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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01299	A briefe confutation, of a popish discourse: lately set forth, and presumptuously dedicated to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie: by Iohn Howlet, or some other birde of the night, vnder that name Contayning certaine reasons, why papistes refuse to come to church, which reasons are here inserted and set downe at large, with their seuerall answeres. By D. Fulke, Maister of Penbroke Hall, in Cambridge. Seene and allowed.	Fulke, William, 1538-1589.; Parsons, Robert, 1546-1610. Brief discours contayning certayne reasons why Catholiques refuse to goe to church.	1583 (1583)	STC 11421; ESTC S102704	108,905	118

The fourth the Iudge of matters of faith for which is quoted Innocentius Epist. 93. apud August and Leo Epist. 84 These are both bishops of Rome and partiall witnesses to depose of theyr owne Prerogatiue shewing what they claymed and not what al antiquitie gaue vnto them The Romane Prelacie as Socrates testi●…e in that time although it were a thousande partes more modest then it is at this daye yet was it then passed beyonde the bondes of Priesthood into forayne Lordship And oftentimes the bishops of Rome challenged more authoritie then of other bishops would be graunted as appeareth by many decrées of the Councels in Africa agaynst appealing to the bishop of Rome and against his ambitious titles of high Prtest c. Which this reasoner sayth was giuen him by all antiquitie The fifth title is the repurger of heresies for which is quoted Sy Alex. 4. apud Athanasium But Athanasius allowed no suche title to the Romane bishoppe whom he confesseth to haue subscribed to the Arrian heresie Liberius deinde c. After Liberius had passed twoo yeeres in exile he was turned and through threates of death induced to subscription The sixth title is The examiner of al bishops causes for which is quoted Theodor. lib. 2. hist. cap. 4. UUhere there is no such matter but that Athanasius desired to haue his cause examined and tried by Iulius Bishop of Rome which when it procéeded not because his aduersaries would not appeare his cause was referred by the Empérour Constantius his commaundement to the councell of Sardica when finding no helpe in Iulius the Byshoppe he had first appealed to the Emperour Constance The last title is The great Priest in obeying whom all vnitie consisteth and by disobeying of whome all heresies and Schismes arise Cyp. Epist. 55. This place is alreadie answered to pertaine no more to the bishoppe of Rome then to any other Bishop A second cause he rendreth why our seruice is blasphemous because wee pray to be deliuered from papistrie which hee sayth is onely true religion but that hath neede of many suppositions to prooue it A third cause he yeeldeth Because they sing it and make other simple men to sing it in the beginning of sermons and otherwise as though it were scripture it selfe and one of Dauids Psalmes If men were as ignorant in the scriptures and Psaimes of Dauid as the Papists would haue them to be this pretensed cause coulde haue but smale coller seeing the title of this hymme in euery booke plainly sheweth that it is none of Dauids Psalmes and the prayer conceiued therein for the Queene and her Councell with diuers other requestes pec●…ier to our time and state declare manifestly that it cannot of any man that hath his fiue wittes be taken for the expresse woordes of the auncient Canonical Scripture Much lesse can it with any apparance of reason be gathered that there is any purpose in them that cause it to be song to induce any man neuer so simple into such a grosse error that he shoulde thinke the same song to be scripture it selfe or one of Dauids Psalmes The fourth reason in particuler why the Protestantes must be déemed naught is Albeit it had not all this euill in it yet because it hath not in it those good thinges which christian seruice should haue for seruice sayth he may be euill as well for hauing too little as for hauing too much as the Arrians seruice for singing glory to the father and not singing the same to the sonne As if a man should recite his Creed and leaue out one article as in effect the Protestants doe the article of discention into hell all the whole Creede were naught thereby In deede whatsoeuer is defectiue in any necessarye parte cannot bee perfectly good in the whole but that for wante of some good partes all other good partes shoulde bee naught that is a great vntrueth as also it is a senselesse ●…launder that wee leaue out in effect the Article of Christes descention intoo he●… for whiche hee giueth noe reason but his bare woorde He might as well say we leaue out the whole Créede because wee vnderstand it otherwise then they doe But what our seruice wanteth whiche is necessary to bee hadd hée will shewe in twoo or thrée thinges First therefore saieth hée they haue lefte out the chiefest and highest thinges of all whiche is the Blessed Sacrifice of Christe his bodye and blood appoynted by Christe too bee offered vp euery daye for thankesgeuing to GOD for obteyning of grace and