Catholike history, collected and gathered out of Scripture, councels, ancient Fathers, and modern authentick writers, both ecclesiastical and civil; for the satisfaction of such as doubt, and the confirmation of such as believe, the Reformed Church of England. Occasioned by a book written by Dr. Thomas Vane, intituled, The lost sheep returned home. / By Edward Chisenhale, Esquire.

CHAP. V.

That the Church of Rome hath been, and any particular Church may be Invisible.

THe first marks by which the Doctor hath laboured to prove Rome the true Church, to wit, Uni∣versality and Antiquity are already answered in that I have Proved others equall, and some ancienter then the Church of Rome; it now followes, to look a little further after her, whilst she may be found; for shortly she shall be Invisi∣ble.

The Church Visible is a Com∣pany professing the Doctrine of the Law, and the Gospell, using the Sa∣craments, according to Christs In∣stitution, in w^ch company are many unregenerate as Hypothules, as by the Parable of the seed and tares is ma∣nifest.

The Church Invisible, is a com∣pany of those onely which are elect to Eternall life, of whom it is said, No man shall pluck my sheep out of my hands, Joh. 10.28. & is Universal, or comprehensive of all the Elect, w^ch both now have, & heretofore living, had one Faith. The Church visible is Universall, in respect of the disper∣sed Companies of those that pro∣fesse one faith in Christ, which must continue till the end of the world: And the Visible Church is particu∣lar in respect of place and habitati∣on, and of diversity of Rites and Ceremonies, as England, Rome, &c. which particular Churches may becoming Invisible; and particu∣larly Rome hath been Invisible in respect of her Assemblies, and is in∣visible in relation to the true Faith, and Doctrine: for though at pre∣sent she hath companies of men which assemble to worship God, and serve him in the Sacrament, yet shee therein followes not Christs institution; she is now in∣visible in respect of Faith and Doctrine, and in respect of Men;

she cannot boast of this mark of Vi∣sibility, but Tares grow as well as Wheat: and as Rome hath been in∣visible in these respects, so may any other particular Church be Invisi∣ble.

Elijah complained that he was left alone, [ I] and that the Prophets were slain: that complaint of his (saith the Doctor) doth not prove that the true Church may be Invi∣sible: for (saith he) that complaint was uttered with relation to the Kingdome of Israel, onely wherein Elijah then was, and not with re∣ference to the Kingdome of Judah, where Elijah was not persecuted by Ahab, and where the Church of God doth flourish.

This his Argument, in my opi∣nion proves what is objected against the Church of Rome: It is true, it is an Argument that the Church shall not be Universally Invisible; but if by the true Church he mean the Church of Rome, (and I think he would not otherwise be under∣stood) it is no Argument but that it may be Invisible: it is true, at one

instant of time the Church shall not be universally invisible; (God ha∣ving promised his Spirit to be with the Apostles in their teaching of Nations to the worlds end;) but yet in any particular place it hath been, and may be Invisible, as he confesses himself; he saith, it was invisible in relation to the King∣dome of Israel; and in Judah they knew not whether to resort, when the Temple it self was defiled; nei∣ther was there Place, nor Sacrifice, nor High Priest; the Priest was wicked, the Temple was defiled, 2 King. 19.2. and when the Doctor is charged with its being invisible in Judea, he pleads it invisible in Ethi∣opia, the Eunuch having received the Faith by Philip: and so by these landskips he makes intervalls of darknesse, proving that in particu∣lar places it was Invisible; and if so, then may not Rome, being a parti∣cular Church, boast of absolute truth, by reason of this mark of Visibility? we doe not go about to prove the Church universally invi∣sible, at one instant of time, whilst

we say that any particular Church (as Rome) may be Invisible; but that no one particular Church but at some time may be Invi∣sible.

Time was, when both Rome and we agreed in the same Principles of Religion, conform to the Rules of Scriptures, Councels, and Fathers: but of later years, Rome being grown above Apostolicall Orders, abusing the indulgence of Christian Princes, and other Churches to∣wards her: She hath turned the grace of God into wantonnesse, converting Premacy into Supre∣macy, and that Supremacy into In∣fallibility; and so having acquired that uncontrolable Prerogative, by the dull consent of some lame Prin∣ces, and blind servile slavish People, she became the onely evangellicall cradle, accounting the Scriptures dead Letters, and to receive articu∣late sense from her dictates, and so for her own advantage pr••s••••ibe Lawes and Religion to her blind obedient Prosylites.

