of our Lord what was necessary to Salvation and to know his Divine Will in all things that they might do it and yet were never the nearer and got nothing That Speech of our Blessed Saviour will likewise prove false If you being evil know how to give good Gifts unto your Children how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the good Spirit to them that ask him Joh. 11.13 For the good Spirit cannot be had without a good Religion I omit other things which to this purpose might be alledged But if it be Blasphemy to say that God's Promises are false we must needs confess that these Men received of our Lord the true Faith and Religion Wherefore since 't is manifestly apparent that they were of the Roman Catholick Religion and stedfastly adher'd to the Church of Rome and detested any other Faith and Religion contrary to it 't is not to be doubted but that the Roman Catholick Religion is the true Religion and inspired of God and all other false and invented by the Devil To conclude if their Religion were false and that of any of our Adversaries true we must necessarily grant that all those men aforesaid whom the World ever esteemed Saints were not only no Saints nor the Friends of God but also impious and Enemies of God and for that cause damn'd to eternal Torments For without the true Religion it is impossible to please God Heb 11. Neither can it be said that they were excusable for their Ignorance Because Ignorance excuseth not but only in some less principal things and which are less necessary being so only by reason of some positive Precept and not in Fundamentals and first Principles Otherwise every one might be saved without any knowledge of God or Christ which is contrary to Scripture But if these erred as our Adversaries would have it they erred in the chiefest Points 1st because they did not acknowledge a special Faith by which alone we are justified and made partakers of Christ's Redemption and Justice and Sins not imputed to us as the Authors of these new Religions teach Therefore they remain'd in their Sins were destitute of Christ's Justice and consequently the Children of Hell 2dly Because by their own Judgment and Confession they were not of the Church of Christ out of which by the consent of all there is no Salvation but adher'd to the Whore of Babylon for so they call the Church of Rome and were the Ministers and chief Instruments of Anti-Christ 3dly Because they were Idolaters worshipping the Creature namely Bread and Wine in the Eucharist instead of Christ honouring Saints and their Images c. There is no Ignorance which can excuse these things Therefore all these Men were wicked and condemned to Hell-Torments But how improbable and incredible is all this and even against the Common Sence of all Christians that have hitherto been Mean while in all other Religions it is sufficiently manifest that none have ever appear'd of such eminent Sanctity in their Life and Conversation as to breed Admiration in the World For none could ever be named Their first Authors were earthly minded and addicted to Worldly Pleasures nothing exceeding in their Lives above the Vulgar nay rather guilty of the greatest Crimes But of this more shall be said hereafter Nor does it signifie any thing to say that also amongst Catholicks there are many An Objection refuted which are so far from leading holy Lives that they defile their Souls and Bodies with fundry Vices For they do not this by the grant and leave of their Religion which prohibits them and uses all means possible by threats punishments and promises to prevent and deter them Therefore their evil Life is in no wise to be attributed to their Religion nor can it argue the same to be imperfect For since there are three things to divert Man from Evil and excite him to Good that is the fear of Punishment hope of Reward and the beauty of good Works these three things the Catholick Religion most excellently propoundeth and inculcates every where to her Professors Therefore it omits nothing to make them sly Sin and encourage them to Vertue and Holiness And if any don't aspire to it we must not impute it to their Religion but their Free Will which frustrates and contradicts all these motives and encouragements But indeed if Catholick Religion should take away the fear of Punishment and hope of Reward and declare all good Works to be polluted with the stain of Sin then the pravity of Men's Lives and neglect of good Works might worthily be ascrib'd to it For as he that takes away the buttresses and props of a house which keeps it from falling is the cause of the house's Ruine so he that subtracts the fear of God or future Punishment whereby Men are restrain'd and kept back from falling into the gulph of Sin is the cause of their ruine Likewise he that takes away all that which is wont to animate to the study and practice of good Works is the occasion of such neglect and contempt of good Works Hereby is manifest that the neglect of good Works and the evil Life which are discerned in some Catholicks are not to be referred to their Religion but only to the liberty of their Will But in Lutherans Presbyterians and other Professors of new Religions it is to be imputed properly to their Religion which takes away all those things that are a hindrance to Evil and encouragement to Good as plainly appears by their Principles in their Books afore mentioned not excluding also in them that Free Will by which they become guilty in chusing and adhering to such a false Religion The Fourth Consideration from the Miracles of its Professors THat Religion wherein most Miracles have been done in all Ages is to be preferred before others which are without Miracles For Miracles are a kind of Seals and certain divine Evidences whereby Religion is authoriz'd and approv'd For since many things in Religion are above Nature exceeding humane Capacity and cannot be prov'd by natural reason there is need of certain supernatural Arguments to convince Men. These are Miracles But the Catholick Religion only is famous for Miracles therefore the only true Religion and to be esteemed above all others as that only which hath God for its Witness Now that many Miracles have been done in Confirmation of the Catholick Religion throughout all Ages since Christ's and his Apostles time is evident to all Christians by divers Histories the Annals of Kingdoms and the Lives and Acts of Saints But our Adversaries say these Miracles are not true Calv. p. fac in Instit but partly feigned and partly diabolical The which is void of all probability For it is against the Judgment of the whole World and of so many Ages For all Nations so many hundreds of years have without any scruple accounted them true Miracles For whoever doubted the Miracles of St Gregory Thaumaturge St. Anthony the
by the most blessed Virgin Mary which in the places where they are wrought are manifest to all and may he seen by every one with their Eyes and felt with their Hands which also after a strict examination by sworn Witnesses and publick Testimonies are confirm'd But say our Adversaries the true Miracles were to confirm the Gospel yours overthrow it Calv. prefac in Instit by setting up Idolatry that is the Worship of Relicks and Images Invocation of Saints the Mass c. therefore they are from the Devil But this is plain Sophism and is called a begging of the Question for they take for granted as a truth that which is to be proved and whereof the Controversy is For they suppose as a certain and undoubted truth that the Catholick Religion is false and thence they conclude that her Miracles are false and delusions of the Devil like the Scribes and Pharisees who first supposed Christ's Doctrine to be false and against the Law of Moses and then conclude that his Miracles were false and that he cast out Devils by Belzebub the Prince of the Devils Matth. 4.12 So the Heathens calumniated the Miracles of Martyrs saying they did them by Art-Magick And so did the Arians Eunomians and Vigilantians vilifie the Miracles of Catholicks as Victor St. Ambrose and St. Hierome writeth But we on the contrary Vict. Vticen l 2. de persecut Ambr. ser de S. Gervas Protas Hier. contr Vigil by the truth of Miracles which are perspicuous and obvious to all seen with their Eyes and felt with their Hands conclude the verity of the Catholick Religion about which is the Controversie for we read no where that Miracles are wrought in confirmation of false Doctrine as the Saints have done many in confirmation of the truth of the Roman Catholick Faith Did ever any Heretick raise the Dead give sight to the Blind cure the Lame and sick of the Palsie and cast Devils out of Mens Bodies Neither Luther nor Calvin nor their followers did ever any such thing Luther indeed attempted once to cast a Devil out of one of his Disciples but with great peril of his own life as Fredericus Staphylas who was present and an Eye-witness writeth Calvin also tried to raise a man to life who by his perswasion counterfeited himself dead but with that success that of a live man he made a dead one for by the just Judgment of God he who had feigned himself dead was deprived of his life while Calvin was endeavouring to restore him to life In vit Cal. c. 13 This story Hierome Boscus relates at large with the circumstances thereof Wherefore since they are not successful by true or false Miracles they strive to take away the foundation of Miracles from the Catholick Church which is the chiefest and most convincing but with no reason or probability as I have shewn As therefore they who consider the Miracles of our Lord or of his Apostles and ponder them seriously setting aside all Envy Hatred Worldly Interest or other depraved affections cannot doubt but their Doctrine was from God who ratified and confirmed it with so many prodigious Signs and Miracles So in like manner they who laying aside all malice prejudice passion and temporal profit or advantage maturely weigh and reflect on the Miracles which are every Age wrought in the Roman Catholick Church by the Saints thereof living or dead cannot chuse but believe their Doctrine and Religion is of God and the Church to which they adhere to be the true Church of God The Fifth Consideration from the Conversion of Nations THat Religion is to be esteemed the true Religion of Christ and therefore to be embrac'd to which there has been a Conversion of Nations For our Lord hath in divers places of holy Scripture Psal 1.12.21 Osea 1. Matth. Mark Luke ult promised this Conversion of the Gentiles to the true Faith and Worship of God But the Religion to which the Gentiles in all Ages have been converted is the Roman Catholick Religion and therefore not to be doubted but that it is the true Religion of Christ That this Religion to which the Gentiles have been always and even lately converted is the Roman Catholick Religion it is manifest by the things which have been done in this and former Ages In this Age innumerable have been and daily are converted in the East Indies in Japan in the great Kingdom of China and many Islands of the Indian Sea Likewise in America where are many and spacious Kingdoms All these came over to the Catholick Religion and were joined to the Church of Rome and that by Religious Mon sent for this end and purpose by the Authority of his Holiness the Pope And to look back to the foregoing Ages In the Fourteenth Age one Vincentius Ferrerius a Dominican converted to the Catholick Faith Five and Twenty Thousand partly Jews and partly Sarazens as St. Antoninus a Writer of the same Age witnesseth 3 p. Hist tit 23. c. 8. s 4. In the Thirteenth Age many in Tartary were converted to the Catholick Religion by two Dominicans sent by the Pope at the instance of their Emperor which they call the Great Cham as Paulus Venetus writeth who was an Agent to that Emperor In the Twelfth Age were converted the People of Norway by Adrian the Fourth before he was Pope as Platin writes in his Life In the Eleventh Age the greatest part of Hungary was converted and Bishops sent them by the Pope at the request of their King St. Stephen soon after his Conversion as the Centuriators tell us Cent. 11. c. 2. In the Tenth Age many Kingdoms were converted by means of Henry the First Emperor and two Arch Prelates as the Centuriators note Cent. 10. c. 2. In the Ninth Age the Vandals Bulgarians Sclavonians Polonians Danes and Moravians were converted and united to the Roman Church So the Cent. 9. c. 2. In the Eighth age most part of Germany was converted by S. Boniface sent to that end by Pope Gregory the Second Cent. 8. c. 8. In the Seventh age the Franks were converted by S. Kilian who received his Commission from the Bishop of Rome Cent. 7. c. 2. In the Sixth age the English were converted to the Catholick Faith by Monks sent into England by the authority of S. Gregory the Great In Fine Who converted Brabant Flanders Holland Freesland Westphaly France and other bordering Nations Were they not Sons of the Roman Church namely S. Servatius S. Eligius S. Rumoldus S. Amand S. Vaust S. Livinus S. Remigius S. Willebrord S. Swithbert S. Wulfranus and others who were all devoted to the Church of Rome By which it appears that all Nations that have been converted to Christ from Paganism or Judaism for above a Thousand Years were converted to the Roman Catholick Faith and adhered to the Church of Rome as appears not only by what has been already said but is more clearly manifest by the Priests Altars Sacrifice of
of Faith no end of Dissentions and Contradictions and it must necessarily in a short time have been divided into a Thousand Sects as we see it happens by the Conventicles of Hereticks Hence it is that in the Catholick Church all points of Faith are certain and defined and no variation made of them and all Catholicks unanimously consent acquiesce and are satisfied in the belief of them Hereby it follows Thirdly If you depart from the Catholick Religion you have no certainty to depend on for the true way of Salvation For what Religion will you make choice of in so great a variety The Lutheran But why not the Presbyterian or any other Fanatick Why do you profess Luther's Religion before the rest For the Presbyterians and Fanaticks have Scripture for their Religion as well as the Lutherans Again if you will imbrace the Religion of Luther which sort would you have the mild or rigid That pure Religion which Luther the German Prophet recommended or that which Philip Melancton renewed But this also is of divers sorts for the Augustane Confession was often changed If you are for Calvin's Religion why not Luther's since he is the Parent of all and the first that brought into the World this new Light of the Gospel Again if you are for Calvin's Religion whether that of Puritans or Protestants For they are very different as the English well know I omit many differences wherein these Sects are divided There is no solid Reason can be given why you should profess one for the certainly of it rather than the other since they all stiffly alledge the Word of God to be of their side that they have the Spirit of god and that the sence of Scripture is clearly for their Doctrine and that all the rest are false and manifestly against Scripture nor can they otherwise prove it but by saying that 't is clear to every one that has the Spirit Therefore they all urge the same reason for their Doctrine and rely on the same foundation You must therefore be of all their Religions or of none But the Catholick Religion proves her Tenets far otherwise namely from Sacred Scripture according to the exposition of the Holy Fathers and Doctors of all Ages from the Sanctity Miracles and Prophetick Spirit of those that profess this Religion from the perpetuity and uniformity of Doctrine through all Ages from the purity of Life which this Doctrine induceth from the Conversion of Nations to this Doctrine and from all the other Considerations set down in the foregoing Chapters The Ninth Consideration proceeding from divers Reasons why these New Religions are to be suspected and avoided ALL other Religions besides the Catholick expresly and particularly that of Luther Calvin and the Fanatick which I chiefly speak of here ought worthily to be suspected and abandoned as Heretical Sects for many Reasons which I shall here briefly commemorate and referr to your serious Consideration The First Reason from the Novelty of it ALL Novelty or all New Cutts and Fashions as St. Gregory Nazianzen calls it in any Government and chiefly in the Affair of religion are to be shunn'd and avoided The Christian religion is an ancient solid and immutable thing intended to last to the end of the World For it is the Form Strength and as it were the Soul of Christ's Church for as by the Soul the Flesh is animated into a Living Man so by religion an Assembly of Men who otherwise of themselves are but carnal is formed into the Church of Christ which is a Spiritual Kingdom As therefore the Church and Kingdom of Christ is ancient and never to be rooted out as against which the Gates of Hell that is to say no Herefies or other wicked attempts shall ever prevail Mat. ult and with which Christ has promised to remain to the end of the World De August de utit caeden c. 17. Such also must the Religion be by which this Church and Kingdom of Christ do subsist Therefore Novelty is repugnant to the true Religion But that these are New Religions is manifest First Because we can shew the first Authors of them the place time and manner how they began who resisted them what great Commotions Troubles and Mobbs were raised by reason of them and finally by whom they were condemned Now what clearer signs can there be of Novelty In the same manner all Heresies introduced against Apostolick Doctrine are convinced of Novelty because we can shew how they crept into the Church at what time they began in what place by what Author who opposed and condemned them Secondly Before the year of our Lord 1517. Luther's religion was not in the World nor Calvin's nor the other Fanaticks which are but two branches of the Lutheran Religion For it appears by Historians of that time wherein Luther first shew'd Head that there was no religion in the World but the Catholick Religion and a very few Hereticks called Hussites except the Judaick Mahometan and Pagan Religion Thirdly If you should say that some of them were existent in the World namely the Lutheran Religion c. but lay hid I ask in what place it was in what Kingdom in what Town who were the Defenders or Maintainers of it Lastly How do you know it was in Being before since it could not be manifest but by Writers who report no such thing but the contrary Besides when there were in every place Inquisitors of Heresies how could this Religion lie hid so many hundred years and not be discovered and never any one of the Followers of it fall into their Hands and be corrected Never any Heretical Sect could so hide it self but be often taken and publickly called in question and examination Again if this religion was in the World before Luther why did not the Professors of it who have hitherto lay hid come forth and acknowledge him as a Doctor of their Faith and a Champion of their religion Why did they not appear in publick and join with him as their Partner and Patron who had set at liberty their religion before suppressed and persecuted But no such ever appeared that had been of this religion before him but all of them were of the Catholick Religion before they turned to Luther as Luther himself before he revolted was a Roman Catholick and a Friar L. de Missa augular l. 2 contr Swingl and said Mass seriously and devoutly fifteen years together as himself confesseth Whereby it is clearer than the Sun at noon day that Luther's Religion is altogether new and was unknown to the World before his time Not any Congregation of Men and perhaps no single person was ever in Being before him that professed the same Religion that is all the same points of Faith his whole Body of Doctrine For although he might hold some Opinions of ancient Hereticks yet the Relagion of Luther and the ancient Hereticks is not therefore the same but in part For Religion is a