auoyding of all euill and for remission of sinnes bothe of quicke and dead as with one consente the F●…hers of the Primitiue Churche doe affirme That any sacrifice of Christes body blood by Christe is appoynted not onely the Apostles and Euangelists which set foorth the institutiō of the Lords supper make no mentiō but also y e Apostle to the Hebrewes plentifully sheweth that the sacrifice of Christ was but once offered found eternal redēption y ● he offered himself but once for if he had he must haue suffered more then once séeing y ● without shedding of blood there is no remissiō of sins Neither doe the fathers of the Primitiue church w●…ō he quoteth affirme the cōtrary He beginneth w t Dionisius the counterfeite Areopagi●…e Hier. 3. Where beside y ● the Author beareth a wrōg name being not so old as the Apostles times by 600. yéeres more yet is not this imagined sacrifice by him in such order aduouched The next of the olde writers names with whom the Margent is paynted as Ignatius Epi. ad Smirnenses which if wee should receiue for Authenticall and not counterfeited yet hath it nothing to the purpose but the name of sacrifice Proptereanon licet c. Therefore y●… is not lawfull without the Byshop neither to offer nor to make sacrifice nor to celebrate Masses as the Latine translation is of celebration of the communion If this were bothe a true antiquity to be obserued the Popishe seruice were not lawfull but where it is ministred by a bishopp for that also is affirmed in the same Epistle Thirdly he commeth to Iustinus dial cum Triphone A Reuerend Father indéed whose woords if hée had set downe they would not onely haue cléered our seruice of the supposed crime but also haue béen sufficient to expounde whatsoeuer in any other auncient writer is vnproperly and figuratiuely vttered in the name of sacrifice priest and Aultar c. The woordes of Iustinus are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Euen so wee whiche by the name of Iesus as all shall bee one man in GOD the maker of all things hauing put of our filthie garmentes that is our sinnes by the name of his first begotten sonne and being set on fire by the woorde of his calling are a right kinde of high priestes of GOD as God himselfe doeth witnes that in all places among the Gentiles acceptable and pure sacrifices are

and the same mysterie as hee speaketh depriuing the lay people cleane of the cup of Christes blood whiche hee in expresse woordes commaundeth to hée drunke of all men And Saynt Paule by his authoritie chargeth euerye man after due examination as well to drinke of that cuppe as to eate of that breade of the Lorde woorthily As for our seruice when he bringeth any argumentes as hee promiseth to prooue that it hath no part of the Catholike seruice hee shall receiue his answere and our defence accordingly Hitherto therfore although with many whot woordes he hath concluded nothing against vs at length he commeth to answere an obiection of colde Catholikes as hee calleth them whiche are that they goe not too the Churche willingly but by constraynt of the Publike Lawes of the Realme And héere out of Aristotles Ethickes Lib. 3. The Acte of goyng to Churche is prooued voluntarye because the constraynt is conditionall eyther to doe that is commaunded or too beare that punishment that the Lawe appoynteth Where is then the sore charge agaynst them that compell men against theyr willes to sweare to goe to Churche c contayned in his Preamble before the first reason It is a greate force of cunning of one and the same matter to geue a contrary iudgement as it serueth best for your aduantage Nowe therefore you woulde haue these vnwise and fonde noble men and Gentlemen too consider I vse your owne termes that it is a badde shifte of dissemblers To say that hee goeth to churche agaynst his will thinking thereby to excuse himselfe of Schisme But beside this to proue it schisme yea and that obstinate and rebellious Schisme it were sufficient to knowe that the meaning will and commaundement of the generall and vniuersall catholike churche at this day is that catholike men shoulde not present themselues at Protestants churches UUhy Sir is not the Pope by your reede the best Interpreter of the Catholike Churches meaning And hath not hee graunted diuers dispensations for Papistes to presente themselues in Protestantes Churches But they haue beene denounced open enimies say you by the Councell of Trent as the doctrine of Arius was condemned in in the firste generall Councel of Nice Nay rather as the Homousians were in y e Councel of Ariminium in many other Councels of the East And as the doctrine of the Catholikes was in the seconde of Ephesus Nice the seconde and many other blasphemous and heretical coūcels I passe ouer your slaunder of the Nobility of Englande by certaine of which you affirme that the heretical and schismaticall cōuenticle of Trent was moued whether they might not lawfully without offence go to Church to do some meere temporal Acte as to beare y e swoord before her Maiesty c. Except you meane of such of the Nobility as haue openly declared their disloyalty by entring into rebellion or