CHAP. I.

THe ALMIGHTY, as a most Divine Architect, rais'd the Fabrick of his Church in this World as a medium to Salvation; a Man for not hearing this Church is term'd in St. Matth. 18.18. a Publican or Hea­then; Protestants segregating themselves, and not hearing this Church, are in a most lamentable state. Sure a natural unity and connection of the Parts among themselves, and to the Head, is necessary [Page 2] for the conservation of the natural Body: Christ promised that there should be Unity in his Church; St. Iohn 10.16. They shall be made one Fold and one Pastor. This Unity is most requisite in God's Church; St. Iohn 17.11. Christ prayed, that his Disciples should be one. And again, 1. Cor. 1.10. I beseech you that you all speak one and the same thing, and that there be no Schism among you, but that you be perfect in one judgment. Protestants denies, and flyes from this Unity, being divided and subdivided; Christ praying: Sure his Prayer took effect; his People, his Flock, and Congregation, being still one in the bonds of Peace. The pretended Reformation have no Unity, differing in most essential Points for Salvation, therefore no true Church; the Roman Catholick Church, and no other, stands firm and infallible against all the tempests of Apostacy, Heresie, and Schism, and this by her Unity and Uniformity: Sure by confession of Protestants, the Roman Church was once the true Church accor­ding to St. Paul, Rom. 1.8. First, I thank my Lord through Iesus Christ, that your Faith is spoken of throughout the whole [Page 3] World. And again, v. 7. To all that be in Rome beloved of God, call'd to the Saints, Grace to you, and Peace. Now I say, having it once, how could they but re­tain the same Faith still infallibly? For no general Council even ever yet con­demned her of Error, none of the holy Fathers ever wrote against her, and by no authority was she to this day reproved of Schism; for she left no Church or Com­pany ever yet, she went not forth from any Body or Congregation; how could she? being infallible in her self, 1 Tim. 3.15. she being the House of God, which is the Church of the Living God, the Pillar and Firmament of Truth; if not, why should any be esteemed a Heathen and Publican for not hearing her? Add to this, Christ being the Head of the Church, the Holy Ghost the Soul there­of guiding and directing in all truth, the Church could not err, unless you'l make Christ and his Spirit an Impostor, and a Lyer, which is down-right Blasphe­my, seeing that he prophesied, That the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against her, viz. Error, Falshood, Schism, or Heresie; hence I infer by good illation, [Page 4] that any Congregation of People despi­sing Christ, forsaking his Church, and remaining out of it, pertinaciously is guilty absolutely of Apostasie and Schism, see St. Luke 10.16. He that heareth you heareth me, and he that despiseth you despiseth me, &c. Lo the misery of Protestants! who are likewise really guilty of He­resie, in adhering to so many false opi­nions and errors of Faith contrary to the generally approved Doctrine of the Church of Christ, from which they wil­fully and blindly divided themselves, breaking of Communion with the an­cient, one Holy-Catholick Apostolick Roman Church: And sure that Church, to which Apostacy, Schism, and Heresy, doth agree, is a false and erroneous Church; and this is the Church of the pretended Reformation.

The Power of glorious Jesus our Re­deemer did marvelously shine in the Em­pire of his Church, which his heavenly Father did put into his hands to build it, raise it, cement it with his Sacred Blood, to illuminate it with his Light, nourish it with his Body, to make Laws in it, establish Sacraments as conveyances of [Page 5] Divine Graces, to eternize a most dread and propitiatory Sacrifice, to create Pa­stors and Priests, invisibly to rule it by a visible Head, a Power never to be sha­ken even to the Gates of Hell; to exer­cise a Jurisdiction over Souls, to bind them, unloose them, pardon Sins, and change Hearts; and you may know, that this ever blessed Jesus having the source of all power in him, did in Divine Pro­vidence distribute the same, his Divine Power, to Popes and Kings, constituting the one for Spiritual Government leading to eternal Glory, the other for the Tem­poral; and it is his will and pleasure we honour the Character of that his Divine Authority, both in the one and the other, and not to argue, controul or impugn, upon idle whimsical Phantasies those hea­venly Powers. And it is most evident, that in all times before Heresie began, there has been rendred to Popes Vice­gerents of Christ, and lawful Successors to St. Peter, the Honour they deserved as such, and as the sovereign universal vi­sible Pastors under Heaven; see the Coun­cil of Calcedon, in Epist. ad Leonam Pa­pam, where the Pope is called, Caput [Page 6] omnium Episcoporum & totius Christi Ec­clesiae. Also we confess and acknowledge our Sovereign Liege-Lord and most gra-King IAMES the Second, true and absolute Monarch of these his three Kingdoms, singularly honouring and obeying him, and with most true, cor­dial, faithful, loyal affection, loving him as an animated real Portraiture of the greatness of the Divine Majesty; and sure there is no Science more noble, nor more advantageous, than to honour and obey these two Powers; neither can there be any true lasting Felicity, but in the accomplishment of the Will of the Almighty, the Sovereign Master and Ru­ler of all. On the contrary, it is obser­ved in the History of many Ages, that dire Vengeance and Wounds from Hea­ven have fallen signally upon those who have disobeyed these two Powers, for the Wind blowing from blasphemous and seditious Mouths, returned on their own Heads, since it is fit such Impiety and horrid Iniquity should first kill it self with its own Poyson: What the Soul is to the Body, the same is true Religion to a Kingdom; the Body without a Soul [Page 7] signifies nothing; even so a Kingdom, without true Religion, is disjoynted, con­fused, and comes to ruin; whereas Di­vine Religion in it self is the Basis and Foundation of all Moral Virtues, the ground and support of all just pious Laws, the cement that strongly combine all human Society, and is the very life of upright impartial Justice, and constant Honesty: Finally, true supernatural Re­ligion is the golden Chain that unites God to Man, and Man to his Duty to God, and brings down the rich Blessings to poor mortal Sinners on Earth. O what a glorious and most happy King­dom is that, where are to be seen, as in a clear optick Glass, these two most hea­venly Objects, the King's most excellent Majesty prostrate on bended knees, pay­ing with ravishing Devotion the humble religious Homage of Heart, Hands, and Knees, to the Divine Majesty of Almighty God! As a Member and obedient Child of the visible Church of Christ, honou­ring a visible sepreme head Vicar of Christ, and Successor to St. Peter, as Uni­versal Pastor of all Pastors. And it is a most undoubted truth, that Kings are [Page 8] not made by the invention of active, am­bitious, or politick Wits, as blind Enthu­siasts Dreams; neither are they Creatures of the People's making, or the Product of a giddy Multitude, as the Independents, with many other seditious blind persons, maintains; but they are grounded on the very Law of Nature in high paternal Authority coequal with the World, they are founded on the pure Law of right Reason, which gives a Dignity and Au­thority to the First-born over all his Bre­thren, so as Kings are rooted in the Ori­ginal Laws of Nations, as Cicero, lib. 3. de legib. testifies; Omnes antiquae Gentes Regibus paruerunt, All the ancient Nations in the World were ruled and governed by Kings: They are confirmed by God's unerring Law, who instituted Kingly Go­vernment over his own chosen People, Deut. 17.15. and gave express command for David to be anointed King of Israel, 1 Sam. 16.1. Finally, Kings are prophe­tically promised as a very great Blessing to his Church; Isa. 49.23. Kings shall be thy Nursing Fathers, and Queens shall be thy Nursing Mothers. And Plato, that Seraphick Philosopher, calls Kingly Go­vernment [Page 9] the most Divine Government. Herodotus, who is stiled, Pater Historia­rum, The first Historian among the Hea­thens, calls it, The most ancient Go­vernment. Aristotle, the most rational of all Philosophers, stiles it, The most excellent Government, for Monarchical. Government is the meer imitation of the Government of Heaven, which is by one God; 'tis the restitution of the Primitive Government in this World, which was by one King, and it is the meer reflection of the admirable Government of Na­ture, which rules the many Members of the Body by one Soul. Daily experience proves that Ship to be best guided which is steered by one Pylot, tho' trimm'd by many Saylors; that Army sure is best ordered which is commanded by one General, tho' assisted by many inferiour Officers; Ergo, that Nation is more happy and best governed by one King▪ tho' advised by divers prudent and reli­gious Counsellors. And even Nature gives us a Hieroglyphick hereof in the Bees, whose sweet Commonwealth is ordered by one King: See Georg. lib. 4. Quemadmodum mirantur & omnes circum­stant [Page 10] fremitu denso stipantque frequentes; They all follow and obey, like little nimble Courtiers their little King, &c.

All this considered, will not a good Judgment see, that to go about to op­pose any of these two Powers, is to do that which St. Austin said, To suffer ones self to run into a folly, which hasten'd into the height of Insolency and Mad­ness, and in the end find nothing but an Ocean of Disturbances, and unavoi­dable Perdition and Ruin.

