Popery anatomized, or, A learned, pious, and elaborat treatise wherein many of the greatest and weightiest points of controversie, between us and papists, are handled, and the truth of our doctrine clearly proved : and the falshood of their religion and doctrine anatomized, and laid open, and most evidently convicted and confuted by Scripture, fathers, and also by some of their own popes, doctors, cardinals, and of their own writers : in answer to M. Gilbert Brown, priest / by that learned, singularly pious, and eminently faithful servant of Jesus Christ M. John Welsch ...

SECTION II. Whither the Church of Rome is the Catholick Church?

ANd because, Christian Reader, by this style of Ca∣tholick, which they ascrive only to their Church, they cause the simple to err, and leads many blind-fold to damnation; therefore I will take this visard from them. Ye are not the Catholick Church, as ye style your self, and thus I prove it. Pope Pius the fifth, who wrote a Cate∣chism according to the decree of the Council of Trent, (Catechism. Conc. Trident. in expositione Symb.) He there saith, That the Church which is called the body of Christ, where∣of he is the head, is called Catholick, because it is spread in the light of one faith from the East to the West, receiving men of all sorts, containing all the faithful which have been from Adam, even until this day, or shal be hereafter to the end of the world professing the true faith, &c.

Now I reason thus: The Catholick Church compre∣hends all the faithful from Adam till now, and that shal be hereafter to the end of the world, or else Pope Pius, and the Fathers of Trent errs. But the Roman Church com∣prehends

not all the faithful from Adam till now, and that shal be hereafter: Therefore the Roman Church is not the Catholick Church. Choose you now which of these ye will deny. The proposition, I suppose, ye will not: for then ye should bring two inconveniencies; the one upon Pope Pius, and the Fathers of Trent, that they have erred in defining the Catholick Church, and so the Church and the Pope may err. The other is upon your self, who said that your Church hath not erred. And so ye lose your styl of a defender of the Catholick faith: for this is a chief point of their faith, that the Church cannot err. I hope therefore that these are Labyrinths which ye will not wit∣tingly cast your self into, and so you must hold fast the proposition. All the question is then of the assumption, Whither the Roman Church comprehends all the faithful from Adam till now, and which shal be to the end of the world, or not? First, I say, a particular Church compre∣hends not all the faithful from Adam, &c. But the Roman Church is a particular Church, or else the Fathers of the Council of Basile, and Verratus a Papist errs; for they call the Roman Church a particular Church. We grant, say they, (Basil. Concil. Epist. Synod. 3 Verratus disputationum con∣tra Lutheranos, Tom. 6. de authoritate & potest. univers. Ec∣cles. cap. 1.) that the Roman Church is a principal Church among others; but while you commend a part, forget not the whole. And they say, The Universal Church comprehends the Roman Church. Choose you then whither will you con∣tradict the Fathers of the Council of Basile, and a Papist Verratus, and be so absurd as to call the arm of the body the whole body; an arm of the Ocean sea, the whole Ocean sea; or to go from your tittle, that the Roman Church is not the Catholick Church?

Secondly, the Catholick Church comprehends them that were before Christ: but the Church of Rome compre∣hends

not them; for there was a Church ere ever there was a Church at Rome; and the Roman Church compre∣hends none but them that acknowledges the Pope to be the head of the Church. But those that were before Christ never did that: Therefore the Roman Church is not the Catholick Church.

Thirdly, the Catholick Church is invisible: for at the least, neither are they that are glorified, neither are they that are to be born, visible. But ye will not have the Ro∣man Church, but alwayes visible: Therefore the Roman Church is not the Catholick Church.

Fourthly, if the Roman Church be the Catholick Church, then either it shal follow, that the Pope is the head of the Catholick Church, or else that the Roman Church wants a visible head. Choose you whither of these ye will; for the one ye must, if ye will have the Roman Church to be the Catholick Church. But to say that the Pope is the head of the Catholick Church, I suppose ye dare not be so blasphemous: for the glorified Saints, and Peter himself, are of the Catholick Church; or else (as I said before) Pope Pius and the Fathers of Trent errs. And so then if ye will make him head of the Catholick Church, ye must make him head of the glorified Saints, and of Peter also. So then choose you whither will ye leave the style of Ca∣tholick, which ye claim as proper to your Church; or will ye have the Pope the head of the triumphant Church in heaven? Or last of all will ye have your Roman Church to want a visible head? One of these ye must choose. So to end this point, this style of Catholick, it is like the num∣bering of the people by David: for as it brought him in a wonderful strait, when he saw it behoved him to choose, either seven years famine, or four moneths flying before his enemies, or three days pestilence, 2. Sam. 24. So this tittle of yours, if you will abide by it, brings you in a

