then the Prince Of which thinges it is most manifest that God hath laid the whole burthen of earthly gouernment vpon these two Iurisdictions of the Ciuill authoritie and Priesthood as the two diuine Arches vpon the which the policie of the world is sustained they are as the two Poles which fixe the Axletree of the coelestiall Spheres directly looking one vpon the other which two if they should neuer so little incline to obliquitie fall to iarre or presse to draw the one the other it were to disturbe and endanger the whole frame of the world which is carryed vpon their conjunction euen so the variance of the Temporall and Spirituall Magistrate is to cut the Axletree whereupon as on a mighty Atlas the Sphere of Christian gouernment doth relye And this farre I adde In the beginning all the Patriarks had the Priesthood coupled with their Kingly office euen from the day of Adam And in after-times whensoeuer any constraint or corruption of time bred a necessitie to confound them in one person it hath euer beene so that the ciuill authoritie did carry the Priesthood which coniunction we finde to haue beene twice in the person of one first in Moses who was so farre preferred to Aaron or to his particular office that God said Aaron shall speake for thee those words which thou shalt put into his mouth and thou shalt bee as his God And thereafter againe by reason of corruption in latter times God did suffer the Princes of the Machabes and Almonei to possesse the Priesthood also as Simon Ioannes Alexander Hircanus and Aristobulus of whom some are witnessed in the Booke of Machabes to haue beene rare and excellent men as Simon Onia of whom it is said Erat tanquam astrum matutinum inter nubes tanquam Solrefulgens intemplo altissimi He was like the day Starre among the cloudes and as a shining Sunne in the Temple of the most High Which confusion of seuerall powers our Sauiour againe in his time did cleerely distinguish commaunding to giue to God that which was his and to Caesar that which was due to him after which Christian Princes Prelates did long liue euery one contented to attend their owne function Prelates to pray for Princes to teach their people and watch ouer their soules Princes againe to nourish them to protect the Church and minister Iustice vntill the poles of this gouernment beganne to shake through vanitie of the Priesthood striuing so much to inuade the Temporall puissance and to confound the two functions in their owne persone whereof I will relate what hath beene the iudgement and practise of the Fathers of most simple and vnsuspected antiquitie of the primitiue Church Saint Ambrose saith of these two Iurisdictions that the one doth assist the other mutually Saint Augustine saith the same in his Epistleto Macedonius Boniface in his Letter to the Emperour Honorius saith it were too great burthen for the Church to ouerwatch spirituall things if she were tyed to any temporall care Saint Cyprian in his Epistle saith to inuolue the Church in worldly affayres were to estrange her from God Saint Iohn Chrysost. as also Augustine against the Manichees do affirme there is no power but from God eyther that hee doth establish it or permit it for the execution of his will in mercy or in iustice for the which reasons say they a Christian subiect may serue vnder the commandement of an Infidell or sacriledgious King and as the iniquitie of the commandement doth render the Prince culpable so doeth the band of obedience keepe the subiect innocent All Antiquitie doth conclude with Saint Augustine in the Citie of God thus God onely doth ordinate Kings after his secret pleasure good or bad according to our merits or demerits therefore saith hee it is our part onely to obey vnlesse we will repine against God for saith he the great God who gaue Empire to the Assyrians and Persians hee granted it vnto the Romanes when he pleased and as great as he pleased hee raysed the power of Marius hee yeelded authoritie to Caesar to Augustus yea to Nero to Vespasian and to his gracious sonne Titus and to his tyrannous brother Domitian And finally saith this holy Father he who placed into the Empire the most Christian Constantine hee did also honour with the same power the filthy Apostat Iulian and howsoeuer the causes of this proceeding in God be hidden and mysticall saith he yet they are vndoubtedly iust and holy This is the doctrine of Antiquitie whereupon the Primitiue Church did in euery thing of exterior gouernment depend vpon the temporall Soueraintie whether in ciuill or criminall cases if any man did inuade Ecclesiasticall patrimony or goods they did remit it to the imperiall Iudicatorie if any man did offer violence or kill a Bishop they did the same as Augustine testifies vpon the Epistle to the Romanes these and such like bee the Precepts which are left to vs from Antiquitie for Christian policie or gouernment The practise of the Primitiue Church hath bene agreeable to this doctrine for in their gouernement wee doe obserue three things which haue beene inuiolably kept of them First not onely did the Church serue and obey Pagans Tyrants and abominable monsters in the Empire who refused her for their mother who did afflict and persecute her but she did make ordinary prayers to God for their happinesse so farre that as Tertullian writeth diuers Ethnickes did ascribe it as a peculiar glory to Primitiue Christians that their exercise was to pray for their enemies shewing how farre Christian profession doth surmount the doctrine of Philosophie Secondly where the Emperors begun to range themselues vnder the holy ensignes of the Church becomming her Alumni and children she did obey vnto the most cruell hereticks as to Constantius Valens and others and to the greatest Apostates and mockers of Christianity as vnto Iulian notwithstanding of whose bloodie persecutions she neuer left her obedience as the Records of her ancient Counsels beare witnesse wherein any man may reade the processe of the Councell of Arimini that worthie Bishop Melitus the light of Asia in his time did write vnto the Emperour Antonius those words according to a true version Ye haue sent saith he such rigorous edicts against vs for tormenting of vs vnto death thinking thereby to extinguish the name of Christians we know not if these haue proceeded from your owne will which if it be in that case we shall obey you for nothing can come from you but good but wee doe most humbly beseech you to consider that their are many Calumniators about your person that seeke how to destroy vs that they may possesse our goods In the Histories of France and Spaine we read that the Church did carrie the same reuerence vnto a great number of Princes Visigotti Arians heretickes yea and which should more moue vs the Popes themselues who haue possessed the seate of Rome haue left vnto their successors notable examples of
of his Church and a conspicuous marke of his extraordinarie grace vouchsafed vpon this great Kingdome I say extraordinarie for if the Papall Bishops while they doe impugne the truth of Gods word forbidding marriage to authorise the doctrine of their coelibat they do not the lesse contaminate the same with lewd and open pollutions and your Grace all in contrarie while you doe stand for the Euangelicall libertie of Matrimanie you doe in the meane time by the puritie of your life practise the perfection of the cloysterrall Caelibat taking vnto you that religious word of the more innocent and vertuous ages Si placet licet I thinke it is a cleere mirrour wherein the world may see that it is the good spirit of God who doeth freely distribute his extraordinarie giftes to such faithfull Prelates as worship him according to the trueth of his word and that no vsurped authoritie of Popish or humane traditions can doe so much And since there is no better meanes to make your GRACES Excellent and spirituall partes tanquam Thus redolens in Templo Domini as was said of that worthie Priest Symon Onia to smell as a sweete perfume in the LORDS house then by continuing your delight to cherish the studie of vertue where it is found in the most remote partes of the land which is indeede a sauorie presage of that perfect vnitie which God doeth dispose to bee in the whole Church of the same Therefore let it please your GRACE to receiue these first and tender Seedes of my publike Seruice to God to my most Sacred Soueraigne PRINCE and to this Common-wealth whereof you are the first vitall member and so to nourish them by the kindly ayre of your vertuous spirit that they may bee found to produce a happie fruite that is to say a fruite which hath not aborted nor hurt his bearer by vntimely partting with it but comming to maturitie prooueth wholesome to all those who taste it and leaueth the Tree in full vigour and reputation Your Graces humble and affectionate sermant P. Hay TO THE CHRISTIAN READER CHristian and curteous Reader this Treatise which I haue framed for the glory of God the comfort of his Church and the seruice of this common-weale wherein wee liue why it is Intituled A vision of Balaams Asse you may perceiue in the entry thereof It containeth in speciall these three First the cause of my voluntary recantation of Popery Secondly a cleere discouery of the tyranny of Rome mounted in our time to her Meridian or Altitude And of the treacherous trade and doctrine of the Iesuite who doth falsly maintaine the Papall Soueraigntie tending to the ouerthrow of Christian Princes and states Thirdly a discourse of the apparant approach of her reformation or downefall and of the probable meanes whereby the Lord God doth dispose the restitution of Christian people from the spirituall captiuity of this Babel with a sincere exhortation to you to honour aswell the meanes as the instruments whom God doth pointforth for the aduancement of this great worke as you haue them here set downe in particular In the which exhortation if any thing be that vpon the suddaine seemeth distastfull to you I do entreate you that you will not for that rashly reiect it but do taste it againe and againe remembring how oftentimes disgusts do grow rather by the distemper of our sence then by any fault which is in our meats As a diseased person must for the sake of