that hee erred in the faith the words of the Lord are not in vaine That the gates of Hell shall not preuaile against the Church The piety and integrity of Religion may be firmely preserued in other Bishops It is then manifest that it is not peculiar to the Roman Church to bee founded vpon this stone for that should be hard and grieuous and not far differing from the Iewes basenesse to inclose the Church within Rome Well then Christ hath built his Church but he builded it vpon the faith and doctrine of Peter and vpon those that shal be keepers and obseruers of such a confession And if Saint Agathon affirmed that his Church to wit that of Rome neuer erred from the truth it is no wonder for it is because that indeed very seldome she falleth from the faith Otherwise how should a man interpret this place of Scripture All are gone out of the way they are al corrupt there is none that doth good no not one Moreouer when he saith that the Church of Rome is not stayed from the way of truth he speaketh of the time past and doth not include the time to come and that which is to bee noted Agathon spake that before the sixt Synode Theuet The Patriarch of Ierusalem as I haue seene did excommunicate out of the body of their Church the which they hold from al antiquity aswel the pope of Rome as also all Christian Princes to wit those of the Roman Church because that they are seperated from the Greeke Church the which receiued the Gospell before the Latine Church Villamont The Syrians doe boast themselues to be the first Christians of the world because that Saint Peter had his seate seauen yeares in Antioch before that euer he went to Rome which is the reason that the Syrians would neuer submit themselues to the Church of Rome Theuet The Christians of Traprobane and the Ilands neare thereunto doe not acknowledge nor their fathers did neuer acknowledge the popes Cardinalles or prelates of Rome Also the Nestorians and other Indians doe call the Pope a Bishop vnapproued Sacranus The Ruthenians and Moscouites doe say that the Pope is an Hereticke and doe excommunicate him and his Clergy at such times as they do celebrate the Lords supper THE SOVTH CHVRCH ALuares Prester-Iohn calling to remembrance that I had said that the Church had drawn these things that is to say the ceremonies of the Masse out of the passion he demaunded of me what was this Church and wherefore haue we two chiefe heads in Christendome the one at Constantinople in Greece and the other at Rome in Italy vnto whom I made answere that we acknowledged no more then one Head of the Church and although Constantinople was the chiefe in the beginning yet the same now was abolished for that the head of the Church ought to be where Saint Peter dwelleth because that Iesus Christ tolde him Tues Petrus super hanc petram c. And then when Saint Peter was in Antioch the Church was there by reason that the chiefe head was then there resident the which being now come to Rome there was the Ecclesiasticall Iudge established and so firmely placed that it remaineth there vntil this present Moreouer he told me then that I yeelded sufficient reason for the Church of Rome but hee asked me what I could say of the Church of Constantinople which was planted by St. Marke and of that of Greece whereof Saint Iohn Patriarch of Alexandria was head Annot. The reason of this great King is the very same with the Grecians in the controuersie against some Cardinals in these wordes If that your Roman Church be the chiefe and mother of the other Churches by reason that Saint Peter was her Pastor it is more reason that Antioch should obtaine these titles because she first embraced and receiued his preaching from thence it commeth that Antioch is called Theopolis the citie of God or else that Church of Ierusalem which obtained the great and Soueraigne Sacrificer who preached and offered himselfe a Sacrifice therein The vniuersall Histories of the Indies made mention that the Pope sent Ouiedo a Spaniard to drawe the Abyssins or Aethiopians to acknowledge the Romane Church but the Emperour Claudius of Ethiope then raigning chased him away and Ouiedo was compelled to hide himselfe THE REFORMED CHVRCH OF THE WEST THE confession of Wittenberg Wee beleeue and confesse that the Church ought to expound the Scripture but there are diuers opinions concerning the Church that is to say where it must be sought for and whether her iurisdiction be inclosed within certain limits Now wee doe thinke according to the holy Scripture and the holy Fathers that the Catholike and Apostolike Church is not tyed to any one certaine place to one nation or to one sort of people but that it is in that place and with those nations where the Gospell is sincerely preached The confession of the Swizers We doe condemne the Donatists which would inclose the Church in a corner of Affrica and we approue not the Clergie of Rome who attribute the name of Catholike onely to the Romane Church Annot. The Diuines of Tubinge in their letters doe call the Patriarch of Constantinople Oecumenicke and haue sought the Vnion of the East Churches THE CATHOLIKE ROMAN CHVRCH POpe Pelagius Although that all the Catholicke and Apostolike Churches established through the vniuersall world are a nuptiall bedde of Christ Neuerthelesse the holy Roman Church was not preferred before the other Churches by any constitutions of councels but rather obtained the Primacy from the holy words of our Lord. The Church of Rome is therefore the first Sea of the Apostle Peter she hath no spot or wrinkle or any such thing but in these things the higher her degree is the greater is her authoritie for the greater haue the power to commaund and the lesser are to yeelde obedience ANNOTATION SAint Peter ought to be considered foure manner of wayes first in the quality of an Apostle sent by God immediately as such a one that had no successor In the second place as an Apostle simply hauing charge to plant many Churches in such manner S. Marke and other Euangelistes their Substitutes which also are called Apostles were his Successors In the third place as a Bishoppe and President in euery Church where he was that is to say in Antioch Rome Ierusalem as Euodias did succeede him in Antioch Clement in Rome S. Iames the Apostle and S. Simeon in Ierusalem Fourthly S. Peter is to be considered as Primate in the Catholike Church in such manner S. Iohn the Apostle entirely beloued of the Lord succeeded him hauing out-liued S. Peter fiue and twenty or thirty yeares Moreouer that S. Iohn was preferred before all the Bishops of the world is apparent by that that he was taken for one of the three pillers of the Church and was one of the twelue foundations
they beleeue that they are not giuen them for confirmation of their doctrine because the same is sufficiently prooued in the holy Scripture although that the truth it selfe is oftentimes holden in suspition If then all the Sects of Christians doe vaunt themselues equally to haue Miracles how can he that is out of the foresaid churches and is willing to become a good and a true christian resolue himselfe by considering of their Miracles Surely if euery Nation doe say that the Miracles which are done amongst other people are not assured signes that the doctrine which they teach is altogether true We may herethen make this conclusion as Catholike and agreed vpon by all in generall That miracles are no prooffes of Doctrine neither markes of the true Church QVESTION IIII. Whether personall succession bee a Marke of the true Church THE EAST CHVRCH BArlaam How absurd is it and out of reason to say that euery one of the Apostles was a Pastor and common Teacher of the Vniuersall world as S. Peter was and yet that none of them left any successors but S Peter onely because that if any one of the Apostles hath left for his successor eyther Bishoppes or Gouernours of the Church wherein any of them finished his dayes and yeelded vp his soule to God vpon what reason commandest thou that all should be created by the Pope Moreouer if I should affirme now that the other Apostles haue left successors behinde them amongst whom none was first or last but all equal and of one selfe same order peraduenture you would not beleeue me but if I shall bring you here some vnreproueable testimonie you will not be able to withstand it It shall be Saint Denis Areopagite in an Epistle which he wrote to Demophilus a Monke in these words Moderate thou then thy desires thy anger thy purposes as it is conuenient to the end that the holy Ministers may haue authority ouer thee and the Priests ouer them and the Bishoppes ouer the Priests and the Apostles ouer the Bishops the Successors of the Apostles for if any of them haue committed any fault in his office he may be corrected by them of the same order This man liued in the time of the Apostles and knew exactly the affaires and businesse of those dayes which saith that the successors of the Apostles are of one equall order and calling THE SOVTH CHVRCH LItourgia Ethiop Pray for our prince the prince of our arch-Arch-Bishops the Lord Gabriel and the chiefe of the Church of Alexandria and for the chiefe of our countrey our venerable Archbishop Marke and for the Bishops priests and Deacons of the right faith THE REFORMED CHVRCH COnfessio Heluet. The celestiall father sent his onely sonne in whom is the Diuine wisedome which is powred vppon vs through his most holy most pure and most perfect doctrine for he hath chosen his disciples which he made Apostles and they being gone through the vniuersall world haue gathered together Churches by the preaching of the Gospell And afterwards they ordained Pastors in all the Churches of the World by the commaundement of CHRIST through whose Successors he hath vntill this present taught and gouerned the Church THE ROMANE CHVRCH CArd Bellarmine The fift marke of the Church is the succession of persons in the Romane Church continuing from the time of the Apostles vntill now for that is the reason that she is called Apostolike For if the ancient Fathers haue esteemed it so great an argument to proue the true Church by the continuance of twelue or twenty or fortie Bishops how much more ought we to esteeme the infallible succession of more then 200 Bishops especially because we see that the other Apostolicke Sees are decayed and failed that is to say those of Antioch Alexandria and Ierusalem wherin after that those places were taken away from the Romanes by the Persians and Sarrasins sithens which time there are nine hundred yeares past there hath beene no succession and if there were any the same was verie obscure ANNOTATION OVr Sauiour being now ready to ascend to heauen said to his Apostles Goe through the vniuersal world and preach the Gospell vnto all creatures c. This commandement was executed as may appeare as well in the holy scripture as also in ancient histories that S. Peter was in Antioch S. Andrew in Greece and Moscouia S. Iames kept in Iudea S. Iohn went into Asia S. Philip into Assyria S. Thomas into India S. Matthew into Ethiope S. Thaddeus into Armenia S. Paul called from heauen preached in all countries from Arabia vnto Sclauonia Wel then euery one of them left successors and vntil this day there is not any one of those regions where there are not Christian Bishops which plead to haue succeeded the Apostles without any interruption Bellarmine saith that if there be any succession it is obscure Others doe answer him that it was no more obscure vnder the Persians and Sarrasins then it was in the time of the ancient Bishops of Rome vnder the Roman Pagans and persecuters of the Church The East Churches neuer cease to vaunt and brag of their Apostolicke seas The Christians of Africk doe exalt him of Alexandria and acknowledge no other head The Abyssines by antiquity doe hold the succession of that sea so certain that none amongst them can haue the imposition of hands but by the hands of him that is especially chosen by the Church whom they call Abuna and whom they doe beleeue to haue his succession from S. Peter and S. Marke the Euangelist Finally if by personall succession a man pretend to know the true Church he cannot know what part to take And although that the Latin Church only had the succession without Interruption that could not be a sure marke seeing all those nations which S. Ireneus writeth of do beleeue that the Roman Church is not the true Church notwithstanding her succession We might here insert the Catalogue of vniuersall Bishops according to the Greek Church proceeding from S. Peter vntill the time of Neophytus which now holdeth or latelie held the Sea at Constantinople But we will omit that for breuitie sake This then here shall bee the Catholick conclusion That the personall succession of the Church of Rome or of any other is not the make of a true beleefe QVESTION V. Whether the multitude of Christians or the greatnesse of Countries are markes of the true Church THE EAST CHVRCH VIllamont The Church of the holy Sepulchre in Ireusalem is gouerned by diuerse sorts of Religious men some are Romane Catholickes others are Christians but Schismatickes and no adherents or louers of the Catholike Apostolike Roman Religion You haue in the first place the Grecians which are Masters and Lords of the chiefe place of the Church Moreouer there are there a certaine people which multiplie as well in Greece and Asia as also in Affrica Besides the Syrians doe very nearely imitate the vse customes and manners of the
is to say that they neuer receiue or admit any into the gouernment of the Chrurch but onely those men that are married This hath bene practised in all ages peraduenture the Church hath had respect to that which S. Paul saith that a wise Bishop must gouerne well his owne family so that they would haue none but aged and approued men And whereas they admit not them that are twise married it is because they want not conuenient and fit men for that charge vnto the which the most continent are preferred one may therefore say That Church men may marry both by Diuine law and by Ecclesiastical law but cannot marie twise and continue in their office without dispensation QVESTION XXXV Whether there be more then three Orders in the Church that is to say Bishops Priests and Deacons THE EAST CHVRCH ALlphonsus de Castro The Grecians as Guido saith besides the sacred orders admit not any inferior orders but only Readers and they say that the other that is to say exorcists Porters acoluthytes ought not to be accounted amongst the orders Idem The Armenians acknowledge but three orders that is to say Bishops Priests and Deacons THE SOVTH CHVRCH ALuares There assembled a great multitude of people to receiue imposition of hands of the Abuna for no other but he could giue them orders the said Abuna made an exhortation vnto them in the forme of a Sermon then he caused thē to passe through a tent wherin he was and made euery one of them read on a booke and if they could read he caused them to passe on further and vpon those that were examined and were found capable he imposed his hands and they were ordained Deacons THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe Confession of the Frenchmen As touching the true Church we doe beleeue that it ought to bee gouerned according to the policie which our Lord Iesus Christ hath established that is to say that there be Pastors Elders and Deacons to the end that puritie of Doctrine may haue his full scope and course that vices may be corrected and repressed and that the poore and all that are afflicted may be succoured THE LATIN CHVRCH ISidorus All those that serue in Christ his Church are called generally Clerkes whose names and degrees are these the Doore-keeper Psalmist Lector Exorcist Acolythit Sub-deacon Deacon Priest and Bishop And the orders of Bishops are fower to wit Patriarchs Archbishops Metropolitans and Bishops ANNOTATION FIrst The Church is composed of Clerkes so called of the word Cleros which signifieth heritage because that they are after a speciall fashion dedicated to the seruice of God and of the Laickes that is to say those of the Common people so called because that they are the greatest part thereof Of Clerkes some are Bishoppes that is to say Superintendants others Priests that is to say Elders others Deacons that is to say Dispensers Secondly there are fiue degrees of Bishoppes according to the fiue sorts of assemblies or resortes The Parson or Curat which resideth in Parishes for so were the particular Churches in times past called yea the greatest The Bishops of the Diocesses gouerning the Presbiterie or the Senate of the Diocesse The Metropolitans in the Prouinciall Synods the Patriarches in the Synods of nations and the Oecumenicke or generall as they call the Bishoppe of Constantinople at this day which ought to preside or rule in generall Synods The Bishoppe being considered without Iurisdiction is by Diuine Law Let all things be done in order saith S. Paul If he be considered with Iurisdiction and out of assembly he is by positiue law Let the Bishops know saith Saint Ierome that they are greater then the Priests more by the custome of the Church then by Diuine institution This word More sheweth that he acknowledged a certaine Diuine authoritie in them Therefore the Bishoppes in the charge of ruling or gouerning are successors of the Apostles and Euangelists For after them this charge fel to the most ancient Pastor of euery Church One may gather by all likelyhood that it is of such Bishoppes which is spoken in the Apocalyps Write to the Angell of Ephesus Write to the Angell of Pergamus but by and by afterwards a man holdeth it better that Non aetas sed meritum faceret Episcopum The second sort of Clerkes are the Elders whereof some are Preachers and Doctors and doe all that which the Bishop doth excepta Ordinatione The others doe teach the rudiments or principles of religion but not in publicke Sine Episcopo which if they befound fit to doe they are called Liturgij and haue power to administer the Sacraments hauing sufficient instructions contained in the Formularies of the Church These Elders are called Papes in Greece The Russians haue few Preachers but onely these Papes They are very profitable and necessary for little Churches and for the meaner sort of people which get more instruction from a simple Cathechisme then from a learned Sermon They finde many men capable of this office and vse to chuse those that are good and approued people and which are no charge to the Church In Aethiope saith Theuet the Priests after that they haue said Diuine seruice doe goe to worke to get their liuing seeing that the Reuenues which they haue are not sufficient to nourish them and their Familie For they giue not such Donations to the Church there as they doe in these quarters Of these Priests the Nouvelle 123. maketh mention We permit not that any Priest be made which is not fiue and thirtie yeares of age And S. Paul saith The Priests that rule well are worthy of double honour especially they which labour in the word and Doctrine The third sort of Clerkes are the Deacons their office is to serue at the Tables or Altars as well in the receiuing of the gifts or offerings as in the celebration of the Liturgie Fourthly the Laickes doe also employ themselues in Ecclesiasticall affaires Princes themselues doe rule ouer the Clergie of their Dominions The Elders of the people were in times past Counsellors to the Bishops Saint Ambrose thinkes it not good that men should loose any benefit of time Those of the Clergie haue since that cast away this precept altogether The Laickes which serue in the Church are the Sub-Deacons Readers Singers Porters Acolytes Labourers and Diaconisses These according to the Councell of Nice ought not to bee accounted amongst the Clerkes There were no Monkes in times past As concerning the office of Sub-Deacons Lecturers c. they haue beene in seuerall times and places established in a formall office yea and that with ceremonie Neuerthelesse and yet this is the question whereof Diuines doe here dispute the Catholike Church doth beleeue That these little Offices are not Sacramentall that is to say neyther by Diuine nor Apostolike institution QVESTION XXXVI Whether there be an indeleble or perpetuall Character imprinted in the soules of Clerkes that doth
