for the remission of sins This profession of our faith is confirmed by the words of Christ which are written by the Evangelists and Holy Paul Unto this profession may be added this body of Christ and his blood should according to the institution of Christ and his Church should be taken in both kindes of bread wine in remembrance of his death and of his blood shed as he said Doe this in remembrance of mee Then this death of Christ as it is declared in the Gospel and the fruits of his death should be preached as also the hope of his blood shed as the Apostle witnesseth saying So oft as ye eat of this bread and drink of this cup ye shall shew forth the Lords death untill He come Thirdly according to the sure knowledge of spiritual truth of which the Euangelist John doth write as also for assurance of giving taking using and of truth by faith in hope as the Lord saith Take and eat Take and drinke Fourthly for the conjunct use for according to the institution and practise of Christ and the primitive Church the Priest should then administer when the necessity of believers requireth and he should receive with them as He saith Doe yee this in remembrance of mee And Paul saith The cup which we blesse is it not the communication of the blood of Christ and the bread which we break is it not the partaking of the body of Christ for wee many are one bread and one body who are partakers of that one bread and one cup. Fifthly for distinction of believers from the unbelievers and unworthy and for excommunication and rebuke of those who being defiled with the spot of vices do refuse to amend Of this saith Paul I would not have you partakers with the Devils yee can not drinke of the cup of the Lord and the cup of Devils And again he saith Put away the evill from yourselves for if any who is called a brother among you be covetous or a fornicator or an idolater or a dronkard or a railer or a thief with such a one eat ye not Behold this is our faith most Gracious King concerning the body and blood of Christ which as we are afraid to change or forsake these things which our Lord JESUS hath been pleased to testifie and for which end we doe now declare it so neither dare we add any thing unto it which the Lord of the Sacrament hath not added as also the primitive Church which followed Christ in poverty and affliction in singleness of heart hath not altered the ordinances of his law Concerning this Sacrament which our Lord through his great mercy hath ordained for love of his elect have many contentions arisen in opinions expositions and addition of sanctions or decrees so that contrary unto the intention of the Lord's institution they have furiously raged against others even to take away their lives But we for eschuing so great mischief have our refuge unto the faith of Christ even unto his words and meaning so often repeated in his word so that what He commanded to believe we do believe it simply and what He hath commanded to do we would do it faith fully truly we doe not only believe that that bread is His body which being taken and blessed and broken He testifieth to be his body but also if He had taken a stone and said This is my body we would have fully believed it Because of this our simple faith and because we will not suffer ourselves to forsake it for the opinion of men wee are called hereticks likwise for the actuall use unto which the word of Christ and his Apostles and the example of the work of the same sacrament doe invite us because we doe and use it so with upright faith in remembrance of the death of Christ wee are condemned judged worthy of prison and are afflicted for wee being tied unto Christs command and dissuaded by his forbidding doe worship him with reverence and honour due unto him and we feare to worship any other thing as him only sitting at the right hand with the Father and the Holy Ghost Wherefore gracious King let your highness understand that we do so not in contumacy or any contempt but for feare of God and in obedience unto him and wee pray that your Highness would shew compassion on us who are condemned for the faith of Christ as wee wish that the most High would of his grace be pleased to preserve and keep your honour from his wrath By the same faith we believe that the ordination of priests is truly from the high Bishop and great priest that in stead of the embassage of Christ the ministery preaching of the gospell doctrine judging offering of prayers by men thanksgivings and praises may be done unto God by them And it is from God unto men that the promise of God may be verified in hope of the received true faith and by excommunication the wicked may be debarred from that good And by the same faith wee confesse that the promises of God may be verified in hope of the received true faith and by excommunication the wicked may be debarred from that good And by the same faith wee confesse that they who intend to ordain others should follow the example of Christ and should consummate his ambassage with a right mind without respect of persons free from covetousness and simony By the same faith we declare that they which are to be ordained or promoted to higher or inferior orders should excell other believers in a godly life and faith in Christ for a lively faith sanctifieth and maketh fit unto all offices and possesseth the blessing and life for good works of an honest conversation are the garments and ornaments of a priest to the glory of the heavenly Father and example of the people and shew the vertue of the word they should also have more aboundant gifts of the Holy Spirit to wit more servent love toward Christ confidence of their own and their nieghbours salvation trust in God equity of mind a wholsome feeling of faith in a good conscience theire feet prepared unto the Gospell of peace prudence of Spirit knowledge of Gods law discerning of Spirits and the like What clerck soever by such an ordination is advanced unto the priesthood wee professe that such an ordination is a Sacrament because it is a signe of the true priesthood of Christ Jesus and of his ordination by God the Father and a forme of the ministry as of the head of his Church to offer unto God the incense of truth in Christ Wee approve that three things are necessary unto the full gradation of a presbyter first the the triall of his life faith gifts and fidelity in lesser things that are intrusted unto him another prayers with fasting thirdly the giving of power with words suitable there unto and the imposition of hands for corroboration By faith wee doe testify that marriage is a lawfull honest and
