Lord Iesus Christ of a solemne thankesgiuing for good thinges receiued and not of anie attonement or appeasing of Gods wrath for sinnes committed And indeed Ireneus sayeth in an other place Euerie where incense pure sacrifices are offered to my name S. Iohn in the Apocalyps hath called the praiers of the Saints the offerings of incense And again In asmuch sayeth he as the Church offereth in simplicitie and singlenes of heart their offering vnto God is by good right reputed a pure vndefiled sacrifice as S. Paul saith to the Philippians I was filled hauing receiued that which you sent me by Epaphroditus c. Now this was nothing else but a contribution made by them of their goods and therefore Ireneus addeth For it behoueth that wee offer vp our sacrifices to God and that wee bee found such as will acknowledge and become thankefull for all thinges that wee receiue And this offering is yet further declared and made plaine in that which followeth We offer vnto him not because hee standeth in need but that wee may bee thankefull to him for his giftes and so by this meanes sanctifying the creature For as God hath not need of any thing that proceedeth from vs so haue we neede to offer vnto him according to that which Salomon sayeth Hee that hath pittie vpon the poore giueth vpon vsurie vnto God c. Now in all this place which they make such a shielde and buckler of let them point vs out any one worde concerning a propitiatory sacrifice yea which concerneth not on the contrary a sacrifice of praise of thankesgiuing and of charitie inasmuch as that which is giuen vnto God is giuen vnto the vse of our neighbour and that which is giuen to our neighbour Iust Martyr aduers Tryphon is sacrificed to God Iustinus Martyr saieth Wee are truelie made the Priestes of the Lord according to that which hee witnesseth himselfe because that throughout the whole world there are offered vnto him pure and acceptable sacrifices In which place hee generallie opposeth the Christians to the Iewes according to this place of S. Iohn Who hath made vs kinges and Priestes c. But say they hee addeth that these are the sacrifices of bread and wine that is to say of the Eucharist Admit it so prouided that they did not cloake or dissemble that which followeth To render and giue sayeth hee thankes vnto God aswell for that hee hath created the world and all that is contained therein for the fauour and louing affection sake which hee beareth vnto man as principallie for that hee hath deliuered vs from all the malice whereunto wee stoode subiect and hath slaine with a perfect slaughter the principalities and powers which did opprese vs by him who of his owne accorde and free will hath giuen himselfe to suffer But because that Langus hath not expounded this place after their manner Index expurg pag. 75. Chrysost in Psal 109. it is ordained and determined by the Councell of Trent that hee should be raced Chrysostome sayeth The Church that followeth the steppes of Christ whither soeuer hee goeth is not excluded from anie place for it hath his Altars euerie where and his doctrine also euerie where In which speeches hee maketh doctrine to bee a part of these sacrifices whereof Malachie speaketh according to that which hee sayeth in an other place My Sacrifice is the preaching of the Gospell c. hee addeth See and be holde how well hee hath described the mysticall Table the sacrifice without blood c. That is the holy Supper But afterwarde This is then sayeth hee the chiefe and principall sacrifice that I haue spoken of before euen this misticall and spirituall gift whereof Saint Paule speaketh Bee yee followers of God as welbeloued children and walke in loue euen as he hath loued you and giuen himselfe for you vnto God for a sacrifice and offering of a sweete smell and sauour and this sacrifice hee calleth The gift of saluation namelie because thereby wee renewe the memorie of Iesus Christ sacrificed and crucified for vs binding vs in the bondes of charitie by his owne example towardes our brethren which are his members and so wee are made one with him in the receiuing of this holie mysterie that is sacrificed and crucified in him and with him in his death and passion inasmuch as hee hath suffered for vs and not for himselfe that so also wee might rise vnto glorie with him Saint Augustine alleadgeth this place against the Iewes August de Ciuit. Dei l. 18. c. 35. This sacrifice sayeth hee is that which is offered throughout the whole world by the Priesthoode of Christ according to the Order of Melchisedech the Iewes could not deny it and therefore why doe they waite or looke for an other Christ c. But wee still stande in doubte whether this bee a sacrifice of praise or of propitiation except that hee can likewise ridde vs of this scruple The church sayeth hee sacrificeth to God in the body of Christ the sacrifice of praise seeing that the God of Gods hauing spoken hath called the earth from the Sunne-rising vnto the setting thereof For this church is the spirituall Israell distinguished from the carnall Israell which serued God in the shadowes of sacrifices in which was signified and set forth this singular sacrifice which Israell now offereth according to the spirite c. Out of the house of this Israell hee hath not taken anie calues for in it are sacrificed and offered vnto God the sacrifice of praise In euerie place sayeth hee afterwarde incense is offered vnto my name And Saint John expoundech it in the Apocalyps the prayers of the Saintes Thus now you may beholde and see what it is that these men alleadge for themselues out of the olde Testament namelie figures allegories and generall speeches as also the Doctors vpon these places by which they woulde make men belieue that wheresoeuer they haue vsed this worde Sacrifice they meante and vnderstoode it of their Masse And yet the Latines themselues foure hundred yeares after our Sauiour Christ had not so much as heard of the name That they haue acknowledged and taught their propitiatorie sacrifice for the quicke and the dead and yet they doe not acknowledge anie sacrifice for sinnes but in the propitiation which wee haue in the bloode of Christ neither yet anie Sacrifice in the holy Supper saue onelie that therein wee doe celebrate the memorie of this great Sacrifice and offer vppe praise and thankesgiuing vnto God for so great a benefite there wee sacrifice and offer vppe our selues to his seruice a liuing sacrifice and consecrate our selues for our brethren the members of Christ and of one and the same bodie with vs in true charitie in the beholding of the Creator and Redeemer and the giftes which wee haue receiued from him And now it followeth that wee make triall if they haue anie better grounde for this their pretended sacrifice in the new
Aquinas and all the rest And these are in summe all the places that I know whereby they would proue and allow the intercession of Saints If this were not that wee haue to adde thereto the blasphemie of the Archbishop Antonine Let vs drawe neere saith the Apostle vnto the Hebrewes vnto the throne of grace c. That is to say of the Virgine Marie which is the throne of Christ wherein he hath rested to the end wee may obtaine mercie and find grace for the obtaining of helpe in due time c. Which is manifestly spoken of Iesus Christ our Bishop And therefore it is no maruaile though Eckius doe freely and boldly say That the holy Ghost Eckius in Ench hath not appointed or ordained by the expresse Scriptures the inuocation of Saints either in the old or new Testament And Petrus a Soto That it is not manifestly taught there but onely insinuated and the Iesuites themselues that it is not clearely giuen vs there but as in a mysterie and by a certaine consequence And on the contrarie a great maruaile that a doctrine amongst them of such moment should not bee contained in the holy Scriptures but by the way of a lame and pretended consequence As in deed the Councell of Trent hath not found it in the Scripture but in auncient vse and custome in the consent of the Fathers and in the Decrees of the Councels Which we will examine hereafter A third point remaineth That the morite of the Saints hath no ground in the Scripture that they are as weakly and slenderly grounded in the Masse for the offering vp of the merits and passions of the Saints vnto God for the satisfying of their sinnes in stead of the infinite merite of that one onely sacrifice that the Sonne of God hath offered vpon the Crosse whether we consider the sufficiencie of that only one or the insufficiencie of all the rest how many and whatsoeuer they be The sufficiencie for it is the Sonne of God eternal and infinite the sacrificer and the sacrifice whose sacrifice hath by consequent an infinite and eternall efficacie as the Apostle doth largely handle the same in the Epistle to the Hebrewes The insufficiencie of al other because that they are the works of the creatures by consequent finite and imperfect and of men and by consequent subiect to sinne and sinners and those the most who presume not to bee at all according to that which is said vnto vs in S. Iohn Jf we say he putteth himselfe in the number that we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. That then that all the Saints haue not beene condemned it was in the mercie of God by Iesus Christ the holy Virgine her selfe whom hee hath vouchsafed to regard in her base and low estate being so much the more bound by how much the more shee hath receiued and so much the further off from meriting by how much the more it hath pleased him the Almightie and soueraigne Lord if it be lawfull so to speake to merite at her hands That they are raigning in heauen a botomlesse depth of his goodnesse an inheritance of the children and not any pledge or badge of seruants in as much as in his welbeloued sonne it hath pleased him according to the riches of his grace of vnprofitable and peruerse seruants to adopt them Sons yea coheires with his Christ according to that which is said in so many places Ephes 2. You are saued by grace by faith in Christ and not of your selues For this is the gift of God not by workes to the end that no man may boast Againe We are iustified by grace that we may bee his heires Tit. 3. in hope of eternall life And of grace For we are all conceiued in originall sinnes And all the water of humane merits cannot wash them away though they should amount vnto the measure of a mightie floud it must of necessitie bee the worke of the bloud of Christ washed likewise by that bloud yet the remnants of that naturall corruption doe continually abide and dwell with vs that so we may acknowledge his grace in our infirmitie whereas our first father lost the same by a pretended incorruption and impossibilitie for his nature to sinne And therefore wee haue to say with Dauid If thou enter into iudgement with thy seruant who may abide it With Salomon Psal 143. Ecclesiast 6. Iob. 15. There is not a righteous man vpon the earth that doth good nay which doth not sinne With Iob The heauens are not pure in his sight no not the Angels how much lesse man vnprofitable and abheminable which drinketh iniquitie like water Whereupon it followeth likewise that if God should haue giuen vnto man euen him that is the holiest of all the rest a thousand Paradises if it could bee done for an inheritance yet so gracelesse he is as that he should not be able to keepe one of them without his grace for quickly would hee loose them by reason of his sinnes and transgressions the rigour and seueritie of his iustice taking the balance once in hand And how should he purchase it then by his own power And yet further how shuld he leaue a remainder to be husbanded for others Some say if they haue lost them by their falles as Saint Peter by hauing denied Christ and S. Paul by persecuting of his Church yet they haue recouered them by the confession and Martyrdome which they haue made and suffered for his name and that so aboundantly as that they haue left an ouerplus But O horrible blasphemie 1. Cor. l. 30. S. Paul and S. Peter say not so They doe not glorie in any thing but in the Crosse of Christ but in his sufferings but in his stripes not in their owne righteousnesse not in their owne holinesse but in him which was vnto them from God wisedome righteousnesse sanctification redemption c. So farre off are they from being of that mind that in respect of them he hath suffered in vaine Likewise the bloud of the creature hath no part in making of the recompence or paimēt with or in stead of the bloud of the Sonne of God of the Creatour of the world to whom as he is the Creator we are alreadie indebted euen to the summe of our liues to whome as a iust iudge we stand bound for our sinnes in the summe of a thousand deaths And therefore as vnto our redeemer and that in the price of his bloud Our redeemer not to ransome vs but for to crowne vs not to draw vs from euill but to draw vs to all goodnesse not to deliuer vs from the tyrannie of hell but to cause vs to raigne and triumph eternally with him Here let vs enter into our owne consciences how shall our bloud and life be able to ascend vp thither And therefore the Apostle said All accompts cast the sufferings of this present world Rom. 8.18 are
receiued into the Church in Athanasius his time howsoeuer it be out of doubt that they had the doctrine And now we be come to the time of the first Nicene Councell Anno 350. the word of inuocation of the Saints hauing neuer beene heard of in the church of all that time which by this meanes had beene without this doctrine more then 4000. yeares as likewise neere hand 400. Tertull. aduer Praxeam yeares after the incarnation of Christ a manifest signe and token that it was neuer his but that it came from the Deuill according to the rule which Tertullian giueth vs to try the doctrines of the church That that which is the ancientest is the truest and that what is come in since then is false and counterfeit Or els according to Lyrinensis his rule That which alwaies hath beene and euery where and amongst all men The first notwithstanding that brought it in might be led thereunto by a good intention and those which suffered it might happily not see to what abuse it was likely to come the qualitie and nature of superstition being such as the Phisitians deliuer the Hectike feuer to consist of which is in the beginning very hard to bee knowne or discerned but easie to be cured whereas in progresse tract of time it becommeth verie hard to cure and very easie to be knowne The praiers of the Saintes deceased for the liuing were the particular opinions of Origen and Cyprian The bringing in of this abuse by a Rhetorica l figure founded vpon a likelihood and fostered in the solitarie celles and cloisters of Monkes vntil such time as they brought forth the offering vp of praiers from the liuing vnto those that were dead And breaking out of the cabins of the Monasteries they beganne to pearch in the pulpit vppon that great increase of the Church that followed the empire of Constantine and his successors and yet all this while carried more like vnto a Rhetoricall figure or flourish then anie article or graue pointe of Diuinitie and deliuered in their Panegyrickes And Saint Basill and Nazianzene Anno 370. who brought the Monkes out of Egypt and Syria into Greece were the promoters and furtherers thereof being the most famous Orators of that age an age verily wherein the Church grew and prospered greatly for honour and wealth by reason of the protection of the Empire but therewithall growing heauy and laden with the errours of Paganisme slipping into it together with the multitudes of the Gentiles the Church in the meane while being busied in beating down the heresies raised about the trinity they being thē in their chief strength The quickest sighted conceiuing that they had gained no small matter when they had turned the Gentiles from their Gods to Angels Basil in Gord. Mart. de Martyre Manante and from their halfe Gods to the Saintes of the Christians and from the seruing of the one to the louing and imitating of the other Saint Basill therefore speaking of the Martyr Gordius celebrateth his feast rehearseth his life and exhorteth the people to follow him and all this according to the order of the Church But in the praier that hee made of the Martyr Manans he went beyond the bounds of the order and obseruation of the Church falleth into the superstition of the common people Call to your remembrances saith he how oft you haue seene him in a dreame and how oft he hath ministred help vnto you in your praiers and in your iourneyes c. This passeth the limits both of the scriptures as also the decrees and ordinances of the Church and it had beene better that he had kept himselfe to the rule which he himselfe elsewhere doth giue vnto vs As That to depart from the scriptures is to fall away from the faith But yet our aduersaries not contented with this will make him say more then he would He saith in the Panegyricke of the 40. Martyrs He that is in affliction goeth vnto these 40. and hee that is in ioy runneth vnto them c. the wife praying for her husband and the mother for her children c. that is to say thus did the common people practise Bellarmine giueth our aduersaries more aduantage Let him that is afflicted go vnto them c. as though hee would prescribe and appoint them to doe it And hitherto haue the Panegyrikes brought vs. Nazianzene against Iulian Heare all ye people tribes tongues and ages that is Nazianz. in orat 1. in Iulian. all ye which are aliue at this day or shall be borne hereafter Hearken O yee hostes of heauen and companies of Angels heare likewise O thou soule of the great Constantine if thou haue any sence in thee and you O ye soules of the rest of the Christian Emperors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Againe vpon the passeouer O thou great and sacred Passeouer saith he the purgation of the whole world I am purposed to speake vnto thee as if thou hadst a soule c. Idem in orat Sanct. Pasch Who seeth not that this is the verie same which the Rhetoricians call Apostrophe For and if this were a formall and orderly inuocation would hee haue applyed the same so confusedly to euerie thing both liuing and not liuing as well to the wicked as to the good godly to things without life as well as to things hauing life to the liuing as well as to the dead And as for the dead would hee haue prayed vnto them in such vncertaine and wauering sort and with so little faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the verie fashion and manner of speaking vsed by the Pagans If you haue as yet saith he any sence or feeling in you In orat de Basil And yet in certaine other places he waxeth more feruent and hot And in his Panegyricall oration which he made of S. Basill so far as to say that he is in heauen and that he sacrificeth prayeth for the people yea so farre as to say vnto him Behold and looke downe from heauen vpon vs represse and plucke out the pricke of this flesh by thy praiers c. Idem in orat de Athanas Cypr. And likewise in that of Athanasius Direct this people guide and furnish them in this combat and spirituall warfare And in that of S. Cyprian after the same manner But that we may more clearely see that this was a priuate opinion which the Pastors held rather in respect of the peoples deuotion Idem in epitaph patris then the people from the instruction of the Pastors let vs alwaies obserue these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I thinke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I perswade my selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if it may be spoken without arrogancie c. Againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if they haue any sence or feeling left them I am constrained to speake vnto them as though they were present and heard I aduise and counsell you
Francise Dominic To euerie one that would ioyne themselues not with the Couent but to be of the fraternitie onely of S. Francis or S. Dominicke c. For to merite the kingdome of heauen for to be able to ransome redeeme their owne soules and the soulet of their friends for these are the expresse tearmes of the Bull There are Bulles of fraternitie giuen vnto the Prouinces by which they are made capable as well in life as in death of the merites of the whole Couent and of all the friers in the prouince purchased by their Masses praiers sermons fastinges contemplations vigiles abstinences Cloister disciplines deuotions singinges lessons labours c. About this time also there was in England one Thomas Becket who was slaine for hauing traiterously attempted to haue withdrawne the Cleargie from their obedience vnto the king It was concluded by the full Colledge of Sorbone at Paris that he was worthie of eternall death the Cleargie notwithstanding caused him to be canonized by Alexander the third And in derision of the blood of Christ he was there praied vnto in these words Tu per Thomae sanguinem quem pro te impendit Fac nos Christe scandere quo Thomas ascendit That by the grace fauour purchased by the blood of Thomas hee would make vs ascend whither Thomas is ascended c. this was about the yere 1220. And who can then but be ashamed for their sakes for that as yet in the time of so great light they are not ashamed themselues verily it is not to be concealed or hidden that there haue been some that might seeme to haue blusht in their souls as being able to haue taught better things if they durst Alex. Halez q. 91. Alexander Halez Bonauenture likewise after all their wandrings turne backe againe to our Maxims Alexander We must not inuocate or adore any but one God onely c. The Saints ought rather to be reckned ex parte orantiū quà m illius qui oratur as assisting our praiers by their owne not to be praied vnto themselues Bonauent in l. 3. Sentent Anno 1360. Bonauēture likewise We must be warie in our large setting forth and commending of the excellency of the mother that is of the holy virgin least we impaire and diminish the glorie of the Son and by so doing prouoke her to anger seeing she delighteth more to haue her son praised and magnified then her self she being but a creature and he the creator And whereas there were some that replied vpon him that the honor of the mother returned to the honor of the Son But therefore saith he we ought not to giue vnto the mother all that which is due vnto the son c. And this was much spoken of both in his time in the Couent of S. Francis Wicklif apud Thom. Waldens tom 3. tit 12. c. 121. 124. Iohn Wicklife shortly after went further for amongst many abuses of the Church of Rome he condemned this openly by the scriptures and maintained the same with the peril of his life against all those of the facultie of diuinity in England His wordes are This is and seemeth to be a sottishnesse to leaue the fountaine which is more ready to our handes to seeke the troubled brookes and those further from vs c. Againe Who would make I know not what Scurram knaue that is the Latine of the time his Mediator when hee may freely speake vnto the King And yet notwithstanding his thus writing he ceast not to be verie well intreated of king Edward the third and after some small time of his liuing an exile in Bohemia to die an old man in his owne house leauing behind him a number of disciples of euerie estate condition in England Anno 1416. in whom his doctrine liued after him vntill such time as things grew to that extremitie wherein they now stand We may say the same of Iohn Hus and Ierome of Prage put to death contrary to the promise made them of safe conduct by the Councell of Constance wherein the good fathers in stead of being inuited and won to the reformation of the Church both by the truth of their doctrine and the constancie of their faith did thinke it better to haue them the heraldes of their condemnation by the iust iudgement of God then of their repentance before men And further as if they would worke a further despite they turned in the same Councell that goodly hymne which the Christian Church had made for the holy Ghost to the virgine Marie and in stead of Veni sancte spiritus c. they made it Veni mater gratiae c. wherein they call her the fountaine of mercie the light of the Church the saluation of those that call vpon her the Mediatrix betwixt God men the port of S. Peters ship the death and destruction of heresies c. But in the meane time as in this age wherein we liue men begin willingly and wittingly to cast out this dung and filthines with others such like the stinke whereof groweth so strong euen vnto themselues that haue made it as that they are constrained to stop their nose and to endeuour themselues to couer it as much as lyeth in them Viues in August de ciuit Dei l. 8. c. vit Viues that famous Spaniard had rather to cause them to be detested then couered and smoothed ouer in saying That he could find no difference betwixt the opinion that the Christians haue of their saintes and that which the Pagans haue of their Gods when as they giue them the same honour that is giuen vnto God himselfe And if there had beene any number found of the same zeale with him at that time he could haue hoped wel to haue obtained a remedie against idolatrie But certainly the greater part had rather against their owne consciences of a carnall wisedome runne and betake themselues to disguise and smooth ouer the matter Some saying that we ought not to pray vnto saints to obtaine any help of them or yet any mercie but onely to bee assisted by their praiers to obtaine them of God And this was in one worde to ouerturne all their Howres Psalters Letanies and praiers before alleadged which were directly made vnto the virgine Marie and that that she might not onely procure but giue the things praied for Wicelius Other some more boldly That wee ought not at all to pray vnto them inuocation being an honour due vnto God alone but onely Compellare to solicite them that they would remember vs vnto him as wee vse to stirre vp the liuing to succour and help vs with their praiers And other some do yet go further That this inuocation was nothing but a figure of Rhetoricke by which wee were admonished that the saintes deceased as triumphant members of the Catholicke Church haue care in heauen on the members which are as yet warfaring here below after the manner
