come then to the discoverie of the Noveltie of this grosse sort of Idolatrie which is not onelie to worship by or before an Image but to worship the Image it selfe for which cause sayeth one of the Bishops It must not onelie bee confessed that the faythfull in the Church doe adore before the Image as some perhaps would warilie speake but also doe adore the Image it selfe without any scruple yea with that same worship where with they adore the thing that is represented thereby First their owne Cassander telleth vs that it is certayne in the beginning of the preaching of the Gospell sayeth hee and a good while after that there was no vse at all of Images amongst Christians but especiallie in Churches so that wheÌ„Adrian the Emperor had commanded that Temples should bee made in all Cities without Images it was presentlie conceaved that hee was preparing these for Christians And when the auncient Christians themselues were demanded by the Gentiles why they had no Images Minutius Fâ—elix returneth them this answere What Image should wee make to GOD when man himselfe is GOD'S Image sayeth hee The primitiue Church lykewyse for preventing of that Idolatrie which thereafter ensued was so carefull and provident that the Councell of Eliber iâ— in Granado in Spayne in Anno 305 decreed plainlie that no Pictures at all should bee brought within Churches for feare of adoration which might ensue thereafter Neither was this the decree of a provinciall Assemblie onelie but an ordinance also in all other parts of the whole Church as witnesseth their owne Clemangis â— Parisian Doctor and Arch-deane of Bajon saying Of olde the whole vniversall Church did decree beeing induced thereto by good reason for their cause who 〈◊〉 Gentilisme were converted to the sayth that no Images should bee set vp in Churches The first breach and violation of which ordinance wee finde â—o haue beene in Epiphanius time Bishop of Salamins in Cyprus about the yeare 390 who as himsâ—lfe 〈◊〉 entering into a Chappell for his owne private devotion at Anablatha and seeing a certayne Vaile hanging on the wall thereof having paynted therevpon the Image of CHRIST or some Saynct sayeth hee hee tooke downe the same and rent it in pieces and thereafter wrote to the Patriarch of Ierusalem within whose precinct it was finding fault that anie such thing should haue beene done within his boundes and desiring him that hee would command that thereafter in the Church of CHRIST no more such Vailes or Pictures should bee hung vp this beeing contrary to the authority of Scriptures and agaynst our Religion sayeth hee But a good while there-after how they were more commonlie brought in into Churches Corneliâ—s Agrippa thus doeth declare saying The Heathnish custome and their false Religion hath also infected ours and hath brought into Churches Images and Pictures with manie other pompous Ceremonies none whereof were found amongst the first and true Christians Vnder what specious pretence also and for what ende at fiâ—st this was done their owne Cassander hereby clearly testifieth saying At last it is evident that Pictures were admitted into Churches to represent onlie the â—torie of things done altho Augustine spake plainlie agaynst it saying These deserue to bee thought altogether to erâ—e who seeke the knowledge of CHRIST and His Apostles not in holie Scriptures but vpon paynted walles But how farre the auncient Fathers who lived in the primitiue Church did abhorre from any worship of Images onlie Origen wryting against Celsuâ— may declare sayeth hee Thus beeing then generallie set vp into Church through the superstition of people about the 600 yeare of GOD in the tyme of Pope Gregorie the first they began to bee adored at what tyme Cerenus Bishop of Marsilâ— publicklie opposed the same by breaking all the Images and removing out all the Pictures that were within the Churches of his whole Diocesses which thing Pope Gregorie himselfe doeth relate to vs in that Epistle of his written to Serâ—nuâ— commending his zeale which hee shew against any worshipping of Images as being sayth hee altogether agaynst the Scriptures but thinking amisse onelie that so rashlie hee altogether had broken them in pieces What fierce contentions also afterward arose in the Church concerning Images it were too large a taske at length here to set downe the Greeke Emperoures Leo Isaurus Constantinus Caballinus Nicephorus Stauratius Leo Armenus Michaell Balbus Theophilus and others who were therefore called Iconomachi or the enemies to Images opposing them and their adoration constantlie in the East