from which it had its Christian Birth O England remember the relation which is or ought to be between Rome and thee Whence ariseth this aversion and bitternes of many of thy children apainst those supream Prelates whose predecessor was once to thee a second Saviour Remember the dayes of old and return to thy self and say Convert my soul O Lord for I have sinned against thee nor doe I deserve thee for my father since I have been so disobedient to thy Church my Mother From Rome and by order of that incomparable lover of our English Nation St. Gregory came these men who made England Catholick and so Catholick that it from that time became able to make other Nations Catholick also For the two Ewaldi brothers commonly called Albus and Niger converted Westphaly Saint Willibrord converted Frizeland and Saint Boniface almost all Germany These bleffed men were Monks as S. Austin and his companions were by profession English by Nation and their Doctrine in all points according to what the Roman Catholicks now teach Now to passe further multitudes of Spanyards were converted by Andonius the Flemmings by Saint Eligius those of Franconia by S. Kilian the Danes Sweads by Ausgravius the Bulgarians by Joanieius the Moravians by Withgumgus after these follows those of Russia who were converted by means of the Emperour Basilius and the Polonians by Aegidius Tusculanus sent thither for that end by Pope John the 13. after these followed the Hungarians brought in by holy Adelbert and the Sclavonians by an other Adelbert to these succeeded the Pomeranians and those of Norway both which Nations were made Catholick by Nicholas the English Monk a man of great vertue who was afterwards chosen for Pope and called Adrian the fourth to these may be added the Livonians and Liâ—uanians the former of which were converted by Medardes the later by the Knights of Saint Mary All these Nations in order as they are here specified were converted by these men who were all Roman Catholicks to that very same faith which the Roman Church now professeth Nor were these all that were Converts of the Roman Catholicks the Tartarians with their Emperour Cassanes were made members of that Church yea and the great Turk Azatines embraced the same faith and of Jews and Sardzens that blessed Saint Vincentius a Dominican Friar converted 25 thousand to the same Catholick faith not many years before Luthers time and thus it is manifest that the Doctrine of the Church of Rome is efficacious since by it Nations in all Ages have been converted from Infidelity to Christianity The third Point Consider first what Nations Ethnicks or other non-Christians have been converted by Hereticks to Christianity not any one in all these many Ages from Christs time unto Luthers not any one Sect converted so much as any one Kingdome Country or Province of Infidels to the faith of Christ yea or to their own Sect Take a view of the whole body of Ecclesiasticall history and you shall not finde one and this consideration alone me thinks might be a sufficient conviction of the fals-hood of all sects whatsoever and a confirmation of the truth of the Roman faith Sectaries have labored much to bring some one instance in opposition to this so generall a Thesis and cite one Freculphus who seems to say that the Goths became of Pagans immediately Arians Miserable Sectaries that can finde but one example to impugne the Papists withall and in that one favour the condenmed Arians thereby to oppose Catholichy Yea and this one instance is false also as Master Southwel proves in his Analysis out of S. Austin Theodoret Sozomenus Orosius Nicephorus Baronius and others Consider secondly what insidels have been converted to Christianity by Luther or Calvin or any other Sectaries which succeeded them name any one Pagan Nation Province or Town of their converting from paganisme to Christianisme or even to any of their own Sects he that can And yet in the very dayes of Luther and Calvin Roman Catholicks and those such as Sectaries hate even for this every reason of their great zeal to wit Jesuits have converted many how many That one blessed Saint Francis Xaverius sent by the Pope of Rome Paul the third into the East Indies to convert souls laboured there incessantly for the space of ten years and converted three hundred thousand souls to the Christian Faith thus writes Bosius the Oratorian the same in effect writ many more Nay his signes of Apostleship struck astonishment even into the enemies of Catholick Religion amongst whom Hackluit well versed in the Indian affairs cals him a godly Professor the painfull Doctour of the Indian Nation and one endued with all spirituall blessings so true it is that vertue and verity force their own praises even from enemies Now if one man in ten years time converted 300000. how many hundred thousand may be converted in above a hundred years not by one but by many hundred of them who are now there sent by the like authority enabled with the like talents of vertue and learning and carried on with the same motives seeking most earnestly in Africa America India and China for those truly precious pearls immortall souls for the adorning of the heavenly Hierusalem with what successe you may learn of their great enemy and Protestant Symon Lythus who sayes that the Jesuits have filled Asia Africa and America with their Idols How great a Panegyrist he proves by thus disparaging them and their Religion let prudence judge Thus Luther and Calvin should have imployed the heat of their zeal in converting Ethnicks as these others did who begun their work about the same time that they begun theirs and whom God raised up as the greatest Prelate of the world upon occasion affirmed to oppose them Had Luther and Calvin set forth for the Indies to propagatt Christianity perhaps posferity would have preferred them before these ancient Heroes which went to setch the golden Fleece but as well said Tertullian of the old Hereticks their sorefathers These mens work was not to convert Aliens to Jesus Christ but to pervert his domesticks mark these words Protestants they drew indeed thousands from the practice of their antient yea the onely in Europe then extant Religion and from the love of Chastity Fasting Consession Pennance and Satisfaction for their sins and from the love of good works and hatred of sin to all licenciousnes and wicked liberty but this was to pervert not to convert to this no efficacy of doctrine or divine grace was requisite any proposal or the least pretence was a sufficient alarum for frail people to run after the maximes of liberty and sensuality to which self inclination carried them It s easie going with the stream or down bank but to clime up the mount of Christian persection Hic labour hoe opus est The fourth Point Consider lastly what resultancies arise and may be gathered out of these foregoing Points Amongsts others
possible be both true whilest they remain both contradictory for that would destroy that Principle which naturall Reason dictates to all men which is that the same thing cannot be and not be at the same time the same point cannot be true and false nor the Negative and Affirmative opinion about the same point both true and false together Hence infer First that of all Sects and Opinions contradicting one another there can be but one True Make a search for this finde it out embrace it Secondly that this Unity of Faith and Religion requires that all the members belive all and every one at least implicitly of the particular Points proposed by the true Church and disbelieve no one of them Thirdly that no other different sect is of the same church with Roman Catholicks Fourthly that those who call themselves Protestants Presbiterians Independants or the like are not members of these Sects unlesse they believe the same body of Articles which since few of them doe nay nor so much as know what or how many tenents are to be believed by them yea since there is no certaine number or summe of points to be believed in the same sence and meaning amongst any of them let the world judge in what a lamantable condition thousands of these poor souls are The second Point Consider now the Vnity in all things belonging to Faith and Religion which is amongst the Roman Catholicks First the summe or body of Articles amongst them is one and the same through the whol world these in these source classes or branches the Apostles creed the Athanasian creed the Nicen creed and the profession of Faith decreed by the Counsel of Trent and published by order of Pius the fourth Pope all what the Roman Catholicks believe is contained Secondly there is a most perfect Unity amongst them in believing what 's contained in the forementioned summe the knowledge and explicit beliefe of which conformably to what was treated of this subject in the meditation of Faith is to be measured according to the capassity of the persons and the things more or lesse sufficiently propounded to be believed By reason of which two things it fals out here as it cannot possible be otherwise in Christs Church whether this or some other be it that some know and believe more than others explicitly and distinctly which is not against true Unity in believing all points of Faith yet the most ignorant and simple amongst the vulgar are taught and do believe the most important Points explicitly and in particular and all the