for defence of the Catholike Faith and Iastlie by your Maiestie our last Queene MARIE by whom this land is blessed by a royall issue and as we hope shall in time be madâ— happie by restitution of the Catholike Religion ether in your owne oâ— your childrens dayes And the ratheâ— when England shall see by the Iudgement of the Apostles that the Catholike religioÌ„ aggreeth in all point with the religion taught deliuereâ— by the Apostles and first Apostolicalâ— preachers and that the Protestant religioÌ„ is discouÌ„tenaunced discarded condemned by them This shall appeare by this booke which I youâ— Maiesties most humble subiect aâ— old student in holie learning doe iâ— all dutifull manner present vnto youâ— wishing to your Gracious Maiestie and to our noble Souueraigne your deare Spouse a long and happie raigne in our great Brittainie such a temporall raigne amongst your subiectes as you may both raigne in heauen eternallie with God his Saintes and Angelles Your Maiesties most humble and deuoted subiect R. B. APPROBATIO CVm mihi constiterit ex testimonio fide digni S. Theol. Doctoris in hoc libro cui tituluâ— Apostolorum iudicium c. nihil inueniri Catholicae fidei aut bonis moribus contrarium sed multâ— quae ostendunt religionem Catholicorum esse Apostolicam haereticorum verò Apostaticam censuâ— vtiliter praelo committi posse Actum Duaci die 23. Iunij 1632. GEORGIVS COLVENERIVS S. Theol. Doctor Regius ordinariusque Professor Gollegiatâ— Ecclesiae S. Petri Praepositus Duaâ— censis Academiae Cancellarius librorum Censor THE FIRST CHAPTER CONCERNINGE THE FIRST 5. PROtestants Articles not differinge from the Apostles Religion and the Roman Church BEEINGE to enter into the Examen and comparison of the parlament protestant Articled Religion of England with the Religion of the present Church of Rome and â—e whole Christian world named Catholike â—or profession whereof the Catholiks of England â—y the protestants thereof haue longe tyme suffâ—red and still most constantly endure most bitter persecutions by the first knowne and confessed â—ue Christian Catholike Apostolike Religion â— the Apostles and that their happy age wee finde â—t in the first fiue Articles of this new Religion â—y difference or difficulty to be thus decided both â—atholicks and parlameÌ„tary protestants agreeing them all and they all beeing ordeyned by these proâ—tants against other Sectaries so soone within 4. â—ares of the beginning of Q. Elizabeth her Reigne reâ—eing old condemned heresies amongst them as their â—tories and registers remember and therefore it will â—re suffice onely to recite the Titles of these arâ—les to giue notice thereof The contents and title â— the first article are Of faith in the holy Trinity The second of the word or sonne of God which was made verymaÌ„ The 3. Of the going downe of Christ into hell The 4. Of the Resurrection of Christ The 5. Of the Holy Ghost The whole Article the Title being subiect to doubt is The holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the sonne is of one substance Maiesty and glory with the Father and the Sonne very and eternall God Hitherto wee finde nothing against the doctrine of the Catholike Church Which noâ— vnlikely these men did rather to winnesome crediâ— at their entrance to be thought louers of truth then that they hated the enemies of these articles not yet suppressed among them THE SECOND CHAPTER Examining their 6. Article about Scriptures and traditions and condemning it by the Apostles and Apostolike men and doctrine of their age THEIR next sixt Article intituled of the sufficiency of the holy Scriptures for Saluation â— thus holy Scripture containeth all things necessary â— saluation Soe that what soeuer is not read therein nâ— may be proued thereby is not to be required of any maâ— that it should be beleeued as an article of faith or â— thought requisite or necessary to saluation By the naâ— of holy Scripture wee doe vnderstand those canonicâ— bookes of the old and new testament of whose authâ—rity was neuer any doubt in the Church And from tâ— number of those bookes which there they allowâ— to be canonicall They doe in expresse words aâ— tearmes reiect The booke of Tobias the booke of Iuditâ— the rest of the booke of Esther the booke of wisdomâ— Iesus the sonne of Sirach Baruch the Prophet the songe of the three children the story of Susanna of Bel and the Dragon the prayer of Manasses the first and second Bookes of the Machabees Concerning the new testament thus they adde all the bookes of the new testament as they are commonly receiued wee doe receiue and accompte them for canonicall This their Article is in their proceedings as the grounde worke and foundation whereupon their Religion is wholy framed and builded and yet so weake Feeble totteringe ruinous arid deceitefull that not any one true certaine and infallible point of doctrine as euery Article in true religion is can be framed vpoÌ„ it or from it so deduced by the expresse graunt of this article it selfe and of all English Protestants professed and sworne maintainers of it For whereas they sentence and define In the Art 6. supr name of holy Scripture wee doe vnderstand those canonicall bookes of the old and new testament of whose Field Booke of the Church lib. 4. cap. 5. wotton def of perk pa. 442. Couell ag Burg. pag. 60. def of Hooker pag. 31. 32. 33. proâ—â—st glosse on the 6. art Tho. Rogers ibid. authority was neuer any doubt in the Church They plainely make the Iudgment of the Church to be the highest tribunall in spirituall questions euen of the scriptures themselues And thus their best and cheife writers published by authority doe glosse and expound this article And of necessity so they must say except at their first entrance they will plainely confesse their religion and congregation their Church of England as they terme it to be erroneous or hereticall and to haue noe power or warrant at all to doubt deny or determine and propose what bookes be or be not Scriptures canonicall either of the old or new testament Or what one chapter or sentence in them is part or not part of such canonicall and vndoubted holy Scriptures for this power and prerogatiue being onely committed to the true Church by their Article and professors before if these men doubt or Iudge otherwise in this case then the true confessed Church hath hitherto done They can be noe part or members of that true Church And whatsoeuer is read or may be deduced from vntrue or doubted Scriptures cannot be possibly any certaine and vndoubted article of faith and religion For noe conclusion can be more certaine and vndoubted then the Maximes and authorities from which it is concluded but as the light of nature common law and vndeniable Maxime of true reasoning teacheth all men and all men truely acknowledge for a verity most certaine it euer followeth the weaker part euer erroneous doubtfull vncertaine or false if both or
any of the propositions from which it is deduced be or is of that nature Nothing can giue that to an other which it selfe wanteth and by noe meanes hath to giue A lying false or vncertaine humane witnesse or assertion can by no meanes possible make a constant and certainely true probation in any thing whatsoeuer much lesse in supernaturall matters articles of faith aboue mans capacity and therefore to be proued by diuine testimony which possibly cannot deceaue vs. And in this miserable and desolate estate and condition is the Protestant congregation of England in and for euery article pretended by them to be of faith which they hold against the Roman Church at this day and so they censure themselues by their owne definitiue sentence in this their owne cheefest Article and publikely authorized glosse thereof with diuers others of their Religion allowed and recommended writers among them Artic. 6. supr Confessio Wirtemberg cap. de Scriptura Protest glosse in art 6. p. 1. Willet Synop quaest 1. of scripture pag. 2. 3. â—dit an 1594. holnish chron f. 1299. Stowe hist an 1579. in Q. Elizabeth Io. BreÌ„t Apolog confess Wittemberg histor Dauidis Georg. Display Art 6. Magdeburg hist cent 3. ca. 11. In their Article receauing onely for canonicall bookes neuer doubted of in the Church and in the others to vse their owne authorizing words perused and by the lawfull authority of the Church of England allowed to be publike plainely manifestly deliuering from all kinde of Authors Greeke and Latine old and late Catholike and Protestant That euery booke in particular not one excepted which they allowe for canonicall Scripture either â—n the old or new testament haue both beene â—oubted of and by their owne men Protestants deâ—ied for such Therefore it remaineth without question conâ—rary to this Protestante Article euen by themâ—elues and their best authority that neither all nor â—ny one of those bookes which vpon this vayne â—retence they haue blotted forth from the Canon â—f holy Scripture and the Roman Church still reâ—eaueth may be denyed by that Title of sometimes â—eing doubted of for wee should haue noe Scripture â—nonicall at all all bookes thereof hauing beene â—us doubted of By that colour wee might deny â—l Articles of faith which sometimes doubted of â—ue beene concluded and agreed vpon against the â—est heretiks that euer were and all their heresies â—th might and ought to be reuiued againe Sainct â—ul and Sainct Thomas Apostles were thus to â— denied Apostles and thrust out of heauen beâ—use they had doubted wee might and ought to â— that no conuerted Christian first doubting â—as â—rue Christian neither our first brittish Christian â—nge Sainct Lucius nor Kinge Ethelbert among our Saxons nor any of their first doubting and afterward conuerted Subiects and soe of the whole Christian world doubting or denying before it receaued the law of Christ All Courts Consistories Tribunals and Seates of Iustice and Iudgment ecclesiasticall and ciuil to decide and determine must be ouerthrowne no sentence or decision though of Kings Parlaments or any community is to bâ— obeyed no doubt no Controuersie hitherto eueâ— was or hereafter can or may be finally determined nothing but doubtes quarrels Controuersies anâ— contentions as wee see among Protestants nâ— peace quiet or vnion must be left vnto vs. Therâ— fore this Protestant paradoxe and presumption iâ— reiecting so many bookes of holy Scripture again both the Latine and Greeke Church onely vndeâ— colour of being sometime and by some doubteâ— of being thus grosse and absurd by their owâ— Iudgments and proceedings let vs examine whâ— this first pure and Apostolike age did Iudge of thâ— And first to begin with the scripture it selfe of tâ— The new testament by Protest â—râ—st published by King â—ames authority Matth. 6. 2. Cor. 9. Luc. 14. Ioan 9. Hebr. 5. 1. Cor. 1. Hebr. 1. new Testament euen as our Protestants receaâ— and translate it King Iames his new testament the 6. chapter of Sainct Matthew his ghospell aâ— the 9. chapter 2. Corinth citeth Ecclesiasticus â— two seuerall places In the 14. chapter of Saiâ— Luke the 4. chapter of Tobias is cited And in â— 10. chapter of Sainct Ihon the 4. chapter of the â— booke of Machabees And in the 5. chapter to â— Hebrewes the second booke And 7. chapter the Machabees In the 1. chapter 1. Corinth Tâ— first chapter of the booke of wisdome is cited chapter to the Hebrewes citeth the 7. chapter wisdome And the 9. chapter thereof is cited Roâ— Rom. 11. cap. 11. And yet wee shall scarcely finde any Text of diuers bookes of the old Testament which our Protestants allowe for canonicall to be cited at any time or place of their new testament as the 4. Booke of the Kings the 1. and 2. of Paralip the booke of the Iudges Ruth Esdras 1. and 2. Esther Ecclesiastes Cantica canticorum Abdias Sophonias Therefore wee are as well warranted by this argument of concordance of Scriptures and that holy authority to receaue for canonicall Scriptures of the old Testament all those bookes which our Protestants haue excluded as those they haue receaued The Canons ascribed to the Apostles and published by Sainct Clement per me Clementem Concil gener 6. can 2. Successour to S. Peter in this age are plainely acknowledged by the sixt generall Councell to haue beene receaued by the holy Fathers before them as deliuered from God firmi stabilesque maneant qui à sanctis patribus qui nos praecesserunt susceptiac confirmatisunt atque à Deo nobis etiam traditi sunt sanctoctorum Apostolorum nomine 85. Canones These doe Canon Apostolor can 85. vlâ— â—n the last Canon expressely receaue the books of â—he Machabees Esther and the booke of Ecclesiasticus for holy Scriptures of the old testament Veâ—erandi ac sacri libri veteris Testamenti In the very same maÌ„ner as they doe the others which our Proâ—estants allowe for such Sainct Clement often ciâ—eth Clem. epist 1. 2. Apostolic constitut li. 2. c. 4. cap. 21. c. 49. 51. cap. 63. l. 3. cap 3. l. 6. c. 19. 23. 29. l. 8. l. 7. and alloweth for bookes and parts of the old Testament Baruch Ecclesiasticus Sapientia Toâ—ias The prayer of Manasses the history of Suâ—anna the booke of Esther those parts of Daniel which our Protestants reiect the bookes of Maâ—habees and others Sainct Ignatius receaueth the booke of Daniel which our Protestants deny Ecclesiasticus Sainct Policarpus approueth Tobias Ignat. epist ad Philadelph epist ad maynesian epist ad Heron. Polycarp epist ad Philippen Dionis l. de diu nom cap. 4. Ecclesiast Hier. c. 2. de diu nom c. 7. Sainct Denys the Areopagite conuerted by Sainct Paul alloweth the booke of wisdome calleth the part of Daniel excluded by our Protestants diuine Scripture Diuina scripta These be all or the chiefest writers especially by Protestants allowance in this first age and consideringe how few of their works are
and Sainct Luke they were not all thought able â— condemne those named hereticks which S. Ihâ— confounded Amonge the Epistles onely that of â— Paul to the Romans was sent into these parts â— was in a language wee did not vnderstand aâ— written after the faith of the Romans was spreâ— both in Britaine and all the world as Sainct Pâ— witnesseth fides vestra annuntiatur in vniuâ— Rom. 1. mundo The two Epistles of Sainct Peter accordiâ— to antiquity were written in Rome and after Bâ—taine had receaued the faith especially the last aâ— the first being longe doubted of was sent quite coâ— â—rary from Britayne vnto the contries of PoÌ„tus Gaâ—atia 2. Petr. 1. Capadocia Asia and Bithynia in the easterne â—arts Wee finde no memory after of Scripture reâ—eaued here vntill longe time after in the second â—ge expressed in Pope Eleutherius his Epistle to our â—ing Lucius And yet all our ProtestaÌ„t antiquaries â—ue before assured vs that Britaine had in the Aâ—stles time and longe before any Scripture came â—ther or probably was written and possibly in â—orall Iudgment could come hither receaued the â—ith of Christ so fully purely and sincerely that it â—euer changed it in any materiall point after the â—riptures were receaued here nor diuers hundreds â— yeares after And if wee will be directed by Scriptures in this â—int those which our Protestants allowe for such â—e testimony to vnwritten Traditions in many â—ces To exemplifie onely in Sainct Paul which â—ote most in the new Testament hee chargeth S. 1. Tim. 6. â—mothy and all others in him to keepe obserue â—ngs so deliuered without writinge O Timothee 2. Tim. 2. â—ositum custodi This in his first Epistle not haâ—ge written vnto him before And in his second â—stle hee giueth him commaund that the things â—ich he had heard froÌ„ Sainct Paul he should deâ—er vnto others fit to teach them Quae audisti a me â— multos testes haec commenda fidelibus hominibus â—idonei erunt alios docere And expressely comâ—undeth 2. Thessal 2. the Thessalonians and in them all in â— second epistle to them to obserue and keepe the â—aditions which they had learned either by word â— writinge State tenete traditiones quas didiciâ— siue per sermonem siue per epistolam nostram â—hich the Fathers expound of the necessity of keepinge vnwritten traditions as Catholiks now doe Hinc est perspicuum quòd non omnia per epistolaâ— Chrisost in 2. Thess orat 4. tradiderunt sed multa etiam fine scriptis eaquoque sunt fide digna Quamobrem Ecclesiae quoque traditionem censeamus esse fide dignam Est traditio nihil quaeras amplius And expoundinge that of S. Paul in his first epistle to the Corinthians hoâ— they kept his commaundements by word beforâ— he wrote vnto them sicuttradidi vobis praecepta mâ—tenetis he doth inferre the doctrine of Traditions ergo fine literis mult a tradidâ—rat quod alibi saepe meminit And Sainct Hierome vpon the same words Hier. in eadem Verba Tom. 9. quasi legem praecepta meatenetis scientes illum in â— spiritum loqui qui in lege locutus est prophetis Thâ— like hath S. Ambrose vpon the same and S. Epphanius Ambros in 1. Cor. Epiph. haeresi 69. oportet traditione vti non enim omnia diuina Scriptura possunt accipi Quapropter aliqua â— traditione Sancti Apostoli tradiderunt Quemadmdum dicit Sanctus Apostolus Sicut tradidi vobis â— alibi sic doceo sic tradidi in Ecclesijs Thus the best learned both Greeke and Latiâ— Fathers expounded these to inferre a necessity Traditions and their equality with Scriptuâ— Which our best Protestant writters with thâ— common allowance thus confirme Our aduer sarâ— Feild l. 4. c. 20. pag 238. meaninge Catholiks make traditions equall with words precepts and doctrines of Christ the Apostâ— and Pastors of the Church left vnto vs in writinge â—ther is there any reason why they should not so doe they could proue any such vnwritten verities for not the writinge that giueth things their authority the worth and credit of him that deliuereth thâ— though by word and liuely voyce onely Thus tâ— confesse and the reason which they giue so enâ—ceth them the worth and credit of the reuealer and deliuerer or proposer of holy misteries supernaturall being the motiue and cause of mans assent so firme and vnmoueable in articles of faith not to be proued by humane reason and not the writinge or not writinge being fallible and subiect to many casualties corruptions and vncertainties which we are sure are not to be found in Christ the reuealer nor his holy Church the vndoubted true proposer of his mysteries and reuelations And both these are the same and as certaine in traditions not written such as Catholiks maintaine as in the written Scriptures For wee doe not defend any one vnwritten tradition that it should be beleeued as an Article of faith or to be thought requisite necessary to saluation which be the very words of this Protestant Article of Religion but wee produce the Artic of Protest Relig. 20. highest authority in their owne publike Iudgment also in these their Articles the true primatiue Church of Christ to warrant it The which Church hath power and authority in controuersies of faith That euery tradition came from Christ and his Apostles to be receaued professed in Christian Religion As to instance in some and those which most concerne euen in our Protestants proceedings and by their owne confessions and testimonies vnwritten Traditions are necessary For first in this Engl Protest Rel. artic 6. very article they haue giuen their finall sentence in the very first words thereof that the holy Scriptures are of this nature Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary for saluation So that whatsoeuer is not read therein nor may be proued thereby is not to be required of any man that it should be beleeued as an Article of faith or to be thought requisite necessary to saluation And yet in the immediatly following words they plainely declare and professe that wee haue noe warrant in Scripture for any booke chapter or sentence of Scripture to be such holy Scripture but for euery least percell thereof wee must resorâ— to Tradition and the Churches Iudgment In thâ— name of holy Scripture wee doe vnderstand those canonicall bookes of the old and new testament of whose authority was neuer any doubt in the Church Where weâ— are assured from these men that the Church anâ— Tradition vnwritten is supreme Iudge of all questions in Religion euen of the Scriptures themselues And so necessarily they must say confesse or els leaue no Religion or Scripture at all to bâ— proued or proue vnto vs. For it is vnquestionablâ— that no part of Scripture doth propose vnto vs anâ— Catalogue or Canon of Scriptures Which the thus further testifie in their publikely approueâ— Feild l. 4. pa. 238. c. 20.
