was a wonderfull president and a miserable spectacle to the whole worlde Knocks and one Lindesay another reprobate assistinge him by their secrett combination with the Earle of Morton others set vpp the Bastard of Scotlande who after he was promoted to the Earldome of Moraye and Regencye of that kingdome Knox in the Scotish historie said that if princes be tyrants against God subiectes be freed from their obedience Cal. in ep Daniell ver 22. alleadged by kellys d. Replie to Sutcliffe the hugonots of France in their congregation ar 34 Luther also at Sleydan hath l. 8. ChroÌ„ Zuing. lib. 4. Epist he went about to aduaunce himselfe vnto the Royall Scepter of the kingdome boasting himselfe to be borne in lawfull weadlocke and therfore that he was the only legittimate sonne of his Father Iames the fift These impudent mates write in their bookes that by godes lawes women shoulde not be admitted to the gouernmente of kingdomes that the people of the ghospell should not be tied vnto the lawes of kinred that kingdomes should not be giuen vnto the nexte degree of fleshe and bloode and that it stoode in the power of the people to create kinges to depose or punish them at their pleasure if they giue cause of offense and this to be not onlye lawfull for all the people but for euerie one that he is prayse worthie whatsoeuer priuate person he be that shoulde kill any kinge that misgouernes himselfe that the supreame authoritie consisteth in the people and not in the kinge and this they did write only to take awaye the last Queene and her issue as it is related by Adame Blackwoode who beinge big with childe was pittifully amazed and terrified at the bloodye cruell and most horrible murther of her Secretarie Dauid Rice a man of an innocente life and a most deuoute Catholicke without lawe Blacuodaeus Apolo pro regibus cap. 2.3 4. Buchan reason or any iustice which was practised by these mens procurmente and sinister deuises in her owne sight and Chamber of presence callinge for her helpe who was not able to releeue him her selfe beinge in the like danger as being straite conueide to close prison and there taxed with an infamous reporte and imputation of her honestie shee beinge most innocent therof which was diuulged and spread abroade by their calumnious practise of slaunderous libells reportes and letters to all Princes 5. Did not these lewed mates as soone as they reuolted from the Catholicke Church rebelle alsoe against their Princes and at one instant become enemies of priests Princes soe Stephen Bosgaie the Hungarian and the Emperor Rodolphe his page noe sooner became a Caluiniste The rebellion of the low countries is knowen by their owne edic printed at Francfort 1583. then he made all Hungarie for the most parte to ioyne with the Turcke and to rebell against the said Emperor Geneua noe sooner opened the gates for Pharell and Caluine but they shutt them againste their lawfull Princes The Princes of Germany reuolted from Charles the 5. Emperor as soone as they forsooke their faith and became Lutherans Flanders hath done the like especially such as embraced these newe sects who rebelled against their lawfull kinge and against all his gouernors as againste Margaret Duches of Parma and gouernesse of the same who was threatned to be murthered if shee should in any thinge gainsay them In the same danger was her sonne the Duke of Parma by gunnpouder vilde fire which was prepared for him in a vaute to destroy him and all his traine at Antuerpe and before him Dom Iohn de Austria by the treacherie of one Boniuetius a frenchman Surius hist who was suborned by the Prince of Aurenge to murther him and missinge of their purpose they deuised his death by many other miscreantes Alsoe 1560 at Geneua Caluine and Beza conspired and combined together to murther the kinge and to ransake and destroye all the Courte of France Surius 24 and persuaded Spifamius to be the Architecte of this detestable practise beinge backt and entised therin by Otoman the Turque the cheefe instrumeÌ„tes compassers of which plotte were punished the 24. of March of that yeare Lodowick the 13. Surius 1567. They set vpp and crowned alsoe Lodouicke the Prince of Conde kinge and called him by the name of Lodouicke 13. the firste Christian kinge of the Franckes against the trewe kinge thereof this is proued by Peter Carpenters booke a hugonot who writeth that to noe other purpose were intended all the deuises and machinations of the Causaries soe he calles the hugonotts adiâ—cted to this cause then to abolishe and destroye the Queene mother with all her whelpes and therfore said he Beza chargeth and accuseth the lompishnes and slowe indeuors of the causaries through their quiett rest and peaceable disposition relented in their rancor and malice againste the papistes and the kinge and that he accused he Hugonott princes for not destroyinge and killinge the Princes of France and that in all their assemblies and meetinges they neuer once make any motion of peace of God or his religion but rather of warres troubles tumultes and sedition they alsoe complotted the kinges death at Amboise before the edict of pacification which was anno 1561. 6. The like is read of that vnluckie Luther who wrote and wished the Cittizens of Hall Sur. hist and the subiectes of the Bishopp of Mongontia to putt away or murther their Archbishoppe And called Caesar and all Christian Princes Traitors Tirantts and reprobatts Idem ibid he exhorted all those princes to wash their handes in the bloode of the people and Cardinalls Sur. hist 1568. Did not Farnar the kinges gouernor at Rochell betraie that towne assone as he was infected with Caluinisme and made the same to rebell againste their kinge by the instigation of North Beza commended deceite and that it is good to embrace it sometimes videlicet to faine one thinge and to doe another Also they soughte to murther Herrestus Archbishop of Coline and the Prince Ferdinand his brother What shall I speake of the two kinges of France Francis and Charles the 9. how often haue they rebelled against them and how often haue they soughte to murther them as they haue don Frances Duke of Guise by the instigation of Beza and by the treacherie of Poltrot for they neuer spare to plott the like tragedie when they can bringe the same to passe by whatsoeuer meanes of dissimulation deceite and hipocrisie as they write in their owne Bookes Were not the Ministers of Scotland in the fielde with the Earles of Anguish and Marre and others against his maiestie that nowe is was not their detestable plott of betraying their Countrie and Prince detected by the Earle of Gory before his death For that conspiracy did not Patricke Galoway minister of S. Iohns on Andrew Pollard subdeane of Glasco Iames Carnibel minister of Haddington Andrew Hea person of Panfroe Andrew Meluin professor of
against me alone calling S. Augustine S. Hierom and S. Gregorie the Iustices af the Papisticall kingdome Thus also did that proud Beza charge Origines with blasphemie adding that neither S. Chrysostome nor any of the Greeke fathers did euer declare the trueth simply charged Saint Hierom with shamles errors as inuocation of Saincts and the practise of chastitie or virginitie in the Church Musculus also said that S. Hierom did deserue rather hell then heauen Brentius did charge the first Councell of Nice with foule errors Caluine called the fathers thereof Lunatick and francticke people Musculus saith they were instigated and led by the diuill and that all Councells were pernitiouslie fallen into errors Vrbanus Regius said that in the best tymes of the Church Sathan ouerruled all Bushoppes Peter Martyr called the aunciente Fathers pratlers but no diuines Illiricus reiected the said Fathers Peter Martyr also said that as longe as men relie vpon the Fathers they must be deluded with errors Doctour Humfrie at Oxford said that Iuell gaue a great scope vnto the Papists and did himselfe greate wronge in alleadginge the Fathers for himselfe for what haue we to doe with fleash and bloud The same also Caluine and Peter Martyr wrote Whitakers also vnto Doctour Sanders answered sayinge We care not for your histories Doctour Toby Mathewe said to Father Campion If he should beleue the Fathers he could not be a protestante Beza cried out against Athanasius and the Fathers of the Councell of Nice for that saith the Athanasius found out this Tripartite god he meant the blessed Trinte He said also that he Fathers of that Councell were blinde sophists the ministers of the