till at last their worship was established in that second Councell of Nice helde by that superstitious Empresse IRENE in Anno 787 which Councell was quickly thereafter opposed by the Councell of Franckeforde convocate by Charles the Great and helde in the West at what tyme sayeth their owne Cassaâ—der when the coppie of that Councell of Nice was brought vnto Franckeforde and diligentlie read by the command of the Emperour Charles the Councell of Franckeforde was indicted at which the Legates of the Bishop of Rome were present and there by the full consent of the Westerne Bishops sayeth hee that Grecian Councell in so farre as the same decreed the worship of Images to bee lawfull was disallowed and condemned as not onelie contrarie to Scripture but also to the doctrine of the auncient Fathers and to the custome of the Romane Church it selfe So that wee see 800 yeares after CHRIST that the Romane Church was then as farre from the doctrine and practise of the Romane Church now in this poynt of worshipping Images aâ— ever Luther or Calvin or aâ—ie Protestant now Whereby it is evident how falselie the Romane Catechisme affirmeth that it is not onelie lawfull to haue Images in the Church and to giue honour and worship to them but also that this hath ever or in all ages beene done to the great good of the â—aythfull Neyâ—her was that reason or excuse thought to bee of anie worth then sayeth their owne Cassander which is by some now-adayes pretended that this worship is not given to the Images themselues but to them whom they represent for this excuse sayeth hee was lyke-wyse made by Pagans to colour their Idolatrie Which practise of Romish devotion and pietie is come to that hight of madnesse sayeth their Polydor Virgâ—ll that this part of Religion is little different from impietie for there are manie so exceeding rude and stupide sayth hee who worship Images made of Stockes and Stones Brasse and Mâ—rble and these also that are paynted over with dyverse sorts of Coloures vpon walles not is representing figures but as if they had sense and feeling and confide more in these than in CHRIST Himselfe Yea they so dote vpon Images sayeth their owne Gabriell Bâ—ell that they belieue a certayne Deitie grace or holinesse to bee in them whereby they are able to worke miracles restore health and delyver from dangers and to
temporall as spirituall thinges but aboue the verie holie Scriptures c. I can not see sayâ—th hee why these men may not bee called false or Pseudocotholickes CHAPTER X. The Noveltie of publicke Prayer and other divyne Service in a tongue vnknowne to the people FIrst in this poynt that the Apostles doctrine and Churches practise in their tyme was coâ—trarie to the Romaniâ—tes now Cardinall Cajetane doeth evidentlie testifie saving Out of the doctrine of S. PAVLL wee haue it clearlie set downe that it is better for the edification of the Church that publicke prayers which are vttered in the audience of the people bee spoken sayeth hee in a Language common both to Clergie and people than otherwyse And that this was also the Churches conforme practise in the dayes of Iustine Martyr is evident who in the ende of his second Apologie for Christians in expresse tearmes telleth vs sayeth Bellarmine That the whole people in the Church vsed to answere AMEN when the Presbyter ended the Prayer or Thankesgiving wherefore it will follow that the Prayer or Thankesgiving was in the vulgar tongue else sayeth the Apostle how shall hee that occupieth the rowme of the vnlearned say AMEN at thy Thankes-giving if hee vnderstand not what thou sayest Next what was the practise of the Church after Iustines dayes both in the East and West is lyke-wyse cleare out of Bellarmine who testifieth saying That this custome was also a long tyme observed both in the East and West is evident out of Chrysostomes Liturgie where most clearlie sayeth hee are distinguished what the Prieâ—â— and Deacon and what the people in divyne Service did sing As lyke-wyse out of Cyprian in his sermon on the LORDS prayer where hee showeth how the people did answere saying Wee haâ—e our heartes vnto the LORD and out of Ierome in the preface of his second booke on the Epistle to the GALATIANS who wryteth That in the Churches of the Citie of Rome the people was heard lyke a heavenlie thunder aunswering with a lowde voyce and saying AMEN Therefore their Nicolaus de Lyra and with him Aquinas Gretzer others freelie acknowledgeth saying In the primitiue Church the Thankes-givings and all other common Servâ—ce was performed sayeth hee in the vulgar Toâ—gue and the