Catholike yea many not a Christian His Maiestie at the first thought the strife about those names not to be materiall whilest he held that which was meant by them which his Maiestie desires to doe and fullie trusts in the mercie of God that he doth But because the common sort of men doe thus interpret that to be depriued of such names is all one as to bee depriued of the things vnderstood by those names therefore hee doth not thinke it wisedome to take no notice of this wrong As concerning the name of Christian there is no strife no controuersie betwixt you and him For neither of your Epistles doth deny this title to be due vnto him The question is then concerning the title of Catholike For after that according vnto your excellent eloquence in your first Epistle you had signified that you acknowledged in the King of Great Britaine the perfect and absolute Idea of the greatest Prince in the end you put this exception if vnto the other gifts of his minde the glorious name of Catholike might bee added and when by his Maiesties commandement it was answered that that title could not be denied to him which acknowledged the three Creeds of the Church Catholike and the foure first generall Councels and which beleeued all things that were beleeued as necessarie to saluation in the foure first ages with this answere in your last accurate and subtile letters you appeared not to be so well satisfied Those letters perswade your selfe that they were not read hastily and cursorily for he read them through and examined the waight of your reasons with wonderfull equitie and gentlenes of minde But whereas after the reading of your answere hee departeth not from his former opinion and yet neuerthelesse by the helpe of Gods grace trusteth he is a true Catholike his Maiestie would haue you know what reasons he hath for this resolution Wherefore most illustrious Cardinall receiue this short answere to your last letters which receiuing from his Maiesties owne mouth I was commanded to comprise in words and to send vnto you I will not now request of you that in the reading of these you would vse such equitie as hee did in the reading of yours I know full well your excellent wisedome and moderation worthie of all praise The whole disputation in your last letters consisteth of two parts In the former part are brought fiue reasons which do illustrate and shew the acception of this thesis in what sense you would haue it taken This thesis Catholici appellatio c. The name of Catholike can be denied to none which admits of the three namely the Apostles the Nicene and the Athanasian Creeds and of the foure first generall Councels the Nicene the Constantinopolitane the Ephesine and that of Chalcedon lastly which beleeues all those things that were thought necessarie to be beleeued to saluation in the first foure ages This thesis in the Kings answere hath the place of the maior proposition The second part of your disputation bringeth in foure instances against the hypothesis or assumption THE FIRST OBSERVATION THe name of Catholike doth not simply signifie faith but also a communion with the Catholike Church Therefore the ancients would not haue them called Catholikes which departed from the communion of the Church albeit they retained the same faith For they said there was but one Church Catholike out of which a man might haue the faith and Sacraments but saluation hee could not haue To this purpose you bring many things out of S. Augustine HIS MAIESTIES ANSVVERE TO beleeue the Catholike Church and to beleeue the communion of Saints are set downe in the Apostles Creed distinctly as two diuers things And the former of these two articles seemes to be inserted especially to the end that a difference might bee made betwixt the Iewish Synagogue and the Christian Church Which was not to bee confined within the bounds of one nation as that was but to be scattered farre and wide thorow all the regions of the world Wherefore there is no manifest reason why in the beginning of this obseruation the name of Catholike should be said to signifie communion Indeed these two are very neere ioyned but they are two diuers things as I haue shewed Now his Maiestie beleeues vnfainedlie that there is but one Church of God truly and in name Catholike or vniuersall diffused ouer the whole world out of which he affirmeth also that no saluation is to be hoped for Hee condemneth and detesteth those which either long since or more lately haue either departed from the faith of the Catholike Church and so become heretikes as the Manichies or from communion and so haue become schismatikes as the Donatists against which two sorts of men chiefly al those things were written by S. Augustine which are brought in this obseruation Likewise his Maiestie commends the wisedome of those godly Bishops which in the fourth Councell of Carthage as is here well obserued did adde vnto the forme of examination of Bishops an interrogation concerning this point Neither is the King ignorant that the fathers of the ancient Church did oftentimes many things by way of condescent pro bono pacis as they ysed to say that is for desire of maintaining vnitie and for feare of breaking mutuall communion Whose example he professeth himselfe readie also studiously to imitate and to follow in the steps of those that follow after peace ad aras vsque to the altars that is as farre as he may considering the state of the Church in these daies with the safetie of a good conscience For hee is as much grieued as any man for the distraction of the members of the Church so much abhorred by the holy Fathers and as earnestly desireth to communicate if it were possible with all that are members of the mysticall bodie of our Lord Iesus