which are flatt Heresies and for all these Impietyes and abominations there are not that I heare of any Lawes made in Parlament for punishing these Presbiterians Noe but all the lightning thunder and tempest of the Bishops and that kind of Protestants and of the Presbiterians likwise doth fall upon the poor Catholicks our Religion is made treason to owne the Pope head of the Church in Spiritualibus as realy hee is is punish'd with death to worship Images superstition to invocate the Angels and Saints Idolatry wee suffer disgrace in Court and Country wee suffer the loss of livings wee suffer Imprisonments and death it selfe the Extirpation of our Faith is desired sought and put in Execution and men receive pleasure which is inhumane and cruell in our Miserye and Distruction and all these Afflictions fale upon us soly for the hatred men have to Religion What comfort can wee finde in these Extremityes That only and that is enough which our Saviour hath promised to his Servants Beati qui persecutionem patiuntur Math. Cap. 4. propter Iustitiam quoniam ipsorum est Regnum Caelorum That is Blessed are they that suffer Persecution for Justice for theirs is the Kingdome of heaven Sall wee heare you have preached in July 1674. before the Lord Lieutenant and State in Christ-Church in Dublin a long premeditated Sermon for Justifying your departure from the Romish Communion and you then told your Auditors that you had found in the Romish Church three Abominations to wit Idolatry Impiety and Tyranny and those you called Abominationem desolationes stantem in loco Sancto And that therfore according to our Saviours Admonition you departed from that Congregation But I tell you you have forged a pernitious Calumnie and Imposture in charging the Church of Rome the Mother of all Churches with Idolatry Impiety and Tyranny And I further say my Opinion that an Idol which is found in all your Congregations the pride of the privat Spiritt that Spiritt Doctor Whitaker see Pagina 17. discribed made you charge the Church of Rome with Idolatry Sir your zeal in your new Religion is soe furious that you have render'd your selfe at present incapable of Councell and all advice but in tyme you may become colder Non est abrevitae manus Domini And think better of what you have done however for the true love I have for you and especially for your Soule which is the maine and principal part ought to bee taken care for I hartily pray you what kinde of thing is Parlament Religion a ssippery and changable Religion which is thus declared For Satisfying King Henry the eight The Parlament changed some Articles of Faith as soone as hee dy'd they changed that Faith into Zwinglianisme to comply with the Protector Summerset young King Edward the sixt his Vncle within two or three years after they changed Zwinglianisme into Calvinisme and at the sute of Calvin reformed the Liturgy accordingly After the young Kings death they return'd with good Queen Mary to the old Faith and by new acts abolished those acts they had lately made before against Catholick Religion with Queen Elizabeth they restored againe the new Religion with some Alterations when King Iames succeeded they changed the translations of Scripture and other things In King Charles the firsts tyme Prelatick Protestancy was puld downe by Presbitery and this by IndePendency and the last puld downe quite Kingly Authority and took of the good Kings head from his Body Prelatick Protestancy being restored by King Charles the second the forms of Ordination where upon depends the validity of the Protestant Ministry Church and Sacraments being not thought sufficient were amended and are now changed into more Catholick Forms adding to the Forms the words Priest and Bishop which hath quite discredited theire Character of Priesthood and Episcopacy for those two Words being held by them as Essentiall in these two Forms the former orders given without these Words must have been invalid and in like manner all things in theire Ministry that depends upon Ordination are uncertaine and doubtfull for if the Church of England hath acknowledged to have erred in a thing of soe great importance as the Forms of Ordination what reason can it have in not erring in all the rest In a word Protestants in the Kingdome of England in one age have made more changes of Religions then Mahometans in the ten ages they have continued What I have sayd being duly examined tell mee Sall is not Protestant Religion slippery and changable and consider well what shall become of you in the sad exchange you have made The fourth Advertisment Learned Protestants of the Church of England doe confess that English and Irish Pagans venerable Beda called them Slaves of Idols were converted to Christian Faith by men sent from the Popes of Rome holy men that wrought Miracles in those Conversions IF any shall demaund to what end doe I make Mention of these Protestant Authors what doe I inferr from theire Testimoneys I make this Illation that said Authors did attest the Conversion of those Pagans to have beene made by those sent from Rome to a true and sauing Faith and for this Verity there are two convincing reasons The first that the Veracity of God was herein concerned which neuer confirm'd by Miracles a false Faith The second that the Goodness of God would not have Pagans brought from Idolatry to Heresy or to such a Religion wherein they would bee as certainly damn'd as in Idolatry to Iudge this of the goodness of God were a horrible Blasphemy for it were noe less then to cale him a cheate Sall examin now seriously what Faith that was the Saints Fugatius Damianus sent from Pope Eleutherious taught to the Pagans of England when King Lucius the first Christian King his Queen and thousands more were converted what the Faith which Saint Augustin the Benedictin Monk sent from S. Gregory Pope denounced to the Saxon Pagans In what Faith did S. Parrick sent from Pope Celestinus instruct the Idolaters of Ireland doubtless you will confess it was the same Faith then professed in Rome and by all the People that obey'd the Pope now all these professed as Articles of Faith the Real-Presence in the Eucharist the Invocation of Angells and Saints the seven Sacraments the Sacrifice of the Mass worship of Images and the like And aforesaid Saints Fugatious Damianus c. delivered them for such to the Pagans of both the Nations they likewise wrought Miracles for proving the truth of the Religion they taught and the Pagans seeing those Miracles beleeved they were sent from God They were indeed sent to those Idalaters as Moyses Elias and others Prophets to the People of Israel and as the Apostles to the Gentils doeing wonders In Nomine Virtute Dei. I observe in this place that the Religion the S S. Fugatious Damianus Patrick and Augustin preached to the Pagans of these countryes was not the Faith now Professed by Sall and
the Congregation of the now English Church ergò the Protestant Authors attesting the verity of the Religion taught by Fugatious and the rest and confirm'd by Miracles give Testimony against theire owne Religion I meane the Protestant My last illation from those Protestant Authors and against theire owne Religion and for mine is that Sall hath cause to feare his owne Damnation for having deserted the true Faith those holy men sent from Rome denounced to the Infidels Imbraceing a new Religion opposit to the ancient and orthodox The names of the Protestant Authors Devines and Historians testifying the Conversion of England and Ireland from Idolatry by the aforesaid Saints sent from Rome 1. Abbots pretended Arch-Bishop of Canterbury that writt against Bellarmin 2. Bale pretended Bishop of Ossory in Ireland reckened among theire learned men hee writ Centurys of the writers of Britaine and said of himselfe hee had read the Historys and Chronicles allmost of all Antiquitye 3. Bilson pretended Bishop of Winchester esteemed a learned writer 4. Caius Doctor of Phisick soe well seen in Antiquity as an Oxonian Orator tearmed him the Antiquary 5. Camden well knowne for his Discription of Britany an excellent Antiquary 6. Couper pretended Bishop of Lincolne and after of Winchester well knowne for his Dixionary and his Chronicle 7. Dangerous positioner some say it was D. Banckrofte pretended Arch-Bishop of Canterbury others say it was Doctor Sutclife 8. Fox most famous amongst Protestants for his acts and monuments of theire Martyrs 9. Fulk Doctor of Divinity and a great writer against Catholicks 10. Godwin a devine Sonne to Godwin pretended Bishop of Bath 11. Holinshed notorious for his great Chronicle and mosT earnest against Catholicks 12. Humphery Doctor of Divinity and the Queens Reader therof in Oxford 13. Iewell soe famous and known to Protestants as I need say nothing of him 14. Reynolds Doctor of Divinity famous with Protestants 15. Stow well knowne for his Chronicle and other his writings of Antiquity 16. Sutelife Doctor of Divinity and Dean of Exetor and a great writer against Catholicks 17. Surueyer soe I call the unnamed Author of the Suruey of the pretended holy Discipline 18. Whitaker Doctor and Professor of Divinity and a great writer against Catholicks very famous in the English Church tearmed by some a worthy learned man by others a Godly learned man These and thus esteemed are the Protestant writers that give Testimony of the Conversions of England by Saint Augustin and other Saints It is therfore agreed upon by Catholick and Protestant writers that King Luctus sent to Pope Eleutherius two holy men Elvanus of Avalonia and Medwinus together with these came commissionated from said Pope two other holy men Fugatius and Damianus who baptized the King and Queen and those of theire Family and many more that imbraced the Christian Faith Authors Catholick and Protestant stile these Legats of Pope Eleutherius Prelatos Episcopos for without such Authority and Character they could not erect Bishopricks consecrate Churches dispence Orders and the like this conversion was made and the King and Queen baptized anno Domini 183. to which Conversion agreeth Fox Jewell Godwin Abbots Fulk Whitaker Sutelife Reynolds Couper Stow Holinshed Camden Bale and others Bale one that would write nothing to the Credit of Rome if not convinced Bale Cent. 1. cap. 19. by evident Verity doth attribute this Conversion to Pope Eleutherius and with him joyned in this the Magdeburgenses Of the Conversion of the Irish Idolaters by Saint Patrick Saint Prosper that lived at the same tyme giveth a clear Testimony and after him venerable Bede Marianus Scotus and others who affirme alsoe that Saint Patrick dyed in the yeare of Christ 491. being 122. years Paladius was indeed sent to that work before Saint Patrick but though hee Religiously behaved himselfe in that divine Function the Glory of Converting the whole Nation from Paganisme was reserved for Saint Patrick who is therfore Iure merito stiled Apostle of Ireland Let us now heare Bale I pretermit other Protestant Authors that testify the conversion of the Irish Idolaters confirming the coming of Saint Patrick from the Sea of Rome and how hee gave the light of Faith to the Irish Pagans the testimony taken from an Enemy such as Bale against Catholicks is of the greater weight and force against himself Bale then who usually cal'd the Pope Anti-Christ and the beast and named the Primitive Church of England in the tyme of its greatest purity a Carnall Synagogue as great an enemy to the Pope as hee was speaks of Saint Patrick coming from the Pope thus Patrick saith hee surnamed Bale descrip Britan. Cent. 1. fo 250. Magonius who studied Divinity at Rome sent by Pope Celestinus did preach the Ghospell to the Irish-men with incredible feruour of Spiritt for forty years together and did convert them to the sincere Faith of Christ hee was most excellent in Learning and Holiness and among other Miracles hee did continue in Prayers and Fasting for forty days and forty nights founded many Churches healed many Sick delivered many possessed of Deuills and raysed to life sixty that were Dead Thus far Bale Behold here how Iohn Bale confesseth Saint Patrick was sent by Pope Celistinus and soe sent hee converted the Irishmen to the sincere Faith of Christ what more can any man say or more honourably of the Pope clearly allowing of Authority and power in him to send Doctors and missioners for converting nations to the true Faith In speaking of Saint Patrick hee mentions truly the vertues and duty of Apostles and preachers sent from Rome to enlighten nations as to fast and pray to found Churches heale the sick and worke Miracles Let Bale himselfe tell us if the blouddy Reformers of the Kirk of Scotland or himselfe Peter Martyr Buaer and the rest at the tyme of the Innovation they made in England did any of those holy works done by Saint Patrick and such Missioners as were lawfully sent from the holy Sea into the vineyard of our Lord I dare challenge in this place all the multitudes of those new men repayring as themselves say the house of God to give one Saint Patrick or Saint Augustin that fasted and prayed healed the sick and wrought Miracles I defye Bale to doe this with all his studyed tomes of centuries or Fox esteemed by the Protestants a most holy grave and pious man and plainly a devine man with his great and numerous volume of Acts and Monuments of theire Ridiculous Martyrs soe Credited in England as they have beene set in divers of theire Churches to be read by all or delicat Calvin the great Patriarck of Geneva with his soe adored books of Institutions or wanton Beza Reforming forsooth the Church of France with legions and troopes in set Battailes and beseeging the Kings goodly Cytties Garded by two fierce Giants in steele the Prince of Conué and the Admirall Coligny As Bale hath testifyed Saint Patricks Miracles soe
thing to be examined by you to know the Author matters nothing I desire not that Athistâ—â— read my writings such as 〈◊〉 not in God can make no 〈◊〉 fit of Godly things for my part I make more Esteem of a Pagan that adores stocks anâ— stones thinking there is a Deit â— in them then of Aâ—hises Neâ—ther is it my ayme thaâ— Maho metans or Jewes read this worke the first not believing Christ to be the Sonn of God though they hold him to be a holy Prophet and borne of a Virgin the other believe not the Mesias is yet come whose Fathers Crucify'd him when hee was borne and came among them and made Evident by wonders and miracles that hee was the true Sonne of God and the now living Jewes as blinde and obstinate as theire Fathers tred theire stepps spitting on the Crucifix and whipping it in theire Chambers and stobbing with poyniards the H. Sacrament with horrour and extream Malice wherof there are Many Authentique Histories My wish is this Book be only read by Roman Catholicks and by Protestants the first will likely be well satisfyed with this my endevours and from the protestant reader I only pray that hee will be pleased with atention and without prejudging to read all and after to speak with God alone about the state of his owne Soule and what Religion hee will Chuse for his eternall salvation The argument I doe not handle Scholastically conceiving not that the better way to haue my sence rightly understood I am for the way of fact declareing ingeniously what happen'd in England upon the comming in of both Religions what kinde of men were instrumentall in bringing them in what theire manners vertues or vices who of them were of Sanctity and who not who of them wrought Miracles which are Evident signes of true Religion which was brought into all Kingdoms Countrys and Provinces by Sanctity and Miracles I deny what Sall falling from his faith who gave me the occasion of writing afirms to witt That the Roman Catholick Religion is repugnant to humaine reason It were to make Religion fabulous and foolish to say it is contrary to wisdome and reason for what can be oppositt to wisdome and reason but folly and fables As Scripture by which soly many Protestants will haue Religion try'd excluding tradition even Apostolicall it selfe though it be Verbum Dei non Scriptum is the Word of God supernaturall written in paper with the hands of his holy scribes by Revelation so is Reason Gods naturall Word and Gods truth written by his owne hand in our soules Signatum est super nos Lumen vultus tui Domine Doth not all this prove a great agreableness between Religion and reason whereby is clearly evinced that Religion is not repugnant to humaine Reason Haue not Pagan Philosophers even by the light of reason without any other teaching perceiued in many things what is honest and what dishonest what just and what uniust what vertue what vice this is that light in mans soule which S. Basill calls Iudicium quoddam naturale per Bas homilia aâ—â— populum quod ab iniquis bona facile discerniâ—us And S. Augustin accounted soe much of reason that hee said Recta ratio vertus est And S. Aug. de util Credendi Cap. 12. if Caluins Authority were worth any thing he says Semen Religionis est in mente humana But I pray you heare S. Paul telling you the Philosophers were unexcusable for not hauing made the right use they could and should haue made of the knowledg they had of Cod by the light of reason Because saith Ad Rom. Cap. 1. hee whereas they knew God they haue not glorify'd him as God or given thanks but are become vaine in theire cogitation and theire foolish hart hath bin darckned How have these Philosophers knowne God not by faith but by the light of reason and knowing him soe they should have as the Apostle teaches glorify'd him as God I shew in this Book the number of Catholick Arch-Bishops that sate upon the Chaire of Canterbury to haue bin sixty one many of these haue bin nobly borne and many of them very learned and vertuous twelve haue bin canonized saints Your number of Protestant Arch-Bishops have not as I think bin aboue six as Parker VVhitgift Grindal Branckfort Abots Laud and Sheldon all of them lowly born and as wee heare meanly Learned of theire vertues wee heard Little And could those few and less learned and vertuous know more of Gods verity and holy will then soe many Eminent Catholick Arch-Bishops what in Gods name would make any man think soe You had fifty two Catholick Monarchs of England Kings and Queens I speake nothing here of seventy small Kings when England was devided into seven Kingdoms many of these haue bin of the Gallantest Princes in Christendome as Egbert that first reduced England to a Monarchy Ina Edgar Canut William the conquerour Henry the second Edward the third Henry the fifth and Henry the seventh many of them vertuous and Godly Princes and som of them acknowledged for Saints by all the Church of God the Protestants have had but five in all the first a Child of nine yeâ—ars Edward the sixth the second a Woeman Queen Elisabeth a Cruell a woeman who put to death Queen Mary of Scotland the present Kings great Grandmother which was an open Murther and soe Esteemed by all the world as alsoe in the tyme of her raigne 200. Priests and Religious men soly for theire Religion A woeman druncken Apâ—c Cap. 17. of the blood of Saints and of the blood of the martyrs of Iesus A woeman fitter for Brauery then devotion thee other three King James a lerrned and wise Prince his Sonne Charles a sober and good King the last our present Souveraigne King Charles the second of him let those speak that shall survive him But certain it is Protestant Historians will not preferr those Protestant Princes in vertue valor glorious atempts and magnificence to the Catholick Princes To speak of both Religions Catholick and Prorestant and which of them is safest for salvation I offer you here a remarkable reflexion and consideration as thus Ask of the Mahometan the Jew and of the Scismatick Christians as the Ruthenians Armenians and all of the Greeck Church yea and of the Lutherans and Calvinists that disagree among themselves which is the best and safest Religion they will all say after their owne the Roman is the safest which is an Evident Jugment that the Roman is the fafest of all much like that the grave Judges gave for the Lacedemonians when all the Provinces of Greece claimed for the Palm and praise in the glorious victory they obtained against the Persians Those excellent Judges before whome the cause was brought demanded of every one of them whome they thought to have deserued best after themselues and all answering that the Lacedemonians the wise Iudges gave sentence that indeed the Lacedemonians had
deserued best of al the praise and glory of all in that victory In the same kindeâ— and for the same reason the Romish Religion preferr'd by all after themselves before all others is realy to be preferred to all as the best and safest I will here make an end requesting you my protestant Reader to lay aside passion and read the contents of this little worke Sall's confutation with as great diligence as you can for your owne good if you are a Zealous Protestant you will doe soe for of those I found many so great frinds of truth as they would change theire owne Religion if they were once perswaded it were not true and some of them I haue known that after diligent searching out for truth in Religion and finding it where it was to be found in the Roman Catholick Church Imbraced our Religion and after all theire life tyme bestow'd sincerly all paynes and care for the Conversion of theire once Bretheren in Protestanisme I neuer esteemed or loved men cold in theire owne Religion some I haue knowne of that kinde Catholicks and Protestants who tuned theire faith to the tymes and wordly respects I haue bine aquainted with som zealous learned Protestants and good morall men with those I willingly conferr'd and haue been deare to some of them One there was a Protestant Arch-Deacon of the Dioces I liu'd in hee had alsoe a temporall estate and was Rector or parson of a great Parish of som thousands of soules wherin I had care of the Catholick soules of all those hee had but a few to looke unto scarce a dozen besides his owne family the sharing between us was that hee had the flees and I the flock and soe farr wee were from Enuying one another that wee joy'd in any thing that happend well to each other hee was one of the best morall men I haue ever knowne a milde courteous and mercifull person It was my good luck and truly agreat pleasure to haue found an occasion of doing a good and great service to one of his Infants after his death in the first yeare of the warrs which I did God is my wittnes with all harty willingness and I haue bin informed that the Mother then at Dubblin a wel bred Creature hearing of my kindness to her Child said that worthy Churchman and my husband haue much loved one another and hee hath shew'd his affection by effect to the Child of the deceased I pray God I may not dye before finding an occasion of serving that frindly man or some one of his Relations I should be glad this little worke of myne might fall into the hands of such Protestants as my deare frind was However it happens I haue this satisfaction that my mynd is to serve all men of what Religion soeuer in the way of salvation and even soe courteous Reader Commending you to the protection of the Allmighty I remaine sincerly your humble servant in Christ Iesus N. N. The Iudgments and Approbations of a venerable and learned Prelate three Professors of Divinity and a Licentiat and Bachelor of the same Faculty given of the Book intitled The Dolefull Fall of Andrew Sall c. in their letters written to the Author therof Ad auctorem qui deploratissimum Saalis Jesuitae lapsum in Haeresim reparare voluit ABsorptum me ac pane in tua sanpuinolentae Iphigeniae vulneribus consepultum gravissimus deploratissimusque illius perditissimi Saalu è Triumphali Societalie Iesu curru lapsus excepit è que meiâ— maeroribuâ— in suir apuit admirationem unâ—le tam praecipiti miserrimi viri casuÌ„i statim indâ—â—m mutilatumque mente animo esse continuo judicavi Habet tamen infaelidissimus ille homuncio quo a lapsu erigatur sanetur mentique readatur medicam modo tuam bâ—â—mum misericordissime pati manum propinatumque a te singularis medicaminis poculum dum reliquiae anteacta vitae ei adhuc supersint non refugâ— epotare stomacho velit ausim affirmare nec fideliâ—rem nec expertiorem unquam reperiet mediâ—um nec a quo praesentius maloque eradicando aptius propinetur Antidotâ—onâ— in cajus confectione nullus quamvis expertissimus desiderare ullum poterit ingrediens quo deficiente ad Pristinam Sanitatem facilius redire posset ille usiser quaerat ipse vel in caelo sursum vel inferno dâ— or sum vel etiam retroacta scrutetur saecula nullum suo perniciosissimo malo profligandâ— praestantius tuâ— porrigetur remâ—dium adeoque ni ipse perditissimis malesuaedae animae tortoribus nuntium confestim mittat conclamatum esse quis dubitet sitque ita illius a seipso perditio Tu sane vir desideriorum quidquid a quovis exspectare potuit Deo proximo satisfacturus executus es hocque constanti tibi potetit esse solatio quod â—leum operam non sis omnino perditurus sat enim scio etiam adhuc â—astituris tuum profiturum Antidotum qua tu illud charitate confeceris â—adem te ad triumphalem Iesu eurrum uâ—de nullus in posterum timendus est casus e vehendum duplicique proprià nempe profligatissimo Saali destinanda de corandum coroua Amen occinit Tuus tibi aeternum devinctus P. O. D. 22. Apr. 1675. Most honoured Lord. I Have now at last to my own great satisfaction notwithstanding many interruptions exactly perused your Lordships excellent book of a sorrowful subiect rightly entituled The Dolefid Fall of Audrew Sall and find it all along worthy your Lordships pen it is learned strong convincing and which God certainly directed your hand to write so powerfully moving that it cannot but touch a harder heart them this fallen Sall carries in his breast gall'd no doubt with anguish torment and affliction Honored Lord your zeal and paines spent upon this wretched Apostate will have an ample reward hereafter I hmbly kisse your Lordsps hands and am ever Most honoured Lord Your Lordsps most sincere and faithfull Servant E. W. 12. May 1675. The Iudgment of a Praelate of Eminent Dignity My Lord I Have reade your Lordsps Booke which is undoubtedly an excellent good one full of Piety and Learning sufficient to shew any one their errours and although it should have no effect on that perverse Soule I doubt not but it will doe good to many others My Lord Your Lordships humble Servant P. H. N. DOcet nune experientia quod olim mâ—nuit Apostâ—lus Haeresim ut cancrum serperâ— Infâ—cit illâ— subtili veneno non tantùm vulguâ— ignarum sed etiam lectiora a Ecclesia membra quâ—postquam à reliquo corpâ—re pracisa sunt pergunt â—tiamnum pestiferum virus spargare quâ— secum incautos in interitum trabunt Sed prâ—vida Dei cura novis morâ—iâ— nova etiam remedia opponit suscitando spiritum ac zelum in viris Apostolicis qui salutaribus scriptis ac monitis gliscenti errorum contagio strenuè obsistant Hoc singulari Studio atque industriâ—â— prâ—stat Author hujus operis
faith To vanquish a coward that makes noe resistance is but a smale Glory and Victory for a Champion the tentation that mastered you was like to such a Champion Illa tentatio vicit te non quia non potuit ipsa vinci repelli sed quia tu qui victus es nullarum virium fuisti That tentation mastered you not because the tentation was strong and could not be vanquished but because you that was vanquished was of noe force or resolution Tertulian speaks much to the same purpose in those tearms Hereses de quorundam infirmitatibus habent quod valeant non valentes si bene valentes fidem incurrant That is to say Hereses take theire force from the weakeness of some but would have noe force if they encountred men strong in faith You have beene indeed cast downe because you would not stand and fight for I dare affirme there are hundreds of simple honest lay-men Catholicks borne in Ireland would have rather suffered torments and death it selfe then abjure theire faith as you have don for that they would have made good use of the Grace God hath given them as you have not done but like a languishing man hast yielded to that black temptation over which they would have tryumphed It was exellently said of the formentioned Tertulians Nemo saepiens est nisi fidelis nemo major nisi Christianus nemo Christianus nisi qui usque ad finem perseveraverit Behold this Sage Father holds noe man wise but a man strong in his faiih noe man great or noble but a Christian noe man a Christian but hee that continues stout and faithfull to God in Combatts and temtations and more especialy when the storme of persecution rises upon this tryall you fainted and forsooke your Master and your Religion and now of what Religion I beseech you are you I am say you a Protestant a true Child of the Church of England but of what Sect or kind of Protestants are you is a new Queere for under this Notion of Protestant pass Lutherans Calvinist Moderat and Rigid Swinglians Anabaptists Phanaticts or the last Sect which calls themselves Quakers Shall I speak my mind to you having gone out of the Roman Catholick Church and quit the faith therin professed all along from the Apostles tymes till this day you are of noe Religion for all the rest is but Paganisme Judaysme and Heresy This assertion is evident out of the great Doctor of Nations in his Epistle to the Ephesians where hee says plainely Vnus Dominus una Fidos unum Baptisma Ad Ephes cap. 4. One Lord one Faith one Baptisme Ergo there are not two faithes to be sau'd in but one only and that the Roman Catholick Faith that noe man can be sau'd without this sole only faith Saint Paul teacheth clearely in his Epistle to the Hebrewes as thus Sine fide autem imposibele est placere Deo the words following give evidently the reason Credere enim eportet accedentem ad Deum Epist ad Hebr. cap. 11. quia est inquirentibus se remunerator sit But without faith it is imposible to please God for hee that cometh to God must believe that hee is and is a rewarder to them that seek him That the Roman Catholick Faith is that only true faith wherin men are to be saued is evidently confirmed for that it is taught and defended only in the Roman Catholick Church which hath the true signes and propertys of a true Church for that shee is one only and can not be many that shee is visible and visibly dispersed over the whole world and therfore Catholick and Universall that shee is infallible and can not be deceived nor deceive depending in her Doctrin upon the infallible Revelation of God being assisted with Christ's promise of the perpetuall presence of the Holy Ghost with her and consequently can neuer faile or fall into error that shee containeth not only the good or the elect in this life but alsoe divers wicked members as the barne doth both wheat and chaff that likewise shee hath continued perpetually visible from Christ to our days by manifest Successions of Popes and Bishops knowne to the world and shall soe to the end that there is noe hope of salvation out of this Church and without this Faith though aman live otherwise neuer soe well or give neuer soe much Almes or give even his blood or suffer neuer soe much for Christ his name Wee know there are some that say and hold that Catholicks and Protestants can be sau'd each in his owne Religion But that is a desperate Opinion and the refuge of a very Carless Conscience if not voyd of all faith Noe Catholick is of this mind they are only Protestants that say soe for wee Catholicks hold with the Fathers of the Church that salvation is only as before was said to be found in the Catholick Church among others Sainct Irenaeus and Tertulian neare the Apostles tyme and after them Epiphanius Theodoret and Saint Augustin doe specially treat of this matter The reason is evident in as much as Catholicks and Protestants doe disagree in substantiall Articles and Theorems of Christian faith theire disagreements being knowne to be in above a hundred points great and small partly about the God-head of Christ his Church head members and Authority therof in his descent to hell remission of sinns all which are Articles of the common Creed partly about the Sacraments both of theire nature number force and efficacy about the Real Presence the effect of Baptisme externall Sacrifices Purgatory and the Invocation of Saints praying for the dead faith and workes manner of Justification and the like All which are knowne to be very substantiall points It is therfore very absurd and plainly tending to a secret kinde of Athisme to uphold the Catholick and Protestant Religion doe not differ in substantiall points and the differrence being supposed as it must be it is an Heresy to hould the Catholicks and Protestants may be sau'd each in his owne Religion and Profession but Catholicks can be sau'd in theirs which can not be said of the Protestant and his for being out of the Arke Debet perire as Saint Jerom says regnante deluvio Consider therfor Sall having departed out of the Catholick Church what Eternity you may wait for an Eternity of Flames darkness and inconsolable lamentation Vbi ignis Sulphur spiritus procellarum pars calicis eorum this shall be your inheritance I must confess learned men unless careless are not soe easily intrapped by Hereticks for all this I see with all your Mastership of Philosophy and Divinity in Spaigne you haue bine deluded and circumvented by the Protestant Arch-Bishop of Cashel who likly is not an unlearned man hee hath not been carless in working your eternall ruine and undoeing and it is usually the principall care of Hereticks to pervert true believers as Tertulian doth excellently teach Studium est saith hee Heriticis
