sute of diuers Bishops of the East he did solemnely summon S. Athanasius that most learned and valiant Patriarke of Alexandria to appeare at Rome before him there to answere vnto such crimes as were indeede most vvrongfully objected against him Lib. 4. hist Tripart c. 6. Nicephor lib. 9. cap. 6. thus saith the holy History The Pope following the law of the Church commanded them also to come vnto Rome and according to the rule of the Canons cited the venerable Athanasius to judgement Athanasius obediently appeared but his aduersaries knowing that their lies in that place vvould soone be discouered durst not appeare vvhereupon Athanasius was purged of those imputations Ibid. cap. 12. and restored to his Bishoprick Vnto the same Iulius not long after Athanasius being pittifully abused by the Arrians repaired the second time for aide vvhere he found diuers other Bishops of the East namely Paulus Bishop of Constantinople Marcellus Bishop of Ancony Asclopas Bishop of Gaya and Lucianus Bishop of Adrianople al Easterne Bishops and yet appealing to Iulius Pope of Rome for remedy of the wrongs done them by the Arrian Heretikes which doth most manifestly testifie that in the primitiue Church al other Bishops acknowledged the Bishop of Rome for the supreme Pastour of Christes Church vvhich also Zozomenus doth confirme shewing how Iulius restored them al Tanquam omnium curam gerens Zozom l. 3. hist. cap. 8. propter propriae sedis dignitatem As one that had care ouer them al for the dignity of his owne See And Iulius his owne wordes recorded by no meaner a man then S. Athanasius doe declare the same for blaming the Bishops of the East he saith Athanas in Apolog. 2. Why did you not write vnto vs especially you of Alexandria are you ignorant that the custome is that we should first be written vnto that from hence it might be defined what was right therefore if you haue any quarrel against any Bishop you ought to haue referred it hither to our Church c. And shortly after I signifie to you such thinges as were receiued from the blessed Apostle S. Peter c. vvhere M. Abbot may see that one of S. Peters successours of great worth and authority doth tel the Bishops of the East Church that by order set downe by S. Peter himselfe Bishops causes of al countries ought to be referred vnto the definition of the Bishop of Rome he therefore is their superiour I adde hereunto because it belongeth both vnto Pope Iulius and this present purpose of their supremacy in Ecclesiastical causes this sentence taken out of the Ecclesiastical history The Councel holden at Antioch was not good Hist Tripart lib. 4. cap. 9. for that Iulius Bishop of Rome was not there present nor sent any Legate in his place because the Ecclesiastical Canons doe command that Councels ought not to be celebrated without the sentence of the Bishop of Rome ROBERT ABBOT GELASIVS Bishop of Rome saith as we say Gelas cont Eutich Nestor That in the Saâ—rament is celebrated the Image or resemblance of the body and bloud of Christ and that there ceasseâ—h not to be the substance or nature of bread and wine But now the Romish religion maketh them Heretikes that say the Sacrament is the Image or resemblance of the body bloud of Christ and not the body and bloud of Christ it selfe or wil not beleeue that the bread and wine are substantially and really turned into the same body and bloud Albeit they beleeue with the same Gelasius that the Sacrament is a diuine thing and that thereby we are made partakers of the diuine nature euen of Christ himselfe really and substantially but yet spiritually vvith al his riches becomming ours and being eaten of vs not by our teeth into our bellies but by faith into our harts vnto life euerlasting WILLIAM BISHOP FIRST I say that M. Abbot hauing his eie-sight sore troubled with a grosse defluxion of salt rhewme taketh a Rowland for an Oliuer that is one Gelasius an vnknowne Grecian for Gelasius an African borne yet Bishop of Rome That he was not Gelasius the Bishop of Rome appeareth plainly out of that very treatise cited by M. Abbot for that Gelasius professeth to alleage the testimony of al the learned Fathers who wrote before him yet he maketh no mention of the most renowmed authours in the Latin Church as of S. Hillary S. Augustine S. Hierome and of Pope Leo al vvhich wrote before Gelasius the Bishop of Rome and were had in very great estimation by him as may be seene by his declaration of the Canonical Scriptures of the most approued fathers workes Dist 15. SaÌ„cta Romana Ecclesia Ibidem Againe that Gelasius citeth often and relieth much vpon the authority of Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea vvhereas Gelasius the Pope hath noted his vvorkes for little better then Apocryphal so that nothing is more like then that the good man hath mistaken his marke and is fallen from the successours of S. Peter and S. Paul vpon I cannot tel whom yet because he is an old writer though of what credit it be vncertaine I wil not refuse him And to the former part of his sentence that in the Sacrament there is an Image or resemblance of Christes body I answere that vve Catholikes doe say as much in effect for euery Sacrament is a visible signe of an inuisible and holy thing and so Christs body vnder the forme of bread and wine is a resemblance of his body parted from his bloud on the Crosse and the body of Christ vnder the formes of bread and vvine as it is in the Sacrament is a picture also or resemblance of the vnion of his mistical body in faith and charity euen as the bread is made of many graines of corne and the vvine pressed out of many clusters of grapes The later part of his sentence may also haue a good meaning and stand wel with our doctrine for the nature of bread doth not wholy ceasse to be in the blessed Sacrament because the forme sauour and tast of bread which be natural qualities thereof doe stil remaine though the whole inward substance be turned into the body of Christ which that Gelasius doth in the same place signifie when he there saith The same bread to be changed into the diuine substance that is into the substance of Christ by the operation of the holy Ghost whereby the receiuers are made partakers of the diuine nature And M. Abbots glosse vpon these later wordes is very extrauagant for we cannot in property of speech be said to be partakers of Christs nature really by being made partakers of his riches for it is one thing to be partaker of a mans nature really another farre different to be partaker of his goodes and benefits And as for the receiuing of Christ spiritually by faith that may be done vvithout receiuing any Sacrament at al but Gelasius either speaketh of receiuing Christ in the