the Emperor since it was a question of marches and jurisdiction 4. By an express Canon it is provided that whom the Pope shall excommunicate the Patriarch shall not receive and the Pope should not receive any whom the Patriarch shall excommunicate By this Canon all appellation from the Patriarch is taken away Lastly Photius keeps the place continually before the Roman Legates Therefore Pope John accursed Photius again and so the schism between and greater schism the Greeks and Latines was renued and till this day was never taken away John sate 10 years 12. MARTIN the II came unto the Papacy by evil arts and did nothing worthy of memory because it pleased God that Princedoms wickedly conquered have not true glory the only food of a good Prince Platin. He sate 1 year 13. HADRIAN the III perswaded the people that they should not The Emperour is debarred from the election await the Emperour's authority the election of the clergy and people being sufficient Platina addeth He was bold to do so because the Emperour was fettered in wars against the Normans and this was the first time that the Emperour was debarred from the election of the Pope and a Decree was made that the suffrages of the clergy and people is sufficient But this Decree continued but a short space as followeth he made another Decree if Charls do die without succession the Empire shall return to the Italians This he did in favour of Albert Marquess of Tuscia who had advanced him unto the Papacy He sate 1 year 14. STEPHEN the VI but called the V did nothing worthy of memory He ordained that the Roman Canons should all without exception be necessarily received of all men Grat. dist 19. cap. Enim verò He sate six years After him was much strife and within nine years were nine Popes 15. FORMOSUS was set up against the mind of the people who did A question for the consecration of this Pope strive for Sergius a Deacon but Mars and money prevailed He was one of those who conspired against Pope John and when John was setled he left his Bishoprick and fled into France The Pope summoned him to return and for not appearing he excommunicated him At last he returned and consented to his own degradation and swore that he should never enter within the Gates of Rome nor seek a Bishoprick but abide a Secular his Oath was written and he subscribed it Pope Martin released him of his Oath and restored him to his Bishoprick and now he attains the Papacy by bribery more than vertue saith Platina After his election question was for his consecration some did object a Canon of Pope Martin which now is in Grat. dist 50. cap. Qui semel Who once shall fall after his ordination and be deposed he may enjoy no degree of Priesthood but Formosus had been Canonically deposed and had subscribed it and swore to continue a Secular On the other side it was answered he was absolved from his oath and deprivation and received Canonically by the same Pope It was so hot that Formosus sent unto the Emperour Arnulph for aid who came as is touched Of him and his Successours saith Platina I cannot know by what destiny it hapned that the vertue and integrity of Popes failed with the courage of the Emperours these times were most unhappy since according to the judgement of Plato the people in a Common-Wealth are like to the Princes Formosus sate 5 years but some say 1 year The other short lived Popes I refer unto the next Century CHAP. III. Of Divers Countries 1. THe Emperour Charls the Great did his best for advancing Schools The manners of the Clergy and learning his indeavours were not in vain for we find more learned men in this Century then in the eighth but many of them who were highest in advancement were given to pride luxury and worldly delights As is touched before Lewis the I did observe and tax their pompous vestiments which are seldom joined with zeal and diligent watchfulness over God's flock And they were so far from following wholsom admonition that some of them conspired against him who was called the Godly But I leave observations and hasten unto the story 2. Claudius Taurinens or as some call him Bishop of Turin was diffamed Against the worship of Images as an Heretick by Theodomire an Abbot who did delate him unto the Pope He writ his own Apology a part of it is in Catal. test ver lib. 9. That it may appear wherefore he was accused and how godly men have been traduced from time to time I have transcribed a part of his Apology it beginneth thus Thine Epistle with some other Chapters full of pratling and foolishness I have received ... Wherein thou saiest that thou art troubled because the report hath gone of me from Italy thorow all France into the uttermost parts of Spain as if I taught a new Sect contrary unto the Catholick saith which is altogether most false but it is no wonder that the limbs of the Divel have spoken so of me since they called our Head himself a deceiver and Daimoniack for I broach not a Sect I proclaim and teach the truth but so far as I can I do beat down all Sects Schisms and Heresies and according to my ability I shall not cease with God's help to fight against them ..... I destroy that which men do worship For since it is said expressly that no similitude should be made of any thing in Heaven above or on earth it is understood to be spoken not only of strange Gods but of heavenly creatures also it is not a little to be considered that if the works of God should not be adored or worshipped far less should the works of mans hand be worshipped and adored neither are they for their honour whose similitude they are Why castest thou thy self into the danger of death with a senceless image which thou worshippest Why fallest thou by it and with it in the condemnation of the dead ..... But these Worshippers of false religion and superstition say For remembrance of our Saviour we worship and adore the Cross which is painted and framed unto his honour .... God hath bid do one thing and they do another God hath commanded to bear the Cross and they adore the Cross they will adore it because they will not bear it bodily nor spiritually To worship God in this manner is to depart from him against them it is to be answered if they will worship every tree made in form of the Cross because Christ did hang on it so did Christ many other things in the flesh let all Virgins be worshipped because he was born of a Virgin let cribs also be worshipped .... and old cloaths and Asses These things are also ridiculous and rather to be lamented then written we are compelled to propound against these foolish men and throw against these stony hearts not arrows or sentences of
Writer of the Historie saith lib. 2. there was great contention concerning the Latine Translation and in the end they did conclude that it is to be approved as authentical yet so that they who are more diligent should not be forbidden to quench their thirst out of the Hebrew and Greek Fountains And after that Councel two other Editions were published by Pope Sixtus the V. and Clemens the VIII with infinite alterations as followeth in the 16. Century 11. The Popes did indeavour to take libertie of marriage from the Clergie The single life of Church men is opposed and where they could prevail adulterie and murther of babes was multiplied as is touched In sundrie Nations great opposition was made for Arnulph Bishop of Metensis was the father of Anchises the father of Pipin Britain would not receive this bondage In Creet John a Priest had a wife and therefore was reproved by Pope Vitalian What may I speak of one Greek The Greeks are for the most part married untill this day In the fourth Councel at Toledo Cap. 43. Marriage was approved and Fornication prohibited More of this hereafter 12. Divers Nations then received the faith the Gothi and Suevi in Spain Some Nations hear of Christ forsook Arianism by authoritie of their King Reccared Ghent brake down the Altar of Mercurius whom they had served and began to serve the true God by the preaching of Amand a French-man an 613. who was exiled for reproving King Dagobert of luxurie and venerie Other Flandrians were converted by his Countrie man Aegidius an 649. The sound of the word had been through the world but the Nations persevered not and being instructed but in few persons Paganism continued and the Barbarians disturbing the Realms did also disturb the estate