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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15431	Tetrastylon papisticum, that is, The foure principal pillers of papistrie the first conteyning their raylings, slanders, forgeries, vntruthes: the second their blasphemies, flat contradictions to scripture, heresies, absurdities: the third their loose arguments, weake solutions, subtill distinctions: the fourth and last the repugnant opinions of new papistes with the old; of the new one with an other; of the same writers with themselues: yea of popish religion with and in it selfe. Compiled as a necessarie supplement or fit appertinance to the authors former worke, intituled Synopsis papismi: to the glorie of God for the dissuading of light-minded men from trusting to the sandie foundation of poperie, and to exhort good Christians stedfastlie to hold the rockie foundation of faith in the Gospell.	Willet, Andrew, 1562-1621.	1593 (1593)	STC 25701; ESTC S119967	179,229	213

immediately by Iesus Christ Galath 1. 1. and verse 16. he saith he did not immediately being now called and appointed of Christ communicate with flesh and bloode Faith which iustifieth is not the efficient or instrumental cause of saluation Rhemist Galath 6. sect 4. But the contrarie is proued out of scripture 2. Corinth 5. 7. We walke by faith and not by sight As the eie then is the instrument whereby wee behold thinges present so is faith the organon or instrument of the soule whereby we apprehend thinges absent and inuisible That also is an euident place to this purpose Ephes. 2. 10. By grace are ye saued through faith and that not of your selues for it is the gift of God and not of workes What else can be the meaning of this place but that we are saued by grace apprehended by faith So that grace is the efficient cause faith the instrumental And least that any man should say that faith saueth vs as other vertues wrought in vs by grace not by an apprehension of grace but as a meritorious cause as the Rhemistes affirme the Apostle addeth that faith is the gift of God and therefore meriteth not and he excludeth workes euen workes of grace ordained for vs to walke in from beeing any cause of Iustification before God And so faith also is excluded as it is an act or worke of the vnderstanding onely and hath place onely in the matter of saluation in respect of the apprehensiue facultie and power thereof Whereas the Apostle saith the gift of God is eternall life Rom. 6. 23. The Rhemists take vpon them to correct the Apostles wordes saying thus The sequele of speech required that as he said Death or damnation is the stipend of sinne so life euerlasting is the stipend of iustice and so it is Rhemist Rom. 6. sect 8. What can be more contrarie to the Apostle then this Life euerlasting saith he is the gift of God Nay say they it is as properlie the stipend of righteousnes as damnation is the stipend of sinne but the Apostles declination from that sequele sheweth the contrarie Christes paines were of no account of their owne nature compared with his glory Rhemist Rom. 8. sect 5. A monsterous blasphemie and contrarie to scripture for if there were no comparison betweene Christes sufferinges and the glorie which he hath purchased for vs by them then his sufferinges were no satisfaction to Gods Iustice Wherefore his passion being the passion of the sonne of God was both a full satisfaction and a worthie desart of that glorie which hee hath obtained for vs Thou art worthie to take the booke and to open the seales thereof because thou was killed Reuelat. 5. sect 9. Christ therefore in respect of his passion did fully deserue all that glorie which hee hath obtayned for vs but there is no desert where there is not a proportion betweene the labour and the reward yet wee affirme not that Christ merited for him selfe for his owne glorification was due vnto him before the worlde was Iohn 17. 5. That our afflictions are meritorious of heauen Rom. 8. 18. Saint Paul sayth cleane contrary that the afflictions of this time are not worthy of the glory which shall be reuealed ibid. They deny that the Iewes did receiue the trueth or substance of Christ in their sacramentes as we doe in ours or that they and wee do eate and drinke of the selfesame meate and drinke Rhemist 1. Corinth 10. sect 2. and yet the Apostle saith plainely That they did all eate the same spirituall meate and all drinke the same spirituall drinke for they dranke of the spirituall rocke which followed them the rocke was Christ. ibid. Doth not the Apostle now say here that they did drinke the same spirituall drinke with vs for Christ was their spirituall drinke and so is he ours That where the Apostle sayth This is not to eate the Lords supper 1. Corinth 11. 20. Hee meaneth not the Sacrament which Christ instituted at supper but the feastes of loue which were vsed in the primitiue Church Rhemist ibid. And yet it is most manifest by the circumstance of the place that S. Paul reprooueth them for the abuses in the Lords supper and therefore putteth them in minde of the institution of Christ verse 23. which had beene a matter impertinent if hee in so saying the Lords supper had not meant the Sacrament That the force and efficacie of common prayer dependeth not vppon the peoples vnderstanding hearing or knowledge and that the infant idiote and vnlearned man taketh no lesse fruite of diuine office than any other Rhemist 14. sect 10. And therefore it is not repugnant to saint Paul to pray in the latine that is an vnknowen tongue ibid. sect 15. Yet in trueth S. Paul flatly condemneth the vsing of an vnknowen tongue in publike prayers and thankesgiuing Hee that occupieth the roome of the vnlearned can not say Amen at thy giuing of thankes seeing hee knoweth not what thou saiest for thou verilie giuest thankes well but the other is not edified And it followeth verse 19. I had rather in the Church speake fiue woordes with mine vnderstanding that I might instruct others then ten thousand words in a strange tongue What could haue beene spoken more plainely against the vse of an vnknowen and vnedifying tongue in the Church That man hath a proper freedome and motion in his thoughtes doings and all is not to be referred vnto God 1. Corinth 3. sect 2 Rhemist that man was neuer without free will but it is made onely more free by grace Rhemist Iohn 8. sect 2. That the Gentiles doe beleeue by their free will Act. 13. 2. All this is flat opposite to scripture Which saith wee are not able to thinke a good thought of our selues 2. Corinth 3. 5. And that God worketh in vs both the will and the deed Philipp 2. 13. That wee are not formally made iust by the righteousnesse of Christ imputed vnto vs but by a iustice inherent and resiant in vs. Concil Trident. sess 6. can 10. Rhemist Rom. 2. sect 4. yea they condemne it as hereticall to say that a man hath no iustice of his owne to be iustifyed by but the iustice onely of Christ Rhemist Philip. 3. sect 3. And yet S. Paul sayth thus in plaine termes That I might be found in him not hauing mine owne righteousnesse which is of the lawe but that which is through the faith of Christ euen the righteousnes which is of God through faith Philip. 2. 9. Here the Apostle refuseth his owne inherent righteousnesse and cleaueth onely to the imputatiue iustice of Christ to bee iustified by though wee denie not an inherent righteousnesse in the faithfull but imperfect not a meanes of their iustification before God but the fruites thereof and is no other but that which we call Sanctification They doe set vp Idols or images to bee adored and attribute vnto them religious worship contrarie to the scripture Children keepe your selues

yee saued through faith not of workes then it followeth ver 10. for wee are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath or deyned that wee should walke in Here the apostle excludeth euen workes of grace prepared and or dayned of God from being any cause of our iustification Distinct. 43. Some things doe iustifie Ex opere operantis by the worke of the doer Id est fide deuotione suscipientis That is by the sayth and deuotion of the recevuer so the sacramentes of the old law did iustifie Some things doe iustifie Ex opere operato by the very worke wrought as the Sacraments of the New Testament Bellarm. de effect sacr lib. 2. cap. 13. Contra. First there is one and the same efficacie substance and operation in generall of the Sacraments both of the olde and newe Testament For they did eate the same spirituall nieate and drinke the same spirituall drinke 1. Cor. 10. 2. 3. Secondly Yet neither of them do conferre grace or are causes of our iustification before God but are onely seales of the iustice or righteousnes that commeth by faith Rom. 4. 41. Yet wee graunt that in the Sacraments of the Gospell there is a more liuely resemblance and more full representation of spirituall things than there was in the other in which respect they are preferred before them Thirdly Wee are not iustified before God in part or in whole by any worke either operantis or ex operato of the doer or of the thing done But wee are iustified onely by faith all workes euen such as are wrought in vs by grace are excluded from being any cause of our iustification before God Ephes. 2. 10. 11. Fourthly And so farre is it off that any iustification can bee had ex opere operato by the worke wrought without respect to the faith of the doer that no such worke is at all acceptable to God much lesse able to iustifie for without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. And thus this Iesuitic all distinction is nipped in the head Distinct. 