But now, ye say, the Church may not be brought to a few. For God hath given to Christ his Son the ends of the world to be his possession. Yet Christ him self, that best knew the reach, and limits of his possession, saith thus, When the Son of Man shall come, 1think you, he shall find Faith in the world? Whereupon S. Ambrose saithe, Tunc Fides rara: Ut ipse, quasi addubitans, Dominus ista dixerit: Then shall Faith be geason: So that our Lord spake these words, as doubting thereof, whether there should be any Faithful left, or no. And S. John in his Revelations saith, Mulier fugit in solitudinem, ubi habet locum paratum à Deo: The woman (whereby is meant, not the Synagogue of the Jews, but the Church of Christ) fleeth into the wilderness: where she hath a place provided of God. By which words is meant, that in time of Ignorance, and Persecution, the Church is without Countenance, 2and unknown. S. Paul saith, Before the Day of the Lord, there shall be a departing from the Faith of Christ. By these it appeareth, that the decay of the Church shall be universal: and that the remanentes shall not be many. 3Therefore Vincentius Lirinensis putteth the case on this wise: Quid si novella aliqua contagio jam non portiunculā tantùm, sed totam pariter Ecclesiam commaculare conetur? Tunc item providebit, ut Antiquitati inhaereat: What if some new corruption go about to invade, not only some portion of the Church, but also the whole universal Church altogether? Then must a Christian man settle him self to cleave to Antiquity: That is to say, to follow the Primitive Church of the Apostles, and Ancient Fathers. This case would he never have moved, onlesse he had thought, the Whole universal Church might happen by some error to be corrupted. Surely S. Chrysostom,4 speaking of the state of the Church, that he saw in his time, saith thus: Videtur Ecclesia hodiè mulieri, quae mansuetudine veteri exciderit, similis: quaeque Symbola tantùm foelicitatis illius quaedam referat: Arcas, & Scrinia rerum pretiosissimarum adhuc retinens, Thesauro destituta. Huic mulieri Ecclesia hodie videtur similis: The Church this day is like unto a woman, that hath quite lost all her old modesty: and that beareth only certain badges, and tokens of her former felicity:
But nowe, ye saie, the Churche maie not be brought to a fevve. For God hath geuen to Christe his Sonne the endes of the worlde to bee his possession. Yet Christe him selfe, that beste knewe the reache, and limites of his possession, saithe thus, When the Sonne of Manne shal comme, 1thinke you, he shal finde Faithe in the worlde? Whereupon S. Ambrose saithe, Tunc Fides rara: Vt ipse, quasi addubitans, Dominus ista dixerit: Then shal Faithe be geason: So that our Lorde spake these woordes, as doubting therof, whether there should be any Faithful leaft, or no. And S. Iohn in his Reuelatiōs saith, Mulier fugit in solitudinem, vbi habet locum paratum à Deo: The wooman (whereby is meante, not the Synagog of the Ievves, but the Churche of Christe) fleeth into the wildernesse: where she hath a place prouided of God. By whiche woordes is meante, that in time of Ignorance, and Persecution, the Churche is without Countenaunce, 2and vnknowen. S. Paule saithe, Before the Daie of the Lorde, there shalbe a departing from the Faithe of Christe. By these it appeareth, that the decaie of the Churche shalbe vniuersal: and that the remanentes shal not bee many. 3Therefore Vincentius Lirinensis putteth the case on this wise: Quid si nouella aliqua contagio iam non portiunculā tantùm, sed totam pariter Ecclesiam commaculare conetur? Tunc item prouidebit, vt Antiquitati inhaereat: What if somme newe corruption goe aboute to inuade, not onely somme portion of the Churche, but also the whole vniuersal Churche altogeather? Then must a Christian man settle him selfe to cleaue to Antiquitie: That is to saie, to folowe the Primitiue Churche of the Apostles, and Ancient Fathers. This case would he neuer haue moued, onlesse he had thought, the VVhole vniuersal Churche might happen by somme erroure to be corrupted. Surely S. Chrysostome,4 speakinge of the state of the Churche, that he sawe in his time, saithe thus: Videtur Ecclesia hodiè mulieri, quae mansuetudine veteri exciderit, similis: quaeque Symbola tantùm foelicitatis illius quaedam referat: Arcas, & Scrinia rerum pretiosissimarum adhuc retinens, Thesauro destituta. Huic mulieri Ecclesia hodie videtur similis: The Churche this daie is like vnto a woman, that hath quite loste al her olde modestie: and that beareth onely certaine badges, and tokens of her former felicitie:
- 1Luke. 21. Ambrosi. in Lucam. lib. 10. Apocalyp. 12.
- 22. Thessal. 2.
- 3Vincentius Lirinensis.
- 4Chrysostom. in 1. ad Corinth. Homil. 36.
