to remaine allwais after him we must see at all times and in all
diuine word breaketh his lawes and taketh away all order and gouernment quite out of the world for all order includeth subordination that is to say subiection of inferiors to superiour powers but take once away the authority of the Church and absolue men in conscience from the obedience of it to beginne new doctrines beleeuing teaching and doeing what they list themselues and you take away all subordination of inferiors to superiors in the diuine worship therfore take away obedience to the Church and you take away all order and gouernment in Religion quite out of the world by making men subiect to no authority and consequently you destroy the world which without order in Religion can not consist The ground therefore foundation and first principle of all order is the divine authority of the continuall Church to beleeue as the Church teacheth and to obey it The Apostles haue commanded obedience to temporall superiors who then were infidels and could haue no authority in spirituall affaires Petr. 1.2 Let euery soule be subiect to higher powers for there is noe power but of God Rom. 13. Therefore he that resisteth the poâ—er resisteth the ordinance of God If infidell masters Magistrates and Powers be to be obeyed in temporall things as ordained of God how much more are we to obey the higher powers of the Catholike Church God hath ordeined the Superiors of the Church to gouerne the world in his diuine seruice therefore they haue the authority of God Aug. coÌ„t adu leg lib. 1. c. 17. and their Praecepts oblige vnder a mortall sinne There is no chaine of iron or adamant saith S. Augustine that can binde so hard as the Praecepts of the Church The like may be said of Ecclesiasticall customes which by long continuance haue obtained the force of lawes Ecclesiastical customes Therfor S. Paul commendeth the Corinthians for keeping the Praecepts which he had giuen them and alleadging the custome of the Church he thought it sufficient to stoppe the mouths of the contentious to say we have noe such custome nor the Church of God Cor. 1.11 And if those customs of the Church could gaine that authority soe soone within twenty or thirty yeares that Christ founded it certainely they shall haue as much now when it hath the addition of about sixteene hundreds of yeares S. Augustine hath these words for customes In those things of which the scriptures determine nothing for certaine Aug. ad Caâ—ulan the custome of the people is the custome of God and the institutions of our auncestors are to be kept as lawes and as praeuaricators against diuine lawes soe the infringers of Ecclesiasticall customes are to be restrained because the Church seeing those customes and not forbidding them by silence consenteth and alloweth of them and God declareth by the practise of the Church that in those times and places such customes oblige as necessary then to be kept Now let vs declare the Praecepts of the Church in particular THE FIRST PRAECEPT TO fast fasting dayes Soe great is the benefit of fasting that the Catholike Church would haue none of her people to be depriued of it and therefor would oblige all to diuerse fasts which I shall presently declare but first we will say somethinge of fasting in generall Fasting is commended first in the old Testament sometimes by examples of the Prophets and holy men and sometimes by the admirable effects of it Fasting was the first Praecept that was commanded to man and all our miserys beganne first by the vnhappy breaking of that Praecept God might haue chosen any other Commandement to haue exercized our obedience in but he would commende fasting to vs. After that in the Law of nature it was commanded againe some meates being then prohibited to be eaten as vncleane Nu. 6. Iud. 13. Hiere 35. In the Law of Moyses he himselfe fasted at the receiuing of it The Nazareits and Rechabeits who were particularly dedicated to the seruice of God were strict and austere in fasting Holy Iudith armed with fasting went forth against all the Assyrian forces accompanyed onely with one maide seruant and full of zeale and heauenly fortitude with her owne hands slew their Prince and put them all to slight The sentence of death was giuen against all the Israelits and a day appointed for their generall massacre Esther the Queene must venture her life for them by going to the King to aske their pardon She fasted and the people fasted for her good successe and she became soe beautifull and gracious that the hart of the King being enamoured with her the liues of thousands were granted at her request The Niniuers for their sinnes had deserued destruction and God sent his Prophet to declare against them and to cry as yet forty dayes and Niniue shall be subverted Ion. 3. The King hearing of it commanded a solemne fast and the city obseruing it God was pacifyed the sentence was suspended and Niniue stoode firme repaired by the force of fasting The