in brotherly sort wished the Bishop of Antioch to resist heretiques and to let him vnderstand of the state of the Churches and to be a consort of the Apostolique See in this care to see that the priuiledges of the third See were not deminished by any mans ambition assuring him that whensoeuer he will do any thing for the aduancing of the dignity of the See of Antioch he also will be ready to concurre with him In all which passages betweene Leo and the Bishop of Antioch there is nothing found that hath any shew of proofe of the Popes supremacie Fourthly we say that Cyrill the Patriarch of Alexandria besought Leo to giue noe consent to the attempts of Iuuenall Bishop of Hierusalem seeking to prejudice the Church of Antioch to subject Palaestina to himselfe but that he besought Leo not to permit nor suffer Palaestina to be taken from Antioch and subjected to the Church of Hierusalem as if the whole power of permitting or hindring this thing had rested in Leo is but the false report of the Cardinall according to his wonted manner of misse-alleaging authors for the the aduantage of his cause So that the disposition of this matter rested not wholly in Leo but his concurrence with the Bishops of Antioch and Alexandria was necessary for the withstanding of the attempts of Iuuenall which his concurrence and helpe hee promised the Bishop of Antioch as we haue already heard and was euer ready to yeeld the same vnto him Fiftly we say that Leo did not command Dioscorus the Patriarch of Alexandria but whereas the manner was when the Patriarches were first elected ordained that they should mutually consent one to another and that hee who was newly ordained should send vnto the rest his Synodall letters and testimonies of his lawfull election and ordination Dioscorus being newly elected appointed Patriarch of Alexandria sendeth his Synodall letters to Leo Bishop of Rome that so he might giue his consent receiue embrace him as his fellow Patriarch Leo that these beginnings of Dioscorus might be more sure and firme nothing wanting to perfection fatherly as more ancient and brotherly as of the same ranke with him putting him in mind of some differences betweene their two Churches about the time of the ordination of Ministers and for that it seemed not likely vnto him that Marke the scholler of Peter tooke any other order in this behalfe then Peter did saith vnto him Wee will haue you to obserue that which our Fathers euer obserued making this a condition of the allowance consent he was to yeeld vnto him and vrging the practice of the Apostles sayth hee shall do well if obeying these Apostolicall institutions he shall cause that forme of ordination to be kept in the Churches ouer which God hath set him which is obserued in the Churches of the West that Ministers of the Church may be ordained onely on the Lords day on which day the creation of the world was begun in which Christ rose in which death was destroyed and life after which there is no death tooke beginning in which the Apostles receaued frō the Lord the trūpet of preaching the Gospel the ministration of the Sacrament of regeneration Sixtly we say that Leo intermedleth in the Churches of Africa and requireth some ordained contrary to the Canons to be put from their places tollerateth others and willeth the cause of Lupicinus a Bishop who had appealed vnto him to be heard there because he was Patriarch of the West and these parts of Africa were within his Patriarchship and that yet this his intermedling in so particular sort with the affaires of the Africane Churches was not very pleasing vnto those of Africa as shall appeare by that which followeth Lastly we say that the Church of Rome was the head of all Churches in the sence before expressed and had a presidence of order and honour amongst them and had in that sort as Leo truly saith more subject to it then euer were vnder the Romane Empire but vnder any absolute supreme commanding power of the Church of Rome they were not But saith Bellarmine if the former testimonies of Leo be auoided there is one more yet behind so cleare and full for the supremacie of the Pope that nothing can be sayd in answere vnto it in his Epistle to Anastasius Bishop of Thessalonica His words are these Amongst the most blessed Apostles like in honour there was a certaine difference and distinction of power and whereas they were equally chosen yet notwithstanding it was giuen to one of them to haue a preeminence amongst the rest from which forme the distinctiō and difference that is amongst Bishops hath taken beginning and by a most wise disposition it hath beene prouided that all without difference shall not challenge all vnto thēselues but that there should be in seuerall prouinces seuerall Bishops whose sentence judgment should be first and chiefe amongst the brethren and againe certaine other constituted and placed in greater cities who might take the care of more then the former by whom the care of the whole Church might flow vnto that one seate of Peter and nothing any where might dissent from the head These words truely make a goodly shew and may seeme most strongly to proue the supremacie that the Popes now challenge but in very deede they most powerfully ouerthrow it For the Bishops of Rome will neuer be perswaded in proportionable sort as is expressed in the words of Leo to challenge no more in respect of the whole Church then the Metropolitane Bishops doe in respect of their Provinces and the Patriarches in respect of their Churches of a larger extent For then they must doe nothing but accordingly as they shall bee swayed by the major part of the voyces of the Bishops of the Christian Church For the Metropolitane may doe nothing in his province nor the Patriarch in his larger extent but as they shall be directed swayed by the major part of the voices of their Bishops and yet surely the meaning of Leo was not to giue so much to the Bishop of Rome in respect of all Christian Bishops as pertaineth to the Metropolitanes and Patriarches in respect of their Bishops For the Metropolitane is to ordaine the Bishops of the Province and the Patriarch to ordaine and confirme the Metropolitanes by imposition of hands or mission of the Pall but the Pope neuer had any such power in respect of the Patriarches who were onely to send their Synodall Epistles to him testifying their faith as he likewise to them without expecting any other confirmation then that mutuall consent whereby one of them assured of the right faith and lawfull ordination of another receiued and embraced each other as fellowes and colleagues So that that care of the vniversall Church which Leo saith floweth together and commeth vp to that one chaire of Peter is to be vnderstood only in respect of things concerning the common faith
vttermost farthing let him attaine the life of immortality with thee The 3◠Receiue the soule of thy seruant which thou leadest out of the dirty miry gulfe of this world to the heauenly coūtry receiue it into the bosome of Abrahā be-dew it with the dew of refreshing let it be kept apart from the cruell burning of the fiery flaming hell The 4◠Graunt that thy seruant may escape the place of punishment the fire of hel the flames af the lowest gulfe The like may bee shewed in the rest for they are all framed to the same purpose forthe escaping of hel the power of the Prince of darknes the deuouring gulfe of eternall condemnation al which things in the judgment of our Aduersaries thēselues are granted vnto men dying in the faith of Christ state of grace in the very entrance into the other world and the first instant of the next life so that all the prayers that wee finde in the auncient were made respectiuely to the passing hence entrance into the other world with desire of the Resurrection and perfect consummation which we expect in the last day and because this passage is often past they that are departed already entred into their rest before their friends whom they leaue behinde them canne send so many good wishes after them as they desire it was an ordinary thing with the Auncient in their prayers to acknowledge and professe they were perswaded the thing was already granted and performed which they desired and to beseech GOD notwithstanding to accept their voluntary deuotions good affections In this sort Augustine prayeth for Monica his Mother That God will keepe her from the powers and Princes of darkenesse and remit her sinnes And yet saith Hee beleeueth it is already done that hee asketh So Nazianzen professeth his assured perswasion that Caesarius is with God and yet commendeth him to God And the like wee finde in Ambrose touching Valentinian By all which it is euident that the Auncient prayed not to deliuer the departed out of Purgatorie or any estate of temporall affliction but on their obite dayes acknowledged the goodnesse of God towards them preuenting all desires of men declared their readinesse to entreate for them if they were in neede or danger and not past before they could send their good wishes after them and expressed their desires of the perfecting and accomplishing of all that which is yet wanting to them And as the Auncient were wont to pray for their brethren and friends on the dayes of their obites and the deposition of their bodies respectiuely to their passage hence and the escaping of the daungers of hell and eternall death in the same so in like sort in processe of time in those dayes wherein their obites were remembred and by returne of times represented to them they vsed the same forme of prayer againe as if they had beene but euen then in the passage hence and in danger of hell and the powers of darkenesse But as on the dayes of the birth circumcision apparition passion resurrection and ascension of Christ for so wee call the dayes answering to these representing them to vs signes and remembrances carrying the names of the things themselues men so speake asif God did then send his Sonne into the world to be borne of a woman to be made vnder the Law to suffer ouercome and triumph ouer death by ascending into Heaven to take possession thereof for vs and yet meane not as the wordes may seeme to import that Christ doth newly take flesh and is borne of the Virgin c. But that he is borne vnto vs and wee made partakers of the benefits of his birth circumcision passion c. So in the dayes wherein they remembred the obites of their brethren and friends as then present and prayed for them as then in passage hence and in danger to be swallowed vp of hell destruction they desired not that which the words may seeme to import for that was granted to them on their dying dayes or else they are vncapable of it for euer but that which is yet wanting to them In which sense the wordes of that prayer in the Masse-booke must bee vnderstood Lord Iesus King of glory deliuer the soules of all faithfull ones departed from the hand of hell and from the deepe lake deliuer them from the mouth of the Lyon that the lowest hell swallow them not vp and that they fall not into the dungeons of vtter darkenesse but let thy Standard-bearer holy Michael present them into the place of holy Light which of old thou diddest promise to Abraham and to his seede For these dangers of falling into the deepe lake the mouth of the Lyon the dungeons of vtter darkenesse and being swallowed vp of the lowest Hell the dead in Christ escaped in the day and time of their dissolution neither is there any thing to be wished farther vnto them in this behalfe but that publicke acquitall and full and perfect escape in the day of Iudgement according to that other prayer found in the Missall O gracious God which calledst backe the first man to eternall glory O good shepheard which broughtest backe the lost sheepe vpon thy shoulder to the folde Righteous Iudge when thou shalt come to Iudge deliuer from death the soules of them whom thou hast redeemed Deliuer not the soules of them which confesse vnto thee vnto the beasts forsake them not for euer In all these prayers there is no word of petition for the deliuerance of the dead out of any paines or punishments but for their escaping avoyding declining and not falling into hell eternall condemnation the power of Satan and the mouth of the Lyon It is true that some long since began to pray to deliuer men out of paines and punishments or to suspend mitigate and ease their paines but in such sort as the Romanists dare not pray It was an opiniō of many whootherwisewere right beleeuers that all Christians professing the truth in Christ how ill soeuer they liue shall bee saued in the end Frustrà nonnulli saith S. Augustine immò quamplurimi aeternam damnatorū poenam cruciatus sine intermissione perpetuos humano miserantur affectu atque ita futurumesse non credunt that is there are some nay there are exceeding many who out of an humane affection commiserate the eternall punishments of the damned and their torments that are without ceasing these men thought the sayings of CHRIST and his Apostles concerning the eternall punishments of the wicked were vttered rather minacitèr then veracitèr and that they rather shew what men according to their deseruing should suffer then what indeede they shall suffer Hence it came that many did pray for the deliuerance of men out of hell that died in mortall sinne This opinion Damascene followed and whereas the Prophet asketh Who shall confesse vnto thee O Lord in hell he
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
of Chalcedon they condemne Leo Bishop of Rome they accurse Eutyches and honour Dioscorus and Iacobus his Disciple Fourthly they are baptized in the name of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost in such sort as other Christians are but they are also circumcised both Male and Female which may seeme to cut them off from the fellowship of true Christians and the hope of saluation according to that of the Apostle if yee be circumcised yee are fallen from grace and Christ can profit you nothing For the clearing of this point Thomas à Iesu deliuereth these propositions First that Circumcision and other legall observations were so abrogated after the promulgation of the Gospell that the continuing of them became not only a dead thing and of no force but deadly also So that Cerinthus Ebion thining otherwise were condemned as Heretickes 2 That some legall observations though not as legall may bee nay are retained and continued amongst Catholique Christians For the better vnderstanding of this proposition he noteth that legall and ceremoniall things may be obserued foure wayes First as they are legall that is with an intention to keepe the Law and to doe as the Law prescribeth and in this sort Christ submitted himselfe to bee circumcised Secondly that things prescribed or forbidden in the Ceremoniall Law may bee done or omitted not onely in respect of obedience to the Law but as figuring the comming of Christ or as figures of Christ to come as Thomas Aquinas sheweth So the holy Fathers that liued before Christ kept this observation Thirdly we may doe or omit such things as are commaunded or forbidden in the Ceremoniall Law neither as figures of Christ to come nor as being bound by the Law so to doe or not to doe but onely to make it knowne that such Lawes were not euill but of God howsoeuer they are now no longer to haue any binding force Thus the Christians after the resurrection and ascension of Christ before the full promulgation of the Gospell retained circumcision for a time that they might bury the Synagogue with honour Fourthly such things may be done or omitted as the Law forbiddeth or prescribeth materialitèr sine vllâ formalitate vel respectu ad legem veterem that is though the same thing be done that is there prescribed yet it is not done as there prescribed but for other ends as we keepe the feast of Pentecost which the Iewes obserued but not because it was prescribed in the law nor for the same reasons for which they kept it for it was therefore a solemne day with them because as on that day the law was given vnto them vpon mount Sina but with vs because on that day the law of the spirit and life was given so in like sort some Christians consecrate in vnleavened bread yet are they not to be condemned as Iewish seeing the reasons of their observation are very different from those motiues the Iewes had So that to omit or doe such things as are forbidden or Commaunded in the ceremoniall law materialiter tantum that is without anie of the former respects is vndoubtedly lawfull as if a man should bee circumcised or should abstaine from swines flesh for physicall considerations or keepe Saturday holy as many Christians doe but to omit or doe such things as are forbiden or prescribed in the ceremoniall law because they are there forbidden or prescribed or as figures of Christ is hereticall wherefore let vs see in what sort the Abissens vse circumcision Zagazabo professeth that they vse it onely as an auncient observation of their Countrie which they had receiued before they became Christians even from the time that the Queene of Sheba went to see Solomon and that they retaine it onely for the honour of their nation that they may thereby shew that they are of the stocke of David and indeede Herodotus speaking of certaine nations that were circumcised before the comming of Christ amongst the rest hee numbreth the Aethiopians which being soe I see not why wee should censure them as heretickes for this observation William Reinolds speaking of the Abyssens hath these words The Abyssens Christianly and as wee that beleeue as Christians should doe Baptize their infants and that they may shew from how noble a stock they are come circumcise them also but not as if circumcision were of any force or a man might put any trust in it as the Iewes doe which being soe I would no more condemne them in respect of Circumcision then a man that should abstaine from swines flesh which was forbidden by the Law vpon the advise of his physician onely Caietan and Bartholomeus de Medina thinke they sinne not in retaining this observation but supposing it to be lawfull whether it be fit they should be tolerated still soe to doe many taking offence at it I had rather sayth Caietan heare the Church speake then other particular authors Some impute to them that they are not Circumcised onely or principally for the causes before expressed but in imitation of Christ and consequently to fullfill the law which was the end of circumcision and therevpon condemne them as observers of the Ceremoniall Law But first it will hardly be proved as I thinke that they vse circumcision in imitation of Christs circumcision And secondly it will not follow if it be so that they are circumcised to the same end he was but only that they desire to be like vnto him in the outward act and to haue that done vnto them in the honour of him So that I rather encline to the opinion of Caietan and Bartholomeus de Medina who acquit them then to that of Soto and others that condemne them vpon this supposall The particular points of their religion are these First they think that the soule is ex traduce Secondly they vse the same forme of words in baptizing that the Latines doe saying I baptize thee in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost 3 None baptizeth with thē but the Priest or in his absence the Deacon 4 Their males are not Baptized till the 40th day their females till the 80th till which time the mother is not purified nor entereth into the Church but if there be danger of death they are baptized sooner but they must not suck the brests of the mother vntill shee be purified They are vniustly charged that they Baptize with fire for there is none amongst them that do so but in some Provinces they signe themselues in the forehead either that they may differ from the Mahumetans or for the cure of diseases incident to the eyes 5 On twelfe day in memory of the baptisme of Christ they goe forth in great multitudes to the riuer and after many praiers said by the priests they put them selues into the water but no man is newly baptized 6 They thinke that the infants of beleeuing parents are sanctified in the vvombe as Hieremie and Iohn the Baptist were and therefore
