CHAP. XXXV. The true Church proved by her continued succession, & lawfull vocation of her Pastors: for which, she is called Apostolique.

BY this note or property of Apostolique, the holy Fathers and auncient Councels would have the true Church clearly known and dis∣tinguished, from all new sects & heresies. The Church is called Apostolique, principally for two reasons. First, because it was founded by the Apostles, and from their time must conti∣nue vnto the end of the world. Secondly, be∣cause the Pastors thereof derive their Mission from the Apostles, by ordinary calling & per∣sonal succession. In the first sense, the true Church is clearly distinguished, from all sects and false Churches: because they were not founded by the Apostles, but by some new pretended Reformers, who arose after the A∣postles, in their several generations; and the∣refore, these new Churches, founded and ere∣cted by them, are not called Apostolique; but have their denomination, from their founders: such as the Arians, Pelagians, Lutherans, Cal∣vinists. In the second sense, she is also clearly distinguished from false Churches: because they have not lawful Pastors, deriving their Page  386 vocation from the Apostles, by a continued and vninterrupted succession; but intrude them∣selvs into the office of Pastors, without any lawfull calling. Of the first sense of the word Apostolique, we have spoken sufficiently above, when we proved the true Church, by her per∣petuity and continued succession; and dispro∣ved all false Churches, for want of it; which proofes need not to be here repeated. Of the second sense of the word Apostolique, we shall here briefly speak.

Besids the authority of the Creed, it is evi∣dent by the Scriptures, that there must be al∣wayes Pastors in the Church, lawfully called to that charge. God saith by the Prophet Esay: vpon thy walls,* ô Ierusalem, I have appointed watchmen, all the day and all the night. They shall not hold their peace for ever.* The Apostle S. Paul sheweth, how our Saviour performed this promise, by appoynting Pastors and Tea∣chers, To the consummation of the Saints, for the work of the Ministerie, for the edifying of the bo∣dy of Christ, till we all meet in the Vnity of faith. Our Saviour also has promised his continual assistance vnto the Pastors of his Church: Be∣hold,* I am with you always, even vnto the con∣summation of the world. As there must be al∣ways Pastors in the Church, so they must be lawfully called to that charge; or else, they are not Pastors, but Theeves and Robbers. S. Paul saith:* no man takes vpon him that honour, but he, who is called of God, as Aaron. And again: how shall they preach, vnlesse they be sent• Page  387 God, in the old Testament, reproved those, who went without mission, saying: I had not sent these Prophets, yet they ran,* and prophe∣sied falsly in my name. Christ saith: who en∣tereth not by the doore into the shee•fold, but climbeth another way, is a theef and a robber. Moreover, our Saviour has put a strict obliga∣tion, vpon all people, to hear and obey their lawfull Pastors, and has forewarned them earnestly, to beware of false Prophets. Of the first, he saith: Who heares you, heares me,* and who contemns you, contemns me. And, whosoe∣ver shall not receive you, nor heare your words, &c. Verily, I say vnto you, it shal be more tole∣rable for the land of the Sodomits & Gomorrhaeans in the day of Iudgment, then for that Citie. Of false Teachers, he saith: Beware,* that no man seduce you: for many shall come in my name. And again: Take great heede of false Prophets. S. Paul, to the like purpose, forewarneth the Ephesians, saying: Take heede to your selvs; I know, that after my departure,* there will rave∣ning Wolves enter in among yow, &c. For the wh∣ich cause, be Vigilant. Seing then we know evidently, by the Scriptures, that there must remain always true and Lawfull Pastors in the Church; and that false Prophets will also ari∣se: That we are obliged vnder paine of dam∣nation, to heare the first, and vnder no lesse danger, to beware of the last: It is most cer∣tain, that the goodnesse of God, (who pro∣mised such a clear way, vnder the Gospel, that fooles should not erre in it) has ordaind an ea∣sy Page  388 & sensible way, for all men, to discern, between true & false Pastors; that they may be preserved from error, in so great danger: or else, no• only fooles, but also wisemen might be miserably mistaken, and misled to their own perdition.