his health controle his naturall appetite and as nature in generall who seldome doth erre by offering violence vnto her particular members for her common benefite doth proue a good Physitian to her selfe So if wee cannot straine our priuate humours for a publike weale wee are senselesse and cauterized members of the commonweale and our diseases when they come they shall be desperate and deadly It was a worthy saying of him who spake so Omnis magna lex habet aliquid iniquitatis that euery great law had something of iniquitie in it not that any expresse iniustice was in the law but because when so many liue within their own Spheares onely to themselues without respect to the commonwealth it is impossible to establish any great law which shall not bring displeasure to those particular members whose actions are not ruled by common equity common reason or common good If we doe grudge against our lawes or our lawgiuers because they are not pleasant to our peculiar taste we be farre inferiour in true vertue to the Ethnicks who thought it the chiefest mark of their vertuous mind and their greatest glory to remit proper losses proper grudges and proper opinions to the common wealth The precise Cato Vticensis who might haue brooked the first dignities vnder Iulius Caesar because it was not to his mind he chose rather to die then to liue distracted in opinion from the state That vpright Philosopher Socrates hauing in his choice to be banished or to die he embraced death saying that a man cast off from his common wealth was no more a man Is it not strange then amongst vs in whom that obscure light of nature which onely did guide them is made celestiall by the diuine splendor of Gods reuealed word to see that a Christian Pastor before he will quit singularitie of opinion and singularity of name to our common wealth spirituall to the peace and credit of our Church conforming himselfe to orthodoxall lawes established by the authoritie of a most Christian Prince a setled Church and well gouerned state he will first choose either to liue at home a seditious tribune In perpetuo obstrepitâ—… or a trasfuga exiled from his natiue countrey Certainely where there is no perfect vnitie there can be no perfect peace nor perfect loue and consequently no Church because these are the whole scope of the Euangell and of all true Religion Vnanimitie is the bond which maketh the Church strong Ecce circumdedi te vinculis saith God in Ezechiel Behold I haue hedged you about with bands It is the knot and sinnewes which tye the members of Christ together in one body and therfore is so diligently recommended by him to his Apostles and so oftentimes figured to vs in the old Testament by tipes By the vestiment of the high Priest wherof euery thing was tied to another all being but one piece By the Tabernacle wherof euery thing was iointed in an other the whole standing in coniunction for wee bee so called in the Apocal. Ecce tabernaculum Dei cum heminibus habitabit cuâ—…ijs The Tabernacle of God which dwelleth among men By the vessels whereof so many as were not closed together but were open in diuers pieces they were said by the spirit of God to bee vncleane as we see in the Booke of Numbers We are the vessels who be made by the hand of our heauenly Potter of whom Saint Paul saith Alia quidem in honorem alio verò vasa in contumeliam If we be
beene or can be without error other then Iesus Christ the Iust or that any cannons traditions bookes other then that one indited from the heart of God and penned by his Spirit to remaine for euer The vnchangeable rule of our faith in Christ the only sustance thereof and our only infallible example that we are to follow sheâ—… first in the old Testament darkely to Moses in the mountaine when it was said to him fac secundum exemplar quod tibi in monte monstratum est 〈◊〉 secondly in the new Testament more cleerely in mount Tabor and now most cleerely in the true mount of God That great spirit is the only inditer who cannot lye That Scripture the only booke which will not be wrested that Iesus the only man who cannot erre Therefore this word as it is said must be sufficient to make the man of God perfect Christian perfection standeth in knowledge and in action referring knowledge to our faith and action to our practise of faithfull workes to hold that the â—…ly Scripture is not accomplished for knowledge as the Euangel saith sapientia est per fidem Iesu Christ or to hold that Christ was not a perfect Architype and Schoolemaster of all vertues who hath himself said discite 〈◊〉 I thinke it is blasphemie so that talke what we will it must be blinde ignorance to affirme that the originall fountaines of Gods word as they are comprehended in the holy Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles are not more sincere and wholesome then the riuers flowing from the same through the channels of humane brains which can no more remaine vnspotted by mans weakenesse then naturall waters running from cleere fountaines can be without alteration of colour or taste according to the qualitie of ground through which they passe The vniuersall Clergie of the Church of Rome doth damne this opinion of the sufficiencie of holy Scripture what then it is more strong the multitude doth abhorre the wayes of God to walke in the broade way If the Gibeonites had securely depended vpon the multitude of their neighbours of Canaan they had perished in that common naufrage certaine they are few who truely beleeue this word some poore Gibeonites doe heere the voice of God and are mocked of the world the multitude like vnto the Crowe for loue of the sensuall carrions which flote among the waters of the earth refuseth to remaine within the Arke This holie Arke of Gods word is builded for a small number of his Saints who find no rest without it The multitude leaueth the sincerity of this word to follow the wisedome of men as the sonnes of Adam departed from the Orient to builde the Tower in the land of Senaar which is interpreted stincke how many were saued in Iericho by that red marke which was vpon the house of Raâ—…ab how many doores were marked in Egypt to be spared by the holy Angell within this small Arke there was safetie but not without Now to come to my intended purpose which is not to play the Theologue with your Lo there be certaine yeares gone since I went forth of the Countrie poussed thereto from a scruple of my conscience hauing from my childhood drunken in some preiudicate and forestalled opinions which did euer trouble and disquiet my minde so oft as I called to memory howe Plato and other Philosophers had trauailed ouer the world to acquire natural knowledge I thought it both ignominious and dangerous for me iâ—… I should not paine my selfe to vnderstand the truth of Gods worship whereupon transported with the fury of this preiudice and closing my eies against the splendor of the word which doth shine at home I resolued once to fine my selfe intra lâ—…mina Apostolorum within the towne of Rome that pretended mother Church without the which there was no meanes of Saluation as then I did imagine And this I doe protest before the heauens and before him who did creat them was the true cause of my voyage enterprised to seeke my fathers Asse as he said which was so truely spoken of him that like vnto that high Priest Annas he hath vttered a notable veritie vnknowne to himselfe as I will shortly set downe from such graue theologicall reasons as shall both free me from passion and idlenesse in this point and serue for the Christian edification of others we see how it is familiar with the spirit of God in the Scripture to vse the names of beastes to make our grosse vnderstanding more capable by that kinde of sensible instruction there is mention of good and euill beastes and in the legall sacrifices of cleane and vncleane beastes By euill beastes generally are meant the Diuell and his Angels and the dominion of sinne into vs it is said by the Prophet erit seâ—…ita recta via sancta vocabitur mala bestia non ascendet per eam And Dauid Ne tradaâ—… bestijs animas confitentesâ—…bi And in the Reuelation vidi de mari Bestiam asceâ—… habentem capita septem cornua decâ—… which beside that true interpretation to be the Antichrist some doe also allegorize to be the seuen deadly sinnes and tenne seuerall transgressions of the commandements whereby Satan doth make himselfe Prince of the world confringam corâ—… peccatorum saith the Lord And the Prophet Zach. hac sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Israel So the tyranie of sinne into man makes him to get the names of beastes as the holy man getteth the style to be called God or the sonne of God as in the Psalmes God iudged in the assemblie of the Gods and in St. Iohn Dedit ijs potestatem filâ—…s Dâ—…ifieri And St. Paul of himselfe viâ—… ego iam non ego viuit vero in me Christus So are beastes said to liue in the wicked man as the Prophet Dauid saith in 48. Psalmes The cruell man is said to be like the Ostrige Filia populi 〈◊〉 crudâ—… quasi 〈◊〉 iâ—… deserto The craftie insidious man as a Beare Ursus insidians factus est mihi the proud man like a Lyon â—…sse quasi Leo in doâ—… the obstinate and wilfull man like vnto the Adder which desperatly closeth her eares sicut aâ—…is sur 〈◊〉 obtâ—…rantis aures 〈◊〉 the wrathfull man as a Dragon fold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fraudâ—…lent man as a Fox quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propheâ—…ae tui Israel the oppressor as a woolfe Beniamin lupus rapaâ—… the lustfull man as a Goate irâ—…tus est furor 〈◊〉 super caprâ—…s visiâ—…abo the lasciuious man as a horse equi amâ—…tores in faeminas emissarij facti sant the murtherer as a serpent 〈◊〉 Dan ooluber in via the tyrant as a Pard quasi Pardus laedet eos the ambitious man as an Eagle si exaltatus fueris fieut aquila trahant te dicit Dominus the backbiter as a dogge quare maledicit canis hic Domino meo Regi the filthie man as a sow quasi sus lotâ—… in volutabro luti These
