the stormie tempests of windes floods and raine cannot procure the fall of it Mat. 7. This house I say is vndoubtedly the building ofGod Let vs therfore seek out the true foundation of it which beeing found out let euery one of vs endeuour to be a liuing stone adhering by faith to the true foundation The worde foundation is sometime properly taken sometime vnproperly Properly 1. Cor. 3. ver 11. in these words For another foundation can no man lay then that is laide which is Christ. Vnproperly the doctrin of the Prophets and Apostles is called a foundation because it leadeth to Christ the very true foundation Ephes. 2. yer 20. Ye are built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles In like maner faith that coupleth vs to the true foundation figuratiuely beareth this name Epist Iud. Build your selfe in your most holy faith ver 20. These figuratiue speaches should offend no man no more then if a man dwelling in Rhegium or Syracuse were demanded where is Icrusalem and hee should point out his finger toward the East and say there it is his meaning is there is the way leading to Jerusalem euen so when wee say that the Apostles doctrine is the foundation of the Church our meaning is that Apostolicke doctrine is a lanterne leading to Christ the true foundation The Prophet ISAI speaking of Christ in a proper sense writeth Therefore thus saith the Lord. Behold I will lay in Sion a stone a tried stone a precious corner stone a sure foundation and he that beleeueth shall not make haste Isa. 28. ver 16. Many Metaphores are here I grant and if any man list to be contentious he may affirme that in the very worde foundation there is not inlacking a piece of figuratiue speach Yet this standeth certaine that nothing is properly called the foundation of the house of God except Christ Iesus alanerly In this description of the true foundation of the Church we haue two great comforts and one wholesome admonition The first comfort is this that he who knoweth all our infirmities and by what remedies they may be best supported he hath sent his owne Sonne in our nature to beare our burthens as a foundation beareth the weight of the whole house He commanded MOSES to make a brasen serpent in the wildernesse by the sight whereof the people bitten with fierie serpents were cured Numb 21. 8. And the Lord knewe best to what foundation his poore Church leaning might finde surest safetie and sweetest refreshment Therefore O people stinged with serpents be not afraid to looke vp vnto the brasen serpent because it is the remedie prepared by God himselfe to support your wounded bodies And O weake afflicted and persecuted Church take boldnesse to adhere to Christ the precious and sure foundation appointed by God himselfe for the support of your distressed estate And the Prophet to mooue the Church to serious and diligent attendance vseth the word Behold As if the Lord were pointing out a comfort with his owne finger to wearie sinners and saying O sinner that art wearie with that burthen that hangeth on thy backe so fast presseth thee downe so sore come I will shewe thee a resting place euen the stone that I haue laid in Sion goe to it beholde I haue laide it there my selfe and that stone will beare all thy burthens refresh thee in al thy tentations On the other part marke that Satan that great deceiuer when he would most subtilly deceiue people hee will needes counterfaite God and point out his finger also and make demonstrations and say Beholde Christ is in the dâ—…sert or beholde Christ is in the secret place Mat. 24. ver 26 beleeue it not saith Christ. When God saith beholde wee will take diligent attendance what is it that the Lorde hath pointed out vnto vs. But when Satan putteth out his finger also and saith behold Christ is euen here presently really corporally in the boxe caried by the Priest then beware of the deuils demonstrations for he is an olde subtle serpent and hath deceiued many The Papistes taking aduantage of demonstratiue wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou seest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou shalt see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 looke throughly into it they take the boldenesse to affirme that the body of Christ is corporally present in the holy Sacrament which body wee not onely see but also wee touch and wee not onely touch but also wee eate it and not onely doe wee eate it but also wee carie it home vnto our houses Vpon this place of CHRYSOSTOME they haue grounded such vndoubted assurance that Christe is corporallie present in the Sacrament that the Papistes in the Northerne partes of Scotland sâ—…nt a letter to Sterling to M. P. S. to resolue the Marquesse of Huntley in the matter of the Sacrament because CHRYSOSTOME apparently condescendeth to corporall presence ofChrists body in the Sacrament When I read the letter I said and as yet doe say that they needed not to haue taken so much paines to seeke for resolution of that question either for them or for others but reade forward the words of CHRYSOSTOME that follow where hee maketh his owne meaning plaine saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to lay Therefore clenge thy soule and prepare thy minde for the receiuing of these mysteries Can there be a more cuident declaration of his meaning then this First where he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou seest him not in the crib but vpon the altar But I pray you with what cye see we Christ vpon the altar or table for both are one thing as the learned know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith CHRYSOSTOME that is with the eye of our soule and minde Againe he saith that wee touch that blessed body of Iesus But with what finger 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the finger of our soule minde Againe he saith that we eat that blessed body but with what mouth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the mouth of our soule our mindc lastly he saith that we carie him home but in what stomacke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the stomack of our soul mind For this cause he exhorteth vs to clense prepare our soule mind for the participation of diuine mysteries Prepare the eye of our mind to see Christ the finger of faith to touch him the mouth of faith to eatc him and the stomacke of our soule to keepe the Lorde Icsus Chrysost. in 1. Cor cap. 10. Homil. 24. Is there in these words one syllable that soundeth to corporall and carnal manducation of the flesh of Christ I hauc cast in this short digression to let our Northerne Papists vnderstand that the arguments which they supponed to be inuincible may be easily answered The comparison of Christ to a stone is so frequently vsed in Scripture that the very prophecie of Christs natiuitie death and latter comming to judge the world are illustrate by this
pen of Prophets in writing may guide also our hearts in reading With this ignorance of the meaning and true sense of holy Scripture is joyned an vnspeakable and deuilish pride for they make no account of any body vnder heauen but of themselues alanerly and hypocrites haue their owne opinions in so wonderfull admiration that they stop their eares from hearing all wholesome admonition which pertinacie and pride is the cause wherefore the Apostle PAVL calleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is condemned of themselues Titus 3. For like as there are some persons so bent to destroy their owne bodies that it is not possible to the vigilant attendance of friendes to keepe them from mischiefe and harme the experience whereof kythed in PORCIA the daughter of CATO and wife of BRVTVS euen so there are a number of men caried so headlong to hell that no wholesome doctrine or admonition can be heard because like to the Gadarenes swine the swift pace of their race cannot be stayed vntill they be drowned in the lake Of this cause of heresie NAZIANZEN writeth ad Cledonium that the heretique APOLLINARIS counted of his owne songs as we count of the olde and newe Testament euen so his associates counted his songs and rhymes to be the third testament In like maner the heretique MARCION was a patterne of incorrigible pride who came to Rome after the death of HYGINVS and when he heard that he was not admitted to an ecclesiasticall office hee demanded of the preaching Elders there what was the meaning of Christes words when hee saide That no man pieceth an olde garment with a piece of new clothe for that that should fill it vp taketh away from the garment and the breach is worse Mat. cap. 9. ver 16. 17. In their answere they declared the true meaning of Christes words But the proud stomacke of an head-strong Heretique applyed the parable to himselfe and auouched that he should make a remedilesse breach among them because they had refused to receiue him into their fellowship Epiphan contra hareses which thing he endeuoured to performe vntill his last breath Heresie was propagated and increased rather in the Halcyon dayes of CONSTANTINE VALENTINIAN THEODOSTVS and MARTIANVS then in the wofull dayes of NERO DOMITIAN TRAIAN ANTONINVS SEVERVS MAXIMINVS DECIVS VALERIAN AVRELIAN DIOCLETIAN through the wise prouidence and wisdome of God who would not at one time ouercharge his Church with vnsupportable burthens neither would he suffer his Saints to be tempted aboue their strength For if heresies had bene in number as many and in power as strong before the daies of CONSTANTINE as they wer after his dayes it had bene hard till haue borne foorth so many mightie assaultes but our mercifull Lord would haue the faith and patience of his Saints to be tried by persecuting tyrants in some ages and againe the knowledge of the Church to be tried mightily by Heretiques in other ages So that wee shall finde moe heresies springing vp in the 4. Centurie then in all the preceeding 3. Centuries yea if it had pleased that godly father AVGVSTINE to haue abridged his abridgement of heresies written ad Quod vultdeum the number of heresies in the first 300. yeeres should not be found great But AVGVSTINE diuiding these Heretiques who were called Gnostici in three bandes to wit in Saturniniani Carpocratiani and Basilidiani who all were but one rancke of Herctiques he maketh the number to seeme greater then it was And in like maner dâ—…iding the Moâ—…tanists in Pepuziani Cataphâ—…yges Prisâ—…lliani and Montanistae maketh also the number to seeme great how beit all these foure are but one heresie receiuing sometimes a name from the author MONTANVS sometime froÌ„ the countrie of Phrygia whereinto this heresie was bred soâ—…time froÌ„ the town of Phrygia called Pepuzum where they dwelt sometimes from the false prophetesse PRISCILLA who propagated the error of MONTANVS In like manerthere were many obscure heresies who could finde few or no followers because it seemeth that the heresie died as soone as the Heretique such as Helcâ—…saitae Caiani Scâ—…hiani And there is no great necessitie to discourse of such abortiue birthes as incontinent died before they came to any kinde of ripenesse EVSEBIVS saith haeresis helce saitarum simul etiam at que coepit extincta est That is the heresie of Helcesaitae mmediatly after it was begun it was quenched Euseb lib. 6. cap. 38. And finaily AVGSTINE reckoneth among Heretiques of the first 300 yeeres Tessaresâ—…aidecataitae in the Latin Quaterdecimani who maintained no opinion repugnant to the grounds of faith but onely kept Easter vpon another day then the Romaine Church did obserue it But albeit heresies sprang vp in the dayes of good Emperours yet were they not fostered and nourished by them but by all possible meanes were abandoned but God punishing the contempt of the truth and the loue of false and lying doctrine suffered an euill Emperour to rise after a good such as CONSTANTIVS after CONSTANTINE and ANASTASIVS after MARTIANVS and these euill Emperours by their own profession countenance authoritie strengthened the heresies of ARRIVS and EVTYCHES which were bred in the dayes of the good Emperours forenamed so that the strength of an heresie was borne out by the arme of man allanerly and it was not a plantation that our heauenly father had planted and therefore in end behooued to be rooted out Then marke the power of the wrath of God against Heretiques heresies and sometimes against the very places of their meetings It is knowne that ARRIVS brast asunder as IVDAS did and that his bowels gushed out a just recompense of his troubling of the intestine peace and bowels of the Church of God MONTANVS and his two mad prophetesses PRISCILLA and MAXIMILLA hanged themselues as IEROM doth write citing APOLLONIVS for his authour Ierom. catal script PAVLVS SAMOSATENVS a man leper both in soule and body was excommunicat in all Churches professing Christ in the whole world and by the authoritie of the Emperour as shall be declared Godwilling with shame and ignominie was driuen from his vsurped chaire in Antiochia MANES was excoriat by the king of Persia. The bad fortune of the priests of BAAL contending against HELIAS and slaine at the brooke Kâ—…shon 1. Reg. 18. ver 40. The most infortunate condition of AMAZIA the priest of Bethel whose wife became an harlot in the citie and his sonnes and daughters fell by the sword and his lande was diuided by line and himselfe died in a polluted land Amos 7. ver 17 All these examples I say declare that terrible is the wrath that the Lorde will powre out against false prophets and false teachers In like manet the heresie of ARRIVS when it was at the very height beganne to shed it selfe into three contrarie opinions as a kingdome diuided in it selfe and could no longer stand some were still called Arrianes and vtterly denied that the Sonne of God was 〈◊〉
