tumultuarily and in hast hath not had this curiosity It remaineth to examine the place of S. Austin of which euery one that hath a quicke smell will acknowledge the corruption and falsification First of all because it is not credible that this holy Personage would oppose himselfe single to the whole Church of his time and to all the Doctors that went before him and namely to the Councell of Carthage whereat himselfe had beene a present assistant Secondly because it is not credible that S. Austin would contradict himselfe for in the sixe and thirty Chapter of the eighteenth booke of the Citie of God he speaketh thus The supputation of these times since the building vp of the Temple is not found in the holy Scriptures which are called Canonicall but in other bookes among which are the Maccabees Is it possible to say in more plain and expresse termes that the Maccabees are not holy Scriptures nor Canonicall bookes But heere wee admire a pretty pleasant folly and stupidity of a taile handsomely fastened and sowed on by some Monke for after all this they make S. Austin to adde Which bookes not the Iewes but the Church boldeth for Canonicall O grosse Imposture After that hee had simply set downe that the Maccabees are not holy nor Canonicall Scriptures would hee say that the Church receiueth them for Canonicall By the same fraude this other place of S. Austin which Coeffeteau alleadgeth hath beene falsified Let vs adde hereunto that S. Austin cap. 23. of his second booke against Gaudentius answereth thus vnto Gaudentius who serued himselfe with the example of Razis who killed himselfe whereof mention is made in the second booke of the Maccabees The Iewes do not hold this booke in the same rancke with the law the Prophets and the Psalmes to which Iesus Christ beareth witnesse is they that beare record of him But this booke is receiued by the Church not vnprofitably if men read it soberly principally because of the sufferings of certaine Martyrs Who feeth not that he doth weaken the authority of these bookes in that Iesus Christ doth giue no testimony vnto them And if these bookes haue not beene reckoned for holy Scripture amongst the faithfull of the olde Testament I maruell when they became holy Scripture It is also a poynt very considerable that in this place of S. Austin produced by Coeffeteau Ecclesiasticus is put among the Canonicall bookes in which booke it is said cap. 46. Samuel prophesied after his death and declared vnto King Saul his death lifting vp his voyce out of earth An opinion which S. Austin doth condemne in his booke of Questions on the old Testament in the 27 Question saying Porrò autem hoc esi praestigium Satanae quo vt plurimos fallat etiam bonos se in potestate habere confingit that it is a great indignity to beleeue it and maintaineth that it was an illusion of Satan who to deceiue many faineth to haue good men in his power And in his booke of the care that men ought to haue of the dead after hauing spoken doubtfully he saith that men * Huic libro ex Hebraeorum Canone quia â—n eo non est contradicâ—tur controule the booke of Ecclesiasticus because it is not in the Canon of the Hebrews And in his booke of the eight Questions to Dulichius Quaest 6. he canuasseth this Question by way of Probleme leaning notwithstanding to the opinion that it was a meere fantasme or vaine apparition See hereupon the Canon Nec mirum in the Cause 26. Quest 6. where also S Austin is alleadged maintayning that this was done by enchantment Whence I conclude Caietan in fin-Commentaâ—oruÌ„ ad Historiam vet Test Ne turberis No uities si alicubi reperis libros istos inter Canonicos supputari vel in Sacris Con cilijs vel in Sacris Doctoribus Non. nâ—sunt Canonici id est regalares ad probandum ea quae sunt fidei possunt tamen Canonici dici ad aedificationem fidelium that S. Austin should contradict himselfe if after hauing refuted the opinion of Ecclesiasticus he should afterwards put him in the role of the Canonicall bookes These falshoods hauing not beene acknowledged by Cardinall Caietan droue him to finde out another euasion Be not astonished or troubled O thou who art but a Nouice in Diuinity if somtimes thou find eyther in the Councels or in the Doctors these bookes to be counted among the Canonicall For they are not Canonicall to proue the points of faith Notwithstanding they may be called Canonicall for the edification of the faithfull ARTICLE VI. Touching the memory of Saints and of their Feasts and holy dayes AS for the Saints departed I honour their memory The KINGS Confession and in honour of them doe wee in our Church obserue the dayes of so many of them as the Scripture doth Canonize for Saints but I am loath to beleeue all the tales of the Legended Saints Here Coeffeteau beginneth to skirmish without neede Fol 13. He complayneth for that the King speaketh onely of solemnizing the memory of those Saints of whom mention is made in the Scripture He saith that the Church of Smyrna did celebrate the feast of the Martyrdome of Polycarp That Basil did recommend the Feasts of S. Iulitta and of the forty Martyrs That Gregory Nazianzene did solemnize with the other Christians the Feast of S. Cyprian and S. Gregory of Nissa that of the Martyr Theodore That Cyprian commanded that they should marke out the dayes of the Passion of the Martyrs to the end that they mighcelebrate their memories That S. Austins twentieth booke against Faustus Manicheus cap. 21. saith that the Christian people did celebrate the memories of the Martyrs And yet that S. Polycarpe S. Iulitta c. are no Saints of whom there is any mention in the Scripture Hee addeth notwithstanding that the Church of England is in that lesse irreligious then the Caluinists of Fraunce who haue cut off all sorts of holy-daies of Saints aswell Apostles as others As touching the Legends We are saith hee no more credulous of them then you He saith he doth not receiue miracles vnlesse they be approued by the publique testimony of the Church and that euen in the first ages they suggested and foysted in false actes of Martyrs These passages which he alleadgeth are in part false partly they are of no vse to proue the Question Let vs begin with the falshood First in alleadging out of Eusebius the example of the Church of Smyrna who buried the bones of Polycarpe with honour and celebrated his memory Anniuersarily euery yeare there is no mention made of his Feast or Holy-day but onely of a day dedicated to the commemoration of his Martyrdome Ignorantes nos ChristuÌ„nunquam relinquere qui pro totius seruan dorum mundi salute passus est nec alium quenquam colere posse Nam hunc quidem tanquaÌ„ filium Dei adoramus Martyres verò
Reader shall obserue first that these bookes to wit Tobie Iudith the booke of Wisdome Ecclesiasticus the Machabees they are not found in the Hebrew tongue and consequently they are not in the originall of the old Testament wherein there are but two and twenty bookes 2. Secondly we ought also to know that the Church of the old Testament neuer acknowledged these bookes nor receiued into the Church See Eusebius lib. 8. of his Storie cap. 10 as witnesseth Iosephus in his first booke against Appion 3. Thirdly it is also very considerable that Iesus Christ nor his Apostles who alleaged vpon euery purpose Texts and passages out of the old Testament neuer named any of those bookes nor neuer drew quotation out of any of them 4. Fourthly the chiefe and principall is that in these bookes there be many faults aswell in the Doctrine as in the Storie whereof * In my booke intituled the waters of Siloé cap. 6. we haue elsewhere produced many proofes But let vs heare the testimony of the auncients S. Hierome in his preface vpon the bookes of Salomon speaketh of Ecclesiasticus and of the wisdome of Salomon a Sicut ergo Iudith Tobie Machabaeorum libros legit quideÌ„ Ecclesia sed eos inter Canonicas Scripturas noÌ„ recipit Sic haec duo volumina legat ad aedificationem plâ—bis non ad authoritatem Christianorum dogmatum confirmandam As then the Church doth reade indeede the bookes of Iudith of Tobie and the Machabees but doth not receiue them among the Canonicall Scriptures so let it also reade these two volumes for the edification of the people but not to confirme the faith of the Church He saith the same in his Prologus Galcatus and marke by the way that he saith that it is the beleefe of the Church Sciendum tamen est quod alij libri sunt qui non Canonici sed Ecclesiastici a maioribus appellati sunt vt est SapieÌ„tia Solomonis Ecclesiasticus libellus Tobiae Iudith macabaeo rumâ—libri quae omnia legi quidem in Ecclesiis voluerunt non tamen proferri ad authoritatem ex his fidei confirmandam Praeter istos sunt adâ—uc alij eius dem veteris instrumenti libri non Cononici qui Catechumenis tantum leguntur Sapientia Solomonis c. Amongst the workes of S. Cyprian there is a Treatise which seemeth rather to be the worke of Ruffinus touching the exposition of the Creede There he reckoneth vp the bookes of the old and the new Testament Then he addeth * These are then the bookes which the Fathers haue included in the Cannon or Rule and from which are drawne the proofs of our faith Notwithstanding we must know that there are other bookes which the auncients haue not called Canonicall but Ecclesiasticall bookes as is the wisdome of Salomon Ecclesiasticus Tobie Iudith and the bookes of the Machabees Then he addeth All which they would should be reade in the Church but that they should not be produced to confirme the authority of the faith S. Athanasius in his booke intituled Synopsis nameth al the bookes of the old Testament according to the Hebrew Bible Then he addeth Besides these there are yet other bookes of the old Testament not Canonicall which are not read but to the Catechumeni or Nouices newly taught and catechized such are the wisdome of Salomon the wisdome of Iesus the Sonne of Syrach Iudith Tobit c. Melito Bishop of Sardi as witnesseth Eusebius in his fourth booke of his Hystorie and the fiue and twentith Chapter Origen in Eusebius sixt booke and foure and twentieth chapter S. Hilary in his Preface vpon the Psalter S. Gregory Nazianzen in his verses of the holy Scripture Eusebius lib. 3. of his story cap. 10. Epiphanius in his booke of measures Damascene himselfe though long after in his fourth booke of the Orthodoxe faith cap. 18. And diuers other Fathers make an enumeration of the bookes of the olde Testament and yet do they not put in neyther Iudith nor Tobite nor Ecclesiasticus nor the booke of VVisedome nor the Maccabees But rather all with one consent and accord say that there are but two and twenty bookes in the olde Testament as many as there bee letters in the Hebrew Alphabet And yet further to conuince Coeffeteau let vs heare the very iudgement of him whom they most honour of all the Popes And this is Gregorie the first in his twenty sixe booke of morals vpon Iob cap. 29. where being desirous to alleadge the booke of Maccabees in the fact of Eleazar he excuseth himselfe in these wordes Of which thing we speake not out of reason Qua de re non inordinatè agimus si ex libris si non Canonicis sed ad Ecclesiae aedificationem scriptis testimonia proferimus if we produce the testimonies of bookes not Canonicall but written for the edification of the Church This ought to suffice to represent what was the heleefe of particular men who being assembled together are equiualent to a generallity Howbeit for the more store and the better supply let vs heare the Councels The Councell of Laodicea which was almost about the same time with the first Nicene Councell setteth ouer the last Canon this inscription 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to say How many bookes there be of the olde Testament that men ought to reade Then it reckoneth vp the number of them as farre as two and twentie Genesis Exodus Leuiticus Numbers Deuteronomie Ioshua Iudges Ruth Hester the Kings or Samuel two bookes of Kings two bookes Paralipomena or the Chronicles Esdras Psalmes Prouerbs Ecclesiastes Canticles Iob the twelue Prophets Esay Ieremy Baruch or the Lamentations and Epistles Ezechiel Daniel But of Tobie or Iudith or the Maccabees c. there is no newes Aboue all it is a thing to be be noted that this Councell of Laodicea is confirmed by the sixt generall Councell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the end of which Councell the Fathers assembled together in the Palace made one hundred and three Canons in the second of which it is said We doe confirme and ratifie the sacred Canons made by our holy Fathers at Laodicea of Phrygia And this was now in the yeare of Iesus Christ 684. I adde the fourth Councell of Carthage which in the Tomes of the Latin Councels which are horribly mangled and falsified hath beene very ill handled For we haue not these Councels in Latine but by the meanes of the Church of Rome who hath deliuered them vnto vs such as she would her selfe But she hath not had that power ouer the Greek Coppies where there is no speech at all of the Maccabees Reade the Greeke Canons of the Councels printed at Paris in the yeare 1540. with a Praeface of Iohn du Tillet and the Canons of Balsamon and you shall finde that which I say to be true But Coeffeteau being content to write as Hunters breake their Fast that is