vpon which the ordinarie Bishoppes of cities were constituted And withall Tradition confirmeth this for there is no Church in the world which nameth not the Apostles before the Bishops yea the Church of Rome preferreth the Apostles before the Popes It remaineth then for vs to search who was the successor of S. Iohn in the Catholike Primacy whether Polycarpus was his successor in Ephesus or Simeon successor to S. Peter in Ierusalem or Albinus of Alexandria successor of S. Marke successor and chosen of S. Peter or Ignatius successor of Euodias and of S. Peter in Antioch or Euaristus successor of Clement and of Linus and of S. Peter in Rome There are two Churches which haue contended herein more then eight hundred yeeres that is to say that of Constantinople and that of Rome The Romane Church saith that S. Peter hath ordained is from God that Rome should haue the Primacie and power to command and that for euer They of Constantinople say on the contrarie side that our Lord neuer spoke any such words much lesse Saint Peter himself and if any such thing had been some one of the Apostles would haue written of it this Article being the foundation of all the doctrine and gouernement of the Church Moreouer Saint Peter himselfe would haue Preached the same and Saint Iohn who succeeded and out-liued S. Peter would not haue stayed in Ephesus Well then you see that all the Churches planted by the Apostles not excepting any one doe testifie after many ages that neither they nor their fathers neuer beleeued nor held that the Primacie by diuine power was due to the Church of Rome but rather that it appertaineth to whosoeuer shall bee chosen and elected by the greater part of the Churches and that the Bishop of Rome alone ought not to be q beleeued much lesse in his owne proper cause In like maner many learned men of the Latine Church doe confesse that the reason wherefore Rome is helde to haue the Primacie in diuine affaires is an opinion of the vulgar sort So that rather to Constantinople appertaineth the Primacie seeing it was giuen her by the Apostolicke Churches which they gaue not then to Rome being one of the last seates of Saint Peter but onely in regard of the Imperiall seate Well then to make this the more intelligible it is necessarie to know how it happeneth that the Citie of Rome now a dayes pretendeth that the Primacie is due to her by diuine right The aboue mentioned Apostolicke Churches doe surmise as followeth and say First that Saint Peter had the first place among the Apostles for he was oftentimes demanded many things by the Lord and he answered in the name of his fellowes ouer whom neuerthelesse he had no iurisdiction nor authority although that some doe thinke that he resigned it to Saint Iames when they were together at Hierusalem after that S. Iames was instituted Bishoppe that is to say after that hee was staied that hee should make his ordinarie residence there Secondly that Saint Iohn during his life after the time of S. Peter had the first place amongst all the Euangelists and Bishoppes Thirdly that he neuer taught that Rome by Diuine right ought to be the Mistresse of the other Churches if he had S. Polycarpus his Disciple and others his successors in Ephesus had not debated so earnestly and obstinately against the Roman Church touching the feast of Easter Fourthly that after S. Iohn the Bishop of Rome obtained by iust title the first place among the Bishops which were vnder the Romane Empire for seeing that the Citizens of Rome then raigned ouer the Inhabitants of other Cities hee had been both proud audacious and vnreasonable which would haue preferred himselfe before their Bishop especially without any ordinance of a Councell Fiftly that the churches of Italy and other their neighbours through the laps of time gaue to the Bishop of Rome not only the first place but also the superintendancie ouer the Bishops neare them in particular for to giue his aduice in matters that happened till a Synode might be had Sixtly that the councell of Nice approued the same and ordained that Alexandria should in like manner haue the ouer-sight of the Churches of Egipt and of Affrica and that the church of Antioch should ouer-see those of the east And after a certaine time because the Emperiall seate was transported vnto Constantinople it was ordained that that Bishop should be ouer-seer of the Greeke Churches and the Bishop of Ierusalem should be admitted to be one of the fiue for Palestina and those fiue were called Patriarches Seuenthly that the Bishop of Rome all this while had the first seat but yet without any vniuersall iurisdiction but rather euery one of the foresaid fiue Patriarches iudged or rather gaue his aduise and opinion till a Councell might be had as euen to this day they of Constantinople although that they call themselues Oecumenicke are subiect to Synodes but yet of Greece onely Eightly that Maurice Emperour of Constantinople would haue taken away the primacie from Gregorie Bishoppe of Rome and giuen it to Iohn Bishop of Constantinople who for a Marke of his place desired to haue the Title of a generall Bishoppe and that Gregorie did oppose himselfe against him least he should loose his place vrging how insolent that Title was and saying that Iohn would vsurpe Dominion ouer the other Bishops which peraduenture was not the intention of Iohn but he on the contrary side to shew that he was contented with the ranke or place of his predecessors called himselfe Seruus seruorum Dei The seruant of the seruants of God Ninthly that Phocas hauing slaine Maurice gaue to the Bishop of Rome which was then Boniface the first seate and Title of Generall or Vniuersall Bishop and yet without any iurisdiction or Dominion ouer the other patriarches which notwithstanding the churches acknowledged him not in that quality Tenthly that Charles the great King of France hauing subdued with armes a great part of Europe The citie of Rome craued his ayde against the Lombards who being ouer come by the same King the Romanes proclaimed him their Emperour 11 That then the Emperors of the East with the consent of the Patriarchall and Apostolicke Churches tooke from Rome the primacy and gaue it to the said Church of Constantinople 12 That then the Romanes seeing that by the Ecclesiasticall law they should loose the primacie began to say that the primacy belonged as of Diuine right to them and to their Bishop and consequently that the whole Church together could not take away from them the first ranke because that Rome is the Sea of S. Peter 13 That after that they of the East had rightly said that hee is successor of S. Peter which is elected confirmed and approued by the greatest part of the Churches in what place soeuer he maketh his residence and that imitateth S. Peter in doctrine and humilitie That the Bishoppes of
put more Wine then Water or whether one may vse any other liquor for want of Wine THE EAST CHVRCH LVbelz The Armenians vse vnleauened bread and mingle not any water with the wine Alphonsus de Castro The seuenth heresie is that which is iust contrary to the precedent for here the wine is put into the Chalice in such wise that there is no water at all put therein and hee saith that there needes not any mingling This is the errour of the Grecians which Guido Carme did put in the sixt place It is also the errour of the Armenians Scarga The Muscouites in the preparation of the Chalice doe mingle two or three droppes of Wine in hote water in such sort that one cannot perceiue the Wine consumed in the Water Also in stead of wine they vse sometimes the Iuice of Apples which they colour with some redde berries They make no scruple to put in so much water after the consecration that the wine being consumed by the number of the Communicants there remaineth no taste of wine at all Barbosa The Armenians that are in India in stead of the Sacrament of wine by reason that in India there is no wine doe take drie Raisons and lay them in water all night to mollifie or soften them and the day following when they say seruice they straine them and vse the Iuice in stead of wine THE SOVTH CHVRCH ALuares In Monasteries and Churches they keepe many Raisons halfe dried which are laid in water for the space of twelue daies till that they beginne to swell then they take them and afterwards put them vnder a Presse because that of the liquor that issueth from them they celebrate Diuine seruice THE REFORMED CHVRCH REspon ad Ierem. We mingle not water with wine in the holy Supper because that Iesus Christ sayd I will not drinke henceforth of the fruit of this Vine and made no mention of any water In like manner we do not thinke it necessary to mingle any water yet if peraduenture there be any we hold it indifferent THE LATINE CHVRCH HOnorius A pernitious abuse is brought into the Countrey that is to say that they put more water then wine in the sacrifice whereas according to the reasonable custome of the Church they should put more wine then water Comp. Theol. If there had bene more water then wine the consecration should haue bene hindered Lochmaier But for want of wine one may omit the signe of the blood which yet he must do by dispensation from the Pope ANNOTATION THe diuersitie of the practise of Christians doth declare that this is an indifferent point for the which we ought not to contest and striue And the one part ought not to condemne the other The Armenians doe mingle no water The Grecians mingle it not at the same time that the Latines doe The Abyssines and Indians mingle it not for any ceremonie but vse wine that hath more water then wine The Moscouites care not whether there bee more wine or water Also no man knoweth whether our Sauiour did mingle more of the water or of the wine The Protestants finde no fault with the Northren nations that vse Syder What should one doe saith Bucanus in a Region where is no bread as ours wherin is no wine we must vse such food as men vse in those Countreys for that agreeth with the intention of Iesus Christ The Catholike conclusion drawen from that before alleadged is That there is neither Diuine or Ecclesiasticall Law that condemneth those that mingle or those that mingle not water with the wine whether it bee by way of Ceremonie or without Ceremonie QVESTION XXVII Whether it be necessarie to Communicate vnder the signes both of bread and wine THE EAST CHVRCHES IEeremie Oecumenicke Moreouer we will aunswere to the abuse whereof you speake First you say that all ought to communicate vnder both kinds and you say well for we do so euen when we do participate of the venerable mysteries Nichol. In the Lords Supper the Grecians doe Communicate vnder both kinds Vilamont The Nestorians doe consecrate with leauened bread after the fashion of the Grecians Idem When the Iacobites do minister the Communion to young children it is vnder both kinds being therin conformable to the Grecians the Syrians THE SOVTH CHVRCH THeuet When they doe Communicate they receiue vnder both kinds which also I haue seene obserued of the Abyssins by their Sect in Ierusalem Aluares Their vessels are farre bigger then ours are but of an ill fashion vsing no plate and they celebrate the Masse with the wine of raisins which they powre into the Chalice in great quantitie for all those that Communicate of the body doe likewise of the blood THE REFORMED CHVRCHES THe Confession of England There must be giuen to the people that come to the Cōmunion both the one and the other kind of the Eucharist for the Lord hath so commanded and his Apostles haue so ordained through all the earth and all the auncient Fathers and Catholicke Bishops haue imitated them THE LATIN CHVRCH THe Councell of Constance Being aduertised that in many Churches they haue continued to administer to the Laicks the Sacrament in both kinds we doe declare that although that Iesus Christ did so seeing that afterwards it hath bene receiued by the Priests and by the Lay people vnder the signe of bread onely that all this notwithstanding the Law and authority of the Canons and the custome approoued by the Church Romane hath obserued and obserueth to auoide certaine dangers that this Sacrament shall be distributed vnder one kind we do commaund vpon paine of excommunication that no Priest do minister the Cōmunion to the people vnder both kinds of bread wine ANNOTATION THis Question hath no difficultie all nations except the Latins doe thinke that they ought herein to obey Iesus Christ Those that doe hold the holy Scripture to be true doe confesse that euen in things which seeme to be of small importance God will be obeyed yea Adam and all his children and race for hauing eaten of the forbidden fruit was lost And God would haue slaine Moyses because that his Sonne was not circumcised Vzzah fell downe dead because hee touched the Arke notwithstanding his good intention It is a wonder to see that those that beleeue this haue yet made a Law contrary to the Diuine commaundement of God The fault is now a dayes knowen to many yet they will not confesse that there is any error therein for feare least men should call into question other doctrines So it is that all nations doe confesse That wee ought to Communicate in both kinde of bread and wine QVESTION XXVIII Whether the Sacrament must be kept to bee carried in procession and for other vses or onely to bee carried to the sicke THE EAST CHVRCH GAgnin They vse the Sacrament of the Eucharist in both kinds they
chiefest Bishoppe resideth being ordained to giue Orders of Priesthood and Ministerie according to the Perswasion and Custome of the Nestorians THE SOVTH CHVRCH ALuares The Patriarch of the great Negus who is ouer all Aethiopia is called Abuna without whom there is none found which hath authority to make Priests but by him alone THE REFORMED CHVRCH MOnsieur du Plessis If our aduersaries aske vs what was the vocation of those first Ministers which vndertooke the Reformation of the Church in these last dayes we wil answere that it is the very same vocation and succession whereof they bragge But that vocation which they abuse our men haue well vsed And to the vaine succession which they so much stand vpon wee haue added the succession of true doctrine without the which all succession is but continuance of abuse and a vaine title For Iohn Hus Luther Zuinglius Oecolampadius Bucer Capito Martyr and others out of whose schoole the Ministers are come forth were Priests Curates and Doctors in Diuinitie I forbeare to speake of Archbishops Bishops and Cardinals in Germany England Italy and Fraunce THE LATIN CHVRCH THe Canon Renouantes Renuing the auncient priuiledges of the Patriarchall Seates we doe ordaine that after the Romane Church which by the disposing of God obtaineth the principalitie of the ordinarie power and authority ouer al the rest as a Mother and Mistresse of all the faithfull Children of Christ that of Constantinople haue the first place that of Alexandria the second that of Antiochia the third and that of Ierusalem the fourth reseruing for each one her proper dignitie in such sort that after that their Prelates haue receiued the Pall or Robe of the Bishoppe of Rome the which is the liuery of the plenitude of the Pontificall Office and made vnto him the Oath of obedience and fidelity they likewise haue license to giue the foresaid Pall to their Suffragans receiuing of them the Canonicall profession and taking of them promise of obedience to the Church of Rome ANNOTATION THe question is not here to know in what part of Christendome the true succession and Ordination is to bee found and which is the Church that hath it not This cannot bee found out by the Tradition of the Churches and the greater number therof for euery one seuerally doth condemne in generall and in particular all the rest It is sufficient to know whether they beleeue that it is necessary for Bishops and Priests to take their ordination from one head or cheefe whosoeuer he be It may be gathered out of the Authors afore alleadged that they doe thinke that the Apostles hauing left Successors behind them in all parts and quarters those Successors had power to ordaine Bishops Neuerthelesse for order sake the Church hath giuen particular charge and authoritie to the Patriarkes and Metropolitanes to ordaine other Bishops Also the Bishops of Constantinople Ierusalem Antiochia Alexandria and others haue equall authoritie euery one in his owne quarter and they are installed into their charges by those of their quarter without incroaching one vpon another Also those of the Clergie of England haue their odinay and lawfull ordination for if the Church of England did voluntarily submit it selfe to receiue Ordination and Confirmation from the Church of Rome she might challenge her auncient right Touching the Pastors and Euangelicall Doctors of other places the Romane Catholikes doe thinke them as much or rather more intruded without vocation seeing that Luther and Zuinglius themselues and others were no Bishops and consequently excluded by their Canons from the power to ordaine But the answere is that indeed a Priest alone as a Priest cannot ordaine but a Priest authorised by a companie of Priests may for he hath the place and power of the body of the Presbetery If a companie of Priests cannot make a Priest a Bishop the Pope could not be a lawfull Bishop of Rome for he is not made Bishop of Rome but by Priests and Cardinall Deacons that is to say the principallest of the Church of Rome it followeth therefore That Ordination dependeth not vpon an vniuersall head but onely vpon the Patriarkes or Metroplitanes of euery place QVESTION XXXIIII Whether Priests and Deacons may marry as well by Gods law as by Ecclesiasticall law THE EAST CHVRCHES THeuet The Priests in India are married and neuerthelesse cease not to execute their duties and offices Item The Priests of the Armenians are married as all the rest of the East Countreyes Item No man is made Deacon in Moscouia that is not married neuerthelesse he is not permitted to marry twise and he that marrieth twise remaineth amongst the Lay people and he that remaineth continent although he cannot sacrifice by reason of age yet doth he assist at the Sacrifice Vilam In Syria the Priests are married as in Greece in briefe they doe imitate very neare the vse and customes of the Grecians Scarga The Russians and Moscouites admit no man to be Priest that hath not a wife Theuet In Cyprus the Bishops haue in all ages bin married as well as the Priests THE SOVTH CHVRCH ZAga Episcopus The reason why Priests are married with vs is because that Saint Paul thought it better both for the Clergie and Laitie to marrie then to burne He himselfe saith that a Bishop ought to be the husband of one wife irreprehensible and sober and the Deacons likewise Item The Bishops and Priests cannot marry twise vnlesse the Patriarke will dispence with them Aluares It was demaunded of me in the presence of Prester-Iohn wherefore we doe not obserue the Statutes of the holy Councell of Nice seeing therein it was ordained that Priests should marrie and a little after hee saith thus Besides his Maiesty caused me to speake more concerning the marriages of Priests asking me if it was euer knowen that the Apostles were married Wherevnto I answered that I remembred not that euer they married any woman after that they were called by Iesus Christ and although that Saint Peter had a daughter that was before such time as he was of the number of the Apostles but they told me that their bookes did commaund that they should marry the which expresly Saint Peter had in charge THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe Confession of England We say that marriage is holy and honourable in all kind of people and each estate and as Saint Chrysostome saith that it is lawfull for a married man to mount vp to the Episcopall Chaire THE LATIN CHVRCH POpe Lucius Let such Ministers Priests and Deacons of the Altar be chosen for the seruices of the Lord as obserue and keepe continency ANNOTATION THe Latines do note aboue all the rest that the Christians of the East South and North are contrary to them in this point as well as the Protestants The vulgar thinke that there is no other difference The foresaid people notwithstanding doe differ from the Protestants in this one point that
