make great impression vpon all sorts of people as also relations of miracles credibly reported These impressions and the inspirations which follow them raise doubts and these if not endeuored to be cleered are a sufficient cause of damnation The doubts which are raised in ourselues by the example or the discourse of others who haue no design vpon us but the saluation of our souls are also damnable to us if we neglect the cleering of them by all the wayes that a buisness of so great importance doth require And the more diligent we must be in the search by how much more the persons interested in maintaining our persuasion I mean such as liue by the ministery therof deterr us from so rational a scrutiny which they would neuer dissuade us from if they did not feare a discouery of their own wickedness and of their causes weakness Q. I pray sir apply this discourse to the Protestants and Roman Catholiks of England A. I beg your pardon sir I am loath to offend the Parliament But I will apply it to the Arians and Roman Catholiks of Spain The Heir of that Croun Prince Hermenegild hauing bin bred an Arian doubted of the truth of that pretended reformation this doubt was ocasioned by the discourse he had with St Leander Archbishop of Seuil At length he was conuinc't of the falsood of that Arian heresy and reconciled to the Roman Catholik Church The King his Father would needs haue him receiue the Arian communion which the Prince refusing to do the wicked Father for fear of his people sacrified the Heir apparent of the Croun to their fury and caused him to be murthered This change to and constancy in the Roman Catholik Religion together with a report of som miracles wrought so much upon all the people of Spain that a litle after they all turned Catholiks and a law was made that none but Catholiks should haue employment in that Kingdom Hence you may inferr what strong influence the example of a religious and resolute Prince hath euen vpon the most uulgar iudgments and how damnable it is in all people not to examin the motiues of so edifying a conuersion as that wherby one hazards and waues the greatest temporal interest and how certain it is that God will punish as well in this world as in the next all such as resist or neglect the impressions and inspirations which men feel in themselues to follow a religion so generously professed and preferrd before all the greatness and glory of an Imperial Croun Q. If Princely suffering vpon the score of conscience be so great a miracle why shall not the Lady Iane Grayes suffering and Queen Elizabeths also for the Protestant religion be miracles and confirm that profession as the true Catholik Add to these the patience and constancy of those glorious Protestant Martyrs recounted by Iohn Fox in his Acts and Monuments SECT II. OF THE DIFFERENCE BETVVEEN Catholik constancy and heretical obstinacy and vvherin doth each consist A Your obiection is material and I shal endeuor to answer it as cleerly and in as few words as I can but depending of a proper notion of heresy it inuolues som difficulty Experience and history hath proued almost in euery age that som heretiks suffer with as great resolution all Kind of torments and death itself for their false religion as Catholiks do for the true one And yet we all agree in terming the heretiks resolution obstinacy and the Catholiks constancy The reason is because the heretik suffers for adhering to a particular opinion and to his own priuat iudgment The Catholik for conforming himself to the belief of the uniuersal Church and for submitting his iudgement to the same Therfore St Paul sayes that an heretik is condemned by his own proper iudgment 2. Petr. 1. 2. No profecy of Scripture is made by priuat interpretation and St Peter tells us that the true interpretation of Scripture is not that of a priuat man but of the Church And the very word Heresy signifies a particular choyce or a wilfull diuision and declining from the first doctrin This supposed there can be no difficulty in declaring why an heretik may without any miracle suffer with great resolution the greatest torments for maintaining his heresy Because men are naturaly inclined to follow their own opinions and to maintain their own choice and therfore we see what endeuors are used in vain to persuade an humorsom and wilfull man or woman to recall any foolish Act they did of their own heads and how hard it is to conuince them that it was ill don Now euery heretik makes his religion his own act not by an humble submission of his iudgment to the Church as Catholiks do but by a proud preference of his own vnderstanding before that of all others This needs no other proof than that pitty which euery pittifull Protestant euen the women hath of the most learned Roman Catholiks ignorance and Idolatry In this pride and preference of their proper iudgment and in the wilfulness of continuing in their own choice doth consist the obstinacy of heretiks as the constancy of Catholiks takes its denomination from that religious perseuerance which is grounded vpon so rational a resolution as it is to submit and stick to the doctrin of a Church signalised with so many supernatural and uisible marks of being trusted by God to teach and preach the true Catholik Faith as hath bin demonstrated in the 5. Chap. Q. I grant that the difference between Catholik constancy and heretical obstinacy is that this is a more wilfull than rational adherency to a mans proper opinion or to a priuat interpretation of Scripture against the testimony and tradition of the Church and Catholik constancy is a religious perseuerance in a resolution of submitting our iudgments to the same Church but how will you make it appeare that our Protestant interpretation of Scripture is a priuat one or that we are guilty of pride seing we follow the interpretation of the Church of England and submit our iudgments therunto A. I will make that heretical obstinacy appeare in those very Protestant Saints and Martyrs which Iohn Fox doth celebrat for their constancy And to begin as you do with the most innocent of them all the Lady Iane Grey shee did wilfully choose and preferr before the Catholik a new religion or an interpretation of Scripture that was not as old as herself though she was very yong It had bin hatcht by Cranmer and confirmed by the Parliament of Ed. 6. but some fiue years before she suffered and was then Known and declared by an other Parliament 1. Mar. to be heresy and contrary to the publik sense and continual tradition of the Catholik Church and therfore was called by the Protestants themselues a Reformation of the old doctrin So that though the Church and Parliament of England in the reign of K. Ed. 6. called it à Common prayer or a publik worship yet was it