their fidelity to the Pope thinke themselues bound to disloyalty towards their King And yet notwithstanding his Maiestie herein contained himselfe and would not that his mercy shold be surpassed by their wickednes so far that he hath rather chuse to take in hand the pen then the sword and hath studied to instruct those whom he might iustly haue destroyed desiring more to conuince them by reason then to ouercome them by force Maluit sanguinem suffundere quam effundere What would not hee doe for his faithfull subiects that lets himselfe downe so low to his enemies that laies aside the quality of a Iudge to become an Aduocate but he whom God hath lifted vp to a Soueraigne greatnesse neuer exalteth himselfe higher then by humility This King then to refute these Papal Letters and to iustifie what he had done made a booke entituled An Apologie for the Oath of Alleageance but not setting his name thereunto for it was nothing to him vnder what title the truth appeared so that his enemies might come to the knowledge of their fault This was no combat of the ability of wit but a meere manifestation of his innocency But the stile of a King is hardly disguised for Kings being in more eleuated places receiue nearer at hand the inspirations from heauen Their conceptions are as much aboue the vulgar as their conditions this onely thought that they are GODS Lieutenants and that they exercise his iudgements quickens their spirits with an extraordinary life and vigour besides if it so happen that their youth hath beene dressed and ordered by study and their iudgments polished by experience as it hath happened to the King of great BRITAINE why should any body wonder if their their spirits flye a pitch aboue ordinary This Royall Apologie hauing then bin knowne as a Lyon by his clawes stirred vp certaine English-men and Italians to write against it who as this King elegantly saide haue cast lots vpon his booke for that they could not part it for the reasons thereof are vnseparably weaued together but they not being able to bite his worke barke at his person with an incredible impudence so far some of them as to equall themselues with so great a Prince and to compare him to Iulian the Apostate Such are the flowers of their diuellish Rhethorique wherewith their writings are adorned on whom the Apostle S. Peter in his second Epistle Cap. 2.10 11 12 giueth this iudgement calling them brute beasts led with sensuality that despise gouernment which are presumptuous and stand in their owne conceit and feare not to speake euil of them which are in dignity whereas the Angels which are greater both in power and might gaue not rayling iudgement against them before the Lord. Then if it be ill done to speake ill of a Pagan Prince such as in those times all Monarches were how much more of a Christian King and if Angels forbore ill speaking of Princes how much more would it beseeme men and most of all their owne subiects But no more then the Moone is turned out of her course by the barking of Dogges that looke vp to her no more was the tranquility of his Maiesties spirit by these outragious iniuries disturbed nor his resolution diuerted from doing good to those which bore him hatred It is a poore and meane thing to tread vpon wormes There is no glory in ouercomming such people of whom he is sufficiently reuenged by the griefe and displeasure which they sustain in seeing that God hath blessed him and highly exalted him He would therefore haue contemned their sleighting of him would haue abstained from refuting their calumnies by a second writing had it not beene in regard not of them but of his people and of his neighbours and aboue all of the glory of God for God hauing honoured him with the true knowledge of him his Maiestie would not permit that the enemies as well of the Gospel as of his Crowne should find in his persō any subiect or colour to defame the true religion He is then by an admirable example constituted the aduocate of Gods cause by a second booke made in forme of a Preface to his former hath fully and throughly iustified himselfe In which booke he discouereth the flights and backe-turnings of his enemies representing the vniustnes of their proceedings He likewise maketh confession of his Religion conformable to the holy Scriptures and with a happy boldnes figures and depaints the Bishoppe of Rome and his Sea with liuely colours borrowed from the Apocalips and the Apostle S. Paul Neuer was Table drawne with a more exact hand or in liuelyer colours Such is the Torrent of his eloquence such is the weight of his reasons such is the linking together of his discourse such the variety of his learning and such his Maiesty in all thinges as hee may best iudge of it who shall compare them with that puft-vp weakenesse of the Popes letters and with the writing of his Aduersaries Oh happy eloquence which being armed with power is become the hand-maide of Gods word the sourse and spring whereof falling from high are like to the waters of Silo which water the City of our God Hee doth truely exalt his Scepter which layeth it downe at the foote of the Crosse and that placeth his height and greatnesse beneath the reproch of the Sonne of God he sanctifieth his house making his Cabinet a Temple for Diuinity and a retrayt for holy Meditations Then as in ancient times the earth was more fruitfull when it was laboured by Kings as though she had taken pride to beare a crowned Plough and to be tilled with a Triumphall Coulter So it is to be hoped that Religion and Piety will abundantly encrease since Kings are become labourers in the Haruest This latter booke then being come to succour and helpe the first did diuersly stirre mens spirits some with ioy some with feare some with hate but all generally with admiration The booke being little it was giuen out we should haue it answered within three dayes and sure their good will was not wanting but they found it a harder matter then so and that they were faine to take more time For it was eight moneths after it was published before the first Answeres came forth and what kinde of Answeres they were God he knoweth One Coeffeteau was the first that like an Infant perdu of the Romish army aduanced himselfe This Seraphicall Doctor of the order of the Iacobins or preaching Fryers one of the most remarkeable amongst the Sorbonists is of late through his companions negligence become the defender of the cause And he now after eight moneths being in labour hath brought forth a booke which is not like to liue because of the vntimely birth and indeede it had beene already extinct and dead had not the greatnesse of him against whom he writes kept it aliue wherein he shewed a point of skill to addresse himselfe against a person so illustrious that he might
them then these great ones doe And so he endeth his amplification with the praise of the Cardinal of Perron Now to begin with these which he opposeth vnto vs The answers I doe acknowledge that these two Cardinals carried along with the current of the time and course of affaires haue by their wils and abilities much helped the defence of errour they haue imployed their vessels of golde and siluer which they brought out of Egypt to the making of the golden Calfe and Coeffeteau hath little in his writings that he hath not filtched from them But I know that they disagree in many things and that the Cardinall of Perron loueth his King too well to assent with Bellarmine that the Pope may either directly or indirectly depriue him of his Crowne or dispence to French-men the obedience they owe him As for the thing it selfe that is the antiquity charge and modesty of Cardinals it requireth a longer discourse Men dispute of the originall of Cardinals as they doe of the head and sourse of the riuer Nilus The greatest antiquity that Coeffeteau is able to produce is the testimony of the Romane Councell held if we may giue credite to the impression vnder Siluester the first since the Counsell of Nice But it is easie for vs to conuince this of falshood being forged by some shallow braine that wanted learning to lie with skill and dexterity The Cullen Edition p. 357. This Counsell is found in the first Tome of the Counsels reduced into twenty Chapters whereof the first saith that in this Counsell there were 139. Bishoppes aswell of the City of Rome as of other places neare about it which is well knowne to be impossible In the last Chapter Siluester prohibiteth the Emperour and Kings to be Iudges of the Bishop of Rome Now it is strange how this should be since at that time there were no Kings in all Christendome there he likewise saith that Constantine and his mother Helena subscribed to this Counsel but Constantine was neuer at Rome vnder Siluester since the Counsell of Nice and women neuer subscribed to the Counsels at all He further addeth Actum in Traianas thermas as though this Counsell had beene faine to hide it selfe in the Stoaues In the same place Constantine is called Donnus Constantinus in stead of Dominus but in those times the Latine tongue was not become so strangely corrupted besides amongst the Romanes this very word Dominus was then odious as attributed to tyrants And lastly he saith that this Counsell was held Constantino Augusto tertio hee meant to haue said tertiùm Prisco consulibus which is a most apparant vntruth for we finde in the Chronicles of Cassiodorus and in the Fasti of Onuphrius and Annian Marcellinus all the Consulships of Constantine but it cannot be found that eyther Priscus or any of the family of Augustus were companions with Constantine in Consulshippe and further in the page before this Counsell Siluester writeth to the Counsell of Nice and deteth his letters from the seuenth time of Constantines being Consull And yet see this goodly Counsell which was held since and yet beareth date from his third Consulshippe It is likewise to be proued that both Siluester and Helena were long afore this deceased These vntruths are very easie to be discerned and any ordinary iudgement will discouer them but to Coeffeteau who hath no great skill in any good learning any proofes will serue his turne It had beene very fitting that so royall a worke might haue had a learned aduersary was there not in Fraunce some more able and sufficient man that might haue seduced with a better grace or could haue found better pretences and colours to haue opposed the truth Certainly it is much to the disgrace grace of our nation But these are briefly his proofes of the antiquity of Cardinals Cóeffeteau doth further add that Caluine acknowledgeth that Cardinals did flourish in the time of Gregory the first In the fourth booke of his Institution Chap. 7. §. 30. which was sixe hundred yeares after Christ and this is likewise another vntruth Caluine saith indeede that there was then the Title and name of Cardinal but not the charge and that in that age this word CARDINALL signified nothing lesse then what it doth now a dayes and the substance being chaunged the word hath still continued euen as we see in the Apothecaries box though the oyntment be gone the inscripion remayneth Also Caluine speaketh not of their flourishing but of their being Gregory indeed in the eleauenth Epistle of his fift booke speaketh of a Cardinall Deacon And likewise in the foure and twentieth Epistle of his eleuenth booke he speaketh of a Cardinall Priest which is as much to say as principall in the same sense and nature as we say the Cardinall windes or Cardinall vertues which signifie onely the cheefe and principall But of any Cardinall Bishops neyther he nor any of his time nor long after made any kinde of mention A Cardinall Priest then had no other signification then the Parson or Vicar of a Parish hath now neyther was this title onely vsed in Rome There continue still Cardinals at Compostella but in all other great Archiepiscopall Citties as namely in Millane where Sigonius towards the end of his seuenth booke saith that there were then two and twenty Cardinals but there being then in one Parish diuers Priests he that was the first and chiefe was called principall or Cardinall for they signified both one thing as * Pandulphi de vitis Pontificum in Electione Gelasij ij Pandulphus Pisanus and after him * Lib. de Episco titulis Diaconijs Cardinalium Onuphrius teacheth vs. For Bellarmine in his first booke de Clericis Chap. 16 is mistaken where he saith that in the fourth booke of Gregories Epistles Chap. 88. there are subscriptions of diuers Cardinall Priests bearing the same title which is altogether vntrue for there is no mention made of Cardinals and by Priests of the same title is meant simply in that place Priests of the same Church or Parish He likewise there alleadgeth the Counsell of Rome false and counterfeited And hee also speaketh of Cardinall Bishops which were neyther in the time of Gregory nor long after so that in few lines he committeth three grosse errours This then standeth thus that the Cardinall Priests were no more but the principall Priests of euery Parish and of this there remayneth to this day some shewes and traces for that euery Cardinall Bishop or Priest beareth the title of some Church or Parish of the citie of Rome which doth more plainly appeare by the forme of the reception of new Cardinals as it is set down in the first book of the holy ceremonies Section the 8. chap. 12. where the Pope after he hath put a ringe on the finger of the new Cardinall that kneeleth before him sayeth vnto him To the honour of God and of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul
in order as Onuphrius saith Nihil dignitatis aut praeeminentiae illis dabat antiquitus esse Cardinales But now the Cardinals looke downe from a greater height vpon the rest of the Clergy who are very many degrees beneath their greatnesse There was in those times no speech of Cardinall Bishops and if any Cardinall Priest of one of the Parishes of Rome became a Bishop of any City of Italy he reteyned no longer the name of Cardinall no more then a Parson that is made Bishop now reteyneth the name of Parson still but it were now to goe backewards and to stoope very low for a Cardinall to become a Bishop and leaue his Cardinalship Then hee that was made Cardinall was tyed to one certaine Church or Parish but now it is cleane otherwise for by the contrary he that is now created Cardinall is loosed and discharged from the Church that was his cure as appeareth by the forme of the nomination of the new Cardinals contayned in the the first booke of the holy Ceremonies in which the Pope speaketh thus * Sect. 8. cap. 3. Authoritate dei patris omnipotentis sanctorum Apostolorum Petri Pauli nostra N Episcopum Firmanum absoluimus a vinculo quo tenebatur Ecclesiae suae Firmanae c. By the authority of God the Father Almighty and of the holy Apostle S. Paul and S. Peter and likewise by our owne wee discharge and free Iames Bishop of such a place of the bond by which he was tyed to his Church or cure and admit him Carainall Priest * Sect. 9. cap. 14. Cenâ—entâ—r omnia beneficia promo ti vacantia Also by the promotion of a Cardinall all his Benefices are held voyde if he obtaine not a new graunt of them from his Holinesse In those dayes likewise there was no such thing knowne as to receiue a ringe and a red hat at the Popes handes after they had kissed his feete nor the new tricke of opening and shutting their mouthes nor of carrying of * Sacr. Cerem l. 1 Sect. 3. Quatuor nohiles pileos quatuor CardinaliuÌ„ suprà baculos deferentes foure red hats at the end of a staffe before the Pope in solemne procession as saying like to the Doctor whereof it is spoken in Saint Luke Chap. 4. ver 6. All this power will I giue to thee euery whit and the glory of them for that is deliuered vnto me and to whomsoeuer I will giue it Aunciently the duety of the Cardinall Deacons was to carry the Table on which they celebrated the Lords Supper but since their office hath been to carry the Pope vpon their shoulders For which Innocent the third in the first booke of the mysteries of the Masse giueth this reason sayth he It belongeth to the Leuites to carry the Arke of the Couenant which is often in the Scriptures called Euerlasting All that then which was in the time of Gregorie being compared with that which now is hath no manner of resemblance of it but euen as when wanton verses are grauen in the barke of a young tree the letters grow together with the tree Crescent illae crescetis amores Euen so that which was amisse in these Cardinals during the weakenesse and minority of the Sea of Rome since they were glewed and fastened to this Sea they haue growne vp together with it And as it happeneth that in a body generally swolne some parte is more troubled with the swelling then others So this part of the body of the Romane Church is swolne more then the rest and a prodigious deflux is come vnto it The which will be more apparant when I shall haue examined the truth of that which Coeffeteau sayth affirming that Cardinals are most respectfull to Princes and that they desire not to goe vpon euen termes with them I speake not to touch any that are liuing but as it may well be that a man may dislike of his Cloake because it is too gorgeous so it is likewise possible that many of those which haue beene aduanced to this degree doe thinke that there is too great pompe and glittering in this habite we will therfore speake onely of the rules and general customes of the Roman Church which questionlesse doe equall Cardinals with Kings for marke the titles which Pope Pius the second giueth them in the sixt Chapter of the eight Section of the first booke of the holy Ceremonies * Ad collegium Apostolicum vocati consiliarij nostri coniudices orbis terrarum Successores Apostlorum circa thronum sedebitis vos Senatores vrbis regum similes c. Being called to the Apostolique Colledge you shall be our Counsellors and with me shall iudge the world you shall sit about the Throne as the Successors of the Apostles you shall be Senators of the Citie like vnto Kings being the true kings of the world on which the doore of the militant Church must turne But it is not much to equall them with Kings for they are often preferred before them they are not tyed to holde the bridle or the stirrope of the Pope when he getteth to horse-backe neyther are they bound when the Pope is carried by men to giue the assistance of their shoulders as Kings and Emperours are In the publique actions and solemnities at Rome Kings are vnder the Cardinals as for example * Prior Episcoporum in capite ad dextram Et si aderit Rex aliquis erit in secundo loco Si plures Reges mixti erunt cum Card. primis â—ilij vel fratres regum si non seruiunt Papae debent sedere inter Diaconos Cardinales vel post eos Primogenitus autem Regis quia Rex futurus putatur post primum Presbyterum Cardinalem erit In that Papall feast which is made after the Coronation of the Pope described in the first booke of Ceremonies Section the third there is set downe the order that is to be held at the table The first Cardinall Bishop sitteth highest on the right hand of the table If there be any King there he sitteth beneath the Cardinall And if there bee diuers Cardinals and diuers Kings there then they intermingle them placing a Cardinall then a King and then another Cardinall and so another King as for the sonnes and brothers of Kings they eyther serue the Pope at table or else sit amongst the meaner sort of Deacon Cardinals but the eldest sonne of a King hath place next after the first Cardinall Priest so that all the Cardinall Bishops and the first Cardinall Priest are all before him * Dum Papa lauat manus non Praelati sed Laici omaes genu flectunt And when the Pope washeth his hands al the laietie of what degree soeuer kneele downe but all the Prelates stand and not to seeke for examples further off it is not vnknowne to the King of England that Cardinall Wolsey contested with HENRY the eight And we shall hereafter heare what authority Pandulphus and
course But to this I reply that for this opposition he was forged both to forsake England and quit his Bishopricke The contradiction of one of the Popes pensionary Prelates opposing his Soueraigne is of small moment in this behalfe for Anselme was accounted the Popes not the Kings subiect Nor is it any greater wonder if Mathew Paris who so often magnifies this King Henry doe now and then cast some imputation vpon him in as much as he was a superstitious Monke and liued soone after who in euery passage complaining of the tyrannie and exactions of the Popes doth yet sometimes restrain himselfe for some idle respects in which he oftener gropes for the truth then he doth see or finde it We must also obserue that the principall quarrell betweene the King of England and the Pope being for inuesting men with spirituall promotions the Pope hath bestowed very glorious Titles on those persons that suffered for this quarrell as if he should write Rubarbe vpon a pot of Rats-bane So hath he placed this Anselme in the Kalender of Saints and Confessours and Thomas of Canterbury in the Catalogue of Martyrs that lost his life not for the profession of the Gospell but for a Controuersie of Prebends and the right of Inuestiture Coeffeteau doth here adde That the Kings of England in the matter of ordination of Priests haue neuer violated the Discipline of the Church The King of England alleadgeth these and many other examples of like nature And I suppose that hee had not vouchsafed the reading of the booke against which he writes For the Kings book saith that Henry the first inuested an Archbishop in his Archbishopricke with his Ringe and Crosier-staffe without the Popes leaue which is flat repugnant to the discipline of the Church of Rome Fol. 15. pag. 1 And besides the now Pope Paul the fift doth pretend that the Venetians in punishing the criminall offences of their Clergy doe derogate from the liberty of the Church Edward then the first and second by inflicting corporall punishment vpon the Clergy that would hold a dependancy from the Pope haue by this reckoning derogated from the liberty of the Church To conclude our Doctor sayth that Henry the first did in other things submit himselfe to the lawes of the Church that in the Records of England most of the monuments speake of yeelding obedience to the See Apostolique that his Maiestie embraceth a Religion which his Predecessors neuer possessed but haue euer acknowledged the authority of Rome in all matters depending vpon matter of conscience First I answere that this is to wander from the question for heere is nothing questioned but the Popes Supremacy ouer Kings in matters temporall Secondly that barely to affirme and to confirme nothing especially writing against a King doth eyther discouer much weakenesse or argue ouer-much neglect and indeede his whole allegation is vntrue Concerning Henry the first I confesse that he ascribed too much honour to the Church of Rome for he liued in a dark ignorant age and in the height of the Popes tyranny to which England of all Countries was most enthralled which cannot bee proued of the times more auncient It may well appeare that the Citie of Rome being the seat of the Empire was by consequent the resort of all nations by which meanes the Church of that citie how poore and miserable soeuer might haue aduertisements from all parties and haue intelligence with all the Churches within the Empire and consequently which is the Church of great Brittaine which was originally planted by some of S Iohn Disciples that came thither out of Asia whereof we haue this proofe that euen to the time of August which was sent into England by Gregogorie the first about the yere 596. the Church of the Iland did keepe the feast of Easter according to the custome of Asia vpon the 14. day of the month which if it had beene vnder the iurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome no question but it had abrogated that custome when Victor in the yeare 200. did excommunicate the Churches which made any precise obseruation of the 14. day Helene mother vnto Constantine was of the Iland and held no points of Papistrie maintained at this day Pelagius was also of this Iland and sauing the points of free will and originall sinne dissented not in any opinions from S. Angustine Now S. Angustine receiued no Popish opinions now defended as we haue proued in the 20. chapter of my booke of the Eucharist in another place In the twenty Chapter of my booke of the Eucharist Pontificus Verumnius lib. 4. Jo. Lelandus that he died excommunicate from the Church of Rome The first Christian King of great Brittaine that can be remembred was Lucius that possessed a part of the Iland in the time of Marcus Aurelius who questionlesse had commerce with the Bishop of Rome for he had beene at Rome and held correspondence with the Emperour but that he should be subiect to the Bishop of Rome or acknowledge him the head of the Vniuersal Church admits no manner of proofe In the yeare of our Lord 530. that Warlike Prince Arthur raigned in great Britaine of whom being a Christian it doth not appeare that eyther he depended vpon the Bishops of Rome or that they intermedled in the election or inuesting of the Britaine Bishops during the raigne of Arthur or his Successors In the yeare 596. soone after that the English Saxons being Almaines and at that time Infidels had inuaded Britaine then did Gregory the first send Austen into this Iland a man full of faction and arrogancy to plant the Christian faith although the Christian Religion had beene planted here more then foure hundred yeares before But by the Christian faith these men doe now vnderstand the authority of the Pope This Austen was strongly and stoutly opposed by the Christians of that Countrey who refused to change their auncient forme of Religion which they had receiued from such as were Disciples to the Apostles They had seuen Bishopricks and one Archbishopricke the seat whereof being first errected at Carleon was afterward translated to S. Dauids as it is recorded by Rainulphus Cestrensis lib. 1. cap. 52. for the Archbishop of London was of a later foundation besides they had a Colledge of 2100. religious persons at Bangor who about the yeare 550. when the Order of S. Benet began to flourish in this I le were called by the new name of Monkes Men that adicting themselues to the study of Diuinity got their liuing by the labour of their handes not being tyed to the rigorous obseruation of a Vow whereunto no man by the ancient Order of S. Benet is obliged This Austen then found meanes to insinuate himselfe into the familiar acquaintance of one of the petty Kings of the Countrey called Ethelfred King of Northumberland who was an enemy to the auncient Christians of that land and had inuaded their Countrey and wasted many Churches with this Austen then
