Touchstone to Determine the True Catholic Faith, To the reader – Errata
To all true Christians, and to all them that call themselues Catholikes, at this daie in the Church of England: Grace, merciemercy and truth, with continuall ioy in the Holie ghost.
THat notable discourse of Clemens Alexandrinus (beloued in the Lorde,Clem. lib. 1 Stromat.,) is verie forcible to moue all those that be learned in Iesus Christ, to put forth their labours in print. If the godlie should not write bookes: wherefore were letters inuented? It is lawfull for the Epicure to write dishonest things: therefore much more for a Christian, such things as bee profitable. And eueryevery man hath a care, to leaue children behinde him of his bodie: but bookes are the fruites of the minde. And againe, We call them fathers, that doe instruct vsus: And wisdome is no niggard, she makes her selfe common to all, she is a louer of mankinde: And our Sauiour wil call all his seruants to account, which hauehave receiued any talent of him. None must hide his talent in the ground. And he puts downe also the endes, whie all bookes should bee written. Not rashlie, but with deliberation: not for malice of any man, nor for vaine glory, nor for hope of rewarde, but for the profit of our brethren: Thus farre Clemens. Here wee may note, that they are reprooued, that will not set forth their workes in print; to the benefit of others. Such put a light vnderunder a bushell. And some such lightes, hauehave we at this daie; which wil not suffer their excellent labours to bee published, least others should bee partakers of them:Epistola. 6. Whereas euen Seneca a heathen hath this notable sentence. For this ende I do desire to learne, that I may teach others. Neither any thing delightes me; be it neuer so excellent, nor so profitable, that I my selfe shoulde knowe alone. Nay, if wisdome her selfe were giuen mee vppon this condition, that I shoulde keepe her fast shut vppe, and shoulde not publish her abroad, I woulde refuse her. And this is a principall cause why the Church of Rome at this daie s…mes so glorious in the eies of many, because that in her all those that hauehave the best gifts, as Granatensis, Stella, Ferus and such others, whatsoeuer they hauehave don they hauehave published and communicated to others. But in the church of Christ there are verie manie which are endued with singular giftes and gr…s of the holie spirit: who wil not be perswaded to publish any thing, … make their most excellent labours common to the benefit of others. The which if they would do, as the church hath now very many not inferior to any of those: so she should hauehave a far greater number that woulde exceed them. But to let passe Clemens Alexandrinus, Seneca, and the practise of the Romanistes: much more forcible is the reason that Saint Iude here vseth in this Epistle. Putting a difference (saith hee) deale mercifully with some: and others saue with feare. pulling them as it were out of the fire. Meaning no doubt, that wee should not onelyonly by brotherly conference, winne simple seduced Christians: but also euen by the handes of our writings, or by any other meanes what soeuer, drawe such as bee obstinate from the flame and fire of heresie. Who seeing his brother in the fire, will not pull him out? And surely so nowe the case standes in our daies. The doctrine of Antichrist flameth like a fire, and therefore it beguiles, and euen consumeth many. They will not sticke to spend all their reuenewes, so that they may continue in poperie. The great fiery zeale of the Iesuites, the eloquence, and as it were a shining light of some papists stiles, defending their causes, deceiues them. But let all true Catholiques marke heere what S. Iude teacheth, That some are to be pulled out of the fire. Though the teachers be as hot in zeale, as forcible in perswasion, as glorious in eloquence, as fire: yet if they embrace not the catholike doctrine contained in this epistle, embrace them not, beleeue them not. And all good christians, if this fire hauehave caught hold of any such; are bound with all diligence, to helpe to pull them out.
