my couenant With you saith the Lord my Spirit which is vpon thee and my wordes which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seede saith the Lord from henceforth and for euer Isa. 59. ver 21 But the Anabaptists in our dayes brag of the reuelations of the spirit which reuelations notwithstanding agree not with the written word of God and therfore it is certaine that their reuelations are but fantasies and toyes of brain-sicke men This written word of God is to be read in the bookes of MOSES and the Prophets of whome Christ said Search the Scriptures for they beare testimonie of me Ioh. 5. And in the bookes written by the Apostles and Euangelists whome Christ commanded to tarie at Jerusalem vntill they were endued with power from aboue Actes 1. ver 8. This power wherewith they were endued from aboue was double First a power to knowe the sense and meaning of the Scriptures of God Secondly power to vtter boldly and couragiously in all languages and to all nations the trueth which they knewe This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 distinguisheth the writings of the Prophets and Apostles from all other writings as THEODORETVS prudently hath noted de principio Serm. 2. The will of God saith hee is not to be sought in the bookes of PLATO who like as he knewe litle in matters concerning God so likewise hee was timorous and durst not vtter vnto the worlde boldly that litle sponke of knowledge which he had Hee knew there was onely one God but in his letters written to DIONYSIVS if they were serious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was the beginning of the letter thâ—…t is oâ—…e God but if the letter was not serious nor dited froÌ„ the â—…ound of his heart then the beginning of the letter was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is pluralitie of gods Who can giue vndoubted credite in maters pertaining to God to such men as know but a litle and the litle thing that they know they dare not presume to tell it to others But the Apostles were indued with strength from aboue they were taught by the Spirit of Christ in al trueth Iohn 16. they were not dashed with feare of the countenances of men Acts 4. but couragiously preached the truth of God to the great admiration of their hatefull aduersaries The word of God written by MOSES was so perfitly written that it was not lawfull to adde any thing vnto it nor to paire any thing from it Deut. 4. 12. Neither did the Prophets or Apostles adde any thing vnto the writings of MOSES but they were faithfull interpreters of MOSES bookes and vttered that same thing more clearely which was somewhat darkly shadowed into the ceremonies of the Law For like as a marchant man who hath fine cloth rolled vp in his shop if he shall lay it out in breadth and length vpon a table it remaineth the selfe same cloth it was before but it is better seene and knowne then it was before euen so the Apostles haue vttered the mysteries of the Kingdome of God more clearely then MOSES did but they haue said no more anent the saluation of man then MOSES saide before them This pure and perfite word of God should not be mixed with humane traditions for by this mixture three injuries are done to the written worde of God First by this meane the reuerence due vnto the written worde of God is impared and diminished Secondly traditions by time are equalled vnto the written worde of God and thirdly traditions are preferred vnto the written word of God And this beeing the last period whereunto the reuerence of humaine traditions tendeth to make the writâ—…n commandementes of God of none effect by their traditions as Christ clearely testifieth Mat. 15 ver 6. humane traditions are the lesse to bee regarded of all true hearted Christians to the end the written word of God may haue the owne due honour and reuerence Many false imputations against sacred Scriptures are forged by Papistes to transport the hearts of people from the perfite reuerence of scripture calling it imperfite vnsufficient and that it is obscure and that it is perillous to Laicke people to reade it lest they fall into errour The first accusation of Scripture is the vnsufficiencie of it The Bishop of Enereux that blasphemous man was bold to write a booke of the vnsufficiencie of Scripture and the greatest argument hee vseth if it were granted yet prooueth it not his purpose for he thinketh that wee haue not sufficiently by Scripture conuicted the Anabaptists who deny that children should be baptized till they be of perfite yeeres to giue a confession of their owne faith Wee suppone that all this were true yet it prooueth not vnsufficiencie in scripture but rather insufficiencie in vs to whome the mysteries of the booke of God are not sufficiently knowne There is a place of Scripture Exod 3. I am the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. In this place I say is an argument secretly latent and prooning the resurrection as Christ clearely declareth disputing against the Sadduces Mat. 22 ver 31. 32. yet no man before the manifestation of Christ himselfe euer perceiued that this argument was lurking in these words shall it be saide this argument was not in scripture because it was not perceiued by weake men to bee in scripture Truely it were good for this Bishop to follow the example of the Iudges that are in this Isle of Britaine when an act of Parliament is made and ratified the Iudges of our countrie decerne all causes according to the Acts but giue not out rash sentence against the Actes but when the Couenant of God is made and ratified by the bloode of Christe it were better to judge according to it then to giue out rash sentence against it Let vs consider what is written of the three bookes that shall be opened at the day of Iudgement and whereby the worlde shall be judged One of the three bookes is expresly nominat to wit the booke of life Apocal chap. 20. ver 10 the other two no man can denie to bee the Booke of the Lawe and the booke of the conscience because the Booke of the Lawe declareth all that wee should haue done and the booke of the conscience beeing opened manifesteth all that wee haue done whereupon the righteous Iudge of the worlde groundeth a just sentence of condemnation against vngodly men in this maner The booke of the Lawe manifesteth what yee should haue done the booke of your owne conscience manifesteth that yee haue done the contrarie and moreouer also your names are not found written in the Booke of life Therefore departe from mee into the fire prepared for the Deuill and his angels Nowe I demaund of Papistes concerning these three bookes that shall bee opened is any of them imperfite Is there any elect person whose name is not written in the booke of
historie of the Romaine Emperours and I haste to that which is the principall purpose of this compend howe wicked NERO kindled the first great Fornace of horrible persecution against the Christians It cannot be denyed but in the dayes of TIBERIVS our Lord Christ Iesus was crucified in the dayes of CALIGVLA and CLAVDIVS the hands of that cruell persecuter HEROD was mightily strengthened by the fauour countenance and bountifulnesse of both these Emperours so that hee layed handes vpon the pillars of the house of God and so I deny not but the Church of God before the dayes of NERO was in the fornace of trouble but nowe come the dayes whereinto the Romain Emperours like vnto NEBVCHADNEZAR werefull of rage and the forme of their visage was changed against the Christians and they commanded that the fornace should be hoate seuen times more then it was wont to be hoate Daniel chap. 3. ver 19. This historie hencefoorth conteineth on the one parte the great wrestling of persecuting Emperours against God not like to the wrestling of IACOB with God Genes 32. The place of IACOBS wrestling was Peniel where he sawe God the forme of wrestling was with many teares and strong supplications Hos. 12. the ende was that the Angel should not hastely depart from him leauing him comfortlesse the successe was the obtaining of a blessing which was the armour of God to saue him against the hatefull malice of ESAV but by the contrare NERO DOMITIAN TIAIAN ANTONIVS and the rest set their faces against the heauen commanded the holy One of Israel to departe out of the worlde endeuoured to quench the sauing light of his Gospell and by so doing brought downe vpon themselues in stead of a blessing that wrath that is reueiled from heauen vpon all them who detaine the trueth of God into vnrighteousnes Rom. 1. ver 18. On the other part is set downe the constant faith and patient suffering of the Saintes who hated not the burning bush because it was set on fire but they loued it because in it they were refreshed with the comfortable presence of the great Angell of God Exod. 3. who would not for gaining of their life 's once fashion themselues according to the similitude of Idolaters in outward and externall things TERTVLLIAN in his booke de corona militis declareth that true Christian souldiers abhorred from setting a garland of flowres vpon their heades when they receiued wages for their painfull seruice in warfare because it was the habite of Idolaters who sacrificed to IVPITER O happie men of God whose vertues the dead coloures of Painters cannot represent and the feastered maners of this corrupt age cannot imitat Oh when shall our shadowes departe when shall the fresh oyle of the grace of God bee powred into our lampes that the light of our faith patience and constant perseuerance may shine clearely to the world as theirs did The occasion of this first great persecution of NERO was his owne barbarous and cruell fact he caused the towne of Rome to bee set on fire which wasted the buildings of the towne for the space of sixe daies Bucol Index chron Funct chron Chytr chron to eschew the vile infamy of this barbarous fact he layde the blame vpon the Christians gaue foorth edicts and commandements to persecute them to the death NERO was so hatefull an aduersarie to all righteousnes that EVSEBIVS following the example and words of TERTVLLIAN affirmeth that if the Gospel had not bene an excellent good thing it had not beene condemned by NERO Euseb. eccles hist. lib. 2. cap. 25. It is supponed that PETER was crucified and PAVL was beheaded at Rome in time of this persecution And EVSEBIVS is in that opinion lib. 2. cap. 25 If this betrue the very deade bones of PETER PAVL are witnesses against the Romaine Church if they continue not in that same faith that PETER PAVL sealed vp with their blood The estate of the Iewes vnder NERO was very hard in respect of the oft change of the Romaine Deputies For in NEROES time continued FELIX for a space whome the Emperour CLAVDIVS had sent to Iudea after him FESTVS ALBINVS and FLORVS This last Deputie was fashioned according to the similitude of the maners of NERO his master the Prouerb holdeth true in NERO FLORVS Such man such master In the time that FELIX was Deputie a certaine Egyptian man pretending to bee a Prophet promising great things perswaded foure thousand of the Iewes to follow after him Acts 25. but FELIX sent foorth companies of horsemen and footmen who slew foure hundreth of the people that followed the Egyptian and tooke two hundreth of them aliue the rest were scattered but the seducing Prophet escaped and could not bee found Ioseph antiq lib. 20. cap. 6. When FESTVS was Deputie King AGRIPPA hearde the Apologie of PAVL and said that in a part PAVL perswaded him to be a Christian Acts 25. This AGRIPPA I say the sonne of HEROD whome the Angell of God slewe Acts 12. was aduanced to great honoures by the Emperour CLAVDIVS as his father had beene before him by the fauour of CAIVS and he possessed not only his fathers dominions but also the Tetrarchie of Iturea and Trachonitis sometime belonging to PHILIP the sonne of HEROD the great His might and riches procured trouble to the nation of the Iewes Hee had a palace situat vpon the West-side of the Temple of Ierusalem in regard it was builded vpon a mountaine he had a delectable profpect of the towne of Jerusalem yet not content with this he mounted vp the walles of the Palace by a new building so high that they who were in the palace might haue seene the altar and sacrifices of the Iewes offered in the inner court which at that time was called Atrium Iudeorum This doing grieued the harts of the Iewes They on the other part to cut off the sight of those who dwelt in the palace from beholding their sacrifices raysed vp the wall of the inner court on the West-side to such eminencie that no man could behold the sacrifices of the Iewes from the palace King AGRIPPA and FESTVS with authoritie cōmanded the Iewes to demolish their new builded wall In end this matter was referred to the Emperour NERO who being solisted by his wife POPPEA gratified the Iewes in this point compelled them not to cast downe their wall Ioseph antiq lib. 20. cap. 7. FESTVS died in Iudea and ALBINVS was sent to bee Deputie in Iudea ANANVS was the high Priest of the Iewes in these dayes and finding opportunitie of time to practise the malice of his heart against IAMES the sonne of ALPHEVS surnamed IVSTVS an holy Apostle kinseman of our Lord Iesus When ALBINVS was vpon his journey had not as yet arriued neither to the coastes of Egypt nor of Iudea this ANANVS I say caused IAMES surnamed IVSTVS the brother of our Lord to be stoned