Canonicall Prayers â—ayth their Cassaâ—der and speciallie the words of consecration of the bodie and blood of our LORD the Auncientes did so reade that all the people might vnderstand and say AMEN thereto Which custome of the Church as yet vsed in Aegypt and Ethiopiâ— it is a wonder sayâ—th Erasmus how it became to bee changed And if wee consider M. Hardinges reason in his aunswere to Bishop Iewell why Prayers and all other divyne Service was vsed in the primitiue Church in the vulgar tongue wee shall finde that the same reason holdeth still and so miliâ—ateth constantlie agaynst this practise of Romish Noveltie for thus sayeth M. Harding In the primitiue Church this was necessarie when fayth was alearning and therefore the Prayers were made then in a knowne tongue vnderstood by the people sayeth hee because of their farder instruction And can anie man say nowe but people in lyke-manner are learning the fayth daylie and haue neede of farder instruction than they haue alreadie Or will anie affirme that this â—ule of the Apostle Let all bee done vnto edification helde onelie for a tyme Therefore seeing the edifying of GOD'S people which is the fiâ—all cause why Prayer and publicke Thankes-giving should bee performed in the vulgar doeth not varie by diversitie of tymes but continueth still even so then should speaking in the Church vnto their vnderstanding CHAPTER XI The Noveltie of the invocation of Saynctes departed FOr discoverie of the Noveltie of which doctrine obtruded to bee believed and practised by all Catholickes vnder payne of damnation wee haue before CHRIST the first foure thousand yeares prescription agaynst anie such doctrine or practise in the Church of GOD by the confession of Bellarmine and all other Romanistes who graunt That during all that tyme both before and vnder the Law there was no invocation of Saynctes departed Next if wee come to our SAVIOVR'S tyme and his Apostles their owne Eckius Luthers great Antagonist declareth That in the New Testament the Apostles and Evangelistes neyther taught by word nor delyvered or left anie such thing by writ that the Saynctes departed should bee invocated neyther would the holie Ghost sayeth hee suffer them so to doe by whose inspiration they spake The same also doeth their Dominicus Bannes and the Iesuit Salmeron testifie rendring this reason Because it would seeme hard to the Iewes sayeth hee who were never taught so to doe by Moses nor the Prophets and the Gentiles should haue thought that there were manie gods exhibite to them in place of the multitude of gods which they had forsaken Beholde thâ—n heere a doctrine of the Romane fayth confessed to haue for the warrand there of neyther Gods written word nor yet Apostolicall vnwritten tradition now if it was neyther written nor preached by them let anie man consider if the Noveltie thereof bee not cleare and that they can not eschew the Apoâ—tles Anathemâ— who sayeth If an Angell from Heaven should preach vnto you beside thâ—t which I haue preached let him bee accursed Next to the Apostles tymes if wee come to after ages and inquyre howe loâ—g was it after the Apostles before anie mention was ever heard of anie such thing their owne Bishop Poresiâ—s Will playnlie tell vs saying That beâ—ore the â—yme of the Martyr Corneliâ—s which was abouâ— 252 yeares after there was no mention sayeth hee so farre as wee can see of anie invocation or intercession of Saynctes What was the practise lykewyse of the Church in S. Augustin's tyme who lived after the 400 yeare of CHRIST and speciallie of the westerne or Romane Church himselfe doeth declare saying of the Martyres and Sayncts departed As for such men of God sayeth hee who haue overcome the world in confessing of Him they are named in their owne place and order but they are not prayed vnto Yea in the 1200 yeare of God Bernard did put it in doubt whether the Saynctes departed anie wayes heard the living which if they doe not then speaking to them by prayer were altogether foolish for speaking of devoute Humbert hee sayeth Neyther see I him now nor perhaps doeth hee heare mee More-over it is to bee observed that the Fathers of the primitiue Church vsed this as a specâ—all Argument to proue Christ to bee GOD because Hee was everie-where prayed vnto Which Argument had beene of no force if in those tymes they had prayed eyther to Saynctes or Aâ—gâ—ls Therefore Oâ—igen showeth That PAVLL 1 COR. 1. 2. proveth heereby CHRIST to bee GOD because His Name is everie where incalled vpon for the Apostle sayeth hee doeth thereby pronounce IESVS CHRIST to bee GOD because His Name is incalled
