The True Catholic, Tract · Section 4 · Part 1
A golden porch or entrie, into the true Catholikes houſe.
MIctham an Hebrew word, ſignifies a crowne of gold, or a wedge of moſt fine golde: which I hauehave placed at the entrance of this houſe (as Dauid prefixed the ſame word at the beginning of the xvi. Pſalme, which containes the reſurrection of our Sauiour Chriſt; and our entrance into heauen) taken out of the Canticles; which likewiſe containes in it, a moſt excellent and doubtfull queſtion, which troubleth manie at this day: and euen an heauenly and moſt certaine anſwere vntounto the ſame. O (ſaith the Spouſe) ſhew me whom my ſoule loueth, Cant. 1 6.where thou feedeſt: where thou reſteſt at noone in the heate of the day? This is a queſtion, which euen now eueryevery true chriſtians ſoule without all doubt makes vntounto God. Now is the heat of the daie. The ſunſhine of this world makes manie ſunburnt (as we ſaie) and their couetous dealing is a ſlander to the goſpell; and the burning heate of perſecution,Mark. 10.30. 2. Tim. 3.12. which as euer, euen ſo now alſo followes the Goſpell; makes manie doubt where to reſt, and to quiet their ſoules and conſciences in this hot ſunſhine, and in the heate of perſecution. And therefore here now the Spouſe praieth the bridegroome to ſhew her in theſe dangerous times of offences and of perſecution where hee reſteth; that ſhee maie not be like one in this wildernes, who wandring along,Pſal. 18.1. Eſay, 32.2. ſhould ioine her ſelfe to ſome of his companions; but that ſhe may reſt with him alone. And here we maie note the louelove of the true Spouſe of Chriſt: ſhée wil not reſt her ſelfe nor repoſe anie confidence in anie of Chriſts companions, that is (no doubt) Saints,Rom. 8.17. whom S. Paul calleth fellow heires with him; but onelyonly in Ieſus Chriſt alone: ſhée acknowledgeth no vicegerent: ſhée will reſt with none, but with the Spouſe himſelfe.
And this is that which S. Iohn, one of Chriſts chiefe companions,Ioh. 3.29. teacheth alſo all Chriſtians: He that hath the bride, he is the bridgroome, but the friend of the bridgroome which ſtandeth by and heareth him, reioiceth greatly at the bridgroomes voice. Here is the duetie of all the faithfull onelyonly to heare the bridegroomes voice, to heare him talke with the bride. This is all their ioie; they hauehave nothing to do with the bride. Of them all it maie be ſaid as the quéene of Saba ſaid of Salomons ſeruants, Happy are thy men, 2. King. 10.8.happy are theſe thy ſeruants which ſtand euer before thee, and heare thy wiſedome: So all Ieſus Chriſts Saints are ſeruants; they attend on the bride and the bridegroome. And this is their happineſſe, that they maie heare the bridgroome ſpeake: they hauehave nothing to doe with the bride, as I ſaid euen now.
The bridgroome nowe thus louingly anſweres his louing Spouſe:Verſe, 7. If thou knoweſt not for thy ſelfe (as it is in the Hebrew) O thou faireſt amongſt women, go out thy ſelfe after the tract of thoſe ſheepe; and feed thy younglings (whether Goats or lambs, for ſo Gedithaik the Hebrew word ſignifies) nigh vntounto the tents of thoſe ſheepheards. Here is that heauenly Oracle: firſt ſhe muſt know for her ſelfe:Habac. 2.4. Heb. 8.10. The iuſt man muſt liue by his own faith. And this is now the new couenant that all ſhall know me ſaith the Lord from the ſmalleſt to the greateſt. They which lacke this knowledge no doubt are without the couenant. And this is life eternall (ſaith our Sauiour) that they know thee to be the onelyonly true God, and whom thou haſt ſent Ieſus Chriſt. Io. 17.3.They which know not thus much ſhall neuer hauehave eternall life.