owne infirmitie but onely for our sake who are sheepe of the sheepfold of Christe to guide vs by it to correct our wandering wayes and to holde vs in decent order Therefore of all things in the worlde let vs count Scripture a thing most pertinent to vs according to the saying of MOSES the secret thinges belong vnto the Lorde our God but the things reueiled belong to vs and our children for euer that wee may doe all the wordes of this Lawe Deut. 29. ver 29. to wit the Lawe written as is clearely declared Deut. 27. ver 2 and 3. When thou shalt passe ouer Iorden into the lande which the Lord thy God giueth thee thou shtli set up great stones and plaster them with plaster and Shelt witte upon them all the wordes of this Lawe c. Now if the writteÌ„ word be that very portion that belonged properly to our fathers to vs to our children we should sticke as fast to it as euer NABOTH did to his vineyarde remeÌ„bring euer these words of MOSES Things that are reuei led to wit in writ pertaine to vs to our children for euer According to the patterne of this written word were al reformations of religion made not according to the vncertaine report of traditions IOSIAS made reformation according to the booke of the couenant that was founde in the house of the Lord 2. Reg. cap. 23. ver 2. And therefore this worde of God ought diligently to be kept as the very patterne of all true reformation in religion if any abuse fall out at any time In our natiue countrie men are not so careful by diligent custodie to keep other measures as the measure whereby all other measures in the lande are measured one towne hath the weightes another hath the jug the third hath the furlot another hath the el-wand these are diligently kept because that bythem all faulty measures are corrected and reformed so aboue all things in this worlde the holy Scriptures should be most diligently kept Now before I speake of humane traditions the very end wherefore the Apostles committed to write the summe of their wholesome doctrine is a sore prejudice to tradition For some persons who hearde the Apostles preach went from Ierusalem to Antiochia and troubled the hearts of the Gentiles saying that they behooued to be circumcised and keepe the Law of MOSES to whome the Apostles gaue no such commandement Actes 15. Therefore the Apostles tooke occasion to put in write the summe of their doctrine Nowe if tradition was not a faithfull keeper of the Apostolicke doctrine in the very dayes of the Apostles and in the mouthes of them who heard the Apostles preach with their owne eares howe shall wee leane vnto the vncertaintie of traditions after the issue of sixteene hundreth yeeres The generalitie of the worde tradition is an occasion of errour to many for so soone as this word soundeth in their eares incontinent they thinke that all things necessarie vnto eternall life is not contained in Scripture but the want of Scripture must be supplied by traditions yet the Apostle calleth the very articles of our faith traditions namely that Christ died for our sinnes that he was buried and that he rose the third day againe 1. Cor. 15 ver 3. The Papistes take good heede to the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and say here mention is made of tradition but they obserue not so diligently the subsequent wordes albeit they be twise repeated by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is according to Scriptures If they will needs obtrude vnto vs traditions at the least let them be agreable vnto Scriptures and then the controuersie will cease For I may boldly speake of Popish traditions that which CLEMENS speaketh of the Philosophie of the Grecians comparing it vnto a nut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is all the nut is not meet to be caten the kirnell is for eating but the hard shels whereinto the kirnell is enclosed are not nourishing food euen so saith CLEMENS not all the Grecian Philosophie is to bee embraced and credited The like I say of Romaine traditions that we must not glut ouer their traditions shels and kirnell altogether but those that are agreable to Scriptures we receiue but traditions repugnant to Scripture such as worshipping of images which DAMASCENE granteth to be an vnwritten tradition we vtterly detest and abhorre The place of PAVLS Epistles that seemeth to fauour vnwritten tradition is this Therefore brethren stand sast keep the instruction which yee haue beene taught either by worde or by our epistle 2. Thess 2 ver 15. Heere I affirme that like as they who rehearsed Christs wordes and wrested the true sense and meaning of them they are called false witnesses against Christ Math. 26. ver 61. Christ spake these words indeede Destroy this Temple and within three dayes I wâ—…ll build it vp againe but not in that sense that the false witnesses reported Euen so they who cite a testimonie out of the Epistles of PAVL in another sense then PAVL writeth it they are false witnesses against PAVL for PAVLS tongue in preaching was guided by the holy Ghost and PAVLS hand and pen in writting was guided by the holyGhost that same selfe trueth he preached that same selfe trueth he committed to write to the ende that the faith of the Thessalonians might be the better confirmed and strengthened If they will obstinatly contend that the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is disjunctiue I will constantly affirme with the most learned ANTONIVS SADEEL that in this place it is copulatiue in this sense Keepe that instruction which yee haue receiued both by word and epistle And in the same sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken 1. Cor. 13. ver 8. Whether prophecying shall be abolished or tongues shall cease that is both prophecying shall be abolished and tongues shall cease Stand fast and keepe the instruction 2. Thess. 2. ver 15 It is not the purpose of the Apostle in these wordes to exhort any man to wilfulnes and obstinacie but vnto constant adherence vnto the veritie of God For the Apostle PETER describing the qualities of false teachers calleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is men presumptuous standingon their own conceits 2. Pet. 2. ver 10. Wherfore a difference is to be noted betwene obstinat men constaÌ„t men It is obstinacie when a man walketh in his own wayes will not be corrected by the wisdome of God but it is constancie when a man walketh in the wayes of God and will not depart out of them for the fauour or feare of men CAIN was obstinat Gen 4. PETER and IOHN were constant Also to keepe fast the doctrine whereby they were taught both by word and Epistle is not onely to keepe it in memorie and to keepe the volume wherein scriptures are written but to keepe it indeede by the obedience of faith For men are thrise
the people with one consent cried out they would be all of one mind incase that Ambrose were appointed to bee their bishop The Emp. thought this inexpected consent of the people came from GOD and he consented to the desire of the people So was Ambrose ordained bishop of Millane After the death of Valentinian hee was grieuously troubled by Justina the mother of Valentinian the second for shee was infected with Arrianisme Ambrose was sauoured by the people and would not betray the sheepe-folde of GOD to Wolues The particulare description of the broile of Iustina may be read at length in the Epistle that Ambrose writes to his sister Marcellina The miracle wrought at the sepulchres of Protasius and Geruasius mittigated somewhat the furie of Iustina But the dolorous tidinges of the slaughter of Gratianus compelled Iustina to flie from Italie to Illyricum for safetie of her owne life and her sonnes life Hee sustained also great trouble vnder the two Tyrants Maximus and Eugenius so that he was compelled in the time of Maximus to flie to Aquileia and in the time of Eugenius to flie to Hetruria He liued also vnder the reigne of Theodosius whom hee sharpely reproued for the slaughter of the innocent people of Thessalonica and died in the third yeere of the reigne of Honorius after he had gouerned the Church of Millane 22. yeeres Prudentius a man of Spaine a Lawyer at some times and a warriour at other times in his young yeeres In his old age he writ of diuine matters Hee liued vnder the reigne of Valentinian the second of Theodosius and his sonnes Hee set foorth his knowledge in bookes of Latine Poesie albeit Greeke inscriptions be prefixed vnto them such as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which intreateth of the fight betwixt the spirit the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which intreateth of the workes to be done in the day time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intreateth of Diuinitie and diuine thinges 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intreateth of Originall sinne against Cerdon and Marcion the Authors of two beginnings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a booke conteining the praises of victorious Martyres In this booke is frequent inuocation of Saints expresse against holy Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conteining Histories both of old and new Testament The verses wherein hee argueth the Heresie of Manicheans who attributed vnto CHRIST not a true but a phantasticall bodie made of aire are verie judiciously conceiued Restat ut aëriam pingas ab origine gentem Aërios proceres Leuim â—…udam Simeonem Aërium DAVID magnorum corpora Regum Aëria atque ipsam foecundae virginis alvum Aëre fallaci nebulisque nube tumentem The Ecclesiasticall writers whom I haue chiefely followed in this COMPEND make no mention of him Osius bishop of Coâ—…duba was a Confessor in the Persecution of Dioclesian and Maximianus Hee was regarded by the Emp. Constantine for the markes of the rebuke of CHRIST The Emp. employed him to stay the schisme in Aegypt betwixt Alexander and Arrius Likewise hee sent him to the Bishops of the East who differed in opinion from the Bishops of the West Anent the keeping of Easter day hee was present at the Councill of Nice where hee damned the Heresie of Arrius And at the Councill of Sardica hee absolued Athanasius Paulus c. Neither was hee terrified with the minassing letters of Constantius but answered couragiously that Athanasius was an innocent man and that the Emperour did not well to hearken to the calumnies of Ursatius and Valens men who had by writ confessed to Julius bishop of Rome that the accusations intended against Athanasius were but forged calumnies And this they did of their owne accord freely and not compelled In his decreaped yeeres for hee