of religion 13. In that Centurie lived sundrie Divines although not equal to their forefathers John Bishop of Alexandria called the Almons an 610. who for Some worthy men his rare example of hospitalitie and bountifulness to the poor is no less worthy to have place amongst good men than he is followed of few He was wont at all occasions to propound unto the people questions out of the Scriptures because multitude of heresies were then on foot and he exhorted the people to propound their doubts unto him If any did presumptuously move curious questions he could cunningly turn to another more profitable When any of the unlearned moved trivial doubts he accepted them calmly and commanded that thereafter such persons should not be admitted to the end others seeing such men checked should be the more wary In the daies of Boniface the IV. John Bishop of Gerunden a Spaniard was instructed at Constantinople in the languages and reading of Scriptures thence he returning into his Countrie did with dexteritie refute the heresie of Arrius and therefore was exiled to Barchinona but after the death of the Arrian King Lemungild he returned and wrote many books Of the same country was Europius Bishop of Valentia worthy of remembrance for godliness of life and sinceritie of faith Then also lived Ildefonsus Bishop of Toledo who as another Augustine is called the Hammer of Hereticks France did never want famous witnesses of the Gospel at that time was the fore-named Arnulph Bishop of Metensis Projectus a Martyr in Aquitania an 610. Eustathius Abb. Luxovien the Disciple of Columban an 624. Modoald Bishop of Trevers Renald the successour of the above-named Amand we have heard of Serenus Bishop of Marsilia where succeeded Projectus who is said to have suffered martyrdom in agro Cameracen an 678. Eustasius a Preacher in Bavier an 640. Lambert Bishop of Tungri was put to death an 658. because he rebuked Pipin for marrying another wife the first being yet alive Dodo the brother of the second wife was the Executioner and shortly thereafter died of vermine Ulfranius Bishop of Senonen hath been a diligent labourer in the Lord's harvest in Frisia an 660. Leodagarius Bishop of Augustodunen suffered death at the command of Theorick King of France because he oft reproved him of tyrannie Victor Bishop of Carthage an 646. writing to Pope Theodore retains the old Titles saying Unto the most blest and honourable Lord his holy brother Theodore Pope the works of your most blessed brother-hood are acceptable unto God c. There he affirmeth that all the Apostles were of equal authoritie and honour 14. Isidorus Bishop of Hispala called the latter did write many books of the Christian faith and the History from Adam untill his own time 624. Isidor Hispalen he hath many errours but in many things is sound In his book de summo bono cap. 28. he saith In the holy Scriptures as on high mountains both the learned find sublimities of knowledge whereunto as Harts they may lift up the steps of their contemplation and the simple men as lesse Wights may find mean things for their capacitie to which they may humbly have refuge the holy Scripture seems unto the babes of understanding to be base in words in respect of the historie but it wadeth more deeply with the more learned opening unto them the mysteries thereof and it remains common to the learned and unlearned Lib. 7. etymolog cap. 9. Peter received his name from the Rock which is Christ on whom the Church is built the Rock hath not the name from Peter but Peter from the Rock therefore the Lord saith Thou art Peter and upon this Rock which thou hast confessed will I build my Church for the Rock was Christ upon which Peter himself was built Lib 8. cap. 5. he noteth it as a fault in the old Catharists that they did glorie in their merits and that they denied forgiveness of sins to the penitent Lib. 6. cap. 19. The Sacraments are baptism and chrism the bodie and blood of Christ Here he nameth but two because the custom was then to anoint them who were baptized De offic lib. 1. cap. 18. Bread because it strengthneth the bodie is therefore called Christ's bodie and Wine because it worketh blood in the flesh therefore it hath relation to Christ's blood these two are sensible but being sanctified by the Holy Spirit are changed into the Sacrament of the Lord's body The Papists now in our daies would gather out of these words Transubstantiation but hereafter God willing it shall appear that neither word nor thing was thought upon in 500. years after that time and Isidore saith Transeunt in Sacramentum And de doctrin fide art 33. saith That marriage is evil or to be compared with fornication and to believe that meat is evil or the cause of evil unto the eaters is not Christian but properly Manichean or Encratitish 15. Agrestin was Clark to King Theodorick and then entred the Abbey Lexovien with all his Wealth he became wearied of the superstitious rites Agrestin and left the Abbey Then he went to Aquileia which for that time was not under the yoke of the Romish Pope and
XIII the son of Albericus succeeded How old this father of fathers could be may be gathered by supputation of years when Hugh was expelled Albericus was but a boy and till this time were not passed 20 years neither was this Octavius or Pope John his fathers eldest son as Baronius hath marked and therefore he saith He who could not be a Deacon for age like a Stage-player acteth the Pope and nevertheless saith he consent made him Pope for it is a lesser evil to have a monstrous head then to be infamous with two heads And a little after he preferred this Pope above others which were chosen Canonically by the Clergy Let Platina tell what he was One saith he defiled from his infancy with all shame and filthiness given to hunting if he could spare any time from his luxury more then to prayer By the advice of the Senate he sent for Otho against Berengarius and when he was releeved he practised against his redeemer therefore as is before he was deposed and restored again by the Romans And immediately even in these same daies saith Platin. the most wicked man was judged to be strucken of God lest the Church had been wasted with a schism Some write saith he that this Monster was taken in the act of adultry and killed But he was intruded at that time by his father powerfully and delighting himself with another man's wife died suddenly without repentance Sigebert saith Sine viatico Fascic temp saith Behold O everliving God how unlike are they unto former Bishops O the depth of God's judgments who can search them out Let Bellarmin excuse him among the rest and pass him over in silence Platina saith he was worse then any Pope before him but he saith not and worse then any after him for worse Popes are coming Onuphrius on that place of Platina saith He first changed his name because he thought not his Christian name honourable enough but we have heard that others have done the like He sate 10 years 23. BENEDICT the V was chosen by the Romans although Leo the VIII who was advanced by the great Synod was yet alive wherefore Otho returned to Rome in wrath and restored Leo as is before 24. LEO the VIII sitting now peaceably did renounce in favour of the Emperour and his Successours all the Donations of Justinian of Charls the The Pope's resignation of former Donations Great of his son Lewis The words of the Bull in Crantz Saxon. lib. 4. cap. 10. are Leo Bishop the servant of God's servants unto