Yet the all disposing power of

Heaven, which suffered Romes Bi∣shop thus by his own Innovations to darken the light of his neigh∣bour Churches, did now and then give him a scourge to let him know he was but a man; and in respect of that frail composition was elemen∣tary, and subject to vicissitudes and alterations in his Constitution; and that nothing that was the pro∣duction of that various body of in∣constant humours but was obnoxi∣ous to a countermand by its muta∣ble framer, or to be troden down by others, whose strong bulkes cared not for his too curious pre∣paratives; and when a general face of quiet seemed to smile upon the Territories of Romes Church; and that she flourished in that height, that she thought her self above all opposition, behold a sudden de∣struction overtook her; and as the mighty Elephant, whose power is able to throw down great and ponderous masses, is tamed at the sight of a Ram, and trembleth at the gruntling of a little Pigg: even so her desolation came from an un∣suspected

and contemptible hand; insomuch that Rome, in the heighth of this her glory, and though she was the admired Metropolis of the Western world, and her Temples adorned with the offerings of seve∣rall Nations. Yet she was not se∣cure, and above the Heathenish sup∣pressions of the runnagate Goths, the beggarly Scithians, and the spoiling Arrian, Vandals, that head City of the World not escaping the sack∣ing by Alaricus in Honorius time; nor her Temples free from the ra∣pine of the Genserick in Marcianus time, and her Capitoll left unran∣sackt by our Belivins, and proved no San∣ctuary against Totilas, and his Nor∣thern forces. From these Judgments, if she reflected upon Gods Justice, she could not promise to her self security. For if Hierusalem, which was the seat of James, the beloved of the Lord, must not be free from the harrassing of the northern For∣ces, how could Rome promise Im∣munity to her self from the like afflictions: I wish she would call to minde these her former occurrences

of misfortune; and that she would by these examples of Gods Justice and indignation towards her, for∣bear to claim an Universality in respect of her See; for she may by them cleerly perceive that she is not the rock against whom the gates of Hell shall not prevail; nor are her Temples so immove∣able, but the battering shot of the Rummishing Canon can strike a palsey into their lofty heads, and by Divine permission have laid their honours in the dust.

This was the day of her Visita∣tion, and now sits she in quiet, whilst we groan under the calami∣ties of this mischief; but let her not laugh to see our candle put un∣der a bushell•• the rudenesse of some not respecting the priviledges of our Church, for there hath no evil befallen us, that she her self by ex∣perience is not subject to: These sad and dreadfull visitations of the Lord may tell both them, and us, that we are Churches militant, and must after the pattern, and in imi∣tation of our Head, Chrst Jesus,

suffer her in misery, that we may triumph hereafter in Glory; there is no particular Church but is sub∣ject to these tokens of Gods Wrath: When under Dioclesian Christians were so wasted thorow persecuti∣on, that there were, in the Judge∣ment of many, none left remain∣ing, their Books burnt, th••ir Churches destroyed, and them∣selves put to death by sundry tor∣ments; and Pillars erected in every place, with this blasphemous In∣scription, Superstitione Christi ubique delecta. Then did we escape that persecution, when the glory of Romes Church was much darkned thereby; and now that our Church suffers an ecclipse; whilst the same occasion of darkness doth not debar the light from Rome: Let not this be an occasion of rejoycing to her, but rather remember her own for∣mer sufferings, he that stands take heed lest he fall: for there hath no tentation taken us, but such as is subject to man, and God is faithful, who will not suffer us to be temp∣ted above that we are able to bear:

God for a time may take away the Candle from amongst us, thereby to shew we of our selves are not per∣fect; but if we trust in him, he can restore our light; he is faithfull, and his hand is not shortned so, but that it can help, and he hath power to deliver, Esay 50.2.

Saint Cyprian complained above 1270 years since, that for the great persecution that was against the Church, they could not meet, as they desired, to execute Discipline, and who will deny that the disci∣pline of the Church is perpetuall? but yet at all times it is not to be had, which proves it may be In∣visible.

These vicissitudes and alterati∣ons in every place, are incident not onely to the Civill, but the Ec∣clesiasticall state: Constantine may set up the Crosse in Hierusalem, but that cannot free it from Mahomets Banner: where Christ to day hath his Church, he sometimes suffers the Devill to morrow to make his Chappell. The Kingdome of Hea∣ven is said to suffer violence, and

the societies of men on Earth, must not think to go scot-free; Christ suffers his Saints to be persecuted for the triall of some, and for the utter ruine of others, 1 Pet. 1.7. 2 Pet. 2.9. Christs Church is the Congregation of Saints, and those Saints are subject to persecution and dissipation; so that in any particular place, or Region, this Society may be broke, and so the Church made there Invisible, which is a truth so plainly demonstrated to us, I wonder the Church of Rome should urge the con∣trary.

Rev. 2.5. Christ threatned the Church of Ephesus, that he would remove her Candlestick, unlesse she amended: the seven Candlesticks are the seven Churches of Asia; and Christ threatens the Church of Ephesus, that because of her back∣sliding he would take her Candle∣stick away from her, because she had forsaken her first Love: and if her Candlestick were taken away, sure she would be left in darknesse, and made Invisible.