were occult and therefore could not be the Religion of Christ which hath been always visible manifest and publick What hath been said and proved in this Discourse against the religion of Luther and Calvin may be also said of all other Protestants whether Anabaptists Independents Quakers and the like Heresies for there is the same Novelty in them all and therefore the same reasons may be urged against them but for clearness sake and not to cloy the Reader with repetition of Names I have only made use of One or Two I conclude therefore in the Words of St. Hierome Dialog contr Lucif in fiae who writes thus I 'll tell you briefly and plainly my Opinion We must live and die in that Church which being founded by the Apostles remains to this day If in any place you hear some who are called Christians to derive a Name from some other Person besides Jesus Christ as Marcionists Valentinians Montanists Lutherans Calvinists c. know they are not of the Church of Christ but the Synagogue of Antichrist For by this very token that they have been brought in under such a Name in after Ages they are known and convicted to be some of those whom the Apostle foretold Nor let them flatter themselves by quoting Scripture for their Tenets since the Devil quoted Scripture also which consists not in the reading but understanding of it As Novelty therefore is a sign of Heresie foretold by the Apostle so such a Sectary Name a sign of Novelty and as for bringing of Scripture it is common to the Devil as well as Hereticks The Second Reason from a defect of Succession ANother reason why these Religions are not to be approved is They want Succession because they want a Succession of Ministers derived by a continued Order from the Apostles which Succession is necessary that our Religion or Church should be judged Apostolical For without this Succession it cannot be continued with the Religion of the Apostles Hence it is the Fathers teach every where that those who would be accounted the true Church of Christ ought to shew the Succession of their Bishops by a continual Series or order of them from the Apostles But if they cannot do this 't is a clear sign that they are not of the true Church of Christ So Optatus Milevitanus to convince the Donatists that they were not of the true Church saith Shew the Original of your Chair if you claim to your selves the true Church And Tertullian Let Hereticks shew the Original of their Churches Tertul. prescrip advers Heret let let ehem declare to us the Order of their Bishops by such a continued Succession that their first Bishop have either an Apostle or Apostolical Man for his Predecessor The same Argument other Fathers mke use of as Irenaeus Epiphanius St. Hierome and St. Augustine Iren. l. 3. c. 3. Epiph. Her 1.27 infir cont Lucif August c. 4. cont Epist fundam But it is manifest that neither the Lutherans Calvinists or Fanatticks have the least appearance of any such Succession for to whom I pray succeeded Luther who was for the most part the Author and Parent of those Religions Whose Chair and Authority did he seize upon Who was Chief of the Lutheran religion before him Who of the Presbyterian religion before Calvin and Swinglius But if none can be nominated it is clear they want that Succession which the Fathers require to make their Church Apostolical Again They do not only want Succession of Chair and Authority but also a degree Ordination of descending from the Apostles For a double Power in the Ministers of the Church has been always requisite and both of them to be derived by a continued Order from the Apostles as aforesaid in the Seventh Consideration to wit the power of Order whereby Sacrifice is offered and the Sacraments administred to sanctifie the Faithful and the power of Jurisdiction whereby a Right and Authority is granted to govern and feed the Church with the Word of God c. But neither of these can they derive from the Apostles not the power of Jurisdiction as it has been shew'd nor likewise the power of Order for who ordained Luther or Calvin Bishops of their Church If they say that Ordination is not necessary they contradict all Antiquity and the continual practice of the Church for there was never any made a Bishop in the Church to perform all Episcopal Functions unless by another Bishop to whom two other Bishops were to be assisting according to the Institution of the Apostles as is expresly commanded Can. 1. Apost Can. 4. Synod of Nice And St. Paul insinuates the same writing to the Bishop St. Timothy saying Neglect not the Grace that is in thee which is given thee by Prophecy with the imposition of the Hands of Priesthood 1 Tim. 4. That is the Assembly of Bishops who laid their Hands upon him that was to be ordain'd as the Fathers expound it Hereby it is clearly manifest that the Lutherans and Calvinists have neither of the said powers of Order and Jurisdiction from the Apostles and that they are not descended from the Apostles according to either nor can trace back either of these two from themselves up to the Apostles and consequently that they have neither true Religion nor the Church of Christ among them for this ought to descend and be as it were continued from the Apostles by the means of these two Powers as hath been declared For all Spiritual Power ought to be derived from Christ by the Apostles and their Successors through a certain continued Succession and Communication upon other Ministers as our corporal Life by a chain of Causes is derived from the First Man Adam and so must be to the last Man that shall be born For as in the Old Testament none were to be Priests unless they descended from Aaron of the Tribe of Levi so in the New Testament none are Priests or Bishops unless they derive their degree of Order and Jurisdiction from Christ the Chief Bishop by the Apostles and their Successors As therefore the Synagogue of the Jews could not be without Priests descended from Aaron by a continued Race so the Church of Christ cannot be without Priests or Bishops descending from the Apostles to their Successors by a perpetual continued Order and Succession But the Congregations of Luther and Calvin had never any such Ministers they never had any Bishops lawfully ordained amongst them that could derive their power of Jurisdiction from the Apostles and their Successors to govern the People 'T is plain therefore that they have not the Church of Christ amongst them The Third Reason from the defect of Mission THE Third Reason is from a want of Mission because they introduced these Religions of themselves without any Lawful Authority This therefore should make them worthily to be suspected as erroneous and the Authors of them to be Wolves and Seducers For no body in the
sent immediately from God to teach the people were impowered to work Miracles or supernatural Signs to prove the verity of their Mission So Moses being about to conduct the Children of Israel out of Egypt and give them a Law came with authority to do prodigious Miracles and he himself did innumerable or God also about him who so often appeared to him in a visible shape So all their Prophets proved the truth of the Mission by Miracles or revealing of Secrets The same did Christ himself Lord of the Prophets who although 't was demonstrable in Scripture that he was the Messias and that it evidently appeared by the testimony of St. John the Baptist yet presently at the beginning of his Preaching he shewed that he was sent by his Father for the Salvation of Mankind by many Miracles and said to the Pharisees that out of hatred would not give credit to him if they would not believe him for his own sake at least they should believe him being convinced by the greatness of his Works In like manner all the Apostles proved the legality of their Mission amongst the Jews and Heathens by many Miracles To conclude so did the first Doctors of divers Nations which were converted from Paganism to our Faith Wherefore since their new Prophets say that they were immediately sent from God if they do not confirm it by Miracles or supernatural signs as all others have done whom God immediately sent they ought not to be credited or believed Nor does it avail any thing to say that St. John the Baptist did no Miracles because God work'd many Wonders and supernatural things about him whereby his Mission was sufficiently manifest Also his Austerity of Life and Sanctity of Manners was no small Miracle Therefore no body could doubt but that God sent him Moreover Miracles were absolutely necessary to prove them to be sent not only as Converters of Manners but also as Reformers and Correctors of all Religion to re-edifie the Church lapsed to raise again the Kingdom of Christ extinct and to make all things new How great Miracles had been necessary for them whereby to convince the World that they were bound to believe such Wonders and Paradoxes and to receive them for such Reformers If they had raised a thousand from the dead and cured a hundred thousand lame blind and sick of the Palsie it had been scarce enough to make one believe so great a matter First Because the Apostle saith Though we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be Anathema that is accursed Gall. 1.8 And repeating the same again for greater confirmation of the matter he adds as I said before so say I now again If any one preach any other Gospel unto you than that you have received let him be Anathama Gal. 1.9 If we ought not to believe an Angel from Heaven preaching any thing contrary to the received Doctrine of Faith how many and great Miracles were requisite to be shewed by a mortal Man that preaches contrary to the approved Faith before he is to be certainly believed as that Christ's Church is utterly fallen that Idolatry hath got into it and extinguished the Faith that all are in the state of Damnation that the chiefest points of Religion are to be reformed and that God sent Luther or Calvin to make this Reformation Was it not fit that all the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles should have been revived by this Reformer Again because the Catholick Religion which now storishes has been above a thousand years in possession as our Adversaries confess and esteemed over all the World for the true Religion of Christ and they that fell from it were counted Hereticks Therefore without great and evident Miracles to make it appear a wicked and unjust possession it cannot lawfulâ—y be disturbed And the Signs from God ought to be so apparent and convincing that there 's no room left for any Tergiversation or denial otherwise we are not bound to believe them but rather obliged to favour so long a possession and not desert the Catholick Religion I add farther that the Catholick Religion in all those Ages was famous for the Glory of Miracles Wisdom and Sanctity of the Professors and even now is Therefore there is need of many greater and more renowned Miracles to be shewed before she can be lawfully dispossessed cast down and rejected also of greater Wisdom and Piety and that by publick Fame in the followers of these new Religions than were ever in the Professors of the Catholick Religion Lastly When the Religion of the Old Testament amongst the Jews was to be changed and to pass from the Shadow to the Truth from the Type to the Exemplar although our Lord could clearly out of the Scriptures convince that this change was to be made and that God sent him for this purpose yet he was pleased to confirm the same with many and great Miracles thereby to take away all occasion of cavilling and back-sliding How many Miracles therefore shall we think needful when a change is attemted to be made of the Religion of the New Testament which the Scriptures expresly declare shall never be changed but that God will be with it to the end of the World and the Gates of Hell shall never prevail against it Who can prudently believe without great Miracles a thing so strange and new such a Parodox as well against the Scriptures as the judgment of the Fathers Yea what Miracles can be sufficient to make one to believe it to be probable By this it is plain that we deservedly require Miracles of them and that they deal with us most injuriously and impiously when they command us to believe them in matters of so great weight without any Miracles and unless we do believe them to persecute us grievously But say they we prove our Tenets from the Scripture Whether they prove their Tenets from Scripture True but in your own sense not according to the consent of the Holy Fathers and received Doctors of the Church who lived before our Controversies and therefore could not be partial in their Opinions Again those proofs of yours drawn like a Spider's Web out of your selves are as easily dissolved by Catholick Doctors And there have sprung up so many new Reformers so many Repairers of the ruined Church so many Ralsers of Religion extinguished who though they are very contrary amongst themselves and contradict one another each Sect striving to destroy what the other builds yet all of them confirm their Principles by Scripture all of them relie solely upon this Testimony for their Foundation according to their own Construction Threfore this way of probation must be to all or none And to each of these Expositors it may be said if nothing is to be believed but what is in the Scripture where I pray does it tell you that God sent you to reform the fallen Church or Religion
Hereticks though never so contrary in their Opinions boast and bragg of and from which every one thinks the Truth is revealed to himself which certainly he that is not stark Blind may easily perceive because the Spirit of God cannot reveal contraries Add hereunto that the sacred Scripture no where sends private Men to search the Scriptures in Doubts of Faith but to the Church and those which precede therein So in Deut. 17. they are sent to the Priests in doubtful matters who were then appointed Judges and those that would not obey them were to be put to death Therefore in the Church God hath appointed Pastors and Doctors and would have the Church conspicuous to the whole World the Pillar and Ground of Truth Eph. 4.11 1 Tim. 3.15 that all People might easily consult it and acquiesce secure in her Decrees The Spirit of understanding the Scriputres is not granted to every one as 't is plain by the Apostle 1 Cor. 12. 1 Jo. 4. ' Believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God Therefore although the Spirit should suggest any thing to you yet you are not secure because you are not certain it is of God For 't is manifest that innumerable have been deceiv'd For all Hereticks brag of this Spirit and Satan frequently transforms himself into an Angel of Light Hereby it is manifest that the private Spirit can be no Rule of faith The Twelfth Reason from another great absurdity IF any of these New Religions for example the Lutheran Religion were the true Religion of Christ besides the absurdities afore-mentioned this would follow that all Catholicks which have been hitherto from the time of the Apostles are damned and sentenced to the Eternal Torments of Hell-Fire because according to the chief Tenet of this Religion they wanted justifying Faith and therefore Justice before God so that they remained in their sins and died in them For the Faith necessary to Justification as this Religion teacheth is that whereby a Man firmly believes that he is just before God by reason of Christ's satisfaction which by Faith is applied and imputed to him But 't is manifest that this Faith was unknown to the World till the time of Luther Nor does he deny but rather glories that he manifested to the World the true Nature of Justification hid from the antient Fathers The same is clear by the Writings of all the antient Fathers because besides Faith in Christ they require an inward change of the Will and purpose of keeping the whole Law also for that they condemn this security of Salvation and will have Men to work out their Salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2.12 and be always sollicitous Hence it is that this peculiar special Faith whereby every one certainly believes he is just they all reject as meer presumption For although we ought to believe that Christ has fully satisfied for us on his part yet it does not appear to us that we have done all things necessary on our part to be made partakers of his satisfaction and that we may not sometime or other fall from him 'T is clear then that all the Antients wanted this Faith Therefore so many Holy Fathers so many Martyrs so many Virgins are damned St. Irenaeus St. Justin St. Gregory Thaumaturgus St. Gregory Nazian St. Basil St. Chrysostome St. Damascen St. Hilary St. Ambrose St. Hierome St. Augustine St. Martin St. Nicholas St. Anthony St. Gregory the Great St. Benedict St Bernard St. Dominick St. Francis are all damned also St. Laurence St. Vincent St. Sebastian St. Catharine St. Caecilia St. Agnes and innumerable others who for Sanctity of Life Miracles and the Honour of Martyrdom were renowned through the whole World are damned To conclude all our Ancestors are damned that have been from the Apostle's till Luther's time and to use the Words of Tertullian The Gospel has been wrong Preached L. de prescrip advers Heret for so many Ages and wrongly believed so many Millions of Men wrong Baptized so many Works of Faith wrong administred so many Virtues and Graces wrong laboured for so many Sacrifices and Divine Services wrong offered and so many Martyrdoms wrong Crowned But how incredible absurd and blasphemous are all these things How contrary to the judgment of the whole World and of all Ages Nor can it be said that they were excused for their ignorance because no Body can be saved without Faith without the justice of Christ without participation of Christ's Redemption as every where the Scripture teacheth especially the New Testament No ignorance can excuse that a Man may be saved without these things therefore there is no refuge here either they are all damned or the Religion of Luther and Calvin in their principal Opinion of Justification is false and impious Behold Twelve Reasons whereby 't is clearly demonstrated that these New Religions are to be avoided as false and pernicious The last Consideration now follows The Tenth Consideration and Conclusion of the whole Consult LAstly That Religion is to be imbrac'd in this Life which Men are most like to be willing to profess at the hour of death and of which they can render a just account at the Tribunal of Christ For in the practice of things we cannot be better advised than by the consideration of Death and Eternal Judgment namely to love that here which at the point of death will be most profitable to us and to shun that which may bring upon us certain ruine and destruction at least put us in great peril of it But the Catholick Religion is such as we shall certainly prefer at the hour of death As is manifest First By the example of many who although they have lived Hereticks yet when they came to die have desired to die Catholicks as judging it the safer way Secondly Because every one wishes then that he had done many Good Works and with great diligence had avoided all sin to both of which the Catholick Religion efficaciously exciteth and to neither of which does the Religion of Luther or Calvin but rather to a contempt of all Good Works and licentiousness of Life Thirdly Because the Catholick Religion has many Remedies which in that dreadful passage are not to be despised as Repentance for Sin Absolution of the Priest the Sacrament of Extream Unction and the Eucharist which give great consolation and confidence to the Faithful For by this means the satisfaction of Christ is communicated to us But bare Faith is a very cold comfort and a weak thing at the point of death For how can you perswade your self that God will be merciful to you that you are just and shall be saved by the Merits of Christ who have despised the Remedies ordained by him and determined to die out of the Catholick Church All the Sects of this time boast of this Faith and yet certainly all are not saved For the true Religion of Christ is but one out of which there is no
