sonne to doe him the uttermost of his service My good deeds saith Austin are thy ordinances and thy gifts my evill onesâ— are my sinnes and thy judgements Theodoret saith The Crownes doe excell the Fights the rewards are not to be comparâ—d with the labours for the labour is small and the gaine great that is hoped for and therefore tâ—e Apostle called those things that are looked for not wages but glory Rom. 8.18 not wages but grace Rom. 6.23 The same Theodoret saith That things eternall doe not answer temporâ—ll labours in equall poyze Saint Hierome saith If wee consider our owne merits we must despaire And againe When the day of judgement or death shall come all hands shall faile because no worke shall bee found worthy of the justice of God Saint Chrysostome speakes very pathetically Etsi millies moriamur Although saith hee wee die a thousand deaths although wee did performe all vertuous actions yet should wee come short by farre of rendring any thing worthy of those honours which are conferred upon us by God Indeed the Lord rewards good workes but this is out of his bounty free favour and grace and not as of desert Rom. 4.4 In giving the Crowne of Immortality as our reward God crowneth not our merits but his owne gifts and when God crowneth our merits that is good deeds hee crowneth nothing else but his own gifts saith Saint Augustine So that God indeed is become our debtour not by our deservingâ— but by his owne gracious promise God is faithfull who hath made himselfe our debtour saith Austin not by receiving any thing from us but by promising so great things to us whatsoever he promised hee promised to them that were unworthy In a word though hee give heaven propter promissum for his promise sake and because hee will bee as good as his word yet it is not propter commissum for any performance of ours This was the doctrine of old but the Rhemists have taken out a new lesson saying That good works are meritorious and the very cause of salvation so farre that God should be unjust if hee rendred not heaven for the same Now by this that hath beene alleadged the Reader may perceive that besides diverse other worthies of these times S. Augustine the honor of this Age agreeth with us in diverse weighty poynts of religion as also in the matter of Gods free grace and justification insomuch as Sixtus Senensis saith Whil'st Saint Austin doth contend earnestly against the Pelagians for the defence of divine grace he doth seeme to fall into another pit and sometimes attributeth too little to Free-will And Stapleton saith tâ—at Austin haply in his disputation against the Pelagians went beyond all goâ—d measure PA. Saint Austin prayed for the dead to wit for his mother Monica desiring God not to enter into judgement with her PRO. What though hee did so the Examples of Christians which sometimes slip into superstition are no rule for to ordâ—r our life or devotion thereby Besides if hee prayed for eternall rest and remission of sinnes to his deceased mother this was not for that hee doubted shee injoyed them not or that he feared shee indured any Purgatory paines but hee sued for the continuation accomplishment and manifestation thereof at the generall resurrection Yea even then when he prayed so hee saith hee believes that the Lord had granted his request to wit that his mother was out of paine and that God had forgiven her her sinnes Which argueth that it was rather a wish than a Prayer proceeding more out of affection to her than any necessity to helpe her by his Prayers who was then as he perswaded himselfe in a blessed estate so that howsoever Saint Austin at first made a kind of prayer for his mother yet a little after as it were repressing himselfe he saith he believeth that shee is in a blessed state The Letters of Charles the great unto our Off a King of Mercia are yet extant wherein he wisheth That intercessions should be made for Pope Adrian then lately deceased not having any doubt at all saith he but that his blessed soule is at rest but that wee may shew our faithfulnesse and love to our most deare friend In a word Saint Austin's prayer was not as Popish prayers now a dayes are made with reference to Purgatory and therefore it makes nothing against us PAP Did not Saint Austine hold Purgatory PRO. That some such thing should be after this life it is not saith he incredâ—ble and whether it be so it may be iâ—quired and either be found or remaine hidden In another place he leaveth it uncertaine Whether onely in this life men suffer or whether there follow some such temporall judgements after this life so that Saint Austine saith it is not incredible and it may be disputed whether it bee so and perhaps it is so words of doubting and not of asleveration but in other places he gives such reasons as overthrow it The Catholike Faith saith he resting upon divine authority believes the first place the kingdome of heaven and the second hell a third wee are wholly ignorant of yea wee shall finde in the Scriptures that it is not Neither speakes he