I shall not bewaile trulie at lenght after all their great security they shall haue a sudden fall and let them take example by the dolefull ouerthrowe of others that haue lead their liues in pleasures and haue abused their power againste godes Church and the members thereof let all men knowe that all heresies be fatall ominous and vnfortunate especially to the first professors thereof Vltio sanguinis seruorum tuorum qui effusus est introcat in conspectu tuo gemitus compeditorum Psal 7. Whether there be nothing that the Protestants affirmatiuely beleeue confesse and professe but the Church of Rome doth beleeue the same and cannot be denyed by Catholiques but that they are most auncient and consonant with the word of God CHAPTER I. 1. ALl Heretiques say as Lactantius reportes that their owne religion is verie good and agreable to the word of God Lib. 4 diuinist cap. vlt. and better then others It is naturall to euerie beast according to Pliny to thinke his owne shape more beautifull then the rest Plin. lib. 8. cap. â—4 Plin. ibid. yea such as are most deformed thinkes themselues most beautifull as the Apes doe which though they do counterfeit mens shapes or gestures neuer so much cannot be said to haue the forme of men so these sectaries though they like Apes in imitation haue taken from vs some partes out of the Masse as may appeare and in their spirituall courtes visitations conuocations and excommunications although in deede none ought to excommunicate but he that can absolue they by their owne doctrine cannot absolue therfore they cannot excommunicate yet for all that they cannot be said to haue the trewe forme of Religion or the trewe Church for the ecclesiasticall forme and gouernment of your Protestantes is reiected by the Puritantes contemned by the ministers of Caluine and Beza and other Hugonottes of France as part of the reliques of Antechrist your common praier booke being called by them in contempt the missall of England Yf such as yow yourselues cales protestants do disprooue your Religion to be altogether against the woord of God how much more will the Romish Church say the like who doe differ from yow almost in euerie point 2. In the Booke of dangerous positioÌ„s in the 9. chapter set forth Anno 1593. by Doctor Bancraft of Canterburie it is alleadged that the Puritants do say of the comon booke of publick praiers videlicet that it is full of corruption and that many of the contentes thereof are against the woord of God the sacramentes wickedly mangled and prophaned therin the Lordes supper not eaten but made a pageant and stage play that their publique baptisme is full of childish superstitious toyes so many Puritants did write against it that England will neuer do well vntill that booke be burned 1. admonitio ad Parla pag. 9 41. 43. Also the superintendeÌ„t of Rateburge and the cheefest ministers in Germanie hauing read Caluines woorckes printed An. 1592. at Francfort In timore Domini saith he legi relegi dico in Christo Iesu c. Caluinistarum lib. 3. in pref Apost lib. 1. a. 2. fol. 9. I haue read and perused them the space of 23. yeares I auoutch it before IESVS Christ saith he that all the Caluinistes do nourish in their breastes the Aryan Turkish ympietie and that they open windowes and gates for Arianisme and Mahometisme as our bookes publickly set forth do manifest the same and so brought an example of Adam Newser the cheefe Pastor of the Church of Hedelberge Ibid. f. 9. who from a Zuinglian be came an Arian and afterwardes a Turcke which three sectes I meane Caluinisme Arianisme and Mahometisme Iohn Schutz in lib. 50. Causarum causa 48. another protestant Doctor calles them three briches of one cloathe and that fellowe hauinge gone vnto Constantinople Anno 1574. did writt that none became an Arian which first was not a Caluinist and brought example of Seruetus Blandrata Alciatus Franciscus Dauidis Gentilis Gribaldus Siluanus and others 3. There was printed a booke 1586. at Iena in Saxony by a Lutheran minister the Tittle whereof was An admonition from the woord of God that Caluinistes be not Christians but Iewes and baptized Mahometts Also 2. yeares afterwards another was set fourth at Tubinge by Philipp Nicholas minister the tittle whereof was a detection of the Caluinian sect to agree with the Arians and Nestorians in the groundes and foundations of their religion and that no Christian can ioyne with the Caluinistes but that he must defend the Arians and the Nestorians Sleid hist lib. 19. An. 47. Bernardinus Ochinus being the first principall Apostle of England in kinge Edwardes his dayes with Peter Martyr Martyne Buzer Okinus in lib. dialog Zanchius de vno Deo Beza ep 1. par 11. Bal. in pref act Rom Pontific Calu. lib. 1 de scandalis pa. 136 An. 1593. pag. 44. and Paulus Phalangius vnto whose direction both the vniuersities of England were comitted did oppugne the blessed Trinitie the deitie of Christ and of the holy Ghost so as Beza called him the fauorer of the Arian heresie and a scoffer at all Christian religion yet neuerthelesse one Iohn Bale somtimes Bishopp of Ossorie in Ireland calles this Bernardin and Peter Martyr the light of the Ghospell of England and Caluine saith that the said Bernardine was borne for the happines of England It is said also in the suruey of the pretended holy discipline printed at London that the sect of Caluinistes is a cancker and another Thalmud which by their wicked rebellion against their lawfull Princes haue founded their ghospell and Church which by their intollerable arrogancy do oppose themselues against all sacred Doctors against all venerable Councells and against all the florishing Churches that euer were from Christ his tyme vntill our dayes that there is no place of Scripture which they do not wrest from the lawfull sense thereof neuer before knowen by the Church of God and that it had beene good for England that none brought vpp in the filthie schoole of Geneua or Scotland had euer entred into England 4. Conradus a Protestant writeth that Caluine sayeth that the merittes of Christ cannot preuaile against the iudgment of God Also he affirmed Caluine to write that the blood of Christ was of no force to blott out sinnes and that aboue 1500. yeares it was putrified fo 84. 85. 87. Curaeus in spongia fol. 250. Erast pag. 29. Fridericus Borussius pag. 45 Osiander in confess haue written the like impietie with many other blasphemies which yow may read in the Caluini Turcismo lib. 4. c. 22 Other Lutheran writters make bookes of the contradictories and contradictions of Caluine Caluini Theolog. lib. 1. f. 85 Luth. lib. de Sacrament fol. 376. Orthodox Conf. en le Tigurine tract 3. fol. 127. Luth. tom 6. Ienues Germa fol. 257. the tittle whereof is called Laberinthi inextricabiles contradictionum The intricatt Laberinthes of contradictions
in them or by them but Christ which as he lodged in them when they were charged with their corporall lumpe Gal. 2. Ephes 3. soe much more nowe wheÌ„ they are exempted from it So as wee direct our prayers and petitions vnto Christ in his Saincts and by his Saincts whether they remayne with vs in earth or whether they Triumphe with him aboue in heauen vsinge the one as our intercessors and acknowledging the other the bountiful giuer for benefits are asked of Saints not as the authors and giuers thereof which wee reserue for God alone but as intercessours onlie as by our daylie Littanies wee say to God miserere nobis be mercifull vnto vs but vnto Sainctes we say pray for vs. 6. Secondarilie we say that Saincts are our intercessors vnto God but yet by Christe and by the meritts of his death and passion And so the Church in all her collects and prayers saith and concludeth without intermission Per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum c. Dan. 3. The three children in the fornace of Babylon did praye vnto God propter Abraham dilectum tuum for the intercession of Abraham thy beloued and Isacke thy seruant Isayai 63. and Israell thy holie one So prayed Isayas saying Turne vnto vs O Lord by the intercessioÌ„ of thy seruants So prayed Hester by the intercession of Abraham Hester 13. Psal 131. Soe prayed Salomon by the merittes of his Father 1. Paral. 29. Memento Domine Dauid omnis mansuetudinis eius Soe prayed Dauid himselfe naminge Abraham Isaac and Iacob for his intercessors Elias 2. par 5. Deut. 9. Genes 48. so prayed Elias so prayed Moyses sayâ—ng Recordare Domine seruorum tuorum Abraham Isaac Iacob so prayed Iacob callinge and interposinge the name of his father Isaac when he did pray vnto the Angells to blesse his children meaninge noe doubte but he should obtaine godes blessing for them 7. Orig. lam l. 2. in Iob. This the ancient fathers doe likewise testifie sayinge O sancti Dei saith Origines vos lacrimis ac stetu plenis obtestor with sobbinge teares and mourninge eies I beseech you that you will prostrate your selues at Godes mercifull feete for me a wretched sinner Heu mihi pater Abraham deprecare prome ne definibus tuis aliener O blessed Abraham pray for vs miserable sinners S. Gregorie Nazianzen neuer writts all most of any Martyr or Saincte but praieth hartelie vnto them So writinge the life of S. Cyprian the Martyre before he was conuerted to Christianitie he first sheweth that the Martyr finding himselfe tempted with the beautie of Iustina the Virgin afterward martired with him prayed most humblie and deuoutlie to assist him in that combate against the flesh addinge moreouer that he did assist himselfe by fasting aflicting his bodye S. Gregorie Naz. did pray also vnto him sayinge Tu nos è Caelo benignè aspice behould vs from heauen most charitablie The verie like prayer maketh he to S. Athanasius and S. Basill deceased a little before him S. Eph. Sermo de sanctis martirib Nect orat de Saâ—t Theodoro S. Epiphanius writinge the life of certaine Martyres praied vnto them S. Nectarius Archbishoppe of Constantinople writinge an oration of Theodorus Martyr prayed vnto him Hom nat apollog c. 8. After these men liued S. Iohn Chrisostome who praied vnto S. Peter and S. Paule he praied vnto S. Peter also for the Emperor that then liued S. Chrisostome in his liturgie hath these woordes Apostles Martires Prophetts Priests Confessors iust men and woomen which haue ended your fight haue kept your faith and obserued your promise and fidelitie to our Sauiour Cyrill homil in die Iohn Concilij Ephe. 428 pray for vs. c. S. Cyrill Archbishopp of Alexandria did pray vnto S. Iohn the Euangelist in his sermon made in the festiual dayes of him in the councell of Ephesus The Generall councell of Calcedon did affirme that the holie Bishoppe S. Flamianus Archbishoppe of Constantinople and Martyr whose death was procured by Dioscorus Bishoppe of the same Sea Conc. Calci 17. Au. did pray for them vsing these woordes Flamianus post mortem viuit 453. Socrat lib. 7 histor cap 32. Martyr pro nobis orat S. Hierom wrote the lyues of S. Hillarius and Paule and others and prayed vnto them Paulinus Bishopp of Nola wrote the lyues of S. Celsus and S. Felix The same is confirmed by Prudentius in the Himnes S. Laurence that glorious Martyr of Spaine And by S. Hipolitus I pray read S. Gregorie Turonensis and S. Gregorie the great to this effect Can. 27. This is likewise auouched in the councell of Orleance in France held vpon the yeare 512. Cap. 3. Cap. 1. Cap. 9. the councell of Gerundia in Spaine held the next yeare after The fifte councell of Tolleto likewise in Spaine held vpon the yeare 640. the councell of Bracaren the second held two yeares after that Againe the councell of Ments in Germaine held vnder Pope Leo. 3. and Charles the great anno 613. All these councells I say ordaininge Littanies and inuocation of Saincts to be vsed in solemne procession vpon certaine dayes in the yeare as namely in the rogation weeke three dayes before the Ascention The Greeke Church in the yeare of Christ 663. cap. 7. doth sufficientlie sett downe the sense of both Churches in these woordes Soli Deo Creatori adoratio c. Let adoration be giuen to God alone but yet let a Christian inuocat the Sainctes that they may intercede the diuine Maiestie for him Of the heretiques called Albigenses S. Bernard saith Irrident nos hereticici quod sanctorum suffragia postulamus Heretiques scoffe at vs because we craue the suffrages of Saincts Ber. hom 6. in CaÌ„t. The said S. Bernard did pray holie S. Victor to helpe him 9. Next wee ought to knowe that amoungest all the Saincts there is none whose petition is sooner heard then the petition of the Blessed Virgin at whose intreatie our Sauiour did worcke his first miracle which is declared vnto vs by S. Bernarde O homo securum accessum habes apud Deum c. O man thou hast secure accesse vnto God thou hast the mother to the sonne and the sonne to the father the mother shewing her sonne her breast with her pappes the sonne shewing vnto his father his side and his woundes Againe did not the Angell saie vnto Tobias Tob. 12. I haue offred thy prayers vnto God Did not the Angell also saie vnto Daniell Daniel 7. from the tyme that thou purposedst to chastice thy body before God thy prayers were heard and I being moued by them came for thine assistance And your selues in the Comunion booke doe auouche the same hauinge translated the Collect which the whole Catholique Church in her masses doth vse vpon S. Michaell the Archangells day which Collect is sett downe by your selues in your booke of Common prayers the words are these Euerlastinge God
