my couenant With you saith the Lord my Spirit which is vpon thee and my wordes which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seede saith the Lord from henceforth and for euer Isa. 59. ver 21 But the Anabaptists in our dayes brag of the reuelations of the spirit which reuelations notwithstanding agree not with the written word of God and therfore it is certaine that their reuelations are but fantasies and toyes of brain-sicke men This written word of God is to be read in the bookes of MOSES and the Prophets of whome Christ said Search the Scriptures for they beare testimonie of me Ioh. 5. And in the bookes written by the Apostles and Euangelists whome Christ commanded to tarie at Jerusalem vntill they were endued with power from aboue Actes 1. ver 8. This power wherewith they were endued from aboue was double First a power to knowe the sense and meaning of the Scriptures of God Secondly power to vtter boldly and couragiously in all languages and to all nations the trueth which they knewe This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 distinguisheth the writings of the Prophets and Apostles from all other writings as THEODORETVS prudently hath noted de principio Serm. 2. The will of God saith hee is not to be sought in the bookes of PLATO who like as he knewe litle in matters concerning God so likewise hee was timorous and durst not vtter vnto the worlde boldly that litle sponke of knowledge which he had Hee knew there was onely one God but in his letters written to DIONYSIVS if they were serious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was the beginning of the letter thâ—…t is oâ—…e God but if the letter was not serious nor dited froÌ„ the â—…ound of his heart then the beginning of the letter was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is pluralitie of gods Who can giue vndoubted credite in maters pertaining to God to such men as know but a litle and the litle thing that they know they dare not presume to tell it to others But the Apostles were indued with strength from aboue they were taught by the Spirit of Christ in al trueth Iohn 16. they were not dashed with feare of the countenances of men Acts 4. but couragiously preached the truth of God to the great admiration of their hatefull aduersaries The word of God written by MOSES was so perfitly written that it was not lawfull to adde any thing vnto it nor to paire any thing from it Deut. 4. 12. Neither did the Prophets or Apostles adde any thing vnto the writings of MOSES but they were faithfull interpreters of MOSES bookes and vttered that same thing more clearely which was somewhat darkly shadowed into the ceremonies of the Law For like as a marchant man who hath fine cloth rolled vp in his shop if he shall lay it out in breadth and length vpon a table it remaineth the selfe same cloth it was before but it is better seene and knowne then it was before euen so the Apostles haue vttered the mysteries of the Kingdome of God more clearely then MOSES did but they haue said no more anent the saluation of man then MOSES saide before them This pure and perfite word of God should not be mixed with humane traditions for by this mixture three injuries are done to the written worde of God First by this meane the reuerence due vnto the written worde of God is impared and diminished Secondly traditions by time are equalled vnto the written worde of God and thirdly traditions are preferred vnto the written word of God And this beeing the last period whereunto the reuerence of humaine traditions tendeth to make the writâ—…n commandementes of God of none effect by their traditions as Christ clearely testifieth Mat. 15 ver 6. humane traditions are the lesse to bee regarded of all true hearted Christians to the end the written word of God may haue the owne due honour and reuerence Many false imputations against sacred Scriptures are forged by Papistes to transport the hearts of people from the perfite reuerence of scripture calling it imperfite vnsufficient and that it is obscure and that it is perillous to Laicke people to reade it lest they fall into errour The first accusation of Scripture is the vnsufficiencie of it The Bishop of Enereux that blasphemous man was bold to write a booke of the vnsufficiencie of Scripture and the greatest argument hee vseth if it were granted yet prooueth it not his purpose for he thinketh that wee haue not sufficiently by Scripture conuicted the Anabaptists who deny that children should be baptized till they be of perfite yeeres to giue a confession of their owne faith Wee suppone that all this were true yet it prooueth not vnsufficiencie in scripture but rather insufficiencie in vs to whome the mysteries of the booke of God are not sufficiently knowne There is a place of Scripture Exod 3. I am the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. In this place I say is an argument secretly latent and prooning the resurrection as Christ clearely declareth disputing against the Sadduces Mat. 22 ver 31. 32. yet no man before the manifestation of Christ himselfe euer perceiued that this argument was lurking in these words shall it be saide this argument was not in scripture because it was not perceiued by weake men to bee in scripture Truely it were good for this Bishop to follow the example of the Iudges that are in this Isle of Britaine when an act of Parliament is made and ratified the Iudges of our countrie decerne all causes according to the Acts but giue not out rash sentence against the Actes but when the Couenant of God is made and ratified by the bloode of Christe it were better to judge according to it then to giue out rash sentence against it Let vs consider what is written of the three bookes that shall be opened at the day of Iudgement and whereby the worlde shall be judged One of the three bookes is expresly nominat to wit the booke of life Apocal chap. 20. ver 10 the other two no man can denie to bee the Booke of the Lawe and the booke of the conscience because the Booke of the Lawe declareth all that wee should haue done and the booke of the conscience beeing opened manifesteth all that wee haue done whereupon the righteous Iudge of the worlde groundeth a just sentence of condemnation against vngodly men in this maner The booke of the Lawe manifesteth what yee should haue done the booke of your owne conscience manifesteth that yee haue done the contrarie and moreouer also your names are not found written in the Booke of life Therefore departe from mee into the fire prepared for the Deuill and his angels Nowe I demaund of Papistes concerning these three bookes that shall bee opened is any of them imperfite Is there any elect person whose name is not written in the booke of
miserable to keepe in their bosomes the testimonies of their owne condemnation as the Jewes did who kept the bookes of MOSES and of the Prophets which beare testimonie of Christ Ioh. 5. yet they beleeued not in Christ they kept them indeede to our great profite but to their own just condemnation because they neither beleeued the promises of the worde neither were terrified with the threatnings of that same booke which they kept I pray God we may be better keepers of holy writings then the reprobate Jewes were In this controuersie to defend vnwritten traditions the bookes of ancient fathers are sifted and raked and infinite paines are taken to holde vp this maine and yet dayly decaying pillar of their kingdome It is not my purpose neither to defend nor to excuse euery thing that fathers haue written Onely I say in good conscience that great injurie is done to some of them by the Papistes namely to the most ancient father IRENEVS B. of Lions Hee striueth against VALENTINVS an Heretique and conuicteth him by tradition of the Churches which were thought in his time to be Apostolicke but the heades that he proueth by tradition are the principall articles of our faith That there is one God maker of heauen and earth and that Christ was borne of a virgin and suffered under Pontius Pslate and rose againe and was receiued into the brightnesse of glory and that hee shall come againe to saue such as are to be saued and to judge such as are to be judged c And such sort of traditions as are altogether agreable to holy Scriptures we contrauert not vpon Secondly IRENEVS had a conflict with Heretiques who regarded not scripture but saide they were ambiguous and doubtsome had no authority that tradition was more ancient then scripture and therefore necessitie compelled IRENEVS to fight against him with his owne weapons as PAVL did against the Athenians with testimonies of Poets Acts 17. Iren. lib. 3. cap. 2. cap. 3. Yet was it not IRENEVS purpose to prooue any thing repugnant to scripture The traditions which they reade of in other fathers if any be bound to keepe them it is they themselues who leane vnto them as a necessarie supplement of the want that is in scripture but they themselues will not be bound to the obseruation of them all but haue let many of them goe out of vse such as praying betweene Easter and Whitsonday not vpon their knees but standing on their feete to put them in remembrance of Christes resurrection such like three dippings in water whereof wee spake in the heade of antiquitie And after Baptisme the taste of a temper of milke and honie to signifie their spirituall infancie and many other traditions they haue suffcred to euanish and go out of vse so that we are the lesse bound to them To drawe vnto an ende of this treatise It may be demanded Was not tradition at some time in honourable regard in the house of God and how it commeth to passe that now in the last age of the world we wil bring al traditions vnto the balance of the written word counting light all these traditions that are not agreable to the Scriptures For answere vnto this question we shall distinguish the worlde into three ages and speake of the force of tradition in euery age Godwilling In the first age of the world from ADAM to the flood of NOE tradition had the greater place because the Worde ' of God was not as yet written but God spake by Oracles to ADAM and that which the Lorde spake to him hee deliuered it by faithfull tradition to his postēritie Nowe in this first age it cannot be denied but tradition had great place and to the ende the faith of the posteritie should not leane vpon the naked report of their fathers as vpon an vncertaine ground it pleasedGod to bestow vpō these fathers of the first age two great priuiledges First they were indued with the spirite of prophecie for ADAM prophecied of secret things that were done when hee was sleeping Gen. 2 ver 23 And HENOCH the seuinth from ADAM prophecied in the first age of the world of things that are to be done in the last age of the world Epist. Iud ver 14. 15. And LAMECH prophecied of his sonne NOAH Gen. 5. Beside this God bestowed vpon these fathers long life so that ADAM liued vntill he deliuered the Oracle of God spoken vnto him to HENOCH and HENOCH liued till he deliuered the same to LAMECH and LAMECH to NOE so that NOE needed not to bee in doubte whether the reporte of his fathers concerning the Oracle spoken to ADAM was true or not because it was conueied to him by the handes of faithfull witnesses of vnsuspect credite yea holie Prophets deliuered the holie Oracle of GOD to NOE and holie Prophct of GOD also as they were In the second age of the world it pleased God to register his blessed will in write in the dayes of MOSES and then tradition was nothing else but a page and handmaide to the written worde of God For true it is that God commanded fathers to tell their posteritie the wonderful works of God in slaying the first borne of Egypt and sparing the first borne of the I ewes Exod. 13. ver 8. yet this tradition of fathers to their children was agreable to the word of God written by MOSES in so far that the posteritie beleeued not the writings of MOSES because they were agreable to the report of their fathers but rather the reporte of their fathers because it was agreable to the worde of God written by MOSES and so tradition in this age was a page and handmaide to the written worde of God neither doe wee reade after the worde was written that God commanded fathers to tell anything to their children that was not expresly contained in the written word of God In the last age of the world we should be more attentiuely addicted to the written worde and lesse to tradition in regard the Apostles were moued to put the summe of their most wholesome doctrine in write because their doctrine was not rightly reported euen by those who heard the Apostles teach as said is And if the writing of the summe of their wholesome doctrine was a remedie deuised by the Apostles themselues against false traditions wrong reports of Apostolicke doctrine what injurie doe we to the Romaine Church when we examine al their traditions by the rule of the writtē word that which is not agreable to the written word wee reject it as a doctrine neither catholicke nor Apostolicke because that it is found light when it is weighed in the just balance of the written word of God Now consider howe damnable an inclination is in this our corrupt nature When God reueiled his blessed will by tradition men were not attentiue to it but preferred their lust vnto the will of God reueiled by tradition for the sonnes of
clothed in his fathers house that he would not eat any longer of husks and the food of Swine euen so our heauenly father hath fed vs with that Manna that came downe from heauen and it is no time nowe to vs to be fed with the huskes of PLATOES schoole any longer The cause wherefore foolish people are so addicted to Purgatorie albeit it be but an Ethnicke inuention is this a carnall affection that men carie toward their defunct parents or friendes to whome they are so affectionat that if any action done by liuing men could helpe them that are deade they would doe it with all their heart and of olde time it was a custome that when men were recently departed this life their friends would thrust the sacrament in the mouth of the dead body meaning thereby to procure some reliefe to the soule which custome was damned in the third Councill of Carthage Canon 6. In respect Christ biddeth giue the sacrament with this commandement Take eat but dead bodies can neither take nor eate Alwayes it was carnall affection not ordered with knowledge that mooued friends so to doe And in our dayes men that are in heauinesse and full of affection toward their owne friendes are both timorous and credulous so timorous that they feare that their friendes after death should be pined in Purgatorie so credulous that they beleeue that the prayers and almes deades of the liuing their saying of Masses or buying of pardons can helpe the dead either to mitigat their paine or to procure vnto them haistie reliefe out of paine If these two grounds could be remoued that simple people would not preposterously bee both timorous and credulous the conceit of Purgatorie would cease Papists themselues that are corrigible I would exhort before I answere to their arguments that they would doe this honour to Iesus Christ not to make his majestie like vnto ADONIIAH 1. Reg. 1. This proud man called IOAB the Captaine of the hoste and ABIATHAR the Priest and the kings sonnes except SALOMON to banket and by not inuiting to that banket SALOMON and BATHSHEBA his mother and NATHAN the Prophet and ZADOCK and BENAIAH no doubt but hee was minded to bring innocent people vnder the guiltinesse of treason as their speeches to DAVID clearely declare that they forsawe this inconuenient But Iesus Christ is not like vnto ADONIIAH to seek e a quarrell against innocent people whom he himselfe hath purged from all sinne in the precious fountaine of his blood 1. Ioh. 1. Will the Lorde Iesus after hee hath purged vs from all spot of sin in the fountaine of his owne blood send vs to Purgatorie when wee die and not call vs to that celestiall banket of endlesse pleasure in heauen seeing the not calling of vs to that banket importeth a disliking and casting off of vs as ADONIIAH disliked SALOMON and his mother and NATHAN the Prophet the rest whom he inuited not to his banket Surely whomsoeuer the Lord hath loued so dearely that hee hath purged them from all spot of sinne by his blood he will not be vncouth to them by sending them to Purgatorie when they should be inuited to his banket Now in this disputation of Purgatory fire a solide ground is to be laide downe that euery man may know of what sort of paines after this life we dispute All paines are either temporall or eternall Of eternall paines there is no disputation in this treatise Temporall paines say we are inflicted vpon men onely in this life for their amendement if they bee of the number of Gods elect or else are forerunning tokens of euerlasting wrath if they be of the number of the reprobate For this cause the Apostle saith that there is no chastisement joyous for the present vntill it bring foorth the good fruite of righteousnesse Heb. 12. ver 11. And heere hee declareth clearely that temporall chastisements are inflicted vpon the godly for their amendement On the other part the prophecie that was in the mouth of ZARESH the wife of HAMAN albeit grounded onely vpon experience yet it declareth that the downe-casting of wicked men is a forerunning token of a greater downe cast to followe after Ester chap. 6. ver 13. And this is a shorte summe of our opinion anent temporall punishments But Papistes defend that euen after this life there is temporall punishments in Purgatorie the suffering where of satisfieth God for off◅nces committed by men when they were aline and purgeth them that their soules may be meet to goe to heauen This opinion of theirs is linked with another absurde opinion that when out sinnes are freely forgiuen wee are not absolued both from guiltinesse and paine but from guiltinesse only but it remaineth still that we should suffer paines yea such paines whereby we satisfie for our sinnes committed after Baptisme what is this else but to make vs our own sauiours in a part and manifestly to contradict both scriptures and fathers for the scripture plainly saith There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ who walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8. And AVGVSTINE saith Culpa est quod injustus es poena quod mortalis es Christus suscipiendo panam non culpam poenam debevit culpam August de verbis domini serm 37. that is thy fault is this that thou art vnrighteous thy punishment that thou art mortall but Christ by taking vpon himselfe our punishment and not our fault hath abolished both our fault and our punishment Arguments brought in to prooue Popish Purgatorie are of three ranckes First some arguments taken out of the wordes of Canonicke and Apocryph scripture Secondly out of the writings of fathers Thirdly out of visions dreames and apparitions where of some are put in write for a memorial to the posteritie In the booke of the Psalms it is written Wee passed through fire and water into thy rest Psal. 65. ver 12. alias Psal. 66. ver 12. Here say they meńtion is made of Purgatorie fire But AVGVSTINE writing vpon this Psalme doth expone it otherwise The fire saith hee burneth the water rotteth both are to be feared the burning of trouble and rotting of water When there are disasters and vnhappie things in this world they are like vnto fire when we are in prosperitie and al things plenteously abound this is like water This is the exposition of AVGVSTINE In the prophecie of ZACHARIE it is written Thou also shalt be saued through the blood of thy couenant I haue loosed thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water Is this also spoken of Purgatorie There is in that chapter a prophecie of Christ of his office humilitie power loue and the operatiue vertue of his blood by which blood beeing his own blood the blood of the euerlasting couenant of God we who were sinners and bond-men of Satan are set at libertie and wee who were heires of hell and condemnation are fred from
that her body saw no corruption Alwayes shee died and was buried in the valley of Iosaphat and shee did not beare the chastisement of our transgressions as her Sonne CHRIST IESUS did Howe then could shee die if shee had beene free both of originall actuall sinne as Papistes affirme â—…uvenalis Bishop of â—…rusalem is saide to haue made narration of the assumption of the blesâ—…ed Virgine to Pulcheria Empresse and wife of the Emperour Martianus at that time when the Generall Councill of Chalcedon was assâ—…mbled But there are so many circumstances derogating creditâ—… to that alleadged history of the assumption of the Virgine Marie that it is hard for a Christian to leane vpon such vncertaine and doubtsome groundes First the writer of it is Nicephorus the father of many fables Secondly the reporter of it was Iuvenalâ—…s Patriarch of Hierusalem an Eutychian Heretique vntill the feare of the authoritie of the Generall Councill compelled him to reuoke his errour Thirdly in what place and to whom made Iuvenalis this narration namely in the chamber secretely to Pâ—…lcheria not in the Generall Councill openly where manie learned Fathers well acquainted with holy Scriptures were present who could haue controlled him declared that amongst those who died one onely to wit the holy One of GOD hath that priuiledge not to see corruption Epiphanius for causes knowne to himselfe for hee had heard this narration long before the dayes of Iuvenalis standeth not vpon the refutation of the assumption of the blessed Virgine but hee vtterly damneth the Collyridians as Heretiques who worshipped the Virgine Marie And in the matter of worshipping hee compareth her to the fruite of the forbidden tree It was a faire fruite but herewith a fruit forbidden to bee eaten So was the mother of our LORD a blessed woman aboue all women yet was shee not GOD and consequently not to bee worshipped So that Epiphanius passeth by the ground of the argument giuing and not granting that the tradition of her assumption were true yet this consequence can not followe that shee shoulde bee adored and worshipped In like maner Ambrose saieth that the Virgine Marie was the Temple of GOD but not the GOD of the Temple In which wordes like as hee alloweth the worshipping of the holie Ghost so in like maner hee disalloweth the worshipping of the Virgine Marie The Booke of August De assumptione beatae Mariae Vâ—…rginis together with a Sermon of his In festo assumptâ—…onis beatae Mariae are knowne to be supposititious and Censura Lovaniâ—…nsis in the frontispice of that booke prefixeth this superscription NON EST AUGUSTINI The honourable titles and stiles giuen vnto the Virgine Marie by Ecclesiasticall Writers is another grounde wherevpon they doe leane vvho vvorshippeth the mother of our LORD shee is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say The mother of GOD our Ladie vndefiled complete holy a perpetuall Virgine vnspotted Paradise a liuing Altar the mountaine ouer-shadowed by the holy Spirit All these honourable stiles I say were giuen vnto her in the writinges of ancient Fathers not of purpose to Deifie the blessed Virgine nor to bring in pluralitie of Gods but to magnifie the worke of the LORDES Incarnation Methodus is so prodigall in his stiles that hee calleth her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the bread of life attributing to her the honour due to CHRIST onely It were better done to abstâ—…ine from wordes of superlatiue honoures belonging onely to CHRIST then after they are vttered to bee compelled by tolerable interpretations to lenifie the absurditiâ—… of vncompetent speaches The blâ—…ssed Virgine while shee was conuersant with mortall men directed such as came to her selfe to goe to hir Sonne and to depend vpon his blessed will and plâ—…asure saying vnto the seruantes Whatsoeuer hee saieth vnto you doe it much more now when shee dwelleth in celestiall mansions it is her will that we should depend vpon IESUS CHRIST her sonne her Sauiour her sonne her GOD her sonne the creator of her bodie whereinto hee was content to bee conceiued by the Holy Ghost As concerning the Inuocation of other Saintes Papistes rejoice in the multitude of Fathers who inuocate Saintes not onely Orators such as Basilius and NaZianZenus and Poets such as Prudentius who prayed vnto S. Laurence Vincentius the Virgine Agnes the Martyr Cassianus S. Cyprian S. Foelix and the Martyrs called Calaguritani Spanish Martyrs and Vascones as appeareth but also manie others were intangled with this error of whom I may justly say that thing which our maister CHRIST spake of the Samaritanes who worshipped GOD vpon mount Garizim Yee worship that which yee know not in which wordes CHRIST declareth that whatsoeuer worship is exhibited 〈◊〉 GOD without the warrand of his owne commandement it is naught And in that point the Fathers who prayed vnto Saintes they also worshipped that which they knew not For like as the Sunne when hee riseth and spreadeth his beâ—…mes throughout the worlde then the light of the Starres giue place to the glorious light of the Sunne euen so all the writinges of Fathers must needes giue place vnto the written worde of GOD whereinto wee are commanded to call onely vpon GOD in the day of our trouble and there is neither commandement promise nor example in Scripture to warrand the doctrine of Inuocation of Saints as hath beene already declared Now the authors of the doctrine of Inuocation of Saintes if they would search out the first originall of it they haue cause to bee ashamed for it came not from the Apostles but from the Gentiles No man who hath read the Dialogues of Plato can bee ignorant that vpon consideration of the dissimilitude that is betwixt mortall men and the immortall GOD he imagined some mid-creatures whose endeuour was this to carie the prayers and sacrifices of men to GOD and againe to carie the commandementes and oracles of GOD to men these mediate persons hee calleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of whom hee saieth that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is betwixt GOD and mortall man to wit mediators No such doctrine is conteined in holy Scripture Yea and ancient Fathers who attribute too much vnto Martyrs in calling them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thas is helpers phisitions GODS friendes and beloued seruantes yet they abhorred from the wordes of Plato to call them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Theodoretus saieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Let vs not bee so mad Yet Papistes rush forward to this excesse of madnesse not onely to call the Saintes departed Intercessors but also mediators of intercession which is Plato his errour viuely expressed in the words aboue mentioned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To conclude the question of Inuocation of Saintes it is not vnlike to the controuersie that was betwixt Iphtah and the king of Ammon for the landes lying
doe the like Example in ABRAHAM who had a warrant to kill his owne sonâ—…e The people of Israel had a warrant to borrow from the Aegyptians vessels of siluer gold and costly rayment and Moses had a warrant to make Cherubimes and a brasen Serpent but those thinges are not lawfull to others who want the like warrant The next Argument borrowed from Scripture is this IACOB worshipped the top of IOSEPHS staffe therefore it is lawfull to worship Images The Councill of Francford answereth to this Argument that like as there is no such wordes in the Hebrew text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the words of the Apost in the Epistle to the 〈◊〉 cap 〈◊〉 vers 21 conteineth no such thing where it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is hee worshipped leaningaboue the top of his scepter but he worshipped not his Scepter And Augustine in his questions vpon Genesis affirmeth that he worshipped GOD and not the staffe of IOSEPH The third Argument taken out of Scripture is out of the booke of the Psalmes O Lord I haue loued the beautie of thy house Of this they concluded that images should be loued worshipped seeing they are the beautie and ornament of GODS house To this argument it is answered by the Councill of Francford that this argument is grounded vpon a wrong interpretation of Scâ—…ipture for by the house of GOD is not meant a materiall Temple and the ornament of GODS house is not Images but spirituall vertues Many other places of Scripture are filthily abused but I will haue some regarde to the Readeâ—… that he be not wearâ—…ed in reading an heape of friuolous arguments Many arguments are taken out of the writings of Fathers to proue the adoration of Images but these following are the chiefe and principall First they say that Basilius Mag us affirmeth that the honour done to the Image redoundeth to him whose image it is This he peaketh of Christ who is the Image of the inuisible God Coloss. 1. vers 5. And who is the brightnesse of his glory and the ingrauen forme of his person Heb. 1. vers 3. buth e is not speaking of Images formed by the hands of men The testimonie of Gregorius Nyssâ—…nus is cited who writeth that when he passed by the image of Abraham viuely pictured with the knife drawne readie to kill his sonne he could not abstaine from shedding of teares This argument is counted friuolous albeir Gregorius Nysserus wept yeâ—… he bowed not his knee to worship the imâ—…ge of Ab aâ—…an Moreouer the Councill of Franckford alleadged that the bookes of Gregorius Nyssenus were not extant Amongst argumentes taken from naturall reason to prooue adoration of Images this is the chiefe The Emperours Image is honoured therefore the Image of Christ should be honoured To this argument the Council of Francford 〈◊〉 this answere that GOD is not like vnto a morteli King locally circumscribed so that wheÌ„ he is in one place he cannot be at that same selfe time in another place Therefore to intertaine a 〈◊〉 rence in the peoples hearts towards their Prince this Custome of honouring the Kings image was found out But God who is euery where present whom no place can conteine he is not to bee sought in Images neither was that forme of worshipping either commanded or allowed by GOD. The argument inuented of later dayes to prooue adoration of Images is sophisticall the dishonour done to the Image of CHRIST redoundeth to himsâ—…lfe 〈◊〉 the honour done to the Image of Christ redoundeth also to Christ is an honouring of Christ himselfe The antecedent is prooued by the fact of Iulian the apostate in breaking in pieces the Image of Christ in Caesarea Philippi To this it may bee answered that the breaking downe of the brasen Image in Casarea Philippi was not a dishonouring of Christ in respect of the fact that Iulian did but in respect of the intention of the doer but when this is proued the consequent will not follow For albeit an euill intention be eneugh to bring a man within the compasse of such as dishonour Christ yet a good intention is not eneugh to proue that we are honourers of Christ but our actions also must bee ruled according to the commandements of Christ and therefore they who haue only an intention to honour Christ but in the meane time violateth his commandements by worshipping him into an Image shall neuer be counted honourers of Christ. The fourth rancke of argumentes is taken from miracles wrought by Images This argument is weake and faultie in all sides The antecedent is false as shall be declared hereafter But suppone that miracles had beene wrought in Images or by images it followeth not that they should be worshipped In the wildernesse God cured his people miraculously by looking to the brasen Serpent yet it was not lawfull to worship the brasen Serpent and when the people worshipped it HEZEKIAS brake it in pieces and called it Nâ—…hustan In like maner GOD wrought a notable miracle by the ministrie of PAVL and BARNABAS at Lystra yet would they not suffer the people to worship them and the comming of the Antichrist is foretold to be mighty by lying wonders yet is not the Antichrist to bee worshipped Therefore this argument is of no force albeit it were true that miracles had beene wrought by Images But let vs examine the antecedent of this argument they say that miracles haue beene wrought by Images For confirmation of this they bring in the viue similitude of Christes face printed into a cloth and by Christ his application of the cloth to his blessed face with his owne handes which portrature of his face he deliuered to the painter of King Agbarus to bee caried to him because the painter dazled with the splendore of CHRISTES face could not paint his similitude Now say they the very effigie of CHRISTS face miraculously by touching only stamped in the clothe declareth that GOD worketh miracles both in Images and by Images I answere this fable of Agbarus painter was not heard before the 700. yeere of our LORD that Damascene maketh mention of it The Apostles and Euangelists make no mention of any such thing neither yet Eusebius who had conuenient time to write of this miracle of the Painter if any such thing had beene true when hee writeth of the letter of King Agbarus sent to CHRIST and CHRISTS answere returned againe to him The miracle of the Image of CHRIST crucified by the Iewes in Berythus a towne of Syria out of the pierced side whereof flowed blood and water in great abundance and this blood mixed with water had a medicinall vertue to cure all diseases The writing of this miracle is ascribed to Athanasius but the very stile ditement and phrase of writing declareth that it is a booke supposicitious and not belonging to Athanasius Like as many other bookes giuen out vnder the name