Christ Neuerthelesse his Maiestie thinketh that he hath most iust cause to dissent from those which simply without any distinction or exception doe perpetually vrge this communion He acknowledgeth it to be very necessarie and one of the proper notes of the Church yet doth not account it for the true forme of the Church and that which the Philosopher calls the essentiall being His Maiestie hath learned by his reading of the holie Scriptures according to the minde of all ancient fathers that the true and essentiall forme of the Church is this that the sheepe of Christ heare the voyce of their shepheard and that the Sacraments be rightly and lawfully administred namely as the Apostles haue giuen example and those which followed neere to the Apostles times Those Churches which are thus instituted they must needes be linked together by a manifold communion They are vnited in Christ their head who is the fountaine of life whereby all live whom the Father hath chosen to be redeemed by his precious blood and to be rewarded with eternall life They are vnited in the vnion of faith and doctrine in
approue or suffer such things as are now practised and taught For to conclude as long as matters stand thus with you and yet you denie that you haue been the cause of the diuision it were meere doltishnes and follie to imagine any reconciliation amongst the diuided mēbers of the Church The last point in your letters was this that you are able to demonstrate cleerely what good consent there is betwixt the Church of Rome and the seas of the other Patriarches in these points which are now in controuersie But his Maiestie thinketh that you may spare that labour For hee knoweth and so doe others that are desirous to prie into such matters that not the West Church alone but the East also the Churches in the South and North parts of the world haue degenerated farre from the golden sinceritie of former ages and peraduenture further then might seeme possible but that the reuolting from the ancient faith must come to passe of necessitie being foretold by the oracles of God He knoweth also how those nations haue daily heaped ceremonies vpon ceremonies and how for more then these thousand yeeres superstitious men haue been too presumptuous in that kinde But when wee treat of reforming the Church of God the question is not what the East Church or the Moscouites Church doe practise or beleeue but this is the question what the Apostles haue taught from the beginning and what the Catholike Church hath practised in her times and in the ages next following That that is the paterne which the King doth ingenuously and from his heart confesse that he would imitate without all exception Neuerthelesse such as are skilfull in Ecclesiasticall matters they will not grant you this neither that the doctrine of the Romane Church doth agree in all points with that which is taught in the Churches of other Patriarches For to omit your worshipping of Images your fire of Purgatorie your precise obseruation of single life and the infinite power of the Pope euen aboue Councels to say nothing of these and other articles yet it is manifest that in the celebration of the sacred Eucharist the Grecians doe much differ from you Romanes In so much that Marcus the Archbishop of Ephesus speaking of the Romane Masse doth affirme that in matters of greatest moment it is contrarie to the word of God and the ancient Liturgies It is manifestly repugnant saith he to the axpositions and interpretations which wee haue receiued by tradition and to the words of our Lord and to the meaning of those words And of those which defend the Romane rites concerning this matter the same Marcus pronounceth that they deserue to be pitied both in regard of their double ignorance and their profound sottishnesse But thus much is enough for this present Now you haue heard most Illustrious Cardinall the reasons wherefore his excellent Maiestie of great Britaine after the reading of your letters doth neuerthelesse trusting in the mercie of God beleeue and maintaine that he and his Church are Catholike Who if he were not inflamed with an infinit desire of furthering the publique peace or if he supposed that you were otherwaies affected he would haue spared the labour of this answere Especially because his Maiestie calling to minde the daily writings and practises of your men is now as I said before stedfastly perswaded that through their dealings there remaine no meanes or hope of reconciliation For they are resolued to defend all and not to grow better or by the serious reformation of things depraued to winne the mindes of the godly In which resolution as long as they persist and will not yeeld one iot to antiquitie and truth his Maiestie professeth once for all that he regardeth them not neither will hee euer haue any communion with the Church of Rome So his Maiestie humbly prayeth to our Lord Iesus Christ that he would vouchsafe to direct those excellent gifts of minde which he hath plentifully bestowed vpon you to the honour of his name and the benefit of his Church And I humbly take my leaue of your Honour London 9. of Nouember MDCXI Faults escaped Pag. 4. lin 14. reade with no lesse pag. 9. lin 14. for token reade hope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iohn 10. 3. Ephes 3. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Tim. 3. 15 2. Cor. 6. 15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De Pace Orat. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Oratione habita in Concil Constantin Apoc. 18. 4. Matth. 5. 14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non fugimus sed fugamur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 9. 27 Laconicas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iob. 3. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 7. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccl. 7. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philip. 2. 7. Mat. 11. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
