By whose Councel and procurement the Peeres whom she had corrupted shut up her sonne Constantine the Emperour in the palace where he was borne and there they put out his eyes so that he died of hearts griefe Thus they put out the eyes of him that saw and set up Images that have Eyes and see not and all this was done saith the story that her sonne being deposed she might 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rule alone But this decâ—ee of the Nicen Synod repealed by that at Frankford was not halfe so bad as that which followed when Aquinas set up Schoole and taught That the Crucifixe anâ— Image of Christ must be adored with the same honour that himsâ—lfe is to wit with Latria or divine Honour whereas those Nice Fathers haply stood but for veneration or outward reverence of Images in passing by them or sâ—anding before them as friends use to salute or embrace one another Howsoever the Nicen dâ—â—râ—e was râ—jâ—cted as repuâ—nant to the doctrine of Gâ—ds Church by the Pâ—incâ—s and bishâ—ps of England fiâ—â— about the yeere 792. And by Charles thâ— Great afteâ—wâ—rd aâ—d by the bâ—shâ—ps of Italie France and Germany which by his appointment were gathered together in the Frankford Counceâ— in the yeare 794. Rogâ—r Hovedeâ— saith â—harlâ—s the French King sent a Synodâ—ll iâ—to Britaine directed unto him from Constantinople in the which booke many things out alas inconvenient anâ—â—epugnant to right faith were found especially it was conâ—â—â—med a most by the unanimous consent of all the Eastern Doctors â—o lâ—sse than three hundred or more that Images ought to â—e worshipped which thing the Church of God doth altogether dâ—test againsâ— which Synodall bâ—oke Albinus wrote an Epistle mâ—rveilouslie conâ—irmed by authoritie of divine Scripture and caâ—ried the same to the French King together with the fore sâ—â—d booke in the name of our Bishops and Princes Hâ—nâ—marus Bishop of Rhemes living at the same time sâ—ith In the time of the Emperor Charles by the command of the See Apostolike there was a generall Councell called by the Emperour wherein according to the pathway of Scripture and tradition of ancestors the Greekes false Synod was destroyedâ— and whollâ— abâ—ogatâ—d touching the repealing whereof theâ—e was a just Volumne sent from the Emperour to Rome which my selfe have read in the Pallace when I was a yoâ—g man saith Hinâ—marus â—he same also iâ— testified by others namely Ado Rhâ—gâ—o and Cassander a moderat Pontifician and King Charles speaking of this Synod sayth that beâ—â—g destitute of Scripture prooâ—e they betooke themselves to Apocâ—â—yphall and ridiculous toyes PA. This Booke is forged under the name of Carolus Magnus PRO. Indeed we were not at the making thereof yet thus much we can witnesse that your Champion Eckius saith Charles wrote foure books touching Images and Austine Steuchus the Popes Library-keeper presseth some things out of those Caroline bookes making as hee thinks for his masters advantage Cassander saith That in his time there was a copy of those Caroline books in the Vaticane Librarie and in divers places of France and that Hincmarus Bishop of Rhemes mentions those foure Caroline bookes Besides they were lately to be seene in the Palatines Library at Heidelberg but are now conveyed to Rome where yet for all Charlemaignes greatnâ—sse thâ—y hâ—â—e sued out a Prohibition against him And his bookâ— are forbidden in the Romane Index first published by Pius the fourths command enlarged by Sixtus Quintus and râ—viewed and published by Clement the eight Howsoever you see and Baronius confesâ—eth that the most learned anâ—â—amous of these times speake against this Nicen decree PAP The Councel of Frankford and Paris under Lewis the first and other learned men mistooke the dâ—finition of thâ— Nicen Councel and therein erredâ— yet noâ— iâ— a mâ—tter of doctrine but a matter of fact say Genebâ—ard and Bellarmine PRO. There be of their owne side as learned as they whiâ—h mislike this excuse to wit Suarez and Vasques so thaâ— it seemes they are not agreed of their verdict nor who shall speake for them PA. Bellarmine saith That the Pope confirmed the Frankford Câ—uncell in one part and cancâ—lled it in another to wit in that poynt touching adoration of Images whereunto the Popes Legates never consented PRO. This bâ—wrayes the Popes partiall dâ—aling to make the Councâ—l onely to serve his owne turne But what if it waâ—ted â—is approbation the thiâ—d Canon of the Chalcedâ—n Councâ—l that gave the See of Constantinople the precedence bâ—fâ—re other Patriarkes as the nâ—xt after the Bishop of Rome was opposed by Pope Leo's Lâ—gatâ—s and yet the Canon was decreed and passâ—d and the Councell is held for Generall howsoever the Pâ—pes Legates contradicted it For they were to bee ruled by the maior part of the Councels votes neither doe wee find that anciently the Pope had a negative or casting voice in Councels And therefore the Chalcedon Councel notwithstanding the Popes opposition professeth Haec omnes dicimus This is all our vote and tota Synodus the whole Councel hath confirmed this Canon for the honour of the See of Constantinople and accordingly the whole Councel wrote to Pope Leo. PA. Could the later Councel at Frankford repeale the former at Nice PRO. Very well for as Saint Austine saith Even full and plenarie Councels themselves may be amended by the later Neither doth he meane it in matter of fact but in point of doctrine for Austine there speakes of Reâ—aptization and â—mâ—ndari is as much as è mendis purgari to be rectified wherein it erred and not onely to be Explaned PA. Would Charles who loved Pope Adrian so dearely write against him so sharply or the See of Rome which by the hands of Leo the third crowned Charles Emperour of the West endure that Charles should condemne Images PRO. Charles might love the See of Rome and yet expresse his judgement in the point of Images neither doe we doubt but that Charles and Pipin would have condemned the Popes proceedings therein more expressely but they could not meddle with the poynt of state without quarrelling the Pope in a matter of the Church so that as Saint Austine saith of the old Romans That they bare downe many desires for the excessive desire they had of one thing to wit Soveraignty and Dominion so the bishops of Rome desirous to keepe their new purchases of Lumbardie and Ravenna which Charles and Pipin had procured them thought it not fit to contend with their new and potent favorites For so it was when the Emperour Leo the third desirous to abolish Image worship which then was creeping in had caused them to be defaced and thereupon did punish some who withstood it Gregorie the second excommuuicated him Forbidding the Italians to pay him tribute or to obey him upon this sentence and exhibition of the Pope a great part of Italie rebelled against their Emperour
7 makes this inference In this doe wee give glory to him when we doe confesse that by no precedent merits of our good deeds but by his mercie onely wee have attained unto so great a dignitie And Rabanus in his commentaries upon the Lamentations of Ieremie least they should say our Fathers were accepted for their Merit and therefore they obtained such great things at the hands of the Lord he adjoyneth that it was not given to their Merits but because it so pleased God whose free gift is whatsoever he bestoweth I will close up this Age onely with producing an Evidence drawne about the yeare 860 namely a learned Epistle which Huldericke Bishop of Ausburg in Germanie wrote to Pope Nicolas in defence of Priests Marriage From this holy discretion saith he thou hast no a little swarved when as thou woâ—ldst have those Cleargy-men whom thou oughtest only to advise to abstinence from mariage compelled unto it by a certaine imperious violence for is not this justly in the judgement of all Wise men to be accounted violence when as against the Evangelicall institution and the charge of the Holy Ghost any man is constrained to the execution of private Decrees The Lord in the old Law appointed marriage to his Priest which he is never read afterwards to have forbidden PA. Master Brerely saith that this Epistle is forged under the name of Ulrick Bishop of Augusta PRO. Your Spanish Inquisitors have suppressed this Tesâ—imonie and strucke it dead with a Deleatur Let that whole Epistle be blotted out but our learned bishop Doctor Hall prooves that this Huldericke wrote such a Treatise and about the time assigned and also that this Record is Authenticke that it is extant as Illyricus saith in the Libraries of Germanie that ouâ— Archbishop Parker bishop Iewell Iohn Foxe had Copies of it in Parchment of great Antiquitie Besides your owne man Aeneas Sylvius afterwards Pope Pius the second almost two hundred yeares agoe mentions it and reports the Argument of it for speaking of Ausburg he saith Saint Vdalricus huic praesidet qui papam arguit de Concubinis Vdalricke is the Saint of that City who reproved the Pope concerning Concubines THE TENTH CENTVRIE From the yeare of Grace 900. to 1000. PAPIST WE are now drawing on to the thousandth yeare what say you to this tenth Age PROTESTANT By the fall of the Romane Empiâ—e Learning was now decayed and the publike Service no longer to be understood by reason of the change of the vulgar Tongues Wernerus a Carthusian Monke saith of this Age That holinesse had left the Popes and fled to the Emperours Bellarmine saith There was no Age so unlearned so unluckie And Baronius complaines saying What was then the face of the Roman Church when potent and base Whores bare all the sway at Rome at whose lust Sees were changed Bishoprickes bestowed and their Lovers thrust into Saint Peters Chaire Insomuch as Baronius is glad to prepare his Reader with a Preface before he would have him venter upon the Annals of this Age Lest a weake man seeing in the Story of those times the abomination of Desolation sitting in the Temple should bee offended and not rather wonder that there followed not immediatly the Desolation of the Temple And he had reason to Preface as much considering the corruption that grew in this Thousandth yeare wherein Satan was let loose For at thiâ— time they of Rome forbad others to marâ—y and in the meane whiles themselves slept in an unlawfull bed They also devised a carnall Presence of Christ in the Sacrament so that as the noble Morney saith The lesse that they beleeved God in hâ—aven the more carefull were they to affirme him to bee in the Bread in the Priests hands in his words in his nods and that by these meanes when it pleased them they could make him appeare upon earth Thus dishonesty accompanied infidelitie and no marvell since as Ockam saith A lewd life oftentimes blindâ—th the understanding But leâ— us see whether in this Monkish Age during this mist in Aegypt wee can discover any light in the Land of Goshen In this Age lived the Monke Radulphus Flaviaceâ—sis Stephanus Edvensis Bishop Smaragdus Abbot of Saint Michaels in Germany and Aelfricke Abbot of Malmesburie about the yeare 975. Of the Scriptures sufâ—iciencie and Canon Flaviacensis compares the Scripture to a well-furnished Table or Ordinarie It is saith hee our spirituall refection and Cordiall given to us against the heart-qualmes of our enemies The same Author speaking of Bookes pertainning to sacred Historie saith The Bookes of Tobit Iudith and of the Machabees though they bee read â—or the Churches instruction yet they have not any perfect Authoritie In like sort Aelfricke Abbot of Malmesburie in his Saxon Treatie of the old Testament tell us There are two Bookes more placed with Salomons workes as if he had made them which for likenesse of Stile and profitable vse have gone for his but Iesus the sonne of Syrach composed them one is called Liber Sapientiae the Booke of Wisdome and the other Ecclesiasticus very large Bookes and read in the Church of long custome for much good instruction amongst these Bookes the Church hath accustomed to place two other tending to the glory of God and intituled Maccabaeorum I have turned them into English and so reade them you may if you please for your owne instruction Now by this Saxon Treatise written by Aelfricus Abbas about the time of King Edgar seven hundred yeares agoe it appeares what was the Canon of holy Scripture here then received and that the Church of England had it so long agoe in her Mother tongue Of Communion under both and number of Sacraments Stephanus Edvensis saith These gifâ—s or benefits â—re dayly performed unto us when the Body and Bloud of Christ is taken at the Altar Aelfricke mentions but two Sacraments of Baptisme aâ—d the Lords Supper the same which Gods people had under the Law who though they had many Rites and Ceremonies yet in proper sense but two Sacraments his words are these The Apostle Paul saith 1 Cor. chap. 10. vers 1 2 3 4. That the Israelites did eate the same ghostly meate and drinke the same ghostly drinke because that heavenly meate that fed them fortie yeares and that water which from the Stone did flow had signification of Christs Body and his Bloud that now bee offered dayly in Gods Church So that as a good Author saith This Age acknowledged onely two Sacraments Of the Eucharist Our English Abbot Aelfricke in his Saxon Homily which was appointed publikely to be read to the people in England on Easter day before they received the Communion hath these wordes All our Forâ—fathers they did eate the same Ghostly meate and dranke the same Ghostly drinke they dranke truely of the stone that followed them and that stone was Christ neither was
examining them The like may be sayd of Bede Gregorie and others that holding Christ the foundation a right and groaning under the weight of mens Traditions humane satisfactions and the like popish trash they by unfained repentaÌ„ce for their errours lapses knowne and unknowne and by an assured faith in their Saviour did finde favour with the Lord these and the like we hold to be Gods servants and propter meliorem saniorem partem by reason of their better and sounder part to be with us lively members of the true Church though in some things they were mistaken and that they may be termed professours of our faith inasmuch as the denomination is to be taken from the better part and not alwayes from the greater For example sake there is much water and little wine mixed in a glasse yet it is called a glasse of wine so say we of professors S. Bernard and such like there is in them some bad parts some superstition and Poperie and some good in that they hold Christ Iesus the foundation aright in this case they may in respect of their better part be termed and denominated true professors and therefore you must give us againe Saint Bernard with others to whoÌ„ you have no right or claime unlesse it be to their errours which they suckt in from the corrupt breasts of some of your side and so I proceed to the severall points in question Of the Scriptures Sufficiencie and Canon Saint Bernard as wee heard approveth such a Councell wherein the Traditions of men are not obstinately defended but the revealed will of God enquired after for that this is all in all Claudius Seyssel Archbishop of Turin in Piedmont one that was Neighbour to the Waldenses and laboured to enforme himselfe touching their positions and also to confute them saith that they admitted onely the text of the old and new Testaments so that they denyed unwritten traditions to be the Rule of Faith Petrus Cluniacensis after he had reckoned up the canonicall bookes saith There are besides the authenticall bookes sixe other not to be rejected as namely Iudith Tobias Wisedome Ecclesiasticus and the two bookes of Macchabees which though they attaine not to the high dignitie of the former yet they are received of the Church as containing necessary and profitable doctrine Hugo de Sancto victore saith All the Canonicall bookes of the old Testament are twentie two there are other bookes also as namely the Wisedome of Salomon the booke of Iesus the sonne of Syrach the bookes of Iudith Tobias and the Machabees which are read but not written in the Canon The Bible was translated into English some hundred yeares as it is probably conjectured before Wickliffs translation came forth a coppie of which auncient translation my selfe have seene in our Queenes Colledge Librarie in Oxford in the praeface whereof it may be seene that the translatour held the controverted bookes for Apocrypha for thus he saith what ever booke of the Old Testament is out of these he maketh the same â—anon with us twentie five before sayd shall be set among Apocrypha that is without authoritie of beleefe Therefore the booke of Wisedome Ecclesiasticus Iudith and Tobie bee not of beleefe Hierome saith all this sentence in the prologue on the first booke of Kings now if at that time the above sayd bookes had beene accounted Authenticall by the Church and of beleefe he would have sayd but this opinion of Hieromes is not approved by the Church as Doctor Iames hath well observed Of Communion under both kinds and number of Sacraments HVgo de Sancto victore giveth a reason of the entire communicating in both kinds Therefore saith he the Sacrament is taken in both kindes that thereby a double effect might be signified For it hath force as S. Ambrose saith to preserve both body and soule Gratian rehearseth many ancient Canons and constitutions for communicating in both kinds Saint Bernard in his third Sermon on Palme Sunday maketh the Sacrament of Christs body and blood the Christians foode Touching the Sacrament of Christs body and blood saith he there is no man who knoweth not that this so singular a food was on that day first exhibited on that day coÌ„mended and coÌ„manded to be frequently received Saint Bernards words have reference to the Institution of Christ now at our Saviours last Supper there was Wine as well as Bread and Bernard treating thereof saith it was commanded to be frequently received now if the whole Church were enjoyned so to doe then also is every particular beleever who is of age fitted thereunto enjoyned to receive it accordingly The precise number of seaven Sacraments was not held for catholike doctrine no not in the Church of Rome untill more than a thousand yeares after Christ this is ingenuously confessed by Cassander Vntill the dayes of Peter Lombard who lived about the yeere 1145 you shall scarce finde any authour saith their Cassander who set downe any certaine and definite number of Sacraments neither did all the schoolemen call all those sâ—ven proper Sacraments but this is without all controversie saith the same Cassander that there are two chiefe Sacraments of our Salvation that is to say Baptisme and the Lords Supper and so speake Rupertus and Hugo de Sancto victore and he saith true for Rupertus putteth the question and asketh Which be the chiefe sacraments of our salvation and hee answereth Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord. Of the Eucharist IN this age â—ratian the Monke affoordeth us a notable testimony against transubstaÌ„tiatioÌ„ his coÌ„parison is thus drawne This holy bread is after its manner called the body of Christ as the offering thereof by the hands of the Priest is called Christs passion now the Priests oblation is not properly and literally in strict termes and sence the passion of Christ but as the Glosse hath it the Sacrament representing the body of Christ is therefore called Christ's flesh not in verity of the thing but in a mystery namely as the representation of Christ therein is called his Passion Gratians words are these As the heavenly bread which is Christ's flesh after a sort is called Christ's body whereas indeed it is the Sacrament of his body and the sacrificing of the flesh of Christ which is done by the Priest's hands is sayd to be his passion not in the truth of the thing but in a signifying mistery Iâ—annes Semeca who was the first that glossed upon Gratians decrees telleth us how this comparison is to be meant This Sacrament saith the Glosse because it doth represent the flesh of Christ is called the Body of Christ but improperly not in the truth of the thing but in the mysticall sence to wit it is called the Body of â—hrist that is it signifieth his Body From these premisses we inferre that after consecration the Sacrament is not in truth Christ's Body but onely in a