wonderful strait: for ye have not the choise of one of three evils; but these three things must ye either choose, or else let this style of Catholick go; one of you fighting against another, the Church invisible, and the Pope not to be the head of the Church. Of the which, the least of these is more able to overthrow your Kingdom, then they all were able to have overthrown the Kingdom of David; for they are the main pillars of your Kingdom, your unity, your visibility, your Popes supremacy; all which you must either lose, or else let your style of Catholick go from your Church. But how will ye wrestle your self out of this? For if ye will believe the Fathers of Trent, and Pope Pius, in defining the Catholick Church, ye cannot eschew these inconveniencies. And if you will not believe them, that they spake truly in that point, ye must accuse them of er∣ror. And so the Church hath erred, the Pope hath erred, and your self hath erred, that said your Church hath the truth in all things. And surely as Cajaphas being high Priest that year, spake the truth, when he said that one must die for the people, John 11.50. and not the whole Nation pe∣rish, suppose in an evil sense. So have the Fathers of Trent, and Pope Pius here spoken truly, both according to the Scriptures; for the Church is called the assembly of the first∣born, whose names are written in heaven, Heb. 12.23. And that new Jerusalem which is from above, which is the mother of us all, Gal. 4.26. And also according to the Fathers, Clem. Alex. Strom. lib. 7. & Bernard in Cant. c. 78. & August. de catechis. rud. cap. 20. & Gregor. moral. in Job. lib. 28. cap. 9. who affirmeth that the Church is the company of the predesti∣nat, and all the elect are within the compass of it, & are citizens of it. So as Christ said to the Jews, Matth. 12.27. If I cast out devils by the prince of devils, by whom then casteth your children them out? So if we speak now by an erroneous spi∣rit, that sayes the Catholick Church comprehends all the

elect, that was, is, and shal be, and the Church of Rome cannot be the Catholick Church. By what spirit hath your Council and Pope and these Fathers spoken the same? So not your children, but your Fathers shal be your Judges.

Ye did mark some contradiction, as ye thought, between me and some others, unto the which I will answer in the own time. Let me therefore mark this one now, and mark it, Reader. Ye have heard now how that all these with one voice have said, that the Catholick Church compre∣hends all the elect, that was, is, and shal be. Is it any here∣sie then to hold this point? I think you will not, nor dare not say it. What will you say then to your general Council of Constance, Sess 15. art. 1. 6. who condemned John Hus for the same doctrine, the first and sixth article, for saying that there is an Universal Church▪ which is the company of the predestinat, and as it is taken in this sense, it is an article of our faith? For these, among the rest, was this pure innocent condemned and burnt as an heretick, & his doctrine as he∣resie: which of these will ye say now have erred, whither the general Council of Constance, or the Fathers of Trent, Pope Pius, Gregorie, Augustine, Clement, and Bernard? For surely if the latter erred not, then not only did the Council of Constance err, but also have brought upon themselves innocent blood, in condemning the innocent, and the truth in him. And if the Council of Constance erred not, in con∣demning these articles of John Hus, then have they con∣demned the doctrine of the Fathers of Trent, Pope Pius, Gregorie, Augustine, &c. and their persons, in the person of John Hus. Choose which of them ye will. I speak the truth to thee in Christ (Reader) be not deceived. But open thy eyes and behold the veritie it self condemned by a general Council, and the professor of it burnt for an here∣tick: but his blood and the blood of the rest of the martyrs of God, is found in this whore of Babel, and therefore one day she

shal be recompensed for all her iniquity, Rev. 17.6. and 18.24. Go out of her therefore, and save thy soul, that thou be not tormented in the lake that burns with fire and brim∣stone with her for evermore, Rev 18.45. Otherwise I call heaven and earth to witness against thee, that thou shalt die in her sin, and the smoke of thy torment shal ascend for evermore, Rev. 14.1.

What now will you say to these things, that your Church is not the Catholick Church, but a part of it only; and is on∣ly Catholick, because of the Catholick doctrine that she professes? But if this be true, wherefore then did your gene∣ral Council condemn it in John Hus, and burn him for that doctrine, which both your self must confess to be true, and is agreeable to Scripture, Fathers, and your own Popes?

Next, I say, suppose when ye are brought to this strait, ye must say so: yet for all this, not only call ye your Church Catholick, because of the soundness of doctrine which ye suppose she professes, but also and speciallie to make the simple believe, that there is no salvation out of her: As ap∣peareth by the Epistle of Cardinal Cusanus, writing to the Bohemians, Cochlaeus histor. Hussitar. lib. 21. Therefore ye call it the only true Church, and the Catholick Church: for out of the particular Church there is salvation, but out of the Catholick Church there is no salvation.