preserued to posterity and how briefe they are It is rather to be wondred that they should cite and allow so many of those books of the old testament and parts of them so often aâ— Eleuther ep ad Lucium Reg. Rritan apud Gal. Lambrrt l de leg S. Eduardi Stowe hist fore tom 1. Godwin CoÌ„uers of Brit. Hollinsh hist of Eng. Speed Theat of Bit. Matth. park antiq Britan. Matth. park antiq Brit. p. 69. Io. Gosc hist Eccl Dauid poiuel in Annot. in l. 2. c. 1. Girald CaÌ„br Iâ—iner CaÌ„br Bal. l. 1. Script Brit. cent 1. in August Rom. l. 2. de Act. Pontif Rom. in Greg. 1. they doe then that they should omit any And although wee doe not finde any Antiquity of Britaine which in this age entreateth of such things yet the most auncient which our Protestants will graunte vnto vs beinge the Epistle oâ— Pope Eleutherius to Kinge Lucius wee finde there in that he makinge mention that Britaine had receaued both the Testaments of holy Scripture although in particular he citeth so few bookes oâ— them that out of the new testament he citeth nâ— more then onely the 23. chapter of S. Matthew from the old testameÌ„t but three texts two of them beinge out of the Psalmes 45. 55. the third is thâ— booke of wisdome disallowed by these ProtestaÌ„nâ— in this Article but allowed by him and our primatiue Christian Britans of that time and so from ouâ— first receauing of holy Scriptures And if I may but write what all our Protestant Antiquaries generally affirme for a constant and vndoubted truth that our Christian Britans did neuer vntill Saincâ— Augustines cominge hither change or alter any oâ— materiall point in the holy ReligioÌ„ which they receaued in the Apostles time I must needs auouchâ— that those Scriptures of the old testament which Godwyn CoÌ„uers of Brit. pag. 43. 44. fore pag. 463. edit an 1576. Holinsh. hist of Engl. cap. 21. l. 4. fulke answ to a couÌ„terf cath pag. 40. harr descript Brit. c. 9 Gild. ep de excid conq Britan. this Article refuseth Were receaued both in Britaine and in other nations as Italy and Rome whence our conuersion came with other contries in that happy Time for Sainct Gildas our most auncient and allowed Historian both in many manuscripts and bookes published by Protestants their warrant for his wisdome Surnamed Sapiens the wise doth very often in one short worke allowe and cite for holy Scriptures diuers of those bookes especially Ecclesiasticus many times and the booke of wisdome vsinge the authority thereof 8. times in one page and lesse And vnto what time persons or place soeuer wee will appeale for Triall wee shall in noe age contry councell or auncient particular writer finde any one person which agreeth with this Protestant Article in the nuÌ„ber bookes of canonicall Scripture It citeth S. Hierome but both hee himselfe and these Protestants Kinge Iames his Protestant Bishops in their publik dispute at Hampton Court with others proue that Conference at Hampton Court pag. 60. Couelag Burges pag. 87. 8. 86. 88. 89. 90. 91. S. Hierome spake onely against the bookes which these Protestants reiect not in his owne opinion but what the Iewes obiected Most of the obiections made against those bookes were the old cauils of the Iewes renewed by S. Hierome in his time who was the first that gaue them that name of Apochryphe which opinion vpon Ruffinus his challendge hee after a sort disclaymed and the rather because a generall offence was taken at his speaches in that kinde They are most true and might haue the reconcilement of other Scriptures If Ruffinus be not deceaued they were approued as parts of the old testament by the Apostles S. Hierome pretendeth that what hee had spoken was not his owne opinion but what the Iewes obiected And for his paines in translating the booke of Iudith which this article reiecteth he giueth this reason because wee reade that the Councell of Nyce did reckon it in the number of holy Scriptures And Sainct Hierome is plaine both for this booke of Iudith and the rest that he did not deny them for first of Iudith hee saith the Nicen Councell which he and all Catholiks euer honored receaued it Hunc librum Synodus Nicaena Hieron Tom. 3. oper praef in Iudith Ruffin inuectit 2. in Hieronym in numero sanctarum Scripturarum legitur computasse And for the other books beinge chardged by Ruffinus to speake in his owne words to be the onely man qui praesumpserit sacras Sancti Spiritus voces diuina volumina temerare Diuino muneri Apostolorum haereditati manus Intulerit Ausus est Instrumentum diuinum quod Apostoli Ecclesijs tradiderunt depositum Sancti Spiritus compilare To haue herein abused the words of the holy Ghost and diuine volumes To haue offered violence to the diuine office and Inheritance of the Apostles And to speake in Protestants Couel sup pag 87. translation to haue robbed the Treasure of the holy Ghost and diuine Instrument which the Apostles deliuered to the Churches Sainct Hierome neuer denieth any of those things for true which Ruffinus spake Ruffin supr of the authority of those books of Scriptures that the Apostles deliuered theÌ„ for such to the Churches and no learned man euer denied it and that S. Peter at Rome deliuered them to the Church Petrus Romanae Hier. Apol. 2. aduers Ruffin Tom. 4 oper praef in libros Machul Ecclesiae per viginti quatuor annos praefuit Quid ergo decepit Petrus Apostolus Christi Ecclesiam libros ei falsos tradidit But onely denieth that he wrote in his owne but in our Enemies the Iewes opinion non enim quid ipse sentirem sed quid illi contra nos dicere soleant explicaui And writinge to Pope Damasus plainely testifieth that he ioyned with the Catholike Church in this busines nouum vetus testamentum recipimus in eo librorum numero quem sanctae Catholicae Ecclesiae tradit authoritas And Feild l. 4. of the Church cap. 23. pag. 245. Act. 6. Gloss ordin Lyra. in eund locum our Protestants from Antiquities acknowledge thus The Iewes at the cominge of Christ were of two sorts some named Hebrews commorant at Hierusalem and in the holy land properly named Hebrewes others named Hellenist that is Iewes of dispersion mingled with the Greeks these had written certaine bookes in Greeke which they made vse of together with other parts of the old Testament which they had of the translation of the Septuagint But the Hebrews receaued onely the 22. bookes before mentioned Hence it came that the Iewes deliuered a double Canon of the Scripture to the Christian Churches And in this second Canon of the Iewes as these men write were those bookes of the old Testament which this article denieth And whereas some Protestants would excuse this Article by some old Authorities of Melito Sardensis Origen the
Luther Iohn Caluine Thomas Crâ—mar or whosoeuer in any time or place aâ— preacher of the coÌ„trary truth as Protestants woâ— haue it yet this man being but one could not malâ— a congregation of faithfull men which must neâ— be a number nor preach the pure word of God â— â—â—ongregation of faithfull men nor duely minister â— the Sainaments according to Christs ordinance no sâ— Protest CoÌ„f. Helu Gallic Angl. Scotic Belg. PolonuÌ„ Argent Augustan Saxonic wittemb Palatin Bohemich Parliament Henric. 8. Edw 6 Eliz. Can Comm. bookes Iniunct CanoÌ„s faithfull men or congregation yet being to preaâ— and minister them vnto which is a generall aâ— vnanswearable demonstration by this Protesâ— article it selfe that the Church could neuer so â—nerally erre nor their new pretended congregatâ— be any part or parcell of the true Church Whâ— is also manifest by their fourteene fifteene or mâ— seuerall Protestant confessions and pretended â—gregations euery on of them different from otâ— and with it selfe also as here in England the â— Church of Kinge Henry VIII King Edâ—â— Queene Elizabeth King Iames and King â—harles at open warrs with themselues both in â—ctrine and Sacraments as their seuerall approued â—wes Parlaments proclamations Synods Caâ—ns Iniunctions Litanies communion bookes â—thorized Orders of prayer conferences and deâ—ees are too great witnesses And to quench the â—ey malice of the ProtestaÌ„ts against the Church of â—ome our Mother Church as lately King Iames â—ed it they saying in this article the Church â— Rome hath erred in matters of faith The Apoâ—like men which liued this age will teach the â—ntrary First whereas all agree that Sainct Peter was Biâ—op liued and died there Sainct Dionisius the Aâ—opagite saith hee was the most auncient and â—eifest head of diuines Petrus maximum antiquissiâ—mque Dionis Areopag l. de diu nom cap. 3. Eccles Hierarch c. 9. Ignat. ep ad Rom. in â—itul Theologorum columen And testifieth plaineâ— that without doubt he was Prince or cheifest of â—e Apostles Ipse discipulorum facile princeps Sainct Ignatius proueth the Roman Church â—s the sanctified and ruling Church Ecclesia sanâ—ficata quae praesidet in loco Regionis Romanorum That was the Church which was sanctified ilâ—minated by the will of God who created all â—ings which belong to the faith loue of Christ â—sus God our Sauiour the Church worthy of â—od most decent to be blessed praysed worthy â— be obtained most chast and of excellent charity â—ioying the name of Christ and his father and reâ—enished with the holy Ghost Ecclesia sanctificata â— illuminata per voluntatem Dei qui omnia creauit â—ae pertinent ad fidem charitatem Iesu Christi Deo â—gna decentissima beatificanda laudanda digna quae quis potiatur castissima eximiae charitatis Chrâ— patris nomine fruens spirituque plena And plaiâ—ly of the Christians of Rome that they vâ— ioined in body and soule to all the commaunâ—ments of Christs and replenished with all graâ— Spiritu corpore coniunctos omnibus mandatis Iâ— Christi repletos omni gratia Dei absque haesitatione repugnatos ab omni alieno colore Without all doâ—ting freed from all errour Sainct Clement is â—â—nesse Clem. Rom. epist 1. that Sainct Peter was made the foundatâ— of the Church Simon Petrus veraefidei merito â—tegrae praecicationis obtentu fundamentum esse Ecclâ— definitus est And was cheifest ruler among the â—postles Nec inter ipsos Apostolos par institutio fâ—sed vnus omnibus praefuit And calleth him the â—ther Clem. Rom. epist 2. of all the Apostles and that he receaued tâ— keyes of the Kingdome of heauen Beatum Petrâ— Apostoluni omnium Apostolorum patrem qui clâ— regni caelestis accepit And relating how Sainct Peâ— a litle before his constituting him his successourâ— the presence of the whole Church in auribus toâ— Ecclesiae committed his chaire and Apostolike supreâ— power vnto him alone as it was by Christ commâ—cated and giuen vnto him In auribus totius Eccleâ— haec protulit verba Clementem hunc Episcopum vâ—â— ordino cui soli meae praedicationis doctrinae câ—â—â—dram trado Ipsi trado à Domino mihi traditam potesâ—tem ligandi soluendi vt de omnibus quibuscâ—â— que decreuerit in terris hoc decretum sit in coelis And this is not denied by our Protestant Anâ—quaries Robert Barnes lib. de vit Pontif. Rom. â—â— Clement 1. but affirmed from the same authoritâ— Clemens Romanus à Petro apprehens â manu institâ—â— est Romanus Pontifex si Epistolis Clementis credendâ— est Acknowledging those epistles to be the worâ— â— Sainct Clement which so testifie In which and â—ers other bookes he giueth lawes for the whole â—hurch which he himselfe sufficiently often witâ—sseth writing and sending his decrees to be kept â—d obserued to and by all Bishops Preists all â—ergy men and all Princes greater or lesse and â—nerally vnto all beleeuers Clemens vrbis Romae Clem. epist 3. de offic Sacerd Clericor â—iscopus omnibus Coepiscopis Presbyteris Diaconis â— reliquis Clericis cunctis Principibus maioribus â—noribusuè omnibus generaliter fidelibus This epiâ—e traÌ„slated by Ruffinus is intituled of the office â—d duty of Priests Clergie men de officio Sacerdotis Clericorum for the whole Church of Christ The â—e commaunde and generall authority of his Sea â—postolike he hath in diuers other bookes Sainct Anaclet epist 1. 2. 3. â—acletus also is so cleare for this primacy and inâ—libility of the Church of Rome that our Proteâ—nts confesse it thus as plainely To proue that the Ormer pict Pap. p. 78. Robert Bern. l. de vit pont Rom. in Anacleto â—urch of Rome hath the preeminence ouer all Churches â—eadgeth math 16. vers 18. vpon this rocke will I â—lde my Church and he expoundeth it thus super â—c Petram id est super Ecclesiam Romanam vpon â—s rocke that is vpon the Church of Rome will I â—ld my Church Anacletus writeth that the primacy of the Church of â—me ouer all Churches and ouer all Christian people â—s graunted by our Lord himselfe because saith he said to Peter liuing at Rome vpon this rocke will I â—ild my Church Ab ipso Domino primatum Romanae â—clesiae super omnes Ecclesias vniuer sumque Chriâ—ani nominis populum concessum esse asseruit quia inâ—it Petro agenti morieÌ„ti Romae dixit tues Petrus â— super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam Sainct Euaristus writeth the like calling the Euarist ep 1. Church of Rome the head â—â—put of Churches â—lexander Alex. 1. ep 1. affirmeth that Christ committed thâ—â—posing of the greatest causes and busines â— Churches to Sainct Peter Prince of the Apâ— and to the Apostolike Roman Sea as head of tâ— Middleton Papist p. 200. Cui sanctae Apostolicae sedi summarum disposâ— causarum omnium negotia Ecclesiarum ab ipsoâ— mino tradita sunt quasi
words of Christ in S. Ihons Ghospell to be the forme and manner to make their pretended Bishops and ministers their pretended coÌ„secratours saying to all such at their admittance these words Take the holy Ghost whose sinnes you forgiue they are forgiuen vnto them and whose you retaine they are retained And thereby claime as ample warrant and power as any Priest Bishop Prelate or Pope doth or euer did both to absolue from sinnes and pardon and giue Indulgence for all paine and punishment in any wise due or belonging to any sinne or sinnes how many or enormeous soeuer they be and by the greatest authority in their Religion presume to practise it in such manner For absolution and pardoning of all sinnes they haue the warrant of as many Parlaments as they haue kept since Queene Maryes time all the Reigne of Queene Elizabeth King Iames and Charles all their books of articles Canons Iniunctions and generall practise of their congregation Protestant in England now about 70. yeares allowing and exercising publikely their communion booke vtterly and vnder greate penalties forbidding all other Rituals or Church seruice in this euery minister doth may or is bound thus to say to men confessing their sinnes vnto them Our Lord Iesus Christ hath lest power to his Protest CommunioÌ„ booke Titul visitation of the Sicke Church to absolue all sinners which truely repent and beleeue in him and by his authority committed to me I absolue thee from all thy sinnes in the name of the Father and of the sonne and of the holy Ghost Amen King Iames Supreame heade of their Church in his Prouinciall Councell or conference with his Protestant Bishops and Doctours thus defineth or declareth The particular and personall absolution King Iames and Protest Bishops at Hampton confer p. 13. from sinne after confession is Apostolicall and a very godly ordinance Where wee see that euery Parish pretended Preist or minister with our Protestants for so their directory is may and ought by their Religion attempt to giue plenary pardoÌ„s and Indulgences in as ample or rather more ample and illimited manner then any Pope did For by their religion this is to be or may be executed by any minister to any penitent whomesoeuer without any restriction and from all sinnes and punishments due to them which is most manifest by their last assertion and doctrine of denying purgatory and prayer for the deade onely constituting two places for the deceased hell and heauen and teaching that euery penitent so absolued and receauing Indulgence from them so dying doth immediately goe to heauen and so of necessity by their doctrine and practise they must needs hold that they giue plenary Indulgence to euery such confessing penitent This they confirme further proue practise in all their Ecclesiasticall Courts where they inflict and continue or at their pleasure forgiue pardon and giue Indulgence of all punishments and paines for sinne This they protest and declare with their publike authority in their Church seruice diuers times in the yeare their publike direction and commaunde openly in their Churches thus pronouncing Brethren in the primatiue Church Protest CommunioÌ„ booke Tit. a Commination against sinners there was a goodly discipline that at the beginning of lent such parsons as were notorious sinners were put to opeÌ„ pennaÌ„ce punished in this world that their soules might be saued in the day of the Lord and that other admonished by their example might be the more afraide to offend it were much to be wished the said discipline may be restored againe And this booke of articles it Protest artic of Relig. art selfe in the 33. article hath how after temporall pennance arbitrary by a Iudge hauing authority who may assigne more or lesse longer or shorter remit and pardon some or all the greatest sinners euen excommunicated are to haue Indulgence pardon and absolution Our Protestant ParlameÌ„ts Parlament 1. Elizabeth and Religion doe expressely receaue the first Nicen Councell wherein the doctrine of Indulgences Concil Nic. 1. c. 12. 11. practise of them is as expressely approued and calleth it the auncient and canonicall law antiqua canonica lex seruabitur and to be obserued and they leaue it in the power of the Bishop to be Iudge when and how they are to be vsed licebit Episcopo hâ—manius aliquid de â—is statuere And their priuate writers both in their publike sermons and bookes published with authority and for which some haue beene made Bishops among them doe thus confirme it As there is a death in Theoph higg ser 3. Mart. an 1610. sinne and a death to sinne so there is a double resurrection the first à culpa from sinne the second à poena from the punishment which followeth thereupon The Feild bookes of the Church l. 1. c. 17. p. 33. true Church admitteth and receaueth all that with sorrowfull repentance returne and seeke reconciliation how greate soeuer their offences haue beene not forgetting to vse due seuerity which yet she sometime remitteth The auncient Bishops were wâ—nt to cut of greate parts of enioyned pennance which remission and relaxation was called an Indulgence The like haue others and among other reasons Feild supr l. 1. c. 17. 1. Cor. 2. v. 8. 9. 10. and authorities for this old custome and doctrine they cite and expounde as Catholiks doe the practise and place of S. Paul to the Corinthians before alleadged Therefore hauing so ample and euident testimony and confession of our Protestants in this point wee may be more breife in relating the Fathers of this Apostolike age the doctrine in question being by all euen aduersaries thus confessed to haue beene deliuered by Christ Apostolicall and Godly First to begin with the See of Clem. Rom. epist 1. Leo 2. in epist decret Marian. Scot. l. 2. eâ—at 6. Flor. WigornieÌ„ chron in Siluan Oâ—ho Cons Rome Sainct Clement and many others are worthy witnesses that Sainct Peter the Apostle left vnto him his Successour in the Roman See this power in as ample maÌ„ner as Christ communicated it vnto Sainct Peter and calleth it a rule of the Church Ipsi trado à Domino mihi traditam potestatem ligandi soluendi vt de omnibus quibuscumque decreuerit in terris hoc decretum sit in coelis Ligabâ— enim quod oportet ligari soluet quod expedit solui tanquam qui ad liquidum Ecclesiae regulam nouerit And for all Bishops he setteth downe from the Apostles order that all Bishops should vse mercy humanity and indulgence towards penitents Primum Clem. Const Apost lib. 2. c. 13. 12. Cap. 18. potestate reum iudica deinde cum misericordia humanitate indulgentia eum concilia promittens ei salutem si morem mutauerit ad paenitentiam redierit Oportet poenitentes libenter admittere gaudentes illorum causa cum misericordia humanitate iudicantes eos qui deliquerunt He setteth downe the Cap.
writers much coÌ„ntention there hath beene about tradâ—tions some vrginge the necessity of them and others râ—iectinge them For the clearinge whereof wee must oâ—serue that wee reiect not all for first wee receaue tâ— number and names of the Authors of bookes diuine aâ— Couell cont Burg pag. 60. whitaker ib. Wotton def of Perk. pag. 442. Couell def of hook pag. 31. 34 32. 33. feild l. 4. c. 5. pag. 203. Ormer pict Pap. pag 93. Sutcliffeag the 3. conu pag. 79. canonicall as deliuered by tradition This tradition wâ— admit The number Authors and Integrity of the partâ— of these bookes wee receaue as deliuered by tradition Tâ— Church of Christ according to her authority receaued â— him hath warrant to approue the Scriptures to acknoâ—ledge to receaue to publish and commaunde vnto â— children The Church of Rome teacheth noe badde opâ—nion to affirme that the Scriptures are holy and diuiâ— in themselues but so esteemed by vs for the authority the Church That the Scriptures ar true wee haue it froâ— the Church Wee say that wee are taught to receaue â— word of God from the authoritie of the Church wee see her Iudgment wee heare her voyce and in humility subscribe vnto all this The Church hath fower singular offices towards the Scripture First to be of them as it were afaithfull register Secondly to discerne and Iudge betweene false and adulterate and that which is true and perfect The third to publish and diuulge to proclaime as a Crier the true Edict of our Lord himselfe The last is to be an Interpreter and in that followinge the safest rule to be a most faithfull Expositor of his owne meaninge Wee thinke that particular men and Churches may erre damnably But that the whole Church at one time cannot so erre for that the Church should cease vtterly for a time and so not be Catholike beinge not at all times Christ should sometimes be without a Church The Church is called a pillar because it is like vnto a pillar For as a pillar doth support and vnderproppe a buildinge and maketh it more stable firme and stronge So the Church doth sustaine and supporte the truth for the truth is no where preserued but in the Church Christs true Church is a diligent and wary keeper of doctrines committed to her and changeth nothinge at any time diminisheth nothinge addeth nothinge superfluous looseth not her owne nor vsurpeth things belonginge to others And this is publikely warranted in Protest Reli. of Engl. Art 19. these their Articles and Rule of their Religion where thus they define the Church The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithfull men in the which the pure word of God is preached And the Sacraments be duely ministred accordinge to Christs ordinance Art 8. Catech. com Booke Iniunct Canons feild l. 4. c. 20. pag. 238. 239. in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same Secondly those men in their Rules of Religion and their priuate writers affirme that the Apostles Creede which by all Antiquity was by them deliuered to the Church and by these Protestants as Rule of faith before the Scriptures of the new Testament were written is an vnwritten Tradition yet by their words a summary comprehension of thâ— cheife heades of Christian Religion a Rule of thâ— Churches faith And yet it is constantly maintaineâ— by many Protestants that diuers articles thereoâ— as our Ladies perpetuall virginity natus ex Marâ— Virgine Christs descending into hell descendit aâ— inferos The communion of Saincts and forgiuenesse of sinnes Sanctorum communionem Râ—missioneâ— peccatorum and others by diuers others Protestantâ— are not contained in any Scripture written beforâ— or after And this Creede deliuered by word anâ— tradition onely by the Apostles before the new tâ—stament written this Scripture could not possiblâ— be a rule or direction vnto it but rather otherwisâ— for euery rule hath priority to the thinge ruled anâ— the things ruled posterity to their rule Matters aâ— done without rule when there is no rule vntill aftâ— they be acted These Parlament Protestants proceede furthâ— Feild supr pag. 239. in this question and plainely say with greate aâ—lowance The third kind of Tradition is that somme â— Christian doctrine and explication of the seuerall parâ— thereof which the first Christians receauinge of the saâ— Apostles that deliuered to them the Scriptures coâ—mended to posteritie This may rightly be named a tradâ—tion for that wee neede a plaine and distinct explicatiâ— of things which are somewhat obscurely contained the Scripture The fourth kinde of tradition is the contâ—nued practise of such as neither are contained in tâ— Scripture expressely nor the example of such practiâ— expressely there deliuered of this sorte is the Baptisme of Infants which is therefore named a tradition because it is not expressely deliuered in the Scripture that the Apostles did baptize infants nor any expresse precept there founde that they should doe it Which their rule of Religion in these Articles thus further iustifieth The Baptisme of yonge children is in any wise to be retained Art of Engl. Prote Relig. Art 17. CommunioÌ„ Booke Tit. Baptisme The. Rog. in Art 27. Q. Elizab. and k. K. Iames Iniunct and Canons in the Church as most agreable with the institution of Christ Where they plainely in their publike rule of Religion make it a tradition and no Scripture article And by the coÌ„mon practicall of their religion their communion booke so they practise baptizinge all infants and sayinge all Christian Churches allowe of the baptisme of infants And these Protestants are onely baptized when they are infants and not after and yet confesse it is most necessary to saluation And whereas they reiect all other Sacraments besides Art of Relig. art 25. this and the Eucharist or the CoÌ„munion as they terme it confessing that these Sacraments be necessary to saluation And yet denyinge the Eucharist to be as Catholiks professe the true body and blood of Christ and sacrifice for the lyuinge and deade they contradict themselues for that they confesse that in this sinse it was generally vsed in Kinge Iames and Casanb resp ad Card. per. pa. 51. 52. 20. Middleâ— Papistom 20. p. 92. 113. 49. 137. 138. 47. 45. Feild l. 3. cap 29. p. 138. Couell Exa pag. 114. primitiue Church that the Apostles so deliuered it by tradition all Churches so obserued it and it was heresie to deny it Their words be The sacrifice of the altar and vnbloody sacrifice were vsed in the primitiue Church The primatiue Church did offer sacrifice at the altar for the deade sacrifice for the deade was a tradition of the Apostles and the auncient Fathers Aerius condemned the custome of the Church in naming the deade at the altar and offeringe the sacrifice of Eucharist from them and for this his rash and inconsiderate boldenesse and presumption in condemninge the vniuersall Church of Christ he was iustly condemned Their whole congregation Kinge Iames