he would and that because it was his will where he taketh for graunted the thing that is in question Although it bee the figure of bread and wine notwithstanding after the consecration we must altogether belieue that it is the body and bloud of Iesus Christ And al his arguments are drawne from the omnipotencie of God without any proofe of his will But would the masters of Transubstantiation approue and like of these words Paschas ad Prudeg The bread and wine are the flesh and bloud of Christ And yet notwithstanding he is much troubled in himselfe when hee considereth That there must be in the Lords supper the figure and notwithstanding the truth And how the one may bee without the preiudice of the other c. In so much as that he is forced to say That it is no maruaile if this mysterie be a figure and if the wordes thereof bee called figures seeing that Christ himselfe is called an ingrauen forme and figure Ideâ— de Corp. Sang. Dom. l. 4. euen hee which is the truth it selfe That we belieue that that is done spiritually and that we ought so to belieue it to be That he is offered for vs mystically That wee walke by faith and not by sight That our Lord hath left vs these visible figures ascending vp to heauen to feede our spirite and fleshe by faith in spirituall things c. Neuerthelesse notwithstanding the resistances and oppositions of the most learned the abuse ceased not to spread it selfe further into diuers countries abroad because that the ignorant people who haue alwaies the stronger side did perceiue and see that both authoritie and profit would grow vnto them therby We read by name that in England there rise a great schisme betwixt Odo Archbishop of Canterburie assisted by the meaner and inferiour sort of Priestes being the parties affecting Transubstantiation and the most learned of his Cleargie To whose arguments and places alleadged out of the Fathers hee opposeth authoritie and force And secondly to winne the Idiots and simple people he vseth illusions and false myracles whereof these ignorant ages did neuer want good store This was about the yeare nine hundred and fiftie But in Fraunce Berengarius Deane of Saint Maurice of Augiers about the yeare 1050. Anno 1050. Lauâ—ranc con Berengar displaieth againe the ensigne of truth and writeth a Treatise of the Lords Supper whereof wee haue nothing more then it pleased Lanfrancus his aduersarie to cite in his writings against him And yet notwithstanding such as that thereby he doth neither iniurie the truth nor his good name although he make it euident and apparant enough that hee hath not forgotten to weaken and detract from the force of his reasons so much as he possibly could This Berengarius therefore writ priuily to Lanfrancus a Millaner then Abbot of Bec-Heloin in Normandie what hee thought of the holy supper Lanfrancus being absent his Canons did open the letter and sent it to Rome In it he praised the booke of Iohannes Scotus written in the time of Charlemaine The letter is made knowne in a Synod holden at Rome and condemned the Author being neuer heard Lanfrancus is inioyned to refute it if so be he would cleare himselfe of all suspition of hauing any part in that pretended errour which was so much the more because of such intelligences as did in verie familiar sort passe betwixt him and Berengarius Scotus his booke was burnt two hundred and fiftie yeares after his death Berengarius continueth his vertuous course and had for his Disciples and followers diuers great personages in Fraunce amongst others Freward and Waldus Knights c. A thing verie likely seeing that the Popes otherwise more curious and carefull about worldly complaints then studious in questions of Diuinitie did so much molest and trouble them Leo the ninth therefore called a Councell at Verscillis in Piemont and came thither himselfe in person Berengarius durst not appeare but sent thither onely two of his friends to tender his reasons who were easily made afraid The Councell of Rome thereupon became the more emboldned and gaue order notwithstanding that the French Church should assemble a Councell at Towrs to cause Berengarius to stoope and become subiect This was in the time of Pope Victor the second and there was Hildebrand afterward Gregorie the seuenth on his behalfe the most violent and head-strong Prelate that euer liued There appeared Berengarius who declared vnto them That he did not teach bare and naked signes in the Eucharist but that the bread and wine there vsed were most vndoubted pledges and seales of the reall Communion in the true bodie and bloud of our Lord which all those haue and there receiue which take these signes with a true faith That the bread and wine notwithstanding doe not chaunge their substances but rather of common ones are made holy ones of elements Sacraments c. And that to conclude hee held for other matters as all the auncient Fathers haue written and according also to the sence and meaning of the Lithurgie ordinarily read in the Church c. Thus the Councell rested satisfied at his hands But Pope Nicholas II. perceiuing that this doctrine was on foote againe cited Berengarius to Rome the second time to appeare in the Consistorie of Lateran and thither hee came being drawne and allured by faire and flattering speeches The first argument that was framed against him was that if he did not retract his former opinions he should be burnt and thereupon Humbert the Burgonian afterward Cardinall drew a reuocation such as we reade in the Decree That hee doth confesse C. Ego Berengar de consec d. 2. that after the Consecration the bread and wine are the verie bodie and bloud of Christ That they are there sensibly and in truth handled with the hands of the Priests broken and brused with the teeth of the faithfull c. And that hee curseth all them which doe iudge otherwise c. that is to say the whole Romish Church at this day which holdeth these propositions for hereticall That the bread is the bodie that the bodie is brused with the teeth c. Lanfranc de Sacr. Alger Where it is also to be noted that he saith Of the faithfull not of all those that are partakers thereof a remnant and small parcell of the pure doctrine and a signe of the as yet imperfect deliuerie and teaching of the impure and corrupt And therefore the Glose of the Decree addeth thereunto Beware least thou shouldest not rightly vnderstand that which Berengarius saith here and so shouldest fall into greater and more grosse heresies then euer he did And the Glose vpon the Canon Vtrum hath these words C. Vtrum de consecr d 2. ex August vbi Glos It is not lawfull to eate Christ with the teeth Berengarius saith hee said the contrarie but hee spoke hyberbolically and went beyond the listes of the
and drinking the bloud of Christ in the holy Supper Sine conuersione panis in corpus Christi vel paneitatis adnihilatione without chaunging of the bread into the bodie and the reducing of the bread into nothing that is saith hee in as much as God can quamcunque creaturam suppositare chaunge or vnite himselfe hypostatically vnto any creature whatsoeuer c. In which meane time saith hee The breade shoulde continue breade and the bodie should bee with the bread c. And yet notwithstanding this his Chymera and monstrous broode hee was not published an hereticke Card. Caiet t. 2. tr 2 c. 3. 5 because that euerie one was as yet admitted and suffered to bring his determination and conclusion concerning the same The Cardinall Caietan clearely and plainely It is a most manifest and notorious vntruth that the bodie of Christ may bee taken corporally but in deede Diuines teach that hee is taken or receiued spiritually and yet not by taking or receiuing but by belieuing Fisher Bishop of Rochester otherwise called Roffensis writing against Luther Ioh. Fisher cont Captiuit Babilonie Hitherto saith hee S. Mathew speaketh who alone hath spoken of the new Testament Neither hath he therein any one word by which it may bee proued that in our Masse there is wrought a true presence of the flesh and bloud of Christ. Nay saith he a little after It cannot bee proued by any part in all the Scripture The Cardinall Contaron in the Colloque of Ratisbone in the yeare 1541. vpon this that the place of Pope Gelasius was alleadged vnto him That the nature and substance of bread and wine continue in the Sacrament was not able to answere any thing to the contrarie In the Colloque of Poissi in this Realme holden in the yeare 1561. betwixt the Bishops and the Doctors of the Church of Rome and the Ministers of the reformed Churches it was agreed vpon in these words We confesse that Iesus Christ in his holy supper dooth set before giue and exhibite vnto vs verily and truely the substance of his bodie and bloud by the operation of his holy spirit and that wee receiue and eate Sacramentally spiritually and by faith that verie body which aied for vs to bee bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh to the end we may be quickned and apprehend all that which shall bee requisite for our saluation And for as much as faith resting it selfe vpon the word of God effecteth and maketh present the things that are promised and that by this faith truely and in deed wee take the true naturall body and bloud of Iesus Christ by the power of the holy Ghost In this respect we confesse the presence of the body and bloud of the same Iesus Christ in the holy supper But the Vniuersitie of Sorbone at the Cardinall of Tournon his prouoking and pricking of them forward did disclaime and disauow such as did speake for them onely to the end that they might not giue this aduantage namely to haue failed by any maner of meanes Notwithstanding that those which had beene chosen for the conference and which had giuen their consent to vndertake this incounter were the most famous and notable men of the Cleargie as Charles Cardinall of Lorraine Cass in co nsult the Bishops of Valence and Sees and the Doctors Salignac Bouteiller and Despense Cassander in his consultation to the Emperour Maximilian the second vpon the controuersies of this time acknowledgeth That Transubstantiation both in name and effect is new and that it had beene better to haue held the auncient tearmes of the fathers And that also the abuses therein were come to that head as that they were verie neere vnto Idolatrie And in other of his writings hee deliuereth his mind to the like effect Index expurg p 36 37. 38. It is verie true that the fathers of Trent did appoint that all such should be raced out and defaced as did displease them To be short the Popes Legates from the time of Luther his first protestations being sent at sundrie times into Almainie Campegius Contaren and Caietan did make open profession of their dislike of this doctrine both to the Emperour and to the Princes as also in their conferences saying That things were miscaried both in this Article and in many others Onely the Councell of Trent that is to say the Pope in that Councell to make quicke dispatch and to the ende that there might not be any thing found that stood in need to be reformed would not haue it that there was any thing therein amis doing herein as in al other things cleane contrarie to Saint Peter who knowing acknowledged his fault and shewing himselfe most euidently thereby to bee the Sonne of perdition as one that in the brauerie of his mind would himselfe become a reprobate and draw all the world after him vnto destruction knowing it in the eminent and high place wherein he is The Doctors of this time do not agree amongst themselues Bellarm. l. 1 de sacr c. 18. l. 1 de Euchar. c. 10 11. Turrian sibi ipsi contrar 1 c 22. tract but not acknowledging it What then From the time of the holding of this Councell haue they agreed together and haue beene of one iudgement The Iesuites the stighlers of this doctrine yea amongst themselues This is the only thing which remaineth for vs now to looke vnto They stand exceedingly vpon these words Hoc est corpus meum and yet they are not agreed either amongst themselues nor euerie man in himselfe Bellarmine in one place calleth them Principtum productinum the producing principle Namely the body of Christ of bread And in an other place hee will not that Hoc should signifie the bread but the body of Christ by an identical proposition by a fond and foolish consequent But how can this thing be if he bee not hatcht but by the vertue of these words And not as he saith by the beginning but by the end of them Againe Hoc est Bellarme l. 1 de Euch. c. 11. is a word operatiue It followeth then that Hoe est is as much as to say hoc fiat this is that is to say This may bee made my bodie And yet for all this they will not graunt that it is any figuratiue speech neither yet will they that Est dooth signifie fiat but Est simply Who seeth not then that it must be a simple Enunciatiue and not a practicke as they speake or operatiue any longer Againe who saith that Hoc doth signifie the bread or the Cup Scarg l. 1. c. 5. pro sacrat Euchar Veget. de Miss f. 13. thes 23. fol. 7 thes 11. Bellarm l 3 Euchar. c 18 Veg. de re ali praesent thes 133. Scarg art 7. Turr. tr 1. c 22 Bellarm. l. 3. de Euch c 15 l. 1 c. 2 l 3. c 20. l 3 c. 6. Turr tr i. c. 18. who on the
let him know that tendeth any other course that he shall not attaine vnto the light of the truth which he shal grope after in darknes To be short saith he what soeuer is said since the apostles times is cut off it beareth no authority with it c. Hieronym in Psal 87. how holie prudent soeuer the Authors thereof might be S. August The Canonicall Scripture is set vpon a throne and euerie faithfull vnderstanding must be subiect thereunto If we yea if an Angel from heauen August contr Faust l. 11. c. 5. cont lit ras Petil. 6 lib. 2. contr Donatist c. 6. tract 2 in Ep. S. Iohan do teach any thing more then that which is contained in the Scriptures the Law or the Gospel let him be accursed In our cōtrouersies let vs bring this ballance these gold waights as out of the closet of God to iudge that of weight from that which is light Let vs there iudge of errors for God hath placed in the Scriptures a bright and cleare shining firmament to discouer confute them The Councels for saith he vnto the Arrians I alledge not vnto thee the Councell of Nice Cont. Maxim Episc Arrian l. 3. c. 14. De Ciuit. Dei l. 11. c. 1. Epist 166. De vnit eccles c. 1. 3. 4. 5. 6. 16. neither therefore doe thou alledge vnto me the councel of Rimini but let vs trie the maistry by the Scriptures which both you and I my selfe doe well approue c. The Church likewise for The citie of God doth beleeue in the Scriptures and by them is faith conceiued In the Scriptures saith he we haue learned Christ therein also haue we learned to know the Church we haue knowne the head and therefore cannot misknow the bodie thereof VVhether we or the Donatists be the Church the Scriptures alone will teach and instruct vs. Saint Chrysostome The ignoraunce of the Scriptures hath begotten heresies c. Though the dead should liue again or an Angel descend frō heauen Chrysost in hom de Laza. yet we must principally and before them beleeue the Scripture The Angels are but seruants ministring spirits but the Scripture is the Lord maister In Epi. ad Gal. hom 1. In 5. Mat. hom 43. 49. In 1. ad Thess homil 7. In 2. ad Corin. homil 33. In Psal 5.95.142.147 In at this gate doe both the sheepe and shepheard enter they driue away heretikes who so entreth not by them is a theefe The Scripture is the kingdome of heauen it is inclosed therein and fastned thereunto The gate of this kingdome is the vnderstanding of the Scriptures Setting our course and sailing after them wee haue the sonne of God for our patron and protector they are our rule and our squire As the light is vnto the eies so is the law of God vnto our spirits without it all our senses halt An heire doth willingly possesse himselfe of his fathers will and testament and so should we no lesse of the Scriptures the furniture and prouision for our warre against sinne and Sathan himselfe c. In which saith he in another place wee must either denie Christ or blot out the Scriptures or else become the obedient seruants of the Scriptures And if he said this then against the heretikes of his time then much more against Antichrist to come and vpon farre more iust causes and considerations For saith he when this cursed heresie the armie of Antichrist shall possesse the Churches there will not bee found any proofe or maner of helpe to trie and know Christendome by but the holy Scriptures By them alone a man shall know where and who shall bee the true church In this confusion and hurlie burlie there will bee no want of broching and blasing abrode of miracles for euen alreadie the counterfet Christians haue most but and if a man looke any other way then to the Scriptures hee cannot but bee offended perish and fall into the abhomination of desolation which shall bee in the holie places of the Church And therefore our sauiour Christ knowing afore hand that such confusion should follow in the latter daies will that we flie vnto the Scriptures And now also this is the cause why according to the aduertisement of Saint Chrysostome we call you thereunto we which thus alledge and contend with the hazard of our liues and for the working of your saluation and our owne that that Antichrist is alreadie come and seated in your Church and all this according to the Scriptures and by the Scriptures Hereto you replie If his Scriptures alone take place in this controuersie then what shall become of so many goodly traditions What becommeth them of the traditions 1. Cor. 11. What shall become of our Church Verely if you speake of diuine traditions such as whereof Saint Paule saith I haue receiued of the Lord Quod tradidi vobis whatsoeuer I haue deliuered vnto you of those which haue their foundation in the Scriptures and whereof Irenaeus saith vnto vs Looke what Gospel the Apostles preached the same they deliuered vnto vs tradiderunt inquit nobis in the Scriptures Of them saith Saint Cyprian which descend from the authoritie of the Gospel Cypri in Epi. 74. ad Pomp. and the writing of the Apostles Verelie we will be readie to defend them if you will beleeue vs with common armour we shall be both the one and the other quit and freed from all our paines and trouble for the Scriptures and they wil mutuallie acknowledge one another as doe the little riuers and their heads or springs being touched with the touchstone of the Scripture they will hold their value But if by Traditions you meane mans inuentions and doctrines that are without and out of the Scriptures then we tell you that Christ hath giuen definitiue sentence thereof In vaine do you serue me Matth. 15 9 teaching for doctrines the commaundements of men And thus spake he to the Pharisies who wholy rested themselues in the Church in the Sorbone of that time which said as you do of yours at Trent that it was no lesse grieuous an offence to commit against or omit any thing contained in their traditions In Thal. ord 4. tract 4. dist 10 Esay 29 13. then and if such commission or omission had beene in respect of any point of the law it selfe And there is great like lihoode that it is come vpon you which was forespoken by the Prophets They haue serued mee according to the ordinances of men Ierem. 8 8. and therefore wisedome shall perish from their wise men They haue cast behind them the worde of the Lord and there is no wisdome in them But if you suspect the soundnesse of the Scripture Iust in Tryph or rather the vprightnesse of God in his owne cause then let vs heare the fathers Iustine We must giue credite to God and his ordinances alone and not vnto humane traditions And that he ruleth them
according to the Scriptures appeareth by that which he said before That Dauid that the Euangelists that the Apostles doe teach vs c. Cyp. in Epi. 74 Saint Cyprian If it be commaunded in the Gospel if it be contained in the Epistles or acts of the Apostles let vs obserue it as diuine and holie But if it be not there then what followeth but the contrarie Saint Basil VVe must learne the Scriptures Basil regul 95 as concerning that which is to be practised in them as well to replenish our spirit with pietie as to leaue of to accustome humane constitutions Saint Ierome Hiero. in Esas It is no maruell saith he speaking of the Iewes if you follow your traditions seeing that euerie country goeth to seeke counsaile at their Idols but God verely hath giuen vs his scriptures and darknesse shall ouerwhelme you if you follow them not As also vnto Christians for euen in his time saith he it was come to the lees In. Matth. 23. VVo be vnto you wretched Christians to whom the sinnes of the Pharisies are translated and come euen that damnable tradition of theirs c. wee swallow downe against the commaundement of God the things that are great and hunt after the opinion of religion in the small and little ones c. And once for all The sworde Ad Laetam saith he of the Lord striketh at all those doctrines which are found bearing the shewe of Apostolicall traditions without the authoritie and testimonie of the Scriptures And this is the verie thing whereof Saint Augustine so greatly complained himselfe in his time that in the Church euery thing was full of presumption S. August in Epi. ad Iouin In S. Ioha tract 96.97 and preiudicate opinion that contrarie to the expresse worde of Christ the yoke of Christians was become more heauie and greeuous then that of the Iewes That men made lesse conscience of the law of God then of the least humane ordinances or rather fansies All this or the most part thereof comming from heretikes and certaine Apocripha bookes vnder the shadow saith he of this worde From the Lord I haue yet many things to say insomuch as that there is not the veriest foole that is that dareth not to abuse the same A place that some obiect against vs euen vnto this day about the same matter But saith he when the Lord hath kept any thing hidden from vs who is he that is so vaine as to goe about to gesse at it or so rash and foole-hardie as to take vpon him to reueale it And this is the cause why Saint Bernard wearie of those insupportable traditions Bern. Epist 91 ad Abba Suissioni congreg said I desire with all my hart to present my selfe as a partie in that Councel wherin traditioÌ„s are not obstinately defended nor suspersticiously obserued but rather the good and perfect will of God with all humilitie and diligence searched after and sought for And againe De precepto dispensat If there be any such as charitie hath beene the inuenter of it is iust that by the same charitie they bee ceased and giuen ouer if it bee so found expedient Againe The precepts which are of the ordinances of God are necessarie but those which are of humane constitution arbitrarie and at discretion c. And in deed the Ecclesiasticall historie doth witnesse vnto vs that the ancient fathers did leaue such things as were meere obseruations indifferent both vnto whole Churches and particular persons not inforcing any thing but what was of the pure and vndefiled commaundement of God as is to be read in Socrates Nicephorus c. Can not the Church then ordaine any thing Socrates Niceph. l. 12. c 14. Wherein or how far the authority of the Church stretcheth And wherein shall the authoritie thereof consist Nay let vs not feare that it hath ouer little to doe It is not a small thing in the blindnesse wherewith man is blinded and in the darknesse of this worlde to keepe it selfe from straying and wandring out of the way of life to keepe it selfe from loosing the heauenlie light through the sight of the eyes and to guide it selfe and others by the same And would to God it would haue contented it selfe to haue knowne this onely and to haue beene ignorant in all the rest Where as hauing toucht the forbidden tree and hauing transgressed this worde Deute 4. 12 Cursed be they which adde thereunto shee hath opened her eyes to these false and deceyuing fiers but shut them at the light and so consequentlie lost her puritie loyaltie and innocencie and leauing the truth of God is further become left vnto herselfe The ancient fathers verily The Fathers made faith the limits of the Church and the Scriptures the bounds limits of faith Colos 2.8 1. Cor. 4.6 Iohn 8.13 Not by succession Iren. l. 3. con heres c. 11. l. 4. c. 43. 44. Tertul. de prescript de pudicit Id verius quod prius Tertul. de virg â—â—land Con. Praxeam Tertul. de prescript Cypr. Ep. 55. De lapsis In tract de simplicit pontif in ep 74. Gregor Nazianz in orat habit ad laudem S. Athanas cont Arrian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haue not thought it any thing dishonoured when they tyed it to the obedience of her Spouse for they bounded it by faith and faith by the Scriptures And it would haue beene on the contrarie a verie strange doctrine vnto them that it shoulde haue spoken or heard any other language then her owne seeing it is said vnto her by the Apostle See that none spoile you through Philosophie or vaine deceitfulnesse according to the traditions of men Againe Learne of vs not to be wise aboue that which is written And in vs saith the Apostle that is to say by our example And by her Spouse himselfe If you abide in my worde you shall be truly my disciples Irenaeus saith The Gospel is the pillar and foundation of the Church It behoueth it to flie from all those which flie from and forsake the principal succession and cleaue vnto theÌ„ that keepe the doctrine of the Apostles Tertul. The Church is knowne to be apostolical not by nuber not by succession of Bishops but by the consanguinitie of doctrine And this doctrine again In this saith he in that the most ancientis most true that is most ancient which was from the beginning and that which is from the beginning is that which is froÌ„ the Apostles from the Apostles saith he who left the Scriptures for vs vpon whom are come the last ages the Scriptures by which the truth is defended and not by tradition or custome For how saith he could a man be able to speake of the things of faith but by the writings of faith Saint Cyprian Those are the Church saith he which dwell in the house of God But how Verily saith he who so is separated diuided
from the Gospel the same is not ioyned to the Church for this is all one saith he after the maner whereby Antichrist was brought in vnder the name of Christ by counterfetting things likely thereby subtilly to frustrate the truth where as it had behooued him to haue returned to the originall of truth haue hasted back to the spring-head to see at what place the pipes conueying the water vnto vs were broken by this meanes to haue lent his eare vnto the doctrine of the heauenly Master For saith Nazianzene vnto the Arrians The church is not defined by multitude if they haue the people we haue the faith if they haue the golde and siluer we haue the true doctrine succession must be valued by pietie and not by Sea or seate Who so retaineth the same doctrine of faith hee possesseth the same Sea as he that retaineth the contrarie in the same Sea is to be helde as an enemy Because saith Saint Chrysostome The Church consisteth not in walles but in faith so that where faith is there the Church is where faith is not there the Church is not This is the true Ierusalem whose foundations are placed vpon the mountaines of the Scriptures As also saith he he goeth not out from the Church that goeth out from the bodie but rather he that forsaketh the spirit the foundation of the ecclesiasticall truth We then saith he are gone out from them in respect of the place but they froÌ„ vs in respect of faith we haue left with them the foundations of the walles but they haue left with vs the foundations of the Scriptures Saint Ambrose Christ alone is he whom no man ought to forsake or change away to whom it is by good right said Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the wordes of life It is then giuen vs in charge aboue all things to seeke out the faith of the Church in which if Christ dwell howe that then wee must make choise thereof namely for our habitation but if wee finde therein either an vnfaithfull people or an hereticall teacher that spoileth the dwelling such Synagogue is to be auoided And if to be briefe a Church forsake the faith it behooueth vs to forsake and abandon it c. And he yeeldeth a reason Christ saith he is the rocke Petra non Petrus S. Ambr. l. 1 de paenit c. 9. the foundation of the Church that is faith if thou be in the rocke thou art also in the church But to the end we may not take one rocke for another Know saith he that they which haue not Peters faith can neither haue Peters portion and inheritance Saint Ierome expounding the Creede He hath not said I beleeue in the holie catholike church but I beleeue the holie church The holie church is that which keepeth the faith of Christ in the integritie and soundnesse thereof It consisteth not of walles but vpon the veritie of doctrine VVhere faith is there is it also and there it was at such time as heretikes possessed all these churches In Psal 133. VVouldst thou enter into this church and that by the right way In Psal 5. It is the reading of the Scriptures Do thou O Lord so lay out and fit my way as that I may not fall or take offence in these Scriptures seeing that by them I desire to enter into thy church Yea saith he these Scriptures they are the kingdome of God himselfe In S. Mat c. 21. And when it is said that the Lord hath translated the kingdom of heauen from the Iewes vnto vs it is as much as to say that he hath taken the Scriptures from them to giue them vnto vs. In them saith Saint Augustine we finde Christ in them wee are to seeke and search for the Church in them and by them it is shewed vnto vs. Aug de vnit Eccles And let vs not once imagine that we haue and hold the church because we are in that wherein Ambrosius or Optatus haue beene before vs no nor yet because there are miracles wrought therein for euen our Lord himselfe woulde that his disciples should be confirmed by the Scriptures more then by any other meanes and of that nature are the titles precepts and foundations of our cause Cont. Petil. l. 3. c. 6. in Psalm 69. If then saith he there be any question either of Christ or of the church or of any thing whatsoeuer that belongeth either to life or faith cursed bee hee that goeth out of the Scriptures To the ende that thou maist not be deceiued and that no man may cause thee to take him for Christ that is not Christ that for the church which should not be the church hearken vnto the voice of the shepheard he hath shewed himselfe vnto thee he hath shewed thee the church In Ioh. ser 131 My sheepe heare my voyce c. The church is the house of God but it is not God wee beleeue the church but we beleeue not in the church It is the mother In Epist Ioh. tract 3. In Psal 103. Obpubilatur Epist 48. Sâ—rm 237. de Temp. ad Lucernam Ber. in conuer S. Paul ser 1. but the two testaments are her teates from them we must sucke the milke of all the mysteries of our saluation The Bishops may erre there haue beene of them authours both of schismes and heresies The church in like maner is sometimes eclipsed and marred with wet and tempestuous weather The surest course is to make the Scriptures our looking-glasse as also for vs to walke in the torch-light of the scriptures O Lord our good God said Saint Bernard such as seeme to holde the Primacie in the church Iâ— Cant. ser 76 are the formost most forward to persecute thee It is not inough for such as should be our guard and watchmen to giue ouer their care of protection and vigilancie except they further worke our spoile At the least saith he elsewhere let him abound in his sense vnderstanding that will Epist 77. but as for vs I could wish that they would let vs abound in the sense of the Scriptures In the meane time Durand appellat mensuram fidei in prefat Sentent Thomas regulam intel ectus in â— ad Tim. cap. 6 lect 1. Scot. mensur Theol. in l. 1. Sent. q. 1 Gerson regulaÌ„ fid de coÌ„munic sub vtraque against these Scriptures the law of the Church the measure of faith the rule and bridle of all maner of vnderstanding I speake according to the Schoolemen themselues Thomas Durand Scotus Gerson c. These miserable Doctors and teachers either of this world or of the Prince of this world enemies of the true light children of darknesse seeing they please themselues so greatly therein doe not cease to furnish vs with appeales being imployed euer and anon more in making of such then of any other bookes So that if we had nothing else against them but that we might iustly suspect