their faithfull obedience vnto all the Ostrogotti who did raigne in Italie among the which Theodoricke was so respected of the Sea of Rome chiefly of Pope S. Hormisda that they had almost canonized him as is written There was no seruice whereinto they did not obey those princes if they had any occasion to send any Embassadours they did vndergoe it as Pope Innocent the first tooke a legation from Alarico to the Emperour Honorius to negotiat his peace and to obtaine a dignitie to that Arrian King And further to declare how sacred they did hold their obedience to whatsoeuer King God did place ouer them they did vndertake Embassages from Arrian Princes in fauour of Artian Churches for conseruation of Arrians and in case of excommunication as Iean the second and Pope Agapet were imployed by Theodoric and Theodotus Now to him who will answere to this that these Princes were not excommunicate therefore the Church did serue them I replie that there was greater cause to excommunicate them then nor nowadayes is taken against Christian Princes and which is more we find the letters of Hormisda and others to Anastase as full of honor and respect as if he had beene free from the sentence of excommunication and of Gregorie the second to the Emperour Leon Iconomachus albeit he was excommunicate by that same Pope himselfe which things we must not imagine to haue bin done at randome or pro tempore but from good warrant appearantly since the iurisdiction spirituall is onely ouer the soules of men Church gouâ—…rnours ought not to transcend their ordinary bounds to meddle with the bodies or temporall states of Kings but their Fulmen Ecclesiasticum the thunder of excommunication should bee onely spirituall and like vnto the naturall thunder which can strike a man to the death without the meanest offence done vnto the apparell of his body For I would aske the Iesuite albeit the Church haue power ouer the Kings soule if it be so that they might rashly excommunicate him what right haue they for this ouer his kingdome and people If they haue why did Saint Paul in his time cry Querimus vos non vestra And why hath Saint Ambrose and Optatus Mileuitanus in his third booke Aduersus Parmenianum said That Emperours and Kings be within the Church but that the Empire is without it yea say they the Church is within the Empire in token that Antiquitie did exempt things temporall from the dint of excommunication when Pope Marcelline did sacrifice to Idols and Pope Honorio became a Monothelet Hereticke they were excommunicate but did not loose their Bishopprickes Pope Formose Bishop of Port was chosen successor to the same Pope who had excommunicate him And in the Counsell holden at Lions vnder Pope Gregorie the tenth it was concluded that Cardinals albeit excommunicate might assist the Pope his election by their vote and presence So modest were the Fathers in the point of Princely authoritie that Paulus Samosetanus against whom the Councell of Carthage was conuocate being deposed from Episcopall charge hee did yet possesse a certaine territory belonging to the Church but these Bishops demanded iustice thereof of the Emperour Aurelian albeit an Ethnicke because all that was ciuill and worldly did belong vnto the Empire The Church saith Augustine vpon Saint Iohn doth possesse no patrimonie nor goods but Iure humano Iure diuino she hath nothing This Iure humano is the Right Imperiall of Princes which being vsurped of any other it hath no more Title nor right vpon earth saith he So was it the constant meaning and doing of the ancient Fathers to thinke that they had nothing which they might refuse vnto the Emperours but the onely house of God Nor yet that saith Ambrose if I were assured that the Emperour speaking of Valens would not plant Arrians into it in which case onely I would presse to retaine it O what difference betwixt that and this blind ambitious and impudent age wherein Church rulers make open doctrine and profession to Master Princes lawfull and orthodoxall and to â—…reade vpon their neckes holie antiquitie would not aduenture to take from an excommunicate Bishop an house belonging to the Church but by the authoritie of the Emperour nor would not resiste the Emperoer by violence for the Temple of God to ane hereticke king although it were to giue it to heriticall pastoures whereas the plaine guyse of this time is to be Piscatores piscium non hominum and to abuse excommunication and the papall Thunder to spoyle a king of his cloathes to dethrone him of his kingdomes and to make him naked of his subiects Thirdlie we doe obserue of the primitiue Church that whensoeuer she did enioy good and godly Emperours they did not onelie not repute them as priuate members of the Church iudicable by the power Ecclesiasticall but contrarie they hold them chiefe members of their generall counsels vnder their misticall head Iesus Christ yeelding to them the authoritie of conuocation and whole exteriour Iurisdiction giuing them the tittle of common and externall Bishopes For we reade in Eusebius that Constantine the great was called so of the Church and said to bee brother vnto the fathers in which qualitie of a common Bishop he did exercise his power ouer the Church exteriorlie and ouer Bishops In like maner we find that in the Calcedonian councel the Emperour was called vniuersall Bishops yea Antiquitie did esteme no counsell supreame wherein an Emperour did not sit and praesidiat In all the appellationes of the primitiue Church which forme of Iudicatore is fittest to try where the maine sway of authoritie doth lie because it was absolute soueraigne and without declinatour hauing power against the Tyrannous gouernment of Popes against discords of other Prelats against vniust decrees of counsels themselues In all these appellations I say we finde that none was esteemed supreame but that wherein the Emperour did ouer rule as the only power vpon earth which is in dependant The first appellation we reade of in the Church was by Cyrillus Bishoppe of Ierusalem from the condemnatorie of one Counsel to another more general assisted sayth he with Seculare brachium with seculare power which he called a prouocation vnto a greater Iudgemement And so his cause was examined in the counsell of Seleucia As for the cause of Athanasius which did preceed that it was rather a remission of the processe to the counsell of Sardiâ—… then an appeale and went alwaies by the direction will of the Emperour Constantine to whom Saint Anthony write diuers letters directlie praying him for the restitution of Athanasius Saint Iohn Chrisost. in a second appellation did prouoke in the same tearmes with Cyrill to a higher iudge a more generall counsell assisted with imperiall authoritie as it cleare by a third appellation of Dioscorus Bishop of Alexandria the time of the counsell of Calcedon in which appeale he doth expresselie protest that the coniunction of the imperiall
authoritie of a sacred Emperour declaring therby that in the poynts of externall policy he did esteeme them as men ordinary subiects whō in their spiritual functions he had counted as Gods The same authoritie was practised by Charlemaine who in his time did conuocate eight Councels and by his sonne Lewis Debonnaire who did assemble one And to shew it more plainely that this power to conuocate was Imperiall and not Episcopall we read how all the Popes of those dayes did write to Emperours for that effect Pope Innocent sent to Honorius fiue Bishops two Priests to obtaine a Councell for the restitution of Saint Iohn Chrysostome as we read in Euagrius Pope Leo doth beseech Valentine the third to obtaine of Theodose the yonger a Councell against Eutiches and in token that the Popes did not so much as pretend this power to assemble wee finde in Sozemene that Pope Iulius complaines onely that the Bishops of the Orient did not inuite him to the Councell of Antioch saying that a law of the Church prouided that no Decree should passe without the opinion asked of the Bishop of Rome And in Theoderet Pope Damasus makes the same complaint and in the same termes against the councel of Arimini in which such honour was done to the Emperour Constantius and such reuerence to his authoritie that the Fathers conuened there being detayned too long and being pressed to put downe some Decrees which were not orthodoxall they durst not for all that depart vntill they had the Emperours leaue and permission Further now will wee obserue the very internall Iurisdiction of the Church and that which is meerely spirituall to wit the sentence of Excommunication and how it was exercised we doe finde two things in that one is we shall not see that the primitiue Church did excommunicate any Emperour or King albeit there were more occasion against them nor is now contained in the great Bul of the holy Thursday which is yeerely published at Rome against Christian Kings and States Constantius and Valeus persecuting heretikes Trinitaries who would haue forced the Fathers to confessions against the Catholike faith were not excommunicate Theodose the second and Valentinian the third Eutichean heretikes were not excomunicate Basilieius enemie to the Councell of Calcedon Iustinian and of Kings Chilpericke King of France infected with Arrianisme Theodoricke King of Gothes Atalarichus Theodotus Vittiges and many others of whom none was excommunicate no not Iulian the Apostata nor Valentinian the second who fell in an heresie three seuerall times nor Iustinian who fell twise no when they had banished Popes themselues for wee read in an Epistle of Pope Siluerius that beng banished by Belizarius at the command of Iustinian his Master he assembled certaine Bishops to excommunicate Belizarius but did not so much as murmurre against Iustinian by whose direction he was persecuted Neither yet if they did kill a Bishop a◅ Valens who caused some of them to be drowned Secondly we obserue on this point of Excommunication that Bishops in the primitiue Church did excommunicate by the consent and permission Imperiall for Princes fearing that Church Rulers should abuse the spirituall sword made an ordinance repeated afterwards by Iustinian that no person should bee excommunicate vnlesse the cause of their sentence were before the Emperour cleerely prooued to be agreeable to the will and meaning of the holy Spirit which Saint Augustine doth expressely acknowledge in an Epistle to Boniface saying that the Church doth exercise