wont to say In old time there were golden Prelates and woodden Chalices but in his time woodden Prelates and golden Chalices knowledge was now decayed Princes Prelates and others were now more busied in building or beautifying materiall Temples and Chappels than in the gathering together of living stones and reedifying Gods spirituall Temple so that in this time of Monkery many religious Houses were erected either out of voluntary Devotion or enjoyned Penance Now insteed of the right administration of the Word and Sacraments came in the dumbe guize of the Masse and the people instead of the pure milke of the Word were intertained with feigned Liturgies Legends and Miracles their consciences loaden with a number of unprofitable Ceremonies and unwarrantable Traditions now there was great conâ—idence put in holy Graines hallowed Beades Agnus Dei's and the like Babies and the honour due to the Creator was given to the creaâ—ure Now the people made many fond vowes went many merry Pilgrimages and beheld many garish Processions now they were taught that abâ—tinence from meates and drinkes was Meritorious that the opus operatum the worke done was sufficient in their Sacraments and their Devotions and much of this service performed in an unknowne tongue Now the crownes of Martyrdome wherewith the first Bishops of Rome were honoured were changed into a Triple Crowne and the Pastorall Staffe beganne to quarrell with the Princely Scepter and all these things were carried by the name of the Church the People many of them beleeving as the Church beleeved and this Church was the Roman and this Roman Church was the Pope Concerning the Church in the next 500. yeares even to these our times the Church began to recover her strengthâ— and the light of the Gospell was notably discovered by Waldus in France and his followers Wickliffe in England Iohn Hus and Martin Luther in Germanie Now also by the benefit of Printing which was found out in the fifteenth Century the Tongues came to bee knowne Knowledge increased Bookes were dispersed and Learning communicated the Scriptures were perused the Doctors and Fathers read Stories opened Times compared Truth discerned and Falshood detected Now because there hath already and will hereafter be occasion to speak of Antichrist I will therfore heere point out his severall Ages About the yeare 607. Antichrist began in part to appeare and show himselfe rising by degrees untill he came to the height of impietie for as other things so Antichrist also was to have his rising growth height and fall even as monstrous and huge Beasts goe with their young ones many yeares as other creatures doe many monthes The maine strength of the Romish Antichrist consisted in those two Swords the Spirituall and Temporall now the Pope did not at once attaine to the managing of these two Swords but by degrees he came to usurpe this two-handed Sword The first step that hee made to the throne of pride was about the yeare 607 when Pope Boniface the third by the grant of that murderer Phocas tooke to himselfe the Title Authoritie and Supremacie over the whole Church The next time that he notoriously shewed himselfe was after the thousand yeare when Gregory the â—eventh claimed and usurped both the Swords that is a Soveraigne and Universall Iurisdiction not onely Ecclesiasticall over the Clergie but also Temporall over Kings and Emperours unto this second Soveraigntie they had long aspired but never attained untill the time of this Hildebrand in whom Antichrist came to his growth yea the Pope was discovered to be Antichrist by those Catholike Bishops the Bishop of Florence and Robert Grosthead Bishop of Lincolne and others Vpon this discovery of the Man of Sinne sundry of Gods people refusing the Marke of the Beast severed themselves from the Papall Communion whereupon the Pope and his Faction raised grievous persecutions against the servants of God To speake yet more particularly the degrees of Antichrist may thus be reckoned He had his Birth or rising in Boniface the third who tooke to himselfe that Antichristian title of universall Bishop which his Predecessor Gregorie so greatly condemned Hee had his growth or increase in the time of Pope Adrian the first and the second Councell of Nice who jointly agreed to set up the Adoration of Images and the practice therof to be generally received in the Church Hee came to his Kingdome and reigned in Pope Hildebrand who excommunicated and deposed Henry the fourth the lawfull Emperour and gave away his Empire to Rodulph and after his death to others He was in his jollitie and triumphed in Pope Leo the tenth and his Lateran Councell sâ—ewing himselfe a God in pardoning sinnes delivering soules out of Purgatorie defining Faith setting himselfe above a generall Councell controuling and judging all men himselfe to be judged by none professing for so it is recorded of Gregory the seventh That he was a God and could not erre In a word as my learned kinsman hath deciphered him when he usurped an universall authoritie over all Bishops the Pope was but Antichrist Nascent when he maintained the doctrine of Adoration of Images he was Antichrist Crescent when hee exalted himselfe above all Kings and Emperours hee became Antichrist regnant but when he was made Lord of the Catholike Faith so that none must beleeve more nor lesse nor otherwise then hee prescribed hee became Antichrist Triumphant Thus did the Pope in processe of time become a perfect Antichrist playing the Hypocrite and Tyrant both in Church and State exalting himselfe aâ— a Monarch over Gods house making his owne word and definition of equall authoritie with holy Scripture usurping temporal Iurisdiction over Civill States murthering Christs servants that yeelded not to his becke His last Age is his declining age wherein the Lord by the spirit of his mouth 2 Thess. 2.8 that is by the Ministerie of his Word Shall consume this Man of Sinne and this is come to passe in part For hee is already fallen into a Consumption whereon he irrecoverably languisheth notwithstanding all the help that can be made him by his Colledge of Physicians Canonists Schoolemen Priests and Iesuits but for his finall Destruction wee must expect it at the glorious comming of our blessed Saviour The summe of all is this the Pope having pearkt himselfe above his fellow Bishops it grieved him to be subject to Kings and Emperours not to exalt himself above them he distracted both Church and State in the point of Image-worship which occasioned much bloodshed in Christendome and then having weakened the Empire he became superior to Kings and Emperours there being nothing now but the Church in his way he preuailed over it by his Lateran Flatterers who set the Pope above a generall Councel that is aboue Gods Church a Generall Councell being indeed the Representative Church of God here on earth and the Pope himselfe being the Vertuall Church for so Gretser confesseth that by the Church
saith Although they had some ill opinions yet they did not so much stirre up the hatred of the Pope and great Princes against them as their freedome in speech which they used in blaming and reproving the vices dissolute manners life and actions of Princes Ecclesiasticall persons and the Pope himselfe this was the chiefe thing which drew the hatred of all upon them this caused many wicked opinions to be devised and fathered on them from which they were very free and guiltlesse PAP You say divers opinions were fained of them what then were their owne Tenets PROT. What they taught in particular may be gathered by that which the Hussites in Bohemia their â—chollers held for as Aâ—neas Sylvius afterwards Pope recordeth the Hussites embraced the opinions of the Waldenses now their opinions are thus set downe by Anâ—as Sylvius one of their backe friends They held other Bishops to be equall with the Bishop of Rome That prayers for the dead and Purgatory were devised by the Priests for their owne gaine That the Images of God and Saints were to be defaced That Confirmation and extreame unction were no Sacraments That it is in vaine to pray to the Saints in heaven since they cannot helpe us That Auricular confession was a trifling thing That it was not meritorious to keepe the set fasts of the Church and that such a set number of Canonicall houres in praying were vaine That Oyle and Chrisme was not to be used in Baptisme These with divers other were the Tenets of the Waldenses PAP Suppose the Waldenses had fully agreed with you in matter of Religionâ— yet Waldo was a Lay-man and so wanted calling and could not confere it on others PROT. Why might not a Lay-man by private exhortation perswade others to the Christian faith We finde in the Church-story that a Tyrian Philosopher arriving in India was slaine by the Barbarians with all his company except two children which were gone out of the ship and were learning their lessons under a tree these children were brought up by the King and advanced by him the one to be his Steward and the other called Frumentius became his Secretary Afterward the King dying and leaving his sonne in in his non-age Frumentius aâ—â—isted the Queene in the government of the Kingdome whiles Frumentius was in authority he enquired among the Roman Merchants for Christians he shewed the Christians all favour and procured them assemblies for prayer and the service of God When the King came to age they delivered him the Kingdome and Frumentius went to Alexandria to Athanasius and told him what was done desiring him to send some worthy Bishop to those multitudes of Christians Athanasius thinking Frumentius a fit person ordained him Bishop and sent him into India to convert more soules Hereby we see that this Lay-secretary was the first meanes of converting the Barbarians and why might not Waldus of France doe the like Besides though Waldus himselfe were a Lay-man yet the Waldenses might have Bishops and Pastors Mathew Paris saith the Albingenses were so powerfull in the parts of Bulgaria Croatia and Dalmatia that they also drew Bishops besides many others of those regions to their parties yea the Popes Legat that was sent in commission against the Albigenses complaines that they had a Bishop of their owne called Bartholmew who consâ—crated Churches and ordained Bishops and Ministers PAP Waldus and his followers were but simple and unlearned men Valdenses fuerunt homines Idiotae prorsus ignorantes Castreul tit miraculum PROT. What then God hath chosen the foolish and weake things of the World to confound the wise 1 Cor. 1.27 And we reade in the Church history of a Philosopher that could not bee overcome by any Arguments but troubled the councell of Nice and yet was converted by a simple Bishop Ruffin eccles Hist. li. 1. cap. 3. Againe it is untrue that Waldus was utterly unlearned for Reiner the Inquisitour saith that Waldus being tollerably learned taught those that resorted to him the Text of the New Testament in their mother tongue and the same Reiner who was often present at their examinations witnesseth that they had above forty schooles and divers Churches all within one diocesse so that they had the ordinary meanes of knowledge Yea they were of that abilitie that they had divers conferences and disputations with the Romists and one famous one at Mount-royall in France where they encountered Saint Dominick and others and maintained these positions that the Church of Rome was not the holy Church nor spouse of Christ but Babylon the mother of abhomination that the Masse was not ordained by Christ nor his Apostles but was an Invention of men This disputation held for divers dayes and the Waldenses had the better had not Saint Dominicks sword proved sharper than his sillogisme cutting off more men than arguments for now as Platina saith the matter was not carried by force of argument but by force of armes PAP Though you shew us the Waldensians agreement with you their calling succession and ordination yet you are never a whit the neerer because their number might bee few and them few scattered and dispersed so that they had not any visible congregations PROT. Concerning the Waldenses and the visibility of their assemblies both in France and elsewhere the matter is cleere even by your owne witnesse Rainerius saith as is already alleadged that of all Sects which either are or have beene none hath beene moâ—â— pernicious to the Church he meaneth the Church of Rome than that of the Leonists First for the long continuance thereof for some say it hath continued from the time of Silvester who was Bishop of Rome about the yeare of Christ three hundred and sixteene others say from the time of the Apostles Secondly for the generality for there is almost no Country into which this Sect hath not entred the French historian saith that the Waldenses about the yeare 1100 and in the succeeding times spread abroad their doctrine little differing from that which at this day the Protestants embrace not onely through all France but almost through all the Countries of Europe also For the French Spanish English Scots Italians Germans Bohemians Saxons Polonians and Lituanians and other Nations have obstinately defended it to this day Mathew Paris the Monke of Saint Albans hath already told us that they were growne so powerfull in Bulgaria Croatia and Dalmatia that among many others they drew some Bishops to their partie And there were such multitudes of them apprehended in France that the Archbishops of Aix Arles and Narbonne assembled at Avignion anno Dom. 1228 about the difficulties of the executions of those which the Dominican Fryers had accused said plainely there were so many apprehended that it was not possible to defray the charge of their feeding nor to finde enough lime and stone to build prisons for them when they came to wage warre with their enemies they
affection as the Scriptures are to be reverenced Is not this to minglâ— water with wine base mettall with good Bullion and so indeed a corrupting of Scripture Besides you have which is fearefull detracted from Gods Word thaâ— which was written with his owne finger to wit the second Commandement against the worship of Images and because the words thereof are sharpe and rip up the heart-strings of your Idolatrie you have therefore omitted them in your Catechismes Prayer bookes and in your Office of the blessed Virgin set foorth by commaund of Pius Quintus and to salve up the matter lest thereby wee should have no more then nine Commaundements you have cut the tenth into two You might well have left the words â—here that Gods people might know there was such a Commandement howsoever they had counted it the first or the second Now as you have detracted so you have added to the rule of Faith by thrusting into the Canon the Apocryphall bookes which Hierome the best languaged of all the Father rejected Lastly you doe not only allow but impose on others a corrupt translation of Scripture to wit the vulgar Latine Edition whereas wee referre our selves to the Originals Now surely wee may better trust an originall Record than a Copie extracted thence and it is more wholesome to drinke at the well-head than at a corrupt and muddie streame Now the Latine Edition which you follow and preferre before all others it is but a Translation it selfe but the Hebrew and Greeke which wee follow are the Well-springs and Originalls Is not this now a manifest corrupting of Scripture to bind all men as your Trent Councell doth that none dare presume to reject this Translation which by your owne men is confessed not to be Saint Hierâ—mes and already showne to be a corrupt one by the learned of our side PA. I looke to have your Professors named PRO. Restore us entire our Evidence which you have marred and made away returne us our Witnesses which you have chained up in your Vatican Library and elsewhere and wee accept your challenge But doe you indeed looke to have our professors named and why so the true Church of God may bee visible though the names of her visible professors from time to time can not be shewed there might be thousands of professors in former ages and yet happily no particular authentick Record of their names now extant or if extant yet so as we cannot come by them Neverthelesse to answere you at your owne weapon I hope to make it cleare that God hath dealt so graciously with his Church as that he hath continually preserved sufficient testimonies of his truth that are ready to be deposed on our side and that successively from age to age so that I may say as Saint Ambrose did in the like case You may well blot out our Letters but our Faith you shall never abolish Papists may conceale our evidence and wipe out the names of our Professors out of the Records but when all is done the Protestants faith is perpetuall Now in that we yeeld thus farre to their importunitie we doe not this as if it were simply necessary for the Demonstration of our Church to produce such a Catalogue of visible Professors in all Ages but onely out of the confidence of the truth of our cause and partly to stop the mouth of our clamorous adveâ—saries For it is Tertullians Rule that A Church is to bee accounted Apostolike if it hold Consanguinitie of Doctrine with the Apostles Now what though we could noâ— successively name such as taught as we doe yet because God hath promised there should be alwaies in the world a true Church having either a larger or smaller number of Prosessors it sufficeth that we are able out of Scripture to demonstrate that we maintaine the same Faith and Religion which the holy Apostles taught and Christ would have to be perpetuall this I say sufficeth to manifest our Succession although all Histories were silent of the names of our Professors Now that I am to speake of the Church in her severall and successive Centuries and Ages to give the Reader some Character and touch thereof I will beginne with the fiâ—st 600. yeares next after Christ wherein ten severall times during the fiâ—st three Centuries the Church was persecuted by Tyrants and almost continually assaulted by Heretikes yet in the end Truth prevailed against Error and Patience overcame her Persâ—cutors This is the time wherein our learned Bishop Iewell challenged the Papists to shew any Orthodoxe Father Councell or Doctor that for the space of those 600 Yeares taught as the present Church of Rome did the like challenge was lately renued by my deare friend that worthy Divine Doctor Featly of Oxford challenging the Iesuits to produce out of good Authors any Citie Parish or Hamlet within 500. yeares next after Christ wherein there was any visible assembly that maintained in generall the Articles of the Trent Councell or such and such points of Popery as at the Conference hee named in particular Now of this period the first 300. yeares thereof were the very flower of the Primitive Church because that in theâ—e dayes the truth of the Gospell was infallibly taught by Christ and his Apostles and that in their owne persons as also by otheâ—s that lived to heare see and converse with those blessed Apostles and disciples of Christ Iesus and this haply made Egesippus an ancient Authour call the Church of those dayes an uncorrupt and virgin Church and yet was this virgin Church ill intreated by such a sowed the tares of errour which yet the carefull husbandman in time weeded up neither indeed for the space of these first 300 could those Tenets of Poperie get any footing their Papall Indulgences were yet unhatched their purgatory fire was yet unkindled it made not as afterwards their pot boyle and their kitchin smoake the Masse was yet unmoulded Transubstantiation was yet unbaked the treasury of Merits was yet unminted the Popes transcendent power was uncreated Ecclesiastickes were unexempted and deposing of Kings yet undreamed of the Lay-people were not yet couzned of the cup Communion under one kinde was not yet in kinde it was not then knowne that Liturgies and prayers were usually and publikely made in a tongue unknowne they did not then worship and adore any wooden or breaden god they worshipt that which they knew and that in Spirit and truth and they called on him in whom they beleeved so did they and so doe wee In a word in the former ages of the Church Satan was bound after the thousandth yeare hee was loosed and after the middle of the second Millenary about the yeare 1370 hee was bound anew Concerning the Churches estate in the next five hundred yeares it grew very corrupt so that of these times we may say as Winefridus borne at Kirton in Devonshire after surnamed Boniface was
eternall power and Godhead was manifested unto them by the creation of the World and the contemplation of the creatures hee addeth presently that God was sorely displeased with them and therefore gave them up unto vile affections because They changed the Glory of that incorruptible God into an Image made like unto corruptible men and to birds and foure-footed beasts and creeping things whereby it is evident that the Idolatry condemned in the wisest Heathen was the adoring of the invisible God whom they acknowledged to be the Creatour of all things in visible Images fashioned to the similitude of men and beast as the admirably learned Bishop Vsher hath observed in his Sermon preached before the Commons House of Parliament in Saint Margarets Church at Westminster Of Prayer to Saints There wanted not some who even in the Apostles daies under the pretence of Humilitie labored to bring into the Church the worshipping of Angels which carried with it a shew of Wisdome as Saint Paul speakes of it not much unlike that of the Papists who teach their simple people upon pretence of Humilitie and their owne unworthinesse to prepare the way to the Sonne by the servants the Saints and Angels this they counselled saith Theodoret should be done using humility and saying that the God of all was invisible and inaccessible and that it was fit men should get Gods favour by the meanes of Angels And the same Theodoret saith that they had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oratories or Chappels of Saint Michael Now the Councel of Laodicea to meete with this errour solemnly decreed that Christians ought not to forsake the Church of God and goe and invocate Angels and pronounced an Anathema against any that should be found to doe so because say they He hath forsaken our Lord Iesus Christ the Sonne of God and given himselfe to Idolatry And Theodoret mentions the Canon of this Councel and declares the meaning of it in these words Whatsoever ye doe in word or deed doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus giving thanks to God and the Father by him The Synod of Laodicea also following this Rule and desiring to heale that old disease made a Law that they should not pray unto Angels nor forsake our Lord Iesus Christ now there is the same reason of Saints that there is of the Angels PA. Iesuit Fisher in his Rejoynder to Doctor Whites Reply the second and third point saith The Councel and Theodoret are thus to be understood that Angels are not to be honoured as Gods PRO. How appeareth it that Christians were so rude in those Ages as to imagine that Angels were Gods or that sacrifices after the Pagan manner were due to them It appeareth by Theodoret that those whom he condemneth did not thinke the Angels to be Gods but that they served them as ministring Spirits whose service God had used for the publishing of the Law PA. Bellarmine saith The Councel forbad all worship of Angels called Latreia as being proper unto God but Binnius liketh Baronius exposition better who saith The Councel onely forbad the religious worship of false and heatheâ—â—sh Gods PRO. Bellarmine doth wrong in restraining the Councels speech to a speciall kind of worship for Theodoret saith generally that the Councell forbad the worship of Angels Neither did the Councell meane thereby to forbid the religious worship of false and heathenish Gods for Theodoret mentioneth the Oratories of Saint Michael and of such Angels as were supposed to give the Law and therefore were not ill Angels Baronius perceiving that the place in Theodoret toucheth the Papists to the quicke telleth us plainely That Theodoret by his leave did not well understand the meaning of Pauls words and that those Oratories of Saint Michael were anciently erected by Catholikes as if Baronius a man of yesterday at Rome could tell better what was long since done in Asia than Theodoret a Greeke Father and an ancient Father and Bishop living above twelve hundred yeares agoe not farre from those parts where these things were done Others to avoid the force of the canon have corrupted the Councell making this reading That men should not leave the Church to pray in angles or corners turning Angelos into Angulos Angels into Angles or corners but Veritas non quaerit angulos the truth will admit none of these corners neither hath the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any affinitie at all with corners To proceed the Fathers of this age affirme that religious prayer is a proper worship belonging to the sacred Trinitie and by this argument Rom. 10 14â— conclude against the Arrians and Macedonians that Christ Iesus and the Holy Ghost are truely God because Christians believe in them pray unto them they accept their petitions Athanasius saith No man would â—ver pray to receive any thing from the Father and from the Angels or from any of the other creatures Gregory Nyssen saith Wee are taught to worship and adore that nature onely which is uncreated and accordingly Antonius in his Melissa hath set downe the foresaid sentence but the Spanish Inquisitors have commanded that the word Onely should bee blotted out of his writings Now the word Onely is the onely principall word whereupon the whole sentence dependeth In like sort where Athanasius saith that God onely is to bee worshipped that the Creature is not to adore the creature that neither men nor Angels are to be worshipped The popish Index as is already observed in the Preface to this Treatise hath razed these sayings out of his Index or table which yet remaine in the text Epiphanius tels us of some superstitious women that were wont to offer up a Cake to the blessed Virgin and this vanitie hee calleth the womans Heresie because that sexe mostly vsed it but hee reproves them saying Let Mary bee in honour but let the Father and the Sonne and the Holy Ghost bee worshipped let no man worship or adore Mary and indeed hee bends all his force against that point of adoring no lesse then in sixe severall places saying Mariam nemo adoret Now Adoration being condemned it can not bee conceived that adoring her and offering to her they prayed not also to her and required of her somewhat againe All which Epiphanius reprooves Saint Ambrose speaking of our Advocate or Master of Requests saying What is so proper to Christ as to stand by God the Father for an Advocate of the people and elsewhere hee saith Tu solus Domine invocandus es thou Lord onely art to bee invocated and whereas there were some that about this time sued unto Saints and Angels saying Wee have recourse to Angels and Saints with devotion and humilitie that by their Intercâ—ssion God may bee more favourable unto us Saint Ambrose or who evâ—r else was author of those Commentaries upon Saint Pauls Epistles that are framed among his workes
Church as if Saint Peter whose successour he pretends to be had hâ—ld the Apostolike chayre as it weâ—e in Fee for him and his Successours for ever and the other eleven had held theiâ—s for terme of life onely And now to looke homâ—waâ—ds to our Britaine in this Age we find our auâ—cestors besides their common enemies the Scots Picts and Saxons troubled with another more secret but as dangerous to wiâ— the Pelagian heresie wherewith Pelagius a Romane Monke borne in Little Britaine with his Disciple Celestius beganne to infect these Northerne parts But after they and their heresies were condemned in the Councels of Carthage and Mela Pope Celestine sent Palladius into Scotland as also our neighbours the French bishops at the request of the Catholique English sâ—nt Germanus bishop of Aâ—xerre and Lupus bishop of Troys in Champeigne into England to beat downe Pelagianisme which they happily suppressed Now also there was a Provinciall Councel held in Britaine for the reforming of Religion and repairing of the ruin'd Churches which the Pagan marriage of Vortiger had decayed to the great griâ—fe of the people A plaine token that their zeale continued evâ—n unto those dayâ—s for so it was whiles Vortiger a British Prince marryed with the fayre but Infidel Rowena Hengists daughter this Saxon match had almost undone both Church and State whilest as Bede complaines Priest's were slaine standing at the Altar and bishops with thâ—ir flocks weâ—e murdered till at length they assembled a Councel to repayre those decayes which this marriage had made Now to close up this Age the Reader may observe that we have surveyed the first foure Generall Councels which Gregorie the Great proâ—essed that he â—mbraced as the foure Gospels and indeed they were called agâ—inst those foure Arch-heretickes that pestered the Câ—urch the first was hâ—ld at Nice against Arrius a Priâ—st of Alâ—xandria who held that Christ was neither God nor eternall but an excellent creature created before all creatures The second at Constantinople against Macedonius who held that Christ was not of the same essence not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consubstantiall and of the same substance with the Father but onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like to him and that the Holy Ghost was not God but Gods Minister and a creature not eternall The third at Ephâ—suâ— against Nestorius who held that Christ had two severall persons but not two wills and that the Virgin Mary was not to be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mother of God but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mother of Christ. The fourth at Chalcedon where Dioscorus and Eutyches were condemned This Eutyches confuting Nestorius fell into other heresies and confounded the two natures of Christ making him after his union to have but the divine nature onely Besides the Reader may farther observe that upon the survey of these first foure Generall Councells so much esteemed by S. Gregory it is found that they confined the bishop of Rome to his bounds with other Patriarkes and they equalled other Patriarchall Seas to the Romane so that hereby is discovered the vanity of Campian's flourish saying Generall Councells are all ours the first and the last and the middle For we imbrace such Generall Councells as were held in those golden Ages within the first sixe hundâ—ed yeares or thereabouts The middle ranke beginning at the second Nicene unto the Councell of Florence held in the Ages of the mingled and confused Church they are neither wholly theirs nor ours The two last the one at Lateran the other at Trâ—nt these being held by the drosse of the Church are theirs AN APPENDIX to the fiâ—th CENTVRIE Of the Fathers Authoritie PAPIST YOu have produced the Fathers for these five or sixe hundred yeares as if they had beene of your Faith whereas you dissent from thâ—m and refuse their tryall but wee honour them and appeale to the joynt coâ—sent of Anâ—iquity PROTESTANT Where wee seâ—me to vary from them it is eithâ—r in things humane arbitrarie and indifferent or in matters not fully discussed by the ancient or in poynts which were not delivered by joynt consent of the ancient or in things which are reproved by plaine demonstration of holy Scripture and wherein the Fathers permit liberty of dissenting and the Papists themsâ—lves usually take it Neither would Saint Austine the faiâ—est flower of Antiquity have his Reader follow him farther than hee followeth the Truth not denying but that as in his maners so in his writings many things might justly be taxed Neither doe we refuse the triall of the Fathers truely alleadged and rightly understood witnesse the challenge made by Bishop Iewell and seconded by Doctor Whitaker and Doctor Featly yea Doctor Whitaker as Scultetus observeth was confident That the Fathers although in some matters they be variable and partly theirs partly ours yet in the materiall poynts they be wholly ours and theirs in matters of lesser moment and some few Tenets Likewise that great light of Oxford Doctor Reinolds in his Conference with Master Hart solemnely protested that in his opinion not one of all the Fathers was a Papist for saith he The very being and essence of a Papist consists in the opinion of the Popes supremacie but the Popes supremacie was not allowed by any of the Fathers as he there proveth against Hart not one then of all the Fathers was a Papist PA. May wee not ground our Faith upon the Fathers Testimonies PRO. Wee reverence the ancient Fathers but still with reservation of the respect wee owe to that Ancient of dayes Daniel 7.6 their father and ours who taught young Elihu Iob. 32.6 to reprove his Ancients even holy Iob amongst them Iob 33.12 him alone doe we acknowledge for the father of our Faith on whom wee may safely ground in things that are to bee believed For every Article of Christian Faith must bee grounded on divine revelation but all opinions of the Fathers are not divine revelations neither doe the Fathers challenge to themselves infallibility of judgement Sâ—int Austine saith This reverence and honour have I learnt to give to those Bookes of Scripture onely which are called Canonicall that I most firmely believe none of their Authors could any whit erre in writing But others I so reade that with how great sanctity and learning soever they doe excell I therefore thinke not any thing to be true because they sâ— thought it but because they were able to perswade me either by those Canonicall Authours or by some probâ—ble reason that it did not swerve from truth Neither doe our Adversaries yield infâ—llibilâ—ty of judgement tâ— the Fathers Baronius saith The Church doth not alwayes and in all things follow the Fathers interpretation of Scripture Bellarmine saith Their writings are no rules of Faith neither have they authority to binde Canus tells us That the ancient Fathers sometime erre and against the ordinary course of nature bring forth
