I. Question: Why are you a Catholic? The answer follows. II. Question: But why are you a Protestant? An answer attempted (in vain) / written by the Reverend Father S.C. Monk of the Holy Order of St. Benedict ...

§. 35.

I have purposely made choice to instance in the time of St. Gregory the Great, because on the one side several Protestants im∣pute the beginning of the Churches depravation principally to that Age; and on the other side Almighty God, as if he had a design to confute and silence their accusations chose that Age, especially in which to accomplish that most illustrious of all Prophesies, foreshew∣ing the glory of the Catholic Church, which is the Conversion of Na∣tions from Heathenish Idolatry.

The Prophesies themselves are thus expresly set down in the Old Tes∣tament, and acknowledged by Protestants to regard the Christian Church, The Prophet Isai writes thus: Isa. 60. 2, 3. The Lord shall rise upon thee, and his Glory shall be seen upon thee. ver. 5. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and Kings to the brightness of thy rising—ver. 10. The abundance of the Sea shall be converted unto thee: the

forces of the Gentiles, shall come unto thee—ver. 11. The sons of Strangers shall build thy walls, and their Kings shall minister unto thee. ver. 14. Thy Gates shall be open continually, that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and their Kings may be brought—All they that despise thee, shall bow themselves at the soles of thy feet, and they shall call thee, The City of the Lord—ver. 22. A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong Nation. Again, Isai. 49. 23. Kings shall be thy nursing Fathers, and Queens thy nursing Mothers. And again Isai. 39. 21. This is my Covenant with them, saith the Lord, My Spirit which is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy Seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever. Also the Kingly Prophet, Psal. 11. 8. I will give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance, and the ends of the earth for thy possession. This Kingdom, (saith the Prophet Daniel) Shall not be given over to another people, but shall stand for ever, Dan. 11. 44. These are Gods Promises to his Church, so acknowledged by Protestants.

Now it is manifest out of Ecclesiastical History, that these Prophe∣cies began not, in a signal manner, to be accomplished, till the days of Saint Gregory. For during the first three hundred years, the Church was wholly under Persecution, and was encreased chiefly by sufferings. In the next three hundred years, the Emperour Con∣stantine being converted to Christianity, there were but few other Kings Foster-fathers of the Church; And besides this, several of the Em∣perours, and some Kings during that space, turned Arians and Apos∣tates from the Catholic Faith. But from Saint Gregories time till Lu∣ther, it is incredible almost what we read of the Conversion of Na∣tions and Kingdoms, and of the wonderful Piety and zeal of (once Barbarous) Kings and Queens, assoon as they had embraced the Ca∣tholic Faith. Which Conversions were generally made by the fervor, care, and authority first of St. Gregory himself; as England can, but most ungratefully will not, as becomes her, witness; and next of St. Gregories Successors, Bishops of Rome.