three children armed with this vertue entred into the furnace of Babylon and walked in the raging fire as in a pleasant fresh ayre Daniel by fasting was too strong for Lyons and greedy hungar vrging them to deuoure God stopped their mouths that they did him noe hurt Graue Eleazarus contemned death to defende that fast which God had then commanded in the Church And the seauen brethren in the Machabees with their Mother aboue measure maruelous passed through cruell torments in defence of the same fast In the New Testament we haue fasting much more commended vnto vs by the example of Christ himselfe who blessedly beganne the Law of grace with his owne fast of forty dayes We haue also that Anne the Prophetisse fasted that S. Iohn Baptist fasted that the Apostles fasted and that Christ did not onely commende fasting by his example but in plane words and by miracle He would haue a possessed person to be brought to the Apostles that they labouring in vaine to despossesse him he might performe it himselfe and then declare for fasting saying this kind can goe out by nothing but by prayer and fasting Marc. 9. Is it not now a shame for the enemys of the Catholike Church to pretende Scriptures and yet to stande against the whole current both of tho old and new Testament for some aequivocall sentence which they picke out to obiect against fasting Christ to reprooue the hypocrysy of the Pharisys who vsed often to fast and to wash themselues that they might seeme holy before men said Mat. 15. not that which entreth into the mouth defileth a man meaning that the end intention and circumstances of eating and not the corporall meate was either good or hurtfull to the soule of man and they obiect this saying against fasting in generall or against the fasts of the Church Gal. 4. and call them the obseruations of men and not of God What more could an haeretike say to deny the doctrine of
confiding in the iustice and truth of his cause which giueth aduantage enough against all infidelity riseth vp against him At which some laughing others fearing his weaknes at length giuing him leaue to speake he beganne In the name of Iesus Christ attende O Philosopher what I say to thee There is one God the Creatour of heauen and earth and of all thinges â—isible and inuisible He made all by vertue of his Word and by the Spirit of the Holy Ghost he established them This Word which we call the Sonne of God taking pitty vpon mankind would be borne of a virgin conuerse amongst men and dy for them and he shall come againe and shall giue sentence vpon euery one according to their work That this is true we dispute not but we beleeue it Doe not therefore loose thy labour curiously to refute that which by faith onely is to be vnderstâ—ode Seeke not hâ—w this or that can be true in faith but if thou doest be leeue tell mee At which the Philosopher answered presently Credo I doe beleeue And giuing thanks to the bishop he perswaded the rest to beleeue with him protestâ—ng by oth that it was the power of God that had changed him and that by an inward and secret vertue he felt himselfe conuerted to the Christian faith Here this Philosopher confirmed what the bishop said and what we are saying that to dispute with curisity of matters of faith is to destroy faith which to be certaine must be grounded vpon the autority of God and not vpon the witts and disputations of men Out of all that which hath bene said we may gather two principal thinges Scruples of faith are but obscuritys of reason The first is for Catholikes that they cannot with reason trouble themselues with any scruples and doubts of faith for that those are but obscuritys and vncertaintys of our owne reason and not of the thinge it selfe which is beleued which is infallibly and infinitly certaine as proceeding from a supernatural light and gift of God by which we beleue the diuine authoritority And therefor if we perceiue our selues at any time to be ledde by the weaknesse of our reason into scruples and feares concerning any point of faith all of which haue the very same certainty let vs presently checke our selues and bring backe our thoughts to God againe to rely vpon him My soule what are we doeing whither doe we goe this is not the way to the blessed sight of God We must not thinke but beleeue we must not goe by thoughts but by certaintys noe wise man durst euer goe by this way which we are in we shall confounde and loose ourselues Let vs keepe the plane and common tracke which all haue gone which God hath commanded which our blessed Sauiour hath taught which his Apostles haue followed and all true beleeuers after them and that was to beleue by faith which is a supernatural light If thou doest beleeue in God rely vpon him and vpon the Catholike Church guided by him and not vpon thy owne witts And presently in all temptations let vs professe this beleefe saying I beleeue the holy Catholike Church and that not for my owne reason but for the authority of God Hoâ— 2. de