liued an hundreth yeeres some weakenesse was founde in him At the Councill of Syrmium hee was compelled to bee present in that assemblie of Arrian Bishops to whose wicked constitutions fearing torture and banishment from which hee was lately reduced hee subscriued Ierom was borne in a towne of Dalmatia called Stridon and was instructed in the Rudimentes of Learning at Rome From Rome hee went to FRANCE of purpose to encrease his knowledge and to diuerse other places and hee returned againe to Rome where hee acquainted himselfe with honourable women such as Marcella Sophronia Principia Paula and Euftochium to whom he expounded places of holy SCRIPTURE for he was admitted presbyter He was counted worthie to succeed to Damasus B. of Rome his giftes were enuied at Rome therefore hee left Rome and tooke his voiage towarde Palestina By the way hee acquainted himselfe with Epiphanius b. of Cyprus with Nazian b. in Constantinople with Didymus Doctor in the Schoole of Alexandria and sundrie other men of Note and Marke In end he came to Iudea and made choise of the place of the LORDES Natiuitie to bee the place of his death At Bethlehem Paula a Noble woman who accompanied Ierom and his brother Paulinianus from Rome vpon her owne charges builded foure Monastries Ierom guided one Monastrie wherein were a number of Monkes The other three whereinto there was companies of holy Virgines shee guided her selfe Ierom was a man of sterne disposition and more inclinable to a solitarie and Monkish life then to fellowship and societie Neither Heliodorus in the Wildernesse nor Ruffinus out of the Wildernesse coulde keepe inuiolable friendship with him The letters that passed betwixt August and Ierom declare that Ierom knewe not howe great a victorie it was in loue in humilitie and friendeship to ouer-come them who seemed to contende against him Ierom wanted not his owne grosse errours Anent the creation hee thought that Angels Thrones Dominations were existant before the worlde was created In his bookes written against Iouinian hee writeth not reuerently of Mariage and hee damneth the seconde Mariage Hee ended his life about the twelfth yeere of the reigne of Honorius in the yeere of his age 91. Ecclesiasticall Writers haue filled their Bookes with excessiue commendations of Heremites and Monkes of whome GOD willing I shall write in a particulare TREATISE anent Monasticke life CHAP. III. Of Heretiques OLDE Heresies before mentioned such as the Heresies of the Novatians Sabellians and Manicheans did more harme in this CENTURIE then in the time whereinto they were first propagated as appeareth by the bookes and Sermons of learned Fathers seriously insisting to quench the flame of Hereticall doctrine which was kindled before their time In this CENTURIE the plurality of Heretiques did most mightily abound Meletius a bishop in Thebaida was deposed by Peter bishop of Alexandria who suffered martyrdome vnder Dioclesian because hee was founde to haue sacrificed to idols After his deposition hee was seditious and factious raising vp tumults in Thebaida and practising tyrannie against the chaire of Alexandria and his disciples were founde to haue communicated with the Arrians The Councill of
a Monke to Rome there to lurke secretly and to expect the euent of the battell that was to be foughten betwixt Theodosius and Maximus and to congratulate the victor When he returned from Rome hee endeuoured to promote him to the bishopricke of Constantinople but Iohn Chrysostome was preferred to him After this he can not keepe friendship with Isidorus whome hee intended once to haue preferred but vpon a light occasion cast him off and excommunicated him because Isidorus would not deliuer to him the money left in testementall legacie to be distributed to the poore This money which Theoplnlus sister had left to the vse foresaide Theophilus craued that it might bee put in his handes to bee employed to building and repairing of Churches but Isidorus answered that the money put in his custodie should be bestowed according to the will of the defunct And that it was a worke more acceptable to GOD to support the poore who were the liuing temples of GOD then to build olde and ruinous walles Therefore Theophilus hated and excommunicated Isidorus for this cause Isidorus left Alexandria and addressed himselfe to the wildernes of Schethis where hee complained to Ammonius Dioscorus Eusebius and Enthymius called Longifratres of the iniurie that Theophilus had done vnto him who intreated Theophilus to receiue Isidorus in fauour againe and to admit him to his communion but Theophilus gaue vnto them an euill reward for their trauailes for hee hated them and finding that there was diuers opinions amongst the Monkes of Nitria and Schethis hee put fuell to the fire to the ende that diuersitie of affection might bee added to diuersitie of Opinion a man in all his courses malitious and deceatfull Longi fratres fled to Constantinople to complaine to the Emperour Arcadius of the malitiousnes of Theophilus and they were humanely and courteously receiued by Chrysostome but not admitted to the participation of the holy mysteries vntill their cause had beene first iudged To the rest of the Monkes who dwelt in Nitria Schethis the malice of Theophilus was not vnknowne And 500. of them especially such as were Anthropomorphite came from the wildernes of Nâ—…ia of intention to haue slaine Theophilus but he met them with gentle and flattering words lenified their anger for hee said vnto them Brethren I see your faces as the face of GOD. They took his words in this sense as if he had said that GOD was fashioned according to the likenâ—…sse of a mans body Therefore they desirâ—…d him to abiure the doctrine of Origen which thing he willingly did for he hated the bookes of Origen and so hee escaped the danger The next practâ—…se of his malice was against Iohn Chrysostome B. of Constantinople whom he hated because he had receiued courteously intreated Isidorus Longi fratres who came to Constantinople of intention to accusâ—… him In this matter he dealt deceitfully like vnto a crastie foxe lying in waite vntill he found occasion to set on First he reconciled himselfe to Epiphanius bishop of Salamin in Cyprus and moouâ—…d him to gather a Councill in Cyprus for damning the bookes of Origen and to wâ—…ite to Iohn Chrysâ—…stome that he should doe the like in his bouâ—…ds but Chrysostome tooke litle regard of the Councill of Epiphanius other things were more necessare than to trouble the memoriall of a man that was dead long agoe Theophilus was glad to haue this vantage that Epiphanius a man of gâ—…eat account was on his side and so soone as hee found that Eudoxia the Emperour Aâ—…cadius wife with courteours and some of the Clergie were incensed against Chrysostome hee was in readines as a firebrand of Satan to execute all euill turnes So the man of GOD as hath beene declared was deposed banished and vniustly put to death by Eudoxia and Theophtlus two chiefe procurers of it â—…yrillus the nephew of Theophtlus of his brothers side succeeded to Theophtlus and ministred 32. yeeres a man learned zealouâ—… an lactiue his ministration was vnder the reignes of Theodoâ—…s 2 Ualentinian 3. He was an aduerfare to hereâ—…ques in his dayes especially to Nestorius B. of Constantinople who denied the personall vnion of the diuine and humane Nature in CHRIST whose opinion as hereticall was damned in the Councill of Ephesas Cyrillus caried some greater pompe maiestie than became the preachers of the humilitie of CHRISTS crosse For he reuenged the iniurie that the Lewes had done vnto Christians in the night time by setting vpon their Synagogues slaying a great number of them banishing others distributing their substance as a prey to the multitude that followed him The Iewes had dwelt in Alexandria from the dayes of Alexander the great to that time but now by furie of Cyrillus they were vtteâ—…ly vndone and scattered Orestes the deputie of Theodosius 2. was in the towne to whom Cyâ—…illus wold not complaine of the iniurie done by the Iewes against Christians but at his owne hand vsurping the office of the ciuill Magistate hee set vpon the Iewes slew scattered spoyled them as hath bene aboue mentioned This was the ground of vnsupportable discord betwixt Orestes and Cyrillus in so much that 500. Monks of Nitria came out of the wildernes to Alexandria to support Cyrillus their bishop One of them called Ammonius wounded the gouernour Orestes and when he was taken punished vnto the death Cyrillus called him a Martyre buried him in the Church changed his name and called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is admirable The Romane bishops claimed to a superioritie ouer their brethrene but Cyrillus B. of Alexandria plainly pretended to a superioritie ouer ciuill Magistrats This moued Socrates writing of Coelesâ—…inus 1 to say that the bishops of Rome and Alexandria had stepped beyond the limites of priesthood to the affectation of an externall domination The bishops of Rome kept their owne pride and borrowed from Alexandria a proud usurpation of domination ouer ciuill Magistrats but the wise prouidence and prouident wisdome of our GOD would haue the mouthes of the bishops of Rome opned to condemne that ciuill domination which their successors afterward most proudly vsurped Marke what Gelasius writeth that before the comming of CHRIST some persons such as Melchisedeck were both Kings and Priests This saith he Sathan imitating in his members wold haue Pagan Emperours to be called Pontisicesmaximi Imperatores but when he came who was indeed both King Priest to wit CHRIST neither did the King take vpon him the priestly dignitie neither the priest the kingly authoritie Dioscorus who succeeded to Cyrillus his name is to be read in the catalogue of heretickes but Proterius was the true successor in regard he kept the faith but he was cruelly flaine by the fauourers of Dioscorus immediatly after the death of the Empetour Martianus Timotheus Salophaciolus ministred in Alexandria 23 yeeres 6 months in the dayes of Zeno Basihscus Albeit Basihscus aduanced
of Athanasius are supposititious and false and Erasmus that learned man who was neuer satisfied with reading yet hee wearied in reading the supposititious works of Athanasius making an end of reading of them with this proucrbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say enough of accornes meaning that hee might spend the time better than in reading vâ—…profitable and vnnecessarie bookes The miracle of the Image of the Virgine MARIE and the candle set before her Image by an Heremite who went in pilgrimage a farre iourney and when hee returned againe after the issue of three moneths others say sixe moneths the candle was still burning and not consumed in all this time This miracle hath the right shape of a fable for all circumstances of time place and persons are obscured neither is it declared in what yeere of the LORD this miracle was wrought nor in what place of the world the Image was neither is the name of the Heremite expressed nor the name of the place whereinto hee iourncyed Onely the writer of this miracle is said to be Dionysuis Ascaâ—…onita presbyter some obscure fellow doubtlessâ—… or the faiâ—…ed name of some author for his name is vnknowne to the learned The second Councill of Nice which gaue such full allowance to adoâ—…ation of Images it began euill and it ended worse for it began at the fables conteined in Adrians letter but it ended at a dialogue betwixt the deuill and a certaine monke whome Sathan sorbade to woâ—…ship the image of our Ladie but his foolish Abbot Theodorus saide vnto him that it was a lesse sinne to haunt all the baudie houses in the towne euery day than to leaue off worshipping of the Image of our Lady one day The Apostle PAVL neuer vsed the testimonie of the deuill to proue himselfe to be the seruant of GOD albeit the woman possessed with a spirite of diuination cried after PAVL and SILAS that