That which maketh strongly against the Papacie For now a daiâ—s this Stile of Vniversall Bishop which Gregorie held to bâ—e the Harbinger of Antichrist is brought in as a maine proofe of the Popes Supremacie Neither could Gregorie restraine his Successors from bearing this Title for Boniface the third who next save one succeeded Gregorie Obtained of Phocas the Emperour not without great contention that the See of Rome should bee callâ—d the head of all Churches being the same place of preheminence in â—ffect which Iohn in Gregories time so much affected Now by this the Reader may perceive and that from the tongue and pen of one of their best Popes that were since his time that in Gregories judgement his successours that enjoy this swelling Title and transcendent power are proved to be Antichristian Bishops Lastly the Reader may observe who it was that gave the Pope this jurisdiction it was even that usurper Phocas who murthered his master Maurice the Emperâ—ur and then confâ—rred this prophane Title on Pope Boniface a fit Chapleine for such a Paâ—ron Hitherto wee have treated of Saint Gregories Faith and visited the Colledge of Bangor the Foundation whereof is ascribed to King Lucius from whose time unto the entraâ—ce of Austine the Monke 438. yeares were â—xpired In all which space the Christian Faith was both taught and imbraced in this Iland notwithstanding the continuall persecutions of the Romans Huns Picts and Sâ—xons which last made such desolation in thâ— outward face of the Church that they drove the Chriâ—â—â—â—n bishops into the Deserts of Cornwaile and Waâ—es in which number were the bishops of London and Yorke Now by their labours the Gospell was replaâ—ted amongst the Inhabitants of those vast Mounâ—taines and farther spread it selfe into these Northerne parts what time as Edwin and Oswald Kings of Northumbeâ—land sent for Saint Aidan and Finan into Scotland to convert their Subjects to the Faith PA. What were this Aidan and Finan PRO. They were the worthy instruments which the Lord raised up for the good of our countrey for by the ministery of Aidan was the kingdome of Northumberland recovered from Paganisme whereunto belonged then beside the shire of Northumberland and the lands beyond it unto Edenborrough Frith Cumberland also and Westmoreland Lancashire Yorkshire and the Bishopricke of Durham And by the meanes of Finan not onely the kingdome of the East-Saxons which contained Essex Middlesex and halfe of Hertfordshire regained but also the large kingdome of Mercia with the shires comprehended under it was first converted unto Christianitie so that these two for their extraordinarie holinesse and painefulnesse in preaching the Gospel were â—xceedingly reverenced by all that knew them Aidan especially Who although hee could not keepe Easter saith Bede contrary to the manner of them which sent him yet hee was carefull diligently to performe the works of Faith Godlinâ—sse and Love after the manner used by all holy men whereupon hee was worthily beloved of all even of them also who thought otherwise of Easter than hee did and was reverenced not onely of the meaner ranke but of the Bishops themselves Honorius of Canterbury and Felix of the East-Angles In this Age also was held the sixt generall Councell at Constantinople summoned by the Emperours commandement it was called against the heresie of the Monothelites and therein Honorius the Pope was accursed for a Monothelite It was theâ—e also decreed that the See of Constantinople should enjâ—â— equall priviledges with the See of Rome And whereas some Canons were alleadged for restraint of Priests marriage they were opposed by this Councel and the Church of Rome is in expresse termes taxed for urging them And upon paine of deposition to the gainsayers it was decreed That the marriage of Ecclesiasticall persons was a thing lawfull and that their conjugall cohabitation stood with the Apostolike Canons was an ancient tradition and orderly constitution And in case continencie were enjoyned it was not perpetuall but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the proper turnes or courses of their ministery so that the restraint of Priests from marrying neither is nor ever was conceived to be saith learned bishop Andrews but Positivi juris which being restrained upon good reason it might upon as good reason be released and Pope Pius the second was of opinion That there was better reason to release them then to restraine them and so were divers other at the Councell of Trent if there had beene faire play and yet Iesuit Coster holds that a Priest offends greatly if he commit fornication Gravius tamen peccat but he offends more grievouslie if he marry PA. This Councel was neither the Sixt nor generall PRO. Caranza and Balsamon call it both sixth and generall We grant indeed that to speake precisely the sixt Synod under Constantine the fourth published no Canons but afterwards divers of the same Fathers which had formerly met in the sixt Synod they and others to the number of 227 being called together by the then penitent and restored Emperour Iusâ—inian gathered up and set forâ—h the Canons formerly made and by them re-enforced and Balsamon saith that Basilius Bishop of Gortyna the Metropolis of Creete which was then under the Arch-bishop of Rome and the Bishop of Ravenna were there to represent the Romaâ—e Church The truth is your Romanists cannot endure tâ—is Gâ—eeke Councel because it sets the Patriarke of Constantinople cheeke by joule with the Romane Bishop In a word if some Canons of this Councel be justly excepted against this makâ—s not against us for wee warrant not all that goes uâ—dâ—r thaâ— Councels name nor them that once spoke truth from ever erring And it seemes Gratian he Monke hath beene a tampering with the Canon alleadged for in one of Gratians Editions we reade thus Let not Constantinople bee magnified as much as Rome in matters Ecclesiasticall and in another Let Constantinople be advanced as well as Rome And now have we surveyed the first sixe generall Councels and found them to have beene called by the Emperour and not by the Pope and yet Bellarmine now a dayes denyes this power to godly Princes and would conferre it on the Pope THE EIGHTH CENTVRIE From the yeare of Grace 700. to 800. PAPIST WHat say you to this eighth Age PROTESTANT This Age was beholden to our nation which afforded such worthies as venerable Bede the honour of England and mirrour of his time for learning as also his Scholler Alcuinus counted one of the Founders of the Universitie of Paris and Schoole-master to Charles the Great by whom or his procurement were written thoâ—e Libri Carolini King Charles his bookes opposing the second Nicen Synod which stood for Image worship Now also lived Antonie the Monke and Damascen one that laid the foundation of Schoole-divinitie among the Greekes as Peter Lombard afterward did among the Latines he was indeed a Patron of
top of wisedome and learning Neither did some young Students onely follow him but even the chiefe of the Vniversity Master Robert Rigge Vice-chancellour and the two Proctors tooke part with him as also Nicholas Herford Iohn Ashton of Mâ—rton-Colledge Iohn Ashwarby of Oriel-Colledge Pastour of St. Maries Church these being preachers and Bachelours of Divinity ioyned with him and were questioned on that behalfe Thomas Walsingham specially notes that when the Archbishop of Canterbury had sent Wickliffes condemnation to Robert Rigge Chancellour of the Vniversity of Oxford to be divulged hee appointed them to preach that day whom hee knew to be most zealous followers of Wickliffe and among others hee ordained one Philip Repington a Chanon of Leycester to preach on Corpus Christi day who concluded his Sermon with these words for speculative doctrine saith hee such as the point of the Sacrament of the Altar is I will set a barre on my lips while God hath otherwise instructed or illuminated the hearts of the Cleargy And afterwards when Bulles came thicke from Rome from the two Gregories the eleventh and twelfth against Wickliffe and his doctrine the whole Vniversity gave a testimony in favour of him under their seale in their Congregation house in these words among others God forbid that our Prelats should have condemned a man of suâ—h honesty for an Heretique but there is nothing that may more amply testifie the spreading of his Doctrine than an Act of Parliament in the dayes of King Richard the second where it is related that there were divers preaching dayly not onely in Churches and Church-yards but also in Markets Faires and other open places where a great congregation of people is divers Sermons contayning heresies and notorious errours for so they pleased to stile it in those dayes PAP Was Wickliffes doctrine followed after his death PROT. That which Wickliffe taught was neither borne with him nor died with him indeed if either the strength or policy of man could have made it away it had not continued as it doth to this day for in the yeere 1378. Pope Gregory the eleventh directed his Bull to the Vniversity of Oxford against the doctrine and Articles of that learned man even Rome it selfe ringing of his opinions in that Vniversity and Walsingam sayth that the Pope taxed the Heads of the Vniversity for the sleight care they tooke in the suppressing of Wickliffes doctrine and the same Walsingham complaines that those of the Vniversity were long time in suspence whether they should receive the Popes Bull with honour or rejeâ—t it with reproach Afterwards Gregory the twelfth directed another Bull to Oxford against Wickliffe Thomas Arundell Archbishop of Canterbury held a Councell at Oxford and procured a visitation and sharpe Inquisition against the Heads of Colledges Halls and others suspected of Wicklevisme or Lollardy and this Constitution is to be seene in Linwood Now this was but a Provinciall Constitution in comes the Councell of Constance and condemnes Wickliffe causing his bones to be taken up and burned forty yeares after his death and buriall and this mandate of the Popes was executed by Richard Flemming Bishop of Lincolne as Linwood testifieth who lived at the time when this was done to wit in the yeere 1428. and thus was the canonicall censure passed upon Wickliffe and his adherents now the secular power joyned with them for in the dayes of King Henry the fourth and fifth there was made the Statute de Haeretico comburendo whereby the Wicklevists and Lollards were adjudged to be burned After this King Edward the fourth sent mandatory letters to the Governours in Oxford to make search for Wickliffes bookes and to burne them and accordingly the Masters and Doctours did Here is now both his bones and his bookes burnt they thought belike to make sure worke and never to heare more of the man againe but so it was that out of his ashes as it were there arose another Phoenix and generation of Wicklevists which renued his memory doctrine belike then there were many that followed his Doctrine or else why made they so much adoe what needed so many Statutes Letters and Proclamations so many Bulles Councels and Constitutions Indeede there were many in Oxford and else-where and them of good note who imbraced Wickliffes opinions after his decease as namely Lawrence Redman master of Arts David Sawtree a Divine William Iones Thomas Brightwell William Haulam a Civilian Raphe Greenhurst Fellow of New-colledge as also one Walter Bruite a Layman mentioned by one William Wideford a great Papist this Wideford writing against Wickliffe mentions a booke of his owne sent to the Bishop of Hereford in confutation of the booke of Walter Bruite In a word Wickliffes doctrine was not contained within England onely but it gave light to other countries also insomuch as one Peter Paine who was Wickliffes Scholler and was sent with other Legats to the Councell at Basil went into Bohemia whither he carried with him some of Wickliffes bookes some part where of Iohn Hussâ— translated into his mothers tongue as Cochleus saith who also reports how one of the Bishops wrote to him out of England that he had two Volumes of Wickliffes which were almost as large as Saint Austins workes PAP What taught Wickliffe taught he as you doe PROT. Hee taught the same in substance that we doe as may appeare by a Treatise of Wickliffes Conformity with the now Church of England both in doctrine and discipline Besides we may take a taste of his Tenets out of his Treatise against the orders of Friers wherein he saith as followeth First Friars seyen that their Religion founden on sinfull men is more perfit than that Religion or order which Christ himselfe made Friars pursuen true Priests and letten them to preach the Gospell They pursuen Priests for they reproven their sins as God bids both to burne them and the Gospell of â—hrist written in English to most learning of our nation Friars send out Ideots full of covetise to preach not the Gospell but Chronicles fables and leasings to please the people and to rob them Friars by letters of Fraternity deceiven the people in Faith robben them of temporall goods and maken the people to trust more in dead parchment sealed with leasings and in vaine prayers of Hypocrites than in the helpe of God Friars perverten the right faith of the Sacrament of the Auter and bringen a new heresie they say it is an Accident withouten subjeâ—t which heresie came never into the Church till the foule feende Satanas was unbounden after a thousand yeeres Friars being made Bishops robben men by extortion as in punishing of sinne for money and suffren men to lie in sin getten of Antichrist false exemption Friars teachen Lords and namely Ladies that if they dyen in Francis habit they shall never come in hell for the vertue thereof Men sayen
such VVitnesses as are produced in thâ—â— Treatise for proofe of the PROTESTANTS Religion disposed according to the times wherein they flourished Witnesses produced in the first Age from Christs birth to 100 yeares CHRIST IESVS The twelve Apostles Saint Paul and the Churches of the Romanes and others Anno 63. Ioseph of Arimathea who brought Christianitie into Britaine 70. Dionysius Areopagita The Bookes that beare his Name seeme to bee written in the fourth or fifth Age after Christ. 100 Ignatius the Martyr In the second Age from 100 to 200. 150 Iustine Martyr 166 Hegesippus 169. The Church of Smyrna touching the Martyrdome of their Bishop Polycap 170 Melito Bishop of Sardys 177 Pope Eleutherius his Epistle to Lucius the first Christian King of Britaine 180 Polycrates of Ephesus and the Easterne Churches touching the keeping of Easter 180 Irenaeus Bishop of Lyons 200 Clemens Alexandrinus In the third Age from 200 to 300. 201 Tertullian 230 Origen 230 Minutius Felix 250 Cyprian Bishop of Carthage 300 Arnobius 300. Lactantius Anno 291 Amphibalus and his associates martyred in Britaine and Saint Alban ann 303. In the fourth Age from 300 to 400. 310 A Councill at Eliberis in Spaine 317 Constantine the Great 325 The first Generall Councill at Nice against the Arrians 330 Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea 337 Ephraim the Syrian 340 Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria 360 Hilarie Bishop of Poitiers 364 A Councill at Laodicea 370 Macarius the Aegyptian Monke 370 Cyril Bishop of Hierusalem 370 Optatus Bishop of Mela in Africke 370 Ambrose Bishop of Milain 370 Basil the Great Bishop of Caesarea 370 Gregorie Nazianzen 380 Gregory Nyssen Bishop of Nyssa in Cappadocia brother to Basil. 381 The second generall Councill at Constantinople where Macedonius was condemned 390 Epiphanius Bish. of Salamine in Cyprus In the fifth age from 400 to 500. 406 S. Chrysostome Bish. of Constantinople Andr. Rivet Critici sacri 415 S. Hierome idem 420 S. Augustinus 429 Palladius sent by Pope Celestine into Scotland and Germanus by the French Bishops into Britain to beat downe Pelagianisme 430 Vincentius Lirinensis wrote against the Pelagians and Nestorians 430 Cyril Bishop of Alexandria 430 Theodoret the Historian Bish. of Cyrene 431 The third generall Councill at Ephesus where Nestorius was condemned deprived 450 Leo the Great 451 The fourth generall Councill at Chalcedon where Dioscurus Eutyches were condeÌ„ned 490 Gelasius the Pope In the sixth age from 500 to 600. 520 Cassiodore Abbot of Ravenna 520 Fulgentius Bishop of Ruspa in Africke 529 A Councill at Aurange against Semi-Pelagians and Massilians 540 Iustus Orgelitanus claruit ann 540. Trithem de Scriptor Ecclesiast 545 Iunilius Episcopus Africanus 545 Primasius a Bishop of Africke Bellar. de Scriptor Ecclesiast 540 Rhemigius Bish. of Rhemes Andr. Rivet 553 The fifth generall Councili at Constantinople to confirme the Nicen Councill 560 Dracontius 580 Venantius Fortunatus Bish. of Poictiers a Poet and Historian 596 Augustine the Monke Mellitus and Laurence sent into Britaine by Pope Gregorie 596 The Britaines Faith 600 Columbanus or Saint Colme of Ireland In the seventh age from 600 to 700. 601 Greg. the First the Great placed by Bellar. in this seventh age Bell. de Script Eccles. 601 Hesych Bish. of Hierusalem Bellar. ibid. 630 â—sidore Bishop of Sevill Disciple to Gregorie the Great 635 Aidanus Bishop of Lindasferne or Holy Iland and Finanus his Successour 681 The sixth Generall Councill at Constantinople against the Monothelites who held that although Christ had two Natures yet hee had but one will In the eighth Age from 700 to 800. 720 Venerable Bede the Saxon. 740 Ioannes Damascenus 740 Antonius Author Melissae 754 A Council held at Constant. wherein were condemned Images and the worshipers of themâ— 768 Clement B. of Auxerre Disciple to Bede 787 The second Councill at Nice about restoring of Images 790 Alcuinus or Albinus an Englishman Disciple to Bede and Tutor to Charlemaigne this Alcuinus laid the foundation of the Vniversitie of Paris 794 A Councill at Frankford wherein was condemned the second Councill of Nice for approoving the worshipping of Images 800 Carolus Magnus and Libri Carolini In the ninth Age from 800 to 900. 815 Claudius Scotus 820 Claudius Taurinensis against Image-worship 824 A Councill at Paris about Images 830 Christianus Druthmarus the Monke of Corbey 830 Agobard Bishop of Lyons 840 Rabanus Maurus Bishop of Mentz Disciple to Alâ—win 840 Haymo Bishop of Halberstadt Cousin to Bede 840 Walafridus Strabus Abbot of Fulda Disciple to Rabanus hee collected the Ordinarie Glosse on the Bible Trithem de script Eccles. 861 Hulderick Bishop of Auspurge 862 Iohn Mallerosse the Scottish Divine or Ioannes Scotus Erigena hee was slaine by the Monkes of Malmsbury 860 Photius Patriarke of Constantinople he wrote the Nomo-Canon 876 Bertram a Monke and Priest of France 890 Rhemigius Monke of Auxerre hee wrote upon Saint Mathew 890 Ambrosius Ansbertus the French Monke In the tenth Age from 900 to 1000. 910 Radulphus Flaviacensis Monachus Bellarm quò suprà 950 Stephanus Eduensis Monachus Idem 950 Smaragdus the Abbot 975 Abbot Aelfrick and his Saxon Homily and his Saxon Treatise of the Old and New Testament both translated into English In the eleventh age from 1000 to 1100. 1007 Fulbert Bishop of Chartres 1050 Oecumenius 1050 Berengarius 1060 Radulphus Ardens 1070 Theophylact Archbish. of the Bulgarians 1080 Anselme Archbishop of Canterbury 1090 Hildebert Archbishop of Tours 1100 Anselmus Laudunensis Collector of the Interlinear Glosse In the twelfth age from 1100 to 1200. 1101 Zacharias Chrysopolitanus 1120 Rupertus Tuitiensis 1130 Hugo de Sancto Victore 1130 Bernardus Clarae-vallensis 1130 Peter Bruis and Henry of Tholouse 1140 Peter Lombard Master of the Sentences 1150 Petrus Cluniacensis 1158 Ioannes Sarisburiensis 1160 Petrus Blesensis Archdeacon of Bathe 1170 Gratianus 1170 Hildegard the Prophetesse Trithem 1195 Ioachimus Abbas 1200 Nicetas Choniates In the thirteenth Age from 1200 to 1300. 1206 Gul. Altissiodorensis 1215 Concil Lateranense Cuthb Tonstal Dunelm Episcop de eodem 1220 Honorius Augustodunensis Bellarm. 1230 Gulielmus Alvernus Parisiensis Episcopus 1230 Petrus de Vineis Trithem 1240 Alexander de Hales 1250 Gerardus and Dulcinus 1250 Hugo Cardinalis 1250 Robert Groute-head or Grosse-teste Bishop of Lincolne 1256 Gulielmus de Sancto Amore. 1260 Thomas Aquinas 1260 Bonaventura 1260 Arnoldus de Novâ villâ 1300 Ioannes Duns Scotus In the fourteenth age from 1300 to 1400. 1303 Barlaam the Monke and Nilus Archbishop of Thessalonica 1320 Gulielmus Ockam 1320 Nicol. de Lyra a converted Iew who commented on all the Bible 1320 Marsilius Patavinus 1320 Michael Cesena Trithem 1320 Dante 's 1320 Durandus de S. Portiano 1330 Alvarus Pelagius 1340 Iohannes de Rupe-scissâ Trithem 1340 Thomas Bradwardin 1343 The Kings of England oppose Papall Provisions and Appeales Anno 1391. 1350 Richardus Armachanus 1350 Robert Holcot the Englishman 1350 Francis Petrarch Bellarm. 1350 Taulerus a Preacher at Strasbrough Bellarm. 1370 Saint Bridgeâ— 1370 Iohn Wickliffe and