have some Rule of Faith and Foundation of their Belief agreeable to Natural Reason namely the consent of their Ancestors or the Scripture interpreted according to the Sence and Religion of their Ancestors But most of the Hereticks of our Times regard not much their Ancestors and Apostles from whom they first received this New Gospel but looking upon them as Men subject to Errour though they also pretended to the Spirit as well as these forsake them and rely totally upon their own judgment or testimony of their own private Spirit or which is all one the Holy Scripture according to the sence of their own judgment or private Spirit which is an evident sign that Satan so effectually operates in them and infatuates their Minds that not only every one frames to himself New Heresies and Opinions but makes his own judgment the foundation of his Faith and Rule of Belief for every one thinks he is taught of God even Women and Children and therefore secure from all Errour What greater facination and Delusion can there be than this Hence it is that they have no certain and established Principles they decree no Body of Doctrine and Religion but ramble in uncertainties as the private Spirit shall drive them Nor can there be any dispute with them about any of their Principles because they stick to none and by reason of their ignorance they know not the Doctrine of their Ancestors But of this Spirit of Giddiness we have said more in our Consultation Consid 9. and Reason 11. Hereby it is manifestly concluded that the whole Foundation of Faith which the Sectaries of our time rely on is deceitful and therefore their Belief which depends on it is unprofitable to Salvation Eighth Reason If every one may be saved in his own Faith that confesses Christ why is there so great a dissension amongst Religions Why do they all condemn one another of Heresie and Thunder Anathema's against each other Why do the Lutherans refuse to acknowledge the Calvinists for their Brethren and publickly in their Sermons and Books avouch them to be impious and blasphemous Why in the like manuer do the Chief of the Calvinists among whom Theodorus Beza is the Father of all after Calvin so treat the Lutherans Why do the Anabaptists call themselves the only faithful Christians and esteem all others as Infidels whereby is apparent that this new fancy of being saved in any Religion is not only against the Catholick Doctrine but also against all the Sects that have any zeal for Religion or Piety and is only too proper for Atheists Ninth Reason That one may be saved it sufficeth not to keep two or three of the Commandments but of necessity he must observe all according to that of our Lord If thou would'st enter into Life keep the Commandments Mat. 8.9 For Example If any one should be an Adulterer or Thief although he should keep the other Commandments yet he cannot be saved without Repentance as the Scriptures every where teach So likewise it sufficeth not to Salvation to believe three or four Articles of Faith but of necessity we must believe all Articles which God hath revealed and propounded to our Faith by his Church For the true Faith is no less necessary to Salvation than Obedience to Gods Commandments nor ought Faith to be less perfect and intire than Obedience and Observation of the whole Decalogue As therefore our Obedience ought to extend it self to all the Commandments so Faith ought to extend it self to all things revealed according to St. James Whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one is guilty of all for he that said thou shalt not commit Adultery said also thou shalt not kill Now if thou do not commit Adultery yet if thou kill thou art become a Transgressor of the Law Jam. 2.10 As if he should say he is made guilty of all and shall be punished as a Transgressor or Violator of the whole Law for despising the Law-maker who is the Author of the whole Law Therefore in like manner he that shall deny one Article of Faith although he believes all the rest is become guilty of the breach of his whole Faith and Religion because he contemns God the Supream Truth who revealed no less this than the others He contemns also the Catholic Church 1 Tim. 3.5 which is the Spouse of Christ and the Pillar and Ground of Truth and which proposes to our Belief as well this Article as the rest Note And this is the reason why he is no less an Heretic that obstinately denyeth one Article of Faith than he that denyes an hundred because in regard of this one which he denyes he despiseth God the first Verity which revealed it and he despiseth the Authority of the Church which propounds it he makes the Church also subject to Errors and a Lye whereby he makes all the rest uncertain and destroys all Divine Faith Note For if you take away the Foundation of Divine Faith all Faith must necessarily fall to ruin and decay and only Opinion or human Belief liable to Error remain Tenthly and Lastly This Opinion is very dangerous in the practice for it makes a man not care what Religion he is of what he believes or disbelieves Therefore he seeks not after the Truth and as easily and securely receives Falsehood as Truth And yet not only Catholics but even the more noted Sects such as are more eminent for Learning and Wisdom hold for a certain and undoubted Truth that without the true Faith and Religion none can be saved but will perish everlastingly Therefore the followers of this Opinion are condemned by all wise Men and they promise to themselves Salvation upon no Authority no Testimony of Scripture nor the support of Reason relying meerly upon the vain and foolish Imagination of their own Brains Let them hear therefore out of St. Fulgentius what Antiquity has ever held and what the Church hath taught in all Ages For so he writes as a general Rule of Faith Hold this for a most certain and infallible Truth Lib. de fide ad Pet. 6. Diac. c. 38. That not only all Heathens but likewise all Jews Heretics and Schismatics which end this present Life out of the Catholic Church shall go into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Again Most firmly believe and doubt not in the least chap. 39. That every Heretic or Schismatic baptised in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost if he be not reconciled to the Catholic Church whatever Alms he gives and let him live never so vertuously and devoutly though be should lay down his Life and shed his Blood for Christs sake yet he cannot be saved For every one that sticks not to the Vnity of the Catholic Church neither Baptism nor Plentiful Alms nor Martyrdom for Christ will profit to Salvation so long as any Heretical or Schismatical perverseness remains in him which leads to Death This was always the belief of the Holy Catholic Church and the undoubted Doctrin of all the Fathers which if all who are out of the Catholic Church would seriously and sadly consider and lay to heart they would clearly see what a dangerous State they live in and being sensible of their danger with Holy Resolutions hasten to the Ark of Salvation to preserve themselves from Eternal Ruin Which that they may do Do thou O Christ The True Light of the World Enlighten their Minds Amen FINIS
A Consultation ABOUT RELIGION OR What RELIGION is best to be Chosen WITH AN APPENDIX UPON THIS QUESTION Whether every one may be Saved in his own Religion Translated out of Latin in which it was Written by an Eminent Professor of Divinity LONDON Printed in the Year MDCXCIII THE PREFACE THE following Treatise was written in Latin by an Eminent Professor of Divinity at the time when the Divisions of those who were fallen off from the Catholic Communion seemed to separate them from one another at as great a Distance as they were from her who had been their common Parent It was immediately Translated into several Languages as French Dutch and English and met with a very considerable Success in these four great Districts of the Anti-Catholic Party viz. Germany Holland France and England The Edition that was in our Language being by length of time spent and gone and those few which may be left appearing somewhat out of Fashion and so less agreeable to this present Age it hath been thought worth the pains to Translate it a new and to Publish it as it is here supposing it may be no less proper and useful now when the Divisions of the foresaid four great Parties are much more Dilated and Multiplied then they were then and the Minds of Men far more unsettled and busie in seeking where to fix as to that Great Concern of Mankind the true Religion Indeed since the greatest part of Mankind are Born and Bred up in Darkness and in the Shadow of Death it should seem that the Divine Goodness could not have found out or bestowed a more seasonable or more necessary Blessing upon them then in providing a means whereby they might be drawn out of such a miserable state by enlightning their minds with the Knowledge of this true Religion But it has pleased the same Divine Goodness to temper so great a Mercy with an inscrutable mixture of Justice in permitting that this true Religion should not be so Visible and Evident to all Enquirers but that there is still great Danger of Mistaking and Miscarrying in the Search This cannot but Cause great unquietness to all serious Enquirers within themselves and no less Trouble and Contest among the several Pretenders to it in the World and hereby that which was designed by Almighty God to be the greatst Consolation of Mens Minds in this Life and the only Ground of Hope for the Life to come is become the occasion of the greaest Disturbances in the one and of endless Miseries in the other Nevertheless to the Glory of God's Grace be it spoken and to the Honour of the True Religion these difficulties and obscurities are not so many nor so great but that they may be pierced and broken through by the truly Humble Serious and Sincere Enquirer They are indeed impenetrable and an occasion of stumbling to the Passionate and to the Prejudic'd to the Proud and Self-Conceited But this is not the fault of Religion nor of the means provided but of such Persons and it is no more then what happens every day in things of which there is no dispute and where the Truth and the Right are Discernable and Unquestionable at first Sight For if the Mind of Man be taken up before-hand with any of these Preventions no Light or Evidence of any Truth though never so certain can make way for its Reception as we see in the great and known Sins which habitually reign in some Men in spite of all Conviction and in the frequent Preferences of Temporals before Eternals even amongst those who are more Docile and Obedient Such then being the Weakness and Corruption of Mans Heart that the least adhesion to any one Object renders it loose and indifferent to all others the while it should seem that those whose Office and Profession it is to reduce such as are in Error to the Knowledge and Love of Truth should not labour sâ— much or so soon to Convince their Understandings as to Dispose their Wills or at least to endeavour the Preparation of the one Proportionably to the Cultivation of the other Since to do otherwise is but to sow good Seed in Thorny or Stony Ground contrary to the Rules and Practice of Natural and Spiritual Husbandry But what means will you say can be proposed Sufficient and Efficacious enough to work such Dispositions in Men so perversely affected Why truly since it is not Naturally in the Power of one Man to gain admission into the Will of another but by the way of the Understanding as also there is no means of attacking the Understanding but by the imagination and by the Senses It must be acknowledged that it is easier to discover then to remove these grand Impediments of finding out or embracing the Truth For all the ways and passages whereby the Truth should enter are stop'd and fill'd up with Notions and Fancies which though vain and weak in themselves yet by their near approach and fair appearance keep Truth and right Reason at such a distance that all their Efforts fall short and do no Execution However some preliminary Labour and Industry methinks might be used to remove such Rubbish and to clear the Passages from those Obstructions which forestal the Truth And in the first place it will not be hard to Convince even such Persons that all such Passions and Prejudices are at least in themselves mean and unworthy For the contrary Virtues are acknowledged and approved by all even by those who have the least share of them Secondly it is not hard to Convince the same Persons that they and all Men are Naturally very prone and subject to such Passions and that therefore they ought to be jealous and even inquisitive whether they be not actually prevented by them Thirdly They are thus far agreed already with the Truth that such Passions are its Enemies and that there is no holding Intelligence with it and them at the same time that they are the Causes and Promoters of all Error as they are also Fed and Cherished themselves by Error And Lastly that whosoever fails or falls short of attaining to the Knowledge of the Truth by the Fault of these Passions they will be so far from excusing that they will be the aggravation of his Sin and Misery In the next place it may not be fruitless to represent that the Vertues and Dispositions contrary to these Passions are so indispensable that never any one attained to the Truth without them It is the first Lesson in the School of Christ to seek and receive the Kingdom of Heaven as a little Child that is with a Meek Docile Humble Willing Mind To seek it in the first place as the only thing necessary and to be willing to part with all things for it The Truth can no more fail to enter into a Soul thus disposed then the Sun to reflect it self in a well Polish'd and Spotless Glass And such Dispositions as these are in themselves and
even to Natural common Sense do appear so equitable that they are required in Disciples of all Arts and Sciences how much more then are they to be demanded in all Persuits of Divine and Supernatural Knowledge The Teachers and Professors of which seem to have a Right to exact them of all who pretend to be their Disciples and they may and ought to protest before-hand against all Passionate Prejudiced Self-interessed Self-conceited Arrogant Presumptuous Unserious and Insincere Discoursers To such Books Written by Angels and Sermons Preach'd by God himself would prove unfruitful as was the Case of the Scribes and Pharisees even for these very Reasons whilst of the Poor and Simple of the Meek and Lowly a few words of an unlearned Fisherman could Convert Thousands To Conclude if these Dispositions are so necessary in all other Inquests they are much more so in the perusers of the following Treatise Which being a Consult does in a most particular manner require an Impartial Unbiast and Unprejudiced Reader for as much as he is invited hither not so much as a Party as a Judge in whom a contrary Disposition is intolerable Let him therefore consider that he is to sit and hold the Ballance in the Scales of which are to be put and weighed the opposite Practices of Two contrary Parties great and zealous Pretenders to and Assertors of the True that is as each thinks of their own Respective Religion Nothing will be offered to his Animadversion but unquestionable Matters of Fact of which the common Sense of Mankind may be judge all begun and transacted within these Hundred and Fifty Years The Effects and Consequences of which do infinitely Touch and Concern him And therefore though he be advised to hold indifference in the Examen yet let him have a care he do not so in the Decision for it is of terrible importance to him either not to determine at all or to determine wrong For when all is done he must unavoidably in the end become a Party who here in the beginning is made a Judge and the Sentence which he shall or shall not Pronounce it matters not which if it be not the right will fall heavy only upon himself Let him therefore Read and attend with Fear and to all the Preparations recommended before in this Preface let him add this one more of Earnest and Fervent Prayer that God the Enlightner of all Minds and the Mover of all Hearts will please to Visit his with the Twofold Grace of Faith and Charity that he may see and chose and for ever Embrace and Adhere to the only means for Everlasting Life The True Religion Amen ERRATA PAg 15. l. 1. read Contrition or Sorrow for sins past is necessary p. 18. l. 30. r. No Liberty p. 32. l. 4. r. Paralytics ibid. l. 7. Dele such p. 37. l. 2. r. Bolsecus p. 51. l. 2. Dele only p. 57. l. 30. r. regimen p. 63. l. 22. r. his head p. 65. l. 14. r. Faith ibid. l. 15. r. Evinced ibid. l. 21. r. Gods Comandments p. 67. l. 7. Dele that p. 70. l. 5. r. profession p. 72. l. 26. r. them p. 73. l. 21. r. Ordination of Degree Descending p. 79. l. ult r. Heresie p. 82. l. 9. r. Advantagious to their own Authority p. 88. l. 9. r. The Prophets ibid. Their Mission p. 92. l. 25. r. Raisers ibid. l. 26. r. thò they p. 104. l. 30. r. in two p. 105. l. 12. r. free p. 107. l. 10. r. The Son p. 110. l. 21. r. They varied as long as they lived p. 114. l. 23. r. Faith in Christ p. 119. l. 6. r. or p. 123. l. 16. r. probation p. 124. l. 12. r. Adde ibid. Dele and. ibid. l. 14. r. Contrivances They p. 132. l. 3. r. required p. 134. l. ult r. Occultly p. 137. in the Margin r. Foxio p. 138. l. 4. r. Salvation ibid. l. 8. r. Christ has p. 139. l. 9. r. this p. 141. l. r. Basilides Carpocrates p. 143. l. ult r. de Iconomachis p. 155. l. 26. r. preside p. 156. l. 6. Dele .. after Scriptures p. 164. l. 22. r. Dominic p. 170. l. 19. r. infinite p. 173. l. 18. r. Day and Night p. 189. l. 6. r. Sacrifice p. 190. l. 6. for Know r. Honour p. 198. l. penult r. Vain p. 199. l. 15. r. is p. 208. l. 27. r. themselves What Faith and Religion is best to be imbrac'd NEver was there greater Variety of Religions than in these our days and never more dispute about the True one Many waver up and down therein all their Lives long and never come to fix upon any but shift their Religion as Men do their Lodgings to try where their Minds may be most at ease Others without any deliberation blindly venture upon the first that comes in their way and if you ask them why this rather than any of the rest all they can say for themselves is they take this for the best or perhaps which yet every one pretends in behalf of his own because it is most conformable to the Pure Word of God And yet such a choice as this requires the greatest search and deliberation imaginable as upon which our eternal Salvation depends Surely Eternal Salvation and Damnation are Matters of no small Moment in comparison with which all other things good or bad are as nothing Now these depend upon the Goodness of your Religion If your Religion be good 't will be easie by the Grace of God to obtain Salvation but if bad it is impossible to be saved For by a bad or false Religion you cannot please God Heb 11. and consequently you can never obtain pardon of your Sins nor true Justice nor by any Means be made partaker of Christ's Redemption And so you still remain in Death and the Wrath of God abideth on you For all Mankind without such Redemption and New Life in Christ do remain in the Death of Sin and are the Children of Wrath but whosoever has not the true Religion has no share in such Redemption and therefore must necessarily abide in Death be a Child of Wrath and become Fewel for Hell-fire Now this true Religion is but one and cannot be many fold For there is but one Truth one Faith one Baptism one God and one Lord of all Eph. 4. From whence it follows First That all Religions all Beliefs and Confessions of Faith besides one are false noxious pestiferous and introduc'd by the Devil the first Author of them who is the Father of Lies And Secondly That none who does not profess this Religion can ever obtain Salvation and all that are without it though they live otherwise never so laudably will perish everlastingly For that which the Apostle says of Charity If I could speak with the Tongue of Men and Angels if I should know all Mysteries and should distribute all my goods to the Poor and deliver my Body to be burnt but want Charity it would nothing profit me may