daies For behold there are many that peruert the holy Scriptures and deny the sayings of the holy Fathers reiecte the Canons of the Church and ciuill constitutions of the Emperours which molest persecute bring into bondage and without mercy torment and afflict euen vnto death them that defend the trueth And that I may conclude many things in fewe words with harlâ—…ttes foreheades and execrable boldnesse doe endeavour to subuert imperiall and regall power and to ouerthrow all lawes both of GOD and man Neither are these young men or vnlearned but they are the elders of the people High Priests Scribes Pharises and Doctours of the Law as they were that crucified Christ so that wee may rightly say of our times that which Daniel long since pronounced in his 13 Chapter Iniquity is gone out from Babylon from the elders and iudges which seemed to governe and rule the people For many that should bee pillars in the Church of God and defend the truth euen vnto bloud doe cast themselues headlong into the pit of heresies Thus spake he in his time of the corrupt 〈◊〉 of the Church wherein so damnable a faction prevailed daungerously pervâ—…ting all things that in the end he submitteth all his writings to the judgment correction of the true and Catholicke Church but not of the Church of malignant miscreants heretickes schismatickes and their favourers CHAP. 9. Of an Apostasie of some in the Church THus then we thinke with Lira that as there was an Apostasie or revolt of many kingdomes from the Romane Empire and of many Churches from the communion of the Romane Church so there hath beene an Apostasie from the Catholick faith in the midst of the Church not for that all at any time did forsake the true faith but for that many fell from the sinceritie of the faith according to the saying of our Sauiour a when the time of Antichrist draweth on iniquity shall abound and the charity of many shall waxe cold and that 1 Timoth. 4 In the last times some shall depart from the faith attending to spirits of errour and 2 Timoth. 3. In the last dayes there shall bee perilous times men shall be louers of themselues men of corrupt mindes reprobâ—…e concerning the faith This hee speaketh of an Apostasie in the middest of the Church it selfe answerably to that of â— Nazianzen who saith that as when one taketh water into his hand not onely that which hee taketh not vp but that also which runneth forth and findeth passage betweene his fingers is divided and separated from that which he holdeth inclosed in his hand so not onely the open and professed enemies of the Catholicke verity but they also that seeme to bee her best and greatest friends are sometimes divided one from another There is no cause then why it should seeme so strange to our Adversaries that our Divines affirme there hath beene an Apostasie from the Faith not of the whole Church but of many in the Church dangerously erring and adulterating the Doctrine of Faith deliuered by Christ and his blessed Apostles And that some say this Apostasie began sooner some later For if wee speake of those grossest illusions wherewith men were abused in these latter ages surely that degree of Apostasie did not enter into the Church in former times For there was no thought in any Christian man liuing sixe hundred yeares agoe that the Pope could dispense the merits of the Saints and giue pardons that hee might depose Princes for supposed heresie that the Sacrament not receiued but elevated gazed on and adored is a sacrifice propitiatorie for the quicke and the dead that Mary was conceiued without originall sinne that the people are to be partakers of the Sacrament but onely in one kinde and sundry other things of like nature But if we speake of a declination from the sincerity of the Christian Faith it is certaine it began long agoe euen in the first ages of the Church Of this sorte was the errour that the soules of the iust are in some part of hell till the last day as Tertullian Irenaeus and sundry other of the auncient did imagine that they see not God nor enjoy not heauens happines till the generall resurrection which was the opinion of many of the Fathers That all Catholicke Christians how wickedly soeuer they liue yet holding the foundation of true Christian profession shall in the end after great torments endured in the world to come be saued as it were by fire This was the errour of sundry of the auncient who durst not say as Origen that the Angels that fell shall in the end be restored nor as some other mollifying the hardnesse of Origens opinion that all men whether Christians or Infidells nor as a third sorte that all Christians how damnably soeuer erring in matter of faith shall in the end be saued but thought it most reasonable that all right beleeuing Christians should find mercy whatsoeuer their wickednesse were This opinion was so generall in Augustines time that very fearefully he opposed himselfe against it and not daring wholly to impugne that which he found to haue so great and reuerend authours he qualified it what he could and so doubtingly broached that opinion which gaue occasion to the Papists of their heresie touching Purgatory For saith he if they would onely haue vs thinke that the soules of men liuing wickedly heere in this World may through the goodnesse of God and the prayers of the liuing find some mitigation of their paines in hell or haue their punishments suspended and differred for a time yet so that they be confessed to be eternall I would not striue with them yea saith he it may be that men for some lighter sinnes and imperfections cleauing to them while they are here may finde pardon remission in the world to come and be saued as by fire which whether it be so or whether there be no other purging but in this life by the fire of tribulation he professeth he knoweth not nor dareth not pronounce Of this sorte was the opinion of a double resurrection the first of the good who should liue in all happinesse on the earth a thousand yeares before the wicked should be awaked out of the sleepe of death and another after the thousand yeares expired when the wicked also should rise and goe into euerlasting fire and the good into euerlasting life which they supposed to bee the second resurrection How generally this errour spread it selfe in the true Church they that haue but looked into the writings of the fathers and monuments of antiquitie cannot bee ignorant The opinioÌ„ of the necessity of infants receiuing the sacrament of the Lords body and blood as well as Baptisme did possesse the mindes of many in the Church for certaine hundreds of yeares as appeareth by that Augustine writeth of it in his time and Hugo de sancto victore so
proue he must reason thus The custome of praying to deliuer the soules of men out of the paines of Purgatory is the custome and practise which the Romane Church defendeth and Calvin impugneth but this custome Calvine confesseth to haue beene in vse more then a thousand and three hundred of yeares since therefore he acknowledgeth the doctrine and practise of the Romane Church to be most ancient and to haue beene receiued a thousand three hundred yeares agoe The Minor proposition of this reason is false and Calvin in the place cited by Bellarmine protesteth against it most constantly affirming that the Fathers knew nothing of Purgatorie and therefore much lesse of prayer to deliuer men from thence But Bellarmine will reply that the custome of praying for the dead was most auncient We answere The custome of remembring the departed naming their names at the holy Table in the time of the holy mysteries offering the Eucharist that is the sacrifice of praise for them was a most ancient and godly custome neither is it any way disliked by vs. And surely it appeares this was the cause that Aerius was condemned of hereticall rashnesse in that he durst condemne this laudable and auncient custome of the commemoration of the dead In this sort they did most religiously obserue and keepe at the Lords Table the commemoration of all the Patriarches Prophets Apostles Evangelists Martyrs confessours yea of Mary the Mother of our Lord to whom it cannot be conceiued that by prayer they did wish deliuerance out of Purgatorie sith no man euer thought them to be there but if they wished any thing it was the deliuerance from the power of death which as yet tyranniseth ouer one part of them the speedy destroying of the last enemy which is death the hastning of their resurrection and joyfull publique acquitall of them in that great day wherein they shall stand to bee judged before the Iudge of the quicke and dead This was the practise of the whole church and this the meaning of their commemorations and prayers which was good and no way to be disliked Notwithstanding it is most certaine that many particular men extended the meaning of these prayers farther and out of their owne private errours and fancies vsed such prayers for the dead as the Romanists themselues I thinke dare not justifie and so it is true that Calvin saith that many of the Fathers were led into errour in this matter of prayer for the dead and not that all as if the whole Church had fallen from the truth as Bellarmine falsely imputeth vnto Calvin who saith no such thing First therefore it was an opinion of many of the Fathers that there is no judgment to passe vpon men till the last day that all men are holden either in some place vnder the earth or else in some other place appointed for that purpose so that they come not into heauen nor receiue the reward of their labours till the generall iudgement Out of this conceipt grew that prayer in Iames his Liturgie that God would remember all the faithfull that are fallen asleepe in the sloepe of death since Abell the iust till this present day that he would place them in the land of the liuing c. And the like are found in the masse booke Of this opinion was Iustin Martyr Tertullian Clemens Romanus Lactantius Victorinus Martyr Ambrose Iohannes Romanus Pontifex and sundry other The second opinion was that men may be deliuered from the punishments of sinne after this life if they die in the profession of the true faith how vvickedly soeuer they liued or at least if the punishment of such bee eternall and cannot be ended yet it may be deferred or mitigated How many of the Fathers were in this errour and made prayers for the dead vpon this false perswasion that all Christians how wickedly soeuer they liued may find mercy at Gods hands in the world to come at the entreatie of the liuing they that haue read any thing can soone report Thirdly whereas there are three estates of the soules of men the first in the body the second when they are seuered from the body and stand before God immediately and instantly vpon the dissolution and the third after they haue receiued their particular iudgement the godly doe not onely recommend them vnto God while they are yet in their bodies but when departing thence they goe to stand before the iudgement seate of God they accompany them with their prayers and best good wishes euen to the presence of the Lord. Hence were all those prayers that were vsed on the dayes of the obites of the Saints conceiued respectiuely to their passage out of this world and the dangers they doe by the goodnesse of God escape in that fearefull houre of their dissolution which prayers were againe repeated in the anniuersarie remembrances of their obites Of this sorte was that prayer in the Masse booke Libera Domine animas omnium fidelium defunctorum de poenis inferni de profundo lacis libera eas de ore leonus ne absorbeat eas tartarus ne cadant in obscurum c. Deliuer O Lord the soules of all faithfull ones departed from the paines of hell and the deepe Lake deliuer them from the month of the Lion that hell swallow them not up and that they fall not into the dungeons of vtter darkenesse How hard this was to vse these prayers in a set course in the dayes wherein they did only commemorate and represent the dayes of mens departure hence and so to pray for them long after their death as if they were but euen then in the passage and so in daunger of falling into the hands of their ghostly enimies and not yet secure and assured of their eternall future state which yet Bellarmine confesseth is the best construction can be made of them I leaue to the consideration of the wise These are the seuerall kindes of praying for the dead all which I hope Bellarmine dareth not justifie but for the Romish manner of praying for the dead it hath no certaine testimony of Antiquitie no man euer thinking of Purgatorie till Augustine to avoide a worse errour did doubtingly run into it after whom many in the Latine Church embraced the same opinion but the Greeke Church neuer receiued it to this day Thus then we see how vniustly Calvin is traduced by Bellarmine in this matter of prayer for the dead and how weakely he prooues that it is confessed that their opinion and the doctrine of Antiquitie is the same His next challenge is scarce worth the mentioning much lesse the refuting Caluin saith the Fathers were farre from the popish errour touching merites and that yet they vsed the word whence men haue since taken occasion of errour Therefore hee dissenteth from all Antiquity and acknowledgeth the Romane faith to bee the auncient faith and religion Truely I am weary in following
proue hee affirmeth But he will say that Caluin in the same place doth except against the Fathers Surely he saith hee thinketh they cannot be altogether excused in that they soe much vrged the mysticall sacrificing of Christs body in the Sacrament and thereby made it carry a kinde of shew of a new and newly repeated sacrifice for that by misconstruction of that they meant well others turned the Sacrament into a new offering of the Sonne of God for the quicke and dead The reason doubtlesse that mooued the Fathers so much to vrge that mysticall sacrificing of CHRIST in the blessed Sacrament was for that they liued in the middest of Iewes and Gentiles both whose religion consisted principally in sacrifice the Fathers therefore to shew that Christian Religion is not without sacrifice that of a more excellent nature than theirs were did much vrge that Christ once offered for the sinnes of the World vpon the aulter of his Crosse is dayly in mystery offered slaine and his blood powred out on the holy Table and that this sacrifice of Christ slaine for the sins of the world thus continually represented and liuing in our memories is the sacrifice of Christians If any man shall alleage that these were reasons sufficient to moue the Fathers to speake as they did notwithstanding any occasions of errour that might by ignorant men bee taken Caluine doth not pertinaciously resist for he sayd only what hee thought not peremptorily iudging or condemning those whom so iust and good causes haue made honourable in the Church for ever CHAP. 20 Of the inuocation and adoration of Saints touching which the Century-writers are wrongfully charged to dissent from the Fathers THus then I hope it appeareth that Caluine doth not confesse that the doctrine of the Romanists hath any testimonie or approbation of Antiquity Bellarmine therefore passeth from him to the writers of the Centuries in whom hee hopeth to find something for his purpose but they steade him as little as Caluine did Let vs therefore take a view of that hee sayth Touching free-will iustification merits and the like there is nothing in them but that which hath bin sufficiently I hope cleared in Caluine the things they say being the same Only two things I find imputed to them by Bellarmine and not to Caluine For first they are supposed to acknowledge the Popish invocation of Saints to haue beene in the time of the Fathers and allowed by them Secondly they are charged to blame the Fathers for magnifying too much the excellency of Martyrdome the praises whereof Bellarmin saith they dislike because they will not admit that Martyrdome is a kind of baptisme seruing for the expiation washing away of sin Touching the inuocation of Saints it is euident it was not known in the first ages of the Church nor approoued by the Primitiue Fathers but because it hath mightily preuailed in these later times the superstition and idolatry there in committed hath beene such as cannot be excused therefore for the better answering of Bellarmines cauils and the satisfying of our selues and others let vs consider from what grounds and by what degrees it entred into the Church First there was in the Church from the beginning a true and certaine resolution that the Saints departed do in generall tender respect and wish well vnto their brethren and fellow seruants whom they haue left behind them in the warfare of Christ in this worlde Secondly men grew afterwards to thinke that men departing out of this world carry with them the remembrance of the state of things wherein departing hence they leaue them and that out of their loue which neuer falleth away they do most carefully recommend vnto God the particular necessities of their brethren made knowen vnto them while they liued there Thirdly from hence it came that men entreated their friends yet liuing that if they preuented them and came before them into Christ their maisters ioyfull and happie presence being freed from the daungers miseries and euils of this present life they would not forget to recommend them vnto God that are in them still Fourthly whereas by an auncient custome they did remember the names of the departed at the LORDS table giuing thankes vnto GOD that had made them soe glorious in their life and death through his goodnesse and praying him by their examples to frame them to the like and besides kept the anniuersarie remembrances of the dayes of their death as if they had beene their birth dayes with all tokens of ioy in the orations they made to sett forth the goodnesse of GOD towards them and to propose their example for imitation they did sometimes by way of Apostrophe speake vnto them as if they had beene present and had sense and apprehension of that they spake whereof yet they were doubtfull as appeareth by Gregory Nazianzen Hierome others and not contented thus to commune with them they entreated them if they had any sense or knowledge of things in this world to be remembrancers for them and the Church here below This was a kinde of doubtfull compellation soliciting of them If their state were such as that they could take notice of these things that they would not forget to procure the good of their brethren but was no invocation which is a retyring of our selues in all our needes necessities and distresses with assured hope of helpe to him that wee know can stede vs in what distresse soeuer wee bee Thus then though the Fathers did sometimes when they had particular occasions to remember the Saints and to speake of them by way of Apostrophe turne themselues vnto them and vse wordes of doubtfull compellation praying them if they haue any sense of these inferiour things to bee remembrancers to God for them yet shall our adversaries neuer proue that they did prostrate their bodies bow their knees or make prayers to them in a set course of devotion but this both adoration and invocation of Saints and Angels was directly condemned by them We honour the Saints saith Ierome but doe not worship or adore any creature neither Angels Archangels nor any name that is named in this world or that which is to come The Councell of Laodicea reported by Theodoret directly condemneth this kinde of adoration and invocation not of Saints onely but of Angels also The Popish distinction of Latria and Doulia doth not answere these authorities and testimonies of Antiquity for those erring miscreants mentioned by Paul the Councell of Laodicea Theodoret Epiphanius and others did not thinke the Angels to be God or equall to the Most High neither did they worship them in such sort as to ascribe infinite greatnesse vnto them which the Papists meane by their Latria but they gaue spirituall worship and adoration vnto them in an inferiour and lower degree such as the Papists call Doulia because they thought them to mediate betweene God and mortall men in very high and