her power against heretikes vnder the permission and power of Kings Some Bishops haue questioned hardly with Emperours as a Bishop did commaund Phillip the Emperour that hee should not enter into the Church but remaine without in the place of the Penitentiaries Saint Ambrose Bishop of Milane dealt right so with Theodosius the great but they did not pronounce any Excommunication maior against them for then they would not haue enioyned them penance if they had beene without the bosome of the Church As for Anastatius albeit some Churches as that and the Church of Ierusalem did excommunicate him yet he was euer in peace and vnion with numbers of Catholike Churches in the Orient which did declare that it was not magnum anathema but rather a t◅merarious Act howsoeuer this be such two or three exceptions will not serue against one ordinarie rule for then to meete these we finde in like manner three extraordinarie acts of Imperiall authoritie which caused excommunicate or eiect the Popes Xistus the third of that name suspected for adulterie was excommunicate by commaundement of Valens the third Theodoricke King of Gothes did eiect from the Church Pope Symmachus And the people of Rome vnder the Magistrates did forbid Pope Pelagius the assembly of the Church besides Saint Iohn Chrysostome deposed and expelled from his Church by Arcadius As for the excommunication of Arcadius done by Pope Gelasius it is doubted of in the Ecclesiasticall histories but I doe not speake of such extrauagant acts but of that which was ordinarily followed whereby it is still verified that the whole sway of Iurisdiction Ecclesiasticall was in the Emperors The Conuocation was due to them the processe went by their permission and consent their persons were exempted from excommunication as wee haue heard which bee three maine points of soueraigne Commandement For the fourth which is the confirmation of the Popes it was also due to the Emperours Constantius the sonne of Constantine hee banished Liberius and erected Pope Felix in his place yea farther hee recalled that good Prelate did establish him with the other Theodosius the great a great pillar of the Church by the right Emperiall he setled at Rome together with a Pope a Bishop of a diuers religion I thinke for satisfaction of a mutinous people Laeonius in his time was Bishop of Rome for the Church of the Nouatianes Honorius his son again comming into Italie while Boniface and Eulalius did contend for the Pontificat he chased them both away and after placed Boniface making lawes against such ambicious competences Iulius Nepos the tyrant ouercomming Glicerius the Emperour he made him Pope as Euagrius doth recorde for some hold that he made him onelie Bishop of Milane because he is not found in the catalogue of the Popes Odoacre king of the Horoli being master of Rome he made an ordinance at the solistation of Pope Simplicius and to the imitation of proceeding Emperours That no Pope should be exalted without the consent of Emperiall authoritie When the Emperours had recouered Rome from the Goths Iustinian did not only eiect Vigilius but made him come to Constantinople to be iudged offering to the people of Rome his Arch-deacon Pelagius whereupon they thanked the Emperour willing him to suffer Vigilius and after his death to establish whom he pleased which right did so continue with the seate imperiall that Saint Gregorie the greate durst not honour himselfe with his titles before he had receaued the imperiall confirmation of
serpentine insinuation that may serue to steale away our mindes from the puritie of Gods worship and from our dutifull obedience to our Soueraigne Princes Veâ—… aspidum sub labijs corum vnder their lippes is hidden the venome of Aspes De laquijs 〈◊〉 libera nos Domine Deliuervs O Lord from the snares of the Hunters Facti sunt quasi arcus dolosus They are made like a deceitfull bow Sicut deciâ—…la plena auibus it a Domus eorum Plenâ—… dolâ—… As the Fowlers Cage is full of birds so are their houses full of fraud To speake briefly of the Cabbal or secret Art of this Iesuistique trade it standeth in their constant obseruation of certaine sure and infallible policies for the exaltation of the Papall Chayre which is the mainescope of all their studies because one day they thinke to possesse it themselues as it hath already well neere fallen out to be so when in the election of the late Pope the conclaue did hang sixe dayes vpon Cardinall Bellarmine which whensoeuer it commeth to passe then they will preferre so many of their societie to the Cardinaltie that we shall bee sure neuer to see any more a Pope but Iesuistique The Maximes whereupon they doe build this fabrique bee specially these First they know that obedience and secrecie are the strongest meanes to maintaine a Sect and to compasse great plots therefore they haue sworne their obedience absolute not to the Pope nor to the Church but to their generall in omnibus per omnia tanquam Christo presenti as is said and therefore their arcana imperij the mysteries of their policies are most close and reserued from the world Secondly they know this to bee a true Maxime in gouernment that no great power can longer floorish then it doth make it selfe vseful necessary and formidable to neighbour States and finding that those things whereby the Popes were steadable and necessary to people and Countries such as their Dispensations Purgatoriall Indulgences force of excommunication Vniuersall title of Benefices ecclesiastique were become distastfull and hated of most men because of their open abuses and impieties and that wise Kings were begunne to prye into them chiefely those of England therefore the Iesuites to repayre this breach did inuent this pernitious doctrine of the Popes Supremacie ouer the temporalitie of Princes to the end that no King should finde himselfe secure but in the fauour and trust of Rome Thirdly they see that besides the aforesaide abuses two things did specially parrell the Papall Seat one was the Immundities and ignorance of the Cloyster religious men being giuen to their pleasures and not to pietie and learning which was the first occasion of the Lutherian seperation as we know another was that light and reformation did come into the Church by pastorall vigilance expressed by all meanes of most powerfull preaching disputing and writing in that age which hath followed since Luther for helpe of the first of these two the Iesuites doe professe such a puritie in their Celibate as to giue them their due is admirable Siue fuerit caste siue fuerit caute if it were not that the flames of raging ambition doe ordinarily extinguish these humide and beastiall passions in any man almost For helpe of the second wee see what a glory and pride of learning in all Sciences is in them as one said Imperâ—… um literarum est penes Iesuitas as if they had resolued to ouershoote our reformators in their owne bow and to bannish light out of the Church by the same armes that brought it in for this cause it iâ—… why they doe attackt themselues to the confessions of great and chiefe personages and to the education of the most Noble youth wheresoeuer they are which they doe performe with a sort of myraculous dexteritie gathering out among them vnto their owne societie the most quicke subtill and vehement Spirits by whom tanquam per maxiâ—…s damones they doe the more easily surely and secretly infect all the corners of the earth with their perstiferous traditions Fourthly they holde this maxime which is lyke enough to be true that religion must shute out and floorish with a growing state and therefore presuming that of Spaine to be most disposed to monarchie they haue deuoted them selues to the seruice of that Crowne for two respectes one that with the dilatation thereof they also may prosper and encrease as they haue already by his meanes planted themselues into the Indes an other that hauing abused him to the ouerthrow of other christian princes he may in ende be the more weke himselfe and obnoxious to their tyrranie knowing how easie it will be for so skilfull craftesmen as they are to suggest rebellion and revolt in his owne dominions which are not coniunct and vnited but mightilie dispersed so that finallie they hope to conclude in their owne persones that scripture Homo spiraualis omnia indicat ipse a nemine iudicatur In such manner that we doe now cleerly see in them that which the great politicke Matchivell said in his tyme that if the pouertie of the Capuchines and clergie of the Iesuites had not come tymously in the Church of Rome to vpholde the papall dignitie and credite they had euen then fallen to the ground thus is it no calumnie but a most true prudent obseruation of this tyme to affirme that no age hath euer seene such fearefull fyrebrandes and terrours such errant starres so malignant and contrarious to christian felicitie as is that societie of pretended Iesuites They do obtrude vpon the world that pernicious doctrine of the papall power to excoÌ„municate to depriue to warrant murthers of kings to the effect that by length of tyme Popes being cunning to quarrel with neighbour Princes and to drawe their subiects from them their states may fall into the Ocean of this ambition which doeing is so open and manifest that in the histories of Spayne we finde it acknowledged that they holde Portugall of the societie of the Iesuites in the union of Portugall printed at Genua sol 197. 214. the chiefe drist of this doctrine hath beene against the kingdome of great Britan and against the French kings these many yeere since as we haue perceaued because in their designed monarchie they find much more difficultie to passe by these two then to haue ouer passed the pillars of Hercules wherevpon doth stand that great word of their glorie plus vltra because they went with the spaineyard to the Indies Brittane and France these be the two pillars which doe limitate this Iesuistick pryde and whereon they stil doe read this contrary Mottâ—… vsque ad metas which hath beene the cause why so manie treacherous attempts haue partly beene executed against King Henry the third of France and against that most heroicall Prince Henry the fourth whom I thinke the Lord hath suffered to fall into their bloudie handes because he did contemne the monitions which wer made to him