renowned among the Northerne English and one that was well acquainted with Bishop Tonstall his kinsman and Diocesan saith I remember that Bishop Tonstall often tolâ—e me that Pope Innocent the third had done very unadvâ—sedly in that hee had made the opinion of Transubstantiation an Article of Faith seeing in former times it was free to holde or refusâ— that opinion The same Bishop tolde me and many time ingenuously confessed that Scotus was of opinion that the Church might better and with more ease make use of some more commodious exposition of those words in the holy Supper and the Bishop was of the minde that we ought to speake reverently of the holy Supper but that the opinion of Transubstantiation might well be let alone This thing also the same Bishop Tonstall was wont to affirme both in words and writings that Innocent the third knew not what he did when hee put Transubstantiation among the Articles of Faith and he said that Innocentius wanted learned men about him and indeed saith the Bishop if I had beene of his councell I make no doubt but I might have beene able to have disswaded him from that resolution By this that hath beene sayd it appeares that Transubstantiation was neither holden nor knowne universally in the Church before the Lateran Councell twelve hundred yeares after Christ and that when it began to be received as a matter of Faith it was but beleeved upon the Churches authoritie and this Church virtually and in effect was Pope Innocent in the Lateran Councell twelve hundred yeeres and more after Christ before which time there was no certaintie nor necessity of beleeving it and the Councell might have chosen another sence of Christs words more easie and in all appearance more true there being no scripture sufficient to convince it Of Images and Prayer to Saints HOnorius of Authun in France saith There is none that is godly wise who will worship and adore the Crosse but Christ crucified on the crosse Roger Hoveden our native historian who lived in the beginning of this age condemned the adoration of Images for speaking of the Synodall Epistle written by the Fathers of the second Nicen councell wherein Image worship was established he tells us that Charles the King of France sent into this Isle a Synodall booke directed unto him from Constantinople wherein there were divers offensive passages but especially this one that by the joynt consent of all the Doctors of the East and no fewer than 300 Bâ—shops it was decreed that Images should be worshipped quod ecclesia Dei execratur saith he which the Church of God abhorres Guilielmus Altissiodorensis saith that for such and such reasons many doe say that neither we pray unto the Saints nor they pray for us but improperly in râ—spect we pray unto God that the merits of the Saints may hâ—lpe us Of Faith and Merit THomas Aquinas saith that workes be not the cause why a man is just before God but rather they are the execution and manifestation of his justice for no man is justâ—fied by workes but by the Habit of Faith infused yea justâ—fication is done by Faith onely And Aquinas in his commentary on the Galatians in the place alleadged tho at the first he mention such workes as are performed by the power of nature yet afterwards he speakes also of workes wrought by the power of grace and of such as Saint Iames mentions Chap. 2. saying Was not Abraham justified by workes but these were workes of grace and yet Thomas excludes from justification workes done in the state of Grace and saith Iustification is done by Faith onely Bonaventure saith that by onely Faith in Christs passion all the fault is remitted and without the faith of hâ—m no man is justified Velosillus in his animadversions upon the writings of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church observeth that Scotus held not merit of Condigâ—ity And Vega saith that Thomas Aquinas the flower of the Schoole-Divines constantly affirmeth that a sinner can not merit his owne justâ—fication either of congruity or of condignity and thus have these men given in their verdict but now let us heare themselves speake There is no action of ours saith Scotus that without the speciall ordinance of God and his divine acceptation is worthy of the reward with which God rewardeth them that serve him in respect of the inward goodnesse that it hath from the causes of it because alwayes the reward is greater than the merit and strict Iustice doth not give a better thing for a thing of lesse value And againe hee saith That speaking of strict Iustice God is bound to none of us to bestow rewards of so high perfection as hee doth the rewards being so much greater in worth than any merits of ours The Prophet David saith the learned Archbishop of Armagh hath fully cleared this case in that one sentence Psalm 62.12 With thee Oh Lord is mercy for thou râ—wardâ—st every man according to his workes Originally therefore and in it selfe this reward proceedeth meerely from Gods free bounty and mercy but accidentally in regard that God hath tyed himselfe by his word and promise to conferre such a reward it now provâ—th in a sort to be an act of Iustice in regard of the faithfull performance of his promâ—se For promise amongst honest men is counted a due debt but the thing promised being free and on our part altogether undeserved if the promiser did not performe and proved not to be so good as his word hee could not properly be sayd to doe us wrong but rather to wrong himselfe by impayring his owne credit And therefore Aquinas confesseth That God is not hereby simply made a debtor to us but to himselfe in as much as it is requisite that his owne ordinâ—nce should be fullfilled William Bishop of Paris treating of prayer giveth us this Caveat Not to leane on the weake and fraile foundation of our owne merits but wholly denying our selves and distrusting our owne strength to relye on the sole favour and mercy of God and in so doing sayth hee the Lord will never faile us Cassander saith That both ancient aâ—d moderne with full consent professe to reposâ— themselves wholly upon the meere mercy of God and merit of Christ with an humble renunciation of all worthinesse in their owne workes and this doctrine Cassander derives through the lower ages of the Schoole-men and later writers Thomas of Aquine Durand Adrian de Trajecto afterwards Pope Adrian the sixth Clictoveus and delivers it for the voyce of the then present Church THE FOVRTEENTH CENTVRIE From the yeere of Grace 1300. to 1400. PAP WHat say you of this fourteenth Age PROT. In this Age learning began to revive for so it came to passe that divers learned men among the Greekes abhorring such cruelty as the Turkes used against their Countrey-men the Grecians left those parts and fled into Italy Now by their meanes the
at Aâ—twerpe Anno 1576. at Paris Anno 1586. at Coleine Ann. 1616. but no such place was there to be found the Divines of Lovaine had taken a course with them and suppressed these testimonies but by good hap I met with them in the Basil Edition Anno 1569. Object Those whom you have named in your Catalogue were originally Catholikes and not Protestants Wickliâ—fe and Husse were Catholike Priests and Luther was an Augustine Frier you cannot name such as were Protestants originally they came forth of our Church Answer Whence I pray you sprang Christs Apostles were they not taken out of the Iewish Church at that time much corrupted S. Paul speaking of himselfe and the service of his God saith Whom I doe serve from my progenitors meaning Abraham Isaac and Iacob the first Fathers of the faithfull for as for S. Pauls immediate predecessors it is likely that they relished of the leven of the Pharisees It can be no more prejudice to our Church that Luther Wickliffe aâ—d Husse were originally Papists than to S. Paul that he was originally a Pharisee or to S. Austine that he was orinally a Manichee or to our Ancestors at the first conversion of our land that they were originally heathen or to all true Converts that they were originally unregenerate For as Tertullian saith Fiunt non nascuntur Christiani We are not borne Christians but we become Christians Neither is it true that wee can name none of our Church that were not originally Papists For Farellus and the Waldensian Ministers for more than 400. yeares were not originally Papists though Waldo himselfe was Besides the Fathers for 600 yeares and the Monkes in Britaine at Augustines comming were not originally Papists In the Greeke Church from 700. to 700 afterwards many thousands held as wee doe in all fundamentals who never were originally Papists nor millions of others in the Easterne Churches and namely in the Greeke Church there have bene from 700. to 700. afterwards many thousands which held as we doe in all fundamentals and never were originally Papists Lastly the like argument might be urged against all that embraced Reformation in Iosias dayes that they originally were involved in the common errors and Idolatry of the Iewish Church Likewise that Zachary and Elizabeth and Simeon and Anna and the Apostles were originally deduced from that Church which held many errors concerning the temporall kingdome of the Messias and divorces for other causes than adultery c. Which errors Christ and his Apostles reproved In England and most parts of the world the first Christians were originally Paynims and Idolaters what prejudice is that to Christianity or advantage to Heathenisme Object Your Churches professors mentioned in your Catalogue wanted lawfull succession Answer There is a two-fold succession the one lineall and locall the other doctrinall this of doctrine is the life and soule of the other Irenaeus describeth those which have true succession from the Apostles To bee such as with the succession of the Episcopall office have received the câ—rtâ—ine grace of tâ—uth and this kind of succession hee calleâ—h the principâ—ll succession Gregory Nazianzen having said that Atâ—anasius succeeded Saint Marke in godlinesse addeth That this succession in godlinesse is properly to be accounted succâ—ssion for he that holdeth the same doctrine is also pâ—rtaker of the same throne but he that is against the doctrine must be reputed an adversary even while hâ—e sitteth in the throâ—e but the former hath the thing it selfe and the truth so that according to Irenaeus and Nazianzâ—n succession in doctrinâ— suâ—ficeth yea Nazianzen as we have heard makes it all one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that he which holds the same truth of doctrinâ— may bee said to sit in the same Chaire of succession Besides wee are able to shew succession also in place for â—ive hundred yeares in most parts of Christendome and since that in the Greeke Church untill this day and in the Latine Church from the time of Waldo in France Bohemia and other places And for the Church of England the lineall succession of her Bishops is showne particularly by Mr. Francis Mason de ministerio Anglicano Mr. Goodwin in his Catalogue of the Bishops of England and Mr. Isaacson in his Chronologicall Table of the succession of the Bishops of England PA. Name in the space of a thousand yeares next before Luther three knowne and confessed Protestant Bishops succeeding each to other and if you had such expresse their agreement with you in the maine points controverted betweene us PRO. This demand was eagerly pressed upon me by a Romish Priest but the Stone which he hurled at mee not comming forth of Davids sling recoiles upon himselfe like the stone that Achilles flung at a dead skull which â—ebounded backe and strucke out the slingers eyeâ— Redijt lapis ultor ab osse Actorisque suifrontem oculâ—squè petit For I would in like manner demand of him to name three knowne and confessed Popish Bishops succeeding each other who maintained the worship of Images before the second Councell of Nice or that beleeved Transubstantiation before the Roman Councell under Pope Nicholasâ— or that avowed the dry and halfe Communion before the Councell at Constance under Martin the fift or that held the effect of the Sacraments to depend upon the Priests intention before the Councell at Florence or defined the Pope to be above a Generall Councell before the Councell of Lateran under Leo the tenth or that determined the twelve new Articles of Pius the fourth his Creed to be all de Fide and necessary to salvation before the Councell of Trent Besides there is no necessitie of naming three Bishops succeeding each other and opposing Poperie It sufficeth to name such as opposed it tho they sate not successively in the same Chaire for all Romish errors and superstitions rushed not in at once into the Church but by degrees now such as held the fundamentals with us and opposed any one error or more when they were first espied to creepe into the Church they were Protestants though they went not then under that name Now according to this account of Protestants wee can produce many more than three Bishops succeeding each other who in their times made head against Romish usurpations and superstitions for instance sake S. Austine and with him two hundred and seventeene Bishops of Africa and their successors for a hundred yeares together if their owne Records be true opposed the Popes supremacie in point of Appeales To speake nothing of the innumerable Bishops in the Easterne Churches and the Habassines and Muscovites and elsewhere succeeding each the other for many hundred yeares differing in no fundamentall point from Protestants and keeping no quarter at all with the Pope or See of Rome when Austine the Monke was sent into England by Gregory the Great the most ancient British and Irish Bishops withstood the Popes authority and ordinances stifly adhering to the Churches
THE PROTESTANTS EVIDENCE TAKEN OVT OF GOOD â—â—â—ORDS Shewing that for Fifteene hundred yeares next after CHRIST divers worthy â—uides of Gods Church have in sundry weightie poynts of Religion taught as the Church of England now doth DISTRIBVTED INTO SEVERALL CENTVRIES and opened By SIMON BIRCKBEK Bachelor in Divinitie sometime Fellow of Queenes Colledge in Oxford and now Minister of Gods Word 〈◊〉 Gilling in RICHMONDSHIRE LONDON Printed for Robert Milbourne and are to bee sold at the Signe of the Grayhound in Pauls Church-yard 1635. TO THE RIGHT WORshiâ—full HVâ—FREY VVHARTOâ— of Gillingwood Esquire Receiver Generall of his Majesties Râ—vâ—nues within the Arch-Deaconry of Richmond the Bishopricke of Durham and Northumberlaâ—d my mâ—ch respected Patron Gâ—ace and Peace bee multiplied Sir THe free accesse which you made mee for the exercise of my Ministerie within your donation what time besides other Sutors you had a sonne of your owne whose sufficiencie of Gifts might have anti-dated his yeares and made him capable of greater Preferment had God been pleased to have continued his life hath so farre engaged mee unto you that I have laid hold on the first oportunitie whereby I might manifest my thankefulnesse unto you which I could not better expresse than by Dedicating this Treatise to your Name and Memory beseeching God that as hee hath hitherto done great things for you and given you a Benjamins portion above your brethren so hee would still continue his favours to you and yours and blesse you both in your owne person and in your fruitfull promising off-spring Now if this Treatise seeme not no sutable a Present either to your yeares or disposition which call you indeed rather to a poynt of Devotion than Disputation the truth is it is a Controversall Treatise yet it is withall a just and Defensive War which I have undertaken rather for the clearing of our owne cast than the infesting of others and the end I aime at is to discover the truth and guide others therein And I know it would please you at the heart to see such as have gone astray reduced into the old way which the Prophet calls the Good way If any shall reape benefit by this Worke and thanke the Authour for his paines I shall foorthwith take them up and bestow them whâ—re they are due namely next under God upon your selfe upon whose Gleabe these first Fruits of mine grew and are now in such sort as you see gathered into this Store-house and sequestred into severall Centuries for the Churches use and benefit by one of her meanest Proctors but Your much bounden Kinsman and Beneficiary SIMON BIRCKBEK TO THE READER CHristian Reader this Treatise was first occasioned and afterwards composed in maner as followeth The Prophet Hosea saith of Ephraim that hee had mixt himselfe among the people that Ephraim was as a Cake on the hearth not turned baked on the one side and raw upon the other that is in poynt of Religion was partly a Iew and partly a Gentile It was my lot to fall upon a Charge which like Ephraim was part Protestant part Papall and the one side questioned with the other Where their Religion was before Luther Whereunto I addressed such answere as I thought might satisfie the weake and represse the clamourous but the matter growing to farther debate it occasioned me to draw a Catalogue of our Professors Now it fell out that about the same time M Doctor â—eâ—â—ly one who is excâ—llently verst in Controversies had with good successe stood up in this quarrell with Iesuit Fisher. I acquainted him therefore with the businesse and he gave mee the right hand of Fellowship encouraging me to go on with my Catalogue but I found it too hard a taske for me though I had good helps from others namely from the wel-furnished Libraries of my much respected friends Master D. Potter the worthy and learned Provost of Queenes Colledg in Oxford and Mr. W. Richardson Minister of Gods Word at Borough Church in Westmerland a very learned and revereâ—d Divine also my good neighbour M. Nathaniel Hawksworth to procure such Records as might prescribe for 1500 yeares together so that it caused me travell as far as Oxford there to visit those famous private and publike Libraries where I became an eye-witnesse of divers parcels of Evidence wherof I made use in this Treatise And now haviâ—g my materialls about mee I thoughâ— my selfe tollerablie furnisht for the Worke and yet if I had had â—he whole Bodleian-Vaticane Library about me I might sometime have bin at a stand if I had not had some Living Librarie to consult withall Whereupon having to deale with a companie of subtill Adversaries like the sonnes of Zerviah of whom David complained that they were too hard for him and lest the truth and the Churches Cause might seeme to suffer through my weaknesse I repaired by entercourse of Letters to my learned Counsell Mr. Dr. Featly and hee I thanke him was readie to resolve me when I was in doubt and to direct mee yea and correct mee also when I was at default and indeed I was well pleased with the Obeliskes and dashes of his pen for as Salomon saith The wounds of a lover are faithfull I have used the helpe of Ancient and Moderne Writers forreine and domestick and namely the Reverend and learned Bishops and Doctors of our Church insomuch as I may say in Samsons language That if I had not ploughed with their Heifer I had not so easily unfolded divers Popish Riddles I have dealt faithfully in the businesse not wresting nor wittingly misalleadging any Authours testimonie nor yet sleightly proposing the Adversaries Argument for that had beene to have set up a shaw-fowle of mine owne framing and then have battered it in pieces with mine owne Ordnaâ—ce but I have done as the Israelites who went downe to the Philistims to sharpen their tooles I have set as keene an edge on the Adversaries Arguments as Bellarmines Parsons or Brereleyes Forge could afford I confâ—sse the Worke is larger than I either desired or expected but it could not well bee otherwise and speake fully to a thousand yeares and a halfe and withall cleere the Evidence as it went from the Exceptions of the Adversary I have also been long about it and so my worthy Doctor tells mee but withall hee puts mee in hope it may prove like the Cypresse tree which though it bee long a growing yet whâ—n once it is growen up to a tree the shade of it sâ—rves for an harbour to the child unborne the issue hereof I leave to GOD. This onely I may truely say of this Worke It hath stood mee to some charges and cost mee much paines and travell Al which were it an hundred times more than it is I should thinke well bestowed if the Church of God and my Charge profit by me and the Christian Reader pray for me S. B. Cataloguâ— Testium Veritatis OR A Catalogue of
such VVitnesses as are produced in thâ—â— Treatise for proofe of the PROTESTANTS Religion disposed according to the times wherein they flourished Witnesses produced in the first Age from Christs birth to 100 yeares CHRIST IESVS The twelve Apostles Saint Paul and the Churches of the Romanes and others Anno 63. Ioseph of Arimathea who brought Christianitie into Britaine 70. Dionysius Areopagita The Bookes that beare his Name seeme to bee written in the fourth or fifth Age after Christ. 100 Ignatius the Martyr In the second Age from 100 to 200. 150 Iustine Martyr 166 Hegesippus 169. The Church of Smyrna touching the Martyrdome of their Bishop Polycap 170 Melito Bishop of Sardys 177 Pope Eleutherius his Epistle to Lucius the first Christian King of Britaine 180 Polycrates of Ephesus and the Easterne Churches touching the keeping of Easter 180 Irenaeus Bishop of Lyons 200 Clemens Alexandrinus In the third Age from 200 to 300. 201 Tertullian 230 Origen 230 Minutius Felix 250 Cyprian Bishop of Carthage 300 Arnobius 300. Lactantius Anno 291 Amphibalus and his associates martyred in Britaine and Saint Alban ann 303. In the fourth Age from 300 to 400. 310 A Councill at Eliberis in Spaine 317 Constantine the Great 325 The first Generall Councill at Nice against the Arrians 330 Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea 337 Ephraim the Syrian 340 Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria 360 Hilarie Bishop of Poitiers 364 A Councill at Laodicea 370 Macarius the Aegyptian Monke 370 Cyril Bishop of Hierusalem 370 Optatus Bishop of Mela in Africke 370 Ambrose Bishop of Milain 370 Basil the Great Bishop of Caesarea 370 Gregorie Nazianzen 380 Gregory Nyssen Bishop of Nyssa in Cappadocia brother to Basil. 381 The second generall Councill at Constantinople where Macedonius was condemned 390 Epiphanius Bish. of Salamine in Cyprus In the fifth age from 400 to 500. 406 S. Chrysostome Bish. of Constantinople Andr. Rivet Critici sacri 415 S. Hierome idem 420 S. Augustinus 429 Palladius sent by Pope Celestine into Scotland and Germanus by the French Bishops into Britain to beat downe Pelagianisme 430 Vincentius Lirinensis wrote against the Pelagians and Nestorians 430 Cyril Bishop of Alexandria 430 Theodoret the Historian Bish. of Cyrene 431 The third generall Councill at Ephesus where Nestorius was condemned deprived 450 Leo the Great 451 The fourth generall Councill at Chalcedon where Dioscurus Eutyches were condeÌ„ned 490 Gelasius the Pope In the sixth age from 500 to 600. 520 Cassiodore Abbot of Ravenna 520 Fulgentius Bishop of Ruspa in Africke 529 A Councill at Aurange against Semi-Pelagians and Massilians 540 Iustus Orgelitanus claruit ann 540. Trithem de Scriptor Ecclesiast 545 Iunilius Episcopus Africanus 545 Primasius a Bishop of Africke Bellar. de Scriptor Ecclesiast 540 Rhemigius Bish. of Rhemes Andr. Rivet 553 The fifth generall Councili at Constantinople to confirme the Nicen Councill 560 Dracontius 580 Venantius Fortunatus Bish. of Poictiers a Poet and Historian 596 Augustine the Monke Mellitus and Laurence sent into Britaine by Pope Gregorie 596 The Britaines Faith 600 Columbanus or Saint Colme of Ireland In the seventh age from 600 to 700. 601 Greg. the First the Great placed by Bellar. in this seventh age Bell. de Script Eccles. 601 Hesych Bish. of Hierusalem Bellar. ibid. 630 â—sidore Bishop of Sevill Disciple to Gregorie the Great 635 Aidanus Bishop of Lindasferne or Holy Iland and Finanus his Successour 681 The sixth Generall Councill at Constantinople against the Monothelites who held that although Christ had two Natures yet hee had but one will In the eighth Age from 700 to 800. 720 Venerable Bede the Saxon. 740 Ioannes Damascenus 740 Antonius Author Melissae 754 A Council held at Constant. wherein were condemned Images and the worshipers of themâ— 768 Clement B. of Auxerre Disciple to Bede 787 The second Councill at Nice about restoring of Images 790 Alcuinus or Albinus an Englishman Disciple to Bede and Tutor to Charlemaigne this Alcuinus laid the foundation of the Vniversitie of Paris 794 A Councill at Frankford wherein was condemned the second Councill of Nice for approoving the worshipping of Images 800 Carolus Magnus and Libri Carolini In the ninth Age from 800 to 900. 815 Claudius Scotus 820 Claudius Taurinensis against Image-worship 824 A Councill at Paris about Images 830 Christianus Druthmarus the Monke of Corbey 830 Agobard Bishop of Lyons 840 Rabanus Maurus Bishop of Mentz Disciple to Alâ—win 840 Haymo Bishop of Halberstadt Cousin to Bede 840 Walafridus Strabus Abbot of Fulda Disciple to Rabanus hee collected the Ordinarie Glosse on the Bible Trithem de script Eccles. 861 Hulderick Bishop of Auspurge 862 Iohn Mallerosse the Scottish Divine or Ioannes Scotus Erigena hee was slaine by the Monkes of Malmsbury 860 Photius Patriarke of Constantinople he wrote the Nomo-Canon 876 Bertram a Monke and Priest of France 890 Rhemigius Monke of Auxerre hee wrote upon Saint Mathew 890 Ambrosius Ansbertus the French Monke In the tenth Age from 900 to 1000. 910 Radulphus Flaviacensis Monachus Bellarm quò suprà 950 Stephanus Eduensis Monachus Idem 950 Smaragdus the Abbot 975 Abbot Aelfrick and his Saxon Homily and his Saxon Treatise of the Old and New Testament both translated into English In the eleventh age from 1000 to 1100. 1007 Fulbert Bishop of Chartres 1050 Oecumenius 1050 Berengarius 1060 Radulphus Ardens 1070 Theophylact Archbish. of the Bulgarians 1080 Anselme Archbishop of Canterbury 1090 Hildebert Archbishop of Tours 1100 Anselmus Laudunensis Collector of the Interlinear Glosse In the twelfth age from 1100 to 1200. 1101 Zacharias Chrysopolitanus 1120 Rupertus Tuitiensis 1130 Hugo de Sancto Victore 1130 Bernardus Clarae-vallensis 1130 Peter Bruis and Henry of Tholouse 1140 Peter Lombard Master of the Sentences 1150 Petrus Cluniacensis 1158 Ioannes Sarisburiensis 1160 Petrus Blesensis Archdeacon of Bathe 1170 Gratianus 1170 Hildegard the Prophetesse Trithem 1195 Ioachimus Abbas 1200 Nicetas Choniates In the thirteenth Age from 1200 to 1300. 1206 Gul. Altissiodorensis 1215 Concil Lateranense Cuthb Tonstal Dunelm Episcop de eodem 1220 Honorius Augustodunensis Bellarm. 1230 Gulielmus Alvernus Parisiensis Episcopus 1230 Petrus de Vineis Trithem 1240 Alexander de Hales 1250 Gerardus and Dulcinus 1250 Hugo Cardinalis 1250 Robert Groute-head or Grosse-teste Bishop of Lincolne 1256 Gulielmus de Sancto Amore. 1260 Thomas Aquinas 1260 Bonaventura 1260 Arnoldus de Novâ villâ 1300 Ioannes Duns Scotus In the fourteenth age from 1300 to 1400. 1303 Barlaam the Monke and Nilus Archbishop of Thessalonica 1320 Gulielmus Ockam 1320 Nicol. de Lyra a converted Iew who commented on all the Bible 1320 Marsilius Patavinus 1320 Michael Cesena Trithem 1320 Dante 's 1320 Durandus de S. Portiano 1330 Alvarus Pelagius 1340 Iohannes de Rupe-scissâ Trithem 1340 Thomas Bradwardin 1343 The Kings of England oppose Papall Provisions and Appeales Anno 1391. 1350 Richardus Armachanus 1350 Robert Holcot the Englishman 1350 Francis Petrarch Bellarm. 1350 Taulerus a Preacher at Strasbrough Bellarm. 1370 Saint Bridgeâ— 1370 Iohn Wickliffe and
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Austin saith He hath set his Tabernacle in the Sun Is not the Church then conspicuous as the Sunne PROT. You may not argue from such Allusions as are taken from the outward pompe of the world thereby to describe the inward beautie of the Church 2. Besides according to the true reading the meaâ—ing is he hath set up a seat for the Sunne in the heavens that there it might be viewed as on a scaffold now this Sunne may be eclypsed 3. Againe this was onely an Allusion which Saint Austin used against the Donatists who pinned up the Church within a corner of Afriâ—k as now the Papists confine her to Rome thereby telling them there were many Churches besides theirs to bee seene as cleare as the Sunne if the Donatists could discerne them 4. Lastly though Austin termed the Church in diebus illis in his owne time to be set as it were in the Sun yet he denies not but that afterwards in declining ages this Sunne might bee darkened and the Church make but small appearance in the time of persecution as the same Father speakes PA. The Church is as a Citie upon an hill a light upon a Candlesâ—icke and therefore conspicuous PRO. 1. This also is an Allusion which yet Saint Chrisostome understands to be meant of the Apostles that they were to looke to their carâ—iage since they were to preach abroad and had many lookeâ—s on 2. Againe though the Church be set on a hill yet as the Aramites could not discerne â—he citie of Samaria whither the Prophet led them till their eyes were opened 2 Kings chap. 6. no more can one discerne or difference the true Church from the malignant and conventicles of the wicked untill his minde be enlightned And thus Austin tolde the Donatists they could not see the Church on the hill because their eyes were blinded to wit either with ignorance or malice In a word this Hill may bee hid with a mist this Sunne obscured with a cloud and the Moone ecclipsed The blessed Apostles were no corner-creepers yet were they not seene and acknowledged for true profâ—ssors by the Scribes and Pharisees that dwelt but hard by in Iewrie Howsoever what is this to Rome if shee hold the socket and want the light if she be seated on a hill yea seven hills like Babylon PA. Will you call Rome Babylon PRO. Your owne Iesuites call Rome Babylon neither can this bee meant of Heathen Rome but of Rome Christian and as it shall bee at the end of the world for so speakes Ribâ—ra and Viegas saith After that Rome shall fall from the faith Now Heathen Rome could not fall from the faith since it never professed the faith therefore the prophecie is to bee fulfilled in Rome Papall and Christian. PA. If thy brother offend thee tell the Church then must we needs know the Church PRO. 1. Wee are bid tell the Church that is her Pastors and Governours when there is such a standing Ministery and publike discipline exercised 2. But in case Tyrants hinder the open meetings of Christians even then also in some good sort though shee bee not so outwardly visible to her foes yet may the Church take notice as the faithfull in the primative Church met together privately and observed orders for reforming of abuses being knowne one to another as friends but unknowne as such to their foes In a word one may tell the Church though for the time shee bee hid from her foes even as one may tell a message to his friend who for the time is hid from his enemie PA. Some of yours say The Church was invisible for divers ages PRO. They say not it was simply invisible but they speake respectively so that looking on those times which fell out somewhat before and after the first sixe hundred yeeres and seeing the title of Vniversall Bishop which Gregoâ—y detested as Antichristian setled on the Pope about the yeere 666 and that this number so fitly agreed to the Man of sinne as also looking downeward to the thousand yeere wherein Satan was loosed and the Turke and Pope grew great looking hereon and comparing the Church as shee was then under Hildebrand forbidding Marriage and deposing the Emperour with her selfe in the primitive ages they said shee was in manner invisible in the Westerne Horizon to wit in respect of that degree and measure of the light of the Gospell that brake forth in the time of the Reformation Besides during the time mentioned it was visible enough in the Greeke and Easterne Church and for the Westerne it had the same subsisting and beeing with the best members in the Romane Church PA. Master Napier saith Our Religion hath raigned universally and without any debatable contradiction 1260 yeeres Gods true Church most certainely abiding so long latent and invisible And Master Peâ—kins saith That for the space of many hundred yeeres an universall Apostasie overspread the whole face of the earth and that your Church was not visible to the world PRO. Master Napier saith not that your Religion raigned so universally neither doth hee speake in generall of the whole body of the Romish Faith and of the universall Antiquitie thereof which is the poynt in question but onely of the first originall of the papall dominion and Antichristian kingdome as hee calleth it as Bishop Morton hath well observed neither yet was this papall Hierarchie or as Master Perkins calls it popish Heresie of being intituled Vniversall Bishop of the Church carried without the opposition of severall Councells and Worthies in Gods Church as God willing hereafter shall appeare For the place cited out of Master Perkins it is as we in our common phrase of speech use to say That all the world is set on mischiefe because so many delight in wickednesse Neither is this manner of speech unusuall in the Scriptures From the Prophet to the Priest all deale falsely saith Ieâ—emy 6.13 and Saint Paul saith All secke their owne and not that which is Iesus Christs Phil. 2.21 bâ—sides hee saith Iâ— had overspread the face of the earth Now a large fiâ—ld may be over-spread with Tares and weedes and yet some good corne in the field Neither saith Master Perkins that our Church was simply invisible but that it was not visible to the world and withall he tels us where it was It lay hid saith he vnder the chasse of Poperie Now the graine is not utâ—erly invisible whiles it is mingled with chaâ—se in the same heape PA. Was not the Church ever gloriously visible PRO. It was not for as S. Austin saith it was sometimes onely in Abel and he was slaine by his brother in Enoch and hee was translated from the ungodly it was in the sole house of Abraham Noah and Lot Afterwards how was it so notably conspicuous when as both Israel and Iudah fell to Idolatry in the times of Achaz and Manasse