THE ANSVVERE OF MASTER ISAAC CASAVBON to the Epistle OF THE MOST ILLVSTRIOVS and most reuerend Cardinall PERON Translated out of Latin into English May 18. 1612. LONDON Printed by FELIX KYNGSTON for VVilliam Aspley 1612. TO SIR THOMAS EDMONDS HIS MAIESTIES Legier in France ISAAC CASAVBON wisheth Health HOnourable Sir the importunate curiositie of men hath at length ouercome my purpose which would not suffer neither this answere nor the Epistle that gaue the occasion of it to keepe priuate with other scroles in the desks of the owners As for me how vnwilling I haue been from the beginning and euer since to haue it published both you well know and others of worth can witnesse who haue earnestly requested that of me yet did not preuaile But now seeing so great a man forced to yeeld vnto other mens desire let none marueile that I also haue done the same And although this Answere was not written to the end that it should be published yet if they into whose hands it shall come be equall and moderatly minded not seruile to affections there will proue no cause I trust that I should repent of publishing it or they of reading it It shall be knowne to honest men and such as be desirous of publike agreement amongst Christian people as I haue obserued the most to be on both sides that are good men and intelligent in matters Diuine that they haue his excellent Maiestie of GREAT BRITAINE ioyning with them in their most holie wish yea with most earnest desire Who although he haue iust cause to be perswaded that his words his writings his actions heretofore haue made manifest to the whole Christian world the excellencie of his minde in this behalfe yet he thought good not to despise this occasion happened also of declaring the same Who is there so void of al sense of piety which doth not embrace and admire this affection in so mightie a Prince Who so sauage and barbarous as otherwaies to interpret it or to make doubt whether this answere of the King did proceed from a vehement desire of concord Religious and wise men shall further vnderstand what manner of peace and concord in the Church this most pious Prince wisheth and vpon what termes and conditions his Maiestie is readie to make couenant For this answere is tempered with such moderation that the zealous endeuour by all good meanes to make vp peace appeareth not to be inferiour to the Zealous endeuour of defending the truth And this surely is the Kings opinion this his firme sentence that it is but vaine for such men to thinke or talke of the peace of the Church which are not afraid to separate and disioyne this celestiall chariot which ought in no wise to be discoupled That in vaine therefore doe they vaunt of the truth of their opinion who maliciously interpreting all the sayings of other men and deducting thence such absurd consequences as they list giuing bad example of such peruerse industrie doe proue themselues destitute of charitie which is the mother of vnitie That in vaine also doe they vsurpe the golden names of Charitie and Vnitie which are not willing to admit of Truth which is the foundation of pietie that is sincere It was of old excellently spoken by S. Hilarie Beautifull is the name of peace saith he and faire is the opinion of vnitie but who may doubt that that only is the peace of the Church which is the peace of Christ The peace of Christ which alone is taught by this most holy father to bee approued off in the Church it is that by which the doctrine of Christ which he taught his Apostles and his Apostles taught the primitiue Church doth remaine safe defenced and vnshaken Let those to whom it belongeth who challenge the principall places in the Church offer vnto his Maiestie such a peace and straightway the discord is ended Let them ingeniously and faithfully separate humane matters from diuine things superstitious from things religious nouelties and late-borne deuices from such matters as be truly ancient lastly the nothing or lesse necessarie from the necessary and I say againe and I crie aloud that all may heare on his Maiesties part and for the Church of England the discord is at an end Now to come vnto so great a benefit there lieth but one Kings streete as it were which from the entrance of the Church hath been beaten by our ancestors namely the free celebration of a Generall Councell wherein the complaints of all Nations may be heard wherein controuersies may be determined and peace for the time ensuing by Gods mercie bee established For the rooting of bad opinions out of mens mindes and for the reconciliation of nations diuided by dissention the Church in all ages knew no other course but this nor vsed other but this they vsed not violence nor armes But seeing by reason of the generall sinnes of vs all there appeares no hope of a Generall Councell yet it would be some ease of this euill if the great libertie or rather vnbridled licence of daily writing and publishing bookes of Diuinitie were by seuere lawes on both sides restrained For now what hope can remaine when throughout all Europe euery where euer now and then new writers come abroad such as be readie to powre oyle into the fire rather then by casting on water to extinguish the flame Gregorie Nazianzen that admirable Diuine could not endure in the men of his time the curiositie in disputing of diuine matters and in diuers places of his writings hee affirmes that the only cause almost of the euils which that age suffered not vnlike to ours