damnd by their profession 1. No Protestant Bishop or Minister can be saued if they repent not their hauing bin of that religion The reason is though many of them were more ignorant than they are yet that ignorance can not excuse them because their calling doth oblige them to be at least so learned in History if not in Diuinity as to know the nouelty of their own reformed Tenets and the manners and motiues of the Authors of their Reformations These hauing bin so contrary to Christianity and morality the Preachers and Promoters deserue nothing so well as damnation either for damning others or for not knowing they will be damn'd themselues 2. No man or woman that hath read or heard the contents of Doctor Heylins History of the Church of England or of any such Protestant Author relating the change of Religion and the causes of that change in our Countrey can be saued if they continue and dye Protestants For the cheat of that change is so visible the motiues so wicked and the practises of the Authors and Actors so abominable that there is not the least room left for a tolerable excuse or conscientious mistake The spiritual supremacy of a layman doth not only inuolue a contradiction but the occasion of King Henry 8. assuming it was so scandalous and the way of exercising it so ridiculous that euery one was as much offended at his presumption in making himself Christs Vicar in spiritualibus as they were at his profaness in making Cromuel of Putney his own Vicar general ouer the Clergy And all this confusion was raised because the Pope would not comply with his lust in diuorcing him from his lawfull wife and marrying him to An Bullen There was not a man in England then who did not see and say from whence the Kings spiritual supremacy the fundation and distinction of prelatik Protestancy had its rise and their saying is to this day continued and growen a rude Prouerb As for the change of the Mass into the Common prayer it seemed euen to all the poor Countrey folks so absurd that they took up arms against it in K. Ed. 6. reign and both it and the whole protestant Reformation was condemned as heresy by Act of Parliament 1. Mar. And though the same Reformation was again restored by an other Act of Q. Eliz. som fiue years after yet euery one Knew that the very same persons who voted for restoring it were they who had condemn'd it and now went against their conscience for Q. Elizabeths sake who not only promised rewards but gaue hopes as Doctor Heylin Confesseth of marrying herself to diuers persons euen of the lower House vvho vvere instrumental in getting Votes and securing her interest by reuiuing and setling that Religion vvhich themselues had cryed dovvn as heresy in Q. Maries dayes Vvhat ploughman or Ditcher in any part of England hath not vvit and learning enough to confute and contemn such a change and such a reformation There needs no Logik or Diuinity A bare Knovvledge of the fact is sufficient to discouer the fraud Fevv in England are so ignorant as not to Knovv that Henry 8. turnd avvay Q. Katherin for his loue to An Bullen and that Q. Elizabeth brought in the nevv Religion to strengthen her vveake title to the Croun against the Knovvn right of the Steuards 3. Though it vvere granted that the Knowledge of this change of Religion doth not quite conuince the most illiterat and dull people of its falsood yet it can not be denyed but that it must of necessity raise prudent doubts against its being Diuinely inspired and that whosoeuer is careless in cleering those doubts doth sin mortaly and will be damn'd if he dyes in that sin For a prudent doubt is as if it were the twilight of reason discouering som absurdity in that which formerly we unwarily belieued not reflecting upon the same untill som new chance or circumstance made it appear more cleerly unto us Vvhen this new chance or circumstance doth make an impression upon our mind and conscience we are bound to inquire after the cause and cure of that impression and remorse if not the sore will turn into a canker which can not be otherwise preuented than by a conscientious curiosity according to euery ones capacity The illiterat person is not bound to learn to read or to study Philosophy but he is bound to repair to his honest neighbors to inquire and hear what the Papists can say for their Religion as well as the Protestants And if he doth this without preiudice and with a good intention he will cleer his doubt and conscience Q. I am confident there are many poor Countrey fellows in England who neuer heard of King Henry 8. amours with An Bullen nor of his assuming the spiritual supremacy nor of Q. Elizabeths reuiuing protestancy to salue her own illegitimacy or to secure her interest against the Queen of Scots right How then can these men doubt or discourse of what they neuer heard must they also be damn'd A. There is not one in England who hath not heard of Persecution and Proclamations against Papists and that these men suffer for their conscience and the old Religion This can not but excite a curiosity to Know what men these are and why they should be so foolish as to suffer for so ridiculous a Religion and so strange a Beast as the Parson describeth both the Pope and Popery to be when he forgets his sermon or hath a mind to diuert his Audience or incense them against Catholiks By these and other such wayes the most dull men com to heare and may be informed of the Roman Catholik Religions antiquity as of the nouelty of the Protestant and how this came to be introduced this once Knowen all the industry and artifices of the Protestant party will neuer be able to preuent or root out of mens minds those rational doubts which are grounded vpon the light of common sense when it discouers as it must in this case the least deformity or dissonancy against reason in any obiect whatsoeuer For what can be more dissonant to the very first principles of reason than to preferr a priuat new and interested sense of Scripture before that old one which the Church stuck to as authentik for so many ages The English Bible or Translation before that which all Christendom hath bin say'd by aboue 1200. years An Act of Parliament of Queen Elizabeth and the Abettors of her interest before all other Acts of English Parliaments and all general Councells The authority of such debaucht Friers and Priests as Luther Caluin and the first Protestant Reformers before that of all the holy Doctors and the whole body of the Roman visible Church since the Apostles In a word new fancies called a Reformation before that old Christianity wherin our Ancestors as also our Kings liued and dyed so happily and wherin as the learned Protestants themselues confess they were saued wheras we all deny
be no excuse before that dreadfull Iudge who takes no other euidence but that of our own conscience This only we must consult in matters of Eternity and not think that a Clergy or Religion established by a temporal law is lawfull though it should be called legal by an Act of Parlament Q. Sir I haue seen the Registers of Lambeth you would haue me suspect as forged I assure you I see no sign of forgery in them And as for Bishop Iuels not answering Doctor Harding demand concerning the first Protestant Bishops and particularly Parkers Consecrator perhaps he thought it an idle question and underualued so weak an obiection A. Forged Registers are often the most formal all counterfeit ware standing in need of being set forth with great artifice Vve haue seen Registers and Records of publik Courts of Iudicature so artificialy changed and corrupted that nothing but their not being produced many years before when they were called for could conclude the forgery Doctor Harding called for the Registers of the first protestant Bishops Consecration as well as for the Consecraters name Neither did B. Iuel contemn this demand as you imagin He went as far in the answer as he durst He answered 1. that the first protestant Bishops in the beginning of Queen Elizabeths reign were consecrated in due form by Archbishop Parker their Metropolitan But being again pressed by Harding to name Parkers Consecrator he put off that impertinent question wherof the whole controuersy and the credit of the Church of England depended by a wild digression and long discourse of the ancient Bishops being consecrated without aquainting the Pope But sure Mr Iuel might aquaint Doctor Harding with the name of him who consecrated Parker as well as he named Parker