the Spanish Bishops are very great As the Archbishop of Toledo hath 250000 Ducats per annum more than some Kingdomes Italie being as some write 900 miles in length and in breadth from the Adriatick Sea to the Ligurian shoare 240 miles growing narrower in breadth untill it shut itselfe into two hornes either of which are not above 14 miles in bredth Of this Country the King of Spaine hath a part as the Kingdome of Naples and the Dutchie of Millaine In it also the Venetians The Duke of Florence and other Princes and Common-wealths have severall Dominions In Italie also resideth the Bishop of Rome who as hee hath many Cardinals Metropolitans Archbishops and Bishops under him so also many temporall Dukedomes and Principalities of which he is absolute Prince and Lord. The Bishops of Rome for the first 300 yeeres were most of them Martyrs as Clement who was tied to an Anchor and cast into the Sea Fabian who did prohibit the Emperour Philip to enter the Church without some shew of penitence Cornelius who was banished revoked whipt and beheaded c. Paul and Barnabas preached Christ first in Rome and afterward was the first Bishop of Millaine where Saint Ambrose also sate France mingled with Protestants as before being about 200 leagues square in which is reckoned Loraine Saboie and Avignion belonging to the Pope and Geneva with foure Territories not subiect to the French King The Church Gallican is best priviledged of all the Churches in Christendome that are under the Pope It is more free from payments to the Pope than the Church of Spaine as also to the King they pay only the Disme whereas in Spaine the King hath his Tertias Subsidio Pila Escusado in all a moitie of the Church-livings In France are reckoned 12 Archbishopricks 104 Bishopricks 540 Archpriories 1450 Abbeyes 12322 Priories 567 Nunneries 130000 Parish Priests 700 Convents of Friers 259 Commendants of the Order of the Knights of Malta six of the French Bishops are Peeres of France who are to aid the King with their Councell Poland mingled with Protestants and Greeks as before there are in Poland two Archbishopricks and many Bishopricks The Archbishop of Guesne is Primate and in the vacancy hath regal Authoritie precedeth in Councell proclaimeth the new King c. Some part of Germany in which Country are reckoned seven Archbishops and about 47 Bishops Three of their Archbishops are Princes Electours Halfe the Netherlands in which there are two Archbishopricks and many Bishopricks One third part of Switzerland and the Grisons Country Austria Hungaria Bohemia and some other Countries mingled with Protestants as before The third sort of Christians in Europe are the Moscovites VNder the great Emperour of Moscovia whose Dominions in Europe and Asia extend from Narve to Siberia West and East about 4400 Verstes and from Cola to Astracan North and South 4226 or thereabouts A Verst is about three quarters of a mile They received the Christian Faith from Saint Andrew the Apostle as their Histories report They have the holy Scriptures in their owne tongue translated by St. Ierome they use the service of St. Chrysostome translated into the vulgar neither is their Clergy mean base or beggarly The now Emperour Michael honoured his father Theodore with the Patriarkship of Mosco their Patriarke Metropolitanes Arch-Bishops under him are men of great dignity and honour what their Clergy want in learning they have and make good in devotion and holinesse of life Some of their Bishops have 2000 some 3000 Rubbles per annum The fourth sort of Christians are the Greekes VNder the Patriarke of Constantinople who live mingled with the Turks and make two thirds and more of the Inhabitants in many places of the Turkes Dominions The Grand Signior alloweth the Christians the liberty of their Religion they paying a tribute and the Bishops their Ecclesiasticall Government The Patriarkship of Constantinople being voyd Sultan Mahumet the Emperour that subdued Constantinople invested Gennadius into it with great solemnity giving to him his Pastorall staffe and many gifts This Patriarke had 28 Provinces under his iurisdiction and yet hath at this day many Metropolitans arch-Arch-Bishops and Bishops under him Stachis was their first Bishop placed there by St. Andrew and now Cyril governeth the Patriarchall See in a continued succession from Stachis before named In this Church the holy Apostles constituted many Bishops As St. Paul placed Timothy in Ephesus Titus in Crete Silas in Corinth Silvanus in Thessalonica with others As St. Andrew constituted Stachis before named Bishop of Bizantium now called Constantinople Philologus Bishop in Sinope Calistus Bishop in Nice Polycarp Disciple to St. Iohn was Bishop of Smyrna In time following this Church had many holy Patriarchs as St. Chrysostome Gregory Nazianzen Paul the Patriarch whom the Arrians banished and strangled with others who governed this Church whose memories shall remaine for ever The Patriarchs of Constantinople before the Turkes Conquest were men of great dignity and estate as Theophylact about the yeare 936 kept 2000 Horse and Alexander An. 1043 died worth 800000 Crownes The Patriarch now hath as Chytraeus writeth about 20000 Dollers yearely for his maintenance He hath also out of Moscovia some pension which was in time past under his iurisdiction The Greekes of Corcira Candy and other Islands are subiect to the Venetians who have Arch-Bishops and Bishops under them In Asia are the Christians 1 VNder the Patriarch of Ierusalem who absolutely moderateth in Iudea and over all professors of the Greek Religion throughout Syria This Patriarch hath had 101 Bishops under him St. Iames called the Iust and the Brother of our Lord was the first Bishop there and now Theophanes sitteth in that See Simon Cleophas succeeded Iames among these Bishops Cyrillus was famous a man greatly hated by the Arrians and deposed by them This Church is most ancient The Law went out of Syon and the Word of God from Ierusalem This City was Emporium The mart of the Christian Faith and the Mother of all Churches as Theodoret saith 2 Vnder the Patriarch of Antioch Who had 141 Bishops under him Their first Bishop was St. Peter and now Athanasius The Disciples were first called Christians there Ignatius the holy Martyr was Bishop of this Church and Cyril who was slaine for denying Numerian the Emperour sonne of Charus to enter his Church because he had sacrificed to Idolls Charus was slaine by Thunder and Numerian by Aper 3 The Georgians in Iberia who have 18 Bishops under their Metropolitane or Patriarch 4 The Circassians who inhabite a Country about 500 miles long and 200 miles broad 5 The Mengrellians who live as the Circassians doe by themselves not mingled with the Mahumetans 6 The Christians in Asia the lesse who except the Cilitians and Isaurians are subiect to the Patriarch of Constantinople
