Of the Happiness of the Resto­ration of the Soul of man. 1. Document.

THough we can never write, or con­ceive any thing worthily of the di­vine Essence, yet we ought to make so good use of the objects of this in­ferior world, as to study our soveraign Creator in them, proceeding from the ef­fects to the search of the cause, which is the method of Philosophy, whereas the Theo­logue proceeds commonly from the cause to the effect. The Pagan Philosophers by the twilight of nature soar'd so high that they came to discover there was a primus Motor, an Ens entium, an optimus maximus, they came to know that he was ubiquitary and diffus'd through the Universe, to give vigor, life and motion to all parts though invisibly. Now then, no finite created intellect can form a quidditative apprehension of God, no, not the Angels themselves: there may [Page] [...] [Page 1] [...] [Page 2]be negative conceptions of him, as to say, he is immortal, immense, independent, sim­ple, and infinite, &c. Or, there may be relative Conceptions had of him, as when we call him Creator, Governour, King, Lord, Redeemer, sanctifier, glorifier, &c. Or there may be positive conceptions of him as the chiefest Good, a pure Act: or he may be described by an aggregation of Attributs, as merciful, wise, omnipotent, &c. Among all these, one of the best wayes to discribe him is by abstracts, as to call him goodness it self, Justice it self, power, wisdom, pi­ety and mercy it self; he being the Rule of all these; so as he is so incomprehensible, as neither the Eloquence of Plato the divine, nor the subtility of Aristotle, whom S. Je­rom stil'd the prodigy of nature, could com­prehend, or define by positive terms the measure of Gods being or Essence; yet not­withstanding S. Dionis. Areopagita, de di­vinis nomi. said, Deus est convertens & re­ducens eos qui divinam in se corruperunt ima­ginem. God is so absolutely powerful, as that he knows how to convert a most per­verse sinner: saying this, sayes more then to call him Creator; though we may think, that the guift of Creation is greater then that of justification, because Creati [...] est productio totius entis de non esse ad esse, doth presupose the thing to be created only with [Page 3]an objective being, drawing it out of the abiss of nothing; but Justification doth pre­suppose the thing to be justified, a parte [...] with a real physical being; yet the doctor [...] do agree in it that the Justification of a sin­ner is greater then the Creation, for the repugnancy of contraries; for it's a greater work and more difficult to direct, and re­claim one understanding misled, and chase away, or dispel the darkness wherein it is blindly involv'd, then to create the same of the new; and it's a more hard matter to sof­ten or mollify a contumatious, obstinate, depraved, and rebellious will, then to cre­ate the same of new. S. Thom. 12. quest. 133. art. 9. saies bonum gratiae unius majus est quam bonum naturae totius universi, because for to create a thing, the attribute of omnipotency doth suffice; but for to justify a sinner, and cause him return to God, and lost grace, requires all attributes, as omnipotency, mercy, wisdom, prudence, goodness, of God, &c. So as that the rebellious and most obstinate will of man renders the power of God doubtfull, or dubious, [...]ola voluntas humana facit dominium Dei dubium, all sub­lunary things obey God and his Saints, only the perverse will of man spurns at God, and disobeys him; was not the river turned into blood, obeying Moses? did not the Rocks obey him and yield water? [Page 2] [...] [Page 3] [...] [Page 4]did not the Sun obey Josuah, and staied her course? did not the hungry Lions yield to Daniel? did not the whale preserve Jonas? did not the mule kneel down and adore the B. Sacrament in S. Antony of Padua's hand? in effect, all things becoming pliable to God and his Saints: sola voluntas humana is refractory, obstinate, and rebellious against God. And it is a very strange ponderation of the great Doctor Cirillus Jer solomitanus, saying, Quis potest eloqui Maris profundita­tem? quod tamen intra suos limites se continet propter eum qui dixit huc usque progrediaris & non amplius, quandam lineam efficit in lit­toribus ut ostenderet intuentibus quod praefixos sibi limites non transgreditur. Lord? what a furious and violent Element is the Sea, it would overflow all the Earth, had it not been, that God gave a command to the con­trary; yet the senceless Element strictly obeys her God, and withall leaves twice a day a signe or mark of her due obedience to him; leaving both morning and evening a line of fome and froth on the shore, that all who pass by, may take notice of her punctu­al obedience to her glorious maker. O what a main confusion must this be to rational Creatures endued with will and understan­ding, bred to education, learning, piety, vertue, and Religion; and yet will not obey Gods commands; rather they will leave e­very [Page 5]day a signal mark of scandal, of diso­bedience, against Conscience, and the Re­ligion they profess, neglecting the wellfare of their Soul: sola volunt as humana facit do­minium Dei dubium.

The restauration of man from sin is a greater and more glorious work, then that of its first Creation, and its the utmost de­sign of God in making the world. For God, having made all things for himself, and for the manifestation of his own Glory, as the wisest end which he could propound to himself, was not satisfied with the first work of Creation, though exceeding good and perfect, but as soon as it was finish'd, suf­fred sin to enter upon the stage, bringing death and hell along with it: now all the wits of men and Angels could not unty this knot, sin, til God came down from heaven and resolv'd it into this most glorious work of Universal Redemption, pardoning sin, as though it never was committed: and there is no other instance in the whole histo­ry of the World of any act of God, which doth so perfect [...]y exercise all his Attributes, and manifest all his Glory, and consequent­ly fulfil the end of Creation, more then the Justification of the sinner, in which God disposeth all things strongly and sweetly, attracting man to him, and to the prefix'd end, calling, admonishing, illuminating, [Page 6]correcting, interiorly conversing with the heart, terrifying, instructing, &c. yet so as all is done without any Violence, because he works Still sweetly, and congruously to the liberty of free will, to wit, mollify­ing so sweetly the heart of man, that divine Grace is not refused by the flinty heart: which is attracted not violently, but volun­tate & voluptate, with an internal kind of delectation, and so transmits the soul so al­lected, infallibly to the final end for which it has been created, by a sweet efficacious­ness, and with an efficacious Sweetness: and this is effected by such means and man­ner that S. Paul in consideration thereof, was constrained to say, O altitudo Sapientiae & scientiae Dei! &c. Alas! by what strange way was S. Paul attracted by a voice and by light; S. Peter by one look of Christ: by another way was Magdalen, by teares; the Samaritan thirsting after the water of life was drawn: S. Mathew sitting in telo­nio drawn; the thief on the Cross; Mary of Egipt from the Ordure of her libidinous lust; Pelagia from her prostitution, and sordid quest of whoredom; all these call'd away by several and unknown ways, to follow and pursue vertue, and the way to heaven; so as hereticks and haynous Sin­ners, that sits in the shade of death are illu­minated to apprehend their lamentable dark [Page 7]state, and look up to Eternity, and to the pure light of true life; making them, from the children of darkness to become the chil­dren of grace; and all this done by the in­finitly great wisdom and Grace of God, without which, those sit in darkness of ig­norance and infidelity, in the imminent danger of eternal death, having their heart and understanding obscure, so as that they are ignorant of God their Maker, ignorant of the way to heaven: ignorant of the final sovereign happiness for which they were created; and do not know themselves, nor that they are children of wrath, and obnox­ious to death, being ignorant of their own insufficiency to good, ignorant of the neces­sity of grace and Regeneration, ignorant of Christ their Mediator, through whose sa­cred bloud they are restored from death to life: but by pure rays of divine faith they come to know all these things, and begin to look after earnestly the way of Truth and of life, they implore grace, they invoke their Mediator, and seek after his soul-fa­ving Science and heavenly knowledge, ac­cording to these words of S. Paul. 1 Corin. 4. ille qui de tenebris dixit lucem splendescere, ip­se illuxit in cordibus nostris, &c.

Of the true Essence of divine Faith. 2. Document.