to doe nothinge yet then yow will beleeue that it is made able and powerfull to quicken vnlesse yow will contend alsoe that the holy ghoaste hath noe power to quicken For whereas flesh was ioyned with that word which quickneth and giueth life therby yt was made alsoe of power to quicken and giue life and although therfore the nature of flesh as it is flesh cannot quicken or giue life yett it worketh that nowe because it hath receiued the whole operation of the woord for this bodie is not the bodie of S. Peter nor S. Paule nor of any such like but the bodie of life it selfe Coloss 2. and of our Sauiour Iesus Christ in whome the fullnesse of the God head corporallie dwelleth and is able to doe this for if honny whereas it is naturally sweete maketh those thinges sweete with which it is mingled shall it not be verie foolish to thinke that the liuelie and quickinge nature of the woord did not giue vnto that man in whome it dwelleth power also to quicken and giue life for which causes the flesh trulie of all other men doth not auaile or proffit in deede any thinge but the flesh of Christe alone is able to giue lyfe and quicken because the onlie Sonne of God dwelleth in it But he calleth himselfe spiritt because God is a spiritt thus farre S. Cyrill 9. 2. Cor. 3. By this yow may perceiue the false interpretation of the protestants vpon these woords The spiritt is that which quickneth the flesh auaileth nothinge by which woordes they saie that the reall presence of Christs flesh in the Sacrament can nothinge proffitt vs and that the spirituall eatinge thereof by faith only should be sufficient for S. Cyrill teacheth plainly that by this woord he meant the God head which was vnited in one person with that flesh of his which gaue vnto it that power to quicken and giue life which noe other mans flesh euer hadd And the comon Schoole of all diuines doe affirme that when Verbum caro factum est when the woord was become flesh when flesh was vnited vnto the woord the flesh by the woord doth quicken and giue life and as S. Nazianzenus saith that as Iron beinge putt to the fire doth burne and performeth the operation and action of fire soe the flesh beinge vnited vnto the woord doth quicken giue life and worketh by the influence thereof And as S. Thomas saith Quo intimius est aliquid cum principio influente eo magis participat de eius influxu The more intimate and neerer a thinge is to its first influent cause the more it receaues the influence operation therof So the blessed flesh of Christ noe doubt beinge ioyned and vnited vnto the principall cause of all causes receaueth a moste liuely operation from the same 10. S. Hillarie also that famous Bishop of Poetiers in his 8. booke of the Trinitie against the Arrians hath these woordes De veritate carnis sanguinis non est relictus ambigendi locus c. There is noe place lefte to doubte of the veritie of Christs flesh and blood for by the confession of our Lord and by our faith it is verilie flesh and verilie blood and beinge eaten and dronke by vs it bringeth to passe that wee are in Christe and Christe in vs. Ys not this trewe it seemeth verilie not to be trew to these incredulous people which deny Christe to be trewe God S. Hillaries argument was against the Arrian heretiques who held that God the sonne was not one with God the father in substance but only in will to disproue which assertion he alleadgeth a texte of scripture where Christe prayeth that wee all may be one with him Ioh. 17. as he and his father are one but wee saith Sainct Hillarie by receauinge of Christs trewe bodie and blood in the blessed Sacrament are not vnited vnto him in will only but also to his fleash and substance wherfore it mustes needs followe that Christ is vnited to his father by nature and substance of his God headd and not by will only which argument of his doth plainly declare that the trueth of the reall preseÌ„ce of Christ in the Eucharist was then approued and receaued of all men for otherwise he would neuer haue conuinced them by that argument and vnlesse yow denie Christ to be God yow can not denie him to be trulie really in the blessed Sacrament And he proceedeth further in that booke and saith If the woord was truly made flesh and if wee truly receaue the woord beinge made flesh in the meate of our Lorde how shall he be thoughte not to abide naturally in vs who both beinge borne man tooke vnto him the nature of our flesh to the nature of eternitie vnder the SacrameÌ„t of flesh which is to be communicated of vs for soe wee all are one because both the father is in Christe and Christe is in vs for himselfe saith My flesh is verilie meate and my blood is verilie drinke he that eateth my flesh and drinketh 〈◊〉 blood abideth in me and I in him In another place he saith expoundinge those wordes of S. Paule Sermone Cathechesi mystag 4. 1. Cor. 11. Accipite bibite hic est sanguis meus c. Take and drincke this is my blood this is my body who shall dare hereafter to doubte of the trueth therof sith he did certeinly saie this is my blood who euer will affirme the contrarie or saie it is not his blood nam specie panis dat nobis corpus in specie vini dat nobis sanguinem c. for vnder the likenesse of bread he giues vnto vs his bodie and in the likenesse of wyne he giues vs his blood that when yow take it yow shall taste the bodie and blood of Christe beinge made pertaker of the selfe same body blood soe wee beare and carry with vs Christe in our bodies when wee receaue his bodie and blood into our intralls and accordinge to Sainct Peter are made pertakers of the diuine nature And a little after he saith Quamobrem non sic haec attendas velim tanquam sit nudus simplex pâ—nis nuduÌ„ simplex vinum Corpus enim sunt sanguis Christi wherfore I would not haue yow to thinke of these thinges as they were naked and simple bread naked and simple wyne for they are the body blood of Christe and though your senses do tell you the contrarie your faith shall confirme and strenghten you doe not iudge by thie taste when thie sure faith shall guide thee from all doubte 11. S. Augustine vppon these woordes Aug. in Psal 98. Adoratescabellum pedum eius adore and worshipp his footestoole because it is holie quia in ipsa carne hic ambulauit c. Because he walked here on earth in that verie same flesh and gaue vs the verie same fleash to eate for our saluation and noe man eateth that flesh vnlesse first he adore and worshipp
but forasmuch as they imbrace the wicked doctrine of Caluine Cal. lib. 1. instit cap. 28. that it is a sinne for a man not to sinne and in another place that to restraine any desire that comes vnto a man is to resist God and to sinne for that God is the efficient cause of all euill woorks this mortification and punishinge of the fleash cannot sounde well in their eares whose doctrine life is repugnant to mortification religion discipline all woorks of pennaunce Whether wee ought to confesse our sinnes to priests and whether that priests cannot remitt or for giue them CHAPTER IV. THe opinion of protestants is disproued by learned S. Augustine sayinge Let no man make doubt of the priestes right in remission of sinnes seinge the holie ghoast is purposely giuen them to doe the same it is not absurde saith S. Cyrill lib. 52. that they forgiue sinnes which haue the holie ghoaste Cyril lib. 52. c. 56. in Ioan. for when they remitt and retaine the holy ghoast remitteth and retaineth in them the which they doe two wayes first in baptisme and afterwardes in pennaunce I doe not wonder when Sathan by his members labours to destroie all religion that he should goe about also to abolish the cheefest piller therof which is this Sacrament of confession instituted by our Sauiour for the cheefest consolation of our troubled soules For when the Apostles were gathered together in one place after Christs resurrectioÌ„ he said vnto theÌ„ All power in heauen and earthe is giuen vnto me as my father did send me soe I send yow he breathed vppon them and he saied vnto them receaue yow the holie ghoaste whose sinnes you shall forgiue they are forgiuen them and whose you shall retaine they are retained And when our Lord gaue power and authoritie to priests to remitt and retaine sinnes it is manifest that he made them iudges of our soules as may appeare when Lazarus was raised from death to life Ioh. 11. Cyril li 7 cap. vlt. Aug. trac 49. in Ioannem Luc 17. Aug. de vera falsa poenit c. 19. ser 8. de verbis Domini and beinge tied hand and foote in the graue he said to his Apostles loose him and let him goe S. Cyrill and S. Augustine applie this to the Apostles and the priests authoritie of absoluinge sinners affirming Christ to receaue none into the churche but by the priests ministrie and soe he comaunded the lepers to shewe themselues to the priests and to submitt themselues vnto their iudgment 2 This is declared also by the actes of many of them that beleeued and came confessinge and declaringe their deeds Act. 19. Marci 1. also by S. Marcke when all the countrie of Iurie went vnto S. Iohn confessinge their sinnes which was not don by a generall confession but by a perticuler confession of them S. Iames also doth proue the same saying Is any man sicke amounge you let him bringe in the priestes of the church and if he be in sinnes they shal be forgiuen him Your owne comunion booke hath the plaine wordes of absolution the wordes be these Our Lord Iesus which hath left power to his church to absolue all sinners which trulie repent and beleue in him of his great mercie forgiue thee thine offences and by his authoritie comitted vnto me I absolue thee from all thy sinnes In the name of the father the sonne and the holy Ghost Aug lib. 2. de visitatione infirmoruÌ„ cap. 4. lib. 1. c. 2 S. Aug. saith Some thinckes that it is enough for them to confesse their sinnes only vnto God which knowes the secreattes of euerie ones harte because either for shame or for some other cause they would not vnfould their offeÌ„ces vnto the priestes vnto whome God haue giuen sufficient authoritie to discerne betwixt leper and leper but I would not haue yow be deceaued or confounded for confessinge thy sinnes before the viccar of our Lord. Aug. lib 50. homil 49. The same he confirmed further saying Let no man say I confesse before God secreatlie God knowes my harte who will pardone me if that be soe saith he in vaine it is said whose sinnes soeuer yow forgiue they shal be forgiuen in vaine also the keies of the kingdome of heauen are giuen to the churche Amb. li. 1. de poena cap. 2. S. Ambrose also refellinge the heresie of the Nouatians which taught that God neuer gaue power to any to remit sinnes saith God bid vs to obey his ministers and by doinge soe wee honour God c. Chrysost homil â—9 ad populum 3. This is also proued by S. Chrisostome who said that trewe pennaunce doth cause a poore sinner to suffer all thinges willinglie in his harte perfect contrition in his mouthe confession in his workes all humanitie for saith he this is a most fruictfull pennaunce for by what meanes wee haue offended God by that meanes also wee should be reconsiled vnto him vid. by our harte by contrition by our mouthe by confession by our acte throughe satisfaction Holy councells also as the councell of Florence haue determined this truth and all the fathers of the church as S. Cyprian Epistola 10. Epistola 15. Epistola 1.62 cap. 52. Hugo aduersus luciferanos Cyp. lib. de lapsis 15. Orig. in leuit homil 2. psal 32 Aug. Epistola 54. Socrates lib. 5. cap. 19. Zozo lib. 7. 4. Againe by takinge away from the christians the only bridle which is this sacramentall confession that should curbe and restraine them from their wickednes they giue occasioÌ„ that they runn headlong to all dissolution wanton exercise which the protestantes of Germanie perceauing by experience to be true they requested the Emperor Charles the 5. being then at Norâ—mberge in 4. d. 18. q. 1. ar 1. that by his imperiall authoritie he would cause coÌ„fession againe to be brought â—n wherat Sotus a learned diuine beinge with the Emperor did aunswere laughing and said if by the lawe of God men are not bound to vnfould their sinnes to a prieste â—or by that lawe the priest can absolue as they said how can they be compelled therunto by the precept of man for by humaine precept noe man will reueale his secreat sinnes to any man 5. Pacianus answereth the heretiques that say God only remitteth sinnes Sed quod per sacerdotes suos facit ipsius potestas est and a little after he saith that as not only the Apostles doe baptize but also their successors soe not only they remitt sinnes but also their successors Paulinus in vita Ambro. S. Ambrose hearinge confessions wept as the penitentes confessed their sinnes and by weepinge moued them to contrition Tertulian tells how the christians in his time kneeled to the priests for remission S. Hieronimus epist ad Heliodorum God forbid that that I should speake ill of priests who succeedinge to the Apostles by their holy mouth doe make the body of Christe by whome wee also
