such VVitnesses as are produced in thâ—â— Treatise for proofe of the PROTESTANTS Religion disposed according to the times wherein they flourished Witnesses produced in the first Age from Christs birth to 100 yeares CHRIST IESVS The twelve Apostles Saint Paul and the Churches of the Romanes and others Anno 63. Ioseph of Arimathea who brought Christianitie into Britaine 70. Dionysius Areopagita The Bookes that beare his Name seeme to bee written in the fourth or fifth Age after Christ. 100 Ignatius the Martyr In the second Age from 100 to 200. 150 Iustine Martyr 166 Hegesippus 169. The Church of Smyrna touching the Martyrdome of their Bishop Polycap 170 Melito Bishop of Sardys 177 Pope Eleutherius his Epistle to Lucius the first Christian King of Britaine 180 Polycrates of Ephesus and the Easterne Churches touching the keeping of Easter 180 Irenaeus Bishop of Lyons 200 Clemens Alexandrinus In the third Age from 200 to 300. 201 Tertullian 230 Origen 230 Minutius Felix 250 Cyprian Bishop of Carthage 300 Arnobius 300. Lactantius Anno 291 Amphibalus and his associates martyred in Britaine and Saint Alban ann 303. In the fourth Age from 300 to 400. 310 A Councill at Eliberis in Spaine 317 Constantine the Great 325 The first Generall Councill at Nice against the Arrians 330 Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea 337 Ephraim the Syrian 340 Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria 360 Hilarie Bishop of Poitiers 364 A Councill at Laodicea 370 Macarius the Aegyptian Monke 370 Cyril Bishop of Hierusalem 370 Optatus Bishop of Mela in Africke 370 Ambrose Bishop of Milain 370 Basil the Great Bishop of Caesarea 370 Gregorie Nazianzen 380 Gregory Nyssen Bishop of Nyssa in Cappadocia brother to Basil. 381 The second generall Councill at Constantinople where Macedonius was condemned 390 Epiphanius Bish. of Salamine in Cyprus In the fifth age from 400 to 500. 406 S. Chrysostome Bish. of Constantinople Andr. Rivet Critici sacri 415 S. Hierome idem 420 S. Augustinus 429 Palladius sent by Pope Celestine into Scotland and Germanus by the French Bishops into Britain to beat downe Pelagianisme 430 Vincentius Lirinensis wrote against the Pelagians and Nestorians 430 Cyril Bishop of Alexandria 430 Theodoret the Historian Bish. of Cyrene 431 The third generall Councill at Ephesus where Nestorius was condemned deprived 450 Leo the Great 451 The fourth generall Councill at Chalcedon where Dioscurus Eutyches were condeÌ„ned 490 Gelasius the Pope In the sixth age from 500 to 600. 520 Cassiodore Abbot of Ravenna 520 Fulgentius Bishop of Ruspa in Africke 529 A Councill at Aurange against Semi-Pelagians and Massilians 540 Iustus Orgelitanus claruit ann 540. Trithem de Scriptor Ecclesiast 545 Iunilius Episcopus Africanus 545 Primasius a Bishop of Africke Bellar. de Scriptor Ecclesiast 540 Rhemigius Bish. of Rhemes Andr. Rivet 553 The fifth generall Councili at Constantinople to confirme the Nicen Councill 560 Dracontius 580 Venantius Fortunatus Bish. of Poictiers a Poet and Historian 596 Augustine the Monke Mellitus and Laurence sent into Britaine by Pope Gregorie 596 The Britaines Faith 600 Columbanus or Saint Colme of Ireland In the seventh age from 600 to 700. 601 Greg. the First the Great placed by Bellar. in this seventh age Bell. de Script Eccles. 601 Hesych Bish. of Hierusalem Bellar. ibid. 630 â—sidore Bishop of Sevill Disciple to Gregorie the Great 635 Aidanus Bishop of Lindasferne or Holy Iland and Finanus his Successour 681 The sixth Generall Councill at Constantinople against the Monothelites who held that although Christ had two Natures yet hee had but one will In the eighth Age from 700 to 800. 720 Venerable Bede the Saxon. 740 Ioannes Damascenus 740 Antonius Author Melissae 754 A Council held at Constant. wherein were condemned Images and the worshipers of themâ— 768 Clement B. of Auxerre Disciple to Bede 787 The second Councill at Nice about restoring of Images 790 Alcuinus or Albinus an Englishman Disciple to Bede and Tutor to Charlemaigne this Alcuinus laid the foundation of the Vniversitie of Paris 794 A Councill at Frankford wherein was condemned the second Councill of Nice for approoving the worshipping of Images 800 Carolus Magnus and Libri Carolini In the ninth Age from 800 to 900. 815 Claudius Scotus 820 Claudius Taurinensis against Image-worship 824 A Councill at Paris about Images 830 Christianus Druthmarus the Monke of Corbey 830 Agobard Bishop of Lyons 840 Rabanus Maurus Bishop of Mentz Disciple to Alâ—win 840 Haymo Bishop of Halberstadt Cousin to Bede 840 Walafridus Strabus Abbot of Fulda Disciple to Rabanus hee collected the Ordinarie Glosse on the Bible Trithem de script Eccles. 861 Hulderick Bishop of Auspurge 862 Iohn Mallerosse the Scottish Divine or Ioannes Scotus Erigena hee was slaine by the Monkes of Malmsbury 860 Photius Patriarke of Constantinople he wrote the Nomo-Canon 876 Bertram a Monke and Priest of France 890 Rhemigius Monke of Auxerre hee wrote upon Saint Mathew 890 Ambrosius Ansbertus the French Monke In the tenth Age from 900 to 1000. 910 Radulphus Flaviacensis Monachus Bellarm quò suprà 950 Stephanus Eduensis Monachus Idem 950 Smaragdus the Abbot 975 Abbot Aelfrick and his Saxon Homily and his Saxon Treatise of the Old and New Testament both translated into English In the eleventh age from 1000 to 1100. 1007 Fulbert Bishop of Chartres 1050 Oecumenius 1050 Berengarius 1060 Radulphus Ardens 1070 Theophylact Archbish. of the Bulgarians 1080 Anselme Archbishop of Canterbury 1090 Hildebert Archbishop of Tours 1100 Anselmus Laudunensis Collector of the Interlinear Glosse In the twelfth age from 1100 to 1200. 1101 Zacharias Chrysopolitanus 1120 Rupertus Tuitiensis 1130 Hugo de Sancto Victore 1130 Bernardus Clarae-vallensis 1130 Peter Bruis and Henry of Tholouse 1140 Peter Lombard Master of the Sentences 1150 Petrus Cluniacensis 1158 Ioannes Sarisburiensis 1160 Petrus Blesensis Archdeacon of Bathe 1170 Gratianus 1170 Hildegard the Prophetesse Trithem 1195 Ioachimus Abbas 1200 Nicetas Choniates In the thirteenth Age from 1200 to 1300. 1206 Gul. Altissiodorensis 1215 Concil Lateranense Cuthb Tonstal Dunelm Episcop de eodem 1220 Honorius Augustodunensis Bellarm. 1230 Gulielmus Alvernus Parisiensis Episcopus 1230 Petrus de Vineis Trithem 1240 Alexander de Hales 1250 Gerardus and Dulcinus 1250 Hugo Cardinalis 1250 Robert Groute-head or Grosse-teste Bishop of Lincolne 1256 Gulielmus de Sancto Amore. 1260 Thomas Aquinas 1260 Bonaventura 1260 Arnoldus de Novâ villâ 1300 Ioannes Duns Scotus In the fourteenth age from 1300 to 1400. 1303 Barlaam the Monke and Nilus Archbishop of Thessalonica 1320 Gulielmus Ockam 1320 Nicol. de Lyra a converted Iew who commented on all the Bible 1320 Marsilius Patavinus 1320 Michael Cesena Trithem 1320 Dante 's 1320 Durandus de S. Portiano 1330 Alvarus Pelagius 1340 Iohannes de Rupe-scissâ Trithem 1340 Thomas Bradwardin 1343 The Kings of England oppose Papall Provisions and Appeales Anno 1391. 1350 Richardus Armachanus 1350 Robert Holcot the Englishman 1350 Francis Petrarch Bellarm. 1350 Taulerus a Preacher at Strasbrough Bellarm. 1370 Saint Bridgeâ— 1370 Iohn Wickliffe and
may grow in respect of farther Explanations but it cannot increase in Substantiall points even as a child as Vicentius Lirinensis â—aith though he grow in stature yet hath he no more limbs when he becommeth a man than he had when he was a child so the Church hath no more parts or Articles of Faith in her riper age than she had in her infancie and by this rule new Rome is a Monster if she have more â—word oâ— liâ—bs of Faith now in her declining age than ancient Rome had in her flourishing age And herein we challenge our adversaries to shew the body of their Religion peâ—fited in this first and purest age what time the Church was in her vigour and the Scripture Canon finished and consigned but they dare not be tried by the booke of Scripture Now for us we willingly put our cause to bee tried by that honourable and unpartiall Iury of Christ and his twelve Apostles and the Evidence that shall be given by the testimonie and vivâ voce of holy Scripture but they turne their backs and fly from this triall But I proceed and come to Ioseph of Arimathea whom I named for one of our Ilands speciall Benefactors it was this Ioseph as our best Antiquaries say that together with twelve other Disciples his Assistants came out of France into Britaine and preached the Christian Faith in the Western part of this Iland now called Glastenbury which place in ancient Charters was termed the Grave of the Saints the Mother Church the Disciples foundation whereby it is very likely that our land was first converted by Ioseph of Arimathea being sent hither by S. Phillip not from S. Peter and that not from Rome but from Arimathea which was not farre from Hierusalem so that Hierusalem is the Mother of us all as both Hierome and Theodoret say And this is the rather probable because that upon Austin the Monks comming into England the British Bishops observed their Easter and other points of difference according to the Greâ—ke or Easterne Church and not after the Romane Westerne Church which makes it probable that our first conversion came from the Christian converted Iewes or Grecians and not from the Romanes but howsoever it were or whence-soever they came wee blesse God for the great worke of our conversion THE SECOND CENTVRIE From the yeare of Grace 100. to 200. PAPIST WHom doe you name in this Age PROTESTANT In this Age lived Hegesippus of the Iewish Nation afterwards converted to Christianitie Melito Bishop of Sardis Iustine Martyr who of a Philosopher became both a Christian and a Martyr Now also lived Irenaeus Bishop of Lyons in France sometimes Scholler to Polycarp and both of them Martyred foâ— the name of Christ of this Polycarp Bishop of Smyrna it is recorded that being urged by the Romane Deputie to deny Christ he stoutly replied on this manner I have served him these foure-score and six yeares and he hath not hurt me and shall I now deny him Now also lived Clemens Alexandrinus who was Scholler to one Pantenus these two seeme to be the Authors of Vniversities and Colledges for they taught the Grounds of Religion not by Sermons and Homilies to the people but by Catecheticall doctrine to the Learned in the Schooles Now that in point of doctrine we consent with the Worthies of this Age it may appeaâ—e by the testimonie of Irenâ—us a Disciple of those that heard Saint Iohn the Apostle for he layeth downe no other Articles of Faith and Grounds of Religion then our ordinarie Catechisme teacheth besides he sheweth that in the unitie of that Faith the Churches of Germany Spain France the East Aegypt Libya and all the World were founded and therein sweetly accorded as if they had al dwelt in one house all had had but one soule and one heart and one mouth The like doth his contemporary Tertullian he gives the fundamentall points of Religion gathered out of the Scriptures and delivered by the Churches the same which our Church delivereth and no other for the Rule of Faith Of the Scriptures Sufficiencie and Canon Irenaeus saith The Scriptures are perfect as spoken from the Word of God and his Spirit and Erasmus observes that Irenaeus fought against the troupes of Heretikes onely by the forces and strength of Scripture indeed he sometimes chargeth them with the Churches tradition wounding them with their owne weapon but this was with such undoubted tradition as were in his time thought to bee Apostolike which he might easily discerne living so neere the Aposâ—les dayes Melito Bishop of Sardis being desired by Onesimus to send him a Catalogue of the Bookes of the Old Testament makes no mention of Iudith Tobit Ecclesiasticus nor the Maccabees and yet he profesâ—eth that he made very diligent search to set downe a perfect Cannon thereof And this is likewise confessed by Bellarmine many ancients saith he as namely Melitoâ— did follow the Hebrew Canon of the Iewes Of Communion under both kinds and number of Sacraments Iustin Martyr saith they which are called Deacons among us give to every one that is present of the consecrated Bread Wineâ— adding withal as Christ coÌ„manded them now these words which mention Christs Commandement Bellarmine would haue to belong to the Consecration only not to the Communion whereas Iâ—stin extends Christs precept to both both being injoyned in that precept doe this in remembrance of me so that we have both Christs precept and this Ages practice for our Communion in both Clemens Alexandrinus wrote a booke against the Gentiles which he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as ye would say woven after the manner of coverings mixed with the testimonies of Scriptures Poets Philosophers and Histories and therein he hath these words When they distribute the Holy Eucharist as the custome is they permit every one of the people to take a part or portion thereof and what he meaneth by Eucharist himselfe explaineth saying the mingling of the drinke and of the Water and the Word is that which we call the Eucharist so that according to him not Bread onely but Bread and Wine is the Eucharist and of this every one of the people participated in his time and therefore all dranke of the Cup. Iustine Martyr in his Apologie for the Christians specifies no other Sacraments than Baptisme and the Lords Supper and yet in that treatise of his he was justly occasioned to mention the Sacraments of the Church and there he relates the manner of their Church-service Liturgies and Commnuion so that there had beene a fit place for him to have named those other five if the Church had then knowne them Of the Eucharist That the substance of Bread and Wine remaineth in the Sacrament after the words of Consecration albeit the use of the elements bee changed is cleere by the Fathers of this Age. Iustine Martyr saith that the elements of Bread
Timothie was it holds in others also for if the Scripture be so profitable for such and such uâ—eâ— that thereby it perfects a Divine much more an ordinary Christian that which can peâ—fit the teacher is sufficient for the learner PA. Doe you disclaime all Traditions PRO. We acknowledge Traditions concerning Discipline and the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church but not concerning the doctrine or matter of faith Religion You equalize unwritten traditions to holy Scripture receiving them saith your Trent Councell with equall reverence and religious affection as you receive the holy Scriptures themselves we daâ—e not doe so but such traditions as we râ—ceive we hold and esteeme farre inferiour Concerning the Scriptuâ—e Canon the Trent Councell accurseth such as receive not the Bookes of Machabees Ecclesiasticus â—oby Iudith Baruch Wisdome for Canonical Scriptuâ—e Now wee retaine the same Canon which Christ and his Apostles held and received from the Iewes unto whom were committed the Oracles of God being as Saint Augustine speakes The Christians Library-keepers Now the Iewes never received these Bookes which wee terme Apocryphall into their Canon yea Christ himselfe divided the Canon into three severall rankes iâ—to the Law the Prophets and the Psalmes now the Apocryphal come not within this reckoning Indeed as S. Hierome saith The Church reades these Bookes for example of life and instruction of manners but yet it doth not apply them to stablish any Doctrine Of Comunion under both kindes and the number of Sacraments If any shall say The Church was not induced for just causes to communâ—caâ—e the â—ay people under one kinde vâ—z of bread onely and shall say they â—rred in so doing let him bee accursed saith the Trent Councell Now our Chuâ—ch holds That both the parts of the Lords Sacrament ought to bâ—e ministred to all Gods people so thaâ— according to us In the publâ—kâ— celebraâ—ion of â—he Eâ—chaâ—ist Communion in boâ—h kinds ouâ—ht to bee given to all sorts of Câ—riâ—â—ians righâ—ly disposed and prepared and this oâ—â— Tenet is agâ—eâ—able to Christes Institution and Precept who saith exprâ—sly and liâ—erally Drink yee all of this It agrees aâ—so with Saint Pauls precept and with the practice of the holy Apostleâ— and the priâ—ative Church Dionysius Arcopagita who as you say was Saint Pauls Scholler and Disciple relates the practice of the Church in his time on this manner After the Priest hath prayed that hee may hoâ—â—ly distribute and that all they that are to partake of the Sacrament may receiue it worthyly he breakes the Bread into many pieces and divides one Cup among all Ignatius who was Scholler to Saint Iohn the Evangelist saith That one Bread is broken unto all and one Cup destributed unto all PA. Bellarmine saith the words of Ignatius are not as you alleage them There is one Cup distributed unto all but there is one Cup of the whole Church and though the Greeke Copies reade as you doe yet he saith That much credit is not to be given to them PROT. Shall we give more credit to a Translâ—tion then to the Originall If the Well-head and Spring bee corâ—upted how shall the Brooke or Streame runne cleare It may be indeed that divers errors are crept both into the Greeke Latine Copies but for the place alleagâ—d there is no colour of corruption in asmuch as the same that Ignatius spake of the Bread the same are repeated of the Cup according to Christs Institution and howsoever Bellarmine may produce some Latine Copie that translateth the words of Ignatius as Bellarmine sets them downe Vnus Calix totius Ecclesiae yet as D. Featly observes in the Grand Sacriledge of the Romish Church Vitlemius and divers other Latin Copies following the originall verbatim render them thus Vnus Calix omnibus distributus that is One Cup distributed unto all and not as Bellarmine and Baronius ad Ann. 109 sect 25. would have it as if Ignatius had said that one Cup was distributed not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 omnibus but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro omnibus not to all but for all that is for the behoofe and benefit of all Howsoever they wrest it Ignatius tels us of one Cup and this not the Priests Cup but the Churches Cup and this Cup was distributed But now adaies in the Masse there is no distribution of the Cup. PA. Christ spake these words Drinke yee all of this only to the Apostles as they were Priests and not to the Laitie PRO. By this meanes you might take away the Bread as well as the Cup from the Lay-people for when Christ administred the Sacrament none were present for ought we know but onely the Apostles Besides the Apostles were not yet fully ordained Priests though they had beene once sent to Preach Christ after his Resurrection breathed on them the holy Ghost and fully endued them with Priestly power Iohn 20.22 Againe the Apostles at this Supper were Communicants not Ministers of the Sacrament Christ was then the onely Minister in that Action Now Christ delivered them the Cup as well as the Bread saying to the same persons at the same time and in the same respect Drinke yee all of this to whom hee had said before Take and Eate giving both alike in charge so that you must either barre the people from both or admit them to both now if neither precept of eating or drinking belong to the Laitie the Laitie are not at all bound to receive the Sacrament PA. Although it be said of Drinking the Cup Doe this in remembrance of me Yet the Words Doe this are spoken Absolutely of the Bread and but Conditionally of the Cup namely as often as yee shall drinke it 1 Cor. 11.25 So that these Words Doe this in remembrance of me inferre not any Commandement of receiving in both kindes PRO. According to your Tenet our Saviour saith not Doe this as often as you Lay men communicate but whensoever you receive the Cup and drinke then doe it in remembrance of me as much as to say as often as you Lay people drinke which needeth never be done by you according to Romish Divinitie Doe this nothing in remembrance of mee Besides as there is a Quotiescunque as often set before the Cup As oft as you drinke so there is a Quotiescunque set before the Bread As often as you shall eate this Bread vers 26. so that quotiâ—scunque biberitis as often as you Drinke cannot make the Precept Conditionall in respect of the Cup more than of the Bread it being alike referred to the Bread and to the Cup. PA. We wrong not the Laitie ministring unto them under one kinde onely they receiving the same benefit by one that they should doe by both Christs body and bloud being whole in each so that the people receive the bloud together with the Host by a Concomitancy PRO. In vaine have you devised Concomitance to
it is a straine of rhetoricke why not the other also Sixtus Senensis gives a good rule for interpretation of the Fathers speeches specially in this argument The sayings of Preachers are not to be urged in that rigour of their words for after the manner of Oratours they use to speake many times hyperbolically and in excesse And hee instanceth in Chrysostome as well hee might for hee is full of them even there where hee speakes of the Sacraments hee saith That our teeth are fixed in the flesh of Christ that our tongues are dyed red with his bloud and againe That it is not the Minister but God that baptizeth thee and holdeth thy head Now these and the like sayings must be favourably construed as being improper speeches rhetoricall straines purposely uttered to move affections stirre up devotion and bring the Sacrament out of contempt that so the Communicanâ—s eyes may not bee finally fixed on the outward elements of bread and wine being in themselves but transitory and corruptible creatures but to have their hearts elevated and lift up by faith to behold the very body of Christ which is represented in these mysteries Otherwise the Fathers come downe to a lower key when they come to speake to the point yea or no and accordingly Saint Chrysostome when once he is out of his Rhetoricall veine and speaks positively and doctrinally sayth When our Lord gave the Sacrament hee gave wine and againe Doe wee not offer every day Wee offer indeed but by keeping a memory of his deaâ—h and hee puts in a kind of caution or correction lest any should mistake him Wee offer saith hee the same Sacrifice or rather the remembrance thereof And such a Commemorative and Eucharisticall sacrifice we acknowledge Object Saint Cyril of Alexandria useth the word corporally saying that by the mysticall benediction the Sonne of God is united to us corporally as man and spiritually as God Answer Hereby is meant a full perfect spirituall conjunction with the sanctified Communicants excluding all manner of Imagination or fantasie and not a grosse and fleshly being of Christ's body in our bodyes according to the appearance of the letter otherwise this inconvenience would follow that our bodies must be in like manner corporally in Christ's body for Cyril as hee saith Châ—ist is corporally in us so he saith weare corporally in Christ by corporally then he meaneth that neere and indissoluble union in the same sence that the Apostle useth it saying In him dwelâ—eth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily Coll. 2.9 bodâ—ly that is indissolubly Bâ—sides Christ is likewise joyned corporally to us by the Sacrament of Baptisme and yet therein there is no Transubstantiation Of Image-worship Saint Hierome saith We worship one Image which is the Image of the invisible and omnipotent God Saint Austine saith No Image of God ought to be worshipped but that which is the same thing that he is meaning Christ Iesus Col. 1.15 Hebr. 1.3 nor yet that for him but with him And as for the representing of God in the similitude of a man he resolveth that it is Vtterly unlawfull to erect any such Image to God in a Christian Church He condemneth the use of Images even when they are not adored for themselves but made instruments to worship God saying Thus have they deserved to erre which sought Christ and his Apostles in painted Images and not in written bookes The same Austine writing of the manners of the Catholike Church directly severeth the case of some men who were wont to kneele superstitiously in Churh yards before the tombes of Martyrs and the painted histories of their sufferings these private mens cases he severeth from the common cause and approved practice of the Catholike Church saying Doe not bring in the company of rude mâ—n which in the true religion it selfe are superstitious I know many that are worshippers of Graves and pictures Now this I advise that you cease to speake evill of the Catholike Church by upbraiding it with the manners of those men whom she her selfe condemneth and seeketh every day to correct as naughtie children so that in Saint Austines times as is already noâ—ed Images and Image-worship were not used by any generall warranted practice if some mis-informed men used it this could not in Saint Austines opinion make it a Church duty necessary and Catholike or draw it to bee a generall custome Bellarmine answereth that Saint Austine wrote this in the beginning of his Conversion to Christianitie and that upon better information he changed his mind but he tells us not in what part of his Retractations this is to be found Divers other shifts besides are used herein and some fly to the distinction of an Idoll and an Image but that will not seâ—ve for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often translated Simulachrum a likenesse or similiâ—â—de and as eveâ—y Idoll is an Image of some thing so every Image worshipped turnes Idoll there may be some ods in the language but none in the thing it selfe Bellarmine minceth the matter and would have the Image worshipped not propeâ—ly and because of it selfe but reductively inasmuch as it doth expresse the Sampler Others hold that the Image is to bee worshipped in it selfe and with the sâ—mâ— woâ—ship that the person is which is represented so that the Crucifixe is to be reverenced with the selfe same honâ—ur that Christ Iesus is And as for the vulgar people they goe bluntly to it with downâ—right adoration Cassander saith It is more manifest than that it can bee denyed that the worship of Images and Idols hath too much prevailed and the supâ—rstitious humour of people hath beene so cockeredâ— that nothing hath beene omitted among us either of the highest adoration and vanity of Painims in worshipping and adoring Images Polydore also saith People are growne to such madnesse that there are many rude and stupid persons which adore Images of wood stone marble and brasse or paintâ—d in windowes not as signes but as though they had sense and they repose more trust in them than in Christ or the Saints to which they are dedicated Ludovicus Vives saith Saiâ—ts are esteemed and worshipped by many as were the Gods among the Gentiles Objection The honour or dishonour done to the Image redoundeth to the person represented or pâ—ototype as appeares by our being uncovered using reverence in the Kings Chamber of presence and before his Chaire of estate when his person is absent in like sort the honour and worship due to the Image redoundeth to Christ and his Saints now if an Image bee capable of contempt and reproach it is also capable of honour and worship Answer The Rule The dishonour done to the Image redoundeth to the person is true specially in civill affaires when the Party would be honoured by the Image and thus was Theodosius grieved with them of Antioch for casting downe his