they do meane the Pope for the time being Now to this height the Pope came under pretence of the Churches government the Churches discipline racking the spirituall censure to a civill punishment by the Church solemnities in crowning Emperors by his Excommunications Absolutions and Dispensations he rose to his greatnesse of state by the doctrine of workes meritorious Iubilees Pardons and Indulgences hee maintained his State And now I come to shew out of good Authors that in nine severall weighty poynts of Religion the best guides of Gods Church for the space of 1500 yeares have taught as the Church of England doth THE FIRST CENTVRIE From the first yeare of Grace unto the yeare One Hundred Christ Iesus and his Apostles the Protestants Founders PAPIST WHom doe you name in this first Age that taught the Protestant Faith PROTESTANT I name our blessed Saviour Christ Iesus and his Apostles Saint Paul and his Schollers Titus and Timothie together with the Churches which they planted as that of the Romanes Corinthians and the rest These I name for our first Founders and top of our kin as also Ioseph of Arimathea that buried Christs body a speciall Benefactor to the Religion planted in this land These taught for substance and in the positive grounds of religion as we doe in our Articles Liturgies Homilies and Apologies by publike authoritie established in our Church of England Besides these there were but few Writers in this age whose undoubted Works have come to our hands yet for instance sake I name that blessed Martyr of Christ Ignatius Bishop of Antioch who for the name of Iesus was sentenced to bee dâ—voured of wild beasts which hee patiently indured saying I am the Wheat or graine to bee ground with the teeth of beasts that I may be pure Bread for my Masters tooth let fire rackes pulleys yea and all the torments of Hell come on mee so I may winne Christ. Here also according to the Roman Register I might place Dionysius Areopagita whom they usually place in this first Age as if hee were that Denys mentioned in the Actes whereas indeed hee is a post natus and in all likelihood lived about the fourth Age and not in this first for Denys saith That the Christians had solemne Temples like the Iewes and the Chancell severed with such and such sanctification from the rest of the Church whereas the Christians in this fiâ—st age made their assemblies to prayer both in such private places and with such simplicitie as the Apostles did and as the times of persecution suffered them Againe Denys tells us that when hee wrote Monkes were risen and they of credit in the Churches and many Ceremonies to hallow them whereas in the Apostles time when the true Dionysius lived Monkes were not heard of yea Chrysostome saith That when Paul wrote his Epistle to the Hebrewes there was not then so much as any footstep of a Monke PA. I challenge Saint Denys for ours hee was as our Rhemists say all for the Catholikes PRO. Take him as he is and as he comes to our hands hee is not wholly yours but in some things cleane contrary to you as namely in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper wherein you vary from us most Besides hee hath not your sole receiving of the Priest nor ministring under one kind to them who receive nor Exhortations Lessons Prayers in a tongue which the people understand not he hath not your Invocation of Saints noâ— adoration of creatures nor sacrificing of Christ to God nor praying for the soules in purgatory so that in things of substance and not of ceremony onely he is ours and not yours as I hope will appeare by his Writings for we will for the time suppose him to be a Father of this first age although the bookes which beare Saint Denys his name seeme to bee written in the fourth or fifth age after Christ. PAP Can you proove that Christ and his Apostles taught as you doe PRO. Wee have cleare testimonies of Scripture which appoint Gods people to receive the blessed Cup in the Sacrament and to be present at such a divine service as themselves understand wee have expresse command forbidding Image-worship against Invocation of Saints it is said that Abraham knoweth us not and Isaac is ignorant of us and the blessed Angel refused all religious honour and Adoration Likewise against Merit of workes and workes of Super-erogation it is said that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall bee revealed in us and that wee are unproâ—itable servants when we have done all that was commanded us we have but done that which was our dutie to doe and the like PA. You alleadge Scripture and so doe wee yea in some things the Scripture is plaine for us as where it is said This is my Bodie PRO. What though it make for you in shew so doth it for the Anabaptists where it is said that the Christians had all things common you will not hence inferre that because in such an extremitie their charitie for the reliefe of others made things common concerning the use that therefore we should have no property in the goods that God hath given us It is not the shew and semblance of words but the sense thereof that imports the truth Saint Paul sayes of his Corinths Ye are the body of Christ yet not meaning any Transubstantiation of substance but hâ—reof anon in his due place PA. The Scriptures make not for you but as you have translated them PRO. For any point we hold we referre our selves to the Originalls yea wee say further let the indifferent Christian Reader who hath but tollerable understanding of the Latine Tongue compare our English translations with those which your owne men Pagnine Arias Montanus and others have published and they will finde but little countenance for Poperie and namely for Communion in one kind and Service in a strange Tongue which as is already proved hath bene decreed directly contrary to Gods expresse word but let us come to the particulars Of the Scriptures sufficiency and Canon The Church of England holds that Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation so that theâ—e is no doctrine necessary for our everlasting salvation but that is or may bee drawne out of that Fountaine of truth as being either expressely therein contained or such as by sound inference may bee deduced from thence and this is witnessed by Saint Paul saying that they are able to make us wise unto salvation that the man of God may bee perfited and throughly furnished unto all good workes which they should not bee able to doe if they contained not a perfect doctrine of all such poynts of faith as we are bound to bâ—leeve and duties to bee practised And if it be said that S. Paul speakes of the man of God such an one as
of them as formerly Clemens Alexandrinus had done Concerning Saintly Invocation Origen saith wee must endeavour to please God alone and labour to have him Propitious unto us procuring his goodâ—will with godlâ—nesse and all kind of vertue And if Celsus will yet have us to procure the goodâ—will of any others after him that is God over all let him consider that as when the body is moved the motion of the shadow thereof doth follow it so in like manner having God favourable unto us who is over all it followeth that wee shall have all his friends both Angels and Soules and Spirits loving unto us And whereas Celsus had said of the Angels that they belong to God and in that respect we are to pray unto them that they may be favourable to us to this Origen answereth in this manner Away with Celsus his Councel saying that we must pray to Angels for we must pray to him alone who is God over all and we must pray to the Word of God his onely begotten and the first borne of all creatures and we must intreat him that he as high Priest would present our Prayer when it comes to him unto his God and our God Objection Iesuit Fisher saith that Origen in his writings upon Iob and Numbers taught Invocation of Saints Answer Bellarmine saith that Origen was not the author of those bookes upon Iob for therein is mention made of the Homousians so the Arrians called the Orthodox beleevers Now the Arrians rose not till after Origens time Origen indeed upon the Canticles saith it is not inconvenient to say that the Saints pray for us and in his Homily upon Iosuah he â—aith I doe thinke thus that all those Fathers who are departed this life before us doe assist us with their Prayers and in another place he saith if the Saints that have left the body and be with Christ doe any thing and labour for us let this also remaine among the hidden things of God and mysteries that are not to be committed unto writing Now we yeeld that the Saints pray for us in generall yet hence it followeth not that we should direct our prayers to them Besides Origens if and as I suppose and it is not inconvenient to say so these are but â—aint affirmations shewing that he speaketh doubtfully as on not fully resolved that it was so and in conclusion determineth si laborant pro nobis if in particular upon particulars they doe labour for us yet it is amongst Gods secrets and a mysterie not to be committed to writing Object It appeareth by Saint Cyprian that the Faithfull usâ—d to covenant in their life time that whether of them went to heaven before the other he should pray for his surviving friend Answer Concerning Saint Cyprians conceipt that the Saints after death remembred their old friends here as having taken fresh and particular notice of their severall states votes and necessities it followeth not thence that other Saints unacquainted with our particular desires and exigents doe in particular and by their merits intercede for the living and though they should make sute on our behalfe yet we have no warrant to pray to them To close up this poynt of Prayer to Saints Tertullian Cyprian Gregory Nyssen with others have written set Treatises de Oratione of Prayer and therein they deliver nothing touching this Saintly invocation but teach us to regulate all our Prayers according to that perfect patterne prescribed by our great Master wherein wee are required to direct our Petitions unto our Father which is in heaven Math 6.9 Luk. 11.2 These things saith Tertullian in his Apologie for the Christians in his time I may not pray for from any other but from him of whom I know I shall obtayne them because both it is he who is alone able to give and I am he unto whom it appertaines to obtaine that which is requested being his servant qui eum solum observo who observe him alone Of Faith and Merit Origen saith that Faith onely suffiseth to justification and concerning Merit the same Origen saith I caâ—â—ardly hee perswaded that there can bee any worke which may require the reward of God by way of debt seeing this very thing it selfe that wee can doe or thinke or speake any thing we doe it by his gift and largesse Objection Did not Origen and Tertullian hold Purgatory Answer Bellarmine indeed alledgeth Tertullians Booke de Animâ for proofe of Purgatory but it is well knowne that hee was led with the spirit of Montanus the Hereticke when he wrote that booke and for Origen Bellarmine confesseth hee was one of those who approoved so much of Purgatory that he acknowledged no other paines after this life but Purgatory penalties onely so that with him Hell and Purgatory were all one Objection In Saint Cyprians time the Martyrs intreated the Church for mitigation of penance imposed upon some offenders so that the satisfactions and suffering of Martyrs were communicated to others and thereby their indulgence or pardon was procured Answer In those times of persecution when many weake ones fell away from the open profession of the truth and sacrifised to Idols the Church sought by all meanes to honour Martyrdome and incourage Christians thereunto so that upon the request of imprisoned Confessors and designed Martyrs the Bishops were wont to release some time the Canonicall censure injoyned by the Church but these Martyrs did not heâ—eby think that they had made satisfaction for the temporall paine of Sin Besides this was spoken of living Martyrs and not of Maâ—tyrs defunct and of releasing censures forgiving faults in this world only not in Purgatoâ—y PA. Did not Cyprian hold Saint Peters Supremacie PRO. Hee might doe much with Pamelius his helpe who hath taken the Marginall glosse Petro primatus datur and put it into Cyprians text whereas Cyprian in the selfâ—-same Treatise saith the rest of the Apostles were even the same that Peter was being indued with the like fellowship of honour and power Cyprian indeed reverenced the Sea of Rome yet would hee have her keepe within hâ—r bounds as appeares in the case of Fortuâ—atus and others for so it was Cyprian having censured them and fearing lest they should flie to Rome and there seeke favour and protection from that Sea and so worke distraction between Rome and Carthage makes a decree to prevent Appeales to other places or claimes of other Bishops and this Synodall Epistle is sent to Pope Cornâ—lius perswading him not to admit of their complaints Seeing that it is decreed of us all sayth S. Cyprian that it is meet and right that every mans cause be heard where the crime is committed and every Pastor hath committed unto him a portion of the Flocke of Christ which hee is to govâ—rne and whereof hee is to give an account unto God and they who are under our
governement ought not to gad and wander but they should pleade their cause there where both Accusers and Witnesses may bee had except some few desperate and naughty fellowes thinke the authority of the Bishops of Africke which have already judged and condemned them to be lâ—sse meaning lesse than that of Cornelius to whom they fled Here wee finde opposition made to the Sea of Rome by that Catholike Martyr Cyprian and others even in the weighty poynt of Appeales for so Bellarmine makes appealing to Rome and not appealing from thence a mainâ— proofe of the Popes Supremacie Now to close up this age and to looke a little homeward all this time the Christian Religion flourished quietly in Britaine till in Dioclesians dayes which made vp the tenth persecution their Churches were demolished their Bibles burnt their Priests and their flocke murthered for now was Saint Alban beheaded at the City Verulam now called after him Saint Albanes of whom Fortunatus Presbyter an ancient Poet sayth Albanum egregium foecunda Britannia profâ—rt Fruitfull Britaine bringeth forth Alban a Martyr of great worth Hee was the first that in Britaine suffered death for Christ his sake whereupon he is called our Stephen and the Proto-martyr of Britaine In like sort his Teacher or Instructer Amphibalus was cruelly Martyred at the same place being whipped about a stake whereat his entrailes were tyed and thus winding his bowels out of his body was at last stoned to death so also was Iulius and Aaron Martyred at Leicester and in Lichfield so many that the place became another Colgatha or field of dead corps for which cause the City doth beare a field charged with many Martyrs diversly tortured they beare it for their Seale of Armes even unto this day as Master Camden hath recorded Now these Martyrs they suffered for that truth which we at this day hold and not for Popish Tenets which then were not in being We have now Surveyed the Fathers Faith and practice of the Church for the first three hundred yeares next after Christ and by this particular as Hercules whole body was measured by the breadth of his foote the Reader may proportion what were the Churches Creed and her Agends generally and constantly taught and practised in these times and I doubt not but he shall find that for substance of Religion they held as wee doe and not as the moderne Papists doe so that in comparison of Originall and Primitive Antiquity Poperie is but noveltie and this hath beene already shewne when as we drew the Character of the three first Centuries I will now onely give instance in the point of Indulgences and shew that in these best and ancient times there were no such Popes pardons as afterwards were marted For in latter times we find it recorded in the Salisbury Primer that Iohn the two and twentieth for the mumbling over of some short Prayers granted a Pardon of no lesse than a million of yeares Besides these three Prayers be written in the Chappel of the holy Crosse in Rome who that devoutly say them they shall obtaine ten hundred thousand yeares of Pardon for deadly sinne granted by our Holy Father Iohn the two and twentieth Pope of Rome and of another Prayer to be said as one goes thorow a Church-yard the same booke saith as followeth Pope Iohn the twelfth granted to all that shal say the Prayer following as they passe by any Church-yard as many yeeres of Indulgences as there have beene bodyes there buried since the Consecration of the said Church-yard In the same booke there is power given to one little prayer beginning with O bone Iesu to change the paines of Hell into Purgatory and after that againe the paines of Purgatory into the joyes of Heaven This Prayer is written in a Table that hanged at Rome in Saint Peters Church neere to the high Altar there as our holy Father the Pope is wont to say Masse and who so that devoutly with a contrite heart daily say this Orizon if he bee that day in the state of eternall damnation then his eternall paine shall be changed him into temporall paine of Purgatorie and if he have deserved the paine of Purgatorie it shall bee forgotten and forgiven through the infinite mercie of God Now sure I thinke that Antiquitie cannot paralell such presidents as these THE FOVRTH CENTVRIE From the yeare of Grace 400. to 500. PAPIST WHat say you to this fourth Age PROTESTANT This was a learned Age for now there lived Optatus Bishop of Milevis in Africa and in Asia there lived Epiphanius Bishop of Cyprus Cyril Bishop of Hierusalem Macharius the Monke Basil the great the Christian Demosthenes as Erasmus calls him Gregory Nazianzene sirnamed the Divine and Grigory Nyssen brother to Saint Basil these three were equall in time deare friends and of neere alliance now also lived the Hammer of the Arrian Heretickes Athanasius the great Bishop of Alexandria great indeed for his learning for his vertue for his labour for his suffering when almost the whole world was set against him but above all great for his Creed the Athanasian Creed He suffered much trouble for the truth but God upheld him so that he dyed in peace full of dayes after he had governed the Church of Alâ—xandria six and forty yeares Nazianzene compared him in time of adversity to the Adamant for that no trouble could breake him and in time of prosperity to the Load-stone for that hee allured the hearts of men more intractable then Iron to imbrace the Truth of God In Europe there lived Hilarie Bishop of Poictiers in France and Ambrose Bishop or Millaine Ambrose was a man of noble parentage under the Emperour Valentinian hee was Governour of Liguria he was chosen from a secular â—udge to bee Bishop of Millaine and was faine to be christened before he could be consecrated he was zealous and resolute hee sharpely reproved Theodosius for the slâ—ughtâ—r of the innocent people of Thessalonica hee was grievously troubled by the Lady Iustina mother to Valentinian the second he said to his friends that were about him at his death I have not so lived that I am ashamed to live longer nor yet feare I death because I have a good Lord. Of the Scriptures sufficiencie Athanasius saith the holy Scriptures given by inspiration of God are of themselves sufficient to the discoverie of truth now if they be as the word signifieth allsufâ—icient to instruction then must they needs be all sufficient to all instruction in the truth intended and not onely sufficient for this or that point as Bellarmine would have it Saint Hilarie commendeth the Emperour Constantius for desiring the Faith to be ordered onely according to those things that be written thâ— same Hilarie assures us that in his dayes the word of God did suffice the beleevers yea what is there saith he concerning mans salvation that is not conteined in the word
cruel Foe our soules defend And them receive when life shall end The Crosse is likewise devouâ—ly saluted in this manner O Crux ave spes unica Hoc passionis tempore Auge pijs justitiam Reâ—sque dona veniam All haile O Crosse our onely hope In this time of the passion Increase thou justice to the godly And give to sinners pardon PA. You have alleadged divers Fathers against praying to Saints give me now leave to produce such testimonies as Bellarmine brings in for invocation of Saints PRO. The learned Bishopâ— on our side Bishop Andrewes and Bishop Montague have particularly examined the severall testimonies alleadged by Bellarmine and found that hee hath utterly failed in his proofes PA. Let us heare the Fathers themselves speake for their testimonies seeme to be cleere for us for instance sake Nazianzâ—n repâ—rts that Cypâ—ian whiles hee was a Pagan and a Conjurer he fell in love with Iustina a Christian virgine at Antioch whom when as by wooing and ordinary meanes hee could not winne to his will hee went about to intice and prevaile with by Magicall spells and conjurations which the Damosell perceiving besought the Virgin Mary to succour her being a distressed virgin PRO. This goes under his name but haply is none of his for it is not likely that Nazianzene one of so great learning judgement and memory could as Billius spâ—akes be so grossely mistaken to ascribe that unto Saint Cyprian Bishop of Carthage in Africke that if it were at all was done by one Cyprian the Deacon of Antioch in Asia But yet say it were Nazianzen's owne report it being but a private act out of the devout affection in a Mayd it cannot bee drawne to a rule of Faith neither is it proposed as an example to bee followed but onely by way of bare narration what shee did the relater passeth not his owne censure upon it yea but hee taxeth it not though hee did not yet others and by name Epiphanius in the same age taxed such of that sexe as offered Cakes and the like presents and oblations to the blessed Virgin Lastly the story saith that despayring of all other remedies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shee flyeth to God and then assumeth for her Patron and Protectour Christ Iesus her Spouse and after this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shee besought the Virgin Mary to succour her being a distressed virgin First she flyeth to God secondly shee maketh Christ her Patron thirdly she requesteth the Virgin Mary in zeale rather than upon knowledge And although Nazianzen speaking onely by hearesay reporteth that shee supplicated not by any Collect or set forme of devotion but by a short ejaculation to the Virgin Mary yet this was done by her in the last place and after shee had first sought to God and Christ Whereas in their Romish devotions our Lady hath their orizons first addressed to her and our Lord hath them but as it were at second hand the reveâ—sion of thâ—m PA. Gregory Nyssen cals to Theodore the Martyr saying gather together the troopes of thy brother Martyrs and thou with them joyntly beseech God to stay the invasion of the Barbarous Gothes PRO. Nyssen spake this in a Panegyricall oration as an Oratour not as a Divine in a popular sermon of Commemoration not in doctrinall determination In like sort Bellarmine objects Nazianzen in his orations calling unto Cyprian Basil and Athanasius with a tu autem è supernis nos respice doe thou favourably looke upon us from an high Whereas this is no direct invocation but rather a vote wish and desire that Basil and Athanasius might doe so and so for it is not respice nos but o si or Vtinam nos respicias and so hee speakes of Basil and now Basil is in the heavens offering as I thinke sacrifices for us and praying for the people hee comes with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I take it as I am perswaded it was but his opinion and conjecture being indeed nothing but a Rhetoricâ—ll flourish The like answer may serve to that of Hierome who concluding his Funerall Oration upon Paula desireth her in heaven to assist him with her prayers the â—peech hâ—e useth is no more but a Rhetoricall Apostrophe or conversion to her Besides it is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a wish and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a direct prayer unto her In the like manner â—or proofe of prayer to Saints Bellarmine alleadgeth two Poets Paulinus and Prudentius now wee answer him in his owne words who when Prudentiâ—s was alleadged against him in the point of Purgatory hee puts it off saying Prudentius played the Poet so say wee that they spoke it in a poeticall vaine as others in a straine of Rhetorike Now in Poetrie men take more libertie besides their words serve them not at will as they doe in prose but they must often take such to make up their verse as were otherwise inconvenient to bee used moreover the heate of their invention carrieth them further oftentimes then in a temperate speech they would be carried PA. Saint Ambrose exhorts widowes to pray to the Angels and Martyrs whom hee calleth beholders of our lives and actions PRO. Saint Ambrose was chosen from a secular Iudge to bee Bishop of Millaine and was faine to bee christned before hee could bee consecrated Now this booke de Viduis of widowes was written about the beginning of his christianitie and divinitie both and therefore it is not strange if in his beginning and novice ship hee said some things for which hee afterwardâ— corrected himselfe of this sort is that which he hath in the booke alleadged which shewes hee was a novice in divinitie when hee wrote that booke de Viduis for there hee doubts whether the Martyrs had any sinnes or nâ— and then saith That the sinnes they had they did themsâ—lves wash away with their owne blood Whereas the holy Scripture gives us no other Lâ—ver for our sinnes than the blood of Iesus Christ Who hath loved us and washed us from our sinnes in his owne blood And againe The Saints have washed their robes in the blood of the Lambe Now the blood of Martyrs is not the blood of Christ and therefore that speech was neither so safely nor properly set downe Besides the words reaâ—h not home it is onely his opinion that the Saints and Angâ—ls are our Patrons Videmur Wee seeme to have their paâ—ronage and yet it is but Patrocinium quoddam a certaine kind of gardian ship But what Saint Ambrose's opinion was touching this point no man can better tell than himselfe who elsewhere saith That to procure Gods favour wee need no spokesman but a devout mind and againe Thou onely O Lord oughtest to bee invocated and prayed unto Objection Saint Cyril of Hierusalem saith That wee make mention of those that sleepe in the Lord before us that by their Intercession