now adaies was this because men void of Gods spirit commonly and promiscuously did dispute of spirituall things and conuert Theologie into technology that is make no other vse of Diuinity but as a matter of learned or artificiall discourse as they talke of other arts and sciences out of humane reason From this licence which now almost euery where beareth sway rise so many new tearmes and such diuersitie of formes of speech and sentences which daily more and more breed dissention in the Church of God Away then with this libertie of prophecying which is so pleasing vnto some of these times if they vnderstand thereby a licence of broaching new deuices and departing from the doctrine which hath been receiued by consent of all men in the ages of the primitiue Church What should I tell here of those vnsauourie and vnlettered writers which are scarcely perfit in the first elements of Christian religion which daily come foorth of those places especially where without any difference made of good or euill demeanours without respect of knowledge or ignorance to the hurt of the common good rewards are propounded vnto any one that being growne impudent can set out a booke against the aduerse part though it be full of rage and emptie of all learning But what good can be hoped for from such as make
such chiefe points as are necessarie to saluation For there is but one sauing doctrine there is but one way to heauen They are vnited in coniunction of mindes in true charitie and the duties of charitie especially of mutuall prayers Lastly they are vnited in the communion of one hope and expectation of promised inheritance knowing that before the foundations of the world they were predestinate I speake of the elect to be fellow heires and of the same bodie and partakers of the promise of God in Christ through the Gospell as saith the diuine Apostle Yet his Maiestie addes further that the same Church notwithstanding if any member thereof depart from the rule of faith will more esteeme of the loue of truth then the loue of vnitie He knowes that the supreme lawe in the house of God is the sinceritie of celestiall doctrine which if any man forsake he forsakes Christ which is Truth it selfe hee forsakes the Church which is the pillar and establishment of truth and by this meanes ceaseth to appertaine vnto the body of Christ With such Apostates a true Catholike neither will nor can communicate for what concent betwixt Christ and Belial Wherefore the Church will flie from communion with these and wil say with Greg Nazianzen that disagreement for godlinesse is better then ill affected concord Neither will he doubt if need be to say with the same blessed father that there is a holy contention Now that such a necessarie separation should sometimes be in the Church both wee are taught in other places of holie Scripture and that admonition also of the holie Ghost not without cause giuen to the Church doth openly declare saying Goe out of Babylon my people lest you communicate with her sinnes What that Babylon is whereout the people of God are commanded to depart the King disputes not in this place nor affirmes hee any thing concerning it yet thus much the matter it selfe doth plainly shew that whether some priuate Church be vnderstood in that place by the name of Babylon or the greater part of the whole it was before this a true Church with which the religious might religiously communicate but after it was more depraued the religious are commanded to goe out and to breake off communion Whereby it may be easilie vnderstood that not all communion with those that be called Christians is to bee desired of the faithfull but that only which may stand with the integritie of doctrine reuealed from heauen Now to come neerer to the purpose his Maiestie denies those places of S. Augustine to belong at all to him For he affirmes that all those testimonies doe euince this only that there remaines no token of saluation for them which depart from the faith of the Catholike Church or from communion with the same Church Which thing as I said before the King willingly grants But here his Maiestie desires of you most illustrious Cardinall that you would call to minde and perpend what great difference there is betwixt the times of S. Augustine and these of ours How much the Church now called Catholike differs from the ancient how the face of the Church is changed and the outward forme to say nothing of the inward For then the Church Catholike was like a citie seated vpon an hill which as Christ saith cannot be hid knowne to all conspicuous and certaine whereof no sound minde could make question Which was not as the foolish Donatists prated lying I know not where in the South driuen into some corner of the world but diffused farre and wide thorow the whole earth flourishing vnder the Emperours whose dominion extended from the East to the West and from North to South You might see the Bishops of the East and West daily communicating and when need required assisting one another For that which is written in the Constitutions of Clement that the Catholike Church is the charge of all the Bishops and by that meanes that euery one is an Oecumenicall Bishop we wonder now when we reade it neither can wee beleeue it which then daily practise did shew to be most true and may easily be demonstrated out of historie by infinit examples There were then also in frequent vse literae formate that is demissatie or testimoniall letters by commerce whereof and as it were by tokens communion was held amongst the members of the Church although farre remoued by distance of place Furthermore when it stood in neede they had Councels truly Occumenicall not as since we haue seene Occumenicall in name only but