The Notes of the church as laid down by Cardinal Bellarmin examined and confuted : with a table of contents.

The Third Note, DURATION.

• THree things are here con∣sidered.
• I. What is to be understood by the term Duration. p. 58.
• Duration includes 3 things.
  • 1. A Being of a Church from the beginning. p. 58
  • 2. The continuance of that Church to the end. p. 58
  • 3. The continuance of that Church from the beginning to the end without interruption. p. 58
• Bellarmine's Application of the first of these to the Church of Rome yet deficient in the latter Branches. p. 59.
• II. How far Duration is a Note of the true Church. p. 59.
• This is no Note by which a true Church is to be found out or distinguished from the false. ib.
• For four Reasons.
  • 1. The nature of the thing will not permit that it should be a Note. p. 60.
  • 2. That cannot be a Note of the true Church which doth not inseparably belong to the Church in all seasons and cases. p. 61.
  • 3. That which is a Note must be proper to the thing, which it is the Note of, and not common to other things as well as that. p. 61, 62.
  • Common to false Churches as well as true. ibid.
  • 4. If it be a Note of a true Church, then those could not be true Churches, which have not not had that Duration. ib.
• This unchurches the 7 Churches of Asia. p. 62, 63.
• III. The Church of Rome hath no just and sufficient title to this Character. p. 63.
• This proved as to
  • 1. Place
  • 2. Persons
  • 3. Order
  • 4. Doctrine
  these being the things, by which a Church doth exist and is made visible. p. 63, 64.
• Rome not always the principal Seat of the Church. p. 63.
• Avignon was for 70 Years where the Pope and the whole Court recided. ibid.
• Several Popes Hereticks. p. 64.
• Two Popes at once contending for the Chair, and this for above 40 Years together; and at one time 3 Popes. p. 64.

• The Church of Rome compared with it self in reference to several Doctrines. p. 65.
• What the Church of Rome now holds, and what the Church of Rome hath held. ibid.
• Her being the Mother-Church, and the Pope being Christ's Vicar. ibid.
• Concerning the Apocryphal Books. ibid.
• Scripture and Tradition. p. 66.
• Scripture in unknown Tongues. ibid.
• Merit. p. 67.
• Indulgences. ibid.
• Purgatory. p. 68.
• Prayers in an unknown Tongue. ibid.
• Praying to Saints. p. 68, 69.
• Image-worship. p. 69.
• Sacraments, the Number of them. ibid.
• Transubstantiation. p. 70.
• Communion in one kind. ibid.
• Solitary Masses. p. 70, 71.
• Auricular Confession. p. 71.
• Extream Ʋnction. ibid.
• Priests Marriage. ibid.
• In all these Particulars Rome is not now what it hath been.