Christ threatens to withdraw his Heavenly Beams from Ephesus, and yet he had promised his Spirit to his Church to the worlds end, and that the gates of Hell should not prevail against her, but that she should be Visible in some one place, and not Universally taken from the face of the Earth at the same instant of time: But that the Church might be Invisible in any one place, is evident by this threatning of Ephesus; at which time she was the onely Apostolique See, John being the••e, and Peter being dead when John writ the Apocalipse: and if Ephesus be in danger to be made Invisible, I wonder how Rome should arrogate that immunity to her self, that she alone shall not be made Invisible, when as when Christ promised his Spirit to his Church, the Church of Rome was Invisible, and therefore it cannot be in tend∣ed that this mark of Visibility, which is to be applyed to the whole Church, should onely, and meerly be prescribed unto the particular Church of Rome, unl••sse her Church

be like the Temple of Venus, in which there was a Lanthorn made of the stone A Beston, whose nature, as Isidore, lib. 15. de Genuus saith, is such, that being once set on fire, no wind nor rain can extinguish it, which made the Heathen people Idolize it: but she must not think so to delude us, we know her Vir∣gin Lamp is sunk in its sockets, and that fuliginous li••••k, composed of adulterate combustibles, which she hath set up in its room, is but a thing of exhalation, the heavenly Sun, from whom she formerly borrowed light, having withdrawn his shining beams from her terre∣striall Orb, and so she's left in both internall and external darknesse; her understanding being darkned in that, whilst the truth is removed frō her, she thinks others see it with her; and that she neither hath been, nor can be invisible; the contrary whereof is plain, [ II] by what I have already proved, and by this that followes.

As the Church of Rome hath been, and may be Invisible, in re∣spect

of persecution, so hath she been by reason of the vacation of her Head.

The Doctor in his 22 Chapter, fol. 360. sayes, the Church of Rome is the Catholick Church, because her Bishop is the Head thereof, and hath been so accounted through all Ages.

That he hath not been so repu∣ted through all Ages, appears by the testimony of the first Councels; and if Rome be the Chatholick Church in respect that the Pope is the Head, then it followes, that the Catholick Church hath been In∣visible, because of the vacation of that Head, for cessante causâ cessat effectus: The light of the body is the Eye, which is placed in the head; and if the body be without the eye, the whole body, is in dark∣nesse. If then this Mark of Visibility be such an incident, and insepara∣ble token of her truth, I would fain know where the Universall Head of the Church was whilst Rome had no Bishop: for either they must confesse that the Univen∣sall

Church must be in darknesse for want of a Head, and so they make Gods promise of none effect, if the Church be universally hid, or else they must confesse that Romes Church is but a particular Member of the Church, and that then like the Church of the Israelites, or the Church of Ephesus, she is subject to be made invisible for a time; and that she hath been invisible, may appear by these enfuing proofs.

Two yeers together, after Pope Nicholas the fourth, no Pope was chosen, and when after much dis∣sention amongst the Cardin••ls, Ce∣lestine was chosen, Boniface the 8^th murdering him, was made Bishop in his stead; where was the visible Head whilst Benedict the tenth, and Nicholas the second both stand Popes at once? The Clergy, who then had the Election of the Popes, not daring to proceed to a new Election, to crosse Benedict, who was very much beloved of the Citi∣zens of Rome, withdrew themselves to Sene, and there elected Gerrardus Bishop of Florence, by the name of

Nicholus 2^d, who was the onely fa∣vou••••ite of Hildebrand, whom Hilde∣brand caused to be made Pope, that he (as then not ripe for the Seat) might under him rule all: for Pope Nicholas was but a dull fellow, though proud, and ambitious of Honour; and be sure, when he saw his own time to out him, that he might succeed in the Chair, and so it happened accordingly: for Hil∣debrand succeeded Nicholas 2^d, two fit to go together, the one bringing in at the Councel of Lateran, the new Doctrine of Transubstantia∣tion; the other maintaining the then never heard of sin of the Popes power to depose Kings.

Where was the triple Crown; when at once there was 3 Popes, as Innocent 7^th, Gregory 12^th, and at the Councell of Pise, Alexander 5^th cho∣sen. I might adde more of this na∣ture, but I will reserve the rest of my arrows to shoot at his other Markes, and shut up this point, and conclude that the Church of Rome, in respect of Persecution, and vacancy of her Bishops, can∣not

be the onely Chatholick Church, and distinguished to be so by any certain Infallible rule of a constant Visibility.

Notes

• Visibility.
• A particu∣lar Church may be In∣visible.
• Infra 135.14 chap.
• Romes Church hath been Invisible.