concerning the wordes Sacrament and Mysterie As touching the word Sacrament noe Christian Nation is holden to vse it for it is grounded neither vpon Diuine law nor Ecclesiasticall Catholicke law The word is Latine and the Catholike Church neuer speaketh Latine but onely Greeke in the vniuersall Councels If therefore the Protestants will call none Sacraments but Baptisme and the Eucharist they doe nothing either against God or against the Church But these two Ceremonies are by them esteemed so holy and so authenticall and to haue such prerogatiues that they thinke it meete and reasonable to cal them by some peculiar name first because that they are common to all those of the Church secondly because that they haue a visible substance or matter ordained by Iesus Christ and thirdly because that the holy Scripture doth attribute very much vnto them But some will say the Protestants are contrarie to the East Church both in the name and in the thing it selfe for that Church beleeueth that there are seuen Mysteries Here is to be noted that as concerning the word Mysterie the Protestants haue not as yet put it in vse and haue not defined what that is which may be called Mysterie That word with them is further extended then the word Sacrament and which is yet more they confesse that the word Sacrament may be taken more largely and they protest that they will neuer be superstitious about words Chemnitius saith that it was neuer yet stood vpon but that absolution of Penitents might be called a Sacrament Caluin saith that Imposition of hands in anie Ordination may be called a Sacrament And the Apologie of the Confession of Ausburg saith the verie same Confirmation is commaunded in the Canons of the English Church and Caluin desireth that it might be vsed and practised The Annointing or Vnction of the sicke is likewise a Sacrament yea euen at this time as Monsieur de Moulin saith for the reason wherefore it is not vsed is because that men see not the effects of those daies As concerning Marriage if it be likewise taken simplie they neuer call it a Sacrament It is common both to the Iewes Turkes and Pagans but if one speake of the marriage of Christians considered as it is contracted and blessed in the face of the Church it may be called as the Patriarch Ieremie calleth it a Mysterie or a Mysterious action and a holy celebration And if all or the most part of Ecclesiasticall actions may bee called Sacraments then more properlie may they by them be called Mysteries for although that the word of God in it selfe be also called a Mysterie yet more particularly when it is emploied in some holy action The Churches of Affrica hold not for Sacraments neither the Chrisme nor the oile of Extreame Vnction as Zaga-Zabo one of their owne Bishops and Aluares who dwelt many yeares in Aethiope doe witnesse These men are more credible then Titelman and such like who neuer were there Peraduenture the Abyssins would expound them according to the beleefe of them of the East but seeing that here is nothing controuerted but words it will be no inconuenience to make this conclusion That there are seuen celebrations in the Church the which are called mysteries and two principall which may be called Sacraments QVESTION XXXIX Whether it be lawfull or needfull to pray for the Saints which are in Paradise THE EAST CHVRCH LIturgia S. Basilij Lord haue mercy vpon vs remember the Saints which haue pleased thee from the beginning our holy Fathers the Patriarkes Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessors Euangelists Preachers and all the righteous which are dead in the Faith especially the holy blessed and euer-Virgine Marie Saint Iohn Baptist and Saint Stephan the Protomartyr THE SOVTH CHVRCH THe Liturgie of Cyrill of Alexandria O Lord haue pitty vpon our Fathers and Brethren whose soules thou hast receiued giue them rest call to remembrance our holy Fathers the Patriarkes Prophets Apostles and aboue all the rest the holy and glorious Virgine Marie Saint Iohn Baptist and Saint Stephan Graunt O Lord that the of soules them all may rest and repose in the bosome of our holy Fathers Abraham Isack and Iacob graunt that their soules may inhabite and dwell in a greene place by the waters of Comfort in the Paradise of pleasure from whence griefe heauinesse and sighings are chased away Raise their bodies in the day which thou hast ordained according to thy true promises which cannot faile THE LATIN CHVRCH BEllarmine The first question is whether the soules of the faithfull separated from their bodies and such as haue no need of Purgatorie are admitted to enioy the felicitie which consisteth in the cleere vision of God This hath beene the opinion of auncient and moderne heretickes that they are reserued vntill the last day in some secret receptacle where they see not God and are not blessed but in hope Tertullian affirmed it first Vigilantius followed him Guido attributeth the same to the Armenians The Grecians held it in the Councell of Florence Luther holdeth the very same error and Caluin also who bringeth no arguments to proue it THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe Councell of Wittenberge The State is all one of a Saint which is at rest in Christ and a faithfull man that dieth for he that dieth in the Faith is a Saint We doe thinke it a thing agreeable to a godly soule to make an honest mention of his Elders departed in the faith Charitie requireth that we wish and desire to the dead all tranquilitie and felicitie in Christ But there is no testimonie in the Propheticall and Apostolicall doctrine that the dead are helped by Prayers Watchings and Merits or that they obtaine in heauen a greater felicitie thereby ANNOTATION BEllarmine telleth vs that the Churches of Greece and Armenia doe beleeue that vntill the day of Iudgement the Saints doe not enioy that perfect felicitie which is called the vision or sight of God They thinke saith Vilamont that there are none there but the Virgine Marie and peraduenture the good thiefe And that the rest are in certaine Chambers where the Angels wont to visite them They would say lodgings whereof our Sauiour speaketh In my Fathers house are many mansions The Africanes doe beleeue the same as may be gathered by their Liturgie Bellarmine attributeth the same to Caluin As for the Syrians their errors saith Villamont are not so great as these of the Grecians for they beleeue that the righteous are in Paradise and the wicked in hell and that in praying for the dead their paines are diminished albeit there is no place to purge soules the Anaphore of the Syrians saith thus O Lord Creatour of soule and body remember those that are departed out of this world refresh them in thy Tabernacle passe them thither from horrible lodgings draw them out of darkenesse and dolour In like maner the opinion of the Apostolicke Churches is contrarie both to the Romane Catholickes and
by little and little to her obedience The Protestants or reformed Christians doe make the sixt Church of Christians they inhabite a great part of Germanie and the Kingdoms of England Scotland Denmarke and Swethia and haue Churches in France Flanders and Poland This reformation attempted and desired by the Albigeans and Valdians was receiued in Bohemia in the yeere 1400. or there abouts and afterwards in the yeere of 1517. established in the said Regions by the doctrine of Luther Melanchton Zuinglius Bucer Caluin and others The reformed haue not Primate in common neither any generall Synods which are the Markes and Bands of Vnitie and from thence haue proceeded and entred amongst them with great scandale the diuisions and names of Hussits Lutherans Caluins and Puritans ¶ Secondly Certaintie of Christian Religion FOrasmuch as we intend to intreate of diuers points of the Euangelicall veritie It seemeth necessarie vnto vs before all things to establish and shew the foundation The which shall bee of more authoritie if we insert here the end of a learned discourse of Gennade Patriarke of Constantinople made by him in the presence of Mahomet the second Emperour of the Turkes Besides these reasons saith he there are seuen which doe altogether assure vs of our faith The first because that the Prophets of the Iewes the which we doe receiue haue foretold of IESVS and all that which he did and his Disciples after him through his power And in like maner the Oracles of the Grecians by the permission of GOD and the Astronomers of Persia and of Greece did foretell of him The second because the holy Scriptures is altogether conformable to our Faith for that those which did write them had all one teacher to wit the grace of God for if the same had not beene they had differed and varied in some point The third because that men receiued this faith although new and strange with great care among all nations and in great daungers And not onely the foolish but also the wise and prudent and all Diabolicke deceit was perfectly reuersed and ouerthrowne The fourth because that this faith contayneth nothing that is impossible and which disagreeth with it selfe and that there is no corporall thing therein but rather spirituall and it is the way which leadeth the soule to the loue of God and to the hope of euerlasting life The fift because that those which haue receiued this faith and that haue liued vertuously according to the loue of Christ haue receiued great gifts of God and haue wrought many miracles the which could not haue beene done had not the faith beene true The sixt because that all that which may be obiected against it is easily refuted with firme arguments The seuenth because that the Kings of Paganisme Countries haue made Warres against this faith with infinite power and cruelties during many ages and haue profited nothing at all but rather the faith hath preuailed so well insomuch that it doth persist vntill this present and when the Lord doth come he shall finde it To the same Iesus our Lord and true God be glory for euer Amen ¶ Thirdly the Subiect and end of this Treatise IF the Schismes doe ruinate Christendome by the aduantage that the Infidels doe take it is nothing lesse endamaged by the scandall which Christians themselues doe receiue the one of the other the one liueth vncertaine of that which he ought to beleeue the other perswadeth himselfe that he followeth the right way and animated out of measure against the opinion of the rest he doth but attend the houre to renew those auncient Furors If any man speake of a Councell or to correct and eschue those vitious and scandalous extremities he is so soone reproued by those which haue the eares of Kings and people I seeke peace saith the Prophet and when I talke thereof they are bent to warres The saying of Zaga Bishop of Ethiope and Embassadour of Prester Iohn is more charitable It is a miserable thing saith he that Christian strangers should be so sharpely reprooued as enemies as I haue beene heere and other things which concerne not the true faith But it should be farr more conuenient to support all Christians be they Grecians be they Armenians be they Ethiopians be they of any one of the seuen Christian Churches with charity and loue of CHRIST and to permit them to liue and conuerse amongst other christian brethren without any iniurie because that we are all Infants of one Baptisme and doe hold truely the true faith and there is no reason to dispute so sharpely touching ceremonies but rather that euery one should obserue and keepe his owne without hating or troubling the other and not to be excluded out of the commerce of the Church if being a stranger in other Prouinces hee keepe and obserue the customes of his owne Country This is the Discourse of a Moore which should make vs blush But seeing that ignorance obscureth the vnderstanding and that anger stoppeth the eares and shutteth the eyes of the men of this world It resteth for the Louers of peace and trueth to put in practise the commandement of our Sauiour Take heede saith he of the leauen of the Pharisees For who can assure himselfe that this commaundement hath not more scope But some man will say what meanes is there to discerne this leauen and these Pharisees in so great a conflict of reason The answere is that when the Scriptures the which all Christians doe claime haue not sufficient light for to make the trueth in the doctrine of controuersies to bee apparently perceiued Yet may a man now a dayes vse that meanes which S. Ireneus councelleth vs which is that he haue a recourse to the Churches where the Apostles haue conuersed for to learne the Apostolicke tradition But men are farre enough from taking this way The one perswadeth himselfe that the Apostolicke Churches are perished the other calleth them plaine heretickes For it is manifest that we must beleeue the promise of the Son of God who said to his Apostles yea as well to them as to the Colledge of their successors Goe through the vniuersall world behold I am with you vntill the consumation of the world Here is the full But of this Treatise to make men see by Testimonie of Historiographers being ocular witnesses and of vnreproueable Authors that there are Churches in the Apostolicke Sees and for to shew that they are conformable among themselues and to the Scripture in that which is necessarie to saluation As for ceremonies or curious Questions it matters not if euery one of them doeth make or beleeue that which seemeth him best That which is worst of all is the diuision which proceedeth of zeale but with little charitie and it will not be amisse to recite the moderation which Saint Paul commandeth If you saith he bee otherwise minded GOD shall reueale euen the same vnto you As
for the rest this Treatise is not for the learned sort of whom we are willing to receiue both councell and correction wheresoeuer it shall so fall out It is but for to solace those which desire to learne and haue not the meanes to read diuers authors especially the Greeke and Latin Those also that search discourses garnished and painted out with all sorts of flowers and coulers shall not bee here satisfied This subiect cannot permit any rhetoricall sentences and the fashion of the Treatise is farre wide from it here is but a Collection of diuerse passages Coppies and sentences of authors word by word with briefe and simple Annotations The breuity is to the end that the simplicity should not be enuious and the simplicity is because that it is conuenient both to the matter and argument In like manner because that which is most plainely spoken should haue lest suspicion and be more intelligible I doe not doubt that this breuity will giue any aduantage to the contentious But I shall haue better meanes hereafter to satisfie them God willing Let it then suffice thee for this present Catholicke Reader to haue here a beginning of the knowledge of this subiect a knowledge which will increase in thee through the loue of the truth The ancient Bishop Meliton as Eusebius writeth did visite the Churches of the East for to learne what were the Canonicall Bookes and true writings of the Apostles If thou doest read this abridgment thou shalt imitate without any paine the holy curiositie of this good man A TREATISE OF THE TRADITION AND BELIEFE of the Christians of Asia Europa and Affrica in the principall Controuersies of our time QVESTION I. Whether Saint Peter had authority ouer the other Apopostles or onely the Presidencie and whether his successors haue the same authority THE EAST CHVRCH NIlus Archbishop of Thessalonica The Apostles being in Hierusalem St. Peter tooke not vppon himselfe the Primacy neither said he is it lawfull for me to make a Canon vpon the same But the Apostles and the Priests assembled themselues together for to consult thereupon and Saint Peter reiected them not but he began to speake and after him Saint Iames spake and they all did condescend to the opinion of Saint Iames that is to say Saint Peter himselfe and the rest of the Apostles and Priests Barlaam Monachus Graecus I acknowledge that St. Peter was an Vniuersall Pastor and Teacher but hee was not alone but also euery one of the other Apostles was in honour equall with him It is true that our Sauiour promised the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen to Saint Peter the which he declareth to bee no other thing then the power to binde and vnbinde But it is manifest that he gaue the same power to the other Apostles saying Whatsoeuer yee binde on earth shall bee bound in Heauen Wee doe conclude then that all the Apostles had equall and like honour in that which was belonging to the Church but Saint Peter was preferred in this holy dozen and for that the others were present he propounded the question and peraduenture receiued the honour to be set in the first ranke Maior Anacletus saith that the Apostles receiued with Saint Peter an equall Communitie of honour and authoritie but they would that hee should bee their Prince And this saying of Anacletus is confirmed by this signe to wit that the Grecians doe follow the contradictorie of our conclusion that is to say of the beliefe of the Church of Rome and none ought to say that soe great a people are in errour a people I say that haue receiued the faith before the Romanes and the most part at the very first foundation or planting of the Church Sacranus The Muscouites deny that Saint Peter was a true Pope or a true Bishop of the sea of Rome or that hee was the onely head of the Militant Church And they say that he receiued not of Iesus Christ full authority The same they beleeue of the Bishop of Rome the which they maintaine to bee like other Bishops THE SOVTH-CHVRCH ALuares Prester-Iohn sent to me to aske wherfore we haue diuided the Churches of Antioche and Rome seeing we professe to be Christians seeing that the Church of Antioche was in a manner the chiefest vntill the Councell of Pope Leo whom three hundred and eighteene Bishoppes assisted I answered as I had said once before to his greatnesse that indeed Antioche was heretofore the head of the Church which Saint Peter gouerned and dwelt in it fiue yeares and in Rome fiue and twenty yeares After that hee inquired whether we doe obay all that which the Pope commaunded vs I answered him that we doe and that we were obliged therunto by the Article of our holy faith which confesseth one holy Catholicke Church Whereupon hee replied that if the Pope would vsurpe so great prerogatiue as to vse towards them an vnlawfull commaundement they would not make any reckoning of it And if by such meanes their Abuna would presume so farre they would burne the Coppie of such commaundement Annot. By this discourse it is seene that the Aethiopian Church doth hold that the Primate of the Church may erre and commaund vnlawfull things although he doe it in the qualitie of a Primate for hee commandeth not by any other authority and that the Iudgement of the Church is good and valuable without the aduise and consent of the Primate THE REFORMED CHVRCH IN THE WEST THe Confession of England Christ is alwaies present in his Church and hath no neede of any Lieuetenant that should succeede him totally in the Church neither can any one mortall man embrace in his vnderstanding the Catholicke Church that is to say all the partes of the world much lesse to establish a good order and to administer and gouerne it well and duely The Apostles as Saint Cyprian sayth were all of an equall authoritie And the rest of them had the same authority as Saint Peter had It was spoken to them equally Feed goe through the Vniuersall world Preach the Gospell And as Saint Ierome saith All Bishops in-what place soeuer they be either in Rome or in Eugubio or in Constantinople or in Rhegium are of one selfe same merite or calling and of one selfe same Priesthood THE ROMAN OR LATIN CHVRCH POpe Leo. The Lord would that this holy charge should belong in such sort to all the Apostles that he hath appointed and ordained it in the person of Peter as soueraigne amongst the other Apostles Pope Stephan Forasmuch as the Romaine Church ouer the which wee doe sit and gouerne hath beene proposed for a mirror and example all that whatsoeuer she doth ordaine and command ought to be for euer inuiolably obserued Card. Bellarmine The Soueraigne Bishop is absolutely aboue the Councels and cannot subiect himselfe to their Coactiue sentence Besides this point is the most important of all Religion and to holde