the beast the bond-slaues of Antechrist 4. The third cause of this mine auersion was because protestantes are hard to be reclaimed for that amouÌ„gest all the sects that euer were none were more inconstant or variable in their Doctrine then the Protestants For neither birdes or beastes as Plinie saith doe watche to breake other birdes egges or destroie others of-springe Plin. natural hist lib. 10. c. 74 as these Protestantes watche to destroye and abrogat the Doctrine which was hatched before them so as whatsoeuer the first gospeller doth settle the whelpe that comes from him doth destroye it as in steede of many examples the confession of Augusta may serue for one so called for that in that citty Colloq altenbar f. 4 39. Colloq altenb fol. 464. the Lutheranes did exhibit to Charles the 5. a booke wherein were written all the articles of their Doctrine which was 50. times chaunged and mangled as they themselues affirme in all which the last is nothinge like the first and soe they call it Cothurnum c. A dislikinge vnto all the rest notwithstandinge Luther said it to be Fundamentum quod hactenus papistis opposuimus The fundation which hitherto we opposed against the Papists the grounde of our religion according to the word of god and the onlie rule of the peace and establishinge of traÌ„quillitie in Germany saith he but in very trueth was the cause of all the warres and troubles thereof and which was abolished out of Germany yea out of Augusta it selfe and within fewe yeares became zuinglians Zuingfeldians and is in noe place accepte in Saxonie For other sectes with which that miserable Country doe abounde being in nuÌ„ber 20. as Stanislaus Rescius describeth carrienge with theÌ„ all the sway did steppe in amoungest them and so at the last Luthers Doctrine was vtterly reiected Count Palatines Country can beare witnes of this mutabilitie which from Zuinglianisme turned to Lutheranisme againe from Lutheranisme to zuinglianisme Smidlerus in vita Bullen f. 15. As also vpper Germany when one Prince or great superintendent dies the people after their death doe change their religion 5. England alsoe cannot denye this to be true which a certaine Pope many hundred yeares prophesied of them saying English men of all natâ—ons are most inconstant and waueringe in their faith the time shall come saith he that when Christendom shall haue most neede of them they shall suarwe from their faith and fall into sectes and heresies For in our daies it changed her religion 4. times within 30. yeares vnder kinge Henry the 8. kinge Edward his sonne Queene Marie and Elizabeth And as Fox saith kinge Edward beinge a childe after his fathers funerall by the instigation and settinge on of his Vncle the Duke of Somersett did abolish the religion which his Father had by lawe ordained viz. The six articles containing 1. The trueth of the Reale presence 2. That both kindes for all persons are not necessarie 3. That marriage of Priests is prohibited by the lawe of God 4. That Vowes and votaries are confirmed by the lawe of God 5. That the Masse is agreable to Christes instâ—tution 6. That Auricular confession is warranted by the word of God This kinge sett foorth two bookes of reformation afterwards a third These articles of our faith were made at one parlemente by the said kinge Henry the 8. and were abrogated as superstitious inuentions by another ParleameÌ„t Anunas menstruas fides as Hillarie and S. Basil say of the Arrians euery newe yeare and moneth a newe faith And what I pray you can be amoungst Christians more disgracefull then this For ought not our ReligioÌ„ euery article thereof to be as the same S. Basil saith eadem heri hodie in saecula to admitt noe change but to continewe his vigor aswell yesterdaye to daye as alsoe for euer According whereunto our Sauiour alsoe saith that heauen and earthe shal passe but my wordes shal not passe nor any iott nor sillable thereof till al be fulfilled Is there any Christian to be found who dares be so bould to say that our Parlament exceedeth the power of God But god by his absolute power as Aristotle and all diuines and Philosophers affirme cannot make two contradictories or contraries to be trewe because of the implication therein for if the one be trewe the other must be false and truly noe more can these opposite and contradictorie Parleaments be possiblie true 6. The 4. cause was that Protestantes make but a mockery of all religion for that they follow Nicholas Machauailes precepts holding that the Catholike religion is a hinderance to state and that Princes shoulde followe that religion though the groundes thereof be neuer soe false which doth aduance their present estate but contrarie to this S. Thomas saith that wisdome and power are companions of trewe religion which when it faileth the power of state alsoe faileth non veniat anima mea saith S. Bernard in Concilium eorum qui dicunt c. my soule shall not follow their Councells who say that the exaltation and and peace of the Empire will hunder the peace of the Church If Iustice be a vertue to giue euerie man his owne to giue to Cesar his owne and to God his owne how doth the Prince
and euer shining bringing forth the holy of holies Thou ô h S. Greg. in 1. Reg. mountaine which far surpassest in height all height of creatures Thou i Rup lib. 3. in cant in heauen the queene of Sainctes in earth the queene of Kingdomes Finallie thou art she then which k S. Chry. ser de Natiuit nothing was euer seene more noble or more excellent thou art she who only surpassest heauen and earth what can be more holie then thou Not Prophets not Apostles not Martyrs not Patriarkes not Angels not Dominations not Seraphins not Cherubins nor any thing amongst the visible or inuisible creatures can be found more excellent then thou ô Marie for thou art his mother who was begotten of his father before all begininges Will we know therfore how far thou excellest all celestiall powers These with feare and trembling stand hiding their face but thou doost offer vp mankind vnto him whome thou hast begotten by whom we obtaine the pardon of our offences I therfore thy humble and most vnworthy suppliant doe here present and offer vnto thy protection this worke and labor though far vnworthy of thy patronage beseeching thee that through thy fauorable assistance O most glorious virgin it may serue for the reclayming of deceaued soules into the sheepfould of Iesus Christ for the confusion of Heretiques and consolation of Catholiques for the detection of falsitie and aduancement of verity and lastlie for the greater honor and glory both of thee and of thy B. Sonne our Lord and Sauiour Iesus to whom with the Father the Holy Ghost be honor and glory world without end Amen THE PREFACE TO THE READER 1. A Certaine Protestant gentle Reader quassinge and caurroussinge in a place cried out against the Pope which is a custome nowe a dayes aswell with the meanfest as with the greatest cheefest personages hauing their ministers at their elbowe when they are at meate to sclander the Pope Priestes and Catholikes I woulde they had read and obserued the verse of S. Augustine Quisquis amat dictis absentum rodere vitam Hanc mensam vetitam nouerit esse sibi Who soe speakes ill of those that absent be Forbidden is this tables companie But these men when they are in their greatest dissolution then they raile against religion which should bridle and restraine them from their riotous and wanton excesse This partie being reproued by a certaine Catholike gentleman that was at the boorde began presently to defend his liberty and licentiousnes by holy scripture and by the wordes of our Sauiour mistaken ill applied answered that whatsoeuer enteretd into the belly doth no harme to the soule but that which cometh from the harte This is noe newe practise in the malignant Church as Eusebius saith of the Heretike Cerinthus who because he was giuen to the bellye and beastly pleasures framed holy scripture accordinge to his sensualitie as this protestant alleadged Scripture against fastinge and began to prouoke the Gentleman to dispute with him who answered him that it was not his part to reason or iudge of holy Scripture being soe mysticall and so far exceedinge his capacity especially in such disordered places amoungest the cuppes the fruite whereof would rather tende to confusiō then to edificatiō or deuotiō The Protestante replyed that if any man could answeare to his demaundes or questions at the full and satisfie him truly and effectually he would become Catholike