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.

Visions.

[ VII] ANOTHER sure and infallible way (verie like to that of Miracles going next afore) to finde out, vvho haue the truth, we or the Protestantes, is this: to consider in all ages, of what

side were those persons, of ours, or of the Protestantes, and of what side were and are those doctrines, of ours or of the Protestants, which persons and doct∣rines, or also doctrines alone, and not the persons (as sometimes hath happen∣ed) God in any age hath commended with heauenly Visions. For that vvaie doth Saint Paul himselfe vse, to commēd both himselfe and his doctrine vnto the Corinthians, against the deprauing of their false Apostles, and Heretykes: Veniam autem ad visiones & reuelationes Do∣mini: scio hominem in Chriflo &c.* 1.1 Now will I come to Visions and Reuelations of our Lord. I know a man in Christ four∣tene yeares ago (whether in hys bodie, I know not, or out of his body, I know not: God knoweth) the same man to haue bin rapt euen vnto the third hea∣uen. And I know the same man (whe∣ther in his bodie, or out of his bodie, I know not: God knoweth) that he was rapt in Paradise, and heard secret words, such as a man may not tell. Pro huiusmo∣di gloriabor: prome autem nihil gloriabor, nisi in infirmitatibus meis. Of such a man will I

boast: but of my selfe (by name) will I nothing boast, but onlie in mine in∣firmities.

* 1.2Saint Peter likewise alleging his Vision (for so it is called in the Gospell) of our Lordes Transfiguration in the Mount,* 1.3 is nothing afeard of that kind of argu∣ment, but sayeth boldlie: For wee haue not followed craftie fables in preaching vnto you the power and presence of our Lord Iesus Christ, but beholders wee were afore of his Maiestie. For recea∣uing of God his Father honor and glory, comming downe vnto him such a voyce from the magnificent Glorie: Thys is my beloued Son in whom I haue plea∣sed my selfe: him doe you heare. And this voice heard we brought frō heauen, when wee were with hym in the Holie Mount.

Also for the Christening of vs that be Gentiles,* 1.4 hee had a Vision of a Sheete vvith all kindes of beastes in yt, both cleane and vncleane: a voyce bidding him from heauen kyll and eate of them all, which Vision he eftsones alleageth boldlie in defence of that his doing. He

allegeth also in the Actes of the Apo∣stles for the truth of Christes Religion,* 1.5 a Prophecie of Ioel, in the which amon∣gest other signes and argumentes of the truth thereof, this also is promysed to be one:* 1.6 And your sonnes (saith hee) and your daughters shall prophecie: and your yong-men shall see Visions, and your elder sort shal dreame dreames, &c.

Finallie, of this sort wee haue one whole booke of the new Testament, na∣med the Apocalipse, or Reuelation, or Visions of Saint Iohn. Now then for a few examples, consider ye of Saint Monica the mother of S. Augustine, a woman verie much accustomed to meruailous Visiōs sent her of God, as Saint Augustine him∣selfe witnesseth in many places of hys deuout Confessions:* 1.7 namely, how on a tyme, beginning to detest and abhorre her sonne being yet a Manichee, and to refrayne from eating with him for hys blaspemies, shee had a dreame, in vvhich she saw herselfe stand vpon a wodden ruler as straight as a line, and a yong man comming vnto her shining, pleasant, and smiling vpon her, she being then heauy, and with heauines a most

spent. VVho after that he had asked of her the causes of her heauines and daylie weeping, she answering that it was for my perdition (sayth Saint Augustine) bad her to be without care, willing her to ma••ke and behold, that vvhere she was, there was I also, which when she had marked, shee saw mee standing by her vpon the same ruler, saith he: in signe that he should turne to be of her Religion, although not before that time nine yeares.

