I am si canon ille missae in hunc quem diximus sensum intelligatur nihil habet incommodi superstitiosa tantum absit opinio quia quidam de naturâ energiâ huius sanctissimi sacrificii male edocti virtutem eius ex solo externo opere quod facit Sacerdos in se deriuari putabant tametsi illi nullam viuam fidem adferrent nullam pietatem adhiberent nulla communione vel precum seu orationis sacrificio assensum praeberent quales erant qui nullâ suae nefandae impietatis execrandorum flagitiorum habitâ ratione se huic sacratissimae diuinissimae actioni damnabiliter miscuerunt missam solius externi operis quod sacerdos facit virtute prodesse put antes etsi ipsi nihil probae mentis adferrent That is If the canon of the Masse bee vnderstood in this sense which wee haue expressed there is no euill in it so that men haue no superstitious conceipt of things for there were some who being ill instructed touching the nature of this sacrament supposed that vertue might be deriued vnto them by the sole externe action of the priest although they brought no liuely faith no piety nor gaue any consent to the sacrifice by any communion so much as of prayer of which sort they were who hauing no consideration of their owne horrible impieties evills committed by them persevering in the purpose of sinning damnably presumed to be present at this most holy action and put themselues in a sort into it perswading themselues that the masse by the vertue of the externe worke of the priest alone would doe them good though they brought no motions affections or desires of a good mind with them Hosius was of the same opinion with these before recited When the priest sayth hee lifteth vp the eucharist let men remember that sacrifice wherein Christ being lifted vp to the crosse offered himselfe to God a sacrifice for vs. Let them thinke how bitter the torments were that hee sustained let them know that mens sins were the cause of such his sufferings let them greiue as it is fitte they should for them and let them shew by all meanes that they hate them And because by his precious death hee hath so fully satisfied for all sinnes that there are none that are not abolished let them with good assurance considence goe vnto the throne of grace and whereas wee haue no merit of our owne let them plead that of Christ let them present that his body that did hang on the crosse and his bloud which was shed for the remission of our sinnes to God the Father and let them humbly beseech him to turne away his face from their sinnes and to looke vpon the face of his son Christ who bare our infirmities to looke vpon his face for his merit to remit their sinnes and to graunt that they may deriue vnto themselues all that fruite which that sacrifice of the crosse that is represented on the altar brought to the world Thus he sayth the people were taught by our forefathers and this hee sayth is enough for them to know Notwithstanding hee sheweth that Michael Bishop of Merspurge a man learned godly and truely catholique published certaine sermons touching the sacrifice of the massâ—… which hee wisheth to bee in the hands of all men in these sermons the same explication is made of the sacrament so often mentioned that I haue already deliuered And with him agreeth another learned Bishop Thomas Watson sometimes Bishop of Lincolne in his sermons vpon the seauen sacraments his words are these Christ in heaven and wee his mysticall body on earth doe but one thing for Christ being a Priest for euermore after his passion and resurrection entred into heauen and there appeareth now to the countenance of God for vs offering himselfe for vs to pacifie the anger of God against vs and representing his passion and all that he suffered for vs that we might be reconciled to God by him euen so the Church our mother being carefull for vs her children that haue offended our father in heauen vseth continually by her publique minister to pray to offer vnto God the body bloud of her husband Christ representing renewing his passion and death before God that wee thereby might bee renewed in grace and receiue life perfection and saluation and after the same sort the holy Angels of God in the time of this our sacrifice do assist the priest and stand about the host thinking that the meetest time to shew their charitie towards vs and therefore holding forth the body of Christ praye for mankind as saying thus Lord wee pray for them whom thou hast so loued that for their saluation thou hast suffered death spent thy life vpon the crosse we make supplication for them for whom thou hast shed this thy bloud we pray for them for whom thou hast offered this same thy very body In that houre when Christs death is renewed in mysterie his most fearefull and acceptable sacrifice is represented to the sight of God then sitteth the King on his Mercie-seat enclined to giue and forgiue whatsoeuer is demaunded and asked of him in humble manner In the presence of this body and bloud of our Sauiour Christ the teares of a meeke and humble man neuer beg pardoÌ„ in vain nor the sacrifice of a contrite heart is neuer put back but hath his lawfull desires granted giuen By resorting to this sacrifice of the masse we evidently declare protest before God the whole world that we put our singular only trust of grace saluation in Christ our Lord for the merits of his death his passion not for the worthinesse of any good worke that we haue done or can doe that we make his passion our only refuge For when wisedome faileth which onely commeth by the doctrine of Christ when righteousnesse lacketh which onely is gotten by the mercie of Christ when vertue ceaseth which onely is receiued from him who is the Lord of all vertue then for supplying of these our lacks needs our refuge is to Christs passion then we run as the Prophet saith to the cup of our Sauiour and call vpon the Name of our Lord that is to say we take his passion offer to God the Father in mystery the worke of our redemption that by this memorie commemoration of it it would please his mercifull goodnes to innovate his grace in vs to replenish vs with the fruit of his Sonns passion We are become debtors to Almighty God for our manifold sins iniquities done against him we can neuer pay this debt no scarse one farthing of a 1000 pounds what remedie then haue we but to run to the rich man our neighbour that hath enough to pay for vs all I meane Christ our Lord who hath payde his heart bloud for no debt of his own but for our
debt there whiles wee celebrate the memory of his passion we acknowledge confesse our sinnes which be without number grant that we are not able to satisfie for the least of them therfore beseech our mercifull Father to accept in full payment satisfaction of our debts his passion which after this sort as hee hath ordained to be done in the sacrifice of the masse we renew represent before him where our sinfull life hath altogether displeased him wee offer vnto him his welbeloued Son with whom we are sure he is well pleased most humbly making supplication to accept him for vs in whom only we put all our trust accounting him all our righteousnes the authour of our saluation Thus doth the Church daylie renew in mysterie the passion of Christ doth represent it before God in the holy masse for the attaining of all the graces benefites purchased by the same passion before after the measure of his goodnes as our faith deuotion is knowne vnto him And againe The Church offereth Christ Gods Sonne to God the Father that is representeth to the Father the body and bloud of Christ which by his omnipotencie hee hath there made present and thereby reneweth his passion not by suffering of death againe but after an vnbloudy manner not for this end that we should thereby deserue remission of sins deliuerance from the power of the deuill which is the proper effect of Christs passion but that we should by faith devotion this representation of his passion obtaine remission grace already deserued by his passion to be now applyed to our profite and saluation c. not that we can apply the merits of Christs death as we list to whō we list but that we by the representation of his passion most humbly make petition prayer to Almighty God to apply vnto vs the remission grace which was purchased deserued by Christs