Now, the same Scripture points out this ea∣sy and direct way, if men would walk in it. For it shewes, that all true Pastors must have sensible vocation & Mission; and these, who want them, cannot be true and Lawful Pastors First it's evident, that our Saviour did sensibly call 12. Apostles, and sent them with com∣mission, to feed & govern his Church. Se∣condly, the Apostles did also sensibly call and ordain other Pastors, as is evident, in the ele∣ction & ordination of S. Mathias. Thirdly, the chief Pastors, that is Bishops, received al∣so power from the Apostles, to choose and or∣dain others, as is evident, in what the Scrip∣ture records of Titus and Timothee. This was so evident and sensible a way, that fooles might not erre in it. And, if this order was always observed, that none could be esteem'd lawful Pastors, but who were thus called and ordai∣n'd by others, who had received that power: then it was as easy to know a true Pastor, from a false Apostle; as it is easy to know, who is called to be a Iudge, in the State, from an vsur∣per: for they are both discernable, by easy and sensible signs. This is the doore, of which our Saviour speaks; by which all these, who are lawfull Pastors, enter into the government of Page  389 the Church; and all these, who enter not by this doore, and yet vsurp that honour to be Pa∣stors of the Church, are theevs, who climb vp another way, and so may be easily known. The auncient Iewes had also an easy way to know their ordinary Priests & Pastors, from vsur∣pers: For, among them, none were Priests; but these, who were descended from Levi by Aaron, by natural generation. But, in the Law of grace, it is more easy; where none are to be esteem'd Bishops & Lawfull Pastors, but the∣se, who are descended from the holy Apostles, by visible ordination & personal succession.

The holy Fathers did vse this succession and Vocation of Pastors, as a most evident argu∣ment, to demonstrat the true Church; and by want of these, they discovered also as clearly all false Churches. For it's certain, the true Church cannot be without lawfull Pastors, & lawfull Pastors cannot be without lawfull Vocation & ordination; &, where there are no true Pastors, lawfully called and ordaind, there can be no true Church. S. Ireneus proves the true Ch∣urch, by the Succession of Pastors;* which he calls a clear demonstration, by which all here∣tiques are confounded. Tertullian requires the heretiques, to bring forth the origine of their Churches, to recite the order of their Bishops,* by succession from the Apostles. As it is evi∣dent then, that vocation & succession of Pa∣stors, by lawfull ordination, is an inseparable propertie of the true Church: So We shall now briefly see, to which Church it best agrees, Page  390 whither to the Protestant, or to the Church in Communion with the Sea of Rome.

I find, that the Protestant Pastors are as much perplexed, to show the lawfulnesse of their Vocation, after Luther, as they were ve∣xed, to show, where their Church was be∣fore him. For they run from one shift to ano∣ther; and, what some say, others controule & severly censure. As there were three princi∣pal sorts of Protestants, to witt: the Lutherans, Calvinists & these of the late English Church; so, I find, they bring three different answers, to the question of their Ministers vocation. So∣me say, the Lutherian Ministers have an ordi∣nary vocation, because Luther was made a Priest in the Roman Church But this answer is frivolous. For first, Luther, by that Voca∣tion, got only commission to preach the do∣ctrin of that Church, and not to preach against it. Secondly, it is monstruously absurd for the Lutherians, to derive their Vocation from that Church, which their first Apostle esteem'd Anti-Christian. Thirdly, Although Luthers own vocation were supposed to be good, how could he, being only a simple Priest, ordain others; since, from the beginning of Christia∣nity, it was never known, that a Priest could be ordaind by any, but by a Bishop? Fourthly, Luther succeeded to none, neither Bishop or Priest, who professed his doctrin; and the∣refore, the Lutherans are, in their first source, destitute of succession, and in their progresse, of lawfull ordination; and so neither Luther, Page  391 nor his successors, have any lawfull Vocation.