onely of places eternall that are to continue for ever besides he there purposely disputes against Limbus Pucrorum and rejects all temporary places not acknowledging any other third place and elsewhere he saith There is no middle place hee must needes bee with the devill that is not with Christ and againe Where every man 's owne last day finds him therein the world's last day wâ—ll hold him Thus farre Saint Austine according to the Scriptures which acknowledges but two sorts of people Children of the kingdome and children of the wicked faithfull and unfaithfull Mâ—th 13.38 And accordingly two places after this life Heaven and Hell Luke 16.23 Mark 16.16 Neither doth the Scripâ—ure any where mention any temporary fire after this life the fire it speakes of is everlasting and unquenchable and so doth Austine take it and as for that fiâ—e which Saint Paul mentions It is not a Purgatory but a Probatorie fire PA. Master Brerely hath set forth Saint Austines Religion agreeble to ours PRO. The Learned on our side have confuted him and have prooved out of Saint Austines undoubted writings that he agreed with the Church of England in the maine poynts of Faith and Doctrine And so I come from Fathers to Councels and first to the sixth African Councel held at Carthage and another at Milevis both which denied Appeales to Rome Now the case was this Apiarius a Priest of Africa was for his scandalous life excommunicated by Vrban his Diocâ—san and by an African Synod Apiarius thus censured fled to Pope Zozimus who restored him to his place absolved him this he did pretending that some Canon of the Nicen Councell had established Appeales
comparison of God for as Iob saith he charged his Angels with folly Iob 4.18 Yea the heavens are not cleane in his sight Iob 15.15 So that Wickliffes comparison was very fit when he said the Saints were but like troubled waters and them remote and a farre off in respect of God who is the pure well-spring and at hand for as the Psalmist saith The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him yea all such as call upon him faithfully Of Iustification and Merits Chemninitius hath collected a number of sayings out of the Fathers and Schoolemen for proofe of Iustification by faith onely and amongst the rest for this fourteenth Century he produceth the testimonie of Nicholas Lyra. Wickliffe also taught that Salvationâ— that the merit of Christ is able by it selfe to redeeme all mankind from Hell and that this sufficiencie is to be understood without any other cause concurring PAP Master Brereley saith that the Doctrine of Iustification by onely faith was unknowne to Wickliffe Prot. Apol. Tract 2. cap. 2. sect 4. subdivision 2. PROT. By that which hath beene alleadged it appeares it was knowne to him but what if it were not so fully knowne to him Wickliffe was a long time kept in the mist of popery so that he could not by and by discerne the truth in all points we blame him not for that he saw no more we blesse God for it that he saw so much as he did specially in this darke time of the papacie PAP Walden saith that Wickliffe defended Humane Merits PROT. The same Friar saith that the Wiclevists overthrew the point of freewill if they tooke away freewill how held they humane merits D. Iames shewes out of Wickliffes workes that he refuted the doctrine of merit specially in his Commentaries upon the Psalmes where hee beareth downe those proud Pharisees which said that God did not all for them but thinke that their merits helpeth He taught that we are all sinners not onely from our mothers wombe but in our mothers wombe so that we cannot so much as thinke a good thought unlesse Iesu the Angel of the great Councell send it nor performe a good worke unlesse it be properly his good workes His mercie comes before us that wee receive grace and followeth us helping and keeping us in grace he concludes that it is good onely to trust in God was this man a Pelagian Frier Walden would make men beleeve he was one Howsoever there be other of our Countriemen Bradwardine Occham and Holcot men of speciall note in this age who speake excellently in this point Bradwardine in his defence of the cause of God against the Pelagians of his time disputeth this point at large shewing that Merit is not the cause of everlasting reward and that when the Scriptures and Doctors doe affirme that God will reward the good for their good merits or workes Propter did not signifie the cause properly but improperly either the cause of knowing it or the order or the disposition of the subject thereunto Occham saith No act done in puris naturalibus or proceeding from any created cause whatsoever can be meritorious but by the free promise and acceptation of God Holcot saith that our workes have this worth or value in them not naturally as if there were so great goodnesse in the nature or substance of the merit that everlasting life should be due unto itâ— but legallie in regard of Gods ordinance and appointment even as a little peece of copper of it owne nature