he celebrated the Eucharist and that his body was already dead Lactantius in his fourth booke and fourteenth Chapter dooth formally denie the Diuinity of Iesus Christ and in his seuenth booke and one and twenty chapter he saith that the soules of men as well good as bad In vna communique custodia detinentur are detained in one common prison Saint Gregory Nazianzen in his Sermon of Baptisme willeth that vnlesse it be in case of vrgent necessity the Baptisme of young children be deferred vntill such time as they may be capable to aunswere and to yeeld account of their faith Himselfe in his Epitaph vpon Basill doth preferre him before Enoch Contemninus n. Phegor omnem ignominiam eius scientes quod qui in carne sunt non possunt placere Deo and compareth him to Abraham Saint Ierome in his first booke against Iouinian often calleth marriage an vnchast state of life and an ignominy and that the fruite of it is death and that a woman that doth marry the second time ought not to participate of the Almes no nor of the body of the Lord. The Church of Rome doth no longer beleeue the Purgatorie of Gregory the first which hee placeth sometimes in Bathes sometimes in the winde sometime in the water Nor the opinion of Honorius Bishop of Rome who was a Monothelite the Epistles whereof are inserted in the fift and sixt generall Councels For all these good seruants of God were subiect to mistaking and had their faults and vices like warts in a faire face to the end that in reading them a man should haue alwayes in his hand the Compasse of the holy Scripture and the rule of the word of God And that a man should beleeue that which they haue well said not because they haue said it but because it is found in the word of God if they erre in any thing Antiquity cannot authorize an errour There can be no prescription against the truth And a time there was when these Fathers were no Fathers and before they wrote the Christians were ruled by the word of God As touching that which the King of great Britaine saith that they doe contradict one another the verification of it is easie For euery man knoweth the contentions betweene Chrysostome and Epiphanius the Disputes betweene Cyrill and Theodoret the sharpe Epistles and full of gall of Saint Ierome to Saint Austin And S. Austin speaketh farre otherwise of Free-wil of Predestination and of the gift of Perseuerance then all the Greeke Fathers of his age He that will haue a cleare mirrour of this their discord let him compare the Commentaries of S. Austin vpon the Psalmes with those of Saint Ierome and he shall scarcely finde them to agree in two verses together It is then with very iust reason that Coeffeteau doth graunt this to the King of great Britaine and doth acknowledge the faults and contradictions of the auncients whom notwithstanding we ought to loue and honour as great lights in their times and worthy seruants of God who hauing combatted Heresies in their life time doe yet beat downe Popery after their deaths For we maintaine against whosoeuer he be that in the foure first ages and yet wee might discend much lower there shall not be found out any one man who hath had a Religion not so much as approaching to that of the Romish Church now-a-dayes And in this challenge I will lay downe my Ministers cloake ready to be frocked and cladde in a Monks-coule if I shall finde a man that will satisfie me in this point And to the end to expresse my selfe more clearly I say that betweene vs and our aduersaries there be two kindes of Controuersies for some there be vpon which they are wont to produce some passages for proofes But eyther they be quotations altogether false or maimed and curtalled or of no vse to proue the point in question or else places taken contrary to the authours meaning Yet being a thing ordinary with these Messieus to put the ancient Fathers vpon the racke to make them speake in fauour of an vntruth Such is the question of transubstantiation of praying for the dead or Purgatory and of the Sacrifice of the Masse But there are other Controuersies no lesse important and more in number In which they are cleane destitute of all authority of the auncient Church and vpon which being interrogated they answere besides the matter For changing the question they endeauour to proue that which is not demaunded of them See here some examples 1. They cannot shew that any auncient Church did celebrate the eucharist without communicants as it is done ordinarily in the Church of Rome yea and sometimes also without any assistants 2. They cannot shew that any ancient Church hath excluded that people from the communion of the cuppe or chalice 3. Or that in any ancient Church the publike seruice was done in a language not vnderstood of the people 4 Or that any ancient Church hath hindered the people from reading the holy Scripture As it is no way permitted in those Countries where the Pope is absolutely obeyed without speciall priuilege 5. Or that in any ancient Church they haue made Images of God and representations of the Trinity in stone or in picture 6. Also they cannot proue vnto vs that in any ancient Church the people hath beene instructed to pray without vnderstanding that which they say speaking in a tongue not vnderstood of himselfe that prayeth 7. Or that any ancient Church did yeeld worship or religious seruice to the Images of creatures kissing them decking them with robes kneeling before them and presenting them gifts and offerings c. 8. Or that the ancient Church hath beleeued that the Virgin Mary is crowned Queene of the heauens and Lady of the world as this is painted throughout all their Churches 9. Or that the ancient Church hath giuen to the Saints diuers charges as to one the commaund euer such a country to another the cure ouer such a maladie to a third to be Patron ouer such a trade and mysterie 10. Or that the ancient Church hath beleeued that the Pope can giue and take away Kingdomes And dispense with subiects for the oath of their alleageance Can canonize Saints and dispense with Vowes and promises solemnly made to God c. 11. Or that in the ancient Church the Pope by his pardons did distribute supererogatory satisfactions of the Saints for the remission of paine and punishment of other mens sinnes 12. Or that the Pope did then place his pardons in one Church and not in another In one Towne and not in another and that sometimes for an hundred and two hundred thousand yeares of pardon 13. Or that the auncient Church hath beleeued the Limbe of little children 14. Or that the auncient Church hath adored the host which the Priest holdeth vp with the worship of Latria which is done to God alone And to this end the Priest hath caused the Eleuation of
tanquam discipulos immitatores Domini diligimus which thing was done without any precise necessity of making it holy-day Secondly he doth malitiously dissemble the excellent words which goe before where the Church of Smyrnaspeaketh in this manner They are ignorant that we neuer leaue Christ who died for the saluation of them of the world who are to be saued and that we can yeelde seruice to none other but to him For him we adore as the sonne of God but we loue the Martyrs as his Disciples and imitators Wordes which shew to what end and in what manner the Smyrnians honoured the memory of Polycarpe So is it also falfe that S. Basill recommendeth the Feasts of S. Iulitta and the forty Martyrs for in those two Homilies there is no speech at all of Feasts But the falfest peece that hee produceth is the Oration of Gregory Nyssene in praise of the Martyr Theodore which was ridiculously framed by some Greeke Monke in the time that the Scythians otherwise called the Huns and Tartars ouer-ran Galatia Cappadocia and Armenia which In Rhodes began in the yeare 520 as both Cedrenus and Zonaras teach Cedrenus in Anastasio Ann. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For about the ende of this Oration the Authour entreateth this Martyr to defend his Countrey against he incursions of the Scythians of which there was neuer word spoken in the time of Gregory Nyssene for they fell out about one hundred and twenty yeares after The whole story also of this Martyr is euedently fabulous The Authour saith that he was of Iobs Country and consequently an Arabian whereas Theodorus is a Greeke name Within a little while after contradicting himselfe he saith that he suffered at Amasia a Cittie of Cappadocia and that the place of his death was also his Countrey He saith that he was a Souldier in the Romane bandes But at that time to wit vnder Dioclesian and Maximinian the Romanes did not entertaine the Arabians in seruice Moreouer the Story of his Martyrdome is plainely fabulous Being interrogated and examined by his Paynim Iudges with all gentlenesse and mildenes he answered at the first day with iniurious speeches comparing the Godddesse whom they serued to an hare or to a sow All this notwithstanding the Iudges sent him away and gaue him time to bethinke himselfe aduisedly he in stead of retracting any thing set fire on the great Temple of the mother of the Gods and being called for againe by the Iudges confessed the fact thereupon the Iudges flatter him euen so far as to promise to this simple souldier which was a ridiculous thing to make him Bishoppe But this Theodore burst out a laughing for a long time together mocking for that the Emperours tooke vpon them the title and purple of Bishops The Angels singe melodiously with him in prison and lighten all the Towne ouer with Torches But he that knoweth how vnder Dioclesian they burnt whole Christian Townes without any forme of processe and that this monster made a butchery a slaughter and channell-house of the whole Empire will acknowledge the falshood of this Story which hath beene forged by some worshipper of Images and Reliques about the time of the second Councell of Nice I put not in among his falsifications that Coeffeteau hath put in the margent the eighteenth Oration of Nazianzene for the fifteenth hee that borroweth his Allegations and writeth vpon trust is easily deceiued Now to his falshoods let vs adde the vnprofitablenesse of his impertinent quotations which surely doe not touch the Question For if the Church of Smyrna did celebrate the feast of Polycarpe or the Church of Caesaria that of S. Iulitta what is that to England who did no more then then nowadayes it doth celebrate those Feasts no more then doe the Churches of Spaine or of Fraunce And why should England be more bound therevnto now at this day Secondly to what purpose is it to speake of the Feasts of the auncient Christians and of the solemnity of the Martyrs to establish the Feasts of the Church of Rome which are cleane different and haue no community with them See here the differences 1 This commemoration of the Martyrs in the auncient Church was done in the Church-yards and vpon the Tombes Vpon which the Christians did often celebrate * Thence commeth the custome of the Church of Rome to haue bones hid vnder the Altar Nonne vides ad memorias Martyrum CristianuÌ„ a Christiano cogi ad ebrietatem the Eucharist and then fell to banquet vpon the same Tombes where oftentimes the Christians committed many abuses and excesses euen so farre as to drinke drunke and to bury their reason vpon those Sepulchres as witnesseth the Authour of the booke of Double Martyrdome attributed to S. Cyprian and S. Austin in his first booke of the manners of the Catholicke Church cap. 34. And against * Qui in memorijs Martyrum inebriantur c. Faustus Manicheus in his twentieth booke chap. 1. where namely he saith that he was constrained to tolerate this custome The Church of Rome hath left this abuse of the auncient Feasts 2 The commemoration of the Martyrs was done in times past in euery Church according to the ordinance and appointment of the Bishoppes and Pastors of the place without attending the commandement or aduise of the Bishop of Rome thereupon In the booke of the holy Ceremonies lib. 1. Sect. 6. who at that time did not Canonize Saints For now-adayes to be held a Saint a man must haue the Pope to bee fauourable vnto him and his cause must be pleaded in the Consistorie If it be iudged that he ought to be acknowledged for a Saint then his Holinesse doth ordaine a Feast or Holy-day to this new Saint 3 Then this solemnity carried with it an Anniuersary commemoration but did not bring with it any necessity of keeping Holy-day whereas now-adayes there be many Saints Feasts which they keepe Holy-day with more scruple and are celebrated with more solemnity then the Sunday it selfe 4 Againe then these dayes of commemoration of Martyrs were few in number in stead that now there is scarcely any day in the Calender which doth not carry the name of some Saint And there is such a number of Feasts to be kept holy that many poore people crie out they are famished They make them deuout whether they will or noe for they be kept and hindered by this superstition from working to get bread for their children hauing their handes bound with a scrupulous slothfulnesse and a forced idlenesse Epist 174. Nouam inducendo Celebritatem quam ritus Ecclesiae nescit non probat ratâ—o non commeâ—dat antiqua Traditio c. 5 Then also men were ignorant of so many new-made holy-dayes as the feast of the conception of the Virgine Mary which S. Bernard saith to haue beene instituted against reason and the auncient Tradition the Feast of the Assumption the Feast of S Peters Chaire the Gods feast otherwise