for Consecrator of the other Bishops and certainly would if Parker himself had bin realy consecrated by a Bishop If you do not belieue my relation read Doctor Hargings bookes against Iuel and Iuels own Apology for the Church of England where they treat of this particular Q. Gentlemen I would to God you did agree among yourselues and not break the Layties heads with your disputes You haue put so many doubts into mine that I can hardly belieue any thing On both sides you seem to bee honest and learned men therfore I think my best way is to continue in the Church of England and trust in God that I shall not be damn'd for not being of that of Rome untill I be better satisfied that the points wherin it differs from ours are necessary for saluation And this requiring longer time the particulars being so many than I am like to liue t' is not credible God would oblige me or any other illiterat person to spend our dayes rather in controuersies than in prayer and good works and in the end be as litle satisfied with ourselues as our and your Clergy are with one an other Yourselues grant that implicit Faith is sufficient for such ignorant people as I am that Faith I am sure I haue for I do belieue all that God reuealed though I do not know what it is he reuealed or whether he hath apointed the Church of Rome rather than that of England to instruct the world and inform us of his reuelations And truly I belieue a man may be saued without troubling himself to know which of them it is that God hath apointed for our instruction prouided we be redy to be members therof when that shall be made cleer to us by better arguments than I am able to inquire after A. This is so dangerous doctrin that I iudge it worth my pains to shew yet further the obligation the most illiterat men haue to search after the true Church and how easiâ—y they may find it out by visible signs and how you may without any help but that of common sense be satisfied of the truth of euery particular point of doctrin wherin Roman Catholiks differ from Protestants And all this in the space of less than two houres time Q. Nay Sir if you perform your undertaking I deserue to be damn'd for all Eeternity if I will nor hear you for so short a time as two hours I pray Sir proceed CHAP. VIII HOVV EVERY ILLITERAT PERSON may easily and in the space of two houres find out the true Church and the truth of euery point of doctrin controuerted betvveen Catholiks and Protestants VVHen the people of Israel were most diuided in matters of Religion 3. Reg. 8. the Prophet Elias made a motion to them of cleering the truth by that famous dogmatical Miracle of burning an Ox upon the Altar without kindling the fire under it This cleer and compendious way was hugely approued of by the multitude as suting best with their capacities for they needed not learning to dispute their eyes were sufficient Iudges and they had so much common sense as to know that God would not permit a falsood to be confirmd by a miracle in so publik a trial wherin his Veracity was so particularly concerned The Prophets therfore of Baal durst not refuse so fair an offer as Elias made in their presence and I hope the Protestant Clergy will be ashamed to refuse mine Let us not delude the people with school subtilities 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 tried 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 others of the Reformation or all the Protestants of the world to work or mention any one miracle euer yet wrought by any Protestant to confirm any one point of doctrin wherin they differ from the Roman Catholik Gentlemen summon your Sinods search into all histories profane and sacred set your heads together and produce at least som probable testimony of as much as one miracle to grace your Reformations And if you can not find undoubted miracles at least shew som thing that lookes like a miracle som thing that may be mistaken for one wherof the falsood or fraud hath not bin as yet discoured such as you say many of ours are Perhaps you will pretend that your Protestants are not so easily foold with false miracles as our Roman Catholiks But this must be a gift and priuilege of your priuat spirit for the Spaniards Italians and French are not by nature so dull as our Northen Protestants and are as loath to be cheated out of their moneys by Masses Miracles Pilgrimages and other pretexts of deuotion as you are And yet they belieue such Miracles as haue bin motiues for the Popes or people to Canonize our Saints and those also wherby Heathens and heretiks haue bin conuerted to our Religion Q. I doubt not Sir but that the Catholiks are as unlikely and loath to be imposed vpon as Protestants therfore I would fain heare som of those undeniable miracles
blindness in faith is to pretend a cleer sight of its rules infallibility The Catholik Church acording to St Paul and the Scriptures is a Congregation of men who do not see what they belieue and are led and directed by the holy Ghost in matters of doctrin This Church is euery particular mans immediat Guide because we follow it and hold fast to its testimony and tradition but this Church also hath a Guide the holy Spirit which leads it as Christ sayes into all truth by continualy directing it and assisting in its definitions and decrees Vvhen the four first general Councells defin'd the Diuinity of Christ and of the holy Ghost they did not cleerly see nor demonstrat against heretiks the truth of that doctrin or that God reuealed it For if they had the heretiks could not haue continued heretiks in their iudgments It s therfore fufficient that in the Catholik Church there be Doctors and arguments to demonstrat that all Dissenters or heretiks by not submitting to its doctrin and authority go against reason and the obligation all men haue to embrace that religion which is most likely to be Diuine in regard of greater appearance therin of supernatural signs which Christ sayd his Church should haue than in any other To ground therfore the certainty of Christian Faith or of its rule vpon any euidence which faith itself declares to be fallacious and fallible as it doth declare the euidence of our senses and sensations is in the article of Transubstantiation is to destroy Christianity and therfore Tradition as receiuing its certainty from our sensations can not be a sufficient ground for the certainty of Christian faith Q. I pray resolue your Catholik faith vnto its motiue A. That is don by answering questions Thus. Vvhy do you belieue the mystery of the Trinity or Transubstantiation Because God who can not deceiue nor be deceiued reuealed it How do you know God reuealed it If you speake of cleer knowledge I do not know that God reuealed it But if you will speake properly as a Christian or as a man that vnderstands what we mean by Faith you must not ask how I know but how or why do I belieue that God reuealed it Then I will answer that the testimony or tradition of the Church confirmed with seemingly supernatural signs testifying that God reuealed those mysteries makes it euidently credible he did reueal them But because I know my vnderstanding is so imperfect that I can not pretend to infallibility and my senses are so fallacious that by our sensations we are often mistaken and that faith itself tells us so in the article of Transubstantiation I cant no assent to this article or to the mystery of the Trinity or to any other pretended to be euidently reuealed by virtue of self euident Tradition and infallible sensations with that certainty which Christianity requires vntill I reflect and rely altogether vpon Gods veracity and apply