the Catholicke Church hee will tell vs That it was knowne but of late sayeth hee and that after manie ages the beliefe of Purgatorie and indulgences was receaved by Orthodoxe Christians and therefore hee granteth that thereof little or no mention was at all in the auncient Fathers But on the contrarie Iustin Martyr doeth teach vs That after the soules departure from the bodie staâ—sm or instantly the soules of the godlie are carried to Paradise where the sight of Angels and Archangels and the sight of CHRIST is And so lyke-wyse sayeth Prosper that Christians having ended their Pilgrimage presentlie thence-foorth reygne happie in their natiue countrey In lyke-manner Augustine that the soule beeing set at libertie out of the bodie presentlie goeth to Heaven Yea Bellarmine himselfe vpon these wordes of S. PAVLL 2. COR. 5. 1. confeâ—â—eth no lesse saying The reasoning of the Apostle then is excellent to wit this sayeth hee if this mortall lyfe perish wee haue presentlie the enjoying of another sarre better in the Heavens Last of all if moreover to proue the Noveltie of this errour wee consider the vniversalitie or Catholicisme both of place and persons wee shall finde that as it hath not beene semper or ever in the Church so neyther hath it beene helde or believed Vbique nec ab omnibus or in all places and by all which beside the irrefragable notorietie thereof their owne Bishop of Rochester clearlie confesseth saying As for the Grecians even vnto this day they did never belieue Purgatorie and yet of the Grectan Church their owne Bishop of Bitâ—nto in his Oration before the Councell of Trent professeth her to bee the mother Chruch from whome the Romane Church hath whatsoever shee hath sayeth hee to wit of sound and Orthodox doctrine And if beside the Grecians wee consider and joyne the Muscoâ—ites and Abysâ—in Christians the Gorgians and Armenians as also the Syrians and Chaldeans that are subject to the Patriarch of Antioch and Babylon from Cyprâ—â— and Palestina to the East Indies besides the reformed Churches in Europe wee shall finde these who belieue Purgatoriâ— to bee but a few CHAPT. XVI The Noveltie of Papall Indulgences HAving before cleared the Noveltie of Purgatoriâ— by the Romanâ—â—tes owne confession it followeth necessarilie that Papell Indulgences can brage of no Antiquitie For sayeth their owne Bishop of Rochester If yee take away Purgatorie what neede will bee of indulgences for vpon it sayeth hee dependeth all the respect that is had to indulgences Yet to discover more clearlie the Novelty of Papall indulgences wee will first consider what were these auncient indulgences which are mentioned in the recordes of Antiquitie to haue beene at first in vse in the Church of CHRIST that by the generall name common to these auncient and the now late Papall indulgences none may bee deceaved First then the indulgences of olde were onlie a releasing of penitentâ— from some part of the severitie of discipline injoyned to scandalous offenders as their serious repentance and publicke evidence thereof did procure as may bee seene 2. COR. 2. and as Bellarmine himselfe maketh manifest out of the Actes of the Councells of Nice and Ancyra set downe by him at length Which thing also their owne Cassander showeth saying That the diminishing of Canonicall Pennance or that relaxation which was granted by the Bishop to publicke penitents when eyther somewhat of the tyme or of the rigour of the pennance was lessened was called an Indulgence so that it was a lessening and mitigation of their disciplinarie satisfaction to the Church who were penitents and alyue granted by everie Bishop to such of his Diocesse and that verie sparinglie as Bellarmine showeth but no largesse and application of the satisfactions of Saynctes joyned with CHRIST'S sufferings for the reliefe of those that are dead out of a forged fyrie Purgatorie graunted onelie by the Bishop of Rome for satisfaction to him in moneyes and as Bellarmine acknowledgeth for the lightest causes as anie lavishing out greatest Indulgences as that is which is granted to all who hearethâ— Popes blessing at Easter Now if wee inquyre what is become of these auncient Indulgences Bellarmine will tell vs saying I confesse indeede sayth hee that the forme of drspencing with a number of yeares or dayes or Lents appoynted for pennance which was of olde in vse is now cleane left off Next if wee inquyre concerning these new Papall Indulgences that are come in their place whether they haue anie Antiquitie for them eyther by Scripture or ancient tradition their owne