Sacrament or else M. Abbot doth fondly alleage his wordes against the real presence wherefore his later paraphrase is a meere trifle and a vaine shift See more of this man and matter in the question of the real presence Let vs proceede ROBERT ABBOT De consecrat dist 2. comperimus THE same Gelasius when he vnderstood that some receiuing only the portion of the sacred body of Christ did forbeare the cuppe of his sacred bloud did forbidde that superstition and willed that either they should receiue the Sacrament whole or be kept from the whole because the diuiding of one and the same mistery cannot come without great sacriledge But now the Church of Rome is so farre off from acknowledging the diuiding of that mistery to be sacriledge as that shee pretendeth to be moued with just causes reasons Concil Trid. Sess 5. Can. 2. such as Christ and his Apostles and the primitiue Church had neuer the vvit to consider off to administer the Sacrament to the people only in one kinde and pronounceth them accursed that say shee erreth in so doing WILLIAM BISHOP NOW we come to Gelasius the Pope indeede and by his very phrase related by M. Abbot you may plainely perceiue that he beleeued firmely the sacred body of Christ and his pretious bloud to be really present in the blessed Sacrament for thus he speaketh We haue found that certaine men hauing receiued the portion of the sacred body doe abstaine from the Chalice of the sacred bloud Neither doe his wordes fit M. Abbots turne for the peoples receiuing vnder one kinde for he speaketh of Priests that doe consecrate both together vvho therefore must receiue both together that he may be partaker of the sacrifice which he himselfe hath offered For as it is said in the Canon next before De consecrat dist 2. relatum est Quale erit illud sacrificium cui nec ipse sacrificans particeps esse dignoscitur what kinde of sacrifice is that whereof he that sacrificeth doth not participate Wherefore it is by al meanes to be obserued that how often the Priest doth sacrifice the body and bloud of our Lord IESVS Christ vpon the Altar so often he exhibite himselfe a partaker of the body bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ. These wordes taken out of the Councel of Toledo goe immediately before those wordes which M. Abbot citeth and doe euidently shew that they are to be vnderstood of the Priest only that consecrateth the Sacrament as also the very title would haue told M. Abbot if he had beene disposed to take them right It is that the Priest ought not to receiue the body of Christ without his bloud So that here is not a vvord against the giuing the blessed body of Christ alone to the people But M. Abbot is forced like an euil Apothecary to take quid pro quo as they say one thing for another or else he should not be able to furnish his poore erring customers vvith any sort of pleasing drugges to feede their corrupt tast and grosse humours He doth by a parenthesis enterlace That Christ nor his Apostles nor the primitiue Church had euer the wit to consider any just cause of giuing the Sacrament in one kinde to the people vvhich is spoken too too like a blasphemer to touch our Sauiour Christ Iesus with lacke of vvit skil or due consideration who as diuers ancient Doctors doe testifie ministred the blessed Sacrament himselfe to two of his Disciples at Emaus vnder one only kinde of bread Luc. 24. vers 30. He tooke bread and blessed and brake and did reach it to them and their eies were opened and they knew him and he vanished out of their sight vvhere the circumstances August lib. 3. De consensu Euang. c. 25. Epist 59. ad Paul q. 8. Hier. in Epitaph Paulae of blessing breaking and giuing bread as he did at his last supper and the maruailous operation of it doe very probably proue it to haue beene the blessed Sacrament after which giuen in one kinde IESVS vanished out of their sight * Isichius lib. 2. in cap. 9. Beda in Theophil in eâ—m locum Lucae Opus imperfectuÌ„ in Mat. homil 17. In the Apostles time also very vsually the Sacrament vvas administred in one kinde They were perseuering in the doctrine of the Apostles and in communication of the breaking of bread and praiers vvhere breaking of bread being joined with preaching and praier doth conuince it to be spoken of the blessed SacrameÌ„t Againe saith S. Luke In the first of Sabaoth when we were assembled to breake bread Paul disputed with them c. This assembly vpon a Sonday furnished with S. Paules sermon must needes be to be made for the receiuing of the blessed Sacrament as a August Epist 86. Beda in illum locum S. Augustine and venerable Bede doe testifie In al which places following the expresse letter of the Scripture and the interpretation of many holy Fathers we haue warrant for the administration of the Sacrament to the people vnder one only kinde they then I hope vvanted not wit to know a cause of giuing the Sacrament in one kinde Lastly that in the primitiue Church the Sacrament was receiued vnder one kinde is most manifest by the testimony of b Tertull. lib. 2. ad Vxorâ—m Cyprian sermone de lapsis Ambros de obitu Satyri Tertullian S. Cyprian S. Ambrose and many others who declare how the Christians in those times of persecution carried to the sicke and reserued in their owne houses the blessed Sacrament viz. vnder the forme of bread to receiue it when they were in danger of torments or death for their more comfort and strengthning against those assaults Thus much by the way of administring the Sacrament vnder one kinde vnto the laity out of the practise of the primitiue Church the Apostles and our Sauiour himselfe in answere vnto M. Abbots parenthesis Now ere I take my leaue of this holy and most reuerend Pope Gelasius I vvil note briefly some branches of the Catholike faith which he doth formally deliuer to counterpoise those friuoulous objections vvhich M. Abbot haleth in obtorto collo as the Latin phrase is by the heeles out of his writinges First I haue declared out of him already Epist. ad Anast Imperat. In Epist ad Episcopos Daâ—daniae how that Bishops haue power and authority ouer Kinges and Emperours in Ecclesiastical causes so farre forth as to excommunicate them when vrgent cause so requireth He saith further That the Canons of the Church doe ordaine that from any part of the world appeale may be made to the See of Rome and that from it no man is suffered to appeale Againe That euery Church in the world doth know that the See of blessed Peter the Apostle hath right and power to loose and vnbinde that which is bound by the sentences of what Bishop soeuer as that See which hath lawful authority to judge