But how now ſhall we attaine this true knowledge, and be ſure not to go aſtray in ſo manie by waies as now are in the world? The anſwere is plaine and eaſie: Follow the tract of thoſe ſheepe, Hatſoon (ſaith the ſpouſe) as it is in the Hebrew, that is, of the firſt Chriſtians, & not of euerie common ſhéepe, as the Papiſts would hauehave vsus. The ſhéepe will make a tract or way, by which it may appeare, which way they hauehave gone: Euen ſo let vsus follow the ſteppes of the ancient Chriſtians: Let vsus beléeue to be ſaued, as they beleeued; let vsus liue as they liued; and then ſurely we ſhall reſt with Ieſus Chriſt. For as ſaint Paul ſaith, The Corinthians wanted nothing, 1. Cor. 1.7.but were euen now readie to looke for the comming of our Lord Ieſus to iudgement. What things then they had not as neceſſarie to their ſaluation; what néed we thē? And S. Peter ſaith & teſtifieth: that that was the true grace of God wherein the Chriſtiās ſtood in his daies: 1. Pet. 5.12.And ſhall we beleeue to pleaſe God now by any other new deuiſes? And this is that which ſaint Paul teacheth the Corinthians: For this cauſe hauehave I ſent vntounto you Timothie, 1. Cor. 4 17.which is my beloued ſonne and faithfull in the Lord, which ſhall put you in remembrance of my waies in Chriſt. Saint Paul would hauehave the Corinthians follow his tract, follow his waies. And againe in the ſame Epiſtle: Be ye followers of me, 1. Cor. 11.1.euen as I am of Chriſt. And againe to the Philippians: Brethren be yee followers of me, and looke on them which walk ſo, Phil. 3.17.as ye hauehave vsus for an example. And to Timothie he writes thus:2. Ti. 3.10. Thou haſt fully knowne my doctrine, manner of liuing, purpoſe, faith, long ſuffering, louelove, patience, &c. And to the Hebrewes: Remember them that hauehave the ouerſight of you, Heb. 13.7.which hauehave declared to you the word of God, whoſe faith follow, conſidering what hath been the end of their conuerſation. No doubt theſe are thoſe ſhéepe, which the bridegroome here counſelleth his ſpouſe to follow. And feed thy younglings. Verſ. 2.Here all Catholickes muſt learne another principall marke of Gods Church, that is, to inſtruct their young children in the law of the Lord: as Dauid teacheth them alſo: Wherewith ſhall a young man redreſſe his waie? euen by taking heed thereunto according to thy word. Pſal. 119.9. 1. Ioh. 2.14.And ſaint Iohn alſo in his Epiſtle: I write to you babes that you hauehave knowne the father. Euen young infants muſt know God the Father, and then Ieſus Chriſt the Sonne alſo, who makes God to be our louing father; Luk. 2 14.and then the holy Ghoſt, by whom this louelove of God is ſhed into our hearts. And ſaint Paul writes of Timothie: Rom. 5.5. 2. Ti. 3.15.that he knew the ſcriptures of a child. And ſhall we not beléeue all theſe, and inſtruct our children in the lawe of the Lord?