they weâ—…e the seruants of the most high GOD and in my opinion the arguments taken from the testimony of Sathan should be eschewed for GOD hath not appointed him to be our teacher Now let vs consider the multiplied honours of images hatched in the second Councill of Nice vnder this one worde adoration of Images This adoration standeth in decking of them knâ—…eling vnto them saying of prayers before them censing lighting of candles vowes offerings sestuall dayes salutations building of Churches and altars All these honours were done both to the image and to tâ—…e Sainct represented by the image The decking of images is damned by the Prophet HOSEA and it is indeede a spoyling of the poore who haue neede of such support as is bestowed in vaine vpon images who haue no need of ornaments and clothing Vnder the bowing of the knee all Idolatrie is comprehended Prayer should be conceiued without wrath and doubting but so it is he who prayeth before an image cannot be free of doubting because he hath no promise to be heard Cersing was a part of the ceremoniall lawâ—… verie badly transferred fâ—…om the liuing GOD to senslesse images Candles lighted before images declare that the Saints represented by those imâ—…ges were the lights of the world but it is a vaine thing to forsake the light of their wholesome doctrines and to honour them by lighting candles before their images Salutations of images are no lesse ridiculous than the salutations wherewith S. Francis saluted the knee as his sisters for humilities sake As concerning vowes building of Temples setting vp of altars and festuall dayes to the honour of images it is too great honour done vnto them with some slippe of memorie in them who doe it for in one word they say there is no diuinitie in images immediatly after they do such honour vnto them as SALOMON when he stood did to GOD and when he fell did to Astaroth Chemosse and Moloch Before I make an ende of this Treatise it may be demanded Howe could the worshipping of images get place at that time when Emperours and Councils with all their might contended in the contrarie that images should not bee worshipped The Emperours Philippicus Leo Isaurus Constantinus Copronymus and Leo his sonne were all seriously bent to suppresse the worshipping of images and in the VVest Carolus Magnus King of France and Emperour was present in the Councill of Francford where the worshipping of images was damned To this I answere that the authoritie of the bishop of Rome was at this time so increased that they durst encounter with the Emperours of the East who were farre distant from them Constantine B. of Rome razed out of Charters the name of the Emperour Philippicus Gregorius 2. did excommunicate Leo Isaurus and forbade to pay tribute vnto him Gregorius 3. in contempt of Leo gathered a Councill and ordained the worshipping of images As concerning Carolus Magnus who was proclaimed Emperour by the speciall mandate of the chaire of Rome the question is greater Howe could the bishops of Rome tolerate that worshipping of images should bee damned by a Councill gathereâ—… by this new Emperour whom they had authorized by their owâ—…e trauâ—…ls To this Ianswere that the bishops of Rome did as the ancient Romanes did of whome Augustine writeth Multas cupiditatâ—…s 〈◊〉 ingenâ—… cupiditate presserunt that is to say Many desires they Prâ—…ed downe for the excessiue desire they had of one thing to wit of soucraignitie and domination euen so the great desiâ—…e the Romaâ—…e bishoppes had firmely to keepe in theiâ—… 〈◊〉 that great territorie of land in Italie called Exerchatus Ravâ—…nnae which Pipinus King of France reft from the Emperour of the East and gaue it to the chaire of Rome for the excessiue desire I say which they had to keepe this rich prey they would not contend with Carolus Magnus but after his death they could not suffer his posteritie to take such a doing against the worshipping of Images as Carolus Magnus had done Insomuch that in the dayes of the reigne of Ludouicus Pius it was hard to the Emperour to protect Claudius Taurinensis against the chaufing malice of the bishops of Italie who hated him because hee cast out Images out of his Church in Turin yea and Claudius Taurinensis directly impugned the adoration of Images by a booke written by him vpon that subiect whereunto none answere was giuen during his lifetime but after his death many were found like barking dogges railing against his blessed memoriall and that so much the more because in his booke he rubbed quickly vpon the surfeiting pleasures of the Romane Church who were better content to worshippe the Crosse of Christ because that was easie to bee done than to beare the Crosse of Christ because that was a laborious worke and painefull to the flesh yet did Christ command vs to beare his Crosse but not to worship it Finally it is to be noted that the defection of some men of great account was a stumbling blocke to many others Paulus Cyprius B.
professing the true faith in his roome Alwayes Agapetus died at Constantinople after hee had beene chosen B. of Rome 11. moneths 21. dayes and his body was put into a chest of lead and transported to Rome Siluerius the sonne of Hormisda sometime B. of Rome was successor to Agapetus Theodatus King of Gothes compelled the Clergie to subscribe to his election he gouerned the Church of Rome at that time when Iustinian sent Belisarius to fight against Vitiges Theodora the Emperour Iustinians wife sent to Siluerius desiring him that hee would condescend to the restitution of Anthemius an Eutychian heretique and to the deposition of Menas B. of Constantinople Siluersus refused to obey such impious commandements Therefore Theodora sendeth a commandement to Belisarius to banish Siluerius and to appoint Vigilius B. of Rome who had promised to fulfill her desires Thus was Siluerius banished to the Isle of Pontia after hee had ruled the Church of Rome one yeere 5. moneths Vigilius succeeded to Siluerius and ruled 17. yeeres 26. dayes His entrie to this office is inexcusable for by open force secret bribes and promises to performe the impious desires of the Emprice he obtained the chaire of Rome so that Onuphrius cannot finde out an excuse for his vnlawfull entrie Theodora the Emprice vrged him to performe his promise to restore Anthemius But Vigilius as appeared repenting of his great temeritie and rashnes answered that euill promises were not to be keeped for this cause he was led away violently to Constantinople and a cord was fastned about his necke he was drawne through the streetes and cast into prison hee indured all this contempt the more patiently because hee confessed that for his srâ—…nes he had deserued greater punishment at the hands of GOD than this was In end he was deliuered out of prison by the earnest request of Narses captaine of Iustinians armie in Halie but he died by the way and he whom so many cares could not destroy the sicknes of the grauell destroyed him at Sicile his body was transported to Rome and buried there But now let vs consider the ineptitude of Baronius who keepeth no measure in his historie but as the Poet speaketh of a ship tossed with a vehement tempest Tollimur in coelum sublato gurgite iâ—…dem Subducta admanes imos descendimus unda When Baronius speaketh of the entrie of Vigilius he calleth him athiefe a brigand a man who entred not by the doore of the sheepe-fold a false bishop an Antichrist yet soone after he calleth him the Vicar of Christ as though by the crueltie whereby he draue his predecessor Siluerius to death hee was incontinent worthy of the name of the Vicar of Christ. Albeit hee restored not Anthemius according to his impious paction with Theodora yet hee wrote vnto the heretiques Anthemius Theodosius and Severus and confirmed their errour by his secret missiue letters as Morneus in his booke called Misterium iniquitatis Proueth His cariage in the fift generall Councill he beeing present in the towne of Constantinople shall be declared God willing in the owne place the cord that was lapped about his necke and drewe him through the streetes of Constantinople could not draw out of his proud stomacke the conceate of supremacie for he sent his opinion in write to the Councill but would not be present to sit in a lower place than Eutychius B. of Constantinople and moderator of the Council AFTER Vigilius succeeded Pelagius 1 hee ruled the Church of Rome 11. yeeres 10 moneths 28. dayes In a very perilous time this charge was committed to him namely when the nation of the Gothes had chosen Totilas to be their King who was a fierce and cruell man and was called for his fiercenes Flagellum Dei that is the scourge of GOD he led a great armie from Taruisium through Italie destroying and wasting the countrie whithersoeuer he went but he set his face chiefly against Campania By the way hee addressed himselfe in the habite of a simple souldier to mount Cassinates where was S. Benedict the father of Monkes not because he inuented the Monasticke life but because the most part of Monkes adhered to the forme inuented by him he was but lately sprung vp in the dayes of the Emperour Iustinus the elder and of Pope Iohn the first yet was his name in great account so that Totilas in a disguised habite went vnto him and conferred with him Platina writeth that S. Benedict knew him notwithstanding of his deepe dissimulation and with terrifying words disswaded him from vsing cruelty against Christians The Counsell was good but Totilas was not obedient vnto it He was slaine in battell by Nases neere to Brixellum and Teias whome the Gothes choosed in his rocme was slaine in battell at Nuceria so the Kingdome of the Gothes in Italic was vtterly vndone by the valour of Narses After the first comming of Theodoricus into Italie they reigned in Italie 72. yeeres Now their name dominion and all their might is vtterly quenched Pelagius depended much vpon the friendship of Narses And when Macedomus B. of Aquileia died Honoratus B. of Millan ordained Paulinus to be his successour Pelagius B. of Rome grieued at this Neuerthelesse hee complâ—…ineth not to Narses that Paulinus was made bishop of Aquileia without his consent but rather because this was done without the foreknowledge of the most noble Emperour Iustinian who like as he had deliuered Istria and Venice from the grieuous bondage of Totilas so likewise it became them to expect the Emperours answere before they had appointed a bishop in Aquileia Mark the hypocrisy of the bishops of Rome vnder colour of obedience to the ciuile Magistrate secretly creeping to their owne soueraignity the chiefe marke whereat they continually aimed Iohn 3. succeeded to Pelagius gouerned 12. yeres 11 months 26. dayes In the dayes of Iustinus the younger who was successor to the Emp. Iustinian did he minister in the Romane Church at that time when Alboinus King of Longobards came into Italie with a great armie with their wiues children setled their abode in that part of Italie which lieth about the riuer Padus The Emprice Sophia had irritate Narses that valiant captaine with contumelious wordes and he gaue both to her to the estate of the Empire this hard meeting that hee possessed the Longobards in Italie weauing a web vnto her according as he promised which she wâ—…s not able all her time to vndoe againe The Deputie of the Emp. of Constantinople kept a part of Italie which was not conquessed by tâ—…e Lombards this was called Exarchatus Ravenna the B of Rome with assistance of the countrie kept Rome free from the dominion of the Lombards for a short â—…ime At this time did Iohn 3. gouerne the Church of Rome He brought â—…n newe constitutions in the Church that Chorepiscopi otherwise called Vicarâ—… Episcoporum should haue no power at all of