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
many persecuted preachers had wiues and children as the historie clearely recordeth CHEREMON B. of a citie in Egypt called Nilus fled to the mountaines of Arabia accompanied with his wife and returned not againe to Egypt neither was hee seene of those who sought him in the wildernesse Euseb. lib. 6. cap 42 DIONYSIVS B. of Alexandria who miraculously escaped the crueltie of persecuters maketh expresse mention of his children Deo mthi ut migrarem praecipiente viánque mirabiliter aperiente ego liberi multi fratres egressi sumus that is after that God had commanded me to remooue and had miraculously opened a passage vnto mee I and my children and brethren went forth Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 40. If antiquitie be regarded Bishops who doe marie are not Nicolaitan Heretiques but rather such as forbid to marie teach a doctrine of deuils 1 Tim cap. 4. ver 3. Thirdly it is to bee marked that in time of this vehement persecution many fainted fell backe from the open profession of Christian faith Others to prouide timous remedie against such defections gaue out a rigorous sentence against such as had fallen of infirmitie that they should not be receiued againe into the fellowship of the church In this opinion was NOVATVS his complices And by their example we should learne to beware of such men as vnder pretence of zeale pertur be the vnitie of the Church inuent remedies to cure the maladies of the diseased Church that are worse then the sicknes it selfe as the Nicolaitanes did Euseb lib. 6 cap. 43. Weaknes at somo time is to bee pitied but deuilish rigour pitying no man who falleth of infirmitie is a lesson that hath no allowance in the booke of God Gal. 6. ver 1. This cruell tyrant after he had reigned two yeeres made warre against the Scythians some call them the Gothes by whom hee was vanquished in battell and fearing to be ouertaken and to come vnder the reuerence of barbarous people hee cast himselfe into a deepe pit where hee ended his life and his body could not be found Bucolc Index Chron. Chron Func The great desolations that were made in the worlde about this time by the plague of pestilence the Hethnickes imputed the cause of them to the Christians But CYPRIAN whose pen the Lord guided better declared that the cause of all these calamities was the worshipping of Idoles the contempt of Gods true seruice and the persecuting of innocent Christians Cypr. ad Demetrianum Gallus Volusian AFter DECIVS GALLVS VOLVSIAN his sonne reigned 2 yeere He walked in the footsteps of DECIVS Euseb. lib. 7 cap. 1. He was slaine by EMILIAN who presumed to reigne but he was so hastely made out of the way that Euseb. and many other historitians misknow his name in the Catalogue of Emperours Valerianus Gallienus VALERIANVS and GALLIENVS his sonne reigned 15. yeeres Euseb. viz GALLIENVS with his father in coniunct authoritie 7. yeeres after his fathers captiuitie and death he reigned alone 8. yeeres in the first three or foure yeres of the Empire of VALERIAN he was favourable and friendlie to Christians and great numbers of them were found in the Emperours court But afterward he was seduced by an Egyptian sorcerer who hated Christians because that by them he was hindered from practising his magicall charmes So the eight persecution began vnder VALERIAN Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 10. In this persecution suffered three Bishops of Rome LVCIVS STEPHANVS and SIXTVS 2. and a Deacon Laurence who was laied vpon an hote boiling yron and patientlie endured the torment of fire This is that Deacon who called the poore the treasure of the Churche for then is the Church rich when it is rich in good works and feedeth clotheth and visiteth Christ in his hungrie naked and diseased members DIONYSIVS Bishop of Alexandria was banished to Cephro a place in the wildernesse of Lbya Euseb. lib. 7 cap. xi PRISCVS MALCHVS ALEXANDER were deuoured by beasts in Caesarea Palestinae Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 12 CYPRIAN B. of Carthage was beheaded Nazianz. in laudem Cypriani MARINVS a Romaine Captaine in Caesarea was invied for the dignity honour he was advanced vnto and he was accused to be a Christian and consequently to be vncapable of great preferments dignities he was encouraged by THEOTECNVS B. of Caesarea patiently to suffer death for the cause of Christ by taking him in into a secret chalmer and laying before him a drawen sworde and the booke of the Gospell and bidding him take his choice of one of these two which he liked best MARINVS liked better of the booke of the Gospell then of the sworde and was martyred for the faith contained in that sacred booke of holy Scripture Euseb. lib. 7 cap. 15. ASTYRIVS a noble Senatour caried the body of this holy martyr MARINVS vpon his own shoulders and buried it honourably Euseb. ibid. cap. 16. In end the Lord deliuered this persecuting Tyrant into the hande of SAPOR King of Persia who not only deteened him in strait captiuitie but also abused him most filthelie and made his body a footestoole trampled vpon his necke at such times as hee was about to mount on horsebacke Euseb. eccl hist. lib. 7. cap. 13. Bucolc Index chr This fearful captiuity of VALERIAN had into it a notable testimony of the wrath of God against persecuters For like as he trampled vnder his feet the Church of Christ so in like manner the Lord gaue his necke and backe to bee trampledvpon by the feete of his enemies This example of Gods heauie indignation somewhat terrified GALLIENVS his son and hee gaue out an edict for the fafe returning of such as were banished to their own dwelling p aces and for staying the rage of persecution Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 13. DIONYSIVS B. of Alexandria hauing liberty granted by the Emperours edict to returne from banishmēt came backe again to Alexandria wherein he found such terrible desolation by famine pestilēce that there remained not of men women children so many aliue as there were wont to be of ancient hoare headed men walking vpon their streets the Lord was so highly displeased with the vnthankful world that he was determined to cōsume thē who had cōsumed his people The good cariage of Christians at this time is worthie to be marked who were full of charitie loue and visited the sicke did all offices of humanitie to those who were diseased or dead whereas the Pagans by the contrarie forsooke their dearest friends left them comfortlesse and thrust out such as were halfe deade vnto the streetes left them there vuburied to be eaten with dogs This is written in the letter of DIONYSIVS insert in the historie of Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 21 22. so great difference is betweene Christians trained vp in the schoole of Christ others who haue not bene fed with the sincere milke of the worde Christians in time of sicknesse were
an vncleane thing it might haue debarred men from entering into holy offices but if it be a cleane thing it cannot exclude them after they haue entered The other decreet alledged out of Gratian dist 79. Oportebat ut haec c. that by the constitution of PETER and his successours it was ordained that one of the Cardinall Elders or Deacons should be consecrated to be Bishop of Rome no other Such stiles of preeminence are vnknowne to scripture and to the antiquitie of this time XISTVS or SIXTVS the 2. of that name and in number the 23. Bishop of Rome succeeded to STEPHANVS and gouerned 2. yeeres 10 months 23. dayes Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 27. And Func Chron 11. yeeres such vncertaintie is in counting the yeeres of their administration The chaire of Rome through the vehemencie of persecution was vacant without a successour one yere 11 months 15. dayes as DAMASVS granteth and ONVPHRIVS the corrector of PLATINA cannot denie If the Bishop of Rome be the head of the Church then was the Church headlesse almost for the space of two yeeres To XISTVS 2. succeeded DIONYSIVS the 24 Bishop of Rome and continued in his ministration 9. yeere according to the computation of EVSEBIVS DAMASVS assigneth vnto him 6. yeeres 2. months MARIANVS 6. yeeres 5. months such certaintie is in the maine and principall ground of the Romaine faith anent the succession of the Romaine Bishops that scarse two writers doe agree in one minde anent the time of their succession To DIONYSIVS succeeded FELIX 1. the 25. Bishop of Rome gouerned 5. yeeres Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 32. Hee liued in the dayes of AVRELIAN the 9. persecuter and obtained the honour of martyrdome Platin. In the three supposititious decretall epistles assigned to him the second epistle written to the Bishops of the Prouinces of France very sollicitously careth for Bishops that they be not accused by secular men but with so many caueats as in effect exeemeth them from all accusation The language whereinto the epistle is dited cannot agree with the ornat stile of the Latin tongue in this age he being a Romaine borne as PLATINA writeth Pustquam ipse ab its charitativè conventus fuerit Adsummos primates causa ejus canonicè deferatar Concilium regularâ—…ter convocare debâ—…bunt c. The Galilean language manifested not more euidently that PETER was a man of Galile Mat. 26. ver 73. then the first of these three phrases manifesteth that the foresaide epistle was compiled into a time of great barbaritie EVTYCHIANVS the 26. B. of Rome followed after FELIX 1. He continued scarce ten months in his ministrie Euseb lib. 7. cap. 32. CAIVS the 27. B. of Rome succeeded to EVTYCHIANVS continued 15. yeeres Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 32. Func Chron He liued in the dayes of the persecution of DIOCLETIAN lurked for a time in subterraneall places In end he was found out by the persecuters and put to death and with him his brother GABINIVS his brothers daughter SVSANNA suffered martyrdome Platin de vit Here it is to be marked that many martyres died before the edict of horrible persecution was set forth in the 19. yeere of DIOCLETIANS reigne For MARCELLINVS succeeded to CAIVS Ann 298. Func but the cruel edicts of the persecutioÌ„ of DIOCLETIAN were not set forth before the 308. yere of our Lord. Wherby it appeareth euidently that many Christians were put to death before the edicts of horrible persecution were renued by the Emperour DIOCLETIAN So hard was the outward estate of Christians that they were put to death vpon the warrant of the edicts of VALEPIAN AVRELIAN before the edicts of DIOCLETIAN MAXIMIAN came forth To CAIVS is attributed the constitutioÌ„ of ecclesiasticall orders degrees by which men must mount vp to the dignitie of a Bishop First he must be Ostiarius next Lector 3. Exorcista 4. Acoluthus 5. Subdiaconus 6. Diaconus 7. Presbyter last of all Episcopus Platin decret Caii ex lib. Pontif. Damasi This order of ascending by degrees to the dignitie of a Bishop is confidently referred to the constitution of the Apostles but I say Beatus quinon crediâ—… that is happie is he who beleeneth it not Like as within scripture there is no lie so likewise without scripture there is no trueth in matters of faith ordering of maners appointing of ecclesiastical offices al that is necessarie is contained in the written Word of God But nowe to performe a part of that which I promised in the end of my treatise of Antiquitie and to let euery man see what vnlearned Asses they haue bene who haue set foorth the fained decretall epistles of the fathers of this age In the epistle written by CAIVS to the Bishop FELIX aboue-mentioned he saith If any man of what dignitie so euer he be delate such persons viz. Bishops Elders Deacons for faultes that cannot bee prooued let him vnderstand that by the authoritie of this constitution he shall be counted infamous This constitution hath three partes First that no ecclesiasticall person should be accused before a secular Iudge Secondly if any accusation be intended against Bishop Elder of Deacon it should be qualified by sufficient probation Thirdly if the accuser succumbe in probation he should be counted infamous how eminent so euer his dignitie and estate shall be The compiler of this supposititious decretall epistle had no consideration of the time whereinto CAIVS liued It was a time of persecution Christian Bishops were continually drawne before seculare Iudges accused of odious crimes wherof they were most innocent CAIVS himself was compelled to lurke a long time in a subterraneal caue At this time to bring in CAIVS as it were sitting in a throne coÌ„manding that no B should be accused before a secular Iudge c. what is this else but profusion of words without judgement and vnderstanding If this decretall epistle had beene attributed to BONIFACIVS 8. GREGORIVS 7. ALEXANDER 3. it had bene a more competent time and the constitution had seemed more probable to the reader Moreouer the language is like vnto the matter it selfe Intelligat jactur am infamiae se sustinere in place of jacturam famae MARCELLINVS the 28. B. of Rome succeeded to CAIVS ruled 9. yeeres Platin Func Chron he fainted in time of the persecution of DIOCLETIAN and sacrificed to idoles but afterward he repented as PETER did gaue his life for the testimonie of Christ. He who accuseth himselfe closeth all other mens mouths from accusation of him hee who truly repenteth by his repentance is restored to all the dignities of the children of God which were lost by sinne hee who suffered martyrdome for Christ and he whose body lacked the honour of buriall for the space of 30. dayes for the cause of Christ alanerly this man I say his name should be kept in reuerent remembrance as if he had not fallen After MARCELLINVS succeeded MARCELLVS