is as necessary as meat drink or sleep and further yet when a man hath taken a wife hee may upon causes lye with her sister or with the next of her kinde and if these will bee obstinate hee may take the mayd instead of the Mistris and with all this may be not withstanding as holy and just as ever was Peter or Paul or the Mother of Christ If all this be true as Martin Luther warranteth us who can complaine saith the defence of the Censure of the hard way to heaven who can say the Gate is streight as Christ our Saviour did If these things be soe are not they great fooles that mortify theire bodyes austerely fasting and praying Christ our Saviour said Regnum Caelorum vim patitur violenti rapiunt illud But Luther says that saying of Christ is but a fable for soe much as by only believing you are as holy as the blessed Virgin the Mother of our Saviour for according to his Articles of Justification by faith only hee holds fasting praying and good works have noe influence upon Salvation But nothing of Luthers Doctrin is more impious and abominable then his abollishing the Masse upon a conference hee had with the Deuill to whome in the ende hee yielded This made Mr. Walsingham a prudent man in his Search into matters of Religion say to Doctor Downham who much praised Luther for a holy man I alsoe esteemed Luther to have binne a man of God but now ◠finde him by what the Author of the defence of the Censure says to have beene a very bad man and to have opposed himselfe against the Church of Rome by instigation of the Deuill himselfe with whome hee had much conference as is proved out of his owne works And surely Sir saith hee to Doctor Downham I think it concerneth mee to bee of some better faith and Religion then such as should have the originall and beginning from the Divill for what concord can there be between Christ and Belial light and darkness Luther himselfe setts forth his conference with the Devill in these words Contigit me sub mediam noctem subito expergefieri Luth. Tom. 7. VVlte pridted anno 1558. ubi Satan mecum caepit ejusmodi Disputationem audi inquit Luthere Doctor perdocte c. That is It happened saith Luther upon a certaine tyme lib. de Eissa privata c. unct Sacerde fol. 228 that I was suddainly awaked about midnight then Sathan beganne this Disputation with mee saying Harken right learned Doctor Luther Nosti te quindecim annis Caelebrasse Missas privatas penè quotidie c. Thou knowest thou hast celebrated privat Mass for the space of fifteen years almost every day what if such Masses were horrible Idolatrie What if Christ his body and blood were not present there but that thou only didst a dor◠Bread and Wine Wherunto I answered saith Luther that I was an anoynted Priest received Unction and Consecration from a Bishop and did all these things as from the Commaundement and Obedience of my Elders why then should I not consecrate There passed after other arguments of Sathan against the Mass and Luthers replyes and among others Luther said that hee celebrated Mass in the intention and faith of the Church and that the Church did rightly believe and think But saith Luther Sataen è contra fortius vehementius instans age prome vbi Scriptum est c. That is Sathan urging and replying more vehemently said goe toe shew mee where it is written that an ungodly and unbelieving man may consecrat in the faith and intention of the Church where hath God taught or commaunded this To which interogations and arguments of the Deuill Luther confessing that hee could not answer did yield in all points here touched by him except in only one which was against the real presence It is remarkable that the deuines of Hospinian in bis Histir Sacram part 2. printed Tiguri 1612. fol. 20. Wittenbargh publishing theire reasons of abrogating the Mass delivered the very same reasons and arguments that the Deuill brought against the Mass in his conference with Luther and among the rest this argument Confugiebatis ad Mariam Sanctos illi erant mediatores inter vos Christum sic erepta est gloria Christo That is You rann to Mary and the Saints these were the mediators between you and Christ and soe glory and honour is taken away from Christ Here you see gentle reader that Luther yielding to the Deuills reasons and arguments abollished the Mass and that the Wittenberg Devines have made use of these arguments made by Satan and that Luther himselfe afterwards us'd the same arguments against the Catholicks And as Mr. Walsingham says in his search into matters of Religion that the same Articles are now held in England namely against the Masse against the Ordination and Consecration of Priestes against the Real Presence against Privat Receiving and Communicating about the Faith of the Church about honouring and invocation of our Lady and other Saints And what is yet more maruelous to mee here is that the Deuill alleadged such arguments against Papists Religion in favour of Protestants as though hee had loved the Protestant Religion and hated that of the Catholiks which they would say is a good signe that the Catholick Religion is the truth And realy the Catholicks in all reason ought to think soe Now let any man think with himselfe of what spiritt a man soe conversant with the Diuill was who says Diabolus frequentius propius mihi condormit Incollo Mensal Germ. Edit fol. 281 quam mea Catharina That is That the Deuill doth sleepe with mee offtener and nearer unto mee then my owne Catharin that is to say my owne wife Catharin Boren or could write any thing of true Religion and Piety and how dangerous a point it were for a man to rely much upon him that was soe beset with contrary Spiritts and Deuills For as the Spirit of Christ can not but perswade good things and true Doctrin Soe cannot the Spirit of the Devill but perswade bad things and fals Doctrine either openly or covertly for it is the Devills function and profession to deceive all men and lead them to damnation The Matters of Luthers conference with the Deuill faling out to bee odious and shamfull sundry excuses are Cherke in his reply to the Censur printed 1581. Fulke in his treaeice against the desence os the Censure printed by Thomas Thomas p. 234. Lavat in his Hist Sacra printed Tiguri 1553. sol 24. pretended in answer therunto Mr. Charke and Mr. Fulke doe answer that by Luthers foresaid discourse of his Disputation had with the Devill is meant only a spirituall fight in minde and noe bodily conference Is it possible two Doctors of Divinity in the English Church would give soe weake an excuse did not Lavather himselfe confess it to have beene an apparition Luther being awak't did not Luther himselfe
that the Doctrine of the life to come and of the last Resurrection are meer fables c. Thus farre hee And all this hee setteth downe resolutly as you see without citing any one Author or Authority in the Text or Margent but only noting these words The Athisme of Popes All which is an impudent lying Accusation and Callumny Calvin in his first Book of Institutions writeth resolutly that in the first Calvin lib. 1. Iustit cap. 11. five hundred years after Christ there were neuer any Images in Christian Churches This is a false Callumnie And Mr. Walsengham in his Search into Matters of Religion found it to be soe in Coccius a Catholick Author who cited the words of 21. wittnesses and some of those Fathers that liu'd in som of those five ages and Mr. Walsengham found all those Citations to be true Lastly Calvin in his fourth book of Institutions and 19. Chapter hath these words against the Catholicks for esteeming as hee saith more Chrisme or holy Oyle in Baptisme then water Praeterita aqua saith hee nullo numero habita unum Oleum in Babtismo magni faciunt That is They letting pass and esteeming nothing at all the water in Baptisme doe only magnify theire Oyle or Chrisme Is not this a strange and bould accusation about Baptisme whereas the Protestants themselves doe know wee hold water essentiall and necessary to Baptisme not soe Oyle and that wee hold the Baptisme of Protestants for good and essentiall though they use noe Oyle yea the Councell of Concil Tred Sess 7. caw 2. 4. Trent hath soe expressly determined the Matter that none shall be rebaptized that are baptized by Protestants How then coms this impudent man to tell the world that wee esteeme more the Oyle then Water in Baptisme Even this manifest Callumnie with others of the same kind takes away all creditt and esteem from Calvin and even for this reason Sall you should not rely upon such an open lyer in the bussiness of your Salvation Of Calvins Life and Conversation AS concerning Calvins incontinent and ill life Hierom Bolseck a Doctor of Physick who lived at the same tyme with Calvin in Geneva and was then of the same Religion published the same and confuted Beza that canonized Calvins Sanctity and Vertues but who would believe a Sodomite Beza praising Calvin another Sodomit Bolsick beginns the life of Calvin with this Protestation I am here for the love of truth to refute Theodore Beza his false and shameless lyes in the praise of Calvin protesting before God and all the holy Court of heaven before all the world and the holy Ghost it selfe that neither anger nor envy nor evill will hath made mee speake or write any one thing against truth and my Conscience You are to observe that Bolseck being scandaliz'd with Calvins life became Catholick Then hee relates how Caluin was borne at Noyon in Picardy anno 1509. and was a Priest and branded for Sodomy with a burning Iron upon the shoulder and therefore retyred from his Country and how this punishment was testiyed by the Citty of Noyon under the hand of a publique sworne Notary to Monsieur Berteliet Secretary to the Councell of Geneva which testimony faith Bolseck is yet extant and I and others have seen it hee then tells us of Calvins incontinency with a gentle woeman of Mongis who stealing from her husband at Lausanna made aboad at Geneva with Calvin hee alsoe speaks of his adulterous attempting at Geneva of the Lady Ioland of Bredrode wife to a sickly noble man called Iames Burgoigne Lord of Fallaise in soe much as shee perswaded her husband to leave Geneva and goe to Lausanna where shee revealed the whole matter Then hee discribes his delicate Diet how his wine was choyce and carryed with him in a silver pott when hee dyn'd a broad that alsoe speciall bread was made for Calvin only and the same made of fyne flower wett in Rose-water mingled in Sugar Sinamon Annaiseeds besides a singular kinde of bisquit and this hee affirmeth as a matter knowne to all Geneva This delicasy of Diet was not prescribed to preserve his health but prepared to foment his lust and lewd Conversation with a Gentlemans wife of Lausanna and others This Calvin impious Calvin after hee had broaken and defaced the Images of Christ and Saints in Geneva caus'd his owne picture to bee set up in severall places and used alsoe to give little pictures and Images of himselfe to Gentle-woemen and Gentlemen to carry about theire necks And when one told him that some thought much of this hee answered Qui non potest hoc ferre rumpatur invidia That is Hee that cannot abide it let him burst with envy O prophane Hipocrit that preferd his owne picture to the Image of Christ Hee attempted the working of a miracle to prove his extraordinary Vocation and Mission to augment his owne creditt and to cheate the world with a fained Miracle you shall see how hee came of It happen'd thus Hee agree'd with a poore man called Bruleus a Tayler to faigne himselfe dead promising him great rewards if hee acted his part handsomly in this Trage-comedy and would bee secret none knew of the plot but Bruleus and his wife who upon the day and hower appointed satt in her house lamenting her husbands death Calvin passing by with agreat number of his frinds as it were by chance and hearing the Lamentation of the poore woeman seemed to pitty her sad Condition and moved forsooth with Charity and Compassion fell downe upon his knees with the rest of his Company praying in a loud voyce and beg'd of God that for the manifestation of his Glory and for the Confirmation of his servant Calvins Doctrin and Mission hee would vouchsafe to revive the dead Carcass which hee took by the hand and bid him rise in the name of the Lord. The wife seeing her husband did not move or rise as hee had promised drew neer and preceiving hee who had beene well but halfe an houre before was now dead lamented in good earnest the loss of her husband reviled Calvin as a murtherer cheate Hypocrit heretick c. And related to the whole Company what had past between them Calvin seeing Bruleus had acted his part more naturally then hee wished retired with hast and confusion to his Lodging This is one of the miracles of Heretick Prophets such as an Arian Heretick did worke when hee made a man blinde that saw well before this made Tertulian say Isti Apostoli de mortuis Tertul. de prescrip suscitabant ipsi Heretici de vivis Mortuos faciunt That is The Apostles rayse the dead to life and the Hereticks make those dye that were living Conradus Schlusselburge a man of Principall estimation in the Protestant Church and noe less learned and as great an Enemy to the Pope as Calvin himselfe giveth this publick Testimony of Calvins fearfull end Deus manu Schlusselburge in Theolog Calvin printed
faith Doctor Vsher found between the Greeks Ruthenians Armenians c. For bringing them into his owne Church and Communion but if they agree in any Articles with the Protestant though they differ'd in many more 't was enough for Vsher to make them all Protestants as Fox made Saints of all Sectarys as in what wee have said before is prou'd But wee Catholicks doe not nor may not receive into our Communion and Church the said Greeks Ruthenians c. Though agreeing with us in many Articles becaus they differ in others according to that of Saint Iames Qui offendit in uno factus est omnium reus Wee are now to speak or to deal with Sall for his contumelious Language to witt for saying that the tenets of the Roman Church against the XXXIX Articles are false and Superstitious especially that of Transubstantiation as forcing upon Christians a beleef of monstrous Miracles c. of which I shall treat in the ensuing Chapter XX. CHAPTER Miracles are ttue and cleare marks of a true Religion and the power of working them hath been given to the true Church and remaines therin The Anger Sall hath conceived against Gods wonders caling Miracles Monstrous gave mee occation of enlargeing this Chapter A furious zeale in his new Religion hath made the man ungodly It was not enough for him in his Recantation to declare his minde in the ensuing words Wherfore I resolved to declare as I doe hereby seriously and in my hart without Equivocation or mentall Reservation in the Presence of God and this Congregation declare that I doe give my full and free assent to the XXXIX Articles of the Church of England for holy and wise and grounded upon the insalliable word of God But hee must alsoe add Acknowledging the Romish tenets against them to be false and Superstitious especially that of Transubstantiation as forcing upon Christians a beleefe of Monstrous Miracles repugnant to humane reason and not grounded upon divine Testimony nor necessary either for verifying Christ his words in the Institution of this Blessed Sacrament or for the effects of it Sall verè durus est hie sermo quis potest eum audire Let any Catholick Reader tell mee Nonquid haec est atrox homuncionis insultantis Christo Ecclesiae rabies I did not think poor Sall was come to such a hight of Impiety as to belch up soe virulent a contumely against Gods Wonders But let him bee as much discontented as hee will Miracles are owned by the pious and learned by the Bishop and the Peasant and by all true and Godly beleevers because they are wrought In Nomine virtute Dei omnipotentis wherfore the Doctrin of Miracles is well grounded and delivered from hand to hand a long from the Apostles Tymes and the Church is called Ecclesia Sancta Sanctitate Miraculorum It is true Sall you have passed to a Congregation of men that deny and contemne manifest Wonders because noe Miracles were ever done in theire Church I defy you to shew mee one Miracle wrought by any of Foxes Saints or any Protestant since your holy Father Luther first brought in Protestanisme tell mee when and where and the man that did the Wonder Sall I see you deale with Miracles as the Fox did with a faire ripe bunsh of grapes hee jumpt and leapt to bring downe the grapes but when hee could not reach them said they were green and worth nothing But whether I pray you shall I beleeve you in a kinde of rage against Gods wonders caling them Monstrous or Saint Thomas the Prince of devines teaching What a Miracle is dicit enim Quod S. Tom. part 1. quest 105. a 7. nomen Miracâ—li ab Admiratione sumitur Admiratio autem consurgit cum effectus sunt manifesti causa occulta That is The Word Miracle coms from Admiration and this Admiration doth arise when the effects appeare and the cause is hidden Likewise Saint Augustin tells us what a Miracle is cum Deus saith the Saint Aliquid facit S. Aug. lib. de quest contra cognitum nobis cursum solitumque naturae magnalia vel mirabilia dicuntur When God doth any thing against the knowne course of nature and custome therof they are caled Magnalia or wonderfull things I pray you good Sall give God leave to doe wonderfull things by his Saints and servants to his owne Glory when it shall soe please him and be not angry therwith caling impudently these wonders Monstrous Miracles take rather Saint Augustins good Counsell speaking thus to you and mee and all men Dicamus Aliquid Deum posse quod nos fatemur investigare non posse in rebus enim mirabilibus tota ratio saciendi est potentia sacientis That is Let us say God is able to doe somthing that wee must confess wee are not able to search into or comprehend in wonderfull things the whole ground of doeing them is the power of him that can doe them That God hath Impowered those hee sent by an extraordinary way for converting Nations with the grace of working Miracles is a truth you will not deny having been evidently made appeare in the written Law and Law of Grace when the people see Miracles they beleeve the man that doth them is sent from God This made Moyses when hee was commaunded by God to lead the Israelits out of Egypt to answer God in these Exod. cap. 5. tearms The people will not beleeue mee nor heare my voyce but they will say our Lord hath not appeared to thee Hee proposed the difficulty of the Embassy wisely and God iudgd what hee sayd to carry great reason and therfore gaue him the power of doeing wonders and this suffised to make the people beleeue hee was sent from God with an extraordinary Authority Sall wee are still demaunding from your Prophets and Doctors Luther Caluin and the rest of them who say they were sent from God by an extraordinary mission to sanctify the world and to pull downe the whore of Babilon soe they name the Roman Church and alsoe you of England and all Protestants affirme the same to wit that Luther Calvin and the rest were impowered with extraordinary authority even as the true Prophets of God and other holy men that wrought Miracles for proving theire mission were sent from God in former ages but till this day you could never name any Miracles wrought by your Doctors Now if the Israelits would not take Moyses his word though hee was a holy man that hee was sent from God without doing wonders shall wee take Luther or Calvins word who shew'd noe Sanctity in theire manners but much impurity that they are sent from God without working Mitacles to prove it this would be in us a great folly There are three kinde of Miracles those of Christ those of the Apostles and Church Miracles if Sall and those of the English Church will not beleeve the two first kinde of Miracles they doe not credit the
Scriptures wherin those Miracles are found as for Church Miracles they seem to make noe more account of them then of fables or of ridiculous things but holy men and those that feare God doe much esteem them by Church Miracles I first understand such as the most antient fathers have left upon record never questioned never call'd into doubt by any 2. I understand by Church Miracles such as in latter ages have been aproved by the Sea Apostolique chiefly at the Canonization of Saints wherof wittnesses have been produced upon oath and all Imaginable sinserity or severity rather used to avoyd heresies and to make truth openly knowne Wee Catholicks distinguish between the received Miracles of the Church and those which particular men relate wherof some are only probable others Dubious others false the Protestants doth not distinguish them but make all fish that coms to Nett The Catholicks alsoe distinguish the Miracles of Christ and other Miracles those of Christ are immediatly wrought by God and the other by Gods servants but In Nomine virtute Dei soe that Christ is the Magnus Thaumaturgus quia sine illo nihil possumus facere when one baptizeth Saint Augustin doth affirme that Christ doth Baptize with him even soe wee say when any of Gods servants workes a wonder Christ works that Miracle with him and consequently all the Miracles of the Saints are Christs Miracles If Sall and other Protestants shall deny Gods servants to have received from Christ the power of working Miracles I say Sall and his Companions in this doe not beleeve the Prophesie of Christ saying expresly Amen Amen I say unto you hee Ioan. cap. 14. that beleeves in mee the works that I doe hee alsoe shall doe and greater works then these shall hee doe These are Christes owne words who cannot deceive or be deceived For a more exact notice of the nature of Miracles and how they are differenced I remitt my reader to an excellent Treatise printed at Antwerp anno 1674. Thus intitled The Infallibility of the Catholick Church and her miracles Now that Miracles are not Monstrous as Sall prophanely speaks but Glorious and the true seals and Characters of the true Religion and Church the ensuing Chapter will declare XXI CHAPTER Of undeniable Miracles proving the Faith and Sanctity of the true Church Mi ∣ racle 1 VVHen the people of Israel were most devided in matter of Religion and very many of them bended theire knees to Baal the Prophet Elias said to them in zeale and Anger How long halt you of two sides if Lib. 3. cap. 18. our Lord be God follow him if Baal follow him And the people did not answer him aword Such a zealous postulation is necessary to those that are neither hott nor cold in Religion but luke-warme such as the Angells themselves detest Apocall Cap. 3. then the Prophet made a motion to them of clearing the truth in point of Religion between him and the Priests of Baal by that famous undoubted Miracle of burning an Ox upon the Alter without kindling fyre under this way was well approved of by the people and they all answering said a very good proposition Gods Prophet was but one and alone in this conflict and the Prophets of Baal then present 450. The reason wherfore the people willingly condescended to the Prophets proposition was that in common sence they judged that God would not permitt a falshood to be confirmed by Miracle in soe publique a tryall where the veracity of God was soe particularly concerned on the other side the Prophets of Baal durst not refuse soe faire an ofter as Elias made in the presence of all the people fearing they would fall from them and the Worship of Baal their God What end say you had this faire Tryall who had the Victory who but Elias the true servant and Prophet of God The Priestes of Baal began to pray and cry upon Baal theire God with great fervour and many Ceremonyes they cryed till noon-day the tyme the Sacrifice should be burnt but their God Baal sent them noe fyre Then Elias after gering the foolish prayres and exclamations of those 450. Prophane Priestes of the Idol Baal began to pray to the living God in this kind Lord God of Abraham and Isaac and Israel shew this day that thou art the God of Israel and I thy servant and that according to thy Commaundement I have done all these things Heare mee Lord heare mee that these people may learne that thou art our Lord God and that thou hast converted theire hart againe And the fire of our Lord fell and devoured the Holacaust and the wood and the stones licking alsoe the dust and the Water that was in the Water gutter Which when all the People had seen they fell on theire face and said Our Lord hee is God our Lord hee is God Sall two things you may here observe the first that the people of Israel seeing the Miracle of the fyre coming from heaven detested Baal and adored God crying out Our Lord hee is God our Lord hee is God Secondly That the Devills power was here restrained and soe chained that hee was not able to help those Priestes of Baal demaunding fyre from him to burne the Holocaust and soe it is still when Miracles are attempted for the Tryall of truth then only truth will be testifyed and Sathan confounded having noe power to the contrary which is according to that of Saint Mark Our Lord working with Mark cap. 16. all and confirming the Doctrin with signes following And why should not I in this place in the name of the Catholick Church make such an offer to Sall and all his Protestants in England Ireland and Scotland as Elias made to the Priestes of Baal I hope they will be asham'd to refuse it for that were to confess that the Roman Doctrin is true and theirs false The Roman Church the true Church and the Protestants the false Sall let us not delude the people with School subtilitys or obscure Texts of Scripture If the Church of England or Scotland or any other reformed one be the true Church and its Doctrin the true Doctrin let that be try'd by Miracles I shall try ours of Rome by that Test I challenge then all the Bishops and Ministers of the Church of England and all those of the Reformation or all the Protestants of the World to work or mention any one Miracle ever yet wrought by any Protestant to confirme any one point of Doctrin or Religion wherin they differ from the Roman Catholick Gentlemen summon your Synods search into all Historyes Prophane and Sacred set your heads to gether and produce at least some probable testimony of as much as one Miracle to grace your Reformations Mi ∣ racle 2 When the same Prophet Elias raised from death to life the child of the Widow of Sareptha of the Sidonians and delivered him to his Mother and Lib. 3. Regum cap. 1â—8 said to her behold
Faith only is sufficient without all Satisfaction and all other works of Pennance Wee have expressly That every man shall be saved according Apoc. cap. 20. to his works You have noe where That men shall be judg'd only according to theire Faith Wee have expressly That it is a holy Cogitation to Prayer for the Dead 2 Mach. cap. 12. Sacrifice for the Dâ—ad 2 Mach. cap. 12. Voluntary Corporall affliction Daniell cap. 10. Almes Tobias cap. 12. Prayer of Saints for those on Earth 2 Mach. cap. 14. pray for the Dead You have noe where It is Superstition or unlawfull to doe the same Wee have an express example Of an holy man that offered Sacrifice for the Dead You have noe example of any good man that ever reprehended it Wee have expressly That the Affliction which Daniell us'd upon his Body was acceptable in the sight of God You have noe where That such voluntary Corporall afflictions are in vaine Wee have expressly That an Angell did present Tobias his good works and Almes-deeds before God You have noe where that Angells cannot or doe not the same Wee read expressly That Ieremias the Prophet after hee was dead pray'd for the People of Israell You have noe where the contrary to this in express Scripture I leave many places more that I might relate but these are enough to prove that express Scriptures are for us and not for you nor can you shew that wee are driven to deny any one book of the byble or to gloss upon plaine places of Scriptures as you are forced to doe I pray you Sall consider well these things for they touch narrowly your new Religion Further-more I dare give you this Challenge that whereas there have been soe many hundred Heresies for the space of one thousand sixhundred and seventy odd years in the Christian Church condemned and Anathematized by her and her Bishops if it can bee shew'd that the Roman Catholicks doe agree or participate in any one point truly and sincerly that was Iudged for an Heresy in old tyme and that the Roman Catholicks doe hold it in that sence and meaning wherin it was condemned that then wee will yield that our Religion is false and our Church noe true Church But on the other side wee Catholicks offer to shew clearly that you Protestants doe hold divers old and evident Heresyes that were condemned openly for Heresyes by the ancient Catholick Church and in the self-same sence and meaning wherin they were condemned as is evident in the Heresyes of Aerius against Fasting days commaunded by the Church and Prayer for the dead as alsoe of the Heretick Vigilantius that denyed Saints to Old heresys held by Protestants be prayd unto and theire Reliques to be honoured of the Heretick Iovinian that compared Matrimony with Virginity and other like for which wee aleage Epiph. Haeres 75. Hier. cont Vigilantium cont Iovin Aug. lib. de Haeresibus Heres 50. defence pag. 15. Doct. Fulke against Bristowes Motius pag. 54. the cleare testimonys of Saint Epiphanius Saint Hierome and Saint Augustin and the matter is soe cleare that Doctor Fulk his words are brought in against Doctor Bristo's motives saying that Epiphanius and Augustin were deceived in recording those for Heresyes which are not And that Ierome rather rayleth then reasoneth and that Vigilantius was a good man and his opinion sound Sall you see Mr. Fulk a grave Doctor in your Church drawne to that extremity in this point that hee is forced to Iudge Epiphanius and Augustin two grave and ancient Doctors and Saints alsoe to have beene deceived and Saint Ierom to have rather railed then reasoned and infine to say that Vigilantius a pestiferious condemned Heretick was a good man and his opinion sound Good Doctor Fulk you sore to high when you dare judge Doctors pillars of Gods Church to haue been deceiued can not wee say to you Fulk Quis te constituit iudicem Upon those eminent Doctors Sall this ought to trouble you in your new Religion that one of the graue Rabbins of your Church hath showd himselfs soe foolish and impious as to preferre Vigillantius a Notorious Heretick's Opinion to the Iudgment of three soe renowned Fathers in a matter concerning faith Speake my Frindâ—â—â— speak truth and shame the Devill is not this an intollerable presumption in your Fulk an obscure man not knowne out of the Iland of Brittain Sall I pray put these things together 1. That hee that houldeth any one Heresie can not be saued soe teacheth Scripture A man that is an Heretick after Ad Titum Cap. 3. the first and second Admonition auoyd knowing that hee that is such an one is subverted and sinneth being condemned by his owne Iudgment 2. It is confessed by both parts that only a true Roman Catholick can be saued as was declar'd aboue in pag. 40. 41. 42. and 43. as Doctor King Bishop of London proves out of your owne learned men and writers and cleare it is that hee that holdeth any Heresie cannot be a true Roman Catholick for that the Names and Natures of the things are repugnant and consequently if any Protestant of the English Church doth hold any one confessed Heresie hee cannot bee saued Now the cited Doctors have evidently showne and prou'd The now Church of England holdeth many Heresyes wherfore it cannot be the true Church and consequently those dying in that Church and Religion can not be sau'd Doctor Fulk saying those learned Fathers Epiphanius Augustin and Hierome were deceived and that Vigilantius the Hereticks Opinion was sound is a weak ground to rely upon in the present Doctrin and points of Faith and none but a madd man or in a fury of blinde zeal will give him creditt against those most holy and learned Fathers This is a high and dangerous point Sall you had need look well unto it The third Advertisment A dissention in Fundamentall points and Articles being between Protestants they must hold on another for Hereticks Ergò Sall if he mindes his Salvation will part from that Church IN the true Church the beleevers in all Countrys and places agree in all Articles of Faith as it is in the Roman Catholick Church and as it was in the Tyme of the Apostles as this Text signify's And the multitud of the beleevers Actor Cap. 4. Irinaeus c. 1. l. 1. had one hart and one Soule Saint Irinaeus excellently teacheth this Quam accepit Praedicationâ—m fidem Ecclesia diligenter custodit quasi unam domum inhabitans similiter credit quasi unam animam habens unum coâ— consonanter haec praedicat docet tradit quasi unum possidens cor That is The Church keeps diligently the Faith and preaching shee received as if the whole Church were dwelling in one House shee likewise beleeveth as if all the beleevers had but one Soule and one hart and shee preacheth and teacheth and delivereth all points of Faith as if all the beleevers had