otherwise But as touching y e forbidding to goe to heretical churches which you labour so vehemently to proue y t you father it vpon a Cannon of the Apostles themselues which must needs be obserued Can. 63 You should haue done more wisely to haue confirmed it by theyr Canonicall writinges rather then by those Apocriphall Canons which if we should receiue thē as authentical wil prooue euē your popish churches to be hereticall your selues to bee Heretikes because you goe against many thinges decreed in those Canons As y e you admit no married persons to the office of a priest or bishop agaynst the 6. Canō That you forbidd any that is maymed or imperfect in body to be a bishop against the canon 77. y ● your bishops priests deacons and cleargie are often present at the celebratiō yet doe not cōmunicate al which by the 8. Canon are excōmunicated But that it is not lawful to pray in the Conuenticles of heretikes it is more cleer by the Scriptures then y ● it needed to be proued by the example of Origen of Heraclas of Athanasius or anye other The example also of the people of Rome whiche refused to communicate with Felix might haue heene spared but that vnder colour of certaine wordes of Theodoret you would haue it seem as though not one of the Inhabitants of Rome was infected with Aurianisme UUheras y e matter is other wise seeing that Felix although himselfe of the Catholike religion was chosen bishop by the more part of the Clergie and people of Rome which were of the faction of the Arrians And therfore where Theodoret saith that none of the Inhabitants of Rome would enter into the church so long as Felix was within it must of necessitie be vnderstood of the Catholike Inhabitantes For that there was neuer an Arrian dwelling at Rome at such time as Constantius came thither I thinke no man but lightely acquaynted with the hystory of that time that can bee perswaded But after that Liberius himself had subscribed to the Arrians as Saint Hierom writeth and returned after hee hadde consented too Constantius the Heretike as Pope Damasus himselfe writeth by whome Pope Felix whiche was a Catholike was deposed and great persecution followed This I say declareth that neyther the head nor the body of the Churche of Rome was in that time frée from the here●…e of the Arrians Insomuche that Constantius helde there a counsell with Heretiks together with Vrsutius and Valens as the same Damasus writeth and cast o●…t Felix o●…t of his Bishopricke which was a Catholike and called backe Liberius Nowe come we to the conclusion of this reason where hée gathereth by the opinions of the Forefathers how greate a sinne it is to breake the vnity of the Church or to disobey the same But not cōtent with this conclusion which is true hée addeth a false position without proofe saying It is certayne that the Church telleth vs if the voyces of all the Byshops and Learned menne in Christendome and of the supreame pa●…our to be the voyce of the church that the goyng to Protestantes churches is forbidden vs. The certeyntie of this Assertion dependeth vpon the necessitie of trueth in his first supposition But hée addeth an exception if the voyces of all the Bi●…ops and learned men in Christendome c be the voyce of the Churche But I suppose that all the bishops in Christendome haue not giuen their voyces y ● way For none of the Bishoppes of the Protestantes would giue their voyces to condemne their owne Church And many hundreth Bishops of the Orientall Churches in Europe Africa and Asia neuer heard of the controuersie betweene the Papistes an●… Protestantes wherefore they coulde neuer giue their voyces to condemne them whose cause they neuer vnderstood of But let it be another supposition that there are noe bishops but such as are members of the Antichristian Church of Rome except you will adde the third necessary supposition that al learned men bee Papistes or that no Protestantes are learned men you haue not prooued that the going to the

the Church but the Byshoppe was there alone for no man woulde eyther come to his sight or talke with him albeit he was reported to haue vsed him self very modestlye amongst them Nay yet further then this the people of Rome hauing their true catholike byshop deposed by the Aryans and an other called Felix thruste vppon them not an heretique but a schismatique for the historie saith that he was sounde in fayth and held soundlye the relygion set downe in the counsel of Nyce yet because he was a schismatique and was content to take holy orders of the Arian Byshoppes and to communicate with them the whole people as I sayde did flye him and as the historie saieth None of the inhabytants of Rome would enter into the church so longe as hee was within Thus wee see the scrupulositie of chrystian Catholykes in those dayes and that as they thought vppon good cause for the auoyding of schysme If anye man can shewe mee a warrant since that tyme for the enlarging of our consciences now a dayes I woulde gladly see it Yow haue heard in the beginning of this reason the opinions of our forefathers in the primatiue church what a great and haynous sinne it is to breake the vnitie