And here let vsus note the excellencie of this epistle: In it not only the chiefe points of Antichristian heresie; but as in a briefe mappe also, the chiefe principles of christian and catholike religion are contained. Wilt thou then be free from all danger of heresie? Wilt thou be established in the true catholik faith? Read this epistle. The labor is not great. Wouldst thou doe good workes in deede? Doe then those, which S. Iude here commandeth. Build yee one another in your most holy faith. Here is the first and principall worke of all true christians and catholikes, To build themselues in their most holy faith: And that is by hearing, reading, and meditating of the holy scriptures. For so S. Paul teacheth, that this building is by the word of God: And now brethren, I commend you to God, Act. 20.32.and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you farther, and to giuegive you an inheritance, amongst all them that are sanctified: Here wee may plainely see, that S. Paul against those rauening wolues, which shall succeede him (of whome also he speakes in the verse going before) and shall teach peruerse doctrine: Verse 29 30.he committeth all true christians and catholikes to the word of God, as to a most sure looking glasse, whereby to espie their deceits; and as to a most faithfull square & rule, to build and frame their faith by: And shall we not then giuegive heede vntounto it? And in another place he saith:Col. 3. v. 16. Let the word of Christ dwell plenteously amongst you in all wisedome, teaching and admonishing one another. As though he should say to all christians: hauehave not onelyonly the word of God in your houses, but also in your hearts, that you may be able to teach and admonish one another. And this no doubt is the building S. Iude here meaneth, See what knowledge of the word of God he requireth in eueryevery christian: that they should be able euen to teach and to reprooue: which cannot be done without great knowledge.
Secondly (saith S. Iude) pray in the holy ghost, that is, as the holy ghost shall direct and inflame your harts,Theod. in Rom. 8. as Theodoret expoundes this phrase: By the grace of the holy spirit we being stirred vp, we are pricked in heart: being inflamed by it, we pray more cheerfully, and call vponupon God with vnspeakeable sighing. Why then all christians must be perswaded that they have the holy ghost: then they must pray with vnderstanding and knowledge. They must know what they pray: The holy ghost is light, and in it is no darkenesse at all. And how agrees this with the popish latine praiers which they hauehave vsed?
Thirdly saith S. Iude, Keepe your selues in the louelove of God: Be ye assured that God is your father, that hee loueth you and careth for you. Let this bee as a staffe in your handes, to passe ouer the Iordane of this world with all, with Iacob: and the ioy of your harts though sathan buffet you neuer so much, as he did Paul: Gen. 32. v. 10.2. Cor. 12. v. 9.whom the Lord taught this lesson, and in him all christians: My grace, my louelove, is sufficient for thee. What needes thou then feare the waues of this world, nay nor all the buffeting and afflictions of sathan?
Lastly saith S. Iude, waite for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ, to eternall life: not trusting in your owne merits, but only in his merciemercy: euer remembring your manifold imperfections and sinnes, and confessing your selues to be vnprofitable seruants. Here are the duties plainely set downe of all Gods faithfull seruants, & of al true catholikes towards God. That is, continuall study and meditation of the scripture, daily praier in the holy ghost, assurance of the louelove of God towardes them; and a waiting for the mercy of Iesus Christ to saluation: These are the workes of the true catholique Church, and of all true catholikes. Those which doe not these workes; what soeuer they doe else, God shall not acknowledge them for his serua ts.
These points of christian religion, eueryevery christian is daily to meditate vponupon▪ these workes he must lo…ke that he doe with the strength of this small cake,1. King. 19 v. 8. and with the comfort of this little water, no doubt with Eliah, he shall go euen to Horeb the mountaine of God. The Lorde Iesus plant these vertues in eueryevery Christians heart, and grant eueryevery one grace diligently to doe these workes, and make them hunger for this bread and thirst for this water: and at last bring them to his heauenly Horeb and mountaine.