Calvin & most of his Schollers renounce the way of ordinary, & run to an extraordinary vocation: for they are ashamed, to derive their vocation from the Roman Church, which they imagine to be Anti-Christian: neither can they do it, because Calvin was never ordain'd a Priest. By the tyranny• saith he, of the Pope,* the true line of ordination was interrupted: now, there is need of a new suppl•e. And truly this was an extraordinary charge, which the Lord impo∣sed on vs. To him accords his Scholler Beza, who saith: that, at the beginning of their Ch∣urch, ordinary vocation appear'd no where. And,* in the Conference at Poysie, being enquired of his Vocation, he said it was extraordinary. Against this pretext of extraordinary vocation, which is followed by all the Puritians, other Protestants do sharply inveigh. Saravia saith; that it's a doctrine full of danger,* of a new and evil example, and vpholden by no testimony of the Scripture. Diverse other Protestants, cited in the Protestants Apologie, reiect this extraor∣dinary vocation, as fanatical, and opening a way to all seducers, who may make the same pretext. And now, the Presbyterians find by sad experience, that the Independents, Anaba∣ptists and others make vse of it, against them∣selvs.

But, that Calvin and his followers had no extraordinary vocation, may be easily shown. For, vnto that, there are two things requisite, according to the examples, recorded in the Page  392 Scriptures. First, that God speak sensibly vnto one, whom he is to call extraordinarly: as he did to Moyses, Elias, S. Paul Secondly, That he make that appeare by some miracle. The first is not sufficient, without the second: To which may be ioynd a third condition, to witt, holynesse of life & doctrin, which becomes Gods extraordinary Ambassadours; without which, even their miracles ought to be suspe∣cted. Now, not only one, but all these condi∣tions were visibly deficient in Calvin & the other pretended Reformers. For never any of them was so impudent, as to say, that God spake sensibly to them: albeit Luther confes∣seth, that the Devil conferred oftner then once, with him.* Then they were so impotēt of work∣ing miracles, that Erasmus obiects to them, They were never as yet able, so much as to cure a lame horse. Lastly, their lives were not extraordinary for holynesse, befitting an extraordinary Vo∣cation: as we have seen above. Luthers sentence against Mu•ster,* makes also against Calvin. If he pretend, saith Luther, that he is sent by God, as the Apostles: let him prove that, by doing signes and miracles: for, where ever God will change the or∣dinary way, there always he works miracles.

Lastly, the late Church of England preten∣ded a succession & lawfull Vocation of her Pa∣stors,* above all other Protestants. For so, Mr Mason praiseth and admireth the sweet and sin∣gular providence of God, towards the new Church of England; that, when other reformed Church as were enforced through necessity, to admit extra∣ordinary Page  393 Fathers, or Ordainers; that is, to re∣ceive ordination from inferiour Ministers or Priests: yet, the Church of England had alwayes Bishops, who, according to the ordinary and most secure custom of the Church, had conferred holy Orders. But this pretence is also false and frivo∣lous. For either, the first Protestant Bishops, in Queen Elizabeth time, were ordaind by the Catholique Bishops; or had their Vocation from some others;* as from the Queen and Parliament. The first cannot be said. For both Sanderus, and Dr. Champn•y show, that the Catholique Bishops choosed rather to die in prison (as they did) then to impose their hands vpon the Queens new design'd Protestant Bishops. Besids, M. Whitaker and Fulk re∣nounce the Catholique ordination, as vnlaw∣full; albeit all the more late Diuines of the En∣glish Church had their recourse vnto it; in so much, that Fulk expresseth himself very pas∣sionatly, thus; We, with our whole heart,* renoun∣ce, abhorre, detest and spit at your filthie Anti-Christian Orders. So full of confusion are they in this matter; that, what some of their grea∣test Divins esteem their greatest glory, others, no lesse famous among them, think their grea∣test shame. Moreover, albeit the Catholique Bishops were granted to have imposed their hands on the first Protestant Bishops: yet, by that ordination, they made them only Catho∣lique and not Protestant Bishops: for the Church in all reason, and common sense, can∣not give a lawfull Vocation to any Pastors, to Page  394 preach and act against her self. Therefore, if these first Bishops of the late English Church were Protestants, when they were ordain'd; they were not lawfully ordaind: and, if they became thereafter Protestants, they lost all law∣full exercice of their power of ordination: when they vsed it against that Church, from which they pretend to derive their lawfull vo∣cation. Lastly, the first Protestant Bishops, in King Edward the sixth or Queen Elizabeths time, succeeded to no other Protestant Bis∣hops, much lesse, can they show their succes∣sion vnto the Apostles: as is requisite to make them lawfull and Apostolical Bishops.