passion before after the measure of his goodnes and as our faith and deuotion is knowne vnto him The thing offered both in the sacrifice of Christ on the Crosse in the sacrifice of the Church on the Altar is all one in substance being the naturall body of Christ our high Priest and the price and ransome of our redemption but the manner and effects of these two offerings are diuerse the one is by the shedding of Christs bloud extending to the death of Christ the offerer for the redemption of all mankind the other is without shedding of his bloud onely representing his death whereby the faithfull and deuout people are made partakers of the merits of Christs passion Hitherto the Bishoppe of Lincolne and to the same purpose the Authour of the Enchiridion of Christian religion hath these words Diligenter ergo haec omnia nobis intuentibus nihil vel absurdi vel scrupulosi in toto missae contextu occurret sedomnia praesertim quae canon complectitur pietatis plenissima ac plané reuerenda vt sunt videbuntur Aut enim Ecclesia respicit ad corpus sanguinem Christi pro se in cruce oblata vi omnipotentis verbi in altari praesentia non veretur haec appellare hostiam puram hostiam sanctam hostiam immaculatam panem sanctum vitae aeternae calicem salutis perpetuae aut ad oblationem repraesentatiuam commemoratiuam passionis seu corporis Christi veri quae fide misericordiam per Christum apprehendente redemptionem quae est in Christo deo patri opponente peragitur non dubitat hoc sacrificium laudis offerre pro se suisque omnibus pro spe salutis incolumitatis suae nimirum spem salutis incolumitatis ac redemptionem animarum debitalaude ac gratiarum actione deo accepta referens petitque vt hanc oblationem seruitutis suae Deus placatus accipiat diesque nostros in sua pace disponat atque ab aeterna damnatione nos eripi et in electorum suorum grege iubeat numerari non quidem ex meritis nostris aut ex dignitate nostrae seruitutis sed per Christum dominum nostrum that is If wee rightly looke into these things nothing will occurre vnto vs in the whole context of the masse that may iustly seeme absurd or cause any scruple but all things there found especially such as are contained in the canon will appeare vnto vs as they are indeede full of piety and much to be reuerenced for either the Church hath respect to the body and bloud of Christ offered for her on the crosse and by force of his Almighty word present on the altar and so feareth not to call these a pure host an holy host an immaculate host the holy bread of eternall life and the cuppe of eternall saluation or else shee hath an eye to the representatiue and commemoratiue oblation of the passion or true body of Christ which consisteth in faith apprehending mercy by Christ and opposing vnto God the redemption that is in Christ and soe shee doubteth not to offer this sacrifice of praise for her selfe and all her members for the hope of her saluation and safety that is with all due praise and thankesgiuing shee acknowledgeth that shee hath receiued from GOD the hope of saluation safetie and the redemption of the soules of her sonnes and daughters and desireth that God will take in good part this oblation of her service and bounden dutie that hee will dispose our dayes in peace that hee will deliuer vs from eternall condemnation and that hee will make vs to be numbred with his elect not for our merits or the worthinesse of this seruice but thorough Christ our Lord. With these Georgius Wicelius a man much honoured by the Emperours Ferdinand and Maximilian fully agreeth defining the masse to bee a sacrifice rememoratiue and of praise and thankesgiuing and in another place he saith the masse is a commemoration of the passion of Christ celebrated in the publike assembly of Christians where many giue thinkes for the price of redemption With these agreeth the Interim published by Charles the fift in the the assembly of the states of the Empire at Augusta March 15 t 1548 and there accepted by the same states But some man happily will say here are many authorities alleaged to proue that sundry worthy diuines in the Roman Church in Luthers time denyed the new reall offering or sacrificing of Christ and made the sacrifice of the altar to bee onely representatiue and commemoratiue but before his time there were none found soe to teach Wherefore I will shew the consent of the Church to haue beene cleare for vs to uching this point before his time and against the Tridentine doctrine now prevailing Bonaventura in his exposition of the masse hath these words The body of Christ is eleuated and lifted vp in the masse for diuers causes but the first and principall is that wee may obtaine and regaine the favour of God the Father
himselfe to the Church of Rome Which hee might not haue beene suffered to doe if hee had erred in the article of the incarnation These Nestorians inhabite though mixed with Mahumetanes and Infidels a great part of the Orient For besides the countries of Babylon Assyria Mesopotamia Parthia and Media where very many of them are found they are scattered in the East Northerly to Cataia and Southerly to India So that in the histories wee finde mention of them and no other sort of Christians in sundry regions of Tartary These haue a Patriarch residing in Muzall on the riuer Tigris in Mesopotamia This Muzall either is the citie of Seleucia so honoured in times past that the government of those parts was committed to the Bishop thereof with the name of a Catholicke and place of Session in Councells next the Patriarch of Hierusalem or if that were destroied the Patriarchall seat was thence translated to Muzal In this citie though subject to Mahumetans the Iacobites haue three temples the Nestorians fifteene beeing esteemed to bee about forty thousand soules In the time of Iulius the third certaine of these Nestorians fell from the Bishop of Muzal and tooke for their head Simon Sulaca of the order of Saint Basil. Who submitted himselfe to the Bishop of Rome exhibited an orthodoxe confession of his faith and was by him confirmed bishop of Muzal in title name but the other held the place still So that when hee returned he was forced to abide in Caramit This Simon Sulaca made certaine Archbishops and Bishops and caused the memory of Nestorius to bee put out of their liturgies and in the end hee was slaine by the Turkes ministers But Abdesu of the same order succeeded him and after him Aatalla after him the Archbishop of Gelu and Salamas renouncing the obedience of the Bishop of Muzal was elected Patriarch and confirmed by the Bishop of Rome So that there were foure Patriarches successiuely following one another that held communion with the Church of Rome but no one of them euer possessed that citie but resided either in Caramit Serit or Zeinalbach in the confines of Persia. All these were vndoubtedly orthodoxe touching the article of the incarnation of the Sonne of God And Elias one amongst the Bishops that held the seat at Muzal desired to be joyned in communion with the Church of Rome sent his confession which was found to be orthodoxe and right so that they of that faction also seeme not to haue differed much in judgement touching any article of faith The Nestorians are subject to these two Patriarches to this day The Patriarch of Muzal hath vnder him 22 Bishops more then 600 territories in which there are at the least 22 rich and flourishing cities and in euery of them 500 families in Muzal 1000 whereof euery one contayneth about fortie persons And other-lesser territories contayning about 200 or 300 families a piece and thirty monasteries In India also there are many families subject to this Patriarch by the name of Patriarch of Babylon to whom he was wont to assigne Bishops There were in India before the Portugals comming about some 15 or 16 thousand families About some thirtie yeares since their Archbishop fell from the Patriarch of Muzal or Babylon to the Bishop of Rome by the perswasion of the Portugals yet retayning the auncient religion which was permitted But his successor in another Synod holden at Diamper not farre from Maliapur by the Archbishop of Goa in the yeare 1599 receiued the religion of Rome also and suffered their liturgie so to bee altered as wee finde it in Bibliotheca patrum But let