taught the same doctrine in other books also to wit De Nativitate Christi and de Animâ which are to be seene in the Libraries of the Cathedrall Church of Sarisburie and Bennet Colledge in Cambridge as the same Bishop Vsher observes PA. Was Bertram a learned man and of a good liâ—e PRO. Trithemius the Abbot gives him a large commendation For his excellent learning in Scripture his godly life his worthy Bookes and by name this of the Body and Bloud of Christ. Clodius de Sanctes â—aith Hee is put in the Catologue of Ecclesiasticall Writers for one Catholike in life and doctrine and your Brerely saith That ancient Catholike Writers doubt not to honour Bertram for a holy Martyr of their Church Now are wee come to our famous countrey-man Scotus much what of Bertrams standing and both of them in favour with Charles unto whom as Bertram Dedicated his Treatise of the Sacrament so also Ioannes Scotus wrot of the same argument and to the same effect that Bertram had done Bellarmine saith That Scotus was the first who in the Latine Church wrot doubtâ—fully of the reall presence It is indeed their fault that we have not his Booke yet may wee presume that he wrot positively neither doe we any where find that his booke of the Sacrament was condemned before the dayes of Lanfrancke who was the first that leavened the Church of England with this corrupt doctrine of the carnall presence so that all this while to wit from the yeare 876 to 1050 he passed for a good Catholike PA. Was Scotus a man of that note PRO. He was as Possevine saith Scholler to Bede Fellow-pupill with Alcuinus and accounted one of the founders of the Vniversitie of Paris and in the end dyed like a Martyr For after that he came into England and was publike Reader in Oxford by the favour of King Alfred he retired himselfe into Malmsbury Abbey and was there by his owne Schollers stabbed to death with Pen-knives and this was done saith Bale and others Fortassis non sine Monachorum impulsâ— haply not without the Monks procurement being murdered by his Schollers whiles he opposed the carnall presence which then some private persons began to set on foot By his birth he was one of the Scottish or Irish nation and is sometime called Erigena sometime Scotigena He was sirnamed Scotus the Wise and for his extraordinary learning in great account with our King Alfred and familiarly entertained by Charles the Great to whom he wrote divers letters In a word there is an old homely Epitaph which speakes what this Scotus was Clauditur hoc tumulo Sanctus Sophista Ioannes Qui ditatus erat jà m vivens dogmate miro Martyrio tandem Christi conscendere regnum Quoâ— meruit sancti regnant per saecula cuncti Vnder this stone Lyes Sophister Iohn Who living had store Of singular Lore At length he did merit Heaven to inherit A Martyr blest Where all Saints rest Or thus Here lyes interr'd Scotus the Sage A Saint and Martyr of this Age. Of Images and Prayer to Saints Ionas Bishop of Orleance who wrote against Claudius bishop of Turin in the defence of Images holds that The Images of Saintâ— and Stories of divine things may bâ—e painted in the Church not to be worshipped but to be an oâ—nament and to bring into the minds of simple people things done and past But to adore the Creature or to give it any part of divine honour we count it saith he a vile wickednesse detesting the doâ—r thereof as worthy to be accursed It is flâ—t impiete saith the same Ionas out of Origen to adore any save the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Agobardus bishop of Lyons saith That the Ancients they had the pictures of the Saints but it was for historie sake and not for adoration and that none of thâ— ancient Catholicks haply thought that Images are to be worshipped or adored And the Orthodoxe Fathers for avoiding of superstition did carefully provide that no pictures should bee set up in Churches lest that which is worshipped should be painted on the walls Rhemigius saith That neither Images nor Angels are to be adored and Walasfridus Strabo would not have divine honour given to ought that is made by us or any other Creature Now what say the Papists to these Testimonies Baronius yeelds us Walafridus Strabo Ionas bishop of Orâ—leance Hincmarus Archbishop of Rhemes and saith That they foâ—sooke the received opinion of the Church and yet they were ever held sound Catholicks Bellarmine saith That Ionas was overtaken with Agobard his errour and other bishops of France in that Age and therefore puts in a Caveat that Ionas must bee read warily So that by their owne confession the learnedst and famousest men of this Age stand for us in this point this makes them seeke to suppresse such testimonies as are given of them Papirius Massonus set forth this booke of Agobards and delivers the argument therof to be this Detecting most manifestly the errours of the Greciâ—ns touching images pictures he to wit bishop Agobard denies tâ—at they ought to be worshipped which opinion all we Catholicks do allow and follow the testimony of Gregory the great concerning them Now this passage the Spanish Inquisitors in their expurgatorie Index Commanded tâ— bee blotted out and this is accordingly performed by the Divines of Collen in their late corrupt Edition of the great Bibliothek of the ancienâ— Fathers To close up this poynt Charles the Great was seconded by his Sonne Lewis the Godly for by his appointment the Doctors of France assembled at Paris in the yeare 842 and there condemned the adoration of Images It is not strange saith Ambrose Ansberâ—us that our prayers and teares are not offered up unto God by us but by our High Priest since that Saint Paul exhorts us to offer up the Sacrifiâ—e of Praise unto God Haymo upon those words of Isay 〈◊〉 enim Pater noster Thou O Lord art our Father Isay. 6â— ver 16. â—aith Et rectè solum invocamus ac dâ—p ecamur te And we doe right onely to invocate thee and to make our supplication to thee Of Faith and Merit Claudius Scotus saith that Faith alone saveth us because by the works of the Law no man shall be justified yet he addeth withall this caution Not as if the works of the Law should be contemned and without them a simple faith so he calleth that solitary faith which is a simple faith indeed should bee desired but that the works themselves should be adorned with the Faith of Christ. Rhemigius saith That in truth those onely are happy who are freely justified of grace and not of merit Haymo saith Wee are saved by Gods grace and not our owne merits for we have no merits at all Ambros. Ansbertus expounding that place Revel 19.
governement ought not to gad and wander but they should pleade their cause there where both Accusers and Witnesses may bee had except some few desperate and naughty fellowes thinke the authority of the Bishops of Africke which have already judged and condemned them to be lâ—sse meaning lesse than that of Cornelius to whom they fled Here wee finde opposition made to the Sea of Rome by that Catholike Martyr Cyprian and others even in the weighty poynt of Appeales for so Bellarmine makes appealing to Rome and not appealing from thence a mainâ— proofe of the Popes Supremacie Now to close up this age and to looke a little homeward all this time the Christian Religion flourished quietly in Britaine till in Dioclesians dayes which made vp the tenth persecution their Churches were demolished their Bibles burnt their Priests and their flocke murthered for now was Saint Alban beheaded at the City Verulam now called after him Saint Albanes of whom Fortunatus Presbyter an ancient Poet sayth Albanum egregium foecunda Britannia profâ—rt Fruitfull Britaine bringeth forth Alban a Martyr of great worth Hee was the first that in Britaine suffered death for Christ his sake whereupon he is called our Stephen and the Proto-martyr of Britaine In like sort his Teacher or Instructer Amphibalus was cruelly Martyred at the same place being whipped about a stake whereat his entrailes were tyed and thus winding his bowels out of his body was at last stoned to death so also was Iulius and Aaron Martyred at Leicester and in Lichfield so many that the place became another Colgatha or field of dead corps for which cause the City doth beare a field charged with many Martyrs diversly tortured they beare it for their Seale of Armes even unto this day as Master Camden hath recorded Now these Martyrs they suffered for that truth which we at this day hold and not for Popish Tenets which then were not in being We have now Surveyed the Fathers Faith and practice of the Church for the first three hundred yeares next after Christ and by this particular as Hercules whole body was measured by the breadth of his foote the Reader may proportion what were the Churches Creed and her Agends generally and constantly taught and practised in these times and I doubt not but he shall find that for substance of Religion they held as wee doe and not as the moderne Papists doe so that in comparison of Originall and Primitive Antiquity Poperie is but noveltie and this hath beene already shewne when as we drew the Character of the three first Centuries I will now onely give instance in the point of Indulgences and shew that in these best and ancient times there were no such Popes pardons as afterwards were marted For in latter times we find it recorded in the Salisbury Primer that Iohn the two and twentieth for the mumbling over of some short Prayers granted a Pardon of no lesse than a million of yeares Besides these three Prayers be written in the Chappel of the holy Crosse in Rome who that devoutly say them they shall obtaine ten hundred thousand yeares of Pardon for deadly sinne granted by our Holy Father Iohn the two and twentieth Pope of Rome and of another Prayer to be said as one goes thorow a Church-yard the same booke saith as followeth Pope Iohn the twelfth granted to all that shal say the Prayer following as they passe by any Church-yard as many yeeres of Indulgences as there have beene bodyes there buried since the Consecration of the said Church-yard In the same booke there is power given to one little prayer beginning with O bone Iesu to change the paines of Hell into Purgatory and after that againe the paines of Purgatory into the joyes of Heaven This Prayer is written in a Table that hanged at Rome in Saint Peters Church neere to the high Altar there as our holy Father the Pope is wont to say Masse and who so that devoutly with a contrite heart daily say this Orizon if he bee that day in the state of eternall damnation then his eternall paine shall be changed him into temporall paine of Purgatorie and if he have deserved the paine of Purgatorie it shall bee forgotten and forgiven through the infinite mercie of God Now sure I thinke that Antiquitie cannot paralell such presidents as these THE FOVRTH CENTVRIE From the yeare of Grace 400. to 500. PAPIST WHat say you to this fourth Age PROTESTANT This was a learned Age for now there lived Optatus Bishop of Milevis in Africa and in Asia there lived Epiphanius Bishop of Cyprus Cyril Bishop of Hierusalem Macharius the Monke Basil the great the Christian Demosthenes as Erasmus calls him Gregory Nazianzene sirnamed the Divine and Grigory Nyssen brother to Saint Basil these three were equall in time deare friends and of neere alliance now also lived the Hammer of the Arrian Heretickes Athanasius the great Bishop of Alexandria great indeed for his learning for his vertue for his labour for his suffering when almost the whole world was set against him but above all great for his Creed the Athanasian Creed He suffered much trouble for the truth but God upheld him so that he dyed in peace full of dayes after he had governed the Church of Alâ—xandria six and forty yeares Nazianzene compared him in time of adversity to the Adamant for that no trouble could breake him and in time of prosperity to the Load-stone for that hee allured the hearts of men more intractable then Iron to imbrace the Truth of God In Europe there lived Hilarie Bishop of Poictiers in France and Ambrose Bishop or Millaine Ambrose was a man of noble parentage under the Emperour Valentinian hee was Governour of Liguria he was chosen from a secular â—udge to bee Bishop of Millaine and was faine to be christened before he could be consecrated he was zealous and resolute hee sharpely reproved Theodosius for the slâ—ughtâ—r of the innocent people of Thessalonica hee was grievously troubled by the Lady Iustina mother to Valentinian the second he said to his friends that were about him at his death I have not so lived that I am ashamed to live longer nor yet feare I death because I have a good Lord. Of the Scriptures sufficiencie Athanasius saith the holy Scriptures given by inspiration of God are of themselves sufficient to the discoverie of truth now if they be as the word signifieth allsufâ—icient to instruction then must they needs be all sufficient to all instruction in the truth intended and not onely sufficient for this or that point as Bellarmine would have it Saint Hilarie commendeth the Emperour Constantius for desiring the Faith to be ordered onely according to those things that be written thâ— same Hilarie assures us that in his dayes the word of God did suffice the beleevers yea what is there saith he concerning mans salvation that is not conteined in the word
of the Evangelist what wants it what obscuritie is there in it all things there are full and perfect Saint Basil saith it is a manifest falling from the Faith and an argument of arrogancie either to reject any point of those things that are written or to bring in any of those things that are not written Gregory Nyssen layeth this for a ground which no man should contradict that in that onely the truth must be acknowledged wherein the seale of the Scripture testimonie is to be seene The same Father in an oration of his calleth the Scripture an even streight and inflexible Rule neither mentâ—oneth he any more rules but this onâ— and adding the word ipsa to the Rule he delareth the same to be an adaequate and onely Rule Of the Scripture Canon The Councell of Laodicea saith we ought to reade onely the bookes of the Old and New Testament yea the same Councell recites onely those Canonicall bookes of Scripture which we allow and the Canons of this Councell though a provinciall Councell are confirmed by the sixt generall Councell in Trullo now if it be replied the Laodicean Councell excludes the Apocrypha the Carthaginian Councell receives them and both these were confirmed in the sixt generall Councell held in the Palace called Trullo and how can this stand together the matter is thus reconciled the Laodicean speakes of the Canon of Faith the Carthaginian of the Canon of good manners to both which the sixt Councell subscribed in that sence and we to it To proceed Hilary tells us the Law of the Old Testament is conteined in two and twentie bookes according to the number of the Hebrew letters and Athanasius saith the same and as touching the Apocryphall bookes as namely the booke of Wisedome Maccabees and the rest he saith Libri non sunt Canonici they are read onely to the Caetechumens or novices in Religion but are not Canonicall Epiphanius after he had reckoned up the Canon of two and twentie bookes censureth the bookes of Wisedome and Ecclesiasâ—icus in these words they are fit and profitable but not reckoned amongst those bookes which are received by our Church and therefore were neither laid up with Aaron nor in the Arke of the New Testament Ruffinus in his explanation of the Creede which is found among Saint Cyprians workes and so attributed to him setteth downe the Catalogue conteining all those bookes which we admit secluding all those that are now in question wee must know saith he that there be also other bookes which are not Canonicall but are called of our Ancestors Ecclesiasticall as is the Wisedome of Salomon Ecclesiasticus Tobias Iudith and the bookes of Maccabees all which they will indeed have to be read in the Church but not to be alledged for Confirmation of Faith To this testimonie of Ruffin Canus a Popish writer thus replieth although Ruffin did affirme that the bookes of Maccabees were to be rejected by the tradition of the Fathers yet by the Readers leave he was ignorant of that Tradition as if Canus a late writer were better skilled in the Primitive tradition than Ruffinus or Cyprian Gregorie Nazianzen nameth all the bookes that wee admit save that he omitteth the booke of Hester being misperswaded of the whole by reason of those Apocryphall additions to it Now Bellarmine would shift off such testimonies as these by saying it was no fault in them to reject these bookâ—s because no generall Councell in their dayes had decreed any thing touching them But we aske how it came to passe that so many Catholike Divines after this pretended decree of their Canon rejected these bookes as others had done before for some in every Age rejected thâ—m Of Communion under both and number of Sacraments Gregory Nazianzene saith of his sister Gorgonia in this manner if her hand had laid up any portion of the types or tokens of the precious body and of the bloud he saith that his sister after she had communicated she laid up some part of the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ now as she kept the consecrated bread in a cloth so she might carry the wine in a viall howsoever this religious woman received in both kinds The same Nazianzen bids reverence the Lords Table to which thou hast accesse the bread whereof thou hast beene partaker the cup which thou hast communicated being initiated in the passions of Christ. Athanasius being accused for breaking a Chalice writeth thus What manner of Cup or when or where was it broken in every house there are many Pots any of which if a man breake he committeth not sacriledge but if any man willingly break the sacred Chalice he committs sacriledge but that Chalice is no where but where there is a lawfull Bishop This is the use destin'd to that Chalice none other wherein you according to institution doe drinke unto and before the Laity This was the custome in Athanasius his dayes Saint Ambrose speakes to a great secular Prince Theodosius in this sort How dare you lift up to him those hands from which the blood yet droppeth will you receive with them the sacred body of our Lord or how will you put in your mouth his precious bloud who in the commanding fury of your wrath have wickedly shed so much innocent bloud The same Saint Ambrose in his Treatise that hee wholly set apart for the laying foorth of the Doctrine of the Sacraments specifyeth not any other than either those two of ours Baptisme and the Lords Supper and yet wee have of his as they are divided sixâ— bookes de Sacramentis of the Sacraments And so I come to treat of the Sacrament Of the Eucharist PA. You have produced Hilarie and Cyril of Hierusalem on your side whereas they make for us in the poynt of the Sacrament Saint Hâ—larie sayth nos verè verbum carnem cibo Dominico sumimus Hil. l. 8. de Trinitate PRO. Hilaries testimony was much urged by Mr. Musket Priest and was notably cleered by Doctour Featly in the second dayes disputation now to the place alleadged he sayth The Word truely became Flesh truely to wit by Faith and Spiritually not with the mouth and carnally Objection These words of Hilarie Sub Sacramento communicandae carnis and the like following nos verè sub mysterio carnem corporis sui sumimus wee truely receive the Flesh of his body under a mystery prove the reall presence of Christs flesh under the formes of bread and wine Answer Saint Hilarie by the words Sub Sacramento and sub mysterio carnem sumimus meaneth nothing but that in a mystery or Sacramentally we eate the true flesh of the Sonne of God sub mysterio is no more than in mysterio that is mystically under a similitude in a similitude or after a resemblance Object St. Hilarie sayth in the booke alleadged de veritate carnis sanguinis non est relictus ambigendi locus