proued the consequent will not follow For albeit an euill intention be eneugh to bring a man within the compasse of such as dishonour Christ yet a good intention is not eneugh to proue that we are honourers of Christ but our actions also must bee ruled according to the commandements of Christ and therefore they who haue only an intention to honour Christ but in the meane time violateth his commandements by worshipping him into an Image shall neuer be counted honourers of Christ. The fourth rancke of argumentes is taken from miracles wrought by Images This argument is weake and faultie in all sides The antecedent is false as shall be declared hereafter But suppone that miracles had beene wrought in Images or by images it followeth not that they should be worshipped In the wildernesse God cured his people miraculously by looking to the brasen Serpent yet it was not lawfull to worship the brasen Serpent and when the people worshipped it HEZEKIAS brake it in pieces and called it Nebustan In like maner GOD wrought a notable miracle by the ministrie of PAVL and BARNABAS at Lystra yet would they not suffer the people to worship them and the comming of the Antichrist is foretold to be mighty by lying wonders yet is not the Antichrist to bee worshipped Therefore this argument is of no force albeit it were true that miracles had beene wrought by Images But let vs examine the antecedent of this argument they say that miracles haue beene wrought by Image For confirmation of this they bring in the viue similitude of Christes face printed into a cloth and by Christ his application of the cloth to his blessed face with his owne handes which portrature of his face he deliuered to the painter of King Agbarus to bee caried to him because the painter dazled with the splendore of CHRISTES face could not paint his similitude Now say they the very effigie of CHRISTS face miraculously by touching only stamped in the clothe declareth that GOD worketh miracles both in Images and by Images I answere this fable of Agbarus painter was not heard before the 700 yeere of our LORD that Damascene maketh mention of it The Apostles and Euangelists make no mention of any such thing neither yet Eusebius who had conuenient time to write of this miracle of the Painter if any such thing had beene true when hee writeth of the letter of King Agbarus sent to CHRIST and CHRISTS answere returned againe to him The miracle of the Image of CHRIST crucified by the Iewes in Berythus a towne of Syria out of the pierced side whereof flowed blood and water in great abundance and this blood mixed with water had a medicinall vertue to cure all diseases The writing of this miracle is ascribed to Athanasius but the very stile ditement and phrase of writing declareth that it is a booke supposicitious and not belonging to Athanasius Like as many other bookes giuen out vnder the name of Athanasius are supposititious and false and Erasmus that learned man who was neuer satisfied with reading yet hee wearied in reading the supposititious works of Athanasius making an end of reading of them with this prouerbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say enough of accornes meaning that hee might spend the time better than in reading vnprofitable and vnnecessarie bookes The miracle of the Image of the Virgine MARIE and the candle set before her Image by an Heremite who went in pilgrimage a farre iourney and when hee returned againe after the issue of three moneths others say sixe moneths the candle was still burning and not consumed in all this time This miracle hath the right shape of a sable for all circumstances of time place and persons are obscured neither is it declared in what yeere of the LORD this miracle was wrought nor in what place of the world the Image was neither is the name of the Heremite expressed nor the name of the place whereinto hee iourneyed Onely the writer of this miracle is said to be Dionysius Ascalonita pres byter some obscure fellow doubelesse or the fained name of some author for his name is voknowne to the learned The second Councill of Nice which gaue such full allowance to adoration of Images it began euill and it ended worse for it began at the fables conteined in Adrians letter but it ended at a dialogue betwixt the deuill and a certaine monke whome Sâ—…than forbade to woâ—…ship the image of our Ladie but his foolish Abbot Theodorus saide vnto him that it was a lesse sinne to haunt all the baudie houses in the towne euery day than to leaue off worshipping of the Image of our Lady one day The Apostle PAVL neuer vsed the testimonie of the deuill to proue himselfe to be the seruant of GOD albeit the woman possessed with a spirite of diuination cried after PAVL and SILAS that they were the seruants of the most high GOD and in my opinion the arguments taken from the testimony of Sathan should be eschewed for GOD hath not appointed him to be our teacher Now let vs consider the multiplied honours of images hatched in the second Councill Of Nice vnder this one worde adoration of Images This adoration standeth in decking of them kneeling vnto them saying of prayers before them censing lighting of candles vowes offerings festuall dayes salutations building of Churches and altars All these honours were done both to the image and to the Sainct represented by the image The decking of images is damned by the Prophet HOSEA and it is indeede a spoyling of the poore who haue neede of such support as is bestowed in vaine vpon images who haue no need of ornaments and clothing Vnder the bowing of the knee all Idolatrie is comprehended Prayer should be conceiued without wrath and doubting but so it is he who prayeth before an image cannot be free of doubting because he hath no promise to be heard Censing was a part of the ceremoniall law verie badly transferred from the liuing GOD to senslesse images Candles lighted before images declare that the Saints represented by those images were the lights of the world but it is a vaine thing to forsake the light of their wholesome doctrines and to honour them by lighting candles before their images Salutations of images are no lesse ridiculous than the salutations wherewith S. Francis saluted the knee as his sisters for humilities sake As concerning vowes building of Temples setting vp of 〈◊〉 and festuall dayes to the honour of images it is too great honour donevnto them with some slippe of memorie in them who doe it for in one word they say there is no diuinitie in images immediatly after they do such honour vnto them as SALOMON when he stood did to GOD and when he fell did to Astaroth Chemosse and Moloch Before I make an ende of this Treatise it may be demanded Howe could the worshipping of images get place at that time when
Emperours and Councils with all their might contended in the contrarie that images should not bee worshipped The Emperours Philippicus Leo lsaurus Constantinus Copronymus and Leo his sonne were all seriously bent to suppresse the worshipping of images and in the VVest Carolus Magnus King of France and Emperour was present in the Councill of Francsord where the worshipping of images was damned To this I answere that the anthoritie of the bishop of Rome was at this time so increased that they durst encounter with the Emperours of the East who were farre distant from them Constantine B. of Rome razed out of Charters the name of the Emperour Philippicus Gregorius 2. did excommunicate Leo Isaurus and forbade to pay tribute vnto him Gregorius 3. in conternpt of Leo gathered a Councill and ordained the worshipping of images As concerning Carolus Magnas who was proclaimed Emperour by the speciall mandate of the chaire of Rome the question is greater Howe could the bishops of Rome tolerate that worshipping of images should bee damned by a Councill gathered by this new Emperour whom they had authorized by their owne trauels To this Ianswere that the bishops of Rome did as the ancient Romanes did of whome Augustine writeth Mulcas cupiditates unius ingenti cupiditate presserunt that is to say Many desires they pressed downe for the excessiue desire they had of one thing to wit of soueraignitie and domination euen so the great desire the Romane bishoppes had firmely to keepe in their possession that great territorie of land in Italie called Exerchatus Ravinna which Pipinus King of France reft from the Emperour of the East and gaue it to the chaire of Rome for the excessiue desire I say which they had to keepe this rich prey they would not contend with Carolus Magnus but after his death they could not suffer his posteritie to take such a doing against the worshipping of Images as Carolus Magnus had done In so much that in the dayes of the reigne of Ludouicus Pius it was hard to the Emperour to protect Claudius Taurinensis against the chaufing malice of the bishops of Italie who hated him because hee cast out Images out of his Church in Turin yea and Claudius Taurinensis directly impugned the adoration of Images by a booke written by him vpon that subiect whereunto none answere was giuen during his lifetime but after his death many were found like barking dogges railing against his blessed memoriall and that so much the more because in his booke he rubbed quickly vpon the surfeiting pleasures of the Romane Church who were better content to worshippe the Crosse of Christ because that was easie to bee done than to beare the Crosse of Christ because that was a laborious worke and painefull to the flâ—…sh yet did Christ command vs to beare his Crosse but not to worship it Finally it is to be noted that the defection of some men of great account was a stumbling blocke to many others Paulus Cyprius B. of Constantinople left his charge entred into a Monastrie and lamented that he had consented to the abolishing of Images Gregorius B. of Neocesarea one of the chiefe disallowers of Images in the Councill holden at Constantinople gaue in his supplicant bill in the second Councill of Nice confessed his error and subscribed to the decreet of that vnhappie Councill by whose example the bishops of Nice Hierapolis of the Isles of Rhodes and Carpathus were mooued to doe the like Let this bee a warning to them who are in eminent places that they fall not from the trueth of GOD lest by their fall they procure a great ruining and desolation to the house of GOD. The LORD keepe vs from defection to whome bee praise and glory for euer AMEN A TREATISE Of Satisfaction and Indulgences SATISFACTION of olde was publicke repentance made for grieuous faultes such as murther adulterie apostasie And this publicke humiliation made in sight of the people with fasting teares basenesse of apparrell and such other tokens of an humbled minde with a sense of sorrow for by-past offences it was called satisfactio as Augustine writeth quia satisfiebat Ecclesiae that is because the Church was satisfied yea and the slander was remooued This humiliation foresaide in the Greeke Church was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a punishment because it was infâ—…cted as a punishment in Church discipline to terrifie others from committing the like offences Now seeing this Ecclesiasticall discipline was very rigorous and indured many yeeres as the Canons of Councils clearely declare It pleased the Church vpon weightie considerations to relent somewhat of the severitie of the first prescribed discipline yea and the people ofâ—… times intreated the Pastor by earnest requests that the time of publicke repentance might be shortned because they saw great tokens of vnfained repentance in the offender This dispensation with the rigour of olde discipline was called indulgentia but in Poperie which was beginning in this Centurie to haue great vpper hand the abuse of these two words hath vtterly vndone the ancient puritie of religion and discipline The word satisfaction which of old was referred to the people now in Poperie is referred to God in this maner They teach the people that the sinnes committed before Baptisme are abolished in Baptisme but sinnes committed after Baptisme wee must obteine pardon for them by our own satisfactions namely by fasting praying almesdeedes pilgrimages and such other workes done by our selues And to make this doctrine the more plausible vnto the people they bring in the similitude of a man sailing in a ship if he fall out of it into the sea the ship say they goeth away without recouerie and incace he find not another vessell to support his distressed estate and to bring him to land he must needes perish and drowne euen so say they if after baptisme we commit any transgression we must either be supported by our owne satisfactions els wee must perish in our sinnes No similitude can be more repugnant to Scripture thaâ—… this For albeit there bee many vessels whereinto mens bodies may bee preserued from the danger of drowning yet is there not many vessels whereinto our soules can bee saued from damnation but â—…ee are saued onely by our spirituall Baptisme whereby the filth of our soules is washen away in the blood of Christ. And like as God commanded not NOE to make two arkes but one alanerly for the safetie of a fewe so hath GOD appointed only one way for safetie of our soules so that if wee sinne after Baptisme wee must haue refuge to the sweete promises of remission of sinnes made to vs in Baptisme In what sense indulgentia was taken of old I haue already declared In the Romane Church Indulgences and Pardones are a dispensation of the merites of Christ and his Saintes to the vtilitie of sinnâ—…rs This presupponeth that the merites of Christ and his Saintes are put in the custodie of the bishop of Rome and that