indeed assembled out of some Prouinces of Europe And in those ancient times this was the fastest bond whereby all the members of the Catholike Church were knit together in the ioynture of one bodie which bodie was for that cause very eminent conspicuous and in the faire view of all which no man could chuse but know There was one faith one state one body Catholike frequent mutuall visitation wonderfull consent of all the members a wonderfull sympathie Was any man lapsed by heresie or schisme from the communion of any one Church I speake not of any one of the chiefe which were the seates of the foure Patriarchs but of any one much smaller that man as soone as it was knowne was held to be excluded from the communion of the whole Catholike Church For whereas wee meete with some examples obserued to the contrarie that was not right but vsurpation Was any man bold to corrupt the truth a little by being of another opinion it was easie euen for a child to deprehend him Wherefore such a steale-truth being once discouered all the shepheards of the whole world if need was were raised and were neuer quiet vntill they had rooted out this euill and prouided for the securitie of Christs sheepe By these signes and markes the Church at that time was conspicuous but this happinesse continued not many ages For after that the Empire was ouerturned and the forme of the Common-wealth altered there sprung vp many new states differing as well in manners and language as in ordinances and lawes Then vpon the distraction of the Empire followed the distraction of the Catholike Church and by little and little all those things ceased which had been before of singular vse for the preseruation of vnion and communion in the outward Catholike bodie of the Church From that time the Catholike Church hath not ceased to be for it shall continue euer neither shall the gates of hell at any time preuaile against it seeing it is founded vpon Christ the true rock and vpon the faith of Peter and the rest of the Apostles but it began to be lesse manifest being diuided into many parts which as touching externall communion were quite separated from one another Then which is chiefly to be lamented it came to passe by this dissipation that there was lesse strength in the parts then before in the whole bodie to resist the enemie of mankind who is
readie at al times as our Sauiour teacheth to scatter tares amongst the good seede And considering in these times wee see with our eyes that this is come to passe and it is so grosse that wee may almost grope it with our hands it is ridiculous and most absurd to dispute whether this thing could heretofore happen or hath now happened Therefore the Church of Rome the Greek Church the Church of Antioch and of Aegypt the Abyssine the Moschouite and many others are members much excelling each other in sinceritie of doctrine and faith yet all members of the Catholike Church whose ioynture in regard of the outward forme was long since broken For which cause his Maiestie doth much wonder when hee considers how some Churches which heretofore were but members of the bodie once entire doe now ingrosse all the right of the whole and appropriate to themselues the name of Catholike excluding from their communion and affirming boldly that they belong not to the Catholike Church whosoeuer doe dissent from them in anything or refuse the yoke of their bondage Neither do you only challenge to your selues this right there are others that do the same For his Maiestie speakes it with griefe there are at this day many priuate Churches which beleeue that they onely are the people peculiar which they call the Church Giue them that strength which the Church of Rome hath and they shall doe the same with her and pronounce of all others as hardly as she doth What shall wee say are there not sundrie sects now adaies which are certainly perswaded that they only haue insight into the Scriptures and as the Poet saith that they only are wise that all others walke like shadowes It is true indeed that in euery age there were conuenticles of sectaries and dissemblies which did boast themselues of the Catholike Church and by this prouocation did allure many vnto them but it is the peculiar and famous calamitie of these latter times that the Catholike Church vnto which of necessitie a man must adhere either really and actually or at the least in will and vow is become lesse manifest then it was of old lesse exposed to the eyes of men more questionable and doubtfull For which cause his excellent Maiestie thinketh that he ought more carefully in such a deluge of variable opinions to betake himselfe to the mountaines of the sacred Scripture and as S. Augustine gaue counsell to the Donatists to seeke the Church of Christ in the words of Christ And so S. Chrysostome both elsewhere and of purpose in his 33. Homilie vpon the Acts of the Apostles handling the question How the true Church might be discerned amongst many Societies which challenge to themselues that name teacheth that there be two meanes of deciding that question first the word of God and secondly antiquitie of doctrine not inuented by any new author but alwaies knowne from the birth and beginning of the Church These two trials the King and Church of England embracing doe auouch that they acknowledge that doctrine onely for true and necessarie to saluation which flowing from the fountaine of sacred Scripture through the consent of the ancient Church as it were a conduit hath been deriued vnto these times Wherefore to make an end of this obseruation his Maiestie answeres that it is faultie many waies and cannot stand with the hypothesis propounded Because saith he the Church of England is so farre from forsaking the