Symb. Euseb Emissenus The faith of the Catholike religion is the light of the soule the doore of life the foundation of eternal saluation Whosoeuer shall forsake it followeth the euill guide of his owne vnderstanding Whosoeuer thinketh by his owne wisdome to attaine to the secrets of heauenly mysterys doth as one that will build without à foundation or that wil not enter at the doore but at the toppe of the house if in the night time he goe on without light he falleth downe to the bottome The second is for those that are not in the Catholike Church that they following a religion which beganne in priuate mens witts haue not the true faith nor shall euer come to haue it as long as they seeke it by their owne witts onely and by euidence of reason which some of them seeme to expect and stay for for this is to stande watching for larcks when the sky falls which shall neuer be yet shall as soone come to passe as that they shall come to haue the true faith without supernatural light and diuine inspiration therefor they ought to seeke for this and to haue recourse vnto God humbly beseeching him that he will enlighten and inspire them to the true faith And this by Gods grace I shall shew them how to haue recourse vnto God for soe as to obtaine it All points of faith according to reason But we are here to obserue that although faith be supernatural and natural reason be not sufficient to resolue vs finally in matters of faith nor to be relyed vpon in them yet all which we beleeue is according to reason and although all the mysterys of faith be not to be comprehended by vs yet we haue allwais reason soe to beleeue For God gouerneth this world wisely and sweetly according to the natures of his creatures and hauing giuen vnto man a reasonable nature by reason he bringeth him to that faith which he will haue him to beleeue giuing him rational and prudential motius to thinke in reason that that is the true faith First because as by reason we are brought to beleeue in God soe also for the certainty of all which we beleeue by reason we ground ourselues vpon the diuine autority Secondly reason also telleth vs that God gouerneth vs not by ourselues without dependâ—nce of and submission vnto any superiour authority vpon earth in points of religion but that he allwais inspireth vs to the obedience of the Church as in the next title I shall shew Thirdly we haue motiues credible enough to induce an vnderstanding and prudent man to beleeue that which is indeede thâ— true Church and to be gouerned by it and soe we haue all the reason in the world to beleeue the christian faith and the Romane Catholike Church the ignorant because they see in it all that they can desire to see or can see in the true Church to wit externally a most holy and wise gouernement learned men giuing their liues and holy men working of miracles and those as plane as miracles can be and soe frequent that euery ignorant man may either see them or heare of them soe certainely that he cannot in reason doubt of them all Then for the learneder sort they see that the faith of Christ by the most authentical writings that are in all the world is deduced euer from the beginning of the world vntil the comming of Christ and euer since his comming it is deduced vnto vs in none but in the Church of Rome and all other Churches of christians hauing goneforth of it they must either be haeretical or schismatical Churches or els there can be noe haeretical nor schismatical Churches in the world These are sufficient motius to an vnderstanding
aske him Luc. 11. Many there are that satisfy themselues with this answere and because they say their prayers and doe morall good works they will stande in disobedience to the true Church and mainteine a religion which beganne at sometime in disobedience to all the Churches in the world therefor I will say somethinge to shew the weakenesse of it I say therefor that this man willfully deceiueth himselfe in that he either prayeth not as he ought to obtaine the diuine inspiration according to that of S. Ia. 4. Iames you aske and receiue not because you aske amisse or if he obtained it by his prayer he followed it not For although it be true that he who prayeth as he ought with a desire of following of the truth although he be then in a false religion and out of the state of grace obtaineth not withstanding of congruity the diuine inspiration to the true faith and shall come to haue the true faith if he will follow that spirit but if he beginne a religion in disobedience to the whole Church of Christ or follow a religion which soe beganne in obedience to no knowne Church then extant in all the world I say that either there is some defect in his prayer as there was in the Pharisys prayer who prayed not rightly or if he prayed rightly soe as that he was then inspired of God to the obedience of that which is the true Church that then he followed not the diuine inspiration but as that yong man of the ghospel who asking of