the Gentleman said he would doe his endeuour to propounde such demaundes to others and soe he went vnto the cheefest protestants of that place who haue sett downe these challenges deliuered thē vnto the said gent. who deliuered them vnto me beinge in one house with him 2 These propositions were nothinge else but the old heresies of auncient hereticks and were long since condemned and anathematized by the auctority of the Catholike Churche in all ages wherein those heretikes did springe vp As by S. Peter against Simon Magus By Liberius the Pope S. Athanasius and S. Hillary against Arrius By S. Damasus S. Gregory Nazianzen S. Basil against Macedonius By S. Celestinus Pope and S. Cyrill of Alexandria against Nestorius By S. Leo against Eutiches By Irenus against Valentine By Tertulian against Marcion By Origine against Celsus By S. Cyprian against Nouatus By S. Hierom against Heluidius Iouinian Vigilantius Luciferans By S. Augustine against Donatists Pelagians By Agath against Montolistes By Tarasius against Imadge breakers By Lanfrancus Guitmundus and Algerius against Beringarius By Petrus Cluniacensis against Henricians and Petrobrusians and against Adelhard By S. Bernard against Thomas Waldensis and Witcleefe By the Bushoppe of Rochester as well by his bookes as by his blood against Luther and Zuinglius By Kinge Henry the 8. himselfe against the said Luther whose booke I haue Finally by soe many generall Councells of the world in all ages and by the most famous generall Councell of Trente which sate vpon this matter the space of 16. yeares 3. Touching the aforesaid propositions truly ◠was loath though earneastly entreated by the Gentleman to trouble myselfe to answere them and that for many causes First for that Protestantes are voide of all humility whose religion is nothing elce thē a peruerse and self-wild denial of religiō neuer learning the trueth simply but oppugning it wilfully The second because whatsoeuer Protestants write they doe it not nether for gods sake or for their owne edification but for the destruction and confusion of others as Luther himselfe their Author did confesse disputinge with Eckius who said that it was not for godes sake he tooke that matter in hande and therfore none more maleparte or sawcie then they be Osuis lib. 1. de here Sur. hist Anno. 1519. Beza in pref noui testam An 1565. Tom. 2. Lib. 3. Regem Angliae to 5 ad Galat. c. 3. Beza act c. 10. in pref noui test Mus in locis cōmunib c. 10. Bren. in Apolo conf wittenb c. de cōcil Calu. de vera eccl reformat Musc de comm loc c. de ministrat inter prep locor commu Martyr de votis Illir pref noui testa Pet. in pref 1. cor Humfred in vit Iuelli par 212. Calu. in pref instit ad Regem Galli Martyr de votis pag. 566. 10. res Camp 5. ratio Beza exempla Theologica for they denie all groundes of disputation all traditions of the Apostles Doctors Councells and testimonie of holy Martyres For as when S. Augustine and the holy Doctors of the Church reasoned with the Donatists Arrians Maniches and others and vrged them with the aucthoritie of godes Church with the iudgmente of the sea Apostolique with the succession of Bishoppes in the same with the Councells and finallie with the name Catholike those heretikes quite reiected all those groundes and meanes of tryall euen so Luther the captaine and ringleader of these late heretiques said I set not by a thousande Augustines and a thousand Cyprians alleadged
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
came within his reache Besides the destruction and desolation he caused in many places of Germanie In Norriberge he burned a hundred villages Townes and Castles and shutt vp in them men and women with children and olde people which the firy flame consumed Surius An. 1553. viz. at Alterfum and Laufum Againe did not Christiernus kinge of Denmarke execute the like crueltie vpon those of Stocholum the cheefe Cittie of Suethlande after that he inuited all the nobilitie with the two Archbishopps viz. Sarcen and Stringeron and then murthered them euerie one and afterwards all the rest of the Cittizens notwithstandinge he had giuen his royall worde to the contrarie in the execution of which murther Surius An. 1517. he continued for many dayes That heresies are the cause of Reuolution of Countries and destruction of state CHAPTER IV. 1. SAincte Gregorie sayeth that the conseruation of the Common wealth doth depende of the peace of the Church and that for two reason for that the lawe of God commaundes vs that wee should obey our kinges and princes in thinges that are not contrarie to the said lawe of God soe that he that obeyes God he muste needes obey his lawfull Soueraigne because God almightie soe commaunded for that obedience wee owe to the kinge is parte of that wee owe to God But when men doth cast away this bridle by heresie or by anny other occasion of their vnbridled and incorrigible humors as they haue no feare of God soe bear they noe dutie to their Prince or Soueraigne Euseb de vit Const lib. 1. c. 11. Zozo lib. 1. cap. 16. Wherfore Constantius Clorus father to Constantyne the greate a most prudente and valiante Prince intendinge to assay and proue the loyaltie of some Christian souldiers he said vnto them that if they would renounce their faith and sacrifice to the Idolls Carol. Sig. lib. 2. de occiden imperio they should abide with him and possesse such honors and promotions as they had receaued of him otherwise such as would refuse soe to doe they should departe from him Some there were who for to gaine the Princes fauor did as he comaunded and renounced their religion others refused soe to doe But Constantius putt awaie such as did sacrifice to the Idolls and kepte with him such as refused soe to doe saying that they were his best subiectes for quoth he he that is a Traytor vnto God will alsoe be a Traytor vnto his Prince 2. Carol Sig. lib. 16. de occid imp Theodor. histor l. 5. cap. 36. The like alsoe did Theodoricke being an Arrian hereticke killing a Courtier of his owne whome he loued intirlie for that from a Catholicke he became an Arrian only to please the kinges humor sayinge that he could neuer keepe touch with man that was not faithfull vnto God Also the most valiant Martyr S. Hornusta said vnto the kinge of Persia who comaunded him to denye his religion and become an infidel that if he should denie Christe that was Lord and Redeemer of the worlde he shoulde more easilie denye him that was a mortall man Through want of faith therefore and good religion rebellions are stirred vpp against their Princes and Soueraignes as alsoe insurrections of subiectes spoyles and garboyles of Traitors combustion and confusion of Common wealthes and all other enormities and trespasses are committed And as Aristotele saith Cuius vsus est optimus eius abusus est pessimus the more excellent and eminent a thing is if it be well vsed soe the more mischeefe it ingenders and the more ruine it bringeth with it if it be abused For as nothinge in this world is comparable in goodnesse to the Christian Catholick faith so when the same is abused by sectes and diuisions nothinge did euer more trouble the Christian Comon wealth for that discordes in matters of faith doe procure and ingender discordes and differences in the hartes and mindes of them that professe the same from which discords and variances proceedes soe manny mischeefes and reuolutions of Countries and kingdomes and kingdomes deuided as our Sauior saith cannot longe endure Therfore Theodosius the yonger beinge at Constinople and seinge his Empire deuided into sectes by the heresie of Nestorius he wrote an Epistle to that most vertuous and holy man Symon Stylites which at that tyme did florish with most rare example of sanctitie Act. Conc. Ephes edi tom 5. Ces Baro. tomo 5. An. 43â— by which epistle he requested him verie earnestly that hee should aske of God peace and vnion for the Church and added these wordes Because that its diuision doth soe afflict vs that it is the roote and fountayne of all our euills and calamities Wherefore whosoeuer will read the Chronicles of kingdomes and the ecclesiasticall histories of the sainctes he shall finde this to be true by the warres that the Catholicks had in the Easte with the Arrians and in Africke with the Donatists and the Gentiles and Iewes against the Christians in all places 3. And neither Iewe nor Gentile are soe infestuous and pernitious againste the Churche and Christian Comon wealth as hereticks and especially those of our vnhappie times and of