fellow in one of the Oxford Colledges it is one of the rarest and most learned Books ever saw light of that kinde the argument of the worke is by way of Paralel to compare the Religion of a Calvinist and that of a Turke This man Reading the sleights Shufflings Lyes Falsifications and corruptions of Mr. Iewell pretended Bishop of Salsbury one of the falsest men that ever set pen to Paper forsook the Protestant Religion saying it could not bee a sauing and true Religion that used Falsifications and sleights for a support of keeping it up hee went in the yeare of Iubily to Rome and submitted himselfe with his writings and works to the Iudges of th'Inquisition who received with all joy soe pretious a man Father Persons the Iesuit accompanied him came afterward to France there lived a holy life and there dyed a happy Death 4 ' th Author THe Legacy of Doctor King Bishop of London or his Motives for his change of Religion written by himselfe and delivered over to a Frind in his lifetyme A most rationall moving piece printed Anno 1622. 5 ' th Author THree Conversions of England penn'd by the very vertuous Father Persons one of the best works ever was set out in English All in this Book is strong here you will finde Iewell and Fox two pillars of the English Church tottering and cast downe and bruesed like a Dagon Both are evidently convinced to have beene the most infamous Lyers ' Shuflers and Falsificators that ever lived of the English Nation or I think of any other 6 ' th Author A Search made into Matters of Religion by Francis Walsingam Deakon of the Protestant Church before his change to Catholick Religion a Book full of prudent Observations printed Permissu Superiorum Anno 1609. 7 ' th Author REdargutio Scismatis Anglicani ' Authore Alexandro White a Confutation of the XXXIX Articles of the Confession of England See above pag. 13. 14. 15. Printed at Lovain Anno 1661. 8 ' th Author PRotestancy without principles or Sectaryes unhappy fall from infallibility to Fancy layd forth in foure Discourses by E. W. printed at Antwerp by Michael Cnobbaert 1668. This Author shewes playnly to the Eye Protestant Religion sinking downe for want of Principles as a House layd upon a very weak Foundation t is one of the most learned pieces of this kind and convincing that I ever handled There is another Book of the same Author intiteled The Infalibility of the Roman Catholick Church and her Miracles defended against Doctor Stillingfleets Cavills c. printed at Antwerp 1674. An excellent worke the Preface therof is a Pearl Sall I pray you read with Attention these two Books if you are able you have some kind of Obligation to answer the last having denyed Infallibility to the Roman Catholick Church I think you will finde this E. W. hath read as much as you have done if not som-what more and that hee is a subtile School-man I have reason to know what mettle is in the man and partly what in you 9 ' th Author A Book that lately came out stiled a Treatice of Religion and Goverment the Argument which is learnedly handled whether Protestancy bee less dangerous to the soule or more advantagious to the state then the Roman Catholick Religion The conclusion that Piety and Policy are mistaken in Promoting Protestancy and Persecuting Popery by penall and Sanguinary statutes This man gives a perfect Anatomy of the English Church shewes clearly to the eye the Falsifications Iuglings Corruptions Shuflings absurd lyes and artifices of Protestant writers and Doctors Hee expounds briefly and soundly the XXXIX Articles of your English Creed and Confession and declares them to bee Pernitious Finally hee doth as it were demonstrat the Church of England to be without Sacraments Priest and Sacrifice and consequently noe Church and where there is noe Church there is noe true Religion This Book is not Easily had but I am ready to furnish you with one you will finde I assure you the discourse learned and worth your reading Sixt Advertisment 3. Weighty Points offered to be considered by Sall. MOre then twenty years agoe I lighted upon a Book written by a learned Protestant in the days of the Usurper caled the Christian Moderator wherin hee shew'd a great kindness and tenderness of hart toward us Catholicks then much afflicted hee spake much good of us and said wee were a People of a tender Conscience shy in taking oathes but Religious Observers of them once taken hee maintained our Religion was not inconsistent with Obedience to the Prince and Magistrate and that the farr greater part of us were commendable in our manners and Conversation and honest in our dealings hee wyp't away an envious Callumny objected to us to wit that wee held as a constant Doctrin in our Schooles and Practises in our Proceedings Fidem non esse servandam Hereticis which hee shew'd to bee most false out of Catholick Authors especially out of Paulus Layman a Iesuit Hee likewise indeavoured to persuade by good Arguments that Persecution of Religion was not lawfull nor could be warranted by the Law of God Law of Nature nor the ancient Lawes of the Land Among many good things this Author said I took speciall Notice of three remarkable Points which I will express the best I can in my owne words having not his Book at hand Primum Punctum HEe said it was observed that Roman Catholicks who turnd Protestants commonly became worse liuers then before great libertins dissolute in theire manners and careless of Salvation especially Priests and Religious men who breaking theire Vowes took Wives and wenshes and ever after lived in Sensuality and Sinn without all shame and feare of God giving Scandall to all kinde of men and that many of them came to an Obduration of hart and dy'd in Dispaire I will give you here a true and lamentable Narration of two fearfull Examples in this kind of two Apostata's Priests that marryed and had Children whome I knew very well One of them having studyed in the University of Salamaâ—â—a was made Priest in Spaine had a rich Benefice in those parts I liu'd in but was borne in the Province of Sall hee was sufficiently learned and audatious in the highest degree and had sometymes preacht before the State in Dubblin as latly Sall hath done In his Conversation hee was a meer Publican and most vaine lying vapering insolent debaust and Drunkenest Companion that was knowne in those parts As soon as the Rebellion began in England hee bid a Deiu to his Loyalty went to England and stuck to those then in Rebellion thinking therby to make a great Fortune came over with Crumwell and was a meer scourge and plague to the Catholick Clergy bringing Souldiers and wicked men to the Houses of all the Priests hee knew Infine hee dyed of the plague in a Ditch deserted of all of both Religions crying as they say for a Priest but found none The
may not returne voyd Let not deare Sall all my paines and the expressions of my good affection bee lost by an obduration in you look to it my frind while there is tyme of Consideration having noe less at stake then an Eternity of Salvation and Glory or of Flames and Damnation if after all my ernest requests and harty Prayers you will not think of Returning to Hierusalem but willfully stay in Babilon I can but say with a lamenting Soule Perditio tua exâ—te Israâ—l denying to joyne your will with Gods Grace Peribis in Aeternum For Saint Augustin tells you Qui creavit te sine te non salvabit tâ— sine te creaâ—it nescientem salvabit volentem Hee that has created thee with out thee will not save thee with out thee hee created thee with out thy knowledge but will save thee with thy will One word more and then adue untill wee shall appeare before the great Iudge of all at the last day in old English dooms-day what word say you This only that I conjure you by all that is holy and pretious on earth and in heaven I conjure you I say in the name and in the behalfe of the Almighty that your great and only care in this life bee when the Angell of God shall come to kill the Aegyptians by Exod. cap. 112. night darke night of theire Iniquityes that lie finde in thy house the marke of Pardon the Bloud of the lamb Iesus sprinkled on the Postes of the Doore of thy Soule which cannot be unless you are then found a true professor of the Holy Roman Cathoclick Apostolick Faith without this marke the Angell will destroy you with th' Aegyptians muse deeply on this Important point and ever think with feare and teares to what eternity the last moment of life shall deliver thy soule O praetiosum Momentum ô Aeternitas ô Momentum a quo pendet Aeternitas ô Deare Iesus redeemer of the world have mercy on Sall that hath a bandoned verity and Santity and bring him home againe and have mercy on mee poore sinner now praying for him Amen Fugam scelestam pudendam Andreae Sall ex castris Israël ad papiliones Phylisthijm palam justè redargutam Deo Auspice finivimus 12. die Martii Anno 1675. divo Gregorio P. M Sanctae Ecclesiae Doctori Sacro omnia quae Scripsimus indubitato Sanctae Matris Ecclesiae Oraculo submittentes Ut Scripta omnibus prosint summopere cupimus Catholicis ad fidem constanter servandam Heterodoxis ad eam faeliciter Amplectendam Ad Majorem D. O. M. Gloriam THE TABLE Of the Chapters and Advertisments contayned in this Book are as followeth SAll's Recantation The Author to the Reader I. Chap. A Distribution of the contents of this worke in 8. principall points pag. 1 1. VVhat drew Sall out of Gods House 2. VVhat guide led him the way 3. Having forsaken the Catholick Religion what Religion is hee become of 4. VVho are the Doctors hee hath parted with and who they hee hath now embraced 5. VVhat Company hath hee forsaken and who are they hee sticks unto 6. A discussion upon some principall parts of the Recantation 7. Certaine Advertisments to said Sall. 8. The Authors harty Exhortation unto him for his speedy returning to his Mother the Roman Catholick Church II. Chap. VVhat drew Sall out of Gods House pag. 8 The Tytle of Mr. VVhites Booke Schismatis Anglicani Redurgutio c. pag. 13 III. Chap. VVhat guide led Sall out of the House of God pag. 16 IV. Chap. Of what Religion is Sall become having forsaken the Catholick Religion pag. 25 V. Chap. Answer to the fourth Quaere pag. 46 VI. Chap. Of the Doctrin and manners of Luther and some other principall Hereticks pag. 79 VII Chap. Of Luthers Doctrin pag. 84 VIII Chap. Of Luthers Pride and contempt of the Fathers and belying them pag. 98 IX Chap. Of Luthers Incontinency pag. 106 X. VVhat frutes followed Luthers Doctrin and Reformation pag. 116 XI Chap. Of Calvins Doctrin his Calumnyes against Catholicks and of his life and Conversation pag. 123 Certaine Calumnyes of Calvin against the Fathers and other Catholicks pag. 138 Of Calvins Life and Conversation pag. 141 XII Of Beza's Doctrin and Conversation pag. 141 XIII Chap. A Brief Relation of the manners and Conversation of others of the Protestant Religion and pretended Reformers of the Church whose names are as followeth pag. 159 Of Zwinglius pag. 159 Phillip Melankton pag. 161 Jacobus Andreas otherwise named Smedelinus pag. 162 Carolostadius pag. 163 John Knox. pag. 164 Oecolumpadius pag. 166 Christopher Goodman pa. 167 XIV Chap. A Narration of the English Religion and Reformers in King Edward the 6'th Raigne pag. 169 VVho the Contrivers of the XXXIX Articles and first reformers of Protestant Religion pag. 172 XV. Chap. Sall if hee mindes his Salvation should not stay in a Church wherin Murtherers Traytors Hereticks Theeves Negromansers and other Mallefactors are canonized for Saints pag. 186 XVI Chap. The fift Quaere what Company hath Sall forsaken and who are they hee now sticks unto pag. 218 Hereticks in the Law of Nature pag. 222 Hereticks in the written Law pag. 224 Hereticks in the Evangelicall Law pag. 225 XVII Chap. A Discussion of some parts of Sall's Recantation pag. 231 XVIII Chap. The Doctrin of Transubstantiation defended against Sall a new Protestant p. 240 XIX Chap. The Ruthenian and Greek Church and the Armenians hold the same in the Article of Transubstantiation as the Roman Catholicks doe pag. 263 Testimonium seu professio quorundam Articulorum apud Nationem Surianam pag. 267 Ita nos Testamur die 29. Februarii Anno 1668. pag. 269 The Greek and Ruthenians Church Armenians and others agree in more points of Religion with the Romans then with the Protestants of the English Church pag. 271 XX. Chap. Miracles are true and cleare marks of a true Religion and the power of working them hath been given to the true Church and remains therin pag. 275 XXI Chap. Of undeniable Miracles proving the Faith and Sanctity of the true Church pag. 284 XXII Chap. Six Miracles confirming the Doctrin of the Catholick Church touching Transubstantiation and the Adoration in the Sacrament pag. 294 Saint Bernards Miracles pa. 298 Two other excellent Miracles of S. Bernard the one in Millane the other in Aquitaine pag. 301 XXIII Chap. Certaine Advertisments to said Sall first Hereticks are knowne by certaine Marks pag. 310 Le Tombeau des Heretiques pag. 312 The second Advertisment Cleare places of Scripture in many points controverted make for the Catholicks pag. 320 The third Advertisments A dissention in fundamentall points and Articles being betvveen Protestants they must hold one another for Hereticks Ergò Sall if hee mindes his Salvation vvill part from that Church pag. 329 The 4'th Advertisment Learned Protestants of the Church of England doe confess that English and Irish Pagans venerable Beda called them Slaves of Idols vvere converted to Christian Fáith by men sent from the Popes of Rome holy men that vvrought Miracles in those Conversions pag. 364 The fift Advertisment â— offer here certaine learned Catholick Anthors to be perused by Sall likely they came not all of them in his vvay pag. 381 The 6'th Advertisment Three vveighty points offered to be considered by Sall. pag. 388 The 7'th and last Advertisment Olim Possideo Prior Possideo The Roman Catholicks strong defence against the claime of all kind of Hereticks and theire Attempts pag. 397 XXIV Chap. Containing a firvent Exhortation to straying Sall for a tymly returning to his Holy Mother the Roman Catholick Church that there may be joy in heaven upon a sinner doeing Pennance pag. 416 FINIS ERRATA Pag. Lin. Faults Corrected 3 15 the thee 11 18 are are 25 14 pestiperous pestiferous 35 10 nequo neque 35 14 quam cum 35 18 Iesus Iesu 38 23 motius motives 39 8 Latanys Letanyes 40 21 motius motives 48 10 vertute virtute 48 12 vetteris veteris 66  commoderit commederit 78 19 si se 105 21 dispilefull dispitefull 105 24 care are 109 1 usith vvith 124 11 compaesant composant 125 21 nonquid nunquid 130 22 origenalâ— originalâ— 131 1 hier here 132 25 the thee 160 18 hierof hereof 160 22 Sangunem Sanguinem 166 2 malum mulum 178 14 ane and 180 22 vvicked vvicked 180 23 marters matters 191 14 prosteritas posteritas 197 24 sith fift 196 11 leage liege 202 20 vvare vvere 204 17 saire faire 228 6 inquivamenta inquinamentae 232 1 mought might 234 10 altquid aliquid 237 25 inteligimus intelligemus 239 2 intellestu intellectu 252 14 hodte hodie 268 5 nostri nostrae 273 2 Armneians Armenians 275 4 ttue true 296 18 Emperoor Emperour 316 8 beld held 347 20 contrary contrary 361 19 declated declared 371 4 Magdeburgenfes Magdeburgenses 371 15 felfe selfe 380 16 vvife vvise 394 3 patted parted 407 21 Keligion Religion
The dolefull Fall OF ANDREW SALL A JESUIT OF THE FOURTH VOW From the Roman Catholick Apostolick faith Lamented by his Constant Frind with an open rebuking of his Imbracing the Confession Contained in the XXXIX Articles of the Church of England Superiorum permissu 1674. THE RECANTATION OF ANDREW SALL A JESUIT OF THE FOURTH VOW Who had taught Divinity Eighteen years in Spain MADE IN S. JOHNS Church in Cashel in IRELAND Before the most reverend Father in GOD THO Lord Arch-Bishop of that Diocess MAY 17th 1674. Attested by the Secretary of the said Arch Bishop WHereas I Andrew Sall have been born and bred in the Communion of the Roman Catholick Church followed a Religious life and compleated my courses of Philosophy and Divinity in Colledges of the Order of Iesus in Spain and was employed in teaching the said Faculties many years I acknowledge that since by occasion of this Function I applyed my self to a stricter Inquiry and Examining of Matters And by frequent reading of the Holy Scripture Fathers Councils and Histories of the Church my Knowledge was furthered and my Judgment ripened I begun to doubt of the Truth of several Articles introduced by the use and authority of the Roman Church repugnant to Human Reason and not warranted by Divine Writ as Transubstantiation Indulgences Purgatory VVorship of Images c. yet smothered my Scruples partly fearing the severity of that Country against Opposers of their Tenets partly amused with a Supposition That the Church and Pope of Rome were infallible in their Decrees touching Faith and so might stand with security to their Declarations But having arrived in this Country Disputed often and closely of Religion with several Persons eminent in Learning and Integrity but principally with the Most Reverend Father in God and mine truly in Christ by the Gospel His Grace Tho Lord Arch-Bishop of Cashell present who mindful of the Duty of a good Pastour did procure to bring into his Fold this Sheep with unspeakable Constancy and indefatigable Charity suffering for Six years of continual battery my obstinate Resistance until at last by means of his solid Doctrine and of the Example of his pious and upright Life to the Glory of GOD be I permitted to say thus much here the LORD was pleased to give me a more clear sight of the Errours I was in yet a full Assent I delayed to give partly fearing that the weaknes I feeled may be of my Capacity rather than of the Cause I maintained partly frighted with the Confusion and Dangers I conceived might wait upon my deserting of the Romish Communion and so betook my self to a most diligent study of the Case leaving no stone unmoved for to quiet the trouble of my Conscience reading with indifferent Eyes the best VVriters on both sides and though I hartily wished to find the Cause I hitherto maintain'd justified for not to run into the terrible inconveniency which Human Considerations represented unto me in a Change yet assisted by Divine Grace and taking for Rule of my Actions the Service and VVill of God and the Interest of Eternity I resolved constantly to adhere unto the Party which with better ground would render me secure of this higher Emolument When being in these Considerations suddenly issued out our Soveraign Lord the King's Proclamation for Banishing the Roman Clergy wherewith I saw my self betwixt two extremities either to continue further in the Country with my Ambiguities in disobedience to my Soveraign's Command or to go into Spain and there be forced to Preach and practice Doctrines my Conscience did not approve of and so for a speedy Resolution after earnest Prayer to God for the assistance of his Divine light in so weighty a Matter I penned down for better Consideration the Reasons I did hear read and conceive against The RomishTenets Controverted I did also carefully peruse and seriously reflect upon the XXXIX Articles Canons and Liturgy of the Church of England and all considered well I did conclude the Way of the Church of England to be safer for my Salvation then that of the Roman Church Wherefore I resolved to declare as I do hereby seriously and in my heart without any Equivocation or mental Reservation in the presence of God and this Congregation Declare that I do give my full and free Assent to the XXXIX Articles of the Church of England for Holy and Wise and grounded upon the infallible Word of God acknowledging the Romish-Tenets against them to be false and superstitious especially that of Transubstantiation as forcing upon Christians a belief of monstrous Miracles repugnant to Human Reason and not grounded upon Divine testimony nor necessary either for verifying Christ's Words in the Institution of this blessed Sacrament or for the effects of it Not for verifying the Words whereas Christ saith in the like tenour that He is a true Vine without real alteration either in his Person or in the Vine nor for the Effects of the Holy Sacrament Christ being able to annex unto the Receiving of Bread and VVine what spiritual Graces he pleaseth without alteration of the Elements as he doth afford the spiritual Grace of Regeneration in the Waters of Baptisme without alteration in the substance of the VVater And least an Imagination of some temporal or sinistrous intention in this my Declaration upon the present Conjuncture may hinder the Spiritual benefit which Souls may reap by it I have grave Testimonies to shew and did already shew them to my renowned Lord the Arch-Bishop's Grace which assureth I did enjoy in Spain and may now enjoy with more advantage going thither upon the Account I was to go such degree of Honour and Commodity as possibly I may not expect elsewhere so as looking upon a Voyage thither continuing my former Profession nothing occurr'd to my mind but Honour Applause and Pleasure and turning my eyes upon my present Resolutions mountains of Crosses and Dangers did fright me But in this perplexity I haue chosen rather to suffer Crosses here with satisfaction of Conscience than to enjoy Honours that other way accompanied with the tortures of a checking Conscience and the unworthiness of a dissembling Life Wherefore I humbly beseech your Grace that I may be admitted into the Communion of this Church and that I may be absolved for my so long continuance in Errour resisting the powerful Calling of God which granted I hope by the Grace of Almighty God assisting me that I shall never withdraw my self For further confirmation of all this I have hereunto subscribed my Name ANDREW SALL Copia vera Examinata eum Original per me Carolum Robinson THE AUTHOR TO THE READER A Hundred to one you 'l be inquiring who is the Author but what need you care for that can not you feed on a dish of partriges unless you know who kild them there were many profitable Books written by Anonimi let it satisfy you that I haue reason to conceal my name The substance of the worke is the
wheat in his Barnflower out of which Sall like light chaff of pride thou hast flowen away wanting the weight of fortitude in thy faith Look well about you straying lost man and consider what you have done you have fled away from the Camp of Israel to the tents of Philistim you have stayned as much as in you lay the fame and renowne of the Order of the Society of Jesus you are the first of that Order of our Country that ever fell you have defamed your Nation you have poluted the â—and of Saints qua hactenus carebal Monstris But such sliders back and Apostata's as you and latly som others will make our holy I land an Africa you have in this your Apostacy dispised the power of Allmighty God you have belyed his truth you have againe Crucify'd Jâ—sus the Angells you have made angry the Saints you have dishonoured and men you have offended and scandalized Dic crgo mihi jam Sall hominum miserri me si non feceris scelera multa in domo Dei But whither glorying and boasting in that which is your shame your Apostacy soe runs the rumor of you whither will you turne your face where will you hide your selfe from the wrath of God where can you finde an azile of safty who will defend you who will take your part in the day of Extremity you are become for which my hart is much grived ludâ—brium fabula in gâ—ntibus Doe not say my words are bitter it is your great sinn against heaven makes mee bitter and to quarrell with you for my custome hath beene all my life pacem habere cum hominibus cum vitiis bellum I follow S. Augustins Rule Diligere homines interficere errores naturam amarâ— culpam odio habere quia ea faedatur natura quam homines amamus Soe that my Anger against you at present is piety and shall pray to be soe understood in this whole tract or confutation of your flight from the Catholick side for how can I be longer a frind to him that is becom a declared Enemy to God and his Angells by a publick Abjuration of holy faith In the first place the manner of of abjuring your Religion under the Tytle of a Recantion c. is vile and infamous could not you have performed this ungodly bussiness in that Arch-Bishops Chamber a work of darkness should have been Smoothered in silence and darkness noe but you must have used a solemnity in facie Ecclesiae Protestanticâ— ro have many wittnesses of your Ignominys would any man become bankroote a great infamy to a Marchant Publish his minde to the world If an incontinent woeman should put out in the Market-place a Declaration that shee was to make sale of her body soule and honour would not all of that sex cry upon her a shame upon the strumpet cauté si non casté This much to the Tytle of what Sall hath done now to what was done the Uggly Abjuration wherof much is to be said and spoken 1. What drew Sall out of Gods House 2. What guid led him the way 3. Having forsaken the Catholick Religion what Religion is hee become of 4. Who are the Doctors hee hath parted with and who they hee hath now embraced 5. What Company hath hee forsaken and who are they hee sticks unto 6. A discussion upon some principall parts of the Recantation 7. Certaine advertisments to said Sall. 8. The Authors harty Exhortation unto him for his speedy returning to his Mother the Roman Catholick Apostolick Church Those poynts I will handle as briefly as the Importance Of the matter will require and shall indevour by Gods blessing to give the pious and indifferent Reader all rationall satisfaction II. CHAPTFR TO the first query What drew Sall Ad primum out of Gods House Hee answers for himselfe that hee determined this change on a serious examen and ponderation hee had made upon the XXXIX Articles of the Confession of the Church of England for the safty hee found in them for salvation heare himselfe speak in his Recantation After ernest prayer saith hee to God for the assistance of his Devine light in soe weighty a matter I pen'd downe for better consideration the reasons I did heare read and conceive against the Romish tenets controverted I did alsoe carfully peruse and seriously reflect upon the XXXIX Articles Canons and Lithurgie of the Church of England to be safer for my salvation then that of the Roman Church You see gentle Reader this man pretended feare of his salvation if hee remained in the Catholick Communion and past to that of the Protestant Religion for the Devine Doctrine and satisfaction hee found as hee says in the XXXIX Articles of the English Confession Truly Sall I took you for a better Devine then to have changed soe rashly and unlearnedly the party you professed formerly to be of for any light truth or sanctity could be found in said XXXIX Articles I meane those of them different from the Catholck Religion One of these Articles vigesimus secundus Cui titulus est de Purgatorio runns thus Romana Doctrina de Purgatorio Indulgentiis Veneratione Adoraâ—ione taem Imaginum quam Reliquiarum ut de invocatione Sanctorum est absurda inaniter inventa nec ulla Scripturae authoritate nititur sed potius Dei verbâ— repugnat That is to say The Roman Doctrine of Purgatory Indulgences Veneration and Adoration as well of Images as of Reliques as alsoe of the Invocation of Saints is absurd and vainly invented nor is it grounded upon any Authority of Scripture but is rather repugnant to the Word of God Sall this is a false prophane hereticall Article of thy new Chosen faith Wheras the Worship of Images and Relicks wee Catholicks doe Worship but not adore Images and Reliques The Doctrin of Purgatory Indulgences and the Invocation of Saints is warranted by Scripture and Apostolicall Tradition and hath beene from age to age from the very tyme of the Apostles maintained taught and defended by ancient Fathers and Doctors Nominatim the foure most famous of the Church Gregory Ambros Augustin and Jerom as alsoe by the generall Councells and the continual practice and use of the holy Church and those who opposed themselves to those tenets and to the Doctrin derived touching them have beene condemned in all tymes as Hereticks Ergo this Article you Imbrace for a Theoreme and principle of faith for soe it is in the English Church is an heresy and you an heretick and soe I must esteem you to be If it were my purpose to sift and examine one by one such of these XXXIX Articles as ars different from the Catholick Doctrine I should not be in great trouble to prove them to be what indeed they are false and hereticall but that is done to my hand by a pious learned person bred in the Protestant Religion and for a long tyme a zealous defender of said XXXIX Articles