Christ what he should doe to receiue euerlasting life when Christ told him Goe sell Whatsoeuer thou hast and giue to the poore and come follow mee Marc. 10. He followed not the diuine calling but was strucken sad and went away sorrowfull Soe doth he and soe doe many when God sufficiently inspireth them to the Catholike Church for although God speake to their harts and haue illuminated their vnderstandings to thinke at sometime that the Catholike faith is the true faith yet they sleight that good thought they are strucken sad to thinke of the persecution which they hazard in themselues children or freinds endangering their wordly preferment or riches on which they haue sett their harts and can not soe wel enioy in it and being dishartened with these thinges they follow not the calling of God And although for the present their conscience accuse them yet going on in their old way within a while they forgette that euer they were called and will tell you that they say their prayers and that the spirit directeth them in the way in which they are Where as indeede when they rightly considered of it the spirit of God directed them a quite contrary way and would againe direct them to the same way if they would seeke as they ought to be inspired of God and obey his inspiration when he speaketh to their harts In the next place therefor I will shew how the diuine inspiration to the true Church is to be prayed for I onely desire thus much of all those who are out of the Catholike Church that being as I haue shewed that the true faith which is by a supernatural light and gift of God is allwais with obedience to the Church they will resolue with themselues to seeke vnto God to be inspired to that Church And that if he speake to their harts soe as that they come once to thinke that the Catholike Romane Church is the true Church they take that word of God as a lanterne to their feete and follow it or els they are all ready condemned in their owne consciences and shall finde one day those words to be true which the Holy Ghost hath threatened Esa 65. Because I called and you haue not answered I spoke and you haue not heard c. you shall cry for sorrow of hart and for contrition of spirit you shall howle But let vs see AFTER VVHAT MANNER THE diuine inspiration to the true Church is to be sought for by those who are out of the Catholike Church HAuing shewed that natural reason without supernatural light and diuine inspiration is not sufficient to direct vs in matters of faith and that this supernatural light and inspiration to faith is allwais with obedience to the true Church The next thinge most necessary to be shewed is how to obtaine the diuine light and inspiration to that Church Diuerse haue setforth seueral marks to know the true Church by and in the ninth article of the Creede I destinguish the true from all false Churches by their continuall obedience to the head and Pastors of the Church But here I intreate of a more prime subiect necessary to be knowne before that to wit that being noe marks are sufficient to discerne the true Church by soe as to become à member of it without diuine light and inspiration by which they are brought to obey it I now shew how that efficacious light and inspiration is to be obtained But first I aduertise the Catholike reader that this point hath not cheifly relation to him but to those that are out of the Catholike Church Yet thus farre the Catholike is concerned in it as that he shall planely see by that which immediatly I am going to say that according to his owne grounds and according to reason he can not seeke vnto any other Church where as all other Churches according to reason ought allwais to be seeking vntill they come to it For this is the comfort of Catholikes and of none but Catholikes The Church can not erre that vnderstanding and firmely beleeuing that the Church shall neuer faile out of the world by teaching errors in faith but that it is the pillar and ground of truth Tim. 1.3 and that the spirit of God is With it vntill the worlds end to teach it all truth that it is builded vpon a rocke and that the gates of hell shall neuer preuaile against it Io. 14. Mat. 16. And that Christ hath prayed for it that the faith of the cheife gouernour their of faile not in the gouerning of it and that the other gouernours of it might be sanctifyed in verity and that it is the body Luc. 22. the spouse the kingdome and the house of Christ Io. 17. Catholiks grounding themselues vpon all these places of holy scripture and vpon the ninth article of the Creede I beleeue the Catholike Church hold it a most horrible blasphemy against them to say that the Church can erre and a damnable heresy obstinatly to contradict it and hauing by reason of all these places continued allwais in obedience to it and soe kept constant to their auncient religion which was then extant in the world when all others beganne their new professions which then were not extant in any place of the world Catholiks according to these grounds must still continue as hitherto they haue all wais done in obedience to the same Church and can not seeke vnto