vs proceede to take a view of the particular poynts of their religion First all cleargie men amongst the Chaldeans and also all lay men that excell in devotion receiue the Sacrament of the Lords body and blood in their own hands vnder both kinds The rest receiue into their mouths the bodie of the Lord dipt into the blood They contract marriages within the degrees prohibited marrying in the second degree without dispensation Their Priests are marryed and after the death of the first wife haue libertie to marry the second or third time or oftner They minister the communion in leavened bread They vse not auricular confession nor confirmation They deny the supremacie of the Pope The specialties of the religion of the Indians or Christians of S. Thomas before they admitted any alteration were these First they distributed the sacraments in both kinds Secondly they vsed bread seasoned with salt and in steade of wine India affording none the juice of raisons softned one night in water and so pressed forth Thirdly they baptized not their children till they were forty dayes old except in danger of death Fourthly their priests were married but excluded from the second marriage Fifthly they had no images in their Churches but the crosse onely Sixtly they denyed the supremacie of the Pope From the Assyrians and Indians vniustly named Nestorians let vs passe to those Christiās that are supposed to be Monophysits as the Iacobites Armenians Cophti or Christians of Aegypt the Aethiopians or Abissens These beleeue that the nature of God and man were so vnited in the person of Christ that hee is truly God and truly man and that after the vnion they remaine distinct in their being of essence and property so that the diuinity is not of the same essence substance and nature with the humanity for the diuinity is infinite incomprehensible and increated and the humanity is finite and a created essence yet because they are vnited and conioyned in the vnity of the same person they say they are but one nature and will not acknowledge as wee do that there are two natures in Christ. That we may the better know what we are to thinke of these Christians differing thus from us I will first historically shew how this difference grew Secondly more largely refute their opinion And thirdly make it appeare that in respect of this difference they are not to be reiected as heritickes There liued at Constantinople a certaine man whose name was Eutiches a priest and an abbat This Eutiches in opposition to Nestorius who divided the person of Christ proceeded so farre that he confounded the natures imagining a conversion of the divinity into the humanity or of the humanity into the divinity or a kind of mixtion of them This Eutiches was well acquainted with Eusebius Bish. of Dorilaeum who vnderstanding by conference with him that he was fallen into such a damnable haerisie made the matter knowne to Flauianus the B. of Constantinople wishing him to call Eutiches vnto him and sharply to rebuke him least the faith might be indangered Flavianus assoone as he vnderstoode thus much called together 30 of his Bish. and in their presence asked of Eutiches whether he did beleiue that Christs body is of the same substance with ours He answered he had never said so hitherto but would seing they would haue it
illud singulare sacrificium offertur veterem Ecclesiae morem reuocare quo non solum sacrificans ipse sed diaconi reliqui Ecclesiae ministri qui diebus solennioribus velut testes taÌ„ti sacrificii necessarâ—…ruÌ„ ministeriorum coadiutores adhibentur vt perceptionis corporis sanguinis domini nostri Iesu Christi participes se preberent seria canonum sanctione iubebautur sed fideles omnes pro recolendà mortis domini nostrae redemptionis memorià ad hoc mediatoris nostri sacrificium confluentes sedulis exhortationibus monendi excitandi sunt vt prius explorati confessi absoluti sacrosanctae communionis gratiam sumant diuinissimae Eucharistiae participationem vnà cum sacerdote sedulo deuotè frequentent that is And here truely it were expedient that when that most true and singular sacrifice is offered wee should renewe the old custome of the Church by which not only he that celebrateth but the Deacons also and the other ministers of the Church which on the more solemne daies are vsed as witnesses of so solemne an act as coadiutors in respect of sundry necessary ministeries were commaunded by a serious sanction of the canons to be partakers of the sacrament of the Lords body blood but all such faithfull beleeuing men as resort to this sacrifice of our mediator to renew the memory of the death of our Lord and our redemption by the same should be admonished and stirred vp by effectuall and often exhortations hauing examined themselues confessed their sinnes and obtained absolution to receiue the grace of the holy communion and carefully and deuoutly to frequent the participation of the diuine Eucharist together with the priest By this which hath been said it appeareth that the priests receiuing alone neglecting or excluding the coÌ„municating of others as not much necessarie his act being availeable to apply the benefits of Christs passion without receiuing the sacrament is indeed a point of Romish religioÌ„ but not coÌ„tained in the masse for it is contrary to the name of the masse the words of the canon intendmeÌ„t of theÌ„ that coÌ„posed it contrary to the old canons the practice of the Church it proceeded froÌ„ the indeuotion of the people or rather the negligence or error of the guides of the Church that either failed to stirre theÌ„ vp to the performaÌ„ce of such a duty or made them belieue their act was sufficient to communicate the benefits of Christs passion to them not without the dislike of the better sort So that hitherto no proofe is made that the Church wherein our Fathers liued and died was no Protestant Church but rather the contrary for this Church did euer protest against this abuse professed her dislike of the same acknowledged that this custome was much different from the auncient Honorius in gemma animae saith it is reported that anciently the priests were wont to receiue meale of euery house or familie which custome the Greeks are said to coÌ„tinue still that out of this they made the Lords bread which they did offer for the people hauing coÌ„secrated it distributed it to theÌ„ For euery of theÌ„ that offered this meale were present at the masse respectiuely to theÌ„ it was said in the canon omniuÌ„ circuÌ„stantiuÌ„ qui tibi hoc sacrificiuÌ„ laudis offeruÌ„t that is coÌ„sider the deuotioÌ„ of all that stand rouÌ„d about who offer to thee this sacrifice of praise But after that the Church encreased in number but decayed in deuotion it was decreed in respect of carnall men that they that could should coÌ„municate euery Sunday or on the chief feast daies or thrice in the yeare And now because the people ceasing to coÌ„municate so great a quantity of bread was no longer necessary it was decreed that it should be formed in fashion of a pennie instead of offering meale they offered euery one a penny by which they acknowledged Christs being sould for a certain number of pence These pence were conuerted either to the benefit of the poore or for prouiding of somthing pertaining to the sacrifice in stead of the consecrated bread they were wont to receiue there was giuen them holy bread as they called it Whatsoeuer men think of this which Honorius hath of offering meale it is certaine that in the Primitiue Church they did offer those things that were to be consecrated in the sacrament and that the breade that was there consecrated was vsuall and loafie bread and in forme round as it appeareth by Epiphanius in Ancoratu Gregory in his dialogues who calleth the bread of consecration coronas round â—…aues all which things shew a Protestant Church Wherefore let vs come to the next point of Romish religion supposed to be contained in the masse which is the depriuing of the people of the one part of the Sacrament and the giuing them the same onely in one kind In the Primitiue Church saith â— Lyra the Sacrament was ministred in both kinds Dionysius Carthusianus agreeth with him affirming the same which thing may be prooued by innumerable testimonies of antiquity Ignatius saith there is