the Article which followeth ARTICLE VIII Touching prayers to Saints and the seruice that is due vnto them The KINGS Confession T S for prayer to Saints Christ I am sure hath commaunded vs to Come all to him that are loaden with sinne and he will relieue vs and S. Paul hath forbidden vs to worshippe Angels or to vse any such voluntary worship Math. 11 28. Col 28.28 that hath a shew of humility in that it spareth not the flesh But what warrant we haue to haue recourse vnto these Dâ—j Penates or Tutelares these Courtiers of God I know not I remit that to these philosophicall neotericke Diuines It satisfieth me to pray to God through Christ as I am commaunded which I am sure must be the safest way and I am sure the Safest way is the best way in points of saluation Hereupon Coeffeteau confounding the Kings whole discouery he beginneth by a complaint that his Maiesty calleth Tutelary and familiar Gods those lesser Saints to whom many of the people do vow themselues in particular and of whom they set the Images vpon their Cupboords or ouer their Chimneyes But his Maiesty doth not intend to call the Saints familiars nor Tutelarie Gods neyther doth he say that in the Church of Rome they call them so onely he meaneth that the Church of Rome hath substituted them in place of the Tutelarie and domesticall gods and that hee doth entertaine them after the same fashion For the Paynims had their tutelarie gods ouer euery town and ouer euery Countrey Iuno was Lady-gardian of Carthage Venus of Cyprus and of Paphos Pallace of the Countrey of Attica Mars and Quirinus of Rome c. so the Church of Rome hath Saints that are Patrons of Cities and Countries Saint Marke of Venice S. Geneuiefue of Paris S. Iames of Spain S. Dennis of France c. and as the Paynims did distribute charges amongst their gods so in the Church of Rome euery Saint hath his charge apart The hunters did inuocate Diana now adaies they haue recourse to S. Eustace S. Nicholas who now is called vpon by the Pilots and Sea-faring men hath taken the place of Castor and Pollux The good Goddesse Lucina who was assisting to women that trauelled in childe-birth hath now giuen place to S. Margaret for so her Legend saith that the Dragon hauing swallowed her downe she made the signe of the Crosse in his belly wherewith he burst asunder and she came forth through the breach which was a kinde of lying in S. Christopher with his huge body hath succeeded Hercules for so they make him also to carry a clubbe There wanted yet a Queene of heauen in the place of Iuno and this holy and glorious Virgin hath beene dishonoured with so prophane a title yea the very habites and furniture of the gods haue beene transported to the Saints The Genij or Penates household gods had a dogge by their side and so hath S. Roche The Image of Iames carried a Key so doth that of S. Peter Iupiter a man had hornes on his head such doe they giue to Moses Isis carried a Timbrell and S. Gennasius a Violin Those circles which you see about the head of the Saints in picture are those Arches and shaddowes wherewith they couered their gods to fence them from the dust In like manner are the Officers distributed in Paradise in a goodly order and with diuersity of furniture and prouision For his Holines and the Church of Rome haue taken order for it We are ashamed to produce these things whiles they are not ashamed to doe them and we blush at that of which they haue no shame at all If we would prolong this Discourse we would easily shew that a good part of these Patrons and Tutelary Saints are Saints which neuer were they liue without hauing euer beene borne and are entred into the Church without euer entring into the world the painters are wonted to make characters pictures in a manner speaking as when they paint Iustice with a paire of ballances Time like an olde man winged The Fryer like a lame god because the wood doth susteyne him so the auncients did figure the faith of a beleeuing man by a woman swollowed vp of Sathan but who did get forth againe victoriously and trample the Diuell vnder her feet And of this Image they haue made their Saint Margaret so the Christian was painted as passing ouer a violent land-flood but hauing Iesus Christ with him Praesertim cum sit manifestum in omnem Italiam Galliam Hispaniam Africam nullum instituisse Ecclesias nisi eos quos Apostolus Petrus aut successores eius constitueruÌ„t Legant autem si in his prouincijs alius Apostolus inuenitur aut legitur docuisse c. who did burden him indeede but yet did conduct him This Image hath produced a new Saint whom they call S. Christopher Of the launce which pierced the body of our Lord they haue made S. Longis because that Lonchi in the vulgar pronunciation of the Greeke tongue signifieth a Launce Men runne with incredible zeale to S. Iames of Compostella in Spaine where they say that hee preached and that his bones remaine there and yet in the meane time it is well knowne that S. Iames was neuer in Spaine Pope Innocent in the twelfth distinction in the Canon Quis nesciat doth stoutly and stiffely maintaine that there was neuer any Apostle in Spaine and that neyther in Fraunce nor in Affrica nor in Spaine any planted Church saue they whom S. Peter and his successors sent thither The Story also of his life recyted by Iohn Beleth and Iacobus de Voragine great personages saith that he came into Spaine before he was put to death by Herod Act. 12. It must needes bee then that he came into Spaine almost about the time that Iesus Christ suffered for S. Iames suruiued Christ but a while after his death His body being put on Ship-boord went of it selfe without Pilot or any guidance into Spaine Queene Lupa raigning then in Spaine Now it is well knowne that at that time there was neyther King nor Queene in Spaine and that it was wholly subiect to the Romane Empire The same is to be said of S. Denis the Areopagite whom men say to haue planted the Gospell in Fraunce and hauing suffered Martyrdome vnder the Emperour Domitian as saith Methodius he carried his head betweene his hands from Mont-Martre as farre as S. Denis where he lyeth interred The reuiuing of learning and good letters hath discouered the falshood of such inuentions For the most auncient Christian Historian that euer was in Fraunce Sub Aurelio Antonini filio persecutio quinta agitata ac tunc primum inter Gallias martyria visa serius trans alpes religione transgressa is Sulpitius Seuerus who in the second booke of his story sheweth that there were no Martyrdomes in Fraunce vnder Domitian nor a long time after and that the first Martyrdomes which were seene in
Fraunce were vnder Marcus Aurelius the sonne of Anthony that is to say in the yeare of our Lord 162. threescore and fiue yeares after the death of Domitian whosoeuer shall calculate the times shall find that Denis the Ariopagite was then Iudge in Ariopagus at the time when S. Paul conuerted him whence it is to be presumed that he was at least thirty or fiue and thirty yeare olde which time if you extend as farre as to the raigne of Marcus Aurelius he should haue liued some hundred and fiftie yeares and also should die by torment before that he was broken by olde age We could produce others in this point but this sufficeth to iustifie the King of great Britaine who though he should haue called the Saints that neuer were Tutelary gods yet should there not bee iust cause to reprehend him After this Caeffeteau comes to the authorities of the Fathers surely this matter should well deserue some commaundement from God One Ordinance of God had cut off al difficulty and had been more of value then a thousand testimonies of men But Coeffeteau could finde none for indeede there is none Being not able then to draw out of the Diuine spring he seekes heere and there for the Cesternes of men Our aduersaries tell vs that they receiue the Fathers for interpreters of the Scripture but the passages are drawne out of phrases of the Fathers in which they doe not interprete the scripture but what will become of the matter if these quotations be to no purpose if indeede they be false And that is it which we are to shew Basill in his oration of the 40. Martyrs saith indeed that some in their necessity had recourse vnto them but he doth nor commaund to doe it as Bellarmine will haue it in b Where he pâ—â—â—teth confugiat for confugit and oret for orat falsifying this place Aliud est quod docemus aliud quod sustinemus donec emendemus tolarare compellimur a man must not maruaile if a people newly crept out of Paganisme did retaine something of their owne Custome and oftentimes the Bishops caryed away with the terrent of popular zeale were constrained to tollerate these abuses Saint Austine in his twentieth booke against Faustus the Manichee Chap. 21 confesseth that many dranke drunke ouer the Sepulchres of the dead but withall he addeth it is one thing that we teach another that we tollerate it is one thing that which we are commaunded to teach another thing we are commaunded to correct and which we are constrained to beare withall vntill that it bee amended And in the first booke of the manners of the Catholicke Church Chap. 24. I know many saith hee who doe adore the Sepulchres and pictures I know many who drinke most excessiuely ouer the dead The good Bishops saw these maladies in their flockes which being desirous to amend they haue beene often hindred by the sedition of the people as appeareth by the Counsell of Carthage where the Bishops of Affrica being desirous to abolish the abuse which was committed at the sepulchres of the Martyrs they feare to be hindred by the tumult of the rude people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If say they men be hindred to doe this by the vprore of the people at least wise let the multitude be admonished not to assemble in these places Coeffeteau then had alleadged this to purpose if he had the generall custome of the Church of those times or some prayer to Saints made in the publicke seruice instead of producing the misguided deuotion of some particular men In the second place he aleadgeth the oration of Gregory Nyssen in the praise of the Martyr Theodore which we haue heretofore evicted of falsehood After this he produceth the oration of Grogory Nazianzen vpon Saint Basill And here againe his vnfaithfull dealing appeareth for hee dessembleth the wordes going before which serue for a solution where Saint Gregory sheweth that that which he saide to Saint Basill being deceased is onely by opinion and by coniecture These are his wordes And now Basill is in the heauens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 offering as I thinke sacrifices for vs and praying for the people hee speaketh as being assured thereof we know also that the custome of Orators who speake in praise of any man is to make Rhetoricall appellation to the dead and to speake to the absent as to men present The Bookes of the Paynims are full of these examples See how Plinie speaketh to Ciciro long before deceased in his seauenth booke and thirtyeth Chapter Salue primus omnium parens patriae appellate To Gregory Coeffeteau addeth the Catechisme of Cyrill which are falâ—ely attributed vnto him Gesner in his Bibliotheca witnesseth that this booke is found in written hand vnder the name of one Iohn of Ierusalem Gretzer a Germiane Iesuit in his booke for Pilgrimages page 354. witnesseth the same Harding in his Treatise of Accidents without subiect Section the 6. saith that in his time this booke was not fouâ—d but manuscript and knowne to a fewe And the foolery which is found in the 24. Catechise when he saith that the wood of the Crosse doth increase and multiply in such fort that the earth is full thereof sheweth that this booke was written many ages since doubtlesse by this Iohn of Ierusalem an aduocate for Images who liued in the yeare 767. See the Ecclesiasticall Stories of Vigner in the yeare 767. Afterwards commeth a place of Saint Austine It is iniurie to pray for a Martyr by whose prayers wee on the other side ought to be recommended This place is found indeed in his 17. Sermon De verbis Apostoli but not in the 80. Tract vpon Iohn as Coeffeteau alleadgeth it who spake by other mens report Now this place is not to the purpose for hee saith onely that the Saints pray for vs which thing wee haue neuer denyed we doe out of Godly considerations presume that albeit they know not the necessity of particular men yet they pray for the Church in generall But that wee should for this cause inuocate them or yeeld them any religious seruice Saint Austine doth not avouch Lastly Coeffeteau addeth Saint Ambrose who in his booke of Widdowes exhorteth Widdowes to pray to the Angells and Martyrs whom he calleth beholders of our liues and actions Here a man may see the humour of our Aduersaries which is to passe by the vertues of the Fathers and to set forth nothing but their vices and blemishes like Flyes who cast themselues vpon gaules and botches of bodies rather then vpon the sound parts The Reader then shall be aduertised that Saint Ambrose was chosen Bishop before he was baptised Hauing thus cast himselfe at the first iumpe into a charge to the which hee was no way prepared no man ought to maruaile if in his beginnings he said somthings for which he afterwards corrected himselfe The booke of Widdowes is one of his first works wherein you may