who set forth Eusebius Now Eusebius hath no such thing as is pretended his words in his owne language are these It is our custome to come to the Tombes and Monuments of the Martyrs and to make our prayers at or befâ—re those Shrines or Tombes and to honour those blessed soules Plâ—â—saith they used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to present themseâ—ves at the Martyrs Tombes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to make their prayers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those Toâ—bes and Monuments he saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to these Martyrs as Bellarmine would have it It is onething to pray ad memorias Martyrum before or neere the Sepulchers of â—he Martyrs as ancieÌ„tly they were wont to doe another thing to say as our adversariâ—s doe that these Prayeâ—s were made unto the Martyrs themselves the truth is they were made unto God to pâ—aise him for the assistaâ—ce given unto the Martyrs and to crave of God the like Gâ—ace 4. Fâ—urthly and lastly Eusebius in the same treatise doth fully expreâ—se himselfe touching this matter saying We are taught to worship God onely and to honour those blessed Powers that are about him with such honour as is fit and agreeable to their â—state and condition and againe To God onely will we give the worship due unâ—o his name and him onely doe we religiouslie worship and adore Object Saint Ephraim the Syrian saith Wee pray you O yeâ— blâ—ssed Spirits vouchsafe to make intercession to God for us miserable sinners Answer The learned take exceptions at this Ephraim as being a counterfeit lately brought to light and not set forth in his native language but taught to speake in the Roman tongue â—ut bee it that it is the true Saint Ephraem yet hee saith nothing directly for praying to Saints for it is but an Apostrophe in generall which infeâ—reth no coâ—â—lusion aâ— all noâ— is it directed to any one peculiar Saint bâ—t â—o the Saints iâ— geneâ—all Now it is conâ—essed that they pray to God Pro nobis miseris peccatoribus and this their bâ—other-like affâ—ction and Saint-like performance is an â—speciall paâ—t of the Communion of Saints Besides Ephraem take him as hee commâ—th to our hands delivereth that which overthroweâ—h Saintly Invocatioâ— for hee prayeth to God onely without mentioâ—ing any Saint at all yea hee saith expresly That hee knoweth no other save God to whom hee should present his prayers and yet more fully saying Tibi soli redemptori supplico To thee only my Saviour and Redeemer I make my prayer and supplication And thus speakes Ephraem when once he is out of his pâ—osopopeiaes and Rhetoricall compellations his paâ—egyâ—icks and commendatorie orations of the Saints Of Iustification by Faith onely Concerning Iustification by Faith onely Saint Ambrose or some of the same standing with Ambrose is cleare and plentifull throughout his Commentaries on Saint Pauls Epistles They are justified by faith alone by the gift of God yea hee farther saith No worke of the Law but onely faith is to bee given in Christ's cause Saint Hilarie saith That which the Law could not unloose is remitted by Christ for faith alone justifieth Saint Basil saith That it is true and perfect rejoycing in the Lord when a man is not puffed up with his owne righteousnesse but acknowledgeth his want thereof yet râ—joyceth that hee is justified by faith alone in Christ. By this that hath beene said it appeareth that when wee say Faith onely justifieth wee have not departed from the doctrine of the ancient Fathers in this point of Iustification Of Merit Concerning Merit Saint Ambrose saith Whence should I have so great merit seeing mercy is my crowne and againe What can wee doe worthy of the heavenly rewards the sâ—ffâ—ringâ— of this time are uâ—worthy for the glory tâ—â—t is to come therefore the forme of heavâ—nly Decrees doth proceed with men not according to our meâ—its but according to Gods mercy Basil saith Everlasting rest is layd up for them that strive lawfully in this life not to bee rendred according to the dâ—bt of workes but exhibited by the grace of the bountifull God to them that trust in him Macarius the Aegyptian Hermite touching the gift which Christians shall inherit averreth That this a man may rightly say that if any one from the time wherein Adam was created unto the very end of the world did fight against Satan and undergoe afflictions hee should doe no great matter in respect of the glory that hee shall inherit for heâ— shall reigne together with Christ world without end PA. You produced Saint Cyril of Hierusalem as if he should witnesse for you whereas hee is ours and your Mr. Cooke tellâ—th us that Bellarmine often alleadgeth him on our behalfe PRO. The learned make question whether Cyril or Iohn B. of Hierusalem were the Author of those Catechismes and surely in some part thereof there bee divers things unworthy of that ancient and learned Cyril who is the more to be beloved of the Orthodoxe as he was greatly hated of the Aâ—rians yet even in these Catechismes take them as they come to our hands Master Rivet a learned and judicious Divine finds many testimonies that make for us and against the Papists For instance sake Cyril in his Catechisme having numbred all the bookes of the old Testament omitteth all those that are controverted and saith Peruse the two and twenty bookes but meddle not with the Apocrypha meditate diligently upon those Scriptures which the Church doth confidently read and use no other Hee saith That the safetie and preservation of faith consists not in the eloquence of words but in the proofe of divine Scripture The same Cyril saith Receive the body of Christ with a hallow hand saying Amen and after the partaking of the body of Christ come also to the cup of the Lord. The same Cyril saith that the words my Body were Spoken of the bread Christ thus avoucheth and saith of the Bread this is my Body He resembleth the consecrated oyle wherewith their foreheads were annoynted to the consecrated bread in the Eucharist Looke saith he Thou doe not thinke it to be onely bare and simple oyle for even as the consecrated bread after prayer and invocation is no more common bread but Christs body so the holy oyle is no more bare and simple oyle or common but Charisma the gift of Grace whence as Master Rivet saith wee may thus argue as is the change in the oyle such there is in the Eucharist but in the oyle there is no change in substance but use and sanctification by grace and therefore there is no substantiall change or conversion in the Elements of bread and wine when they become the body and blood of Christ. Objection Saint Cyril saith Know you for a surety that the bread which is seene of us is not bread though the taste
find it to bee bread but the body of Christ insomuch as Bellarmine upon this testimonie saith Quid clariùs dici potest What can be said more plainely Answer Cyril saith The bread which is seene of us is not bread and the same Cyril saith of the Water in Baptisme it is not simple water let the one satisfie the other Cyril saith of the bread as hee doth of the oyle that it is no bare simple or common oyle but Charisma the type and symboll of a spirituall gift and so hee meant of the bread the Consecrated bread that it is no ordinary or common bread but of different use and servâ—ce and yet theâ—ein not any change of substance at all Neither doth Cyril say as Bellarmine corrupâ—ly traâ—slateth it or at leâ—st mâ—kes use of a corrupt trâ—nslation That the body of Câ—rist is given Sub spâ—cie panâ—s Vnder the forme of bread but as it â—s in the Greeke Vnder the type of bread even as hee saith afterwards Thinke not tâ—at you taste bread but tâ—e Antitype of Christs body so that hee calleth the consâ—crated bread and wine â—ypes and Antitypes that is signes of the body and blooâ— of Christ. Now whereâ—s Cyril would not have us judge of thâ—s Sacrament by our taste or sense it iâ— true that as the Bread and Wine are â—ound and whiâ—e aâ—d sweet in taste our bodily senses mâ—y indeed perceive thâ—m but as they are types and Aâ—titypes that is signâ—s Of the body and blood â—f Christ so â—hey aâ—e spiâ—itually to bee discernâ—d with our understanding onely as the Reverend and learned Dâ—ctor Morton Lo. Bishop of Coventry and Lichfiâ—ld and now Lord Bishop of Durâ—sme hath observed Lastly the same Cyril saith That wee have râ—pentance and remission of sinnes confined onely to the terme of thâ—s prâ—sâ—nt life More might be alleadged out of the same â—yâ—il but these may suâ—fice to shew what hee in his Caâ—echismes taught his schollers touching the Scripturâ—s sâ—fficâ—encie aâ—d Caâ—on Communion in both kinds the Euchaâ—ist and Purgatory Before I cloâ—e up this Centurie I must needs speake of Constantinâ— the Great and the two generall Councelâ— held in this Age. In â—his age flourished the honour of our nation that Christian Pâ—ince Constantine the Great borne of our coâ—nâ—rey woman Hâ—lâ—na both of them Britaines by biâ—thâ— Royâ—ll by descent Saints by estiâ—ation and true Catholikes by profession PA. Doâ—tor 〈◊〉 and Master Brerely show them to have bâ—â—nâ— o◠〈…〉 PRO. Our reverend and learned Doctor Doctor Abbot late Bishâ—p of Salisbury hath sufficiently confuted your Bishop and acquitted them from being Papists since they held not the grounds of Popery as at this day they are maintayned PA. If constantine were no Papist of what faith tâ—en was hee PRO. Hee was of the true ancient Christian Faith as may appeare by these instances following Hee held the Scriptures sufficient for deciding matteâ—s of Faith and accordingly prescribed this rule to the Nicene Councell saying Because the Apostles Bookes doe plainely instruct us in divine matters therefore we ought to make our Determinations upon Questions from words which are so divinely inspired he saith not that the Scriptures plainely teach us what to thinke of the nature and substance of God as Bellarmine would wrest it but also of the holy Law and things concerning Religion for so doe the words sound in the originall and herein saith Theodoret the greater part of the Councell obeyed the voyce of Constantine Constantine held it not the Popâ—s peculiar to summon generall Counâ—â—lls for hee called the Councell of Nice himselfe and therein sate as President and mâ—deratour receiving every mans opinion helping sometimes one part sometimes another reconciling them when they were at ods untill hee brought them to an agreement in the Faith The same Eâ—perour by his royâ—ll Letters Prescribed to the Bishops such things as belonged to thâ— good of Gods Church yea hee held himselfe to bee a Iuâ—ge and supreme Governour in Causes Ecclesiasticall for hee professeth speaking generally of all soâ—tâ— of men if any shall rashly or undadvisedly maintaine these pestilent assertions meaning the Arrians His saucinesse shall beâ— instantly curbed by the Emperours exâ—cution who is Gods Ministers Moreover Constantine never sought to the Pope for pardon hee never worshipped an Image never served Saint nor Shrine never knew the Masse Transubstantiation nor the halfe Communion hee prayed not for his Fathers soule at the performance of his Funeralls used no Requiems nor Diriges at his Exequies he wished not any prayers to bee made after his death for his owne soule but having received Baptisme newly before his death professed a stedfast hope that needed no such after-prayers saying Now I know indeed that I am a blessed man that God hath accounted mee worthy of immortall life and that I am now made partaker of the light of God And when they that stood about him wished him longer life hee answeâ—ed That hee had now attayned the true life and that none but himselfe did understand of what happinesse he was made partaker and that he therfore hastned his going to his God Thus Constantine dyed outright a Protestanâ— hee craved no after-prayers for his soule hee dreaded no Purgatory but dyed in full assurance of going immediately to his God Was this Prince now a Trent papist Now to proceed the fiâ—st Generall Councell in Christianitie after the Synod of the Apostles was that famous fiâ—st Councell of Nice consistiâ—g of 318. Bishops the greatest lights that the Christian world then had it was called about 325 yeares after Christ against Arrius that denyed Christ to bee veâ—y God from this Councell wee had oâ—r Nicen Creed it was summoned not by the thâ—n Bishop of Rome but by the Emperour Constantine Gathering thâ—m together out of divers Cities and Provinces as themsâ—lves have lâ—fâ—â—ccorded Wee produce the sixth Canon of this Councell against the Popes monarchicall Iurisdiction the â—enour thereof is this Let ancient customes hold that the Bishops of Alexandria should have the government over Aegypt Lybia and Pentapolis because also the Bishop of Rome hath the same custome as also let Antioch and other Provinces hold their ancient priviledges Now these words of the Canon thus limiting and distinguishing the severall Provinces and grounding on the custome of the Bishop of Rome that as hee had preheminence of all the Bishops about him so Alexandria and Antioch should have alL about them as likewise every Metropolitane within his owne Province these words I say doe cleerely shâ—w that before the Nicene Councell the Pope neither had preheminence of all through the world as now hee claymeth to bee an universall Bishop nor ought to have greater preheminence by their judgement than he had before time this being the effect of the Canon to wit That the Bishop of Alexandria shall have authority over his Diocesses as the Bishop of Rome
saw the evill that came upon the place Besides these learned Trium virs there lived in this age Theodoret bishop of Cyrus a towne in Syria Cyrill bishop of Alexandria Leo the great and Gelasius bishops of Rome Vincentius Lirinensis a great impugner of Heresies as also Sedulius of Scotland whose Collections are extant upon Saint Pauls Epistlâ—s and his testimonies frequently cited by the learned L. Primate Doctour Vsher in his Trâ—atise of the ancient Irish Religion Oâ— the Scâ—iptures sufficiencie Saint Augustine saith In those things which are layd downe plainely in the Scriptures all those things are found which appertaine to faith and direction of life Bellarmine would shift off this place by saying That Austine meant that in Scripture are contayned all such points as are simply necessary for all to wit the Creed and the Commandements but beside these other things necessary for Bishops and Pastors were delivered by tradition but this stands not with Austines drift for in the Treatise alleadged de Doctrinâ— Christianâ hee purposely instructeth not the people but Christian Doctors and Teachers so that where he saith In the Scriptures are plainely set downe all things which containe Faith Hope and Charity he meaneth as elsewhere hee expresseth himselfe all things which are necessarily to bee believed or done not onely of the Lay people but even of Ecclesiastickes In like sort the same father saith Those things which seemed sufficient to the salvation of believers were chosen to bee written Vincentius Lirinensis saith that the Canon or Rule of Scripture is perfect abundantly sufficent in it selfe for all things yea more than sufficient neither is this a false supposall as a Iesuit pretends it to be but a grounded truth and the Authors doctrine Liâ—inensis indeed maketh first one generall sufficient Rule for all things the sacred Scriptures Secondly another usefull in some cases onely yet never to be used in those cases without Scriptures which is the Tradition of the Vniversall Church and generall consent of Fathers The first was used by the ancient Church from the worth that is in it selfe the other is used to avoyd the jarring interpretations of pervâ—rse Heretikeâ— that many times abuse the sacred Rule Standard of the Scripture Now we admit the Churches Interpretation as ministeriall to holy Scripture so it be conformable thereunto And wee say with the learned Rejoynder to the Iesuit Malounes Reply Bring us now one Scripture expounded according to Lirinensis his Rule by the Vniversall consent of the Primitive Church to prove Prayer to Saints Image worship in your sense and we will receive it Saint Cyril saith that All things which Christ did are not written but so much as holy writers judged sufficient both for good manners and Godly faith And in another place he saith The holy Scripture is sufficient to make them which are brought uâ— in it wise and most approved and furnished with most sufficient understanding Saint Hierome reasoneth Negatively from the Scriptures saying As we deny not those things that are written so we refuse those things that are not written That God was borne of a Virgin we believe because we reade it That Mary did marry after shee was delivered we beleeve not because we reade it not Saint Chrysostome saith that All those things that are in holy writ are right and cleere that Whatsoever is necessarie is manifest therein yea he calleth the Scripture The most exact Balance Square and Rule of Divine veritie This was the Fathers Rule of Faith of old and the same a perfect one but the Papists now adayes make it but a part of a Rule halfe a Rule and piece it with Tradition Of the Scripture Canon Saint Hierome who was well skilled in the tongues travailed much and saw the choycest Monuments of Antiquitie as also the best Libraries that the Easterne Parts could afford and was therefore likely to meete with the best Canon nameth all the Bookes which we admit and afterwards addeth Whatsoever is besides these is to be put amongst the Apocrypha and that therfore the Booke of Wisedome of Iesus the Sonne of Syrach of Iudith Tobias and Pastor are not in the Canon The same Hierome having mentioned the Booke of Wisedome and Ecclesiasticus and delivered his opinion that it is untruly called the Wisedome of Salomon and attributed to him then addeth That as the Church readeth Iudith Tobias and the Maccabees but receiveth them not â—or Canonicall Scriptures so these two Bookes â—amely the Wisedome of Salâ—mon and Iesus the Sonne of Syrach doth the Church reade for the edification of the pâ—ople not to confirme the authority of any doctrine in the Church Objection The Carthaginian Councel received those Books which you account Apocryphall Answer They received them in Canonem Morum not in Canonem Fidei It is true indâ—ed that Saint Austine and the African Bishops of his time and some other in that Age finding these Bookes which Hierome and others rejâ—ct as Apocryphall to be joyned with the other and together read with them in the Church seeme to account them to be Canonicall but they received them onely into the Ecclesiasticke Canon serving for Example of life and instruction of manners and not into any part of the Rule of Faith or Divine Canon as Saint Austine speaking of the Bookes of the Maccabees distinguisheth saying This reckoning is not found in the Canonicall Scriptures but in other Bookes as in the Maccabees plainely distinguishing betweene the Canonicall Scriptures and the Bookes of the Maccabees Wherein saith he There may be something found worthy to be joyned with the number of those miracles yet hereof will we have no care for that we intend the miracles Divini Canonis which are received in the Divine Canon Of the booke of Iudith he tels us The Iewes never received it into the Canon of Scriptures and withall there he professeth That the Canon of the â—ewes was most Authenticall Touching the bookes of Wisedome and Ecclesiasticus he tels us that They were called Salomons onely for some likâ—nâ—sse of Stile but the Learned doubt whether they bâ—e his Lastly the Councel of Carthage whereat Saint Austine was present Prescribing that no bookes should be read in the Church as Canonicall but such as indeed are Canonicall leaveth out the booke of Maccabees as it appeareth by the Greeke Edition though they have shuffled them into the Latine which argueth suspicion of a forged Canon Now to this ancient evidence of Hierome and Austine the Papists make but a poore Reply Canus saith that Hierome is no rule of Faith and that the matter was not then sufficiently sifièd Bellarmine saith I admit that Hierome was of that opinion because as yet a Generall Councel had decreed nothing touching those bookes and Saint Austin might likewise doubt thereof so that by Bellarmines confession Hierome
Eleutherius time or in the Apostles dayes for had it beene so the Britaines who changed not their Faith but kept still the substantiall grounds thereof would likewise have held the Popes Supremacie yea doubtlesse those Catholike Bishops of Britaine had they but knowne and believed as now it is given out the Pope to be Iure divinâ— by divine right and Gods appointment the Monarch of the whole Church they would have yeelded obedience to Austine and in him to the Pope but they opposed it as being urged by those of the Romish faction so that it was not then as now it is made one of the chiefe heads of the Romish Faith for now a dayes men are made to believe that out of the Communion of the Romane Church nothing but hell can be looked for and subjection to the Bishop of Rome as to the visible Head of the Vniversall Church Is required as a matter necessary to salvation But this was no part nor Article of the ancient Britaines Creed and therefore they withstood it and if it were no Article of Faith them surely it is none now a dayes To close up this point hereby is overthrowne the maine Article of the Romane Creed For if as the Papists say and sweare there be no salvation out of the Romane Communion then is the case like to goe hard with the one thousand two hundred British Monks of Bangor stiled Saints and Martyrs that died out of the Roman Communion and yet within the Communion of Saints But this Grand Imposture of the now Romane Church is notably discovered by the learned and zealous Bishop of Coventrie and Lichfield Doctor Morton now Lord Bishop of Durham My conclusion shall be this out of the holy Catholike Church of the Creede there is no salvation but out of the fellowship of the Romane Church there hath beene and is salvation as appeares in the case of these our British Martyrs therefore the present Romane Church is not as it is pretended the Catholike Church of the old Creede but a particular of the new Trent Creede THE SEVENTH CENTVRIE From the yeare of Grace 600. to 700. PAPIST PRoceede to name your men PROTESTANT I name Gregory the great whom Bellarmine usually placeth in this seventh Age for that hee lived unto the yeare 605 what time as Trithemius saith he dyed Now also lived his Scholler Isidore Bishop of Sivil in Spaine usually termed Isidore the younger Now also by Bellarmine's account though others make him much ancienter lived Hesychius Bishop of Hierusalem with other Worthies as namely the Britaines of Wales as also Saint Aidan and Finan now also was held the sixth Generall Councell PA. I challenge Saint Gregory hee is ours PRO. Gregorie indeed lived in a troublesome time whiles the Goths and Vandals overranne Italie and Rome was besieged by the Lombards There was then also great decay in knowledge and scarcity of able men to furnish the Church withall and few in Italie as Baronius saith that were skilled both in Greeke and Latine Yea Gregory himselfe proâ—esseth that hee was ignorant of the Greeke tongue yet was he stâ—led the great and yet not so great as godly and modest It is commonly said of him That he was the last of the good Bishops of Rome and the first of the bad ones That he was the first Pope and leader of the Pontifician companies and the last Bishop of Rome Hee was supeâ—stitious in diverse things hee lived in a declining age and as in time so in some truths came short of his predecessours yet he taught not as your Trent Papists doe but joyned with us in diverse weighty poynts of Religion Of the Scriptures sufficiencie and Canon Gregory held the Scriptures sufficiencie saying Whatsoever serveth for edification is contayned in the volume of the Scriptures wherein are all resolutions of doubts fully and plentifully to be found they being like a full Spring that cannot be drawne drye Hee approved the vulgar use of the Scriptures exhorting a Lay-man to study them because saith hee they bee as it were Gods Letter or Epistle to his Creature wherein he reveales his whole minde to him And lest any complaine of the difficulty of the Scriptures he compares them to a River wherein there are as well shallow Foords for Lambes to wade in as depths for the Elephant to swim in And Isidore saith that the Scripture is common to petty Schollers and to Proficients And whereas Heretickes use to alleadge Scripture for themselves Gregory saith they may bee confuted by Scripture it selfe even as Goliath was slaine with his owne sword Gregory held the bookes of Maccabees Apocryphall Wee doe not amisse saith he if wee produce a testimony out of the booke of Maccabees though not Canonicall yet published for the iâ—struction of the Church And Occham accordingly reports Gregories judgement saying The booke of Iudith Tobias the Maccabees Ecclesiasticus and Wisedom are not to bee received for the confirmation of any doctrine of Faith Isidore saith In these Apocryphall although there be some truth to be found yet by reason of the many errours therein they are not of Canonicall authâ—rity Of Communion under both kindes and number of Sacraments Saint Gregory in his Dialogues if they be his tells us of some that were going to Sea some whereof happily were Lay-men carryed with them the consecratâ—d body and bloud of the Lord in the Ship and there received it And againe His body is there recâ—ived his flesh is there divided for the peoples salvation his bloud is not now powred out upon the hands of Infidels but into the mouth of the Faithfull Hee speakes expressely of the Faithfull and of the people And in his Homily touching the Passeover he saith What is meant by the bloud of Christ you have now learned not by hearing of it but by drinking of it which bloud is then put on both posts when it is drawne in both by the mouth of the body and of the heart Herein Gregory resembles the partaking of Christ's bloud in the Eucharist to the bloud of the Paschall Lambe in the twelfth of Exodus striken upon both poâ—ts of the doore thereby noting the mouth and the heart each whereof after their manner receive Christ for with the mouth and corporally wee receive the wine which is the Sacrament of his bloud and with our heart and by faith we receive the thing Sacramentall the bloud it selfe Besides hee speakes expressely of drinking and the termes hee useth hauritur and perfunditur That Christ's bloud is shed and taken as a draught demonstrate that he speaks not of partaking Christ's bloud as it is joyned to his body and inclosed in his veines but as severed from it as my worthy and learned friend Doctor Featly hath observed Isidore saiâ—h The fourth prayer is brought in for the kisse of Peace that all bâ—ing reconciled by charity may