any other religion nor doubt of their owne as long as they adhaere vnto it but must sticke fast to that pillar and sure ground of truth and beleeue that the spirit of God and assistance of Christ is allwais with the Church and that obeying it they obey the holy Ghost and Christ They by these grounds can not as you see pray to God to inspire them to the true faith but must pray to God that they may allwais continue in the spirit of obedience to the Church as hitherto they haue done And soe this point hath onely soe farre relation to Catholiks as that they may gather by it that as hitherto God hath giuen them his holy light and spirit to reiect all priuate inuentions both of their owne and of others to obey the autority of the whole Church and to adhaere to it soe they ought still to doe and to pray to God that they may allwais doe soe and neuer forsake it But all those who haue goneforth of the Church and followed the priuate inuentions of some particular men as all others but Romane Catholikes haue done beginning new Churches which then were not teaching That it behoueth Protestants and those that are out of the Catholike Church to if examin the state of their owne Church nor gouerning of people in any place but were prohibited by the auncient Church as soone as they beganne and would haue bene prohibited sooner if they had begunne sooner with their new doctrines to oppose it all these and those that follow them of necessity mainteining that the true Church had then failed and that there was then noe true Church in the world which they might submitte vnto but that God sent them to reforme the Church and to restore it to its truth againe as Protestants say that when Luther beganne to oppose the Romane Catholike Church the true faith was perished wholy extinct destroyed not one iot of the ghospel had bene knowne but by his labour and study and the like sayings which may be seene in the booke called THE AVTHOVR OF THE PROTESTANT RELIGION l. â— c. 1. and commonly in authors This they saying as they needes must by consequence to their new reformation they ought in all reason if they will haue any care of their soules to be continually feareful and in doubt concerning their faith and being that the true Church may and did as they say faile and was quite decayed out of the world they ought to pray to God to enlighten them to see whether it be not decayed againe as then they say it was and stande not neede of a new reformation as then they say it did and if it doe that he will bring them to the true faith Or els if they will be out of doubt and free from feares they must beleeue as we doe that the Church could not stande neede of any reformation at all in doctrines of faith and soe to betake themselues againe to the obedience of it and to rest secure and contented with the Apostles Creede I beleeue the Catholike Church without troubling themselues about reforming it But being that they can neuer be certaine in their faith as long as they hold it lawfull to change their religion by reforming of errors in the Church they ought to haue often recourse vnto God to know when they should change their religion and to what religion they should change And this by Gods grace I will now shew them how they shall haue recourse to God for This question therefor I adde here for Cods sake and for those that are out of the Catholike Church that being as I haue shewed in the former title saying their prayers they obtaine not the diuine grace because they pray amisse they may know how to pray And because I conceiue it the most necessary of all points and that on which the conuersion of those that are in a false religion cheifly dependeth that they haue true recourse vnto God and also because it was commended to mee by a very graue and experienced person to procure of such that they will commende the state of their soules to God whose grace worketh much more efficaciously in them then our words can doe and because it is a meanes which none by reason can except against therefor I would adde this whole title for their satisfaction and final good that seeking rightly to God they may obtaine the pretious iewel of true faith in obedience to the true Catholike Church necessary to saluation But that the Protestant or any such reader may receiue that benefit by â—his which I wish him and may haue some feeling of that which we are now treating of I desire him first to take into serious consideration the state of his soule and of religion and that he goe not coldly about this busines which of all thinges in the world concerneth him most and is as important vnto him as his entrance into that happy and blessed state were he shall enioy the glorious sight of God or his entrance into hell where he shall neuer see the diuine face but most irefull and full of rage against him to