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
discouer the reliques of his body left it should haue bene an occasion of idolatrie because MICHAEL the Archangell of God stroue against him in this point epist. ◅ud ver 9. The graue of the Prophet ELIZEVS was opened not of purpose to raise his bones and to honour them but vpon a great suddentie to cast in another dead man and albeit the Lord wrought a great miracle by touching of ELIZEVS bones 2. Reg. 13. ver 21. yet no man was so foolish as to raise them out of the graue or to carie them into the Temple to be adored and worshipped The bones of IOSEPH that were in a chest and transported out of Egypt by MOSES Exod. 13 ver 19. yet in the wildernesse were not worshipped no not by these carnall Iewes who worshipped the golden calfe And so the historie of the old Testament may be laide aside as an holy historie furnishing no fuel to hold in this fire of Popish superstition anent adorations of dead mens bones In the new Testament like as the doctrine of resurrection was clearely preached and beleeued amongst all Christian people so likewise a great care was had that the bodies of the Saintes should be honourably buried as bodies appointed to an happie resurrection This perswasion grounded in the heartes of Christians made them to count death a sleep the graue a bed resurrection a wakening of men out of their sleepe Ioh. 11. Act. 7. Now this sleepe differeth from other sleepes in this that when a seruant conueyeth his masters sonne to bed to sleepe and rest pos◅bly this same seruant will waken him againe in the morning that he may rise and walke but when we are conueyed to the graue by the Lordes seruants these seruants will not get that honour to raise vs vp againe out of our bed but let vs sleepe on still vntill it shall please our Lord and master Christ Iesus to come againe and raise vs vp out of our bed and sleepe But foolish seruants to be troubling the graues of the Saintes and digging out their bones which they cannot cloth with flesh sinewes and skin neither can they breath a spirit in them it is both foolish superfluous and vntimous diligence whereof no example is to be found in the new Testament In the ecclesiasticall historie it is to be noted that the fathers who liued neerest vnto the dayes of the Apostles were also freest of this superstition of worshipping of bones and other reliques In the fourth persecution POLYCARPVS Bishop of Smyrna was martyred as hath bene declared at what time great care was taken both by Iewes and Paganes that the dead body of POLYCARPVS should not come into the handes of Christians and to this purpose it was burned with fire The Christians who waited on diligently to honour that blessed body which had patiently suffered rebuke for the cause of Christ in end they got his bones which albeit they counted to bee more pretious then gold and siluer yet they worshipped them not as EVSEBIVS clearely declareth lib. 4. eccles hist. cap. 16. but they buried them honourablie into a convenient place Moreouer that day whereinto hee was burnt for the Name of Christ was called by the fathers natalis or natalitium POLYCARPI that is the birth-day of POLYCARPVS because by his death he made it manifest that he was the true childe of GOD begotten and borne of the vncorruptible seede of the Word And in that place where his bones were buried and vpon the very day of his martyrdome Christians conveened to glorifie God for the constant suffring of the Martyr to exhort others with constant perseuerance to be ready to do the like Euseb. ibid. These things no man can justly vituperat in the ancient Church because their purpose was to glorifie GOD by meanes not vnlawfull and to f◅ster in the heartes of the people the assurance of the resurrection of the dead by honourable buriall of such as died for Christ And so much the more they were moued so to do because the persecuting Pagans hindered the Christians from burying their dead to the end they might quench the hope of the resurrection in their hearts as Euseb. lib. 5. cap. 1. clearely declareth speaking of the Martyrs in France who suffered death in the fourth persecution vnder ANTONINVS VERVS whose bodies were left vnburied for a ti◅e and afterward were burnt with fire and resolued into ashes and the ashes were cast into the riuer of Rhodanus ne ullam amplius resurrectionis spem habeant that is to the end they should haue no more hope of the resurrection And doubtlesse there is no Christian heart that liued in these dayes but behoued to encrease their cair in burying the bodies of the Saints because in want of buriall the Pagans wold haue quenched the hope of refurrectiō The custome of transporting the bones of the holy men of God from one place to another more honourable place as seemed to the transporters it was not so ancient as it can be prooued by examples for the space of three hundreth yeeres after the ascension of our Lord yet these bones were transported after a manner as the bones of IOSEPH from Egypt to Canaan to be buried in a more honourable place Iosu. 24. vers 22. without any kind of adoration as the bones of BABYLAS B. of Antiochia in the dayes of IVLIAN the apostat Theodoret. lib. 3. cap 3. 10. The bones of PAVL B. of Constantinople were transported and buried in the Church of Constantinople that was builded by his persecuter MACEDONIVS Sozom. lib. 7. cap. 10. This was done in the dayes of THEODOSIVS the Emperour and the wordes are to be marked transtulis corpus ejus in Ecclesia condidit quam MACEDONIVS persecutor ejus adificaverat that is to say he transferred his body and buried it into the Church which his persecuter MACEDONIVS had builded In the dayes of the Emperour ARCADIVS the reliques of SAMVEL were brought to Constantinople Theodor. lector collect lib. 2. in the daies of THEODOSIVS 2. his son the bones of CHRYSOSTOM were transported to Cōstantinople Al this time bones other reliques were trāsported buried but not set vp vpon altars nor worshipped If it be objected that IEROME disputing against VIGILANTIVS defendeth the custom of women who in the very day time went to the graues of the martyres with lighted torches of waxe to honour them by so doing To this I answere that the wordes of IEROME make litle against our opinion First because his wordes import that the bones of the saintes were lying in their graues Secondly the women who lighted these waxe torches IEROM granteth that they had a zeale to God but not according to knowledge Thirdly IEROM in cōpating these lighted torches to the pretious oyntment powred out by MARIE vpon Christs head Ioh. 12. whereof Christ had no neede and no more haue the martyres neede of waxe torches to bee lighted at the places of their
teares the foreskin of his circumcision the crowne of thornes the speare that pearced his side the lots that were cast for his garments the linnen clothes whereinto his blessed body was wrapped all these reliques the Romaine Church bragge that they haue them together with the very house of Bethleam wherein the Lord was borne miraculously transported from Iudea to Italie so impudent are they in forging lies But if all these things had bene left by Christ in testamental Legacie to the Church of Rome they had not bene so careful in keeping of thē as the negligent keeping of the purity of the word holy sacramēts clearly declareth for they haue lost the key of knowledge They haue added many things to Baptisme and paired a substantiall part from the Supper of the Lord. And no doubt if the forenamed reliques had bene left in Testament also to the church of Rome like vnto false executers they had made hauocke of these in like maner The false reliques attributed to the blessed Virgin the mother of our Lord to MICHAEL the Archangel and to the martyrs saints some of them haue such babish conceits in them others such absurditie as it were a shame to make rehearsall of them if so be we had not to do with a shamelesse harlot who hath dighted her mouth saith I haue cōmitted none iniquity Prou 30. ver 20. The virgins haire in quantitie more then is beseeming to attribute to one person her milke in qualitie better then is beseeming to attribut to any mortal creature her combe wherwith she combed her haire her girdle many other reliques vnknowne to antiquitie In the strife of MICHAEL the Archangell of God against the deuil for the body of MOSES epist. Iud. ver 9. the dagger and shield wherewith he fought are among the number of Popish reliques as if Satan could be ouercome with the weapons of corporal warfarc whē as men themselues are taught by the Apostle to fight against spirituall wickednesse with spirituall armour Ephes. 6. The coales of S. LAVRENCE the incorruptible finger of IOHN Baptist that pointed out Christ the yron chaine that boūd PETER the teeth of APOLLONIA the body of S. DIONISE cōplet aleged to be both in France Germany the multiplied body of S. SEBASTIAN innumerable other forged reliques wherof they who haue inuēted thē haue cause to be ashamed And what shal we say of the superlatiue degree of al absurditie in defending forged reliques The arrowes that pearced S. SEBASTIAN the stones that stoned S. STEPHAN the 30. pieces of money which the traitor IVDAS receiued to betray his master shall all these also be consecrated worshipped SIMON MAGVS mony was cursed execrable as wel as himself Act 8. 20. because he thoght that the gift of the holy spirit could be bought with money Shall not the 30. pieces of money wherewith the blood of Christ was bought be also cursed execrable Now we see in our time a filthie stable ful of forged reiiques more filthy then euer the stable of AVGIAS king of Elis was which couldby no other means be purged but by the riuer of Alpheus which beeing let in into the stable the great heape of 30 yeres dung was in few dayes washed away Euen so the great heape of forged reliques wherewith the world hath bene bewitched these many hundreth yeres can by no other means be abolished but by the spate of the authoritie of godly Princes whose harts the Lord stir vp to purge the world from the filth stincke of false reliques by false teachers so obstinatly defended The best remedie to correct all abuses in the Church was euer this to reduce all things vnto the first originall purity which was this to do as the men of God in the Apostles daies did They followed the saints in so farre as the saintes followed Christ 1. Cor. 11. If the saints departed this life they buried them honestly as deuote men did burie STEPHAN Act. 8 2. with some lamentation but not excessiué as they doe who are without hope 1. Thess. 4. 