his councell King Iames Prot. Lords Bish. Doct. in Confer at HaÌ„pt Court p. 13. 18. 35. 36 10. 11 Couell ag the plea. of the Innoc. p. 104. Barlow Serm. before the K. Sept. 21 an 1607. part 3. cap. 2. Protestant Bishops and best learned Doctors assembled in publike confereÌ„ce haue left thus concluded The particular and personall absolution from sinne after confesson is apostolicall and a very Godly ordinance That baptisme is to be ministred by priuate persons in time of necessity is an holy Tradition Bishops and Archbishops be diuine ordinations confirmation iâ— an apostolicall traditioÌ„ And in their publike Rituall their communion booke they testifie that confirmation was a Tradition of the Apostles hath an externall signe also vsed by them and giueth grace which by the 25. Article of their religion maketh â— Communion booke of Engl. Protest Titul Confirmation §. Almighty Prot. of Religion art 25. a Sacrament So that to insist onely vpon these graunted Traditions not contained in Scripture by these Protestants and yet so necessary to saluation as they by their greatest allowance and authority deliuer wee may not say as this Article doth Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary for saluation These men also deliuer vnto vs with greate approbation Articul 6. supr makinge the Author of that worke and for the same a Bishop certaine sure rules to knowe such true Thraditions by in these words Rules by which wee may Iudge which are true and Indubitate Feild Books of the Church l. 4. pag. 242. August l. 4. contr Donat. c. 23. Traditions The first rule is deliuered by Sainct Augustine Quod vniuersa tenet Ecclesia nec Conciliâ—â— Institutum sed semper retentum est non nisi authoritate apostolica traditum rectissimè creditur Whatsoeuer the whole Church holdeth not ordained by Councels but beinge euer holden it is most rightly belieued to haue beene deliuered by Apostolike authority The second Feild supr l. 4 c. 21. p. 242. c. 5. pag. 202. Kinge Iames and Confer at Hampton Couel def oâ— Hooker Ormer pict pap p. 184 Down l. 2. Antichr pag. 105. Sutcliffe Subuers pag. 57. rule is whatsoeuer all or the most famous and renowned in all ages haue constantly deliuered as receaued from them that went before them no man contradictinge or doubting of it may be thought to be an Apostolicall Tradition The third rule is the constat Testimony of the Pastors of an Apostolike Church successiuely deliuered Amongst Apostolike Churches the Church of Rome is more specially to be obeyed reuerenced and respected The Church of Rome is our mother Church it was a rule to all both in doctrine and ceremonies when it was in her florishinge and best estate The Church of Rome was the cheife and onely Church It was a note of a good ChristiaÌ„ to cleane vnto the Romane Apostolicall Church Euery Church ought to haue respect to the Church of Rome for her eminent principality And our English Protestant antiquaries and Diuines haue generally giuen their allowance that the Church of Rome both in this and the next age when Britayne did receaue the most pure Religion of Christ from thence was most holy and vnspotted free from all error Therefore whatsoeuer wee doe or may bringe in generall or particular for vnwritten traditions either from this so renowned Apostolike Church in this time from the whole Church or the most famous and renowned in this age beinge our Protestants owne allowed rules and to be denied by none must needs be euidence and testimony vndeniable in this and all others their questioned Articles Frst I exemplifie in the Apostles Creede stiled by our Protestants before a sundry comprehension of the cheife heads of Christian Religion Protest supr Ruffin in exposit Symboli alij a rule of the Churches faith This was deliuered by the Apostles by tradition not by Scripture but before the Scriptures of the new Testament werâ— written as both they and the auncient Fathers by â— common consent of the whole Church of Christ are witnesses And the same consent of Christ Church with these our Protestants in these their Articles so conclude of Sainct Athanasius and the Art 8. of prot Religion Nicen Creede in these words The three Creeds Nicen Creede Athanasius Creede and that which is commonly called the Apostles Creede ought throughly to bâ— receaued beleeued And so generally they obserue although the reason which they immediatly yeelâ— thereof for they may be proued by most certaine warrants of holy Scripture is childish and impertinentâ— for being confessed that the Apostles Creede waâ— deliuered onely by tradition of the Apostles and by that authoritie receaued before the Scriptures either receaued or written this Creede could not possibly be receaued by the written warrant of Scriptures but vnwritten tradition and warrant of thâ— Apostles And although the Nicen and S. Athanasius Creeds were written longe after this time yâ— they were both written receaued in the Churcâ— before the Scriptures were generally allowed anâ— receaued as both the auncent Fathers and Protestants haue acknowledged before and it is testifie by the publike warranted Protestant glosse vpoâ— Prot. Glosse by authority of Church of Engl. in Art 8. these their Articles that very many both old anâ— late writers euen whole sects and professionâ— namely to vse their owne words Ebionites Trâ—theits Antitrinitarians Apollinarians Arians Mâ—nichies Nestorians Origenians Familists and Anâ—baptists with others are Aduersaries vnto and deniers that these Creeds may be proued by holâ— Scripture Much more doe they and many other both Catholiks and Protestants themselues deny that all and singular their articles necessary to saluation may so be proued And to come to the holy and happy Apostolike writers and Saincts which liued and wrote in this first age and first hundred of yeares to wit S. Linus Sainct Clement Sainct Denys the Areopagite S. Martial Sainct Ignatius Sainct Policarpus or any other of whom any worke is extant I shall make it S. Ignat. epist ad Smyrn Theod. dialo Euseb l. 3. c. 31. Hieraâ— lib. de vir Illust S. Bern. Serm. 7. in ps 9. Marc. Michal Carnoten lib. de vir illustr Dion Carth. ad l. Areop de diuin nom Sint Sin lib. 2. Ignat. ep ad S. Ioh. 1. 2. ad B. Mar. Virg. B. Mar. epist ad Ignat. S. Ignat. epist ad Smyrnen Euseb hist l. 3. ca. 33. â— Chrisost orat de traÌ„sl S. Ignatij Foelix Rom. ep ad Zenon Imperat synod S. Constant Theodoret. Immutabil dialog 1. euident that in euery Article in this Protestant Religion contained in their booke of the Articles thereof they dissented from these Protestants and they and the Apostolike Church then vniuersally agreed in and professed the same doctrine which the present Roman Church doth at this day in all points This will plainely appeare in euery Article hereafter and therefore in this place I will onely cite Sainct Ignatius as a sufficient pawne or pledge
to Christâ— resurrection as the cheifest of all dayes Post Sabbatum Epistol ad Magnesianos epist ad Trallian omnis Christi amator Dominicum celebret diem resurrectioni consecratam Dominicae Reginam principem omnium dierum in qua vita nostra exorta est per Christum mors deuicta as all Christians now also doe The feast of Easter was also chauÌ„ged with other solemnities and they were accompted as cursed persecutors of Christ and his Apostles which obserued otherwise or kept any festiuity oâ— the Iewes although before commaunded in Scriptures Si quis cum Iudaeis celebrat Pascha aut Symbolâ— Epist ad Philadelphenses festiuitatis corum recipit particeps est eorum qui Dominum occiderunt Apostolos eius He proueth plainely that both the principall feasts and fasts also oâ— the Church as Lent and others were then in vse by this authority of Tradition Festiuitates ne dehonestetis Epistol ad Philippen quadragesimale iciunium ne spernatis contineâ— enim imitationem conuersationis Dominicae Post Passionis Doâ—â—â—iâ—ae hebdomadam ieiunare quartis sextis 〈…〉 negligatis Si quiâ— Dominicam diem ieiunarit â—ic Christi interfector est He often there remembreth the perpetuall virginity of the Blessed Virgin Mâ—ry Mariae Virginitas admitanduâ— ille partus Virginem esse quae parit The forme and manner of offering the holy Sacrifice of Christs body and blood of consecrating Bishops Preists and other Clergy men of ministringe so many Sacraments as he hath remembred the publike Church seruice to which he bindeth all the order of receauing peniâ—ents the custome and limitation of their vsed fâ—sts and whatsoeuer almost appertaining to the holy vse and exercise of Christian Religion in that Apostolike age was knowne and practized by this blessed disciple and all Apostolike men which was deliuered and vsed onely by tradition and so descended to later ages and posterities no Scripture prescribing Christians any such requisite instruction in so necessary and essentiall parts of Religion or the true practise and profession thereof to which all true Christians vnder paine and daunger of euerlasting damnation were bound And as Sainct Ignatius so also testifie the other holy and Apostolike writers of this age as I shall most clearely proue and cite them in euery particular article questioned by these Teachers For this present it will be more then needfull to remember what they write hereof in generall termes Sainct Denis the Areopagite conuerted by Sainct Paul the Apostle writinge of Christian necessary doctrines saith plainely that the Apostles deliuered some of them by tradition onely without writinge as they did some by writinge partim scriptis partim non scriptis suis institutionibus ex Sacrosanctis legibâ— Dionysius Areopag l. Eccles Hierarc c. 1. nobis tradiderunt And proueth that in this Apostolike time the ChristiaÌ„ mysteries were neither communicated by writing nor word for their greate reuerence but to holy and perfect Christians Vide â—â— Sancta Sanctorum enunties sed reuereberis ea patius quae occulti Dei sunt cognitiâ—ne mentis â—nimi â— honore habebis ac preteo ita tamen vt ea minus perfectis non tradas cum ijs folis qui Sancti erunt cuâ— Sancta illustratione pro sacrarum rerum dignitate communices And setteth downe expressely That thâ— Apostolike Church then did not permit Cateâ—hâ—mens Energumens or penitents to be present at the the holy misteries Catechumenâ—s Energâ—menos Cap. 5. quique in poenitentia sunt Sanctae Hiererchiae mos paâ—itur quidem audire sacram psalmorum modulationem diuinamque sacrarum Scripturarum recitationem aâ— sacra autem operae quae deinceps sequuntur at que mysteria spectanda non eos comiocat sed perfectos oculâ—â— eorum qui digni sunt And testifieth what greate Cap. care the Christians then had to conceale their ceremonies Sainct Timothy also as this holy writer proueth Dionys supr c. 1. S. Dionys l. de diuin nomin cap. 3. Clem. Rom. ep 1. 2. 3 4. 5. l Recog l. coÌ„stitut Apost Chris hom 49. in Matth. Euseb histor Eccl. Cedren Nicephor Callist hist l. 2. Epiphan in panar Ruffin praef in Clem. Bed in cap. S. Luc. Freculp Lerouien Chron. lib. 2. Synod Sext. in Trullo Ruffin praef translat oper S. Clement S. Proclus Patriarch Constant l. de tradit diuinae Liturg Nichol. Episcopus Methonen l. de vero Christi corp in Eucharist Marcus Ephes l. de corpore sang Christi Bessar l. de Sacr. Eucharist Manuscript Gallic antiq an D. in S. Clem. Manuscript Brit. antiquis Protest CollectioÌ„ of priuate prayers An. 1627. p. 147. 125. 107. 87. 35. Mat. Park antiquit Brit. pag. 47. was of this opinion and practise S. Hieroth eus also Tutor to Sainct Denis did write a booke of Christians holy traditions Hierotheus clarissimâ—s praeeeptor noster elementa Theologica magnacâ—m laâ—de collegerit And this before S. Denis write The Apostolike Traditions collected together and committed to writinge by Sainct Clement Successor to Sainct Peter at Rome as both he himselfe with other auncient and approued Authors Greeke and Latine and generall councels witnesse are so many that a short volume containeth them â—ot yet in all things condemne Protestant Reliâ—ioÌ„ not approuing it in any one Article wherein it â—ifferreth from Catholiks and the doctrine of the â—resent Roman Church as will be made euident â— the particular articles hereafter manifestly â—nowne and confessed by Ruffinus his translation â—nd testimony to haue bene then and from the beginninge contained in his workes and aggreable â—oth with the Apostolike doctrine of this age and â—ther confessed vnspotted times after as in the â—ourth hundred yeare of Christ wherein Ruffinus â—ued the Church of Rome at this time wherein â—ee now liue I will onely in this place exemplifie â— the publike liturgy Masse or Church sacrifice puâ—lished by him vnto the Church of Christ Greeks â—atines French and our old brittesh antiquities our Protestants theÌ„selues confesse That as Peter â—t Antioch S. Marke at Alexandria Sainct Iohn â—nd S. Andrew in Asia So Sainct Clement wrote â—nd published a forme of Masse and generally all Churches embraced it Omne sque vniuersae Ecâ—esiae vbicumque sint per eam quam Sanctus Cleâ—ens conscripsit liturgiam tradiderunt In this so old â— vniuersall so approued wee finde protection of â—e Angels Angelorum tutelas honor to all Saincts â—atriarks Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confesâ—ors c. Sanctis Patriarchis Prophetis Iustis Apoâ—olis Martyribus Confessoribus Sanctorum martyrum â—emoriam colamus Prayer for the faithfull deceased â—roijs qui in fide quieuerunt oremus The Ecclesiaâ—icall orders which I haue before remembred from â—ainct Ignatius That the holy sacrifice was offered â—r all Seruants of God Offerimus tibi pro omnibus â—ui à saeculo placuerunt tibi Wee finde virgins and liuers in professed chastity Pro virginibus castitâ— seruaÌ„tibus The sacrifice of
sine originali peccato fâ— esse Atque it a in primo momento cum viuere inâ—ret omnis peccati expers erat And saith that eâ— from her conception she was full of grace and hauing no place for any sinne Maria Virgo â—â— In Euang. de Annunt Mar. animaÌ„ plâ—na gratia concepta est Gratia Deiipsam â—â— boni abundantem facit Et ab omni malo liberat Dâ—cum ea est hoc est omne quod facit aut omittit diuiâ— est in eo a Deo perficitur ad haec tutatur eam â—fendit ab omni quod obnoxium incommodum esseâ— Antiquitat Glaston manuscrip tabul lign fixe Io. Capgrau in vit S. Iosephi ab Aramathia Guliel Malmesbur l. de anâ—iq coenob Glastonien test That from her conception she was full of grace whatsoeuer she did or omitted was holy and diâ— she was free from all thing illor sinfull Her hoâ— here in Britaine was so greate and timely that â—â— in 31. yâ—ares of the passion of Christ and 15. of the blâ— Virgins Assumption anno post Passionem Dominâ— cesimo primo ab Assumptione vero Virginis glorâ— quinto decimo S. Ioseph and his holy company by â— monition of the holy Angel Gabriel and diuine waâ— â—ilded here a Chapell vnto her honour It is accompted â—e first Church of Britaine dedicated miraculously by â—hrist in honour of his Mother The ChristiaÌ„ builders in â—eate deuotion watching and fastings and prayers â—ere serued God and the blessed Virgin and by the â—lpe of the blessed Virgin were releiued in their necesâ—ies Praedicti sancti per Archangelum Gabrielem in â—isione admoniti sunt Ecclesiam in honore sanctae Dei â—netricis perpetuae Virginis Mariae in loco caelitus â—â—onstrato coÌ„struere Qui diuinis admonitionibus obeâ—entes capellam consuminauerunt Et cum haec in hac â—ione prima fuerit Ecclesia ampliori eam dignitate â—â— filius insigniuit ipsain in honore suae matris dediâ—ndo Duodecim sancti praedicti in eodem loco Deo â—atae Virgini deuota exhibentes obsequia vigilijs ieâ—ijs orationibus vacantes eiusdem Virginis Dei â—etricis auxilio in necessitatibus suis refocillabantur â—hus haue our most auncient antiquities both by â—atholiks and Protestants testimonies The three next articles being thus intuled The â— of sinne after Baptisme the 17. of predestination and â—ection and 18. of obtaining eternall saluation onely â— the name of Christ doe not seeme in equall and â—orall construction euen as they expound themâ—lues to haue opposition to any Catholike doâ—rine but to haue beene receaued by them to conâ—mne newly risen vp heresies among them as liâ—rtines denyers of saluation to penitent sinners â—edestinaries not respecting to liue well vpon â—icked presumption of their predestination and â—ch as affirmed that euery man shall be saued Iew â—urke Pagan or whatsoeuer Infidell or heretike â—all be saued by the law or sect which he professeth that he be diligent to frame his life according to that law and the light of nature as is plainely registred â— set downe in those Articles THE VII CHAPTER The 19. Article examined and condemned by the same authority THEIR next and 19. Article intituled of â— Church is this The visible Church of Christ iâ— congregation of faithfull men in which the pure worâ— God is preached and the Sacraments be duely ministrâ— according to Christs ordinance in all those things thâ— necâ—ssity are requisite to the same As the Churâ— Hiâ—rusalem Alexandria and Antioche haue erred â— also the Church of Rome hath erred not onely in thâ— liuing and manner of ceremonies but also in matters â— faith Hitherto this article Whose definition â— description of the Church if wee should alloâ— wee are sufficiently instructed by that is said bâ—fore that the Protestants new congregation câ— not be this true visible Church of Christ eâ—â— from the truth in so many necessary and requiâ— things as hath beene proued in all Articles befoâ— wherein it opposeth the receaued doctrine of tâ— primatiue Apostolike age and the present Churâ— of Rome as the like demonstration shall be maâ— against them in all their contradictory Articâ— following in their due place And so is also and â—â— be most manifest that the present Roman Churâ— agreeing in all those Articles both already heâ— after to be examined with the vndoubted â—â— Church of the Apostles and this their age is â—â— must needs be the true Church of Christ Aâ— â—eir assertion in the second parte of this Article â—hat the Church of Rome hath erred not onely in their â—ing and manner of ceremonies but also in matters of â—ith is most euidently false and impudently slaunâ—erous And the open dore to infidelity For if all â—e commaunding Churches in the world Hieruâ—lem Nicen. Concil Can. Parlament â— of Queene Eliz. Parl. â— Iacob 1. Caroli Alexandria Antioche and Rome as they are â—t downe in the first greate Councell of Nice and â—proued by the Parlaments and Parlament Reâ—gions of Queene Elizabeth King Iames King â—harles haue erred in matters of faith as this Arâ—le affirmeth then all other Churches all being â—biect vnto them haue likewise erred And this â—w Protestant pretended Church not being then â—runge vp being noe congregation of faithfull â—en in that time nor any congregation or men at â— and so neither hauing the pure word of God â—eached nor Sacraments duely ministred nor any â—e point of doctrine yet preached or Sacrament â—nistred nor man to preach or minister any such â—uld not nor can possibly by their owne rule and â—dgment be the true visible Church or any â—ember peece or part thereof That true primaâ—e and Apostolike Church teaching by all Preists â—d Cleargy men it had both to the congregation â— faithfull men to vse these mens phrase conâ—rted and to others yet not Christians all those â—cessary articles hitherto examined contrary to â—otestant Religion when the onely want of any â—e of such necessary things by their owne definiâ—e sentence before taketh away the name and â—e to be the true Church at this present any â—e past or to come the preaching of the pure â—rd of God due ministring of the Sacraments in all things of necessity being one and the same â— all persons in all times and places And to be of any other minde quite crosseth wiâ— Christs Institution and the continuance and visiâ—lity of his Church which both that article of theâ— Creede I beleeue the holy Catholike Church and tâ— their article and confession of an euerduring visibâ— Church doth proue For if at any time after Chriâ— founding his Church either in this Apostolike â— any age after it had generally erred in matters â— faith that it retained not the name and truth of â— true Church there was then by this article no tâ— Church in the world For whosoeuer it was whâ— wee will dreame to haue beene the first finder oâ— of this generall errour and supposed Apostaâ— Martine
Pro requie patrum fratrum nostrorum qui ante nos dormierunt dicamus omnes toto animo Domine miserere The like hath the liturgy of Sainct Matthew Missa S. Matthaei Memento Domine omnium fidelium dormientium in signo rectae fidei quie scentium Domine Deus noster memento dormientium in recta fide quiescentium So is the Masse of Sainct Marke animabus patrum Missa S. Marci fratrum nostrorum qui antea Christi in fide obdormierunt dona requiem Domine Deus noster And relating how it was the vse to reade the cataloge of such deceased and then to pray thus for all their soules Horum omnium animabus da requiem Domine Deus â—â—ster Chrysostom Hom. 3. in c. 1. ad Philipp Hom. ad pop Anthiochen Hom. 41. in 1. Cor. cap. 15. Epiph. haer 75. Tertull. l. de coron milit c. 3. cap. 4. August Enchirid c. 100. de ciuit Dei l. 21. c. 24. l. de cur pro mart de verbis Apostoli serm 32. Isod l. 1. de offic Eccl. c. 18. Amal l. 1 c. 27. Epiphan l. de haeres c 53. Philastr l. de haer Middlet Papistom pa. 49. 137. 138. 47. 64. 45. 46. 51. feild l. 3. c. 29. p. 138. Couel Exam. p. 114. Middl. supr pag. 51. Morton Apol part 1. p. 329. Caluin apud eund ib. Perkins problemat pag. 178. in sanctis tuis tabernaculis inregno tuo largiens eis promissionum tuarum bona quae oculus non vidit auris non audiuit in cor hominis non ascenderunt quae praeparasti Deus diligeÌ„tibus sanctum nomen tuum eorum inquam animabus dona requiem easque regno caelorum dignare All other auncient publike liturgies and Masses of all natioÌ„s agree herein The best learned Fathers both of the Greeke and Latine Church doe assure vs it was a tradition of the Apostles and receaued and practised in the whole Church Ab Apostolis sancitum est vt in celebratione venerandorum mysteriorum memoria fiat eorum qui hinc decesserunt Qui ante nostestes fuerunt habentes ante nos traditionem â—â— Ecclesia quique etiam à patribus suis traditum acceperunt quemadmodum etiam hi a suis patribus didicerunt Pro peccatoribus facimus memoriam pro peccatoribus misericordiam Dei implorantes Ecclesia necessariò hoc perficit traditione à patribus accepta Quis autem poterit statutum matris dissoluere aut legem patris Sacrificium pro defunctorum fidelium requie offerre vel pro eis orare quia pertotum hoc orbem custoditur credimus quod ab ipsistraditum sit hoc enim vbique Catholicatenet Ecclesia This was so generally receaued and confessed doctrine practised in all times and places That vntill Aërius the heretike in the dayes of Constantine no man denied it and he for his singular deniall thereof was and is condemned of heresie with all his followers This is a truth so euident that our Protestant writers doe with their publike warranâ— thus acknowledge it The primatiue Church did offeâ— sacrifice at the altar for the deade Sacrifice for the deadâ— was a tradition of the Apostles and the auncient Fathere Sainct Chrysostome taught it to be the Apostles ordinance to pray for the deade Aerius condemned the custome of the Church in naming the deade at the altare and offering the sacrifice of Eucharist for them and for this his rash and inconsiderate boldnesse and presumption in condemning the vniuersall Church of Christ he was iustly condemned In the Masses or liturgies of Basile Chrysostome and Epiphanius the deade were prayed for Ipsi veteres preces fundebant pro defunctis The â—â—ncient Fathers powred out their prayers for the deade Dionysius the Areopagite Sainct Paules scholler â—aught that sinnes are purged in purgatory In purgatorio expiari peccata The prayer made for the departed doth beseech the diuine Clemency to forgiue the party deceased all sinnes committed by humane infirmity Oratio illa precatur diuinam clementiam vt cuncta dimittat per infirmitatem humanam admissa peccata defuncto If wee should giue any respect to the Iewes Mahometans and Coccius tom 2. l. 7. artic 5. and such to make this a receaued opinion of all the world they euer held hold and practise prayer and such workes for the deade Now wee need not doubt but this so publike and common truth was also brought into Britaine and here practized and taught by our first Fathers in Religion Whosoeuer they were the Apostles or their disciples from Hierusalem Rome or what Apostolike place else they held professed and taught the Apostles doctrine and tradition and vsed their liturgies if from Hierusalem that of S. Iames where the deade are so often prayed for and the sacrifice of Masse offered for them And where there was a particular Church in the first dayes of Christianity as S. Bede from antiquity sequens veterâ—â—â— Bed libel de locis Sanctis Arnulphus Adama ib. l. 5. hist Eccl. monumenta with others assureth vs in quasuper altare pro defunctis sacrificium solet fieri positis interiâ— in platea corporibus in which Church sacrifice was vsed to be offered for the deade their bodies in the meane time remaining in the streete But because I haue inuincibly proued in my Ecclesiasticall history and it is not to be denied but our conuersion was by S. Peter his Church of Rome wee must Manuscript antiq princip stores needs say with our old Brittish manuscript written in the Britains time that his Masse and the Masse of S. Marke his Scholler came into these parts and were vsed here And no man Protestant or other finding yet that the prayer in the Romane Masse was added by any Memento Dominc famulorum famularumque Missa S. Petri in Canone tuarum qui nos praecesserunt cum sigm fidâ—i dormiunt in somno pacis Ipsis Dominc omnibus in Christo quiescentibus locum refrigerij locis pacis vt indulgeas deprecamur and the Masse of S. Marke being so manifest as before for this religious doctrine and practise wee must needs say this was the profession and custome of our Christian Britans from their first instruction in the faith of Christ To this old monuments of our most auncient and renowned Church of Glastenbury giueample testimony when assuring vs that thousands of Brittish Christians millia dormientium were Antiquit. glast buried there aboue a thousand yeares since they giue these reasons of the religious desires of good people to be buried there quia omnibus hic sepultis per Sanctorum inibi requiescentium preces merita creditur magna peccatorum remissio à Domino concessa Propter Missas alias orationes quae quotidie pro eis dicuntur because those that were buried there had great pardon by the merits of the Saincts and their pâ—â—iers resting there and the Masses and prayers there dayly offered for the dead there
greeke Origen hom 2. in leuitic Chrisostom l. 3. de Sacerdotio Cirill Alexandr l. 6. de adorat in spiritu victor Antioch ad c. 6. marci Ambros in missali Hier. ad c. 14. Oseae August Serm. 215. de tempor in Tract de rectitud cathol conuersat l. 2. de visitat Infirm c. 4. Innocent 1. epistol ad Decent Eug. cap. 8. Aug. l. de Haeres cap. 47. Gabriel Prat. Elench haeresum in Hierarchitis Epiph. haeres 67. Extreame vnction a Sacrament with the Britans Manuscript Brit. Antiquissimi Authoris and Latine Church doe thus expound this place deriue this Sacrament from thence and affirme it euer to haue beene so receaued in Christs Church and by him instituted proposed by S. Iames. sic roges dete pro te fieri sicut dixit Apostolus Iacobus immo per Apostolum suum Dominus ipsa videlicet olei sacrati delibutio intelligitur Spiritus sancti typicalis vnctio I need not to make repetitions of their testimonies this veritie being so generally receaued and practized in the first times of Christian Religion that about the yeare of Christ 279. it was commonly adiudged heresie to deny it and is so censured registred and condemned in the exploded heresies of the Hierarchite Heretiks dicebant extremae vnctionis Sacramentum à Deo institutum non esse Which being condemned for herefie in the whole Church of Christ must needs be so also adiudged in this Kingdome renowned then for true Christian Religion and the Catholike doctrine yet we want not particular testimonies hereof for our Protestants themselues commonly teaching that the Britans neuer chaunged any materiall point in Religion produce vnto vs a most auntient manuscript as they terme it written ab authore antiquissimo and as is euident in the same Antiquitie when there were yet many Pagans and Idolaters here in which commaunde and direction is giuen that all sick persons in daunger of death should both receaue the Sacrament of Christs holie bodie and this of extreame vnction sette downe by S. Iames the Apostle and the primatiue Fathers before Quotiens aliqua Infirmitas superuenerit corpus sanguinem Christi illi qui aegrotant accipiant oleum in nomine Domini à presbyteris humiliter petant inde corpus suum vngant vt quod scriptum est impleatur Infirmatur aliquis inducat Iacob 5. presbyteros Ecclesiae orent super cum vngentes eum oleo in nomine Domini oratio fidei saluabit infirmum alleuiabit eum Dominus et si in peccatis sit dimittentur ei Videtefratres quia qui infirmitatem habent ad Ecclesiam currant corporis sanitatem reâ—ipere peccatorum Indulgentiam merebuntur obtiâ—ere The Protestants of England euen the composers of these Articles cannot by their owne Religion be of other mind without grosse Ignorance and contradiction for defining a Sacrament as they haue done in this Article and in their most Protest commun booke Tit. catechisme warranted communion booke thus do define it by this word Sacrament I meane an outward and visible signe of an Inward and spirituall grace giuen vnto vs ordeyned by Christ himselfe as a meanes whereby we receaue the same and a pledge to assuer vs thereof They must needs graunt that S. Iames in expresse words in holie scripture their pretended Rule hath deliuered as much for this Sacrament as they require the outward visible signe the Preists prayer and vnction with oyle and remission of sinnes which cannot be without grace receaued by the same Thus I haue inuincibly proued by this first Apostolike age for the doctrine and practise of the Catholike Church and against this Protestant Article the whole compleat number of 7. Sacraments And yet if I had onely proued three Sacraments or any lesse number then seuen and greater then two I had sufficiently confuted this Article which onely alloweth two Baptisme and the Eucharist stiled by them the Supper of the Lord for such THE XVIII CHAPTER The rest of this Article repugnant to the Catholike faith likewise condemned THE remnant of this Article they deliuer in these words The Sacraments were not ordeyned of Christ to be gazed vpon or to be carryed aboute but that we should duely vse them And in such onely as worthyly receaue the same they haue a wholesome â—ffect or operation But they that receaue them vnworthily purchase to themselues damnation as Sainct Paule saith This is the whole content of this Article and in this last if these Protestants desire to speake properly as they should and would so be vnderstood there is very little or no difference betwene Catholiks and them For where they say that Sacraments haue a wholesome effect or operation in their worthie receauers this agreeth with the Catholike doctrine that Sacraments giue grace and worke ex opere operato which many Protestants denie And concerning the vnworthie receauing of them it is not a thing questioned What they meane by these wordes The Sacraments were not ordeyned of Christ to be gazed vppon or to be carryed about So speaking of Sacraments in the plurall number is a straunge speach excepting one Species of the Sacrament of Eucharist we reserue none nor carry any about for any respect nor can by their doctrine professing they consist in their ministration and receauing as is euident in Baptisme Confirmation Orders Confession and Absolution Matrimony and Extreame vnction What they meane by their words gazed vpon requireth a better glosse then they giue to vâ—derstande their meaning for to take the worde as it is commonly and properly vsed in our language earnestly or intensiuely to beholde if they forbid such gesture at Sacraments they forbid publik ministration of them which their practise alloweth warranteth and prescribeth by their greatest authoritie If they would haue this their termed gasing vpon or carrying about to be vnderstood any reâ—â—rence or reseruation the Romane Church vseth â—owards the blessed Sacrament of the Altare the question with them properly belongeth to their â—8 Article where they expressely speake against Transubstantiation or chaunge of breade and wine into the body and blood of Christ and his true and reall presence in those most sacred misteries which being vndeniably confuted as in that place it shall this errour is thereby clearely ouerthrowne For wheresoeuer Christ is or howsoeuer heis heis to be worshipped and adored with as greate dutie and reuerence as any Catholike giueth vnto him in this Sacrament In the meane tyme the Apostolike men of this first age do thus testifie S. Clement often testifying the reall and true presence of Christ in this most holie Sacrament setteth downe the deuotion and honour of all people then Bishops Preists Deacons Subdeacons Virgyns widowes married old and young to be as greate or greater then Catholiks now commonly vse vnto it When consecration is ended and the blessed Sacrament was shewed vnto the Christians present the Deacon vsed to say let vs aâ—tend or behold The Bishop or Preist