the contrary is as much as if one would say that the Church may perish and decay ANNOTATION THere is three manners of gouernement that is to say Monarchie Aristocracie and Democracie Monarchie is when one alone hath power to commaund Aristocracie is when the lesser part of the people hath the Soueraignetie in it selfe to giue a law to the rest of the people be it to all in generall or to some one in particular Democracie when all the people or the greater part of them haue the soueraigne authority Presidencie is when in a State Aristocratique or Democratique there is one that hath the first ranke and the charge to gouerne in the assemblies Magistracie or Superintendencie is when he that is President hath iurisdiction ouer the particulars for to cause the Lawes and Statutes of the Common-wealth or Monarche whereof he is a Subiect to bee obserued This charge and Iurisdiction is giuen sometimes for terme of life and instituted both in Title and Office Sometimes for a certaine time and in the forme of a Commission Some man may demand whether Saint Peter had simply the Primacy that is to say the first ranke or place amongst the Apostles or whether he had Iurisdiction ouer euery one of them in particular or whether he had a Monarchall authority ouer their company Also whether had he the Primacie in Diuine affaires and in such sort that it was not Lawfull for his fellowes to giue to vnto another The Romane Church doth holde that Saint Peter had authority in diuine matters ouer the company of the Apostles and that he that is elected and chosen to preside or gouerne in the Church hath the same authority ouer it and is not obliged to follow the greater voyce in giuing his sentence according to the consultations of the Councels For proofe whereof is aleaged Thou art Peter and vpon this Stone c. I wil giue thee the Keyes I haue prayed for thee Feede my Sheepe Strengthen thy Brethren And that the faith of the Romanes was renowned through the world This opinion of the Romane Church is so particular that not onely the Catholicke and Apostolicke Churches of the East South and of the North and the reformed Churches of the West but also the rest that make profession to beleeue the Roman Church cannot approue of this point Neuertheles this is the ground foundation of the others For when one makes profession of Christianitie it is necessarie that he be resolued to which hee ought to giue credit To wit whether to the holy Scripture expounded by the greater voice of Bishops and of the Apostolicke Seas which is the foundation of the East Churches or to a supreame head who hath assistance of the Bishops of his quarter which is the foundation of the Latine Church The Church of Rome pretendeth that her Bishop cannot erre in the things which he pronounceth in the quality of the head thereof although that one whole Councell was of a contrary opinion But the councel of Basil wherin was assembled all the Latine Church did hold the contrary Yea many Catholicke Romane Doctors doe mainetaine it in their writings Concilium esse supra Pontificem saith Bellarmine asserunt omnes haeretici idem asserunt Cardinalis Camaracensis Io. Gerson Iac. Almaricus Cusanus Panormitanus Cardinalis Florentinus Abulensis Moreouer it is the voice of the people that it be so and if one doe aske a Romaine Catholicke wherefore he belieueth or doth such and such things he answereth presently that the Church hath so ordained it In saying so hee confesseth that the Soueraigntie belongs to the Church For were not that a haynous crime so to obscure the Maiestie of a Monarch as to say that the Estates doe make Lawes and Edicts And it is manifest that the Romane Catholickes in soe doing doe accuse the Pope and the Church of Rome of errour to the which they giue neuerthelesse the title of Mistresse of all other Churches and do confesse that if there be any error in this there may be likewise in other opinions And consequently the Grecians and the Reformed Christians doe build vpon a farre more sure foundation As for the places of the holy Scripture alleaged by the Latine Church the foresaide Apostolicke Churches doe clearely and manifestly affirms that those places before alleaged doe conclude nothing for a Monarchie That the Church is founded vpon all the Apostles in like manner as vpon Saint Peter That our Lord prayed for them all That all had power to binde and vnbinde To Feede and confirme them And that the faith of the Church of Thessalonica which is now the faith of the Greek Church is spread and scattered into all places And moreouer that the Lord made a promise to the company of the Apostles more expresse then that which he made to S. Peter in particular I am saith he with you vntill the end of the world And withall two great Lawyers of that time viz. Hotman and Ranchin After many others haue very amply written thereof From hence therefore the Catholicke and Apostolicke conclusion is taken That the Church which in her foundation is a Monarchie because that Iesus Christ is the King ought to be gouerned Aristocratically by her Bishops which are equall in power although different in charge and degrees for the order and policie thereof QVESTION II. Vnto what Bishop appertaineth Presidencie in the Councels and whether this Presidencie be a Diuine Law or Ecclesiasticall THE EAST CHVRCH THe answere to the Councell of Ausburge Forasmuch as the Church of God which is with vs is the Princesse of all other Churches And that shee guideth the people of God in all knowledge and grace and glorieth in the pure sinceritie of the splendore of the Apostolicke Traditions and of the Fathers And for that also she hath born the first prerogatiue in the Orthodoxall veritie It is reason that all Christian common wealthes should celebrate the Diuine mysteries as she doth Nilus Archi-episcopus Thessalonicoensis The Latines say that the blessed Apostle Saint Peter was constituted by the Lord the Prince of the twelue Apostles and that he gaue into his hands the Keyes of Heauen against the which the Gates of Hell should neuer preuaile that hee also prayed that his faith should not faile and such like things as doe manifestly shew the Primacie of Saint Peter And they say that the Pope was constituted to be his successor and hath receiued of Saint Peter all the Primacie and that hee can all that Peter could in things concerning faith and that it is impossible that he should decline from the truth in matters of faith For if hee should faile all matters of faith would runne to ruine But Honorius Bishop of Rome was an heretike according to the seauenteenth decree of the sixt Vniuersall Councell It may bee then that the Pope might decline from the truth in matters of faith Yet graunt
Grecians Againe the Georgians doe obserue altogether the ceremonies and errours of the Grecians in their Sacrament Louis Regius The Empire of the king of Moscouia dooth extend towards the East almost vnto the kingdome of Persia THE SOVTH CHVRCH VIllamont The Abyssines are a people of Ethiope that is to say a part of Affrica and the greater part thereof by reason of their large scope Their King is by them called Negus and in the Persian tongue Prester-Iohn or Catholik which Prester-Iohn heretofore dwelt in Tartaria neuerthelesse he is yet one of the greatest Kinges of the East and of the greatest power and might in all Affrica and his Kingdome doth extend from the end of Egipt vnto the Indies This king hath more then fortie kingdomes vnder him The Iacobites doe inhabite a great part of Asia and liue pell-mell with the Turkes Persians and Tartarians some of them inhabite neare the Riuer Nubius which is in the confines of Egipt and hold a good part of Ethiope and of the higher Indies insomuch that it was told me that they occupy very neare fortie kingdomes They call themselues christians of the first conuersion say that they were conuerted to the faith of Iesus Christ by S. Matthew the Apostle before the other nations They circumcise their children after the fashion and manner of the Sarrasins THE LATIN CHVRCH BEllarmine The fourth marke of the Church is the greatnesse or multitude and diuersitie of the beleeuers for the church that is truely Catholike ought not onely to comprehend all times but also all places all nations and all sorts of people And that our Roman church is the true Church may be proued by this argument that is that before the time of Luther there was not in the world any more Religions then these that is to say Paganisme Mahometisme the Greekes the Nestorians the heresies of the Hussites and the Romane Church THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe Heluetian confession Forasmuch as there is but one God and one Mediator betwene God and men Iesus Christ the Messias one holy Ghost one Saluation one faith one couenant it followeth necessarily that there is but one Church which is the cause that we call it Catholike because that it is Vniuersal and spread through all parts of the world and extendeth her selfe vnto all times not being inclosed within any time or place We condemne therfore the Donatists which inclose the Church in a certaine corner of Affrica And we approue not the Clergie of Rome who affirme the Romane church to be the onely Catholike Church ANNOTATION THere are two or three hundreth yeeres past since that it hath beene very hard to iudge by the multitude whether the name of the Catholicke Church appertained to the Greeke Church or the Latine Church The Greeke Church had the Empires of Constantinople and Trebizonde and the Northern nations who did maintaine her But now shee is diminished by the oppression of the Turkes as the Latine is increased by the conquests of the Spaniards farre otherwise then it was heretofore For Almanie was halfe Pagans and Spaine Sarrazins and this was at such time as there was diuision betweene the Greekes and Latines So that if the multitude did giue the Name of Catholickes the Grecians should haue had it and the certaine time when they lost this Title is not to be knowen Notwithstanding all this these two Churches and that of the Iacobites doe professe themselues to be Catholickes the passages or proofes before alleged doe shew that euery one of them is extended very wide Vnder the name of Iacobites wee will comprehend the Cophites and the Abyssins and we may adde thereunto the Nestorians For Masius telleth vs that these people are rather differing in name then in Religion whose Testimonie is reported to be very true The reason wherefore they haue in Ierusalem diuerse Churches and Oratories the one neere the other is to the end euery nation might vse that language which he best vnderstandeth Bellarmine also seemeth to account these three for one for it is certaine that before Luthers time there were Cophites Abyssines and Iacobites The rest the same Masius as it were dischargeth of the crime of heresie which was imputed to them I am assured saith he they are free and exempt from that wicked Doctrine of that infamous hereticke Nestor For hauing read a great Volume of their solemne Prayers which they make to God I haue found nothing that might offend any man of sound opinion in our Religion if it be not this that I suspect them because that they in many places call not the Virgine Marie mother of God But instead of this Title they call her the mother of life and of light Here is to bee noted that Villamont had some notice that Prester Iohn had sent to the Pope to submit himselfe to the Church of Rome and Cotion the Iesuite affirmeth that the Patriarch of the Cophites had done the like But wee haue now fresher newes and know that there is no such matter Well then if all those people doe make but one Church the same is as great or rather greater and ampler then the Latin Church and if the multitude be the marke of the true Church it must be attributed to them as the greater number of people But because it appeareth not that either they or the Greeke Churches doe constitute or appoint the multitude for a marke of the true Church and that it doth not appeare where that multitude is moreouer because that those which now are fewe in number may exceed the rest hereafter and that the multitude of the Latins is not so great to induce others to turne to their religion we will conclude that according to their beliefe The multitude of people or the greatnesse or largenesse of Regions are not markes of the true Church QVESTION VI. Whether the Primate of the Church hath any power or authoritie ouer the Temporaltie of Common-weales THE EAST CHVRCH IEremie Patriarch of Constantinople Wee ought to obey all principalities and power and not onely of good Princes but also of euill Princes and to obserue inuiolably their lawes notwithstanding that we must obey God rather then men And in another place he that resisteth soueraigne power shall be condemned Sacranus The Emperours of Greece haue had the power and right to holde vnder their yoakes the Patriarches and all the Clergie the which they placed and displaced when it seemed them best Nicholas The Patriarches of Constantinople Ierusalem Antioch and Alexandria possesse neither townes nor Castles and entertaine no Souldiers or Archers for their guard much lesse doe they cloath themselues eyther with cloath of golde veluet or purple and haue no more Reuenues toward their maintenance habites and books then about 200. Ducats by the yeare In their habites they differ nothing from the other people and they are no more richly cloathed then the simpler sort Sacranus The Princes of
the beginning therefore he that is a Melchite is a Catholike and whosoeuer holdeth a contrary opinion is an Hereticke It is this heresie that keepeth the kingdome of Nauarre vnder the Spanish yoke It is this heresie that brought that frowning fortune into our France and had bene the ruine of her if her great and inuincible Melech seconded by faithfull Melchites otherwise called Polititians had not preserued and defended her with the grace and assistance of him which is the onely giuer and translater of Monarchies It is this Heresie that the most Puissant and mightie King of Great Britaine indeuoreth to quench abolish in the hearts of his subiects a heresie which for a while lyeth hid vnder ashes but meeting with any proper matter will breake into a great combustion Euery one may here see that the most part of Christians doe reiect this opinion yea the Romanes themselues although they suffer the Pope of Rome to maintaine it in the Canons Wee will then conclude according to the generall voice That the Primate of the Catholike Church whether he be at Constantinople or at Rome or at Alexandria hath no power or authoritie ouer Temporall Common-wealthes QVESTION VII Whether all the doctrine necessarie to saluation may bee taken out of the holy Scripture THE EAST CHVRCH NIlus Archbishop of Thessalonica This is not then the cause of this difference and much lesse the whole bodie of the Scripture as if it were too short No it is not vttered openly and plainely wherof this question is for to accuse the Scripture is as great a fault as to accuse God but God is voyd of all blame Lombard The Grecians say that the holy Ghost proceedeth onely from the Father the which they beleeue say they because that the Gospell which containeth wholy the Faith that is to say the doctrine of the faith maketh mention of the Father onely The King of Moscouia If the Gospell had not bene written how could the word of God haue bene vnderstood and if the Apostles had not reduced into writing their delegation or Commission how had it bene knowen to the world that they were sent to men Sacranus The Russians say that the teachers of the Latin Church are not credible because they teach but that they receiue from the Greeke Doctors conditionally that they find nothing therein contrary to their owne opinion Annot. The Christians of the East are marueilous iealous of the Traditions and Ceremonies of the Fathers neuerthelesse they hold that the Scripture is necessarie against those that say that the Church may erre Moreouer they hold the same sufficient and a rule of Faith and therefore admit not altogether the Greeke and Latin Doctors but iudge of their doctrine which they could not doe but by examining it by the rule of Scripture THE SOVTH CHVRCH A Luares It was demaunded of me whether all those things that is to say the customes of the Romane Church were contained in our Bookes and whether they seemed better vnto me then those which they vse I answered that I found our bookes reduced into a better order then their bookes were because that since the time of the Apostles wee haue had alwayes great masters and teachers which were neuer imployed in any other vocation but to compose and gather together the holy Scriptures and passages of the Prophets and Apostles scattered in many volumes They replied vnto me that they had fourescore and one bookes of the olde and new Testament and asked whether we had more I answered that we had tenne times more drawne and extracted