for a man as meate drinke or sleepe and said moreouer that if a married woman would not render the coniugall debpte of matrimonie Lib. ae vita coniug serm de matrimonio that the husband should not spare his maide The like filthie lust but farre more detestable was the occesion of Caluine his heresie For it is well knoweÌ„ as may appeare by the iudiciall actes and recordes of NouodiuÌ„ Bolsecus in vita Calu. cap. 5. Iul. Brig pag. 59. that he was condemned of the filthie sinne of the flesh against nature had it not beene for the intreatie of the bishop there which obtayned that his punishmente should be turned vnto a hoate burninge iron on his backe he should haue bene altogether burnt Iohn Witcliffe for that he was depriued of his personnage in Oxforde for his vitious misdemenor began his heresie Arrius because Alexander was preferred to the Archbishopricke of Alexandria before him Nicep de pen. l. 5. c. gaue occasion of the Arrian heresie against the deitie of Christe MoÌ„tanus for that he was denyed the primacy of Asia which he soughte verie earnestlie troubled the Church with newe heresies as Nicephorus wyttnesseth de penitentia lâ—b 5. cap. 15. Aerius alsoe for beinge denyed of a Bishopricke fell into Arianisme and afterwardes inuented himselfe a newe heresie which was that wee ought not pray for the dead 2. Henry the eighte as Iohn Foxe a greate puritan in England doth wyttnes Fox in historia pa. 512. edit 1 all the world knoweth to be true for his diuorce made from Queene Catherine his wyfe was by the Bishoppe of Rome excommunicated who beinge sore exasperated therby assembled a parlamente by which he brought to passe that he banished the Popes authoritie out of England made himselfe head of the Church thus far Iohn Foxes owne wordes Hollin in descrip Brita l. 1â— cap. 7. For it is certainly knowen that from the conuersion of England by S. Augustine duringe soe many hundred yeares vnto Kinge Henry the 8. as all English historiographers and ministers themselues doe acknowledge the Catholicke or papisticall religion as it pleaseth them to tearme it did florish in England that the cheefe pointe thereof was that the Pope was iudge moderatour and cheefe Pastor aswell of the English Church as of all other Churches of the Christians in Ecclesiasticall matters which Catholicke faith the said Kinge Henry defended the space of xx yeares as longe as he liued with his lawfull married wife aswell against domesticall heretickes that were his subiects by all penall statutes and exquisit torments at alsoe against forraine hereticks by a most learned booke in the defense of the 7. Sacraments which booke I haue in myne owne custodie for which he was ennobled and honored by Pope Leo the tenth with the title of defeÌ„der of the Catholicke faith which was neuer giuen to any kinge in the worlde before which he receaued as Foxe saies with great ioy for when it came to the kinge beinge then at Greene wich he went to his chapel accompanied with manny nobles Ambassadors Cardinall Wolsey said Masse the Earle of Essex brought the basen of water the duke of Suffolke gaue the assay the duke of Norfolke held the towell the Heraldes with their company began their accustomed cryes prononcinge Fox anno 1528. fol. 441. Henricus Dei gratia Angliae Franciae defensor Fidei Dominus Hiberniae And amongest his other magnificent titles he lefte to this day this title to his posterity as is well knowen to the world Neyther only with bookes but alsoe with his victorious and inuincible armes did he defende the Catholike Romane faith and the dignitie thereof for the which he foughte againste sundrie princes and their confederates as againste Lodowicke the 12. kinge of France and Iames the 4. kinge of Scottes though married to his sister Who beinge vanquished and his great armie ouerthrowen by the Earle of Surrie in England and the said kinge himselfe being slaine in the battle for that he was excommunicated was not suffred to be buried in any Christian graue Also he sent his Armie by sea to ioyne with the Spaniardes againste the kinge of France to assaulte France in the frontiers of Spaine by the powerfull force of the English Iohn Albertus the kinge of Nauare was driuen altogether out of the kingdome beinge excomunicated by the Pope which Spaine doth possesse at this daye Did not the said kinge within fewe yeares after send an Armie into Italie against the Emperor Charles the first in the defence of Clement the 7. then Pope And notwithstanding he was his great frinde and his Nephewe for that Queene Cathrine was his Aunte yet through the filthie concupiscence by which he was besotted and blinded to marrye Anna Bulâ—ene and soe to be diuorced from his lawfull marryed wife he turned all thinges topsie turuie reiected the Popes authoritie which he before aswell by Gods lawes the holy scriptures as by the fathers and Councells of the Church defended and soe by a parlament of one Realme or kingdome he disanulled and abrogated that which was established by soe manny generall parleaments and generall Councells of all Christendome yea by Christe himselfe and by all such as trulye beleeued in him And for not yealding vnto his desire herein manny religious and constant Martyrs offred their liues and their bloode amoungest whome was the lighte of England that most sacred Martyr and learned diuine Iohn Fisher Bishopp of Rochester Sr. Thomas More Lord Chancelor of England of these sorte of people our Sauiour wished vs to beware Act. 20 the Apostle alsoe saith woulues shall enter after my departure and shall not spare the flocke Rom. 16. Therfore in another place he requested vs to marke and knowe what people they be that raise dissentions and scandalls in the Churche and doe teach otherwise then wee haue alreadye receaued and to fly from them Heb. 4. Iohn 4. He alsoe exhorted vs that wee should not be lead away with mutable and strange doctrine S. Iohn alsoe wished vs not to beleeue euerie spiritt but that wee should trye whether they be of God 3. But the doctrine of Luther cannot by any triall be founde true so that as Christ saith Iohn 7. my doctrine is not myne but my fathers which did send me soe Luther may say his doctrine is not his but his fathers the diuell that did send him Luth. lib. de Missa Ang. to G lenens Ger 10. 7. witteÌ„b 1. Cor. 13. 1. Cor. 14. whom he boasted to haue suggested vnto him arguments to ouerthrowe priest-hoode and sacrifice that by that meanes he should ouerthrowe and confounde the true worshipp of the true God for God as the Apostle saith is the God of peace and charitie not of dissention For whosoeuer procures sectes and diuision betwixt brethren saith the prophett is a diuell When therfore by Luthers meanes wee see so manny sectes against Godds Churche wee must
the church-yard of that Church And with much a doe could any abide to stand by him when he was stript of his apparell to be buried by reason of the loathsome stincke and smell that issued from him this is most true as all that countrie can auouche being done in such a generall assemblie of which many of the best sort are yet liuinge to testifie the same and happened in the yeere anno 1600. 24. I could bringe many examples that do dailie happen as the Catholicks can tell and the Protestants do dailie see before their eyes Sed vt videntes non vident audientes non intelligunt But you are those of whome our Sauiour saith seinge you doe not see and hearinge you doe not vnderstand you may saie with the Prophett Defecit in me virtus mea lumen oculorum meorum non est mecum Grace doth fayle you and the power or sence of seinge is not with you and although many of you haue with-no lesse despightfull indignitie then Samaritans Iewes and Mahometts with your cursed handes and blasphemous lips polluted and defaced the Image of Christ and of his Saincts and haue not receaued condigne and worthie punishment in this life yet you ought not to bragge of godes mercie in sparinge you for as S. Augustine saith if God should punish euerie wicked man in this world it should be an argument for you that there is not a place of punishment for transgressors besides this world therfore he doth not inflict punishment vpon all in this life but reserues the same vnto the other that wee may assure ourselues that our wickednes and trangressions which wee our selues do daily perpetrate and practize and which are rigorouslie punished in others shall not escape the damnation of godes iudgment whose mercifull forbearinge with vs will increase his wrathe and augment our woe which wee ought to preuent by other mens ruyne The manner how to reuereÌ„ce Christ his Image 25. The manner how to reuerence Christes Image Gregorius lib 7. as Vasquez Cites in his second booke de adoratione disputatione 8. cap. 13. and in the councell of Rome vnder Pope Stephen the 3. his wordes be these Et nos quidem c. We truly saith he not as it were before the diuinitie prostrate our selues when wee come before the Image of Christ but wee doe adore him which by the Image either in his birth passion or sittinge in the Throne of Iudgment wee contemplate and behold Read the verses which Sabellicus wrote l. 8. Aeneade 8. and as some do thincke were coÌ„posed in the 7. generall councell and are written with letters of gould at Venice ingraued in an old wall NaÌ„ Deus est quod imago docet sed non Deus ipse Hanc videas sed mente colas quod cernis in ipsa Christs picture humblie worshipp thou Which by the same doost passe Yet picture worshipp not but him For whom it pictured was Nor God nor man this Image is Which thou dost present see Yet whom this blessed Image shewes Both God and man is hee For God in that which the Image shewes But yet no God it is Behold this forme but worshipp that The minde beholdes in this 26. The same doth Hieronimus Augustus sett downe Hic est colendi modus publicis concionibus sedulò inculcandus this is the order of reuerencinge Images and in pulpitts wee must inculcate the same to the people that by the Image wee maye worshipp in spiritt and trueth and eleuate our mindes and wills excitated by them to God and to direct our prayers and petitions vnto him and to his holie Saints Where wee must consider that wee ought not to giue the prayses of the patterne to the Image neither thinck the same capable of any prayers for it being a dead thinge it is not capable thereof and although the Church in the passion Sonday hath these wordes O crux aue spes vnica Hoc passionis tempore Auge pijs iustitiam Reisque dona veniam O Crossâ— of Christ our onlie hope and healpe in tyme of neede In tyme of these bitter paines voutchase to helpe vs with releefe the godlie to confirme in grace and sinners to forgiue Wee meane not to apply to the Crosse it selfe but vnto Christ figuratiuely perâ—figuram prosopopeiam which is common to poets and Orators When wee speake to dead thinges in the person of the liuinge and also by the figure called Metonomia when the Crosse is taken for Christ vt continens pro contento as the author of the Crosse for the Crosse it selfe so that to the Image it selfe our petition hath noe relation beinge not capable thereof And therfore the councell of Trent saith Sess in decreto de Imag. that in the Images themselues there is no vertue or excellencie for the which they should be reuerenced or praide vnto or that wee should repose any hope in them neither sacrifice is offred to Images which can be offred to none but to God for it is a protestation of the omnipotent power and maiestie of God as he is the author and Lord of all neither are oblations properlie offred vnto them because that oblation is offred only to God vnto whome all sacrifice and oblations do belonge 7. Synod act 9. as S. Thomas 2. 