Otto our spiritual son in Christ the Emperour Augustus and unto all his Successours Emperours and Kings of Italy Whatsoever the Lord Charls King of France and Lombardy and Patricius Romanus as also his father Pipin have given of the Royalty of this Kingdom of Italy unto blessed Peter the Apostle in the Church of Rome whether they were given by instruments by the Notary Etherius or whether they came by Oaths or Donations or any other way from Justinian Emperour or King Arithpert all these things we give and adjudge unto you Otto Emperour and to Alheida your wife and consort of the Empire and unto your consorts and successours of this Kingdom of Italy for ever being present the holy Evangelists and many Patronages of the Saints ....... that ye may have and possess all these things for ever for the uses of your Court the Military affairs and to fight against Pagans and Rebels of the Roman Empire and therefore by authority of this instrument we confirm and strengthen unto your posterity from generation to generation for ever and if any shall destroy this our authority and be found to violate it or do contrary unto it let him know that he shall fall under the wrath of blessed Peter Prince of the Apostles and our wrath and of all our Predecessours And moreover if he repent not of the evil let him be liable unto the Julian Law of Laese Majestatis c. After the solemn form fiat fiat this Bull was subscribed by all the Arch-Bishops Bishops Cardinals Priests and Deacons chief Officers of the Roman Church by the Consuls also Exconsuls Senatours and civil Lords and by all which by subscribing could give any confirmation The names fill up a page This Bull was kept at Florence for the use of the Emperour as Henry token a Canon of Magdeburg witnesseth in Catal. test ver lib. 11. Onuphrius proveth that this Leo was a lawfull Pope And whatsoever can be said against the Bull or Instrument Crantz li. cit cap. 11. saith It is more authentical and legal then that Decree of Constantine's Donation in longa Palea This Leo sate 2 years 25. JOHN the XIV was not chosen till Otho sent his Messengers unto the election as also this Pope did in other things reverence the Emperour and for this cause Peter Captain of the City two Consuls and the Elder men whom they call Decarchones and others rose against him they laid hands on him in the Lateran Church and kept him in Prison 11 moneths The Emperour made hast to Rome and put all the above-named persons in Prison till the cause was examined and then the Consuls were exiled into Germany the Elder men were hanged and Peter was given unto the pleasure of the Pope who caused him to be stript naked to shave his beard and hang him by the hair a whole day and set him upon an Ass with his hands under her tail then so to be led through the City in the mean time being scourged with rods and lastly banished out of the City After this manner did this Ghostly Father obey the Gospel Love your enemies saith Platina This Pope did first baptize Bells he called the great Bell in Lateran John He sate 7 years 26. BENEDICT the VI succeeded in place and miseries he was taken by Cintius Captain of the City and cast into the Prison of malefactors where he was strangled or as others say famished in the 18. moneth But I fear saith Platina that the reward of Benedict was according to his merits since none hath written that his death was revenged and Otho is accounted a very good man and a most ready defender of the Roman Church 27. DONUS the II sate one year without doing any thing worthy of record 28. BONIFACE the VII came to the Papacy by unlawfull means Platin When he saw that the Citizens conspired against him he hid himself and seeing no appearance of tranquility he stole all the Ornaments of Saint Peter's Church and fled into Constantinople Then 29. BENEDICT the VII was set up by the Romans Otho was offended that they had transgressed the Acts made in his fathers time he hastned to Rome and exerced severity against the rebellious Romans they in suffering deserved death did take unto themselves the name of Martyrs But Fasc temp maketh a distinction they were killed as some in the primitive Church were killed alike punishment but not alike cause Benedict
they have done if they had lived in the days of Domician Decius c. Avenii lib. cit who recordeth many other Synods condemning that faction As also Sigebert a Monck of Gemblac who hath continued the Epitome of Jerom and hath briefly written the History of the Church from the year 381. untill 1112 there he noteth many errors of the Popes namely That they presume to absolve Subjects from their Allegiance unto their Princes He saith of them False Prophets false Apostles and false Priests have arisen who deceive the People with a false Religion and dare advance themselves above all that is worshipped while they seek to establish their own power and dominion they have put away Christian charity and simplicity 13. When Bishops and Priests became Monarchs some Monarchs became Reformation of some Countreys Pastors as Olaus King of Norway and Steuchilus King of Sweden taught their Subjects the Word of God Herman Contractus Count of Vering infirm in body was admired in the knowledge of the Greek Arabick and Latin tongues singular in Philosophy especially Astronomy Rhetorick Poesie and Divinity Jo. Lampad in Mellifi remembreth also that some Germans were then persecuted for denying Purgatory the bodily presence of Christ in the Eucharist and the worship of Images Ecbert a Monck wrote against them and contemptuously called them Cathari or Puritans the Emperors also and the Popes made Constitutions against them The People Heneti were compelled to receive Bishops and Priests in the days of Otho I. but after his death they killed the Bishops they threw down the Churches and returned to Idolatry Henry III. restoreth the Christian Religion and erecteth Bishopricks among them Io. Pap. in Hist Convers After the death of Steven King of Hungary were sturrs there for many years in the year 1045. the Princes of the Kingdom being vexed by the severity of King Peter sent for Andrew Bela and Leventa which were of the kinâ—ed of Steven and banished into Bohem and Poland The King understanding this Plot did cause to be hanged Viâ—ca Bua and Buchna three chief men and punished others cleaving unto them other ways For this cause the Nobles convening at Canad sent for Andrew and Leventa again with solemn promises and oath to bring the Kingdom into their obedience So soon as they came all the People came unto them at Novum Castrum demanding first to permit the People to live after the ancient way of their Fathers in Paganism to kill the Bishops and Clergy to forsake Christianism and worship their Idols which was granted The chief of them Vacha began in the Castle Belos and his Son gathereth Socerers and Soothsayers by whose inchantments he purchaseth the Peoples favor Then the People threw down the Churches and killed all the Latin and Dutch Priests cruelly Likewise Andrew and Leventa levieth an Army against the Christians And four Bishops Gerard Bistrit Buld and Beneth and Zehung Count of Alba meet together in the Church of God where Gerard saith Brethren fellow Bishops and other believers here present we shall to day go with the Crown of Martyrdom unto our Lord Jesus Christ for this night I saw the Lord Jesus Christ communicating unto us the Sacrament of his body and blood After Mass they went with the King and his Army and were killed at Pesch and the King was taken and brought to Alba where he died ann 1047. Then Andrew was crowned and so soon as he was free from enemies he enacted a Law That all Hungarians should renounce Paganism under pain of death and himself did profess the faith in Christ Nevertheless the Emperor Henry went down the Danube with a great Army and besiedgeth the Castle Pesch some Hungarians in the night-time boareth all the Emperor's Ships under the water and drowned them so that the Army was weakened Naucler Gener. 