when as those Kings caused the Temple to be shut up the Sacrifice to cease and erected Idols in every Towne Besides at our Saviours comming we find but a short Catalogue of true professors mentioned to wit Ioseph and Mary Zacharie and Elizabeth Simeon and Anna the Shepherds in the fields and some others When Christ suffered death his little flocke as hee called it was scattered his disciple â—led and none almost durst shew themselves save Mary and Iohn and some few women with oâ—hers After our Saviours death the Apostles and their followers were glad to meet in Chambers whiles the Priests Scribes and Pharisees bare all the sway in the Temple â—o that as the Treatise of the true Câ—urchâ—s visibilitie haâ—h it if a weâ—ke body had then enquired for the Church it is likely they had beene directed to them In â—he time of those Ten persecutions there could not be any knowne assembly of Christians but foorthwith â—he Tyranâ—s labouâ—ed to root them out but as Tâ—rtullian saith The blood of the Martyrs was the seed of the Church they were peâ—secuted and yet they increased Afâ—erwards when the Arrian Heresie overspread all so that all the world was against Athanasius and he and some few Confesâ—ors stood for the Nicen Faith insomuch as Hierome said The world sighed and groaned marveiling at it selfe how it was become Arrian what a slender appearance did the true professors then make and yet in such dangerous and revolting times even small assemblies of particular congregations wheresoever dispersed serve to make up the universal Church Militant so that the Reader is not to be discouraged if hee find not the Protestant Assemblies so thronged since it was not so with the primative Church and S. Iohn foretold That the woman that is the Church persecuted by the Dragon that old Serpent the Devill and his instruments should flie into the Wildernesse where the Lord promised to hide her till the tempest of persecution were over-blowne wherein God dealt graciously with his Church for had her enemies alwayes seene and knowne her professors they would like cruell beastes have laboured to devoure the damme with her young the mother with her children Now whereas the Papists brag of their Churches Visibilitie their owne Rhemists are driven to confesse that in the raigne of Antichrist the outward state of the Romane Chuâ—ch and the publike entercourse of the faithfull with the same may cease and practise their Religion in secret And Iesuite Suarez thinkes it probable That the Pope shall professe his faith in secret Where is then your Tabernacle in the Sunne your light in the Candlesticke when as your Church and Pope shall walke with a darke Lanterne and say Masse in a corner PA. Why was not the Church alwayes so conspicuous PRO. Because sometimes her best members as Athanasius Hilarie Ambrose and others were persecuted as Heretikes and ungodly men and that by learned persons and such as were powerfull in the world able to draw great troupes after them of such as for hope favour feare or the like respects were ready to follow them In this and the like case when false Priestes broach errours and deceive many Tyrants persecute Gods Saints and cause others to retire then I say when the faithfull want their ordinarie entercourse one with another the number of the Church malignant maybe great in comparison of those that belong to the true Church PA. If the Church were not alwayes so conspicuous in what sort then was it visible a visible Church you grant PRO. In the generall militant Church there have in all ages been some Pastors and people more or lesse that have outwardly taught the truth of Religion in substance though not free from errour in all poynts and these have beene visible by their ordinary standing in some part of Gods Church Besides for the more part there have bin also some that withstood and condemned the grosse errours and superstition of their times and these good men whiles they were suffered taught the truth openly but being persecuted by such as went under the Churches name even then also they taught and administred the Sacraments in private to such faithfull ones as would joyne with them and even in those harder times they manifested their Religion by their Writings Letters Confessions at their Iudgement Martyrdome or otherwise as they could Now as learned Doctor White in his Defence of his Brothers booke hath observed whensoever there bee any Pastors in the world which â—ither in an open view or in the presence of any part thereof doe exercise though in private the actions of true Religion by sound teaching the truth and right administration of the Sacraments this is sufficient to make the Church visible by such a manner of visibilitie as may serve for the gathering and preserving of Gods elect Now such visible Pastors and people the Protestant Church was never utterly destitute of PA. You seeme to make the Church both visible and invisible PRO. May not one bee within and seene with his friends and yet hidden to his enemies visible to the seeing and invisible to the blind Indeed Tyrants Infidells and Heretikes they knew the true beleevers as men of another profession but blinded with malice and unbeliefe they acknowledged them not for true professors as M. Bradford told D. Day Bishop of Chichester the fault why the Church is not seene of you is not because the Church is not visible but because your eyes are not cleare enough to see it and indeed such as put not on the spectacles of the Word to finde out the Church but seeke for her in outward pompe are much mistaken Aelian in his History tels us of one Nicostratus who being a well-skilled Artisan and finding a curious piece of worke drawne by Xeuxis that famous Painter one who stood by wondered at him and asked him what pleasure hee could take to stand as hee did still gazing on the picture to whom hee answered Hadst thou mine eyes my friend thou wouldest not wonder nor aske me that question but rather be ravished as I am at the inimitable art of this rare and admired piece In like manner if our Adversaries had their eyes annoynted with the eye-salve of the holy Spirit they might easily discover the Protestant Church and her visible congregations The Aramites 2 Kings 6. chap. could not discerne the citie of Samaria whither the Prophet led them untill their eyes were opened no more can one discerne or difference the true Church from the malignant and conventicles of the wicked untill his mind bee enlightned And thus Saint Austin told the Donatists They could not see the Church on the hill because their eyes were blinded to wit either with ignorance or malice Saint Austin compares the Church to the Moone which waxeth and waneth is eclipsed and sometime as in the change cannot be seene yet none doubts but still there is a
for us Now though Christs Body is not according to his materiall substance wholly and intirely under the outward elements yet the Bread may bee truly termed Christs Body because of a Relative and Sacramentall union and donation of the thing signified together with the Signes worthily received PA. What reason have you to interpret these words figuratively this is my body that is this bread is a signe of my body and not plainely and literally as they sound PRO. Figurative speeches are oftentimes plaine speeches now there be no other Figures or Tropes in the Lords Supper but such as are and alwaies were usuall in Sacraments and familiarly knowne to the Church Now Sacraments must bee expounded Sacramentally and accordingly the words alledged must not bee taken literally but figuratively Christ taking bread and breaking bread said of the same This is my body now this cannot bee properly taken therefore for the right expounding of these words we are necessarily to have recourse to a figurative interpretation and the reason hereof is that common Maxime Disparatum de disparato non propriè praedicatur that is nothing can bee properly and literally affirmed joyntly of another thing which is of a different nature By this rule bread and Christs body cannot bee properly affirmed one of another bread being of a different nature from flesh can no more possibly be called the flâ—sh or body of Christ literally than lead can be called wood and this makes us interpret the words figuratively and wee have in Scripture most manifest places which proove these woâ—ds This is my body to be figuratively taken and understood because in Scripture whensoever the signe as the Bread being called Christ's body hath the name appellation of the thing signified the speech is alwayes tropicall and figurative And this agreâ—th with S. Austiâ—s Rule Sacraments bee signes which often doe take the names of those things which they doe signifie and represent therefore doe they carry the names of the things themselves thus is the signe of the Passeover the Lambe called the Passeover Math. 26.17 Exod. 12.11 27. the Rocke the signe of Christ in his passion is called Christ and the Rocke was Christ 1. Cor. 10 4. Circmmcision the signe of the Covenant called the Covenant and Bapâ—isme the signe of Christs buriall called Christs buriall for so saith S. Augustine that as Baptisme is called Christs buriall so is the Sacrament of the Body of Christ callâ—d his Body Now this shew or semblance of words concludes not that Christ or the Lambe were really the Rocke the Passeover but that these things are meant figuratively it being usuall in Scripture specially in such Sacramentally speeches as this is we are now about to give the name of the thing to that which it betokeneth and so to call Circumcision the Covenant because it is a signe thâ—t betokneth the Covenant and so of the rest Besides the other part of the Sâ—crament to wit This Cup is the New Testament in my blood Luke 22.20 is figurativâ— and not to be literally taken for you your selves sâ—y that Calix or the Cup is there taken for that which is iâ— the cup so that your sâ—lves admit a trope in the institution of this Sacrament PAP If these figurative speâ—ches were true yet I cannot see what argument you can draw from hence or how you can hence prove any thing against our Tenet saith our â—nglish Baron for it is a rule in Divinitie that Theologia Symbolica non est aâ—gumentativa that figurative speeches affoord no certaine proofe in matters of Faith PRO. The zeâ—lous Reverend and learned L. Bishop of Durâ—sme Doctor Morton tells your Baron and his Suggester that upon the no-pâ—oper sense of the words This is my body it must follow that there is no Transubstantiation in your Romish Masse no Corporall presence no râ—all Sacrifice no proper eating no lawfull divine adoration therof and as for the rule that Symbolicall arguments mâ—ke no necessary Conclusions the said learned and reveâ—end Father saith That this makes not against us touching the fiâ—urative woâ—ds of Christ This is my body the position maketh onely against them who extract either a liteâ—all sense out of a parabolicall and figurative speech as Origen did when having râ—ad that scriptureâ— Thâ—re bee some that castrate thâ—msâ—lves for the kingdome of God whâ—ch was but a pâ—rabolicall speech hee did really and thereforâ— fâ—â—lishly castrate himselfe or else when men tâ—râ—e the words of Scripture properly and literally spoken intâ—â— figurative meaningâ— as when Pope Innoâ—ent thâ— third tâ— pâ—oove that his Papall authoritie was above thâ— Impâ—riall aâ—lâ—dged that Scripture Gen. 1. God made two great lights the Sun and the Moone as if the Imperiall like the Moone had borrowed its authoritie from the Papall as from the Sun or as Pope Boniface 8 from those words Luk. 22. Behold here are two swords argued that both the temporall and spirituall sword are in the Pope as he is Vicar of Christ. Now such kinde of Symbolicall reasoning is indeed of no force â—ut by that position was it never forbid whensoever in Scripture the name of the thing signified is attributed to the symbol or signe that then the Symbolicall and Sacramental speech should be judged tropicall But this kind of exposition was alwayes approved of Christ and by his Church so here Christ taking bread and breaking bread which was the symbol and signe of Christs body and saying of the same Bread This is my body the sense cannot possibly bee literall but alâ—ogether figuâ—ative as hath bin shewne by divers â—xamples in Scripture to wit the signe of the passing over called the Passeover the Rock but a signe of Christ called Christ In each onâ— of these the Symbols being a Signe and Figuâ—e the speech must infallibly bee Figurative And therefore Bread being a Figure of Christs Body is called Christs body Figuratively And thus farre our learned Bishop of Duresme Of Images and Prayer to Saints The Church of Rome holds that Images are to bee had and retained and that due honour worship and veneration is to bee given to them The Church of England holds that the Romish doctrine of Adoration of Images and Reliques and also of Invocation of Saints is grounded upon no warraâ—tie of Scripture but rather repâ—gnant to the word of God And so indeed we finde that the Lord in his Morall law hath condemned in gâ—nerall all Imaâ—eâ— and Idols devised by man for worshâ—p and adoration And this Precept being a part of his Morall law it binds us in the state of the new Testament as it did the Israelites of old for in all the Apostles doctrine wee doe not finde that ever this prâ—câ—pt was abâ—ogated so that it bindes Israelites Christians and all PA. If all worship of Images be forbidden Exod. 20. ver 4 5. then all making of them is forbidden for the same precept which saith thou shalt not bow downe
may grow in respect of farther Explanations but it cannot increase in Substantiall points even as a child as Vicentius Lirinensis â—aith though he grow in stature yet hath he no more limbs when he becommeth a man than he had when he was a child so the Church hath no more parts or Articles of Faith in her riper age than she had in her infancie and by this rule new Rome is a Monster if she have more â—word oâ— liâ—bs of Faith now in her declining age than ancient Rome had in her flourishing age And herein we challenge our adversaries to shew the body of their Religion peâ—fited in this first and purest age what time the Church was in her vigour and the Scripture Canon finished and consigned but they dare not be tried by the booke of Scripture Now for us we willingly put our cause to bee tried by that honourable and unpartiall Iury of Christ and his twelve Apostles and the Evidence that shall be given by the testimonie and vivâ voce of holy Scripture but they turne their backs and fly from this triall But I proceed and come to Ioseph of Arimathea whom I named for one of our Ilands speciall Benefactors it was this Ioseph as our best Antiquaries say that together with twelve other Disciples his Assistants came out of France into Britaine and preached the Christian Faith in the Western part of this Iland now called Glastenbury which place in ancient Charters was termed the Grave of the Saints the Mother Church the Disciples foundation whereby it is very likely that our land was first converted by Ioseph of Arimathea being sent hither by S. Phillip not from S. Peter and that not from Rome but from Arimathea which was not farre from Hierusalem so that Hierusalem is the Mother of us all as both Hierome and Theodoret say And this is the rather probable because that upon Austin the Monks comming into England the British Bishops observed their Easter and other points of difference according to the Greâ—ke or Easterne Church and not after the Romane Westerne Church which makes it probable that our first conversion came from the Christian converted Iewes or Grecians and not from the Romanes but howsoever it were or whence-soever they came wee blesse God for the great worke of our conversion THE SECOND CENTVRIE From the yeare of Grace 100. to 200. PAPIST WHom doe you name in this Age PROTESTANT In this Age lived Hegesippus of the Iewish Nation afterwards converted to Christianitie Melito Bishop of Sardis Iustine Martyr who of a Philosopher became both a Christian and a Martyr Now also lived Irenaeus Bishop of Lyons in France sometimes Scholler to Polycarp and both of them Martyred foâ— the name of Christ of this Polycarp Bishop of Smyrna it is recorded that being urged by the Romane Deputie to deny Christ he stoutly replied on this manner I have served him these foure-score and six yeares and he hath not hurt me and shall I now deny him Now also lived Clemens Alexandrinus who was Scholler to one Pantenus these two seeme to be the Authors of Vniversities and Colledges for they taught the Grounds of Religion not by Sermons and Homilies to the people but by Catecheticall doctrine to the Learned in the Schooles Now that in point of doctrine we consent with the Worthies of this Age it may appeaâ—e by the testimonie of Irenâ—us a Disciple of those that heard Saint Iohn the Apostle for he layeth downe no other Articles of Faith and Grounds of Religion then our ordinarie Catechisme teacheth besides he sheweth that in the unitie of that Faith the Churches of Germany Spain France the East Aegypt Libya and all the World were founded and therein sweetly accorded as if they had al dwelt in one house all had had but one soule and one heart and one mouth The like doth his contemporary Tertullian he gives the fundamentall points of Religion gathered out of the Scriptures and delivered by the Churches the same which our Church delivereth and no other for the Rule of Faith Of the Scriptures Sufficiencie and Canon Irenaeus saith The Scriptures are perfect as spoken from the Word of God and his Spirit and Erasmus observes that Irenaeus fought against the troupes of Heretikes onely by the forces and strength of Scripture indeed he sometimes chargeth them with the Churches tradition wounding them with their owne weapon but this was with such undoubted tradition as were in his time thought to bee Apostolike which he might easily discerne living so neere the Aposâ—les dayes Melito Bishop of Sardis being desired by Onesimus to send him a Catalogue of the Bookes of the Old Testament makes no mention of Iudith Tobit Ecclesiasticus nor the Maccabees and yet he profesâ—eth that he made very diligent search to set downe a perfect Cannon thereof And this is likewise confessed by Bellarmine many ancients saith he as namely Melitoâ— did follow the Hebrew Canon of the Iewes Of Communion under both kinds and number of Sacraments Iustin Martyr saith they which are called Deacons among us give to every one that is present of the consecrated Bread Wineâ— adding withal as Christ coÌ„manded them now these words which mention Christs Commandement Bellarmine would haue to belong to the Consecration only not to the Communion whereas Iâ—stin extends Christs precept to both both being injoyned in that precept doe this in remembrance of me so that we have both Christs precept and this Ages practice for our Communion in both Clemens Alexandrinus wrote a booke against the Gentiles which he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as ye would say woven after the manner of coverings mixed with the testimonies of Scriptures Poets Philosophers and Histories and therein he hath these words When they distribute the Holy Eucharist as the custome is they permit every one of the people to take a part or portion thereof and what he meaneth by Eucharist himselfe explaineth saying the mingling of the drinke and of the Water and the Word is that which we call the Eucharist so that according to him not Bread onely but Bread and Wine is the Eucharist and of this every one of the people participated in his time and therefore all dranke of the Cup. Iustine Martyr in his Apologie for the Christians specifies no other Sacraments than Baptisme and the Lords Supper and yet in that treatise of his he was justly occasioned to mention the Sacraments of the Church and there he relates the manner of their Church-service Liturgies and Commnuion so that there had beene a fit place for him to have named those other five if the Church had then knowne them Of the Eucharist That the substance of Bread and Wine remaineth in the Sacrament after the words of Consecration albeit the use of the elements bee changed is cleere by the Fathers of this Age. Iustine Martyr saith that the elements of Bread
Disciples and followers of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them wee love worthily Now when they say that they cannot worship any other our learned and divine Antiquarie Doctour Vsher observeth that the Latine Edition of theirs which was wont to be publikely read in these Churches of the West expresseth their meaning in this manner Wee Christians can never leave Christ who did vouchsafe to suffer so great things for our Sinnes nor impart the supplication of Prayer unto any other PAP Irenaeus termeth the blessed Virgin the Advocate of Eve PRO. Indeed Bellarmine cryeth up this place with a quid clarius what can be said more plainely and Fevardentius answerable to his name falls not upon Gallasius about this place Now Irenaeus his meaning as elswhere he expresseth himselfe is this and no more that as by Eva Sinne came into the World and by Sinne death so by the Virgins meanes life and salvation instrumentally in that she was that chosen vessell of the Holy Ghost to beare him in her wombe who by taking flesh of her redeemed us from the curse of death And thus she was the Advocate or Comforter of Evah and her children by bearing Christ and not because she was invocated as a mediatour after her death by Evahs children Of Faith and Merit Irenaeus as Chemnitius observeth though he speake not expressely of Sola Fides yet he useth termes equivalent to that exclusive particle saying that there is no way to be saved from the sting of that old Serpent the Devill but by beleeving in Christ. The Fathers of this Age the most of them alleaged if not all wrote in Greeke and could not understand Merit And Polycarp the Martyr in his Prayer above mentioned useth the terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not for to deserve but for to attaine procure or find favour I thanke thee O Father saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that thou hast graciouslie vouchsafed this day and this houre to allot me a portion among the number of Martyrs Now surely had the doctrine of Merit beene Catholike in his dayes he would doubtlesse being now in extremis and upon his fiery tryall have recommended himselfe to God by the Prayers and Merits of Saints but he neither pleades his owne nor others Merits none but Chaists In this Age Polycrates Bishop of Ephesuâ— and other Easteâ—ne Bishops in Asia withstood the Pope about keeping the Feast of Easter they prooved their custome to be received from Saint Iohn and that it was practised and continued by Polycarp the Martyr and others This did so vex Pope Victor as that he excommunicated the Churches of Asia neither did he revoke his censure for ought that Bellarmine can find and yet Irenaeus a godly Bishop of Lyons in France sharply rebuked the Pope for troubling the peace of the Church yea Pâ—lycrates stood at defiance with the Pope and contemned his threates to wit excommunications PA. This was no great difference PRO. If it were a matter of small weight why then would the Pope excommunicate so many famous Churches for dissenting from him therein Besides Bellarmine saith that the Pope conceived that this difference might breede heresie belike then he thought it a matter of consequence Howsoever by this oposition to the See of Rome we may observe that had those ancient Churches of Asia acknowledged the Popes Supremacie they would not have thus opposed his Constitutions nor sleighted his Censures In this Age also I find that when Lucius a Christian Prince in this our Britaine sent to Pope Elentherius to receive some Lawes thence the Bishop returned him this Answer as appeares by a Letter or Epistle usually inserted amongst the Lawes of Saint Edward the Confessâ—ur There are already within your owne Kingdome the Old and New Testament out of which by the Councell of your Kingdome you may take a Law to Governe your people for you are the Vicar of Christ within your own kingdom Whence we may observe that howsoever the Papists now adayes labour to prove the Popes Supremacie by his giving of Lawes and inflicting his Censures on others yet in these ancient times even by the Popes owne acknowledgement the King was held to be Supreame Governour within his owne Kingdome PA. Belike then Britaine was now Converted to the Faith PRO. It was converted before this time for in the Raigne of this Lucius lived those two learned British Divines Elvanus of Glastenbury and Medvinus of Wells and these two were sent by King Lucius to the Bishop of Rome to desire a supply of Preachers to assist the Britaines and with them returned Faganus and Damianus and these jointly with the Britaines preached the Gospell and Baptised amongst the Britaines whereby many were daily drawne to the Faâ—th of Christ and the Temples of the heathenish Priests their Flamines and Archflamines as they termed them were converted into so many Bishops and Archbishops Sees as the Monke of Chester Ranulphus Higden reports Neither yet is this to be called a conversion of our Iland but rather a new supply of Preachersâ— for Iohn Capgrave a Domynickâ— Frier one whom Parsons commends for a Learned man reports that Elvanus the Britaine had dispersed thorow the wilde fields of Britaine those seeds of the Gospel that Ioseph of Arimathea had formerly sowne and that the Pope made Elvanus Bishop in Britaine and Medvinus a Doctour to preach the Faith of Christ throughout the whole Iland which sheweth that when they were sent Ambassadours to to Eleâ—therius Bishop of Rome they were then no novices but learned and practised Divines as one of their owne Historians calleth them THE THIRD CENTVRIE From the yeare of Grace 200. to 300. PAPIST WHom name you in this Age PROTESTANT In this Age there flourished Tertullian Origen and Saint Cyprian now also lived Minutius Felix a famous Lawyer in Rome Arnobius and his eloquent Scholler Lactantius Tertullian was a man of a quicke and pregnant wit hee wrote learned and strong Apologies in the behalfe of Christians Cyprian read daily some part of his writings and so reverenced him that hee used to say to his Secretary Da magistrum helpe me to my Tutour reach me my master meaning Tertullian afterwards through spight of the Roman Clergie hee revolted to the Montanists and was taken up with their idle Prophecies and Revelations Origen was in this his age a mirrour of piety and of learning of all sorts both divine and humane he conferred the Hebrew text with the Greeke translations not onely of the Septuagints but also the translations of Aquila Theodosion and Symmachus hee found out other editions also which hee set forth and called them Octupla or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because every page contayned eight columnes or severall translations such as were then in estimation hee was of so happy a memory that hee had the Bible without booke and