44. To extenuate eneruate the force efficacie of the death and passion of our Sauiour Christ as though it were not alone by it selfe a sufficient satisfaction for the sinnes of the world vnlesse other satisfactions as helpes were ioyned thereunto they haue forged and deuised impious and blasphemous distinctions of their owne First there is a kinde of satisfaction Pro amicitia restauranda for restoring vs to the friendship of God there is another Pro iustitiae restauranda for restoring of iustice lost and decayed in vs the first satisfaction is only wrought by the death of Christ the other must be wrought by vs Bellar. de poenitent lib. 4. cap. 1. Contra. Christ hath satisfied for vs in paying the raunsome for our sinnes and hath reconciled vs to God in imparting to vs of his righteousnes He hath made him to be sinne for vs which knew no sinne that wee should be made the righteousnes of God in him 2. Cor. 5. 21. therefore Christ hath by his death not onely redeemed vs and reconciled vs to the fauour of God but hath also clothed vs with his righteousnes who is made of God vnto vs our wisedom righteousnes sanctification redemption 1. Cor. 1. 30. Not onely our redemption but our righteousnes hec hath therefore satisfied the wrath of God in restoring his friendship and hath repaired iustice decaied in vs by his iustice and righteousnes Distinct. 45 There is a satisfaction pro ●c●●●a for 〈…〉 another kinde pro poena for the punishment The first was 〈…〉 by Christ 〈…〉 the other is our satisfaction to bee 〈…〉 mine ibidem So there is duplex 〈…〉 〈◊〉 double or twofold remission of sins the first in baptisme both 〈…〉 poena from fault and punishment the second from the fault but wee our selues must satisfie for the punishment Bellarm. depoenitent lib. 4. cap. 14. Contra. If our sinnes be for giuen vs the punishment likewise together with the sinne is remoued for sinne causeth death and all other punishments It should not therfore stand with the iustice of God to lay punishment vpon men hauing forgiuen them their sinnes for this were to say that their sinnes are not truely forgiuen Christ hath set vs at peace with God by the bloud of his crosse Coloss. 1. 20. Ergo hee hath satisfied both for the offence and punishment For if God punish stil then were we not at perfite peace with him his anger yet abiding And whereas they make the first remission of sinnes to be auailable both for the sinne and punishment the second but for the sinne the Apostle reasoneth cleane contrarie If while we were yet sinners and enimies Christ dyed for vs much more being iustified by his blood and reconciled by his death wee shalbe saued from wrath through him Ro. 5. 10. 11. Much more saith the Apostle if then in the first reconciliation to God we had remission of both being now reconciled wee shall much more Hence also it is manifest that Christ worketh all both before our reconciliation and after Distinct. 46. Men also may satisfie for the fault but ex congruo non ex condigno It is a satisfaction of congruitie not of condignitie Bellarm. li. 4. de poenitent cap. 1. Contra. There is no satisfaction wrought by man for his sinnes no not of congruitie First it is repugnant to the nature and propertie of satisfaction for that which is of congruitie is accepted of fauour but satisfaction is an exact compensation in respect of iustice by this God is iustly satisfied by the other hee is but enclined to fauour as they teach Secondly there is no satisfaction for sinne ex congruo for when we were enimies saith S. Paul wee were reconciled to God Rom. 5. 10. But nothing that enimies can do is acceptable vnto God therfore God cannot any waies no not ex congruo by our satisfaction be appeased before our reconciliation nor yet afterward for our sinne in the purchasing of our reconciliation was alreadie satisfied for by Christ. Distinct. 47. Man can not satisfie God for the eternall punishment due vnto sinne but for the temporall he may Bellarm. lib. 4. de poenitent cap. 1. Contr. Seeing our Sauiour Christ hath fully redeemed vs by his most precious bloud he hath not onely satisfied for our sinne but for our punishment both eternall and temporall due vnto sinne Heb. 10. 14. with one offring hath he made persite or as the Rhemistes read consummated for euer them that are sanctified If then he haue consummated vs by our redemption he hath satisfied for all for if any thing were left to be done by vs wee should not be consummated by him And as for the punishments and chastenings of this life S. Paul sheweth the ende of them not to make satisfaction but we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world 1. Corinth 11. 32. Distinct. 48. There is