spared nâ—â— Princes themselues that followed him therein at all Antiquities tell vs in the case of King Frequard who being noted to haue laught at the Baptisme of Infants and confession of sinnes to Pâ—â—ists Notatus est aliquando risisse paruulorum â—â—ptisâ—um peccatorumque ad Sacerdotis aurem confesâ—â—â—â—â— was accused of pelagianisme cited condemned imprisoned and deposed So testifie both Catholik and Protestant Antiquaries THE XX. CHAPTER The 28. Article intituled of the supper of the Lord examined and condemned THEIR 28. Article being intituled of the 〈◊〉 supper is as followeth The supper of the Lorde is not onely a signe of the loue that Christians ought to haue among themselues on to an other but rather it is a Sacrament of our redemption by Christes death in so much that to such as rightly worthily and with faith receaue the same the bread which we breake is a partaking of the body of Christ and likewise the cuppe of blessing is a partaking of the blood of Christe Transubstantiation the chaunge of the substance of breadâ— and wine in the supper of the Lord cannot be proâ—ed by holy writ it is repugnant to the playne words of scripture ouerthroweth the nature of a Sacrament 〈◊〉 hath giuen occasion to many superstitions The body â—â— Christ is giuen taken and eaten in the supper 〈◊〉 after an heauenly and spirituall manner And tâ—â— meane whereby the bodie of Christ is receaued and 〈◊〉 in the supper is faith The Sacrament of the Lords supper was not by Christs ordinaunce reserued carryed about lifted vp or worshipped Hitherto this 28. Protestant Article In the first part thereof vntill we come to the woâ—â— Transubstantiation or the chaunge of the substance there is no apparant contradiction to the doctrine of the Catholik Church And if our Protestants secretly meane otherwise their Intention iâ— plainely expressed in that which followeth iâ— denying Transubstantiation or chaunge of the substance of breade and wyne Which I affirme with the Catholike Church and thus proue against this Article First by holy writ or scripture allthough that is not necessarie as is often made manifest against these men Where soeuer there is a chaunge or mutation of one thing into an other as in this case of breade into the body of Christ and this manifestly expressed and conteyned in holy writ and scripture there is transubstantiation or chaunge of breade by scripture into Christs body likewise of wyne into his blood This is euident by their owne exposition and transubstantiation in this place declaring it to be a chaunge of the substance of breade and wine But the holy writ and scripture in three Euangelists and S. Paule expressely proue that before Christ blessed and consecrated the breade and wine it was noe other but breade and wine and proue likewise euen from the testimonie of Christ himselfe that after his Matth. cap. 26. Marc. cap. 14. Luc. cap. 22. 2 Chorinth 11. blessing and omnipotent worde spoken it was now chaunged into his body and blood playnely saying this is my body which is giuen or shall be giuen for you and this is my blood which is shedd or shall be shedd for you Therefore by these Protestants exposition before there was and of necescessitie must be transubstantiation or chaunge of the substance of bread and wine Thus hath holie writ and scripture in all learned languadges Hebrue Greeke and Latin before consecration it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lechem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 artos panis breade after consecration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ghenijah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sonâ—a corpus Christs body likewise of the wine chaunged into his blood this is the testimony of Christ S. Matthew S. Marke S. Luke and S. Paule in holie writte and scripture And S. Iohn is witnesse also Io cap. 6. that Christ had taught and promised this before And yet any one place of scripture in so playne words maketh a matter of faith out of doubt and vndeniable Nothing can be more playne then such an affirmatiue proposition of a Subiect present in the hands of Christ the speaker and in the sight and presence of the greatest witnesses his Apostles at his last supper in the greatest Sacrament Christ neuer interpreted himselfe otherwise That his Apostles so vnderstood him beleeued practized and left to others is euidently proued both by Scriptures and the antiquities of this age First S. Iohn in scripture speaketh in Christs words Io 6. that breade is made his bodie Panis quem ego dabâ— caro mea est pro mundi vita And were plaine and often in that his 6. Chapter And both Catholike and Protestant Antiquaries confesse that hee said Masse wherein this chaunge and transubstantiation is vsed and confirmed HOC EST CORPVS MEVM c. And assuers vs that the Altare on which he said Masse many yeares before the blessed Virgyn was preserued in a Church on mount Syon miraculously brought thither Ad occidentalem Guliel way Etonem presbyter l. Itinerar cap. Ioc. Sanct. mont Sinay Hakligis booke of Trauailes in eod Matth. cap. 26. partem Ecclesiae quae est in monte Sion est lapâ—â— rubens prae altari qui lapis portatus erat de monte Sinay per manus Angelorum super quem celebrabat S. Ioannes Euangelista coram Beatisima Virgine Maris Missam per multos Annos post ascensionem Domini Thus testifie holie pilgryms eye witnesses euen of this Kingdome so remote from Hierusalem S. Matthew in his ghospell saith in the words of Christ This is my bodie HOC EST CORPVS MEVM This is my blood HIC EST SANGVIS MEVS In his â—â—â—â—rgie or Masse deliuered to the Church and S. Matth. in missa Aethiopum which he vsed he directly teacheth transubstantiation and chaunge of breade and wine into Christs bodie and blood ô Amator hominum benedic sanctifica munda transfer panem in carnem tuam immaculatam vinum hoc in sanguinem tuum pretiosum And thus hee vsed all his life euen to his martyrdome at the holie Altare where he thus consecrated Christs bodie by chaunging breade Anonym antiquiss in vit S. Matth. edit per Frederic Naus Episcopum Viennen Breuiar Rom. 21. Sept. 1. Corinth 11. into it as the old historie of his life and death beaâ—â—â—h wittnes Cum misteria Domini celebrata fuissent missam suscepisset omnis Ecclesia retinuit se Sanctâ—â— Matthaus iuxta Altare vbi corpus fuerat Christi â—â—fectum illic martyrium expectauit S. Paule in holie scripture saith it was breade before benediction Accepit panem gratias agens and â—fter Christs consecrating words it was his bodie HOC EST CORPVS MEVM And promiseth there to deliuer by tradition what was to be beleeued and practised herein caetera cum venero disponam Which his most learned scholler S. Denys the Areopagite was most like to knowe who before hath testified it was Christs bodie and to be adored S. Marke hath assured vs in
be true nor the liberty therein allowed lawfull but wantonly licentious and damnable THE XXV CHAPTER Tbe 33. 34. Articles examined an in whatsoeuer repugnant to the doctrine of the Church of Rome thus condemned THeir 33. next article intituled of excommunicate persons how they are to be auoided containeth nothing contrarie to the doctrine or practise of the Church of Rome as is manifest in these the verie words thereof That person which by open denuntiation of the Church is rightly cut of from the vnity of the Church and excommunicate ought to be taken of the whole multitude of the faithfull as an heathen and publican vntill he be openly reconciled by pennance and receaued into the Church by a Iudge that hath authority thereto Therefore I passe it ouer and come to the next 34. article intituled Of the traditions of the Church and followeth in these words It is not necessary that traditions and ceremonies be in all places one or vterly like for at all times they haue beene diuers chaunged according to the diuersity of contries times and mens manners So that nothing be ordained against Gods word Whosoeuer through his priuate Iudgment willingly and purposely doth openly breake the traditions and ceremonies of the Church which be not repugnant to the word of God and be ordained and approued by common authority ought to be rebuked openly that others may feare to doe the like as he that offendeth against the common order of the Church and hurteth the authority of the magistrate and woundeth the consciences of the weake brethren Hitherto this article seemeth to haue litle or no opposition to the Church of Rome but it may be passed ouer with silence The rest of it immediatelie thus followeth Euery particular and nationall Church hath authority to ordaine chaunge and abolish ceremonies orrites of the Church ordained onely by mans authority So that all things be done to edifying This clause is euidentlie false and prophane in itselfe for making euery particular Church many thousands such being in the world to be supreame iudge sentencer not onely to ordaine chaūge abolish ceremonies and rites of the vniuersall Catholike Church but to haue ouerruling authority to decree and commaund what is fit or fittest for edification taketh away all possible hope of edification and bringeth most certaine destruction confusion and desolation by making so many thousands of Supreame Iudges in these doubts as there be particular Churches which is a thinge most foolish and irreligious to affirme and vnpossible to be acted Further it is directly opposite repugnant to their owne 19. and 20. articles before of the Church and authoritie thereof In the 19. article they teach that all particular Churches euen the cheifest haue erred not onely in their liuing manner of ceremonies but also in matters of faith Therefore by these Protestants wee may neither admit so many or any one such erring false Iudge in such things Neither by their doctrine may wee stand to the censure of any particular nationall Church but onely of the one Catholike militant Church of Christ which as it is euer by that article of our Creede I beleeue the holy Catholike Artic. 19. Church holy and vnspotted from errour so by these men in the same article it is thus assigned to be our onely true Iudge in these affaires The visible Churcb of Christ is a congregation of faithfull men in the which the pure word of God is preached and the Sacramēts be dayly ministred according to Christs ordināce in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same And in their next article of the same one onely Church thus they decree in these words of the authority of the Church The Church hath power to decrecrites or ceremonies and authority in Controuersies of faith And their best writers haue published with their common and best allowance this sentence in this Question The primatiue Councels haue condemned Couell Mod. exam p. 65. them as heretikes onely for being stiffely obstinate in this kinde of denying the ceremonies of the Church They exemplifie thus in Aerius Aerius Feild l. 3. cap. 29 pag. 138. Couel exam pag. condemned the custome of the Church For this his rash and inconfiderate boldnesse in cōdemnig the vniuersall Church of Christ was iustly condemned The custome ceremonie and tradition which this heretike denied and was therefore by these men iustlie condemned was as they confesse naming the deade at the altare and offering the sacrifice of Eucharist for them This is but a ceremony by them because they contend it is not contained is scripture nor may be proued thereby as they likewise haue pretended for all other things which their Articles before haue reiected both in Sacraments and other doctrines and customes which I haue proued against them and doe leaue them as alterable ceremonies vpon that feeble and vaine pretence Vnder this pretence they haue taken away all our Missals or orders of holie Masse vsed in all Churches with their religious ceremonie from the Apostles time as I haue proued before So they haue done by all rituals and ceremonials about the ministring the Communion Booke and Booke of Consecrat of King Edu 6. Franc. Mason and the Prot. of their consecrat in Mat. Parker Prot. art 36 infra Stat. in parlamento an 2. Eduardi 6. holy Sacraments and brought in their places the childish and womanlie deuises of a named communion booke by yong King Eduard 6. and Queene Elizabeth and an other named and stiled by them The forme and manner of making and consecrating Bishops Preists and Deacons quite omitting all other orders euer vsed in all Churches from Christs time and these fashions neuer vsed before by their owne cōfession by anie Christian Britans Saxōs French or others in this Kingdome or all the world but to vse their owne words in these articles lately set fourth in the time of Eduard the sixt and confirmed at the same time by authority of Parlament the second yeare of the aforenamed King Edward He then being about eleuen yeares old a farre to yonge censurer Iudge and condemner of all Churches with their holie vniuersallie receaued ceremonies to bring in so straunge and childish an Innouation We are assured by the Apostolike men of this first age and others that euen from the Apostles there were manie particular ceremonies deliuered to be immutably vsed in all Churches Thus S. Clement and S. Dionisius the Areopagite Clem. Rom. Apost const lib. 8. cap. 29. Dion Areop Ecclesiastic Hierarc c. 2. with diuers others deliuer of hallowing oyle and water to heale diseases driue away deuils and and like effects settinge downe the verie manner how to sanctifie them Domine Deus Sabaoth Deus virtutum qui dedisti aquam ad bibendum oleum ad exhilarandum faciem in exultationem laetitiae ipse etiam nunc sanctifica per Christum hanc aquā oleum ex nomine eius qui obtulit tribue
for defence of the Catholike Faith and Iastlie by your Maiestie our last Queene MARIE by whom this land is blessed by a royall issue and as we hope shall in time be madâ— happie by restitution of the Catholike Religion ether in your owne oâ— your childrens dayes And the ratheâ— when England shall see by the Iudgement of the Apostles that the Catholike religioÌ„ aggreeth in all point with the religion taught deliuereâ— by the Apostles and first Apostolicalâ— preachers and that the Protestant religioÌ„ is discouÌ„tenaunced discarded condemned by them This shall appeare by this booke which I youâ— Maiesties most humble subiect aâ— old student in holie learning doe iâ— all dutifull manner present vnto youâ— wishing to your Gracious Maiestie and to our noble Souueraigne your deare Spouse a long and happie raigne in our great Brittainie such a temporall raigne amongst your subiectes as you may both raigne in heauen eternallie with God his Saintes and Angelles Your Maiesties most humble and deuoted subiect R. B. APPROBATIO CVm mihi constiterit ex testimonio fide digni S. Theol. Doctoris in hoc libro cui tituluâ— Apostolorum iudicium c. nihil inueniri Catholicae fidei aut bonis moribus contrarium sed multâ— quae ostendunt religionem Catholicorum esse Apostolicam haereticorum verò Apostaticam censuâ— vtiliter praelo committi posse Actum Duaci die 23. Iunij 1632. GEORGIVS COLVENERIVS S. Theol. Doctor Regius ordinariusque Professor Gollegiatâ— Ecclesiae S. Petri Praepositus Duaâ— censis Academiae Cancellarius librorum Censor THE FIRST CHAPTER CONCERNINGE THE FIRST 5. PROtestants Articles not differinge from the Apostles Religion and the Roman Church BEEINGE to enter into the Examen and comparison of the parlament protestant Articled Religion of England with the Religion of the present Church of Rome and â—e whole Christian world named Catholike â—or profession whereof the Catholiks of England â—y the protestants thereof haue longe tyme suffâ—red and still most constantly endure most bitter persecutions by the first knowne and confessed â—ue Christian Catholike Apostolike Religion â— the Apostles and that their happy age wee finde â—t in the first fiue Articles of this new Religion â—y difference or difficulty to be thus decided both â—atholicks and parlameÌ„tary protestants agreeing them all and they all beeing ordeyned by these proâ—tants against other Sectaries so soone within 4. â—ares of the beginning of Q. Elizabeth her Reigne reâ—eing old condemned heresies amongst them as their â—tories and registers remember and therefore it will â—re suffice onely to recite the Titles of these arâ—les to giue notice thereof The contents and title â— the first article are Of faith in the holy Trinity The second of the word or sonne of God which was made verymaÌ„ The 3. Of the going downe of Christ into hell The 4. Of the Resurrection of Christ The 5. Of the Holy Ghost The whole Article the Title being subiect to doubt is The holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the sonne is of one substance Maiesty and glory with the Father and the Sonne very and eternall God Hitherto wee finde nothing against the doctrine of the Catholike Church Which noâ— vnlikely these men did rather to winnesome crediâ— at their entrance to be thought louers of truth then that they hated the enemies of these articles not yet suppressed among them THE SECOND CHAPTER Examining their 6. Article about Scriptures and traditions and condemning it by the Apostles and Apostolike men and doctrine of their age THEIR next sixt Article intituled of the sufficiency of the holy Scriptures for Saluation â— thus holy Scripture containeth all things necessary â— saluation Soe that what soeuer is not read therein nâ— may be proued thereby is not to be required of any maâ— that it should be beleeued as an article of faith or â— thought requisite or necessary to saluation By the naâ— of holy Scripture wee doe vnderstand those canonicâ— bookes of the old and new testament of whose authâ—rity was neuer any doubt in the Church And from tâ— number of those bookes which there they allowâ— to be canonicall They doe in expresse words aâ— tearmes reiect The booke of Tobias the booke of Iuditâ— the rest of the booke of Esther the booke of wisdomâ— Iesus the sonne of Sirach Baruch the Prophet the songe of the three children the story of Susanna of Bel and the Dragon the prayer of Manasses the first and second Bookes of the Machabees Concerning the new testament thus they adde all the bookes of the new testament as they are commonly receiued wee doe receiue and accompte them for canonicall This their Article is in their proceedings as the grounde worke and foundation whereupon their Religion is wholy framed and builded and yet so weake Feeble totteringe ruinous arid deceitefull that not any one true certaine and infallible point of doctrine as euery Article in true religion is can be framed vpoÌ„ it or from it so deduced by the expresse graunt of this article it selfe and of all English Protestants professed and sworne maintainers of it For whereas they sentence and define In the Art 6. supr name of holy Scripture wee doe vnderstand those canonicall bookes of the old and new testament of whose Field Booke of the Church lib. 4. cap. 5. wotton def of perk pa. 442. Couell ag Burg. pag. 60. def of Hooker pag. 31. 32. 33. proâ—â—st glosse on the 6. art Tho. Rogers ibid. authority was neuer any doubt in the Church They plainely make the Iudgment of the Church to be the highest tribunall in spirituall questions euen of the scriptures themselues And thus their best and cheife writers published by authority doe glosse and expound this article And of necessity so they must say except at their first entrance they will plainely confesse their religion and congregation their Church of England as they terme it to be erroneous or hereticall and to haue noe power or warrant at all to doubt deny or determine and propose what bookes be or be not Scriptures canonicall either of the old or new testament Or what one chapter or sentence in them is part or not part of such canonicall and vndoubted holy Scriptures for this power and prerogatiue being onely committed to the true Church by their Article and professors before if these men doubt or Iudge otherwise in this case then the true confessed Church hath hitherto done They can be noe part or members of that true Church And whatsoeuer is read or may be deduced from vntrue or doubted Scriptures cannot be possibly any certaine and vndoubted article of faith and religion For noe conclusion can be more certaine and vndoubted then the Maximes and authorities from which it is concluded but as the light of nature common law and vndeniable Maxime of true reasoning teacheth all men and all men truely acknowledge for a verity most certaine it euer followeth the weaker part euer erroneous doubtfull vncertaine or false if both or
and Sainct Luke they were not all thought able â— condemne those named hereticks which S. Ihâ— confounded Amonge the Epistles onely that of â— Paul to the Romans was sent into these parts â— was in a language wee did not vnderstand aâ— written after the faith of the Romans was spreâ— both in Britaine and all the world as Sainct Pâ— witnesseth fides vestra annuntiatur in vniuâ— Rom. 1. mundo The two Epistles of Sainct Peter accordiâ— to antiquity were written in Rome and after Bâ—taine had receaued the faith especially the last aâ— the first being longe doubted of was sent quite coâ— â—rary from Britayne vnto the contries of PoÌ„tus Gaâ—atia 2. Petr. 1. Capadocia Asia and Bithynia in the easterne â—arts Wee finde no memory after of Scripture reâ—eaued here vntill longe time after in the second â—ge expressed in Pope Eleutherius his Epistle to our â—ing Lucius And yet all our ProtestaÌ„t antiquaries â—ue before assured vs that Britaine had in the Aâ—stles time and longe before any Scripture came â—ther or probably was written and possibly in â—orall Iudgment could come hither receaued the â—ith of Christ so fully purely and sincerely that it â—euer changed it in any materiall point after the â—riptures were receaued here nor diuers hundreds â— yeares after And if wee will be directed by Scriptures in this â—int those which our Protestants allowe for such â—e testimony to vnwritten Traditions in many â—ces To exemplifie onely in Sainct Paul which â—ote most in the new Testament hee chargeth S. 1. Tim. 6. â—mothy and all others in him to keepe obserue â—ngs so deliuered without writinge O Timothee 2. Tim. 2. â—ositum custodi This in his first Epistle not haâ—ge written vnto him before And in his second â—stle hee giueth him commaund that the things â—ich he had heard froÌ„ Sainct Paul he should deâ—er vnto others fit to teach them Quae audisti a me â— multos testes haec commenda fidelibus hominibus â—idonei erunt alios docere And expressely comâ—undeth 2. Thessal 2. the Thessalonians and in them all in â— second epistle to them to obserue and keepe the â—aditions which they had learned either by word â— writinge State tenete traditiones quas didiciâ— siue per sermonem siue per epistolam nostram â—hich the Fathers expound of the necessity of keepinge vnwritten traditions as Catholiks now doe Hinc est perspicuum quòd non omnia per epistolaâ— Chrisost in 2. Thess orat 4. tradiderunt sed multa etiam fine scriptis eaquoque sunt fide digna Quamobrem Ecclesiae quoque traditionem censeamus esse fide dignam Est traditio nihil quaeras amplius And expoundinge that of S. Paul in his first epistle to the Corinthians hoâ— they kept his commaundements by word beforâ— he wrote vnto them sicuttradidi vobis praecepta mâ—tenetis he doth inferre the doctrine of Traditions ergo fine literis mult a tradidâ—rat quod alibi saepe meminit And Sainct Hierome vpon the same words Hier. in eadem Verba Tom. 9. quasi legem praecepta meatenetis scientes illum in â— spiritum loqui qui in lege locutus est prophetis Thâ— like hath S. Ambrose vpon the same and S. Epphanius Ambros in 1. Cor. Epiph. haeresi 69. oportet traditione vti non enim omnia diuina Scriptura possunt accipi Quapropter aliqua â— traditione Sancti Apostoli tradiderunt Quemadmdum dicit Sanctus Apostolus Sicut tradidi vobis â— alibi sic doceo sic tradidi in Ecclesijs Thus the best learned both Greeke and Latiâ— Fathers expounded these to inferre a necessity Traditions and their equality with Scriptuâ— Which our best Protestant writters with thâ— common allowance thus confirme Our aduer sarâ— Feild l. 4. c. 20. pag 238. meaninge Catholiks make traditions equall with words precepts and doctrines of Christ the Apostâ— and Pastors of the Church left vnto vs in writinge â—ther is there any reason why they should not so doe they could proue any such vnwritten verities for not the writinge that giueth things their authority the worth and credit of him that deliuereth thâ— though by word and liuely voyce onely Thus tâ— confesse and the reason which they giue so enâ—ceth them the worth and credit of the reuealer and deliuerer or proposer of holy misteries supernaturall being the motiue and cause of mans assent so firme and vnmoueable in articles of faith not to be proued by humane reason and not the writinge or not writinge being fallible and subiect to many casualties corruptions and vncertainties which we are sure are not to be found in Christ the reuealer nor his holy Church the vndoubted true proposer of his mysteries and reuelations And both these are the same and as certaine in traditions not written such as Catholiks maintaine as in the written Scriptures For wee doe not defend any one vnwritten tradition that it should be beleeued as an Article of faith or to be thought requisite necessary to saluation which be the very words of this Protestant Article of Religion but wee produce the Artic of Protest Relig. 20. highest authority in their owne publike Iudgment also in these their Articles the true primatiue Church of Christ to warrant it The which Church hath power and authority in controuersies of faith That euery tradition came from Christ and his Apostles to be receaued professed in Christian Religion As to instance in some and those which most concerne euen in our Protestants proceedings and by their owne confessions and testimonies vnwritten Traditions are necessary For first in this Engl Protest Rel. artic 6. very article they haue giuen their finall sentence in the very first words thereof that the holy Scriptures are of this nature Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary for saluation So that whatsoeuer is not read therein nor may be proued thereby is not to be required of any man that it should be beleeued as an Article of faith or to be thought requisite necessary to saluation And yet in the immediatly following words they plainely declare and professe that wee haue noe warrant in Scripture for any booke chapter or sentence of Scripture to be such holy Scripture but for euery least percell thereof wee must resorâ— to Tradition and the Churches Iudgment In thâ— name of holy Scripture wee doe vnderstand those canonicall bookes of the old and new testament of whose authority was neuer any doubt in the Church Where weâ— are assured from these men that the Church anâ— Tradition vnwritten is supreme Iudge of all questions in Religion euen of the Scriptures themselues And so necessarily they must say confesse or els leaue no Religion or Scripture at all to bâ— proued or proue vnto vs. For it is vnquestionablâ— that no part of Scripture doth propose vnto vs anâ— Catalogue or Canon of Scriptures Which the thus further testifie in their publikely approueâ— Feild l. 4. pa. 238. c. 20.