could at the samâ— time dictate unto seven severall Clarkes or Notaries hee was of such esteeme that divers would say Malle se cum Origene errare quà m cum alijs verâ— sentire that they had rather erre with Origen than thinke aright with others hee exhorted others to Martyrdome and from his child-hood was himselfe desirous of the honour thereof but in the seventh persecution under Decius hee fainted and his heart was so overset with feare to have his chaste body defiled with an ugly Ethiopian that hee chose rather to offer incense to the Idoll then to bee so filthily abused for this cause hee was excommunicated by the Church of Alexandria and for very shame fled to Iudea wherâ— he was not only gladly received but also requested publikely to preach at Hierusalem But so it was falling upon that place of the Psalmist Vnto the ungodly saith God why doest thou preach my Lawes and takest my Covenant in thy mouth whereas thou hatest to bee reformed and hast cast my words behind thee Psalm 50.16.17 These woâ—ds so deepely wounded his heart with griefe that hee closed the booke and sate downe and wept and all the congregation wept with him In expounding the Scriptures hee was curious in searching out of Allegories and yet falling on that place Math. 19.12 Some have gelded themselves for the kingdome of heaven hee tooke those words literally and gelded himselfe to the end hee might live without all suspition of uncleannesse whereas hee expounded almost all the rest of the Scriptures figuratively Hee held a fond opinion concerning the paines of devils and wicked men after long torments to bee finished It is usually said of him Vbi bene scripsit nemâ— melius ubi malè nemo pejus where hee wrote wellâ— nâ—ne better so that wee may say of him as Ieremy of his figs the good none better the evill nonâ— worse Ier. 24.2 Cypriaâ—â— was a learned godly Bishop and glorious Martyr he erred indeed in that he would have had such as had beene baptized by Heretikes if afterwards they returned to the true Church to bee rebaptized yet he was not obstinate in his errour hee was as Aâ—stin saith of him not onely learned but docible and willing to bee learned and that hee would most easily have altered his opinion had this question in his life time beene debated by such learned and holy men as afterwards it was so that S. Austin makes this observation touching Cyprians errour hee therefore saw not this one truth touching Rebaptization that others might see in him a more eminent and excellent truth to wit his humilitie modestie and châ—ritie Of the Scriptures sufficiencie and Canon Tertullian though hee stood for Ceremoniall traditions unwritten and for Doctrinall traditions which were first delivered from the Apostles by word of mouth and afterwards committed to writing yet dealing with Hermogenes the Hereticke in a question concerning the faith whether all things at the beginning were made of nothing presseth him with an Argument ab Authoritate negativè Whether all things were made of any subject matter I have as yet read no where saith hee Let those of Hermogenes his shop shew that it is written if it bee not written let them feare that wâ—e which is allotted to such as adde or take away but for himselfe hee professeth that hee adoreth the fulnesse of the Scripture And why may not wee also argue negatively touching divers Tenets of Poperie that from the beginning it was not so Math. 19.8 In the two Testaments saith Origen eveâ—y word that appertaineth to God may bee required and discussed and all knowledge of things out of them may be understood but if any thing doe remaine which the holy Scripture doth not determine no other third Scripture ought to be received for to authorize any knowlâ—dge Origen in his exposition upon the first Psalme faith wâ—e may not bee ignorant there are two and twenty bookes of the old Testament after the Hebrewes which is the number of the Letters among them This is likewise witnessed by Eusebius that as Origen received the Canon of the Iewes so likewise he reiected those sixe bookes which wee terme Apocriphall with the Iewes Of Communion under both and the number of Sacraments Tertullian speaking in generall of Christians saith the flesh feedeth upon the body and blood of Christ that the soule may be fatâ—ed as it were of God hee speakes of the body and blood of Christ as distinct things saying Corpore sanguine and elsewhere he mentions the Cup given to a Lay-woman saying from whose hands shall shee desire the Sacramentall Bread of whose Cup shall shee participate hee speaketh of a Christian woman married to an Infidell and sheweth the inconvenience of such a match whereby the faithfull wife was like to bee debarred of the comfort of receiving the Sacrament and drinking of the Lords Cup. Origen maketh this question What people is it that is accustomed to drinke blood and hee answereth the faithfull people Hereunto Bellarmine saiâ—h the people did drinke but they had no commâ—nd so to doe where hee grants us that communicating under both kinds was the Agend or Church practise in this age besides Origen in this very place alleadgeth Christs praecept for the Cup out of the sixt of Iohn Cyprian speaking of such as in time of persâ—cution had lapsed and not stucke to the truth and therâ—upon were barred from the Communion hee desires that upon their repentance they may bee admitted and hee gives this reason How shall wee sit them for the Cup of Martyrdome if before wee admit them not by right of Communion to drinke of the Lords cup in the Church And againe Because some men out of ignorance or simplicity in Sanctifying the Cup of the Lord and ministring it to the people doe not that which Iesus Christ our Lord and God the Authour and Institutour of this Sacrifice did and taught Where albeit the maine scope of the Epistle bee to prove the necessity of administring the Sacrament in Wine and not in meere water as the Aquarij did yet on the bye he discovers the practice of the Church for both kinds and saith expressely that the Cup was ministred or delivered to the people Tertullian in divers places of his works acknowledgeth the same Sacraments with us to wit Baptisme and the Lords Supper and Beatus Rhenanus in his notes upon Tertullian observes the same and for this hee is brought under the Spanish inquisition and roughly entertained for his paines as appeares by a Censure passed on him and extant in the latter end of Tertullians Works Of the Eucharist Tertullian disputing against Marcion who denied that Christ had a true Body confuteth him by a reason drawne from the Sacrament of the Supper in this manner A Figure of a Body presupposeth a true Body for of a shew or phantasie there can be no Figure But
of them as formerly Clemens Alexandrinus had done Concerning Saintly Invocation Origen saith wee must endeavour to please God alone and labour to have him Propitious unto us procuring his goodâ—will with godlâ—nesse and all kind of vertue And if Celsus will yet have us to procure the goodâ—will of any others after him that is God over all let him consider that as when the body is moved the motion of the shadow thereof doth follow it so in like manner having God favourable unto us who is over all it followeth that wee shall have all his friends both Angels and Soules and Spirits loving unto us And whereas Celsus had said of the Angels that they belong to God and in that respect we are to pray unto them that they may be favourable to us to this Origen answereth in this manner Away with Celsus his Councel saying that we must pray to Angels for we must pray to him alone who is God over all and we must pray to the Word of God his onely begotten and the first borne of all creatures and we must intreat him that he as high Priest would present our Prayer when it comes to him unto his God and our God Objection Iesuit Fisher saith that Origen in his writings upon Iob and Numbers taught Invocation of Saints Answer Bellarmine saith that Origen was not the author of those bookes upon Iob for therein is mention made of the Homousians so the Arrians called the Orthodox beleevers Now the Arrians rose not till after Origens time Origen indeed upon the Canticles saith it is not inconvenient to say that the Saints pray for us and in his Homily upon Iosuah he â—aith I doe thinke thus that all those Fathers who are departed this life before us doe assist us with their Prayers and in another place he saith if the Saints that have left the body and be with Christ doe any thing and labour for us let this also remaine among the hidden things of God and mysteries that are not to be committed unto writing Now we yeeld that the Saints pray for us in generall yet hence it followeth not that we should direct our prayers to them Besides Origens if and as I suppose and it is not inconvenient to say so these are but â—aint affirmations shewing that he speaketh doubtfully as on not fully resolved that it was so and in conclusion determineth si laborant pro nobis if in particular upon particulars they doe labour for us yet it is amongst Gods secrets and a mysterie not to be committed to writing Object It appeareth by Saint Cyprian that the Faithfull usâ—d to covenant in their life time that whether of them went to heaven before the other he should pray for his surviving friend Answer Concerning Saint Cyprians conceipt that the Saints after death remembred their old friends here as having taken fresh and particular notice of their severall states votes and necessities it followeth not thence that other Saints unacquainted with our particular desires and exigents doe in particular and by their merits intercede for the living and though they should make sute on our behalfe yet we have no warrant to pray to them To close up this poynt of Prayer to Saints Tertullian Cyprian Gregory Nyssen with others have written set Treatises de Oratione of Prayer and therein they deliver nothing touching this Saintly invocation but teach us to regulate all our Prayers according to that perfect patterne prescribed by our great Master wherein wee are required to direct our Petitions unto our Father which is in heaven Math 6.9 Luk. 11.2 These things saith Tertullian in his Apologie for the Christians in his time I may not pray for from any other but from him of whom I know I shall obtayne them because both it is he who is alone able to give and I am he unto whom it appertaines to obtaine that which is requested being his servant qui eum solum observo who observe him alone Of Faith and Merit Origen saith that Faith onely suffiseth to justification and concerning Merit the same Origen saith I caâ—â—ardly hee perswaded that there can bee any worke which may require the reward of God by way of debt seeing this very thing it selfe that wee can doe or thinke or speake any thing we doe it by his gift and largesse Objection Did not Origen and Tertullian hold Purgatory Answer Bellarmine indeed alledgeth Tertullians Booke de Animâ for proofe of Purgatory but it is well knowne that hee was led with the spirit of Montanus the Hereticke when he wrote that booke and for Origen Bellarmine confesseth hee was one of those who approoved so much of Purgatory that he acknowledged no other paines after this life but Purgatory penalties onely so that with him Hell and Purgatory were all one Objection In Saint Cyprians time the Martyrs intreated the Church for mitigation of penance imposed upon some offenders so that the satisfactions and suffering of Martyrs were communicated to others and thereby their indulgence or pardon was procured Answer In those times of persecution when many weake ones fell away from the open profession of the truth and sacrifised to Idols the Church sought by all meanes to honour Martyrdome and incourage Christians thereunto so that upon the request of imprisoned Confessors and designed Martyrs the Bishops were wont to release some time the Canonicall censure injoyned by the Church but these Martyrs did not heâ—eby think that they had made satisfaction for the temporall paine of Sin Besides this was spoken of living Martyrs and not of Maâ—tyrs defunct and of releasing censures forgiving faults in this world only not in Purgatoâ—y PA. Did not Cyprian hold Saint Peters Supremacie PRO. Hee might doe much with Pamelius his helpe who hath taken the Marginall glosse Petro primatus datur and put it into Cyprians text whereas Cyprian in the selfâ—-same Treatise saith the rest of the Apostles were even the same that Peter was being indued with the like fellowship of honour and power Cyprian indeed reverenced the Sea of Rome yet would hee have her keepe within hâ—r bounds as appeares in the case of Fortuâ—atus and others for so it was Cyprian having censured them and fearing lest they should flie to Rome and there seeke favour and protection from that Sea and so worke distraction between Rome and Carthage makes a decree to prevent Appeales to other places or claimes of other Bishops and this Synodall Epistle is sent to Pope Cornâ—lius perswading him not to admit of their complaints Seeing that it is decreed of us all sayth S. Cyprian that it is meet and right that every mans cause be heard where the crime is committed and every Pastor hath committed unto him a portion of the Flocke of Christ which hee is to govâ—rne and whereof hee is to give an account unto God and they who are under our
say the word of Christ is most efficacious to alter the propertie of naturall water and to give regenerating force and vertue to it Saint Ambrose saith that in Baptisme man is changed and made a new creature Learne saith he how the word of Christ is accustomed to change every creature and when he will he altereth the course of nature Saint Cyril saith the waters are changed into a divine nature And Gregorie Nazianzene saith that by Baptisme we put on Christ by Baptisme we are changed or transmuted into Christ. Now from hence we cannot infeâ—re that eiâ—her the water of Baptisme or regenerate persons are changed by Transubstantiation the change is not corporall in either of the Sacraments but mysticall in use and signification In the Church saith Macarius Scholler to Saint Anthonie bread and wine is offered the type of his flesh and bloud and they which are partakers of the visible bread doe Spiritually eate the flesh of the Lord. Now according to this Father bread and wine are taken bread and wine are offered and these be the types or tokens of the body and bloud and that they be so called after Consecration is likewise acknowledged by Bellarmine And we may farther observe that the words of Macarius are so cleere for the spirituall and not corporall receiving as that some were faigne to set a Marginall glosse upon Macarius his text Of Image-worship The Councel of Elliberis in Granado in Spayne decreed That no Pictures should or ought to be in the Church lest that which is worshipped or adored should be painted on walls Now it will not serve to say that the Councel onely forbad the painting of Images on Church-walls where in time of persecution or otherwise they might be defaced as if they might be set or hung in tables for the Councels decree runs generally saying It is our mind that Pictures ought not to be in the Church Now if it forbad the very being of them in Churches then surely it utterly condemned their adoration Melchior Canus chargeth this ancient Councel with impietie for making such a decree de tollendis Imaginibus Saint Ambrose saith God would not have himselfe worshipped in stones the Church knoweth no vaine Idaea's and divers figures of Images but knoweth the true substance of the Trinity The fact of Epiphanius which himselfe records in his Epistle to Iohn Bishop of Hierusalem translated by Saint Hierome out of Greek into Latine is very famous in this case namely how himselfe found a Picture in the Church of the village of Anablatha which though it were out of his owne Diocesse yet in an hoâ—y zeale he tore it and wrote to the Bishop of the place beseeching him that no such Pictures might bee hanged up as being contrary to Religion The words of Epiphanius are these I found there a vayle hanging at the doore of the Church dyed and painted and having the Image as it were of Christ or some Saint for I doe not well remember whose Image it was when therefore I saw this that contrary to the authority of the Scriptures the Image of a man was hanged up in the Church of Christ I cut it and gave counsel to the keepers of the place that they should rather wrap and burie some poore dead man in it and afterward hee intreateth the Bishop of Hierusalem under whose governement this Church was to give charge hereafter that such vayles as those which are repugnant to our Religion should not be hanged up in the Church of Christ. I know indeed that Iesuit Fisher would shuffle off this evidence by saying that it was the picture of some prophane Pagan bâ—t Epiphanius himselfe saith it had imaginem quasi Christi vel Sancti cujusdam the image as it were of Christ or of some Saint surely therefore the Image went for Christs or for some noted Saints neither doâ—h he finde fault with the irresemblance but with the Image as such Baronius saith they are rather the forged words of some Image-breakers than of Epiphanius Bellarmine would disproove them by sundry conjectures which Master Rivet rejects and defeâ—dâ— the foresayd Epistle of Epiphanius clearing it from all the Cardinal 's cavills aâ—d surely if we observe Epiphanius his practice about the foresayd Image and his Doctrine of Mariam nemo adoret we may well thinke these two had both one Father PA. The Idolatry forbidden in Scripture and disliked by the Fathers is such as was used by Iewes and Pagans and this wee Christians practise not PRO. Indeed the Apostle when hee disswadeth Christians from Idolatry propounds the Iewes fall saying Neither be yee Idolaters as some of them were 1 Cor. 10. 7 8. The like also hee addeth touching another sinne Neither let us commit fornication as some of them did as well then might one pleade that Iewish or Heathenish fornication were onely reprehended as Iewish or Heathenish Idolatry it being a foule sinne whether it bee committed by Iewe Pagan or Christian and more haynous in the Christian who professeth Christ to practise that which Gods word condemneth in the Iewes and Pagans for Idolatry PA. The Heathen held the Images themselves to be Gods which is farre from our thought PRO. Admit some of the simpler sort of the Heathen did so what shall wee say of the Iewish Idolaters who erected the Golden calfe in the wildernesse can wee thinke that they were all so sencelesse as to imagine that the calfe which they knew was not at all in rerum naturâ and had no being at that time when they came out of Aegypt should yet be that God which brought them out of Aegypt Exod. 32.4 And for the Heathen people though they haply thought some divine Majestie and power was seated in the Images yet they were scarcely so rude as to thinke the Images which they adored to be very God for thus we find them usually to answer in the writings of the Fathers Wee worship the Gods by the Images and I neither worship the Image nor a Spirit in it but by the bodily portraiture I doe behold the signe of that thing which I ought to worship PAP Though the Heathen did not account the Image it selfe to be God yet were those Images set up to represent either things that had no being or Devils or false-Gods and in that respect were Idols whereas we erect Images onely to the honour of the true God and of his servants the Saints and Angels PRO. Suppose that many of the Idolatrous Iewes and Heathens Images were such as you say they were yet they were not all of them such howsoever Idolatry is committed by yielding adoration to an Image of the true God himselfe as appeareth by the first Chapter of the Epistle to the Romanes where the Apostle having said that God shewed unto them that which might bee knowne of him and that the Invisible things of him that is his
find it to bee bread but the body of Christ insomuch as Bellarmine upon this testimonie saith Quid clariùs dici potest What can be said more plainely Answer Cyril saith The bread which is seene of us is not bread and the same Cyril saith of the Water in Baptisme it is not simple water let the one satisfie the other Cyril saith of the bread as hee doth of the oyle that it is no bare simple or common oyle but Charisma the type and symboll of a spirituall gift and so hee meant of the bread the Consecrated bread that it is no ordinary or common bread but of different use and servâ—ce and yet theâ—ein not any change of substance at all Neither doth Cyril say as Bellarmine corrupâ—ly traâ—slateth it or at leâ—st mâ—kes use of a corrupt trâ—nslation That the body of Câ—rist is given Sub spâ—cie panâ—s Vnder the forme of bread but as it â—s in the Greeke Vnder the type of bread even as hee saith afterwards Thinke not tâ—at you taste bread but tâ—e Antitype of Christs body so that hee calleth the consâ—crated bread and wine â—ypes and Antitypes that is signes of the body and blooâ— of Christ. Now whereâ—s Cyril would not have us judge of thâ—s Sacrament by our taste or sense it iâ— true that as the Bread and Wine are â—ound and whiâ—e aâ—d sweet in taste our bodily senses mâ—y indeed perceive thâ—m but as they are types and Aâ—titypes that is signâ—s Of the body and blood â—f Christ so â—hey aâ—e spiâ—itually to bee discernâ—d with our understanding onely as the Reverend and learned Dâ—ctor Morton Lo. Bishop of Coventry and Lichfiâ—ld and now Lord Bishop of Durâ—sme hath observed Lastly the same Cyril saith That wee have râ—pentance and remission of sinnes confined onely to the terme of thâ—s prâ—sâ—nt life More might be alleadged out of the same â—yâ—il but these may suâ—fice to shew what hee in his Caâ—echismes taught his schollers touching the Scripturâ—s sâ—fficâ—encie aâ—d Caâ—on Communion in both kinds the Euchaâ—ist and Purgatory Before I cloâ—e up this Centurie I must needs speake of Constantinâ— the Great and the two generall Councelâ— held in this Age. In â—his age flourished the honour of our nation that Christian Pâ—ince Constantine the Great borne of our coâ—nâ—rey woman Hâ—lâ—na both of them Britaines by biâ—thâ— Royâ—ll by descent Saints by estiâ—ation and true Catholikes by profession PA. Doâ—tor 〈◊〉 and Master Brerely show them to have bâ—â—nâ— o◠〈…〉 PRO. Our reverend and learned Doctor Doctor Abbot late Bishâ—p of Salisbury hath sufficiently confuted your Bishop and acquitted them from being Papists since they held not the grounds of Popery as at this day they are maintayned PA. If constantine were no Papist of what faith tâ—en was hee PRO. Hee was of the true ancient Christian Faith as may appeare by these instances following Hee held the Scriptures sufficient for deciding matteâ—s of Faith and accordingly prescribed this rule to the Nicene Councell saying Because the Apostles Bookes doe plainely instruct us in divine matters therefore we ought to make our Determinations upon Questions from words which are so divinely inspired he saith not that the Scriptures plainely teach us what to thinke of the nature and substance of God as Bellarmine would wrest it but also of the holy Law and things concerning Religion for so doe the words sound in the originall and herein saith Theodoret the greater part of the Councell obeyed the voyce of Constantine Constantine held it not the Popâ—s peculiar to summon generall Counâ—â—lls for hee called the Councell of Nice himselfe and therein sate as President and mâ—deratour receiving every mans opinion helping sometimes one part sometimes another reconciling them when they were at ods untill hee brought them to an agreement in the Faith The same Eâ—perour by his royâ—ll Letters Prescribed to the Bishops such things as belonged to thâ— good of Gods Church yea hee held himselfe to bee a Iuâ—ge and supreme Governour in Causes Ecclesiasticall for hee professeth speaking generally of all soâ—tâ— of men if any shall rashly or undadvisedly maintaine these pestilent assertions meaning the Arrians His saucinesse shall beâ— instantly curbed by the Emperours exâ—cution who is Gods Ministers Moreover Constantine never sought to the Pope for pardon hee never worshipped an Image never served Saint nor Shrine never knew the Masse Transubstantiation nor the halfe Communion hee prayed not for his Fathers soule at the performance of his Funeralls used no Requiems nor Diriges at his Exequies he wished not any prayers to bee made after his death for his owne soule but having received Baptisme newly before his death professed a stedfast hope that needed no such after-prayers saying Now I know indeed that I am a blessed man that God hath accounted mee worthy of immortall life and that I am now made partaker of the light of God And when they that stood about him wished him longer life hee answeâ—ed That hee had now attayned the true life and that none but himselfe did understand of what happinesse he was made partaker and that he therfore hastned his going to his God Thus Constantine dyed outright a Protestanâ— hee craved no after-prayers for his soule hee dreaded no Purgatory but dyed in full assurance of going immediately to his God Was this Prince now a Trent papist Now to proceed the fiâ—st Generall Councell in Christianitie after the Synod of the Apostles was that famous fiâ—st Councell of Nice consistiâ—g of 318. Bishops the greatest lights that the Christian world then had it was called about 325 yeares after Christ against Arrius that denyed Christ to bee veâ—y God from this Councell wee had oâ—r Nicen Creed it was summoned not by the thâ—n Bishop of Rome but by the Emperour Constantine Gathering thâ—m together out of divers Cities and Provinces as themsâ—lves have lâ—fâ—â—ccorded Wee produce the sixth Canon of this Councell against the Popes monarchicall Iurisdiction the â—enour thereof is this Let ancient customes hold that the Bishops of Alexandria should have the government over Aegypt Lybia and Pentapolis because also the Bishop of Rome hath the same custome as also let Antioch and other Provinces hold their ancient priviledges Now these words of the Canon thus limiting and distinguishing the severall Provinces and grounding on the custome of the Bishop of Rome that as hee had preheminence of all the Bishops about him so Alexandria and Antioch should have alL about them as likewise every Metropolitane within his owne Province these words I say doe cleerely shâ—w that before the Nicene Councell the Pope neither had preheminence of all through the world as now hee claymeth to bee an universall Bishop nor ought to have greater preheminence by their judgement than he had before time this being the effect of the Canon to wit That the Bishop of Alexandria shall have authority over his Diocesses as the Bishop of Rome
over his PA. Bellarmine saith the meaning of the Canon is that the Bishop of Alexandria should have the Provinces there mentioned because the Bishop of Rome was accustomed to permit it so to bee PRO. The words of the Canon are Because the Church of Rome hath the like custome here is not one word of permission They bee indeed as learned Bishop Morton saith words of comparison that the Bishop of Alexandria should injoy his priviledges accordingly as the Bishop of Rome held ancienâ—ly his as if one should say I will give this man a crowne bâ—cause also I gave a crown to his fellow Besides Cardinal Cusanus understandeth the Canon as we doe in this sort As the Bishop of Rome had power and authority over all his Bishops so the Bishop of Alexandria according to custome should have thorowout Lybia and the rest Here by the way the reader may observe that though the Pope should have a large circuit for his Diocesse yet was nâ—t this Iurisdiction given him by the Law of Goâ— but by the custome of men Let old custâ—mes bâ— kâ—pt sâ—ith the Councel heâ—e was no ordinance of Christ acknowledged no Text of Scripture alleadged for it as now a dayâ—s Tu es Petrus and pasce oves and tibi daâ—o claves Thou art Peter fâ—ed my sheepe and unto thee will I give the Keyes of the Church The Pâ—pâ— held it not then as it is now preâ—ended Divinoâ— by divine ordinance but onely by use and custome which may be altered and was upon occasion for when Constantinople became the Imperiall City then was the Bishop thereof equalled with Rome as appearetâ— by the Chalcedon Councel About the yeare 381 the second Generall Councel was held at Constantinople against Macedomus who denyed the Divinity of the Holy Ghost â—t consisted of an hundred and fifty Bishops it was called not by the Pope but by the Emperour Theodosius the elder This Councel confirmed the foresaid sixt Canon of the Nicen which bounded the Bishop of Rome as well as other Bishops within the precincts of his owne Province The third Canon of this Councel of Constantinople speakes in this tenour That the Bishop of Constantines City that is Constantinople hath Pâ—erogatives of honour next after the Bishop of Rome because it is new Rome THE FIFTH CENTVRIE From the yeare of Grace 400. to 500. PAPIST WHat say you of this fifth Age PROTESTANT We are yet within the compasse of the first 500 yeeres next after Christ and so neerer to the time and truth of the Primâ—tive Chuâ—ch now for this present Age it may for choice of Learned men be compared to the Golden Age for now flourished the Golden mouthed Chrysostome the Well languaged Hierome and Saint Austin the very Mall and Hammer of Heretikes Chrisostome was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most copious writer of any of the Greeke Fathers now extant he was an eloquent Preacher full of Rhetoricall figures and amplifications so that his veine and gift lay rather in the Ethique and Moral part of divinity working upon the affections than in the doctrinal and exegetical part for information of judgement By his liberty of speech in Pulpit he drew the hatred of thâ— great ones of the 〈◊〉 and of the Emperour himsâ—lfe but above all of the Empresse Eudoxia upon his head so that she and Theophilus Patriaâ—ke of Alexandria procuâ—ed his deposition and banishment with commandment to â—â—â—â—ney his weakâ— body with excessive Travels from place to place untill he concluded his life about the yeare foure hundred and eleven Hierome was borne in Dalmatia and instructed at Rome He travailed abroad into France and other places of puâ—pose to increase his knowledge at Rome hee acquainted himselfe with Honourable women such as Marcella Sophronia Principia Paula and Eustochium to whom he expounded places of holy Scripture for hee was admitted Presbiter he served Damasus Bishop of Rome in sorting his Papers his gifts were envied at Rome therefore he lâ—ft Rome and tooke his voyage towards Palestina by the way he acquainted himselfe with Epiphanius Nazianzen and Didymus Doctor in the Schoole of Alexandria and sundry other men of note and marke In the end he came to Iudea and made choice of Bethlem the place of the Lords Nativity to bee the place of his death At Bethlem Paula a noblewoman who accompanied Hierome and his brother Paulinianus from Rome upon her owne charges builded foure Monasteries whereof her selfe guided one and Hiâ—rome another Hierome was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well skilled in the tongues but he waâ— a man of a Chollericke and sterne disposition more inclinable to a solitary and Monkish liâ—e then to fâ—llowship and societie neither Heliodorus in the wildernes nor Ruffinus out of the wildernes could keep inviolable friendship with him hee flourished about the yeare 390. but he lived unto the yeare 422 therfore we place him in this fifth Age and so doth Bellarmine Augustine in his younger yeares was infected with the errour of the Manichees his mother Monica prayed to God for his convâ—rsion and God heard her praâ—ers foâ— by the pâ—eacâ—ing of Ambrose bishâ—p of Millaine anâ— by reading the life of Antonius the Heremite hee was wonderfâ—lly moved and beganne to dislâ—ke his former conversation He went into a quiet Garden accoâ—panied with Alipius and there as he was with teares bewayling his former course and desiâ—ing Gods grace for working his câ—nversion hee heard a voice saâ—iâ—g unto him Tolle lege and againe Tolle lege that is to say Take up and reade Take up and reade at the first hearing hee thought it to bee the voyce of boyes or maydes speaking in their play such words one to another but when hee looked about and could see nobody he knew it to bee some heavenly admonition warning him to take up the booke of holy Scripture which he had in the Garden with him and read Now the first place that fell in his hands after the opening of the booke was this Not in gluttony and drunkennesse neither in chambering and wantonnesse nor in strife and envyingâ— but put yee on tâ—e Lord Iesus Christ and take no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it At the reading whereof hee was so fully resolved to forsake the vanities of the world and to become a Christian that immediately thereafter hee was babtized by Saint Ambrose with his companion Alipius and his sonne Adeodatus Hee was afterwards made bishop of Hippo in Africa Hee defended the truth against the Manichees Pelagians Donatists and whatsoever errour else prevailâ—d in this age Hee is to bee commended in that hee revised his owne Writings and wrote his retractations or râ—cognitions When he had lived 76 yeares hee reâ—â—ed from his labours before the Vandales had taken the towne of Hippo which in the time of Augustines sickenesse they had besieged and thus was hee translated and taken away before hee