or naturall value is not worth so much as a loafe of bread but by the ordinance and institution of the Prince it is worth so much Richard Fitzraufe afterward Archbishop oâ— Armagh in Ireland saith that the reward is rendred not for the condignitie of the worke but for the promise and so for the justice of the rewarder Gregorius Ariminensis concludeth peremptorily that no Act of man though issuing from never so great charitie meriteth of condignitie from God either eternall life or yet any other reward whether eternall or temporall and he giveth his reason out of the Apostle 1 Cor. 4.7 quoniam quilibet talis actus est donum dei juxta illud Apostoli 1 Cor. 4. because every such act is Gods gift every such worke is the gift of God and what hast thou that thou hast not received and if thou hast recâ—ived it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it Durand also is most resolute in this point that which is conferred rather out of the liberalitie of the giver than out of the due of the worke doth not fall within the compasse of merit of Condignitie strictly and properly taken But whatsoever we receive of God whether it be grace or glory whether temporall or spirituall good whatsoever good worke we have before done for it yet we râ—ceive the same rather out of Gods liberalitie than out of â—he debt or due of tâ—e worke Therefore nothing at all falleth within the compasse of Merit of Condignitie so taken And the cause hereof is saith he because both that which we are and that which we have whether they bee good acts or good habits or the use of them is wholy in us by Gods liberalitie freely giving and preserving the same Now because none is bound by his owne free gift to give more but the receiver rather is more bound to him that giveth therefore by the good habits and by the good acts or uses which God hath given us God is not bound to us by any debt of Iustice to give any thing more so as if he did not give it he should be unjust but we are rather bound to God And to thinke or say the contrary is rashnesse or blasphemie and yet the Rhemists in their Annotations upon the sixth chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrewes and the tenth verse goe very farre in the contrary THE FIFTEENTH CENTVRIE From the yeare of Grace 1400. to 1500. The Benefit of Printing PAPIST WWhat say you of this fifteenth Age PROT. In this Age knowledge increased by the meanes of Printing which was found out at Strasburg in Germany by one Iohn Guttenburg And indeed the benefit of Printing was great for hereby the languages were divâ—lged bookes were farre easilier now dispersed than formerly the Manuscripts could be and learning and good letters were generally communicated Besides that in this Age God raised up divers Worthies who by their confessions writings and martyrdome witnessed the truth of the Gospell as namely Iohn Husse and Hierome of Prague PA. Were Hus and Hierome men of learning and a godly life and withall were they Martyrs as you would seeme to make them PRO. Indeed they bitterly inveighed against the ambition pride covetousnesse and negligence of the Clergie they urged the necessitie of oftner preaching then was usuall in those times and desired to have the Communion in both kinds according
acts of pietie and devotion without these frivolous Additions Gabriel Biel in his Lectures upon the Canon of the Masse saith That the Saints in Heaven by their naturall knowledge which is the knowledge of things in their proper kinde know no Prayers of ours that are here upon earth neither mentall nor vocall by reason of the immoderate distance that is betwixt us and them Secondly That it is no part of their essentiall beatitude that they should see our prayers or our other actions in the eternall word and thirdly That it is not altogether certaine whether it doe appertaine to their accidentall felicity to see our Prayers At length he concludeth That it may seeme Probable that although it doe not follow necessarily upon the Saints beatitude that they should heare our Prayers of congruitie yet it may seeme probable that God revealeth unto them all those suits which men present unto them By this we see that for the maine Gabriel concludeth that the Saints with God doe not by any power of their owne by any naturall or evening knowledge whatsoever understand our prayers mentall or vocall they and we are dâ—sparted so farre asunder as there can not bee that relation betweene us so that wee might haply call and they not bee Idonei auditores not at hand to heare us Now as learned Master Mountague now Lord Bishop of Chichester saith The Saints their naturall or evening knowledge onely is that which wee must trust unto as being a lonely in their power to use and to dispose and of ordinary dispensation In a word Peter Lombard saith It is not incredible that the soules of Saints heare the prayers of the suppliants Biel saith as we have heard That it is not certaine but it may seeme probable that God reveleth unto Saints all those suits which men present