gazed on and adored to driue away diuels to still tempests to stay the ouerflowing of waters to quench and extinguish consuming and wasting fires But that the body of Christ is present in and with the sanctified elements onely in reference to the vse appointed that is that men should be made partakers of it This participation according to the auncient vse was first and principally in the publike assembly secondly in the primitiue Church the maner of many was to receiue the Sacrament and not to be partakers of it presently but to carrie it home with them and to receiue it priuately when they were disposed as Tertullian and others doe report Thirdly the maner was to send it by the Deacons to them that by sickenesse or other necessary impediment were forced to be absent and to strangers Yea for this purpose they did in such places where they communicated not euery day reserue some part of the sanctified elements to be sent to the sicke and such as were in danger of death This reseruation was not generally obserued as may appeare by the Canon of Clemens prescribing that so much onely should be prouided for the outward matter of the Sacraments as might suffice the Communicants and that if any thing remained it should presently be receiued by the Clergie Neither could there be any place for or vse of reseruation where there was a daily Communion as in many places there was nor in any place for such reseruation as is vsed in the Church of Rome for weekes and moneths seeing there was generally in auncient times in all places twise a weeke or at least once euery weeke a Communion from whence they might bee supplied that were absent The Romanists consecrate euery day but make their reseruations from some solemne time of communicating as Easter or the like and this not only or principally for the purpose of communicating any in the mysteries of the Lords body and blood but for circumgestation ostentation and adoration to which end the Fathers neuer vsed it Neither is that which is thus vnto this purpose reserued the body of Christ as our Diuines doe most truely pronounce The maner of the primitiue Church was as Rhenanus testifieth if any parts of the consecrated elements remained so long as to be musty and vnfit for vse to consume them with fire which I thinke they would not haue done to the body of Christ. This sheweth they thought the sanctified elements to be Christs body no longer than they might serue for the comfortable instruction of the faithfull by partaking in them But the Romanists at this day as the same Rhenanus fitly obserueth would thinke it a great and horrible impietie to doe that which the Fathers then prescribed and practised So then Caluine doth thinke that the Romish reseruation doth not carry about with it the body of Christ as the Papists foolishly fancie and yet I hope is in no heresie at all Neither doeth hee any where say that the elements consecrated and reserued for a time in reference to an ensuing receiuing of them are not the body of Christ but saith onely that there were long since great abuses in reseruation and greater in that euery one was permitted to take the Sacrament at the hand of the publike Minister in the Church and carry it home with him which I thinke this Cardinall will not denie if hee aduisedly bethinke himselfe CHAP. 35. Of the heresie of Eutiches falsely imputed to the Diuines of Germany THe next heresie imputed vnto vs is Eutichianisme which is directly opposite and contrary to the former errour of Nestorius This hee chargeth first vpon Zuinck feldius whom wee reiect as a franticke seduced miscreant and do in no wise acknowledge him to be a member of our Churches Secondly vpon Brentius Iacobus Smidelinus and other learned Diuines of the German Churches The heresie of Eutiches was that as before so after the incarnation there was but one only nature in Christ for that the nature of God was turned into man that there was a confusion of these natures Doe any of the Germane Diuines teach this blasphemous doctrine No sayth Bellarmine not directly and in precise tearmes but indirectly and by consequent they doe If wee demaund of him what that is which they teach whence this impiety may by necessary consequence be inferred hee answereth the vbiquitary presence of the body and humane nature of Christ. For sayth he vbiquity being an incommunicable property of God it cannot bee communicated to the humane nature of Christ without confusion of the diuine and humane natures But he should remember that they whom he thus odiously traduceth are not so ignorant as to thinke that the body of Christ which is a finite and limited nature is euery where by actuall position or locall extension but personally only in respect of the coniunction and vnion it hath with God by reason whereof it is no where seuered from God who is euery where This is it then which they teach That the body of Christ doth remaine in nature and essence finite limited and bounded and is locally in one place but that there is no place where it is not vnited personally vnto that God that is euery-where in which sense they thinke it may truely bee said to be euery-where For the better clearing of this point we must remember that it is agreed vpon by all Catholike Divines that the humane nature of Christ hath two kindes of being the one naturall the other personall The first limited and finite the second infinite and incomprehensible For seeing the nature of man is a created nature and essence it cannot be but finite and seeing it hath no personall subsistence of it owne but that of the Sonne of God communicated to it which is infinite and without limitation it cannot be denied to haue an infinite subsistence and to subsist in an incomprehensible and illimited sort and consequently euery-where Thus then the body of Christ secundum esse naturale is contained in one place but secundum esse personale may rightly bee said to be euery-where It were easie to reconcile all those assertions of our Divines touching this part of Christian faith in shew so opposite one to another and to stop the mouthes of our prattling adversaries who so greedily seeke out our verball seeming differences whereas their whole doctrine is nothing else but an heap of vncertainties and contrarieties if this were a fit place But let this briefly suffice for the repelling of Bellarmines calumniation and let vs proceed to examine the rest of his objections CHAP. 36. Of the supposed heresie of Zenaias Persa impugning the adoration of Images THe next heresie hee imputeth vnto vs is the impugning of the adoration and worshipping of Images the first authour of which impiety as this impious Idolater is pleased to name it was Zenaias Persa as Nicephorus reports But whatsoeuer the Iesuite thinke Nicephorus credite is not so good
they desire to be tryed AN APPENDIX WHEREIN IT IS CLEARELY PROVED THAT THE LATINE OR WEST CHVRCH IN WHICH THE POPE TYRANNIZED VV AS AND CONTINVED A TRVEORTHODOXE AND PROTESTANT CHVRCH AND THAT THE DEVISERS AND MAINTAINERS OF ROMISH ERROVRS and superstitious abuses were onely a faction in the same at the time when Luther not without the applause of all good men published his propositions against the prophane abuse of Papall indulgences To the Reader THis Appendix when first published by the Author contained only some briefe quotations vpon seuerall points of difference betweene us and the Papistes showing that the nowe Romish faith was neuer generally receiued in the VVesterne or Latine Church in the dayes of our Fathers no not then when the darke mist of Poperie seemed to haue ouershadowed all things The Author not long before he died intended an inlargment of it in the seuerall particulars but being preuented by death liued not to finish what hee had begun So much as was finished of it comming to my hands I thought my selfe bound in duty not to depriue the world of I haue therefore so farre aduentured to hazard the credit of the Author as to make it publique though something imperfect and wanting that lustre and beauty which it might haue receiued from the last hand of the Author if God had lent him longer life As it is it may serue if for no other vse yet for this as a platforme to shew what might be done in this kind and what the Author intended I make no question but a fauourable Reader will looke on it as wee vse to looke on the foundations of stately buildings the finishing whereof hath beene hindred by some fatall accident the very ruines whereof breede in us astonishment and amazement while we consider not what they are but what they might haue beene The twelue first chapters of this Appendix are enlarged the rest remaine as they were formerly set forth The quotations contained in that part which hath beene added I haue compared and amended if any where they differed from the Originalls whence they were taken and the truth of them I am able to iustifie If the world shall reape any benifit by the worke or if I may be thought by my paines bestowed on it to haue performed that duty wich I owe vnto the memorie of a deare father I haue my desire and so I rest Yours in all due respect NATHANIEL FIELD AN ANSWER TO Mr Brerelyes obiection concerning the Masse publiquelie vsed in all Churches at LVTHERS appearing WHereas to silence our adversaries who neuer cease challenging vs for departing from the faith of our Fathers and the doctrine of the Church wherein they liued and died I affirmed in my 3◠Booke that none of those erroneous positions which at this day they of the Romish faction doe defend and wee impugne were euer constantly receiued in the dayes of our Fathers as the doctrine of that Church wherein they liued and died but onely doubtfully disputed of as things not clearely resolued or broached onely as the priuate fancies and conceipts of particular men and for proofe heereof heeretofore added an Appendix wherein I produced the testimonies of sundry worthy Pastours and guides of the Church in euery age teaching as we doe touching the points now controversed It hath pleased some of the adverse faction to take exceptions to the same my assertion I will first therefore set downe such objections as they haue made and answere the same and then enlarge my former proofes that all that will not be wilfully blinde may see the trueth of that which I affirmed The principall man that shewed himselfe in this kinde is M ◠Brerelie the Author of the booke entitled the Protestant Apologie And after him the author of the answer to Mr D Whites way to the Church M Brerelie in the first tract pag. 139 hath these words It is beyond beleefe and very wonderment that D Field a man otherwise graue and learned should not be abashed by his publique writing so confidently to averre of our so many Christian Catholique Churches dispersed thorough the world at Luthers first appearing that they were all of them the true Protestant Churches of God And that they which then beleeued those damnable errours which the Romanists now defend were a particular faction onely contrary to the confession of so many learned Protestants And in his 2 tract cap. 2. sect 2 pag. 329. hee hath these words In this vndue sort doth Illyricus place in his catalogue of Protestant witnesses Gerson Aquinas and sundry of our Schoolemen all of them vndoubtedly knowne Catholiques and we could giue like farther example of S. Bernard Erasmus Mirandula and sundry other knowne Catholique Writers whom our adversaries in like manner doe vnjustly claime to bee of their Church D Field a prime adversarie and for such was together with the Bishops and Deanes summoned to the conference before his Majestie in Ianuarie 1603 as appeareth by the said conference forbeareth not in these straits to inforce the like vndue and intollerable bold claime to the many Catholiques a particular faction of them onely excepted dispersed thorough the world at and next before Luthers first appearing And in his third Booke of the Church cap. 12. pag. 85 saith nothing is done in the Protestant reformation which Camaracensis Picus Savanarola Gerson and innumerable other worthy guides of Gods Church long before thought 〈◊〉 fit to bee done And pag. 330 Mr Brerelie addeth these wordes D. Feild of the Church l. 3. c. 6. sayth it is most fond friuolous that some demaund where our Church was before Luther began For we say it was where now it is and that it was the knowne apparant Church in the world where all our Fathers liued died And most exceeding boldly hee there farther sayth none of the poynts of false doctrine errour which the Romanists now maintaine we condemne were the doctrines of that Church constantly deliuered or generally receiued but doubtfully broached and factiously defended by some certaine only And booke the third cap. 8. pag. 76 he proceedeth yet farther with like incredible boldnesse saying we must farther beleeue that all the Churches in the world wherein our Fathers liued died were the true Churches of God that they that taught the errours the Romanists now defend against vs were a faction only as they that denied the resurrection vrged circumcision despised the Apostles of Christ were in the Churches of Corinth Galatia Who can without amazement and wonder behold this incredible boldnesse For was not the Masse wherein are comprehended so many cheife points of our Religion the publique liturgie solemnly celebrated in all Churches at Luthers first appearing Was then the externall face of religion any other then our now professed Catholique faith Was Protestancie then so much as in beeing No marvaile then if our aduersaries doubt not to make vndue and pretended claime to the auncient Fathers seeing they blush
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
was then done for he saith doe this in remembrance of me We do not therefore offer another sacrifice but we alwayes offer the same or rather that we doe is a remembrance of that sacrifice which was once offered There is therefore no diuersitie in the trueth and being of that Christ that offered himselfe and that wee offer but in the action of offering For while that which wee doe representeth the true passion and death of CHRIST and by a certaine similitude it hath of the same setteth it liuely before our eyes it inviteth and enflameth vs to the imitation of his passion it strengtheneth confirmeth vs against the enemie it purgeth vs from sin beautifieth vs with vertues and maketh vs meete worthy to enter into eternall life And afterwards hee hath these words Semel passus in cruce qui non manifestè sed invisibilitèr est in sacramento quotidie non passus sed quasi paâ—… repraesentatus hanc immolationem non vero sed imaginario actu passionis mortis fieri tamen veram salutem operari testatur Gregorius dialog 4. c. 58. That is Christ suffered once on the crosse who not visibly but invisibly is in the sacrament neither doth hee daily suffer but his suffering is daily represented this immolation or offering Gregorie saith consisteth not in the trueth of passion or death but in a meere representation of the same and that yet it worketh true salvation And after hee addeth Licet non verâ sed imaginariâ passione in seipsa immoletur verâ tamen non imaginariâ passione in membris suis immolatur quando nos qui in memoriam passionis suae sacramentum tantae pietatis suae agimus sacrificando ipsum flendo cor nostrum verâ compunctione atterendo mortem tam pij dilecti Domini patris annunciamus That is Though Christ bee not offered by any reall passion in himselfe but in a meere representation of his passion yet hee is offered by a true and more than imaginary passion in his members while wee who in memory of his passion celebrate this sacrament of his so great goodnesse louing kindnes towards vs offer this sacrifice by weeping breaking our heart with true compunction shew forth the death of our so gracious and dearely beloued Lord and father Paschasius maketh the same construction of the sacrifice and Peter Lombard proposing the question whether that the priest doth may properly bee named a sacrifice or immolation answereth that Christ was onely once truely properly offered in sacrifice and that hee is not properly immolated or sacrificed but in sacrament representation onely Bellarmines shift to avoyd this testimonie is very sillie for hee sayth that Peter Lombard did not propose the question whether and how Christ may bee sayd to bee sacrificed but how hee may be sayd to bee so sacrificed as to be slaine and that in this sense he sayth truely that Christ was onely once properly sacrificed for that he cannot bee sayd any more to bee killed or slaine but in mystery and signification or representation onely Whereas it is most cleere and evident that hee proposeth the question simply and in generall whether hee may be said to bee sacrificed or not and seeing the sacrificing of a liuing thing doth import the killing and destroying of it and the sacrificing of Christ the killing of Christ he pronounceth that as Christ can die no more so hee can no more be properly sacrificed and that therefore when he is said to bee sacrificed or offered in the eucharist wee must vnderstand that hee is offered onely in representation and not really That this is his meaning it appeareth by that which he hath writing vpon the epistle to the Hebrewes where hee doth not propose the question whether Christ may be said to be so offered often as to die often but how it commeth to passe that the Church daily offereth sacrifice seeing as the Apostle saith where there is one sacrifice hauing force to take away sin once offered there is no neede that any more sacrifices should bee offered and answereth herevnto that the thing now offered is the same that was offered on the crosse that the offering of it now is commemoratiue that that which we do is but recordatio sacrificij the calling to minde of Christs sacrifice once offered that it may be applied vnto vs for the remission of our sinnes so absolutely excluding all sacrifice for sinne properly so called of what kind soeuer it be And Thomas Aquinas on the same place proposing the obiection of the repetition and daily reiteration of sacrifice in the Church which seemeth to import that that of Christ was not sufficient to take away sin answereth that we offer not any other but the very same sacrifice that Christ did that is his body bloud that it is no new or different oblation properly so named but a coÌ„memoration only of that sacrifice which Christ once offered Henricus Gorrichem writing vpon the sentences saith that in the eucharist there is the offering of a sacrifice not really or in the thing it selfe but in similitude for that which is there dayly done is a signe bringing to our remembrance and figuring or representing that oblation that was once made With whom Lyra agreeth his words are Si dicas sacrificium altaris quotidiè offertur in Ecclesia dicendum quod non est ibi sacrificii iteratio sed vnius sacrificii in cruce oblati quotidiana commemoratio that is If thou say the sacrifice of the altar is dayly offered in the Church it must be answered that there is noe reiteration of the sacrifice but a dayly commemoration of that sacrifice that was once offered on the crosse This hee saith in answere to that obiection that seeing now as in the time of the law there is often offering for sin it seemeth no sufficient sacrifice hath beene offered which obiection could not be cleared by his answere vnlesse he denied the often offering of any kind of sacrifice for sin whether bloudy or vnbloudy Wherefore that which Bellarmine hath that Aquinas the other SchoolemeÌ„ for the most part do no otherwise say that the sacrifice of the masse is an immolatioÌ„ of Christ but in that it is a represeÌ„tatioÌ„ of Christs immolatioÌ„ on the crosse or because it hath like effects with that true reall sacrificing of Christ that implyed his death is most true his euasion is found too silly it is made cleare euident that the best worthiest amongst the guides of Gods Church before Luthers time taught as we do that the sacrifice of the altar is only the sacrifice of praise thankesgiuing and a mere representation and commemoration of the sacrifice once offered on the crosse and consequently are all put vnder the curse and anathematized by the Tridentine councell Soe that the face of religion was not the same before and at Luthers