saw the evill that came upon the place Besides these learned Trium virs there lived in this age Theodoret bishop of Cyrus a towne in Syria Cyrill bishop of Alexandria Leo the great and Gelasius bishops of Rome Vincentius Lirinensis a great impugner of Heresies as also Sedulius of Scotland whose Collections are extant upon Saint Pauls Epistlâ—s and his testimonies frequently cited by the learned L. Primate Doctour Vsher in his Trâ—atise of the ancient Irish Religion Oâ— the Scâ—iptures sufficiencie Saint Augustine saith In those things which are layd downe plainely in the Scriptures all those things are found which appertaine to faith and direction of life Bellarmine would shift off this place by saying That Austine meant that in Scripture are contayned all such points as are simply necessary for all to wit the Creed and the Commandements but beside these other things necessary for Bishops and Pastors were delivered by tradition but this stands not with Austines drift for in the Treatise alleadged de Doctrinâ— Christianâ hee purposely instructeth not the people but Christian Doctors and Teachers so that where he saith In the Scriptures are plainely set downe all things which containe Faith Hope and Charity he meaneth as elsewhere hee expresseth himselfe all things which are necessarily to bee believed or done not onely of the Lay people but even of Ecclesiastickes In like sort the same father saith Those things which seemed sufficient to the salvation of believers were chosen to bee written Vincentius Lirinensis saith that the Canon or Rule of Scripture is perfect abundantly sufficent in it selfe for all things yea more than sufficient neither is this a false supposall as a Iesuit pretends it to be but a grounded truth and the Authors doctrine Liâ—inensis indeed maketh first one generall sufficient Rule for all things the sacred Scriptures Secondly another usefull in some cases onely yet never to be used in those cases without Scriptures which is the Tradition of the Vniversall Church and generall consent of Fathers The first was used by the ancient Church from the worth that is in it selfe the other is used to avoyd the jarring interpretations of pervâ—rse Heretikeâ— that many times abuse the sacred Rule Standard of the Scripture Now we admit the Churches Interpretation as ministeriall to holy Scripture so it be conformable thereunto And wee say with the learned Rejoynder to the Iesuit Malounes Reply Bring us now one Scripture expounded according to Lirinensis his Rule by the Vniversall consent of the Primitive Church to prove Prayer to Saints Image worship in your sense and we will receive it Saint Cyril saith that All things which Christ did are not written but so much as holy writers judged sufficient both for good manners and Godly faith And in another place he saith The holy Scripture is sufficient to make them which are brought uâ— in it wise and most approved and furnished with most sufficient understanding Saint Hierome reasoneth Negatively from the Scriptures saying As we deny not those things that are written so we refuse those things that are not written That God was borne of a Virgin we believe because we reade it That Mary did marry after shee was delivered we beleeve not because we reade it not Saint Chrysostome saith that All those things that are in holy writ are right and cleere that Whatsoever is necessarie is manifest therein yea he calleth the Scripture The most exact Balance Square and Rule of Divine veritie This was the Fathers Rule of Faith of old and the same a perfect one but the Papists now adayes make it but a part of a Rule halfe a Rule and piece it with Tradition Of the Scripture Canon Saint Hierome who was well skilled in the tongues travailed much and saw the choycest Monuments of Antiquitie as also the best Libraries that the Easterne Parts could afford and was therefore likely to meete with the best Canon nameth all the Bookes which we admit and afterwards addeth Whatsoever is besides these is to be put amongst the Apocrypha and that therfore the Booke of Wisedome of Iesus the Sonne of Syrach of Iudith Tobias and Pastor are not in the Canon The same Hierome having mentioned the Booke of Wisedome and Ecclesiasticus and delivered his opinion that it is untruly called the Wisedome of Salomon and attributed to him then addeth That as the Church readeth Iudith Tobias and the Maccabees but receiveth them not â—or Canonicall Scriptures so these two Bookes â—amely the Wisedome of Salâ—mon and Iesus the Sonne of Syrach doth the Church reade for the edification of the pâ—ople not to confirme the authority of any doctrine in the Church Objection The Carthaginian Councel received those Books which you account Apocryphall Answer They received them in Canonem Morum not in Canonem Fidei It is true indâ—ed that Saint Austine and the African Bishops of his time and some other in that Age finding these Bookes which Hierome and others rejâ—ct as Apocryphall to be joyned with the other and together read with them in the Church seeme to account them to be Canonicall but they received them onely into the Ecclesiasticke Canon serving for Example of life and instruction of manners and not into any part of the Rule of Faith or Divine Canon as Saint Austine speaking of the Bookes of the Maccabees distinguisheth saying This reckoning is not found in the Canonicall Scriptures but in other Bookes as in the Maccabees plainely distinguishing betweene the Canonicall Scriptures and the Bookes of the Maccabees Wherein saith he There may be something found worthy to be joyned with the number of those miracles yet hereof will we have no care for that we intend the miracles Divini Canonis which are received in the Divine Canon Of the booke of Iudith he tels us The Iewes never received it into the Canon of Scriptures and withall there he professeth That the Canon of the â—ewes was most Authenticall Touching the bookes of Wisedome and Ecclesiasticus he tels us that They were called Salomons onely for some likâ—nâ—sse of Stile but the Learned doubt whether they bâ—e his Lastly the Councel of Carthage whereat Saint Austine was present Prescribing that no bookes should be read in the Church as Canonicall but such as indeed are Canonicall leaveth out the booke of Maccabees as it appeareth by the Greeke Edition though they have shuffled them into the Latine which argueth suspicion of a forged Canon Now to this ancient evidence of Hierome and Austine the Papists make but a poore Reply Canus saith that Hierome is no rule of Faith and that the matter was not then sufficiently sifièd Bellarmine saith I admit that Hierome was of that opinion because as yet a Generall Councel had decreed nothing touching those bookes and Saint Austin might likewise doubt thereof so that by Bellarmines confession Hierome
wives Statue It may also redound to the pâ—rson by accident that is when a man doth a thing with a purpose to dishonour him as Iulian did when hee pulled downe the Image of Christ and set up his owne Besides these contraries are not paria for it suffiseth to the dishonouring of God that there bee an evill affection or intention but a good intention is not sufficient to the honouring of God except the meanes as well as the meaning bee prescribed of God Lastly as learned Bishop White saith this Similitude halteth for the Kings Chaire of State and his image when they are honoured or dishonoured are conjoyned with his person by civil ordinance and relation but the artificiall Image of Christ and his Crosse are not conjoyned with Christ by divine ordination or by relation grounded on Christs Word but by an imaginary act of the superstitious worshipper also civill and religious worship are of diverse beginnings and formes and every thing that is possible lawfull and commendable in the one is not so in the other Objection Adoration is performed to Images as being done outwardly relatively and transitorily unto the Image inwardly affectuously absolutely and finally unto Christ. Ansâ—er If you adore Images outwardly relatively and transitorily then as the same Bishop saith you make Images a partiall object of adoration but God himselfe who saith I will not give my glory to another to wit in whole or in part neither my prayse to graven Images Esay 42.8 hath excluded â—mages from copartnership with himselfe in adoration Of Prayer to Saints Concerning Prayer to Saints Saint Hierome or whosoever else was the Authour of those Commentaries on the Proverbs sayth Wee ought to invocate that is by Prayer to call into us none but God And in another place Whatsoever I shall utter seemeth dumbe because hee Nepotian being defunct heareth me not Theodoret upon the 2. and 3. Chapter to the Colossians expressely sayes and that by the authority of the Councell of Laodicea that Angels are not to bee prayed unto and if not Angels not Martyrs Saint Austiâ—e in his booke which hee wrote of true religion saith The worshipping of men that are dead should bee no part of our religion Papists invocate Saints in the Liturgie of their Masse which the Ancients did not Saint Austine saith expressely that Martyrs were named at the Communion Table but not invocated his words are these At which Sacrifice the Martyrs are named in their place and order as men of God which have overcome the world in the confession of him but yet notwithstanding they are not invocated by the Priest which sacrifiseth Answer This place is thus answered The Priest doth not invocate Saints by direct Prayer Besides the Sacâ—ifice is directed to God the Father alone and that may be the reason why the Saints are not invocated Reply Saint Austine excludeth all invocation of Saints both direct and indirect in the administraâ—ion of the Eucharist Neiâ—her will thâ—se distinctions helpe them for though the invocâ—tion of them be not a direct absolute and sovâ—raigne invocation yet if it be an indirect relative or â—â—balâ—erne invocation an invocation it is and such a one is the invocation at the Altar in the Masse for thus it is Libera nos Domine ab omnibus malis c. intercedâ—nte pro nobis beatâ virgine c. beatis Apostolis c. cum omnibus Sanctis and so what shall become of Saint Augustine's non invocantur who knew none of these distinctions of the Cardinâ—ll's which in that Age and many Ages after were not heard of saith our learned Bishop of Winchester Neither can the Cardiâ—all alleadge any reason why if the Saints may be prayed unto they may not be so as well by the Priest as by the people as well at Mâ—sse as at Mattines as well in the body of the Church as at the Altar Aâ— for thâ—ir new distinction of Sacrificall and unsacrificall Invocation and their conceit that the Sacrifice is Offered â—nto God the Father alone it is sayth the same Leaâ—nâ—d Bishop refuted by the Canon it selfe of the Masse thâ— conclâ—sion whereof is Placeat tibi sancta Tâ—iâ—iâ—as obsâ—qâ—ium servitutâ—s meae c. So that that the Sacrifice is offerâ—d â—o the whole Trinitie Besides there are divers Collâ—ctâ— moreâ— directed unto Christ himselfe and â—â—l of them said Dum assistitur Altari Now in case that any upon consideration of their ownâ— unworthinâ—sse and Gods dreadfull Majestie should seâ—kâ— to Goâ— bâ— mediation of others Saint Câ—rysostomâ— of all the Fâ—â—heâ—s is most plentifull in refuting this course of Intâ—â—cession by others When thou hast need to sue unto men saiâ—h he thou art forced first to deale witâ— doore keepers anâ— Poâ—ters and to intreat Parasites and Flattâ—rers and to goe a long way about But with God there is no such matter he is intreated without aâ— Intercesson it sufficeth onely that thou cry in thine heart and bring teares with thee and entring in straightway thou mayst draw him unto thee And for example hereof he sets before us the woman of Canaan Shee entreated not Iames sayth he shee beseecheth not Iohn neither doâ—h she come to Peâ—er but brake thorow the whole company of them saying I have no need of a Mâ—dâ—atour but taking repentance with me for a spoakesman I come to the fountaine it selfe For this cause â—id he dâ—scend for this cause did he take flesh that I might have the boldnesse to speake unto him I have no need of a mediatour have thou mercie upon me And whereas some repose such coâ—fideâ—ce in the intercession of the Saints that they looke to receive greater benefits by them than by their owne pâ—ayers he brings in againe the wâ—man of Canaan and wiâ—heth us to observe How when others intreated he put her backe but when she her selfe cryed out prâ—ying for the gift he yielded Yea he sayth farther that God then doth most when we doe not use the entreatie of others for as a kind friend then blameth he us mâ—st as not daring to trust his Love when we entreat others to pray unto him for us thus use we to doe with those that seâ—ke to us then we gratifie them most when they come unto us by themselves and not by others Answer Chrysostome spoke thus against such idle fellowes as Committed thâ—msâ—lves wholly â—o the patronage of their Tuâ—elar Saints and themselves lived in their Sinnes or he uttered such speeches Homily wise as in the Pulpit not Dogmatically as delivering his judgement Reply As if a man might not deliver his judgement in the Pulpit for albeit in figures and phrases and manner of handling there is sâ—me dâ—ffâ—rence betweene a Preacher before the people and a Râ—adeâ— before the learned yet no learned Goâ—ly man such as Chrysostome was will so advisedly so vehemently and often times as he did utter any thing in the
Pulpit before the weaker the truth whereof he is not able to justifie in the Schooles before the best learned Neither weâ—e they whom Chrysostome taxed so very lazâ—e but rather such as tooke more paines than needed and as hee saith went a long way about by seâ—king to their patrons mediatours and favourites whereas hee shewes them a neerer may to wit to goe immediately to the Master of Requests Christ Iesus Objection You have produced diverse Fathers against Saintly invocation and much pressed Saint Chrysostome's testimony whereas hee makes for us for Chrysostâ—me saith that the Emperour laying aside all princely state stood humbly praying unto the Saints to bee intercessours for him unto God Answer Bellarmine indeed alleadgeth Chrysostome's sixty sixt Homily Antiochenumâ— and yet the same Bellarmine upon better advise when he is out of the heat of his polemick controversies comes to a pacifick Treatise of the Writings of the Fathers then hee tells us that Chrysostome made but one and twenty Homilies to the people of Antioch and that no more are to bee found in the ancient Libraries And yet posito sed non concesso admit that these words were Châ—ysostome's indeed yet they reach not home for they speake onely what the Emperour did factoâ— not dâ— jure it is onely a relation what hee did out of his private devotion it is no approbation of the thing done Now what some one or two shall doe carryed away with their owne devout affection is not straight way a rule of the Church Besides though the Saints interceded for us yet it will not hence follow that wee are to invocate them having no warrant from God so to doe now in such a high poynt of his worship wee must keepe us to his command and that must guide ouâ— devotiâ—n The other places of Chrysoâ—tome alleadged by Bâ—llarmine speake of the Saints living and not of the Saints deceased Lastly Chrysostome as hath beene observed in the poynt of the Eâ—chaâ—ist speakâ—s oftentimes rather out of his rhetorickâ— than out of his divinity Sixtus Senensis delivereth this observation concerning the Fathers and hee names Chrysostome That in their sermons we may not take their words strictâ—y and in rigour because they many times breake out into declamations and declare and repeat matters by Hyperboles and other figurative speeches In a word whatsoever Chrysostome report of others himselfe as wee have heard was all for our immediate addresse of our Prayers unto God Objection Bellarmine saith that Theodoret shutteth up the story of the Fatherâ— lives in these termes My suit and request is that by the Prayers and intercession of the Saints I may finde divine assistance And the same Bellarmine saith that Theodoret in his booke of the Greekes hath much touching Prayer to Saints Answer Theodoret saith onely Rogo quaeso I beseech and intreat not thâ—s nor that Saâ—nt but God alone to this end and purpâ—se that by their intercession and prayers I may have assiâ—â—ance Now to the booke de curandis Graecorum affectibus questioned whether iâ— be Theodoret's or no wee oppose that which is Theodoret's out of question upon the second and third Chapters to the Colossians where hee expâ—essely sayes and that by the auâ—hority of the Councell of Laodicea Angels are not to be prayed to and if not Angels then not Saints and Maâ—tyrs Objection Saint Austine sayth It is injurie to pray for a Martyr by whose prayers we on the other side ought to be recommended Answer This place is not to the puâ—pose for he sayth onely that the Saints pray for us which thing we have never denyed We doe out of Godly consideâ—ations presume that albeit they know not the necessity of particular men yet they pray for the Church in generall But that wee should for this cause invocate them or yield them any religious service S. Austine doth not avouch The other testimonies alleadged by Bellaâ—mine out of Saint Austine are all for Martyrs and not for Saints now in Saint Austâ—nes opinion the Martyrs had an espâ—ciall priviledge above other Saints Bâ—sides they might well have spared the alleadging of Saint Austine Theodoret Chrysostome Prudentius Saint Ambrose Origen Irenaeus and otheâ—s in proofe of Saiâ—tly invocation inaâ—much as these with divers others are by their great Author Sixtus Senensis reckoned up amongst them that held the Saints departed did not injoy the presence of God â—ill after thâ— generall Resurrection which if they hâ—ld that they did not then would they not hold that they were to bee prayed to they being secluded from Gods presence being onely in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Some certaine Receptacles or Wards attending in the porch or base Court abroad not admâ—tted to the presence of the Almighty and so not seeingâ— hearing nor knowing whether prayer were made to them at all or no being but as yet in Atrijs as Bernard would have it For in such Retiring or drawing roomes they placed the soules of all the faithfull except those of the Martyrs Objection Maximus Taurinensis in his Sermon upon Saint Agnes sayth By all such Prayers and Orizons as I can conceive I beseech theâ— vouchsafe to remember me Answer Theâ—e Sermons of Maximus as great as he was in name they are not greatly to be esteemed inasmuch as they goe with an Aliâs sometimes under one name sometimes under another having indeâ—d no certaine knowne Father so that they are not to goe for Maximes in divinity or rules of Faith But suppose they be his owne words they are but a Rhetoricall flourish which he used in his commendatorie Panegyricall Sermon upon Saint Agnes her Anniversarie and he speakes but faintly Quibus possumus precibus in effect as I can so I direct this my addresse unto thee heare and helpe me accordingly as thou canst and maist so the man in the point was not so fully perswaded of that or any Saints assistance as that hee went farther than opinion Objection Victor Bishop of Vtica when the Church was pestered with the barbarous Vandals calleth to the Angels Prophets Patriarks and Apostles to Deprecate and Pray for the distressed Church Answer Victor Bishop of Vtica is an Historian and such are Narratores relaters of other mens Acts not Expositores of their owne opinions narrations have no more weight or worth then have those Authors from whence they proceed But Vicâ—or in this place laying aside the person of an Historian takes up the carriage of a Panegyrist meerely as appeares by his expostulating with Saint Peter and chiding him which was not really and indeed but onely Rhetorically and Figuratively saying Why art thou Blessed Saint Peter silent Why dost not thou above all the rest take care of the Sheepe and Lambes committed unto thee Now if this were a straine of Rhetoricke why also is not that his compellation of the Saints Triumphant to assist the Church Millitant and then distressed Object
from other places to Rome the Bishops of Africa not yielding too hastie credit to this allegation debated the matter with Pope Zozimus and his successors Boniface and Celestine for the space of foure or five yeares together at length when the true and authentical copies of the Nicen Councell were searched by Cyril Patriarke of Alexandria and Atticus Bishop of Constantinople and that neither in the Greeke nor Latine copies this Canon touching Appeales to Rome could be found then the African Bishops told the Pope that he should not meddle with the causes of men in their Province nor receive any such to Communion as they had excommunicated For the Councel of Nice say they Did consider wisely and uprightly that all matters ought to be determined in the places in which they began Chiefly sith it is lawfull for any if he like not the sentence of his Iudges to appeale to the Synods of his owne province yea or farther also to a generall Synod to wit of the Dioces Vnlesse there be any perhaps who will imagine that God would inspire the triall of right into one man and denie it to a great number of Bishops assembled in a Synod and so going forward with proofe that the Pope ought not to judge their causes either at Rome himselfe or by his Legates sent from Rome they touched his attempt in modest sort but at the quicke Condemning it of pride and smoakie statelinesse of the world Reply It may be saith Master Brerely that the Arrian Heretikes had corrupted the Nicen Councel and therefore this Canon which the Pope alleadged could not bee found there Answer Had this prâ—tâ—nded Canon made ought against Christ's Divinâ—tie we might have suspected the Arrians to have corrupted it if they could but this concerned the Popâ—s juâ—isdâ—ction in matter of Appeale and trench'd not upon the Arâ—ians tenet Reply Perhaps the Pope when hee alleadged the Nicen Councel meant the Sardican Councel wherein it was decreed That they in Afâ—icke might appeale to Rome Answer The African Fathers say They could not meet with this prâ—tendâ—d Canon in any Synodall of the Fathers and therefore neither in the Niceâ— nor Sardican Councell nor any other that could binde the whole Church Besides Saint Austin who was a principall actour in these African Councells and subscribed to them hee was not ignorant of the Catholicke Sardican Councell for as Binius observes S Austin in his 162 Epistle calls it a plenary or full Councell of the whole Church neither indeed cou'd S. Austin be ignorant therof inasmch as he reaâ— diligently the acts and decrees of every Councell and searchâ—d all Registries by reason of the many conflicts hee had with Heretickes saith Baronius Neither could tâ—e Africâ—n Bishops bâ—e possibly ignorant of this Sardican Councell inasmuch as some thirty sixe of them were present at it and subscribed to it together with Gratus Primate of Carthage Besides it was yet within their memory being held little above fourscore yeares before this African Councell neither could they be ignorant of the Decrees of that Councell inasmuch as they were wont to bring a Copie of such Decrees as were agreed upon in generall Councells as themselves say that Caecillianus brought with him the Decrees enacted at Nice at which hee was present Now if they knew this Sardican Councell and the Decrees thereof and yet knew no such Decree therein for Appealing from Africke to Rome it followeth that the Popâ—s pretenâ—ed Canon for Appeales was no Canon of the holy Sardican Councell and is therefore justly suspected to be forged by some of the Popes Factours who would gladly have brought all the Gâ—iest to his Mill and the maine Sutes of Christendome unto his Court and Consistory Reply Bellarmine saith that the Decree forbad onely the Priests and inferiour sort of the Cleargie to appeale to Rome but not the Bishops Answer This is an idle allegation for the African Bishops provided for the conveniencie of their Priests and Cleargie to hinder them from vexatious couâ—seâ— and wastfull expences in the poynt of Appeale by saving them from unnecessary travailes beyond the Sea and therefore they intended much more that they themselves should bâ—e freed Besides the Decree runs generally and forbids all sorts of Apellants from Africke to Rome as well Bishops as others the tenour of the decree is this It was thought good that Priests Deacons or other inferior Clerks if in their causes they complaine of the judgements of their Bishops and if they Appeale from them they shall not Appeale but to the African Councels or to the Primates of their Povinces but if any shall thinke that he ought to Apâ—peale beyond the Sea meaning to Rome let him not be received any longer into the Communion of the Church of Africke Binnius tells us that the question was not about the right of Appealing to the See of Rome but de modo touching the manner of the Popes admitting Appeales of prosecuting and deciding complaints by his Legates â latere but the decree forbids Appeales from Africke to Rome and condemnes not onely the manner but the matter it selfe Objection You say Saint Austine opposed the Pope but he was in good savour with Zozimus Boniface and Celestine Answer Saint Austine kept good termes with the Bishops of Rome and he had reason for it because they were great Patriarkes and he had occasion to use their helpe and countenance for quelling the Pelagian Heretikes and others and yet notwithstanding when their factors began to usurpe jurisdiction over other Churches then hee might stand for the right of his African Churches and give his vote freely in the Councel And thus we have found opposition made to the See of Rome by a whole nationall Councel in the weighty poynt of Appeales for so Bellarmine makes appealing to Rome and not Appealing from thence a maine proofe of the Popes supremacie Now to proceede about the yeare foure hundred thirtie and one was the third generall Councell held at Ephesus against the Nestorian heresie which divided Christ into two persons it was summoned not by the Pope but by the Emperour Theodosius the younger At his becke and by his command In the yeare foure hundred fiftie and one the fourth generall Councel was held at Chalcedon against Eutyches who in opposition to Nestorius confounded the natures of Christ making of two distinct natures his humane and divine but one nature whereas Nestorius rent is â—under his person making two of one this Councel was called not by the Pope but by the Emperours Edict it was first called at Nice and then recalled from thence and removed to Chalcedon wholly by the disposing of the Emperour yea Leo Bishop of Rome wrote to the Emperour instantly beseeching him to call it in Italie all the Priests saith he doe beseech your clemencie with sighes and teares that you would command a generall
Councel to be celebrated in Italy But their request was denied it was held at Chalcedon for the ease of the Bishops of Asia Leo could not have it where hee would but where and when the Emperour appointed and Leo was glad to send his deputies thither Reply The Emperours summoned Councels but by the Popes consent Answer It is true indeed that the Popes consent was to these aâ—cient Councells but no otherwise than as the consent of other chiefe Bishops they consented because they could not chuse because they resolved to bee obedient but they could not appoynt either place or time To proceed This famous Councell of Chalcedon renewed and ratifyed the Canon of the second General Councell held at Constantinopleâ— and accordingly following their example gave the Bishop of Constantinople equall priviledges with the Bishop of Rome The tenour of their decree runneth thus Our fathers have very rightly given the preheminence to the See of ancient Rome because the City was the seate of the Empire and wee moved with the same reasons have transferred the same preheminence to the sâ—at of New Rome that is to say Constantinople thinking it reason that the City honoured with the Empire and with the presence of the Senate and injoying the same priviledges as Ancient Rome being the seat of the Empire did and being after it the next should in matters Ecclesiasticall have equall advancement Here wee see the reason which the Councell gives why Rome had the first place was not because it was so ordained by Gods law jure divino or in Saint Peters right but by the cosent and constitutions of men because Rome was sometime the imperiall seat and the seat being thence translated to Constantinople upon the same reason Constantinople was made equall with Rome Reply The Popes Legats protested against this Caâ—on you alleadge Answer It is a rule in law That is accounted the act of all which is publikely done by the greater part by the most voyces otherwise there would bee no judgement given because some perverse ones would still dissent Now all the Councell save onely the Popes Legates consented upon the Canon and they were to be ruled by â—he major part of the Councells votes neither doe we finde that anciently the Pope had a negative or casting voyce in Councels and therefore the Chalcedon Councell notwithstanding the Legates opposition professeth Haeâ— omnes dicimus this is all our vote and Tota Synodus the whole Councell hath confirmed this Canon for the honour of the Sâ—â— of Constantinople And accordingly the whole Councell wrote to Pope Leo. Why buâ— the Popes Legatâ—s approoved it not they contradicted it True in this particular they dissented But because they as al other B ps even Pope Leo himselfe consented unâ—o that generall Maxime That the judgement of the greater part shall stand for the judgement of the whole Councellâ— in that generall both the Legates of Leo and Leo himselfe did implicitè and virtually consent to that very Canon from which actually and explicitè they did then dissent For which cause the most prudent Iudges truely said Tota Synodus the whoâ—e Councell hath approved this Canon either explicitè or implicitè either expressely or virtually approved it Yea the whole Councell professed the same and that even in the Synodall relation of their Acts to Pope Leo saying Wee have confirmed the Canon of the second Councell for the honour of the See of Constantinople declaring evidently that Act of approving that Canon to be the Act of the whole Synod although they knew the Pope and his Legates contradicted it as my learned kinsman Doctor Crakanthorpe hath well observed In a word what though the Popes Legates were absent at the making of this Act because they would not bee present and when they were present disclaimed it the major part of the Synodall voyces carryed it and so the Decree passed and was afterwards confirmed by the sixth Generall Councell Reply The Canon which equalleth the Patriarke of Constantinople to the Bishop of Rome makes not against us since it was not confirmed by the Pope who onely confirmed such Canons as concerned matters of Faith Now Councells are not of force till the Pope ratifie them Answer By this reason you will make the Popes supremacie no Article of Faith And what though Leo opposed the Canon yet as Cardinall Cusanus saith Vse and custome carryed it against the Pope Besides a Councel may be approved though the Pope approve it not and so was the second generall Councel called against the Macedonian Heretikes and others it was held by the Catholike Church a lawfull generall Councel though none of the Popes before Gregories time approved it for Gregorie speaking of the Canons of that Councel sayth Eosdem Canones vel gesta Synodi illius hactenus non habet nec accipit the Romane Church neither hath nor approveth those Canons or Acts so that the Romane Church untill Gregories time neither approved the Canons nor Acts of that second generall Councel And that is it which Gregory intendeth saying hastenus non habet nec accipit not meaning that till the yeare wherein he writ that Episâ—le for himselfe before professed to embrace that sâ—cond Councel aâ— one of the foure Evangelists but untill Gregories time hactenus untill this age wherein I live wâ—s the second Councel the Canons or Acts thereof not haâ— nor approved by the Romane Chuâ—ch and yet all this time it was held an approved Synod as the same D. Crakanthorpe hath observed Question Had not the Bishop of Rome the priority Answer He haâ— a priority of Order Honour or Place before others but not of Iurisdiction over and above others but even as Ambassadors take place one of another yet have no dominion one over another Question Was not Rome highly esteemed of old Answer Old Rome was highly esteemed First because theâ—e the Apostles taught and Rome professed the true Faith and divers of her Bishops were Martyrs Secondly because Rome was sometime the chiefe seat of the Empire and so the chiefe City had a chiefe Bishop Thirdly because the Easterne or Greeke Church was often at odds the dissention theâ—efore such as were distressed had their recouâ—se for Councel and helpe to the Patriarke of the West the Bishop of Rome anâ— this made him much râ—spected and her bishops withâ—ll being Godly men and in good favour with the Empeâ—ouâ—s they ofâ—en times â—elieved such as were distressed thus Iulâ—us bishop of Rome helped the banished Athanasius for these and the like respects the Fathers spâ—ke reveâ—ently of Rome as she was in diebus illis in their time But what is this to Rome in her corrupâ— esâ—ate whilâ—s the Pope challengeth to himselfe infalibility of judgement and not content with the primacie which his auncestors held this Romane Dioâ—rephes seâ—kes preheminence affecting not only an Hierarchie in the Church but a Monarchy over the whole