rest they believe in general assenting to al whatsoever the Church believeth but they disbelieve no one thing Now by believing in this manner and disbelieve nothing the simple ones embrace the whole summe of that faith as truly as the most learned doe Now by this meanes every one of that Church believes all every one believes the same every one knowes what is to be believed and what the other members of that Church believe no one amongst them disbelieves what the rest believe no one believes what the rest deny no one denies what the rest professe Now what greater Unity either in the things to be believed or in the Persons believing can be desired than this Consider secondly the admirable Vnity and concord which is amongst the Roman Cotholicks in all the other things which concerne their Religion As for the Scriptures they have all the world over the same Canon that is the same catalogue or nūber of divine books with every chapter line or verse they have the same adition to wit the vulgar the which only they have bin accustomed almost since Saint Hieroms time which is above twelve hundred years they have all the same rule or way and means for expounding it to wit the Church by the Pope the general Counsels and the holy Doctours and they have all the same sence and interpretation of it in those hard places which chiefty contain the Mysteries and points of Faith heer 's Unity indeed As for the function of Preaching the word of God to the People their Unity is wonderful all that are admited to that office for none takes it upon him on his owne accord have their Commission and are sent either immediatly or mediatly from one to wit the supream Bishop in the world the Pope and in the exercise of Preaching no one of them teacheth different points of Faith or teacheth otherwise of matters of Faith than the rest doe As for Sacraments they are in that point so united that all of them unanimously hold there are seven and that they were all of a divine Institution and confer grace as for the manner of administrating the Sacraments their rule and order in that is the same in each several Nation as for their form of worship and Lyturgie which is Masse most religious and majesticall every where their practice is most uniform As for their Ceremonies great incitements to devotion they keep a great decorum in the use of them and that variety is not without great uniformity and as for Prayer as the Priests have every one a set portion of their breviary to be recited every day so for the lay peoples comfort and devotion most excellent prayers and those many have been composed by that Church and the self same are used by all the members of that Church where ever they reside in any part of the world Nor are these Enthusiastes of our times for their prayer extempore to be compared with the Roman Catholicks who perform that kinde of Prayer both more discreetly more frequently and more religiously in fine their Unity and uniformity appears in the whole composure and carriage of their religious affairs they have unity in their Fasts and unity in their solemn Feasts which as they are proscribed for all so are they observed by all One chief Pastor hath a general care over them all one living judge of Controversies to wit the Pope and the general Councels gives a disinitive sentence which is obeyed by all every one prayes for all and a mutuall participation of merits for each one of them may say with David I am partaker with all that fear thee Psal 116.63 and the benefit of the communion of Saints is both proper to each one and common to them all O most sweet harmony made by such Vnity in so great a variety here is nothing out of tune no discords nothing harsh all parts conspire all accord this is true Church musick indeed but what wonder since this consort is made upon the ground or foundation of the Apostles and Prophets The third Point Consider now what Unity can be found amongst other Sects pick out the most probable and plausible of them from amongst the rest will you finde it one and uniform in all the particulars mentioned in the former Point no not in any one None of these sects hath one and the same body of articles some things as the Sacraments
much that day a Spanyard Gather hence first that since the forementioned Princes and their Armies on which God bestowed these victories were Roman Catholicks as all history evidently shews and since the victories bestowed on them were above the forces of nature or humane endeavours and pollicy and none such were ever obtained by any other sect it evidently follows that the religion of these Roman Catholicks is the true religion 2 that these examples related by authors of good credit and those many evidently prove against atheists and such as in cline that way that there is a God and that god by his providence rules the world and that ther is no such thing in the world as Fortune or Fate those things w ch seem casual are only so in regard of secondary causes nothing is casual in respect of the prime cause God this mans adverse fortune and the others successeful endeavors this mans want the others plenty this mans health and others infirmities are all from the hand of God his gists and the one as well as the other matter for vertue and means to salvation if they be used well with a rectified intention The third Point Consider first that Sectaries even all put together cannot make it appear that they have received any miraculous favours like to the above mentioned either in confirmation of any of their sects or any other way Gods providence hath permitted the Sarazens Turks to prevail much against Christians and to possesse themselves of many Countries in which catholick Religion had formerly flourished yet this doth not argue that God loves them better than the Christians or thereby approves of their Alcaron In like manner in the Wars betwixt Catholicks and Sectaries the latter as they have often received the worse so have they often been prevalent against the other yet never but upon some great advantage and are now in possession of many Towns and Countries which were sormerly Catholick but this is no more a divine approbation of their Tenents and Doctrine than the Turkish Temporall successe pleads the truth of their Religion in both cases of the prospirity of Turks and Sectaries as also of what dammages they have inferred to Catholicks these are only ordinary and experienced in all ages effects of the divine providence which humbles this man and exalts that man Quia calix in manu domini virimeri plenus mixto inclinavit ex hoc in hoc Psal 74. But these miraculous effects are plainly a divine confirmation of Religion And thus must all Sectaries argue against Insidels inbehalf of Christianity and their own Sects by denying that their worldly prosperity proves them to be in favour with God and of the true Religion and yet convincing them that these prodigious effects are arguments of true Religion and of Gods great protection for they are so indeed And therefore thou may truly say O holy Church with the holy Prophet I will not fear thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about psal 3.6 Though an host should encampe against me my heart shall not fear though war should rise against me in this will I be confident ps 27.3 The nineteenth Meditation Of the Disasters and unhappy ends of the opposers and enemies of the Roman Church The first Point AS victories and other temporall blessings miraculously bestowed upon the defenders propagators of the Roman religion so extraordinary and prodigious punishments inflicted upon the persecutors of the same are signes and arguments that that is the true Catholick Church of Christ consider therefore first that though God permit the wicked livers and those and those that seek the ruine of his Church to go long unpunished yet to convince the world that this is meerly'a permission of his thereby to give the just matter for merit and the bad time to reclaim themselves repent and that he can lay his heavy hand hard on where he pleases he lets men have frequent experiment that he hath a reserve of miraculous punishments which he lets flie like his thunderbolts out of the Clouds at them and especially at the enemies of his Church Scismaticks Heretick and Persecuters Consider secondly that those punishments are twofold some are such as cannot be conceived to be otherwise then by miracle as when God punished the Madianites by the mutuall slaughter of one another others tho not transcending the forces of natural causes yet are such and accompanied with such circumstances as that it appears evidently that God thereby punisheth extraordinarily Such were the punishments of Herod he that in killing the holy innocents aymed at the killing of our Saviour who was consumed by Vermin and so dyed having first killed his own wife and children and attempted to kill himself And of Pilate who killed himself as Eusebius recounts As also of the other Herod the Tetrarch who beheaded S. John Biptist and treated our Saviour as a fool he was thrust out of his king dom sent into banishment and in it lived and died with a great deal of misery Consider thirdly that amongst other signes by which the world might easily know that the only true religion before Christs time was that of the Jewes one was and that a principall one the exemplar and extraordinary punishments which God