before for after his person had beene inuaded and he stricken in the mouth with a knife wherevpon the high parliament of Paris did pronounce the edict of their banishment and erected a pyramide to remaine the perpetuall testimonie of their villanous perfidie he did pardon them restore them and trust them and partlie I say these attempts haue ben in the great mercie of God preuented when they haue beene plotted against the life of our most gratious Soueraign as the whole world doth know namely by that diabolioal machination of thundering massacre bred in the tempestuous ayer of these infernall spirits the Lord God by a miraculous inspiration made his maiestie to foresee that hellish cloude of powder before the fire was yet broken out The memorie whereof should make this whole kingdome to shake for feare and to cry to God that it would please him to preserue his sacred person from these cruell Hunters because he is now the principall obiect of their malignitie and that prince of all the earth whom they doe most feare hate Seeing how God who hath raysed his horne hath also iustâ—…fied his exaltation by markes more like to Moses and Solomon then vnto Cyrus he hath not onelie holden his right hand and possessed it with monarchiall state strong feareful to his enemies as he hath done to Cyrus made numbers of strange nations who did before striue to depresse him come to honour and admire his regall throne come to aske of him the peace of their people which he hath done also vnto Cyrus saying The labour of Egypt the merchandice of Ethiopia and of the Sabines shal come to thee men of stature shal come to thee and fall downe before thy face saying God is surelie in thee which we haue seene come to passe by ouerflowing of his maiesties court with forraine people with forraigne riches and forraigne presents and by the glorious Spainyard his solicitation of his maiesties wisedome to further his peace with the Netherlands But the lord also hath granted vnto his maiestie the vnderstanding of Moses to build his tabernacle to restore vnto his people the primitiue Gouernment of the Church approoued by catholike antiquytie for a prognosticat that he intendeth to make him the instrument of farther reformation in Christendome And he hath granted vnto him Solomon like knowledge and learning to mayntayne by publicke wryts the riches of his royall Soueraignitie against all those insidious grounds of the craftie Iesuite which is the reason why I must boldly affirme it that there is none of that societie in the world who doth loue his person in other tearmes then Cicero loued Octanius when he called him bonum puerum colendum To proceede there is neither Prince prelate nor priest within the Church of Rome who hath not his displeasure against this doctrine derogatiue to kings except Italians Spainiards and Iesuites be cause that Papall supremacie doth challenge to be aboue the generall counsels taking from Catholike princes that libertie to conuocate them which was due to their predecessors in the primitiue church because it doeth debarre all Cardinalles except Italians from the papall dignitie because it is onely granted to the Iesuites to go through and plant religion hauing infinite priuiledges graunted vnto them for that cause which be hurtfull to all other order of secular and cloysterall priests This is the reason why of these three Italians Spaniards Iesuites there is not on who doth not eschew as a pest the meeting of generall counsels for howsoeuer they doe pretend this quod nunquam acquiescunt heritici they must be vnnecessarie say they because heretickes will neuer rest to the voice of counsels yet this is the misterie and trueth no cardinall must presume to sit in Saint Peters chayre but an Italian no king must ouerrule the consistorie in his election but the Spanyard whom also they thinke to deuoure in the end albeit now he thinketh himselfe their Dictatour in perpetuum and no prince but he may aspire to brooke an heriticall kingdome confiscat by the fulmination of Rome by which kinde of tittles he doeth enioy the Indies and Nauar as the like hath bene graunted to his father Phillip the second by Pope Pius Quintus who did excommunicate the late Queene of England nor no orders of Religion other then the Iesuites may be negotiatours in them or knowe the secretes of this gouernment whereof this is a mayne pointe to decline generall Counsels least these abuses should bee vrged to bee reformed least the King of Great Brittaine should vrge the restitution of Patriarchall libertie for the weale of the Catholike Church least a French King vrge the residence againe of a Pope in Auignion least both should concurre to controle this vsurped fiske of Rome so leasl the fruits of this forbidden Tree of their domination should be made common to all Princes alike and to all Cardinals alike the which mysterie most clearely did appeare in the Sessions and circumstances of the Counsell of Trent for the Emperour Charles the fift being a wise and religious Prince and most studious by all meanes to pacifie the broyles of his Countreyes of Germanie mooued by the Lutheran reformation hee did by obstinate instance hardly obtaine from the Pope the Conuocation of that Counsell which as the Historie saith so soone as it was graunted him Tam citâ—… compedes Pontifici iniectos existimaâ—… he thought that hee had put the Pope into chaines hauing his whole designe to reforme the Church of Rome in matters of gouernement of manners and of grosser points of worship by aduise and concurrence of the whole Christian Embassadours and Commissioners there without respect to the Cardinals of Rome who for all that did so Italiniâ—…e and circumuent the Embassadours Tramontani as they call them making the French Embassadours to beleeue that the Emperour did vrge some secret course for himselfe with the Pope enforming as much againe to the Embassadour of the Emperour against the French they procured in priuate both their warrants in writ without knowledge the one of the other that nothing should be mooued in that Counsell but from the mouth of the Nuncio of Rome whereupon did follow that nothing was disputed there but points of meere doctrine and these most rigorously concluded while as that good Emperour had resolued to heale the Scandalized world as is well vnderstood by that conference in Germanie which is called the Emperours Interim where hee himselfe did condescend to the Matrimonie of Churchmen to the administration of the Sacrament both in bread and wine and other points which be holden hereticall in Rome and during all his life time he did mightily lament the deceit of that Counsell which is to bee verified by diuers Autographicall letters that is to say written with his owne hand and yet extant in the custodie of a Nephew of him who was French Embassadour at Trent in the foresaid Counsel called Pibracke dwelling at Paris as I take it But
these iniquities and idolatrie that wee may call it like vnto that monstrous Minotaure kept in the Labyrinth of Daedalus Alter a parte hominem alter a parte bouem when the mother of this monster went in to see it her naturall affection did neuer suffer her to behold the beastly part of it It is iust so with many men when they are brought where they may haue a perfect discouerie of this forged and monstrous worship their naturall inclination to superstition will neuer permit them to behold the wicked and impious parts of it and therefore as multitudes who entred within that Labyrinth were deuoured of that monster because they knew not the way to returne till Theseus did deuise a meanes of retreat by tying a thread to the entire by the one end and carrying the other with him he did come backe by the same Euen so who doth eter within the mysticall Labyrinth of these cunning and craftie superstitions deuised by many Dedalean artificers he is neuer able to make recourse nor to saue himselfe vndeuoured of that monster without he be tyed to the thread of Gods word And he who is so shall not onely passe most securely through the most secret places thereof but as Dauid got out of the hands of Goliah that speare wherwith he slew him so shall he bring as many arguments from that which he shall see among them as shall suffice to confound themselues wee slide into errors peece and peece and peece and peece we must recoile from them we are not to looke for suddaine and miraculous conuersions for that blow comming from heauen which strooke S. Paul to the ground suddainely draue the diuell out of him for that diuine light which in an instant remoued the darkenesse of his soule and made him crie Lord what wilt thou I am heere The dayes of miracles are past we haue Moses the Prophets and Apostles we must follow the rule of Christ Scrutamini Scripturas search the Scriprures because they giue testimonie of me The way of conuersion to Gods truth is by diligent Reading of his word by diligent hearing of the preachers of the same by diligent prayer who doth hold the bookes of holie Scripture insufficient hee reades in vaine who prayeth with the Church of Rome which thinkes she cannot erre she hath no need of reformation such Pharisaicall prayers are also in vaine And therefore I meane now to giue your Lordship a Christian aduise first by telling your Lordship by what naturall defects many men lie ouer in this blindnesse Secondly by shewing vnto your Lo that which happened vnto my selfe and by what meanes and degrees I was freed from those errors wherein you are And thirdly by pointing vnto your Lordship out of these a way which I would wish you to follow in particular for your helpe for the first I say that the diuell seekes craftily to ouerthrow vs with our owne weapons also hee worketh vpon the infirmities of our nature he maketh aduantage of our naturall weakenesse he assalteth the walles of our minds there where the breach is likeliest as he wil sooner tempt a man of a fierce and tygrish disposition to commit murther then him who is naturally milde modest and meeke so I hold this ignorance of men giuen ouer to Idolatrie to proceede from one of those two faults in themselues either it