Israelites d Genes 48. vers 16. God c. and the Angel that hath deliuered me from al euil blesse these children The example of so religious a person is our sufficient vvarrant to pray to Angels and Saints for e Luc. 22. Saints in heauen are equal to Angels as our Sauiour himselfe assureth vs and Iob was counsailed to pray and cal for aide vnto some of the Saints f Iob. 5. vers 1. Ad aliquem Sanctorum conuerte Thirdly they of the old Testament knew good vvorkes to merit life euerlasting and had by Gods grace free-wil to doe them which I adde because by the same sentences I wil proue both togither God said vnto Cain Genes 4. vers 7. If thou doe wel shalt thou not receiue if euil thy sinne wil be at the dore but the appetite or pange of it shal be vnder thee and thou shalt haue dominion ouer it see both power giuen to the wicked to doe wel if they wil and recompence promised therefore Againe in the law Moises hauing propounded to the Israelites Gods commandements exhorting them thereunto saith Deuter. 30. vers 15. Consider that I set before you life and good and contrariwise death and euil if you loue God and wil walke in his commandements life or else death c. Vers 19. choose therefore life c. Must they not be very dul that hence cannot gather the keeping of Gods commandements to deserue and merit life euerlasting and that man hath by the aide of Gods grace free-wil to performe them Fourthly they that were skilful in the law of Moises could not be ignorant of vvorkes of supererogation that is that there vvere many good workes which men were not bound to doe yet if they did them they might thereby aduance themselues in Gods fauour because there is Numer 6. special order taken for the sanctification of any man or woman that would be a Nazarite that is any one that of deuotion would withdraw himselfe from secular affaires and for some certaine time serue God more religiously yet no man was bound therevnto Further they were allowed and encouraged to make vowes which is also a worke of supererogation against M. Abbot fift instance For not only Dauid saith Psalm 75. vers 12. Vow and render it to our Lord but in the law it is written * Deuter. 23. vers 21. When thou doest vow a vow vnto the Lord thy God slacke not to performe it because the Lord thy God doth require it c. but if thou wilt not promise thou shalt be without sinne And to leaue the word Monkery as fitter for a Monkey then for an Abbot Iosephus a graue authour among the Iewes vvitnesseth That there liued in the time of the law many thousandes called Esseni Antiquitat Iudaic. lib. 18. cap. 2. who were contemners of riches liued in common hauing neither wiues nor seruants What other thing doe Monkes professe then such pouerty and chastity sauing obedience vvhich must needes also in some degree be among the others who liued no doubt in orderly society Sixtly neither they nor vve either buy or sel pardons yet had great mercy and pardon shewed them for their fore-fathers sake as God test fieth in the first commandement And that they were on the other side to endure temporal punishment for sinne after the guilt of the sinne the eternal paine was forgiuen them is most clearely recorded both of al the people of Israel Numer 14. Whose murmuration against God was at the earnest intercession of Moises pardoned and yet were they therefore depriued of entring into the land of promise Yea Numer 20. vers 24. Moises and Aaron themselues were in like manner both pardoned for their diffidence that they did not glorifie God at the waters of contradiction and yet neuerthelesse Deuter. 32. vers 51. debarred from entring into the land of promise for the same offence so that after the mortal guilt of sinne is remitted there remaineth either some temporal satisfaction to be made on our parties or else to be forgiuen and pardoned vs by God and his Ministers Seauenthly that they made praiers and offered sacrifice for the soules in Purgatory is manifest by the fact of 2. Mach. 12. Iudas Machabeus who was a most noble vertuous and faithful Israelite as al Christians doe confesse Neither is there any neede for this purpose to auerre and proue the bookes of the Machabees to be Canonical Scripture when it serueth this turne that they be taken for a graue History and that the Protestants allow them to be of sufficient authority for instruction of manners Further al the Iewes euen to this day doe pray for the soules in Purgatory Titulo 1. Sect. 4. see the Catholike Apology out of Protestant Authours Eightly the Iewes of the male-kinde by their law vvere bound to goe as it were in pilgrimage at three solemne feasts in the yeare vnto one special place that God should choose for his seruice And King Salomon encouraged al strangers to goe on pilgrimage to the Temple builded by him vvhen he praied Deuter. 16. vers 16 that what stranger soeuer should come thither to pray he might obtaine his sute And the ¶ * 3. Reg. 8. vers 21. bones of the Prophet Elizeus giuing life by their touch vnto a dead man doth sufficiently instruct al true beleeuers that it is very profitable to goe on pilgrimage vnto the sacred bones and holy Relikes of Gods faithful seruants departed Lastly they were not wholy vnacquainted with a kinde of shrift and absolution for 4. Reg. 13. vers 21. Numer 5. Leuit. 5. they were charged to confesse the sinnes they had committed and to bring with them vnto the Priest a prescribed sacrifice to be offered by them for their pardon and absolution And as the lepers by that law were bound to present themselues to the Priests and were by them declared such or purged from that imputation so in the law of grace men infected with the soules leprosie that is mortal sinne are either to be bound and declared obstinate by the Priests if they vvil not repent or repenting and confessing the same are to be cleansed there-from by the Priests absolution Chrisost li. 3. de Sacerdot Hieron in ca. 16. Math. as both S. Chrisostome and S. Hierome doe argue This in briefe wil suffice I hope for answere vnto M. Abbots particulars I might easily adde how the sacrifice of the body and bloud of Christ vnder the formes of bread and wine were both prefigured by Melchisedechs Host in bread and vvine and foretold by the Genes 14. Malach. 10. Prophet Malachy and vvhat a liuely type Manna that Angelical and delicate foode was of Christs body in the Sacrament And how the supreme authority of one head ouer al the whole Church and that to belong to a Bishop not to the lay Magistrate was not obscurely shadowed but liuely represented by the