with greater Reason be said of the true Faith and Religion which is the Foundation of Charity and all other Christian Vertues Thirdly It follows that it is a gross and stupid Errour of some of the Vulgar who esteem it sufficient to Salvation if you only believe in Christ and that he dyed for your Sins altho' as to many other Points of Faith pertaining to the Sacraments and Sacrifice of the Church c. you believe nothing For after this rate almost all sort of Hereticks should be saved For all of them believe in Christ otherwise they were not Hereticks but Apostates and believe some few excepted that he dyed for our Sins Then also the Montanists and Novatians Donatists Sabellians Arrians Macedonians Eutychians Monotholites and the like Pests of the Church shall be saved Why then hath the Church in all Ages so vehemently oppos'd her self against Heresies Why does St. Paul the Apostle command us to avoid the Man that is an Heretick after the 1st or 2d Admonition T it 2. Why does he bid us beware of their Speech which eateth as a Canker 2 Tim. 2. In vain all these things are said and done if Hereticks may be saved I am sure this Fancy is against the Consent of all Ages Let us suppose says St. Augustine a Man to be chast Lib. 4. contr Donat. c. 8. continent not covetous nor idolatrous but bountiful and compassionate to the Poor an Enemy to none not contentious patient quiet envying none sober frugal but yet a Heretick such a one without all doubt meerly because he is an Heretick shall never enjoy the Kingdom of God For as St. James witnesseth he that hath offended in one Commandment is made guilty of all James 2. and Ioseth all Justice though he keeps the rest because he contemns the Law-maker himself who made the whole Law So he that obstinately denies one Point of Faith although he believe the rest is guilty of dis-believing all and loses his whole Faith and Religion because he despiseth the Author of it For it is one and the same first and supreme Verity which hath revealed all Points of Faith and proposed them to our Belief by the Church his Spouse the Pillar and Ground of Truth 1 Tim. 3. He therefore that shall obstinately reject one Article of Faith and will not acquiesce in the Testimony of the Church is thereby judged to dis-esteem the Authority of God the supreme Verity of whom the Church is the Publisher Interpreter and Organ Neither matters it that there are some principal Points of Faith which he thinks he believes because he does not believe them with Divine Faith which relies only upon Divine Authority that is infallible otherwise he would believe the rest proposed to him in the same manner but he believes them with a kind of Humane Faith that is to say because by his private Judgment he is induced to believe them taking upon himself the Authority of judging and discerning what things are to be believed and what denied and rejected Therefore the chief reason or motive of his Belief is private Judgment and for that Cause all his Faith is humane and unprofitable It is therefore most certain that as true Justice extends it felf to the performance of all the Commandments so the true Faith which is requisite to Salvation extends it self to a belief of all those things which God hath revealed so that we must believe them all either expresly or be ready to believe them if they be propounded to us the right way Hereby is manifest what great Care is to be taken that we chuse and profess the true Faith and Religion since it is the Foundation of our Salvation and that without it we shall certainly be damn'd Whereupon I have undertaken to propound some Considerations obvious and manifest to all rational People whereby they may take a right course in their Choice of the true Religion The first Consideration drawn from the tending to Perfection which Christian Religion excites us to THat Religion is to be preferred which conduces most to Purity and Holiness of Life which draws our Minds from all affection to earthly Things and raises them to the love of heavenly For this is the chief end of Religion to alienate the Minds of Men from Things temporal here below and to elevate them towards the thinking loving and pursuing of such as are celestial and eternal Only the Catholick Religion teaches perfection of Life Now such is only the Catholick Religion For this persuades to abstain from the Pleasures of the Flesh and Snares of this Life This alone teaches to contemn Riches and Honours and to renounce them when possessed for Christ's sake This exhorts to Fastings Hair-cloth and other Afflictions of the Body whereby the Flesh is brought under Subjection and subdued to the Spirit Hence are there such great numbers of Men and Women in the Catholick Church who contemning Riches Honours and Pleasures which they either enjoyed or might have enjoyed have bid adieu to the World and mortifying their Flesh have wholly devoted themselves to the Service of God and Contemplation of Divine Things Amongst these are many Noble Men and their Sons and Daughters many of the rich Gentry and their Children many great Wits many famous for their Eloquence and knowledge in all kind of Literature which is an evident sign of the Divine Spirit and true Religion For that Religion cannot chuse but be Heavenly which withdraws Man's Nature fixed on Earthly Things and raises it up to Heavenly which expels the Love of that which is Temporal and instils an affection to that which is Everlasting and in a word which can work such wonderful Changes in Men. The Tree is known by its Fruits Other Religions especially the Lutheran Calvinist and Fanatick For of these only I intend to treat in this Discourse do no such thing For they are so far from teaching Mortification of the Flesh Other Religions take away the study of Perfection and of all good Works Contempt of Earthly Things and cutting off carnal Pleasures that they call Fasting the Tradition of Men whereby God is worshipped in vain abstinence from Flesh with them is Superstition Monastick Vows they say are impious vain and not at all to be observ'd that Chastity is impossible that all Men are bound to marry and lye with a Woman which Luther affirms to be as necessary as Meat Drink L. de Vit. conjug and Sleep By which Doctrine it is come to pass that none of those who are of these New Religions do either mortifie their Flesh by Fasting or abide continent or abstain from Conjugal and Carnal Pleasures or abandon their Riches and imbrace Poverty for the Love of Christ but all of them are for a sensual easie and Worldly Life agreeable to the Inclination of the Flesh and corrupt Nature None of them have so much as a Notion of what it is to lead an Angelical Life upon Earth as many of the
Man is unable to make his ways good or bad For if there is Liberty there is properly no Sin as a Lyon by devouring a Man though he does a mischief yet he sins not because he does it not freely but by the impulse of Nature nor is is it in his Power to moderate this impulse No Man will deserve punishment because what he does is of necessity therefore there will be no Hell nor punishment after this Life For it would be a great and intolerable Cruelty that Men should be condemned to Eternal Torments for doing that which they cannot possibly avoid Why then do they fear to follow the Lusts and Desires of their Heart and commit what Sins soever they list Fourthly When they teach That all the Works of Men as well good as bad are predestinated of God from Eternity Luth. sup Cal. l. 1. c. 17. § 5. c. 13. § 1. and that they may be done in time God inclines incites forces and decrees Man's Will to act them all For if God equally operates good and bad in us there is no reason why we should fly Evil or fear any punishment For God is not a Revenger of that of which he himself is the Author nor can he justly punish us for those Crimes which he will have done and which he forces us to do for this were more than Tyrannical Cruelty which is far from God Hereby 't is clearer than the Noon Day that these Religions four ways shake off all fear of God from Men's Hearts and give as great License to all manner of Wickedness as ever any Atheist And 't is so much the more pernicious because not so openly impious but having a shew and pretence of Religion and Honour of God namely under the specious and plausible Titles of a Special Faith Satisfaction of Christ Liberty of the Gospel and Providence of Divine Predestination Under colour of these fair Words so much Poyson is swallowed as totally corrupts the Minds and Manners of Men. Who therefore that has but a spark of right Reason and Understanding can believe these Religions are of God The Third Consideration from the Sanctity of the Professors THat Religion is to be preferred wherein most are famous for Holiness of Life For it cannot possibly be that a bad Religion should bring us to Piety or that true Sanctity can consist with a Wicked Religion But the Catholick Religion has had many in all Ages that have led most Holy Lives by the General Confession of all Christians Among whom to single out some of each Age and omitting innumerable others I reckon the Great St. Anthony St. Hilarion St. Gregory Thaumaturge St. Nicholas Bishop of Myre St. Athanasius St. Gregory Nazianzen St. Basil St. Symeon Sty lite St. Cyprian St. Hilary St. Martin St. Ambrose St. Hierome St. Augustine St. Benedict St. Gregory the Great St. Vaust St. Amand St. Wineck St. Bertin St. Willebrord St. Romuald St. Norbert St. Dominick St. Boniface St. Bruno St. Bernard St. Francis St. Bonaventure St. Thomas of Aquin St. Francis of Paul and many in our own Age. That all these were of the Roman Catholick Religion is not to be doubted since they adhered to the Roman Church made profession of her Faith and strongly maintained it and because likewise a great many of them were Monks and obliged by their Vows to lead a Monastick Life yea all the Rules of Monastick profession sprung from them That these were most Holy Men is verifyed by the general Confession of all Christians throughout so many Ages wherein each of them lived nor was there ever any question made of it the same being confessed by Hereticks especially of St. Bernard St. Dominick and St. Francis It would therefore be a great absurdity and impudence to deny the Truth of that or in the least question it which is acknowledged by the general consent of all the World If these Men therefore were Saints and Catholicks as all the World believes the Roman Catholick Religion which they held and professed must necessarily be the true Religion and proceed from the Spirit of God First Because 't is impossible that a false Religion can bring us to true Sanctity for Religion is the Foundation of Sanctity That Celestial Edifice cannot be built upon a vain thing upon a pernicious and sacrilegious Lye as every Lye in Religion is It cannot be that a false Religion should withdraw the Mind from Earthly Things and raise it to Heavenly that it should inflame the Heart with Divine Love and urge it to have a care of our Neighbour's Salvation with so much pains and Labour Now the Holy Catholick Religion which these Men professed and practiced perfected all these things in them and therefore it cannot possibly be false Secondly Without the true Religion it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. But by the consent of all these Men pleased God and were his great Friends Therefore their Religion was true For how by a false Religion could they please God who is the Truth Thirdly If their Religion was not true and from God then 't was from the Devil For he is a Lyer from the beginning and the Father of Lies Jo. 8.44 He hath always contrived by his Lyes and Deceits to deprave and corrupt the true Religion to the end to destroy Men's Souls If it were from the Devil how could it bring them to so great Sanctity and Piety and make them the Devil's Adversaries and Friends of God For what Society hath Justice with Iniquity What Communion hath Light with Darkness And what Agreement hath Christ with Belial 2 Cor. 6.14 c. Fourthly 'T is altogether incredible that God should permit so many innocent Men so great Despisers of themselves and all Earthly things so studious of the Divine Glory and such ardent Lovers of God to be deceived for so many Ages in a matter of so great Concern as the business of Religion which is the Foundation of all Piety Who can so wickedly censure the Goodness of God They omitted nothing on their side whereby to please God to advance his Honour and Glory they undertook the greatest Labours and Difficulties for his sake and did wholly consecrate and devote themselves to his service How can it possibly be that this infinite Goodness this true Light which enlightneth every Man that cometh into the World Jo. 1.9 should not shew his true Light and Truth to such eminent and beloved Servants but leave them in Darkness and Mortal Errours That would then be false which our Lord with double and repeated Promises so often said Ask and it shall be given you seck and you shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you for every one that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened Matth. 7.7 Luk. 11. For S. Bernard S. Benedict S. Francis S. Dominick and other Lights and Miracles of the World all their Life-time earnestly craved sought and knock'd to obtain
the Mass Veneration of Holy Relicks and Images Pilgrimages Invocation of Saints Monasteries Monks Obedience to the See of Rome and other things proper to the Catholick Religion which hath ever flourished among these nations ever since their Conversion till of late they were abolished by these New Religions Who that considers these things can doubt but the Roman Catholick Religion is the true Religion of Christ In it we see this Divine Promise of the Conversion of Nations fulfilled Hereunto so many Peoples so many remote Nations so many potent Kingdoms have fled and forsaking their Idols impurity of Life multiplicity of Wives barbarity of Manners and former licentiousness humbly stoop to the yoke of Christ have imbraced the fear of God conformed to an honest Life and were inflamed with contempt of the World and love of Heaven How can it be that this Religion should be false and impious which makes so great a change in the Minds of barbarous People To conclude how can it be that the Divine Providence for so many Ages should permit all these Nations to be deceived when they willingly forsook their Idolatry imbraced the Truth and united themselves to the Church of Christ and be plunged into other pernicious Errors and a new Idolatry and that by those who in the Church were esteemed by every one the most Lawful Ministers thereof as being famous for Holiness of Life Wisdom and Miracles God forbid we should so judge of the Divine Goodness and Providence which has so much care for the Salvation of Men. But now on the other side there has never been any Conversion of Nations made by the Lutherans Calvinists and Fanaticks never any accession of Pagan Kingdoms to their Religion but only a Revolt of those who bearing the Name of Christians but weary of their former Religion and Discipline have followed their Novelties and Liberty of the Flesh which is a clear Argument of Heresie For Heresie is nothing else but a corruption of the Catholick Doctrine and revolt of Christians from the Primitive Religion retaining still the Christian Name and it is the study of Heretical Doctors not to convert Heathens but to pervert Christians Therefore Tertullian hits them home Lib de Praescrip What shall I say touching the Ministration of the Word since it is their business not to convert Infidels but to seduce Catholicks They take greater Glory to ruine those that stand than pains to lift up them that are down For this Work of theirs is not of their own building but a demolishing of the Truth They undermine our Church to raise their own so that they can easier destroy the House that stands than raise a new Building out of ruines The Sixth Consideration from the Name of Catholick and the thing signified by this Name THat Religion is to be judged the true Christian Religion which has always been accounted and called Catholick according to the Apostles Creed I believe in the Holy Catholick Church But the Roman Church is only called Catholick and the Professors thereof Catholicks Therefore the Roman Catholick Religion only is the true Religion of Christ That it alone has been always and still is called Catholick 't is evident First By the general use of the Name over all the World Hence it is that even Hereticks many times call it the Catholick Religion and the Professors thereof Catholicks nor did ever any Sect merit this Name For the Marcionists Montanists Vid. Pacia Epist denom Cath. St. August c. 4. contr Epist sund Manicheans Donatists Pelagians Vigilantians Waldenses Lutherans Calvinists Anabaptists c. were never called Catholicks nor their Doctrine the Catholick Religion only the Church of Rome and that part of Christianity which adheres to it is called the Catholick Church and the Religion Belief and Doctrine of this Church the Catholick Religion the Catholick Faith and Catholick Doctrine and her Followers Catholicks Secondly Because the word Catholick signifies the same as Vniversal The Catholick Religion is spread over all the World or General spreading over all the World But such is the Roman Religion because being spread over all the known inhabited parts of the World it extends it self to all Nations and Kingdoms For there is no Kingdom nor Nation known to us which has not still this Religion or formerly had it or doth not now begin to profess it yea at this very time there is well near amongst all Nations a publick profession of our Religion namely in Japan China the Indies Persia Tartary Turky Affrica Brazil Peru Mexico c. For in all these places there are Catholicks to be found Churches Altars Images of Christ and his Saints celebration of Mass administration of our Sacraments observation of our Feasts and Fasts and in Fine there is publickly held the Roman Catholick Religion Who can doubt that this is the true religion and the true way of Salvation which our Lord would have proposed and preached to all Kingdoms which he hath made to grow and increase at convenient times in all Kingdoms and which every where in a manner he now preserves causing Catholicks to be dispersed through the whole World that Infidels by them might come to the knowledge of the true Religion Moreover it is Catholick in point of Time as well as Place The Catholick Religion extends it self to all Ages for it has been derived thro' all Ages from Christ's and his Apostle's time For there is no Age since that time can be assign'd wherein this Religion was not held In all Ages Mass was celebrated for the living and dead Festival and Fasting days were kept Monastick Vows were frequented the Saints invocated and their Relicks honoured with other things proper to our Religion in use and practice as 't is manifest by all Ecclesiastick Writers On the contrary if we consider all kind of Sects No Sect is called the Catholick Religion none of them were ever called the Catholick Religion or the Professors of them Catholicks as aforesaid but they took the Name of their Religion from the first Broachers of it as Simonians from Simon Magus Valentinians from Valentine Pelagians from Pelagius Lutherans from Martin Luther Calvinists from Calvin c. and none of their Religions are spread over all the World Nor dilated over all the World At first when the Catholick Religion began to appear and shew it self it was not long before it was diffused over all the World and did increase and fructifie almost in every Kingdom notwithstanding the Persecutions thereof as S. Paul tells us Rom. 10. Colos 1. But the religion of Luther Calvin and Fanaticks now for the time that it hath been in the World which is about 150 years hath made no such progress but being confined only to some few Countries does daily lose ground either by crumbling into other Sects or else by returning into Catholick religion again As also not one of them is of any ancient standing but all of them of new invention but