35. And in Gener. 36. he shews how the Emperor sought peace and hardly obtained it for continuing peace they did agree that Solomon King Andrew's Son should marry Sophia the Emperor's Daughter But then Bela the King's Brother made a new insurrection and by help of the Polonians invades the Kingdom and prevails so that Andrew was killed and Solomon fled into Germany and Bela was crowned at Alba Immediately he calleth a Parliament for setling and ordering the Kingdom Many of the common People especially the Countrey men say unto the King Grant unto us to live after the maner of our Fathers in Paganism to put away Bishops and Priests and to retain our Tithes and to lay waste the Churches The King was amased and craves a delay for three days On the third day the chief of the multitude come for the answer At the King's command Soldiers fall upon them and then invade the multitude and when some of them were killed others cry for mercy and renounce Paganism By conferring the former part with this it appears that two things especially did hinder the Reformation of the Heathens at that time to wit They had Latin Priests who did the Service in an unknown language and they took it ill to be burthened with payment of Tithes and moreover Religion was pressed upon them by the sword In time of the wars twixt the Emperor Henry and the Saxons Mistiwoi a Prince of the Wandals did so approve himself unto D. Bernard that he did espouse unto him his Sister Before the day of marriage Tiaderik a Marquess said unto the Duke It was a base thing to give such a Lady unto a dog So soon as this was reported unto Mistiwoi he said Are we then dogs is this the reward of our trouble if we be dogs we will let them feel our madness The Wandals then renounce Christianity and profess hostility against Christians at Aldenburgh they made their sport with sixty Priests they destroy Hamburgh and the Bishop Benno escapes with his life they expel the Marquess of Brandeburgh out of all his Lands Duke Bernard levieth an Army against them and the Emperor sent aid unto him In this fight Mistiwoi was killed and the Wandals were brought into payment of their former tribute But for eighty years they were not sincere in Religion saith Al. Crantz in Saxo. li. 4. c. 34. In the days of the Emperor Conrad Mistiwoi Duke of Poland did renounce the faith and raising an Army made great havock in Germany twixt the Rivers Sala and Albe destroyed many Churches and Monasteries and killed many thousand men When he heard that the Emperor was preparing against him he returns with his spoil Loc. cit c. 36. 14. About the year 980. Theodor Bishop of Antioch besought the Emperor Of the Manichees John Zimisca to remove the Manichees who called themselves Cathari and Pavacimi into some remote place because they overspread all and infected many with their Heresies The Emperor transports many of them into Philippopolis in Thracia where Alexius Commenus Emperor in the days of Henry IV. caused dispute with them and by information did prevail with many of them
the death of my Lord Jesus Christ betwixt thee and my wicked merits and I offer the merit of his most worthy passion for the merit that I should have had and alas I have it not Say again O Lord I lay the death of my Lord Jesus Christ betwixt thy wrath and me Then let him say thrice Into thy hands O Lord I commend my spirit Ia. Vsser de succes Eccles c. 7. sheweth from Cas Vlenberg lib. causar caus 14. that all Christendom received this form of questioning the sick from this Anselm but it hath been changed from time to time In the Book Institutio baptizandi aliaque Sacramenta administrandi ex decreto concilii Tridenti restituta printed at Lions ann 1598. at that part de recommendatione anima are the same questions and answers but there are set first these Believest thou dear brother all the Articles of the Faith and all the holy Scripture according to the exposition of the holy and Catholique Doctors Ans I believe Doest thou detest and refuse all Heresies and Superstitions which are damned and disallowed by the holy Mother the Catholique Church Ans I do disallow Instead of these two questions the above-named Jesuit reporteth ex Bibliotheca Vaticana thus If he be a secular man he should be demanded so Believest thou these things that belong unto Christian faith in so far as they be determined by the Church Ans I believe And in the end he saith These things being finished Anselm saith Without doubt the sick man shall be saved Observe Here is no word of Purgatory nor of saying Masses for him after death But the most remarkable difference is in Index Expurgat set forth by Cardinal Quiroga there it is ordered to blot away or leave out these questions Believest thou that our Lord Jesus Christ died for our salvation and that none can be saved by his own merits or any other way but by the merit of his passion And where it was said in Or do baptizandi printed at Venice ann 1575. at the end of these questions We need not dispair of his salvation which with his heart believeth and with his mouth confesseth these questions that Index ordereth to leave out these words also By this form and the changes of it we may see how the Papists have changed their faith especially in this main cordial for a sick soul The same Anselm wrote two Books etituled Cur Deus homo against some The reasonableness of redemption by Christ whom he calleth Infidels And it appeareth certainly unto me these have been the Fore-fathers of the Socinians and that Socinus have gathered the most part of their quirks out of these Books but as the man hath been wickedly minded he hath not taken to heart what Anselm hath answered unto these Infidels I studying brevity will onely repeat some of the answers except onely the first objection Lib. 1. c. 2. The Objector saith As right order requireth that we should believe the profound things of Christian faith before we presume to search them by reason so it seemeth to be negligence if after we be confirmed in the faith we endeavor not to know what we do believe wherefore as by the preveening grace of God I think that I know the faith of our redemption so that albeit I cannot comprehend by reason what I do believe yet nothing shall be able to pull me away from the certainty thereof I crave that thou wouldest declare unto me which many others do crave as thou knowest upon what necessity and reason hath God seeing he is Almighty assumed the baseness and weakness of humane nature for the restoring of us This is the main objection and the preamble of it condemneth implicite faith Anselm answereth cap. 3. We do neither wrong nor reproach to God but giving thanks with all our heart we do praise and set forth the unspeakable altitude of his mercy that how much the more wonderously and above all imagination he hath restored us from so great and so deserved wickedness wherein we were unto so great and so undeserved benefits which we had lost he hath set