purpose for the Apostle saith not that he taught any one article which the coÌ„mon sort of the Iewes did beleeue but such things as the Prophets said should come to passe Who knowes not that they fore-saw and fore-told many thinges that were no articles of faith in their daies and touching these very particulars how many of the Iewes did beleeue that their Messias should die so shameful a death or that Mâ—ises law should be abrogated by their Messias and that the Gospel of Christ should be preached vnto al nations al these vvere great nouels and exceeding scandalous to the body of the Iewes wherefore though some better learned among them and more religiously affected might vnderstand the Prophets speaking of those points yet vvere they farre from the common reach perswasion of that people of the Iewes from these points that the Iewes beleeued al that Christ taught and al that he coÌ„manded his Apostles to deliuer to al nations M. Abbot runneth like a vvandering Planet to a third that al which the Apostles taught they committed to writing vvhich is notwithstanding as false as any of the former for many of them vvho neuer ceassed to preach left not one sentence in vvriting behinde them and he that wrote most did not write the hundreth part of that which he taught by word of mouth We know vvel that they left the Gospel in writing and many other most diuine and rare instructions in their Epistles vvherefore he needed not cite Ireneus to witnesse that which no man is ignorant off but that they wrote al which they preached or al thinges necessary to saluation Ireneus saith not a word but plainly signifieth the contrary vvhere he most sagely counsaileth al men Euseb hist Eccles lib. 5. cap. 19. when any controuersie in religion ariseth to make their recourse to the most ancient Churches where the Apostles had conuersed amongst which he commendeth the Roman for principal of al the rest and from them to take their resolution he then was of opinion that the decision of al controuersies vvere not to be searched out of the vvritten word but rather to be taken from the resolution of the Church De Praescriptionibus Oh but Tertullian saith That beleeuing this we desire to beleeue no more because we first beleeue that there is nothing else for vs to beleeue Beleeuing this beleeuing what the vvritten word only nothing lesse for in that very Treatise his principal drift is to proue that Heretikes cannot be confuted out of the written word but by ancient customes traditions which he calleth Praescriptions but saith he when we beleeue the whole doctrine of Christ both written and deliuered by Apostolical tradition then we desire to beleeue no more of any vpstart Heretikes new deuises To S. Augustine I answere first that those be not his formal wordes which he citeth Secondly admitting the sence if it be rightly taken I say that these wordes Gallat 1. If any man or Angel shal preach any thing besides that which is writen vvhere he alludeth to the Apostles like vvordes are to be vnderstood as S. Augustine himselfe expoundeth those of the Apostle that is If any man shal preach contrary to that which is written For this is his owne interpretation Aug. lib. 17. cont Faust. cap. 3. The Apostle saith not more then you haue receiued but otherwise then you haue receiued for if he had so said he had prejudiced himselfe who desired to come to the Thessalonians to supply what was wanting to their faith He that supplies addeth that wanted but doth not take away any thing that was before so that you see when he faith that nothing is to be preached besides that vvhich is vvritten his meaning is nothing vvhich is contrary to it allowing withal that much more conformable to it may be added for a supply to make it ful and perfect M. Abbot hauing in few lines run ouer 4. large questions to wit first That the Prophets and Patriarkes beleeued no principal points of the Roman faith secondly that Christ deliuered nothing but what the Iewes before hand beleeued thirdly that the Apostles preached the same and no other to the Gentiles fourthly that whatsoeuer they preached they afterwardes wrote he fiftly addeth that the Protestants receiue and beleeue al the written word Whence he wil haue it to follow finally that the Protestants are very good Iewes and doe jumpe just with them in al articles of faith and consequently are true Catholikes so that in M. Abbots reckoning before you can be a true Protestant Catholike you must first become a good honest Iewe. Behold what a round this man is driuen to walke how many brakes of thornes he is forced to breake through ere he can come to make any shew of proofe that the Protestants are Catholikes the matter is so improbable I haue already declared how false euery one of his former foure propositions be the fift is as vntrue and more if more may be then any of the other and he plaies the sophister in it egregiously to begge that which is principally in question How proues he that Protestants receiue and beleeue al the writen word hath he so litle wit and judgement as to thinke that we would freely graunt him that for to omit that they receiue not but reject diuers bookes of the old Testament because they vvere not in the Canon of the Iewes or doubted off by some in the primitiue Church by which reason they might refuse as many of the new doe they rightly vnderstand and beleeue truly al that is vvritten in that blessed booke of Gods vvord nothing lesse Doe they giue credit to our Sauiour IESVS Christ himselfe telling them a Math. 26. v. 27. 28. This is my BODY that shal be broken for you this is my BLOVD that shal be shedde for you b Iohan. 20. vers 23. Whose sinnes yee shal forgiue on earth shal be forgiuen in heauen c Math. 16. vers 18. Thou art PETER and vpon this Rocke wil I build my Church c. and the gates of hel shal not preuaile against it d Math. 20. vers 8. Cal the worke-men that had laboured in his vine-yearde and pay them their hire e Iacob 2. vers 24. Doe you see that by workes a man is justified and not by faith only f Iacob 5. vers 14. Is any man sicke among you let him bring in the Priests of the Church and let them pray ouer them anoiling them with OILE in the name of our LORD c. g Ibidem 16. Confesse therefore your sinnes one to another these and an hundred more plaine texts recorded in that fountaine of life vvherein our Catholike Roman doctrine is deliuered in expresse tearmes to wit The Real presence of Christes body in the Sacrament That Priests haue power to pardon sinnes That Christ built his Church vpon S. Peter That good workes doe in justice deserue eternal life That