in the last Century Therefore neither in respect of time nor in respect of place can these religions be called Catholick I add farther that the Roman Catholick religion is one and the same every where but these new religions are divers differing one from another even in Fundamental Points of Doctrine while one accuses and condemns the other of Heresie How then can they be counted Catholicks For we must take notice that this Name Christian given at first to all Believers and to the whole Church was specially used to distinguish them from from the Jews and Heathens who believed not at all in Christ as the same now severeth and maketh known all Christian People from Turks and others that either deny Christ or know him not But when Hereticks began to rise from among the Christians who professed Christ's Name and owned some Articles of Faith as true Believers do while they denied others and brought in new Doctrines of their own the name of Christian was too common to distinguish and sever these Hereticks from the true faithful People and thereupon the Apostles by the Holy Ghost imposed this name Catholick upon such Believers as in all points were obedient to the Church's Doctrine When Heresies were risen says S. Pacianus and endeavoured by divers Names to tear the Dove of God meaning the Church and rent her in pieces Epist ad Sympho the Apostolical People acquired their Sirname whereby the uncorrupted might be distinguished c. and so those that before were called Christians are now sirnam'd also Catholicks Christian is my Name saith he Catholick my Sirname Hence this word Catholick is the proper note whereby the Holy Apostles in their Creed taught us to discern the true Church from any false Heretical Congregation what soever .. The very Name of Catholick says S. August keeps me in the Bosome of the Church And again We must hold the Communion of that Church which is named Catholick not only by her own Cont. Epist fundam c. 4. De vera Relig. c. 7. but also by her Enemies For whether they will or no the Hereticks and Schismaticks themselves when they speak not with their own Companions but with Strangers call no other Church Catholick but this for they could not be understood unless they did distinguish it by this name whereby it is known and called over all the World The Seventh Consideration from Succession THat Religion is to be judged the true Religion whose Pastors are all descended from the Apostles and are the Apostle's Successors or who derive their Authority and Ordination from them For by this reason it is evident that that Religion and that Church which holds that Religion is Apostolical but such is the Catholick religion therefore that is the true religion Now that all Ministers of the Catholick religion descend from the Apostles whether you regard the Power of Order or Jurisdiction is manifest for all her inferior Ministers especially Sub-deacons Deacons and Priests are ordained by Bishops the Bishops receive their Order from other Bishops and these again from others and so upwards to the Apostles who receiv'd this Power immediately from Christ as Christ from his Father As my Father sent me says he I send you and so must you send others and so I am with you and them to the end of the World As therefore all Men according to the Life of Nature by a long tract of Generations descend from Adam so all the Ministers of the Catholick Church according to Super-natural Power by a long race of Ordination and Consecration descend from Christ our Lord who is the Second Adam There is no Minister therefore in the Church of God but can derive his Power of Consecration to offer Sacrifice absolve from Sins and to administer other Sacraments whereby Christians are sanctified from Christ the Chief Fountain and Author Whence it follows that all his Works which he does by this Power are attributed to Christ as the Supreme Author who instituted this Power and invisibly presides and assists therein Man being only his Instrument whereby he does all this as St. Augustine and other Fathers excellently observe and teach In like manner all power of Jurisdiction of Ministers to rule and govern Christians to preach the Word of God to them Tract 5. in Joan. Chrysos hom 80. ad pop Ambros l. 4. de Sacram. c. 4 5. and officiate in their Pastoral Duty descends from Christ and may clearly be reduced to him for the Curates or Parish Priests have their Jurisdiction from the Bishops and Bishops from the Chief Bishop the Pope the Pope seeing he is Blessed Peter's Successor in the same Chair and Authority of governing the Vniversal or Catholick Church must needs be invested with the same Jurisdiction which was immediately conferred upon St. Peter and in him to all his Lawful Successors And also only those who have not an ordinary but a delegated Authority in the Church must have it from Parochial Pastors or Bishops or the Pope So that there is no Minister in the Catholick Church no Preacher of God's Word or Catechizer who cannot shew plainly his Mission and demonstrate the same to be derived from Christ And indeed if they could not do so they were in no wise to be heard but suspected and esteemed as Wolves in Sheeps-cloathing since they enter not into the Sheep-fold by the door but creep in privately another way Joh. 10. This Argument alwas the Ancient Fathers chiefly made use of Irenae l. 3. c. 1. Tertul. de prescrip to convince all Hereticks for by it the Continuation of our Religion from several Ages up to the time of the Apostles is clearly shew'd The Succession of Priests from the See of St. Peter the Apostle to whom our Lord commended the care of feeding his Sheep to this present Bishop August Epist 165. Optatus l. 2. cont Parm. Hier. cont Lucif keeps me in the Church says St. Augustine and the like says St. Hierome in his Dialogues But now none of the Ministers of the New Religions can shew this And indeed the power of Order whereby the Sacraments are administred and the People sanctified they cannot derive from Christ and his Apostles because they have taken it quite away Nor is there any amongst them that have received the Episcopal or Sacerdotal Order unless it be some Apostares from the Catholick Religion whose Orders then are of no more use and service and yet the Church of Christ has had always these degrees and been govern'd by them Likewise they never had any power of Jurisdiction to preach the word of God as true Pastors or to administer Baptism and rule the People in Spirituals and Divine Worship For I ask of whom had Luther and Calvin this power Of whom was either of them sent to preach their New Gospel and Reform the People For they were not sent by the Ordinary Pastors of the Church as 't is sufficiently manifest They came therefore of their own
accord without any Authority or Commission which is a certain sign they ought not to be believed but rejected For how shall they Preach except they be sent Rom. 10.15 He that entreth not by the door into the Sheep-fold but climbeth up some other way the same is a Thief and a Robber but he that entreth in by the door is the Shepherd of the Sheep Joh. 10.1 They enter not in by the door who usurp the Pastoral Office without Ordinary or Lawful Authority Whether Sectaries are sent by Christ But perhaps they will say that they were sent by Christ and received Authority from to reform the Church But 't is not enough to say so for all Arch-Hereticks or Sect-Masters affirm this of themselves therefore they ought to produce their Letters-Patents that Christ sent them whereby to convince us and confirm our Belief as the Apostles confirmed their Mission with great Miracles otherwise we ought not to accept their Reformation but are bound rather to reject them as Imposters Again how did Christ send them when they teach such different and contradictory Doctrine amongst themselves For if Christ sent Luther Calvin could not be sent by him who overthrows Luther's Doctrine in many points and damns it as Heritical On the contrary if Christ sent Calvin Luther then could not be sent by him for God is not contrary to himself nor does the Spirit of the Prophets contradict each other I omit other things which might be said to this purpose The Eighth Consideration from the consent of the Ancient Fathers and Doctors and their decision of Controversies without which there is no certainty THat Religion is to be imputed to Christ and to be preferred before all others wherein there is an unanimous consent of the chief Doctors and Fathers of every Age and Country since Christ about points of Faith which is an easie end to all Controversies and from which if you recede there is nothing to be relyed on for a certainty But such is the Roman Catholick Religion therefore 't is the only true Religion of Christ And First Touching the consent of Fathers about the Tenets of our Religion it appears by their Writings For as many ancient Doctors as have written in Greece in Asia in Egypt in Affrica in Spain in Italy in France in Germany in England of the Mysteries of our Religion are all consenting to Free-Will merit of Good Works the Sacrifice of the Mass for the Living and Dead Monastick Vows Fastings Feasts Invocation of Saints c. which are disowned by these New Religions neither can the Lutherans and Calvinists deny it but say these were the Spots and Blemishes of the ancient Fathers then inclining to Superstition and the Traditions of Men Cal. l. 2. c. 2.5.14 16. l. 3. c. 4 5. whence they fly to the Scriptures according to their own sense and interpretation But how improbable is this that all the ancient Fathers writing of these matters in divers places with so general a consent should err For the consent of many especially before they communiceate one with another in the same opinion is a great sign of Truth attracting their Minds to an unanimous consent thereof by divine illumination For 't is the property of Truth being but One to joyn and unite in consent but of Falsity being manifold to disperse into sundry Opinions and Errors Hence it is that Hereticks in several Countries writing of the same subject scarce ever agree but are divided into many Opinions having once forsaken the Truth Again there is no Tenet of the Catholick Religion can be shew'd which has been introduced a-new by any in the Church which is a manifest sign that it has always been in the Church and descended from the Apostles For if it were brought in a-new after the Apostles against Apostolical Doctrine it could be shew'd in what Generation or Age it was done where and by what Author and who opposed the same For no new Opinion is ever raised without great stir and contradiction Therefore we can shew the rise of all Heresies where when and by what Authors they first began who opposed them what strifes they made and finally what Pope and Council condemned them But if this can be demonstrated of particular Heresies how much more of the chiefest points of Religion if any innovation were made in them It is clear therefore that our Catholick Religion not only by the Succession of Ministers but also by Consanguinity of Doctrine as Tertullian expresseth it Lib. de Prescrip is continued and accords with the Ancient and Apostolical Religion That the Opinions of these New Religions disagree with those of the ancient Fathers Hereticks themselves abundantly confess since in the Chapters aforesaid they blame them of Superstition and averr they cannot be excused of Errour as we shall see more at large hereafter The Controversies of the Cath Church are easily appeased Secondly The Controversies that sometimes arise in the Church are easily decided by the continual practice of the Church For the Catholick Church hath an Infallible Judge of Controversies the Pope with a General Council by which Judge all Controversies have hitherto been easily concluded all Heresies sprung up in divers Ages have been condemned and Catholick People kept in one Faith one Religion and one Doctrine through the whole World In this manner was the Arrian Heresie condemned by the Synod of Nice under Pope Silvester the Macedonian Heresie by the Council of Constantinople under Pope Damasus the Nestorian Heresie by the Council of Ephesus under Pope Celestine the Eutychian Heresie by the Council of Calcedon under Leo the First the Iconomachists by the Second Council of Nice under Adaian the First and to omit others the Berengarian Heresie concerning the Eucharist by the Synod of Rome and Vercelles under Leo the Ninth by the Synod also of Tours under Victor the Second by the Synod of Rome under Nicholas the Second and by another Roman Synod under Pope Gregory the Seventh For all Reason requireth that the Cause of Religion being common to the whole Church should not be judged by private Persons that have obtained no Dignity nor Degree in the Church but by the Supreme Pastor of the Catholick Church together with other particular Prelates to whom the Regiment of the Church is committed and who are the Representatives of the whole Catholick Church As the Controversies about Laws and Privileges of a Kingdom are decided by none but the King and Chief Men who represent the whole Kingdom For to those who are made Superiors in any Community Spiritual or Temporal it belongs to allay Differences and decide Controversies about matters properly pertaining to their Government thereby to take away all contradiction for the suture And indeed unless the Church had this power it would have been very imperfect lamely instituted and more miserable than any Temporal Kingdom or Common-Wealth For there would never have been an end of Disputes and Contentions touching the chief points
Complex or comprehension of all those things which pertain to Faiths But no body before him ever taught all the same Tenets This is also convinc'd by another reason for 't is manifest the ancient Doctors and Fathers florishing in former Ages were not of Lutheran's Religion for They all confess Free-Will the necessity of Good Works Merits of life eternal and possibility of keeping Gommandments They approve of the Invocation of Saints the Veneration of holy Relicks and Images the Sacrifice of the Mass for the living and dead the Ordination of Ministers the Evangelical Counsils of Monaftick Vows the custom of Fasting in Lent c. all which Luther's Religion denies and denounces as superstitious injurious to God and wicked That the ancient Fathers confess and approve all these things is clear by their Writings nor can Lutherans and Calvinists deny the fame but say they were the Spots of the ancient Fathers beautiful spots indeed Superstition Idolatry Impiety But if the Doctors of former Ages were not of this Religion but always decry'd and condemn'd the same 't is evident that it is not Ancient but New Now in the Church there is no Religion taken for the true Religion of Christ besides that which the ancient Fathers and Doctors of the Church have held Hence it plainly follows that the Lutheran Religion is not the Religion of Christ for Christ's Religion is not new but old But Luther's Religion is new and not old as 't is shewed The Religion of Christ has been always in the World from the time of the Apostles but the Religion of Luther has not been always but began in the year of our Lord 1517 as aforesaid Again if Luther's Religion is the true Religion of Christ the Congregation of People holding this Religion is the true Church of Christ therefore the Church of Christ was not before Luther as has been declared because the Lutheran Religion which constituted this Church was not before Luther If you say it was in the Apostles time and some Ages heretofore it is to be proved there were some then living that held all Luther's Tenets We can for certain and with ease prove the contrary For it is aparent the Sacrifice of the Mass for the living and the dead Ordnation of Ministers Monastical Vows and the like which are repugnant to Luthers Religion were in the Church of God in the Apostles time and the Ages nearest to it Moreover suposing but not granting that that it had been in the Apostles time and some time after yet at least in the Third and Fourth Age it began to vanish and be quite lost which also the Lutheran Doctors confess in the Book of Centuries published by them Therefore Cent. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. cap. 4. for 1300. years the Church of Christ fell away and perished For at least so long it is manifest the Lutheran Religion was not but what florished was point blank contrary to it The true Religion then for so so many Ages was extinct the Gospel obscured the Church of Christ overthrown till Luther the German Prophet rose and dispell'd this mortal darkness brought into the World the light of the Gospel and repaired the ruines of the Church The Lutherans in several Towns of Germany declare this in writing upon the Frontispiece of their Houses in Capital Letters in these or the like words in such a year the true light of Christ's Gospel shin'd first in this City by abolishing Superstition c. Now if the Church of Christ had perished for so many Ages how is it true that it was built upon a Rock Matth. 16. and not rather upon Sand How is it true that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it How is the House of God the Ground and Pillar of Faith 2 Tim. 3. How is the Kingdom of Christ which is th Church stable firm eternal and never to be dissolved Dan. 2. If you say the Church and Lutheran Religion hath continued in all Ages from the time of Christ and his Apostles but lay hid it is more than can be proved and without any probability as hath been demonstrated But les us grant it to be hid therefore it was not the Church of Christ For the Church of Christ is like a City placed upon a Hill which cannot be hid Matth. 5. She is the Mountain of our Lord's House established in the top of the Mountains and exalted above the Hills conspicuous to all and all Nations shall flow unto it Isa 2. She is extended from Sea to Sea and from the River unto the ends of the Earth Psal 71. She is that great Mountain which filled the whole Earth Dan. 2. For the Church of Christ ought to be manifest that by her Worship Splendor Manners and outward Form the Nations might be attracted to her and that those who desire to be made Christians might know whom to go to advise with and receive instructions from In like manner her Doctrine and Belief ought to be manifest or else 't would be unprofitable to the World and could not convert Nations Therefore in the time of Persecutions it was never so obscure but every where known as Ecclesiastical Writers tell us And from hence came such a multitude of Martyrs Again if it lay dormant so many Ages it was altogether unworthy of the Christian name For how could this be call'd the true Church of Christ which durst not confess the sincere Doctrine of Christ But was of such a cowardly nature and so affraid of death as to hide it self in the dark and not dare for so many Ages to appear in the light Nay did not only hide her self so many Ages and suppress the sincere Profession of Faith but also confess a false Faith namely the Papistical adore Idols and defile her self with a thousand Superstitions and Sacriledges For before Luther all Christians in outward shew at least behav'd themselves like Catholicks or else they would have been presently taken by the Inquisitors and Bishops and punished as Heriticks So that the Church of Christ would have been more miserable and deformed than the ruines of the Synagogue or the Jewish Sect which always held their Meetings in some places or other and made a profession of their Religion nor was ever compell'd at least in general to the Worship of Idols It would also have been more wretched and in a worse condition than all Heretical Sects For there has been no Sect of any name which has not had their Churches Preaching Houses or Conventicles and some form and prtfession of their religion whereby it was known From these things it is clear nothing can be more absurd than to say that the Church of Christ for so many Ages absconded I conclude therefore with this Dilemma either the Lutheran and Presbyterian religion were before their Authors or not If not then they are plainly Novelties and therefore not the Religian of Christ which is ancient but if they were existent then they