the first workes of the Apostolike and Primitiue Church to seale vp vnto vs the Canon of theese bookes by the same spirit which had inspired them and so called them Canonicall as if a man should say Reguler because they are ordained the rule of Christian doctrines and stand as a law to guide all our discourses And to this first number it belongeth not neither hath belonged since then to any either man or Church to chop in or to adde other bookes without the violating of the iudgement of the Apostolike Primitiue Church For what other thing were it but to say that it had excluded the bookes which it should haue admitted Wherefore we may thinke that what they haue said of such as at this day leade vs to Iewish fables Tit. 1.14 and to the commaundements of men which Saint Paule so earnestly warneth vs of to the pretended Gospels of Saint Iames Saint Bartholmew Nicodemus Ioseph of Aremathia c. yea and to the verie bookes which the Church both Christian and Iewish haue pronounced Apocrypha was not done to teach vs to draw from thence anie patternes of good manners as sometimes the olde fathers do but pretended articles of faith not to strengthen any poynt of Canonicall doctrine but to lay a foundation of a new inuented one such as neuer came in the Canon Euen as Saint Augustine after his modest maner would tell them the same that he said to the Donatists These men wanting examples of their wickednesse do boast themselues to haue found in the booke of the Machabees August cont Gaudent l 2 c. 23. one Razias to imitate who slue himselfe but the Iewes make no such account of these bookes as they doe of the Law the Prophets and the Psalmes to which God hath giuen testimonie as to his witnesses They haue beene receiued not vnprofitablie of the Church if so be they be soberly read principallie in respect of these brethren the Machabees who laboured and tooke paines for the law of God c. Could he haue spoken thus of the diuine bookes inspired of God without blasphemie Caletan in 1. ad Cor. c. 12. v 28. Not vnprofitablie if they be read soberlie c. And this is the same that in our time Cardinall Caietan hath acknowledged laying out the difference betwixt the Apostles and all others in the Church The vniuersall gouernment of the church saith he belongeth onely to the Apostles not onely by worde and action but also by writing and therefore the onely writings of the Apostles or those which haue beene approued by them must haue the authoritie of holy writ The second rule is That for the vnderstanding of these Canonicall bookes To haue recourse to the originals Hebrew and Greeke Ambros de S. Spir. l. 2. c. 6. de incarna c. 8 or any place in them that is in controuersie we haue recourse for the olde Testament to the truth of the Hebrew and for the New to the Greeke seeing there is neuer a translation by whom soeuer it may haue beene performed which can be called either Canonicall or Authenticall Seeing also that as from false premisses or propositions there cannot follow but a false conclusion so from false Grammar there cannot proceede true Diuinitie And this is that which the Fathers say vnto vs If any man striue about the diuersitie of Latin copies that some vnfaithfull persons haue falsified them let him in such case looke vpon the Greeke c. Againe We haue found it so in the Greeke copies Hillar in Psal 11◠the authoritie whereof is farre more to be preferred Saint Hillarie We haue oftentimes tolde you that we cannot be satisfied in the vnderstanding of the Scriptures by the Latine translation And this Saint Ierome spoke to him that was ignoraunt in the Hebrew tongue Saint Ierome also whose translation some men doe so highly esteeme howbeit that the best learned doe doubt if it be his and all agree that all of it is not S. Hier. in Epi. ad Paulin. Marcel ad Suniam ad Damas in Prefat in 4. Euang. in Zac. c. 4. 8. ad Lucin. Augu. de doct Christ l. 2. c. 11 Epist 59. 19 De doct christ l. 2. c. 10 15 in Decret D. 9 c. in veterum Genes 3. It behooueth vs to haue recourse to the originall of the Hebrew for the Olde testament and to the Greeke for the New For saith he there are so manie diuerse Latine copies as there are bookes and by these originals wee must alter and correct that which hath beene ill translated by the Interpretors Saint Augustine The Latins to attain to the knowledge of the Scriptures haue neede of two wings of the Hebrew and Greeke tongues let the Latines haue recourse vnto the Hebrew and Greeke copies c. Againe For to correct the Latins let vs vse the Grecians c. Let vs rather beleeue the tongue from whence the Expositors haue translated the Scriptures into other tongues c. Saint Augustine I say who knew nothing in the Hebrew And that they had iust cause to say so may be made to appeare vnto vs by infinite examples In Genesis it is said That the seed shall breake the head of the Serpent that is to say Christ The Vulgar translation saith Ipsa she◠not Ipsum that is to say semen and so by that means it is referred vnto the virgin Marie◠and so a Sauioresse set vp in stead of a Sauiour At this stone good S. Barnard stūbled as Burgensis Caietanus Canusius do acknowledge c. And still they would that wee should leaue it in the way to the ende that euerie man may stumble thereat S. Paul in his Epistle to the Hebrewes saith Hebr. 13. That God is well pleased with charitie and well doing The Interpreter hath translated it That by them men merit at Gods bands See you not therefore say some vnto vs Merit proued in the Scripture Yes were it not that euerie man knoweth what the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meaneth nemely that God taketh pleasure c. Melchisedech brought forth bread and wine to Abraham In stead of Protulit he hath translated it Obtulit Genes 18. and see you not how thereupon also the sacrifice of the Masse◠But Vatablus and Pagnine and Caietan also doe acknowledge the sooth and therefore reforme the translation and withall you wipe out the Masse So vpon the Psal 68. For To sleepe amongst pots or Andirons he translateth it Inter Cleros amongst the clergie The lots or heritages ex lapidibus sacculi is made lapides saeculi stones of the ballance that is of weights are made eternall stones and fiue hundred such like Where is the Doctor how holie or great soeuer he may be who resting and relying vpon any such translation shall be able to gather any true sense Who shall not be forced thereby to deceiue both himselfe and others No lesse then Accursius
c. 4. l. 3 c 5. saith Saint Augustine hath beene gathered togither whatsoeuer was dispersed throughout the diuine Scriptures to the end that the memorie of the most dull and slow of conceipt might not be ouerlaboured And whereof Beda after him leaueth vs this lesson That we must beware that Secundum fidem fit Sacramenti diuini expositio That the exposition of the diuine mysteries be according to faith In such sort as that we haue two Canons but the one neuerthelesse an abridgement of the other the Canonicall Scripture and the Canon of faith that is the Creede that to stay our spirits so that they may not search for in substance any thing in faith Tertul. de praescript saith Tertullian anie where else then in the doctrines of faith This to direct them in the expounding of that that is of the Scriptures and doctrines of faith to the ende that they may not admit of any sense how plausible soeuer it might be which is gone be it neuer so little from the articles of faith For example 〈◊〉 wee haue to deale with an Arrian we shall say vnto him after the maner of Saint Augustine let vs pitch our selues without any shifting vpon the Canonicall Scriptures we haue no other titles whereby we may learne the right but them But if from these Scriptures he alledge vnto vs The father is greater then I c. we shall call to mind that it is also written I and the father are one and the Scripture cannot be contrarie To the ende then that the one and the other may proue true we shall distinguish referring the first vnto the humane nature and the other vnto his diuine that so we may not conclude against that which is said I beleeue in Iesus Christ for Cursed be hee that putteth his cōfidence in any thing but God c. And let vs further obserue here that as hath bin said there is no societie since that of the Apostles that can make that Canonicall Scripture which is not as in like maner there is not any that can make an article of the faith of that which of it selfe is not one This power saith the Cardinall Caietan himselfe did ende there and there is not any either succession or discent which can attribute it vnto it selfe or which can pretend the same What then How we are to receiue and intertaine the Fathers And shall the Fathers that haue so highly deserued of the Church that haue so much and so well trauelled in the Scriptures serue vs for no vse Yes but marke the place due vnto them and the which no other can bee attributed vnto them they could not be called any sooner It is for God in his word to giue vs his law he is our onely Lawgiuer to whom alone it appertaineth saith the Apostle to saue and to destroy Iames. 4.12 Expounders not lawgiuers The greatest honour that man can haue giuen him in the Church is to be an expounder To take vpon him to make any lawes therein of himselfe this is to coine money this is to incroch vpon the Prince he cannot doe it without committing of treason yea without the incurring of blasphemie Here therefore we admit of the Fathers as expounders of the law word and diuine Scriptures we receiue their interpretations with reuerence admiring their pietie doctrine and zeale but alwayes with this exception most reasonable That they be but expounders not law-giuers dispensers of the mysteries of godlinesse and not authours In whom we must consider what they haue said not in that they haue said it but in that they haue said it by the way of expounding of the Scripture not speaking of their owne heades but according to their capacitie of the sense and meaning thereof As for example we reason of purgatorie The question here is not to know if it be to be found in Origen Augustine or S. Gregorie this rule abideth alwayes firme That if there be one it must needes bee that God hath made it for there is not any Doctor that hath power abilitie to make it If it belong to vs to know it let God haue reuealed and disclosed it vnto vs for it is not to be learned at the gesse of any of the Fathers let vs then haue found it in the Church her treasurie the Scripture Now there will be some to shew vs some places out of it from which they would collect and gather it and accordingly they will that they should be vnderstood on this sort and we on the contrarie In this controuersie we shall reade ouer the Text verie carefully as also that which goeth before and that which followeth we shall examine it to see if it be faithfully translated we shall make comparison of the like places All this hitherto is nothing else but to call vpon the Spirit of God to be our aide so much the more to inlarge and open our spirits according to that which the Apostle saith vnto vs. 1. Cor. 14◠Let the spirits of the Prophets that is of such as haue the gift of interpretation be subiect to the Prophets We shall here consult with the olde Fathers we shall compare their expositions both with the Text and amongst themselues we shall marke if they haue vsed a good translation whether they handle the place by the way or of set purpose affirmatiuelie or doubtfully and where they differ as ordinarily it falleth out we shall weigh them both according to the age wherein they shal haue liued for it importeth infinitely and according to the testimonie that the Church shall haue giuen of their doctrine for they are not all of one weight And in the ende caeteris paribus We shall not despise the consent and agreement of many against a few But God forbid that we should receiue them for Law-giuers or yet for Authours of opinions in the Church either contrarie vnto or without the scriptures And as farre off must it be that we should make them correctors or iudges ouer that ballance which iudgeth them and wherin themselues will be weighed For this should be blasphemie against God treason against the Church and an iniurie to themselues We wholie yeeld vnto them in thus doing the honour which they haue giuen to their predecessours as whereby they haue set a law and giuen an example for their successors practised by them against those by these against themselues If they had done otherwise where had we beene long agoe Seeing there is not so much as one of them that hath not erred in some thing many of them in the points of faith and certaine of them so farre as that they haue fallen into heresie Verily wee had beene Chiliasts with Irenaeus Montanists with Tertullian Anabaptists with Saint Cyprian Arrians with Theophilus Pelagians with Faustus the originals of all errours yea euen of Arrianisme with Origen we should wound the bodie of Christ not being subiect to paine Zonar de Ori. in Constant S. Hie
Of the vnperfect worke vpon Saint Mathew wherein Arianisme sheweth it selfe most euidently howsoeuer notwithstanding condemned and conuinced by Chrysostome in all his bookes c. The Liturgie how can it proceede from S. Iames seeing it euery where speaketh of this worde Consubstantiall a name in his time not heard of in the Church The booke of the Hierarchie how can that be made by S. Denys at least the Areopagite seeing it citeth Clement Alexandrinus Or that of Christian questions Iustine Martyrs seeing it speaketh of the Manichies De variis quaest q. 23. Or how can that of diuerse Questions bee made by Athenasius seeing it alledgeth Athanasius the great That of the calling of the Gentiles by S. Ambrose seeing it speaketh of the Pelagians Those by Clement Abdias and Iulianus Africanus which are full of Temples of Altars and of Porches of Sextens chambers seeing they were built in the honour of Saint Iohn at Ephesus That of the Resurrection in Ethiopia that by the commaundement of S. Mathew in a time when al Christendome dreamed of nothing but Martyrdome When as there was nothing more busily prouided then pyles of wood to burne the Apostles and their disciples withall And when they prepared nothing but Theaters from whence the people might behold them deuoured of wilde beasts And yet forsooth these are the goodlie bookes whereto our aduersaries for the most part doe appeale for ayde and that oftentimes in those things which haue beene the cause why they were condemned of falshood and which haue caused the Church to account of them but as fables But after all who knoweth not how greatly the heretikes haue giuen themselues to falsifie thē how greatly they haue bestirred themselues to slip in either some of their heresies S. Hieronym in Symb. Ruff. as Ruffinus witnesseth in the bookes of Clement and S. Ierome in many others or of their Traditions as it is easie to be obserued in those of the Montanists And if further according to the measure of the growth and getting of foote of errours in Christendome the Church of Rome haue beene also carefull as we haue seene at Trent to cut off or alter in the bookes of the Fathers what soeuer might be founde to impugne their superstitions and who can doubt of this practise to haue beene followed for the space of many ages hauing beene guided by one and the same spirit who shall be able to assure himselfe of the truth sinceritie and naturalnesse euen of the most legitimate Seeing in Gratian his Decretall wee may marke so manie places of the Fathers and Councels notoriouslie corrupted according as the authoritie of the Pope or powerfulnesse of deceipt did growe in the Church and tempered ad sensum currentem as they call it according to the disease of the time and course of the Market Seeing by name in the Copies of Beda and Theophylact who are of the time when the doctrine of the Eucharist began to varie we perceiue by the comparing of them with old bookes found in Monasteries places concerning this matter either gelded or cut out or added and augmented And thus also it is euen at this day wherein great personages haue complained themselues how they haue beene driuen to labour to discerne and finde out for vs the stiles and spirits of writers from whose paines taken herein wee may ease our selues in the practising of this rule And let this bee saide for no other ende then of manie to giue an example in some few particulars of the cursed practises that Sathan hath continued in the Church for the bringing in of his errours vnder the name of the most approoued Teachers And this verilie not newe or straunge seeing that euen presently after the life time of the Apostles if Saint Iohn who ouerliued them had not prouided against it he had fathered some vpon Saint Paule Saint Peter and certaine others and those also of the peregrination of Saint Paul and Thecla which our aduersaries at this day labour to raise againe out of the graue and to set in their former liuelihood and credite The third is That we marke diligently if the father or ancient Doctor which we handle To consider well if such father haue vsed a good translation haue followed a sound translation haue well vnderstood the words and phrase of the Text in controuersie or not for for example what apparance is there that the Commentaries of S. Hillarie or of S. Gregorie vpon Iob of S. Ambrose S. Augustine or S. Bernard vpon the Psalmes can alwaies reach vnto the sense and meaning when they haue vsed a translation wherein there are almost as many faults as words That S. Anselme or S. Gen. 3. Bernard should be able to gather good doctrine from that place in the translation of Genesis Ipsa conteret caput Serpentis the woman and not Christ shall breake the Serpents head Gen. 4 Or out of that other Gen. 4. Quam vt veniam merear from whence our aduersaries gather the doctrine of merit There where it is My punishment is greater then that I can beare Whereas then we shall find that a Father shall haue followed a false translation we shall not possiblie be able to come by a true exposition so that in such case we are to preferre and make more account of the least that shall haue had it right then him who shall haue followed the false following the precept which they themselues did giue vs here tofore That we are not to rest vpon the Latine translation but to haue recourse vnto the originall and fountaine whether Hebrew or Greeke And now behold the fourth which is that when we are once agreed of the literall sense we should weigh the expositions of the Fathers the Interpreters both in the ballance of the Scripture and in the analogie of faith respect their pietie doctrine and time wherein they liue and receiue their opinions with reuerence whether they shall be differing or agreeing in one or arising from diuerse and sundrie persons let vs preferre that which is spoken in handling the place of purpose before that which is spoken in touching of it by the waye that which is saide in teaching familiarly before that which may bee spoken rhetoricallie as it somtimes falleth out in preaching that which is spoken affirmatiuely before that which is spoken doubtfully that which is spoken from the proper sense of the Authour before that which is spoken by imitating of another that which is gathered from the literall sense before that which is drawne from some allegoricall sense which proueth not and aboue all that which is spoken of some place in cōtrouersie before the controuersie rise at such time as there is nothing sought after therein but the simple truth yea or otherwise after it hath beene argued when as we shall haue searched out thereof for the fortifying of our opinion Here also will occasion be administred to put difference betwixt the Fathers according to the degree
as also that wee shall bee able to deriue it from the first and purest ages wherein the sacred fountaine of mans saluation continued and stood in his vnspotted puritie and exquisite bringhtnes not hauing beene as yet troubled with our humaine inuentions not hauing been as yet defiled with the superstitions which the preposterous imitarion of Iudaisme or the vnaduised skill of fashioning themselues after the manner of the Gentiles did together with the time draw in huge and massie heapes vpon them For otherwise certainely if we can neither become acquainted with it by the holie Scriptures nor finde out anie markes or tokens of the same to haue beene vsed in all that space of pure and vncorrupted Antiquitie but rather that not so much as the name thereof is therein specified and that any other seruice was then offered vp to God let vs bee bolde to say that then the misterie and price of our Saluation lyeth not therein seeing that Saluation it self hath not instituted or ordayned the same as also that the Seruice to be performed by the church doth not consist therein seeing the Primitiue church did neuer know it But then may we well see and perceiue that it is some bastardly broode and intire and vniuersall corrupting of Christ his institution and of the first and auncient manner of seruing of God transformed and changed by little little from an abuse of words into an abuse of matter and substance from a Sacrament to a sacrifice and from a sacrifice eucharisticall to a propitiatorie sacrifice and from the commemoration or remembrance of the onely sacrifice of Christ into a pretended reall and dayly killing and offering vp of himselfe as also that this saide Masse which we see now a dayes is nothing else but a collection and patched thing of many ages a composition incorporated by many Popes for the more precisenes whereof there haue not beene admitted thereunto anie other ingredientes from time to time then the abuses which Sathan men and the iniquitie of time haue beene able to bring in eyther of pretended malice or through carelesse negligence or through ignorance into the church In so much as that finallie the holie Supper of our Lord cannot there retaine anie thing to be knowne by neyther hath it anie thing so contrarie opposite or repugnant as the Masse which from this lawfull and legitimate issue as some of the old Writers haue called it is changed into an illegitimare and bastardly thing from a publique into a priuate from the communion of the faithfull in the same Sacramentes into a particular celebration by one priest and to be briefe from a serious meditation of the death of our Lord into a colde and ridiculous representation of the same from a real and effectual participation of that flesh giuen for the life of the world and of that bloode shed for the remission of our sinnes into a dumbe and doltish ceremonie and that to be therewithall such a ceremonie as which assisting aiding vs a thing neuer heard of in any of the former times there is more hope and helpe to be expected I say not then from the holie supper of the Lord administred according to his institution nor then from all the Sacramentes of the Church of Christ but then from the verie sacrifice which the Lord hath once offered vppon the tree of the Crosse for the saluation of mankinde Now therefore for the clearer handling of this matter I will diuide this treatise into foure partes The first shall bee of the originall and proceeding of the Masse according to all the partes thereof and the second of the circumstances whatsoeuer is depending thereupon which is all that which properlie concerneth the historie thereof The third shall declare how it is to be considered and tried according to the nature and quality of a sacrifice and the fourth how in the nature and qualitie of a sacrament being that which commeth neerest to the touching of the doctrine thereof And I beseech all those that loue the truth and are feruentlie touched with an earnest care of their owne saluation that they would open their eyes and bring them to the sight and view of this matter clean and purged from all manner of preiudice of whatsoeuer forestalled opinion as likewise I pray God that he would giue me the grace of comming vnto this work with a true and sincere affection and vnfained defire to see the church of Christe reformed according vnto true antiquitie in these our daies purged from al nouelties which degenerate from the same reformed according vnto that antiquitie I say which hath for his foundation the doctrine of the Sonne of God the practise of his Apostles gouerned by his spirite but purged from that noueltie which can alledge nothing for his maintenance but the dreams of men those such as are alwaies younglings and babes in things concerning God yea rather alwaies brutish as sayeth S. Paul in that which concerneth his seruice The Contentes of the Chapters of the first Booke 1 AFter what manner the Supper of the Lord was first instituted and ordayned and that the Masse hath no ground or foundation eyther in the Scriptures or in the practise of the Apostles 2 That the Masses fathered vpon the Apostles and Disciples of Christ are notorious and meere suppositions 3 In what manner God was serued in the Christian Church in the time of the Apostles and their Disciples 4 What manner of diuine seruice was vsed in the Church vntill the time of S. Gregory or thereabout and namelie what manner of Masse that was which was so called by those that were catechised 5 What manner of diuine seruice there was vsed namelie in that which was called the Masse of the faithfull 6 Answeres vnto certain obiections and what maner of diuine seruice is most conformable vnto that which antiquitie indeed commendeth vnto vs as whether that of the church of Rome as it standeth at this day or that of the reformed Church 7 VVhat change and alteration was admitted in the celebration of the Supper about the time of Gregorie the great which falleth out to be in the sixt age of the Church 8 VVhat manner of growth and proceeding the Masse had from Gregorie the great vntill about the time of Charles the great 9 VVhat manner of proceeding aswell concerning the framing and rearing of the Masse as also about the vse therof was after the time of Charles the great and particularly of the dismembring of the Sacrament by the taking away of the Cup of the Lord from it 10 That the Communion vnder both kindes hath beene practized of all the auncient Churches 11 VVhat manner of effect and working the taking away of the Cuppe of the Lorde had amongst the faithfull and vnder what colour and pretext 12 VVherin are answered the pretēded reasons of the aduersaries both by the holie Scriptures and by the fathers A recapitulation or briefe rehearsall of the matters