about the five and thirtieth yeare of our Lord. Aristobulus one of the seventy Disciples was one of the first Bishops of Britanie The memory of these arch-Arch-Bishops following viz. Of Patrick in Ireland Palladius in Scotland and of David in Wales who Preached the most sweete Name of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ in these Countries before named will never be forgotten In St. Peters Church in Cornehill London remaineth a Monument declaring that King Lucius founded that Church for a Bishops See and of a succession of Arch-Bishops there for 400 yeares Elvanus sate Arch-Bishop there by whose preaching with others King Lucius had beene converted as also Restitutus a married Bishop who with other British Bishops subscribed the Synode at Arles Anno 350. Neither is Vodinus one of the Arch-bishops of London to be left in oblivion who was murthered for reproving King Vortiger for putting away his wife and marrying Rowen daughter to Hengist an Infidel Reverend Bede telleth us of many Learned men and Bishops in Britany before and about the comming of Austin the Monk As also of Bishop Aidan and Finan who are at this day reckoned among the Romish Saints although they would have no Communion with the said Austin Likewise Arch-bishop Cranmer Bishop Ridley Bishop Latimer and others who restored Religion to the ancient Purity and sealed their Confession with their Blood will be had in Everlasting memory There are now in the Kingdomes above named eight Arch-bishops and about eighty Bishops The Clergy in these Kingdomes are learned best provided for and the most honorable of the reformed Churches The Bishops are Barons and sit in their Parliaments and two of the English Bishops viz. Durham and Eley have some regalities in their Diocesses In ancient time the Kings of England placed Clergy-men in the greatest Offices of the Kingdome The Protestants also inhabit the Kingdome of Denmark with the Balticke Islands and the great Islands in the Ocean as Islands part of Freisland The Kingdome of Norway being in length about 1300. miles and not halfe so much in breadth There are in Denmarke and Norway two Archbishopricks and foureteene Bishoprickes These Kingdomes received Christianity from the Apostles or Disciples as Merman affirmeth There were two Danish Bishops in the first Councell of Nice viz. Marcus Metropolitanus Protogenes The Kingdome of Sweden bigger then France and Italy in which Kingdome is one Arch-Bishopricke and seven Bishopricks The Kingdome of Transilvania in a manner intire In the Kingdome of Poland being of no lesse space than Spaine and France laid together the Protestants in great numbers are diffused through all the quarters thereof having in every Province their publicke Churches orderly severed and bounded with Dioces There are also in Polonia many Greeks or Russes who have eight Bishops whose Metropolitane is the Arch-Bishop of Kiovia These Bishops are not beggarly but well provided for and of good esteeme Isidore Arch-Bishop of Kiovia before named went to the Councell of Florence attended with 100. Horse There are also many Armenians Christians whose Bishop is resident in Leopolis In France the Protestants had at the conference of Poisie 2150 Congregations In this Christian Kingdome Philip the Apostle with many holy Bishops preached the faith as Dionysius Disciple of S. Paul the first Bishop of Paris and Martyrs Lazarus Photinus Disciple of Polycarp and Irenaeus B. of Lions Hilary B. of Poicteurs who tooke great paines to purge France from the Arrian Heresie Remigius Bishop of Rhemes who baptized Clodoveus the first Christian King of France Neither should wee forget Germanus Bishop of Anxer nor Lupus Bishop of Tros who crossed the Seas to aide the British Bishops against the Pelagians The Protestants have also the greatest part of Germany all the temporall Princes of note being of late Protestants except the Dukes of Bavaria and Cleere and in a manner all the Free Cities and Hanse Townes The Protestants detain also in their possessions the Archbishopricks of Magdenburgh and Breame with the Bishopricks unto them belonging As also the Bishopricks of Verdden Halberstad Osnaburgh and Minden When Magdenburgh was converted to the Faith Albert was there Bishop Cresceus Disciple of Saint Paul was one of the first Bishops in Germany and Winibrode an Englishman commonly called Boniface is Famous amongst the Archbishops of Ments whom the Pagans murthered in hope of prey and found only in his Coffers a few bookes and Relicks The first Bishop of Wertburgh was Burchard a Britaine this Bishop is Duke of Franconia and Lord of part of Vortland The first Archbishop of Breme was Ausgarius who converted Erick the third King of Denmarke Also in these later times the memory of Doctor Luther who caused Reformation in some parts of Germany is very precious in the Countries by him reformed They have also halfe the Netherlands there were lately Bishops in these parts as amongst others Amandus Bishop of Utrecht who converted the Gauntois to the Christian Faith As also Frederick Bishop of the said See who for reproving Lodowick the Emperour for keeping Iudith was put to death but now in these Countries and some others they have no Bishops but appropriating the Church-livings to themselues they give their Ministers Pensions But I fear that in this their taking to themselves the Church-livings set apart by their Fore-fathers for the service of Almighty God and paying their Ministers pensions they doe no otherwise than a King of Spaine did who taking very much from the Church built a Monastery or two of whom the Proverbe went That he had taken a Sheep from Almighty God and given him again out of it the Trotters Now what the miserable Effects are which follow upon the want of Bishops in those Countries let the abundance of Heresies Sects Schismes and Religions amongst them testifie to the world Also they have more than halfe Switzerland and the Grisons Country in which Countries have beene many Bishops The Protestants also live mingled with the Romanists in Hungarie Austria Bohemia Piemont and other places Severinus is accounted the Apostle of Austria In those Countries have beene many holy Bishops and Doctours who have shined like Stars in the Firmament illuminating the Darknesse of the blind World with the light of their Celestiall Doctrine The second sort of Christians in Europe are The Roman Catholicks Who inhabit SPain being in compasse 1893 miles or thereabouts in times past divided into many Kingdomes but now united into one In this great Kingdome are about eleven Archbishops and many Bishops men of great Dignity and Estate Saint Iames is affirmed to be the Apostle of Spaine as also Saint Paul Osius Bishop of Corduba whom Constantine honoured for the marks of Iesus Christ that he bore and Isidore Bishop of Sivill are famous for opposing the Arrian Hereticks with Illefonsus Archbishop of Toledo Isidorus Scholer Fulgentius and others The revenues of