REason is most properly exercised in t [...]ings of nature, and Faith, in matters of Religion; great witts set up reason in­stead of faith, and the light of nature against divine light, which is at once to deprive man of his highest felicity and faculty; and God of his greatest Grace: the same Word, without question, which created the world creates a belief in a spiritual understanding, by relying on a divine reavealing Authority. Its most certain, that God is said to Confound the wisdome and learning of the wise by Faith, which declared, that without believing they cannot be saved, and yet without a super­natural Grace they cannot believe; and as God is the chief good and perfect happiness of the soul, and the object of our beatitude, which cannot be comprehended by natural light or knowledge, therefore a kinde of supernatural vertue is necessary, by which we may attain to his knowledge, which is saith, the highest knowledge we have in this world, by wch the soul injoys him, & by him, the most excellent guifts and graces, where­of it is capable: according to S. Paul ad Eph. 2.8. gratia Dei estis salvati per fidem, & hoc non ex vobis, Faith is that divine light by which we prepare our journy towards ver­tue [Page 9]and heaven; without faith it's impossible [...] please God. By faith Roman Catholicks do [...]alk upon the grounds of the Church mili­ [...]ant, where there is infallibly an infusion of [...]abitual Grace, sanctification in its sacra­ments; and surely transcendent is their com­mendation for their faithful conservation of [...]he sacred Oracles of Truth in all ages, to [...]his day, for their well ordered Zeale, for their most ravishing devotions, deiform in­ [...]entions, their heroycal acts of fasting, praying, recollections, meditations, in­ [...]roversies, their aspirations, humiliations, mortifications, abnegation of themselves, and their dayly abdication of all transitory things; so as none in his sences can believe, that such a tree can be Corrupted in the root, which brings forth such heavenly fruits. Some properties we may observe of the doctrine of Faith, to be true, to be re­vealed of God, to be preached and delivered by the B. Apostles: The highest ground by which a man is perswaded that his faith is true, is the Authority of God speaking and revealing▪ the highest proof by which a man may be assured that his Faith is revealed, is the Authority of Christ and his B. Apostles, who delivered and preached the same as from God; and that from the beginning to this day it is practised without innovation or alteration, in all parts of the inhabitable [Page 10]world. The Apostles in the time of Christ conversing with them, had sufficient Fait [...] to prevail with their wills to command the [...] understanding into the belief of his being God and man, consequently an infallibl [...] faith; then it doth follow, that whatsoeve [...] he taught was to be assented unto as infalli­bly true, and that without being questione [...] by our weak and limited reason: And sur [...] this was very necessary for the true Church otherwise they could not have been suffici­ently assured, that what Christ their Maste [...] taught them was true, and so it would no [...] have been a sin in them to have doubted [...] This infallible assurance also, the Christian [...] that lived in the B. Apostles time, and afte [...] Christ Ascension enjoied; they had sufficien [...] ground, without question, to induce them to a belief that the B. Apostles were infallible Guides and Teachers, and that whatsoever they taught and commanded, was as infal­libly true, as if God had immediately spo­ken the same things, and no more to be doubted, contradicted, or disputed against, by vain and curious Reason (which doubt­less were as strong and as good as ours) then the immediate words, command, or dictates of Allmighty God; otherwise these who refused to hear and obey them, had beenin no fault; and it would have been an insufferable boldness in S. Paul to have re­quired [Page 11]such an absolute submission to what [...] taught, as to oblige Christians of his [...]e, not to have believed, even an Angel [...]om heaven, teaching contrary things to [...]hat he taught them. Hence it is, that the [...]maining writings of the B. Apostles are by [...]ll Christians esteemed as the word of God: [...]nd this was mainly necessary, in the ages [...]fter Christ, for the Church of God in the [...]. Apostles time, to have a living infallible way of direction, and this was the way to [...]aintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of [...]eace, & so become one body; with one heart; [...]ot as sects divided, subdivided, & scattered [...]to as many parts, and sorts as now are, [...]nd have gone to cuffs, raising civil war for [...]he diciding of controversies, as we have seen they did, since they divided themselves from the holy Catholick Roman Church. Mark now those words Heb. 11.6. without faith its impossible to please God: and of Math. 16.16. he that believeth shall not be damned; and Eph. 4.5. there is but one faith, one Bap­tism, one Lord Jesus: the faith which is to save us and by the which we are to please God cannot be had but in one Church, and that of Christ; it cannot therefore be found in Sects, in contrary opinions, it being of necessity but one, & of contraries one on­ly must be true; Do but observe, 2 Cor. 10.5. bringing into Captivity every thought to the [Page 12]obedience of Christ; that this faith or beli [...] ­ving was to be sealed in the understanding that the understanding was to submit, n [...] arrogantly to dispute: And that this Act [...] believe, was a command, or precept of Al [...] mighty God, who will have his will obeye [...] by all his subjects, and the not obeying [...] which is punished with eternal damnat [...] ­on; Lastly, consider, Hebr. 10.23. let us ho [...] fast the profession of our faith, without waver­ing, for he is faithfull that hath promised That faith is truly divine, must be an infalli­ble assent of our understanding, submitting it self obediently to believe the Revelation [...] of God; for otherwise faith, & consequently all Religion may be no more then fancy, o [...] opinion, and then no ways certain; and if so, then no obligation. Now it must follow, first, that there must be some means appointed by God by which we may know this one true faith, from all false Sects, and opinions, whereas to require one to believe upon pain of damnation, & not to give him any means whereby he may know what to believe for salvation, in this Religion, or that sect, were to require him to walk without leggs; these means must be infallible: for we cannot be brought to an infallible assent by fallible, and uncertain means, as God would not require us to assent to an Autho­rity which may deceive us: then our un­derstanding [Page 13]must of necessity submit to those [...]eans under pain of damnation. O terrible! [...]r if our understanding were at liberty to [...]bmit or not submit to the means, by which [...]ving Faith is conveyed unto us, it would [...]en be no sin, not to believe, consequently [...]od would not jnstly damn us for not be­ [...]eving; and withall, whosoever shall re­ [...]se to be governed by those heavenly [...]eans, and the same authority that God [...]ath appointed to govern us, he shall be a [...]ebel against God, and a vile Traitor. Last­ [...]y, I say, that two men of two differing [...]iths or beliefs cannot be saved, for both of [...]hem, knowing that they are bound to be guided and governed by those means which God hath appointed, to convey saving faith [...]o them, and one of them flatly refusing to submit, this person who refufeth must be guilty of disobedience, and refractoriness to Gods Command, and consequently can­not be saved. And so to our present pur­pose, ignorant people by reasonable and earnest diligence (as it is very tollerable to humane frailty, and very possible and easy for them) may come by Gods grace, to the true knowledge of these means, otherwise God would have appointed means, which would prove unprofitable to the end; and so, the far greater number of souls, for whom Christ died, would not be sufficiently pro­vided [Page 14]for, by Gods sweet providence, & [...] that prophesy would prove also ineffectual Esay. 35. Say to them that are of a fear f [...] heart, be strong: fear not, behold, your G [...] will come, and save you, then the eyes of th [...] blinde shall be opened, and the eares of th [...] deaf unstopped, &c. and one high way shall [...] there, and a way, and it shall be called the ho­ly way, that way-faring men, though fo [...] shall not err therein. It cannot be denyed b [...] this wholsome doctrine is agreeable with all sorts of people, Apostats, sectaries, o [...] Dissenters from the Mother Church for it must be granted that there must be a way and a Rule, there must be means appointed there must be a governing power to judge and decide all arising doubts, and teach a [...] the world the true way and path to heaven with certainty: but when we come to find [...] it out, all persons will agree, That they are obliged under pain of damnation to submit to it, receive it, and embrace it, and wal [...] according to it, as to the Apostles, if they were actually living, or to Christ himself [...] and when you understand this Rule and guide, then you cannot but believe all and every article of faith, which we the Roman Catholicks did all along, from the Apostles time, and this day, do unanimously believe, and practise; this is the main point which will allay all controversies, contests, wrang­lings, [Page 15]ammosityes and hatred between Ro­man Catholicks, and all dissenters: the God [...]f union and truth open the eyes, and illu­ [...]inate the understandings of apostats, to [...]ake right use of this my labour: Now I [...]t them know, that neither private spirit, or natural reason of any man, can possibly [...] this Rule, and Judge: for this must sub­ [...]it as a subject and Vassal to that Rule and [...]udge, and it's always fallible, and strangdly [...]t to mistake & misleade; which is against [...]e nature of the true Rule and Judge to be: [...]r if God should oblige us upon pain of [...]amnation to submit unto, and to be go­ [...]erned and ruled by an Authority that might receive, and might teach for a truth what [...] not, we should be bound to believe that [...] true, which is not so; and yet be dam­ [...]d, for not believing the truth: further, [...]our private spirit or reason were to be [...]is Rule and Judge, then it would follow [...]ntrary to the scripture, that it is not im­ [...]ssible to please God without faith, for [...]ason would sufficiently teach us, how to [...]ease God, yet it would be a breach of this [...]ule, to believe what we do not understand; would likewise follow, that every pre­ [...]nded Religion would be the truth, and [...] contradictions would be true, and there would be not only one faith, but no faith [...] all, but reason, above which faith is: [Page 16]for reason excludeth faith, and there [...] scarce that man living, but his reason diffe [...] from anothers understanding; & judgmen [...] differing as much as their faces: therefo [...] none that follows his own Reason, could [...] justice be condemned by God, and so [...] ilation, all men would be saved, unle [...] peradventure you will say, that in a bu [...] ­ness of such main consequence, as the salv [...] ­tion of souls, our primate reason perswad [...] us to prefer the authority of such, as a [...] wiser then our selves, before our own jud [...] ­ments, which is most true: But I then infe [...] that Roman Catholicks are the most rati [...] ­nal, most learned, most wise, most godly most unbiased people now in the world, a [...] consequently have the best Religion, [...] acting most conformably to reason in the belief; for they rely still on the authority [...] General Councils, consisting of the able and most learned men of all Nations, whi [...] is the greatest authority to be found [...] Earth; especially having the assistance of t [...] holy Ghost, visum est spiritui sancto, & [...] bis, as it appears they have, both by th [...] testimony of the Scripture, and the consta [...] tradition of all ages: Upon these ground we may be sure, that certainly God in h [...] good providence had appointed a mo [...] sure Guide, Rule, and Judge, to bring ma [...] to the infallible faith for salvation, the [Page 17]Reason and proud spirit; otherwise God is defective in necessaries, and that Religion were no more then fancy and opinion: and it is worth observation, how for the first two thousand years before any Scriptures were written, the visible Church of God was this Rule and Judge; was not, I pray, circumcision and other Rites brought in by Abraham, and practised by the Church then, without any Scriptures to try them by? what would you have said, if you had then lived? would you have disobeyed the then Church, and reject those ordinan­ces, because then there were no Scriptures to warrant them: The Church of the Jews was so to the Jews, after that the Scripture was written, and this by the express dire­ction of the Scripture, Deut. 17.8. Thou shalt come to the Priests, the Levites, and unto the Judge, and enquire, and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgments, &c. and then, he that shall do presumptuously, and will not hear­ken unto the priest or judge, even that man shall die; and even Christ whilst the Jews, his Church, was yet in being, gave directi­ons, Matth. 22.2, 3. The Scribes and Phari­sees sit in Moses chair, all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do: as­suredly God would not direct them and pu­nish them with death for not obeying an authority which might deceive and misleade [Page 18]them; would our Lord command the doing of whatsoever should be done by an autho­rity, when that authority was capable of mistakings? the Church therefore, and not the scriptures was the Rule, and Judge to them, they were to hearken to the priest, and Judge, upon pain of death.

The happiness of Christian Religion. Document 3.