Which they must needs likâ— â—raunt of these ensuing doctrines and practises in Religion vsed in the same time and remembred â—y this and other Apostolike writers of that first â—ge First whereas Protestants ascribe iustification to â—nely Faith being a cheife foundation of their new â—eligion Sainct Ignatius and this happy age knew â—o such doctrine but the contrary That faith was Epistol ad Ephesios â—ely to begin Iustification but it was perfected by â—arity and good deeds Non vos laedet aliqua diaboâ—a cogitatio si vt Paulus perfectam habueritis in â—ristum fidem charitatem quae initium vitae â—is est Principium vitae fides finis eiusdem charitas â— ac autem duo quoties in vnum coeunt Dei hominem â—ficiunt And againe Eleemosyna fide expiantur Epist ad Heronem Epist ad Mar. Cassobolit Epist ad Tarsen ad Rom. Epist ad Philadelphenses â—ccata Praesens labor modicus multa quae hinc expeâ—atur merces Nihili pendo supplicia haec neque tanti â—io vitam meam vt eam plus amem quam Dominum â—uare paratum me offero igni feris gladijs cruci dumâ—do Christum videam Saluatorem Deum meum â—secro vos quot quot paenitentia ductirâ—dierint ad vâ—atem Ecclesiae suscipite illos cum omni man suetudiâ— vt per bonitatem patientiam resipiscentes ex diaâ—i laqueis digni iam Christo facti salutem consequanâ— aternam in regno Christi Illibatum mihi est arâ—uum Crux Christi mors resurrectio eius fides â— quae cupio iustificari precibus vestris Qui honorat Epistol ad Smyrnenses â—phetum in nomine Prophetae mercedem Prophetae acâ—et nimirum qui honorat vinctum Iesu Christi â—rtyrum accipiet mercedem Nihil vobis apud Deum â—ibit eorum quae in illos contulistis det vobis Domiâ— vt inneniatis misericordiam à Domino in illa die â—inam meus spiritus cum vestro commutari possit â—icula haec mâ—a quae non fastidistis nec obea erubuistis Quare nec de vobis erubescet consummata spes â—sus Christus Precationes vestrae appropinquarunt â— Antiochenam Ecclesiam pacem habet Deposita vâ—stra Epist ad Policarpum sunt opera vestra vt quae accepistis eadem digâ— Deo reportetis Antiochena Ecclesia pacem est nacta pâ— orationes vestras ego tranquilliori animo factus suâ— in securitate Dei si per passionem Deum assecutus fuâ— disâ—ipulus inueniar per orationes vestras Quibus â— Epist ad Heroâ— Deus inuenire misericordiam à Domino in illa die prâ—ter of ficium ministerium erga nos Orate pro mâ— â— Epistol ad Trallianos in Dei misericordia charitate vestra indigeo vt digâ—fiam sorte ad quam assequendam iam destinor ne repâ—bus inueniar Where wee euidently see by many â—stimonies that the Imagined Protestant faith nâ—ther doth nor possibly can iustifie any man bâ— charity almes pennance praier and other hâ— works and deeds of Christians are meritorious â— iustifie them And that Protestants paradoxe of the certaiâ— of Saluation is most certainely false Which â— confirmeth also in other places as where he takâ— vpon him the knowledge of the celestiall spirâ— their orders and dignities yet he plainely makâ— himselfe ignorant of his owne saluation mâ— Epistol ad Trâ—ll supr more not certaine thereof Our Protestaâ— pretend for themselues Angelicos ordines Archâ— gelorum militiarumque differentias thronorum pâ— testatumque distantias principatuum magnificâ—ntâ— Cherubim Seraphimque excellâ—ntias spiritus subâ—â—tatem Domini regnum inâ—omparabilâ—m Dei â—tris omnipotentis diuinitatem haec â—um nouerim â— continuo perfectus prorsus ego sum multa dâ—suntâ— Deo dâ—relinquar Where wee see him further to hâ— described the heauenly hierarchy and orderâ— heauen as Catholiks now doe and Protestants take no notice of them And he doth not onely thus describe them but assureth vs they know the things on earth and so by protestant allowance may be praied vnto as Catholiks vse and they condemne Praecipio tibi coram Epistol ad Heron. Deo vniuersorum coram Christo praesente Sancto Spiritu administratorijs Angelorum ordinibus â—ustodi depositum meum quod ego Christus tibi commendauimus Where the holy Angels doe not onely knowe our actions as Christ and the blessed Trinity doth but assist and minister vnto vs. And is â—o farre from denying this knowledge to Saints Angels in heauen that he yeeldeth knowledge of affayres on earth namely of the Passion of Christ euen to the soules which were in Limbus patrum or Epistol ad Trallian Purgatory at that time Verè crucifixus mortuus videntibus caelestibus terrenis ijs qui sub terra â—detincbantur caelestibus quidem inspicientibus niâ—nirum incorporeis naturis terrenis verò vt Iudaeis Romanis caeteris qui tunc temporis crucifixo Domino aderant subterraneis autem ijs videlicet qui plurimi cum Domino resurrexerunt multa enim â—nquit corpora Sanctorum qui dormierant cum Matth. 27. Domino resurrexerunt monumentis apertis Descendit ad infernum solus regressus est cum multitudiâ—â— septum illud aeternum rupit medium pariâ—â—â—m illius destruxit By this wee finde as Catholicks hold and Protestants deny a place where soules were and whence there is deliuery and redemption and not euerduring Torment and desperation of the reprobate and damned in their hell and place of eternall punishmeÌ„t of which there is no end or freedome to be had or hoped for And therefore it 's a place from whence a Ransome will make deliuery and there is no merit or deseruing after thiâ— life as our Protestants most freely graunt This freedome of soules from that place of punishment purgatory or howsoeuer wee shall namâ— it is principally to be procured and effected by thâ— sacrifices prayers almes and other meritoriouâ— deeds and workes of holy Christians still liuing iâ— the estate and condition of deseruinge Such as S Ignatius hath before remembred And other Apostolike writers of this age as Sainct Denis the Areopagite and Sainct Clement Schollers of the twâ— greate Apostles Sainct Peter and Sainct Paul to bâ— cited with others in this particular question in thâ— proper place thereof beinge of the same religion iâ— all points with Sainct Ignatius the holy Churcâ— of Christ doe as plainely expresse and deliuer foâ— the constant custome practise and doctrine of thâ— time to offer sacrifice pray and doe other holâ— works for faithfull people departed out of thâ— life as any learned writer of the present Romaâ— Church doth in these dayes And Sainct Ignatiâ— with much honor remembreth them especially S Clement Scholler to Sainct Peter and Paul anâ— Pope of Rome Papa beatissimus Clemens Petri â— Pauli Auditor and testifieth that he liued in perpâ—tuall Epistol
ad Mar. Cassob chastity in castitate exegiâ— hanc vitam Whicâ— he affirmeth of other Apostolike Preists and Bâ—shops of that age Sainct Timothy Sainct Titus â— Epist ad Philadelph Euodius his predecessor at Antioche of himselâ— in diuers places So that then neither the Preists â— the Latine or Greeke Church Antioche beinge thâ— cheifest and where the name of Christians fiâ—â— began were maried but continually liued aâ— â—heir life time in chastity in castitate exegerunt hanc vitam And therefore they were honored in those dayes â—nd the holy Maydens which had professed virgiâ—ity were compared to the Preists in this point â—f perfection and for it honored as they were â—as quae in virginitate degunt in pretio habete velut Epistol ad Tarsens Christi Sacerdotes It is manifest their were Colâ—edges or Nunneries of such vowed and professed â—irgins and Nonnes then Saluto Collegium virgiâ—um Epistol ad Philippen Epistol ad Smyrn Epistol ad Polycarp And they liued in perpetuall virginity Saluto â—as quae in perpetua degunt virginitate They were â—rofessed by the Bishop whether men or women â—i quis potest in castitate permanere ad honorem carms â—ominicae sine iactantia permaneat si idipsum statuatur â—ne Episcopo corruptum est And of this profession â—onsecration of virgins he further putteth them â—nd all in memory in this manner virgines agnosâ—ant Epistol ad Antiochen cui seipsas consecrarunt And he proueth That it is in the power and free â—ill of man to doe these and all holy duties in a Christian life by the grace of Christ and noe man â—ecessitated to sinne heauen and hell good and bad â—n the free will and election of man Decet non modo Epistol ad Magnes vocari Christianos sed esse nec enim dici sed esse beaâ—os facit Obseruationi proponitur vita mors inobedienâ—iae singuli qui hoc aut illud delegerunt â—n eius quod â—nuenerint locum abituri sunt fugianius mortem eliâ—amus vitam In hominibus enim geminas not as inueâ—iri dico hanc esse veri numismatis illam vero advlterimi Pius homo numisma est à Deo excusum imâ—ius ementitum adulterimum illegitimum non à â—eo sed à diabolo â—ffectum Non quòd velim dicere â—uas esse hominis naturas sed vnum esse hominem qui iam Dei iam diabolisit Si quis pietati studet Dei hoâ— est si impiè agat diaboli est non id factus per naturaâ— sed animi arbitrium He proueth that concupiscenâ— Epist ad Ephesios without consent condemneth not nor is sinne aâ— protestants hold Cum nulla in vobis sit conscupisceâ—tia quae vos inquinet supplicium adferat secunduâ— Deum viuite Non vos laedet aliqua diabolica cogitatiâ— si vt Paulus perfectam habueritis in ChristuÌ„ fideâ— charitatem He hath before in one place spokeâ— of foure Sacraments Baptisme the Sacrament oâ— Christs blessed body and blood Orders and Confirmation by al expositors Baptizant Sacrificanâ— Epistol ad Heron. Eligunt manuâ— imponunt He hath asscribed iustification vnto pennance and so allowed it in that degreâ— and although he hath so dignified the virginall life and saith it is better praestantius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epist ad Philadelph then wedlocke he giueth so much honor vntâ— Marriage that it was not to be performed withouâ— the Bishops assent and allowance Decet verò vâ— Epist ad Polycarpum ducentes vxores nubentes cum Episcopi arbitrio coniugantur vt nuptiae iuxta Domini praeceptuâ— sint non autem ad concupiscentiam Our protestants generally and absolutely deny these holy Christian doctrines and practises to be contained in Scriptures or to be proued by them Therefore they must needs yeeld that that primatiue and Apostolike Church by so greate and liuing then witnesse held and professed them by tradition and certaine it is that many bookes of Scripture were neither generally receaued nor written when the things were so generally vsed and professed not onely in the commaundinge Greeke Church of Antioch where Sainct Peter S. Paul S. Euodius and Sainct Ignatius professed and practized them Pauli Petri fuistis discipuli ne perdaâ—â—s Epist ad Antiochen depositum Mementore Euodij beatissimi Pastoris vesâ—â—i qui primus vobis ordinatus est ab Apostolis Antistes Where the disciples were first called ChristiaÌ„s when Sainct Peter and Sainct Paul came thither and there founded the Church Antiochiae primum Epist ad Magnesian discipuli appellati sunt Christiam cum Petrus Paulus fundarent Ecclesiam But in all the renowned Churches before remembred and in all the whole Christian world at that time by the preachinge and tradition of the holy Apostles as the same Apostolike man thus witnesseth Scribo ad vos moncoque Epist ad Philadelph vt vna praedicatione vna Eucharistia vtamini Vna enim est caro Domini nostri Iesu Christi vnus illius sanguis qui pro nobis effusus est vnus item panis omnibus confractus vnus calix qui omnibus tributus est vnum altare omni Ecclesiae vnus Episcopus cum presbyterorum collegio diaconis Quandoquidem est vnus est ingenitus Deus Pater vnus vnigenitus Filius Deus verbum homo vnus Paracletus Spiritus veritatis vna praedicatio fides vna vnum baptisma vna Ecclesia quam suis sudoribus laboribus fundarunt Sancti Apostoli à fimbus terrae vsque ad fines in sanguine Christi Vos itaque oportet vt populum peculiarem gentem sanctam omnia perficere concordibus animis in Christo And directly Epistol ad Heron. concludeth that whosoeuer shall teach otherwise then the Traditions of the Church be he is to be accompted a wolfe amonge sheepe though he be otherwise a man of credit fasteth liueth chastely doth miracles and prophecieth Quicumque dixâ—rit quippiam praeter ea quae constituta sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tamet si fide dignus sit quamuis signa edat quamuis prophetet pro lupo illum habeas qui subouina pelle exitium pestemque aedfert ouibus Wee may addâ— vnto these greatest solemnities and festiuall dayeâ— of the Cristians receaued in the Church in thâ— time by tradition and not Scripture and by thâ— same authority of tradition without Scripture thâ— feasts highest festiuities of the Iewes euen thosâ— which were solemnely set downe and commauÌ„deâ— in Scripture to be religiously obserued quite euâ—cuated and vtterly reiected The Sabbath which is now our saterday waâ— with greate ceremony and solemnity deliuered iâ— Scripture to be kept euery weeke and that whicâ— wee call sonday was commaunded to be a working day Yet all Christians in this time by tradition diâ— celebrate that old working day next after the olâ— Sabbath for our Lords day consecrated
the dead reueâ—nced the signe of the crosse other holy Images â—d sacred Reliks said or heard Masse and praâ—ized other Christian rites and duties which proâ—stants deny to be contained in or proued by â—cripture Tertullian lyuing and writing as many testifie â—en Protestants before Pope Eleutherius time Tertull. l. de praescription Magdeburg Centuâ— 3. col 34. c. 4. col 240. 241. Sutcl subu p. 4. Whitg def Respon pag. 96. â—d witnessing Britayne had in his dayes receaued â—e faith of Christ euen in those parts thereof wheâ—er the Pagan Romans could neuer come loca â—omanis inaccessa speaketh of the traditions before â—membred as both his owne works Catholiks â—d Protestants proue in these words Tertullianus â— genere de doctrina suae aetatis inquit eam consentire cum Ecclesijs Apostolicis eamque consensum câ— cordiam communem esse omniuÌ„ Ecclesiarum in Europâ— in Asia in Africatestatur That this the doctrine his time did agree with all Apostolike Churches thaâ— was the common consent and concordance of all â— Churches in Europe in Asia in Afrike And thouâ— wee assigne a somewhat later time to Tertullian others doe in the later end of the second age â— when he so confidently and generally assignâ— this common consent of all Churches of Britaiâ— Fraunce Spaine Italy all Europe Asia and Afriâ— in these holy Christian doctrines thus impugned Protestants hauing therein the consent of all Aâ—stolik Churches wee must needs say whether tâ— were receaued and professed from Scriptures Traditions being longe before any generall Coâ—cels kept by the generall confessed rule of the â—thers and Protestants before they must needâ— deliuered by authority of the Apostles non â— authoritate Apostolica traditum certissimè crediturâ— And the first receauing of the holy Scriptureâ— Britayne which wee finde in Antiquities was in â— time of Pope Eleutherius and from the Churcâ— Rome the same Catalogue of Scriptures it tâ— vsed and still vseth as wee finde in the epistlâ— Eleuth Pap. epist ad Lucium Regem Britan. Godwin CoÌ„uers of Brit. in epist Eleuther Stow. hist Romans that holy Pope to Kinge Lucius suscepistis nâ— miseratione diuina in Regno Britaniae legem fiâ— Christi Habetis penes vos in Regno vtramque pagiâ— You haue there in your Kingdome both testamentâ— our Protestants translate it or both parts of Scripturâ— THE THIRD CHAPTER The 7. 8. 9. 10. Articles examined and wherein they differ from the present Romane Church condemned by this first Apostolike age HAVING thus absolutely and at large confuted and ouerthrowne by the Apostolike â—ge the last Article the erroneous ground of all â—rotestant Religion wee may be more breife in â—he rest being all at the least generally confuted â—nd ouerthrowne in their false foundation so deâ—royed And vntill wee come to their 11. Article â—tituled of the Iustification of man It may be queâ—ioned whether any of them doth in common and â—robable construction and meaninge oppose the â—oman Church or no. And for the two next the 7. â—nd 8. Articles it is most certaine and euident the â—rst of them being intituled of the old testament only â—acheth The old Testament is not contrary to the new â—nd the other stiled of the three Creeds is in tâ—e â—me condition onely affirming The three Creedes â—icene Creede Athanasius Creede and tâ—â—â—â—hich is â—mmonly called the Apostles Creede ought throughly â— be receaued and beleeued But the reason hereof â—hich thus they yeeld for they may be proued by most â—rtaine warrantes of holy Scripture is both before â—onfuted very friuolous for neither is the Scripâ—re the compleate Rule of Religion neither was â—e Scriptures of the new testament written when â—e Apostles deliuered their Creede to the Church â—or the Scriptures agreed vpon vntill after both â—e Creedes of the Nicene Councell and Sainct Athanasius were generally receaued and professâ— by all Catholiks as is already made manifest eueâ— by Protestants themselues aswell as other Authoâ— of more worthy credit The next Article is intâ—tuled of Originall or birth sinne And was expresseâ— concluded by them against the Pelagians denyiâ— originall sinne in man as they expouÌ„d themseluâ— naming the Pelagians and their heresie there wiâ— a confutation of it in their proceedings holdiâ— that Originall sinne in those that be not baptizeâ— deserueth Gods wrath and damnation Yet in the lâ— and concluding words of the Article their phraâ— of speach hath perhaps giuen occasion to some pâ—ritane Nouelists to thinke they held as these mâ— Caluin and such doe that concupiscence withoâ— assent is sinne The words be Although there is â— Artic. 9. supr condâ—mnation for them that beleeue and are baptizâ— yet the Apostle doth confesse that concupiscence lâ— Thomas Rogers in Articul 9. Confes Helu 2. c 9. Saxon. ar 2. 20. hath of it selfe the nature of sinne A Puritane glosser vpon this place saith Conâ—piscence euen in the regenerate is sinnâ— Among foâ—tâ—ene Protestant Confessions he citeth but two fâ— his opinion by his owne exposition And so seauâ— to one by his owne argument of Protestant authâ—rity he is deceaued And the Puritan Heluetian â—sembly Protest Engl. Art art 10. Caluin lib. 1. Instit c. 5. l. 2 c. 2. 3. a. lib. l 3. c. 3. Ant Wotton against D. Bish pa. 112. ruled by Caluine holdeth this besides tâ— other errour which our English Protestants deâ— in ther next article that man hath not free will â— doe well or fly sinne And he plainely confesseâ— that all the primatiue Fathers sufficient for tâ— purpose are against him holding concupiscenâ— without assent to be no sinne Omnium sententâ—â— So do our English Puritans also which hold thâ— errour acknowledge and it is apparant euen â— â—e words of this article before related that the Enâ—ish Protestants doe no otherwise terme coÌ„cupisâ—nce sinne then materially as the Apostle doth â—hose onely authority they vse in that matter and â—ot properly and formally as sinne is truely and â— right sense vsed and taken hauing liberty and â—nsent of minde annexed vnto it otherwise Inâ—nts Ideots frantike madde men without iudgâ—ent and men sleepinge doinge the materiall part â— things sinfull should also sinne or if the flesh of â— selfe the vegetatiue or sensitiue power abstraâ—ing from reason could sinne creatures onely haâ—ng beeing vegetation and sense might and should â—nne equally as those that be reasonable Beasts â—shes fowles plants herbes and trees would be â—oth capable and guilty of sinne And our English Protestants in their commuâ—on booke of as greate credit and approued by as â—reate authority with them and their Religion as â—ese articles acknowledge that the baptized are deade Communion Booke Titul ministrat of publike Baptisme And Catechisme â— sinne And the whole body of sinne is vtterly aboliâ—ed in them They promise and vowe to for sake the â—uill and all his workes the carnall desires of the flesh â—d not to followe and be ledde by them obediently to â—epe Gods commaundements
Therefore I dare not say that the Parlament â—rotestants of England doe or by their religion â—ould professe that condemned errour which holâ—eth concupiscence without assent to be truely â—nne And all auncient expositors of holy Scripâ—re both of the Greeke and Latine Church doe â—pounde the Apostle in the place insinuated in â—is Article to speake of sinne onely materially â—ot properly when he termeth concupiscence by â—at name This is confessed by the professors of this â—rour before and the name of the Fathers are neeâ—lesse and too many to be cited in a confessed cauâ— And wee haue the Catholike doctrine in tâ— point deliuered and taught by Apostolike men â— this age Sainct Ignatius proueth that concupcence without assent defileth not cum nulla in vâ—â— Ignat. epist ad Ephes sit concupiscentia quae vos inquinet supplicium â—ferat profectò secundum Deum viuitis And Rabâ— Moses Hadarsan proueth the same for the true bâ— leeuing Iewes quod iam scriptum est ad te câ—cupi scentia Rabbi Mos Hadar ad ca. 4. Gen. peccati scilicet quod est figmentum malâ— iugiter concupiscens affectans tu dominabeâ— illius hoc est si volueris praeualebis aduersus eum Aâ— all the holy writers of this time affirme the samâ— when they teach that free will is in man sinâ— is not contradicted without it nor can be where â— when it doth not consent Which cannot possibâ— be in the first motions of concupiscence by coâ—mon experience Iudgment and agreement of aâ— arisinge both without and against the will and â— berty of man First Sainct Ignatius who hath so plainely testâ—fied before that concupiscence not consented vntâ— doth not defile and so cannot be sinne proueth alsâ— abseruationi proponitur vita mors obedientiae siâ—guli Ignat. epist â—d Magnesian qui hoc aut illud elegerint in eius quod inuâ—nerâ— locum abituri sunt fugiamus mortem eligamus vâ—tam That to sinne or not sinne to haue life â— death is in the power and will of Christians Aâ— againe most plainely that sinne is not without freâ— will Si quis piet ati studet Dei homo est si impiè agâ— diaboli est non td factus per naturam sed animi arbâ—trium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sainct Clement disciple and Successor to Sainct â—eter the Apostle speaketh as plainely or rather â—ore both in Sainct Peters and his owne words â—pinion and all true beleeuers liberi sumus arbitrij Clem. Rom. epist 3. â—uia liberum est animo in quani velit partem declinare â—dicium suum quam probauerit eligere viam conâ—at euidenter inesse hominibus arbitrij libertatem And Recognit l. 3. â—ffirmeth plainely that they which should deny â—ree-will in man consequently should say that God could not iudge and condemne men for any â—inge termed sinnes all ciuill courts lawes and â—ustice should cease there should be no goodnesse â—o wickednesse no sinne no vertue nor God at all Quomodo Deus iudicat secundum veritatem vnumâ—uemque pro actibus suis si agere aliquid in potestate â—on habuit Hoc siteneatur conuulsa sunt omnia fruâ—ra â—rit studium sectandi meliora sed Iudices saeculi â—ustra legibus praesunt puniunt eos qui malè agunt â—on enim in sua potestate habuerunt vt non peccarent â— ana erunt Iura populorum quae malis actibus poenas â—atuunt miseri erunt qui seruant cum labore iustiâ—am beati verò illi qui in delicijs positi cum luxuria â—celere viuentes tyrannidem tenent Secundum haec erâ—o nec iustitia erit nec bonitas nec vlla virtus vt â—vis nec Deus Est ergo in potestate vniuscuiusque quia Lib. 4. â—beri arbitrij factus est homo vtrum nobis velit audire â—d vitaÌ„ an daemonibus ad interituÌ„ And defineth freeâ—ill to be an essentiall and vnseparable power of â—he soule of man to yeeld to whatsoeuer acts it â—ill Arbitrij potestas est sensus animae habens Lib. 3. Dionis Areopag Eccles Hierar cap. 2. l. de diu nom cap. 4. â—irtutem quam possit ad quos velit actus incliâ—ari Sainct Denis the Arepagite is plaine of the same â—pinion and calleth that which wee commonly terme freewill electiualibertas electiue liberty aâ— that man hath such power in himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rab. Moses Hadars ad c. 4. Gen. Rab. Akiba in capitul patrum Philo. l. quod Deus sit immutabilis Rab. Moses Fil. Maim epistola adu Astrologos Ioseph Alb. fund tract 1. c. 9. Rab. Iudas in capitul pa. Clem. Rom. l. 3. Recognit los lib. 13. Antiq. c. 4. Epiph. l. 1. Tom. 1. cont haer c. 16. de pharisaeis Plutarch l. 1. de placitis Philosophorum cap. 27. Clem. Alex. l. 5 stromat part ante fâ—n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This was the constant and receaued opinion â— doctrine both of Iewes and gentiles also for tâ— first their Rabbines Rabbi Moses Hadarsaâ— Rabbi Akiba Philo Rabbi Moses ben-Maimoâ— Iosephus Rabbi Iudas with others doe aboundanâ—ly proue it So doth Sainct Clement reciting the â—stimony of Simon Magus professor of the aduerâ— errour confessing it was the receaued doctrine â— the Iewes though he singularly denied it Simâ— Magus inquit ad Pâ—trum quoniam Hebraeis ista maâ—dantur velut rectè scientibus Deum opinantibâ— quod vnusquisque in suo arbitrio habeat agere â— de quibus iudicandus est mihi autem ab illis discrepâ— sententia Iosephus Sainct Epiphanius and others proâ— the same and put such Iewes as held otherwise iâ— the number of heretiks So Plutarch Clemens Alexandrinus and others proue of the Gentiles testâ—fying how Heraclitus was singular among them for the contrary errour Plato proued inuinciblâ— the truth of the Christian Catholike doctrine iâ— this point otherwise God should because of sinne which he possibly could not be Liberum autem arbitrium Plato per haec ostendit virtus autem non parâ— alterius dominio quam prout vnusquisque vel honorauerit vel despexerit erit eius particeps Eius qui elegerit culpae non potest in Deum causa conferri Deuâ— enim nunquam est causa malorum Thus generally and confidently the doctrine oâ— free will was receaued and professed in this first agâ— in the same manner as the present Roman Churcâ— â—w doth approuing and requiring also the necesâ—y of grace and not excluding it as the Pelagian â—retiks first did some hundreds of yeares after and â—t makinge mens actions meritorious but as they â—ere assisted by grace Nihil meritis vestris ascribaâ— Martial Epis ad Tolosan cap. 22. quasi non egentes Dei gratia quia sine Deo nihil poâ—tis facere And in this sense the Protestant Article of freeâ—ill receaueth this doctrine their writers admit â—in these Termes wee deny not that it is in the power Wotton
defence of Perk. pa. 67. 68. 65 88. 90. Couel def of Hooker p. 35. â— man to make choyce of life wee acknowledge that the â—ult is in euery maÌ„ that is not saued Wee say with Auâ—n both in words meaning that true Religion neither â—nies free will either to a good or badd life As S. Berâ—ard saith there is a threefold freedome from necessity â—om sinne from misery The first of nature the seconde â— grace the third of glory In the first from the bondage â— coaction the will is free in its owne nature and hath â—wer ouer it selfe That freedome by which the will of â—an is named free is the first And thereof wee dare say â—at the wicked want not the freedome of will Thus they write publish and approue with their â—uthority to be the doctrine and allowed opinion â—f English Protestants in this matter Our primaâ—ue Christian Britans of this first age could neither â—earne of their first Apostles and Fathers in Christ â—or professe any other doctrine or opinion in this â—oint for Sainct Peter being the first founder of â—heir Church and faith could deliuer no other in â—his matter to them then he had taught at Anâ—ioch and Rome and recommended to his two â—lorious Successors S. Ignatius and S. Clement in â—hose two highest Apostolike Sees And Sainct Clement either preached here in Britaine or as he expressely deliuereth by chaâ— Clem. Rom. epist 1. giuen and committed to him by Sainct Peter â— send learned Bishops into all these westerne pâ— where Sainct Peter had not ordained such befâ— And for Sainct Ioseph of Aramathia and his hâ— company who made free choyce and election â— the loue of Christ to forsake contry kindred â— all temporall goods and trauayle so many thâ—sands of myles into the end of the knowne woâ— to liue and dye there in such austerity and Sâ—ctity of life as they practized lyuing here they mâ— of necessity be professours as they were renowâ— Examplars in this businesse And that the Britâ— Tertul. l. de anima c 20. 21. l. 2. aduers Murc c. 5. 6. 8. de epiph ortat de constit cap. 2. then generally that were conuerted so professâ— with the whole Christian world Tertullian an â—deniable teacher of this doctrine in many places â—stifieth of it as of others before that all Apostoliâ— Churches Europe Asie and Afrike agreed theâ— in And it so continued euer in Britaine in suâ— manner that afterwards Pelagius the heretike â—tolled it to much and was therefore both by Bâ—tans and all other Catholiks condemned and dâ— tested for an heretike for so enabling it without â—sistance of grace All writers Catholike and Prâ—testants thus agreeing THE FOVRTH CHAPTER The 11. Article of the Iustification of man exâ—mined and condemned by the Apostolike Fathers of this first age THEIR next 11. Article is intituled of the iâ—stification of man and expressed in these words â—e are accompted righteous before God onely for the â—rit of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ by faith â—d not for our owne workes or deseruings Wherefore â—at wee are iustified by faith onely is a most whole some â—ctrine and very full of comfort as more largely is exâ—ssed in the homily of Iustification This is the whole article and the doctrine thereâ— that wee are iustified by faith onely is before â—ndemned by Sainct Ignatius and the Apostolike S. Ignatius epist ad Ephes â—ctrine of this first age affirming that faith is â—ely the beginninge of mans perfection or iustice â—d charity doth perfect it without which a man â— not iustified Principium vitae fides finis eius chaâ—as haec autem duo quoties in vnum coeunt Dei hoâ—nem perficiunt He saith also that sinnes be taken way by almes and faith and not by faith onely â— this article speakes Eleemosina fide expiantur â—ccata And though a man be otherwise faithfull Ignat. epist ad Heron. â—steth liueth in virginity worketh wonders and â—ophecieth yet if he keepe not the constitutions â—f the Church he is to be esteemed as a wolfe â—mong sheepe Quicunque dixerit quippiam praeter ca â—uae constituta sunt tametsi fide dignus sit quamuis â—iunat quaÌ„uis in virginitate degat quamuis signaedat â—uamuis prophetet pro lupo illum habeas qui sub ouina â—elle exitium pestemque adfert ouibus All men agree â—ainct Ignatius was a true beleeuer yet writing to Ignat. epist ad Philadelp â—he Philadelphians he confesseth he was not thereâ—y sure of his saluation as Protestants say they are â—ut desired to be perfected by their prayers In Doâ—ino Iesu vinctus necdum perfectus sum sed precatio vestra ad Deum me perficiet vt id consequar ad quod vocatus sum He professeth that he beleeued in Christ as he ought to doe yet desired to be iustified by others prayers Iesus mihi pro Archiuis est qâ— nolle audire manifesta pernicies est Illibatum mihi â— archiuuÌ„ crux eius mors resurrectio eius fiâ— horum per quae cupio iustificari precationibus vestris True it is Sainct Ignatius citeth and approuâ— that saying of scripture Iustus ex fide viuit the iâ— man liueth by faith which the Protestants makeâ— a ground of their errour in this question but he â—ueth not that prerogatiue vnto it which they doâ— either to iustifie onely or at all but to be necessaâ— to iustification as all true Catholiks coÌ„fesse thâ— no man can be iustified without it neither doth â— meane the Protestants pretended presumptioâ— faith or such as is singular to any sect but the coâ—mon faith of the vniuersall Church of God yâ— in the same place ascribeth iustificatioÌ„ to constanâ— in goodnesse doing and suffering for the loue â— God and louinge him aboue our selues and aâ— other things Nihili pendo supplicia haec neque taâ— facio vitam meam vt eamplus amem quam Dominuâ— Quare paratum me offero igni feris gladijs cruci duâ— Epist ad Tarsenses modo ChristuÌ„ videam Saluatorem Deum meum qâ— propter me mortuus est obsâ—cro vos ego vinctus Chrâ—sti state in fide este constantes quia iustus ex fide viâ—â— estote immobiles quia Dominus habitare facit vnâ—â— moris in Domino That faith where there is but one preachinâ— thereof one Church founded by the Apostles in aâ— the world where the professours liue in one vnity haue one altare one sacrifice vna praedicatio vâ—na fides vnum baptisma vna Ecclesia quaâ— Epist ad Philadelph suis sudoribus laboribus fundarunt Sancti Apostoâ— Ã finibus terrae vsque ad fines in sanguine Christi vâ— oportet vt populum peculiarem gentem Sanctam omâ—ia perficere concordibus animis in Christo. Vna est caro â—omini nostri Iesu Christi vnus illius sanguis vnum â—tare omni Ecclesiae And yet the true vniuersall and â—atholike faith which all Protestants and partiâ—lar