all sects the Caluinistes which are flames of sedition and destruction of Church and Comon wealthe an infernall fire-brand that burnes wheresoeuer it takes place which consumes to ashes all states and Citties where it is nourished not vnlike the Cancker that eates and gnawes the body that feedes it thus much you shall knowe by readinge a booke called Incerdium Caluinisticum printed 1584. Hollensen hist Angl. Anno 1554. idem in histo Scot. Anno 1567. Also the histories of the troubles of France lib. 1. Anno 1565. The historie of Flanders Anno 1555. in the additions of Surius 1585. Stanislaus Rescius Ambassadors and Treasure for the kinge of Poland in Naples did write a booke 1596. De Atheismis Phallerismis Euangelicorum nostri temporis videl of Atheismes and Phallerismes I meane cruelties of the Euangelistes of our tyme neither onlie doe they destroie kingdomes but alsoe seeke to depriue Princes of theyr liues that oppose themselues againste their doctrine for some of them conspired to kill Queene Marie and one of them confessed the same at his death which was at Tiborn the 18. of May 1554. Norman Lesby Iames Meluine and other Caluinists in Scotland murthered the Cardinall of S. Andrewes in his owne howse and chamber the yeare 1546. Stowe 1554. and this by approbation of Iohn Knockes Buchanan and others of the Geneuian Consistorie Doctor Hancraft in his booke of dangerous positions Lib. 4. c. 14. in historia Ioh. Lesley ep Rosâ—e 4. Buchanan in his most wicked and vngodly declamation made at London against his dread soueraigne the last Queene of Scottes incensed both English and Scottes against her to depriue her of her life and of her kingdome whose wicked desires and desigmentes was putt in execution by the English in the moneth of Ianuarie 1587. which
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
Luther saith that the Zuinglian doctrine and ghospell was from the diuill that the diuill made an instrument of him and that by him he did gouerne and raygne In another place he called him Perdiabolatum indiabolatum superdiabolatum sceleratum cor mendax os habebat That he was persathanised insathanized and supersathanized and that he had a wicked harte and a lyinge mouthe So Zuinglius calles Luther a false prophett an incorrigible heretique Zuinglius tomo 2. in exegesi ad Luth. in corresponsione ad Luth. lib. de Sacra Ort. conf eccles Tiguri trac 1. f 3 5. Ibid. fol. 106. foolish arrogant blasphemous and lyinge a diuell a beast a deceauer a seducer an Antechrist Luther also said of him againe I had rather burne then to hold the opinions of Zuinglius and Oecolampadius and all other wicked bedlam companions cales them Archdiuills and so he saith I that am nowe readie for the graue God is my wittnesse and this will be my glory before his tribunall that I haue labored the condemnation of all these hellish people videlicet Carolastadius Ziuinglius Stinckfeld and those that are at Tigur and Geneua yett these are the cheefe pillers of the protestant religion Luther also did diuorce a certaine wooman beinge married to a Zuinglian and bid her to marry whome shee listed for that saith he it is not lawfull for yow to marrie an infidel Againe Colloquiū Altēburg elect 3. resp ad Saxo. Zuingl tomo 1 in exempl ar 18. It is said of Luther and Melancthon that there is asmuch difference betwixt them as betwixt Sumer and Winter Zuinglius said that nothing did greeue him so much as for being called a Lutheran Brentius saith beinge a kind of a Lutheran nos Zuinglianam c. Wee cannot ymbrace with a safe conscience the heresie of Zuinglian and Osiander 1560. Cēturici 4. Elizab. Reg. dedicata Do not the madeburgenses inueigh against the Zuinglians for denyinge the reale presence and doth not Luther saye that the holy scriptures are corrupted of the Zuinglians In the Duchy of wittenbergue where Brentius was superintendent an edict was proclaimed against the Sacramentaries The ministers of Ienua did exhibit a petitiō to the Princes there to haue an assemblie to the end they should condemne the Sacramentaries and the Ziuinglians as aduersaries And in the yeare 1560. in that Towne Hesutius printed a boooke against the Sacramentaries Caluine did also writt a booke against Hesutius William Clebitius did writt against the Lutherans with this tittle The ruyne of the papacie of Saxonie videlicet Lutheranisme Also Iohn Sturmius writt against the Lutheranes Brentius writt against Bullenger The Lutheranes of Saxonie in their Conuenticle did condemne Albert Hardenburg a Zuinglian of heresie In Transiluania Lutheranes are against the Sacramentaries and the Sacramentaries against them The people of Breme in Saxonie after they were in Lutheranisme fell to Caluinisme and banished all Lutheranes 5. Neither can they excuse themselues their debate or strife to be of thinges indifferent or of ceremonies or such like smale and trifling thinges but of the cheefest pointes and articles of our faith For Nicolas Gallus a protestant preacher of Ratisbon doth declare the same saying In suis Thesibus ita scribit Non sunt leues inter nos c. Betwixt vs ghospellers it is not in light thinges wee differ nor our variances are not of thinges of smale moment but concerninge the cheefest articles of Christian religion videlicet of the lawe of the ghospell of iustification of good worcks of the Sacraments of the vse and order of ceremonies which by no meanes can be decided or compounded Wherfore Luther saith wee esteeme seriouslie in good sadnes all Zuinglians heretiques Luther Thes 77. 1545. and alliens from the Churche of God Beza calles Lutheranes Eutichiās and Nestorians And Caluinistes doe count Lutheranes no better thē Manychees Marcionistes Monotholites who were oulde heretiques Illiricus saith Caluinistarum liturgia non vno sacrilegio viciata est Illir in confess Ang. 17. The liturgie of Caluinistes is not spotted with one only sacriledge the like censure Conradus giues of the same liturgie Oecolāpadius most bitterly writes against Lutheranes and also in the like bitternes Lutheranes write against him by Brentius Iohanes Pomeranus did also write against Brentius Did not the Duke of Saxonie punish most seuerely Zuinglians by the instigation of Luther Did not the kinge of Denmarcke expell Caluinistes out of Denmarke and did not Caluinistes expell Lutheranes out of Count pallentine his Countrie did not Weastphalus write most bitterly against Caluin and Caluine against him 1557. intituled An admonition vnto Weastphalus which if he shall not obey he shal be counted an heretique and the said Weastphalus hath these woordes no doctrine is more spatiously dispersed none with greater deuises and hipocrisie defended none that seduceth more people with greater errors then the false doctrine of the Sacrament of the Eucharist Oecolampadius saith these woords of Luther and his sect Lutheranes saith he they haue a kind of shewe of the woord of God but the right word of God they haue not and herein they followe other heretiques who relies althogether on the woord of God Did not after that Caluinisme was admitted and ymbraced in Transiluania and Hungarie Arianisme and Sabellianisme take place there En la reformation des fausses suppositions lib. 2 Brent in recognit prophetici Apostolici item in Bull. def tract 3. cap. 6. pag. 278. Bullenger contra Brent c. 1. Doth not Lannoy say that the cheefest point of all these fellowes doctrine is that Christ is not God nor by any meanes begotten of the substance of his Father Did not Brentius say that the doctrine of the Zuinglians and Caluinistes tendeth directly to Athisime Iudisme and Mahometisme Some others say that this sect of Caluine tendes to Ethnisme others to Atheisme as Iohn Whitgifte affirmeth with which saith he England aboundes And Bullenger writeth such is the dissention betwixt Zuinglians and Lutheranes that none hereafter will beleeue ought but what it pleaseth him 6. Doe not Protestantes say that the Englishmen as longe as they be of this religion Admonitio 2. ad parla vide act in Comitijs parla Londini An 1503 f. 10. 11. 12. 13. which they professe that they are not baptized nor ought to be counted Christians the ecclesiasticall regiment therof to be as vnlawfull as that of antechrist and that the Church of England is so prophaned and like Babell gouerned by the power of Sathan and not by the order of Christ that none in which there is any sparcke of Godes grace or any feelinge of conscience can liue in England and that all that liue in England and that goes to their Churches and whosoeuer that heares the sound of their belles ioynes with them in their Churches are conuocated thither by the name of Antechrist and are addicted vnto the slauerie of Babylon and Egipt