13 After their death if they remembred any good they had done in their lifetime they commended it that others might follow their example because Christ saith that the fact of MARIE should be told for a memoriall of her that in all places whersoeuer the Gospel should be taught Mat. 26. ver 13. If they had patiently suffered any euill for Christs sake they kept a memoriall of that also as the godly fathers of the primitiue Church did in natalitus martyrum Thus doing we honour the saintes and follow them as they followed Christ but we cloth them not with the royall apparell which is only due to Christ to whom be euerlasting glory and honour Amen CENT 3. A Treatise of the supremacie of the B. of Rome ALbeit that the Bishop of Rome was not openly proclaimed to be the heade of all Bishops vntill the yeere of our Lord 607. by the Emperour PHOCAS yet is this supremacie coloured with forged lies appearance of greater antiquitie for refutatiō of alledged antiquitie I cast in this treatise in the third Centurie And first of all let vs consider the grounds of this alledged supremacie next let vs consider the steps of this ladder not like to the ladder of IACOB leading vp to heauen but like to the manifestation of the man of sinne wherby the B. of Rome by litle litle climmed vp vnto this soueraignitie that in end he sat as a lawgiuer in the chaire of Christ. And thirdly God-willing we shal declare the tragical euent of this supremacie Now first the principall ground whereupon Papistes doe ground the supremacie of the Pope is the supremacie of PETER aboue the rest of the Apostles which if it were grantes they will inferre the superioritie of the Bishop of Rome as his successour aboue all Bishops In this argument I perceiue great businesse to aduance the Antichrist and to set him vp into an eminent chair like as when Christ was borne there was great businesse to make him out of the way Mat. 2. but all in vaine the crueltie and craft of HEROD cannot vn doe the counsell of God so great businesse is to aduance the Roman Antichrist and to make vs beleeue that Christ himselfe hath set him in his own chaire giuē vnto him a soueraine gouernment ouer al his sheep but al this trauel is also taken in vain for the roome of Christ must not be filled vntill it be vacant the breath of Christs mouth destroying the man of sinne will one day declare that Christ is liuing sitting in his owne chaire and mightie in operation to make his enemies his footstoole Psal. 110 Now to examine the parts of this argument the first part is PETER is the heade of the Apostles and this they proue by the words of Christ I Will giue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen c. Mat. 16. In the
of Fortune which onely remained they ouerthrew in Iulians owne time For this cause Iulian rased the name of Caesarea out of the roll of Cities and exacted from them 300 pound weight of golde compelled their Cleargie to serue in warrefare And finally he threatned to punish vnto the death all the inhabitants of Casarea but the righteous LORD cutted the cordes of the wicked and hee had not power to performe all his bloody designes He had intention to fight against the Persians yet would hee doe nothing without consultation of his gods Hee sent his most assured friendes to all the Oracles within the Romane Dominions and he himselfe would inquire at the Oracle of Apollo in Daphne what should be the successe of his enterprises The answere of Apollo was that hee was hindered by the dead to giue his responses Hereof it came to passe that Iulian gaue libertie to Christians to transport the bones of the Martyr Babylas About the same time fire came downe from heauen and destroyed the Temple of Apollo in Daphne and beate the image of Apollo in pieces like vnto the lightest and smallest powder or dust Moreouer he gaue libertie to the Iewes to returne to Hierusalem to build their Temple to offer sacrifices conforme to the law of Moses not for loue he caried toward the Iewes but for hatred of the Christians therefore the worke prospered not but was hindered by earthquake fire a mightie tempest of wind Marke how euery thing this hatefull enemy of CHRIST enterprised had an euill successe Iulian arriued at Ctesiphon the Metrapolitane towne of Chaldea after that Babylon was ruined The king of Persia had his people in better preparation then the Emp. looked for therefore he tooke deliberation to returne back againe to the bounds of the Romane dominions but hee who was deceitful al his dayes was in end deceiued by an old Persian captiue who led the Emp. into a barren wildernes where he concluded his life wounded with a darte but it remaines vncertaine by whom hee was slaine Jouinianus AFTER the death of Iulian Iouinian was chosen by the Romane armie to be Emperour but liued not fully 8. months in his Emperiall dignity He accepted not the souerainty vntill the time the whole army with uniforme consent acknowledged themselues to be Christians He made a couenant of peace with the K. of Persia such as the necessity of a distressed army compelled him to condiscend vnto for Nisib◅s a great Citie in Mesopotamia with some dominions in Syria were resigned ouer to the king of Persia. The blame of this scathfull capitulation was imputed to the temerity of Iulian the apostate who had brunt with fire the ships that should haue brought victualles to the armie and gaue hasty credite to a Persian captiue When he had reduced the army to the bounds of the Romane dominions hee buried the dead body of Iulian in Tarsus a towne of Cilicia and he reduced from banishmēt the worthy captain Valentinian whom Iulian had banished together with the Bishops banished from their places or compelled to lurke inspecial Athanasius whose counsel he was resolued to follow in matters of Faith Church gouernement In end he tooke purpose to goe to Constantinople but by the way in the Confines of Galatia and Bithinia hee concluded his life in a Village called Dadastana Valentinianus and Valens AFTER the death of Iouinian the Romane armie choosed Valentinian to be Emperour who reigned 13. yeeres In whom was accomplished which is promised in the Gospell to render an hundreth-folde in this life to them who suffer any losse for for CHRISTS sake in the world to come eternal life Valentinian CHRISTES sake lost his office in Iulians Court and hee receiued in this world a kingdome and hath a greater recompence of reward laid vp for him in heauē The magnamimus courage of Valentinian in beating on the face that heathē Priest who sprinkled holy water vpon his garments whereby he thought his garmēts to be contaminate not his body sanctified This couragious fact was the cause wherefore Iulian banished him to Miletina a town in Armenia He was relieued from banishment in the dayes of Iouinian was made Emp. after his death He was borne in a town of Panonia called Cibale he addressed himselfe immediatly after his acceptation of the Emperial souerainty to Constantinople and within the space of 30. dayes he choosed his brother to be his associate in the gouernement in such sort that the Emp. Valentinian gouerned the West and the Emp. Valens gouerned the Easterne parts of the Romane Dominions The Emp. Valens finding the Persians to be quiet and disposed to keepe the couenant of peace bounde vp in the dayes of Iouinian he vndertooke an vnsupportable warre-fare against the Homousians The usurpation of the Tyrant Procopius did somewhat slacken the readines and quicknes of his attempts but after Procopius was deliuered into the handes of the Emp. Valens by Agelon and Gomarius his Captaines hee rent in pieces the body of Procopius by bowing downe to the ground the toppes of strong trees whereunto he caused the legges of Procopius to be fastened The bodies of Agelon and Gomarius the two Captaines who betrayed Procopius were cutted in twaine with sawes of yron In which fact the Emp. Valens had no regarde to the oath of GOD which he made vnto them for their safetie Procopius being subdewed hee bended all his might against the Homousians He banished Mil◅tius Bishop of Antiochia to Armenia Eusebius Bishop of Samosata to Thracia Pelagius Bishop of Laodicea to Arabia The towne of Samos◅ta was so affectioned to their owne Pastor Eusebius that they would not communica◅e with Eunomius whom the Arrians sent to fill his place Val◅ns was filled with wrath against the Fathers conueened in the Councill of Lampsacum this is a towne neere vnto the straite firth of Hellespontus because they adhered fast vnto the Nicene faith In Constantinople he not onely banished the Homousians but also the Novatians their Bishop Agelius because they would not consent with the Arrians in the matter of faith In Edessa a towne of Mesopotamia the Emperour gaue commandement to slay the Homousians who were assembled together in the Church but the feruent zeale of one woman that ran in haste through the rankes of souldiers drawing with her her young and tender child together with her couragious answere to the Captaine staied the rage of the Emperour wonde◅fully for she counted it a sweet fellowship that she and her babe should bee found amongst the number of these who were counted worthie to suffer death for the NAME of CHRIST Neuerthelesse the Emperour banished of men who dwelt in Edessa especially of such as were in spiritual offices to the number of fourscore whom he commanded by two and two to bee dispersed through Thracia Arabia and Thebaida The inuincible courage of
their lifetime This was thought by the Fathers of the Councill to be pertinently spoken when his answer came to the eares of the Emperour Iustinian hee appointed that hee should be or deined bishop of Constantinople for Menas died suddenly in time of the Councill Vigilius B. of Rome was in Constantinople in time of this Councill but would not bee present at the Councill lest the dignitie of the Romane chaire should bee impaired if the Patriarch of Constantinople had beene equalled with him in honour for Eutychius after Menas was moderator of the Councill The generall conuention tooke thiâ—… effect That the writings of Theodorus B. of Mopsuesta were vtterly condemned and the replyes of Theodoretus to the 12. heades of Cyrilus together with the letter of Ibas written to Maris a Persian were damned Finally the errours of Origen were damned and Theodorus Ascidas together with the Monks of Nova Laura who defended the errors of Origen all were excommunicated and the 4. preceeding generall Councils were confirmed with full allowance The Councill of Mopsuesta immediatly following tended onely to this to knowe when the name of Theodorus sometime B. of Mopsuesta a towne of Cilicia was razed out of the rolle called sacra dipiycha And the ancients both of Clergie people assured the Emperour Iustinian that the name of Theodorus was razed out of the rolle of holy bishops before their time Vnder the reigne of Childebertus King of France were frequent meetings of Bishops in Aurelia a towne of France commonly called Orleans Many superstitious constitutions were hatched amongst them especially anent prohibition of mariage for this doctrine of Deuils had now gotten great vpper hand in the West The verse of Homer may bee written in the frontispice of these Councills 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is It is a shame to tarie long and to returne emptie If they met so oft some fruites worthie of their meeting should haue beene brought out to the world but it is a wearisome thing to trauell a long time in the wildernesse of Arabia albeit in it there bee large fieldes yet it is a barren ground and the paine of wearisome trauelling is not recompensed with the delite of any refreshment that can bee had there This I write not to hinder any man from the reading of these Councils also for some good things are to bee found in them but to wish that the short time we haue to liue in this world should not be vnfruitfully spent In the second Councill simonie is damned the receiuing of money for admitting a man to a spirituall office is vtterly detested In the thirde Councill periurie is abhorred in a man hauing a spirituall calling but softly punished by 2. yeeres excluding of him from the communion In the fourth Councill it is ordeined that in the offering of the holy Calice nothing shall be presented except wine onely vnmixed with water because it is a sacrilegious thing to transgresse the holy mandate and institution of our Sauiour CHRIST In the fifth Councill it is condescended that no man shall be ordained bishop without consent of King Clergie and people according to the ancient constitutions of the Church and that no spirituall office shall be bought by money The heape of constitutions anent the keeping of Pasche day and Lent anent the prohibition of mariage betwixt Christians and vnconuerted Iewes anent seruants not to bee admitted to Ecclesiastical orders anent assemblies to be at the least yeerely conuocated by bishops anent Ecclesiasticall rents not to be dilapidated The nature of a short Compend cannot permit mee to insist in such things Vnder the reigne of Theodobertus King of France the Fathers who were present at the Councill of Aurelia conueened also in the