exacted upon those who were irreligiously in jurious to the same Such were those nine plagues which were laid upon the Aegyptians for oppressing that faithfull people the Philistians for handling the Ark of the Testament unworthily suffered many calamities the Bethsamits for their irreverent looking only at that Ark contrary to Gods comand were punished with the death of 70. men of prime quality and 80000. of the vulgar sort Antiochus for the out cryes and Sacrileges which he committed in his persecution of the Jewes was struck with most abominable diseases and devoured by vermine Baltbasar for his Sacrileges committed in Hierusalem and prophane abuse of the sacred Vessels in the very heat of his banquet read the dismal sentence of his losse of life and Kingdom which was put in execution that very night written miraculously by singers which appeared upon the wall and Heliodorus to omit many more besides other scourges was cruelly whipped by two young men sent by God for his sacrilegeous attempt of robbing the temple of Hierusalem Hence inser that if such like punishments can be shewed to have been laid upon the enemies and persecutors of the Roman religion it must by the same consequence be judged to be the true Church of Christ The second Point Consider therefore first the tragical end of those Pagan Emperours that persecuted the Catholick Church of the first 24 of them which sat at the sterne of the Roman Empire betwixt the time of Augustus Cesar and Constantine the great as there was scarce 4. of them which did not persecute that most cruelly most of them the Catholick Church so hardly four of them escaped the
Meditations UPON THE MARKS of the True CHURCH of CHRIST OR Motives of Credibility In behalf of the True Religion And the easiest way to finde it out By H. W. Testimonia tua credibilia facta sunt nimis Thy testimonies are made too credible Psal 92.7 Lord if that which we believe be an errour you have deceived us for this doctrine is confirmed by those signes which could not be done but by you Ricardus de S. Victore 1.1 de Trinitate c. 2. Paris Printed with Licence 1655. The Preface IF the Enemy of mankinde did not shew unto Sectaries the face of Religion in a false Glass in which he makes the very Spouse of Christ she that is so beautifull with so lovely features and of so comely a comportment in her self appear to the deluded eyes of so many souls ill-favoured ugly and in a manner monstruous and on the contrary sets out other Sects though never so contemptable in themselves for beauties most gracious and attractive disputes and â—â—arrels about Religion would be soon composed for the naturall comlinesse of the one and the uglinesse of the others covered onely with a painted exteriour would easily discover themselves My endeavour therefore shall be to unbeguile these people and shew them both parties as they are in their own native colours for effecting of which I have chosen a new medium or at least a new manner ofproposing the old many Elaborate works have been published in Vindication of the true Faith and in confutation of falshood which undoubtedly were convincing enough but because both experience and the ingenuous acknowledgement of many teach that though the intellect in many thousands rest convinced yet the will holds back and will not execute what the understanding dictates ought to be done Therefore I resolving not to be backward in contributing my endeavours towards the common good thought it not a misse to handle this great businesse of Religion by way of Meditation rather than by that of argumentation as being the most efficacious way to move the will besides its being the most clear and easie way of propounding things to the understanding especially since the subject I take in hand is both spiritual and proper for Meditation to wit the marks of the church For who can doubt but Sanctity of life and Doctrine the gift of Miracles and of Prophesying conversion of Souls Martyrdome and the like are a very connaturall matter for Meditation But as the best masters of spirit advise that in delivering matter to Meditate upon some points or considerations be suggested to the exercitant thereby to facilitate the businesse for him and yet that all that may be considered upon such a subject be not ambitiously introduced least the others understanding be prevented and forestalled So have I in this little work endeavoured to proceed setting down upon each matter only some chief considerations which may give the Reader occasion to search further himself I have also added some affections and Colloquies thereby to further the motions of the will As for the matter of the ensuing Meditations to wit the Marks of the Church this I may truly say of them that as they are in themselves a most noble matter and most worthy of a Christians Meditation and Study so are they of all other the most facile 〈◊〉 forcible means whereby to finde out the true Church That Catholick who hath a desire to make a quick dispatch of his Adversary let him encounter him with these Weapons they are an unknown treasure and not unlike to Aristoles Topicks in that they are as it were common places or fountains out of which reasons and arguments both to impugn false Sects and also to defend the Orthodox Religion are easily at any time drawn Art thou demanded the reason why thou art a Catholick Answer Because that Religion hath the marks of Christs true church upon it and consequently is it Art thou desirous to find out that onely soul-saving Faith of Christ look where thou canst finde these marks and there thou hast it and where these are wanting assuredly there the true Church is not Hast thou a mind truly to understand how incomparable a benefit God hath bestowed upon thee in making thee a member of that church out of w ch no salvatioÌ„ can be hoped for read and meditate this matter which will inform thee Roman Catholicks indeed have more and clearer texts out of the propheticall apostolick writers than any other Sect can introduce in their own behalf yet the latter have always evasions either by appealing from one sentence to another or else by insisting upon their own private exposition reduce them therefore to this matter of the marks of the Church and you will soon have them fast One thing is worthy yea necessary to be well understood by all and this is that the marks of the Church which are the motives in point of religion may be considered two ways to wit either as they are antecedent to faith or as they are subsequent and things themselves believed with divine faith for all christians who receive the the scriptures for divine must believe with divine faith that Christ gave to his church the gift of working miracles of prophesyings that the church is but one and antienter than all other Sects amongst christians that in it there are holy members that its doctrin is holy and efficacious to convert souls that it hath continued ever since christs time shal do stil untill the world have an end that the prophesies of the old law are fulfilled by christ and his church all these or the most of them must be believed as divine truths by christians for they are expressed in the holy scripture as will appear in the first point of the succeeding meditations So that sectaries must believe the true Church to be where these marks are But the same things may be also considered as they are preceding divine Faith and go before it yea or wholly independent of it and in this acception only they are motives of credibility yet most powerfully perswasive For by demonstrating to Athiests Pagans or other non-Christians out of humane history and out of the scriptures received only for books of humane authority yet held by thousands of prudent and learned men for authenticall and of great credit that such and such prodigious things or miracles and the like may be urged in strange predictions of future things contingent fulfilled in a strange contempt of worldly things and in some other such like rareties are recounted by so many authors of the greatest humane authority this cannot but convince them that there is a Deity that this Diety rules the World by a most wise Providence that the same Deity by order of good consequence is to be worshipped by some form of Religion and that that is in all likelihood yea in all certainty the most credible and true the professors of which are conspicuous by such things as out