sectaries doe want though it is so necessary â— saluation that no King Prince Prelate Potenâ—te or whosoeuer can be iustified and saued withâ—ut it yet of it selfe without hope charity and loue â—f God and our neighbour which bringeth all â—ood vnto vs and the keeping of Gods commaunâ—ements such faith neither saueth nor iustifieth â—emo erret nisi crediderit Iesum Christum in carne â—nuersatum crucem illius confessus fuerit pasâ—nem Epistol ad Smyrnen sanguinem quem effudit pro mundi salute â—n assequetur vitam aeternam siue Rex fuerit siue Saâ—dos siue princeps siue priuatus homo siue Dominus â—e seruus siue vir siue foemina Qui capit capiat qui â—dit audiat Locus dignitas diuitiae neminem efferant â—obilitas paupertas neminem deijciant Totum â—mque praecipuum est fides in Deum spes in â—ristum fruitio eorum quae expectamus bonorum â—aritas in Deum proximum Diliges enim Domiâ—m Deum tuum extoto corde tuo proximum tuum â—ut teipsum Et Dominus inquit haec est vita aeterna â— cognoscant te solum verum Deum quem misisti â—um Christum Et mandatum nouum do vobis vt diâ—atis vos mutuo In his duobus mandatis pendet tota â— Prophetae Sainct Clement teacheth the same â—ctrine assuring vs that Christ was so farre from â—ching that man is to be iustified onely by faith â—he lawe of the ghospell that he tyeth vs to more â—ct lawes and commaundements then vnder the â—e of Moyses Qui tunc homicidium interdixit nunc â—am iram tâ—nere concitatam qui tunc adulterium nunc prauam quoque cupiditatem lâ—gem naturalâ—m â—sustulit Clem. Rom. l. 6. constit Apost cap. 23. sed confirmauit Qui dixit diliges proxiâ— tuum idem in Euangelio ait renouandi gratia maâ—tum nouum do vobis vt diligatis inuicâ—m And â—ching the way and meanes how wee should â— made friends with God and so be iustified heâ—leth vs that this friendship is to be procured by â—uing well and obaying his will which is the laâ— all liuing men vt tendamus ad amicitiam Conditâ—amicitia Clem. Rom. l. 1. recognit autem efficitur benè viuendo volâ—â— eius obediendo quae voluntas omnium viuentium â— est The like hath Sainct Martiall vtterly condâ—ning all such presumption as is in the pretenâ— Protestant iustifying faith teaching and directâ— to obay the will of God in holy words and gâ— workes Vobis est testis scutator renum cordiuâ— eius S. Martial ep ad Tolosan cap. 17. obedientia nihil arroganter nihil superbè nihâ—â— merè praesumere sed tanquam pusillus grex Dei â— luntatem eius adimplere studete in verbis Sanctiâ— operibus honis Where wee euidently see that â— will of God is not fulfilled nor iustice wroughâ— onely faith but holy speaking and doing gâ— workes Sainct Denis the Areopagite saith that â— knew well and therein agreed with the diâ— Scriptures that euery one was to be rewarded â—cording to his worthinesse or deseruing Probè◠Dionys Areo. Eccl. Hierar cap. 12. scriptis diuinis assentiens vnumquemque praeâ— accepturum pro dignitate And addeth that euery shop or learned Preist being the Interpretor oâ— nine things doth learne from holy Scriptures â— euerlasting life and happenesse is with most â— measure giuen vnto men according to their dâ—â—ings and merits Diuinus Antistes interpres diuiâ—orum iudiciorum didicit à scriptis quae diuinitùs proâ—ita sunt clarissimam diuinamque vitam pro dignitate â—c meritis iustissimis lancibus tribui Sainct Polycarpe in his Epistle which Sainct Irenaeus l 3. c. 3. Euseb l. 3. hist c 36. Polycarp epist ad Philipp â—eneus Eusebius and others cite and approue doth â—istinguish faith and iustice in Christians and â—heweth that holy men that are saued obtayned â—lory by such distinct iustice and sufferings for Christ Hi omnes qui non in vacuum cucurrerunt sed in â—de iustitia ad debitum sibi locum cum Domino â—ui compassi sunt abierunt And this glory was â—ue vnto them for such iustice and sufferings Sainct Iustine in his publike Apologie for all Iustin Apol. 2 pro Christianis ad Anâ—on Pium Imper. post med Christians to the Emperour protesteth that all â—ood Christians euer from the beginning so held â—ued and practised that men were punished or reâ—arded according to the worth and dignity of their â—eeds and the Prophets before the Apostles so â—aught Hoc etiam explicamus nos supplicia poenas â—tque praemia pro dignitate actionum redditum iri à â—rophetis didicisse idque vere enuntiamus That this article of Catholike Religion was proâ—essed and practiezed here also it is euident being â—he vniuersall doctrine and profession of the whole Catholike Church as before appeareth And for â—hat this Kingdome being so remote a nation â—rom Hierusalem Rome Antioch and other cheife â—laces where Christian Religion then most floriâ—hed and those glories of the world whose authoâ—ities I haue cited and such others as then florished â—ust needs receaue their faith from them and â—hence and be of the same minde and opinion with â—hem herein And to examplifie onely in particular in thâ— which our Protestant antiquaries confesse to hâ— beene Christians of or in this nation in this agâ— Sainct Beatus a noble Britan Sainct Ioseph of â—romathia who buried Christ and his holy compâ—nions which conuersed with the Apostles and tâ— Speed Theater of greate Britaine li. 6. Pantal. de vir Illustrib German Antiquitat Glast tabulis affir Guliel Makn l. de antiq caen Glaston Cupgr in S. Ioseph Arom Apostolike Doctors remembred they thought â— faith onely to be it by which men were iustifiâ— as these Protestants hold but liued in most strict â— penitentiall life all their dayes in watchings fâ—stings and prayers so seruing God the blessâ— Virgin Mary with other Saincts and Angels Vâ—gilijs Ieiunijs orationibus vacantes Deo Beâ— Virgini deuota exhibentâ—s obsequia Their reuerenâ— which they vsed to the holy reliks which thâ— brought with them spoken of before and to tâ— crosse and other Christian Images ther building â— chappell in honour of the blessed Virgin Mary â— the admonishment of S. Gabriell the Archangeâ— Archangeli Gabrielis admonitu their poore chastâ— and obedient religious life foresaking all euâ— their wiues Sainct Ioseph bringing his wise iâ— Britaine as these antiquities say and leauing hâ— and all wordly comforts for the loue of Chrisâ— proue sufficiently vnto vs they were not of oâ— Protestant profession that onely faith did iustifâ— and that there was no Iustice merit or reward bâ— and for good workes holynesse and perfection â— lyuinge well THE V. CHAPTER The 12. Article examined and in whatsoeuer differing from the present Romane Church condemned by the Apostolike age So of the 13. and 14. Articles AND by
ad caput ipso dicente prâ— Apostolorum Petro Tues Petrus super hanc Pâ— aedificabo Ecclesiam meam Sainct Papias also â— Protestants confesse to speake in their â— words taught Peters primacy and Romish Eâ—pality Sainct Martial a disciple of Sainct Peteâ—â—sent Martial ep ad Burdegal cap. 11. Hier. l. de vir Illust in Iren. epist 29. ad Theod. Tert. l. contra Valent Martyrol Rom. die 28. Iunij into Fraunce by the Apostolike Râ— Church and a member thereof teacheth thâ— Church of Christ is firme and can neuer be â— throwne or dissolued Firma Ecclesia Dei â— nec cadere nec disrumpi poterit vnquam Sainct Ireneus being by Sainct Hierome thâ— Romane Martyrologe and others scholler Polycarpus and Papias and neare the Apâ— time Apostolorum temporum vicimus must neeâ— and be learned in this age and both knowe â— followe the approued doctrine thereof beâ— most Catholike holy learned Sainct Martyâ— Doctour yet he witnesseth of the Roman Câ— Iren. l. 3. c. 3. that it hath principality ouer all others and â— fore euery Church all true beleeuers must concordance with it euer keeping the truâ— Christian Religion which the Apostles deliâ— Ad hanc Ecclesiam propter potentiorem principalitâ— necesse est omnem conuâ—nire Ecclesiam hoc est eâ— sunt vndique fidelâ—s in qua semper ab his qui sâ—â— dique conseruata est ca quae est ab Apostolis trâ— â—e saith this Church is the greatest most auncient â—owne to all founded by the two most glorious â—ostles Sainct Peter and S. Paul keeping inuiâ—â—le the faith they taught and confounding all â—t erre Maximae antiquissimae omnibus coâ—itae à gloriosissimis duobus Apostolis Petro Paulo â—maefundatae constitutae Ecclesiae eam quam haâ— ab Apostolis traditionem annunciatam hominiâ— fidem per successiones Episcoporum peruenientem â—que ad nos indicantes confundimus omnes eos qui â—quo modo velper sui placentiam malam vel vaâ— gloriam vel per caecitatem malam sententiam â—terquam oportet colligunt Where this Church of â—me is euer pure and vnspotted free from errour â— Iudge and confounder of all wheresoeuer or â—wsoeuer erring and falling from the true Apoâ—like doctrine S. Simeon Metaphrastes die 29. Iunij Leland in Arthurio Harrison descr of Britaine Stow hist of Engl. Hollinsh his of Engl. Theater of greate Brit. l. 6. Caius antiquit Cautab Godwin CoÌ„uers of Brit. and Catal. of Bish. Io. Goscelin hist Manuscript Mat. parker Antiquit Brit. And particularly concerning Britaine So it â—s euer adiudged here wee receaued our first â—h from Sainct Peter and the Roman Church â—nct Peter stayed longe in Britaine conuerted â—y founded here Churches ordained Bishops â—ists and Deacons venit in Britanniam quo in loco â—o temporefuit moratus verbo gratiae multos illumiâ—it Ecclesias constituit Episcoposque Presbyteros â—iaconos ordinauit â—nd all our Protestant Antiquaries confesse that â— receaued this holy Apostolike faith and â—at this time and in euery age had Bishops and â—chers sent hither from Rome as Sainct Daâ—nus and Faganus with others from Pope Eleuâ—ius in the second age from Pope Victor wee â— many in the third age and Sainct Mellonius or Mello from Pope Stephen and S. Amphibalus with others from the same Romes authority in the same age In the fourth age one holy Emperesse Emperour Queene and King S. Helen with our whole Cleargy agreed with Sainct Syluester and others Popes there and Sainct Ninian with others of ours which where there consecrated and sent hither by that power Apostolike and many of our Bishops were then at diuers Councels as Arles in Fraunce Sardyce and others both ioyning with the Roman Church and acknowledging the supreame spirituall power thereof In the next and fift age Pope Celestine and other holy Popes sent hither S. Palladius Sainct Germanus S. Lupus Sainct Seuerus S. Patricius S. Dubricius Coelius Sedulius with others renowned in all the world In the sixt age the Sea of Rome sent hither and approued here Sainct Iuo Sainct Ethelardus S. Dauid Sainct Kentegern Sainct Asaph Sainct Molochus Sainct Augustine Mellitus Iustus with all that holy company sent hither by Sainct Gregory Pope then especially to the Pagan and noâ— yet beleeuing Saxons Now that our Christiaâ— Britains neuer forsooke or chaunged in any onâ— materiall point their first receaued Apostolike faith Io. Balaeus l. 2. de Act. Rom. Pontif. in Greg. 1. l. de scrip Centur. 1. in August Dauid powel Annotat. in l. â— Girald Cambren Haier Camb. cap. 1. wherein they were assisted by the Popes and Seâ— of Rome all this while to the cominge of S. Augustine in the end of the sixt hundred of yeares oâ— most esteemed Protestant Antiquaries directly tâ—stifie from Antiquities Two of them speake in these very same wordâ— apud Britannos vigebat veritat is praedicatio doctriâ— sincera purus Dei cultus qualis ab ipsis Apostoâ— mandato diuino Christianorum Ecclesijs tradiâ—us 〈◊〉 At the comminge of Augustine hither here florished among the Britans the preaching of the truth sincere doctrine and the pure worship of God which by the Apostles themselues by Gods commandement was deliuered to the Churches of Christians One of theÌ„ saith their doctrine was most sincere Doctrinae sincerissima Both of them cite the brittish history so they might haue cited the old manuscript history of Rochester with diuers others Two other principall Protestant Antiquaries the one an Archbishop with them say Euangelium quod primis Apostolorum Mat. Parker Antiq. Brit. p. 68. 9 45. alijs â—o Goscelin hist Eccles manuscr c. Britâ—nunq prolaff à fide Godwin conuers of Brit. p. 43. temporibus in Britannia nuntiatum non modo semper retentum firmiter sed singulis saeculis auctum dilatatum creuisse The Ghospell which was preached in Britaine in the first times of the Apostles was both euer firmely retained and encreased in euery age An other a Bishop in their congregation writeth The Britans continued still in the same tenour of pure doctrine which they had receaued in the first infancy of the Church The doctrine and discipline of their Church they had receaued from the Apostles of Christ An other hath thus among the Britains or welchmen Hollinsh hist of Engl. c. 21. p. 102. Foxe Act and monum pa. 463. edit an 1576. Fulke Answ to a counterf Cathol p. 40. Middleton Papistomast p. 202. Theater of greate Brit. l. 6. Christianity as yet remained in force which from the Apostles time had neuer failed in that nation An other hath thus The Britains after the receauing of the Faith neuer forsooke it for any manner of false preachinge of others An other thus witnesseth The Britains before Augustines cominge continued in the faith of Christ euen from the Apostles time The like haue many others to many to be cited not any of them contradicting it And by this they haue
euidently proued against this their Article that the Church of Rome in euery age as they haue before declared assisting and directing the Christian Britans here and concurring and agreeing with them ineuery point and article of Religion neither did nor could be said to haue erred in matters of faith And this these Protestants expressely confesse when they generally acknowledge as all Antiquities doe that there was then no materiall or essentiall difference in matters of faith betweene the Christian Britains except some Pelagian heretiks among them and Sainct Augustine with his company being sent from the Church of Rome the Pope then being a greate S. Gregory the most learned and holy Pope that euer was by these mens Testimony Gregorius magnus omnium PoÌ„tificum Romanorum Balaeus l. 2. de Act. Rom. Pontif. in Gregorio Mâ—gâ—â—o doctrina vita praestantissimus And therefore by them and all holy writers stiled Gregory the greate And wherein soeuer any difference though ceremoniall obseruing of Easter any ceremony about the ministering of Baptisme or giuing holy Orders was betweene the Roman Church and the Britains all writers both Catholiks and ProtestaÌ„ts proue the Roman Church professed the truth And the Britains were in the errour and so they freely and publikely in their first meeting coÌ„fessed as Sainct Bede and our Protestants themselues Bed hist Eccles l. 2. c. 2. with others acknowledge Tum Britones confitentur quidem intellexisse se veram esse viam iustitiae quam praedicaret Augustinus and this was inuincibly proued vnto them both by vnanswearably humane arguments and diuine testimony and miracle And they afterward generally corrected and conformed themselues to the Romane Church in all things formerly questioned betweene them as all Antiquaries Brittish English Forreine domesticall Catholiks and Protestants agree neuer contending about any question moued by Protestants against the present Roman Church but both the Romane Church then and our Britains as the whole Christian world also iointly agreing in euery article against this new Protestant Religion And this is manifestly proued particularly already in all articles yet examined and so will be in all that followe Therefore it is manifestly false by all testimonies auncient later forreine domesticall Catholikes and Protestants euen in their publike decrees and Confessions that which this Article so desperately hath deliuered The Church of Rome hath erred in matters of faith and the contradictory that it hath not so erred nor shall at any time so erre is euidently true by all witnesses This will be yet more euidently manifested in the two next following examinations and others THE VIII CHAPTER The 20. Article thus examined and in whatsoeuer contrary to the Church of Romè thus condemned THEIR 20. and next article intituled of the authority of the Church is this It is noâ— lawfull â—or the Church to ordaine any thinge contrary to Gods word written neither may it so expound one place of â—cripture that it be repugnant to another Wherefore â—lthough the Church be a witnesse and a keeper of holy â—rit yet as it ought not to decree any thing against the â—ame so besides the same ought it not to enforce any â—hing to be beleeued for necessity of saluation In this article no thing needeth other answeare or confutation then is made before in their article of Scriptures and traditions where the pretended sole necessity of the written Scriptures heretikely insinuated is most plainely confuted both by the Apostolike doctrine and practise of this age and otherwise And the supreame power and authority which here they giue vnto the Church to be a witnesse and keeper of holy writ and the cheifest expositour thereof and as their common glosse â—â— this article is the Church hath authority to Iudge and determine in controuersies of faith doth vtterly disable and condemne those Protestants to haue any colour or pretence to hold the truth in any one article they maintaine against the Roman Church either concerning Scriptures Church or anâ— thing else for the Church which onely was and â— visible as they haue described the true Church before hath in all and euery article condemned aâ— such Protestant Innouation And for these men to say as they haue done â—â— their 19. Article that the Church is a congregatiâ— of faithfull men in which the pure word of God â— preached and the Sacraments be duely ministred anâ— to make it an article of faith as they doe in theâ— publike profession of the Creede that this Church one holy and Catholike doth so continue for 〈◊〉 without interruption or corruption in ministriâ— Sacraments and preaching doctrine and the things are in their censure should onely be take from the written word and Scriptures It is vnpoâ—sible in such proceedings that the Church shoâ— ordaine any thing contrary to Gods word writteâ— or so expound on place of Scripture that it be repugnant to an other For otherwise it should neither be one holie or Catholike but diuers different vnholy particular no pillar of truth but a forge of falsehood no howse of God no spouse of Christ no saluation to be had or hoped for in any Iudgment Catholike or Protestant but in the true Church of Christ To this the Apostolike men of this age giue Ignat. epist ad Philadelp Ephes Trall Magn. Antiochen Ignat. ep ad Philadelp euident testimony Sainct Ignatius doth make the Iudgment of the Church both supreame and certaine and receauing penitents and saith Christ hath firmely builded his Church vpon a hile by spirituall building without help of mans hands against which the floods dashing and windes puffing could not ouerthrowe it nor any spirituall wickednesses shall euer be able to doe it but they shall be weakened by the power of our Lord Iesus Christ. Iesus Christus secundum propriam voluntatem suam firmauit Ecclesiam super Petram adificatione spirituali citra humanarum manuam operam in quam collisa flumina venti non potuerunt eam subuertere nec id valcant vnquam spirituales nequitiae sed infirmentur virtute Domini nostri Iesu Christi And saith plainely as there is but one flesh and blood of Christ shedd for our sinnes one Euchariste one Altare one Priestly order one God the Father one God the sonne one holy Ghost so there is but one preaching and one faith and one baptisme and one Church which with their sweate and labours the holy Apostles haue founded in the blood of Christ from the one end of the earch to the other vnapraedicatio fides vna vnum baptisma vna Ecclesia quam suis sudoribus laboribus fundarunt sancti Apostoli à finibus terrae vsque ad fines in sanguine Christi Sainct Clement Câ—em Rom. Const Apost l. 1. c. 1. saith the Catholike Church is the plantation of God and his chosen vineyard which cannot be digged vp or destroied Dei plantatio est Catholica Ecclesia vinea eius electa So that no other can be planted or chosen by
nuncupamus quod sit vniuersalis diffundatur per omnes mundi partes ad omnia se tempora extendat nullis vel locis inclusa vel temporibus Seing alwayes there is onely one God one mediatour of God and men Iâ—sus the Messias also one Sheepheard of the vniuersall flocke one heade of this body to conclude one holy Ghost one saluation one saith one testament or league it necessarily followeth that there onely is one Church Which therefore wee name Catholike because it is Vniuersall and diffused through all parts of the world and extendeth it selfe to all times not concluded within any places or times This holy Church of God is called the house of the liueinge God builded of liuely and spirituall stones and seated vpon an vnmoueable rocke and vpon a foundation on which no other thing can be placed and therefore it is called the pillar and supporter of truth Haec Ecclesia Dei sancta vocatur domus Dei viuentis extructa ex lapidibus viuis spiritualibus imposita super petraÌ„ immotaÌ„ super fundamentuÌ„ quo aliud loc ari noÌ„ potest ideo nuncupatur etiam coluÌ„na basis verit atiâ— 1. Tim. 3. The Lutheran Religion or confession of Wittemberge saith credimus confitemur quod vna sit Confess Wirtemberg cap. de Eccl. sancta Catholica Apostolica Ecclesia iuxta Symbolum Apostolorum Nicaenum Quod haec Ecclesia â— Spiritu sancto ita gubernetur vt conseruct eum perpetuo ne vel erroribus vel peccatis pereat Quod in hac Ecclesi asit verapeccatorum remissio Quod haec Ecclesia habeat ius iudicandi de omnibus doctrinis Quod haec Ecclesia habeat ius interpret and aescripturae Ecclesia habet certam promissionem perpetuae praesentiae Christi Cap. de Concilijs gubernatur à Spiritu sancto Wee beleeue coÌ„fessâ— that there is one holy Catholike and Apostolike Church according to the Creede of the Apostles and Nicen Councell That this Church is so gouerned by the holy Ghost that he preserueth it for euer that it perish not either by errours or sinnes That in this Church there is true remissioÌ„ of sinnes thâ—â— this Church hath authority to Iudge of all doctrines That this Church hath authority to interpret the Scripture The Church hath certaine promise of the perpetuall presence of Christ and is gouerned by the holy Ghost By this it is euident by all Testimonies of this Apostolike age and these Protestants themselues that the true Church of Christ neuer did shall or can erre in any Iudgment decree sentence or profession in matters of faith but is pure Catholike and Apostolike in all such in all times and places And this article either denying or doubting of such power and prerogatiue in the true Church is very Idle or Antichristian taking away all certaine and holy Religion of Christ As also that the Church which was when these heresies began euen Catholike and vniuersall in all places and had beene so in all times before hath beene so euer since and still so continueth and florisheth is that true holy Catholike Apostolike Church which the holy Scriptures Fathers of this age and the Article of our Creede giue testimony vnto And the Protestant particular Confessions and congregations of Heluetia Fraunce England Scotland Belgia Poland Argentine Ausburgh Saxony Wittemberge the Palatine of Rheine Boheme and perhaps some others being onely of particular Contryes or Townes and onely of some and not all persons of them cannot be possibly Catholike for place and as vnpossibly for time the eldest of them by their owne testimony and confession vnknowne vntill the yeare of Christ 1530. the Confession of Ausburge first began not printed vntill the yeare 1540. the Confession of Boheme 1532. Heleutia 1536. Saxony 1551. England 1562. Scotland 1581. the like of the rest These nor any of them by the same reason can be Apostolike arising so many hundreds of yeares after the Apostles time None of all these can be that one Church which was euer those being diuers from that among themselues at warres both for Sacraments discipline doctrine None of their coÌ„gregations or coÌ„fessions yet hath brought forth any one man or woman knowne which in their owne Iudgment or senteÌ„ce is honoured or calendred for a Saint though their calenders chronicles and histories be full of Saints which were of the Roman Church and Religion They haue taken away and ouerthrowne many thousand foundations of holynesse and piety their owne first foundation in such kinde is yet to begin this cannot be the one holy Catholike and Apostolike Church of Christ which our Creeds doe teach vs being in all respects diametrically opposite or rather contradictory to whatsoeuer is or can be defined or described as they themselues define the true Church by those attributes properties or distinctiue differences to be one to be holy to be Catholike and vniuersall in all times places and points of doctrine and Sacraments and to be Apostolicall continued without intermission from the Apostles in sound and Apostolicall Christian Religion in all articles and matters of faith And thus it was confessed and professed by our Christian Britains from their first couersion in the Apostles time as these men themselues haue before deliuered THE IX CHAPTER The 21. Article so examined and condemned THE Article which followeth 21. in number is intituled of the authority of generall Councels And in these their words Generall Councels may not be grathered to gether without the commaundement and will of Princes And when they be gathered for asmuch as they be an assembly of meÌ„ whereof all be not gouerned with the spirit and word of God they may erre and some time haue erred euen in thinges pertaining vnto God wherefore things ordained by them as necessary to saluation haue neither strength nor authority vnlesse it may be declared that they be taken out of holy Scripture Hitherto this English Protestant Article The first part of it requiring of necessity the commaundement and will of Princes for the validity of Councels is singular not onely against Catholiks but all Confessions of Protestants not any one consenting in this matter with our English Protestants as is euident in those confessions Neither doe the Protestants of Britaine agree herein but all they whom they terme Puritans or Disciplinarians are quite of an other opinion And the Parlament Protestants themselues of best Iudgment doe euen with publike allowance condemne it Thus with such approbation they write of themselues Protestant relation of Religion cap. 47. The Protestants are seuered bandes or rather scattered troopes each drawing diuers wayes without any meanes to pacifie their quarrels to take vp their controuersies No Prince with any preeminence of Iurisdiction aboue the rest no Patriarcke one or more to haue a common superintendance of care of their Churches for correspondancy and vnity no ordinary way to assemble a generall Councell the onely hope remaining euer to