his councell King Iames Prot. Lords Bish. Doct. in Confer at HaÌ„pt Court p. 13. 18. 35. 36 10. 11 Couell ag the plea. of the Innoc. p. 104. Barlow Serm. before the K. Sept. 21 an 1607. part 3. cap. 2. Protestant Bishops and best learned Doctors assembled in publike confereÌ„ce haue left thus concluded The particular and personall absolution from sinne after confesson is apostolicall and a very Godly ordinance That baptisme is to be ministred by priuate persons in time of necessity is an holy Tradition Bishops and Archbishops be diuine ordinations confirmation iâ— an apostolicall traditioÌ„ And in their publike Rituall their communion booke they testifie that confirmation was a Tradition of the Apostles hath an externall signe also vsed by them and giueth grace which by the 25. Article of their religion maketh â— Communion booke of Engl. Protest Titul Confirmation §. Almighty Prot. of Religion art 25. a Sacrament So that to insist onely vpon these graunted Traditions not contained in Scripture by these Protestants and yet so necessary to saluation as they by their greatest allowance and authority deliuer wee may not say as this Article doth Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary for saluation These men also deliuer vnto vs with greate approbation Articul 6. supr makinge the Author of that worke and for the same a Bishop certaine sure rules to knowe such true Thraditions by in these words Rules by which wee may Iudge which are true and Indubitate Feild Books of the Church l. 4. pag. 242. August l. 4. contr Donat. c. 23. Traditions The first rule is deliuered by Sainct Augustine Quod vniuersa tenet Ecclesia nec Conciliâ—â— Institutum sed semper retentum est non nisi authoritate apostolica traditum rectissimè creditur Whatsoeuer the whole Church holdeth not ordained by Councels but beinge euer holden it is most rightly belieued to haue beene deliuered by Apostolike authority The second Feild supr l. 4 c. 21. p. 242. c. 5. pag. 202. Kinge Iames and Confer at Hampton Couel def oâ— Hooker Ormer pict pap p. 184 Down l. 2. Antichr pag. 105. Sutcliffe Subuers pag. 57. rule is whatsoeuer all or the most famous and renowned in all ages haue constantly deliuered as receaued from them that went before them no man contradictinge or doubting of it may be thought to be an Apostolicall Tradition The third rule is the constat Testimony of the Pastors of an Apostolike Church successiuely deliuered Amongst Apostolike Churches the Church of Rome is more specially to be obeyed reuerenced and respected The Church of Rome is our mother Church it was a rule to all both in doctrine and ceremonies when it was in her florishinge and best estate The Church of Rome was the cheife and onely Church It was a note of a good ChristiaÌ„ to cleane vnto the Romane Apostolicall Church Euery Church ought to haue respect to the Church of Rome for her eminent principality And our English Protestant antiquaries and Diuines haue generally giuen their allowance that the Church of Rome both in this and the next age when Britayne did receaue the most pure Religion of Christ from thence was most holy and vnspotted free from all error Therefore whatsoeuer wee doe or may bringe in generall or particular for vnwritten traditions either from this so renowned Apostolike Church in this time from the whole Church or the most famous and renowned in this age beinge our Protestants owne allowed rules and to be denied by none must needs be euidence and testimony vndeniable in this and all others their questioned Articles Frst I exemplifie in the Apostles Creede stiled by our Protestants before a sundry comprehension of the cheife heads of Christian Religion Protest supr Ruffin in exposit Symboli alij a rule of the Churches faith This was deliuered by the Apostles by tradition not by Scripture but before the Scriptures of the new Testament werâ— written as both they and the auncient Fathers by â— common consent of the whole Church of Christ are witnesses And the same consent of Christ Church with these our Protestants in these their Articles so conclude of Sainct Athanasius and the Art 8. of prot Religion Nicen Creede in these words The three Creeds Nicen Creede Athanasius Creede and that which is commonly called the Apostles Creede ought throughly to bâ— receaued beleeued And so generally they obserue although the reason which they immediatly yeelâ— thereof for they may be proued by most certaine warrants of holy Scripture is childish and impertinentâ— for being confessed that the Apostles Creede waâ— deliuered onely by tradition of the Apostles and by that authoritie receaued before the Scriptures either receaued or written this Creede could not possibly be receaued by the written warrant of Scriptures but vnwritten tradition and warrant of thâ— Apostles And although the Nicen and S. Athanasius Creeds were written longe after this time yâ— they were both written receaued in the Churcâ— before the Scriptures were generally allowed anâ— receaued as both the auncent Fathers and Protestants haue acknowledged before and it is testifie by the publike warranted Protestant glosse vpoâ— Prot. Glosse by authority of Church of Engl. in Art 8. these their Articles that very many both old anâ— late writers euen whole sects and professionâ— namely to vse their owne words Ebionites Trâ—theits Antitrinitarians Apollinarians Arians Mâ—nichies Nestorians Origenians Familists and Anâ—baptists with others are Aduersaries vnto and deniers that these Creeds may be proued by holâ— Scripture Much more doe they and many other both Catholiks and Protestants themselues deny that all and singular their articles necessary to saluation may so be proued And to come to the holy and happy Apostolike writers and Saincts which liued and wrote in this first age and first hundred of yeares to wit S. Linus Sainct Clement Sainct Denys the Areopagite S. Martial Sainct Ignatius Sainct Policarpus or any other of whom any worke is extant I shall make it S. Ignat. epist ad Smyrn Theod. dialo Euseb l. 3. c. 31. Hieraâ— lib. de vir Illust S. Bern. Serm. 7. in ps 9. Marc. Michal Carnoten lib. de vir illustr Dion Carth. ad l. Areop de diuin nom Sint Sin lib. 2. Ignat. ep ad S. Ioh. 1. 2. ad B. Mar. Virg. B. Mar. epist ad Ignat. S. Ignat. epist ad Smyrnen Euseb hist l. 3. ca. 33. â— Chrisost orat de traÌ„sl S. Ignatij Foelix Rom. ep ad Zenon Imperat synod S. Constant Theodoret. Immutabil dialog 1. euident that in euery Article in this Protestant Religion contained in their booke of the Articles thereof they dissented from these Protestants and they and the Apostolike Church then vniuersally agreed in and professed the same doctrine which the present Roman Church doth at this day in all points This will plainely appeare in euery Article hereafter and therefore in this place I will onely cite Sainct Ignatius as a sufficient pawne or pledge
ad Mar. Cassob chastity in castitate exegiâ— hanc vitam Whicâ— he affirmeth of other Apostolike Preists and Bâ—shops of that age Sainct Timothy Sainct Titus â— Epist ad Philadelph Euodius his predecessor at Antioche of himselâ— in diuers places So that then neither the Preists â— the Latine or Greeke Church Antioche beinge thâ— cheifest and where the name of Christians fiâ—â— began were maried but continually liued aâ— â—heir life time in chastity in castitate exegerunt hanc vitam And therefore they were honored in those dayes â—nd the holy Maydens which had professed virgiâ—ity were compared to the Preists in this point â—f perfection and for it honored as they were â—as quae in virginitate degunt in pretio habete velut Epistol ad Tarsens Christi Sacerdotes It is manifest their were Colâ—edges or Nunneries of such vowed and professed â—irgins and Nonnes then Saluto Collegium virgiâ—um Epistol ad Philippen Epistol ad Smyrn Epistol ad Polycarp And they liued in perpetuall virginity Saluto â—as quae in perpetua degunt virginitate They were â—rofessed by the Bishop whether men or women â—i quis potest in castitate permanere ad honorem carms â—ominicae sine iactantia permaneat si idipsum statuatur â—ne Episcopo corruptum est And of this profession â—onsecration of virgins he further putteth them â—nd all in memory in this manner virgines agnosâ—ant Epistol ad Antiochen cui seipsas consecrarunt And he proueth That it is in the power and free â—ill of man to doe these and all holy duties in a Christian life by the grace of Christ and noe man â—ecessitated to sinne heauen and hell good and bad â—n the free will and election of man Decet non modo Epistol ad Magnes vocari Christianos sed esse nec enim dici sed esse beaâ—os facit Obseruationi proponitur vita mors inobedienâ—iae singuli qui hoc aut illud delegerunt â—n eius quod â—nuenerint locum abituri sunt fugianius mortem eliâ—amus vitam In hominibus enim geminas not as inueâ—iri dico hanc esse veri numismatis illam vero advlterimi Pius homo numisma est à Deo excusum imâ—ius ementitum adulterimum illegitimum non à â—eo sed à diabolo â—ffectum Non quòd velim dicere â—uas esse hominis naturas sed vnum esse hominem qui iam Dei iam diabolisit Si quis pietati studet Dei hoâ— est si impiè agat diaboli est non id factus per naturaâ— sed animi arbitrium He proueth that concupiscenâ— Epist ad Ephesios without consent condemneth not nor is sinne aâ— protestants hold Cum nulla in vobis sit conscupisceâ—tia quae vos inquinet supplicium adferat secunduâ— Deum viuite Non vos laedet aliqua diabolica cogitatiâ— si vt Paulus perfectam habueritis in ChristuÌ„ fideâ— charitatem He hath before in one place spokeâ— of foure Sacraments Baptisme the Sacrament oâ— Christs blessed body and blood Orders and Confirmation by al expositors Baptizant Sacrificanâ— Epistol ad Heron. Eligunt manuâ— imponunt He hath asscribed iustification vnto pennance and so allowed it in that degreâ— and although he hath so dignified the virginall life and saith it is better praestantius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epist ad Philadelph then wedlocke he giueth so much honor vntâ— Marriage that it was not to be performed withouâ— the Bishops assent and allowance Decet verò vâ— Epist ad Polycarpum ducentes vxores nubentes cum Episcopi arbitrio coniugantur vt nuptiae iuxta Domini praeceptuâ— sint non autem ad concupiscentiam Our protestants generally and absolutely deny these holy Christian doctrines and practises to be contained in Scriptures or to be proued by them Therefore they must needs yeeld that that primatiue and Apostolike Church by so greate and liuing then witnesse held and professed them by tradition and certaine it is that many bookes of Scripture were neither generally receaued nor written when the things were so generally vsed and professed not onely in the commaundinge Greeke Church of Antioch where Sainct Peter S. Paul S. Euodius and Sainct Ignatius professed and practized them Pauli Petri fuistis discipuli ne perdaâ—â—s Epist ad Antiochen depositum Mementore Euodij beatissimi Pastoris vesâ—â—i qui primus vobis ordinatus est ab Apostolis Antistes Where the disciples were first called ChristiaÌ„s when Sainct Peter and Sainct Paul came thither and there founded the Church Antiochiae primum Epist ad Magnesian discipuli appellati sunt Christiam cum Petrus Paulus fundarent Ecclesiam But in all the renowned Churches before remembred and in all the whole Christian world at that time by the preachinge and tradition of the holy Apostles as the same Apostolike man thus witnesseth Scribo ad vos moncoque Epist ad Philadelph vt vna praedicatione vna Eucharistia vtamini Vna enim est caro Domini nostri Iesu Christi vnus illius sanguis qui pro nobis effusus est vnus item panis omnibus confractus vnus calix qui omnibus tributus est vnum altare omni Ecclesiae vnus Episcopus cum presbyterorum collegio diaconis Quandoquidem est vnus est ingenitus Deus Pater vnus vnigenitus Filius Deus verbum homo vnus Paracletus Spiritus veritatis vna praedicatio fides vna vnum baptisma vna Ecclesia quam suis sudoribus laboribus fundarunt Sancti Apostoli à fimbus terrae vsque ad fines in sanguine Christi Vos itaque oportet vt populum peculiarem gentem sanctam omnia perficere concordibus animis in Christo And directly Epistol ad Heron. concludeth that whosoeuer shall teach otherwise then the Traditions of the Church be he is to be accompted a wolfe amonge sheepe though he be otherwise a man of credit fasteth liueth chastely doth miracles and prophecieth Quicumque dixâ—rit quippiam praeter ea quae constituta sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tamet si fide dignus sit quamuis signa edat quamuis prophetet pro lupo illum habeas qui subouina pelle exitium pestemque aedfert ouibus Wee may addâ— vnto these greatest solemnities and festiuall dayeâ— of the Cristians receaued in the Church in thâ— time by tradition and not Scripture and by thâ— same authority of tradition without Scripture thâ— feasts highest festiuities of the Iewes euen thosâ— which were solemnely set downe and commauÌ„deâ— in Scripture to be religiously obserued quite euâ—cuated and vtterly reiected The Sabbath which is now our saterday waâ— with greate ceremony and solemnity deliuered iâ— Scripture to be kept euery weeke and that whicâ— wee call sonday was commaunded to be a working day Yet all Christians in this time by tradition diâ— celebrate that old working day next after the olâ— Sabbath for our Lords day consecrated
the dead reueâ—nced the signe of the crosse other holy Images â—d sacred Reliks said or heard Masse and praâ—ized other Christian rites and duties which proâ—stants deny to be contained in or proued by â—cripture Tertullian lyuing and writing as many testifie â—en Protestants before Pope Eleutherius time Tertull. l. de praescription Magdeburg Centuâ— 3. col 34. c. 4. col 240. 241. Sutcl subu p. 4. Whitg def Respon pag. 96. â—d witnessing Britayne had in his dayes receaued â—e faith of Christ euen in those parts thereof wheâ—er the Pagan Romans could neuer come loca â—omanis inaccessa speaketh of the traditions before â—membred as both his owne works Catholiks â—d Protestants proue in these words Tertullianus â— genere de doctrina suae aetatis inquit eam consentire cum Ecclesijs Apostolicis eamque consensum câ— cordiam communem esse omniuÌ„ Ecclesiarum in Europâ— in Asia in Africatestatur That this the doctrine his time did agree with all Apostolike Churches thaâ— was the common consent and concordance of all â— Churches in Europe in Asia in Afrike And thouâ— wee assigne a somewhat later time to Tertullian others doe in the later end of the second age â— when he so confidently and generally assignâ— this common consent of all Churches of Britaiâ— Fraunce Spaine Italy all Europe Asia and Afriâ— in these holy Christian doctrines thus impugned Protestants hauing therein the consent of all Aâ—stolik Churches wee must needs say whether tâ— were receaued and professed from Scriptures Traditions being longe before any generall Coâ—cels kept by the generall confessed rule of the â—thers and Protestants before they must needâ— deliuered by authority of the Apostles non â— authoritate Apostolica traditum certissimè crediturâ— And the first receauing of the holy Scriptureâ— Britayne which wee finde in Antiquities was in â— time of Pope Eleutherius and from the Churcâ— Rome the same Catalogue of Scriptures it tâ— vsed and still vseth as wee finde in the epistlâ— Eleuth Pap. epist ad Lucium Regem Britan. Godwin CoÌ„uers of Brit. in epist Eleuther Stow. hist Romans that holy Pope to Kinge Lucius suscepistis nâ— miseratione diuina in Regno Britaniae legem fiâ— Christi Habetis penes vos in Regno vtramque pagiâ— You haue there in your Kingdome both testamentâ— our Protestants translate it or both parts of Scripturâ— THE THIRD CHAPTER The 7. 8. 9. 10. Articles examined and wherein they differ from the present Romane Church condemned by this first Apostolike age HAVING thus absolutely and at large confuted and ouerthrowne by the Apostolike â—ge the last Article the erroneous ground of all â—rotestant Religion wee may be more breife in â—he rest being all at the least generally confuted â—nd ouerthrowne in their false foundation so deâ—royed And vntill wee come to their 11. Article â—tituled of the Iustification of man It may be queâ—ioned whether any of them doth in common and â—robable construction and meaninge oppose the â—oman Church or no. And for the two next the 7. â—nd 8. Articles it is most certaine and euident the â—rst of them being intituled of the old testament only â—acheth The old Testament is not contrary to the new â—nd the other stiled of the three Creeds is in tâ—e â—me condition onely affirming The three Creedes â—icene Creede Athanasius Creede and tâ—â—â—â—hich is â—mmonly called the Apostles Creede ought throughly â— be receaued and beleeued But the reason hereof â—hich thus they yeeld for they may be proued by most â—rtaine warrantes of holy Scripture is both before â—onfuted very friuolous for neither is the Scripâ—re the compleate Rule of Religion neither was â—e Scriptures of the new testament written when â—e Apostles deliuered their Creede to the Church â—or the Scriptures agreed vpon vntill after both â—e Creedes of the Nicene Councell and Sainct Athanasius were generally receaued and professâ— by all Catholiks as is already made manifest eueâ— by Protestants themselues aswell as other Authoâ— of more worthy credit The next Article is intâ—tuled of Originall or birth sinne And was expresseâ— concluded by them against the Pelagians denyiâ— originall sinne in man as they expouÌ„d themseluâ— naming the Pelagians and their heresie there wiâ— a confutation of it in their proceedings holdiâ— that Originall sinne in those that be not baptizeâ— deserueth Gods wrath and damnation Yet in the lâ— and concluding words of the Article their phraâ— of speach hath perhaps giuen occasion to some pâ—ritane Nouelists to thinke they held as these mâ— Caluin and such doe that concupiscence withoâ— assent is sinne The words be Although there is â— Artic. 9. supr condâ—mnation for them that beleeue and are baptizâ— yet the Apostle doth confesse that concupiscence lâ— Thomas Rogers in Articul 9. Confes Helu 2. c 9. Saxon. ar 2. 20. hath of it selfe the nature of sinne A Puritane glosser vpon this place saith Conâ—piscence euen in the regenerate is sinnâ— Among foâ—tâ—ene Protestant Confessions he citeth but two fâ— his opinion by his owne exposition And so seauâ— to one by his owne argument of Protestant authâ—rity he is deceaued And the Puritan Heluetian â—sembly Protest Engl. Art art 10. Caluin lib. 1. Instit c. 5. l. 2 c. 2. 3. a. lib. l 3. c. 3. Ant Wotton against D. Bish pa. 112. ruled by Caluine holdeth this besides tâ— other errour which our English Protestants deâ— in ther next article that man hath not free will â— doe well or fly sinne And he plainely confesseâ— that all the primatiue Fathers sufficient for tâ— purpose are against him holding concupiscenâ— without assent to be no sinne Omnium sententâ—â— So do our English Puritans also which hold thâ— errour acknowledge and it is apparant euen â— â—e words of this article before related that the Enâ—ish Protestants doe no otherwise terme coÌ„cupisâ—nce sinne then materially as the Apostle doth â—hose onely authority they vse in that matter and â—ot properly and formally as sinne is truely and â— right sense vsed and taken hauing liberty and â—nsent of minde annexed vnto it otherwise Inâ—nts Ideots frantike madde men without iudgâ—ent and men sleepinge doinge the materiall part â— things sinfull should also sinne or if the flesh of â— selfe the vegetatiue or sensitiue power abstraâ—ing from reason could sinne creatures onely haâ—ng beeing vegetation and sense might and should â—nne equally as those that be reasonable Beasts â—shes fowles plants herbes and trees would be â—oth capable and guilty of sinne And our English Protestants in their commuâ—on booke of as greate credit and approued by as â—reate authority with them and their Religion as â—ese articles acknowledge that the baptized are deade Communion Booke Titul ministrat of publike Baptisme And Catechisme â— sinne And the whole body of sinne is vtterly aboliâ—ed in them They promise and vowe to for sake the â—uill and all his workes the carnall desires of the flesh â—d not to followe and be ledde by them obediently to â—epe Gods commaundements
Christ was An errour of Christopher vitelâ— cheife â—ldâ—r in the saide family and that he whâ— a familist is either as perfect as Christ or els a â— deuill These things cannot be applied to any opiâ— held by Catholiks about the immaculate inâ—centy freedome of the blessed Virgin both frâ— originall and other sinne And neither this artâ— nor any other Protestant confession once namâ— her when they treate of this subiect but tâ— plainely speake of the ordinary sorte and conditâ— of people especially lyuing in these dayes to prâ— vnto vs that they herein contradicted the naâ— heresies then raigning among them as these tâ— article words be cleare All wee the rest althâ— baptized and borne againe in Christ yet offend in many things and if wee say as those named heretiks did and doe wee haue no sinne wee deceaue ourselues and â—he truth is not in vs. Where they speake plainely of the baptized and actuall sinne sinnes whereas Catholiks ascribe that purity of our lady eueÌ„ from originall sinne and before any were baptized or â—he Sacrament of Baptisme instituted And our English Protestants by their best pubâ—ike Engl. Protestant communion booke Calendar 8. Decemb. warrant and authority expressed and set forth â—n their communion bookes doe celebrate the feast of her conception as immaculate from all coÌ„tagion of sinne so likewise they doe concerning the naâ—iuity of Sainct Iohn Baptist keeping and making Iane 24 supr Prot. Cataloge of holy daies in coÌ„m booke confir by Parlam â—t a greate holy day and the euen fasted Which â—hey could not doe without greate contradictory â—bsurdity except thereby they professed they hold â—hat our lady was preserued from originall sinne â— Sainct Ihon sanctified before he was borne into â—he world For opinion of either sinfull conception â—r natiuity rather requireth greife and sorrowe â—hen ioye and festiuity which may not be made â—or sinne which is to be lamented and sorrowed â—or and farre from being reioyced at with any â—igne or shewe of gladnesse much lesse with celeâ—ration of publike festiuities and such solemnities And in the authenticall decree of their holy â—ayes where they thus set downe for holy day the â—irth day of Sainct Iohn Baptist The day of the natiâ—ity of S. Iohn Baptist they diuers times call and deâ—are our lady in their opinion and practise The â—essed Virgin Which they neuer so singularly â—iue to any other man or woman And euer to be â—lessed euer excludeth the misery which is in all sinne no such lamentable estate being able to coâ—sist with the least degree of blessednesse Therefoâ— if any Protestant will oppose against this her iâ— maculate perfection wee haue the Angell froâ— heauen testifying shee was full of grace and mâ— blessed of all women gratiaplena benedicta in â— Ignat. epist ad S. Ioan. lieribus before she conceaued Christ Sainct Igâ—tius is witnesse she was a wonder of perfection â— often pilgrimage vsed by holy Christians to vâ— and honour her when she was yet liuing Sunt â— multae de mulieribus nostris Mariam Iesu videre â— pientes quotidie à nobis ad vos discurrere voleâ— vt eam contingant vbera cius tractent quae Doâ—num Iesum aluerunt Et quaedam eius secretiora â—cunctentur ipsam Mariam Iesu And not finding aâ— like vnto her on earth for immunity from all siâ— and fulnesse of perfection calleth her singularly â— leste prodigium sacratissimum spectaculum â— heauenly wonder and most sacred spectacle That she abounded with all graces full of vertues and grace That it was the common â—nion of credible good Christians that the naâ— of Angelicall innocency and sanctity was ioyâ— to humane nature in her Notificauere caâ— Matrem Dei omnium gratiarum esse abundantem â— gratiae faecundam A fide dignis narratur in Maria â— humanae naturae natura sanctitatis Angelicae sociâ— And as she testified of herselfe that all generatâ— especially of the good should call her blessed â— tam me dicent omnes generationes so it was â— formed in this first generation of Christians abâ—nibus magnificatur In the Masse ascribed to Sâ— Iames the Apostle she is stiled Sanctissima immâ—lata Missa S. Iacobi gloriosissima Domina nostra Mater Dei sâ— â—irgo Maria the most holy Immaculate Our most â—orious lady Mother of God and euer a Virgin â—ary In the Masse of Sainct Marke the Euangeâ—t Missa S. Marci Manuscr antiquum Britan. vsed aunciently in this Kingdome she is called â—ll of grace blessed among all women the excelâ—ntly most holy vnspotted our blessed lady Moâ—er of God and euer Virgin Mary gratia plena beâ—dicta in mulieribus in primis sanctissima intemeraâ— benedict a Domina semper nostra Dei genetrix â—mper Virgo Maria. The old tradition of the Church from the time Damasc orat 2. de dormitione Deiparae Breuiar Rom. die 18. Augusti Dionis Areo. ad Doroth. â— her death as Sainct Damascen and others deâ—er ex antiqua accepimus traditione That all the â—ostles wheresoeuer then dispersed were miraâ—lously assembled together to worshippe her â—ly body quod Deum susceperat corpus adorare S. â—mothy and Sainct Denis the Areopagite with â—ers besides the Apostles as he himselfe is a â—od witnesse were then present And by all their â—dgments her holy body after three dayes of conâ—uall angelicall musike in the place of her deâ—rture out of this life was assumpted into heauen â—e place where her sacred body lay filling their â—ses with an vnspeakeable sweetnesse ea tantum â—enerunt in quibus fuerat compositum ineffabili â—i exijs proficiscebatur essent odore repleti â—ee need not appeale any further to our primaâ—e Christians and frends for Mahomet and his Mahomet in Alcoran Azoar 5. â—rkes and Tartars our greatest enemies in their â—coran the rule of their Religion doe plainely to â— euerlasting shame of such Protestants or others â—ich maligne the Blessednesse of this most blessed â—gin confesse that our blessed lady Mary was â—re resplendant pure and vnspotted then any other weere earthly creature continually serueiâ— God D. Maria omnibus viris mulieribus spleÌ„didiâ— mundior at que lotior soli Deo perseueranter stâ—dens And further adde there is none borne of tâ— children of Adam whom Sathan did not toucâ— besides Mary and her sonne No woman was euer perfâ— Azoar 75. but Mary the Mother of Isa So they call Iesus nuâ— nascitur defilijs Adam quem non tangat Sathan prâ—ter Mariam eius filium Nulla vnquam perfectâ— mulieribus nisi Maria Mater Isa The Father of Protestants Religion Maâ— Martin Luth. in Euang. l. de Concept Mariae Luther deliuered the same doctrine for all thâ— that would be children to such a Father sayinâ— is piously beleeued that the conception of Mâ— was without originall sinne in the first momâ— when she began to liue she was without all finâ— Mariae conceptio piè creditur