To conclude (gentle Reader) if in this discourse any thing doe iustly mislike thee (as perchance something may doe) for as Saint Iames saith.Ia. 4.2. Gal. 6.2. Ia. 2.8. In many things we offend all; remember that royall law of our Sauiour Christ, That we ought to be are one anothers burthen. And if any thing seeme to thee heerein to bee ouer sharpelie and bitterly spoken;Luke 10.34. surely the grieuousnesse of the woundes required it: remember how the Samaritan poured in, not only oyle but wine also, into the wounds of his neighbour. Mat. 26.18. Act. 1.20.If in the quotations any thing hauehave escaped, call to mind how our Sauiour sends his Apostles foreign, to a certaine man, and Peter alleadging Dauid saith, It is written in the booke of Psalmes, neither quoting Psalme nor verse, and Paul saith, One of themselues, euen one of their own Prophets, said, the Cretians are alwaies lyars. And loath not the plaine handling of the points of doctrine herein contained,Psal. 78.30.31. requiring quailes for thy dainty appetite as did the Israelites, which died with the meat in their mouthes: Such delicates profits not the soule, but rather embrace the heauenly manna, which was a small round thing vponupon the face of the wildernesse; Exod. 16.14.small as the hoare frost on the earth. And remember these two notable lessons which S. Paul knits vp in two words,Ephes 4.15. foreign: Let vsus seeke after truth in louelove: And so farewell in the Lord Iesus,2. Tim 2.7. who giuegive thee a right vnderstanding & iudgement in al things.
Yours in the Lord Iesus, FRANCIS TRIG.
A briefe table, shewing the contents of this treatise.
OF the sufficiencie of the scriptures 1. 2 &c
Of the duetie of the true seruants of God 5
Of vocation 7
Of Gods prouidence and preseruation 10
Of Gods merciemercy 14
Of peace 17
Of louelove 22
Of the common saluation 24
Of the certaintie of saluation 26
Of the first catholique faith 39
Of praiers in a strange tongue 65
Of the scriptures read in the vulgar tongue 75
Of images 80
Of pardons 96
Of auricular confession 100
Of purgatorie 115
Of praier to Saintes 137
Of Transubstantiation 166
Of Communion vnderunder one kinde 199
Of the authoritie of the Church 202
Of praier for the dead 204
Of Monkes and Friers 220
Of Mariage and single life 225
Of fasting and abstinence 239
Of Ceremonies 247
Of the Popes supremacie 251
Of the Sinnes of Sodome 288
Of obedience to Magistrates 290
Of Satans sleightes 295
Of Christian patience 296. 297
Of treason and rebellion 299
Of Christian louelove feastes 301
Of the spirituall feeding of pastors 303
Of the deceites of priestes and friers 304
Christians must do good workes themselues 305
Of the Churches treasure 305. 306 and of hypocrisie ibid.
Of the persecution of the true church 308
Of the ignorance of the Popes cleargie 309
Of the day of Iudgment 310
Our daies are the daies of Noah 313
Against murmuring 326
Of spirituall pride. Of couetousnesse 327
Of the word of God 328
Of sectes and schismes in the church 329
A true description of the Church 330
Of Sectaries. Of direction of Gods spirit 332
A briefe sum of true catholike religion 331
Of the exceeding louelove of Iesus Christ 348
Of the reward of good workes 351
Of blinde zeale. Of traditions 354 355
Of the garments of the flesh 358
Of preseruation from sinne 359
Faultes escaped.
Page 30. line 34. for Augur read Agur. p. 32. l. 37. destruction r. foolishnesse. p. 47. l 1. Psal. 17. r. 87. p. 72. l. 10. altother. r. altogether. p. 85 l. 17. demanded, r. demand. p. 87. l. 16. r. Eusebius in an oration of the praises of Constantine. p. 122. l. 23. more, read word. p. 177. l. 2. visible r. inuisible. p. 197. l. 27. if r of p. 199. l 2. r. knowe what I meane. p. 256. lin. 39. reuiled r. reuealed. p. 258. l 23. compresbyter r. compresbyterum: & l 35. collega r. collegam. p. 299. l. 8. of r. by. p. 300. l. 3. pardons r. pardoners.