REligion is a sacred vertue of a Superior and divine nature, attended with an awfull respect to the worship of one Living God without any superstion in ceremonious observance, and withall it may be called the Law of the supreme King, commanding and directing that duty and worship which man owes unto him, and rewarding man with that true happiness which he may enjoy in him: the Athenians inscribed their Altar, To the unknown God, and their worship was as vain and ignorant, whom therefore saith the Apostle, ye ignorantly worship, him I de­clare unto you, where he plainly sheweth the difference between heathenish worship of God and true Religion: it's true, they had some glimmering apprehensions of God, but they abused it with their Idolatry, and cor­rupted it with their lives: S. Paul directly [Page 19]encountred the Athenian Idolatry, plainly preaching to the people the doctrine of the Deity, of creation, providence, sin, Re­demption, Repentance, Resurrection and the last Judgment: Thus Poets frame Reli­gion according to their fancy, vain philoso­phers according to their imperfect Reason, states-men shape it according to policy and Reason of state, but the summe and sub­stance of true Religion is sincerely to ho­nour, worship, love, fear, and reverence the living God, with heart, soul, and might; in the practise of vertues, which leads to E­ternity of glory. Holy and antient Religion is the Basis of the permanent felicity of kingdoms; and Religion is said a Religan­do, it binds hearts, wills, nowrisheth pub­lick societies, observes strictly lawes: if it be changed, nought but confusion, disor­der, darkness, discontent, disunion, discord, and animosities, can be expected to follow, all which Germany, England, Flanders, France, & Ireland, can by wofull experience publish. In all ages it was necessary to make open profession of Religion, in acknowledg­ment of humane and exterior worship to a Deity. S. Jerom doth advertise, That by Tradition of the Hebrews in the law of na­ture, the first begotten had right to the fun­ction of priesthood, offering sacrifice untill Aarons time: Adam by divine instinct in­structed [Page 20]his Son Abel to offer sacrifice to God, to fear and love God, for when Cain said, there is no Judgment to come, no Judge, no other world but this, no reward for the Jult, no punishments for sinners, nei­ther this world is governed by Gods mercy; to whom Abel the defender of Truth repli­ed, frator ne sic asser as erroniè est enim Judi­cium est Judex, est aliud saeculum, est ibi mer­ces pro justis, & poena pro Impiis. Gen. 4. But in the Moysaical law, the levits were cho­sen priests, Num. 3. who had power to offer sacrifice to God, then Abraham, Jsaac, Ja­cob, Joseph, with 12 Patriarks; after these came Moses, Aaron, Josue, together with the 72 Elders that governed the People, with many Priests and Prophets, all exerci­sing Religion, offering sacrifice: four hun­dred years after came David, Samuel and Nathan, with many holy Prophets; after God sent Jeremy, Ezekiel, Daniel, Zachary, Aggeus, Malachy, Nehemias, &c. for to pre­serve Religion, divine worship, Sacrifice, faith and Sacrament; now I ask, what's the reason that now under the holy law of the Gospel, Protestants have no sacrifice, the principal point of Religion? it is, because they have no Priests with true character, function, holy Orders, Mission, power, and authority, from above, but from the weak arm of flesh; therefore having no [Page 21]true Priests, no Religion, no Sacrifice, no Sacrament, no faith, but opinion and fancy; But the Roman-Catholick Church, the mo­ther and Mistrisse of true faith, hath law­ful Priests, Religion, Altars, Sacrifice, Sa­craments, successive function of Priesthood, established by Christ, for the perpetuity of his Church, and comfort of his flock. O mercy and divine providence never to be duely pondered! now the infernal Dragon, a declared enemy to God, because he can­not come near him to hurt or offend him, he hurts man the Image of God, even as he that is an enemy to a father of a family, when he cannot annoy his person, endea­vours to annoy his possessions, his fields, his children; so the devil, cast from Heaven by God, hath still enmity against him, but not being able to annoy God, he endeavours to destroy man Gods image, to pervert him, to delude him and divert him from true Religion, alledging, that Christ's Church is not the true Church, that it's er­roneous, superstitious, full of ceremonys, &c. You may reade in apoc. 16. vidi prodire de ore draconis: I have seen coming out of the mouth of the dragon, the beast, the pseudo-prophet, three foul spirits like froggs; this dragon, this beast, this pseudo-prophet is Luther: the three froggs are un­derstood by many Interpreters, the three [Page 22]perverse sordid Sects, which did flow from cursed Luther: the first, that of Anabaptists, whose first Author was one Rosmanus, be­fore a Lutheran: the second that of Sacra­mentaries, the Author whereof was Coro­lostadius, from whom proceeded Zuinglius and Calvin: the third is that of Protestants, whose Author was Melanchton, or rather Henry the 8. for before his dismal Revolt from the Roman Religion, there was for 1500. years and above, no other Religion in England but the Roman Catholick Reli­gion, flowrishing most gloriously, in piety, learning, sanctity, prosperity and happi­ness, having had 22. Kings in the opinion of Saints, and no memory, dream or word of Protestant in England before his Reigne. And not unfitly heresy is compared to frogs for sordidness, loquacity, and for importu­nity, for still you may hear the frogs in quagmires, with their harsh unpleasant and troublesome clamors night and day, to which the clamors of hereticks is very like: and Pierus. l. 19. de Rana. says, that the frog hath bloudy red eyes, and that it hath a double liver, properties of hereticks, their eyes are bloody, looking with eyes of flesh and blood upon the misteries of Religion, the power of the Pope, looking with eys of blood upon the power of absolving given to the Priests, seaven Sacraments, the Real [Page 23]Presence; all they look on with eyes, not of faith but bloud; Two livers also, here­ticks, no fasting, no austerity of life; no mortification, no pennance but still eat, drink, take pleasure, fare well, still increa­sing blood in their two livers, the seat of blood, for to pursue lust, and concupisence, and an unbridled appetite of their flesh and blood, and which must breed and nourish pride, the source and nursery of heresie; according to S. Austin: diversae diversis locis sunt haereses, sed una mater superbia genuit: it is said, that the Camel is not ac­customed to drink before he troubles the water, so heresy never enter'd into any kingdom, but by troubling the Republicks with dissentions, civil broils, quia domina­tionem spernunt, & Majestatem blasphe­mant, ut serpentes humiliter irrepunt, blande capiunt, molliter ligant, latenter occidunt: with their Serpentine cur praecepit vobis deus speaking to Adam and Eve; so here­ticks are like serpents cur tot praecepta? cur tot jejunia? cur diebus veneris carnes vetitae? cur tot in Ecclesia ceremoniae? cur & quomodo corpus Christi in exigua panis specie? &c. Are not these serpentine interogations? all their stir is but from sence, from flesh and blood, for honor, for plausible exteriority: Did not Melancthon the first follower of Luther, tell his Mother at the point of death [Page 24]that the protestant was plausibilior, but the Catholick Religion securior, whereupon his Mother sent for a Roman Catholick priest, and died in the bosome of the true Church for salvation; haec plausibiliòr illa securior; Did not a Gentleman say, Si bonum est cum Luthero vivere, haud bonum est cum Luthero mori; and did not Luther himself say, Mar­tine, Martine, jam agis voluptuose, sed quid erit post haec?

A Soveraign connter-poyson. Document 4.

S. Cyyrian the great Doctor, writing to some of the Ethnicks, touching the lives and studies of Christians, speaks thus, Phi­losophi sumus factis non verbis, nec magna loqui­mur, sed vivimus, that is, we are philoso­phers in our actions, not in our words, nor do speak great things but practise them. It seemes, this holy man thought it much fitter for a Christian to exercise himself in Vertu­ous actions, then in diving with curiosity into the Nature of things. Andrew Sall, When I consider your present miserable state and deplorable condition, I cannot ab­stain from tears; you have been heretofore known and counted a philosopher both by words, and deeds; you spoke great things, [Page 25]and did likwise practise them: But alas! alas! lately there is seen and perceived in you a strange and sudden alteration and change: I ask, quomodo obscuratum est au­rum? mutatus est color optimus? thren. 4. you seem awhile ago pure precious gold, how come you metamorphosed and chang'd, so as no shaddow could vanish halfe so soon? now, not gold, sed fuligo, dross and rub­bis quomodo mutatus est color optimus? here­tofore a religious priest, an Embassadour for atonement of grace and mercy, a preach­er, all those superexcellent prerogatives, graces, and beauties defaced? what? a living member of the glorious Congregation of Je­sus become a dead child of error, heresies & darkness, and suddenly become the scorn of boys and Lackies sure this cannot be, muta­tio dextrae Eccelsi: ah poor Andrew! That exquisite torment used in antient times by Tyrants to their Captives hath some imper­fect weak resemblance of your poor souls present condition; they used to fasten li­ving men to dead bodies, joyning their hands, their feet, their mouths, their eyes, and all their other parts with those of dead putrid carcases; Corpora corporibus jungebant mortua vivis; Let us consider, what were the thoughts of those miserable wretches, who though living, were by this union hindred from exercising any the actions of [Page 26]life; and notwithstanding their natural aver­sion from stench, rottenness and corruption, were yet forced to converse only with them, exchanging all the happiness of life to enter­tain those dismal objects which presented them with nought but ghastliness & terror, all this Andrew is an imperfect representati­on of your state; you cannot but perceive your living body to be fastned to a loathsom dead soul, and so by that unhappy union, you are hindred from exercising any actions of grace or vertue, yet are forced to con­verse only with the Father of darkness, not­withstanding your naturall aversion from him, and this for your sacrilegious Aposta­sy, and revolt from the mother Church, in which you had an unerring Guide, Rule, and Judge, leading you to true faith, the high path to laudable actions of grace, San­ctification and eternal felicity: oh mutatus est color optimus; and this unhappiness be­fell you, through the perverse and wicked choise of your blind will: for what the soul is to your body, such in a manner, I may say, is Gods divine Grace to your soul: all the members of your body, by the operati­on of the soul are alive, do move and stir, and exercise their several functions, which when the soul is separated from your body, all those members are as dead as a stone, no member can stir or move, nor exercise its [Page 27]function: even so when your soul is berea­ved of Gods grace (as it is at present by black Apostasie) then your soul is dead to all goodness, all the faculties and powers thereof cannot exercise their function in or­der to eternity, vertue, or sanctity; you are quite blotted out of the book of life, and society of Saints; you have no more com­munication with the blessed and celestiall Congregation of the Church-militant; you have forfeited your claim and right to hea­ven; you cannot enjoy, as formerly, those internal, ineffable joys, blessings, and conso­lations, which the true, constant servants of God, your fellow-travellers, and fellow­labourers in the vineyard of Christ have, and your brethren hourly do taste and en­joy; Corpora corporibus jungebant mortua vi­vis. Oh wretched Andrew! it had been more advantageous and of more pleasure to you, to have your living body fastned to a rotten putrid carcase, then to have your soul fastned to darkness, and lothsomnesse of cursed heresie and apostasie: Now, do but consider the infinite advantage, preroga­tive and dignity of your former happy state, and compare it to your present deplorable, cursed and most black state: before you were vir Apostolicus, now apostata vilis dictus; before a most resplendent star in the firma­ment of the true Church, now an obscure, [Page 28]dusky, and abominable ignis fatuus, leading your self and, thers to precipices of eterna [...] perdition; before a Religious priest, now an [...] accursed Judas; before conferring life of grace on others, now you are left destitute, and naked; stripped of all light life, grace, blessing and goodness; before call'd by the hand of God to a most high and soveraigne dignity and honour, now blindly fallen from that, most lamentably, to the devils jaws; before an obedient child, now factus liber [...] voti-fragus; before a chaste and Evangeli­cal Missioner, now sacrilegus scortator; be­fore reputed an honest man, questuosus mer­cator, now fugitivus Apostata, & seditio­sus sectarius factus; before rasi'd from a Sall to be a Paul, a preacher of the word and pen­nance, now turn'd to be a Sall persecuting, & warring in a most furious manner against the heavenly fortress of true faith, the pillar and foundation of truth, and so become a wret­ched, Iying and vile protestant; wallowing like a nasty sordid, and stinking sow in the mire of liberty, libidinous lust, pride, and concupiscence: retire retire, poor Andrew! to your interiour man, have a care of your drooping soul, minde eternity;