diuided into these two factions the nobles and great ones enclining for the most part to the Sadduces and the common people to the Pharisees whereupon wee reade in the acts of the Apostles that Paul standing before Ananias the high Priest and the rest of the chiefe Priests and Rulers of the people to be judged knowing that the one part of them were Sadduces and the other part Pharisees cried aloud I am a Pharisee and the sonne of a Pharisee I am accused of the hope and resurrection of the dead and that vpon the hearing of these words there was a dissention betweene the Pharisees and Sadduces so that the whole multitude was diuided that there was a great cry and that the Scribes of the Pharisees part arose vp and stroue saying Wee finde no euill in the man But if a Spirit or an Angell hath spoken vnto him let vs not fight against God CHAP. 8. Of Prophets and Nazarites BEsides the Priests and Levites whom God chose to attend his Seruice Sanctuary rent and divided in latter times into the manifold factions and Heresies aboue-mentioned there were other who medled not with the Ministery of holy things and yet were specially dedicated and sanctified vnto God These were either such as dedicated their bodies and persons vnto God as the Nazarites or such as God raised vp extraordinarily to fore-shew future things and to reforme abuses and errours as were the Prophets The vow of the Nazarits is described in the book of Numbers where the Lord God spake vnto Moses saying Speake vnto the children of Israel and say vnto them When a man or woman doth separate themselues to vow a vow of a Nazarite to separate himselfe vnto the Lord he shall abstaine from wine and strong drinke no razorshall come vpon his head but he shall let the lockes of the haire of hishead to grow during the time that he separateth himselfe vnto the Lord He shall come at no dead body hee shall not make himselfe vncleane at the death of his father or mother brother or sister for the consecration of the Lord is vpon his head The Nazarites were of two sorts for some did separate themselues vnto the Lord but for a time and others perpetually Nazarites of the former sort they were of whō Iames and the Elders doe speake in the Acts saying vnto Paul Wee haue foure men which haue made a vow them take and purifie thy selfe with them and contribute with them that they may shaue their heads and all shall know that those things whereof they haue beene informed concerning thee are nothing but that thou thy selfe also walkest and keepest the Law Of the latter sort the Scripture mentioneth onely two Sampson and Samuel Concerning Sampson we reade that the Angell of God appeared vnto the wife of Manoah his mother and said vnto her Behold now thou art barren and bearest not but thou shalt conceiue and beare a sonne and now therefore beware that thou drinke no wine nor strong drinke neither eate any vncleane thing For loe thou shalt conceiue and beare a sonne and no razor shall come on his head For the Childe shall be a Nazarite vnto God from his birth and he shall begin to saue Israel out of the hands of the Philistines And of Samuel his mother sayd before he was borne I will giue him to the Lord all the dayes of his life and no razor shall come vpon his head To these Hierome addeth out of Egesippus Iames the just the brother of our Lord. Prophets properly are such as fore-know and fore-tell things that are to come but because as Gregory fitly noteth it is as hard to know the things that are past whereof there is no report and the things that are done a farre off or in secret or that are but contriued and resolued on in the purposes of the heart as to fore-see what shall come to passe hereafter the knowledge of all these things pertaineth to propheticall grace and illumination and it was no lesse a propheticall spirit that directed Moses in writing the storie of the Creation fall and propagation of mankind nor no lesse a Propheticall illumination that made Elizeus know what was done in the King of Arams privie chamber then it was in Esay and the rest that enabled them to foretell and fore-shew the things that were to come And therefore the Diuines make diuerse sorts of Prophets some to whom principally things past were reuealed or hidden things then being and some to whom things that were after to come to passe were more specially manifested or made knowne Some that were Prophets both in grace and mission some in grace onely In grace and mission as they that were specially sent to foreshew the people of God what was to come to passe to tell them of their transgressions and the judgments that were to follow In grace onely as were all such as were not specially imployed to this purpose and yet had the knowledge of secret things as Daniel and some other CHAP. 9. Of Assemblies vpon extraordinary occasions THVS hauing spoken sufficiently of the persons that God sanctified to serue him in the Temple and to teach direct and instruct his people as also of such as voluntarily dedicated themselues vnto him or were extraordinarily raised vp by him Let us see what the gouernement of the Church and people of God was vnder them during the time of the law vntill the comming of Christ. The Scriptures shew vs that God appointed for the gouernement of his people extraordinary Assemblies and set judgments Whereunto the Prophet Dauid seemeth to allude when he sayth The wicked shall not rise vp in judgment nor Sinners in the assembly of the righteous In assemblies were handled things concerning the state of the whole common-wealth In the set Courts things concerning particular parts of it Assemblies were of two sorts either of the whole people or of the Elders and Rulers only Assemblies of the whole people were gathered together to heare the commandements of God to make publike praiers vnto him or to performe and doe some extraordinary thing as to appoint a King a Iudge or a Prince to proclaime or wage warre or the like These Assemblies were either of the whole people of Israel or onely of the whole people of one tribe or citie For the calling of these assemblies God commanded two trumpets of siluer to be made and to be in the custodie of Moses and his successours with this direction that when they blowed with them both all the congregation should assemble vnto them but when they blowed but with one the Princes or Heads ouer the thousands of Israel onely should come The set Courts and Tribunals were of two sorts the one in the gates of euery Citty called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iudgment the other at Hierusalem called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Councell wherevnto Christ seemeth to haue alluded when he sayd
that place which the Lord hath chosen shew thee thou shalt obserue to doe according to all that they informe thee according to the Law which they shall teach thee and according to the iudgement which they shall tell thee shalt thou doe thou shalt not decline from the thing which they shall shew thee neither to the right hand nor to the left And that man that will doe presumptuously not hearkning to the Priest that standeth before the Lord thy God to minister there or vnto the Iudge that man shall die and thou shalt take away euill from Israel This was the highest Court amongst the Iewes from this there was no appeale and this Court some thinke to haue enjoyed so great and ample priviledges as that it could not erre and thereupon inferre that Popes in their Consistories cannot erre to whom Christ hath made as large promises of assistance and direction as euer he did to the high Priests and Rulers in the time of Moses Law That the Priests and Rulers in the time of the Law could not erre they indeavour to proue because he was to answer it with hisbloud whosoeuer disobeyed the sentence decree of those Iudges God required euery man without declining to the right hand or the left to doe that they commanded If it be objected that the words of Almighty God requiring all men so strictly to obey the sentence and decree of those Rulers are not to bee vnderstood concerning matters of faith but Causes Ciuill and Criminall and that therefore this place maketh not any proofe of the infallibilitie of their judgment in matters of faith it will bee answered that there is no reason to doubt of their judgment in matters of faith of whose right judgment in matters Ciuill and Criminall wee are assured Surely it is true that if those Iudges in the time of the Law could not erre in matters Ciuill and Criminall they were vndoubtedly much more freed from danger of erring in matters of faith but it is one of the strangest paradoxes as I thinke that euer yet was heard of that the Priests and Iudges in the time of the Law were priviledged from danger of erring in matters of fact and that they were so assisted in their proceedings as that they could not bee mis-led by any passions or sinister affections to pervert judgement and doe wrong For besides that it is refuted by sundry instances of sinister and wicked judgments passed by those Iudges against the Seruants and Prophets of Almighty God it maketh the Ministery and government vnder the Law incomparably more glorious and excellent then the Ministerie of the Gospell For it is by all confessed that the Popes and Councels may erre in things of this nature But that the Priests in the time of the Law did sometimes erre in judgment condemning them whō God would not haue had condemned appeareth evidently by that we read in the booke of the Prophesies of Ieremy where when Ieremy had made an end of speaking all that the Lord commanded him to speake then the Priests and the Prophets and al◅ the people took him and said Thou shalt dye the death And when the Princes of Iudah heard of these things they came vp from the Kings house into the house of the Lord sate down in the entry of the new gate of the Lords House Then spake the Priests the Prophets vnto the Princes to all the people saying This man is worthy to dye but the Princes said This man is not worthy to dye for he hath spoken vnto vs in the Name of the Lord our God Here we see the Priests erred and were resisted by the Princes of the Land but elsewhere we reade that the Princes also were angry with Ieremy smote him and layde him in prison in the house of Iehonathan the Scribe and saide unto the King Wee beseech thee let this man be put to death for he weakneth the hands of the men of war that are in the Citie and the hands of all the people So that both Priests and Princes might did sometimes erre in judgment But some man perhaps will say that howsoeuer they might erre in matters of fact yet they could not erre in any matter of substance pertaining to the worship seruice of God This also is clearely demonstrated to be false their errours in things pertaining to the worship and seruice of God proued by sundry examples In the second booke of Kings wee reade that Ahaz k◅ng of Iudah walked in the waies of the kings of Israel made his sonnes goe through the fire after the abominations of the heathen and offered burnt incense in the high places and on the hils and vnder euerie greene tree This wicked Ahaz sent from Damascus to Vrias the Priest the patterne of the Altar he saw at Damascus and the fashion of it and all the workemanship thereof and Vrias the Priest made an Altar in all points like to that which King Ahaz sent from Damascus So did Vrias the Priest before King Ahaz came from Damascus and the King commanded Vrias to offer sacrifice on the Altar and Vrias did whatsoeuer the King commanded him Yea we reade of many Priests especially about the time of the Maccabees that forsooke the law of God and followed the abominations of the heathen Idolaters and many Iudges and Kings likewise so that Dauid Hezekiah Iosias only excepted there was none of the Kings that did not decline more or lesse to Idolatry The meaning therefore of Almighty God according to the iudgment of the best Diuines was not that Priests and Iudges in the the time of the law should be obayed in all things without exception but when they commanded and iudged according to the diuine law and verity and in the same sort must wee vnderstand the words of Christ when he sayth The Scribes and Pharisees sit on the Chaire of Moses and commandeth the people to obserue and doe whatsoeuer they prescribe to be obserued and done For otherwise Christ should be contrary to himselfe who elsewhere willeth men to beware of the leauen of the Pharisees which S. Mathew interpreteth to bee their doctrine teacheth men by his own example to cōtemn their traditiōs Yea it is most certaine that the Pharisees erred dangerously and damnably in many things notwithstanding their sitting on Moses chaire and therefore Christ doth oftentimes sharpely reproue them for mis-interpreting the law of God Some man perhaps will say they taught lesse then is implied in the Law in that they condemned murther adultery and the like crimes but not lust hatred and such other sinister affections of the heart and that therefore Christ did not reproue them as teaching any thing contrary to the Law but as teaching lesse then is contained in it and comming short of it This euasion will not serue for it appeareth euidently that they did not only come
minde the distance and disproportion that we know to be betweene them and vs together with our dependance of them or subiection to them This kinde of feare causeth and produceth all acts of Reuerence Adoration It is found in the Angels and spirits of iust perfect men is more excellent then any other vertue The greatnesse that is found in thinges that are euill causeth a feare declining them as euill which is of diuerse sorts For first there is an Humane feare which maketh men more decline the losse of their liues good estates then the losse of the fauour of God Secondly there is a Mundane feare that causeth them to decline the disfauour of the world more then the displeasure of Almighty God and these two kindes of feare driue men from God but there are other kindes which driue them vnto God The first whereof is a Seruile feare that maketh men leaue the act of sinne both inward outward to auoid punishment though they retaine the loue liking of it The second is an Initiall feare that maketh them cast from them the very desire of sinning not out of the loue of God which they haue not yet attained vnto but out of the consideration of the wofull consequence of it and thirdly there is a Filiall feare proceeding from the loue of God causing vs to decline the offending of him whom we so dearely loue and of whom wee are so dearely loued more then any euill whatsoeuer The former kindes of feare that driue men from God could not bee found in Christ who was not onely nearely ioyned vnto God but God himselfe blessed for evermore for neither did hee prize life nor the fauour of the world that knew him not at any higher rate then was fit Of the later sorts of feare neither Seruile nor Initiall were in him that was free from all sinne and touching Filiall feare being well assured of his owne power in respect whereof it was impossible for him to be drawn to the committing of any euill though he had that part of it which standeth in declining the offence of GOD more then any euill in the world yet not that other that proceedeth from the consideration of the danger of being drawen therevnto so that hee could not feare lest hee should fall into sinne Besides all these kindes of feare whereof some driue men from God and some bring them to God there is another which is the ground of them all named Naturall feare which is the declining of any thing that is hurtfull or contrary to the desired good of him that feareth This Naturall feare as also the feare of Reuerence that part of Filiall feare that is the declining of sinne and the displeasing of God was found in Christ as all other sinlesse and harmelesse affections were For in the nature of man he reuerenced and adored the Maiesty of God his Father and with a Naturall feare declined death and the bitternesse of that cuppe he was to drinke of and with a Filiall feare declined the offending of God his Father more then hell it selfe But passing by the feare of Reuerence and that part of Filiall feare that was found in Christ concerning which there is no question among the Diuines that wee may the better discerne both what his Naturall feare was and in respect whereof wee must note that feare is first in respect of things which cannot bee auoided neither by resistance and encounter nor by flying from them which things though they may seeme rather to make an impression of sorrow then feare because in respect of their certainty they are rather apprehended as present then future yet for that wee know not experimentally how we shall bee afflicted with them and in what sort wee shall sustaine and beare them