the extreme horrour of his soule and to thinke truely that in this I aske nothing but that which is both according to his owne grounds and also reasonable in it selfe For his predecessors hauing forsaken the common religion of christians which was then vniuersally professed by that which had the name of the Catholike Church for a religion which had then noe name nor being in any place of the world he may with great reason feare himselfe and with much more reason forsake his new religion for some other that was then extant and especially to that which both is now and was then the most famous of all christendome But that which I now aske of him is not to change but onely to haue recourse to God and to pray vnto him that if his Church doe erre as he sayth that it may and once did that by his diuine light and inspiration he will bring him into the true Church He that were trauailing in a vast wildernes vncertaine of his way and saw the darke night comming on and heard the wild beasts sallying out of their dennes roaring and seeking for their pray in what feare and anguish of minde would he be what would he giue for a guide that could sett him into à safe way free from dangers much more fearefull is the condition of euery man that is out of the Catholike Church this world is the wildernes in which he wandereth heauen is his home obedience to the Catholike Church is the onely way to it death is the night that draweth on and the infernal spirits as wild beasts surrounde him Poore soule thou confessest thy selfe to be in an vncertaine Church which may lead thee to hell and why dost thou not tremble for feare and cry vnto God betake thy selfe vnto him call vpon him beseech him earnestly to guide thee and
that by his holy light and inspiration he will bring thee to see whether thy Church erre or noe and if it doe to forsake it and to obey the true Church And this I will shew thee how thou shalt require it of him I said before that the spirit of God is denyed to none that rightly aske it To obtaine then the diuine inspiration inspiring vs to the obedience of the true Church we neede noe more but rightly to aske it He therefor that beleening in a Church which may erre is resolued with himselfe to vse all possible meanes to know whether it erre or noe and to be inspired vnto the true Church let him take a time of purpose to thinke of this important businesse and to commende it seriously to God and then the first thinge which he must doe is to prepare himselfe with a calme and quiet minde and ready promptitude to performe that which God shall inspire him firmely purposing that nothing in the world shall hinder him to follow that which he shall thinke to be the true way of saluation Prou. 16. soe that he may truely say My hart is ready ô Lord my hart is ready It perteineth to man saith the holy proue be to prepare his hart and againe the hart of man disposeth his way Hauing thus prepared his hart with an earnest desire of the diuine inspiration and with à full purpose of obeying it then let him make his prayer to God not in extrauagant words as some doe with the Pharisee but with all the humility and feruour of minde that he can possibly stirre vp in himselfe beseeching his diuine and infinite goodnes that he will not permitte his soule to perish in a false religion but that he will enlighten him to see which is the true Church and efficaciously inspire him to the obedience of it Hauing made his prayer let him then consider quietly with himselfe some grounds of religion as for example the necessity of a continual visible Church declared by holy scriptures and by natural reason for the gouernment of the world in the true worship of God and therefor that must be the true Church of Christ which hath continued at all times for the saluation of soules and that all those Churches which haue begunne at any time to oppose the setled Church of Christ which was then in the world are false Churches as being in their beginning guilty of the greeuous sinne of disobedience to the continual Church which God hath ordained at all times for the gouernment of the world in his true worship And if he be a Protestant he may thinke with himselfe how that at that time when Luther begâ—nne to oppose the Romane Catholike Church he submitted himselfe to noe Church then extant in all the world but beganne to teach a doctrine which all people in the world reiected for false and did many thinges which noe Church that was then would iustify for lawfull but gotte onely some priuate men to ioyne with him against all Churches that then were pretending that there was noe Church which they could lawfully ioyne themselues vnto and that he was sent of God to reforme the errors of the Church Buecer Ep. ad Episc Hâ—reford termeth him the first Epistle of the reformed doctrine Fox act pag. 400 416. that God sent Luther and gaue him his mighty spirit to reforme religion and that he was à conductour and chariot of Israel to be reuerenced