of old were used to do when they proposed to the People the Divine Commandments in the Name of God But these New Prophets have not proceeded in this manner but by chance and as their matter required they fell from one Opinion to another as it happens in Disputes and Contentions when their Minds were more and more exasperated and as by experience they could learn how to accommodate themselves in their Affairs and incommode or undermine the Pope's Authority which condemned them For what ever they perceived would be most prejudicial to the See of Rome or advantageous to it they decreed points of Faith accordingly and varnished them over with the Word of God as I shall shew hereafter Sixthly In Humane Policy if any should pretend Authority to govern it is not sufficient to say that he was sent by the Prince of the Country who was far of and could not conveniently come himself but he must shew his Patent or Commission signed with the King's Seal which then is diligently examined least there should be any fraud in the case and if there should be the least sign of a shamm or cheat it is not to be admitted till a full and certain proof thereof be made The same we see in the Apostolical Legates who all shew their Patents authentick wherein their Mission and Commission is contained otherwise they are not credited nor have Authority What madness is it then to admit into the Church and Kingdom of Christ not only New Pastors but likewise Reformers of the whole Religion of the Church only upon their saying that Christ sent them and that they have the Spirit of God without shewing any Patent or Miracle to prove it Seventhly The account of time also is strongly against them for if the Church fell away about 600 years after Christ and became the Synagogue of Antichrist as they teach Why was the Mission of these Reformers delay'd to these times Why did God forsake his Church 900 years together and suffer it to continue in its ruines in Superstition and Idolatry as nothing belonging to him and after the accomplishment of so many Ages should send first to her these New Reformers or Chief Masters Is this the Love of Christ towards his Church which he hath cleansed with his Blood which he hath quickened with his Spirit and which he hath adopted or chosen for his Spouse He shew'd himself much kinder to his Handmaid the Synagogue by sending them many Prophets to reclaim them still prone to Idolatry and grand Impieties Therefore if these Men would have been thought Reformers they should have feigned the Church to have faln but a little before them and not for so many Ages to have lain putrified in its ruines Otherwise this long distance of time confutes their Mission and shews it to be very imprudently forged Eightly Hereunto may be added other most certain signs that Christ did not send them as their vicious Life Pride contempt of the Holy Fathers the Errors and Lies wherein they were taken besides their inconstancy of Doctrine which I shall declare in the following Reasons Ninthly and Lastly They teach that nothing is to be believed but what is in Scripture Let them therefore shew out of the Scriptures that they were sent by God to reform the Church In what place and by what Words of Scripture did our Lord give this Authority to Luther or Calvin Otherwise we cannot believe them being themselves Judges nor receive them as Reformers of the Church And here I cannot forbear to insert a ridiculous fancy of the Lutherans which yet made a great noise among them They endeavoured to establish the Mission of their Prophet by a certain Prophecy of St. Ambrose and St. Augustine contained forsooth in this verse Tibi Cherubin et Seraphin incessabili voce proclamant that is To thee Cherubins and Seraphins continually do cry For some years ago they erected an Effigies of Luther cut in Brass with this Inscription A divine and wonderful Prophecy of St. Ambrose and St. Augustine shewing the time and coming of Luther wherein he began to write against the Roman-Antichrist as it is contained in the Letters of this Versicle representing the date of the year which is a thing worthy the note and admiration of all Faithful Christians TIbI CherVbIn et SeraphIn InCessabILI VoCe proCLaMant The Numeral Letters of this Versicle are 1517. in which year of our Lord Luther began first to Preach But this was certainly a very poor shift For First By such Numeral Hitts nothing certain can be concluded by any Wise Man as hath appeared by many Examples in former ages from the success of things But Secondly Grant it a prophetical speech concerning Luther the exultation and gratulation of the Celestial Spirits for the Preaching of Luther need not to be signified thereby as the Lutherans would have it but rather the blindness of Luther and all that are of his Sect as in the 6th of Isaiah where the Seraphins in like manner cry Holy holy holy is the Lord God of Hosts the whole Earth is full of his Glory from which place these Versicles are put in the Hymn is designed the excecation or blindness of the Jews as by the sequel it is gathered For God is provoked at the view of his Holiness which abominates all Sin to execute revenge and just Judgment upon so great Wickedness and Impiety In like manner they shall cry for Vengeance at the end of the World Apoc. 4.8 To conclude if we write these Names according to the Hebrew manner by m and not by n that is Cherubim and Seraphim as they ought to be written so the Number will rise to 3157. which being ended the Cherubims and Seraphims will still cry Holy holy holy but this Clamour will not be for joy of the success of Luther's Gospel but an approbation of his just punishment whereby he and all his Associates shall be tormented to all Eternity The Fourth Reason from a want of Miracles Miracles necessary THese new Religions with the Authors of them are very much to be suspected because they were introduc'd without Miracles or Signs from God For these were chiefly necessary First That so they might shew themselves to be no Impostors but true Pastors sent by Almighty God and to convince the World they ought to be received For since it is manifest in Scripture that in the later days many false Prophets shall arise bragging to be sent from God therefore our Lord gave us a special warning of them not to give ear to them without infallible proofs of their Mission which cannot be but by Signs and Tokens from God as are Miracles Prediction of things to come Revelation of things hid c. for since these things are above the power of Creatures 't is plain demonstration they are of God And therefore they are like Patents signed with God's Great Seal in proof of their Mission from him Hence it is that as many as were ever
In opere Inscripto Lutherus Septiceps Of the Communion of the Eucharist Gasper Querhamer a Lay Saxon observed in Luther's Works In Tabula contrad Luther Thirty six Contradictions and printed them when Luther was living to his great shame and confusion and the diminution of his Authority And of Communion under both kinds Cochlaeus has noted seven contradictory Articles In fine Cochlaeus's whole Book called Lutherus Septiceps contains nothing else but Luther's Contradictions and contrary Opinions in almost all his controverted Articles in the express Words of Luther Now in every contradiction of necessity one part must be false As to Calvin Coccius relates Twenty four Contradictions of his in his very own Words It is enough for me to set down two of them Touching God's Omnipotency in one place he says nothing is impossible to the Word of God Luk. 1. And in another place he says That Dream of an Absolute Power in God which the School Doctors have introduced is an execrable Blasphemy Psa 23. Again I abhor this Doctrine in which the Papist Divines please themselves feigning in God a certain Absolute Power Of Christ's Godhead in one place he writes That Christ is true God of the same Essence with his Father De Predestin 1 Joh. 5.1 In another place he says The Name of God by way of excellency Contr. Gentil refutat 10. belongs to the Father only that he only and properly is the Creator of Heaven and Earth ay and that Son according to his Godhead is subject to the Father Again That it is a hard and improper expression of the Nicene Creed God of God Light of Light In his Second Epistle to the Polanders he affirms That Christ according to his Divine Nature is less than the Father Lo whither he tumbles by being a Novelist These things being positive and clear in their own Writings what Wise Man can be induced to believe that God sent them to reform the Church For how shall they raise the fallen Church when they so vilely destroy their own Doctrine Who have so little Learning or Prudence and circumspection as not to avoid contradictions in matters of the greatest moment Certainly whosoever contradicts himself and presently pulls down what he hath newly erected 't is clearer than the Noon-day that he speaks not by the Spirit of God For if I build again the things which I destroyed says St. Paul I make my self a Prevaricator Gal. 2.18 The Spirit of God cannot be contrary to himself cannot deny himself Take notice likewise That although in many things they contradict themselves and overthrow their own Principles yet they have Face and Impudence to say that they are certain their Doctrine is true and the very Doctrine of Christ For thus Luther writes I am certain I received my Doctrine from Heaven Cont. Reg. Aug. Again I am certain that my Doctrine is not mine but Christ's And in another place he says that he is so absolutely sure Cont. Stat. Eccles that he will have no Body to be Judge of his Doctrine no not the Angels and that none can be saved who believes not his Doctrine In like manner Calvin oftentimes says That he is a Prophet that he can deceive none unless God deceive him as I have shewed in the Fifth Reason Hereby 't is a clear demonstration that not only they speak not by the Spirit of God having such open and manifest Errours and Contradictions but also are to be look'd upon as Impostors who deceive the People For he that says he is certain that his Doctrine in which are many Errours and Contradictions is of God may well be supposed not to deal fairly and sincerely but to speak against his own Conscience and so to impose upon the People 'T is manifest that such a one hath no Internal Illumination from God to make him certain of the Truth of his Doctrine by the Testimony of God For God cannot testifie or reveal Contradictions With what Face therefore can they so impudently affirm that they are sure their Doctrine is of God or Christ's Doctrine Therefore they deal not honestly and sincerely but endeavour to blind the World But some will confess that they erred now and then at the beginning when they had not yet fully received the Spirit of God but afterwards they did not err nor change their Opinions But this has no colour of Truth at all For all those who ever have been immediately sent by God to teach the People have presently at the beginning of their Mission had the infallible assistance and direction of God so that they could never in the least err in their Doctrine As 't is manifest by the Prophets and Apostles Nay there was greatest need of this direction in the begiuning because then chiefly all things were to be discussed the Teachers and their Doctrine to be examin'd that so they might gain Authority and be believed For if they had been catch'd in any Errour or Contradiction at first all their Authority would have fallen to the ground and perished In the like case if Calvin and Luther were sent by God to reform the Church there was great need that presently at the beginning their Doctrine should be solid and sound free from all Contradiction and Errour least they might justly be rejected as Impostors Then again I ask when at length did they obtain this plenitude or fulness of the Spirit so as never to err any more How could that appear to the World that Men may know they are to be credited at last though they were not at first For unless this can be shew'd we may rightly presume that they may erre in their future who manifestly have erred in their former Writings To conclude that they were various in their Life that they changed and mended their Principles and in divers little Books which they published and sometimes in one and the same Book they writ several contradictions it is apparent by those few things afore-mentioned and by many more which Cochlaeus Coccius and others have recorded in their own words For the longer they stood out in opposition to the Catholick Church more invective and bitter they became against it and what more mildly they alledged at first afterward they made worse or changed to the contrary The Seventh Reason from tht malicious Deceits and Frauds they make use of THat Religion is to be suspected whose Authors and Defenders use malicious Deceits Frauds and Lies to propagate it For the true Religion wants no such helps but only the false which being destitute of true and solid Reasons must necessarily place its hope and confidence in a Lye But the Authors and Propagators of the Lutheran and Calvinistical Religion used many Frauds and Lies to encrease their Sect therefore it is worthily to be suspected That they used most malicious Frauds and Deceits False Tenets imposed upon Catholicks is manifest because they imposed upon Catholicks many things falsely that so they
your own Testimony alone which is to bear Witness of your self But he that gives Testimony of himself his testimony is not true Joh. 8.13 That is is not to be esteemed true unless by some other way he can prove it For Example These Calvinists cannot prove by other ways that they have this private Spirit but would have us believe them upon their bare word and naked assertion whereby they affirm to know it secretly Therefore there is no reason why they should be credited but rather there is great reason why all should be disbelieved for the Spirit of God cannot be contrary to it self but they are contrary to themselves and others also Therefore they are not guided by the Spirit of God And hereunto and this also pertaining to their fraud and deceitful Machinations and Contrivances they revolted from the Antient Faith which had flourished so many Ages and they embraced these New Religions Their Princes according to the custom of the Church received from the time of Constantine the Great would compel them to return to the Antient Religion which sometimes they professed and forsake their Novelties For which cause they rail against Catholick Princes and accuse them of Tyranny call them Enemies of the Gospel and over all the World raise envy against them as those that would do violence to their Consciences against their Eternal Salvation And lastly under colour of this Liberty they raise Sedition and wage War against them But when themselves God permitting it for our sins get possession of our Goods or Estates they grant no Liberty to Catholicks but raise bitter persecutions against them and force them with divers Torments and Confiscation of their Goods to desert their Ancient Religion and embrace the New which they never learned which never had any Name but of their Sect which they owe nothing unto which they never saw confirmed by any rational Arguments but on the contrary condemned by the Church in all the Christian World with the greatest and most-weighty Reasons Is this to deal sincerely candidly and equitably Is not this the Society of Lyons whose Right consists in their Power and Strength who make and unmake Laws for their Interest And what Tyranny of Conscience can be compared to this In the Church none are ever compelled to the Catholick Faith but those who formerly professed it nor they neither but after a lawful and full Proof and Conviction to which the Deserters cannot Answer But these New Reformers compel those that never professed their Novelties and before they have convinced them of Errour In which thing they act against their own Doctrine For they teach that Man has no Free-will but all things are done by the Divine impulse and decree which none can resist and that God infuseth Faith into his Elect only By what Law then do they inforce Catholicks to believe them since it is not in their power Again since the whole cause of believing according to their Decrees is reduced to the Testimony of the private Spirit they do very unjustly in forcing Catholicks to believe them not only against the Testimony of the private Spirit but also against the Testimony of the publick Spirit of the Universal Church For it is certain out of the Scriptures that the Church is governed by the Spirit of God and therefore cannot err but yet this is in no manner certain of private Men. The Eighth Reason from their overthrow of Good Works THat Religion which takes away all Practice of Good Works is not to be imputed to Christ who every where commends Good works and the Observation of God's Commandments But the Religion of Luther and Calvin takes away all desire of Good works therefore neither of them is to be esteemed the Religion of Christ That these two Religions take away all desire of Good works is manifest First Because both teach That Man with all his Good Works is never the juster before God never the more deserves Eternal Reward and shall receive neither more or less Glory in Heaven for doing but a few or many or no Good Works at all That God regards Man only for his Faith That all Justice is contained in Faith alone For thus says Luther I would not give one Half-penny for all the Merits of St. Peter to help me De 10. Precept c. 1. because he cannot help himself but whatever he hath he had it from God through Faith in Christ Here he plainly teaches that St. Peter is never the juster for his own Good works or hath received a greater Happiness in Heaven for the same but was Crowned for his Faith only And again in another place De captio Bacyl cap. de Baptis Do you see how rich a Man is that is a Christian and Baptized who cannot be damned for what sinns soever he commits though he would unless he will not believe for no sins are damnable but only incredulity all other sins if he returns and fixes his Faith upon the Divine Promise are in a moment absorpt through the same belief Again in another place Good Works cannot be taught De Votis Monast without prejudice to Faith since Faith and Good Works in the case of Justificarion are extreamly contradictory in such sort that the Doctrine of Good Works is necessarily the doctrine of Devils and apostacy from the Faith Calvin is of the same Opinion as 't is manifest in his Institutions where he saith The Justice of Good Works can by no means be joyned with the Justice of Faith not only Works done by the force of Nature but all other whatsoever Title they are adorned with are excluded by the Justice of Faith L. 3 c. 11. s 13. l. 3. c. 15. s 2. sequen cap. 19. s 2.4.7 The same he teaches in many other places If there is not Merit in Good Works if they do not render us more gracious and acceptable to God and that for them we shall receive no reward in Heaven why should we trouble our selves about them Why should we spend our Fortunes in works of Mercy and relief of the Poor What should we Fast for and afflict our Bodies Why should we be instant in Prayer 'T is great folly to busie our selves in those things and be sollicitous for that which will redound nothing to our profit or advantage Who sees not by this Doctrine that the study of all Good Works is extinguished Secondly Because both their Religions teach ' That all our Good Works are so far from meriting any thing of God that they are sins and mortal sins too although by reason of Faith they are not imputed to Believers Luther teaches this in many places A just Man says he sins in every Good Work Again A Good Work well done In Presol cont Eckium in assert art 31. is a Venial Sin by the Mercy of God but a Mortal one according to the Judgment of God Again in another place In assert art 32. Our best Works whereby