Consider now (I say) of what Rely∣gion was this holie woman (for of the same, you see, was S. Augustine himselfe afterward: and the same in him by God himself both promised and perfourmed) whether she were a Protestante or a ca∣tholike such as we be. She beleeued and knew,* 1.8 that from of the Aultar was mi∣nistred and dispensed Victima sancta, qua deletum est chirographum quod erat contrarium nobis, the holy hoast or sacrifice, whereby was striken out of the bill of our hand which was against vs. Ad cuius pretij nostri Sacramentum ligauit animam suam vinculo fi∣dei. To the Sacrament of that our rāsome she tied her soule with the band of faith, worshipping so that blessed Sacrament

with Religion, and making of it God him selfe. For as S. Augustine sayeth in an other place:* 1.9 vvee must tie our soules to God alone, and thereof Religion ys thought in latine to be named, Deo vni religantes animas nostras, vnde Religio dicta creditur. And therefore this blessed wo∣man in her life-time serued or worship∣ped the Altar, without omission of any one day: cui nullius diei praetermissione seruie∣rat. And at her death, ta••tummodo memo∣riam sui ad Altare tuum fieri desiderauit, she desired nothing of her frindes touching her burial, but only that she might be re∣membred at thy Altar.* 1.10 Which also was done: Offertur pro ea sacrificium pretij nostri. For her was offered the Sacrifice of our ransome, saith Saint Augustine, and that at her burial:* 1.11 but againe when hee wrote his Confessions, see what hee saith: In∣spire, O Lord vnto al Priestes that shall chaunce to reade this booke of myne, Vt meminerint ad altare tuum Monicae famulae tuae cum Patritio quondam eius coniuge, that they remēber at thy altar, Monica thy ser∣uāt, with Patrike once her housband by whose flesh thou broughtst me into this life.

Were these folke Prorestāts, trow you?

Consider moreouer, what doctrine, and which of our two sides is commen∣ded by the most certaine Visyons, that Saint Gregorie writeth, him-selfe being a partie in one of them two that I will re∣cite:* 1.12 in his monasterie a Monke na∣med Iustus, at his death told his naturall brother Copiosus, a secular man, where he should finde and take three Crounes which he had hid, against hys Rule for∣bidding all proprietie, that al should liue in common Which Saint Gregory hearing of, inuented a most wise deuise, whereby both Iustus might be, and was in deed brought to repent him of his sinne, and the other MONKES vvarned neuer them-selues to doe the like. It was that only his brother should be with him at his departure, & none of the mōks come at hym, and that after his death they should burie hym in a dounghil and hys monie with him, crying all together: Pe∣cunia tua tecum sit in perditione:* 1.13 thy monie be with thee in perdition: Thirty dayes after, considering the long & grieuous paynes of the soule in purgatorie, I

called (saith S. Gregorie) vnto me Preci∣osus the Prior of my Monasterie, & sayd vnto him: Go, and from this day offer for him sacrifice 30. dayes together &c. But we being busie about other things, and not counting the dayes, the same our brother that was departed, on a night appeared to his brother Copiosus in a Vi∣sion, who seing him, asked: how do you brother, how is it with you? Hee answe∣red: vntill now I haue bin yl, but euen now presentlie I am well. For this daie I am absolued from my excommunica∣tion, Communionem recepi. Which thing the same Copiosus came by and by & told our brethren in the Monasterie. They then exactly counted the dayes: and behold it was the very same daie, that the thirtith oblation for him had binne fulfilled. And so Copiosus, not knowing what the brothers had done for him: and the brothers againe not knowing, what Copiosus had seene of him: by this that at one selfe tyme he knoweth, what they had done, and they againe know what he had sene, Concordante simul visione & Sa∣crificio, res aperte claruit, by the agreing to∣gether

of the Vision & of the Sacrifice, the matter prooued cleare & plaine, that our brother departed, by the Sauing Hoast was escaped his punishment.

After this immediatly, hee telleth an other Vision,* 1.14 which that wee may not mistrust the wordes of the dead, confir∣meth them by the deedes of the liuing. Cassius (saith he) a man of godly life, Bi∣shop of Narnes, who vsed to offer vnto God dayly Sacrifice, and at the Canon of the Masse, Inter ipsa sacrificiorum arcana, Sacrificed him-selfe in teares, receaued on a time our Lords Commaundement, by the Vision of a certaine Priest, or Chaplaine of his, saying: Doe as thou doest, worke as thou workest, let not cease thy foote, let not cease thy hand: Natali Apostolorum venies ad me, & retribuā tibi mercedem tuam, vpon Saint Peter and Saint Paules day thou shalt come to me, and I will pay thee thy wages. Qui post annos septem, ipso natalitio Apostolorum die, cum Missarum solennia peregisset, & Mysteria sacrae communionis accepisset, e corpore exiuit: Who seauen yeares after, vpon the very day of Saint Peter and S. Paul, when hee

had done Masse after the manner, & had receaued the misteries of the Sacred cō∣munion, went out of his body.