Image-worship yet in some other things he was Orthodoxe and in those we comply with him Now also was held a famous Councel at Constantinople in the East and another at Frankford in the West both of them opposing the second Nicen Synod Now also lived Adelbert of France Samson of Scotland and Claudius Clemens of the same nation Bishop of Auxerâ—e in France Thâ—se with others opposâ—d Boniface the Popes factour whiles he sought to stablish Papall Supremacie adoration of Reliques and Images Pargatorie prayer for â—he dead and to impose single life on the Clâ—rgie and for â—his they were persecuted under Pope Zacharie with bonds and imprisonment Aventinâ— saiâ—h â—haâ— Albertus Gallus and other Bishops and Priestâ— of his sect so calls he the way after which they worshipâ—â—od did mightily withstand this Boniface or Winifrid an Engâ—iâ—â—â—an bishop of Meâ—tz Toward the laâ—er end of this Age there lived though they flourished in the ninth Age Claudius Clemens Scotus as also Ioannes Mailrosius Scotus called Madrosius haply for that he lived in the Monastery of Mailros planted by bishop Aidan and his followers in Northumberland where also Saint Cuthbert had his education PA. I claime Saint Bede for one of ours PRO. You will lose your claime for though he were tainted with superstition and slipt into the corruptions of the Times wherin he lived Beleeving and reporting divers Fabulous Miracles and incredible Stories as some of your owne men haue censured him neither doe we defend all hee wrot yet in divers maine grounds of Religion he was an Adversarie to your Trent Faith Bede was a Priest he lived in the Monasterie of Saint Peter and Saint Paul at Weere-mouth neere Durham A great Clerke and writer of the English Story Alcwin or Alwin was a Yorke-shiere man as appeares by his name Alwin which in these parts continues to this day He was Keeper of the Library at Yorke erected by Archbishop Egberâ— He was also Schoole-master to Rabanus and in great favour with his Pupill Carolus Magnus whom hee perswaded to found the Vniversitie of Paris He wrot three bookes of the Trinitie and Dedicated them to Charles The Papists charge Calvin to have made these bookes and to have set them forth in Alcuinus name Alcuin and Calvin being all one name by changing the Letters but this is untrue since both the note of the beginning and ending of this booke is to be seene in an ancâ—ent Manuscript in Lincolne Colledge and the very Copie it selfe written as it may be conjectured above five hundred yeeres agoe is to be seene in the Princes Library at Saint Iames. Besides that my selfe have seene Alcwin's booke of the Trinitie Printed in the yeare 1525. whereas Calvin by Bellarmines account shewed not himselfe untill the yeere 1538. Of the Scriptures Sufficiencie and Canon Damascen saith Whatsoever is delivered unto us in the Law and the Prophets by the Apostles and Evangelists that wee receive acknowledge and reverence and besidâ—s these wee require nothing else The same Damascen numbers all those bookes and those onely as Canonicall that we doe and addeth That the Bookes of Wisdome and Iesus the Sonne of Syrach are good Bookes and containe good Lessons but that they are not numbred in this account neither were layd up in the Arke And our Alcuinus Abbot of Saint Martins at Tours in France writing against Elipantus bishop of Toledo tels him that he urged authoriâ—ies out of the booke of Iesus the sonne of Syrach but saith he Saint Hierome and Isidore doe testiâ—ie that without question it was to be reputed amongst the Apocryphall and doubtfull Bookes Of Communion under both kinds and the number of Sacraments Charles the Great saith The mystery of the body and bloud of Christ is daily received by the faithfull in the Sacrament of his â—lesh and bloud in â—anis ac vini figurâ in the figure oâ— bread and wine And that â—he Sacrament is in it owne naâ—ure brâ—ad and wine but the body and bloud of Christ by Mysticall and Sacrameâ—tall relation hee shewes in the same termes as Isidore did before him and Rabanus after him Becausâ— bread saith Bede confirmes the bâ—dy and wine doth worke bloud in the flesh therefore the one is mystically refâ—rred to the body of Christ the other to his bloud But to leave particular men we have the suffrage of a whole Councel held at Constantinople in the yeare 754 wherein it was maintained that Christ chose no other shape or type under heaven to represent his Incarnation by but the Sacrament which he delivered to his Ministers for a type and a most effectuall commemoration thereof Commanding the substance of bread to bee offered and this bread they affirme to be a true Image of his naturall flesh And these assertions of theirs they are to be found in the third tome of the sixth Action of the second Councel of Nice Of Images and Prayer to Saints Concerning Images venerable Bede as we find him cited by Gerson the Chancellour of Paris saith That Images are not simply forbidden to bee made but they are utterly forbidden to bee made to this end to bee worshipped and adored Charles the Great as Cassander saith hath pithily and wittily stated this question of Images that it is no prejudice to want tâ—em nor priviledge to have them that such as utterly reject them may be taxed with â—icklenesse and they that worship them branded with folly In this Age there arose great contention in the Church touching the matter of Images the Greeke Empâ—rouâ—s Leo Isaurus Constantine Nicâ—phorus Stauratius Leo Armenus Michael Balbus Theophilus and others their â—ucâ—essours opposiâ—g them in the East and on the other side Gregorie the second and third Paul the first Stephen the fourth Adrian the first and other Popes of Rome as stiffly upholding them in the West In a Councel of 338 Bishops held at Constantinople Anno 754 they were solemnly condemned for they banished all other Images and determined That there was one onely Image appointed by Christ to wit the blessed bread and wine in the Eucharist which represent to us the body and bloud of Christ there was decreed under Constantine nicknamed Câ—pronymus That none should privately in houses or publikely in Churches procure keepe or worship any Image uâ—on paine of deposition Zonaras saith That in the hearing of all the people they openly forbad the worship of Images calling all such as adored thâ—m Idolaters and speaking of the Emperour Leo Armenus hee saith He was mightily bent against them insomuch as he decreed utterly to abandon them Thus did those Ezekiah's of Greece being strongly opposed by the Papall foâ—ces Now so it was afterwards in another Coâ—nâ—el of 350 bishop held at Nice in the yeare 787. Images were set on foote againe and this Councel was calâ—ed and swayed under that Doctresse Irene the Empresse
By whose Councel and procurement the Peeres whom she had corrupted shut up her sonne Constantine the Emperour in the palace where he was borne and there they put out his eyes so that he died of hearts griefe Thus they put out the eyes of him that saw and set up Images that have Eyes and see not and all this was done saith the story that her sonne being deposed she might 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rule alone But this decâ—ee of the Nicen Synod repealed by that at Frankford was not halfe so bad as that which followed when Aquinas set up Schoole and taught That the Crucifixe anâ— Image of Christ must be adored with the same honour that himsâ—lfe is to wit with Latria or divine Honour whereas those Nice Fathers haply stood but for veneration or outward reverence of Images in passing by them or sâ—anding before them as friends use to salute or embrace one another Howsoever the Nicen dâ—â—râ—e was râ—jâ—cted as repuâ—nant to the doctrine of Gâ—ds Church by the Pâ—incâ—s and bishâ—ps of England fiâ—â— about the yeere 792. And by Charles thâ— Great afteâ—wâ—rd aâ—d by the bâ—shâ—ps of Italie France and Germany which by his appointment were gathered together in the Frankford Counceâ— in the yeare 794. Rogâ—r Hovedeâ— saith â—harlâ—s the French King sent a Synodâ—ll iâ—to Britaine directed unto him from Constantinople in the which booke many things out alas inconvenient anâ—â—epugnant to right faith were found especially it was conâ—â—â—med a most by the unanimous consent of all the Eastern Doctors â—o lâ—sse than three hundred or more that Images ought to â—e worshipped which thing the Church of God doth altogether dâ—test againsâ— which Synodall bâ—oke Albinus wrote an Epistle mâ—rveilouslie conâ—irmed by authoritie of divine Scripture and caâ—ried the same to the French King together with the fore sâ—â—d booke in the name of our Bishops and Princes Hâ—nâ—marus Bishop of Rhemes living at the same time sâ—ith In the time of the Emperor Charles by the command of the See Apostolike there was a generall Councell called by the Emperour wherein according to the pathway of Scripture and tradition of ancestors the Greekes false Synod was destroyedâ— and whollâ— abâ—ogatâ—d touching the repealing whereof theâ—e was a just Volumne sent from the Emperour to Rome which my selfe have read in the Pallace when I was a yoâ—g man saith Hinâ—marus â—he same also iâ— testified by others namely Ado Rhâ—gâ—o and Cassander a moderat Pontifician and King Charles speaking of this Synod sayth that beâ—â—g destitute of Scripture prooâ—e they betooke themselves to Apocâ—â—yphall and ridiculous toyes PA. This Booke is forged under the name of Carolus Magnus PRO. Indeed we were not at the making thereof yet thus much we can witnesse that your Champion Eckius saith Charles wrote foure books touching Images and Austine Steuchus the Popes Library-keeper presseth some things out of those Caroline bookes making as hee thinks for his masters advantage Cassander saith That in his time there was a copy of those Caroline books in the Vaticane Librarie and in divers places of France and that Hincmarus Bishop of Rhemes mentions those foure Caroline bookes Besides they were lately to be seene in the Palatines Library at Heidelberg but are now conveyed to Rome where yet for all Charlemaignes greatnâ—sse thâ—y hâ—â—e sued out a Prohibition against him And his bookâ— are forbidden in the Romane Index first published by Pius the fourths command enlarged by Sixtus Quintus and râ—viewed and published by Clement the eight Howsoever you see and Baronius confesâ—eth that the most learned anâ—â—amous of these times speake against this Nicen decree PAP The Councel of Frankford and Paris under Lewis the first and other learned men mistooke the dâ—finition of thâ— Nicen Councel and therein erredâ— yet noâ— iâ— a mâ—tter of doctrine but a matter of fact say Genebâ—ard and Bellarmine PRO. There be of their owne side as learned as they whiâ—h mislike this excuse to wit Suarez and Vasques so thaâ— it seemes they are not agreed of their verdict nor who shall speake for them PA. Bellarmine saith That the Pope confirmed the Frankford Câ—uncell in one part and cancâ—lled it in another to wit in that poynt touching adoration of Images whereunto the Popes Legates never consented PRO. This bâ—wrayes the Popes partiall dâ—aling to make the Councâ—l onely to serve his owne turne But what if it waâ—ted â—is approbation the thiâ—d Canon of the Chalcedâ—n Councâ—l that gave the See of Constantinople the precedence bâ—fâ—re other Patriarkes as the nâ—xt after the Bishop of Rome was opposed by Pope Leo's Lâ—gatâ—s and yet the Canon was decreed and passâ—d and the Councell is held for Generall howsoever the Pâ—pes Legates contradicted it For they were to bee ruled by the maior part of the Councels votes neither doe wee find that anciently the Pope had a negative or casting voice in Councels And therefore the Chalcedon Councel notwithstanding the Popes opposition professeth Haec omnes dicimus This is all our vote and tota Synodus the whole Councel hath confirmed this Canon for the honour of the See of Constantinople and accordingly the whole Councel wrote to Pope Leo. PA. Could the later Councel at Frankford repeale the former at Nice PRO. Very well for as Saint Austine saith Even full and plenarie Councels themselves may be amended by the later Neither doth he meane it in matter of fact but in point of doctrine for Austine there speakes of Reâ—aptization and â—mâ—ndari is as much as è mendis purgari to be rectified wherein it erred and not onely to be Explaned PA. Would Charles who loved Pope Adrian so dearely write against him so sharply or the See of Rome which by the hands of Leo the third crowned Charles Emperour of the West endure that Charles should condemne Images PRO. Charles might love the See of Rome and yet expresse his judgement in the point of Images neither doe we doubt but that Charles and Pipin would have condemned the Popes proceedings therein more expressely but they could not meddle with the poynt of state without quarrelling the Pope in a matter of the Church so that as Saint Austine saith of the old Romans That they bare downe many desires for the excessive desire they had of one thing to wit Soveraignty and Dominion so the bishops of Rome desirous to keepe their new purchases of Lumbardie and Ravenna which Charles and Pipin had procured them thought it not fit to contend with their new and potent favorites For so it was when the Emperour Leo the third desirous to abolish Image worship which then was creeping in had caused them to be defaced and thereupon did punish some who withstood it Gregorie the second excommuuicated him Forbidding the Italians to pay him tribute or to obey him upon this sentence and exhibition of the Pope a great part of Italie rebelled against their Emperour
7 makes this inference In this doe wee give glory to him when we doe confesse that by no precedent merits of our good deeds but by his mercie onely wee have attained unto so great a dignitie And Rabanus in his commentaries upon the Lamentations of Ieremie least they should say our Fathers were accepted for their Merit and therefore they obtained such great things at the hands of the Lord he adjoyneth that it was not given to their Merits but because it so pleased God whose free gift is whatsoever he bestoweth I will close up this Age onely with producing an Evidence drawne about the yeare 860 namely a learned Epistle which Huldericke Bishop of Ausburg in Germanie wrote to Pope Nicolas in defence of Priests Marriage From this holy discretion saith he thou hast no a little swarved when as thou woâ—ldst have those Cleargy-men whom thou oughtest only to advise to abstinence from mariage compelled unto it by a certaine imperious violence for is not this justly in the judgement of all Wise men to be accounted violence when as against the Evangelicall institution and the charge of the Holy Ghost any man is constrained to the execution of private Decrees The Lord in the old Law appointed marriage to his Priest which he is never read afterwards to have forbidden PA. Master Brerely saith that this Epistle is forged under the name of Ulrick Bishop of Augusta PRO. Your Spanish Inquisitors have suppressed this Tesâ—imonie and strucke it dead with a Deleatur Let that whole Epistle be blotted out but our learned bishop Doctor Hall prooves that this Huldericke wrote such a Treatise and about the time assigned and also that this Record is Authenticke that it is extant as Illyricus saith in the Libraries of Germanie that ouâ— Archbishop Parker bishop Iewell Iohn Foxe had Copies of it in Parchment of great Antiquitie Besides your owne man Aeneas Sylvius afterwards Pope Pius the second almost two hundred yeares agoe mentions it and reports the Argument of it for speaking of Ausburg he saith Saint Vdalricus huic praesidet qui papam arguit de Concubinis Vdalricke is the Saint of that City who reproved the Pope concerning Concubines THE TENTH CENTVRIE From the yeare of Grace 900. to 1000. PAPIST WE are now drawing on to the thousandth yeare what say you to this tenth Age PROTESTANT By the fall of the Romane Empiâ—e Learning was now decayed and the publike Service no longer to be understood by reason of the change of the vulgar Tongues Wernerus a Carthusian Monke saith of this Age That holinesse had left the Popes and fled to the Emperours Bellarmine saith There was no Age so unlearned so unluckie And Baronius complaines saying What was then the face of the Roman Church when potent and base Whores bare all the sway at Rome at whose lust Sees were changed Bishoprickes bestowed and their Lovers thrust into Saint Peters Chaire Insomuch as Baronius is glad to prepare his Reader with a Preface before he would have him venter upon the Annals of this Age Lest a weake man seeing in the Story of those times the abomination of Desolation sitting in the Temple should bee offended and not rather wonder that there followed not immediatly the Desolation of the Temple And he had reason to Preface as much considering the corruption that grew in this Thousandth yeare wherein Satan was let loose For at thiâ— time they of Rome forbad others to marâ—y and in the meane whiles themselves slept in an unlawfull bed They also devised a carnall Presence of Christ in the Sacrament so that as the noble Morney saith The lesse that they beleeved God in hâ—aven the more carefull were they to affirme him to bee in the Bread in the Priests hands in his words in his nods and that by these meanes when it pleased them they could make him appeare upon earth Thus dishonesty accompanied infidelitie and no marvell since as Ockam saith A lewd life oftentimes blindâ—th the understanding But leâ— us see whether in this Monkish Age during this mist in Aegypt wee can discover any light in the Land of Goshen In this Age lived the Monke Radulphus Flaviaceâ—sis Stephanus Edvensis Bishop Smaragdus Abbot of Saint Michaels in Germany and Aelfricke Abbot of Malmesburie about the yeare 975. Of the Scriptures sufâ—iciencie and Canon Flaviacensis compares the Scripture to a well-furnished Table or Ordinarie It is saith hee our spirituall refection and Cordiall given to us against the heart-qualmes of our enemies The same Author speaking of Bookes pertainning to sacred Historie saith The Bookes of Tobit Iudith and of the Machabees though they bee read â—or the Churches instruction yet they have not any perfect Authoritie In like sort Aelfricke Abbot of Malmesburie in his Saxon Treatie of the old Testament tell us There are two Bookes more placed with Salomons workes as if he had made them which for likenesse of Stile and profitable vse have gone for his but Iesus the sonne of Syrach composed them one is called Liber Sapientiae the Booke of Wisdome and the other Ecclesiasticus very large Bookes and read in the Church of long custome for much good instruction amongst these Bookes the Church hath accustomed to place two other tending to the glory of God and intituled Maccabaeorum I have turned them into English and so reade them you may if you please for your owne instruction Now by this Saxon Treatise written by Aelfricus Abbas about the time of King Edgar seven hundred yeares agoe it appeares what was the Canon of holy Scripture here then received and that the Church of England had it so long agoe in her Mother tongue Of Communion under both and number of Sacraments Stephanus Edvensis saith These gifâ—s or benefits â—re dayly performed unto us when the Body and Bloud of Christ is taken at the Altar Aelfricke mentions but two Sacraments of Baptisme aâ—d the Lords Supper the same which Gods people had under the Law who though they had many Rites and Ceremonies yet in proper sense but two Sacraments his words are these The Apostle Paul saith 1 Cor. chap. 10. vers 1 2 3 4. That the Israelites did eate the same ghostly meate and drinke the same ghostly drinke because that heavenly meate that fed them fortie yeares and that water which from the Stone did flow had signification of Christs Body and his Bloud that now bee offered dayly in Gods Church So that as a good Author saith This Age acknowledged onely two Sacraments Of the Eucharist Our English Abbot Aelfricke in his Saxon Homily which was appointed publikely to be read to the people in England on Easter day before they received the Communion hath these wordes All our Forâ—fathers they did eate the same Ghostly meate and dranke the same Ghostly drinke they dranke truely of the stone that followed them and that stone was Christ neither was