anathematizing all gaynesayers vnto it Omnes quâ— ausi fuerint dissoluere definitionem Sancti magâ—â— Concilij quod apud Nicaeam tongregatum est anathematizamus Et dixerint omnes placet Things concluded and confirmed for the whole Church by so many and greate authorities and their deniall so seuerely punished must needs be of highest and vnfallible truth The Apostles themselues in their Councels before haue giuen vndoubted testimony to this if they Ignat. epist â—d Polycarp epist ad Her had not by their Councels prefigured and giuen testimoy to the infallible verity of the decrees of generall Councels Their so many assembles and Councels might haue beene spared for whatsoeuer any one of them did or should haue decreed was without question true in matters of faith otherwise wee might call all their sacred writings the whole new testament into question The Apostolike men of the first age haue giuen like euidence before And among them S. Ignatius who would haue such councels often kept Crebrius celebrentur Conuentus Synodique doth make their decrees and constitutions of so greate and vnquestionable power and authority that he which doth otherwise although he is in other things worthy of credit although he fasteth although he liueth in virginity doth miracles and prophesieth is to be accompted for a wolfe which vnder a sheeps skin bringeth destruction and bane to the sheepe Quicunque dixerit quippiâ—â— praeterea quae constituta sunt tamet si fide dignus 〈◊〉 quamuis ieiunet quamuis in virginitate degat qâ—amnis signa edat quamuis prophetet pro lupo illum â—â—â—eas qui sub oninae pelle exitium pestemque adfert â—â—ibâ—â— So vnpossible he maketh it that such decrees should be vntrue And the first Nicen Councell Concil Nic. in Symbolo apud Ruffin l. 1. hist Eccl. c. â— Socrat. l. 1. hist c. 6. declaring that a generall Councell is the Catholike Church and reason so warrantinge by errour of such a Councell the whole Church might erre in articles of faith And that article of our Creede I beleeue the holy Catholike Church euer most true might be false at sometimes which is a thing most prophane and Antichristian to be affirmed For if a generall Councell representing the whole Church ruling gouerning and teaching it in the cheifest Bishops and Pastours there present might erre the whole Church both the Gouernours and gouerned therein must needs be in the same desolate estate And our Protestant Bishops and Doctours Engl. Protest in Bilson Suru p. 82. Morton part 2. Apolog. p. 340. l. 4. c. 18. feild p. 228. with their publike allowance and approbation doe thus giue warrant vnto vs. The authority of generall Councels is most holsome in the Church A generall Councell is highest Iudge Bishops assembled in a generall Councell haue authority to subiect euery man that shall disobey such determinations as they consent vpon to excommunication and censures of like nature Wee must receaue and respect the authority L. 4. c. 5 pag. 202. of all Catholike Doctours whose doctrine and writings the Church alloweth wee must more regard the authority of Catholike Bishops more then these the authority of the Apostolike Churches amongst them more especially the Church of Rome of a generall Councell more then all these False it is that wee admitte no Iudge but Scriptures Sutcliff ag D. Kell pag. 40. 42. for wee appeale still to alawfull generall Councell This being thus generally written with authority and in the name of all Protestants especially in England they must needs graunt that generall Councels be of infallible IudgmeÌ„t in articles of religion otherwise there is no meanes left to finde the truth but wee might and must wander from one false deceitfull rule to an other without end And seeing euery Court and Consistory froÌ„ which appeales are or may be made is inferiour more vncertaine and of lesse authority then that Seate of Iudgment to whom it is appealed it is most certaine by these Protestants themselues that they which neuer had haue or as before can haue hereafter any generall Councell to which they must appeale as they doe cannot haue any possible title to true religion for themselues or the least colour or pretence of Iustice or Religion for such monstrous and horrible penalties and cruelties as are inflicted to enforce the Catholiks so many generall Councels consisting of diuers hundreds of learned and holy Bishops or to perswade them to embrace their Protestant professions which neuer had any lawfull Bishop according to this fift Councell Illud generaliter clarum est quod si quis praeter Concil Nic. can 6. Ruffin l. 1. hist Eccl. in Concil Nicen. sententiam Metropolitani fuerit factus Episcopus eum magna Synodus definiuit non esse Episcopum That is generally manifest that if any man is made a Bishop against the will or likeing of the Metropolitane this greate Councell doth define that he is no Bishop And so can make no Bishop or Preist So by this most holy Councell so often and authoritatiuely receaued by our English Protestants as is before declared they neither haue nor possibly hereafter by their proceedings can haue any one Archbishop Bishop Preist or Clâ—â—â—gy man among them for if their pretended â—â—â—ner of constitution were true which wee haue inâ—â—ncibly proued otherwise yet they themselues and all other writers confesse they had not the assent but vttermost dissent and disagreement of any domesticall or forreine Metropolitane for their new Religion or consecratioÌ„ But this sacred Councell euen in those Canons which our Protestants Nicen. Conâ— can 14. receaue doth vtterly condemne the pretended consecration and ministry of England erected against the Catholike sacrificing Preisthood assuring vs that true Preists did offer sacrifice and this Sacrifice was the body of Christ Presbyteri offerendi sacrificij habeÌ„t potestatem Offerunt corpus Christi It maintained the Popes Supremacy as before It receaued more Scriptures then Protestants doe librum Iudith Synodus Hieron praef in librum Iudith Concil Nic. can 11. 13. 14. Can. 3. Nicaena in numero Sanctarum scripturarum legitur computasse It approueth Indulgences in 4. Canons and giueth authority to Bishops in such cases It forbiddeth Clergy men to keepe any women in their howses but mother Sister grandmother Aunt They declared it to be the old tradition of the Church that Ecclesiasticall men might not marry and so commaunded Qui in clerum ante ascripti Socrates hist l. 2. c. 2. Sozomen hist Eccles l. 1. c. 22. erant quà m duxissent hi secundum veterem Ecclesiae traditionem deinceps à nuptijs se abstinerent By which the Protestants Church is vtterly disabled and ouerthrowne by their owne rule and article before neither hauing the true word preached Sacraments duely ministred Church rightly gouerned nor any one man among them to performe most needfull functions and duties by their owne definitiue sentence Their conclusion of this article Things ordained by
generall Councels as necessary vnto saluation hâ—â—e neither strength nor authority vnlesse it may be declared that they be taken out of holy Scriptures This is aboundantly before confuted where I entreated of their article of Scriptures So it is by that is deliuered in this Councell which they wholy and without any the least exception admit For in denyall of marriage vnto Cleargy men it hath done it by the old Apostolike tradition of the Church Can. 6. 7. secundum veterem Ecclesiae traditionem So they doe in the true gouernment of the Church by the Pope and Patriarkes Antiqua consuetudo Antiqua mores Mos antiquus Seruetur Seruentur Consuetudâ— obtinuit antiqua traditio Yet true gouernment of the Church is with them an essentiall property of the true Church vnseperable and so necessary to saluation So is the true Cleargy and consecration as also the holy Sacrifice Sacrament of the altar really containing the body of Christ yet by these men not to be declared by Scriptures they finding no such thing in them And these Protestants themselues with publike Protest of Engl. in feild libr. 4. of the Church pag. 228. allowance write Bishops assembled in a generall Councell haue authority to interpret Scriptures and by their authority to suppresse all them that gaine say such interpretation Therefore if there were question of truely interpreting Scripture Protestants must yeeld to generall Councels and not these to them particular Churches if the Protestant was such must of duty and necessity submit themselues to the vniuersall and Apostlike Catholike such as a generall Councell is as the first Nicen Councell in the Creede thereof which Protestants receaue doth declare it selfe and such generall Councels to be and so inflicteth censures Anathematizat Caâ—â—olica Symb. Niceâ— Ruffin lib. 1. hist c. 5. Soc. l. 1. hist c. 6. Apostolica Ecclesia Therefore wee are sure a generall Councell cannot erre in expounding Scriptures or any decree of faith That our Christian Britains were of this minde opinion and profâ—ssion their Bishops with longe and tedious labours present at the greate primitiue Councels of Arles Sardice Ariminum and others by all witnesses and with our King and Emperour at Nice in most probable Iudgment also Rome and the sacred Nicen Councell here then authentically receaued and embraced by all holy writers giue aboundant testimony THE X. CHAPTER The 22. Article thus likewise examined and condemned THE next article the 22. in number is intituled of Purgatory And is thus The Romish doctrine The doctrine of Purgatory prayer and other satisfaction for the true faithfull deceased practised in this first agâ— concerning Purgatory pardons worshipping and adoration aswell of Images as of reliques and also inuocation of Saincts is a fond thing vainely inuented and grounded vpon no warranty of Scripture but rather repâ—gnant to the word of God Much matter in few words many things peremptorily affirmed nothing proued All false and foolish also where as they would haue all thing grounded vpon warranty of Scripture so many times by theÌ„ affirmed and as often by me before confuted And to take their assertions in order beginning with their first about the Romish their phrase doctrine concerning Purgatory This is thus set downe in the Councels of Florence and Trent If men truely ponitent depart this life in the loue of God before they haue satisfied for their sinnes their soules are purged with the paines of Purgatory And that they may be releiued from such paines the suffrages of the saithfull aliue to wit sacrifice of Masse prayers and almes and other offices of piety which by the faithfull are vsed for other faithfull people according to the instituâ—â—ons Concil Flor. Concil Tâ—id Sessione 4. can 30. of the Church doe profit them Definimus si verè poenitentes in Dei charitate decesserint antequam dignis poenitentiae fructibus de commissis satisfeâ—eriâ—â— omissis eorum animas paenis Purgatorij purgari Et vt à poenis huiusmodi releuentur prodesse his viuorum fidelium suffragia Missarum scilicet sacrificio orationes eleemosynas pietatis officia quae à fidelibus proaijs fidelibus fieri consueuerunt secundum Ecclesiae institutae Nor is this the Romish onely but also the Greekish and Catholike doctrine of the Church of Christ So is affirmed by Gennadius their learned Patriarke in his defence of the recited Councell of Florence The doctrine of Purgatory prayer and Sacrifice Gâ—nad Schol. in defens CoÌ„cil Floraent def â— cap. 3. for the deade was a tradition of the Apostles That which the Laâ—â—nes call purgatorium purgatory they of the Greeke Church name catharterion a purging place They were onely Scismaticorum Sectatores followers of Scismatikes which denied it This is likewise confessed Relation of Relig. c. 53. 54. 55. by our English Protestants and knowne vnto all trauaylers either into the contries or writers of the Greekes Now let vs see whether it was the doctrine of the Apostolike age or noe The Greeke Patriarke hath before affirmed it So will our Protestants hereafter And the Apostolike men of this age affirme and proue it Sainct Clement saith his Master and predecessour Sainct Clem. Rom. Epist 1. Peter among other things did teach mortuos sepelire diligenter corum exequias peragere proque eis orâ—â—e eleemosynas dare To bury the deade and diligently performe their funerals and pray and giue almes for them He deliuereth further how in their publike Constitut Apost l. 8. c. 19. Church seruice and Sacrifice of that time among their prayers for other necessaries they prayed for the faithfull departed out of this world Pro ijs qui infide quieuerunt oremus And from Iames Alphaeus named the Brother of our Lord frater Domini he setteth downe the manner how the Deacon vsed publikely to giue warning in the time of the holy Sacrifice to pray for the soules of the faithfull deceased deliuering the very prayer commonly vsed in such cases directly proueing a place of Purgatory and prayer for the deliuery of the faithfull departed from thence with a remission of all punishment they had deserued and were to suffer vntill they were by such meanes freed thereof Pro defunctis qui in Christo requieuerunt L. 8. supr cap. 47. iuxt al. 40. 41. postquam Diaconus edixit orandum esse adiunget etiam haec oremus profratribus nostris qui in Christo requieuerunt vt Deus summae erga homines charitatis qui animam defuncti suscepit remittat ei omne peccatum voluntarium non voluntarium propitius illi factus collocet eam in regione piorum qui laxati sunt in sinu Abrahae Isaac Iacob cum omnibus qui à saeculo condito Deo placuerunt vnde fugit dolor maeror gemitus And againe ipse nunc respice hunc seruum tuum quem in aliam sortem elegisti assumpsisti condona ei si quid tum volens tum
nolens peccauit exhibe ei Angelos beneuolos ac colloca â—um in sâ—â—â— Patriarcharum Prophetarum at que Apostolorum And expresseth plainely that such holy prayers Sacrifice almes and the like workes of piety did onely helpe and profit such as the Catholike Councels haue before deliuered and Catholiks performe such duties for dying in state of grace not yet hauing satisfied for their sinnes Sed Cap. 49. haec depys dicimus impios enim tametsi omnia bona externa pro eis largiaris nihil iunare queas And puâ—ctually remembreth diuers solemne times to pray especially for such The third day neenth day Cap. 48. fourteth day and the yeares day or their deathes then vsed Exequiae mortuorum fiant tertio die die nono quadragefimo item anno exacto ad habendâ—â— memoriamipsiue defuncti suppeditetur ex bonis eiâ—â— pauperibus ad recordationem eiusdem The like he Cap. 50. hath in other places Sainct Denis the Aeropagite speaketh as plainely in this matter and affirmeth that this manner of praying for the deade dying in state of grace was both an Apostolicall tradition and warranted by holy Scriptures Speaking of the faithfull deceased and the ceremonies of the liuing for them he saith the Preists powreth fourth his 〈◊〉 holy prayer for him that is departed this life Accedeâ—s dininus praeful precem super to sacratissimam funâ—â—â— And repeating the same againe he setteth downe how all saluted the deade and prayed for him or them and their prayer was that God would remiâ— them all their sinnes which by humane frailty they had committed and place them in the light and region of the liuing in the bosomes of Abraham and Isaac and Iacob Dion Areop l. de Eccles Hierarch c. 7. in the place from whence all greefe sadnesse and groneing flyeth away Accedens diuinus Antistes precem suam super mortuum peragit postquam precem ipse eum praesul salutat suo deinceps ordine qui 〈◊〉 omnes Precatur oratio illa diuinam bonitatem 〈◊〉 cuncta dimittat per infirmitatem humanam admissa peccata defuncto eumque in luce statuat regione viuorum in sinibus Abrahae Isaac Iacob in loco vnde aufugit dolor tristitia gemitus And expoundeth this Bosome of Abraham whither the faithfull are translated by the prayers and other good deeds of the liuing from the place of punishment or Purgatory where they were beforeto the eternall felicity in heauen as Catholiks now hold and teach Sinus autem beatorum Patriarcharum reliâ—â—â—rumque sanctorum omnium vtreor diuinissimae ac beatissimae sedes quae deiformes omnes suscipiunt insenescibili beatissima perfectione And there hee solueth that pretended exception which our Protestants make against this Apostolike doctrine practise because they suppose the soules of these faithfull deceased to be without all hope to goe to any other place then that they are receaued in when they are newly seperated from their bodies and the center of all for euer to be after death as their liues and actions were in this world and he affirmeth that the prayers of the iust doe as well helpe those that are deade being worthy of such prayers in the time of their life as the liuing and the true traditions of the Scriptures so teach vs. Verùm inquies fortassis haec quidem rectè à nobis dicta esse sed te dubitare cur à diuinabonitate postulet Antistes mortuo peccatorum remissionem parem Sanctis ac lucidissimam haereditatem Sienim vnusquisque praemia consequetur a diuina iustitia eorum bonorum aut malorum quae in hac vita gessit perfecit autem is qui defunctus est huic vitae consentaneas actiones quanam Aâ—â—tistitis orationis in aliam quietis sedem migrabit praeter eam quaeipso digna est quae vitae hiâ— actae respondet equidem probe scio scriptis diuints insistens vnumquemque remuneratitiam sortem adepturum Conclusit enim inquit Dominus apud se referet vnusquisque ea quae per corpus gessit siue bonum siue malum Quod autem iustorum preces etiam iâ— hac vita nedum post mortem ijs solùm profint qui digni sunt sacris precibus Scripturarum nos edocent verae traditiones He teacheth as Sainct Clement hath done before that this manner of praying and doing other workes of piety for the deade was vsed and auayle able for true beleeuing Christians onely which died in the state of grace Prophanis vita functis haec non precatur non modo quia in hoc diuinitut acceptum desereret ordinem aliquid Hierarchicum contumaciter praesumeret non motus à caeremoniarum conditore sed quia in execrabili oratione non exaudiretur atque non immeritò ipse audiret oraculum illud institiae plenum petitis non accipitis quia malè petitis Iacob c. 4. Wee reade that Sainct Phocas a miraculous Sainct of this time did acknowledge two lower places one of the damned the other must needs be Purgatory when prophetically foretelling the death of Traian by whom he was martyred to followe within three dayes as it did he told him that he S. Phocus ad Traianum Walter Rollwinke fascic Tempor in Traian was to goe to the parts of the furthest deepe place where he should be in perpetuall darkenesse and burned with cruell fire for euer Traiane perge ad vlterioris abissi loca ad praeparata tibi tormenta festina vbi nocte perpetua saeuo exurendus es incendio This he spake by the spirit of God prophetically coÌ„sequeÌ„tly truely cui spiritu prophetico dixit This was the doctrine and practise of the whole Church of God expressed and professed in the most auncieÌ„t liturgies and publike Masses ascribed to the holy Apostles then publikely vsed In the Masse of S. Missa S. Iacobi Iames called the lesser Bishop of Hierusalem wee finde this prayer pro requie antè defunctorum Patrum fratrum Dominum â—remus Let vs pray to our Lord for the rest of them that be already departed this life our fathers and brothers That God will graunt their oblation to be acceptable for propitiation of sinnes and ignorances and rest of the soules of them that be deade before vs. Fac vt oblatio nostra acceptabilis sit sanctificata in Spiritu sancto in propitiationem nostrorum peccatorum ignorantiarum populi in requiem animarum eorum qui ante nos dormierunt Memento Domine Deus spirituum vniuersae carnis quorum memoriam egimus quorum memoriam non egimus orthodoxorum ab Abeliusto vsque in hodiernum diem Ipse ibi fac cos requie scere in regione viuentium in regno tuo in delicijs Paradisi in siâ—â— Abrahae Isaac Iacob sanctorum Patrum nostrorum vnde exulat dolor tristitia gemitus vbi lustrat lumen vultus tui refulget perpetuo
buried Wee finde in the old antiquities of landaffe a Publike Charter of King Mauricus in S. Dubritâ—â—â— his time Manuscript antiq de primo statu Landauen Ecclesiae that it was the old custome and duty of Churches daily to pray for the soules of the benefactours deceased and all the faithfull departed out of this life oratione quotidiana Ecclesiastico seruitio pro anima â—â—â—us animabus parentum suorum Regum Principum Britanniae omnium fidelium defunctorum So is the charter of King Arthur to the schoole of Cambredge proremedio animarum antecessorum Chart. priuileg Reg. Arthuri apud Caium l. 1. antiquit Cantabrig pag. 60. 70. Caratoc hist M. S. de vita S. Gildel Probus l. 2. de vit S. Patricij Caius l. 1. sup p. 147. 148. l de vit SaÌ„ct Walliae in S. Iltuto vneorum Regum Britanniae Sainct Gildas our oldest writer and greate diuine did daily pray for the foule of his brother being slaine Orabat pro spiritu fratermp quotidie Sainct Patrike prayed for the dead orauit pro anima eius S. Iltutus appointed 50. of his schollers to pray for the soules of the deade continually Constituit quinquaginta fratres qui continuam animarum memoriam haberent And as I haue spoken before how the first Christians at Hierusalem had a particular Church founded and employed to that holy vse So our Christians Britans insisting in the same deuotion from the beginning had diuers such foundations and Churches especially to offer sacrifice and pray for the deade One of them was at london Ecclesiam Galfrid Monum hist Reg. Briton l. 12 c. 13. aedificauerunt in quo pro ipso Rege fidelibus defunctis diuina celebrantur obsequia And this is sufficient for this question The next exception which is taken by our Protestants The Catholike doctrine of pardons Indulgences in this article is against the Catholike doctrine about pardons or Indulgences saying as they haue done already of Purgatory that the Romish doctrine concerning pardons is a fonde thing vainely inuented and grounded vpon no warranty of Scripture but rather repugnant to the word of God The Councell of Trent setteth downe the Catholike doctrine in this point which these men call the Conc. Trid. seff 9. in decreto de Indulgentijs Romish doctrine that power of graunting indulgences was by Christ graunted to his Church and the Church in the most auncient times vsed it by so great warrant and therefore declareth the vse of Indulgences to be retajned in the Church as necessary for Christian people and allowed by the authority of holy Councels anathematizing them which affirme them to be vnprofitable or deny there is power in the Church to graunt them Cum potestas conferendi Indulgentias à Christo Ecclesiae concessa sit at que huiusmodi potestate diuiniâ—â—s tradita antiquissimis etiam temporibus illa vsa fuerit Sacrosancta Synodus indulgentiarum vsum Christiano populo maxime salutarem sacrorum conciliorum anthoritate probatum in Ecclesia retinendum esse docet praecipit eosque anathemate damnat qui aut inutiles esse asserunt veleas concedendi in Ecclesia potestatem esse negant The same holy CouÌ„cell with all good Catholiks as much coÌ„demneth abuses in pardons or IndulgeÌ„ces and as wisely preuenteth them as any enemy of Indulgences doth euer did or can desire That there this power of graunting pardons and Indulgences for remitting the temporall punishment due to sinne is first euident by that is said of the paines and punishment of purgatory before For no man will or can deny but if the Church hath power or meanes to remit paines to them that be deceased and out of the state of meriting in themselues much rather it hath such power and remedies for the liuing which by themselues may and doe merit and are in all respects parts and subiects of the militant Church of Christ Secondly whereas this Protestant article saith pardons haue no warranty of Scripture but rather repugnant to the word of God The Apostolike Fathers of this first age haue taught vs otherwise before euen of the paines of Purgatory And the Scripture is cleare both that Christ did graunt this power to his Church and the Church practized it in the Apostles time Of this power of remitting sinnes and their punishment Christ must needs meane when he said to S. Peter he would giue Matth. c. 16. vnto him the keyes of the Kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer he should loose on earth should be loosed in heauen Tibi dabo claues regnicaelorum Et quodcumque solueris super terram erit solutum in caelis So when he said to all his Apostles Whatsoeuer Matth. 18. you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heauen Quaecunque solueritis super terram erunt soluta in Ioh. cap. 20. coelo And againe whose sinnes you forgiue they are forgiuen vnto them Quorum remiseritis peccata remitiuntur ets And that wee may be assured these words and warrants of Christ did carry this construction and giue this power and not onely to the then present Apostles but their Successours and Rulers in his Church for euer first Sainct Paul who was not an Apostle Preist nor Christian then at the giuing of this cominission nor there present did thus expounde it and practise it For first excommunicating the wicked Corinthian which had committed 1. Cor. 5. sinne with his Fathers wife his mother in lawe a sinne both in Catholiks and Protestants Iudgment deseruing greate and longe pennance and punishment he soone after wrote vnto them againe to giue him pardon and indulgeÌ„ce for the punishment thereof donetis or condonetis cui donastis or condonastis ego ego donaui or condonaui in persona Christi S. Paul gaue pardon in the person of Christ and the Church of Corinth did the same by the 2. Cor. 2. same warrant and authority So the learned holy Fathers after expound it Primasius in c. 2. epist 2. ad Corinth Aug. l. 2. coÌ„tr epist parmen c. 11. Chrys Homil. 5. de verb. Isaiae vidi Dom. l. 3. de Sacerdoâ—io Euseb Emissen hom in dom 19. post Pentecost Hilar. can 18. in Matth. PaciaÌ„ epistol 1. ad Simpronian Nouatian Aug l. 50. homil hom 40 27. l. 20. ciuit cap. 9. Engl. prot Booke of Ordinat with the Churches approbation cui aliquid donastis Pro donaueritis ego Sicut vobiscum vindicaui ita vobiscum dono Nam Et ego quod donaui Non in mea persona sed Christi qui dixit quae solueritis in terra erunt soluta in coelo Si quid donaui propter vos Nâ— grauemini In persona Christi Quia personam gerimus Christi And both the Greeke and Latine Church euer from the beginning expound those words of Christ in the Ghospell before cited as I haue done And our Protestants themselues doe the like making those