it is a straine of rhetoricke why not the other also Sixtus Senensis gives a good rule for interpretation of the Fathers speeches specially in this argument The sayings of Preachers are not to be urged in that rigour of their words for after the manner of Oratours they use to speake many times hyperbolically and in excesse And hee instanceth in Chrysostome as well hee might for hee is full of them even there where hee speakes of the Sacraments hee saith That our teeth are fixed in the flesh of Christ that our tongues are dyed red with his bloud and againe That it is not the Minister but God that baptizeth thee and holdeth thy head Now these and the like sayings must be favourably construed as being improper speeches rhetoricall straines purposely uttered to move affections stirre up devotion and bring the Sacrament out of contempt that so the Communicanâ—s eyes may not bee finally fixed on the outward elements of bread and wine being in themselves but transitory and corruptible creatures but to have their hearts elevated and lift up by faith to behold the very body of Christ which is represented in these mysteries Otherwise the Fathers come downe to a lower key when they come to speake to the point yea or no and accordingly Saint Chrysostome when once he is out of his Rhetoricall veine and speaks positively and doctrinally sayth When our Lord gave the Sacrament hee gave wine and againe Doe wee not offer every day Wee offer indeed but by keeping a memory of his deaâ—h and hee puts in a kind of caution or correction lest any should mistake him Wee offer saith hee the same Sacrifice or rather the remembrance thereof And such a Commemorative and Eucharisticall sacrifice we acknowledge Object Saint Cyril of Alexandria useth the word corporally saying that by the mysticall benediction the Sonne of God is united to us corporally as man and spiritually as God Answer Hereby is meant a full perfect spirituall conjunction with the sanctified Communicants excluding all manner of Imagination or fantasie and not a grosse and fleshly being of Christ's body in our bodyes according to the appearance of the letter otherwise this inconvenience would follow that our bodies must be in like manner corporally in Christ's body for Cyril as hee saith Châ—ist is corporally in us so he saith weare corporally in Christ by corporally then he meaneth that neere and indissoluble union in the same sence that the Apostle useth it saying In him dwelâ—eth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily Coll. 2.9 bodâ—ly that is indissolubly Bâ—sides Christ is likewise joyned corporally to us by the Sacrament of Baptisme and yet therein there is no Transubstantiation Of Image-worship Saint Hierome saith We worship one Image which is the Image of the invisible and omnipotent God Saint Austine saith No Image of God ought to be worshipped but that which is the same thing that he is meaning Christ Iesus Col. 1.15 Hebr. 1.3 nor yet that for him but with him And as for the representing of God in the similitude of a man he resolveth that it is Vtterly unlawfull to erect any such Image to God in a Christian Church He condemneth the use of Images even when they are not adored for themselves but made instruments to worship God saying Thus have they deserved to erre which sought Christ and his Apostles in painted Images and not in written bookes The same Austine writing of the manners of the Catholike Church directly severeth the case of some men who were wont to kneele superstitiously in Churh yards before the tombes of Martyrs and the painted histories of their sufferings these private mens cases he severeth from the common cause and approved practice of the Catholike Church saying Doe not bring in the company of rude mâ—n which in the true religion it selfe are superstitious I know many that are worshippers of Graves and pictures Now this I advise that you cease to speake evill of the Catholike Church by upbraiding it with the manners of those men whom she her selfe condemneth and seeketh every day to correct as naughtie children so that in Saint Austines times as is already noâ—ed Images and Image-worship were not used by any generall warranted practice if some mis-informed men used it this could not in Saint Austines opinion make it a Church duty necessary and Catholike or draw it to bee a generall custome Bellarmine answereth that Saint Austine wrote this in the beginning of his Conversion to Christianitie and that upon better information he changed his mind but he tells us not in what part of his Retractations this is to be found Divers other shifts besides are used herein and some fly to the distinction of an Idoll and an Image but that will not seâ—ve for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often translated Simulachrum a likenesse or similiâ—â—de and as eveâ—y Idoll is an Image of some thing so every Image worshipped turnes Idoll there may be some ods in the language but none in the thing it selfe Bellarmine minceth the matter and would have the Image worshipped not propeâ—ly and because of it selfe but reductively inasmuch as it doth expresse the Sampler Others hold that the Image is to bee worshipped in it selfe and with the sâ—mâ— woâ—ship that the person is which is represented so that the Crucifixe is to be reverenced with the selfe same honâ—ur that Christ Iesus is And as for the vulgar people they goe bluntly to it with downâ—right adoration Cassander saith It is more manifest than that it can bee denyed that the worship of Images and Idols hath too much prevailed and the supâ—rstitious humour of people hath beene so cockeredâ— that nothing hath beene omitted among us either of the highest adoration and vanity of Painims in worshipping and adoring Images Polydore also saith People are growne to such madnesse that there are many rude and stupid persons which adore Images of wood stone marble and brasse or paintâ—d in windowes not as signes but as though they had sense and they repose more trust in them than in Christ or the Saints to which they are dedicated Ludovicus Vives saith Saiâ—ts are esteemed and worshipped by many as were the Gods among the Gentiles Objection The honour or dishonour done to the Image redoundeth to the person represented or pâ—ototype as appeares by our being uncovered using reverence in the Kings Chamber of presence and before his Chaire of estate when his person is absent in like sort the honour and worship due to the Image redoundeth to Christ and his Saints now if an Image bee capable of contempt and reproach it is also capable of honour and worship Answer The Rule The dishonour done to the Image redoundeth to the person is true specially in civill affaires when the Party would be honoured by the Image and thus was Theodosius grieved with them of Antioch for casting downe his
wives Statue It may also redound to the pâ—rson by accident that is when a man doth a thing with a purpose to dishonour him as Iulian did when hee pulled downe the Image of Christ and set up his owne Besides these contraries are not paria for it suffiseth to the dishonouring of God that there bee an evill affection or intention but a good intention is not sufficient to the honouring of God except the meanes as well as the meaning bee prescribed of God Lastly as learned Bishop White saith this Similitude halteth for the Kings Chaire of State and his image when they are honoured or dishonoured are conjoyned with his person by civil ordinance and relation but the artificiall Image of Christ and his Crosse are not conjoyned with Christ by divine ordination or by relation grounded on Christs Word but by an imaginary act of the superstitious worshipper also civill and religious worship are of diverse beginnings and formes and every thing that is possible lawfull and commendable in the one is not so in the other Objection Adoration is performed to Images as being done outwardly relatively and transitorily unto the Image inwardly affectuously absolutely and finally unto Christ. Ansâ—er If you adore Images outwardly relatively and transitorily then as the same Bishop saith you make Images a partiall object of adoration but God himselfe who saith I will not give my glory to another to wit in whole or in part neither my prayse to graven Images Esay 42.8 hath excluded â—mages from copartnership with himselfe in adoration Of Prayer to Saints Concerning Prayer to Saints Saint Hierome or whosoever else was the Authour of those Commentaries on the Proverbs sayth Wee ought to invocate that is by Prayer to call into us none but God And in another place Whatsoever I shall utter seemeth dumbe because hee Nepotian being defunct heareth me not Theodoret upon the 2. and 3. Chapter to the Colossians expressely sayes and that by the authority of the Councell of Laodicea that Angels are not to bee prayed unto and if not Angels not Martyrs Saint Austiâ—e in his booke which hee wrote of true religion saith The worshipping of men that are dead should bee no part of our religion Papists invocate Saints in the Liturgie of their Masse which the Ancients did not Saint Austine saith expressely that Martyrs were named at the Communion Table but not invocated his words are these At which Sacrifice the Martyrs are named in their place and order as men of God which have overcome the world in the confession of him but yet notwithstanding they are not invocated by the Priest which sacrifiseth Answer This place is thus answered The Priest doth not invocate Saints by direct Prayer Besides the Sacâ—ifice is directed to God the Father alone and that may be the reason why the Saints are not invocated Reply Saint Austine excludeth all invocation of Saints both direct and indirect in the administraâ—ion of the Eucharist Neiâ—her will thâ—se distinctions helpe them for though the invocâ—tion of them be not a direct absolute and sovâ—raigne invocation yet if it be an indirect relative or â—â—balâ—erne invocation an invocation it is and such a one is the invocation at the Altar in the Masse for thus it is Libera nos Domine ab omnibus malis c. intercedâ—nte pro nobis beatâ virgine c. beatis Apostolis c. cum omnibus Sanctis and so what shall become of Saint Augustine's non invocantur who knew none of these distinctions of the Cardinâ—ll's which in that Age and many Ages after were not heard of saith our learned Bishop of Winchester Neither can the Cardiâ—all alleadge any reason why if the Saints may be prayed unto they may not be so as well by the Priest as by the people as well at Mâ—sse as at Mattines as well in the body of the Church as at the Altar Aâ— for thâ—ir new distinction of Sacrificall and unsacrificall Invocation and their conceit that the Sacrifice is Offered â—nto God the Father alone it is sayth the same Leaâ—nâ—d Bishop refuted by the Canon it selfe of the Masse thâ— conclâ—sion whereof is Placeat tibi sancta Tâ—iâ—iâ—as obsâ—qâ—ium servitutâ—s meae c. So that that the Sacrifice is offerâ—d â—o the whole Trinitie Besides there are divers Collâ—ctâ— moreâ— directed unto Christ himselfe and â—â—l of them said Dum assistitur Altari Now in case that any upon consideration of their ownâ— unworthinâ—sse and Gods dreadfull Majestie should seâ—kâ— to Goâ— bâ— mediation of others Saint Câ—rysostomâ— of all the Fâ—â—heâ—s is most plentifull in refuting this course of Intâ—â—cession by others When thou hast need to sue unto men saiâ—h he thou art forced first to deale witâ— doore keepers anâ— Poâ—ters and to intreat Parasites and Flattâ—rers and to goe a long way about But with God there is no such matter he is intreated without aâ— Intercesson it sufficeth onely that thou cry in thine heart and bring teares with thee and entring in straightway thou mayst draw him unto thee And for example hereof he sets before us the woman of Canaan Shee entreated not Iames sayth he shee beseecheth not Iohn neither doâ—h she come to Peâ—er but brake thorow the whole company of them saying I have no need of a Mâ—dâ—atour but taking repentance with me for a spoakesman I come to the fountaine it selfe For this cause â—id he dâ—scend for this cause did he take flesh that I might have the boldnesse to speake unto him I have no need of a mediatour have thou mercie upon me And whereas some repose such coâ—fideâ—ce in the intercession of the Saints that they looke to receive greater benefits by them than by their owne pâ—ayers he brings in againe the wâ—man of Canaan and wiâ—heth us to observe How when others intreated he put her backe but when she her selfe cryed out prâ—ying for the gift he yielded Yea he sayth farther that God then doth most when we doe not use the entreatie of others for as a kind friend then blameth he us mâ—st as not daring to trust his Love when we entreat others to pray unto him for us thus use we to doe with those that seâ—ke to us then we gratifie them most when they come unto us by themselves and not by others Answer Chrysostome spoke thus against such idle fellowes as Committed thâ—msâ—lves wholly â—o the patronage of their Tuâ—elar Saints and themselves lived in their Sinnes or he uttered such speeches Homily wise as in the Pulpit not Dogmatically as delivering his judgement Reply As if a man might not deliver his judgement in the Pulpit for albeit in figures and phrases and manner of handling there is sâ—me dâ—ffâ—rence betweene a Preacher before the people and a Râ—adeâ— before the learned yet no learned Goâ—ly man such as Chrysostome was will so advisedly so vehemently and often times as he did utter any thing in the
their râ—formation so that they were constrained to tollerate these and the like abuses insomuch that the same Austine speaking of them saith Approbare non possum I can no way allow them and yet liberius improbare non audeo I dare not freely reprove them and why lest thereby I either offend some good men or provoke some turbulent spirits And the same Father speaking of such as dranke drunke over the Sepulchers of the dead withall he addeth It is one thing that we teach another that we tollerate it is one thing that which we are commanded to teach another thing we are commanded to correct and which we are constrained to beare withall untill that it be amended Neither indeed is it to be marvailed if the learned among them and such as were lately come from the Philosophers Schooles into Christian Colledges and a people newly crept out of Paganisme I say it is not to be marvailed if they retained something of their formâ—r Tenets and customes but these are no presidents for us who have now better learned Christ Iesus For farther caution wee may make use of that rule which Bellarmine layeth downe and it is this Wee must saith hee conferre the Fathers one with another and the same Father oft times in diverse Treatises with himselfe and by those things that are clearely set downe in one place or one Fathâ—r expound those things that seeme more obscure and doubtfull in another Now wee accept of this rule and thereby defeat diverse of our Adversaries allegations for example Those words of Saint Ambrose are much pressed Benedictione natura mutatur By benediction or consecration the nature of the elements in the Lords supper is changed and yet Saint Cyrill saith as much of Baptisme namely That the Waters are changed into a divine nature They will not hence inferre a Transubstantiation in Baptisme why will they then from the like words in Saint Ambrose inferre a Transubstantiation in the Lords Supper Those wordes of Gregory Nyssen are much pressed namely Panem in corpus Christi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bread to bee changed into Christs Body Now let Nyssen expound Nyssen who in the words immediately going before saith Corpus Christi ad divinam dignitatem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Christ's body is changed or turned into a divine excellencie and yet this is done without any Transubstansiation at all In like sort that of Theophylact is much urged who saith of the Bread That it is trans-elementated into the body of Christ hee useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now Theophylact may expound Theophylact who in the very same place saith Nos in Christum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that wee also are trans-elementated into Christ that a Christian is in a manner trans-elementated into Christ Now they will not say that wee are transubstantiated into Christ therefore neither doth Theophylact by the word Trans-elementation used of the Bread and Wine understand any substantiall but onely a Sacramentall change The like is showne in the testimonies objected out of Hilarie in the fourth age and Cyrill of Alexandria in the fifth answered by themselves Wee are to make a dfference of the Fathers age and wâ—itings as also of their gifts Saint Austin wrote more soundly than Origen though Origen were his Ancient for Origen turned almost all into Allegories yet as with Wines so in Writings usually the elder the better and the Water neere the Spring-head runnes cleare and sweet so it was with the Fathers that wrote during the first five hundred yeares next after Christ others that wrote after the first sixe hundred yeares such as Damascen Anselme and the like they were post-nati to primitive antiquitie and out of the verge of the Churches purity as also some of them partiall for so was Damascen a party in that Image quarrell in the Easterne Church and therefore in that case his testimonie is to be barred Besides for the answering of allegations out of the Fathers wee must sever the bastard treatises from the true and undoubted writings of the Fathers for example Dionysius Hierarchy is a counterfeit Clements constitutions are suspected and Cyprian de Coena domini is not Cyprians as is already shewne in the third Centurie Object If these be counterfeits how is it that your selves produce divers testimonies out of them as also out of the Commentaries of Saint Hierome and Saint Ambrose upon Saint Pauls Epistles which yet your selves doe not hold them to be Saint Hieromes and Saint Ambroses Answer It is not to bee marvelled if some of our learned Protestants admitting the bookes were written by them whose names they doe beare doe thence produce testimonies against you for it is a rule in Law Testem quem quis inducit pro se tenetur recipere contre se you have produced them for your owne benefit and theâ—efore in reason you cannot disallow of them now though it be to your great hinderance you first produced these witnesses and now that they are in the face of the Court you must give us leave to examine them upon crosse Interrogatories To close up this point the Fathers are more to bee credited when they conclude a thing de fide dogmatic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 didactic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doctrinally positively purposely by way of setting forth a matter of faith than when they write Agonistic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say by way of contention and disputation or obiter touching a point onely upon the by and as it may serve and suite with the point they have in hand without farther respect thereunto They are more to be credited when they speake Categoric 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assertivè with asseveration than speaking onely Historic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and ex opinione aliorum relating onely the opinion of others or what was done and not delivering their owne judgement they are more to bee esteemed whâ—n they speake as Divines in a professed discourse than when they speake as Orators Poets Panegyrifts and in a popular discourse In a word wee must observe what they write out of their private opinion and what they deliver as the judgement of the Church when any of them goe alone it is not so safe following them but where wee have their unanimous and joynt consent in any materiall point wee may more securely rely upon them and this was one of King Iames his directions for Students in Divinity and I find the same rule in Vincentius Lirinensis to wit That wee may rely upon that not which one or two of the Fathers but either all or most of them have taught and that manifestly frequently and constantly PA. Although in some things the Fathers make for you yet in the point of Merit prayer for the dead and prayer to Saints they are against you they used the word Merit and held as wee doe PRO. The