These Churches of Asia the lesse St. Iohn governed and placed Bishops in them 7 The Christians in the Kingdomes of Cazan and Astracan and other Countries in Asia under the dominion of the Emperour of Muscovia who hath under him in Europe and Asia a greater extent of Land than the Roman Catholicks have in Europe All the Asiatick Christians before named are of the Greek communion and observe the Greek rites 8 The Armenians under their two chiefe Patriarchs one of these Patriarchs liveth under the Turke the other under the Persian In Cardinall ' Baronius Annals you may read of 1000 Armenian Bishops Thaddaeus whom they much esteeme preached the Faith to them Now I heare the Patriarch of the greater Armenia to be called Moses As these Christians live in Armenia the greater and lesser so also in many Countries and Cities of Asia Africa and Europe About the yeare 324 Gregory whom they call Illuminator was Bishop of Armenia who suffered Martyrdome under Licinius the Emperour In the yeare 1609 Abbas the Persian Emperour put to death 1000 of these Christians upon a Letter fained to bee written from their Patriarch to the Pope of Rome acknowledging him to be Head of the Church 9 The Iacobites who inhabit a great part of Asia and other places mingled with Mahumetans and Pagans Their Patriarch having many Bishops under him keepeth residence in Caramite the Metropolis of Mesopotamia wee may reade of a Patriarch of the Iacobites in the time of Heraclius the Emperour 10 The Chaldean and Assyrian Christians with others under the Patriarch of Mozul who have many of them their Services in the Syrian Tongue being the language in which our Lord preached These Christians inhabite mingled with Mahumetans and Pagans a great part of the Orient for beside the Countries of Babylon Assyria Mesopotamia Parthia Media c. wherein many of these Christians are found They are scattered farre and neere in the East both Northerly in Cathaia and Southerly in India Trigautius reckoneth 14 Metropolitans viz. of India China Cambaia Mogor Hilam Nzivin Prath Assur Bethgarmi Halack Passes Mauzeor xam Raziqueor besides many Archbishops and Bishops Cardinall Vitriacus in his History of the East reporteth these Christians with the Jacobites to be more in number then the Latines and Greeks These Christians were converted by Saint Thomas the Apostle and in their Service-book they have this Hymne as Trigantius reporteth The Indians the Chinoises the Persians and other Islanders and they that are in Syria Armenia Grecia and Romania in commemoration of S. Thomas doe offer prayse to thy holy Name 11 The Maronites in Mount Libanus who have a Patriarch and eight or nine Bishops under him 12 The Indians of Saint Thome so called because they received the Christian Faith from Saint Thomas the Apostle These Christians inhabite many places in the East Indies as Melia-par where Saint Thomas was buried and hath a goodly Temple erected to his name Angamall where an Archbishop resideth Cranganor Negapatan Vaipecotan and others Trigautius writeth that when the Portugals arrived at Cochin that the Lord Iacob ruled the Malabar Church who stiled himselfe Metropolitan of India and China and that Ioseph succeeded him Iosephus Indus borne in Cranganor in East India also writeth of a great Prelat to whom twelve Cardinals were subiect with two Patriarchs and many Archbishops and Bishops 13 The Chinoises possesse a Countrey little lesse then all Europe Saint Thomas preached the Gospel first amongst them afterwards they had a supply of Preachers from Iudea K. Tay with Neu huanti reigning in the yeer 782. They erected a Monument declaring the bringing in of the Gospell into China in what Provinces it was promulgated and how many yeeres it flourished The Monument is graven with Syrian Letters with these words Adam sacerdos Presbyter Papalis Zinostan seu regionis Sinarum in the margent of this Monument there are divers names engraven of them that brought the sweet Name of our Lord Iesus Christ among them as Constantinus Saba cusio seu Aethiops Dominus Sergius c. Paulus Venetus writeth of a Christian Church in the great Citie of Quinsay I read also of Gaspara a China Bishop 14 Cathaia is one of the largest Empires upon the face of the whole Earth in which there be also many Christians They write of a Christian King of Tenduc whose native Subiects are Christians besides he ruleth farre and wide over many Provinces whose inhabitants are also for the most part Christians To conclude there is neither speech nor language but his voice hath beene heard among them The sound of the Gospell is gone out into all Lands and the Word of God into the ends of the World In Africa are these Christians following 1 VNder the Patriarch of Alexandria whose iurisdiction hath been from the River of Nilus to the Gaditan straits In the City of Caire only are thought to be 200000 Christians Saint Marke was their first Bishop and now Metrophanes governeth and precedeth there brought up in Oxford sent hither by Cyrill the then Patriarch to our late Lord Archbishop of Canterbury In Cardinall Baronious Annalls you may read of a Succession of Bishops from Saint Marke to Gabriell the then Patriarch There is a service in the Syrian tongue set forth by Severus Patriarch of Alexandria also a service in the Cophts Language set forth in print by Kirkerus The Cophts are the native EEgyptians and have a Patriarch of their owne Moreover Demetrius of Thessalonica hath set forth a Service used in Cair and among the Christians in Arabia The Holy Bishop Athanasius who opposed the Arrian World was sixe and forty yeares Patriarch of Alexandria with many other Holy Bishops as among others Poterius Bishop of Alexandria who was slaine by the Eutychian Hereticks haled through the streetes his body cut in pieces and his Entrailes chewed by them The Patriarchs of Alexandria have beene great Princes and weare a Crowne His title is Oecumenick Iudge So many Holy men lived in this Church in ancient time that it was called the Paradise of God 2 The Abassine Christians under the Emperour of Aethiopia who inhabit many Kingdomes of Affrica They received the Faith first from Philip and afterwards Saint Matthew the Apostle preached among them they have a Patriarch or Abuna a-man of great esteeme and estate Their Abuna when Alvares was in Aethiopia was called Marke a Reverend old Man aged about 110 a man gracious in his speech never speaking without blessing of God and giving of Thankes when hee goeth out of his Tent he rideth upon a Mule well attended Their Churches are builded round adorned with rich hangings and Plate They have their Service in their owne tongue Zago Zabo Bugana Raze that is The Vice-Roy of Bugana an Aethiopian Bishop was sent Ambassadour from the Aethiopian Emperour to Iohn King