For what Religion make (I praie you) these Visions? Whose doctrine & doing do they confirme? Or were these men that I haue named, some simple soules, that could not discerne betweene true Visions, and false illusions? Or can any but God alone, tell thinges afore, hand, so as here the conuersion of Saint Augustine was fore-tolde: so as here the death of Cassius, and the very day there∣of, was likewise fore-told: the one nine yeares, the other seauen yeares afore they chaunced?

And therefore, as in the last Chapter, I vvilled Miracles to be considered, and not iugglinges, or thinges that may be done by reason: so here I propose not illusions, but Visions to be considered. And by them (I say) so certainely maie the Truth be tried, how sure it is, that GOD him-selfe neyther doth, nor can deceaue vs. Which anie reasonable man maie vvell enough perceaue by this also, that as Miracles: so Visions

likewise be all with vs alone, & not one at all that the Protestants can for them aleadge. For if they were not sure ar∣guments & vndoubted, who seeth not, that vnto vs both they would be com∣mon?

Therefore being all for vs, and none for them, it is easie for anie man to see thereby, that wil not be blind, that truth is on our side, & not on their side. Who∣soeuer therefore after this plaine vvar∣ning, by so manie argumentes, all most certaine, euery one alone sufficient, sticketh yet still to them, and returneth not to vs: he plainely declareth, himselfe to care no more, yea nothing so much, to saue his poore soule from euerlasting damnation, as he would doe to saue his dog from hanging.

The Vision of Iudas Machabeus, vvhich the canonicall Scripture it selfe recordeth,* 1.15 and calleth fide dignum somniū, a dreame worthy to be beleeued, wherin hee saw Saint Ieremie the Prophet pray∣ing for the people: maketh it for the pro∣testants? Maketh it not so euidently for Intercession of Saintes, that they haue

no shift to answere it, but by denying the Booke? Whereby they doe plainely shew forth to all men which be but in∣different, that the cause why they denie not the other Scriptures, yea the Gos∣pell it selfe, is not for anie reuerence that they beare therto, but only because they thinke, that they haue inuented stuftes good enough to blind the world, and to make shew of answere to the places which out of the same we aleage against them. To be briefe, the Visions most certaine which might be here brought foorth, and that for verie manie other points of our doctrine besides the fore∣said, are innumerable, in euery age since Christs time, in great aboundance, cer∣taine of our owne time and countrie, I may not omit.

A man there is in England, that ha∣uing beene very long a Protestant, al∣though much solicited to the contrarie, and being on a time about fiue yeares agoe at the point of death, ventred in that extremitie, to tempt God, & to aske for a signe, that hee would be mercifull vnto him, shew him the true vvay, that 〈2 pages missing〉〈2 pages missing〉

Quanquam sci••m, somnia ridicula, & visiones ineptas quibusdam videri: sed vtique illis qui malunt contra Sacerdotes credere, quam Sacer∣doti: Sed nihil mirum, quando de Ioseph fratres sui dixerint:* 1.16 Ecce somniator ille venit, &c. Howbeit I know (as Saint Cyprian saith) that dreames to certaine seeme ridicu∣lous, and Visions foolish: but verily to such as had rather to beleeue against Priests, then to beleeue the Priest. But no meruaile, seeing that of Ioseph his brethren said: See, yonder commeth the dreamer,* 1.17 &c.

Notes

• * 1.1

  2. Cor. 12.
• * 1.2

  2. Pet 1.
• * 1.3

  Mat 17.
• * 1.4

  Act. 10. et 11.
• * 1.5

  Act. 2.
• * 1.6

  Ioel. 2.
• * 1.7

  Cōfes. l. 3. ca. 11.
• * 1.8

  Cōfes. l. 9. ca. 4. Co los. 2.
• * 1.9

  Dever. re. ca. vlt. et 1. Ret. 13.
• * 1.10

  Cōfe l. 9. ca. 12.
• * 1.11

  Li. 9. ca. 14.
• * 1.12

  Dial l. 4. ca. 55.
• * 1.13

  Act. 3.
• * 1.14

  Cap. 56.
• * 1.15

  2. Mac. 15.
• * 1.16

  Cyp. lib. 1. Epi. 9. seu Epi. 66. in noua edit.
• * 1.17

  Gen. 27.