Christ but this one alone Christ did purchase but one militant Church with his pretious blood he hath no more but one such daughter nor true Christians more then one such mother which the same Sainct Clement likewise proueth thus conuenite ad Ecclesiam Domini quam acquisiuit sanguine Christi dilectâ— primogeniti Const Apost l. 2. c. 65. omnis creaturae Eaest enim altissimi filia quae partâ—rijt nos per verbum gratiae He coÌ„pareth this Church also to one greate shippe Carrying passengers from all contryes to the desired hauen and harbour saying that God is alwayes the Lord and owneâ— of it Christ the Master or Gouernour the Bishop cheife ruler vnder him Preists Deacons and other Clergy men euer supply their places and offices therein Similis est omnis status Ecclesiae magnae naâ— Clem. epist 1. quae per vndo sum Pelagus diuersis è locis regionibâ— viros portat ad vnam potentis regni vrbem properâ—â— cupientes Sit ergo nauis huius Dominus ipse omnipâ—tens Deus gubernator verò sit Christus Tum demâ—â— proretae officium Episcopus impleat Presbyteri nauâ—â—rum Diaconi dispensatorum locum teneant hi qui â—â—techizant nautologis conferantur He giueth also â—â— lay persons their place in this shippe saying thâ— world is the Sea it passeth and witnesseth that thâ— shippe notwithstanding all stormes and tempestâ— persecutions tribulations daungers false Prophetâ— seducers persecuting potentates hypocrites anâ— whatsoeuer enemies aduersaries and aduersities â— euer is safe and neuer maketh shipwrake foâ— Christ euer gouerneth it and the whole Church must endeuour to serue and obey him and his commaundes Saluator Dominus gubernator Ecclesiae suae Martial ep ad Burdegal cap. 11. diligatur ab omnibus ipsius solius praeceptis ac iussis credat obediat omnis Ecclesia Thus Sainct Clement from the Apostles themselues And Sainct Martial also teacheth that the Church of Christ is so firme it can neuer fall nor be broken And yet in the same place he teacheth that the deuill and heretiks his vassals and instruments shall neuer cease to labour and fight against it Inimicus venturus est vt superseminet in populo Dei grana errorum Sed firma Ecclesia Dei Christi nec cadere nec disrumpi poterit vnquam Venient praesumptores absque gratia Dei loquentes quorum gloria labiorum procedit ex superbia similes illi qui superbiâ caelum praesumens habitare mox de caelo cum Angelis suis sequacibus ruit in aeternam voraginem Hi docebunt aliam doctrinam quae aliena est à Deo amica autem diabolo per quam ipse spiritus erroris animas post se trahere festinabit Which cannot more properly be applyed to any sects of heresies then the libertine Protestants so first arising encreasing and subsisting by wanton and lewde licentiousnesse S. Dionysius Areopagita wrote a whole booke Dion Areop l. de Eccles Hierarch in Greeke yet euery where extant de Ecclesiastica Hierarchia of the Ecclesiasticall Hierarchy or holy order which was in his time and to continue euer in the neuer fayling or ceasing Church of Christ All the Apostles so firmely and vniformely beleeued Clem. Rom. epist 1. Ruff. in exposit Symbol Leo iâ— mulâ—is locis and professed this doctrine as a necessary article of faith for all Christians and to obtaine saluation by as the rest and so proposed it vnto all in their Symbolum as Sainct Clement then liuing Ruffinus S. Leo and all Christians acknowlegde Credo Sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam euer to be an Article of faith as the others which possible could not be true if at any time Christ should want a Church holy and Catholike And our Protestants of England in these their articles doe twise in one article before intituled of the three Creeds make and receaue it with the other articles of their Creede an article of faith throughly to be receaued and beleeued For So they define The three Creeds Protest artic of Relig. art 8. Nicene Creede Athanasius Creede and that which is commonly called the Apostles Creede ought throughly to be receaued and beleeued affirming further they may be proued by most certaine warrants of holy Scripture And both in the Apostles and Nicen Creede this article is contained with the rest This is also confirmed in their publike communion Engl. Protest com booke â—it Catechisme booke vsed in their Churches and allowed by their Parlaments where besides the Article of the Apostles Creede I belâ—eue in the holy Ghost the holy Catholike Church they say vnto God in the canticle Te Deum as they translate it The holy Church Tit. morning prayer through all the world doth knowledge thee And in their Creede of the Nicen Councell they Nicen Creede plainely professe and beleeue that from the Apostles till now and euer after there is and shal be one holy Catholike and Apostolike Church vnam sanctam Catholicam Apostolicam Ecclesiam Where the Church is euer one holy Catholike and the same in all matters of faith it was in the Apostles time And in this sense and no other they haue in their 19. article before described or defined the Art 19. supr Church of Christ to be one congregation of faithfull men with true preaching and due ministration of Sacraments in all things necessary and requisite according as Christ ordained And their publike glosse vpon this 19. article diuiding it into diuers propositions and making this the second proposition There is Thomas Rogers in art 19. proposit 2. but one Church When wee doe say that the Church is visible and that there is a westerne East Greeke Latine English Church wee meane not that there be diuers Churches of Christ but that one and the same Church is diuersely taken and vnderstood and also hath many particular Churches as the Sea many Riuers and armes branching from it For the visible Church is not many congregations but one company of the faithfull For proofe of this out of Scriptures they cite diuers texts Rom. 12. 5. 1. Cor. 10. 17. 1. Corint 12. 13. 27. Gal. 3. 28. and conclude thus all Gods people meaning Protestants agree with vs in this point And particularly cite Confess Helâ—et 2. cap. 17. Bohe. cap. 8. Gal. art 26. Belg. art 27. August art 27. Wittemb art 32. Sueu art 15. and these Protestant Confessions so agree I will onely cite two for the rest one of Heluetia for the Caluinists and for the Lutherans that of Wittemberge where Luther liued as Caluine in Heluetia The Heluetian confession saith Cum semper vnus Confessio Heluet. c. 17. modo sit Deus vnus mediator Dei hominum Iesus Messias vnus item gregis vniuersi Pastor vnum huius corporis caput vnus denique spiritus vna salus vna fides vnum testamentum vel foedus necessariò consequitur vnam duntaxat esse Ecclesiam quam propterea Catholicam
their allowance and Nicaen Conc. in Subscriptione ante nomina Episcoporum consent This is proued also by the auncient copie and subscriptions of this first generall Councell where these two Preists Legats for the Pope of Rome subscribe for him and by his power before all others Bishops Archbishops or Patriarks present whatsoeuer Victor or Victus Vinecentiâ—â— Presbyteri vrbis Romae pro venerabili vno Papa â— Episcopo nostro Syluestro subscripsimus ita credâ—â—â—â— ficut scriptum est And then after follow the subscriptions of the Bishops of Afrike Asia and Europe The Bishopâ— of Europe wherein Rome is beinge the last there in subscription these Legates of the Pope onely Preists subscribeing first of all Europe Asia or Afrike when of themselues as Preists they had â—â— place at all without power and authority from thâ— Apostolike See of Rome by which they had anâ— thus executed the cheifest in that first cheife anâ— generall Christian Councell of the world as it iâ— commonly accompted and by that title proposeâ— as an example and presideÌ„t for those that followed Which hath enforced me to continue my examination of this part of this Protestant Article thus longe in regard this Councell being so generally â—â—câ—â—ued by all may beâ— paterne square and rule vnto all in this kinde of Question The pretended onely reason which our Protestants before haue made to proue that which followeth in this article That generall Councels may erre sometimes haue erred euen in things pertaining vnto God being this forasmuch as they be an assembly of men whereof all be not gouerned with the spirit and word of God is vaine Idle and to no purpose for so wee might discredit and deny all those Councels of the Apostles and Disciples of Christ before remembred especially all after the choosing of the seuen Deacons Sainct Stephen and therest For among these Nicolas authour of the Nicolaite heresie was one and so being so vnworthy an heretike may not be said to haue beene allwayes gouerned with the spirit and word of God And not finding any other generall Councell from that time vntill the first of Nice which our Protestants with generall applause receaue and all the Canons and decrees thereof being receiued by Parlaments statutes communion bookes Canons articles before and all authority they haue wee may still doubt or plainely say rather that this erred euen in things pertaining vnto God and the very nature of God himselfe the blessed Trinity And diuers others for although it consisted of the cheifest Prelates of all noble Churches in all Europe Afrike and Asia â—x â—â—nibus Ecclesijs quae frequentes in tota Europa Africa Euseb l. 3. de vit Constant cap 7. Socrat. Eccl. hist l. 1. cap. 5. Asia extiterunt Dei ministri qui facile primas ferre putabantur in vnum conuocati all Patriarkes either by themselues or Legats were there and the Emperour himselfe for such as require his consent yet they were all but an assembly of men whereof Ruffin hist Eccl. l. 1. ca. 5. Theodorit hist l. 1. Sozozomen Eccl. hist l. 1. c. 19. all were not gouerned with the spirit and word of God our Protestants goodly reason for by all writers therâ— were 17. knowne Arian heretiks amoÌ„g them and for such diuers of them with Arius condemned and exiled at that time and many more were absent in greate number And if wee should for this or any other pretended reason doubt of the truth of this men Councell it were in vayne euer to labour our seeke to haue a true generall and vndoubted Councell for a greater assembly and more likely to coÌ„clude the truth is not morally possible to be gathered For besides the Emperour all the Socrates hist Eccl. l. 1. c. 5. Euseb l. 3. de vit Constant cap. 9. Patriarks and aboue 300. Bishops there were learned Cleargy men there without number Iâ— hoc praesenti choro fuit Episcoporum multitudâ— ad nâ—morum 〈◊〉 torum aâ—plius Presbyterorâ—â— aâ—tem Diaconorum acolithorum aliorum qâ—â— istos comitabantur turbane muneraâ— quidem potest Atque ex 〈◊〉 Dei ministris alij prudenter discrtè dicendo alij vitae grauitate constanti rerum arduarum perpessione nonnulli quasi media inter istos interiecta viuendiratione eximij praeclara laudis insignia adepti sunt Thus Eusebius there present and others liuing in that time And if in ciuill and morall bodies such as the Church Councels Diets Parlaments and such like assemblies composed of many and diuers persons and conditions are wee should expect an vniuersall and generall coÌ„sent of men so assembled wee shall finde there were or haue beene or can be very few or none such in the world That first Parlament of Queene Elizabeth which ouerthrewe Catholike Religion and set vp that new profession which professeth and decreed the articles had but 4. or 5. voyces and suffrages more for their new Religion then were for the old and yet shee made so many new Protestant Lords for that purpose and vsed such irreligious practises to encrease the number for their new erection as their owne historians aboundantly haue testified The Cambd. hist Mar. Regio Scot. Stowe hist an 1. Elizab Roman and Catholike Church neuer proceeded with such poore shists and small difference of consents either in the Councell of Trent against protestants or any other former generall Councell in suppressing and condemning other heretiks and their heresies as is euident in this first generall Councell of Nice where as before so many agreed and so few dissented Constantine the greate Emperour if wee would followe Protestants for Princes Supremacy hath before made the Iudgment and sentence of the Nicen Councell the Infallible Iudgment and sentence of God and giueth the same infallibility to all such Councels Quicquid in Sanctis Episcoporum concilijs Constant ep ad Ecclesias apud Socrat. l. 1. hist Eccl. c. 6. Ruffin hist l. 1. c. 10. Episcopi Nicaeni Concil epist ad Episcopos Aegyptum Libyam Pentacol incol Socrat. supr l. 1. ca. 6. Theodorit l. 1. hist c 9. decernitur id vniuersum diuinae voluntati debet attribui If wee will beleeue hundreds of learned Bishops there assembled so they testifie quaeritè constituta decreta sint earata stabiliaque permaneant Dei Patris omnipotentis Domini nostri Iesu Christi auxilio vna cum Spiritus sancti gratia And they Anathematized the resisters of their decrees Quibus omnibus SaÌ„ctum Concilium indicit Anathema Placuit Concilio communibus suffragijs Anathema denuntiare It is euident by the 6. and 7. Canon of this Nicen Councell that the Pope of Rome Patriarke of Antioch Alexandria and by some Hierusalem had Iurisdiction ouer all Bishops in the world and they all assented if they could haue assented to errour the whole Church vnder them might haue erred Sainct Syluester Pope of Rome as before with 275. Bishops confirmed that Councell in all points
buried Wee finde in the old antiquities of landaffe a Publike Charter of King Mauricus in S. Dubritâ—â—â— his time Manuscript antiq de primo statu Landauen Ecclesiae that it was the old custome and duty of Churches daily to pray for the soules of the benefactours deceased and all the faithfull departed out of this life oratione quotidiana Ecclesiastico seruitio pro anima â—â—â—us animabus parentum suorum Regum Principum Britanniae omnium fidelium defunctorum So is the charter of King Arthur to the schoole of Cambredge proremedio animarum antecessorum Chart. priuileg Reg. Arthuri apud Caium l. 1. antiquit Cantabrig pag. 60. 70. Caratoc hist M. S. de vita S. Gildel Probus l. 2. de vit S. Patricij Caius l. 1. sup p. 147. 148. l de vit SaÌ„ct Walliae in S. Iltuto vneorum Regum Britanniae Sainct Gildas our oldest writer and greate diuine did daily pray for the foule of his brother being slaine Orabat pro spiritu fratermp quotidie Sainct Patrike prayed for the dead orauit pro anima eius S. Iltutus appointed 50. of his schollers to pray for the soules of the deade continually Constituit quinquaginta fratres qui continuam animarum memoriam haberent And as I haue spoken before how the first Christians at Hierusalem had a particular Church founded and employed to that holy vse So our Christians Britans insisting in the same deuotion from the beginning had diuers such foundations and Churches especially to offer sacrifice and pray for the deade One of them was at london Ecclesiam Galfrid Monum hist Reg. Briton l. 12 c. 13. aedificauerunt in quo pro ipso Rege fidelibus defunctis diuina celebrantur obsequia And this is sufficient for this question The next exception which is taken by our Protestants The Catholike doctrine of pardons Indulgences in this article is against the Catholike doctrine about pardons or Indulgences saying as they haue done already of Purgatory that the Romish doctrine concerning pardons is a fonde thing vainely inuented and grounded vpon no warranty of Scripture but rather repugnant to the word of God The Councell of Trent setteth downe the Catholike doctrine in this point which these men call the Conc. Trid. seff 9. in decreto de Indulgentijs Romish doctrine that power of graunting indulgences was by Christ graunted to his Church and the Church in the most auncient times vsed it by so great warrant and therefore declareth the vse of Indulgences to be retajned in the Church as necessary for Christian people and allowed by the authority of holy Councels anathematizing them which affirme them to be vnprofitable or deny there is power in the Church to graunt them Cum potestas conferendi Indulgentias à Christo Ecclesiae concessa sit at que huiusmodi potestate diuiniâ—â—s tradita antiquissimis etiam temporibus illa vsa fuerit Sacrosancta Synodus indulgentiarum vsum Christiano populo maxime salutarem sacrorum conciliorum anthoritate probatum in Ecclesia retinendum esse docet praecipit eosque anathemate damnat qui aut inutiles esse asserunt veleas concedendi in Ecclesia potestatem esse negant The same holy CouÌ„cell with all good Catholiks as much coÌ„demneth abuses in pardons or IndulgeÌ„ces and as wisely preuenteth them as any enemy of Indulgences doth euer did or can desire That there this power of graunting pardons and Indulgences for remitting the temporall punishment due to sinne is first euident by that is said of the paines and punishment of purgatory before For no man will or can deny but if the Church hath power or meanes to remit paines to them that be deceased and out of the state of meriting in themselues much rather it hath such power and remedies for the liuing which by themselues may and doe merit and are in all respects parts and subiects of the militant Church of Christ Secondly whereas this Protestant article saith pardons haue no warranty of Scripture but rather repugnant to the word of God The Apostolike Fathers of this first age haue taught vs otherwise before euen of the paines of Purgatory And the Scripture is cleare both that Christ did graunt this power to his Church and the Church practized it in the Apostles time Of this power of remitting sinnes and their punishment Christ must needs meane when he said to S. Peter he would giue Matth. c. 16. vnto him the keyes of the Kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer he should loose on earth should be loosed in heauen Tibi dabo claues regnicaelorum Et quodcumque solueris super terram erit solutum in caelis So when he said to all his Apostles Whatsoeuer Matth. 18. you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heauen Quaecunque solueritis super terram erunt soluta in Ioh. cap. 20. coelo And againe whose sinnes you forgiue they are forgiuen vnto them Quorum remiseritis peccata remitiuntur ets And that wee may be assured these words and warrants of Christ did carry this construction and giue this power and not onely to the then present Apostles but their Successours and Rulers in his Church for euer first Sainct Paul who was not an Apostle Preist nor Christian then at the giuing of this cominission nor there present did thus expounde it and practise it For first excommunicating the wicked Corinthian which had committed 1. Cor. 5. sinne with his Fathers wife his mother in lawe a sinne both in Catholiks and Protestants Iudgment deseruing greate and longe pennance and punishment he soone after wrote vnto them againe to giue him pardon and indulgeÌ„ce for the punishment thereof donetis or condonetis cui donastis or condonastis ego ego donaui or condonaui in persona Christi S. Paul gaue pardon in the person of Christ and the Church of Corinth did the same by the 2. Cor. 2. same warrant and authority So the learned holy Fathers after expound it Primasius in c. 2. epist 2. ad Corinth Aug. l. 2. coÌ„tr epist parmen c. 11. Chrys Homil. 5. de verb. Isaiae vidi Dom. l. 3. de Sacerdoâ—io Euseb Emissen hom in dom 19. post Pentecost Hilar. can 18. in Matth. PaciaÌ„ epistol 1. ad Simpronian Nouatian Aug l. 50. homil hom 40 27. l. 20. ciuit cap. 9. Engl. prot Booke of Ordinat with the Churches approbation cui aliquid donastis Pro donaueritis ego Sicut vobiscum vindicaui ita vobiscum dono Nam Et ego quod donaui Non in mea persona sed Christi qui dixit quae solueritis in terra erunt soluta in coelo Si quid donaui propter vos Nâ— grauemini In persona Christi Quia personam gerimus Christi And both the Greeke and Latine Church euer from the beginning expound those words of Christ in the Ghospell before cited as I haue done And our Protestants themselues doe the like making those
the other containing the Image of Christ and his 12. Apostles and was there worshipped in the Church Aliud quoque aliquanto maius linteum in Dorothaeus Synop. de vita morte propheâ—arum in Ierem. Ecclesia illa veneratur quod fertur à Sancta Maria contentum duodecim Apostolorum ipsius Domini continens Imagines vno latere rubro altero viridi S. Dorotheus writeth that Ieremy the Prophet prophesying of the coming of Christ gaue this for a certaine token and signe to know the time because all people then should worship the crosse Signum aduentus ipsius erâ—t â—obis quando vniuersae Pallad hist laus in vit Apollinis Soâ— hist Eccl. l. 5. c. 20. Cassio l. 6. c. 42. Niceph. l. 10. c. 31. Guliel Eisengren centen 1. part 1. distinct 3. Volater câ—mmen l. 13. Pet. de Natal l. 3. c. 228. gentes lignum adorabunt And gaue an other signe as certaine and notorious as the other to the Preists of Egypt where he prophesied that when the Messias should be borne of a Virgin and ly in a manger all their Idols should be broken and fall downe which the Prophet Esay also thus foretold mouebuntur simulachrae Aegypti à facie eius Which all writers Greeke and Latine Catholiks and Protestants confesse and proue to haue beene â—ffected when Christ newly borne with his mother fledde into Egypt the Idols of that nation most Idolatrous then fallinge downe And to make euident euen to blinded men that Christian Images be not idols or forbidden but allowed and to be reuerenced at that very time when the idols were thus miraculously destroyed the holy Prophet both appointed the Egyptians to make Christian Images namely of Christ and his blessed mother and reuerence Dorothaeus supr them which they did And this was both publikly and by all practized and by their King as authentically examined and approued Ieremias signum dedit Sacerdotibus Aegyptiacis quòd oporteat simulachra eorum concuti decidere per seruatorem puerum ex virgine nasciturum in praesepi iaciturum propterea etiam nunc virginem in lecto Infantem in praesepio collocant adorant Et cum causam olim Ptolomaeus Rex percontaretur responderunt mysterium esse ipsis a maioribus traditum quod illi a sancto Propheta acceperint SuetoÌ„ in Aug. lactant firm Aug. l. de inuitat Mart. Polon chron in Augusto Ran. Highed hist l. 4. c 2. 3. Herâ—â— Schedel aetat 5. fol. 93. Speed Theater of greate Brit. l. 6. Annal. Eccles Chart. in Gallia Francisc Belleforest Cosmog l. 2. p. 303. in Iud. v. druid alij This was likewise reuealed to Augustus the Emperour by the apparition of a Virgin with a child in her armes from heauen And he fell downe and worshipped the Image or apparition And is commended for it by all writers Apertum est coelum nimius splendor irruit supereum vidit in coelo pulcherrimam virginem stantem super altare puerum tenentem in brachijs Et miratus est nimis vocem dicentem audiuit Haec ara filij Dei est Qui statim proijciens se in terram adorauit This was the doctrine and practise of the Druides of this Kingdome aâ—d Fraunce whome our Protestants merueylouslie commend vnto vs for hauing a Prophesie among them that the Sauiour of the world should be borne of a virgin they erected Churches Images vnto theÌ„ namely at Charters in FrauÌ„ce Where their Prince and they both founded such a Church with an Image of the blessed virgin with Christ in her armes and worshipped it as the auncient tradition and Annals of that Church with others proue The Image or signe of the Crosse is not so resembling representatiue of Christ or his PassioÌ„ as the Images of Christ and his Saincts be of them especially that being a common Instrument of death in the greate Romane Empire at the death of Christ And yet in honour of Christ suffering death and râ—deeming the world by his passion vpon a Crosse The signe â—nd Image thereof was presently after his death euen by his Apostles disciples and first Christians in this age had and vsed with greate reuerence and honour I may be more breife in this matter seeing our Protestants by their greatest euen regall authority haue thus declared The signe King Iames and his B. B. confer at Hampt Couel ag Burg. p. 139. 124. 125. Communion Booke Tit. publike Baptisme of the Crosse is an Apostolicall constitution and Tradition And so they vse in their publike practicall communion booke at the baptisme of euery child thus prescribing for a rule and law The Preist shall make a Crosse vpon the childes forchead saying wee receaue this child into the congregation of Christs flocke and doe signe him with the signe of the Crosse in token that hereafter â—e shall not be ashamed to confesse the faith of Christ crucified and manfully to sight vnder his banner against sinne the world and the deuill and to continue Christs faithfull seruant vnto his lines end Amen Therefore if by so greate a Protestant warrant and profession the signe of the Crosse is so honorable that it is an Apostolicall constitution binding and commaunding all an Apostolicall tradition to be religiously kept and obserued of all so honorable and necessary a profession confession and testimony of our faith and Religion neuer to be denied that when wee were infants and could not doe this of our selues it was and ought to be performed by others for vs as our whole faith was so professed for vs in our baptisme much more ought all Christians coming to yeares of Iudgment and discretion performe those holy bondes and duties by themselues And that our Protestants need not feare they haue herein donne or graunted too much they shall heare the Apostolike men of this age from whom they haue in some sorte borrowed this their doctrine practise and confession deliuer the Apostolike doctrine vse custome farre more plainely amply and honorably in this busines The old Anonymus writer of the Apostles liues Fredic Nausea ep Vienn Prooemen in vit Apostol Anonym antiq in vit S. Thomae Apost Idem in vit S. Bartholomaei published by the learned Bishop Fredericus of Vienna allmost an hundred yeares since and then the exemplar exceeding old characteribus plusque vetustis inscriptum writeth that Sainct Thaddeus cured Kâ—ng Abgarus with the signe of the Crosse imposito Regi crucis signaculo ab omni eum languore sanauit An holy Angell engraued in square stones foure Crosses in euery corner of the Church one per quatuor angulos circumuolans digito sâ—â— in quadrâ—tis saxâ—s sculpsit signum crucis And gaue Charge to make the signe of the Crosse on their foreheads Quale signum ego sculpsi in his saxis tale vos digitâ— Id. in vit S. Ioan. Apost vestro facite in frontibus vestris omnia mala â—â—gient a vobis Sainct