but after a long and due Examination of the substancâ— of them hee refuted them soe substantially as to this day noe man of the Church of England hath answer'd him I observe in this place that this Gentleman spent a great deale of tyme in deliberation about seaven years before Adjuring said XXXIX Articles which hee once believed as you doe now Sall as Articles of faith which belief and Doctrin hee suckt from his Cradle much more tyme I say hee had bestow'd and deliberation in quitting them then you have done in deserting the Catholick Religion and its holy Communion in which you were bred and your parents before you which can not be spoken but to your shame and infamy The light and grace God gave to Mr. White the Gentleman I speake of led him out of Babilon in to Ierusalem and you without great musing on the weightiest matter can ever concerne you the damnation or salvation of your soule are fled from Ierusalem to Babilon The Tytle of Mr. Whites Book Schismatis Anglicani redargutio Authore Alexandro VVhite ex eodem Schismate per Dei gratiam ad fidem Catholicam Converso Viro qui coripientem dura cervice contemnet repentinus ei superreniet interitus cam Sanitas non sequetur Proverb cap. 29. Lovani typis Jeronimi Nempaei 1661. This Book Sall if you have it not allready you will finde with som of the Priestes there Such is my opinion and of the Devines of my side of the sound substance of this Book and the Reasons and Arguments and Authoritys of Scripture Apostolicall Tradition Counsells and Fathers hee produceth that I presume without all vanity to give a Challenge on the behalfe of Verity and the Roman Catholick Church to you and to the Protestant Arch-Bishop of Cashell I say I give a Challeng to you both and all that Profess the XXXIX Articles in the three Kingdoms to make answer to this Book This is not a Thrasonical defiance such as Mr. Iewell Bell and others Protestant Divines made to all the Catholicks in the world of disputing with them about Religion but the place of disputing must have beene in England they being sure the state would not allow therof this Challenge is only for answering this Book wherin Mr. White hath distroy'd the Babell tower of your XXXIX Articles which you will neuer build up againe This mans Arck hath cast downe your Dagon hee hath impeached your new English Creed the XXXIX Articles af a treason against heaven and verity I pray you Sall if you have any memory as yet left of mee peruse seriously sedato animo this learned Book one of two effects it will have that either it will convert you or confound you Now if your Arch-Bishop and you and the rest of your Devines shall refuse this Challeng doe not vapour hereafter of the light Doctrin and Sanctity of your XXXIX Articles nor of your owne maistership in Devinity for 18. years in Spaine My Reader you have heard Sall tell why hee went out of the Catholick Church But S. Augustin gives another kinde of answer wherfore such men goe a way from us Habent says the Saint calumnias suas August Tom. 8. in Psal 118. Conseioâ— 26. 1 Haeretici habent Scismaâ—ici quos omnes superbia de membrorum Christi compage proecidit When men begin highly to prise their owne learning and to censure and contemne the Doctors of Holy Church generall Councells and even the high Priest himselfe the Pope in matters of Religion as Sall hath now done and to interpret Scriptures according to their owne braine and fancy then swelling with vanity they break out of the pales of the Church Nature is strong in such kinde of men and grace weak and soe they easily fall into sinn Quia quod Creatura peccare non possit habet ex bono gratiae non ex conditione nature Poore Sall this presumption hath pulled you out of the Temple yea periit ipse Angelus superbia tumidus propria potestatis delectatione corruptus this hath beene and is your disease Smoth the matter the best you can pride will be found one of the greatest motives of your departure from us III. CHAPTER VVHat Guid led Sall out of the Ad secundum House of God it was likly the privat Spiritt of Protestanisme a kinde of Serpent that with hissing whispers infects the brains of curious men this spirit hath much helpt to loose the man Doctor Whitaker esteemed agreat Devine in the English Church defines this private spiritt to be an inward In Contro 1. q. 5. C. 3. contrae Bellarum perswation of the truth from the Holy Ghost in the secret Closset of the believers hart Sall with this deceiving guid you made your fatall Transmigration from our side I would faigne know where in Scripture or the ancient Fathers did Whitaker finde a ground for such a definition of his privat Spirit hee found it noe where and therfore likly hee made it in a dream This Spiritt hath not been knowne to the ancient Fathers and Doctors of the Church for full fiftien ages they heard nothing of it nor doe any of us claime it it is only a priviledg of your Church a pleasant Imagination that makes your people madd Exempli Gratia A Protestant with whome I conferred about Religion som years past told mee in plaine termes hee needed noe light or assistance from Saint Augustin or Saint Paul himselfe for to understand Scripturs being certaine Iesus who redeemed his soule would have a care that hee should not err in expounding of Scripture or any thing that touched his salvation I demaunded from him could hee prove by Scripture hee had that infaliable spirit or sacred light hee answered hee could and cited that place of David Signatum Psal 4. est super nos Lumen vultis tui Domine The light of thy Countenance O Lord is signed upon us I told him that Lumen was commonly expounded to be ipsa ratio by which man is the image of God as hee might read in the Book of Genesis and that by this light man was in his nature distinguished from a brute and that a Turck and a Pagan alsoe had this light as well as hee and by a good consequence had an infalible privat spiritt of expounding Scripturs as well as hee I alsoe assured him that his owne Devines would tell him the light understood by David was noe other then reason which is the image of God whereto wee are created like which was fixed in our understanding that wee may see and know there is a God that ought to be served adored and loved and that hee will reward his servants Next said I t is absurdity to say that a Pagan which denys Scripturs should haue a spiritt to expound the Scripturs which follows from your opinion But this and all I could say could draw noe other answer from the man then that hee was sure hee had himselfe from
God an infalible spiritt of rightly understanding the Scripture In which hee walked Religiously according to Doctor Whitakâ—rs definition of the privat Spiritt Wee Catholicks that have nothing to doe with this privat Spiritt doe firmly believe God hath given a speciall Grace and infalible Spiritt of expounding the Scripture and defining Theorems of faith to generall Councells assembled together in the Holy Ghost Vbi duo vel tres congregati sunt in nomine meo ibi ero in medio illorum That likwise the Pope hath this infalible Spiritt quando loquitur ex Cathedra but privat men bee they ever soe great Saints or learned wee doe not allow this infalibility unto them though wee doubt not but the Doctors of the Church who submitts themselves in all to the Church are specially assisted by the Holy Ghost in interpreting the word of God The pride of this privat Spiritt makes Protestants to make noe account of the ancient Fathers and Doctors nor of generall Councells or any diffinition or determination of the Church Ex. G. the second Counsell of Nice defines the Doctrin of Tradition in this manner Si quu Traditionem Ecclesiae sive scripto sive consuetudine valentem non curaverit anathema sit The privat spiritt of Doctor Whitaker spurning at this Councell said Generall Councells may erre Behold one Doctor of the English Church doth blast with a breath all the authority and creditt of this generall Councell Tell mee Sall is not this a Spiritt of pride in Doctor Whitaker a little Pigme contesting with soe many tale Gyants of Sanctity and learning all the Biphops and great Doctors of that famous Councell If wee produce the Authority of Fathers and Saints excellently learned as Cyprian Gregory Ambross Ierom Augustin and others behold the Father of Protestanisme your prime Doctor Luther whom your Church terms a holy man and the Hely-as of Germany speaks resolutly Gods Word is aboue all the Devine Majesty makes for mee in soe much as I regard not if a thousaad Augustins and as many Cyprians stood against mee Was this man in his sences Luth. Tom. 2 contra Henricum Regem Angliae when hee vapered in this kinde but how did Luther prove the devine Majesty made for him by noe other means but by his privat infalible spiritt which hee supposed though by Scripture hee could not prove it hee himselfe had and those Saints had it not See now Sall if you are happy in hauing Luther a monster of sinne with his privat Spiritt on your side and Cyprian Augustin and the rest of holy Doctors against you whome you have forsaken to stick unto Luther By this privat Spiritt you Protestant Domineer over all sorts of men interpreting Scripture as you please and who interprets otherwise be they universitys Doctors Fathers Councells yea and the very high Bishop of old Rome himselfe all erre and why soe because they have not the privat Spiritt of Protestanisme what a rediculous thing this is even Common reason teacheth us By this privat Spiritt you Protestants admit for Canonicall Scriptures all you please and you declare Apocriphall what you please by this Spiritt you take what Traditions you please and by the same reject what you please by this Spiritt you disâ—anon the Books of the Machabees Ecclesiasticus and others those said Books have bine acknowledg S. Aug. in doct Christ l. 2 c. 8. Can. 47. for Canonicall by Saint Augustin and the third Councell of Africk You will doubtless tell mee that your chiefest Doctors Luther and Calvin had this infallible Spiritt in expounding the Scriptures and yet they give quite contrary interpretations of one and the same passage of Scripture as this Hoc est Corpus meum Luther understands Matt. cap. 26. that Text Secundum Litteram and says it is soe of faith to be understood and condemns for Hereticks the Sacramentariant Swinglians and Calvinistes who understand that place figuratively Luther hath this saying Englished I doe Luth. Ep. ad Har vagium Tom. 7. VVitt f 380. art 28. contra Lovanienses Tom. 2. VVitt. f. 503. protest before God and the world that I doe not agree with them the Sacramentarys nor ever will while the world standeth but will have my hands cleare from thee blood of those sheep which these Hereticks doe drive from Christ deceive and kill And againe in the same place Cursed be the Concord and Charity of Sacramentaryes for ever and ever to all Eternity Luther hee understands the above cited place litterally and possitively affirms that the body and blood of Christ is realy and substancially in the Sacrament of the Altar Hee likwise affirms but erroniously that bread is there with the body of Christ Calvin takes a quite Contrary way and affirms possitively the Body and blood of Christ is not realy and substantially in the Sacrament but figuratively see as hee expounds this Text Hoc est Corpus meum thus Hac est figura Corporis mei now what is more different then the Body of Christ to be realy in the Sacrament and the Body of Christ not to be realy in the Sacrament Sall reconcile the best you can these two great Doctors of your Church for plaine reason tells us if the Spiritt of one of them bee true the other must bee a lying Spiritt And those are the men these Monsters of incontinency and pride cover'd with all sort of vices are the Doctors and Masters you have now chosen Seeing then this privat lying Spiritt approves of expounding Scripture at will and pleasure allowing only such exposition of Gods Word as sorts well to the supporting of theire owne errors seeing it tramples all Authority of Councells Fathers and Doctors who expounded Gods Word differently from the Protestant Church seeing it ingenders contrariety in Doctrin even in the injoyers thereof as was now shewed in Luther and Calvin through each mans misconstruction of Scripture To conclude seeing the exorbitancy pride and petulancy of this Spiritt is such that it expects that all men should receive from it as from a second Moyses the Tables of our Evangelicall Law I pray sitt downe and saddly consider what you have done in following this pestiperous Spiritt and wandering with it have separated your selfe from your holy Mother the Church IV. CHAPTER BEfore resolving any thing upon this Ad tertum quere to wit of what Religion is Sall become having forsaken the Catholick Religion I must tell you hee hath been weakly armed against the evill temptation that overcame him hee hath not been a tale strong oak resisting the storme sathan rais'd against him but a wavering reed without strength or stay hee stood not stiffly upon the Rock of Peter but yielded without fighting Tempore tentationis recessit harken weake pusilanimus Sall to old Tertulian telling you Quod Hereses apud Tertul. prescrip cap. 2. eos multum valeant qui infide non valent That is that Heresies are strong against those who are not strong in theire
one God have mercy upòn us pleaseth mee not for it wholy tasteâ—h of Barbarisme Said Doctor King further teacheth in these motives that foule dèceipts and sleights and falcifications are practised by Protestant writers that your XXXIX Articles of Protestancy are Heresyes that true Miracles have beene wrought for proof of the Catholick Religion but neuer any for Protestancy that there is unity in Catholick Religion and disagreements in Protestancy that the Doctrin of Catholick Religion tends directly to Vertue of Protestancy to vice and liberty When you shall attentively read this learned mans motius why and wherfore hee quitted the Protestant Religion and became Catholick you must hold your selfe for a madd man for having forsaken the Catholick Religion to become Protestant The last motive the 12. which is most to be considered of all in order to safty is that Salvation may be had in the Catholick Religion even by the Confessions of Protestant Devines and Writers and likely some of them have signed the XXXIX Articles whence hee Derives an undeniable Consequence that the Catholick Religion is the safest hee discourseth to this purpose both the sides and the learnedest of both the sides Confess and agree salvation can be obtained in the Roman Catholick Faith that same faith which hath beene professed and maintaned by Popes Catholick Bishops and Catholick Congregations directed and governed by them in Spiritualibus in Confirmation of which the Catholick Saints in our Littanys are acknowledg'd for Saints by the Protestants but all the Catholick side hould that Protestants cannot be saued in theire Religion the Religion of the XXXIX Articles Ergo saith Doctor King it is Wisdome and the safest way to Imbrace the Catholick Religion acknowledged by both sides for the safest to Salvation I will conclude this discourse in giving you Doctor Kings owne words upon this subject with which hee coucludes his book of motives excellent perswading words But heere doe present unto us saith Doctor King two Porismata or resultancyes out of the premisses of this passage The first that all true reason perswadeth The 12 Motive pag. 165. 166. 167. me to implant and ingraft my selfe in that Church which I finde to be ackowledged for the true Church promising salvation tâ— her members even by her adversarys For if I dye Catholick my life being agreeable thereto both Catholicks and Protestants warrants my Sâ—lvation but dying in the Faith of Protestancy the Protestants alone and this in honour of theire owne Religion assure mee of it for there is neuer a learned Catholick wryter in the world an observation much to be weighed who granteth that a Protestant dying with a positive setled and coutumacious neglect of the Catholick Church and Faith can be saved This then being â—hus shall I in soe great a bussiness leave a certainty for an uncertainty God forbid Wee Protestants expeot to be believed in other our positions and Doctrins why not then in this Since then the Protestants doe teach that Catholicks soe dying are in state of Salvation I am resolued my Brethrens wrytings shall have that powerfull Influence over mee as what themselves doe heerin teach I will through Gods Grace put in Execution And soe my will shall become in this point a ready and seruiceable handmayd to theire Iudgments The second The wrong which wee Protestants commit in afflicting the Catholicks and in unnaturally beâ—rampling upon theire dejected estates only for matters of Religion Alas by our owne Doctrin they are neither Babylonians nor Aegyptians both they and wee being as wee teach Israelits why then should Israel thus persecute Israell Are wee not become the gaze of Christendome thus to fight without an Enemy thus for Kindred to wound its owne Kindred yea often the Father the Sonne soe turning our owne Swordes into our owne Childrens breasts wee still inciting his Majesty to greater severity a Prince of his owne Disposition of the most benigne mercifull and commiserating nature that the world at this day enjoys and all this for the Catholicks living in that Faith and Religion in which our selves teach they may be saved thus doe wee make the confessed hope of theire Salvationâ— to be the sole cause of theire pressures and callamityes Good God! who would think that Christians the chiefest Articles of whose Faith are either reputed but as indifferencyes or which is more believed for true Doctrin by theire oppressours whose Church is acknowledged to be the d D. Morton ubi supra Church of God houlding the foundation of the Ghospell the e M. Hooker ubi supra family of Iesus Christ it being noe severall f M. Bunni ubi supra Church from theirs nor theirs from it houlding g D. Field ubi supra a saving Profession of the truth in Christ in which many h D. Covell with theother doctors ubi supra dying are by their adversaries registred for most glorious Saints Should neuer the less bee persecuted by either Christians of their owne Country yea their owne flesh for theire only persevering in the a foresaid Church with Confiscaâ—ion of goods restraint of body someâ—ymes with sheeding of most innoâ—ent blood and suffering a cruell death Obstupecite e coeli super hoc portae â—jus desolamini vehementer Heere now I will stay my penne making this last motive as a fitting Catastrophe for all Since that Closure i Hierem cap. 2. and end is warrantable enough which evicteth from the ingenious Confessions of the most learned Protestants that I may be saved in that Religion wherein I am resolued to dye I think Sall you can not meet with a stronger argument then Doctor Kings unanswerable discourse for bringing you backagaine to your Mother the Catholick Church V. CHAPTER TO the fourth Quere Who are Ad quartum the Doctors Sall parted from and who those new ones hee imbraced It is easily answered hee hath quitt the four great Doctors of Gods Church holy Saints Gregory Ambrosse Augustin and Ierome and all the ancient Fathers and Catholick Doctors how famous these foure Doctors were for great Sanctity Learning and Authority is sufficiently knowne over all the world They have beene the Lights Pillars Champions and Ornaments of the Church profound in humility flaming with Charity Conspicuous in their Conversation sublime in their Comtemplation zealous in converting Souls and defending the House of God they have beene such as Saint Paule desires Gods Servants to bee Abnegantes impietatem secularia desideria Ad Titum cap. 2. sobrié justé pié viventet in hoc seculo expectantes beatam spem adventum Gloriae magni Dei salvatoris nostri Jesu Christs Cum quo jam triumphant in Caelo That is denying Impiety and wordly desires living soberly justly and Godly in this world expecting the blessed hope of the great God and our saviour Iesus Christ with whome they now tryumph in heaven What more glorious then Gregory and what more humble then hee set on the
but not of Churches for hee allow'd no power or Jurisdiction to the Fmperour over or in the Church Sall you see how Ambrose by this undaunted generous answer denyed to yield to the Emperour one Basilica or Church for the Liturgy of the Arriaens the Empresse being of that Religion and you have joyned in Communion and Religion with those Protestant Bishops and Clergy-men that made and signed the XXXIX Articles and delivered up to Queen Elizabeth all the Churches in England and all Eeclesiasticall Iurisdiction and power over themselves and all the people in Spiritualibus which I am a shamed to write with those I say you have joyned denying to the Pope against all piety and reason over that Kingdome and People all Spirituall Superiority and therin you seperate to your great shame from Saint Ambrose The next conflict Ambross had was with Maximus who had kild the yong Prince Gracianus the holy Bishop goeing to seek the body of the dead Prince behaved himselfe like a noble and stout Prelate hee excomunicated the Tyrant for sheding Innocent blood and commaunded him to doe severe pennance for soe cruell a Murther After this Ambrose had a great encounter with the Emperour Theodosious which fell out in this manner Theodosius after defeating the Tyrant Eugenius who was killed in the fight which victory hee atributed to Saint Ambrosse's prayers and power with God being transported with an implacable anger against the Cittizens of Thessalonica for the death of one of his Courtiers slaine by that People in a tumult to revenge this mans death hee invited the People to the Spectacula or usuall pastymes in those days and gave order to the armed Souldery to inviron and Massacre the innocent multitud without Distinction of Age or sexe there were slaine by this blooddy Edict seaven thousand Soules This butchery being ended the Emperour took his way for Millan and thinking according to his ordinary custome to goe to the Church Saint Ambross with a Godly anger opposed himselfe and denyed him ingress giving him a severe reprehention in this kind Quid inquit tentas Caesar quid moliris tune Domini Templum post tam Crudelem innocentium hominum stragem intrare audes noli Caesar noli Priorem iniquitatem tuam haec te-meritate augâ—re exhorresco hoc tam immane facinus tuum gladium civium Innocentium tam iniqua morte cruentnm videre non possum Glamat Caesar de Terra ad Caelum contra te Sanguis innocentum That is What doe you atempt Caesar what are you about to doe doe yon dare to enter Gods Temâ—le after soe Cruell a Massacre of Innocent People Caesar doe not doe not augment the sinn you have committed with this new Temerity I abhorr thy cruell Act and I cannot indure to see your sword blooddy with the unjust death of soe many innocent Cittizens Caesar the blood of the Innocent Cryes to heauen against you What did the Emperour in this encounter receeving soe sharpe a rebuke hee revered the reprehention and the liberty of the holy Bishop and began to lament bitterly his great sinn and soe retyred to his Pallace not daring to enter the Church I may in this place say O Incomparabilem Pontisicis dignitatem O Imperatoris piâ—tatem insignem Soon after came on the feast of the Nativity when the Emperour much afflicted for his being kept out of the Church sent Rufinus prefect of the Pallace to have the Excomunication taken of this powerfull Courtier made account the Saint would instantly yield but the Bishop would not heare him wherfore the Emperour wholy compunct and penitent came in person to Ambrose humbly demaunding hee would give him Entrance into the Church on that holy Feast that heâ— might partake of the joy the poorest men in the Citty enjoyed but the Bishop said Quid agis Caesar quid poscis num tam immane scelere tuo dignam penitudinem ostendisti tuum est said Caesar remedia dare meum accipere imperâ— quid fieri velis non obsisto hoc solum ambio ut cum Deo meo in Gratiam redire possem That is What doe you Caesar what seek you from mee have you done condigne pennance for soe great a sinn It is said Caesar your part to commaund and praescribe a remedy and myno to receive the same Commaund what you will have done I shall not resist this only I seek that I may be reconciled to my God Then Ambrose seeing and admiring Caesars most Christian example in contrition and obedience received him into the Church with great joy of all the People Was ever under the heavens a more noble and pious contention then this between Tbeodosius and Ambrose I have enlarged my selfe a little longer though I hope not unprofitably upon this rare History and example of the zeale and fortitude of a good Bishopl and of the piety and obedience of a good Emperour Had wee in this age but a few Ambroses they would I dare say make the Church of God and the Monarchy of the world more Godly and happier then now they are And how to Saint Augustin Was there ever from the Creation of the world a more learned and humble man then this Saint What Heresiarch in his tyme lifted up his head that hee did not refute and knock downe doe not all learned men at this day draw from him as from a Spring and Fountaine all Wisdome and Learning Who among men was a greater defender of verity and the Church then hee What quantity of vollumes and books hath hee set forth to this effect noâ— Doctor profounder none more learned nor more penetrating hard questions and difficultyes in Scripture Fathers and Divinity then hee but in nothing more gloriovs then in his humble Books of Confessions Are not you Sall confounded in your soule for parting from this great Catholick and most holy and learned Doctor and adhering to those new unCatholick Bishops of England with theire XXXIX Articles for the most part of them condemned Heresies who have but the titulary name of Bishops and noe holy Order at all and consequently cannot conferre holy Orders on others wherfore as was well observed by a late Author the Church of England is noe Church because it wants Priest and Sacrifice What shall I say now of holy Hierome the great Oracle of the world for expounding Scriptures to him from all Places and Provinces Fathers and learned men did write for clearing and resolving deep difficultyes and obscure sences of the Scripture who a greater Enemy to his body then this Saint Who more mortify'd what an austere life did hee lead in the Wilderness of Syria where hee cry'd out in this Language O quoties ego ipse in eremo constitutus Epist 22. ad Eustochium in illa vasta solitudine quae exusta solis ardoribus horridum Monachis prestat habitaculum putabam me Roman is interesse deliciis Sedebam solus quia amaritudine repletus eram Horrebant sacco membra deformia
all the world is a most insolent madness You have don this in siding with the XXXIX Articles and opposing your selfe to the four Saints Doctors of the Church and to generall Counsells and to the sence of the Church and its diffinitions and determinations wherfore sitt downe and consider well if a kinde of madness hath not ceasd upon you Gentle Reader you see these ancient Fathers and Doctors tells us clearly that Sall hath deviated from the right way of settling himselfe in true Religion the ready and sure way when hee began to doubt was not in reading many Authors when one Contradicts and impugnes the other nor of making notes of that kinde hee speaks of in his Recantation for it is more easy to gather doubts then dissolve or resolve them it is more easy to rays up dust then to lay it downe againe the certaine and infallible way of searching true Religion and setling therin without all fluctuation and danger is that a man leave his owne Iudgment and rely upon the Authority of the Universall vissible Christian Church what privat man or Doctor bee hee ever soe well learned or holy is soe wise as the whole Congregation of the Church as is commaunded by Christ himselfe I meane a Church descending from age to age from the Apostles For a publick Direction in this to all who are troubled about any dark question in matters of Faith Saint Augustin gives a good Counsell to Sall and all men the same hee gave to Cresconius Quisquis August Lib. 1. contra Crescon cap. 33. said hee falli metuit hujus obscuritate questionis Ecclesiam de ea consulaet That is Who soever feareth to be deceived by the obscurity of this question wherabout wee two doe contend let him goe and aske the Church therof Saint Augustin must needs meane the Governours and the chief Pastors of the Church Wee are to keep herein to the found Rule of ould Tertulian which if wee doe wee will not be deceived in Theorems and Articles of believing Caeterum Terrul depraescript cap. 28. said hee quod apud multos unum invenitur non est Erratum sed Traditum audeat ergo aliquis dicere illos Errasse qui Tradiderunt That is That which is found one and the same with many is not an error but a Doctrin delivered from hand to hand and who will dare say those have erred that delivered this Doctrin Sall look upon the Succession of Pastors in the Church from age to age downe from the Apostles and your work is surely done for in that Church you have true Faith for defect of such Succession Tertullian provoked the Hereticks to prove theire descent Edant said hee Heretici origines Ecclesiarum suarum evoluant totum ordinem Eptscoporum suorum per Successionem ab initio decurrentem ut primus Epsicopus aliquem ex Apostolis vel Apostolicis viris qui tamen cum Apostolis perseveraverit babuerit Authorem Antecessorem Had Sall examined the English Church according to this sure Rule of Tertulian hee had neuer taken up a place among them Having said soe much of these four great Doctors of the Church and theire Vertues let us now see what kinde of men were the new Doctors Sall hath closed with for comparing their lives and manners with one another wee shall according to that of the Philosopher unum quodque magis apparet contrario juxta si posito bee the better able to Iudge who were the true Dostors chosen by God to teach the Doctrin of Salvation who knows light knows darkness quia eadem est potentia cognoscitiva oppossitorum unde visus qui cognoscit lucem cognoscit tenebras Let us therfore examin a little the Doctrin lives and manners of the new men Sall hath chosen for his Doctors and Masters VI. CHAPTER Of the Doctrin and manners of Luther and some other principall Hereticks THe Discription of theire Lives and Proceedings who for an age and more under a faire pretence of Reformation have impugned our ancient and long before continued and universally professed Catholick Faith alas in many Provinces and Regions they have almost extinguished it will be a necessary Instruction to shun such men and abominate theire Doctrin and to contract noe kinde of amity with theire Desciples and followers God hath ever more out of his Devine and sweet Providence chosen for Reformation of his Church when decay'd in Disciplin or Doctrin men in theire lives not dissolute or licensious but auster and sanctifyed such were Moyses Elias and many of the old Patriarcks and Prophets such the Apostles and after them many Bishops and Apostolicall men all those brought in Faith and chased out Idolatry by Vertue Sanctity and Miracles Take great heed saieth our saviour of false Prophets c. And againet doe men gather grapes from Thornes or Matth. cap. 7. figgs of Thistels Certainly Sall you could not gather grapes from those Thornes nor figgs from those Thistels you are falne in love with they were other kind of men that God us'd to assume for sowing the seed of heavenly Doctrin and teaching the Devine lesson of Salvation hee said not to Plagitious wanton Moncks and Priestes running away with nunns and wenches such as your new Apostles and Doctors were Euntes ergo docete emnes gentes Baptizantes eos in Nomine Patris Matt. cap. 28. Filii Spiritu Sansti docentes eos servare omnia quaecunque mandavi vobis ecce ego vobisoum sum omnibus diebus usque ad consumationem seculi That is Going therefore teach ye all nations Baptising them in the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost teaching them to serve all things whatsoever I have commaunded you and behold I am with you all days even to the consumation of the World These words our saviour spake to the eleven Deciples in the mount holy and sanctify'd men chosen by God to enlight and sanctify the World This charge of converting Soules requires in its owne Nature by all means men of Vertue and Integrity Quiae Sancta Sanctè tractanda a Sanctis If those great reformers which keep agreat noys in the world they vapor much of a justifying faith but of good works they have noe care quite against Saint Pauls sentiment Who would have that they which believe be carefull to excell Epist ad Tit. cap. 3. in good works If those reformers I say have bin vertuous and mortifyd men wee here are to examin and shall begin with Luther the Father of Protestanisme and principall Doctor of the Church of England who is most highly praised and esteemed generally by Lutherans and Calvinists through all the Provinces and Countryes they have infected they all reverenced Luther as being sent by God as the light of the Ghospell and Doctrin Evangelicall Bishop Iewell a chief pillar of Protestanisme in Iewell in his defence of the Apolog. printed 1571. MrFox Act. and Mon. printed 1563.