Image-worship yet in some other things he was Orthodoxe and in those we comply with him Now also was held a famous Councel at Constantinople in the East and another at Frankford in the West both of them opposing the second Nicen Synod Now also lived Adelbert of France Samson of Scotland and Claudius Clemens of the same nation Bishop of Auxerâ—e in France Thâ—se with others opposâ—d Boniface the Popes factour whiles he sought to stablish Papall Supremacie adoration of Reliques and Images Pargatorie prayer for â—he dead and to impose single life on the Clâ—rgie and for â—his they were persecuted under Pope Zacharie with bonds and imprisonment Aventinâ— saiâ—h â—haâ— Albertus Gallus and other Bishops and Priestâ— of his sect so calls he the way after which they worshipâ—â—od did mightily withstand this Boniface or Winifrid an Engâ—iâ—â—â—an bishop of Meâ—tz Toward the laâ—er end of this Age there lived though they flourished in the ninth Age Claudius Clemens Scotus as also Ioannes Mailrosius Scotus called Madrosius haply for that he lived in the Monastery of Mailros planted by bishop Aidan and his followers in Northumberland where also Saint Cuthbert had his education PA. I claime Saint Bede for one of ours PRO. You will lose your claime for though he were tainted with superstition and slipt into the corruptions of the Times wherin he lived Beleeving and reporting divers Fabulous Miracles and incredible Stories as some of your owne men haue censured him neither doe we defend all hee wrot yet in divers maine grounds of Religion he was an Adversarie to your Trent Faith Bede was a Priest he lived in the Monasterie of Saint Peter and Saint Paul at Weere-mouth neere Durham A great Clerke and writer of the English Story Alcwin or Alwin was a Yorke-shiere man as appeares by his name Alwin which in these parts continues to this day He was Keeper of the Library at Yorke erected by Archbishop Egberâ— He was also Schoole-master to Rabanus and in great favour with his Pupill Carolus Magnus whom hee perswaded to found the Vniversitie of Paris He wrot three bookes of the Trinitie and Dedicated them to Charles The Papists charge Calvin to have made these bookes and to have set them forth in Alcuinus name Alcuin and Calvin being all one name by changing the Letters but this is untrue since both the note of the beginning and ending of this booke is to be seene in an ancâ—ent Manuscript in Lincolne Colledge and the very Copie it selfe written as it may be conjectured above five hundred yeeres agoe is to be seene in the Princes Library at Saint Iames. Besides that my selfe have seene Alcwin's booke of the Trinitie Printed in the yeare 1525. whereas Calvin by Bellarmines account shewed not himselfe untill the yeere 1538. Of the Scriptures Sufficiencie and Canon Damascen saith Whatsoever is delivered unto us in the Law and the Prophets by the Apostles and Evangelists that wee receive acknowledge and reverence and besidâ—s these wee require nothing else The same Damascen numbers all those bookes and those onely as Canonicall that we doe and addeth That the Bookes of Wisdome and Iesus the Sonne of Syrach are good Bookes and containe good Lessons but that they are not numbred in this account neither were layd up in the Arke And our Alcuinus Abbot of Saint Martins at Tours in France writing against Elipantus bishop of Toledo tels him that he urged authoriâ—ies out of the booke of Iesus the sonne of Syrach but saith he Saint Hierome and Isidore doe testiâ—ie that without question it was to be reputed amongst the Apocryphall and doubtfull Bookes Of Communion under both kinds and the number of Sacraments Charles the Great saith The mystery of the body and bloud of Christ is daily received by the faithfull in the Sacrament of his â—lesh and bloud in â—anis ac vini figurâ in the figure oâ— bread and wine And that â—he Sacrament is in it owne naâ—ure brâ—ad and wine but the body and bloud of Christ by Mysticall and Sacrameâ—tall relation hee shewes in the same termes as Isidore did before him and Rabanus after him Becausâ— bread saith Bede confirmes the bâ—dy and wine doth worke bloud in the flesh therefore the one is mystically refâ—rred to the body of Christ the other to his bloud But to leave particular men we have the suffrage of a whole Councel held at Constantinople in the yeare 754 wherein it was maintained that Christ chose no other shape or type under heaven to represent his Incarnation by but the Sacrament which he delivered to his Ministers for a type and a most effectuall commemoration thereof Commanding the substance of bread to bee offered and this bread they affirme to be a true Image of his naturall flesh And these assertions of theirs they are to be found in the third tome of the sixth Action of the second Councel of Nice Of Images and Prayer to Saints Concerning Images venerable Bede as we find him cited by Gerson the Chancellour of Paris saith That Images are not simply forbidden to bee made but they are utterly forbidden to bee made to this end to bee worshipped and adored Charles the Great as Cassander saith hath pithily and wittily stated this question of Images that it is no prejudice to want tâ—em nor priviledge to have them that such as utterly reject them may be taxed with â—icklenesse and they that worship them branded with folly In this Age there arose great contention in the Church touching the matter of Images the Greeke Empâ—rouâ—s Leo Isaurus Constantine Nicâ—phorus Stauratius Leo Armenus Michael Balbus Theophilus and others their â—ucâ—essours opposiâ—g them in the East and on the other side Gregorie the second and third Paul the first Stephen the fourth Adrian the first and other Popes of Rome as stiffly upholding them in the West In a Councel of 338 Bishops held at Constantinople Anno 754 they were solemnly condemned for they banished all other Images and determined That there was one onely Image appointed by Christ to wit the blessed bread and wine in the Eucharist which represent to us the body and bloud of Christ there was decreed under Constantine nicknamed Câ—pronymus That none should privately in houses or publikely in Churches procure keepe or worship any Image uâ—on paine of deposition Zonaras saith That in the hearing of all the people they openly forbad the worship of Images calling all such as adored thâ—m Idolaters and speaking of the Emperour Leo Armenus hee saith He was mightily bent against them insomuch as he decreed utterly to abandon them Thus did those Ezekiah's of Greece being strongly opposed by the Papall foâ—ces Now so it was afterwards in another Coâ—nâ—el of 350 bishop held at Nice in the yeare 787. Images were set on foote againe and this Councel was calâ—ed and swayed under that Doctresse Irene the Empresse
with Haymo as indeed his Commentaries on Saint Pauls Epistles are in a manner all taken out of Haymo as Doctor Rivet hath observed It is the report of our Ancestors saith Walafridus Strabo that in the Primitive times they were wont according to Christs Institution to Communicate and partake of the Body and Bloud of our Lord even as many as were prepared and thought fit Regino describeth the manner of Pope Adrians delivering the Communion to King Lotharius and his followers in both kindes The King saith hee takes the Body and Bloud of our Lord at the hands of the Pope and so did the Kings Fallowers Paschasius saith These bee the Sacramentâ— of Christ in the Church Baptisme and Chrysme and the Body and Bloud of Christ and Rabanus hath the selfe same words Now with Baptisme they joyne Chrysme because they used to annoint such as were baptized for otherwise Rabanus speakes precisely of two saying What doe these two Sacraments effect and then hee answers That by the one we are borne anew in Christ and by the other Christ abides in us Of the Eucharist Rabanus saith Bread because it strengthneth the body is therefore called the Body and Wine because it maketh bloud is therefore referred to Christs bloud Haymo saith the same with Rabanus Rabanus farther saith That the Sacrament in one thing and the power thereof another the Sacrament is turned into the nourishment of the body by the vertue of the Sacrament we attaine â—ternall life Hee saith the Sacrament which is the Bread is turned into our bodily nourishment nâ—w spâ—cies shewes and accidents can not nourish but these latter words of Rabanus are razâ—d â—ut whereas the Monke of Malmesbury witnesses that Rabanus wrote accordingly as is alleaged and this razure is observed by the publisher of Mathew of Westminsters Historie Haymo calls the Eucharist A Memoriall of that Gift or Legacie which Christ dimised unto us at his Death Rabanus saith that Christ at first instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Bloud with blessing and thanksgiving and delivered it to his Apostles and they to their Successors to doe accordingly and that now the whole Church throughout the world observes this manner Christianus Druthmarus reporting our Saviours Act at his last Supper sayth Christ changed the bread into his body and the wine into his bloud Spiritually he speaks not of any change of substances Walafridus Strabo saith That Châ—ist delivered to his Disciples the Sacraments of his body and bloud in panis vini substantiâ in the substance â—f bread and Wine When Carolus Calvus the Emperour desired to compose some diffeâ—ences about the Sacrament then on â—oot he râ—quired Bertram a learned man of that Age tâ— deliver hâ—s jâ—dgement in that poynt Whether the body and bloud of Christ which in the Church is received by the mouth oâ— tâ—â— faithful be celebrated in a mystery or in the truth anâ— whether it be the same body which was borne of Mary Whereunto hâ— returnes this answer That the bread and the wine aâ—e tâ—â— body and bloud of Christ figuratively that This body is tâ—e pledge and the â—igure the other the very naturall bodie That for the substance of the Creatures that which they were before consecration the same are they also afterward That they are called the Lords body and bloud because they take the name of that thing of which thâ—y are a Sacrament That there is a great difference betwixt the mystery of the bloud and body of Christ which is taken now by the faithfull in the Church and that which was borne of the Virgin Mary All which he proves at large by Scriptures and Fathers Your wisedome most excellent Prince may perceive saith he that I have proved by the testimonies of holy Scriptures and Fathers that the bread which is called Christs body and the Cup that is called his bloud is a figure because it is a mysterie PA. I except against Bertram his booke is forbid to be read but by such as are licenced or purpose to conâ—ute him PRO. Bertram wrote of the body and bloud of Chrâ—st as Trithemius saith and by your Belgicke or Lâ—w Countrey Index Bertram is stiled Catholicke Now this Index was published by the King of Spaines commandment the Duke of Alva and first printed at Antwerp in the yeare 1571 and often since reprinted Now so it is howsoever he be accounted a Catholicke Priest and much commended by Trithemius yet are this Catholicks writings forbid to be read as appeares by severall Indices the one set forth by the Deputies of the Trent Councel and another printed at Parts under Clement the eight Now these Inquisitors dealt too roughly and therefore the divines of Doway perceiving that the â—orbidding of the booke kept not men from reading it but rather oâ—casioned them to seeke after it thought iâ— better policie that Bertram should be suffered to goe abroad but with his keeper to wit some popish glosse to wait on him Seeing therefore say they we beare with many errours in other old Catholicke writers and extenuate them excuse them by inventing some device oftentimes deny them and â—aine some commodious sense for them when they are objected in disputation with our adversaries we doe not see why Bertram may not deserve the same equitie and diligent revisall lesâ— the Herâ—ticks cry out that we burne and forbid such antiquity as maketh for them and accordingly they have dealt wiâ—h Bertram for by their Recognition We must reade Invisibiliter in stead of Visibiliter and these words The Substance of the Creatures must be expounded to signifie outward shewes or Accidents But this will not serve the turne for Bertram speaking of the consecâ—ated bâ—ead and wine saith that for the substance of the creatures they remaine the same after consecration that they were before Now if they doe so then is not the substance of bâ—ead and wine changed into the substance of the flesh and bloud of Christ as the Trent Councel would have it Nor will it serve to say that by the substance of the Creatures is meant the outward accidents as the whitenesse of the bread the colour of the wine or the like for Bertram speakes properly that the consecrated bread and wine remaine the same in substance And it were an improper speech to attribute the word Substance to Accidents as to say the substance of the colour or rednesse of the wine or the like PA. Master Brerely suspects that this booke was lately set forth by Oâ—colampadius under Bertrams name PRO. This suspicion is cleered by the antient Manuscript copies of Bertram extant before Occolampadius was borne one whereof that great Scholler Causabon saw in the Librarie of Master Iames Gilot a Burgesse of Paris as he witnessed to the Reverend and learned Primate Doctor Vsher. And yet besides these Mâ—nuscripts Bertram
taught the same doctrine in other books also to wit De Nativitate Christi and de Animâ which are to be seene in the Libraries of the Cathedrall Church of Sarisburie and Bennet Colledge in Cambridge as the same Bishop Vsher observes PA. Was Bertram a learned man and of a good liâ—e PRO. Trithemius the Abbot gives him a large commendation For his excellent learning in Scripture his godly life his worthy Bookes and by name this of the Body and Bloud of Christ. Clodius de Sanctes â—aith Hee is put in the Catologue of Ecclesiasticall Writers for one Catholike in life and doctrine and your Brerely saith That ancient Catholike Writers doubt not to honour Bertram for a holy Martyr of their Church Now are wee come to our famous countrey-man Scotus much what of Bertrams standing and both of them in favour with Charles unto whom as Bertram Dedicated his Treatise of the Sacrament so also Ioannes Scotus wrot of the same argument and to the same effect that Bertram had done Bellarmine saith That Scotus was the first who in the Latine Church wrot doubtâ—fully of the reall presence It is indeed their fault that we have not his Booke yet may wee presume that he wrot positively neither doe we any where find that his booke of the Sacrament was condemned before the dayes of Lanfrancke who was the first that leavened the Church of England with this corrupt doctrine of the carnall presence so that all this while to wit from the yeare 876 to 1050 he passed for a good Catholike PA. Was Scotus a man of that note PRO. He was as Possevine saith Scholler to Bede Fellow-pupill with Alcuinus and accounted one of the founders of the Vniversitie of Paris and in the end dyed like a Martyr For after that he came into England and was publike Reader in Oxford by the favour of King Alfred he retired himselfe into Malmsbury Abbey and was there by his owne Schollers stabbed to death with Pen-knives and this was done saith Bale and others Fortassis non sine Monachorum impulsâ— haply not without the Monks procurement being murdered by his Schollers whiles he opposed the carnall presence which then some private persons began to set on foot By his birth he was one of the Scottish or Irish nation and is sometime called Erigena sometime Scotigena He was sirnamed Scotus the Wise and for his extraordinary learning in great account with our King Alfred and familiarly entertained by Charles the Great to whom he wrote divers letters In a word there is an old homely Epitaph which speakes what this Scotus was Clauditur hoc tumulo Sanctus Sophista Ioannes Qui ditatus erat jà m vivens dogmate miro Martyrio tandem Christi conscendere regnum Quoâ— meruit sancti regnant per saecula cuncti Vnder this stone Lyes Sophister Iohn Who living had store Of singular Lore At length he did merit Heaven to inherit A Martyr blest Where all Saints rest Or thus Here lyes interr'd Scotus the Sage A Saint and Martyr of this Age. Of Images and Prayer to Saints Ionas Bishop of Orleance who wrote against Claudius bishop of Turin in the defence of Images holds that The Images of Saintâ— and Stories of divine things may bâ—e painted in the Church not to be worshipped but to be an oâ—nament and to bring into the minds of simple people things done and past But to adore the Creature or to give it any part of divine honour we count it saith he a vile wickednesse detesting the doâ—r thereof as worthy to be accursed It is flâ—t impiete saith the same Ionas out of Origen to adore any save the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Agobardus bishop of Lyons saith That the Ancients they had the pictures of the Saints but it was for historie sake and not for adoration and that none of thâ— ancient Catholicks haply thought that Images are to be worshipped or adored And the Orthodoxe Fathers for avoiding of superstition did carefully provide that no pictures should bee set up in Churches lest that which is worshipped should be painted on the walls Rhemigius saith That neither Images nor Angels are to be adored and Walasfridus Strabo would not have divine honour given to ought that is made by us or any other Creature Now what say the Papists to these Testimonies Baronius yeelds us Walafridus Strabo Ionas bishop of Orâ—leance Hincmarus Archbishop of Rhemes and saith That they foâ—sooke the received opinion of the Church and yet they were ever held sound Catholicks Bellarmine saith That Ionas was overtaken with Agobard his errour and other bishops of France in that Age and therefore puts in a Caveat that Ionas must bee read warily So that by their owne confession the learnedst and famousest men of this Age stand for us in this point this makes them seeke to suppresse such testimonies as are given of them Papirius Massonus set forth this booke of Agobards and delivers the argument therof to be this Detecting most manifestly the errours of the Greciâ—ns touching images pictures he to wit bishop Agobard denies tâ—at they ought to be worshipped which opinion all we Catholicks do allow and follow the testimony of Gregory the great concerning them Now this passage the Spanish Inquisitors in their expurgatorie Index Commanded tâ— bee blotted out and this is accordingly performed by the Divines of Collen in their late corrupt Edition of the great Bibliothek of the ancienâ— Fathers To close up this poynt Charles the Great was seconded by his Sonne Lewis the Godly for by his appointment the Doctors of France assembled at Paris in the yeare 842 and there condemned the adoration of Images It is not strange saith Ambrose Ansberâ—us that our prayers and teares are not offered up unto God by us but by our High Priest since that Saint Paul exhorts us to offer up the Sacrifiâ—e of Praise unto God Haymo upon those words of Isay 〈◊〉 enim Pater noster Thou O Lord art our Father Isay. 6â— ver 16. â—aith Et rectè solum invocamus ac dâ—p ecamur te And we doe right onely to invocate thee and to make our supplication to thee Of Faith and Merit Claudius Scotus saith that Faith alone saveth us because by the works of the Law no man shall be justified yet he addeth withall this caution Not as if the works of the Law should be contemned and without them a simple faith so he calleth that solitary faith which is a simple faith indeed should bee desired but that the works themselves should be adorned with the Faith of Christ. Rhemigius saith That in truth those onely are happy who are freely justified of grace and not of merit Haymo saith Wee are saved by Gods grace and not our owne merits for we have no merits at all Ambros. Ansbertus expounding that place Revel 19.