sufficiency of the signes and marks by which God gives testimony that the doctrine of Christs Church is truly Orthodox Of this the Prophet David who by an anticipated knowledge which he had by divine instinct of the whole frame and composure of Christs Church uttered these most pat and pithy words Testimonia tua credibilia facta sunt nimis Thy testimonies are made too credible By which Hebraisme nimis he means that they are very credible and that that Church which is illustrated and confirmed with the testimonies of such marks as can be imprinted upon it by God only deserves to be credited in all things Our Saviour himself sent no other demonstration to Saint John of his being the Messias but this Go and tell John what ye have heard and seen the blind see the lame walke the leprous are clensed the deaf hear the dead rise and he urged the same argument when he said that the Jews had not been guilty of sin to wit of infidelity and disbelieving his doctrine if he had not effected amongst them works which no other mortall man was able to do The blind man who together with his corporal eyes had also those of his soul opened by Christ urged the same argument against them averring that it was a thing unheard of since the creation of the world that a man could give sight to the blind unlesse God were with him And Nicodemus yeelded to the like argument by his ingenious and voluntary acknowledgement that our Saviour was a teacher sent by God because no man could do those miracles which he did unlesse God were with him so that the sufficiency of these marks is perfectly established out of Scripture it self Ponder secondly how reason dictates that greater inducements and powerfuller perswasives cannot be brought to conciliate authority and esteem to a Religion than the above mentioned marks are for they are above the ability and reach of nature onely God or such as to whom God delegates this power can cause so prodigious effects Saint Austin and the holy Fathers urged these marks as strong maximes against all Heresies as they sprung up yea they themselves were kept within the bosome of the Catholike Church by these strong and sweet chains as appeared by their Writings Adde to this the conversions of Ethnick and idolatrous Nations what was it else but the forcible and powerfull charms if they may be be so termed of these strange priviledges and prerogatives with which the preachers of Christian doctrine to them were endowed which drew them from infidelity yea and barbarity to Christianity The fourth Point Consider lastly some inferences which may be drawn out of the precedent points First those that are already members of the Catholike Church have much to thank God for in being made members of that Church which is so very conspicuous with these rare endowments and proprieties Secondly since these marks here-briefly touched but in the ensuing pages more particularly to be looked into apart are on the one side so necessary and on the other so sufficient and satisfactory to reason it behoves every Protestant Presbyterian Independent Anabaptist and all these late Euthusiasticks to try the truth of their severall Sects by these touchstones Thirdly That he who makes a search after the true Religion by the direction of these marks proceeds most prudently and cannot be obnoxious to errour in his enquiry Fourthly that this is both the most convincing and also the most easie way of composing all Controversies for by this you may easily discover the true Church which being found out all are obliged to embrace it and 〈…〉 and to its verdict in all things and the Scripture whose obscure texts abused and variously interpreted have given occasion of these and of all Heresies will by this means need no searching into Lastly For a preparation to the ensuing meditations infer what dictamen and disposition a man is to come with that will benefit his soul by reading them First he must observe that there is a great difference betwixt Affirmative and Negative Propositions in this subject for it is evident that that Sect or Religion is not the true Church which is devoid of these marks why because they are inseparable from the true Church as will hereafter appear out of the first points of many of the Meditations Yet on the contrary you must not think that wheresoever any of these marks is to be found there is the true RELIGION for God can give a man power to work miracles or prophesie truly though he be of a false Sect but not in confirmation of that false Sect So Julian the Apostate going to sacrifice to the heathenish Gods and terrified with the sudden apparition of the devill he instantly drive him away by making the signe of the crosse which he had learned when he was a Catholike thus writes St. Greg. Naz. and Nicephorus recounts that the Persians bore the signe of the Crosse graven upon their Foreheads in memory of their being delivered from the plague by arming themselves as they were taught by the Christians with the same signe Now these examples make nothing against Roman Catholikes but confirm their tenent Secondly he must come with indifferency otherwise he cannot be an impartial and fit judge without any prejudicate opinion without passion and without obstinate resolution of persisting where he is be his Sect what it will be for this were affected ignorance which is malice and such an one is he of whom God complains saying Noluit intelligere ut beue ageret He would not understand whereby to do well this is dangerous this hath too great affinity with hardnesse of heart the greatest of all miseries and punishments in this life but read them with a desire of your own profit and spiritual good and then you will find just cause to say with King David to Almighty God Testimonia tua credibilia facta sunt nimis thy testimonies to wit the testimonies and marks of thy Church are made too credible that is very credible meaning thereby that the Church in behalf of which God gives these signes and testimonies deserves to be credited in whatsoever she propounds Yet it is worth taking notice of that the protestant translatours of the Bible interpret the forementioned words of the Psalme 93 with them thus Thy testimonies are very sure using here their wonted manner of explicating places that savour Catholike Tenents equivocally obscurely or two largely and without the restrictions which the places require For these words do not expresse the motives of credibility as the former do The Fifth Meditation Of Miracles The first Point COnsider first that Miracles are a mark of Christs true Church These signes sayes our Saviour of his Church shall follow them that believe in me in my name shall they cast out Devils they shall speake with new tongues they shall take up Serpents and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt
other sorts of people so have they most excellent instructions given them by holy and learned men 4. Fasting so much commended and extolled by holy scripture in the lovers of it how can it but be very conducing to vertue since it weakens vertues adversaries the rebellion of the Flesh inordinate passions and the malignant humours both of body and soul so much as experience teaches the Roman Catholicks surpasse all others in this 5. Another great advantage they have above all others and that is the direction of their spiritual Pastors and Ghostly Fathers upon whom as there is a most strict charge laid that they have care of their spirituall children so they discharge that duty most exactly 6. The Doctrine they teach especially that of good Works Works of Supererogation Penance and Satisfaction is a great spurre and mover to perfection 7. To omit other instrumental causes of vertue and devotion that admirable and plainly divine invention and institution of Religious Orders differing one from another in their manner of living but most unanimous in beliving is plainly an admirable means to get vertue by yea that state of life is properly the schoole of perfection it self and by these you see how abundantly the Roman Catholicks are supplied with means for attaining to sanctity to these also may be added other particular helps mentioned in the second point of the first Meditation Consider secondly how Catholicks correspond with these great helps they have for the expulsion of Vice and purchase of Vertue The Church commands each one that 's come to the years of discretion to approach once a year to the holy Communion but commends a more frequent accesse What do they do hundreds in every great Town yea thousands in some repaire not once a year but once every week to that divine banquet they are commanded to confesse their sins to the Priests whose power to forgive sins was most assuredly given by Christ in these expresse and clear words Whose soever sins ye remit are remitted unto them Once a year yet thousands of them go to that Sacrament once every week They are commanded to be present at holy Masse every Sunday and Holyday yet besides these dayes thousands of them in every great Town perform that act of Religion every day is not this a true compliance with the forementioned means Are not these works of Supererogation a fair way to perfection These instances alone argue how much these people are addicted to prayer what good they get by their spirituall directors and how they fulfill that doctrine of good Works As for Fasting that soveraigne antidote against the sins of the Flesh Roman Catholicks are admired by all Sectaries for this as for upright dealing in civill contracts they have the repute of being generally the left injurious or unjust nor does any sort of peoples word go further than theirs even in treating with those who are averse from their opinions And truly to see so many of them families of great worth in this our Nation live so contentedly amongst the ruines of their great Fortunes which they might have kept intire in great part by once going with those of a different Religion to Church or swallowing over that one Oath yet would not this must needs argue a great fidelity to their religious Principles and a great esteem of vertue and piety in them as for these holy inhabitants of religious Monasteries they live as if they would win heaven which suffers force even by very violence such is their study of persection so intense their prayers so protracted their