2. q. 85. ar 3. and 3. teaceth And although the 7. generall councell hath these woordes Merito nos ad Imagines reuerenter accedere debemus oblationibus suffultum luminarium Wee ought to aproach reuerentlie before the Images with oblations of incense perfumes and lightes The holie doctor did not thinke those thinges to be properly oblations as they were offred vnto Images neither that generall counsell saith that the oblations should be offred to Images but saith that wee should approache before Images with oblations for the councell intendeth that those oblations offred vnto Images should be properlie offred vnto God vnto whom principaly they haue their reference and not vnto Images vnto whome adoration and not oblation belongeth vnles you will call those thinges that are offred before Images Donaria videlicet guiftes which are hanged about Images Whether Papists do committ Idolatrie in Worshippinge the Crosse of Iesus Christ CHAPTER VI. 1. THe first heresie touchinge the adoration of the Crosse was of Claudius Bishopp of Thaurum as Iuo Carnotensis auoucheth The second heresie was of a certaine sect called Pauliciain as Photius the Patriarck doth alleadge and as Euthimius in sua panoplia declareth The third heresie was in the time of S. Bernard by one Petrus Brius against whome Petrus Cluniacensis did write The fourth was of those that followed Iohn Witcleeffe as Thomas Waldensis declares homil 3. cap. 160. The first heresie was of Caluine in his booke of Institutions the 11. chapter q. 7. his argumeÌ„t is The crosse of Christ was the instrument of the greefe death of Christ therfore we ought not to honour the same neither the reliques of his other passions This Caluin
of the Crosse serueth to the mariners to saile to the birdes to flie and as Rufinus doth write the figure of the Crosse with the Egiptians in their Hieregtiphes doth signifie life euerlastinge 6. And wee must obserue that when wee expresse the signe of the Crosse vpon any thinge wee doe not meane by that signe to ympart any vertue vnto the same but only by the signe of the crosse expressed vpon the same wee implore the helpe of Christ crucified soe that it is an impudent lye of Heretiques to say that the signe of the crosse is superstitious Heretiques cry against the catholique church for makinge the signe of the crosse or the picture of Christ saying Confusion be to all those that doe worshipp any engrauen thinge qui adorant sculptilia I answere that it is ment to worshipp it as God and so Cassiodorus doth interpret it an Idoll or to make an Idol of it For as in the Tēple of Salomō there were pictures grauen Images soe in the Tēple of the Christians yet neither the one nor the other are Idolls for the picture of Christ of his Saincts of which we doe not make godes are but signes to bringe vs to remember the true God If to painte the picture of Christ were Idolatry why should S. Luke Comes Sancti Pauli in euangelio the fellowe of S. Paule in the ghospell painte both the Image of Christ and his Mother as wee reade in the fourth booke of the Sentences ca. 5. and as learned Saincts doe write S. Lucke painted the Image of Christ. Damascenus said as Thomas Waldensis reportes Accepimus Lucam Euangelistam c. Wee haue receaued that Luke the Euangelist painted Christ and his mother and that the famous Cittie of Rome hath the same picture Origines declaring in his 8. homilie vpon Iosue how that the kinge Hay was hāged vpon a double tree saith It followeth that the crosse of our Lord was a double crosse the one a visible crosse wheron the sonne of God was crucified in flesh the other was an inuisible crosse wheron inuisibly the diuill with all his power and Princes was Crucified 1. Epist Coloss as S. Paule saith he ouerthrewe the power and mightie Princes of darcknesse tryumphed ouer them on the tree of the crosse so as this crosse hath two singuler considerations The first is that which S. Peter saith that Christ was crucified leauinge vnto vs an example to followe his stepps The second consideration wherin he gott the victorie ouer Zabull wherin he was crucified therfore S. Paul saith woe be vnto me saith he if I glorie in any thinge but in the crosse of Christ by which the world is crucified vnto me and I vnto the world Soe as you see two effects which he doth alleadge for he saith that two contrarie thinges are crucified the vertuous liuer and the sinfull sinner the mortified bodie and the wicked world accordinge as Origines saith of Christ and of the deuill Thomas Waldensis and others here vpon doe say that the crosse is called both the woode and Christ as Hieremias saith venite mittamus lignum in panem eius Lett vs cast woode into his bread soe as he meaneth by the woode the crosse and by his bread his tender flesh Christ himselfe auoucheth the same panis quem ego dabo c. the bread I shall giue is my flesh S. Hierome saith he hath not lefte his crosse vpon the earth but he carried it with him vnto heauen and soe he shall come with his crosse so as he meant by his crosse his bodie and flesh and himselfe Of which crosse Sybilla said O ter beatum lignum in quo Deus extensus eit O thrise happie wood vpon which God was eleuated 7. S. Ambrose speakinge in the person of Hellen◠hath these wordes Quomodo me redemptum arbitror si redemptio ipsa non cernitur video quid egeris ô diabole vt gladius quo percussus es destrueretur How shall I knowe my redemption if the redemption it selfe be not seene I know ô diuill it is thy crafte to hide the sword by which thou wert ouerthrowen It is written in the booke of wisedome Benedictum est lignum per quod fit iustitia Blessed be the wood by which Iustice is don◠cursed be the hand by which an Idoll is made and also him that makes the same behold he did blesse the wood of the crosse and did curse the Idoll of impietie Was Iosue an Idolater when he said to the sunne thou shalt not moue against Gabaon neither the moone against Haylon for wee knowe that Iosue did speake vnto the Creator of them The 3. children also did singe and say benedicite sol luna O sunne and moone day and night blesse yee our Lord and so did Dauid saie to all creatures and will you charge the Church of God with Idolatrie for honoring God in his creatures And so wee saie the like vnto the greene wood and to the blessed crosse not adoringe the nature of wood herein but the liuinge crosse of him that was crucified whose grace and fauour in the same wee implore Epistola 140. 8. S. Bernard speaking of the holy crosse Confessio sanctae crucis non nisi crucifixi confessio est the confession of the holie crosse is no other then the confession of the crucified Therfore Thomas Waldensis speakinge of the inuention of this holie crosse Quid in hoc festo infestum sit what harme is in this feast but that wee giue God thanckes which procured that gratious wooman and as S. Ambrose saith Infudit ei spiritus vt lignum requirat Inspired her with his spirit to search the wood S. Iohn Chrisostome addeth in his booke of the crosse these woordes Si scire desideres charissimè virtutem crucis c. Most deere if you would knowe what vertue the crosse hath and how much I could speake in the prayse thereof know that the crosse is the hope of the Christian the crosse is the waye for people in desperation the crosse is the resurrection of the dead the crosse is the guide vnto heauen the crosse is the staffe for the lame the crosse is the comfort of the sorrowfull the crosse is the bridle of the rich the crosse is the destruction of the proude the crosse is the paine of the enuious the triumphe of deuills the tutor of youth the patience of the poore the pylott of mariners and saylers the wall of those that are beseeged the father of orphanes the defence of widdowes the comfort of martyrs the chastitie of Virgins the solace of priestes the victorie of the Romans the bread of the hungrie and the fountaine of the thirstie thus much sainct Iohn Chrisostome Iohn Chrisost homil and much more of the glorious crosse And in his homilie vpon S. Mathewe 16. Laeto animo crucem Christi circumferamus c. Lett vs with a willing mind carrie the crosse of Christ the same beinge the badge of
quod in eis non bene intelligitur etiam temerè audacter asseritur heresies and other peruerse opinions infectinge and intanglinge our soules euen to the deepe pitt of confusion doe springe of noe other roote then when good scriptures are ill vnderstoode and the badd vnderstandinge therof is bouldly and rashlie applied S. Ambrose doth likewise declare the same sayinge Ambr. 3. ad TituÌ„ S. Hil. in lib. ad Const Haeretici per verba legis legem impugnant by the wordes of the lawe it selfe the heretiques doe impugne the lawe S. Hillarius also saith Neminem haereticorum esse qui se non secundum sacras scripturas praedicare eas quae blasphemat mentiatur there is noe heretique that doth not alleadge falsy the scriptures for his blasphemies Also he saith de intelligeÌ„tia heresis sit Lib. 20. de Trinit non de scriptura sensus non sermo fiat crimen heresie is of the vnderstaÌ„ding not of the scripture the fault is in the sense and not in the word Hiero ad Lucif vnto which agreeth S. Hierom Neque sibi blandiantur c. Lett them not flatter themselues if they alleadge or affirme any thinge of the scriptures when euen the deuill hath alleadged the scriptures for his purpose The scriptures saith he doe not consiste in readinge of them but in vnderstandinge of them Origines also declareth the same Orig hom 9. in Exo saying Non rarò c. Somtimes the diuill doth wreast godes wordes from many for that there is nothinge soe holie but the enemie of mankinde doth abuse the same to the destruction of man Tertulian also saith de scripturis agebant De prefâ—cript her de sciptuâ—is suadebant c. They pleade the scriptures they persuade the scriptures they inculcate the scriptures vnto this they moue some at the first dashe they wearie the stronge they coÌ„nfound the weake and men of indifferent iudgment they dismisse with scrupules Thus far Tertulian soe the Arian heresie the Macedonian the Nestorian Eutichian and all other old heresies would allowe nothinge but scripture and last of all these newe phantasticall heresies doe grounde all their turbulent spirittes and singuler maleperte and headie deuises vpon holie scriptures 2. For example Luther in his first booke against Zâ—uinglius saith that amoungest Zuingilans the Zuinglians themselues concerninge these 5. wordes there arose tenn seuerall sects of different religion I meane 270. sects of heresies in this time Lib de here fabulis hoc est enim corpus meum Stanislaus Rescius hath deuided the hereticall sects of this tyme into two hundred and 70. different heresies euerie one alleadginge scripture for his owne fancie Theodorus did reckon 76. heresies in his owne tyme. Aug. lib. de heres S. Augustine also did reckon 88. heresies vnto his owne tyme. And vnto Luther his tyme there were 290 sortes of heresies all which did alleadge scriptures Yea was there euer any heresie that did alleadge more scriptures for herselfe then that of the Arians did not the Iewes alleadge scriptures against Christ that he should not be holden for a Prophett saying Iohn 7. Scrutate scripturas vide quia a Galilea propheta non surgit search the scriptures saie they and behould that a prophett doth not arise from Galile and by scripture they did endeuour to proue that he was worthie of deathe Iohn 19. Wee haue a law say they and by our lawe he ought to die because he made himselfe the sonne of God Did not Iulian the apostate alleadge scripture as S. Cyrill saithe lib 10. in Iulianum for visitinge Martyrs Reliques alleadginge that place of S. Mathewe 23. that the Scribes Pharisies and Hipocritts are like to white monuments and they ought not to visitt them c. Also he alleadged many places of scripture as Math. 5. Ro. 12.1 Cor. 6. Math. 10. against the christians for repininge against him for takinge away their goodes but to beare all tyrannicall oppressions patientlie Did not Osiander a cheefe secretarie alleadge 20. different opinions touchinge the article of Iustification and at last he cited his owne opinion