Micheas understanding that he was rob'd of his domestick Idols, ran after the Robbers, [Page 29]crying most lamentably, and being questio­ned, what was the matter with him? and why did he cry, mourn, and lament? he an­swered, my gods which I made for my self are stolen away, my priesthood, which were all my riches and comfort, Jud. 18. all what ever was dear unto me taken away from me, therefore why should I not mourn? I ask, if this wretch kept such a deplorable stir for having lost but Idols, he vainly i­magined, that losing them he lost all that had been precious unto him; oh Andrew! why will you not grieve, cry, mourn, and with bitter tears lament, the losse of the true, living, and dreadfull God, for the losse of divine grace; of your sacred function, of your fame and estimation, security of con­science, and the peace of your heart, the pledge of eternal glory? O madness! O blindness! oh woful catastrophe of apostasy! Oh poor Andrew! you fell from the mother-Church, grounded not on sands or quag­mires, as protestanism, into which you miserably declin'd: you imagine to impugn and beat down the glory, lustre and tri­umph of the same: alas! alas! all your ve­nome you may spit, and bark like a mastiff, and fill the ears of your deluded audients with those [...]ould railing, and lying empty assertions, calling the Roman Church su­perstitious, erroneous, the horrid beast, and [Page 30]the whore of Babilon, and such like, sapius & indies repetita in your tub-pulpits: but all signifies nothing but to heap judgments and confusion on your head: oh Andrew! all shall recoile upon you,

you deserted a Church, in which one­ly is Faith, Religion, priests, Sacrifice, Altars, Sacraments, and Reall Remissi­on, not onely of original sinne, but also of actual mortal sins, all which is ex­cluded and exploded, and quite abolished by your protestant Sect, as it's prov'd in the Reasonable Reply to the seasonable discourse. you deserted a Church, out of which there are no sure inducements or means for salva­tion; for there can be but one true Church left by Christ, out of which no assurance of his doctrine, nor of the divine ordinance in­stituted by him for salvation: mark pray, what S. Joh. 10. says, erit unum ovile & unus pastor, there will be one fold and one pastor: one fold ordained by Christ, that is, one visible Congregation of men in a common union of one faith and government under one visible pastor, Universal Vice-gerent of Christ, and undoubted Successor of S. Peter, with true Orthodox preachers, with all o­ther sacred ordinances, obliging all faith­ful under pain of eternal damnation, to em­brace, [Page 31]follow, and practise the same, with an absolute promise to maintain it to the end of the world by divine protection: but alas! poor Andrew! you well know in your Conscience that no other Sect or visible Congregation could yet have or enjoy these divine, and supernatural qualifications and heavenly perfections, but only the Roman Catholick Church, therefore the same and no other is the one fold, and one congrega­tion, enjoying, without intermission, one Visible Universal pastor, in communion with one faith necessary for salvation. Fur­ther, this Church onely hath a visible head, [...]nder an invisible head, Christ, tu es Petrus & super hanc Petram, &c. the delivering the Keys of heaven to Peter is nought else but a full and soveraign power for to govern the Church, to him said Christ, pasce oves [...]eas, & tu aliquando confirma fratres tuos; [...]o one of the other Apostles were these words intimated, but to Peter only: here­ticks will reply, that all the Apostles recei­ved plenary power for binding and absol­ving; I answer, that the rest of the Apostles received immediatly that power from Christ, yet the power of Peter has been more absolute and excellent, because he re­ceived that power as ordinary, which there­ore did flow and doth passe to his Succes­sors; the rest of the Apostles only received [Page 32]a delegate power, which do not passe to thei [...] successors, but is in them expired, and s [...] S. Peters power was absolute and the high­est, to which the power of the rest had al [...] ways as annexed to it a kinde of subordi­nation and subjection to Peter; to whom only Christ said, tibi dabo claves; pasce ovemeas, & agnos meos, confirma fratres tuo [...] against which the gates of hell shall neve [...] prevail; that is, neither Turks, Pagans Jews, Hereticks, nor wicked livers, shal [...] never beat it down: hence he is called caput omnium Ecclesiarum, potestate & authoritate Ʋniversalis Patriarcha, Mater omni­um, summus Pontifex, Apostolicae sedis Antistes, Ecclesiae Pater, Rector & Caput; an [...] Justinianus the Emperour said of him, summi Pontificatus apicem apud Romam esse nemest qui dubitet, ad Romanam fidem perfidia no [...] habet accessum, because Christ said, rogav [...] pro se Petre ut non deficiat fides tua: and thi [...] moved S. Jerom to say, that true Religion cannot be conserved without the Empire o [...] a head, or great authority of an universal [...] Pastor and Vice-gerent of Christ; Ecclesi­salus a summi sacerdotis dignitate depende [...] without which there will be made daily in finite schisms, divisions and subdivisions i [...] kingdoms, as we may see now in poo [...] England: so as the true Church hath two heads, one invisible viz. Christ, fundamen­tum [Page 33]aliud nemo potest ponere praeter id quod posttum est, quod est Christus, who is funda­mentum fundamentorum: but Peter is the second, cleaving to Christ, and placed on Christ: we believe in the first principal head or fundamental stone, Christ; the se­cond, Peter, wee onely obey: Christ is the primary foundation, basis, and prop, of our faith, because we believe all those things to be true which he (as the first infal­lible verity) did reveal to be believed, we believe God to be one, and three, the word made flesh, and so forth; not that Peter, Paul, or John, or any Pape said so, or taught the same, but that the first verity, God reveal­ed, propounded, and said the same, so as our faith is founded on Christ; yet because those matters revealed by Christ are not so manifest what they are; he therefore gave us a secondary fundamental stone, Peter, and his successors, who tells us, and pro­pounds, what Christ revealed, and distin­guishes such, from what was not revealed or delivered by him, and so our faith is ground­ed on both stones, but in a different manner; the one is but vice king or Vicar; but Christ the prime and principal stone, communica­ting to Peter his Epithete, though it has been analogice tantum: It is very remarkable what happened in the time of Stephanus in­truded pape 7. according to Baron. anno. [Page 34]897. how that Basilica Lateran▪ the prime Pontifical seat, impulsore Angelo malo, did all fall down to the ground, even from the high Altar to the very gate; the sanctuary only, in which was the Chair of the Pape being remain'd whole and entire; which strange accident doth manifest, that the true seat of glorious S. Peter can never come to ruine, notwithstanding that sanctity and grace in heads and members may sometimes fail: Because Christ Jesus that Eagle pre­served the same, though he sits in heaven, in his glory, yet he still hath his sacred eyes fixed on the nest of his Church, to preserve it till doomsday; even as when the Eagle hath his little ones in the nest, fearing the poyson of serpents, great enemies to his nest and his young birds, he flies up and down among the Rocks for to finde out the precious stone called Aetites, or Eaglestone, which the Eagle places in his nest, which hat rare vertue against all venome: See Pierius valer. even so that glorious Eagle, Christ, left in his nest, the Roman-Catholick Church, his heavenly spouse, many preci­ous Eagle-stones, viz. many places of Scri­pture revealed by him, for to preserve the same alwaies from the stinking breath and poyson of accruing hereticks. Did not Christ place one Eagle-stone in the nest of his Church when he said, rogavi, Peter▪ [Page 35] thy faith shall never fail: and S. Cyprian lib. 3. epist. 3. said, that to the Roman faith perfidi­ousness could have no access: Another stone, Peter, feed my sheep, feed my lambs; which preserves Peter and his Successors till the end of the world to be Universal Pastors, Heads, and visible Vicars of Christ in his visible Congregation, from all malice, en­vy and venome of barking hereticks. Are not the seven Sacraments proved and mar­vellously preserved from all venom by seve­ral Eagle-stones in Scripture: Confirmation has that stone Act. 8.15, 17. Pennance and Sacramental Confession proved, and preser­ved by Matth. 18.18. and John 20.23. Saint James chapt. 5. from the dangerous venom of hereticks: withall observe Andrew, the terms of the Commission granted to Roman-Catholick Priests to absolve sins are so large and general, that without great temerity, that power cannot be restrain'd, only unto publick and notorious offences; and when the Priest pronounces the Absolution in the Name, and by the power of Jesus, since he doth but follow the express terms of their heavenly Commission, the sentence then is repeated as given by Christ himself, in whose place they are appointed as visible Judges to the visible members of Christ's visible flock; so as it is the invisible high-priest, viz, Christ, who interiorly absol­veth [Page 36]the penitent whilst the priest exerci­seth the exterior Ministry. Extreme unction is confirmed and preserved from the infecti­on of heresie by that stone placed by Christ in his nest, Jac. 5.14. Marriage likewise by that precious Eagle-stone, Matth. 19.5. and Eph. 5.32. Holy Orders established, ra­tified and preserved from all poyson, 1 Tim. 4. and 2 Tim. 1. The Real Presence of Christs Body in the E [...]charist solemnly pre­served from the venom and infection of he­retical, figurative understanding by those Eagle-stones, Matth. 26. Luke 22. [...] Cor. 11.24. 26. O brave militant Church, O tri­umph of the pure nest of Jesus, where souls are saved, and conveied to the glory of the Triumphant Church, against this fortress of truth, against this Nest and Spouse of Christ; all what Andrew Sall, or fresher wits of the whole heap of Protestanism (begun disa­strously by the shameful revolt of Henry the 8th. and moulded and made up by the arm of flesh) shall never prevail against it; and all that they say will be no more then so ma­ny several handfuls of execrable ashes ta­ken out of the urns of condemn'd hereticks, whose malicious cont [...]ivements are quite forgotten: that Roman Catholicks are su­perstitious, erroneous, &c. is the onely chief rope whereupon the Apostate Sall dan­ces the antick, and triumphs: which can [Page 37]never be proved: empty, aerial & ground­lesse bare words can beguile none but weak licentious and fickle reeds, they will never prevail with any well-principled Christian;