of Portugall who remained in Europe many yeares whose Confession of faith is set downe by Damianus a Goes As also the Aethiopian Rites are set forth in Print by Alvares a Portugall Priest who was some yeares Leidger in Aethiopia sent thither by the King of Portugall Thomas a Iesuite writeth of a long succession of the Abassin Abunas There is also a succession of the Christian Abassin Emperours from Abraham called the Saint who reigned about the yeare 427 to Abbas and Claudius their late Emperours It is reported that the Turke hath subdued much of the Prets Country yet the Abassine Religion may continue which the Turke taketh not from any 3 The Christians also inhabit the Kingdome of Cephala Thevet writeth that they received the faith by the preaching of the Abassines 4. Moreover the Matacasian Kingdome received Christianity by the means of the King of Cephala The Matacasian King placed over his Churches eight Bishops and over them a Primate or Patriarch whom they call Elchadie or Ismael In time past Christianity flourished in the North-west part of Africa Wee read of Synods there of above 200 Bishops and in one Province called Zingitana where Carthage stood of 164 Bishops to bee under one Metropolitane When these Churches flourished they opposed the iurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome over them as appeareth by writings of St. Cyprian St. Augustine the sixt Councell of Carthage and by a Synod at Melevis in both which the African Fathers forbad appeales to Rome In the North-west parts of Africa doe remaine onely now two Bishopriks viz Septa and Tanger And whereas in Barbary Algier and other places there are many thousands of Christians in Captivity they are allowed by their Patrons the Moores the liberty of their Religion and the learnedest or eldest is to the rest in stead of a Priest 6 Beside the subiects of Prester Iohn very many people of the neighbour Kingdomes mixed with Mahumetans and Heathen people doe professe the Religion and Rites of the Abassin Christians as Miraeus affirmeth 7 In Congo called by some Manicongo there are or have beene some Christians Miraeus reokoneth up a succession of nine Christian Kings in that Kingdome 8 In Monomopata there have bin some Christians and they have had a King baptized 9. In the Isle of Zocotora there are some Christians who have also a Protomist or Bishop over them 10 The Portugals and Spaniards inhabit certaine Townes and Forts in Africa as also the English and Hollanders reside in some places of Africa Miraeus setteth downe Alphabetically the Bishopricks of Africa and reckoneth about 430 but howsoever many of the Bishopricks are not but ruinated and dissolved yet the Fame of the Sanctity and learning of their Holy Bishops heretofore shall continue for ever As of St. Cyprian Bishop of Carthage St. Austin Bishop of Hippo Aurelius Bishop of Carthage Athanasius Patriarch of Alexandria Origen Tertullian Arnobius and others who governed the Church of God after a most singular manner and having finished their course rest with God in Heaven But by the way to adde a word or two for the better understanding of this my Relation VVhereas you have heard of many Bishops in Europe Asia and Africa it will not be impertinent to set downe what manner of men these Bishops in the Primative Church were for some suppose Bishops and Elders to be all one which was the Herefie of Aerius and that they lived meanly upon Almes and Stipends For the first the Office of a Bishop is set downe by St. Paul Titus the 1. and 5. For this cause I left thee in Crete that thou shouldst set in order things that are wanting and ordaine Elders in every City Here we see Elders or Pastors to be in every City But Titus the Bishop had the charge to order and ordaine Elders for the whole Island in which wee reade 100 Cities to have been besides Townes Titus was their first Bishop and there is now an Archbishop residing there who hath Bishops under him For the second whereas some suppose that Bishops then lived upon almes or stipends heare what Saint Augustine hath left written of his little Bishopricke of Hippo in Africa Saint Augustine was a Patricians sonne and had a faire estate from his Father I saith hee went not from Riches but to Riches my fathers estate left mee was not the twentieth part in comparison of the Farms other Estates which I was Lord of by being Bishop of Hippo. In the 60 Epistle of Saint Cyprian you may perceive the estate of the Church of Carthage of which place hee was Bishop Also Eusebius setteth downe the condition of the Church of Rome under Cornelius the Bishop and Martyr who had under him 155 Clergie men besides a multitude of Widdows and Poor who were abundantly relieved and lest any man should thinke this to be done penuriously The said Cornelius writeth to Fabian Bishop of Antioch that so great a multitude were by the Providence of God made rich and abounding in all plenteousnesse In ancient time the Church Goods were divided into foure parts one to the Bishop for the mayntenance of his Dignity and State the second to the inferiour Clergy the third to the poore and the fourth for building repayring and adorning of the Church and other uses But whereas some think the chiefe points of Reformation to be put downe Bishops and to ceaze upon Church-livings and to put their Ministers to stipends I suppose it to be a great plague laid upon a Church to make their Ministers Stipendaries and so to depend upon the benevolences of their people it being the curse of God denounced upon the Priests of the Posteritie of Elie to bow for a piece of silver and to crowch for a morsell of bread For the miserable condition of Stipendarie Ministers reade Doctour Saravia who setteth downe the poornesse of their Stipends as also the difficulty of attaining those little Pittances allotted to them viz. that oft the Ministers are compelled to travell no small iourneyes to their Pay Masters in most humble manner as if it were begging their Stipends and yet many times sent away with empty Purses and laden with reproachfull words and this not only by the Treasurers but all by men of base condition as Shoomakers Taylors Curriers c. who are ready to reproach their poore Ministers saying You are our servants wee pay you your wages he reporteth also that he heard some of their Burgomasters say Wee must take heed to these our Ministers especially that their Stipends be not so great they that too much pamper their servants shall finde them stubborn and contumacious The greatest of the Primative Persecutours is affirmed to be Iulian the Emperour Who although hee set forth no Mandate to put Christians to death yet hee endeavoured by subtile meanes to undoe Christian Religion forbidding Christian Schools and the use of Learning debarring them from