it to the aforesaid testimony and Tradition of the Roman Catholik Church which declares that itself is authorised by God and shews for that authority seemingly supernatural signs to propose as reuealed by him those mysteries and all the other particulars of our Faith Vvhen I compare and apply the Diuine veracity to this testimony of the Church authorised by those signs I assent to all shee proposeth as reuealed by God by this act Notvvithstanding I do not see any cleer euidence or infallible connexion betvven the testimony or signs of the Church and Gods reuealing its doctrin yet because Gods veracity and his auersion from falsood is infinit I do belieue as certainly as I do that God is infinitly inclined to truth that he neuer did nor neuer vvill permit the least falsood to be so authenticaly proposed as his reuelation or vvord as I see euery point of the Roman Catholick doctrin is proposed by the tradition and signs of that Church This general assent is applyed to euery particular article Heer you see that the motiue of our Chatholik Faith is not the Tradition or testimony of the Church but only Gods veracity You see also that the tradition of the Church is the rule of our Faith because it helps and directs vs to reflect and rely more vpon the motiue which is Gods veracity than upon Tradition itself Lastly you see there is no impossibility in assenting by an act of faith with more assurance than there is appearance or euidence of the truth assented vnto because the assurance is not taken from nor grounded vpon the appearance but vpon Gods veracity and his infinit inclination to truth Hence followeth 1. That whosoeuer denyes any one article of Faith whether fundamental or not fundamental belieueth none at all with Diuine or Christian Faith because he slights the motiue therof which is Gods infinit inclination to truth and auersion from falsood to that degree as to be persuaded the Diuinity can permit falsood to be so credibly fatherd vpon itself as the Roman Catholik Church doth its doctrin with so seeming supernatural signs and so constant a Tradition The motiue of Faith being thus once slighted none that so slights it can belieue any thing for its sake or upon its score 2. It followeth That the Tradition and Miracles of the Catholik Church do not make it cleerly euident to us that God reuealed any one article of Christian Faith nay not that fundamental one of the Diuinity of Christ For though Tradition makes it cleerly euident to us there was such a man as Christ and such prodigies as his Miracles and that him self say'd he was God yet that Tradition and those prodigies do not make it cleerly euident to us as it did not to the Iewes that Christ was realy God For if this had bin cleerly euidenc'd to them or us neither Iewes nor Socinians or any other ancient heretiks could haue bin obstinat or heretiks in their iudgments against Christs Diuinity Q. If I do not see an infallible connexion between the assent or rule of Faith and Gods reuelation I must needs see there is no infallible connexion and may say the assent of Faith may be false seing Tradition which is the rule of that assent is fallible On the other side I must sa yt he assent of Faith can not be false So that if Tradition be not so self euident as from it to conclude cleerly the impossibility of Faiths falsood it must be granted that I see Faith is and is not infallible and that Tradition is and is not an infallible Rule A. Though I do not see any infallible connexion between Gods reuelation and the Tradition of the Church or any other rule directing to belieue what he realy â—eueald or which is the same between the assent of Faith and the rule of Faith yet it doth not follow that I must see or say there is no necessary connexion between them For at the same time I do not see that necessary connexion or infallibility I do belieue there is that
declared by the Parliament of Q. Mary a bundel of Cranmers errers and priuat opinions which himself and som few others inuented or borrowed from Luther and Caluin and other Innouators who had resolued to make themselues popular and powerfull by setting vp their own priuat interpretations of Scripture and opinions for points of Religion So that though all England or a greater part of the world than England is should embrace that Reformation and submit their iudgments to that Church their protestant Tenets are still priuat opinions and the submission of their iudgments to the same doth still inuolue that pride and preference of their own choice of a nouelty or new interpretation of Scripture before the ancient doetrin and against the publik testimony of all precedent English Parliaments as also against the tradition of the Catholik Church As for Queen Elizabeth shee accommodated her religion to the times untill shee got the Croun and then shee made use of the new Faith to serue her turn and secure her interest Indeed Iohn Fox his Martyrs were great but foolish sufferers their ignorance was proportion'd to their obstinacy they cast themselues into the fire without Knowing wherfore And yet Iohn Fox sayes those Tinkers Tanners and silly women confuted the Bishops that endeuored to saue their liues which themselues had forfeited acording to the ancient lawes of the land And though they dyed not Martyrs yet they dyed like Englishmen that is with as litle concern and as great courage as if their cause had bin better But this is no miracle in England though the foolish partiality of Iohn Fox his pen doth endeuor to make his Protestant Readers mistake those proud mad fellows for pious Martyrs Q. Though I do approue of your difference between heretical obstinacy and Catholik constancy yet I must still condemn your application therof to protestancy and popery for an other reason which is that Protestancy is so far from inuoluing pride that the Church of England doth not as much as pretend to be infallible in its doctrin neither doth it exact from its children a submission of their iudgments to itself but only to Scripture And I hope there is as much humility I am sure there is more safety in submitting our iudgments to Gods written word as to the tradition of the Roma Catholik Church A. As I commend the Church of Englands modesty and ingenuity in acknowledging its fallibility and in dispensing with the submission of your iudgments to the same no fallible Church can exact or expect a submission of iudgment in any points of doctrin so must I continue in my opinion of the pride and obstinacy of protestancy 1. Because you will not belieue any thing inculcated to you by God vnless it be deliuered to you in writing as if the Diuine maiesty had not as much right to command by orders intimated to us by word of mouth as by his writing All the true belieuers of the world vntill Moyses his law were gouernd by the testimony and tradition of the Church without any writing or Scriptures neither is any thing written in the old or new Testament wherupon Protestants may with any color of probability ground their pretended priuilege of not belieuing any thing but Scripture and this doth in many places tell them they are as much obliged to belieue Tradition or Gods unwritten word as the written Now why Englishmen and som Northen people alone should refuse to obey the Catholik Church vnless it shewes for euery particular Gods order in writing is not intelligible themselues and all other Nations owning the contrary to be prudently practised in all human gouernments This must be pride and obstinacy 2. The pride and obstinacy of this their pretended priuilege which is the life and fundation of all Protestant