of the church or to disobey the same Againe it is certayne that the church telleth vs if the voyces of all the Byshops and learned men in christendome and of the supreame Pastour too bee the voyce of the church that goeing to Protestantes churches is forbidden vs what excuse then shall those men haue from obstinate schisme that notwithstanding all this will yet thinke it lawefull especially the thing being nowe in practise and so manye men suffering for the same Assuredlye ●…hey can looke for no other account to be made of them but as Christ willeth vs. If hee heare not the Churche let him bee to thee as an heathen and as a Publican The which wordes S. Austen saieth Are more grieous and terrible then if he had sayde let him be strooken with a sworde let him be consumed with the flames of fire let him bee deuoured of wylde beastes And a little while after talking of the bande wherewith the church may●… binde a mans sinnes by authoritie giuen vnto her of Christe hee saieth A man is bounde more bitterlye and more infortunately by the keyes of the Churche then by any other most gr●…uous and barde bandes albeit they were of yron or of adamant stone Le●… colde catholykes in Englandemarke this and not thinke they are free when they are in these bandes nor thinke they are christians when in deede they are Heathens and Publycans It is a naturall infirmitie of ours to thinke willingly to wel of our owne case and passion permitteth vs not to iudge indifferently in these matters Let vs therefore consider of other mens cases and by them conie●…ure of our owne If in Saint Iohn Chrisostome his time when there was an Arrian churche and a catholike Churche knowen in Constantinople and both of these churches calling people vnto them and the Emperour fauouring more the Arrians then the catholikes if I say in that case some catholikes leauing Saint Chrisostomes church should haue gone to the Arrians churches to seruice vpon obedience to the Emperour what woulde we thinke of them now would we esteeme them damned schismatikes or not If they had dyed so considering their disobedience to the Bishoppe and their perfideous betraying of Gods catholike cause in that time of tryall I thinke yes Then let vs not deceaue our selues for this is our ease nowe And if in all mens iudgementes that acte woulde haue seemed Schisme for disobeying one particular priuate Bishop and breaking from his commnnion what shall wee say for disobeying the Generall Pastour of all and breaking from his communion Of whom the noble Martyr of Christ Saint Cyprian aboue thirteen hundred yeeres agone saide thus Heresies and Schismes haue sprong of none other cause then for that men doe not obey Gods Priest and for that they do not thinke or consider that there is one onely Prieste who is iudge in Christes steede for the time Vnto whom if all the vniuersall brotherhood woulde obey in diuine functions no man woulde moue any thinge against the Colledge of Priestes neyther after the iudgement of God the suffrage of the people the Bishops consent once put downe in anye matter woulde any man dare to make himselfe a iudge of the Byshoppe and consequently of GOD nor by breaking Vnitie teare and rent the Churche of Christ. The fourth Reason THE fourth cause why a catholicke may not goe to the church saith he is because it is sinne and breaking of the vnitie of the catholick churche And then discourseth at large how perilous it is to break the Unitie of the Churche and how néedfull to kéepe it in whiche Argument hée hath all true Christians to take his parte sauing that hée séemeth to vrge this vnitie so farre that in the Churche of Christ there should bée not alone one only forme of beliefe but also One forme of seruice one forme of Sacramentes For which hée quoteth Ephes. 2. 4. If hée meane of one essentiall and substantial forme of Sacramentes and Seruice I doe willingly admitt that hée sayeth but if he speake of one external ●…orme in woordes and ceremonies as for example that which the Popishe Church doeth vse Sainte Paule neyther in the place by him noted nor any●… where els teacheth that it is necessary to bée in the whole Church of Christ neyther was it in auncient times but euery Church●… vsed suche forme of prayers and administration of the Sacramentes as they thought most conuenient whereof not onelie so many differing formes of Ly●…urgies yet extant but almost al the Auncient Writers are witnesses Neyther at this day is there in all Churches of Christ one forme of seruice and Sacramentes no not in the Popishe Churche wherein howe many diuersities of seruices there are in other places it is to be gathered by so many differing formes as were héere in Englande according to the vse of Sarum of Yorke of Rome or of Hereforde Neyther did Gregorie when hée sent Augustine into Englande to plant the fayth and religion that was at Rome thinke it expedient to bynde the Saxons to the forme of Ceremonies and seruice vsed in the Church Romayne but willed him to choose out of euery Churche what hée thought conuenient for the newe Church of the English Saxons But procéeding to shewe how grieuous the sinne of Schisme is out of Augustine our reasoner putteth vs in minde what Augustine meaneth by cōmunicating with the vnitie of the Churche in these woords That their Communion bée with the whole body of Christes Church dispersed ouer the whole world and not with any one parte separate or els it is manifest that they are not saith he in the Catholike Churche Uerely these wordes of Saint Augustine with many other that