unto them here is nothing but probability and uncertainâ—y nothing whereon to ground our praying to Saints Of Iustification and Merits Trithemius the Abbot who lived in this age complaines that Aristotle and the heathen Philosophers were oftner alleadged in the Pulpit than Saint Peter and Saint Paul and therefore hee disswades his friend Kymolanus from too much study of profane sciences Let us saith hee seeke after true and heavenly wisedome which consisteth in faith onely in our Lord Iesus Christ working by love Cardinall Cusanus in a treatise of his De pace fidei brings in Dialogue-wise Saint Peter and Saint Paul instructing the severall nations of the world Greekes and Arabians the French and the Almanies Tartarians and Armenians and there in that conference hee laboureth to bring them to an agreement In pace fidei in the unity of faith and amongst other things he proves at large That wee are justified only by faith in Christ and not by any merit of our owne workes The doctriâ—e of free Iustification is excellently handled by Savonarola in his meditations upon the fiftieth Psalme which Possevine acknowledgeth to be composed by him whiles hee was in durance the day before hee was led to the stake Vpon occasion of those woâ—ds of the Psalmist They gat not the land in possâ—ssion through their owne sword neither was it their oâ—ne arme that helped them but thy right hand and thine arme and the light of thy countenance because thou hadst a favour unto them Psalm 4â— ver 3.4 â—e sweetly commâ—nteth on this sort Thou â—avâ—uredst them that iâ— they were not saved by their owne merits or workes lâ—st they should glory thâ—â—ein but even because of thy goâ—d will and pleâ—sure Vpon occasion of that Petition of the Lords prayer Forgive as our trespasses hee renounceth all merit of his owne workes and professeth in the words of the Pâ—ophet Esay That all our righteousnesse is as the rags of a menstruous woman Picus Mirandula treating on the same Petition saith it is certaine that wee are not saved for our owne merits but by the onely meâ—cy of our God Gerson taught that wee are not justified by the perfection of any inherent qualitie that all our inherent righteousnesse is imperfect yea that it is like the polluted rags of a menstruous woman that it cannot endure the triall of Gods severe judgement even Esay himselfe with the rest became vile in his owne eyes and pronounceth this lowly confession all our righteousnesse is as filthy rags The Cardinall of Cambray proveth by many reasons and authorities of Scripâ—uâ—e That no act of ours from how great charity soever it proceed can merit eternall life of condignity And whereas God is said to give the kingdome of hâ—aven for good merits or good workes the Cardinall for clearing hereof delivereth us this distinction That the word Propter or for is not to be taken Causally as if good workes were the efficient cause of the reward as fire is the cause of heate but improperly and by way of consequence noting thâ— order of oâ—e thing following oâ— another signifying that the reward is given after the good worke and not but after it yet noâ— for it so that a meritorious act is said to be a cause in respect of the rewâ—rd as Causa sine quâ— non also is said to be a caâ—se though it be no cause properly Thomas Walden professeth plainely his dislike of that saying That a man by his merits is worthy of the kingdome of heaven of this grace or that glory hoâ—sâ—ever certaine schoole-men that they might so spâ—ake had invented the termes of Condignity and Congruity But I repute him saith he the sounder Divine the more faithfull Catholike and more consonant with the holy Scriptures who doth simply deny such merit and with the qualification of the Apostle and of the Scriptures confesseth that simply no man meriteth the kingdome of heaven but by the grace of God or will of the Giver as all the former Saints untill the late Schoole-men and the Vniversall Church hath written Out of which words of Waldens wee may further observe saith the learned and Right Reverend Doctor Vsher Arch-bishop of Armagâ— both the time when and the persons by whom this innovation was made in these later dayes of the Church namely that the late Schoole-men were they that corrupted the ancient doctrine of the Church and to that end devised their new termes of the merit of Congruity and Condignity Paulus Burgensis expounding those words of David Psal. 36.5 Thy mercy O Lord is in heaven or reacheth unto the heavens writeth thus No man according to the common Law can merit by condignity the glory of heaven Whence the Apostle saith in the 8. to the Romans that the sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the future glory which shall be revealed in us And so it is manifest that in heaven most of all the mercy of God shineth forth in the blessed I will close up this point as also this age with that memorable