Reformations is further discouered by the practise of aprinciple wherin all Protestants agree which is that not one of them thinks he is bound in conscience to submit his iudgment to any of their own or any other Congregations sense of Scripture in controuerted texts if that sense agreeth not with his own priuat interpretation If that of his Church agree not with his own sense he may stick to his own and reiect the other And this is the reason why Protestants are diuided into so many sects How this principle and practise may be excused from heretical pride and obstinacy I know not For they stand at a defiance with all Churches and will as litle submit their iudgments to their own as to that of Rome Euery Protestant is by the fundamental Tenet of the Reformation his own Master and a supreme Iudge of Gods written law Doth not this demonstrat how those Reformations are founded vpon pride and obstinacy Can there be greater than that simple men and silly women should presume to be Masters and Iudges of those Diuine and incomprehensible mysteries That they should preferr their priuat iudgments before that of their own Church and of ours vnto which the greatest Doctors in all ages haue submitted Vvhat a proud foolish insolent and obstinat people would the English conclude any other to be wherof not one would acquiesce in the iudgment or sentence of the Courts of Iudicature but euery one assume to himself the power of deciding his own law suites and of appealing from the Chancery or euen from the Parliament to his own priuat opinion and iudgment Let euery Protestant know this is his own case in matters of religion He appeals in what concerns Faith and the sense of Scripture from his own Church and the Catholik and general Councells to his own proper iudgment Doth he think that Christ would institute so absurd a spiritual gouernment Can any man of sense imagin it agrees with Scripture To what purpose then should the Scriptures and St Paul bid us be of one belief peaceable and humble Is any of these virtues or that of Catholik Faith consistent with such pride obstinacy and dissentions as this principle must inspire and we see in all the reformed Churches and in that of our own Countrey You see therfore that your reformed Churches and interpretations of Scripture haue so litle in them of the vnity obsequiousness and humility of Christian Faith so much recommended to us by St Paul that they seeme to the most learned Roman Catholiks not only to sauor of heresy but to be the very source of heretical pride and damnable obstinacy so far are they from hauing the least smack of the fundation or fruit of Christianity SECT III. SOM INFERENCES FIT TO BE considered by all Protestants and vvhether any may be saued if they dye in that persuasion IF Protestancy doth inuolue that pride and obstinacy which I haue endeuored to proue and deduce from its principles without doubt he who dyes a Protestant is damn'd But Because som are called Protestants and yet know not what protestancy is I will deliuer my opinion how far their ignorance may excuse them from being
Protestant Reformations that the Authors therof were not Bishops and by consequence could not transmit either that caracter or that of Priestood to their successors as they did their doctrin This defect they endeuored to supply by persuading such as belieued them that no indelible caracter or visible ceremony of imposition of Episcopal hands was necessary for a Minister of the Ghospel And euen the Church of England was necessitaded to approue of this desperat doctrin in the 25. of its 39. articles of Religion because it was then well Knowen the Consecrators of her first Bishops were no real Bishops though they were called so for reason of state One is that the constitution of English Parliaments requiring Bishops as one of the three estates of the Kingdom and their votes being a considerable addition to the soueraigns authority of which alone their nomination dependeth Q. Elizabeth in this particular of Episcopacy went against the principles of other Reformations and would needs Keep vp the name of Bishops in her Church But it happened very cross to her design that none of the Catholik Bishops of England no others were then there liuing would lay hands upon or consecrate any of those new ones which she named to that dignity See the cōmission and dispensation in Doctor Bramhall the Protestant Bishop of Derry his vindication of the Episcopacy of England See the statut 8. Eliz. 1. Therfore she was forc't to issue forth a second commission for that purpose and therin to dispense by virtue of her supreme spiritual iurisdiction vvith the very state and condition of the Consecrators And this power and practise hauing bin publikly excepted against by Catholik Authors in print as null and ridiculous it was confirmed and declared by Act of Parliament 8. Eliz. 1. that whatsoeuer had bin don untill then in making of Bishops Archbishops c. by the Queens commission under the great seal of England should stand as ualid whether the Consecrators were Bishops or no Bishops any person or persons vvhatsoeuer hauing bin declared capable of giuing that caracter to any other prouided they were authorised therunto by her Maiesties commission under the great seal This occasioned great disputes between Doctor Haiding and Doctor Iuel one of the first Protestant Bishops Doctor Haiding in his printed bookes desired Mr Iuel to name the Bishop that consecrated him Parker and the rest of Queen Elizabeths first Bishops and was content to submit to Iuel and own the validity of his and the other protestant Bishops consecration if he would name Parkers Consecrator A man would think this was no such intricat matter nor strong argument if euer Parker had bin consecrated by a Bishop And yet Iuel hauing bin thus prouoked by his insulting Aduersary could neuer name Parkers Consecrator of whose consecration depended that of the rest nor produce Registers of that consecration when Harding called for them though som 50. years after appear'd in print a very formal Register of Parkers consecration copied forsooth out of Records Kept in Lauander at Lambeth The unseasonable appearance of this new found Register occasioned much laughter and new disputes which haue continued vntill these times And indeed it can not well enter into any considering mens heads that Parker Iuel and the first protestant Bishops who were called by Catholiks no Bishops in print for want of a right Consecrater and challenged to name the Bishops that consecrated them or Parker their aduersaries setting their stress vpon that only argument would not take the pains to see and search their Registers of Lambeth for a Bishops name that imported them so much to name if any such Bishop had euer bin or any such Records had bin then extant Besides sure their memories were not so short as not to remember without the help of Registers and Records the name of a man that their Successors pretended fifty years after the time of answering was past had made Parker a Bishop but fiue years before they were askt the question with so much ceremony and solemnity For Hardings book and Iuells answer were printed an 1565. or therabouts An other thing made the prelatik Clergies caracter absolutly null And that was the Form which they used in the consecration of their Bishops and Priests This Form was iudged essentialy defectiue because not one word therof did express or mention the caracter pretended to be giuen therby And though the Church of England for neer one hundred years had defended and practised this Form yet at length they were forc't