we may rightly be said to feare them Secondly in respect of such things as may be escaped or ouercome with a kinde of vncertainty of euent and danger of the issue Thirdly in respect of such as may be escaped or ouercome without any vncertainty of the euent or issue though not without great conflict and labour These kindes of Naturall feare thus distinguished it is easie to see what Christ feared and in what sort For first hee feared death and the stroke of the iustice of God his Father sitting on the Tribunall or Iudgement seate to punish the sinnes of men for whom hee stood forth to answere that day and secondly hee feared euerlasting destruction The former of these hee feared as things impossible to be escaped in respect of the resolution and purpose of God his Father that by his satisfactory death and suffering and no other way man should be deliuered The later hee feared that is declined as a thing he knew he should escape without all doubt or vncertainty of euent though not without conflicting with the temptations of Sathan and the enduring of many bitter and grieuous things for it was no otherwise possible for him hauing put himselfe into the communion of our nature to escape the swallowing vp of that gulfe into which wicked sinners sinke downe but by resisting the temptations of sinne that it might not enter into him by breaking off the same in others and by suffering whatsoeuer it had deserued But some man will say Beza teacheth that Christus veritus est succumbere absorberi à morte that is that Christ feared to sinke downe and to bee swallowed vp of death and consequently that he feared euerlasting destruction with an vncertainty of his escape from the same It is true that Beza saith that Christ feared to sinke downe and to bee swallowed vp of death yet doth not that follow whâ—…ch is alledged as a consequent of his saying nor any thing contrary to that hath beene said of vs. For whereas there is a double apprehension of reason in Christ the one named Superior that looketh into things with all circumstances the other Inferiour that presenteth to the minde of man some circumstances and not all Beza teacheth that Christ feared to sinke downe and to be swallowed vp of death that is that he so declined the swallowing gulfe of death out of which he saw no escape within the view of Inferiour reason presenting vnto him this hideous destroying euill in it owne nature endlesse without shewing the issue out of the same that yet notwithstanding simply he feared it not Superiour reason clearely shewing him the issue out of it This wil not seem strange vnto vs if we consider that in Christ euery faculty power part was suffered notwithstaÌ„ding the perfectioÌ„ found in some other to do that which properly pertained to it from hence it is easie to discerne how it came to passe that Christ should desire and pray for that which he knew should neuer be granted as namely that the cup of death might passe from him For the sense of nature Inferiour reason presented death the ignominie of the Crosse vnto him
preached to the spirits in prison sometimes disobedient in the dayes of Noe. But as Saint Augustine fitly noteth this preaching of Christ in spirit mentioned by the Apostle was not after his death in his humane Soule but in the dayes of Noe in his eternall Spirit Deity And as Andradius rightly obserueth they that he preached vnto are named spirits in prison because they were spirits in prison when Peter wrote of them not when Christ preached to them though if they should be vnderstood to be named Spirits in prison as being such when Christ preached vnto them yet we might rightly conceiue as Saint Augustine doth that he preached to the Soules and Spirits of Men shut vp in the prison house of their sinfull bodies and the darke dungeons of ignorance and sin and not in the prison of hell Thus then our Diuines deny the descending of Christ into Purgatory Limbus puerorum and Limbus patrum perswading themselues that there are no such places But his descending into the Hell of the damned they all acknowledge though not to deliuer men thence yet to fasten condemnation to them that are there to bind Sathan the Prince of darkenesse that hee may not prevaile against them that beleeue in Christ and to keepe them from sinking downe into that deuouring piâ—… into which he went and out of which hee soe triumphantly returned Onely this difference may seeme to be amongst them that some of them thinke he went personally and locally others onely vertually in power and operation Which diuersity of opinions is likewise amongst the Papists Bellarmine and some other in our time teaching that hee went locally into the lowest Hell and the Schoole-men that he went not locally into the lowest Hell but vertually onely in the manifestation of his vertue and power and into Limbus Patrum locally and personally soe that all the controuersie betweene them and vs standeth in two points The descending of Christ into Limbus Patrum and the suffering of Hellish paines For whereas Cardinall Bellarmine laboureth to proue a locall Hell he busieth himselfe in vaine no man denying it But sayth he Beza and others do say the words vsed in the Hebrew and Greeke Sheol and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doe alwaies signifie the Graue in holy Scripture and not Hell whence it may seeme to follow that there is no other Hell then the Graue and soe consequently noe locall Hell for damned soules Surely this is a most vnjust and vntrue imputation For Beza and the other learned Diuines he speaketh of do not affirme that Sheol and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doe precisely and alwayes in holy Scripture signifie the graue but as Arias Montanus Andradius and sundry other excellently learned amongst our aduersaries do that Sheol which the Septuagint translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not precisely and immediatly signifie the place of damned soules but in an indifferencie and generality of signification noteth out vnto vs the receptacles of the dead And that seeing there are two parts that are sundered one from another in them that are dead there are likewise two kinds of receptacles of death or dwelling places for them on whom death hath her full force the one prouided for their bodies putrifying and rotting and the other for their soules tormented euerlastingly Soe that when these words thus indifferently signifying either of these receptacles of death do note out vnto vs the one or the other of these two places either the graue for the body or hell for the soule cannot be gathered out of the words themselues but the circumstances of those places of Scripture where they are vsed In like sort they say that the word Nephesh translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and anima doth not alwaies signifie the spirituall substance of man that is immortall but the whole person the life yea and some times that which hath beene aliue though now dead euen a dead carcasse according as wee reade in Leuiticus where God pronounceth that whosoever toucheth Nephesh that is a deade corpes shall be vncleane And in this sense it is that Arias Montanus translateth not that place in the Psalme Non derelinques animam meam in inferno that is Thou shalt not leaue my soule in Hell but Non derelinques animam meam in sepulchro that is Thou shalt not leaue my Soule Life or Person or that Body that sometimes was aliue in the Graue For it it cannot be vnderstood that the reasonable soule or immortall Spirit of Christ was euer in the graue either to be deliuered thence or left there If it be sayd that the Greeke and Latine words vsed by the Translators signifie more precisely hell and the reasonable Soule or Spirit then those Hebrew words Sheol and Nephesh doe we answere that whatsoeuer their vse and signification be in prophane Authors yet they must be enlarged in the Scriptures to signifie all that which the Hebrew words doe that so the translation may be true and full Bellarmine to confute this explication and construction of the Hebrew words made by Beza and the rest vrgeth that the Septuagint neuer translateth Sheol by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies the graue but by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that therefore Sheol doth not properly signifie the Graue Hereunto we answere that the word of it selfe being indifferent to signifie any receptacles of the dead whether of their bodies or soules must not be translated by a word precisely noting the graue as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth and that therefore it is not to be marvailed at that the Septuagint neuer translate the Hebrew word by this Greeke word of a narrower compasse straiter significatioÌ„ Secondly we say that seeing Sheol when by the circumstances of the places where it is vsed it is restrained to signifie onely the place of dead bodies yet doth not precisely note that fitting receptacle provided for them to be laide in as in their beds of rest by the liuing as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth but any other receptacle whatâ—…er euen of such as want that honourable kind of buriall whether they be devoured by wilde beasts swallowed vp of the Sea or receiued into any other place of stay and abode till the time of the generall resurrection the Translators vsed not the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of too narrow compasse straight signification but the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enlarged by them to expresse all that the Hebrew word importeth in this sense Iacob said he would go down mourning into Sheol or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to his son not into a place of soules sequestred from God or into hell sor he neuer thought his sonne to bee gone thither nor into the graue properly so named for he thought his son had bin devoured of a wilde beast but into the receptacles of the dead and into the chambers of death wherein there are many very different
according to the Translation they follow there is first a speech directed to the Church concerning Christ then an Apostrophe to Christ and then thirdly a returne unto the Church againe Secondly if that were graunted which he vrgeth touching the supposed Apostrophe it would not proue that there is no probabilitie in our Interpretation For this consequence will neuer be made good in the Schooles Christ is prophesied of in the words immediatly going before in these words God speaketh vnto him by way of Apostrophe therefore they cannot be vnderstood of deliuerance out of Babylonicall captivitie seeing it is certaine that Christ deliuered the Israelites out of all the miseries out of which they escaped But saith Bellarmine if wee admit this Interpretation in what bloud of the couenant may wee vnderstand the Iewes to haue beene deliuered out of Babylonicall captivitie Surely this question is soone answered For their deliuerance out of the hands of their enemies and all other benefites were bestowed on them by vertue of the couenant betweene God and them which was to be established in the bloud of Christ in figure whereof all holy things among the Iewes were sprinkled with bloud as the Booke of the Covenant the Altar the Sanctuary and People Wherefore seeing this place maketh nothing for the confirmation of the Popish errour touching Limbus let vs come to the last place brought for proofe thereof which is that of S. Peter concerning Christs going in spirit and preaching to the spirits in prison see whether from thence it may be proued any better S. Augustine vnderstandeth the words of the Apostle as I noted before of Christs preaching in the dayes of Noe in his eternall Spirit of Deity not of preaching in Hell in his humane Soule after death but this interpretation of S. Augustine first Bellarmine rejecteth as contrarie to the Fathers secondly endeauoureth to improue it by weakening the reasons brought to confirme it and by opposing certaine reasons against it The first of the Fathers that he alledgeth is Clemens Alexandrinus who indeede vnderstandeth the words of S. Peter not as S. Augustine doth but of Christ preaching in Hell after his death in his humane Soule but not conceiuing to what purpose preaching should serue in Hell if there were not intended a conversion sauing of some there he runneth into a most grosse dangerous error cōdemned rejected as well by Bellarm. his companions as by vs so that his authority as contrary to Augustines interpretation needed not to haue beene alledged nor would not haue beene if Bellarmine had meant sincerely For Clemens Alexandrinus affirmeth as hee well knoweth that so many Infidels as beleeued in Christ and listened to the wordes of his preaching when hee came into Hell were deliuered thence and made partakers of euerlasting saluation against which errour himselfe being Iudge Saint Augustine not without good cause disputeth in his Epistle to Euodius The second auncient Writer that hee produceth for proofe of Christs preaching in Hell after his death is Athanasius who indeed doth expound the wordes of Peter of Christs going in Soule to preach in Hell after his death but no way expresseth in what sort to whom to what purpose or with what successe he preached Epiphanius whom he produceth in the third place doth not so interprete the words of Peter himselfe but onely vpon another occasion citeth the epistle of Athanasius to Epictetus wherein hee doth so interprete them So that the authority of Epiphanius might haue beene spared Ruffinus in his explication of the Creede interpreteth the words of Peter as Athanasius doth Cyrill in the place cited by Bellarmine speaketh of Christs preaching to the spirits in Hell but saith nothing in particular of this place of Peter S. Ambrose doth not speake of this place but that other of preaching the Gospell to the dead So that there are no moe Ancient writers cited by Bellarmine that doe precisely interprete this place of Peter of Christs preaching in Hell in his humane soule after death but onely Clemens Athanasius Ruffinus and Oecumenius On the other side we haue S. Augustine Beda the authors of the Ordinarie and Interlincall Glosses Lyra Hugo Cardinalis and other interpreting the words as wee doe so that our Aduersaries haue no great aduantage in respect of the number of Interpreters and yet if they had it would not helpe them for confirmation of their supposed Limbus seing some of the Fathers cited by him as namely Clemens Alexandrinus speake directly of preaching in the lowest Hell for the conuersion of Infidels which they dislike as much as wee Wherefore let vs proceede to examine the reasons that are brought either of the one side or the other to confirme their seuerall interpretations of these words and let vs see how Bellarmine weakneth the reasons brought by S. Augustine and improueth his interpretation by reasons brought against it The first reason whereby S. Augustine confirmeth his interpretation is for that mortification in the flesh and viuification in the Spirit mentioned by the Apostle cannot be vnderstood of the body Soule of Christ as they that follow the other interpretation doe vnderstand them seeing Christ neuer dying in soule could not be said to be quickned in it Besides that the very phrase of the Scripture opposing flesh and Spirit in Christ doth euer import the infirmity of his humane nature and the power of his Deitie and in other men that part that is renued by the sanctification of the Spirit and that which is not yet so renued Against the former part of this reason of S. Augustine Bellarmine opposeth himselfe saying that it is not good seeing a thing may be sayd to be quickned that was neuer dead if it be preserued from dying kept aliue But he should know that onely those thinges may be said to be quickned in that they were preserued from dying which otherwise if they had not beene so preserued might haue beene killed or dyed of themselues Which cannot be verified of the Soule of Christ that could neither die of it selfe nor be killed by any other and therefore the Soule of Christ cannot be said to bee quickned in this sense The place in the seauenth of the Acts brought by Bellarmine to proue that those things may bee said to bee quickned that were neuer dead besides that it is nothing to the purpose is strangely wrested For S. Stephen in that place speaketh nothing of viuification or quickning in that sense we now speake of it but of multiplying increasing saying that After the death of Ioseph there rose vp another King in Egypt that knew not Ioseph who euill intreated our Fathers and made them cast out their infants and new borne children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is that they should not increase multiplie and therefore Bellarmine should not in reason so haue pressed the Latine word of viuification vsed by the Vulgar translatour seeing the
