Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsActs 11

Multitude added.

As before (c. 10.) a few, so now great numbers of Gentiles are adjoined also to the visible Church ^◦, consisting before only of the Jews. Which Church hath been ever since Christ's Ascension, notoriously seen and known: their preaching open, their Sacraments visible, their discipline visible, their Heads and Governors visible, the provision for their maintenance visible, the persecution visible, their dispersion visible: the Heretics that went out from them, visible: the joining either of men or Nations unto them, visible: their peace and rest after persecutions, visible: their Governors in prison, visible: the Church prayeth for them visibly, their Councels visible, their gifts and graces visible, their name (Christians) known to all the world. Of the Protestants' invisible Church we hear not one word.

• ◦ The Church visible.

Christians.

This name, Christian, ought to be common to all the Faithful, and other new names of Schismatics and Sectaries must be abhorred. If thou hear (saith S. Hierom ^[1] ) any where, such as be said to be of Christ, not to have their names of our Lord Jesus Christ, but to be called after some other certain name, as Marcionites, Valentinians, (as now also the Lutherans, Calvinists, Protestants) know thou that they belong not to the Church of Christ, but to the Synagogue of Antichrist. Lactantius also (li. 7. Divin. instit. c. 30.) saith thus, when Phrygians, or Novatians, or Valentinians, or Marcionites, or Anthropomorphites, or Arians, or any other be named, they cease to be Christians, who having lost the name of Christ, have done on the names of men ^[2]. Neither can our new Sectaries discharge themselves, for that they take not to themselves these names, but are forced to bear them as given by their Adversaries. For, so were the names of Arians and the rest of old, imposed by others, and not chosen commonly of themselves: Which notwithstanding were callings that proved them to be Heretics. And as for the name of ^[3] Protestants, our men hold them well content therewith. But concerning the Heretics turning of the argument against the peculiar callings of our Religious, ^[4] as Dominicans, Franciscans, Jesuits, Thomists, or such like, it is nothing, except they could prove that the orders & persons so named, were of diverse faiths & Sects, or differed in any necessary point of religion, or were not all of one Christian name and communion: and it is as ridiculous as if it were objected, that some be Ciceronians, some Plinians, some good Augustine men, some Hieronymians, some Oxford men, some Cambridge men, & (which is most like) some Rechabites, some ^[5] Nazareites.

• 1 Hierony. cont. Lucif c. 7. in fine.
• 2 Names of Sectaries and Heretics.
• 3 Protestants.
• 4 Diverse religious orders are not diverse sects.
• 5 Ierem. 35. Num. 6.

^[1] Neither doth their objection, that we be called Papists, help or excuse them in their new names. For, besides that it is by them scornfully invented (as the name Homousians was of the Arians) this name is not of any one man, B. of Rome or elsewhere, known to be the author of any schism or sect, as their callings be: but it is of a whole state and order of governors, and that of the chief Governors, to whom we are bound to cleave in religion and to obey in all things. So to be a Papist, is to be a Christian man, a child of the Church, and subject to Christ's Vicar. And therefore against such impudent Sectaries as compare the faithful for following the Pope, to the diversity of Heretic's bearing the names of new Masters, let us ever have in readiness this saying of S. Hierom ^[2] to Pope Damasus, ^[3] Vitalis I know not, Meletius I refuse, I know not Paulinus, whosoever gathereth not with thee, scattereth: that is to say, whosoever is not Christ's, is Antichrist's. And again, If any man join with Peter's Chair, he is mine.

• 1 Papists, Catholics, and true Christians, all one.
• 2 to. 2. ep. 57. & ep. 58. ad Damas.
• 3 Not to be with the Pope, is to be with Antichrist.

^[1]

• 1 The name of CHRISTIANS.

We must here further observe that this name, Christian, given to all believers and to the whole Church, was specially taken to distinguish them from the Jews and Heathens which believed not at all in Christ, and the same now severeth and maketh known all Christian men from Turks and others that hold not of Christ at all. But when Heretics began to rise from among the Christians, who professed Christ's name and sundry Articles of faith as true believers do, the name Christian was too common to sever the Heretics from true faithful men: ^[2] and thereupon the Apostles by the Holy Ghost imposed this name Catholic upon the Believers which in all points were obedient to the Church's doctrine. When heresies were risen (saith S. Pacianus ep. ad Symphorianum) & endeavoured by diverse names to tear the dove of God and Queen, and to rent her in pieces, the Apostolical people required their surname, whereby the incorrupt people might be distinguished. &c. and so those that before were called Christians, are now surnamed also Catholics. Christian is my name, saith he, Catholic my surname. And this word, Catholic, is the proper note whereby the holy Apostles in their Creed ^[3] taught us to discern the true Church from the false heretical congregation of what sort soever. And not only the meaning of the word, which signifieth universality of times, places, and persons, but the very name and word itself, by God's providence, always and only appropriated to the true believers, and (though sometimes at the beginning of Sects challenged) yet never obtained by Heretics, giveth so plain a mark and evidence, that S. Augustine said, In the lap of the Church the very name of Catholic keepeth me. cont. ep. fund. c. 4. And again tract. 32. in Io. we receive the Holy Ghost if we love the Church, if we be joined together by charity, if we rejoice in the Catholic name and faith. And again de ver. rel. c. 7. to. 1. We must hold the communion of that Church which is named Catholic, not only of her own, but also of all her enemies. For, will they nill they, the Heretics also and Schismatics themselves, when they speak not with their own fellows but with strangers, call the Catholic Church nothing else but the Catholic Church: for they could not be understood unless they discern it by this name wherewith she is called of all the world. ^[4] The Heretics when they see themselves prevented of this name Catholic, then they plainly reject it and deride the name, as the Donatists did, calling it an human forgery or fiction, which S. Augustine calleth words of blasphemy. li. 1. c. 33. cont. Gaudent. and some Heretics of this time call them scornfully cartholics, and cacolics. Another calleth it, the most vain term Catholic. Beza in præf. no. Test. an. 1565. Another calleth the Catholic religion, a Catholic Apostasy or defection, Humfrey in vit. Iuel. pag. 213. Yea and some have taken the word out of the Creed, ^[5] putting Christian for it. But against these good fellows let us follow that which S. Augustine (de util. cred. c. 8. to. 6.) giveth as a rule to direct a man the right and sure way from the diversity & doubtfulness of all error, saying, If after these troubles of mind thou seem to thyself sufficiently tossed and vexed, & wilt have an end of these molestations, follow the way of Catholic discipline, which from Christ himself by the Apostles hath proceeded even unto us, and shall proceed from hence to the posterity. See the Annotation 1. Tim. 3. c. 15.

• 2 The name of CATHOLICS.
• 3 CREDO ECCLESIAM CATHOLICAM.
• 4 The Protestants deride the name CATHOLIC.
• 5 * In the Catechisms of the Lutherans.