By the Tents of thoſe ſhepheards; that is, of the Apoſtles, whō Chriſt made paſtors of his Church: not of eueryevery common ſhepheard, nor alſo of anie one of thoſe ſhepheards, no not of Peter. Ephe. 4.11.God hath giuen Apoſtles & Prophets, and Euangeliſtes to the building of his Church: and no one Apoſtle. Embrace therefore all the Apoſtles writings and féede on them, and not on Peters onelyonly: embrace and follow all the Apoſtolical Churches as the fathers did; and not the Romane Church onelyonly. And here I cannot but giuegive a lift at that great rocke (which being deriued from that rocke, whereof our Sauiour Chriſt ſpeaketh in the 16. of Matthew) the Papiſts oppoſe for the defence of their Church: that becauſe hel gates hauehave neuer preuailed againſt her, Mat. 16.18.as they hauehave done againſt others; & becauſe that now only of the Apoſtolical Churches ſhe remaines: therefore that ſhe is the true Church. But I anſwere, that if by hell gates be vnderſtood Hereſies (as ſome of the Fathers hauehave expounded them: Epiphan. in ancorato. Auguſt. de ſymbolo ad Catechum. lib. 1. ca. 6 Bellarm. de Ro. Pont. lib. 4. ca. 3 D. Reinolds againſt Hart. ca. 7. deuiſ. 8.and as Maſter Bellarmine ſeemes to affirme) neither hauehave hereſies preuailed againſt anie of the other Apoſtolike Churches. For Artius, though he aſſaulted the Church of Alexandria; and Neſtorius the Church of Conſtantinople: yet they preuailed not, but had the repulſe in the end. Nay in the Church of Rome, there hauehave bin Biſhops that hauehave béene heretiks, as hath beene of late verie learnedly proued. Neither hath hell gates at this day, that is, hereſies, preuailed againſt thoſe Churches of ye Eaſt, which now the Turk poſſeſſeth, but rather his ſword & power: And that partly for their own ſins, & partly for the ſin of the Pope: as may appeare by that prophecy of Zachary. Zach. 11.17.O Idol ſheepheard, which leaueſt the flocke, the ſword ſhal be vponupon his arme, and vponupon his right eie. His arme ſhall be cleane dried vp, and his right eye ſhall be vtterly darkened. Which prophecie I hauehave handled elſe where in a Treatiſe of the Epiſtle of ſaint Iude. Har. euang. ca. 66.But if by the gates of hell be meant the kingdome of the diuell, as Ianſenius doth expound them: ſurely then alſo the gates of hell hauehave preuailed againſt the Church of Rome, as well as againſt other Churches. For from what monſtrous ſinnes hath ſhe béene frée? as appeareth by their owne hiſtories.
But the true meaning of this promiſe,Read Platina. that hell gates ſhall not preuaile againſt the Church of Chriſt, and againſt that faith which Peter profeſſed, is, that although Sathan aſſault it with all his power and might with ſinne, hereſies, perſecutions &c. yet it ſhall neuer be quite ouerthrowne,Mat. 24.2. as is now that ſtately Temple of Ieruſalem, which though it were builded on an earthly hill, hath not now one ſtone left on another: but ſhall remaine euer vntounto the worlds ind. Nay euen the reliques of thoſe other Apoſtolicall Churches profeſſing Chriſtianitie, remaine yet vnderunder the Turkes tyrannie: ſo that Rome cannot brag that ſhe alone remaines. God ſhall hauehave at the leaſt two witneſſes to confirme his truth for euer. Reuel. 11.3.So that whereas the bridegroome bids his ſpouſe to féed her young ones, by the Tabernacles of thoſe ſhéepheards; he meanes not anie one of the Apoſtolicall Churches, but them all. And what theſe Apoſtolicall Churches taught, we may learne by Chryſoſtome, Cyrill, Clemens, Gregorie, Athanaſius, and others which ſuccéeded in them; whoſe works we hauehave at this day. Againe wée hauehave now the Ethiopian Church which profeſſeth Chriſt, where Preſter Iohn gouernes: and the Gréeke Church, founded no doubt by the Apoſtles; which in manie points of religion differ from the Romane Church; which Churches alſo we are here by the bridegroomes ſentence to embrace and feed our younglings by. Laſtly, that correlation or mutuall reſpect, which the bridegroome here vſeth betweene thoſe ſhéepheards and thoſe ſhéepe, may plainely declare what ſhéepe he meaneth, whoſe tract we are to follow. For by thoſe ſhéepheards, no doubt he meanes the Apoſtles. And then by thoſe ſhéepe, he meanes likewiſe thoſe Chriſtians which liued in the daies of the Apoſtles. This is that heauenlie and manifeſt aunſwere, which the bridegroome himſelfe makes vntounto the bride, of this waightie and doubtfull queſtion. I would to God all true Catholiks would marke it well, and by it be reſolued. It is plaine. And this is the effect of this treatiſe following: It teacheth firſt the faith of the Church, and her true markes: and next the tract of the Lords ſhéepe, the manners and conuerſations of the former Chriſtians, which here the heauenly bridegroome counſels his ſpouſe to follow.