one bread broken to all one cup distributed to all After the offering is made let euery one saith Clement in order take the Lords body and his precious blood with all reuerent shamefastnes feare The bread saith Dionysius which was one is broken in parts the cup that is but one is divided amongst al. Iustin Martyr in his 2 Apologie saith that after he that is the president hath finished his thanksgiuing the people by a joyfull acclamation haue approoued consented to the same the deacons ministers divide vnto euery one of theÌ„ that are present that each one may partake of that bread wine water ouer which the blessing thanksgiuing hath bin powred out and they doe beare the same to them that are absent Of whose hand saith Tertullian speaking of a faithfull woman married to an Infidell shall shee receiue of whose cup shall she partake Cyprian in his Epist. to Cornelius How doe we teach or prouoke them in for the confession of Christs name to shed their bloud if wee deny vnto theÌ„ when they are to enter into this warfare the blood of Christ or how shall we make them fit for the cup of martyrdome if wee shall not first admit them to drinke the cup of the Lord iure communicationis by the right of communicating in another place Therfore they daylie drinke the cup of Christs blood that they may shed their bloud for Christ. And in a 3 place speaking of a certain child that had bin polluted in the idols temple he saith When as the solemnities were fulfilled the deacon began to offer the cup to them that were present when other had receiued her course came but the little girle by the instinct of God turned away her
of Christ they haue no life that he hath instituted holy Sacraments of his body and blood under the formes of bread and wine in which he will not onely represent but exhibit the same vnto all such as hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and therefore they desire him so to accept and sanctifie these their oblations of breade and wine which in this sort they offer vnto him that they may become vnto them the body and blood of Christ that soe partaking in them they may bee made partakers of Christ and all the benefits of redemption and saluation that hee hath wrought Secondly by the name of sacrifice is vnderstood the sacrifice of Christs body wherein wee must first consider the thing offered and secondly the manner of offering The thing that is offered is the body of Christ which is an eternall and perpetuall propitiatory sacrifice in that it was once offered by death vpon the crosse and hath an euerlasting and neuer failing force and efficacie Touching the manner of offering Christs body and blood wee must consider that there is a double offering of a thing to God First soe as men are wont to doe that giue something to God out of that they possesse professing that they will no longer be owners of it but that it shall be his and serue for such vses and imployments as hee shall conuert it too Secondly a man may bee sayd to offer a thing vnto GOD in that he bringeth it to his presence setteth it before his eyes and offereth it to his view to incline him to doe something by the sight of it and respect had to it In this sort Christ offereth himselfe and his body once crucified dayly in heauen and soe intercedeth for vs not as giuing it in the nature of a gift or present for hee gaue himselfe to God once to be holy vnto him for euer nor in the nature of a sacrifice for hee dyed once for sinne and rose againe neuer to die any more but in that hee setteth it before the eyes of GOD his Father representing it vnto him and soe offering it to his view to obtaine grace and mercie for vs. And in this sort wee also offer him dayly on the altar in that commemorating his death and liuely representing his bitter passions endured in his body vpon the crosse wee offer him that was once crucified and sacrificed for vs on the crosse and all his sufferings to the view and gracious consideration of the Almighty earnestly desiring and assuredly hoping that hee will encline to pitty vs and shew mercie vnto vs for this his dearest sonnes sake who in our nature for vs to satisfie his displeasure and to procure vs acceptation endured such and soe grieuous things This kind of offering or sacrificing Christ commemoratiuely is twofold inward and outward Outward as the taking breaking and distributing the mysticall bread and powering out the cuppe of blessing which is the Communion of the blood of Christ. The inward consisteth in the faith and deuotion of the Church people of God so commemorating the death and passion of Christ their crucified Sauiour and representing and setting it before the eyes of the Almighty that they flye vnto it as their only stay and refuge and beseech him to be mercifull vnto them for his sake that endured all these things to satisfie his wrath worke their peace good And in this sense and answerable herevnto that is which wee finde in the canon where the Church desireth Almighty God to accept those oblations of bread and wine which shee presenteth vnto him to make them to become vnto the faithfull communicants the body bloud of Christ who the night before he was betraied tooke bread into his sacred hands lifted vp his eyes to heauen gaue thankes blessed it gaue it to his disciples saying take and eate yee all of this for this is my body And in like manner after hee had supped tooke the cuppe and gaue thankes blessed it and gaue it to his disciples saying drinke yee all of this for this is the new Testament in my bloud doe this as oft as you shall drinke it in remembrance of mee And then proceedeth and speaketh vnto Almighty GOD in this sort Wherefore o Lord wee thy seruants and thy holy people mindfull of that most blessed passion of the same CHRIST thy sonne our Lord as also of his resurrection from the dead and his glorious ascension into heauen doe offer to thy diuine maiestie out of thine owne gifts consecrated and by mysticall blessing made vnto vs the body and bloud of thy sonne Christ a pure sacrifice a holy sacrifice and an vndefiled sacrifice the holie bread of eternall life and the cuppe of euerlasting saluation that is wee offer to thy view and sette before thine eyes the crucified body of Christ thy sonne which is here present in mystery and sacrament and the blood which hee once shedde for our sakes which wee know to be that pure holy vndefiled and eternall sacrifice wherewith onely thou art pleased desiring thee to bee mercifull vnto vs for the merit and worthinesse thereof and soe to looke vpon the same sacrifice which representatiuely wee offer to thy viewe as to accept it for a full discharge of vs from our sinnes and a perfect propitiation that soe thou mayest behold vs with a pleased cheerefull and gratious countinance This is the meaning of that prayer in the canon supra quae propitio sereno vultu respicere digneris c. as the best interpreters of the canon doe tell vs. And when in the same prayer wee desire that this sacrifice may be accepted for vs as the sacrifices of Abell Abraham and Melchisedec were they obserue that this comparison must not be vnderstood in quantitie but in similitude onely For the thing it selfe is infinitely better then the figure and the sacrifice that CHRIST offered and wee here commemorate is incomparablie more excellent then those of Abell Abraham and Melchisedec And that therefore the meaning of those words is That as God accepted those sacrifices which his seruants offered vnto him before the comming of CHRIST his sonne as prefigurations of that sacrifice which he was afterwards to offer and as a profession of their hope of remission of sinnes by the same soe it will please him to accept the sacrifice which CHRIST once offered and wee now commemorate for vs and vs for it That soe our sinnes may be remitted and wee receiued to fauour After this there followeth another prayer in the canon wherein as humble suppliants they that come to celebrate and to communicate beseech Almighty God to commaund the oblations which they offer to be carried by the hands of his holy Angell vnto his altar that is on high and into the view and sight of his diuine Maiestie that soe many as shall by partaking of the altar receiue the sacred body and bloud of his sonne may bee filled vvith all heauenly benediction