we endeavour to obtain God's Grace In assert art 39. Help and Consolation are reputed Sin as the Prophet David says Let his Prayer become sin The same he inculcates in many other places Psal 108. Calvin likewise teaches the same Doctrine For saith he all the Good Works of Men if they are rightly taken are nothing but Filth and Corruption Instit l. 3 c. 12. s 4. c. 14. s 9. nor can any Good Work proceed from the Saints which deserveth not a just reward of reproach If all our Good Works are truly Sins Filthiness and Pollution which incur the Wrath of God who sees not that it is much better to abstain from them than to do them For by abstaining we offend not but by doing them we sin 'T is better not to sin than sin We must abstain therefore from Alms and other works of Mercy nay from all Prayer too because all these things as they are done by us are sins What reason can be more efficacious to overthrow the Practice of all Good Works than to teach they make us never the juster or better before God besides that they are Sins Filth and Corruption And it avails nothing what they say afterwards Whether Good Works are required as signs of Faith that God requires Good Works in testimony of their Faith or as the signs of Faith For this they say least the People should utterly renounce all Good Works But they use this pretence in vain For how does God require them if they be sins which unless out of Mercy he did not impute to them he ought to vindicate with eternal punishment Does he require we should sin to shew our Signs and Testimonies of Faith How doth he require in testimony of Faith that which rather Witnesses a defect of Faith For those who are sollicitous of Good Works thereby Witness that Faith is not sufficient But if Faith sufficeth as they would have and Good Works profit nothing how are Good Works the signs of Faith Therefore the study of Good Works is not the sign of a particular special Faith of which they speak and to which they attribute all things but of the Catholick Faith whereby we believe that Faith sufficeth not but Good Works are required to be joyned therewith which are meritorious of Eternal Life This belief they reject Hereby it is clear that by these Religions all Good Works are subverted and overthrown The Ninth Reason from the licentiousness of Life which they allow THose Religions are not to be Father'd upon Christ which totally expel the fear of God from the Minds of Men and set open the broad Gate to all manner of sin and impurity of Life For every where the Scripture teaches the fear of God nor is there any thing which it more repeats and commends since from this all honesty of Life chiefly depends But the Lutheran and Presbyterian Religion drive all fear of God from the minds of Men and open the Gate of Liberty to all Sin and Profaness as much as Atheism Therefore they proceed not from Christ the Author That these Religions do this and that four several ways has already been clearly shewed above in the Second Consideration The same I now briefly shew again by these Reasons First Because the Lutheran Religion reaches That the Decalogue or Ten Commandments belong no more to the Faithful in Christ than the Ceremonial and Judaical Laws For thus Luther writes in a Sermon on Moses From the Text it plainly appears that the Ten Commandments pertain nothing to us for the Lord did not lead us cut of Egypt but only the Jews Moses is not observed in the New Testament If I should keep him in any one Article I should oblige my self to perform his whole Law The same he teaches more at large in Cap. 4. Epist ad Gal and in Cap. 20. Exod. If we are no more bound to keep the Ten Commandments than the Ceremonial Laws as he plainly teaches in Cap. 4. Epist ad Gal. Therefore as I am not bound to observe the Ceremonial Law for example to Circumcise the Flesh to eat the Paschal Lamb to keep the Sabbath which was Satturday amongst the Jews so neither the Moral or Ten Commandments If I am now freed from the Commandments what may I not do I may in outward shew worship Idols disobey my Parents and the Magistrates commit Murder Adultery Theft bear False-witness c. which are forbidden by the Decalogue as I may do things which are repugnant to the Ceremonial Law And although Calvin does not so plainly teach the same Doctrine of the Decalogue yet occurately he insinuates it enough First Because he teaches That God's Law is impossible to be kept even by the Saints L. 2. Instit c. 7. If it be impossible then it is not obligatory for no Body is obliged to impossibilities Never any Tyrant bound his Subjects to do things impossible and shall God do it Such barbarous cruelty be far from him Therefore when the Decalogue begins to be impossible it ceases to oblige and belongs nothing at all to us Moreover because Calvin teaches that all our Good Works are Corruption Filth and Sin in the sight of God but no Body can be obliged to sin therefore we are not obliged so much as to endeavour to fulfil any part of the Commandments I might confirm the same with many other Reasons but these are sufficient whereby it is manifest that even according to Calvin's Opinion the Ten Commandments belong nothing to us Secondly These two Religions make no difference of good and bad works before God but only before Men for as the works which are called bad have open Malice so to the good works of the Just they attribute an hidden Malice because of internal Concupiscence by reason of which Malice they will have these to be deadly sins before God If it be so why should I rather apply my mind to good works with mortification of Nature and loss of Goods than to evil works whereunto many times there is adjoined great pleasure and profit For since either of them are evil before God why should I not rather prefer those works wherein there is some temporal pleasure or advantage before them that are full of trouble toil and loss Thirdly Because each Religion teacheth that a Man is only just before God by a meer special Faith without any good works and that God imputes no sin to him that has this special Faith So Luther teaches in many places as above rehearsed By which Doctrine he infers L. de liber Christian de Captiv Babyl ' That only incredulity is a sin and only dis-believers are damned The same Calvin teaches when he says ' That all sins are mortal to Unbelievers but venial to Believers He calls them venial sins because they are not imputed to them but are presently forgiven and pardoned as soon as they are committed which Doctrine clearly follows out of that Principle whereby they decree
Salvation as not only all Catholick but likewise Lutherans Calvinists and Anabaptists teach Therefore your special Faith will avail you nothing unless you have the true Religion of Christ Now that all Professors of the Catholick Religion may easily render an account of their Religion to the Supreme Judge and fear no danger for being Catholicks is manifest For suppose that I stand before that terrible Judgment-Seat of Christ and am asked why I followed the Catholick or as Hereticks call it the Papists Religion and not rather by forsaking it turn'd to the New Reformed Religion of Calvin I will answer with great security Therefore I professed the Catholick Religion because it teaches me to withdraw my mind from the love of earthly things and fix it upon heavenly It teaches me to mortifie the Flesh to fear God to practice Good works to obey my Superiours to be instant in Prayer and to cut off all occasions of Sin I stuck to the Catholick Religion because I saw therein many famous over all the World for Wisdom Holiness Miracles and the Spirit of Prophecy it being impossible for them to be deceived in so great a matter because I saw God hath established this Church for several Ages by many Miracles because I saw therein the Promises of God fulfilled for it is spread over all the World To this Church the Conversion of Nations has been made hitherto and is dayly making In this Church there has been a continual Concord of the Doctors in points of Faith In this Church there has been a perpetual Succession of the Chair and Connexion of all Ministers with the Apostles In this Church there is a speedy decision of all Controversies This Church for many Ages has stood immovable against all Heresies and Persecutions of Tyrants so that the Gates of Hell could never prevail against it Matth. 16.18 But I perceived in all these New Religions all things contrary to this therefore there was no reason for me to renounce the Catholick Religion or in the least to doubt of it But though I should omit all this which I haye said Is not this alone sufficient for my security that I have followed a Religion which those have been of who were most Holy and Famous for Miracles over all the World as S. Benedict S. Bernaod S. Diminick S. Francis c. For it clearly appears that such Heavenly Souls so dear and devoted to God such beloved and familiar Friends could not possibly be deceived in so great a business as the Salvation of their Souls Therefore I may securely follow these Guides in reference to Religion But you now who have followed some other New Religion What a Heretick can answer what account I pray can you make of it when you shall be examined before the terrible Judgment-Seat of Christ Perhaps you will answer the Judge Therefore I deserted the Catholick Religion because I thought it full of Idolatry Superstition and Humane Traditions I thought that Antichrist reigned in it and I thought that Catholicks depended upon their own Merits and not upon the price of your Blood But what if the vail of Diabolical delusion which now blinds you being then taken off you see your self clearly deceived what Counsel will you take For there will be ro more time and place for repentance Perhaps you will plead Ignorance but this will not excuse you because you might have easily known the Truth if you had used that diligence which the matter required nor did you ever want a just occasion of doubting which should have stirred you up to a diligent enquiry As therefore it shall not excuse the Jews that they erred by ignorance because they might have known the Truth if they would so neither shall it excuse you For to depart from the Catholick Religion without sin you ought not only to think and surmise by reason of some slight suspicions but to know certainly that such Evil Doctrine is taught in the Catholick Church by using diligence and setting aside all worldly interest so that no farther scruple could be left nor any just reason to doubt But you are so far from having any such certainty of the Churches Errors that no probable reason can be given for it For what probability or shew of Truth could induce you to believe that Religion was full of Idolatry and Errours which you saw professed by so many eminent Men for Wisdom and Holiness of Life Which you saw or might have seen confirmed with so many Miracles and Martyrs Which you beheld diffused through the whole World In which you saw so great Concord in points of Faith and constant Succession Continuation and Conjunction with the Apostles How could it possibly be that in so many Ages none of the Holy Fathers and Doctors should spy this Idolatry these Superstitions and Errors Again how could you be perswaded to believe that to be the true Religion of Christ which makes God the Author and Forcer of all Sin Which takes away from Men Free-will Which extirpates all Good Works Which opens the Gate to all manner of Wickedness as much as Atheism Which takes away subjection to Laws and obedience to Princes under pretence of Christian Liberty Which recalls from Hell many old and condemned Heresies Whose Authors were renowned for no austerity of Life no Piety no Miracles but Men given to the Pleasures of the Flesh covetous of worldly Goods ambitious slanderous envious seditious infamous for Apostacy sacrilegious Marriages preposterous Lust and inconstancy of Doctrine Lastly If any of these New Religions are true then the Church of Christ is fallen for so many Ages the Kingdom of Christ is overthrown the Divine Promises touching the stability of the Church are frustrated and the Gates of Hell have prevailed against it Then for so many Ages the Gospel has been Preached in vain and in vain believed so many Gentiles have been in vain converted from Paganism in vain Baptized and received other Sacraments in vain they fasted and mortified the Flesh and so many thousands in vain suffered Mrrtyrdom by the effusion of their Blood for the Confession of Christ Then all our Ancestors are perished the Holy Fathers are perished so many Myriads of Confessors which were wholly devoted to God and famous for Sanctity Miracles and Prophecy are all perished and damned For they were all without the true Religion and Righteousness of God and all addicted to Idolatry But if these things are false blasphemous and horrible to think how could it be you did not conceive these New Religions to be false or at least to doubt of them from which such cruel and frightful things are clearly deduced But if you doubted why did you not endeavour to know the Truth upon which your Salvation depends Our Lord admonishes us to beware of False Prophets which come to us in Sheeps-cloathing but inwardly they are ravening Wolves Matth. 7.16 What 's the reason it did not come into your Mind sometimes and make you afraid lest
of the Idolatry Superstition and Abuses of the Catholick Church As that they Worship a piece of Bread for God pray to dead Men Worship Crosses and Pictures trust in their own Merits believe a Man can forgive Sins and many such Fopperies and are possessed with what themselves have been taught that they are afraid to pray to God to have farther information least they should sin by seeming to doubt of the Faith they have been taught by their Parents and their Ministers to whom they have been recommended by them to harken unto as Orthodox Teachers And if they happen to read any Catholick Books and meet with some things they themselves cannot answer their aforesaid prejudice presently suggests to them that those Ministers can answer them and to discourse with some learned Catholick they upon the same ground are afraid because they suspect their integrity and so they remain in the Belief they have been educated in as well satisfied Now I say Let them lay aside for a while this prejudice and but suppose they may be deceived therein and that things are not so as they have been told For at least it seems somewhat incredible that so many most Holy and Learned Men which this Church has always abounded with should never see this Idolatry if there were any or seeing it should not renounce it but on the contrary diligently retain and love it This is an old Calumny of the Mahometans and Iconomachists or Image-Breakers And there was never any Sect of Hereticks which did not forsake the Church with envious and malicious Hearts and tax it with horrible Crimes for they are forced to make this pretence that they might seem justly to depart from the Church Secondly Let them daily beg of God to enlighten them that they may clearly know which is the true Religion and Church of Christ and shew themselves ready prepared to imbrace the same No Man can come to me says Christ unless my Father draw him Joh. 6.44 None can come to Christ by true Faith without illumination of the Heavenly Father Therefore let them humbly and daily pray to God that he would vouchsafe them a Beam of Light to see and profess the true Belief saying with the Prophet David Lighten mine Eyes lest I sleep the sleep of Death lest my Enemy say when I depart out of this Life I have prevailed against him Psal 13 3 4. Send out thy Light and thy Truth let them lead me let them bring me unto thy Holy Hill and to thy Tabernacles Psal 43.3 Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk for I lift up my Soul unto thee Deliver me from the Enemies of my Salvation O Lord I fly unto thee teach me to do thy Will for thou art my God and the like Thirdly Let them add to their Prayer Alms and Bounty to the Poor How prevalent these two things are to obtain of God a Light of the true Religion the Example of Cornelius the Centurion shews to whom the Angel said Cornelius thy Prayers and thy Alms are come up for a Memorial before God and now send Men to Joppa and call for one Simon whose Sirname is Peter he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do Act. 10.4 Let them imitate the Example of this Man that earnestly desired of God to be directed in finding out the true Religion Lastly Let them diligently with an ardent desire of knowing the Truth consider what is said in this Consultation and if they have any doubt or dissatisfaction let them address themselves to the Catholick Doctors or Priests who will easily resolve them in all points of Faith so that at length they shall obtain by the Grace of God a quiet Conscience and full satisfaction in the knowledge of the true Religion This is the Prayer and Supplication of all the Children of this Holy Mother in their behalf That thou O true and everlasting Light the Enlightner of Men and Angels wouldst enlighten their Minds and inspire them to do what is here advised them For although they are seduced by the deceit of the Devil and have departed from thee and thy Church yet they are thy Creatures made according to thy Image and Likeness redeemed with the price of thy Sacred Blood and called to the Inheritance and Society of thy Celestial and Eternal Kingdom Let no so Glorious a Work of thine perish which cost thee so dear which may render thee Eternal Praises by the Knowledge of the Truth and redound to thy Eternal Glory Dispel this black Cloud which obscures their understanding remove the Fascination of the Devil which blinds the Eyes of their Mind and perverts their Fancy and Judgment strike in them a horrour and fear of that Fire inextinguishable and those Eternal Flames prepared for all those that are destitute of the true Religion infuse into them an ardent Love and Desire of obtaining the knowledge of the Truth to the Salvation of their Souls Shew them the light of thy Mercies that they may know thy Sheep-fold and understand that That was none of thy Sheep-fold which they were in before but the Devils in which whosoever remains are reserved as Sheep not to Life but to Perdition that they may be Fuel for Hell fire and Food for death Death shall feed on them Psal 49.4 Bring them back again to thy Sheep-fold that being refreshed with the wholesome Food of thy Doctrine and of thy wonderful Sacraments they may be healed of their old Wounds made by Satan and grow in thy Spirit the Spirit of Humility and fear of our Lord the Spirit of Meekness and Charity and be quickned to Eternal Life that after this momentary Life they may be partakers of thy Eternal Glory and Happiness and praise bless and glorifie thy Name for ever and ever Amen Now Lastly I admonish all Catholicks An admonition to all Catholicks that they would seriously consider with themselves what a great benefit it is that God by his special favour before innumerable others has made them Professors of the true Religion in what a strict obligation of gratitude they are bound to the Divine Majesty for so great a Mercy How few have this Gift of Faith if you reflect on the infinite Number of those who go astray or doubt and therefore the more to be esteemed Let them consider that amongst all worldly Goods nothing is to be compared to it neither Pleasures nor Honours nor thousands of Gold and Silver nor Sceptres and Crowns The Jewel of true Religion is infinitely better and more precious than all these He that has it is truly rich although poor in Earthly goods as being a Citizen of the Saints a Child of God an Heir of the Kingdom of Heaven and Coheir with Christ if he lives according to the profession of his Faith He that is without the true Religion is thrice unhappy and miserable though he should abound with the Goods and Prosperity of this World 'T is most certain there is but