Sylâ—ester Prierâ—as Antonius Cajetane and others will gâ—ant that they haue none for thus sayeth Prierias and with him the other two Indulgences are not knowne to vs by anie authoritie of Scripture nor was there any vse of the in the beginning of the Christian Chruch sayâ—th their Bishop Fisher To come next from Scripture to the authoritie of Fathers Cardinall Cajetane telleth vs That none of the Auncient Fathers Greeke or Latine haue brought these to our knowledge sayeth hee which therefore maketh Bellarmine that hee citeth not one Father for them As also to consesse that Durandus Antoninus and Rochester denye sayeth hee that Indulgences were knowne in the times of Ierome Augustine and other Fathers who lived in the first fiue hundreth yeares Next after the first fiue hundreth yeares if wee inquyre in the auncient Fathers that thereafter lived whether anie mention is to bee found of Papall Indulgences their Antoniâ—â—â—â— will tell vs saying There is no testimonie for them in the auncient Fathers at all but onelie sayeth hee out of more later wryters Wherefore their owne Alfonsus à Castro vpon the same ground granteth That their vse sayeth hee is onlie of late in the Church Iustly therefore is that challenge made by Chemnitius that no Tâ—stimonie can bee produced out of anie Father by anie that any such doctrine or venting of Papall Indulgences was in vse in the Church for the space allmost of twelue hundreth yeares after CHRIST the first author of them beeing as their owne Polydor and Agrippa telleth vs Boniface the eyght who lived about that tyme and extended them to the soules in Purgatorie and for the better sale and venting of them devysed a solemne Iubile beeing therein a successour rather to Simon Magus than to Simon Peter So that wee see this doctrine of Indulgences is new in the institution now in the pâ—actise new in the extent and nâ—w everie way and consequentlie false and impiouslie deceatfull CHAPT. XVII The Noveltie of the Popish fiue Bastard Sacramentes FIrst then to cleare the Noveltie of this doctrine set downe by the Councell of Trent with such a dreadfull fulmination of a curse to the controllers thereof if wee inquyre beside these two Sacramentes to wit Baptisme and the LORD'S Supper whether they bee anie moe which the Antiquitie of holie Scripture doeth countenance and allow to bee true and
Cardinall Cusanus Whereâ—ore Theodores telleth vs clearlie That the mysticall signes after consecration departe not fâ—om their owne nature but remayne in their former substance figure and forme and may bee seene and touched as before Yea their owne Pope Gelaesius wryting agaynst Eutyches sayeth expreslie That tho in the Sacrament wee receaue a divyne thing to wit the Bodie and Blood of CHRIST yet the substance and nature of the bread and wine ceasseth not to remaine sayeth hee And if anie speaches of Fathers would seeme to sound other ways their owne Cassander telleth vs That the late Schoole men doe acknowledge these speaches to bee figuratiue whereby the signe is called by the name of the thing which is signified and is present also in the Sacrament So that justlie sayde the elder Schoolemen as Suarez reporteth of them that the doctrine of Transsubstantiation is not verie ancient This errour then was first broached in the East by Damascene in the time of Gregoriâ— the third Anno 740 and opposed then chiefelie by the Councell of Constantinople consisting of 338 Bishops Anno 754 who declared That the bread in the Eucharist was the true resemblance of Christs naturall bodie and consequentlie not the bodie it selfe About an hundreth yeares there-after in the tyme of Gregorie the fourth the same also began to bee propounded in the West by one Amularius Bishop of Lions who was censured and opposed by the Councell of Carifiacum wherein it was declared by the Bishops of France That it was to bee vnderstood that the bread and wine were the bodie and blood of CHRIST after a spirituall manner onelie Heere-after howsoever sundrie helde this grosse opinion of Transsubstantiation Paschasius Radbertus a Deacon Anno 850 who to that purpose wrote a Booke to Placidus of the bodie and blood of CHRIST yet others stoutlie mayntayned the trueth in the contrarie as Rabinâ—s Mâ—â—rus who at the same tyme opposed Paschasiâ—s and wâ—oâ—e thereof to Abbâ—t Egilo whereby arose great disputes by sundrie vpon both sides wherevpon Carolâ—s Calvus then King of FRANCE willing to haue these differences composed amongst his people and the trueth of the matter cleared singled out one Bertram a Priest and Mâ—nke of Corbey as * a