God bless King IAMES, our most gracious Pole-Star, no sooner His Royal Brother King Charles the Second, of ever glorious Memory, died, but he publickly went to hear Mass, confiding in the mercy of ever blessed Jesus, who for him doubtless will all Safety and Prospe­rity provide. O Prodigie never to be duly pondered, for which he is through all the World praised and admired! Magna est Veritas & praevalet. We must not meddle with things Sacred, but with due reve­rence; we must not confound the true Churches Spiritual Authority, with the Regal, Civil, and Temporal, both being distinct in Office, and severally given [Page 11] and appointed by the Almighty; they are like the two Arms of his Divine Power employed by him, and distributed to their several Uses, the one exercising the meer Spiritual and Persuasive Power, the other the Corporal and Coercive Power; the one holding the Pastoral-directing and Soul-corrective Staff, the other swaying the Royal and All-subje­cting Scepter; the one unsheathing the Spiritual Sword, cutting off by Autho­rity Disobedient, Schismatical, or He­retical Sinners from the communion of the faithful Flock, and from eternal Life; the other brandishing the Kingly Sword, cutting off the Lives of the Offenders of established just Laws; and even as God holds this World in his hands that the vast Sea and firm Land may not mix together, but observe their just bounds, lest they should come to another Chaos; So he will not have those two sovereign distinct Dignities be blinded into one, least Confusion, and inevitable Ruine should follow. Sure since King Henry the Eighth revolted from the Monarchi­cal Spiritual Power of Christ's Church, nothing to this day followed but confu­sion, [Page 12] misery, disasters, in this brave King­dom of England, by degrees ascending to height of unheard-of Iniquity and Tyranny, as to cut off the best of Kings Charles the First; assuredly those mis­creant Hell-hounds that murdered him would not stick to murder even Divi­nity: This is the woful Catastrophe of disjoyning the Spiritual, from Kingly and Monarchical Government. Now I must say this much of the Roman Catholick Church, that, according to St. Paul, Rom. 1. was, and is yet, and will continue, in perpetuum, famous for Faith, Religion, Sacrifice, and Sacraments, throughout the Universe, for the sound of her Do­ctrine hath been heard every where, and her Fame to the utmost Parts of the World, so as it is the same to say Roman, as Catholick or Vniversal; whereas there, where the Roman Eagles Wings did never spread, the Roman Faith did, reaching down to all Ages, and spreading over all Kingdoms; for who can view Chri­stianity in its extent, but must consider how all Kingdoms and Nations were by Roman Emissaries converted to the true ancient Faith of Iesus, we need not make [Page 13] any further Enquiries, but embrace and walk confidently in those plain Paths in which Fools cannot err, following the foot-steps of the true Flock and the hea­venly good Pastor, where alone Sanctity, Verity, and all Virtues, inerrability, in­fallibility, and perpetuity, are found; for when, where, or how she ever err'd or fail'd, no Authentick Author have yet related, no faithful candid Writer recor­ded; nor have any of those watchful Lu­minaries and Sentinels, whom God hath placed in his Church, ever given the least alarm of Innovations gotten into the same, only Schismaticks and Hereticks combining, conspiring, and reviling, and in vain.

CHAP. II. Of the CHURCH.

THe Church of Christ is one Society or Company of Men link'd and combin'd together in one and the same profession of Christian Faith, Religion, Sacrifice, and use of Sacraments under lawful Pastors, and under one supreme visible Head Pastor, or conservator of Peace, Union, and Verity: This is a true notion or definition of the Church esta­blished by Christ, and propagated by the blessed Apostles; here the true nature, essence, and constitution of a Church is manifested, and doth truly distinguish it from all Hereticks and Schismaticks vain Pretences whatsoever, for they are appa­rently excluded from Christ's Church, and she appears glorious without spot, wrinkle, or any such thing; she is descri­bed in holy Writ by the Emblems of a City, orderly govern'd by one chief su­preme Governour, or of an Army go­vern'd by that Military Discipline, that requires subjection to one Generalissimo, the [Page 15] King had placed over it; of the Body, each Member in due subjection to its visible Head on Earth, and the Pope in point of Government, rul'd by his invisible Head in the highest Heaven. Hence it followeth by order of good consequence, that Di­vine Faith and Belief (wherein consisteth as well the ground and foundation of our eternal welfare, as also the Fruit and entire Utility of Christ's coming into this World) is to be had in the Church, made plain by the Prophet Esay 45. he foreshewed the wonderful Providence of God, in providing for Christians so mani­fest a way of Direction for their Faith and Religion, as that the most simple and unlearned Man in the World should not be able (but out of wilfulness) to go astray therein, his words directed to the Gentiles are these: Take comfort, and fear not; behold your God shall come and save you, then shall the Eyes of the Blind be opened, and the Ears of the Deaf shall be restored, and there shall be a Path and way, and it shall be called, The holy way; and it shall be to you a direct way, as Fools shall not be able to err therein.

[Page 16]Sure the plain and direct way mentio­ned by Esay, wherein no simple or igno­rant Men can err, is the general Body of Christ's visible Church upon Earth, plan­ted by his Apostles throughout all Nations and Countries, and continuing by Suc­cession unto the World's end; in which Church, who remaineth and believeth all things taught therein, cannot at all fall into any Error of Faith; for that this Church is guided by Christ's Spirit, and therefore in no ways subject, or within the compass of Error: For which cause, St. Paul, ultimo, calls it, The Pillar and Firmament of Truth. And the same Church is so conspicuous and evidently manifest, that it is more easie to find it out, than it is to see the Sun or Moon when it shineth brightest at Noon, or to behold the greatest Hill or Mountain in the World; and for more declaration of this, it's to be noted, That in the time from Christ's ascension, until the 13th year of Nero's Region, who first of the Roman Emperours began open Persecution against Christians, and put to death St. Peter and St. Paul: In this time (I say) of Toleration under the [Page 17] Roman Empire, (which continued the space of 36 years) the blessed Apostles and Disciples had preached one uniform Gospel and Faith throughout all the World, as may appear by their Acts recorded, and by the peculiar Testimony of St. Paul to the Romans, Rom. 1. which thing being most miraculously done by the Divine Power and Virtue of Christ, Bishops, Pastors, and Governours, being ordained in every Country and Church, for guiding and directing the same by themselves and their Successors in perpe­tuum; this I say, being once brought to pass, then the blessed Apostles, for pre­venting of new false Doctrines that might afterward arise, most earnestly exhorted, and with all vehemency called upon the people to stand fast in the Doctrine, Do­cuments and Traditions then received, to hold firmly the Faith and Doctrine already delivered as a Depositum or Treasure committed to them, to be safely kept till the last day. And above all other things, they forewarned them to beware of new fangled Teachers, whom they called Hereticks, who should break from the Unity of the Universal [Page 18] Body already made and knit together, and should devise new Glosses, Exposi­tions, and Interpretations of Scripture, bringing in new Sences, Doctrines, Opi­nions, and damnable Divisions, to the utter renting of Christ's Church, King­dom, City, already builded, and all this to the perdition of infinite Souls. Hence it is, that St. Paul, Tim. 1. pronounceth peremptorily of a contentious and here­tical Man, that he is damned by the testimony of his own Judgment or Con­science; for that he abandoned the com­mon, direct, publick way, which all Men might see, devising particular Paths and pernicious Turnings to himself; and the ancient Fathers of the Primitive Church disputing against the same kind of People, defended always, that their Error was of Malice and wilful Blindness, and not at all of Ignorance; for they will not behold the plain, direct, sure, safe, unerring, and infallible way among Christians, wherein no man can err, tho' never so simple, but only of blind, wil­ful, and obstinate malice: Yet by promi­ses of Christ himself in the Gospel we are absolutely ascertained, that the same [Page 19] visible Congegation, Body, Common­wealth, Church, Kingdom, and Govern­ment, which was established by Christ, and propagated by the blessed Apostles, shall endure and continue by Succession of Followers in perpetuum, and that no new Teacher of later Doctrines dissen­ting from the first, shall ever prevail against it; albeit divers Errors and Heresies have sprung up, and made great blustering and disturbance for a time, yet have they been repress'd and condemn'd by the same Church, and her visible Pa­stors and Doctors in the end. For Ex­ample-sake, in the first Age there arose up certain seditious fellows among the Iews, as Simon Magus, Nicolaus, Cerin­thus, Ebion, Meander, &c. that were Hereticks; against these, stood in defence St. Peter, who broke the Neck and Black Art of Simon Magus, even by his Prayer: And after him, St. Martialis, St. Dionysius Areopagita, St. Ignatius, Policarpus, and others. In the second Age rose up Ba­silides, Cerdon, Marchion, Valentinus, Ta­cianus, Apelles, Montanus, and divers others; against these stood in battel Iustin Martyr, Dionysius Bishop of Co­rinth, [Page 20] St. Ireneus, Clemens Alexandrinus, Tertullian, with many others, their equals: And so all along downward from Age to Age unto cursed Luther's days, whatsoever Heresie, or new false Opinions hath been raised contrary to the general consent of Christ's universal Church, it hath been check'd, controul'd, silenc'd, and condemn'd by vigilant Pastors and Do­ctors, chief Governours of the same Body, by general Assemblies and Coun­cils gathered from time to time, as occa­sion serv'd, in all Parts of the World: Whereby it's evidently most manifest, that he who relieth upon this general consent of Christ's Church, and the judg­ment thereof, cannot err in matters of Belief, but walketh in that sure, secure, and infallible Path, wherein 'tis said in Isaiah 35.8. That a very Fool cannot go amiss.

Hence one may be persuaded of the Churches perspicuity and infallibility in her Traditions and Doctrines through God's Divine Providence, which did and will always preserve it from corruption, having a warrant for it out of Scripture, Isa. 59.21. My Spirit which is upon thee, [Page 21] and the words which I have put into thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy Seed, nor out of the mouth of thy Seed's Seed, from henceforth for ever. And St. Austin said, Ep. 118. That to dispute against a living multitude of the whole Church, is insolent madness. And to say, she may err through igno­rance, wilfulness, or negligence, is most absurd and blasphemous, she having Christ for her Head, and the holy Ghost for her Guide and Spirit, who was sent by our Saviour to teach it all Truth; where­fore to tax that heavenly Government with errors in Faith, is either to tax the holy Ghost with them, or to blaspheme against Christ our blessed Redeemer, by saying, He has not kept his word and promise, in sending the holy Ghost to teach his Church all truth for ever.