one way to Eternal Happiness It is an Atheistical Opinion that every one may be saved in different Religions for as there is but one God one Christ one Truth one Right-way one Justice so there is but one true Faith one true Religion one true Congregation or Church of God and Christ out of which there is no Salvation Let them beware lest by a curiosity of reading or hearing or uncautious conversation with Hereticks or desire of pleasing any Mortal Man or fear of Persecution or loss of Temporal Life or Estate or loss of gain or ambition of Honour or for any other cause they lose so great a Good For what is a Man profited if he shall gain the whole World and lose his own Soul Or what shall a Man give in exchange for his Soul But a loss of the true Religion is a loss of the Soul which no Wise Man will part with upon any account Those are unhappy Souls and unworthy the Name of a Christian who little regard the ruine of the Catholick Church or Religion so they may but safely and quietly enjoy a Temporal Peace to live in sensuality or hoard up riches and the trifling goods of this Life But this madness and vile esteem of so great a Good shall cost them dear when this momentary Life shall be ended and they suddenly fall into an endless Eternity Many Seducers are gone forth into the World many under Sheeps cloathing under a smooth pretence of God's Word hide a Wolfish Nature to the destruction of Christ's Sheep Our Lord hath admonished us more than once carefully to beware of them The Apostles and Holy Fathers have often warned us Eccles 13. He that touches pitch shall be defiled and he that loveth danger shall perish therein Eccles 3. The Times were never more dangerous and destructive to our Salvation than now the Fascination of the Devil was never greater nor a Spiritual frenzy more powerful with Men the operation of Errour was never more prevailing and successful and the minds of Men never blinder all which deservedly possess the understandings of those that disesteem this great Gift of the Catholick and Orthodox Religion and prefer Temporal Things before it Let those therefore that heartily desire to be saved preserve this Celestial Jewel and keep it with all carefulness because Life proceeds from it and because 't is a Supernatural Gift which without the Divine Assistance can neither be acquired nor preserved being invironed with so many Enemies Let them daily implore Gods help for themselves their Children and whole Family and add unto their Prayers Alms to the Poor with other Works of Piety for Prayer is good with Fasting and Alms and better than to heap up Treasures of Gold Job 12. Let them lead Lives agreeable to their Religion and allay their Thirst after the Goods of this Life with expectation and hope of Celestial and Eternal remembring the Saying of the Apostle 1 Tim 6.9 They that will be rich fall into Temptation and the snares of the Devil and many unprofitable and hurtful desires which drown Men in destruction and perdition for the root of all Evil is Covetousness which some desiring have erred from the Faith and intangled themselves in many sorrows By these helps they may securely walk amongst the differences and dangers of these Times and preserving intire the Gift of the only true Religion by it easily obtain Everlasting Life Amen To the Immortal and Invisible King of all the World the only God be all Honour and Glory for ever and ever Amen An APPENDIX to the foregoing Consultation Whether every one may be saved in his own Faith and Religion WE have said in the Preface of the foregoing Treatise that it was a stupid and gross Errour of some that think it sufficient to Salvation if they believe in Christ and that he died for our Sins and we briefly demonstrated their Errour with certain Reasons But because this Errour is now far spread and hath infected the Minds of many I am intreated to explicare the same more at large Therefore I shall divide the matter into Two Questions The First is Whether it be sufficient to Salvation to believe in God and do no Body any injury that is to say Whether every one may be saved in his own private Faith or Belief if he endeavours to live honestly and virtuously The Second is That supposing that Faith in Christ is necessary Whether that alone be sufficient or whether we ought to believe something else The First Question AS to the First Question many at this time The Foundation of our Adversaries Opinion are of Opinion that every one may be saved in his own Faith or Religion The Reason which they chiefly give is because it seems to them incredible that all Jews and Turks many of which Worship God devoutly in their way and deal justly with their Neighbours should be damned eternally only because they do not believe in Christ since in this regard they seem not to offend very much because from their infancy they were taught otherwise For why should God who would have all to be saved make the way of Salvation so strict 1 Tim. 2.4 Joh. 3.17 Why should he condemn to Eternal Punishment these miserable Wretches who study to please him according to their Capacity who do no Man any Wrong but observe Justice and honesty of Life meerly for ignorance of that which they have not been sufficiently instructed in But this Opinion though consulting only Natural Reason It is refuted with Four Reasons ir seems to have some shew of Truth and Equity yet considering those things which God hath revealed to us in Scripture is altogether a Paradox For if every Turk or Jew may be saved in his own Faith or Belief then in vain the Apostles and Holy Fathers laboured so much to plant the Faith of Christ for they might abstain from a profession of this Doctrine without loss of their Salvation and remain contented with the Jews with a coufession of one God I add moreover Christ therefore was made Man in vain he wrought so many Miracles in vain that People might believe him to be the Messias and Saviour of the Would in vain he was Crucified and died for none of these things were necessary to Man's Salvation It had been enough to have sent Preachers through the World to perswade Mortals to believe in one God The Apostle uses this way of arguing saying If Justice be by the Law then Christ died in vain Gal. 2.21 that is if Justice may be obtained by the knowledge of one God and observation of the Law then Christ died in vain because his Death was not necessary to Salvation Second Reason Again the whole Scripture will he found false and lying which teaches That Christ is our Mediator Redeemer and Saviour which proposes him a Propitiator for us by Faith in his Blood Rom. 3. by whose Svcrifice we are reconciled to God by whose Blood we are
cleansed from our Sins and by whose Faith we are justified Apoc. 1.7 for there is no other Name under Heaven given among Men whereby we must be saved Act. 4.12 All these things were in vain and false if every one might be saved in his own Religion Object Perhaps some will say that Christ is indeed our Redeemer and all Good to us proceeds from him yet a belief in him is not abfolutely necessary to Salvation for it sufficeth to believe that all our Happiness springs from the Bounty of God and is needless to know the means of conferring it Answ But this is repuguant to the Holy Scripture and Reason because the Scripture plainly teaches that Christ's Redemption is not applied to us Why Faith in Christ is necessary to Salvation but by Faith in him and therefore all that bâ—lieve not in Christ are without Justification remain in Sin and are the Children of Wrath and Damnation 'T is likewise against Reason because to be made partakers of any great and singular benefit all reason requireth to know our Benefit and Benefactor that we may know him as 't is meet with all thanksgiving for the condition of the Benefit and Benefactor requires this gratitude therefore since the benefit of our Redemption is so strange and great and he that gave it so sublime and excellent and the manner of bestowing It so wonderful 't is requisite we should know all this least we should live and die altogether ungrateful to so great a Benefactor least like the Jews we should return Curses for a Blessing and Blasphemies for Thanksgiving 'T is therefore absurd that those who believe not in Christ should be partakers of the same Happiness with them that are to be saved by Faith in Christ the which also is confirmed by this that none can be saved who is ignorant of God and the benefit of his Creation else all Idolaters may be saved therefore neither he can be saved that is ignorant of the benefit of our Redemption because the benefit of our Redemption is far greater and more admirable and pertains more to the Glory of God and Christ and requires of us a more ample Honour Service and Thanksgiving Nor is it sufficient to know in general The benefit of our Redemption is to be known in particular that all this Happiness comes to us from God this is not enough to pay that gratitude and honour due to him but we ought to know what and how great this benefit is how and in what manner and way he conferred it namely that he delivered us from Sin and Eternal Death that he opened us the passage to Eternal Life and that also by a way most stupendious and strange to wit by uniting our Nature to his own and therein suffering death for us For this chiefly commends his Charity Mercy and Justice this requires of us all Obedience all Praise Benediction and Thanks-giving and these are principally to be known by us as necessary to Salvation Third Reason Again if every one may be saved in his own Faith then that Faith sufficeth to Salvation which is no infused gift of God but a Humane Perswasion conceived by a private judgment supported by Humane Authority and built on a fallible foundation For although the Turks believe one God Maker of Heaven and Earth and Rewarder of Good and Evil Works yet this Faith is not from the Holy Ghost but from a private Judgment or rather from the Devil for they do not so believe because God hath revealed it to Men by some true Prophet but because Mahomet whom they imagine to be God's Prophet and Instrument to instruct Mortals has so declared it in his Alcoran Therefore although that which they believe is true yet because the Foundation and all their reason of believing is false and pernicious to wit that Mahomet is a Prophet of God the Faith it self whereby they believe is deceitful and in regard of the foundation on which it depends is noxious and destructive to Salvation necessarily infecting the Mind with the contagious Errours of that Sect. How then can it be said that that Faith is sufficient to their Salvation or that they can be saved by this Faith How can that Faith which is uncertain fallible and pestilential be laid for a foundation of Justice and Salvation In like manner the Jews although they believe the same things and many more consonant to Truth yet that Faith whereby they believe these things is deceitful and far from the Spirit of God For the main reason of their belief is because their Rabbins and Doctors of their Synagogue so interpret the Scriptures for these are a Rule of Faith to them or which is the same thing the Holy Scripture as 't is subject to their Interpretation But all this reason of believing is false and deceitful and no less harmful than that of the Turks For now it is as bad to believe the Rabbins to be indued with the Spirit of God for the right interpretation of Scripture as Mahomet to be a Prophet of God nor are they driven to less absurdities by force of that Principle How then can such a Faith be the Basis or Ground-work of Salvation Fourth Reason Lastly This Opinion makes no difference between Turcism Judaism and Christianity but in some small matters nothing at all necessary to Salvation so that 't is all one what Religion you live in because you may be saved in any which is to open a way to the Alcoran and to equalize Mahomet with Christ or rather to introduce Atheism For to allow of every Religion is to take away all Religion and think none necessary since there can be but one only true Religion The Fundamental Reason on which this Opinion chiefly depends is of no moment For First if it be not incredible That God for many thousand years An Answer to the Foundation of the other Opinion left the whole World in Idolatry except the Jewish Nation a little part of it and suffered the same to run headlong into destruction although amongst them there were many famous Wits and serious Worshippers of their Gods and Lovers of Humane Justice and Honesty it ought not to seem incredible that the Turks and Jews at this time live in the state of damnation Secondly The Turks and Jews now who believe not in Christ are less excuseable then of old the Heathens were that did not acknowledge one God Maker of Heaven and Earth The reason is because when almost the whole World was overspread with Idolatry the violence of common custom swept away all nor did reason much sway with private Men to doubt of their Religion and if any doubt did arise there was no easie way of knowing the Truth But now since the Christian Faith hath compassed the World so that Christians are to be found every where both Jews and Turks have manifold occasions to doubt of their Religion and if they refuse or carelesly neglect to confer with
their Apostles such as Luther Calvin Melancton Zwinglius c. who they suppose were indued with the Spirit of God or because each one by his own judgment conceives them to be contained in the Scriptures or lastly because the private Spirit inwardly witnesseth them to be true or that such is the sence and meaning of the Holy Scripture For whatsoever the Sectaries of this time believe they believe for some of these three reasons and one of the three they make the foundation of their Faith and motive of belief But these three Foundations or Motives of belief are altogether deceitful as you shall see That the first Foundation namely the authority of Luther Calvin and others that devised these New Religions is deceitful is manifest because experience shews they could be deceived and did really err in many things For many things they revoked many things they corrected they contradicted themselyes in many things as is clearly demonstrated in the Ninth Consideration and Sixth Reason of my Consult about Religion Hence it is that now but few depend on their Authority saying they were Men subject to Errour and therefore their Followers desert them as they list where they think they can find some better Doctrine Their Authority therefore is deceitful even in the Opinion of their own Disciples and Followers Nor is the other ground less deceitful to wit their own private judgment whereby they expound the Scriptures For many things which are indeed false to a private Judgment seem to be true and those things which at first seemed to be true are afterwards found to be false Hence it is that there are such diversity of Opinions such chopping and changing of Religions because Humane Judgment is very weak especially in the Mysteries of Faith and Understanding of the Scripture which transcend Humane Capacity Many Answer that in believing Whether they rely on Scripture they do not rely on their own judment but the Holy Scriptures which cannot err How miserably they are deceived herein appears by this that almost all Sectaries say they rely upon Scripture when they disagree in many things amongst themselves and teach things contrary to one anothers Doctrine which could not rationally be done if they relyed upon the lawful understanding of Scripture and not on their own private judgment For the Scripture is no where contrary to it self it disagrees in no place with it self therefore the reason why they so much differ amongst themselves is because they interpret the sence of Scripture according to their own private Judgment which is divers according to the variety of Judgments and Understandings of Men. They rely therefore upon Scripture not as 't is interpreted by the Holy Fathers of the Catholick Church but according to their own private Judgment For the virtue and efficacy of the Scripture consists not in the naked Words but in the right meaning and interpretation Therefore their whole foundation is their own private judgment which how deceitful it is the dissentions of so many Sects clearly demonstrate Lastly The Third Foundation of their belief on which many The private Spirit at this time depend is the most deceitful of all because among the Fanaticks who pretend most of all to the instinct of the Spirit there are the greatest differences and divisions amongst themselves which could not be unless the Spirit which rules and governs them and on which they depend were deceitful and various The same is observable amongst the Lutherans and Presbyterians and the different Sects and Factions of them both for every one is certain of the truth of his Opinion by the private Spirit which instructs him whereby it is most manifest and clear that this Spirit is not the Holy Spirit the Spirit of God and Truth which cannot teach contradictions and be against it self but the Wicked Spirit the Spirit of Errour Who is a Lyar from the beginning and the Father of Lies who lives in the Children of unbelief Joh. 8.44 of whom the Apostle says Because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved therefore God shall send them strong delusions to believe a Lye c. 2 Thes 2.11 And in another place In the latter times some shall depart from the Faith attending to the Spirits of Errour and Doctrines of Devils 1 Tim. 4.1 for every Heresie is the Doctrine of Devils And S. John Believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the World 1 Joh. 4.1 This is that Spirit which rules in the Hearts of Hereticks and whose Testimony brag of as thinking it to be the Holy Ghost This so blinds their Understandings and perverts their Fancies that they take Light to be Darkness and Darkness Light they esteem the most clear Truth of the Catholick Faith to be Errour and their own foul and dismal Errours to be the clear Truth and certainly were they not totally bewitched and blinded they might easily perceive that that Spirit which inwardly they feel is not the Spirit of God or at least they could not choose but doubt of it since every Sect amongst whom there is so great dissension touching their chiefest Principles lays equal claim to the Testimony of this Spirit boast of it and follow it and in maintaing their Tenets repugnant to each other chiefly depend on it But this happens by the just Judgment of God For as the Jews who would not receive Christ were permitted to be blinded by the Devil as 't is plainly gathered from the Apostle 2 Thess 2. So Hereticks who have deserted the Catholick Faith which is no less a Sin than that of the Jews are permitted to be blinded by Satan and led into all Ernour And if a Man but attentively consider A greater facination of the Devil in our Hereticks than in the Jews he shall perceive a more powerful operation of the Devil in our Hereticks and a greater facination of their Mind than there is in the Jews and Turks and this for two Reasons First Because the Jews agree in their Belief and have no different Sects amongst them Among the Turks or Mahometans there be only two and they not much different But amongst the Hereticks of our days there are numbers of Sects some propagated one out of another by the rise of New Opinions mutually condemning one another of Heresie and all these are sprung up within 100 years or thereabout which is a clear sign that the Devil has a great power in the Minds of these Man to disturb their Fancies pervert their Imaginations and Judgments that they can neither stand nor rest any where Secondly Because the vulgar People among the Jews and Turks rely not upon their own judgment nor the instinct and testimony of the private Spirit but upon the judgment of their Doctors or which is the same thing upon their Scripture as 't is expounded by the Doctors of their own Religion Therefore they