England called Luther a most excellent man sent from God to lighten the whole World in the middle of darkness Mr. Fox likwise esteemed in England for a holy man and a Church Historian said it pleased the Lord to reforme and reedify the desolate Ruins of his Religion by the industry of Martin Luther sent and set up by the mighty spirit of God And Mr. Whittaker agreat Devine of the English Church said of Luther Wee reverence Luther as a Father and the Lutherans and Swinglians our very deare brethrenâ— in VVhit in his Answ to the Tenth reason of Ed. Campian printed 1566. Centur 25. printed 1604. l. 4. c. 1. p. 490. Initio Christ Other Protestant Authors goe much further in his praises Osiander a famous Protestant writer saith thus Natus est hoc anno 1483. Incomparabilis vir Dei piae memoriae D. D. Martinus Lutherus Islebicae in Saxonia per quem Deus noster Germaniae Evangelii Lucem restauravit That is Luther that in comparable man of God of pious memory was borne in the yeare 1483. at Islib in Saxony by whome our Lord hath restored to Germany the light of the Ghospell Others call Luther the Elias conductor and Chariot of Israel to bee reverenced most after Christ and Saint Paul and accordingly hee was honoured with this Vers Christus habet primas habeas tibi Paule secundas At loca post illos proxima Luther habet All of them affirme Luthers calling was extraordinary and immediatly from God but they were neuer able to shew unto the World any Miracles hee had wrought for confirmation of his mission the usuall marke of such as are extraordinary missioners of God I will begin with the Doctrin of this chief Master Elias and trumpet of the Ghospell as they name him VII CHAPTER Of Luthers Doctrin HIs Doctrin which is the foundation of Protestancy tends for the most part to Unchristian liberty and the enervation of Vertue and Christian discipline I le set downe here some poynts therof which are wicked and scandalous Thus then they lye 1. That there is noe sinne but incredulity Lib. de Capti Babilon Cap. D. Bap. t is Neither can a man damne himselfe doe what misschief hee can except hee will refuse to believe This Article alone opens a gate to all Impiety and bids good works a Dieu 2. The Ten Commaundements apertaine Serm. de Moys nothing to us that is to say Christians This is directly against our saviours Words Sivis ad vitam ingredi serva Mandata 3. It is a false opinion and to be abolished In prefat ad novum Testa that there are four Ghospells For the Ghospell of John is only faire true and the principall Ghospell Luther saith this because the other three Ghospells speake much of good works and must wee discard three Ghospells for the word or Authority of this beast 4. If the Wife will not let the Mayd Serm. de Matrimon come Is not this a strange abomination 5. It is as necessary for every man to Lib. de votis conjng in Acert Art 16. have a wife as it is to eat drink or sleep What chast eares can heare this abomination how many thousand and thousands of holy men in Monasteryes and in the deserts and in the world have lived chast and like Angells wherfore it was well said by a certaine Author fortior est castitas hominum sed felicior Angelorum 6. Christ and Saint Paule did not Counsell Lib. de votis Monasticis but dessiâ—ade Virginity unto Christians O Diabolically 7. Matrimony iâ— more excellent then virginity Lib. de votis Evang. Against all the Fathers none would affirme this but a monster of incontinency 8. All Christians are as holy and as just Ser A. de Trin. de B. Maria coment Epist 1. Petr as the Mother of God and as the Apostles were Coms not this Article and such impious words from the mouth of a man possessed by the Deuill Take more of Luthers Theorems 1. That Free Will in Christians is only Of Free VVill. a thing of name and can cooperat nothing at all 2. That the Adultery of David and treason Gods Cooperation to sin Priesthood of Judas was as much wrought by God as the vocation of Paul 3. That all Christians and Priests have equall Authority to absolve sinns 4. That a woeman or a Child or any VVoemen may absolve other Christian receiving authority from men the Community may as well absolve a man from his sinns as any Bishop or the Pope himselfe 5. Fides sine ante Charitatem 2. ad Galat. justificat Et fides nisi fit sine ullis etiam minimis operibus non justifiâ—at imo non est fides That is Faith without and before Charity doth justify And faith unlesse it bee without even the least good worke doth not justify nay it is not faith These dangerous and impious Theorems and Articles you may finde gathered out of Luthers owne works by Doctor Sanders Puteolus Goclaeus Eckius Bishop Fisher Surius Staphilus and other writers I will give you here Luthers opinion that it was not lawfull to fight against the Turks In Epistola contra duo Mandata Imperialia That is In his Epistle against the two emperiall Edicts Hee purposely crosseth the Emperours ayde against the Turk saying Oro cunctos pios Christianos ne ullo modo sequantur vel in militiam ire vel dare aliquid contra Turcas c. That is I beseech all Godly Christians that they follow not by any means the Emperour in the warre nor contribute any thing against the Turcks c And hee says elswhere Vt liberè animum meum aperiam hoc aperte Luth. in determin Doctorum Paris Impres Norimberg 1625. de me praedico quod tam invitus Turcam gladio impeterem quam Christianum fratrem That is That I may freely speak my minde I say openly that I would as unwillingly strike a Turck with my sword as a Christian brother By this favorable opinion to the Turks hee was soe gratfull to them that the Turkish Emperour to the great shame of Luther hearing therof demaunded the Christian Embassador how old Luther See Belforest in cosmog lib 2. c. 7. col 579. was and wished him yonger promising to be his good Lord. Some of the above mention'd points of Luther when the Author of the defence of the Censure had proved at large one by one to be the true Doctrins See this plainly reported by Manlius Luthers owne Scholler in loc commu pag. 639. and verifiable out of Luthers owne Books then hee proceedeth to this sound Conclusion and Consideration theron That if a Christian man can not damne himselfe by any sinn unless hee will refuse to believe If to keep Virginity and resist the pleasures of the flesh be neither much commendable for that marriage is farre better nor profitable nor possible for soe much as a wife
discribing his Disputation with the Devill say as aboue Contigit me sub mediam noctem subito experge fieri That is It happened upon a certaine tyme that I was suddainly a waked about midnight then Sathan began this Disputation with mee c. and says further that the Devill speaking to him hee burst forth all in sweat and that his hart began to tremble and leap and said further Voce forti grave utitur The Devill hath a base and strong voyce c. Doth hee not further write and affirme how that Oecolampadius Empser and Luth. Tom. 7. VVit prented 1558 de Missa privata uuct Sacerd. fol. 230. others were slaine with such horrible encounters Will Fulk and Charke tell us that the Devill kild Oecolampadius Empser and others in a temptation But Mr. Sutlyffe tells us that Luther in his aforsaid discourse of this matter only declar'd his dreame What but his dreame Mr. Sutlyffe is there in Luthers whole discourse hereof soe much as but mention of any dreame Doth hee not most directly to the contrary say That hee was first suddaine awakt and that then after Sathan began the Disputation with him Doe men dreame waking againe doth not Luther affirme of Empser and Oecolampadius to have beene slaine by such horrible encounters argue more then a dreame Are men I pray you slaine by dreaming Mr. Sutlyffe your answere is like a dream and did you think to delude us in this manner soe grossly with an untruth VIII CHAPTER Of Luthers Pride and contempt of the Fathers and belying them LVther says the name of free will Luth. in colloq Latin cap. de libero arbitrio was most odious to all the Fathers Nomen saith hee Liberi Arbitrii Odiosissimum fuit Patribus Which is a foule lye for that noe one thing is more frequent with all the Fathers then that man hath free will Did not Saint Augustin S. Aug. in Lib. de libero arbitrio Itorum de gra tia libero arbitrio Item in Lib. de Vera Relig. cap. 14. write against the Manicheans who deny'd free will The Saint asserts free will in many of his books Among others hee hath this speciall assertion Est igitur liberum arbitrium quod quisquis esse negaverit Catholicus non est That is There is free will which who denys is not a Catholick Doth not Saint Augustin expresly say in one of his Epistles Valet liberum arbitrium ad opera bona si Divinitus adjuvetur quod fit humiliter petendo faciendo That is Free will is able to doe good works if it be devinely ayded which is done by humbly asking grace and making use therof Can there bee a clearer expression of free will made then this Againe the Saint says Lex jubere novit Epist 95. gratia juvare nec lex juberet nisi esset voluntas nec gratia juvaret si sat esset voluntas That is The law knows to commaund and grace to help or assist Nor would the law commaund if there were not a free will to be commaunded nor would grace help free will if free will alone could worke without grace By this true Doctrine the pestiferous Calumnyes of Luther are repulsed and confuted to wit his assertion that there is noe free will and that the name therof is odious to the Fathers and that the Papists teach a man may keep and fullfill the commaundements by the proper forces of nature without Gods grace Papistae saith hee docent posse hominem propriis naturae viribus sine gratia Dei mandata servare That is The Papists doe teach that a man may keep the commaundements of God with the propper forces of nature without Gods Grace Which is manifestly contradicted by all the Fathers and all Catholick Devines and Schooles Read Bellarmin Lib. 5. de gratia libero arbitrio Cap. 4. 5. Read Coccius who setteth downe this Article That after the Fall of Adam noe man can doe any thing by the propper forces of nature but hath need allways of the helpe of Gods Grace And besides all Scriptures aleadged for the same hee citeth above an hundred Greeck and Latin writers that confirme the same You see by this what a lying impostor Luther was in belying the Fathers touching free will and the need of Gods Grace in doeing any good worke There neuer lived an Heretick that more contemned the veneration and authority of holy Fathers then this proud and wanton Monk Hee falls upon Saint Hierome a famous Doctor of the Church in this kind Hierome Luth. in collo Germ. cap. descriptis patrum Iteus in collo Latino cap. de Patribus Tom. 2. may be read for History but as for faith and true Religion there is not one word to be found therof in his writings And againe Hierome doth treat indeed of Christ but only in name But of faith hope and charity hee saith nothing at all O impudent petulant abominable Luther that writt soe intollerable a calumnie against Holy Hierome That Saint Hierome who writt soe many tomes especially commentaryes vpon Saint Mathew upon the Epistles to the Gallatians Ephetians and Titus upon the Psalms and some of the Prophets that writt many holy works that writt in a faire stile against Hereticks Monsters and lyers as Luther was as Vigilantius Helvidius Jovinianus Montanus and the like See Bellarmin de Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis ab anno Domini 300. ad annum 400. Where you shall finde a great number of Books and works Saint Hierome writt and now can any man imagine that Saint Hierome that writt soe many Godly things and especially against Hereticks And that there is not one word as Luther saeys to be found in his writings concerning faith and true Religion and that the Saint doth treat of Christ but only in name But of faith hope and Charity hee saith nothing at all Will you heare Luther speaking of the Luth Tom. 2. VVitt. Anno 1551. Lib. de Servo Arbitr pag. 434. Luth. in collo ' Cap. de Patribus Ecclesiae ancient Fathers and the most famous of them who contradicted his Protestant licentious Doctrin first hee impudently affirms all of them to have beene blinde and most ignorant in Scriptures and to have erred all theire life tyme. Of sundry Fathers in particular hee speaks thus In the writings of Hierome there is not a word of true faith in Christ and sound Religion Tertulian is very superstitious I have held Origen long since accurssed of God Of Chrisostome I make noe account Basill is of noe worth hee is wholy a Monk I wey him not a hayre Cyprian is a weake Devine Hee adds further that the Apologie of his Schollar Philip Melancton doth farreâ— exceed all the Doctors of the Church and even Augustin himselfe Is not this a Luciferian pride in this Appostata to despise all the venerable Fathers in this kinde and yet this wicked Fryers authority and Doctrin is the first foundation of Protestancy
in Heresie And by very reasons of state and the Law of Nations hee was bound to doe soe and to this purpose conduced the wise Councell Mecaenas gave to Augvstus as an axiome contra Novatores as Dyon recordeth Libro 52. Eos qui indivinis aliquid innovant odio habe coerce non deorum solum causa quos tamen qui contemnit nec sant aliud quidquam magni fecerit sed quia nova quaedam numina ij tales introducentes multos impellunt ad mutationem rerum Vnde conjurationes seditiones conciliabula res profecto minime conducibiles Principatui That is Hate those said Mecaenas to Augustus that make any change in Religion and chastise them not only for respect of the Gods though hee that contemneth them shall neuer doe any great thing but because those that introduce new Gods doe stirre up the people to mutation and discorde from this springs up conspiracies seditions and dangerous meetings and consultations things noe way agreable or profitable to the Kingdome And surely by such innovation did Beza insinuate himselfe into the favour of the discontented Princes as Conde Collignie and others and there by cast the strong and flourishing Kingdom of France into such convulsions as it hardly ever recovered its former strength and vigour Noe man did ever more vilefy and contemne the holy Fathers then this wanton Poet his insolency here in is intollerable Will you heare him utter the greatest petulancy that could be spooken Itaque dicere nec immerito quidem Beza ia Epist Theolâ— printed Geneve 1572. Epist 1 pag. 5. ut opinor consuevi dum illa tempora Apostolicis etiam proxima cum nostris comparo plus illos Conscientiae scientiae minus habuisse nos contrá scientiae plus Conscientiae minus habere haec mea sententia est Therfore saith Beza I was acustomed to say and not without reason when I compare those tymes even next to the Apostles with our tymes that they the Fathers had more of Conscience and less of Science and wee on the other side haue more learning and less Conscience then they c. As for Conscience hee said most true but to preferre himselfe and his Brethern Sectaries in learning to the ancient Fathers hee would not have don it unless the Spirit of lying and pride had throughly possessed him That wee may loose noe more tyme with this man of abomination that preferrs Calvin to all the Fathers in this language Magnus ille Ioannes Calvinus beatae memoriae veteres recentiores omnes longè superauit That is The great Iohn Calvin of blessed memory did farre excell all the antient Fathers and later Authors alsoe Hee means in expounding and interpreting Scriptures Let mee tell you what Heshusius a Hesh in libro Verae Sanae Confessionis c. learned Protestant says of him worsse cannot be said Spurcissimus suis moribus dedecori fuit ipsis diciplinis honestis quique nefandos amoris illiciti concubitus scortationes faeda Adulteria Sacrilego Carmine decantavit orbi non contentus eo quod ipse more porci in fimo volutaret nisi etiam aures studiosae juventutis sua illuvie contaminaret That is Beza by his most dishonest and villanous manners was a staine to honnest studyes and learning who published to the world in wanton sacrilegious vers vnlawfull and horrible coppulations of his beastly love horedomes and filthy Adulteryes Let us make an end with that knowne and scandalous Epigram by him made of his inordinat liking to his Ganimed termed Andebertus and to his young woeman called Candida in which as therby appeareth hee much debateth whether sinn hee may preferre and in the end concludeth with preferring the boy before his Candida The Epigram hath this tytle Theodorus Beza de sua in candidam Andibertum benevolentia It beginns thus Ab est Candida Beza quid motaris Andebertus ab est quid hic moraris Tenent Parisii tuos amores habent aurely tuos Lepores tu Vezelys mauere pergis procul candidula amoribusque Imo Vezely procul valete vale pater valete fratres nam Vezelys carere possum carere his illis At non Candidula Andibertoque g sed utrum ergo praeferam duorum utrum invisere me decet Priorem An quenquam tibi Candida anteponam An quenquam anteferam tibi Andeberte Quid si me in geminas secem ipse partes harum ut altera Candidam revisat currat altera versus Andebertum At est Candida sic auara novi ut totum cupiat tenere Bezam sic Bezae est cupidus suus Andebertus Beza ut gestiat integro potiri Amplector quoque sic hunc illam ut totus cupiam videre utrumque integris frui integer duobus h Praeferre attamen alterum uecesse est ó duram nimium necessitatem sed postquam tamen alterum necesse est Priores tibi defero Andiberte qnod si Candida forte conqueratur quid tum Basiolo tacebit uno Who understands this Epigram may tell you how fitt a man Beza was to reforme the Church or if God would Chuse such an uncleane Monster to doe it XIII CHAPTER A Brief Relation of the manners and Conversation of others of the Protestant Religion and pretended Reformers of the Church THose were Zwinglius Philip Melankion and others Of Zwinglius HEe was a Priest and Chanon of Constantia Prince of the Sacramentarians a seditious and turbulent man Hee had a conferrence with an evill Spiritt utrum albus an ater whither hee was white or black hee did not know and upon the same hee abolished the Mass as Luther did before him Hee at once with other votary Priestes as continent men as himself offer'd a petition to the Helvetian common wealth which Englished goeth thus Wee ernestly request that the use of Mariage be not deny'd to us who feeling the infirmity of our Flesh perceive that the love of Chastity is not given us by God for if wee consider the words of Paul wee shall finde with him noe other cause of Mariage then for to satisfy the lustfull desires of the Flesh a Carnall saying and false which to burne in us wee may not deny seeing that by means hierof wee are made infamous before the congregation Was not this a fyne Confession of Zwinglius and Companions hee had still in his mouth this bloody saying Evangelium fitit sangunem That is The Ghospell thursteth after blood Indevouring by fighting and by bloodshed to inforce his new Ghospell upon some Cantons and Countrys of the Switzers hee was slaine armed in a Battle And Luther gave this noble Character of him Obiit latro armatâ—â— obiit That is The theefe dy'd and hee dy'd armed Now Sall think on it if this man came from God or the Devill Phillip Melankton A Devine of eminent rank among Protestants prefered by Luther to Saint Austin himselfe maintained three distinct Divinities as there are three distinctt persons Hee taught
to see or discerne though all the world knew him to be Summersets competitor This crafty man though hee had bin allways a Roman Catholick in his Iudgment yet as many polititians use to doe hee dissembled his belief and soothed the Protectors inclination to the Protestant Reformation and made account those new men for Propagation and Preseruation of theire new Ghospell and Doâ—trin would fix upon himselfe for theire chief Patrone and Director and take with him whome hee would appoint for Soueraigne of the Land and to this purpose hee much humored their madness and zeal while they were intoxicating the people with the liberty and pleasure of the new Religion Dudlay being all in all with the Protector and having gotten the power of the Militia into his owne hand hee began to settle a new Religion in England upon the score of a refined Reformation and to unsettle the goverment and ancient faith and in doeing all this hee gave the world to understand the Protector did all and therby made him soe odious that none could indure to heare his name or to live under his goverment This wicked Earle compassed what hee went about to his owne desire his impious drift was to make his Sonne King who was marryed to my Lady Iane Gray of the Blood-Royall and a Protestant Infine hee contrived the Protectors distruction and had him put to death the young King to be poysoned the Princes Mary afterwards Queen to be excluded and the Lady Iane Gray to be Crowned Queen of England For preparing the way to all those sadd things this cruell impious man by force of the Army which was in his hands against his owne Conscience in the first Parlament and yeare of King Edwards Raigne obtained in favour of Protestancy and these new men an act of indemnity for the new Preachers and Hereticks from pennaltyes inacted by the ancient Lawes of the Land against marryed Priests and Hereticks and a repeal of the English Statutes that had tyme out of memory confirmed the imperiall Edicts and Lawes against Heresies But in the second year and Parlament of Edward VI. it was carryed though by few votes and after along debate of aboue foure months that the Zwinglian or Sacramentarian Reformation should be the Religion of England O tempora ô mores ô exicrabilem Parlamenti Anglicani impietatem ô scelus Cleri Apostatantis Who the Contrivers of the XXXIX Articles and first Reformers of Protestant Religion TRue Faith and all Sanctity being chased out of England by the sinns of the Clergie and the wicked laymen in the Parlament the Charge of framing Articles of this new Religion as alsoe of composing the Liturgie and a Book of Rites Ceremonies and Administration of Sacraments was committed to Thomas Cranmer Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and to som other Protestant Devines who were all married Fryers and Priests lately come out of Germany with their sweet harts videlicet Hooper and Roger Monks Coverdale an Augustin Fryer Bale a Carmelit all these Englishmen Peter Martir a Chanon Regulare Martin Bucer a Dominican and Bernardus Ochinus a Capucin these three strangers came over with three galloping Nuns invited by the Protector and Cranmer out of Germany and apointed to preach and teach in both Universityes and at London who were to agree with the rest in the new modern forme of Religion which was a matter of great difficulty because the tenets which they untill then had professed were irreconsilable For that Hooper and Rogers were fierce Swinglians that is Puritans or Presbiterians and joyned in faction against Cranmer Ridly and other Prelaticks Hugh Latimer of great regard with the common people hee opposed himselfe to Cranmer and others for their opposing his pretention to the Bishoprick of Worsester Coverdale and Bale were both Lutherans and yet differed because the one was a riged the other a milde or halfe Lutheran Bucer had alsoe professed a kind of Lutheranisme in Germany but in England was what the Protector would have him to be and therfore would not for the space of a whole yeare declare his opinion in Cambrid though pressed to it by his schollers concerning the Real Presence untill hee had heard how the Parlament had decided the Controversy at London and then hee changed his opinion and became wholy a pure Zwinglian The same tergiversation was used by Peter Martir at Oxford and soe ridiculously that coming sooner in the first Epistle of Corinthians which hee undertook to expound to the Words HOC EST CORPVS MEVM then it had bin determined in Parlament what they should signify the poor Monk with admiration and laughter of the University was forced to divert his Auditors with impertinent comments upon the precedent Words Accipite manducate fregit dixit c. Which needed noe explanation At length when the news was com that both houses had ordered these Words HOC EST CORPVS MEVM should be understood figuratiuely and not literally Peter Martir sayd hee wonderd that any man could be of another opinion though hee knew not the day before what would be his owne opinion As for Bucer hee was a concealed Iew joyned in Contriving the XXXIX Articles only to make good days with his Nun and dyed a Iew being asked confidently his opinion of the Sacrament by Dudley Duke of Northumberland in the presence of the Lord Paget then a Protestant who testifyed the same publickly afterwards hee answered that the Real Presence could not be deny'd if men believed that Christ was God and spoke the Words THIS IS MY BODY But whether all was to be believed which the Evangelistes writt of Christ was a matter of more Disputation Peter Martir who came to England to Cherish in pleasures his wanton Nun whose death hee lamented efeminatly was noe Protestant in Iudgment as is cleare by what is said and yet hee joynd in the XXXIX Articles Bernardus Ochinus who loved Woemen soe well as by an express written Book hee affirmeth Polligamy or the lawfullness of having two Wives together dying professed himselfe to be a Iew and soe whilest hee lived in England was but a counterfeit Protestant to make bon-chear with his Nun and for this cause agree'd to the XXXIX Articles Cranmer was a meer contemporiser and of noe Religion at all Henry the eight raised him from Chapline to Sr. Thomas Bullen Ann Bullens Father to be Arch-Bishop of Canterbury to the end hee might divorse him from Queen Catharin and marry him to said Ann Bullin which hee did Afterwards by the Kings Order hee declared to the Parlament that to his knowledg Ann Bullen was never lawfull wife to his Maiesty by which hee let the World know Elizabeth her daughter had noe right title to the Crowne of England After this hee marryed the King to Ann of Cleves and when the King was weary of her Cranmer declared this marriage alsoe null and married and unmarried him soe often that hee seemed rather to exercise the office of a pymp then the function
of a Priest which to requite one curtesy for another made the King connive at his keeping a Woeman and at some of his Opinions though som what contrary to the statute of the six Articles In King Henry the eight's days Cranmer professed to be Catholick and writt a book for the Real Presence In King Edward the sixt days hee professed Protestancy and writt another book against the Real Presence Bishop Bonner produced both those books against him in Iudgment Hee conspired with the Protector Summerset to overthrow K. H. will and testament and afterwards conspired with Dudlay of Northumberland to ruine the Protector hee joyned with Dudlay and the Duke of Suffolk against Queen Mary for the Lady Iane Gray and immediatly after with Arondell Shrewsbury Pembrook Paget ane others against the same Duke finally when hee was condemned in Queen Mary's tyme for treason and Heresie and his Treason being pardoned hopeing the same favour might be extended to his Heresie hee recanted and abjur'd the same but seeing the temporall Lawes reserved noe mercy for relapsed Hereticks who are presumed not to be truly penitent or converted hee was soe exasperated therby that at his death moved more by Passion then Conscience hee renounced the Roman Catholick Religion to which hee had soe lately conformed These were the Godly men who framed the XXXIX Articles of the Religion of the English Church the Liturgie and the book of Sacraments Rites and Ceremonies of the Protestant Church and though it may seem incredible that an Athist a Iew a Contemporiser or meer Pollitian a Presbiterian a riged Lutheran a halfe Lutheran and an Anty Lutheran or Sacramentarian should all make one Religion yet when men doe but dissemble and deliver opinions to please others and profitt themselves and have noe Religion at all they may without difficulty concurr in some generall poynts of Christianity framing negative Articles such as many of the XXXIX Articles are Impugning the particular truthes of Orthodox faith This was the case of the Church of England and men disagreeing in opinions made up one religion such as it was The Fabrick of those Articles being rays'd as was said let any Christian be Iudge whether it be more safe and more rationall to rely in matter of faith upon the Tradition of the whole Catholick Church and ancient Liturgy's and Rites and upon the Testimony of all the holy Fathers and Counsells since the Apostles tymes then to take the bare Word of Cranmer a man of slippery life and Religion Let any Christian man I say bee Iudge whether this man together with Ochinus a Iew Buzer an Athist or at the best a Iew Peter Martir of the Religion the Parlament would have him to be of Hooper and Latimer and Rogers stubborn discontented Presbiterians Bale and Coverdale Lutherans two lew'd and runagate Fryers whether hee that cares for his owne soule should rather believe these wicked impious men in points of Faith and marters of Salvation then all the ancient Fathers and the holy Councells Let us now see after Dudlay and his faction of Protestant Religion and the Citty of London had crowned Iane Gray what became of them and how long they were in the roofe and prosperity Queen Marys courage and resolution and her owne good right Protestancy being not as yet soe deeply rooted at once with those loyall Catholicks that waited on hervertue and fortune quashed Dudlays Rebellion and designe those lewd Apostate Monks and Priests that coyned the XXXIX Articles then vanished away like smoke and brought Dudlay to his distruction hee was put to death for treason and Rebellion Upon the scaffold hee declared that hee had never been a Protestant in his Iudgment and only made use of its principels and Profession for temporall ends as to raise his family and make his Sonne marryed to Lady Gray King c. Hee advertised the people of the new Religions in consistency with peace and quiet that its Clergie were but ungodly men and trumpets of sedition The substance of his speech is set downe by Doctor Heylin a Protestant in Doct. Heil Eccls Restau Queen Mary pag. 19 these-words Hee admonished the Spectators to stand to the Religion of theire Ancesters rejecting that of latter date which had occationed all the misery of the foregoing 30 years and that for prevention for the future if they desired to present theire soules unspotted in the sight of God and were truly affected to theire country they should expell those tempests of sedition the preachers of the reformed Religion that for himselfe what soever had otherwise been pretended hee professed noe other Religion then that of his fathers for testimony wherof hee apealed to his good frind and Ghostly Father the Lord Bishop of Worcester and finally that being blinded with ambition hee had been contented to make wrake of his conscience by temporising for which hee professed himselfe seriously repentant and soe aeknowledged the Iustice of his death A Declaration saith Doctor Heyling very vnseasonable whether true or false as that which rendered him less pittied by the one side and more scorned by the other This is a more politick then pious obseruation of Doctor Heylin would hee not haue men confess theire faults and profess theire faith when they are dying and would hee haue them preferr the vanity of the pitty or scorne of the World when they are to bid the whole World adieu before the Satisfaction and Salvation of the Soule Sall hath there been soe much as one man of your first Doctors and Reformers and of all those that contriu'd the XXXIX Articles hath there been I say soe much as one just man before God walking in all the Commaundements and Iustifications of our Lord without blame one vertuous soule that mortify'd his body and loved Chastity one Priest or Monk amongst them all that was bonus odor Christi Noe but all of them lew'd dissolute infamous Priests and Religious men that broak theire holy vowes Rebells against God and against his annoynted on earth Kings and. Magistrats rayfing tumults and seditions in all the countrys they liu'd in such kinde of men they have been though Iohn Fox a ridiculous man canonized many of them for great Saints of which wee shall treat more at large in the ensuing Chapter They haue beene Cores that have rent the Coat and garment of Christ and made a great Scisme in Gods Church like Ballaaems they have cheated Gods People for gaining Wordly Comodityes and Pleasures like Gains they have murthered millions of innocent Abells with Hereticall Doctrine and pestiferous manners and Conversation You are not ignorant Sall of what Saint Paul writes to Timothy And 2. ad Tim. cap. 3. thus know thou that in the last days shall aproatch perilous tymes And men shall be lovers of themselves covetuous hauty proud blasphemous wicked without affection Incontinent unmercifull traitours stubern puffed up and lovers of voluptuousness more then of God Lay your hand upon your hart