to submit to their Aduersaries exceptions and reasons against it and to change and correct the Form as wee directed in the bookes we writ against the same Vpon the Kings restauration they printed their Ritual and therin you may see the words Bishop and Priest added vnto the Form of their consecrations which or their equiualent are absolutly necessary and yet nothing like them was in the old Forms and former editions This humility of theirs is to be commended though it be to no purpose seing the change made not them who went before it Bishops and though their late reformed Form be valid yet when pronounced by men that are not Bishops it works no effect nor giues any caracter either of Priestood or Episcopacy to themselues or their Successors And none of the Protestant Clergy hath bin consecrated by a true Bishop since the change of their old Form Let the Protestant Layty now reflect vpon the caracter and conscience of their Clergy as being men who take vpon themselues the administration of Sacraments absolution from sins spiritual jurisdiction and all functions belonging to true Bishops and Priests though themselues can not but know there is no probable ground to belieue they are such I say nothing of the reuenues they are possessed of vpon the account of being Churchmen but I can not be so uncharitable as not to aduertise my Countreymen of the danger they are in and of the damnation which will follow if by timely repentance and a generous resolution they do not withdraw themselues from the direction of such Teachers and from the Ministery of such a Clergy Vvhat can they answer to the obiection we borrow from the statut 8. Eliz. Can they imagin that the Queen would dispense with the state and condition of the Consecraters if they had had the Episcopal caracter Vvhat need was there of a dispensation with their state and condition if they were real Bishops Vvhy should the Parlament confirm this dispensation and enact by law that whatsoeuer was don by this commission of the Queens should be valid whether the Consecraters were Bishops or not the words are by any person or persons vvhatsoeuer All that my Countreymen can say is that they haue an Act of Parliament for the caracter of their Clergy and for the saluation of their souls Vvhat that will auail them in the other world I wish they did consider Surely they can not but know that such Acts will
causarum cognitionem arrogare c. He is therfore cursed by the Protestant vvriters as bearing the mark of the beast in acknowledging the Popes supremacy and for subduing all Christian Churches to his iurisdiction so Frigiuillaeus in his palma Christiana dedicated to Q. Elizabeth pag. 35. saying that Constantin preferred the Bishops of Rome and Constantinople before others yet attributed the Primacy before all to the Roman And pag. 34. saith that Constantin gaue the povver of the beast to Pope Iulius vvhich Iulius presently exercised for Constantin also carried the mark of the Dragon in his armes c. And Mr Napper in his Treatise vpon th Reuelations dedicated to King Iames saith After the year of God 300. the Emperor Constantin subdued all Christian Churches to Pope Siluester from vvhich time till these our dayes the Pope and his Clergy hath possessed the outvvard and visible Church Q. Pardon Sir that I interrupt you from proceeding further in the Proof of Constantins being a Papist I am fully conuinc't he was of your Popish Religion and seing Mr Napper sayes to King Iames that Popery possessed and gouerned the visible Church euer since that time I would willingly know whether it was so before Constantins time or whether that Emperor bestowed this supremacy vpon the Pope and pulld down Protestancy to set up Popery A. To satisfy your curiosity I will remit you to your own Protestant writers the Centurists and others I will only tell you that one of the most learnest protestant writers called Philip Nicolai took great pains in this matter in his work de regno Christi undertaking to discouer the first beginning and increase of the papal dignity or supremacy and concludeth at last with these words pag. 221. Primatus affectatio communis fuit infirmitas Apostolorum ac etiam primorum Vrbis Romae Episcoporum The affectation of the Primacy was an infirmity common to the Apostles as also to the first Bishops of Rome Mr Midleton likewise in his Papistomastix pag. 193. saith that perusing Councells Fathers and stories from the Apostles forvvord vve find the print of the Popes feet Vve may therfore follow securely steps so ancient and so authentik If Popery were not the right way to heauen certainly the ancient Councells would haue condemn'd it the Fathers would haue declin'd it and the Histories would haue recounted how it entred into the Church and supplanted the former Religion that Christ and the Apostles had preach't And yet not a vvord of this change or corruption in Councells Fathers or any History This is the greatest of Miracles that the doctrin and publik profession of Popery being in itself so contrary to Protestancy vvhich is supposed by its Professors to haue bin the pure and primitiue Christianity should steale so early and so insensibly into the Church notwithstanding the vigilancy of those primitiue Pastors and the great concern of euery faithfull to obserue and oppose the least nouelty whatsoeuer in matters of doctrin any change or corruption therof inuoluing a damnable heresy Q. Though the conuersion of all heathen Kings and Nations were as you say to Popery and performed by Papists and that it is not credible God vvould permit so general a peruersion vvherby the end of instituting his Church would be frustrated yet I vvould vvillingly know vvhether you can produce any Miracles against our Protestant doctrin vvherby we differ from the Papists A. See D◠Humfry in Iesuitismi p. 2◠rat 5. p. 5. 627. Bishop Bale in Act. Rom. Pont. pag. 44.45 46. Osiand in Epit. Cēt. 6. p. 289. 288. And the Magdeb. Centur. 6. cap. 20. All the Miracles that moued the Pagans to be Papists were wrought against Protestancy I will instance it in the conuersion of our Saxon Ancestors vvho vvere Pagans and made Papists by the preaching and Miracles of St Austin the Monk Apostle of England The Protestant writers confess he conuerted the Saxons to the Chaos of Popish Ceremonies and superstition and specify worship of Images praying to Saints Purgatory Mass Transubstantiatiation holy water c. And yet themselues confess with St Bede that his doctrin and that of the ancient Britans of that time B p. Iuel in his pageant of Popes B p. Goduin in his Catalogue of Bishops p. 1. Fox in his Acts and Monum printed 1576. pag. 463. difered only in a ceremony of Baptism and in the day of celebrating Easter St Austin confirming his own practise therin by a confessed Miracle of restoring sight to a blind man Now it being euident by our English Chronicles and the Protestant vvriters vvherof Mr Iohn Fox Bishop Goduin and Bishop Iuel are to be particularly noted as being most eminent that the ancient Britans after receiuing the Catholik Faith in the Apostles time held the same untill Austins coming and neuer forsook it for any manner of false preaching of other nor for torments c. It must be concluded that the ancient Britans were first conuerted to Popery and so continued untill Austins time and that his and their doctrin was the same in all particulars contrary to Protestancy and confirmed by Miracles But because you seem to desire a dogmatical Miracle that is one vvrought in confirmation of Popery not only as it is Christianity in general but at it is Christianity in particular and opposit to Protestancy I will endeu or to satisfy your curiosity hoping therby to setle your conscience CHAP. IX St. BERNARDS VNDENIABLE Miracles vvrought by God to confound Protestants and confirm the doctrin of the Sacrifice of the Mass Transubstantiation Purgatory Prayer for the dead Prayer to Saints their vvorship and that of Images Chrisme the Popes supremacy c. SAint Bernards learning sanctity and Miracles are so generaly confessed by all Protestant writers that Doctor Stillingfleet in his late Comedy of the Idolatry and Fanaticism of the Church of Rome durst not bring him vpon the stage Vvhitaker de Ecclesiâ pag. 369. saith of him I do realy belieue Bernard vvas a true Saint Osiander cent 12. saith Saint Bernard Abot of Clareual vvas a uery pious man c. Gomarus in speculo Ecclesiae pag. 23. saith one pious man your Church had in many years Bernard your Saint And Pasquils return into England pag. 8. 