maruel that the Catholike Church attributeth such force of merite and satisfaction to the vvorke of holy men.
5. The comfort abound.] Vvorldly men that see onely the exterior miseries and afflictions that Catholikes do suffer being persecuted by the Heathen or Heretikes, deeme them exceding misera∣ble. but if they felt or could conceiue the aboundance of consolation vvhich Christ euer giueth according to the measure of their afflictions, they vvould neuer vvonder at the voluntary tolera∣tion of vvhat torments so euer for Christes sake, but vvould vvish rather them selues to be in any dungeon in England vvith the comfort that such haue from God, then to liue out of the Church in al the vvealth of the vvorld.
••1. You helping in praier.] S. Paul knevv that the helpe of other mens praiers vvas nothing dero∣gatorie to the office of Christes mediation or intercession for him, nor to the hope that he had in God: and therfore he craueth the Corinthians aide herein as a support and succours for him self in the sight of God. Vvith vvhat reason or Scripture then, can the Protestants say that the praiers of Sainctes be iniurious to Christ, or not to stand vvith the confidence vve haue in him? As though it vvere more dishonour to God that vve should vse the aide of Sainctes in heauen, then of sinners in earth: or * that the intercession of these our fellovves beneath, vvere more auailable then the praiers of those that be in the glorious sight of God aboue.
11. By many mens.] He meaneth, that as the praiers of many ioyned together for him, shal be rather heard, then of any alone: so their common thankes giuing to God for graunting their request, shal be more acceptable and glorious to God, then any one mans thankes alone. Vvhich thing doth much commend the holy Churches publike praiers, processions, stations, and pilgrimages, vvhere so many meete and vniformely ioyne their praiers and laudes together vnto God.
14. Your glorie.] The Apostles, teachers, and preachers, that conuert countries or particular persons to Christ, and the peoples or parties by them conuerted, shal in the day of iudgement haue much mutual ioy and glorie of and for eche other, one giuing to the other great matter of merite in this life, and of revvard in the next. See 1 Thess. 2. v. 19.
18. It is, it is not.] As he dischargeth him self of al other leuitie touching his promis or purpose of comming to them, so much more of al inconstancie in preaching Christes doctrine and faith. Vvherein, one day to affirme, an other day to deny, to dissent from his fellovves or from him self, to change euery yere or in euery epistle to forme of his former teaching, to come daily vvith nevv deuises repugnant to his ovvne rules, vvere not agreable to an Apostle and true teacher of Christ, but proper to false prophets and Heretikes. Vvhereof vve haue notorious examples in the Prote∣stants: vvho being destitute of the spirit of peace, concord, constancie, vnitie, and veritie, as they varie from their ovvne vvritings vvhich they retract, reforme or deforme continually, so both in their preachings, & forme of Seruice, they are so restles, changeable, and repugnant to them selues, that if they vvere not kept in avve vvith much a do, by temporal lavves or by the shame and rebuke of the vvorld, they vvould coine vs euery yere or euery Parliament, nevv Communions, nevv faithes, and nevv Christes, as you see by the manifold endeuours of the Puritans. And this to be the proper note of false Apostles and Heretikes, see in S. Iren••us li. •• c. 18. and Tertul. de praescript. S. Basil. ep. 82.
22. Hath sealed.] The learned Diuines proue by this place and by the like in the fourth to the Ephesians, that the Sacrament of Baptisme doth not onely giue grace, but imprinteth and sealeth the soule of the baptized, vvith a spiritual signe, marke, badge, or token, vvhich can neuer be blotted out, neither by sinne, heresie, apostasie, nor other vvaies, but remaineth for euer in man for the cognisance of his Christendom, and for distinction from others vvhich vvere neuer of Christes fold. by vvhich also he is as it were consecrated and deputed to God, made capable and partaker of the rightes of the Church, and subiect to her lavves and discipline. See S. Hierom in 4. Ephes. S. Ambrose li. 1 de Sp. sancto cap. 6. S. Cyril Hierosol. Catechesi ••7 at the end, and S. Dionysius Areopag. c. 2. Eccl. Hierarch. The which fathers expresse that spiritual signe by diuers agreable names, vvhich the Church and most Diuines, after S. Augustine, call the character of Baptisme. by the truth and force of vvhich spiritual note or marke of the soul, he specially conuinceth the Do∣natistes, that the said Sacrament though giuen and ministred by Heretikes or Schismatikes or vvho els so euer, can neuer be reiterated. See ep. ••7. & li. 6 cont. Donatist. cap. 1. & li. 2 cont. Parmenianum 6. 1••. As the like indeleble characters giuen also by the Sacraments of Confirmation and Orders, do make those also irreiterable and neuer to be receiued but once. Vvhereas al other Sacraments sauing these three, may be often receiued of the self same person. And that holy Orders can not be iterated, see S. Augustine li. 2 cont. Parmen. c. 13. li. de bono coniug. c. 24. and S. Gregorie li. 2 Rggist. ep. 32. The like of Confirmation is decreed in the most aūcient Councel Tarracon. cap. 6. Finally that this character is giuen onely by these said three Sacraments, and is the cause that none of them can be in any man repeated or reiterated, see the decrees of the Councels Florentine and Trent. Vvhich yet is no nevv deuise of them, as the Heretikes falsely affirme, but agreable (as you see) both to the Scriptures and also to the auncient fathers and Councels.
••4. Not because vve ouerrule.] Caluin and his seditious Sectaries vvith other like vvhich despise