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
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
be vsed but that and this he did to mantayne his opinion Also when his children kinge Edward and Elizabeth came to the Crowne and held contrarie opinions they caused contrarie translations to be published Fox ibid. Vulgar translations of scriptures profitts nothinge vnlesse wee knowe the true sense of them as for the true sense the protestantes giue vs no rule at all for the same For in England they cannott iudge of the controuersie of religion by the scriptures because they are bouÌ„d by their â—awes to beleue according to the will and decree of the parleament howse and of the kinge And in other protestant countries where the parleament or the wil of a prince is not of force there are so many sects and heresies as they cannot be reclaymed euerie one wreasting the scriptures to his owne priuate and fantasticall opinions for the Protestants doe not care for the vulgare translation vnles they may peruert the sense thereof according to their owne turbulent braines 8. Neither is there any people that doe reuerence and honor the scriptures more then those of the Catholick religion Which as S. Paule saith 2. Cor. 4. doth renounce the adulterating of the word of God wicked constructions deceitfull interpretations and sinister application thereof which is common to heretiques as Luther affirmeth that the roote of all heresies hath bene the scriptures yea he added that the scriptures ought to be called the booke of heretiques There is neither iott nor sillable in the scripture but the catholique church doth imbrace allowe the same as written and sett downe by the holie ghoast and although the priuate spiritt of some haue thought some bookes of the sacred scriptures not to be canonicall yet the whole catholique church hath receaued them hath taken awaie that doubte Touchinge the bookes of the old testament videlicet Iudith Tobyas the booke of wisdome Ecclesiastes the two first bookes of the Machabees and of Baruch as alsoe of the newe as the Apocalips the Epistle of S. Paul to the Hebreues the Epistle of S. Iames the 2. of S. Peter the 2. and 3. of S. Iohn and therfore the heretiques of this time doe not allowe those for that some in tymes paste haue doubted thereof Did not S. Tho doubt also of Christs resurrection and therfore ought he or wee doubt thereof still Christ hauing manifested his scarres and his woundes vnto him Euen soe though some learned men haue doubted of those bookes yet by the vniuersall consent of the church these bookes were made knowen to be Canonical scripture As concerninge the booke of Iudith the councell of Carthage vnder Aurelius Bishopp thereof Innocentius the first Geâ—asius with 70. Bishoppes the councell of Florence vnder Eugenius the 4. haue pronounced it to be canonicall as also of the booke of Tobie Ecclesiastes and wisdome As for the two bookes of Machabes the Canons of the Apostles the author whereof is said to be S. ClemeÌ„t in the ende thereof the two bookes of the Machabees are inserted as Canonicall those two bookes are confirmed by Innocentius the first and by the councell of Carthage and confirmed by the 6. Generall councell in such like manner the said 2. bookes are coÌ„firmed both by the two generall councells of Florence Aug. li. 18 de ciuit Dei c. 16. con Gaud. epist lib. 2. cap. 23. and Trentt and as S. Augustine saith that the Churche and not the Iewes doth allowe the Machabees for canonicall and not onlie S. Augustine doth produce wittnesse out of them but also Ireneus Tertul. Cyprian Chrysost and others soe as to doubte of these bookes is rather the infidelitie of the Iewes then the faith of the Christians especially when the Church hath once decreede the same and soe are all the rest of the said bookes made Canonicall by the Church and by her determination which is of greater force to allowe or disalowe of them as also of the true interpretation of them then all the priuate spirittes in the world vnto whome all priuate mens iudgment ought to submit themselues Basill the greate and S. Gregorie Naz. being the cheefest diuines amoungest the Grecians and hauinge cast awaie all other bookes they recollected themselues to studie the holie scriptures the true meaninge and interpretation thereof as Ruffinus testifieth Ruff. lib 2. cap 9. in Eccl hist they gathered out of the authoritie and comentaries of their predecessors not of their owne priuate presumption or proper imagination Gal 2. Aug. lib. 28 in Faust c. 4. 9. Did not S. Paule beinge an Apostle before he preached the Ghospell goe vpp to Hierusalem that he might confer with S. Peter Lucc 22. Iames and Iohn and especiallie with Peter touching the preaching and expoundinge of the Ghospell for that our Sauiour did praie particulerlie for S. Peter that he should not faile in his faith vnto whome he promised the assistance of his holie spiritt If this soe great a doctor beinge illuminated by Christe and receauinge his ghospell froÌ„ him did neuerthelesse conferr the same with S. Peter the foundation of the ecclesiasticall Hierarchy the Pastor of Christs sheepe the captaine of his armie the sonne that shineth in this hemispher of christendome and heade of the misticall bodie of Christe which is his church how much ought others to doe the like which haue not so much securitie nor soe good a warrant to be fauored and inspired of God as he had Howe can wee thinke or beleeue that heretiques can vnderstand the scriptures who haue not the spiritt of God to instruct them in the knowledge thereof For as no member of the bodie hath the spiritt of the bodie vnlesse it be vnited and ioyned to the bodie soe noe member of the misticall bodie of Christ which is his church hath the spirite thereof that is separated froÌ„ the same Wherevpon S. Augustine saith nihil magis debet christianus formidare c. there is nothinge that a christian ought to feare more Aug trac â—7 in Iohn then to be separated from the bodie of Christe for if he be separated and disunited from the bodie of the church he is not a member thereof and if he be not a member of the same he is not quickned by her spiritt and whosoeuer hath not the spiritt of Christe as the Apostle saith he is not his it is the spiritt that quickneth the flesh auaileth nothinge Therfore you beinge not in the Church vnto whome the spiritt of God is promised to direct her in all trueth and to guide her from all errors and heresies wee ought not to beleue that you haue the knowledge of the scriptures or the true vnderstandinge or interpretation thereof for it cannot stande with any reason or rule that this spiritt of trueth can be in turbulent mindes or malicious heades as hetiquees be Esa 66. qui non requiescit nisi super humilem mansuetum trementem sermones suos neuer resteth but vpon the humble and meeke
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
saith that the Christians would not haue praied for the dead if they had not bene instructed by the preceptes of Christ and his Apostles The said Vrbanus which was the cheefe instrument with Luther to sowe Lutheranisme in Sueth-land and in the Dukedome of Lumburge à parte operum in formula cautè loquendi when the Apostle reproued the Thessalonians for howlinge and cryinge after the manner of GeÌ„tiles for their dead he tooke not awaye the care or memorie for the dead De locis communibus c. 19. but confirmed the same The same Vrbanus affirmeth that Luther was of this opinion sayinge that it belongeth to Christian pietie that wee should commend vnto Christe by deuout prayers our Christian bretheren as it hath bene the custome of the church allwayes withall the doctors and holie fathers thereof The same Vrbanus further affirmeth in the place aboue cited that wee ought not to depart from the practise and beleefe of the fathers here in vnlesse wee will contradict the word of God 3. This Protestant citeth many fathers also to confirme his doctrine as S. Nazianzenus in the funerall oration vnto Cesarius his brother concerninge his mother and Gregorie Nissenus Chrysost homil 69. S. Ambrose of the death of Theodosius Emperor the councell of Affricke cap. 8. S. Aug. confess lib. 19. which praid for his mother and in the booke de ciuitate Dei cap. 9. in libro de cura pro mortuis agenda cap. 4. vid. in the booke which