is the true bread The doctrine of Transsubstantiation importeth also accidentes without a subject as hath beene touched in a part before in the definition of Transsubstantiation This is admirable that the Scholasticke Doctors who make Aristotle to be Master Caruer of this most holy banquet who haue acquainted themselues better with his Preceptes than with the heauenlie doctrine of the Apostles yet in this point they haue forgotten euen the doctrine of their Schoole-master Aristotle who saieth that accidentes can haue no subsistence but into a subject as if a man bee talking of blindnesse hee must also talke of eyes that are blinded and if hee talke of deafenesse hee must also talke of the eare and if hee talke of lamenesse hee must talke of some member of the bodie that is maimed and finallie if hee talke of a disease hee must also talke of some bodie either of man or beast that is diseased and this hee must doe either expressely or couertly because accidentes haue no subsistence without a subject There can bee nothing imagined more absurde more repugnant to reason than to talke of whitenessâ—… roundnesse and rednesse and in the meane time to saye there is nothing that is white round or redde The recourse which they haue to the Omnipotent power of God who is able to make accidents to subsist without a subject declareth that they neuer rightly considered the cause wherefore the Omnipotent power of GOD is mentioned in holie Scripture to wit to bee one of the strong pillars of our faith which faith commeth onely by hearing Then let this order bee kept First let GOD speake in His owne worde Secondlie let vs beleeue the worde of GOD by faith Thirdlie let the assured pillars of the Omnipotent power and infalâ—…ible trueth of GOD vpholde our faith as it did the faith of ABRAHAM But let vs not grounde vpon the Omnipotent power of GOD in matters whereof wee haue no assurance in His written worde as some of the wise men of PERSIA did who assured both themselues and others that incase they woulde distribute all their goods to the poore and throwe themselues headlonges from eminent places then their soules shoulde bee transported immediatelie to Heauen This madnesse fell out about the yeere of our LORDE and Sauiour IESVS CHRIST 759. What was this leaning of theirs to the Omnipotent power of GOD without assurance of his word but only the conceits of braine-sicke men And so let Papistes talke what they please In this purpose that God by his Omnipotent power can make accidentes to subsist without a subject I will conclude that the Omnipotent power of God is ordained to bee a confirmation to our faith and not to be a citie of refuge to foolish fables The doctrine of Transsubstantiation also importeth that the body of Christ at one time may bee in infinite places which repugneth vnto the nature of a true body which like as it is circumscribed and may be seene so likewise at one time it is onely in one place as Augustine writeth to Dardanus in these wordes Tolle spatia locorum corporibus nusquam â—…runt nec â—…runt that is to say Take from bodies the rowmes of places and they shall be no where and consequently they shall not bee at all And Theodoretus prooueth that the body of Christ is a true humane body albeit it be glorified euen in the latter daye when hee commeth to judge the quicke and the dead because it shall bee seene according as it is written Matth. 26 64. Yee shall see the sonne of man comming in the cloudes of heauen and like as it may be seene so likewise it is circumscribed and consequently it is in a place and is not turned into his diuine nature which is both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is it cannot be seene and it cannot bee circumscribed as the humane nature is It is well remarked by that learned Preacher Du Moulin that in the last edition of S. Augustines workes at Parise anno 1571. a notable place of the foresaid epistle of Augustine to Dardanus is vtterly left out by aduice of the Fathers correctors of the writings of the Auncientes namely this Destrai naturam humanam Christi si non detur ei certum spatium quo more aliarum rerum corporearum contineatur that is The humane nature of Christ is destroyed if a certaine place be not attributed vnto it wherein it is contained according to the custome of other corporall thinges What credite is to bee giuen vnto Popishe Doctors when they cite testimonies of auncient Fathers after they are deprehended to be deceitfull deprauers of their bookes Ancient Fathers a long â—…ime before the question of Transsubstantiation of the substance of the elementes in the holy Supper came in head they were reâ—…soning of the two natures in Christ to wit the diuine and humane nature and that the one nature was not turned into the other they could not find a fitter similitude than that which is borrowed from the Sacrament as I haue alreadie declared Alwayes they thinke that if any man shall imagine that by vertue of these wordes This is my body the substance of bread was chaunged into the substance of Christes body as many doe thinke euen vntill this day then in steade of one Transsubstantiation of the substance of bread into the substance of Christs body there should be two Transsubstantiations and the substance of Christs body should againe be turned into bread for like as Christ speaking of bread saith This is my body euen so Christ speaking of his body calleth it corne of wheat in these words Verily I say vnto you except wheat corne fall into the grounde and die it abideth alone but if it die it bringeth foorth much fruit If by vertue of the former wordes bread bee changed into the substance of Christes body then in like manner by vertue of these words for both are spoken out of one blessed mouth the body of Christ should be turned into the substance of corne of wheat I grant there is a difference betwixt a Sacrament and a metaphore yet in neither of them is there such vertue in the word is to change the substance of any thing IN the last head let vs consider with what strife and reluctation this erronious doctrine was intruced vpon the Church I holde the Monke Damascene to bee the first author thereof who perceiuing that his opinion was repugnant to the doctrine of ancient Fathers namely to the doctrine of Basilius Magnus who calleth the bread and the wine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is figures of the body and blood of Christ. He forgeth a friuolous shift to excuse his contradiction to Basilius because saieth hee Basilius calleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before the wordes of the blessing but after the pronouncing of the wordes of the blessing they are no longer figures but the very body and
opposition is made to the Councell of Frankâ—…ord neither was the adoration of Images auowed in any of thâ—…se Councels So much auaileth the authoritie of a Prince for suppressing of false doctrine heresie In this CouÌ„cel at Rhemes Wulfarius archbis was presideÌ„t 44. canons are rehearsed in the 2. Tome of Councels made in this Councell In the 1. Can. it was concluded That euery man should diligently acquaint himselfe with the Articles of his Faith 2. That euery man should learne the Lords Prayer and comprehend the meaning thereof 3. That euery man promoted to Ecclesiasticall orders shall walke worthily conforme to his calling 4. The Epistles of Paule were read to giue instructions to sub-deacons howe they should behaue themselues Yet is there not one worde in all the Epistles of Paule of a subâ—…deacon 5. The Gospell was read to giue instruction to Deacons to minister condingly in their office 6. Ignorant Priestes are instructed to celebrate the Seruice with greater vnderstanding 7. In like manner they are instructed howe to prepare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Sacrament of Baptisme 8. The holy Canons were read out of the Decretall of Innocentius for ordering the life of Chanons 9. The rule of Sainct Benedict was read to reduce Abbots and their Conuents to a remembrance of their order 10. The Pastorall booke of Gregorius was â—…ead to admonish Pastors of their duetie 11. Sentences of diuerse ancient Fathers were read to admonish men of all â—…aÌ„ks both Prelats subjects to bring forth the fruit of a good conuersation 12. These things being done they set down a forme of receiuing of confessions prescribing of pennance according to the Canonicall institution 13. They reasoned about the eight principall vices to the ende their diuersitie beeing distinguished euerie man might know what vices hee should eschewe and teach others to beware of the same 14. That Bishops should take heed to the reading of the bookes of the Canonicke Scripture and the bookes of Fathers should attend vpon the preaching of the word of God 15. That bisshops should preach the Sermons and Homilies of H. Fathers in such sort as all the people might vnderstand them The 16. can is coincident with the 12. 