fiercely bent to deceiue others that he cared not vvhat vntruth he vttered The Apostle maketh honourable mention of Hebr. 9. vers 4. 5. the Images of the Cherubins placed gloriously in the vppermost part of the Israelites Tabernacle which for the holinesse thereof was called Sancta sanctorum Further that within the Arke of the testament standing in the same place vvere reserued pretious Relikes as the rodde of Aaron that blossomed a golden pot ful of that Angelical foode Manna which God rained from heauen and the Tables of the Testament to vvhich if you joine the sentence of the same Apostle 1. Cor. 10. vers 11. That al hapned to them in figure and were written for our instruction may not vve then gather thereby that Images are to be placed in Churches and holy Relikes in golden shrines And the same Apostle in the same Epistle declaring Hebr. 11. vers 21. that Iacob by faith adored the toppe of Iosephs â—odde vvhich was a signe of his power doth he not giue al juditious men to vnderstand that the Images of Saints for their holy representation ought to be respected and worshipped With as great facility and no lesse perspicuity we doe collect out of S. Paul that the Saints in heauen are to be praied vnto for he doth Rom. 15 30. 2. hartily craue the Romans to helpe him in their praiers and hopeth by the helpe of Cor. 1. vers 11. the Corinthians praiers to be deliuered from great dangers Whence we reason thus If such a holy man as S. Paul was stood in neede of other mens praiers much more neede haue we poore vvretches of the praiers of Saints S. Paul was not ignorant how ready God is to heare vs nor of the only mediation of Christ IESVS and yet as high as he was in Gods fauour and as wel informed of the office of Christs mediation he held it needful to request other farre meaner then himselfe to pray for him Al this is good saith a good Protestant for to instruct vs to request the helpe of other mens praiers that are liuing with vs but not of Saints who are departed this world Yes say we because the Saints in heauen are more charitable and desirous of Gods honour and of our spiritual good then any friend we haue liuing and therefore more forward to assist vs vvith their praiers They are also more gratious in the sight of God and thereby better able to obtaine our requests Al vvhich may easily be gathred out of S. Paul vvho saith that 1. Cor. 13.8 charity neuer faileth but is maruailously encreased in that heauenly country Also that Ephes 2. vers 19. we are not strangers and forraigners to the Saints but their fellow cittizens and the houshold seruants of God with them yea we are members of the same body wherefore they cannot choose but tender most dearely al our sutes that appertaine vnto the glory of God our owne saluation They therefore haue finally no other shift to auoide praying to Saints but to say that though al other circumstances doe greatly moue vs thereto yet considering that they cannot heare vs it is labour lost to pray to them To vvhich we reply and that out of S. Paul that the Saints can heare vs and doe perfectly know our praiers made vnto them For the Apostle comparing the knowledge of this life vvith that of the life to come saith 1. Cor. 13. vers 9.10 12. De Ciuitat Dei lib. 22. cap. 29. In part we know and in part we prophecy but when that shal come which is perfect that shal be made voide which is in part And a little after We see now by a glasse in a darke sort but then face to face Whence not I but that Eagle-eied Doctor S. Augustine doth deduce that the knowledge of the heauenly cittizens is without comparison farre more perfect and clearer then euer any mortal mans vvas of thinges absent and to come yea that the Prophets vvho vvere indued with surpassing and extraordinary light did not reach any thing neare vnto the ordinary knowledge of the Saints in heauen grounding himselfe vpon these expresse wordes of the Apostle We prophecy in part that is imperfectly in this life which shal be perfect in heauen If then saith he the Prophets being mortal men had particular vnderstanding of thinges farre distant from them and done in other countries much more doe those immortal soules replenished with the glorious light of heauen perfectly know that which is done on earth though neuer so farre from them thus much of praying to Saints Now to the Masse The same profound diuine S. Augustine with other holy Fathers vvho were not wont so lightly to skimme ouer the Scriptures as our late new Masters doe but seriously searched them and most deepely pearced into them did also finde al the partes of the Masse touched by the Apostle S. Paul in these vvordes Aug. epist 59 ad PaulinuÌ„ Ambros Chrisost in hunc locum 1. Tim. 2. v. 1. I desire that obsecrations praiers postulations thanks-giuings be made for al men c. declaring how by these foure wordes of the Apostles are expressed the foure different sort of praiers vsed in the celebration of the holy Misteries By obsecrations those praiers that the Priest saith before consecration By praiers such as be said at and after the coÌ„secration vnto the end of the Pater noster By postulations those that are said at the communion vnto the blessing of the people Finally By thanks-giuing such as are said after by both Priest and people to giue God thankes for so great a gift receiued He that knowes what the Masse is may by these wordes of the Apostle see al the partes of it very liuely painted out in this discourse of S. Augustine vvho though he calleth not that celebration of the Sacrament by the name of Masse yet doth he giue it a name equiualent Epistola 59. Sacri Altaris oblatio the oblation or sacrifice of the holy Altar in the solution of the fift question at the exposition of these vvordes Orationes As for the principal part of the Masse vvhich is the Real presence of Christes body in the blessed Sacrament S. Paul deliuereth it in as expresse tearmes as may be euen as he had receiued it from our Lord 1. Cor. 11. vers 23. This is my body which shal be deliuered for you c. and addeth that he that eateth and drinketh it vnworthily eateth and drinketh judgement to himselfe not discerning the body of our Lord. And in the chapter before makes this demande The Chalice or cup of benediction which we blesse is it not the communication of the bloud of Christ and the bread which we breake is it not the participation of the body of our Lord Moreouer he speaketh of the Church of Rome being then but in her cradle most honourably saying Your faith is renowmed in the whole world and after Rom. 1.