egerly prosecuted as dissentions among papistes haue beene for anno 1509. wee reade that the Franciscane friers pursued the poore Dominicks to death and the contention began about the conception of the Virgin Marie Fox pag. 802. Such rigour and fiercenes hath not yet beene seene among protestantes neither I trust shall But in saying that Protestants are Idolaters they make too lewd a lie for it is wel knowen vnto thē that we haue no Images or Idols of brasse woode stone siluer at all in our Churches as they haue nor any pictures carued painted or grauen set vp to bee worshipped If two men shoulde bee set before vs the one lifteth vp his eyes to heauen and calleth vppon the name of God hauing no similitude or resemblance before him the other praieth before a stocke or stone Image is anie man so senseles as to say the other is an Idolater rather then this But thus blinde and sottish are the papistes in their iudgement Take heede ye English pope catholickes doe ye not see how your ghostly fathers goe about to make fooles of you Now then to the intent our aduersaries slaunderous mouthes should be stopped and their falsehoode descried I haue giuen a seuerall taste in this worke in euerie kinde of their fraudulent dealing with vs and of their vnseemely behauiour vngodlie shifts which they vse in oppugning of the trueth and defense of their bad cause The whole booke I haue deuided into 4. partes shewing the foure principall pillers of papistrie and euerie piller conteineth diuerse partes beside as it is set foorth in the title of this booke I trust throughout this treatise that our aduersaries shall not iustly challenge me for dealing vntruely or deceiptfullie with them seeing I haue set downe their sayings and opinions as I find them quoting the places and citing the authors whence I haue them so that I doubt not to say with Augustine Ego omnia quòd bona fide coram deo dixerim sine vllo studio contentionis sine aliqua dubitatione veritatis sine aliquo praeiudicio diligentioris tractatus exposui I trust I may say with a good conscience before God that I haue set downe all things without desire of contention or doubting of the trueth and without preiudicing other mens more exact labours herein If sometime I shall seeme to speake somewhat roundlie or sharply I hope the discreete reader will iudge it to bee done not without cause to say as that good father in the like case Noui fratrem meum si quid in disputatione pro side sua dixit feruētius non illa contumacia sed fiducia dicenda est I know if our brother bee sometime seruent and hote in the defence of saith that it proceedeth not of contumacie but his full resolution in the trueth Concerning our aduersaries I would haue them thinke that I haue vndertaken these labours for their good if they could so construe it that seeing now the nakednes of their cause they may at the length be better aduised We haue not cast off all loue and care of our enemies We say of them as Augustine did sometime of Pelagius the heretike Nos non solum diligimus sed dileximus eos sed aliter vunc diligimus aliter aliquando dileximus tunc quia nobis rectae fidei videbantur nunc vt ab errore liberentur Wee both loue them now and loued them before but otherwise now then before then we loued them because we thought they were of a right faith but now we loue thē to the end they might bee deliuered from errour Now vnto my brethren of the same faith and religion thus much I say that whatsoeuer blasphemies heresies absurdities they reade here to bee affirmed and maintained by papistes they would take no offence thereby nor seeme to stumble thereat Sed facite inde quod fecit dominus cum illi obtulerunt amarum potum gustauit respuit sic vos audite abijcite But doe ye as Christ did when they offered him vineger to drinke he tasted and refused it so giue you the hearing and reading of these things but in iudgement cast them away and reiect them Thus I haue by the Lords assistance finished my taske ended my trauell for this time I will now sit me downe a while and rest my wearie penne and giue place to others This I haue done partly to discharge my duetie to God and debt to his Church partly to prouoke others by this example to put foorth their talent who for skill are more able for their leasure more fit for outwarde helpes haue better incouragement in respect of their reward are more bound I would we might now at the length spare our selues at home and forbeare to prouoke one another by writing and ioyne our strength against the common aduersarie If our wittes want whetting our pennes exercise our bodies labour our aduersaries abroad can and may afford vs worke enough we need not hew one at another Let vs do as Moses did slay the Aegyptian it is not seemely for one Hebrew to striue with another The timber that must make the house should be prepared and hewen in the fielde Prouerb 24. 