set forth by the most reverend Father in God the Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury his Grace my Honourable Patron in which it will appeare The Greekes to differ from us in forme of Words onely So the Greekes deny not the Holy Ghost whom they acknowledge to be the third Person in Trinity God equall with the Father Neither are they Hereticall in this poynt as some affirme them to be so Condemning and casting into Hell so many Millions of Christian soules redeemed with the precious blood of his dearest Sonne Iesus Christ and for this poynt onely Moreover Guido the Carmelite Prateolus and others impute unto the Grecians divers errors which Lucianus of Cyprus a Bishop a learned Dominican and a worthy man as Possevine the lesuite accounteth him sheweth to be falsely ascribed to them As that they teach simple Fornication to be no sinne That it is no sinne to lend upon Vsury That it is not necessary to make restitution of things uniustly taken away with other things being meere slanders Thomas a Iesu writeth that one of the principall things that maketh the Grecians so averse from the Latins is that they are wronged by them by untrue reports and slanderous imputations Of the Greeke Communion are the Muscovites the Russes in Poland the Georgians Circassians Mengrellians and Melchites all these observe the Greek Rites 2 Againe a great part of the Christians in Asia Persia Tartaria and other Provinces are Hereticks Who affirme That there were two Persons in Christ as well as two Names But this Errour they have reiected as Onuphrius writeth they hold nothing savouring of that Errour These Christians indeed make a scruple of calling the blessed Virgin the Mother of God left they should seeme to make her the Mother of the holy Trinitie and divine Essence 3 The Christians in Aegypt Aethiopia with the Iacobites in Syria are accused to be infected with the Heresie of Eutyches wheras they curse Eutyches for an Heretick for confounding the two Natures of Christ. They affirme The two Natures in Christ to be so united that there is one personated Nature arising of two Natures not personated without mixtion or confusion As Thomas a Iesu and others affirme 4 They scandall also the Abassine Christians for using Circumcision If you be circumcised you are falne from Grace and Christ profiteth you nothing whereas they circumcise not for any Religion but only it being an ancient custome of the Aethiopians They accuse them also of Anabaptisme For that they wash themselves yearly in the flouds in memoriall of Christs Baptisme As the Spaniards do yearly in memoriall of Saint Iohn Baptist And the like are the imputations laid upon other Churches To conclude this point through the mercifull goodnesse of God all these different sorts of Christians by reason of delivering certaine points of Faith mistaking one another or variety of opinion touching things not Fundamentall yet agree in one substance of Faith and are so farre forth Orthodoxe that they retain a saving Profession of all duties absolutely necessary to salvation and are members of the true Catholike Church of God As these Christians are Orthodoxe in the mayne so for their holy lives and conversations they are to be admired and may be exemplary unto others Holinesse of Lives FIrst for their Reverence in Churches no man is allowed to walke talke or sit in them especially in the time of Divine Service In Aethiopia old men are allowed to use Crutches in the Church and weak men to leane against the wals Iohannes Faber reporteth of the Rasses that he hath not seene the like of them for their frequenting Prayer and devotion in their Prayers who lying prostrate upon the ground poure out their devout Prayers unto Almighty God For their Chastitie they permit no Stews nor Brothel-houses among them They punish Adultery with death The Adulterer among the Aethiopians is accounted to dishonour the Emperour from whom all Honour is derived Adulterers among them are cast alive unto the Lions They are among other vertues great lovers of Truth Among us saith Pretegian if any man willingly tell a lye hee is accounted a man worthy of death for the first he is admonished for the second he doth penance for the third he is led by a rope about his necke out of the Towne or City and banished into some Desart where commonly he perish for hunger For their Fasts they keepe them very strictly farre unlike the Roman Catholicks in the West who allow men to drink Wine and to eate sweete Meates in their very fasts Thomas a Iesu writeth that the austere living of the Greekes causeth them to contemne the Latines but let the Greekes know saith he that Christian Righteousnesse doth not consist chiefely in macerating the Body but in Charity Faith Hope and other vertues Although these Christians are not so learned as we suppose the Christians in the VVest to be yet they got farre beyond them for godlinesse and devotion And if these Christians shall bee excluded Heaven who ioyne believing and doing Faith and VVorkes together alas where shall they appeare that come farre short of them But as you have heard of the great multitude of Christians in the VVorld of their Religion holy Lives and Conversations wee may in the next place consider what hath beene the bane of the Church viz Ambition which was the ruine of the Angels in Heaven and caused man to lose Paradise Of this our Lord gave speciall warning to his Apostles when they strove who should bee greatest And St. Paul more especially to the Romans Boast not thy selfe against the Branches Be not high minded but feare A great Controversie arose among the Bishops in the west parts of the VVorld who should bee greatest The Bishop of Rome sitting in the Imperiall City claimed superiority above his fellow Bishops precending a Canon of the Counsell of Nice As also the donation of Constantine the Emperour Likewise the Patriarch of Constantinople the Emperours Court being removed thither claimed the like preheminence by the Decree of a Councell also by Donation of Maurice the Emperour Indeed the Easterne Church may challenge to her selfe some preheminence in regard of her great priviledges and prerogatives as having all the Apostles Sees the greatest number of Patriarchs being the bigger Church and more ancient The Maiesty of the Emperour of Constantinople for above 1000 yeares which hath with stood Paganisme and Mahumatisme And of the Emperour of Moscho and Trebizond for some hundred of years The authority of seven generall Counsels held among them The Syrian Language in which the Sonne of God delivered his Holy Oracles the Hebrew and Greek Tongues in which they were Registred and which hath had not only the Holy Apostles but also Christ himself when he was in his flesh preaching among them And this Church we are forced to confesse with the Bishop of Bitonto to be our Mother Church from whom the Latine