Council of 〈◊〉 ordeined that no man should presume to the office of a bishop by the fauour of mâ—…n 〈◊〉 but by the merites of an honest and 〈◊〉 That the dead body of a bishop in time of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not be couered with the pall otherwise called Opertorâ—… 〈◊〉 corporis which couered the Altar lest the honour done to the body should be a polluting of the Altar with many other constitutions which of purpose I ouerpasse with silence Vnder the reigne of Aribertus King of France a Council was assembled at Tours In this Councill it was ordeined that the Clergie people in euery CongregatioÌ„ should prouide support for their owne poore not permit them to wander to vncouth places for indeed this custome of wandering hath brought in Atheisme amongst the poore when they leaue their owne Congregation they leauealso their owne Pastor who attended vpon their conuersation and they fall into the snare of the deuil It was also statute and ordeined that a bishop should count his wife as his sister and that he should no maner of way companie with her and for this cause hee should haue Presbyters Deacons so familiarly conuersant with him that they might beare testimonie of his honest behauiour to wit that he neuer companied with his wife The Romanists who count the prohibition of marriage to bee the soule of their religion could not ouerpasse this Canon without a censure Now let vs heare what Censura saith Intellige hunc Canonem uixta usum Orientalis ecclesia in qua coâ—…iugatus promovebatur adsacerdotium that is Vnderstand this Canon according to the custome of the Orientall Church wherein a maried man was promoted to the Priesthood well excused The bishops of Rowen Burges Tours c. are conueened in the towne of Tours to prescribe rules to the Orientall Church or at least rules vnto their owne bishops to liue after the forme of the Orientall Church which neuer came in their mind to doe as may evidently be knowne by the sixt generall Councill Moreouer it was statute and ordeined that no Priest or Monke should receiue in bed with him another Priest or Monke to the ende they might bee so vnreproouable that they would abstaine from all appearance of euill In this Councill was set downe very strict prohibitions that no man should oppresse the Church and conuert vnto his own vse any thing duely belonging to them lest he incurrethemalediction of Iudas who was a thiefe and kept the bag and conuerted to his owne vse a part of that money which belonged to the poore In the Councill holden at Paris order was taken concerning admitting of bishops to their offices that no man should be admitted bishop without the full consent of Clergie and people and that no man should presume by fauour of Princes onely without the consents foresaide to become bishoppe in any place Recaredus King of Spaine and of the discent of the Gothes who were miserably insected with the Arrian heresie assen bled 2 Councill of 62. bishops at Toledo where he renounced the Arâ—… heresie and embraced the true faith and the whole nation of the West Gothes in Spaine did the like about the
full of pride and he followed the footsteps of Joannes Cappadox and would bee called vniuersall bishoppe against whome Gregorius 1. contended mightily euen as Lactantius of olde contended against the Pagans impugning the error more mightily than solidly confirming the trueth It is supponed that he ministred 13. yeeres vnder the Emperour Mauritius To whom succeeded Cyriacus Patriarches of Alexandria AFTER Iohn called Tabennesiota succeeded another Iohn who kept the true faith and was banished by Anastatius because he would not damne the Councill of Chalcedone To John succeeded Theodosius an obstinate defender of the errour of Eutyches He was familiarly acquainted with Severus of Antiochia and Anthimus of Constantinople whereby the miserie of these dayes may bee easily espied whereinto three notable heretiques gouerned principall townes such as Constantinople Alexandria and Antiochia He was so obstinate in his errour that he was rather content to be banished vnder the reigne of Iustinian than to renounce his errour After him succeeded Zoilus and after him Appollinarius who was present at the fift generall Councill To whome succeeded Eulogius and after him Petrus who ministred vnder the reigne of Mauritius Patriarches of Antiochia AFTER Palladius succeeded Flavianus who suffered great troubles for the true faith namely by the cruell persecution of the Emperour Anastatius and the calumnies of Xenaeas B. of Hierapoâ—…is a stranger indeed from the couenant of GOD as his name importeth for hee blamed Flavianus most vniustly of the heresie of Nestorius but when Flavianus both by worde and write had cleared himselfe of that calumnie the malice of Xenaeas ceased not for he brought with him to Antiochia a great number of Monkes to compell Flavianus to abiure the Councill of Chalcedone The towne supported their bishop against a raskall number of seditious and hereticall Monkes Notwithstanding the Emperour Anastatius infected with the heresie of Euâ—…yches counted Flavianus who was most vniustly persecuted to be the author of this tumult and banished him and placed Severus in his roome The Emperour Iustinus the elder displaced Severus and punished him and appointed Paulus to be bishop of Antiochia To Paulus succeeded Euphrasius who died in that feareful calamitie of the towne of Antiochia when it was shaken and ouerthrowne with earthquake as Evagrius witnesseth Euphraimius was a ciuile gouernour in the East parts who pitied the decayed estate of the towne of Antiochia furnished all necessarie things for the repairing of the towne of Antiochia for which cause the people was so affectioned to him that they would haue him to bee their bishop So Euphraimius becomes bishoppe of Antiochia or Theopolis for at this time it had both thâ—…se names Evagrius writeth that hee vndertooke the charge of the Apostolicke chaire in which wordes it is manifest that not onely the chaire of Rome but also the chaire of Antiochia was called the Apostolicke chaire The towne of Antiochia at this time was taken by Cosroes King of Persia set on fire and many of thâ—… people were cruelly slaine Euphraâ—…us their bishop at this time left the towne a perilous example except the people had beene in safetie and he onely persecuted yet he left behinde him so much as might redeeme all the Church goods AFTER Eâ—…phraimius followed Domnius And after him Anastatius He ministred vnder the Emperour Iustinian at what time the â—…mperour fell into the errour of them who saide that our LORD IESVS in his very conception adioyned vnto his diuine natâ—…e an immortal body which was subiect to no humane infiâ—…mities Anastatius opponed himselfe to the Emperours opinion the bishops followed Anastatius not the Emperour for this cause Iustinian was purposed to haue banished him but he escaped this trouble by the Emperours death Neuerthelesse hâ—…e was banished by Iustinus the younger for some alleadged cause of dilapidation of Church-gooods and Gregorius was placed in his roome Gregorius ministred in Antiochia 23. yeeres vnder Justinus 2. Tiberius and Mauritius hee was in great account with Mauritius to whome he foretolde that he would be promoted to the Imperiall dignitie And Mauritius imployed him in great and weightie businesse such as in pacifying the tumult of his armie which made insurrection against Germanus their captaine Also hee sent him ambassadour to Cosroes King of Persia who was astonied at the grace that was in his speaches Notwithstanding he was accused by Asterius a Deputie of the East of the filthie sinne of incest but he cleared his owne innocencie so euidently that his accuser was with ignominie scourged and banished Hee died of the gowtes infirmitie after his death Anasiatius whome Iustinus banished for dilapidation of Church-goods beeing yet aliue was restored to his owne place againe To whom succeeded Euphemius Patriarches of Jerusalem AFTER MARTYRIVS succeeded HELIAS a feruent defender of the true faith Neither would hee condescend to the banishment of EVPHEMIVS bishop of Constantinople nor to the admission of Severus to be bishop of Antiochia therefore the Emperour Anastatius banished him To him succeeded Iohn of whose politicke dealing in circumueening Anastatius the Emperours captaine I haue sufficiently declared in the preceeding historie To John succeeded Peter after him Macarius after Macarius Eustochius who impugned the bookes of Origen draue out of his bounds the Monks of Nova Laura defenders of the opinions of Origen Theodorus Ascidas B. of Caesarea in Cappadocia tooke this in an euill part The Emperour Iustinian caused a generall Councill to bee gathered at Constantinople whereinto not only the bookes of Origen were damned but also Theodorus himselfe the defender of them This displeased the Emperour Iustinian because hee loued Theodorus dearely therefore hee procured that Eustochius B. of Ierusalem should be remooued and Macarius restored againe After whome succeeded Ioannes Neamus and Isieius In this Centurie whereas I pretermit the names of other Pastors and Doctors in the Church I haue done it vpon this consideration I find in this Centurie that by the irruption of barbarous people such as the Gothes Uandales Hunnes Auares Schythians Lombards youth was hindred from studies many memorable bookes were burnt ancient languages were vtterly spoyled learning was greatly diminished flatterie of preuailing powers increased ambition in the West heresie in the East turned the estate of the Church vpside downe so that scarcely could men of good giftes and keeping integritie of faith be furnished vnto the principall Apostolick chaires Now after a maner the sunne is going downe the shadowes waxe great the darknes approacheth the Antichrist is at the doore worthy to bee welcomed with darknesse and decay of knowledge What shall I now write of other Pastors and Doctors shall I followe the foolish conceates of Historiographers in whose opinion the gift of miracles increased when the gift of knowledge decayed but the contraâ—…e is knowne by Scripture that the holy Apostles whome CHRIST induced
are iustified by faith onely The Apostle wisely considered that no man could liue spiritually except hee had a fellowshippe with GOD. Againe there is no fellowshippe that mortall and sinfull men can haue with GOD without remission of sinnes Neither is there any remission of sinnes without 〈◊〉 Mediatour and Aduocate And wee can take no holde of this Mediatour except onely by faith so that by faith wee liue and by faith we are made iust in the sight of GOD. Then this place of Scripture teacheth vs that it is faith onely that leadeth vs vnto CHRIST in whome wee finde righteousnesse and life but by a due and competent order to wit by stripping vs naked of all conceate of our owne strength and righteousnesse to the ende wee may haue the greater delite in the saluation that is offered to vs in CHRIST Faith is not like vnto a robber who strippeth a mannaked without any purpose to clothe him with a better garment But faith doth to vs as the father of the forlorue sonne did to him and as the Angell of GOD did to IEHOSVA the high Priest Both these were vnclothed of their beggerly rayments but onely of purpose to clothe them with better apparell so doth faith strippe vs naked of all vaine conceate of our owne righteousnesse to the ende it may leade vs to the wardrope of GOD there to bee cladde with the garment of the righteousnesse of CHRIST which is able to couer our nakednesse and to present vs holy blamelesse and vndefiled before his father Before I leaue the wordes of the Prophet HABACCVK let vs yet againe ponder the Emphaticke worde Behold for by seeing and hearing some good lessons may bee learned Beholde men who haue leaned vpon the staffe of GOD in our owne time how peaceably haue they concluded their dayes with SIMEON reioycing that they had scene the saluation of GOD. And on the other side men who haue leaned to their own righteousnesse albeit only in a part what agonie trouble of conscience haue they found in their last battell vntill they haue forsaken all confidence in their owne merits and leaned onely vnto the merites of the passion of our sweet LORD and Sauiour IESVS CHRIST The Papistes in our COVNTRIE for the most part haue beene like vnto the fishes called Amphbia which can liue both in the Sea and on the Land but when any man approaches neere to doe them harme they trust more to the sca than to the land euen so when the terrors of death beginnes to shake our countrey people then they leaue confidence in their owne merites and betake themselues vnto the deepe Ocean sea of the mercies of GOD in IESVS CHRIST In the second heade I promised to speake of the difference betwixt Iustification