and grace thorough the same Lord IESVS CHRIST This forme of prayer wee finde to haue beene verie auncient but what the meaning of it is it is not soe easie to finde out For how may wee bee vnderstood to desire that the body of CHRIST which we represent vnto GOD in this commemoratiue sacrifice should bee carried into heauen seeing it is alwaies there Wherefore let vs heare what the holy Fathers haue sayd to this purpose Quis fidelium haberet dubium sayth Saint Gregorie in ipsâ immolationis hora ad vocem sacerdotis coelos aperiri in illo Iesu Cristi mysterio Angelorum choros adesse summis in a sociari terrena coelestibus iungi vnum quid ex visibilibus invisibilibus fieri That is What faithfull man or beleeuer will euer make any doubt but that in the houre of the oblation the Heauens are opened that so soone as the voyce of the Priest is heard Quires of Angels are present the lowest and highest things enter into a societie earthly things are joyned with those that are celestiall and things visible and invisible become one And in another place At one and the same time and moment that which is presented on the altar is caught vp into Heauen by the ministerie of Angels to bee ioyned in a neere sort vnto the body of Christ and is at the same time before the eyes of the Priest vpon the altar So then the oblations which we present vnto God on the Altar are then carried by the hands of Angels into Heauen when those sacramentall elements which we bring thither though they be still visible on the altar as Gregory saith yet being changed and become vnto vs in mysterie and exhibitiue signification the body and bloud of Christ once sacrificed and shed for vs and now in heauen continually represented vnto God to intercede for vs may rightly be said to bee carried vp into heauen But seeing by the precedent wordes of mysticall blessing and prayer the sacramentall Elements are so chaunged before the pronouncing of this prayer that they are already become in sort before expressed the body and bloud of Christ which is in heauen wee doe not in these wordes desire any such thing to bee done but this is that wee say Lord wee heere commemorate the death and sacrifice of thy Sonne Christ that once died for vs and now continually representeth the same his death vnto thee to procure vs good humbly beseeching thee that for his sake thus dying for vs now continually in heauen representing himselfe vnto thee setting the same his passions and sufferings before the eyes of thy Diuine Maiesty as if euen now he did hang on the Crosse all euill may bee farre remoued from vs all good brought vpon vs. And that all we that by communicating in these holy mysteries receiue the body bloud of the same thy Son Christ may be filled with all heauenly benediction and grace So that to commaund the sacrifice of Christs body and bloud once offered here by vs commemorated to be carried into heauen and to bee represented vnto God is no more but to make it appeare that that body of Christ which hee once offered by the passion of death and which we now commemorate is in Heauen there so represented vnto God that it procureth for vs all that wee desire There is nothing therefore found in the Canon of the Masse rightly vnderstood that maketh any thing for the new reall offering of Christ to God his Father as a propitiatorie sacrifice to take away sinnes neither did the Church of God at before Luthers time know or beleeue any such thing though there were some in the midst of her that so conceiued of this mystery as the Romanists now do Wherfore for the clearing of this point I will first set down what the conceipt of the Romanists now is then make it appeare that all the best learned at and before Luthers time thought otherwise touching this matter then these now doe These that now are expresse their conceipt touching this point in this sort First they shew what an oblation is Secondly what the nature of a sacrifice is And thirdly how and in what sort they imagine Christ is now newly really not offered onely but sacrificed also to take away our sinnes An oblation they rightly define to bee the bringing of some thing that we haue into the place where the name of God is called on and where his honour dwelleth a representing of it there vnto God a professing that wee will owne it no longer but that God shall bee the owner of it that it shall bee holy vnto him to bee imployed about his seruice if it bee an irrationall thing or to serue him in some speciall sort if it bee rationall as when parents presented and offered their children to God to bee holy vnto him as were the Nazarits who were to serue him in some peculiar and speciall sort and in this sort Christ presented and gaue himselfe to God his father from his first entrance into this world and was holy vnto him and an oblation But in this sort it is not for vs to offer Christ to God his father whatsoeuer any Papist may imagine For it were a wofull thing for vs so to giue vp Christ to his father as to professe that wee will owne him no longer nor haue any interest in him nor claime to him any more And besides if it were fit for vs so to doe yet who are wee that wee should present Christ vnto God his father to bee holy vnto him that so presented and gaue himselfe vnto him from his first entrance into the world that hee bringeth vs also to God to bee holy vnto him A sacrifice implyeth more than an oblation For if wee will sacrifice a thing vnto God wee must not onely present it vnto him professing that it shall bee his and that wee will owne it no more nor make any claime vnto it but wee must destroy and consume it also As wee see in the old law when liuing things were sacrificed they were slaine and consumed in fire when other that had no life were sacrificed they were consumed in fire And answerably herevnto Christ was sacrificed on the crosse when hee was crucified and cruelly put to death by the Iewes But how he should now bee really sacrificed sacrificing implying in it a destruction of the thing sacrificed it is very hard to conceiue First therefore they say that Christ may truely bee said to bee really sacrificed because when the words of consecration are pronounced ouer the bread they so cause the body of Christ to bee where the bread was that they cause not the presence of the blood and in like sort the words pronounced ouer the wine cause the presence of Christs blood and not of his body so that vpon the pronouncing of the words of consecration there would bee in the sacrament the body of Christ without the
which wee haue lost by our sinnes for there is nothing that offendeth God and provoketh him to be dipleased but sinne only as the Psalmist sayth they prouoked and displeased God with their inuentions the Priest therefore lifteth vp the body of Christ on the altar as if hee should thus say O heauenly Father wee haue sinned and provoked thee to anger but now looke on the face of Christ thy sonne whom wee present vnto thee to moue thee to turne from thy wrath and displeasure to mercie and grace turne not away thy face therefore from this thy holy child Iesus from this thy sonne but remember that thou hast sayd of this same thy sonne this is my welbeloued sonne in whom I am well pleased correct therefore mercifully in vs whatsoeuer thou findest in vs fit to be corrected and turne vs vnto thee and turne thy wrath from vs. The question is proposed sayth Petrus Cluniacensis why this sacrifice is so often repeated seeing Christ once offered on the crosse is sufficient to take away the sinnes of the whole world especially seeing here and there not a diuers but the same sacrifice that is the same Christ is offered For if that on the crosse sufficed this seemeth to bee supefluous but it is not superfluous c. for after hee had sayd doe this hee addeth in remembrance of mee This then is the cause of this Sacrament euen the commemoration of CHRIST Our Sauiour knew what hee had done and what hee would doe for man hee knew how great and singular that worke was which hee had done in putting on the nature of man hee knewe how wonderfull that worke would bee that hee was to do when hee should die for man hee knew that by this worke hee should saue man but that noe man could be saued without the loue of this worke hee