his realm was subject to the Court of Rome or the Pope and that he had that libertie in his realme that the Emperour had in his Empire Anselme therefore was accused of high treason and being still desirous to goe to Rome the King told him That if hee would promise and sweare neither to goe nor Appeale to Rome for any affaires whatsoever he should then well and peaceably enjoy his Bishopricke if not that it should be free for him to passe the Seas but never to returne as the Monke of Saint Albans reports the matter Now also there arose great contention about the carnall presence of Christ in the Sacrament under Pope Victor and Nicholas the second Hildebrand being the brand that kindled it making Berengarius subscribe to their Tenet That all the faithfull in the Sacrament doe really teare with their teeth the body of Christ which position neverthelesse in these dayes is with them accounted hereticall And to say the truth they really teare the body of Christ who by their ambition doe miserably teare in pieces the Church of Christ. Now to proceede there lived in this Age Fulbertus bishop of Chartres Anselme of Laon Author of the Interlineall Glosse Theophylact Archbishop of the Bulgarians a great follower of Chrysostome and indeed his Epitomizer or Abbreviator and our Anselme Archbishop of Canterbury a man of speciall note in this Age. For as the Monke of Malmsbury reports in the Councel at Barre when the Greekes disputed against Pope Vrban so eagerly against the procession of the Holy Ghost that the Pope was at a Non plus remembring himselfe that Anselme was in the Councel he cried aloud before the whole Councel Pater Magister Anselme ubi es Oh my Father and Master Anselme where are you come now and defend your Mother the Church and when theâ— brought him in presence among them Pope Vrban said Includamus hunc in orbe nostro quasi alterius orbis papam Let us inclose him in our Circle as the Pope of the other world Now also lived Oecumenius Radulphus Ardens and Berengarius And now let us see what these good men and â—â—ue Catholâ—cke witnesses can say to the matter in quâ—stion Of the Scriptures suâ—ficiencie and Canon Saâ—nt Paul saith of the Scriptures that They are able to make us wise unto salvation that the man of God may bee peâ—fited thorowly furnished unto all good workes That the man of God saith Oâ—cumenius may bee not onely partaker after a vulgar manner of every good worke but perfect and compleate by the doctrine of the Scripâ—uâ—e And Anselme in his Commentarie upon this place saith They are able to make thee sufficiently learned to obtaine eternall salvation Petrus Cluniacensis Abbot of Clugin abutting on these times for he was saith Bellarmine of the same standing with Saint Bernard who was borne in this Age â—ut flourished about the yeare 1130 after the recitall of the canonicall bookes saith that There are besides the Authenticall bookes â—ixe others not to be rejected as namely Iudith Tobias Wisdome Ecclesiasticus and the two bookes of Maccabees which though they attaine not tâ— the high dignitie of the former yet they are received of the Church as containing necessary and profitable doctrine Of Communion under both and number of Sacraments Theophylact sharply reproves those who delighted in drinking alone and quaffing by themselves saying to such How dost thou take thy cup alone considering that the dreadfull Chalice is alike delivered unto all The Normans saith Mathew Paris thâ— morning before they fought with Harald strengthned themselves with the body and bloud of Christ. Hildebert B. of Mans â—â—lates and approves that Canon of the Councel of Brachara which condemneth the delivering of the bread sopt in the wine to the Laitie for the whole CoÌ„munion It is the manner saith Hildebert in your monasteries to give the Sacramentall bread to none but dipt in the wine which custome we find is not taken either from the Lords institution nor out of authencall constitutions Now they that misliked the receiving of the bread dipt in wine how would they have beene pleased with a dry feast for of the two it is better to receive the bread dipt in wine than the bread and no wine at all Fulbertus shewes us the way of Christian Religion Is to believe the Trinitie and veritie of the Deitie and to know the cause of his Baptisme and in whom duo vitae Sacramenta the two Sacraments of our life are contained Anselme mentions but two Sacraments common to us under the Gospâ—l as the other were to the Iewes under the law they two and we two two and no more Of the Eucharist In the year 1608 there were published at Paris certaine works of Fulbertus pertaining as wel to the refuting of the heresies of this time for so saith the Inscription as to the clearing of the history of the French Among these things that appertain to the confutatioâ—â—f the heresies of this time there is one specially fol. 168. laid down in these words Vnlesse saith Christ ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his bloud ye shall not have life in you he seemeth to command an outrage or wickednesse It is therefore a figure will the Heretick say requiring us only to communicate with