now by the Canon of the Masse the Priest must dippe the third part of the consecrated host into the Sacrament of the bloud and there praieth that this mixture may be heathful to himselfe and al the receiuers vnto euerlasting life WILLIAM BISHOP I Cannot easily judge whether this man were more fiercely bent to deceiue others or more foolishly set to shame himselfe vvith lying that durst aduenture vpon this Canon of the auncient and most learned Pope Iulius for besides that it hath nothing for the Protestants purpose it doth in sundry points notably confirme the Roman doctrine thus beginneth the Canon When euery crime and sinne is purged and blotted out by sacrifices offered vnto God what shal hereafter be giuen to God for the purgation of our sinnes when errour is committed in the oblation of the sacrifice it selfe note how often he repeateth and recommendeth the diuine sacrifice of the Masse For we haue heard of some men possessed with schismatical ambition who contrary to diuine order and the institution of the Apostles doe in the diuine sacrifice offer milke in steede of wine others also for a complement of communion doe giue the dipped Sacrament to the people c. Then confuting these opinions he saith When the Master of truth did commend to his Disciples the true sacrifice of our saluation he gaue to none of them milke c. let therefore milke be no more offered when we sacrifice Then come in the broken vvordes of M. Abbot thus But for that of the dipped Eucharist which for a complement of communion they deliuer to the people they haue not receiued any testimony brought out of the Gospel where our Lord commended to the Apostles his body and bloud for there the bread is mentioned apart and the commendation of the Chalice apart where M. Abbot first left out the commending of Christs body and bloud to his Disciples because those vvordes vvould haue scalded his tongue Secondly this Canon hath nothing against that vvhich is now done by the Priest in the Masse for the Priest doth not dippe any part of the Host into the Chalice to be afterwardes taken out and giuen to the people vvhich is that which Pope Iulius doth disproue Neither doe our Priests to speake properly dippe any part of the Sacrament into the Chalice for dipping in importeth as much as the putting in and taking foorth againe which we doe not but only for a holy signification we doe put into the Chalice one litle parâ—â— of the Host there to lie and not to be taken out againe but to be receiued by the Priest together with the bloud and therefore we cal it not the dipping in but the mixture or mingling together of the body and bloud of Christ wherefore M. Abbot erreth in the maine point of his reprehension For Pope Iulius reproued only the giuing of the dipped Host vnto the people vvhich we doe not nor hold it any way necessary because vve teach them that the holy Host of Christs body containes in it selfe being a liuing body as wel Christes bloud as his flesh now vve doe only put a little peece of the sacred Host into the Chalice there to be receiued with the pretious bloud not of the people but by the Priest alone That this is no new deuise of the Church of Rome may be wel gathered out of the same distinction and in the very next leafe to that of Pope Iulius cited by M. Abbot in the Canon Triforme De consecrat distinct 2. vvhere Pope Sergius of more then 800. yeares standing doth expound this very ceremony of putting one part of the host into the Chalice It was then a knowne vsed ceremony of the Masse in his daies and no late inuention as M. Abbot dreameth I may not here forget that in the very Canon of Pope Iulius vvhich M. Abbot alleageth there is most expresse and very earnest coÌ„mandement of mingling water with the vvine that is to be consecrated Because saith that blessed Pope our Lordes Chalice according vnto the precepts of the Canons must be offered the wine being first mingled with water Finally we haue in this Canon alleaged by M. Abbot a confirmation of a propitiatory sacrifice of the real presence of Christs body and bloud two principal points of our doctrine and of mingling water with wine in the offertory and not one direct word for the Protestants And because this resolution of Iulius seemeth to be taken almost vvord for word out of Pope Alexanders first letter vvho was but the fift Pope from S. Peter I wil acquaint the reader vvith his wordes these they be Alexand. in epist omnibus orthodoxis De consecrat dist 2. Can. 1. In the oblations of Sacraments which are offered vnto our Lord at the solemne time of Masse the passion of our Lord is to be blended that his passion may be celebrated whose body and bloud is made and consecrated so that superstitious opinions being banished bread alone and wine mingled with water be offered in the sacrifice For as we haue receiued from the Fathers and very reason doth teach in the cuppe of our Lord only water or only wine ought not to be offered but both of them mixed togither And a little after Crimes and sinnes are blotted out when these sacrifices are offered therefore the passion of our Lord whereby we were redeemed is to be remembred with such sacrifices our Lord is delighted and shal be appeased and wil pardon huge offences For among sacrifices nothing can be greater then the body and bloud of Christ Neither is there any oblation better then this but this surpasseth them al c. Where you see the present Roman religion deliuered in as formal tearmes as may be There is also much more to the same purpose but I am the briefer in these authorities and doe alleage them more sparingly because Protestants seing them to be beyond al other exceptions doe flatly deny almost al the Epistles and Decretals of the most ancient Popes neuerthelesse they must needes be effectual and haue good place against M. Abbot that doth take vpon him to establish their doctrine put downe ours by the testimony of these the lawful heires and successours vnto the Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul alleaging many testimonies out of the very same Epistles Wherefore seing he hath appealed to them he must needes stand to them for this sentence of the President Festus hath his ground in very reason it selfe Act. 25. v. 12. Hast thou appealed to Caesar to Caesar shalt thou goe M. Abbot judged those Popes sentences of sound authority for confirmation of their religion he may not therefore deny them being brought in against him The same Pope Iulius to omit many other cleare testimonies taken out of his owne letters because the Protestants doe cauil at them doth most euidently confirme the soueraigne power of the See of Rome ouer al the East Church euen by the vvitnesse of most approued authours For vpon the