VVicklifs Errors about that Sacrament Accidentia non manent sine subjecto in â—odem Sacramento substantia panis naturalis vini naturalis manent in Sacramento Altaris Errores damnati in Concilio constantiâ—nsi the Doctrin of Purgatory and other Articles will you heare Sir Iohn Oldcastle a prime Wicklifian his Protestation at his death of believing the Real-Presence after confessing Articles about the Blessed Trinity and Christes Diety Sir Iohn Old-Castle cometh to treat of the Sacrament of the Aulter hee protesteth thus as Fox himselfe writeth And for as much as Sir Ioh. Old-C his Protestation at his death I am falsly accused of a misbeliefe in the Sacrament of the Aulter I signify here to all men that this is my faith concerning that I beleeve in that Sacrament to be contained very Christs Body and Bloud under the Similitudes of Wyne and Bread yea the same Body that was conceived of the holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary donne on the Crosse dyed and was â—uryedâ— and a rose the third day from death and now is glorify'd in heaven The said Old-Castle shew'd his beleefe about three sorts of men thus The holy Church I beleeve to be devided into three sorts or Companyes wherof the first are now in heaven c. The second sort are in Purgatory Fox pag. 314. abyding the mercy of God and a full deliverance of payne The third upon Earth c. You see that Old-Castle a Wâ—ckclifian doth clearly beleev'd the Doctrin of Purgatory which Fox did not nor doe the Protestants of England now wherfore to this speech of Purgatory Fox thought best least it might disgrace his new Martyr to add this parentesis of his owne if any such place bee in the Scriptures c. which was perfidiously done of Fox It is to be supposed that Wicklif held some things with us and some things with the Protestants and somthings different from both and yet Fox must have him and his Sect to be of his owne Communion and make him a Martyr though hee confesseth and soe doth Iohn Ball alsoe that hee was neuer as much as imprison'd for his faith but his bones were taken up forty years after his buriall and burned by the Commaundement of the Councell of Constance for his Heresies discovered after â—his death and for this Fox made him a Martyr and consequently hee became Martyr without feeling any paine or without the Consent or Concurrence of his owne will Take here some Articles of Wicklifs Doctrin to which I presume the Protestant will not agree One is That it is against Scripture for any Ecclesiasticall Minister to have any temporall possessions at all What think you will the Ministers of England agree to this Another That as long as a man is in deadly sinn hee is neither Bishop nor Prelate Another That Temporall Lords may according to their owne will and discretion take a way the temporall goods from any Church-men when soever they offend Think you that the Protestant Church-men of England agree to this Article Another Tythes are meer Almes and may be detained by the Parishoners and bestow'd where they will at theire pleasure This Article alsoe cannot rellish Protestant Church-men These and many more Articles of Wicklif have been condemned by the Catholick Church as Hereticallâ— and himselfe as an Heretick though hee held divers poynts of the Catholick Religion as holy Orders Consecration Excomunication Purgatory and other like But Fox makes him a Martyr for holding some poynts with the Protestants though differing in other Materiall poynts But this is the Beggery of his new Church that it cannot be made up but by such dunghill cloutes as Wicklefians Lollards Albigensians and the like which are cast of by the Catholicks and rejected for that they have not agreed in every point of the Catholick beleefe according to the creed of Athanasius such is the integrity severity and Majesty of our Church that wee reject as spotted and blemish'd raggs all such as beleeve not all Articles of Faith propos'd by the holy Catholick Church this is according to Saint Augustins Doctrin Ecclesia Vniversaliter perfecta est in nnllo claudicat That is The true Church is Universally perfect and doth hault in noe one poynt of beleefe Now you shall see how Wickless fellow Saints condemn'd him for an Heretick and consequently one that should not be placed in the Calendar of Saints Luther the great Elias and Prophet of Germany as Ioannes Cockleus Ioann Cochl in vita Luteri Surius in hist Anno Dom. 1517. 1518. Melan. Epist ad Fredericum Miconium and Surius doe recount held Wicklif for an Heretick such alsoe was the Iudgment of Phillip Melankton which against Iohn Fox must needs be much avaylable who placed him for a fellow Saint together with Wicklef in his Calendar What then says Melankton of Wicklef hee speaks thus Inspexi Wicklefum qui valde tumultuatur in hac Controversia c. That is I have look't over Wicklef who behau'd himselfe tumultuously in this Controversy of the Lords supper and more then this I have found many Errors in him by which a man may make Iudgment of his Spirit It is certaine hee neither understood nor held the Justice of Faith Hee said in another place Plane furebat Wicklefus Melan. in Apolâ— tit de human tradit qui negabat licere Sacerdotibus tenere proprium That is Wicklef was playnly out of his wits when hee did deny that it was lawfull for Priests to hold in locis com tit de potestat Ecclesi any thing proper Well then Wicklef a furious man that stirred up sedition and was ignorant of the very foundation of the Protestant Ghospell to wit of theire Doctrin of Salvation by only faith as both Melankton and Luther affirmed Wicklif to be with what spirit think you doth your Apostata Fryer Bale call him an Elias a morning starre an Organ of Christ an habitacle of the holy Ghost But if you will listen to Catholick writers who liu'd about the same tyme with Wicklif as Thomas Walsingam and Thomas Waldensis in theire learned writings you shall finde him to have been one of the most pernicious wicked dissembling Hypocriticall impugners of Christ and his Doctrin that ever was in the Church of God Walsingam VVals in hist Ricard Rigis 2 anno Dom. 1382 doth beginn a Narration of Wicklif thus Eodem tempore ipse verus Hypocrita Angelus Sathanae Antichristi prae ambulus non nominandus Ioannes Wicklef vel potius wicked-beleefe Hereticus sua deliramenta concinnavit reassumens damnatas opiniones c. That is At the same tyme the very true Hypocrit the Angell of Satan the forerunner of Antichrist the heretick Iohn Wicklif or rather wicked-beleefe not being worthy the naming continved his madde and new devises renewing againe old damned opinions and heresies c. You see how holy a man Wichlef was by the Testimony of Catholick writers who knew him better then Fox did
Faith that was not soe before nor likwise make any Proposition Hereticall that was not soe before but only defines that Proposition to be of Faith that is and was ever soe and condemns that for an Heresie that is and was soe Nor are Articles of Faith as Sall affirms repugnant to human reason but transcending human reason as Saint Thomas teacheth Fidem non esse contra sensum sed esse de eo ad quod sensus non attingit much less is Faith repugnant to reason a nobler faculty then that of sence yet for all this wee may not say that reason can comprehend an Article of Faith Will you beleeve nothing Sall but what you can comprehend and as it were demonstrat by human reason and discourse This is not Faith but Science The silliest Catholick old woeman in your Country will tell you that in beleeving you must take Faith and leave reason And Saint Augâ—stin saith the same as thus S. Aug. lib. de utilitatâ— credendâ— Quod inteligimus debemus rationi quod credimus Authoritati Had you ankored your selfe Sall upon the Authority of the Church as most eminent Schoolmen of our side doe you had not fallne into Heresie but you presumed to much on your owne witt and wanted humility and necessary vertue Saint Augnstin reprehends such kinde of men as would circumscribe matters of Faith within the sphere of reason and discourse in these words Eccè qualibus Argumentis omnipotentiae Dei humana contradicit infirmitas quam possidet vanitas That is Behold with what kinde of Arguments doth human weakness mastered by vanity contradict the omnipotent power of God The Paulin difinition of Faith the most perfect of all diffinitions doth clearly demonstrate that the force of reason cannot comprehend Articles of Faith Illa particula Argumentum non aparentium clarè significat objectum fidei esse rem non visam cui firmiter adhaeret intellectus non ex rei evidentia sed ex auctoritate divina per illam particulam non apparentium distinguitur fides a Scientia intellestu per quem aliquid fit apparens That is The Argument of things not appearing doth clearly signify the object of Faith to be a thing not seen to which the understanding doth adhere not for the Evidence of the thing but for the devine Authority revealing it and by that particle of things not appearing Faith is distinguished from Science and understanding of objects by which a thing is made apearing This is the Opinion of Nicholas de Lira and others It is alsoe the Opinion of Devines commonly Visum non esse objectum fidei S. Tho. 1. 2. qs 67. S. Tho. 2. 2. q. 1. a. 4 And Saint Thomas saith elswher Quod nihil est objectum fidei nisi sub ratione non apparentis XVIII CHAPTER The Doctrin of Transubstantiation defended against Sall a new Protestant THere is noe Protestant soe maddly obstinate as to give God the lye to his face and in plaine tearms to say though hee did know God did reveale the Doctrin of Transubstantiation as the Church of Rome doth propose and maintaine it I would not beleeve it noe all Protestants acknowledg and generally all Hereticks God to bee truth it selfe and not able to deceive or bee deceived The obstinacy therfore of Protestants against Gods verityes is not as they are uttered immediatly by himselfe but as they are proposed by his Church as in the point of Transubstantiation Sall become lately a Protestant doth not beleeve the Catholick Church proposing that Doctrin as revealed by God but says it is not warranted by devine writt the same hee says of Indulgences Purgatory worship of Images c. but introduced and made an Article of faith by the use and Authority of the Roman Church Against cleare evidence there can be noe obstinacy the object of it must be involved in some obscurity otherwise the will which is the source of obstinacy would not bee able to master the understanding There is nothing more cleare and evident to the understanding then this proposition If God said or revealed any thing it s very true The obstinacy therfore of Hereticks doth not contest with this cleare and confessed truth It only doubts or denyes that God said or revealed any such thing as the Church pretends By this it appears in what Sall and I doe differ about Transubstantiation for hee doth not beleeve the Church proposing and defyning the Doctrin therof as revealed by God The Heretick beleeves what the Church proposeth as revealed only conditionally if God reveal'd it reserving to his owne privat Iudgment or to that of his privat Patriarks Luther Zwinglius Calvin c. this determination but the Catholick Absolutly and doubts not but God revealed what the Church proposeth as revealed submitting his Iudgment in matters of Faith to what soever the Church doth define or declare This is the case of Hereticks They protest if they had thought or beleeved that the Doctrin of the Roman Church in controverted points were revealed by God they would hartily imbrace it but they doe not consider this very if or doubt is Heresie for they have noe reason to doubt but that the Roman Catholick Church hath Commission and power of defining and declaring what is revealed by God seeing it hath the evident signes of a true Church as Miracles Sanctity of Doctrin and Life continuall Succession from the Apostles to the present age both of Pastors and Doctrin These signes may be easily perceived and knowne by all people as Clownes Souldiers and other illiterate persons let them examin the Histories of theire owne Countryes and the Religion of theire Ancesters which soever amongst all the Christians Churches had and hath the aforesaid signes that Church must be heard obeyed and beleeved as having Gods Authority and Commission to deside all doubts and Controversies of Faith who soever beleeves not her diffinitions and obeys not her decrees and Canons in points of Faith is an obstinat Heretick and such is Sall having deserted and condemned this Church But Sall tells us the Doctrin of Transubstantiation is a novelty not found in Scripture but brought into the Church by the Councell of Lateran anno 1215. This is a great mistake in Sall The very condemning of Berengarius as an Heretick for impugning Transubstantiation anno 1050 which was before the Councell of Lateran 165. years proves it was noe novelty but an Article of Faith before that Councell There were present at this Counsell the Emperors Roman and Greek and of the Kings of France Spaine England Hierusalem and Cyperus their Ambassadors euen from the Apostles tymes For otherwise I pray you how were it possible that the Patriarks of Hierusalem and Constantinople 70. Metropolitans 400. Bishops and 800. Conventuall Pryours who were all present at that great Counsell should all agree in declaring Transubstantiation to have been revealed by God to the primitive Church how can this agree with what Sall affirms
inherence is naturall and propper to accidents and the Body and Bloud of Christ hauing in the Sacrament a spirituall presence seing all these wonders and magnalia may say with great Saint Iohn Chrisostome O Miraculum ô Dei benignitatem qui cum Patre sursum sedet in illo temporis Articulo omnium manibus pertractatur That is O Miracle ô goodness of God that hee who sitteth aboue with the Father is heer beneath handled by men If Sall inquire how a Body can have a spirituall Presence I answer him with demaunding how a spirit can have a corporall Presence How can an Angell have appearence and presence of a young man wherof there are many examples in Scripture Did not Angells seeme to the eyes of Abraham Tobias and others to bee young men and yet they were not men but spiritts And why cannot the Body of Christ have a spirituall Presence in the Sacrament if God will have it soe Let Sall shew us the cause and reason why it may not be done It is indeed a hard question to declare Qua Actione Corpus Christi ponitur in Sacramento Some hold it is done Actione Adductiva that is to say that Christ retaining the ubi his Body hath in heaven gives by this kinde of Action a new ubi to his Body and Bloud under the species and Accidents of Bread and Wine but this opinion hath great difficultyes and is hard to bee defended wherefore the clearer and more plausible Sentence is Quod Corpus Christi ponatur sub speciebus Panis Sanguis sub speciebus Vini By a true and real Reproduction Hoc est per Actionem productivam sic sentire videtur S. Thomas dicens quia in hoc Sacramento tota S. Tom. 3. part q. 75. Art 8. Substantia Panis convertitur in totam Substantiam Corporis Christi propter hoc haec Conversio Transubstantiatio vocatur Id est perit seu destruitur Substantia Panis quando reproducitur Substantia Corporis Christi sub speciebus Panis That is to say The Substance of Bread doth perish or is distroy'd when the Substance of the Body of Christ is reproduced under the accidents of Bread I have said aboue that the ancient Fathers and Saints asserted Corpus Christi in Sacrament◠Altaris fieri confici creari which Propositions cannot be verifyed but by a real Action which is this Actio productiva Reproduction or Replication of the Body of Christ in the Sacrament that the same esse or being that Christ hath in heaven is reproduced under the accidents of Bread and Wine in this Sacrament Will any man say that this is not possible to God If God can restore that which perrished by reproduceing the very same thing in Individuo G. V. if hee can raise to life one that was dead as hee restored Lazarus to life the very same Lazarus in Individuo the Brother of Martha and Mary Magdalen that dyed few days before why cannot God as well reproduce a man that is living and that was not dead before It is cleare the existence of the man living doth not hinder but that God may reproduce or replicate the same man againe and not once but ten tymes and a hundred tymes and even make an Army of one man by soe oft reproducing him Likewise reproducing or replicating the same man in severall places that man may doe different Actions the reason is Quia licet secundum se sit idem numero homo est virtute multiplex multis aequipollet locorum spatiis Operationtbus That is Because though that man reduplicated be one and the same man in number yet hee hath the vertue of many men and can bee in many and different places and doe many and different Actions By this means the man replicated may be hott in one place and cold in another walke in one place and stand in another may be sick in one place and well in another and which is more strange may live in one place and dye in another Let Sall tell us why all this may not be done and what Contradiction doth this Replication involue that it may not be done by the power of God Will hee dare say the power of God which is infinit can be soe ended and exhausted as it may not extend it selfe to such a Reproduction or Replication Hauing said soe much by way of discussion upon some parts of Salls Recantation that impugnes the Doctrin of Transubstantiation let mee now shew that the Greeck and Ruthenian Church and the Armenians doe agree with the Roman Catholick Church in the Doctrin of Transubstantiation Real-presence and in Cultu latriae or Worship of Adoration due to the Body of Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar XIX CHAPTER The Ruthenian and Greeck Church and the Armenians hold the same in the Article of Transubstantiation as the Roman Catholicks doe FOr informing Sall lately become Calvinist and a great zealot that way that the Ruthenians and those of the Greeck Church and Armenians agree with us in the Doctrin of Transubstantiation Real-presence c. I here set downe certain passages worthy to be notifyed to him and all those of his Religion which I lately read with great Attention and Satisfaction I will instance a late undeniable proofe of this out of a Conferrence that passed between L. H. Gondrin Arch-Bishop of Sans a very learned Prelate and a venerable Priest of Muscovia a Chanon of th◠Cathedrall of Muskow then in the retenue of the Muscovit Ambassador in Paris and with the Secretary of said Ambassador This conference was made at Paris anno 1668. These being invited by the Arch-Bishop to dyne with him after great civility done them his grace put the Priest many questions touching Transubstantiation and the Real-Presence after the words of Consecration and what Worship is due to Christ in the Sacrament and desired upon all this to receive the Iudgment and use of the Ruthenian Church they answered to all distinctly as men well versed in the Religion of theire Country and assured his Grace they agreed in all these points to wit Transubstantiation Real-Presence and Incultu latriae that is Adoration due to Christ in this Sacrament the Arch-Bishop much joy'd at these Answers further desired to know theire Iudgment of some Christians in France that denyed the Body and Bloud of Christ to be realy and substantially in the Eucharist and likewise deny'd Adoration to bee due there unto they replyed with a pious anger and indignation if such men liu'd in our country wee should put them to death and burne them like Hereticks and Deuills But there are said they God be praysed noe such men in Muscovia nor dare they live there Take another strong Confirmation of the same the answer Paisius Legaridius Chius Metropolitan of Gaza given to Ioannes Lylienthal Ambassador of the King of Sueden in the Court of Muscovia in the Month of September anno 1666. The Ambassador set forth to said Metropolitan the tenets of the
Lutherans Calvenistes and Romans about the blessed Eucharist the question stated hee said Est itaque questionis scopus quam nempe in hac opinionum varietate Ecclesia Ruthenia seu Graeca teneat Sententiam partesne Ecclesiae Romanae an Lutheranae vel Calvinianae tueatur That is It is therfore the but of the question what Sentence in this variety of Opinions holds the Ruthenian Church and whose part doe they hold and maintaine that of the Roman Church or the Lutheran or the Calvinian The Metropolitan answered possitively in a long and learned discourse that the Ruthenian and all the Greeck Church agreed with the Romans in Transubstantiation Real-presence and worship of Adoration due to Christ in the Holy Eucharist The Romans said hee only differ from our Church in the matter of this Sacrament that the Greeck Church doth consecrate in Levin-Bread and the Latin in Azime wherfore wee Grecians call the Latins Azimits but hee further said this differrence between us is not essentiall for that Levined and unlevined Bread are ejusdem speciei In like manner the Surian or Syrian Church agree's with the Roman in all touching the Eucharist and likewise in some other points of Faith denyed by the Protestants of England as doth evidently wittness the ensuing Testimony of severall Bishops and Priestes of that Country and Church Testimonium seu Professio quorundam Articulorum apud Nationem Surianam In Oriente In Nomine Patris Filii Spiritus Sancti 1. CHristi Corpus Sanguinem verè realiter in Eucharistiae continer◠firmiter credimus non figuram tantum ejus atque virtutem ut Heretici commenti sunt 2. Item Panem Vinum in verum Christi Corpus Sanguinem realiter substantialiter vi Divinae Consecrationis mutari atque converti seu substantiari quod idem est 3. Christum in Eucharistia residentem Latriae cultu adorari debere ita ab omnibus Ecclesiae nostri fidelibus adorari 4. In Sacra Lyturgia verè ac propriè dictum Sacrificium pro vivis mortuis propitiatorium Deo offerri 5. Sanctos recte a fidelibus coli invocari 6. Presbiterum non esse qui ab Episcopo Impositionem manuum non acceperit 7. Licere Ecclesiae carnium Escas certis diebus prohibere fidelibus statuta per annum jejunia indicere 8. Contra Sentientes pro Hereticis prophanis haberi excomunicari Haec est ac semper fuit Ecclesiarum nostrarum fides hanc acceptam a majoribus servamus seruabimus nec ulla apud nos mentio ullorum a memoria fuit aliquando qui aliter docue runt Ita nos Testamur die 29. Februarii Anno 1668. 1. PAtriarcha Surianae Nationis 2. Andreas Curatus Abdella Choulac Nationis Surianae 3. Curatus Matove N. S. 4. Curatus Abdella Moyl Religiosus Sacerdos N. S. 5. Sacerdos Nam N. S. 6. Sacerdos Benjamin N. S. 7. Curatus Chaida N. S. 8. Sacerdos Abdella Chay N. S. 9. Sacerdos Abraham N. S. 10. Sacerdos Abraham Egeir N. S. 11. Dominus Abraham Sacerdos N. S. 12. Dominus Ioannes Episcopus N. S. 13. Dominus à Deodatus Sacerdos N. S. 14. Dominus Theodorus Sacerdos N. S. 15. Dominus Chacardour Sacerdos N. S. 16. Dominus Gregorius Episcopus N. S. 17. Dominus Baptista Decanus Ecclesiae Beatae Virginis N. S. 18. Dominus Sergius Sacerdos N. S. There are the like Testimonies of the Patriarck and many Bishops and Priestes Armenians dwelling in Aleppo signed the first of March 1668. In like manner all the Armenian Churches agree with the Romans touching the Eucharist in all which are very many under two Patriarcks the one dwelling in Arard a Citty of Armenia whose aboad is in the Monastery of Ermiasin or Heruisin and hath under him 200. Bishops The other Patriarck keeps in Cis a towne of Carmania hauing under him 50. Bishops By what is said Sall may see and must confess that the Ruthenian and Greeck Church the Syrians and Armenians agree with the Romans in the Faith and Doctrin of Transubstantiation Real-presence and Worship due to Christ in the Eucharist Who desires to informe himselfe more at large of what I have here aleaged I remitt him to that excellent learned Treatis thus intitled La perpetuite de la foy de l'Eglise Catholique touchant l'Eucharistie defendue contre le Liure du Seiur Claude Ministre d◠Charanton printed at Paris 1669. What I here set downe and much more hee will finde in the 12. Book of the third Treatice they are in all 4. Vollums in 8. The reading of this excellent worke as I have bine informed converted that famous generall Mareshall de Turene and after him was converted Prince de Tremoile one of the noblest Princes of France and after them many more Persons of quality The Greek and Ruthenian Church Armenians and others agree in more points of Religion with the Romans then with the Protestants of the English Church IT was my happ many years agoe to have perus'd an answer of Father Paul Harris a learned Priest that liu'd in Dublin I knew the man well to a Sermon of Doctor Vsher Protestant Primate of Ardmach or as they us'd to speak of al Ireland a man of great fame made at Wainstad before King Iames anno 1624. In this Sermon the Primat haled into his Church and Communion all those of the Greek and Ruthenian Church Armenians likewise and other Sectarys in the Eastern Church affirming Salvation was found in all those Congregations Father Harris confuted the man shewing evidently that all those differed from Protestants in many substantiall Articles of faith and consequently could not bee of theire Communion and was not this I pray you a pleasant Imagination of Doctor Vsher But let Vsher build his great new Church of Greeks Ruthenians Arminians and English Protestants in the Clouds wee know the Catholick Church is built upon a Rock and will never be destroyd Father Paul Harris in his answer to Vsher speaks thus The Grecians Ruthenians and Armneians defend and maintayne that Baptisme is necessary to salvation and that originall sinn is remitted therby the riged Calvinistes teach the contrary The Greeks Ruthenians c. hold Transubstantiation the Reael-presence of Christes Body and Bloud in the Sacrament and the worship of Latria due there unto the Protestant generally not The Greeks Ruthenians c. hold that good works with faith do justify the Protestants that faith alone doth justify The Greeks c. free will in the best actions the Protestants not the Greeks c. hold seven Sacraments the Protestants not the Greeks c. beleeve Christ dyed for all Godly and wicked the Protestants not but only for the elect they pray and offer Sacrifice for the dead the Protestants not they Invocate Saints and Angells the Protestants not They worship Crosses and Images the Protestant not They hold merit of good works the Protestants not You may see what good Agreement in Articles of