the Lords passion and sweetly and profitably to lay up in our memory that his flâ—sh was crucified wounded for us He that put in these words Dicet Haereticus thought he had notably met with the Hereticks of this time but was not aware that therby he made S. Austin an Hereticke for company for the words alleadged are S. Austins de doctrinâ Christianâ lib. 3. cap. 16. Which some belike having put the publisher in mind of he was glad to put this among his Errata to confesse that these two words Dicet Haereticus were not to be found in the Manuscript copie which he had from Pâ—tavius buâ— telleth us not what we are to think of him that for the countenancing of the Popish cause ventured so shamefully to abuse S. Austin as both the learned Archbishop of Armagh Doctor Vsher and Master Moulin have observed PA. Here is much a doe about a mistake of two words saith our Iâ—suit Maloune PRO. There hath been much a doe ere this about one word the word Deipara whether the blessed Virgin Maâ—y were to be called the mother of God or no great difference raised in the Church touching the Sacrament and all about three prepositions Trans Con and Sub and the greatest stirre that ever was in Gods Church was about one letter it was but one little Iota whilst the Arriansâ—eld â—eld Christ to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the like substance with the Father but denied him to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Consubstantiall of the same substance with the Father Besides was it
a matter of nothing to corrupt the ancient writers Austin or Fulbertus or both or could this Dicet Haereticus in probability be the mistake of the Printer and not rather purposely done by such as could not brooke the truth of that doctrine which Fulbert delivered out of S. Austine But the same Fulbert elswhere in a higher straine tels us of a Spirituall yet reall receiving of Christ saying Hold ready the mouth of thy Faith open the jawes of hope strâ—tch out the bowels of love and take the bread of life which is the nourishment of the inward man Objection Theophylact saith He that eateth me shall live by mee forasmuch as after a sort he is mingled with me and trans-elementated into me or changed into me Answer Theophylact is not of that credit as being but a late writer above a thousand yeares after Christ and therefore farre short of Primitive antiqâ—itie living as Bellarmine saith in his catalogue of Ecclesiaâ—ticke writers about the yeare 1071. Besides transelementaion proveth not transubstantiation for in transubstantiation the matter is destroyed and the quantitie and accidents remaine and in trans-elementation the matter remaineth and the essentiall accidentall formes are altered Objection Yea but Bellarmine alleadgeth Theophylact saying of the Bread that it is trans-elementated into the body of Christ and he useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Answer Theophylact can best tell us his own meaningâ— now the same Theophylact who said that bread was trans-elemenâ—ated into Christs body saith also nos in Christum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we also are trans-elemeÌ„â—ated into Christ that a Christian and faithfull Communicant is in a manner tâ—ans-elementated iâ—to Christ for so his words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— id in cap. 6. Ioan. Nâ—w they will not say that we are transubstantiated into Christ therefore neither doth Theophylact by the word Trans-elementation used of the bread and wine understand any substantiall but onely a Sacramentall change in respect of the use and effect And so I proceed At this time also Berenger Archdeacon of Angiers in France resisted the corporall presence PA. I challenge Berenger PRO. You cannot justly except against him either for his life or his learningâ— In these times saith Platina Odo Abbot of Clunie and Berenger of Tours were of great account for their excellent learning and holinesse of life Sigebert Abbot of Gâ—mbloux saith that Berenger was well skilled in the Liberall arts and an excellent Logician Hildebert Bishop of Mans and afterwards Archbishop of Touâ—s was his Scholler and honoured his deceased master with this Epitaph Vir vere sapiens parte beatus ab omni Qui coâ—los animâ corpore ditat humum Post obitum vivam secùm secùm requiescam Nec fiat melior sors mea sorte suâ He was a man was blest on every part The earth hath his body the heavens his heart My wish shall be that at my end My soule may rest with this my friend PA. What though he opposed the reall presence this was but one Doctors opinion which himselfe brâ—ached without any former Catholicke precedent PRO. That is not so for his country-man Bertram who was a Monke of Corbey Abbey in France opposed the same long before him and Duval a Doctor of Sorbone saith that Amalarius and Ioannes Scotus were Berengers fore-runners The truâ—h is he neither wanted fore-runners nor followers and favourers Sigeberts Chronicle speaking of Berengers Tenet faith That there was much disputation