sufficient for this Question The next Protestant exception in this article is concerning Images and is this The Romish doctrine The reuerent vse of holy Images thus proued concerning worship and adoration of images is a fond thinge vainely inuented and grounded vpon no warrant of Scripture but rather repugnant to the word of God The Councell of Trent for Catholiks thus deliuereth their doctrine and practise in this point which these men terme the Romish doctrine Imagines Christi Deiparae Virginis aliorum Sanctorum Concil Trid. Sess 9. in templis praesertim habendas retinendas eisque debitum honorem venerationem impertiendam non quòd credatur inesse aliqua in ijs diuinitas vel virtus propter quam sint colendae vel quòd ab eis sit aliquid petendum vel quòd fiducia in Imaginibus sit figenda veluti olim fiebat à gentibus quae in idolis spem suam collocabant Sed quoniam honos qui eis exhibetur refertur ad prototypa quae illae representant Ita vt per imagines quas osculamur coram quibus caput aperimus procumbimus Christum adoremus Sanctos quorum illae similitudinem gerunt veneremur Id quod conciliorum praesertim verò secundae Nicaenae Synodi decretis contra imaginum oppugnatores est sancitum That the Images of Christ The Mother of God and other Saincts are to be had and retained especially in Churches and due honour and reuerence is to be done vnto them not because wee may or doe beleeue there is any diuinity or vertue in them for which they are to be reuerenced or that any thing is or may be asked of them or trust placed in them as it was vsed of the gentils which placed their hope in Idols But because the honour which is done to them is referred to these whose Images they be and represent So that by the Images which wee kisse and before which wee put of our hats and knâ—ele downe wee adore Christ and worship the Saincts whose similitude they beare Which is defined in the decrees of Councels especially of the second Councell of Nice against the oppugners Concil Nic 2. of Images That Nicen generall Councell so defineth and testifieth it to be the doctrine of the Fathers and tradition of the Catholike Church in all the world Imaginis honor in prototypuÌ„ resultat qui adorat Imaginem in ea adorat quoque descriptum argumentum Sic enim Sanctorum nostrorum patrum obtinet disciplina vel traditio Catholicae Ecclesiae quae à finibus vsque ad fines Euangelium suscepit They say it was the faith of the Apostles Fathers and all true beleeuers in the world And doe anathematize all that alledge the sentences of holy Scripture against Idols against such sacred Images or call them Idols or say the Christians adore Images as Gods and those that wittingly communicate with them that hold opinion against such Images or abuse them Sancta Synodus exclamauit omnes sic credimus omnes idem sapimus omnes approbantes subscripsimus Haec est fides Apostolorum haec est fides patrum haec est fides orthodoâ—orum haec fides orbem terrarum confirmauit Credentes in vnum Deum in Trinitate laudatum venerandas Imagines amplexamur Qui secus agunt anathemate percelluntur Quicunque sententias sacrae Scripturae de Idolis contra venerandas Imagines adducunt anathema Qui venerandas Imagines Idola appellant Anathema Qui dicunt quòd Christiani Imaginès vt Deos adorent anathema Qui scientes communicant cum illis qui contra venerandas Imagines sentiunt aut eas dehonestant anathema And this being a generall Councell as our Protestants confesse and so by their owne allowance before the greatest authority in the Church of Christ doth expressely confute all preteÌ„ded obiections out of Scripture which Protestants now vse against holy Images being vrged by the I conoclasts Image breakers heretiks at that time And proueth that from the Apostles time the Catholike doctrine and vse of them had euer beene obserued in the Church And for this first Apostolike age Eusebius Sozomen Nicephorus and others testifie that the woman of phoenicia cured of her infirmity by our Sauiour in the Ghospell by touching the hemme of his garment did make Images of that miracle of Christ healing her and herselfe kneeling vnto him and that at the Image of our Sauiour there grew vp an herbe curinge all diseases to proue the allowance and reuerent vse of such for the Christians had that Image in greate reuerence and so it continued at Paneades in phoenicia vntill Iulian Euseb histor Eccl. l. 7. c. 17. Sozom. hist Eccl. l. 5. c. 20. Niceph. l. 10. c. 30. Synod Nicaen 2. the Apostata pulled it downe as he did other such Christian monuments and set vp his owne statua in the same place which was miraculously brokeÌ„ and ouerthrowne by God to make knowne his wickednesse therein And they were onely Pagan Idolaters which broke and prophaned the Image of Christ the Christians gathered the peeces together placed and reuerently preserued them in the Church Id temporis gentiles statuam Christi tanta câ—â— violentia trahebant vt eam confringerent At Christiani postea cius fragmentae cum collegissent in Ecclesia posuerunt vbi etiam adhuc custoditur Nicephorus and others write Statuam autem Christi Christiani tum iâ— Diacocinum Ecclesiae transtulerunt honoratiore locâ— positam cultu conuenienti prosecuti sunt locum â—â—â—que eum libenter frequentantes Imaginâ—m ipsam iâ—spectantes desiderium suum amorem ergastatuae ipsius archetypum primariumque exemplar declararunt Like is the history of our Sauiours holy Image miâ—â—culously Tabul Archiu ciuit Edessae apud Nicep l. 2. ca. 7. alios Euagr l. 4. c. 26 Damasc li. 4. de fid orth c. 17. Orthod c. 17. Const Porph. Imperat orat apud Metaphr 10. Aug. Monol Graecor cal septem Metaphrast 15. Nouemâ— in vit S. Alexiâ— Niceph. l. 2. c. 7. Conc. Nic. 2. Stephan 1. Pap. apud Adrian Pap. ep ad Corol. Mag. Tom. 3. Concil Tradit Eccâ— de S. Imagine Rom. Meth. in Tyberio Marian. Scot. in chronic an 39. Matth. Westmonast chron an graâ—iae 31. Ranulph hig Polychroâ— l. 4. c. 4. made by himselfe and sent to King Abgâ—â—us or Abagarus at Edessa in Syria kept and frequented with greate honour and reuerence as inuincible testimonies and authorities of antiquity proue Euagrius and others call it sanctissionam Imaginem diuinitus fabricatam The most holy Image made by God The Greeke Church keepeth a yearely feaste and solemnity of this holy Image on the 17. of the Calends of September The same I say of the holy Image of Christ made by himselfe in wipinge his face going to his passion with a linnen cloath deliuered to him by S. Veronica by some Bereuice as the traditioÌ„ of the Church of Christ Methodius Marianus Scotus Mattheus Westmonasteriensis and
the other containing the Image of Christ and his 12. Apostles and was there worshipped in the Church Aliud quoque aliquanto maius linteum in Dorothaeus Synop. de vita morte propheâ—arum in Ierem. Ecclesia illa veneratur quod fertur à Sancta Maria contentum duodecim Apostolorum ipsius Domini continens Imagines vno latere rubro altero viridi S. Dorotheus writeth that Ieremy the Prophet prophesying of the coming of Christ gaue this for a certaine token and signe to know the time because all people then should worship the crosse Signum aduentus ipsius erâ—t â—obis quando vniuersae Pallad hist laus in vit Apollinis Soâ— hist Eccl. l. 5. c. 20. Cassio l. 6. c. 42. Niceph. l. 10. c. 31. Guliel Eisengren centen 1. part 1. distinct 3. Volater câ—mmen l. 13. Pet. de Natal l. 3. c. 228. gentes lignum adorabunt And gaue an other signe as certaine and notorious as the other to the Preists of Egypt where he prophesied that when the Messias should be borne of a Virgin and ly in a manger all their Idols should be broken and fall downe which the Prophet Esay also thus foretold mouebuntur simulachrae Aegypti à facie eius Which all writers Greeke and Latine Catholiks and Protestants confesse and proue to haue beene â—ffected when Christ newly borne with his mother fledde into Egypt the Idols of that nation most Idolatrous then fallinge downe And to make euident euen to blinded men that Christian Images be not idols or forbidden but allowed and to be reuerenced at that very time when the idols were thus miraculously destroyed the holy Prophet both appointed the Egyptians to make Christian Images namely of Christ and his blessed mother and reuerence Dorothaeus supr them which they did And this was both publikly and by all practized and by their King as authentically examined and approued Ieremias signum dedit Sacerdotibus Aegyptiacis quòd oporteat simulachra eorum concuti decidere per seruatorem puerum ex virgine nasciturum in praesepi iaciturum propterea etiam nunc virginem in lecto Infantem in praesepio collocant adorant Et cum causam olim Ptolomaeus Rex percontaretur responderunt mysterium esse ipsis a maioribus traditum quod illi a sancto Propheta acceperint SuetoÌ„ in Aug. lactant firm Aug. l. de inuitat Mart. Polon chron in Augusto Ran. Highed hist l. 4. c 2. 3. Herâ—â— Schedel aetat 5. fol. 93. Speed Theater of greate Brit. l. 6. Annal. Eccles Chart. in Gallia Francisc Belleforest Cosmog l. 2. p. 303. in Iud. v. druid alij This was likewise reuealed to Augustus the Emperour by the apparition of a Virgin with a child in her armes from heauen And he fell downe and worshipped the Image or apparition And is commended for it by all writers Apertum est coelum nimius splendor irruit supereum vidit in coelo pulcherrimam virginem stantem super altare puerum tenentem in brachijs Et miratus est nimis vocem dicentem audiuit Haec ara filij Dei est Qui statim proijciens se in terram adorauit This was the doctrine and practise of the Druides of this Kingdome aâ—d Fraunce whome our Protestants merueylouslie commend vnto vs for hauing a Prophesie among them that the Sauiour of the world should be borne of a virgin they erected Churches Images vnto theÌ„ namely at Charters in FrauÌ„ce Where their Prince and they both founded such a Church with an Image of the blessed virgin with Christ in her armes and worshipped it as the auncient tradition and Annals of that Church with others proue The Image or signe of the Crosse is not so resembling representatiue of Christ or his PassioÌ„ as the Images of Christ and his Saincts be of them especially that being a common Instrument of death in the greate Romane Empire at the death of Christ And yet in honour of Christ suffering death and râ—deeming the world by his passion vpon a Crosse The signe â—nd Image thereof was presently after his death euen by his Apostles disciples and first Christians in this age had and vsed with greate reuerence and honour I may be more breife in this matter seeing our Protestants by their greatest euen regall authority haue thus declared The signe King Iames and his B. B. confer at Hampt Couel ag Burg. p. 139. 124. 125. Communion Booke Tit. publike Baptisme of the Crosse is an Apostolicall constitution and Tradition And so they vse in their publike practicall communion booke at the baptisme of euery child thus prescribing for a rule and law The Preist shall make a Crosse vpon the childes forchead saying wee receaue this child into the congregation of Christs flocke and doe signe him with the signe of the Crosse in token that hereafter â—e shall not be ashamed to confesse the faith of Christ crucified and manfully to sight vnder his banner against sinne the world and the deuill and to continue Christs faithfull seruant vnto his lines end Amen Therefore if by so greate a Protestant warrant and profession the signe of the Crosse is so honorable that it is an Apostolicall constitution binding and commaunding all an Apostolicall tradition to be religiously kept and obserued of all so honorable and necessary a profession confession and testimony of our faith and Religion neuer to be denied that when wee were infants and could not doe this of our selues it was and ought to be performed by others for vs as our whole faith was so professed for vs in our baptisme much more ought all Christians coming to yeares of Iudgment and discretion performe those holy bondes and duties by themselues And that our Protestants need not feare they haue herein donne or graunted too much they shall heare the Apostolike men of this age from whom they haue in some sorte borrowed this their doctrine practise and confession deliuer the Apostolike doctrine vse custome farre more plainely amply and honorably in this busines The old Anonymus writer of the Apostles liues Fredic Nausea ep Vienn Prooemen in vit Apostol Anonym antiq in vit S. Thomae Apost Idem in vit S. Bartholomaei published by the learned Bishop Fredericus of Vienna allmost an hundred yeares since and then the exemplar exceeding old characteribus plusque vetustis inscriptum writeth that Sainct Thaddeus cured Kâ—ng Abgarus with the signe of the Crosse imposito Regi crucis signaculo ab omni eum languore sanauit An holy Angell engraued in square stones foure Crosses in euery corner of the Church one per quatuor angulos circumuolans digito sâ—â— in quadrâ—tis saxâ—s sculpsit signum crucis And gaue Charge to make the signe of the Crosse on their foreheads Quale signum ego sculpsi in his saxis tale vos digitâ— Id. in vit S. Ioan. Apost vestro facite in frontibus vestris omnia mala â—â—gient a vobis Sainct
in her armes whereof they say hee was deliuered a virgin And these nations though so remote had also the Images of the 12. Apostles as these and other Authors thus deliuer vnto vs There bee certayne pictures of the fashion and with the markes of the twelue Apostles and being demaunded what maner of men these twelue Apostles were they answeare they were greate Philosophers which liued vertuously and therefore they were made Angels in heauen That God which they doe the greatest honour vnto they paint with a body out of whose shoulders come three heades which looke one vppon an other which signifie as they say that all three haue but one will Which no maÌ„ can well doubt but that they are true memoryes though afterward misunderstood in longe tract of tymc of the holy Trinitie and Christian Religion preached there by some of the Apostles whose Images bee so longe honoured there and that was the maner in that first Apostolicke Arnulf Adam relat de locis sanct Beda libell de loc Sanctis Euseb hist Eccl. l. 7. c. 17 tyme in all places At Hierusalcm the Images of the 12. Apostles painted vppon the cloath made by our lady before remembred were honoured in the church in Ecclesia veneratur For Greece Eusebius is wittnesse that the Images of the Apostles namely of S. Peter and S. Paule were paynled as hee had seene them Apostolorum Imagines Pauli videlicet Petri in tabulis coloribus depictas asseruari vidimus And the Apostles by them so honoured Veteres adhunc modum honorare soliti fuerunt Nicephor hist Eccl. l. 6. c. 16. l. 2. c. 43. Petr. de Nat. l. 9. c. 79. The like or more amply hath Nichephorus others affirming that S. Luke Euangelist painted their Images as diuers others It is manifest in the historie of S. Syluester and Constantine that not onely the Images of S. Peter and S. Paule which appeared vnto Constantine but of the other Apostles were with reuerence kept and preserued at Rome amonge so many persecutions I need not to proceed to more particular places and examples when we haue both vnwritten and written tradition that euen from the tyme of Nicephor hist l. 2. c 43. the Apostles and Sainct Luke the Euangelist and others then makeinge and reuerently vseinge such sacred Images the same art and vse was from thence deduced into all the world Vnde in omnem dâ—inde habitabilem orbem tam venerandum pretiosumopus est illatum And this Christian manner and custome of makinge reuerencing and honouring holy Images in such sort as is before defined by the generall Councels and still vsed by Catholiks so auntient from the begynninge of Christianitie so generall in the whole Christian worlde was neuer disallowed or impugned by any man bearing the name of a Christian vntill about the yeare of Christ 494. Xenaias a prophane vnbaptized and Cedren in compendio Hist in Xenaia Persa sacrilegeous Persian vsurping Ecclesiasticall orders was the first which opposed against it and therefore is stiled in histories to be a man of an audacious and impudent mouth and placed in the Nicephorus hist Eccl. l. 16 c. 27. Synod Nic. 2 Ench. haeres in Xenaia Baron an 485. 486. 487. Spond ib. alij catalogue of damned Heretiks Xenaias primus ô audacem animum os impudens voeem illam euomuit Christi eorum qui illi placuere Imagines venerandas non esse The world hath scarcely seene a more desperate and wicked wretch then antiquities describe this man to haue beene they which haue since followed and follow hym at this tyme haue hardly hitherto gotten much better fame for their like proceedings doing therein onely as Iewes Turkes Tartars Pagans and onely heretiks for that condemned among Christians haue done and The Catholick doctrine and practise of reuerence to holy Relikes at this tyme where they ouer rule The next exception of our Protestants in this Article Against the doctrine practise of the Church of Rome and Catholiks is to vse their words concerning their worshippinge an adoration of Reliques termed by them as the others before a fonde thinge vainely inuented and grounded vpon no warrantie of scripture but rather repugnant to the worde of God The Councell of Trent for Catholiks thus defineth Conc. Trid. sess 9. in this matter Sanstorum Martyrum aliorum cum Christo viuentium sancta corpora quae viua membra fucrunt Christi Templum Spiritus Sancti à fidelibus veneranda esse Affirinantes Sanctorum reliquijs venerationem atque honorem non deberi vel eas aliaque sacra monumenta à fidelibus inutiliter honorari omnino damnandos esse prout iam pridem cos damnauit nuncetiani damnat Ecclesia The bodyes of holy Martyrs and others that lyue with Christ are to be reuerenced The Church doth now condemne as longe agoe it hath condemned those which affirme that reliks of Sainsts or that they and other sacred monuments ar vnprofitably honoured of the faithfull Now lett vs examine what was the doctrine and practise of the Apostles and Apostolike men in this first age in this question Moses Bar-cepha a Syrian many hundreds of yeares since and Iacobus Orrohaita before hym and by hym cited be wittnesses that the body and Reliks of the first man Adam a penitent and holy father after his fall Moses Barcepha Syr. Episc comm de Paradis part 1. c. 14. Iacob Arrohaita apud eund ib. were honorably preserued by his posteritie and in the time of the flood to keepe it from perishing No carryed it with him into the arke and left it to his children Noe arcam cum esset cum liberis suis conscensurus impendente diluuio secum in eam intulisse ossa Adami eaque deinde post diluuium arca egressum suis distribuisse And this was the manner and custome after the deludge vnto the time of Christ amonge the faithfull to preserue with honour and reuerence the bodyes and reliks of the holy Saincts of that Time And as the scripture 4. Reg. c. 13. wittnesseth of the deade body of Elisaeus restoring a mans deade body to life by touching his bones Quod cum tetigit ossa Elisaei reuixit homo steâ—it super pedes suos So we haue vnquestionable authorities both of Scripture and Fathers for the honour and reuerence of the bodies and reliks of the rest of the Prophets the Iewes themselues as the scripture testifieth adorning and reuerencing them Aedificatis sepulchra Prophetarum ornatis Matth. 23. monumenta iustorum S. Epiphanius and other noble wittnesses proue Epiph. l. de Prophet viâ—a interitu in Daniele that Daniel the Prophet was buryed and reuerenced with greate honour and his graue so continued renowned in his time Humatus est magnis honoribus Extat monumentum ipsius vsque ad hoc seculum nostrum in babylone cunctis notissimum The body of Idem supr in Ezechiele Ezechiel was so likewise
two little syluer vessels full of the bloody sweate of Christ duo vascâ—la alba argentea cruore Prophetae Iesu sudore perimpleta All histories agree that the body of S. Ioseph was there preserued with greate honour and reuerenced with greate resorte of pilgryms to that and other Reliks there vntill these times of desolation and those holy Reliks gaue that glorious denomination to the happy place of their preseruing to be stiled camiterium Sanctum tumulus Sanctorum Hieronyn cont vigilant ep 53. ad Riparium Defider Gennad in catalog cap. 53. willet Antilog pag 13. Wotton des of part pag. 9. perkins probl pag. 81. Iouas Aâ—elian l. 1. Sedul alij Hieronym sup and Ripar dehderium lib. aduers vâ—gilant cap. 2. the holy Church-yard graue of Saincts and the like Vigilantius is remembred in histories to haue beene the first man of note among Christians which denied or impugned this doctrine and for that as other his singular assertions condemned for an heretik so our Protestants thus confesse Vigilantius was condemned of heresie for deny all thereof He lyued in the fourth hundred of yeares the Church of Christ neuer hearing of this heresie before and S. Hierome then liuing and writing calleth him for such stramage dreames rather Dormitantius a sleepy drowsy fellowe then Vigilantius a waking watchfull maÌ„ Negat sepulchra veneranda damnat que Sanctorum vigilias Ex quo sit vt dormitantius potiùs quà m vigilantius vocari debeat He calleth him an vnhappy man to be bewayled with floods of teares a stinking mouth breather of most silthy rotonnesse a monster to be abandoned to the vthermost part of the world Os saetidum putorem spurcissimum proferens Portentum in terras vltimas deportandum The last exception which our Protestants in this Inuocation and honour of Saincts Article make against the doctrine of the Church of Rome is thus registred by them The Romish doctrine concerning inuoation of Saincts is a fonde thing vainely inuented and grounded vpon no warrantie of Scripture but rather repugnant to the worde of God This is confuted by that is said before of the holy Reliks and Images of Saincts For if they as is inuincibly proued by the doctrine and practise of this age may and ought to be reuerenced their happy and blessed soules and Angels in eternall Ioye blisse must needs challeÌ„dge such dutie from them that liue and prayers may be offered to such perfected in celestiall knowledge charitie and Concil gangren epist can 14. 15. 16. Socrat Histor l. 2. cap. 33. Sozom. Histor Eccl. l. 3 cap. 13. Epiphan Hier. 40. Nicephor Hist l. 9. cap. 16. Hieron contra vigilant neuer chaunging blessednes The first among Christians suspected to haue denyed this Catholike doctrine and practise of the church of Christ was Eustachius by some Eutactus a Bishop in Armenia disallowing the Churches of Martyrs loca Sanctorum martyrum vel Basilicas as he is charged in the councell of Gangra wherein he was condemned for that and other wicked assertions and by other antiquities Yet Sozomen Nicephorus and others write how he sought to cleare himselfe from accusations And to speake of certaine things Vigilantius was the first knowne and certainely proued impugner of the Inuocation of Saincts as of worship to their reliks before spoaken of and was condemned for such a monster as is already declared And Eustachius for Socrat. Supr l 2. cap. 33. his singular boldnes in such things was degraded and his errours coÌ„demned in publik Councel Concilium Gangris in Paphlagonia coaâ—lum gradu Episcopali dimouit eiusque dogmata anathemate damnauit Morton Apolog. part 1. pag. 227. 228. Perk. probl pag. 89. 93 Ormer pict pap pag. 26. 27. Middlet papista pag. 129. Ephrem Syrus lib. de laudibus Ioseph Patriarchae This is sufficiently proued by our Protestant writers themselues openly confessing all antiquitie taught Inuocation of saincts Therefore few testimonies of this first age will be needfull in a confessed doctrine and practise of all ages with faithfull people Lesse was the knowledge of the Saincts deceased before the Passion of Christ then after when they were by that happy redemption in glory And yet S. Ephrem produceth the holy Patriarke Ioseph praying to his mother Rachel deceased O Rachel Rachel mater mea exurge de pulâ—ere intuere Ioseph filium tuum Suscipe Rachel filium tuum Audi mater mea cordis mei gemitum amarumque â—iulatum S. Ignatius in this age is a worthie witnesse that not onely the liuing which were present at the Ignatius epist ad Trallianos Passion of Christ did know behold and see it but the Angels in heaueÌ„ the soules of theÌ„ that were vnder the earth which arose with their bodâ—es at the Resurrection of Christ did likewise the same Crueifixus mortuus est videntibus coelestibus terrenis ijs qui subterra detinebantur caelestibus quidem inspicientibus nimirum incorporeis naturis terrenis verò vt Iudaeis Romanis caeteris qui tunc temporis Crucifixo Domino aderant subterraneis autem ijs videlicet qui plurimi cum Domino resurrexerunt If a man on earth and in body might though Ignaâ— epist ad Trallian extraordinarily know the Angels and spirituall things with their orders in heauen as S. Ignatius witnesseth of himselfe haec noâ—eâ—im much more do they know the things on earth Angelicos ordines Archangelorum militiarumque coelestium discrimina virtutum dominationumque differentias thronorum potestatumque distantias principatum magnificentias Cherubim Seraphimque excellentias spiritus sublimitatem Domini Regnum incomparabilem Dei Patris Omnipotentis diuinitatem Haec cum nouerim And he plainely teacheth in an other place that Ignat. epist ad Heronem the Angels in heauen and not onely God know our affaires on earth and haue regard of them and so witnesseth to S. Hieron Praecipio tibi coram Deo qui est super omnia coram Christo praesente Spiritu Sancto coram ministrantibus legionibus 1. Timoth. 5. custodi depositum meum So S. Paule the Apostle wrote to S. Timothie Testor coram Deo Christo Iesu electis Angelis vt haec custodias Where both the Apostle S. Ignatius acknowledge both knowledge and care of mens actions on earth to be in the holy Angels as in God himselfe though with a difference of the Creatour and excellent creatures S. Hierotheus Master of S. Denis the Areopagite as he termeth him testifieth and hee approueth it that all loue not onely of God but Angels also hath this nature that Superiour things Dionisi Areopag l. diu nom cap. 4. haue care of the inferiour and those conforme themselues to the Superiour Amorem siue diuinum siue angelicum siue spiritualem siue vt ita dicam animalem fiue naturalem vim quandam coniungentem miscentemque intelligamus quae superiora quidem impellit vt
Preist is to offer Sacrifice and Minister other Sacraments and Deacons are to Minister vnto them in such holie mysteries and so must needs haue power giuen them accordingly in their consecration and this was so with the Apostles and Ignat. epistol ad Heronem Diaconum the first Preists and Deacons Sacâ—rdotes sunt Tâ— verò Diaconus Sacerdotum Minister Baptizanâ— sacrificant manus imponunt tu verò illis ministras vt Sanctus ille Stephanus Iacobo presbyteris qui Epistol ad Trallian erant Hierosolymis Oportet Diaconos mysteriorum Chtisti ministris per omnia placere nec enim ciborum potuum ministri sunt sed Ecclesiae Dei administratores Ipsi itaque tales sunt at vos reueremini illos vt Christum Iesum cuius vicarij sunt Episcopus Typum Dei Patris omnium gerit presbyteri verò sunt consessus quidam coniunctus Apostolorum chorus Sine his Ecclesia electa non est nullasine his Sanctoruâ— congregatio nulla Sanctorum electio Quid Sacerdotium aliud est quam sacer caetus consiliarij assessoreâ— Episcopi Quid verò Diaconi quà m imitatores Angelicarum virtutum quae purum inculpatum ministerium illi exhibent vt sanctus Stephanus beato Iacobo Timotheus â—nius Paulo Anacletus Clemens Petro Qui igitur his non obedit sine Deo prorsus impurus est Christum contemnit constitutionem eius imminuit S. Martial deliuereth plainely a cheife and principall cause of the honour and excellencie of this Sacrament of holie Orders because among other eminencies thereof Bishops and Preists offer and Deacon assist them therein the most holie sacrifice of Christs bodie and blood vpon an holie Altar the very same which the Iewes did by malice offer Martial epist ad Burdegal cap. 3. when they crucified Christ Sacerdotes honorabatis qui decipiebant vos sacrificijs suis qui mutis surdis statuis offerebant Nunc autem multò magis Sacerdotes Dei omnipotentis qui vitam vobis tribuunt in calice viuo pane honor are debetis Christi corpus sanguinem in vitam aeternam offerimus Quod Iudaei per Inuidiam immolauerunt putantes se nomen eius à terra abolere nos causa salutis nostrae in ara sanctificata proponimus scientes hoc solo remedio nobis vitam The Britanâ— here so held praestandam mortem effugandam hoc enim ipse Dominus noster iussit nos agere in sui commemoratioâ—em This was also the doctrine of our first Christian Gildas l. de excid conq Britan. c. 26. manuscript antiq de tit S. Patricij Capg in cod Giâ—ald Caâ—mb Britans Their Preists were consecrated to offer the heauenly Sacrifice at the holie Altar They conseâ—rated Christs bodie and blood with their mouthes â—roprio ore And of all the people in the world as â—heir Antiquities witnes they most honoured clearâ—ie men in such respects Ecclesiasticis viris longè â—agis quà m vllaÌ„ gentem honoreÌ„ deferentes Their Bishops were consecrated with holie Chrisme imposition in descript cambr c. 18. of hands and consecrating words in consecratione Pontificum capita eorum sacri Chrismatis infusione perungere cum Inuocatione sancti Spiritus manus impositione The hands of Preists were consecrated Gild. l. de excid Britan. in castigatione Cleri to offer and handle the blessed Sacrifice Benedictione initiantur Sacerdotum manus S. Paule in diuers places proueth it giueth grace so making it a true and proper holie Sacrament Noli negligere 1. Timoth. 4. gratiam quae in te est quae data est tibi cum impositione manuum presbyterij And admoneo te vt resuscites 2. Timoth. 1. gratiam Dei quae est in te per impositionem manuum mearum And Christ himselfe by his owne example and testimonie S. Iohn the Euangelist so recording affirmeth that the holie ghost and power to forgiue sins were giuen in this Sacramentall ceremonie Io 20. Accipe Spiritum fanctum quorum remiseritis peccata remittuntur eis And it is the witnesse of God that holie Orders is the worke of the holie ghost Dixit Spiritus sanctus Segregate mihi Saulum Act. 13. Barnabam in opus ad quod assumpsi eos Tunc iâ—iunantes orantes imponentesque eis manus dimiserunt illos It is confessed by the greatest Protestant authoritie in England of King Protestant Bishops K. Iames and his protest publike conference at hampton court Couell def of hooker p. 87. and others their best scollers in their publike examen of their Religion That this power of Orders giuen as they pretend by imposition of hands Iâ— diuinae Ordinationis and de iure diuino The ordinâ—â—ce of God and by his diuine lawe To these persons Gâ—â— imparted power ouer his mysticall bodie which is â—â— societie of soules and ouer that naturall which is himself Mod. exâ—minaâ— pag. 105. 155. def of hooker pag. which antiquitie doth call the making of Christ body The power of the ministry by blessing visâ—â— elements it maketh them inuisible grace giueth 87. 88. 91. daily the holy ghost it hath to dispose of that flesh which was giuen for the life of the world and that blood which was powred out to redeeme soules It is a power which neither Prince nor potentate King nor Caesar on earth can giue The Apostles did impart the same power to ordayne which was giuen to them And in their publikly authorized Rituall and Protest Booke of Consecrat in Order Bish. and Preists booke of consecration or making Protestant Bishops and Preists warranted by their parlaments in these very Articles and their generall practise in ordayning all their Church men it is diuers times and plainely confessed both by words and actions that the holy ghost grace and power to giue grace and forgiue sinnes is infallibly giuen Protest confat hampton Communion Booke Titul visitat of the sike by the externall signe or ceremony vsed therein And both their publike conference and examen of their Religion and the common booke of their Church seruice do proue and giue warrant from hence from their ministers to forgiue sinns by such power committed to them from God in their ordination Therefore if there be any ground or warrant for the Protestant Religion of England or any one point or article thereof though but such as they pretend for the proposers and authorizers thereof whether Protestant Prince parlament conuocation canons Articles the publik bookes and practise thereof or whatsoeuer els they can name in this kinde holie Orders and preisthood so vehemently persecuted by them is by their owne doctrine and Religion an holie Sacrament in such proper true sense and meaning as it is vsed in the Romane Church at this time and euer was They were the Messaliani or Massaliani Euchitae or Enthusiastae heretiks about the Damascen de haeresib hist tripart l. 7. Theod. l. 4 c 11.