the other places which say that Iesus Christ is offered and presented we doe readily embrace them for it is true in sundry respects whether they will that he offered himselfe vnto the Communicants or that they vnderstand that Christ is offered vnto God sacramentally and in the signe or for that in the Eucharist we offer vnto God the merite of his death in that we do beseech him to accept and receiue the merite of his Sonnes death for our redemption The last place which he alleadgeth is out of the Councell of Ephesus wherin I wish that Coeffeteau had carried himselfe with greater credite for first it is false that S. Cyrill doth speake there in the name of the Councell of Ephesus but it is a peece of a Letter taken out of the Councell of Alexandria which is indeed a declaration of the eleuenth curse of Cyrill against Nestorius as Coeffeteau saith but he hath concealed the exposition whâ—ch Cyrill himselfe addeth Tom 1. of the Councels of the Colen Edition pag. 683. Num hominis comestioneÌ„ nostrum hoc Sacramentum pronuncias Et irreligiose ad crassas cogitationes vrges eorum qui crediderunt mentem attentas humanis cogitationibus tractare quae solâ pura inexquisita fide accipiuntur Aristophanes Acharnanensibus agens de Lacâ—daemonijs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cur â—â—lias aâ—â—s hahent Christiani nulla templa nulla nota simulacra Quid ergosacrifiâ—ia censâ—â—is nulla emnâ—no esse facâ—â—nda Respon Nulla Dost thou pronounce that our Sacrament is a humane eating and dost thou irreligiousty vrge the vnderstanding of those that haue beleeued too grosse imaginations Dost thou presume to handle with humane thoughts things which are onely receiued with a pure and vnsearchable faith Now to giue light in this matter to the Stile and purpose of the Fathers calling the holy supper a sacrifice we must obserue that in the first ages after Christ the Christians laboured by all meanes to draw the Heathens vnto Christianitie but the heathen were offended â—t this that in the Christian Religion they saw neither Altars nor sacrifices nor Images without which they thought there was no Religion whence the olde prouerbe comes Vnto the Altars that is to say as farre as Religion and conscience exclusiuely as if there were no religion without an Altar Celsus the Pagan reproacheth Christians That they haue neyther Altars nor Images nor Temples In the eighth booke of Origen against Celsus and in the Dialogue of Minutius Faelix Caecilius the Pagan speakes thus Whence comes it that the Christians haue no Altars nor Temples nor Images to be seene And in the beginning of the seuenth booke of Arnobius the Heathen speake thus vnto the Christians Doe you thinke then that there are no Sacrifices to be made Whereunto the Christians make answere Not any To be then without Altars and Sacrifices did offend the Heathen and made Christianity odious This is then the reason why they ordinarily vsed these wordes of the Table of the Lord and the holy supper and the Eucharist whereof there are infinite examples And yet to remoue offence and allure the Heathen by little and little they vsed to call the Table an Altar and the holy Sacrament by the name of a sacrifice And this was discretion grounded on reason for seeing the holy Scripture doth call our prayers and almes and our Religious seruice by the name of Sacrifices Hebr. 13.16 Phil. 4.18 they haue for the same reason called the holy Supper a Sacrifice wherein we doe not onely offer our selues vnto God but doe also offer Christ Iesus vnto him that is we doe beseech God to accept the sactifice of his death for our redemption And this serued to draw the Iewes for whose farther content the Deacons were called Leuites and the day of the resurrection of Christ was called the Passeouer But that which did especially confirme this word Sacrifice was the custome of the faithfull which was before the holy Supper to bring vnto the Table offerings of bread and wine and fruites whereof such a portion was set aside as might serue for the whole assembly to communicate in the two kindes and the rest was for the poore which gifts and offerings and almes in the old Testament yea and sometimes in the new Heb. 13.16 Phil. 4.18 are called sacrifices and oblations Yet whereas they doe ordinarily call the Sacrament the Eucharist and the Sacrifice of the Eucharist that is to say a giuing of thankes they giue sufficient testimony that they meant not to make a sacrifice propitiatory or really to sacrifice Christ Iesus for our redemption Now that the Almes Gifts and Offerings of the faithfull were called sacrifices and oblations none can be ignorant that is any whit versed in the Fathers The Apostles Canons howsoeuer supposititous yet are auncient doe in the fourth Canon forbid to offer any thing beside eares of Corne Incense c. S. Cyprian lib. 1 Epist 9 commaundeth the Clergy Locuples Diues Domnicum celebrare te credis quae corbonam non respicis quae in Dominicum sine sacrificio venis quae partem de sacrificio quod pauper obtulit sumis Hypodiaconi oblatione in templo Domini a fidelibus ipsi suscipiant That receiuing offerings of the peoples contributions they goe not from the Altar and the sacrifices And in his Sermon of Almes Thou a rich woman who thinkest to celebrate the Lords Supper that regardest not to bring an offering that commest to the Supper of the Lord without a sacrifice that takest a part of the Sacrifice which the poore offereth So in the one and twentieth Distinction in the Canon Cleros taken out of Isidore Let the Subdeacons themselues receiue the offerings of the Faithfull Obserue this custome very plainely set downe in Theodoret in the third booke of his History chap. 12. and in the fourth booke chap 19. The Pastor of the Church hauing before him vpon the Table all the presents in great quantity made prayer vnto God to accept those Giftes Presents and immaculate Sacrifices that he would accept them as sometimes he did the sacrifices of Abel and of Abraham that the Angels might carry them into heauen before God giftes created by God blessed and sanctified for euer by Iesus Christ c. Wordes which continue to this day in the Canon of the Masse and which were good and holy when they were said ouer the Almes and Offerings of the people But which are now become ridiculous and vngodly forasmuch as the Priest doth say them vpon an Host which he thinketh to be Iesus Christ for to call Iesus Christ by the name of gifts and offerings is to speake against the common sense To pray that God would accept this sacrifice as well as that of Abel is to make the sacrifice of Iesus Christ no better then the sacrifice of a beast To pray that the Angels may carry Iesus Christ and present him vnto God is not to know that Iesus Christ
say that he can doe that which hee cannot doe Iesus Christ himselfe neuer loued his Father more then with al his strength And here the truth is so strong that Bellarmine in the thirteenth Chapter of his booke of Monkes § Quod autem after that he had a long time labored and sweated therupon is constrained to correct this commaundement of God affirming that when God will be loued with All our heart and with all our strength by this word ALL we must vnderstand a part as if I should say that the right side signifie h the left or that white signifieth blacke Though this Prelate made no conscience to iest in this manner in the explication of so holy a sentence and the most important of all the worde of God and such as is an abridgement of the whole law at least he should haue beene affraid to bring in the diuell into partage with God for if God be content with one part of our heart it followeth that a man may giue the other parte to the diuell 7 Adde hereunto the Commandement of the Apostle S. Paul Philip. 4. Furthermore Brethren whatsoeuer things are iust whatsoeuer things are pure whatsoeuer things pertaine to loue whatsoeuer things are of good report if there be any vertue and any praise thinke on those things I demaund then of these our Masters whether the workes of Supererogation be things iust or whether they be vertuous or things worthy of praise if they be not we must not employ our selues about them if they be iust and praise-worthy then are they demaunded by the Apostle They be not then workes not commaunded or ouer and aboue the commaundement of God For he doth not say doe nothing which is not iust as Bellarmine speaketh lewdly corrupting the wordes of the Apostle but he commaundeth vs to giue and apply our selues to whatsoeuer is iust and vertuous 8 Now if we cannot accomplish the law how much lesse shall wee be able to doe more then it commaundeth If Saint Paul Rom. 7 confesse that sinne dwelleth in him and that hee doth the euill which he would not doe and therefore calleth himselfe miserable man If S. Iames acknowledge that in many things we offend All. Iam. 3 â— 1. Ioh. 2. If Saint Iohn saith thâ—t If we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues If Iesus Christ haue commaunded all the faithfull to say euery day forgiue vs our trespasses If Dauid a man after Gods owne heart say Psalme 143. That in Gods sight no man liuing shall be iustified How can we doe any thing ouer and aboue seeing that we faile in that which is necessary That man is very ill aduised who being not able to pay his debts doth yet offer great gifts 9 But I would willingly aske of these Monks who doe more then God requireth and workes more then due whence they haue receiued the strength and ability to doe them They answere from God Then say I that if God hath giuen them this power it is not that it should remaine idle and vnprofitable but to the end to employ it Then are they bound to doe more then the law seeing that God giueth them strength thereunto otherwise they should bury the graces of God and should frustrate him of his end Now if they be bound it is no longer a Counsell they are no longer workes of Supererogation For indeede how could they do more good then they owe to God seeing that they owe themselues vnto him and haue nothing but of his liberality and that the good which they doe doth not profite God any thing Luc. 17.10 For if he who should doe all that God hath commaunded him is notwithstanding called by Iesus Christ an vnprofitable seruant let some man tell me wherein and how those men are more profitable vnto God who do many workes of Supererogation 10 For this cause also we shall neuer finde that the Apostles or their Disciples euer made any reckoning of their workes of Supererogation and not commaunded this is that Pharisaicall Leauen which puffeth vp the hearts and sowreth the spirites of men with hypocrisie and presumption For see here the wordes of the Pharisie Luk. 18. I am not like other men I fast twise in the weeke I giue tithe of al that I possesse Workes not commaunded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 voluntarie deuotions traditions counsels of perfections 11 And indeede that we may not remooue all this meniall trash of workes of supererogation as it were to make a longer Lent then other men doe or to turne ouer our Pater-noster beads oftner or to haue more graines then ordinarie or to carrie great beads like Tennis balls after the manner of Hermites or to liue by going from dore to dore and in the day time to haue the street for his house or to carrie the wallet vpon the shoulder full of slices and gobbets halfe gnawen iust after the auncient manner of the Priests of the Syrian goddesse described by Apuleius in his 8. Booke of the golden Asse let vs speake onely of those workes which seeme the most specious They place in this ranke single life or perpetuall virginitie But they mistake themselues greatly Stipes aereas immo vere argenteas multis certatim offerentibus finu recepere patulo nec non vini cadum lactem caseos-auidis animis corradent es omnia in sacculos huic quaestui de industria praeparatos farcientes for there be two sorts of single life one which is with continencie and without being tickled with any vnchaste desire which hath no necessity of marrying The other which boyleth inwardly with heate hauing much adoe to containe This so farre is it from being meritorious that contrariwise it is a demerite to condemnation So farre is it that such a Virginity should be ouer and aboue the commaundement that it is indeed against the commandement for the Apostle S. Paul 1. Cor. 7 commaundeth such to marry Epistola ad Eustochium It is better to marry then to burne And S. Ierome who confesseth that amidds his Abstinencies did yet feele within himselfe the fewell of lust as an incentiue to whoredome was doubtlesse bound to marry But as touching continent Virginity the Apostle S. Paul doth counsell vs to continue in that estate as being more free and hauing lesse trouble and fitter for the seruice of God and to study to please him But for all that hee doth not recommend Virginity as a worke of Supererogation but as a condition of life more commodious to a beleeuing man for the time present So if I should counsell some one man in a corrupt age and in a place wherein vices are contagious and vertue is become odious to liue apart and not to entermeddle with the publique affaires to the end that he may serue God with more facility and to adde liberty to his innocency should it follow thereupon that I should esteeme a priuate life were a worke of