Dinooch the Abbot of Bangor a learned man made it appearâ— by divers arguments when Austine required the Bishops to be subject unto him that they ought him no subjection yea they farther added That they had an Arch-bishop of their owne him they ought and would obey but they would not be subject to any forraigne Bishop For such an one belike they held the Pope to be Neither can it bee truly alleadged that they refused his jurisdiction not his religion for Bede saith That they withstood him in all that ever he sayd now surely hee sayd somewhat else besides his Arch-bishopricke and his Pall or else he had beene a very ambitious man Besides in the dayes of Laurentius Austines successour Bishop Daganus denied all Communion And refused to eate bread in the same Inne wherein the Romish Prelates lodged belike then they differed in matters of weight PA. Wherein stood the difference what doe you hence inferre whether were you not beholden to our Austine PRO. The Romans kept their Easter in memorie of Christs Resurrection upon the first Sunday after the full Moone of March the Britanes kept theirs in memory of Christs Passion upon the fourteenth day of the Moone of March on what day of the weeke soever it fell this they did after the example of the Easterne Churches in Asia grounded on a tradition received from Saint Iohn whereby it seemeth the British Church rather followed the custome of the East Church in Asia planted by Saint Iohn and his disciples than the Romane which yet had they been of the Romish jurisdiction they would in all likelyhood have followed now since they followed the Easterne custome it is probable that our first conversion to Christianitie came from the Converted Iewes or Grecians and not from the Romanes and that Britaine was not under their jurisdiction But whencesoever our Conversion were wee blesse God for it Now concerning Austine and the Britaines we acknowledge to Gods glory that howsoever the superfluitie of Ceremonies which Austine brought in might well have been spared yet Austine and his Assistants Iustus Iohn and Melitus converted many to the Faith Neither can we excuse the Britaines for refusing to joyne with Austine in the conversion of the Pagan Saxons yet withall we must needs say they had just reason to refuse to put their necks under his yoke and surely if Austine had not had a proud spirit he would onely have requested their helpe for the worke of the Lord and not have sought dominion over them which makes it very probable that his obtruding the Popes jurisdiction over the Britaines occasioned that lamentable slaughter of the Britaines For when as Austine solicited the Britaines to obey the See of Rome and they denied it then did Ethelbert a Saxon Prince lately converted by Austine stirre up Edelfred the Wild the Pagan King of Northumberland against the Britaines whereupon the Infidel Saxon Souldiers made a most lamentable slaughter of the Britaines assembled at Westchester and that not onely on the Souldiers prepared to fight but on the Monks of Bangor assembled for prayer of whom they slew twelue hundred together with Dinooch their Abbot all which as Ieffery Monmouth saith being that day honoured with Martyrdome obtained a seat in the Kingdome of Heaven And this was the wofull issue of their stickling for jurisdiction over other Churches PA. Baronius calleth the Britaines Schismaticks for not yeelding to the Pope PRO. The Britaine Church had anciently a Patriarke or Primate of her owne like other Provinces to him the other Bishops of his Church were subject and not to the Romane PA. The Nicâ—n Councel condemned the Quartadecimans and in them your Britaines for Hereticks saith Parsons PRO. To his testimonie we oppose the Iudgement of a Frier minorite who expressely calleth them Catholikes Besides had that famous Councell of Sardice held our British Bishops for Hereticks they had never admitted them to give sentence in that Councel as they did for by name Restitutus Bishop of London subscribed thereunto and was likewise pâ—esent at the Synod of Arles in France as Parsons reporteth out of Athanasius Againe those who kept Easter on the fourteenth day precisely were of two sorts Some as Polycrates and other Bishops in Asia kept it so meerely in imitation of Saint Iohn the Evangelist as an ancient but yet an indifferent and mutable rite or tradition and these were condemned for Hereticks and such were our Britaines Others kept the fourteenth day even eo nomine and by vertue of the Mosaicall law holding a necessity of observing that peremptory day as appointed by Mosesâ— now this was the meanes to bring Iudaisme which quite abolisheth Christ and evacuateth the whole Gospel like those who amongst the Galathians urged Circumcision to whom Saint Paul professeth that Christ should profit them nothing And this was it was condemned in the Quarta-decimans but of this the Britaine 's were cleere They should indeed have conformed themselves to the Councels decree yet because that decree was not a decree of Faith no farther then it condemned the Necessitie of observing the fourteenth day and therein condemned the Quartaâ—decimans but a decree of Order discipline and uniformity in the Church when it was once knowne and evident that any particular Church condemned the necessitie of that fourteenth day the Church by a connivencie permitted and did not censure the bare observing of that day The same Councel decreed that on every Lords day from Easter to Whitsâ—ntide none should pray kneeling but standing wherein the Church notwithstanding the decree useth the like connivence not strictly binding every particular Church to doe so so long as there is unitie and agreement in the doctrines of Faith the Church useth not to bee rigorous with particular Churches which are her children for the varietie and difference in outward rites though commanded by her selfe as my learned kinsman Doctor Crakanthorpe hath well observed PA. This odds about keeping Easter was but of small weight PRO. It was so if we consider our Christian libertie in the observation of times yâ—t was it held a matter of that consequence that Pope Victor Excommunicated all the Churches of Asia which differed from him in the observation thereof PA. What conclude you from your Britaines Faith PRO. Vpon the Premises it followeth that seeing the doctrine of the Popes Supremacie over all Churches was no part of the Britaines Faith when Austine came therefore neither was it any part of their Faith in Eleutherius dayes no nor in the Apostles time neither since as Mathew of Westminster saith The Britaines Faith never failed Againe seeing the Britaines Faith as Parsons truly affirmeth was then to wit at Austines comming the same which the Romanes and all Catholike Churches embraced it further followeth that the Popes Supremacie was no materiall part of the Romane Faith or of any Catholikes either in Pope
Eleutherius time or in the Apostles dayes for had it beene so the Britaines who changed not their Faith but kept still the substantiall grounds thereof would likewise have held the Popes Supremacie yea doubtlesse those Catholike Bishops of Britaine had they but knowne and believed as now it is given out the Pope to be Iure divinâ— by divine right and Gods appointment the Monarch of the whole Church they would have yeelded obedience to Austine and in him to the Pope but they opposed it as being urged by those of the Romish faction so that it was not then as now it is made one of the chiefe heads of the Romish Faith for now a dayes men are made to believe that out of the Communion of the Romane Church nothing but hell can be looked for and subjection to the Bishop of Rome as to the visible Head of the Vniversall Church Is required as a matter necessary to salvation But this was no part nor Article of the ancient Britaines Creed and therefore they withstood it and if it were no Article of Faith them surely it is none now a dayes To close up this point hereby is overthrowne the maine Article of the Romane Creed For if as the Papists say and sweare there be no salvation out of the Romane Communion then is the case like to goe hard with the one thousand two hundred British Monks of Bangor stiled Saints and Martyrs that died out of the Roman Communion and yet within the Communion of Saints But this Grand Imposture of the now Romane Church is notably discovered by the learned and zealous Bishop of Coventrie and Lichfield Doctor Morton now Lord Bishop of Durham My conclusion shall be this out of the holy Catholike Church of the Creede there is no salvation but out of the fellowship of the Romane Church there hath beene and is salvation as appeares in the case of these our British Martyrs therefore the present Romane Church is not as it is pretended the Catholike Church of the old Creede but a particular of the new Trent Creede THE SEVENTH CENTVRIE From the yeare of Grace 600. to 700. PAPIST PRoceede to name your men PROTESTANT I name Gregory the great whom Bellarmine usually placeth in this seventh Age for that hee lived unto the yeare 605 what time as Trithemius saith he dyed Now also lived his Scholler Isidore Bishop of Sivil in Spaine usually termed Isidore the younger Now also by Bellarmine's account though others make him much ancienter lived Hesychius Bishop of Hierusalem with other Worthies as namely the Britaines of Wales as also Saint Aidan and Finan now also was held the sixth Generall Councell PA. I challenge Saint Gregory hee is ours PRO. Gregorie indeed lived in a troublesome time whiles the Goths and Vandals overranne Italie and Rome was besieged by the Lombards There was then also great decay in knowledge and scarcity of able men to furnish the Church withall and few in Italie as Baronius saith that were skilled both in Greeke and Latine Yea Gregory himselfe proâ—esseth that hee was ignorant of the Greeke tongue yet was he stâ—led the great and yet not so great as godly and modest It is commonly said of him That he was the last of the good Bishops of Rome and the first of the bad ones That he was the first Pope and leader of the Pontifician companies and the last Bishop of Rome Hee was supeâ—stitious in diverse things hee lived in a declining age and as in time so in some truths came short of his predecessours yet he taught not as your Trent Papists doe but joyned with us in diverse weighty poynts of Religion Of the Scriptures sufficiencie and Canon Gregory held the Scriptures sufficiencie saying Whatsoever serveth for edification is contayned in the volume of the Scriptures wherein are all resolutions of doubts fully and plentifully to be found they being like a full Spring that cannot be drawne drye Hee approved the vulgar use of the Scriptures exhorting a Lay-man to study them because saith hee they bee as it were Gods Letter or Epistle to his Creature wherein he reveales his whole minde to him And lest any complaine of the difficulty of the Scriptures he compares them to a River wherein there are as well shallow Foords for Lambes to wade in as depths for the Elephant to swim in And Isidore saith that the Scripture is common to petty Schollers and to Proficients And whereas Heretickes use to alleadge Scripture for themselves Gregory saith they may bee confuted by Scripture it selfe even as Goliath was slaine with his owne sword Gregory held the bookes of Maccabees Apocryphall Wee doe not amisse saith he if wee produce a testimony out of the booke of Maccabees though not Canonicall yet published for the iâ—struction of the Church And Occham accordingly reports Gregories judgement saying The booke of Iudith Tobias the Maccabees Ecclesiasticus and Wisedom are not to bee received for the confirmation of any doctrine of Faith Isidore saith In these Apocryphall although there be some truth to be found yet by reason of the many errours therein they are not of Canonicall authâ—rity Of Communion under both kindes and number of Sacraments Saint Gregory in his Dialogues if they be his tells us of some that were going to Sea some whereof happily were Lay-men carryed with them the consecratâ—d body and bloud of the Lord in the Ship and there received it And againe His body is there recâ—ived his flesh is there divided for the peoples salvation his bloud is not now powred out upon the hands of Infidels but into the mouth of the Faithfull Hee speakes expressely of the Faithfull and of the people And in his Homily touching the Passeover he saith What is meant by the bloud of Christ you have now learned not by hearing of it but by drinking of it which bloud is then put on both posts when it is drawne in both by the mouth of the body and of the heart Herein Gregory resembles the partaking of Christ's bloud in the Eucharist to the bloud of the Paschall Lambe in the twelfth of Exodus striken upon both poâ—ts of the doore thereby noting the mouth and the heart each whereof after their manner receive Christ for with the mouth and corporally wee receive the wine which is the Sacrament of his bloud and with our heart and by faith we receive the thing Sacramentall the bloud it selfe Besides hee speakes expressely of drinking and the termes hee useth hauritur and perfunditur That Christ's bloud is shed and taken as a draught demonstrate that he speaks not of partaking Christ's bloud as it is joyned to his body and inclosed in his veines but as severed from it as my worthy and learned friend Doctor Featly hath observed Isidore saiâ—h The fourth prayer is brought in for the kisse of Peace that all bâ—ing reconciled by charity may
Gregorie held a Purgatorie for some smaller faults PRO. He held not your Purgatorie his was onely for veniall and light faults yours is for such as have not fully satisfied for the temporall punishment due to their mortall sinnes Againe his differeth from yours in situation for you place yours in some quarter bordering on hell but Gregorie tells us of certaine soules that for their punishment were confined to Bathes and such other places here on earth Besides Gregorie in his Dialogues whence you would prove your Purgatorie tells many strange tales as of one Stephen a Priest who had the Devill so serviceable to him as to draw off his hose of Boniface that wanting money procured divers crownes of our Lady and such like stuffe insomuch that your Canus saith Gregorie in his Dialogues hath published such miracles commonly received and believed which the censurers of this Age will thinke to be doubtfull and uncertaine Besides Gregorie had his Purgatorie and Soule masses from visions and feigned apparitions of Ghosts which the Scripture holds unwarrantable And yet Gregorie upon occasion of that place of Ecclesiastes If the tree fall towards the South or the North where it falls there it shall bee makes another inference namely this The just one in the day of his death falleth South-ward and the sinner North-ward for the just by the warmth of the spirit is carried into blisse but the sinner with the revolting Angel in his benummed heart is reprobated and cast away And Olympiodore who lived about the yeare 500 makes the very same inference and Gregorie elswhere to the same purpose saith that at the time of a mans dissolution either the good or evill spirit recâ—ives the soule as it comes out of the cloyster of the body and there without any change at all for ever retaines it that being onâ—e exalted it can never come to be punished and being plâ—nged into eternall paine can never thence be delivered Now if according to these testimonies after death there be no deliverance but that the soule for ever remaines in that degree and order wherein death takes it if there be no change after this life such as the Papists imagine theirs to be from the paines of Purgatorie to the joyes of heaven surely then there can be no Purgatory nothing but heaven or hel whither they that come abide for ever Now let us see what Gregorie held touching the Supremacie PA. Gregorie maintained his Supremacie did hee not PRO. Whatsoever he did Stapleton strives to uphold it by corrupting a place in Gregorie who speaking of Saint Peter and other Apostles saith that they were all members of the Church under one Head meaning Christ as his owne words make it cleere Now Stapleton to make the Pope Head of the Church citeth the words thus They are all members of the Church under one head Peter shuffling in the name Peter but for Saint Gregorie hee knew not your moderne papall Supremacie and when the See of Constantinople challenged the stile of Vniversall Bishâ—p he opposed it PA. He might dislike it in another and yet claime it himsâ—lfe PRO. He disclaimed it in any whosoever Now so it was Iohn Bishop of Constantinople seeing the Emperors seate translated thither and other Provinces governed by Lievtenants as also Rome besieged by the Lumbards thought this a fit season for the advancement of his chayre that the Imperiall City should also have the highâ—st chayre in the Church as the Emperour counted himselfe Lord of the World so he would be stiled Oecumenicall or Vniversall Patriarke in the Church Now when Iohn affected this Title Gregorie complained not that he wrong'd his See by usurping that stile as if it had belonged to the Pope but hee mislikes the transcâ—â—dent power claymed by that stile and he calls it A stile of noveltie and prophannesse such as never any godly man nor any of his predecessors ever used A name of Blâ—sphemie A thing contrarie to the Churches Canons to Saint Peter and to the holy Gospels Yea he pronounceth any one that should presume to challenge the forâ—said title To be the very forâ—runner of Antichrist because herein hee lifts himselfe above his brethren PA. Gregorie forbore this Title in humilitie thereby to represse Iohns insolencie PRO. This is as if a King should renounce his Royall Title to the end that a Rebell challenging it might disclaime it Gregorie indeed was an humble man and as one saith of him When he was in his Iollitie and Pontificalibus hee was not so much delighted therewith as an Hermit was with his Cat that he used to play withall in his Cell Gregorie indeed professeth to bee humble in mind but still so as to preserve the honour of his place Gregorie would lose nothing of his freehold I warrant you PA. Gregorie found fault with this Title in the sense that Iohn desired so to be universall and sole Bishop and the rest to be his Vicars or Deputies PRO. It is not likely the Bishop of Constantinople though he were a proud man would keepe all others from being bishops that is that they should neither ordaine Priests nor excommunicate nor absolve nor sit in Counsell but himselfe alone doe all Besides if Iohn had sought this surely the Greeke Bishops who consented to Iohns title of being their universall Patriarcke in respect of Order though not of Iurisdiction would never have yeelded to have made themselues onely Vicars to that one bishop and so deprive themselves of al Episcopall Iurisdiction Yea the same bishops though they submitted themselves to the bishop of Constantinople and approved his Title yet notwithstanding they exercised their ancient Iurisdiction over their severall Sees they were not degraded by Iohn or his Successor Cyriacus both which affected that Title The true and undoubted meaning then of Gregorie as his words import was this namely that Gregorie by impugning the Title of Vniversall bishop would have no Bishop so principall as to make all others as members subject to his Head-ship and is not the charge of bishops at this day under the Papacie for the most part Tiâ—ular they being wholly at the Popes becke PA. Was the Title of Vniversall Bishop so odious PRO. It was in that sense which Gregory taxed in the bishop othâ—rwise neither he nor wee mislike such Vniveâ—sall bishops as with Saint Paul Have the care of all Churches and in this respect godly bishops when they meete in Councels and in their owne Diocesses whiles by their wholesome advice admonition or reproofe by their writing or teaching they instruct others in the truth prevent Schisme and stop the mouth of Heresie may be called Bishops of the Vniversall Church Thus was Athanasius called a Bishop of the Catholike Chuâ—ch not as it precisely signifieth Vnivâ—rsall but rightly beleeving or holding the Catholike Faith PA. What conclude you out of all this PRO.
That which maketh strongly against the Papacie For now a daiâ—s this Stile of Vniversall Bishop which Gregorie held to bâ—e the Harbinger of Antichrist is brought in as a maine proofe of the Popes Supremacie Neither could Gregorie restraine his Successors from bearing this Title for Boniface the third who next save one succeeded Gregorie Obtained of Phocas the Emperour not without great contention that the See of Rome should bee callâ—d the head of all Churches being the same place of preheminence in â—ffect which Iohn in Gregories time so much affected Now by this the Reader may perceive and that from the tongue and pen of one of their best Popes that were since his time that in Gregories judgement his successours that enjoy this swelling Title and transcendent power are proved to be Antichristian Bishops Lastly the Reader may observe who it was that gave the Pope this jurisdiction it was even that usurper Phocas who murthered his master Maurice the Emperâ—ur and then confâ—rred this prophane Title on Pope Boniface a fit Chapleine for such a Paâ—ron Hitherto wee have treated of Saint Gregories Faith and visited the Colledge of Bangor the Foundation whereof is ascribed to King Lucius from whose time unto the entraâ—ce of Austine the Monke 438. yeares were â—xpired In all which space the Christian Faith was both taught and imbraced in this Iland notwithstanding the continuall persecutions of the Romans Huns Picts and Sâ—xons which last made such desolation in thâ— outward face of the Church that they drove the Chriâ—â—â—â—n bishops into the Deserts of Cornwaile and Waâ—es in which number were the bishops of London and Yorke Now by their labours the Gospell was replaâ—ted amongst the Inhabitants of those vast Mounâ—taines and farther spread it selfe into these Northerne parts what time as Edwin and Oswald Kings of Northumbeâ—land sent for Saint Aidan and Finan into Scotland to convert their Subjects to the Faith PA. What were this Aidan and Finan PRO. They were the worthy instruments which the Lord raised up for the good of our countrey for by the ministery of Aidan was the kingdome of Northumberland recovered from Paganisme whereunto belonged then beside the shire of Northumberland and the lands beyond it unto Edenborrough Frith Cumberland also and Westmoreland Lancashire Yorkshire and the Bishopricke of Durham And by the meanes of Finan not onely the kingdome of the East-Saxons which contained Essex Middlesex and halfe of Hertfordshire regained but also the large kingdome of Mercia with the shires comprehended under it was first converted unto Christianitie so that these two for their extraordinarie holinesse and painefulnesse in preaching the Gospel were â—xceedingly reverenced by all that knew them Aidan especially Who although hee could not keepe Easter saith Bede contrary to the manner of them which sent him yet hee was carefull diligently to performe the works of Faith Godlinâ—sse and Love after the manner used by all holy men whereupon hee was worthily beloved of all even of them also who thought otherwise of Easter than hee did and was reverenced not onely of the meaner ranke but of the Bishops themselves Honorius of Canterbury and Felix of the East-Angles In this Age also was held the sixt generall Councell at Constantinople summoned by the Emperours commandement it was called against the heresie of the Monothelites and therein Honorius the Pope was accursed for a Monothelite It was theâ—e also decreed that the See of Constantinople should enjâ—â— equall priviledges with the See of Rome And whereas some Canons were alleadged for restraint of Priests marriage they were opposed by this Councel and the Church of Rome is in expresse termes taxed for urging them And upon paine of deposition to the gainsayers it was decreed That the marriage of Ecclesiasticall persons was a thing lawfull and that their conjugall cohabitation stood with the Apostolike Canons was an ancient tradition and orderly constitution And in case continencie were enjoyned it was not perpetuall but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the proper turnes or courses of their ministery so that the restraint of Priests from marrying neither is nor ever was conceived to be saith learned bishop Andrews but Positivi juris which being restrained upon good reason it might upon as good reason be released and Pope Pius the second was of opinion That there was better reason to release them then to restraine them and so were divers other at the Councell of Trent if there had beene faire play and yet Iesuit Coster holds that a Priest offends greatly if he commit fornication Gravius tamen peccat but he offends more grievouslie if he marry PA. This Councel was neither the Sixt nor generall PRO. Caranza and Balsamon call it both sixth and generall We grant indeed that to speake precisely the sixt Synod under Constantine the fourth published no Canons but afterwards divers of the same Fathers which had formerly met in the sixt Synod they and others to the number of 227 being called together by the then penitent and restored Emperour Iusâ—inian gathered up and set forâ—h the Canons formerly made and by them re-enforced and Balsamon saith that Basilius Bishop of Gortyna the Metropolis of Creete which was then under the Arch-bishop of Rome and the Bishop of Ravenna were there to represent the Romaâ—e Church The truth is your Romanists cannot endure tâ—is Gâ—eeke Councel because it sets the Patriarke of Constantinople cheeke by joule with the Romane Bishop In a word if some Canons of this Councel be justly excepted against this makâ—s not against us for wee warrant not all that goes uâ—dâ—r thaâ— Councels name nor them that once spoke truth from ever erring And it seemes Gratian he Monke hath beene a tampering with the Canon alleadged for in one of Gratians Editions we reade thus Let not Constantinople bee magnified as much as Rome in matters Ecclesiasticall and in another Let Constantinople be advanced as well as Rome And now have we surveyed the first sixe generall Councels and found them to have beene called by the Emperour and not by the Pope and yet Bellarmine now a dayes denyes this power to godly Princes and would conferre it on the Pope THE EIGHTH CENTVRIE From the yeare of Grace 700. to 800. PAPIST WHat say you to this eighth Age PROTESTANT This Age was beholden to our nation which afforded such worthies as venerable Bede the honour of England and mirrour of his time for learning as also his Scholler Alcuinus counted one of the Founders of the Universitie of Paris and Schoole-master to Charles the Great by whom or his procurement were written thoâ—e Libri Carolini King Charles his bookes opposing the second Nicen Synod which stood for Image worship Now also lived Antonie the Monke and Damascen one that laid the foundation of Schoole-divinitie among the Greekes as Peter Lombard afterward did among the Latines he was indeed a Patron of
taught the same doctrine in other books also to wit De Nativitate Christi and de Animâ which are to be seene in the Libraries of the Cathedrall Church of Sarisburie and Bennet Colledge in Cambridge as the same Bishop Vsher observes PA. Was Bertram a learned man and of a good liâ—e PRO. Trithemius the Abbot gives him a large commendation For his excellent learning in Scripture his godly life his worthy Bookes and by name this of the Body and Bloud of Christ. Clodius de Sanctes â—aith Hee is put in the Catologue of Ecclesiasticall Writers for one Catholike in life and doctrine and your Brerely saith That ancient Catholike Writers doubt not to honour Bertram for a holy Martyr of their Church Now are wee come to our famous countrey-man Scotus much what of Bertrams standing and both of them in favour with Charles unto whom as Bertram Dedicated his Treatise of the Sacrament so also Ioannes Scotus wrot of the same argument and to the same effect that Bertram had done Bellarmine saith That Scotus was the first who in the Latine Church wrot doubtâ—fully of the reall presence It is indeed their fault that we have not his Booke yet may wee presume that he wrot positively neither doe we any where find that his booke of the Sacrament was condemned before the dayes of Lanfrancke who was the first that leavened the Church of England with this corrupt doctrine of the carnall presence so that all this while to wit from the yeare 876 to 1050 he passed for a good Catholike PA. Was Scotus a man of that note PRO. He was as Possevine saith Scholler to Bede Fellow-pupill with Alcuinus and accounted one of the founders of the Vniversitie of Paris and in the end dyed like a Martyr For after that he came into England and was publike Reader in Oxford by the favour of King Alfred he retired himselfe into Malmsbury Abbey and was there by his owne Schollers stabbed to death with Pen-knives and this was done saith Bale and others Fortassis non sine Monachorum impulsâ— haply not without the Monks procurement being murdered by his Schollers whiles he opposed the carnall presence which then some private persons began to set on foot By his birth he was one of the Scottish or Irish nation and is sometime called Erigena sometime Scotigena He was sirnamed Scotus the Wise and for his extraordinary learning in great account with our King Alfred and familiarly entertained by Charles the Great to whom he wrote divers letters In a word there is an old homely Epitaph which speakes what this Scotus was Clauditur hoc tumulo Sanctus Sophista Ioannes Qui ditatus erat jà m vivens dogmate miro Martyrio tandem Christi conscendere regnum Quoâ— meruit sancti regnant per saecula cuncti Vnder this stone Lyes Sophister Iohn Who living had store Of singular Lore At length he did merit Heaven to inherit A Martyr blest Where all Saints rest Or thus Here lyes interr'd Scotus the Sage A Saint and Martyr of this Age. Of Images and Prayer to Saints Ionas Bishop of Orleance who wrote against Claudius bishop of Turin in the defence of Images holds that The Images of Saintâ— and Stories of divine things may bâ—e painted in the Church not to be worshipped but to be an oâ—nament and to bring into the minds of simple people things done and past But to adore the Creature or to give it any part of divine honour we count it saith he a vile wickednesse detesting the doâ—r thereof as worthy to be accursed It is flâ—t impiete saith the same Ionas out of Origen to adore any save the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Agobardus bishop of Lyons saith That the Ancients they had the pictures of the Saints but it was for historie sake and not for adoration and that none of thâ— ancient Catholicks haply thought that Images are to be worshipped or adored And the Orthodoxe Fathers for avoiding of superstition did carefully provide that no pictures should bee set up in Churches lest that which is worshipped should be painted on the walls Rhemigius saith That neither Images nor Angels are to be adored and Walasfridus Strabo would not have divine honour given to ought that is made by us or any other Creature Now what say the Papists to these Testimonies Baronius yeelds us Walafridus Strabo Ionas bishop of Orâ—leance Hincmarus Archbishop of Rhemes and saith That they foâ—sooke the received opinion of the Church and yet they were ever held sound Catholicks Bellarmine saith That Ionas was overtaken with Agobard his errour and other bishops of France in that Age and therefore puts in a Caveat that Ionas must bee read warily So that by their owne confession the learnedst and famousest men of this Age stand for us in this point this makes them seeke to suppresse such testimonies as are given of them Papirius Massonus set forth this booke of Agobards and delivers the argument therof to be this Detecting most manifestly the errours of the Greciâ—ns touching images pictures he to wit bishop Agobard denies tâ—at they ought to be worshipped which opinion all we Catholicks do allow and follow the testimony of Gregory the great concerning them Now this passage the Spanish Inquisitors in their expurgatorie Index Commanded tâ— bee blotted out and this is accordingly performed by the Divines of Collen in their late corrupt Edition of the great Bibliothek of the ancienâ— Fathers To close up this poynt Charles the Great was seconded by his Sonne Lewis the Godly for by his appointment the Doctors of France assembled at Paris in the yeare 842 and there condemned the adoration of Images It is not strange saith Ambrose Ansberâ—us that our prayers and teares are not offered up unto God by us but by our High Priest since that Saint Paul exhorts us to offer up the Sacrifiâ—e of Praise unto God Haymo upon those words of Isay 〈◊〉 enim Pater noster Thou O Lord art our Father Isay. 6â— ver 16. â—aith Et rectè solum invocamus ac dâ—p ecamur te And we doe right onely to invocate thee and to make our supplication to thee Of Faith and Merit Claudius Scotus saith that Faith alone saveth us because by the works of the Law no man shall be justified yet he addeth withall this caution Not as if the works of the Law should be contemned and without them a simple faith so he calleth that solitary faith which is a simple faith indeed should bee desired but that the works themselves should be adorned with the Faith of Christ. Rhemigius saith That in truth those onely are happy who are freely justified of grace and not of merit Haymo saith Wee are saved by Gods grace and not our owne merits for we have no merits at all Ambros. Ansbertus expounding that place Revel 19.