thinke the Pope to bee vniuersall Bishop nor that the Bishop of Rome with his Westerne Bishops is more to be listned vnto and obeyed then all the other Bishops of the Christian World That Adrian the Bishop of Rome in his Epistle to Tharasius inserted into the seuenth generall Councell saith that the See of Rome hath the primacie throughout the whole world and is the head of all Churches which is the last allegation of Bellarmine out of Councels is no more then wee granted before if it be rightly vnderstood of a primacie of order and honour and not of an vniversall supreme commaunding power ouer all This is all that Bellarmine can alledge out of any auncient Councell in which his allegations it will not be amisse for the Reader to obserue his guilefull cunning who vndertaking to produce the testimonies of auncient Councels for confirmation of the Papacie bringeth nothing for the most part but the words of particular men and they either sutors to the Pope agents for him or Popes To that which hee hath out of latter Councels as that of Laterane vnder Innocentius and that of Lyons and Florence I will answere when I come to shew the opinions of latter times touching the Popes vniversality of jurisdiction and power and therefore will passe them ouer in this place CHAP. 34. Of the pretended proofes of the Popes Iurisdiction taken out of the Decretall Epistles of Popes THE next proofes that are brought for confirmation of the vniversalitie of Papall jurisdiction are the sayings of Popes in their Decretall Epistles These Epistles Bellarmine sorteth into three rankes placing in the first the Epistles of those Popes that liued within the first 300 yeares in the second the Epistles of those that liued after the first 600 yeares and in the third the Epistles of such as came in the midst betweene these Touching the first he confesseth that certaine errours haue crept into them and that he dareth not pronounce them to be indubitate but Cardinall Cusanus a man of great learning reading and judgement minseth not the matter as Bellarmine doth but plainely and in direct words professeth that he thinketh these Epistles that goe vnder the names of auncient Popes are counterfeit His words are these In my opinion the things that are written of Constantine and his donation are Apocryphall as also perhaps some other long and large writings attributed to the holy men Clemens and Anacletus the Pope on which they that desire to magnifie the Romane See which is worthy of all honour and to exalt it more then either is expedient for the Church or is any way fit doe either altogether or in some sort ground themselues For assuredly if any man would diligently reade ouer and peruse all the writings attributed to those holy men and compare the times wherein they liued with those writings and then would be conversant in the workes of all the holy Fathers which were till the time of Augustine Hierome and Ambrose and in the bookes of Councels wherein authenticall writings are alleaged committing them to memory making vse of thē he would find this to be true that neither any mētion is made of those forenamed Epistles in any of those writings nor that the epistles compared with the times wherein their supposed authors liued can be made to agree with the times of their life but by the very circumstance of time bewray themselues to be counterfeit It is written in the Epistles of Clemens how he was made Pope and succeded Peter and after the death of Peter the author of these Epistles writeth vnto Iames who was brother of our Lord and Bishop of Hierusalem and yet it is most manifest that the same Iames died eight yeares before Peter which was one of the causes as Beda writeth in his commentaries vpon the Canonicall Epistles why the Epistle of Iames is set first among the Catholique Epistles Neither is this the censure of Cusanus onely but Contius a learned Canonist in his annotations vpon Gratian feareth not to pronounce all the decretall Epistles that go vnder the names of such Bishops as liued before Syluester to be false and counterfeit Besides these censures of learned men there want not strong and effectuall reasons to disproue these Epistles For first they will easily appeare to be counterfeit because they are barbarously and rudely written and are not like the writings of those men that liued in the times wherein the supposed authors of those Epistles did liue but like the writings of such as liued in later and worse times after Barbarisme had preuailed and ouerflowne all Secondly because the style is so different from those indubitate remainders of the Epistles of the same Popes found in Cyprian Eusebius and Athanasius that they cannot be but counterfeit For whosoeuer shall compare them shall find them to differ as much as gold and drosse Thirdly for that all these supposed Epistles are soe like one another in style and oftentimes haue the verie same sentences that it is very likely they came all from one and the same forge Fourthly because neither Eusebius Hierome nor any other auncient writer maketh any mention of them Fiftly because they follow not the old translatiō in their allegations of Scripture but that of Hierome which was not in being in those times wherein the supposed Authors of these Epistles did liue Lastly which is the reason before vsed by Cusanus because the Epistle to Iames written after the death of Peter as appeareth in the front of it and soe consequently after the twelfth yeare of Nero could not be written to Iames the brother of our Lord who as Hierome testifieth was slaine at Hierusalem in the seauenth yeare of Nero. But whatsoeuer become of the censure of learned men branding these Epistles with the note of forgery and the reasons brought to disproue them which cannot easily be answered yet Bellarmine will proue that these Epistles are mentioned by the ancient and consequently that the Centurie-writers say vntruly that hardly any shall be found before the time of Charles the great that speaketh any thing of them To this purpose he produceth Isidore in his preface before his collection of the Councels affirming that he gathered Canons out of the Epistles of Clemens Anacletus Euaristus and the rest of the Romane Bishops by the aduice of eightie Bishops but this is to justifie one counterfeit by another For this preface is thought to be counterfeit because in it there is mention made of the sixt generall Councell vnder Agatho whereas Isidore was dead forty yeares before the holding of that Councell Wherefore he alleageth the Councell of Vase as mentioning the same decretals But the decrees of that Councell are vncertaine as Binnius noteth by reason of the great confusion that is found in them and truly I thinke there is noe man that can make any sence of that which is cited out of Clements Epistles by that
And therefore Hierome saith that Liberius impatient of any longer continuance in banishment subscribed to hereticall prauity and so returned to Rome as a conquerour and cast out Felix who had possessed himselfe of the Episcopall chaire and put divers other of the Clergie also out of the Church and Bellarmine himselfe confesseth he hath seene in the Vatican Library manuscript Epistles of Liberius some written to the Emperour and some to the Easterne Bishops wherein he signifieth plainly enough that in the end hee was content to yeeld to the will of the Emperour And besides if the Romanists doe not acknowledge that Liberius was a conuicted hereticke there being no other cause but heresie for which as they thinke a Pope may lawfully bee iudged and deposed they must put Felix who was Pope while Liberius yet liued out of the number of Popes whom yet their church doth worship as a Pope Saint and a Martyr So that wee see Liberius was justly judged and condemned as an hereticke and that seeing a Pope in that he becommeth an hereticke ceaseth to be Pope hee lost all the priuiledges that belong to Peters successours and so might decree for heresie yea I thinke there is no reasonable man but will confesse that his subscribing to heresie that is the head of the church is a decreeing for heresie Now that he subscribed to heresie we haue the expresse testimony of Saint Hierome After the banishment of Liberius by the meanes of Acatius Bishoppe of Caesarea in Palestina who was a great man with Constantius the Emperour Felix a Deacon of the church of Rome was chosen Bishop and appointed to succeed him This Felix as Theodoret testifieth was a Catholicke and held the profession of faith agreed on at Nice but communicated freely with the Arrians Wherevpon hee was so much disliked by those that were Catholickes that none of them would once enter into the house of prayer while he was within For that though he were not in perswasion and vocall profession a full Arrian yet by communicating with them and being ordained by them he consented to their wicked and hereticall courses Neither doth it appeare by any history of credit that euer he refused to communicate with the Arrian heretickes during the time he quietly possessed and enioyed the Bishopricke of Rome But the contrary is more then probable because when Liberius subscribed and was thereupon sent home with letters of commendation from the Arrian Bishoppes assembled at Sirmium they carefully prouided for Felix his continuance in the Episcopall office still and desired that the violences and outrages committed in the time of his ordination when the people for the loue they bare to Liberius were in an vprore and some of them were slaine might be forgotten and that both of them might sitte and gouerne the church together as Bishops of the place which fauour the Arrian Bishoppes would neuer haue shewed to Felix if he had disclaimed their communion So that it is more then probable that he neuer forsooke the communion of the Arrian hereticks For Liberius returning as a conquerour so soone as hee came to Rome cast him out of the Church and shortly after hee dyed and therefore I cannot see what reason the Romanists haue to put this good man into the Kalender of their Pope Saints whose entrance into the Episcopall chaire was not onely schismaticall there beeing a catholicke Bishop yet aliue suffering banishment for the catholicke faith but violent bloudy also for he got the place by the meanes of bloody heretickes making himselfe guilty of all the sinnes of those heretickes with whom he communicated and of whose relinquishing and abandoning the communion and fellowship of the Arrians there is no mention found in any Authour of credit but in the Authour of the Pontificall only who hath as many lies as words in his narration concerning Felix For first hee saith he sate but one yeare three moneths and three daies whereas it is reported by Theodoret that Liberius had beene more then two yeares in banishment before suite was made to the Emperour for his returne all which time Felix was Pope Secondly he saith Felix declared and published Constantius the sonne of Constantine to be an hereticke and that Constantius was rebaptized or the second time baptized by Eusebius Bishoppe of Nicomedia neare vnto Nicomedia which thing is most false as Binnius in his Annotations telleth vs because both Athanasius and Socrates doe affirme he was baptized by Euzoius an Arrian when he was ready to die And Hilarius after the time of this supposed baptisme inueyeth against him for that not being baptized he presumed to prescribe to the Church a forme of faith Thirdly he saith Felix built a certaine Church while he was a Presbyter whereas it is certaine that of a Deacon hee was made a Bishoppe and neuer liued in the degree of a Presbyter And fourthly touching the death of Felix he is very vncertaine and doubtfull and others speake nothing of his martyrdome at all Heereupon as both Bellarmine and Binnius report in the time of Gregory the thirteenth in the yeare of our Lord 1582. where certaine learned men in Rome were deputed to correct the Martyrologe they were doubtfull whether they should put his name into the new Martyrologe or not seeing both his entrance into his Bishopricke was violent bloudy and schismaticall and his end vncertaine and they inclined to leaue it out which they had done if a certaine marble chest had not beene found in the Church of Cosmas and Damianus the 28 of Iuly the day before his wonted and accustomed feast with this inscription in olde characters Heere lyeth the body of Felix the Pope and Martyr who condemned Constantius the hereticke Whereby wee see how little reason the Roman Church hath to worship this Saint and to admire the providence of God in preseruing this See Apostolicke from heresie in that as they would beare vs in hand Felix after he heard of the subscription of Liberius who thereby ceased to bee Pope condemned the Arrians was admitted by the Catholickes and became a true Bishop suffering death vpon the returne of Liberius as if the very See did change the mindes of all that sit in it and make them good how bad soeuer they were before whereas Felix being in his entrance a schismaticke in communion if not in profession an hereticke and in his ordination which was voyde no Bishop and no history of credite reporting either his condemning Arrianisme or his admission to bee a Bishop after the deposition of Liberius by the Catholickes or what his end was it appeareth that heretickes and schismatickes may possesse the chaire of Peter and bee worshipped for Pope Saints after their death But whatsoeuer became of Felix they say Liberius after the death of Felix became a Catholicke and got the loue of the Catholickes and so by their acceptation of him became a
many of the Princes of Germany and first of all the Saxons formerly averse frō him withdrew their subiectiō pretending that they might justly cast off the yoake and refuse to obey him any longer seeing hauing beene called to giue satisfaction to two Popes concerning certaine crimes obiected to him he had refused to appeare and was thereupon excommunicated These rebellions and defections so affrighted the Nobles and Princes of the Empire that still remained well affected to the Emperour that for the staying of present confusiōs preventing of other they thought good that the Pope should be intreated to come into Germany and that then the Emperour should submit himselfe vnto him aske forgiuenesse which thing accordingly was effected for the Pope was perswaded consented to come into Germany was cōming towards Augusta as farre as Versella But when hee came thither pretēding feare that the Emperor meant not wel towards him he brake off his journy went to Canossū there staied Which the Emperor hearing of doubting what might be the cause of his stay hastned thither putting off all Royall robes on his bare feet came to the gates of the town hūbly beseeching that he might be let in but was staied without 3 daies though it were extreme colde winter weather which hee endured patiently continually intreating till in the end hee was let in and absolued but yet conditionally that being called he should appeare in an assembly of Princes Bishoppes to answere such crimes as were obiected to him and either to purge himselfe and so retaine his kingdome or otherwise failing so to doe to lose it This his submission afterwards he made knowne to the Italians who vnderstanding what hee had done were exceedingly enraged against him derided the Legates of the Pope contemned his curses as being deposed by all the Bishops of Italy for iust causes as namely for simony murther adultery and other most horrible and capitall crimes and told him that he had done a most intollerable thing in submitting himselfe his kingly Maiestie to an hereticke and most infamous person Yea they proceeded so farre that they told him because he had so done they were resolued to make his son Emperour in his steede and to go to Rome and chuse a new Pope by whom he might be consecrated and all the proceedings of this false Pope voided But the Emperour excusing himselfe for that which hee had done as driuen by necessity so to doe and promising to revenge these wrongs when opportunity should bee offered pacifyed them in such sort that they began to incline to him againe Yet were not his euils at an end hereby For his enemies among the Germanes presently tooke the opportunity of this his relapse and calling an assembly with the Legates of the Pope chose a new Emperour Rodolphe Duke of Sueuia to whō the Pope sent an imperiall crown hauing this inscription Petra dedit Petro Petrus diadema Rodolpho Which when he heard of hee called a Councell of the Bishoppes of Italy and Germany and charging Hildebrand the Pope with most horrible crimes of heresie necromancy periury murther and the like deposed him chose Guibertus Bishoppe of Rauenna in his place and gathering together a great and mighty army went against Rodolphe abiding in Saxony where a most terrible and bloudy battell was fought betweene them in which battell Rodolphe was wounded and going aside from his companions with many other likewise wounded was carried to Mersberge where he died who a litle before his death beholding his right hand cut off in that battell fetching a deepe sigh said to the Bishops which by chance were present Behold this is the hand with which by solemne vow and oath I obliged my faith and feaulty to Henry my Lord. Behold now I leaue his kingdome and this present life see you that made mee climbe vp into his throne what you haue done would to God you had led me the right way whom you found so willing to follow your aduice and counsell and to be directed by you Yet did neither the ill successe of the former attempt nor the speeches of Rodolphe at his death blaming those that had set him a worke and condemning himselfe for that which he had done discourage the ill affected from proceeding on in their rebellious practises For they set vp Hermannus Prince of Lorrayne in steed of Rodolphe and proclaimed him Emperour whom the Emperour Henry slew likewise as he had done the other rested not till hee made Pope Hildebrand leaue Rome and flie to Salernum and brought the new Pope named Clement to be inthronized and himselfe crowned by him in Rome The acts of Hildebrand saith Nauclerus were such that the writers bee very doubtfull whether the things that were done by him were done out of any loue of vertue or any zeale hee bare to the faith or not They that loued him best disliked his stiffenes as Auentinus witnesseth Otho Frisingensis noteth that his disposition was such that for the most part he euer liked that which others disliked So that of Lucane might bee verified of him Victrix causa Diis placuit sed victa Catoni that is The prevailing part and cause best pleased God but that which fell and had the ouerthrow had Catoes wishes And though he commend his zeale yet in his prologue of his 7. booke he taxeth him and others like vnto him in very bitter sort His words are these Videntur tamen culpandi Sacerdotes per omnia qui regnum suo gladio quem ipsi ex regum habent gratia ferire conantur Nisi fortè Dauid imitari cogitant qui Philistaeum primò virtute Dei strauit postmodùm proprio gladio iugulauit that is Notwithstanding whatsoeuer may be said the Priests seeme altogether blameable and worthy of reproofe reprehension which goe about to strike Kings and princes with that their sword which they haue by the grace and fauour of Princes vnlesse haply they doe thinke it lawfull for them to imitate Dauid who first ouerthrew and cast to the ground the proude Philistine by the power of God and afterwards slew him with his ownesword Of this Hildebrand Sigebert saith he found it thus written Wee will haue you know you that manage the Ecclesiasticall affaires and to whom the care of the Church is committed that the Lord Pope Hildebrand who also was called Gregory being in extremis drawing neare his end called vnto him one of the 12 Cardinalls whom hee loued dearely and more then any of the rest and in his hearing confessed to God to holy Peter and to the whole Church that he had sinned exceedingly and grieuously offended in the Pastorall charge committed to him and in governing the people of whom he had vndertaken the care and that by the perswasion and instigation of the Diuell he had stirred vp hatred and wrath against mankind then commanded the forenamed Confessor to make haste to goe to the Emperour