27. when it commeth to be set together not so much as the noise of an hammer should be heard as we read of Salomons temple so we should labour to hew and cut off popish superstition corruption of manners as in the field abroad but we ought to build peaceably without noyse among our selues One saith well Omnia alia bona aurum argentum diuitiae diuidi possunt non potest diuidi pacem meam do vobis Al other goods gold siluer riches may be deuided this inheritāce onely cannot be deuided my peace I leaue with you And therefore saith he Christus noluit fiers iudex ad diuisionem Christ refused to be a iudge or deuider of the inheritance God grant that we may at the length learne as carefull children or faithfull stewardes to keepe whole Christes inheritance lent vnto vs that rich patrimonie of brotherly loue and peace that we may one yeeld to another in the trueth euerie one to studi● to amend what is amisse and all ioyne together to seeke Gods glorie Thus shall we be sure to imbrace and enioy peace for what else is the cause of contention among vs Nisi as one saith quia displicet mortalibus angelica illa partitio qua gloria deo pax hominibus nuntiatur quonam modo stabit pax hominum coram deo si deo apud homines non potest tuta esse sua gloria Because mortall men like not that Angelical partition whē they pronounced glorie vnto God and peace in earth for howe can the peace of men stand in force before God when Gods glory is not kept safe and sound amongst men This then is the way to procure peace and to nourish it to remoue and auoid dissention euery one in his seuerall place and calling to labour

thereof That wee affirme the Church may faile in faith Annot. Luk 18. Sect. 8. Wee say onely that the Church may erre in some points of doctrine but not finally fall away from the faith Fulk ibid. That we pretend that God draweth vs against our wil without any respect to our consent Iohn 6. 2. God of vnwilling maketh vs willing by changing our will to embrace Christ gladly and otherwise we teach not That wee affirme the Holie Ghost to be none other but the gift of wisedome in the Apostles and a fewe other for gouernment Annot. Act. 8. Sect. 7. But none of vs sayth so It is a meere slaunder That wee allow no fasting but morall temperance and spirituall fasting from sinne Act. 13. Sect. 5. Whereas we do acknowledge a Christian vse of fasting and abstinence from all meates and drinkes for the taming of the flesh and making vs more fit to pray not an abstinence from flesh onely as they do superstitiously imagine That wee should saye that the preaching of the lawe and iudgement to come maketh men hypocrites Act. 24. Sect. 2. Whereas wee hold the preaching of the lawe to be necessarie to bring men to repentance But iustificatiō by keeping the law which they teach we vtterly condemne That wee would haue all men to be present and giue voice in Councels Act. 19. Sect. 5. We say not so for that were impossible But we hold against our aduersaries that as wel the learned and discreete amongst the lay men as the Clergie ought to be admitted to consult of religion And that not only Bishops but other Pastors also and Ministers ought to haue deciding voices in Councels That wee condemne good woorkes as sinfull Pharisaicall hypocriticall Rom. 2. Sect. 3. Whereas we acknowledge them to be the good gifts of God the fruits of iustification the way wherein all Christians must walke to saluation We onely exclude them from being any cause of our iustification before God Annot. Rom. 2. Sect. 4. That wee affirme that God iustifieth man that is to saye imputeth to him the iustice of Christ though hee bee not indeede iust or of fauour reputeth him as iust when in deed he is wicked impious and vniust And that we thinke it is more to Gods glorie and more to the commendation of Christes iustice merites and mercie to call and count an ill man so continuing for iust than of his grace and mercie to make him of an ill one iust in deede and so truely to iustifie him This is a great slaunder For wee thinke and saie that God of a wicked man by his grace and mercie doth make him iust in deede by the iustice of Christ neither calling no● accounting him iust that continueth wicked as he was before but giuing him also the spirite of sanctification whereby after he is made iust by grace he doth the workes of iustice and keepeth Gods commaundements though not perfectly in this life Fulk ibid. That wee gather of those termes vsed by the Apostle Rom. 4. couered v. 7. not imputed v. 8. That the sinnes of men be neuer truely forgiuen but hidden onely Annot. Rom. 4. Sect. 7. Wee say that our sinnes are truelie forgiuen vs for Christes sake and our conscience freely discharged of them Christ hauing satisfied the iustice of God perfitly for them That wee teach that the Sacramentes of the Church giue not grace and iustice of faith but that they be notes markes badges onely of our remission of sinnes Rom. 4. Sect. 8. Wee say not that they are only markes and badges but as the Apostle saith seales of God to assure our faith of iustification by remission of sinnes And yet it followeth not that the sacraments should giue or conferre grace That to establish our fiction of confidence as they not without blasphemie call it wee make no account