Andrew, eat your bread, hold your tongue, all you can say against Christ's sacred nest will signifie nothing, but as meer scare­crows; it can avail you nought else but heap judgements on your crazy head and palsey hand: come along sweet Andrew, 'Tis worth your serious consideration to ponder the glory and splendour of Roman-Catholick Religion; Saul from a persecu­tor by the hand and call of Christ became a Preacher, an Apostle; what greater confir­mation of Christian Religion, then to see Christ appearing to preserve his nest and his spouse from imminent danger, menaced by a cruel wolf Saul; the head preserves the members, the glorious Eagle preserves his little ones from the jaws of hell; the Scribes and Pharisees Math. 16. sought for signes from heaven, lo now a most rare and stupendious one, Christ in the air forcing Saul to become Paul, and a main witnesse of the truth of our Religion; here may be considered the strength and certainty of our faith; an enemy of the Gospel, Doctor of [Page 38]the Jews, to become in an instant, metamor­phos'd and quite chang'd from a wolf into a meek lamb and preacher of Christ's law: how come Saul like another Balaam to bless the people of God, who was sent to curse them? but that he was constrained by God so to do, and has been taught in our faith by Christ himself most wonderfully. O Andrew Sall! this is no great comfort for you, who from a Sall was raised to be a prest, a prea­cher, like another Paul; now to become a Saul, a wolf, an enemy, a persecutor of Christ and his members, yea, even a mur­therer: Return back, call for mercy, be re­conciled, come and receive grace: Saul an enemy received grace, was made a chosen vessel: O mercy never to be duely ponder­ed! distrust not wretched Andrew! diffide not of Gods goodness and mercy, nor of the efficacy of his divine grace: Sall, Se­quutus es errantem sequere poenitentem Saulum? listen to Gods calling, voice and illumina­tion, stifle not the divine inspirations of God, vocantis, illuminantis, arguentis, casti­gantis; say chearfully with S. Paul, Domine quid me vis facere! do not expect to be in­structed by God; ingredire Civitatem; for­sake your Court of Camas, come audi Ana­niam, Concionatorem co [...]solatorem, amicum, & confessarium tuum fidelem.

A Soveraign Caution to Roman Catholicks, not to be troubled, or take scandal by Andrew Sall Apostate falling from his Religion. Documents 5.

WHat Lay-man will not run and wil­lingly embrace a plausible and easy way to heaven? sure we cannot be igno­rant how stones fall naturally down to their centre, yet are with difficulty raised up; it's more facil to destroy and beat down a house then to build the same: Did not Sir Thomas More Lord Chancellor of England and a glorious Martyr, make answer in this manner, to one who bragg'd much of the propagation of Luthers sect, saying, ad pro­positam vitae libidinem & licentiam, populum ruere, majus non est miraculum quam saxa deorsum cadere; take notice also how Socra­tes answered a certain common strumpet, who insulted and said, tu neminem ex ama­toribus meis unquam valebis a me ab alienare; at ego quoties lubet tuos Auditores omnes a te voco, & ad me traho; to whom the wise phi­losopher, mirum hoc non est, tu siquidem ad declinem voluptatis tramitem omnes rapis & trahis, ego ad arduum virtutis callem cogo, & impello, Aelian. lib. 13. de var. hist. Surely in Scripture, Esa. 1. heresie is called a whore, [Page 40] q [...]o [...]odo facta est meretrix Civitas fidelis; for even as the strumpet doth easily draw to her and [...]educeth many, so doth heresie delude, charm and drag men daily to perdition, li­berty and sin. The ancient Philosophers be­ing questioned, why there were very many Epicures to be found, but very few peripa­teticks or Stoicks; the reason they gave, was, that Stoicorum & Peripateticorum dis­ciplina severior, & subtilior erat: Epicureo­rum autem laxior, & crassior. Hear what Lactantius lib. 3. de divinae Instit. c. 16. say, Epicuri disciplina multo celebrior semper fuit non quia veri aliquid afferat, sed quia multos ad populare nomen voluptatis, & libertatis in­vitat: nemo enim non in vitia pronus est, ea (que) vincere difficillimum est: and certainly those that become Apostates from Christ and his Religion, are plung'd by the liberty of their flesh, and not of any good spirit: it's no hard matter to perswade a voluptuous Religious man, that Priests ought to marry, and that it is impossible to be chaste: it's not difficult to perswade those given to gluttony, that fastings are superfluous and needless, and that drunkenness is no sin, &c. did not Ba­laam advise the King B [...]l. c to place beauti­full maids neer the armies of the Hebrews, that so they might be allured to the sin of the flesh, and that the women should not at all consent to give the souldiers their [Page 41]will, unless they would become Idolaters, Numb 31. by which very many Israelites were deluded and perverted, and this was the only way to overcome them and their Army: what other way or means did Lu­ther and Calvin use for to draw Proselites after them, then lust, liberty, avarice, &c. how was Joannes Fredericus Duke of Sax­ony brought to be an heretick by Luther? it was thus: This Duke had an ambition to bereave the Family of Austria from being Emperours, which they enjoyed quasi jure haereditario; this his ambition he imparted to Luther, who perswaded the Duke to change his Religion, if he expected a change in the Empire, his hellish advice was em­braced by the Duke easily, being full of envy, and an enemy to Caesar; thus the Duke by the advice of cursed Luther, rai­sed an army against Charles the fifth, endea­vouring to destroy him; but by divine pro­vidence, and the brave valour and conduct of the Emperour, the Duke was conquered and taken prisoner, and deprived of being Elector, which place and honour was con­ferred on Prince Maurice, in whose Family even to this day it holds: and assuredly no­thing but pride, curiosity, an appetite of con­tradiction, arrogancy, avarice, ambition, usurpation of sacred gifts, voluptuousness, an aversion from severe discipline, luxury, [Page 42]an itching desire of novelties, and liberty of the flesh, are the baits that enchaunted your soul from the firm standing in the true Church to the sink of herefie and a postasie. When any falls from Religion, the harm is very dangerous to him that falls, we cannot finde that any of the B. Apostles or Disci­ples of Christ, nay, nor any of the weaker faithful did fall from their faith by the de­plorable Apostasie of Judas: which cannot be but a signal providence of God towards his faithfull; hereticks imagines, that when any Doctour, preacher, or priest of ours runs to apostasy, from us, to their sect, that then our faith begins to be weakned, and that many more will follow; but this is a very foolish conceit, for many reasons: first, because that fall and deficience is no new matter, or unusual in the Church of Christ; whereas in all ages, and times there have been some that were permitted to fail, and fall into Apostasie, to the end, that by their deficiency, the Church should be ex­crcised, but never to fail, or fall away with them; whereas the same is not grounded but upon a firm Rock, Christ Jesus: for God almighty when one vessel is broken can make another, as Hieremia; observed c. 18 did not Judas fall off from Christ in that time, when he promised to draw all things to him? did not immediatly the good thief [Page 43] [...]orn, confesse, and believe? though Peter [...]denied his matter, the Centurion was con­ [...]rerted, revertumur percutientes pectora sua: therefore the ruine and fall of members of our Church, doth not at all shake our Church [...]or faith. Who in the Greek Church was more famous then Crigines? Who in the Latin Church was more famous then Ter­ [...]llian? each of these was a most antient Doctor in the third age: and at first they proved most indefatigable and earnest over­throwers and persecutors of the Enemies of the Church, hereticks: they were rare Doctors to a great many saints, Confessors and Martyrs, yet notwithstanding both fell from the Church into heresy; and the Church not in the least moved or weakned, for it: did not Sapricius in the time of Valerianus the Em­peror, a learned and renowned priest (being dragg'd to martirdom for his faith,) denie his faith, and offered sacrifice to false Gods? what shall I say of Osius the Master of Con­stantinus magnus, a most learned man, and one that was emploied as Legat from the Church, oftentimes; did not he betray, the Nicene Council, become an enemy to the true faith, and an Arian? yet the Church stood perma­nent, and triumphant, so as when he fell; then the the Enemies of faith, the Arians were converted: and what Osius did deny, to wit, the divine substance in the Son of [Page 44]God, was confessed and restored, and main­tained by the Arians, so as the very Em­peror Constantinus did publickly preach avouch, and by publick edicts, did cry down; and caused all to be demolish'd, wha [...] accursed Osius with his consorts did impi­ously maintain, see Baron. anno. 357.