contrarie to them all 3. Of all these sectes it is saide Obscurum est insipiens cor eorum dicentes se esse patientes stulti facti sunt Their foolish hearte is darkned sayinge themselues to be wise but they be made fooles for heretiques can neuer haue the knowledge of the scriptures In maleâ—olam animam non introibit sapientia Sap. cap. 1 nec habitabit corpore subdito peccatis true knowledge shall not enter into a wicked soule nor lodge in a bodie subiect to sinne Therfore the prophett saithe Discam in via immaculata I will learne in an vnspotted waie and when heretiques through pride and malice haue most maliciouslie opposed theÌ„selues against the catholique church the piller and foundation of all trueth and haue sought by all wicked and malicious meanes to deface the same wee must not thinke they haue had any true knowledge or perfect wisdome for if once a foundation of a house or a rocke vpon which are builded manie chambers do fall all those chambers cannot stand vpp the catholique church is the firme rocke vpon which the faithe of euerie christian is builded if he once fall from the church he hath no faith nor any vnderstandinge of the scriptures and therfore S. Augustine saith he would not haue beleeued the ghospelll without the authoritie of the church which beinge inspired by the holie ghoast hath taught thinges which the scritures haue taught the contrarie as that wee should not obserue the old lawe nor obstaine from thinges suffocated or straungled and such like for the letter saith S. Paule killeth 1. Cor. 3. but the spiritt quickneth And as the letter in the old lawe not trulie vnderstoode nor referred to Christ did by occasion kill the carnall Iewe so the letter of the newe testament not truly taken nor expounded by the spiritte of Christe which only is in his church killeth the heretique who also being carnall and voide of spiritt gaineth nothinge by the scriptures but rather taketh hurte by the same Aug. to 10. de teÌ„pore li. de Spiritu litt c 5. 6. 2. Pet. 3. 2. Tim. 3. as S. Augustine auoucheth for in the newe testament saith S. Peter are certaine thinges hard to be vnderstoode which the vnlearned and vnstable depraue as also they do the rest of the scriptures to their owne perdition of whom S. Paule himselfe saith alwaies learninge and neuer attayninge vnto the knowledge of the truth men corrupte in mind reprobate concerninge the faith but they shall prosper noe further for their folly shal be made manifest to all and as Iames and Mambres resisted Moyses soe they alsoe resiste the truethe 4. If Daniell after that God had reuealed vnto him thinges to come concerninge the militant church saith Ego audiui non intellexi I haue heard but I vnderstood not the Angell said vnto
the order of the tradition which was then deliuered vnto them to whome they comitted the church to the which many nations of those barbarous people that haue beleeued in Christe doe consente without letter or inke hauinge saluation written in in their hartes and keepinge diligentlie the tradition of our elders and soe S. Hier. saith cont Heres 9. The creede of our faith and hope which beinge deliuered by tradition from the Apostles is not written in paper and Incke but in the tables of the hearte and this is in the church booke also wherby wherein shee keepeth faithfully all trueth in the hartes of those to whome the Aposles did preach And therfore S. Paule saith 2. Thes 2.15 Brethren stande hold the tradition which you haue learned whether it be by worde or by epistle not only the thinges written and sett downe in the hollye scriptures but all other truethes and pointes of religion vttered by worde of mouthe and deliuered and giuen by the Apostles to their schollers And so S. Basil saith thus I accompte it Apostolique tradition to continue firmlie euen in vnwritten traditions and to proue this he alleadgeth this place of saint Paule â—n the same booke cap. 17. and saith if wee once goe aboute to reiecte vnwritten customes as thinges of no importance wee shal ere wee beware endamadge the principall partes of our faith and bringe the preachinge of the ghospell to a naked name and so example of these necessarie traditioÌ„s he named the signe of the Crosse prayinge towardes the easte the wordes spoken at the eleuation or shewinge of the holy Euchariste with diuers ceremonies vsed before and after baptisme with three immersions in the fonte the wordes of abrenunciation and exorcismes of the partie that is to be baptised and what scripture saith he taught these and such like None trulie all cominge by secret and silent traditions c. S. Hierome reckneth vpp diuers such like traditions Hieron in dialogo Lucife c. 4. epist com Luci 28. willinge men to attribuit to the Apostles such customes as the Church hath receaued by Christians of diuers Countrie 5. S. August ad Genn saith Let vs holde faste those thinges that are not written but are deliuered vnto vs which beinge generally obserued in all places of the worlde wee must thincke them to come from the Apostles or from the generall councells which oughte to be of greate authoritie in the churche of God and whosoeuer will dispute hereof ought to be counted of most insolent madnes S. Hier. ad Luc. wee must obserue the traditions of our Ancestors S. Paule comaunded vs to submitt our selues to our pastors and teachers S. Augustine saith wee learne by tradition that children in their infancie shoulde be baptized de gen ad liter 101. 23. Tradition caused him to beleeue that the baptized of heretiques should not be rebaptized by tradition onlie he and others condemned Heluidius the heretique for denyinge the perpetuall virginitie of our Ladie and without this noe Arrian noe Macedonian noe Pelagian noe Caluin will will yealde Wee must vse tradition saith Epiph for the scripture hath not all thinges and therfore the Apostles deliuered certaine thinges by tradition S. Iren. lib. 3. 14. saith that in all questions wee must haue recourse to the traditions of the Apostles teachinge vs withall that the waie to true apostolicall tradition and to bringe it to the fountaine is by the apostolicall succession of Bishoppes but especially of the apostolicall church of Rome declaring in the same place that there are manie barbarous people simple for learninge but for constancie in the faith moste wise which neuer had scriptures but learned onlie by tradition Tert. lib de corn reckoneth vpp a great number of christian obseruations or customes as S. Cyprian in mannie places doth whereof in fine he concludethe of such and such If thou require the rule of scriptures thou shalt finde none tradition shal be alleadged the author custome the confirmer and faith of the obseruer Orig. he mil. 5. proueth the same Dyonisius Areopag referreth the oblation and prayinge for the death in the lyturgie or Masse to an Apostolicall tradition Soe doth Tertull Aug. Chrys Damasc alleadge Also wee mighte add that the scriptures themselues euen all the bookes of the Byble be giuen vs by tradition else should wee not take them as they be indeede for the infallible worde of God noe more then the worcks of S. Ignat. S. Aug. S. Dion and the like 6. The true sense alsoe of the scriptures which Catholiques haue and heretiques haue not remayneth still in the Church by tradition the Creede is an Apostolicall tradition Ruff. in expo simb ad principium Hier. Epist. 61. cap. 9. Ambr. ser 38. Aug. de Simb ad Cath. lib. 3. cap. 1. Alsoe it is by tradition wee hould that the holie Ghost is God therfore Macedonius was condemned in the 2. Naz. lib. â— Theol. councell of Constantinople for an heretique for that he denyed the same because in the scripture this name is not giuen vnto him for in the scriptures manny thinges are said to be such by Metaphors which are not soe indeede as that God is a sleepe that he is angrie that he is sorrye although noe such thinge is in God as alsoe manny thinges that are such and yet are not mentioned in the scriptures God to be ingenitus with manny such attributes as Trinitie parson consubstantialitie hypostasis vnto hypostatica homousion and because the Arrians did not yelde vnto the same not findinge them in the scriptures they were in the councell of Nyce condemned for heretiques And althoughe the verie wordes be not in the scripture yet they be collected of the sence of the scriptures And soe S. Cyrill Cyrill l. 1. dialogoruÌ„ de trinit of that place of scripture Ego sum qui sum I am the same that is doth gather that the sonne is consubstantiall with the father although the worde consubstantiall is not founde in the scriptures So the catholique Church in all ages out of the sense of the scripture doth gather that wee oughte to pray vnto Sainctes to pray for the deade that there is a Purgatorie althoughe the verie wordes themselues be not there And when S. Paule did speake of the holy Eucharist he broughte noe scriptures to proue it I haue receaued of our Lord saith he that I deliuered vnto you he alleadged nothinge but tradition which he had receaued from our Lorde that a woman ought not teache in the Churche that a womaÌ„n ought to be couered that the man oughte to be bareheadded that the Bishoppe ought to be husband of one wife he alleadginge nothinge but the custome if any man would be captious or contentious he did oppose against theÌ„ the custome of the Churche saying wee haue noe such custome nor the Church of God and whosoeuer despiseth these thinges he doth not despise man but God And therfore wee are referred by the holie
respecte that kingdomes and nations are subiecte to conquestes and inuasion of strange nations which alwayes for the most parte bringe with them their languadge vtterly defacinge the languadge of the country conquered soe also in these countries there muste be alterations of trāslations of scriptures which cannot be done without great danger of the corruption thereof either in respect of the ignorance or malice of the trāslators especiallie if they be heretiques which neuer translated the scriptures trulie being carried away by their passsionat affection of their heresie And therfore S. Hierom founde great faulte Hier epist ad Paulinum that the scripture should be soe common and in contempte for saith he talkatiue ould women and doting ould men the cauelinge Sophiste all men doe presume to speake of scripture they rent the scriptures in peeces they teach it before they learne it When S. Basil heard the cheefe cooke of the Emperor in his presence to speake of scriptures he reprehended him sayinge Tuum est de pulmentis cogitare non dogmata diuina decoquere it is thy office to thincke vppon thy cooquerie not to play the Cooke in diuine misteries I am sure if these fathers were liuinge in this wicked age to see the Cobler the Tailor the Tapster speake and dispute of scriptures and alsoe to preach in the pulpitt they would sharplie reprehend them Whether we forbid the ignorante to pray in a languadge which they vnderstand CHAPTER V. 1. Cor 14. 