doctrine so that they who loue the trueth of GOD haue no neede to follow a false doctrine in regarde there is no man that dare gainesay it For I dare say to the commendation of the Councill of Francford that the Ibides of Aegypt were neuer more readie to deuoure the flying Serpents of Arabia so that they would not suffer them to light in the coastes of Aegypt than the Councill of Francford was readie to vndoe all the foolish arguments of the second Councill of Nice proouing the adoration of Images Before I set these Councills in opposite tearmes of contradiction the one to the other the preludie of the Councill is worthie to bee marked Adrian bishop of Rome sent a letter to the second Councill of Nice fraughted with lies and affirming that the Emperour Constantine was a leper that hee endeuourâ—…d to cure his disease by shedding of innocent babes blood that PETER and PAVL appeared to him in a vision by night and bade him goe and bee baptized by SILVESTER and his disease should bee healed and that in remembrance of this benefite CONSTANTINE builded Churches in Rome and adorned them with the Images of PETER and PAVL The groundes of this letter conteineth a masse of impudent lies CONSTANTINE was not a leper but a man gifted in soule beautifull in body and furnished with great giftes both of soule and body and meete for great workes as EVSEBIVS witneâ—…seth who liued in CONSTANTINES time and was familiarly acquainted with him Neither was hee baptized by SILVESTER in Rome but by EVSEBIVS in Nicomedia For SILVESTER and MARCVS his successour were both deade before that CONSTANTINE was baptized The rest of his letter is like vnto the sandie ground and fabulous narration whereupon it is grounded The arguments of the second Councill of Nice prouing adoration of Images may be distributed into foure rancks Some are taken out of Scripture others out of Fathers the third rancke from common reason the fourth from miracles If I propound their arguments into an intelligible order and likewise the â—…nsweres to them I doe a benefite to the Reader The Cherubims and the brasen Serpent were made by Gods commandement and the Cherubimes were seated in the place of adoration ergo Images may bee brought into the places of adoration There is a threefolde difference betwixt Images set vp in Churches to bee worshipped and the Cherubimes in the Temple First the Cherubimes are made by the expresse commandement of GOD but the images set vp in Temples are made expresse contrare to the Commandement of GOD. Secondly the Cherubimes and brasen Serpent were represâ—…ntations of diuine mysteries Thirdly neither the Cherubimes nor brasen Serpent were made for adoration as images are that are set vp in Temples If any man bee not fully resolued with these answeres let him vnderstand that the Law-giuer hath absolute authoritie to make exceptions from his owne Lawe but it is not lawfull to others without warrant of GODS commandement to doe the like Example in ABRAHAM who had a warrant to kill his owne sonne The people of Israel had a warrant to borrow from the Aegyptians vessels of siluer gold and costly rayment and Moses had a warrant to make Cheâ—…ubimes and a brasen Serpent but those thinges are not lawfull to others who want the like warrant The next Argument borrowed from Scripture is this IACOâ—… worshipped the top of IOSEPHS staffe therefoâ—…e it is lâ—…wfull to worship Images The Councill of Francford answereth to this Argument that like as there is no such wordes in the Hâ—…brew text euen so the words of the Apost in the Epistle to the Hâ—…brewes cap 11 vers 21 conteineth no such thing where it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is hee worshipped leaning aboue the top of hiâ—… scepter but he worshipped not his Scepter And Augustine in his questions vpon Genesis affirmeth that he worshipped GOD and not the staffe of IOSEPH The third Argument taken out of Scripture is out of the booke of the Psalmes O Lord I haue loued the beautie of thy house Of this they concluded that images should be loued worshipped seeing they are the beautie and ornament of GODS house To this argument it is answered by the Councill of Francford that this argument is grounded vpon a wrong interpretation of Scripture for by the house of GOD is not meant a materiall Temple and the ornament of GODS house is not Images but spirituall vertues Many other places of Scripture are filthily abused but I will haue some regarde to the Reader that he be not wearied in reading an heape of friuolous arguments Many arguments are taken out of the writings of Fathers to proue the adoration of Images but these following are the chiefe and principall First they say that Bâ—…silius Magâ—…us affirmeth that the honour done to the Image redoundeâ—…h to him whose image it is This he â—…peaketh of Christ who is the Imâ—…ge of the inuisible God Coloss. 1. vers 5. And who is the brightnesse of his glory and the ingrauen forme of his person Heb. 1. vers 3. but heâ—… is not speaking of Images formed by the hands of men The testimonie of Gregorius Nyssenus is cited who writeth that when he passed by the image of Abraham viuely pictured with the knife drawne readie to kill his sonne he could not abstaine from shedding of teares This argument is counted friuolous albeit Gregorius Nyssenus wept yet he bowed not his knee to worship the image of Abraham Moreouer the Councill of Franckford alleadged that the bookes of Gregorius Nyssenus were not extant Amongst argumenâ—…es taken from naturall reason to prooue adoration of Images this is the chiefe The Emperours Image is honoured therefore the Image of Christ should be honoured To this argument the Council of Francford 〈◊〉 this answere that GOD is not like vnto a mortall King locally circumscribed so that wheÌ„ he is in one place he cannot be at that same selfe time in another place Therefore to intertaine a reuâ—…rence in the peoples hearts towards their Prince this custome of honouring the Kings image was found out But God who is euery where present whom no place can conteine he is not to bee sought in Images neâ—…ther was that forme of worshipping either commanded or allowed by GOD. The argument inuented of later dayes to prooue adoration of Images is sophisticall the dishonour done to the Image of CHRIST redoundeth to himselfe â—…go the honour done to the Image of Christ redoundeth also to Christ is an honouring of Christ himselfe The antecedent is prooued by the fact of Julian the apostate in breaking in pieces the Image of Christ in Caesarea Philippi To this it may bee answered that the breaking downe of the brasen Image in Caesarea Philipps was not a dishonouring of Christ in respect of the fact that Iulian did but in respect of the intention of the doer but when this is
the woman described 12. Apocal. she was clothed with the sunne and had the Moone vnder her feete she had a diademe of twelue starres vpon her heade which vndoubtedly was the celestial light of Apostolicke doctrine she trauailed in birth to bring foorth children to God she was persecuted by the Dragon to her was furnished wings of an Eagle and shee fled vnto the wildernesse where she had a place prepared of God that they should feede her there a thousand two hundreth and threescore dayes Now I say I demand of the Papistes what wildernesse was this whereinto the woman lurked so long time for no man dare deny but this woman representeth the true Church of Christ the mother of vs all Lurked she in the wildernesse of Nitria or Schethis Or lurked she in the wildernesse of Arabia or Lybia Or lurked she in the wildernesse of Persia where IVLIAN the Apostat concluded his wretched life Or in what other wildernes of the world did she lurke When they haue giuen me an answere to this second question let them thinke in their own mind that they haue answered the question proponed against vs. If they can giue no answere to this question neither doe I tell them where our Church was sixe hundreth yeeres ago but let them demand this question at him who furnished Eagle wings to her and prepared a place for her in the wildernesse Alwayes it is an article of our faith I beleeue the holy caâ—…holicke Church albeit she was lurking yet she was not dead nor gone out of the world And like as the blood of Christ was not shed in vaine euen so there is in all ages a number of men and women washen in the fountaine of that precious blood and prepared for heauen albeit wee can not at all times point them out by the finger Now errour in religion consisting in adding or pairing or altering or contradicting the trueth contained in the word of God It is euident I say that errour in religion is a cursed and execrable thing To him that addeth vnto the Lordes worde shall be added all the plagues written in the booke of God and if any man take away from the wordes of Gods booke God shall take away his parte out of the booke of life Apoc. 22. ver 18. 19. The like condemnation no doubt abideth them who dare presume to alter the truth and change the right sense or meaning of it or to make a flat opposition and contradiction thereto And truely all these curses which God commanded to bee pronounced out of mount Ebal Deut. 27 euery Christian is commanded to say Amen vnto them a part whereof may justly be applyed against maintainers and forgers of errour in religion First Cursed be the man that shal make any carued or molten image which is an abomination to the Lord and all the people shal answere Amen ver 15. In the 17. verse he who remoueth his neighbours marke is accursed how much more hee who remooueth the marches of Gods most holy Lawe and couenant In the 18 verse Cuâ—…sed he bee that maketh the blind goe out of the way But a thousand times more cursed is he who peruerteth the mindes of ignorant people from the simplicitie of the trueth ofGod Vnto all these curses openly pronounced we are bound by the commandement to say Amen And like as errour in religion is a thing accursed of God so in like maner it is in itselfe an absurd thing and full of horrible confusion not onely repugning vnto the trueth but also to it selfe much like vnto IONAS gourd which had into it a worme that smote it so that it withered Ionas 4. 7 euen so there lurketh into the bowels ofancient errours a worme consuming them vntill they vtterly wither and evanish The errour of EVTYCHES may serue for example He thought that the immensitie of the diuine nature of Christ did so swallow vp his humane nature that in Christ there is no more two natures but one alanerly namely his diuine nature Nowe if so be howe are we saued by the death of Christ Can the diuinitie die Which absurditie of EVTYCHES errour was well marked by ALAMVNDARVS prince of Saracens as writeth THEODORVS lector lib. 2. More ouer the ancient errours which sprang vp euen in the Apostles owne dayes and immediatly after had some portrate and shape of that absurditie that should continue in all errours that were to spring vp afterward euer pairing the glorie that was due vnto the most High and aduancing creatures out of measure EBION and CERINTHVS denied Christes diuinitie and on the other parte MENANDER thought that the world was created by Angels Here we see Christs honour impaired but the honour of Angels infinitly augmented In like maner afterwarde ARRIVS denied that the Sonne of God was consubstantiall with the Father diminishing and pairing the honour due to Christ. But PFLAGIVS another Heretique magnified the power of mans corrupt nature as if in it there were an abilitie to performe all the commandements of God Thus we see that the very shape and similitude after the which Satan fashioned the errour of EBION CERINTHS and MENANDER continueth in ARRIVS and PELAGIVS And in our dayes the Papistes will not goe out of the byas of old Heretiques for Christ must not be the onely Mediator both of redemption and intercession but some thing must bee paired from the honour of Christ to the ende that the Sainctes may be enriched with the spoyle of Christ and be made vp mediators of intercession Here I leaue off to speake any further of the absurditie of ancient and execrable errours But now it may be demanded how commeth it to passe that absurd errours haue so many followers To this question let the Prophet IEREMIE answere who speaking of the people of his owne dayes vtterly addicted to olde idolatrie and to the worshipping of the hoste of heauen hee declareth also the reason mouing them to be so bent to old errours O say they When we sâ—…rued the host of heauen then had we plentie of all things but since we left off to doe so wee are consumed wâ—…th the pest the famine and the sword Ier. 44. ver 17. 18. Heere we see that the multitude judgeth that religion to bee best the professours whereof injoyes greatest ease wealth and worldly prosperitie But in the booke of the Psalmes we receiue a better instruction to judge of the trueth of God and professours thereof according to the hearing of faith and not according to outward things There are glorious things spoken of thee ô citie of our God Psal 87. ver 3. And these who judge according to outwarde appearance they erre in two things first they know not the right cause of the prosperitie of Idolaters secondly they knowe not the right cause of the penuritie of those who apparently haue forsaken idolatrie The Apostle saith that God ouerlooked the time of ignorance Acts 17. ver 30. but in time oflight when the candle
Canon containing a rehearsal of the bookes of holy Canonicke Scripture it declareth the book to be supposititious wherein the 3. bookes of Maccabees are comprehended as bookes of the old Testament And againe among the bookes of the new Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 note the preeminent dignitie it reckoneth the two epistles of CLEMENT and his precepts giuen to Bishops comprehended into 8. bookes which were not to be published to all men in respect they contained some secret mysteries Canon Apost cap. 84. Is then the epistles of CLEMENT the 8. bookes of his precepts written to Bishops the actes of the Apostles written by him Canonicke Scripture books of the new Testament equall to the writings of the Apostles yet dited for the most part as secret mysteries to Bâ—…shops to be concealed and hid from the people when as the Apostle PAVL by the contrarie writing to TIMOTHIE and TITVS writeth vnto them wholsome precepts to be communicat to the people And the Apostle IOHN writeth to the Angels of the seuen Churches of Asia nothing but wholesome precepts to be imparted and communicat to the 7. Churches Apoc. 2. 3. such a candle that shall be hid vnder a bushel and not set vpon a candlesticke to giue light vnto the houshold of God I dare not imagine that either the holy Apostles or yet CLEMENT one of the Apostles faithfull successours did euer light such a candle The allowance which these Canons of the Apostles got in the sixt generall Councill Anno 681. whereof GREGORIVS HOLOANDER the conuerter of them out of Greeke into Latin glorieth so much was vpon an occasion whereof the Romaine Church hath cause to blush and to be ashamed rather then to glorie much First because in that generall Councill HONORIVS 1. sometime Bishop of Rome was condemned of heresie Secondly because in that Council the Bishop of Constantinople was ordained to be in equall authoritie with the Bishop of Rome And thirdly because the constitutions of the Latin Church forbidding men who were in ecclesiasticall offices to marie these constitutions I say were vtterly disallowed and the 5. chapter of the Canons of the Apostles gote better allowance because in it it was statute and ordained that the Bishop Elder or Deacon who repudiateth his own wife vnder pretence of religion shall be excommunicat and if he continue so doing he should be deposed Now this generall Councill making in so many principall points against them and onely gracing the supposititious booke of the Canons of the Apostles of purpose to disgrace the constitutions of the Romaine Church if HOLOANDER had remembred what he had bene doing he had bene more sparing in alledging the authoritie therof The shortnes of the treatise wil not permit me to make plaine to the reader how the Council gathered by CONSTANTINVS POGONATVS and the fathers of that same Councill gathered againe by IVSTINIAVNS 2. to perfite the worke they had immediatly afore begun both constitute but one generall Councill Alwayes if any thing seeme to be made vp against vs by the alledgance of a testimonie out of the booke of the Canons of the Apostles remember in what time this testimonie is alledged namely in the 68 1 yeere of our Lord. If IVSTINVS MARTYR or IRENEVS or any ancient father neere vnto the Apostles dayes had cited a testimonie out of this supposititious booke it had bene more likly that the Apostles had giuen command to CLEMENT Bishop of Rome to write that booke As touching the third maske of antiquitie to wit the decretall epistles in the first Tome of Councils and the distinctions of GRATIAN falsly ascribed to the ancient Bishops of Rome I hope in the mercy of God to remember a few of them specially in the 3. Centurie but not to the honour of impudent and vnlearned fellowes who haue forged these decretall epistles as if the world in all ages could produce no broods of better spirits then the asses compositours of these decretall epistles As concerning the accurate speculations of DIONYSIVS AREOPAGITA who was neuer rauished vp vnto the third heauen as PAVL was neither sawe things that were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is things that cannot be spoken and which are not possible for any man to vtter as PAVL did 2. Cor. 12. ver 4. I say of him onely two things First if he had beene so ancient a writer as Papistes speake and the disciple whom PAVL conuerted by his preaching in Mars street Acts 17 then ancient writers had made mention of him such as IVSTINVS IRENEVS and CYPRIAN and such others but of his writings no mention is made in the greatest antiquitie Secondly I say with that reuerent Doctour of our own nation Mr THOMAS SMETON that the books giuen out vnder the name of old DIONYSIVS AREOPAGITA sunt prorsus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are altogether fecklesse impertinent frivolous books Of Heresie EPIPHANIVS Bishop of Cyprus when hee writeth against Heretiques he intituleth his booke Panarium that is a medicinable boxe or shrine whereinto are contained sauing medicaments against the venome oflying doctrine albeit heresie be a poysonable and hurtfull thing yet treatises of heresie haue bene compiled not to hurt any man but to giue warning to eschewe the pernicious snares of the deuil Like as learned men who haue written of the nature of herbes haue not onely written of such herbes as are meete for food and of such as haue a medicinable vertue to cure diseases but of those also that are venemous and poysonable to the end that men beeing warned of the perill that is in eating of them they may escape danger and be kept in safetie In all ages wicked men haue bene like vnto IVDAS when hee entred into the garden of Gethsemane where Christ was praying and sweating bloodie teares for the saluation of mankinde he stepped in into the garden only of purpose to betray his master so doe wicked men in our daies read the holy Scriptures diligently walking as it were in the middes of the garden of God but onely of intention to betray Christ Iesus and to gainsay his euerlasting trueth On the other side it becommeth vs well when we are driuen either by necessity or by some honest occasioÌ„ to be in places where Satan hath set vp his throne to be walking as it were through the garden that Satan hath planted then let vs mark diligently the abominatioÌ„s of the deuill the multitude of serpents and vipers that are lurking there and giue warning to poore soules who are intangled with error to leaue that habitation of Dragons to come forth out of that comfortlesse den to the end their soules may be refreshed with the delectable flowres of the garden of God I hope in the mercy of God so to speake of heresy as I shal moue no man to be an Heretique And as concerning the rayling words of the aduersaries of the truth who haue with opeÌ„ mouth proclaimed vnto the world that we are Heretiques
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is consubstantiall with the father yet they graunted that hee was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of like substance with the Father But AETIVS ACATIVS and EVNOMIVS another race of ARRIANS thought that the Sonne was neither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to his Father and for this cause they were called Anomoeâ—… The thirde faction of Aâ—…rianes were MACEDONIVS and his adherents who were inconstant and wauering minded in their opinions concerning the Sonne of God sometime leaning to the Homooâ—…sians sometime to Homoiousians and sometime to Anomoei according as any occasion of griefe was presented to them by any one partie they leapt to the opinion of another partie but these wandering starres and wauering fooles obstinately spake against the diuinitie of the holy Ghost This diuision amongst themselues was the first forerunning token of the decay of this heresie What desolation also came vpon Nicomedia the principall towne of Bithynia appointed by the Emperour CONSTANTIVS for the meeting of Arrian Bishoppes the historie doth record The Lorde shooke the towne of Nicomedia with an earthquake and disappointed the meeting of the Arrians Socrat. ecclef hist. lib. 2. cap. 39. THEODORETVS differeth from SOCRATES anâ—…nt the place appointed for the convention of Aâ—…rian Bishops alwayes he granteth that it was shaken with earthquake and ouerthrowne Theodoret. lib. 2 cap. 26. In the last roome let vs consider after what maner of way should Heretiques bee dealt with by Pastours magistrates and people As concerning the Pastour because he should be a man of knowledge and able to convict those that gainsay the trueth Tit. 1. the Pastour should conferre with the Heretique admonish him once or twise to returne to the soundnesse of faith Tit. 3. Wherin it is to be noted that the worde in the Greeke language betokening admonition is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word pointâ—…th out the end and purpose of the preachers trauailes rather then his painfull trauailes for the end should be to put a right minde into him or to bring him to his right wittes againe for an Heretique is a mad fellow indeede and out of his right wit as NAZIANZEN spake of Aâ—…OLLINARIS who denied that Christ had a soule as we haue but his diuine nature joyned with his body supplied the roome of his soule NAZIANZEN writeth of him that when he spake of the minde of Christ he was mad and by his minde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And it is a very hard matter to reduce a mad man to his right wit againe therefore let a preacher take it to hart that to conuert a Heretique is a difficill worke for he is dealing with a man possessed with a strong deuill who cannot be cast out by Christs disciples except Christ himselfe put hand to the worke Mat. 17. This the Apostle writeth not to make Pastours to despaire and giue ouer the care of conquessing of Heretiques but to doe this worke circumspectly and warily with humilitie and reuerent feare crauing that our Lord and master Christ Iesus would kyth his strength in our weakenesse otherwise this turne can not be done Yet lest any faithfull preacher should be vtterly dismaide in regarde of thâ—… difficultie of the worke two things are to be considered first the Apostolicke commandement warning vs to admonish him once or twise which warning seing it is not giuen in vaine it should be obeyed Secondly God hath blessed the trauailes of some of his seruants by them some Heretiques haue bene reclaimed to the right faith as namely BERYLLVS Bishop in Bostra in Arabia who denied that Christ was existent before he tooke flesh of the virgine yet by the painfull trauailes of ORIGEN hee was conuerted to the true faith againe Euseb. eccles hist. lib. 6. cap. 33. And this is the cause wherfore I separat BERYLLVS from ARTEMON in the subsequent historie In like maner God blessed the trauailes of DIONYSIVS Bishop of Alexandria by whome in a place of Egypt called Arsenoâ—…is Coracione was conuerted who had bene before infected with the errour of NEPOS an Egyptian Bishop and father of the Chiliastes Euseb. eccl hist. lib 7. cap. 24. And therefore let not the faithful Pastours despaire because the worke is difficil but obey Gods commandement and commit the issue to God himselfe Concerning Magistrats like as they prescribe to all men their duties so in like maner God who is their onely superiour prescribes their dutie to them in all things and in this mater also for the Lord commanded the false prophet who allured the people to follow other gods to be slaine Deut. 13. ver 5. What rewarde then belongeth vnto Heretiques their successouts for it is all one to worshippe a false god and to worship the true God falsly and if the false prophets who entâ—…sed the people to worshippe a false god should die what other sentence can be giuen out by the magistrates against an hereticall teacher who entiseth people to worship the true God falsly but onely that he should be slaine Hee is worse then a murtherer who killeth a mans body for there may bee some valuation of the harme and skaith that a murtherer hath done but who can value and ponder the harme that an Heretique doeth who by false doctrine murthereth the soules of infinite numbers of people hee is worse then an infidell forasmuch as hee hath obtained a more abominable name then an infidell For an infidell as S. AVGVSTINE speaketh cannot be called desertor fidei oppugnator â—…ius that is a forsaker and impugner of the faith because hee neuer embraced it but an Heretike is a backslider from the faith which sometime he professed and an hatefull impugner of the same Finally he is more pernicious then a Schismatike who laboureth to cut the band of loue wherwith we are coupled with our brethren but an Heretike endeuoureth to cut the very throate of faith wherewith we are coupled with our God Also a schisme hath many times beene found without an heresie but an heresie was neuer founde without a Schisme Then this question may be conceiued in these tearmes What shall be done with a man who is worse then a murtherer worse then an infidell worse then CORE DATHAN and ABIRAM who by a pernicious schisme rent the vnitie of the holy people yea what shall be done with them who like vnto Foxes sucke out the blood of Christ out of the soules of the poore sheepe of Christ Now let God answere from his Sanctuarie Let such a false prophet be slaine Deut 13. True it is indeede that the doubtsome judgements of ancient and learned fathers haue made this question more debatable then otherwise it needed to haue beene For S. AVGVSTINE in the booke of his Epistles is found till haue altered his opinion anent the punishment of Heretiques twise or thrise In the Epistle written to DONATVS Deputie of Afâ—…ke he would haue Heretiques to bee dantoned but not to bee slaine writting
life Is there any euill that wee haue done that is not written with a penne of Yron and with the point of a Diamond in the booke of the conscience Ierem. 17. ver I These two bookes are perfite Ho but the thirde booke of the Lawe and written Worde of God is not perfite In the day of the Lordes blessed appearance wee shall finde it perfite containing all that wee should haue either done or beleeued Secondly they say that the Scriptures are difficill to be vnderstand and therefore should not bee reade by common people And indeede the Apostle PETER granteth that some places of the Epistles of PAVL are hard to bee vnderstood 2. Pet. 3. but hee biddeth no man for this abstaine from the reading of PAVLS Epistles To ouercome difficulties there are better remedies The blessed virgine the mother of our Lord when she vnderstood not Christes wordes she kept and pondered them in her heart Luc. 2. IVSTINVS MARTYR was admonished by an ancient and reuerent Christian to joyne prayer with reading that God would please to open the ports of light and vnderstanding that he might conceiue the true sense meaning of that he read Iustin dialog Tryphen CHRYSOSTOM in his preface vpon the Epist. to the Romanes declareth that if a man would acquaint himself familiarly with the scriptur by continuall exercise of reading he should the more easily vnderstand Scripture as he who is familiarly acquainted with his friend wil know by his nod or becken what is his meaning AVGVSTINE likewise saith that as there is difficill places in Scripture to exercise the vnderstanding of the strong so likewise there is plaine and easie passages of Scripture as pleasant medowes whereinto babes may securely walke August Aboue all the rest our master Christ Iesus hath taught vs by his owne example to confer Scripture with Scripture Math. 4. to the end we be not deceiued by Satans false glosses and commentaries vpon Scripture This is better then vpon occasion of difficultie to reject and cast away from vs a thing so necessarie Thirdly they say that the reading of Scriptures is dangerous to simple people because they may easily fall into an errour for fault of vnderstanding the right meaning of that which is reade I might answere compendiously that by this argument no man should reade sacred scripture neither learned nor vnlearned men For many learned men by reading Scripture and not vnderstanding it aright haue beene patrons of heresie such as ARRIVS MACEDONIVS NESTORIVS EVTHICHES and diuers others Also the very Monkes whose solitarie life and continuall exercise in reading and praying might seeme to exeeme them more then others from errour and heresie yet by mistaking the places of Scripture that spake of the eyes the nostrels the face of God the breath of God the arme of God they supponed God to bee fashioned according to the likenesse of a man And so both learned and vnlearned Priestes and people men liuing in townes and lurking in cottages of the wildernes haue erred through misvnderstanding of Scriptures Yet Scriptures must be reade by all true Christians and our meditation night and day must be vpon the Lawe of God Psal. 1. ver 2. Let vs here consider that some things are not necessarie vnto eternall life and when they are abused it is not amisse that they bee remooued and put out of the way such as the brasen serpent which HEZEKIAS brake in pieces and called it Nebustan 2 Reg. cap. 18. ver 4. But other things are so necessarie vnto eternall life that albeit they were a thousand times abused yet they cannot be forsaken such as is that foode that feedeth our soules vnto eternall life Ioh 6. for the which we are commanded continually to labour And like as when many thousands are poysoned in meate or drinke as it fell out in the armie of CONRADVS 3. yet necessitie compelleth men to cate and drinke cuen so we must reade and meditate vpon the written worde albeit infinit numbers of people haue beene miscatied by not taking vp the right sense and meaning of Scripture Now the cause wherefore so many accusations are forged against Scripture is this because it is the powerfull instrument of God whereby teachers of lying doctrine are conuicted and confounded Places of holy Scripture are like vnto the smooth stones that DAVID tooke out of the brooke and fastened one of them into the head of GOLIAH 1 Sam. 17. ver 49. Euen so Heretiques are so confounded by the testimonies of Scripture that aboue all things they hate Scripture This IRENEVS toucheth shortly spealing of Heretiques in these words Cùm ex Scripturis arguuntur in accusationem convertuntur ipsarum Scripturarum lib. 3. cap. 2. that is When they to wit Heretiques are argued by Scriptures they turne themselues to the accusation of Scrip tures Thieues do hate the light and traitours the face of a ludge and Heretiques hate Scripture the very axe that is laid to the root of their tree that it may be hewed down cast into the fire and vtterly abolished Notwithstanding of all these false accusations let vs fast adhere to the written Word The fathers that liued in the time of these ten persecutions counted the volume of holy Scripture so precious a treasure that they could willingly offer their bodies to bee burned with fire for the faith of Christ but they would not giue one page of the holy Scripture to be burned and if any man did it he was called proditor that is a betrayer and was counted a companion to the traitour IVDAS who betrayed his master which custome was the ground of that great and long-lasting controuersie betwene CECILIANVS B. of Carthage the Donatists For the Donatists alledged that he had admitted to an ecclesiasti cke office a man who in time of persecution had bene proditor had deliuered a volume of holy Scripture to be burned If we will not followe the zeale of ancient Christians I will set downe a more familiar example of an ancient and honourable Lady of blessed memorie My eares heard her call the Scripture the charter of our heauenly inheritance because we haue no right to heauen but only by the promises contained in the Scriptures of God No man wil be content to haue their charter rest out of their hande If any difficil question arise by reading of it they will send for a wise Lawier and seeke resolution at him but they will assuredly keepe and reade their owne charter Euen so saith the foresaid nobleLady Gods people should not haue bene debarred from reading the holy Scriptures of God the very true charter of their heauenly inheritance This written word is the shepherds staffe of Christ wherby we are comforted in our life vpholden euen when wee walke through the shadowe of death Psal. 23. ver 4. Which staffe Christe holdeth in his hande not for his owne sake as other shepherdes doe to rest vpon it and to relieue their