authoritie giuen vnto them in the congregation Churche they meane to call and send ministers in the Lords vineyard But I haue proued before in particular and euery of their Articles more then halfe of them in order without excepting any one inuincibly confuted proue the same that these men art no part parcell or congregation of the true Church of Christ and so no men among them can pretend to haue authoritie publike or other to send Ministers in the Lords vineyard being themselues no members or parsons commaundeing or to be commaunded consecrating or to be coÌ„secrated therein much lesse to haue such publike authoritie in it as this Article appointeth for this busines Secondly there were no men amonge them at the makinge of these Articles nor at the birth of thir Religion here in the first yeare of Queene Elizabeth which had or possibly in their proceedings could haue any such publik authoritie to call and send Mininisters in the Lords vineyard For their whole congregation consisted of a woman Queene Elizabeth their pretended cleargie and others confessed meerely temporall men Lette vs take all these eyther ioyntly togeather as in parlament or by themselues seuerally and no such publik authoritie will be founde in them The Queene a woman by Sexe was neyther men nor man haueing such authoritie and their 37. Article denyeth any such prower in her eyther 〈◊〉 â—â—â—selfe or others All their pretended Bishops â—â—â—re by all Consistories Ecclesiasticall Tempoâ—â—ll euen the parlament and Iudgements in the Temporall lawe adiudged to haue no such authoâ—iâ—ie The first parlament of Q. Elizabeth which reâ—iued Stow hist in Q. Mary an 1. an 1. of Q. Elizabeth Parker Ant. Brit. in Tho. Cranmar Godwin Catal. of Bish. solpe Hollin hist of Engl. in Q. Mary Statutes of Q Eliz. K. Iames and K. Charles make Preisthood treason their Religion had not one true or pretended Bishop that had voyce in parlament that consâ—nted vnto it but all the Bishops which had and oâ—ely had such publik authoritie did disclayme â—nd disagree to that change the Temporall Lords â—â—ights and burgesses neyther had nor could giue which they had not such authoritie No forreyne Pope Patriarke Archbishop or Bishop did or could giue it here by their owne lawes For Q. Elizabeth King Iames and K. Charles by their parlaments and Statutes haue made holy preisthood Treason And this new Protestant Queene Elizabeth her Religion beginning here in the yeare 155â— and 1559. in her first parlament neuer had 〈◊〉 knowne publike allowed square rule forme â—â—nner Order or fashion whatsoeuer for any to hâ—ue publik authoritie to call make send or sette forth any pretended Minister vntil the yeare 1562. when their Religion was 4. yeares old and these The new Protestant booke of Consec an 2. Eduardi 6. in Parlam statut an r. Mariae Booke of arâ—icles an 1â—62 art 36. Articles were made in them the booke of King Edward the 6. about 10. or 11. yeares old when he sette it forth by parlament was first called from death werewith it perished in the first yeare of Queene Mary It hath beene pretended from a new borne Register of Matthew parker that hee was made a Bishop by Barlowe Scorye and 3. others by vertue of a commission from Queene Elizabeth and this new worke was acted on the 17. day of December but alas they had then no forme our order to do such a busines if they had beene such publik allowed and authorized men as this Article appointeth vntill 4. yeares after this pretended admittance alleadged to haue beene 17. Decemb. an 1559. And their owne publike confession is in the Register it selfe as they haue published it in Matthew parker their first pretended protestantly made Archbishope his booke and Register That none of those pretended Consecratours was admitted for a true or pretended Consecratour vntill after this supposed consecration of Matthew parker For they say from their pretended Register of Matthew parker Anno 1559. Matth. part cant cons Franc. Mason l. 3. c. 4. of cons p. 127. ex Regist Matth. park to 1. f. 2. 10. Godw. catal of Bish. in Canterb. 69. Matth. parker 17. Decem. by william Barlowe Ihon Scory Miles Couerdale Ihon hodgeskins by these Matthew parker was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury the seuententh day of December in the yeare 1559. Their Catalogue of Bishops saith he was consecrated December 17. 1559. by W. Barlowe Io Scory and Ihon hodgeskins This is vtterly false and vnpossible by their owne testimonies and proceedings to be true For their owne Register as it is published in Matthew parker his owne writings proueth directly that two of these 4. pretended Consecratouts were neuer allowed for such or Bishops or any men hauing such publike authoritie in their Protestant Religion as this their Article requireth of necessitie to call and send Ministers These were Miles Couerdale and Ihon Hodgeskings neuer hauing any such power in Q. Elizabeth her time And for the other two william Barlowe and Ihon Scory they were not allowed by these Protestants â—â—â— Bishops or such men vntill Matthew parker â—â—â— as they pretend by their Register consecrated by them william Barlowe stiled before D. of Diuinine or a preist Regular was allowed for such a man vpon the 20. day of December 1559. 3. dayes Register Episcopor Protestant Angl. apud Matth. park antiquit Britanniae pag. 39. edit Hanouiae an 1605. altâ—â— matthew parkers pretended ordination by him Will Barlowe Th. D. Presb. Reg. Conf. 1559. Decem. 20. and the other Ihon Scory then sâ—iled onely Bachelour of Diuiuitie and preist Regâ—lar was also first allowed the same 20. day of December Ioh Scory Th. Bac. Presb. Regn. Conf. 1559. Dec. 20. And their owne catalogue of their pretended Bishops assureth vs further that this Matthew parker was amoÌ„g them Archbishop Godwyâ— Catalog of Bishops in Durham 58. Cutbert Tunstall of Conterbury in the month of Iuly before So he could haue no consecration true or pretended by their owne proceeding I adde further concerning the pretended Register by which they haue thus vainely claymed an Inualid Title to Ecclesiasticall function and orders sette out in the booke of their first pretended Protestant Archbishop Matthew parker printed at Hanouia 1605. called Antiquitates Britannicae of the Archbishops of Canterbury there is no worde our mention at all of any such thing in that old manuscript copie thereof which I haue seene and diligently examined And any man reading the printed booke will manifestly see it is a meerely foisted and inserted thing hauing no connexion correspondence or affinitie either with that which goeth before or followeth it And conteyneth more things done after Matthew parker had written that Booke But of this their new founde consecration I shall entreate more largely hereafter in their 25. and 36. Articles whither it more properly belongeth and there vtterly disable it for making or leauing among them either true Bishop Preist or any other Ecclesiasticall person
at all THE XII CHAPTER The 24. article Likewise examined and condemned by this first Apostolike age and writers therein THe 24. article is this It is a thing plainely repugnant to the word of God and the custome of the primatiue Church to haue publike prayer in the Church or to minister the Sacraments in a tongue not vnderstood of the people What is agreable or repugnant to the word of God the Church of God as those Protestants haue confessed before is the best witnesse and interpreter and of necessity it must needs be so in such things as be graunted to be agreable or repugnant vnto both as this question is The word of God extendeth both to that which is written in Scriptures and the vnwritten preserued in the Church without such canonicall writing otherwise which is vnpossible God might be contrary to himselfe and his word contrary to his word which is blasphemous to say or write And in this question of the publike Church seruice finding no prescript forme order or office nor of what language or tongue it is to be vsed in the written word of God wee must needs resorte to vnwritten tradition and the custome of the primatiue Church to finde it forth And wee finde in all the publike offices of the Church in this age ascribed to S. Peter S. Andrew S. Matthew and S. Iames Apostles to S. Marke Euangelist S. Clement successour to S. Peter at Rome and whosoeuer in antiquities is taken to be Authour or composer of any liturgy Masse or publike seruice or forme of prayers in the Church in this time they were all first penned and after practised in all places wheresoeuer they were vsed in the learned common languages and no where in any barbarous or vulgar tongue of any particular Prouince or Contry All histories their oldest manuscripts and generally receaued tradition witnesse they were in the Greeke or Latine tongue This is so manifestly Doue persuas p. 23. 24. c. oâ— prayer true that our Protestant writers do thus confesse it vntill of late since Protestant Religion began through out the west part of the world publike prayers were in Latine in the east part in Greeke euen among Edw. Sands Relation of Relig. c. 53. or 54. those nations to whom the languages were no mother tongues Thus one of their Bishops with publike allowance Their first Protestant Archbishop Matthew Mat. Parker Antiq. Brit. in Aug. c. 17. p. 47. Parker writeth that the publike Church seruice named Masse Missa dicta did continue 200. yeares and more from Christs institution à Christi primo â—â—stituto vntill Pope Zepherine the 16. Pope did change it to a better matter and forme Donec eam Zepherinus 16. Romanus Pontifex quorundam suasioâ—ibus ad pulchriorem materiam formamque mutare voâ—uit And this Masse was the same which sainct â—ames vsed at Hierusalem and sainct Peter in the â—asterne Contries And when this man and other Protestants come to set downe what change S. Zepherine Pope made in the holy Masse it was â—ot to change it into a Vulgare tongue but he a Roman Zepherinus Romanus kept it still vnchanged in the Latine tongue as all his predecessours had Damas Pont. in Zepherino Magdeburg in eod Rober. Barns in vit Pontif. Rom. in eod Bal. l. 1. act Pontific Rom. in Zepherino Robert Barnes alij in Alexandro Sixto Telesphoro done before in the west and Latine Church onely he tooke away wodden chalices vsed then in some places ordaining better and in this all writers Catholikes and Protestants agree Vitreos calices pro ligneis ordinauit And wheresoeuer there was any thing changed or added in the Masse it was as these men confesse euer done in the Latine tongue Alexander Romanus ad Adriani tempora peruenit Iâ— Missa pridiè quam pateretur vsque ad haec verba HOC EST CORPVS MEVM addidit ad memoriaÌ„ passionis Christi inculcandaÌ„ Sixtus Romanus vt SANCTVS in coÌ„munione Eucharistiae ter caneretur ordinauit Telesphorus Graecus GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO esse in Missa caneâ—dum praecepit These be all the additions changes they finde in the holy Masse before S. Zepherines time before which S. Eleutherius Pope had publikely sent it into Britaine and S. Lucius our King here publikely receaued it and all those additionâ— were taken out of Scripture not then translated into any vulgar vnlearned language So they prouâ— of all additions after all euer made in the Latine tongue except some very few in the Hebrew anâ— Greeke in the whole Latine Church And this iâ— vnquestionably conuinced out of the publike offices of he Church of Christ whether the Sacrificâ— of Masse or the rest Matins Laudes houres euen songe compline or whatsoeuer to be termed publike prayer of the Church for the farre greateâ— part of all these consisteth of the holy psalmes anâ— other parts of Scripture all bookes thereof publikely reade euery day and the psames euery weekâ— yet none of these were in any vulgar tongue in thâ— age nor many after this time The rest which is contained in the Catholike Church Creeds Prefaces Hymnes Antiphons or â—hat else amont not vnto the tenth part of what is taken from Scriptures and yet these were deliuerâ—d to the Church in learned toÌ„gues in them composed and not in other Wee are assured by Scriptures and good histories that the Apostles 72. disâ—â—ples and other holy Cleargy men in this first age preached in all nations they prayed and had publike prayers in many contries and in them founded Churches and must needs leaue some forme of such publike seruice for them they conuerted But wee are assured againe both by Scriptures and such antiquities that they all had not the guift of tongues numquid omnes linguis loquuntur and sainct 1. Cor. 12. Paul reckoneth it for a singular guist and priuiledge in himselfe to speake in all languages gratias 1. Cor. 14. Godwin Conuers c. 3. p. 36. Io. Leland in commentar Ant. Brit. v. Britanniae Io. Caius hist Cantabr p. 19. ago Deo quod omnium vestrum linguis loquor And our Protestants themselues with other antiquaries â—onfesse that these renowned men did preach in many places by interpretours and diuers Barbarous nations where they preached had then no vse of letters to write any thing at all in their owne laÌ„guage much lesse formes and offices of publike prayers which were and of necessity to be vsed in all Churches and by all Preists And in this condition was this Kingdome of Britaine all Gallia now Fraunce and other parts where the Druydes ruled not vsing letters and writing because all nations were then accompted and called by the Romans Barbarous in that and such vnciuill respects Some write the Greeke letters were vsed in Gallia but if it were so they were by the same authority very vnperfect many added afterward to bringe that writing to perfection and no history mentioneth that euer any forme of publike prayer or
that latin which he deliuered at Rome in Fraunce and other westerne places These Bishops Preists and Deacons which were not Britans could not vse that brittish tongue in their seruice which they did not vnderstand and which neither they nor the Britans could write for them or others to reade And whosoeuer any man will say preached here first S. Peter S. Paul S. Symon S. Ioseph or any other they not vnderstanding the brittish language nor any man writing they could not possibly vse or deliuer the seruice of the Church in that language our old brittish manuscript mentioned before saith the Manuscrip Brit. antiq de prima Institutione Eccles officij Church seruice which S. Marke vsed was also here in vse in Scotijs ac Britannijs Cursum qui dicitur praesenti tempore Scotorum beatus Marcus decantauit It testifieth further that S. Germanus S. Lupus S. Patrik and others vsed this seruice here both in Britayne and Scotlands when our Protestants confesse there was no errour in Religion Ipsum cursum decant auerunt Beatus Lupus Beatus Germanus S. Patricius in Scotijs ac Britannijs ipsum cursum decantauit And after them S. Vuandilocus ad S. Gomogillus who had 3000. monkes in his Monastery and S. Columban in whose time this Authour liued with others sent with him into Fraunce vsed euery where in Ireland and Scotland as also Britaine Fraunce Germany and Italy the same publik Church seruice in the latin tonge Beatus Vuandilocus Beatus Columbanus partibus Galliarum destinati ipsum decantauerunt And he deriueth this Church seruice from S. Marke shewing where and by whome it was vsed And it was Gildas in prolog apud Fecknam orat public in 1. parliamento Elizabethae Reginae iustified in open parlament the first of Queene Elizabeth by Abbot Fecknam out of S. Gildas in the prologue of his booke now suppressed by our Protestants but then extant that the same publik Church seruice which was vsed here in Queene Maryes time and now in the Catholike Church was brought hither and publickly deliuered here in the latin tongue in the generall conuersion of Britaine in King Lucius his time And that Gildas Gildas l. de excid conquest Brit. which Protestants propose vnto vs diuers times citeth the old Church seruice of Britaine in the latin tongue And the old manuscript antiquities of Glastenbury william of Malmesbury Capgraue Guliel Malmesb manuscrip lib. de antiquit caenob glaston in collego S. Benedict Cantabrig Antiquitat glaston tabulis fix Capgrau in S. Ioseph S. patric Galfrid monum l. 4. histor Brit. cap. 20. vlt. Matth. Westin chron an 186. Matth. Westin an 187. Galfrid l. 5. cap. 1. and others proue as much and more then Doctour Fecknam cited from S. Gildas For they speaking of the Religious men which S. Damianus and S. Phaganus placed at Glastenbury to be successours in place and profession to S. Ioseph of Aramathia and his associates there do plainely deliuer that as in other things these professed the same Religion order Church seruice and manner of life which S. Ioseph and his companie did so also as they did they come often euery day together into the old Church to say their diuine office which they brought from Rome with them and deliuered here in memoriam primorum ex suis socijs 12. elegerunt S. Damianus Phaganus in praefata Insula Rege Lucio consentiente habitare fecerunt qui in diuersis locis sicut Anachoretae manserunt ibidem in eisdem lucis inquibus prima 12. primitùs habitarunt in vetustam tamen Ecclesiam ad diuina obsequia deuotiùs complenda crebrò conuenerunt quotidiè And this latin publik Church seruice being the very same which had beene vsed at Rome from the Apostles time not changed at that time as all Catholiks and Protestants agree was planted and deliuered here not onely by these legates of Pope Eleutherius but by himselfe with the rest which his legates did here confirme restauratis omnibus redierunt Antistites Romani quae fecerant à beatisssimo Papa coÌ„firmari impetrauerunt Confirmatione facta reuersi sunt in Britanniam compluribus alijs comitati And if any Protestant will haue the Kings confirmatioÌ„ needfull our holy King then S. Lucius likewise confirmed this as the rest Glorio sus Britonum Rex Lucius chartis munimentis omnia communiuit THE XIII CHAPTER The 25. Article intituled of the Sacraments thus examined and condemned in all things contrary to Catholike doctrine THEIR next the 25. Protestant Article is intituled of the Sacraments And thus beginneth Sacraments ordained by Christ be not onely bages or tokens of Christian mens profession but rather they be certaine sure witnesses and effectuall signes of grace and Gods good will towards vs by the which he doth worke inuisibly in vs and doth not onely quicken but also strengthen and confirme our faith in him Hitherto ther appeareth no difference betweene these Protestants in this article and Catholiks for they decreeing that Sacraments be effectuall signes of grace that is in all true proper manner of speach signes which doe effect cause worke grace otherwise they be not effectuall signes of grace and that God worketh in vs inuisibly by them is as much as Catholiks professe wheÌ„ they define a SacrameÌ„t Sacramentum est visibile signuÌ„ inuisibilis gratiae A SacrameÌ„t is a visible or externall signe of inuisible grace giuen thereby And these Protestants declare theÌ„selues so Protest art 27. 28. infra farre plainely in both those they accept for SacrameÌ„ts Baptisme the Eucharist called by them the Supper of the Lord. In the first they manifestly confesse it and approue and practise baptisme of Infants who borne by them also in originall sinne cannot possibly haue remission thereof and grace but by their baptisme not able to vnderstand or haue any act of faith or other vertue Yet theâ—â— Art 27. decree is The baptisme of young children is in any wise to be retained in the Church as most agreable with the institution of Christ. So they doe or ought to speake of their other Sacrament confessing it was in the primatiue Church ministred sometimes to infants The difference betweene vs in this article is in that which thus followeth There are two Sacraments ordained of Christ our Lord in the Ghospell that is to say baptisme and the supper of the Lord. Those fiue commonly called Sacraments that is to say Confirmation Pennance Order Matrimony and extreame Vnction are not to be compted for Sacraments of the Ghospell being such as haue growne partly of the corrupt following of the Apostles partly are states of life allowed in the scriptures but yet haue not like nature of Sacraments with baptisme and the Lords supper for that they haue not any visible signe or ceremony ordained of God Hitherto this Protestant â—rticle denying those fiue Sacraments which the Catholike Church receaueth for such with the â—wo former baptisme