man mâ—st famous in those tymes both for learning and pietie and reqâ—yred him to wryte to him his judgement in that matter which hee accordinglie did in his booke yet extant written Anno 876 wherein hee declareth and proveth That the bread and wine are Christs bodie and blood figuratiuelie onelie or by representation according to the naâ—ure of Sacramentes and sacramentall speaches taking so the name of that which they signifiâ— but for the substance of the creatures or elementes themselues they are the same after consecration as they were before sayeth hee for which cause the Romanisâ—es in the Belgicke expurgatorie Index wish that this Booke had altogether perished the Iesuit Turrian giving the reason thereof Because the citing of it declareth that Calvine's Heresie is not new About which tyme also of Bertrams wryting a famous countrey-man of ours also Iohannes Scotus wrote a * booke of the same matter and to the same sense who for his extraordinarie great learning in those tymes was surnamed Iohn the wyse And in ENGLAND in the dayes of Aeifricke an Abbot Anno 975 there was an auncient Homilie which the sayde Aelfricke at the command of Wâ—lfstane Arch-bishop of Yorke translated out of Latine and Saxâ—n into Englâ—sh synodicallie appoynted to bee read to the people for their instruction at everie Easter before the receaving of the holie Housell as he calleth the Sacrament wherein the verie same doctrine set downe by Bertram and professed now by vs is clearlie set downe as the sayde Homilie at large may bee seene in Master Iohn Foxe his Booke of Martyres Yet at last errour in the times of ignorance and Papall vsurpation so farre prevailed that Anno 1215 it was established as an Article of fayth so that as Scotus affirmeth truelie before the Councell of Laterane it was no doctrine of fayth sayeth hee CHAPTER XIX The Noveltie of halfe Communion or with-holding the Cuppe from the people FOR the cleare detection of the Noveltie of this sacrilegious errour first their owne Canonized Aquinas and with him Lyra and others declare according to the custome of the auncient Church all the people as they did communicate of the bodie of Christ so did they also of His blood sayeth hee And if wee aske at their owne Cassander how long this custome did continue in the Church of Christ hee will tell vs saying It is sufficientlie certayne that the vniversall Church of Christ even vnto this day did celebrate the Sacrament vnder both kyndes and that the Westerne or Romane Church more than a thousand yeares after Christ chiefelie in the solemne and ordinarie celebration of this Sacrament did giue the same in both kyndes both of breade and wine to all the members of the Church of Christ which is manifest sayeth hee out of the innumerable Testimonies both of Greeke and Latine Fathers And if then wee inquyre when this custome of communicating in one kynde began in the Romane Church generallie to be receaved their owne Gregorte de Valentia in lyke-manner will tell vs That it was but a little before the Councell of Constance which was helde in â—nno 1414. There-after if wee come to the Councell of Constance it selfe where it was first decreed and inquyre of the Noveltie thereof they are forced to confesse that Christ instituted this venerable Sacrament in both kyndes of bread and wine gaue it so to His Disciples say they as also that in the primitiue Church the same was receaved by the faythfull in both kynds and that for eschewing some perills and scandalls this custome was thought fit to bee altered Next after the cleare and confessed Noveltie of this poynt both in altering and mayntayning of Christs institution if wee will examine out of their owne confessions whether it bee best to adheare to Christs institution who gaue it in both kyndes or not Bellarmine will teach vs a generall rule saying It can not bee doubted of but that is best sayth hee and most fit to bee done which Christ Himselfe did But to subsume Christ gaue the Sacrament of His bodie and blood vnder both kyndes therefore inevitablie it followeth that without doubt it is fittest and best to giue it as yet in both kyndes Wherefore in expresse wordes not onelie did Ruardus Tapperus Deane of Lovane say that it were better and more covenient to giue it so as beeing more agreeable to the institution of Christ His example and Fathers of the primitiâ— Church but also their owne Cassander setteth downe the particular and pregnant reasons why it is better to giue it so vnder both kyndes and why the primitiue Church ever so gaue it I. because of the institution and example of