he did write for the care wee should haue for the dead in lib. de haeresibus haeresis 53. in lib. de cura pro mortuis habenda cap. 1. he writes that a certaine heretique did giue out that wee ought not to praie for the dead Idem locis communibus cap. 18 de purgator Idem prima parte Damascenus in sermone de ijs which departed this life in faith saith that the Apostles and disciples of our sauiour admonished vs that in the dreadfull and liuinge Sacrament wee should haue a speciall remembrance of the faithfull departed this life and saith that this is the receaued and generall decree of the catholique church and the obseruation and old custome of all christians for the which are cited the bookes of the Machabees Dionysius Areopagita cap. vltimo ecclesiasticae hierarchiae S. Nazian z S. Chrisostome S. Gregorie Nissen S. Athana and S. Basill The said Vrbanus also verie earnestlie proued that the Apostles of Christ taught the same out of Tertulian S. Athanasius and S. Ambrose He declared also that Asia and Muscouia doe praie for the dead 4. It is also manifest that the Greekes doe praie for the dead by the confession of the Greekes sent to the Lutherans of Germanie by Hieremie Patriarch of Constantinople Purgatory anno Domini 1579. Did not Christ praie his father for Lazarus that was dead Did not the widdowe of Naim praie vnto Christ for her child that was dead although shee prayed for restoringe him vnto life yet much more for remission of his sinnes doth not S. Iohn say Io. 1. cap vlt. There is a sinne vnto deathe there is another sinne also not vnto death of these as Oecumenus saith vppon that place they which die in deadlie sinne for them I say lest noe man praie S. Augustine sayes Aug. lib. de cura pro mortuis ageÌ„da that the soule departes from our bodies in one of these three degrees The first degree is of those that departe perfect and good The second of those that are imperfect and impenitent the third of those that are in a meane betwixt both neither altogether good nor altogether badd For the first wee neede not to praye of whome it is said Cum dederit dilâ—ctis suis somnum ecce haereditas Domini c. when it shall please God to giue the elect reste and quiettnes behold they possesse their inheritance c. I meane such as are hollie in deede either holye by their deathe as Martyres or such as otherwise in their liues shewe both to God and man extraordinarye holines and compleatt perfection of them there are fewe in respect of those Qui ducunt in bonis dies suos in puncto ad infernum descendunt that made themselues slaues vnto the apparent but false shewe of worldlie and transitorie goodes and in a moment they doe goe downe into euerlastinge damnation For the ioy of an Hypocritt is measured by an instant for which people wee may not praie for our sauiour said they receaued their rewarde in this miserable life with the richman But for the other in the third rancke wee praie as S. Dionis Areopag saies Diuinus sacerdos pro mortuis orans c. Dyonisius Areop c. 7. eccles hierar the diuine priest prayinge for the dead he praied for such as liued holie yet they hauing contracted some blemish by reason of their humaine infirmitie are detained in purgatorie and as S. Augustine sayes Aug. Euc. ca. 110. tom 3. our suffrages proffitts them that are in a meane betwixt good and badd of which kinde of people S. Paule saith saluus tamen fiet sed tamen per ignem he shal be saued 1. Cor. 3.15 Cypr. Ep. 52. but yet through fire Accordinge to which S. Cyprian saith Aliud est missum non exire inde c. It is not all one beinge sent to prison neuer to depart thence vntill the last fardinge be praied and to receaue presentlie the reward of faith and vertue it is not all one to be purged and clensed by the torments of a longe fire and to haue all his sinnes whatsoeuer already refined purged by sufferaÌ„ce And because wee doe not knowe certainlie the state of euerie one that departs this life S. Augustine saith Aug. lib. de curapro mortuis habenda Pro mortuis siue altaris siue orationum sacrificijs solemniter supplicamus quamuis non pro quibus fiunt omnibus prosint For the dead wee make our supplications aswell by the sacrifice of the alter as by our prayers althoughe euerie one receaues not proffitt thereby but such as when they liued merited the same but because wee doe not discerne what they be for whome wee ought to offer the same none such as are regenerated may be omitted vnto whome this benefit may or ought to be due for it is better it should be superfluous vnto them that receaues noe proffitt or harme therby then it should be wanting vnto theÌ„ which may reape benefit by it Cyrill Cathe mist 5. 1. S Ia. coli liturgia 5. But let vs further see what other holie fathers say S. Cyrill saith let vs pray for all that departed amoungest vs. S. Iames saith Dominum oremus lett vs make our prayers to our Lord that our parents and brethren which departed before vs Clemens Romanus lib. 6. coÌ„st apost cap. 30 may rest in peace Also S. Clement of Rome saith that the Deacon at Masse did praie for the
at Babilon and Memphis an inumerable multitude of Monkes which were endewed and adorned with sundry giftes of the holy ghoste this is the place where the Patriarche Iosephe kept in store prouision of wheate for seuen yeares scarcity He maketh mention of Amonius the father of 3000. Monkes dwellinge neere Thebes and Paconius which liued 400. yeares after Christe which had 7000. Monckes disioined the one from the other in diuers houses Also Serapion which had 10000. vnder his gouermente whose liues were so famous for their sanctity and eminent vertues that many went in pilgramage to the desart to see them amongst whome was that holy woman Paula Epitaph epist 27. as saint Hierom reporteth Who beinge astonished with their admirable vertues forgettinge her owne sex wished to dwell amongst so many thousand Monkes who neuer went to any of their cells but she prostrated her selfe vpon her knees before each of them beleeuing she saw Christe in euerie one of them 5. Many thousand virgins imbraced this religious perfection as the ecclesiasticall histories recorde especiallie Theodorus who writeth that there were an infinite number of Monasteries and conuents of Virgins in moste partes of the easte as in Palestine Aegipt Asia Pontus Siluia Siria and Europe from the time that Christ was borne of a Virgin the swarmes of Virgins were multiplied in all which multitude both of men and weomen no irreguler or disordered confusion was practised none was impeached with any imputation of shameles or irreligious misdeameanour the cheefest consideration of theire rules and institutions as saint Hierom saith was to obay their superiours in all thinges Religiosa histor except saith he the time of publique exercise of prayers and meditations The Monkes of Aegipt liued altogether by their owne labours and what euerie one could gett by his toile and industrious acquisition sauing a small portion which he reserued for his owne sustentation and liuelie-hood they brought it to their father generall to be distributed vpon the poore so they were wonte to send ships loden with corne and prouision vnto Alexandria for the releife of the poore prisoners and other needy distressed persons for in Egipt were not such number of poore people which could consume the Almes and bountifullnes of these saintes 6. But let no man carpe or take occasion of detractinge of the religiouse persons of this time for that they doe not so labour◠for those Monkes of Egipt and Palestine had no other purpose or imployment but to serue God and to labour for their owne proper perfection not respecting their neighbours and so for the moste parte they liued in remote places and it was also prouided by their institution to labour with their bodies but the Monkes and religious orders of our tymes they are bound by the institution of their order not only to helpe themselues spiritually but also their neighbours and so they are bounde to preach and teach and heare confessions For the accomplishing of which worke to doe it well they must needes study and labour very much which cannot be accomplished or well done if they should bestow their tymes in any seruile worke 7. Europe also is bewtified and famous with these religious orders and obseruations of Italy as saint Gregory the great maketh mention in his 4. dialogues which he composed for the moste parte of the liues and miracles of many religious sainctes of that country Trithemius doth write that in his owne tyme