next vnto Christ and S. Paul aboue all the saints VVâ—iâ—â—k resp ad Edmund Camp ration 8. we reuerence Luther as a father and imbrace the Lutherans and Zuinglâ—ans is very deere brethren Thus Protestants themselues confesse that Luther was the beginner of the reformed doctrine which they professe And thus did all the seueral Churches of Christians but the Romane Catholike Church beginne disobeying of it and obeying and vniting themselues to noe Church then extant in the world Hauing quietly with himselfe considered some such reason noe doubt but God will illuminate him to thinke and to see that this is not the Catholike Church and inspire him with pious affections of his will to the obedience of the Romane Catholike Church out of which all others went-forth and had their beginnings in disobedience to it And being thus moued and inspired of God to the obedience of that Church which he then thinketh in his hart to be the true Church that inspiration must be followed as the will of God and presently without delay he must gette himselfe vnited to that Church He is therfor first to prepare his hart with an indifferency and willingnes to doe that which God shall inspire to him secondly to pray earnestly and humbly to God to inspire him to the true Church thirdly with a quiet and calme minde to weigh with himselfe some reasons and grounds of religion according to his capacity and lastly to choose and to resolue with himselfe according to that which God then speaketh to his conscience and to goe about presently to performe it This is a thinge easy to be done by them and a thinge which as I haue shewed all those that are not Catholiks euen according to their owne grounds ought in all reason to doe if they will haue à care of their saluation And hauing done all this on their parts they haue done what in nature they could doe and relying for the rest vpon God for his helpe it is then most congruous and agreeable to the diuine goodnes to enlighten them and to shew them the truth which they desire and pray for And if afterwards they follow it not it is not for any defect of his assistance who by reasons sufficiently conuincing drew them at that time vnto him and offered them his diuine grace to become actually members of the true Church but it is of their owne wills and stubborne mindes that will not make vse of those helps and good motions which were abundantly sufficient for their conuersion This is the way which I direct vnto all such trauelers as are out of their way or vncertaine of their way as all those confesse themselues to be who beleeue in a fallible Church Let them haue recourse vnto God and see what he speaketh to their harts let them open their vnderstandings to his diuine light and let them prepare their wills to receiue those inspirations with which he moueth them to acknowledge his autority in the true Church and they shall finde comfort in him By this light and inspiration of God to obey his Church all are conuerted that are truely conuerted in this consisteth the security of all constant Catholiks who not by their owne reasons but by the diuine autority and inspiration are resolued in all points of faith and that inspiration finally tryed not by their owne iudgments but approoued of by the continual Church by which the true faith and worship of God is allwais conserued in the world and beleeuing and adhaering vnto that Church
haue particular relation And so this Angell may well be called Gabiel which according to Authors is an much as to say God man or Man of God to signify the mystery which he came to reueale of Christ God and man Saint Bernard thinketh him to haue bene the highest of all the Angelicall quires For as it is probable that it was the cheife of the euill spirits that seduced Eue and caused our destruction so sayth he it was convenient that the cheife of the glorious Spirits should bring the message of our reparation But he is communely thought to be the cheife of the Archangels quire which is the second quire of the third Hierarchy who are the messengers of God designed vnto higher and more principall mysterys and haue higher illuminations for that purpose The manner of his appearance is described by S. Augustine to haue bene very glorious who bringeth in our blessed Lady speaking these words tom 10. seren 14. de Natal dom The Angell Gabriell came vnto mee with a bright countenance shining garments in his gate admirable in aspect terrible as bearing reuerence in his person to the mystery which he was to declare As for the place where the vision happened The house of Laureto it was in the citty of Nazareth in the dwelling house of Ioseph and our blessed Lady a place which God hath and doth still honour with soe many miracles that it may be called his Treasury vpon earth or Storehouse of miracles Beda de locis sanctis e. 16. Saint Bede saith that it was consecrated into a Church by the Apostles themselues And God to shew how much he esteemeth of the sanctity of it