13. saith he vvas a good Father and one of the lamps of Gods Church He was so famous for his learning humility deuotion and Miracles that after his refusal of all Ecclesiastical dignities he gouerned not only the Church but the temporal Princes were sayd by him and submitted to his iudgment King Henry 2. of England forsook a Schismatical Pope which he had supported against the King of France by saint Bernards persuasion The King of France gaue ouer troubling the Bishops for his sake VVilliam the Duke of Aquitain was conuerted from a deuouring wolf to a meek Lamb by his words All the world lookt upon saint Bernard as the Apostle of that age wherin diuers heresies were
world to be a cheat or any thing less than his own great Seal wherfore at the sight therof all men are bound under pain of damnation to belieue God alone is the Author of Christs and the Roman Churches Miracles and doctrin iust as subiects are bound under pain of death to obey the King and Magistrats Orders when signed and sealed with the usual and authentik marks of their supreme authority They are bound I say to obey though they haue only moral euidence that he is King and that his Seal and Orders are true and not conterfeit Q. Methinks this argument may be retorted against your self For if notwithstanding the moral euidence we haue of such persons being our Parents or lawfull Kings and of their seales and Orders not being counterfeit we are bound only to honor and obey them in our outward actions but wee are not bound to assent inwardly without any Kind of doubt that such men are our Parents or our legitimat Kings or that their hands and seales are not counterfeit If I say this moral euidence can not oblige us to such inward assurances and assents how can the moral euidence of Christs and the Roman Churches Miracles being true and supernatural Miracles oblige us under pain of damnation to belieue vvithout any Kind of doubt Christs Diuinity and the Roman Catholik doctrin At least this much followeth from hence that the moral euidence of the aforsaid Miracles and signs of the Church can only exact from us an outward conformity to its decrees not an inward assent to its doctrin A. The extent of euery authority ought to be measured by its appearance If its appearance be only human or natural it reacheth no further than to regular those outward moral actions which are necessary for the gouernment and peace of the Commonwealth it hath not any thing to do vvith directing the soul by inward acts and undoubted assents to its supernatural end If the appearence of the authority be supernatural and moraly euident to us by prodigies profecies or other visible signs that it is so then it claimes a iurisdiction ouer the soul and may exact from it such inward acts and assents as are proportionable to that supernatural end for vvhich God hath instituted his Church and adornd it vvith those Diuine marks and miracles vvhich Christ himself mentions Marc. 16. and haue bin visible in the Roman Catholik euer since the Apostles This undeniable Maxim being layd as a foundation there can be no difficulty in seing the disparity there is between the human authority of Commonwealths and the spiritual and supernatural of the Church by virtue of their different appearances the miracles and signs of the Church making so supernatural a shew as to declare God alone is the Author of its doctrin and authority is extended to the soul and to the inward acts and assents therof regulating them as it is fit for the saluation of mankind No human or natural authority of Kings or temporal Princes can reach so far because the appearance therof is only natural Q. Vvill not the appearance of Anti-Christs Miracles be supernatural Did not those of the Magitians of Egipt look like supernatural and indiscernable from those of Moyses How then can a supernatural appearance or a moral euidence of prodigies being true Miracles exact or pretend to any authority ouer our inward acts of the will and understanding shall we submit our iudgments to Anti-Christs doctrin because his Miracles will seem to be supernatural If not why should we submit our iudgments to the Roman Catholik Church because it s most authentik Miracles seem to be supernatural A. This argument only proues that true Miracles euen those of Christ do not cleerly euidence or conclude their own supernaturality or their being true Miracles It is so hard a matter to distinguish between true and false or Anti Christian Miracles that our Sauior sayes euen the elect would be seduced by the last if for their sake and by Gods particular prouidence those dayes would not be shortned and therfore he warnes his Disciples and all the faithfull to beware of Anti-Christs Miracles for ressembling so much his own and giues certain signs wherby men may discouer that he who works them is Anti-Christ Christs Miracles therfore as those also of the Church being first and as it were in possession of Gods authority by being his great seale and confirming his doctrin do by that precedency and Christs prediction of conterfeit Miracles manifest their supernaturality in a different manner from Antichrists and all other lying prodigies which haue bin or will be wrought to confirm any doctrin contrary to that of the Catholik Church Out of all which we conclude that euen Christs Miracles and à fortiori those of the Church if taken without his prediction and their own precedency do not cleerly euidence to us that they are true Miracles and by consequence can not cleerly euidence to us the Diuinity of Christ or that God reuealed the articles of Christian Religion And the same must be sayd of Catholik Tradition euen as it is confirmed by these Miracles of the Church So that this Tradition is not the Motiue but the Rule of Faith vvhich directs us infallibly though not cleerly to Gods reuelations and therfore doth not demonstrat or undeniably conclude that euer God reuealed any one article of that Faith though the same Tradition as confirmed by the signs of the Church doth demonstrat or at least undeniably proue that we are obliged under pain of damnation to belieue and that most certainly that God reuealed euery point which the Roman Catholik Church doth propose as an article of Faith This much of Miracles in general Now let us return to Saint Bernards and consider it in particular St Bernard makes the same proposal to the Henricians and people about Tolouse that Elias made to the Iewes and Baalists He appeald to Gods omnipotency for the manifestation of the truth And spoke with such confidence of success as if the attempt of the miracle had not only bin consulted with God but had bin commanded by him Consider now I pray whether it be credible to any person that hath common sense or whether it be consistent with Gods infinit veracity and goodness that vpon so publik a trial of both and wherof depended the damnation or saluation of so many Souls God would play the Neuter and permit the Deuill abuse the sincerity and sanctity of Saint Bernard to seduce the poor simple people by working Miracles which saint Bernard himself and the wisest of that age took to be Diuine and were in appearance as much aboue the power of nature as those were which Christ wrought If this be as inconsistent with common sense as it is with Christianity not one illiterat Protestant in the world who hath any sense can be excused by inuincible ignorance from damnation no learned Protestant from heresy For heresy is obstinacy against doctrin sufficiently proposed as