nothus de passione Clauis sacros pedes terebrantibus It is a thing also to be wondred how the nailes were found in the same place with the Crosse Seing that the custome of the Aunciens was to burie togither with the bodies of malefactors Inueniuntur ossa inserta catenis implicita the chains and yrons wherewith they suffered as appeareth in Plinies Epistles lib. 7. Epist. 27. where he reciteth the stories of a Ghost that appeared to the Philosopher Athenodorus And in Chrysostome in his Oration against the Gentils And Welserus * In coÌ„mentarijs rerum Vindelicarum coÌ„firmeth it in his seauenth booke of his Commentaries of Ausbourge In the meane time it appeareth by the place of Athanasius heretofore alleaged and by the simplicity of Constantine that this abuse began from that time to slide on and increase which was so farre growne in some places 400. yeares after Christ Noui multos esse sepulcrorum picturarum adoratores Noui multos esse qui super mortuos luxuriosissimè bibant that S. Austin in his first booke de Moribus Eccles doth greatly complaine of it I know saith he that there are many that adore Sepulchres and Pictures I know that there are many that drinke at large ouer the dead The same Austin in the 28. chapter of his booke of the labour of Monkes for in those daies they had each man his trade complaineth of some gadders vp and downe Membra martyrum Si tamen martyrum carriers about of reliques which they reported to be the limmes of Martyrs Yea saith he if so be that they be members of Martyrs The auncient Christians in the three first ages were wont to warme their zeale by the imbers of the Martyrs And because they had no Temples they assembled together in the Church-yardes where the Tombes of the Martyrs serued them for a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tables to administer the Lords Supper This being at the first done onely as occasion and the present opportunity would permit was afterward made a law For in the fift Councell of Carthage the Altars are called Monuments or Tombes Where is to be noted that the Councel complaineth that many such false monuments were erected vpon dreames and vaine illusions and commaundeth to plucke them downe if the tumult of the people shall not hinder them which sheweth that superstition was already growne strong in this point Gregorie Bishop of Rome in the first booke of his Dialogues chap. 2. speaketh of one called Libertinus who alwaies carried about a hose of S. Honorate In those times our Kinges planted their whole Religion in founding of Monasteries and getting Relikes together thinking by these means to be saued King Dagobert tooke away all the Reliques from the other Saints to enrich the Temple of S. Denis S. Rusticus and S. Eleutherius whereupon there fell out great strife and debate among the Saints if wee beleeue the Chronicles of France For the Saints whom he had robbed and riffled as S. Hilarie S. Fremin c. adioyned themselues to the Deuils See this Story in Nicolas Gilles anno 645. and it is taken out of Turpin craued their helpe to carry the soule of this good King to hell But hee cal ed to the Saints whom he had enriched for succour who so valiantly resisted the other Saints and the Deuils that they plucked away his soule from them and carried it into Paradise Now a daies many superstitious persons are ashamed of their reliques and mocke at them And yet for all that it is held for an absolute and inuiolable Decree that euery Altar must haue his Reliques vnderneath it otherwise they cannot consecrate For after the Introite of the Masse the Priest bowing himselfe ouer the Altar asketh of God pardon of al his sins through the merits of those Saints whose bones lie hidde vnder the Altar This greatly auaileth to strike the people with a superstitious horrour and astonishment of hart and with a trembling deuotion it being done out of singular wisdome and vpon great consideration For it is credible that when Christ did administer his last supper that he closely conueighed vnder the table some bones of Samuel or some tooth of Sampsons Asses law bone And if Christ did not seeke saluation throgh their merits it was because those old Saints were worse stored and prouided of merits then they whom the Pope hath Canonized for Saints as S. Iuniper or S. Thomas of CaÌ„terbury defender of the crowne of England Concerning the Fathers whom Coeffeteau opposeth hereunto Chrysostome Ambrose and Austin are of the minde that the bodies of the Saints ought indeede to be honored and their sepulchres beautified and adorned But what is this against the King of England who saith asmuch As for those miracles which were done at those Sepulchres of which S. Austin speaketh God by them did authorize the doctrine of the Gospell which his faithfull seruants had vttered in word and signed with their bloud Such were the miracles wrought by the touch of Elizeus his body and by the Kerchiefes of S. Paul But it followeth not thereupon that they adored or yeelded any religious seruice to those Reliques Vnlesse perhaps we must adore the shadow of S. Peters body as Bellarmine will haue it Bell. lib. de reliquijs cap 4 §. Ad tertium Scriptura approbat cultuÌ„ vmbrae Petri. of which shadow doubtlesse some peece may bee found stored vp among the Reliques aswell as at Cour-chiuerni neare Blois they keepe the Labour of S. Ioseph when hee cleft wood for hee was a Carpenter Howbeit there be two thinges which I will not here dissemble the one is that Heretikes at that time Doctores haereticos maximè doctrinae suae fidem onfirmasse mortuos suscitasse de bilâ—s reformasse futura significasse vt Apostoli crederentur Nunquid non Africa sanctoruÌ„ Martyrum corporibus plena est Et tamen nusquam hic scimus talia fieri did more miracles as Tertullian witnesseth lib. 3. against Marcion cap. 3. and in his 44 chapter of his Prescript where he saith that the Heretikes did raise the dead heale the sicke foretell thinges to come The other is that the place in S. Austin De Ciuitai Dei lib. 22. cap. 8. is to be suspected For he speaketh of miracles done in Africa and neare vnto Hippo where he was Bishop by touching the Reliques of Saints Whereas himselfe Epist 137. saith that in some places of Italie as at Nola and at Millan such miracles were done neare vnto the monuments of the Saints but that in Africa there were not any wroght in any place And that which is more to be obserued is that this Epistle was written to the people and clergie of Hippo who would easilie haue controuled him if such miracles had beene wrought in Africa What shall we now beleeue Here is S. Austin who saith in one place that many miracles were done in Africa neare vnto the place of
saying 1. Cor. 2.8 that none of the Princes of the world knew in his time the wisdome of the Gospell That other picture of the holie Veronica inuented a while after is of the same stampe which being carried in procession in the time of Innocent the third turnde topsie turuie of it selfe casting his beard vpward as Matthew Paris reporteth Matt. Paris in Henrico 3. pag. 279. For expiation wherof the said Pope graunted an indulgence of ten dayes for at that time they were not giuen by thousands It would be an endlesse peece of worke for anie to make report of the images that haue spoken or sweate or bowed the head in signe of consent Reade Caesarius a Monke of the order of the Cistâ—rtians his booke of miracles In the Abbey of Saint Guerlicou in Berrie neare the towne of Bourg-Dieu vpon the way of Romorantin such women as would be got with child are stretched along vpon the image of this S. Bennet after such a manner as modesty may not report In fine not to tyre the reader with thousands of the like abuses if we may beleeue these our good Masters it is certaine that the images of Saints do more miracles then euer the Saints themselues did Concerning these miracles wee offer them the choise whether they wil haue them accounted true or false if they be false we are not bound to beleeue them and then there is collusion For now adaies these miracles are nothing but coniuring of deuils with many trickes aspersions crossings exorcismes giuing power vnto wordes and signes or it may be the curing of one that is but counterfait lame or sicke But to giue sight to one that is borne blinde or to raise one from the dead that hath been buried c. are matters which their cunning could neuer contriue And the Lieutenants and Iudges in Criminall causes howsoeuer of the Romish Religion haue often discouered and punished such impostures Consider farther that as the ancient Christians did glorie that the Deuils and Oracles were dumbe in their presence Read M Marescots Booke concerning Martha Bâ—ossier and the Historie of Matthew So these miracles could neuer be wrought before vs for if we stand by the deuill looseth his fencing trickes Neuerthelesse to deale fairely with these men let vs graunt that these Miracles are not counterfait For the Apostle 2. Thess 2. foretelleth that the sonne of perdition shall come with signes and Miracles And Christ Marke 13. saith That false Teachers shall come and worke signes and wonders whereby to deceiue And Mat. 12. A naughtie and adulterous generation seeketh a signe If we teach no other Doctrine then Christ and his Apostles haue deliuered the Miracles which they haue wrought doe sufficiently confirme our teaching Besides we know that Heretickes in old time did as many and more Miracles then they which taught the Orthodoxe faith Being foyled then about these Miracles they haue recourse to the testimonies of the Fathers Mast Coeffeteau saith that Tortullian in the seuenth Chapter of his Booke of Chastitie teacheth that in the Primitiue Church there were Images ingrauen in Chalices this is false For Tertullian in this place speakes not of the Picture of Iesus Christ nor of any Saint or Angell but hee speaktth of a Chalice whereon was grauen a Shepheard bearing a sheepe vpon his shoulder which was no Image of Christ but an Embleme of his office as men doe vsually picture the vertues and had the people worshipped this Picture Lex coniungens neque similitudinem corum quae in caelo sunt quae in terra tâ—to muado eâ—â—smodi artibus interdixit Hermogenes pingit illicitè nubit assiduè Legem Dei in tibidinem defeadit in artem contemnit bis falsarius Cauterio Stylo they would haue drawne it elsewhere in a place more eminent Now Tertullian was so farre from the worshipping of Images that he held it simply vnlawfull to make any Image So in his Booke of Idolatrie cap. 4. The Law conioyning things as not to make the likenesse of any thing in heauen or in the earth or in the Sea hath forbidden such trades throughout the whole world And in his Booke of Spectacles cap. 23. God forbiddeth to make the resemblance of any thing how much more of his Image And therefore doeth he reproch Hermogenes the Painter with his Art as being full of abhomination Coeffeteau alleadgeth also a place of Gregorie Nyssen taken out of the Oration concerning Theodore the Martyr which we haue heretofore disproued as false and yet there is no speech of worshipping Images no more then in the Oration of S. Basil concerning the Martyr Barlaam where there is only mention of Painted Histories and the representing of the suffrings of the Martyrs in which Painted works the Executioners and Souldiers horses are also represented and if the storie required Christ was also drawne in the Picture but of worship performed to these Painted stories or to any Image there is no maner of mention Besides it is to be obserued that if this were then practised in the Churchyards of Cappadocia where Basil was or in some Church within his Bishoppricke yet wee finde not that this custome was brought into other countries For Prudentius and Paulinus alleadged by Coeffeteau liued a hundred yeeres after and they speake onely of the Historie and not of any worship Hee alleadgeth also Sozomen lib. 2. cap. 20. where he speakes of an Image of Christ in Caesaria broken by Iulian the Apostata the pieces whereof were brought into the Church by the Christians wherin his vnderstanding failes him for thereby it appeareth that this Image was not in any Church and that no worship was done vnto it Now we speake here of Images set vp in Churches and which are there worshipped Eusebius is the first that mentions this Image lib. 7. cap. 17. of his Historie whom Coeffeteau neglected to alleadge For he saith that this Image was made by that Heathen woman whom Christ cured of a bloudy issue Luke 8. Matth. 9. Afterward he saith That none should wonder if such of the Heathen as Christ healed made such things in as much as wee haue seene the Pictures of the Apostles Paul and Peter yea and of Christ himselfe drawne in colours to be kept in Tables which the ancients did out of an Heathenish custome which was to honour those in like maner whom they esteemed their deliuerers Obserue here that he cals it an Heathenish custome and being begun by some of the Heathen that were healed by Christ or his Apostles they desired to honour them after the maner of the Heathen Wee must also vnderstand that this Image was not in any Church but in a corner of the streete and that the Christians were so farre from giuing any honour vnto it that they knew it not to be there For Nicephorus in the tenth of his Historie saith * Temporis enim diuturnitate obliuione interciderat cuiusnam ea statua formam referret