out of the olde and new Testament enriched with many expositions wherein was contained very deepe doctrine Prester-Iohn caused one to tell me that he was not ignorant of the great quantitie of bookes which we haue but that he desired verie much to know their names Damianus a Goes The Abyssins say that they haue all the writings of Moses and the Prophets and other bookes of the old Testament the foure Euangelists and all the Epistles of S. Paul and that they want not any booke of the holy Scripture whereof they recyted a Catalogue in my presence Neuerthelesse the Bishop Zaga an Ethiopian seemeeth to count the bookes of the Bible otherwise for he saith that in the new Testament there are fiue and thirtie peraduenture he comprehends those which Aluars saith that they call Manda and Abetilis diuided into eight parts but the same Abyssins doe beleeue that the holy Scripture is sufficient for saluation without those for they denie not the name of true Christians to those that haue not those bookes and therefore they hold them not to be of equall authority with the other The same Authour saith that the Abyssins beleeue not that there is any power whether Councel or whatsoeuer able to make lawes which binde the conscience much lesse such doctrine as is not grounded vpon the Scripture Annot. The Ethiopians are of the opinion of the Reformed if they meane those foure-score and one bookes which are in the Volume of the Bible for the same number is to be found if one reckon the Epistle of Ieremie for one booke by it selfe and if one doe seperate the Histories which are not found but in Greeke added to the bookes of Daniel and Hester Moreouer it is to be noted that the Abyssins do limite that which they holde for the word of God within the number of foure score and one bookes against the opinion of the word not written and they demand if the fashion and manner of celebrating the Masse is to be found in the holy Scripture Aluares a Roman Catholik answereth them cleane besides the matter saying that the Romane Church hath Doctors and Teachers which haue a doctrine farre greater and more perfect then that of the olde and new Testament The Reformed Church subscribe not willingly to this Article for they make a contrary Article as hereafter followeth THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe confession of the French Church We do beleeue that the word which is conteined in these bookes proceedes from God of whom it taketh his authority and not of men And forasmuch as it is the rule of all truth and verity conteining all that is necessary for the seruice of God and our saluation it is not lawfull for men neither for the Angels themselues to adde diminish or change it THE CATHOLIKE ROMAN CHVRCH I. Maior It is to be noted that wee doe hold many things to be diuine Law which are not expresly conteined in the Diuine law to wit in the holy Scripture neyther may they euidently be deduced from thence As for example not to ordaine a woman to be Priest or the institution of any one order In like manner we read not in the new Testament and much lesse in the old that the soueraigne Bishopricke was graunted to the Successors of S. Peter yet notwithstanding wee hold the soueraigne Bishopricke is by Diuine law The councell of Trent
were and haue beene since in the Canon of the Hebrewes wherein the books of the Maccabees VVisedome and the third and fourth booke of Esdras are not conteined That the Authours of these bookes were not as the Prophets inspired of God who confirmed their doctrine with Miracles this is the cause why the Church in that time receiued the one into the Canonicall authoritie and not the other That the Catholike Church much lesse the Romane cannot make newe Articles of Faith To affirme that the Auncient Church knewe not nor taught the verity in that behalfe and that the Church hath had since new reuelations is an absurd thing In fine that they first which numbred these Deutero-canonicall or Ecclesiasticall with the Propheticall intended not to equalize them but rather thought good to put them in the Volume of the holy Bible because that there are good precepts in them and Histories whereby one may see the estate of the Church after the time of the Prophees vntill the comming of the Redeemer The Councell of Trent doth hold likewise for Apocrypha and in suspect the 4. book of Esdras although it be in the volume of the Bible There are also learned men of great account in the Catholike Romane Church as Cardinall Caietane Nicholas de Lyra and others which hold not the bookes of Maccabees for authenticall books And the generall voyce is that The bookes of Wisedome Syrach the third and fourth of Esdras the Maccabees and others although that they may perhaps call them Canonicall haue not equall authority with the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles QVESTION IX Whether the Latine Translation be of the same authoritie with the Originall Hebrew and Greeke written by the Prophets and Apostles THE EAST CHVRCH NIcholas The christians of the East say that the Popes of Rome whom they hold for heretikes together with their Sectaries haue wholly corrupted and changed the Gospel and other books of our Religion in taking away and adding that which seemed to them most fit to serue their insatiable couetousnesse The King of Moscouia The Chapters which thou cytest out of Apostolicall epistles and Gospels agree not with ours Here Lasicius marke that which followeth The writings of the Apostles are otherwise distinguished by the Russians then by vs for in their language there is in S. Matthew 116. chapters the most part of them so little that there is sometimes but three little verses therein according as the sense of the discourse requireth and a little after he saith that all that was done by one Cyrillus a Priest of the Church of Constantinople which they doe obey who vnderstood the Sclauonian tongue Aug. Eugub saith that the Grecians hold the translation of the seuentie Interpreters which almost quite through differeth from the latine Translation Aluares saith that Prester-Iohn asked him how many of the Prophets had foretold the comming of Iesus Christ I answered saith he that there was not any one amongst them which made not some mention of his comming Afterward hee asked him how many bookes S. Paul had written who answered one booke diuided into many epistles Annot. This discourse sheweth that the Churches of Ethiope haue neuer seene the Latin Bible of the Church of Rome and regarded not to approue it if they found it differing from the Hebrew THE REFORMED CHVRCH IN THE VVEST THe confession of the Swizers We doe receiue onely that Interpretation of the Scriptures for Orthodoxal and lawful which is taken out of the Scripture it selfe expounded according to the true sense and meaning of the language wherein they were written VVhitaker Wee Englishmen doe hold that the Latine translation of the Church of Rome is in very many places miserably corrupted and falsified and that it is not authenticall and that the Hebrewe and Greeke edition is sincere Scripture THE ROMAN OCCIDENTAL CHVRCH THe councell of Trent The Councell considering that no smal profit would redound to the Church if of many Latine editions of the holy Scriptures one were knowne to be Authenticke doth ordaine and declare that the same vulgar edition bee held for such and that none be so bold to reiect it vpon what pretence soeuer ANNOTATION THe Authour of the vulgar Latin translation is not knowen The Romane Catholikes say that it is the labour of S. Ierome The Reformed Churches doe thinke that S. Ierome was not the Authour thereof Neuerthelesse the Councell of Trent doth authorise it Cardinall Bellarmine affirmeth that that Translation is true and that the originall is corrupted But there are many Romane Catholikes which doe hold the Catholike beleefe and haue made newe Translations and consequently corrected the vulgar Those of the East Churches hold that onely the Greeke Originals written by the Apostles are authenticall And as touching the bookes of the old Testament they allow of the Translation which is called the Translation of the seuentie or of Ptolomeus Neuerthelesse they hold it not for a certainty that those be altogether the translation of the seuenty which carry that name It is thought that the Apostles did vse the Translation of the said seuenty the which neuerthelesse was not altogether comformable with the Hebrew but if they haue approued it then it followeth that there was not any errour in that they haue alledged it Moreouer the Hebrew text is preferred before all other Translations The Latines doe obiect that it is not reasonable to receiue the Hebrew Bible of the Iewes The Greekes doe answere that our Sauiour and his Apostles had the Hebrew Bible and that they left the same to their successors from whom those of this present time haue receiued it from hand to hand and not from the vnbeleeuing Iewes and therefore the vulgar translation was taken from the Hebrew It followeth therefore that the Hebrew was then in the Church or else that the Romane Church hath taken it from the Iewes Masius saith that the Syrians hold for authenticall the Syrian translation of one Theodorus peraduenture they intend not to preferre or equalize it with the originall Hebrew and that the Grecians the Moscouites the Abyssines and the Armenians would attribute each one of them to the translation vsed in their Church as much as the Latins doe attribute to theirs which would be but so many particular opinions each one of them being reiected by the other and therfore the Catholicke assured opinion is That the Latin translation of the Romane Church or any other hath not equall authority with the originall Hebrew and Greeke of the Prophets and Apostles QVESTION X. VVhether the Traditions of the Latin Church are Catholicke and whether all Christian Nations are obliged to obserue them THE EAST CHVRCH NIcolas The Grecians say that they were the first Nations that were conuerted to the faith of Iesus Christ and that in consideration and regard thereof they are the men that truely and purely hold the Traditions of the Primitiue Church as it was preached and
taught vnto them by the Apostles Ieremie Oecumenicall Patriarch writeth thus to the Protestants of Germanie Let these things suffice you most deare brethren which as you see do best of all accord and agree with the Scriptures vnto vs diuinely giuen according to the interpretation and exposition of the most wise and holy Fathers inspired by God For wee are not permitted to trust vpon our owne particular interpretation or to vnderstand or teach but only that which agreeth with the holy Councels and Doctors of the Church for feare that being once drawen or ledde out of the way of the Euangelicall doctrine and the path of true wisedome and vnderstanding we do erre and that our iudgement be transported as an other Proteus one while to one fashion of beleefe another while to another Well some of you will demaund peraduenture by what meanes may a man attaine to this That shall he doe by the aide and assistance of God if he doe attempt nothing and follow but that which hath bene ordained by the Apostles and holy Councels For he that doth well and constantly continue within these limits shall march the very same pace and be of the very same faith and Communion with vs. Sacranus The Moscouites denie that the Church of Rome is the chiefe head of all other Churches saying also that the Sayings Statutes Writings Canons and Determinatiōs of the Councels of the Church of Rome are nothing and that all Councels after the seuen first Councels are not truely Catholicke because that they were holden without their consent and approbation THE CHVRCH OF THE SOVTH ALuares Againe it was demaunded of me what number of Bishops were at the Councell of Nicei whereunto I answered three hundred and eighteene Moreouer they asked me wherefore wee doe not obserue the Statutes and Articles of that holy Councell seeing it was therein ordained that Priests should mary I answered that of all that which was there ordained there was now nothing obserued but onely the great Symbole or Creede They put me also in mind of many other things which were broken and violated by Pope Leo and they prayed me to recite them But I excused my selfe saying that I knew them not although that in my iudgement if that hee infringed any they were such as sauoured of some heresie and that he had approued and caused to bee obserued those which hee knew to be holy and necessary The same Aluares Prester Iohn asked me whether wee had a booke diuided into eight parts which was composed by the Apostles assembled at Ierusalem which they call Manda and Abetilis the contents whereof was by them obserued but I answered him that I neuer knew any such because it was not to bee found in our Countries Zaga-zabo an Ethiopian Bishop Neither our Patriarch nor our Bishops doe beleeue that either of themselues or in Councell they may make any lawes vnto which any man should be bound vpon paine of mortal sinne THE REFORMED CHVRCHE IN THE WEST THe confession of the Swizers S. Peter the Apostle saith that the holy Scriptures are not of any priuate interpretation and therefore we approue not all interpretations neyther receiue as a lawful exposition that which is called the opinion of the Church of Rome We do not contemne the exposition of the Fathers which doe agree with the holy Scriptures we reiect all humane Traditions although neuer so well adorned with fine Titles if being conferred with the holy Scripture they doe differ and varie Zanchius We doe iudge that those Traditions must be retained and obserued in the Churches which doe manifestly appeare to be of the Apostles obserued euer in all the Churches although that there is no such commaundement in the Scripture It is not the part of a Christian man and one that feareth God to reiect that which is proued to haue bin receiued by the consent of all Churches to reiect that I say without iust and necessary cause but if hee attempt any such matter it must be debated in a generall Councell THE CATHOLIKE ROMAN CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent The Councell considering that all Doctrine and Discipline is contained in Bookes written and Traditions not written following the example of the Catholike Fathers and good interpreters of the faith doth receiue and honour with equal affection and pietie all the bookes of the old and new Testament and in like manner the Traditions which doe appertaine as well to faith as to good manners as hauing beene spoken eyther by the mouth of Iesus Christ or else by the holy Ghost and alwaies kept in the Catholike Church Romane by continuall succession ANNOTATION THere is no part of Christendome that holde not themselues to haue the best forme of gouernement The three principall that is to say the Grecians Romanes and Abissins or Aethiopians doe claime their Traditions from the Apostles notwithstanding that they are found eyther to be different or contrary but in Histories their Original is to be seen especially the Traditions of the Grecians and Latines As touching those of the Abissins or Aethiopians it is harder to find out the Authours Neuerthelesse they haue receiued some of the Greekes and Latines in the time of Iustinian the Emperour as hereafter shall be said But the most part of their ceremonies are taken from the law of Moses The Reformed Christians say that if ceremonies must be it is more conuenient to obserue those which God hath in times past ordained then to receiue any Paganisme superstition That which brought most nouelties into the Latine Church is the authority which is giuen to one alone for euery Pope would leaue some remembrance of faith from hence do proceed so many canonized saints and fashions to honour them feasts pilgrimages Religions or orders of monks and friars and such like blind deuotion wherein the Latins haue surpassed all people who accuse the foresaid Latines of presumption because they would make to passe for Catholike those customes which were neuer ordained by the seuen vniuersall Councels They of the East Church require the obseruation of those of the generall Councels but not of any particular The Reformed Christians doe protest that they dispute not against Catholike customes but against abuse and superstition or if any thing displeaseth them it is the multitude of ceremonies rather then any one of them considered in particular It is true that in reiecting those that haue beene brought onely in by the Church of Rome they haue not spared the Catholike ceremonies Luther thought that all Christian nations would reforme themselues the one after the other and also that that which seemed to be a particular attempt would be corroborated and confirmed by a Catholike approbation Howsoeuer it be the learned and greatest men amongst them doe protest to submit themselues to a generall and free Councell The Frenchmen likewise who haue of late time begun and had lesse means giuen them to errect