howling of Woolues the bellowing noise of mad bullockes The reason whereof is that which the scholler of the Apostles S Ignatius saieth No man can cal him good or say he doth wel that doth mingle euil with good Wherefore S. Augustine saieth of the Donatistes Schismatikes and Heretikes of his time that albeit they did sounde out Alleluia with as lustie a voice as the Catholikes did in many thinges els did agree in seruice with them more then nowe the Protestantes doe with vs yet their seruice was impious and auailed them nothing And a litle af●…er vpon the woordes of God vttered by the Prophet saying In many things they were with me c. S. Austen saith thus God graunteth that Heretikes in many things are with him as in Sacraments ceremonies and the like But yet for all that they are not with me saieth God in all thinges For in that they are in schisme they are not with mee in that they are in heresie they are not with mee and therefore for these fewe thinges in the whiche they are not with mee those other many thinges in the which they are with me shal profit them nothing To come neerer to our purpose their owne Apostle and second Elias as they cal him Luther condemneth al their whole seruice for the denying only of the real presence saying The Sacramentaries do in vaine beleeue in God the Father in God the Sonne and in the holy Ghost and in Christ our Sauiour all this doth auayle them nothing seeing they do deny this one Article as false of the real presence Where as Christ doth say This is my bodie Loe here this Prophet with the same spirite wherewith he condemneth the Popes hee condemneth the Protestantes why should we bel●…ue him more in the one then in the other But now to shew wherein the Protestantes seruice is euil it were sufficient to say that it is deuised of them selues and altogether different frō al the seruice of christendome besides and therfore not to be receiued by catholikes with whom they deale too childishly when they say their seruice differeth in nothing from the old catholikes seruice but only because it is in English thereby thinking to make the simple people to haue the lesse scruple to come to it The which how false it is it shal appeare by that which I wil say hereafter I might also bring the opinion of al the hotter sort of Protestants called the Puritaines who in writing sermons and priuate speech doe vtterly condemne the seruice which now Protestants haue and therevpon doe refraine from it as much as catholikes But I wil giue more particular reasons as foloweth First the scripture is read there in false shamelesse translations conteining manifest and wilful corruptions to drawe it to their owne purposes as hath bin shewed in particular by many learned men in their works and is like to be shortly more plainly by the grace of God As for example throughout the scripture where Idoles are forbidden they translate it Images as in Saint Iohn they reade Children keepe your selues from Images Whereas the Scripture sayeth Idoles and this is to make simple men beleeue that Idoles Images are al one which is absurd For then where Moses sayeth That God made man according to his owne Image Wee should consequently say God made man according to his owne Idole Againe where in contrarie maner S. Paule sayeth That a couetous man maketh his money his Idole We should say that he maketh it his image The which howe foolish it is euery man seeth and it can not stande with any sence of the Scripture The like absurde translations they haue in infinite other thinges which I cannot stand to rehearse Let some man reade the latter ende of the xii Chapter of the second booke of the Machabies where he shal see what labour their English translator taketh to shift ouer the words of the scripture which talk of oblatiōs prayers for the dead and by that one place let euerie man iudge of his fidelitie in the rest For I am sure that if a Boye shoulde so corrupt Tullies Epistles in translating them in a Grammer Schoole he should be breeched for his labour The scripture therefore being read there in false translations it must needes seeme to be false which is blasphemie against the holy Ghost the inditer of them So that by this it appeareth that that part of their seruice which they pretend to be scripture is no scripture because it is by the malice of the interpretor false the which scripture can not be Secondly the seruice that Christians ought only to goe to shoulde be saide as also the Sacraments administred by Priestes and such as haue receiued the Sacrament of holy orders as al the general Councels fathers of the Church shew vnto vs. And S. Paul when he saith That no man may take vnto him this honour but he that is called as Aaron was Wherefore the same Paul aduiseth