fastings so long their watchings so continual their study of self denial carrying their crosses and following their Saviour the things so much recommended by him to all by an exact imitation of heroicall vertues Who now can deny but the Roman Catholicks take to heart the study of perfection and that science of the Saints which is sanctity Compare these and Sectaries together and see what sequels follow Consider thirdly the number of their Saints behold a short Catalogue of some few of them in every Age besides the Apostles Disciples and others these following lived in the first Age Saint Dennis Linus Cletus Clement Martialis Thecla and others 2. Ignatius Policarp Justine Vincent Irenaeus Eleutherius Lucius Felicitas 3. Tiburtius Valerianus Cecily Barbara Agnes Agatha Laurence Xirtus George S. Gregory Thaum 4. Nicholas Antony Hilarion Hellen Athanasius Hilary Basil Gregory Naz. Hierom Ambrose Epiphanius 5. Chrysostome Augustine Paulinus Alexius Vrsula Lutrick Leo Germanus Simeon Stelites 6. Columbe Columbane Genovesa Siverius Leonard Leander Hermingildus Gregory the great 7. Isidore Aidan Edwin Oswald Cuthbert Theodore Benedict Ebbe Cesarius Lambert Eugenius 8. Bede S. John Damascen Germanus Cuthlack Grimwald Hubert 9. Sabinus Geroldus Ludgerus Rumoldus Nicetas Rembertus Swithin 10. Wenceslaus Dunstan Bruno Odocluniacensis Romaldus Elphegus Guibert 11. Henry the Emperour Edward Conf. Lanfrank Anselme Stanislaus Ivo Bruno Carthusianus Robert 12. Malachy Bernard William Norbert S. Thomas of Canterbury S. Hugh Bishop of Lincolne 13. Dominick Francis Mary Ognes Thomas Aquinas Bonaventure Gertrude 14. Roche Christina Sumlensis Gertrude ab Oesten Catharine of Sienna 15. Bernardinus senensis Viucentius Laurence Justinian Antoninus Colecta Francis of Paula Ignatius Loyola Francis Xaverius Philip Nereus Teresa Carolus Borom To these many thousands more might be added yea the English Martyrologe alone affords us Saints of our own Country for every day in the year Now that these were Saints and also Roman Catholicks it is evident First because all the whole Roman Church not any one expressing in the least the contrary acknowledgeth them for such and upon that score honoureth them Secondly because their written lives and Ecclesiasticall History do evidently evince the same Thirdly the practice of their lives and their opinions demonstrate that they were Roman Catholicks for they all honoured and obeyed the Pope as supream head of the Church next after Christ they practised Invocation of Saints Prayer for the faithfull departed saying or hearing holy Masse Priestly power to remit sins and other tenents now held by Roman Catholicks yea their very enemies the Magdeburgian Centurists acknowledge many of them for Saints even of the latest of them as S. Bernard S. Malachy S. Dominick S. Francis and others and grant that they held these foresaid opinions The third Point Consider now the state and condition of other Sectaries in point of sanctity First they have no means to acquire it whilest they remain as they are They deny that Priests have power to forgive sins and consequently make no use of that Sacrament their Communion they grant is but bare bread and consequently it cannot sanctifie them for publick worship there is none now in any sect in England a Psalm is all that is now extant of publick service amongst them and that rejected by most and for private prayer certainly they spend little time in it at least they do nothing that 's comparable to what the
honour of both and greater expressions of divine perfections than the adversary opinions are Is it not better to have more means for obtaining divine grace and consequently more Sacraments the instrumentall causes of it than fewer to receive the real body blood of Christ is not that a more noble memorial of Christs a thing more beneficiall to man and more honourable to God than a bit of Bread onely and a sup of Wine Is it not farre more beneficial for frail and sinfull men that Christ give Priests power to remit and forgive them their sins than otherwise that the Church of Christ be conspicuous and visible in all Ages that it be liable to no defectibility or fallibility that it have easie and accessible means for the decision of Controversies that some stately and majesticall form of worship be exhibited to the divine Majesty as also that a sacrifice of some rare thing such as is the precious body blood of Christ be offered daily to that infinite deity that there be an Ecclesiastical Hierarchy ascending by different degrees up till it come to one supream head to whom all are to yeeld obedience do not these make more for the Churches perfection Gods honour and glory than the contrary Frame to thy self a lively Idea of the congruity of these particulars with Gods and his Churches greater honour look upon these instances with a judicious eye and conclude that in case it were doubtfull whether the affirmative or negative opinion were truer in these points yet since one of the two must be embraced choose that which is most conducing to the honour of God and his Church The second consideration is that the opinions of the Roman Catholicks these in particular now urged and others which will be mentioned hereafter are more suitable and consonant to the holy scriptures than their contradictories are For the better intelligence of which observe these two rules whereof the first is clear places of scripture must be preferred in point of proof before hard and obscure ones the other is many texts of Scripture must be a greater argument than fewer caeteris paribus these two rules can be rejected by none but such as conscious of their own unjust plea will come to no try all at all Now conformably to these rules it is apparently evident that Roman Catholicks bring more and clearer places out of the scriptures to establish the truth of the forementioned opinions and others which they hold than their adversaries can possibly bring to the contrary Read any Catholick book of Controversie and you will see the truth of what is here affirmed and by the way note also how this consideration strengthens and fortifies the truth of the former The third consideration is that the tenents of Roman Catholicks are more conducing to the security of mens salvation than the Negative opinions are in this corruption of humane nature vitiated by that Original sin of our protoparent Adam the flesh wages war continually against the spirit and the inferiour against the superiour portion of the soul and the issue of the war would be the undoing of the nobler part unlesse it had continuall recruits and supplyes both of auxiliary forces from heaven and made use also of Fasting Watching and self-denial and other asperities and mortifications for these are the ordinary arms with which the rebellious passions vicious inclinations must be curb'd these are the things so much recomended in the scriptures both Propheticall and Apostolicall these are the things recommended unto us all by Christ himself when he bid us deny our selves take up our crosses follow him as also when he bid us go in the narrow way and enter in at the strait gate Now this is the very doctrine of Roman Catholicks and only of them They both in their Pulpits and with their pennes inculcate these vertues continually witnesse the many rare Treatises written by their Priests upon that subject as also of the angelical vertue Chastity and of the Sacrament of Confession which is accompanied with the exercise of most virtuous acts of Contrition Penance purposes of emendation of satisfying for injuries done and removing the occasions of relapses all which vertues as they are contrary to self-ease the wild liberty of flesh and blood so they keep off sin secure salvation so much the more and thus you see how their doctrine teaches to decline from evill by the aforesaid means as for doing good which is the second part of the works of Christian duty it is most certain that their doctrine favours this and leads to this most effectually for they teach that the commandements of God may be kept and that the difficulty of observing them is not insuperable They teach that man hath a free liberty of will not onely to doe evill but good also They teach that mans works done in vertue of Christs merits and united with them may be good and meritory of an increase of grace and glory These opinions cannot but animate a man towards the keeping of divine precepts and doing all the good he can and consequently bring a greater security of salvation Which if thou takest to heart truly thou must like love and embrace this doctrine The third Point Consider now whether or no the doctrine of other Sectaries now swarming in England be holy and wholsome and how helpfull it is to the saving of soules this will appear by a short survey made of those particulars which are commonly held by them all first behold what a pitiful poor and naked thing they make the Church of Christ by w ch Church is here meant not this or that Church which either Roman Catholicks or other Sects call Christs Church and theirs but prescinding from controversie about whose or where it is we mean the Church of Christ secundum se and which all Sects must grant Christ hath upon earth this they devest of all the ornaments which become it and the founder of it They deny it to be of infallible authority and say it can and hath erred they will not admit it to be the judge of Controversies nay nor to have been in all ages visible they deny that Priests have power to remit sins which is contrary to the expresse words of Christ and contrary to the Book of Common Prayer and they averre that Christ hath not left his real and true body and blood to be received by Christians nor that there is in the Church any true proper or propitiatory sacrifice and since sacrifice is so great an act of Religion as it is by depriving the Church of Christ of this they undervalue the Church and monarchicall government which even Aristotle a heathen could define to be the best for keeping of order they deny Christs Church a man would think that God who does all things in number weight and measure should have made the Church a master-piece of his wisdome power and goodnesse the Roman Catholicks indeed