and by many both by word and writing against him and for him Where the learned bishop Vsher observes that the words Et pro eo and for him specially favouring Berengers cause are left out in some Editionâ— but they are to bee found in other authenticke copies and wee may by the way observe that this poynt of carnall presence or the Sacrament Sub Spectebus for so they terme it was but a disputable point pro and contra and no matter of Faith in Berengers dayes Indeed this doctrine was borne downe by the Popes power so that divers durst not make open profession thereof yet privately they imployed both their tongues and pens in defence thereof and some even in a Romane Councel purposely called against Berenger stood in Defence of his figurative sense of the Sacramentall words as appeares by the Acts of the same Councel In a word Mathew of Westminster saith that Berenger had almost drawne all France Italie aâ—d England to his opinion so that the Berengarians did not luâ—ke in any obscure nooke or corner of the world but spread themselves into the famousest parts of Europe PA. Father Parsons saith that Berenger Recanted so that you cannot account him one of your side PRO. Indeed Berenger was called and appeared before divers Councels was questioned and censâ—red by fâ—uâ—e severall Popes and there was a forme of Recantation tendred to him the tenour whereof is this as Gratian hath registred it in his Decrees aftâ—rwards published and confirmed by Pope Gregory the thirtâ—enth I Berengarius doe firmely professe that I hold that the body of Christ is in this Sacrament not onely as a Sacramâ—nt but even in truth is sâ—nsibly handled with the Priests hands and broken and torne with the teeth of the faithfull Now this was such a forme of an Oath as that your owne Glosse saith of it that Vnlesse it be warily understood onâ— may fall into a greater heresie than Berengâ—r did And yet this coâ—poral eating of Christs flâ—sh with the Capernaits in Saints Iobus sixth Chapterâ— and this tearing his body with the Communicants teeth must be understood literally inasmuch as the words were purposely set downe for a formall Recantation and Bellarmine confesseth that There are no formes of speech more exact and proper in phrase concerning the matter of Faith than such as are usâ—d by thâ—m that abjure heresie Againe what though Bâ—renger upon the Clergies importunity through humane frailty were constrained For feare of death as an Historian saith to subscribeâ— and to burnâ— both his owne booke and Scotus his treatise of the Eucharist which had led him into that opinion yet he might still be of the same judgement he was on before And though he Recanted yet heâ—ein he did no more than Saint Petâ—r whose successour the Pope pretends himselfe to be in denying his Mastâ—r no more than Queene Mary who being terrified with her Faâ—hers displeasuâ—e wrote him a letter with her ownâ— hand in which for ever she renounceth the Popâ—s authoritie here in England And though hee was driven for the time to retract yet upon his comming home hee returned to his former Tenâ—t and as one saith who lived about the same time Nec tamen postâ—à dimisit afâ—er that he never changed his opinion In a word â—hough Berenger himselfe were somewhat wavering yet were his Schollers constant insomuch that Malmsburiensis a bitter enemy of theirs saith
the Friars be not liegemen to the King ne subject to his lawes For though they stealen mens Children to enter into their orders it is sayd there goes no law upon them Friars saien apertly that if the King and Lords and other men stonden thus against their begging and other things Friars will goe out of the land and come againe with bright heads and looke whether this be treason or no Friart faynen that though an Abbot and all his Covent ben open traytours yet the king may not take from them an halfe penny Friars also destroyen the Article of Christian faith I beliefe a common or generall Church for they teachen that thâ— men that shall be damned be members of holy Church and thus they wedden Christ and the divel together Friars by hypocrisie binden men to impossible things that they may not doe for they binden them over the commandements of God as they themselves say Friars wast the treasure of the land forgetting Dispensations vaine pardons and priviledges But of the pardon that men usen to day fro the Court of Rome z they have no sikernes that is certainty by holy writ ne reason ne ensample of Christ or his Apostles By this we see that Wickliffe stoutly opposed those Innovatours the Friers who like their successours the Iesuites taught and practised obedience to another Soveraigne than the King persecution for preaching the Gospell exemption of Cleaâ—gy-men the use of Legends in the Church and reading of fables to the people pardons and indulgences the heresie of an accident without a subject singular and blind obedience and lastly workes of Supererogation Now whereas Wickliffe was reputed an Heretike it is likely that this imputation was laid