King IAMES, in a publick Speech made in his Parliament, acknowledged the Church of Rome to be our Mother-Church, saying, I acknowledge the Church of Rome to be our Mother-Church: This you may find in Stow, pag. 840. Sure the Sacred Blood of his glorious Mother Queen Mary, the ever blessed Martyr, [Page 22] ran in the Veins of this her Royal Son King Iames, who would do wonderful things in favour of the Roman Catholick Church, if it were not for the black contriving of the Gun-powder Plot by the Matchevilian Policy of crooked Cicil, only for to hinder King Iames from favouring the Church of Christ; Sanguis mantirum semen Ecclesiae. See Osburn.

Sure there is no other certain Testi­mony to any prudent considering Man, no firm Ground or Motive to believe, that the Primitive Church received her Doctrine from the blessed Apostles, these from Christ, Christ from God the Fa­ther; nor any way to bring it down from those times to these our days, but only the Tradition of the Church from hand to hand.

For we may observe three properties of the Doctrine of Divine Faith to be true, to be revealed of God, to be preached and delivered by the Apostles. The highest ground by which a Man is perswaded that his Faith is true, is the Authority of God speaking and revea­ling it; the highest proof by which a Man is assured that his Faith is revealed, [Page 23] is the Authority of Christ, and his blessed Apostles, who delivered the same as de­scending from God; but the highest ground that moveth a Man to believe, that his Faith was preached by the blessed Apostles, is the perpetual constant Tra­dition of the Church succeeding the blessed Apostles unto this day, assuring him so much according to the saying of Tertul. depraes. c. 21. & 37. who made his Ladder of Belief thus: ‘What I believe I received from the present Church, the present from the Primitive, the Primi­tive from the blessed Apostles, these from Christ, Christ from God, and God, the prime supreme Fountain of Verity, from no other Fountain diffe­rent from his infallible Knowledge: So as we must cleave to the present Church firmly, believing the constant Tradition thereof successively.’ So as if any have taught contrary points of Faith than what is revealed, the Catho­lick Church hath condemned them for Hereticks; which is a sufficient proof, that until such heretical Spirits, some one or more Traditions of the Church, were universally believed: As for [Page 24] Example; The Doctrine of Christ's con­substantiality, or being of the same sub­stance with the Father, no Man of reason will deny, but that it was generally be­lieved in the Church before the days of the Arch-heretick Arrius, and that the Council of Nice condemning him, was a sufficient proof, that the Doctrine he opposed was the Universal Tradition of the Church, by force and vertue whereof he was overthrown, and not by Scripture only.

The various ridiculous attempts of Protestants had hitherto no better success than Achelous had in fighting with Her­cules, who took upon him several shapes, hoping in one or other to overcome him, but was by Hercules beaten through all his shapes, and forced at last to take his own proper shape, and yield: Even so Protestants fighting against Roman Ca­tholicks are daily by them beaten thro' all their changes, forms, shifts, and in­ventions, through which they wander, yet are forced at last to take their true form of Protestancy, which is obstinately to deny, and even protest against manifest Truth, against general Councils, holy [Page 25] Fathers, and consent of all Nations. But I do heartily pray, that it would please God to bring them to the true an­cient heavenly form which they ought to have, which is, of Roman Catholick, and not perpetually roul like the blinded Sodomites, wander and grope in the dark­ness of uncertainty and instabibity, until eternal Torments seize upon them. One great egregious fraud you may observe amongst the Canonical Protestants, viz. That when they dispute against Ro­man Catholicks, they have recourse to the Scripture, and will be tryed by that only; but when they dispute against Pu­ritans, and other Sectaries, who can deal with them at their own Weapon, the Scripture only, then they have their re­course to the Fathers, and the old Tra­dition of the Church, just using the very same Arguments against Sectaries that Catholicks do against them; particularly in the baptising of Infants, against the Anabaptists; and the keeping of the first day of the week holy, against the Sabba­tarians who would have Saturday, for either of which there is not any com­mand in Scripture. And shall Tradition [Page 26] serve them in those cases, and not in others? And this shift is such a one as St. Augustin, Psal. 80. witnesses, to be common to Foxes, and now to Here­ticks; for even as the Foxes have two holes, to save themselves by one, when they are driven from the other; so He­reticks (whom the Scripture figured out by Foxes, Cant. 2.15.) have a double passage to save themselves, by the one when they are assaulted by the other; so that he that will catch them, must set his Nets before both issues, and besiege both passages: As ever yet to this day, the excellent Writers among Catholicks have done, and have left them neither Tradi­tion nor Scripture, whereby to escape Confusion, and the shame of Schism and Heresie; for it is but folly to pretend to secure by human crafty Arts that which God is resolved to destroy.

CHAP. III. Appendix to the former Chapter.

THe Almighty God independent and immense in his Extent, eternal in his Duration, infinite in his Perfections, glorious in his Mercies, and mysterious in the wonderous communication and dispensation of his Favours, Mercies, and Graces to Man, above all sublunary Creatures; for the Apostate Angels are lost without Redemption, and the pu­nishment their insolent Pride hath me­rited, doth pursue them without relaxa­tion, term, or pity; it is Man therefore who must be plac'd and substituted in the empty Seats of Angels. O Mercy! never to be duly ponder'd! Lo God the fountain, cause, and origin of the Universe, drew Man out of Dirt and Morter, as the Master-piece and prime Substance of all his Operations; it was Man that deserved the last wonderous touches of his omnipotent Hands; so, as Plato cryes out, calling Man the Mi­racle of all visible Miracles, it's certain, [Page 43] that of all Encomiums given to Man, the most noble, august, and transcendent, is, that he is created to the Image of God as a character of his Divine Nature: Herehence God's Goodness requires Ho­mages, his Majesty all Worship and Ac­knowledgments, and Affections of all Hearts. Now we are to consider, that God, when he created Man, did not assign him to remain in the state of pure Nature, but did out of his goodness con­fer on him original Righteousness and Grace, and after did endow him with supernatural Means, which may bring him to the supernatural end he was created for, viz. The vision, fruition, and possession of Heavenly Glory for all Eternity.

Now a supernatural End must require a supernatural Means, whereas by no natural helps we can arrive to be com­pleatly happy in the next Life, then of all supernatural Means or Gifts, the ground and stress of all the rest, is Di­vine, unerring revealed Faith. Now the Master and Author of that Doctrine we must believe, the Instructor of the Actions we must perform, and the pro­miser [Page 44] and performer of the final Hap­piness we may hope for is God him­self, who cannot deceive or be deceiv'd, he being the prime Verity. Via veritas & vita.—So as Faith is not grounded upon our weak natural Judgment or Ra­tiocination, but upon obedience to the Church.

Faith is a gift of God, a supernatural Quality infused by God into our Souls, by which we firmly believe all things revealed to us; Without Faith, its impos­sible to please God, Heb. 11.6. And, He that believed not, shall be damned; Mark ult. v. 16. So as every one ought to know that there is a sovereign and bles­sed end, viz. Eternal Glory; then every one ought to love and heartily wish to attain to the same, and earnestly seek out for those means and helps prescrib'd and ordain'd by God for the compassing it. Then in the first place we must find out Divine Faith, which partly proceeds from God as the source and Author there­of, as Prima veritas: And altho' those things we believe by Faith cannot be known by evident Demonstration, yet because they are taught us by superna­tural [Page 45] means, we are more certain of their truth than of all other things, because those things are deliver'd over to us by a more certainly infallible Teacher, the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Ghost: There­fore enter I pray into a serious conside­ration of the End, for which you and all were created, viz. The Glory of God, and your eternal Happiness; and for the knowledge of the means to attain thereunto, you may find by the consent of all Christians, this cannot be gotten by clear and evident sight, nor by hu­man Discourse founded on the Principles of Reason, nor by reliance upon Autho­rity meerly human, but only by Faith grounded on the Word of God, revea­ling to Men things that are otherwise, only known to his infinite Wisdom. Now God sure revealed all these things to Jesus Christ, and he to his blessed Apostles, as he saith, Iohn 15.15. All things which I have heard from my Father, I have made known to you: This partly by word of mouth, but principally by the immediate teaching of the Holy Ghost; to the end, that they should deliver them after to Mankind, to be received, believed, and [Page 46] obeyed over the whole World in perpe­tuum, as it is said, Matth. 28.19. Go teach all Nations. Sure they did accor­dingly preach to all Nations, as it's said by St. Mark 16.20. They going forth, did preach every where; and so planted an universal Christian Company, charging them to keep inviolable, and to deliver to their Posterity what they have received from them as the first Messengers of the Gospel, as St. Paul said to Timothy, 2 Tim. 2.2. The things that thou hast heard of many Witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful Men, who may instruct others. Now tho' the blessed Apostles and their Hea­rers be departed out of this Life, yet still there remains a means now in the World, by which all men may assuredly know what the Apostles preached, and the Primitive Church received of them, seeing the Church to the end must be built on the Apostles, and believe no­thing as matter of Faith beside that which was delivered of them, as St. Paul said, Ephes. 2.20. Are built on the founda­tion of the Apostles and Prophets, Iesus Christ being the chief Corner Stone.