is a naturall inclination to superstion that while they will not beleeue the holy Scriptures to be sufficient they will giue faith enough to the most ridiculous Aniles fabulae of the legendaries to the relation of a Straw miracle pretended to bee done heere or there in which kinde of foolishnesse I must say some of our Catholicke Romanes within this kingdome bee the poorest men vnder the heauen Well Pharaoh did see in the myracles of Moses the finger of God working Ego te constituam Deum Pharaonis but he gaue more credit to the Magicall miracles of his Sorcerers and why because his heart was hardned Let vs beware of this fearefull Iudgement therefore which I haue told your Lordship doth follow vpon Idolatrie to be abandoned of the Lord vt credant mendacio qui non crediderunt veritati that they may beleeue lyes and follies who would not beleeue the truth Indura cor populi huius occoeca occulos claude aures c. Obdurate the heart of this people close their cares blinde their eyes that they doe not heare see nor vnderstand lest they turne to me and I heale them saith God to the Prophet Or next this obstinate and wilfull ignorance wherein men cannot be broken no not from one point of most grosse things it proceedes as we haue obserued in many forbearing to iudge so of your Lordship from a secret selfe-loue glorying to be called constant and inflexible Surely constancie and good resolution it is a Cardinall vertue and perseuerance in faith is the height of all Christian vertues but beleeue me this sort of constancie is a despightfull pride it is to haue that which all the herefiarches haue had hereticum ingenium an hereticall inflexible and rebellious ingenie of Nature such were Manicheus Marcion Arrius Pelagius c. Such an heretike was not the good Father Augustine who fell but Timide and Languide into the Manichean opinion and was easily againe reformed by his good and toward nature by the inspiration of Gods Spirit willingly to heare the Sermons disputes and conferences of the holy Saint Ambrose Secondly I will tell your Lordship syncerely by what steps it pleased God to grant me retreait foorth of this fearefull Labyrinth of Idolatrie your Lordship hath heard how I already did distast these things which I did see in Italy but that did not serue the turne it was indeede a good beginning vpon my backe comming to France and new conference with that famous Protestant Mounsieur Causabon resident then at Paris in the seruice of the late King with whom I was familiar before who now finding me somewhat better disposed hee did farre second those beginnings of mine saying to mee that howseeuer it was the tricke of the Consistorie of Rome to deny any cause of reformation on their side and to disclaime generall Councells yet if it pleased God to inspire the hearts of Princes to challenge that auhoritie ouer Ecclesiasticall gouernment which was due to their Predecessors in the primitiue Church that the body of the Catholike Church might be easily reformed he told me that designe of Charl. 5. as I haue relared it vnto your Lordship he told me that two Emperours his successors Ferdinand Maximilian did much labour for the same In token whereof there be yet extant numbers of their letters sollicitatory to that most graue and profound Doctor of the Romane Church George Cassander most zealously entreating him touching his opinion of the deciding of Christian Controuersies which Booke with diuers other learned Treatises of other pacificators he gaue me to read as also these Theames written De auferibilitate
seuerall poynts the first whereof shall be common to your Lordship and all other men that you will seeke rectified knowledge of God in such tearmes as the wise man commands in the beginning of his booke of wisedome seeke the Lord in simplicitie of heart for he appeareth not vnto those that be vnfaithfull saith he to seeke the Lord in the darkenesse of an implicite faith and to relye your Lo faith vpon humane traditions as farre as vpon the written word of God it is no simplicitie of hearte nor no faythfulnesse it is to mixe the drosse with gold and to corrupt the simple foode of Gods word with pharisaicall leuen and so to be vnfaithfull beleeuing men more then God seeke the Lord with simplicitie of heart for he will not be found of those who tempt him with infidelitie sayth Salomon The second shall be the wishing your Lordship to acknowledge what peculiar and selfe imperfections possibly in your Lordships selfe may occasion this weakenesse of faith to doubt of the suff◅ciencie of Gods word which commonly in other men as I haue alleadged are a superstitious mynde of nature a fault proper euen to diuers good men therefore the more perillous again to be na turally of obstinate and inflexible resolution a fault which hath ouerthrowen manie braue and worthy spirits in special which two seuerall inconueniences vnhappilie met together in one who liueth in fide implicita they make him altogether vncapable of reformation senselesse of any reasonable persuasions as if he were changed into an image of hardest propheir t is no shame to confesse our faults but it is the first steppe to grace the holie prophet Dauid said omnis homo mendax and in an other place dixi confitebor aduersum ◅e in iustitiam mea◅ domin◅ tu remisisti impietatem peccati mei I said I would confesse my iniquitie before God and thou O God didest remitte my iniquitie Therefore the last part of my Counsell shall bee that you begin in this sort to mend those Dimidiu◅ facti qui bene caepit habet A thing well begun that is to say in the feare of God is halfe finished if you cannot vpon the suddaine absolutely depart from the Church of Rome yet since not only Gods word and the light of your conscience doe conuict your Lo but that her own doctrine for this wicked vsurpatiō ouer Princes hath pulled down the maske that couered her whorish face reuealing therby to theworldeuen in our time that mysterie of iniquitie do at last compassion her as a kindly child the miseries of his mother and once becontent to wish her to be reformed for that she hath need of reformation you haue in facto confessed by taking the oath of fidelitie especially expressed to be against a doctrinall ground of Rome Yea which is so farre vrged for meere doctrine that I haue heard it pronounced with my eares by a sentence of their Consistorie that he who taketh that oath is no Catholike Romane and therefore to be debarred from any spirituall benefite of their Church which is as much as to say he is no Catholike Romane but he who is a Traitour to his King and Countrey and their impious Bulles and Emissarij secretly sent through the world for that effect to poyson the waters of mens knowledge with that Absynthium as I haue recyted I speake with warrant for I did not forbeare to practise any thing which might purchase vnto me the true vnderstanding of things because I was not to returne there againe for better information The chiefest Alumni of the Romane Church and her greatest Zealotors Charles the fift and his successors in the Empire the chiefest of her Clergie that hath beene or are haue consulted negotiated debated disputed written and plotted her reformation Howsoeuer God for our sinnes hath illuded their intention and our poore Papists of this kingdome cannot haue any other thought but to lie euer in beastiall formes vnder the charmes of Circe neuer so much as wishing to bee restored to the shapes of men for what can I esteeme it but a brutish ignorance so to Idolatrize open impieties as to hold that Christian Princes ought not to reforme the Church of Rome and purge her from her abominations or to hold that it is not a most Christian discharge of euery one of Gods Saints in particular Spirare vnitatem Ecclesiae to importune God by our dayly prayers for the great Iubile of this reformation the reduction of his people from captiuitie the resta◅ration of his holy sanctuarie and the destruction of Babel which hath so long detained them in spirituall chaines and seruitude Therefore to dispose your Lo heart for those wishes and to prepare for you the easier way of recoile from your wilfull errors I will tell you of the meanes of this reformation that you in your owne iudgement conforming that which ought to be with the thing which is very possible to be if the cup were full or the period of Gods hidden prouidence were at hand you may first reforme your selfe and then call incessantly to God for this generall reformation of Christian people CHAP. VII Comparison of Rome and Ierusalem the order and truest meanes of Christian reformation expostulation against the implacable debates of the Christian Clergie an exhortation to the vpright study of Pacification WE can neuer more rightly ponder the condition of the Church of Rome then to ballance her with Ierusalem howbeit this was typicall in regard of their externall worship and that substantiall this a limited Synagogue and that Catholicall and vniuersall in respect before specified of their profession and faith common to all both circumcised and vncircumcised The chiefe cause why the Christian is called Catholike as by that marke distinguished from the Iewish Congregation yet I say the Policie doth in effect remaine alike in both the dealing of God with both is so like and the sinnes of men in all ages be so like the corruption of Religion by the length of time so like and Gods Iudgements threatned by his Prophets doe fall out so like vpon all then and now that makes the comparison pertinent cleere and true for concerning the chiefe poynt which Rome vsurpeth as Soueraigne to her to be the perpetuall Sanctuarie it is altogether idle to reason that Rome or any Christian Church had so ample promises as Ierusalem by their names or places The Romane faith is indeede as I haue said if wee please to call it so being vniuersall to all I meane that faith of Saint Peter whereupon the Church of Rome doth build her pretended Supremacy Tu es Petrus super hanc Petram fundabo Ecclesiam that is vpon his preceding confession that Iesus was the Son of God did Christ found his Church That faith I say hath the infallible promise of the perpetuitie of Gods Spirit that is the Candlesticke which neuer shall be voyd of light the Lampe which shall neuer want Oyle the great Citie vpon