handled in the first booke Of the Second Booke 1 OF Churches and Altars their first beginning and proceeding 2 Of Images that olde and auncient Christians had not anie 3 VVhat manner of increase and proceeding Images had amongst Christians and of the licentious abuse thereof after they were once brought into the Church of Rome 4 Of vnleauened bread wine mixt with water and of such thinges as serued in the administration of the Sacraments 5 That the old worship and auncient manner of seruing God was altogether performed done in such a language as the common people knew and vnderstood and by what degrees it was altered and changed 6 That in the Primitiue Church and a long time after the holie Scriptures were read amongst the people in all tongues and languages 7 Wherein is intreated of the Ministers of the Church and of their charge and vocation in the same 8 That the Bishops and Ministers of the old Christian Church were maried 9 How a sole and vnmaried estate of life grew and got increase and strength in the church of Rome vnto the publishing of the decree made by Calixtus 10 The reestablishing of abstinencie from mariage and the continuing of the same euen vnto our dayes A briefe rehearsall of the matters handled in the second booke Of the Third Booke 1 THat the propitatorie Sacrifice of Christ is not reiterated in the holie Supper and in what sence the old Church did vse this phrase and manner of speech 2 Answeres vnto the aduersaries their obiections which they pretend to draw from the holie Scriptures for the prouing of their sacrifice 3 That the pretended propitiatorie sacrifice of the Masse hath no ground or foundation in the new Testament 4 That the olde VVriters haue not â—â—knowledged anie other propitiatory sacrifice then that onelie one made vpon the crosse 5 How and by what degrees the Sacrament of the holie Supper was turned into a propitiatorie Sacrifice 6 That there is not anie Purgatorie the foundation and ground pillar of their Masses for the dead and first how that it was not knowne vnto the Church of Israell or vnto those that liued vnder the olde Testament 7 That Purgatorie hath no ground or foundation in the new Testament 8 That neither the Primitiue Church nor the Fathers liuing in the same for the space of many ages did euer acknowledge the Purgatorie of the Church of Rome 9 Wherein are answered the aduersaries their obiections endeuouring to proue their Purgatorie by the olde VVriters 10 In what manner Purgatorie hath proceeded in the Church of Rome and by what degrees 11 That praying vnto Saintes hath no foundation in the holie Scriptures of the olde Testament 12 That praying vnto Saintes hath no ground in the holie Scriptures of the newe Testament 13 That praying vnto Saintes was not taught in the Primitiue Church and how it sprung vp and grew 14 The continuing of the puritie of doctrine in the matter of Inuocation and of the springing vp of the corruption of the same in the Latine Church 15 The springing vp of the corruption of inuocation aswell in the Greeke as in the Latine Church 16 That a man eannot merite or deserue eternall life for himselfe and much lesse for an other wherein he is considered first as he is before his regeneration 17 That a man regenerate cannot merite eternall life for himselfe or for any other 18 That the law was giuen vnto man to conuince him of sinne and to cause him to looke for his saluation from grace through faith in Christ according to the Scriptures and the Fathers 19 That good workes are the gift of God and therefore cannot merite and to what vse they serue according to the holy Scriptures and fathers 20 How the doctrine of merite first set foote into the Church how it proceeded and how it hath beene oppugned and set against in all ages yea euen vnto S. Bernard his time 21 How merite proceeded and went on euer since S. Bernard his time vntill thâ—se our daies and what oppositions haue beene made against it euen vnto the time of the full light of the Gospell breaking forth againe A Recapitulation of the third Booke Of the fourth Booke 1 WHat a Sacrament is and wherein it consisteth and of the difference of the Sacraments of the old and new testament where are likewise laide downe certaine rules by the old writers for the better vnderstanding of their writings 2 That the doctrine of the holy Supper must be examined by the rules before deliuered as all other doctrine whatsoeuer touching any other Sacraments eyther of the old or of the new Testament 3 That the exposition which our aduersaries giue vpon the wordes of the holy Supper destroyeth all the foundations of the Christian faith as also the nature of Christ and of his sacramentes 4 That the fathers knew not Transubstantiation nor the reall presence in the signes and that which is touched of the times euen to the first Nicene Councell is also included therein 5 The continuing of the beliefe and faith of the fathers of the Church in the matter of the holy Supper from the first Nicene Councell vnto the time of Gregorie the great 6 Likewise that a long time after Gregorie Transubstantiation was not knowne and in like manner that all the most famous Liturgies amongst our aduersaries are repugnant to the same 7 That the old Church did not belieue nor teach Transubstantiation seeing it neither did nor obserued in respect of the kindes or Sacramentes that which is done and practised at this day 8 In what manner the opinion of Transubstantiation was begun increased and finished vntill the yeare 1215. and that it was ratified and confirmed by a Decree made in the Councell of Lateran 9 What manner of increase and proceeding befell the opinion of Transubstantiation from the Councell of Lateran vntill the Councell of Trent and the absurdities and contradictions rising from the same A comparing of the holy Supper with the Masse A briefe rehearsall of the chiefe matters contained in the whole worke THE FIRST BOOKE OF THE MASSE AND of the partes thereof CHAP. I. After what manner the Supper of the Lord was first instituted and ordained and that the Masse hath no good ground eyther from the Scriptures or from the practise of the Apostles OVr aduersaries for the laying of a surer foundation for the Masse out of the holy Scriptures haue attempted to driue and draw the same from the institution of the holy Supper of our Lord ordinarily now a daies do vse to set downe as a note and marke of the same vppon all such places as concerne the holy Supper Heere is the institution of the Masse whereas their predecessors namely the ordinary Glose was wont to note such places thus Heere is the institution of the Supper or Eucharist Wherefore the better to know how like and how vnlike they be as likewise to see so much the more cleerely how farre the one
Nestorius euen hee the verie man by whome they woulde beare vs in hande that this Lithurgie of Saint Iames was first brought to light Againe it would as little haue beene omitted in the first councell of Constantinople against the Macedonians calling in question the deitie of the holie Ghost seeing that it calleth him Consubstantiall with the Father And so in the first Nicene Councell at such time as they sought to confute Arrius to establish the word Homousion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to declare the Sonne to be Coeternall and Consubstantiall with the Father And in manie other councels following as that of Sardis of Rimini c. where it should haue decided the difference betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether the Sonne should be held to be of the same or of the like substance seeing that in this Lithurgie these wordes are verie ordinarie both concerning the Sonne and the holie Ghost and so might haue ended all the strifes and preuented without anie more to doe so manifold tragicall accidentes as fell out in Christendome Let vs ioyn vnto the former Saint Ciprian one of the most auncient Fathers and writers as one that felt himselfe sufficientlie confirmed in the lawfulnes of mingling of water with wine in the holie Supper in the place where he hath recourse vnto Allegories And so likewise Saint Ierome who had not got a small aduantage against Vigilantius about the ceremonies for which he did contend and striue with him For who can belieue that he which had read all manner of writinges extant and which dwelled in Ierusalem where they would that this Masse should be borne and where by consequent it should find most carefull tender custodie for the preseruing of the same should not so much as haue knowne it As in like manner it is most certaine that these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neuer vsed in the Primitiue Church before the Councels of Nice and Ephesus were not onelie receyued in the Church where they were brought to light aswel as the substance and doctrine but also grounded in expresse and plaine sort vpon the worde of God and manie others of the like nature which may serue notoriously to proue vnto vs that the deuise of this Lithurgie was not hatched till after these Councels for besides that our aduersaries know well inough how to alledge for the authoritie of the Church that the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of the ordinance of the Councell of Nice and not of the Scriptures nor of the Apostles It is euident that before this time it was not read in anie author that can bee defended and auouched Some there are which alleadge one Prochorus a pretended Disciple of our Lord but hee himselfe which hath caused it to be imprinted hath by the same reason made it to be suspected for false counterfeyte and the stile or manner of writing in his own iudgement carrieth no resemblance of an Apostolike spirite As also Iustin Martyr likewise about the year 150. Iustinus tom 3. in a book intituled The exposition of the Creed of the right confession or of the Trinitie consubstantial 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But besides that this booke is not named by Photius Honorius S. Ierome Eusebius or anie others amongst the workes of Iustine as also for that it is knowne not to aunswere or bee like vnto his stile It is to bee noted that this worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not mentioned so much as in anie one place of this Treatise and therefore may bee thought out of all doubt that some man hath slipt it into the title for the plainer declaring of the meaning of these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the right confession c. And for these reasons it is doubted of euen by Perion himself You haue afterward in the same Lithurgie a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is sung and it signifieth asmuch as thrise holie or most holie it consisteth vpon these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou O holie God O Holie Mightie O Holie immortall haue pittie vpon vs. But how did this rise Behold and see how Pope Felix the third writing vnto the Emperour Zenon layeth downe the originall and first beginning of the singing thereof in the Church as namelie that the Cittie of Constantinople being sore shaken with continuall earthquakes and the people crying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shew mercie Lord a little child in the sight of the people and of the Patriarke Proclus was rauished and carried vp into heauen for the space of an houre where he learned this Hymne and comming downe againe taught the same vnto the people who singing the same the earthquake ceased And hereupon it came that this was receyued of the Church into the beadroule of holy Hymnes and ratified by the Councell of Calcedon For this Felix the third liued aboute the yeare 480. the Patriarke Proclus about the yeare 460. and this is that Proclus whome they obtrude vnto vs for a speciall witnes concerning this Lithurgie And can it possiblie come to passe that this Hymne falling out vpon this miracle coulde not be receyued into the Church til neare fiue hundred years after our Lord and yet notwithstanding to be found placed that in the same place that it is vsually set in in others in this Lithurgie But let vs go forward There was publike prayers made for them which were in the Monasteries At this time nor yet for three hundred years after were there anie Monkes in Syria that is to say in the countrie where Ierusalem is scituate much lesse were they then in Monasteries S. Hieronim in vita Hilar. S. Ierome a witnes of that assemby in the place aboue mentioned they did run sayeth hee with emulation from Syria and Egypt to Hilario in such sort as that manie belieued in Christ and became Monks for at that time as yet there were no Monasteries in Palestina neyther yet did anie know in Syria what they meant there was Hillario the first founder and ordayner of this kind of life and conuersation he prayed to God that he would giue vs to find grace with the Apostles Martyrs and Confessors But where is read the name Confessors Bellarminde missa lib. 2. cap. 20. but of a long time after And for their better instruction I wold haue them yet at the least to belieue Bellarmin who would proue the antiquitie of the Romaine Canon because it is not mentioned in that place In asmuch sayeth he as the name of Confessors was not admitted into the prayers of the church til after long time euen a little before Charles the great He bringeth in Temples Altars burning of incense and making of censors In a time wherein euerie man knoweth that no man speaketh of anie thing but persecution and priuate prayers in houses and caues and who knoweth not how manie ages were expired and spent before euer it grew to
he exercised his Apostleshippe we haue so negligentlie looked to the keeping of this Masse as that wee had it not till after the yeare 900. or thereabout when Michaell the Emperour of Constantinople sent it vnto Lewes the son of Charles the bald where we must not forget that so great ignorance raigned when it was brought vnto vs so able were wee to giue a sound and vpright iudgement vpon it as that to the end wee might be able to celebrate and keepe the same yearlie vpon S. Denis his day in the Abbay of S. Denis neare Paris as it was then appointed it must needes bee written in Latine in which language it is read as yet vnto this day Let vs come to Clement They shew vs his Lithurgie I dare take them vpon their oath Of the Masse attributed to Clement to speake in what estimation they haue it concerning the goodnes and sufficiencie thereof and whether that they would think themselues to haue made a right consecration and according to the lawes of their Canons if they should bee ruled by the same and yet notwithstanding Euseb lib. 3. cap. 16. S. Hieron de eccl Scriptor they are not ashamed to make it a buckler of theirs Eusebius and S. Ierome allowe not anie worke of this Clements from whome euerie day doth giue vs a newe spring of volumes saue onelie one Epistle written to the Corinthians and yet that same is lost and perished although they let not to confesse that there are manie bookes that walke abroade vnder his name but such as are verie much swaruing from the doctrine of the Apostles those especially which are intituled his reuiewes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Ruffinus alledged by S. S. Hieron in Apol. aduers Ruff. Dist 15. sancta Romana Epiph. haeres 27. Sixt. l. 2. Bibl. Ierome doth affirm that they contain the heresie of the Eunomians in such euident and manifest manner as that it might seeme to haue beene Eunomius himselfe speaking in them Gelasius the Pope giueth the same censure vppon the booke called Itinerarium Petri or S. Peter his voiage And Epiphanius addeth that the Ebionites did make vse of the same for the prouing of their heresies And the Inquisition saith Sixtus Senensis hath likewise disalowed of and condemned them As for his Epistles vnto S. Iames the Bb. of Ierusalem it is apparantlie cleare that he was dead 30. years before that S. Clement could be Bb. of Rome and yet notwithstanding hee taketh vpon him this facultie But how can it be maintained being before the death of S. Peter And yet after all this who is there that will stand forth and warrant vs that there is no falshoode in the bookes of Constitutions newlie brought ouer from Candie by a certaine Venetian called Capellus in which we may reade this pretended Lithurgie of S. Clements seeing that the Councell of Constantinople held in Trullo doth complaine that these Constitutions of Clement haue beene falsified seeing also that the Cardinall Bessarion not knowing possibly how to approue the words of consecration vsed therin doth vtterlie reiect the authority therof as Apocrypha openlie suspected of being counterfeite and fained Now therfore what haue they merited or what seruice haue these bookes of Clementes done vnto the Church since that time hauing beene condemned by the Primitiue Church that they should now find allowance and approbation in our Church Shall books containing the seede of controuersies bee admitted as deciders of controuersies what shoulde let vs to condemne euerie particular of the doctrines which they containe seeing they were euerie where and vniuersallie then condemned in the Church But let vs see some notes of vntruth in them such as are in others and withall such particular ones as are proper vnto them alone Behold prayer for Confessors not receiued as saith Bellarmine for the space of 700. yeares after in the Church of Rome and so they woulde proue that from that time there was a Pope That the remainder of the Euchariste should be cast into the Sextens chamber or roomes called Pastophoria which in olde time were certain galleries in the Temples of the Painims appointed for lodgings for such as resorted thether for to offer sacrifice and how short came poore Christians as then of hauing anie such Temples or buildinges Let vs make an end of that which remaineth concerning this matter Decretall Epistles all after the same manner what shall we say then of those goodlie Epistles written by the first Bbs. of Rome wherein so oftentimes mention is made of the Masse shall they also swing in the same ballance and obtaine as vile an end This would it may bee but anger and vexe them too much But who can indure that it should bee thought that such Epistles should bee attributed vnto so great Clearkes and personages and that in those ages wherein the Latine tongue most flourished being more full of incongruities and barbarismes then euer were found amongst the verie Gothes as for example Episcopi sunt obediendi sunt vener andi non sunt detrahendi and in that written to Euaristus non sunt respuendi non insidiandi againe in an other to Telesephorus Also ab iis omnes se fideles cauere debent and such like who euer spake such Latine or else who cannot say if they did speak so that of all the Latine the B bs of Rome the head citie of the whole world were the most barbarous and the least Latinistes But is it in these pretended Epistles that we find these goodlie Decrees Of Clement the first Let not the Laitie enter into the Presbiterie whilest Masse is in saying when as at this time not 300. yeares after there were not anie eyther Temples or Presbiteries witnesses herein are Origene and Arnobius And as wee shall see the name of the Masse was as little amongst the Latines and lesse amongst the Greekes Of Alexander the first Let not a Priest say anie moe then one Masse a day De Consecr D. 1. Can. Sufficit Can Nocte Sancta c. And of Telesephorus That hee may say it thrice vpon Christes day and that because the people flocke and run together by thousands vnto Christianitie and that euerie one is desirous to communicate vppon that daye yea hee had an expresse commaundement And thus they euerie where deceiue with the name of Masse in stead of Communion or Eucharist And yet of all this while haue they not got so much as one Masse neither of the Apostles nor of their Disciples neither yet of the first Bbs. of Rome by turning ouer and pressing all the recordes of one hundred yeares space after the death of Christe And although we should allow for good and currant whatsoeuer they alledge how far off notwithstanding should we finde them from that great Masse of these our times and how farre to seeke for their priuate Masses But they replye who is able to proue any thing to you seeing you deny so manie Testimonies
catechised NOw in the time of Constantine his rule and gouernment in the Empire A notable alteration vnder Constantine afterward we see and behold the estate of the Christian Church to change from persecution to peace from seruitude and slauerie to principality rule and dominion by remouing out of the deserts to dwell in Citties and from keeping in caues and holes to sit in faire and stately palaces Here we see it imbraced of the multitude entertained of Emperors and those the most famous and worthiest of all the rest namely the Emperours of Rome and receiued of whole nations and those such as bare away the pricke and price from the whole world for pride and riotousnes Let vs not find it strange if in this great change we see it altogether changed euen at one blow if the Church embracing the world into her lappe become sweld and puffed vp with the same in a moment if the worlde enter into the Church with the worlde being brought thereinto by the entrance it obtained I meane the vanities superfluities affections and imperfections together with all the rest of the infections of the world The Church had beene nourished in mountaines and deserts she came forth of such places clothed with Camels haire in all so brietie simplicitie and innocencie The Bishops for the most part bringing her forth into the world were ashamed to shew her in such sort vnto the Gentils to them which newly came or else were willing to come out of Paganisme These good Emperours likewise desirous to haue her receiued of these people becomming more curious in setting out of the vtter partes then of the inner of the shew and appearance then of the truth and of the ceremonie then of the substance did not make conscience or spare to decke her vp after the manner of Paganisme to prepare her the glorious ornaments vsed amongst the Gentiles and to accommodate and fit thereunto as farre as they thought possiblie they might without preiudicing of their holy faith the seruice and ceremonies of the Christians to those vsed amongst the Pagans And this their course and manner of proceeding was called amongst them zeale and prudencie which Tertullian a precise and seuere obseruer and challenger of the first puritie had called sacriledge Wherein againe they thought it meet to keep such a tempering because that hauing at the same time to care for the satisfying of them of the circumcision euen the Iewes which embraced Christianitie furthered and helped forward thereto for the most part vpon a conceited opinion that they had dreamed of of the greatnes of the Messias they thought they might thereby be able to shew them the accomplishment of their expected hope in the outward gorgeousnes of the Christian Church and where they thought they ought to beautifie her simplicitie and nakednesse there they borrowed willingly all they could either of wordes or ceremonies from the Iewes Seeing then the whole outward seruice both of the Iewes and Gentiles did consist principally in sacrifices those of the Gentiles hauing no certaine scope or marke to ayme at and those of the Iewes looking all forward vnto Iesus Christ vpon and in whom they were all founded and finished it seemed hard and harsh vnto them and like to giue much offence if they should wholly abolish all sacrifices because these proselites newly conuerted to Christianitie did not belieue that religion could stande without sacrifices not conceiuing the truth how that all sacrifices are nothing further then they are applied vnto the onely true sacrifice of the Son of God fulfilled vpon the crosse Least therefore they might exasperate and prouoke either the one or the other the Christians applyed themselues to heare and speake both of altars and sacrifices And because that the Apostles had taken paine to beate it into their heads and harts that all sacrifices tooke their end in Christ they tooke pleasure in calling their seruices offeringes and oblations sacrifices the table of the Lord his Altar the remembrance of his death in his holy supper the sacrifice of the Altar a holy host the Bishops and Pastors Sacrificers and the Deacons Leuites c. These kindes of speeches being easily to bee vnderstoode of euerie one amongst them and such as at that time were not hurtfull howsoeuer in the ages following falling out to bee fuller of ignoraunce and further swaruing from the clearenes of the light they became causes of great abuses because they would aduenture further go from the figure and signe to the thing from the spirit to the letter from an improper manner of speech into an errour of doctrine The Gentiles likewise had a multitude of Gods vnto euery one of which they had builded churches raysed altars and made sacrifices Now to restraine such a people at once to the seruice of one onely God and that God altogether a spirit to a seruice altogether spirituall being a carnall people a people brutishly enamoured with their pompous manner and ceremonies with their images of wood and stone the wisedome of man found to be scandalous full of offence and without the bounds of discretion and therefore would haue regard of the saide Gentiles in such sort as that they might build them vp and not pull them downe and feede them first with milke as they called it and afterwarde with strong meate for so this place was then abused 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereas then the first ages had sharpely and couragiously contested that to haue many Gods was not to haue any at all It was found pleasing and plausible to turne their Gods into Saintes and their Goddesses into she saintes and to place our Apostles and Martyrs in their roomes to dedicate vnto them their temples and Altars to allow them sacrificing priestes and high priestes to ordaine feastes and seruices in honour of them But this matter is handled hereafter more at large Where before that we come thereto let vs consider seeing the spirite of man is blinde in the thinges belonging to God how that these good men vnder a shadowe of drawing Iewes and Gentiles vnto Christ in course of time did faire and softly bring into the Church both Iudaisme and Paganisme I meane their ceremonies and outwarde pompes superstitions and vanities yea and that is worse many of their presumptions and preiudicate opinions in the matter of doctrine and how also it followed thereupon that the people did euerie day apply and ioyne themselues more more to the outwarde parte and put vs in daunger to bee rather Iewes and Gentiles then true Christians abusing the example of Saint Paule who became as hee saith a Iew to the Iewes a Gentile vnto the Gentiles and euery thing to euerie man to winne them vnto Christ and that without any manner of consideration how that the spirit of God is not giuen to all in one measure or how that euerie man is not capable to stand fast and keepe his hold in such tickle and slipperie places