owne infirmitie but onely for our sake who are sheepe of the sheepfold of Christe to guide vs by it to correct our wandering wayes and to holde vs in decent order Therefore of all things in the worlde let vs count Scripture a thing most pertinent to vs according to the saying of MOSES the secret thinges belong vnto the Lorde our God but the things reueiled belong to vs and our children for euer that wee may doe all the wordes of this Lawe Deut. 29. ver 29. to wit the Lawe written as is clearely declared Deut. 27. ver 2 and 3. When thou shalt passe ouer Iorden into the lande which the Lord thy God giueth thee thou shtli set up great stones and plaster them with plaster and Shelt witte upon them all the wordes of this Lawe c. Now if the writteÌ„ word be that very portion that belonged properly to our fathers to vs to our children we should sticke as fast to it as euer NABOTH did to his vineyarde remeÌ„bring euer these words of MOSES Things that are reuei led to wit in writ pertaine to vs to our children for euer According to the patterne of this written word were al reformations of religion made not according to the vncertaine report of traditions IOSIAS made reformation according to the booke of the couenant that was founde in the house of the Lord 2. Reg. cap. 23. ver 2. And therefore this worde of God ought diligently to be kept as the very patterne of all true reformation in religion if any abuse fall out at any time In our natiue countrie men are not so careful by diligent custodie to keep other measures as the measure whereby all other measures in the lande are measured one towne hath the weightes another hath the jug the third hath the furlot another hath the el-wand these are diligently kept because that bythem all faulty measures are corrected and reformed so aboue all things in this worlde the holy Scriptures should be most diligently kept Now before I speake of humane traditions the very end wherefore the Apostles committed to write the summe of their wholesome doctrine is a sore prejudice to tradition For some persons who hearde the Apostles preach went from Ierusalem to Antiochia and troubled the hearts of the Gentiles saying that they behooued to be circumcised and keepe the Law of MOSES to whome the Apostles gaue no such commandement Actes 15. Therefore the Apostles tooke occasion to put in write the summe of their doctrine Nowe if tradition was not a faithfull keeper of the Apostolicke doctrine in the very dayes of the Apostles and in the mouthes of them who heard the Apostles preach with their owne eares howe shall wee leane vnto the vncertaintie of traditions after the issue of sixteene hundreth yeeres The generalitie of the worde tradition is an occasion of errour to many for so soone as this word soundeth in their eares incontinent they thinke that all things necessarie vnto eternall life is not contained in Scripture but the want of Scripture must be supplied by traditions yet the Apostle calleth the very articles of our faith traditions namely that Christ died for our sinnes that he was buried and that he rose the third day againe 1. Cor. 15 ver 3. The Papistes take good heede to the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and say here mention is made of tradition but they obserue not so diligently the subsequent wordes albeit they be twise repeated by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is according to Scriptures If they will needs obtrude vnto vs traditions at the least let them be agreable vnto Scriptures and then the controuersie will cease For I may boldly speake of Popish traditions that which CLEMENS speaketh of the Philosophie of the Grecians comparing it vnto a nut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is all the nut is not meet to be caten the kirnell is for eating but the hard shels whereinto the kirnell is enclosed are not nourishing food euen so saith CLEMENS not all the Grecian Philosophie is to bee embraced and credited The like I say of Romaine traditions that we must not glut ouer their traditions shels and kirnell altogether but those that are agreable to Scriptures we receiue but traditions repugnant to Scripture such as worshipping of images which DAMASCENE granteth to be an vnwritten tradition we vtterly detest and abhorre The place of PAVLS Epistles that seemeth to fauour vnwritten tradition is this Therefore brethren stand sast keep the instruction which yee haue beene taught either by worde or by our epistle 2. Thess 2 ver 15. Heere I affirme that like as they who rehearsed Christs wordes and wrested the true sense and meaning of them they are called false witnesses against Christ Math. 26. ver 61. Christ spake these words indeede Destroy this Temple and within three dayes I wâ—…ll build it vp againe but not in that sense that the false witnesses reported Euen so they who cite a testimonie out of the Epistles of PAVL in another sense then PAVL writeth it they are false witnesses against PAVL for PAVLS tongue in preaching was guided by the holy Ghost and PAVLS hand and pen in writting was guided by the holyGhost that same selfe trueth he preached that same selfe trueth he committed to write to the ende that the faith of the Thessalonians might be the better confirmed and strengthened If they will obstinatly contend that the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is disjunctiue I will constantly affirme with the most learned ANTONIVS SADEEL that in this place it is copulatiue in this sense Keepe that instruction which yee haue receiued both by word and epistle And in the same sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken 1. Cor. 13. ver 8. Whether prophecying shall be abolished or tongues shall cease that is both prophecying shall be abolished and tongues shall cease Stand fast and keepe the instruction 2. Thess. 2. ver 15 It is not the purpose of the Apostle in these wordes to exhort any man to wilfulnes and obstinacie but vnto constant adherence vnto the veritie of God For the Apostle PETER describing the qualities of false teachers calleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is men presumptuous standingon their own conceits 2. Pet. 2. ver 10. Wherfore a difference is to be noted betwene obstinat men constaÌ„t men It is obstinacie when a man walketh in his own wayes will not be corrected by the wisdome of God but it is constancie when a man walketh in the wayes of God and will not depart out of them for the fauour or feare of men CAIN was obstinat Gen 4. PETER and IOHN were constant Also to keepe fast the doctrine whereby they were taught both by word and Epistle is not onely to keepe it in memorie and to keepe the volume wherein scriptures are written but to keepe it indeede by the obedience of faith For men are thrise
God saw the daughters of men that they were faire and tooke wiues vnto themselues whome they liked Gen 6. ver 2. And on the other parte when God will needes reueile his blessed will by the written word then will wee flie to vn writteÌ„ traditions euen to such as be repugnaÌ„t to the writteÌ„ word And so men become like to a shadow wheÌ„ the sun shineth in the East the shadow goeth toward the West when the sunne goeth down in the West the shadow inclineth to the East so do men obstinatly repine against the wil ofGod Beside this wee are to consider what great detriment hath ensued vpon those who leauing the certaintie of the written worde leaned vpon the vncertaintie of Apostolicke traditions Beside PAPIAS B. of Hicrapolis who fell into the errour of the Chiliasts CLEMENS ALEXANDRINVS trauailed through many nations but tooke better heed to tradition then to the written word of God whereby it came to passe that he filled his bookes called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with most vngodly and foolish opinions as hath bene declared in the historie of his life When we haue said all that we can say that place of the second epistle to the The ssalonians cap. 2. ver 15. ringeth so lowd in their eares that they can heare nothing that soundeth to the contraric wherefore we are to consider the illatiue words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is therefore which coupleth this verse with the preceeding text wherinto the Apostle admonished the Thessalonians of the comming of the Antichrist whose comming is after the working of Satan in all power and signes and lying wonders ver 9. And his comming shall be so strengthened by the hand of the deuil that he cannot be borne downe but by the breath of the mouth of God and brightnesse of his comming Now to the ende that the poore handful of the sheepe of Christ may be saued from the deceite of the Antichrist hee exhorteth them to adhere fast vnto the Apostolicke doctrine which they had receiued both by word and write Scripture is abused when it is wrested to another sense different froÌ„ the meaning of the writer but it is more abused when it is drawen to the cleane contrarie sense This place is set downe to teach vs to beware of the deceit of the Antichrist by fast adhering to the Apostolick doctrine but the Papists abuse it to make vs beleeue that their traditions repugnant to the word of God should haue alike authoritie with the writren word of God which is the ready way to fall into the snare of the Antichrist and not to be fred from his deceits To conclude like as DAVID did great honour to ABISHAI when as in great matters of weight importance hee tooke him to be his follower to viewe the host of SAVL 1. Sam. 26. ver 7. euen so God doth great honour to his holy scriptures when he vseth them as an instrument to doe his great works by them Christ reigneth as a King and he hath made his word to be the scepter of his kingdome Psal. 110. Christ is the shepheard of our soules the word is his shepheards staffe Ps. 23. Christ is the builder of his fathers house the word is the measuring line of the building Christ is our Sauiour and the word of God is the power of God to saluation toeuery one that beleeueth Rom. 1. ver 16. Seeing Christ hath done so great honour to the scriptures what are we that we should regard any thing spoken in the contrary God graunt wee may conforme our selues to the will of Christ Amen Of the doctrine of Deuils THe Heretiques called Gnostici disallowed mariage allowed fornication and the Heretiques called Encratite damned the eating of flesh and drinking of wine as a sinne and abhorred the Epistles of PAVL as hath beene declared in the historie and the Romanists themselues acknowledge that Gnostici and Encratitae were Heretiques and taught a doctrine of deuils as likewise the Manicheis of whome we shall speake in the next Centurie Godwilling but the doctrine of the Romaine church concerning prohibition of mariage and meates is different from the doctrine of Gnostici Encratitae and Manichaei True it is there is some difference concerning persons times some other circumstances For the Heretiques called Gnostici damned mariage in all persons the Romaine church damneth it only in the person of Priests men hauing church orders Likewise Eucratitae damned at all times the eating of flesh drinking of wine but the church of Rime only prohibits the eating of flesh at certaine seasons and vpon certaine dayes such as in Lent and vpon Fryday c and that without prohition of drinking of wine moderatly Thirdly the Manicheis counted the good creatures of God flâ—…sh and wine to be in themselues polluted and vncleane but the Romaine church thinketh not so but for memorie of the Lordes suffering for mortification of the flesh for preparation to receiue the sacraments and for testimonie of obedience to the vicar of Christ successor of PETER it is necessary to abstaine in maner abouewritten This difference is cast in to exeeme the Romaine church from the imputation of the doctrine of deuils yet is not the difference very great for the Romaine church forbiddeth mariage meats to some men at all times and to all men at sometimes but consider againe that differences of magis and minus that is of more and lesse doe declare a communion rather then a contrarietie as IRENEVS speaketh Plu. minus non de his dicitur quae inverse communionem non habent sunt contrariae naturae pugnant aduersus se sed de his quae sunt ejusdem substantiae communicant secum solum autem altitudine magnitudine differunt lib. 4. cap. 22. As a litle water and a litle fire differeth from a great water and a great fire not in substance but in quantitie euen so the Papistes differ from the Manicheis not in substance but in the discrepance of Plus and Minus The wordes of the Apostle are the ground whereupon all this treatise is founded Nowe the Spirite speaketh euidâ—…ntly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giuing beede vnto spirits of errour and doctrines of deuils speaking lies in hypocrisie hauing their conscience seared with an hote yrone forbidding to marrie and commanding to abstaine from meates which God hath created to be receiuâ—…d with thankesgiuing of them which beleeue and kâ—…ow the trueth for euery creature of God is good and nothing to bee refusâ—…d if it be receiued with thankâ—…sgiuing 1. Tim. 1. 2. 3 4. In these words the Popish church will grant that the Mam. hets and other forenamed Heretiques are damned but they denie that these predictions of the holy Apostle doe damne the doctrine of the Romaine church anent forbidding of mariage to some persons and meates at some times as a doctrine of deuils crying out that it is not to be
MAXIMINVS but they were both cut off by CAPELLIANVS Captaine of the Mauritanians Within a short time the senate of Rome chused MAXIMVS PVPIENVS and BALBINVS to be Emperours and to resist the tyrannie of MAXIMINVS But this election displeased the people of Rome therefore they were compelled to associat GORDIANVS a young man of 13. yeeres olde in conjunct authoritie with them This GORDIANVS was the nephew of him who was Procâ—…nfull in Africke and the souldiers made out of the way MAX. PVPIENVS and BALBINVS So GORDIANVS reigned himselfe alone without associats sixe yeeres Chron Func Philippus PHILIPPVS a man borne in Arabia and his son reigned fiue yeeres Chron Func Bucolc EVSEBIVS saith 7. yeeres He was the first Emperour who became a Christian and was baptized by FABIANVS B. of Rome Hee was content to stand among the number of the penitents who made confession of their sinnes for his life was reproouable in some things before his conuersion Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 34. especially in slaying of GORDIANVS an Emperour inclined to peace DECIVS one of the Captaines of his armie conspired against him and slewe him and his sonne and reigned in his stead Decius DECIVS and his sonne obteiued the empire 2. yeeres Chron. Func Whether for hatred of PHILIP his master whome hee had slaine or for detestation of Christians or for couetous desire of the treasures of PHILIP left in the custodie of FABIAN B. of Rome or for some other cause it is not certaine Alwayes he mooued a terrible persecution against the Christians The martyrs who suffered death in the time of this persecution were innumerable Some few of the principall martyres I shall rehearse ALEXANDER Bishop ' of Jerusalem died in prison at Casarea BABYLAS B. of Antiochia died likewise in prison FABIAN B. of Rome suffered martyrdome DIONYSIVS ALEXANDRINVS by a wonderfull prouidence of God escaped the handes of persecuting enemies CYPRIAN B. of Carthage was banished and reserued to the honour of martyrdome vntill the dayes of VALERIAN the eight persecuter ORIGEN who from his childhood was desirous of the honour of martyredome in this persecution of DECIVS he fainted and his heart was so oucrset with feare to haue his chaste body defiled with an vgly Ethiopian that he choosed rather to offer incense to the Idole then to be so filthily abused For this cause hee was excommunicate by the Church of Alexardria and for very shame fled to Judea where hee was not onely gladly receiued but also requested publickely to preach at Ierusalem Neuerthelesse in stead of teaching hee watred his face with teares when he reade these words of scripture To the wak d man sath God What hast thou to do to declare mine ordinancse that thou shouldest take my couenant in thy month Ps. 50. ver 16. These words so deepely wounded his heart with griefe that hee closed the booke and sate downe and wept all the congregation wept with him Hist Mag. Cent. 3. cap. 10. No pitie nor compassion was had neither of sexe or age In this persecution APOLLONIA a virgine of good yeeres after they had dashed her face with battons till all her teeth were stricken out of her jawes they burned her quicke at the port of Alexandria This is that holy martyre whose teeth the Romaine church in our dayes say that they haue them as holy monuments kept in the treasures of their reliques vntill this time But the tryall that was taken of late dayes by HENRIE the eight king of England seeking for the teeth of APOLLONIA as a remedy of the toothach clearly prooueth that many teeth are supponed to be the teeth of APOLLONIA that were neuer fastened in her jaw bones Chemnisius dereliquiis The death of QVINTA AMMONARION MERCVRIA DIONYSIA clearly declareth what pitie was had of the weakenesses of women IVLIANVS an olde and gowtie man burned with fire testifieth what regard was had to the gray haires of ancient men DIOSCORVS a yong man not exceeding 15. yeres of age albeit they were ashamed to condemne him to death yet he escaped not many painfull torments was a glorious Confessour with patient expectation awaiting vntill the Lord should call him to the honour of martyrdome NEMESION was accused in Alexandria as a companion of brigants and was punished with stripes and fire vnto the death with greater seueritie then any brigant albeit his innocencie was sufficiently knowne AMMON ZENON PTOLEMEVS INGENVVS THEOPHILVS warriours and knights standing by the tribunall seate beckened with their hands to a certaine weake Christian who for feare was readie to incline and fall that hee should continue constant and stepped to the bench and professed themselues to be Christians This dayly increasing courage of Christians who were emboldened by the multitude of sufferings astonished and terrified the Iudges Euseb lib. 6. cap. 41. ISCHYRION was slaine by his owne master The number of martyres in Alexandria and Egypt of whome DIONYSIVS in his epistle written to FABIVS Bishop of Antiochia maketh mention clearely testifieth that if the names of all those who suffered martyrdome in the townes of Rome Carthage Antiochia Ephesus and Babylon were particularly set down ouer and beside others who suffered in other townes of Asia Africke and Europe subject to the dominion of the Romaine Emperour it were not possible in the volume of a litle booke to comprehend them all For mine owne part I presume not to do it but I reuerence the painfull trauelles of learned men who haue dipped deepely into such a fruitfull subject specially the writer of the booke of martyres Onely I find somethings in this seuenth persecution which the principall purpose wherefore I haue collected this compend will not permit mee to passe ouer with silence Namely these first let no man thinke that the veritie is weake and hath neede to bee strengthened by a lie as NICEPHORVS is accustomed to doe The seuen martyres of Ephesus whose names were MAXIMIANVS MALCHVS MARTINIANVS DIONYSIVS IOANNES SERAPION and CONSTANTINVS were lurking in a caue the entrie where of DECIVS commanded to be closed with great heapes of stones to the end that the forenamed Christians might be killed with famine which came to passe indeede Yet famine could not sâ—…parate these holy Martyres from Christ. But NICEPHORVS the father of many other fables also saith that they fell on sleepe in which they continued till the time of THEODOSIVS that is from the 250 vntill the 379. yeere of our Lord and then they did awake out of their sleepe saith NICEPHORVS lib. 5. cap. 27. But he who will giue hastie credite to NICEPHORVS fables writing of the 7. martyres who lurked in a caue of mount Caelius and to EVAGRIVS description of BARSANVPHIVS an Egyptian monke who enclosed himselfe in a cottage beside Gaza for the space of 50. yeeres and vsed no kinde of bodily refreshment to sustaine his earthly tabernacle he may be easily led to all kinde of errour The second thing worthy to be marked is that
the 29. B. of Rome who continued in that ministration 5. yeres 6 months 21 dayes He liued in the dayes of MAXENTIVS by whom he was enclosed into a filthie stable to the end that lacking the salubritie of wholsome aire he might be destroyed with the filth stinke of the dung of beasts which thing also came to passe indeede for he died in the stable This holy martyr so long as he liued he made the stable like vnto a sanctuarie for hee neuer intermitted the holy exercises of prayer fasting and the Church when peace was granted to them by the mercie of God they builded a temple in that same place where the stable had beene whereinto MARCELLVS died Platin. de vitis The name of MARCELLVS is pretermitted by EVSEBIVS After MARCELLVS succeeded EVSEBIVS the 30. B. of Rome and continued 6. yeeres 1 month 3. dayes In his time PLATINA writeth that HELENA the mother of CONSTANTINE found the crosse of Christ. But ONVPHRIVS himself is compelled to grant that both DAMASVS and PLATINA erred in that narration because CONSTANTINE at this time had no dominion in Syria neither was hee as yet conuerted to the faith of Christ. But the tyrant MAXIMINVS with great crueltie oppressed the Church of Christ in the boundes of Syria and Iudea And therefore such as read the historie of the primitiue Church let them read with judgement because it is an easie thing to erre if any man giue such vndoubted credit to ecclesiasticall writers as he giueth to sacred scripture TERTVLLIAN a learned preacher of the African prouince of the citie of Carthage a man of a quicke wit pregnant ingine flourished vnder the reigne of SEVERVS the 5 persecuter When he came to Rome he vas not free of the enuy and reproches of the clergie of the Romaine church and mooued with anger he declined to the opinion of the Heretique MONTANVS wrote books against the true Church such as the volumes following De pudicitia De peâ—…cutione De jejunâ—…s De monogamia De exstasi lib. 6. his 7. booke against APOLLONIVS This lamentable defection of TERTVLLIAN may be an example to all men of great vnderstanding and excellent learning not to be puft vp nor to be high minded lest they fall into the snare of the deuill For TERTVLLIAN wrote learned apologies for the Christians and mightily confuted the errour of MARCION notwithstanding of al this he was high minded joyned himself to the opinioÌ„ of MONTANVS Ierom. Catal. script eccl if he had kept himself free of this foule spot he was worthy for his giftes to haue ben counted amoÌ„g the most famous doctors of the Church after the dayes of the Apostles Hist. Magd. Cent. 3. cap. 10. ORIGEN the sonne of LEONIDES an Egyptian was a yong man of 17. yeeres of age when his father was martyred in the persecution of SEVERVS Ierom Catal. script eccles His ingine was so pregnant in his youth and so capable of all kinde of instruction that his father would oftimes vncouer his brest when he was on sleepe and kisse it giuing thanks to God who had made him father of so happie a sonne hist. Magd Cent. 3. cap. 10. After his fathers death he sustained himselfe his mother sixe brethren by keeping a schoole for all his fathers goods were confiscate for his confession of Christ. When ORIGEN had spent his young age the description of his life in Greeke saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is when he was in his mid age the Churches of Achaia vexed with Heretiques sent for him as he was vpon his journey to Athens he went through Palestina was ordained to be a preaching Elder by ALEXANDER B of Ierusalem THEOCTISTVS B. of Caesarea This fact offended DEMETRIVS B. of Alexandria so highly that he was full of rage against ORIGEN and wherefore because he beeing a man of Alexandria receiued ordination to an ecclesiasticall office from the Bishops of Ierusalem and Caesarea When Bishops become serious in trifling matters and haue a greater regarde to their owne gloâ—…y then to the aduancement of the kingdome of God then that may bee spoken of them which IEROM writeth of DEMETRIVS Qui tanta in eum debacchatus est insania ut per totum mundum super ejus nomine seriberet that is He was so ful of rage against him that he replenished the world with writings mentioning the name of ORIGEN But consider what fault was in ORIGEN who was crauing no ordination And what fault was in ALEXANDER and THEOCTISTVS men whose names shall be had in euerlasting remembrance They did nothing of intention to grieue the heart of DEMETRIVS B. of Alexandria but onely beeing carefull of the aduancement of the kingdome of God they endeuoured to strengthen the hands of ORIGEN against the Heretiques of Achaia by conferring vnto him the calling of a Presbyter No man can justly offend against me if I cast in this sentence as a common admonition to all preachers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let vs not be ouer serious in ridiculous matters The name of ORIGEN was so famous that not onely the Bishops of Achaia sollicited him to come to their bounds for stopping the mouthes of Heretiques but also he was sent for at two diuerse times to bee present at the Councils conucened in Arabia against Heretiques Some Heretiques affirmed that the soules of men perish with their bodies and are raised vp againe in the day of the resurrection with the bodies whom ORIGEN mightily refuted Comment Func in Chron. lib. 6. Likewise he was present at the Councill in Arabia gathered against BERYLLVS B. of Bostra who denied that Christ was existent before his manifestation in the flesh and by the trauelles of ORIGEN BERYLLVS was reclaimed and reduced to the true faith therefore I reckone him not into the roll of Heretiques Euseb lib. 6. cap. 33. FIRMILIANVS B. of Caesarea in Cappadocia inuited ORIGEN to come to Cappadocia where he deteined him a long time Likewise MAMMEA the mother of ALEXANDER the Emperour sent for him to come to Antiochia and had him in reuerent regarde Likewise hee wrote to the Emperour PHILIP and to his mother who was the first Emperour that professed the Name of Christ Ierom. catal script eccl He studied to be acquainted with the Hebrew language farre contrarie to the custome of his own nation he conferred the Hebrewe text with the Greeke translations not onely the Septuagints but also the translations of AQVILA THEOLOSION and SYMMACHVS and hee found out the fift sixt and seuenth editions Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 17. Ierom catal scrip eccles Notwithstanding of all these excellent gifts and renoumed fame of ORIGEN he wanted not his owne grosse errours foolish facts In expouÌ„ding of scripturs he became a curious searcher out of allegories Yet this father of allegories ORIGEN took the words of Christ spoken of Eunuches There be some chaste which haue made thâ—…mselues chaste for the kingdome of
heauen Mat. 19. ver 12. these words I say spoken in an allegoricall sense he tooke in a simple and vnfigurat meaning and gelded himselfe to the ende he might liue without all suspition of vncleannesse Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 8. No learned man hath commended this fact of ORIGEN so far as my reading can extend for if a man might lawfully dismember his own body to the end that he might liue chastly why might not a man in like maner cut off his owne hand to the ende hee should not in hastie motion of anger kil his neighbour But the obedience of the commandements of God is seated in the heart and more commended for voluntarie subjection then for necessity of abstinence of committing euil because there is not an instrument in the body able to commit transgression Finally by seeking of diuinitie without the bounds of the holy scriptures of God in stead of true diuinitie he was intangled with foolish errours anent the creation of many worlds one succeeding to another anent the paines of deuils and wicked men after long torments to be finished and anent the possibilitie of mans nature to keepe the whole law of God For which opinions long after his death he was excommunicat in the 5 generall Council holden Ann 551. Concerning his weaknesse in offering to idols rather then to suffer his chaste body to be abused I haue spoken in the history of the 7. persecution He liued vntil the dayes of GALLVS VOLVSIANVS died in the 69. yeere of his age in the towne of Tyrus where he was also buried CYPRIAN was an African borne in Carthage in his youth altogether giuen to the study practise of Magical artes His cōuersion was by the means ofCECILIVS a preacher whose name after hee bare and through occasion of hearing the historie of the Prophet IONAH Ierom catal script eccles Ierom. comment in Ionam After his conuersion he distributed all his substance to the poore Ierom. ibid. and became first a preaching elder and afterward Bishop of Carthage He was banished in the persecution of DECIVS and martyred vnder VALERIAN Nazianz in laudem Cypriani The worthy D. I. FOXE thinketh that NAZIANZEN commendeth another Bishop of that same name borne in Antiochia and Bishop in Antiochia who suffered martyrdome in the dayes of DIOCLETIAN This CYPRIAN B. of Carthage was a man full of loue a great comforter of CORNELIVS B. of Rome He suffered martyrdome as IEROM writeth that same day albeit not in that same yeere that CORNELIVS concluded his life by glorious martyrdome Ierom Catal. script eccles He had great strife against two contrarie sectes viz. against NOVATVS who was excessiue rigorous against those who had fallen in time of persecution and against NOVATIANVS FELICISSIMVS who by the contrarie would haue had both Heretiques and Apostats receiued without all forme of ecclesiasticall discipline Hist. Magd Cent 3. cap. 10. He esteemed much of those who suffered rebuke for the Name of Christ he said of the mettall mines and those that were condemned for Christs sake to worke in them that whereas they were wont to deliuer golde and siluer and precious things vnto the world no we by the contrarie the mines receiued golde and siluer and the most precious things in the world counting the Confessours and martyrs of Christ the rich treasures of the earth of whom the world was not worthy His opinion anent rebaptizing such as were baptized by Heretiques albeit it was erroneous yet his modestie in not damning thē rashly who were of a contrary opinion is great ly praised by S. AVSTEN who saith that the modestie of CYPRIAN in his error was mo◅e to be regarded then a sound right opiniō anent baptisme without humility modesty August de Baptis contra Donat. lib. 5. cap. 17. He was a faithfull builder of the house of God not by word onely but also by write and his bookes remaine vntill this day as a precious treasure in the Church of Christ. The booke de Revelatione capitis Ioannis Baptista is supposititious because in it mention is made of the reuerence that PIPINVS king of France did to the heade of IOHN Baptist when it was transported from Constantinople to France and it is knowne that PIPINVS was not borne three hundreth yeeres after the martyrdome of CYPRIAN how then could CYPRIAN write of a fact done so long time after his death The Church of Christ was multiplied vnder the persecutions of SEVERVS MAXIMINVS DECIVS VALERIAN AVRELIAN DIOCLETIAN All these sixe persecutions are comprehended in the third Centurie In Ierusalem was NARCISSVS against whome wicked men banded themselues together with forged accusations and false testimonies sealed vp with othes and imprecations to grieue the heart of NARCISSVS in so much that he left his calling and fledde to the wildernesse where he Iurked a long time But the false witnesses who bare testimony against him escaped not the punishment of God One of them and his whole familie and substance was burned with sudden fire another of them was stricken with an heauie disease such as hee himselfe in his imprecation had wished vnto himselfe the third was terrified with the sight of the judgements of God that lighted vpon the other two and hee repented and powred out the griefe of his dolorous heart in such aboundance of teares that hee became blinde All these false witnesses were punished Euseb. lib 6. cap 9. and hee who was penitent albeit the Lorde pardoned his sinne yet hee chastised him with temporal punishments The Bishops of the next adjacent Churches because they knewe not what was become of NARCISSVS they admitted another called DIOS who continued but a shorte time To him succeeded GERMANION and after GERMANION GORDIVS in whose time NARCISSVS manifested himselfe againe to the Church of Ierusalem who requested him to vndertake his office againe for they reuerenced him as a man raised from death to life againe and the punishment of God inflicted vpon his accusers increassed their reuerence toward him He was old and not able to discharge the weightie office of a Bishop theresore ALEXANDER a worthie man was joyned as fellow-labourer with him EVSEBIVS writeth that hee was admonished by a celestiall vision of the will of God that hee should be Bishop of Jerusalem with NARCISSVS for hee had beene Bishoppe of another parochin before in Cappadocia by the like celestiall vision NARCISSVS and others of the clergie were admonished that the day next following a Bishoppe should enter into Jerusalem whome God had appointed to be an helper to NARCISSVS Ierom Catal. scrip eccl He defended ORIGEN against the furie and madnesse of DEMETRIVS B. of Alexandria who set both himselfe and others to great businesse for a matter of no importance as said is Ierom ibid. In the persecution of DECIVS he was caried to Casarea closed into a darke prison and died a martyre as hath beene declared ALEXANDER is supponed till haue beene the 35. Bishop of Jerusalem