[Page 47]Scripture is a Light only to the Faith­ful, because known from the Church's Tradition to be from the Apostles, by the Apostles Authority confirmed by Mi­racles to be of God, by God's supreme Verity, who cannot deceive nor be de­ceived, to be the truth: So Scripture is a Light which must be shewed by a Supe­riour Light, before it become light. The Church therefore must guide us to know the truth of Scripture, as St. Austin said, Contra Epist. fundamenti, c. 5. I would not believe the Gospel it self, unless the Autho­rity of the Church Catholick did move me. The Word that is written tells us, that all is not written; as St. Paul, 2. Thes. 2.15. exhorts us to keep both the written and unwritten, saying, Stand fast and keep Traditions which you have learned by word, or by our Epistle.

It is manifest, that the first Church of God from the Creation until Moses, which was about 2000 years, had no Word of God but what was unwritten; which we call Tradition from hand to hand. And we do not read that the Apostles were sent to write, but to preach: And S. Iohn denies, that he had expressed in Wri­ting [Page 48] all that he had to say, saying, Ha­ving more things to write to you, I would not by Paper or Ink, for I hope that I shall be with you and speak mouth to mouth, that your Ioy may be full: By which it is evident, that the blessed Apostles, beside their Writings, did preach other things which were wanting to their faith. And it's manifest, that what the Apostles did write, was but accidental, and upon par­ticular occasions. See Hooker. Eccles. Pol. Lib. 1. Sect. 15. P. 87. For instance; the Epistles of St. Peter, Iames, Iohn, and Iude, were written against certain Here­ticks, who misunderstanding St. Paul, did teach that Faith only without Works sufficed to Salvation: See St. Aug. de fide & operib. c. 14. And St. Iohn did not preach his Gospel till his last Age (which was very long) without writing, and took occasion to write (as St. Ierom, de Scriptor. Eccles. affirms) by reason of the Heresie of Ebionites then broke out. The like may be shewed of the rest. And take what is worth observation: That all Epi­stles were written to such persons only as were already converted to the Christian Faith, therefore were written not so much [Page 49] to instruct, as to confirm; this Zuinglius also confesseth, Tom. 2. lib. de Eccl. fol. 43. By all which its evident, that the Apostles and Evangelists did write their Books not by Command of Christ, but upon some accidental occasion moving them there­unto; and very many were saved before any Scripture, and that only by Tradi­tion, which was before Scripture; for the invention of Printing was not in the World till about 230 years ago, and the Bibles that were written being but few, by reason of the great labour of writing them; and those that were written, not purchaseable but by few, because of their great price; nor legible but by very few, because they were not printed, but written by hand; and sure God by his Providence did and will always preserve his Church from extinction and corruption, having warrant for it out of Scripture, and no warrant for the preservation of the Text, the Church being a thing more easily known than Scripture, and consisting of a living Multitude, can express it self more plainly by the Mouth and Tradi­tion of the Church; Tradition being plain and easie Doctrine concerning the [Page 50] common, capital, and practical Articles of Christianity; but Scripture, full of high, mysterious, and hidden sences, furnished with variety of Parables, Ex­amples, Histories, Revelations, Figures, Allegories, so as it cannot be proved dire­ctly to be the word of God but by Tradition.

The Christians of the Primitive Age, on pain of Damnation, held nothing of Faith, but what they received from Christ and his blessed Apostles; for Moral and Apostolical Tradition without writ­ten Scripture, or written Books, was the means of planting and conserving Chri­stian Religion; see St. Paul, Galat. 21.8. Altho' we or an Angel from Heaven preach to you, besides that which we have preached to you, he be Anathema. And again, 2 Thes. 15. Therefore Brethren stand ye fast, and hold ye the Traditions which ye have learned, whether by Word or by our Epistle. Sure Apostolical Tradition is the sure Guide by which we may infallibly be assur'd what Doctrin for Salvation Christ and his blessed Apostles left many years before any thing was written or printed.

CHAP. IV. The Scripture of Protestants decry'd.

FIrst, I say, that all Sectaries, tho' never so many, and opposite one to another, have ever risen, and have still pretended to Scripture; nay, the Devil urged his Temptation with a scriptum est, Matth. 4. And so many fre­quently deprave the Scriptures to their own perdition, 2 Pet. 3. I decline not Scripture, but allow, admit, and em­brace it, as containing that irrefragable Doctrine, which eminent Persons in the Church of God penn'd, even a thousand years before Printing was invented: Scri­pture is a good Instrument to draw Men from Paganism to Chistianity, but not Protestants to the Catholick Faith. When the Christian explicit Articles of Faith prepared and delivered to us by our Pri­mitive Pastors, according as they had re­ceived them from Christ (the prime In­ventor) were rashly annull'd, taken away, and rejected by Sectaries; and the Bible put into all hands, for to search and find [Page 52] out by our own skill the Results and Prin­ciples of Religion implicitly couch'd in the Bible; is not this extream Madness and Tyranny to Souls? Is it not a tyrannous Cheat, and an Abuse hardly to be paral­lell'd, to put Men to seek for a thing with a fore-imprinted prejudice of that they go about to find, and seek for Faith with a prejudice against Faith? With such-like prejudice do the English People read the Bible, being afore-hand advised by their Reformers fully to believe that the Catholick Mass is abomination; the Real Presence, a late invention; the Merit of Good Works, a Dream; fasting and mortification of sensual Appetites, folly and madness; the indifferency of Man's Free Will to Good or Evil, an Error; the making a Vow, a Chimera; restitu­tion or satisfaction of Injuries done, a prejudicial Mistake; all Expiation of our Sins, an inexpiable Crime; honour to blessed Saints, Idolatry; Sacrifice, Altars, and the whole Priesthood of Christ, Pro­phaneness; the conscionable practice of Sobriety, Justice, and Piety, necessary to Eternal Life, detestable Popery; for God's sake, what good can accrew to the [Page 53] drooping Soul of an Heretick by reading of Scripture with these Prejudices, these Diabolical Anticipations, these Antichri­stian Preconceptions, these meer Obstru­ctions to all Faith, Grace, and Salvation? Yet thus forewarn'd and prepossess'd, all Sectaries read the Scripture, no sound or solid Fruit arising thence to their Souls but hardness of Heart, Pride, Schism, sencelesness of God's Judgments, despe­rateness in all Sin and Injustice: Sure the Scripture do little or no good, but as it is presented by the Church, and re­ceived with her Interpretation, and pra­ctised in her Bosom. The Ark of God, so long as it was upheld by the Priests, comforted and sanctified them; but look'd into, or touch'd by others, destroy'd them; nor was it to them an Ark of Sal­vation, but an Offence, and occasion of Fall: Therefore it was a heavenly Cau­tion that which we received by a Voice from Heaven, Act. 10. Things that God hath sanctified, do not make common. We see Scripture takes up Figures, Allegories, Parables, &c. wherein are inclosed Truths of a differing strain to what the Letter relates, which will cause an obscurity al­most [Page 54] invincible, even to Church-men, singularly assisted, and inspired. It is therefore but madness to undertake La­bour and Hazard for naught.

The Law and Government of the Messias differs from the Law of Moses in this, That one was committed to Paper, but the Doctrine of Jesus should be writ­ten in the Heart and Entrails of his Church: He is a God that writes on the Paper of the Heart unto Eternity inde­lible Tenets. The Law of Christ is written not with Ink, but with the Spirit of the Living God; not in Tables of Stone, but in fleshly Tables of the Heart, promising to animate the Body of his Church with his own Spirit, which should lead them into all Truth; so as in very truth, Scripture of the New Testament was drawn by the Rule of our traditional Doctrine, and explicit Faith, and not our explicit Faith gathered out of them; neither was ever any General Council called together to teach the Church her Doctrine, but upon the rising of Heresies judging by the Rule of Tradition, decla­red against Heretical Innovations: Here I infer how they are bereaved of Human [Page 55] Understanding, that do not see palpably, that a pretended Church which begun by breach of Promises to God, by Sacri­leges and Impurities of Apostates, by ge­neral Revolt against Kings, against Di­vine and Human Laws, by the filth and ordure of the Carrion and caitive Flesh, by the dissolution of good Manners, by Blood, Furies, and Confusion, could not come and take its source from the Divine Spirit; yet they boldly say, they find Scripture of their side. Ah lamentable Illusion! To whom did the Scripture send them, but to the Priests and lawful Pastors? What said the Scripture unto them, but that they ought to keep the Traditions, and obey Prelates? That they must not trust to their own judg­ment, but captivate it in matters of Faith; and that it was better to believe with holy Simplicity, than question with a proud Curiosity: And it's observable, how the poor deluded People in England, after using their Bible now above a hundred years, how they have a Church without Apostolical Preachers; these without Cha­racter, Mission, Priesthood, or Divine Jurisdiction, Sheep without true Pastors, [Page 56] faithful without Churches, Christians without Sacraments, Temples without Altars, Altars without Sacrifices, Reli­gion without form or fashion, a Law without Obedience, a Faith without Works and Grace; yet they all peruse Scripture, and all is, but that they over­throw themselves by these Scripture ways, by which they seek to establish themselves; for if we ought not to be­lieve any thing but that which is writ­ten, in what place of their Bible will they find, that the revealed, positive, and affir­mative Principles of our Church must be denied and abrogated? In what place will they shew, that these words, Hoc est Corpus meum, must be understood figuratively, not really? In what place will they find, that Sunday must be kept holy, and not Saturday? Where will they find, that there are but two Sacraments? Where, that Children who cannot yet believe, or answer for themselves, are to be Bap­tized? &c. And so many other things of this nature, which makes us sufficiently understand, they ruine themselves by their own Hands and Weapon, the Bible, which they force and wrest, to fit it to their depraved purposes.