the Bishop Timothie not to giue this dignitie vnto any man but vpon great consideration saying Do not lay thy hands rashly vpon any man But now that either al or the most part of Ministers of England be meere laye men no Priestes and consequently haue no authoritie in these thinges it is euident for many causes as wel for that they haue not receiued the vnder Orders which they should haue done before Priesthood as appeareth by the auncient Councel of Carthage wherin S. Augusten was himself by al the Fathers both before since as also because they are not ordained by such a Bishop Priest as the catholike church hath put in that authoritie which admitteth no man for Bishop which is not ordeined by imposition of three or twoo catholike Bishops handes at the least Of al which thinges none are to be founde amongest the Protestantes Thirdly their seruice is nought because they haue diuers false and blasphemous thinges therein and that which is yet worse they so place those thinges as they may seeme to the simple to be verie scripture As for example In the end of a certeine Geneua Psalme They pray to GOD to keepe them from Pope Turke and Papistrie whiche is blasphemous First for ioyning the supreme Minister and substitute of Christ with the knowne and professed enemy of Christe and speaking so contumeliouslye of him of whome all antiquitie in Christ his church hath thought and spoken so reuerently calling him The high Priest of the Church The Bishop of the Vniuersal Church The Pastor of the Church The Iudge of matters of faith The repurger of heresies The examiner of all Bishops causes And finally the great Priest in obeying whom al unitie consisteth and b●… disobeying of whom all Heresies and Schismes arise Secondly it is blasphemous for that they pray to bee deliuered from Papistrie meaning thereby the catholike and onely true religion by the

were falne shoulde rise againe it had been a superfluous and trifling matter to pray for the dead Then considering that to them that are falne a sleepe with godlinesse there is laide vp a most goodly free rewarde holy and godly is the consideration when hee made expiation for the dead to be loosed from that sinne Now let vs sée what the Englishe Bible dedicated to king Henry differeth from this So hee gathered of euery one a certaine insomuch that hee brought together 2000. drachmes of siluer whiche hee sent vnto Ierusalem that there might a sacrifice bee offered for the misdeede In the which place hee did wel and right for he had consideration and pondering of the life that is after this time for if hee had not thought that they which were slaine did yet liue it had beene superfluous and vaine to make any vowe or sacrifice for them that were dead But forsomuche as hee sawe that they whiche die in the fauour and beleefe of God are in good rest and ioy he thought it to be good and honorable for a reconciling to doe the same for those which were slaine that the offence might bee forgiuen The difference as euery indifferent man may sée is in woordes and not in matter but it séemeth that our proude Censor hath not viewed any but the vulgar Latine translation whiche differeth muche more from the Gréeke then the later of the Englishe Bible The Englishe of whiche vulgar Latine as well as I can translat it is thus And a collection being made he sent twelue thousande drachmes of siluer to Ierusalem that a sacrifice might bee offered for the sinnes of the dead thinking wel and religiously of the resurrection For except hee had hoped that they which were fallen shoulde rise againe it might seeme superfluous and vaine to pray for the dead And because hee considered that they which with godlines had receiued sleeping haue the best grace layde vp Holye therefore and wholesome is the cogitation to entreate for the departed that they may be loosed from sinnes Although this translation séeme more pregnante and full for prayers and sacrifices to the dead yet is the same also contayned in the former translations wherfore here is no wilful corruption or false translation proued but the translation is more agréeabl●… to the originall then that which our Censurer would haue to bée the onely Authenticall The seconde particular cause and the fourth reason is for that the seruice and sacramentes which shoulde bée sayde and administred onelye by Priestes are sayde and ministred onelye by laye men For nowe all or the most parte of the Ministers in Englande are meere lay men That the Sacramentes and publicke prayers should be said and ministred by Ministers lawefully ordayned it is a thing out of question with vs sauing that the Papists doe allowe baptisme in case of necessitie by a laye man But howe is it proued that our Ministers are all or the most parte méere laye men By two argumentes brought forsoothe though he speake of many causes First because they haue not receiued the vnde●… orders which they shoulde haue done before priesthoode That such vnder orders are not néedefull it is playne by the scriptures For Stephen and his felowes were not first made L●…ctors dorekéepers Erorcist●…s Acolyt●…S and Subdeacons but out of the whole number