vncleane because they were procreated by mariage Origeniani Turpes These were vile and filthie beastes not abhorring from whoredome but from procreation of children to the end they might seeme to be chaste They were like to ONAN the sonne of IVDAH whome the Lord destroyed Gen. 38. ver 9. 10. All these heresies mentioned by Epiphan contra haereses lib. 2. I passe by almost with silence because they were like vnto abortiue birthes and continued not long to perturbe the peace of the Church Now concerning other Heretiques by whose venemous doctrine the Church of Christ had greater strife and perturbation ARTEMON and BERYLLVS B. of Bostra in Arabia denied the diuinitie of Christ and affirmed that he was not existent before hee tooke flesh of the Virgine With BERYLLVS ORIGEN conferred reduced him backe againe to the true faith and therefore I set not his name in the Catalogue of Heretiques because he added not vnto the fault of his bad opinion an obstinate defending of the same Euseb eccl hist lib. 6 cap. 33. The heresie of Helcesaitae otherwise called Sampsei because of the shorte continuance of it is scarce worthy to bee reckoned as I haue declared in the treatise of heresie They mixed the religion of the Iewes Gentiles and Christians together but were more addicted to the superstition of the Iewes then to any one of the other two Epiphan contra haereses lib. 2. They rejected the writings of the Apostle PAVL and affirmed that a man who denied the Lorde with his mouth in the time of persecution if so be he adhered to the faith in his hart he had committed no sinne They caried about with them a singulare book which they said was sent downe from heauen and they promised remission of sinnes to euery man who would hearken to the wordes of that booke Comment Func in Chronol NOVATVS a Presbyter at Rome was a man of a contentious spirit and men that are humorous high minded and contentious they are wise to doe euill but they can do no good Such a man was NOVATVS who disquieted with schisme and heresie two of the most notable Churches in the world at that time viz Carthage and Rome by giuing out a rigorous sentence against those who in time of persecution had fallen albeit they had repented after their fall and all outward tokens of vnfained repentance had beene seene in them yet his opinion was that they should not be admitted againe to the fellowship of the Church This opinion was not onely repugnant to the wordes of ISA 1. Ezech. 18. Mat. 11. to innumerable moe places of sacred scripture but also it was a foolish opinion aduancing the kingdome of the deuill and not the kingdome of God For the two great wheeles of the cart of the deuill whereby hee carieth men headlong to hell are presumption and desperation mercilesse NOVATVS taching a doctrine that strengthened not the knees of the weake he did what in him lay to moue sinners to despare Therefore CYPRIAN B. of Carthage who excommunicated him and CORNELIVS B. of Rome who did the like with aduise of a graue and worthy Councill gathered at Rome Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 43. are to be counted wise men because they endeuoured timonsly to suppresse those errors that weakened the harts of the children of God I reade of no heresie preceeding the heresie of ARRIVS and EVTYCHES that continued longer time in the Church of God then the heresie of NOVATVS partly because it crept in vnder pretence of zeale to the glory of God and vnder pretence of a detestation of sin partly also because the Novatian Heretiques in the question concerning the diuinitie of Christ were comformable to the opinion of the true Church Sozom. lib. 7. cap. 12. Thirdly because in time of the Arrian persecution the Novatians were banished and troubled with no Iesse hatefull malice and despite then the members of the true Church were yea and the true Catholickes and Novatianes beeing companions of one and the selfe-same suffering were content also to giue their liues one for another Socrat. lib. 2. cap. 38. And the foresaide authour saith Parúmque abfuit quin coadunarentur Socrat ibid. that is They were neere by vnited and agreed together to wit the true Catholickes and Novatians But what was the impediment that hindered their vnion Reade the historie and it shall not bee found in the true Catholickes but in the obstinacie and wilfulnesse of the Novatians And so it falleth out at all times that men who are authours of heresies and schismes are also the principall hinderers of the redintegration of the vnitie of the Church The razing and demolishing of the Temple of the Novatians in Cyzicum a famous towne of Bithynia together with the calamitie of the people of Mantinium a towne of Paphlagonia Socrat. lib. 2. cap. 38 clearely proueth that the Novatian heresie continued vntill the dayes of CONSTANTIVS the sonne of CONSTANTINE an Arrian Emperour and persecuter of the true faith The fauour that they obtained in the dayes of IVLIAN I passe ouer with silence But in the dayes of the reigne of THEODOSIVS the Novatians by the Emperours edict were permitted to haue publicke conuentions in Constantinople to enjoy such priuiledges as other Christians had to possesse the oratories and temples whereinto they were accustomed to serue God All this toleration and libertie was granted to them by the good Emperour THEODOSIVS because in the heade of doctrine anent the diuinitie of Christ they damned the Acrians agreed with the Homousians Socrat. lib. 5. cap. 10. The Magdeburg historie saith that this heresie continued in Constantinople vntill the time that it was conquessed by the Turkes Cent. 3. cap. 5. I haue written of this heresie at greater length to admonish all true Christians that it is not enough to adhere to some pointes of the true faith and to suffer persecution for righteousnesse at some times and to loue brotherly fellowshippe at some times so that we are content 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 life for our brethren all these things did the Novatians and were fauoured by the Emperour THEODOSIVS as said is yet were they both sehismatickes and Heretiques because they would be wiser then God and debarred them from the bosome of Christs compassions whom Christ inviteth to come vnto him saying Come vnto me all ye that are wearie and laden and I will ease you Mat. 11. ver 28 Let the example of the Novatians admonish men who studie to singularitie and to bring in newe customes or opinions into the Church of God to take heede that their opinions be not repugnant vnto the written word lest after they haue continued a long time in ende they be rejected as opinions foolish vaine hereticall and not agreeing with the scriptures of God His followers were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or puritans Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 43. Hist. Magd. cent 3. cap. 5. Let this name rest in the bosome of Heretiques And men
of his Gospell and CYPRIAN a sorcerer to bee a worthy preacher and martyre this same gratious Lord I say in the multitude of his vnspeakable compassions drewe AVGVSTINE out of this filthie mire of abominable heresie and made him like vnto a bright starre sending foorth the beames of light to the comfort of Gods house The opinion of MANES anent the creation of the world and the creation of man the manifestation of Christ in our nature rather in shewe and appearance then in veritie and the horrible abomination of their vile Eucharist no man can be ignorant of these things who hath read but a litle of the bookes of AVGVSTINE written against the Manicheans In ende like as MANES exceeded all the rest of the Heretiques in madnesse of foolish opinions euen so the Lorde pointed him out among all the rest to be a a spectacle of his wrath and vengeance For the king of Persia hearing of the fame of MANES sent for him to cure his sonne who was deadly diseased but when he sawe that his sonne died in his hands he cast him into prison and was purposed to put him to death but hee escaped out of prison and fled to Mesopotamia Neuerthelesse the king of Persia vnderstanding in what place MANES did lurke sent men who pursued him tooke him and excoriated his body and stopped his skinne full of chaffe and set it vp before the entrie of a certaine citie of Mesopotamia Socrat. eccles hist. lib. 1. cap. 22. If any man bee desirous to haue greater knowledge of this remarkable Heretique both in respect of his life and death he may reade the fore mentioned chapter of the ecclesiasticall historie of SOCRATES and hee shall finde that the first man called MANICHEVS who renued the errour of two beginnings was a man of Scythia He had a disciple first called BVDDAS afterward TEREBYNTHVS who dwelt in Babylon This man TEREBYNTHVS was the composer of these bookes which MANES gaue out vnder his owne name MANES was but a slauish boy bought with money by a woman of Babylon in whose house TEREBYNTHVS had lodged and shee brought vp the boy at schoole his name was CVRBICVS when he was bought but when this woman died she left in legacie to CVRBICVS the money and bookes of TEREBYNTHVS and he went from Babylon to Persia changed his name and called himselfe MANES and set forth the bookes of TEREBYNTHVS as if they had beene composed by himselfe so that hee added vnto the rest of his villanies this fault also that he was from his very youth a dissembled and deceitfull fellow Reade the historie of Socrat lib. 1. cap. 22. After MANES sprang vp HIERAX who spake of the Father and the Sonne as of two lights different in substance He damned mariage denied the resurrection of the body excluded infants from the kingdome of God Epiph. contrahaeres Hist Magd. Marke in this Catalogue of the heresies of the first three hundreth yeres how many of the deuils trumpeters sounded the doctrine of the prohibition of mariage The Nicolaitans Gnostici Encratitae Montanistae Apostolici Origeniani called Turpes Manichei and Hieracitae Satan hateth mariage to the end that his kingdome might be aduanced by fornication and all kinde of vncleannesse CENT 3. A Treatise of Purgatorie and prayer for the dead IN this Centurie also the opinion of ORIGEN anent purgatory paines before a man can enter into the kingdome of heauen giueth me manifest occasion to speak of Purgatorie In the beginning of this treatise I protest that I detest the worshipping of reliques and the conceit of Purgatorie fire as two heades of doctrine borrowed from Ethnickes and Pagans The bones of THESEVS saith PLVTARCH being transported placed in the middle part of the towne of Athens they honoured his ashes as if hee himselfe had beene returned to the towne and gaue vnto him all these diuine honours calling him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is he who diuerteth euill from them also they called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a patron a helper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is who receiueth the supplications of the humble What was this else but to honour THESEVS with diuine honours And the excessiue honours attributed to the reliques of saints in the Popish church with confidence to be helped and better heard of God because they were prostrate before the reliques of saints what was it else but a counterfaiting of the superstition of the Pagans In like maner the opinion of Purgatorie is but an Ethnicke inuention PLATO seemeth to be the first authour of it except any man of greater reading can reduce it to a more ancient beginning for PLATO in his dialogue called Phedo vel de anima hath three opinions concerning the soules of men First hee thinketh that the soules of men who haue liued a very honest and vnreproouable life when they depart out of their bodies they goe to a place of vnspeakable happinesse Secondly he thinketh that the soules of men who haue continued into incorrigible wickednesse they goe to a place called Tartarus there to be punished with endlesse paines These two foresaide opinions PLATO by his trauelling to Egypt where the people of the Iewes had remained a long time might haue learned to wit that the soules of good men goe to heauen and the soules of euill men goe to hell But PLATO thought by Philosophie to mend the want that was in ancient Theologie and he deuised a third place whereinto soules should be both tried and purged and after suffering of paines should be set at libertie namely the soules of men who had heauily grieued their parents afterward repented or had committed filthie murthers and afterward repented these mens soules I say according to the opinion of PLATO behooued to goe through infernall floods specially through Acheron Câ—…ytus and Phlegeton to be tried purged in end to be set at libertie prouiding they had fully satisfied the persons whom they had offended These beginnings of PLATOES conceites had neuer hurt Christian religion if CLEMENS ALEXANDRINVS and after him ORIGEN had not mingled prophane Philosophie with Theologie But when the question is riped vp to the very ground the defenders of Purgatorie fire worshipping of reliques haue cause to be ashamed as disciples of Pagans and not of the holy Apostles in these two points of doctrine The foolishnes of CLEMENS and ORIGEN hath beene very pernicious to the Church of God because they borrowed not from PLATO siluer and golde as the Iowes borrowed from the Egyptians by warrant of Gods commandement Exod. 11. but they borrowed chaffe and doung lies and fables which some time spreading sometime growing sometime altering the first similitude fashioned in the combes of PLATO in end became an article of Popish faith and was so straitly vrged that they who would not beleeue the fained fire of Purgatorie were burned as Heretiques with true flammes of tormenting fire AMBROSE and HILARIVS as foolishly
followed the opinion of ORIGEN without examining it in the balance of holy scripture Ambros. in Psal. 118. saith that all men must goe through the fire at the latter day euen IOHN himselfe the belooued disciple of Christ of whose death also some doubted yet no man can doubt of his passing through the fire Thus AMBROSE suffered this opinion of ORIGEN to sincke into his heart as though it had beene the vndoubted Oracle of God which no man should call in question HILARIVS maketh no exception of the blessed Virgine the mother of our Lord in Psa. 118 but she must also go through this fire at the latter day And this is a foolish thing to followe any man further then he doth follow Christ the warrant of the written word of God 1. Cor. 11. And therefore the first generall Councill Ann. 551. as wise behind the hand was compelled to examine the bookes of ORIGEN to excōmunicat himself albeit dead long afore to damne his books and vaine opinions specially anent his Purgatorie This Origenian errour before it was seriously impugned it was changed to the worse and grew neerer to the originall of PLATOES Phlegeton againe for ORIGEN AMBROSE and HILARIVS spake of a fire that should burne at the latter day which al men behooued to passe through before they could enter into the place of refreshment but PLATO in his dialogue Phedo spake of a flood of fire whereinto men behoued to bee tried and purged immediatly after their soules were separated from their bodies and what soules I pray you Not the soules of the best men which went to heauen nor the worst men for they went to hell but the soules of men that were not into a mid rancke neither very good nor very euill This opinion I say somewhat neerer to the opinion of PLATO then to the opinion of ORIGEN beganne to take place about the foure hundreth yeere of our Lord as the distinctions of AVGVSTINE clearely witnesse Valde bom valde mali non valde mali Augustin enchiridion ad Laurent Idem de octo Dulcitii quaest Thus wandering errours once taking place became like vnto a fretting canker euery day worse worse If any man think strange that so vile an error neither agreable to scripture neither yet to it self but changing the similitude of it as the Chameleon doth his collour it preuailed wonderfully and was so fastened into the peoples hearrts that scarcely can it be rooted out of their mindes in our dayes To this I answere that besides the authoritie of the fathers aboue specified who were entangled with errour euen they also who found out the opinion of Purgatorie fire to be erroneous and repugnant to scripture yet did they not fully and in all points impugne this false and lying doctrine but onely in a parte As namely AVGVSTINE refuteth that part of CLEMENS and ORIGENS opinion wherein they thought that the deuils and wicked men after suffering of long tormentes may possibly be forgiuen and finde mercy By one place of scripture he vtterly vndoeth that opinion Depart'vnto the cuerlasting fire prepared for Sathan and his angels Mat. 25. ver 4 And in the booke of the Reuelation And they shall bee tormented night and day for euer and euer Apoc. 20 August lib. 20. 21. de civit Dei Yet the other parte of the errour that tooke deepe root in his dayes AVGVSTINE knewe it better then he impugned it lest he should gain-say the receiued opinion among all the people who thought that the soules of many men after their death were tormented with fire for a while vntill a full satisfaction were made for the faultes that men committed in their life-time Against this opinion AVGVTINE speaketh but softly Non valde coarguo for sitan verum est that is I doe not greatly reprooue it possibly it is true August De civit De◅lib 21. cap. 26. This was also some strengthening of errour that it was not fully in all points clearely refuted by godly fathers whose comporting with the weakenesse of the people in a parte CHEMNIICIVS himselfe calleth prudence and wisdome but serious impugning of erroneous doctrine had beene more agreable to the will of God Alwayes AVGVSTINE in his doubtsome speach giueth no ground to Papists to make vp a newe article of faith anent Purgatorie For like as Constantinople was a great citie yet when it was shaken with an earthquake three dayes and three nights no man taried in that great towne to builde a new house during that time euen so AVGVSTINE is a great doctour yet when hee taketh him to forsitan or per◅aps this is not a sure ground to leane vpon This vnhappie conceit of Purgatorie fire had many handmaids waiting vpon her some going before and others following after her Before the conceit of Purgatorie goeth an opinion of our owne satisfactions For the faultes committed by vs after Baptisme if we do not perfitly satisfie for them before our death it resteth that in Purgatorie fire we should absolue the rest of our pennance that is vnfulsilled How much this first handmaide derogateth from the glory of Christ the Apostle witnesseth when he saith The blood of Christ purgeth vs from all sinne I. Ioh. I. making no exception ofsinnes after Baptisme committed The other handmaide preceeding the conceit of Purgatorie is praier for the dead albeit in all the old and new Testament there be not one example of praying for the deade or yet offering of sacrifice for the dead Pardon 's followed sometimes called indulgences in another sense then now they are these pardons I say are the handmaids following Purgatorie by which the B. of Rome as absolut commander of Purgatorie hath made vnto himselfe infinite gaine Before I proceede any further I exhort all true Christians as they detest Paganisme euen so to detest all Ethnick errours when they are creeping in into the sanctuarie of God The golden Eagle of the Romanes was more abominable when it was set vp in the Temple of Ierusalem by HEROD Ioseph de bello Iudaico lib. 1. cap. 21. then when it was set vp in the Capitoll of Rome And the image of CAIVS CALIGVLA sent to PETRONIVS his Deputie to be set vp in the Temple of Ierusalem made all the Iewes agast and they were more willing to die then to see their Temple so filthily abused with idolatrie Ioseph antiq lib. 18 cap. 11. It is more seemely then that the golden Eagle and image of CAIVS remaine at Rome where they were first fashioned then to bee brought to the Temple of Ierusalem And it is more seemly also that the opiniō of Purgatory remaine in the schoole of PLATO at Athens or in the schoole of CLEMENS at Alex andria rather then to send it abroade through all Christian Congregations to bee beleeued For Christians ought to be like to the forlorne sonne after he returned home againe to his father Luc. 15. Hee was so well fed and
saw that this was the cause wherefore they were slaine And so eucrie man gaue thanks vnto the Lord the righteous Judge which had opened the things that were hid And they gaue themselues to prayer and be sought him that they should not be destroyed for thefault committed Besides that noble Iudas exhorted the people to keepe themselues from sinne for so much as they sawe before their eyes the things that came to passe by the sinne of those that were slaine And hauing made a gathering through the companie sent to Ierusalem about two thousand drachmes of siluer to offer for a sinne offering Hitherto doth the author of that booke write the history of that fact which was done by IVDAS MACCABEVS and his souldiers First they were about to burie the dead bodies of their brethren who were slaine in the battell fighting against GORGIAS Secondly they found secretly couered vnder their garments jewels consecrated to idoles Thirdly they acknowledged this to be a sinne and to haue beene the cause of the destruction of their brethren Fourthly they thanked God who discouered this secret for the punishment of their slaine brethren was an admonition to them that were aliue to absteine frō the like fault Fiftly they gaue themselues to praier fearing lest the whole army should be plagued by God for the fault committed by a few number of the armie as the fault of ACHAN troubled the whole hoste in the dayes of IOSHVA Ios. 7. Sixtly to prayer is added an exhortation of IVDAS to abstaine from the like faults Seuenthly a collection is gathered to be sent vp to Ierusal◅m that a sin-offering might be offered not for the deade but for the liuing who had not searched out the faultes of the host diligently as became them And therfore there was some guiltinesse also in them The rest that followeth is the opinion of the author of that second booke in these words Doing very well and honestly that he thought of the resurrection for if hee had not hoped that they which were slaine should rise againe it had beene superfluous and vaine to pray for the dead And therefore he perceiued that there was great fauour laid vp for those that died godly It was an holy and a good thought So he made a reconciliation for the dead that they might be deliuered from sinne When I read this opinion of the author of the second booke of the Maccabees I am nothing moued with it first because it seemeth to be a lie that IVDAS MACCABEVS sent to Ierusalem to offer sacrifice for the dead Hee knewe the law of God and fought fo the law of GOD wherein was no sacrifice for the deade nor yet example in all the old Testament that any man did offer sacrifice for the dead but this author bringeth in IVDAS fighting with his sworde for the lawe and with his alledged sacrifice against the lawe And it is lesse inconuenient to rub this foule spot vpon the vnwise writer then vpon that wise valiant and godly man IVDAS MACCABEVS And I am the bolder to rub this fault vpon the writer rather then vpon the valiant Captaine of whome hee writeth because in other places also he taketh boldnes to commend things forb◅dden in the Lawe of God as namely the fact of RHASIS in slaying of himselfe 2. Macab cap. 14. ver 46. Likewise I am emboldened to do it because I read this same historie in other authours more worthie then this man is who impute no such fault to IVDAS MACCABEVS as namely Ioseph antiq lib. 12. cap. 12. If any man shal think me presumptuous in charging the writer of the booke rather then the worthy gouernour with a fault let him vnderstand that the veritie of God is in nothing empared albeit there had bene a fault in both that is in IVDAS doing a thing repugnant to the Law and in the authour praysing a thing done contrarie to the law For like as there was no grace in DAVID that could grace his adulterie euen so therewas no gift in IVDAS MACCABEVS that could excuse his offering of a sacrifice for the deade which no man did before him in the old Testament and no man is found to haue followed him in the new Testament as saith CHEMNICIVS In the next place arguments are brought out of ancient fathers to proue Purgatorie by their prayers for the deade For after this maner they reason If soules of men departing from their bodies went straight wayes either to heauen or hell what needed prayers for the deade for they who are in heauen are in glorie and rest and they who are in hell cannot be supported by prayers But say they the ancient fathers praied for the dead whereby it is cleare that they beleeued a third place to wit Purgatory whereinto the soules of some men are tormented and haue neede of the support of the liuing but the consequence is very false for they cannot be ignorant that in CYPRIANS daies the name◅ of holy martyres were mentioned in prayers atthe ministration of the holy sacrament lib. 3. epist. 6 yet no man thought that the martyrs were pained in Purgatorie In like maner AMBROSE affirmeth that hee will pray for the soule of VaLENTINIAN the second of whome he said before aternae vitae fruitur voluptate that is he enjoyeth the pleasure of eternal life Ambros. de obitu Valentiniani And NAZIANZEN prayeth for his brother CESARIVS of whose rest with God hee had the like hope Nazianz. ◅rat 7. All these prayed for the dead without any opinion of Purgatorie And therefore LINDANVS for all his confident assertion that Purgatorie is fully prooued by the testimonies of AVGVSTINE and CHRYSOSTOME who make mentiō of the praiers for the dead the one calling it a custome vsed by the whole Church August serm 32. de verbis Apostolt the other calling it a traditiō of the Apostles Chrysost. homil 3. ad Philippenses yet I say neither of these two beleeued Purgatorie AVGVSTINE doubted of it as said is and CHRYSOSTOME knew it not as shall be declared Godwilling Lindan lib. 4. cap. 63. But now let vs examine these two places whereunto LINDANVS leaneth as infallible grounds and surer then that any exception can be taken against them August serm 32. de verbis Apostolt It is not to be doubted that the deade are helped by the prayers of the holyChurch by the healthful sacrifice almes deedes that are bestowed for their spirits in such wayes that God dealeth more gently with them then their sinnes haue d◅serued First I doubt if this be a sermon of AVGVSVINE It seemeth rather to be a sermon of BEDA who liued long after AVGVSTINE because al this sermon is found in BEDA writing vpō 1 Thess Next like as AVGVSTINE doubted of Purgatorie so likewise he doubted if it was lawful to pray for the dead as his own words testifie August Confess lib 9. cap. 12. after that he had prayed for the soule of his mother MONICA he subjoyneth
dâ—…liuered not the subscriptions foresaide yet hee constantly refused to deliuer them and the Emp. both admired and commended his constancie Barses bishop of Edessa in Mesopotamia Eulogius and Protogenes presbyters there vnder the reigne of Valens were banished to Antinoe in Thebaida whose trauailes GOD wonderfullie blâ—…ssed to the conuersion of many soules to the kingdome of GOD Theodulus bishop of Trianopolis Amphilochius bishop of Iconium in Lycaonia Pelagius Laodicenus whose name is the more famous for his insolent fact for he maried a young woman the first night after her mariage hee perswaded her to preferre Virginall chastitie to matrimoniall copulation Antiochus the brother sone of Eusebius Samosatenus could not abide the imposition of the hands of an Arrian bishop Leâ—…oius bishop of Meletina in Arâ—…enia who brunt the Monastrees or rather as Theodoretus writes the Dennes of theeues whereinto the Heretiques called Massaliani had their abiding Ephem Syrus a man borne in Nisibis brought vp in the wildernesse was counted a famous Writer in the Syriah language The bookes shrowded vnder his name are thought for the most part to be supposititious Aeas who liued in companie with Zenon Bishop of Maioma neere vnto Gaza is much reported of because hee maried a young woman procreated three children with her and in end left her and entered into a Manastrie forgetting his matrimoniall couenant Zebennius Bishop of Eleutheropolis in Phaenicia to whom Sozomenus affirmeth that by diuine reuelation the places were manifested whereinto the bodies of the Prophets Habacâ—…k and Micheas were buried So superstitious are Ecclesiasticall Writers already become that the searching out of thinges nothing appertaining to eternall life are ascriued to diuine reuelations The judicious reader will pardon mee that I write not in particulare of the liues of aâ—…l the fore-mentioned Bishops and Pastors because the nature of a short COMPEND cannot permit it to bee done Bishops and Doctors in Africke IN Africke ouer and besides the Bishops of Alexandria was Didymus a Doctor of the schoole of Alexandria who through occasion of a dolour that fell into his eyes became blind from his very youth Yet by continuall exercise of his minde hee became excellently learned in all Sciences But aboue all thinges the exact knowledge of diuine SCRIPTURES made him a terrour to the Arrians Manie doe write that the verie last period of time whereinto Iulian the Apostate concluded his wretched life was reuealed to Didymus in a dreame and that hee againe tolde it to Athanasius who lurked secretly in Alexandria during the time of the reigne of Iulian. Arnobius was an Oratour in Africke afterward hee became a Christian and craued to bee baptized Christian Bishops linguered to conferre the holy Sacrament to a man who had bene a hater of Christian Religion of a long time Yet hee freede himselfe from all suspition of Paganisme by writing bookes wherein hee confuted the Idolatrie of the Pagans and was baptized about the yeere of our LORD 330. Anent the suffering of our LORD hee writes verie judiciously That like as the beames of the Sunne that shine vpon a tree when the tree is cutted the Sunne beames cannot bee cutted Euen so in the suffering of CHRIST the diuine Nature suffered noe paine Lactantius Firmianus was the Disciple of Arnobius In eloquence he was nothing inferior to his Maister yet it is thought that hee impugned errours with greater dexteritie then hee confirmed the Doctrine of the Trueth Optatus Bishop of Meleuitanum in Africke in the dayes of Valentinian and Valens set his penne against the Donatistes especially against Parmenianus whose absurde assertion hee clearelie refutes First whereas the Donatistes affirmed that the CHURCH of CHRIST was onely to bee founde in a corner of Africke Hee refutes it by Scripture wherein it is written Aske of mee and I will giue thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the endes of the worldâ—… for thy possession This place proues the CHURCH to bee Catholicke Also whereas they saide that Baptisme was not auaileable except some of their sect had beene present at the administration thereof hee answereth That when GOD first created the Element of water the presence of the Trinitie was powerfull in operation to create water albeit none of the Donatistes were then present Euen so the Trinitie can worke effectually in Baptisme albeit none of the Donatistes bee present Yea and that it was GOD the author of Baptisme and not the Minister that did sanctifie according as it is written Wash mee and I shall bee whiter then the snowe c. Bishops and Doctors of Europe ACHOLIUS Bishop of Thessalonica baptized the Emperour Theodosius after here returned from the slaughter of Maximus The Emp. fell sicke by the way before hee came to Constantinople and was desirous to be baptized Neuerthelesse he would not suffer Acholius to baptize him vntill he was assured that Acholius was not spotted with the Airian Heresie After baptisme the Emperour recouered his health againe Acholius was brought vp in Monastries like as Epiphanius many other worthie men were brought vp Hilarius Bishop of Poitiers in FRANCE liued vnder the reigne of Constantius a man in Religion constant in maners meeke and courteous Hee was banished immediately after the Councill of Millane to Phrygia as some suppose Theodoretus writeth that hee was banished to Thebaida and relieued againe from banishment vnder Iulian. But it is more apparent that hee remained in Phrygia vntill the Councill of Seleucia vnto which Councill he was brought from banishment not by any speciall commandement from the Emp. but by a generall commandement giuen to his deputie Leonas to assemble together the Bishops of the East Vnder pretence of obeying this commandement Hilarius beeing banished in the East was brought to the Councill of Seleucia from Seleucia he went to Constantinople The Emp. refused to heare him reason with the Arrians in the matters of Faith but gaue him liberty to returne to his owne countrey againe Hee tooke great paines to purge the countrey of FRANCE from the poison of Arrian heresie and he preuailed so farre that Ierom compares him to Deucalion who both sawe the flood of waters ouer-flowing Thessalia and the abating of them also Euen so Hilarius sawe both the growth and decay of Arrianisme in FRANCE Hee liued sixe yeeres after his returning from banishment and concluded his life vnder the reigne of Valentinian Ambrose the sonne of Symmachus was a man of noble parentage vnder the Emp. Valentinian he was gouernour of Liguria At this time Auxentius bishop of Millane an Arrian died Great sedition was in the towne for the election of a newe bishop euery man contending to haue a bishop chosen of that faith which he himselfe best liked Ambrose fearing the vndoing of the towne by this intestine contention exhorted them to unitie and concord with words and reasons so perswasiue that