Church hath received the Holy Scriptures the Creedes the Sacraments and Christianity it selfe as the very names of Baptisme Eucharist Bishop Deacon Presbyter and many other sacred things doe testifie Moreover they have as they affirme St. Peters Chaire who was Bishop of Antioch and governed that Church many a yeare Hee was there Incathedrated with great reverence received and esteemed But going to Rome he was there most vily used and put to a most cruell death with his fellow Apostle St. Paul They also affirme that the City of Antioch commonly called Theopolis that is The City of God must needs be much dearer to St. Peter which honoured and reverenced him than the City of Rome which most unworthily used him and put him to death They moreover affirm that he must rather leave the Keyes to the Greek Church than to the Romish defiled with Simony Vsury Avarice and all other Vices whatsoever The Greekes also charge the Latines with divers errours besides the challenging of the Supremacy which they hold to be most grievous and intollerable to teach all to be taught of none and Dictator-like to give Lawes to bind other Churches yea in things against their Consciences as is their Doctrine of Purgatory of Image-Worship abusing their Fasts making no conscience to drink in them al day long that they scarce reade the Sacred rules and holy Scriptures saying That the Popes Commandements who for the time sitteth in the See of Rome are their Canons and Lawes That they make no account of Periury yea that the Pope freeth them of all Periury whensoever they intend to breake any bargaine or covenant made with any man That the Pope and his Priestly traine remit slaughter Periury and all kind of crimes past or to come by which remission there is a gate opened to villany And that which is most ridiculous for the future time they will remit to a determined time of Moneths or Years that the Latine Bishops are accessary to the death of Christian people the Pope especially who pronounceth the killer of Christians such as resist the Papacy blessed and happy That they shut up by their Lawes all Priests and Deacons from marriage and hold it an abhomination to receive the Sacrament from married Priests That there are many Church Men among them that commit whoredome and all kinde of uncleannesse most securely without punishment They accuse the Latines of many more Errors both in their Doctrine as also in their manners some of which you may finde in Cardinall Baronius Annalls Tome 11 Anno Christi 1054. with some answers to them by the Cardinal But this Church God hath humbled being subdued by the Mahumetans living as the Israelites in their Aegypticke Bondage We may see their lamentable estate in the late Martyrdome of learned Cyril late Patriarch of Constantinople who had long and wisely governed that Church And it seemeth that this his Crowne of Martyrdome was not to him unexpected as appeareth by a clause of a letter written by him to our late Lord Arch-bishop of Canterbury viz. For the Name of Christ saith he which we professe and whose marks wee beare about in our Bodies it is a ioy to us to be afflicted and vexed so also if it bee the Will of God to abide the utmost extremity of their cruelty that in the fiery tryall our Faith may shine more bright and God receive the greater glory This Church hath beene humbled as before but the Bishops of Rome have exalted themselves not onely above their follow Bishops but also above their Lords the Emperours and the whole Church of God For the First Pope Boniface the third having obtained of Phocas the Tyrant the glorious Title of Universall Bishop by little and little the Bishops of Rome subdued divers Bishopricks under them As Donus the first subiected Ravenna about the yeare 676. Pope Stephen the ninth subdued Millaine Anno 1057. and so others Yea Urban the 2. exacted an oath of Bishops for the further establishing of their Authority For the Second Leo Isaurus being perplexed with warre in Asia and Constantinople it selfe being besieged by the Caliph Pope Gregory the second stirred up the Princes of Italy against the said Emperour who tooke Italy from him of which the Pope hath a part now called St. Peters Patrimony which the Emperour could never againe recover The Bishops of Rome dividing the Empire into the East and West Pope Leo the third proclaimed Charles of France Emperour about the yeare 881. And Pope Iohn the thirteenth translated the Empire about the yeare 968 from the French to the Germans Thus by little and little the Emperours waxed weaker and the Popes stronger untill the time of Gregory the seventh who founded as Aventine writeth the Pontificall Empire To this Man saith Onuphrius the Church of Rome is beholding for her freedome and that shee is preferred above all Kings and Emperours whom before they obeyed as their Lords acknowledging themselves to bee their Vassalls as manifestly appeareth among other Records by the Dating of their ancient Bulls and Charters thus expressed Such a one our Lord and Emperour reigning As also by the Letters of the Bishops of Rome written to the Emperours as of Pope Leo the first to Martian By all meanes wee are to bee obedient to your Piety and most Religious Will As also of Gregory the great to Maurice the Emperour I being subiect to your command and of divers others as of Liberius to Constantius Leo the first to Theodosius Simplicius to Zeno Foelix to the same Emperour Pope Anastatius to Anastatius the Emperour Martin to Constantine with many more And some of the Bishops shew a reason of this their Obedience to be because they are commanded so to doe in Holy Scripture St. Peter himselfe commanding Obedience to the King as supreame Thus they were for many hundred yeares subiect to the Emperours but now they claime a superiority above Kings and Princes and challenge to themselves plenitude of Iurisdiction to take away and to give Empires and Kingdoms at their pleasures bringing the Emperours in subiection Pope Constantine gave his Feet to kisse to Iustinian the Emperour Gregory the seventh compelled Henry the fourth to wait bare-footed at his Doore three daies and three nights craving Absolution Alexander the third set his feete upon the Emperour Fredericks neck And as they have lift up themselves over their fellow Bishops and their Lords the Emperours so also over the whole Church of God viz. Above Generall Councells A Generall Councell is the representative Church of God upon Earth they claiming power to iudge controule all men her selfe to be iudged of none yea to make new Articles of Faith And as the Donatists falling from the unity of the Church fell also into this Hereticall Opinion That the Catholicke Church of God was no where to be found but in a corner of Africa where they dwelt and amongst them So the Romanists