If it be said, that the first Protestant Bishops were made by vertue of the King or Queens supremacie, and by act of parliament: This is not the way prescryved in the Scripture, wh∣ich has been always observed in the Church. And, if these English Bishops & Pastors had no more sure ground, for their vocation, then the Royal Supremacy; it is no wonder, that they are both falne together, and that one Parliament has ransacted, what others had en∣acted So we see, that the late English Church, has been resolved into the same principles, of which it was first composed: as by the same iust iudgment, the Presbyterians, who pre∣tend an extraordinary vocation, are almost subverted by the Independents & Anabaptists vpon the same pretext.

It rests, that I speak now a word of our Scottish Ministers Vocation, which I found Page  395 as groundlesse, and more ridiculous, then any of the rest. For, besids, that the most part of them, at the beginning, were vnlettered men, and had no other Vocation to be Ministers, then that which the Presbyterians blame now in the Independents; the Vocation of M. Xnox our great Reformer seems very strange, as it is described in his own Chronicle. In one thing indeed he shew himself more Scrupulous, then Luther: for although he had been ordain'd a Roman Priest; yet, he thought (not without reason) that his Popish orders gave him no lawfull Vocation to be a Protestant Minister: and therefore, he expected another call, which was given him, after this manner. Some dis∣contented Protestants, having conspired toge∣ther, had cruelly kill'd,* (as a Protestant Au∣thor speaks) Cardinal Beaton, within his own house, the castle of S. Andrewes, posses∣sing themselvs of all the Cardinals riches; and thereafter kept out the Castle in rebellion against the State. To this place of security M. Knox had his refuge, carying along with him some Gentlemens children, whom he instru∣cted in the Grammar and new Catechisme.* His book saith, that, when these within the Castle perceived the manner of his doctrin; they dealt earnestly with him, to take vpon him the function of a Preacher. But he refu∣sed, alledging he would not run, where God had not sent him; meaning, that he would do nothing without a lawfull calling. Wherevpon they, going to a private Councel, resolve or Page  396 give a charge publickly to M. Knox, by the mouth of their preacher Iohn Rough: which was done, at the next Sermon, as it is there at more length described. So by this means, M. Knox gote his Vocation to be a Minister, from the call of that holy Congregation, which was guiltie of murder and robbery, and was then in actual rebellion, by the mouth of their Preacher, who could have no lawfull voca∣tion himself; but being an vnlettered man, had taken vp, by all appearance, that calling at his own hand; as many others did. For it is said of him, in the 74. page. Albeit he was not the most learned, yet was his doctrin without corrup∣tion, &c. I was much astonished, when this historie of our first Reformer his Vocation was first shown me, in his own book, by a Catho∣lique, who did not faile, to manifest the ridi∣culousnesse of it, by all the circumstances.