forth the greater love and pity toward us for if they would diligently consider how conveniently the restauration of man is procured after this maner they would not jeer at our simplicity but with us they would commend the wise bountifulness of God for it was necessary that as by the disobedience of a man death entered into mankinde so by the obedience of a man life should be restored and as sin which was the cause of our damnation had its beginning from a woman so the Author of our righteousness and salvation should be born of a woman and as the divel overcame man whom he perswaded by eating of a tree so a man should overcome him by suffering whereof he was the author on a tree Cap. 4. Is not this a necessary reason why God should do these things seeing his so precious a work mankinde was altogether lost nor was it fitting that what God hath propounded concerning man should be altogether annulled nor could his purpose be brought to pass unless mankinde had been delivered by the Creator himself Cap. 5. Whatsoever other person had delivered man from everlasting death man might be judged to be a servant unto that person and if it were so man had not at all been restored unto that dignity which he had had if he had not sinned seeing he which should have been the servant of God onely and equal unto the good Angels in every respect should have been a servant unto one which is not God and whose servants the Angels are not C. 8. The will of God when he hath done a thing should be a sufficient reason unto us albeit we see not why he hath done so nor should any think it contrary to reason when we confess that God hath done these things which we believe of the Incarnation And they understand not what we believe for we affirm without any doubt that the divine nature cannot suffer nor in any respect can be brought from his Celsitude nor hath any difficulty in whatsoever he will do But we say that our Lord Jesus Christ is very God and very man one person in both natures and two natures in one person wherefore when we say that God was humbled and suffered weakness we understand it not according to his imsuffering nature but according to the infirmity of humane nature which he had assumed and so it is clear no reason is against our faith for thus we do not understand any humiliation of the divine substance but we declare that there is but one person of God and man nor did God the Father deal with that man so as you seem to understand or give an innocent unto death for the guilty for he did not force him unto death against his will nor suffered him to be killed but he himself did willingly suffer death to the end he might save us from death
it not of his own and so it is But what necessity required or what reason was there that seeing the mercy of God could by his onely word have delivered man yet the Son should assume flesh for our redemption and suffer so much even the ignominious death of the Cross We answer The necessity was on our part even the hard necessity of them who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death And the reason was the good pleasure of him who did it Who can deny that the Almighty had other ways to redeem justifie and deliver but this cannot priviledge the efficacy of this way which he hath chosen and possibly this is better by which we in this land of oblivion and of our fall are admonished the more powerfully and livelily of so many and so great grievances of our Redeemer and albeit we cannot fathom the mystery of God's counsel yet we may feel the effect of the work and perceive the fruit of the benefit It is a true saying and worthy of all acceptation that when we were yet sinners we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son And he concludeth all his railings and invectives against God so that he saith All that God did appear in the flesh for was our instruction by word and example and all that he suffered and died for was the demonstration and commendation of his love toward us But what availeth his teaching us if he hath not restored us or are we not taught in vain if the body of sin be not first destroyed in us that we should not be the servants of sin If all that Christ hath been profitable unto us was the shewing a good example it followeth also that we must say All the harm that Adam hath done unto us was the onely shewing of sin seeing the plaster must be according to the quality of the wound for as in Adam all do die so in Christ shall all be made alive therefore as the one is so is the other Or if we will rest in the Christian faith and not in the Pelagian Heresie and confess that the sin of man was propogated by generation and not by example we must also confess that by Christ righteousness is restored not by example but by generation and life by righteousness that by one sin came upon all men to condemnation so by the obedience of one righteousness came on all men unto justification of life And if it were so that the purpose and cause of the incarnation as he saith was onely the enlightening of the world with the light of knowledge and the kindling of love by whom is our redemption and deliverance God forbid that I should glory in any thing but in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ in whom is our life salvation and resurrection And indeed I look upon three things chiefly in the work of our salvation the example of humility when God made himself of no reputation the measure of his love extending to the death even of the Cross and the mystery of redemption whereby he destroyed death which he suffered but the first two without this last are as if ye would paint in the air truly the example of humility is great and very useful and the example of love is worthy of all acceptation but they have no foundation and therefore no standing if there be not redemption I would with all my indeavor follow the example of Christ and I desire to imbrace with the mutual arms of love him who hath loved me and given himself for me but I must also eat the Paschal Lamb for unless I eat his flesh and drink his blood I shall not have life in me There be also many other Articles in his books and no less evil c. As every one may understand that upon these grounds follow the points of original sin of free-will of justification c. Pope Innocentius II. did condemn in a Councel of Cardinals at Rome this Abailard and all these his perverse Articles and commanded perpetual silence unto him as an Heretick and ordained all who followed his errors to be excommunicated as is in his Epistle which is among the Epistles of Bernard the CXCIV 28. When Calo. Johannes was Emperor of the Greeks was a Synod at Adispute between the Latins and Greeks Constantinople where Anselm Bishop of Havelbergens did dispute for the primacy of the Roman Pope and alledged these reasons 1. The Synod of Nice saith Let all men know and no Catholique should be ignorant that the Roman Church is not preferred by decrees of Synods but hath obtained the primacy by the Evangelical voice of our Lord and Savior when he said unto Peter the blessed Apostle Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it and I will give thee the keys 2. Peter and Paul suffered martyrdom at Rome 3. The first See of the Church is Rome the second is Alexandria and the third is Antiochia which three are founded by Peter 4. Onely the Roman Church hath continued in all ages without heresies whereas all other Churches have been defiled with heresies 5. Christ said I have prayed for thee Peter that thy faith fail not and when thou art converted confirm thy brethren 6. The Church of Constantinople hath been obnoxious unto many heresies that have begun there or brought thither there was Arrius Macedonius Eutyches Eunomius Eudoxius therefore all Churches should acknowledge the Roman as their mother Nechites a Greek answereth The Roman Church was the first among the three Sisters but the Bishop of Rome was never called the first of Priests nor the first Bishop but the Bishop of the first See and he did first receive from Phocas to be called the head of all Churches Moreover these three Sisters were united together by some conditions that neither the Bishop of Rome nor of Alexandria nor of Antiochia might teach any things in their Churches which was different from the faith of the others and so they all should preach one and the same for this end it was ordained that two Legates well learned and sound in the faith or doctrine should be sent from the Church of Rome the one to abide at Alexandria and the other at Antiochia who should diligently observe whether they did continue preaching the analogy of faith and likewise two should be sent from Alexandria one to Rome and the other to Antiochia and two from Antiochia the one to Rome and the other to Alexandria and so they might aid one another if any need were and whatsoever was taught in any of these Churches should be confirmed by the Authority and testimony of the others but if any thing were contrary to the faith and disagreeing from the truth and communion of these Churches the Legates of the others should by brotherly charity and humble admonition correct that or if they could not correct it and one as temerarious and presumptuous
that those may be reponed into their own places when it shall please his Majesty and the Assembly The King and Assembly consent V. It is ordained that in every Assembly hereafter those that shall be appointed Commissioners by the Assembly shall give account of their commission in the beginning of the subsequent assembly before other things be heard and their proceedings to be allowed or dis-allowed as the assembly shall judge of them VI. Commission is given to twenty four Ministers together with the Ministers of the kings House or any nyne of them to plant churches in burghes with power to transplant any Minister within the realm into the said burghes now vaking namely Edinburgh wherein they shall take the advice of the Presbytry there With power to judge of any offenses if it shall happen that his Majesty be offended by any of the Ministry and to take order there-in And also power to present the grievances and petitions of this assembly unto his Majesty and Counsell or Generall Convention of Estates or Parliament if any shall happen to bee c. VII Certain Visitors were designed to visit all the Shirifdoms particularly named unto them with power to try the Ministers in their qualification doctrin and conversation and whether they have wrong'd their Benefices To depose such as deserve deposition To plant Ministers where none as yet have been planted and to this effect to deal with the Tacks-men of every parishon for provision unto a Minister for the church And to report their diligence c. The next Assembly is appointed to be at Santandrews the last tuysday of July 1602. The Historicall Narration addeth Iames Melvin Minister at Kilrinny being detained by sicknes sent unto this assembly a Missive advising them to insist with his Ma. to yeeld unto the agreement of the Brethren at Bruntelan in March for repossessing the Ministers of Edinburgh and charging them as they will answer unto God to endeavour a redress of that wrong done unto the Church of Christ by Act of the Secret Counsell whereby the Ministers of Edinburgh were discharged to preach at any time in any part of the realm he adviseth to consider whether the proceedings of the Commissioners have been conform unto the conclnsions of the preceeding assembly or els it is not possible to hold out corruption And to lament the restraint of the freedom of Assemblies which now are made to depend upon licences Letters and proclamations whereas the Barons and the Burghs enioy thir severall meetings freely In end he layth down his part of the Commission at their feet as the Pioner doth his burden For it grieved him continually and now brought him into the danger of death Albeit he was not acquainted with their secrets yet it grieved him to sit somtimes among them even albeit â—e consented not unto their Sentences The King took this Letter out of the Moderator's hand and suffered it not to be read John Davidson sent another Letter to this purpose Should James John seek to sit the one at the right hand and the other at the left when Christ is going to Jerusalem to suffer death Is it time for Baruch to seek great things for himself whent the Lord is about to destroy what he hath planted and threatens his people with fearfull captivity is it time for us now when so many of our worthy Brethren are shamefully thrust out of their callings without all order of just proceeding against them boni malis demutantur and Papists Jesuits and atheists dayly flocking home are suffered countenanced and advanced to great roumâ— in the realm is it time for us of the Ministry to be inveigled and blindfolded with pretence of preferment of some small number of our brethren and that not to stand so much in the election of the Church as at the pleasure of the Court to have vote in Parliament to ride in foot mantles and to have the titls of Prelacies and so to make preparative in ourselves unto that Hierarchy as they call it which the Papists hope to enjoy with speed what is it but honorari intra palatium ad servitutem shall we brethren sliep still with Samson on Dalilah's lap till they cry The Philistins be upon thee he wrot more in this purpose and in the end he wished that they would not determin any thing de presenti concerning the new planting of Edinburgh in prejudice of their brethren not as yet displaced by any order for any promise de futuro as punishment of Papists seing those two can not stand together If reason find no place he exhorts them to remember that Melins optabilius est egregium bellum pace impia à Deo distrahente Bishop Spotswood addeth that he scoffing at the Kings doings said But Boniton is executed an infamous thief in the highest degree What is that to the cause of Religion whereof no question was moved is there no Papists nor favourer of Papists in Scotland but Boniton But the King is sound in religion what can the Papists do Being sound the danger were the less but there is nothing either in Church or king according to our Calling c. The king said There was treason in this Letter and for it the writer was committed to the castle of Edinburgh in the same month and afterward was confined to his parishon enduring his life In the Narration it is said also The Assembly began with little contentment to either party but the King to won the people because of the jealousy many had conceived for the fact at Perth in August protested with the tear in his ey that he would be serious for the Church and the liberty of the Gospell And for more satisfaction it was approved by Court and many of the Ministry which before was not only neglected but mocked at to wit to ripe up the causes of defection in all Estates from the purity and zeal in the practise of the true Religion and to advise upon the remedies So in this they had a tast of the wonted assemblies But there was small security in the chief directores and others of that side for neither were the chief causes layd open nor a right course taken for remedy The distraction among Ministers the cause and remedies thereof was not touched The King was so serious against the three Ministers of Edinburgh that for his satisfaction it was concluded they should be transported The generall Commission was renewed and almost all the same persons were authorized so that the plotters were not changed nor censured but others were put off and put in as they thought expedient About the end of the Assembly the King holding up his hand vowed to execute justice faithfully and to discredit all who shall attempt any thing against religion In the provinciall synod of Fife conveened at Kingorn in September they agreed upon some grievances to be presented unto the next Nationall Assembly to wit 1. That notwithstanding the Acts of Parliament