against that decree which was made against them at the Dyet in Germany Luther was presently writ against and confuted by many learned men in all Catholick Countries his Doctrine and he were condemned first by Pope Leo the tenth and afterward by the Councel of Trent so that Luthers going out and the beginning of his new Sect are most certainly known and recounted by many Yea the falshood and novelty of Luthers doctrine as also his going out of the Roman Church and that the said Church of Rome is Christs true Church is plainly demonstrated further by this thing which is most worthy to be taken notice of At that time when Luther began his new sect there were not in the world any Religions but these the Roman Paganisme Judaisme Mahometisme the relicks of Nestorianisme in Greece and some Hussites in Germany some one of these was Christs true Church for he had a visible Church upon earth Therefore the Roman must be it for even the Lutherans deny that any of the other could be it Hence infer first that Luther could not but know that he went out and separated himself from Christs Church by forsaking all Churches one of which he knew must be it Secondly that he could not but know that the Roman Church was it thirdly that supposing the Church of Rome were it which must be supposed or else the denyers must say Christ had no true Church upon earth it could not be guilty of any Heresie or Idolatry nor give any just cause to Luther of going out of it and consequently by his revolt from the communion of it he incurred the sin of schisme by teaching doctrine contrary to it he fell into the sin of heresie Fourthly that all that entered into that schismaticall league with him and embraced his opinions were guilty of the same sins so far forth as ignorance did not make their acts involuntary Fifthly that that schisme unlawfully begun by Luther cannot be lawfully continued by others and therefore all that are not Roman Catholicks expose themselves to evident danger of their souls unless they return to the communion of the Roman Church The fourth Point Consider now what may be drawn out of all the precedent points first that antiquity is not onely a mark of the true Church but it is one by which even the most ignorant soules may easily finde out which is the true Church and which are late sects and consequently false for a smal enquiry will bring them to the knowledge of which Religion is of the longest standing and a far lesse will discover unto them which are of the latest for of Luther above mention is made Calvin begun at Geneva anno 1538. and Protestant Religion in England begun under Queen Elizabeth though some symptoms of falling into it were difcovered in her predecessor Edward the sixth his dayes as is evident out of John Stows Chronicle and other Protestant Writers as also out of the Stature book 2. That since according to Saint Austins rule which is that if there be any thing practised in the Church universally and no time of its being introduced can be assigned that thing is to be supposed to have its first origin from the Apostles times no known beginning of the Roman Catholick Religion since the daies of the Apostles can be specified it must be the true Religion On the contrary since both the going out from the Roman Church and also the first beginnings of all later Sects are easily demonstrable none of these can be true or a soul saving Religion 3. That all who are not Roman Catholicks for these know it have great reason yea are obliged to inform themselves about the requisitenesse of antiquity in point of Religion For by a neglect of this they expose themselves to the danger of making an imprudent choice to the great prejudice of their soules whereas a compliance with this obligation of searching after the antiquity of Religion will bring them easily to a perfect insight into the defectivenesse and falshood of all save only that Religion of the Roman Catholicks Inquire therefore of the old paths you who are out of that way which your Ancestors held for above eight hundred years together in England before Luther was born you who have left the true worship of God and sacrifice to the Idols of your own fancies learn that lesson well which Moses reads to you Do ye thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise remember the dayes of old consider the years of many generations ask thy Father and he will shew thee thy Elders and they will tell thee What The ancient being and truth of the Catholick Religion and the non-entity of these late ones of our miserable times The Eleventh Meditation Of Unity The first Point Consider first that the true Church of Christ is but one The Scriptures Councels Fathers History and Reason prove this truth imprint in thy minde the many divine Oracles with which the true God of Wisdome hath confirmed this One is my Dove my perfect one Cant. 6. One God one Faith one Baptisme one body one spirit sayes Saint Paul Ephes 4. who also recommends to all Christians most earnestly that they will stand fast in one spirit with one minde Phil. 1.27 and that they will be like minded having the same love being of one accord and one minde Phil. 2.2 in all which places and many more he exhorts to unity in Faith Judgment and opinion Our Saviour every where speaks of his Church in the singular number tell the Church upon this rock will I build my Church intimating thereby it is but one the General Councell of Nice and Constantinople received by Protestants define and professe in their Creed that the Catholick Church is but one the holy Fathers all unanimously fight for the unity of Christs Church against Hereticks and schismaticks and History delivers unto posterity the continued succession of Popes Bishops Priests Doctours Confessors Virgins and Martyrs for fifteen centuries of years together and more all whose lives deaths books and blood have published signed and sealed their attestations that there is but one Church the Roman Church which is the Catholick Church Consider secondly and that seriously what forces natural reason brings to establish this Unity verity it self is but one and that indivisible and propositions contradictory cannot possibly be both true how then can Sects or Religions contradicting one another in one and the self same points be more than one of them true Different Nations people of different callings and qualities may meet in conjunction together and make one and the same body in Faith and Religion as it happened in the Primitive Church But different Sects and People of a contrary beliefe about the self same material objects or points of Faith for example about the real presence of Christs body in the Eucharist about Justification about Purgatory about the infallible Authority of the Church and such like cannot
is the ordinary sequel punishment of schisme witnes England from the Church of Rome and so by denying due Allegiance to that See they became by the judgments of God to be made subject to the Turk To the See of Rome therefore all these Nations in point of Religion were then subject Adde to these Italy Spain Sicily France Scotland and England which were all under the same obedience After the death of that holy Pope new Nations came in with their voluntary subjection to the Roman See apace Flaunders with the other Low Countryes and adjacent places and Germany with its adherent Provinces and after these Denmark and Sweathland Russia Norway Poland Hungary and Transylvania All these Kingdoms and Countries with their Kings and Princes became voluntary subjects to the See of Rome and so persisted many hundred years till Luthers licentious doctrine began to seduce Germany and to give occasion of new heresies and many revolts both from their tenporal Princes their Spiritual Prelats and their true and Antient Religion Such is the nature of heresy Consider secondly how far the limits and bounds of the Roman Religion extend themselves in these our dayes all Italy Venice Sicily Spaine and Portugal with many other adjacent Hands are intirely Roman Catholick France excepting some places hath every Towne and Province of the same Religion of the seventeen Provinces the far greater part is intirely Catholicke and of Germany more than three parts are Faithful professours of the same Roman Faith as also of Poland and Hungary add to these the many hundred thousands of Roman Catholicks mixt promiscuously amongst other Sectaries in England Holland Sweathland Denmark the revolted Townes in Germany and Switzerland and other