thy sonne liveth And the woeman said to Elias now in this I have knowne that thou art a man of God and the word of our Lord in thy mouth is true Sall wilt thou beleeve that the Miracle made this woeman beleeve Mi ∣ racle 3 When the Prophet Elizeus raised to life the dead child of the Sunamite saying to her Take thy sonne Lib. 4. Regum Cap. 4. Shee came and fell at his feet and adored upon the ground and took her Sonne and went out c. Behold Sall the force of the Miracle Miracle 4 This is a pretious one the preservation of Sidrach Misach and Abdenago three of the Children of Israell in the midst of the flames of burning fyre where they walked in the midst of Dan. Cap. 3. the flame praysing God and blessing our Lord. And did not Nabuchodnozor moved with this Miracle breaking forth say Blessed be the God of Sidrach Misach and Abdenago who had sent his Angell and had delivered his Servants that beleeved in him And after said By mee therfore this decree is made that every people tribe and tongue whatsoever shall speak Blasphemy against the God of Sidrach Misach and Abdenago hee perrish and his house be wasted for there is none other God that can soe save This Miracle made Nabuchodonozor confesse There was noe God could save but the God of Israel In the Law of Grace you will finde that God gave the power of working Miracles to witt of casting out Devills Math. cap. 10. of curing all manner of Infirmityes Where our saviour says to his Diciples And going preach saying That the Kingdom of heaven is at hand Cure the sick raise the dead cleans the lepers cast out Divells gratis you have received gratis give ye Mark Mark cap. 16. 2. Cor. cap. 12. the Evangelist doth attest the same Saint Paul alsoe avouched Miracles for the signes of his Apostle-ship The Miracles of Saint Peter and the rest of the Apostles are many and evident as is manifest by undenyable tradition All this being soe goe now Sall and tell thy Protestants Miracles wrought in the Catholick Church are Monstrous But if you will know the Miracles wrought by Hereticks Tertullian in a few words wil give you an account therof hee speaking of the Apostles said Apostoli de mortuis vivos saciebant Tert. de prescr That is The Apostles gives dead men life And then speaking of Marcion Valentinus Nigidius Hermogenes and other Hereticks said Isti de vivis mortuos faciunt These make living men dye soe is it speaking of mens Soules and somtymes of theire Bodyes as the Miracle of Calvin upon the Taylior Bruleus and of a certaine Arian that made aman seeing well quite blinde Another grave Father tells us of another kind of wonders Hereticks doe Invenerunt saith hee Matres quas de captivis monialibus fecerunt mulieres That is Of Nuns who were in theire power as it were captives they made woeman and Mothers Luther Beza Bucer Ochinus Peter Martyr and hundreds more wanton Monks Priests and Apostata's were excellent at working such Miracles Here Sall will tell mee hee makes noe question or doubt of Miracles attested in holy Scripture if soe hee must confess they are undenyable signes and proofs of a true Church and Religion and though they were says hee you cannot conclude other Miracles to be soe hee means Church Miracles and all such as are not found in Scripture these are they hee accounts for Monstrous Yet Luther himselfe confesseth these Words of Christ Hee that beleeveth in mee Iohn cap. 14. the works that I doe hee shall doe and greater Are understood of the power Christ left of working Miracles to the whole Body of the Church in whome this Vertue doth shine for ever and your English Bibles Edit 1576. in the marginall notes referrs this power to the whole Body of the Church A Deo discimus saith Luther accepimus aeternum verbum veritatem Luther Tom. 7. Lib. de Iudois c. fol. 220 Dei hactenus mille quingentis annis Miraculis signis consessam confirmatam That is Wee have learn'd and received from God the eternall Word and Verity of God hither to a thousand and five hundred years to have been confessed and confirmed by Miracles and Wonders But Protestants now a days contradict their holy Father Luther in this particular as all men must who maintaine errors and say when wee press them to relate some of theire Miracles that Miracles are now superfluous and therfore none wrought in the Church And some hold them ridiculous but Sall goes further saying they are Monstrous But I shall aleage some Miracles in Confirmation of the Roman Catholick Doctrin and more especially of Transubstantiation that some Protestants themselves will acknowledg to bee Miracles of undoubted creditt XXII CHAPTER Six Miracles confirming the Doctrin of the Catholick Church touching Transubstantiation and the Adoration of Christ in the Sacrament SAint Nilus relateth how Saint Ghrysostome S. Nilus in Ep. ad Anastasium almost every day had visions of Angells assisting and adoring the blessed Sacrament untill the Sacrifice was finished In the Ecclesiasticall History is recorded this example which Euagrius Euagr. Orthodoxus lib. 4. cap. 35. anno D. 552. writt as a thing notorius and done in his owne Tyme In the Tyme of Patriarck Menas saith hee there happened a Miracle worthy to be remembred It was an ancient Custome in Constantinople A Miracle for the Communion under one Kinde when many Parcels of the pure and unspotted Body of Christ our God were remaining after Communion little Children were caled out of the Schools and were permitted to eat them It happened that a little boy whose Father was a Iew by Profession and a maker of glass by his Trade being among the rest did eat alsoe his share of the aforesaid Reversion of the blessed Sacrament but coming some what late home and his parents demaunding the cause the child told innocently what hee had done which the Iew his Father understanding was soe enraged that unawares to his wife hee cast his little sonne into the burning ouen wherin hee us'd to melt and frame his glass The Mother missing the child sought for him three days together but hearing noe news of him abroad shee returned home with an heavy hart and sitting downe at the work-house house doore shee began to bewail the loss of her Sonne caling him by his name the boy hearing and knowing his Mothers call did answer within the oven where at the woeman starting burst the work-house doore and rushing in espied her child standing amidst the coles without receiving any harme After coming out being demaunded how hee escaped burning soe long a woe man said hee came often Tymes unto mee and brought mee water to quench the force of the fyer wherwith I was invironed and withall gave mee meat as often as I was hungry This accident being told unto the emperoor
hand of God All which Articles saith this Doctor doth Calvin willfully corrupt in his expositions in the favour of Iewes Arians and other such enemyes of Christ which hee proveth by alleadging above forty or fifty places citing Calvins owne words and commentaryes therupon soe clearly and perspicuously against sence and expositions of all holy Fathers that if his commentaryes therin were to bee admitted those foure named points or Articles of Christian Religion can not be defended against the force and adversaryes of Christes name And is not this a brotherly agreement between Lutherans and Calvinistes in Principall points and misteryes of Religion but the Lutherans have the best of it for wheras Luther and his followers to this day condemne the Calvinists as Hereticks especially for not beleeving the Body of Christ to bee realy and substantially present in the Sacrament of the Altar the Protestants of England who are Calvinists and deny the Real-presence hold Luther for a holy man and theire Father and hold all the Lutherans theire very deare bretheren in Christ as Doctor Whitaker above cited doth averre To leave Germany and to speak of the Professors of Protestanisme in England Scotland doe not many of them entertaine quarrells and falings-out among themselves about Principall Articles of Religion doe not the greatest part by much of the Protestants in England hold the King is supreme head of the Church all of one opinion with the Bishops maintaine this as an Article of Religion in that Protestant Church but the Protestants of Geneva and all depending upon theire Doctrin in France and elswhere doe not hold this Kingly supremacy for an Article of Faith and are not Catholicks punished by Law and somtymes put to death for denying this supremasy which would be a meer murthering of them and the greatest cruelty in the World if those that put them to death did not hold that supremecy to be an Article of Faith Now if you will be pleas'd to demaund what those Protestants in England and Scotland caled Presbiterians or Puritans say to this Article they flattly deny this supremacy to be an Article of Faith though none of them did ever suffer death for denying the same nay they are esteemed not with standing theire opinion in this to be of the Protestants communion A gaine all Protestants that follow the Bishops hold the dignity and superiority of Arch-Bishops and Bishops to be agrecable to Gods word and as the Devines speak de Iure Devino and what say the Presbiterians to this By theire Champion Martin Mar-Prelate and his mutenous moke-bates that band under his cullors cry all of them in the Name of the Lord as Thomas Rogers doth attest That the calling of Bishops is In his Sermon printed by Iohn windet 1590. pa. 13. unlawfull that they be Ministers of Antichrist worss then Fryers and Monks Deuills Bishops and Deuills In-carnate Sall you must grant mee these dissentions between Protestants and Protestants in England and Scotland about the Kings supremacy and the Order and Dignity of Bishops are not Triueall but Fundamentall and they have been now many years contending in theire Writings and Conferrences and still are about these points and others that are the very sinews and Soule of theire Religion in endless quarrells and Contensions If that were my Business I could sett downe many and great differrences quarells and contensions between these two kinde of Protestants In this place I think it pertinent to say somthing particularly of the Protestants called Presbiterians who were neuer by any act of Parlament that wee could heare of proscribed from the Communion of the Protestants that stick to the Religion of the King and the Bishops Impiety Fury and Rebellion gave beginning to this Sect and Religion in Scotland as hath been aboue said in Page 164. and 165. They had two Reformations the first was begun by Iohn Knox an Apostata Priest and though his Reformation was ungodly and unreasonable the second was farre more unreasonable and ungodly A Presbiterian that was converted to the Catholick Faith describes the Presbiterian Piety in this kinde There was among us a pretext of Piety but wee had not the substance of it wee had indeed much preaching praying fasting and such like exercises but our long preachings were nothing but continuall prayses of the Covenant the solemne League which they cry'd up to the heavens butt wee omitted as our Saviour observed of the Pharisies the weighty Matters of the Law as Iudgment Mercy and Faith Our Ministers told us wee were the happiest People of the World for they said wee only of all Nations had the honour to be Covenanters with God and that wee had the truth of the Ghospell in greater purity then Geneva it selfe that wee had soe cleare a light that the like had not shined to any Nation since the tymes of the Apostles yea one who was esteemed a principall Apostle among us did not stick to say in the pulpitt amidst the many Miserys Confusions and Troubles which then lay upon this Church and Nation That the Angells and Saints of heaven if they could leave the sight of God would be glad to come downe and see the admirable beauty of the Presbiterian Church of Scottland Soe farre this new Catholick And was not this ridiculous preacher with the beauty of his Scottish Kirck a great Hipocrite and Pharisie It was much observed that shortly after solemne fastes of Presbiterians the country and state was allways sure of some unhappy claps the puritan fast was still fatal and ordinarily a preparation to some violence or evill worke that was intended this made many understand what Queene Mary Stuart meant by that famous saying That shee was as much affraid of a fast of the Ministers as of an Army of Souldiers for experience taught her that those fasts were prognostick signes of ensuing tempests theire long prayers alsoe did not prove them to be Saints more then the like did sanctify the Pharasyes they bragged much of the spiritt but shew'd noe fruites therof these bee the fruites of the spiritt which Saint Paul recounts to the Galatians The fruite of Ad Galat. cap. 5. the spiritt saith hee is love joy peace long suffering Gentelnesse goodness Faith meekness c. This second Presbiterian â—eformation beganne with a prodigious abolishment of all holy things Mala arbor Malos fructus faciâ— 1. They condemned and cast downe Episcopacy this they doe whersoever they have power quite contrary to the Law of God for Episcopacy is de Iure Divino This order and degree they abhor'd as Tyrannicall and Anti-Christian yet Saint Paul writing to Timothey saith If a man desireth a Bishops Office hee desireth 1. Tim. cap. 3. a good thing The Apostle likewise affirmeth that Bishops are to Order Priests and Iudge them wherfore hee saith in his Epistle to Titus That hee left Ad Titum Cap. 1. him in Cret to Order Priestes by Cittys By this it is plaine and evident that
with the Roman Church as well in points of Faith as in the use of Rites Liturgy's and Sacraments yet for all this they have shaken of all Obedience to the Church of Rome and if this bee not a willfull formall Separation of theire part let any man judge And after all this they are soe bold and impudent as to say the Scisme Lyes of our part for having given them the Occasion of Separation but they doe not point out the time and errors they say crept into our Church Is not this a pleasant Jest first openly to Rebell and then without any other proofe but theire owne prooflesse word tacitly to suppose they had great Reason for theire Rebellion and to accuse soe vast a Society of ancient Christians as wee are and know not why to condemne us of Errors and know not wherfore and this before noe other Tribunall but themselves who were the Rebells This indeed savors soe strongly of sauciness and self-conceited pride that the very method held in the Condemnation makes all to look upon it as naught illegall and contemptible This kinde of Proceeding of Protestants makes it most evident that this actuall breach with Rome this Rupture this Rent this Rebellion this divorse from the ancient Church this formall Scisme let Protestants couer it with the smothest words they please is as cleare on theire side as the Sunne shining at noon-day like durt it lyes at theire doores and they will neuer be able to wype it away They say often and over and over that wee erred and gave them the Occasioâ— of Separation but prouing nothing nor shewing the cause wee have given of such Separation they say nothing doe they thinck theire Asserâ—â—on or saying that wee have erred can be proofâ— strong enough against us or any thing like a Satisfactory reason in this matter between us theire saying being noe received Principle Certainly the humour of Protestant Wâ—iters and Disputers is strange they chiefly abuse themselves in finding fault and carping at Catholick Religion whilst they speake least of that which most concerns them that is possitively to prove that Protestancy ought to bee owned as Christs true and Orthodox Religion this they wholy Wave and Protestants prove noâ— theire owne Religion the reason is because an â—mprobability cannot be proved For confirming what I say heare what the Author of PROTESTANCT WITHOVT PRINCIPLES c. speaks Pray you saith hee tell mee did you ever yet heare from a Protestant That Author pa. 430 431 any thing like a convincing Principle when hee goes about to prove two Sacraments and noe more or that Faith only Iustifyes without Charity or to bee brief that Protestancy ought to be valued of as the only Pure and Orthodox Religion of Christianity Noe these points they eyther pass over in silence or soe sleightly handle them that they seem afraid to meddle with such difficultyes what doe they therfore Theire whole straine is to finde fault This in the Papist Religion is not right that is not well proved a third thing pleaseth not here wee have a nouelty introduced there is a ceremony blamable c. then a Iere follows in handsom language and theire worke is done In the mean tyme the maine point in controversy which is to prove that Protestancy ought to be owned as a true and Orthodox Religion is noe more touched on then if it were not in being This same Author says else where I realy perceive a strange humor The Author pa. 320 321 in our Protestant writers You have theire Books t is true difficultys now and then hinted at words â—ultiply'd much talke in generall intricate discourses carryed in darkness and this to amuse a vulgar reader weak conjectures enough now drawne from this now from that Evidenced Authority Margents charged with Greek and Latin and they must bee thought learned Margents But after all you see the maine difficulty's waved you finde nothing proved nothing clearly reduced to any other owned Principle but theire owne proofless word and bare assertion in soe much as I am apt to beleeve if I think amiss God forgive mee all that Protestants ayme at in theire Polemicall writings is only to keep up talk in the world and Glory when they have the last word in a Controversy whether a prou'd word or noe it Imports not soe it may be proved they answer it Is it not a remarkable thing that Protestants notwithstanding they doe not nor cannot defend theire owne Religion and notwithstanding they are wilfull and wrongfull in their Separation from the Roman Church an open Scisme and notwithstanding a lawfull Succession in our Church from th' Apostles tymes and a quiet Possession of truth with it by Vertue of an immemoriall Tradition yet our Adversaryes the Protestants tell us the Obligation of proving lyes upon us of proving what for God-sake That our Possession is lawfull Quo Iure came they to question this they being Actors how come they to put the proofe upon us contrary to the Custome of all Benches of Justice contrary to that knowne Rule of the Law Actore nihil probante reus absoluitur If they would euer acknowledge any indifferent Iudge or umpier between us which they are neuer like to admitt of assuming to themselves the Office of Accuser wittness and Judge hee would compell them to the proofe wee are noe way bound therunto wee only stand upon our owne defence and garde wee only say OLIM POSSIDEO PRIOR POSSIDEO that irrefragable Rule of the Law is for us Qui prior est tempore Regula Iuris 24. in sexto prior est Iâ—re Ratio huius regulae est quod jus acquisitum alteri inuito auferri non potest That is The reason of that rule is that reason acquired to any one cannot bee taken from him against his will Wee haue been aboue a thousand and more yeares in possession before the world heard any thing of Luther and his knott of scismaticall companions are not wee then Priores tempore but they will perhaps tell us they have prescrib'd against us by holding our Churches Benefices and all power and Iuridiction in England for a hundred years and more to this wee reply that violence gives noe ground to Prescription wee alleage that undeniable rule of the law Possessor male fidei Regula Iuris 2 in sextâ— ullo tempore non Prescribit that is a possessor of evill Faith or conscience can never prescribe mala fides here is mala Conscientia and doth cutt of quite all title they can make to Prescription It is manifest to the world all they have of ours they have against Conscience and soe theire crime in holding that by force which by Iustice is ours is the more grivous and the longer they detayn them the greater is theire sinn Cum tanto sint graviora peccata as the Text of the Law says quanto diutius infaelicem animam detinent alligatam Wee Catholicks I repeate it
againe can say to Protestants that wee are noe way obliged to prove our Church is the true Church and our Keligion the true Religion though wee can evidently prove both It is enough to tell the Protestants the Roman Catholick Church whilest evidences coms not against it stands firme upon its ancient right of Possession OLIM POSSIDEO PRIOR POSSIDEO This long and lawfull Possession proves the Church Orthodox and frees us from all Obligation of disputing the reason above hinted is that the Protestants Protestants because Agressors are obliged to prove theire charge and claime are the Actors and Agressors and therfore it s theire taske to prove ours only to defend which is easy If you marke how strangely in vaine they make theire attempts against us observe it After our Church had stood a thousand years and more in the quiet Possession of truth they accuse it of Error After soe many thousands of learned and vertuous men that lived holily and dyed happily in it ye and had eyes as quick Iudgments as profounde and wills as good to find out these Errours had any beene as the best of Sectaries yet found none they forsooth espy them After this Church had its Purity The Churchss Purity and Innocency and Innocency signed and sealed by the blood of innumerable Martyrs evidenced by undoubted Miracles manifested by soe many glorious Conversions wrought on Aliens drawne to Christ and finally demonstratively proved by all these illustrious marks of truth wherof wee treated aboue our Protestants rise up and Calumniate this great Society of Christians lay the foule Aspersion of Heresy on it Are not they think you as Actors obliged in Iustice to make theire charge good against us by evident proofes And are not wee exempted from all farther Obligation Proued by a long Possession of pleading then only to stand upon our ancient blameless and quiet Possession Beleeve it This OLIM POSSIDEO PRIOR POSSIDEO is warant sufficient and our Wall of defense against such weak Aggressors And yet wee strengthen our hold with Canon proofe it is evident reason alsoe And evidenâ— reason alsoe Nemo praesumitur malus nisi probetur No Man upon vaine presumption ought to bee accounted naught unless reason prove him a delmquent For Example Give mee a loyall Subject that hath done wonders and great service for his Prince that hath An Instance enlarged his Kingdome gained him Frinds defeated his Enemyes and yet is struggling to doe him more Service Whose repute was neuer stayned nor fame blemished c. Suppose now That a smale knot of unknowne men should offer at some small or inconsiderable proofs And with these endeavour to impeach him of treason would not the Prince think you either require evidences to be brought in against soe worthy a subject or reject these Accusers as unworthy of credit yes most assuredly This is our case though noe Instance taken from private men can parrallel the fidelity of the Church towards Christ the Roman Catholick Church The Church evidently hath proved her fidelity to Christ I speak of noe other for there is none hath faithfully done great Service for the King of Kings Christ Iesus it hath dilated his empire far and neer it hath defeated his Enemys perfidious heathens gained him Frinds and innumerable Servants It yet struggles Maugre all attempts against it to promote his honour and gaine him more It has beene of an unspotted same Hither toe of unspotted and accounted pure without blemish till now at last a smale inconsidâ—rable knot of Protestants Impeach it of Treason and make it a Rebell against the King whome fame before Sectaries Impeachment it hath served soe long and faithfully What then doth our Lord Iesus and all Iustice too require of these Accusers but Evidence Yes and if possible more then Evidente is Necessary to make theire charge good against this Church It hath evident proof enough of its fidelitity Iustice in this charge requires evidence not unproved Cavills by its faithfull long Service by its hitherto irreprehensible Purity allowed for a thousand years and upwards and therfore cannot bee supposed a delinquent upon meer Cavils or for things which look like proofs but when examined are noe sooner weighed then cast away as weightless For all this wee Catholicks find it noe hard matter to prove the Roman Catholick Church the only true Orthodox Church out of which there is noe Salvation and to prove this by an undubitable Principle which cannot bee shaken even this short Argument will doe it Christ Iesus founded a Catholick Church which as hee promiseth should never faile Et porâ—ae inseri non praenalebunt adversus eam And therfore Math. cap. 16. could never bee forsaken by him Take the reason for no Monarch that lays the foundation of a kingdome and obliges himselfe to take care of it can without iniustice abandon it unless a contrary power or great negligence deprive him of his right none can bee more powerfull then Christ and I hope those Protestants of the English Church will not make him guilty of negligence or Iniustice ergò hee still defends the militant Church a most deare Kingdome which hee establisht with his owne bloud Take this other Argument A Church which hath converted whole Author of Protestancy without Principles c pa. 409 Kingdoms and Nations from infidelity to Christ by working Miracles casting out of Deuills great austerity of life and efficacy of Doctrin evident and convincing Arguments of truth and drawne innumerable Soules from a tepid life to pennance and mortification from the contents of the world to a contempt of it from selfe-love to a perfect self-abnegation must either bee deseruedly named the true Church of Christ or else the Apostolicall Church was not the Church of Rome only hath by the assistance of God done those wonders therfore it is the true Church or there was never any true upon earth Deny these Conversations made by our Catholick Society and you deny what is most evident grant them and you subscribe to Popery Ergò This Learned Author after severall Arguments and considerations makes the ensuing inferences The Roman Catholick Church was once the true Church Sectarys confesse it once it was built on Christ once it taught Christian verityes without errour once it was owned by Christians for Christes School once it evangelized the word of God purly Therfore if God bee yet as favourable unto Soules as hee was anciently if hee substract not meanes from us Necessary to saluation if his gifts bee unchangable if his intention of settling truth for ever amongst Christians alter not if hee blest his owne Society as well with truth as with the consolation of Grace this Catholick Roman Church and noe other once true was is and shall ever be soe for the future Ecclesia invicta res est they are knowne words of agreat Doctor etsi Infernus ipsâ— Commoveatar The Church is Invincible and continues