Sanctification betwixt the righteousnes of the Law and the Gospell Our Iustification is a free forgiuenes of our sinnes for CHRISTS sake and a free imputation of his righteousnesse to vs. Our Sanctification is an inherent holinesse begunne in vs by the operation of GODS Spirit to bee a testimonie that wee are in CHRIST The not obseruing of the difference betwixt these two hath beene and as yet is the ground of great errours True it is that these two gifts are freely bestowed vpon vs at one and the selfe-same time yet are they distinct in order of causes because Iustification is the ground from whence Sanctification as an effect doth flow And like as the starres called Pleiades or Vergiliae they doe arise and manifest themselues vnto the worlde all at one time yet are they distinct starres and Electra is not Alcinoe nor Alcinoe Celeno nor Celeno Mâ—…ia And the like may bee spoken of the other tâ—…ree whose apparition and disparition albeit it bee inseparable yet are they distinct starres Euen so Iustification and Sanctification are inseparably linked together yet are they two distinct giftes of GOD. I will vse yet another similitude for declaration of the same purpose If a sword be laide into the fire vntill the mettall thereof be firie coloured this sworde at one time hath two powers one to cut and another to burne yet is not cutting burning nor burning cutting but these two distinct powers are at one time inseparably in one subiect Euen so are wee at one and the selfe same time both iustified and sanctified yet are they still two different giftes of GOD. Nowe the doctrine of Iustification rightly taught is our cihefe incouragement to Sanctification and on the other parte the doctrine of Sanctification rightly taught giueth vnto vs the greatest assurance of our Iustification A man who is assured that his sinnes are freely forgiuen that hee is beloued of GOD in CHRIST yea and that hee hath put on CHRIST as the Apostle speaketh he may with courage and gladnesse addresse himselse to lead an holy life being fully perswaded that GOD will accept of his willing obedience albeit it can not be perfect in all points so long as wee dwell into this sinsull tabernacle And on the other side when the spirit of sanctification worketh in our members it is a token that we are incorporated into the stocke of CHRIST by true faith For like as the spirit of man quickneth no member that is cut off from his bodie euen so the spirit of CHRIST worketh not true sanctification in any person who is not made a member of Christes body by true iustifying faith For this cause the Romane Church blames vs vndeseruedly as though by teaching that we are iustified only by faith we had impaired the zeale of the people in doing of good workes To this I answere that more credite is to be giuen to the holy Apost PAVL who was taught in all trueth immediatly by Christ himselfe nor to the calumnies of the aduersaries of the doctrine of grace for the Apostle exhorting the Romanes to agodly conuersation he saith I beseech you brethren sor the mercies of God that yee offer vp your bodies an holy liuely and acceptable sacrifice to God and what mercies are those I pray you whereof the Apostle speaketh but the mercies whereof hee hath intreated in the former parte of that Epistle to wit GOD hath freely elected vs he hath freely instified vs he hath freely sanctified vs and hee shall freely in his appointed time glorifie vs. Nowe in regard of all these mercies let vs endeuoure to leade a holy conuersation as it becommeth them who are partakers of so great mercies This holy exhortation could not haue beene drawne from a more pithie more persuasiue and mouing ground Therefore wee will walke in the footsteps of the holy Apostles and continue still exhorting the people to leade an holy conuersation in regarde of the rich mercies of GOD in CHRIST who hath freely elected them to eternall life and freely iustified them by faith in CHRIST alanerly Whereas they obiect that experience it selfe testifieth that people are not nowe so bent and readie to doe good
and he married another woman named Hildegarde of the Dukerie of Sweue These are the fruits of antichristian pride to threaten the torments of hell against the princes of the worlde for marriage if so be they fore-see anie damnage may redound to the chaite of Rome by the marriage of princes After Stephanus the thirde succeeded Adrian the first and gouerned 23. yeeres ten monethes and seuenteene da◅es In his dayes Charles the Great came into Italie with an armie and banished Desiderius king of Lombardes his wife and children to Lions in France and vtterly suodued the kingdome of the Lombardes which had continued in Italie 204. yeeres Nowe in the yeere of our Lord 776. this kingdome was abolished vndone by Charles the Great king of France for the fauour he carried towards the chaire of Rome Likewise he augmented the donation of his father Pipinus and he bestowed vpon the Church of Rome the Isle of Corsica and the places interjacent betwixt Luca and Parma with the Dukedomes of Spoleto and Beneuento This being done Charles returned backe againe to France carying with him Bertha his brothers wife and hir children who came to Adrian bishop of Rome hoping for fauour at his handes and that hee should haue annointed her sonnes to be kings of France seeing Carolomannus their father was now dead but hee deliuered them into the hands of Charles and so Charles the Great reigned without exception as absolute commander of France Irene the Empresse of the East during the time of Adrians popedome assembled a great Councell at Nice in Bythinia where the adoration of images was allowed In this Councell the popes Ambassadours were present and his owne letter was read in the Councell no man gaue greater allowance to the worshipping of images than pope Adrian did as shall be declared God willing in the head of Councels It is to be marked that Platina writing of the death of Constantinus Copronymus is compelled to beare witnesse to the trueth and testifie that the opinion of the leprosie of Constantine the Great was a notable fable and that it sprang vp by occasion of the disease of Constantinus Copronymus the father in law of the Empresse Irene To Adrian succeeded Leo the third and gouerned 21. yeeres he was hated by Pascalis and Campulus who lay in waite for him at the Church of Sainct Syluester threw him downe to the ground spoy led him of his pontificall garments beate him with manie strokes and finally cast him into prison and bands but he escaped by the meanes of a cubiculare named Albinus lurked in the Vaticane vntill the time that Unigisius duke of Spoleto conuoyed him safely vnto his boundes At this time Charles king of France had warres against the Saxones The bishop of Rome who came to him to complaine of the injuries which hee had receiued was sent back againe verie honourably accompanied with the souldiours of Charles king of France and with promise that hee shoulde without delay addresse his journey towardes Italie When Charles came to Italie the popes enemies were so dashed with feare that they durst not appeare to accuse him and the Clergie of Rome thought meete that no man shoulde judge of the Apostolike chaire but the bishop of Rome should be his own judge Leo tooke the booke of the Gospell in his handes and swore that he was innocēt of all the crimes objected against him and so he was absolued Pascalis Campulus the friēds of the late deceassed pope Adrian were counted worthy of death but pope Leo intercided for safetie of their liues so they were banished to France For this benefite Leo caused Charles to bee declared Emperour of the West and crowned him with the Emperiall Diademe And from that time forwardes the custome beganne that Emperoures shoulde receiue their Coronation from the Bishop of ROME Notwithstanding of this it was ordained that no man shoulde bee elected Bishop of ROME without aduice of the Emperour of the West and without receiuing inuestment from him THE Patriarches of Constantinople in this CENTVRIE were placed and displaced according to the changeable conceits of the Emperours Vnder the reigne of Iustinian the seconde Cyrus was Patriarch whom Philippicus remoued and aduanced one named Ihonne who had fore-tolde that he should be made Emperour This Ihonne was infected with the heresie of the Monothelites and was remoued by Artemius by whome Germanus was aduanced to the chaire of Constantinople Germanus continued vntill the reigne of Constantinus Copronymus Hee was deposed and excommunicated by the Generall Councell assembled by Constantinus because hee allowed the worshipping of images To him succeeded Anastasius who albeit hee disliked images yet hee was vnthankefull to the Emperour and fauoured the seditious attemptes of the people of Constantinople who aduanced Artabasdus to the Emperiall dignitie More-ouer hee slandered the Emperour as if he had spoken against the diuinitie of Christ. Hee receiued a just recompense of his vnthankefulnesse for hee was deposed and scourged and set vpon an Asse with his face towards the Asses taile and made a ridiculous spectacle to the people After him Constantine a Mōke was made Patriarch who at the first seemed to damne images but afterward he was found to be a maintainer and allower of them The Emp. banished him to Iberia where hee spake contumeliouslie both of the Emperour and of the Councell holden at Constantinople therefore hee was brought backe againe from banishment and was beheaded and his bodie was trailed through the towne with a corde casten into a pit where the bodies of male-factors were accustomed to bee casten After him succeeded Nicetas a man vnlearned aduāced by the Em. Const. Copron. for none other cause but only for his zeale against the worshipping of images After him succeeded Paulus Cyprius who in the dayes of Const. Copron. damned the worshipping of images but afterward repented vnder the reigne of Irene entered into a Monastery lamented that he had cōsented to the abolishing of images The vaine repentance of this timorous and superstitious man was the chiefe occasion of the conuocation of the seconde Councell of Nice by the Empresse Irene To him succeeded Tarasius who was present at the second Councell of Nice and gaue allowance to the adoration of images The preuailing power of the Saracenes in Alexandria Antiochia and Hierusalem did so obscure the names of the Patriarches of these cities that I haue no remarkeable thing to write of them in this CENTVRIE IN this declining age wherein spirituall grace dayly decayed and nothing encreased except an heape of earthly treasures which God permitteth to be powred into the bosomes of them who loue the wages of iniquitie Alwayes euen at this time some men of good literature and learning did manifest themselues vnto the world such as Bonifacius bishop of Mentz Damascene alearned Monke Paulus Diaconus a learned writer of histories and Beda a man counted venerable in his time yet all