When the Seraphical S. Francis in the be­ginning of his holy Order was troubled that some of his children fell off from thei [...] vocation, and fearing that his Order should fall and decay; hear'd these words from Christ, why are you troubled Francis for scandal given by the fall of some of your Children? know that when one shall turn to their vomit, that I shall raise another or more in his place. S. Bonavent. in vita S. Francis. Much more the Church of Christ is to stand without interruption. Secondly, because it's no wonder that among so many holy, good, and vertuous Christians in the whole Church, there should be one or some reprobates: there is not that Community in which may not be found one scabby sheep or other: was not Cham a reprobate in the house of Noe? was not Ismael one in the house of Abraham? in the house of Isaac, Esan? in the house of Christ, Judas? what wonder therefore can it be that in the Church so dif­fused and extended from west, to East; from North, to South, there be found some re­probates, [Page 45]runagates, and Apostates? this [...]ur B. Saviour did often foretell, will the [...]a want Merchants ships to sail, because [...]me ships are cast away? will not men [...]erefore not marry women because some [...]re found to be strumpets? Thirdly, because [...]ose that fals from the true Church do not [...]ll for any real doubt in their faith, but [...]ther through their depraved life and cor­ [...]upt behaviour; and for to get more liberty [...]nd freedome of sinning; and you may reade [...]1. Joan. 2. ex nobis prodierunt sed non erant [...]x nobis; nam si fuissent ex nobis permansissent [...]tique nobiscum: but now their exorbitant [...]arriage, their pride, their incorrigibility [...]nd refractoriness, their negligence, being weary of a spiritual religious life, their a­version from penance, and Mortification, uncupiscentia carnis oculorum & superbia vi­ [...]e, in effect manifest now, that they were [...]ot of ours, and because they were not, they went away, becoming Apostates: what moved Origen to become an heretick? as Vincent. Lyrin. c. 23. contra haeres. writes, [...]ut his pride, presumption of his learning, [...]magining foolishly that he was wiser then all the world? what caused Jovinianus to fall? but that he could not endure the ri­gour of obedience, and monastical life, he was too delicate: see S. Hier. lib. 1. contra Jovinian: therefore because such were [Page 46]chaff, or stubble, no pure clean wheat, no [...] wonder that they were huried away by the winde of temptation; hence S. Peter, Act. 1. [...] said praevaricatus est Judas ut abiret in locum [...] suam: what was his place, which he expe­cted, and was inclined to? was it to hang himself, or rather hell, to which, as to his last period, or term, he directed his paths and way? God therefore is rather to be glo­rified and praised, that he is accustomed to purifie and purge his Church from such perverse putrified members, sic pere­ant peccatores: so as in no way the fall of Priests, to become accursed A­postats, can derogate any thing from the So­veraignty, and truth of our faith, but rather doth conduce very much to the manifesta­tion and confirmation of the sanctity, puri­ty, and permanency of the same: you may observe how the sea casts up on the shore dead carcases, even so our Roman Catho­lick Religion vomits up, and casts out, per­missive, incorrigible, and reprobate dead members: it's most certain, that none de­parts from our Religion to the Protestant revolted Squadron, to the end that he may give himself more to prayer, retirements, fasting, mortification, purity of life, and conversation, no such matter; none falls for to forsake and contemn the honors, ease, comforts, and pleasures of the world, [Page 47]neither for to shun the snares and allurement [...]f women, nor that he may the more abdi­ [...]ate, and renounce his own will, and re­ [...]gne the same to the will of his superior: [...]ut rather for the contraty, they run from [...], that they may enjoy more liberty, and [...]eedom for to follow and pursue their [...]icked way and customs [...] whereas, the Protestants sect received none from us but [...]eer libertines, reprobate, refractory, ig­norant and weak, effeminate ou [...]casts▪ nei­ther ever yet any of such infernal Imps has [...]een listed in the catalogue of Saints: quia [...]ni ante macellum stanti non adjicitur nisi [...]o faeda & mutilis, even so God in his di­ [...]ine providence throw none into the devils [...]aws, which is heresy, but only such as are willful reprobats and scandalous livers: [...]herefore S. Paul Acts 20. gives us war­ [...]ing, saying, ego scio quoniam post discessio­ [...]em meam intrabunt lupi rapaces in vos non [...]rcentes gregi, &c. propter quod vigilate me­ [...]oria retinentes, &c. Sweet Andrew! how [...]ame you to be enchanted from the truth of [...]he revealed principles of the ancient and [...]oul-saving faith of Christ, and become an [...]eretick, which is the sink of all abomina­ [...]ion, the most horrid and blackest sin that ever was committed? even the Heathen Philosophers by the only rays of pure Na­ [...]res light did abhor sin, in somuch that A­ristot. [Page 48]3. Eth. said, melius est mori quam faee­re aliquid contra bonum virtutis; and Senec [...] said, Si scirem 'Deum ignosciturum, tamen [...] p [...]care nollem ob p [...]ccati t [...]rpitudinem: Did not the great S. Anselm say, that if of one side he saw sin, and on the other the flames of hell, and if he were to choose, he would rather throw himself into infernal flames then commit a hainous sin against God his Master, Redeemer, and glorifier and san­ctifier: O rare expression! these great Phi­losophers seriously considering the base, vile, and abominable nature and malfce of sin, they could not endure the same; and with­out all question the nature and malice of heresie surpasseth the execration and malice of all imaginable sins whatsoever: for first it draws after it two main punishments, and just judgements, excecation and induration on man: it blindes and excecates the under­standing, involving it into main darknesse of sundry errours, and withall it indurates, and infatuates the will by wofull pertinacy, whereas faith being the gift of God which hereticks contemn, and willfully reject, by their obstinate pertinacy, believing some points in Scripture that are pleasing to them, others that displeases, they will not believe, vainly imagining it to suffice, to believe in Christ, and that he died for our sins, though they should believe no more; whence they [Page 49]assure themselves that any man of any Sect, believing in Christ, may be in his belief sa­ved; whereas they all have one God and head, Christ: O false and deluded doctrine! Did not S. Thomas deny the article of the re­surrection? Did not Christ Jesus require from him and all the faithful, to believe that article as necessary for salvation? who doubts it? therefore the same reason must follow in all other articles; and why is it necessary to believe that Christ resuscitated, and not that Christ's body and bloud is con­tained in the Sacrament of the Eucharist? Doth not holy Scripture witness this [...] Se­condly, I say, Doth [...]o [...] the Apostle ad Tit. 3. admonish us, haereticum hominum devi­tare, because he is subverted and condemn­ed by his own proper judgement; you must not reply, that the Apostle meant him an heretick that rejects Christ, or what is con­tained in the symbol, for so indeed he would not be an heretick, that would reject all the holy Scripture, and all Sacraments; neither also he who would condemn marriage and meats, and place two distinct persons in Christ: yet such 1 Tim. 4. & 1 John 4. are held to be hereticks. Thirdly, Did all an­tiquity hold, that an heretick could not be saved, which moved and excited them vigo­rously always to oppose hereticks, confute, silence, and condemn them: wherefore has [Page 50]there been at all times General Councils of Learned Prelats conven'd, from all parts of the inhabitable world, and with great labor and expences celebrated? but for to beat down and confute heresies, and damn them with anathema? why all commerce and fa­miliarity with hereticks forbidden? why very many Roman Catholicks did rather suffer exile, losse of means, and limbs, tor­ments and cha [...]ns, then subscribe to here­ticks? were not all these encounters in vain, foolishly, and injuriously done, if in those sects of heresie, salvation might be had or obtain'd? The reason is, that it would fol­low by good ilation, that the true Orthodox faith would be no better then the heresie of Arians, Pelagians, Nestorians, &c. where­as it's stated salvation to be had in any of these, as well as in the Roman-Catholick Faith, and consequently it would follow, all those ancient hereticks were saved, be­cause many of them did hold and beleeve the Apostolical Symbol, all which is most absurd; and that any should be saved by false faith; for false faith neither is, nor can be more available for salvation then no faith at all: and because the foundation of faith, viz. the reason of believing, in hereticks is false and erroneous; therefore their faith is false also which depends on falshood; for they believe their dogmata or tenents, either [Page 51]because their pretended Apostles, Luther and Calvin, &c. taught them, and these could not erre or be deluded, or because by [...]eir own proper sence and judgement, they [...]agine those to be contained in Scripture, [...]nd this is false too; for one man alledges [...]e same Scripture for this sect, and another [...]ledges the very same for another different [...]ct, because they understand it not; or [...]y believe sua dogmata, because some are [...]ght interiourly by a private spirit of the [...]se of Scipture, & this likewise deludes, [...]cause for the most part all of them do brag [...] boast they have the true spirit; yet they [...]ch and broaeh contrary things amongst [...]emselves, which verily a good and right [...]it can never do. Fourthly, as he who [...]aks one precept, is said and held to be [...]lty of all the precepts, viz. if one be an [...]lterer, that he shall be damned, as well [...]e that has committed sins against all the [...]mmandements of God, even so in like [...]ner, whosoever rejects and will not be­ [...]ve one article of true faith, falls from sal­ [...]on no lesse then if he had rejected all ar­ [...]es; wherefore some in vain do wish or [...]ect that the Church would remit some­ [...]g of the articles of faith, to the end it [...] come and agree in one with the late [...]s, but that is impossible, for faith can re­ [...]e neither encrease nor decrease, fides ad­ditamentum [Page 52]& incisionem nescit quia divine faith is like an hour-clock, her articles a [...] made like the teeth of wheels, if you tak [...] away or pull one tooth, all the fabrick [...] machine fails and serves for nothing; there­fore thrice happy are the glorious Saints [...] heaven because they have a full vision a [...] fruition of the sweet face of God; blesse [...] are the faithfull Christians here beneat [...] though pilgrims & travellers, because the [...] do not see God, for by true faith shall com [...] that place where they shall see God face [...] face for all eternity; and as S. Austin sai [...] Psa. 91. Ʋbi jam non dicetur nobis; cre [...] qu [...]d non vides, sed gaude quia vides; finiall [...] if every one might be saved in his own fait [...] then we should have no need of recourse [...] Christ; it were enough some to be sent b [...] God that would preach the knowledge [...] one God, according to the Apostle, ad G [...] 2. Si per legem justitia, ergo gratis Christ m [...]rtuus est: and withall the very Scriptu [...] would prove false and in vain, which te [...] us Chant to be our Redeemer and Medi [...] tour, through whose sacred bloud we a [...] cleansed, through whose faith we ought [...] be jusified, and in whose only Name [...] ought to be saved; for then, if this we [...] true, and that any one, in any faith may [...] saved, then every humane faith and persw [...] sion would have been sufficient for salvat [...] on: [Page 53]for the Turks, though they beleeve in [...]e God, Creator and Remunerator of all, [...]et they do not beleeve by any divine faith, [...]t because Mahomet delivered it so in his [...]coran, in which many mo [...]t false things [...]e taught, as that Mahomet was the prophet [...] God, &c. So likewise the Jews, what [...]ey beleeve, they beleeve because their [...]bbins do expound the Scriptures so to [...]em; yet notwithstanding all their grounds [...]e vain, false, and most erroneous, because [...]e Rule of their faith is mo [...]t false. The [...]ain reason that moves some to say, that [...]y may be saved in his faith, is, that they [...]d it incredible, that all Jews and Turks, [...] which very many do piously worship [...]od, and live innocently and i [...]noxiously, [...]ould eternally perish, and that only for [...]t beleeving in Christ; for this they may [...]eade an excuse, by reason from their cra­ [...]e they were otherwise instructed, and [...]d according to their light and breeding, [...]d in what they could serve God, therefore [...]e gates of heaven must not be made so nar­ [...]w, as that that vast number should be ex­ [...]uded and not enter in, but all this signifies [...]thing; for if it is not incredible, that [...]od hath left for so many thousand years [...] the world (the Jews only excepted) in [...]e darknesse of Idolatry, wherein for cer­ [...]in they peri [...]hed; so it is very easie for e­very [Page 54]one to perswade himself, the same t [...] have happened to the Jews and Turks; an [...] further, the Jews and Turks now-aday [...] have lesse plea to excuse them in not belie [...] ­ving in Christ then the Ethnicks had in an [...] ­cient times, whereas the Jews and Turk [...] could seek and learn from the Christians li [...] ­ving amongst them the true faith of Christ which the Ethincks could not do, becau [...] they lived in darkness, and were hurried a [...]way by the common Custome, to follo [...] and observe the Religion of their Ancestors To conclude, I say, that if there may [...] found some that never heard a word o [...] Christs Religion neither have had any kind [...] of impulses for to inquire and embrace th [...] same, such shall not be damned for infidel [...] ­ty, if none such sins they have committed either they will be illuminated by God [...] that they come to the knowledge of saving faith, or if they die in their natural innocen [...] ­cy, they shall incurr only the poena damn [...] not of sense, in the other world. If a prote [...] ­stant living and dying so, if he die in th [...] estate of innocency he shall enter into heave [...] because baptized in Christ. O Andrew r [...] ­turn to your bleeding Mother, she is you [...] true Mother! while you remain abroa [...] with the harlot you can have no quietness no comfort, no grace, no ease, no refres [...] ­ment, no food but husks, being destitute [...] [Page 55]the help of the Sacraments, which are the heavenly conduits through such divine grace is conveyed to Drooping souls, you are destitute of the true Word of God, of the prayers of the Church, the Congregation of faithful Christians, you are destitute of good and laudable examples: you are de­stitute of a dread sacrifice, destitute of faith, destitute of Religion: you have lost all de­votion, all Mortification, and even the fear of a living God: consider your lamentable state, you are become one of a Sect, where there is no Guide, Rule or Judge or autho­rity which God hath appointed for your direction, and to teach and continue true faith in the world: the Guide, Rule, Judge, and Authority which Roman Catholicks follow, is such, and the same in effect is which the first Christians follow'd in the time of the Apostles, and in every respect, able and sufficient to execute its function, and indeed the only means imaginable, not only to teach and convey true faith, unto the world, but also to reconcile all differen­ces arising in matters of faith, as also to e­vince & condemn all hereticks & schisma­ticks, & so establish that union that becoms the Church of God, which Christ Jesus our all-wise Legislator hath setled in the world; and this Guide, and Judge which Catho­lick do follow, is infallible, and hath suf­ficient [Page 56]credentials from heaven to prove her self to be so, consequently that we are all obliged to captivate our understanding to the obedience of Faith.