mentioned is gathered that the Churches of the East and South and many of the Catholike Church of Rome doe hold with the Reformed contrary to the Councell of Trent That the faith which God giueth to the repentant is a firme assurance of saluation and consequently that whosoeuer hath this assurance hath the faith which God giueth QVESTION XIII Whether a man may attaine faith or confidence by his free will or doe workes proceeding from faith and such as are profitable vnto saluation by the same THE EAST CHVRCH IEremie It is of vs to chuse and will but it is of God to performe and bring it to effect And beeause that which is most excellent is of him S. Paul attributeth all vnto him imitating therein the custome of men As when we see a house built we atttribute all to the chiefe builder yet neuerthelesse all is not done by him but by the workemen and by the owner that prouided the stuffe but we attribute all vnto him because he hath layed the foundation and is the chiefeth builder In like manner is it here for so saith S. Paul also It is not in him that willeth neither in him that runneth which saying preuenteth two mischiefes the one that no man exalt himselfe for graunt saith he that thou runnest or that thou doest endeuour yet thinke not that which is well done is thine for if thou art not inspired from aboue all is in vaine It is neuerthelesse confessed that thou shalt attaine vnto the end of that which thou desirest because that thou runnest and because thou labourest For he said not simply that wee runne in vaine but that we runne in vaine if we thinke that all is of vs and make not God the principall partie for God would not that all should be from him least he should seeme to crowne vs for no seruice neither that all should be of our selues least we should happen to fall into a foolish opinion of our selues for if we be proud of the least part thereof because it is in vs howe much more should we be if we had all in our selues Item in recyting of S. Chrysostome To the end that the greatnesse of his benefits exalt the not behold how he doth humble thee that is saith hee by giuing grace through faith On the contrary side to the ende that free-will haue no preiudice hee hath also added that which is of vs And againe he hath taken it away for the same saith he is not of vs nay faith it selfe is not of our selues For if he had not called vs how could wee haue beleeued It is the gift of God The Anaphor of the Cophites And therefore O Lord wee thy vnprofitable seruants and miserable strangers whom thou hast vouchsafed to make administrators of thy holy mysteries not by reason of our righteousnesse for wee haue done no good on the earth c. Liturgia Ethiop Giue vs thy holy spirit to the ende that with a pure heart perfect loue and firme hope wee may be bold with confidence and without feare to pronounce that prayer which thy dearely beloued Sonne hath taught his holy Apostles THE LATINE CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent If any one say that the free-will of a man being moued and stirred by God doth not cooperate at all in assenting to God which moued and called it to the end that hee dispose and prepare himselfe to obtaine the grace of iustification and that he cannot consent if he would nay rather that he doth nothing at all as a thing without a soule and that he is onely a patient and no agent let him bee accursed Item If any one say that the freewill of a man hath beene so lost and razed out after the fall of Adam that it is a thing without a name or rather a name without a thing and to conclude That it is a fiction that Sathan hath brought into the Church let him be accursed THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe confession of the Saxons Those men that were well instructed haue alwaies distinguished outward discipline from the regeneration of the spirite which is the beginning of eternall life and haue taught that in man there is such a freedome of will to rule the externall motions of the body that those which are not regenerate may in some fashion accomplish that discipline which is an externall obedience according to the law But a man cannot deliuer himselfe from sinne and from eternall death by his naturall strength For this deliuerance conuersion of man to God is wrought by the Sonne of God which doth quicken vs through his holy spirit and the will hauing once receiued the holy spirit is neuer after idle or voide The confession of Ausburg Touching freewill the Churches doe teach that mans will hath some liberty to worke ciuill righteousnes and to chuse that which is conformeable vnto reason But it hath not the power to worke spirituall righteousnesse which is the righteousnes of God We confesse that all men haue free-will which haue the iudgement of reason neuerthelesse not such as that they are sufficient of themselues either to begin without God or to end without him in that which concerneth God but onely in the workes of this present life as well good as badde ANNOTATION SOme men doe thinke that the difference touching free-wil consisteth all in wordes which may be graunted because that the Romane Catholikes doe not hold any thing to be in a man that is regenerated which the protestants doe not confesse with them that is that it proceedeth either in all or in part from free-will But the difference is in this that the Protestants doe thinke it necessary that a man should haue an assured faith the which say they proceedeth in no wise from free-will nor by consequent from the workes that doe proceed from this faith for if it proceede totally from God it followeth that the effects ought to be imputed to him onely If the Latines would confesse that God giueth this confidence they should approue the opinion of the Protestants and indeede many doe so and therein are true Catholickes The Churches of Asia and Affrica which affirme that it is necessary to saluation to haue this confidence do also confesse that it commeth from God and therefore begge it of him and consequently denie therein free-will as the Protestants doe and are contrary to the Latines although that they doe not debate with them about it and though they know it not agree with the Protestants those Protestants I say which beleeue that the Grecians do contrary them as much or more then the Latines and so it is certaine that the fault is for want of vnderstanding the matter Now to comprehend well this thing a man must marke the propositions of the Patriarch Ieremie and explane them to the end he may gather his meaning by his owne discourse First he saith that a man hath power or ability to chuse the good as well as the euill
and profitable The Protestants in the confession of Saxonie and Ausburg and others doe confesse also that it may be imputed to the vnderstanding by reason of other succeeding obiects as the cause that vice raigneth in man for man hath his free will to euill and God hath not promised saluation to them which sinne willingly and notoriously 8. As touching the Christians of the South although that this question is not found handled in their writings yet they speake very sufficiently They say that assurance of faith is a guift of God and therefore they begge it at his hands and they confesse that a man cannot doe any good in the world to wit by his free will Moreouer the Councell of Trent confesseth that this faith proceedeth not at all from free will Euery man saith the Councell when he hath regard to himselfe and to his owne indignity and indisposition may haue some feare and doubt of Gods grace seeing a man cannot know by any certainety of faith that hee hath obtained the grace of God Out of this confession of the Councell a man may conclude that if God giueth this confidence as the Apostolike Churches doe beleeue against the said Councell then it is a supernaturall gift and dependeth no way on freewill 9. But the Reformed stay not on so faire a way They say that we cannot doe any good workes through free-will They would say in as much as these workes proceede of faith for in that they proceede from naturall all reason which is no lesse in the faithfull then in the vnfaithfull the free-will doth cooperate also neuerthelesse they are not therefore truely good that is to say rewardable but they are in that they proceede of faith or that they are addressed to a true end through faith and therfore the Catholike Church beleeueth That God giueth a kind of faith called confidence which proceedeth not in any wise from free-will nor by consequent works considered as effects of this faith QVESTION XIIII Whether a man receiueth remission of sinnes by a confident faith without the workes of the law THE EAST CHVRCH IEremie The one hath neede of the other that is to say grace of the works and the workes of grace as the light of the sight and the sight of the light as the soule of the body and the body of the soule Seeing then that both the one the otherdoth auaile to saluation without doubt a man ought to haue them both a true faith with works the works of vertue through faith and a man ought to beleeue without doubting for doubt and perplexity in faith is no faith for that which is proued by arguments though once receiued is examined more profoundly by searching But the simplicity of faith is more firme then the demonstrations of reason and those things which are beleeued without arte are more strong then those that are artificiall without all comparison For if one sound the depth of Faith she is tossed to and fro but if she be considered in her simple disposition she remaineth stedfast It being then most certaine and not to be doubted that a man must beleeue without Doubting It remaineth here onely that we must with all our might seeke and find in some fashion what that is because that we ought to apply our selues to obtaine saluation for faith without workes and workes without faith are equally reiected of God The booke called Dioptra Thou didst discend O Lord thou hast taken flesh to saue all men preserue me by thy grace I beseech thee for if thou shouldest preserue me by my workes the same should not bee reputed grace For thou my Lord Iesus Christ hast sayde he that beleeueth in mee shall liue and shall neuer see death Let faith be imputed to me in stead of workes for to iustifie me but let that faith suffice me for all It is faith that will absolue me it is faith that will iustifie me it is faith that will make me partaker of eternall glorie for God requireth noe other thing but compunction and mourning THE CHVRCH OF THE SOVTH ANaphor Cophit Lord which art praised by Angels and Archangels called holy of the Seraphins which sittest vpon the Cherubines art praised without ceasing by their voices formed by the diuine word which wouldest also be honored by a Priestly function euen by vs which dwell on the earth not for that thou hast any need of our worship or seruice but for to make vs partakers of thy holinesse support vs O Lord I say which approach to thy holy altar disdaine not vs thy seruants which doe stand before thee for the blot of sinne wherewith we are spotted for thou which art our maker knowest and seest what thy creature is for no man borne of a woman shall be iustified in thy sight THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe confession of Ausburg When the Gospell doth reprehend our sinnes the astonished hearts ought to holde for a certaintie that the remission of sins and iustification through faith are giuen vs freely thorough Iesus Christ which was made a sacrifice for vs and hath apeased his father Albeit then the Gospel requireth repentance yet neuerthesse to the end that the remission of our sinnes might be certaine it teacheth vs that it is giuen freely and that it dependeth not vpon condition of our worthinesse and is not giuen in confideration of any precedent workes neither of any insuing worthinesse or dignitie For remission should become vncertaine if wee should hold it not to bee giuen but after such time as it was merited by precedent workes or else by some notable repentance THE LATIN CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent when the Apostle saith that man is iustified by faith and that freely those words ought to be vnderstood in that sence that the Catholike Church hath alwayes held expounded them that is to say that we are iustified by faith because that faith is the beginning of the saluation of mankind the foundation and root of our iustification without the which it is impossible to please God to come into the companie of the sonnes of God And that we are freely iustified by reason that there is no other thing that goeth before iustification bee it faith or good workes which meriteth the grace of Iustification For if it be of grace it is not of works otherwise as the same Apostle saith grace were no grace Item If any man say that iustifying faith is nothing els but the trust which one hath on the mercy of God which pardoneth sinnes for the loue of Iesus Christ or that this trust is the onely thing through which we are iustified let him be accursed If any man say that to obtaine remission of sinnes It is onely necessary that a man beleeue assuredly and neuer to make any doubt notwithstanding his owne infirmitie and indisposition that his sinnes are pardoned him let him be accursed ANNOTATION TIme saith Malancthon hath mollified the controuersie
sinne is asked for him that is baptized wherein we must beleeue that God heareth his Church The churches alwaies are carried away some with more care others with lesse The Latin Church falleth into an extremitie and beleeueth the perdition of children not baptised in so much that she permitteth not onely the Laickes but also women to baptise yea Pagans and heretickes wherein she hath a particular opinion and that which the other Churches approue not to shew that they haue a better hope of the saluation of the same Infants And aboue all the rest the Church of Aethiope which beleeueth that they are sanctified in the wombes of their Mothers The Grecians doe permit the Laickes to baptize but they thinke not the same to be true baptisme And indeede the Moscouites who are vnited to the Church of Greece permit not the ministration of baptisme to any but vnto Priests and that within the Temple or at least wise that was the place in times past for Faber hath written so about a hundred yeares agoe peraduenture both they and the Greekes were then of this opinion and also now a daies they rebaptize them that are baptized by the Laickes The Protestants of Germanie doe permit the Laickes to baptize neuerthelesse they confesse that the children of the elect are saued without baptisme as it was concluded by them at Wirtenberg in the yeare one thousand fiue hundred thirtie sixe The Church of England imployeth all the diligence that may be possible Thus saith the Canon If any Minister being aduertised of any sickenesse and danger of death or finding any Infant within his Parish not baptized refuse to baptise them or do delay in such sort that being able to come in time where the Infant is to baptize him and the same Infant happen to die without baptisme by his fault the same Minister shall be suspended for three moneths and shall not receiue the fauour of absolution vntill he acknowledge his fault From that which hath beene said a man may drawe this conclusion as Catholike and Orthodoxall That Baptisme is the ordinary meanes for Infants to obtaine saluation yet neuerthelesse God saueth extraordinarily the Infants of the Elect which haue not neglected baptisme and that the Church which knoweth not the Elect ought to hasten by all good meanes the baptisme of their Infants QVESTION XX. Whether confirmation be a Sacrament that is to say a Ceremonie commaunded by God and whether it doth appertaine onely to Bishops THE EAST CHVRCH SAcranus The Russians say that there is no Sacrament of confirmation and therefore they receiue it not and ordaine their Priests without it Vilamont The Grecians denie the Sacraments of confirmation and of extreame vnction Gagninus The Moscouites abhorre this Sacrament of confirmation which they proue to be damnable because in all the Councels especially that of Nice it hath bene said I confesle one Baptisme and if there be but one Baptisme there is also but one vnction and the Priest and the Bishoppe haue the selfe same authority and vertue to dispence aswell with the one as with the other Theuet They also differ from our Romane Church in that they reiect the Sacrament of confirmation as a superfluous thing because say they he which was anointed by the Priest in holy Baptisme ought not to come vnder the hands of the Bishops seeing that therein the authoritie of the Bishoppe and of the Priest is alike THE SOVTH CHVRCH THe confession of Zaga-zabo Bishop of Aethiop Moreouer it is to be vnderstood that with vs confirmation and Chrisme or the oyle of extreame vnction are not holden for Sacraments neither are they in vse as I see they are here in the Romane Church THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe confession of Wirtemberg We doe not doubt but that the Apostles in the beginning of the Gospell reuealed and confirmed at the Feastiuall day of Pentecost haue giuen by the impositition of hands the admirable gift of the holy Ghost to those which beleeued in Christ to the end that they should speake in diuers languages But of a personall and temporall act of the Apostles there ought not to bee a generall and perpetual Sacrament in the Church without the commaundement of God And it is a horrible thing to heare it reported that the Sacrament of confirmation which the Bishops Suffragans haue accustomed to minister to infants excelleth in dignitie the Sacrament of Baptisme For there are some which feare not to affirme the same As it is a thing say they done by the greatest that is to say by the Bishops and cannot bee done by the meaner sort of Priests so ought it to bee held in greater honour and estimation THE LATINE CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent If any say that those which attribute any vertue to the holy oyntment of confirmation doe iniurie to the holy Ghost Anathema If any say that the ordinary Minister of holy confirmation is not a Bishop onely but also a Priest Anathema ANNOTATION THe Apostolick Churches of the East North and South doe vse oyle after Baptisme Socolouius thinketh that this is the Sacrament of confirmation We follow here a contrary opinion first because that his Authors before alleaged and others denie it Secondly Zaga a Bishop of Aethiop sayth plainely that there is no oyle amongst them that is held for a Sacrament Thirdly the foresaid Churches do not hold the vse of oyle in Baptisme by the institution and commaundement of God but by the ordinance of the Church which say they hath inuented many things so speakes the Patriarch Ieremie touching the vnction Fourthly the Tradition amongst those people was to permit the Bishops onely to administer the sayd oyle of Baptisme Fiftly They administer this oyle only to shew that in Baptisme the Infant receiueth grace to beare the name of a Christian a name which commeth from Christ which signifieth anointed that is it also which as Ieremie declareth alwayes is called vnction A mysterie wee will speake of this word in his place To end the Church of Rome doth both the one and the other they vse oyle in Baptisme as the other Apostolicke Churches but besides in particular they make it a Sacrament Moreouer if they will haue vnction to be a Sacrament a part it followes then vpon that that the foresaid Churches haue Baptisme well nigh in the same simplicitie or puritie wherein it was ordained by our Sauiour for they adde not any thing neither salt nor spittle As for the rest the Protestants doe approue confirmation by the imposition of hands as is to be seene in the Constitutions of England but yet as a ceremonie not calling it a Sacrament To conclude the Councell of Trent which was very neere wholy composed of Italians and Spaniards doth excommunicate all the Apostolicke Churches for these two Articles first because they hold not besides the vnction in Baptisme a Sacrament of the vnction of confirmation Secondly because they say that although it were a