the people with one consent cried out they would be all of one mind incase that Ambrose were appointed to bee their bishop The Emp. thought this inexpected consent of the people came from GOD and he consented to the desire of the people So was Ambrose ordained bishop of Millane After the death of Valentinian hee was grieuously troubled by Justina the mother of Valentinian the second for shee was infected with Arrianisme Ambrose was sauoured by the people and would not betray the sheepe-folde of GOD to Wolues The particulare description of the broile of Iustina may be read at length in the Epistle that Ambrose writes to his sister Marcellina The miracle wrought at the sepulchres of Protasius and Geruasius mittigated somewhat the furie of Iustina But the dolorous tidinges of the slaughter of Gratianus compelled Iustina to flie from Italie to Illyricum for safetie of her owne life and her sonnes life Hee sustained also great trouble vnder the two Tyrants Maximus and Eugenius so that he was compelled in the time of Maximus to flie to Aquileia and in the time of Eugenius to flie to Hetruria He liued also vnder the reigne of Theodosius whom hee sharpely reproued for the slaughter of the innocent people of Thessalonica and died in the third yeere of the reigne of Honorius after he had gouerned the Church of Millane 22. yeeres Prudentius a man of Spaine a Lawyer at some times and a warriour at other times in his young yeeres In his old age he writ of diuine matters Hee liued vnder the reigne of Valentinian the second of Theodosius and his sonnes Hee set foorth his knowledge in bookes of Latine Poesie albeit Greeke inscriptions be prefixed vnto them such as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which intreateth of the fight betwixt the spirit the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which intreateth of the workes to be done in the day time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intreateth of Diuinitie and diuine thinges 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intreateth of Originall sinne against Cerdon and Marcion the Authors of two beginnings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a booke conteining the praises of victorious Martyres In this booke is frequent inuocation of Saints expresse against holy Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conteining Histories both of old and new Testament The verses wherein hee argueth the Heresie of Manicheans who attributed vnto CHRIST not a true but a phantasticall bodie made of aire are verie judiciously conceiued Restat ut aëriam pingas ab origine gentem Aërios proceres Leuim â—…udam Simeonem Aërium DAVID magnorum corpora Regum Aëria atque ipsam foecundae virginis alvum Aëre fallaci nebulisque nube tumentem The Ecclesiasticall writers whom I haue chiefely followed in this COMPEND make no mention of him Osius bishop of Coâ—…duba was a Confessor in the Persecution of Dioclesian and Maximianus Hee was regarded by the Emp. Constantine for the markes of the rebuke of CHRIST The Emp. employed him to stay the schisme in Aegypt betwixt Alexander and Arrius Likewise hee sent him to the Bishops of the East who differed in opinion from the Bishops of the West Anent the keeping of Easter day hee was present at the Councill of Nice where hee damned the Heresie of Arrius And at the Councill of Sardica hee absolued Athanasius Paulus c. Neither was hee terrified with the minassing letters of Constantius but answered couragiously that Athanasius was an innocent man and that the Emperour did not well to hearken to the calumnies of Ursatius and Valens men who had by writ confessed to Julius bishop of Rome that the accusations intended against Athanasius were but forged calumnies And this they did of their owne accord freely and not compelled In his decreaped yeeres for hee liued an hundreth yeeres some weakenesse was founde in him At the Councill of Syrmium hee was compelled to bee present in that assemblie of Arrian Bishops to whose wicked constitutions fearing torture and banishment from which hee was lately reduced hee subscriued Ierom was borne in a towne of Dalmatia called Stridon and was instructed in the Rudimentes of Learning at Rome From Rome hee went to FRANCE of purpose to encrease his knowledge and to diuerse other places and hee returned againe to Rome where hee acquainted himselfe with honourable women such as Marcella Sophronia Principia Paula and Euftochium to whom he expounded places of holy SCRIPTURE for he was admitted presbyter He was counted worthie to succeed to Damasus B. of Rome his giftes were enuied at Rome therefore hee left Rome and tooke his voiage towarde Palestina By the way hee acquainted himselfe with Epiphanius b. of Cyprus with Nazian b. in Constantinople with Didymus Doctor in the Schoole of Alexandria and sundrie other men of Note and Marke In end he came to Iudea and made choise of the place of the LORDES Natiuitie to bee the place of his death At Bethlehem Paula a Noble woman who accompanied Ierom and his brother Paulinianus from Rome vpon her owne charges builded foure Monastries Ierom guided one Monastrie wherein were a number of Monkes The other three whereinto there was companies of holy Virgines shee guided her selfe Ierom was a man of sterne disposition and more inclinable to a solitarie and Monkish life then to fellowship and societie Neither Heliodorus in the Wildernesse nor Ruffinus out of the Wildernesse coulde keepe inuiolable friendship with him The letters that passed betwixt August and Ierom declare that Ierom knewe not howe great a victorie it was in loue in humilitie and friendeship to ouer-come them who seemed to contende against him Ierom wanted not his owne grosse errours Anent the creation hee thought that Angels Thrones Dominations were existant before the worlde was created In his bookes written against Iouinian hee writeth not reuerently of Mariage and hee damneth the seconde Mariage Hee ended his life about the twelfth yeere of the reigne of Honorius in the yeere of his age 91. Ecclesiasticall Writers haue filled their Bookes with excessiue commendations of Heremites and Monkes of whome GOD willing I shall write in a particulare TREATISE anent Monasticke life CHAP. III. Of Heretiques OLDE Heresies before mentioned such as the Heresies of the Novatians Sabellians and Manicheans did more harme in this CENTURIE then in the time whereinto they were first propagated as appeareth by the bookes and Sermons of learned Fathers seriously insisting to quench the flame of Hereticall doctrine which was kindled before their time In this CENTURIE the plurality of Heretiques did most mightily abound Meletius a bishop in Thebaida was deposed by Peter bishop of Alexandria who suffered martyrdome vnder Dioclesian because hee was founde to haue sacrificed to idols After his deposition hee was seditious and factious raising vp tumults in Thebaida and practising tyrannie against the chaire of Alexandria and his disciples were founde to haue communicated with the Arrians The Councill of
Nice suffered Meletius to enjoy the name of a bishop without power of ordination In the yeere of our LORD 324. sprang vp Arrius a presbyter in Alexandria who denied that the Sonne of GOD was begotten of the substance of the FATHER but that hee was a creature and made of things not existant and that there was a time whereinto the Sonne was not Alexander Bishop of Alexandria dealt with him to reclaime him from his Hereticall opinions but his trauell was spent in vaine Therefore Alexander was compelled to use the last remedy to depose and excommunicate Arrius with his complices to wit Achilles Euzoivs Aethales Lucius Sarmata Iulius Menas Arrius alter Helladius This excommunication had allowance by the Bishops of Thebaida Pentapolis Lybia Syria Lycia Pamphylia Asia Cappadocia and manie other places But Arrius an head-strong Heretique was incorrigible Neither the letters of the good Emp. Constantine nor the trauailes of Osius bishop of Corduba coulde worke anie amendement in him Hee laboured to fortifie himselfe in his Hereticall opinion especially by the assistance of Eusebius bishop of Nicomedia a perilous and deceitfull man Arrius was condemned by the Councill of Nice and was banished by the Emperour Constantine Albeit hee was reduced againe from banishment by the meanes of Constantia the Emp. sister and of an Arrian presbyter whom she commended to the Emp. her brother when she was concluding her life Yet the LORD punished the insolent pride of this Heretique with a shamefull and vnquoth death as hath beene already declared This heresie was propagated by Constantius by Iustina and her sonne Valentinian the second by the Emp. Valens and by the kings of Gothes Vandalles The principall defenders of this Heresie were Eusebius bishop of Nicomedia Menophantes bishop of Ephesus Theogonius bishop of Nice Ursatius bishop of Sygdonia and Valens bishop of Mursa in vpper Panonia Theonas b. in Marmarica Secundus b. of Ptolemaida in Aegypt Maris b. of Chalcedon Narcissus b. in Cilicia Theodorus b. of Heraclea in Thracia and Marcus b. of Irenopolis in Syria In the number of most impudent Arrian bishops was Ishyras the chiefe accusâ—…r of Athanasius to whom the Arrians gaue the wages of iniquity and ordained him b. of Mareotis The ouer-throwing of the holy Table the breaking of the holy Cuppe the burning of the holy bookes the slaughter of Arsenius and many other accusations were all forged against Athanasius by Ishyras for hope of reward Eulalius Euphronius Placitus Stephanus Leontius Spado and Eudoxius Bishops of Antiochia all these were defenders of the Arrian Heresie with manie others of whom I will haue occasion to speake hereafter Albeit Anomai were a branch of the stocke of the Arrians yet they differed from other Arrians in this that they abhorred from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which other Arrians embraced The principall Authors of this Heresie were Acatius Eunomius and Aetius whereof it came to passe that some called them Acâ—…tiani others Eunomiani and some Aetiani Acatius in the Councill of Selâ—…ucia manifested the Hypocrisie of his deceitfull speeches because in his bookes he had called the Sonne of GOD 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of like substance with the FATHER he was demanded in what sence he had so written he answered that the Sonne of GOD was like vnto the FATHER in will but not in substance Eunomius bishop of Cyzicus in Bithynia was the first inuenter of this miserable Heresie of Anomaei a man who delited in multitude of wordes as many Heretiques doe Sozomen blames him for altering the custome of thrise dipping in water in Baptisme The people of Syzicus complained to the Emp. Constantius of the bad and reprobate opinion of Eunomius The Emp. was offended against Eudoxius bish of Constantinople who had placed him in Cyzicus Herof it came to passe that Eudoxius who was of that same opinion himselfe but durst not auow it he sent secret aduertisement to Eunomius to flie out of Cyzicus Basilius Magnus in his fiue bookes written against Eunomius as it were filled with the spirite of Phineas who with one speare killed Ombri and Cosbi euen so Basilius with one penne confounded both Eunomius his Maister Aetius This Aëtius was a Syrian admitted to the office of a Deacon by Leontius Spado he spake vnquoth thinges of the Trinitie and was justlie called an Atheist The Emp. Constantius albeit hee loued other Arrians yet hee disliked Anomei and procured his deposition and excommunication by the Bishops who came to Constantinople from Ariminum and Seleucia Eudoxius first Bishop of Germanitia in the confines of Cilicia after Bishop of Antiochia and last Bishop of Constantinople a hunter for preheminence of places He was a fauourer of the sect of Arrians called Anomei or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet he had the heart of a beast for neither would hee embrace the true Faith neither durst hee defend the Iye whereunto his heart was inclined But in the Councill of Constantinople holden after the Councils of Ariminum Seleucia he transferred all the blame vpon Actius whom the Emp. banished so that it is a strange thing that this errour shoulde haue had the name also from such a feeble patrone as Eudoxius was to be called the errour of Eudoxiani Macedonius rather by the authoritie of the Emp. Constantius then by the consent of the people was made bishop of Constantinople Paulus lawfull bishop of Constantinople was banished to Cucusus a towne of Armenia and there hee was strangled by the Arrians also 3150. of the people were slaine and troden vnder feete at his violent entrie This bloody Tyrant denyed the diuinitie of the holy Ghost Hee was deposed by the Emperours procurement because hee durst presume at his owne hande to transport the bones of the Emp. Constantine from one Church to another His followers were abhorred more then any other branch of the Arrian Heresie for their inconstancie They sent Messengers to Liberius Bishop of Rome and consented in al points to the Nicene Faith but afterward like vnto dogges they returned to their vomite againe Hee was damned as a notable Heretique by the seconde Generall Councill gathered at Constantinople by the Emperour Theodosius anno 386. Hee died in a little Village neere to Constantinople and Eudoxius obtained his place Photinus Bishop of Sirmium in Illyria was the Disciple of Marcellus Bishop of Ancyra in Galatia These two renewed both the Heresie of Sabellius and Samosatenus and augmented the blasphemous opinion of Samosatenus with this addition That the Kingdome of CHRIST was not euerlasting but it had a beginning when he was borne of the Virgine and should haue an ende at the latter day This Heresie hath the name from the disciple not from the maister in regard that Marcellus continued not so obstinately in his errour as did Phot. his disciple but renounced his errour was receiued into the fellowship of
they craued that others shoulde make supplications to God for them But hee who is Mediator of intercession he prayeth for vs and hath no neede that any man should pray for him In like maner Châ—…ysostome writing vppon these wordes of the Apostle For there is one GOD and one Mediator of GOD and man the man CHRIST IESUS plainely affirmeth that the Mediator of our intercession must bee partaker both of the diuine and humane nature And consequently there is no Mediator of intercession except Christ onely who is both God and man In like maner speaking of the Cananâ—…tisb woman hee saith that shee went not to Peter nor to Iames nor to â—…ohn but shee went directly to Christ bringing with her repentance as an aduocate and beeing moued with vnspeakeable admiration of the goodnesse of Christ hee saith O admirandares sursum tremor Deorsum fiducia miserere mei non opus habeo mediatore that is O admirable thing there is trembling aboue and confidence belowe haue mercie vpon mee I haue no neede of a mediator to wit betwixt Christ and mee Thus wee see that when ancient Fathers spake of a mediator of intercession they spake of a mediator betwixt God and vs and not betwixt Christ and vs. But now let vs take vp out of groundes of holy Scripture a true description of the mediator of intercession Out of two principal places of Scripture the description shal be grounded In the Gospell of Matthew it is saide This is my Well-beloued Sonne in whom I am Well pleased And in the Epistle of Peter we are warned to offer up spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Of these two places of Scripture I gather a description of a mediator of intercession in this maner Hee for whose sake onely our persons are in fauour with God and for whose merites onely our prayers are acceptable to God hee is the onelie mediator of our intercession But so it is that in Christ onelie God is pleased with our persons and for his sake onelie God accepteth our prayers ergo Christ is the onely mediator of our intercession The similitude that is vsed by Papistes in stead of an argument is to bee discussed Like as subjectes should not step rudelie to the King but by mediate persons who are in fauoure and credite present their sutes vnto his Highnesse Euâ—…n so say they wee shoulde not bee so bolde as to present our prayers to Christ at the first instant without the intercession of Saints To this similitude Origen himselfe albeit the first inuenter of the seminarie of this error hee answereth by another similitude That like as the shadow doeth follow the bodie in moste absolute maner so that if the bodie be moued the shadow also moueth and if the bodie rest the shadow also resteth Euen so if 2 man can bee in fauour with the eternall God then shall he also be in friendship with all the creatures of God And this agreeth well with the wordes of holy Scripture That the stones in the fielde shall bee in league with us and the beastes of the fielde shall bee at peace with vs to wit when wee are reconciled to our GOD. To this same similitude both used of olde by some and rejected by the learned S. Ambrose giueth this answere writing vpon the words of Pâ—…l They serued the creature forsaking the Creator who is blessed for euer Vpon these wordes hee writeth that men who haue neglected praying to GOD they defende themselues with a miserable excuse saying that by Saintes they may haue accesse to GOD like as by noble Courteours accesse vnto the King is purchased but go toe saith hee is any man so foolish or so vnmindfull of his owne safetie that he dare giue vnto the fore-saide noble Courteour that honour which is due to the King for if any man bee found trafficking about such businesse hee will bee justly condemned of treason Yet these men count them not guiltie who giue the honour due to GOD vâ—…to a creature and forsaking GOD they worship their owne fellow-seruantes as if there were anie greater seruice that coulde bee exhibited to GOD to wit then Inuocation of his blessed NAME For this cause saieth hee men procure accesse to the King by Nobles and Tribunes because the King is but a man and knoweth not to whom hee shoulde concredite the affaires of the kingdome but to purchase the fauour of GOD to whom nothing is vnknowne because hee knoweth the deseruinges of all men there is no neede of suffragantes but of a deuote minde And in his booke written of Isaac and the soule he writeth of CHRIST very holily and according to Scripture CHRIST is oâ—…r mouth by whom wee talke with the Father hee is our eye by whom wee see the Father he is our right hand by whom wee offer our selues vnto the Father who if hee intercide not for vs neither wee nor the Saints haue any thing to do with GOD. Albeit it may bee sufficiently prouâ—…d that euen Ambrose himselfe was somewhat intangled with the errour uniuersally ouer-spred amongst the common people for they were so fonde vpon Inuocation of Saintes that learned Preachers yeelded somewhat to the madnesse of an â—…uill disposed people as Aaron did to the carnall Iâ—…wes when they worshipped the golden Calfe Neuerthelesse any man who readeth the fore-mentioned places of Ambrose may perceiue that in heart and mind hee disliked the Inuocation of Saints The more particularly that wee descend into this argumentâ—… the trueth shall bee the more clearely manifested Let vs therefore search out whether or no it was counted lawfull of olde to pray to the Angels to worship the Virgine Marie and to inâ—…ocate the Saintes In holy Scripture wee find that vnder colour of humilitie some did worship the Angels and pray vnto them But the holie Apostle Paul who was taught immediately by CHRIST calleth this forme of deuotion rashnesse and the conceit of an heart puffed vp with a fleshly minde There is no pride comparable to the pride of a foole hee will speake of thinges hee neuer saw nor heard and of thinges whereof he can render no reason The Angell who reuealed great mysteries to the Apostle Iohn woulde not bee content to bee worshipped by him but rebuked him at two diuerse times for presuming to worship him said at both times he should worship GOD. And the Council of Laodicea damned the worshipping of Angels as Idolatrie and a forsaking of CHRIST The Angell who blessed Iaakob was not one of the ministring Spirites but the great Angell of the Couenant of GOD euen CHRIST IESUS to whom all knee should bee bowed Concerning the adoration of the blessed Virgine the mother of our LORD it is grounded vpon the fabulous narratâ—…on of her assumption written by Nicephorus whereunto the lesse credite is to be giuen because in it the glory onely due to CHRIST is giuen to the Virgine Marie namely
betwixt the Riuers Arnon Iordan and Iabbok by one apparent right the king of Ammon claimed that these lands should be restored vnto the Ammonites to whom of old they did belong but Iphtah refused to giue ouer the possession of these landes wherein the Reubenites and Gaaites dwelt and that for three great reasons First they receiued these landes out of the handes of their GOD by whose expresse commandement and warrant MOSES faught against Sihon king of Hesbon Secondly since the dayes of MOSES vntill the dayes of the gouernament of IPHTAH that is the space of three hundreth yeeres the people of Israel peaceablie possessed those landes And thirdly euen in the dayes of Moses these landes were taken out of the handes of the Amorites who were possessors of them at that time and not from the Ammonites For the like reasons I say we cannot agree to the doctrine of Inuocation of Saints First because wee haue receiued a perfect forme of prayer out of our LORDS hands wherein we are taught to pray onely to our Heauenly Father and not to Saints Secondly because the Church for the space of three hundreth yeeres after the LORDS ascension used no other forme of prayer then this to pray to GOD alone through IESUS CHRIST Thirdly if Papistes will needes make anie controuersie in this matter let them controuert with CHRISTS Apostles who haue left vnto their true successors this forme of prayer which we now use and such new young school-maisters as Papistes are wee cannot admit Against the seconde of the three preceeding reasons if they object that in the dayes of Cyprian the Christian Virgine whom Cyprian before his conuersion pursued with Magicall arts labouring to circumueene her shee prayed for helpe to the Virgine Marie as Nazianzenus writeth To this I answere that this narration which Nazianzenus hath found in some Apocryph booke is rejected by the learned as an vncertaine thing whereof Ierom writing of the conuersion of Cyprian maketh no mention Secondly this forme of prayer that a weake and timorous Virgine used was no liturgie nor forme of prayer used amongst Christian people in their holy assemblies and that thing which any one person doth of infirmitie and weakenesse is not to bee counted an ancient doctrine in the Church Seeing the Apostle warneth vs to absteine from all appearance of euill at least Papistes in their Inuocation of Saintes shoulde haue absteined from formes of speaking used in prayers made vnto the eternal GOD lest they should seeme to giue the glory onely due to the Creator to the creatures But in the matter of Inuocation of Saintes they haue set themselues forward with such impetuous speate that they cannot absteine from the honourable stiles giuen to GOD but these also must bee giuen to the Saintes The Prophet Dauid calleth the LORD his Rocke his Fortresse his Strength his Shield the Horne of his Saluation and his Refuge And in another Psalme GOD is our hope and helpe ◅rength in troubles readie to be found Are not all these honourable stiles and many more attributed to the Saintes in the ordinary prayers of the R◅ane Church Is not the Virgine Marie called the Queene of Heauen the prouident gouernor of Heauenly and Earthly powers the mother of mercie obteiner of pardon mediatrix to GOD-ward restorer of the grace to bee hoped for the mother of the militant Church the aduocate of the world Such pretious ointment as this is more meete to bee poured out vpon the feete of CHRIST then vpon the head of the Virgine Marie but a prodigall waster neither regardeth what hee giueth nor to whom they are but one steppe from calling the Virgine Marie directly eternall GOD for they put the gouernement of Heauenly and Earthly things vpon her shoulder they call her Queene of Heauen and the prince of peace What remaineth to bee said but one word that shee is almighty GOD and this stile also will bee necessarily inferred vpon the preceeding honourable titles attributed to her The honourable stile of an Aduocate Bellarmine is the bolder to attribute vnto the Virgine Marie because that Ireneus writeth Et sicut ill◅ seducta est ut effugeret DEVM sic h◅c suasa est ◅bedire DEO uti Virginis Euae Virgo Maria fieret advocata that is and like as she to wit Eva was seduced to depart from GOD euen so this woman to wit the Virgine Marie was perswaded to obey GOD to the end that the Virgine Marie might be an aduocate for the Virgine Eva. I am certaine that Bellarmine vnderstood not the meaning of Ireneus better then hee vnderstood the sence and meaning of his owne words In the words immediately preceeding Ireneus declares that like as sinne came in by disobedience in eating of the fruite of the forbidden tree euen so righteousnesse came in by him who manifested his obedience in another tree that is in suffering death vpon the Crosse. What neede had Be◅larmine to wreast the wordes of Ireneus after hee had set downe so cleare a commentarie of his owne words for hee calleth the Vi◅gine Marie an aduocate in respect of her blessed birth who by his obedience satisfied for the sinne that Adam brought in by his disobedience Now it is true that superstitiō is like vnto the Feau◅r called Hectica in the beginning hardly discerned but easie to bee cured and in end easily discerned but not easily cured Euen so it was hard to know what would bee the issue of the disputation of Origen when he disputed concerning the affection that Saintes departed carried towarde the members of the Militant CHURCH of GOD but it was easie to stay the course of this errour when hee who was the first author of it durst not auow it but in secret disputations said that possibly such a thing might bee But in our dayes the Feauer is growne to such an height that it is easier to discerne the errour then to find out a way to correct it What is then to bee done at this time where into errour hath preuailed so farre and of so long time that it is like vnto a Gangrene dayly becomming worse and worse so that it is apparently a remedilesse euill shall wee cease from damning superstition and let the people pray as they list It is better to follow the example of the holy Prophet Helias albeit Idolatrie was vniuersally ouer-spred in the kingdome of Israel yet he reproued the people for halting betweene two opinions and hee bowed his knees to GOD and prayed that the LORD would send fire from Heauen to burne the sacrifice and to seale vp in the hearts of the people that the GOD who made the Heauen and the Earth was the onely true GOD and onely to bee worshipped Euen so beside reprouing of superstitious Inuocation of Saints which also I haue done according to the measure of my knowledge in this Treatise I pray to the eternall GOD that hee
Apostate who permitted no Councils to be assembled in time of his gouernement are haters of free and lawfull conuocated assemblies And incase good men fortuned to bee assembled together by any occasion as it happened in the Councils of Millan and Ariminum in the dayes of the Emperour Constantius the indeuours of the Emperour sometimes to circumueene at other times to terrifie or to wearie the honest mindes of vpright men plainely testified that hee was afraide of the sentence definitiue of a lawfull Councill Therefore let vs thinke with our heart and say with our mouth that lawfull assemblies are necessary for the furtherance of the Kingdome of GOD. Concerning the authoritie of Councils which is the principall subject of this Treatise there are three diuerse opinions Some with excessiue praises aduance Councils and count them equall to holie Scripture namelie the foure first Generall Councils The Councill of Nice Constantinople Ephesus and Chalcedon and they compare them vnto the foure Euangels and to the foure Riuers of Paradise Others doe vilipende Councils and striue against them for euerie light cause as the Arrians did against the Councill of Nice for that one worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it was not founde in Scripture The third opinion is of those who neither will vilipende Councils nor equall them to sacred Scripture because holie Scripture is absolutelie and without all contradiction to bee belâ—…eued but Councils may bee corâ—…ected one by another as namelie Nationall Councils by Generall Councils and anterior Generall Councils by posterior at such times as thinges that were hidden from the vnderstanding of men before are brought to a more manifest light and notorious knowledge And in this opinion is that holy Father AUGUSTINE in his bookes written against the Donatists Now they who were in the first opinion to wit that the first foure Generall Councils were equall vnto the writinges of the foure Euangelists euery one of them leaned vpon an vnsure and deceitfull ground and so it came to passe that they were both deceiued themselues and likewise they deceiued others For Gratianus was the bolder so to speake because Pope Gregorie had spoken the â—…ame before him Pope Gregorie spake so because hee had a resolution in his owne minde to bee obedient to the acts of the Councill of Nice O but after him there commeth in a succession of Popes who will not bee content to bee ruled with the Canons of the Councill of Nice albeit they spake as Gregorie spake yet they did not as Gregorie did for they usurped jurisdiction aboue all the rest of the Patriarches expresse contrarie to the Canons of the Councill of Nice wherein it is statuted and ordained that the Bishop of Alexandria shoulde attende vpon the Churches of Aegypt and the Bishop of Rome should attende vpon the towne of Rome and the suburbicarie Churches according to the custome obâ—…erued of old What is this els but a mocking of the world in word to â—…ay that the 4. first Generall Councils are like vnto the 4. Euangelists and in deed manifestly to transgresse the ordinances of the Councill of Nice Are not the Bishops of Rome in this case like vnto Theophilus B of Alexandria when a great number of Monks came from the Wildernesse of Nitria to Alexandria of purpose to slay him Theophilus met them and with pleasant wordes mitigated their wrath for hee sâ—…id vnto them Brethren I see your faces as the face of God This he said not because he had a good liking of them but rather to bee free of their danger So doeth Gelatius and other Bishops of Rome speake reuerentâ—…y of the Councill of Nice to the end that the sixt Canon foresaide which they haue so manifestly transgressed may bee ouer-passed with the more fauourable pardoning of the transgressours because they speake good of the Councill If this bee a good forme of dealing let the wise Readeâ—… judge The Hypocrites also will praise the Law-giuer to wit the eternal GOD but they wil not be obedient vnto his Lawe yea they will take his Holy Couenant in their mouthes yet they hate to bee reformed But the Romane Bisshops should doe well either to bragge lesse of the Nicene Councill or els to be more obedient vnto the acts thereof Moreouer if the 4. first General Councils be like vnto the 4. bookes of the Euangâ—…l then is it as great a sin to falsifie the acts of the Coun. of Nice as to falsifie the Gospel of IESUS CHRIST according to S. Maâ—…hew But so it is that the Bishops of Rome for desire of preheminence falsified the acts of the Councill of Nice alleadging an act of that Councill whereby the Bishops of Rome were ordained to bee Iudges of appellation whensoeuer anie man did appeale from his owne ordinarie Bishop then shoulde his cause bee judgâ—…d by the Bishop of Rome But when all the principall Registers were sighted by the Councill of Carthâ—…ge no such constitution was founde in the Canons of the Councill of Nice for it was but an act of the Councill of Sardica and that both temporall and personall as wee haue before declared Therefore the sixt Councill of Carthage ordained such persons to bee excommunicated as should at anie time hereafter appeale from their owne ordinarie Bishop to anie Bishop beyond sea meaning inspeciall of the Bishop of Rome because the question agitat in the late Councils of Carthage was concerning his authoritie The second opinion concerning the authority of Councils is the opinion of Heretiques who altogether vilipend the authorâ—…tie of good Councils albeit they haue weyed mens opinions in the just ballance of the holy Scripture onâ—…ly and haue rejected no doctrine but that onely which being weyed in that most perfect ballance is found light Concerning these men it is superfluous to speake much they are like vnto dogges whose friendship goeth by acquaintance and is not ordered by reason and therefore if a friend come to the house hee barketh at him because hee hath not seene him before but incase hee see a thiefe and prodigall waster of all the substance of his maisters house hee will not barke against him if so bee hee bee familiarlie acquainted with him euen so notable Heretiques they raile against the trueth of GOD euidently proued by Scriptuâ—…e and confirmed by authoritie of Councils onelie because they are well acquainted with the lye and they are strangers from the trueth of GOD. The third opinion is best of all the rest forasmuch as by it neither are Councils vilipended nor yet honoured out of measure but they are regarded in so farre as they speake that thing which GOD hath spoken in his sacred Scriptures before them No greater honour did the Councill of all Councils conuâ—…ened at Hierusalem desire wherein the Apostles were presâ—…nt who were taught in all trueth by the holy Spirit yet did they not prâ—…tende the warâ—…and of the Spirit without the warrand of the writtâ—…n