the like places And then Consider whether this be not that mark of Magnitude and far extended bounds promised by the Prophets to Christs Church Let us passe further And first into Affrica all which Simon Lathus the Protestant sayes the Jesuits have filled with their Idols he means that they have planted the Roman Religion every where in it From thence let us passe over the main Ocean every way and further then ever any earthly Empire went to the East Indies to the west America to the north in Japan and to the south in Brasil and from thence into the furthest and vastest Kingdom in the world China into all these have the Roman Priests advanced the royal Standard of Christs Crosse Fables which had the liberty to attribute to their Heroes and Baccus and Hercules what feats and travails they pleased never fained so much as these men have really affected in their extending the dominions of the Roman Faith Caesar and Alexander never went near where these are now Preaching Christianity nor had the old Roman Empire near so great Dimensions of longitude and latitude as the Spiritual Empire of the Church of Rome now hath and it dayly gets ground and continually dilates it selfe for these more then Herculean labourers there find still plus ultra O that our natives of England were but spectators awhile of the infatigable and succesful labours of these Roman Priests they would see in them most clearly these signa Apostolatus those signes of Apostle-ship signes of truly Apostolical men which would make them have an other manner of opinion of them and the Religion they all preach But one thing more is most worthy of a mature consideration and that is that the Roman Catholicks in these foreign Nations are not confined to a private exercise of their Religion as Catholicks in England are but there are whole Townes yea Countryes and those many intirely Catholick and without any mixture of Infidels and in these there are Churches many and richly adorned and Collegies as at Goa Mexico and in many places besides in which the studies of Humanity Philosophy and Divinity are taught And in this posture are Catholick affairs in these many and vast Nations converted to Christianity by Roman Priests Hence we infer that it was thee Rome and thy Faith to which these large promisses of Nations for thy inheritance were made for in thee only they have bin performed And since the bounds of the earth are given to thee who can deny but they were promissed to thee The third Point Consider now and make a survey of the greatest and most populous Sect now extant in Europe But if the distinction of Sects be taken from the different body of Articles or different number of points of Faith as really it must there will be no proportion or degree of comparison betwixt the Roman Catholicks and any one Sect left For he that will hold that the number of Roman Catholicks in Holland or England is as Copious as any one sect taken according to this true distinction of sect from sect in either Nation holds a very probable opinion But take all Sects now on foot amongst Christian Countries Conglobate them all into one by aggregation yet their dominions would not out reach yea equalize the above mentioned bounds of the Roman Church Look upon the compendium of the earth either the Map or Globe and your eye will satisfy your understanding in this point As for great Personages amongst Sectaries What and how many Magnificent Benefactors hath any of these Sects or all together had As for the Religion of the Roman Catholicks Kings indeed hath been its nursing Fathers Queens its nursing Mothers such were Constantine and Hellen such were Lucius Ethelbert Inas Ethelred Oswald Alfred Edward and many others in England such were Lewis in France Richardus in Spaine Casimer in Poland Stephen in Hungary Wenceslaus in Bohemia Canutus in Denmark Henry and many of the house of Austria in the Empire In fine such were Cimegundis Blanch the Elizabeths of Hungary and Portingal with many more of that sex O royal souls be ever Crowned with Glory for managing your earthly Crownes so well towards the maintaining of the Church of Christ Well did you know that to serve Christ was to reigne and that so to reigne was the means to reigne eternally The great ones which ruled where Sectaries swarmed such were the Duke of Saxony the King of Denmark Queen Elizabeth the Palsgrave the Landgrave of Hesse the Prince of Orange the King of Sweathland what Universities what Bishopricks what Abbeyes what Churches Chappels and Altars have they founded yea rather what have they not destroyed Now confer dominions parallel Princes and compare Religions together and then chose according to equity and prudence The fourth Point Out of what hath been here handled make these reflections in order to thy Spiritual profit First that since large extent of limits hath been promissed to Christs Church and since it is patently apparent that only the Roman Church hath this Amplitude none but it can be Christs true Church Secondly that since the Scriptures in the first point cited with other places in Isay and Daniel as also the great promisses made by God to Abraham and
hath got the better in fine all injustices and outrages would be committed and no malefactours punished without a living judge and that such an one as from whose sentence there is no appeal Now if these instances prove as they do most effectually the requisitnesse of a living judge for the upholding of all true civill judicature and government much more is a living judge necessary in ecclesiasticall in which matters of Faith and Religion and consequently of eternal moment are to be tryed The second Point To understand how easie and efficacious means the true Church of Christ hath for the composing of Controversies Consider first that it belongs to the divine providence which extends it selfe to a care over every the least individuum of the most contemptible species amongst natural things not to let his Church want any thing of those which are required ad melius esse much more to supply it with what 's absolutely necessary as means clear and easie for the judging of Controversies is Secondly what perfection the Jewish Synagogue had in this kinde that à fortiori is to be supposed in Christs Church for it was but the handmaid this the Spouse if the shaddow this the Sun if the type this the reall thing prefigured if it had a living judge an infallible judge who was to shew the truth of judgment and a judge to whose final sentence that people was to stand upon pain of death shall the Church of Christ in which the most weighty controversies of divine Faith and eternal salvation are raised every foot by Hereticks want such means Assuredly no. Consider thirdly the many Texts of Scripture yea and as clear in the confirmation of this as of any point whatsoever by which the Church of Christ is impowred with an infallible authority for deciding Controversies even of the highest nature All power is given to me in heaven and in earth goe ye therefore and teach all Nations Mat. 28. in which words the emphasis of that particle theresore intimateth that a powerfull Commission was given them and consequently of teaching without danger of erring and that it was not given to them onely but also to their successors the ensuing words Behold I am with you alwayes even unto the end of the world Luke 10. Convince He that beareth you beareth me and be that despiseth you despiseth me If he will not hear the Church let him be to thee as a heathen and Publican Matt. 18.17 Our Saviour sayes of his Church that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it Mat. 16. And he sayes in most significant words that the holy Ghost shall teach the Church all truth Jo. 16. O divine spirit since you cannot but perform what our Saviour promised this teaching of the Church all truth what do they deserve that accuse it of truth And indeed either the verity of Christs promise or the fidelity of the holy Ghosts performance is questioned when the true Churches Infallible Authority is doubted of or its erring avouched The third Point Consider now that since the true Church of Christ where ever it be now hath his infallible power of resolving all doubts in matters of Faith as the forementioned places of scripture besides many more confirm and since some one of the various religions now extant in the world must be Christs true Church and have this power for still there is a Church and it the Ground and Pillar of Truth Tim. 1.3 let us see what Church sympathizeth best or rather is as some one must be identified with Christs true Church in this point and by good consequence in all others First therefore this infallible judge and composer of all controversies in Christs Church formerly could be no other than either the head of it or some representative body of the Church or both joyntly together no other means of having a living judge can more probably yea or possibly be affigned for all the mombers of the church men women children cannot be collected together into one consult we see also that a Parliament in w ch some one is president above the is the representative body of a Kingdom or Common wealth and what it being a law full one acts is the act of the whole Nation we know more over that in the primitive Church this judge was no other but such an one as is here intended to wit the chief pastor and