[Page 57]Alas poor deluded Pretenders! To whom do you trust your Souls for Salva­tion, your Honours and Lives, having blindly rejected the old Belief and Truths of your Fore-fathers upon a bare pretext of Scripture, cast and moulded on the heads of changeable Men?

Let us therefore follow and embrace the Generality, the Antiquity, and com­mon Consent; let's hold what is held every where, and always, and by all, so it be authorised by the Divine Law, and the Catholick Church's Tradition.

Let us now see what the Ministers of Protestantism oppose against so many infallible Proofs, to cover their want of Antiquity, Mission, Succession, Miracles, Sanctity, Judgment, and Reason? They cease not to buzz out every where a false pretext of Scripture [...]ich verily is the greatest illusion that can be imagi­nable; for these pitiful ones seeing them­selves batter'd on every side from the be­ginning of Reformation, know well in their consciences that the Scripture is against them; yet say they, to mock at the faith of Mankind, and lead Souls to Atheism, We must avoid the decision of [Page 58] a Power lively and lawful, we must only take colour from the holy Text, we will make it say what we list, we will maintain nothing is to be believed but what is writ­ten, we will disguise it with glosses and consequences to catch these who seem to have reason and wit.

Behold the only means to colour their pretences! Who are endued with suffi­cient and solid Judgment, cannot but consider and discover how deceitful, weak, and ruinous, their Foundation is. Now behold the powerful and invincible Reasons, which made St. Austin resolve upon the Religion we profess: Many great Reasons (said he) with much rea­son keep me in the obedience of the Ca­tholick Church, the consent of People and Nation [...]hold me, the Authority of the same [...], which is risen up by Miracles, m [...]ed with Hope, augmen­ted by Charity, established by its Anti­quity, the succession of Bishops holds me therein; which begins in the Seat and Authority of St. Peter, to whom God re­commended the Care of his Flock, is maintained to this day. Lastly, the name Catholick holds me to it, adding [Page 59] Contra Epist. Manichaei, He would not believe the Gospel it self, if he were not convinced by the Authority of the Church. What can be more clear? Yet tho' the Scripture doth so straitly recom­mend unto us in the practise of Humility (the seat of Grace) not to make our selves over-wise, or able, Rom. 12. Not to rest upon our own proper Judgment or Prudence, Prov. 35. To hearken to our Fore-fathers, to obey Pastors who have lawful Succession, to work out our Sal­vation in fear and trembling. What may a Man think of a Protestant Sect which authorizeth a peculiar Spirit, which hath ever been the Seminary of all Schisms and Disorders in Church and State, which without distinction puts the Scripture into all hands to judge of Points of Faith: Verily, from hence it is an admirable thing, to behold how the petty Spirits of silly Artificers, Mecha­nicks, and even simple Women busie themselves with their Bible, and to what degree of Pride they come, when abused by some imaginary Text of Scripture, they are puffed up with their own poor Ability, flattering themselves (deluded [Page 60] Souls) by some Text not rightly under­stood, with assurance of Salvation and Predestination in the greatest Exorbitan­cies, and neglects of Life: What Pride more irregular than this, to see Men not content with the Religion practised in England's three Conversions, doing all they can to deifie their own Opinions? What Pharisee ever came near this height of Pride? Yet the Bible they daily read and use. Verily I plainly see, they must hereafter live in Re-union; it is the Spi­rit of God that commands it, and will effect it in due time. Whereas now a days Shism and Faction has evidently prevailed over Unity, Pride over hum­ble Submission to reveal'd Truth, and ill stubborn Nature over real Truth.

CHAP. V. Plain Testamonies of holy Scripture both Old and New, for the Church's Infallibility.

WE read that the Jewish Synagogue had a Supream Court of Judica­ture to end all arising difficult controver­sies from whence there was no Appeal, because God promised that the Judge there, should shew them the Sentence and threatned Death, to those who should do presumptiously, and not harken to the Priest or Judge, Deut. 17.8. nay, Christ himself commanded the people even in his time to do as they said, who sate in Moses Chair, but not to do as they did, Matth. 23.3. So that till the spirit of God forsook the Synagogue it was to be obeyed, and by consequence was secured from giving a false Sentence in necessaries to Salvation. And can we imagine that God would leave his Spouse, his Church, without this so great a priviledge, to whom a Covenant with better promises hath been given, Heb. 8.

[Page 62]The Prophesies that speak of the Churches, the New Law tells us, that there shall be in those daies a way of Holiness, that the way-faring Men, tho' Fools, shall not Err therein, Isa. 35.8. Furthermore the Prophesies tells, that God had made a Covenant with his Church, that his Spirit shall be upon her, and his words which he had put into her mouth shall not depart out of her mouth, nor out of the mouth of her Seed, nor out of the mouth of her Seed's Seed for ever saith the Lord, Isa. 59.20.21. Therefore no Errors, Read besides the 60. Chapter of Isa. Say, that all Nations that will not serve Her shall perish, she will Suck the Breasts of Kings, that her Sun shall not go down, nor her Moon with­draw it self, but the Lord shall be to her an everlasting light, sure; this is to secure her from teaching false Doctrine, or falling into Idolatry; the most ab­horred of all Vices.

From the New-Testament, Christ pro­mises that he will Build his Church up­on a Rock, and that the Gates of Hell (which the Fathers interpret Error and Heresie) shall not prevail against it, [Page 63] Matth. 16.18. That he will be with her Pastors and Preachers, even to the end of the World, Amen. Matth. 28.20. That he will send them another Comforter, the spirit of Truth to abide with them for ever, Iohn 14.16. To teach them all things and to bring all that he has taught them, to their remembrance ver. 26. And that he shall guide them in all truth. chap. 16. v. 15. Moreover he has laid an Injun­ction upon all persons to hear his Church under the severe Sentence of being look'd upon as Heathens and Publicans: Matth. 18.17. Christ told his Disciples and their Successors, that who heard them heard him, Luke 10.16. he commanded to teach all Nations, and told them, that they who believed should be saved, and that they who believed not should be damn'd, Math. 28.19. Mark 16.15. O Soveraign and Heavenly Promises, Privi­ledges, and Graces of the true Catho­lick Roman Churches Infallibility.

Add to this how the Apostles tell us, that the Chuch of the living God is the Pillar and ground of truth, 1 Tim 3.15. Sure we may securely rely upon her, and they assure us that Christ gave his Son, [Page 64] Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers for the perfection of the Saints; that henceforth we may be no more Children tossed to and fro, &c. Eph. 4.

Are not these plain and wondrous texts of Scripture, and cannot you see clear­ly an infallible assistance promised to the directing and guiding men, that they should not be carried about with every wind of false Doctrine by the slght and wiles of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby some lie in wait for to deceive: No other Congregation under the Sun, but the Roman Catholick Church can stand up or pretend to these great Pri­viledges, it follows that Protestants are as they aver, fallible; saying so, they tell all the World an Infallible truth, and thereupon we may be infallibly as­sured that they always are failable and fallible. And hence it follows, whilst Protestants themselve declare they are fallible, they can no ways pretend to be the infallible Church of Christ: For if the Word of God should have the first place, and serve as a basis, for the perpetu­ating of a Church infallible, (as it is [Page 65] most reasonable) I incessantly challenge Ministers to shew but one only Text of Scripture express, formal, and irrepro­vable, contrary to the Articles of the Roman Catholick Church; sure this they could never yet perform, for hi­therto they have produc'd nothing but Semblances, Stories, Lyes and Railings, for to delude weak inferior Judgments of the giddy Multitude, being unable to make them good before considering and learned understanding Men: And if a lawful Succession, sacred Mission, Cha­racter and real Consecration of true Pastors be required, which is absolutely necessary for the establishment of an Ecclesiastical Hierarchy; the Roman Church can shew, that from the Apostles hitherward, our Popes and other infe­rior Pastors, do all to this day suc­cessively follow one another, above two hundred and thirty Popes—Magna est ve­ritas & prevalet. If the Authority of Councils be requisite, which are the Sinews, Mouths and living Oracles of Religion; in the Revolution of sixteen Ages, all Councils will be found, call'd for to confirm the Roman Church, & con­fute [Page 66] and condemn her Adversaries. If the Interpretations of Holy Doctors (who have been the Lights of their times, Instruments of the Holy Ghost, and Secretaries of the Divinity) they all with one accord and consent, speak for the Roman Church, condemning loudly the Errors and Schism of new Sects. If Miracles, which were wrought in all Ages, and in the sight of all Mankind, with so much approbation, that they have evicted Confession, even from the most Incredulous, and Reverence from the most Stupid, Millions and unfeigned Miracles, were and are daily wrought in confirmation of the verity of the Ro­man Catholick Religion. So as that there is not a Country wherein the Roman Ca­tholick Religion is profess'd, which doth not produce Testimonies so prudently and evidently credible of true Super-na­tural Miracles, that to deny them, were to destroy all Humane Faith.

Did not Simon Magus impiously boast, by the Spirit of his private Fancy, that he would do wonders, as St. Peter did? who provok'd by the said Simon Magus, did prove that he had the Spirit of God, [Page 67] by raising a Child from Death, which the other, with all his Black Magick Art, could not do; yet boldly challen­ging St. Peter, to fly from the Capitol to Mount Aventin; while he was doing so, by the Prayer of St. Peter, loe he came tumbling down, and brake his Leg, where­of he died soon after.