entered into Britaine which denied holy Vnction to be vsed in this Sacrament Negligant confirmationem habere olei sacri illinitionem And our English Protestants themselues by their owne most authorized and allowed proceedings haue doe condemne this their article doctrine in this point For first in the publike correctioÌ„ of their religion at Hampton court King Iames being present Conference at Hampton p. 10. 11. and consenting they thus decree Confirmation is an Apostolicall tradition That Confirmation deliuered by the Apostles is a SacrameÌ„t is proued before Secondly these Protestants confesse and decree that the order of Bishops hath euer beene in the Church from the Apostles time but these men not condemning all forrayne Protestants and in denying to Bishops onely power to make Preists and Clergy men leaue no act of Order peculiar and proper to them if they deny confirmation to be a Sacrament and by them onely to be ministred for all others are lawfully ministred by Priests noe Bishops And these our English ProtestaÌ„ts by the greatest power they haue haue set fourth and vse a publike forme and manner of ministring confirmation by them onely which they pretend to be Bishops among them In which they proue it in their proceedings and by the doctrine of this very article for supposing their opinion though false that holy Vnction is not necessary in this practise of Confirmation English Prot. Communion booke Titul ConfirmatioÌ„ Et tit Catechisme they requiring onely two things needfull to a Sacrament a visible signe or ceremony ordained of God and grace giuen thereby thus propose and practise both first they say and direct The Bishop shall lay his hand vpon euery childe seuerally And that in their Iudgment it is a signe and ceremony ordained Communion Booke supr §. alliuinghly of God and that grace is thereby giuen their pretended Bishops in ministring this to children thus proue wee make our humble supplications for these children vpon whom after the manner of the Apostles wee haue laide our hands to certifie them by this signe of thy fauour and gratious goodnesse towards them Therefore being a signe vsed by the Apostles giuing and certifying grace by this very article and their owne definition of a Sacrament before this of Confirmation must needs by their Religion be a Sacrament in the same degree as they allowe baptisme and the Eucharist to be This their communion booke is daily practized by them in all their Churches vsed both before and after these articles were ordained and at this present and supported and warranted with the greatest allowance their religion or any or point therein by their owne proceedings possibly can haue Queenes and Kings supremacy Parlaments Iniunctions Canons Conuocations publike approbation and practise of all their pretended Bishops or named Clergy men THE XII CHAPTER Pennance so called in this article and by Catholikes The Sacrament of Pennance was so iudged and vscd in this Apostolike age THâ— next SacrameÌ„t of the Catholike Church which this Protestant Article demeth to be such is the Sacrament of Pennance S. Ignatius in this Apostolike age giueth power vnto Pennance to bringe sinners both to the vnity of the militant Church on earth and inherite euerlasting life in heauen Obsecro vos quotquot poenitentia ducti redierint Ignat. epist ad Philadelph ad vnitatem Ecclesiae suscipite illos cum omni mansuetudine vt per bonitatem patientiam vestram resipiscentes ex diaboli laqueis digni iam Christo facti salutem consequantur aeternam in regno Christi And writeth how Christians were then bound to admonish and exhort sinners to pennance Oportet eos commonefacere ad poenitentiam cohortari si forte manus dent monitisque cedant S. Denis the Areopagite deliuereth the manner of penitents and pennance to haue beene then as the Catholiks now vse the penitent to kneele to the Preist and with sorrowe confesse his sinnes and the Preist by absolution to forgiue them and so iustifie the penitent sinner and greately reprehendeth one Demophilus for hindering it saying it was the order of discipline then Tu vt tuae literae indicant procedentem Dion epist aâ— Demophil ante med Sacerdoti impium vt ais peccatorem nâ—sâ—io quo pacto contra disciplinae ordinem astans calce abiecisti Adhuc cum ille quidem quod oportuit fateretur se ad peccatorum remedium quaerendum venisse tu non exhorruisti sed bonum Sacerdotem ausus es lacâ—rare conuitijs miserabilem eum dicens quòd poenitentem impium iustificasset S. Ignatius maketh it one of the IgnaÌ„t epist aâ— Heronem Sacraments ministred by Preists Baptizant sacrificant eligunt manus imponunt S. Clement setteth it downe for a tradition of S. Peter and the other Apostles to confesse all sinnes vnto the Pastours of their soules and to rceaue cure and remedy from them Si forte alicuius cor vel liuor vel infidâ—lâ—tas Clem. Rom. epâ—st â— vel aliquod malum ex his quae superius memorauimus latenter irrepserit non erubescat qui animae suae curam gerit confiteri haec huic qui praeest vt ab ipso per verbum Dei consilium salubre curetur And he addeth afterward from the mouth of S. Clem. Rom. sup epist 1. Peter Instruebat actus suae vitae omni hora custodire in omni loco Deum respicere firmiter scire cogitationes malas cordi suo aduenientes mox ad Christum allidere Sacerdotibus Domini manifestare S. Peters instruction was diligently to take knowledge euen of the euill cogitations of the hart and to confesse them to the Preists of God He saith in an other Constitut Apost l. 2. cap. 49. place that penance is like vnto baptisme Erit ei in locum lauachri impositio manuum He setteth downe the verie manner of enioyning penanc according to the qualitie of the sinnes committed dayes or weeks in fasting and penance Afflictum diebus Cap. 19. Ieiuniorum pro ratione peccati bebdomadas duas vel tres vel quinque vel septem dimitte dicens ei quaecumque conueniunt ad peccatorem corripiendum And he expoundeth those words of Christ in the ghospel of bynding and loosing of this Sacrament as others after him do Paenitentibus remissionem concedere oportet Cap. 21. Recognosce ô Episcope dignitatem tuam quod sicut ligandi potestatem accepisti sic etiam soluendi Obtinens igitur soluendi potestatem recognosce Pennancea Sacrament among the Britans tâ—ipsum secundum dignitatem loci tui in hac vita versare It was so generally a receaued truth here in Britaine that euen when our Protestant Antiquaries confesse our Christian Britans kept their first faith inuiolate the contrary was adiudged heresie and a King himselfe frequard summoned Hector Boeth l 9. Scotor Hist fol 179. Georg. Buch. l. 5. Rer. Scotir Reg. 52. and proceeded against for laughing at the Baptisme of
Infants and Confession of sinnes to Preists Notatus est aliquando risisse paruulorum Bap tisma peccatorumque ad Sacerdotis aurem confessionem Thus it is testified both by Catholike and Protestant Historians And our most auncient Brittish writers as S. hollinsh hist of Scut l pag. 112. Gildas speaking of this Sacrament the practise and vse thereof here in Britayne deduceth it from Christs words of bynding loosteing spokeÌ„ to S. Peter and the other Apostles Petro eiusque Successoribus Gild. l. de excid cap. 26. dicit Dominus tibi dabo claues Regni Coelorum Itemque omni sancto Sacerdoti promittitur quaecumque solueris superterram erunt soluta in caelis quaecumque ligaueris super terram erunt ligata in caelis Our learned Britan the old Archbishop of Orleance Ionas Aureliensis testifieth the auncient deuotion to this Sacrament was such that both Preists and penitents wept in the ministring thereof and giueth instance in S. Eustachius Ionas aurel in vit S. Eustachij cap. 1. so weeping when penitents confessed their sinnes vnto him that he caused them also to weepe Quoties illi aliquis ob recipiendam paenitentiam lapsus suos esset confessus ita flebat vt illum flere compelleret And this is so euident a truth that King Iames King Iames Confer at Hampton court with his Protestant Bishops and clergie in their publik examination of their Religion conclude this point in these words That the particular and personall absolution from sinne after consession is Apostolical and a very godly ordinance And this is no new thing in their Religion but a new approbation of their doctryne herein against their puritans for their communion booke elder then these Articles and at this time the most practicall and allowed Rule which they haue doth giue direction both for confession of syns and absolution from them in the very same words which Catholik Preist vse in this Sacrament The sikpersou Engl. Protest communion Booke Titul visitation of the Sike shall make a speciall confession if he feele his conscience troubled with any weightie matter After which confession the Preist shall absolue him after this sort Our Lord Iesus Christ who hath left power to his Church to absolue all sinners which truely repent and beleeue in him of his greate mercy forgiue thee thyne offences and by his authoritie committed to me I absolue thee from all thy syns in the name of the father and of the Sonne and of the holy ghost Amen Here is all which this Article requireth to a Sacrament a visible or externall signe or ceremonie as is Manifest and this ordeined of God both because this communion booke saith it was left by Christ the sonne of God to his Church so to befor euer as is Church shall be euer forgiuing sinnes and giueing grace which no visible or externall signe or ceremony but such as is ordained of God to such end and purpose can do This power is pretented to be giuen to euery minister among them when their Protestant Bishop maketh him by laying his hands vpon him saying these words receaue the holy ghoste whose Protest Booke of consecration Articul 36. inf sinnes thou forgiuest they are forgiuen and whose sinnes thou doest retayne they are retayned Thus hath the Protestant manner of consecration in their booke thereof approued in these Articles in as ample manner as any thing in their Religion And if their consecration were true and lawfull if they could not minister this as a Sacrament they could do nothing at all this being the power that is pretided to be be giuen vnto them at that time and nothing els in playne and expresse termes at the least in so manifest true meaning and construction THE XV. CHAPTER Holy Orders contrary to this Article was vsed and held à Sacrament in this first age AND by this sufficiently appeareth also that both by the doctrine practise and authoritie of this Apostolike age and their owne Protestant cheifest grownds and proceedings how vntruely this Article denyeth in the next place that holie Orders is a SacrameÌ„t for it is manifest before that both by the Apostostolik men of this time and their owne profession and confession it hath all things needfull to a Sacrament a visible externall signe or ceremonie ordained by God giuing grace and extraordinarie spirituall power and itselfe by that consecration also giueth grace in other Sacraments which cannot be ministred without it either by Catholike Religion or our Protestants practise and profession Noe terrene and earthly power may or can performe the duties and offices of that gratious and spirituall function This is the plaine and euident testimonie of the blessed Fathers of this time S. Clement euen in the words of the Apostles maketh preishood more excellent then the Regall power and dignitie for that he ruleth soules an this the bodies And is so farre from our Protestant courses in making holie preisthood treason that he maketh it an offence Clem. Rom. l. 2. constitut Apostol c. 2. deseruing greater punishment to do wrong to Preists then temporall Princes Si Reges inuadens supplicio dignus iudicatur quamuis filius vel amicus sit quantò magis qui Sacerdotibus insultat Quantò enim Sacerdotium Regno est excellentius cùm regendarum animarum officio praefit tanto grauiori supplicio punitur qui aduersus id aliquid temerè fecerit quam qui aduersus Regnum The like and more vrgent hath S. Ignatius Ignat. epist ad Smyrnen Honora Deum vt omnium Authorem Dominum Episcopum verò vt Principem Scaerdotum Imaginem Dei referentem Dei quidem propter Principatum Christi verò propter Sacerdotium Honorare oportet Regem neque enim Rege quisquam praestantior aut quisquam similis illi in rebus omnibus creatis neque Episcopo qui Deo consecratus est pro totius mundi salute quicquam maius in Ecclesia Sacerdotium est omnium bonorum quae in hominibus sunt apex qui aduersus illud facit non hominem Ignominia afficit sed Deum Christum Iesum primogenitum qui natura solus est summus Sacerdos And they ascribe this extraordinarie dignitie and excellencie of sacred preisthood to their supernaturall chaunge and grace bestowed miraculously vpon them in their consecration and by vertue of that holy Sacrament no other reason to be giuen of so wonderfull an alteration and preminencie as both the holy Fathers in the common construction of the Church of Christ and the light of nature assuer vs that men so lately and euer before their consecration were but as other men and now nothing externally chaunged should by Gods decree ordinance be eleuated vnto and endowed with so incomparable honour power grace and vnquestionable priuiledges onely the Sacramentall grace performeth it say these holy Fathers as it doth the like in the holy Eucharist and Baptisme Eadâ—m vis etiam Sacerdotem augustum
Preist is to offer Sacrifice and Minister other Sacraments and Deacons are to Minister vnto them in such holie mysteries and so must needs haue power giuen them accordingly in their consecration and this was so with the Apostles and Ignat. epistol ad Heronem Diaconum the first Preists and Deacons Sacâ—rdotes sunt Tâ— verò Diaconus Sacerdotum Minister Baptizanâ— sacrificant manus imponunt tu verò illis ministras vt Sanctus ille Stephanus Iacobo presbyteris qui Epistol ad Trallian erant Hierosolymis Oportet Diaconos mysteriorum Chtisti ministris per omnia placere nec enim ciborum potuum ministri sunt sed Ecclesiae Dei administratores Ipsi itaque tales sunt at vos reueremini illos vt Christum Iesum cuius vicarij sunt Episcopus Typum Dei Patris omnium gerit presbyteri verò sunt consessus quidam coniunctus Apostolorum chorus Sine his Ecclesia electa non est nullasine his Sanctoruâ— congregatio nulla Sanctorum electio Quid Sacerdotium aliud est quam sacer caetus consiliarij assessoreâ— Episcopi Quid verò Diaconi quà m imitatores Angelicarum virtutum quae purum inculpatum ministerium illi exhibent vt sanctus Stephanus beato Iacobo Timotheus â—nius Paulo Anacletus Clemens Petro Qui igitur his non obedit sine Deo prorsus impurus est Christum contemnit constitutionem eius imminuit S. Martial deliuereth plainely a cheife and principall cause of the honour and excellencie of this Sacrament of holie Orders because among other eminencies thereof Bishops and Preists offer and Deacon assist them therein the most holie sacrifice of Christs bodie and blood vpon an holie Altar the very same which the Iewes did by malice offer Martial epist ad Burdegal cap. 3. when they crucified Christ Sacerdotes honorabatis qui decipiebant vos sacrificijs suis qui mutis surdis statuis offerebant Nunc autem multò magis Sacerdotes Dei omnipotentis qui vitam vobis tribuunt in calice viuo pane honor are debetis Christi corpus sanguinem in vitam aeternam offerimus Quod Iudaei per Inuidiam immolauerunt putantes se nomen eius à terra abolere nos causa salutis nostrae in ara sanctificata proponimus scientes hoc solo remedio nobis vitam The Britanâ— here so held praestandam mortem effugandam hoc enim ipse Dominus noster iussit nos agere in sui commemoratioâ—em This was also the doctrine of our first Christian Gildas l. de excid conq Britan. c. 26. manuscript antiq de tit S. Patricij Capg in cod Giâ—ald Caâ—mb Britans Their Preists were consecrated to offer the heauenly Sacrifice at the holie Altar They conseâ—rated Christs bodie and blood with their mouthes â—roprio ore And of all the people in the world as â—heir Antiquities witnes they most honoured clearâ—ie men in such respects Ecclesiasticis viris longè â—agis quà m vllaÌ„ gentem honoreÌ„ deferentes Their Bishops were consecrated with holie Chrisme imposition in descript cambr c. 18. of hands and consecrating words in consecratione Pontificum capita eorum sacri Chrismatis infusione perungere cum Inuocatione sancti Spiritus manus impositione The hands of Preists were consecrated Gild. l. de excid Britan. in castigatione Cleri to offer and handle the blessed Sacrifice Benedictione initiantur Sacerdotum manus S. Paule in diuers places proueth it giueth grace so making it a true and proper holie Sacrament Noli negligere 1. Timoth. 4. gratiam quae in te est quae data est tibi cum impositione manuum presbyterij And admoneo te vt resuscites 2. Timoth. 1. gratiam Dei quae est in te per impositionem manuum mearum And Christ himselfe by his owne example and testimonie S. Iohn the Euangelist so recording affirmeth that the holie ghost and power to forgiue sins were giuen in this Sacramentall ceremonie Io 20. Accipe Spiritum fanctum quorum remiseritis peccata remittuntur eis And it is the witnesse of God that holie Orders is the worke of the holie ghost Dixit Spiritus sanctus Segregate mihi Saulum Act. 13. Barnabam in opus ad quod assumpsi eos Tunc iâ—iunantes orantes imponentesque eis manus dimiserunt illos It is confessed by the greatest Protestant authoritie in England of King Protestant Bishops K. Iames and his protest publike conference at hampton court Couell def of hooker p. 87. and others their best scollers in their publike examen of their Religion That this power of Orders giuen as they pretend by imposition of hands Iâ— diuinae Ordinationis and de iure diuino The ordinâ—â—ce of God and by his diuine lawe To these persons Gâ—â— imparted power ouer his mysticall bodie which is â—â— societie of soules and ouer that naturall which is himself Mod. exâ—minaâ— pag. 105. 155. def of hooker pag. which antiquitie doth call the making of Christ body The power of the ministry by blessing visâ—â— elements it maketh them inuisible grace giueth 87. 88. 91. daily the holy ghost it hath to dispose of that flesh which was giuen for the life of the world and that blood which was powred out to redeeme soules It is a power which neither Prince nor potentate King nor Caesar on earth can giue The Apostles did impart the same power to ordayne which was giuen to them And in their publikly authorized Rituall and Protest Booke of Consecrat in Order Bish. and Preists booke of consecration or making Protestant Bishops and Preists warranted by their parlaments in these very Articles and their generall practise in ordayning all their Church men it is diuers times and plainely confessed both by words and actions that the holy ghost grace and power to giue grace and forgiue sinnes is infallibly giuen Protest confat hampton Communion Booke Titul visitat of the sike by the externall signe or ceremony vsed therein And both their publike conference and examen of their Religion and the common booke of their Church seruice do proue and giue warrant from hence from their ministers to forgiue sinns by such power committed to them from God in their ordination Therefore if there be any ground or warrant for the Protestant Religion of England or any one point or article thereof though but such as they pretend for the proposers and authorizers thereof whether Protestant Prince parlament conuocation canons Articles the publik bookes and practise thereof or whatsoeuer els they can name in this kinde holie Orders and preisthood so vehemently persecuted by them is by their owne doctrine and Religion an holie Sacrament in such proper true sense and meaning as it is vsed in the Romane Church at this time and euer was They were the Messaliani or Massaliani Euchitae or Enthusiastae heretiks about the Damascen de haeresib hist tripart l. 7. Theod. l. 4 c 11.
receaued this Sacrament reserued when extreame vnction was ministred vnto them And one of their most auntient antiquities carrying with it our Protestants approbation doth witnesse that the primatiue Christian Britans did publikely â—â— Euery Masse worship and pray vnto Christ present in this Sacrament this hath our Protestants translation Hereof singe Gods seruants at euery Masse Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi miserere nobis That is in our speach Thou lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world haue mercy vpon vs. And thus I end this their many braunched Article THE XIX CHAPTER The 26. and 27. Articles examined and Protestant doctrine in or by them condemned THeir next Article being the 26. by their numbring them is thus intituled Of the worthiâ—es of the ministers which hinder not the effect of the sacraments The whole Article followeth in these All though in the visible Church the euill be euer mingled with the good and sometime the euill haue cheife authoritie in the ministration of the worde and sacraments yet for asmuch as they do not the same in their owne name but in Christes and do minister by his commission and authoritie we may vse their ministerie both in hearing the word of God and in receiuing of the sacraments Neither is the effect of Christes ordinance taken away by their wikednesse nor the grace of Gods guifts diminished from such as by faith and rightly do receiue the sacraments ministred vnto them which be effectuall because of Christs institution 〈◊〉 promise allthough they be ministred by euill men Neuerthelesse it apperteyneth to the discipline of the Churche that inquirie be made of euill ministers and that they be accused by those that haue knowledge of their offences and finally being founde gyltie by 〈◊〉 Iudgment be deposed Hitherto this Article in which there it not any one proposition or sentence against the doctrine of the Romane Church and Catholike Religion but rather a graunte and confirmation thereof 〈◊〉 a renowncing of Protestant profession and proceedings in diuers particular poyntes and some most materiall As declaring that in the visible Church the euill be euer mingled with the good they confesse the Church to be euer and indeâ—ectible And so Luther Caluyn Cranmar King Henry 8. with his daughter Queene Elizabeth or whomsoeuer els they will or can make the first publisher or aduancer of their doctrine separating themselues and being separated and cutt of from that visible true Church which was then generally so held this their Protestant congregation and Religion takeing Originall being from thence cannot possibly be the true Church and Religion of Christ And in making the true Church euer visible they must needs make their association or prerended companie eúer inuisible and so nothing vntill these dayes and condemne those their brethren Protestants who knowing their new fraternitie was neuer vntill those late times haue mathematically framed in their Imagination a new straung chimericall Inuisible vnbeeable and vnpossible Church Agayne professing that Preists the Ministers of Sacraments do Minister them in Christes 〈◊〉 by his commisson and authoritie they sufficiently confesse that if Christ omnipotent could and did consecrate breade and wyne into his body and blood forgiue sinnes and giue grace in sacraments truely consecrated Preists haue that power and do the same And affirming The sacraments to bâ— effectuall because of Christes Institution and promise â—either is the effects of Christes ordinance takâ—n away nor the grace of Gods guists diminished by the wikednesse of ministers They proue what the Catholiks holde in these things and Protestants cammonly deny Their last clause of Discipline in the Church making but one true visible Church and their congregation being as before no part thereof depriueth them of all such discipline as they haue already spoyled themselues of the pure worde of God preached and Sacraments duely ministred vnseparable signes and properties of the true visible Church by their 19. Article and thereby want all things which by their owne confession are euer founde in and belonge vnto the Church of Christ The 27. Article intituled of baptisme hath no thing contrary to Catholik Religion But the last clause thereof is against their 6. Article before that nothing is to be beleeued as an Article of faith or to be thought requisite necessarie to saluation that is not read in nor may be proued by scriptures And in this place thus they decree The Baptisme-ef yong Prot. Articl 27. children is in any wise to be retayned in the Church as most agreable with the Institution of Christ In this whole Article before they make Baptisme in all requisite necessarie to Saluation So they do iâ— Protest communion Booke Tit. Baptisme Protest Conference at hampton Court. their communion booke in the administration thereof and in the reuewe of their Religion â—â— Hampton court thus they define That baptisme to be ministred by priuate parsons in tyme of necessitie is an holie tradition And so they vse in their common practise and Baptise Infants both by their ministers and others men and women especially my dwiues instructed how to Baptisme in time of Engl. Protest in feild Bookes of the Church pag. 239. and others necessitie Yet with publik consent and allowanâ—â— thus they write and publish Baptisme of Infants â—â— â—â—â—ed a Tradition because it is not expressely deliuered iâ— stripture that the Apostles did baptize Infants nor 〈◊〉 expresse precept there founde that they should so do Tâ—â—t the holy Fathers of the first age held Baptisme Supr in articul 6. of Infants for an vnwritten tradition I haue spoken before And S. Clement doth giue comâ—â—â—nd Clem. Rom. lâ—b 6. constit Apostolic cap. 15. Dionys Areopag Ecclesiast Hierarch cap. 7. concil mileuit cap. 2. Chrisostom homil de Adam Eua. Augustin cont Donat. l. 1. cap. 23. Epiphan Aug. alij de haeres Innocent 1. epist concil African cap. 77. concil Carthagin 5. cap. 6. Hect. Boeth Scot. hâ—st l. 9. Georg. Buchan Rer. scot l. 5. Reg. 52. holinsh hist of Scotland in Fâ—equard pag. 112. to haue it obserued Baptizate vestros pueâ—â—◠〈◊〉 S. Denys the Areopagite affirmeth it was so vsed Pueri qui necdum possunt intelligere diuiâ—â— sacri hapti smatis participes fiant And shewâ—â—gâ— how others answeare and promise for them 〈◊〉 prâ— ipsiâ— abrenunâ—iant sanctaquâ— ineunt faedera 〈◊〉 iâ— an holy tradition sanctam traditionem 〈◊〉 S. Chrisostome and others testifie generally in the whole Catholik Church in all places Praediâ—â—t Ecclesia Catholica vbique diffusa debere parâ—â—â—â—â— Baptizari prepter originalâ— peccatum And they were Nouatian Pelagian such condemned Hâ—retiks which at any time called this holy tradiâ—â—on and custome into question So it was here â—â— Britayne which though it was Mother and Noble longe time to pelagius the Archeretike wâ—o among other his damned Errours denyed the Baptisme of Infants yet it so much detested among tâ—â— rest this his obsurd Inuention that it