and to shew that all voycing musicke though hauing so noble a precentor and being celebrated by so full a Quire of all the people of Israel verse 1. yet is not sufficient to display the zeale and ioy of the Church of God there commeth in besides as in Medio Chori the noyse of Tymbrels in the hands of Miriam and of all the women that came out after her verse 20. not to yeeld any new instruction to their vnderstandings though she were a Prophetesse but which is the true vse of such musicke first to giue a greater downeweight to their affections and to make their spirituall ioy ouerflow the bankes of ordinary apprehension and to transport them into an higher degree of heauenly rauishment by those artificiall sounds added to the naturall and secondly to infixe deeper in their minds and memories those diuine straines by recording and repeating the same point in the same verses a thing in Church musicke not to be abandoned if tempered with grauity as here we may expresly gather For when Moses and the people had begun their song in this manner I will sing vnto the Lord for hee hath triumphed gloriously c. Miriam with her troupe and instruments and voyces answered the men Sing yee vnto the Lord for hee hath triumphed gloriously c. vers 21. This because it did precede the deliuery of the ceremoniall law by Moses I thinke I may safely referre either to the law of nature or to the inueterate practise of the most antient Church of God euen from the first Patriarkes and Fathers of mankind In time of the Law the very enditer himselfe Moses did by the immediate command of God when he was to die leaue as his last Testament of monition or cygnea cantiō a formall song which as God put into his mouth so he into the mouths of the children of Israel Exod. 31. 19. to be a perpetuall witnesse to and against them which beginneth with a most rhetoricall and Poeticall exclamation of adiuring the heauens and earth to bee witnesses This pithy abstract of the admonitions and doctrines of Moses conteyning Gods benefits towardes his Church the vpbrayding of their ingratitude Gods threats against them and mysterious predictions of the vocation of the Gentiles c. The spirit of GOD did chuse to set downe to his Church rather in forme of Song then of Sermon thereby insinuating that it would be with more facility receiued and with deeper impression retained which is implied by Moses himselfe in the following words of the beginning of that song ver 2. My doctrine shall drop as the raine and my speech shall distill as the deaw As if hee had said this last doctrine of mine which I deliuered to Gods people by way of song shall indeed by the diuine matter thereof instruct their vnderstandings but shall by the manner of musicall inditement and recording therof pierce with the greater sweetnesse and facility and by a secret vnseene influence feed and refresh your soules as the hearbs and plants are cherished by the deaw and fedde by the soft showers And afterward when the Temple was to succeed the Tabernacle Dauid did before hand prouide Leuites and singers his preparations of that kinde were first when the Arke had rest 1. Chron. 6. 31. 1. Chron. 15. And shortly after the Temple was to be builded by Salomon 1. Chron. 25. At both Dauid appointed Leuites and singers with instruments of musicke c. And added thereto the ditties which they were to sing being a set forme of inuocation and thanksgiuing 1. Chron. 16. 8. Prayse yee the Lord c. which also is repeated among the Psalmes Psal. 105. Moreouer in a manner the whole Booke of Psalmes were by the same Prophet penned in Meeter to be sung as they are since in all ages and places in the Church of God Amongst which some Psalm 33. and 150. make especiall reference vnto the instrumentall musicke If heereto it be replied that all this furniture of musicke was proper to the Temple and meerely typicall and part of the pedagogy of the old Testament I may answere that in regard of the number and distinct offices and certaine kindes of instruments those constitutions of Dauid might well bee ceremoniall but the vse of instrumentall musicke in generall in the publike praising of God was and is morall or naturall not indeed of absolute necessity as if there were no lawfull seruice in the Church without it but of conuenience and expediency for the naturall fitnesse and decent fruitfulnesse which they may haue Neither can it be denied but that where the same cause of constitution yet remaineth the practise may be well retained at least as times and circumstances shall require or permit Now those that are most seuerely affected against the Church musicke among Christians vse this as a chiefe reason why it was established in that Church because it was a fit Schoolemaster for that people And are there not and alwayes will bee among Christians some that neede to be fed with milke as well as others with strong meate Did not Saint Basil obserue this and in that regard commend the prouidence of the spirit of God who by the Prophet Dauid had prouided for his Church perpetually that heauenly mysteries might be mingled with sweet melody That two sort of learners might thus bee the better prouided for those that are either young in yeeres or greene in growth of vertue might while they thinke to delight themselues with the melody receiue some good impression of instruction But if this cause seeme vnsufficient or Saint Basils authority not strong enough wee may out of the text it selfe where this musicall furniture for the Temple is instituted 1. Chron. 16. deriue a more constant reason which must needes hold in both Testaments Leuites were appointed to sing with instruments c. that they might make a sound and lift vp their voyce with ioy whence I thinke I may thus inferre The end and reason of the institution of such musicke by Dauid is not for ought I can finde said to be for any prefiguration of action to be fulfilled by the Messias or for any cause or consequent proper to the people and Church of the Iewes which with the sacrifices and other ceremonies were to expire but the reason there added is from a naturall or rather spirituall affection common to all Churches whether vnder the Law of Moses or vnder the Gospell of grace especially in flourishing times namely a cleare and feruent confession and profession of the mercies and graces of our God with thanksgiuing and exultation which as it is in the congregation to be solemnly performed with the voyce and that lifted vp viz. with singing so that it may be aduanced to the highest streyne of ioy it must or at least with conueniency may haue the help of instrumentall musique which may make a sound and lift vp their voice with ioy So if in the Christian Church where the vaile is
appeare in before the world it is an interpretation not extorted but plaine and sensibly offered out of the nature of the thing it selfe And as it is necessarily required in speciall aboue the rest in the Minister that when hee vttereth to God the publique prayers of the Church to which they doe resound their Amen and administreth the holy Sacraments that then he must come with fore-thought and fore-sought purity of soule and bodie both free from other studies and other actions which at other times were not to bee blamed is it not expedient also that with his inward sanctitie hee shall bring an exterior shew thereof to purchase the greater reuerence of the people and to season their mindes with holy apprehensions and with present desires to consort inwardly in their hearts with that visible habite of puritie and integritie which they doe contemplate in his person Wherefore it was a custome in the primitiue Church as wee may read in many of the Fathers that all those who being Catechumeni presented themselues to Baptisme should be arrayed in white wherevpon this title hath growne of Dominica in albis white-sunday wherein wee may consider the iudgement of the purer age of the Church who thought it expedient that by the inward candor and integritie which the concurring grace of God the soule and the whole person of the baptized did receiue being dipped and drenched in the lauar of regeneration should be not onely infixed by faith in the inward apprehension of the minde of the receiuer but also testified by that publike and pure marke of whitenesse vnto others their spectators and brethren partakers formerly of the same new birth whereby wee see what extent the authoritie and iudgement of the guides and gouernours in Gods Church hath in things though not enacted nor imposed by the writings or constitutions of the Apostles yet afterward thought expedient for the better edifying and furnishing the people of God in externall and in a sort ceremoniall additaments which of themselues being not superstitious but hauing a holy sober and wholesome vse of instruction and reuerence in the sacred duties of the church though perhaps not onely afterward but euen then they might by some priuate misinterpretation of superstitious and ignorant men be abused were by the most and best instituted maintayned and reteyned being indeed not to be abrogated but by the same hand which set them vp But to prosequute my argument for the white vestiment of the Pastor in shewing how it is vsefull and properly significant I say all the varieties of Aarons robe were contriued by intermixing a fine white linnen as you may read Whensoeuer mention is made of Christ clothed it is either in glory and light or in white lynnen Induit enim stola gloriae amictus erat lumine sicut vestimentâ—… Ezech 9. when Commission was giuen to fixe destroying Angels against Ierusalem the man who stood in the midst hauing power to saue the Saints who wept for Ierusalem no doubt Iesus Christ he was clothed in white Lynnen It is clearely said of Christ Bissus purpura indumentum eius white lynnen and purple euen so it is said in the Apocalyps of the Church Mulier illa amicta erat purpura Bysso that woman was clothed with purple and white lynnen The white lynnen doth represent puritie and innocencie therefore it is said in the Apocalyps Byssinum sunt instificationes Sanctorum the iustification of the Saints is as white and fine lynnen