17. That bishops abbots permit no man to solace the company with filthy gesting in their preseÌ„ce but let poore indigent people be refreshed at their tables with lecture of diuine Scripture and praysing of God according to the Precept of the Apostle that whether wee eate or drinke let all thinges bee done to the glorie of God 18. Gluttonie and drunkernesse for bidden to bishops and the Ministers of God 19. Let not bishops bee rash to judge in thinges secret which are to bee referred to the judgement of God who can manifest thinges hid vp in darknesse discouer the secrets of the heart 20. Presbyters shall not transport themselues from a lowe place to a greater 21. Whosoeuer by money-paying procureth a preferment in the Church shall bee deposed 22. No Church man shall cohabite with a woman except it bee with his mother or sister or such like persons by whose companie no suspition of vncleannesse can arise Precepts giuen to Monkes and Nunnes I passe by as I did in the former Councell Can. 35. The Sabboth day shall be kept holy and in it no seruile worke shall be done according to the Lords Commandement 36. Let no man bestow vpon the Church that thing which by vnlawfull meanes hee hath fraudulently with-drawne from others 37. nor yet by lies and deceitfull meanes withdraw any thing duely beloÌ„ging to the Church 38. Let tythes be precisely payed 39. Let no man presume to receiue rewards for his decreet and sentence 40. Let Prayers Oblations be made for the Emperour and his noble rase that it woulde please God to preserue them in all happinesse in this present life vouchsafe vpon them Celestiall joyes in companie of the Angels in the life to come In the 41. Canon mention is made of a certaine rent left by king Pipinus of good memorie which they wish the Emperour Charles Pipinus sonne shoulde not alter nor transferre into another summe in respect that by so doing manie perjuries and false testimonies might ensue 42. And that no man should bee remooued from his mansion to whome the Emperoures Almes is distributed 43. And that the statute may bee confirmed by his Highnesse allowance whereby all contentions and strifes are ordained to haue a decision end 44. And that the statute made in Bononia concerning false witnesses maye bee ratified and confirmed with augmentation if neede require for eschewing of perjuries false testimonies and many other inconueniences IN the yeere of our LORD 813. and at the commaundement of the Emperour Carolus Magnus a Councell of manie Bishops and Abbots was assembled about establishing of Ecclesiasticall Discipline in the Towne of Towrs In the 1. Canon all men are admonished to bee obedient to the Emperour Charles the Great and to keepe the oath of alleadgeance made vnto him and to make prayers and supplications for his prosperitie and well-fare 2. All Bishops shall diligently reade and frequently peruse the bookes of holy Scripture the histories of the Euangell and the Epistles of Paul together with the bookes of ancient Fathers written thereupon 3. It is not lawfull for any Bishop to be ignorant of the Canons of the Church and of the Pastorall booke of Gregorius in the which euery man as in a viue mirrour might see himselfe 4. Let euery Bishop feede the flocke committed vnto him not onely with doctrine but also with examples of a good conuersation 5. A Bishop must not bee giuen to sumptuous banquets but be content with a moderate diet lest hee should seeme to abuse the counsell of our Lord saying Take heede that your hearts be not surfetted with gluttonie or drunkennesse but let holy lecture be at his table rather than the idle wordes of flattering fellowes 6. Let strangers and indigent people bee at Bishops tables whome they maye refreshe both with corporall and spirituall repaste 7. The delicate pleasures of the eare and the eyes are to bee eschewed lest by such pleasures the minde bee effeminate and inchaunted 8. Let not the Lordes seruantes delight in vaine jesting nor in hunting nor halking 9. Let Presbyters and Deacons followe the foot-steps of their Bishops assuring themselues that the good conuersation enjoyned vnto their Bishops is also enjoyned vnto them 10. Let Bishops haue a great sollicitude and care towards the poore and be faithfull dispensators of Ecclesiasticall goods as the Ministers of God and not as hunters after filthie lucre 11. It is lawfull for Bishops with consent of Presbyters Deacons to bestow out of the Church treasure support to indigent people of that same Church 12. A Presbyter is not to bee ordained vntill hee bee 30. yeeres olde 13. Let the B. make diligeÌ„t inquisitioÌ„ in his own Paroch Church that no Presbyter coÌ„ming from any
vpon the Church and in their bounds they found no man who did complaine Alwayes in that matter if any thing was done amisse they humbly submitte themselues to be corrected by their Soueraigne lord and king THE Councell of Chalons was the fourth Councell conuened in the yeere of our Lord 813. by the commandement of Charles the Great for the reformation of the Ecclesiasticall estate Manie of the Canons of this Councell are coincident with the Canons of the former therefore I shall bee the shorter in the commemoration thereof 1. That Bishops acquaint themselues diligently with reading the Bookes of holy Scripture and the Bookes of auncient Fathers together with the Pastorall booke of Gregorius 2. Let Bishops practise in their workes the knowledge which they haue attained vnto by reading 3. Let them also constitute schooles wherein learning maye bee encreassed and men brought vp in them maye bee like to the sault of the earth to season thecorrupt manners of the people and to stoppe the mouthes of heretiques according as it is saide to the commendation of the Church A thousande Targâ—… are hung vp in it euen all the Armour of the strong Cantiel cap. 4. vers 4. 4. Let Church men shew humilitie in worde deede countenance and habite 5. Let Priestes bee vnreprooueable adorned with good manners and not giuen to filthie lucre 6. The blame of filthy lucre where with many Church men were charged for this that they allured secular men to renounce the worlde and to bring their goods to the Church they endeuour with multiplied number of wordes to remoue 7. Bishops and Abbots who with deceitful speaches haue circumuened simple men and shauen their heads by such meanes doe possesse their goods in respect of their couetous desire of filthie lucre let them bee subject to Canonicall or Regulare repentance But let those simple men who haue laide downe their haire as men destitute of vnderstanding who cannot gouerne their owne affaires let them remaine in that estate which they haue once vndertaken but let the goods giuen by negligent parentes and receiued or rather reaued by auaritious Church men bee restored againe to their children and heires 8. If Church men lay vp prouision of Cornes in Victuall houses let it not bee to keepe them to a dearth but to support the poore in time of neede therewith 9. Hunting and halking and the insolencie of foolishe and filthie jests are to bee forsaken of Church men 10. Gluttonie drunkennesse is forbidden 11. The Bishop or Abbot must not resort to ciuill judicators to pleade their owne cause except it bee to support the poore and the oppressed Presbyters Deacons and Monkes hauing obtained licence from the Bishop maye compeare in Ciuill judgement seates accompanied with their Aduocate 12. Let not Presbyters Deacons or Monks bee fermers or labourers of the ground 13. It is reported of some brethren that they compell the persons who are to bee admitted in time of their ordination to sweare that they are worthie and that they shall doe nothing repugnant to the Canons and that they shall bee obedient to the Bishop who ordaineth them and to the Church in thewhich they are ordained which oath in regarde it is perilous wee all inhibite and discharge it 14. Bishops in visiting of their parishioners let them not be chargeable vnto them but rather comfortable by preaching the word and by correcting things that are disordered 15. It is reported that some Arch-deacons vse domination ouer the Presbyters and take tribute from them which smelleth rather of tyrannie than of due order For if the Bishop should not vse domination ouer the Clergy but by examplares to the flocke as the Apostle Peter writeth Much lesse shoulde these presume to doe any such like thing 16. Like as in dedication of Churches and for receiuing of orders no money is receiued euen so for buying of Baulme to make Chrisme the Presbyters keepers of Chrisme shall bestowe no money but Bishops of their owne rent shall furnish Baulme for the making of Chrisme and Lightes to the Church 17. It hath beene found in some places that Presbyters haue payed 12. or 14. pennies in yeerely tribute to the Bishop which custome wee haue ordained altogether to bee abolished 18. The receiuing of paunds from incestuous persons from men who pay not their Tythes and from negligent Presbyters is forbidden as a thing which openeth a doore to auarice but rather let Ecclesiasticall discipline strike vpon transgressours 19. Let people giue their Tythes to those Churches wherein their children are baptized and whereunto they resort all the yeere long to heare Church seruice 20. Let peace bee kept amongst all men but in speciall betwixt Bishops and Countes whereby cuery one of them maye mutually support another 21. Ciuill Iudges ought to judge righteously without exception of persons and without receiuing of rewardes and let their Officiars Vicars and Centenaries bee righteous men lest by their auarice and griedinesse the people bee grieued and impouerished And let the witnesses bee of vnsuspect credite for by false witnesses the Countreye is greatly damnified 22. The Abbots and Monkes in this part of the Countreye seeing they haue addicted themselues to the Order of Sainct BENEDICT let them endeuoure to conforme themselues vnto his institution and rules 23. The ordination of Presbyters Deacons and other inferioures is to bee made at a certaine prescribed time 24. Concerning Bishops Presbyters Deacons and Monkes who shall happen to bee slaine let the Emperour giue determination to whome the satisfaction of blood shall belong 25. In manie places the auncient custome of publicke repentance hath ceasted neither is the auncient custome of excommunication and reconciliation in vse Therefore the Emperour is to bee entraited that the auncient discipline maye bee restored againe and they who sinne publikely may be brought to publike repentance and euery man according as hee deserueth maye either be excommunicated or reconciled 26. It is reported that in some Churches there is contention strife for diuiding of Church rentes It is ordained therefore That no Masse shall bee saide in those Churches vntill they who are at variance be reconciled againe 27. Neither the Sacrament of Baptisme nor the Sacrament of Confirmation should bee reiterated 28. Concerning the decrees of affinitie and in what degree Marriage may bee bounde vp euery man is sent to the Canons of the Church to seeke resolution 29. Seeing that the man and the woman are counted in SCRIPTVRE as one fleshe their Parentage is to bee reckoned by like degrees in the matter of Marriage 30. The Marriage of seruantes is not to bee dissolued which is bounde vp with consent of both their masters euerie seruant remaining obedient to his owne master 31. It is rumoured that some women by negligence and others fraudulently doe present their owne children to the Sacrament of Confirmation to the ende they may bee separated from the companie of their husbandes Therefore wee statute and
yeere of Tiberius The Senat of Rome refuseth to acknowledge the diuinitie of Christ. Pilat killeth himselfe Caius would be counted a god The Iewes abhorred the vpsetting of the image of Caius in their Temple The petition of Agrippa The bloodie letter of Caius written to Petronius his Deputie The hypocrisie of Agrippa Contention betweene the Iewes and Grecians who dwelt at Alexandria New Iupiter in worse case then old Iupiter The famine foretold by Agabus The Council of Jerusalem ANNO 48. Romaine deputies The ten persecuting Emperours wrestled against God The first persecution ANNO Chr. 65 The martyrdome of Peter Paul Romain Deputies Contention betweene Agrippa and the Iewes The martyrdom of Iames surnamed Iustus The ground of the warre betweene the Iewes and the Romanes Foreranning tâ—…kens of the destruction of Ierusalem The destruction of Ierusalem ANNO Chr. 71. The flood of Noe the ouerthrow of Sodome and destruction of Ierusalem types of the great iudgement to come The second persecution AN. Chr. 96. The banishment of the Apostle John Domitian afraide by rumors of the Kingdome of Christ. Apostles Euangelists The true successours of the Apostles Bishops of Rome Linus Ignatius Papias Heretiques Simon Magus Menander Ebion Cerinthus Nicolaitansâ—… A Treatise of antiquitie Antiquitie of veritie Antiquitie of errour Antiquitie of custome Where veritie is to be â—…ound The power of the veritie The reue rence that should be câ—…ried to the veritie The more the veritie is despised in the world the more ardently it should be loued Antiquitie is no honoar to errour Errour in religion an execrable thing Errour repugneth to itselfe Both ancient and late errours magnifie creatures With the diminution of the glory of the Creator The trueth is not to be judged by outward appearance Antiquitie of custome differeth from antiquitie of commandement How ancient truth may be discerned from ancient lies Foure counterfaite masks of antiquitie in