Diuine And if Transubstantiation the Mass Intercession of Saints worship of Images Purgatory c. be not sufficiently proposed as Diuine doctrin by the testimony of the Church and these Miracles of St Bernard and other Roman Catholik Saints and in a coniuncture that the same doctrin was as much questioned by the Henricians Aug. l. 22. de Ciuit. Dei c. 8. ad sanctuÌ„ Martyrem orare perrexerunt c. He that belieueth in me the vvorks that I do he shall do and greater Ioan. 14. Nazian in Epitaph Gorgoniae Orat. II. saith Prostrating herself before the Altar and calling upon him vvho vvas honoured and vvorshipt therupon O admirable thing she presently felt her self deliuered from her siâ—ness and so she returned eased both in body and mind c. as now it is by Protestants neuer any doctrin hath bin yet sufficiently proposed as Diuine nay not the doctrin of Elias nor of Christ himself because neither hath bin confirmed by greater Miracles than ours I need not repeat others more ancient as that which St Austin sayes he was witness of when Palladia recouered her sight by praying to St Steuen or that vvhich St Gregory Nazianzen recounts of his sister Gorgonia recouering sudenly her health by adoring the blessed Sacrament vpon the Altar or that of the Image of Christ erected by the woman he cured of her flux wherof see Eusebius hist lib. 7. c. 14. or that of the Crucifix in Berito alleged in 2. Concill Nissen act 4. or that recounted by Optatus l 1. contra Donatistas to confirm the reseruing and taking the Communion in one Kind as also the holy oyle or Chrisme or that of the person raised from death to receiue the extreme Vnction mentioned by St Bernard in vit Malach. Or that of Confession related by St Bede hist l. 5. cap. 14. These and innumerable others are superfluous seing those of St Bernard are sufficient to conuince that no Protestant who hath so much sense as to belieue Gods goodness and veracity can be saued if he denyes any one particular of the Roman Catholik doctrin when he is credibly informed that this authority is confirmed by such Miracles as those of Saint Bernard and other Saints of our Church which are related in the publik Acts and Process of their Canonization AN HVMBLE ADRESS To the Honorable House of Commons MAy it please you Honorable Sirs who are the Preseruers of our liberties except the chief which is that of conscience to take in good part that the meanest of his Maiesties subiects humbly beg of you to consider whether it be not a damnable sin to persecute Souls for professing the Religion of your Christian Ancestors confirmed by so many credible signs of Gods approbation and protection that the wisest and wariest men of the whole world both in this and former ages were conuinc't they were true Miracles and yourselues haue no reason to belieue the contrary but that preiudice wherunto the principles of your education from your infancy and the interest of your Teachers led you before you could discern the truth of their doctrin or the intricacy of their design Reflect I beseech you upon the frailty of your Ministers and the fallibility of your Church and weigh with yourselues whether it be not more credible that your English Congregation seasoned with two such Ingredients as frailty and fallibility may be mistaken in mysteries of Faith than that God would permit the whole Catholik world and such men as Saint Bernard and the other Roman Catholik Saints to be deluded and seduced by the Deuils lying prodigies and that in a conjuncture when Gods veracity and honor Iay at the stake in a publik trial of true and false doctrin Vvould any of yourselues stand by in such an occasion as an idle spectator or unconcerned person and permit a Rogue or a Fool clad in your liuery produce counterfeit letters and deliuer seditious orders in your name Vvould any of you suffer poor people who wish you well to be destroyd by such wicked practises Vvould you condescend so far with your greatest Ennemy as to wink at his malice and at the uniust meanes he applied to ruin your well meaning Tenants or friends Certainly you would disclaim in the fourbery and neuer wink at a fraud so preiudicial to the people and as contrary to your noble inclinations as to the principles of honor and truth which you profess Be pleased then to haue as good an opinion of Gods inclination to honor and truth as of your own Let not the first impressions vpon your tender undiscerning years grown at unawares into a settleness through education and custom blind your riper and more manly iudgments to be persuaded God can permit such Miracles as we haue recounted to be only mistakes of the Roman Church and human or Diabolical artifices or that he would suffer his greatest Enemy to seduce innocent Souls by cheats so like supernatural seales of the Diuine doctrin and ministery that such prudent learned and conscientious men as the Roman Catholik Church hath had in all ages could after a seuere scrutiny conclude to be the work of Gods omnipotency and aboue the power of all natural causes This well considered will I hope make you more Kind to your Roman Catholik Kindred and Neighbors and to the Religion of all your Ancestors before Queen Elizabeths reign But if you slight this humble aduice grounded vpon so cleer euidence I feare that God who is a jealous God and no less concerned for his honor and veracity than infinit goodness and an infinit auersion from falsood inclines him to be will visit you in the fury of his iustice and deny to you in your greatest need that mercy which yee deny to tender consciences he will heare the loud cryes of innocent bloud which penetrat the Heauens when they find no relief vpon earth God direct you in all your wayes and resolutions and make us either thankfull for your moderation or strengthen us with constancy and patience against your persecution FINIS AN APPENDIX HOVV RATIONAL IT IS NOT to exact more then moral euidence in matters of Faith The Author of Sure footings doctrin în that particular explaind by himself and vindicated from the Censure of the deceased Author of Religion and Gouernment Q. No body questions but that Gods reuelation and authority if it appeares sufficiently applyed to the Church proposing and deciding matters of Faith doth oblige all men euen the most scrupulous and subtile Doubters and Dissenters to submit their iudgments and inward assents therunto My doubt is whether the Diuine reuelation and authority can be sufficiently applyed to the Church unless we see that application proued by cleer and conclusiue euidence As for your often repeated Parallell between God and Soueraings there is a uast disparity between the Royal and Diuine authority as to the sufficiency of their proposal The Royal authority is sufficiently proposed as such by a moral euidence of its