pure and perfect so that if any man will say that the robe of Aaron was altogether a Iewish type and that Clericall vestiments are of no respect after the comming of Christ I thinke it idle that Candlesticke of the Arke which was clothed with the Hyacinth and celestiall colour likely might be a Type which is abolished or what did carrie the scarlet and reddish colour in that Robe it may bee holden expired because it did figure the passion which is performed or in like manner what was partie-coloured as Ioseph who alwaies figured Christ he was a Type also by reason of his coate sprinkled with blood as it is in Ezechiel sumpsisti vestiment a multicoloria and againe Quare vestimentum tuum rubrum est you haue chosen a Robe which is particoloured what meaneth it thy garments are red Certes as these colours were figuratiue so are they expired Ioseph hath changed his Coate The text of Genesis saith mutauerunt vestes eius ipsum induerunt Bisso Pharoah commanded to change his garments and to clothe him in fine white lynnen and Christ hath also changed his garments into meere whitenesse and iustification as I haue said and his Church hath changed her garments into white Bissus indumentum eius mulier illa amicta erat Bisso And therefore hath the Wiseman said in Ecclesiast omni tempore sint vestimenta tua candida so that nothing can be so fitting for a Priestly and Pastorall habit as the the garment of Christ himselfe and of his Church in the holy Scripture In which respects it seemes that wee are to reuerence antiquitie and to thinke that not without graue causes they haue brought in that Ceremonie into Christs Church and left it vnto vs. For whether it was deriued from the Iewish Church or no I doe not dispute but who would not say that the Leuiticall vestiments were rather things depending from the policie then figuratiue Ceremonies expiring in the exhibition of Christ. I would aske him of those Pomgrannets Bells which were tyed to the fringe of Aarons robe to signifie that in Priestly actions there should bee continually a good smell and from their mouthes a perpetuall sound of pietie in our eares and of those twelue gemmes planted vpon the breast plate of Aaron with a Diamond in the midst which was the most principall conspicuous and pretious part of the Robe what these did figure in his person which is not yet most proper and conuenient to bee figured by vestiments in the person of a Christian Prelate wherevpon Epiphanius Archbishop of Cyprus and after him S. Ierom haue made these obseruations vpon these texts of Exod Leuit The Gemmes first being excellent things of rare constitution doe note the dignitie of the priestly Function Secondly they signifie the doctrine and christian vertues which should be in him who carrieth that dignitie that euen as those gemmes haue their secret and miraculous operations so should Prelates and Priests by the secret inspiration of Gods spirit bee able to worke in people miraculous and extraordinarie effects of Gods feare and obedience Thirdly as these Gemmes are full in our eyes of a celestiall beautie and splendor so should the cariage of religious men shine in our eyes for a cleare mirrour and example that when we looke into it we may by the light thereof discerne our owne blots and darknes Fourthly as the gemmes haue diuine and admirable formes but small matter and that a substance more coelestiall
withdrawne and the mysteries and mercies of God the Father in his beloued appeare more cleerely and gloriously there bee no lesse cause of holy ioy nay vnspeakable and glorious 1. Pet. 1. 8. why should not this our ioy breake forth into the like manifestation and that the best manifesting and enhaunsing thereof is by musicke and that euen instrumentall the spirit of God beareth record as I haue noted And verily if the imployment of instruments in the Iudaicall Temple maketh them meerely ceremoniall and debarreth the Christian Church of all such vse of the like in that kinde why doth not the same reason banish also all vse of singing in our Churches because Dauid instituted singers for the Temple for as yet I could neuer heere any direct and sufficient proofe why the one should haue a morall and perpetuall vse and the other onely a ceremoniall signification Thirdly as for the time of grace if sacred musicke were onely a cloud and typicall shadow it should then haue vanished when the body came and the most glorious morning starre appeared But wee finde that euen this bright starre when it first began to appeare in the earthly Horizon chose for the blasing forth the beames of his maiesty aboueall creatures or meanes in heauen or earth a troup of inuisible yet audible Choristers who descending from the Temple of the celcstiall Ierusalem praised God and cheered vp man with a short Christmasse Caroll but of a most sweet and mysterious ditty which all Christians delight to heere still sounding in their eares and hearts nay the very Angells themselues desire to behold vnderstand The same our Sauior as he cōming into the world would be saluted with musicke so euen with that mouth whence dropped the like hony the words of grace and life he vouchsafed to honour that exercise in the end of his last supper hee and his Apostles went to Mount Oliue singing an Hymne Neither after this our bridegroome was taken away did the children of the bridechamber let fall their parts in spirituall songs but both practised and exhorted to the continuance of this enkindling of zeale and piety Ephes. 5. 19. Colos. 3. 16. An expresse iniunction for Psalmes Hymnes and spirituall Songs and making melody Which vse to haue continued in the primitiue Church not onely Tertullian and other ancient Christians but euen the Ethnicke Plinny in his Epistle to Traiane the Emperour doth testifie Christo cuidam Deo hymnos canentes antelucanes But heere may bee and indeed is obiected that hymnes and songs vsed by our Sauiour or his Apostles or continued in the primitiue Church were onely vocal and without all artificiall instrument Wherto that I may shape answere I doubt not euen granting that their melody was onely singing thence to inferre à pari a firm consequence for the addition of the other kind of musick to auouch without imputation of a Paradoxe that the modulating voyce of a man and of an instrument are in this respect eiusdem rationis For if one looke into the nature of sounds in their generall cause they are nothing but reuerberations of the aire in their forme and relation they are deductions or compositions of proportions in the distances or connexions of high and low flat and sharpe So that whatsoeuer the immediate matter and instrument be whether meerely naturall as the throat teeth and tongue or aritificially composed of pipes or strings with metall or wood the sound it selfe as it melodious or symphoniacall maketh no difference of obiect but carrieth the same representation to the eare and iudgement of the hearers To this purpose may I not vnfitly apply that elegant comparison which Theodoret maketh between the voice of a man and a paire of organs in the parts of each In man saith he the lungs are the bellowes which are mooued not with foot or hand but by the muscels af the brest the teeth and roofe of the mouth supply the place of the pipes the tongue by its nimble motion performeth the office of the Musicians hand for the distinguishing and articulating the sounds Thus in the viuacitie of his rhetorique he seemeth in this comparison to make the protasis or proposition in the artificial and the reddition in the naturall by making man a musicall instrument Then presently followes the same resemblance with the terms inuerted to the naturall order where hee plainely sheweth that art hath heerein imitated nature in Citeraes and such like instruments wherin the teeth are represented by the strings the lips by the frets the tongue by the quill the vnderstanding by the hand which mooueth and striketh or stoppeth high and low lowd and soft slow and quicke in diuerse formes The like comparison is also vsed by Gregory Nyssen in his learned Treatise De opificio hominis where he resembleth the vse and parts of the flute or fife to the instruments of speech in man Vpon which liuely and mutuall resemblances as Theodoret calleth man a liuing organe and the copy of artificiall organs so may I terme an organ a singing man made with the hand or rather a liuelesse though not breathlesse guide of many voicesand parts But heere it will bee replyd that all artificiall instruments made by man come farre short of this one made by God himselfe that none of those how elegant soeuer and cunningly handled can possibly make a sound properly articulate much lesse significant and therefore that they are to bee excluded out of the seruice of God whereto the vocall musique may bee admitted because significatiue and vnderstandable To this may answer be made first by acknowledging with Theodoret that man being the image of God in imitating his Creatonr can produce no higher workes then such as are but shadowes of the workes of God That nature is the modell after which art worketh and that art is but the image or resemblance of nature And therefore that all the most curious instruments in the world are not comparable with an humane voyce for suauity and liuely expressions neither is instrumentall musique to be opposed vnto or compared with vocall but added as an helper a wife or second or if you will an hand-mayd thereunto In which respect I doe not hold it to bee eiusdem gradus though in generall eiusdem rationis as belonging to the same army but to be ranged in an inferiour squadron a guest of the sacred feast but at a lower table Secondly as for want of signification I maintaine it that the sound and harmony of Instruments though it be not articulate yet it is significant in its owne kinde I meane and proper element by gentle steps and sweete inflexions working vpon the affections and expressely nay powerfully speaking to them euen perswading instructing nay commanding them and imprinting in them the characters of vertue and deuotion and containing the seedes of good motions in the inward seat of the minde by the outer part of the sences and passions Thirdly in vocall musique