Poperie Wicked men reade holy Scripture of intention to gainesay the trueth of God †Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Confident speaking without a sure ground is not to be regarded What the word heresie doth signifie The grounâ—… of heresie Similitudeâ—… Pride accompanying ignorance The propagation of herâ—…sie Heresie strengthened by the arme of manalanerly The curse of God vpon Heretiques heresies and places of their meetings How Heretiques should be dealt with by the Pastours HAV the magistrate should deale with Heretiques Similitude How the people should deale with Heretiques The word foundation taken properly 〈◊〉 oâ—…ly to Christ. Take heede to the demonstrations of God and beware of Satans demonstrations The similttude of a stone frequently vsedin Scripture The seconâ—… comfort An wholsom admonition In what sense the doctrine of the Prophets c. is called the foundation â—…imilitude Faith is called afoundation The offices of Christ declare that he is a true foundation Christ is a liuing fâ—…undation Similitude The contempt of men cannot impaire the glory of Christ. Similitude We drawe nere to Christ by faith Of Emporours The thirde persecution ANNO Chr. 108 The martyrdome of Simon the son of Cleopas The letter of Plinie 2. written to Traian Gregorieâ—… prayed for the soule of Traian Barcochebas a false prophet seduced the nation of the lewes Adrianus his intention to builde a Church for the honour of Christ. The fourth persecution ANN. Ch. 168. The martyrdome of Polycarpus and Iustinus Slanderous speeches against Christians The Romain armie supported by the prayers of the Christians Contrarie lâ—…wes Bishops of Rome Martyre Mâ—…tyre Maâ—…tyre Martyre The rashnes of Victor Of other Doctours and Preachâ—… Agrippas Castor Hegesippus Melito Iustinus Martyr Polycarpus Ireneus Clemens Alexandrinus Of Heretiques Gnostici Valentinuâ—… Marcus Cerdon Marcion Tatianus Encratitae Montanus Cataphryges Aquila and Theodosion rathâ—…r Apostatstben Heretiques Sacred scripture cannot be sufficiently commended Similitude It is perillous to separat the booke of the worde from the booke of the workes Similitude The spirit the word are not to be separated The Word of God is to bee found in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles The Prophets and Apostlâ—…s added nothing to Moses Similitude Three inturies done to the Written Word by reueiencing of traditions False accusations of holy Scripture Vnsufficiencie Difficultie Perill Things necessarte are to be kept al-beit they be abused Similitude Why Heretiques doe hate the Scripture Similitude The care of Christians of olde to keepe the scripture from burning A remarkable speech of an old honorable Lady Scriptures belong to the sheepe of Christ as their proper treasure Reformation of religion made according to the Written word The cause wherfore the Apostles put in write the summe of their doctrin Be not deceiued with the generalitie of the word tradition Similitude The true meaning of the words of Paul 2. Thess. 2. 15. Constancie differeth froÌ„ wilfulnesse The testimome of Ireneus abused Papists will not binde themselues in all points to old traditions The value of tradition in the fâ—… age In the Second age In the last age The word therefore to be considered 2. Thess. 2. ver 15. Christ doth great honour to the Scriptures Defection in the visible Chuâ—…ch no new thing Differences betweene the ancient fathers and Papists of our time con cerningmeats and mariage The Council of Ancyra Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria a maried man The Council of Gangra The probibition of meats and mariage is an apostasie from the faub. Our seruice to God should be a reasonable seruice The Popish church speak lies in hypocrisie rather then old Heretiques What is meant by a consâ—…ence seared with an hote yron Forbidding and biddâ—…ng wordes of authoritie We ought to hearken vnto the voyce that commeth downe from heauen Similitude Great arrogancie in prohibition of meates Arrogancie mixed with foolishnesse Similitude Similitude The last age of the worlde more senslesse then the first Similitude Both blasphemie and hypocrisie in the matter of mariage and meats is condemned by the Apostle The Papistes more subtle â—…en the Manicheis were The grace of thanksgiuing witnesseth that we enjoy both the gift and the giuer We ougâ—…t 〈◊〉 be ruled by Gods word iâ—… all things both corporat spirisuali The conscience is subject to the yocke of God The cause wherefore the succession of Romam Bishops was magnified of old The succession of Dauid The succession of Aaron The succession of the Prophets The succession of the Apostles The alledged succession of the Romaine Church spotted with heresie schisme and idolatry The heresie of the Collyridians renued increased by the chaire of Rome Eugenius 4. B. of Rome a notable schismatick The chaire of Rome defiled with idolatrie Lkeerrours haue like grounds The Romain church like to the successours of Aaron What inconuenients follow if the promise made to the Aposâ—…les successors be absolute The Apostles had calling gâ—…es prerogatiues extraordinarie The fist persecution ANN. Ch. 205. Leonides the father of Origen Alexander fellow laboureâ—… with Naâ—…cislus Rhais a mar tyre hrunt before she
doe the like Example in ABRAHAM who had a warrant to kill his owne sonâ—…e The people of Israel had a warrant to borrow from the Aegyptians vessels of siluer gold and costly rayment and Moses had a warrant to make Cherubimes and a brasen Serpent but those thinges are not lawfull to others who want the like warrant The next Argument borrowed from Scripture is this IACOB worshipped the top of IOSEPHS staffe therefore it is lawfull to worship Images The Councill of Francford answereth to this Argument that like as there is no such wordes in the Hebrew text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the words of the Apost in the Epistle to the 〈◊〉 cap 〈◊〉 vers 21 conteineth no such thing where it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is hee worshipped leaningaboue the top of his scepter but he worshipped not his Scepter And Augustine in his questions vpon Genesis affirmeth that he worshipped GOD and not the staffe of IOSEPH The third Argument taken out of Scripture is out of the booke of the Psalmes O Lord I haue loued the beautie of thy house Of this they concluded that images should be loued worshipped seeing they are the beautie and ornament of GODS house To this argument it is answered by the Councill of Francford that this argument is grounded vpon a wrong interpretation of Scâ—…ipture for by the house of GOD is not meant a materiall Temple and the ornament of GODS house is not Images but spirituall vertues Many other places of Scripture are filthily abused but I will haue some regarde to the Readeâ—… that he be not wearâ—…ed in reading an heape of friuolous arguments Many arguments are taken out of the writings of Fathers to proue the adoration of Images but these following are the chiefe and principall First they say that Basilius Mag us affirmeth that the honour done to the Image redoundeth to him whose image it is This he peaketh of Christ who is the Image of the inuisible God Coloss. 1. vers 5. And who is the brightnesse of his glory and the ingrauen forme of his person Heb. 1. vers 3. buth e is not speaking of Images formed by the hands of men The testimonie of Gregorius Nyssâ—…nus is cited who writeth that when he passed by the image of Abraham viuely pictured with the knife drawne readie to kill his sonne he could not abstaine from shedding of teares This argument is counted friuolous albeir Gregorius Nysserus wept yeâ—… he bowed not his knee to worship the imâ—…ge of Ab aâ—…an Moreouer the Councill of Franckford alleadged that the bookes of Gregorius Nyssenus were not extant Amongst argumentes taken from naturall reason to prooue adoration of Images this is the chiefe The Emperours Image is honoured therefore the Image of Christ should be honoured To this argument the Council of Francford 〈◊〉 this answere that GOD is not like vnto a morteli King locally circumscribed so that wheÌ„ he is in one place he cannot be at that same selfe time in another place Therefore to intertaine a 〈◊〉 rence in the peoples hearts towards their Prince this Custome of honouring the Kings image was found out But God who is euery where present whom no place can conteine he is not to bee sought in Images neither was that forme of worshipping either commanded or allowed by GOD. The argument inuented of later dayes to prooue adoration of Images is sophisticall the dishonour done to the Image of CHRIST redoundeth to himsâ—…lfe 〈◊〉 the honour done to the Image of Christ redoundeth also to Christ is an honouring of Christ himselfe The antecedent is prooued by the fact of Iulian the apostate in breaking in pieces the Image of Christ in Caesarea Philippi To this it may bee answered that the breaking downe of the brasen Image in Casarea Philippi was not a dishonouring of Christ in respect of the fact that Iulian did but in respect of the intention of the doer but when this is proued the consequent will not follow For albeit an euill intention be eneugh to bring a man within the compasse of such as dishonour Christ yet a good intention is not eneugh to proue that we are honourers of Christ but our actions also must bee ruled according to the commandements of Christ and therefore they who haue only an intention to honour Christ but in the meane time violateth his commandements by worshipping him into an Image shall neuer be counted honourers of Christ. The fourth rancke of argumentes is taken from miracles wrought by Images This argument is weake and faultie in all sides The antecedent is false as shall be declared hereafter But suppone that miracles had beene wrought in Images or by images it followeth not that they should be worshipped In the wildernesse God cured his people miraculously by looking to the brasen Serpent yet it was not lawfull to worship the brasen Serpent and when the people worshipped it HEZEKIAS brake it in pieces and called it Nâ—…hustan In like maner GOD wrought a notable miracle by the ministrie of PAVL and BARNABAS at Lystra yet would they not suffer the people to worship them and the comming of the Antichrist is foretold to be mighty by lying wonders yet is not the Antichrist to bee worshipped Therefore this argument is of no force albeit it were true that miracles had beene wrought by Images But let vs examine the antecedent of this argument they say that miracles haue beene wrought by Images For confirmation of this they bring in the viue similitude of Christes face printed into a cloth and by Christ his application of the cloth to his blessed face with his owne handes which portrature of his face he deliuered to the painter of King Agbarus to bee caried to him because the painter dazled with the splendore of CHRISTES face could not paint his similitude Now say they the very effigie of CHRISTS face miraculously by touching only stamped in the clothe declareth that GOD worketh miracles both in Images and by Images I answere this fable of Agbarus painter was not heard before the 700. yeere of our LORD that Damascene maketh mention of it The Apostles and Euangelists make no mention of any such thing neither yet Eusebius who had conuenient time to write of this miracle of the Painter if any such thing had beene true when hee writeth of the letter of King Agbarus sent to CHRIST and CHRISTS answere returned againe to him The miracle of the Image of CHRIST crucified by the Iewes in Berythus a towne of Syria out of the pierced side whereof flowed blood and water in great abundance and this blood mixed with water had a medicinall vertue to cure all diseases The writing of this miracle is ascribed to Athanasius but the very stile ditement and phrase of writing declareth that it is a booke supposicitious and not belonging to Athanasius Like as many other bookes giuen out vnder the name