Thirdlie, I say, as the Epistles of Peter, John, James, and Jude, are intituled Catholick, not because of the soundness of their doctrine, which is common to the Epistles of Paul also, and all the rest of the Scripture, which in that respect may also be called Catholick, but because they are written generallie to all: So the Church is called Catholick pro∣perly, not because of the soundness of doctrine, for that is common to all the particular Churches that have the pu∣ritie of Religion, but because it comprehends all the parti∣cular Churches, and all the elect. And also to put a dif∣ference

between the Church of the Jewes, which did comprehend but one certain people, and the Christian Church since the coming of Christ, which is not bound to any certain place or nation, or people, but indifferently receives all, both Jew and Gentil that believes, and there∣fore is it called Catholick: and therefore in our Belief we say not, I believe the Catholick doctrine, but the Catho∣lick Church. So by this she is properlie distinguished from particular Churches, as the mother from the daughters, and the whole body from the particular members. So then if you would speak properlie of your Church, and not make your styles snares to catch the souls of the simple, call her but a particular Church, and a member of the Ca∣tholick Church, but yet dead and rotten, as shal be shown afterward, by the grace of God. Otherwise, if you will but call her the Catholick Church, you first rob the mother, for she is properly Catholick, and also injures the rest of the daughters: For in respect of the soundness of faith, they may also challenge the same to them.

And thirdly, ye deceive the souls of the simple thereby, by making them believe there is not one other Church but yours. And last of all, you are sacrilegious, in decking an adulteress with the styles of the spouse of Christ.

As to the third point, wherein ye calumniate the truth of God which we profess, in calling it a new Evangel, and old renewed, and new invented heresies of our own. These are indeed heavie words wherewith ye blaspheme the word of the Lord, Acts 18.6. and 19.9. and speak evil of it to the people of this Countrey. And therefore as the Apostle saith of them that blasphemed his doctrine, Your damnation is just, Rom. 3.8. For a wo by Gods own mouth is pronounced against them that call good evil, and evil good, truth falshood, and falshood truth, and darkness light, and light darkness, Isai. 5.20. But as the Archangel when he

strave with Satan about the body of Moses, did not blame him with cursed speaking, but said, The Lord rebuke thee, Jude 9. so we will not blame you with cursed speaking, but the Lord rebuke you. For ye speak here the vision of your own heart, and not from the mouth of the Lord: And ye are not the first that hath blasphemed the truth of God; for so did the Jewes before you, call the doctrine of the Gospel, a sect, a heresie; and the Gentiles called it strange Gods, and a new doctrine; and the preachers thereof, a setter forth of strange Gods, and of new doctrine, and a babler, Acts 28. and 14. and 17. The Jews said, that Christ had a Devil; and yet as our Lord testifies, it was they that were the children of the Devil, John 8.44. Ye say that we preach a new Evangel, and old & new heresies; but this is the sin & the doctrine of your Church: For to let that pass of that new & everlasting Gospel, which your Friers invented & devi∣sed, as testifieth Guliel. de sancto Amore, in his book de peri∣cul. noviss temp. anno 1192. wherein was contained such blas∣phemies, as the heaven and earth abhorrs to hear them: That God the Father reigned under the law: God the Son under grace: And the holy Ghost was then that year to begin his king∣dom, and to continue to the end of the world. And that Jesus Christ was not God, his Sacrament nothing, and his Evangel not a true Evangel. (O horrible blasphemie) the which if God had not raised up some men in those days to have resi∣sted it, as the Waldenses, and others which ye call hereticks and infamous men, the Gospel of Christ had been lost; and in stead of it, we would have gotten a new Gospel, the dreggs whereof yet remains in your Church. But I will let this pass, because the wise men of Babel (I mean your Clergy of Rome) saw that that was too plain an ini∣quitie, therefore they caused it quietlie to be removed and buried, and yet they not condemned as hereticks that prea∣ched it. But by the contrary, the Waldenses, and others that

withstood it, was condemned as hereticks, and their books burnt. To let this pass, I say, which testifieth what the world might have looked for at your hands, if the Lord had not provided better for his poor Church Your whole doctrine is Antichristian, as shal be proved hereafter, your Church Babel, Rev. 17. your Kingdom that second beast, Rev. 13.11. that hath two horns like the Lamb, and yet speaks like the dragon; and your head, the man of sin, 2. Thess. 2. and son of perdition. And ye are they that have renewed old condemned heresies, and have invented new of your own, as shal be proved afterward, by Gods grace.