The safe religion, or, Three disputations for the reformed catholic religion against popery proving…The safe religion, or, Three disputations for the reformed catholike religion against popery proving…

Omissis ergo, &c. Letting pass therefore the snares of delays let him show their Church,¹ &c. and so show it, as not to say, Its true, because I say it, or because my colleague said it, or these colleagues of mine, or those Bishops, or Clerks, or our Layity, or therefore its true^* because these or those wonders were done by Donatus or Pontius, or any other, or because men pray and are heard at the Memories (or shrines) of ours that are dead, or because such or such things happen there, or because that brother of ours, or that sister of ours saw such a sight waking, or had such a dreaming vision sleeping. Away with these either fictions of lying men, or wonders of deceiving spirits: For either the things that are said, are not true, or if any wonders are done by heretics, we must the more beware, seeing the Lord when he told us there would come deceivers, who by doing certain signs would deceive if it were possible, even the elect, addeth, Lo I have foretold you, — And if any be heard praying at the Memories of heretics, it is not for the desert of the place, but the desert of his desire ⟨p. 313⟩that he receiveth good or evil. — No man can have Christ for his head, that is not in his Body, which is the Church: which (Church) we must know as we do Christ himself in the sacred Canonical Scriptures, and not to inquire into the various rumours of men and their opinions, and deeds, and sayings, and sights. — But let them show me whether they have the Church, no way but by the Canonical books of the divine Scriptures: Because neither do we therefore say, that they ought to believe us that we are in the Church of Christ, because that (Church) which we hold is commended by Optatus Melevitanus, or by Ambrose of Milan, or innumerable other ^*Bishops of our communion, or because it is predicated (or praised) by the Councils of our Colleagues, or because through the whole world in the holy places which are frequented by our communion, so great marvels of hearings, or healings are done (here some are named.) What ever things of this sort are done in the Catholic Church,⁴ are therefore to be approved, because they are done in the Catholic Church, but it is not therefore manifested to be the Catholic Church, because these things are done in it. — This he testifieth is written in the Law and the Prophets and Psalms; this we have commended by his own mouth.