Thom. in 4. Dist 45. quaest 2. doe testifie that the soule of Traian a heathen Emperour was deliuered our of hell by the praiers of Pope Gregorie Gabriel Biel holdes the same in the fifty sixe Lecture vpon the Canon of the Masse and Ciacconus hath particularly written an Apology for this Story This Pope then prayed not for Traians soule to the end he might bring him out of Purgatorie 10 In the Masse there are among many new patches some auncient clauses and among others the Memento for the dead of which these wordes are a part The Reader shall note that in this place where the two letters N N are the Priest doth softly name some persons deceased for whom their parents haue payde Memento Domine famulorum famularumque tuarum N N. qui nos praecesserunt cum signo fidei dormiunt in somno pacis That is Remember Lord thy seruants which haue gone before vs with the signe of faith and doe sleepe in the rest of peace The words are very remarkable clearely euidencing that when these prayers were made Purgatory was not beleeued but it was beleeued that the soules did sleepe in a peaceable rest waiting for the resurrection and that in this sleepe they receiued some ioyfull refreshing by their prayers that were aliue 11 But aboue all haue I often wondred at the forme of the prayer ordinarily vsed for the dead for it makes no wordes of Purgatory but onely desireth of God that the soules of the dead may be deliuered from euerlasting death and from the last iudgement Libera Domine de morte aeterna in die illa tremenda Quando caeli mouendi sunt terra Cum veneris iudicare saeculum per ignem Trèmens factus sum c. Obserue this whole prayer Deliuer O Lord from eternall death in that dreadfull day when the heauens and the earth shall be mooued when thou shalt come to iudge the world by fire I feare and tremble when the triall and wrath to come shall be at hand this day of wrath of calamity and misery this great and wonderfull bitter day And note that this prayer wherein the soule of the departed is brought in apprehending that it shall be sent to Hell at the day of iudgement is said also for the soule of the Pope Lib. 1. Sacrarum Cerem Sect. 15. cap. 1. in the solemnization of his obsequies by which it appeareth that there is some feare that he may be in hell but of Purgatory there is nothing mentioned no more then in all the publique prayers of the Church of Rome for the dead for they onely craue deliuerance from eternall death and to rise in glory as in this Absolue quaesumus Domine animam famuli tui N. ab omni vinculo delictorum vt in resurrectionis gloria inter sanctos electos tuos resuscilatus respiret I beseech thee O Lord to loose the soule of thy seruant from the bond of all his sinnes that beeing raised vp among the Saints I may reioyce and be lifted vp in the glory of the resurrection which is the prayer for the dead in the second book of Machabees made only for the resurrection 12 What will we haue more let our aduersaries be iudges in this cause doe not the Priests oftentimes take money for saying Masses and seruice for young children dying soone after Baptisme which yet they beleeue not to be either in hell or in Purgatory doe they this through ignorance or auariâ—â— for want of science or of conscience for by theâ—â— owne rules the prayers made for children are to no purpose forasmuch as they are in Paradise By these many examples it appears that many do pray for the dead without beleeuing purgatory and that Coeff by admitting no prayer for the dead but only to draw men out of purgatory condeÌ„neth not onely the auncient Church but also the Romish and the second booke of Macchabees which himselfe doth ranke among the sacred canonicall bookes This shal more euidently appeare vnto vs when we shall haue learned what was the opinion of the Fathers touching the condition of the dead and to what end they prayed for them The common opinion of the most part of the Fathers is that the soules of the faithfull after they are gone out of the body doe not yet enioy heauenly beatitude but either they remaine in the earthly Paradise as Irenaeus teacheth in his fifth booke About the end of the booke and Origen in his second booke de principijs else they lie in hell or in some hidden receptacles vntill the day of the generall resurrection before which they shall not see God And although sometimes they be forced through the truth to say that the dead after the departure of the soule from the body do enter into heauenly felicity yet for the most part they are carried away with the current of the common opinion Constituimus omnem animam apud inferos sequestrari in diem Domini Quae infra terram iacent neque ipsa sunt digestis ordinatis potestatibus vacua Locus enim est quo piorum animae impiorum ducuntur c. Omnes in vna communique custodia detinentur donec tempus adueniat quo maximus iudex meritorum faciat examen Tertullian chap. 55. of his booke of the soule We hould for certaine that euery soule is sequestred into hell vntil the day of the Lord. He saith the same more at large in his fourth booke against Marcioâ—â— c. 34. Nouatian in the first chapter of his booke of the Trinitie those things which are vnder the earth are not without their powers and well digested orders for it is the place whither the soules of the faithfull as well as of the wicked are led as feeling already the fore-apprehensions of the iudgement to come Lactantius in his seauenth booke c. 21. let no man thinke that the soules are iudged immediately after death for they are all detained in one common prison vntill the time come that the great Iudge bring them to an examination of what they haue deserued Victorin the Martyr saith vpon Apo. 6. that S. Iohn saw vnder the Altar the soules of the Martyrs and them that were slaine expounding these wordes vnder the Altar Sub ara id est subterra that is to say vnder the earth Hee then placeth the soules of Saints and Martyrs vnder the earth Haec humanae lex necessitatis est vt sepultis corporibus animae ad inferos descendant Quam descensionem Dominus ad consummationem veri hominis non recusauit S. Hilarie vpon the Psal 138. It is the law of necessitie whereunto men are subiect that the soules should descend vnto hell after that the bodies are buried which descent Iesus Christ himselfe did not refuse to shew him selfe a compleate man He doth not say Haec lex fuit but Haec lex est to the end that a man should not say that he speaketh of the
the Bishops of the world We graunt then willingly that the auncient Bishops of Rome before the corruption of Doctrine and vsurpation of the Monarchie in the Church were successors of S. Peter in the Bishoppricke of Rome onely euen as the Bishop of Corinth was successor to S. Paul but withall we adde this that through the corruption of Doctrine which hath by little little crept into the Church of Rome euery age hauing added and contributed thereunto hee is now wholy and iustly falne from that succession For he may not in no wise be called Peters successor who oppugneth the Doctrine preached by S. Peter and who in the Chaire of verity doth establish a lie The Turke may not bee called successor to the Emperour of Greece albeit he be seated in his place seeing that he is rather his subuerter I would haue one shew me that euer S. Peter preached any other purgatory then the bloud of Iesus Christ or any other satisfaction to the iustice of God then his obedience any other sacrifice propitiatory then his death That euer he gaue pardons for an hundred thousand yeares or drew soules out of Purgatory with buls and indulgences that he euer degraded Emperours that he tooke away from the people the reading of the holy Scriptures or the Communion of the Cup or that he commaunded the worshipping of Images and publique Seruice to bee said in an vnknowne tongue or that he euer constrayned other Bishops to take from him letters of Inuestiture and to pay vnto him Annates Or that euer S. Peter was called God on earth the Spouse of the Church and caused himselfe to be worshipped or that euer he sung Masse or commaunded the Host to be adored or that euer he left off preaching the Gospell or quitted the Crosier-staffe to take vnto him a triple Diaderne If I say they can shew me that S. Peter euer did these things then though the Pope were Bishop but of one Village alone I will willingly acknowledge him for S. Peters Successor but still in the Bishopricke only and not in the Apostleship which ended in his person and is not deriued vnto his Successors in particular Churches THus doth the confession of the King of Englands faith remain firme and vnshaken against which Coeffeteau hath armed himselfe with humane testimonies being vtterly destitute of any authority out of the booke of God For as they that are ready to drowne catch hold on any thing so these men in a desperate cause embrace all defences but least of all those that be good Againe whatsoeuer this Doctor alleadgeth out of the Fathers is found to be eyther false or clipt or vtterly counterfeit This payment is not currant especially to such a Prince who hath consecrated his penne to the defence of the truth But this is not to be imputed to Coeffeteaus disability but to the vnlawfulnesse of the cause vnto which we haue in such sort satisfied as whosoeuer shall examine my worke he shall finde an answere to Bellarmines booke also which he hath not long since made against the said booke of the King of great Britaine with more weakenesse and lesse dexterity then Coeffeteau hath done There remayneth the last part of his Maiesties booke wherein with a straine of admirable wit assisted by the spirit of God hee openeth the booke closed with seuen seales and piercing into the secrets of sacred Prophesies he findeth in the seat of Rome the full accomplishment of the Apocalyps When hate and bitternesse shall be extinguished through time Posterity shall admire both the worke and the person and looking backe into ages past for the like patterne shall not be able to finde any thing to be compared with it We will not feare then to enter into these darkenesses vnder so great a guide for it is hard eyther to stumble or to stray where so faire a Torch doth light and shine before vs. But we must here take breath a while before we enter into this taske For the sudden death of our King like a great cracke of Thunder benummeth our handes with astonishment and troubleth our spirits with griefe and anguish Let vs then giue place to necessity and leaue to write that we may haue leisure to lament and let Posterity carefully bethinke it selfe of remedies and hold it for a thing most certaine that hee that setteth light by his owne life is master of another mans and that there is nothing so forcible to make vs to contemne our owne liues as this new doctrine which by the murther of Kings openeth the way to the Kingdome of heauen FINIS Faults necessarily to bee corrected The first number noteth the Page the second the Line The letter R. standeth for Reade L. signifieth the line in the same PAGE PAge 13.25 r. Siloe 14.20 r. Enfant 17.19 r. Armies l. 24. r. these 20.15 r. villanies 42.13 for that r. as l. 19. r. State 49.25 r. things that appeare are more feared c. 56. l. vlt. r retorted 62.2 r. infinity of businesses 71.3 for or r. and. 74.2 r. differents 79.24 r. in the Bookes of the Acts and Charters 81.1 r. See and in the margent paulum annixus 82.1 r. whom l. 3 r. giue it l. 20. r. Ostia 84.25 r. deuolued 90.27 r. Ruota 91.4 r. fifth part or fifth penny 95.14 blot out he l. 25. r. Distinction 97.23 for alleadged r. already 99.18 make it 560.100.26 r. no wayes for now adayes 101.24 for take r. make 102 17. r. aboue 104.24 for Sinnes r. Summes 106.25 r Bellisarius 107.20 r. Conon 108.4 r. debonnaire l. 7. for to r. doe 110.1 for penalty r. priuity 119.12 Consiglio l. 17. r. retchlesse 125.7 for which is r. with l. 11. r. Augustin l. 25. for as r. and. in the margent Ponticus verunnius 127.20 r. different 136.24 blot out kinde in the marg r. communia debere 140.9 r messieurs l. 12. r. of for or 147.15 r. receiued them 158.2 r. or no more 160.25 r. Nattiers 161.1 blot out the. 168.4 r. Doctors l. 17. madonna 27. Letanies 169.22 for Fathers r. saluation 173.11 r. the brecz-flies 174.9 r. discourse l. 19. r. she for he 177. l. the last r. Antonine 178 27. r. places for phrases 180.18 r. as not being 182.18 r. lauour l. 20. r. washed 188.18 r. but saith 193.11 r no prescription 197.27 for toward r. ouer vs. 203.20 r. out of the 217.23 for ouer turnes r. powreth out of l. the last r. therefore 221.1 blot out the. 229.28 r. they saw well that if they should breake 261.3 for tongues r. Fire-tongs 281.11 r. commanded 300.1 r. meditation 301.8 for defectiue r. wanting 305.4 r. another 307.22 blot out that l. 23. r. should 308.1 blot out bad 309.25 r. with l. 28. r. istud 349.14 for if r. though 369.28 r. 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