the meane time both before and after haue these wordes continually mingled amongst them Let vs not here thinke vppon any thing that is earthlie anie thing that is carnall all whatsoeuer is contained herein is full of mysteries This is a sacrifice of praise spirituall reasonable without bloode a heauenlie breade which is receyued by a firme and constant faith and by a mind purged from vncleannes a Christ which is distributed without being deuided into parts eaten without being chewed and which nourisheth without being wasted or consumed c that so wee may learne alwaies to keepe the reuerence due vnto the Sacramentes and notwithstanding not to confound them with the thing it selfe that wee may not thinke of anie proper chaunge that should be wrought in these signes but rather of the chaunge which this spirituall nourishment which ioyneth vs to Christ ought to worke and doth worke in vs. Let vs adde hereunto that it is most certaine that there was neuer any Seruice said at this time but there was also the administration of the Communion ioyned therewith and that all the Canon now receyued speaketh of nothing but of the people their being assembed and come to gether for a Communion Cassan in praefat ad Ord. Roman their offring communicating not mentioning anie such thing to bee done of the Priest insomuch as that the best learned and that before wee began to haue anie controuersies with them did openlie hold and dispute it that the Canon could not bee read neyther haue anie worke or operation in priuate Masses prouing the same by S. Gregorie Psalmes in the time of the distributing of the Sacraments Now all the while the Sacramentes were in distributing because it was not without the spending of much time there were many Psalms sung Those which we find to bee most vsuall are the 23. The Lord is my shepheard the 34. I will blesse the Lord at all times and especially this verse Taste and see that the Lord is good the 145. O Lord my God and my king I will praise thee the 103. My soule blesse the Lord S. Dionys in â— De Hierarch Cyril Catech. Liturg. S. Clement August lib. 22 Retract c. 22. c as may bee seene in S. Denys S. Cyrill S. Clement their Liturgies and others especiallie those of the Greekes seeing that at Rome they beganne at this time to deuide them into verses The place of S. Augustine is cleare and euident for the purpose speaking of Psalmes Let it be sayeth hee that they bee sung before the offring or else at such time as it is distributing to the people which hath beene offred And it must not bee forgotten that the Psalms quoted aboue are at this day for the most part the most ordinarie in the reformed Churches of this Realme in the time of the celebration of the Sacrament of the holie Supper After the distribution followed a Thankesgiuing Thankesgiuing S. August Epist 50. Dionis in Hierâ— 3. according to that which Saint Augustine sayeth Gratiarum actio omnia concludit Thankesgiuing in the conclusion and ending of al. And S. Denys The holie Communion endeth with a holie Thankesgiuing And Chrysostome After the hymne sung they went vp to the mountaine This word toucheth you who doe not abide and continue vnto the end of the last prayer for this song was this man his shot Our Lord beganne and ended with a Thankesgiuing that he might bee an example vnto vs for to doe the like Chrysost hom 23. in Matth. And namely in the Lithurgie that is called by Chrysostome his name there is for a Thankesgiuing the Song of Simeon as is vsed in the reformed Churches But the auncient custome was saieth hee in one place that the faithful after they had heard the doctrine offred their prayers and communicated at the Lordes Supper c. did not returne home to their owne houses by and by after that the Assemblie was dissolued but the richest caused their victualles to bee brought from their owne houses and calling the poore did feast them there in the Temple Loue-feastes Chrysost in 1. ad Corinth Opotret haereses esse Tertul. in Apolog August l. 20. c. 20. Siue frugibus siue carnâ—bus Concil Laodic c. 27.28 August ad Ianuar. Epist 119. In a knowne tongue And this was the thing which was called in the Primitiue Church by the name of Loue-feastes whereof wee reade in S. Iude These are spots in our loue-feastes In Tertullian Nostra caena c. Our Supper taketh his name of the thing it is called Agape that is loue whatsoeuer it cost yet this is our gaine that wee spend with godlines for the comfort and refreshment of the poore c. And S. Augustine Our loue-feastes feede the poore whether it be with bread or with flesh you say that the charitie of Christians is like to the Pagans their Sacrifices c. But for certaine abuses which were therein committed this custome ceaseth yea and there were expresse articles framed in certaine councels that those loue-feastes should not anie more bee made in the places appointed for prayer Well may wee see that in the time of S. Augustine the manner of making a Supper was continued and that vpon the day of the Lordes passion in the breaking vp wherof the guestes did communicate in the Sacrament together and this is yet continued in the Monasteries of S. Benet as shall be seene else where and they call it mandatum Let vs adde for the shutting vp of this speech that both the one and the other seruice aswell that whereat those were present which were cateehised as that whereat the faithfull were present was done in a language both well knowne and vnderstoode as namely to the Latines in Latine to the Graecians in Greeke to the Syrians in Syriacke c. and which is more in a loude voice the people not onelie answering but oftentimes singing with the Ministers of the Church S. Ambros in 1. ad Cor. c. 14 Whereupon S. Ambrose saith expounding that place of S. Paule Better are fiue wordes spoken in the church in a knowne tongue then ten thousand others c. That the intention of S. Paule was to reproue the Iewes which tooke pleasure for the commending of their own language to the vse of this Syriacke in their sermons and oblations that is in the celebrating of their diuine seruice the holie Supper directly against those which would maintaine that it is sufficient that sermons be vnderstoode and not the seruice which is said in the Church CHAP. VI. An aunswere vnto certaine obiections and what seruice it is which commeth neerest to that of the purest auncient times that of the Church of Rome as it is vsed at this day or that of the reformed Church NOw therefore we haue seene in part wherein the celebrating of the holy Supper consisted during all this time that is to say from the first Councell of Nice where wee
boldly take him vp for so writing yea and somewhat too sharpely in the iudgement of the soundest writers so farre as that Gregory himselfe said that hee could haue desired that he had proceeded more modestly against him and yet at the vpshot hee doth not defend them Hieron cont Vigilant except you call it a defending of them to turne his backe vpon them and run away from them We do not saith hee light candles when it is cleare and bright day as you do slaunder vs but we doe vse the light for the mitigating of the tediousnesse of darknes that so wee may watch vntill day c. Elsewhere he confesseth that there are some in deede which doe lighten them euen at noone day but that it is through ignorance and simplicitie in honour of the Martyrs With a godly zeale saith he but not according to knowledge These reasons in conscience are they not directly against the practise of the Romish church In an other place he obiecteth against Vigilantius that in the Easterne Churches they were vsed to be lighted when the Sun did shine at such time as the Gospell was read not saith he to the end that they shold giue light but for to be a signe of ioy and reioycing So that in the end they grew from the forbidding of them to winke at them to a tolerating of them to the approuing of them by these degrees vnder Gregorie the Great some hundred yeares after to an expresse commanding and ordaining of them Gregor l. 12. in dict 7. cp 9. Platina in Sabiniano Duâ—â—nd l. 4. in Ration Extrauag de celebr Miss c. sin c. Of the crosse Coloss 1.20 Galat. 6.14 for hee it was that ordained the reuenewes for the maintenaunce of waxe candles and tapers And Sabinian his successor let the lamps burne continually in the Temples Wherevpon Durandus and others going about to giue a reason thinke it better to say that this is after the example of the candlestickes of the old testament deriuing the Christians from Iudaisme whereas the Apostles had taken great paines to draw and pull them quite away from the same Of the crosse they alleadge maruellous wonders They make a thousand allegories and as many hyperboles But what can be said more then S. Paule saith God hath reconciled all thinges to himselfe hauing made the attonement by the blood of the crosse of Christ And in an other place God forbid that I should desire to know or reioyce in any thing but in Iesus Christ and him crucified But roundly and all together at a blow we see them come downe from this crosse that is from the death and passion of our Lord the effectuall powerfulnes whereof is adored of the Angels vnto the only signe of the crosse namely the forme of the wood whereupon hee was hanged and there passing ouer according to their custome from the signes to the thinges and from the thinges to the signes they come to attribute vnto this dumbe and naked signe all whatsoeuer is said eyther by the Apostles or by the old fathers of the true and very crosse of Christ I meane not that of verie wood that is the thing that there is least reckoning made of but that of the precious bloode of our Lord verily and really shedde vpon the tree of the crosse for vs. How much more worth had it beene for them to haue dwelt and rested vpon the first tearmes and phrases of speaking Galat. 2.29 3.2 To haue Iesus Christ saith he painted before our eyes crucified amongst vs and we with him Now S. Paule teacheth vs that the crosse of Christ was an offence vnto the Iewes and foolishnes vnto the Gentils and the truth is that they scorned and cast in the teeth of the Christians Minut. in Octauio Tertul. in Apol c. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cruces ferales the deadly and mortall crosse and called them Religiosos crucis the religious cleauers vnto the crosse c. as vntill this day the latter Iewes do not call him by any other name then the crucified one Whereupon the Christians to shew that they were not ashamed of the crosse but rather that it was their glory did plant it in the midst of their forehead and made it their marke and badge whereas the infidels would shew it them in token of a mocke they deuised how to vse it with honour and reuerence and turne the matter of their reproch into a most worthy monument of their victorie and signe of their triumph It is to the same purpose Tertul. de coron milit Augu. de verb. Apost serm 8 in Psal 41. that Tertullian saith Frontem signaculo crucis terimus that is we do oftentimes marke our selues in the forehead with the signe of the crosse And S. Augustine We haue a hart but not such a one as yours we are not ashamed of the crucified one that is to say of Christ for by contraries we deale placing the signe of the crosse where shame is wont to be most apparant in his signes that is in the face or forehead the barest and most vncouered part of man But thinke not for all this that they did worship either this signe or the figure and shape of the crosse yea rather in the beginning this signe was made amongst the Christians in the aire Arnob. l. 8. aduersus gentes aut Minutius Cyril 6. contra Iulianum and so went away hauing no abode and those which haue written 300. yeares after the first writers at such time as the Gentiles did reproch and reuile them therewith say in plaine and euident tearmes We doe not adore or worship the crosse neither doe wee wish for or desire it but rather your selues saith Arnobius who consecrate Gods of woode and doe worship the crosses of wood Chryso hom 55. in Matth. August tract 118. in Iohan. yea these make you the parties And Cyril against a like reproch of Iulian aunsweeth flat That the Christians do neither adore nor honour the signe of the crosse But if in any place there be any found which happen to fall in praysing of the crosse saying that it perfecteth all the Sacraments that there is not any thing well done without the signe of the Crosse c. it must be vnderstood to be spoken by way of alluding vnto the crosse of Christ and to the efficacie of his death as that whereupon are founded all the Sacraments and Mysteries of the Church Hieronym ad Eustochium Athanas de humanitar verb. August de peccat merit l. 2. c. 26. Contr. Faust l. 19. c. 14. in Psal 141. and without which all the doctrine of the same is as though it were not As when Athanasius saide That the Deuil doth go away at the signe of the Crosse hee addeth presently that this is by the calling vpon the name of Christ But and if our aduersaries will needs take it strictly according to the letter then let them learne
also to be of the same mind with S. Augustine when he saith in the very same places That the catechised in a certain maner were sanctified by the sign of Christ That the signe of the crosse is a Sacrament which is receiued in the forhead as the others are in the mouth and in the bodie improper speeches as well the one as the other haue begotten and hatched sutable like opinions Els what will they say to Thomas Aquinas who maintaineth and defendeth that the signe of the crosse is not necessarie in the sacraments And how much better had it beene to the purpose for them to haue kept themselues to the serious meditation of the true crosse the death and passion of our Lord But all that they thus struggle and striue for Thomas 3. p. Summae qu. 84. artic 42. add 3. is to be able to approue and make good the signes of the Crosse which are so often in the Masse but yet they cannot tell how to become friends with S. Denis who amongst so many ceremonies reckoned vp in his lithurgie hath not made any mention at all thereof But they tell vs The lithurgies of this time that all these ceremonies are found in the lithurgies or offices of this time as that of S. Basil S. Chrysost c. as likewise many doctrines which we approue not I auouch confesse the same most freely and reserue the doctrines to handle them in their place but I aunswere here in a word that I will not let to indorse write vp the title of false and counterfeite against all these lithurgies and that by prouing either that they were neuer written nor made by them or that if they did ordaine any prescript forme of the administration of the sacrament in their diocesses as there is some apparance and likelihood that they did that according to the measure of abuses that haue beene brought in they were corrupted and depraued afterward And first he that shal compare that which the Syrians vse vnder the name of Basil with that which we haue shall find most notable differences therein Then againe of that which we haue there is one patterne and copie which the old interpreter did vse and another which the latter new interpreter did vse so likewise it standeth with it in the matters of substance Secondly for that that which is attributed vnto Chrysostome is not agreed vpon by the copies of Leo Thuscanus Erasmus and Pelargus one of the making mention of the dead of the inuocating of the virgin there being nothing in the other concerning the same one of them also being printed at Rome and the other at Paris where may also be obserued the forward readinesse and zeale of one place to corrupt and falsifie a thing more then another which is a matter of no small moment to cause men to doubt of the truth of them both And furthermore the Doctor of Espence noteth Claud. Espenc de Missa priuata That this Leo went about to alter and change that which Chrysostome had said of the priuate Masse into an ill fauoured sence and that far from the purpose for which he had deliuered it fitting and applying it to the fashion of the Latine Church in his time into which as then they had brought the same for he was Secretarie to Emanuel Emperour of Greece about the yeare 1170. and did interprete vnto him the writinges of Trithemius the Abbot Which notwithstanding saith hee I doe not stand vppon eyther to make it suspicious or to bee thought vnworthie of Chrysostome and the Greeke Church but rather to cause that it might bee receyued and certainly knowne that as it was begunne by Saint Chrysostome so it had beene amplified and inlarged by others in succession of time The same likewise for the same reasons may bee saide of Saint Basill Thirdly wee haue the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both in the one and in the other And wee haue shewed before that it was not receiued till about a hundred yeares after them by Proclus Archbishoppe of Constantinople and in both of them there is mention of Confessors after the Martyrs Now it is confessed by our aduersaries themselues that their name was not receiued into the seruice of the Church till a long time after and yet also a great deale later into the Latine Church Wee find also in both of them the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mother of God speaking of the holy virgin the doctrine concerning the same is as old and was borne with the Church but the heresie of Nestorius gaue occasion of the worde first receiued in the Councels of Ephesus which were after them In both of them wee find the offring vp of incense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the remission of sinnes a ceremonie altogether vnknowne vnto these auncient fathers and a blasphemous doctrine not tollerable amongst Christians In that of Basil particularly wee finde the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Panis Catechumenorum the holy bread to bee distributed after seruice vnto them which had not communicated not knowne at this time in the Church of the Grecians neither yet mentioned in Basil Nazianzene nor Chrysostome againe in that of Chrysostome by it selfe the Priest adoreth the image of our Sauiour crucified and of the holy virgine a thing not heard of in the Greekish Church for 300. yeares after neither made mention of in any one of all his bookes though he writ verie many volumes and that amongst the rest he was giuen very diligently to write of the ceremonies of the holy supper yea and which is more condemned by himselfe in expresse tearmes Is not this saith he a shame that those whome God hath indued with reason Chsysost in hom 57. in Genes c. 31. doe honour wood and stone that those vpon whom he hath bestowed a voice and speech should bee caried away to the worship of dumbe thinges yea doe we thinke that such brutish and beastly Apostasie can be within the compasse of mercie Fourthly ioyne to the former that there is mention made not of Chrysostome only who is inuocated and prayed vnto therein in certaine copies but of many moe Saintes who liued after Chrysostome and that therein is prayer made for the Emperour Alexius and for the Pope Nicholas by the name of Oecumenius or vniuersall Now it is well knowne that the Greeke Church did neuer take any acknowledgement of the Bb. of Rome by this name and title but that euer since the yeare 1054. the Greekes haue degraded him and set vp in his place the Patriarch of Constantinople that is to say more then 30. years before Alexius came to the Empire And from other places it is to be proued that the first of this name fell to be in the yeare 855. that is to say more then 200. yeares before Alexius in somuch as that this must needs be Nicholas the Patriarch of Constantinople of whom Zonarus maketh mention as liuing in
the time of Alexius not the Pope Zonar tom 3. Bellarmin de praef Ro. Pont. é Signibert Leon. 9. Ounphâ—fast lib. 4. And furthermore in the saide lithurgie are rehearsed all the names of the other Patriarks and what appearance of truth can there be alledged why the Patriarch of Constant should be forgotten if it were made by him that the rather because the Bb. of Rome is remeÌ„bred therein as likewise for the empire of Alexius And the first of that name raigned about the yeare 1080. This was 700. yeares after Chrysost So that he whosoeuer he was that was the coÌ„pounder mingler of these liturgies shold haue looked a little better vpon his receipt takeÌ„ better aduisement with him in his matters And neuertheles we gaine and get the aduantage in these points ouer and aboue namely that by them it is said that the people coÌ„municated euery day in the sacraments that vnder both kinds not the cleargie alone as they call it that as then it was not known what should be meant by the priuate Masse neither yet by the Opus operatuÌ„ the worke wrought and that there are in the same many thinges for to condemne the Romish Masse but no one thing to induce or leade vs to the approbation thereof and let the same serue likewise for other the lithurgies which are attributed vnto the same time As concerning the Decretall epistles of these times Decretall Epistles they are not of any better passe then the rest going before The very same reasons perswade me to reiect them besides the barbarousnes the fooleries and ignorances apparant and euident in them If we allow them to haue been written by the Popes theÌ„ let vs also giue this allowance vnto the Popes as to be the most insufficient least capable Bishops of any that were then liuing and to haue beene more Gothish then the Gothes themselues And yet in the meane I am not ignorant how that the pietie of these times was grown to a verie great confusion as being much mingled with superstition through the intermingle of infidels with Christians by reason also of the deepe and dead bed of negligence that Christians were fallen into the great swarmes of barbarous people and the ignorance of the Prelates all which did one after another as it were hand in hand follow and fall out But I say that these as yet were but the doting deuotions of some particular persons and were not growne vp so farre as to get a law vppon their heades Particular Superstitions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verè appellemus we may call them with the scripture wil-worships or seruices the wandring and vnruled deuotions of some men rather then of the Church As for example when we reade in S. Cyprian that certaine women caried away the Eucharist in their handkerchefes kept it in their coffers took it euerie morning fasting In S. Ierome that it was wont to be sent to new maried folkes to take it at their owne house together In S. Augustine that it was wont to be giuen to infants Concil Carthag 3. cap 6. Concil Hipponensis compendium Concil Altisiod Amphiloch in vita Basil mistaking this place following If you eate not the flesh of the Son of man you haue no life in you c. In the third councell of Carthage and in that of Bonne in Afrike That it was put into the mouth of the dead contrarie to that which is said Take and eate which likewise we reade to haue beene practised by S. Bennet about a woman that was dead and forbidden in the Councell holden at Auxerre in expresse wordes And likewise to be briefe in that goodly booke of Amphilochius if we will belieue it which telleth vs that S. Basill caused a piece of it to bee buried with him which hee had kept I cannot tell how many yeares for the same purpose c. all of them being superstitions which haue presidentes and examples of great antiquitie though neuerthelesse at this day condemned by the Romish Church which yet is faine to builde and boulster vp her selfe with such antiquitie For who can tell into how many by-waies man erreth and wandreth when once hee is out of the right path or into how many falsities and vntruthes hee falleth when once hee departeth from the institution of the Lorde to follow his owne humour and floating fancie CHAP. VII What a metamorphosis and mishapen chaunge was wrought vpon the celebration of the Supper about the time of Gregory the great which happened about the sixth age of the Church WE passe now from out of the calme pathes of silence into the rough and vnbeaten way of darknesse and from the glittering beames of dazeling pompe into the blacke duskish clouds of the dreadfull ignorance of the Church I meane in respect of the outward face and appearance of the same as it was then to bee seene If the first did mightily inlarge the bounds of vanities and ceremonies no doubt the other was not behind in the promoting of superstition and false doctrine And that we may the more easily comprehend compasse the truth hereof let vs briefly call to mind in what estate and plight wee haue left either the holy Supper or the Masse and by this name onely let vs call it hereafter seeing that this name beginneth to get the vpper hand in this time and age whereof wee are now to speake It was an assemblie of Christians calling vppon the name of God by Iesus Christ singing his prayses hearing his worde attending vnto the expounding of the same as it was deliuered them by the Pastors then offering afterward vnto God in giuing thankes for his graces for the fruites and goods that hee had giuen them that some part thereof might be consecrate to the vse of the Sacramentes and some part imployed in the sustaining and nourishing of the poore or for other such like necessities of the Church And as for the Canon that is to say that principall part of seruice in which the Sacraments were blessed receiued and communicated wee haue left it as it was composed and made of a preface which lifted vp the spirites of those who were at it on high of a rehearsall of the pure and holy institution of the Supper of a prayer vnto God that it would please him to giue an effectuall power and operation to the sacramentes to knit and vnite together more and more those which were communicantes to Iesus Christ their head to the members of his bodie which is the Church and as such to foster and feed them vp vnto eternal life with a commemoration of the holy Martyrs of their life and of their death for the stirring vp of the zeale of euerie one so farre as that they may not grudge at or be sparing in any thing which might serue for the setting forth of the glorie of God neyther yet preferre any thing whatsoeuer to the working and assuring of their
owne saluation of the participating and communicating of the bodie and blood of our Lord vnder the Sacramentes of bread and wine distributed and deliuered into the handes of the faithfull during which action the Christian assemblie was occupied in singing of Psalmes and finally there was the dissoluing or breaking vppe of the whole assemblie concluded and finished by a post-communion that is by a solemne thanksgiuing for the benefites receiued in Christ and recorded and sealed in the holy Supper All this seruice was in a language vnderstood of all common both to the Ministers of the Church whom they call Clearkes and also to the rest of the people whom they call lay men or the layetie all and euery one of which euen to the simplest amongst them did aunswere Amen that is to say did ratifie all the whole action so much as lay in them and put to their vowes and requestes vnto all that which was said and done as vnto thinges by them well vnderstood Now let vs in order looke vpon see that which was added thereunto afterward and let vs iudge without all partialitie of affection whether this seruice be amended or impaired by such addition and inlargement Certainly if the Mileuitane and Africane Councels had beene well obayed The chaunge and cause thereof wee should not haue had this trouble for the auncient godly learned fathers that were present thereat seeing the licentious scope and libertie that euerie one gaue vnto his owne conceite and fancie one sort vnder the shadow of tradition and an other vnder the colour of good intention had verie excellently ordained prouided that no man should dare to take vpon him the placing or putting in of any thing without the aduise of the most graue-wise and the authority of the Councels But bold ignorance which is neuer without presumption did quickly ouerskip all these boundes and that so much the more daungerously by how much it was ioyned with preuayling authoritie which then grew vp to his height the authoritie I say of the Romish Church which then succeeded the authoritie of the Emperours and by little and little inthronised her selfe in their seates of more then royall estate thereby growing mightie in power and credite nothing lesse or inferior in being followed in euery thing as a most perfect patterne and example Then the Gothes the Hunnes and the Vandales c more then a whole hundred yeares spoiled and made hauocke of the Westerne Empire and the Persians and Parthians of the Easterne whereupon it followed that all good literature lay raked vp in the dust and in no lesse wise did they weaken the flourishing estates of all good and naturall policie The great and worthie personages both in the East and Westerne partes were taken away by death hauing beene in their life time the lightes of the Church and the scourges of heretikes and hereticall opinions their successors borne and brought vp in barbarousnesse did go before them in power and authoritie but they did not succeed them in like measure of sufficiencie And this caused that the seedes of Pelagianisme and other heresies hauing laine a long time rather couered then quenched did reuiue and found more carefull husbanding then the good plantes because they had more affinitie with common sence and the proud aspiring driftes of our corrupt nature So then those which could not so well make their part good by sound learning would yet beare the bell away with setting a good face on it such as could not feed their flocke with the worde of God would fill them full with superstitions ceremonies and for want of milke like vnto drie nurses they would serue them with the first licour that they met withall and for lacke of bread they would set before them huskes So then in this time and age we see all these nouelties and innouations to flow in with full streame without any barre without any manner of let or bridle Now became the computation of the shepheards Calender to be accompted of for a worthie peece of historie and the dreame of men for sacred Gospell And the Church likewise doth then come forth vpon the stage all masked and disguised with the Pagane and Iewish guise and that in a moment and that not by shifting her robes onely but which is the worst of all the rest by shaking off all the commendable parts of gesture and matter Let vs begin at the Greeke Church Additions in the Churches of the Grecians We haue spoken heretofore of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brought in by Proclus a Patriarch of Constantinople and receiued into the Church vpon the naked report of a certaine child who being extraordinarily rapt and caried vp into heauen said that hee heard it sung there We haue likewise handled the point how in the Councell of Ephesus as a thing following vpon the disallowing condemning of the heresies held by Nestorius and Eutyches it was said That the holy virgine might bee called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the mother of God And now further behold a certaine man Petrus Gnapheus who started vp in Antioch and thought to make his aduantage thereof for the establishing of heresie and superstition this fellow was a priest of Chalcedonie and of the secte of Eutyches who through the fauour of Zeno Isaurus afterward Emperour shufled himselfe into the Bishopricke of Antiochia by discarding Martyrius the true and lawfull Bishop of the same and being receiued then it was ordained in his Church which was of very large precinctes Theodor. Anagnostes in Collecta that at the end of Trisagium the hymne so called because it contained these wordes Sanctus Deus sanctus fortis sanctus immortalis miserere nobis there was added Qui crucifixus es pro nobis which wast crucified for vs applying the same to God the father whom in the vnsoundnesse of his hereticall assertions hee held to haue suffered for mankind confounding both the persons and the natures and Nycephorus saith Nyceph lib. 16 that the same continued euen vntill his time And moreouer that in all the prayers made in his church the name of the virgine the mother of God was called vpon with an intent and purpose to make this doctrine plausible and well liked of the Councell of Ephesus and as a baite for the giuing of free passage to the swallow of the rest of his heresies Now it followed presently hereupon that the Emperour Leo the great being aduertised of these nouelties condemned him into banishment vntill such time as he promised to disclaime and giue them ouer which in deed he did and made not shew to the contrarie vntill such time as that false and forsworne Basilicus went about to seize vpon the Empire by the meanes whereof he recouered his libertie and licence to worke mischiefe both at one time his doctrine likewise being afterward supported and borne out by Anastasius the Emperor being himselfe an Eutychian Iustinian the Emperour added