receaued this Sacrament reserued when extreame vnction was ministred vnto them And one of their most auntient antiquities carrying with it our Protestants approbation doth witnesse that the primatiue Christian Britans did publikely â—â— Euery Masse worship and pray vnto Christ present in this Sacrament this hath our Protestants translation Hereof singe Gods seruants at euery Masse Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi miserere nobis That is in our speach Thou lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world haue mercy vpon vs. And thus I end this their many braunched Article THE XIX CHAPTER The 26. and 27. Articles examined and Protestant doctrine in or by them condemned THeir next Article being the 26. by their numbring them is thus intituled Of the worthiâ—es of the ministers which hinder not the effect of the sacraments The whole Article followeth in these All though in the visible Church the euill be euer mingled with the good and sometime the euill haue cheife authoritie in the ministration of the worde and sacraments yet for asmuch as they do not the same in their owne name but in Christes and do minister by his commission and authoritie we may vse their ministerie both in hearing the word of God and in receiuing of the sacraments Neither is the effect of Christes ordinance taken away by their wikednesse nor the grace of Gods guifts diminished from such as by faith and rightly do receiue the sacraments ministred vnto them which be effectuall because of Christs institution 〈◊〉 promise allthough they be ministred by euill men Neuerthelesse it apperteyneth to the discipline of the Churche that inquirie be made of euill ministers and that they be accused by those that haue knowledge of their offences and finally being founde gyltie by 〈◊〉 Iudgment be deposed Hitherto this Article in which there it not any one proposition or sentence against the doctrine of the Romane Church and Catholike Religion but rather a graunte and confirmation thereof 〈◊〉 a renowncing of Protestant profession and proceedings in diuers particular poyntes and some most materiall As declaring that in the visible Church the euill be euer mingled with the good they confesse the Church to be euer and indeâ—ectible And so Luther Caluyn Cranmar King Henry 8. with his daughter Queene Elizabeth or whomsoeuer els they will or can make the first publisher or aduancer of their doctrine separating themselues and being separated and cutt of from that visible true Church which was then generally so held this their Protestant congregation and Religion takeing Originall being from thence cannot possibly be the true Church and Religion of Christ And in making the true Church euer visible they must needs make their association or prerended companie eúer inuisible and so nothing vntill these dayes and condemne those their brethren Protestants who knowing their new fraternitie was neuer vntill those late times haue mathematically framed in their Imagination a new straung chimericall Inuisible vnbeeable and vnpossible Church Agayne professing that Preists the Ministers of Sacraments do Minister them in Christes 〈◊〉 by his commisson and authoritie they sufficiently confesse that if Christ omnipotent could and did consecrate breade and wyne into his body and blood forgiue sinnes and giue grace in sacraments truely consecrated Preists haue that power and do the same And affirming The sacraments to bâ— effectuall because of Christes Institution and promise â—either is the effects of Christes ordinance takâ—n away nor the grace of Gods guists diminished by the wikednesse of ministers They proue what the Catholiks holde in these things and Protestants cammonly deny Their last clause of Discipline in the Church making but one true visible Church and their congregation being as before no part thereof depriueth them of all such discipline as they haue already spoyled themselues of the pure worde of God preached and Sacraments duely ministred vnseparable signes and properties of the true visible Church by their 19. Article and thereby want all things which by their owne confession are euer founde in and belonge vnto the Church of Christ The 27. Article intituled of baptisme hath no thing contrary to Catholik Religion But the last clause thereof is against their 6. Article before that nothing is to be beleeued as an Article of faith or to be thought requisite necessarie to saluation that is not read in nor may be proued by scriptures And in this place thus they decree The Baptisme-ef yong Prot. Articl 27. children is in any wise to be retayned in the Church as most agreable with the Institution of Christ In this whole Article before they make Baptisme in all requisite necessarie to Saluation So they do iâ— Protest communion Booke Tit. Baptisme Protest Conference at hampton Court. their communion booke in the administration thereof and in the reuewe of their Religion â—â— Hampton court thus they define That baptisme to be ministred by priuate parsons in tyme of necessitie is an holie tradition And so they vse in their common practise and Baptise Infants both by their ministers and others men and women especially my dwiues instructed how to Baptisme in time of Engl. Protest in feild Bookes of the Church pag. 239. and others necessitie Yet with publik consent and allowanâ—â— thus they write and publish Baptisme of Infants â—â— â—â—â—ed a Tradition because it is not expressely deliuered iâ— stripture that the Apostles did baptize Infants nor 〈◊〉 expresse precept there founde that they should so do Tâ—â—t the holy Fathers of the first age held Baptisme Supr in articul 6. of Infants for an vnwritten tradition I haue spoken before And S. Clement doth giue comâ—â—â—nd Clem. Rom. lâ—b 6. constit Apostolic cap. 15. Dionys Areopag Ecclesiast Hierarch cap. 7. concil mileuit cap. 2. Chrisostom homil de Adam Eua. Augustin cont Donat. l. 1. cap. 23. Epiphan Aug. alij de haeres Innocent 1. epist concil African cap. 77. concil Carthagin 5. cap. 6. Hect. Boeth Scot. hâ—st l. 9. Georg. Buchan Rer. scot l. 5. Reg. 52. holinsh hist of Scotland in Fâ—equard pag. 112. to haue it obserued Baptizate vestros pueâ—â—◠〈◊〉 S. Denys the Areopagite affirmeth it was so vsed Pueri qui necdum possunt intelligere diuiâ—â— sacri hapti smatis participes fiant And shewâ—â—gâ— how others answeare and promise for them 〈◊〉 prâ— ipsiâ— abrenunâ—iant sanctaquâ— ineunt faedera 〈◊〉 iâ— an holy tradition sanctam traditionem 〈◊〉 S. Chrisostome and others testifie generally in the whole Catholik Church in all places Praediâ—â—t Ecclesia Catholica vbique diffusa debere parâ—â—â—â—â— Baptizari prepter originalâ— peccatum And they were Nouatian Pelagian such condemned Hâ—retiks which at any time called this holy tradiâ—â—on and custome into question So it was here â—â— Britayne which though it was Mother and Noble longe time to pelagius the Archeretike wâ—o among other his damned Errours denyed the Baptisme of Infants yet it so much detested among tâ—â— rest this his obsurd Inuention that it
his ghospell in the words of Christ that it was breade before the words of Consecration accepit Iesus panem But after them the Marc. cap. 14. Manuscrit antiq de prima Instit Ecclesiast Seruit S. Marcus in Missa bodie of Christ HOC EST CORPVS MEVM So he testifieth of wine chaunged into his blood In his Order of Masse receaued and vsed here in Britayne as our old brittish writer of the first Institution of Ecclesiasticall Seruice allowed by our Protestant Antiquaries proueth he calleth it after consecration the holy most boly vnspotted body of Christ Sanctum Sanctissimum Intemeratum Corpus Christi so chaunged from breade likewise of his pretious blood pretiosus sanguis Christi from wine before S. Luke in his ghospell is most playne HOC Luc. cap. 22. EST CORPVS MEVM quod pro vobis datur And being so inseparable a companion to S. Paule as he witnesseth in many places of scripture he could not differ from him in this poynt Neither from Luc. cap. 1. the rest of the Apostles from whom as he writeth in the beginning of his ghospell he receaued what Isidor l. 1. de offic c. 25. de Missa orat Albin l. de diuin offic Egbert Stephan Eduen l. de Sa Magdeburg centur 1. l. 2. cap. 6. col 500. Matth. Parker antiquitat Britan cap. 17. pag. 47. Paschas Ratb lib. de Corp. Sang. Christi Walfrid Strab l. de obseruat cap 22. Martin Polon Supputat temp in S. Petro col 27. Missa antiq S. Petri manuscript Brit. antiq supr cit he wrote therein Sicut tradiderunt nobis qui ab initio ipsi viderunt ministri fuerunt sermonis That S. Peter said masse and deliuered a forme and order thereof to the Church of Christ we haue more witnesses then can easely be cited and their citations more needles seing the principall Protestants themselues confesse it and that it remayned without alteration 200. yeares and more vntill Pope Zepherine added some what vnto it A Christi primo instituto ducentis amplius annis in prima Ecclesia durauit And this as they and others teach was by S. Peter instituente Beato Petro. Yet therein we finde most playnely deliuered that the breade and wine were transubstantiated and chaunged into Christs body and blood Domine Deus noster qui te obtulisti pro huius mundi vita respice in nos super panem istum calicem bunc fac eum immaculatum tuum corpus pretiosum sanguinem And in the masse still vsed Corpus sanguis fiat dilectissimi filij tui And often therein repeted that after consecration it is so chaunged Our old Brittish manuscript of the first Institution of Church seruice with others proue that S. Photinus S. Peters disciple Bishop of Lyons and S. Trophimus Bis 〈…〉 in Fraunce brought this Order of S. Zozimus ep to 1. concil Martyrol Roman die 29. Decemb. in S. Troph Magdeburg cent 1. l. 1. in Troph Old Engl. chron an domini 34. part 4. Peters Mâ—sse thither and all Fraunce receaued it from them Our old English chronicle in our old language plâ—inely saith Peter the first Pope was a blessed man and glorious Apostle of Christ he was heade of the Church he said Masse he made our Lords bodie No men can better witnesse what was the doctrine and practise of this cheife Apostle then his renownâ—d disciple and Successours S. Ignatius and S. Element the one at Antioche the other at Rome both which as I haue before proued from them and shall more hereafter do directly teach Christs â—â—all presence in this Sacrament and so transubstantiation and such chaunge of breade and wine into Christs bodie and blood as this Article denyeth for so greate mutation Alteration or whatsoeuer we shall name it cannot possibly be otherwise And our old brittish manuscript saith plainely that this Masse of S. Peter brought into Fraunce by S. Photinus S. Trophinus was afterward carâ—â—ed to S. Clement at Rome to be viewed Cursum Romanum quem Beatus Trophinus Sanctus Photiâ—â—s in Gallijs tradiderunt ad Beatum Clementem quartum loca Successoris Beati Petri Apostolâ— deportauerunt S. Andrew the Apostle is thought to be the Author Onissa S. Andreae Eccl. Constantin Chrisost of the Masse of the Church of Constantinople named now S. Christostoms in which there is manifest transubstantiation Emitte spiritum tuum super nos super proposita dona haec fac panem hunc pretiosum Corpus Christi tui quod est in calice ifto pretiosum saguinem Christi filij tui transmutans spiritu tuo sancto Which he practised in his life and at his holie martyrdome openly both before Christians and persecuting pagans he thâ—â— professed Ego Omnipotenti Deo immolo quotidiâ— iâ—maculatum agnum in alâ—ari eius carnem posteâ—quam omnis populus credentium manducauerit agnus qâ—â— sacrificatus est integer perseuerat vinus Thus testified the Preist and Deacons liuing â—â— Vit. S. And. per presbyter Diac. Achaie Breuiar Roman Breuiar Salisbur in fest S. Andreae l. de duplici mart inter opera Cypr. Anonymus de vit Apost in S. Andrea Metaphrast in S. Andr. Iuo carn Serm. de Sacram. dedicat Serm. 4 Bernard apud Franc. Eenardent in Iren. l. 4. Alger cont Berengar Iacob gemens in S. Andr. Clem l. 6. Hypotepos Euseb hist Eccl. l. 2. c. 1. Missâ— S. Iacobi Eccl. Hierolomitanol his death the Church of Rome ours of England with others in their publik seruice of him S. Cyprian or whosoeuer authour of the booke de â—â—plici martyrid amonge his workes The old Anonymus writer of the Apostles lines Symeon Metaphrastes S. Iuo S. Bernard Algerus Iacobus igemensis and others without number S. Iames brother to S. Iohn was soone after Christs Ascension martyred by King Herode as we reade in the Acts of the Apostles cap. 12. by reason whereof much memory is not left of him in histories but being of Christs three most beloued Apostles brother to S. Iohn and companion to S. Peter the two others so inuincibly proued to haue beene professours and practisers of this Catholike doctrine no man can Imagyne hee could be of other minde especially being martyred in Hierusalem where he S. Peter and S. Iohn professing this doctrine as before ordeined the other S. Iames Bishop who in his Order of Masse writeth Rogamus vt Spiritus sanctus adueniens sancta bona gloriosa sua prâ—sentia sanctificâ—â— effâ—â—iat hunc panem Corpus sanctum Christi tui calicem hunc praetiosum sanguinem Christi â—ui Where transubstantiation and chaunge of breade and wine into Christs bodie and blood in the blessed Sacrament by the omnipotent power of God is most playnely deliuered And so must needs be 〈…〉 of this S. Iames as of the other and S. Censura Oriental Hier. PatriaÌ„r Constinopol ibid. Proclus S. Michol Methon Bessar apud Gul.
preces verbi eius ab ipso profecti grâ—â—iâ— actae sunt alimoniam incarnati illius Iesu carnem â—â— sangiuem esse edocti sumus And besides tradition and the coÌ„mon custome doctrine of the Church he doth interprete the Euangelists before cited iâ— this manner that Christ so instituted and commaunded and this in his very next words Nâ— Apostoli in commentarijs à se scriptis quae Euangâ—â— vocantur ita tradiderunt praecepisse sibi Iesum â—â— enim panc accepto gratias egisset hoc facite in â—â— recordationem HOC EST CORPVS MEVM 〈◊〉 similiter accepto gratijs actis dixisse HIC â—â— SANGVIS MEVS And most plainely Panem Câ—â—stus Iustin dial cum Triph. post med in quaest agent propos quaest 44. conficiendum tradidit vt Corpus eum factum â—â— recordaremur And Dominica caro conscientiam â—â— rum qui ipsam edunt ab omni scelere expiat S. Iâ—â—naeus also by our old brittish manuscript be◠〈◊〉 Bishop by S. Clement in this first age Beaâ—â—â— Ireâ—aeum Episcopum Beatus Clemens ordinauit â—â—â—ueth that none but such Infidels or heretiks as denyed Christ to be the sonne of God and so not Irenaeus contra haees lib. 4. cap. 34. omnipotent did or could deny this transubstantiation or chaunge of breade and wine into his bodie and blood by his powerfull words in consecration Quomodo constabit eis eum panem in quo gratiae actae sâ—â—t Corpus esse Domini sui calicem sanguinis eius â—â— non ipsum fabricatoris mundi silium dicâ—nt id est verbum eius per quod lignum fructificat defluunt â—â—â—tes terra dat primum quidem foenum post deinde spiâ—am deinde plenum triticum in spica I haue cited S. Denys the Areopagite to this This holy faith euer in Britaine purpose before And shewed also for Britayne that it had and vsed the Masse of S. Marke as their old maniscript proueth where this doctrine and practise is recorded And S. Peter preaching here his Masse brought into these parts both by his and S. Paules Disciples as I haue proued with this vse and doctrine Britaine could not be ignorant thereof And I haue cited euen from Protestant Antiquaries that our first Christian Britans both worshipped and prayed vnto Christ present in this most holie sacrament when it was shewed vnto them or they receaued it at Masse And our Protestants of England of cheife note among them with greatest applause and approbation do deduce this Catholike doctrine and practise in the Church Protest of Engl. apud Sutcliffe Subuers pag. 32. Peâ—kâ—â—s probl pâ—g 15â— 154. of Christ from this first age and in this manner Wâ—e reade in Ignatius this phrase offere and Sacrificium immolare to offer and immolate Sacrifice and like phrases in Irenaeus Tertullian and Martialis who mentioneth also Altares The auntients when they speake of the supper haue many formes of speach which sheâ— a conuersion Ambrose vseth the name of conuersion â—â—d the name of mutation Cyprian saith it is chaunged 〈◊〉 in shape but in nature Origen saith that breade is made the bodie by prayer Gaudentius saith Christs bodie is made of bread and his blood of wyne Eusebius Emissenus saith that the Preist by secrete power doth chaunge the visible creatures into the substance of Christs bâ—die and blood and that the breade doth passe into the nature of our Lords bodie So they deduce it to lower times wherein they all confesse the doctrine of transubstantiation to haue beene generally taught and professed And with speciall warrant and allowance of King Iames as they themselues testifie they publikly iustifie that it was Religio Regis the Religion Casanbon respon ad Câ—â—dinal peron pag. 50. 51. D. Androwes Prot. Bish. of Ely Midleton Papiston p. 106. Copell def of hooker pag. 276. Feild of the Church pag. 150. Couell def pag. 87. Couell modest examinat pag. 105. of the King and Kingdome that it is Christs bodie the same obiect and thing which the Romane Church beleeueth others with publick allowance also write though breadâ— by nature bee but a prophane and coÌ„mon element yet by grace it pleaseth the Lord to make it his bodie The omnipotencie of Christ maketh it his bodie The primatiue Church thought the fructified and consecrated Elements to be the bodie of Christ To their persoâ—s Preists God imparted power ouer his misticall 〈◊〉 which is societie of soules and ouer that naturall whâ—â—â— is himselfe for the knitting of both in one a worke whicâ— antiquitie doth call the making of Christs body The power of the ministry by blessing visible Elements â—â— maketh the inuisible grace It giueth daily the holie ghoâ—â— It hath to dispose of that flesh which was giuen for tâ—â— life of the worlde and that blood which was powred â—â— to redeeme soules In their most warranted publick communion booke in the ministration of this saâ—â—â—â—ent after their manner they deliuer Christs institution thereof in such significant manner of transubstantiation or chaunge that they must needs thereby graunte and affirme it or deny him to haue spoken truely but to haue told an vntruth â— thing most blasphemous and vnpossible thus they sette it downe as Catholiks do at Masse Iesus Protest commun booke Tit. communion Christ who in the night he was betrayed tooke breade and when he had giuen thankes he breake it and gaue it to his disciples saying take eate this is â—y bodie which is giuen for you do this in remembrance of mee Likewise after supper he tooke the cuppe and when he had giuen thankes he gaue it to them saying drinke yee all of this this is my bloode of the new testament which is shedde for you for many for remissioÌ„ of sâ—â—s do this as oft as yee shall drinke it in remembrance of meâ— Here Christ omnipotent that cannot speake any vntruth expressely testifieth it was breade and wyne before and by his words his bodie which was giuen and blood shedd for vs. Therefore such transubstantiation and chaunge as Catholiks hold And this these Protestans confirme in their distribution of this Sacrament to communicants assuring euery communicant as Catholike Preists do and in the very same words that it iâ— the bodie of Christ which they giue to them and so of his blood in expresse termes which should be most true if they were true Preists as the others be And that no testimonie might be wanting to this Catholike truth by Protestants allowance they haue both published approued with greate Francisc Staucar in praefat ad Peâ—r Gallatin warrant the sentence and opinion of the old Rabbines before Christ of this mistery and thus confesse of them They are more playne and pregnant for Prot. Bafilien in editione eiusd Thom. Marton appeale pag. 396. 395. transubstantiation then are the sayeings of the transubstantiators themselues They make so directly for transubstantiation that the most Romish Doctours for the space of all
vseth the plarall number Eucharists and oblations Eucharistias oblationes non admittunt and there nameth the Eucharist receaued by all the flesh of our Sauiour Iesus Christ not speaking of the other Kinde Non confiteantur Eucharistiam esse carnem Saluatoris nostri Iesu Christi quae pro peccatis nostris passa est Calling them Heretiks which denyed that Eucharist which was vsually then receaued in the Church in his time to be the flesh of our Sauiour Iesus Christ that flesh of his that suffered for our sinnes S. Clement besides that he hath testified before of reseruing and receauing this blessed Sacrament onely in one Kinde vnder the forme of bread he further wittnesseth and prescribeth by and from the warrant of S. Peter and giueth order that if any Preist should negligently minister and giue the bodie of Christ speaking nothing of the other Clem. Rom. epist 1. Kinde that he was greuously to be punished Communio Corporis Domini nostri Iesu Christi si negligenter erogetur presbyter minora non curet admonere officia graui anathemate digna humiliationis plaga feriatur And in thes words immediately that so many hostes should be prepared as shall serue the communicants not speaking of the other Kind and if any be left they shall be reuerently receaued by some of the clergie And they which receaue the remnants of the bodie of our Lord which was left in the Sacrary shall fast from eating any thing after a good while tanta in altaria holocausta offerantur quanta populo sufficere debeant Quod si remanserint cum timore tremore â—lâ—ricorum diligentia consumantur Qui residua corporis Domini quae in sacrario relicta sunt consumunt non statim ad communes accipiendos cibos conueniant ne putent sanctae portioni commiscere cibum And he giueth most strict charge for the reuerent keeping of that Kinde alone of this most blessed Sacrament that is left and to be reserued Iterum Irenaeus epist ad victor Origen hom 13. in Exod. Dionys Alex. ep ad Fatium Anthiochen Basil epist ad Caesar Patric Amphil. in vit S. Basilij conc Nicaen 1. can 63. Arabic Terrullian l. 2. ad vxor c. 5. Ciprian l. de Iapsis Ambros orat fâ—neo de excess fratris Satyri Hier. Apol. ad Pammach cap. 6. Aug. homil 26. quinquag hom Ser. 252. de temp concil Carthag 4. c. 38 Paulin in vit S. Ambrosij prosper Aquitan l. 4. c. 6. de promiss vt praedict concil Turonen 2. c. 3. concil matiscon 2. c. 6. Basil supr Ioh. Maschus in prat spirit c. 79. Metaphr in martyr SS Indae Domnae tem Dioclesiani Euagrius lib. 4. hist Eccl. cap. 35. atque Iterum de fragmentis Dominici Corporis demandamus And they which be the most auncient writers after this age as Irenaeus Origen Dionysius Alexandrinus S. Basile Amphilochius among the greekes and the first generall councell of Nice Tertullian S. Cyprian S. Ambrose S. Hierome S. Augustine Paulinus prosper the 4. councell of Carthage the second of Towres and others both councels and learned Fathers do not onely testifie this custome to haue euer beene continued in the Church reuerently to reserue this most honourable Sacrament in the forme of breade and so onely to communicate the lay Christians especially pylgryms straungers trauailers persecuted and liuers in desarts but iustifie allowe and honour such practise and custome for holie and religious And assure vs as namely Tertullian S. Ciprian and S. Basile with others that this reseruation and communion was not onely in Churches but in priuate howses where Preists could not be had Illud in persecutionis temporibus necessitate cogi quempiam non praesente Sacerdote aut Ministro communionem propria manu sumere nequaquam esse graue superuacaneum est demonstrare propterea quod longa consuetudine hoc ipso rerum vsu confirmatum est omnes enim in eremo solitariam vitam agentes vbi non est Sacerdos communione domi seruantes à seipso communicant in Alexandria vero Aegypto vnusquisque eorum qui sunt de populo vt plurimum habet communionem in domo sua Semel enim Sacerdote sacrificium consecrante distribuente meritò participare suscipere credere oportet Etenim in Ecclesia Sacerdos dat partem accipit eam qui suscipit cum omni libertate ipsam admouet ori propria manu Idem igitur est virtute siue vnam partem accipiet quisquam à Sacerdote siue plures partes simul Euagrius relateth it an hold custome in his time vetusfuit consuetudo Constantinopoli in the Church of Constantinople to make this reseruation and communion in one Kinde And in all the greeke Church at this day the sicke do communicate onely in one Kinde as in the Latin Church Ad aegrotos Gilbert Genebr l. de gâ—aecor ritibus Ioh. Scraminius in Elucidar erritus ruâ—henici cap. 18. Hypothius Legat. Ruthenor in fidei profess an 1595. Ioh. Latisciuâ— ad c. 11. Theol. Mosâ—oiticae fol. â—15 Communion in one Kinde in Britayne panis dumtaxat species defertur And the Russians when they go to war carry with them this holy Sacrament in one onely Kind and so receaue it Consecrant pro bellantibus panem in Corpus Christi laicis bella praecedentibus tradunt in manus qui cum sunt cum hoste conflicturi illic pane illo posito seipsos ordine communicant And yet they professe euen in the publike profession of their faith by their Ambassadours that Christs all and whole and the true Sacrament is receaued in one Kinde Fatâ—or sub altera tantuÌ„m specie totum atque integrum Christum verumque Sacramentum suum And so they reserue it consecrated both for trauailers and those that die Quae super sunt consecrata ea in vsum peregrè euntium morientium seruantur No man can now question but this Catholike doctrine and custome so Apostolicall so Vniuersall was also receaued and vsed in Britayne allwayes ioyning with the Catholike Church And our most auncient brittish Authours allowed Sermo antiq legisolit in Eccl. Brit. foxe Act. and mon. pag. 1142. by our Protestants doth wittnes that before the Christians then receaued they prayed thus to Christ in the forme of bread which they were to receaue Agnus Dei qui tollis peccaca mundi miserere nobis O lambe of God that takest away the syns of the world haue mercy vppon vs. And to cite it further as Peotestants translate it The housell is dealed into sondry parts chewed betwene teeth how be it neuerthelesse after ghostly might it is all in euery part Many receaue that holy body and yet notwithstanding it is so all in euery part after ghostly mistery S. Gildas calling the holie Altare where masse Gildas l. de excid conquest Brit. was said the Seate of the heauenly sacrifice sedes caelestis sacrificij sufficiently argueth this part of the sacrifice was not
as the holyest Sainct that euer was there is noe damnation there is noe hell at all This doctrine putteth downe that beastely saying of Epicurus to take all pleasure in this life because he thought there was none after death for this doth Breede all wantonnesse and yet promiseth euerlasting pleasures in the world to come Therefore although wee most freely doe and are so bounde to beleeue and professe that the passion merits of Christ are of infinite cure validity worth and value in themselues able to haue beene a perfect redemption propitiation and satisfaction for all the sinnes of the whole worlde and more then euer were shall or can be committed if Christ had so ordeyned and sinners so applyed them by such holy Instruments and meanes as Sacraments and others as he prouided and Instituted and they which are and shall be saued haue and will vse and apply to that end and purpose the meanes yet to those that doe not receaue and practise neither Christs oblation vpon the Crosse nor any thing he did or suffered can be a perfect redemption propitiation or satisfaction for all or any sinne And among these necessary Instruments meanes applications of Christs redemption propitiation and Satisfaction for sinners the holy sacrifice of Masse is one and most excellent eminent and honorable wherein the truely and duely consecrated Preists of Christs Church by vertue and power giuen them in their consecration doe offer Christ for the quicke and the deade to haue remission of paine or guilt which this article blasphemously faith were blasphemous fables and daungerous deceites And first our Protestants themselues euen King Iames the heade cheife interpretour of their Religion and congregation whilest he liued with his approued protestante writers Bishops Doctours and others publickly priuiledged and warranted by cheife authoritie in their proceedings thus confesse for truth this article to be hereticall Neither is Casanbon resp ad Card. Per. p. 51. 52. c. the King ignorant nor denyeth that the Fathers of the the primatiue Church did acknowledge one Sacrifice in the Christian Religion that succeeded in the place of the Sacrifices of Moses lawe Middlet Papistm pag. 92 113. 49. 137 138. 47. 45. The sacrifice of the Altare and vnbloody sacrifice were vsed in the primatiue Church and the auncient Fathers called the sacrifice of the body blood of Christ a sacrifice The primatiue Church did offer sacrifice at the altare for the deade sacrifice for the deade was atradition of the Apostles and the auncient Fathers Aërius Feild l. 3. pag. c. 29. p. 138. Couel exam pag. 114. condemned the custome of the Church in naming the deade at the altare and offerring the sacrifice of Eucharist for them and for this his rache and inconsiderate boldnesse and presumption in condemning the vniuersall Church of Christ he was iustly condemned Here we see by our Protestants themselues that vpon a second and better consideration they graūte from our first founders in Christ that the Catholike doctrine and custome so basely censured in this their Article is Orthodoxall the Religion and tradition of the Apostles Iudgment and practise of the vniuersall Church of Christ and that which this their article concludeth was iustly condemned for heresie Therefore I may be more breife in alleadging the Apostolike writers to such propose Sainct Paul witnesseth that euery high preist or Hebr. c. 8. Cap 5. preist is ordayned to offer Sacrifice to God for the people omnis Pontifox ad offerenduni munera hostias constituitur Omnis namque Pontifex ex hominibus assumptus pro hominibus constituitur in ijs quae sunt ad Deum vt offerat dona sacrificia pro peccatis He also with other Scriptures saith both that Christ was a Preist after this Order of Preisthood and Preists of this Order should be for euer Hebr. 7. Ps 109. in the lawe of the Ghospell Tu es Sacerdos in aeternum secundum ordinem Melchisedech necessarium fuit secundum ordinem Melchisedech alium surgere Sacerdotem Translato Sacerdotio necesse est vt legis translatio fiat sempiternum habet Sacerdotium But it is also euident both by Scripture and all Apostolike writers that neither Christ nor any Christian Preist of that Order offered any other sacrifice hauing resemblance to the Sacrifice of Melchisedech in breade and wine then when Christ at his last supper offered gaue his blessed bodie and blood vnder those formes and gaue then power commaunde to his Apostles other Preists to doe the same as I haue aboundantly proued by the Fathers of this age and our Protestants haue so confessed before It was also so certaine among the old Hebrues before Christ that Christ the Messias should be such a Preist and offer such a sacrifice and his Preists after him and all sacrifices in the lawe should then cease and giue place vnto it That Theodor. Bibliandor de SS Trinit lib. 2. pag. 89. vit l. de test Miss Petr. Gallat l. de arcan fid ca. Franciscus Stancar Prot. Rasil in pref ad Petr. Gallat de Arcan Mort. Supr alij Protestants themselues thus confesse it Erat apud Veteres Hebraeos dogma receptissimum in aduentu Messiaebenedicti cessatura esse omnia legalia sacrificia tantumque celebrandum sacrificium Thoda illud peragendum pane vino sicut Melchizedech Rex Salem Sacerdos Dei altissimi temporibus Abrahami panem vinum protulit And the old Rabbines of the Iewes before Christ euen as they are commended vnto vs both by Catholike Protestant Antiquaries do most playnely deliuer vnto vs the same Catholike truth as hath beene before confessed by thes Protestāts that in this holie sacrifice offered for sinnes bread and wine are miraculously chaunged into the bodie and blood of the Messias Rabbi Samuel saith vpon the oblation of Melchisedech Rabbi Samuel in Bereschit Rabba ad cap. 14. Genes that he sacrificed and taught that Sacrifice Actus Sacerdotij tradidit erat ipse Sacrificans panem vinum Deo sancto benedicto So haue Rabbi Moses Hadarsan and Rabbi Enachinam Melchisedech proferens panem vinum ostendit quod docuit eum Sacerdotij actum quier at panem vinum sacrificare Et hoc est quod habetur in Psalmis Iurauit Dominus non paenitebit eum tu es Sacerdos in aeternum secundrm ordinem Melchisedech And Rabbi Phinees saith most euidētly that in the time of Messias all other Sacrifices should cease and the Messias being a Preist after the Order of Melchisedech should except this alone and this onely should be vsed in this Religion Tempore Messiae omnia sacrisicia cessabunt sed sacrificium panis vini non cessauit sicut dictum est Gen. 14. Melchisedech Rex Salem protulit panem vinum Melchisedech enim Rex Messias excipiet a cessatione Sacrificiorum panis vini sicut dicitur psalmo Tu es Sacerdos in aeternum