Who cannot, Sir, but stand amazed and startle at your dismal fall from the true anci­ent Church of Christ? you a professor of Divin [...]ty (though of no solid intensive learn­ing,) a Religious priest of a Society most renown'd for learning, sanctity, piety, ver­tue and blessings, you a preacher of the [Page 57]word and pennance; you who cleav'd so fast to the Rock, Christ, now to be so ea­sily, and so suddenly, by the s [...]ubtil wiles, cunning, crafty slight, and sophistry of craf­ty seducers, hurried away to a Religion false, tracherous, and destructive of salvati­on; and metamorphosed into the likeness of a loathsome and deformed villain, and now in your old age become like a childe, against that wholsome advice of S. Paul, 1 Cor. 14. nolite pueri effici sensibus, children commonly never regards precious things; carts, coaches, and wheels made of earth, delights them more then the rich brave painted coaches of Kings, of great State and magnificence, for these little ones are only led by their sences; as you shall see a childe break to peices books of high esteem, and value, throw away precious gems and most noble Jewells, and take up a black coal, kiss it, and eat it, &c. such a little childe, you Andrew Sall, is become of late, when you made choise of darkness for light, black coals of heresie, apostasie, liberty, illusions, falshood and sordid ways, and such as please your wretched blinde sences, and shamefully condemn most so­lid, most precious and most soveraign things, as true un-erring faith, Religion, glorious vertues, Sanctity, grace, mortification, pu­rity of life and conversation, devotion, sa­sting, [Page 58]prayers, contemplation, and sweet retirement, all which are leading to eter­nal glory. O stark blindness! hinc lacrimae! this wretched exchange sure must proceed from very gross ignorance, pride and care­lesness: for the mind of man being the low­est among rational natures addicted to sen­ses, and carnal actions, apprehends no­thing perfectly, beside sensible, external, temporal things; as honour, riches, voluptu­ousness, pleasures, contentments, &c. and cannot apprehend spiritual and heavenly things, viz. the beauty of vertue, the plea­sures and sweet enjoyments of eternal hap­piness, the beatifical vision and fruition of Gods most glorious face, the onely source of ful content, and never-ending felicity; I say, these things they apprehend but very weakly, and even in a confus'd and lan­guishing manner; whereas the affection of the will still follows strongly, the appre­hension; as when a man doth taste of the de­luding sweetness of terrestriall happiness, he vainly imagines the same to be far grea­ter then really it is, even so when one tastes a little of the roughness, difficulty, and loathsome bitterness of vertue, doth like­wise fondly imagine the same to be more craggy, intollerable, and loathsome then truly it is, and so falls back and desists from going forward in the quest & happy pursuit [Page 59]of solid vertue. O Andrew! non erit tibi am­plius infans dierum & senex qui non impleat dies suos quoniam puer centum annorum mori­etur, Isa. 65. that is to say, if any old man be found of childish behaviour and becom­ing a puer centum annorum, and yet would prove a childe in his senses, in a vicious life and conversation, that man shall not perse­vere in the Militant, to pass to the Trium­phant Church, but shall be precipitated into everlasting darkness and flames: oh Andrea! haec te horrenda terreant, how come you in your old age to be so enchanted, and so mi­serably to revolt from a true antiently re­vealed Faith? how come you to fly wret­chedly from Religion, piety, pennance, and austerity of life? &c. but because you doted; you proved puer centum anno­rum, becoming a scandalous Apostate, a vile protestant, and a pittifull object of scorn to boys and lackeys: so as you may say with King David, 2 Reg. vivit Dominus quoniam filius mortis est qui hoc f [...]cit: The an­tient Philosophers were accustomed to com­pare weak effeminate men, who easily would part with some most precious thing for a bubble or trifle, to a fish, call'd, polype, which cleaves so fast to a rock that it will be sooner pulled into peeces, then let go its gripe; yet according to Pierius valer. lib. 25. cap. 21. when a little sweet water is [Page 60]poured down upon it, then immediately he will let loose what he kept fast. O pittiful Andrew, did not you of late, by your subita dissessio prove like this fish: who could ima­gin that you should be so enchanted as to let go your fast gripe, and forsake your so gra­cious, so amorous, so obliging and so glo­rious master, saviour and benefactour? O execration! O blindness! O execration the mo [...]t black that ever the sun look'd on! how could such folly and madness creep into your brain? oh aqua dulcis! the perfum'd sweet water of Camas was tasted by you, poor Anarew, by which you became mise­rably intoxicated, amus'd, charm'd, and quite undone: confregisti jugum, rupisti vincula, dixisti non serviam, Jer. 2. lo, the sad effects of your aqua aulcis, conferring, eating, drinking, sporting with Arch-hereticks against the express will of your Superiours, at Camas, you expos'd your self willfully to the imminent danger of being ensnar'd by dangerous soul-hunters and fowlers: alas! Inventi sunt in populo i [...] pii insidiantes quasi aucupes, laqueos ponentes & pedicas ad capi­endos viros: sure you met with a dextrous fowler at Camas who by fair language, sweet plausible insinuations, darting at your weak simple heart, beams of great promi­ses, and allurements of full content, gold, liberty, pleasure, promotion to smo [...]ky ho­nour, [Page 61]making use in a most dextrous man­ner of subtil and crafty methods of deluding you, struck through your wavering and in­stable soul, with aqua dulcis which has been your bane, bringing you to feed you self and others with false appearances instead of truth, and brand you with a perpetual blot of infamy to all prosterity, and fix an ever­lasting guilt upon your soul; and your now liberty the Meteor which by glittering brightness of deceitfull light, dazles your eys, unwarily; and like a wandring fire misleads you in your search for true happi­ness, through the blind paths of Apostasy, ignorance and folly; drawing yet into the dangerous precipices of all impiety and in­famy, de scelere ad scelu [...], What false ap­pearance soever of content at pr [...]ent this way holds forth to your deluded minde, vae impio in malum, &c. Oh Andrew! how come you to prove like the clouds, which obscures the sun that raised them? take this gerogliphick, and consider, how when the sun doth spread her radiant beams, chasing darkness from the face of the earth, which dark clouds, envying (as it were) at so bright light, they begin to endeavour to dis­lu [...]tre the beauty and resplendency thereof: what are the clouds, but gross earthly va­pours raised by the rays of the sun up to the superiour Region, where they are con­densed [Page 62]and made dark clouds, and yet they obfuscate and endeavour to endarken their maker; O ingratitude! thus you ungratfull wretch, do begin to wage war with God your maker and infinite benefactor; who raised you Andrew Sall from nothing, to great honour and dignity, as to be a religi­ous man, a priest, a legat, a star, a guide, a phisitian of souls? and what is it that you return to his divine majesty for all those blessings and favours? oh! is it to bandy a­gainst him and use his blessings for to disho­nor his holy name? is it to war furiously a­gainst his faith; to make him a lyar in your pulpit, by your lyes and forgeries? your malicious crying down the pape, prayers to Saints, the real presence, and your lowd bawling up creeping Protestanisme? O in­gratitude and madness! to rip up the bow­ells of your mother, his spouse, the Roman Catholick Church, calling her whore, su­perstitious, &c. is this your gratitude? ah poor Andrew! all your bawlings and railings recoiles upon your own self, quid prudentis est? cum possit nolle nocere; quid stulti proprium? non posse, & velle nocere. you are not able to annoy or beat down the glory and lustre of the Catholick Church, nor impede the glorious trophies and daily mervelous growth thereof: know that Christ is still at hand for to defend his flock [Page 63]and Church from the venom of Apostats; his eyes are fix'd on them, alwaies ready to beat down and destroy all arising Enemies: what became of Julian the Apo [...]ate, for attempting to persecute the true Church? all the world knows it: what became of Luther, Calvin, &c. and of all the rest of your cursed fellow-laborers in the totter'd silvestrial vineyard of protestanisme? Flori­mundus will tell you, they all came to a most wofull and execrable end; haec te tre­menda moveant, terreant (que) Andrea? Reclaim therefore in time Andrew, begin to make a speedy retreat, open your eyes veiled with a fatal scarf of impudency; shut not the eyes of your understanding against the pure heavenly ways of Gods true doctrine for your salvation? imitate that brave Avicena, a man of a most super-excellent wit, yet by unhappiness of birth rank'd in the infernal Sect of Mahomet, coming to consider, how his false prophet had placed the beatitude of the life to come, in sensuall pleasures and contentments of the body, was asham'd of it, and so shurnk from his prophet, that he might not betray his rea­son; the laws Mahomet gave, did consider beatitude and misery, only within the li­mits of the body: Oh Andrew! forsake your protestant Sect, which (as you well know in your Conscience) doth place all happi­ness [Page 64]in the pleasures honors, liberty and contentments of the body, and obstructs all means and ways to vertue, to sanctity, pie­ty, mortification, &c. and doth stifle the fear of a living and dreadfull God: Oh An­drew! do not betray your Reason, nor your conscience, shrink away from your darkness and apostasie? reclame and be converted, like a great Pollititian lately by this Dilem­ma. Either there is a living God, and a se­vere Judgment after this perishable life or no: if there be none such, yet if I believe that there is, it cannot prejudice me at all, but it will rather very much avail me, for it will move me to embrace an honest moral Christian like life; if there be, and yet I shall not believe it, rather flatly deny any such thing, what infinitly great torments and flames must I expect for this my perfi­diousness, blasphemy, and horrid contempt: Further, either there are rewards for good works of the Just and Vertuous after this life or no? and likewise if exquisite tor­ments be prepared for the impious by God, (as by the light of nature we may without question believe) or no? If there be none at all, yet to believe, hope and fear such a thing, cannot hurt me, but rather forward me to the practise of vertue and honesty, &c and if there are really such to be expected, and that I shall not believe it, and so live [Page 65]wickedly and licentiously, what other can be expected but eternal flames among the damned? The Almighty, Andrew, illumi­nate your understanding, and inflame your heart for to renounce your carnal childish sences, and to turn your self to your mother, the Roman Catholick Church, wherein only is true faith, Religion, grace and true comfort to be found: opus annorum multorum perdidisti; arise, and rouse from your dis­mall Apostasy;