1. THe heretiques obiect vnto vs the wordes of S. Paul saying he that speaketh with the tongue let him pray that he may interprete for if I pray with the tonge my spirite prayeth but my vnderstandinge is without fruite I answere that although it be not fruitfull for his vnderstandinge yet it is fruitefull for his deuotion for here is noe mention made of any other tonges but of such as men did speake in the primitiue churche by miracle as of spirituall collations and exhortations which the christians were wont to make to praise God and not of those lāguadges which were then common to all the world as Hebrewe greeke and latine in which the scriptures both olde and newe were written For it is a palpable and grosse deceit and cogginge of the heretiques to say that the vertue and efficacie or the Sacramentes and sacrifice oblations prayers and religion dependeth vppon the peoples vnderstandinge hearing or knowledge the principall operation and force therof and of the whole misterie of the Church consistinge especially in the verie vertue of the worcke and the publicke office of the priestes who are appointed by Christe to dispose the misteries to our saluation The infant innocente idiott and vnlearned takinge noe lesse fruite by baptisme and all other diuine offices then the learnedest clearcke yea more if they be more humble charitable deuoute and obedient and perhappes wee see more often the simple to be more deuoute and the learned more rechles and more colde for deuotion doth not consiste in the vnderstandinge vnles the will be well affected 2. S. Augustine said of the common people non intellgendi vluacitas sed credendi simplicitas tutissimum facit It is not quicknes of vnderstanding but simplicitie of beleefe that shall saue vs And in another place he saith Si propter solos eos Christus mortuus est sui certa intelligentia possunt quae ad fidem pertinent discernere penè frustra in Ecclesia laboranus If Christe had died onlie for such as can vnderstand well the misteries of our faith in vaine well should labour in godes church for God doth rather respect your simple beleefe then your deepe vnderstandinge the affection of the will concerning your faith then the hawtie knowledge of your loftie minde Charitas aedificat scientia inflat as the Apostle saith charitie doth fruictifie to edification when science serueth for the moste parte to ostentation soe as our Sauiour did speake vnto the common people in parables whose simplicitie and godly affection did proffitt more therby then the wordlie wisdome and proud knowledge of the arrogant and swellinge Scribes and Pharesies 3. Doe you thincke that the children of the Hebrewes did vnderstande when they cried in the Temple Osanna filio Dauid Or that our Sauiour was displeased therby for that they vnderstoode it not but the priests and scribes were much confounded therby saying Audis quid isti dicunt truly our Sauiour was not discontented at the prayses of those littles ones for then the prophesie was fulfilled ex ore infantium lactentium c. thou makest an instrument of the tender infante and suckinge babe to magnifie and praise thy name to the confusion and ouerthrowe of thine enemies seinge the ende of all the scriptures and of the lawe of God and man and of the science and knowledge thereof is true and perfecte charitie inflaminge and inkendlinge our hartes with the firie loue both of God and our neighbors flowinge and florishing abondantlie with all fruitfull exercises and worckes of mercie pietie and religion as the Apostle saith plenitudo legis est dilectio the fulnes of the lawe is charitie 4. The experience of the catholique flocke in agreeing and submittinge themselues to the seruice of the church in the vniuersall and common languadge thereof and of their great increase and charitie pietie deuotion religion therby as their shinning resplendent vertues of their godly conuersation and their externall worckes of mercie may wittnesse and confirme the same and the example of the contrarie practise in fewe yeares paste of these new euangelistes or pretended reformers as in disagreeing from the common vse and custome of the whole churche and reuoltinge from the obedience thereof auoucheth no lesse as also the smale or noe fruite at all that their vulgar and confused translations haue brought both vnto themselues and to their miserable and scabbed flocke which like giddy heades and itchinge braines were not contented nor setled therein but conceaued great loathsomnes thereof like the children of Israell who hauinge soe earnestlie sought vnto themselues a kinge yet when he did raigne ouer them nothinge was more toilsome vnto them Puritants cares nott for prayers soe as nothinge is more troublesom vnto your carnal appetites then any sett prayers or seruice in your vulgar translations which the puritantes doe protest to be collected out of the Popes portuis Masse Admonitio parleamenti and consequentlie verie distastfull vnto them Admonition parl pag. 45. and for this cause by the protestants of englande are censured as scismatickes Was euer their stinge more venemous or their bookes more exasperatinge or more vehement against the seruice of the church in the latine tounge then it i◠this day against the booke of comon prayer set forth in the englishe tonge and set seruice in your owne churches I haue reade the slanderous and bitinge booke of Thomas Cartwrithe oppugninge the same against doctor White-guifte Bishopp of Canterburie for defending it
there-you may see with what inuectiue stiles redoublinge withall oprobrious tearmes they doe entertaine one another and what a generall reuolte wee see nowe a dayes from this vulgar translation of sett prayers order sett downe in that booke and comaunded to be putt in continuall practise into Caluinisme and Puritanisme yea and at last vnto plaine athisme who will haue noe set prayers or common seruice at all sauinge some lasciuious and wanton psalmes of Geneua rather for fashion sake or some carnall delight then for any spirituall deuotion I haue seene a pamphlett in printe which was exhibited to the parlament that it was not lawfull for christians to say our pater noster or the creede yea not in our vulgar tongue 8. God doth knowe and wee ought not to be ignorant that your vulgar and false translation of scriptures or set prayers is not for edification but rather for cauillation though you inculcate the same soe ofteÌ„ your selues not restinge therein but slidinge from it againe In the kingdome of Ireland you comaund the englishe Bible and the english common prayer booke to be obserued in all the churches of that poore kingdome coÌ„pellinge the prisoners to buy those bookes which themselues coulde not vnderstande yea not one person amoungest 40. when that comauÌ„d was giuen forthe could speake or vnderstande the english tonge And now in the kinges raigne you cause those bookes to be set forth in the Irishe tonge compellinge euerie parish church to pay 10. shil for an Irishe Bible when one amoungest a 100. cannott read them or vnderstand them and therfore an Irish protestant Bishopp did laugh at this strange kinde of alteration and said to some of his frindes in Queene Elizabeth her time wee had englishe Bibles and Irish ministers but nowe said he wee haue ministers come out of england vnto vs and Irish Bibles with them 6. Are not for the most parte all the benefices and church liuinges of that kingdome bestowed vpoÌ„ English Scotish ministers not one of them hauinge three wordes of the Irish tonge and although in the English pale and in porte townes the inhabitants especially the best sorte caÌ„ speake Englishe yet fewe of the common sorte except it be betwixt Dublin and Drodach and in 3. barronies in the country of Wexforde can speake any worde of Englishe and truly I thinke that the Irish Bibles haue as many faultes errors in theÌ„ as the translation Martine Luther made of the Bible in which Hieronimus Enser found more then 1000. errors which he set downe in the translation that he made 1522. And not only catholiques haue charged him with those errors but also Zuinglius who made another kind of translation disagreeing from that of Luther The same is also witnessed by your variable traÌ„slations of your English Bible the first not agreeing with the last nor With the seconde In the conference had at Hampton courte the English Bible was censured to be ill translated and containing very partiall vntrue and seditious notes and too much sauoringe of dangerous and traiterous conceites and soe order was taken to make a newe translation How can the true sense and meaninge of the oracles of God be imbraced if they be tossed and corrupted with euerie vulgar tongue which oughte to be a sufficient cause that it should be preserued in those languadges in which it was first set forth by the Apostles and fathers of the primitiue church Cor. 14 7. S. Paule did forbid a womaÌ„ to speake in the church but nowe euerie woman amoungest the protestants is a mistris of scripture are all men Apostles all Euangelists all doctors saith the Apostle but nowe this vulgar translation or rather corruption or prophanation all Shoomakers Coblers Tailors Tauernors yea and lasciuious wanton women yea the most ignorant of all are Apostles prophetts euangelists and doctors so as they take away all order and forme of discipline from godes church and in the place of Hierusalem which ought to be a cittie well ordered withall vnformitie both of doctrine and discipline there is a Babilon builded where there is nothinge but a sauadge and barbarous confusion Soe as wee may perceaue that this inordinate desire of knowinge the hidden and secrett misteries of God which he woulde not haue to be abused by these contemptuous spirittes brought such fruite vnto the worlde as that disordered greedines of our first parentes touching the knowledge of good and euill therfore wee are warned not to knowe to much but rather to feare least wee should abuse our knowledg and therfore the holly ghoast doth aduise vs Eccle c. 3. not to be curious in searching things aboue our capacitie and beyond our reache 8. The beginninge and end of Ezechiel as S. Hierom wittnesseth was read by noe man before he was 30. yeares of age Hier. in proemiâ— Ezech. Baptisme was vealed in the read sea the Eucharist in the paschall lambe in manna and in Melchisedeks bread and wine the trinitie was not knowen to any but to the prophetts and the highe priestes S. Paule calleth the incarnation misterium absconditum à saeculis A misterie hidden from ages for the word misterium is not to be made knowen or diuulged to euerie one Dion lib Eccles Hier. c 1. Orig. hom 5. in cant Hier. ep 81. ad Pamachum as Dyonisius and Origenes doe counsel Did not the Apostles forbide to write the creede that noe man might learne it but by word of mouth of the Christians S. Ambrose alsoe saith lib. de ijs qui initiantur cap. 9. lib. 6. de Sacra c. 4. that ineffable misteries must be kept silent And therfore in the latine translation of the scripture wee retaine many Hebrew wordes and not without great cause are they reserued in the very hebrew it selfe which cannot be soe well translated into the latine much lesse to any other languadge as Alleluia Osanna Amen Emanuell Rabbi Abba as also greeke wordes Kyrie eleison Psalmum Christum Baptismum Episcopum Diaconum Eucharistiam Euangelium which are greeke voyces and when the Pope doth celebrate the Ghospell and the Epistle are read in greeke before the latine in the churche of Constantinople those were read first by the grecians in latine and afterwardes in greeke and soe the latine was interpreted by the greeke and this as Remigius declareth was done to shew the vnitie of faith in those two churches and that greeke in which the priests in Grecia doe celebrate or say Masse is not the same which the vulgaâ—e people doe vse but farr different from it which only the learned sorte of people doe vnderstande euen as the latine tonge is not the vulgare tonge of the latines but the Italian tonge for the latine is only knoweÌ„ to the learned For as S. Basil saith Basil lib. de Spiritu sancto Num. 5. it is not a misterie if it be commoÌ„ to the vulgar sorte for in the olde lawe all the vessells of the tabernacle were couered
at yorke 29. No. William Gibson Layman at yorke 29. No. Anno 1597. Elizab. 39. Yepes vbi supra pag. 710. ◠◠William Anlaby Priest at yorke 4. Iuly Iohn Buckley alias Iones Priest of the Order of S. Francis at S. Thomas waterings 12. Iuly Thomas Warcop Henrie Abbot Edward Fulthorpe Laymen at yorke 4. Iuly Anno 1598. Elizab 40. Christopher Robinson Priest at Carlile Peter Snow Priest at yorke Richard Horner Priest at yorke Ralfe Grimston Layman at yorke Iohn Britton Layman at yorke Anno 1599. Mathew Hayes Priest at yorke Anno 1600. Elizab. 42. Christopher Wharton Priest at yorke 18. May. Relatio 16 Mart. à Th. VV. edit Iohn Rigby Gentleman at S. Thomas Wateringes 21. Iuly Robert Nutter Priest at Lancaster in Iune Edward Thwinge Priest at Lancaster in Iune Thomas Sprot Priest at Lincolne in Iuly Thomas Hunt Priest at Lincolne in Iuly Thomas Palaser Priest at Durham in Iuly Iohn Norton Gentleman at Durham in Iuly N. Talbot Gentleman at Durham in Iuly Anno 1601. Elizab. 43. Iohn Pibush Priest at S. Thomas Wateringes 10. February Roger Filcocke Priest of the Society of Iesus at Tybur 27. Feb. Relat. 16. Mart. pag. 93. 94. Marke Barkworth Priest of the Order of S. Benedict at Tybur 27. Feb. Anne Heygham Gentlewoman widdow to master Lyne at Tybur 27. Feb. Robert Middleton Priest at Lancaster Thrustan Hunt Priest at Lancaster Anno 1602. Elizab. 44. Francis Page Priest of the Society of Iesus at Tyburne 29. Apr. Thomas Tichborne Priest at Tyburne 29. Apr. Robert Watkinson Priest at Tyburne 29. Apr. Iames Ducket Layman at Tyburne 29. Apr. Mathew Harrison Priest at yorke in April Antony Battie Layman at yorke in April Anno 1603. Elizab. 