of the people chosen immediately to bée Deacons Paule and Barnabas in like manner ordayned by election Elders in euery Church of Lystra Iconium and Antiochia Neyther are those vnder orders prescribed in anye t●…xte of the scripture But the Councelles of Carthage the 4. Canon 6. and of Laodecea Canon 24. appoynte that these orders should bée receaued before pri●…sthood as our reasoner affyrmeth in his quotation But howe truely you shall perceaue by reading the Canons That of Carthage is in these wordes Acolythusquum ordinatur c. When an Acolyte is ordayned let him be ●…avght of the Byshoppe how hee ought t●… doe in his office but of the Archedacon let him receaue a candlestick with a waxe candle that hee may know that he is bound to kindle the lightes of the church Also let him receaue a little cruse emptye to giue wine for the Euchariste of the blood of Christe Although this Canon with a many of the rest bee not of such antiquitie as the councell of Carthage the fourth where S. Augustine was present séeing in diuers olde copies they haue not the title of the Carthage councell but generally Statua Ecclesiae antiqua Auncient statutes of the Church yet you sée playnelye that héere is neuer a word to shewe that those vnder orders eyther were or ought to bée necesiarily receaued of euerye one that shalbe preferred to the order of Priesthoode Nowe let vs sée the other Canon of Laodicea Quid non oporteat sacro ministerio deditos c. That they which are dedicated to the holy ministerie from the Priestes vnto the Deacons and the rest of the Ecclesiasticall order that is vnto the Subdeacons Readers Singers Exorcistes and dorekeepers nor any of the number of Contayners and Monkes ought not to come in anye tauerns or common tipling houses Doeth not this Canon proue inuinc●…blye trowe you that no man ought to bée made Priest excepte hée haue receaued these vnder orders It followeth I thinke by any logique that wheresoeuer these Officers are named there it is meant that they were all receaued by euerye one that was aduaunced to the order of Priesthoode Naye the contrary is easie to bée gathered out of the hystories that manye were ordayned Priestes which neuer had those vnder orders and that manye hauinge those vnder orders continued in them al their lyfe tyme whereas no man taketh them all at this daye in the Popishe Churche but with intente to bée promoted by them as by steppes vnto Priesthoode For in the most auncient Church where they were first vsed they were names of offices to read in the Church to kéepe Church dores from the entring of Gentiles or excommunicate persons to attende vppon the Byshop as witnesses of his conuersation and exorcists were such as had a 〈◊〉 to cast out diuels of them that were possessed the Subdeacons to serue vnder the Deacons in prouiding for the poore c. But in the Popish Church they haue none but 〈◊〉 offices about idie ceremonies and vain pageants of their Masses consecrations ordinations and such like theatricall pompes and showes The seconde cause why our Ministers are said to bée laye men is for that they are not ordayned by such a Byshop and Priest as the catholyke church hath put in that authoritie This cause dependeth altogether vppon our olde supposition that the Popishe Church is the catholyke Church which is not like to bée admitted by any but by the Papistes themselues Otherwise the true Catholike Church hath allowed the ordination of our Ministers as lawfull vntill by authoritie of the holy scriptures it can bée conuinced to bée vnlawfull The third

particular cause and fifth generall reason why our seruice is sayde to bée naught is Because they haue diuers false and blasphemous thinges therein God forbid that this saying shoulde 〈◊〉 proued true And that which is worse they so place those thinges as they may seeme to the simple to bee very scripture A wonderfull hard accusation but let vs heare the probation As for example in the ende of a certayne Geneua Psalme They praye to GOD to keepe them from Pope Turke and Papistrie which is blasphemous If it be blasphemous it is against y ● Popes triple crown or the Turkes torbāt for against God it is no blasphemie nor against his truth or any of his children But what an impudent slaunder is this that the dittie which playnely caryeth before it the name of the endighter Robert Wisdome is so placed as it may séeme to bée very scripture And is called a Geneua Psalme as though the Church of Geneua had any thing to doe with hymmes and spirituall songes vsed in the Church of England Or that the Church of England had receiued all such ditties from Geneua But the matter is taken greatly in snuffe that the Pope is ioyned with the Turke of whome al antiquitie in Christes church hath thought and spoken so reuerently calling him the high Priest of the church With many other titles which if they might all bée iustified of the auncient Prelats of Rome while they were Catholike Byshops yet they would little helpe to defend that Antichrist which now occupyeth the same place but holdeth not the same foundation of fayth and doctrine But let vs sée howe manye of these tytles were appropryed to