and sung twice The Psalmes at the first were wont to be sung intire whole of all the people and with one voice where afterward they were diuided into pauses and in the ende into verses in the singing whereof the Cleargie and the people did by course sing one one verse Hermanus Gigas in Flore temp Psalmes and the other the other Gregorie appointed an Antiphonarie for the time and space of the whole yeare consisting of Versicles Responsories for euery day Likewise he ordained a schoole of singers to sing the lithurgie and hee laboured greatly to haue his song or maner of singing receiued euery where throughout the Latine Churches finding himselfe much offended with the barbarous voyces of the French Singing Germaine English men Ioann Diaconus l. 2. c 6. 7. Walafr c. 22. Kyrie cleison as not hauing beene able to fit and tune themselues thereunto He taketh the Kyrie eleison from the Grecians and was found fault with therefore for said some This is far off from reducing the Church of Constantinople vnder the church of Rome seeing thereby he did nothing els but draw their fashions manners vnto Rome But he excuseth himselfe in these wordes Amongst the Grecians all the people doe say it but amongst vs the Cleargie that is the Ministers of the Church onely and the people answereth Greg. l. 7. epi. 63. indict 2. Prayers Againe Looke how oft we say Kyrie cleison so many times also do we say Christe eleison which is not done amongst the Grecians For prayer hee made a booke some part whereof was taken and drawne out of that of Gelasius which is called the Sacramentarie containing those thinges which were to be said euerie day throughout the yeare If there be found saith Walafridus any thing in this booke which halteth it is to be thought Gregor l. 2. c. 17. Walafr c. 22. Lessons that it is none of his but that some other hath added the same thereto afterward yea and there are old Masse-bookes to be seene where are noted the praiers secrets and Post-communions of Gregorie to make them tobe knowne from the others which in deed are more corrupt then his For the lessons of the Gospell and Epistle he followeth directly and altogether the booke of lessons or the bookes called Comes attributed vnto Saint Ierome saue onely that vpon the festiuall dayes the institution of Pope Vigilius was receiued and kept and thereto also was his booke of Anthemes fitted and squared endeuouring to raise and draw Anthemes taken out of the Psalmes to answere to the seuerall drifts and purposes of the lessons whereas before this prescript forme of reading the Gospels Epistles Prophesies and other bookes of the old and new Testament were read through Sermons And as for their preachings and expositions of the word of God vnto the people hee speaketh of himselfe in a certaine place that he had expounded forty lessons out of the Gospel as it had beene accustomed to be read vpon certaine daies in the Office Gregor in praef Homil. and that some of his expositions were deliuered by word to his Clearke or Secretarie that he might afterward reade them to the assemblie and that he had himselfe pronounced and vttered other some of them with his owne mouth But therewithal he complaineth himselfe greatly of the iniquitie and abuse of the time which had preuailed so far as that The Pastors of the church had left and abandoned the chaire of teaching and preaching of the Gospell Gregor D. 92. and would not find leasure to do any other thing then sing And this saith he grew because singing men were aduaunced and placed in the Ministerie of the Church who supposed themselues to haue discharged their duty when they had opened their pipes tickled the people with their singing though they had done nothing vnto them eyther in instructing of them in the articles of their faith or in the doctrine of manners For offerings Offeringes they continued and were brought in euerie day notwithstanding that the Church was growne very rich in so much as that diuers of the old Fathers complained themselues saying that the Bishops had not done as Moses did who caused proclamation to be made amongst the people that they should not bring any more Gregor in Dialogis when he saw that there was enough for the building of the tabernacle For wee find likewise that in the time of Gregorie there were offered sheep and calues c against the expresse Canon which commanded that nothing but bread wine should be offered But the greater abuses hapning about the consecration of the offerings cause vs to leape ouer the other which were not so waightie with a lighter foote Now we haue alreadie seene that it was the peoples custome to offer of their fruits and increase vnto God as the old people of the Iewes did and that these fruits were consecrated vnto him by a holy prayer after the manner vsed by the Priest amongst the Israelites wherin he was humbly intreated to take in good part that their thanksgiuing and to accept of this their sacrifice of praise And these fruits as all the peace offerings amongst the Iewes were lifted vp or shaken for to shew them vnto the people after that of the same fruits that is of the bread and wine was taken that which was sufficient for the Sacraments and the remainder reserued for the poore c. Now all this so commendable a custome beganne not to degenerate but to turne into a plaine poison about this time of Gregorie Walafr c. 22. and not without iust cause saith Walafridus seeing he ordained the order of Masses consecrations as well as of singing For in deed the forme of consecration was so far changed at that time by chaunging of the subiect as that the words properly vsed in the blessing of the gifts and offerings were appropriated directly to the Sacraments The Canon There then beganne the worke about that part of the Masse which properly they call the Canon In the Primitiue Church the holy Supper was celebrated euery Lords day and all the faithfull there present were bound to participate thereof by little and little thir zeale waxed cold whereof we heare S. Ambrose S. Chrysostome and others to crie out In the ende it came to that point Can. non iste C. quotidie de consecrat dist 5. that the people did not for the most part accustome any more to communicate neither were they pressed any thing thereunto by the diligence of the Pastors Whereupon likewise followed a tolleration and ceasing from the looking vnto of the seueritie and straitnesse of the Canons namely those which enioyned men that they should communicate at the least three times a yeare at the natiuitie of Christ Easter and Pentecost otherwise they should not bee taken for good Catholikes which afterward was restrained to the Natiuitie of Christ onely And thus it
which hee there alleadgeth out of the old Writers are verie expresse and fit for the purpose ' Peter sayeth hee preacheth vnto them to belieue in him whom they had crucified to the ende that belieuing they might drinke the bloode which they had spilt in their madde and furious moode Againe The same blood which they shedde in their follie they drunke by his grace c. And the Canons which hee draweth out of Iulius Gelasius and Gregorie the Great doe vtter the same neither doth the Glose vpon the decree speake otherwise in any part thereof de Consecr d. 2. To bee briefe the olde Agends euen to this daye in the Rubrick of the visitation of the sicke do beare these wordes Let the bodie and the blood of the Lord bee administred vnto them vnder both kindes yea and since that superstition brought in that which they call Periculum effusionis the daunger of shedding so that vntill this time there is not one bare worde to bee found in all the olde Writers to the contrarie but that the cuppe was administred vnto the people Sufficient proofe of the same are the verses engrauen vppon the olde cuppes as likewise this Hymne in vse as yet vnto this daye Dedit fragilib us corporis ferculum Dedit ex tristibus sanguinis poculum Omnes ex eo bibite Sic Sacrificium istud instituit Cuius Officium committi vo luit Solis Presbiteris quib us sie congruit Vt sumant dent caeteris As likewise Beatus Rhenanus reporteth that in his time there were to bee seene in some cathedrall Churches the cuppes wherewith they ministred vnto the people and that they were called ministring cuppes likewise in the Romish pontificall which were couered and of the weight of some 480. or 560. ounces hauing a certaine pretie little beake or pipe at which the people did drinke to auoid all shedding And namelie there is to bee read of that of the cathedrall Church of Mentz and of that of the Abbye of S. Gall in Swisserland And as yet to this day in the Abbye of Clugni at the great Masse the Priest doth consecrate three hostes the one whereof they say is for himselfe and the others for the Deacon and Subdeacon which being receiued hee drinketh in the cuppe one parte of the consecrated wine with a hollow reede or pipe and then after him his Deacon and Subdeacon one after another doe drinke the rest with the same reede or pipe And the Christians called Maronicks of the Citie Marcinas in Syria remaining still vntill this present in Ierusalem practise the same And now wee are come to twelue hundred yeares and more after the death of our Lord obseruing in all ages and pointing out from age to age this vse of both kinds in the Church And then what manner of antiquitie is that which our aduersaries can obiect against vs from that time forward But as the doctrine of Transubstantiation authorised by the Councell of Lateran after the yeare 1200. had within a while after engendred and brought forth by consequence the concomitancie or ioyning and coupling of the bodie and blood of Christ together as also the daunger of shedding this new conclusion followed of these two ouer-measures about the yeare 1300. That therefore it was sufficient seeing also that it was lesse daungerous to giue vnto the Laitie onelie the kind of bread And yet hetherto it stoode rather by toleration then by ordinance or constitution for it was not yet throughlie founde out as being but in certaine Churches not in all and the rather seeing the daylie resolution of the best learned was That the Sacrament was not perfect but vnder both kindes Gulielmus Durandus Bishoppe of Miniat Gulielm Durand in ration diuinorum L. 4. p. 3. titulo de osculo pacis did euerie where maintaine and defend that our Lorde did institute it for all vnder both kindes and that they are requisite for the perfection of the Sacrament in briefe hee sayeth All those in the Primitiue Church which were present at Masse did communicate because that all the Apostles had drunk of thee cup the Lord commaunding them Drinke yee all for they offered a great loafe sufficient for all which thing is as yet practised of the Grecians Where is now the difference betwixt the Priestes and the Laitie Againe Although that vnder the kinde of wine the bodie bee receiued with the blood Duran l. 2. p. 2. tit simili mod notwithstanding according to the iudgement of Innocent the third the blood cannot bee drunke vnder the kinde of bread nor the bodie is not eaten vnder the kinde of wine because that like as the blood is not eaten nor the bodie drunken so neyther is the one and the other drunke vnder the kinde of bread nor eaten vnder the kinde of Wine c. And this is the cause why he addeth in certain places after the taking of the bodie and of the blood there is reserued and kept behind in the cup some little quantitie of blood and wine powred vpon it to the end that the other Communicantes may take it because it should not bee conuenient to make so much blood and because also that there cannot be any cup found to containe it and notwithstanding sayeth hee in manie places men doe communicate with breade and wine that is with the whole Sacrament and this is also confirmed vnto vs by Thomas And hereof it commeth that some do attribute the taking away of the cuppe vnto this Innocent notwithstanding that he made not anie decree for the same Balaeus l. 5. de vit Pap. But yet it was much about the verie same time that the giuing of wine to wash the mouth withall was brought in in steade of the cutting of the kinde for wee reade in the Synodall booke of the Church of Nisme these wordes Wee commaund and inioyne all Priestes Synodalis liber Nemau eccles that they haue pure wine readie in the Church to giue vnto euerie one of the people presentlie after that hee shall haue receiued the bodie of the Lord forbidding them in expresse tearmes not to depart out of the presence of the Priests vntill they haue taken some and verie well washed their mouthes therewithall And notwithstanding this error did not vniuersallie as then possesse all Christendome Abbas Visper for wee reade that the Christian Souldiers which were to vndergoe the assault made vpon Damiata before that they would buckle themselues thereunto did all of them communicate the bodie blood of our Lord c. Alexander Hales maketh mention how that in his time the deuout and religious persons found it strange that the cuppe should bee taken from them demaunding that it might bee restored vnto them againe and that this their request was made of no effect by a pretended miracle which was by the making of blood to come out of an host Alexand. 4. q. 40. M. 3. art 2. 4. q. 53. M. 1. c. And
yet in respect of himselfe you may perceiue what his iudgement was by these words Though it may seeme to receiue but one kinde notwithstanding to receiue both is of greater merite and desert Againe Whole Christ is not sacramentallie contained vnder either of the kindes but the flesh vnder the kinde of bread the blood vnder the kinde of wine Againe it appeareth that the rule was not generally receiued in his time when hee sayeth Jtafere vbique fit á Laicis in Ecclesia fere vbiua non vbiue it is almost thus practised in euerie Church by the Laitie almost euerie where sayeth hee Linwold de sum Trinit fide Cathol but not euerie where As likewise when Linwoldus sayeth That in the lesse and inferiour Churches it is not permitted saue onelie to the Priestes to receiue the blood vnder the kinde of consecrated wine for in that hee sayeth In the lesse or inferiour churches hee meaneth the Countrie Churches thereby excepting those that were in the Citties presuming that Cittizens had more knowledge then Countrie men Insomuch as that this Sacrament instituted by our Lord to signifie in the Cōmunicating of one and the same bread and one and the same wine the vnion and agreement betwixt al the saithfull in one bodie would serue by meanes of this corruption to sunder and separate in manifest and open shew first them of the Cleargie from those of the Laitie and secondlie the Countrie people from those that dwelt in Citties as though forsooth the soules of the one sort were more deare then the other to him who hath purchased all with one and the same blood It springeth likewise out of the same Diuinitie which Thomas Waldensis a white Fryer sayeth in his book which he hath written of the Sacramentes against the Wickleuistes and yet approued by an expresse Bull from Pope Martin the fift for after that hee hath reasoned mightilie for the maintaining of the Communicating of the Laitie vnder one kind hee commeth in with this exception vz. That it is notwithstanding permitted the Pastors if they haue not made an end of the Sacraments but onelie receiued the same in part that is if they haue not drunke all that then they should distribute the remainder vnto those of their Parishioners which are strong in faith and discreete persons Euen as sayeth hee the Pope is wont to deale with the Deacons and Ministers and with other persons famous for their faith or aduanced in dignitie and worthines with Doctors with Kinges or as the Church dealeth at this day with religious persons or men of great place c. And againe wee doe not allow it them sayeth he generallie neither doe we generally forbid it them for wee know that it is reserued of purpose for the Church and Prelates to communicate and distribute the cuppe vnto such persons c. And yet in the meane time it hath thriuen so well in their fingers as that indeed Kinges hauing kept the Charter and priuiledge of this libertie all others haue by one meanes or other lost and forfeyted the same and yet Kinges hold not this tenure say they as they are Laye-men but as they are sacred persons whereuppon we reade that the great king Frauncis demaunding the reasons of his Diuines Because said they that kings are annointed as the Priests be Which thing S. Ambrose as it may seeme by this reckoning did not vnderstand aright when hee caused the Emperour Theodosius to come out of the Queare of the Temple as a meere Laye-man Thomas Aquinas sheweth vs plainelie that it was in his time Thomas de sacram altar that this abuse was brought into the Church for in the place where Lombard had made this question Wherfore the Sacrament was receiued vnder both kindes Thomas did propound the contrarie why doe not the people receiue the blood vnder the wine And there is some difference betwixt them in respect of some certaine yeares during which distance this sufferance crept into the Church Now these are his reasons first That as there is neede of a more speciall vessell to put the wine in then to put the bread in so it is meet and requisite that it should bee a more speciall and sacred person for the receiuing of the blood then for the receiuing of the bodie which must bee expounded of the holie Priestes onelie and not of any of the vnholie Laitie But how shall those wordes of Chrysostome then take place where hee sayeth That in the receyuing of the Eucharist there is no difference betwixt the Priest and the people The second That there is danger therein least the people should shed the bloode which was not to bee feared in receyuing of the bodie And then what place shoulde bee found for the prudencie of the old Church to abide and rest in how hath shee maimed and wounded herselfe for these manie ages at such time as the people flockt and ran to the receiuing of the Sacrament by millions that shee did not foresee yea remedie and helpe this inconuenience but onelie because that new opinions haue begotten new prouisoes The third For feare least the common people which is giuen to bee wilfullie rude and ignorant hauing taken the blood vnder the kinde of wine could not afterward belieue the receiuing of it vnder the kinde of bread how true notwithstanding soeuer it bee that it is therein truelie and verilie What other thing is this but to reach vs that Transubstantiation hath begotten concomitancie and concomitancie the communicating vnder one kinde and by consequent that the Communion vnder both practised by the space of twelue hundred yeares in the Church did presuppose and take for granted a farre other kinde of doctrine then that of Transubstantiation or concomitancie But this saide Thomas did acknowledge in an other place that both the kindes are the institution of the Lord for hee sayeth expresly Thomas aduers Gentes l. 4. c. 51. Because that the working of our saluation was accomplished by the passion of Christ by the which his blood was separated from his bodie the Sacrament of his bodie is giuen vs apart and by it selfe and the Sacrament of bloode vnder the wine by it selfe to the end that vnder this Sacrament may bee contained the remembrance and representation of the death of our Lord and that so it may be fulfilled which hee sayth My flesh is verilie meat and my blood verilie drinke c. And there hee speaketh expresly not of the pretended Sacrifice of the Priest Iodoc. Clitho in Elucidario Theologico but of the distribution of the Sacramentes vnto the faithfull Likewise in the Office appointed for the feast of the Sacrament ordayned by him this Hymne doth testifie the same vnto vs Dedit fragilibus c. Again in the Hymne Verbum supernum prodiens he sayeth Quibus sub bina specie Carnem dedit sanguinem Vt duplicis substantiae Totum cibaret hominem Where hee acknowledgeth the institution of Christ
Carth. called the Doctor of trances said vpon the same place In the primitiue church the sacramēt was giuē vnder both kinds to al the faithful afterward the church did forbid the distributing of the kind of wine vnto the people propter periculum effusionis And now wee are come to the notable opposition that Iohn Hus and Ierome of Prage made against this abuse about the yeare of our Lord 1400. At the same time I say that the taking away of the cup gained and got entrance in Church after Church throughout Christendome by the practises of the ingrossers amongst the Cleargie And it is to be noted that this Iohn Hus as Pope Pius the 2. Aeneas Syluius hist Bohem. c. 23. maketh mētion in his historie of Bohemia was a mā Lingua potēs mūdioris vitae opinione clarus mighty powerfull in speech as also in being reputed to liue a holy life and which is more one that was called to the function of the ministrie for besides that he was principall of the Colledge erected at Prage by the king Wenceslaus according to the foundation of that of Paris hee was called to preach the worde of God in the vulgare language in the Church of Bethelem as they call it This man then began to preach against the abuses of the Romish Church and namely against the profaning of the holy supper and the taking away of the cup contrarie to the institution of Christ and practise of the Primitiue Church and he was seconded herein by Ierome of Prage and followed of many But whereas the Romish Church should haue reformed what was past and returned into the olde and auncient way repenting her selfe and correcting her by-waies and doctrines by the originall of all wholesome and sound doctrine the holy Scriptures she calleth a generall Councell at Constance at the instant request of the Emperour Sigismund and summoneth or calleth to appeare there before them vpon warrantize of being equally and vprightly heard by the pawning of their faith and faithfull promise thereupon the said Iohn Hus and Ierome of Prage they against the publike and sacred oath and promise passed both by the Emperour and Pope did condemne them before they had heard them the one of them forthwith and the other after long imprisonment to be burned quicke leauing in the end a writ for the posteritie succeeding to learn hold that there is no faith or promise to be kept with pretended heretickes to the end that from thence forward all hope of reforming the Church or curing and reconciling of the pretended schismes by that Councell might be cut off Wee haue not any to beleeue or giue credite vnto concerning the matter of their martyrdome saue Pope Pius or his Secretarie Poggius who in their owne persons did sit iudicially vpon them in the same Councell Pertulerunt saith he ambo constanti animo necem quasi ad epulas inuitati ad incendium properarunt nullā emittentes vocem quae miseri animi possit facere indicium Vbi ardere caeperunt hymnum cecinere quem vix flamma fragor ignis intercipere potuit Nemo philosophorum tam forti animo mortem pertulit quà m isti incendium Poggius Florentinus aetatis nostrae nobilis scriptor de morte Hieronymi ad Nicholaum Nicol conciuem suum elegantem scripsit epistolam c. Both of them suffered death very couragiously and went as merrily to the fire as if they had been inuited vnto some great feast or banquet without vttering of any one word that might argue a sorrowfull heart when they began to burne they sung a hymne which could hardly by flame or noise of fire be kept from being heard Neuer did any Philosopher suffer his death so constantly as they indured the fire Poggius in Epist ad Leonard Aretinū Fasciculus rerurn expetendarum Poggius a Florentine a worthie Secretarie of our age hath written an excellent epistle vnto Nicolas Nicol his fellow cittizen of the death of Ierome c. And as for this Poggius alleadged by Pope Pius the second who was Secretarie to the Councell writing to Leonardus Aretinus his Epistle deserueth to be read vpō that place or els to be here set downe at large It is not credible saieth hee how hee defended himselfe by arguments how well he was furnished both with scriptures and Doctours c. He neuer vttered one word misbeseeming a good man If he beleeued as he spake he was so farre from being worthie of death by iust desert as that indeed there was not any cause of offering him the least discourtesie that may be Euery man tooke his case heauilie in bewailing him euery man desired that he might be saued but he desired rather to die than to vnsay any thing that he had deliuered Was there neuer Cate Scaeuola or Stoike that inaured with such courage and patience the losse of one member as he did of his life nor that so went to his death as he to the fire But this saith he deserueth a more large discourse c. But the Councell kicking against the pricke and hardning their hearts of a custome brought in by sufferance made a law and in stead of restoring the communion excommunicated all those which were vrgent and earnest suters for the same The very words are let euery man iudge whether the spirit of Christ or Antichrist did speake in this Councel Seeing we are giuen to vnderstand that in many Churches there is continued the administration of the Sacrament vnder both kinds vnto the laitie wee pronounce and declare that although Iesus Christ hauing supped did institute and minister this reuerend sacrament vnto his disciples vnder both kinds and that since then it hath been receiued a conficientibus by those which haue administred it that is by the Priests vnder both and by the laitie vnder that onely of bread yet notwithstanding all this the laudable authoritie of the holy Canons and the commendable custome of the Church hath obserued and doth obserue that for the avoiding of certaine daungers and scandals this sacrament shall be onely administred vnder one kind Thus then you may see the Pope his Canons opposed to the institution of Christ the onely Canon and rule of all sacraments the Church of this time opposed to the Primitiue howsoeuer it be the patterne by which all others ought to square fashion themselues throughout all ages And therefore he addeth wee commaund vnder paine of excommunication that no Priest doe administer the communion vnto the people vnder both the kinds of bread and of wine contrarie to that hee had reserued and kept in the power of the Church and Pastors to iudge of the discretion of them to whom they were to administer as wee haue alreadie seene out of Thomas Waldensis who writ at this very same time yea and it is a worke of this time which our maister Gerson drew into a treatise against the heresie of the cōmunion vnder both kinds therby condēning of