Now these are all the different Vocations of the Protestant Ministers, and all and every one of them are so vnsufficient, that they are disproved not only by Catholiques, but also by most famous Protestants, who are brought to such confusion, in this matter, that they hardly know what to say. For they can neither pretend ordinary nor extraordinary Vocation: not the first; because they evidently want suc∣cession, as also ordination: both which are re∣quisite to an ordinary calling. Not the second: because they want the power of working mi∣racles, and have no extraordinary holynesse, which are qualities very requisite and vsual for Page  397 all Gods extraordinary Ambassadours. And albeit neither of these qualities were required; yet, these who pretend this extraordinary Vo∣cation, do fall into such contradictions, that they are evidently known thereby, not to be Gods extraordinary Ambassadours: whom he never vseth to send with contrary Commis∣sions: So that, to the Protestant Ministers or Bishops, agree well the words of S. Cyprian.* These are men, saith he, who without any divin disposition, preferre themselvs among rash people, who make themselvs Prelats, without any law∣full ordination: who, none giving to them a Bis∣hops office, take the name of Bishops vpon them. Therefore, the Protestant Pastors, wanting clearly succession from the Apostles, are not Apostolique, and so are not true Pastors but Vsurpers: and consequently the Protestant Church is not the true Church; for that cannot be the true Church, which hath no lawfull Pastors.

Vpon the other part, this succession of Bis∣hops from the Apostles, has been ever so evi∣dently in the Church of the Roman Commu∣nion, that the holy Fathers did bring it, as a most evident argument, to show the true Church: and therefore, they reckon out ordinarly the succession of the Roman Bishops.* S. Augustin saith, The Succession of Priests from the Seat of Peter the Apostle, vnto the present Bishoprique, holds me in the Church. And elswhere, shew∣ing the continuance of the same succession, he saith: The continuance of the true Church, by Page  398 most certain succession of Bishops,* doth persevere from the Apostles time, vnto ours, and to the ti∣mes after vs again. And this succession doth to this day continue in the Roman Church, as evidently, as it did in the time of the holy Fa∣thers; neither can any thing be said now against it, which might not have been said as iustly by the auncient heretiques. Therefore, as the Church in Communion with the Sea of Rome has been shewed to be one holy and Catholique Church; so it is no lesse evident, that it is Apo∣stolique, having lawfull Pastors (as it has ever had) deriving their Vocation from the holy Apostles, by lawfull ordination & personal succession: and consequently, this is the true Church & lawfull spouse of Iesus Christ.

This matter of Vocation is of great impor∣tance: because doctrin depends vpon it; and because it is easily discerned, so that, it is com∣pared by our Saviour,* to a Gate. As then, it is more easy to hold a theef at the gate, then to thrust him out, being once let in; so all hereti∣ques are more easily confounded, for lack of Vocation, which is to hold them at the doore of the Church, then by the falshood of their doctrin, which is to expell them, after they are once admitted. For, if they cannot bring evi∣dent testimonies of their Vocation & ordina∣tion, from a known Pastor of the Church: they are presently known to be Wolves, who run, when they were not sent; who enter not by the doore, but climb vp another way. Therefore, it is great deceit in some Ministers, Page  599 to vndertake to prove the lawfulnesse of their Vocation, by the truth of their doctrin: which is a preposterous and ridiculous way.* Core and his complices taught no other doctrin, but that, which was taught by Moyses; and yet, be∣cause they vsurped the Priests office, we know how fearfully they were punished. What would be more ridiculous, then, if one would vsurp the Office of a Iudge in the state: and then would prove himself to be a lawfull Iudge, by the iustice of his decisions? This question then of Vocation, being so important and easy, a Catholique gave me this advice, which I re∣solve, God willing, to follow, never to admit a Minister to dispute of religion, till he first shew the lawfulnesse of his Vocation, and to make ever that the first question.

Wherefore, having now seen such eviden∣ce for the truth of the Roman Catholique Ch∣urch, to which alone, the marks and proper∣ties of the true Church, recorded in Scripture, do so clearly agree, I will draw to an end, by this subsequent Conclusion.