argumentes whereby the seconde Councell of Nice endeuoured to approue the adoration of images are all refuted in the Councell of Frankford as I haue declared alreadie in a Treatise concerning worshipping of Images Concerning the argument taken from the authotitie of Epiphanius who in his booke called Panarium reckoneth not the worshippers of images in the roll of Heretiques it is answered by the Councell of FRANKFORD that incase Epiphanius had counted the haters of the worshippers of images Heretiques hee had likewise inferted their names in the catalogue of Heretiques but seeing hee hath not so done the Councell of Nice had no just cause to triumph so much in this friuolous argument which maketh more against them that it maketh for them More-ouer in the Councell of FRANKFORD the Epistle of Epiphanius written to Ihonne bishop of Hierusalem was read wherein hee disalloweth the verie inbringing of images into Churches and this Epistle was translated out of Grieke into the Latine language by Ierom. The Epistle is worthie to bee read Reade it in the Magdeburg Historie Cent. 8. Chap. 9. TREATISES Belonging to the VIII CENTVRIE A TREATISE Of Transsubstantiation SATHAN is a vigilant enemie setting himselfe in most opposite manner against euerie thing that is a comfort and refreshment vnto the sheepe-folde of God Now the principall comforts of the sheepe of God are the pastures wherein they feede and the waters wherewith they are refreshed Doubtlesse these two comforts are the preaching of the word and the ministration of the Lordes holy Sacraments If Sathan by any meanes can hinder the true preaching of the worde and the right ministration of the Sacramēts then his malice against Gods people is descried as the malice of the Philistimes of olde against Isaac and his cattell was manifested when they stopped with earth the foūtaines of water which Abraham had digged whereof the cattell of Isaac were accustomed to drink It cannot bee sufficiently expressed in words what malice Sathan hath born against the true preaching of the word of God the right ministration of the Sacraments The sixt persecution of Ethnick Emperoures was so directly set against the Preachers of Gods worde as the worlde might easily discerne that the intention of Maximinus was to vndoe the sheepe-folde of God for lacke of pastures and of refreshing waters For this cause let not our cogitations be rauished with admiration when we heare or reade that manie questions haue beene mooued concerning the holie Sacrament of the Lords Supper If there were not plenty of spirituall consolation to bee receiued by the right participation of this holy Sacrament Sathan had neuer busied himselfe so earnestly against it as if the throate of his kingdome were cut if this Sacrament be rightly ministred by the Preachers rightlie receiued by the people Let the Christian Reader remember that of olde vnder the tenne persecuting Emperoures the receiuing of the holy Sacrament of the Lordes Supper was called the banquet of Thyestes This proceeded from none other ground but from the malice of the Deuill hating the Lords holy banquet Secondly the Manichean heretiques so peruerted the Lords holy Sacrament that Augustine to whom their secret mysteries were not vnknowne was compelled to call their Communion Execramentum and not Sacramentum that is an execrable thing and not a Sacrament Thirdly the Donatists in ministring the Lords Sacraments were in an opinion That the Sacrament was onely effectuall when it was ministred by one of their owne number But seeing the malice of Sathan is an infinite thing and hath not a period wherein it endeth For defacing of the right vse of the holy Sacrament Sathan filled the heart of an hereticall Monke called Damascene with a lewde opinion to affirme That the bread in the holy Sacrament was transsubstantiate into the body of Christ and that the wine was transsubstantiate into His blood Which opinion I may justly call a Noueltie because it was neither in worde nor writ hearde before the seuen hundreth yeere of our Lord. But it is the custome of Papists to follow Nouelties and in the meane time to bragge of Antiquitie What abuses of the holy Sacrament followed after the seuen hundreth yeere of our Lord God willing shall bee declared in its owne time for the present thus much I say That vpon a time I saw the images of Cain and Abel pictured by an vnlearned painter with such habite as the Germanes are appareled with in our dayes These pictures made mee not to thinke that the Germane habite was in vse in the dayes of Cain and Abel but rather that the painter was a foolishe man destitute of vnderstanding Euen so when I reade the works of Damascene albeit I was at that time but young in yeeres yet I thought not that the opinion of Damascene was agreeable to Apostolicke doctrine but rather that Damascene was a foolishe and doating Monke and somewhat ambitious also desiring to be coūted the author of some new opinion which no man had maintained before him IN this TREATISE I shall first declare God willing what it is that they call Transsubstantiation secondly howe absurde an opinion it is and thirdly with what relùctation it was insinuated into the bosome of the Latine Church but euer vntill this daye was rejected of the Grieke Church Nowe Transsubstantiation as they saye is an euanishing of the substance of bread and wine after the wordes of consecration and a substitution of the bodie blood of Christ in place of the euanished substance of bread and wine the accidents of bread and wine alwayes remaining without inherence into anie subject Albeit the worde Transsubstantiation seemeth to import a change of one substance into another and the moste part of them define it to bee a chaunge of the substance of bread into the substance of Christes bodie yet some of them doe forsee a great inconueniencie if Transsubstantiation be defined to a chāge of the substance of bread into the substance of Christes bodie namely this that Christes bodie in heauen cladde with a most glorious and celestiall brightnesse and Christes bodie in earth ouershaddowed with the accidentes of bread and wine shall not bee counted one and the selfe same bodie in respect that the bodie of Christ that is in heauen was formed by the holy Spirit of the substance of the Virgine Marie and the bodie of Christ in the Sacrament woulde bee founde to bee made of the substance of bread This is the cause wherefore they who are more subtile than the rest abstaine from the grosse definition afore-saide Howsoeuer concerning the word Transsubstantiation I admonish the Reader that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is an euanishing or disparition hath no affinitie with Damascenes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a change of one thing vnto another thing that is better so that there is no good agreement amongst themselues concerning the signification of the word Transsubstantiation Concerning consecration of the elementes there are diuerse opinions The
Romane Church supposeth that the wordes of Consecration are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that is Take eat this is my bodie And againe these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Drinke all of this for this is my blood of the New Testament which is shedde for manie for remission of sinnes But the Graecian Church thought that the blessing or consecration was not only made by the words afore-saide but also by prayer as Iustinus Martyr calleth the elements 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The foode blessed by the Worde of prayer Let no man separate the thinges that CHRIST hath conjoyned together to wit prayer and the wordes of the holie institution and wee shall easilie accorde about the consecration of the elementes The time in the which the elementes are thought to be consecrated is not the time in the which these wordes This is my bodie c. are begun to bee vttered but rather when they are ended So that the consecration is not an action fashioned by partes but wholly in one minute and at once perfected when the wordes are ended Albeit I agree to this opinion with full consent of my mind yet I could wish that the Romane Church who haue auouched the same would make no exception against their owne doctrine But when they speake of the intention of the consecrating Priest which is continually vnknowne to the people the people are left in a doubt whether they are partakers of Christes bodie or not And this is not the forme of the teaching of Christ to leaue the people in a suspence and doubting but to manifest clearely vnto them the mysterie whereof they doubt if so bee it bee necessarie to bee knowne as Christ manifested to his Disciples the parable of the sower and the seede and of the husbandrie and the tares c. The first word of Consecration is the principall word impugning Transsubstantiation for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a demonstratiue pronowne and it pointeth out something and Scripture conferred with Scripture is the best Commentarie to declare what is pointed out by the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle Paule in his first Epistle to the Corinthians expoundeth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is This bread and the seconde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee expoundeth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is This cuppe So we see that the substance of the elementes in the Sacrament of the Supper are neither changed nor euanished but remaining in their former substaÌ„ce they are honoured with a great honour to bee made Sacramentes of the Lordes blessed bodie and blood but their substance is not changed as saide is The next words of coÌ„secration are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is is my body The bread is the Lordes body because it is the Sacrament of the Lords body like as the Sacrament of faith to wit Baptisme saith August after a maner is faith euen so the Sacrament of the Lordes body after a maner is the Lordes body the wordes secundum quendam modum and quodammodo that is to say after some maner of way so oft repeted by August is forget by papists insomuch that they remember when August saith ferebatur Christus in manibus suis quando commendans ipsum corpus suum ait hoc est corpus meum that is Christ was borne vp in his owne handes when as deliuering his owne bodie hee saieth This is my bodie but they forgette the expositorie wordes in the which Augustine manifesteth his owne meaning namelie these Accepit in manus suas quod norunt fideles ipse se portabat quodammodo cum diceret hoc est corpus meuâ—… that is Hee tooke into his handes as is knowne to the belieuers and did beare after a maner himselfe in his owne hands when he said This is my body It is better in singlenesse of hart to make a true rehearsall of the words of ancient fathers in that same sense the they spake than with deceitfull speaches to abuse the simplicitie of the Reader who possibly will not take paines to search out in what sense Augustine said that Christ did beare himselfe in his owne hands In like maner Augustine writing against Adimant saieth that the blood is the life euen as Christ was the Rocke Nowe the Apostle saieth not Petra significabat Christum but saieth Pâ—…ra erat Christus quae rursus ne corporaliter acciperetur spiritualâ—…m illam vocat id est spiritualiter intelligi docet that is the Apostle saith not the rocke signified Christ but hee saieth the rocke was Christ which againe lest it should bee taken in a corporall sense hee calleth it a spirituall rocke teaâ—…hing vs that wee should spiritually vnderstand it Then if we fellow the exposition of ancient Fathers it cannot be inferred of these wordes this is my bodie that the bread is transsubstantiated into the substance of Christes bodie for such vaine conceits neuer entered into their mindes Papistes doe grant that after consecration Sainct Paule calleth the elementes bread and wine because they haue the shewe and shape of bread and wine as the brasen Serpent was called a Serpent and Angels in Scripture are called men because they so appeared But this is a friuolous shift because the Apostle when he speaketh of bread and wine after the words of consecration he speaketh expressely of bread that is eaten and of wine that is drunken This cannot bee the shape and accidentes of the elementes but their verie substance The Angels did not appeare only in the shape of men but also had mens bodies indeede so that their feete were washed and they did eate and drinke with Abraham and Lot The brasen Serpent was not in shewe but in substance and altogether of brasse These examples helpe not An euill cause hath more neede of a true confession than of a false defence as August writeth and Chrysost. saith most truely that albeit a bitter roote may sende foorth sweete and pleasant fruites yet a roote of bitternesse can neuer produce sweete and pleasant fruites warning vs thereby to beware of men who disseminate and propagate erroures and obstinately striue against the knowne trueth of God The last wordes of the consecration are these Doe this in remembrance of mee Marke the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for albeit Christ only suffered but once yet it is his will that wee should keepe a continuall remeÌ„brance of his death because the death of Christ is the fountaine of our life Now when we offer the Sacrifice of thankesgiuing vnto God in the holy Supper because hee hath saued vs by the death of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. This Sacrifice which wee offer differeth from that which Christ offered vpon the Crosse because that Sacrifice was but onely once offered and was receiued into the most holy place as Chrysostome speaketh but this which we offer is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