his realm was subject to the Court of Rome or the Pope and that he had that libertie in his realme that the Emperour had in his Empire Anselme therefore was accused of high treason and being still desirous to goe to Rome the King told him That if hee would promise and sweare neither to goe nor Appeale to Rome for any affaires whatsoever he should then well and peaceably enjoy his Bishopricke if not that it should be free for him to passe the Seas but never to returne as the Monke of Saint Albans reports the matter Now also there arose great contention about the carnall presence of Christ in the Sacrament under Pope Victor and Nicholas the second Hildebrand being the brand that kindled it making Berengarius subscribe to their Tenet That all the faithfull in the Sacrament doe really teare with their teeth the body of Christ which position neverthelesse in these dayes is with them accounted hereticall And to say the truth they really teare the body of Christ who by their ambition doe miserably teare in pieces the Church of Christ. Now to proceede there lived in this Age Fulbertus bishop of Chartres Anselme of Laon Author of the Interlineall Glosse Theophylact Archbishop of the Bulgarians a great follower of Chrysostome and indeed his Epitomizer or Abbreviator and our Anselme Archbishop of Canterbury a man of speciall note in this Age. For as the Monke of Malmsbury reports in the Councel at Barre when the Greekes disputed against Pope Vrban so eagerly against the procession of the Holy Ghost that the Pope was at a Non plus remembring himselfe that Anselme was in the Councel he cried aloud before the whole Councel Pater Magister Anselme ubi es Oh my Father and Master Anselme where are you come now and defend your Mother the Church and when theâ— brought him in presence among them Pope Vrban said Includamus hunc in orbe nostro quasi alterius orbis papam Let us inclose him in our Circle as the Pope of the other world Now also lived Oecumenius Radulphus Ardens and Berengarius And now let us see what these good men and â—â—ue Catholâ—cke witnesses can say to the matter in quâ—stion Of the Scriptures suâ—ficiencie and Canon Saâ—nt Paul saith of the Scriptures that They are able to make us wise unto salvation that the man of God may bee peâ—fited thorowly furnished unto all good workes That the man of God saith Oâ—cumenius may bee not onely partaker after a vulgar manner of every good worke but perfect and compleate by the doctrine of the Scripâ—uâ—e And Anselme in his Commentarie upon this place saith They are able to make thee sufficiently learned to obtaine eternall salvation Petrus Cluniacensis Abbot of Clugin abutting on these times for he was saith Bellarmine of the same standing with Saint Bernard who was borne in this Age â—ut flourished about the yeare 1130 after the recitall of the canonicall bookes saith that There are besides the Authenticall bookes â—ixe others not to be rejected as namely Iudith Tobias Wisdome Ecclesiasticus and the two bookes of Maccabees which though they attaine not tâ— the high dignitie of the former yet they are received of the Church as containing necessary and profitable doctrine Of Communion under both and number of Sacraments Theophylact sharply reproves those who delighted in drinking alone and quaffing by themselves saying to such How dost thou take thy cup alone considering that the dreadfull Chalice is alike delivered unto all The Normans saith Mathew Paris thâ— morning before they fought with Harald strengthned themselves with the body and bloud of Christ. Hildebert B. of Mans â—â—lates and approves that Canon of the Councel of Brachara which condemneth the delivering of the bread sopt in the wine to the Laitie for the whole CoÌ„munion It is the manner saith Hildebert in your monasteries to give the Sacramentall bread to none but dipt in the wine which custome we find is not taken either from the Lords institution nor out of authencall constitutions Now they that misliked the receiving of the bread dipt in wine how would they have beene pleased with a dry feast for of the two it is better to receive the bread dipt in wine than the bread and no wine at all Fulbertus shewes us the way of Christian Religion Is to believe the Trinitie and veritie of the Deitie and to know the cause of his Baptisme and in whom duo vitae Sacramenta the two Sacraments of our life are contained Anselme mentions but two Sacraments common to us under the Gospâ—l as the other were to the Iewes under the law they two and we two two and no more Of the Eucharist In the year 1608 there were published at Paris certaine works of Fulbertus pertaining as wel to the refuting of the heresies of this time for so saith the Inscription as to the clearing of the history of the French Among these things that appertain to the confutatioâ—â—f the heresies of this time there is one specially fol. 168. laid down in these words Vnlesse saith Christ ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his bloud ye shall not have life in you he seemeth to command an outrage or wickednesse It is therefore a figure will the Heretick say requiring us only to communicate with the Lords passion and sweetly and profitably to lay up in our memory that his flâ—sh was crucified wounded for us He that put in these words Dicet Haereticus thought he had notably met with the Hereticks of this time but was not aware that therby he made S. Austin an Hereticke for company for the words alleadged are S. Austins de doctrinâ Christianâ lib. 3. cap. 16. Which some belike having put the publisher in mind of he was glad to put this among his Errata to confesse that these two words Dicet Haereticus were not to be found in the Manuscript copie which he had from Pâ—tavius buâ— telleth us not what we are to think of him that for the countenancing of the Popish cause ventured so shamefully to abuse S. Austin as both the learned Archbishop of Armagh Doctor Vsher and Master Moulin have observed PA. Here is much a doe about a mistake of two words saith our Iâ—suit Maloune PRO. There hath been much a doe ere this about one word the word Deipara whether the blessed Virgin Maâ—y were to be called the mother of God or no great difference raised in the Church touching the Sacrament and all about three prepositions Trans Con and Sub and the greatest stirre that ever was in Gods Church was about one letter it was but one little Iota whilst the Arriansâ—eld â—eld Christ to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the like substance with the Father but denied him to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Consubstantiall of the same substance with the Father Besides was it
and Antichrist who as he said was then borne and in the Cittie of Rome and should be advanced in the Sea Apostolicke of whom the Apostle sayd Hee should extoll himselfe above all that is called God and that the seaven Crownes were the Kings of the earth that obeyed him but in the end the Lord should consume him with the spirit of his mouth I know indeed that Parsons saith the Pope censured him for certaine fond Prophecies as also some errours about the Trinity Extravag de Trinit But others have made his just Apologie and cleered him from that imputation Besides all is not Gospell that is set downe in the Popes Decretalls or Extravagants no not in their owne account With this of the Prophet Ioachim agreeth that of the Prophetesse Saint Hildegard foretelling the utter extinguishing of Religion amongst them of the Romish order The Romane Empire saith this Prophecie shall decay and those Princes who did cleave unto it shall separate themselves from it and be no longer subject to it this Empire in the West thus decaying without hope of repayring the Miter of the Apostolicke honour shall also perish because neither Princes nor other shall find ullam religionem any religion in the Apostolike order that is in the Popes therefore they shal take away the honour of the Pope who shal scarcâ—â—â—ve Rome a few bordering places under his Miter All worldly Princes saith the same Nunne as also the common people shall fall upon your Priests which hitherto have abused me they shall take away your substance and riches the holy Church is polluted by them Now also lived Peter Bruis and his disciple Henry a monke of Tholouse who for divers yeares together preached the word of God about Tholouse and in the end â—eter was taken burned Papirius Massonius deriveth the pedegree of the Waldenses from these two he saith further that they preached against transubstantiation or the carnall presence the adoration of the crosse as also against praying for the dead and other tenets of the Roman Church Saint Bernard saith they denyed purgatory and invocation of Saints and the same Bernard more credulous than reason required reproveth them that like the Manichees they condemned the use of matrimony and of flesh and denyed also baptisme to infants but especially against Henry he objecteth the keeping of a Concubine and playing at dice It is great pitty that their owne bookes are made away so that we are constrained to picke out their life and doctrine from the writings of their professed adversaries whose report may justly be suspected for even in like manner we reade in Tertullian that monstrous opinions and crimes were imputed to the first Christians And yet Bernard in the meane time saith they are sheepe in habit and these are they that would seeme good and yet are not wicked and yet would not seeme so It must needs be then that their outward conversation was good it is also confessed that their disciples went cheerefully to the fire and constantly suffered al extreamities for the doctrin of their faith now how could this agree with a dissolute life and doctrine Petrus Cluniacensis a bitter adversary of theirs having charged them with divers errors seemeth to have perceived that he had done them wrong for he addeth these words But because I am not yet fully assured that they thinke and preach so I will deferre my answere untill I have undoubted certainty of that they say They were favoured both of Clergie and Laietie and followed with such multitudes that the Temples saith Bernard remained without people the people without Priests and Priests without due reverence yea Saint Bernard himselfe was glad to write to Hildefonsus Earle of Saint Giles in whose territories they preached to desire the Earle that he would no longer protect them the argument brought against these professors was the same with that which is used at this day Have our Fathers then erred so long a time are so many men deceived have these onely the truth And so I come to speake of the Waldenses PAP What say you to these Waldenses were they men of a good life and sound doctrine had they any visible congregations had they any lawfull ordination and succession were they of any long standing and continuance and if they had can you shew that they agreed with you in point of faith and Religion PROT. The Waldenses began to shew themselves about the yeere 1160 saith Gretser the Iesuite their adversaries gave them sundry names sometimes from the place of their aboade they were called Pauperes de Lugduno poore men of Lions a Cittie in France sometime Albigenses from the Cittie and Country of Albi and usually Waldenses of their principall teacher Petrus Waldus This Waldus was a rich Merchant and Citizen of Lyons in France who seeing one fall downe dead in the streete made so good use of this spectacle of mans frailety as that he forthwith began to repent and change his former course of life giving almes to the poore and betaking him to the study of the Scripture he profited so well therein that hee translated divers parts thereof out of Latine into the French tongue and taught the same in the Mother tongue to the people that frequently resorted to him This doing displeased the Romish Prelates who were like the dog under the manger that can neither himself eate the hay nor yet will let the horse eate it so that they raised persecution against Waldus and his followers and this persecution was the occasion to spread their doctrine farther abroade not onely over France but almost over all the parts of Europe Now what the Waldenses were let one of their Inquisitours speake Rainerius whose booke Gretser the Iesuite lately set out among other writers against the Waldenses saith Amongst all Sects which are or have formerly beene none is more pernicious to the Church than that of the Leonists First because it continued longer than any other for some say it hath lasted ever since Pope Silvester others say ever since the Apostles Secondly because no Sect is more generall all than this for there is scarce any Country in which it is not found Thirdly whereas other Sects deterre men with their horrible blasphemies this Sect of the Leonists maketh a great shew of godlinesse because they live righteously before men and bâ—leeve all things rightly touching â—od and concerning all other Articles of the Creed onely they blaspheme the Roman Church and Clergie in which thing the Laitie is forward to give credit unto them PAP Parsons the Iesuite and others charge the Waldenses with divers errours and enormities so that howsoever in some points they agreed with the Protestants yet they mainely differ'd from them in other so that they cannot both belong to one and the same Church PROT. The learned on our sides have notably cleered the
examining them The like may be sayd of Bede Gregorie and others that holding Christ the foundation a right and groaning under the weight of mens Traditions humane satisfactions and the like popish trash they by unfained repentaÌ„ce for their errours lapses knowne and unknowne and by an assured faith in their Saviour did finde favour with the Lord these and the like we hold to be Gods servants and propter meliorem saniorem partem by reason of their better and sounder part to be with us lively members of the true Church though in some things they were mistaken and that they may be termed professours of our faith inasmuch as the denomination is to be taken from the better part and not alwayes from the greater For example sake there is much water and little wine mixed in a glasse yet it is called a glasse of wine so say we of professors S. Bernard and such like there is in them some bad parts some superstition and Poperie and some good in that they hold Christ Iesus the foundation aright in this case they may in respect of their better part be termed and denominated true professors and therefore you must give us againe Saint Bernard with others to whoÌ„ you have no right or claime unlesse it be to their errours which they suckt in from the corrupt breasts of some of your side and so I proceed to the severall points in question Of the Scriptures Sufficiencie and Canon Saint Bernard as wee heard approveth such a Councell wherein the Traditions of men are not obstinately defended but the revealed will of God enquired after for that this is all in all Claudius Seyssel Archbishop of Turin in Piedmont one that was Neighbour to the Waldenses and laboured to enforme himselfe touching their positions and also to confute them saith that they admitted onely the text of the old and new Testaments so that they denyed unwritten traditions to be the Rule of Faith Petrus Cluniacensis after he had reckoned up the canonicall bookes saith There are besides the authenticall bookes sixe other not to be rejected as namely Iudith Tobias Wisedome Ecclesiasticus and the two bookes of Macchabees which though they attaine not to the high dignitie of the former yet they are received of the Church as containing necessary and profitable doctrine Hugo de Sancto victore saith All the Canonicall bookes of the old Testament are twentie two there are other bookes also as namely the Wisedome of Salomon the booke of Iesus the sonne of Syrach the bookes of Iudith Tobias and the Machabees which are read but not written in the Canon The Bible was translated into English some hundred yeares as it is probably conjectured before Wickliffs translation came forth a coppie of which auncient translation my selfe have seene in our Queenes Colledge Librarie in Oxford in the praeface whereof it may be seene that the translatour held the controverted bookes for Apocrypha for thus he saith what ever booke of the Old Testament is out of these he maketh the same â—anon with us twentie five before sayd shall be set among Apocrypha that is without authoritie of beleefe Therefore the booke of Wisedome Ecclesiasticus Iudith and Tobie bee not of beleefe Hierome saith all this sentence in the prologue on the first booke of Kings now if at that time the above sayd bookes had beene accounted Authenticall by the Church and of beleefe he would have sayd but this opinion of Hieromes is not approved by the Church as Doctor Iames hath well observed Of Communion under both kinds and number of Sacraments HVgo de Sancto victore giveth a reason of the entire communicating in both kinds Therefore saith he the Sacrament is taken in both kindes that thereby a double effect might be signified For it hath force as S. Ambrose saith to preserve both body and soule Gratian rehearseth many ancient Canons and constitutions for communicating in both kinds Saint Bernard in his third Sermon on Palme Sunday maketh the Sacrament of Christs body and blood the Christians foode Touching the Sacrament of Christs body and blood saith he there is no man who knoweth not that this so singular a food was on that day first exhibited on that day coÌ„mended and coÌ„manded to be frequently received Saint Bernards words have reference to the Institution of Christ now at our Saviours last Supper there was Wine as well as Bread and Bernard treating thereof saith it was commanded to be frequently received now if the whole Church were enjoyned so to doe then also is every particular beleever who is of age fitted thereunto enjoyned to receive it accordingly The precise number of seaven Sacraments was not held for catholike doctrine no not in the Church of Rome untill more than a thousand yeares after Christ this is ingenuously confessed by Cassander Vntill the dayes of Peter Lombard who lived about the yeere 1145 you shall scarce finde any authour saith their Cassander who set downe any certaine and definite number of Sacraments neither did all the schoolemen call all those sâ—ven proper Sacraments but this is without all controversie saith the same Cassander that there are two chiefe Sacraments of our Salvation that is to say Baptisme and the Lords Supper and so speake Rupertus and Hugo de Sancto victore and he saith true for Rupertus putteth the question and asketh Which be the chiefe sacraments of our salvation and hee answereth Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord. Of the Eucharist IN this age â—ratian the Monke affoordeth us a notable testimony against transubstaÌ„tiatioÌ„ his coÌ„parison is thus drawne This holy bread is after its manner called the body of Christ as the offering thereof by the hands of the Priest is called Christs passion now the Priests oblation is not properly and literally in strict termes and sence the passion of Christ but as the Glosse hath it the Sacrament representing the body of Christ is therefore called Christ's flesh not in verity of the thing but in a mystery namely as the representation of Christ therein is called his Passion Gratians words are these As the heavenly bread which is Christ's flesh after a sort is called Christ's body whereas indeed it is the Sacrament of his body and the sacrificing of the flesh of Christ which is done by the Priest's hands is sayd to be his passion not in the truth of the thing but in a signifying mistery Iâ—annes Semeca who was the first that glossed upon Gratians decrees telleth us how this comparison is to be meant This Sacrament saith the Glosse because it doth represent the flesh of Christ is called the Body of Christ but improperly not in the truth of the thing but in the mysticall sence to wit it is called the Body of â—hrist that is it signifieth his Body From these premisses we inferre that after consecration the Sacrament is not in truth Christ's Body but onely in a
of weake abilities and also for that they had made a booke which they called the everlasting Gospell whereunto they said Christs Gospell was not to be compared Pope Alexander the fourth was content upon complaint made unto him that the Friers booke should be burned provided that it were done covertly and secretly and so as the Friers should not be discredited thereby and as for William of Saint Amour hee dealt sharply with him commanding his booke to be burnt as also he suspended from their benefices and promotions all such as either by word or writing had opposed the Friers untill such time as they should revoke and recant all such speeches and writings at Paris or other places appointed so tender was his holines over the Friers credit and reputation knowing belike what service might be done to him and his successours by these newly errected orders of â—riers I call them newly erected for in the time of Pope Innocent the third about the yeare 1198 the Iacobites an order of preaching Friers were instituted by Saint Dominicke and about the beginning of this age the order of Franciscans preaching Friers Minors was instituted by Saint Francis borne at Assise a towne in Italy Of the Scriptures sufficiencie and Canon SCoâ—us saith that supernaturall knowledge as much as is necessarie for a wayfaring man is sufficiently delivered in sacred Sâ—ripture Thomas Aquinas in his commentary upon that place of Saint Paul the Scriptures are able to make one wise unto salvation that the man of God may be perfect 2 Timoth. 3.15.17 saith that the Scriptures doe not qualifie a man aâ—ter an ordinarie sort but they perfit him so that nothing is wanting to make him happy And accordingly Bonaventure saith The beneâ—it of sâ—ripture is not ordinarie but such as is able to make a man fully blessed and happy Hugo Cardinalis speaking of the bookes rejected by us saith These bookes are not received by the Church for proofe of doctrine but for information of manners Of Communion under both kindes and nâ—mber of Sacraments ALexander Hales howsoever he some way incline to that opinion that it is sufficient to receive the Sacrament in one kind yet he confesseth that there is more merit and devotion and compleatnesse and efficacie in receiving in both Againe hee saith Whole Christ is not sacramentally conteined under each forme because the bread signifieth the body and not the blood the wine signifieth the blood and not the body Concerning the Churches practise wee doe not finde that the lay people were as yet barred of the cup in the holy Sacrament for our Countrey-man Alexander Hales who flourished about the yeare of Grace 1240. saith that we may receive the body of Christ under the forme of bread onely sicut fere ubique fit à Laicis in ecclesiâ as it is almost every where done of the Laiety in the Church it was almost done every where but it was not done every where Concerning the Sacraments the Schoolemen of this age can hardly agree amongst themselves that there be seaven Sacraments properly so called Alexander of Hales saith that there are onely â—oure which are in any sort properly to be sayd Sacraments of the new Law that the other three supposed Sacraments had their being before but received some addition by Christ manifested in the flesh that amongst them which began with the new Covenant onely Baptisme and the Eucharist were instituted immediately by Christ received their formes from him and flowed out of his wounded side Touching Confirmation the same Alexander of Hales saith the Sacrament of Confirmation as it is a Sacrament was not ordained either by Christ or by the Apostles but afterwards was ordained by the Councell of Meldain France Touching extreame unction Suarez saith that both Hugo of Saint Victor in Paris and Peter Lombard and Bonaventure and Alexander of Hales and Altissidorus the cheefe schoolemen of their time denyed this Sacrament to be instituted by Christ and by plaine consequence saith he it was no true Sacrament though they were of opinion that a Sacrament might be instituted by the Apostles and therefore admitted not of this consequence Of the Eucharist COncerning the Eucharist Scotus saith that it was not in the beginning so manifestly beleeved as concerning this coversion But principally this seemeth to move us to hold Transubstantiation because concerning the Saraments we are to hold as the Church of Rome doth And hee addeth wee must say the Church in the Creed of the Lateran councell under Innocent the third which begins with these words Firmiter credimus declared this sence concerning Transubstantiation to belong to the veritie of our faith And if you demaund why would the Church make choice of so difficult a sence of this Article when the words of the Scripture This is my Body might be upholden after an easie sence and in appearance more true I say the Scriptures were expounded by the same spirit that made them and so it is to be supposed that the catholike Church expounded them by the same spirit whereby the faith was delivered us namely being taught by the spirit of truth and therefore it chose this sence because it was true thus farre Scotus Let us now see what Bellarmie saith Scotus tells us saith he that before the Councell of Lateran which was held in the yeare one thousand two hundred and fifteene transubstantiation was not beleeved as a point of faith this is confessed by Bellarmine to be the opinion of Scotus onely he would avoyd his testimonie with a minime probandum est Scotus indeed saith so but I cannot allow of it and then hee taxeth Scotus with want of reading as if this learned and subtile Doctor had not seene as many Councels and read as many Fathers for his time as Bellarmine The same Bellarmine saith that Scotus held that there was no one place of scripture so expresse which without the declaration of the Church would evidently compell a man to admit of Transubstantiation and this saith the Cardinall is not altogether improbable It is not altogether improbable that there is no expresse place of Scripture to proove Transubstantiation without the declaration of the Church as Scotus sayd for although the Scriptures seeme to us so plaine that they may compell any but a refractary man to beleeve them yet it may justly be doubted whether the Text be cleare enough to enforce it seeing the most acute and learned men such as Scotus was have thought the contrary thus farre Bellarmine unto whom I will adde the testimonie of Cuthbert Tonstall the learned Bishop of Durham His words are these Of the manner and meanes of the Reall presence either by Transubstantiation or otherwise perhaps it had beene better to leave every man that would be curious to his owne conjecture as before the councell of Lateran it was left and Master Bernard Gilpin a man most holy and