secundum ordinem Melchisedech And they as manifestly testifie that this euer continuing Sacrifice vnder the formes of bread and wine should be the bodie and blood of the Messias offered by the Preists of his lawe Panis quem dat omnibus ipse Rabbi Moses Hadarsan com ps 39. est caro eius dum gustatur panis conuertitur in carnem erit hoc mirabile magnum An other saith sacrificium quod fiet ax vino solum Rabbi Cahana ad ca. 49. Gen. transmutabitur in substantiam sanguinis Messiae sed etiam conuertetur in substantiam corporis eius in sacrificio quod fiet ex pane non obstante quod album sit velut lae conuertetur substantia in substantiam corporis Messiae erit que in ipso sacrificio substantia sanguinis Ernnt item in sacrificio vini sanguis caro Messiae Rabbi Barac in Ecclesiast Rabb Iud. ad c 28. num Rabbi Sim. Bor. Ioan. l. Reuel Secret eadem crunt in pane Rabbi Iudas saith transmutabitur ex substantia panis cum sacrificabitur in substantiam corporis Messae qui discendit de coelis idem ipse erit sactificium An other writeth Messias erit placenta frumenti in terra And Rabbi Salomon witnesseth that generallie the Rabbinesse magistri nostri exposuerunt did so expounde these words in the 72. psalme Erit placenta frumenti interra in vertice montium And that this miraculous chaunge in this sacrifice should be made by the power of the sacrificing Preist words by Gods extraordinary assistance Tunc Deus misericordia implebitur virtute ingenti sanctorum verborum quae ab ore Sacerdotium manabunt illud Sacrificium quod in vnoquoque altari celebrabitur in corpus Messiae conuertetur And accordingly they deliuer how vnspotted the liues of our Preists should be which thus offer Christs body and blood in sacrifice Qualis debeat esse Sacerdotis Rabbi Nehumias epist arcanor vita hoc sacrificium pertractantis Dominus ipse insinuat cum de nostri temporis sacrificio consecrantis qualitate ita leuit 21. capite inquit sanctificabis eum quia Carnem Dei tui ipse â—st vel erit sacrificans This auncient Rabbines Testimonies being so plaine and pregnant for transubstantiation of bread and wine into the body and blood of the Messias in this holy Sacrifice as protestants haue confessed before and their words themselues so euident that no Catholike or Romane writer can set it downe in more manifest or expresse termes make also the contradictory of this Article a clearely and vndeniably true To take exception to those authorities would be grosse and foolish rashnesse for first as I haue proued already and shall hereafter they agree with the Apostolike doctrine of this first age and the vniuersall Church of Christ Secondlie if they had beene counterfaite being in Hebrewe and extant in the libraries of the Iewes they were most like to be counterfaite by them but this had beene to condemne themselues Noe Christian coulde inuent and place them in their libraries There could not be the least suspition of such Inuention for they were vulgarly published to the Christian world longe before the beginning of the Caluinian Sacramentarie Religion or other impugners of this most honorable Sacrifice and so receaued allowed and approued both by the greatest spirituall Petr. Gallot praefat in l. de Arcanis fid cath and temporall authoritie euen of the Emperour giuing both power meanes and allowance for the searching fourth publishing and receauing those antiquities And Rabbi Samuel Marochianus in his booke of the coming of the Messias de aduentu Messiae receaued Rabbi Samuel Morachian lib. de Aduentu Messiae c. 19. by all and doubted of by none doth inuincibly proue and demonstrate the same by manie Scriptures as the Iewes reade and allow them He proueth it from the 109. psalme and other Scriptures prouing that the sacrifice of the Messias in the forme of bread and mine and his Preisthood after the order of Melchisedech being to succeede the sacrifice and Preisthood of AaroÌ„ were promised to endure for euer and not to cease as those of Aaron were to cease and ceased when the euer during sacrifice and Preisthood of the Messias were instituted Attende quanta sit differentia inter sacrificium Psal 109. Aaron Iustiistius Domini Dixit Dominus Domino meo tu es Sacerdos in aeternum non adtempus sicut Aaron Item sacrificium Aaron fuerunt carnes sacrificium illius iusti Dominifuit panis vinum secundum ordinem Melchisedech In quibus verbis Dominus per Prophetam ostendit manifestè quoniam sacrificium Aaron finiretur quando inciperet sacrificium in pane vino aeternaliter duraturum eum Aaron noÌ„ sit data aeternitas in Sacerdotio ficuti Sacerdoti Christo He there proueth that if that promise of eternitie in Sacrifice and Preisthood haue beene made by God to Moyses which he made to the Messias or Christ the sacrifice and Preisthood of Moyses lawe had beene eternall as those of Christs be by that promise Si Deus dixisset nostro Moist sicut dixit per os Dauid Messiae siue Christo Tu venies Sacerdos in aeternum secuÌ„dum legem Myosi Aaron staret illa lex sed dixit tues Sacerdos in aeternum secundum ordinem Melchisedech This he proueth also from Moyses in the 26. chapter of Leuiticus that the Sacrifice of the Messias and his Preistood after the old Order of Melchisedech being established and published those of Aaron weÌ„re to end Ad hoc sonat verbum Moysi cum Leuit. ca. 26. dixit comedetis vetustissima veterum per quod intelligit sacrificium Melchisedech Et iterum nobis superuenientibus id est nouae legis sacrificio publicato vetera scilicet vestra proijcietis He proueth it from Rabbi Samuel supr c. 20. Leuiticus cap. 23. Exodus cap. 25. numeri cap. 21. Where the sacrifice in breade wine is set downe and prefigured He proueth it from Salomon his words which the Prouerb c. 9. Apostle vseth Hoc sacrificiuÌ„ vini cum aqua mixtum pâ—â—cherrimè aptè describit Salomon Propheta in libro prouerbiorum cap. 9. cum dicit Sapientia altissima communicauit sacrificium suum miscuit vinum suum parauit mensam Quis est paruulus veniat ad me insipientes comedent panâ—m meum bibent vinum meum temperatum aqua Quid mensa parata sapientiae altissimi nisi altare Quid panis viuum mixtum nisi sacrificium de pane vino de aqua quod sit in altari not abiliter dicit Panem suum vinum suum perid enim innuit hoc Sacrificium gratum esse Deo quod ad istud conuinium tam diuinum spirituale non vocauit patres nostros qui erant sapientes in lege qui erant occupati in sacrificio legis quod etiam carnale sacrificium Rabbi Samuel
Deacons and of women incapable of such degrees are not commaunded in Gods lawe ynto them before they voluntarilie vowe that holie state Yet none but monstrous men doe or can thinke but their vowes being so made doe binde then Thirdly whereas the lawe of God and these men in their publike practicall of Religion doe say that true Marriage is holy Matrimony an honorable estate Protest communioÌ„ booke Tit. Matrimony §. dearely c. instituted of God signifying vnto vs the mysticall vnion which is betweene Christ and his Church which holy estate Christ adorned and beatisied with his presence and first miracle The so called Marriage of Protestant Bishops Preists and Deacons was not such in the reigne of Queene Elizabeth by their owne lawes but quite contrarie the children betweene such men and women termed their wyues were not legitimate could not inherite either lands or honour from such a Father the Father being a gentleman the sonne could not giue his Armes but with a bend Sinister a testimony of bastardie nor inherite anie lands he had The woman had noe dower by their lawes giuing it to all lawfull wyues So that in these pretended lawfull Marriages there was nothing by their owne proceedings which belongeth to the lawfull holy honorable matrimonie the pretended husbands were fornicarious concubinaries their women harlots concubines all their children bastards and illegitimate and in this opprobrious shamefull condition though tolerated without further punishment they continued vntill King Iames after 44. yeares age Statute of King Iames for marriage of minist of their ReligioÌ„ by his Parlament lawe made such Bargaines men women and their children legitimate or not vnlawfull among English Protestants 4. The Protestant lawes and Religion of England haue not taken away or disabled the Canon lawe in which they freelie confesse the Marriage of all such men is forbidden and condemned further ther Stat. in Parliam 1. Eliz. An. 1. Iacobi it is contrarie to the lawe of God as in this point it is not but most conformable vnto vs as is euident before and shall be made most manifest hereafter Therefore these Protestants supplying those places of Bishops Preists and Deacons may not yet lawfullie marrie in their owne Iudgments and proceedings nor by the lawe of God in holie Scriptures themselues by their exposition of them For first it is euident in Scripture in manie places that the virginall Matth. 19. 11. 1. Corin. 7. 8. Apoc. 14. 4. 1. Reg. 21. Is 25. 1. Cor. 7. Ieuit. 20. Luc. 1. exod 19. Mat. S. Marc. 9. Luc. 14. c. Prot. art 6. and chaste life in respect of Religion is to be preferred before marriage and cleargie men by the same lawe being Pastours guides teachers light and example to others and called to the greatest perfection it is most needfull for them therefore if the 6. Protestant article decreeth truelie that things read in scripture or proued thereby are articles of faith and requisite necessarie to saluation they may not by Scripture allowe Bishops Preists and Deacons or any of them to marrie either by their owne discretioÌ„ which this Article contendeth or by their pretended Bishops allowance by their Iniunction noe Protestant Article or IniuctioÌ„ can be of greater authoritie then the lawe of God Christ himselfe our high Preist and Sacrifice a most pure Virgin and sonne according to his humanitie of the most immaculate Virgin who often in holy Scripture calleth vpon all Preists to followe him And promising to heare the petition of all that duely aske calleth vpon vs embrace Virginitie Sunt eunuchi qui Matth. 19. seipsos castrauerunt propter regnum caelorum Qui potest capere capiat He telleth vs by his Apostle virginitie and chastitie are more pleasinge to him and better for them that serue him especially in sacred functions then the married life Dico non nuptis viduis 1. Cor. 7. bonum est illis si sic permaneant sicut ego Qui sine vxore est solicitus est quae Domini sunt quomodo placeat Deo Qui non iungit matrimonio virginem suam melius facit And these virgins be they which followed Apocal. 14. Christ in this life and doe soe in heauen Hi sunt qui cum mulieribus non sunt coinquinati Virgines enim sunt Hi sequuntur agnum quocunque ierit This chastitie could not soe virginallie and perpetuallie be kept by the Preists of Moyses lawe being onely of one tribe the tribe of leui and so could not be without marriage to keepe a successioÌ„ in that tribe yet although their Sacrifices and seruing God were then vnperfect in respect of those in the lawe of Christ and they serued not continuallie in the temple and at the altare as Christian Preists daylie doe but by their turnes and succeeding times yet when their times and turnes of seruing in the temple came they left their wyues aâ— Leuit. 21. 1. par 23. Luc. 1. Exod. 19. their contrie howses in their tribe and they in Hierusalem during their time of sacrifice and seruicâ— there performed it in holy chastity euen from theiâ— wyues And after knowledge of their wyues before they might serue at the altar were to be sanctified ne appropinquetis vxoribus was in some cases generally commaunded No Preist might marrya dishonest woman Scortum vile prostibulum non ducet vxorem nec eam quae repudiata est a marito quia consecratus est Deo suo panis propositionis offert sit ergo sanctus quia ego sanctus sum Dominus qui sanctifico vos The high Preist might Marrie none but a virgin Virginem ducet vxorem Neither was it lawfulâ— in that vnperfect figuratiue and marrying lawe either for Preist or other euen in need not chaste to eate things sacrificed as in the rase of Dauid and his company coming to Abimelech the high â— Reg. 21. Preist for releife and succour who hauing nothing to releiue theÌ„ with but the sacrificed breade would not giue it vnto them but first examining them whether they had abstained from women si mundi sunt pueri maximè à mulieribus And Dauid answeared they were Et respondit Dauid Sacerdoti dixit ei quidem si de mulieribus agetur continuimus nos ab heri nudius tertius quando egrediebamur fuerint vasa puerorum Sancta And the Preists which did eate this sacrificied breade and other oblations were absent from their wiues seruing in the Tabernacle and temple at such â—imes in chastitie And S. Epiphanius saith thaâ— â—piphan Haer. 79. Moyses himselfe the giuer of that lawe did euer after he was called to be a Profete absteyne from his wife Postquam prophet auit moyses non amplius coâ—â—â—â—ctus est vxori non amplius liberos genuit habet enim vitam domino vacantem vacare autem domino non potest qui marits officio fungitur Therefore seing the Preists of the lawe though marryed
be true nor the liberty therein allowed lawfull but wantonly licentious and damnable THE XXV CHAPTER Tbe 33. 34. Articles examined an in whatsoeuer repugnant to the doctrine of the Church of Rome thus condemned THeir 33. next article intituled of excommunicate persons how they are to be auoided containeth nothing contrarie to the doctrine or practise of the Church of Rome as is manifest in these the verie words thereof That person which by open denuntiation of the Church is rightly cut of from the vnity of the Church and excommunicate ought to be taken of the whole multitude of the faithfull as an heathen and publican vntill he be openly reconciled by pennance and receaued into the Church by a Iudge that hath authority thereto Therefore I passe it ouer and come to the next 34. article intituled Of the traditions of the Church and followeth in these words It is not necessary that traditions and ceremonies be in all places one or vterly like for at all times they haue beene diuers chaunged according to the diuersity of contries times and mens manners So that nothing be ordained against Gods word Whosoeuer through his priuate Iudgment willingly and purposely doth openly breake the traditions and ceremonies of the Church which be not repugnant to the word of God and be ordained and approued by common authority ought to be rebuked openly that others may feare to doe the like as he that offendeth against the common order of the Church and hurteth the authority of the magistrate and woundeth the consciences of the weake brethren Hitherto this article seemeth to haue litle or no opposition to the Church of Rome but it may be passed ouer with silence The rest of it immediatelie thus followeth Euery particular and nationall Church hath authority to ordaine chaunge and abolish ceremonies orrites of the Church ordained onely by mans authority So that all things be done to edifying This clause is euidentlie false and prophane in itselfe for making euery particular Church many thousands such being in the world to be supreame iudge sentencer not onely to ordaine chaūge abolish ceremonies and rites of the vniuersall Catholike Church but to haue ouerruling authority to decree and commaund what is fit or fittest for edification taketh away all possible hope of edification and bringeth most certaine destruction confusion and desolation by making so many thousands of Supreame Iudges in these doubts as there be particular Churches which is a thinge most foolish and irreligious to affirme and vnpossible to be acted Further it is directly opposite repugnant to their owne 19. and 20. articles before of the Church and authoritie thereof In the 19. article they teach that all particular Churches euen the cheifest haue erred not onely in their liuing manner of ceremonies but also in matters of faith Therefore by these Protestants wee may neither admit so many or any one such erring false Iudge in such things Neither by their doctrine may wee stand to the censure of any particular nationall Church but onely of the one Catholike militant Church of Christ which as it is euer by that article of our Creede I beleeue the holy Catholike Artic. 19. Church holy and vnspotted from errour so by these men in the same article it is thus assigned to be our onely true Iudge in these affaires The visible Churcb of Christ is a congregation of faithfull men in the which the pure word of God is preached and the Sacramēts be dayly ministred according to Christs ordināce in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same And in their next article of the same one onely Church thus they decree in these words of the authority of the Church The Church hath power to decrecrites or ceremonies and authority in Controuersies of faith And their best writers haue published with their common and best allowance this sentence in this Question The primatiue Councels haue condemned Couell Mod. exam p. 65. them as heretikes onely for being stiffely obstinate in this kinde of denying the ceremonies of the Church They exemplifie thus in Aerius Aerius Feild l. 3. cap. 29 pag. 138. Couel exam pag. condemned the custome of the Church For this his rash and inconfiderate boldnesse in cōdemnig the vniuersall Church of Christ was iustly condemned The custome ceremonie and tradition which this heretike denied and was therefore by these men iustlie condemned was as they confesse naming the deade at the altare and offering the sacrifice of Eucharist for them This is but a ceremony by them because they contend it is not contained is scripture nor may be proued thereby as they likewise haue pretended for all other things which their Articles before haue reiected both in Sacraments and other doctrines and customes which I haue proued against them and doe leaue them as alterable ceremonies vpon that feeble and vaine pretence Vnder this pretence they haue taken away all our Missals or orders of holie Masse vsed in all Churches with their religious ceremonie from the Apostles time as I haue proued before So they haue done by all rituals and ceremonials about the ministring the Communion Booke and Booke of Consecrat of King Edu 6. Franc. Mason and the Prot. of their consecrat in Mat. Parker Prot. art 36 infra Stat. in parlamento an 2. Eduardi 6. holy Sacraments and brought in their places the childish and womanlie deuises of a named communion booke by yong King Eduard 6. and Queene Elizabeth and an other named and stiled by them The forme and manner of making and consecrating Bishops Preists and Deacons quite omitting all other orders euer vsed in all Churches from Christs time and these fashions neuer vsed before by their owne cōfession by anie Christian Britans Saxōs French or others in this Kingdome or all the world but to vse their owne words in these articles lately set fourth in the time of Eduard the sixt and confirmed at the same time by authority of Parlament the second yeare of the aforenamed King Edward He then being about eleuen yeares old a farre to yonge censurer Iudge and condemner of all Churches with their holie vniuersallie receaued ceremonies to bring in so straunge and childish an Innouation We are assured by the Apostolike men of this first age and others that euen from the Apostles there were manie particular ceremonies deliuered to be immutably vsed in all Churches Thus S. Clement and S. Dionisius the Areopagite Clem. Rom. Apost const lib. 8. cap. 29. Dion Areop Ecclesiastic Hierarc c. 2. with diuers others deliuer of hallowing oyle and water to heale diseases driue away deuils and and like effects settinge downe the verie manner how to sanctifie them Domine Deus Sabaoth Deus virtutum qui dedisti aquam ad bibendum oleum ad exhilarandum faciem in exultationem laetitiae ipse etiam nunc sanctifica per Christum hanc aquā oleum ex nomine eius qui obtulit tribue
ei vim sanandi depellendi morbum fugandi daemones expellendi insidias per Christum spem nostram And by Apostolike Alexander Pap. 1. epistol omnes orth authority commaunde those ceremonies especially of holy water to be perpetuallie vsed by Preists in all Churches aquam sale conspersam populis benedicimus vt ea cuncti aspersi sanctificentur purificentur Quod omnibus Sacerdotibus faciendum esse mandamus So auncient was this holie ceremonie of sanctifying water and salt so coÌ„tinuall generall and inuiolable which our Protestants themselues thus acknowledge Alexander Romanus aquam admixto Robert Barn l. de vit Pont. Roman in Alexandro 1. sale precibus benedicendam eamque in templo domi ad Satanam propellendum ad peccata tollenda seruari iussit So it was in hallowing the water of baptisme S. Clement and others deliuering the verie manner thereof deprecetur Sacerdos instante baptismo Et dicet Clem. const Apost l. 7. ca. 43 l. 8. c. 35. Aspice è Coelo sanctifica hanc aquam tribue gratiam vim qui baptizatur secundum mandatum Christi cum eo crucifixus commortuus consepultus consufutatus sit in adoptionem quae in eo fit vt mortuus quidem sit peccato viuat autem iustitiae There he deliuereth Cap. 42. also the forme and order of hallowing Chrisme to annoint the baptized Benedicitur oleum à Sacerdote in remissionem peccatorum There he deliuereth the abrenuntiation which was made before baptisme Abrenuntiatio sathanae Cap. 41. operibus eius pompis cultui Angelis machinationibus eius omnibus quae subipso sunt He deliuereth Cap. 23. ep 3. const Apost l. 3. c. 16. 10. Iustinus quaes 137. Missa S. Marci Clem. coÌ„st Apost l. 8. c. 12 Ciprianus ep 63. Miss S. Iacob Alexand. 1. ep 1. Iustin orat ad Ant. pium Ireneus l. 4. c. â—7 lib. 5. cap. 2 Dion Areop l. Eccl. Hier. c. 43. Clem. const Apost l. 3. c. 6. Ignat. epist ad Eph Iren. l 4 c. 20. c. 34. Euarist apud Burchar l. 1. cap. 27. Pius r. apud eund l. 5. c. 47 l. 3. c. 72. Tom. 1 conc c. Clem. can Apost 72. ep 2. the annointing of the baptized vnges oleo sancto caput eorum qui baptizantur siue viri sint siue mulieres It was Dominica Traditio the Tradition euen from Christ that in the chalice water should be mixed with the wine to be offered ne quid aliud fiat à nobis quà m quod pro nobis Dominus Priorfecerit vt calix qui in commemorationem eius offertur mixtus vino offeratur The Apostolike writers of this age assure vs there were altars and they consecrated to consecrate and offer vpon them the blessed and perpetuall sacrifice of Christs body and blood and how they were consecrated as now they are with holy oyle Diuini altaris consecrationem sanctissimorum mysteriorum lex sacratissimi vnguenti castissimis infusionibus perficit And deliuer the verie manner with incense and other ceremonies Pontifex vbi orationem sanctam super diuinum altare peregit ex ipso incensum adolere inchoans omnem plani ambitum circuit Demum ad sanctum altare iterum rediens psalmorum incipiens melos Qui verò ipsius ordinis praecipui sunt vnà cum Sacerdotibus sanctum panem benedictionis calicem sanctis altaribus imponunt So they write of chalices patens and veales hallowed vas aureum vel argenteum vel velum sanctificatum nemo amplius in suum vsum conuertat hoc enim fit contra ius contra leges So of the holie vestiments of Bishops Preists Deacons Subdeacons and others of the Cleargie Sacris induti vestimentis So our Protestants themselues Clem. ep 2. Anac ep 1. Robert Barnes l. de vit Pontif Rom. in Anacleâ—o confesse Anacletus Sacerdotem sacrificaturum ministros vestibus sacris indutos contestes custodes sibi adhibere ordinauit Episcopus verò vt plures ministros sibi in sacris faciendis adiungat I haue spoken of diuers others before and shall remember more in the 36. of consecration of Bishops and ministers hereafter And our auncient monuments are witnesses that as other nations so all the Churches of Britaine did in the Britans time receaue and followe these manners and ceremonies euen by authoritie of the Romane Church Omnes Britannicae Ecclesiae modum Manuscr an t in vit S. Dauidis Capgr Catal. in eodem regulam Romana authoritate acceperunt Therefore most certaine it is that euerie particular and nationall Church hath not against this article authority to ordaine chaunge and abolish such ceremonies or rites of the Churche as the Protestants of England haue done THE XXVI CHAPTER The 35. 36. articles intituled of homilies and of consecration of Bishops and ministers thus examined and condemned THeir next 35. article intituled of homilies doth onely receaue and allowe to be read in their Protestant Church 2. Bookes of homilies one set fourth in the time of King Eduard the sixt the other in the beginning of Queene Elizabeth her Reigne Of which the reader may easilie giue censure according to that is said and proued in the former articles for wherein soeuer either of those 2. bookes any homilie in them on anie part point or doctrine in anie one of them all doth differ from the first Apostolike Catholike true doctrine inuinciblie proued before those bookes homilies parcels or assertions of them are vtterlie to be reiected and renounced Which the verie times themselues of their publication the condemned erroneous dayes of that King and Queene and their Protestanâ— composers and publishers likewise condemned for their false teaching and writing doe manifest vnto vs. Their 36. article of Consecration of Bishops and ministers is thus The booke of consecration of Archbishops and Bishops and ordering of Preists and Deacons lately set for the in the time of Edward the sixt and confirmed at the same time by authoritie of parliament doth conteine all things necessary to such consecration and ordering neither hath it any thinge that of it selfe is superstitious or vngodly And therefore whosoeuer are consecrated or ordered according to the rites of that booke since the second yeare of the a forenamed King Edward vnto this time or here after shall be consecrated or ordered according to the same rites we decree all such to be rightly orderly and lawfully consecrated and and ordered Hitherto this article which in euery part thereof is fully confuted before in my Examination of their 23. Article intituled of ministring in the congregation Where I haue demonstratiuely proued that they neither haue any true lawfull Iurisdiction or ordination among them But to do a worke of Supererogation in this so much concerning the standing or ouerthâ—owe of our Protestants whole religion quite ouerthrowne by this one dispute if they haue no rightly orderly and lawfully consecrated Bishops Preists or Deacons I further thus