Waldenses from such foule imputations The first Article Objected Parsons saith they held that when the flesh doth burne that all conjunction with man or woman is lawfull without destinction The three Conversions the 3 part chap. 3 nu 12. Answere Indeed many have borne false witnesse against them but their witnesse doe not agree together I know this is objected by Parsons and others and yet Reinerius who was one of their Inquisitors said of them as is already alleaged that they made a great shew of Godlines and lived righteously before men and beleeved all things rightly touching God and concerning all other Articles of the Creed Againe Casti sunt Leonistae the Leonist's liue chastly and againe Quae libet naturâ turpia devitant They avoyd whatsoever is naturally dishonest Claudius Seisselius Archbishop of Turin a man in great credit under Lewes the twelfth King of France although he had written a booke expresly against the Waldenses yet he thus farre cleereth them saying that it makes much for the confirmation and toleration of that profâ—ssion that setting aside differences in point of Faith in other things they welnigh leade a more godly life than other Christians for they sweare not unlesse they he constrayned they seldome take the name of the Lord in vaine and they are very carefull to keepe their promise When some of the Cardinalls and Prelates accused the remainders of the Waldenses in Merindol and Cabriers that they were Heretickes sorcerers and incestuous persons and thereupon mooved that good King Lewis the twelfth to roote them out the Waldenses having notice hereof sent their Deputies to his Majesty to declare unto him their innocencie whereupon the Prelates were instant upon the King not to give such Heretikes any accesse or audience but the King answered that if he were to make warre against the Turke he would first of all heare him whereupon the King sent master Adam Fume his Master of Requests and one Doctor Parvi his confessor to search and inquire both into their life and religion the Commissioners accordingly visited those places and upon their returne related to the King what they had found namely that Infants were baptized the Articles of faith were taught the Lords Prayer the ten Commandements the Lords day observed the Word of God Preached and no shew of wickednesse or fornication to be perceived amongst them onely they found not any Images in their Churches nor any ornaments belonging to the Masse The King hearing this report of the Commissioners sayd and he bound it with an oath that they were better men than he or his people better than himselfe and the rest of his subjects And thus we have cleared the Waldenses from Parsons his first imputation a foule slander indeed but yet such as we finde was cast upon the auncient Christians as well as upon them and most unjustly and untruely upon both of them Object They held that it was not lawfull for Christians to sweare at all for any cause whatsoever because it is written Doe not sweare Matthew 5. Iames 5. They held also that the magistrate ought not to condemne any to death because it is written Iudge not Matthew chap. 7. Luke chap. 6. Parsons loco citato Answere Claudius Seissel as before is alleadged saith indeed that they doe not sweare unlesse they be constrained belike then being lawfully called they refuse not to sweare in Iudgement in triviall matters they would not sweare rashly according whereunto they alleadged our Saviours precept besides they affirme that there are lawfull oathes tending to the honour of God and their Neighbours good and they alleadge that place in the sixth to the Hebrewes 16. that an oath for confirmation to them is an end of all strife The other cavill arose upon their complaining that the magistrates delivered them to death without any other knowledge of the cause than the bare report of their Inquisitors Priests and Friers who were parties and their professed enemies otherwise the Waldensian doctrine was that they were not to suffer the Malefactour to live Object They hold that the Apostles Creed is to be contemned and no account at all to be made of it and that no other prayer is to be used but onely the Pater Noster set downe in Scripturâ— Parsons quò suprà Answere This is an idle cavill for Reinerius hath already told us that they beleeve all the Articles contained in the Creed besides in their bookes they have very good and Catholike expositions of the Creed Doe these men then slight the Creed They doe not indeed hold the Creede to be a prayer no more doe they that of the Angels Haile to Mary they hold it to be a salutation and no direct invocation as Claudius Seissel saith it followes not hence because they hold not the Creede nor the Angelicall Salutation to be any direct prayer that therefore they neglect the Creede The other allegation is as idle for their owne writers Reyner and others record divers other of their prayers as for grace before meate this He that blessed the five Barly loaves and two Fishes in the Desert to his Disciples blesse this table unto us and after meate thus God which hath given us corporall food give us also spirituall life Object They held that the power of consecrating the body of Christ and of hearing confessions was left by Christ not onely to priests but also to lay-men if they be just Parsons ibid. Answere The first part of this Article they held not but rather the contrary that neither Priests nor Laikes could consecrate the body of Christ for Reinerius saith They doe not beleeve the Sacrament to be the true body and blood of Christ but the bread consecrated is called in a certaine figure the body of Christ as it is sayd the Rocke was Christ and the like For the second they sayd truely and we hold that we are to confesse our faults one to another Iames 5 16. yea though they be Lay-people so they be godly and discreet and able to counsaile and comfort us but especially to the discreet and learned Minister of Gods Word to receive from him Ghostly comfort counsaile and upon our hearty repentance absolution Object They held that no Priests must have any living at all but must live on almes and that no Bishops or other dignity is to be admitted in the Clergie but that all must be equall Parsons ibid. Answere That their Ministers may not lawfully take and enjoy livings or that it was sinne so to doe they taught not but were sorry they had not sufficient stayed livings for them whereby they might have more time to their studies and greater opportunity to instruct them with necessary doctrine and knowledgeâ— but they were not ashamed of their Ministers that were content to worke with their hands to get their living as the Apostles had done before them So that if they spoke ought that looked that way
renowned among the Northerne English and one that was well acquainted with Bishop Tonstall his kinsman and Diocesan saith I remember that Bishop Tonstall often tolâ—e me that Pope Innocent the third had done very unadvâ—sedly in that hee had made the opinion of Transubstantiation an Article of Faith seeing in former times it was free to holde or refusâ— that opinion The same Bishop tolde me and many time ingenuously confessed that Scotus was of opinion that the Church might better and with more ease make use of some more commodious exposition of those words in the holy Supper and the Bishop was of the minde that we ought to speake reverently of the holy Supper but that the opinion of Transubstantiation might well be let alone This thing also the same Bishop Tonstall was wont to affirme both in words and writings that Innocent the third knew not what he did when hee put Transubstantiation among the Articles of Faith and he said that Innocentius wanted learned men about him and indeed saith the Bishop if I had beene of his councell I make no doubt but I might have beene able to have disswaded him from that resolution By this that hath beene sayd it appeares that Transubstantiation was neither holden nor knowne universally in the Church before the Lateran Councell twelve hundred yeares after Christ and that when it began to be received as a matter of Faith it was but beleeved upon the Churches authoritie and this Church virtually and in effect was Pope Innocent in the Lateran Councell twelve hundred yeeres and more after Christ before which time there was no certaintie nor necessity of beleeving it and the Councell might have chosen another sence of Christs words more easie and in all appearance more true there being no scripture sufficient to convince it Of Images and Prayer to Saints HOnorius of Authun in France saith There is none that is godly wise who will worship and adore the Crosse but Christ crucified on the crosse Roger Hoveden our native historian who lived in the beginning of this age condemned the adoration of Images for speaking of the Synodall Epistle written by the Fathers of the second Nicen councell wherein Image worship was established he tells us that Charles the King of France sent into this Isle a Synodall booke directed unto him from Constantinople wherein there were divers offensive passages but especially this one that by the joynt consent of all the Doctors of the East and no fewer than 300 Bâ—shops it was decreed that Images should be worshipped quod ecclesia Dei execratur saith he which the Church of God abhorres Guilielmus Altissiodorensis saith that for such and such reasons many doe say that neither we pray unto the Saints nor they pray for us but improperly in râ—spect we pray unto God that the merits of the Saints may hâ—lpe us Of Faith and Merit THomas Aquinas saith that workes be not the cause why a man is just before God but rather they are the execution and manifestation of his justice for no man is justâ—fied by workes but by the Habit of Faith infused yea justâ—fication is done by Faith onely And Aquinas in his commentary on the Galatians in the place alleadged tho at the first he mention such workes as are performed by the power of nature yet afterwards he speakes also of workes wrought by the power of grace and of such as Saint Iames mentions Chap. 2. saying Was not Abraham justified by workes but these were workes of grace and yet Thomas excludes from justification workes done in the state of Grace and saith Iustification is done by Faith onely Bonaventure saith that by onely Faith in Christs passion all the fault is remitted and without the faith of hâ—m no man is justified Velosillus in his animadversions upon the writings of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church observeth that Scotus held not merit of Condigâ—ity And Vega saith that Thomas Aquinas the flower of the Schoole-Divines constantly affirmeth that a sinner can not merit his owne justâ—fication either of congruity or of condignity and thus have these men given in their verdict but now let us heare themselves speake There is no action of ours saith Scotus that without the speciall ordinance of God and his divine acceptation is worthy of the reward with which God rewardeth them that serve him in respect of the inward goodnesse that it hath from the causes of it because alwayes the reward is greater than the merit and strict Iustice doth not give a better thing for a thing of lesse value And againe hee saith That speaking of strict Iustice God is bound to none of us to bestow rewards of so high perfection as hee doth the rewards being so much greater in worth than any merits of ours The Prophet David saith the learned Archbishop of Armagh hath fully cleared this case in that one sentence Psalm 62.12 With thee Oh Lord is mercy for thou râ—wardâ—st every man according to his workes Originally therefore and in it selfe this reward proceedeth meerely from Gods free bounty and mercy but accidentally in regard that God hath tyed himselfe by his word and promise to conferre such a reward it now provâ—th in a sort to be an act of Iustice in regard of the faithfull performance of his promâ—se For promise amongst honest men is counted a due debt but the thing promised being free and on our part altogether undeserved if the promiser did not performe and proved not to be so good as his word hee could not properly be sayd to doe us wrong but rather to wrong himselfe by impayring his owne credit And therefore Aquinas confesseth That God is not hereby simply made a debtor to us but to himselfe in as much as it is requisite that his owne ordinâ—nce should be fullfilled William Bishop of Paris treating of prayer giveth us this Caveat Not to leane on the weake and fraile foundation of our owne merits but wholly denying our selves and distrusting our owne strength to relye on the sole favour and mercy of God and in so doing sayth hee the Lord will never faile us Cassander saith That both ancient aâ—d moderne with full consent professe to reposâ— themselves wholly upon the meere mercy of God and merit of Christ with an humble renunciation of all worthinesse in their owne workes and this doctrine Cassander derives through the lower ages of the Schoole-men and later writers Thomas of Aquine Durand Adrian de Trajecto afterwards Pope Adrian the sixth Clictoveus and delivers it for the voyce of the then present Church THE FOVRTEENTH CENTVRIE From the yeere of Grace 1300. to 1400. PAP WHat say you of this fourteenth Age PROT. In this Age learning began to revive for so it came to passe that divers learned men among the Greekes abhorring such cruelty as the Turkes used against their Countrey-men the Grecians left those parts and fled into Italy Now by their meanes the
the Friars be not liegemen to the King ne subject to his lawes For though they stealen mens Children to enter into their orders it is sayd there goes no law upon them Friars saien apertly that if the King and Lords and other men stonden thus against their begging and other things Friars will goe out of the land and come againe with bright heads and looke whether this be treason or no Friart faynen that though an Abbot and all his Covent ben open traytours yet the king may not take from them an halfe penny Friars also destroyen the Article of Christian faith I beliefe a common or generall Church for they teachen that thâ— men that shall be damned be members of holy Church and thus they wedden Christ and the divel together Friars by hypocrisie binden men to impossible things that they may not doe for they binden them over the commandements of God as they themselves say Friars wast the treasure of the land forgetting Dispensations vaine pardons and priviledges But of the pardon that men usen to day fro the Court of Rome z they have no sikernes that is certainty by holy writ ne reason ne ensample of Christ or his Apostles By this we see that Wickliffe stoutly opposed those Innovatours the Friers who like their successours the Iesuites taught and practised obedience to another Soveraigne than the King persecution for preaching the Gospell exemption of Cleaâ—gy-men the use of Legends in the Church and reading of fables to the people pardons and indulgences the heresie of an accident without a subject singular and blind obedience and lastly workes of Supererogation Now whereas Wickliffe was reputed an Heretike it is likely that this imputation was laid upon him especially by Friars to whose innovations he was a professed enemy PAP Many exceptions are taken against Wickliffe and namely that hee held That God ought to obey the divell PROT. Our learned Antiquary of Oxford Doctour Iames hath made Wickliffes Apology and answered such slanderous objections as are urged by Parsons the Apologists and others Now for the objection made there is neither colour nor savour of truth in it there was no such thing objected to him in the Convocation at Lambeth neither can his adversaries shew any such words out of any booke written by Wickliffe although he wrote very many Indeed wee finde the quite contrary in his workes saith his Apologist for Wickliffe saith That the divel is clepid that is called Gods Angell for he may doe nothing but at Gods suffering and that he serveth God in tormenting of sinfull men The phrase indeed is strange and if either he or any of his Schollers used such speeches their meaning haply was that God not in his owne person but in his creatures yeeldeth obedience to the devill that is sometimes giveth him power over his creatures PAP Wickliffe taught That Magistrates and Masters are not to be obeyed by their subjects and servants so long as they are in deadly sinne PROT. Even as light House-wives lay their bastards at honest mens doores so you falsely father this â—is-begotten opinion on Wickliffe which some of your owne side say belongs to one Iohn Parvi a Doctour of Sorbone And indeed in right it is your owne inasmuch as you upon colour and pretence of heresie in Princes absolve subjects from their Allegeance and raise them up in armes against their lawfull Soveraigne witnesse your bloody massacres in France the death of the two last Henryes in France the untimely death of the Prince of Orange the many attempts and treasons against Queene Elizabeth as also that hellish designe of the Gun-powder treason But supppose Wickliffe said so yet his words might have a tollerable construction to wit that a Prince being in state of mortall sinne ceased to be a Prince any longer he ceased to be so in respect of any spirituall right or title to his place that he could pleade with God if he were pleased to take the advantage of the forfeiture but that in respect of men he had a good title still in the course of mundane justice so that whosoever should lift vp his hand against him offered him wrong Wickliffe indeede admonisheth the King and all other inferiour Officers and Magistrates as elsewhere he doth Bishops That he beareth not the sword in vaine but to doe the office of a King well and truely to see his Lawes rightly executed wherein if hee faile then he telleth him that he is not properly and truely a King that is in effect and operation which words are spoken by way of exhortation but so farre was hee from mutiny himselfe or perswading others to rebellion that never any man of his ranke for the times wherein he lived did more stoutly maintaine the Kings Supremacy in all causes as well as over all persons ecclesiasticall and civill against all usurped and forreine Iurisdiction and one of his reasons was this that otherwise he should not be King over all England but Regulus parvae partis a petty governour of some small parts of the Realme PAP Wickliffe taught that so long as a man is in deadly sinne he is no Bishop nor Prelate neither doth he consecrate or baptize PROT. If Wickliffe said so he sayd no more than the Fathers and a Councell said before him Saint Ambrose saith Vnlesse thou embrace and follow the good-worke of a Bishop a Bishop thou canst not be The Provinciall Councell saith Whosoever after the order of Bishop or Priesthood shall say they have beene defiled with mortall sinne let them be remooved from the foresaid orders The truth is Wickliffe lived in a very corrupt time and this made him so sharpely inveigh against the abuses of the Cleargy but abusus non tollit rei usum and yet Wickliffe writeth against them that will not honour their Prelats And hee elsewhere expresseth his owne meaning that it is not the name but the life that makes a Bishop that if a man have the name of a Prelate and doe not answere the reason thereof in sincerity of doctrine and integrity of life but live scandalously and in mortall sinne that he is but a nomine-tenus Sacerdos a Bishop or Priest in name not in truth Neverthelesse his ministeriall Act may be availeable for thus saith Wickliffe Vnlesse the Christian Priest be united unto Christ by grace Christ cannot be his Saviour nec sine falsitate â—icit verba sacramentalia Neither can he speake the Sacramentall words without lying licèt prosint capacibus Though the worthy receiver be hereby nothing hindred from grace PAP Wickliffe held that it was not lawfull for any Ecclesiasticall persons to have any temporall possessions or property in any thing but should begge PROT. This imputation is untrue for what were the lands and goods of Bishops Cathedrall Churches or otherwise belonging to Religious houses which were given Deo Ecclesiâ— were they