Constance Basill and Trent durst neuer alleadge this place leauing it to such Aduocates and mainteiners of their errors as had put on a more brasen face to make their best aduantage therof For whereas they alleadge that S. Augustine calleth this breaking of bread Sacramentum panis they themselues know that it neuer came into his minde to gather and frame the sacrament vnder one kinde and that in his Church to the contrarie it was alwaies administred vnder both And that this came by allegorizing vpon the place and that Sensus allegoricus as they cal it is not argumentatiuus that allegoricall sences do not proue any thing And that it is after the same maner that he calleth by the name of Sacraments that is mysteries other ceremonies which in deed are no Sacraments at all as the signe of the Crosse all the obseruations of Baptisme the bread of those which are catechised c. As likewise S. Hillar in Mat. c. 11 12. â— lib. to de Trinit Bernard in sâ—r de caena Dâ— Hillarie calleth Sacramentum orationis ieiunii saturitatis sitis lachrimarum The Sacrament of prayer fasting refreshment thirst teares incarnation c. S. Bernard the washing of the feet a Sacrament c. Likewise S. Augustine allegorizing vpon this place expresseth the two kinds The man saith he that doth not eate nor drinke his iudgement and condemnation doth know Iesus Christ in the breaking of bread Wherein he manifestly acknowledged a Synecdoche which is when one kind is named for two But his intent and drift is more manifest in these wordes In as much as they haue loued hospitalitie they haue knowne in the breaking of bread him whom they could not knowan the expounding of the Scriptures Then followeth S. Augustine his conclusion Let no man thinke that hee knoweth Christ if he be not a partaker of his bodie that is saith he of the church the vnitie whereof the Apostle recommendeth vnto vs in the sacrament of bread when he saith we are all one bread and one bodie c. And in deed Lyranus doth necessarily inferre of these words of S. Augustine that it must not be vnderstood of the naturall but of the mysticall bodie of Christ which is the Church And their owne Doctors likewise at this time do iarre and disagree about this place of S. Luke For as Belarmine confesseth Iohn of Louaine would haue it vnderstood of the Eucharist and would also fit S. Augustine to his humor Cornelius Iansenius is of the contrarie iudgement and resteth satisfied in himselfe in taking it for a figure of the Eucharist and not the thing it selfe And he proueth his collection out of the place of Saint Augustine aboue named by Beda Theophilact Innocent the third c. But in the end what manner of diuinity will this come to be by a place verie intricate doubtfull to ouerthrow that which is grounded vppon verie many most plaine and pregnant places by the storie of a matter passed and done in an Inne the prescript and precise institution of the sacrament in the assemblie of his Apostles And what will they say to Lyranus who saith that S. Luke was one of these trauelling pilgrims And vnto Epiphanius which saith that it was Nathaniel if they will not conclude that euen the ecclesiasticall persons themselâ—es ought to be debarred from the cup as well as the laitie They go forward The Apostles themselues likewise did neuer vse it otherwise Act. 2. 24. And this is proued by the Actes for there it is said that they did communicate in the breaking of bread In deed some of the old writers do vnderstand it of the Eucharist others of the societie and brotherly fellowship that was amongst the Apostles but neuer a one of them all of the communicating of the sacrament vnder one kind But Chrysostome all the Greeke expositors collected into one by Oecumenius interprete it of the sober diet which they vsed being come together And the ordinarie Glose is somewhat doubtfull vpon this place In fractione panis saith it tam prophani quam sacri as well common as holy So farre off are they from such impudent collections as Gardinall Hosius would seeme to gather namely that S. Iames in his church did administer the sacraments neuer but vnder one kind howbeit that S. Paule did deliuer two wherein they are confuted both by the hand of fellowship which these Apostles had giuen one vnto another Galat. 1. in respect of the vnitie of doctrine Galath 1. as likewise by the lithurgie which they attribute to Saint Iames where there is distribution made of two But this is a maruaile that these men should in another place go about to gather the whole bodie of the Masse from this place as if the day of Pentecost had then beene first celebrated and now they content themselues that it standeth them in stead for the establishing of their communion vnder one kind Actes 20. nothing at all considering that it is said Actes 20. that S. Paule tooke bread being the man that did consecrate the sacrament and so they make him to communicate vnder one kind that is to commit sacriledge it being a Maxime amongst them that no consecrating priest may omit to take either of the kinds without sacriledge What then will it be collected any thing more directly out of Act. 27 Act. 27. They had beene fourteene daies vpon the sea without eating S. Paule exhorteth them to take foode for the better incouraging of them so to do he himselfe taketh bread he giueth thanks hee breaketh it and eateth it and then they doe the like after him Whereto doeth all this discourse and all these circumstances carrie vs but vnto an ordinarie manner of taking of meate Wherefore should that be a sacrament vnto S. Paule which was but an ordinarie food vnto the saylers And againe if it had beene the sacrament how could it haue beene giuen vnto them which were infidels And if it were but for himselfe was he not then also Consiciens that is he that consecrated it And wherefore then did he not communicate but vnder one kind alone that is to say why would he commit yet a second sacriledge If it were not yet further that they would drawe from hence their goodly institution of not being able to say any other but dry Masses whiles they are a shipboard at sea But and if they say that he blessed it that hee gaue thankes who can make any other thing hereof but that he onely did according to the laudable manner of the Iewes who neuer take either bread or wine without this blessing Blessed be the Lord that giueth vs c. Againe the ordinary Glosse saith in that place He tooke bread that he might be an example to others to do the like Et gratias egit he gaue thankes Iuxta morem solitum in comedendo according to their wonted custome in eating Et cum fregisset coepit manducare and hauing
fire purged from the earth refinedeuen seuen times And what gold is that whereof the Prophet speaketh verily such as is hid from the outward sences of the Saints but in the inward closet of their hearts is bright and shineth with the light of God according to that which the Apostle saith that some build vpon gold others on siluer and others on precious stones c. And thus behold how that faith true doctrine is the true building of the Church And againe Many people do build walles and raise pillars c. but where is the choise that is made of the Ministers of the church And let not any man alleadge here vnto me the temple of the Iewes the table the lampes the censors c. These thinges were good when the priestes did sacrifice beastes when their blood was the ransome for sinnes c. Idem in c. 7. Ierem. But now that our Lorde poore though he were hath dedicated the pouertie of his house let vs not thinke vppon any thing but his crosse let vs make lesse accompt of riches then of durt let vs not be in loue with this Mammon which our Lord hath called vnrighteous let vs not loue that whereof Saint Peter confesseth so freely and cheerefully that he hath none let not vs say of our goodly marble stones as the Iewes did The temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord for the temple of the Lord is there where a true faith a holy conuersation and the societie of all manner of vertues doe dwell That is to say if wee belieue S. Ierome that the temple of God is that place Chorus what manner of one soeuer it be where pure doctrine is preached by good Ministers and where it is receiued by the faithfull vnto obedience of faith and charitie c. Whereby we also see that after that Christians had these gorgeous temples they now and then forsooke and cast them off to retaine and hold fast the pure seruice of God Victor l. 1. 3 Vnder the time of the persecution by the Vandals Victor maketh mention that they came again to celebrate diuine seruice without making any difference of place euen wheresoeuer they could further that because of the furious outrage of the Arrians they assembled in priuate houses And at Constantinople we reade Sozom. l. 8. c. 21. 27. that the Orthodoxes for the vniust exile of Chrysostome did forsake the temples to come together in priuate First at Constantine his cestern thē without the citie in a kind of old theatre finally during the sharpnes rage of the persecution Socrat. l. 6. c. 18 Chrysost ho. 46. in Math. sometimes vnder close walks in the suburbs somtimes in the fields Wherupon Chrysost saith in certain places We haue retained the fundamental points of doctrine howsoeuer we haue left for them the foundations groundworks of the temples wals thereof Now the places of Christian assemblies according to the diuersitie of the time and manner of building had diuers names In Actes 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a high hall in other places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 houses then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 places or houses of praier Dominica the Lords places Martyria because they met in the places of the Martyrs their sepulchers for the kindling of their zeale As they grew in the faith about the time of Constantine they called them Basilicae borrowing their names from the pallaces where Princes were wont to sit and hold their assises Then Temples at such time as Christendome fell to gratifie and temporize with Paganisme as is to bee seene in the time of Saint Augustine S. Ierome c. And in the end the thing containing taking the name of the contained they were called Churches because that the Church was there assembled as prophane authors doe say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lueia in Dial. Merc. Maiae to make cleane the Church or assemblie or banquet that is the place where these things should be done In this first antiquitie it is not read that they were built or dedicate to any other then God onely To whom they were built Sozomen l. 2. c. 3. Euseb l. 3. de vit Constant l. 5. c. 2. Sozom. l. 2. c. 26. Socrat. l. 1. c. 16 and therefore were called Dominica 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and from thence came the name Kirke as yet in vse amongst the Germains And Constantine did not vse to doe any otherwise and therein they had a purpose to differ from the Paganes In the place of Christes sepulcher he builded a stately Church Eusebius calleth it Martyrium magnum because saith hee it was consecrate to Iesus Christ the great and faithfull Martyr c. At Constantinople hee named one Irenen by reason of the peace of the Gospell and another the Church of the Apostles because of their doctrine but both of them dedicated vnto the Sonne of God For as concerning that which is read in Nicephorus that Constantine did dedicate the citie of Constantinople 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Mother of God Langus although a Romanist hath verie well noted and proued from Eusebius that the accent is abused taking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dei genitricem for Deo genitum that is the mother of God for the Sonne of God where there is nothing to make the difference but onely the accent And Nicephorus in another place acknowledgeth the same Niceph. l. 8. c. 49. l. 7. c. 49. Athan. in lib. de passione Domini August aduersus Maxim In Athanasius but this little booke cannot be his the Iewes of Beryta being conuerted did dedicate their Sinagogue vnto the Sauiour of the world and many others afterward by their example And Saint Augustine also reasoneth from thence against Maximinus the Arrian If we build saith he a temple of stone and of wood vnto any holy Angell be he neuer so excellent should we not be accursed of the truth of Christ and of the church of God seeing that thereby wee shoulde giue vnto the creature the seruice which is due vnto none but vnto God onely Idem de ciuitat Dei l. 8. c. 27. l. 22. c. 10. August in Psalm 94. As likewise he teacheth in euerie other place that the temples the pastors the sacrifices are not belonging or due to any but to God Vni magno debentur And that there was not any temples or altars built vnto the Martyrs Because saith he they are no Gods but haue the same God that wee haue but although there bee sepulchers built for them memorias sicut hominibus mortuis they are but as memorials of dead men whose soules notwithstanding liue in the presence of God Whereby we learne that if we reade yea though it were in his time or somewhat after as abuses crept in that there were places of prayer as chappels chauncels or temples called by the names of Martyrs or
of saints that the doctrine of the Church was contrarie thereunto holding them as monuments rather then temples and differences of names rather then of any such intentions But the great abuse sprung vp vnder Iustinian the Emperour and in the time of Gregorie about the sixt age after that the great personages which did vnderprop the Church and beare it vp against the assaults of idolatry were dead when barbarousnes had ouerflowed all nations and consequently ignorance had besotted the Church For then it was that after the imitation of Paganisme saints crept vp into the places of Gods and challenged or was thought worthy of euerie one his temple that all the edifying and building vp of the Church seemed to consist in buildinges and not any longer to assemble and couple together according to the doctrine of S. Peter S. Paule liuely stones that successiuely and by degrees sinnes beganne to be ransomed thereby And that so greatly as that Chroniclers ordinarily after that they had set downe and deliuered all the wickednes mischiefe that they could of any king or Emperour yet they would conclude in these words and notwithstanding Erat pius deuotus he was full of pietie and deuoutly giuen towards God For say they he builded such a monasterie such a church c. Together with excesse in buildings The dedication of Temples there entred into the Church the ceremonie of dedications taken from the Iewish rites for the simplicitie of Christianitie knew no such thing and that which wee reade in the Epistle of Clement vnto Saint Iames is very friuolous for seeing there was no Temples in their time it could not possibly come to passe that there should bee any dedicating of them But as Salomon had dedicated the Temple by a solemne prayer which hee vttered and deliuered with his owne mouth in the presence of all the people Constantine consecrated the Citty of Constantinople vnto God in the presence of the Fathers of the Councell of Nice the Temple of the holy Sepulcher at Ierusalem Euseb l. 4. de vit Constant Athanas Apo. 2. before them that were assembled at the Councell of Tyre And this manner of consecration was performed by solemne prayer and in homilies and exhortations taken out of the word of God as also in the celebrating of the holie Supper then with a publike and generall ioye and reioycing in large and bountifull giftes from the Prince and such like things But as for holy water and all such odde trumperies as are vsed at this day there was not a worde but as the authoritie of Bishoppes grew so they drew vnto themselues this power and facultie of dedicating Temples And thereupon it is that Gelasius his Decree came forth a little before the yeare 500. 26. q. 5. De Conse 1. C. Nemo Socrat. l. 2. c 8. That the Basilickes or new Temples should not bee dedicated without the commaundement of the Bishoppe of Rome and that of Felix the third a little before the yeare 600. That the Bbs. should dedicate them and not the Ministers And Socrates addeth thereunto this word with the consent of the Bb. of Rome Whereupon Durand giueth an excellent reason saying Because hee carrieth the image of Christ of whome it is saide without me yee can do nothing Againe If the Lord build not the house the builders labour but in vaine For the forme who would belieue Clement in his Epistle vnto S. Iames Clem. in Epist 2. ad IacobuÌ„ Euarist in Decret Epist Diuinis precibus sacrabantur they were consecrated by prayers For it is too cleare and manifest that as then there were no Christian Temples Or who in like manner would follow Euaristus his assertion that sayeth it was with saying of a Masse when as wee haue proued that this word was not knowne of more then 300. yeares after him and yet it is from this place and assertion that Gratianus woulde haue it that the Masse is of the substance of the dedicatioÌ„ But the truth is that the first was made by Constantine Anno 350. with prayers sermons Psalmes of praise vnto God c. And Siluester the first consecrating the Temple of Lateran added vnction thereunto after the custome of the Iewes as sayeth the Bull of Clement the sixt Clemens 6. in Bulla An. 6 oc But this was with a purpose to doe some manner of extraordinarie honour thereunto the like whereof was not practised againe till the time of Gregorie the first who ordained furthermore that there should be vsed perfumes and the reliques of Saintes but this was yet no further grounded then in a simple admonition but thereupon commeth the idolatrous Councell of Nice namelie the second and maketh it a law Anno 788. Concil Nic. 2. c. 7. Synod Bracar 2. c. 5. That there should bee no more consecrating of Temples without the reliques of the Saints It was an vsual custome in the time of their ioye and reioycing willinglie and freelie to giue somewhat to the maintenance of the Church and this also was drawne into a Decree That they were not further to consecrate then when and where as they did see meanes for the maintaining of the Priestes Cleargie Lampes and all the rest of the seruice and this they tearme to bee assured of a dowrie And thereupon the historie deliuereth great and plentifull store of the deceitfull and craftie sleightes which the couetousnes of the Priestes did thereupon practise and deuise Then they made a Sacrament consecrated them to the name of the holie Trinitie and in vttering the wordes gaue the name vnto the Temple and they accounted it as a great error to consecrate the thing twise as though forsooth it had beene so deepelie imprinted as that it could neuer bee worne or blotted out and thereby they proceeded to strengthen it with the same lawes that were due to Baptisme as wee finde in the Epistle of Zacharie vnto Boniface Anno 800. about the yeare â—00 wherein hee sayeth If in the time of his Priesthood he haue consecrated Churches in the name of the Trinitie or baptized infantes let such consecration and baptisme abide firme and immoueable And in this goodlie Decree deuised by Gratianus saying The churches once consecrated must not be consecrated againe no more then a child once baptized in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Finally towardes the yeare 1000. it was grown into a full and absolute forme Anno 1000. D. 68. c. ecles stmel as namely that the Bb. after a short prayer should besprinckle the outside of the wals with holy water with a bunch of hysop and afterward strike the dore with his pastorall staffe saying Lift vp your gates O ye princes c. and that thrice which being opened then hee painteth it with some manner of letters on the inside of the wals he coniureth the salt the wine the water the ashes maketh a composition thereof wherin he dippeth his thomb
in looking vppon the image of Simeon and that an other found a Well by causing the image of Theodosius the Abbot to be brought her An image of the virgine Mary kept the candle of a certaine Abbot from going out a long way and an other helpeth to conueigh water from the cesterne to the house And how a woman was tempted of the Deuill by forsaking and leauing to vse the image of the virgin whereupon the Abbot Theodorus sheweth her that it were better to go to the stewes and brothell-house a thousand times then to leaue and forsake the worshipping and adoring thereof What baggage are these to oppose set against the holy law of God Giuen as saith the Apostle by the ministery of Angels and vttered by his owne mouth Thou shalt not worship images Now let vs heare on the contrarie the foundations of the Councell of Francford We must not saith it worship images seeing we must not worship any besides one onely God one onely Iesus Christ who with the father the holy Ghost raigneth eternally Because likewise there is neither commandement nor example either of the Apostles Patriarkes or prophetes or of the fathers of the primitiue Church for the same And on the contrary that if any man haue images for remembrances and monumentes that yet notwithstanding it ought not to be any president for the trimming decking vp of the Church that such ornamentes and courses are nothing els but the waies of the Gentils that the good fathers Antonius Hilarius and others who loued well the beautie of the house of God did yet verie well leaue off to haue any dealing with them And as little for the instruction of the people That God hath giuen them the holy scriptures to this end the law whereby to come to the knowledge of Christ and not by Images And not any more for imitation or example sake to bee followed That the vertues of the Saintes as faith hope and charitie are inuisible and that we must therefore seeke them in their workes and not in their painted pictures It further proueth that whatsoeuer the patrons of images alleadge of scripture it is eyther to no end or contrarie to the end for which they alleadge it that their tales of the image of Christ are Apocrypha their authorities out of the fathers meerely imaginarie and their pretended miracles no better then either doubtfull or notoriously false or els diuelish Yea and although saith it that they were true because that God appeared to Moyses in a bush shall we therefore worship all bushes or vnder the colour of Aarons rod shall we worship all rods And so for Sampson his iaw-bone all other iaw-bones Or from the shaddow of S. Peter all other shadowes c. That this assertion of the Nicene Councell is damnable I adore and worship the image with the same worship wherewith I worship the Trinitie it selfe and do curse those that say otherwise The word being so plaine and euident Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and that exclusiuely meant say they of all other maner of worship besides that which is due vnto God alone not excluding onely that of images but of whatsoeuer other creatures be they neuer so excellent In like manner that their other reason is as weake which they would draw from the nature of relation and reference which the image hath with the thing whereof it is the image seeing that Christ said not He that receiueth Images but he that receiueth you receiueth me Nor that which you haue done to images you haue done to me but rather what you haue done to one of these little ones And therefore that whosoeuer doth say of a picture This is Christ sinneth lyeth and committeth villanous wickednesse instead that the second Nicene Councel hath by name said and affirmed that a man may speake it in godly religious maner And all these things with such grauitie learning and religiousnesse together with such reasons drawne so to the purpose from the scriptures fathers S. Ierome S. Augustine S. Gregorie c and pressed with such good consequence and so necessarily as that all the Dagons of the Philistines bee they neuer so firmely vnderpropped shal not be able possiblie to stand before them And yet furthermore this booke is approued by Hincmarus Archbishop of Rheimes who alleadgeth a whole Chapter out of the same against Hincmarus Bishop of Laon who liued in the time of Charles the great and as for Ecchius himselfe hee doeth not once call it in question Let vs go forward with the effectes and successe insuing vppon these two Councels The effect of these Councels It appeareth that that of Franckford did stay the course of idolatrie for a time in the Churches of France and Germanie which is gathered hereby namely for that Haimo and Rabanus who followed shortly after do not speake a word of the worshipping of images and in that Walfridus Strabo liuing at the same time continueth all one phrase and manner of speech Walfrid Strabo c. 8. That it is not lawfull either to worship them or els to banish and cast them out And because likewise that Claudius a famous Priest brought vp in the Court of Charles the Great was no sooner made Bishop of Turin in the time of Lewes the Gentle then that hee pulled downe and defaced the images when as hee founde the people of his Diocesse giuen to worship them by reason of the Romish superstition which had gained and preuailed so farre amongst them Claud. Taurinens de adorat imaginum An Abbot called Theodomirus set himselfe against his proceedings wherevpon this Claudius writte a booke vnto him against the worshipping of Images which hee was not afraide to send to the Emperour Lewes who committed the same to Ionas of Orleance to examine But hee neuer vouchsafed to vtter his iudgement of it till after that both Lewes and Claudius were deade neither is it found that Claudius was disturbed or troubled by the French Church vppon this occasion Anno. 840. Ionas Aurelian aduers Claud. Taurinens a signe that the doctrine of images was gouerned by the Councell of Franckford Now of this booke of Claudius Bishoppe of Turin there is no parte to come by more then that which Ionas his booke wherein hee goeth about the confutation of the same doeth afford vs and that after his death It may iustlie bee doubted whether hee haue dealt faithfullie with it in alleadging and setting downe the whole but onely that his owne aunsweres do sufficiently witnes that Idolatrie as yet was verie young and tender in the Churches of France Claudius reproueth the worshipping of Images according to the Councell of Francford Ionas doth not maintaine the same for hee aunswereth onlie as Gregory aunswereth Serenus that they may bee had for instruction sake to the people and not for to bee worshipped proceeding euen to the cursing of them who do worshippe them Claudius maintaineth and proueth by Origen