seen that his grace to save a man agreeth with free-will so that grace alone can save a man though his free-will can do nothing as in Infants and in them which have not understanding for grace doth continually help natural free-will which without grace can do nothing unto salvation by giving unto the will righteousness which it may keep by free-will and albeit he give it not unto all men because he sheweth mercy on whom he willeth and whom he willeth he hardneth yet he giveth it unto none for any preceeding merit because who hath given unto God and it shall be repayed unto him But if the will keep by free-will what it hath received it attaineth either increase of received righteousness or power according to good will or some reward All these things are the fruit of the first grace even grace for grace and therefore it is all to be imputed unto grace because it is neither of him which willeth that he willeth nor of him which runneth that he runneth but of God which sheweth mercy And therefore except God onely it is said unto all others What hast thou that thou hast not received why gloriest thou as if thou hadst not received So I have translated that Chapter word by word one may quarrel that I have translated attaineth for meretur but I have done so according to the use of the word as I have marked in other places and because it so agreeth with the words following All these things are the fruits of grace even grace for grace In the next Chapter Anselm saith As none hath righteousness but by preveening grace so none keepeth it but by following grace for howbeit it be kept by free-will yet it is not so much to be imputed unto free-will as unto grace when righteousness is kept because free-will hath and keepeth it not but by grace preveening and following Lastly seeing all things are according as God disposeth whatsoever a man hath that helpeth free-will to accept or keep his righteousness whereof I speak it is to be imputed unto his grace In these particulars then the former testimonies are according to the minde of Anselm As for that testimony concerning the sacrifice of Christ he hath a Treatise De Sacramento altaris wherein he speaketh much of the change of the bread and seemeth to be puzzled in reconciling the sentence of Pope Nicolaus II. with the ancient Fathers but in c. 12. he speaketh of the maner how the things of the Sacrament are to be judged thus seeing the things of the Sacrament are so we should think of the things as they are spiritual things in a spiritual maner and when we receive the flesh of Jesus from the altar we should be solicitous that in our thoughts we rest not on the flesh and be not quickned by the Spirit for if we be not quickned by the Spirit the flesh profiteth nothing for if in our thought we rest on the flesh of our Saviour we not onely shall not be quickned by the Spirit but neither can we understand how the flesh of Christ a man can be eaten by man but as those which were hard in heart understood it unto whom the speech of Christ seemed hard and they went back for they understood it carnally for they thought he would cut off pieces of his flesh and give them to eat therefore we should think of that body of the Lord spiritually and in a divine maner and discern it humbly that is we should think it diverse from all other food and eat the spiritual flesh of Christ in a spiritual maner that is it is received in a Sacrament of his true flesh on the altar And again we should think that the very flesh which was crucified and buried is not also torn in the Sacrament nor broken nor devoured after the maner of common flesh but under the similitude of bread to be broken and offered and never consumed for it is not after a wicked maner killed by us but holily sacrificed and thus do we set forth Christ's death till he come again For we do now this humbly upon earth what he as the Son doth for us in heaven where he as our Advocate interceedeth with the Father for us To interceed for us is to present for us in some maner before God the Father the flesh which he took for us and of us Therefore we do sacrifice the body of Christ when by certain piety of faith we believe it to be certain and do sanctifie it and we do hold fast this faith unto his honor by whom he who sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all one For the death of Christ needeth not to be done again because when it is once done it is sufficient to everlasting salvation Ambrose saith Christ hath died once and was made an oblation for our sins what do we then do we not offer every day yes we do offer but in remembrance of his death and there is but one sacrifice and not many How one and not many because Christ was offered but once and this sacrifice is the example thereof it is the same and the same continually therefore it is but one sacrifice else because he is offered in many places there be many Christs no no but one Christ every where here he is full and there he is full for as what is offered every where is one body and not many bodies so it is but one sacrifice but the Priest is he who offered the sacrifice which cleanseth us and we now offer the same sacrifice which being offered then cannot be consumed What we do now is done in remembrance of that which was done as he saith Do this in remembrance of me we offer not another sacrifice but the same continually or rather we do this in remembrance of that sacrifice and unto him we do vow and render our selves and his gifts in us and on the solemn feasts and on certain days we do dedicate and consecrate the remembrance of his benefices lest time bring upon us ungrate oblivion thereof What was Anselm's judgement in the doctrine of justification appeareth by an Admonition pro moribundo Order for demanding the sick where he ordereth the Priest to ask the dying man Brother art thou glad to die in the faith of Christ Ans Yea Brother Hast thou a purpose to amend thy life if God will give thee space to live Ans Yea Brother Believest thou that thou canst not be saved by thy own merits or any other way but by the death of Christ Yea. Givest thou him thanks for the same with all thy heart Yea. Then go on and so long as thou livest give him thanks and hide thy self in his death role thy self on it and put thy trust in no other thing and if the Lord would judge thee say O Lord I put the death of Jesus Christ betwixt thee and me and otherwise I will not contend with-thee If he say Thou hast deserved condemnation say thou I lay