of the Articles of the Faith the beleeuing whereof onely iustifieth they say Annot. Rom. 4. Sect. 9. Wheras wee affirme that we are iustified by none other faith but that which is declared in those Articles not by a bare knowledge or beleefe of them that they are true which the diuel hath many reprobates but by stedfast beleeuing of them with a sure trust and confidence in Christ whereby we are made partakers of his precious merites and assured of the remission of our sinnes That we should say Man hath no more free will than a piece of clay Rom. 9. Sect. 7. Whereas we onely saie that our free will hath no power or strength at all to will or doe the thing that is good without the grace of God That we say the faithfull be sure they shall neuer sinne Rom. 8. Sect. 9. We saie onely that they are sure to be preserued from that sinne which is irremissible which is the sinne against the Holie Ghost That where the Apostle saith It is better to marrie than to burne that the Protestants thinke to burne is nothing else but to be tempted because they would easilie picke quarrels to marrie 1. Corinth 7. Sect. 8. Wee do not so thinke that to burne is onely to be tempted but to be so continually inflamed with lust that the will doth consent desire quenching Fulk ibid. That wee will not haue men woorke well in respect of rewarde at Gods hande 1. Corinth 9. Sect. 7. Wee say not so but that men ought not to worke well onely as hirelings for hope of rewarde but chiefely and principally of louing obedience and duetie as of children to their father That wee seeme by abandoning other names of the Communion sauing this calling it supper to haue it at night and after meate 1. Corinth 11. Sect. 8. Wee retaine other names of this Sacrament beside as the Communion the Sacrament of the bodie and bloud of Christ the Eucharist and such like and it is but a vaine conceit that wee encline it to haue it at night when they see our vsuall and dailie practise to the contrarie They say wee professe that wee make no consecration benediction or sanctification of the bread and wine at all in the Sacrament but let the bread and wine stande aloofe and that wee occupie Christes wordes by way of report onely and narration applying them not at all to the Elements proposed to be occupied 1. Corinth 11. Sect. 9. All this is vtterly false for wee professe that by praise and thankes-giuing for the death of Christ and by prayer vnto God that we may be partakers of the bodie and bloud of Christ we consecrate blesse and sanctifie the bread and wine to be the holy blessed Sacraments of the bodie and bloud of Christ. And wee doe also apply the wordes of institution to the Elements though not after their Magicall fantasie praying thus That wee receiuing the secreatures of bread and wine according to Christes holie iustitution which is rehearsed out of the Gospell in remembrance of his passion may be partakers of his most blessed bodie and bloud This is who seeth

the Church of Rome was in those daies of persecution deuided into cures and parishes whereof they shoulde haue their titles And this constitution seemeth rather to take his beginning at the Councell of Chalcedone where it was enacted that no priest no entituled should be ordained neyther is there any mention made in that place of any former decree prouided by Euaristus Fox pag. 39. To Zepherinus be 2. epistles ascribed one written to the Bishops of Sicilia the other to the Bishops of the prouince of Egypt which containe no manner of doctrine or consolation fit for those times but certaine rituall decrees to no purpose which argue the said epistles neither to fauor of that man nor to tast of the time for the poore persecuted Bishops in that time were so farre from hauing any lust or leisure to seeke for any primacie or to driue other Churches to appeale to the sea of Rome or to exempt priestes from the accusation of lay-men as in those epistles is to be seene that they would haue beene glad to haue had any couert at all to put their heades in Calixtus Bishop of Rome and martyr hath 2. epistles decretall appointed him wherein these ordinances amongest other are founde that no action or accusation against the teachers and prelates of the Church should be admitted And in the ende of the epistle hee confuteth the error of them which hould that they which are fallen are not to be receiued againe But Nouatus was the first author of this error wo followed in Cornelius time after Calixtus how then is it like that Calixtus could confute him And againe concerning actions and accusations it is not like that the time of so grieuous persecution would serue them to commense any law against their Bishops Vrbanus followeth to whome also is ascribed an epistle decretall comming out of the same forge containing not one worde of consolation fitte for those times but certaine straite preceptes for not transporting or