knowledge of Letters and study of Tongues specially the Greeke Latin began to spread abâ—â—ad thorow divers parts of the West Of this number were Emanuel Chrysoloras of Constantinople Theodorus Gaza of Thessalonica Georgius Trapezuntius Cardinall Bessarion and others in like sort also afterwards Iohn Capâ—io brought the use of the Greeke and Hebrew tongues into Germany as Faber Stapulensis observeth And in the beginning of this age Hebrew was first taught in Oxford as our accurat Chronologer Mr. Isaacson hath observed Now also lived Nicholas de Lyra a converted Iew who commented on all the Bible In this age there were divers both of the Greeke and Latin Church who stood for Regall Iurisdiction against Papall usurpation and namely Barlaam the Monke Nilus Archbishop of Thessalonica Marsilius Patavinus Michael Cesenas Generall of the gray Friers Dante the Italian Poet and William Ockam the English man sometime fellow of Merton Colledge in Oxford surnamed the Invincible Doctor and Scholler to Scotus the subtile Doctor Now also lived Durand de S. Porciano Nilus alleadgeth divers passages out of the generall Councels against the Popes supremacy and thence inferreth as followeth That Rome can not challenge preheminence over other Seas because Rome is named in order before them for by the same reason Constantinople should have the preheminence over Alexandria which yet she hath not From the severall and distinct boundaries of the Patriarchall Seas he argueth that neither is Rome set over other Seas nor others subject to Rome That whereas Rome stands upon the priviledge that other places appeale to Rome he saith That so others appeale to Constantinople which yet hath not thereby Iurisdiction over other places That whereas it is said the Bishop of Rome judgeth others and himselfe is not judged of any other he saith That St. Peter whose successour he pretends himselfe to be suffred himselfe to be reproved by S. Paul and yet the Pope tyrant-like will not have any enquire after his doings Barlaam prooveth out of the Chalcedon Councell Canon 28. That the Pope had not any primacy over other Bishops from Christ or S. Peter but many ages after the Apostles by the gift of holy Fathers and Emperours if the Bishop of Rome sayth hee had anciently the supremacy and that S. Peter had appointed him to be the Pastour of the whole Church what needed those godly Emperours decree the same as a thing within the verge of their owne power and jurisdiction Marsilius Patavinus wrote a booke called Defensor Pacis on the behalfe of Lewis Duke of Baviere and Emperour against the Pope for challenging power to invest and depose Kings Hee held that Christ hath excluded and purposed to exclude himselfe and his Apostles from principality or contentious jurisdiction or regiment or any coactive judgement in this world His other Tenets are reported to be these 1 That the Pope is not superiour to other Bishops much lesse to the Emperour 2. That things are to be decided by Scripture 3. That learned men of the Laiety are to have voyces in Councels 4. That the Cleargy and the Pope himselfe are to be subject to Magistrates 5. That the Church is the whole coÌ„pany of the faithfull 6. That Christ is the Head of the Church and appointâ—d none to be his Vicar 7. That Priests may marry 8. That St. Peter was never at Rome 9. That the popish â—ynagogue is a denne of theeves 10. That the Popes doctrine is not to be followed With this Marsilius of Pâ—dua there joyned in opinioÌ„ Iohn of Gandune and they both held that Clerkes are and should be subject to secular powers both in payment of Tribute and in iudgâ—ments specially not Ecclesiasticall so that they stood against the Exemption of Clerkes Michael Cesenas Generall of the Order of Franciscans stood up in the same quarrell and was therefore deprived of his dignities by Pope Iohn the two and twentieth from whom he appealed to the Catholicke universâ—ll Church and to the next generall Councell About this time also lived the noble Florentine Poet Dante a learned Philosopher and Divine who wrote a booke against the Pope concerning the Monarchy of the Emperour but for taking part with him the Pope banished him But of all the rest our Countrey-man Ockam stucke close to the Emperour to whom he sayd that if he would defend him with the sword he againe would defend him with the Word Ockam argueth the case and inclineth to this opinion that in temporall matters the Pope ought to be subject to the Emperour in as much as Christ himselfe as he was man professeth that Pilate had power to judge him given of God as also that neither Peter nor any of the Apostles had temporall power given them by Christ and hereof he gives testimony from Bernard and Gregory Ockams writings were so displeasing to the Pope as that he excommunicated him for his labour and caused his treatise or worke of ninety dayes as also his Dialogues to be put into the blacke bill of bookes prohibited and forbidden It is true indeed that Ockam submitted his writings to the censure and judgement of the Church but as hee saith to the judgement of the Church Catholike not of the Church malignant The same Ockam spoke excellently in the point of generall Councels Hee held that Councels are not called generall because they are congregated by the authority of the Romane Pope and that if Princes and Lay-men please they may be present have to deale with matters treated in general Councels That a generall Councell or that congregation which is commonly reputed a generall Councell by the world may erre in matters of faith and in case such a generall Councell should erre yet God would not leave his Church destitute of all meanes of saving truth but would raise up spirituall children to Abraham out of the rubbish of the Laiety despised Christians and dispersed Catholikes Wee have heard the judgement of the learned abroad touching Iurisdiction Regall and Papall let us now see the practice of our owne Church and State In the Reigne of King Edward the third sundry expresse Statutes were made that if any procured any Provisions from Rome of any Abbeyes Priories or Benefices in England in destruction of the Realme and holy Religion if any man sued any Processe out of the Court of Rome or procured any personall Citation from Rome upon causes whose cognisance and finall discussion pertained to the Kings Court that they should be put out of the Kings protection and their lands goods and chattels forfeited to the King In the Reigne of King Richard the second it was enacted That no Appeale should thenceforth be made to the Sea of Rome upon the penalty of a Praemunire which extended to perpetuall banishment and losse of all their lands and goods the words of the statute are If any purchase or pursue
the Friars be not liegemen to the King ne subject to his lawes For though they stealen mens Children to enter into their orders it is sayd there goes no law upon them Friars saien apertly that if the King and Lords and other men stonden thus against their begging and other things Friars will goe out of the land and come againe with bright heads and looke whether this be treason or no Friart faynen that though an Abbot and all his Covent ben open traytours yet the king may not take from them an halfe penny Friars also destroyen the Article of Christian faith I beliefe a common or generall Church for they teachen that thâ— men that shall be damned be members of holy Church and thus they wedden Christ and the divel together Friars by hypocrisie binden men to impossible things that they may not doe for they binden them over the commandements of God as they themselves say Friars wast the treasure of the land forgetting Dispensations vaine pardons and priviledges But of the pardon that men usen to day fro the Court of Rome z they have no sikernes that is certainty by holy writ ne reason ne ensample of Christ or his Apostles By this we see that Wickliffe stoutly opposed those Innovatours the Friers who like their successours the Iesuites taught and practised obedience to another Soveraigne than the King persecution for preaching the Gospell exemption of Cleaâ—gy-men the use of Legends in the Church and reading of fables to the people pardons and indulgences the heresie of an accident without a subject singular and blind obedience and lastly workes of Supererogation Now whereas Wickliffe was reputed an Heretike it is likely that this imputation was laid upon him especially by Friars to whose innovations he was a professed enemy PAP Many exceptions are taken against Wickliffe and namely that hee held That God ought to obey the divell PROT. Our learned Antiquary of Oxford Doctour Iames hath made Wickliffes Apology and answered such slanderous objections as are urged by Parsons the Apologists and others Now for the objection made there is neither colour nor savour of truth in it there was no such thing objected to him in the Convocation at Lambeth neither can his adversaries shew any such words out of any booke written by Wickliffe although he wrote very many Indeed wee finde the quite contrary in his workes saith his Apologist for Wickliffe saith That the divel is clepid that is called Gods Angell for he may doe nothing but at Gods suffering and that he serveth God in tormenting of sinfull men The phrase indeed is strange and if either he or any of his Schollers used such speeches their meaning haply was that God not in his owne person but in his creatures yeeldeth obedience to the devill that is sometimes giveth him power over his creatures PAP Wickliffe taught That Magistrates and Masters are not to be obeyed by their subjects and servants so long as they are in deadly sinne PROT. Even as light House-wives lay their bastards at honest mens doores so you falsely father this â—is-begotten opinion on Wickliffe which some of your owne side say belongs to one Iohn Parvi a Doctour of Sorbone And indeed in right it is your owne inasmuch as you upon colour and pretence of heresie in Princes absolve subjects from their Allegeance and raise them up in armes against their lawfull Soveraigne witnesse your bloody massacres in France the death of the two last Henryes in France the untimely death of the Prince of Orange the many attempts and treasons against Queene Elizabeth as also that hellish designe of the Gun-powder treason But supppose Wickliffe said so yet his words might have a tollerable construction to wit that a Prince being in state of mortall sinne ceased to be a Prince any longer he ceased to be so in respect of any spirituall right or title to his place that he could pleade with God if he were pleased to take the advantage of the forfeiture but that in respect of men he had a good title still in the course of mundane justice so that whosoever should lift vp his hand against him offered him wrong Wickliffe indeede admonisheth the King and all other inferiour Officers and Magistrates as elsewhere he doth Bishops That he beareth not the sword in vaine but to doe the office of a King well and truely to see his Lawes rightly executed wherein if hee faile then he telleth him that he is not properly and truely a King that is in effect and operation which words are spoken by way of exhortation but so farre was hee from mutiny himselfe or perswading others to rebellion that never any man of his ranke for the times wherein he lived did more stoutly maintaine the Kings Supremacy in all causes as well as over all persons ecclesiasticall and civill against all usurped and forreine Iurisdiction and one of his reasons was this that otherwise he should not be King over all England but Regulus parvae partis a petty governour of some small parts of the Realme PAP Wickliffe taught that so long as a man is in deadly sinne he is no Bishop nor Prelate neither doth he consecrate or baptize PROT. If Wickliffe said so he sayd no more than the Fathers and a Councell said before him Saint Ambrose saith Vnlesse thou embrace and follow the good-worke of a Bishop a Bishop thou canst not be The Provinciall Councell saith Whosoever after the order of Bishop or Priesthood shall say they have beene defiled with mortall sinne let them be remooved from the foresaid orders The truth is Wickliffe lived in a very corrupt time and this made him so sharpely inveigh against the abuses of the Cleargy but abusus non tollit rei usum and yet Wickliffe writeth against them that will not honour their Prelats And hee elsewhere expresseth his owne meaning that it is not the name but the life that makes a Bishop that if a man have the name of a Prelate and doe not answere the reason thereof in sincerity of doctrine and integrity of life but live scandalously and in mortall sinne that he is but a nomine-tenus Sacerdos a Bishop or Priest in name not in truth Neverthelesse his ministeriall Act may be availeable for thus saith Wickliffe Vnlesse the Christian Priest be united unto Christ by grace Christ cannot be his Saviour nec sine falsitate â—icit verba sacramentalia Neither can he speake the Sacramentall words without lying licèt prosint capacibus Though the worthy receiver be hereby nothing hindred from grace PAP Wickliffe held that it was not lawfull for any Ecclesiasticall persons to have any temporall possessions or property in any thing but should begge PROT. This imputation is untrue for what were the lands and goods of Bishops Cathedrall Churches or otherwise belonging to Religious houses which were given Deo Ecclesiâ— were they
haâ—h an evill intent and so it was here for hee laboured to drive him to Despaire by accusing him for saying Mâ—sse which now he condemned and the more to terrifie him he layes downe reasons against it thereby to let him see his old errours and all this to drive him to despayre thus Satan truly layes a mans sinne before him truly accuses him but it is to make him despayre as he dealt with Cain and Iudas whose example Luther accordingly alleadgeth upon this occasion And this was the end the Devill aymed at as appeares by Luthers owne words saying Satan lieth not when he layes a mans sinne to his charge and the heynousnesse thereof but then doth Satan lie when he would have me despayre of the mercie and favour of God Againe it is observable where Luther was thus temptedâ— not whiles hee kept in the Monastery but when hee was leaving it and comming to the truth then the devill began to be busie with him fearing that hee had slipt his chaine Lastly marke the issue of this conference in this conflict the devill was foiled and Luther won the field and in effect makes this glorious conquest I Luther have sinned in saying private Masses without Communicants contrary to Christs Institutionâ— but the devill lyeth in tempting mee to dispaiâ—e with Cain I will therefore with Peter bee sâ—rry for my fault and returne to my Saviour PA. Luther broke out into distempered passions and was at odds with some of Zuinglius his followers PRO. What if Luther after the plaine homelinesse of a blunt German libertie used some over broad speeches that hee was too much carried with the violent streame of his passion it is to bee imputed to humane infirmitie and the perversnesse of the manifold adversaries hee found in those times Besides there was as great unkindnesse of old betweene Chrysostome and Epiphanius Hierome and Ruffinus and others PA. Bellarmine saith out of Cochleus that Luther began to oppose Indulgences not because he had any just reason to mislike them but because the publishing of them was committed to the Dominicke Friers and not to the Augustine Friers of which order himselfe was PRO. This is reported by his sworne enemie and that against the whole course of things that passed in those times For Luther before this occasion was offered him had cleered the doctrine of Originall sinne of nature and grace of free-will and the like which were the maine grounds wherein he disâ—ented from the Romish Synagogue Indeed he manifested his oposition chiefely against papall Indulgences and he had reason for it for at that time things were in so bad a state that the bloud of Christ was prophâ—nâ—d the power of the Keyes was made contemptible and the redemption of Soules out of Purgatoâ—ie was set at a Stakâ— at Dice by the Pardon-sellers to be played for as Guiccaâ—diâ—e saith This bred great indignation and many scandals in divers places but as hee saith especially in Gâ—rmanie where were discovered many of the Popes ministers selling for a small price or set upon a game at Tables in a Taverne the power to redeeme the Soules of dead men out of Purgatory In like sort that other noble Historian Thâ—anus of more credit than a hundred Cochleusses saith that Pope Leo by the instigation of Cardinal Puccius gathered huge summes of money by sending his Breves abroad every where promising exptation of all sinnes and life everlasting upon a certaine price which any should give according to the â—eynousnesse of his offence Then arose up Martin Luther a professour of Divinity in Wittenberge who first confuting and then condemning the Sermons which were made for Indulgences at length questioned that power which the Pope assumed to himselfe in the same Breves PA. Was Luther a man of an holy life PRO. Erasmus who was well acquainted with him saith that Hee was accounted a good man even of his very enemies and this I observe saith the same Erasmus That the best men are least offended with his writings He had gained such reputation with the people that as Guicciardine saith againstâ—uther â—uther tooke their Originall â—rom the innocencie of his life and soundnesse of his doctrine rather than upon any other occasion Erasmus seemeth to point at that which brought Luther to most of his troubles namely for that he touched to close upon the Popes power and Supremacie as also that hee taxed their Indulgences and pardons which served for the maintenance of their prelacy and Clergy for thus it is reported of him that when he was asked by Fredericke Duke of Saxonie his Iudgement of Luther he said that there werâ— two great faults of his one That he medled with the Popes Crowne another That he medled with the Monks Bellyes And let this suffice to be spoken by way of Apologie and in behalfe of Martin Luther and that Reformation which so many worthies before him desired himselfe began and attempted and others now at length hâ—ve happily effected PA. You tell us of a Reformation did the Catholicks desire it were they not content with the Religion then in use PRO. It seemes they were not for divers of them Gave up their lives for the name of our Lord Iesus Christ Act. 15.26 rather than they would yeeld to the Romish superstition Besides I have already given instance in such as foretold and wished for this Reformation Robert Grost-head Bishop of Lincolne prophesied that The Church would never be set free from out of her Aegyptian bondage but by the edge of the Sword Another of our Countrey-men William Oâ—cham a learned Schoole man complaines that in his time They perverted Scriptures Fathers and the Churches Canons and that these were no Young men or novices or unlearned ones but such as should be Pillars of the Church did cast themselves headlong into the pit of Heresies Iohn Gerson advised that in case the Pope and a Generall Councel would not make Reformaâ—ion whereof he had little hope then the severall parâ—â— and provinces of Christendome should themselves redresse things aâ—isâ—e The Cardinal of Cambrey and Picus Mirandulâ— presented their treatises of the Chuâ—ches Reformation the one to the Councel of Constance the other to the Lateran Councel Pelagius Alvarus set out the Complaint of the Church and Arch-deacon Clemangies the Corrupt State of the Church Hierome Savonarola the Dominican told the French king Charles the eight as Philip de Comminees saith That he should have great prosperity in his voyage into Italy and that God would give the Sword into his hand and all this to the end hee should reforme the corrupt state of the Church which if he did not performe he should returne home againe with dishonour and God would reserve the honour of his worke to some other and so saith he it fell out When Luther arose and began to oppose Indulgences the more wise and moderate sort wished the Pope to reforme things apparantly
say it was not onely apparant enough in the Greeke and Easterne Churches and in such as had made an open separation from the Romish corruptions such as were in these Westerne parts the Wâ—ldenses Wickleâ—iâ—ts and Hussites but it was also within the community of the Romish Church it selfe even there as in a large field grew much good corne among tares and weeds there as in a great bâ—rne heape or garner was preserved much pure graine mixed with store of chaffe Object I except against that you have said Master Brereley cals it a Ridle To say your Church was under the Papacie as wheat is under the chaffe and yet the Papacie was not the true Church Answer It is no Enigma or Ridle it being all one in effect as to say the Christian Church at our Saviours comming and after consisting of Ioseph and Mary Simeon and Anna the Shepherds and the Sages Christs disciples and others was in and under the Iewish Church consisting of Scribes and Pharisees who with their false glosses and vaine traditions had corrupted the Law of God was not sanum membrum a sound part of Gods Church but as our Saviour saith Like sheepe without a Shepheard Mark 6.34 Object You say your Church was under the papacie but the papacie was not the true Church by the like reason you may say that the hidden Church of God is preserved among the Turkes can there be a Church without an outward ministerie Answer It followeth not and the reason of the difference is because amongst the Turkes there is not that meanes of salvation inasmuch as they have not given their names to Christ but the true Church of God may bee preserved withiâ— the Romish Church in as much as they have the Scriptures though in a strange tongue as also Baptismeâ— and lawfull ordination and the like helpes which God in all ages used that his Elect might begathered out of the midst of Babylon And whereas you urge an outward and publike ministery this maketh nothing against the Church of England which for substance hath the same descent of outward ordination with the Roman Church neither can any man shew a more certaine pedegree from his great Grand father than our Bishops and Pastors can fâ—om suâ—h Bishops as your Church accounts canonâ—call in the time of King Henry the eight and upward such â—aâ—re evidence can wee produce for an outward and publâ—ke miâ—istery in the Church of England and such ordination wee hold very necessary and yet in case it cannot be had Gods children by their private reading and meditation of that which they have formerly learned may supply the defect of a publike ministery even as some Christians at this day being slâ—ves in Turky or Barbarie may be saved wiâ—hout externall ministery but this is in case of extremity for us we never wanted a standing ministery Neither did the Waldenses Wicklivâ—sts and Hussites for so I call them for distinction sake ever want an outward and lawfull ministery amongst them for the administration of the word and Sacramentsâ— Object You say your Professors communicated with the Roman Church but did not partake in her errours as you call them did they not joyne with them in the Massâ— and the Letanies of the Saints and the like Answer The thing wee say is this that howsoever they outwardly communicaâ—ed with Rome yet divers of them misliked in their heart their grosser erroâ—s they groaned under the Babylonish yoake and desired reformation besides many of them were ignorant of the depth and mysterie of poperie Object If your Protestant Church were in bâ—ing at and before Luthers appearing then did such as were members thereof either make profession thereof or not if they did tell us their names and where they did so if they did not then were they but dissemblers in Religion according to that of Saint Paul Rom. 10.10 and our Saviour Math. 10.33 Answer I will but take what your Rhemists grant and reâ—oâ—t your owne argument they say That the Catholike Church in their time was in England although it had no publike government nor open free exercise of holy function whence I argue thus if their Roman Church had any being at that time in England then their Priests and Iesuits either made publike profession of their faith or not if they made open profession why then did they goe in Lay-mens habits and lurke in corners if they made not open profâ—ssion then were they but dissemblers Besides I have already given you in a Catalogue of our professors who within the time mentioned witnessed that truth which wee maintaine by their writings confessiâ—ns and Martyrdom Now for us wee have rejected nothing but popery wee have willingly departed from the Communion of their errors and additions to the faith but from the Communion of the Church wee never departed In a word there were some who openly and constantly withstood the errours and corâ—uptions of their time and sealed with their bloud that truthâ— which they with us professed others dissented from the same errours but did not with the like courage oppâ—se themselves such as would sâ—y to their friends in private Thus I would say in the Schooles and openly Sed maneat inter nos diversum sentio but keepe my Councel I thinke the contrary PA. Was not the Masse publickly used in all Churches at Lâ—thers aâ—pearinâ— was Protestancie then so much as in being saith Master Bâ—eâ—ely PRO. If by a Protestant Church saith learned Doctor Field we meâ—ne a Church beleeving and teaching in all poinâ—s as Protestants doe and beleeving and teaching nothing but that they doe the Latine or West Church wherein the Pope â—yranâ—ized before Luthers time was and continuâ—d a true Protestant Church for it taught as we doe it condemned the superstition wee have removed it groaned under the yoke of tyranny which wee have cast off howsoever there were many in the midâ—t of her that brought in and maintained superstition and advanced the Popes Supremacie But if by a Protestant Church they understand a Church that not onely dislikes and complaines of Papal usurpation but also abandonâ—th it and not onely teacheth all necessary and saving truth but suffâ—reth none within her jurisdiction to teach otherwise wee confesse that no part of the Westerne Church was in this sort a Pâ—otestant Church till a Reformation was begun of evils formerly dislikâ—d Now whereas it is objâ—ctâ—d that the Masse wherein they say many chiefe poinâ—s oâ— their Râ—ligion are comprehended was publickely uâ—ed at Luthers appearing It is answered by Doctor Field that thâ— usiâ—g oâ— the Masse as the publicke Liturgie is no good proofe inasmuch as manifold abuses in pâ—actice besides and contrary to thâ— word of the Canon and the inâ—enâ—â—â—â— of them that first compoâ—ed the sameâ— have creâ—t into iâ— as also sundry Apocryphall thiâ—gs have slipt into the publicke Service of the Church these things will bâ—tter appeare by â—articular instances Concerning private
lesse moment and danger such as blemished indeed but tooke not away the Churches being and that they held the true foundation of Religion that is Iustification and Salvation by Iesus Christ his merits onely God dealing graciously with our fore-fathers in that this point was ordinarily taught in their bookes of Visitation and Consolation of the sicke In this respect wee hope that divers both formerly and in our dayes who live Papists die Protestants for howsoever in their life time they talke of Workes Merits and Satisfaction to God yet on their death-bed divers of them find little comfort in Crosses and Crucifixes Pictures and Popes pardons in Agnus Dei's blessed Gâ—aines Reliques and the like then they renounce all meere humane satisfaction merit and workes and breath out their last breath in the Protestant language of that holy Martyr Master Lambert who lift up his hands such hands as he had and his fingers ends flaming with fire and cried out to the people in these words None but Christ none but Christ. The example of Stephen Garâ—iner Bishop of Winchester is notable to this purpose when the Bishop lay sicke on his death-bed and Doctor Day Bishop of Chichester comming to visit him began to comfort him repeating to him such places of Scripture as did expresse or import the free justification of a repentant sinner in the blood of Christ hereunto Winchester replyed What my Lord quoth he will you open that gap now then farewâ—ll altogether you may tell this to such as me and others in my case but open once this window to the people and then farewell altogether Laâ—tly we are not simply and in euery thing to follow our Ancestors it was the argument of Simmachus the heathen Our religion which hath continued so long is to bee retained and our Ancestors to be followed by us who happily traced their fore fathers but the Loâ—d saith Walke yee not in the ordinances of your fore-fathers neither after their manners nor defile your sâ—lves with their Idols I am the Lord your God walke yee in my statuâ—es and keepe them and not after your vaine conversation which yee have received by the tradition of the Fathers as Saint Peter speakes Object If you hope so well of our fore-fathers why hope you not so well of us their children Answer The parties are not alike besides there is great difference of the times then and now the former were times of ignorance these are the dayes wherein light is come into the world in what they erred they erred ignorantly following the conduct of their guides doing as they taught them and so were mislead as Saint Austine saith Errantes ab errantibus by their blind guides but upon better information wee presume they would have reformed their errours Now he is more to bee pitied who stumbleth in the darke than in the day-light men are now admonished of their erâ—rours offer is made to them to be better instructed so that their censure will bee heavier if either they dote on their owne opinions unwilling to bee instructed in the reveled truth or after sufficient knowlâ—dge and conviction for some worldly respects they wilfully and obstinatly persist in their old errors and which is farre worse hate and persecute the maintainers of the truth Saint Cyprian saith If any of our Predecessors either of ignorance of simplicity hath noâ— observed and held that which our Lord hath taught us by his word and example by the Lords mercy pardon might bee granted to his simplicitie but to us that are now admonished and instructed of the Lord pardon cannot bee granted Saint Augustine puts a difference betwixt Heretikes and them that beleeve Heretikes and he saith farther They that defend an opinion false and perverse without pertinacious selfe-mindednesse especially which not the boldnâ—sse of their owne presumption hath begotten but which from their seduced and erronious Parents they have received and themselves doe seeke the truth with care and diligence ready to amend their errour when they find the truth they are in no wise to bee reckoned among Heretikes this was the case of our Fathers under the Papacie In a word our Fathers they lived in those errours of ignorance not of obstinacie and knew not the dangerous consequence of them such men by particular repenâ—ance of sinnes knowne and generall repentance of unknowne might by Gods mercie be saved Object If holding the foundation will serve as you seeme to say in the case of our fore-fathers then we may safely obtaine salvation in the Church of Rome Answer This followeth not for the Church of Rome buildeth many things which by consequent destroy the foundation Rome doth both hold the foundation and destroy it she holds it directly destroyes it by consequent As the Galathians held the foundation to wit salvation by Iesus Christ and yet withall held a necessity of joyning Circumcision with Christ which doctrine by consequence destroyed the very foundation for so Saint Paul wrote unto them Galat. 5.2.4 If they were circumcised Christ profited them nothing hâ—e became of none effect unto them they were fallen from gracâ— In like sort Poperie opposeth the Faith not directly but obliquely not formally but virtually not in expresse termes but by consequence Poperie overthrowes the foundation by consequence whiles it brings on so many stories of unsound adjections and corrupt super-additions upon the ancient ground-sole of Religion as are like to â—ndanger the whole frame The learned and acute Doctor Doctor Hall now Lord Bishop of Exceter gives severall instances hereof Poperie overthroweth the truth of our Iustification whiles it ascribes it to our owne works the All-sufficiencie of Christs owne Sacrifice whiles they reiterate it daily by the hands of a Priest Of his Satisfaction while thâ—y hold a payment of our utmost farthings in a devised Purgatorie Of his Mediation while they implore others to ayde them not onely by their Intercession but their Merits suing not onely for their prayers but their gifts the value of the Scriptures whiles they hold them unsufficient obscure in points essâ—ntiall to salvation and bind them to an uncertaine dâ—pendance upon the Church Now for the simpler sort whilâ—s in truth of heart they hold the maine principles which they know doubtlâ—sse the mercy of God may passe over their ignorant weakenesse in what they cannot know For the other I feare not to say that many of their errours are wilfull The light of truth hath shined out of heaven to them and they loved darkenesse more than lighâ— Thus farre that learned â—ishop PA. The Protestants at â—ast many of them conâ—â—sse there may be salvation in our Church we absolutely deny thereâ—s salvâ—tion in theirs therefore it is safâ—r to come to ours than to sâ—ay in theirs to be where almost all grant salvation than where the greater part of the world deny it PRO. This point is fully cleered by the judicious Author of the Answer to