by most holy Personages witnesse these his vvordes Homil. 37. in Euang. Most deare bretheren many of you haue knowne Cassius the Bishop of Maruiensis whose custome was to offer vp to God daily sacrifice so that almost no day of his life passed in which he did not offer to God almighty the propitiatory Host whose life also was very conformable therevnto and then declareth how in a vision he receiued a commandement from God to hold on and to continue to doe as he did And at the feast of S. Peter and S. Paul thou shalt saith God come to me and I wil repay thee thy reward Againe he relateth of the most blessed Pope Agapitus that hauing a dumbe and lame man presented vnto him by his friendes who professed their confidence in the power of God and authority of S. Peter he presently bent himselfe to praier And beginning the solemnities of Masse Lib. 3. Dialog cap. 3. he offereth vp sacrifice in the sight of almighty God which being ended he went from the Altar tooke the lame man by the hand and the people beholding of it he presently set him vpright vpon his feete and putting the body of our Lord into his mouth his tongue that before was dumbe then beganne to speake Besides of him selfe thus S. Gregory saith Homil. 8. in Euang. Lib. 4. Dialog cap. 55. Because we are by Gods grace this day of Christes Natiuity to celebrate Masse three times we cannot long speake of the Gospel And further He caused the sacrifice of the Masse to be offered thirty daies together for the soule of one Iustus a Monke vntil he was by the oblation of that comfortable sauing Host deliuered from paines This may suffice for his testimony of the sacrifice of the Masse that it is a true propitiatory sacrifice and to be daily offered both for the quicke and the dead Now touching the Real presence of which S. Gregory writeth in this manner Christ liuing now in himselfe immortally Dialog lib. 4. cap. 58. is yet sacrificed for vs in this mistery of the holy oblation for his body is there receiued his flesh is distributed to the saluation of the people his bloud is not now shed by the handes of Infidels but is powred into the mouthes of the faithful Item he saith vpon these wordes Homil. 14. in Euang. A good sheepe-heard giues his life for his sheepe Christ is that good Pastour who gaue his life for his sheepe that he might turne his body and bloud into the Sacrament and fil those sheepe which he had redeemed with the foode of his owne flesh Moreouer expounding these wordes of Iob Who wil grant vs that we may be filled with his flesh The Iewes saith he and the beleeuing Gentils doe both desire to be filled with Christs flesh the obstinate Iewes in striuing to extinguish it by spilling of it but the good Gentils in coueting to feede their hungry mindes with his flesh in the daily sacrifice This I hope be plaine enough for the Real presence Now to the Inuocaton of Saints and the worshipping their Relikes and Images S. Gregory perswades vs to pray to the Saints both because they are Patrones very gratious with our judge IESVS Christ and we very sinful creatures that without the fauourable helpe of others are most like to be condemned Hom. 32. super Euang. In fine Wherefore saith he sue to those blessed Martirs that they may helpe you with their praiers get them to be Protectours of your guiltinesse They looke to be requested and as it were seeke that they may be sought vnto In the same place he sheweth vvhat miracles were wrought at their tombes and what gifts God bestowed on them that came to pray there The sicke men saith he doe come and are cured perjured persons presenting themselues there are vexed by the Deuil men possed with euil spirits be there deliuered How gloriously then doe they liue there where they liue that is in heauen if they liue so miraculously here where they are dead He propoundeth this question how it comes to passe that Martirs doe many times shew greater fauours and worke greater miracles in places where their bodies lie not and answereth in these wordes Where holy Martirs rest in their bodies 2. Dialog cap. vlt. no doubt but that they can doe many miracles as they doe vnto them that with a pure mind seeke for them but because weake mindes might doubt whether they be present to heare there where their bodies be not it is necessary that there they worke greater maruailes least weakelings should doubt of their presence but they whose mindes be fastned vpon God haue so much the more merit for that they know them not to lie there in body and yet not to faile to heare them Doe you note how he reputeth it to be a weakenesse of faith to doubt vvhether the Saints in heauen doe heare our praiers or no vvhich very doubt he resolueth in proper tearmes in another place where treating of the knowledge vvhich the soules departed haue doth say of the blessed soules in heauen 12. Moral cap. 13. Seing that the soules of the Saints doe inwardly behold the brightnesse of God almighty we must in no case beleeue that there is any thing without it which they are ignorant off That Churches were dedicated in the honour of Martirs and holy daies kept in remembrance of their deathes he vvitnesseth in twenty places That Masse was also said daily in eorum veneratione to their worship Lib. 7. Epist cap. 29. That Candels were lighted in the honour of S. Paul to testifie that he with the light of his preaching filled the world Lib. 12. Epist 9. See the last Epistle of the same booke vvhere he ordaineth that lights be taken to serue the high Altar of S. Medard Now for the loue and reuerence vvhich we ought to cary to their holy relikes let this serue A most religious Princesse vvho had in her owne Pallace built a Church in the honour of S. Paul made sute vnto S. Gregory to haue S. Paules Head or Handkercheefe to sanctifie and inrich the same to vvhom S. Gregory vvrote this answere Lib. 3. Epist 30. that he was very willing to pleasure her yet as sorry that he could not doe it in that sort For saith he the bodies of S. Peter and S. Paul doe in their Church glister and lighten with so many miracles and terrours that no man dare approach neere them not so much as to worship them without great dread but he trusted shee should not want the vertue of those holy Apostles whom with al her hart shee loued to protect her And touching the hand-kercheefe which shee demanded it did lie with the body and could not be touched more then the body it selfe yet that her most excellent grace might not be wholy frustrate of her religious desire he would send her some part of those chaines which S. Paul carried both about his necke and