called Circulatores who after long abstinence from all kinde of delicate pleasures they left the wildâ—…rnesse and came to townes sate in tabernes resorted to stoue-hoâ—…ses and yet were not intangled with any kind of desire of earthly pleasures as dead men to the world but when occasion of prayer was offered vnto them the â—…ldest and weakest of them did plucke vp his heart and with vigore and courage did performe that Holy sâ—…ruice Euagrius commending these Circulatores with excesâ—…iue praises borroweth a similitude from Plato whereby hee would declare that as a man who hath vnclothed himselfe of his vpper garmentes and in ende hath cast off his shirt also this man is naked indeede euen so these Circulatores after they had forsaken all carnall delites in ende they forsooke also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is vaine glorie which is like vnto the shirt of a man and the last of all garmentes casten off The similitude is very good if it had bene rightly applied but I cannot see howe it can bee rightly applied to these Circulatores who needed not to haue come to townes as to stages and theaters to make oftentation of their abstinence if they had not beene couetous of vaine glorie The orders of Monkes that sprang vp after the three hundreth yeere of our LORD were like vnto rootes planted in an Orchard which spreade out in many branches such as the Basilidians Ambrâ—…sians the Augustine Monkes Hieronymianâ—… Grâ—…gorians and Benedictines But the Augustines and Benedictines were beyond the rest The order called Grandimontenses the Orders of Premonstratenses in the low countreys of Germanie neere to Leâ—…dium of Guilelmitae in Aquitania Milites D. Jacobi and Calatrinenses in Spaine All these followed the rules of the Augustine Monkes But the Orders of the Cluniacenses in France of the shadowed valley who dwelt in Italie and vpon the Apenneine of Cistertienses in Burgundie of Bernardâ—…ines Coelestines of Iustinians of Mount Oliueâ—… of Humiliati and diuers others all these were branches of the order of S. Benedict And this diuersitie of names was imposed to Monkes liuing vnder the rules of Augustine and Benedict partly to declare the places wherein and partly the persons by whom the dissolute conuersation of the Monkes of these two orders was reduced to the strickt abstinence of their first institution Many other Orders I haue of purpose ouer-passed with silence because the number is exceeding great onely of the Charterous Monkes of the Franciscans and Dominicans and of the vnhappie order of the Layolites and a few more wee shall speake hereafter GOD willing Now to keepe some order in this Treatise I shall fiâ—…st declare GOD willing the meanes whereby the Monasticke forme of liuing was increased magnified and admired euen beyond all measure Secondly of the degrees of the decay of their fame which insued soone after the excessiue commendation of that state And thirdly the vild and vnsufferable abuses of the Monâ—…sticke life of late dayes whereby Monkes are become a heauie and loath some burthen ouer-charging the world and like vnto the offensiue Locustes who euen when they haue flowne away they leaue behind them such detriment and losse to parts whereinto they haue beene that of a long time they cannot be forgotten againe First the Monastries of olde were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or places of honestie whereinto all lasciuiousnesse wantonnesse and riote was abhorred as it was wont to be detested iâ—… Selga a towne of Pisidia in so farre that the Apostle Paul himselfe abhorreth not from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby hee betokeneth wantonnesse Likewise they were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for their solitarie liuing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for their meditation and continuall holy exercises In these places men were well brought vp and were furnished with knowledge were meete to stop the mouthes of Heretiques who in the fourth CENTURIE did abound In these places were continuall exercises of Prayer Reading Meditation and abstinence from all kind of delicate pleasures And men brought vp in Monasteries were meete to vndertake the weighty charge of Pastors and Bishops Epiphanius from his youth was brought vp in the Monastries both of Palestina and Aegypt And Nazianzenus drew with him Basilius Magnus to the Wildernesse where they laide aside all the bookes of Gracian Philosophers and searched out the mysteries of the Kingdome of GOD out of the bookes of Holie Scripture and very diligently read the bookes of ancient Fathers who before their time had written Commentaries vpon diuine Scripture so were they both well prepared for great emploimentes by thirteene yeeres continuall exercise of reading in the Wildernesse Barses Eulogius Lazarus Leo and Prapidius of Monkes in Syria and Persia were made Bishops And this was the first honour of Monastries that in them as it were in Colleges of Learning men were well exercised and prepared for the Pastorall office Secondly the great giftes of GOD that appeared in some of them who professed the Monasticke life brought this kind of liuing in wonderfull great admiration amongst the people especially the gift of working of miraculous workes In this point like as I am not altogether incredulous to doubt of euerie miracle which GOD wrought by the hands of Monkes so likewise will I not bee so childish credulous as to beleeue euery thing that Ecclesiasticall Writers doe record of them as namelie the thirtie yeeres silence of THEONAS conjoined with a Propheticall gift GOD suffered not ZACHARIAS the father of IOHN BAPTIST albeit justly punished with dumnesse for his incrudelitie to bee so long silent seeing the talentes of GOD are giuen to bee occupied and not to be hidden in the ground The miracle of Apelles an Aegyptian Monke who brunt the Deuill in the face with an hote yron who appeared vnto him in the similitude of a beautifull woman and tempted him to vngodly lust is it not a childish fable and repugnant also to Scripture wherein the weapons are described wherewith wee shoulde fight against spirituall wickednesse and all are pieces of spirituall armour onely The miraculous transporting of Ammus ouer a broocke to the ende hee shoulde not drawe off his owne hose and see his owne naked legges is not agreeable to the ende that GOD hath in working of miracles namely to confirme the weakenesse of Faith but not to foster vaine conceites in mens hearts Was it a fault of CHRISTES Disciples to see their owne naked legges when our LORD IESUS washed them The superstition of the Monke Dorotheus hating sleepe as hee hated the Deuill when as our Maister IESUS CHRIST abhorred not from refreshing his owne bodie with naturall rest The multiplied number of prayers which PAULUS in Pherma as a dayly taske offered to GOD numbring his prayers by the like number of three hundreth stones put in his bosome and after euery prayer casting out a stone vntill his bosome was emptied of all
a Monke to Rome there to lurke secretly and to expect the euent of the battell that was to be foughten betwixt Theodosius and Maximus and to congratulate the victor When he returned from Rome hee endeuoured to promote him to the bishopricke of Constantinople but Iohn Chrysostome was preferred to him After this he can not keepe friendship with Isidorus whome hee intended once to haue preferred but vpon a light occasion cast him off and excommunicated him because Isidorus would not deliuer to him the money left in testementall legacie to be distributed to the poore This money which Theoplnlus sister had left to the vse foresaide Theophilus craued that it might bee put in his handes to bee employed to building and repairing of Churches but Isidorus answered that the money put in his custodie should be bestowed according to the will of the defunct And that it was a worke more acceptable to GOD to support the poore who were the liuing temples of GOD then to build olde and ruinous walles Therefore Theophilus hated and excommunicated Isidorus for this cause Isidorus left Alexandria and addressed himselfe to the wildernes of Schethis where hee complained to Ammonius Dioscorus Eusebius and Enthymius called Longifratres of the iniurie that Theophilus had done vnto him who intreated Theophilus to receiue Isidorus in fauour againe and to admit him to his communion but Theophilus gaue vnto them an euill reward for their trauailes for hee hated them and finding that there was diuers opinions amongst the Monkes of Nitria and Schethis hee put fuell to the fire to the ende that diuersitie of affection might bee added to diuersitie of Opinion a man in all his courses malitious and deceatfull Longi fratres fled to Constantinople to complaine to the Emperour Arcadius of the malitiousnes of Theophilus and they were humanely and courteously receiued by Chrysostome but not admitted to the participation of the holy mysteries vntill their cause had beene first iudged To the rest of the Monkes who dwelt in Nitria Schethis the malice of Theophilus was not vnknowne And 500. of them especially such as were Anthropomorphite came from the wildernes of Nâ—…ia of intention to haue slaine Theophilus but he met them with gentle and flattering words lenified their anger for hee said vnto them Brethren I see your faces as the face of GOD. They took his words in this sense as if he had said that GOD was fashioned according to the likenâ—…sse of a mans body Therefore they desirâ—…d him to abiure the doctrine of Origen which thing he willingly did for he hated the bookes of Origen and so hee escaped the danger The next practâ—…se of his malice was against Iohn Chrysostome B. of Constantinople whom he hated because he had receiued courteously intreated Isidorus Longi fratres who came to Constantinople of intention to accusâ—… him In this matter he dealt deceitfully like vnto a crastie foxe lying in waite vntill he found occasion to set on First he reconciled himselfe to Epiphanius bishop of Salamin in Cyprus and moouâ—…d him to gather a Councill in Cyprus for damning the bookes of Origen and to wâ—…ite to Iohn Chrysâ—…stome that he should doe the like in his bouâ—…ds but Chrysostome tooke litle regard of the Councill of Epiphanius other things were more necessare than to trouble the memoriall of a man that was dead long agoe Theophilus was glad to haue this vantage that Epiphanius a man of gâ—…eat account was on his side and so soone as hee found that Eudoxia the Emperour Aâ—…cadius wife with courteours and some of the Clergie were incensed against Chrysostome hee was in readines as a firebrand of Satan to execute all euill turnes So the man of GOD as hath beene declared was deposed banished and vniustly put to death by Eudoxia and Theophtlus two chiefe procurers of it â—…yrillus the nephew of Theophtlus of his brothers side succeeded to Theophtlus and ministred 32. yeeres a man learned zealouâ—… an lactiue his ministration was vnder the reignes of Theodoâ—…s 2 Ualentinian 3. He was an aduerfare to hereâ—…ques in his dayes especially to Nestorius B. of Constantinople who denied the personall vnion of the diuine and humane Nature in CHRIST whose opinion as hereticall was damned in the Councill of Ephesas Cyrillus caried some greater pompe maiestie than became the preachers of the humilitie of CHRISTS crosse For he reuenged the iniurie that the Lewes had done vnto Christians in the night time by setting vpon their Synagogues slaying a great number of them banishing others distributing their substance as a prey to the multitude that followed him The Iewes had dwelt in Alexandria from the dayes of Alexander the great to that time but now by furie of Cyrillus they were vtteâ—…ly vndone and scattered Orestes the deputie of Theodosius 2. was in the towne to whom Cyâ—…illus wold not complaine of the iniurie done by the Iewes against Christians but at his owne hand vsurping the office of the ciuill Magistate hee set vpon the Iewes slew scattered spoyled them as hath bene aboue mentioned This was the ground of vnsupportable discord betwixt Orestes and Cyrillus in so much that 500. Monks of Nitria came out of the wildernes to Alexandria to support Cyrillus their bishop One of them called Ammonius wounded the gouernour Orestes and when he was taken punished vnto the death Cyrillus called him a Martyre buried him in the Church changed his name and called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is admirable The Romane bishops claimed to a superioritie ouer their brethrene but Cyrillus B. of Alexandria plainly pretended to a superioritie ouer ciuill Magistrats This moued Socrates writing of Coelesâ—…inus 1 to say that the bishops of Rome and Alexandria had stepped beyond the limites of priesthood to the affectation of an externall domination The bishops of Rome kept their owne pride and borrowed from Alexandria a proud usurpation of domination ouer ciuill Magistrats but the wise prouidence and prouident wisdome of our GOD would haue the mouthes of the bishops of Rome opned to condemne that ciuill domination which their successors afterward most proudly vsurped Marke what Gelasius writeth that before the comming of CHRIST some persons such as Melchisedeck were both Kings and Priests This saith he Sathan imitating in his members wold haue Pagan Emperours to be called Pontisicesmaximi Imperatores but when he came who was indeed both King Priest to wit CHRIST neither did the King take vpon him the priestly dignitie neither the priest the kingly authoritie Dioscorus who succeeded to Cyrillus his name is to be read in the catalogue of heretickes but Proterius was the true successor in regard he kept the faith but he was cruelly flaine by the fauourers of Dioscorus immediatly after the death of the Empetour Martianus Timotheus Salophaciolus ministred in Alexandria 23 yeeres 6 months in the dayes of Zeno Basihscus Albeit Basihscus aduanced
Nestorius Hee was present likewise at the second Councill of Ephesus and consented to the restitution of Eutyches Hee was deposed in the Councill of Chalcedon receiued in fauour againe after humble confession of his fault This is that famous author whome the Romane Church citeth for the fable of the Assumption of the Virgine MARIE When hee returned to Ierusalem a number of turbulent Monks arose vp against him and desired him to accurse the Councill of Chalcedon which when hee refused to doe they chused another bishop called Theodosius but the Emperour Martianus commandement was strait to fetch Theodosius aliue vnto him therefore he fled and Juvenalis returned againe vnto his place The names of Anastatius and Martyrius who followed Iuvenalis for their assenting to Basiliscus and to Petrus Gnapheus are not worthie to be insert in this catalogue Of other Pastors and Doctors THeodoritus was B. of Cyrus a towne in Syria whose builder seemes to haue beene Cyrus King of Persia a man of excellent learning liued vnder the Emperours Theodosius 2. Valentinian 3. and Martianus Hee had the ouersight of eightie parishes lying within his ample diocie He is bold to affirme in a cerraine Epistle written to Leo bishop of Rome that by his trauailes a thousand soules within his bounds were reclaimed from the heresie of Marcion Hee fell into many lamentable troubles The ground of all was the extraordinare loue hee caried toward his owne Patriarch Iohn B. of Antiochia For like as he accompanied him to the Councill of Ephesus so likewise hee concurred with him in the deposition of Cyrillus B. of Alexandria and Memnon B. of Ephesus but the Councill gathered at Ephesus tooke triall in the cause of Cyrillus and Memnon and absolued them and damned Iohn B. of Antiochia his complices Theodoritus was one of the number The second trouble followed vpon the necke of the first for by instigation of his patriarch John he wrote against the 12 heades or 12. theses of Cyrillus written against Nestorius wherein he mistaketh the doctrine of Cyrillus as if he had falne into the errour of Apollinaris but after that Cyrillus wrote a declaration of his owne meaning it was found that both Cyrillus and Theodoritus professed one faith and they were reconciled Neuerthelesse Theodoritus was damned in the second Councill of Ephesus for writting against Cyrillus neither beeing cited accused nor conuict of any fault Theodoritus complained to Leo B. of Rome of the outrage of Dioscorus bishop of Alexandria who had damned him in a Councill before hee was heard Leo absolued him and the Councill of Chalcedon after hee had pronounced Anathema against the errours of Nestorius and Eutyches they in like maner absolued him And finally after his death in the 5 generall Councill his writings against the 12. heades of Cyrillus were damned All these troubles proceeded from one and the selfesame ground to wit vpon the extraordinarie loue hee caried toward his patriarch Iohn This one thing laid aside he was nothing inferiour to the most wise acurate and learned writers of the ancient time In the first of his learned dialogues called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he prooueth that the Word became flesh without changing of the diuine Nature into the humane Nature or the humane Nature into the diuine Euen as in the Sacrament of the Supper of the LORD the bread becomes the body of the LORD not by changing the substance of it but by assuming by grace an other vse than it had the very symbol obtaineth the name of the thing represented by the symbol When Papists doe read the dialogues of Theodoritus let them leaue off to brag of the antiquitie of the doctrine of Transsubstantiation and take them to the Monke Damascene the first author of their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he continued at least 30 yeeres in his ministrie and ended his life as is supponed vnder the reigne of Leo the first Augustine in his young yeeres was infected with the errour of the Manicheans His mother Monica watered her face many times with teares in her prayers begging at GOD his conuersione to the trueth GOD heard her prayers hee was sent to Millan to be a teacher of Rhetoricke by the preaching of Ambrose B. of Millan and the deuote behauiour of the people in singing Psalmes to the praise of GOD the like whereof Augustine had neuer seene in any place before for men in earth praising GOD with ardent affection seemed to represent the Angels of heauen who incessantly praise GOD with vnspâ—…akable delite Also with the reading of the life of Antonius the heremite he was wonderfully moued begâ—…n to dislike his former conuersatioÌ„ which he had spent in worldly pleâ—…sures and went vnto a quiet garden accompanied with Alipius with many teares he bewaâ—…led the insolencie of his bypast conuersation wishing the time to be now come whereinto without farder delay his soule should be watred with the dew of the conuerting grace of GOD. And as he was powring out the griefe of his wounded heart to GOD with a flood of teares hee heard a voyce saying vnto him tolle lege and againe tolle lege that is to say take vp and read take vp and read At the first heating he took it to haue bene the voyce of boyes or maides speaking in their play such wordes one to another but when he looked about and could see no body he knew it to be a celestial admonition warning him to take vp the booke of holy Scriptuâ—…e which he had in the garden with him and read Now the first place that feâ—…l in his hands after the opening of the booke was this Not in gluttonie nor drunckennes nor in chambering nor wantonnesse nor in strife or enuying but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and take no thought of the flesh to fulfill the lâ—…stes thereof At the reading whereof he was so fully resolued to forsake the vanities of the world to become a Christian that immediatly thereafter he was baptized by Ambrose B. of Millan with his compenion Alipius and his sonne Adeodatus After this he returned to Africke and was coadiutor to Valerius B of Hippe as Chrysâ—…stome was to Flauianus in Antiochia and â—…fter them also with extraordinarie giftes of knowledge but the writers of this time especially Evagrius who concludeth his historie with the death of Mauritius bringeth in many famous men in this Centurie gifted with power to worke miraculous workes But when I consider the ende of these miraculous workes they are brought in either to confirme the sanctimonie of the monasticke life the adoration of the Grosse or some other grosse superstition Zosymas a Monke is commended by him for his propheticall foreknowledge of the ruine of Antiochia and for the miracle of the Lion who slewe the Asse that caried his victualing to Caesarea and likewise the Lion by his mandate was compelled to beare that same burden which the Asse had borne to the portes
yeeee of our LORD 585. Vnder the reigne of Mauritius a Councill was assembled at Constantinople for trying of the cause of Gregorius B of Antiochia whom Asterius Deputie in the East had accused of incest but Gregorius was declared to bee innocent his accuser was scourged with roddes and was banished In this Councill the name of Oecumenick bishop was attributed to Iohn Patriarch of Constantinople The first Councill of Matiscon was assembled about the time of Pelagius 2 as the second Tome of Councills recordeth In it commandement was giuen that no man of the Clergie should cite another man hauing a spirituall office before a seculare iudge And that a bishop or Presbyter should not intangle himselfe with carnall lust after hee is promoted to so high dignitie but the woman who before was his wife nowe let her bee his sister and let the husband bee changed into a brother Marke how subtilly Sathan vnder pretence of lothing matrimoniall chastitie is bringing in all kinde of vncleannesse into the Church The second Councill of Matiscon was conueened in the 24. yere of the reigne of Gunthrannus king of France In it complaint was made that Baptisme was ministred vsually vpon â—…ry holy day insomuch that vpon Pasche day scarce were two or three found to be presented to Baptisme This they ordeined to bee amended and that no man except vpon occasion of infirmitie presume to present his child to Baptisme but to attend vpon the festiuall dayes prescribed of olde that is Pasche and Whitsonday Also it was statute and ordeined that the Sacrament of the altar should be ministred before any communicant person had tasted of meat or drinke That no person who fleeth to the Church as to a citie of refuge be drawne backe againe by violence from the bosome of the Chuch or be harmed into that holy place That a bishop must not bee attached before a secular iudge That the houses of bishops shall be kept holy with exercises of prayers and singing of Psalmes and shall not bee defiled with the barking of dogges and muting of hankes That seculare men shall doe reucrence to those who are of the Clergie euen vnto the lowest degree of them in such sort that if the secular man doe meete any of the Clergie walking on foot he shall honour him by vncouering his head but if the seculare man be riding on horsebacke and the Clergie man on foote then the secular man shall light downe from his horse and shall doe reuerence to the Church man this age smelleth of Antichristian pride In the third Council at Matiscon there is nothing to be read but a contentious disputation betwixt two bishops Palladius Bertramus foolish questions scarse worthy to bee disputed in GraÌ„mer schooles Whether or no a woman may be called homo In the yeere of our Lord 595 in the 13. yeere of the reigne of the Emp. Mauritius Gregorius 1. bishop of Rome assembled a Council at Rome of 24. bishops 34. presbyters whereinto first of all he confirmed the first foure generall Councills He ordeined that at the celebration of the Masse there should be lesse singing more reading of Psalmes and Gospel because weake people transported with the delite of a sweet delicate voyce marked not how men of a lewd life drew neere vnto the Altar of GOD. He ordeined also that laicke boyes should not be cubiculars to the bishops of Rome but that Presbyters Deacons or Monks should be witnesses of the honestie of their secret conuersation And that the beare whereinto the body of the B. of Rome is brought forth to bee buried shall not bee oue spred with any coueâ—…ing aboue the beare That for ordination of men in spirituall offices no reward shall be craued For like as the bishop should not sell the imposition of his hands euen so the minister or notare should not sell his voyce and pen. If hee who is ordeined voluntarlly giueth any thing as a testimonie of his thankfulnesse this is not forbidden to be receiued Gregorius standing before the place where the body of S. PETER is buried pronounced many Anathems whereinto the rest of the assemblie with vniforme consent saide Amen Amongst the rest the Presbyter or Deacon who marrieth a wise is deliuered to the deuill and a man who marieth his owne spirâ—…tuall sister whome in our language we call his gossope hee is likewise deliuered to an euill Heard to bee kept Albeit Gregorius bee not counted the worst amongst the bishoppes of Rome yet when hee followeth not the certaine rule of the written worde of GOD hee is wandering in the mist as boldly as others did before him The Councills which I haue ouerpassed with silence such as Gradense Bracearense Lateranense Lugdunense Pictaviense Metense lest I should ouer charge a litle booke with an vnnecessarie burthen or trouble the reader with reading of superstitious rites damning of old heresies and of euery contentious disputation more duely belonging to ciuile iudges than to spirituall conuentions I reserre mine excuse in this to the wisdome of the iudicious Reader TREATISES BELONGING TO THE sixt CENTVRIE A TREATISE Of the worshipping of Images IN the first 300. yeere of our LORD Images were not admitted into places of adoration In the fourth fifth and sixt Centurie they are admitted into temples yet for the most part without opinion that they should be worshipped as the letter of Gregorius the first written to Serenus bishop of Marseill cleaâ—…ely declareth Nowe it is time to contend against Images when they are come in such credite that they are set vp in temples and places of adoration And first Godwilling I shall intreat of the wordes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what difference is betwuixt them and the wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what differences are betwixt these three wordes lest Idolaters should bee left lurking vnder the sconses of words when they are denuded of all other ouerlapping couerings then will they lurke vnder the shadow of an ambiguous word as a Foxe straitly persued will lurke vnder the shadow of a fairne In the second roome I intend to speake of the Images of the Gentils In the third roome of the Images of the Iewes and last of all of the Images of them who beare the name of Christians First concerning the names of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I affirme that the principall defenders of worshipping of Images of old put no difference betwixt these two wordes for Damascene comparing Images to musicke instruments he sayeth That like as the captiue Iewes had instruments of musicke to praise GOD so in like maner the Babylonians had instruments of musicke to praise their gods In like maner saith he the Pagans had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby they honoured their gods and Christians also haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby they doe honour to the
of Athanasius are supposititious and false and Erasmus that learned man who was neuer satisfied with reading yet hee wearied in reading the supposititious works of Athanasius making an end of reading of them with this proucrbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say enough of accornes meaning that hee might spend the time better than in reading vâ—…profitable and vnnecessarie bookes The miracle of the Image of the Virgine MARIE and the candle set before her Image by an Heremite who went in pilgrimage a farre iourney and when hee returned againe after the issue of three moneths others say sixe moneths the candle was still burning and not consumed in all this time This miracle hath the right shape of a fable for all circumstances of time place and persons are obscured neither is it declared in what yeere of the LORD this miracle was wrought nor in what place of the world the Image was neither is the name of the Heremite expressed nor the name of the place whereinto hee iourncyed Onely the writer of this miracle is said to be Dionysuis Ascaâ—…onita presbyter some obscure fellow doubtlessâ—… or the faiâ—…ed name of some author for his name is vnknowne to the learned The second Councill of Nice which gaue such full allowance to adoâ—…ation of Images it began euill and it ended worse for it began at the fables conteined in Adrians letter but it ended at a dialogue betwixt the deuill and a certaine monke whome Sathan sorbade to woâ—…ship the image of our Ladie but his foolish Abbot Theodorus saide vnto him that it was a lesse sinne to haunt all the baudie houses in the towne euery day than to leaue off worshipping of the Image of our Lady one day The Apostle PAVL neuer vsed the testimonie of the deuill to proue himselfe to be the seruant of GOD albeit the woman possessed with a spirite of diuination cried after PAVL and SILAS that they weâ—…e the seruants of the most high GOD and in my opinion the arguments taken from the testimony of Sathan should be eschewed for GOD hath not appointed him to be our teacher Now let vs consider the multiplied honours of images hatched in the second Councill of Nice vnder this one worde adoration of Images This adoration standeth in decking of them knâ—…eling vnto them saying of prayers before them censing lighting of candles vowes offerings sestuall dayes salutations building of Churches and altars All these honours were done both to the image and to tâ—…e Sainct represented by the image The decking of images is damned by the Prophet HOSEA and it is indeede a spoyling of the poore who haue neede of such support as is bestowed in vaine vpon images who haue no need of ornaments and clothing Vnder the bowing of the knee all Idolatrie is comprehended Prayer should be conceiued without wrath and doubting but so it is he who prayeth before an image cannot be free of doubting because he hath no promise to be heard Cersing was a part of the ceremoniall lawâ—… verie badly transferred fâ—…om the liuing GOD to senslesse images Candles lighted before images declare that the Saints represented by those imâ—…ges were the lights of the world but it is a vaine thing to forsake the light of their wholesome doctrines and to honour them by lighting candles before their images Salutations of images are no lesse ridiculous than the salutations wherewith S. Francis saluted the knee as his sisters for humilities sake As concerning vowes building of Temples setting vp of altars and festuall dayes to the honour of images it is too great honour done vnto them with some slippe of memorie in them who doe it for in one word they say there is no diuinitie in images immediatly after they do such honour vnto them as SALOMON when he stood did to GOD and when he fell did to Astaroth Chemosse and Moloch Before I make an ende of this Treatise it may be demanded Howe could the worshipping of images get place at that time when Emperours and Councils with all their might contended in the contrarie that images should not bee worshipped The Emperours Philippicus Leo Isaurus Constantinus Copronymus and Leo his sonne were all seriously bent to suppresse the worshipping of images and in the VVest Carolus Magnus King of France and Emperour was present in the Councill of Francford where the worshipping of images was damned To this I answere that the authoritie of the bishop of Rome was at this time so increased that they durst encounter with the Emperours of the East who were farre distant from them Constantine B. of Rome razed out of Charters the name of the Emperour Philippicus Gregorius 2. did excommunicate Leo Isaurus and forbade to pay tribute vnto him Gregorius 3. in contempt of Leo gathered a Councill and ordained the worshipping of images As concerning Carolus Magnus who was proclaimed Emperour by the speciall mandate of the chaire of Rome the question is greater Howe could the bishops of Rome tolerate that worshipping of images should bee damned by a Councill gathereâ—… by this new Emperour whom they had authorized by their owâ—…e trauâ—…ls To this Ianswere that the bishops of Rome did as the ancient Romanes did of whome Augustine writeth Multas cupiditatâ—…s 〈◊〉 ingenâ—… cupiditate presserunt that is to say Many desires they Prâ—…ed downe for the excessiue desire they had of one thing to wit of soucraignitie and domination euen so the great desiâ—…e the Romaâ—…e bishoppes had firmely to keepe in theiâ—… 〈◊〉 that great territorie of land in Italie called Exerchatus Ravâ—…nnae which Pipinus King of France reft from the Emperour of the East and gaue it to the chaire of Rome for the excessiue desire I say which they had to keepe this rich prey they would not contend with Carolus Magnus but after his death they could not suffer his posteritie to take such a doing against the worshipping of Images as Carolus Magnus had done Insomuch that in the dayes of the reigne of Ludouicus Pius it was hard to the Emperour to protect Claudius Taurinensis against the chaufing malice of the bishops of Italie who hated him because hee cast out Images out of his Church in Turin yea and Claudius Taurinensis directly impugned the adoration of Images by a booke written by him vpon that subiect whereunto none answere was giuen during his lifetime but after his death many were found like barking dogges railing against his blessed memoriall and that so much the more because in his booke he rubbed quickly vpon the surfeiting pleasures of the Romane Church who were better content to worshippe the Crosse of Christ because that was easie to bee done than to beare the Crosse of Christ because that was a laborious worke and painefull to the flesh yet did Christ command vs to beare his Crosse but not to worship it Finally it is to be noted that the defection of some men of great account was a stumbling blocke to many others Paulus Cyprius B.