which was about anno 1470. there were of the order of S. Benedict in the prouince of Moguntia 124. abies besides 10. that were seperated from the rest and added that there were in other places 5000. compleat abies besides many small monasteries Other authors doe write as Caesararius Bruto and the author of the beginning of the order of Cisters Montaluo and Arnoldus Abion in ligno vitae that there were 37000. monasteries of the order of S. Benedict in the world 14000. Priories Nunries 15000. that there were canonized of that order 55000. that there were popes 46. Cardinalls 300. Parriarches and Archbishops 1600. Bishops 4000. Emperours 25. Empresses 29. Kinges 54. Queenes 53. sonnes and daughters of Emperours 54. sonnes of Kinges 49. daughters of Kinges 72. doctors that wrote bookes 15000. Martirs 5270. For the space of 300. yeares all the Popes were of that order for the space of 600 yeares all the vniuersities were gouerned and directed by that order and 33. kingdomes were conuerted by that order vnto the christian religion Tertullus father to Placido the Monke bestowed vpon saint Benedict 28. prouinces 98 cities and villages all the kinges of these partes of the world for the moste parte were buried in the monasteries of the said order the Kinges of France in the monastery of saintes Denis the kinges of Englande at Westminster the kinges of Naples at S. Seuerine the kinges of Cicily at Palermo the kinges of Arragon at Poblete the kinges of Nauarre at S. Saluador the kinges of Portugall at Alcobaco the Emperours in the Monastery of Fuldense The Abbay of Floriacense with the monasteries therunto belonginge is worth a million by the yeare Bernard in vita 8. Malachiae 8. S. Bernard writeth that in Ireland there was a monastery that brought forth many thousand Monkes was the head of many monasteries a place saith he truly holy fertile of sainctes and moste aboundantly fructifyinge vnto God so as one of the children of that most holy place called Luanus was the founder of an hundred monasteries Plati de bono statu religiosi lib. 2. c. 24 Ireland saith the same saint Bernard being so inriched by these blessed people may ioifully singe the verse of Dauid Visitasti terram inebriasti eam multiplicasti locupletare eius Thou hast visited the earth and thou hast ouerflowen and abundantly inriched the same with the swarmes of these holy people who made their excursions and cast forth their beames into other places out of which came holy Columbauns into Fraunce and builded the famous monastery of Luxouia where heauenly and deuine Alleluias surceased not any instant or moment by night or by day whose blessed quire is incessantlie supplied by religious Monkes thus farre Saint Bernard Of many great and eminent men who forsooke and contemned the world to become religious CHAPTER VI. 1. BEing to speake of many great and eminent persons who contemned the world to become religious and were the flower and ornament of the catholique church the number whereof are almost inumerable I wil endeuour to exēplifie them first in the grecians and next in the latines Of these in the first ranke I may put Serapion who in the yeare 193. beinge a younge man imbraced a monasticall life and was made the 8. Patriarche of Antioch after saint Peter none in his time being soe learned or soe eloquent as he who wrote manny learned bookes After him succeeded Pamphilus anno 240. being the learnedest of his time of whose great librarie saint Hierome made
of whome they suspected noe such guyle he hauing promised them their libertie yet he sent souldiers in their absence to their chambers and as they returned from supper were intertained with the bloodie edge of their swordes and soe against faith and promise and after paying their raÌ„some they were inhumanly murthered In the cittie of Montbris the Barron of Adrett caused many catholiques to be cast headlong from the topp of a high Turett and caused also souldiers to attend their miserable fall and to entertaine them with the pointes of their pikes 7. Such was the impudencie and barbarousnes of a certaine hugonott that he did weare a chaine about his necke of the eares of priests shewed the same to the chiefest captaines of the hugonittes They did ripp the bellie of a certaine priest and tooke out his bowells in steede whereof they putt oates to serue their horse for a maunger The heretiques of the cittie of Neemes in Languedoc did cast a great number of catholiques into a mightie deepe and large well of that cittie and haue filled the same twise with mens bodies halfe dead Iames Socius a wicked pirate who obtaininge letters patentes of Ioan Alberte Queene of Nauare which they call letters of mart sayling towardes the Iles of Madera and Canaria mett with a shipp of Portingall goinge towardes America which he pursued and tooke In which there were 40. of the fathers of the societie of Iesus who were sent to the Prouince of Brazill to instruct them in Christian religion but the wicked and cruell Tyrant like a deuouring woolfe seased vppon these poore religious people whome he massacred and after dismembring of them of some he cutt a legg of othersome an arme and soe he cast them all into the sea 8. Lastly Anno 1567. in the Carthusian monasterie which they call Burfowtaine in the diocesse of Suesse 5. mounks of that blessed order were murthered by the heretiques that came to robb that monasterie Iohn Motto proctor thereof a most vertuous priest Iohn MegneÌ„ priest Iohn Aurill priest Benedict Lenes lay brother and Theobald priest All these that I speake of neuer tooke weapons against them but most patientlie endured martirdome at their handes But if I should speake of soe manny as were put to most cruell death and were kild in al the Prouinces of Fraunce citties and townes thereof and such that were betrayed by theÌ„ I should make an infinitt volume but I cannot omitt that worthie and inuincible Prince Frauncis of Lorraine Duke of Gwise whose murther was plotted by Beza and executed by Poltrott These and the like examples ought to moue good christians to beware of these people 9. Before the firie and furious concupiscence of king Henry the 8. who caused that vnfortunat deuorce betwixt him and hâ—s vertuous Queene Katherine there was no realme in Europe more opulent and more abundant in all things then the kingdome of England no kingdome more peaceable at home and more glorious and prosperous abroad no king so victorious and tâ—iumphant ouer his enimies as he no courte so magnificent or so plawsible being full of cheerfull shewes and replenished with an vniuersall triumph ioy and exaltation the king liued in securitie without feare of forraine princes abroad or treason or conspiracy of his subiectes at home betwixt the one and the other there was interchangeable good offices aswell of a princely bountifulnesse towardes the subiectes as of a dutifull subiection towardes the prince the king possessed the hearts of his subiects they againe enioye the loue of their Prince But when he violated and dissolued the in dissoluble knott bond of matrimonie which no power in earth was able to disioyne as our Sauiour saith by this separation and diuorce Matt. 19. he separated himselfe also from Gods church all thinges were subuerted and turned topsy turuie all was filled which feares and suspitions at home with warres and diuisions a broad and with continuall frights and stranges allarmes of attempts and garboyles aswell in the court as in the countrie The treasures were exhausted the subiects impourished religion suppressed religious howses dissolued the vertuous oppressed the wicked aduanced and exalted the nobilitie condemned and beheaded and their goods confiscated and all vertuous people were fedd and sustained Pane lachrymarum aqua augustiae with the bread of mourning and teares and with the water of anguish and paine so as whatsoeuer the prophett Hieremy spake of Hierusalem may be applied to England after its apostacy The flourishing nation saith he is like a poore widdow Hier. c. 1. that wailes at night and her teares rune downe by her checkes her priests doe waile her virgins do complaine and she is euerie where oppressed her nobilitie are suppressed and many of her people ouerpressed with vnsufferable miseries and callamities Facti sunt hostes eius in capite eius inimici eius locupletati sunt Her enimies are promoted into her highest promotions and her aduersaries made riche by her spoyles Know yee and behold how distastfull it is to forsake God and nott to haue his feare