affirme the Catholick Church of God to be onely in Rome and in the Countries subiect to their Bishop And therefore they tearme themselves Catholicks excluding all other Christians in the World out of the Catholike Church and so Heaven and putting them into the state of damnation though never so Orthodox and Pious for not being subiect to their Bishop onely Yet many of these Christians by them so damned suffer grievous persecutions for Iesus Christs sake which they might quit themselves of if they would renounce their Saviour and also attaine great priviledges and preferments And that which is more some of these Churches so damned and condemned by them never heard of the Bishop of Rome Postel writeth a Booke of the great multitude of Christians unknowne to the Latine World Before the Papacy of Iulius the third writeth Miraeus the name of the Chaldean Patriarch was unknowne to us Neither doe I find any mention of him in the Popes Records And yet Cardinall Amuleius reporteth That hee and his Bishops had long kept the Faith and also many of them had suffered Martyrdome for Christs Name Also the Indian Christians of Taprobane and the Islands adiacent saith Thevet nor their Fathers never heard of the Pope of Rome nor his Cardinals nor of the Greek Patriarchs nor of the Councells untill the Portugals came among them and yet they kept the Ceremonies of the Primative Church which they received from the Apostles and their Disciples God forbid that all these Christians and especially they that have given their Bloods for Iesus Christs Name and glory in his Crosse should be excluded for having any share or benefit by Christs Blood and this for not being subiect to the Pope of Rome and for not being members of the Roman Catholicke Church which they never heard of By this their uncharitablenesse doe not the Romish Catholicks cut themselves off from the unity of the Catholicke Church As Firmilian writeth to St. Cyprian of Pope Stephen Excommunicating other Churches Thou hast cut off thy selfe from the unity of the Churches Deceive not thy selfe he is a true Schismaticke that maketh himselfe Apostate from the Communion and Union of the Churches Thou thinkest they are divided from thee but thou onely art separated from them As the Church of Rome hath exalted her selfe above all other Churches so also the Roman Catholicks are accused for devising and adding some new Articles of Faith to the old ones much advancing the state and profit of their Clergy which the other Christians will not nor dare admit of having received onely twelve from the holy Apostles As first they have made the Popes Supremacy before named an Article of the Faith viz. That their Bishop is head of the whole Church of God and that every soule must be subiect to him upon necessity of salvation Secondly That their Bishop cannot erre in Cathedra Thirdly That their Bishops hath power to depose Kings and to dispose of their Kingdomes Fourthly For the honour of the inferiour Clergy they have made Transubstantiation a Doctrine of Faith by which every Priest hath superlative power given him As a Reverend Bishop writeth viz. To doe a greater worke daily than God did in the Creation For therein Almighty God made but Creatures But in this the Priest as they say can make his Maker Fiftly for the more honour of the Clergy They allow them the onely use of Christs Blood in the Eucharist prohibiting the Laity the use thereof VVhich all the Christians in the Vniverse enioy but onely the Romish Catholick Laitie and for this they have made a Decree flat against Christs institution viz. Although the Lord Christ in his last Supper did deliver this venerable Sacrament in both kinds c. Yet non obstante they doe approue and decree for a Law the custome of receiving in one kind Againe for the better Maintenance of their Clergy they have invented new devises as Purgatory with the horrible paines thereof as with Burnings Boylings and Roasting of soules they doe so fright simple people that they get much mony from them Of this place the Bishop of Rome hath iurisdiction the other Orthodox Patriarchs having nothing to doe with it commanding out whom he will much Treasure is got hereby 2 Pardons which are grounded upon Purgatory Pardons began saith Fisher Bishop of Rochester when men were frighted with Purgatory 3 The inferiour Clergy doth also share with the Pope in the profits of Purgatory for they have turnd the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist into a Sacrifice true reall and propitiatory under the name of Masse in which they doe say that the Priest doth truely and really offer up Christ to God his Father but this is done by way of bargaine and hire for remission of sins and freedome of soules out of Purgatory And of this they make great profit 4 They have made a Canon for the Worshiping of Images and for this cause they have in every Church an Image or more of some of their Saints many of which simple people and especially foolish women are made to beleeve to have some speciall vertue to helpe as St. Radegond can make barren women fruitfull St. Bartilmew can make women to conceive a Male-child or a Female according to their desires St. Margart can give them easie labour St. Uncomber can make peace betweene married folk St. Edith can keepe corne from blasting And to these Saints simple people did trot with rich Offerings and Worship these Saints with kneeling bowing and praying before them yea the Priests carry them about in Procession with great pomp playing at noddy with the simplicity of the people 5 They have also devised a Treasury in which is reserved the surplussage of the Sufferings of Christ of the Saints Whereas say they the least drop of Christs Blood had beene sufficient to have saved all the World And that Christ shed all his blood and also that many holy men suffered more than their sins deserved least their sufferings should be in vaine they are reserved in this Treasury for the Pope to bestow where he list The other Orthodox Christian Patriarchs having nothing to doe with this Treasurie With this and such like devises they get much money from simple and silly people For the confirmation of these things although they have no Scriptures yet they will store you with multitudes of Miracles and Visions These with some other the Church of Rome hath Canomzed for Articles or Doctrines of Faith as if the Apostles Creed should be defective which the other Christians in the world thinke to bee compleate enough About these Additions is the contestation betweene the Roman Catholicks and the other Christians of the world These are urged by the Romanists under their Popes curse and these additions are reiected by others fearing Gods curse being Articles not left by the holy Apostles nor found in holy Scriptures The societies of Christians before named