knowledge of Letters and study of Tongues specially the Greeke Latin began to spread abâ—â—ad thorow divers parts of the West Of this number were Emanuel Chrysoloras of Constantinople Theodorus Gaza of Thessalonica Georgius Trapezuntius Cardinall Bessarion and others in like sort also afterwards Iohn Capâ—io brought the use of the Greeke and Hebrew tongues into Germany as Faber Stapulensis observeth And in the beginning of this age Hebrew was first taught in Oxford as our accurat Chronologer Mr. Isaacson hath observed Now also lived Nicholas de Lyra a converted Iew who commented on all the Bible In this age there were divers both of the Greeke and Latin Church who stood for Regall Iurisdiction against Papall usurpation and namely Barlaam the Monke Nilus Archbishop of Thessalonica Marsilius Patavinus Michael Cesenas Generall of the gray Friers Dante the Italian Poet and William Ockam the English man sometime fellow of Merton Colledge in Oxford surnamed the Invincible Doctor and Scholler to Scotus the subtile Doctor Now also lived Durand de S. Porciano Nilus alleadgeth divers passages out of the generall Councels against the Popes supremacy and thence inferreth as followeth That Rome can not challenge preheminence over other Seas because Rome is named in order before them for by the same reason Constantinople should have the preheminence over Alexandria which yet she hath not From the severall and distinct boundaries of the Patriarchall Seas he argueth that neither is Rome set over other Seas nor others subject to Rome That whereas Rome stands upon the priviledge that other places appeale to Rome he saith That so others appeale to Constantinople which yet hath not thereby Iurisdiction over other places That whereas it is said the Bishop of Rome judgeth others and himselfe is not judged of any other he saith That St. Peter whose successour he pretends himselfe to be suffred himselfe to be reproved by S. Paul and yet the Pope tyrant-like will not have any enquire after his doings Barlaam prooveth out of the Chalcedon Councell Canon 28. That the Pope had not any primacy over other Bishops from Christ or S. Peter but many ages after the Apostles by the gift of holy Fathers and Emperours if the Bishop of Rome sayth hee had anciently the supremacy and that S. Peter had appointed him to be the Pastour of the whole Church what needed those godly Emperours decree the same as a thing within the verge of their owne power and jurisdiction Marsilius Patavinus wrote a booke called Defensor Pacis on the behalfe of Lewis Duke of Baviere and Emperour against the Pope for challenging power to invest and depose Kings Hee held that Christ hath excluded and purposed to exclude himselfe and his Apostles from principality or contentious jurisdiction or regiment or any coactive judgement in this world His other Tenets are reported to be these 1 That the Pope is not superiour to other Bishops much lesse to the Emperour 2. That things are to be decided by Scripture 3. That learned men of the Laiety are to have voyces in Councels 4. That the Cleargy and the Pope himselfe are to be subject to Magistrates 5. That the Church is the whole coÌ„pany of the faithfull 6. That Christ is the Head of the Church and appointâ—d none to be his Vicar 7. That Priests may marry 8. That St. Peter was never at Rome 9. That the popish â—ynagogue is a denne of theeves 10. That the Popes doctrine is not to be followed With this Marsilius of Pâ—dua there joyned in opinioÌ„ Iohn of Gandune and they both held that Clerkes are and should be subject to secular powers both in payment of Tribute and in iudgâ—ments specially not Ecclesiasticall so that they stood against the Exemption of Clerkes Michael Cesenas Generall of the Order of Franciscans stood up in the same quarrell and was therefore deprived of his dignities by Pope Iohn the two and twentieth from whom he appealed to the Catholicke universâ—ll Church and to the next generall Councell About this time also lived the noble Florentine Poet Dante a learned Philosopher and Divine who wrote a booke against the Pope concerning the Monarchy of the Emperour but for taking part with him the Pope banished him But of all the rest our Countrey-man Ockam stucke close to the Emperour to whom he sayd that if he would defend him with the sword he againe would defend him with the Word Ockam argueth the case and inclineth to this opinion that in temporall matters the Pope ought to be subject to the Emperour in as much as Christ himselfe as he was man professeth that Pilate had power to judge him given of God as also that neither Peter nor any of the Apostles had temporall power given them by Christ and hereof he gives testimony from Bernard and Gregory Ockams writings were so displeasing to the Pope as that he excommunicated him for his labour and caused his treatise or worke of ninety dayes as also his Dialogues to be put into the blacke bill of bookes prohibited and forbidden It is true indeed that Ockam submitted his writings to the censure and judgement of the Church but as hee saith to the judgement of the Church Catholike not of the Church malignant The same Ockam spoke excellently in the point of generall Councels Hee held that Councels are not called generall because they are congregated by the authority of the Romane Pope and that if Princes and Lay-men please they may be present have to deale with matters treated in general Councels That a generall Councell or that congregation which is commonly reputed a generall Councell by the world may erre in matters of faith and in case such a generall Councell should erre yet God would not leave his Church destitute of all meanes of saving truth but would raise up spirituall children to Abraham out of the rubbish of the Laiety despised Christians and dispersed Catholikes Wee have heard the judgement of the learned abroad touching Iurisdiction Regall and Papall let us now see the practice of our owne Church and State In the Reigne of King Edward the third sundry expresse Statutes were made that if any procured any Provisions from Rome of any Abbeyes Priories or Benefices in England in destruction of the Realme and holy Religion if any man sued any Processe out of the Court of Rome or procured any personall Citation from Rome upon causes whose cognisance and finall discussion pertained to the Kings Court that they should be put out of the Kings protection and their lands goods and chattels forfeited to the King In the Reigne of King Richard the second it was enacted That no Appeale should thenceforth be made to the Sea of Rome upon the penalty of a Praemunire which extended to perpetuall banishment and losse of all their lands and goods the words of the statute are If any purchase or pursue
in a Friers cowle and be buried among you from his Parish-church and and to such rich men give letters of Brother-hood confirmed by your generall seale and thereby to beare him in hand that he shall have part of all your Masses Mattens Fastings wakings and all other good deeds done by you and your brethren both whiles he lives and after his death Why graunt yee them the merit of your good deeds and yet weeten never whether God be apayd with your deeds ne whether the party that hath that letter be in state to be saved or damned Freâ—re why heare yee not poore folkes shrift but are Confessors to the rich to Lords and Ladyes whom yee mend not but they be bolder to pill their poore tennants and to live in lechery In this Age Iohn de Rupe scissa was famous for prophecies and predictions The Chronicler reports of him as followeth Pope Innocent about that time caused a Cordelier whose name was Iohn de Rupe scissa accused of sorcery to be burned in Avignion because he was too sharpe in his Sermons against the Sea of Rome and because he had prophesied many things to come concerning the Popes and amongst others said in plaine termes that the Pope would be one day like unto that Bird which being naked was fledged and feathered by borrowing a feather of every bird and then seeing herselfe so furnished fat and faire she began to flutter and strike at others with her beake and clawes the other birds that had made her so gay seeing her pride and insolency redemanded their owne feathers and so left the poore bird naked and starved with cold The like sayth he will one day befall the Pope and for this he was taken and pronounced an Heretique hee began to prophâ—siâ— from the yeare 1345. in the dayes of Pope Clement the Sixt and divers of those things came to passe which he forâ—told Thus farre the Chronicle Froissart the Historian saith Vnder Innocent the Sixt there was at Avignion a câ—rtaine Franciscan Frier â—ndued with singular wit and learning called Ioannes à Rupe-scissa whom the Pope kept in prison in the Castle of Baignoux for wonderfull things which hee affirmed should come to passe especially upon Ecclesiasticall Prâ—lats This Iohn offered to prove all his assentions out of the Apocalyps and the ancient bookes of the holy Prophets and indeed this Parable or similitude of the Biâ—d may very well seeme to be taken out of the Apocalyps for there it is said that The Kings of the earth gave up their power and strength to the Beast Apocalyps 17.13 but at length they shall hate the whore and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eatâ— her flesh and burne her with fire v. 16. And this was it that he meant by the Parable of the Bird namely that Christian Princes which had endowed the Sea of Rome with large priviledges and possessions would in time spoile her and leave her desolate accordingly as St. Iohn foretold In like sort Brâ—dgâ—t a Canonized Saint foretold as heavy a doome to the Papacy She calls the Pope a Murderer of soules the disperser and devourer of Christs sheepe more abbominable than the Iewes more despightfull than Iudas more unjust than Pilat worse than Lucifer and that his seate should sinke like a weighty stone alluding belike to the fall of Babylon set foorth in the Revelation Apocalyps 18.21 by the Parable of a Mill-stone cast into the Sea so shall Babylon be throwne downe and found no more Alvâ—rus Pelagius wrote a booke of the Lamentation of the Church wherein he notably taxed Monasticall vowes for speaking of the Monkes and Cloysterers of his Age he saith They professed poverty and yet expected other mens states and inheritances And speaing of Priests and Votaries which had vowed chastity he saith of them That the Celles of Anchorites were dayly visited by women and in another place Priests for many yeeres together doe arise every day from their Concubines sides and without going to Confession say Masse And againe There be few Priests in these dayes in Spaine and Apulia which doe not openly foster Concubines He saith that now adayes The Law is perished from among the Priests and vision among the Prophets and that is fullfilled which is written 1 Kings Chap. 22. v. 22. I will goe out and be a false spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets In this age the Church and State of England was much burthened with the order of Franciscan Friersâ— insomuch as Richard Fitz-Ralph an Irishman Chancelour of Oxford Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of Ireland a learned Divine as Trithemius saith wrote and preached against the begging Friers In his Sermons at Pauls Crosse in London in the yeere 1356. he taught That Christ did not undertake any such voluntary poverty as the Friers vow he held it an unchristian course to be a willfull beggar as being condemned in the fifteenth Chaper of Deuteronomy Hee discovered the Friers hypocrisie in that though they pretended poverty yet they had houses like the stately Pallaces of Princes Churches more costly than any Cathedrall Churches more and richer ornaments than all the Princes of the world more and better bookes than all the Doctours of the world cloysters and walking places so sumptuous stately and large that men of Armes might fight on horse-backe and encounter one another with their speares in them and their Apparrell richer than the greatest Prelats The contentions betweene Armachanus and the Friers grew so hot that Armachanus went in person to Avignion where Pope Innocent the sixt kept his Residence and there in the presence of the Pope and the foure orders of Friers he declared his opinion and maintained such propositions as he had formerly held and publiquely taught the issue was this the Pope had such use of these Friers and the Friers had such store of money as Walsingham saith that they procured favour in the Popes Court so that Armachanus could not prevaile though as the same Walsingham saith He proved the cause stoutly and manifestly against them To speake yet a little more of our home-bred witnesses now lived Richard de Bury Bishop of Durham borne at S. Edmundsbury in Suffolke and sonne to Sir Richard Angervile Knight he wrote Philobiblon and had alwayes in his house many Chapleines that were great Schollers Of which number were Thomas Bradwardine Confessour to King Edward the third and consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury but never inthronized Richard Fitz-Ralph Walter Burley and Robert Holcot the Dominican Bradwardine was sometime fellow of Merton Collâ—dge in Oxford and commonly called The profound Doctour He taught the Article of free Iustification through Faith in Christ the principall foundation of Christian Religion He complaines that the same had hapned to him in this cause which sometime fell out with Elias the Prophet Behold saith he I speake it with griefe of heart as in
old time against one Prophet of God there were found eight hundred and fifty Prophets of Baal So at this day in this cause how many O Lord doe now sight with Pelagius for freewill against thy free grace and against Paul the spirituall Champion of grace how many at this day reject free grace and onely declare free-will to be sufficient unto Salvation for the whole world almost is gone after Pelagius into errour Arise therefore O Lord and judge thine owne cause Now also lived that famous Preacher Taulerus at Strasbrough in Germany Bellarmine tells us that Eckius Luthers great Antagonist suspected Taulerus that he was not a sound Catholike but Lewes Blosius hath notably defended him the truth is his judgement was reasonable cleare considering the time wherein he lived For instance sake hee saith There be many and theÌ„ of the religious sort that have forsaken the fountaine of living waters and digged themselves pits that can hold no water Ierem. 2.13 and these saith hee are wholly addicted to their owne Iâ—stitutes orders und outward exercises now though they performe many and great workes in appearance yet it is not their going on procession and pilgrimage to procure pardons and indulgences as they call them it is not all their Orizons their knocking on their breast their gazing on curious pictures and images and their bowing of the knee before them all this saith he will not make their service acceptable to God and why because that in doing this they direct not their affections and intentions unto God but divert them to the Creature He saith There be many that goe under the name of Religious who take great paines in set Fasts wakes and vigils orizons and frequent shrift and thinke they shal be saved and justified by these bodily exercises but it can not be so for God requireth the heart Hee saith alleadging the Prophet Esay 64.6 that all our righteousnesse is as filthy elouts and that therefore we must not put our trust or repose our conâ—â—dence in any thing that is ours be it our words or workes but in God He commends unto us the practise of the woman of Canaan and farther saith hee knew a Virgin who tooke the like course and obtained her request Now we know the practise of the woman of Canaan of whom S. Chrysostome long before him observed that shee intreated not Iames nor Iohn nor came to Saint Peter but breaking through the whole company of them sayd I have no neede of a mediatour but taking repentance with me for a spokesman I come to the fountaine it selfe By that which hath beene said we see what Taulerus thought touching humane traditions mans merits and Saintly invocation In this age also lived Gregorius Ariminensis whom Vega stiles The most able and carefull defender of St. Augustine This learned Schoole-man in his booke upon the Sentences hath diligently confuted divers tenets which are now holden by the Church of Rome touching Predestination Originall sinne Free-will the merite of workes and other points PAP You have produced divers witnesses but Mr. Briereley excepteth against them and namely against Nilus as erroneous touching the proceeding of the holy Ghost as also a professed adversary to the Roman Church insomuch as his booke is put in the Catalogue of bookes forbidden And as for Iohn de Rupe scissa William of St. Amour Petrus Blesensis Ockam and Scotus they were such as onely reprooved the life and manners of the Clergy PROT. If you barre Nilus from witnessing on our behalfe because hee erred in the point mentioned by the like reason may we challenge Damascen whom you usually produce on your behalfe as also others of the Greeke Church Neither can you disable his testimony because he wrote against the Popes primacy and purgatory hee had no personall quarrell with the Bishop of Rome for ought we know he might give his judgement on these points and be unpartiall if the Pope forbad his booke there be other good men that approove it and that for the proofes and reasons which he brings Touching the other exception for the preventing â—hereof I have purposely given instance in this Catalogue in points of faith and sparingly alleadged such as onely taxed Romish corruptions in life and manners which yet is oft-times accompanied with errour in judgement for as Ockam saith Because evill manners blind the judgement therefore every assembly which may erre notoriously in manners may erre against the Faith Besides William of St. Amour as hath beene sayd opposed their Monkish vowes which is a Doctrinal point Ockam opposed the Popes supremacy which is a Dogmaticall point Peter of Bloix and Iohn de Rupe-scissa held the Pope to be Antichrist and Ockam and Scotus held with us in divers doctrinall points And now having cleared this coast I come to speake of our countrey-man Iohn Wickliffe he was borne in the North where there is neare to the place where I live an ancient and worshipfull house bearing the name of Wickliffe of Wickliffe Hee flourished about the yeere 1371. was Fellow of Merton-colledge Master of Balioll-colledge in Oxford where he commenced Doctour and was chosen Reader in Divinity In his publique Lectures at Oxford he shewed himselfe a learned Schoole-man in his ordinary Sermons a faithfull Pastour of the Church for whose use and benefit he translated the whole Bible into the vulgar tongue one Copy whereof written with his owne hand is extant in St. Iohn Baptist Colledge in Oxford In his writings hee spoke and taught against the then corrupred doctrine of the Church of Rome and specially against the order of the begging Friers exhibiting a complaint to rhe King and Parliament against the Orders of Friers which thing created him the hatred of divers Prelats but many good men fauoured him PAP Were there many that tooke part with Wickliffe and followed his doctrine and were those of the better ranke or onely some meane persons PROT. He was highly favoured of the Nobility the City of London and the Vniversity of Oxford Hee was publiquely borne out as Parsons confesseth by Iohn of Gant and Lord Henry Percy the one of them Duke of Lancaster the other Marshall of England And Walsingham saith That when Wickliffe personally appeared before the Prelates who purposed to put the Popes Mandate in execution Lewis Clifford came with a Prohibition from the Queene charging them not to give sentence against him whereupon they were sore frighted and desisted In like sort another time hee escaped their hands by the meanes of the Citizens Burgesses and Commons of London as the same Walsingham saith and indeed the Londoners favoured him so much that in all likelyhood it stayed the Prelats from farther proceeding against him But that which Walsingham most admires is this that Wickliffes opinions were not onely entertained in Cities and Townes but even in the Vniversity of Oxford it selfe where was as hee saith the very height and
have beene called Lollards of Lollium cockle or darnell and so saith the glosse in Linwood as also in the Squires prologue in Chaucer I smell a Loller in the wâ—nde quoth hee abideth for Gods digne passion for mee shall have a predication this Loller here will preach us sâ—mewhat here shall hee not preach here shall he no Gospell glose ne teach he beleeueth all in the great God quâ—th he he would sowne some difficulty or spring cockle in our cleare corne But they were called Lollards from one Raynard Lollard who at the first was a Franciscan Monke and an enemy to the Waldenses but yet a man carried with a sanctified desire to finde the way of salvation Hee afterwards taught the doctrine of the Waldenses was apprehended in Germany by the Monkes Inquisitours and being delivered to the secular power was burnt at Cologne He wrote a Commentary upon the Apocalyps wherein he applied many things to the Pope as to the Roman Antichrist This was he of whom the faithfull in England were called Lollards where he taught witnesse that Tower in London which at this present is called by his name Lollards Tower where the faithfull that profeâ—sed his religion were imprisoned Iohn lâ— Maire in the third part of the difference of Schismes puts him in the ranke of those holy men that have foretold by divine revelation many things that have come to passe in his time such as were Boccace Saint Vincent of Valence of the order of preaching Friers Ioâ—chim Abbot of Gaâ—abria to them he adjoyneth the Frier Râ—ynard Lollard And so I proceede to the severall points in question Of the Scriptures sufficiâ—nâ—y and Canon VVIckliffe saith that Christs law sufficeth by it selfe to rule Christs Church that a Christian 〈◊〉 well underâ—tanding it may thence gather sufficient knowledge during his pilgrimagâ— hâ—re on earth Lyra upon those words in the Gospell They have Moses and the Prophets let them heare them Luke 16.29 makes this inference Moses he taught morâ—lity and what was our duty to doe the Prophets taught mysteries and what we are to beleeve Et ista sufficiunt ad salutem and these are sufficient for our salvation and therefore it followes Heare them so that hee reduceth all to two heads the Agenda or practicall partâ— and the Credenda or Articles of the Creede and these essentiall necessaries contained in the Scriptures he makes sufficient to salvation Amongst the sundry opinions which Ockam reckons vp this is one sayth Ockam That onely those verities are to be esteemed Catholike and such as are necessarily to be beleeved for the attaining of salvation which either expressely are delivered in â—cripture or by necessary consequence may be inferred from things so expressed Richard Fitz-Raphe Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of Ireland saith It is defined in generall Councels that there are two and twenty Authenticall bookes of the Old Testament Nicholas Lyra the converted Iew is plentifull in this argument Now that I have by Gods helpe saith he written upon the Canonicall bookes of holy Scripture beginning at Genesis and so going on to the end trusting to the helpe of the same God I intend to write upon those other bookes that are not Canonicall such as are the booke of Wisedome Ecclesiasticus Iudith Tobias and the bookes of Macchabes and withall addeth that it is to be considered that these bookes which are not Canonicall are received by the Church and read in the same for the information of manners yet is their authority thought to be weake to prove things that are in controversie And the same Lyra writing vpon the first of Esdras the first Chapter saith That though the bookes of Tobias Iudith and the Maccabes be Historicall bookes yet he intendeth for the present to passe by them and not to comment on them and he gives his reason namely quia non sunt de Canone apud Iudaeos nec apud Christianos because they are not in the Canon neither with the Iewes nor with the Christians Wickliffe also held that there are but two and twenty Authenticall bookes of the Old Testament Of Communion under both kinds and number of Sacraments THe custome of communicating in both kinds was not abolished in the beginning of this Age but was retained in certaine places especially in Monasteries untill the yeere of our Lord thirteene hundred and more Thus writeth Cassander Beatus Rhenanus saith that Conradus Pellicanus a man of wonderfull sanctity and learning did finde in the first constitution of the Carthusians That they were forbidden to possesse any vessels of price besides a silver Chalice and a pipe whereby the lay-people might sucke the blood of our Lord. Durand their profound Doctor denieth Matrimony to be a Sacrament properly so named and of the same nature with the rest or to give grace Robert Holcot our countrey-man denied that Confirmation was from Christs Institution now Bellarmine saith that Christ onely can institute a Sacrament Alphonsus à Castro telleth us and that from the testimony of Iodocus Clichtoveus and Thomas Walden a bitter adversary of Wickliffes that Wickliffe held extreame unction or annealing was not a Sacrament Of the Eucharist Ockam saith There are three opinions of Transubstantiation of which the first supposeth a conversion of the Sacramentall Elements the second an annihilation the third affirmeth the bread to be in such sort transubstantiated into the body of Christ that it is no way changed in substance or substantially converted into Christs body or doth cease to be but onely that the body of Christ in every part of it becomes present in every part of the bread This opinion he saith the Master of Sentences mentioneth not much disliking it yet it is not commonly holden Their owne Proctours and Canonists Hostiensis and Gaufridus tell us that there were divers in those dayes who taught that the substance of bread did remaine and this opinion say they was not to be rejected Durand was of opinion That the materiall part of the consecrated bread was not converted insomuch that Bellarmine professeth that saying of Durand is hereticall although he is no heretike because he is ready to submit to the judgement of the Church Wickliffe saith that Friers perverten the right faith of the Sacrament of the Auter and bringen in a new heresie of an Accident withouten subject and whence Holy writ sayes openly that this Sacrament is bread that wee breaken and Gods body they sayen that it is nother bread nor Gods body but accident withouten subject and nought and thus they leaven holy writ and taken new heresie on Christ and his Apostles and on Austin Ierom Ambrose Isidore and other Saints and the Court of Rome and all true Christian men that holden the faith of the Gospell Now for his owne opinion he expresseth it in these termes that the body of Christ was really truely in the Sacrament in his