knew that this worke of his becomming man and dying for man as it was renowned aboue all his workes soe it was especially to bee recommended vnto men for whome it was done it was specially to bee commended to them seeing his flesh was tormented for them his soule grieued and death seized on him that they might liue this was solemnly to be commended vnto them that Christ might bee beloued that being beloued hee might be possessed that being once had hee might neuer bee lost But this loue of him could not haue beene retained by men if they should-haue forgotten him neither could they haue retained the memorie of him vnlesse they should haue beene put in minde of him by some fitting outward signe For this cause was this signe proposed and appointed by CHRIST which yet is so a signe that it is the same thing that it signifieth and herein it differeth from the sacrifices of the old Law which were not that they signified Sed istud nostri sacrificij signum non aliud sed ipsum est quod signat ita vero est ci idem quod signat vt quantum ad corpus id est ad veritatem carnis sanguinis Christi pertinet sit idem quod signat non quoad mortem passionem neque enim ibi Christus vt olim dolorem mortem patitur cum tamen immolari dicatur cum videlicet inviolabiter in altari frangitur diuiditur comeditur cum ijs quibusdam alijs signis in quantum fieri potest mors domini maximè repraesentatur vnde sicut dixi quantum ad veritatem corporis sanguinis Christi pertinet est idem quod signat non quoad mortem passionem quam tamen maximè signat that is This signe of our sacrifice is noe other but the same thing that it signifieth but wee must soe vnderstand it to bee the same thing that it signifieth in respect of the trueth of the flesh and bloud of Christ which it signifieth but not in respect of his passion death though it very liuely expresse signifie that also for Christ doth not there suffer griefe or death as once he did though hee be said there to be offered immolated when hee is inviolably broken vpon the altar distributed eaten when by these the like signes Christs death is represented asmuch as possibly it may be so that as I said if we speake of the trueth of the body and bloud of Christ this signe is the thing it signifieth but if we speake of the death and suffering of Christ it is not so though it doe very clearely expressely represent signifie that his death and passion Thus we see he maketh the sacrifice to be merely representatiue Algerus excellently expresseth the same thing in these words Notandum quia quotidianum nostrum sacrificium idem ipsum dicit cum eo quo Christus semel oblatus est in cruce quantum ad eandem veram hic ibi corporis substantiā quod verò nostrum quotidianum illius semel oblati dicit esse exemplum id est figuram vel formam non dicit ut hic vel ibi alium Christum constituat sed ut eundem in cruce semel in altari quotidiè alio modo immolari offerri ostendat ibi in veritate passionis quâ pro nobis occisus est hic in figurâ imitatione passionis ipsius quâ Christus non iterum verè patitur sed ipsius verè memoria passionis quotidiè nobis iteratur quod ipse Ambrosius notans subiicit Quod nos facimus in commemorationem fit eius quod factum est hoc enim facite inquit in meam commemorationē non aliud sacrificium sed ipsum semper offerimus magis autem sacrificii recordationem operamur Non ergo est in ipsius Christi veritate diversitas sed in ipsius immolationis actione quae dum veram Christi passionem mortem quâdam suâ similitudine figurando repraesentat nos ad imitationē ipsius passionis invitat accendit contra hostem nos roborat munit à vitiis purgans virtutibus condecorans vitae aeternae idoneos dignos exhibet That is It is to bee noted that our daylie sacrifice is the same thing with that sacrifice whereby Christ was once offered vpon the crosse in that the same true substance is offered here that was offered there whereas therefore he saith that the sacrifice which we daylie offer is a similitude figure or representation of that sacrifice which Christ once offered he is not to be conceiued to imagine that there is one Christ essentially here another there but his meaning is to shew that the same Christ once offered on the crosse is dayly offered in another sort on the altar there in the truth of his passion being slaine for vs here in figure and imitation of his passion not suffering againe indeed but hauing the memory of his passion which once he endured daylie renewed which thing Ambrose himself also obseruing hath these words That which we doe is done in remembrance of that which
satisfied in any thing vnder God And so generally and absolutely denie that the Image of God can bee lost or blotted out These make a difference betweene the Image of God thus restrained to the largnesse and and admirable perfection of the naturall faculties of the soule and the similitude or likenesse of God which appeareth in the qualities and vertues of it making him that possesseth them partaker of the diuine nature which they confesse to be lost Now this similitude is all one with the Image of God in the second consideration set down by Aquinas and therefore in this matter Caluin erreth not but writeth that which is consonant vnto the truth Touching the second part of this imputation it is true that Origen erred thinking hell to be nothing else but horror of conscience But he that looketh in the place in Caluin cited by the Iesuite shall see that he saith no such thing but the cleane contrary So that the Reader shall finde Bellarnne to be constant and stil like himselfe adding one calumniation to another CHAP. 25. Of the heresie of the Peputians making women Priests THe fourth Heresie imputed vnto vs by our adversaries is that of the Peputians who gaue women authoritie to intermeddle with the sacred ministerie of the Church That we doe so likewise they indeavour to proue by misreporting the words of Luther There are two things therefore which Luther saith in the place alleadged by them First that in absolution and remission of sinnes in the supposed Sacrament of Penance a Bishop or ordinary Presbyter may doe as much as the Pope himselfe which Alphonsus à Castro writing against Heresies confesseth to bee true The second that when and where no Presbyter can be found to performe this office a Lay man yea or a woman in this case of necessitie may absolue which our adversaries neede not to thinke so strange seeing themselues giue power to women to baptise in case of necessitie which I thinke is as much a ministeriall acte as to absolue the penitent in such sort as absolution is giuen in the Church of Rome And yet they would thinke themselues wronged if from hence it should bee inferred that they make women Priests and Bishoppes But Bellarmine reporteth the wordes of Luther as if hee should say absolutely that a woman or childe hath as much power and authority from God in these things as any Presbyter or Bishop wherein hee is like himselfe Absolution in the Primitiue Church was the reconciling and restoring of penitents to the peace of the Church and to the Communion of the Sacraments from which during the time of their penitencie they were excluded This in reason none could doe but they to whom the dispensation of the Sacraments was committed and who had power to deny the Sacraments The Popish absolution is supposed to bee a Sacramentall acte Sacramentally taking away sinne and making the party absolued partaker of the remission of it This is a false and erronious conceite LVTHER thinketh it to bee a comfortable pronouncing and assuring of good to the humble penitent and sorrowfull sinner which though ordinarily and ex officio the Minister bee to doe yet may any man doe it with like effect when none of that ranke is or can be present Thus when the matter is well examined it is meerely nothing that Bellarmine can proue against Luther But that which hee addeth touching our late dread Soueraigne ELIZABETH of famous memorie that shee was reported and taken as chiefe Bishop within her dominions of England c. is more then a Cardinall lye and might beseeme the father of lyes better then any meaner professour of that facultie For the Kings and Queenes of England neither doe nor haue power to doe any ministeriall act or act of sacred order as to preach