before your eyes A seculo consregisti iugum Domini thow hast bracken and cast off godes yoake euen from the beginninge thy swoord deuoured the prophets quasi leo â— astator generatio vestra a destroieng lion is your generation And as King Henry the 8. himselfe said in this booke against Luther Eos qui pelluntur gremio matris Ecclesiae stat in furijs corripi atque agitari demonibus Such as are expulsed and thrust out of the bosome of our mother the Church are foorthwith ouercharged with the furious and raginge flames of hellish spirits and vanquished which diuills which assertion I would to God it had not bene verified of him that said it nor sutable to the purpose wherunto the same is applied But England to their great cost by experience knoweth this to be trew howsoeuer otherwise they dissemble it 6. But to retourne to him that applied the same against Luther the stroake did reboâ—nd and reflect vppon his owne neck Anno Domini 1533 Regni eius 24. for being excommunicated by Clemens 7. for putting away his married wife and for marrieng Anne Bullen tradidit se as the Apostle saith impudicitiae Ephes 4. in operem immunditia omnis in auaritiam he yelded himselfe ouer to impudicitie to the exercise of all vncleanesse couetuousnes he caused himselfe to be decreed by perleameÌ„t head of the church made it high treason in him that would not sweare precisely in his conscience this to be trew where many worthy personages both ecclesiasticall and lay people for refusing this oath or otherwise resisting it some were burned aliue as father Foster of the order of saint Frauncis Queene Cathrins confessor other some were beheaded as doctor Fisher-Bishopp of Rochester and Sr. Thomas Moore L. Chancler of England and may others were hanged drawen and quartered Yea he condemned the whole cleargie in a premunire which afterwardes they
preuaile further and although as S. Ciprian saith heretiques and scismatiques in the beginning like a raginge and furious tempest doe swallowe and consume all thinges yet they can not haue great encrease for by their owne emulation they will faile And S. Augustine vppon the psalme Psal 57. Ad nihilum deuenient they shal be brought to nothinge like a swifte streame saith Non vos terreant fratres c. Let not certaine violent streames terrifie you which for a time with violent irruptions doe thunder for presentlie they shall vanish and shall not endure longe many heresies are dead although they ran ouer the banckes yet now scarce is there any memorie of them 4. Theodoretus doth write that there were 76. sorte of heresies sprounge vpp vnto his time Theodoretus lib. de haereticis sabulis and in his 3. booke of that worcke he saith that all were extinguished saâ—ing a fewe S. Augustine doth recken 88. heresies of which he writing vppon the 57. psalme saith that most of them were perished Vnto Luthers time there were 100. sectes of heresies and all of them are nowe extinguished except a fewe Nestorians in the easte and som other few Hussits in Bohemia Was there euer any heresie in the world soe great aswell for the multitude of Bishopps and doctors Kinges Princes and Emperors as that of the Arrians as alsoe for the continuance of time remaining for the space of 200. yeares and vpward and nowe what is become of it Aboute 200. yeares agone the heresie of Albigens had more people to defend it in Fraunce then the Caluinistes haue at this daie as may be gathered by Paulus Emilius Emilius li. 5. de rebus Gallor and nowe there is noe memory thereof The heresie of Luther began in the yeare of our Lord 1525. Then Zuinglius gott vppe and within two yeares after the Anabaptists disturbed Lutheranisme and allured the moste parte of that secte to imbrace theirs After the Zuinglians came Caluine which besides fewe townes in Suiserlande caused all the Zuinglians to followe and embrace his owne doctrine Caluinistes themselues beinge dissolued into Libertines in Fraunce into Puritantes in England into Trinitaries in Pollande into Samosettes in Transiluania But the Catholique Church continued allwayes notwithstandinge all the world firste the Iewes afterwardes the Pagans and last of all heretiques resisted and persecuted her by whose persecution shee did euer florish and increase 4. Note 5. The 4. note is the largnes and amplitude of the catholique church by the conuersion of the gentiles for the catholique church ought not onlie to comprehend all times but also all places nations and all kinde of people and soe saint Vincentius Lyrinensis in his comentarie saith that they be catholiques which houlde that doctrine which hath bene allwaies in all places and which was embraced of all and soe the prophett said in the persoÌ„ of Christe Dabo tibigentes c. In Psal 2 Psal 7â— Aug. lib. de vnitate Ecel c. 6. Bedac 6. Canticorum I will giue nations vnto thee for thine inheritance and the limittes of the earth for they possession he shall rule from sea to sea For the vnderstandinge of which marcke wee must consider out of saint Angustine and saint Beade that the church was to be catholique and not to exclude any time or any kinde of people by which it is distinguished from the sinagoge which was a perticular church and not Catholique was limited vnto a certaine tyme that is to say to the cominge of the Messias as also vnto a certaine place which was the temple of Hierusalem out of which there could not be offered any sacrifice and vnto a certaine familie which were the children of Iacob Also wee must consider out of the same saint Augustine Aug. Epi. 80. ad HessichiuÌ„ that for the church to be catholique it is not expedient that it should be in all men of the world but it is sufficient it should be made knowen in all Prouinces and that it should fructifie in them so that there be in all kingdomes some Catholiques which shall be brought to passe before the second comminge of Christe neither is it requisitt Matt. 24. that this be done at one tyme for it is sufficient it be done successiuelie 6. It is likewise knowen that the Catholique Romaine church hath gayned the whole world for it did fructifie in euerie place thereof in the time of the Apostles Coloss 1. Iren. li. 1. c. 3. Tertull lib. cont Iudeos c. 3. Cypr. li. de vnitate eccl Atha lib. ac humanitate Christi Chriso Hier. in c. Matt. 24. Aug. epi. 80. ad Hesichium as saint Paule saith In the time of S. Ireneus it was also spred throughout euerie knowen prouince The same doe Tertulian saint Cyprian and Athanasius witnesse that this churche was made knowen in their owne time in euerie place Also saint Chrisostome saint Aug. saint Hierom Theodoretus Leo the greate doe declare the same In the time of saint Gregorie the great the catholique Romaine church was imbraced in all the worlde Grego epistola ad episcopos Orientis Affricae Hispaniae Galliae Angliae Ciciliae The same Beda doth declare in cap. 6. Cantic and saint Bernard disputinge before Roger king of Cicilia Theod. li. de legib Leo magnus ser 1. de Sanctis Petro Paulo Prosper lib. de ingratis said that the easte and the weaste obeied the Bishopp of Rome at this verie daye And saint Prosper saith Sedes Romana Petri c. Rome the seate of Peter in respect of pastorall honnor is become the head of the worlde whatsoeuer it possesseth not by the sword it houldeth by religion The sectes of Mahomett with the heresies of Nestorians and Ethiches which as yet be in the easte neuer came vnto the weaste The secte of Luther or Caluine neuer infected Asia Affricke Aegipte or Greece noe countrie was euer conuerted by them for they labour not to conuerte Ethnickes but to corrupte and subuerte catholiques and as Tertulian said of the heretiques in his time Cum hoc sit negotium illis non Ethnicos conuertendi sed nostros euertendi Their drifte is not to conuerte Ethnicks Tertul. li. de praescriptionib but to peruerte ours for heresie is nothinge els then a manifeste corruption of the Catholique doctrine and a reuolte or defection from the former religion of Christians 7. The 5. note is the succession of Bishoppes in the Romaine church deriued from the Apostles vnto our times and soe all auncient doctors haue reckoned vp this succession as an irrefragable argument to shewe the true churche Irene li. 3. cap. 3. Ireneus did recken the Romaine Bishoppes from saint Peter vnto Eleutherius who was Pope in his time He said by this succession all heretiques were confounded Irene li. 3. cap. 3. Tertul. de praescript Aug. epi. 67. Optat. l. 2. cont Parmen cap. 4 S. Ambrose did recken his Apostolique succession