is the true bread The doctrine of Transsubstantiation importeth also accidentes without a subject as hath beene touched in a part before in the definition of Transsubstantiation This is admirable that the Scholasticke Doctors who make Aristotle to be Master Caruer of this most holy banquet who haue acquainted themselues better with his Preceptes than with the heauenlie doctrine of the Apostles yet in this point they haue forgotten euen the doctrine of their Schoole-master Aristotle who saieth that accidentes can haue no subsistence but into a subject as if a man bee talking of blindnesse hee must also talke of eyes that are blinded and if hee talke of deafenesse hee must also talke of the eare and if hee talke of lamenesse hee must talke of some member of the bodie that is maimed and finallie if hee talke of a disease hee must also talke of some bodie either of man or beast that is diseased and this hee must doe either expressely or couertly because accidentes haue no subsistence without a subject There can bee nothing imagined more absurde more repugnant to reason than to talke of whitenessâ—… roundnesse and rednesse and in the meane time to saye there is nothing that is white round or redde The recourse which they haue to the Omnipotent power of God who is able to make accidents to subsist without a subject declareth that they neuer rightly considered the cause wherefore the Omnipotent power of GOD is mentioned in holie Scripture to wit to bee one of the strong pillars of our faith which faith commeth onely by hearing Then let this order bee kept First let GOD speake in His owne worde Secondlie let vs beleeue the worde of GOD by faith Thirdlie let the assured pillars of the Omnipotent power and infalâ—…ible trueth of GOD vpholde our faith as it did the faith of ABRAHAM But let vs not grounde vpon the Omnipotent power of GOD in matters whereof wee haue no assurance in His written worde as some of the wise men of PERSIA did who assured both themselues and others that incase they woulde distribute all their goods to the poore and throwe themselues headlonges from eminent places then their soules shoulde bee transported immediatelie to Heauen This madnesse fell out about the yeere of our LORDE and Sauiour IESVS CHRIST 759. What was this leaning of theirs to the Omnipotent power of GOD without assurance of his word but only the conceits of braine-sicke men And so let Papistes talke what they please In this purpose that God by his Omnipotent power can make accidentes to subsist without a subject I will conclude that the Omnipotent power of God is ordained to bee a confirmation to our faith and not to be a citie of refuge to foolish fables The doctrine of Transsubstantiation also importeth that the body of Christ at one time may bee in infinite places which repugneth vnto the nature of a true body which like as it is circumscribed and may be seene so likewise at one time it is onely in one place as Augustine writeth to Dardanus in these wordes Tolle spatia locorum corporibus nusquam â—…runt nec â—…runt that is to say Take from bodies the rowmes of places and they shall be no where and consequently they shall not bee at all And Theodoretus prooueth that the body of Christ is a true humane body albeit it be glorified euen in the latter daye when hee commeth to judge the quicke and the dead because it shall bee seene according as it is written Matth. 26 64. Yee shall see the sonne of man comming in the cloudes of heauen and like as it may be seene so likewise it is circumscribed and consequently it is in a place and is not turned into his diuine nature which is both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is it cannot be seene and it cannot bee circumscribed as the humane nature is It is well remarked by that learned Preacher Du Moulin that in the last edition of S. Augustines workes at Parise anno 1571. a notable place of the foresaid epistle of Augustine to Dardanus is vtterly left out by aduice of the Fathers correctors of the writings of the Auncientes namely this Destrai naturam humanam Christi si non detur ei certum spatium quo more aliarum rerum corporearum contineatur that is The humane nature of Christ is destroyed if a certaine place be not attributed vnto it wherein it is contained according to the custome of other corporall thinges What credite is to bee giuen vnto Popishe Doctors when they cite testimonies of auncient Fathers after they are deprehended to be deceitfull deprauers of their bookes Ancient Fathers a long â—…ime before the question of Transsubstantiation of the substance of the elementes in the holy Supper came in head they were reâ—…soning of the two natures in Christ to wit the diuine and humane nature and that the one nature was not turned into the other they could not find a fitter similitude than that which is borrowed from the Sacrament as I haue alreadie declared Alwayes they thinke that if any man shall imagine that by vertue of these wordes This is my body the substance of bread was chaunged into the substance of Christes body as many doe thinke euen vntill this day then in steade of one Transsubstantiation of the substance of bread into the substance of Christs body there should be two Transsubstantiations and the substance of Christs body should againe be turned into bread for like as Christ speaking of bread saith This is my body euen so Christ speaking of his body calleth it corne of wheat in these words Verily I say vnto you except wheat corne fall into the grounde and die it abideth alone but if it die it bringeth foorth much fruit If by vertue of the former wordes bread bee changed into the substance of Christes body then in like manner by vertue of these words for both are spoken out of one blessed mouth the body of Christ should be turned into the substance of corne of wheat I grant there is a difference betwixt a Sacrament and a metaphore yet in neither of them is there such vertue in the word is to change the substance of any thing IN the last head let vs consider with what strife and reluctation this erronious doctrine was intruced vpon the Church I holde the Monke Damascene to bee the first author thereof who perceiuing that his opinion was repugnant to the doctrine of ancient Fathers namely to the doctrine of Basilius Magnus who calleth the bread and the wine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is figures of the body and blood of Christ. He forgeth a friuolous shift to excuse his contradiction to Basilius because saieth hee Basilius calleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before the wordes of the blessing but after the pronouncing of the wordes of the blessing they are no longer figures but the very body and
blood of Christ. It is hard to bee a prolocutor for an euill cause for it is like vnto a bulge in a wall which falleth and bruiseth him who woulde sustaine it which cannot sustaine it selfe It is certaine that the bread and wine are not types and figures of Christs body before the words of consecration for it is after the words of blessing that the elements receiue this great honour to be called Christs bodie and blood that is signes externall wherewith Christes bodie and blood is spiritually exhibited vnto vs. And therefore Sainct Ambrose calleth the bread before the wordes of consecration panis usitatus that is common bread but it is after the wordes of consecration that they receiue this honour to beare the names of things represented by them as Theodoreius in expresse words writeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is â—…ee hath honoured the visible signes with the appellation of his bodie and blood not changing their nature but adding grace to nature Which place clearly prooueth that the elementes obtaine not that great honour to bee called Christes body or types of his blessed body vntill the time that by diuine grace they bee consecrated to that holy vse Mailrosius Scotus liued vnder the reigne of Charles the Great about the yeere of our Lord 800. and likewise RABANVS Bishop of Mentz these two had so acquainted themselues with the doctrine of Augustine that they could in no manner of way giue allowance to the doctrine of Transsubstantiation And about the yeere of our Lord 840. Carolus the second the sonne of Ludouicus Pius and brother to Lotharius and Ludouicus Germanicus he writ to Bertramus a Presbyter to haue his resolution concerning the mysterie of the Sacrament and after what manner of way the body and blood of Christ was present in the Sacrament To whome hee returned this answere That in the Sacrament of the holy Supper there were some thinges that were perceiued with bodily senses other thinges were taken holde of onelie by faith And the bread and the wine were to vs the body blood of Christ as MANNA and the waters of the spirituall rock were Christs body and blood to the people of the Iewes in the wildernesse This opinion aggreeth well with the doctrine of Paul that the Fathers in the wildernesse ate that same spirituall food which we eat which they could not doe by corporall manducation of Christs flesh because as yet the word was not made flesh So this opinion of Transsubstantiation did no sooner put out its head but assoone also contradiction was made vnto it About the yeere of our Lord 1020. Berengarius maintained the opinion of Augustine and other auncient Fathers hee was a presbyter of Angiers in Fraunce and denied the doctrine of Transsubstantiation and the Romane Bishops were coÌ„mooued with great indignation as appeareth by the number of Councels assembled against one poore man who durst presume to speake against the opinion once embraced by the Romane Church Leo the ninth gathered a Councel at Rome in the which he condemned the opinion of Berengarius and excommunicated him euen before he was warned to be present at the Councell and before hee was heard Hee assembled also another Councell in Vercellis about the yeere of our Lord 1051. in the which Borengarius was not present but Messengers who came to pleade his cause were imprisoned and casten into bands and the booke of Ioannes Scotus Mailrosius De Eucharistia was condemned By the way if any equitie had beene kept in these Councels looke by what reason they condemned Ioannes Scotus whose opinion Berengarius followed by the like reason they shoulde haue condemned Augustine Bishop of Hippo whose opinion Ioannes Mailrosius followed But the Romane Church cannot erre ' Another Councell was assembled by Pope Victor the successor of Leo the ninth in the which the Decree of the CouÌ„cell of Vercellis was allowed Yet all this coulde worke no contentment in their heâ—…rtes because the people of Angiers and Towrs in Fraunce liked the doctrine of Augustine Mailrosius and Berengarius about the Sacrament of the Supper Therefore another Councell was assembled at Rome by Pope Nicolaus the seconde anno 1058. in the which Berengarius yeelded to the opinion of the Pope and his Councell and his weaknesse strengthened the errour already receiued in the Romane Church mightily But the number of them who abhorred this newe found out doctrine was exceeding great therefore the Romane Church after the yeere of our Lord 1079 and after the dayes of pope Gregorie the seuenth put hand to worke And being now mightie strong they stirred vp Kings and Princes to persecute with fire and sword and all kind of hostilitie as heretiques all those that spake against worshipping of Images corporall presence and manducation of the body of Christ in the Sacrament of the holy Supper So it is manifest that this doctrine of Transsubstantiation was mightily contradicted vntill the dayes of pope Innocentius the third who in the Councell of Laterane anno 1215. gaue full allowance thereunto But when all this is done râ—…member that the vniuersall Catholicke Church dwelleth not in one countrey or city When the Romane Church was miserably infected with this miserable scabbe of pestilent errour what consent gaue the Churches of Asia and all the Grieke Churches They euer disâ—…ssented from this doctrine vntill this daye as appeareth by the last Sessions of the Councell of Florence anno 1439. Therefore let the Romane Church bragge of Antiquitie as they please the doctrine of Transsubstantiation shall neuer be found an ancient doctrine but a doctrine newe false absurd and borne out more by might of the preuailing authoritie of men than power of argumentes grounded vpon holy Scripture God teach them to returne to the ancient trueth from which they haue sliden To whom be praise and glory for euer Amen A TREATISE Of the Sacrament of Pennance IN this CENTVRIE it was a receiued custome to men to confesse their sinnes secretly to Presbyters and to receiue from them such forme of injunctions as they counted satisfactions for their faultes as appeareth clearly by the Councell gathered in Fraunce anno 742. in the which Bonifacius bishop of Mentz was Moderator In the first Canon of that Councell it was statuted and ordained That no man of the Clergie should put on armour and goe to warre-fare except one or two bishops with their presbyters and chaplens to prescribe pennance vnto them who should happen to confesse their sinnes By this it is euident that the custome of secret confession of sinnes to presbyter poenitentiarius which was excluded out of the Church in the dayes of Nectarius Bishop of Constantinople yet it returned againe and it was in vse in the VIII CENTVRIE Now in the inseription of this TREATISE I call it a SacrameÌ„t as the Romane church in our dayes call it not as though I were in the opinion that in this age the number of seuen Sacramentes