but that his meaning was to meete certaine abuses whereby the Churches of his Kingdome had beene greeued impouerished and oppressed all discipline of men liuing retyred and in cloysters vtterly ouerthrowne Lastly that God hauing exalted his Church by meanes of the Empire in the head citty of the world it should not be by any meanes that the Church in the head citty of the world should ouerthrow the state of the Empire that the matter began with painting that it proceeded from painting to writing that the writing now begins to be vrged as good authority but that he wil not suffer it nor indure it so to be being resolued first to loose his crowne before hee giue any consent to the abasing of the crowne of the Empire in such sort and therefore requireth the paintings to be raced out and the writings to be recalled that such monuments of enmity between the Kingdome the Priest-hood may not remaine hereupon they beseech the Pope by new letters to mollifie that which was too hard and to sweeten that which was too sowre in the former This so wise iust and reasonable an answer of the Germaine Bishops preuailed so farre with the Pope that he sent other Legates of a milder spirit better temper to the Emperour with new letters wherein he sought to qualifie whatsoeuer was offensiue in the former for touching that he wrote of the benefit the Emperour had receiued of him which so highly displeased the Emperor supposing that he meant that hee had receiued the Imperiall crowne as a meere fauor or good turne from him hee answered that howsoeuer the word Benefit be taken in another sence sometimes yet hee vsed it in that signification which it hath by Originall institution and first imposition So that the word Benefit being compounded of two simple words bene and factum signifieth a good fact or a thing well done and in this sence his setting of the crowne vpon the Emperors head might be called a benefit not as being a meere fauour or good turne but for that it was well and honourably done of him to set the Ensigne of Imperiall maiesty and power vpon the head of him to whom such power pertained and so were things at that time pacified by the good indeauor of the Cardinals and by this mild letter of the Pope But afterwards they brake out againe Whereupon the Pope wrote in this sort to the Emperor Adrian the Bishop seruant of the seruants of God to Fredericke the Romane Emperor greeting and Apostolical blessing The diuine law as it promiseth long life to them that honour their parents so doth it pronounce the sentence of death against them that curse father or mother For wee are taught by the voyce of truth that whosoeuer exalteth himselfe shall be brought low Wherefore sonne beloued in the Lord wee do not a little maruaile that you seeme not to giue so much reuerence to blessed Peter and to the holy Church of Rome as you ought to do For in your letters written to vs you put your name before ours Wherein you incurre the note of insolency that I say not arrogācy What shall I say of the fealty you promised and sware to blessed Peter how doe you obserue it when you require of them who are Gods and the sonnes of the most High to wit Bishops the doing of homage vnto you and exact fealty of them inclosing their sacred hands in your hands and manifestly opposing your selfe against vs shut not onely the doores of the Churches but the gates of the Cities of your kingdome also against our Cardinals sent as Legates vnto you from our owne side Repent repent therefore we advise thee of vs thou receiuedst thy consecration and therefore take heed lest affecting things denyed vnto thee thou lose that which is yeelded to thee To this letter of the Pope the worthy Emperour answered in this sort Fredericke by the grace of God Emperour of Romans to Adrian Bishop of the Catholick Church wishing vnto him a firme adhering and cleauing to all those things which Iesus began to do speak The law of Iustice giueth to euery one that which is his own Neither do wee offend in this behalfe for we derogate nothing frō our parents but giue vnto them in this our Imperiall state all due honour to wit to those our Noble progenitors frō whom we receiued the dignity of our kingdome and our Crowne and not frō the Pope Had Sylvester Bishop of Rome any thing pertaining to Royall state and dignity in the time of Constantine was not liberty restored to the Church and peace by his meanes And hath not your Popedome receiued all such royall dignities as it now enjoyeth from Princes And why then is it so much disliked that when wee write vnto the Bishop of Rome by ancient right and after the old manner we put our name before his and according vnto the rule of Iustice permit him writing vnto vs to doe the like Turne ouer the Histories and Monuments of Antiquity and if you haue not yet obserued it you shall there finde that which we avouch and why should wee not require homage and the performance of other duties due from subiects to Princes of them who are Gods by adoption and yet thinke it no disparagement to hold things pertaining to our Royall state especially seeing hee who was authour and beginner both of your dignity and ours who neuer receiued any thing of any mortall King but gaue all good things vnto all paide tribute vnto Caesar for himselfe and Peter and gaue you an example to doe the like either therefore let them put frō them the things they hold of vs or if they thinke it behoouefull to retaine and keepe them still let them yeeld vnto GOD the things that are GODS and to Caesar the things that are Caesars The doores of our Churches and the gates of our Cities are shut against your Cardinals because wee finde them not to bee Preachers but men desirous of a prey not Confirmers of peace but polling companions to get money not such as come to repaire the breaches of the world but greedily and insatiably to gather golde But whensoeuer wee shall see them such as the Church requireth them to bee men bringing peace enlightning their Country assisting the cause of those of meane degree in equity and right they shall want nothing that is necessary for them To conclude When you thus contend about things little pertaining to Religion and striue with secular persons about titles of honour you seeme to haue forgotten that humilitie which is the keeper of all vertues and that meeknesse that should bee in you Let your Father-hood therefore take heede lest while you moue questions about things vnworthy to be stood vpon you scandalize them who with attentiue eare listen to the wordes of your mouth wait for your speaches as for the latter raine Wee are forced thus to write vnto you because wee see the
Dioscorus Bishoppe of Alexandria was deposed by the Councell of Chalcedon Proterius sette in his place a mighty intollerable sedition grew among the people for it some affecting Dioscorus some cleauing to Proterius The people opposed themselues against the Magistrates and when they thought with strong hande to suppresse the vprore the multitude with stones beat the souldiers into the church besieged theÌ„ in it destroyed a number of them with fire and vpon the death of Martian the Emperour they chose a new B. and brought him into the church on Easter day They slew Proterius and sixe other with him in the Temple and drew his body wounded and mangled along through the quarters of the citie The like dissention grewe in the Church of Millaine after the death of Auxentius the Arrian Bishoppe but the issue was very happy for Ambrose at that time a secular Magistrate seing the diuision to be very dangerous and threatning the ouerthrow of the state of the citty entred into the Church and made an excellent Oration perswading them to peace wherwith all sides were so well pleased that with one consent they desired to haue Ambrose for their Bishoppe who was not yet baptized and the Emperour was carefull to satisfie their desire and commaunded that it should be as they had desired In the Church of Rome after Liberius Damasus succeeded in the Episcopall office whom Vrsinus a certaine Deacon of that Church not enduring to bee preferred before him waxed so madde that hauing perswaded and drawne vnto him a certaine ignorant rude Bishop and gathered together a company of turbulent and seditious persons in the church of Sicinius hee procured himselfe to be made Bishop against all order law and auncient custome From which fact proceeded so great sedition nay so great warre some of the people defending Damasus as lawfull Bishop and some Vrsinus that the places of prayer were filled with the bloud of men The people in this sort abusing their authority power were restrained by the decrees of Coucels and by the lawes of Princes and their right and power to choose their Pastours many waies limited and straitned till in the end it was wholy taken from them For first the Councell of Laodicaea forbad that elections of such as were to serue in the holy Ministery of the Church and execute the Priests office should bee left to the multitudes But that Councell was but particular and could prescribe no lawes to the whole world and therefore after this the people swayed things very much still and Leo Bishoppe of Rome after this time charged the Bishoppes to thrust none vpon the people without their consent And euen in the Romane church the election of the people continued a long time after this decree of the Councell of 〈◊〉 For Pope Nicholas the second in the Councell of Laterane in the yeare of our Lord 1059. with the consent of the whole Synode decreeth on this sorte Instructed guided by the authority of our predecessours and other holy Fathers wee decree and determine that when the Bishoppe of this Vniuersall Church of Rome dyeth first of all the Cardinall Bishops shall most diligently consult together about the election of a new and soone after they shall take vnto them the Cardinall Cleargy-men and so the rest of the Cleargie and people shall come to giue consent to the new election And because the See Apostolick is preferred before all the Churches in the world and therefore canne haue no Metropolitane ouer or aboue it the Cardinall Bishops doubtlesse supply the place of the Metropolitane and are to promote and lift vp the new elected Bishop to the top of Apostolicke heigth Yea the presence and testimony of Lay-men was not excluded in such elections a longtime after For Gregory the seuenth was elected by the Cardinals of the church of Rome Clearkes Acoluthes Subdeacons and Presbyters many Bishops Abbots others both of the Cleargy Laity being present But Christian Princes Kings and Emperours being chiefe among those of the Laity and so hauing a soueraigne consent among and ouer the rest in such elections as pertained vnto them by the right of humane fellowship and gouernment interposed themselues in these businesses and sundry wayes abridged that liberty that the people in some places tooke vnto them Zozomen noteth that after the death of Nectarius Bishoppe of Constantinople the Cleargy and people resolued to haue Chrysostome a Presbyter of Antioch a man famously renowned throughout all the Empire to bee their Bishop Which their resolution the Emperour confirmed by his assent sent and fet him and called a Councell to make his election more authenticall Likewise after the death of Sicinius though some would haue had Philip others Pâ—…clus Presbyters of that church to succeed yet the Emperour by the perswasion of certaine vaine men called a stranger thither to wit Nestorius who afterward proued an Arch-hereticke After the death of Maximianus successor to Nestorius the Emperour tooke order without delay that Proclus might bee placed in the Bishoppes chaire by the Bishops present before the body of Maximianus was buried least any variance and quarrelling might ensue Neither did the Emperours medlelesse with the election of the Bishop of Rome then of Constantinople For as Onuphrius rightly obserueth after the Gothes were driuen out of Italy by Narses the Lieutenant of the Emperour and the country subjected againe to the Empire of the East in the dayes of Iustinian the Emperour there beganne a new custome in the election of the Romane Bishoppes which was that so soone as the Bishop of that See should be dead the Cleargie and people as formerly they had done should presently choose another to succeede into his place but that he might not bee confecrated ordained by the Bishoppes till his election were confirmed by the Emperour and till he gaue leaue to ordaine him by his Letters Pattents For which confirmation a certaine summe of money was paide which it is likely Iustinian did or by his authority caused Vigilius the Bishop of Rome to doe it that the Emperor might be assured of the conditions of the newly elected Bishoppe least a factious and busie man being chosen hee might conspire with the barbarous people that then sought to encroch vpon the Empire and so cause a reuolte of the citie of Rome and the country of Italy from the Easterne Empire the Bishoppe growing great and the Emperour being farre off Vpon which constitution it came to passe that the Romanes chose for the most part such a one as they thought would be acceptable to the Emperour and of whom hee might bee perswaded that hee would attempt nothing preiudiciall to the state of the Empire the Lombards about that time or presently after troubling Italy This custome was continued till the time of Benedict the Second in whose time Constantine the Emperour for the good opinion hee had of him and loue
most blessed ones are who are in that possession it is a great question that the holy Angells are there is no question but concerning holy men departed whether they may be said to be now already in that possession it is doubtfull c. Surely it is maruaile if Saint Augustine escape the censure of Master Higgons who pronounceth it folly to doubt of these thinges Sixtus Senensis saith wee must ciuilly interpret Saint Augustine in these his sayings but Bellarmine saith directly hee sometimes doubted of the place where the soules of the iust are after death and that vpon the 36. Psalme he denyeth them to be there where after the iudgement they shall bee This is that Augustine that Master Higgons in his scurrill and ruffian-like phrase saith was not so easily to bee iaded by me as Ambrose Thinking them all Iades as it seemeth and vnfitte for such a horse-man as hee is to ride on that haue beene doubtfull or found to erre in this point if he doe I would desire to know of him what he thinketh of Irenaus who saith that the soules of men dying shall goe into an invisible place appointed for them by God and shall abide there till the resurrection attending and waiting for it and that after receiuing their bodies and perfitly rising againe that is corporally as Christ rose they shall come into the sight of God Of Iustine Martyr who saith no man receiueth the reward of the thinges he did in this life till the resurrection that the soule of the good theefe that was crucified with Christ entered into Paradise and is kept there till the day of resurrection reward that there the soules of good men doe see the humanity of Christ themselues the thinges that are vnder them and besides the Angels and Diuels Of Tertullian who saith Nulli patet coelum terrâ adhuc salvâ ne dixer im clausa that is heauen is open to none while the earth remaineth safe and whole that I say not shut vp and againe thou hast our booke of Paradise wherein wee determine that euery soule is sequestred apud inferos with them that are in the lower dwellings till the day of the Lord. Of Lactantius who will haue no man thinke that soules are iudged presently after death but that they are all detayned and kept in one common custody till the time come when the greatest iudge shall examine their workes Of Victorinus Martyr who vpon those wordes of Iohn in the Reuelation I saw the soules of the slaine vnder the Altar of God obserueth that in the time of the Law there were two Altars one of Gold within another of brasse without that as heauen is vnderstood by that golden Altar that was within to which the Priests entered onely once in the yeare so by the brasen Altar the earth is vnderstood vnder which is Infernus a region remoued from paines and fire and the resting place of the Saints in which the iust are seene and heard of the vngodly yet they cannot passe one to another Of Bernard whose opinion Alphonsus á Castro confesseth to be as I haue said Sixtus Senensis likewise but thinketh that hee is to be excused with a benigne affection because of the exceeding great number of renowned Fathers of the Church which seemed to giue authority to this opinion by their testimony amongst whom he reckoneth Ambrose for one Lastly of Pope Iohn the 22. who was violent in the maintenance of this opinion These premises considered let the Reader iudge whether Master Higgons had any cause to complaine of want of faithfullnesse and exactnesse in me in that I say that many of the Fathers thought there is no iudgment to passe vpon men till the last day that all men are holdē either in some place vnder the earth or else in some other place appointed for that purpose so that they come not into heauen nor receiue the reward of their labours till the generall iudgement and that many made prayers for the dead out of this conceipt such as that is in Iames his Liturgy that God would remember all the faithfull that are falne a sleepe in the sleepe of death since Abel the Iust till this present time For I doe not make this the ground of the generall practise and intention of the Church in her prayers as this shamelesse companion would make men beleeue SECT 5. FRom the foure Doctors of the Church and the supposed wronges offered to them he proceedeth to shew that I calumniate a worthy person to defend the inexcusable folly of our Geneuian Apostle his meaning is that I wrong Bellarmine to iustifie Calvine but what is the wrong done to the Cardinall Doctour Field saith hee accuseth Bellarmine vniustly of trifeling and sencelesse foolery in the question of prayer for the dead Let the reader take the paines to peruse the place cited by Master Higgons out of my booke and he shall finde him to bee a very false vnhonest trifeling fellow in so saying For first I doe not accuse Bellarmine of sencelesse foolery in the matter of prayer for the dead as hee vntruly reporteth against his owne knowledge but in that he seeketh to calumniate Master Caluine worthy of eternall honor in very childish sort about the name of Merit Caluine saith the Fathers were farre from the Popish errour touching merit and that yet they vsed the word whence men haue since taken occasion of errour therefore saith Bellarm hee dissenteth from all antiquity and acknowledgeth the Romane faith to be the auncient faith religion This is Bellarmines form of reasoning against Caluin if he say any thing which whether it be full of senceles foolery or not I wil refer it to the iudgment of any one that hath his sences Yet notwithstanding M. Higgons goeth on maketh a consolatory conclusion that Bell needeth not to be discontented that I haue thus wronged him seeing I haue likewise vniustly accused the Fathers But if hee may be as justly charged with foolery in his manner of reasoning against Calvin as the Fathers are truely reported to haue holden the opinion imputed to them by me as there is no question but he may I thinke this comfortable conclusion will not be very cordiall vnto him Secondly I doe not say that Bellarmine doth trifle in the question of prayer for the dead as he likewise adding one lye to another sayth I doe but in prouing the doctrine of the Romane Church that now is to be the same with that which was of olde And therefore silly Master Higgons knoweth not what he writeth But that Bellarmine doth indeede whatsoeuer this trifler sayth to the contrary egregiously trifle I will demonstrate to the Reader in such sort that neither Higgons nor any of his new masters shall be able to avoyde it Thus therefore the case standeth Bellarmine in his discourse of the notes of the Church not in the particular question