excepting the Romanists doe all genegenerally as I find deny the Popes Supremacy viz. First That every soule must bee subiect to him upon necessity of salvation Secondly they affirme the Roman Bishops to be subiect to Error as other Bishops are Thirdly they deny that he hath power to depose Kings and to dispose of their Kingdomes Fourthly they teach not works of Supererogation Fiftly they admit not of Purgatory Sixtly nor pray for deliverances of soules from any temporall punishment after this life Seventhly they reiect the Romish Doctrine of Pardons and Indulgences Eightly they allow not private Masses Ninthly they administer the Communion in both kinds daring not to keep the Cup the symbol of our Lord Iesus Christs Blood from the Laity Tenthly they believe not the Romish Transubstantiation Eleventhly nor the now reall sacrificing of our Lord Iesus Christ to quit soules out of Purgatory Twefthly they have married Priests Thirteenthly they make no Image of God Foureteenthly they have most of them their Service in their owne or a knowne Language And these are some of the causes of the bitter contentions between the Roman Catholicks and these other Churches And as the Roman Church excommunicateth these Churches so doe they excommunicate the Roman Church For example the Patriarch of Constantinople doth yearely excommunicate the Pope and his Church for Schismaticks The Moscovites doe the same as counting the Pope an Hereticke The Patriarchs of Ierusalem Antioch have done likewise The Christians under the Patriarch of Mozul call the Pope the Reprobate Bishop other call him Antichrist The Copts account the Roman Church Hereticall and avoid the communion and conversation of the Latines no lesse then of the Iewes Thus some of the Popes of Rome have beene like Ismael whose hand was against every man and every mans hand against him The Turkes in their Mahumetan Worship The Pagans in their adoration of the Sun and Moon The Aegyptians in the service of Isis and Osyris use diversity of worships and Rites and yet still retaine the ill-tied knot of Friendship in their Idol-worship But Christians differing thunder calumnies bolt out excommunications one against another after their excommunications usually follow eradications of Kingdoms people estates by Conspiracies rebellions and hostile machinations by generall Massacres and particular torments As how many Kings and great persons have beene murthered by their desperate Assassins The said Massacre in France is not to be paralelled by any ancient cruelty The Acharonticall Powder treason for the heinousnesse thereof will seeme incredible in the Ages to come Examples are infinite yea so great is the uncharitablenesse and cruelty of the Roman Catholicks to the Christians of the Reformed Churches that if any of them dye among them they setting themselves as if it were upon Gods Tribunall in whose secret Cabinet is blessing and cursing give sentence of damnation against them sending their soules packing to hell and denying their bodies Christian Buriall Barbarous cruelty voyd of Charity As a tree is knowne by his Fruit so is the true Church by Charity By this saith our Lord all men shall know that yee are my Disciples if yee love one another Zaga-Zabo an Aethiopian Bishop and sent Embassadour from the Emperor of Aethiopia to the K. of Portugall complaineth his words are these The Romish Doctors I know not how piously forbad me the communion of our Lords Body all the time I was in Portugall even the space of seven yeare and which I cannot relate without grief and tears I was reputed among the Romanists as a Heathen and Anathema upon which their doings let him that governeth all things looke to whose iudgement I commit these their doings This their uncharitablenesse doth not onely offend other Christians but also it maketh the very Mahumetans to loath our Profession to condemne our Faith and to persecute our Persons Good Iesus when shall these iarrings have an end when shall the Church Catholicke live in union of faith and communion of Charity O miserable Christians returne unto the Lord and he will cure you Earnest Prayer endlesse Devotion volumnes of penitentials Ninives fastings Peters weeping Pauls conversion is the Metredate and true Alexipharmacon to cure this Vlcer to heale this never enough to be lamented Schisme Alas who shall furnish my eies with floods of water who shall make my head a living Spring that I might water my Couch with sorrowfull teares As for us Clergy men let us not so much endeavour to make the Christians our adversaries odious to our people as to move them to commiserate their estates and so to make our ioynt prayers to Almighty God not for their confusion but for their Conversion Oh would to God the Potentates and Monarches of Christendome would ioyne hand in hand to make up the breaches of Zyon and to build up the wals of Ierusalem Oh sweet Iesus that cleansed thy Church by thy most precious blood Prince of Peace and author of love grant us thy peace To conclude my most humble prayer to Almighty God is that he would vouchsafe us most unworthy to enioy that Legacy which our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ left unto us viz. My Peace I give unto you my Peace I leave with you And for this cause I humbly supplicate his Divine Maiesty that he would incline the great Bishop of Rome Pope Urban whom he hath endued with many gifts and graces with the hearts of the Lord Cardinalls and Prelates of the Church of Rome that they would submit themselves to retrograde from some of their new Canons to the ancient Primative Canons of their Church viz. That they would restore to the Church of God of which they have cure in the Sacrament of the Eucharist The Cup the symboll of our Lord Iesus Christs blood according to our Lords holy institution and practise of the ancient Roman Church and of all the other Christian Churches in the World That they would suffer our Lord Iesus Christs sheepe to drinke of the Waters of Life viz. to have the use of the Holy Scriptures in the Vulgar tongue from which they are now restrained with their Service in their own tongue That they would permit Marriage to all men and represse Stewes and Brothel-houses permitted by them scandelous not onely to all the Christians in the VVorld but also to them which are without with some other like things which may admit of reformation And also whereas some other Churches pretend to abhorre Idolls I wish from the bottome of my heart that they would also abstaine from committing of Sacriledge And whereas they cry out of permitting of Stewes and Brothel-houses in the Roman Church that they would be as zealous in not permitting oppressing Usury among them both which are alike abhominable in the eyes of Almighty God Sweete Iesus what should not a man doe yea what should he not suffer to quench the fire of Contention in the Christian world There was a time when the Roman Church did