administer Sacraments and the like But that power and authority which we ascribe vnto them is that they may by their princely right take notice of matters of Religion and the exercise of it in their kingdomes That they may and in duty stand bound to see that the true Religion bee professed and God rightly worshipped That God hath giuen them the sword to punish all offenders against the first or second Table yea though they be Priests or Bishops That neither the persons nor the goods of Churchmen are exempted from their power That they holde their Crownes immediatly from God and not from the Romish Antichrist That it was the Lucifer-like pride of Antichrist which appeared in times past in the Popes wheē they shamed not to say that the Kings of England were their villanes vassalls and slaues Thus then the fourth supposed heresie we are charged with proueth to be nothing but a diuelish slander of this shamelesse Iesuite Wee say therefore to silence this slanderer that we all most constantly hold the contrary of that he imputeth vnto vs And that wee thinke there is no more daungerous or presumptuous wicked boldnesse then for any man not called set a part and sanctified therevnto to intermeddle with any part of the sacred ministerie of the Church CHAP 26. Of the supposed heresie of Proclus and the Messalians touching concupiscence in the regenerate THe fift heresie which hee endevoureth to fasten vpon vs is he saith the heresie of Proclus of whom Epiphanius maketh mention But what was the heresie of Proclus Let Bellarmine tell vs for our learning It was sayth he that sin doth alwayes continue and liue in the Regenerate for that concupiscence is truely and properly sin which is not taken away by Baptisme but only allaied stilled and brought as it were into a kind of rest and sleepe by force thereof and the working of faith In this Bellarmine sheweth his intolerable either ignorance or impudence or both For Epiphanius in the place cited by him refuteth the heresie of Origen who denied the resurrection of the bodies of men as thinking such bodily substances which we see are continually subject to alteration here in this world not capable of immortality And that God did put these bodies vpon Adam and Eue after their sin at that time when he is said to haue made them coates of skinnes This Epiphanius refuteth shewing that God who only hath immortality made man though out of the earth yet by the immediate touch of his owne hands that he breathed into him the breath of life for that he meant he should be immortall that man had flesh and blood and a true bodily substance before his fall as is prooued by that of Adam concerning Eue This is now flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone that there was no euill found in the World such as death is in the beginning that man voluntarily sinned against God and therevpon God brought in death that euen as the Schoolemaster vseth correction not for any delight he hath in it but for that thereby he intendeth to bring his Schollers to forsake their negligent and disordered courses and to
blood and the blood without the bodie and so a slaine and a crucified Christ if that naturall concomitance by reason whereof the one of them will not bee absent where the other becommeth present did not hinder their being asunder Thus then they say there is a true reall sacrificing of Christ in that as much as is on the part of the words pronounced and him that pronounceth them Christs bloud is againe powred out and hee consequently slaine This is the conceipt of Gregorius de Valentia and in this sorte hee imagineth Christ is daily newly sacrificed on the altar But besides that it is an impious thing for the priest to endeauour as much as in him lies to slay Christ and to powre out his bloud againe this proueth not a reall sacrificing of Christ but onely an indevour so to doe For his bloud is not powred out neither is hee slaine indeede So that as in the time of the old law if the priest reaching forth his hand to slay the beast that was brought to bee sacrificed had beene so hindred by something interposing it selfe that hee could not slay the same hee had offered no sacrifice but endeavoured onely so to doe so is it here Bellarmine therefore reiecteth this conceipt and hath another of his owne For hee sayth that Christ hath a two fold beeing the one naturall the other sacramentall The Iewes had him present amongst them visibly in his naturall being this beeing they destroyed and so killed and sacrificed him The Romish Priests haue him not so present neither can they destroy his naturall beeing and so kill him but they haue him present in a sacramentall presence and in a sacramentall being this beeing they destroy For consuming the accidents of bread and wine which are there left without substance and with which hee is present they make his presence there to cease and so cause him to loose that beeing which formerly hee there had Thus doe they suppose that they newly sacrifice Christ and destroy him in that being wherein hee is present with them And the Priests eating is not for refection but for consumption that hee may destroy Christ in that beeing wherein hee is present as the fire on the altar was wont to consume and destroy the bodies of those beasts that were put into it But first it is impious to thinke of destroying CHRIST in any sort For though it bee true that in sacrificing of Christ on the altar of the crosse the destroying and killing of him was implyed and this his death was the life of the world yet all that concurred to the killing of him as the Iewes the Roman souldiers Pilate and Iudas sinned damnably and soe had done though they had shed his bloud with an intention and desire that by it the world might be redeemed Soe in like sort let the Romish priestes haue what intention they will it is hellish and damnable once to thinke of the destroying of Christ in any sort And besides if it were lawfull for them so to doe yet all that they doe or can doe is not sufficient to make good a reall sacrificing of CHRIST Because all they doe or can doe is noe destroying of his beeing but onely of his being somewhere that is in the Sacrament For as if the things which were brought to be sacrificed in the time of the Law had beene only remoued out of some place into which they were brought or onely caused to cease to bee where they were and not what they were they could not truly haue beene sayd to haue beene sacrificed no more can it be truly said that Christ is really sacrificed in that the priests consuming the accidents of bread and wine vnder which they supposed him to be make him cease to be there any longer Hauing thus in their erring imaginations framed to themselues a reall sacrificing of Christ they beginne to dispute of the force and efficacie of it affirming that this reall offering and sacrificing of CHRIST by the priest is propitiatorie in that it pacifieth God and procureth and obtaineth grace and the gift of repentance that the sinner may come to the sacrament and so be iustified satisfactorie in that it applyeth the satisfaction of Christ and procureth remission of temporall punishments to them that by faith and repentance are alreadie free from the guilt of eternall condemnation meritorious because it obtaineth that grace whereby wee may merit and impetratory in that it obtaineth for vs and procureth to vs all desired good This force and efficacie they say it hath ex opere operato that is the verie offering and sacrificing of Christ in sort before expressed of it selfe hath force and power to obtaine and procure grace remission of sinnes and the like for all them for whom such offering is made if there bee no hinderance or impediment in themselues And that God hath tyed himselfe by promise to conferre such gifts and worke such effects soe often as the body and bloud of his sonne shall bee thus offered And farther they adde that it conferreth good and remoueth euill not infinitely but in a stinted and limited sort Nor in that limited sort equally in respect of all but in proportionable sort as the intendment of the Church is to apply this sacrifice more or lesse to the procuring of more or lesse And that therefore the benefitte that this sacrifice procureth is in one degree communicated