Even so that false Apostle Calvin, for the credit of his new Damn'd Doctrine, he would fain make a shew to the People of doing a Miracle, hir'd one that was Sick, to counterfeit himself Dead, who when Calvin should speak certain words, was to arise, as it were, from the Dead, but he not stirring, was found dead in­deed. Withall, mark how that the Son of Calvin being bitten by a Mad Dog, his Father not being able to cure him, sent him to St. Hubert in Arden, where the Body of that Saint is kept with Ve­neration, and frequent Miracles wrought thereby, where he was perfectly made whole; whereupon abjur'd his Fathers Sect, became a Roman Catholick, and lived and died so.

Yet Protestants object, its strange them­selves never see any Miracle, being so [Page 68] desirous, and miracles so frequent as we pretend. Herod was also very desirous to see a Miracle, but his curiosity ex­cluded him from that favour: Men who believe nothing but what they see, de­serve not to see Miracles, because they are obstinate. Yet there are few Pro­testants, who do not see Miracles; what greater Miracle, than that all Catho­licks turn not Protestants? If the con­tinual Victory over natural and vehe­ment Inclinations doth require a Miracle of super-natural Grace, we are as natu­rally and vehemently inclined to their Religion, as we are to our own Liber­ties and Pleasures: What greater Mi­racle, than that Roman Catholick sober and learned Men, should be perswaded, that their Senses are deceived in the Sa­crament of the Altar, and that they should suffer death for the Mystery of Transubstantiation? There must be effects of super-natural Grace, and not of Igno­rance, or Obstinacy, which cannot be laid to our charge, seeing we submit our Judg­ments to every definition of the Roman Church, and our very Adversaries know we are learned Men.

[Page 69]Sanctity of Life, is a super-natural sign and effect of Grace, and of the true Church. This Sanctity is evident in the Roman Church. Not to speak of An­tonies, Hilarions, or Stillitas, let's draw nearer our times, and consider the Lives of St. Bernard, St. Dominick, St. Francis, St. Vincent Ferrer, St. Francis of Paula, St. Charles Barromeus, St. Teresa, St. Francis Xaverius, St. Anthony of Padua, and many more, who were known Roman Catho­licks, professing the same Tenets, and Obedience to the Pope, which we now maintain against pretended Reformation. And not to speak only of the Dead, let any indifferent Person consider, how in all Vocations of both Clergy and Laity, we have many Persons eminent in Virtue, far above that degree of morality.

Let our English Protestant be pleased to weigh with himself, whether young Ladies, of as great Quality, Fortunes, and Gifts of Nature, as England doth afford, could forsake their native Coun­try, Kindred, and Friends, contemn all pleasures of the World and themselves, by embracing a religious, poor, and pe­nitent Life, in perpetual Inclosure, sub­mitting [Page 70] their wills to the Obedience and Humour of a Woman: could this, I say, be performed by so many, so continually, and with so great alacrity and content of mind, without a miraculous and su­per-natural Grace of the Almighty? In my judgment it is a greater Miracle, that such Persons should resolve by a volun­tary Banishment, to dye to their Country, and Friends, and to the whole World, by a Religious Profession, and to bury them­selves alive in a Cloyster; than if they had restored Life to others, and banish'd death from Graves and Monuments.

7. Now after that our Protestant Gentleman hath considered our Catho­lick Monasteries, let him examine, whe­ther in his own Church there hath been, or now is, any thing resembling so much Religion, and super-natural Vir­tue, as that which amongst us is not admired (though admirable) because so ordinary. This kind of Life is as far from Protestants Practice and Doctrine, as it is from natural Inclination. Yet I have heard, that Master Laud of Can­terbury, was once inclined to erect some Protestant Nunneries in England. I be­lieve [Page 71] it would occasion as great stirs as his Reformation did in England, because nothing is more opposite to the Tenets of the reformed Gospel, and first Re­formers, than to make Vows of Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience. Protestancy begun, and is founded upon the dissol­ving of Monasteries and Religious Vows, and is not compatible with their obser­vance, if things must be carried on by the same means that acquired them a being.

8. The Conversion of Nations to Chri­stianity, is not only a sign of the true Church, but also the end of its Institu­tion. This is so proper to the Roman Catholick, even at this present, that none who heard the names of America, Angola, China, Monomotappa, India, or Iaponia, can be ignorant of our pious endeavours, and miraculous success, in preaching the Gospel to so remote Nations, where no­thing that is coveted in this World, could be aimed at, or expected by our Apostolical Preachers. I will not say any more concerning the Signs of the true Church, these being sufficient to con­vince any Person that desires to be saved, [Page 72] that out of the Roman Church there is no Salvation, seeing it alone hath super­natural and visible Signs, whereby God doth declare sufficiently, that it is an in­fallible guide, to inform men of his My­steries, and direct them in the way he hath prescribed for his Divine Service, commanding all men to hear and obey it, as they would hear and obey God himself.

Now let us see what Luther the Apo­state Apostle of Protestants says, Velit nolit, in praise of the Infallibility of the Roman Catholick, in his Book against the Anabaptists, who in hatred of the Pope of Rome, did reject Infant Baptism: Nos, We confess, sub papatu plurimum esse boni Christiani, imo omne bonum Christianis­mum, atque illinc ad nos devenisse; quippe fatemur in papatu veram Scripturam Sacram esse, verum Baptismum, verum Sacramen­tum Altaris, veras claves ad remissionem peccatorum, verum praedicandi officium, ve­rum Catechismum ut sunt articuli fidei decem praecepta, &c. Dico insuper sub papatu esse veram Christianitatem imo verum nucleum Christianitatis esse—O magna est veritas & praevalet.

[Page 73]Mark what Calvin says, Instit. c. 10. §. 17. That St. Bernard was a godly and pious Writer. Adding, Et certe Papista fuit Bernardus, & nemo est Pius sine vera fide salutem & veritatem ab inimicis habe­mus. Mark lastly what Melancthon, one of the first Followers of Luther, said to his dying Mother, whom he perverted from the old Religion to his new one: Mother, send for a Priest, confess your sins before you die. Illa securior haec plau­sibilior via ad salutem. She did so, and died in the Communion of the old Ro­man Catholick Faith, in which she was born and bred. This you will find in Florimundus de Ortu Haeresis, lib. 1. cap. 9. What can be said more of the advan­tage of the Roman Catholick Church, than what her mortal Enemies proclaim to the World for to undeceive men, and guide them to the secure Ark of Sancti­fication and Salvation?

Now to deny this Infallibility so evi­dently demonstrated, is the great crime Protestant pretended Reformers are charged with; in this Infallibility is founded all the Power of Christ's Church, obliging to believe the inviolableness of [Page 74] her Government, the unjustifiableness of any Schism, the firm security that Faith is certain, and whatever in the Church is Sacred. But Protestants never clear themselves from Schism, upon any other grounds, that those, which if admitted, would prove all Malefactors in the World innocent, and make it lawful, nay an obligation in conscience, to dis­solve the whole Fabrick of the Worlds Government, whereas the very posture of a Fallibility of Faith, first lays, and in time hatches the Cockatrice Eggs of Anarchy and Atheism. What Man ever arrived to that height of mistake, as to endeavour to manifest his Innocency by the voluntary confession of a crime, which implies the objected sin of Schism? Now Protestants are accused of Schism, they lay for the ground of their ex­cuse, that they acknowledge not Christs Churches Infallibility, which is charged on them, to be both Schism and Heresie, and as the very sink of Infidelity. Sure they clearing themselves by denying the Infallibility of the Church, does the self-same as if some Male-contented Subject, having first out-lawed himself, by deny­ing [Page 75] the Laws, and rejecting the Govern­ment of the Land, and afterwards this man becoming obnoxious to those Laws, by Robbing or Murthering, should en­deavour to plead not Guilty, by alledg­ing, that though indeed the Subjects, who accept the Laws, and allow the Go­vernment of England, are liable to pu­nishment, if they offend against them. Yet, I (quoth he) who suppose this Government Tyrannical, and the Laws unjust, especially having a perswasion, and thinking in my Conscience they are so, can­not be obliged to obey them, and there­fore I must not be accounted a Factious Man, nor liable to punishment if I break them. Pray what will become of this Malefactor? Sure Protestants will clear him, in favorem Schismatis: But I am perswaded, wiser Judgments will think him more highly deserving the Gallows, for refusing subjection to the install'd Government; then it is mani­fest, that Protestants do more deeply merit Excommunication, for denying and rejecting Church-Government and her Infallibility.

CHAP. V. A Paraenetical Admonition to the Peo­ple of England.

PRotestants regard the antient Faith of Christ, whose Purity Ministers seek to blacken, by insufferable Inju­ries, Lyes, Invectives and Calumnies of the deepest Dye. They full well knowing, that its Purity cannot be at­tacqu'd with solid evident Reasons, nor Arguments, they found out by expe­rience, that their Arguments to prove their new fangled false Doctrine, makes but slight Impression in the Peoples minds: And they daily see, that when they but faithfully represent the Senti­ments and real Doctrine of the Catholick Church, they can neither justifie their Fatal Separation, nor excuse the Extra­vagancies and Impudencies of their first Reformers; they finding it impossible by these means, to maintain the ground [Page 77] of their cursed Schism, they have a re­course to a most unjust, pernicious and hellish Artifice, viz. to impute to the Roman Catholick Church, an infinite number of gross Errors, representing them under the hideous Idea, of a Society professing most impious Doctrine; thus no wonder that Peoples minds, under their conduct, should be alienated, as to feel Horror and Detestation of her Do­ctrine, so as their breach has been all along grounded upon Lyes, Calumnies and False Suppositions. Not being able to alledge in the behalf of their Schism, any thing that can bear weight, assuredly such disingenuous proceedings cannot but bring a deserv'd disrepute shame and confusion on the Protestant decaying Sect, even from the sober understanding men among them. And it is observable, that Incredulity is an immortal Disease, which hath reign'd from the beginning of the World, and which shall never end, but with the Worlds Dissolution. Dreams, Lyes, Illusions and Falshood are easily believ'd, because they insinuate them­selves into the Hearts of men by Charms, but glorious Truth, which can never bely [Page 78] her self, hath much ado to make her self entertain'd and understood, yet we must know that there are many things un­known to us, wherein God doth exer­cise our Faith, but not satisfie our vain curiosity.