have beene called Lollards of Lollium cockle or darnell and so saith the glosse in Linwood as also in the Squires prologue in Chaucer I smell a Loller in the wâ—nde quoth hee abideth for Gods digne passion for mee shall have a predication this Loller here will preach us sâ—mewhat here shall hee not preach here shall he no Gospell glose ne teach he beleeueth all in the great God quâ—th he he would sowne some difficulty or spring cockle in our cleare corne But they were called Lollards from one Raynard Lollard who at the first was a Franciscan Monke and an enemy to the Waldenses but yet a man carried with a sanctified desire to finde the way of salvation Hee afterwards taught the doctrine of the Waldenses was apprehended in Germany by the Monkes Inquisitours and being delivered to the secular power was burnt at Cologne He wrote a Commentary upon the Apocalyps wherein he applied many things to the Pope as to the Roman Antichrist This was he of whom the faithfull in England were called Lollards where he taught witnesse that Tower in London which at this present is called by his name Lollards Tower where the faithfull that profeâ—sed his religion were imprisoned Iohn lâ— Maire in the third part of the difference of Schismes puts him in the ranke of those holy men that have foretold by divine revelation many things that have come to passe in his time such as were Boccace Saint Vincent of Valence of the order of preaching Friers Ioâ—chim Abbot of Gaâ—abria to them he adjoyneth the Frier Râ—ynard Lollard And so I proceede to the severall points in question Of the Scriptures sufficiâ—nâ—y and Canon VVIckliffe saith that Christs law sufficeth by it selfe to rule Christs Church that a Christian 〈◊〉 well underâ—tanding it may thence gather sufficient knowledge during his pilgrimagâ— hâ—re on earth Lyra upon those words in the Gospell They have Moses and the Prophets let them heare them Luke 16.29 makes this inference Moses he taught morâ—lity and what was our duty to doe the Prophets taught mysteries and what we are to beleeve Et ista sufficiunt ad salutem and these are sufficient for our salvation and therefore it followes Heare them so that hee reduceth all to two heads the Agenda or practicall partâ— and the Credenda or Articles of the Creede and these essentiall necessaries contained in the Scriptures he makes sufficient to salvation Amongst the sundry opinions which Ockam reckons vp this is one sayth Ockam That onely those verities are to be esteemed Catholike and such as are necessarily to be beleeved for the attaining of salvation which either expressely are delivered in â—cripture or by necessary consequence may be inferred from things so expressed Richard Fitz-Raphe Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of Ireland saith It is defined in generall Councels that there are two and twenty Authenticall bookes of the Old Testament Nicholas Lyra the converted Iew is plentifull in this argument Now that I have by Gods helpe saith he written upon the Canonicall bookes of holy Scripture beginning at Genesis and so going on to the end trusting to the helpe of the same God I intend to write upon those other bookes that are not Canonicall such as are the booke of Wisedome Ecclesiasticus Iudith Tobias and the bookes of Macchabes and withall addeth that it is to be considered that these bookes which are not Canonicall are received by the Church and read in the same for the information of manners yet is their authority thought to be weake to prove things that are in controversie And the same Lyra writing vpon the first of Esdras the first Chapter saith That though the bookes of Tobias Iudith and the Maccabes be Historicall bookes yet he intendeth for the present to passe by them and not to comment on them and he gives his reason namely quia non sunt de Canone apud Iudaeos nec apud Christianos because they are not in the Canon neither with the Iewes nor with the Christians Wickliffe also held that there are but two and twenty Authenticall bookes of the Old Testament Of Communion under both kinds and number of Sacraments THe custome of communicating in both kinds was not abolished in the beginning of this Age but was retained in certaine places especially in Monasteries untill the yeere of our Lord thirteene hundred and more Thus writeth Cassander Beatus Rhenanus saith that Conradus Pellicanus a man of wonderfull sanctity and learning did finde in the first constitution of the Carthusians That they were forbidden to possesse any vessels of price besides a silver Chalice and a pipe whereby the lay-people might sucke the blood of our Lord. Durand their profound Doctor denieth Matrimony to be a Sacrament properly so named and of the same nature with the rest or to give grace Robert Holcot our countrey-man denied that Confirmation was from Christs Institution now Bellarmine saith that Christ onely can institute a Sacrament Alphonsus à Castro telleth us and that from the testimony of Iodocus Clichtoveus and Thomas Walden a bitter adversary of Wickliffes that Wickliffe held extreame unction or annealing was not a Sacrament Of the Eucharist Ockam saith There are three opinions of Transubstantiation of which the first supposeth a conversion of the Sacramentall Elements the second an annihilation the third affirmeth the bread to be in such sort transubstantiated into the body of Christ that it is no way changed in substance or substantially converted into Christs body or doth cease to be but onely that the body of Christ in every part of it becomes present in every part of the bread This opinion he saith the Master of Sentences mentioneth not much disliking it yet it is not commonly holden Their owne Proctours and Canonists Hostiensis and Gaufridus tell us that there were divers in those dayes who taught that the substance of bread did remaine and this opinion say they was not to be rejected Durand was of opinion That the materiall part of the consecrated bread was not converted insomuch that Bellarmine professeth that saying of Durand is hereticall although he is no heretike because he is ready to submit to the judgement of the Church Wickliffe saith that Friers perverten the right faith of the Sacrament of the Auter and bringen in a new heresie of an Accident withouten subject and whence Holy writ sayes openly that this Sacrament is bread that wee breaken and Gods body they sayen that it is nother bread nor Gods body but accident withouten subject and nought and thus they leaven holy writ and taken new heresie on Christ and his Apostles and on Austin Ierom Ambrose Isidore and other Saints and the Court of Rome and all true Christian men that holden the faith of the Gospell Now for his owne opinion he expresseth it in these termes that the body of Christ was really truely in the Sacrament in his
in all matters of Religion he agreed fully with the Catholike Roman Church PRO. What his Religion was let his owne workes testifie Guicciâ—rdine saith that amongâ—â— other things hâ—e was charged That his doctrine was not fully Catholike hee meaneth Roman Catholike and Comminees saith That one of the Frier Minorites his professed adversary charged him to be an Heretike so that in his opinion he was not in each point a Roman Catholike And to take the Popes procesâ—e which was published against him as wee find it in Guicciardine Therein it is given out that Savonarola had a holy desire that by his meanes a Generall Councell might be called wherein the corrupt customes of the Clergy might bee reformed and the estate of the Church of God so farre wandred and gone astray might bee reduced so farre forth as was possible to the likenesse of that it was in the Apostles time or those that were neerest unto them and if he could bring so great and so profitable a worke to effect hee would thinke it a farre greater glory then to obtaine the Pope-dome it sâ—lfe in the same Processe it is contained how hee despised the Popes commandements and returned publikely to his olâ— office of preaching affirming that the Popâ—s censures published against him were unjust and of no force as also that the matters by him prophesiâ—d were not pronounced by divine revelation but by his proper opinion grounded upon the doctrine and observation of holy Scripture And now let the Reader consider by that which Guicciardine reports of Savonarola and namely touching the opinion he had of the Popes authoritie and his excommunications touching generall Councels and the deformitie and degeneration of the Churches state in respect of antiquitie as also what Comminees saith of his preaching of the Reformation of the Church and that by the Sword as formerly our Grosthead Bishop of Lincolne foretold and then let him judge of what profession he was likely to be Now for the poynt of faction and sedition It is true indeâ—d that there was a great faction in Florence not onely amongst the Laity but the Spiritualty alâ—o but it doth not appeare that Hierome was the Author or nourisher of this discord or that he had any hand in that tumult wherein Francisco Valori a principall favourer of Savonarola was slaine When Saint Paul preached the Gospel in Asia the whole Citty of Ephâ—sus was full of confusion and they rushed into the Common place and caught Gajus and Aristarchus Pauls companions of his journey Act. 19. ver 29. Was Paul or his companions the occasion of this tumult Savonarola preached the word of God in Florence his adversaries tooke Armes entred the Monasterie of Saint Marke where hee was and drew him and two of his brethren Dominick and Silvester out of the Covent and put them into the common prisons upon occasion of a mutinie in the Citie but Hierome and his fâ—llowes occasioned not this tumult It was indeed pâ—â—tended thaâ— he sided with the one faction in Florence but Philip de Comminees who knew him better than Paâ—sons toucheth that which brought the Frâ—er to the sâ—ake namâ—ly In that hee prophâ—sied and that so vehemently and freely of the comming in of forraine forces and of a King that by force of Armes should reforme the corrupt state of the Church and chastise the Tyrants of Italy this was it saith he which made the Pope and the state of Florence hate him Thus have we heard of his life and death there remaineth nothing now but his Epiâ—aph wherewith Flaminius a famous Poet of Italy hath honoured him And thus it is Dum fera flaâ—ma tuos Hieronyme pascitur artus Religio flevit dilaniâ—ta comas Flevit et ô dixit crudeles parcite flammae Paâ—ite sunt isto viscera nostra rogo That is Whiles Hiâ—rome to the firy stake was led Religion tore her haire and wept and said You cruell flames oh spare this tender heart For whiles he burns Religion feels the smart And so I proceed to the severall points in question Of the Scriptures Sufficiencie and Canon Geâ—son makes the word of Christ the sole authenticall ground of faith and the onely infallible rule to decide controvâ—rsies The Scriptures saith he is given unto us as a sufficient and infallible Rule for the governement of the whole body of â—he Church and each part thereof unto the end of the world What evill saith the same Gerson hath followed upon the contempt of holy Scripture which doubtlesse is sufficient for the government of the Church for otherwise Christ had beene an unperfect Law giveâ— experâ—eâ—ce will teach That Wickliffe affirmeth that nâ—ither Friers nor Prelates may define aâ—y thing in matters of faith unlesse they have the auâ—hority of sacred Scripture or some speciall revelation I dislikâ— not saith Waldensis but his waywardnesse and craft I condemne and thinke it necessary lest wee wrest the Scâ—â—ptures and erre in the interpretation of them to follow the â—radition of the Church expounding them unto us and not to trust to our own private singular conceits This is that which Vincentius Lirinensis long since delivered Alphonsus Tostatus saith Although the bookes in question bee received of the Church yet are thâ—y not of any solide auâ—hority and thâ—refore they are improfitable to prove and confirme those things which are called in question according to Saint Hierome Thomas Waldensis cites out of Hierome the Canâ—n of the old Testament in these words As there are twâ—nty two letters by which we write in Hebrew all that we speake so there are accounted twenty two bookes by which as letters wee are instructed in the doctrine of God and withall addeth That the whole Canonicall Scripture is contained in the two and twenty bookes Dionysius Carthusiâ—nus in writing upon Ecclesiasticus saith That booke is not of the Conon that is amongst the Canonicall Scriptures although there be no doubt made of the truth of that booke This is likewise confessed by Pererius the Iesuite saying Dionysius Carthusianus and Lyra doe not deny the History of Susanna to be true but they deny the bookes of Iudith Tobit and the Maccabees to apertaine to the Cononicall Scriptures And the like observation touching Lyra is made by Picus Mirandula and Picus himselfe would have us note that many things which in the Decrees are reckoned for Apocryphall and so accounted by Hierome are neverthelesse read in the Divine Service and many things also which some hold not to bee truâ— Of Communion under both kinds and number of Sacraments The Councel of Constance did not simply forbid the ministring of the Sacrament in both kinds but the teaching of the people that of necessity it must be so ministred for so we find in the thirteenth Session of the said Councel That if any should obstinately maintaine that it was unlawfull or â—rronious to receive in one kind he ought to be punished
saying of Ernestus Arch-bishop of Magdeburg lying on his death-bed some five yeares befoâ—e Luther shewed himselfe It is witnessed by Clement Schaâ— Chaplaine to the said Arch-bishop and one who was present at his death that a Frier Minor used this speech to the Archbishop Take a good heart most worthy Prince wee communicate to your excellencie all the good workes not onely of our selves but our whole order of Frier Minors and therefore doubt not but you receiving them shall appeare before the tribunall Seate of God righteous and blessed Whereunto the Arch-bishop replyed By no meanes will I trust upon my owne workes or yours but the workes of Christ Iesus alone shall suffice upon them will I repose my selfe THE SIXTEENTH CENTVRIE From the yeare of Grace 1500. to 1600. Of Martin Luther PAPIST WHat say you of this sixteenth Age PROTESTANT We are now by Gods assistance come to the period of time which was agreed upon in the beginning of our conference to wit to the dayes of Martin Luther for about the yeare of Grace 1517 hee beganne to teach and Preach against Indulgences And withall I have produced a Catalogue of our professours unto this present sixteenth Centurie PA. Stay your selfe you must saith Master Brerely show us your professours during the twentie yeares next before Luther PRO. It is done already for besides our English Martyrs we have produced Trithemius the Abbot and Savonarola both which lived within the time mentioned and held with us the Article of free Iustification and Savonarola howsoever the matter be otherwise coloured was burnt for Religion in the yeare 1498. Besides there have beene in all Ages and in the time mentioned such as held the substantiall Articles of our Religion both in the Roman and Greeke Church and by name the Grecians in common with us have openly denyed the Popes Supremacie Purgatorie private Masses Sacrifices for the dead and defended the lawfulnesse of Priests marriage Likewise in this Westerne part of the world the Schollers of Wickliffe called Lollards in England the Taboâ—ites in Bohemia and Waldenses in France maintained the same doctrine in substance with our moderne Protestants as appeareth by a Confession of the Waldensian Faith set forth about the yeare of Grace 1508 which was within the time prefixed Neither did these whom we have produced dissemble their Religion but made open profession thereof by their Writings Confessions and Martyrdomes as also their just Apologies are extant to cleere them from the Adversaries imputation PA. I thought Luther had beene the first founder of your Religion for there bee some of your men who call him the first Apostle of the reformed doctrine PRO. Luther broached not a new Religion he onely drained and refined it from the Lees and dregs of superstition he did not forme or found a new Church which was not in being but onely reformed and purged that which he found from the soilâ— of errours and disorders When Hilkiah the Priest in Iosiah's time found out the booke of God he was thereby a meanes to bring to light what the wicked proceedings of Manasses Amon and others had for a season smothered and so did Luther he was the instrument whom God used for the farther enlightning his Church and yet hereupon it no more followeth that he was the first that preached our Religion than upon the former that Hiâ—kiah first preached the Law The Protestants Church by Luthers meanes began no otherwise in Germanie than health begins to be in a body that was formerly sicke and overcharged and now recovered So that in respect of doctrine necessary to salvation the Church in her Firme members as Saint Austine speakes was the same before Luther and afterwards and it began to be by his meanes onely according to a greaâ—er measure of knowledge and freedome from such corruptions as formerly like ill humours oppressed it and oveâ—charged it The Proâ—estants Church then is the same with all good and sound Christians that lived before them and succeedeth the sound members of the visible Chuâ—ch that kept the life of true Religion in the substantiall matters of Faith and Godlinesse though otherwise those times were daâ—kened with a thicke mist of errours Now whereas some call Luther the first Apostle of the reformed doctrine they did not therâ—by intend that he was the fiâ—st that ever preached the dâ—ctrine of the râ—formed Churches for they could not be ignorant that after Christ and his Apostles and the Fathers of the first five Ages Bertram and Aâ—lfricke and Berenger Peter Bruis and Henry of Tholouse Dulcinus and Anâ—ldus and Lollardus Wickliffe Husse Hierome of Pragâ—e and others stood for the same truth which we professe but their meaning was that Luther was the first who in their Age and memorie publickly and succesfully set on foot a generall reformation of the Church in these Westerne parts And thus in a tollerable sense Luther may bee called the first Apostle of the Reformation though not simply the first that preached the Protestants doctrine Americus Vesputius is reported to have discovered the West Indies or America and withall beares the name thereof and yet Christopher Columbus discovered it before him Bishop Iewell saith that in Luthers dayes in the midst of the darknesse of that Age there first began to shine some glimmeâ—ing beame of truth his meaning is not that the truth was then first revealed but that by Luthers mâ—anes it was manifested in a fuller measure and degree of lâ—ght and knowledge than it was in the fâ—rmer and daâ—ker times of Poperie yea he giveth pâ—rticular instance of true professours that were before Luther namely Saint Hilarie Gregory Bernard Pauperes de Lugduno the â—ishops of Greece and Asia as also Valla Marsilius Petrarch Savonarola and others PA. Did Luther himselfe acknowledge he had any predecessors or fore-runners PRO. I answer with my worthy and learned friend Doctor Featly that Luther acknowledged the Waldenses termâ—d fratres Pigardi as appeares by his Preface before the Waldension Confession I found saith hee in these men a miracle almost unheard of in the Popish Church to wit that these men leaving the doctrines of men to the utmost of their endeavour meditated in the Law of God day and night and were very ready and skilfull in the Scriptures whereas in the Papacie the greatest Clerkes uâ—terly neglected the Scriptures I could not but congratulate both them and us that wee were together brought into one sheepfold Of Iohn Husse and Hiâ—rome of Prague he saith They burned Iohn Husse and Hierome both Catholike men they being themselves Heretikes and Apostates and in his third Preface hee saith hee hath heard from men of credit that Maximilian the Emperour was wont to say of Iohn Husse Alas alas they did that good man wrong And Erasmus Roterodam in the first bookes which hee printed lying yet by me writeth That Husse indeed was condemned and burned but not convicted PA. To
Masses wherein the Pâ—iests alone doth Communicatâ— without the pâ—ople it is contraâ—y to â—he Canon of â—he Mâ—sse saying in the â—lurall number Sumpsimus we have â—ecâ—ived anâ— Quoâ—quot ex hoc altaris participatione c. That all wee which in â—he participatâ—on of the Altar have receivâ—d the sacred body and bloud of tâ—y Sonneâ— c. Iohn Hossmeâ—ster a learned man expounding the prayers of thâ— Massâ— hath these wâ—rds The thing it sâ—lfe proclaimeth it thâ—t as wâ—ll in the Greâ—ke as Latine Church not onely the Priest which sacrifâ—â—eth but the other Priests and Deacons also yea and the people or at leâ—st some part of them did Commuâ—icateâ— which custome how it grew out of use I know not but surely wee should labour to bring it in againe By this it appeares that the Priests receiving alone and the neglecting or excluding the communicating of others as noâ— much necâ—ssâ—ry is indeed a poynt of Romish Religion but conâ—rary to the words of the Canon and â—he ancient custome of the Church it proceeded from the iâ—devotion of the people or rather â—he neglâ—gâ—nce or errour of the guides of â—he Church that either failed to stirre them up to the performâ—nce of such a duty or made them belâ—eve their Act wâ—s sufficient to comâ—unicate the benefits of Christs passion to thâ—m but this course was misliked by them of the betâ—er sort Concerning Communion in one kind that is another poynt of Romish Religion supposed to be conteined in the Masse which yet wanâ—s the liking and approbation of the best and woâ—thiest guides of Gods Church then living Cassander saith It is sufficiently manifest that the â—niversall Church of Christ untill this day and the Westerne or Romane Church for more than a thousand yeares after Christ did minister the Sacrament in both kinds to all the members of Christs Church at least in publicke as it is most evident by innumâ—rable testimonies both of Greâ—ke and Latine Fathers It is true indeed â—hat in case of necessiâ—ie as when children or such as were sicke and weake were to â—eceive the Communion thâ—y used to â—ip the mysticall bread into the consecrated wine under preâ—enâ—e of Caâ—efull avoiding the danger of spilling it and greater reverence toâ—ards the holy Sacrament from this customâ— whâ—â—â— yet was â—islâ—ked as appeares by Hildebeâ—◠〈…〉 some proceedâ—d farther and began to teach the people that seeing the body and blood of Christ cannot be separated in that they partake of the 〈◊〉 they partake of the other also and that therefore it was sufficient to receive in one kind alone Nâ—â—thâ—r yâ—t could this give satisfaction for howsoever the custome of communicating under one kind prevailed yet there wanted not such as sufficiently expressed their judgement that communicating in both kinds as Christ first did institute and the Church for a long time observed was fit and convenient perfect and compleat and of more efficacie and cleerer representation than the other under one kind alone Come to another maine point the proper and propitiatory sacrifice for the quicke and the dead and see whether at Luthers appearing before and after all that used that Liturgy had such an opinion of a sacrifice Saint Ambrose and Saint Chrysostome by way of correction say Wee offer the same sacrifice or rather the remembrance thereof Peter Lombard proposing the question whether that which the Priest doth may properly be named a Sacrifice or Immolation answereth that Christ was only once truely and properly offered in sacrifice and that hâ—e is not properly immolated or sacrifised but in Sacrament and Representation onely Lyra saith that If thou say the Sacrifice of the Altar is daily offered in the Church it must be answered that thâ—re is no reiteration of the sacrifice but a daily commemoration of that sacrifice that was once offered on the Crosse. Georgius Wiâ—elius a man much honoured by the Emperours Ferdinand and Maximilian defines the Masse to be a Sacrifice Rememorative and of prayse and thankesgiving where many give thankes for the price of their Redemption The Author of the Enchiridion of Christian Religion publishâ—d in the provinciall Coâ—ncell of Colen saith In that the Church doth offer the true body and blood of Christ to God the Father it is meerely a representative sacrifice and all that is donâ— is but the commemorating and representing of that sacrifice which was once offered on the Crosse. By that which hath beene said it is cleare that the best and worthiest guides of Gods Church both before and after Luthers time taught not any new reall offering of Christ to God the Father as a propitiatory sacrifice to take away sinnes but in effect as wee doe namely that the sacrifice of the Altar is only the sacrifice of praise and thankesgiving and a meere representation and commemoration of the sacrifice once offered upon the Crosse his being the reall sacrifice on the Crosse ours only the Sacramentall Representation Commemoration and Application thereof so that Christ is not newly offered any otherwise than in that hee is offered in the view of God nor any otherwise sacrifised than in that his sacrifice on the Crosse is commemorated and represented And thus the Fathers terme the holy Eucharist an unbloody Sacrifice not because Christ is properly and in his substance offered therein but because his bloody sacrifice upon the Crosse is by this unbloody commemoration represented called to remembrance and applyed Besides these points mentioned I have already produced witnesses in all ages and in all parts of the world rejecting those bookes as Apâ—cryphall that wee doe and showne that even untill Luthers time the Church did not admit the Canon of Scripture which the Romanists now doe nor ever accounted those bookes canonicall which wee thinke to bee Apocryphall and by these instances it may appeare That all were not Papists who held with the Masse Thâ— thing then we say is this that though the Masse was generally in uâ—e at â—nd bâ—fore Luthers timeâ— yet diverâ— poynts belonging thâ—reunto were not beleeved by tâ—e worthieâ—t guides in God Church at and before Luthers time though indeed there were some in the Chuâ—ch â—hat so coâ—ceived of them as the Romanists now doe and the reason hereof is this They were not generally received by all mâ—n nor as the undâ—ubted determinations of the Church not as Dogmata fidei but Dogmata scholae controverted and diveâ—sly disputed among the learned holden with great libertie of Iudgement by the greatest Doctors as appeares by their owne bookes of controversies written by Bellarmine Suaâ—ez Azorius and others which confute their owne writers almost as much as they doe Proâ—estants Besides had they beene the undoubted doctrines and determinations of the Church all men would have holden them uniformly entirely and constantly as they held the doctrine of the Trinity the Creation the Incarnation of the Sonne of God and other Articles of the Faith Objection If these points