to all faithfull ones liuing and dead in another to such as by the Churches appointment are specially named as the Pope King and Bishoppe or the like in another to them that procure the offering of this sacrifice in another to them that are present and stand by in another to them that minister and attend in another to the priest that sacrificeth and in another to whomsoeuer it pleaseth the priest to impart and communicate the benefitte and effect of this sacrifice For as Gregorius de Valentia alleadgeth out of â— Scotus it is to be thought that the priest that is the minister of this sacrifice may apply to whom hee will not only that which by worth of his personall merit in the religious performing of this seruice hee may deserue but some part also of that effect which this sacrifice hath ex opere operato and that God hath committed vnto him the effect which it hath in this kinde in some degree and sort to bee dispensed by him to whom hee thinketh good in recompence of his seruice And further they resolue that those effects which this sacrifice hath ex opere operato and are by the intendment of the Church communicated in different sort and degree to those diuers sorts of men before specified are equally communicated to each of those sorts according to their seuerall differences whether the sacrifice be offered for more or fewer As they that procure Masse to be said for them whether they bee more or fewer shall haue like effects wrought in them But that portion of this
hundred yeares and the Popes on the other side thinking it vnlawfull for the Emperors in this sort to bestow either Bishopricke or Abbey forbidding them so to doe vnder paine of the great curse But Henry the fifth forced â—…ope Paschall to confirme vnto him the ancient right again and to accurse all such as should dislike resist or seeke to disanull it which yet not long after bee reuersed againe in another Councell and in the dayes of Calixtus the Emperour resigned his right and the Pope allowed that within his kingdome of Germany elections should be made in his presence and that with the aduice of the Metropolitane and Bishops of the Prouince he might assist and strengthen the better part and that the elected should receiue from him all things belonging to the King by the reaching forth of his Scepter Matthew Paris sayth the contention betweene Pope Paschall and Henry the Emperour about the inuestiture of Bishops and Abbots which the Emperors had enioyed three huÌ„dred yeares in the times of threescore Popes was so ended that both Bishops and Abbots should first sweare Canonicall obedience to their Ecclesiasticall superiors and be consecrated and then receiue Institution from the Emperour by rod and ring Thus wee see what right and interest ancient Emperours challenged to themselues in the election of the Bishop of Rome and in conferring other dignities of the Church and that the latter Popes condemned that as euill and wicked which their Predecessors not onely allowed but prescribed vnder great and grieuous paines and curses Whereupon Auentinus noteth that among the Popes Eadem facta modò superstitionis modò pietatis modò Christi modò Antichristi modò iusticiae modò tyrannidis nomina accipiunt that is That the same factes deedes and things are at one time branded with the marke of superstition and at another time set out with the glorious title of Piety at one time attributed to Christ at another time to Antichrist at one time iudged iust and righteous and at another time tyrannicall and vnjust Genebrard acknowledging that there haue beene many vile monsters that haue gotten into Peters chaire and that there were fiftie Popes rather Apotacticall and Apostaticall then Apostolicall layeth the blame vpon the Romaine Emperours as if they had placed those monsters in Peters chaire It is well hee confesseth that such beastes haue entred into the Church of Rome but if hee did not wee would easily proue the same For to omit Hildebrand whom some called a monster and an enemy to mankinde who caused more Christian bloud to be shed and more grieuous confusions to rent and shake in sunder the Christian world then any heretickes or persecutors had euer done before soe that hee was forced to confesse at his death to God to holy Church and blessed Peter that hee had grieuously offended in his Pastorall office and Ioane the Whore because as Onuphrius thinketh shee was not Pope but the harlot of Iohn the twelfth the Stories mention such vile monsters sitting in that Chaire that Benedict the fourth is highly commended for that though hee did nothing memorable yet hee liued an honest and a good life But that the Emperours were the cause of the placing of these Monsters as Genebrard would make vs beleeue it may not be yeldeed For betweene the time of Adrian the third who tooke the power of confirming popes from the Emperours and the raigne of Otho the first to whom it was restored by pope Leo there entred Formosus Bonifacius Stephen Romanus Theodorus Iohn the ninth Christopher and Sergius all men of ill note and Iohn the twelfth then whom the earth did neuer beare a more prodigious and vile monster This wretch Otho at the earnest suite of the Romanes caused to be deposed by a Councell of Bishoppes and Leo to bee chosen Whereupon the power of choosing the pope and ordering the See Apostolique was againe by consent of Leo the pope and the people and Cleargy of Rome giuen and confirmed to him and his successors for euer in sort before expressed For as Sigonius sayth Leo rightly considered that after the time of Adrian the third the ambition of the Romanes filled the Church with beasts disordered these elections and set all in a tumult therefore thought no meanes so fit to reforme these disorders to represse these insolencies and preuent these mischiefes as to put the bridle into the Emperours hands againe Yet not long after the Romanes casting off the yoake and breaking the bands in sunder put in Boniface the seauenth Benedict the ninth and Syluester who sold the Popedome to Gregory the sixt all which popes were soe intollerably wicked that Platina calleth them teterrima monstra that is most vile hideous and ougly monsters And Henry the second called a Councell and deposed Gregory the last of them and placed Twideger a Germane in his place who was afterwards named Clemens who againe restored the right of choosing the Pope to him his successours for that as Sigonius noteth after the law prescribing requiring the Emperours consent to bee had in such elections was taken away the state of the church was newly put in great danger So that Henry the second was forced to come into Italy to set thinges in order And therefore it is more then ordinary impudency in Genebrard to impute all the confusions in the elections of the Romane Bishops to the Emperours who were not the causes of them but oftentimes staide them by their Princely power Neither is it lesse strange that hee other dare condemne that authority in the Emperours as vnlawfull which had continued from the time of Iustinian to Benedict and was againe confirmed by Adrian Leo other Popes with their Councells of Bishoppes and by vertue where of Saint Gregory other possessed the Episcopall chaire who are vniustly censured by Genebrard as entring by the Posterne gate in this respect Neither haue the Popes beene better or the election freer from faction since the Emperours were wholy and finally excluded then they were before For what shall we say of Bonifacius the Eigth of whom it is said that he entered like a Foxe and died like a Dog that hee coosened poore Caelestinus his predecessour and by false practises wonne him to resigne the Popedome to him and resting not contented herewith tooke vpon him to dispose of all the Kingdomes of the world at his pleasure of Iohn the three and twentith a vile man and a Diuell incarnate and Alexander the sixt of whom so many horrible things are reported by Onuphrius Volaterran others And touching factions schismes whereas there haue bin thirty of them in the church of Rome neuer any endured so long as the last which was since the Emperours were wholy excluded from intermedling with Papall elections For it continued forty yeares and could neuer be ended but by the helpe of Sigismund the Emperour in