45. vltimo William Richardson Priest at Tyburne 27. February Vnder King Iames. Anno 1614. Iacob Reg. 2. Laurence Bayly Layman as Lancaster in March Iohn Suker Priest at Warwicke in August Robert Grissold Layman at Warwicke in August Anno 1605. Iacobi 3. Thomas Wilborne Layman at yorke 1. August Iohn Putchering Layman at Rippon 5. Septemb. William Browne Layman at Rippon Anno 1606. Iacobi 4. Edward Oldcorne Priest of the Society of Iesus at Worcester 7. Apr. Raph Ashley Layman at Worcester 7. Apr. Henry Garnet priest Superior of the Society of Iesus in England in S. Paules Churchyard 3. May. Anno 1607. Iacob 5. Robert Drury priest at Tyburne 26. Ianuary Anno 1608. Iacob 6. Mathew Flathers priest at yorke 21. March George Geruis priest of the order of S. Benedict at Tyburne 11. April Thomas Garnet priest of the Society of Iesus at Tyburne 23. Iune Anno 1610. George Napper priest at Oxforde 10. of Nouember Cadwalladar priest in Wales N. Roberts priest of the order of S. Benedict at Tyburne Thomas Somers priest at Tyburne 10. of December Anno 1612. N. Scot priest of the order of S. Benedict at Tyburne Richard Newport priest together with him A Compendium of the martyrs and confessors or Ireland vnder Queene Elizabeth CHAPTER III. 1. WIlliam Walsh natiue of Donbuinein the diocesse of Meath first depriued of his bushoprick and spoiled of all his goods for not conforming himselfe to the Queens iniunctious about the oath of her ecclesiasticall supremacie and other lawes made against the holy Camons of the catholique church was put into a deepe dungeo◠wherein he was many yeeres afflicted with giues and fetters vntill by the fauor of his keeper he made an escape and fled into Spaigne and so ended the remainder of his blessed dayes at Alcala 1578. 2. Thomas Leorus Bishopp of Kildare willingly resigned his bishoprick in king Edwards dayes for that he could not with a safe conscience possesse the same and being to the great consolation of his hart restored againe vnto the same in Queene Maries dayes was againe in Queene Elizabeths dispossessed therof and of all other his liuelyhood well contented rather abiectus esse in domo Deimagis quam habitare in tabernaculis peccatorum he applied himselfe being banished to Munster in Ireland in teaching yong children to reade their books and instructing them in the christiā doctrine lightly he neuer came to any mans howse butt he exhorted therin nor euer supped or dined but in the later end therof he tooke occasion to edifie the people with one exhortation or another Once being at the Earle of Desmounds howse at supper a gentle woman beinge there retourning home told to her friends as a great wounder that Bishopp Leorus preached not at the later ende of his meat as he was accustomed he neuer did forbeare to reproue and reprehend vice wickednesse in any man whatsoeuer who was reproueable and persisting still in all hollinesse and zeale of godes euerlasting trueth vntill the last gaspe of his breath he died of the age of 80. yeers at the Nasse in the prouince of Leinster in Ireland 1577. 3. Morris fitz Gibbon Archbishopp of Cashall for the like cause was spoiled of all his goodes and suffred much laboure and trauaile and at lenght fled out of the kingdome of Ireland and died in the porte of Portingall 1578. Edmond Taner Bishopp of Clone and Corcke doctor of diuinitie who first being of the societie of Iesus out of which through great sicknesse not without licence of his superiors and aduise of the phisitions was enforced to come foorth and through the importunat sute of his frinds was persuaded to take vppon him the dignitie or rather the heauie bourden of a Bishopp especially in dangerous seasons of turbulent heresies by whicn he suffred great penury and want aswell in prison as out of it he died about the yere of our Lord 1578. 4. Hugh Lacy Bishopp of Limericke did suffer great callamitie aswell vnder king Henry the 8. as king Edward his sonne in whose times he was thrust from his place and function and also compelled to fly the Real me for not yelding to the supremacie of the yong king in the spiritually regiment of the church but being restored to his former dignitie in Queene Maries dayes by Cardinall Poole his hollinesse legat in England and Ireland was in Queene Elizabeths time enforced to suffer the like reuolution aswell of his bishippricke as of all other things and so to carrie the burden of Christs crosse he liued in woe and ended the same in ioy Anno Domini 1577. 5. Nicholas Skerret Archbishopp of Thomound a man of an innocent life and most zealous in the profession of the christian faith after suffering many difficulties and hard vsuadg in prison out of which he made an escape fled into Portingall and ended his holy life at Lisborne 1583. 6. Thomas O Hierly Bishopp of Rosse a man of great fame for good life and blessed conuersation after long imprisonnent in the Tower of London out of which he was enlarged by the entreatie of Sr. Cormocke Ma-Teighe Lord of Munstre who then was at the Court in Englād and after much affliction and tribulation liuing in woodes and montaines ended
diuinity in S. Andrewes and diuers others cheefe ministers of that Contry flye into England and for this traitrous fact were there receaued and cherished Did nott Robert Pont and walter Baquanquell minister by the instigatiō of Iames Lanson cheefe preachers oppose themselues against his maiesties edict that now is publickly at Edenborough Did not these ministers demaund of his maiestie also to be admitted in parleamēt aboue their bishopps Is it not one of their cheefe articles that it is heresie for any kinge to call himselfe head of the Church within his realme A prosecution of the laste Chapter that heresies are the causes of troubles and disquiettnes CHAPTER V. THe other reason of these reuolutions is the fauor that kinges Princes doe giue vnto heretickes when they doe not in time punish them or at leaste ridde their Countries of them because that kinges or Princes growinge forgettfull of God haue a more respecte to their temporall commoditie then vnto the will of God or the good of his Church thinkinge by their owne industrie and reason of estate themselues and their estate be sure and secure yet God almightie doth often suffer them to fall into great miseries and calamities and their kingdomes to be ouerthrowen and ruynated Tripert hist. lib 8 cap. 13. Theod. l. 4 Valent. an Arrian Emperor did send against the Goathes his great Captayne and a deuout Catholicke who was called Traian and was ouercome by them when he retourned he reprehended him called him Couard he answered it is you and not I that haue lost the victory for that you haue forsakē God he gaue the victory to the Barbarians against thee Also the said Emperor in his iourney against those Goathes was mette by the holy Monk called Isacius who said vnto him whether doe you goe hauing God against you Theod. l. 4 cap. 30. Metas in vita Isacij for against him thou makest this warre c. giue ouer thy warres against God and he will giue ouer his warres against thee 2. Valentinian the younger who being deceaued of his mother Iustine Theod lib. cap. 14. did fauor the Arrians was put to flight by Maximus the Tyrante who made himselfe Emperor and soe Theodosius the great did write vnto him that is was goods iust iudgment Carol. Sig. lib. 9. that he should suffer that infamy for that he forsooke the trewe Christian catholicke religion and fauored the enemyes thereof So Winceslaus the 12. Eneas Syl. hist Bohemia c. 35. kinge of Bohemia by his false reason of estate giuing tolleration vnto the hereticks was both by them depriued of his life and kingdome 3. Boleslaus Prince of Polland In Chron. lib. 6. hist. Polo did suffer the people of Prusia to renounce their Christianitie and liue in Idolatrie for which they sent him a verie riche present but was after ouerthrowen by them with the ruyne of all the kinges and the nobilitie of Polande Sabel Aeneas 8 c. 6 Carol. Sig. de regu Genebr in Chron. An. 607. 4. Nicephorus Cōstant for that he fauored secrettly the Manichees was ouerthrowen slaine by the Bulgares The like example wee haue of Gessulfe Duke of the Lombardes who for fauoringe the Arrians his armie beinge ouerthrowen was slaine himselfe by the Auoros whose wyfe betraied the Cittie wherin shee and her husband liued to the captaine generall of them thinkinge to marry him after but shee first was dishonored in her bodie and then hanged a liue vppon a Gibbett Num. 16. 5. Not without cause did God say vnto Moyses departe from the Tabernacles and tentes of wicked people and touch nothinge that belonges vnto them 4. Reg. 17. God sent liōs amoungst the people of Samaria for hauinge Idolls Geneb in Chron. both to kill and destroy them wherfore the Cittie of Parris hath this for a monumente engrauen vppon her gates one God one kinge one faith one lawe 6. Hence it is written by the holy Ghoste in these woordes All the kinges besides Dauid Ezechias Iosias sinned and that the kings of Iuda forsakinge God and his lawes were with all their kingdomes deliuered vnto others and their glorie to strangers and although Dauid did committ adulterie and soe Ezechias alsoe offended by his ostentation 2. Reg. 11. Isa 39. yet because they forsooke not their faith and religion nor made shippwracke thereof it is not counted that they sinnned for that to forsake our faith is the greatest sinne that is That God doth extende the rodde of his wrath vppon Princes and Common welthes infected with heresies CHAPTER VI. 1. THe sore punishmente and affliction by which almightie God doth prosecute this wickednes many authors doe treate therof esepcially the ecclesiasticall histories Designis Eccl. lib. 5 cap 11. signo 16. and of late Thomas Bozius For none are more prone to wantones riotous misdeameanors which euerie Heresie bringes with it then Princes because commonly they are brought vpp without due chastisment and correction and because each man soothes them to flater and misreporte the truth As also because they are loath to submitt themselues to the ecclesiasticall discipline and censure of the Church or to acknowledge anny spirituall power in the Church of Christe to constraine them as it doth heretickes of whom it is said by the prophet and proued by experience that the nation and people that serueth her not shall perish whosoeuer obeieth her not must be accounted as Ethniques yet to mantaine their absurde heresies they doe labour to deface and infringe her authoritie as wee see in all ages yea onlye the disobeinge the authoritie of the Church and the censure of S. Peter and his successors is the cause of all the heresies that euer were and the Princes that hearken vnto them and forsooke the Church by defendinge them were vtterly destroyed with their states For what punishment doth he deserue that vnder the pretence of Christianitie makes warre against Christ and he that shall call himselfe the childe of the Church destroies and rayses a flame therein all which examples it were to long for me to repeate for I will not alleadge here the dolfull and ruynous example of Constans and Valens Emperors who were enemyes of the Church neither of Hunericus kinge of the Vandals neither of Basiliscus the capitall enemie of the Councell of Chalcedon who was depriued of the Empire by Zenon neither of Zenon himselfe which was buried aliue by the comaundement of Ariadne his wife nether of Heraclius which in the beginning was a catholicke and a valiant Prince but after became an heretick Ionas 1.3 ibi Ion Paulus Diaconus lib. 7. c. 1. Carol. Sig. lib. 7. de occid imp and lost soe many noble Prouinces in the Easte and dyed of a most shamfull disease nor of Anastasius vnto whom a vision did appeare of a terrible and dreadfull man with a booke in his hande who opened the booke in the which the name of the said Anastasius was