alienating of the goods of the Church and to pay truely their offeringes which they vowe and such like But it is not like that in those heauie times of persecution the Church was so greatly enriched the constitution for tithes and oblations being not yet ordained and when as men sought generally rather to spoyle and take from the Churche then to giue vnto it that there needed such straite prouision for disposing of Church goods Pontianus who succeded Urbanus and was banished for the name of Christ is fained in his epistles decretall thus to write That God hath priestes so familiar with him that by them he accepteth the offeringes and oblations of other and forgiueth their sinnes and reconcileth them vnto him What could be said more of Christ whome the Scripture maketh our onely mediator and aduocate The decretall epistles of Fabianus Bishop of Rome are euen as good stuffe as the rest of that sort vnto him are ascribed these ordinances as of accusations against Bishops of appealing to the Sea Apostolike which decrees how vnfit and vnbesitting they were those times of persecution we haue shewed before as also of not marrying within the fift degree of communicating thrise a yeare whereas Augustine lyuing after this Fabian almost 200. yeares writeth thus of this matter Omnibus diebus dominicis communicandum suadeo hortor Vpon euery Lords day I doe perswade and exhort all men to communicate De eccles dogmatib cap. 54. How then is it like that Fabian decreed the contrarie of manie yeares before Also it is to bee seene that the most part of the third Epistle standeth worde for word in the epistle of Sixtus the third who followed almost 200. yeares after him Beside the vnseemely doctrine conteyned in the end of the epistles where hee contrary to the tenor of the Gospell applyeth remission of sinnes onely due to the bloode of Christ vnto the offerings of bread and wine by men and women euery Sunday in the Church Cornelius succeeded next to Fabianus who is slaundered with 2. epistles decretall which are apparant to bee none of his both by the stile which is most rude and barbarous but Hierome reporteth of him that hee was a verie eloquent man and partly also by the matter for in the first he writeth to all Ministers and brethren of the Church concerning the lifting vp of the bodies and bones of Peter and Paul De catechumenis transposed to Vaticanū In the second writing to Ruffus a Bishop of the east he decreeth that no cause of Priests or Ministers be handled in any strange or forraine Court without his precinct except only in the court of Rome by appellation Who seeth not now by this litle that these epistles were rather forged by the ambitious latter Bishops of Rome who labored altogether to aduance the dignitie of their Sea then by Cornelius whom the troubles of the Church would not suffer to thinke of any such matter And it is verie like that he would haue interserted some word of comfort and consolation fit for those times and made some mention of the great stirres betweene him and Nouatus whereof there is not one word in these decretals Vnto Lucius Bishop of Rome is referred by Gratian distinct 81. Ministri this constitutiō that no Minister whatsoeuer after his ordination should at any time reenter into the chamber of his owne wife Such homely stuffe is not like to haue proceeded from those good Bishops that died in Christs cause Vpon Stephanus Bishop are also fathered certayne epistles decretall which by this may be gathered to be none of his In the end of the second epistle hee saith thus Which thing is forbidden both by lawes ecclesiastical and also secular But what secular lawes could bee in that time in fauour of Bishops as that no accusation should be laid against them till they were restored to their estate when as the Iudges were all then heathen and their lawes tending to the destruction of the Christians and their faith Againe in the 5. canon of the said epistle he intreateth verie solemnlie of the difference betweene Primates Metropolitans Archbishops which distinction of titles and degrees rather sauouring of ambition then of persecution may verilie giue vs to suppose that these epistles were not written by that Stephanus Fox pag. 67. Of the same stamp are the epistles ascribed to Caius Marcellinus Eusebius Milciades Bishops of Rome Caius in his epistle decretal willeth and commandeth all difficult questions in all prouinces whatsoeuer emerging to be referred to the Sea Apostolike How is it like that this was decreed by Caius when as aboue an hundred yeare after ann 420. in the 6. Councell of Carthage where Augustine was present this priuiledge was denied to the sea of Rome and the contrarie concluded that no appeales should bee made thither from forraine countries Plura apud Fox pag. 96. col 2. The epistle of Marcellinus to get more authoritie with the reader is admixed with a great part of S. Pauls