A briefe treatise of diuers plaine and sure waies to finde out the truth in this doubtfull and dangerous time of heresie Conteyning sundrie worthy motiues vnto the Catholike faith, or considerations to moue a man to beleeue the Catholikes, and not the heretikes. Set out by Richard Bristow priest, licentiat in diuinitie.

The onelie knowen, and vndoubted Mother of Christes children for a thousand yeares togeather.

[ XXXvij.] VVHEREVPON consider you next of all, what Church was that, which for these thousand yeares to∣geather throughout the whole vvorld was called Christes Church, and stoode and encreased, and brought forth both Children to Christ, as his only wife all that while and Spouse, and innumerable Saintes to heauen, and Pastours for the people, and vvas accepted in humble peace and quietnes for the Mother of al faythful folke, so long togeather, and be∣fore euer any of these Sectes had to doe or appeared in the world. Was either that a false Church, by whose only wombe, and none others, al men so long time were regenerate?

Or can that be the true Church, which so many worldes togeather either vvas not at all (as we say and as it is certaine) or was so obscure and hidd, that it could not be sene nor knowen, and that, in the gloriouse time of the new euerlasting Testament, which is the time of Christes Churches Raigne, in heigth, aboue the topp not only of al Iereboam and other

Idolatrers Excelsies and Hillockes,* 1.1 Ex∣celsa & colles, but also aboue the mountes and Hilles them-selues of both Tem∣ples,* 1.2 false Samaritan, and true Iu∣daicall.* 1.3 For so say the Prophets: Erit in nouijsimis diebus praeparatus Mons Domus Do∣mini in vertice montiū, & eleuabitur super col∣les, In the last dayes shalbe cunningly set the Mountaine of our Lordes howse on the toppe of the hilles, and it shalbe ex∣alted aboue the hillockes: whereas con∣trarywise by the Protestantes saying, Christs Church should be more obscure then the Synagogue of the Ievves not only afore, but also in this very time of their vtter desolation. In vvhich tyme the Church of Christ is sette in such cleare light & bright shining, that both the Prophet saieth: Scietur in gentibus se∣men eorum, & germen eorum in medio populo∣rum: omnes qui viderent eos, cognoscent illos, quia isti sunt semen cui benedixit Dominus. In Nations shalbe knowen their seede,* 1.4 and their issue in the middest of peoples: al that see them, shall know them, that these are the seede which our Lord hath bles∣sed.* 1.5 And also our Sauiour calleth it a

Citie that cannot be hid, being set vppon a moun∣taine: that cannot be hid, he saith.

And yet shall you haue some youths, which please themselues so much in their owne inuentions, that they feare not to say: Yes, but it may be hid, because the highest hilles haue sometimes mistes a∣bout them. In deed, with their mistes they hide for a time this Citie, how high as it standeth and how plaine in sight, from some weake-sighted persons, that be without it, to their owne damnation. But from such as are within it, and there will keep themselues, no mist can hide it. For which cause our Sauiour saith in the same place:* 1.6 Vt luceat omnibus qui in domo sunt, to giue light to all that be in the house. God open the eies of people, euen of the mist-casters also, to see where they are, and where they should be, & where they shall be, if they goe blindly forward as they haue begunne: to see, that those wits and tongues of theirs, vvhich now they count lucra,* 1.7 for bringing vnto them so manie Church-liuinges, and so much vaine glorie, are in verie truth nothing but stercora and detrimenta, for beraying

them all with sin, and leesing vnto them the glorious Cittie of Christ, both here, and hereafter. A long time it were for a mist to haue lasted aboue a thousande yeares together: and much for it al that while not only to haue hidden, but also to haue quite choken vp such a Cittie, set vp by Christ to be seene and to last for euer.

In this time of Christes glorie and his new Testament, so long togeather, was not at all the Protestantes Church, say we, and otherwise also must they them∣selues confesse, that all that time it had no vse of her owne Sacraments, nor any help to saluation, but by another com∣pany, which vvas contrarie vnto it, and in which only vvas then all the practise of all christianitie: and which therefore was the Church of Christ, so high, so bright, so fruitfull, as promise was made afore it should be.

Notes

• * 1.1

  3. Reg. 3.
• * 1.2

  Ioan. 4.
• * 1.3

  Is 4. Mic.
• * 1.4

  Is. 61.
• * 1.5

  Mat. 5.
• * 1.6

  Mat. 5.
• * 1.7

  Phil. 3.