he was banished Seuerus a notable Eutychian heretique was placed in his roome this is he of whom I haue mentioned diuers times that Alamundarus prince of Saracens deluded his messengers and sent them backe ashamed and confounded The next attempt was against Helias B. of Ierusalem against whom this quarrell was forged that he would not subscribe the Synodicke letters of Seuerus and damne the Council of Chalcedone and by the Emperours commandement Olympius his captaine came to Ierusalem expelled Helias and placed Iohn a familiar friend of Seuerus in his roome This Iohn by the perswasion of Sabas a Monke of Palestina forsooke the fellowship of Severus was cast into prison by Anastatius the Emperours captaine but when he was brought foorth out of prison againe he disappointed the expectation of Anastatius the captaine for hee openly auouched the foure generall Councills and anathematised the followers of Arrius Macedonius Nestorius and Eutyches In doing whereof he was mightily assisted both by the people and the Monks so that Anastatius the Emperours captaine fearing popular commotion fled and returned againe to the Emperour but Severus B. of Antiochia moued with wrath against the Monks of Syria set vpon them slew 300. of them gaue their carcases to the foules of the heauen and the beastes of the earth such mercie was and is to bee found in headstrong heretiques In all this desolation the courage of Cosmas B. of Epiphania and Severianus Bishop of Arethusa is to be admired who wrote a booke conteining a sentence of deposition of Severus B. of Antiochia which booke Aurelianus a deacon of Epiphania clad in a womans apparrell deliuered vnto him in Antiochia and afterward conueyed himselfe away secretly The Emperour was highly offended against Cosmas and Severianus and he wrote to Asiaticus gouernour of Phoenitia that he should eiect them out of their places but when answere was returned to the Emperour that it could not be done without blood the Emperour left off further pursuing of them Many counted Anastatius a peaceable Emperour because he would haue setled controuersies in the Church as ciuile controuersies at some times are settled namely by a lawe of obliuion but there is no capitulation betwixt darknes light but darknes must yeelde vnto the light of GOD. In Africke moe than 900. were crowned with martyrdome vnder the reigne of Anastatius as the Magd. historie recordeth out of the first booke of Regino de Anastatio Platina writteth that he was slaine with thunder Justinus the elder AFTER Anastatius succeeded Iustinus a godly Emperour and gouerned nine yeeres 3. dayes Hee restored the Bishoppes whome Anastatius had banished Hee banished also Arrian bishoppes who were found within his dominions Severus bishop of Antiochia a vilde Eutychian heretique and a bloody Foxe hee displaced and caused him to be punished by cutting out his tongue as some affirme Theodoricus King of Gothes obtaining dominion in Italie persecuted true Christians with great hostilitie and sent ambassadours to the Emperour Justinus to restore the Arrian bishoppes whome hee had banished else hee would persue the bishoppes who were in Italâ—…e with all kinde of rigour And because the ambassadours returned not backe againe with such expedition as he expected hee put hand to worke and slewe two noble Senatours Symmachus and Boâ—…tius Likewise when the ambassadours were returned he cast in prison Ivannes Tuscus Bishop of Rome and his companions whom he had before imployed to goe in message to the Emperour Iustinus The bishop of Rome died in prison for lacke of sustentation but the LORD suffered not this barbarous cruelty of Theodoricus to be long vnpunished for the LORD strake him with madnesse of minde so that when he was sitting at table and the head of a great fish was set before him he imagined it was the head of Symmachus whome hee had slaine and was so stupified with feare that incontinent after he died In the dayes of this Emperour Iustinus was a terrible earthquake the like whereof hath not bene heard at any time before wherewith the towne of Antiochia was shaken vtterly ruined With the earthquake fire was mixed consuming resoluing into ashes the remnant of the towne which the earthquake had not cast downe In this calamitie Euphrasius B. of Antiochia perished The good Emperour mourned for the desolation of Aâ—…tiochia put on sackcloth on his body was in great heauinesse whereof it is supponed that hee contracted that disease whereof he died When hee found his disease dayly increasing he made choose of Iustinian his sisters sonne to bee his collegue who gouerned foure moneth in coniunct authoritie with his vncle and then Iuslinus ended his course Justinianus AFTER the death of Iustinus Iustinianus his sisters sonne gouerned 38. yeeres He would suffer no faith to be openly prosessed except the faith alowed in the foure general Councills Notwithstanding the Emprice Theodora his wife was a fauourer of Eutyches heresie This Emperour was bent to recouer all that was lost by his predecessours in Asia Africke Europe he had a good successe through the vertue valour of his captaines especially Belisarius Narses Belisarius first sought against the Persians who had ouercome not onely Mesopotamia but also many parts of Syria Antrochena Caua He ouercame them in battell compelled them to go backe beyond Euphrates Next he was employed to fight against the Uandales in Africke who possessed a great boundes of the Romane dominion euer since the dayes of Gensericus King of Vandales And it is to be marked that the time is now come whereinto the LORD will declare that the blood of his Sainctes is precious in his eyes For since the daies of Dioclesian that bloody persecuting Emperour no race of people persecuted GODS Saincts with so barbarous crueltie as the Vandales did for zeale they had to the Arrian heresie wherewith they were infected After Gensericus Hunericus and Amalaricus and Trasimundus who closed the doores of the Temples of Christians and banished their bishops to Sardinia Childericus would haue shewed some fauour to Christians reduced their bishops from banishment for this cause the Vandales did slay him gaue his Kingdome to Gillimer Now the LORD remembred the grones of his own prisoners wold not suffer the rod of the wicked perpetually to lye vpon the lot of the righteous Belisarius fought against the Vandales prosperously recouered Carthage al the bounds pertaining to the Romane Empire possessed by the Vandales Also he tooke Gillimer their King caried him captiue to Constantinople It is worthy of remembrance that Iustinian would not receiue into his treasure the vessels of golde which the Emp. Titus when hee burnt the Temple of Ierusalem transported to Rome These same vessels Gensericus King of Vandales when hee spoyled Rome transported to Carthage Belisarius after he had conquessed Carthage againe he brought them to Constantinople but Iustinian sent them to
Emperours and Councils with all their might contended in the contrarie that images should not bee worshipped The Emperours Philippicus Leo lsaurus Constantinus Copronymus and Leo his sonne were all seriously bent to suppresse the worshipping of images and in the VVest Carolus Magnus King of France and Emperour was present in the Councill of Francsord where the worshipping of images was damned To this I answere that the anthoritie of the bishop of Rome was at this time so increased that they durst encounter with the Emperours of the East who were farre distant from them Constantine B. of Rome razed out of Charters the name of the Emperour Philippicus Gregorius 2. did excommunicate Leo Isaurus and forbade to pay tribute vnto him Gregorius 3. in conternpt of Leo gathered a Councill and ordained the worshipping of images As concerning Carolus Magnas who was proclaimed Emperour by the speciall mandate of the chaire of Rome the question is greater Howe could the bishops of Rome tolerate that worshipping of images should bee damned by a Councill gathered by this new Emperour whom they had authorized by their owne trauels To this Ianswere that the bishops of Rome did as the ancient Romanes did of whome Augustine writeth Mulcas cupiditates unius ingenti cupiditate presserunt that is to say Many desires they pressed downe for the excessiue desire they had of one thing to wit of soueraignitie and domination euen so the great desire the Romane bishoppes had firmely to keepe in their possession that great territorie of land in Italie called Exerchatus Ravinna which Pipinus King of France reft from the Emperour of the East and gaue it to the chaire of Rome for the excessiue desire I say which they had to keepe this rich prey they would not contend with Carolus Magnus but after his death they could not suffer his posteritie to take such a doing against the worshipping of Images as Carolus Magnus had done In so much that in the dayes of the reigne of Ludouicus Pius it was hard to the Emperour to protect Claudius Taurinensis against the chaufing malice of the bishops of Italie who hated him because hee cast out Images out of his Church in Turin yea and Claudius Taurinensis directly impugned the adoration of Images by a booke written by him vpon that subiect whereunto none answere was giuen during his lifetime but after his death many were found like barking dogges railing against his blessed memoriall and that so much the more because in his booke he rubbed quickly vpon the surfeiting pleasures of the Romane Church who were better content to worshippe the Crosse of Christ because that was easie to bee done than to beare the Crosse of Christ because that was a laborious worke and painefull to the flâ—…sh yet did Christ command vs to beare his Crosse but not to worship it Finally it is to be noted that the defection of some men of great account was a stumbling blocke to many others Paulus Cyprius B. of Constantinople left his charge entred into a Monastrie and lamented that he had consented to the abolishing of Images Gregorius B. of Neocesarea one of the chiefe disallowers of Images in the Councill holden at Constantinople gaue in his supplicant bill in the second Councill of Nice confessed his error and subscribed to the decreet of that vnhappie Councill by whose example the bishops of Nice Hierapolis of the Isles of Rhodes and Carpathus were mooued to doe the like Let this bee a warning to them who are in eminent places that they fall not from the trueth of GOD lest by their fall they procure a great ruining and desolation to the house of GOD. The LORD keepe vs from defection to whome bee praise and glory for euer AMEN A TREATISE Of Satisfaction and Indulgences SATISFACTION of olde was publicke repentance made for grieuous faultes such as murther adulterie apostasie And this publicke humiliation made in sight of the people with fasting teares basenesse of apparrell and such other tokens of an humbled minde with a sense of sorrow for by-past offences it was called satisfactio as Augustine writeth quia satisfiebat Ecclesiae that is because the Church was satisfied yea and the slander was remooued This humiliation foresaide in the Greeke Church was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a punishment because it was infâ—…cted as a punishment in Church discipline to terrifie others from committing the like offences Now seeing this Ecclesiasticall discipline was very rigorous and indured many yeeres as the Canons of Councils clearely declare It pleased the Church vpon weightie considerations to relent somewhat of the severitie of the first prescribed discipline yea and the people ofâ—… times intreated the Pastor by earnest requests that the time of publicke repentance might be shortned because they saw great tokens of vnfained repentance in the offender This dispensation with the rigour of olde discipline was called indulgentia but in Poperie which was beginning in this Centurie to haue great vpper hand the abuse of these two words hath vtterly vndone the ancient puritie of religion and discipline The word satisfaction which of old was referred to the people now in Poperie is referred to God in this maner They teach the people that the sinnes committed before Baptisme are abolished in Baptisme but sinnes committed after Baptisme wee must obteine pardon for them by our own satisfactions namely by fasting praying almesdeedes pilgrimages and such other workes done by our selues And to make this doctrine the more plausible vnto the people they bring in the similitude of a man sailing in a ship if he fall out of it into the sea the ship say they goeth away without recouerie and incace he find not another vessell to support his distressed estate and to bring him to land he must needes perish and drowne euen so say they if after baptisme we commit any transgression we must either be supported by our owne satisfactions els wee must perish in our sinnes No similitude can be more repugnant to Scripture thaâ—… this For albeit there bee many vessels whereinto mens bodies may bee preserued from the danger of drowning yet is there not many vessels whereinto our soules can bee saued from damnation but â—…ee are saued onely by our spirituall Baptisme whereby the filth of our soules is washen away in the blood of Christ. And like as God commanded not NOE to make two arkes but one alanerly for the safetie of a fewe so hath GOD appointed only one way for safetie of our soules so that if wee sinne after Baptisme wee must haue refuge to the sweete promises of remission of sinnes made to vs in Baptisme In what sense indulgentia was taken of old I haue already declared In the Romane Church Indulgences and Pardones are a dispensation of the merites of Christ and his Saintes to the vtilitie of sinnâ—…rs This presupponeth that the merites of Christ and his Saintes are put in the custodie of the bishop of Rome and that
a sufficient number of odious names Hee is called the Antichrist an aduersarie to God the man of sinne the childe of perdition and in other places the false prophet the beast that is worshipped great Babylon the mother of whoredomes which stile albeit they transfeâ—…re it vnto the Romane chaire when the tenne persecuâ—…ing Emperours compelled men to worship heathen gods yet the holy Scripture referreth it to that whore who braggeth that she is married to wit to Christ and shee is not a widowe Apocal. cap. 18. verse 7. And this agreeth better with the chaire of Rome wherein Popes doe sit than with the chaire of Rome when persecuting Emperours sate into it Besides all these odious names the Apostle addeth another hatefull name calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is that lawlesse man who will bee subject to no lawe neither diuine nor humane but hee will bee aboue all lawes hee will judge all men and bee judged of no man what regarde hee hath of the lawe of GOD it maye bee knowne by this That the breaking of the Popes lawe is counted a greater sinne than the breaking of the Lawe of GOD for in matters of marriage and meates if the Popes lawe bee transgressed foorth-with a man is counted an Heretique But when the Lawe of GOD is broken for a small summe of money a pardon may be purchased Yea further I am bolde to saye that the moste discrepant Idiomes of the GREEKE language such as the ATTICKE and IONICKE Idiomes they differ not so farre as the lawes of CHRIST and ANTICHRIST differ one from another Albeit the Atticke Dialect delighteth in contractions and the Ionicke in resolutions yet notwithstanding one and the selfe same thing in substance and matter maye bee vttered in both these discrepant Idiomes But the Lawes of CHRIST and Antichrist are so opposite in matter and substance that they cannot both consist and stand namelie when the Lawe of CHRIST biddeth alloweth and approoueth and the lawe of the Antichrist in that same subject forbiddeth disalloweth and disapprooueth The Lawe of GOD Exod. 20. counteth worshippers of Images haters of GOD The lawe of the Antichrist counteth them good Catholiques The lawe of CHRIST in the doctrine of Faith Inuocation and Mediation sendeth vs onelie to the Creator The lawe of the Antichrist sendeth vs to the creatures also so that the Antichrist is justlie called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a lawlesse man in respect hee will not bee obedient to the Lawes of CHRIST Concerning humane and ciuill ordinances Hee who dare assoyle subjectes from the oathe of alleadgeance to their soueraine lordes hee vndoeth all ciuill gouernement policie and lawes from the verie foundation I superceede to write further in this point In the second place let vs consider the time wherein the Antichrist shall bee reueiled pointed out in these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is and then shall the wicked man bee reueiled which wordes beeing relatiue to that which immediatelie passed before importeth that the Antichrist shoulde bee reueiled at that same time when the mightie Monarchie of the Romanes was trodden vnder his feete Then it seemed that all the nations of the worlde should adore and worshippe the beast continuallie and that the tongues of men shoulde haue bene locked vp in silence so that no man euer shoulde take boldnesse to speake one word against the whore of Babylon yea and the Holy Apostle describeth the great securitie of the mother of whoredomes saying in his heart I sit being a Queene and am not a widow and shall see no mourning Apocal. 18. 7. At this same time the vnchangeable decreet of the Almightie God appointed that this wicked one should first be reueiled and afterward should be destroyed Wherin it is to be noted with what patient expectation wee shoulde attende vpon the times and seasons wherein it should please the Lord to performe his owne works for like as Christ thought it more expedient more teÌ„ding to the aduancement of His owne glorie to raise Lazarus out of his graue Ioan. 11. rather than out of the bedde of his infirmitie Euen so the Lord thought meet to suffer the Antichrist to mount vp vnto the top of all his desired prehemineÌ„ce then the Lord put hand to work both to discouer to destroy him to the further manifestation of his own vnspeakeable power wisdome In the third place the meanes are to be considered whereby the Antich should be discouered namely by the sincere preaching of the Gospel by the mouthes of men holy zealous Apoc. 11. 3 in gifts not vnlike vnto Henoch Helias Now seeing the man of sin is to be discouered by the sincere preaching of the Gospell let vs consider what benefite redoundeth to vs by the true and sincere preaching of the Gospell of CHRIST it is like vnto the light of the daye which manifesteth euerie thing in its owne coloures The thing that is beautifull is seene to bee bee beautifull and the thing that is euill fauoured is seene to be such as it is where of the madnesse of some Heretiques such as Gnostici and Mâ—…nichet is clearly perceiued who rejected the Scriptures of God because in them is contained a commemoration of the faultes of the Patriarches Shall the light be despised because it manifesteth both beautie and desormitie both strength and debilitie both the perfection of a complete body and the imperfection of a dismembered and mutilate bodie In like manner the Holy Scriptures are to bee had in the more reuerende regarde when they describe euery thing in their own colours and manifesteth on the one part the riches of the mercie of God in Iesus Christ and on the other part the falsehood subtiltie hypocrisie and pride of the Antichrist to the end that Gods people maye eschewe the Antichrist and rejoyce in the sweete saluation of Christ Iesus This discouerie of the Antichrist in some weake measure began about the yeere of our Lord 1300. at what time learned men fearing the tyrannie of the Emperour of the Turks fled to Italie and restored the Grieke and Latine languages to their own puritie This vindicating of languages from the grosse barbaritie of those times opened a doore of knowledge and a desire of reading with a judicious consideration of that which was read whether or not it were a suppositious worke More-ouer God annointed the eyes of many learned men with the eye-salue of vnderstanding whose sight increasing by degrees in end manifested to the worlde that the chaire of Rome was the seate of the Antichrist Marsilius Patavinus in his booke called Defensor Pacis writeth that the Clergie of Rome is a denne of thiâ—…ues and that the doctrine of the Pope is not to bee followed because it leadeth vnto eternall death Franciscus Petrarcha a man famously learned calleth Rome the whore of Babylon the Schoole and mother of errour the temple of Heresie the nest of treacherie growing and increasing by the oppression of others
These are points whereof no man doubteth and a large and fruitfull discourse vpon this subject is a commendation of the superabundant goodnesse of God but it belongeth nothing to prooue that Chrisming is a Sacrament distinct from Baptisme The African Councell called Mileuitanum pronounced an Anatheme against all those who saye that the grace of God in Baptisme conferreth only remission of sinnes already coÌ„mitted that in it there is no support promised to preserue men from sinnes in time to come that they bee not committed Whereby wee may euidently perceiue that the spirituall graces which the Romane Church referreth to the Sacrament of Confirmation were of olde referred to the Sacrament of Baptisme Likewise Antididagma Coloniensis as Themnisius declareth demandeth for what cause doth the Presbyter anoint him who is baptized with Chrisme seeing that he is to be anointed of new againe with Chrisme in the Sacrament of Confirmation And out of the booke De Gestis Pontificum he recordeth a constitution of Syluester That for the perill of vnexpected death it is meete that the Presbyter shall anoint with Chrisme him who is to bee baptized lest through absence of the Bishop the person baptized should depart this life without Confirmation but if the bishop be present let him be anointed by the bishop This declareth that of olde Chrisming was annexed to Baptisme But afterwards to multiplie the number of the Sacraments they separated it from the action of Baptisme and made it a peculiar Sacrament to bee ministred some space of time after Baptisme at the least seuen dayes for reuerence toward the seuen-folde graces of God conferred in the Sacrament of Confirmation as Durandus citeth out of RABANVS vsually twelue or fifteene yeeres interuene betwixt Baptisme and the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Romane Church Onely this I request of the judicious Reader that when hee readeth of Chrisming in the ancient Church hee would not take it for the Sacrament of Confirmation but for anointing with oyle in Baptisme And this custome also had no allowance in the written worde of GOD as Basilius expressely graunteth in these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is What Scripture hath taught vs anointing with Oyle Doeth not this proceede from secret and mysticke tradition Finally let vs search out this matter to the very grounde whereby it may bee euidently knowne howe this Sacrament of Confirmation crept in into the Church It was a custome of auncient time that children were presented to Baptisme by their Christian parentes and albeit their infancie coulde not comprehende the summe of Christian Faith yet neuer thelesse they were instructed and catechised when they came to yeeres of discretion and when they had sufficiently comprehended the summe of Christian Faith their parentes of newe againe presented them to the Bishop who after hee had receiued in audience of the people a cleare confession of their Faith hee blessed them and with the ceremonie of imposition of handes prayed to God that these persons who had giuen out of their owne mouth a confession of that same Faith which their parentes had professed in their name in Baptisme might continue in that same true Faith constantly vnto their liues ende This imposition of handes was vsed to imprint into the heartes of the persons who had made a confession of their faith a deeper reuerence of God and a greater care to continue constant But in doing of this there was no purpose to institute a newe Sacrament of Confirmation in the Church Moreouer persons who were baptized by Heretiques when they forsooke their heresie they were not rebaptized but they were receiued into the Church by the ceremonie of imposition of handes as hath beene declared in the life of Stephanus bisshop of Rome CENT III. CHAP. II. And this imposition of handes was joyned with prayer That it woulde please God to vouchsafe vpon him who was receiued into the bosome of the Church by imposition of handes the gift of the holy Spirit which was offered vnto him in Baptisme but it was not receiued because hee professed not the true Faith Neither can there bee founde in this seconde sort of imposition of handes anie grounde for the Sacrament of Confirmation To conclude this Sacrament of Confirmation is either of God or man If it bee of God let the warrande of His commaundement bee brought foorth in the which Hee commaundeth to anoint with Chrisme those who are alreadie baptized And is it not a disficill thing to these who are content to sacrifice their life for Christes sake to offer their children also to bee signated with Chrisme when they are twelue or fifteene yeeres of age But if no diuine commaundement can bee founde out commanding vs so to doe but it is a plaine humane inuention Then let the Romane Church bragge lesse of Antiquitie than they doe seeing there is nothing in humane inuentions but Antiquitie of Errour FINIS CENTVRIE IX CHAP. I. OF EMPEROURS CAROLVS MAGNVS IN the yeere of our LORD 801. CHARLES THE GREAT King of FRAVNCE was declared Emperour by LEO the thirde Bishop of ROME and hee reigned sixteene yeeres in his Emperiall dignitie for hee continued King of FRAVNCE fourtie and sixe yeeres The Empire of the West had beene cut off since the dayes of Augustulus the sonne of Orestes whom Odoaser king of Rugiheruli c. had compelled to denude himselfe of the Emperiall dignitie Nowe after the issue of 300. yeeres and after the Hunnes the Gothes the Lombardes and other Nations had obtained dominion in the West all abstaining notwithstanding of their preuailing power from the name dignitie and stile of Emperoures Nowe at length I saye Charles the Great is anointed and crowned Emperour by Leo the thirde in the Towne of Rome And this was the beginning of that euill custome which after followed to wit That Emperours should receiue their coronatioÌ„ from the Bishops of Rome At this time the Empire of the East was in the hands of the Empresse Irene in the hands of the Emperour Nicephorus who had banished Irene and reigned in her steade The Empire of the East was also weake at this time as apppeareth by a Couenant of Peace which they coÌ„cluded with Charles Emperour of the West in the which no mention is made of Exarchatus Rauenne to be rendered again vnto them only that the Isle of Sicâ—…ll and the Townes Landes which lie from Naples Eastwarde on the right hande and from Manfredonia sometimes called Syponto on the left hand compessed about with the Seas called Superum Inferum these should remaine in the possession of the Emperours of Constantinople Charles was a prudent godly Emperour more sound and vpright in sundry heads of christian doctrine than many others for he detested the worshipping of Images as vile Idolatrie as appeareth by his bookes written against the seconde Councell of Nice Charles was very friendly to Christians and defended them against the violence and tyrannie of their persecuting enemies namely against
person which indignitie done vnto him hee tooke it so grieuouslie that hee bounde himselfe by an oath That hee shoulde neuer see the Towne of ROME nor returne againe to his Bishopricke for hee was Episcopus PORTVENSIS But Pope MARTINVS absolued him from his oath and repossessed him into his Bishopricke againe and in ende hee was made Pope as saide is Neuerthelesse the faction of his competitor SERGIVS ceassed not to vexe and molest FORMOSVS so that hee sent secrete aduertisement vnto ARNVLPHVS the Nephewe of Carolus Crassus to come to ROME who came with an Armie and was crowned Emperour by Formosus as hath beene alreadie declared To Formosus succeeded Bonifacius the sixt who concluded his course after he had continued twentie and sixe dayes After Bonifacius the sixt succeeded Stephanus the sixt and ruled one yeere and three monethes Hee not onely annulled all the Decrees of his Predecessor Formosus but also caused his dead bodie to bee taken out of his graue and cutte off his three fingers wherewith hee was wont to consecrate persons admitted to spirituall offices and threwe them into Tyber and caused all them who had receiued ordination by Formosus to receiue newe ordination This fact of Stephanus the sixt is so full of vncouth and vnnaturall inhumanitie that Onuphrius denieth that any such thing was done whose impudencie Morneus discouereth by the testimonie of Luitprandus who liued at that same time and was a Deacon of the Church of Ticinum and maketh mention of this vile fact not without horrour and detestation thereof Baronius is not so impudent as Onuphrius and will not denie the fact but extenuateth the atrocitie and vilenesse thereof for hee saieth Non fuit error in side sed violenta tyrannis in facto that is to saye It was no errour in the faith but a violent tyrannie in the fact And like wise hee annulled the inauguration of the EMPEROVR ARNVLPHVS and annointed ALBERT or Lambert Marques of Tuscia who followed the Popes course to bee Emperour Nowe is the Popedome encreased to the measure of a full strength when they dare authorise and disauthorise place and displace Emperoures at their owne pleasure So that there remaineth nothing but to enter into grippes with the Emperour to throwe him downe to the grounde and to treade vpon the excellent honour of his Soueraignitie which in the next CENTVRIE will follow To Stephanus succeded Romanus and continued onely three monethes Hee abrogated the Decrees of Stephanus his predecessour Theodorus the successour of Romanus continued in his Popedome twentie dayes onely In this short time hee allowed the Decrees of Formosus Patriarches of Constantinople PAtriarches of Constantinople in this Centurie were changed according to the disposition of Emperoures fauouring or disliking the worshipping of Images Nicephorus was a defender of adoration of Images and was banished by the Emperour Leo. Theodotus againe Antonius and Syngelus who had beene Schoole-masters to the Emperour Theophilus were haters of Images But after the death of Theophilus Theodora his Wife aduaunced Methodius a superstitious man and an obstinate defender of adoration of Images and intercession of Sainctes Concerning Ignatius and Photius and the great troubles that arose about placing and displacing of them occasion will bee offered to speake of these thinges in the head of Councels Of other Pastors and Doctors IN this corrupt and backe-sliding age wherein the Romane Antichrist had so great vpper-hande the head of Councels will compell mee to make mention of the names of a number of Learned men At this time the name of Claudius Taurinensis putteth a great number of the rest out of my remembrance because hee was a faithfull witnesse vnto the trueth of God in a difficill time Hee was a man borne in Spaine and vnder the reigne of Ludouicus Pius hee was made Bishop of Thurin in P◅emont At his first entrie to his Bishopricke hee threwe the Images out of his Church affirming that the Sainctes who in their lifetime were not content to bee worshipped much lesse coulde they bee content to haue their pictures worshipped after their death In speciall hee condemned the worshipping of the Crosse. affirming that if it shoulde bee worshipped because Iesus died vpon it then the Shippe in the which Christ sailed the Asle whereupon Christ did ride into Hierusalem and infinite other thinges which Christ touched by the like reason behoued also to bee worshipped Concerning the Bishop of Rome he said that hee was not to bee counted an Apostolicke Bishop who sate in the Apostolicke Chaire but hee who fulfilled an Apostolicke office Hincmarus bishop of Rhemes liued vnder Carolus Magnus and continued in office almost vntill the reigne of the Em. Arnulph He had great strife with his nephew Hincmarus b. of Laudunum who refused to be vnder his Diosie and appealed from him vnto the b. of Rome Likewise in the cause of Rhotardus b. of Soission whom Hincmarus deposed and remoued from his office Nicolaus the first b. of Rome absolued him Hadrian 2. gaue him commandement to excommunicate C. Caluus k. of Fraunce his soueraigne lord but hee refused to performe such an vnlawfull commandement and writ vnto the Pope to be circumspect and not precipitate rashly his sentences of excommunication The question wherunto Hadr. 2. was so serious was about diuision of lāds betwixt C. Caluus his brother Lotharius C. Caluus denied that hee did vnjustly inuade any of his brothers landes but landes duely belonging vnto himselfe by paction and couenant And the Nobles of the countrey saide that it was a strange and an vnaccustomed thing that the Pope would take vpon him to be judge in a controuersie concerning the Titles and Rights of Kingdomes because hee coulde not bee both a Bishop and a King CHAP. III. Of Heretiques THEY who of olde were accustomed to condemne Heresies nowe they are become the chiefe Patrones and maintainers of adoration of Images a notable heresie whose pusillanimitie argueth the weaknesse of their cause for vnder the reigne of Ludouicus Pius Claudius Taurinensis wrote bookes against the adoration of Images and the Emperour by a publicke edict commanded them who were disposed to answere to his bookes to answere whilest Claudius was aliue But Ionas bishop of Orleans concealed and obscured his bookes during Claudius lifetime But after his death with impotencie of railing wordes rather than with power of solide arguments he endeuoureth to refute Claudius Taurinensis But I entrait the judicious Reader without partialitie to reade the bookes of Ionas bishop of Orliens the very stinking breath of the adversary of the trueth shall giue great allowance to the trueth of God Godescalcus a man of the Lowe Countreyes is reckoned in the number of Heretiques of this age about the yeere of our Lord 849. because hee spake of Predestination perilously to wit that these who were predestinated to life by the decree of Gods predestination were forced to doe well and those who were predestinated to