the Byshoppe of Rome in anye time For the fyrst and chiefest is quoted Cyprian de simplicitate Praelatorum and also Chrisostome lib. 2. de sacerdotio Concerning the former treatise there is in it no worde of the Byshoppe of Rome more then of all other Byshoppes nor any such title of high Prieste giuen vnto him but contrariwise the vnitie of the Church is shewed to consist in the obedience of euery perticular Church to their own Byshop which are all made of equall authoritie and dignitie There Cyprian setteth forth the subtyltie of the diuell which vnder the name of Christe commendeth Antichriste a●…d shewing the cause of the deceite hee sayeth Hoc eo fit fratres dilectissimi c. This commeth hereof my most welbeloued brethren while men returne not to the beginning of trueth neyther is the head sought nor the doctrine of the heauenly maister obserued Which thinges if a man consider and examine there is no neede of large treatie or argumentes The tryall vnto trueth is easie by the compendiousnesse of trueth Our Lorde speaketh to Peter I say to thee quoth hee that thou art Peter and vppon this stone I will buylde my church and the gates of hell shall not ouercome it To thee I will giue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and what thinges soeuer thou shalt loose vppon earth they shall bee loosed also in heauen And to the same man after his resurrection hee saieth feede my sheepe And although after his resurrection hee giueth equall power to all his Apostles and saieth As my Father sente mee so I also sende you receaue the holye Ghoste whose sinnes you shall forgiue they shall bee forgiuen whose sinnes you shall retayne they shall bee retayned yet that hee myght make the vnitie manifest hee disposed the original of that same vnitie by his authoritie beginning of one man Verilye the rest of the Apostles were the ●…ame thing that Peter was endued with equall felowship both of honour and of power but the beginning proceedeth from vnitie that the church might bee shewed to bee one And after a fewe lynes entreating of the vnitie of the Church hee saieth Quam vnit atem c. whiche vnitie most of all wee that rule as Byshoppes in the Churche ought to holde faste and mayntaine that wee myght proue the Byshoppes office it selfe to bee one and vndeuided Let no man deceaue the brotherhoodde with a lye Lette no man corrupte the trueth of fayth by such preuarication There is but one byshopricke or bishops office whereof a parte is helde of euery one in solidum throughly or perfectly or in the whole You sée that Cyprian saith nothing for his title but against the Antichristian authority pretended therby very much very effectuously But what saieth Chrisostome in his 2. booke de sacerdotio sounding to that purpose I finde nothing but that he admonisheth Basill that he had no iniury in being taken by sorce and made a priest séeing he was therby made equall with Peter euen as Peter excelled all the Apostles Etiam ne nunc nobiscum c. Wilte thou then still contende with vs that this fraud hath not happened wel luckely to thee Which by it art to be made ouerseer of all the goodes of God almightie especially when thou doest those thinges whiche when Peter did Christ woulde haue him to be indued with authoritie and also farre to excell the other apostles These woordes shewe that euery Priest when he doeth the same thinges which Peter did is indued with the same authoritie that Peter was and farr passeth all other men And that Peter was not simplie preferred in authority but only when he did execute his charge therfore so preferred that euerie minister in teaching and administring the sacraments hath the same authoritie and excellencie The next title pretended to be giuen to the Pope by all antiquitie is the Bishop of the vniuersal church For which is quoted Cyprian Epist. 46. that of Cyprian is no more but that certaine Confessors which had ioyned with the Nouatian Scismatikes that made an other Bishop at Rome beside Cornelius returning to the Church acknowledged that Cornelius was the right bishop of the Catholike Church and Nouatus or Nouatianus a false byshop of a scismaticall Church The wordes of their confession are these Nos inquiunt c. We say they doe know that Cornelius is set vp by God Almightie and by our Lorde Iesus Christ a bishop of the most holy Catholike church We confesse our errour We haue been circumuented being carried out of our right minde by factious loquacitie of falshood Wee seemed to haue as it were a certayne communicating with a schismaticall person but our mynde was alwaye sincere in the churche neyther are wee ignoraunte that there is one GOD and one Christe our Lorde whom we haue confessed one holye Ghoste that there ought to be but one bishop in a catholike church Meaning that in euery Catholike Churche there ought to bée but one Byshoppe at once not that there shoulde bee but one bishop of all the Catholike Church which were a monstrous absurdity The thirde title is The Pastour of the Churche for whiche is quoted Chrisostome lib. 2. de Sacer. Where I finde nothing that hath any shewe of suche a matter more then I haue alreadye declared