places before alleadged seeme not to bee to the purpose of this question neuerthelesse they satisfie sufficiently We search out in this Treatise the Tradition of Christian people and because that this question hath not bene disputed vpon before this time a man cannot finde any expresse testimonies in so much that it must be gathered from the practise of the Church what her beleefe is Some man will aske whether Christian people doe beleeue or haue beleeued that after the vsage of the Sacrament the body of the Lord be in the rest of the bread and wine consecrated and whether the rest of the bread and wine bee holy things or whether they haue no holinesse in them euen as the water of Baptisme which is not scrupulously kept after it is once vsed The Romane Church holdeth the affirmatiue that is to say that the bread being lost the wine being shed or soaked into wood are and still remaine the true bodie of Christ as is to be seene by the cautions of the Canon before alleadged But seeing that other people take not such care to keepe the remnants and to gather them vp religiously it followeth that they beleeue not that it is in any wise the body of our Sauiour Iesus Christ When we speake of the remnants we meane not that which is pretended to be kept for the sicke for that remainder is thought to abide still chaunged in those places where that custome is to wit in the East but not in the Churches of the Abyssins or Aethiopians The Maronites of Ierusalem who sucke the Sacrament of blood with a pipe cannot draw out all Those that doe eate with little reuerence and doe cast away the rest of the sacred bread attribute no more to it The Abyssins although that they wash the basen wherein the Sacramentall bread was and doe drinke the water and also seeme to doe it with reuerence and care yet neuerthelesse seeing that they cause the little children perforce to eate this sacred bread it cannot be otherwise but they must needs loose some of it As touching that which is practised amongst other nations to vse wooden Chalices that sheweth manifestly that they attribute not or that their Ancestors haue not attributed any diuine vertue to the leauings which soaketh into the wood Howsoeuer the law of Pope Pius be it is not obserued for the wooden Chalices nor the pipes are not scraped nor burned neither the ashes kept within the Altar From thence may be gathered That they beleeue not that the Remainder of the Sacrament wherewith no man meanes to serue his turne any more is the body of Christ QVESTION XXV Whether we ought to consecrate one Loafe for all the Communicants or whether it be lawfull to vse little Wafers THE EAST CHVRCH VIlamont The Grecians doe in this fashion celebrate the consecration of the Lord They take a leauened loafe of the value of two or three pence which they blesse and breake a little morsell out of the middest which the Priest consecrateth It is to be noted that this morsell is great or small according to the number of the communicants Gagnin The women make a loafe to sacrifice with which they call Proscura They doe consecrate the bread for the Communicants in the meane time while the Liturgie is said and the Priest diuideth it into many portions and distributes it to the Communicants who take it with a spoone and dippe it in the Chalice THE SOVTH CHVRCH ALuares They make a Cake of Wheaten flower without leauen the very same houre it is very white and faire being of the greatnesse and roundnesse of a Platter and of such greatnesse as the number of the people requireth wherof there are but few in that Monastery but in other Churches a man shall see a great number of people This bread is made bigge enough and substantiall by reason that euery one communicateth This bread is called by them Corbon THE REFORMED CHVRCHES BEza The omission of breaking the bread taketh not away the very eating of the Sacrament it selfe but onely the true and lawfull manner thereof euen as a spot in ones face blemisheth the grace of a mans fauour but abolisheth not his shape THE LATIN CHVRCH HOnorius It is reported that the Priests long a goe tooke Meale of euery Family the which the Grecians doe obserue as yet and with the same did make the bread of the Lord which they did offer for the people and after hauing consecrated it did distribute it to them for all those that had offered meale were found at Masse and for them it was said in the Canon Remember these assistants which offer vnto thee this Sacrifice of praise But after that the Churches encreased in number of people but decreased in holinesse it was ordained to communicate three times in the yeare And for that the people did not communicate it was not needfull to make so greate a Loafe it was ordained that they should make them in the forme of a penny and that the people in lue of offering the same Meale should offer pence Durandus The Hoste is of the bignesse of a peny because that our Sauiour was sold for thirty pence ANNOTATION THe Christian nations contrary to the practise of the Latine Church doe thinke that we ought to follow the example of the Lord and to obey his commaundement He broke the bread and gaue the peeces to the Apostles and commaunded them to doe as he had done that is to say to giue to the Communicants the peeces of one selfe same bread This Circumstance is noted in that great Mysterie whereof Saint Paul speaketh It is saith he a great Mysterie in Christ and the Church and he sheweth that all the faithfull do participate of the same body of the Lord and are one body amongst themselues The cuppe of blessing saith S. Paul which we blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christ and the bread which we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ for we that are many are one bread and one body for wee are all partakers of one bread And as for the rest our Sauiour would that a man should doe that which he did and that in remembrance of him And this Sacrament is not simply a memoriall of him being considered as he is in heauen but a memoriall of his passion and also of the effect thereof which is to make them that communicate partakers of his body being broken for them all The foresaid Christians doe thinke that those little Wafers are not fit to call to mind that Communion They shew rather that the Lord was not broken and that euery one hath his Christ apart This therefore shall be the Conclusion That in the holy Sacrament the bread ought to be bigge enough and that it ought to be broken and the parts there of distributed to the people QVESTION XXVI Whether it be necessary to put water into the Chalice or to
vncouered according to the ordinance of Saint Paul As for the rest those of the East doe eleuate or lift vp the Chalice in saying to the people Proschomen agia tois agiois let vs prepare our selues holy things are for holy people These words doe shewe that this eleuation of the Cup is not to require any adoration nor to be a signe of a sacrifice but it is done after the example of Iesus Christ who said to his Apostles Take eate In like manner it is very well spoken to all the people that they may prepare themselues to take it yea our Sauiour did shew it to his Apostles when he said Take and the Apostles saw it And when there bee many people in a Church and the Altar is low it cannot be seene of the people without eleuation but there needeth not any ceremonie of inclination or bowing then for the eleuation is not to that end it is good at the very instant of receiuing If the question be of the adoration of Iesus Christ there is none that will not confesse but that he ought to bee worshipped properly and with that honour called Latria in the Sacrament But the Protestants say that to doe this men must lift vp their hearts on high as it is said in all the Syrian Grecian Romane and Aethiopian Liturgies These words Sursum Corda doe declare that we must worship him in heauen and such as he is in so doing we shall not deceiue our selues But he shall deceiue himselfe that imagith him to be vnder the figures for if he doth honour him vnder them as if he were there in such manner as he is in heauen that is to say hauing his distinct parts he is deceiued for it is not so and on the other side one cannot imagine such a humane body as it is said that hee is to wit without dimensions taking vp no place without order of parts hauing the least part of his feet and armes with the least part of his head without seeing hearing feeling or mouing yet liuing A man cannot comprehend such things he conceiueth that which presenteth it selfe before his eyes that is to say the Figures and erreth in the fact although that he had no euill intention thinking that it had bene materially Moreouer a man cannot know whether the Priest hath had a meaning to consecrate and so either one deceiueth himselfe or else cannot know whether he be deceiued or no. But one cannot be deceiued if hee remember Sursum Corda for so a man adoreth both Iesus Christ with true worship and the figures Per accidens as Bellarmine will haue it This consideration also of the eleuation serueth to auoid an important question that is to say Whether the ceremonie of the externall sacrifice bee made in the very body of Iesus Christ It appeareth here not to be so for if it be not made by the eleuation as it is certaine that the foresaid people doe beleeue seeing they make no eleuation it is not made neither in the breaking of the bread for the bodie of our Sauiour cannot be really broken nor in the distribution for that belonges not to the essence of the Sacrifice but rather to the Sacrament It followeth then that the Ceremonie of the Sacrifice is not made outwardly in the proper person of Iesus Christ and consequently it is a Sacrifice purely mentall and spirituall From this aboue written and from the practise of the Apostolicke Churches it followes That none ought to eleuate the Sacrament neither with an intention to cause it to be adored nor to offer it to God vnlesse peraduenture that he doe it to shew it to the people when he summons them to the Communion QVESTION XXX Whether the Liturgie ought to be celebrated without a Communion and whether the Communion bee the principall end thereof THE EAST CHVRCHES THeuet The Armenians say the Masse alwayes in the company of two or three by reason that the Priest ministers the Communion to the assistants vppon solemne feasts according to the obseruation of the auncient Fathers Odoardus Barbosa The Armenians which are in India doe Communicate Salt with Bread in steed of the host because that they Consecrate for all them that are in the Church and each one goeth to the foote of the Altar to receiue there a part Melancton In the Parishes in Greece there are no priuate Masses but the Monasteries doe imitate the custome of the Latines THE SOVTH CHVRCHES ALuares The Debeteres doe publish euery where that they neuer heard such a Masse meaning the Romane Masse nor so diuinely celebrated by reason of the Musicke and they find fault with no other thing but that one man alone sang therein without administring the Communion to those that assisted him in his office Moreouer They make a Cake in bignesse according to the number of the persons In the townes they make this bread greater and more substantiall because that they doe all Communicate THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe Confession of Ausburg The institution doth ordaine that there be a Communion that is to say that the ministers of the Church doe deliuer also to the rest the body and blood of our Sauiour THE LATIN CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent The Councell desireth that at euery Masse the faithfull would Communicate not onely with one spirituall affection but also by receiuing Sacramentally the Eucharist neuerthelesse if they doe not so yet it condemneth not Masses as priuate and vnlawfull but doth approue and command them ANNOTATION WHen our Sauiour instituted the holy Sacrament he broke the bread and dealt the peeces and commanded that others should doe the like The Protestants doe accuse the Latins for doing the contrary for their Priests doe breake the host but deale not about the peeces which is the principall end of breaking The greater part of Christian people vse the Communion and aboue all the rest those of Africa which was the reason that Marnix said that they had the Lords supper but not the Masse Neuerthelesse the Latines doe call the Masse the Ethiopique celebration As touching the name it is neither Masse nor Supper for they call it Codash and the bread is called by the Abyssins Corbon If question be about the thing it selfe it seemeth that euery thing ought to be considered according to his principall end and the principall end of the Codash of the Cophites and Abyssins is the Communion the which Communion is not at all in the Latine Masse but the same Masse hauing another speciall principall end to wit the Sacrifice it followeth that the Codash or celebration of the Corbon is the Supper according to the saying of Marnix and not the Masse as Father Coton the Iesuite imagineth As for the Crosse waxe Candles Censings and Processions which are in vse in the foresaid celebration they change not the essence of the Sacrament but rather it continueth entire for all that splendor of ceremonies A man may gather by that
intercession of Saints the healing of diseases and such like If all this be besides and against the intention of Iesus Chrrist it is manifest that it were an abuse to cōuert it to other vses The Councell of Trent doth excommunicate those that hold this to be euill it would be knowen whether this Councell bee allowed by the Apostolicke Churches The Grecians say that in their Liturgie they make mention and remembrance of the Saints but this is not to say that they thinke that the Liturgie was ordained to that end Likewise although that the Armenians doe kisse and salute one another in the Liturgie yet no man will impute vnto them that they doe beleeue that it was instituted for to kisse salute one another If the Romane Catholikes cannot shew that the foresaid Nations doe say their Liturgies of purpose for to obtaine thereby the intercession of Saints It is a hazard but they will be found alone in that opinion attending to see if that will be we will here conclude as well vpon this last Article as vpon the precedents and will say That the Liturgie which the Latines call the Masse and the Protestants the Lords Supper is a Sacrifice wherein the Communicants by the receiuing of the Sacrament and Prayers doe obtaine forgiuenesse of their sinnes and by their prayers and offerings and not by the Communion doe profite those that Communicate not but this Sacrifice is not instituted to obtaine the intercession of the Saints nor for any other vses QVESTION XXXII Whether we ought to vse in the Church an vnknowen Language as Latin or any other and whether the people ought to read the holy Scripture or heare it read THE EAST CHVRCHES BElon When the Priest in Armenia readeth the Gospel the attendants doe salute one another both on the right hand and on the left euery one vnderstanding the Armenian tongue in which language it is alwayes read Vilamont The Iacobite doe vse many languages according to the seuerall Prouinces where they inhabite hauing neuerthelesse one particular language which they vse onely in Diuine Seruice but what language it was I could not discouer Idem The Nestorians vse the Chaldean language in their Liturgie or Diuine Seruice and in their Scriptures Idem The Armenians can speake diuers Languages but in their Diuine Seruice Masses Prayers and Ceremonies they vse the Armenian tongue which is vnderstood both of men and women throughout all their Countrey Nichol. The Grecians doe celebrate the Liturgie in their owne language to the end the common people may be able to vnderstand them Vilamont The Maronites doe vse the pure Syrian tongue in their Diuine Seruice Theuet The Moscouites haue fewe Preachers contenting themselues onely with the Lectures which the Priests make euery Sunday who reade vnto them the Gospell and Epistles of the Apostles and the bookes of learned men in a language that they vnderstand Cythraeus The Priests in Russia do consecrate with the words spoken by Iesus Christ but it is onely in the language of the Countrey THE SOVTH CHVRCH THeuet I haue seene many Bishoppes and haue heard their Masses which they say in the Abyssin language the which is very neare the Arabicke yea in the Characters themselues Aluares All their bookes whereof the number is great are of Parchment for they haue no other paper and their Scripture is read in the Tigique tongue which is Abyssin the first Countrey that receiued the doctrine of the Gospell THE REFORMED CHVRCH CAluin It is euident that publicke prayers ought to be pronounced not in Greeke amongst the Latines neyther in Latine amongst the French-men and English-men as heretofore hath beene vsed but in the vulgar tongue to the end that they might bee vnderstood by the people for it is conuenient that all bee done in the Church to edification for no man receiueth any fruite from an vnknowne language THE LATIN CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent Albeit the Masse doth containe much instruction for faithfull people Neueruerthelesse it seemed not expedient to the Fathers that it should bee celebrated euery where in the vulgar tongue ANNOTATION IN the Catholike Church of the East VVest North and South is manifestly accomplished that Scripture which saith That all languages doe confesse the Lord. The Church of Rome onely say the Protestants labours to hinder the same They will not permit the Masse nor any part of Diuine seruice to bee celebrated in the French tongue in Fraunce and which is more they haue brought their Latine seruice into America But the people cannot say Amen to any purpose if they vnderstand not that which is said in the Church their vowes and their intentions cannot be ioyned together with those of the Priest The Priest and the people which speake a language vnknowne and barbarous each to other may thinke one thing and say another behold here the confusion Likewise one may gather by the places or sentences before alleadged that the foresaid Apostolicke Churches prohibite not at all the reading of the holy Scripture for if it be permitted to the Laicks yea commaunded to be present at the reading therof being written in the vulgar tongue it followeth that they may reade it also in priuate There are Romane Catholickes which on the contrary side doe abhorre and hate the same Their Doctors and Teachers not being ashamed to say that the Translation of the holy Scripture into the vulgar tongue is the mother of heresies But there are many Catholikes in the Church of Rome which are not of this opinion and who reade attentiuely the holy Scripture Immitating therefore the practise of the Catholike Church we will say That the language of the Countrey ought to bee vsed in euery Church and that it is good to read the holy Scriptures and to heare them read in the vulgar tongue QVESTION XXXIII Whether the Ordination of the Ministers of the Church doth depend on the Pope of Rome THE EAST CHVRCH IEremie Patriarch Ordinations are no further respected of vs then the holy Canons haue prescribed And as touching the Ordination of a Bishoppe the first Canon of the Apostles teacheth vs thus That a Bishop be ordained by two or three Bishoppes and a Priest by a Bishoppe in like manner the Deacons and the rest Nichol. The foure Patriarches are created and elected by the Metropolitans of the Prouinces who aboue all other things take great care to elect him who is amongst them the maturest in yeares wisedome and holinesse Gagninus All the Metropolitans of the Ruthenians and Moscouites haue their authoritie from the Patriarch of Constantinople and in the beginning the Metropolitan was elected and chosen by the iudgment and consent of the Bishops and Abbots and of all the spirituall orders but now the great Duke of Moscouia hath this authority Theuet Within the Iland of Gezert doth the Patriarch of the sect of the Nestorians make his residence And also there the