upon him especially by Friars to whose innovations he was a professed enemy PAP Many exceptions are taken against Wickliffe and namely that hee held That God ought to obey the divell PROT. Our learned Antiquary of Oxford Doctour Iames hath made Wickliffes Apology and answered such slanderous objections as are urged by Parsons the Apologists and others Now for the objection made there is neither colour nor savour of truth in it there was no such thing objected to him in the Convocation at Lambeth neither can his adversaries shew any such words out of any booke written by Wickliffe although he wrote very many Indeed wee finde the quite contrary in his workes saith his Apologist for Wickliffe saith That the divel is clepid that is called Gods Angell for he may doe nothing but at Gods suffering and that he serveth God in tormenting of sinfull men The phrase indeed is strange and if either he or any of his Schollers used such speeches their meaning haply was that God not in his owne person but in his creatures yeeldeth obedience to the devill that is sometimes giveth him power over his creatures PAP Wickliffe taught That Magistrates and Masters are not to be obeyed by their subjects and servants so long as they are in deadly sinne PROT. Even as light House-wives lay their bastards at honest mens doores so you falsely father this â—is-begotten opinion on Wickliffe which some of your owne side say belongs to one Iohn Parvi a Doctour of Sorbone And indeed in right it is your owne inasmuch as you upon colour and pretence of heresie in Princes absolve subjects from their Allegeance and raise them up in armes against their lawfull Soveraigne witnesse your bloody massacres in France the death of the two last Henryes in France the untimely death of the Prince of Orange the many attempts and treasons against Queene Elizabeth as also that hellish designe of the Gun-powder treason But supppose Wickliffe said so yet his words might have a tollerable construction to wit that a Prince being in state of mortall sinne ceased to be a Prince any longer he ceased to be so in respect of any spirituall right or title to his place that he could pleade with God if he were pleased to take the advantage of the forfeiture but that in respect of men he had a good title still in the course of mundane justice so that whosoever should lift vp his hand against him offered him wrong Wickliffe indeede admonisheth the King and all other inferiour Officers and Magistrates as elsewhere he doth Bishops That he beareth not the sword in vaine but to doe the office of a King well and truely to see his Lawes rightly executed wherein if hee faile then he telleth him that he is not properly and truely a King that is in effect and operation which words are spoken by way of exhortation but so farre was hee from mutiny himselfe or perswading others to rebellion that never any man of his ranke for the times wherein he lived did more stoutly maintaine the Kings Supremacy in all causes as well as over all persons ecclesiasticall and civill against all usurped and forreine Iurisdiction and one of his reasons was this that otherwise he should not be King over all England but Regulus parvae partis a petty governour of some small parts of the Realme PAP Wickliffe taught that so long as a man is in deadly sinne he is no Bishop nor Prelate neither doth he consecrate or baptize PROT. If Wickliffe said so he sayd no more than the Fathers and a Councell said before him Saint Ambrose saith Vnlesse thou embrace and follow the good-worke of a Bishop a Bishop thou canst not be The Provinciall Councell saith Whosoever after the order of Bishop or Priesthood shall say they have beene defiled with mortall sinne let them be remooved from the foresaid orders The truth is Wickliffe lived in a very corrupt time and this made him so sharpely inveigh against the abuses of the Cleargy but abusus non tollit rei usum and yet Wickliffe writeth against them that will not honour their Prelats And hee elsewhere expresseth his owne meaning that it is not the name but the life that makes a Bishop that if a man have the name of a Prelate and doe not answere the reason thereof in sincerity of doctrine and integrity of life but live scandalously and in mortall sinne that he is but a nomine-tenus Sacerdos a Bishop or Priest in name not in truth Neverthelesse his ministeriall Act may be availeable for thus saith Wickliffe Vnlesse the Christian Priest be united unto Christ by grace Christ cannot be his Saviour nec sine falsitate â—icit verba sacramentalia Neither can he speake the Sacramentall words without lying licèt prosint capacibus Though the worthy receiver be hereby nothing hindred from grace PAP Wickliffe held that it was not lawfull for any Ecclesiasticall persons to have any temporall possessions or property in any thing but should begge PROT. This imputation is untrue for what were the lands and goods of Bishops Cathedrall Churches or otherwise belonging to Religious houses which were given Deo Ecclesiâ— were they