Church holding that shee was a pure Virgin both before the birth of Christ and that shee also continued a Virgin all her life after condemned Helvidius for an Heretike now why were the Helvidians adjudged Heretikes surely because they beleeved more than was reveled in the word and would have thrust that on the Church for an Article of faith which had no ground at all And this is your case you over-â—each in your beliefe as the Helvidian Heretikes did witnesse your tenets of Transubstantiation adoration of Images Invocation of Saints Purgatory the Popes supremacie and the like wherein your faith is monstrous like the Gâ—ant of Gath who had on every hand sixe fingers and on every foote sixe toes and so it is with you who in the new Creed of Pope Pius the fourth have shuffled in more Articles of faith than ever God and his Catholike Church made Neither doe wee fall short in our beliefe for wee measure our faith by the standard and rule of Gods written wordâ— now since it jumpeth with the rule it neither faileth in defect nor over-reacheth in excesse Now by this time I hope I have performed the taske which I undertooke PA. You have indeed given in a Catalogue of visible Professors in some part of Christendome but what is this to the whole universall Church PRO. Very much for these particular congregations serve to make up the whole state of Christ his Church militant here on earth now this Church farre and wide dispersed hath in her particular members for substance of doctrine taught as wee doe To begin with the Easterne Church amongst the Grecians and Armenians The Grecians held that the Romane Church had not any Supremacie of Iurisdiction authoritie and grace above or over all other Churches They celebrated the Sacrament of the Eucharist in both kinds as we doe They denied that there was any Purgatorie fire They denied Extreame unction to bee a Sacrament properly so called They reject the Religious use of Massie Images or Statues admitting yet Pictures or plaine Images in their Churches The Armenians denie the true body of Christ to be really in the Sacrament of the Eucharist under the Species of Bread and Wine They denie the vertue of conferring grace to belong to the Sacraments Ex Opere operato They denie the Popes Supremacie and are subject to two of their owne Patriarches whom they call Catholicks They reject Purgatorie They have their publicke Service in their vulgar language The North-east Church amongst the Russians and Muscovites as they were converted to Christianitie by the Grecians so have they ever since continued of the Greeke Communion and Religion They have their divine Service in their owne vulgar language They reject Purgatorie They communicate in both kinds They denie the spirituall efficacie of Extreame unction To proceede now to the South-Church amongst the Habassines or mid land Aethiopians the Character of their Religion is this as I find it in Maâ—hew Dresser who reports it from Francis Alvarez a Portugal Priest and sometimes Legat into Aethiopia They communicate in both kinds They use no Extreame unction They reverence the Saints but they pray not unto them they doe much honour the mother of Christ but they neither adore her nor crave her mediation They have their Liturgie or Church Service in their owne vulgar language They have a Patriarcke of their owne who is confirmed and consecrated by the Patriarcke of Alexandria on which See they depend and not on the Romane In the Westerne Church we have the consent of the Waldenses in France the Wicklevists in England commonly called Lollards and Thaborites in Bohemia Here be then the Greeke and Latine Church the Churches in the the East West North and South all of them teaching for substance of doctrine as we doe I know indeed that Bellarmine sleighteth these Churches of Graecia Armenia Russia and Aethiopia saying We are no more moved with their examples than with the examples of Lutherans and Calvinists for they bee either Hereticks or Schismaticks So that all Churches be they never so Catholicke and ancient if they subscribe not to the now Romanâ— Faith are either Schismaticall or Hâ—reticall But we may not be so uncharitable to these afflicted Churches For as learned Bishop Vsher saith if wee should take a survey of these Churches and put by the points wherein they did differ one from another and gather into one body the rest of the Articles wherein they all did generally agree we should find that in those propositions which without all controveâ—sie are universally â—eceived in the whole Christian world so much truth is conâ—eined as being joyned with holy obedience may be sufficient to bring a man unto everlasting salvation Object I except against the Greeke Church for that it denieth the procession of the Holy Ghost from the Son of God Answer Every errour denieth not Christ the foundation Indeed it would have grated the foundation if they had so denied the procession of the Holy Ghost from the Sonne as that they had made an inequalitie betweene the Persons but since their forme of speech is that the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father by the Sonne and is the spirit of the Sonne and since as the Master of the Sentences saith Non est aliud It is not another thing to say the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of the Father and the Sonne then that he is or proceeds from the Father and the Sonne in this they seeme to agree with us In eandem fidei sententiam upon the same sentence of Faith though they differ in words Since I say they thus expresse themselves they may continue to bee a true Church though erronious in the point mentioned In like sort Scotus following his Master Lombard saith that The difference betweene the Greekes and the Latines in this point is rather Verball in the manner of speech than Reall and materiall Besides it seemes by the same Scotus that the Greeks held no other Heresie then Saint Basil and Gregory Nazianzene held whom yet no man durst ever yet call Hereticks so that you must give us the famous Greeke Church againe PA. I have yet divers exceptions to take at your Catalogue as also at your English Martyrologie for you have named out of Foxe some for Martyrs who were very meane persons namely Iohn Claydon a Curriar of Leather Richard Howden a Wooll-winder as also some by name Thomas Bagley for a Martyr who was a married Priest PRO. What though some of them were tradesmen did not Peter stay divers daies in Ioppa with one Simon a Tanner Act. 9.43 Was not that godly convert Lydia a seller of Purple Act. 16.14 Hath not God chosen the base things of the world to confound the mighty 1 Cor. 1.27 c. Besides they were no such base people for among others I produced
Sir Iohn Old Castlâ— Lord Cobham and Sir Roger Acton knight burnt for Religion in the raign of king Henry the fift and in Queen Maries daies there were five Bishops one and twentie Divines and eight Gentlemen who suffered for the truth Lastly what though some of them were simple people Ruffinus makes mentioÌ„ of a heathen philosopher at Nice who through his great skill in the art of Logick wound himselfe Adder-like out of the bishops arguments that they were not able to put him to silence until there rose up in the Councel a simple man who knew nothing but Christ and him crucified who with some blunt Interrogatories so amazed the Philosopher that not onely as a dumb man he had not a word to reply but yeelded himselfe to the truth which the plaine man had uttered Yea but they were married priests whom we produce for martyrs what then Gregory Nazianzen brings in his Father who was Bp. of the same See speaking thus of him Nondum tot annisunt tui quotjam in sacris mihi sunt peracti victimis that is the yeares of thine age are not so many as of my Priesthood Whereby it is cleere that Gregorie Nazianzen was born to his father afâ—er the time of his holy Orders And least any man should suspâ—ct that this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this nondum or not aâ— yet might reach onâ—ly to the biâ—th not to the begetting of Gregorie Nazianzen so as perhaps hee might be born after his fathers oâ—dâ—rsâ— and begotten before thâ—m it is further shown which makes all sure and plaine that Gorgonia and Caesarius the sister and brother of this Gregory were by the same father begotteÌ„ afâ—erwards as is evideâ—t both by that verse of Nazianzen who speaking of his mother as thâ—n childles wheÌ„ shâ— begged him of God layes Cupiebat illa masculum soetum domi Spectare magna ut pars cupit mortalium And the cleare testimony of Elias Cretensis saying Although if you regard his birth he was not the onely child of his Parents forasmuch as after him both Gorgonia and Caesarius were borne Now if this Bishop after holy Orders conversed conjugally with his wife and that without the Churches scandall then is it not any disparagement to some of our Martyrs that they were married Priests PA. Fox nameth some for Martyrs who afterwards were living PRO. There might be some that received the sentence of death and martyrdom and yet the same parties upon occasion and mediation might come to be reprieved or released and this not come to Mr. Foxe his knowledge This caÌ„not discredit the whole story taken for the most part out of your owne registers and other credible witnesses PA. You have put some into your Catalogue who were excommunicate persons and condemned to bee burnt for Heretikes as namely Husse and Wickliffe whose body was digged up forty yeares after his buriall and burnt by the Popes command PRO. Indeed they were Heretikes in such manner as Christ was called and condemned for a Blasphemer or as Saint Paul saith After the way which they call heresie so worship we the God of our Fathers beleeving all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets Indeed if this be heresie to acknowledge no other foundation then that which God himselfe hath laid no other Mediatour then Christ Iesus nor any expiation but by his blood nor any propitiatory sacrifice but his death nor any satisfaction to Gods justice but his obedience nor any rule to guide us infallibly to salvation but his word contained in the holy Scriptures if this I say be heresie then may they and we bee so reputed Now to discover who be Heretikes indeed let the Reader looke to the voice of the Church before these odds grew and see which way the Church inclined For though in the Primitive Ages thereof the writers could not speake so expresly and punctually against heresies untill they sprang up yet even then they delivered such grounds as might serve to over-throw the errours and superstition which afterwards arose Yea but our Professors have beene excommunicated and condemned so was the blind man in the Gospell whom our Saviour cured he was cast out of the Synagogue and yet Christ tooke him into his protection for the good profession he made It might be that in those papall censures the keyes were mistaken or the wards of the locke changed and then Errante clave Ecclesia their censures did not bind The Ephesine Latrocinie for so it was called Synodus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adjudged and condemned Flavianus an holy and Catholike Bâ—shop for an Heretike under that censure Flavianâ—â— died nay was martyred by them the holy Councell at Chalcedâ—â— after the death of Flavâ—anus loosed that band wherewith the Latrocinous Conspirators at Ephesus thought they had fast tyed him but because their Key did erre they did not in truth they honoured and proclaimed Flavianus for a Saint and Martyr whom the faction of Dioscurus had murdered for an heretike By which example and warrantie of that holy Councell our Church of latter time restored to their Prâ—stine dignity and honour to Flaviani in their age Bucer and Fâ—gius after their death what time that papall conspirâ—cie had not only with an erring Key bound but digged up their bodies out of their graves and burned them to ashes The papall faction hath beene but too peremptory in their censures â—hey were farre from the moderation of the Curat in Paris who being to publish an Excommunication what time there was great difference between the Emperouâ— Fredericke the second and Pope Innocent the fourth he thus acquitted himselfe Give eare saith he to his Parishioners I have received commandement to pronounce the solemne sentence of Excommunication against the Emperour Frederick candles put out and bels ringing Now I know not the cause that deserves this and yet I am not ignorant of the great odds that is betweene them I know also that one of them doth wrong the other but which it is I know not so farre forth then as my power doth extend I excommunicaâ—e and pronounce excommunicated one of the two namely him that doth the injury to the other and absolve him that suffereth the wrong which is so hurtfull unto all Christendome Thus farre he Now the thing which wee require on the behalfe of out professors so injuriously dealt withall as that their sworne enemies bâ—came both their witnesses and their Iudges which even common reason it selfe forbids that I say which we crave is this that since neither themselves have confessed the crimes laid to their charge nor others have as yet justly convicted them thereof that they may have the benefit of the Law and accordingly be restored according to an ordinary Canon provided in that case PA. Your Waldenses Wicklifists and Hussites and such as you account Confessors and Martyrs they errea in divers points they varied amongst themselves
and differed from you so that they cannot belong to the same Church PRO. Concerning Wickliffâ— Husse and the rest if they have any of them borne record to the truth and resisted any innovation of corrupt Teachers in their times even to blood they are justly to be termed Martyrs yea albeit they saw not all corruptions but in some were themselves carried away with the streame of error Else if because they erred in some things they be no Martyrs or because we dissent from them in some things we are not of the same Church both you and we must quit all claime to Saint Cyprian Iustin Martyr and many more whom we count our ancients and predecessors and bereave them also of the honour of martyrdome which so long they have enjoyed Irenaus and Iustin Martyr held the error of the Millenaries Cyprian many others held Rebaptization necessary for such as were baptized by heretikes S Austin and the greatest part of the Church for sixe hundred yeares held a necessitie of the Eucharist to Infants and in other things differed one from another and from the Church in the aftertimes correcting their errors yet because they all entirely and stedfâ—stly held all the necessary fundamentall principles which these errors did not infringe neither held they these errors obstinatly but only for want of better information they were of the same Church and Religion whereof we are S. Austin saith There be some things in which the most Learned and best Defenders of the Catholike Rule the bond of faith preserved do sometimes not agree among themselves and one in some one thing saith righter than anoher Now if the different opinions of the Fathers in some points hindred not their union in substance of the faith and their being members all of the same Church why should the like or lesser differences now among the Protestants hinder their union in substance of the same faith and their being members all of the same Chuch both among themselves and with the Fathers yea but Wickliffe and Husse with others mentioned in our Catalogue they erred in point of faith it is true but yet their error was not joyned with pertinacy they errâ—d not incorrigibly buâ— for want of better information they erred in that doctrine of faith wherein the truth was not fully scanned declared and confirmed by a Plenary Councell as S. Austin speaketh had it beene we may well thinke the very same of all those holy men which Austin most charitably saith of Saint Cyprian Without doubt they would have yeelded to the truth being manifested unto them by the authority of the whole Church Object We are at vnity but your Protestants are at ods and namely your Lutherans and Calvinists in the point of the Sacrament the one holding Consubstantiation and the other opposing it Answer The Protestants especially we of the Church of England are at unity as appeares by the Harmony of our confessions as also by our joynt subscriptions to the Articles of Râ—ligion established And for the point mentioned the difference is nothing so great as you would have it thought for as the moâ—t learned and judicious Zanchius observeth and our Doctor Field out of him In all necessary points both the parties agree and dissent in one unnecessary which by right understanding one another might easily be compounded Both sides saith Zanchius doe agree that the elements of bread and wine are not abolished in their substance but onely changed in their use which is not onely to signifie but also to exhibit and communicate unto us the very body and blood of Christ with all the gracious working and fruits thereof Both parties agree that the very body and blood of Christ are truely present in the Sacrament and by the faithfull truely and really received Thus farre all parties agree that is in the whole necessary and sufficient substance of the doctrine of this Sacrament for the other matter wherein they differ de modo of the manner how Christ is present in the Sacrament seeing it is not expressed in the Scriptures in the judgement of Zanchius it might well be omitted and they themselves confesse when they have gone as farre as they can to determine it still it is ineffable and not possible to be fully understood It is enough for us saith the same Zanchius to beleeve the body and blood are there though how and in what manner wee cannot define So then in this maine controversie betweene them about Consubstantiation which as Zanchius saith did afterwards occasion that other of ubiquity in both these controversies the main truth on both sides is out of controversie that Christ is really truly exhibited to each faithfull Communicant and that in his whole person he is every where the doubt is onely in the manner how he is in the Symbols and how in heaven and earth Now for other ods amongst us they be but in Ceremonies or at worst in points of no absolute consequence whereas the differences amongst Papists concerne the life of Religion They differ concerning the Supreame authoritie of the Church whether it be in the Pope or in the Generall Councel The Councels of Constance and Basil determined that a Generall Councel was above the Pope the Councel of Florence decreed the Pope to be above a Generall Councel They differ concerning the manner of the conception of the Virgin Mary The Dominican Friers following the Thomists hold that she was conceived in Originall sinne the Franciscans hold the contrary The moderne Popes disâ—gree with the ancient concerning the dignitie of universall Bishop adoration of Images Transubstantiation Communion in both kinds and the Merit of good workes as is already showne in the fifth and seaventh Centurie of this treatise So cleere is it that some doctrines of the later Roman Church were opposed by the ancient Roman Bishops thâ—mselves to wit adoration of Images as also the dignity and title of universal Bishop by Gregorie the Great coÌ„munion in one kind â— as also the merit of good works by Leo the first TransubstantiatioÌ„ by Gelasius the first Besides the Iesuits and Dominicans differ at this day concerning the weighty point of Free-will and Grace The truth is the Popish Faith varieth not onely with their persons but according to time and place so that they can exchange their tenets upon occasion advance or cry downe their opinions at their pleasure as may best serve for their advantage For as Azorius the Iesuit saith It falls out often that that which was not the common opinion a few yeares since now is And that which is the common opinion of Divines in one Country is not so in another As in Spaine and Italy it is the common opinion that Latreia or divine worship is due to the Crosse which in France and Germaâ—y is not so but some inferior kind of worship due thereunto And Navarrus the Casuist sayes
by the Romists such as indeede could not in truth with any possibilitie fall into the imagination or fancie of any man much lesse bee doctrinally or dogmatically delivered Besides many of the books and writings of Wickliffe and Husse are extant wherein are found no such doctrines as Papists have charged them with but rather the contrary So that we hope there is no indifferent person will regard their slanders for even at this day when things are in present view and action they calumniate the persons and falsifie the doctrine of our professours as grossely as ever Pagans traduced the Primitive Christians for instance sake they give it out that we hold that God regardeth not our good works whereas we beleeve that Good works are necessary to salvation and Works are said to be necessary for us unto salvation to wit not as a cause of our salvation but as a meane or way without which wee come not unto it as a Consequent following Iustification wherewith Regeneration is unseparably joyned In like sort they gave out that Beza recanted his Religion before his death whereas he lived to confute this shamelesse lye and with his owne hand wrote a tract which he called Beza Redivivus Beza Revived Thus also of late have they dealt with that Reverend zealous and learned Prelate Doctor King late Bishop of London giving it out in their idle Pamphlets that hee was reconciled to the Church of Rome which is unanswerably proved to bee a grosse lye for towards his death hee received the holy Sacrament at the hands of his Chapleine Doctor Cluet Arch-deacon of Middle-sex he received it together with his wife children and family whom he had invited to accompany him to that Feast whereof hee protested in the presence and hearing of divers personages of good note that his soule had greatly longed to eate that last Supper and to performe that last Christian duty before he left them and having received the Sacrament he gave thanks to God in all their hearing that he had lived to finish that blessed worke for so himselfe did call it And then drawing neerer to his end â—e expresly caused his Chapleine then his Ghostly Father to reade the Confession and absolution according to the ordinarie forme of Common prayer appointed in our Liâ—urgie Did this worthy Prelate now dye a Papist who to his last breath communicated with the Church of Eâ—gland Besides whereas Preston the Priest was given out to be the man that reconciled the Bishop to the See of Rome Preston as appeareth by his Examination and Answer taken before divers honourable Commissioners protested before God and upon his conscience as he should answer at the dreadfull day of Iudgement that the said Bishop of London did never confesse himselfe unto him nor ever received Sacramentall absolution at his hands nor was ever by him reconciled to the Church of Rome neither did renounce before him the Religion professed and established in the Church of England Yea he added farther that as he hoped to be saved by Christ Iesus he to his knowledge was never in company where the said Doctor King late Lord Bishop of London was neither did he ever receive letter from him nor did write letter unto him neither did he ever to his knowledge see the said Bishop in any place whatsoever nor could have knowne him from another man Object You have singled out some testimonies of Fathers Schoole-men and others and alleadged them on your owne behalfe as if they had thereby beene of your Religion whereas they be our witnesses and speake more fully for us than for your side Answer According to the Rule in law Testem queâ— quis inducit pro se teâ—etur recipere contra se you have produced them for your owne ends and now in reason you cannot disallow them when they are alleadged by us so that you must give us leave to examine your men upon crosse Interrogatories Besides one may be a materiall witnesse who speaks home to two or three Interrogatories although he cannot depose to all the rest It is no part of our meaning to take the scantling of our ancestors Religion from some single testimonies wherein they either agree with or dissent from us but fâ—om the maine body of the substantiall points of doctrine which are controverted betwixt us at this day Neither make wee any such simple collection Such a man held such a point with us therefore he was a Protestant no more then we allow them to frame the like Such a man in such or such a particular agreed with the nâ—w Church of Rome therefore he was a Papist For it followeth no more than this an Aethiopian or Tauny-moore is white in part namely in his teeth therefore he is white all over But our care hath beene that since In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word is established Deut. 19.15 and thaâ— as Hieâ—ome saith One single witnesse were it Cato himsâ—lfe is not so much to bee credited to joyne together the severall testimonieâ— oâ— such worthies as lived in the same age presuming that what some of note delivered and the same not opposed by their contemporaries that that is to bee supposed to have beene the doctrine commonly received in those countries and at that time Vpon these and the like considerations the Reader may bee pleased to rest satisfied with such passages as have beene produced on our behalfe though not so thronged and full in every age inasmuch as divers of our Ancestors have not left unto us sufficient evidence whereby it might appeare what they held in divers particulars Besides that there bee divers testimonies suppressed so as we can hardly come by them as namely in Faber Stapulensis his Preface to the Evangelists there is a notable place touching the Scriptures Suficiencie the words are these The Scripture sufficeth and is the onely Rule of eternall life whatsoever agâ—eeth not to it is not so necessary as superfluous The Primitive Church knew no other Rule but the Gospel no other Scope but Christ no other Worship than was due to the Individuall Trinity I would to God the forme of beleeving were fetched from the Primitive Church Thus saith Stapulâ—nsis Now this whole passagâ— is appointed by the Expurgatory Index of Spaine to be lâ—fâ— ouâ— in their later editions and yet by good hap I met with this passage in an edition aâ— Basâ—lâ— as also in anothâ—r at Colen An. 1541. In like sort I â—â—nd alleadged out of Luâ—ovicus Vives his Commentaries upon Saint Augustine dâ— Civitate Dei these passages following touching the Canon of the Scripture and the practised Adoration of Images in his time namely the same Vives saith that The storie of Susanna of Bel and the Dragon are not Canonicall Scripture he saith also that Saints are esteemed and worshipped by many as were the Gods among the Gentiles These places I carefully sought for in the severall editions of S. Austin
of Asia in their celebration of Easter and tho they were cut off from the Popes Communion yet they sleighted it and persisted in their former opinions and customes as I have already showne in the sixth Centurie In the later ages Rainerius the Popish Inquisitour makes mention of two famous Bishops of the Waldenses one Balazinanza of Verona and one Iohn de Lugio about the yeare 1250. And I have showne in the twelfth age out of Mathew Paris about the yeare of Grace 1223 that amongst the Albigenses there was one Bartholomew who ordered and governed the Churches in Bulgaria Croatia Dalmatia Hungaria and appointed Ministers insomuch as the Bishop of Portuense the Popes Legate in those parts complained thereof And in the fifteenth age I have showne out of Cochleus in his Historie of the Hussites knowne and confessed Protestants how Conâ—adus Arch-bishop of Prague became an Hussite and held a Councel at Prague in the yeare 1421 and there compiled a Confession of their Faith agreeable to the doctrine of the Reformed Churches Now those who succeeded the forenamed Bishops among the Waldenses and Albigenses as also the Hussites although they carried not the titles of Bishops yet they exercised Episcopall authoritie in ordaining Priests the Catalogue of whom is extant in the historie of the Waldenses and Albigenses And thus they have in Germany those whom they call Superintendents and generall Superintendents and where these are not as in the French Churches yet There are saith Zanchius usually certaine chiefe men that doe in a manner beare all the sway as if order it selfe and necessitie led them to this course And what are these but Bishops in effect unlesse wee shall wrangle about names which for reason of State those Churches were to abstaine from PA. Since you impute so many errours to the Church of Rome which you pretend to have reformed tell us when those corruptions came in for doubtlesse some histories would note them some learned men oppose them for in every great and notorious change there may be observed the Authour time and place with the like Circumstances as Bellarmine saith PRO. By the like reason it would follow that a Tenant who had long dwelt he and his Ancestors in a decayed house should not bee bound to repayre it unlesse his Land-lord could tell him in what yeare or month every rafter or wall began to decay a sick patient should not purge out an ill humour unlesse hee or his Physician could name the time when his first mis-diet had bred this humour so Naaman because hee was once cleane and could not tell the very time meanes and degrees of the comming of his Leprosie might be proved to bee cleane still and neede neither the Prophet nor the washing 2 King 5. Errours and abuses are not all of one sort there were some heresies such as the Arrian and Nestorian which strucke at the very head the one at the divinitie of Christ the other at the divinity of the Holy Ghost and these being notorious were soone discerned and opposed and herein Bellarmines reason many take place but Poperie like that mysterie of iniquitie 2 Thes. 2.7 works closely it creeps and spreads abroad like a Cancker or Gangreene 2. Tim. 2.17 it is like the Cockatrices Egge a long time in the shell before the Cockatrice it selfe appeare Now these kinde of corruptions creepe into the Church secretly and insensibly and are best knowne by their differences from their first pure doctrine so that if we can shew the present doctrines of Rome refused by us disagree from the Primitive it is enough to shew there hath beene a change though wee cannot point out the time wheÌ„ every point began to be changed Tertullian saith The very doctrine it selfe being compared with the apostolicke by the diversity contrarietie thereof will pronounce that it â—ad â—or Authour neither any Apostle nor any Apostolicall man If from the beginning it was not so and now it is so there is a change All dranke of that Cup now all must not all then prayed in knowne tongues with understanding and all publike service done to edification now the custome is altered though wee know not when this change began Besides they that call upon us to show the time place and persons of such and such changes in Religion cannot theâ—selves performe the like Gregory de Valentia a learned Iesuite confesseth that the use of receiving the Sacrament in one kind began first in some Churches and grew to be a generall custome in the Latine Church not much before the Councel of Constance in which at last to wit about two hundred yeares agon this custome was made a law But if they put the question to him as they doe to us and aske him When did that custome first get fâ—oting in some Churches he returnes this for Answer Minimè constat it is more than he can tell Doctor Fisher bishop of Rochester and Cardinal Cajetan grant that of Indulgences no certainty can be had what their Originall was or by whom they were first brought in Doctor Fisher addeth that Of Purgatorie in the ancient Fathers there is no mention at all or very rare that thâ— Latines did not all at once but by little and little receive it that tâ—e Grecians beleeve it not to this day and that Purgatorie being so long unknowne it is not to be marveiled that in the first times of the Church there was no use of Indulgences for they had their beginning after that men had a while beene scared with the torments of Purgatorie which as the same Râ—ffensis saith was but Sero cognitum lately knowne and discovered The Originall of their private Masses wherein the Priest receiveth the Sacrament alone and none of the people communicate with him but are all lookers on Doctor Harding fetcheth from no other ground than Lacke of devotion on the peoples part now let them tell us in what Popes dayes the people fell from their devotion and then we may haply tell them when their private Masses began Bellarmine saith that The worship and Invocation of Saints was brought into the Church rather by custome than any precept Concerning prayer in an unknowne tongue It is to be wondred how the Church altered in this point saith Erasmus but the precise time he cannot tell So little reason have they to think that al such changes must be made by any one certaine author it being confessed that some of them may come in pedetentim as B. Fisher saith of purgatory by litle and little not so very easie to be discerned some may come in by the silent coÌ„sent of many grow after into a generall custome the beginning whereof is past mans memorie as the abstaining from the cup some may arise of the undiscreet devotion of the multitude as those of Purgatorie and Indulgences and some from the want of devotion in the people as