Ministers to marry In divers other points also many of your side say the same with the Protestants as it is already shown in this treaâ—ise And therefore if you will force the Argument to make that the safest way of salvation which differing parts agree upon why doe you not joyne with uâ— since for the Positive and Affirmative Articles of our Religion noâ— onâ—ly the mâ—st but alâ— Prâ—tâ—stant and Papâ—â—â— agâ—eâ— therein For example sâ—ke Wee agree on boâ—h sides the Scripâ—ures to be the Râ—le of Faith the bookes of the old Testamâ—nt written in Hebrew to bee Canonicall that wee are justified by Faith that God hath made two Receptaclâ—s for mens sâ—â—les aftâ—r death Heaven and Hell that God may â—e woâ—shipped in spirit wiâ—hout an Image thaâ— we are â—o pray unto God by Christ that there bee two Sacramâ—nâ—s that Christ is really recâ—ived in the Lords Suâ—per that Christ made one oblation of himselfe upon the Crosse for the Redemption Propiâ—iation and Satisfaction for the sinnes of the whole world In a word where they take the Negative part as in with-holding the Cup from the Laiâ—ie foâ—bidding the administration of the Sacraments in the vulgar tongue and restraining the marriage oâ— Pâ—iests yet even in thâ—se they condescend unto uâ— for tâ—e lawfulnesse of the thingâ— in themselves and in respâ—ct of the law of God anâ— oâ—pose them onely in regaâ—d of their conveniencie and for that the Church of Rome hath otherwise ordaâ—ned But see our â—ffiâ—mations content them not To the Scriptures theâ— addâ— and equalize unwritâ—en Traditions to â—he Hebrâ—w Canon the Apocrypha to Faith in the act of Iuâ—â—ification works to Heaven and Hell Purgaâ—oâ—ie Limbus Patrum and Limbus Pueroâ—um to the woâ—ship of God in spirit Images to Prayer to God by Chriâ—t Iâ—vocation and Intercession of Sâ—inâ—s to Bapâ—isme and â—he Lords Supper five other Sacramâ—nts to the Realiâ—ie of Christ in the Sacramenâ— his Coâ—porall presence to tâ—e Sacrifice of Châ—ist upon the Crosâ—e â—he Sacrifice in tâ—e Masse witâ— other like and these wee deny as beâ—ng Corrupt Additions to the Faith These be our grounds wherein we enter-common with them and these be their additions and improvements which they have raised and enclosed upon the Lords Freehold Let us briâ—fely survey them both Bellâ—â—mâ—ne is confidâ—nt that The Apostles never used to Preach openly to the people other things than the Articles of the Apostles Creâ—dâ— the ten Commanâ—â—mâ—nts and some of the Sacraments because saith he these are simply necessary and profitable for all men the rest besides such as that a man may be saved without them If one worship God without an Image they will not deny but that this spirituall worship is acceptable to God If one call upon God alone by the onely mediation of Christ they will not say that this dâ—votion is fruitlesse If one say the Lords Prayer or other devotions in the vulgar tongue they will not deny but that such Prayers as aâ—e made with understanding and in a knowne languagâ— may be fruitfull and effectuall For Lyra saith that If the people understand the prayer of the Priest they are better brought to the knowledge of God and they answâ—r Amen with greater devotion Cardinal Cajetan who had often performed the publike service in an unknowne tongue in the Church yet contrary to his practice professeth It is better by Saint Pauls doctrine for the â—difying of the Church that publike prayers were made in a vulgar tongue to bee understood indifferently by Priâ—sts and people â—han in Latine If a man receive the Sacâ—ament in both kinds they will not I suppose deny but that it is very comfortable to receive boâ—h pâ—rts oâ— the Eucharist Alexander of Hales the first and greatest of all the Schoole mâ—n prâ—fesseâ—h that Though the order of receiving in one kiâ—d bâ— sufâ—icient yet the order of both kinds is of morâ— merit for incâ—ease of devotion and faith If oâ—e peâ—forme the best woâ—kes hee can which wee also require and stand not upon the point of meâ—it but only upon the mercy of God as we doe this likewise serves to justiâ—ie our doctrine for they themselves hold it a Mans safest course not to trust to his owne merits but wholly and solely to cast himselfe on the mâ—rcy of God in Iesus Christ. Now this justifies our Religion and shewes that it is suâ—â—icient to salvation in as much as the grounds thereof setting aside the matters in question betweene us are fully able to instruct a man in all points necessary to his salvation both how to live religiously and to die comfortably Hence also it followeth that by their owne confâ—ssion the controveâ—ted points are unnecessary and superfluous in as much as a man may bee saved who neither knowes nor beleeves nor practises these additions and excesses of theirs Object You talke of our excesses and conceale your owne defects now as the Arch-bishop of Spalato saith Heresie consists in the defect not in the excesse of beleeving and he is an Heretike who falleth short in his faith by not belâ—eving something that is written and not hee that abounds in his faith by beleeving more than is written now you faile in that you scant the measure of your faith Answer The Analogie and integrity of faith is hurt and broken by Addition as well as Subtraction by Diseases as well as by Maimes We are forbidden under the same pâ—naltie either to adde or diminish ought from Gods word Faith is of the nature of a rule or certaine measure to which if any thing be added or taken from it it ceaseth to be that Rule Faith saith Tertullian Is contained in a Rule to know nothing beyond it is to know all thâ—ngs And a little before This first of all wee beleeve that no more ought to be bâ—leeved as necessary to all Vâ—rtue is in the meanâ— vice as well in the excesâ—e as in the defect in our body the superabundance of humours is as dangerous as lacke of them as many dye of Plethories as of Consumptions a hand or foote which hath more fingers or toes than ordinary is alike monstrous as that which wanteth the due number A foundation may bee as well overthrowne by laying on it more than it will beare as by taking away that which is necessary to support the building Errours of addition are dangerous as appeares by these instances following The Samaritanes feared the Lord and served their owne Gods 2. King 17.33 The Galathians beleeved the Gospell yet retained also and observed the legall Ceremonies Galath 4.9 Helvidiuâ— held that blessed Mary had other children unto Ioseph her husband after her sonne Iesus here was an excesse of beliefe for hee beleeved more than was revealed this opinion of Helvidius although it be not denied in the Scripture yet it is erroneous in as much as it is not therein affirmed neither can it bee thence deduced by any good consequence and therefore the
g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccle. Smyâ—n apud Euseb. l. 4. hist. cap. 15 pag. 39. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with religious worship h An Answer to the Iesuits Challenge Of payer to Saints pag. 426. i Nunquam Christum relinquere possumuâ— Cristiani neque alterì cuiquam precem oratâ—onis impendere Ex Passionario MS. vij Kalend. Febr. in Bibliotheea Ecclesiae Sarisburiensis Dâ— Robertâ— Cottoni k Vâ—i virginiâ— Evae virgo Maria â—ieâ—eâ— Advocâ—â—a Iâ—en lib. 5. c. 16. edit Gallasij c. 19. edit Fevard l Bellar. l. 1. de Sanct. Beat. c. 19. quid clarâ—us m Sicut Eva fibi et universo generi humano causa facta est mortis sic Maria eâ—â—â—â—i universo generi humano causa facta est salutis Iren. lib. 3. cap. 33. Causa salutis causa pro organo exteriore accipitur Nâ—col Gallas in loc n Et â—â—â—è quid allud est quam exclusiva quod Ireâ—auâ— habet lib. 4. c. 37.38 Non aliter servarâ— homines ab antiquà Seâ—pentis plagâ—â— nisi credant in cum c Chemnit loc Theolog de Iustif. 2. part p. 773. o Miâ—i nondum satis liquet Graece ne scripserit an Latine etiamsi magis arbiâ—â—or Lâ—tine scripsisse Eâ—â—â—inâ— prâ—fat in Iren. Phrasis ejus â—â—enâ—eâ— Graecismum redolet Bellarm de Sâ—riptor Eccles. p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb. lib. 4. cap. 15. q Euseb. hist lib. 5 ca. â—1 22 23. r Vâ— omnes Eccleâ—ia Aâ—â—â— ab eodem Vâ—ctore Romano â—xcommunicatâ—â—ueriâ—â— Bellâ—â— de verbo Dei libâ— 3â— cap. 6. § Secundo s Qâ—â—d Vicâ—â—â— sententiaÌ„ sâ—â—â—m mâ—â—â—veâ—it nusquam leâ—imâ—â— Bellarm. libâ— 2. de P. 〈◊〉 c 19. §◠at obijcit t Euseb. cap. 23. u Euseb. cap. 22. x Quâ—niam ergò Papa videâ—at illam diverâ—itatem de Paschate adferre secum Haereâ—in Bellar. de Rom. Pont. lib. 2. cap. 19. S. Quoniam y Haec Epistola communiter habetur inter leges Divi Edwardi Antiquitat Britan. pag. 5. in Margine z Habetis penes vos in regno vtramque paginam câ—â— illis Dei gratia per Concilium regni vestri sumere poâ—estis legem vicarius verò Dei â—â—â—is in regno Antiquitat Britan. pâ—g 5. a Bellarminus lib. 2. de Rom. Pont. ca. 19. probare nititur primatum Papaeâ— ex ferendiâ— legibus censuris b Dicetas Deane of London a Manuscript in the Kings Library ad ann 178. alledged by M. Sâ—â—eds History of Great Brâ—tain Book 6. cap. 9. sect 18. c Polychronic lib. 4. cap. 16. pag. 163. d Convâ—rsiâ—n of England 1 Part. Châ—p 1. num 25. e Ioseph ab Arimathea anno ab Iâ—carnatione 63. cum dâ—cem socijs iâ— Britannia fidâ—m Christi praedicabâ—nt Nova Legenda Angliae pag. 187. columnâ— 4. f Lucius Brittaunorum Rex literas per Elvanum Medvinum viros reruÌ„ divinarum peritos ad cum mitteâ—at Eleutherium Richardus Vitus Basingstoochiensis Histor. lib. 5. pag. 1. a Ad notarium dicere consuevit Da Magistrum Tertullianum videlicet designans Hieron in Catal. Scriptor Eccles. b Euseb. lib. â— cap. 16. c Scripturas memoritèr tenuit Hier. ad Pammach Ocean Novuâ— et vetus Testamentum vâ—lut alter Esdras memorâ—tèr noverat Triâ—hem de scriptor Eccles. d Septem Notarijs potuit dictare Trithem Ib. e Vincent Lirinens de Hâ—res cap. 23. f Epiphanius coÌ„trâ— Hâ—resin 64. lib. 2. tom 1. in â—dit Lâ—â— g Amore castitatiâ— ut mulierâ—buâ— securè auderet pradicare se castrari fecit Trithem de Scriptor Ecclesiast h Non solum doâ—â—â—â— sed etiam doâ—ibilis August l. 4. de Baptis cap. 5. i Satis fâ—cilimè oâ—tendit se correctuâ—um fuisse sententiam suam si quis eâ— demonstraret Id. Ibid. lib. 2. cap 4. k Propâ—ereâ— non vidit aliquid ut per â—um aliud super eminentâ—us videreâ—ur Id. Ibid. lib. 1. cap. 18. l An autem de aliquâ subjacenti materiâ fâ—cta siâ—t omnia â—usquam adhuc legi Scriptum esse doceat Hermogenis Officina Si non est scriptum timâ—aâ— vae illud adijciâ—â—tibus aut deâ—rahentibus desâ—inatum Tertul. advers Hermog cap. 22. m Adoro Scripturae piâ—nâ—tudinâ—m Id. Ibid. n In quibus liceat omne verbum quod ad Dâ—um peâ—tinet râ—quiri et discuti atque ex ipâ—is omâ—em rerum scientiam câ—pi Si quâ—d â—â—tem superâ—uerit quod non divina Scriptura decernatâ— nullam aliam de bere tertiâ—m scripturam ad authoritatem scientiae suscipi Orig. in Levit. Homil 5. tom 1. o Euseb. lib. 6 Histoâ— capâ— 24. p Caro corpore et sanguine Christi â—escitur ut animâ— de Deo saginetur Tertul de Resurrect cap. 8. q De cujus manu dâ—â—iderabit de cujus poâ—ulo participabit Terâ—ul lib. â— ad Vâ—orem cap. 6. r Populus in usu habet sanguinem bibere Origen hom 16. in Num. s Respondeo habet in usu non in precepto Bellar. de Euchar. lib. 4 cap. 26. t Quomodo aâ— Martyrij poculum idoneâ—s facimus si non eos priâ—s ad bibendum in Ecclesiâ— pocu uÌ„ Domini jure coÌ„municationis admittimus Cyprian epist. 54. â—om 1. lib. 1. epist. 2. in alijs edit u In calice Domini sanctificando plebi ministrando non hoc faciunt quod Iesus Christus sacrificij huâ—us auctor et doctor 〈◊〉 et doâ—uit Id. Epist. 63. lib. 2. ep 3. x Nec alibi conjunctos ad Sacramentum Baptismatis Eucharistiae admittens Tertul. advers Marcion lib. 4. cap. 34. de Coâ—onâ Militis cap 3. y Censurae Inquisitionis Hispanicae in B. Rhenani Aannotationes ad Tertullian Prout edita sunt in â—udice Libror Expurgator jussu Quiroga Madriti 1584. ex libro 4. advers Marcion Deleantur illa verba Baptismus Eucharistia duo Sacramenta Primitivae ecclesiae z Tertulliani opera cum câ—stigat Fr. Iunij in Bibliop Commelâ—â—â—â—â—o 1609. a Ac â—ptum panem distributum discipulis corpus suum illum fecit hoc est corpus meum dicendo id est Figura corporis mei figura autem non fuisset nisi veritatis esset corpus câ—terum vacua res quod est phantasma figuram capere non posset Tertul advers Marcion lib 4. cap. 40. b Rhemists Annot. on Math. 26. chap. sect 9. c Master Fisher in D. Whiteâ— Reply 6 point pa. 400.401 d 〈…〉 Deus in Evangelio reveâ—aviâ— panem corpus suuÌ„ appellans Tertul con Marcion l 3. c. 19. Panem quo corpus suum repraesentat Ibid. l. 1. c. 14. Et contra Iudaeos cap. 10. e Venite mittamus lignum in â—â—nem ejus Ierem. 11. Vtique in corpus sic enim Deâ—s in Evâ—ngelio panem corpus suum appellanâ—â— ut hinâ—â—am eum intelligâ—â— corporiâ— sui figuram pâ—ni dedisse cujus retrâ— coâ—poris in panem Prophetes figuravit Tertul. l. 3. advers Marcion c. 19. f Greg. de Valent. in Sum. Aquin. tom 4 disp 6. de praesâ—ntiâ— Châ—isti in Euchar. pag. 968.
Bâ—adwardin praeâ— in lib. de causâ— Dei contrâ— Pelagium b Aut si in aliquo discordat magiâ— deviat à Catholica veritate quam dicâ—um â—elagij Greg. Arim. lib. 2. dist 26 qu. 1. arâ— 2. c Tâ—emendum mihi videtur negare authoritâ—â—em Sanctorum â— contra etiam non est tutum contraire â—oÌ„muni opinioni conâ—câ—sioni magistrorum nostroruÌ„ Id. lib. 2. dist 33. quest 3. d Alij enim Catholicae sese religionis titâ—lo venditantes luthâ—ranorum adversarios jactantes duâ— arbitrij libertatem nimium astruere conaÌ„tur Christi se gratiae plurimum detrahere non intelligunt Contaren de Praedestin e Nam fides ex diviat verbi auditu Râ—m 10. Vâ—i vero id nec legiturâ— nec audâ—tur fidem â—eâ—ire labefaclari neâ—â—sse estâ— ut â—â—diè inquit proâ— dâ—lor omnibus sire locis câ—â—nimus Espenâ— Dâ—gâ—ssiâ—n in 1 Timoth lib. 1. cap. 11 ex Nicolao Clâ—mâ—ng f Facilius Augiae stabulum quà m talâ—bus fabellis multorâ—m tum libros tumâ— onciones repurges Id in Poster epist ad Timâ—th cap. 4. Digress 21 Quaà m indâ—gnâ— est Divis hominibâ—s Christianis illâ— sanctorum historia qua Legenda aurea nominatur quam nescio cur auream appellent cum scripta sit ab homine ferrei oris pluÌ„bei cordis Lud. Vives de caus coâ—rupt Aâ—t l. 2. p. 91. Quae de Divis sunt scripta praeter pauca quedam multis sunt commentiâ—â—oedata Id. de tradend Disciâ—linis lib. 5. pâ—g 360. Majores nostri tantâ licet quanta nos erga sanctoâ— devotione justum cameâ— non putarunt tot Sanctorum gesta recitari ut legi non possent sacra utriusque Testamenti volumina Espenc in prior ep â—d Tim. Digress lib 1. cap. 11. g Quoniâ—m in universà christianâ— republicâ circa haec tanta est socordia ut multos pâ—ssâ—m invenias niâ—il magis in paâ—ticulari explicitè de hisce rebus credere quam Ethnicum quendam Philosophum solà unius veri Dâ—i naâ—urali cognitione pâ—aeditum Navarrus in Enchirid. c. p. 11. nu 22. h Acts and Monum vol. 2. lib. 7. pag. 819. in Henr. 8. i Aâ—â— Sylviâ—s hist. Bâ—â—â—m cap. 13 k Id reformatur quod id mâ—n substantâ—à perâ— everat Aâ—châ—â—p Spalatens Consil. redit l 〈…〉 Angl c. Spâ—lâ—tenâ— cap. 85. m 2 Kings 23. n D. Vâ—hers Seâ—mon at Wansted pag 31. o D Field of the Church booke 3. chap. 6. p Master Cade his Iustificat of the Church of England lib. 1. cap. 1. § 5. lib 2. cap 1. § 4. q Codiâ—â—m portat Iudens undé credat Christianus Librarij rostâ—i facti sunt quomodo solent â—ervi post dominâ—s câ—diâ—es ferre Ang. in Psal. 56. â—om 8. r Rom. 3.2 Acts 15.2 s Esai 1.9 t Doctor Field of the Church booke 3. chap. 6. u Sâ—c Ecclesia iâ—â—rumentis Domiâ—iâ—is conservâ—ta eâ—t Augusâ—in ep 48. tom 2. Si Concilium in haeresin laâ—eretur remâ—neâ—ent alij Catholici qui 〈◊〉 vel ublicè prout expeâ—â—i â—t aud reâ—t 〈…〉 orthodoxam Occh in Dialog part 1. lib. 5. c. 28. x Dâ—ctor Chaloner's treâ—tise upon Credo Ecclâ—siâ—n S. Catholic 2. part â—â—ct 2. y Prot Appol tract 2. cap. 2. sect 13. z a b Bellarm. lib 3. de Eccles Milit. cap. 13. § Denique c â—hâ—m Annot. in 12. Apocal. d Sic dicâ—rem in sâ—holis sâ—d 〈◊〉 maneat inter 〈◊〉 dâ—vâ—rsâ—m sertio 〈…〉 pâ—obari â—x saâ—ris 〈◊〉 Pâ—ralipoâ— ad Aâ—â—at Vrspâ—rg pag. 448 edit Bâ—sil 1569. Prot. Apol. trâ—ct 2. cap. 2. sect 2. pag. 3â—â— Dâ—ctor Field of the Câ—urch 〈◊〉 second edition in hâ—s Appendix to the third booke Oxâ—oâ—d 16â—8 g Miâ—â—ale Eccles. Sarisburâ—in Canoâ—â— h Câ—ssâ—â—der consâ—lt de solitaâ—ia Mâ—ssâ—â— i Cassander in Consult dâ— utrâ—que specie k 〈…〉 epist 64 in tom 12. Biblioth Pâ—â— pag 3â—â— Colon. 1618. l Offâ—rinâ—â— quidâ—â— sed 〈…〉 Amb. oâ— in Hâ—bâ— 10. m 〈…〉 Chrysos in Heb 〈…〉 17. n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et oblationem qui◠〈◊〉 est 〈…〉 Quotidâ—â— autem 〈…〉 Sacramento quia in sacramento 〈…〉 illius quod 〈…〉 Pet. 〈…〉 Sem lib. 4 Dist. 12. liâ— â—â— o 〈…〉 in Heb 10. ca. p Gâ—â—g Wiâ—â—lius in 〈…〉 D. Field q Enchirâ—d Colâ—niâ—nse de Euchâ—r tâ—ste coaâ—m r Doctor Fields Apâ—ndix to thâ— fiâ—th Booke part 3. pâ—g 11. s Sicid in Com. lib. 6. ad ann 1529. t Acts 11.26 u 1 Coâ—inth 1.13 x 〈…〉 sed Cathâ—â—â—â—â— non â—st â—â—tat lib. 3. y Acts 17.27.28 z 〈…〉 p 39 a 〈…〉 Isidor origin lib 8 cap. 5. b 〈…〉 â—9 c d f 〈…〉 6. sect 4. g h i 2 Cor. 1.24 k Praecâ—piâ—uâ— ut quilibet sacerdos quater in anno exponat populo vulgariter xiiij â—idei Articuloâ— Decem mandâ—ta Decalogi et septem gratiae Sacramenta Provincial Constitut. Angliae apud Gul. Lindewood lib 1. Ignorantia Sacerdot Vulgariter in linguá maâ—eâ—nâ— vulgari Aâ—glicâ videliâ—et Anglicis Gallicâ Gallicis Glossa Ibidem In a Councill at Clâ—ffe anno 747 it was decreed thâ—t the Lords Prayer Câ—eed should be read and taught in the English tongue Malmesb de gest Pont. lib. 1. l Apostolus specialiter dâ—â—it se velle loqui quinque verba quia predicatores dâ—â—ent annunâ—iare quinque sâ—â—luet Credenda Agenda Vitanda Tâ—mendâ— Sperâ—nda quiâ— pâ—â—dâ—catio dâ—bâ—t esse de â—ijs quae pertineâ—â—â—â—d sâ—dem sic habâ—tâ—r primum de hijs quâ— perâ—â—neâ—t ad â—oâ—es et sic habentur quatuâ—râ— virtutes vitâ—a pâ—na gloria Lyra in 1 Cor. c. 14 Scriptura 〈◊〉 unter continet Docâ—â—inam necessariam viatori quantuÌ„ ad Credenda Spâ—randa Operandâ— Scotus 1. Sent. Pâ—olog qu 2. m Acts and Monum vol. 2. booke 8. pag. 1124. ad ann 1538. n ibid lib. 11. p. 1788. ad Ann. 1555. o Servanda est totiuâ— seculi fides sequendi sunt nobis parentes qui secuti sunt faeliciter suos Ambâ—os epistol lib. 2. tom 5. p Ezech. 20.18 q 1 Pet. 1.18 r Hoc inquies majoâ—es nostri à suis parentibus accepeâ—â—â—t respondetur sed errantes ab errantibuâ— aut calumniantibus Aug. cont Crescon gramaâ—at li. 3 c. 33. tom 7. s Si quis de anâ—ecesso 〈…〉 vel â—â—noranâ—èt vel simplicitèr non hoc obserâ—avit tâ—nuit quod nâ—s dâ—miâ—us fâ—cere exemâ—â—o mâ—gistâ—rio suo docâ—it potest simplicitati eâ—us de indâ—lgentia domini 〈◊〉 â—oâ—â—edi nobis verâ— non poâ—erit ignosâ—s qui nuâ—c à Domino adâ—oniti instâ—uâ—li â—umas Cyprian epist. 63. Panâ—el num 13. in aliâ— edit lib. 2. epist. 3. t Alla â—â—usa est â—orum qui in istos haereticos imprudentèr inâ—urrunt ipsam esse Christi eâ—clesiam exâ—stimanteâ— alia coâ—um qui noverunt non â—sse Catholicâ—n Augustin de Bap◠〈◊〉 Donat. cap. 4. u Qui seâ—tentiam suam 〈…〉 â—alsâ—m ac perversam nâ—llâ— peâ—tinaci animâ—sitâ—te defendunt praesertâ—â— quam non audaâ—â—â— presumptionis â—ue pepereâ—unt seda seductis atque