the same although hell it selfe be moved and struggle against it Those Inferrences of this able Devine are strong and unanswerable The same Author hints at some Faults of Secâ—aries Faults and failings of Sectaryes in writing controversyes These are his words pag. 434. first besides theire corruptions and self conceited glosses wherof ther is noe end you have in the first place gross mistakes 2. Pritty leers harmless things for they hurt no body and give the Printer work 3. No little Ignorance 4. Meer Suppositions for proofs 5. Much unsincere dealing when they slightly handle Controversyes and sly ly disemble such proofs as make for our Catholick Verityes The last defect but this is both remediless and transcendent they neuer bring Assertions to Principles nor give us weight for weight I meane Authority answerable to our Authorityes in any one debated question With what is said this Advertisment is ended my end therin being the Conversion of Sall a poore sinner and straying sheep which must be effected and done by the great Pastor Iesus and therfore I humbly begg of him Vt vadat ad illam Ovem quae perirat donec inveniat â—am That his owne holy name may be glorify'd on Earth and in heaven by bringing backagaine to his Flock poor strayed Sall. XXIV and last CHAPTER Containing a fervent Exhortation to straying Sall for a tymely returning to his holy Mother the Roman Catholick Church that there may bee joy in heaven upon a sinner doing Pennace To Bishops and all Pastors of Gods Flocke whose charge is to take little Foxes Hereticks perverting Soules The Holy Ghost speaks in this Language Catch us the little Foxes that destroy the Cant. cap. 2. vineyards By this care of good Pastors the tneevery of those little Foxes will bee prevented and the wasting of the vineyard avoyded Sall owneing a Pastorall Office and care I have taken some paines in hunting after you a little Fox an old man and a young Heretick and as I conceive Ope Divina te parvam vulpem in opere nefario nempe vineam Christ Electam speciosam florentem vineam Saboath Sanctis divi Patricii moribus stupendisque caels prodigtis in terra Hybermae feliciter plantatam scelestè demolientem caepi Sall it may bee said to your eternall infamy that after your fall you have Imployd a violent burning zeal to infect your kindred and frinds with the plague of Heresie that infected your selfe Non vis Miser perire soule sed ut alâ— tecum pereant vehementer niteris but I hope God in his mercy will preserve those Soules from the cupp of Poyson you would make them drink of for this your indeauour and attempt your name is become odious to all that heare of you O deplorable change from the man I have knowne you piously given as all Iudg'd of you an obedient child of the Sea of Rome and a good member of your order likely you will gess who I am that write these senlible complaining lines a person that lou'd you for your amiable nature unoffensive conversation and commendable tallents and you alsoe seemed to love and estâ—em mee in a high measure Did you not to preserue our ancient amity write unto mee a letter full of aftection and kindness wherin you let mee know of the great esteem you were with the Protestant Arch-Bishop Ô I then little dream'd hee could have had the power of perverting you or you soe wicked a minde as to bee perverted by him to that letter I return'd a loving and harty answer and at the same tyme feriously recommended a vertuous and afflicted lady of my acquaintance matcht in your county of Tipperary and by a speciall letter commaunded her to bee guided by you in all assuring her shee would finde you a vertuous learned and frindly person But Sall deare Sall you have betrav'd my trust and alas betray'd your owne Soule for eternity unlesse you recant in tyme. In parting from the Roman Communion you have not regarded Saint Ambroses Devine and weighty councell To wit Magni periculires est si post Prophetarum oracula post Apostalorum testimonia post martyrum vulnera veterem sidem quasi novellam discutere presumas It is a business of great danger if after the oracles of Prophets the Testimony of Apostles and the wounds of Martyrs you presume to examine and discuss the ancient settled Faith as if it were a new Religion these Arguments the Saint speaks of testify a true Orthodox Religion these Arguments doe satisfye all good Catholicks learned and unlearned young and old that they are in the right way and beleese to these Arguments all good Christians adhere no way presuming to dispute or to doubt in the least of the force and verity of them with these Testimonyes oracles and Arguments all of the Communion of Rome stand firme and constant in the ancient Faith Sall you have taken a different way a way apart your presumption misled you the crafty Serpent that tempted Eve and much commended the forbidden fruite saying What day soever you shall eat of the Genes Cap. 3. forbidden fruite your eyes shall be opened and you shall be as Goas knowing good and euill The same Serpent entised you to a curiosity of disputing of the truth and Sanctity of the ancient Faith and tempted you soe farre that hee made you seek for truth where it was not to bee found and to desert the Church wherin it was is and ever shall bee to the worlds end your curious Ambition displeased God and hee has confounded your presumption and pride Have you forgotten to have read in S Paul God speaking to proud 1 Cor. Cap. 1. high witts Perdam Saptentiam Sapientum prudentiam prudentum reprobabo That is I will destroy the Wisdome of the Wise and the Prudence of the Prudent I will reject Did not S. Paul himselfe writing to the Corinthians say I judged not my selfe 1 Cor. Cap. 2. to know any thing among you but Iesus Christ and him crucisy'd and I was with you in infirmity and in feare and much trembling Sall had you remained in your Order mortify'd that is to know Iesus Christ crucify'd had you stay'd in feare and trembling with your Bretheren as great witts and Devines as you have done all had been safe with you all had gone well but presumption carryed you further forsooth you must examine the ancient Faith with Speculations and Subtilityes and soe have miserably falne God of his mercy give you Grace to rise againe But Sall are not you greatly troubled Iust prayse of the Society of Iesus and disturbed in your Soule for deserting the order of the Society of Iesus a pretious and sacred Schoole of learning and vertue in Gods Church an order renowned ouer all the world for the great things they have done to Gods Glory not only in countries insected with Heresie in Europ but alsoe for giving the light of Faith to millions of Idolaters in Iaponia and
let them look well to theire Religion I think they have need As Luther abolished the Masse and began his work of opposition to the Romish Church by the conference and direction of Sathan soe hee endeavoured alsoe to prove that hee took of Sathans spiritt in his actions and writings Wee have now shewed how scornfully hee hath reviled the Fathers let us now see how petulantely hee abuses a great Monarch King Henry the eight I talke saith hee to King Desen p. 16. sol 337. sol 337 Heury with a lying scurrill covered with the tytle of a King a Thomisticall braine a clownish witt a doltish head a bugg an hypocryte of the Thomists most wicked foolish and impudent Harry This glorious King lyeth stoutly like a King And heare now must I deale not with ignorance and blockishness only but with obstinate and impudent wickedness of this Harry for hee doth not How intolerable is this in a runegate Fryer only ly like a most vaine scurre but passeth a most wicked knave in detorting of Scripture See whether there be any sparke in him of an honest man Surely hee is a chosen vessell of the Devill I would to God piggs could speak to judge between this Harry and mee But I will take asses that can speak Judge you ye Sophists of the Universityes of Paris fol. 339 Lovan and Cullen what this Harries Logick is worth I am asham'd See the pride of an Apostata against three famous Vniversitys Harry of thy impudent fore-head which art noe more a King now but a sacrilegious theefe against Christs owne words I will feigne here certaine fooles and madmen to the end I may set out my King in his colours and shew that my bedlam King doth passe all bedlamness it selfe What need had I of such piggs to dispute with all Thou lyest in thy throate foolish and sacrilegious King This block my L. M. Harry hath taught togeather with his asses and piggs and now hee is mad and cryeth and foameth at the mouth Neither could I with all my strenght make this miserable King soe filthy and abhominable a spectacle to the world as hee by fury maketh himselfe What harlot ever durst bragge of her shame as this most impudent mouth of his doth This foole must have a Dictionary to learne what a Sacrifice is Oh unhappy that I am to be inforced to loose tyme with such monsters of folly and cannot get a learned man to contend with me Soe hee And I leave infinit dispilefull slaunderous and scurrill words which this impudent Apostata useth against his Majesty And som care soe dishonest as I am ashamd to English them as where hee saith Jus mihi erit Majestatem Auglicam stercore fol. 333 conspergere And againe Sit ergâ— fol. 337 mea haec generalis responsio ad omnes sentinas insulsissime hujus larvae Againe Haec Luthers Spirit in rayling speach sunt robora nostra adversus quae obmutescere coguntur Henrici Thomistae Papistae quicquid est faecis sentinae latrinae impiorum sacrilegorum ejusmodi sordes istae labes hominum Tbomistae Henrici Sacrilegus Henricorum asinorum cultus furor insulsissimorum asinonum Thomisticorum porcornm os vestrae dominationis impurum saecrilegum And a hundred more like sentences IX CHAPTER Of Luthers Incontinency Lvther after his conference with the Devill having resolved to build upon this foundation the structure of his reformation indeavoured by all meanes to gaine to his side many Poets Painters Players and Printers to discredit with schoffing Ballets Pamflets Poems and Pictures the Roman Religion which untill then had been called and esteemed the only Catholick and Apostolick and to divulge his new Doctrin amongst ignorant and vitious People For the incouragement of dissolute Clergy-men to joyne with him hee taught against the Doctrin and Practice of the whole Church ever since the Apostles tymes that Priestes and professed Monks and Nuns might lawfully marry and were bound to doe soe This liberty of marrying and joyning together Monks and Nuns with his principle of Justification by only faith drew to him from sundrey parts of Europe incontinent Clargy-men all Monks and Nuns that were weary of solitude and pennance rann out of their Cloysters some of the chiefest of those Apostatas weare Carolostadius Arch-Diacon of Witimberg Justus Jonas head of a Colledge of Canon Regulars Oecolampadius a Monk of Saint Brigitts Order Zwinglius a Canon of Constance Martin Bucer a Dominican Fryer Peter Martyr a Canon Regular and some Augustin Fryers of Luthers owne Order each of these having taken a wench were ingag'd in Lurhers quarrell against the whole Church And they soe domineered with their dancing woemen and Nuns and with the favour of the People given to all kind of liberty and dissolution that they dar'd say Omnia judicemus reganemus A word or two in particular of Luthers flaming incontinency Few have ever matcht him that way though wee should compare Mahomet the Author of the Alcaron with him Luther would not yeild to him in lust or dissolution Before his Apostacy from our Catholick Church during the tyme hee was a young man and Monk hee lived Voyon upon the Cataloge of the doctors printed 1598. pa. 180. in his Monastery punishing his body with Mortification fasting and prayers honour'd the Pope out of meer Conscience kept chastity poverty and obedience Soe saith Simon de Voyon And what soever saith Luther I did I did it with a single hart with good zeal and for Luth. words upon the Galatians Englished in Cap. 1. fol 35. the glory of God fearing grievously the last day and desirous to be saved from the bottome of my hart But after his revolt from the Church harken to what hee says and his most barbarous speeches Nothing saith hee is more sweet or loving vpon Earth then is the love of a woeman if a man can obtaine it And againe Hee that In Prov. 31. v. 1. Lrth. Tom. 7. VV ittemb in Epi. ad VV olsangum fol. 505 resolveth to be without a woeman let him lay aside from him the name of a man making himselfe a plaine Angell or Spirit yet more As it is not in my power that I should be noe man soe it is not in my power that I should be without a woeman c. In soe much as hee acknowledgeth himselfe to have been almost madd through the rage of lust and desire of woemen exclaiming out yet further and saying I am burned with the great flame of my untamed flesh c. But saith hee It suffiseth that wee have knowne the Riches of the Glory of God the Lamb which taketh away the sinns of the world from him sinn cannot draw us although wee should commit fornication or kill a thousand tymes in one day In fine having left of prayer and all Mortification for eight days together at the last having cast of his Religious habitt anno
there discribed After followes the fight between Lucifer and those of his side and Michael the Arck-Angell Captain of the innumerable Legions that remaind obedient to God and these had the victory And there was made Apocal. ibid. agreat Battle in heaven Michael and his Angells fought with the Dragon and the Dragon fought and his Angells and they prevailed not neither was there place found any more in heaven And that great Dragon was cast forth the old Serpent which is called the Deuill and Sathan which seduceth the whole World and hee was cast into the Earth and his Angells were throwne downe with him From Heresie and Hereticks in heaven let us pass to those on Earth Hereticks in the Law of Nature AS soone as God began to be Cain the first Heretick worshipped on Earth the Heresie of Cain sprang up who deny'd Gods Providence and murthered his brother Abel for maintaining Gods Providence Cains Envy could not brook Abels Innocency The second Heresie was that of Lamech Lamech the second Heretick who marryed two wives at once and soe deny'd the Unity of the Church God drew but one Ribb out of Adam and of that made but one woeman and said to them Erunt duâ— Genesis cap. 2. in carne una Lamech violated this Law by taking two Wives which was an Heresie 3. The Gyants were the third sort of Hereticks 4. All those that did not enter the Arck and perished in the Deluge were Hereticks 5. C ham after the Deluge mocked his Fathers nakedness and was Eo Nomine Pratriarck and Father of all those scoffing Hereticks that contemne the holy Fathers saying they were ignorant unlearned and blind You see by this there was one Heretick Cham in the Arke wherin were in all but eight Soules 6. Those that were building Babell were Hereticks and the figure of Hereticks that follow'd them God confounded theire tongues soe that they could not understand one another it is soe this day with Protestants strucken by God with a giddiness and soe disagreeing in Religion and Opinion as upon this one Text of Scripture HOC Math. cap. 26. r. 27. EST CORPVS MEVM There are 400. Opinions and Interpretations God hath confounded them in theire understanding tongues and writings 7. Esau for persecuting his Brother Iacob therby opposing himselfe to God and Israel These are Sall your Companions in the Law of Nature Hereticks in the written Law 1. FRom the tyme the Church of God was planted in Egypt wee find by tradition that Iamnes and Mambre Tim. 2. cap. 3. who resisted Moyses were the first Hereticks of those speaks Saint Paul But as Iamnes and Mambre's resisted Moyses soe these alsoe resist the truth men corrupted in minde reprobat concerning the faith 2. All those that dyed in the desert murmouring against God and Moyses and his directions and commaunds 3. Chore and Dathan with theire seditious companions that opposed Moyses and his authority 4. Nahab and Albiu that put strange fyre in the Insence of the Lord. 5. All those strange Kings that made warre against the Children of Israel 6. All the false Prophets of Baal and all of that kind All these Sall are your companions in the written Law Hereticks in the Evangelicall Law IN the tymes of the Law of nature and of the written Law there haue not been if I am not mistaken above 20. Kindes of Hereticks but in the Evangelicall or in the Law of grace they have been above 600. of them A man would say it were hard to beleeve this seeing the standart of the Cross after Christes passion hath been lifted up against hell and heresie the kingdom and power of the Devill diminished Idols cast down Atheisme bannished and the Empire of Hell on Earth as it were destroy'd by the Bloud of Iesus Vertue Piety and the light of Grace for all this woefull experience proues what I have said to be true And Saint Cyprian giues you the true reason S. Cyp. lib. de Vnitat wherfor in these words Cum videret inimicus idola derelicta templa sua deserta exâ—ogitauit novas fraudes hereses inuenit scismata â— quibus fidem subuerteret When Sathan saw after our Sauiours Passion the Idols cast away and his tempels deserted hee thought of new fraudes hee inuented heresies and scismes by which hee might subuert faith and sanctity Sathan therfore the Father and Author of all lyes and Heresies seduced men from the way of truth and stirred them up against the Church and Verity these kinde of men sowed Heresyes and Scismes and some of them began like Hypocrits covering theire damnable Doctrin with a cloack of Sanctity such were Arius Iohn Wicklef and many more and even the worst livers of them pretended a kind of Piety in theire Opinions and as it were a speciall regard of the glory of God grounding all Sanctity and Salvation upon Sanctifying faith alone and upon this account some of them took away free will others good works fasting pennance and allkind of Mortification they did but mock all these things others took away the Invocation of Saints and Angells and Doctrin of Purgatory Indulgence and Prayers for the dead others reduced seven Sacraments unto two or rather to one to wit Baptisme and others have even destroy'd this Sacrament teaching infants to be saved in the faith of theire Parents and that Baptisme is but a meer cerimony that might be used or omitted without sinne others said the Commaundements were impossible to be kept and others held they did noe way oblige Christians and that they were only made for the Iewes but oboue all Calyin was soe zealous in attributing mans Salvation only to the Passion and Bloud of Iesus that hee held all the good works man could doe of noe value or effect yea hee termed Bona opera hominis piacula sordes inquiuamenta By this you see the Doctrins taught by Hereticks were but mera somnia deliria and a good part of the thirty nine Articles of the Church of England are such I shall herafter in a convenient place give you a long Letany of Hereticks but it will be noe way holy In this place I will only set downe the Sect of Quakers that sprung up in England some years agoe theire principall theorems and tenets are 1. That they are imediatly cald by Iesus and sent to convert the world as the Apostles were by an extraordinary mission 2. That God being a pure Spiritt is to be honoured only by the Spiritt wherfore they condemne all bending of knees and all exteriour signes of Religion and worship due to God 3. That it is superstition to light Candles by daytyme to weare Capps Copes Albs or any sacred vestments 4. That it is Idolatry to build Churches put up Crosses or the Images of Christ or his Saints or render them any Worshipp 5. They denye and reject the name of Sacrament and affirme that Baptizing in water is not of devine Institution 6. They
place the greatest part of theire Religion in Contemplation and Meditation and they soe strive to stirr up strong and sencible fervour and heat of Spiritt that somtymes excites in them motion and trembling of all the body from this they have the name of Quakers and they take this trembling for a great marke of perfection and interiour Devotion I have given you the Theorems of this rediculous Quaking Sect because they are new and not soe well knowne to all Oh With what illusions doth Sathan deceive these poore Soules Theire Author was one Iames Naylor to whom all of the Sect gave the greatest titles of honnour and respected him as Iesus Christ himselfe Hee was notwithstanding condemned in Cromwells tyme in the month of December anno Domini 1654. to a perpetuall prison after being whipt publickly and his tongue bored with a burning Iron Sall you see the number of your miserable Companions is allmost infinit but this great multitude of them will bring you noe joy or comfort Multiplicata est gens eorum quibus te junxisti sed non est multiplicata laetitia When the Sonne of God shall come downe and condemne them all to burne in eternall flames Sall what will you doe to prevent such a neuer ending misery lament in tyme and repent and cry to God to have mercy on you XVII CHAPTER A Discussion of some parts of Salls Recantation A Little after the beginning hee speaks thus And by frequent reading of holy Scripturs Fathers Councells and Histories of the Church my knowledg was furthered and my Iudgment ripened I began to doubt of severall Articles introduced by the use and Authority of the Roman Church repugnant to human reason and not warranted by devine writt as Transubstantiation Indulgences Porgatory Worship of Images c. Yet smothering scrupels partly fearing the severity of the Country against opposers of theire Tenets partly amused with a supposition that the Church and Pope of Rome were infallible in theire decrees touching Faith and soe mought stand with security to theire Declaration Sall the reading of Scriptures well vnderstood and of Fathers Councells and Church-Histories could not give occasion or ground to you or any man to doubt of Articles of Faith professed in the Catholick Church but true it is that Scriptures understood and explained amiss by men presuming much of their owne witt and learning likely you are one of those leadeth to Heresie and Errors S. Augustin teacheth soe Neque enim saith hee natae S. Aug. Tom. 9. expos Evang. Ioan. Tract 18. sunt Hereses nisi dum Scripturae bonae non intelliguntur bene quod in eis non â—benè intelligitur etiam temere audacter asseritur That is Nor doe Heresies spring up but when good Scriptures are not well understood and that which in them is not well understood is rashly and boldly asserted Sall I feare much this presumption carryed you out of the Church But one thing I must tell you when you began to doubt of Transubstantiation and other Articles of Faith you began to want Faith Quia dubius in fide infidelis est That you began to stagger in Faith is manifest because you began to doubt of the Verity of Articles proposed by the Church to be of Faith as are those of Transubstantiation Purgatory and the like Nam certum est qui supponit Authoritatem Ecclesiae veritatem vel dogma docentis ac profitentis non esse certam infallibilem in fidelis est Hereticus est That is It is cleare and certaine who supposeth the Authority of the Church teaching or professing Transubstantiation or any other Article not to be certaine and infallible is an Heretick and an infidell Your owne words above cited conuince you of being in such feare and doubt whereas had you supposed the Churches Authority infallible and certaine as indeed it is you would not have any way doubted of the mentioned Articles to appertain to Faith this is evident Quia certitudinem habens alicujus propositionis non potest habere ejusdem dubitationem Saint Bernard pondering the difinition Saint Paul gives of Faith Fides est Epis ad Hebr. cap. 11. sperandarum substantia rerum argumentum non aparentium Says Audis substantiam non licet tibi in fide putare vel disputare pro libito non hac illacque vagari per incerta opinionum per devia errorum substantia nomine altquid tibi certum sixumquae prefigitur certis claudens finibus certis limitibus arctans That is When you heare the word Substance it is not lawfull for you to doubt or dispute in points of Faith according to your owne head and fancy with incertainty of Errors and Opinions by the word Substance something is apointed to be beleeved that is certaine and fixed The Saint said excellently well because it is the genious of Hereticks to chuse what they will beleeve according to theire owne Iudgment and not as the Church doth appoint Saint Thomas saith in Substance the same in these Words Hereticus intendit S. Thâ— quest 11. art 1. quidem Christo assentire in quo dissert ab Ethnico Iudaeo sed deficit in â—ligendo ea quibus Christo assentiat quia non eligit ea quae vere a Christo sunt tradita sed ea quae sibi propria mens suggerit That is An Heretick intends to assent to Christ his Authority in which hee differs from an Ethnick and Iew but hee is deficient in ellecting those things by which hee should assent to Christ because hee doth not chuse those things which are delivered by Christ but those which his owne minde doth suggest Sall this is what you have done which is a great Error where had you stood to that Supposition a very true one that the Church and Pope are infallible in theire decree's touching Faith all had gon well with you relying on such a Supposition you had not doubted nor feared nor wavered nor erred because the Church is the Pillar of Verity and because you did not stick to this Pillar the Churches Authority you have doubted in matters of Faith and soe I will and must leave you after teaching Divinity soe many years in Spain Hominem dubium fluctuantem Circa Articulos fidei Sall doe not tell those that read your Recantation that Transubstantiation Purgatory Indulgences and the like Theorems are intruded upon men for Articles of Faith by the Authority and use of the Catholick Church by introduceing them for such as you speake as if they had not been Articles of Faith before they had been declared and defined to be such which is a great Error they having been such I mean Articles of Faith before such Declaration Quia propositiones fidei sunt aeternae veritatis what is this day of Faith was ever soe and in like manner whatsoever is now an Heresie was allways soe in its owne Nature soe as the Authority of the Church doth not make any Proposition a Theorem of
doe other Protestants the Miracles of Saint Augustin Holmshed one of these saith King Ethelbert was Holin in dese Britan. persuaded by the good example of Saint Augustin and his company and for many Miracles shew'd to bee baptized And againe hee saith page 602. Augustin to prove his opinion good wrought a Miracle by restoting to sight one of the Saxon nation that was blind And Stow acknowledgeth the same in his Chronick Pag. 66. Protestant Authors doe likewise confess Saint Augustin was sent from the Sea of Rome to convert the Saxons then Pagans Fox doth affirm this in his Acts and monuments lib. 4. Pag. 172. Holinshed saith Augustin was sent Helin in dese Britan. Lib. 11. Cap. 7. by Gregory to preach to English men the word of God who were yet blind in Pagans Superstition And Camd. in dese Britan. pa. 104. Camden writeth that Saint Augustin having rooted out the monsters of heathenish superstition ingrafting Christ in English-mens mindes with most happy success converted them to the Faith Protestant writers doe likewise acknowledge that 69. Catholick Arch-Bishops sate upon the Chaire of Canterbury The first Saint Augustin above mentioned and after him ten Saints more to wit S. Laurence S. Melite S Iustus S. Honorius S. Theodor S. Dunstan S. Anselme S. Thomas S. Edmund S. Elpheg All these were Canonized Saints and theire Memoryes are in the Roman Martyrologe All these Arch-Bishops were of the Roman Catholick Religion and Communion all received theire Pall and Confirmation from Rome all were Legats of the holy Sea One of thâ—m only and the last of all but one Thomas Cranmer turned Heretick of whome wee have said much before in pagina 176. 177. 178. the 169. and last of all was the noble Godly learned Cardinall The great nobility rare Learning of Card. Poole Regmall Poole Consecrated anno 1555. great and departed this Life 1558. the same yeare and day that Queen Mary dyed Hee was Son to Sir Richard Poore Cossin-german to King Henry the 8. and of Margaret Countess of Salsburie Daughter of George Duke of Clarence and Brother of King Edward the 4. Hee was saith Godwin a Protestant of manifold and excellent parts not only very learned which is better knowne then it needeth many words but alsoe of such modesty in behaviour and integrity of Life and Conversation as hee was of all men both loved and reverenced Hee was by the Confession of Ridley in Fox Edit 1596 pag. 1595. A man worthy of all Humility Reverence and Honour and indued with manifold Graces of Learning and Vertue But Bale according his wicked bitter Spirit speaks ill of this noble Cardinall and saith Hee was a Cardinall Soldier of Anti-Christ not to bee Bale Cent. 8. cap. 100 commended for any Vertue by the Servants of God And saith further of this excellent Ornament of the English Nation That hee was a horrible Beast a rooter out of the truth of the Ghospell a most wicked Traytor to his Country and prayeth God to confound him The Protestant writers doe alsoe agree with the Catholick Authors about the number of Kings Roman Catholicks there were of Monarchs of all England 53. Egbert was the first Monarch of all England William the Conquerour was the 33 'th the last Queen Mary and with her Welaway an Eclips came upon the holy Catholick Church in England Besides those absolute Monarchs there were 70. and odd of the smaler Kings Catholicks when England was devided into seaven Kingdoms Behold Sall the happy Continuation of the Catholick Faith in England in the Succession of 53. absolute Monarchs of that Land many of them have beene of the most valiant victorious glorious and holy Kings of Christendome Of the smaler Kings have been ten Saints and 14. that forsaking theire Kindoms became Monks to live in Mortification and solitude for gaining the Kingdome of heaven or that went in Pilgrimage to Rome there were alsoe 13. Queens Nuns You must then Sall confess there was a holy Church and Kingdome in England in those Catholick Tymes wherin the Church of England was called Ecclesia Primogenita Because Lucius King of that Land was the first Christian King Will you dare then tell us as you have preacht in Dublin that Idolatry Impiety and Tyranny dominered in the Church of Rome to whome the English then obey'd with all Veneration in those dayes of Joy and Sanctity What kind of Church is now in England wherof you are a new member and burning zealot I am not willing to write let others tell you who can easily inform you that the number of your Protestant Arch-Bishops were few and noe way famous you had noe Arondells among them nor Pools noe men either of Sanctity or any great Tallents or Learning The Protestant Monarchs are alsoe easily numbered they were but five in all Edward the sixt a child a weak head to govern a Church Queen Elizabeth a monstrous head upon your new English Church noe Historyes or annals will ever tell you of a woeman that in any land or Nation headed a Church in Spiritualibus before this Iesabell the third was King Iames a learned and wise Prince After him Charles the first a just and chast King murthered by perfidious Rebels his head being taken away from â—his Body upon a Scaffold in the View of the World Coram Sole and before his owne Pallace dore by the hand of an infamous Hangman The fift is King Charles the second now Raigning whome God long preserve I am certaine Catholicks will neuer doe him harme undertake you Sall if you can for the Protestants who distroyd his Father God of his goodness grant him the greatest blessing that can befall him to Imbrace the Roman Catholick Faith the Religion of soe many vertuous noble and invincible Kings his Ancesters The fift Advertisment I offer here certaine learned Catholick Authors to bee perused by Sall likely they came not all of them in his way SAll let mee for our ancient Amity intreat you to read Attento Animo the ensuing Books Comede precor Volumina ista you will finde in them I promise you great Learning strong Arguments sound Verity sublime Conceits and great Variety of Matters but prepare your minde well for reading them profitably and begg humbly of God to send you from heaven Light and Fyre Light to disperse the Cloudes of Darkness your Soul 's wrapt in and Fyre to inflame your frozen Affection Cry unto God with holy David Cor mundum crea in me Deus Spiritum rectum innova inviceribus meis The first Author THe prudentiall Ballance of Religion an excellent worke printed anno Dom. 1609. Second Author THe Christian Manna or a Treatice of the most Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist written by a Catholick Devine through Occasion of Monsieur Causabons Epistle to Cardinall Peron printed Anno Dom. 1613. Third Author CAlvinoturcismus composed by that famous man Mr. Reynolds once agreat Preacher of the Protestant Church and sharpe Disputant a