it is time for mee to looke about mee for I heare a horrible outcry as if Hanniball were at the gates of the cittie Theophilus Higgons causeth it to be proclaymed with sound of Trumpet that I haue shewed my selfe a notable trifler in the question of Purgatory and prayer for the dead to the vtter confusion of my booke and the Protestanticall Church When Moyses came downe from the Mount and heard the noyse in the Campe he sayd It was not the noyse of them that ouercome in battel nor of them that are ouercome but of singing So is this hideous clamor but the venting of the boyish vanity of a foolish youth in sporting sort calling companie to come and play with him for all that he saith will be found to be lesse then nothing The occasion of this strange out-crie is this In the Appendix to the third booke I shewe that there was nothing constantly resolued on in the Romane Church in the dayes of our Fathers before Luther beganne touching that Purgatory that is denied by vs and defended by the Papists which I haue demonstrated in such sort that this fellow hath nothing to oppose against it but flourishes of his youthfull Rhetoricke For the more cleare and perfit vnderstanding whereof the Reader must obserue that wee all acknowledge a purging out of sinne in the dissolution of soule and bodie and in the first enterance of the soule into the state of the other world But all the question is of the nature kinde qualitie of it Luther saith Bellarmine admitteth a kind of Purgatory but of most short continuance For hee supposeth that all sinnes are purged out by the dolours of death or by the very separation of soule and body wrought by death Which opinion of Luther wee all follow and the same was embraced by many in the Romane Church in the daies of our Fathers before Luther was borne who taught then as wee doe now that all veniall sinnes are done away and purged out in the moment of dissolution and in the first entrance into the other world as I haue shewed before So that concerning Purgatorie properly as it serueth to purge out the impuritie of sinne there was nothing resolued on in the daies of our Fathers but that which wee willingly admitte But the Papists at this day deny that all veniall sinnes are purged out in the dissolution of soule and body and the first enterance into the state of the other world They imagine that they are long in purging out that they are purged in materiall fire and that the place of their purging out is below in the earth nearely bordering vpon the Hell of the damned This is the true difference betweene Protestants and Papists and rightly deliuered by me howsoeuer it please Master Higgons to say I yeeld not the true difference in this matter nor propose the question as in learning and honesty it became me It is true that he saith that wee must distinguish matter of substance from matter of circumstance and that it is sufficient to haue fundamentall vnity in the first howsoeuer there may be accidentall diversitie in the second But it is a matter of substance whether all sinnefulnesse bee purged out in the moment of dissolution they deny it wee affirme it and are well assured they canne neuer proue that all our fathers agreed with them in this matter of substance and therefore Master Higgons may soone be answered when hee asketh where that man is who in the time of our fathers denied Purgatorie or shewed any doubtfulnesse therein against the essentiall Doctrine in which the true difference betwixt Papists and Protestants doth stand most eminently at this day seeing there were found very many as I haue shewed before who not onely doubted of the circumstances of materiall fire place and instruments of punishment but taught as wee doe against the Papists in the most substantiall point of all other that all sinnefulnesse is purged out of the soules of men departing hence in the state of grace not by materiall fire in a place of Purgation vnder the earth or neare Hell nor by being afflicted by the ministerie of Deuills or otherwise but by the completion of the state of grace getting full dominion in the soule vpon her diuiding from the body in the moment of dissolution Now if all impurity and staine of sinne bee purged out in the moment of dissolution by the taking away of impediments and leauing grace to her selfe that shee may fill all with her diuine effects as many of our fore-fathers beleeued and taught there is no such Purgatorie as the Papists at this day imagine If it be said that though all sinne be purged out by death in respect of the staine or sinfull impurity yet the punishment remaineth and so there is a kinde of Purgatorie wherein men are to suffer the punishments due to sinnes past though now perfectly blotted out It will easily be answered that whatsoeuer is of force to doe away all impurity of sinne offending God is likewise able to reconcile God vnto vs so perfectly as that no guilt of punishments shall remaine For seeing it is the nature of grace to expell sinne offending God and to make men acceptable to God that stood in termes of disfauour before where grace is so perfect as that it expelleth all sinfulnesse there it must needes worke and procure a perfect reconciliation with which guilt of punishment cannot stand Besides charity implieth a dislike of all that which is displeasing to God whom we loue and a sorrow that wee haue offended him therefore charitie in such perfection as is able to purge out all impuritie of sinne implieth dislike of that which in sinning was ill affected and desired before and sorrow for the same aequivalent to the pleasure and delight taken in sinning and consequently doth satisfie God in such sort as that no punishment shall come vpon him that so sorroweth Thirdly the punishments of men pure and cleane from sinne for such sinnes as they formerly committed if any such be imagined cannot be named Purgatory punishments but satisfactory onely So that if all sinfulnesse be purged our there remaineth afterwards no Purgatory properly so named Lastly if it were doubtfull in the dayes of our Fathers as Master Higgons confesseth it was whether the fire bee materiall or not in which men are to satisfie GODS displeasure what kind of suffering it is that is to satisfie whether of sorrow onely or some thing inflicted from without and likewise how long it doth continue it is evident that notwithstanding any thing resolued on in former times God may be so satisfied by the first conversion of the soule vpon her separation turning vnto him in mislike of her former misdeeds as that all guilt of punishments may be vtterly taken away in the very moment of dissolution Whence it will follow that nothing was constantly certainely and genelally resolued on in the dayes of our Fathers
without partiality and Iudge betweene vs as God shall direct thee THE FIRST PART Contayning a discouery of the vanitie of such silly exceptions as haue beene taken against the former foure Bookes by one Theophilus Higgons §. 1. THE first exception Master Higgons is pleased to take against me is that in all my foure Bookes I haue not graced any Father with the glorious title of Saint his words are these I am bold to intreat D Feildes leaue to honour Augustine with the name of Saint howsoeuer hee hath not once vouchsafed in his foure Books to grace him or any Father with this glorious title It is strange that such a novice as he is should dare to begin in so scornfull a manner with so shamelesse an vntruth as if hee had been anold practitioner in the faculty of lying but his desire it seemeth was to giue as good proofe at first as possibly hee might of the good seruice hee is like to do if his new Masters wil be pleased to make vse of him imploy him as they do others For otherwise he could not but know he might easily be convinced of a lye for I haue giuen the title of Saint to Augustine that worthy and renowned Father more then once twice or thrice I call Leo blessed Leo so giue him a title aequivalent to that of Saint more often found in the writings of the Ancient If happily it offend him that euery time I name any Father I giue him not the title of Saint let him take the paines to peruse the writings of Alexander of Hales Tho. Aquinas Scotus Durandus Waldensis Sixtus Senensis and other of that sort I doubt not but hee will soone perceiue his folly cease to be angry with me any longer vnlesse he be resolued to condemne them also This surely is a childish and a bad beginning and may make vs justly feare he will performe little in that which followeth §. 2. THat which he hath in the next place that D Humphrey and I admit try all by the Fathers is true but to no purpose for he and his consorts know right well that the Fathers make nothing for them and therefore they are soone weary of this course of tryall as often as they are brought to it as it appeared by Hardinges writing against Bishoppe Iewell For whereas the challenge was made by that worthie Bishoppe to try the matter of difference betweene the Romanists and vs not onely by discourse of reason or testimonies of Scripture wherein all the world knâ—…w our Adversaries to be too weake but by authorities of the Auncient wherein they were thought to haue more strength And whereas to that purpose hee brought out against them all the renowned Fathers and Bishoppes that lined in auncient times the decrees of Councels then holden and the report of Historians Harding could finde none to speake for him but Martialis Abdias Amphilochius such branded counterfeits nor no other proofes of his cause but the fayned Epistles of the auncient Popes and shamelesse forgeries vnder the honourable names of holy Fathers with other-like base stuffe The thing that offendeth Master Higgons in Doctor Humphrey is that he saith the Romanistes are like Thrasilaus who in a madde humour tooke all the shippes in the Atticke hauen to bee his owne though he possessed not one vessell or rather maketh the degree of their phrensie greater because they see and yet seeing dissemble that they are destitute of all defence from the Fathers Which saying of the worthy and renowned Doctor is most true and shall bee defended against a farre better man then Theophilus Higgons though childishly hee charge him with Notable and vast vntruth in this behalfe Neither shall hee nor any of his great Masters euer proue that I haue vntruely alleadged the cause why Luther Zuinglius and other at the first seemed to decline the tryall by the Fathers for the true cause was indeede as I haue alleadged the feare of the corruptions of the Fathers workes and writings and not any imagination that the Fathers generally from the beginning were in errour which is so barbarous a conceit that it cannot enter into the heart of any reasonable man Neither was it any folly in them as this wise man is pleased to censure the matter to decline the tryall by the Fathers in those times after barbarisme superstition and tyrannie had so long prevayled and almost layd waste all learning religion and liberty of the Church seeing Vincentius Lyrinensis prescribeth that after Heresies haue long preuailed growne inueterate wee shoulde flie to the Scriptures alone SECT 3. IN the third place he saith Hee was desirous to vnderstand why amongst other particulars I should esteeme it a folly and inconstancy in the Romanistes to say that Purgatory is holden by Tradition and yet proued by Scripture Which argueth that the man is either very weake in vnderstanding or else maketh himselfe more simple then indeed he is For hauing shewed that the name of Tradition sometime signifieth euery part of Christian Doctrine deliuered from one to another either by liuely voyce only or by writing sometimes such partes there of onely as were not written by them to whom they were first deliuered and that our Aduersaries so vnderstand the word in the controuersies betweene them and vs. I note it as a contradiction amongst Papistes that some of them say Purgatory is holden by Tradition in that latter sence other that it is proued by Scripture as likewise that some of them alledge for proofe of vnwritten Traditions the article of the consubstantiality of the Sonne of God with the Father and the proceeding of the holy Ghost from them both and others constantly affirme that those Articles may bee proued out of Scripture Now if to bee written and not to bee written to be holden by vnwritten Tradition or Tradition opposite to writing and to bee proued out of Scripture bee not contradictory in Master Higgons his apprehension it is no great matter of what side he be § 4. IN the Fourth place he saith I accept the rule of Saint Augustine that whatsoeuer is frequented by the vniuersall Church and was not instituted by Councels but was alwayes holden that is beleeued most rightly to be an Apostolicall tradition And that liberally I adde that whatsoeuer all or the most famous and renowned in all ages or at the least is diuers ages haue constantly deliuered as receiued from them that went before them no man doubting or contradicting it may be thought to be an Apostolical tradition Whence hee thinketh hee may conclude ineuitably by my allowance that prayer for the dead may bee thought to be an Apostolicall tradition many famous and renowned Fathers in diuers ages mentioning prayer for the dead and none disliking or reprouing it For answere whereunto I say that prayer for the resurrection publike acquittall in the day of Iudgement and perfit consummation and blisse of them that
are falne asleepe in the sleepe of death is an Apostolicall tradition and so proued by the rule of Saint Augustine and that other added by mee as likewise prayer made respectiuely to the passage hence and enterance into the other World and hereof there is no controuersie betweene vs and our Aduersaries But prayer to ease mittigate suspend or wholy take away the paines of any of them that are in hell or to deliuer men out of the supposed Purgatorie of Papists hath no proofe from either of these rules as shall appeare by that which followeth and therefore this poore nouice hath not yet learned his lesson aright nor knoweth what it is he is to proue But if he will be content to be enformed by me the thing he must proue if he desire to gratifie his new masters to maintaine the Romish cause is that all the Fathers or the most famous amongst them from the beginning of Christianity did in the seuerall Ages wherein they lived teach men to pray for the deliuerance of their friends and brethren out of the paines of purgatory which if hee will vndertake to doe hee must bring some better proofes then such as are taken from the mutuall dependance and coniunction of Purgatory and prayer for the dead which yet principally hee seemeth to vrge For many Catholicke Christians whom this Gentleman must not condemne made prayers for such as they neuer deemed to bee in Purgatory Neither did the ancient Catholicke Church as he fondly imagineth in her prayers and oblations for the dead intend to releeue soules temporally afflicted in a penall estate but in her generall intention whatsoeuer priuate conceites particular men had desired onely the resurrection publicke acquitall and perfect consummation and blessednesse of the departed and respectiuely to the passage hence and entrance into the other world the vtter deletion and full remission of their sinnes the perfect purging out of sinne being in or immediately vpon the dissolution in the last instant of this life and the first of the next and not while the soule and body remaine conioyned This is strongly proued because the most auncient amongst the Fathers make but two sortes of men dying and departing out of this world the one sinners the other righteous the one prophane the other holy so Dionysius in his Hierarchie so Epiphanius against Aerius so Ambrose in his booke De bono mortis and Cyrill of Hierusalem in his Catechisme all of them teach that the soules of the Iust are in a joyfull happie and good estate and present with God in an excellent sort immediatly vpon their dissolution ◅nimā departure hence Obdormitio sanctorum saith Dionysius est in laetitia spe immobili quia peruenerunt ad finem certaminum norunt se totos percepturos Christi-formem requiem that is The falling a sleepe of the holy ones is in ioy gladnesse and immoueable hope because they are come to the end of their combates and againe they know they shall altogether bee partakers of the rest of Christ beeing come to the end and bound of this life so that they are filled with holy ioy and gladnesse and with great delight and pleasure enter the way of the most happy regeneration Wherevpon the friends and kinsmen of any faithfull man departed when they carry him to his bedde of rest pronounce him blessed as indeede hee is hauing obtayned the wished end of victory and send forth Hymnes of gratulation to GOD that hath made him a conquerour and praying that they also may be admitted into the like rest carry him to the Bishoppe to be crowned with garlandes who prayseth the departed as beeing in a most happy condition and amongst other the party presently dead as beeing a companion of Saints and partaker of like happinesse with them After this his body is layde vp with other already fallen a sleepe in the Lord comfortable places of Scripture are read touching the resurrection and blessed hope of the iust and the Bishoppe prayeth GGD to forgiue vnto him all his sinnes committed through humane infirmitie and to place him in the land of the liuing in the bosomes of Abraham Isaac and Iacob Thus doth Dionysius teach that the soules of all faithfull ones are at rest with GOD immediatly vpon their departure hence and yet sheweth that the Bishoppe was wont to pray for the departed at the time hee was brought to his bed of rest which thinges seeming not well to agree together hee demaundeth what good the prayer of the Bishoppe doth the dead seeing euery one shall receiue the rewardes of the things he did in this life whether good or bad and prayers haue no force to put any man after death into any other estate then that hee is worthy of when he dieth Whereunto he answereth that by desiring wishing that good to the departed which GOD hath promised and of his mercy vndoubtedly will doe vnto them he accompanieth them to the presence of GOD and the place of rest which hee hath appointed for them solemnely convaying them thither with his desires and as hauing the power of binding and loosing and discerning betweene the holy and prophane separateth in a sort by the solemne good wishes hee sendeth after them such as GOD hath adjudged to eternall happinesse from other not partakers of like pretious hope with them admitting the one as deare vnto GOD by way of declaration and convoy into their resting place and rejecting the other So that the prayers Dionysius speaketh of were made respectiuely to the departure hence and first enterance into the other world were nothing else but an accōpanying of the faithfull departed to the Throne of God with desire of that vtter deletion of sinne and full remission of the same which is not to bee found but in the dissolution of soule and body and in the first enterance into the other world but of any relieuing men temporally afflicted in a penall estate after this life hee neuer dreamed Irenaeus is of opinion that the soules of the faithfull goe into a certaine invisible place and are there stayed till the Resurrection but of Purgatory as Erasmus noteth hee maketh no mention Iustine Martyr teacheth that after the departure out of the body there is presently a separation made betweene the soules of the just and the vnjust and that they are carryed into places worthy of them and fitte for them that is to say the soules of the just into Paradise where they enjoy the company of Angels and Archangels as also the sight of our Saviour IESVS CHRIST but those of the vnjust and wicked into infernall places Tertullian sayth There is a place whether the soules of good and euill men are carryed and where they haue a kinde of fore-judging and discerning of that which shall be adjudged to them in the last judgement And againe hee sayth That euery soule immediatly vpon the departure hence is in this appointed invisible place hauing