demonstrate First then if the decree of this Article as they terme it were to be accepted and receaued for a iust and lawfull decree yet the first Protestant Bishops Preists and Deacons in Queene Elizabeth her time from which all that now bee in England or haue beene since then cannot be saide to be rightly orderly and lawfully consecrated and ordered by this verie Article it selfe For that supposed booke of King Edward the sixt being abrogated and taken away by Queene Maryes lawes and not afterward receaued by the Protestant lawes of Queene Elizabeth vntill in thes Articles in the yeare of Christ Booke of Articl an 1562. 1562. as their date is Queene Elizabeth beginning her Reigne on the 17. day of Nouember in the yeare 1558. all their first pretended Bishops Preists and Deacons must needs be vnrightly vnorderly and vnlawfully made though by that booke of King Eduard because there was no Protestant Right Order or lawe to make or admitte any into such places by that booke not approued or allowed by any Protestant Right Order or lawe all that time Againe the first Protestant consecration or admittance of any to bee a Bishop by that booke or order in Queene Elizabeth her Reigne Franc. Mason of consecrat Registr Matt. Parkeri Butler ep de consecrat ministr Suâ—cl ag D. Kell pag. 5. was on the 17. day of December in her second yeare as they pretend from their Register of Matthew Parker But their owne both priuate and publike Authorities proue that both Matthew Parker their first Protestant Archbishop and others were receaued and allowed for Archbishops and Bishops long before that time Franciâ— Franc. Godwin catal of Bishops in Durham 58. Cutberth Tunstoll Godwyn a Bishop among them saith Matthew Parker was Archbishop of Canterburie in the moneth of Iuly before about 6. Months before their first pretended consecration one the 17. of December Stow their historian then liuing and writing Stow Histor in Queene Elizab. an eius 1. testifieth that the same Matthew Parker Barlowe Scorie and Grindall were allowed and receaued for Bishops in the moneth of August the 9. day in publik solemnities The publik Iniunctions Iniunction Elizab. Regin â—n 1. Regin Iniunct 8. 28. 30. 51 53. of that Queene stiled Iniunctions giuen by the Qâ—eenes Maiestie Anno Domini 1559. the first of the Reigne of our Soueraigne lady Quâ—ene Elizaheth proue the same in diuers Iniunctions No man can say thes were onely Bishops Elect and not perfectly allowed or admitted for true Bishops For by the Statut. an 25 Henr. 8. an 1. Elizab. c. 1. statute of King Henry 8. an 25. reuiued by Queene Elizabeth in her first parlament anno 1. cap. 1. consecration must be within twenty dayes of election And their common consent in their greate Theater of great Brit. l. 9. cap. 24. col 20. Theater is that they were compleately allowed Bishops coÌ„secrated as they tearme that allowance many moneths before D. Parker was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury and of yorke D. Yong in steade of Heath who refused the oath and so of others Then went forth commissioners to suppresse those monasteryes restored by Queene Mary to cast out Images Hollinsh hist of Engl. an 1. Elizabeth Iniunct of Q. Elizab. Iniunct 23. sette vpp in Cburches So hath Hollinshed with others So in that Queenes pulike Iniunctions Thes commissions and commissioners being thus after those Protestant Bishops made or allowed went out so soone that as their histories confesse the religious howses were suppressed Protestant ministers were putte into westminster in place of monks all Church Images were pulled Stowe and howe 's histor in an 1. of Q. Elizab. downe and to speake in their owne words on the euen of S. Bartholomew the day and the morrow after were burned in Paules Church yarde Cheape and diuers other places of the citie of London all the Roodes and other Images of the Churches in some places the coapes vestiments altar cloathes bookes banners Sepulchres and rood lofts were burned The verie Iniunctions Iniunct 8. 30. 51. testifie that there were compleately receaued for Bishops diuers moneths before that 17. day of December both in the See of Conterburie yorke and in the other Diocesses with ample and full Episcopall power Therefore thes pretended Bishops could not possibly bee made but onely by a womanly presumed vayne and frustrate authoritie in such things Neither could any Register called Parkers Register be so termed except he had beene accepted and reputed for Archbishop before And all the first Protestant citers of this Register whether Matthew Parker himselfe as it is alleadged in his booke stiled Antiquitates Britannicae Antiquitat Brit. Hanouiae 1605. Butler ep de consec minist Sutcliffe contr Kell Godw catal of Bish. canterbur in Mat. Parker alijs Franc. MasoÌ„ booke of cons c. as Doctour Butler Doctour Sutclisse their Bishop Godwyn and Frauncys Mason do differ one from an other in citing thereof And whereas the printed Booke of Parkers Antiquitates Britannicae is the first that mentioneth any such pretended consecration of him and the rest and the others seeme to borrowe this from thence In the old manuscript of that booke which I haue seene and diligently examined there is not any mention or memorie at all of any such Register or consecration of either Matthew Parker or any one of those pretended Protestant Bishops as the obtruded Register speaketh of Neyther was there any one of the pretended consecratours of Matthew Parker from whome all the rest do clayme ordination a true and lawfull Bishop by Protestant proceedings Thes they name vnto vs william Barlowe Franc. Mason booke of consecrat pag. 127. Iohn Scory Miles Couerdale Iohn Hodgeskins by these Matthew Parker was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury the seuententh day of December in the yeare 1559. Two of thes 4. namely Couerdale and Hodgeskins were neuer allowed for Bishops in all Queene Elizabeth her time as the same pretended Register the printed Antiquitates Britannicae Godwyne Mason and others of them confesse confessing also that the other two were but Bishops elect Barlowe elect of Chichester Scory elect of Hereford But all men graunt both Catholiks and Protestants that men onely elect Bishops not consecrated or admitted cannot consecrate Bishops much lesse an Archbishop Metropolitan And Scory had beene adiudged before publickly to be no Bishop And Barlowe if he had beene a true Bishop neither would nor could in his owne Iudgement consecrate a Bishop For as thes men acknowledge both this Barlowe and Couerdale also held this horrible opinion against Episcopall Order The names of blasphemie against the Lord and hiâ— Barlowe and Couerdale apud Bal. l. Image of both Church Christ What els is Pope Patriarke Metropolitane primate Archbishop Diocesan and such like but very names of blasphemy Here is not one true consecratour Yet thes men in their pretended ordination of Bishops necessarily require to the admitting oâ— any such
Bishop especially an Archbishop botâ— the presence concurrence of a lawfull true Archbishop and others such Bishops as their owne pretended Prot. forme and manner of making Bishops Preists and minist Tiâ—ul consecrat of Bishops in praefat Rite and booke of consecrating Bishops doth thus plainely expresse Then the Archbishop and Bishops sent shall lay their hands vpon the head of the elected Bishop the Archbishop saying Take the holy ghost c. And it proueth further in these words It is euident vnto all men diligently reading holy scripture and auncient Authours that from the Apostles time there haue beene thes orders of ministers in Christs Church Bishops Preists and Deacons Therefore to the intent thes Orders should be continued aâ—d reuerently vsed in the Church of England it is requisite that no man not being at this present Bishop Preist nor Deacon shall execute any of them except he be called tryed examined and admitted according to the forme hereafter following Which is that booke of King Edward the sixt receaued in this article and approued by their greatest warrants parlament Princes Supreamacie and publike practise among them And therefore howsoeuer either with by or without this booke forme and manner of King Edward their first Protestant pretended Archbishop Matthew Parker maker and allower of all such after as they freely confesse was made his making and admittance was frustrate inualid voide and of noe force by their owne censure and doome against themselues so of all others made by him no Bishop pretending or clayming that honour dignitie and office after by that vaine Idle and vnpossible Title to challendge to haue that or any other thing from him or them which neither had it for themselues or to giue to others And this I haue proued before from the Apostolike men of this age and from the Apostles themselues that a Bishop cannot bee consecrated but by true and vndoubted Bishops Episcopum mandamus Clem. const Apost l 3 c. 20. Anacl ep 2. Clem. const Apost l. 8. c. 33. ordinari à tribus Episcopis velad minus à duobus non licere autem ab vno vobis constitui And againe Episcopus à tribus vel duobus Episcopis ordinetur Si quis ab vno ordinetur Episcopo deponatur ipse qui eum ordinauit This is sette downe for an Apostolicall decree Now lette vs come to King Edwards booke so dignified in this article and particularily examine and disproue the validitie or sufficiency of that forme in euery point thereof And first whereas it maketh mention onely of Clem. const Apost l. 3. c. 11. l. 8. c. 21. 22. 28. ep 2. Ignat. ep ad Antioch ep ad Philadelphien ep ad Philippenses Anacl ep 2. Synod Rom. sub Syluestr c. 7. 11. Canis ep ad faelicem c. 6. Clem. const Apost l. 2. c. 61. Clem. Supr l. 8. const Apost c. 21. concil corth 4. c. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Bishops Preists and Deacons to haue beene in the Church from the Apostles time This holie time assureth vs of all other orders now vsed in the Catholike Church to haue beene also in those dayes in vse and practise Subdeacons Acolythists Exorcists Lectours and Ostiarij with their particular and seuerall offices duties consecration or admittance to those degrees and that no man might be a Bishop Preist or Deacon except he had first receaued those orders nifi prius fuisset lector deinde exorcista postea caperet onus Acolithi vt acciperet onus Subdiaconi deinde ad diaconatus honorem pertingeret By their consecration they were ordeined to assist and minister at the holie sacrifice of Masse a Subdeacon for the holie vessels calice paten cruetts Tribue ei spiritum sanctum vt vasa ad ministrandum tibi Domine Deus facta dignè attrectet An Acolithus to light candels and prepare and minister wine for the sacrifice of masse accipiat ceroserarum cum cereo vt sciat sâ— ad accendenda Ecclesiae luminaria mancipari accipiat vrceolum vacuum ad suggerendum vinum in Eucharistiam sanguinis Christi An exorcist receaued the booke of Exorcismes and power against deuils accipiat de manu Episcopo libellum in quo scripti sunt exorcismi dicente sibi Episcopo accipe commenda memoriae habeto potestatem imponendi manus super energumenos So of Lectour and Ostiarius All thes be wanting in this booke of King Edward and this Protestant Religion and all is wanting in it for which they were ordeined except deuils and possessed persons They may well want both them No true clergie man among Protestants of England and first no Deacon The English Prot. forme of making Bish. pr. and Deac Titul Deacons all Bishops Preists and Deacons also as they do For first their pretended booke of consecration giueth a Deacon onely authoritie to reade the ghospell in their Church for allthough their pretended Bishop layeth his hands one the heade of euerie such parson at his admittance to that office and sayeth vnto him Take thou authoritie to execute the office of a Deacon in the Church of God committed vnto thee Yet they presently interpret and limitte this office to be onely confined in reading the ghospell in thes words Take thou authoritie to reade the ghospell in the Church of God And such is their practise extending a Deacons office no further And they obstinatelie denie that he hath power or office to assist either Bishop or Preist in the holy Sacrifice of Christs blessed bodie and blood as that either Preist or Bishop may or can consecrate and offer the same We finde both the doctrine and practise of this first apostolike age to haue beene otherwise and the cheifest office of a Deacon as the very Greeke name it selfe still testifieth to be as Catholiks still vse it to minister vnto and assist thâ— Bishop or Preist in his holy Sacrifice So it is plainely witnessed in the old Masses and Miss S. Petri S. Iacobi S. Marci Clem. Const Apost l. 3. c. 20. l. 8. c 28. Missals ascribed to S. Peter S. Iames S. Marke and others S. Clement from the Apostles saith Diaconus ministret Episcopo Presbyteris oblatione ab Episcopo aut Presbytero facta ipse Diaconus dat populo non tanquam Sacerdos sed tanquam qui ministrat presbyteris And expresselie teacheth that it is the office and function of a Deacon thus to minister vnto Bishops and Preists this onelie or principally Diaconus L. 3. c. 20. sup ministret Episcopo Presbyteris id est agat Diaconum reliqua ne faciat And settinge downe the whole forme and Order of Masse sacrifice vsed and approued by the Apostles Bishops and Preists in his time euen from the beginning thereof vnto the end he bringeth in Deacons to performe their holie ministration and seruinge therein Praying to God to accept that Sacrifice Deaconus pronunciet Clem. supr l. 8. c. 19. Rogamus Deus Prodono oblato Domino
directly affirmeth Hebr. 7. v. 24. that as Christ and his Religion remayne for euer So must this is sacrificing preisthood be for euer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnchangeable perpetuall without offence or exception as thes Protestant lexicons do expound that Greeke adiect Therefore we may not giue such power to a ten yeares old Kings booke a womans Queene Elizabeths Articles or any power of Protestants or other one earth to make that mutable arbitrary to expire which Christ hath instituted to be vnchangeable perpetuall and neuer to cease And because we are enforced vpon this Protestant exception eyther to say there neuer was consecration of Preists in Christs Church vntill the deuising of this new Protestant forme and so thes men cannot clayme any from them that had it not for themselues or onely say thes Protestants haue none the true Catholike Church as they haue graunted before euer had true Blshops Preists and Deacons we are necessitated by thes mens owne proceedings and so many vnansweareble proofes and authorities singularily to exclude thes men from all true and lawfull preisthood and consecration And thes men must needs be the preistlesse people without Preist or sacrifice fore told and prophesied of as the famous auncient Fathers Hippolitus Methodius Method Peter lib. de reb quae ab initio mundi deinceps Hyppolyt lib. de consummat mund Anâ—ichristo and others haue recorded Tolletur honor à Sacerdotibus supprimetur mysterium Dei quie scet omne sacrificium ab Ecclesijs erunt Sacerdotes sicut populus in eodem tempore Ecclesiarum Aedes tugurij instarerunt pretiosumque Corpus Sanguis Christi non extabit in diebus tllis And by this not onely these Protestants forme and manner of making their pretended Preists or ministers but their pretended Bishops also is vtterly ouerthrowne For holy Preisthood being No true Bishop among Protestants to make Preists Deacons or giue orders or doe any Episcopall or Preistly act at all giuen by such meanes and wholly or principally to such effects acts and ends as I haue proued as no parsons but truely consecrated Preists can haue power to forgiue sinnes or minister Sacraments except onely baptisme a Sacrament of necessity in time of necessity and absence of Preists and so all pretended power of giuing the holy Ghost to forgiue sinnes or such pretended authority to Minister Sacraments presumed to be conferred to any others then truely consecrated Preists is frustrate voyde and to no purpose So a man not a truely coÌ„secratest Preist caÌ„not possiblely either by Catholike doctrine or these our Protestants in this and other their articles and their pretended booke and forme of consecration be truely and lawfully made a Bishop these men in these their most authorised proceeding in this matter not allowing or permitting any man to be a pretended Preist or minister with them but such as was allowed for a Deacon before nor any to be a preteÌ„ded Bishop with them which was not both admitted to be both a Deacon or Preist at the least by this their pretended forme and fashion so confuted in both those callings But forefull content I will particularly also breifely examine and confute this in like manner and demoÌ„strate that it is voyde inualid although the pretended consecratour or consecratours were true Bishops and the pretended consecrated true and lawfull both Deacons and Preists Thus it is set downe in this pretended forme of Prot. forme and manner of making cons Bish. pr. and Deacons in Bish. consecration The Archbishop and Bishops present shall lay their hands vpon the head of the elected Bishop the Archbishop saying Take the holy Ghost and remember that thou stirre vp the grace of God which is in thee by imposition of hands for God hath not giuen vs the spirite of feare but of power and loue and sobernes Then the Archbishop shall deliuer him the Bible saying Giue heed vnto reading exhortation and doctrine thinke vpon these things contained in this booke And the rest of that exhortation being onely a persuasion and admonition to doe well without any pretence of giuing Episcopall order or power at all And yet these men and this their forme and manner to make Bishops doe assure vs that the party whome they pretend to make a Bishop is so made by that first ceremony of hands and words then spoken or not at all For as it is cited from theÌ„ they name and take him to be onely elected Bishop at their laying on of hands And presently after that which I haue cited is endeed they call him the new consecrated Bishop in these termes Then the Archbishop shall proceed to the communion with whom the new coÌ„secrated Bishop with others shall also communicate But here is not any one singular or priuiledged thinge signe ceremony word or act that may by probable or possible meanes giue Episcopall order though the pretended coÌ„secratour or consecratours were the most lawfull and best Bishops in the world for in their owne proceedings except in number of Bishops which take not for a matter of necessity here is noe more done or said then was in their making of pretended Preists or ministers before for these the same were their ceremony and words which now The Bishop with the Preists present shall lay their hands seuerally vpon the head of euery one that receaueth orders the Bishop saying Receaue the holy Ghost Here is no materiall difference a Bishop is pretended consecratour in both a like except that they appoint an Archbishop to consecrate a Bishop and any other Bishop to make a Preist but this in their owne proceedings is no materiall point for they graunt their first pretended Archbishops Matthew Parker was made without any either true or pretended Archbishop The ceremony of laying on of hands is the same in effect for if in the consecrating of a Bishop some Preist or Preists with the consecrating Bishop should lay hands on the elect though this were a sinne in them yet it hindereth not consecration if all essentiall things be vsed The words spoken doe not differ in substance For all men knowe that the words receaue the holy Ghost Spoken to their preteÌ„ded Preist be as significant full and effectuall as Take the holy Ghost spoken to their pretended Bishop The words receaue and take differ not in force and signification The other words the holy Ghost and the holy Ghost be the same In both there is the same sentence and sense in our language in all coÌ„struction If we seeke construction from the words which immediately followe in both places wee shall rather finde that the words receaue the holy Ghost spoken to their preteÌ„ded Preists are of greater efficacy meaning being interpreted with the very same words wherewith Christ gaue the highest power of binding and lowsing to his highest Bishops and Apostles In the other pretended ordination of Bishops there is no power at all giuen but the partie onely put
in minde or admonished to styrre vp that gâ—ace which was in him before as they suppose in theâ— owne words Take the holy Ghost and remember 2. Timoth. 1. that thou stirre vp the grace of God which is in thee by impositioâ— of hands for God hath not giuen vs the spirit of feare buâ— of power and loue and sobernes The very same whicâ— S. Paul absent wrote to S. Timothy longe after he â—ad consecrated him Preist Admâ—neo te vt resusciteâ— gratiaÌ„ Dei quae est in te per impoâ—â—tioneÌ„ manuum mearum non enim dedit nobis Deus spiritum timoris sed virtutâ—s dilectionis sobrâ—etatis So to him in aâ—other place Noli negligere gratiam 1. Timoth. 4. quae in te est quae â—ata est tibi per prophetiâ—m cum impositione manuum pesbyterij And it must needs haue this signification ad reference to grace giuen before by impositioâ— of hands in a precedent consecration for this act â—f imposition of hands being in fieri doing and nâ— acted cannot possibly giue grace in any opiniâ—n â—hough it were in lawfull and true imposition anâ— câ—nsecration vntill it be acted and finished because it is not an acted and perfect act nor grace vntill then And this act still continueth after those words vntill all these for God hath not giuen vs the spirit of feare but of power and loue and sobernes be pronounced And grace is supposed here to be in that party before any mention of imposition of hands And both the Greeke Latine and their owne English word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 resuscites stirre vp the grace which is in the proue there is grace before if at all and not then giuen for none of those words in any language haue a giuing signification So it is in the whole sentence both in the Greeke and Latine Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I doe againe put thee in minde to styrre vp the guift of God which is in thee Thus the Greeke Adomoneo te vt resuscites gratiam Dei quae est in te I admonish â—e thee that thou stirre vp the grace of God which is in â—hee Thus the Latine Here is no grace giuen at thâ—â— time bâ—t onely a putting in minde and admoâ—â—tion to styrre vp the grace which was beforâ— So in the words translated into English by ouâ— Protestants and heâ—e vsed remember that thou styâ—â— vp the grace of God which is in thee by imposition â—â— hands So theâ—â— words immediatly fâ—llowing for God hath not giuen vs the spirit of feare but of power and loue and sobeâ—nes All speaking of â—race and power giuen before and not at that tiâ—â— And there is no scripture in any language nor adition no Ecclesiasticall writer no Pontificall or booke or Rites that euer appointed thes wâ—rds Take the holy ghost and those immediatly ioâ—ned in this Protestant forme of pretended conseâ—â—ation to be vnited and spoken together in such â—aâ—ner nor those from S. Paule to be vsed eitâ—â—r wiâ—h others or by themselues to be powerable to giue consecration and holie Orders to Bishop Preist or Deacon Neither possiblely can they coÌ„ferre any such grace or power being words neyther of giuing or receauing any thing at all from the speaker at that time The first words Take the holie ghost were not vsed of our Britans neyther are in the old Roman Order Yet our Protestans confesse they both had true Bishops and consecration and yet without them the ceremonie of the booke one the head of the elect And though the Roman Order now Pontif. Rom. in consecrat Electi in Episcopum vseth them yet it declareth that consecration is not so giuen nor a Bishop so consecrated but after them remayneth onely elect without that holie Order as before and so calleth him electus and consecrandus elect and to be consecrated but not consecrated Further thes Protestants haue told vs before both in their pretended booke of consecration and thes Articles that It is euident vnto all men diligently reading holy scripture and ancient Authours that from the Apostles time there hath beene thes orders of ministers in Christs Church Bishops Preists and Deacons which officers were euermore had in reuerent estimation Men so euidently knowne to be Bishops Preists and Deacons and euermore had in such reuerent estimation must euermore be certayne that they are truely effectually admitted to those callings and dignities otherwise it would not be euident that there be and who be such men-it would be Prot. forme of Order in Preists Prot. Aâ—ticl Articul 19. vncertayne and doubtfull who is a Deacon a Preist or Bishop whether there is any true preaching ministring of Sacraments any Sacraments or Church at all For thes men allowe none to preach and minister Sacraments but such they define Articul the visible Church to be a congregatien of faithfull men in the which the pure word of God is preached and the Sacraments be duely ministred according to Christs ordinance Sacraments be certayne sure witnesses and effectuall signes of grace and Gods good Will toward vs by which he doth worke inuisibly in vs. And yet making but two Sacraments Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord they thus declare and decree Those fyue commonly called Sacraments that is to say Confirmation Pennance Orders Matrimonie and Extreame Vnction are not to be compted for Sacraments of the ghospell for that thâ—y haue not any visible signe or ceremonie ordeyned of God Therefore this pretended Protestant forme and manner of consecration as also all their pretended Bishops Preists and Deacons are vaine and voide by their owne confession for in all thes they assigne laying one of hands a knowne and euident signe and ceremonie to be the certificate and assurance of such admittance and grace and power giuen as those Ecclesiasticall Orders require But if God did not ordeine this visible signe or ceremonie to such a purpose to make Episcopall other holie Orders a Sacrament which thes article and all their Religion denie no created or humane authoritie can giue such power and preeminence vnto it to be a signe or ceremonie ordeined of God a certaynâ— and sure witnesse and effectuall signe of grace Which their Article and Religion allowe onely to two Sacraments and in expresse terms vtterly denyeth to all Ecclesiasticall Orders either in Bishop Preist or Deacon Hereby falling into such desperate doubts and proceedings in this case that they are not onely condemned by priuate Catholike writers but publike censures sentences and consistories of the Catholike Church and all auncient and publikly receaued formes Pontificals and Orders of consecrating Bishops Preists and other Orders how old and generall soeuer from the Apostles time But by our owne temporall lawes and publike Iudgments as spirituall also both in in Catholike and Protestant times registred in their owne lawes Records in their owne courts and historians to haue neyther Bishop Preist Deacon or any other true Ecclesiasticall man among