haue beene various in the transforming of his countenance In Germany beleeuing one thing in Heluetia another at Geneua turning the third way in Holland vvandering the fourth How many countries they infect with their new and prophane Gospel so many diuers professions of faith and distinct formes of Church gouernement they haue These changlinges that are so farre degenerated from their predecessors piety and doe disagree so much one with another Yea that doe in the same country often chop and change their owne religion are of al constant Catholikes to be auoided as vnstable and wauering soules caried about with euery blast of new doctrine But concerning dutiful obedience vnto the Prince vvho is Gods Lieutenant general in temporal causes Catholikes if they be compared to Protestants wil be found an hundred times more loyal and constant vvhich point because I haue touched in my answere vnto M. Abbots Epistle in the beginning of this booke I neede not here againe handle it at large And although some men of our religion haue now and then as fraile and sinneful creatures forgotten their duty both to God and their King yet they haue beene so few and that so seldome in comparison of the Protestants that for one of ours more then a thousand of theirs haue within this hundred yeares failed therein though we be in number a thousand of our religion for one of theirs if you take al Christendome ouer And albeit the state seeme now to be settled against the religion of our fore-fathers and not vnlike so to continue vntil it shal please God of his infinite mercies to alter and amend it vvhich notwithstanding as al the faithful know may be very shortly because his diuine power is infinite and no man able to resist his vvil yet we shal be by the assistance of Gods good grace so farre off from biting our tongues or the lip either thereat as M. Abbot fondly imagineth that vve wil rather pray to God to open our lips and to loose our tongues to magnifie his holy name that he hath giuen vs that true Christian happinesse and honour not only Phillip 1. vers 28. to beleeue a-right in Christ IESVS in these daies of infidelity but also to suffer disgrace and to sustaine persecution for the constant profession of his holy name and only true Catholike Apostolike Roman faith They who make profession of religion to please the Princes of the earth to heape vp honours and to rake riches togither haue great cause of griefe when they finde themselues therefore by the present state discountenanced impouerished and vtterly rejected But others vvho know our blessed Sauiour as al Christians ought to doe and the true honour vertue and riches of his Crosse doe more regard of his loue yea of one good looke of his then of al earthly Kinges countenances fauours and preferments And doe make a higher estimate of bearing his Crosse after him and of suffering persecution for his glorious name sake then of al vvorldly ease honours and commodities Imitating therein that generous and most noble minded Moyses Hebr. 11. vers 25. Who chose rather to be afflicted with the people of God then to haue the pleasures of temporal sinne esteeming the reproach for Christ greater riches then the treasures of the Aegiptians It doth not therefore so much trouble vs to behold the state settled against the Catholike religion for our owne temporal interest who haue thereby so manifold occasions to mortifie our euil passions to flie the temptations of the wicked world and to endeare our selues vnto our most louing redeemer But very great sorow and continual sadnesse of hart haue we to consider that Christian religion first planted in our country and euer since vntil our fathers daies most constantly continued is now banished thence and with it al honesty of life al good and charitable dealing with our neighbour is vtterly decaied and banished out of the City and Country And in place thereof swearing and forswearing drunkennesse dishonesty and al manner of deceit and knauery openly practised countenanced and without blushing professed That the goodly faire and stately Churches built by our Catholike Ancestors for Catholike assemblies at the blessed sacrifice of the Masse and for the due administration of the holy Sacraments and true preaching of Gods word be now prophaned and turned to places of dishonouring of our soueraigne Creatour and of seducing his poore creatures That the famous Vniuersities and other Schooles founded for instruction principally of Catholike doctrine and deuotion be now made shops of new errours loose manners and impiety Vpon these and such like spiritual considerations finding our poore country depriued in manner of al Gods blessings and our deare country-men made slaues of the Deuil and fuel for the flames of hel fire vve Catholikes are exceeding pensiue yet doe vve not therefore fare like madde men nor gnaw our tongues for anger as M. Abbot scornefully vvriteth but doe in bitternesse of soule most earnestly pray vnto the Father of mercies in vvhose handes are the harts of al Kinges to inspire our dread soueraigne King IAMES and the Lordes of his most honourable Councel vvith the true knowledge of his sacred vvil and word and to kindle in them so feruent a zeale of the Catholike Roman faith as that they may imploy those very rare and singular gifts of nature arte and experience which God hath plentifully powred vpon them towardes the reclaiming of our country from the new prophane heresies and most wicked conuersation of these miserable times vnto our Ancestours sound faith sincere honesty and most charitable and vpright dealing This chiefly is the heape of our heauinesse this is al the harme vve wish them this is al the treason that can be justly laid to our charge That vvith the aboundance of such honour and prosperity as this vale of misery affordeth them they might also be heires of eternal happinesse glory and felicity And albeit for this inestimable heauenly blisse vvhich we most hartily desire vnto our natiue soile and best beloued country we be stiled a thousand times traitours and euery way vsed most vnkindly yet we shal not surceasse by Gods grace to pray for them continually vvho doe day and night persecute vs yea ouer and besides be ready also by the assistance of the same his grace not only to bestow our best and most seruiceable daies to doe them good but also the dearest bloud in our bodies if it shal please our blessed Sauiour so to dispose of vs. And is it likely that men thus by the grace of God affected should cry out as M. Abbot malitiously surmiseth O fallaces spes O deceitful hopes doth he not here rather notably discouer the basenesse and corruption of his owne mind as exceeding far dissenting from the right temper and disposition of a sound and noble Christian who should be nothing daunted for seing the worldly state settled against him because our great Master Christ hath assured vs of that