ancient Catholike Church which she doth reuerence and admire that she departeth not from the faith of the Church of Rome in any point wherein that Church agreeth with the ancient Catholike If you question the succession of persons behold the names of our Bishops and their continuance from the first without any interruption if the succession of doctrine come make triall let vs haue a free Councell which may not depend vpon the will of one The Church of England is readie to render an account of her faith and by demonstration to euince that the authors of the reformation here had no purpose to erect any new Church as the ignorant and malicious doe cauill but to repaire the ruines of the old according to the best forme and in their iudgement that is best which was deliuered by the Apostles to the Primitiue Church and hath continued in the ages next ensuing His Maiestie grants that his Church hath departed from many points of that doctrine and discipline which the Pope of Rome now stifly defendeth but they doe not thinke this to be a reuolting from the Catholike Church but rather a returning to the ancient Catholike faith which in the Romane Church by new deuices hath been manifoldly and strangely deformed and so a conuersion to Christ the sole Master of his Church Wherefore if any man grounding vpon the doctrine of this obseruation will inferre from it that the Church of England because it reiects some ordinances of the Romane hath therefore departed from the ancient Catholike Church his Maiestie will not grant him this vntill he prooue by sound reasons that all things taught by them of Rome especially those which they will haue to be beleeued as necessarie to saluation were allowed of from the beginning and established by the ancient Catholike Church Now that no man can euer doe this at least neuer yet hath done it his Maiestie and the reuerend Bishops of the English Church doe hold it to be as cleere as when the Sunne shineth at mid-day Lastly his Maiestie thinketh it a great offence to forsake the Church but hee vtterly denieth that hee or his Church are guiltie of this crime For saith his Maiestie we depart not voluntarily but we are driuen away And your Honour well knoweth how many and how excellently learned and godly men for these fiue hundred yeeres at the least haue wished the reformation of the Church both in the head and members What grieuous complaints haue been often heard of worthie Kings and Princes lamenting the estate of the Church in their times But what auailed it for vnto this day we see not any one thing amended of all those which were thought most needfull of reformation Wherefore the Church of England in this separation feareth not any fellowship with the Donatists if the matter be debated by ingenuous men They willingly and without cause left the Catholike Church which at that time the consent of all nations did approue whose doctrine or discipline they could not blame but England being enforced by great necessitie separated her selfe from that Church which innumerable Christian people did not grant to be the true Catholike and vniuersall Church nay more which many of your owne writers haue heretofore ingenuously confessed to haue varied much from the ancient Church in matters of faith and discipline to haue patched many new things to the old and euill to the good which indeed is now better knowne to the vniuersall world then that any man can denie or be ignorant
man say you desire to haue issue Againe soone after when you declare the necessitie of approbation you reckon the choice of liuing in virginitie or single life which things when his Maiestie read he disallowed them not yet he thought that vnto both examples something might conueniently be added for vpon the former it seemes to follow that there is no other necessarie cause of mariage saue hope of issue But the Apostle S. Paul doth teach vs in expresse tearmes that they also are bound to prouide for mariage which want the gift of continence If they containe not saith he let them marrie This addition is of no small moment For who knoweth not what occasion is daily ministred in the Church of Rome of many and horrible crimes through the contempt of this Apostolike rule through the neglect of this necessarie remedie Wherefore in continent persons his Maiestie exceedingly commenceth the liuing in the estate of virginitie or single life and being by the singular mercie of God more familiarly acquainted with the sacred Scripture then most Princes are bee knoweth S. Pauls sentence of the whole matter and the examples extant in both Testaments and the rewards proposed to them that containe But wheras your Diuices doe commonly teach especially the Doctors of the Canon Law that fornication whoredome and other foule sinnes not to be named are more tollerable in Ministers of the Church then lawfull mariage and the bed vndefiled that his Maiestie accounteth a most detestable crime and most worthie of the hatred of God and men His Maiestie opposeth against all the cauils of Sophisters yea against all humane authoritie whatsoeuer that oracle of the holy Spirit pronounced by the mouth of the Apostle It is better to marrie then to burne For as a wise Captaine ought to be more afraid of receiuing ouerthrow or losse to himself then of weakning his enemie so in the election of a mans life whether he would lead it maried or single his Maiestie thinks that godly men ought in the first place to decline the transgression of Gods law and then on Gods name if any man haue the power let him vse that benefit of nature It is a thredbare cauill that England is not a lawfull Church because here wanteth the practise of such vowes But what can the want of vow hinder as long as wee are not