hath maruelously preserued it transporting it by his Angels from Palestine out of the power of insidels first into Illyrium and from thence into that place of Italy where now it remaineth called Lauretum where it is visited and honoured by thousands of pious Catholiks flocking vnto it and by the greatest Princes of Christendome who of deuotion to our blessed Lady haue gone or sent thither I doe not say that all the miracles that are written of the house of Loreto are to be beleeued as of faith yet it were vnreasonable to question them all I say first and that I am certaine of that all things are possible to God and soe all things that are written of it are at least possible to him I say secondly and that also I am sure of that as for the Translation of that house by Angels God hath actually done as much for his seruants and he that will deny this must also deny that Abacuc was carried by an Angell by the haire of his head out of Iury into Babylon Dau. 14. for Daniel the seruant of God his sake Thirdly I say that the miracles which are their done conuince more assuredly for the power of God in that place and for the verity of them then the Sunshine doth for any thing which wee see with our corporall eyes For he that seeth for example lame and crooked limmes or rotten and withered flesh to become streight sound intire and of perfect bignes or he that seeth in a possessed person the deuill visibly to change shapes or heareth him to speake seuerall tongues Exorcismes which the possessed person hath no skill of and is inwardly moued wish a pious motion of his hart to beleeue that which he seeth to be true is surer of it then he is of any thinge which he seeth onely by the sunshine and hath noe inward pious motion of minde to beleeue it Fourthly that which is recorded of the miracles of Laureto is neuer published but vpon good authority prudent grounds and sufficient witnesses warily and strictly examined and is done sometimes in the sight of multitudes to testify it and so in prudence cannot be denyed And to question or to deny all the miracles which are recorded of that place is more absurde then if one should question or deny all the whole records of any commonwealth or Kingdome which are deliuered with much lesse circumspection then the historys of Laureto are As for the time in which this vision appeared and in which the mystery of the Incarnation was fullfilled it was according to saint Luke in the sixt month after the Conception of S. Iohn Bapptist which being on the 25. of Septemb this must haue bene in March and to complete six months it must haue bene on the 25. of March as the Church celebrateth it As for the day some haue contemplated that it was vpon a Fryday that as Adam was created on a Friday and sinned on a Friday for he is thought to haue bene but seaven dayes in Paradise so Christ who was to be a second Adam to the destruction of sinne and to the reparation of our nature should be conceiued also on a Fryday As for the hower it is commonly thought to haue bene about midnight according to that of holy Wisedome Sap 18. When quiet silence conteined all things and the night was in the mid-way of her course thy omnipotent word sallying out of Heauen from the Royall seates c. So also the the figure correspondeth better to the thing praefigured the Angell at midnight killing the first borne of the Aegyptians Let vs goe on BLESSED IS THE FRVITE OF THY WOMBE THESE words were spoken by S. Elizabeth to our B. Lady after her Conception of Christ The blessed Virgin as she was full of grace so also she was full of charity and of charity was moued to vndertake a troublesome iourney vnto the hilly contrey of Iury with much feruour and speede to see S. Elizabeth her cosen whom she knew by the Angell to haue conceiued a sonne in her old age Luc 2. She went saith the Euangelist into the hilly countrey of Iuda and entred into the house of Zachary and saluted Elizabeth And it came to passe that as soone as euer Elizabeth heard her voice the spirit of prophecy was giuen to S. Iohn who leaped in her wombe and by that leape gaue her to vnderstande the mystery which passed with our blessed Lady Thus doth Saint Iohn Chrysostome describe this passage Christ saith he therefore made his mother to salute S. Elizabeth that the word proceeding from the wombe in which our Lord dwelled might by the eares of Elizabeth descende vnto Iohn and there annoint him for a Prophet for presently as the words of her salutation came to her eares the child prophecyed not by word but by motion What would saint Iohn by that motion say It was as though hee had said Behold Mother Behold here the Mother of our Lord she that hath in her wombe the Saviour of the world full of grace and blessed among woman she is come to visit vs. She vnderstanding this and being replenished with the holy Ghost cryed out with a lowd voice to our blessed Lady saying Luc. 1. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruite of thy wombe