written and said these wordes vnto him For thy errors and peruerse faith I will cutt shorte of they life 14. yeares blotted out his name who a lâ—ttle afterwardes was slaine by a thunderbolte neither will I handle the miserable end of Constantius Copronimus who was soe forsaken of God that he cried out and said I am cast into a fire Sigib An. 776. which shal neuer be quenched neither of Philip who impugned sacred Images degraded and put from the Empire and his name taken out of the Coyne and publicke Roules yea and blotted out of the Masse neither of Leon Isaurus Emperor also Ion. lib. 7. de vitis illust Geneb in Chron. Cedrenus Zonaras greci scriptores Mich. ab Iselt hist Surius hist who lost the occidental Empire and was the cause that Gregorie the 3. did transfer it to Germanye and the same translation confirmed by Leo the 3. Nether of George Pobibratius who persistinge in his obstinacie and perfidiousnes was excomunicated by the Pope and lost both the kingdome of Bohemia and his life The like did happen also in our dayes to Christiernus kinge of Denmarke who forsakinge the Catholicke faith was depriued both of his kingdome and libertie For omittinge more exaÌ„ples it is well knowen that God doth not only punish wicked Princes with woefull endes but also their kingdomes and Prouinces who embraced heresies And although the inconstaÌ„t course of this chaungeable worlde is such that noe kingdome or monarchie can houlde it selfe stedfaste or firme or free from reuolutions yet fatall chaunce and alteration for the most parte proceeded of heresies diuersitie of sectes in religion and this you shall know by historicall discourses if you will rippe vpp and peruse the anciente beginninges of these disastorous euentes The reuolutions of of the Romane Empire began by the Goathes 2. The Goathes were the firste that made their inundation in the prouinces of the weast Empire and made also hauock of the auncient monumeÌ„ts of the Romans the monarkes thereof abusinge their powerfull force and strenght accordinge to their owne sensuall affections and beastlie concupiscence ecclesiasticall censures beinge not obeyed for that the most parte of the Christian Princes held in contempte by the instigation of heretickes then springinge vpp all spirituall regiment and iurisdiction of the Church The Goathes brocken by heresie Carol. Sig. de occid â—mp l. 8. The Goathes themselues as longe as they were Catholikes were most valiant conquerors but by the instigation of their Bushopp called Vlsillus an Arrian hereticke they were presentlie deuided by sectes and discordes and ouercome by the Hunnes Atilla their kinge like a most raginge swifte streame ouerunning and destroying all where he came till he had dispossessed those Goathes of all the Prouinces they had taken Libr. 2. sacrae hist epist 93. And when those Goathes came to Spaigne and ouercame it the hereticks called the Priscillians infected it When the Vandalles destroied Affrike and made themselues Lordes of the same Africque confounded by heresie the hereticks called the Donaitstes peruerted and sowed their heresies there Africi abundantes immense multitudine Donatistarum quibus praecipites se dederunt in gurgitem turpitudinum vnde Deivindicta factum est vt dedignantes sanctis obtemperare sacerdotibus c. As Saluianus Bishopp of Marcell and Caesar Baronius seteth downe Ann. 427. 428. when Affricke did abounde with infinite swarmes of Donatistes by which they were owerwhelmed in the gulfe of all filthines by meanes whereof and for not obeyinge the holie priestes the wrath of God was executed vppon them and by the iuste iudgment of the almighty they were rendred vp to the mercilesse and bloodye handes of the Barbarians France destroied in time of heresie Likewise when the Franckes breakinge out of Germanie wasted all France the heresie of Vigilantius tooke footinge therin And when the Longobardes occupied and spoiled Italie Italy destroied by heresie diuers sortes of heresies were embraced there especially againste the councel of Constantinople and Chalcedon As also when the Normanes violentlie rushed into France the French shewed litle obedience to the Churche 3. But what shall I say of that wreatched and miserable tyme when the Sarasins breakinge out of Arabia despoiled and wasted the most notable partes of all Asia with soe many sharpe stormes and troublesome garboiles The Easte in a miserable estate by heresie Was not this pestilente generation first set abroache by the instigation of wicked Mohomett borne for the ruyne and destruction of mankinde whose force the diuision and heresies of Nestorius in the easte encreasinge more and more encreased Was not Sergius for that he was exiled out of Constantinople for that heresie of Nestorius the helper of this Mahomett against the Catholicke religion as Luther and Caluine doe now a daies helpe and further the Turcks and other reprobates of that staÌ„pe and liuerie against the Catholicke Church Marcell in Chron. Cesa 10 6 An. 445. Was not such a tumultuous broyle and confuse disorder made at Constantinople by the procurement of the heretickes the verie tyme when Nestorius hatched his heresie as that Marcellinus doth reporte 445. that the sedition was soe greate that many kild themselues yea such a slaughter was comitted that the streates did stincke with dead carcasses famine pestilence disease wreacke of all thinges which did happen there the chefe Church of that noble Cittie beinge burned soe as no sooner did that ougly blossome bud forth Marc. 24. Daniel 9. but that noble Cittie of all Citties before that heresie most florishinge was become most lamentable and desolate for heresie euer bringeth with it abhomination and desolation as the sacred scriptures proue Constantinople taken Afterwardes in the yeare of our Lord 1453. the said Cittie was distroyed and taken by the Babylonian and Turkish Pharao for that they held diuers heresies against the holly Ghoste and for that they did breake from the determination of the Councells of florence wherein they were reunited vnto the Romaine Church their Emperor Iohn Paleogus and their Patriarche consentinge thervnto And as longe as religion did florish in Greece their Empire alsoe did florish and when religion failed their Empire was tourned vnto a perpetuall moorninge and pittifull slauerie of vnsufferable tyrantes and Sathanicall crewe of Turkish burden And in the yeare 1558. the Prouince of Libonia which was of the knightes of our Lady de Teutonica was taken by the Duke of Muscouia when they loste their faith and ymbraced the heresie of Luther Hungarie and Trasiluania may to their great cost beare wittnesse also that this is true who forsakinge their Catholicke faith are ouerwhelmed with the infernall thraldome of turkish Pharao 4. Wherfore should I not spreake of great Brittaine sith Gildas that most eloquente and aunciente trewe writter of that tyme saith The Brittaines brought for their aâ—de the Englishmen againste the Pictes and Scottes at which time it was altogether
which hast ordayned and constituted the seruices of all Angells and men in a wonderfull order mercifully grant that they which alway do thee seruice in heauen may by thy appointment succour and defend vs in earth through Iesus Christ our Lord. Mat. 18. c. 10. Did not Christ bid vs that we should not despise any of these little ones for I say vnto you that their Angells in heauen alwaies do see the face of my father which is in heauen Two manner of wayes S. Thomas sayes wee offer our prayers to any D. Thom. 1. 2. q. 83. ad 4. primo vt sit per eum petitio implenda secundo vt per ipsum impetranda first that our desire by our prayers may be by him accomplished secondarily that our desire may be obtayned by him In the first manner wee offer our prayers vnto God onlie because that all our prayers and desires ought to ayme att godes graces and glorie which none can giue but God alone In the second manner wee offer our prayers vnto the holie Angells and Saincts that by their intercession God almightie may be moued to take commiseration on vs as it is alleadged by S. Iohn saying Apoc. 8. And there ascended the smoake of the incenses of the prayers of the Saincts before God This also is proued by so many apparitions of Saincts made vnto the liuing ymploring their helpe and protection as are registred by the holy doctors S. Euthimius did appeare vnto Phillipp Deacon being cast away in the mediterranean Sea Caesar Baron An. 477. apud and hauinge prayed vnto that holy S. fâ—rayde he tooke him by the hand and brought him safe to the shoare S. Bernabas did appeare vnto Anthemias Bishopp of Salamina thrice Caesar Baron An. 485. Ibid. 604. beinge sore vexed by the Heretiques that were then rising vp S. Peter did appeare vnto the widdowe Galla confortinge her that her sinnes were forgiuen her So the blessed Virgin Marie appeared vnto Seueriana about her death with many other apparitions which we both read and heare daylie c. but I cannot omitt that which S. Gregory of Niss relateth in the life of S. Gregory Thaumaturgus how that the blessed Virgin Mary together with S. Iohn the Euangelist appeared vnto the said S. Gregory Tha. and did instruct him in the mistery of the blessed Trinity Lib. de Anglia martyrum cap. 9. S. Gregory of Tours declareth that the blessed Virgin appeared vnto the master carpenter that was set to woorck by Constantine the great to buyld a church in her honour which was so huge as it was hard to be builded but shee instructed him the manner how to bring the same to perfection The like apparitions of other saincts do wittnesse S. Basil in oratione de Sancto Mamante S. Greg. Naz. in orat in Iulian. S. Sulpitius in vita S. Martini Theodoretus lib. 5. hist. cap. 24. Paulinus natal sancti Felicis S. Aug. lib. de cura pro mortuis habenda cap. 16. Whether Papistes doe err in worshippinge and adorninge the reliques of Saincts whether they sell their Masse and prayers for temporall gaine CHAPTER V. 1. I Answere that the holy reliques of of Christ or his Saincts are not vsed for temporall gaines but for the spirituall consolation of the faithfull which by those blessed reliques haue receaued great comforts and blessinges as you may read that the Iron chaines the Napkins yea the verie shadowe of the holy people and Apostles did releeue many Act. 12. Act. 5. Mat. 5. and reuiued some And if the deuout Christians doe offer any thinge at the Alter where those blessed reliques are kept the same beinge praetium peccatorum the price of their sinnes and the releefe of the poore they were not principally instituted for that purpose 2. Lib. de SacrameÌ„t tit 12. This verie obiection against the Catholique Church was first inuented by Iohn Witcleffe in England in king Richard 2. his time as that most learned man Thomas Waldensis then prouinciall of the order of the Charmilitts writeth his answere may serue aswell for you as it did for Witcliffe which you shall read in the 2. booke As for the Adoration or woorshippinge of Relicks or Images wee must consider that this adoration doth signifie honor and reuerence which is comonly vsed both vnto God and to his creatures Hieron li. contra as S. Hierom saith Veni Bethlem praesepe Domini incuâ—abile adoraui I adored the Cribb and Craddle of our Lord when I came to Bethlem Abraham adored the Angell that appeared vnto him Genes 8. Exod. 3. Num. 22. so did alsoe Moyses Iosue Nabuchodonoser adored Daniell S. Hierom alleadgeth the fact of Alexander the great in kneelling at the feete of Ioyda the high priest of the Iewes 3. So Iacob dyinge did blesse his children and adored the topp of his rodd Adore yee his footstoole Psal 98. Apoc. 3. Which rodd did signifie the holy Crosse In the Apocalips it is also said I will make them come before thy feete Psal 5.6 3 Reg 8. Iohn 7. Hier contra Vigi 2 syno Nyceni Aug. de ciuit c. 8. which is mente of the Bishopp or Angell of Philadelphia Againe the Temple the Arcke the Tabernacle the Propitiatorie the Cherubins the Alter the bread of proposition was adored and because Vigilantius gaue not vnto the Saincts and Images their due reuerence he was condemned as an heretick of the Church of God 1. Reg. 20. 4. It was a custome of holy people to adore great men and Dauid adored Ionothan fallinge downe vpon the earth So Abigall adored Dauid Wee adore saith S. Augustine those good people with Charitie Io. 5. not with seruitude So Iosue adored not the man that he sawe but the Angell which he vnderstood Elizeus hauinge receaued the new spiritt of Elias did suffer himselfe to be adored of the children of the prophets at the riuer of Iordan Regum 2. Num. 22. BalaaÌ„ adored the Angel Saule adored the soule of Samuell 3. Reg. 18 〈…〉 2. Abdias honoured Elias Porpheâ—i an old enemie of ChristiaÌ„ religioÌ„ whom Iohn Witcleffe did obiect vnto the Church saith that against the olde lawe of God shee doth adore the Angells the lawe prohibitinge any adoration to be extended towardes any besides towards God saying Deum tuuÌ„ adorabis illi soli seruies vnto whome saincte Augustine answereth Aug. lib. 10. de Ciuit Dei cap. 20. that wee liuing in this miserable peregrination honor and reuerence the Angells as the most blessed Citizens of heauen neither doth the lawe of God prohibite the same but rather commende it the lawe only forbides that the due reference and adoration which is due to God should not be transferred vnto any other creature or that wee should offer sacrifice vnto it which belongeth vnto God which God did forbid the Hebrewes sayinge Sâ—crificans dijs alienis eradicabitur He that offereth sacrifice to straÌ„ge godes shal