It is said, that heretofore in Smyrna, a City in Greece, there was a false Mirror kept in the Temple, which did repre­sent the most beautiful Faces with nota­ble Deformity, and on the contrary, gave to ugly and mis-shapen a Lustre, of borrow'd and wholly imaginary beau­ty: It is most notorious, that the Pro­testant Ministers, in the false Glass of their Preachings, and lying printed Panphlets, represents the glorious Church of Christ the Spouse of Heaven ever Holy, as a Monster composed of Ido­latry and Abomination, as the Horrid Beast, Whore of Babylon, &c. and on the contrary, a Protestant Sect, which begun by a revolt from all Obedience to lawful Superiors, and by an infinite number of Exorbitances, Sacriledge, and unparallel'd Cruelties, is forsooth re­presented as celestial, holy and beauti­ful; and it is to be wondered to see [Page 79] even Dr. Stillingfleet, that Hircules and prime Advocate for Schism, and who undertakes like a Goliah, to defie the whole Hoast of Israel, in the false Glass of his Roman Idolatry, p. 8. Velit nolit, represents the Roman Catholick Church, as Idolatrous and Superstitious, and yet makes it out clearly, that she is the true Church, to whose Communion the purest of all Christians are bound to joyn, and that those who in any time did not joyn with it, acted against their Christianity, and must be counted as Schismaticks.

Now, noble Sirs, you are intreated seriously to reflect and bear in mind that heavenly Virtue, of ready and true filial Obedience to lawfully authorized Supe­riors, as Guides of your Souls in this Valley of Misery, and sink of Death: this Virtue is of the first magnitude, and deserves all imaginable Encomiums; Opposita juxta se posita magis clucescunt, said the most excellent Philosopher: contraries are their best Illustrations: Now Schism is Disobedience, and a most horrid Vice, considered in her own ugly shape, being carnality it self, so as [Page 80] there is not any crime so hainous as Schism, not Sacriledge, Idolatry, Para­cide, nor worshipping the Devil, it's an Abridgement of all the most damnable inexcusable, unexpiable Vices imagina­ble, it being impossible to receive such an injury or provocation from Church-Governours, as may make a Separation excusable; for according to St. Austin, it is impossible that there should be any just cause for any to separate from the Catholick Roman Church.

Sirs, such expressions as these cannot but strongly incite any understanding unbyass'd man, whom a tender care of Eternity invites to seek satisfaction in this Point, and seriously to consider, that the Decision of no one Controversie is more neerly concerning Salvation, than this, being the hinge on which the Ocean of particular Disputes and Controversies do hang. This said, let us see what Dr. Stillingfleet asserts in his Roman Ido­latry, p. 8. That a Christian, by Virtue of his being so, is bound to joyn in some Church or Congregations of Christians, and that those who in any time did not joyn with it, acted against their Christi­anity, [Page 81] by virtue of which, they were bound to do it; he adds that a Christi­an by being so, is bound to joyn in Communion of some Church, and to chuse the Communion of the purest; from this his Doctrine, any understand­ing man must gather that he and his Protestant-pretended Church are guilty of Schism, for separating themselves, and remaining from joyning with the Communion of the Roman Catholick Church, notwithstanding the said Stil­lingfleet, strains all his Wits to palliate Schism, painting their idle Reformation to advantage, and not at all in its true colours, proclaiming often Roman Ca­tholicks Idolators, superstitious, &c. which is the chief Rope whereupon he dances the Antick and triumphs; O tempora, o mores! himself and his Pro­selites being in Schism over head and ears. What then I pray, are Prote­stants the better for all the Sermons they hear, and Sacraments they receive? Living in the cursed state of Schism? for sure before Luther there was a glorious Church; by the confession even of Adver­saries, this must be the Roman, whose [Page 82] Communion was necessary to Salvation. Therefore the Church of England, sepa­rating, and remaining obstinately from joining in Communion with It, must be Schismaticks, and something more to boot; and it's notoriously evident, that the Roman Church hath the strongest warrantable promises, prerogatives, and motives, even given to it by the sacred mouth of glorious Jesus; then sure she could not err, then sure she could not need any idle pretended Reformation. So as that all Stilling fleet's blind preach­ing of Reformation is vain, his Faith is vain, his Sacraments vain, all his super-structures of daily printing lying new Books, and scurrilous Pamphlets, but all vain, and by consequence himself no better than a sorry Schismatick: So as any unbyass'd understanding man may plainly see, all those Arrows which Dr. Still. shoots against Roman Catholicks fall directly on his own head; Muta fiant la­bia dolosa, quia narraverunt iniqui fabula­tiones, sed non ut lex tua.

His Objection is, That Rome was an Harlot, Superstitious, the horned Beast, &c. It's true that St. Ierome and other [Page 83] holy Fathers avers the same with reason; but it was so called then when Rome was Gentile, infected with Errours, vain Su­perstitions of all Nations, blaspheming God, adoring Stocks and Stones, and shedding, in hatred of Christian Religion, the Blood of Saints.

But after that Rome gave her name to Christ, she can no more be stiled the Whore of Babylon, but a glorious City, faithful City, replenished with all Grace and Righteousness, which by receiving and confessing the Faith and Religion of Christ, purely wip'd and wash'd off all Impurity, all Blasphemies, and supersti­tious Observances; from that time it's become the Tabernacle of God in the Sun, true Pillar and Ground of Faith; no blemish, spot, or wrinkle doth she carry. When, I pray, is any able to say he saw her brave Sun go down, or her fair Moon withdraw? she always being a perpetual Excellence of a spotless Light and Irradiancy. From this City of the Sun Decrees of pure Faith are daily call'd for, a pure Fountain from whence to the universal world streams of heaven­ly Truths, Doctrines, and Sanctity daily [Page 84] flow. This is the most triumphant Tri­bunal of Christ, whence the real Convi­ction and Condemnation of Heresies, Sects, and Errours do proceed; the Oracle of Christians, by which, and in which alone, infallibly all arising doubts about true saving Faith are resolved. It's the sublime and invincible Seat of glori­ous Peter, wherein to this day doth reign, and invisibly as President resides Christ, never forsaking the same. This is the holy Land, consecrated by the Sacred Blood of the Apostles, in which 72 Popes are Saints, so many our B. Saviour's Dis­ciples were.

O glorious triumphant Hierarchy! O Queen! O invincible and ever-blessed Kingdom of Christ! O flourishing, po­tent, and brave resplendent City! O Army embattell'd in a heavenly mar­tial order! where Christians must stand always upon their guard, with weapon in hand, fighting here, to be crowned in Heaven; labouring here, to rest there; sowing of tears here, to reap joys there; in a storm here, to be in a calm there; and therefore our Roman Catholick Church is called Militant here, but Tri­umphant [Page 85] there, both which are correla­tives. I said it is a well-ordered Army set in Battel-array, in which the King and Chief in Command is Christ, his Under-Vicegerent, Vicar-General, Uni­versal Pastor, is the Pope; his Colonels, the Archbishops, Bishops, Prelates, and Pastors; his Captains and Engineers are all Under-Priests of all Estates; his Trumpetters are the Evangelical Prea­chers; his Souldiers, all stout Christian Catholicks: This heavenly Army is fur­nished with all the Sacraments; Matri­mony peopleth the Army with men, Bap­tism presseth and enrolleth them, Confir­mation armeth and strengtheneth them, the most Blessed Eucharist provideth the Camp with Ammunition-bread and hea­venly Victuals. O brave Church of Christ, ever Glorious! founded on a Rock, and this was Christ, who said, Matth. 7.25, 26. The Rain fell, the Floods came, the Wind blew, and rushed upon the house, and it fell not, for it was founded on a Rock; But the pretended Reformation esta­blished by Law on the 20th. of May, 1549? And was it not quite abolished on the 26th, of November, 1644, by the [Page 86] like failing Authority? Assuredly it could expect but the fate of the Fool's House, It fell, for being built upon the sandy foundations of humane In­vention, and black Arts. This sure happened by God's sweetly-chastising Mercy, that by weighing their fatal dissolution, and the causes of it, they may retrieve their wanderings, and at length recollect their scattered and di­stracted Members into the ever firmly united Body of the One Catholick Ro­man Church. This made Mr. Hooker, that prudent Protestant-writer, affirm, That the Protestant Church was not like­ly to continue more than fourscore years, lib. 5. num. 79. Nor could he judge otherwise, seeing it bears evidently the Princi­ples of corruption and mutability in its very constitution, viz. the materia pri­ma of a meer secular Basis:; the first Go­vernours of it being none of those to whom Christ promised his continual assi­stance to the Worlds end.