destitute of that which is vowed For here are many Bishops and other Pastors of the Church who without ostentation of vow do abstaine from mariage and yet leade their liues chastly and saintly without any taint of common sinister report Moreouer for the Monasteries themselues his Maiestie as he is most earnestly affected vnto pietie and goodnesse would not haue dissolued them or not all of them as I haue heard him often protest if he had found them vncorrupted and obseruing the Canons of their first institution But his excellent Maiestie often wisheth that the Tridentine Fathers which could not bee drawne by the entreaties of great Kings and Princes to prouide for publike honestie on this behalfe would consider with themselues from what fountaine this doctrine did flow For whereas at the first single life was placed amongst profitable orders and counsels afterwards vowes were annexed at length men came to this absolute necessitie which now raigneth amongst you the law of God being abandoned and most vilely disgraced Now whereas in the end of this obseruation it is added that they which allow of some and reiect other of those things which the ancient Church beleeued as necessarie to saluation although vnder diuers kindes of necessitie haue no reason to affirme that they retaine the same faith and discipline with the ancient Catholike Church his Maiestie well enough perceiueth the drift of that speech He answereth therefore that he wil not extol his own Church by comparing it to a glasse without spot or to a face perfectly faire without wrinkle or blemish he leaueth such Pharasaisme to others Yet that this he knoweth euidently that if question be made concerning the essentiall markes of the Church or if you looke at those things which are plainly necessarie to saluation or respect order and decencie in the Church you shall not finde a Church in the whole world God be praised for it more approching to the faith and fashion of the ancient Catholike His Maiestie excepts none no not the Church of Rome which by new inuentions deuised for increase of superstition and for the establishing of her dominion ouer Princes and people hath manifestly turned and changed the faith and discipline of the ancient Catholike and swarued infinitly in many things from the puritie and simplicitie of the primitiue Church THE FOVRTH OBSERVATION WHen question is made touching the faith of the ancient Church there be same which doe limit antiquitie within one or two ages after the Church was founded but it standeth with equitie for examination of the controuersies of these daies to insist vpon that time wherein al parties grant that the Church was not only a true Church but then also most florishing and possessed of that glory brightnes which the oracles of so many Prophets had promised And that is the time wherein the foure first generall Councels are included from Constantine the Emperour vnto Marcion And there is the more equitie in this because there be so few monuments extant of the former ages but very many of this time wherein the Church florished So that the faith and discipline of the ancient Catholike may easily be knowne out of the writings of the Fathers of that age HIS MAIESTIES ANSVVERE THis condition will seeme vnreasonable to them which would haue the vniuersall historie of the primitiue Church concluded within the Acts of the Apostles which is but one little though most sacred and diuine book The most equall and prudent King is farre from this opinion who in his Monitorie Epistle hath ingenuously declared how highly he esteemeth of the Fathers which liued in the fourth and fifth age Neither doth his Maiestie doubt to pronounce with S. August that look what the Church hath duly obserued from her first originall vnto those times and for any man to offer to reiect that as impious it is a point of most insolent madnes For his Maiestie heretofore hath vnfainedly protested that hee approoueth of those markes of truth giuen by Vincentius Lirinensis à principio vbique semper that is from the beginning euery where and euer Wherefore the King and the Church of England in that they admit of the foure first generall Councels therein they sufficiently declare that they conclude not the time of the true and lawfull Church within the compasse of one or two ages but that they extend it much further comprising the time of Marcion the Emperor vnder whom the Councell of Chalcedon was kept But whereas in this obseruatiō you more esteeme the times after Constantine then the times going before that his Maiestie thinketh somewhat strange and indeed
need then the people of old time For the ancient Doctors vrged euery one to reade the Bible diligently in their houses which now vnder paine of excommunication they are forbidden to touch vnlesse they obtaine a dispensation So that the sacred word of God I tremble to speake it hath now the first place in the catalogue of bookes prohibited His Maiestie knoweth that amongst you there may be found some Bibles translated into vulgar languages but the English Priests at Do way which turned the Scripture into English haue taught him thus much that you were constrained against your willes to make those translations importunitate haereticorum by the importunitie of the heretikes as they of Do way speake For it is heresie with these men to be desirous to reade the word of God with sobrietie and reuerence Neither is his Maiestie ignorant when Renatus Benedictus Priest translated the Bible into French how the Popes of Rome troubled him for that fact and how by their letters they commanded the Bishop of Paris to endeuour that all the French translations might be extorted from the people Which without faile they had effected if there