in all matters of Religion he agreed fully with the Catholike Roman Church PRO. What his Religion was let his owne workes testifie Guicciâ—rdine saith that amongâ—â— other things hâ—e was charged That his doctrine was not fully Catholike hee meaneth Roman Catholike and Comminees saith That one of the Frier Minorites his professed adversary charged him to be an Heretike so that in his opinion he was not in each point a Roman Catholike And to take the Popes procesâ—e which was published against him as wee find it in Guicciardine Therein it is given out that Savonarola had a holy desire that by his meanes a Generall Councell might be called wherein the corrupt customes of the Clergy might bee reformed and the estate of the Church of God so farre wandred and gone astray might bee reduced so farre forth as was possible to the likenesse of that it was in the Apostles time or those that were neerest unto them and if he could bring so great and so profitable a worke to effect hee would thinke it a farre greater glory then to obtaine the Pope-dome it sâ—lfe in the same Processe it is contained how hee despised the Popes commandements and returned publikely to his olâ— office of preaching affirming that the Popâ—s censures published against him were unjust and of no force as also that the matters by him prophesiâ—d were not pronounced by divine revelation but by his proper opinion grounded upon the doctrine and observation of holy Scripture And now let the Reader consider by that which Guicciardine reports of Savonarola and namely touching the opinion he had of the Popes authoritie and his excommunications touching generall Councels and the deformitie and degeneration of the Churches state in respect of antiquitie as also what Comminees saith of his preaching of the Reformation of the Church and that by the Sword as formerly our Grosthead Bishop of Lincolne foretold and then let him judge of what profession he was likely to be Now for the poynt of faction and sedition It is true indeâ—d that there was a great faction in Florence not onely amongst the Laity but the Spiritualty alâ—o but it doth not appeare that Hierome was the Author or nourisher of this discord or that he had any hand in that tumult wherein Francisco Valori a principall favourer of Savonarola was slaine When Saint Paul preached the Gospel in Asia the whole Citty of Ephâ—sus was full of confusion and they rushed into the Common place and caught Gajus and Aristarchus Pauls companions of his journey Act. 19. ver 29. Was Paul or his companions the occasion of this tumult Savonarola preached the word of God in Florence his adversaries tooke Armes entred the Monasterie of Saint Marke where hee was and drew him and two of his brethren Dominick and Silvester out of the Covent and put them into the common prisons upon occasion of a mutinie in the Citie but Hierome and his fâ—llowes occasioned not this tumult It was indeed pâ—â—tended thaâ— he sided with the one faction in Florence but Philip de Comminees who knew him better than Paâ—sons toucheth that which brought the Frâ—er to the sâ—ake namâ—ly In that hee prophâ—sied and that so vehemently and freely of the comming in of forraine forces and of a King that by force of Armes should reforme the corrupt state of the Church and chastise the Tyrants of Italy this was it saith he which made the Pope and the state of Florence hate him Thus have we heard of his life and death there remaineth nothing now but his Epiâ—aph wherewith Flaminius a famous Poet of Italy hath honoured him And thus it is Dum fera flaâ—ma tuos Hieronyme pascitur artus Religio flevit dilaniâ—ta comas Flevit et ô dixit crudeles parcite flammae Paâ—ite sunt isto viscera nostra rogo That is Whiles Hiâ—rome to the firy stake was led Religion tore her haire and wept and said You cruell flames oh spare this tender heart For whiles he burns Religion feels the smart And so I proceed to the severall points in question Of the Scriptures Sufficiencie and Canon Geâ—son makes the word of Christ the sole authenticall ground of faith and the onely infallible rule to decide controvâ—rsies The Scriptures saith he is given unto us as a sufficient and infallible Rule for the governement of the whole body of â—he Church and each part thereof unto the end of the world What evill saith the same Gerson hath followed upon the contempt of holy Scripture which doubtlesse is sufficient for the government of the Church for otherwise Christ had beene an unperfect Law giveâ— experâ—eâ—ce will teach That Wickliffe affirmeth that nâ—ither Friers nor Prelates may define aâ—y thing in matters of faith unlesse they have the auâ—hority of sacred Scripture or some speciall revelation I dislikâ— not saith Waldensis but his waywardnesse and craft I condemne and thinke it necessary lest wee wrest the Scâ—â—ptures and erre in the interpretation of them to follow the â—radition of the Church expounding them unto us and not to trust to our own private singular conceits This is that which Vincentius Lirinensis long since delivered Alphonsus Tostatus saith Although the bookes in question bee received of the Church yet are thâ—y not of any solide auâ—hority and thâ—refore they are improfitable to prove and confirme those things which are called in question according to Saint Hierome Thomas Waldensis cites out of Hierome the Canâ—n of the old Testament in these words As there are twâ—nty two letters by which we write in Hebrew all that we speake so there are accounted twenty two bookes by which as letters wee are instructed in the doctrine of God and withall addeth That the whole Canonicall Scripture is contained in the two and twenty bookes Dionysius Carthusiâ—nus in writing upon Ecclesiasticus saith That booke is not of the Conon that is amongst the Canonicall Scriptures although there be no doubt made of the truth of that booke This is likewise confessed by Pererius the Iesuite saying Dionysius Carthusianus and Lyra doe not deny the History of Susanna to be true but they deny the bookes of Iudith Tobit and the Maccabees to apertaine to the Cononicall Scriptures And the like observation touching Lyra is made by Picus Mirandula and Picus himselfe would have us note that many things which in the Decrees are reckoned for Apocryphall and so accounted by Hierome are neverthelesse read in the Divine Service and many things also which some hold not to bee truâ— Of Communion under both kinds and number of Sacraments The Councel of Constance did not simply forbid the ministring of the Sacrament in both kinds but the teaching of the people that of necessity it must be so ministred for so we find in the thirteenth Session of the said Councel That if any should obstinately maintaine that it was unlawfull or â—rronious to receive in one kind he ought to be punished
saying of Ernestus Arch-bishop of Magdeburg lying on his death-bed some five yeares befoâ—e Luther shewed himselfe It is witnessed by Clement Schaâ— Chaplaine to the said Arch-bishop and one who was present at his death that a Frier Minor used this speech to the Archbishop Take a good heart most worthy Prince wee communicate to your excellencie all the good workes not onely of our selves but our whole order of Frier Minors and therefore doubt not but you receiving them shall appeare before the tribunall Seate of God righteous and blessed Whereunto the Arch-bishop replyed By no meanes will I trust upon my owne workes or yours but the workes of Christ Iesus alone shall suffice upon them will I repose my selfe THE SIXTEENTH CENTVRIE From the yeare of Grace 1500. to 1600. Of Martin Luther PAPIST WHat say you of this sixteenth Age PROTESTANT We are now by Gods assistance come to the period of time which was agreed upon in the beginning of our conference to wit to the dayes of Martin Luther for about the yeare of Grace 1517 hee beganne to teach and Preach against Indulgences And withall I have produced a Catalogue of our professours unto this present sixteenth Centurie PA. Stay your selfe you must saith Master Brerely show us your professours during the twentie yeares next before Luther PRO. It is done already for besides our English Martyrs we have produced Trithemius the Abbot and Savonarola both which lived within the time mentioned and held with us the Article of free Iustification and Savonarola howsoever the matter be otherwise coloured was burnt for Religion in the yeare 1498. Besides there have beene in all Ages and in the time mentioned such as held the substantiall Articles of our Religion both in the Roman and Greeke Church and by name the Grecians in common with us have openly denyed the Popes Supremacie Purgatorie private Masses Sacrifices for the dead and defended the lawfulnesse of Priests marriage Likewise in this Westerne part of the world the Schollers of Wickliffe called Lollards in England the Taboâ—ites in Bohemia and Waldenses in France maintained the same doctrine in substance with our moderne Protestants as appeareth by a Confession of the Waldensian Faith set forth about the yeare of Grace 1508 which was within the time prefixed Neither did these whom we have produced dissemble their Religion but made open profession thereof by their Writings Confessions and Martyrdomes as also their just Apologies are extant to cleere them from the Adversaries imputation PA. I thought Luther had beene the first founder of your Religion for there bee some of your men who call him the first Apostle of the reformed doctrine PRO. Luther broached not a new Religion he onely drained and refined it from the Lees and dregs of superstition he did not forme or found a new Church which was not in being but onely reformed and purged that which he found from the soilâ— of errours and disorders When Hilkiah the Priest in Iosiah's time found out the booke of God he was thereby a meanes to bring to light what the wicked proceedings of Manasses Amon and others had for a season smothered and so did Luther he was the instrument whom God used for the farther enlightning his Church and yet hereupon it no more followeth that he was the first that preached our Religion than upon the former that Hiâ—kiah first preached the Law The Protestants Church by Luthers meanes began no otherwise in Germanie than health begins to be in a body that was formerly sicke and overcharged and now recovered So that in respect of doctrine necessary to salvation the Church in her Firme members as Saint Austine speakes was the same before Luther and afterwards and it began to be by his meanes onely according to a greaâ—er measure of knowledge and freedome from such corruptions as formerly like ill humours oppressed it and oveâ—charged it The Proâ—estants Church then is the same with all good and sound Christians that lived before them and succeedeth the sound members of the visible Chuâ—ch that kept the life of true Religion in the substantiall matters of Faith and Godlinesse though otherwise those times were daâ—kened with a thicke mist of errours Now whereas some call Luther the first Apostle of the reformed doctrine they did not therâ—by intend that he was the fiâ—st that ever preached the dâ—ctrine of the râ—formed Churches for they could not be ignorant that after Christ and his Apostles and the Fathers of the first five Ages Bertram and Aâ—lfricke and Berenger Peter Bruis and Henry of Tholouse Dulcinus and Anâ—ldus and Lollardus Wickliffe Husse Hierome of Pragâ—e and others stood for the same truth which we professe but their meaning was that Luther was the first who in their Age and memorie publickly and succesfully set on foot a generall reformation of the Church in these Westerne parts And thus in a tollerable sense Luther may bee called the first Apostle of the Reformation though not simply the first that preached the Protestants doctrine Americus Vesputius is reported to have discovered the West Indies or America and withall beares the name thereof and yet Christopher Columbus discovered it before him Bishop Iewell saith that in Luthers dayes in the midst of the darknesse of that Age there first began to shine some glimmeâ—ing beame of truth his meaning is not that the truth was then first revealed but that by Luthers mâ—anes it was manifested in a fuller measure and degree of lâ—ght and knowledge than it was in the fâ—rmer and daâ—ker times of Poperie yea he giveth pâ—rticular instance of true professours that were before Luther namely Saint Hilarie Gregory Bernard Pauperes de Lugduno the â—ishops of Greece and Asia as also Valla Marsilius Petrarch Savonarola and others PA. Did Luther himselfe acknowledge he had any predecessors or fore-runners PRO. I answer with my worthy and learned friend Doctor Featly that Luther acknowledged the Waldenses termâ—d fratres Pigardi as appeares by his Preface before the Waldension Confession I found saith hee in these men a miracle almost unheard of in the Popish Church to wit that these men leaving the doctrines of men to the utmost of their endeavour meditated in the Law of God day and night and were very ready and skilfull in the Scriptures whereas in the Papacie the greatest Clerkes uâ—terly neglected the Scriptures I could not but congratulate both them and us that wee were together brought into one sheepfold Of Iohn Husse and Hiâ—rome of Prague he saith They burned Iohn Husse and Hierome both Catholike men they being themselves Heretikes and Apostates and in his third Preface hee saith hee hath heard from men of credit that Maximilian the Emperour was wont to say of Iohn Husse Alas alas they did that good man wrong And Erasmus Roterodam in the first bookes which hee printed lying yet by me writeth That Husse indeed was condemned and burned but not convicted PA. To
but only cast downe some encroachments and improvements of poperie wee have no more erâ—cted a new faith in respect of the substance and essentials thereof than that zealous reformer Iosia built a new materiall Temple when hee cast out the Idols and Idolatrous worship out of the Lords house There is no other difference betwixt the Reformed and the Romish Church then betwixt a field well weeded and the same field formeâ—ly overgrowne with weeds or betwixt a heape of corne now well winnowed and the same heape lately mixed with chaffe And if it be a vaine and frivolous thing to say it is not the same field or the same corne as vaine and frivolous is it to say the Church is not the same it was or in the same place after it is swept and cleansed of the filth and dust or to say the Churches of Corinth and Galatia after their reformation occasioned by Saint Pauls writing were new Churches and not the same they were before because that in them before the Resurrection was denied Circumcision practisâ—d discipline neglected and Châ—isâ—s Apostles contemned which things now are not found in them or to say Naaman was not still the same person because before hee was a Leper and now is cleansed PA. If our Romane Church were so corrupt whence then had you the truth what you had you received from us PRO. Saint Austine saith that the Iewes were to the Christians Library-keepers of the bookes of the Law and the Prophets and might not the Romanists performe the like office to the Protestants The Iewish Church what time it was unsound preserved the Scriptureâ—Canon and by transcribingâ— and reading the same delivered the whole text therof trâ—ly to others And thus the Roman Church though in many things unsound preserved the bookes of holy Scripture and taught the Apostles Câ—eed with sundry parts of divine truth gathered from the same and by these principles of Christianitie preserved in that Church judicious and godly men might with study and diligence finde out what was the first delivered Christian doctâ—ine in such things as were necessary to salvation And herein was Gods gracious providence sâ—ene that even that Church wherein Luther himselfe received his Christianitie Ordination and power of Ministerie should for the benefit of Gods children preserve the Word and Sacraments and deliver them over to us though somewhat corruptly by their adding more Sacraments than ever Christ ordained and abusing those which we retaine with divers unwarrantable rites and Ceremonies In a word we received from you some truth mingled with errour wee have pared away your corruption as a worme out of an Apple and retained the wholsome and substantiall truth PA. Was there any Chucrh in being save our Roman Catholick in thâ— Ages next before Luther if so show uâ— where it was and with whom it held Communion PRO. When Christ came first into the World the Iewish Church was corrupted both in doctrine and manners this Church had in it Scribes and Pharisees as well as Zachary and Elizabeth Ioseph and Mary Simeon and Anna with others these were all of the same outward Communion with the Priesthood for they resorted to the Temple there they prayed and performed such holy rites as God himselfe enjoyned untill they heard farther of the Gospel by Christs manifestation Now I demand were not Ioseph and Mary and such good people â—ound members of Gods Church although the Scribes and Pharisees bore all the sway in the Church and had the Priesthood the word and Sacraments in their dispensing yet even then God had a Remnant of holy people which made up his Church though others went under the name thereof and exceeded them in number Now with these the sound part kept an outward Communion yet did not partake in all their erronious doctrines but condemned their grosser errours In like sort we were all of one outward Communion of one Church wherin salvation was and yet we shared not in those errours which a faction in the Church like the Pharisees of old maintained For as learned Dr. Field saith The errours which wee condemne at this day whereupon the difference groweth betweene us and the Romish faction were never generally received nor constantly delivered as the doctrines of the Church but doubtfully disputed and proposed as the opinions of some men in the Church not as the resolved determinations of the whole Church For had they beene the undoubted doctrines and determinations of the Church all men would have holden them entirely and constantly as they held the doctriâ—e of the Trinity and other Articles of the Faith And I have already showne from age to age that the errours condemned by us never found generall allowance and constant consent in the dayes of our fathers but that some worthy guides of Gods Church ever opposed them And thus was our Church preserved under the Papacie as wheaâ—e is among tares for wee were formerly mingled together like corne and chaffe in one heape until the time of Reformation came and winnowed our wheat from the chaffe of Poperie So that howsoever divers under the Papacie not brooknig Reformation maintained sundry erronious opinions Yet there were other worthies who living within that Communitie were not equally poysoned with errour but firmely beleeved all fundamentall truth and delivered the maine Articles of Christianitie over unto others For Answer then to the Question Where had our Church her being in the Ages next before Luther we say It was both within the Romane Church and without it For as learned Doctor Chaloner saith Our Church had in those dayes a twofold Subsisâ—encie â—he one Separate from the Church of Rome the other Mixt and conjoyneâ— with it Separate so it was in the Albâ—genses and Waldenses a peâ—ple whoâ— so soone as the Chuâ—ch of Rome had inteâ—preted her selfe touching sundry of those maine poynts of dâ—ffâ—rence betweene us and that a man could no lâ—nger Communicate with her in the publicke worship of God by reâ—son of soâ—e Idolatrous rites and customes which shâ— had establishâ—dâ— arose in France Savâ—y and the places neere adjoyning and professed the same substantiall Negatives and Affirmatives which we doe in a state Sepaâ—atâ— from the Church of Rome having Pastours and Congregations apart to themselves even unto this day From these descended the Wicklefisâ—s in England and the Hussites in Germanie and oâ—hers in other Countries who Maâ—gre the â—urie of fire and Sword maintained the same doctrine as they did The state of the Church mixt and conjoyned with the Church of Rome it selfe consisted of those who making no visible separation from the Roman profession as not perceiving the mysterie of iniquity which wrought in it did yet mislike the grosser errours and desired a Reformation To answer then the quâ—stion directly where was the Prâ—testants Church before Luthers time that is where was any Church in the world that taught that doctrine which the Protestants now teach â—