head of the Church or a General Councel or both and by such a judge was Arius condemned to wit by the Councel of Nice in which Hosius Bishop of Corduba in Spain was Presidentin the place of Pope Silvester who sent him and confirmed the acts of that Councel So was Macedonius condemned in the first Councel of Constantinople So Nestorius in the Ephesine Councel so Eutiches in the Councel of Calcedon so in all suceeding ages Controversies as they rise were decided and Hereticks condemned after the foresaid manner therefore that living judge so necessary must be such an one Consider secondly that the same praxis hath alwayes been held in the Roman Church and is held still eighteen general Councels have been called and confirmed by the supream Bishops or Popes of Rome the first whereof was the Nicene Councel and the last the Councel of Trent in which sate six Cardinalls four Legates three Patriarks thirty two Archbishops and Bishops two hundred and twenty eight besides Abbots Generals of Religious orders and a great number of divines sent by such Bishops as for infirmity or other just reasons could not be present And that this Councell was not of as great Authority as any of the first four were can never be proved all that can be urged against this Councell must be grounded upon that false and ungrounded but dreadfull fince all Sectaries venter their salvation upon on the same supposition that the Roman Church hath fallen from the true and Primitive Faith Prove this your supposition you miserable men which you could never yet prove or be converted or loose your souls of which you run a most desperate hazard by forsaking that Church which is acknowledged by your selves to have been once the true Church meerly upon Luthers hare word that it hath lost the true faith Consider thirdly that since there is no other Church now in the world but the Roman Church which holds the same way and manner of deciding controversies which the Primitivs church held nay nor hath any means to procure such a judge for want of a head to call and confirm a Generall Councel and Bishops to consult enact and see that the inferiour Pastours put in execution what was enacted Hence it follows that the Roman Church is the onely true Church of Christ The fourth Point Consider lastly that since Sectaries reject the authority of the Popes nor can have General Councels and consequently no living judge they must fly either to scripture alone or to the private spirit As for the scripture first it cannot perform the Office
by sudden death before the morning came Oecolampadius going well in health to bed with his woman was found next morning lying stone dead by her an untimely end as is to be feared for one who had been not onely a Priest but was tyed also to the religious order of St. Briget with the triple cord of his three Vowes some Suppose hee was killed by the Devil others write that hee killed himselfe Nor was the end of Carolstadius less terrible for of him the Ministers of Basil write in their Funeral Epistle of him that hee was killed by the Devill he had been Archdeacon of Wittenberg and a Priest but presently upon Luthers revolt sided with him and took a Concubine Zuinglius who had been a Canon of Constance the incendiary of a bloody civill warre in his own Country was at last massacred in one of the battels himself his pretence was to extirpate Popery and to plant the Reformed religion as they called it But Erasmus in his Epistle to Goclenius sayes plainly That the aym of Zuinglius as also of Oecolampadius was tyranny and that they affected some temporall dominion Osiander before his miserable end was suddenly struck dumb like a beast as may be read in Prateolus And Calvin's end was by being eaten up by Vermine the horrour of which punishment and the frightfull terrours injected into his conscience made him spend his last minutes as Hierom Bolsecus writes in execrations and blasphemous ejaculations with invocation of the Devils O dreadfull punishments tragicall and dismall deaths untimely ends so truly spoke St. Paul when he said It is a horrible thing to fall into the hands of God Heb. 10.31 so truly said David that God is Terrible in his counsels upon the sons of men Psal 66.5 and can you still adhear to those your sects which had such founders Still persecute the Church of Rome and read such punishments Harken rather to what the Prophet saies and fulfill his words yea the words of God Love ye peace and verity saith the Lord Omnipotent Zach. 8 Consider lastly the unsuccessefull affairs and finall ends of three secular Princes who in their several countries did most harm to Roman Catholicks King Henry the eighth in England William Nassaw in the Low countries and Gustavus Adolphus in Germany they had been all three once Roman Catholicks and how sad enemies they proved afterwards to the persons places and practice of that Religion and yet not so much out of hatred of that religion as to compasse their other designs few are ignorant but they themselves were overwhelmed in the ruines they made and of the tragedies by them begun the Catastrophe fell chiefly upon them The one was delivered over to his own sensuality and made a slave to it even his very body was metamorphized out of that of a man almost into that of a monster he sunk still deeper into sin till his souls danger grew almost desperate and all his latter years were full of punishments of his Schisme and Sacriledge The second when death rushed in at the windows of those wounds which the bullets made in his breast and carried him presently to render up the accounts of his Stewardship to God and his King was not the heavy hand of God upon him The third after an ocean of Innocent bloodshed in his unjust invasion of the Empire after such a ruine of Catholick Houses Villages Towns Cities Monasteries and Churches after such a ransack of Religion and threats against Rome and the Vicar of Christ himself to be killed without a moments respite to repaire what was amisse was not this a fearfull scourge of God undoubtedly it was Hence infer that the whole complex of these examples proves evidently that the Roman Catholicks are the true Church of Christ and for this reason amongst others because God hath laid so remarkable punishments upon their enemies and persecuters Secondly gather that these examples efficaciously prove against Atheists that there is a God who punisheth wickednesse Thirdly infer what misery and punishment Luther made himself lyable to for his giving the first Allarum to all the Heresies of these later times O Luther what got thou by imitating Lucifer thy pride and disobedience to the true Church was like his to God thy fall from that state which is a kinde of heaven upon earth was like to his and I fear thy doom is not unlike to his The twentieth Meditation Confession of the Adversaries The first Point FOr the Conclusion of this Work let the subject of this last Meditation be that which these late Sectaries grant in behalf of the Roman Church and against themselves Consider therefore that the Sectaries since Luthers time and particularly Protestants do grant and acknowledge many things in behalf of the Roman Catholicks First they confesse that the Fathers and Doctours of the Primitive Church believed and taught the same things which the Roman Catholicks now hold and in which they and other sectaries differ First That Saint Peter was ordained by Christ the head of the Apostles and of the whole Church 2. That the Bishop of Rome succeeded S. Peter in the Primacy of the whole Church 3. That the Books of Toby Judith Esther Wisdom Ecclestasticus and two first of the Machabees were truly Canonicall scripture 4. Traditions 5. The reall presence and Transubstantiation 6. That Masse was a sacrifice truly propitiatory for the living and the dead 7. That Christ gave Priests power to forgive sins and the necssity of auricular Confession 8. Pardon or Indulgences 9. Purgatory and Prayer for the dead 10. Praying to Angels and Saints 11. Placing Christs image and his Saints in Churches and reverencing them 12. Reverence to the relicks of Martyrs and other Saints 13. That such as were made Clergy-men could never afterwards marry 14. That not only Faith but also good works do truly justifie and that these are meritorious of grace and glory These and diverse other Tenents of the Roman Catholicks are acknowledged by chief Protestant Writers to have been taught believed and practiced by the antient Fathers That the protestant Writers confesse these points which indeed is a strange thing and utterly ruines their cause those learned and laborious works to wit the Protestants Apology the Progeny of Catholicks and Protestants as also many other Authors do most amply declare and cite the very words of all the chiefest Protestant Writers most faithfully about the the forementioned points Secondly they confesse that Roman Catholicks dying Roman Catholicks may be saved this the most of all Sectaries grant both in their Writings and in their ordinary discourse truly as this acknowledgment ought to bring no smal comfort to Catholicks when they reflect that they are of a religion which even in the opinion of their Adversaries is soul-saving so me thinks it should make a great impression upon others which are not Roman Catholicks and move them to embrace that religion in which all parties think and say men