had been no Protestants in France His Maiestie hath read of late also in a booke of a certaine English Pontifician Priest that prayers vttered in an vnknowne tongue haue a kinde of greater efficacie in them then if they were vnderstood Which senselesse dotage was an old heathnish conceit and is not the singular follie of this Priest alone So the Valentinian heretikes did vse Hebrew names in their superstitious mysteries that they might amaze the ignorant multitude and as Eusebius speaketh in the fourth part of his Historie the more to astonish those that were initiated in their superstitions The second abuse is the diminishing of the holie Sacrament contrarie to the institution of Christ the example of S. Paul and the practise of the Church for the space of one thousand yeeres at least as Cassander a learned man confesseth In the third place are priuate Masses where are no communicants I haue said before that these things had their beginning from that peruerse doctrine concerning the sacrifice in the Christian Church Restore vs the ancient faith and the ancient practise In the fourth place his Maiestie obiecteth the present vse and adoration of Images The Councell of Trent confesseth an abuse and the Romane Catechisme giueth some profitable admonition on this behalfe But what are we the better the abuse remaineth it is approued maintained and encreaseth daily His Maiestie omitteth the adoration and inuocation of Saints which as it is now practised neither can nor ought to be excused He omitteth also the religious adoration of reliques which at this day is taught and commanded as a thing necessarie or at least very profitable to saluation Beside the intollerable absurditie as when false or ridiculous reliques are obtruded as the teares of Christ and the milke of our Ladie and such like Hee omitteth the licentious boldnes of your preachers when they stray from the word of God who ought to bee restrained from propounding any doctrine to the people as necessarie to saluation which is not drawne out of the diuine oracles and agreeable to the ancient faith For that is the wholesome doctrine which the Apostle so often commendeth If there were such a restraint many things now practised in the Church of Rome would fall downe of their owne accord As the doctrine of Indulgences as that foppish deuice of the intensiue paines in Purgatorie by vertue of which intension many thousand yeeres are contained in one minute as those battologiae or idle repetition of heedlesse prayers vnpleasing to our Sauiour as he himselfe witnesseth Then it would no longer be accounted great merit to repeate the Rosarie or other prayers and Psalmes twentie or fiftie or an hundred times If these and such like impediments were remoued religious men should peraduenture finde no iust cause to abstaine from your communion There is another thing which his Maiestie thought good not to omit which is written in the end of your Epistle that you will be silent concerning the Pope of Rome because it is manifest to those which haue but meane skill in Ecclesiasticall historie that the Fathers of the first ages the Councels and Christian Emperours in all businesse appertaining to religion and the Church gaue him the preheminence and acknowledged him the chiefe That this is all for this point which your Church requireth to be beleeued as an article of faith by those whom you receiue into communion To this his Maiestie maketh answere and appealing to your owne vnpartiall minde he desireth you to consider the actions of Romane Bishops for almost seuen hundred yeeres past He is loth to stirre the remembrance of things noisome yet gladly would hee haue you know that hee is most certaine of this that the late Bishops of that sea are so vnlike vnto the ancient Popes in sinceritie of faith in manner of life and in the whole course and end of their gouernment that it is altogether vniust things being in this state to draw arguments from the former ages and applic them to this present time Let the forme of the ancient Church be restored and many new lawes heretofore not heard of be abolished In briefe let the Bishop of Rome declare euidently by his actions that he seeketh Gods glorie not his owne that he hath a care of the peace and saluation of his people then his Maiestie as he hath protested before in his Monitorie Epistle will acknowledge his primacie and be willing to say with Gregorie Nazianzen that he hath the care of the whole Church But at this time what the Church of God especially Kings and Princes ought to thinke concerning that sea his Maiestie dare referre it to your owne iudgement to determine For you know what a number of books come abroad daily from Rome and almost all the corners of Europe in defence of the Popes temporall power or rather omnipotencie his dominion and monarchie ouer all the Kings and people of the whole earth You know that Cardinall Bellarmine hath of late written concerning that argument and soone after the death of Henry the Great hath been bold to publish that which all honest men of your owne side doe detest I say all honest men for the complices of that conspiracie doe heartily embrace and to their power defend it as an oracle from the mouth of the Pope which cannot erre Wherefore the Iesuits of Ingolstade in a booke lately published against Master Iohn Gordon the Deane of Salisburie a man nobly borne and very learned doe cite testimonies out of this booke of the Cardinals as if it were the constant opinion and consent of all Catholikes But I desire your Honour to consider whether the ancient Church euer did the like to this and what will be the issue of this madnesse Consider into what danger of vtter ruine they bring the Church of Christ which doe