Masses wherein the Pâ—iests alone doth Communicatâ— without the pâ—ople it is contraâ—y to â—he Canon of â—he Mâ—sse saying in the â—lurall number Sumpsimus we have â—ecâ—ived anâ— Quoâ—quot ex hoc altaris participatione c. That all wee which in â—he participatâ—on of the Altar have receivâ—d the sacred body and bloud of tâ—y Sonneâ— c. Iohn Hossmeâ—ster a learned man expounding the prayers of thâ— Massâ— hath these wâ—rds The thing it sâ—lfe proclaimeth it thâ—t as wâ—ll in the Greâ—ke as Latine Church not onely the Priest which sacrifâ—â—eth but the other Priests and Deacons also yea and the people or at leâ—st some part of them did Commuâ—icateâ— which custome how it grew out of use I know not but surely wee should labour to bring it in againe By this it appeares that the Priests receiving alone and the neglecting or excluding the communicating of others as noâ— much necâ—ssâ—ry is indeed a poynt of Romish Religion but conâ—rary to the words of the Canon and â—he ancient custome of the Church it proceeded from the iâ—devotion of the people or rather â—he neglâ—gâ—nce or errour of the guides of â—he Church that either failed to stirre them up to the performâ—nce of such a duty or made them belâ—eve their Act wâ—s sufficient to comâ—unicate the benefits of Christs passion to thâ—m but this course was misliked by them of the betâ—er sort Concerning Communion in one kind that is another poynt of Romish Religion supposed to be conteined in the Masse which yet wanâ—s the liking and approbation of the best and woâ—thiest guides of Gods Church then living Cassander saith It is sufficiently manifest that the â—niversall Church of Christ untill this day and the Westerne or Romane Church for more than a thousand yeares after Christ did minister the Sacrament in both kinds to all the members of Christs Church at least in publicke as it is most evident by innumâ—rable testimonies both of Greâ—ke and Latine Fathers It is true indeed â—hat in case of necessiâ—ie as when children or such as were sicke and weake were to â—eceive the Communion thâ—y used to â—ip the mysticall bread into the consecrated wine under preâ—enâ—e of Caâ—efull avoiding the danger of spilling it and greater reverence toâ—ards the holy Sacrament from this customâ— whâ—â—â— yet was â—islâ—ked as appeares by Hildebeâ—◠〈…〉 some proceedâ—d farther and began to teach the people that seeing the body and blood of Christ cannot be separated in that they partake of the 〈◊〉 they partake of the other also and that therefore it was sufficient to receive in one kind alone Nâ—â—thâ—r yâ—t could this give satisfaction for howsoever the custome of communicating under one kind prevailed yet there wanted not such as sufficiently expressed their judgement that communicating in both kinds as Christ first did institute and the Church for a long time observed was fit and convenient perfect and compleat and of more efficacie and cleerer representation than the other under one kind alone Come to another maine point the proper and propitiatory sacrifice for the quicke and the dead and see whether at Luthers appearing before and after all that used that Liturgy had such an opinion of a sacrifice Saint Ambrose and Saint Chrysostome by way of correction say Wee offer the same sacrifice or rather the remembrance thereof Peter Lombard proposing the question whether that which the Priest doth may properly be named a Sacrifice or Immolation answereth that Christ was only once truely and properly offered in sacrifice and that hâ—e is not properly immolated or sacrifised but in Sacrament and Representation onely Lyra saith that If thou say the Sacrifice of the Altar is daily offered in the Church it must be answered that thâ—re is no reiteration of the sacrifice but a daily commemoration of that sacrifice that was once offered on the Crosse. Georgius Wiâ—elius a man much honoured by the Emperours Ferdinand and Maximilian defines the Masse to be a Sacrifice Rememorative and of prayse and thankesgiving where many give thankes for the price of their Redemption The Author of the Enchiridion of Christian Religion publishâ—d in the provinciall Coâ—ncell of Colen saith In that the Church doth offer the true body and blood of Christ to God the Father it is meerely a representative sacrifice and all that is donâ— is but the commemorating and representing of that sacrifice which was once offered on the Crosse. By that which hath beene said it is cleare that the best and worthiest guides of Gods Church both before and after Luthers time taught not any new reall offering of Christ to God the Father as a propitiatory sacrifice to take away sinnes but in effect as wee doe namely that the sacrifice of the Altar is only the sacrifice of praise and thankesgiving and a meere representation and commemoration of the sacrifice once offered upon the Crosse his being the reall sacrifice on the Crosse ours only the Sacramentall Representation Commemoration and Application thereof so that Christ is not newly offered any otherwise than in that hee is offered in the view of God nor any otherwise sacrifised than in that his sacrifice on the Crosse is commemorated and represented And thus the Fathers terme the holy Eucharist an unbloody Sacrifice not because Christ is properly and in his substance offered therein but because his bloody sacrifice upon the Crosse is by this unbloody commemoration represented called to remembrance and applyed Besides these points mentioned I have already produced witnesses in all ages and in all parts of the world rejecting those bookes as Apâ—cryphall that wee doe and showne that even untill Luthers time the Church did not admit the Canon of Scripture which the Romanists now doe nor ever accounted those bookes canonicall which wee thinke to bee Apocryphall and by these instances it may appeare That all were not Papists who held with the Masse Thâ— thing then we say is this that though the Masse was generally in uâ—e at â—nd bâ—fore Luthers timeâ— yet diverâ— poynts belonging thâ—reunto were not beleeved by tâ—e worthieâ—t guides in God Church at and before Luthers time though indeed there were some in the Chuâ—ch â—hat so coâ—ceived of them as the Romanists now doe and the reason hereof is this They were not generally received by all mâ—n nor as the undâ—ubted determinations of the Church not as Dogmata fidei but Dogmata scholae controverted and diveâ—sly disputed among the learned holden with great libertie of Iudgement by the greatest Doctors as appeares by their owne bookes of controversies written by Bellarmine Suaâ—ez Azorius and others which confute their owne writers almost as much as they doe Proâ—estants Besides had they beene the undoubted doctrines and determinations of the Church all men would have holden them uniformly entirely and constantly as they held the doctrine of the Trinity the Creation the Incarnation of the Sonne of God and other Articles of the Faith Objection If these points
alter Augustinâ—s Trithem de Script â—celes i Scio autem prophetiâ— dâ—no dâ—â—atum fuisse passuâ— perâ—rebuisse Possevin in Apparatu to 1 pag. 807. k Propter â—â—uditionem vita honestatem apâ—d principes episcopos in â—â—ecio habitus Triâ—hem l Petrus Lombardus 5. Sanctae philosophiae veritâ—â—tem fontemque purissimum caeno quaestionum rivulis opinionum conturbavâ—â— Aventiâ— Annal. lib. 6. m A quâ—busâ—â—am praedicatur in populis hos trâ—s fuisse germanâ—s ex adulteriâ—â—atoâ— de hoc tamen doleas quod non potes dolere author vitae Gratiani in fine operum ejus n Cogâ—omento Comestor quod Scriptâ—raâ—um autâ—oâ—tâ—tâ—s in suis opâ—sâ—ulis â—râ—oâ—ius allegando quasi â—â— vâ—nâ—â—em memoâ—ie manâ—uâ—iriâ— Tâ—ithem de Scâ—iptor Ecclesâ—â—â— Pâ—â—us â—râ—w quem Pâ—tiaâ—â— gâ—◠〈◊〉 Comeâ—â—or Nunc 〈◊〉 Siâ—â—t â—nim dicebâ—tur ◠〈◊〉 Romaâ—â— Eccâ—â—si◠〈…〉 M. 15. 〈…〉 Colon. 1622. 〈…〉 p. 4â—4 Prâ—pâ—â—â—â—e 〈…〉 de medio Babylonis 〈…〉 Epist 25. p. 52. r Iâ—uâ—os eos sed parâ—â— profectures respondit nimis verus vates Ioachimus extitit Paul Aâ—myl in Philip. 2. lib. 6. p. 175. s Explicans Ioachim haec verba Apocalyp unus illorum nondum venit scilicet Antichristus de isto Antichristo dicit idem Ioachim quod jam naâ—us â—st in câ—vitate Romaná in sede Apostolica sublimâ—â—itur Roger Hoâ—ed Annal part poster in Rich. 1. p. 681. t Three conversions of England part 1. chapt 10. nu 22. * Martin Luther u Hildegardis Prophetia extaâ— apud Albert. Staden sem post ann 1149. a pag. 169. ad 178. as is witnessed by Doctor Crakanthorpe in his treatise of the Popes tempoâ—all Monarchie x Tunc Insula Apostolici honoris dividetur quia nulla religio in Apostolico ordine inveâ—ietur Hildegard in Câ—tal test verâ—â— lib. 15. y The prophecy of Hildegard the Nunne z Secte autem illius origiâ—â—â— pâ—ulâ— altâ—us â—epetam Pâ—tâ—â—â— cognomentâ—â—â—â—sus 〈…〉 Coâ—â—â—icorpus non eâ—â—e preces ad Deum pro 〈…〉 â—ocuâ—sset 〈◊〉 atque igâ—e â—râ—matus 〈…〉 Annal. Franc. in Philippo Aâ—â—â—usto p. 268. a 〈…〉 baptiâ—amus infantes quod â—â—â—mus â—â—â— mortuis quod sancâ—â—â—um 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bernard in Cant â—â—â—m 6â— b Bern. epist. 24â— c 〈…〉 〈…〉 Apologet. câ—p 7 d 〈◊〉 sunt â—abitas â—◠〈◊〉 qui boni videri non esse â—â—li non videre sed esse volunt Bern. in Cant. serm 66. e Non modò patientes sed 〈◊〉 ut videbatur ducerenâ—r â—d mortem id ibid. f Petr. Clumacens lib. 1. epist. 1. 2. g Sed quia eum ita sentire vel praedicare nondum mihi plenè fides facta est disserâ— râ—spensionem quousque horum quâ—e dâ—cuntur indubiâ—m habeam certitudinem id epist. 1. h Basilicae sine plebibus plebâ—s sine Sacerdote Sacerdotes sine debitâ reverentià sunt Bern. in ep 240. i Bernardi Epistola 24â— ad Hildefons Comit. S. Aegidij k Fefâ—llisse priores errare posteros id ibid. l Circa annum Domini 1160 ortus â—st Petrus Waldus Iacob Grâ—tser Prolegom in script edit contr Waldenses m Cun. aâ—â—em esset aliquantuluns â—â—teraâ—â—s Novi Testameâ—ts tâ—xtum docuit cos vulgariter Rainâ—rius contr Hâ—râ—t cap. 5. quamâ—coâ—â—starum â—coâ—â—starum hoc 〈◊〉 de causis pâ—ima est quiâ— eâ—t Diâ—turâ—ior aliqui eâ—â—â—m dicunt quod dâ—â—auit à â—â—mpore Syluestri aliqui à tâ—mpore Apostolâ—rum Seâ—â—â—ula quiaest Gâ—neralior â—â—re enim nulla est terra iâ— qua haec secta non sit Terâ—ia quia â—um omnes aliae secte immanâ—ate blasphemtaâ—um in Deum audientibâ—â—â—â—â—rorem inducunt hâ—c magnam â—â—bet speciem pretat◠〈◊〉 coram homnibus iuste 〈◊〉 bene omnia de 〈◊〉 credâ—nt omnes 〈◊〉 qui in Symbolo conâ—â—â—â—tor soluâ—moâ—o Romaâ—â—â— Ecclesâ—â— blasphemant â—lâ—rum cui multâ— tâ—d◠〈◊〉 â—aciliâ— est ad 〈◊〉 Rameâ— contr 〈◊〉 c. 4. Parsâ—ns three Conveâ—sions part 2. chap. 10 § 26 27 â—nd ibid. the third part chap. 3 numb 12. p D. Iacob Vesserius de Christian. ecclâ—s succesâ—ions statu cap. 6. § 20. ad finem The History of the Waldenses booke 1 chap. 4. Master Cadeâ— Iustification of the Church of England lib. 2. cap. 1. sect 3. § 4. The first Articleâ— q Marke 14.56 r Noâ—nihil etiam ad Valdensium conâ—irâ—andam tolerandamque sectam consert quod praeter haec quae contrà fidem râ—ligionemque nostram assumuâ—t in reliquis â—erme puriorem quam caeteri Christiani vitam agunt non enim niâ—i coacti iurant â—aroque nomen Dei in vanum prosâ—runt promissaque sua bonâ—fide impâ—ent Claud. Seissel advers sectam Valdens pag 9. s Tâ—m Rex â—tiamsi inquit 〈◊〉 Turcâ—m aut dâ—abolum bellâ—m suscipiendum esset eoc tamen pâ—ius aâ—dire vellâ—m Weseâ—beâ—ij oratio de â—aldens pag. 418. â—xtat in Ioach. Caâ—â—râ—â—ij Historie narratione de Fratâ—â—â—â— ortâ—odexoâ—â—m ecclesijs in Bohemiâ— c. t 〈◊〉 ad Regem reâ—erunt illâ— iâ— locis homines baptizari Articulos fidei Decalogum doceri Dominicos dâ—â— religiose coli Dei ver bum exponi venesâ—iâ— sâ—upra apud â—os rulla esse Hic auâ—itis Rex 〈◊〉 â—â—urando addito me inquit caetero populo meâ— Catâ—olico mâ—â—â—ores 〈◊〉 viri sunt 〈◊〉 in orat de Valdens apâ—d Ioach. Camerar pag. 419. u Câ—terum se in ipsorum templis neque Imagines nâ—que orâ—â—mâ—nt◠〈◊〉 ulla 〈◊〉 ibid. x Tertulliâ—n in Apologet. cap. 7. and 〈◊〉 his wiâ—ked Orâ—â—ion in Minutius Felix hiâ— Octavius The 2 and 3 Articles objected y In their booke entituled the Spirituall Almanacke in the third Câ—mment cited by the History of the Wâ—ldensâ—s booke 1. chap 4. z In their booke entituled the Light of the treasure of faith fol. 214. cited ibid. a Salutationem Angelicam ad Dei genitricem fidelibus frequentâ—ndam â—on câ—nseâ—t quasi iâ—a orationis formaâ— non habeat sed salutationisâ— Claud. Seissel c. Sectam Vald. pag. 54. b Reinerius in Suâ—â—a de Catharis Leonistis c So they professe in their Answer Ad literam Augustini Olmucensis Anno 1508. et pleniâ—s in scripto edito 1572. d Mendicantium Religionem malos Dâ—â—mones invenisse Aeneas Silvius Histor. Bohem. Cap. 35. e Monasticam vitam Eccâ—â—siae sentinam aâ— Plutonium esse vana illius votâ— nec nisi saedis puâ—rorâ—maâ—â—ribus serviâ—ntia Thuan. Histor. Lib. 6. ad An. 1550. p. 513. Apuâ—â—ullâ—â—m aliâ—m ex his qui Valdensium errores 〈◊〉 inveniâ— uâ—â—am de haâ—â—e sacâ—am mentionem Alphonsus de Castro lib 6. adâ— Haerâ—seâ— tit de Eucharist â— Novaâ—â—â— g Aâ—n Sylvius Hist. Bâ—hâ—m cap. 35. h Alphons de castro lib 6. aâ—u Haâ—r â— tertia Haer. tit de â—uchar The 10. 〈◊〉 objâ—cted i Duâ— credebant cum Maniâ—â—â—ais principia Deum viz. bonuâ— malum â—d est Diaâ—â—lum quem dicebant omnia â—â—eare corpora sicut Deum 〈◊〉 omnes animasâ— Corporum Resurrectionem negaâ—â—â—â— â—ullum inâ—ernum puâ—antes Prateol l. 1. Eleâ—ch Haereâ— liâ— A. Albigens
Bâ—adwardin praeâ— in lib. de causâ— Dei contrâ— Pelagium b Aut si in aliquo discordat magiâ— deviat à Catholica veritate quam dicâ—um â—elagij Greg. Arim. lib. 2. dist 26 qu. 1. arâ— 2. c Tâ—emendum mihi videtur negare authoritâ—â—em Sanctorum â— contra etiam non est tutum contraire â—oÌ„muni opinioni conâ—câ—sioni magistrorum nostroruÌ„ Id. lib. 2. dist 33. quest 3. d Alij enim Catholicae sese religionis titâ—lo venditantes luthâ—ranorum adversarios jactantes duâ— arbitrij libertatem nimium astruere conaÌ„tur Christi se gratiae plurimum detrahere non intelligunt Contaren de Praedestin e Nam fides ex diviat verbi auditu Râ—m 10. Vâ—i vero id nec legiturâ— nec audâ—tur fidem â—eâ—ire labefaclari neâ—â—sse estâ— ut â—â—diè inquit proâ— dâ—lor omnibus sire locis câ—â—nimus Espenâ— Dâ—gâ—ssiâ—n in 1 Timoth lib. 1. cap. 11 ex Nicolao Clâ—mâ—ng f Facilius Augiae stabulum quà m talâ—bus fabellis multorâ—m tum libros tumâ— onciones repurges Id in Poster epist ad Timâ—th cap. 4. Digress 21 Quaà m indâ—gnâ— est Divis hominibâ—s Christianis illâ— sanctorum historia qua Legenda aurea nominatur quam nescio cur auream appellent cum scripta sit ab homine ferrei oris pluÌ„bei cordis Lud. Vives de caus coâ—rupt Aâ—t l. 2. p. 91. Quae de Divis sunt scripta praeter pauca quedam multis sunt commentiâ—â—oedata Id. de tradend Disciâ—linis lib. 5. pâ—g 360. Majores nostri tantâ licet quanta nos erga sanctoâ— devotione justum cameâ— non putarunt tot Sanctorum gesta recitari ut legi non possent sacra utriusque Testamenti volumina Espenc in prior ep â—d Tim. Digress lib 1. cap. 11. g Quoniâ—m in universà christianâ— republicâ circa haec tanta est socordia ut multos pâ—ssâ—m invenias niâ—il magis in paâ—ticulari explicitè de hisce rebus credere quam Ethnicum quendam Philosophum solà unius veri Dâ—i naâ—urali cognitione pâ—aeditum Navarrus in Enchirid. c. p. 11. nu 22. h Acts and Monum vol. 2. lib. 7. pag. 819. in Henr. 8. i Aâ—â— Sylviâ—s hist. Bâ—â—â—m cap. 13 k Id reformatur quod id mâ—n substantâ—à perâ— everat Aâ—châ—â—p Spalatens Consil. redit l 〈…〉 Angl c. Spâ—lâ—tenâ— cap. 85. m 2 Kings 23. n D. Vâ—hers Seâ—mon at Wansted pag 31. o D Field of the Church booke 3. chap. 6. p Master Cade his Iustificat of the Church of England lib. 1. cap. 1. § 5. lib 2. cap 1. § 4. q Codiâ—â—m portat Iudens undé credat Christianus Librarij rostâ—i facti sunt quomodo solent â—ervi post dominâ—s câ—diâ—es ferre Ang. in Psal. 56. â—om 8. r Rom. 3.2 Acts 15.2 s Esai 1.9 t Doctor Field of the Church booke 3. chap. 6. u Sâ—c Ecclesia iâ—â—rumentis Domiâ—iâ—is conservâ—ta eâ—t Augusâ—in ep 48. tom 2. Si Concilium in haeresin laâ—eretur remâ—neâ—ent alij Catholici qui 〈◊〉 vel ublicè prout expeâ—â—i â—t aud reâ—t 〈…〉 orthodoxam Occh in Dialog part 1. lib. 5. c. 28. x Dâ—ctor Chaloner's treâ—tise upon Credo Ecclâ—siâ—n S. Catholic 2. part â—â—ct 2. y Prot Appol tract 2. cap. 2. sect 13. z a b Bellarm. lib 3. de Eccles Milit. cap. 13. § Denique c â—hâ—m Annot. in 12. Apocal. d Sic dicâ—rem in sâ—holis sâ—d 〈◊〉 maneat inter 〈◊〉 dâ—vâ—rsâ—m sertio 〈…〉 pâ—obari â—x saâ—ris 〈◊〉 Pâ—ralipoâ— ad Aâ—â—at Vrspâ—rg pag. 448 edit Bâ—sil 1569. Prot. Apol. trâ—ct 2. cap. 2. sect 2. pag. 3â—â— Dâ—ctor Field of the Câ—urch 〈◊〉 second edition in hâ—s Appendix to the third booke Oxâ—oâ—d 16â—8 g Miâ—â—ale Eccles. Sarisburâ—in Canoâ—â— h Câ—ssâ—â—der consâ—lt de solitaâ—ia Mâ—ssâ—â— i Cassander in Consult dâ— utrâ—que specie k 〈…〉 epist 64 in tom 12. Biblioth Pâ—â— pag 3â—â— Colon. 1618. l Offâ—rinâ—â— quidâ—â— sed 〈…〉 Amb. oâ— in Hâ—bâ— 10. m 〈…〉 Chrysos in Heb 〈…〉 17. n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et oblationem qui◠〈◊〉 est 〈…〉 Quotidâ—â— autem 〈…〉 Sacramento quia in sacramento 〈…〉 illius quod 〈…〉 Pet. 〈…〉 Sem lib. 4 Dist. 12. liâ— â—â— o 〈…〉 in Heb 10. ca. p Gâ—â—g Wiâ—â—lius in 〈…〉 D. Field q Enchirâ—d Colâ—niâ—nse de Euchâ—r tâ—ste coaâ—m r Doctor Fields Apâ—ndix to thâ— fiâ—th Booke part 3. pâ—g 11. s Sicid in Com. lib. 6. ad ann 1529. t Acts 11.26 u 1 Coâ—inth 1.13 x 〈…〉 sed Cathâ—â—â—â—â— non â—st â—â—tat lib. 3. y Acts 17.27.28 z 〈…〉 p 39 a 〈…〉 Isidor origin lib 8 cap. 5. b 〈…〉 â—9 c d f 〈…〉 6. sect 4. g h i 2 Cor. 1.24 k Praecâ—piâ—uâ— ut quilibet sacerdos quater in anno exponat populo vulgariter xiiij â—idei Articuloâ— Decem mandâ—ta Decalogi et septem gratiae Sacramenta Provincial Constitut. Angliae apud Gul. Lindewood lib 1. Ignorantia Sacerdot Vulgariter in linguá maâ—eâ—nâ— vulgari Aâ—glicâ videliâ—et Anglicis Gallicâ Gallicis Glossa Ibidem In a Councill at Clâ—ffe anno 747 it was decreed thâ—t the Lords Prayer Câ—eed should be read and taught in the English tongue Malmesb de gest Pont. lib. 1. l Apostolus specialiter dâ—â—it se velle loqui quinque verba quia predicatores dâ—â—ent annunâ—iare quinque sâ—â—luet Credenda Agenda Vitanda Tâ—mendâ— Sperâ—nda quiâ— pâ—â—dâ—catio dâ—bâ—t esse de â—ijs quae pertineâ—â—â—â—d sâ—dem sic habâ—tâ—r primum de hijs quâ— perâ—â—neâ—t ad â—oâ—es et sic habentur quatuâ—râ— virtutes vitâ—a pâ—na gloria Lyra in 1 Cor. c. 14 Scriptura 〈◊〉 unter continet Docâ—â—inam necessariam viatori quantuÌ„ ad Credenda Spâ—randa Operandâ— Scotus 1. Sent. Pâ—olog qu 2. m Acts and Monum vol. 2. booke 8. pag. 1124. ad ann 1538. n ibid lib. 11. p. 1788. ad Ann. 1555. o Servanda est totiuâ— seculi fides sequendi sunt nobis parentes qui secuti sunt faeliciter suos Ambâ—os epistol lib. 2. tom 5. p Ezech. 20.18 q 1 Pet. 1.18 r Hoc inquies majoâ—es nostri à suis parentibus accepeâ—â—â—t respondetur sed errantes ab errantibuâ— aut calumniantibus Aug. cont Crescon gramaâ—at li. 3 c. 33. tom 7. s Si quis de anâ—ecesso 〈…〉 vel â—â—noranâ—èt vel simplicitèr non hoc obserâ—avit tâ—nuit quod nâ—s dâ—miâ—us fâ—cere exemâ—â—o mâ—gistâ—rio suo docâ—it potest simplicitati eâ—us de indâ—lgentia domini 〈◊〉 â—oâ—â—edi nobis verâ— non poâ—erit ignosâ—s qui nuâ—c à Domino adâ—oniti instâ—uâ—li â—umas Cyprian epist. 63. Panâ—el num 13. in aliâ— edit lib. 2. epist. 3. t Alla â—â—usa est â—orum qui in istos haereticos imprudentèr inâ—urrunt ipsam esse Christi eâ—clesiam exâ—stimanteâ— alia coâ—um qui noverunt non â—sse Catholicâ—n Augustin de Bap◠〈◊〉 Donat. cap. 4. u Qui seâ—tentiam suam 〈…〉 â—alsâ—m ac perversam nâ—llâ— peâ—tinaci animâ—sitâ—te defendunt praesertâ—â— quam non audaâ—â—â— presumptionis â—ue pepereâ—unt seda seductis atque
what Church did Luther joyne himselfe and why left hee the Roman Church PRO. Hee joyned himselfe in point of faith to the ancient Primitive and Apostolicke Church that went before him and for his present Communion to that sound part of the Roman Church which then with him hated the corruptions which the Romish faction for the maintenance of their pompe and profit had upheld In particular hee joyned himselfe to those honourable personages the Dukes of Saxony and Wittenberge and the Earle of Mansfield and to such Châ—istian congregations as within their territories began to abandon Poperie and reforme themselves He received Ordination in the Church of Rome this ordination for substance was good and by vertue thereof hee preached tâ—e word and brought the people to see and detest not the Church of Rome but her corruptions from whence hee severed himselfe to wit from the Roman Court and faction therein so that hee leapt not out of the Church hee kept himselfe still within the barne-floore thereof onely he leapt out of the huske of popish errours Now this his separation and ours from errour â—s warranted by Gods word since Gods people are commanded and that upon a grievous penalty to depart out of Babylon and spirituaâ—l Sodome and this we â—ake to be Rome since your owne Iesuites that have commented on the Revelation call Rome Babylon and that this is to be understood not onely of heathâ—n Rome but of Rome Christian after that it had forsaken heaâ—henisme and had received the faith of Christ and turned againe from that unto Antichristianisme PA. If any Protestant Church were in being before or at Luthers appearing then would they upon his preaching have acknowledgâ—d him and joyned themsâ—lves to him but as Bellâ—rmine saâ—th they did not PRO. Alphoâ—sus de Casiro saith Neither did Luther in this age come â—orth alone but accompanied with a grâ—at troope as with a Guard waiting for Lâ—tâ—er as for tâ—eir Captaine and Leader such were Philip Melanchton Conradus Pâ—llicanâ—s â—ambert Fabricius Capito â—siâ—â—der Stuâ—mius aâ—d Maâ—tin Bucer and thâ—se saith he seemed to have â—xpectâ—d him bâ—fore hee came and upon his comming dâ—lclâ—aâ—e unto him so that hee wanted noâ— such as gave him the right hands of fellowship Galat. 2.9 Carolus Miâ—titius being sent from Pope Leo to Frederike professed That all the way as he came having sâ—undâ—d mâ—ns affâ—ctions hee found three to favour Luthâ—r for one that favoured the Pope And Lutâ—er professeth that the applause of the world did much support him most men being weary of the frauds and wicked pâ—actices of the Romanists Neither are these penurious examples to give instance in Melanchton Pellican Bucer and others as Brereley scornefully calleth iâ— for they were as great schollâ—rs as that age affâ—â—ded Pâ—llican was one who made great helpe for râ—viving tâ—e Hebrew tongue and was Luthers ancient and so was Ioâ—n Capnio or Reuchlin who brought Greeke and Hebrew into Germany Now bâ—sides his câ—evals and contemporaries the Waldâ—nâ—es as also Iohn Hâ—sse bare a torch before Luther and shâ—wed him his way PA. Master Brereley saith That Melanchton Pâ—lican and Bucer were originally Catholikes and followed Luthers example in revolting from the Catholike Church PRO. Saint Paul was originally a Pharisee and yet hee did well to forsake the leaven of their traditions and embrace the doctrine of the Gospell And so did Saint Austin the errour of the Manichees and Pelagians and embraced the truth of the Gospell Besides they left not the Catholike but the Roman Church nor that altogether but the faction that was therein to wit the papacie PA. Schlusselburg saith It is impudencie to say that many learned men in Germany did hold the doctrine of the Gospell before Luther PRO. Schlusselburgs words are these Vtenhovius writes impudently that he heard Pellican affirme that many learned men in Germany held the doctrine of the Gospel before Luther appeaâ—ed and that Pellican himselfe impugned the popish purgatory before the name of Luther was heard of Now why may wee not beleeve Vtenhovius and Pellican affirmâ—ng the same and being honest men as well as Schlusselburg denying it Besides admit there were not any in Germany yet there might be elsewhere many thousands as in Bohemia France and England and other parts who bâ—fore Luthers time embraced the doctrine of the Gospell PA. Master Brereley saith out of Luthers workes that upon a conference had with the Devill Luther gave over the Masse and changed his Religion PRO. Suppose this Conference were extant in all the Dutch copies of Luthers workes which yet some make doubt of yet might this conference bee onely imaginary even a strong spirituall 〈◊〉 and not â—ny personall or reall conference now from such a spiâ—ituall conflict dreame or appâ—â—ition you cannot draw any sound proofe But supposing the truth of this conference had not Christ a conâ—â—â—â—nce with Sathan and Saint Bernarâ— a combat with him is theiâ— religion ere a whit â—he worse to be liked Your Romish Saints were very familiar with the Devill Saint Oswald wrestled with him Saint Dunstane tooke him by the nose Christopher in the Legend is said to have served the Devill and Saint Xavier was usually vexed with him after Dinner Supper Recreation and saying of Masse insomuch as the Devill oft times put him into a cold sweat as Hâ—ssenmullerus reporteth of him from Turrian the Iesuite PA. The Devill brought arguments against saying of Masse and disputed against it therefore the Masse is good or else the Devill would not have found fault with it PRO. This followeth not for every thing the Devill mislikes is not therefore good neither is all he moves one unto therefore bad For instance sake he came in the habit of Saint Vrsula and moved one to enter into the Order of Nunnes will you say therefore veiling of Nunnes is bad PA. Luther used the selfe-same arguments against the Masse which Satan did now how could they bee good proofes that were brought in by Satan or why would Luther beleeve him PRO. Luther shewes onely how Satan tempted hâ—m to despaire for that he had beene a Masse-monger which Luther knew to be naught without the Devils prompting Besides all that the Devill speakes is not devillish the Devils that possessed the men confessed and sayd Thou art Christ the Sonne of the living God afterwards they entred into the Heard of Swine now the Heardmen they came into the Citty and told what was done and sayd now what though the Hâ—ard-men told how the Devils confessed this Article of the Christian Faith That Christ was the Sonne of the living God was not this a true confession though the Heard-men had fiâ—st heard it from the Devils and likewise reported it from them Luther heard such and such arguments against the Masse might not those arguments be true though Luther heaâ—d them from Satan Gods Ape It is true indeed that the Devill in telling truth