opposition is made to the Councell of Frankâ—…ord neither was the adoration of Images auowed in any of thâ—…se Councels So much auaileth the authoritie of a Prince for suppressing of false doctrine heresie In this CouÌ„cel at Rhemes Wulfarius archbis was presideÌ„t 44. canons are rehearsed in the 2. Tome of Councels made in this Councell In the 1. Can. it was concluded That euery man should diligently acquaint himselfe with the Articles of his Faith 2. That euery man should learne the Lords Prayer and comprehend the meaning thereof 3. That euery man promoted to Ecclesiasticall orders shall walke worthily conforme to his calling 4. The Epistles of Paule were read to giue instructions to sub-deacons howe they should behaue themselues Yet is there not one worde in all the Epistles of Paule of a subâ—…deacon 5. The Gospell was read to giue instruction to Deacons to minister condingly in their office 6. Ignorant Priestes are instructed to celebrate the Seruice with greater vnderstanding 7. In like manner they are instructed howe to prepare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Sacrament of Baptisme 8. The holy Canons were read out of the Decretall of Innocentius for ordering the life of Chanons 9. The rule of Sainct Benedict was read to reduce Abbots and their Conuents to a remembrance of their order 10. The Pastorall booke of Gregorius was â—…ead to admonish Pastors of their duetie 11. Sentences of diuerse ancient Fathers were read to admonish men of all â—…aÌ„ks both Prelats subjects to bring forth the fruit of a good conuersation 12. These things being done they set down a forme of receiuing of confessions prescribing of pennance according to the Canonicall institution 13. They reasoned about the eight principall vices to the ende their diuersitie beeing distinguished euerie man might know what vices hee should eschewe and teach others to beware of the same 14. That Bishops should take heed to the reading of the bookes of the Canonicke Scripture and the bookes of Fathers should attend vpon the preaching of the word of God 15. That bisshops should preach the Sermons and Homilies of H. Fathers in such sort as all the people might vnderstand them The 16. can is coincident with the 12. 17. That bishops abbots permit no man to solace the company with filthy gesting in their preseÌ„ce but let poore indigent people be refreshed at their tables with lecture of diuine Scripture and praysing of God according to the Precept of the Apostle that whether wee eate or drinke let all thinges bee done to the glorie of God 18. Gluttonie and drunkernesse for bidden to bishops and the Ministers of God 19. Let not bishops bee rash to judge in thinges secret which are to bee referred to the judgement of God who can manifest thinges hid vp in darknesse discouer the secrets of the heart 20. Presbyters shall not transport themselues from a lowe place to a greater 21. Whosoeuer by money-paying procureth a preferment in the Church shall bee deposed 22. No Church man shall cohabite with a woman except it bee with his mother or sister or such like persons by whose companie no suspition of vncleannesse can arise Precepts giuen to Monkes and Nunnes I passe by as I did in the former Councell Can. 35. The Sabboth day shall be kept holy and in it no seruile worke shall be done according to the Lords Commandement 36. Let no man bestow vpon the Church that thing which by vnlawfull meanes hee hath fraudulently with-drawne from others 37. nor yet by lies and deceitfull meanes withdraw any thing duely beloÌ„ging to the Church 38. Let tythes be precisely payed 39. Let no man presume to receiue rewards for his decreet and sentence 40. Let Prayers Oblations be made for the Emperour and his noble rase that it woulde please God to preserue them in all happinesse in this present life vouchsafe vpon them Celestiall joyes in companie of the Angels in the life to come In the 41. Canon mention is made of a certaine rent left by king Pipinus of good memorie which they wish the Emperour Charles Pipinus sonne shoulde not alter nor transferre into another summe in respect that by so doing manie perjuries and false testimonies might ensue 42. And that no man should bee remooued from his mansion to whome the Emperoures Almes is distributed 43. And that the statute may bee confirmed by his Highnesse allowance whereby all contentions and strifes are ordained to haue a decision end 44. And that the statute made in Bononia concerning false witnesses maye bee ratified and confirmed with augmentation if neede require for eschewing of perjuries false testimonies and many other inconueniences IN the yeere of our LORD 813. and at the commaundement of the Emperour Carolus Magnus a Councell of manie Bishops and Abbots was assembled about establishing of Ecclesiasticall Discipline in the Towne of Towrs In the 1. Canon all men are admonished to bee obedient to the Emperour Charles the Great and to keepe the oath of alleadgeance made vnto him and to make prayers and supplications for his prosperitie and well-fare 2. All Bishops shall diligently reade and frequently peruse the bookes of holy Scripture the histories of the Euangell and the Epistles of Paul together with the bookes of ancient Fathers written thereupon 3. It is not lawfull for any Bishop to be ignorant of the Canons of the Church and of the Pastorall booke of Gregorius in the which euery man as in a viue mirrour might see himselfe 4. Let euery Bishop feede the flocke committed vnto him not onely with doctrine but also with examples of a good conuersation 5. A Bishop must not bee giuen to sumptuous banquets but be content with a moderate diet lest hee should seeme to abuse the counsell of our Lord saying Take heede that your hearts be not surfetted with gluttonie or drunkennesse but let holy lecture be at his table rather than the idle wordes of flattering fellowes 6. Let strangers and indigent people bee at Bishops tables whome they maye refreshe both with corporall and spirituall repaste 7. The delicate pleasures of the eare and the eyes are to bee eschewed lest by such pleasures the minde bee effeminate and inchaunted 8. Let not the Lordes seruantes delight in vaine jesting nor in hunting nor halking 9. Let Presbyters and Deacons followe the foot-steps of their Bishops assuring themselues that the good conuersation enjoyned vnto their Bishops is also enjoyned vnto them 10. Let Bishops haue a great sollicitude and care towards the poore and be faithfull dispensators of Ecclesiasticall goods as the Ministers of God and not as hunters after filthie lucre 11. It is lawfull for Bishops with consent of Presbyters Deacons to bestow out of the Church treasure support to indigent people of that same Church 12. A Presbyter is not to bee ordained vntill hee bee 30. yeeres olde 13. Let the B. make diligeÌ„t inquisitioÌ„ in his own Paroch Church that no Presbyter coÌ„ming from any
payment of Tythes and first fruits 10. It is ordained That Presbyters shall preach the worde of God not only in Cities but also in euery Parochin 11. Incestuous copulations are to bee vtterly abhorred 12. Peace is to bee kept with all men according to the wordes of the Apostle Follow peace and sanctification without the which no man shall see God Hebr. cap. 12. vers 14. 13. Let lordes Iudges and the rest of the people bee obedient to their Bishop and let no vnrighteous judgement bee vsed and no bribes receiued nor false testimonie bee admitted 14. In time of Famine let euery man support the necessitie of his owne 15. Let all weightes and measures bee equall and just 16. Let the Sabboth day bee kept holy without Markets Iustice Courtes and seruile labour 17. Let euery Bishop visite his boundes once in the yeere and if hee finde the poore to bee oppressed by the violence of the mightie then let the Bis. with wholsome admonitions exhort them to desist from such oppression incase they will not desist from their violence then let the Bishop bring the cause to the eares of the Prince 18. Let Presbyters keepe the Chrisme and giue it to no man vnder pretence of Medicine 19. Parentes and Witnesses shall bring vp baptized children in the knowledge of God because God hath giuē them vnto Parents and Witnesses haue paunded their worde for their saith 20. Ancient Churches shall not bee depriued of Tythes nor of none other possession 21. That the constitution of ancient Fathers shall bee kept concerning Buriall in Churches 22. Ciuill Iudgement seates shall not bee in Churches 23. The goods belonging vnto the poore if they bee bought let it bee done openly in sight of the Nobles and Iudges of the Citie 24. Let fugitiue Presbyters and Church men bee inquired and sent backe againe vnto their owne Bishop 25. He who hath a Benefice bestowed vpon him for helping the fabricke of Churches let him support the building of them 26. They who sinne publickely let them make their publicke repentance according to the Canons These thinges haue we shortly touched to bee presented vnto our lord the Emperour and to bee corrected by his Highnesse wisedome IN the yeere of our LORD 871. and in the third yeere of the reigne of Basilius Emperour of the East and vnder the reigne of Lewes the second Emperour of the West the Ambassadoures of Pope Adrian the second came to Constantinople Basilius the Emperour gathered a Councell against Photius the patriarch of Constantinople In this Councell great policie was vsed to haue all thinges framed to the contentment of Adrian bishop of Rome For no man was admitted to the Councell except onlie they who had subscribed the supremacie of the Bishoppe of Rome aboue all other Bishops They who refused to subscribe the fore-saide supremacie were contemptuously rejected and not admitted to the Councell So did the authoritie of the Bisshop of Rome proceede to further grouth by flattering of Basilius who slewe his associate Michael as it was founded in the flatterie of Bonifacius the thirde who flattered that vile murtherer Phocas who slewe his master Mauritius In this Councell Photius was deposed and excommunicated and his bookes which hee wrote against the supremacie of the Bishop of Rome were commanded to be burnt Photius was accused for this that hee had accepted the office of a Bishop before hee had receiued other Ecclesiasticall orders Photius alleadged that this was no sufficient cause of deposition in respect that Ambrose bishop of Millan Nectarius bishop of Constantinople and of late dayes Tarasius with consent of the bishop of Rome of Laickes they were made Bishops The Ambassadours of Pope Adrian the second answered that Ambrose was endewed with extraordinarie giftes Nectarius was called at an extraordinarie time to wit when heresie was so ouer-spred that it was an harde thing to finde out a man who was not spotted with heresie and concerning the aduancement of Tarasius to bee bishop of Constantinople to whose admission Adrian the first gaue consent they answered That it was done for a speciall cause in regarde hee was a zealous maintainer of the adoration of Images This answere declareth that incase Photius also had beene a zealous maintainer of the adoration of Images the Romane Bishop and his Ambassadoures coulde haue dispensed with the want of Ecclesiasticall orders preceeding his admission to his Bishopricke as they did in the person of Tarasius In this Councell also the Ambassadoures of Adrian magnifying the authoritie of the Pope affirmed that the bishop of Rome might judge of the actions of all other bishops but no man might judge of him And albeit the Orientall bishops in the sixt Generall Councell cursed Pope Honorius after his death yet it is to bee marked saye they that hee was accused of heresie And in this case onely it is lawfull for inferiours to resist their superioures and to disclaime their peruerse opinions In this point also they saide That none of the Patriarches and Bishops proceeded against the defunct bishop of Rome without the consent of the Romane Chaire going before them Now obserue good Reader with what fidelitie Onuphrius defendeth the name of Honorius the first as free of all suspition of heresie when as the Ambassadours of Adrian the second for verie shame durst not presume to doe it More-ouer the worshipping of Images in this Councell got a newe allowance againe and it was commaunded That the image of Christ shoulde bee holden in no lesse reuerence than the bookes of the Gospell The Bulgarians also were made subject to the Romane Bisshop And Ignatius Patriarch of Constantinople in regarde he was restored to his place again by the meanes of the bishop of Rome hee made no opposition in the contrarie Neuerthelesse this alteration continued but short time for the Bulgarians droue out of their bounds the Latine Priests and were serued with Grieke Priests againe Diuerse Canons were constituted in this Councell but so coincident with the Canons of other Councels that it is a superfluous thing to make a rehearsall of them In the subscription of the Actes of the Councell great controuersie fell out for the Graecians could not abide the name of Ludouicke Emperour of the West because they thought that the honourable name of an Emperour only belonged to their owne Soueraigne lord who was Emperour of Constantinople More-ouer a number of them came to the Emperour Basilius and requested him that their subscriptions might bee redeliuered vnto them againe wherein they had subscribed to the supremacie of the Romane Bishop or else the Church of Constantinople would be in perpetuall subjection to the Chare of Rome These subscriptions afore-saide were restored againe but with great difficultie CArolus Caluus conuocated a Councell in Fraunce at A◅ciniacum consisting of ten Bishops The bishops of Lions Vason and Trier were chiefe Presidents in the Councel Hincmarus bisshop of Rhemes accused in this Conuention his owne Nephewe
Oleum and againe it shall bee saide thrise Aue sanctum Chrisma and the thirde time it shall bee saide thrise Aue sanctum Balsamum that is to saye Haile holie Oyle Haile holie Chrisme Haile holie Balsome No such commaundement is contained in the Scriptures of GOD. In like manner they saye it is onlie lawfull for a Priest to applie this Oyle as if in the dayes of the Apostle IAMES there had beene such sacrificing Priestes as are in our dayes Whereas by the contrarie Pope INNOCENTIVS the first who liued in the dayes of AVGVSTINE permitted not onelie Priestes but also common Christians to comfort themselues and their friendes by annointing them with oyle as SIGEBERTVS writeth in his Chronicles Also with this oyle made by the Bishop exercised consecrated and saluted as if it were a sensitiue and reasonable creature the organes of mens senses are to bee annointed such as the eyes the eares the nosthrils the lippes the handes the feete and the reines In this poinct their heartes are ouer-casten with darknesse and they erre mis-knowing the Scriptures and power of GOD For the grounde of corruption is in the heart and not in the senses and the verie heart of EVA was corrupted with infidelitie and pride before her eyes or hands or mouth did sinne GENES 3. No man can discourse rightlie of sinne nor of anie other thing except hee knowe the fountaine and well-spring thereof Concerning auncient Fathers they had no such custome to annoint with oyle the eyes eares and the rest of the organes of senses before mens departure from this life And whereas they bring foorth the testimonie of AVGVSTINE Lib. 2. De visitatione infirmorum reckoning Unction as one of the necessarie consolations to bee adhibited to them who are concluding their life This citation is an ouer-giuing of their cause and a secret confession that Extreame Unction is but the inuention of man for they cannot bee ignorant that those bookes De Visitatione Infirmorum were not written by AVGVSTINE bishop of HIPPO but by another after his death who sette them foorth vnder the name of AVGVSTINE AECVMENIVS writing vpon the aforesaide place of the Apostle IAMES is shorter in his Commentarie than the Apostle is in his precept or counsell which thing hee could not haue done if hee had thought that an holie Sacrament had beene recommended to the Church to remaine vnto the ende of the worlde for hee writeth onelie that the Apostles had this custome whilest CHRIST was conuersant with them in the earth to annoint sicke persons with oyle and to restore them to health Aecum in Epistol Iacob cap. 5. vers 14. The custome of the Romane Church approacheth somewhat nearer to the fashions of the Pagans and olde Heretiques called Gnostici than to the custome of the Apostles for the Pagans annointed with oyle the bodies of the dead as the Poete witnesseth in these wordes Corpusque lauant frigentis vnguunt Iren. Lib. 1. Cap. 18. And olde Heretiques annointed the head of the dead with oyle and water to procure redemption to their soules The Romane Church annointeth not the dead with oyle but they annoint them who are halfe dead in whome there is no hope of life and recouerie LINDANVS in all his writinges is like vnto an ASIATICKE Oratour fighting rather with the shaft than with the poinct of the Speare and when hee citeth a place of CHRYSOSTOME De Sacerdotio Libr. 3. to prooue Extreame Unction to bee an ordinarie Sacrament in the Church hee prooueth starke nothing yea the thing that is not in controuersie betwixt vs and the Papistes for CHRYSOSTOME affirmeth that men are more benefited by their teachers than by their parentes in respect their naturall parentes haue begotten their bodies but their pastors haue begotten their soules to GOD Yea and their naturall parentes haue not supported their bodilie infirmities so much as their pastors haue done for oft times by prayer and annointing them with oyle they haue procured health to their bodies as Sainct IAMES witnesseth which their naturall parentes were not able to procure In all this discourse there is not one worde which wee denye But this prooueth not Extreame Vnction to bee a Sacrament of the Newe TESTAMENT instituted by CHRIST to continue vnto the ende of the worlde This Popishe Sacrament LINDANVS in his Panoplia entraiteth of it in the last rowme as a secure hauen in the which hee will leaue them of his religion reposing and resting themselues And truelie when I consider the grounde whereupon Papistes woulde haue their disciples to leane and the hauen vnto the which they woulde haue them to arriue I am compelled to saye that their grounde is sandie grounde MAT. 7. and that their hauen is like vnto the hauen of NAVPLIVS and they are wisest who hath least confidence in such deceitfull refuges yea they are wise who with VLISSES and DIOMEDES can beware of the stonie rockes of EVBOIA and sette their course another waye Nowe the LORDE open vnto vs the bosome of His sweete Compassions which is the true Citie of our Refuge in the which our soules maye finde true securitie and rest AMEN A TREATISE Of the Sacrament of Order THE ORDERS in the ROMANE Church are diuided into inferiour and superiour Orders The inferiour Orders are doore-keepers readers exorcistes and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is followers whome by a newe inuented name they call Ceroferarii or Waxetaper-bearers The superiour Orders are sub-Deacons Deacons and Presbyters By inferiour Orders mens humilitie and obedience was tried and so by degrees they were promoted to superiour Orders But seeing in euerie one of these Orders the outwarde signes at their entrie are different and the thinges signified are different to wit diuerse graces of the holie Spirite increassing according as men by ascending degrees mounted vp to higher honoures what is the cause that all these seuen are counted one SACRAMENT and not rather seuen SACRAMENTES To all these Orders one thing was common to wit all were shauen in the vpper part of their heads to represent as Lindanus affirmeth Panopl Libr. 4 Cap. 77. that the glorie of Church-men is to weare a crowne of thornes and to bee partakers of the sufferinges of CHRIST And the Councell of Triburium in the 20. Canon thereof citeth the same cause of shauing the heads of Clergie men It is true that men and women of olde delighted in haire as a naturall ornament of their bodies and MARIE is commended for this that shee dryed the feete of CHRIST with the haire of her head IOAN CAP. 12. vers 3. And all the glorie of the worlde yea and the crownes of immortall glorie shoulde bee casten downe at the feete of CHRIST APOCAL. CAP. 4. vers 10. Neuerthelesse the fact of SAMSON is reprooueable who suffered his haire to bee cutte off and casten at the feete of DELILA IVDG CAP. 16. vers 19. And the shauing of the haire of men to bee casten at the feete of the Antichrist and to bee a
yeere of Tiberius The Senat of Rome refuseth to acknowledge the diuinitie of Christ. Pilat killeth himselfe Caius would be counted a god The Iewes abhorred the vpsetting of the image of Caius in their Temple The petition of Agrippa The bloodie letter of Caius written to Petronius his Deputie The hypocrisie of Agrippa Contention betweene the Iewes and Grecians who dwelt at Alexandria New Iupiter in worse case then old Iupiter The famine foretold by Agabus The Council of Jerusalem ANNO 48. Romaine deputies The ten persecuting Emperours wrestled against God The first persecution ANNO Chr. 65 The martyrdome of Peter Paul Romain Deputies Contention betweene Agrippa and the Iewes The martyrdom of Iames surnamed Iustus The ground of the warre betweene the Iewes and the Romanes Foreranning tâ—…kens of the destruction of Ierusalem The destruction of Ierusalem ANNO Chr. 71. The flood of Noe the ouerthrow of Sodome and destruction of Ierusalem types of the great iudgement to come The second persecution AN. Chr. 96. The banishment of the Apostle John Domitian afraide by rumors of the Kingdome of Christ. Apostles Euangelists The true successours of the Apostles Bishops of Rome Linus Ignatius Papias Heretiques Simon Magus Menander Ebion Cerinthus Nicolaitansâ—… A Treatise of antiquitie Antiquitie of veritie Antiquitie of errour Antiquitie of custome Where veritie is to be â—…ound The power of the veritie The reue rence that should be câ—…ried to the veritie The more the veritie is despised in the world the more ardently it should be loued Antiquitie is no honoar to errour Errour in religion an execrable thing Errour repugneth to itselfe Both ancient and late errours magnifie creatures With the diminution of the glory of the Creator The trueth is not to be judged by outward appearance Antiquitie of custome differeth from antiquitie of commandement How ancient truth may be discerned from ancient lies Foure counterfaite masks of antiquitie in Poperie Wicked men reade holy Scripture of intention to gainesay the trueth of God †Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Confident speaking without a sure ground is not to be regarded What the word heresie doth signifie The grounâ—… of heresie Similitudeâ—… Pride accompanying ignorance The propagation of herâ—…sie Heresie strengthened by the arme of manalanerly The curse of God vpon Heretiques heresies and places of their meetings How Heretiques should be dealt with by the Pastours HAV the magistrate should deale with Heretiques Similitude How the people should deale with Heretiques The word foundation taken properly 〈◊〉 oâ—…ly to Christ. Take heede to the demonstrations of God and beware of Satans demonstrations The similttude of a stone frequently vsedin Scripture The seconâ—… comfort An wholsom admonition In what sense the doctrine of the Prophets c. is called the foundation â—…imilitude Faith is called afoundation The offices of Christ declare that he is a true foundation Christ is a liuing fâ—…undation Similitude The contempt of men cannot impaire the glory of Christ. Similitude We drawe nere to Christ by faith Of Emporours The thirde persecution ANNO Chr. 108 The martyrdome of Simon the son of Cleopas The letter of Plinie 2. written to Traian Gregorieâ—… prayed for the soule of Traian Barcochebas a false prophet seduced the nation of the lewes Adrianus his intention to builde a Church for the honour of Christ. The fourth persecution ANN. Ch. 168. The martyrdome of Polycarpus and Iustinus Slanderous speeches against Christians The Romain armie supported by the prayers of the Christians Contrarie lâ—…wes Bishops of Rome Martyre Mâ—…tyre Maâ—…tyre Martyre The rashnes of Victor Of other Doctours and Preachâ—… Agrippas Castor Hegesippus Melito Iustinus Martyr Polycarpus Ireneus Clemens Alexandrinus Of Heretiques Gnostici Valentinuâ—… Marcus Cerdon Marcion Tatianus Encratitae Montanus Cataphryges Aquila and Theodosion rathâ—…r Apostatstben Heretiques Sacred scripture cannot be sufficiently commended Similitude It is perillous to separat the booke of the worde from the booke of the workes Similitude The spirit the word are not to be separated The Word of God is to bee found in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles The Prophets and Apostlâ—…s added nothing to Moses Similitude Three inturies done to the Written Word by reueiencing of traditions False accusations of holy Scripture Vnsufficiencie Difficultie Perill Things necessarte are to be kept al-beit they be abused Similitude Why Heretiques doe hate the Scripture Similitude The care of Christians of olde to keepe the scripture from burning A remarkable speech of an old honorable Lady Scriptures belong to the sheepe of Christ as their proper treasure Reformation of religion made according to the Written word The cause wherfore the Apostles put in write the summe of their doctrin Be not deceiued with the generalitie of the word tradition Similitude The true meaning of the words of Paul 2. Thess. 2. 15. Constancie differeth froÌ„ wilfulnesse The testimome of Ireneus abused Papists will not binde themselues in all points to old traditions The value of tradition in the fâ—… age In the Second age In the last age The word therefore to be considered 2. Thess. 2. ver 15. Christ doth great honour to the Scriptures Defection in the visible Chuâ—…ch no new thing Differences betweene the ancient fathers and Papists of our time con cerningmeats and mariage The Council of Ancyra Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria a maried man The Council of Gangra The probibition of meats and mariage is an apostasie from the faub. Our seruice to God should be a reasonable seruice The Popish church speak lies in hypocrisie rather then old Heretiques What is meant by a consâ—…ence seared with an hote yron Forbidding and biddâ—…ng wordes of authoritie We ought to hearken vnto the voyce that commeth downe from heauen Similitude Great arrogancie in prohibition of meates Arrogancie mixed with foolishnesse Similitude Similitude The last age of the worlde more senslesse then the first Similitude Both blasphemie and hypocrisie in the matter of mariage and meats is condemned by the Apostle The Papistes more subtle â—…en the Manicheis were The grace of thanksgiuing witnesseth that we enjoy both the gift and the giuer We ougâ—…t 〈◊〉 be ruled by Gods word iâ—… all things both corporat spirisuali The conscience is subject to the yocke of God The cause wherefore the succession of Romam Bishops was magnified of old The succession of Dauid The succession of Aaron The succession of the Prophets The succession of the Apostles The alledged succession of the Romaine Church spotted with heresie schisme and idolatry The heresie of the Collyridians renued increased by the chaire of Rome Eugenius 4. B. of Rome a notable schismatick The chaire of Rome defiled with idolatrie Lkeerrours haue like grounds The Romain church like to the successours of Aaron What inconuenients follow if the promise made to the Aposâ—…les successors be absolute The Apostles had calling gâ—…es prerogatiues extraordinarie The fist persecution ANN. Ch. 205. Leonides the father of Origen Alexander fellow laboureâ—… with Naâ—…cislus Rhais a mar tyre hrunt before she