inuocatitions as also the Protestants doe sing with the Psalmist Prayse God yee Angels of great power yee Angels of God which doe all that he commaundeth as soone as you heare his voice As for other matters two things are obiected against this inuocation or exhortation of Saints practised by the Grecians Armenians other of the East the one that it is an idle vnprofitable interpellation seeing that the Saints vnderstand not at al those that pray vnto thē Whereunto they aunswere that the spirit of Charitie which they haue vnderstandeth the Prayers and knoweth the thoughts of men and that this spirit was promised them vntill the end of the world It seemes that by this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they vse they meane the holy Ghost dwelling in the faithfull for the Patriarch Gennade taketh it in this sense in that place of Scripture which wee haue alleadged in the Preface of this Treatise where it is said that all the Apostles had one selfe same teacher to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that the opinion of the Grecians should be this that it is good to recommend our soules to the prayers of Saints because that the holy Ghost which dwelleth in them and which vnderstandeth the prayers of them that are liuing doth moue the Saints to pray for them The other obiection is that there is no commaundement of God to recommend a mans selfe to the Prayers of the dead They answere that God commanded the friends of Iob to goe vnto Iob to pray him to pray to God for them and that there is no impediment why a man may not doe the like to the Saints that are dead The greatest argument herein is the custome receiued from antiquitie in the Catholike Church The intention or meaning thereof now a dayes is That the Saints doe not vnderstand the Prayers of the liuing neuerthelesse it is lawfull for vs to recommend our selues to their Prayers because that the holy Ghost the spirit of Charitie which dwelleth in them doth induce them to pray for the liuing either in generall or in particular for those that recommend themselues to their prayers QVESTION XLI Whether those that haue beene Canonized by the Pope are truely Saints THE EAST CHVRCH THeuet As concerning the Saints of the Latin Church which we reuerence the Indians acknowledge none of them except the Apostles and Prophets nor the Grecians and Iauians likewise Idem The Grecians do keepe holy the Feastiuall daies of Saints as well as we not for that they acknowledge those which the Latins and the Church of Rome doth reuerence Sacranus They speake ill of the Saints of the Catholike Church and faith vnder the Roman obedience Gagninus They reiect the Saints of the Church of Rome and doe hold them for great Heretickes THE SOVTH CHVRCH Theuet The Abyssins doe acknowledge but verie few of our Saints Honored in our Church except Catherine by reason that her body is in Mount Sinai Saint Anthonie an Egyptian and S. Helen except also the Virgin Marie whose name is acknowledged throughout the vniuersall world THE REFORMED CHVRCH CHemnitius Those of the Church of Rome doe worship many Saints which neuer liued as George Christopher and Catharine This saying hath been vsed in the Church of Rome that in earth men doe worship the reliques of many whose soules doe burne in hell They are worthy of the hate of al good men though there were no other reason but this that they haue depraued by their fables the Histories of the liues and deaths of the Saints which doubtlesse were very full of true doctrine and consolation THE LATIN CHVRCH THe Glosse of the Canon Gloriosus The Pope alone hath power not onely to extoll some amongst the Saints but also to Canonise them first because it is one of the greatest matters that can bee propounded amongst Christians Secondly because miracles are attributed vnto faith Thirdly because that if it appertainneth vnto the Pope to determine those things that are doubtfull in the Scripture then by farre greater reason ought he to iudge of holinesse Fourthly to the end that the people should not be deceiued through the simplicity of many Bishoppes and fiftly to the end there should not be an infinite number of Saints least that thereby deuotion should grow cold ANNOTATION IT is a thing confessed that particular Churches may erre namely in the Canonizing of Saints and by tradition of the Catholike Church the Church of Rome ought to bee held for a particular Church This aboue written doth shew that the most part of Christians doe not hold for Saints those which the Pope hath canonized If any man say that the Church cannot erre I will answere that from thence it followeth that it cannot be that she can vndertake to Canonize them whom she neuer did while they were in their bodies The Church cannot make a new article of Faith Pope Leo the third saith Bellarmine was the first which Canonized Saints before they were honoured by custome and not by law the same is retained as yet in the East Countries where they name none Saints but those auncients which liued about a thousand years agoe there are none in those Churches which thinke themselues able to know who those be whom God hath chosen Not because that none ought to hold for saints those whose holinesse the ancient Church did acknowledge it would be worse to doubt it then dangerous to beleeue it charitably That which induceth the Protestants to say that Catherine George and Christopher neuer liued is the falshood of their Legends Bellarmine confesseth that they are Apocrypha They of the East doe beleeue that there was a certaine man named Christopher but no Giant They hold likewise that there haue beene a S. Catherine and a S. George both very renowned in all the east But if credible histories doe contradict the Storie of their liues it may well be said that they were not to wit such as they are imagined to haue beene To end seeing that the Churches haue euery one the memorie of the Saints who haue liued in their Countries the surest way is not to condemne them without good and sufficient proofe Neuerthelesse it is not an Article of Faith that they should be al Saints no nor those neither of the Church of Rome for all the Churches do beleeue That those which the Pope Canonizeth are not vndoubtedly Saints QVESTION XLII Whether it be lawfull to paint God to bowe or kneele before Idoles or Images to bowe the head or vncouer it before Churches Crosses or Pictures of Saints or when we take in hand holy Relickes and the Books of the holy Scripture THE EAST CHVRCHES DAmascen a Greeke Doctor Who can make an Image of God who is inuisible incorporall and incircumscriptible It is a great folly and impiety to seeke to giue a shape to him who is Diuine Sacranus The Russians doe abhorre the Images of the Romane Catholikes and
That such may vow Chastitie as know by sufficient experience that they haue power to accomplish performe their vowes And that Munkes ought not to beare the name of diuers Sects nor consume by their begging that which appertaineth vnto those which cannot labour QVESTION XLIIII VVhether the Church ought to haue Festiuall daies and fasting dayes appointed and whether there be any Diuine or generall Ecclesiasticall law about the same THE EAST CHVRCHES IEremie Patriarch of Constantinople Wee ought not onely to performe the Commaundements but also ought not to dispise the institutions of Feasts hauing in remembrance the 53. Canon of the Apostles which saith If any one vpon festiuall daies eate not flesh c. And the 69. Canon saith If any doe not fast the holy Lent or VVednesdaies and Fridaies let him be deposed Nicholas The Armenians doe keepe Lent neither eating any earthly flesh or fish and to shew themselues much differing from the Grecians vpon certaine Fridaies they eate flesh and drinke wine and all other food that pleaseth them Vilamont The Grecians obserue not the foure times nor the Vigilles they eate flesh euery Saturday they haue foure Lents in the yeare The Armenians keepe not Christmas day holy Gagnin The Moscouites doe celebrate many feasts of saints but not vpon those daies that the Romanes doe celebrate them they haue not at all the feast of Corpus Christi vpon the festiuall daies the chiefest amongst them after seruice doe spend the time in eating and drinking but the Cittizens and Artificers doe betake themselues to labour and Domesticall affaires and other businesse saying that it is for Lords to keepe feasts and to abstaine from labour Genebrard hath brought to light the Calender of the Syrian Greeke and Latin Churches wherein one may see the difference touching feasts THE SOVTH CHVRCH ALuares The Aethiopians doe keepe Lent and do beginne it the Munday after Sexagesima ten daies after Shroue-Tewesday and so they make their Lent to continue fifteene daies longer taking those daies for aduantage because that they fast not on Saturdaies Their manner of fasting is NOT TO EATE vntill night communicating euery day which is the reason why they singe not the Masse during that time but only in the night and after seruice they communicate and then goe to supper And euen as they haue these fiftie daies of Lent In like manner they take other fifty dayes after Easter and the Pentecost wherein they fast not and then when it is not fasting day they celebrate Masse in the morning eating flesh during that time without excepting any one day The Lord of Escales hath brought to light the Calender of the Church of Aethiopia wherein one may see the feasts and the fasting dayes there and how much they differ from ours THE LATIN CHVRCH THe Councell of Lyons It must be declared to the Lay people what times they must keepe holy in the yeare to wit euery Sunday from eue to eue and to eschue all imitation of the Iewes they must also keepe these Feasts Christmas S. Steuen S. Iohn c. The Fasting-dayes of the Latine Church are ordained De Consecr dist 3. and elsewhere THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe constitutions of England Seeing that the Authoritie of the holy Fathers grounded vpon the example of the Apostles hath commanded to celebrate Prayers and Fasting in the solemne ordination of Ministers and to that end hath ordained certaine prefixed times for the foresaid Prayers and Fastings Wee honouring their Holy and Pious institution doe will and ordaine that hereafter no Priests nor Deacons bee ordained but vpon those Sundayes which follow immediatly after the Fasting of the fower times vulgarly called the Ember weekes hitherto kept in the Church of England The Synod at Torun in Poland We haue thought it necessarie to appease the wrath of God with Fasting and Prayers assembling our selues together with one consent at certaine times And to the end that wee may not ordaine any new thing touching this matter we haue Dedicated vnto Fasting the dayes accustomed foure times in the yeere which are vulgarly called the dayes of abstinence Neuerthelesse we will not hinder the faithfull to follow their deuotion in obseruing Fasting and Prayers at other times but on the contrarie side we doe exhort and stirre them vp thereunto Oecolampadius Wee haue not learned out of Gods word any distinction of meates Neuerthelesse that we may pray more sincerely wee doe abstaine not without fruit from meates not prohibited In consideration whereof the fathers haue consecrated fortie dayes before Easter for to Fast Zanchius The ancient institution of Lent cannot be simply condemned but the necessitie which is inforced Item Telesphorus about the yeere 139. maketh mention thereof as a thing obserued before his time We doe ordaine saith he that all the Clergie doe abstaine from flesh seuen whole weekes before Easter Saint Ambrose saith that before Lent continued but sixe weekes The feastiuall dayes of the Church of England are set downe in the Booke of Common Prayers of the said Church Chemnicius and Zanchius doe note those feasts which are kept by the Protestants of Germanie ANNOTATION THis Question might haue beene omitted Neuerthelesse because that there are too many scrupulous people which take more heede to the externall seruice of God then to the truth of beliefe it shall not bee much besides the purpose to giue here aduertisement touching Feastes and fasting It is therefore to be vnderstood that the Apostles neuer made in common any order touching Feasts and Fasting If they had it would haue beene knowne for the Tradition would haue beene alike amongst all Nations which is not nor neuer was Incontinently after the time of the Apostles the Churches of Asia where Saint Iohn gouerned yea where S. Peter and S. Paul taught were found to differ from the Church of Rome touching the Feast of Easter There is no doubt but that the Feasts of the Apostles were ordained a long time after their decease As touching fasting there are two sorts The one which is truely and properly fasting is abstinence from all kind of meate this fasting is obserued and very much vsed in Aethiop and amongst all the Iacobites The other kind of Fasting is an abstinence from the most delicate and delicious meates Against which Fasting the Protestants doe bring this sentence out of S. Paul The spirit speaketh euidently that in the latter dayes men shall giue heede vnto the spirits of errour and doctrine of Diuels which teach lies through hypocrisie commanding to abstaine from meates which GOD hath created to bee receiued with giuing of thankes Some will demaund whether the Protestants doe pretend that this place of Scripture is absolutely against Lent and obseruation of Fridayes Zanchius answereth no. Lent was instituted before the yeere 139. and the Author is not knowne For the constitution of Telesphorus serued but to confirme that which was then already receiued So that if some of the
they vnderstand vs not Melancton thinketh that one might peraduenture vse the ancient maner that is to direct our Prayers to God in making mention of the Prayers which the Saints doe make So that all doe tend to the same end but doe differ in termes The third difference is of lesser importance It is certaine that in the time of the Apostles the widowes were receiued without any regard to their age If there had beene no abuse S. Paul would not haue made mention of Reformation If the Caloiers of the East and the Antonians or Estafarus of Aethiop are not good people it is for the Bishops of those Prouinces to prouide and see to it as also they ought not to thinke much that other Nations haue found out a lawfull remedie The fourth and last point is the Question so much disputed vpon now a dayes touching the changing of the Eucharist Here without doubt is a difference in mens beliefe But the Reformed Churches haue not debated against the Catholike Church and are not seperated from them of the East and the Africans for they were not in their vnion Moreouer those that denie it shewe themselues ready to communicate with them that beleeue Consubstantiation which not withstanding by their saying is almost as contrarie to the Articles of Faith as the Romane Transubstantiation Lesse occasion haue they to hold themselues seperated from the other Apostolicke Churches which as hath beene said beleeue not Iesus Christ to be any where else then in heauen touching his humanitie And their beliefe containeth not any thing that doeth contradict the Scriptures although they be not able to conclude the same necessarily out of the Scriptures The beliefe of these Churches is that by Prayers the Bread is changed into the body of the Lord as Christians are and that in both there is a change not onely in name but really Because that some supernaturall thing proceeding from the matter of the body of the Lord which is onely in heauen is infused into the matter of bread and from thence passeth into the soule of the Communicant and hath the place of forme both in the one and in the other and causeth that both the one and the other be called after a speciall fashion the body of Christ Because that they suffer a change through the obtaining of a new forme or else their forme suffereth a change through the obtaining of new faculties And that is the reason why aswell the said Churches as the Reformed doe confesse that as S. Paul writeth The bread is the Communion of the body of the Lord The difficultie therefore lieth in this point to wit whether the Bread hath positiuely in it selfe this forme or faculties to communicate them vnto the Soule by it selfe Or whether the soule receiueth them of the Bread because that the holy Ghost which is present in the Bread as in all things causeth that when one receiueth this bread he receiueth the body of Christ by meanes of this essence or faculties which proceede immediatly from the same body If there were as much Charitie in men as zeale they might find this aboue mentioned tollerable vntill an vniuersall and lawfull Councell In the meane time it is the part of the louers of truth and enemies of heresies to search and seek out the truth sufficiently contained in the holy Scriptures wherein if they find any obscuritie which they shall not in those things necessarie to saluation it is their part to haue recourse vnto the voice of the Churches to the which our Lord hath promised his assistance And if they be not of one accord then to suspend their iudgement or else with a holy libertie to trie all and to retaine that which they take to be good in euery one of them If you proceede thus Christian Reader you will no more say I am of Paul and I am of Cephas but rather you shall bee true Catholickes and Orthodox Christians and in no maner Idolaters or Heretickes Grecians nor Romanes Papists nor Huguenots Lutheranes nor Caluinists Protestants nor Puritanes and make them lyers that seeke to staine your beautifull and holy profession with names so infamous and vnworthy of honourable people and true Christians AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER THose that do build Religion on Ceremonies will thinke that this Booke is lame or maimed because that it doth not declare those which are obserued by euery Nation But we thought it a labour as much vnprofitable as enuious to the most iudicious Readers Calecas a Romane Catholicke hath written a volume against the Grecians wherein hee speaketh almost of nothing else That we may not omit any thing of importance we doe aduertise that there are two euill Ceremonies found among the Grecians The first is that they vse Leauened bread in their Sacrament The other that they abstaine from things strangled and from blood In both they thinke themselues grounded vpon the holy Scripture The Grecians hauing opposed themselues against the Latines doe reprehend them because they vse litle Wafers vnleauened and not ordinarie Bread as our Sauiour did They doe not thinke that this word Bread agrees to those Hosts or Wafers and that most commonly that name is not giuen them Moreouer to make their fashion seeme better they haue thought good to say that Iesus Christ did not institute this Sacrament in the dayes of sweete bread As for vnleauened Bread the Romane Catholickes doe not insist much vpon it And it is not so important a matter of faith to know vpon what day the Sacrament was ordained prouided that one pretend not to preiudice thereby the Historie of the Gospel the passages or sentences whereof may bee better reconciled through the one then through the other As for abstinence from things strangled and from blood It is founded vpon the decrees of the Apostles assembled in Ierusalem the which Decree they doe not thinke to be abrogated because that their Church which they hold to be true and Catholicke hath still obserued it Yea this maner of abstinence hath beene confirmed by the sixt Synode There is likelyhood that they haue remitted this to a generall Councell for they haue not much pressed this point against the Latines The Aethiopians are both in the one and in the other on the Romanes and Protestants side In France the Protestants doe vse leauened Bread after the fashion of the Grecians Against the Churches of the Abyssines in the South is obiected that they are rebaptized euery yeare But the Ambassadour of Prester-Iohn saith that the cause why they bath themselues in Riuers and Ponds is not because that they thinke it necessary to saluation but they doe it vpon the day of the Epiphanie in remembrance of the Baptisme of our Sauiour It is to be noted that this ceremonie is new amongst the Abyssins for their King Dauid which raigned but about some hundred yeares agoe said that the same was by the institution of his Grandfather The Romane Catholikes haue no occasion