Of Humane Faith. Document 6.

THe difference between divine and hu­mane faith consists in this, that, divine faith is most perfect and hath God for its object, and is grounded upon divine Autho­rity, which doth promise us with infallible, unerring, and undoubted certainty, to en­joy what we believe, and hope for; but hu­mane faith hath no such object, ground, [...]or certainty, but is only a morall, casu­all, and probable belief; as for example, [...]f you Andrew, did verily believe that in heaven all great felicities which transcend [...] our lower desires are to be found, what [...]n hinder you but you should at least do as [...]uch for obtaining those great felicities as for the lesser, the perishable; for if you [...]ink you may gain them being a protestant [...]ith bare faith without works of char [...] [...]liness, justice, pennance, &c. than sure [...]u have no faith at all; for you believe not [...]at saying of S. Paul, Hebr. 12. follow peace [...]th all men, and holin [...]ss, without which no [...]an shall ever see God: humane saith you [...]ay have, but not divine, for if a man be­ [...]eves learning to be the only and [...] [...]rnament and beauty of [...] [Page 86]may enable him to a fair employment in time & an honorable memory to succeeding ages, this if he believe really and heartily it hath power to make him endure great pains and labour, even catarrhs, gouts, and other diseases, to read and write till his eyes are weary, to despise the pleasure of idle­ness, or delightfull sports, and even to un [...] dervalew whatsoever doth not cooperate t [...] the end of his humane faith, viz. the desin [...] of learning: now, what thing can he imagi [...] so precious, so glorious, so honorable, an [...] so desireable, as to enjoy the beatifical vis [...] on of Gods eternal glory, and who but [...] stark mad brain-sick man, will not endeavour with all his power and faculties to fin [...] out the means, helps, and ways, and not [...] spare any labour, pains, or sufferings wha [...] soever, for to attain to such a happy State [...] O Andrew the prodigious stories of th [...] strict sanctity, severe disciplins, rigid mo [...] tifications, and great sufferings of Roma [...] Catholicks in all ages, as in your conscien [...] you know; the ardour of their heavenl [...] zea [...], their deiform intentions, their ravishing devotions, ought to be an abundan [...] argument to shame your dulness, stupidity laziness, and supine negliglence, and convince you that such faith as that of Roma [...] [...]holicks is not humane but most divin [...] [...] more saintlike, more majesti­cal, [Page 87]more reasonable, and more productive of pure sanctity and grace then the bare hu­mane faith of protestants and all other Se­ctaries. O Andrew! when I to my grief un­derstand you now serve your pseudo-pre­late at Camas with such hazardous, slavish, and difficult service, with such undaunted courage, and resolution, because you be­lieve him able to reward you, according to his promise to you before you revolted to him, though of his will you are not so cer­tain; and yet you are so supinely negligent and incurious of your service to the great God (from whom you shamefully aposta­tised,) whose infinitely great power and will rewards all super-abundantly; for if you believe there is such a thing as heaven, and that every single mans portion of the glory there, is far better and infinitely more advantageous then all the riches, content, and pleasures of this barren world, it is mo­rally impossible, you should thus blindly prefer little, before so incomparably great profitt, and never ending happiness. I can­not tell what to say, but that you are charm [...]d lothum comedisti. I believe you are not ignorant of a story of Homer in his Iliads, who saies, that Ʋlisses his compani­ons travelling towards their native Coun­try, in their journey, they met trees bearing most fair and lovely apples call'd Lothos, [Page 88]which, for all the fruit was pleasant and of an excellent raste, yet it had a strainge pro­perty, that chose that did eat of the same, became so drowsie, stupified, lazie and for­gettful, that they did not minde to give a step forward in their journey to their sweet native Country: whence comes lothum co­medisti, as an adage: Oh Andrew, you are created for heaven, educated for heaven, you that have labored for heaven many years in appearance to the world, thether you travail as the place and period of your peregrination; how come you not to minde your journey to give a step forward, to advance your conquest? why dost thou halt at Camas? how come you to be so slee­py and stupidly lazie, by heresy and Apo­stasie feeding on lothos, vain pleasure, fair promises, deceitful wiles, and sweet venom of hereticks? O Andrew! reflect, reflect, reclaim, reclaim, rouse up, arise, shake off your shackles and bonds of iniquity; take to your comfort what I have read in Scrip­ture, how when the people of Israel were captives led to Persia, their Priests did hide and bury the holy fire which always did burn on the Altar in the Temple, under ground, in a valley: Many years after, Ne­ [...]mias employed priests for to finde out the sacred fire, who found nothing but aquam cr [...]ssam, gross muddy water an mire, [Page 89]O prodigy! no fire but water and that mud­dy, and troubled! yet Neemias commanded the priests to lay the sacifice on the Al­tars to be offered to God and to sprinkle the sacrifice with the muddy miry water, which done, accensus & ignis magnus ita ut omnes mi­rarentur: O mi [...]terious success! a holy Ex­positor says, what! before fire, out of that fire water was engendred! now water and of that fire engendred! O prodigy! what means this? but that for your comfort An­drew: ex igne divini amoris gratia compun­ctionis oritur, rursus ex compunctione Lachri­maram amor & ardor coelestis desiderii, mens nostra ad amorem Dei inardescit, sometimes from compuction of heart and from tears the love and desire of celestial things is en­gendred, and sometimes from the love of God, the grace of compunction, and teares are also ingendred. Come along there­fore poor Andrew! he that continually wal­lows with dirty swine in the mire must ex­pect to be in the same filthy condition: the plague is not more spreadingly infectious then ill manners, liberty, evil company and hereticks: ill example is more prevalent then precept, make therefore in time [...] men your example, lest you be made [...] example to others. It is related [...] t [...]e body of the Emperor Titt [...] on the funeral [...] [Page 88] [...] [Page 89] [...] [Page 90](according to the Custome of those times) his heart (after the body was reduced all to ashes) did many times spring out of the flames, and being at last opened by such who wondred at the strangeness of the acci­dent, it was found to be full of poyson which hindred the operation of the fire up­on it: and when the poyson was wash'd a­way, then the fire wrought upon it, and was immediately consumed to ashes: oh An­drew Sall! the flames and ardour of the di­vine fire of Gods love cannot work upon your heart before the inward venom of he­resie be wash'd and cleansed away by tears of compunction, calling sincerely upon sweet Jesus, saying, Lord, give me the gift of faith and true Religion; Lord, Jesus in­flame my heart with thy love, oh Jesus, give me a cleane heart from all self ends, self seeking, self interest and from all pre­ [...]udicate opinion and insufferable over-wee­ [...]ing pride and malice. O Jesus, call me back from being such a fiery persecutor of [...] [...]sed Julian was: oh I [...] venous in malice, and [...] me not gangrene in [...] [...]diousness against this [...] car [...]bas me ego [...] Lord Jesus, open [...] see my [...], and [...] help me [Page 91]out of my ignorance, Apostasy and folly: Jesus be a Jesus to me wretched sinner.