secundum ordinem Melchisedech And they as manifestly testifie that this euer continuing Sacrifice vnder the formes of bread and wine should be the bodie and blood of the Messias offered by the Preists of his lawe Panis quem dat omnibus ipse Rabbi Moses Hadarsan com ps 39. est caro eius dum gustatur panis conuertitur in carnem erit hoc mirabile magnum An other saith sacrificium quod fiet ax vino solum Rabbi Cahana ad ca. 49. Gen. transmutabitur in substantiam sanguinis Messiae sed etiam conuertetur in substantiam corporis eius in sacrificio quod fiet ex pane non obstante quod album sit velut lae conuertetur substantia in substantiam corporis Messiae erit que in ipso sacrificio substantia sanguinis Ernnt item in sacrificio vini sanguis caro Messiae Rabbi Barac in Ecclesiast Rabb Iud. ad c 28. num Rabbi Sim. Bor. Ioan. l. Reuel Secret eadem crunt in pane Rabbi Iudas saith transmutabitur ex substantia panis cum sacrificabitur in substantiam corporis Messae qui discendit de coelis idem ipse erit sactificium An other writeth Messias erit placenta frumenti in terra And Rabbi Salomon witnesseth that generallie the Rabbinesse magistri nostri exposuerunt did so expounde these words in the 72. psalme Erit placenta frumenti interra in vertice montium And that this miraculous chaunge in this sacrifice should be made by the power of the sacrificing Preist words by Gods extraordinary assistance Tunc Deus misericordia implebitur virtute ingenti sanctorum verborum quae ab ore Sacerdotium manabunt illud Sacrificium quod in vnoquoque altari celebrabitur in corpus Messiae conuertetur And accordingly they deliuer how vnspotted the liues of our Preists should be which thus offer Christs body and blood in sacrifice Qualis debeat esse Sacerdotis Rabbi Nehumias epist arcanor vita hoc sacrificium pertractantis Dominus ipse insinuat cum de nostri temporis sacrificio consecrantis qualitate ita leuit 21. capite inquit sanctificabis eum quia Carnem Dei tui ipse â—st vel erit sacrificans This auncient Rabbines Testimonies being so plaine and pregnant for transubstantiation of bread and wine into the body and blood of the Messias in this holy Sacrifice as protestants haue confessed before and their words themselues so euident that no Catholike or Romane writer can set it downe in more manifest or expresse termes make also the contradictory of this Article a clearely and vndeniably true To take exception to those authorities would be grosse and foolish rashnesse for first as I haue proued already and shall hereafter they agree with the Apostolike doctrine of this first age and the vniuersall Church of Christ Secondlie if they had beene counterfaite being in Hebrewe and extant in the libraries of the Iewes they were most like to be counterfaite by them but this had beene to condemne themselues Noe Christian coulde inuent and place them in their libraries There could not be the least suspition of such Inuention for they were vulgarly published to the Christian world longe before the beginning of the Caluinian Sacramentarie Religion or other impugners of this most honorable Sacrifice and so receaued allowed and approued both by the greatest spirituall Petr. Gallot praefat in l. de Arcanis fid cath and temporall authoritie euen of the Emperour giuing both power meanes and allowance for the searching fourth publishing and receauing those antiquities And Rabbi Samuel Marochianus in his booke of the coming of the Messias de aduentu Messiae receaued Rabbi Samuel Morachian lib. de Aduentu Messiae c. 19. by all and doubted of by none doth inuincibly proue and demonstrate the same by manie Scriptures as the Iewes reade and allow them He proueth it from the 109. psalme and other Scriptures prouing that the sacrifice of the Messias in the forme of bread and mine and his Preisthood after the order of Melchisedech being to succeede the sacrifice and Preisthood of AaroÌ„ were promised to endure for euer and not to cease as those of Aaron were to cease and ceased when the euer during sacrifice and Preisthood of the Messias were instituted Attende quanta sit differentia inter sacrificium Psal 109. Aaron Iustiistius Domini Dixit Dominus Domino meo tu es Sacerdos in aeternum non adtempus sicut Aaron Item sacrificium Aaron fuerunt carnes sacrificium illius iusti Dominifuit panis vinum secundum ordinem Melchisedech In quibus verbis Dominus per Prophetam ostendit manifestè quoniam sacrificium Aaron finiretur quando inciperet sacrificium in pane vino aeternaliter duraturum eum Aaron noÌ„ sit data aeternitas in Sacerdotio ficuti Sacerdoti Christo He there proueth that if that promise of eternitie in Sacrifice and Preisthood haue beene made by God to Moyses which he made to the Messias or Christ the sacrifice and Preisthood of Moyses lawe had beene eternall as those of Christs be by that promise Si Deus dixisset nostro Moist sicut dixit per os Dauid Messiae siue Christo Tu venies Sacerdos in aeternum secuÌ„dum legem Myosi Aaron staret illa lex sed dixit tues Sacerdos in aeternum secundum ordinem Melchisedech This he proueth also from Moyses in the 26. chapter of Leuiticus that the Sacrifice of the Messias and his Preistood after the old Order of Melchisedech being established and published those of Aaron weÌ„re to end Ad hoc sonat verbum Moysi cum Leuit. ca. 26. dixit comedetis vetustissima veterum per quod intelligit sacrificium Melchisedech Et iterum nobis superuenientibus id est nouae legis sacrificio publicato vetera scilicet vestra proijcietis He proueth it from Rabbi Samuel supr c. 20. Leuiticus cap. 23. Exodus cap. 25. numeri cap. 21. Where the sacrifice in breade wine is set downe and prefigured He proueth it from Salomon his words which the Prouerb c. 9. Apostle vseth Hoc sacrificiuÌ„ vini cum aqua mixtum pâ—â—cherrimè aptè describit Salomon Propheta in libro prouerbiorum cap. 9. cum dicit Sapientia altissima communicauit sacrificium suum miscuit vinum suum parauit mensam Quis est paruulus veniat ad me insipientes comedent panâ—m meum bibent vinum meum temperatum aqua Quid mensa parata sapientiae altissimi nisi altare Quid panis viuum mixtum nisi sacrificium de pane vino de aqua quod sit in altari not abiliter dicit Panem suum vinum suum perid enim innuit hoc Sacrificium gratum esse Deo quod ad istud conuinium tam diuinum spirituale non vocauit patres nostros qui erant sapientes in lege qui erant occupati in sacrificio legis quod etiam carnale sacrificium Rabbi Samuel
Deo oremuâ— Vt Deus suscipiat illud in caeleste altare suum in odorem suauitatis For all the people of God liuing and deade Pro vniuerso Ecclesiae caetu Pro ijs qui in fidâ— quieuerunt They deliuer the breade and wine to be consecrated Cap. 1â— to the Bishop or Preist that said Masse Diaconi offerant dona Episcopo ad altare They attend that nothing falleth into the chalices ne iâ— pocula incidant At the time of consecration they Cap. 20. called vpon the people for attention Diaconus dicat attendamus They hold the consecrated chalice and confessâ— it to be the blood of Christ the cuppe of life Diaconus teneat calicem quando tradit dicat sangâ—â— Christi calix vitae And after all had communicated they take that which is left and with reuerence preserue it Postquam omnes sump serunt accipiant Diaconi reliquias portent in pastiphoria And they said this prayer testifying it was the pretious bodie and blood of Christ which had beene there offered and receaued for remission of sinne and preseruation in pietie Diaconus dicat Percepto pretioso corpore pretioso Cap. 20. 2â— sanguine Christi gratias agamus ei qui dignos nos reddidit percipiendi sancta eius mysteria rogamus vt non in iudicium sed in salutem nobis fiant in vtilitatem animae corporis in custodiam pietatis in remissionem peccatorum in vitam futuri saeculi And as our Deacons now conclude and end Masse with Ite Cap. 23. Missa est So did they then with Ite inpace Et Diaconus dicat Ite in pace Thus from S. Clement and the Apostles by his relation S. Denis the Areopagite is witnesse to the Dion Areop Eccl. Hierar cap. 3. like where testifying of the most holie Sacrifice of Christs bodie and blood as is proued from him before he teacheth that as inferiour orders performed their duties therein So the Deacons more high in degree with the Preists more nearelie assisted at the altar about this blessed sacrifice Qui ipsius ordinis praecipuisunt vnà cum Sacerdotibus sanctum panem benedictionis calicem sacrosanctis altaribus imponunt So testifieth S. Ignatius writing to S. Hero a Deacon Ignat. epist ad Heronem Diaconum that such as he being Deacons did minister vnto Preists at Sacrifice and that so did S. Stephen to S. Iames and Preists in Hierusalem Sacerdotes Ep. ad Trallian aâ— Philadelph sunt tu Sacerdotem minister Sacrificant tu verò illis ministras vt sanctus ille Stephanus Iacobo Presbyteris qui erant Hierosolymis So of all Deacons in other places Diaconi Imitatores Angelicarum virtâ—tum qui purum inculpatum ministerium illis Sacerdotibus exhibent vt S. Stephanus beato Iacobo And for the dignitie of their ministrie in so great misteries ought to be honoured as Christ Oportet Diaconis mysteriorum Christi ministris per omnia placereâ— nec enim ciborum potuum ministri sunt sed Ecclesiae Dei administratores Ipsi itaque tales sunt at vos reueremini illos vt Christum Iesum cuius vicarij sunt So Epist ad Heron. was saint Stephen to saint Iames saint Timothie and saint Linus to saint Paul saint Anacletus and Clemens to saint Peter He that obeyeth them not is an enemy to God and impure and contemneth Christ and diminisheth his ordinance Vt sanctus Stephanus beato Iacobo Timotheus Linus Paulo Anacletus Clemens Petro Qui his Diaconis non obedit sine Deo prorsus impurus est Christum contemnit constitutionem eius imminuit And speaking of the dignitie of the altare and Sacrifice of Christians wherein Deacons with Bishops and Preists haue so excellent Ignat. epist â—d Ephesios ministration he giueth charge to obey them assuring vs he that doth not so disobeyeth Christ and is an abiect Enitimini subiecti esse Episcopo presbyâ—eris Diaconis Qui enim his obedit obedit Christo qui hos constituit Qui vero his reluctatur reluctatur Christo Iesu qui autem non obedit filio non videbit vitam sed ira Dei manet super eum Praefractus enim contentiosus superbus est qui non obtemperat superibus S. Anacletus Deacon to S. Peter as S. Ignatius before hath proued and made Preist by the same greate Apostle as he himselfe confesseth and so perfectly knowing both the doctrine and practise of the Apostles did when he came to be Pope ordaine â—s both Catholiks and Protestants acknowledge that Deacons in their holy vestiments should minister Anacletus ep 1. Robert Barn l. de vit Pontif. Rom. in Anacleto vnto Preists and Bishops in the solemne sacrifices Sacerdotem sacrificaturum ministros vestibus sacris indutos adhibere ordinauit Episcopus verò vt plures ministros in sacris faciendis adiungat This is the doctrine of all holie Fathers after and of the whole Church of Christ the first generall Councell of Nice receaued in this Kingdome declareth that this was euer the rule and custome of Christs Church Regula consuetudo that Deacons Conc. Nicen. cap. 14. were ministers to Bishops in the holy sacrifice and vnder Preists to helpe them in their Sacrifice and not to offer sacrifice or giue the bodie of Christ to Preists that offer it Peruenit ad sanctum concilium quòd in locis quibusdam ciuitatibus presbyteris Sacramenta diaconi porrigant Hoc neque regula neque consuetudo tradidit vt hi qui offerendi sacrificij non habent potestatem his qui offerunt corpus Christi porrigant Haec amputentur maneant Diaconi intra propriam mensuram scientes quia Episcoporum ministri sunt Presbyteris autem inferiores sunt This is the cheife office of a Deacon so his name â—n Hebrewe in Greeke Latine signifie so his dutie to serue at the altare to minister there to the Bishop or Preist to prepare it to propose breade and wine to be consecrated and minister in the whole sacrifice So write our most auncient writers of these things from the oldest monuments and authorities Diaconus Graecè Hebraicè lâ—uita Latinè assumptus Albin flace Alcuin l. de diuin offic in Diacono vel minister interpretatur assumptus quia assumitur id est eligitur ad seruitium altaris minister quia ministrat Presbytero Ponit linteum in altare ponit panem calicem quae nec mittendi nec auferendi habet potestatem Presbyter si Diaconus adfuerit Sicut Presbytero officium consecrandi competit ita Diaconâ— ministrandi Therefore howsoeuer wee expounde this pretended Protestant making or admitting Deacons that they receaue their power or office when their pretended Bishop giueth to them the new Testament and saith vnto them Take authority to reade the Ghospell in the Church of God or when he saith Take thou authority to execute the office of a Deacon in the Church of
God committed vnto thee or both together here is no true consecration of a Deacon in their owne proceedings nor Deacon so made if their pretended consecrating Bishop were a true a lawfull Bishop for first of giuing the new testament Act. 6. and power to reade the ghospell this cannot be the full and lawfull manner to make Deacons The first Deacons in the lawe of Christ being made otherwise by the Apostles as the Scripture witnesseth and before the new testament or anie part thereof was written to be giuen to them or for them to reade the ghospels then vnwritten and vnpossible to be read by them or any at that time or longe after The other of taking authority to execute the office of a Deacon cannot be the manner for first no man can truely and lawfully execute that wherein he hath no power and here is no power of a Deacon giuen in all this their forme and order And Statut. in parliament an 27. Elizabethae Reg. ad 1. Jacobo their owne parlaments and highest authorities in their religion doe not onely disable any man in England Deacon or other to execute the office of a Deacon such as the Apostles and Apostolike men of this age haue deliuered vnto vs but make it an offence of high treason for any lawfull Deacon either to execute that office in any Church Chappell or other place or to be in England without executing any such office or function at all euen reading the ghospell or any other And so if we ioyne this Protestant pretended power to execute the offices of a Deacon and reade the ghospell in the Church together there is not the least power of a true Deacon thereby either giueÌ„ or permitted by them in all England vnto any such Deacon to doe or not doe such or any dutie of that holy function And thus much of Deacons No true Preist amonâ— English Protestants Now it can be no question but the pretended ProtestaÌ„t Ordination of Preists is altogether vaine Idle and friuolous for being so iuuincibly proued that the cheifest and principall office and function of a Deacon is to assist and minister vnto Preists Bishops in the holy Sacrifice of Christs blessed body and blood at Masse such Sacrificing Preists not heauing any such power before their consecration to holy Preisthood must needs receaue it aâ— that time otherwise they should still remaine without it as they did before And our Protestants vtterly before denying all such sacrifice and sacrificing power and in this their pretended forme and manner of consecration hauing no thing at all to receaue or allowe it but the quite contrary and by their lawes so straungely persecuting sacrificing Preists and Preisthood this their fashioÌ„ of making or ordering their pretended Preists must needs be voyde and frustrate and they still remaine in that lay state in this respect wherein they were before euen from their first birth into the world Their Practise in this pretended consecration is this The Bishops the Preists present shall lay their handâ— seuerally vpon the heade of euery one that receaueth orders Prot. forme and manner of makiâ—g consecr Bish. Preists and Deac Tit. forme of Order of Preists The receauers humbly kneelinge vpon their knees and the Bishop saying Receaue the holy ghost whose sinnes thou doest forgiue they are are forgiuen and whose sinnes thou doest retaine they are retained The Bishop shall deliuer to euery one of them the Bible in his hand saying Take thou authority to preach the word of God and to minister the holy Sacraments in this congregation where thou shalt be so appointed Here is all their pretended consecration of Preists so farre from all meaning or intention to conferre any sacrificing power or Preisthood that before they come to this article in their 31. Article before they thus defined The Sacrifices of Masses in the which it was commonly Prot. art 31. supr sayde that the Preists did offer Christ for the quicke and the deade to haue remission of paine or guilt were blasphemous fables and dangerous deceites In that place I haue inuincibly proued against them both this Sacrifice and sacrificing Preisthood and Preists Institution All his Apostles and all consecrated by them and their Successours were massing and sacrificing Preists all the Apostolike writers of this first age gaue testimony to that doctrine and practise All Masses Missales or publike liturgies of all Churches ascribed to the Apostles themselues and continued by continuall neuer interrupted generall tradition beare witnesse vnto it The holy Prophets so described the Messias by a perpetuall holy Sacrifice to be offered in all places in his time that he should be a Preist after the order of Melchisedech teach and establish that Preisthood neuer to end or cease in his Church Thus taught the most learned rabbines among the Iewes before Christ So the Fathers and common practise of both Greeke and Latine Church with the best least learned Protestant writers euen of England writing and published by their publike allowance and authority as I haue vndeniably proued in that article and there made demonstration by all authothority that Christ at his last Supper when he onely did execute the act and office of his Preisthood according to the order of Melchisedech did ordaine his Apostles sacrificing massing Preists at that time in expresse termes set downe in holy Scripture hoc facite in meam commemorationem To offer his consecrated holy body and blood in Martial ep ad Burdegal cast 3. Clem. Coust Apost l. 8. c. 3. Iustin dialog cum Triphon Irenaeus adu haer l. 4. c. â—2 Eus l. 1 cap. 10. demon Euang elicar Theod. in c. 8. ad Hebraeos Alexa. 1. ep 1. cap. 4. Cyprian l 2. epist 3. ep 63. Ambr. in Psal 38. Gandentius tractat 2. Aug. lib. 83. q. q. 61. Sacrifice as he had done So the Apostolike men of this first age assure vs. Vbique offertur Deo oblatio munda sicut testatus est cuius corpus sanguinem in vitam aeternam offerimus Quod Iudaei per inuidiam immolauerunt putantes se nomen eius à terra abolere nos causa salutis nostrae in ara sanctificata proponimus scientes hoc solo remedio nobis vitam praestandam mortem effugandam Hoc enim ipse Dominus noster iussit nos agere in mei commemorationeÌ„ Domine omnipotens potestatem Apostolis dedisti offerendi tibi sacrificium mundum incruentum quod per Christum constituisti mysterium noui testamenti Suis discipulis dans consilium primitias Deo offerre eum qui ex creatura panis est accepit gratias egit dicens hoc â—st corpus meum calicem similiter qui est ex ea creatura quae est secundum nos suum sanguinem confessus est noui Testamenti nouam docuit oblationem quam Ecclesia ab Apostolis accipiens in vniuerso mundo offert Deo This was the opinion profession and practise of the
it to himselfe though he punished with death as others often since then haue done the professours thereof yet both he and all or Rulers temporall since Kings or Queens haue retained in their stile of honour that title Defensor fidei defendour of the faith which the Pope gaue him for defending before his fall the Catholike faith against Martine Luther though they all except Queene Mary impugned it And our present K. Charles whome together with his Queene Mary God blesse with all good and happines in his late publike declaration to all his louing Subiects among whome his Catholiks be not in the lowest place of duty and desert to him though not in like degree of his fauour to theÌ„ thus and thus vehemently protesteth wee call God to recorde before whome we stand that it is and alwaies hath beene our harts desire to be found worthy of that title which we accompt the most glorious in all our Crowne DEFENDOVR OF THE FAITH But to defend the faith is not to reprint the articles of Religion established in the time of Queene Elizabeth and by a declaration before those articles to ty and restraine all opinions to the sense of those articles as he speaketh immediately before and to persecute Bishops Preists and Catholiks as he doth That title was giuen by the Pope to King HeÌ„ry for defence of the true faith longe before the articles of Queene Elizabeth or she was borne Longe before hee K. Edward 6. Queene Elizabeth King Iames and King Charles persecuted Catholiks their faith whereof by their stile they should be defendours longe before their religion or any of them I except King Henry the 8. to whome it was giuen receaued beeing The true faith Catholike and Apostolike which by that regall stile and title they should defend against these articles I haue aboundantly by the best testimonies proued in euery point for the two last following articles the 38. intituled of Christian mens goods which are common and the 39. the last of a Christian mans oath doe not containe any coÌ„trouersie with Catholikes but were ordained against new Sectaries among themselues I hope no Protestant Parlament will hereafter glory that their religion was almost 80. yeares old though it wanteth 10. of that number and so extraordinarily contend to persecute that which I haue proued to exceed it aboue 1500. yeares in time and truth which they ought to embrace and honour and not so maliciously or ignorantly not being the most religious nor learned diuines to persecute it FINIS A TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS Chap. 1. COncerning the first 5. Protestant Articles not differing from the Apostles Religion and the Romane Church pag. 1. Chap. 2. Examining their 6. Article about scriptures and traditions and condemning it by the Apostles and Apostolike men and doctrine of their age p. 2. Chap. 3. The 7. 8. 9. 10. Articles examined and wherein they differ from the present Roman Church condemned by this first Apostolike age p. 53. Chap. 4. The 11. Article of the Iustification of man examined and condemned by the Apostolike Fathers of this first age p. 60. Chap. 5. The 12. Article examined and in whatsoeuer differing from the present Romane Church condemned by the Apostolike age So of the 13. and 14. Articles p. 67. Chap. 6. The 15. 16. 17. 18. Articles so examined and wheresoeuer repugnant to the Roman Church likewise condemned p. 82. Chap. 7. The 19. Article examined and condemned by the same authoritie p. 88. Chap. 8. The 20. Article thus examined and in whatsoeuer contrarie to the Church of Rome thus condemned p. 99. Chap. 9. The 21. article so examined and condemned p. 109. Chap. 10. The 22. article thus likewise examined and condemned p. 141. Chap. 11. The 23. article examined p. 207. Chap. 12. The 24. article likewise examined and condemned by this first Apostolike age and writers therein p. 212. Chap. 13. The 25. article intituled of the Sacraments thus examined and condemned in all things contrarie to Catholike doctrine p. 222. Chap. 14. Pennance so called in this article and by Catholikes The Sacrament of Pennance was so iudged and vsed in this Apostolike age p. 228. Chap. 15. Holy Orders contrary to this article was vsed and held à Sacrament in this first age p. 233. Chap. 16. Matrimonie thus proued a Sacrament p. 242. Chap. 17. Extreame vnction thus proued to be a Sacrament p. 249. Chap. 18. The rest of this article repugnant to the Catholike faith likewise condemned p. 252. Chap. 19. The 26. and 27. articles examined and Protestant doctrine in or by them condemned p. 258. Chap. 20. The 28. article intituled of the supper of the Lord examined and condemned p. 262. Chap. 21. The 29. article intituled of the wicked which do not eate the bodie and blood of Christ in the vse of the Lords supper examined and condemned p. 276. Chap. 22. The 30. article intituled of both Kindes examined and where it is contrarie to the Romane Church condemned p. 284. Chap. 23. The 31. article being intituled of the one oblation of Christ finished vpon the Crosse thus examined and condemned p. 297. Chap. 24. The 32. article intituled of the marriage of Preists thus examined and condemned p. 315. Chap. 25. The 33. 34. articles examined and in whatsoeuer repugnant to the doctrine of the Church of Rome thus condemned p. 339. Chap. 26. The 35. 36. articles intituled of homilies and of consecration of Bishops and ministe◠〈…〉 examined and condemned 〈…〉 Chap. 27. The 37. article intituled of the ciuiâ—â— Magistratus thus examined and whatsoeuer against the Roman Church condemned p. 390.
to be made by that councell if it be truely related nothing concerneth this article onely speaking of Marriage of such men after holie Orders taken and not when they were lay men Yet that citation of Sacrates in this poynt wanteth not suspition of vntruth For the same Socrates speaking vpon his owne certaine Socrat. Hist Eccl. l. 5. cap. 21. knowledge affirmeth it was the receaued custome in Thessalia Macedonia and other parts of the Greeke Church that if a clergie man kept companie with his wife that he had married when he was a lay man he was to be degraded Ipse in Thessalia consuetudinem iuualuisse noui vt ibi qui clericus sit si cum vxore quam eum esset Laicus ducebat post quam clericus factus sit dormierit clericatu abdieatus sit eadem consuetudo etiam Thessalonicae in â—acedonia in Hellade seruatur And saith that all the renowned Preists and Bishops also in the easte absteyne from such wiues Omnes illustres presbyteri in Oriente Episcopi etiam ab vxoribus abstinent And he confesseth that the absteyning of clergie Socrat. Hist Eccl. l. 1. c. 8. supr men from theâ—â— formerly married wiues when they were lay 〈◊〉 was so religious iust and necessarie in the Iudgement of the whole generall councell that they determined to make a decree and canon thereof visum erat Episcopis legem in Ecclesiam introducere vt qui essent sacris initiati sicut Episcopi Presbiteri Diaconi cum vxoribus quas cum erant Laici in matrimonium duxissent minimè dormirent And it seemeth by the Arabike Concil Niâ— can 78. Arabico copie of that councell that this or the equiualent lawe and decree was then made si vxorem duxit adhuc vxor viuit cum eo habitat debet imponi duplex panitentia Idem seruandum de Diacono And the third of those canons of this councell which both Catholiks and Protestants commonly receaue forbiddeth all Bishops Preists Deacons Concil Nic. can 3. and clergie men to dwell with any woman but their mother sister grandmother or Aunt sister to their father or mother Nisi fortè mater aut Soror aut auia aut amita aut matertera sit And the second councell of Arles held about the same time in the dayes of S. Syluester Pope and Constantine Emperour plainely forbiddeth all cohabitation or meeting with wiues married before vnder payne of excommunication Si quis de clericis à gradu Concil Arel 2. can 3. Diaconatus in solatio suo mulierem praeter auiam matrem sororem filiam neptem vel conuersam secum vxorem habere praesumpserit à communione alienaâ— habeatur Here the wife marryed before except conuersa professing chastitie as the husband now doth is forbidden his companie and he from her and most plainely in the canon before a married man is disabled to be a Preist except promising and professing chastitie Assumi ad Sacerdotium non potest in vinculo coniugij constitutus nisifuerit promissa conuersio In this councell our Archbishop Const Magn. epist Eccles Socrat. Hist Eccl. l. 1. c. 6. of London Restitutus was present and subscribed vnto it for this Kingdome which with Fraunce where this councell was kept Spayne Italy and other contries of the west presently receaued the Nicen councell Eusebius Caesariensis present at the councell of Euseb demonst Euang. l. 1. c. 9. Nice and writing after it is plaine that married men receauing holie Orders were bounde to chastitie Oportere dicit sermo diuiuus Episcopum vnius vxoris virum esse Veruntamen eos qui sacrati sint atque in Dei ministerio cultuque occupati continere deinceps seipsos à commercio vxoris decet And S. Epiphanius also a grecian and liuing at that time and writing in that age testifieth plainely that the holie Church of God where the canons were sincerely kept did admitt none to be eyther Bishop Preist Deacon or Subdeacon but such as absteyned from their wiues if marryed before or in single and chaste life And if it was otherwise vsed in any place wheresoeuer it was an abuse this being the custome of the Church directed by the holie ghost euer from the beginning that Ecclesiasticall men married or not married should euer liue in chastitie Adhuc viuentem liberos gignentem Epiph. Haeâ— 29. in compendiar vnius vxoris virum non suscipit sancta Dei Ecclesia sed eum qui se ab vna continuit aut in viduitate vixit Diaconum Presbiterum Episcopum Hypodiaconum maximè vbi sinceri sunt Canones Ecclesiastici At dices mihi omnino in quibusdam locis adhuc liberos gignere Presbyteros Diaconos Hypodiaconos At hoc non est iuxtae Canonem sed iuxta hominum mentem quaeper tempus elanguit Nam quod decentius est id semper Ecclesia per spiritum sanctum bene disposita videns statuit apparare vt cultus diuini indistracti Deo perficerentur And he maketh this a commaundement in scripture Si populo praecipit â— Cor. 7. Sanctus Apostolus dicens vt ad tempus vacent orationi quanto magis Sacerdoti idem praecipit vt indistractus sit inquam ad vacandum secundum Deum Sacerdotio quod in spiritualibus necessitatibus ac vsibus perficitur But if we should allowe which these holy Fathers both of the Greeke Latine Church would not doe that the chastity of Bishops Preists and Deacons is not commaunded in scriptures but that the scriptures onely commend it for the more perfect and better duly to execute those sacred functions as all both Catholiks and Protestants agree it is without question that the vniuersall Church of Christ hath euen by these Protestants most religiously decreed and commaunded Ecclesiasticall men to liue in chastity And they contradict and condemne themselues herein in their next article Prof. Artic. â—4 but one in these words whosoeuer through his priuate Iudgment willingly and purposely doth openly breake the traditions and ceremonies of the Church which be not repugnant to the word of God and be ordained and approued by common authority ought to be rebuked openly as hee that offendeth against the common order â—â— the Church Therefore the continent and chaste life and profession of the Cleargie being confessed by all both Catholiks and Protestants not to be repugnant to the word of God but most conformable vnto it And both commaunded generally receaued approued Couel Exam. p. 64. 65. 114. feild pag. 138. l. 3. cap. 29. Middleton Papiston p. 134. and practised not onely by all commaunding cheife Churches but through out the whole Catholike world must needs be maintained And our Protestants confessing this and with priuiledge writinge the auncient Fathers so receauing it from theÌ„ that went before them taught That vowes of chastitie and single life in Preists is to be obserued by tradition The doctrine taught in the article cannot