Forsake then, and leave (Sirs) that fleeting and unbodied shadow of Shism, return and unite your selves to the Ca­tholick Church, be not wandring Bre­thren, [Page 87] dry and sapless; now seeing that as the Elements never rest contentedly but in their Centre, so you'll find no rest but in the bosom of the true Church, which is the proper place of every Christian, to which I invite the brave Nobles of England, to begin to open their Eyes and consider that it's very strange how that in a manner all the Nobility of England fell from their old Religion establish'd by unfeigned Mira­cles, and readily embraced a pretended Reformation. Sure it was not for Con­science sake, some fell for liberty, some for flattery, some for ambition, and some for sordid lucre of Church-Lands. I ask whether Henry the Eighth or the Nobles that fell with him found any fault or exception against the Sacra­ments, Divine Service, or the other holy Rites of the Church? Not at all, then, their woful fall must proceed from their perverse wills, which they made their Law: hinc lacrymae. Sure this dismal change in King and Peers, was the sad in-let of all the Wars, Confusion and Calamities in Church and State that hap­ned ever since in this brave Kingdome [Page 88] this general defection from God (a­gainst Conscience) of the Nobility, may plead in some measure a plausible excuse, their being excited and provok'd there­unto by the example of their passionate King who hath strong influence on his Subjects, according to the Poet Claudian Regis ad exemplum totus componitur Orbis. Mobile mutatur una cum principe vulgus. Scilicet in vulgus manant exempla Regen­tum: Sure we may perceive a just judg­ment inflicted on the Nobility of Eng­land after their revolt, pray what's be­come of all that manly Courage, Prow­ess, Gallantry and Valour, that made them still renowned in all Countreys of the whole World? All now degene­rated into a shameful effeminacy, de­bauch'd cowardice and inconstancy. Sure a touch of blindness and madness possessed them and whetted their high Spirits on to such impious actings as to yield to Injustice, Sacriledge, Schism and Heresie; how came they (I say) to be so stupified as to forget the great Zeal and courage of their Christian Ance­stors? Who for some small temporal Concern or Priviledge have often bid [Page 89] defiance to their Prince, yet in King Henry the Eighth's time the Nobility prov'd Cowards, their Spirits low and base in the Cause of God and his old Religion, so as very few withstood the Innovation and Usurpation of Henry the Eighth's, hinc illae lachrimae, think you, could the Nobility (in whose hands and power it lay to impede the innova­tions and unparrellell'd Sacriledge of their King) expect to escape the Vengeance of God, who is a jealous God revenging the Crimes of Pa­rents upon their Posterity even to the fourth Generation, yet the floud-gate of of Gods mercy is still open to all Sin­ners who with a contrite heart shall lay hold on Jesus Christ by Conversion from Schism to his Faith found only in the Roman Catholick Church. Fair warning take, O brave Nobility, sound a re­treat, fight not any longer against Heaven, call to mind the dishonour you have done to glorious Jesus, trampling on his precious blood by your Sacrile­gious contempt of his Sacred Religion and Sacraments: Know that non est con­cilium, nec Sapientia contra Deum, leave off [Page 90] to be embroil'd any longer in that most pernicious quarrel of Henry the Eighth's unjustly undertaken.—Vna manus vobis vulnus opemque feret. Sure your will gave you the deadly wound of Schism and Heresie, the same must sure heal you; by perusing this small Treatise with Gods assistance it may convince your understanding, and reduce your perverse will to obedi­ence.

Begin therefore to reclaim, its high time for you to return to God who bindeth Nobles in Fetters of Iron, and who alone can en-noble the meanest, and laugh to scorn the proud that pre­sume on Nobility in contempt of the Almighty, for he is noble that in Vertue shines, ill Life and Manners are dege­nerate Signs, Earth's Nobles in Heaven's Court unknown Heaven not Gentry but the just doth own, should you in power and strength excell all other men.—Plenty of Massie Gold and Silver, what then? Injoy'd you Fortune's Wheel to raise thee to the Skie. Well ordered Servants that in Duty would outvie all others, what then? All's but Folly and [Page 91] distress, but God alone to serve is true Glory to possess. The want of a serious consideration hereof brought England to the Stage of Confusion, Disorder, Schism, and Sacriledge, pray did not your Schism occasion a grievious Civil War which continued for three years? soon after a gloomy horrible Comet appear'd in the Air which did usher a most rag­ing Plague, soon after Fire and dread­ful Flames from Heaven, all but warn­ings and merciful invitations for to bring England to true obedience and re­union to the ancient, reveal'd and Soul-saving Faith of Christ: yet all proved ineffective: What? A fiery Comet in the Van? What, a frightful Plague in the main Body? What, devouring Flames as horrid Executioners of Gods vengeance in the Rear, and yet no moving at all towards the fear of God irritated, notwithstanding all such pro­digious Judgments and Visitatious sent from a hand more then humane, all did but harden the people of Londons hearts in Schism and Heresie: But now in a most happy hour. Lo our great Royal Iames, now displays his white Flag [Page 92] Clemency and Mercy to his Subjects assuring the World (out of his Prince­ly Mature Wisdome, and Experience) that Liberty of Conscience in England cannot but mainly conduce as an Inlet for the reducing of all his Loyal Sub­jects from Dire Schism, and Heresie, to the one true Catholick Apostolick and Roman Church of Christ, ut fiat unum ovile, & unus pastor ovium. For his most Sacred Majesty by his well ordered Zeal and Dei-form intention labours to pro­mote vigorously the common good, Spi­ritual and Temporal of his Subjects as he, like a most good, just, clement, and puissant Prince holds himself bound. O brave England do but seriously con­sider how the World cannot chose but discern you, ever since your Revolt, over­cast with blindness and disingenuity, your Nobles and Gentry, become altogether most inconstant, unsteady, wavering and still dissatisfied with any Government, Monarchical or Anarchical; even as when a Bone is out of joynt, the Pati­ent can never be free from his pain till it be not only set, but set right a­gain: So England, it is not only out of [Page 93] joynt, but even broken in pieces suf­fering inexpressible miseries, changes, and calamities both in Church and State, yet even to this day it feels no ease at all, because none have had it in hand to cure its distempers, but such as in­stead of healing its wound, have inflam'd its maladies and woful distractions. O brave Nobility of England joyn with your great Prince: according to that Axiom, per quascunque causas conponitur res, per easdem dissolvetur. Henry the Eighth began the dance in bringing in Schism, the Nobility followed him. Now great King Iames begins to chace away Schism & introduce union, peace, & prosperity, follow him a brave Pole Star, Take this Fable to our purpose, upon a time the Frogs petition'd Iupiter to grant them a King, he condescended, and tumbled among them a Log, after they had leap'd a while both on it and about it, and finding it to be insensible they once more petition'd for a King active and stirring; whereupon he sent them a Crane which fell immediately a pecking up.

The Moral hereof plainly shews, that [Page 94] nothing can give any lasting satisfacti­on to the desire of change to the peo­ple of England, for whether the Gover­nour be a Frog or a Crane, passive or active, clement, or cruel, gracious or grievous, they disrelish all, unwilling to obey any, such are their Principles, so as that they leave no stone unmoved to unsettle or alter any Government, chosing to be enslaved by a bad rather then endure constantly a good one, and all this because they are blind and mad, out of all order for want of faith.

I could not forbear letting fall some tears beholding such a Mockery of Hea­ven and Sacriligious Villany performed on St. Patriarks day last, in contempt of that Apostle of Ireland who by the Sign of the Cross wrought many Miracles, whereof one is most notorious, viz. That he chased away from that King­dom all venomous Creatures even to this very day.

Any considering man may plainly see how that Schism revealed its own turpi­tud, and betray'd it self to the full, on the 17 of September last: it's sure then the semblance painted with Hypocrisie and [Page 95] Forgery was pull'd away, then it's Vi­zard and adulterated colours were quite taken away, so as Schism discovered is a face unmasked, then sure by Schism (the Origine of our holy Reformation) the work was done to the full; when all the grounds of Christian Religion then were quite pull'd down, Root and Branch; pray what are all our Protestant Refor­mations, but the taking away the antient Principles of Faith without any positive institution, still proceeding by degrees from Schism, to Reformation, from this to Infidelity and Blasphemy, until of the whole Fabrick of Divine Faith there is not left one stone upon ano­ther. The Sign of the Cross only as a distinctive character between Christi­an and Pagan left, was on St. Patriarks day last, villified and exposed to the scorn and laughter of the giddy crowds of Protestants at London, when Bulls with Crosses in their Horns, Bears and Dogs with Crosses in their Foreheads were seen marching through the Pro­testant Streets of London, and none did appear with any touch of Zeal or Re­ligion to reprove, check, or punish such [Page 96] a villanous devillism, o tempora, o mores! What! To see the holy Cross pull'd from Churches, Altars, from the Crown of our Sovereign, and even from Bap­tism, then most prophanely translated to the heads of Bears, Bulls, and Dogs; Sure such Heathenish practices suits bet­ter with Turks and Moors: now then, what other can the Permitters, Promo­ters, Applauders, and Abettors, of such prophane ridiculing of the prime My­stery of Christianity expect, then a heavy judgment from Heaven. Is this the fruit of all the plausible Sermons in Pro­testant Churches on every Sunday? Is this the end of Schism and its deformation, now it's come to the height of shame? O plentiful Reformation, O Zealous, O Blessed, O Sober, O Godly, Protestant thorough Reformation: Now the work is done, non plus ultra. Who sees not how Schism produced Reformation, a disor­der establish'd by humane Law which bred this confusion; thus Protestant Preachers teaching their Proselites to hate Popery they have put them upon the over-acting the work; so, as to leave their Religion a gasping: O London put on black and warning take.