is the cause also that S. Ambrose would haue men to be throughlie intentiue Ambros 1. Cor. 83. Chrysost in 2. Cor. hom 8. To the end sayeth hee that this oblation which is of many may be celebrated together And Chrysostome seteth it downe vnto vs for a general rule That in the mysteries that is in this sacrament the Pastor differeth not from the Parishioner c. In like manner the forme and ceremonie of ordaining and instituting of Ministers in the Apostolike Church is most cleare and euident The maner of the laying on of hands vsed of the olde Church The Church prayed God that it would please him to be present by his holie spirit at the election to blesse it And to the end that they might be the more feruent in praier they vsed to fast before after which those which were elect by the Church receiued the imposition of hands in the beginning by the Apostles and afterward by the Pastors Bishops but neuer without a perfect knowledge and triall of their doctrine and life It is also to bee obserued that whereas our Lord breathed vppon his Apostles saying vnto them Receiue the holie Ghost the Primitiue Church notwithstanding did not practise the same because such signes haue no other power then that which God hath giuen vnto them and therefore must not presumptuously be conceiued to haue anie such except there appeare the expresse institution and ordinance of the Lord for the warrant of the same In the election of the Bb. Fabian Eusâ—b l. 6. c. 29 wee see the simplicitie that was in the olde Church The Church came together aswell the Elders and Deacons as the other people manie were propounded as thought worthy to vndertake the charge in the end Fabian by the common consent and voice of the whole Church is named Bb. and sometimes wee see the common people make the election and after to present the elected to the Presbyterie that is to the ecclesiasticall assemblie and other sometimes wee see the Presbyterie to propound them vnto the people for to approue them if there bee no man that can say anie thing against them onelie it was alwaies vsed that before they were ordained and installed in their Ministerie there was a generall agreement and consent of the people and ecclesiasticall order that is of the whole Church as concerning the soundnes of his doctrine and vnspottednes of his life which was to bee chosen Bishoppe or Elder And this wee coulde proue through all ages successiuelie if so be it were anie controuersie amongst vs. For the present the questioÌ„ is first of the charge of the Minister of the church whether Bishop or Priest for the first were intituled by the Ancientes with the name of Ministers the old Episcopall bookes doe yet make mention thereof secondlie of the ceremonie which was obserued in the ordaining of the same And seeing that these two pointes doe one of them cleare and make plaine the other wee purpose to insist and stand vppon them The charge of such a one I say was to preach the Gospell and administer the Sacramentes not to say Masses not to sacrifice the bodie of Christ for the liuing and for the dead The forme of giuing of orders in the ancient time Theodoret l. 4 c. 23. Concil Carth. 4. c. 1. 2. Epiphan l. 1. tom 2. Sozom. l. 4. c. 24. Iust Nouel 123 de eccles diuer The auncient forme and manner also say wee had not any ceremonie that did shew anie thing eyther of Priestes or sacrifices And this wee must proue by taking the search and view of the auncient recordes of antiquitie Theodoret teacheth vs in the election of one that was to succeede Meletius the Great that it was the custome in ordaining of a Bb. that all the Bbs. of the Prouince should be present therat at the least three or fowre Where hee was examined of his doctrine and sometimes called to make confession of his faith and in his life so farre foorth as that hee was to aunswere therein to whatsoeuer hee could bee accused of or charged withall whereuppon wee haue a most expresse lawe made by Iustinian the Emperour Afterwarde it was agreede that the Metropolitane or in his absence the most auncient Bishoppe should lay his hand vppon him and blesse him and all the others likewise laide to their handes in signe of consent And to the end that he might bee aduertised and put in minde of his dutie by an eye signe two Bishoppes helde the holie Gospels ouer his head to the end hee might know that his calling tyed him to the preaching of the Gospel And this ceremonie was ordinarily done before the holie Table where the Sacraments were wont to bee administred Nazian in leudem Basil In some places likewise it was obserued that the Bishoppe passed through all the degrees of the Church before that hee came to that place and roome S. Denys describing this ceremonie sayeth The Bishoppe is kneeling before the Altar hee hath the bookes giuen of God helde ouer his head and the hand of the Bishoppe that is his who layeth his handes vppon him and is blessed of him by most holie praiers the consecrating Bishoppe doth set vpon him the signe of the Crosse c. but of the Masse or any sacrifice or yet any other ceremonie hee speaketh not at all August l. 3. cont Crescon c. 21. 22. Sozom. c. 19. l. 8. Chrysost 2. Cor. 8. hom 18 Volaterr l. 22. Herman Gigas Concil Aquisgran c. 9. The same forme and manner was practised in the person of Cresconius Maximilianus Theophilus Alexandrinus c. and these alwaies with publike praiers and fasting going before And from thence the Romaine Church retaineth as yet the fastes of the fowre times because that Pope Gelasius did ordaine that Orders should be giuen onelie fowre times a yeare vpon a Saturday the dayes going before being spent in examining their liues and manners The ages following added therto the staffe and the ring saying The staffe as a shepheardes crooke to reforme and call the stragling into the way as also to vpholde the infirme and weake and the ring in signe of the honour due vnto Bishoppes and for to seale their secrets withall But the truth is that this was after that they were become Lordes of great Lordshippes that the Popes and Emperours would receiue fealty and homage from them inuesting them with these ensignes and badges as Knightes and Squiers are wont to bee noted out by the speare the sword and shield c. But what get wee hereby but that the Bb. both in his election and examination as also in the whole forme and maner obserued in his ordination was charged onelie to teach the word of God well and faithfullie and to administer his holy sacraments purelie and sincerely to correct his people by his prescribed form of discipline and his church with such a gouernment as is truly ChristiaÌ„ And look what
of Churchmen was all one with the apparrell of the time Index Expurg pa. â—6 not of any set or affected sortes or sutes As likewise the garmentes of the Monkes of the Order of S. Benets were not anie other thing then the Latus-clauus of the Romaines Which when our Fathers of the Councell of Trent perceiued they caused this place in the Table of the notes of Erasmus vpon S. Ierom to be set down amongst other places that they decreed to be raced out and defaced Afterward as the apparrell of men doth hardly continue in one state they begun to alter amongst the secular sort and were notwithstanding continued in one fashion amongst the Church-men thereupon grew the difference betwixt the one and the other And notwithstanding that the ancient Canons do stay there yet by by after the time of Constantine Plat. in vita Syluestâ— when the church was in her prosperitie it followed that the Ministers were appointed to weare a speciall kind of garment by the ordinance of Syluester the first Let them refraine and abstaine from all cloth of silke and from dyed or coloured cloth contenting themselues with linnen at the time of the administration of the Sacraments and further let them not goe But as Gregorie had vndertaken to reduce all the olde Testament into the new changing the Elders into the sacrificing Priestes of the lawe the Tables into Altars the sacramentes into sacrifices and the Deacons into Leuites then there entred an endles peece of worke And then also beganne from time to time these priestlie garmentes consecrate for the action of their Ministerie which wee reade to haue beene giuen to Churches sometimes by princes as by Charles the Great and Lewes his sonne as also these goodly Canons and Rules that euerie man euen to the Porter should bee apparelled otherwise then the common people and that of these garmentes there should be a differenec betwixt those which were to be worn on working dayes and those which should bee worne on festiuall dayes as also that they should bee diuerse according to the diuersitie of feastes as white blacke redde greene c. white ones vpon the festiuall dayes of Confessors and Virgins redde ones vpon the festiuall dayes of the Apostles and Martyrs blacke ones vpon the dayes of affliction and abstinence and from Aduent to the Natiuitie of Christ as also from Septuagesima sunday to the Saturday before Easter greene ones vpon common and working dayes and a thousande other such like particular obseruations which it would bee too long to repeate wherewith the Romish Church hath sported herselfe from time to time to holde vp with nouelties and not to instruct in the olde and auncient truth the poore simple people Through which also the Doctors addicted to speculation as Innocent the third Durandus in his Rationall and diuerse others haue runne themselues out of breath in allegorizing vppon the vestmentes of the Massing Priestes vppon their stoles and tippettes c. and in blazoning of the colours after the manner of the olde Romaines fonde Curiosities which the first antiquitie did neuer thinke of but haue beene deuised by that antiquitie which in respect of the former is but as a yesterdayes Noueltie Now it was likewise about the same time How Vnction and the Order of Priesthoode grew vp and prospered that Vnction grewe to bee receiued for a Priestlie Order Gregorie the Great beganne the same by a peruerse imitation of the Iewish religion The times so shaped whiles the Barbarians did beare swaye in Christendome that euerie man as the scripture sayeth filled his hande that the calling of the Ministerie was prostituted to euerie ignorant fellowe and the imposition of handes offered to euerie one that came By the same meanes also the zeale of Christians waxed colde and resorte vnto the sacrament of the holie supper was rare and seldome So that what through the negligence of the Bishoppes busied with the affaires of this worlde what through the multitude of Priestes vnable for the most parte to teach the worde of God and lastlie through the coldnes and benummednes of the faithfull in the bestirring of themselues in holie exercises all these abuses were bredde and brewed namelie that the Bishoppes and Priestes preaching the worde of God no more and the faithfull repayring to the sacramentes but certaine times in the yeare the whole seruice was become a hearing or as the Italians saye a seeing of the Masse As also that whereas the Bbs. and Elders were wont to be called to the preaching of the gospell the Elders from henceforth were not ordained but onlie to celebrate the Masse which at the first they tearmed to consecrate and afterward to sacrifice They were ordained by these wordes Accipe potestatem c. Take the power of sacrificing for the quicke the deade Duran d. l. c. 9. without anie one worde spoken of the preaching of the Gospell set into their charge per calicem patinam with a cuppe full of wine and a dish full of hostes and not by the deliuering of the Gospell as being inioyned to this onely dutie and with these wordes Take vnto thee power and authoritie to offer vnto God hosts able to appease his wrath c. And they were annointed for this worke by the annointing of handes with this praier Vouchsafe O God to consecrate and sanctifie that which these handes shall consecrate and sanctifie Anno 1000. c. And this chaunge fell out about the yeare 1000. in a time most famous for all manner of ignorance of all others that had beene since the time of our Lord and that in the common opinion of all men and wherein all manner of superstition grew and increased more then it had done in many ages before In the end Transubstantiation was added vnto the rest and that the Priest who was to bee receiued into the Order Hostia 40. dierst Fulbert Epise Carnot Ep. 2. ad Finard shoulde haue giuen him by the Bb. a consecrated host which he shold be eating for the space of full 40. daies euerie daye taking some part thereof though neuer so little that so hee might be sanctified by little and little in signe of the fortie daies which our Sauiour Christ conuersed with his Disciples after his resurrection c. But what ground haue all these newe inuentions in the scripture what staye or holde in that which is true antiquitie If so bee that wee will not intitle with this name all that which may bee alleadged and brought within the compasse of some hundred yeares against the priuiledge of the Church whose priuiledges and lawes and much lesse doctrine but least of all the truth of Christ there is no prescription or number of yeares that can preiudice or impeach CHAP. VIII That the Bbs. and Ministers of the olde Christian church were married THere is yet remaining to be spoken of The scripture contrarie to their single vnmaried life the vnmarried
estate or sole and single life a law and ordinance of the Romish church by which the Ministers and Pastors of the Church are bounde to abstaine from marriage those which doe administer their sacramentes to abstain and renounce according to their doctrine one of their sacramentes But the scripture speaketh plainelie how that our Lorde ordained and blessed marriage from the Creation he vouchsafed to honour it in the Patriarks to commaund it to his Priestes to approue it also in the Prophetes the cleare and manifest vessels of Gods spirite hauing an extraordinarie vocation in the Church approued by signes and miracles These good fellowes which otherwise are most forwarde in bringing backe againe and heaping vppon vs all the ceremonies of the olde Testament why doe they banish and driue from vs this order ordinance In the new Testament our Lord worketh his first miracle at the marriage of Cana the comparisonis often vsed in the Scripture of the mar riage of Christ and his Church If it had been a worke of the flesh as they say would he haue been present at it If it had beene a prophane coniunction and copulation was it for necessity and lacke of other comparisons that the holy Ghost should vse this 1. Cor. 7. Hebr. 13. and that in laying open and pointing out of so high and holy an vnion But furthermore the Apostles say generally Let him that cannot liue continentlie take a wife the marriage and bed vndefiled are honourable among all men and afterward particularly A Bb. and a Deacon must be the husbands each of them of one wife c. If the Bb. do not gouern his children well how shal he gouern the church of God They likewise giue caueats and prouisoes against the contrary doctrine For it wil come saith S. Paul vpon the people giuen ouer to spirits of deceipt and doctrines of Diuels teaching lies in hipocrisie seared in their conscience with a hote iron who shal forbid to be married c. But after all this I leaue to speake of diuerse other places for breuities sake what will they haue to say vnto vs against so plaine and manifest a matter what needeth either reason or interpretation against the expresse commandement of God why should we admit the inuention of man and from whence can it come but from the spirit of lies couering it selfe with the spirit of hypocrisie and from whence commeth this fained holines this making of conscieÌ„ce of that which is no sin but from a conscience which is dead and without feeling of any maner of sin and which that it might not seem past feeling of all sin sheweth it self indifferentlie and alike feeling of that which is and of that which is not If wee obiect against them the example of the Priestes of the olde lawe they tell vs that this was because it behoued that they should come of the same stocke and race Who hath told them then that the Ministers of the newe Testament ought not to haue anie They adde further and say that those Priests did one serue after an other in their seuerall courses and that then they abstained from their wiues Let them proue vnto vs therfore if for that cause they renounced and altogether forsooke marriage And how did the high Priest vse his married estate who was commaunded to sacrifice euening and morning 1. Paralipom 24. And how in a worde did they passe ouer all the other whole fowre hundred yeares For they cannot dissemble or cloake the matter how that this order of seruing by courses came not in but by Dauid a long time after the lawe And where will they find vs that it was commaunded them during the time of their seruice to forsake their wiues and yet wee see that all manner of vncleannes which might defile them was most precisely forbidden them and all manner of clensing and purifying of themselues so distinctly commaunded them If againe wee obiect vnto them the Prophetes who all of them were married Chrysost in Matth. hom 56 in fine and are acknowledged so to haue been by all the old Writers but more speciallie by S. Chrysostome then looke what they cannot vnloose they will not let to cut in sunder saying They had not the charge of sacrificing Or else they imagine that they did put away their wiues during such time And in the ende they are not ashamed to ordaine in the Councell of Trent by their Index expurgatorius that it shal be raced out of the Table of Chrysostome his workes That all the Prophetes were married Iesus Christ was founde present at the mariage in Cana of Galilie Marriage therefore say we is not accounted amongst the thinges that are vncleane and doe pollute nor amongst the workes of the flesh But say they hee was present at it because it was the marriage of S. Iohn the Euaugelist that hee might hinder the marriage and to that end they finde vs out by and by one Abdias Babilonius a late compiler of Legends who telleth vs the whole storie from point to point If thou waste not mine saith our Lord in that place vnto S. Iohn I would suffer thee to marrie Directlie against the expresse word for God the Creator did institute and ordaine it as also consecrate it both by his blessing presence And to the manifest calling in question of S. Iohn his faithfull and sincere dealing who should haue had great wrong and iniurie to bee thought to authorize and alow mariage as by the contents of this storie it may seeme hee did if Iesus Christ had condemned it in himselfe and so also it should follow that it is not possible to bee the seruant of Iesus Christ and to bee married together August serm 1 Dom. 2. post Epiphan tract 8. in Ioh. But how commeth it then to passe that the olde Fathers were not aduised of this point As S. Augustine who handling this place sayeth That the Lord hath not disdained or thought scorne of marriage that it was his will and pleasure to honour it that it was his will that thereby children should be begotten that hee hath by his presence established the lawes of vnitie and concord therein and turned the marriage songes into holie psalmes to the glorie of God Cyril in Io l. 2 c. 22. Chrysost cont Iudae Gentil Heretic Heb. 13.4 c. Saint Cyril That therein hee would declare the holines of marriage and sanctifie the principall cause of our birth c. Saint Chrysostome That he hath honoured marriage and that therefore it is not anie let or hinderance vnto pietie and indeed saith hee why should it be more hinderance to ours then vnto Moses Helias or S. Peter his pâ—etie and godlines The Apostle sayeth Marriage is honourable in all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the bedde vnde filed but God will iudge fornicators and adulterers There is no manner of exception to bee made against this generall affirmation And Paphnutius doth alledge
condemned the Epistle of S. Vlrich vnto Pope Nicholas the first concerning the marriage of Priestes as also the chapter in Paphnutius intreating of the same matter But the effect fell out to bee that vntill the time of Pope Gregorie the seauenth that is 200. yeares after the forced single life was not admitted and allowed in Germanie insomuch as that the Canons of the Bishopricke of Auspurge were married yea and the Monkes themselues of the famous Abbye of Fulda about the yeare 950. Bruschius in the time of the Abbot Hadamarius whereupon it holdeth and continueth as yet in many Nunries in Germany and in the Low-countries that the inferiour Nuns do take vnto them husbands when they find an honest man but not the Abbesse or chiefe of the Sisters The former reasons being found too weake to giue heade and entrance vnto the forced single life New reasons for the establishing of the forced single life Pet. Damian in Ep ad Petr. Lateranensem Anselm in Ep. ad Heb. 7. After the yeare 1000. the doctrine of Transubstantiation as one deceipt doth further and helpe forward an other as it grew strong and of authoritie did furnish them with new store Euen as say they our Lord would be conceiued in the wombe of a virgin so would hee bee receiued at the Altar with impolluted and virgins hands And from hence Petrus Damianus and Anselmus doe conclude that Bishoppes Priestes Deacons cannot in any wise bee married and that this sacrament cannot bee administred by married persons And what shall then become and what can our aduersaries annswere in this point of so many holy Bishoppes and Priestes that were married who haue administred the same in that estate and to all those faithfull people which haue receiued the same sacrament at their handes shall the sacrament haue beene vnto them in all nations and for so manie ages an abhomination and notorious sacriledge As therefore their reasons seemed to grow stronger so likewise they added more force vnto their Canons and fiercenes to the execution of the same Leo the ninth a Germaine by nation helde a Synode at Mentz the Emperour being there present to ratifie the execution of his Decree Nicetas de coniugio Sacerdotum with 40. other Bbs. but therein he mended his matter nothing at all for at that time one Nicetas surnamed Pectoratus a Grecian Abbot but resident and ruling in the West Church made heade against him saying That that was not the doctrine of the Apostles neither yet anie of their Traditions and that if it had been any of the Apostles their Traditions that then it had behoued Pope Agatho to haue alleadged it in the sixt generall Councell where this Edict was so solemnly discoursed and debated and sentence giuen against the forced single life and notwithstanding he rested satisfied in the same as we shall see hereafter in further processe as knowing in his conscience that these were base begotten Traditions deuised and surmised Canons proceeding from the spirite of error Humber cont Nicetam spoken of before by the Apostle c. And Pope Nicholas the second who succeeded Leo caused an aunswere to bee shaped by one Cardinall Humberte Bishoppe of Sylua Candida who in this his aunswere cast in his teeth that to maintaine the marriage of Priestes is the heresie of the Nicolaitanes and he goeth about to proue it out of Epiphanius deuising a place that is not there to bee founde neither anie thing comming neare vnto it whereas wee haue shewed indeed out of the verie same Epiphanius that Nicholas beganne the error of single life superstitiously deuorcing himselfe from his wife hee did also corrupt and depraue the Can on of the Apostles That a Bb. Priest or Deacon should not forsake leaue his wife vnder the colour of religion adding thereto these wordes as concerning to make prouision for her food and apparrell and not otherwise And in the end he groweth to presume that by his sole authoritie hee may cut the throat of Nicetas his reasons the same Pope Nicholas did likewise commaund Petrus Damianus Bb. of Hostia to aunswere Nicetas whose book pincht him at the heart and that so much the more because that Auxentius Bb. of Millaine did holde with Nicetas his opinion And then it was that Petrus Damianus found out this new reason That our Lord conceiued of a virgin could not be receiued or handled but with chaste and virgins hands c. But Gregorie the seauenth called Hildebrand about the yeare 1074. the whole seruice of the Church being almost turned at that time to a onelie hearing or seeing of Masse by reason of the ignorance which had seazed vpon all Christian people in the end frameth and squareth out a Decree by which he forbiddeth al vnder paine of excommunication to heare Masse of such as were married or to paye them any Tenthes Vincent l. 26. c 146. and he caused the same to passe in a Synode at Rome By a new example saieth Vincentius and by a preiudicate vnaduisednes contrarie to the Decrees and sentences of the holy Fathers c. And this Decree seemed to carrie the execution of the same alwaies about it insomuch as that the people which could not liue without Masses tyed their priests to abstaine from marriage except they would be willing to loose their Tenthes which were due vnto them But here it was that the great conflictes and contentions began in Germanie for Hildebrand commaunded all Bishoppes that they should cause his Decree to bee obeyed in these pointes Epist Hildebr ad Constantiens Naucl. 1. 2. p. 140. Auent p 603. Cranâ—ius in Metropol That the married Clearkes shoulde forsake their wiues that the vnmarried should not take anie that none should be admitted to the Priesthoode who had not bound himselfe to leade a single life that the Masses of the married were as an infectious plague vnto them c. whereas wee haue shewed in the Epistle of S. Vlrich that this vow was free euen in his time But Otho Bishoppe of Constance and Rathold Bishoppe of Strausbourg did alledge the scriptures against him as also the auncient custome of the Germane Church against whome hee bestirreth himselfe to cause them of their Diocesse to rise vp in a mutinie as appeareth by his letters to theÌ„ of Constance And not contented therewith hee summoneth Princes and Princesses Ep. Gregor ad Constantiens Clearks and Laitie to put to their helping hand he forbiddeth them all manner of conuersation and all manner of speech with married Priestes vpon paine of the most extreame censures Auent 564. Fasciculus rerum sciendar impress Colon 1553. and vpon paine to be accounted heretikes of the sect of the Nicolaitans c. absolueth the subiectes from the rule and gouernment of their Princes the Diocesians and Parishioners from the obedience of their Bishoppes and Curates he apprehendeth and layeth hold vpon the Emperour Henrie the fourth his own person And as his
Roger. Cestiens Iohn Treuisa in Chronic. And histories make mention that the same night that he caused it to be published he was takeÌ„ with a whore in London wherupon it followed that his decree loosing authority K. Henrie who then raigned did license the Priestes to be maried and take their wiues again paying vnto him a certaine summe of money by the way of tribute vntill such time as Pope Innocent the 3. about the yeare 1138. sent Albert Bb. of Hostia into EnglaÌ„d who held a Synode at Westminster and there made a full establishment of abstaining from mariage saue that for a certain time it was tolerated what a stinking and loathsome pranke of impietie that they which forsooke their wiues should keepe theÌ„ as Concubines And it was at this time that these verses were made in England Prisciani regula penitus cassatur Sacerdos per hic haec olim declinatur c. And as for Ireland it appeareth plainelie that vnto the comming of the Archbishoppe Malachie that is vnto the yeare 1150. In Ireland SymeoÌ„ Dnneâ—â—nensis Balaeus centur 14. Priests inioyed their married wiues without anie interruption or molestation whereby wee haue this confirmed vnto vs as with an euerlasting witnes that is and such other their stuffe is not out of that heape of good seede which was first sowne by the householder and farmer himselfe but of those tares which the enemie rising by night did sow thereupon For Malachias sent thether by the Pope called The marriage of Priestes a peruerted priuiledge a wicked custome an execrable succession and a mischieuous and adulterous generation c. Beruard in vit Malach. And S. Bernarde in the life of Malachie saieth that vnto his time the Bishoppes there were married likewise that in the metropolitane Cittie of Armaghe before Archbishoppe Celsus who liued at the same time when hee liued there were eight maried persons of good learning who that they might not fal into the snares trappes of vowed and forced continencie had no purpose to send for their bulles to Rome and that this Malachie did first bring forced continencie into that land Whereupon we reade that Pope Adrian an Englishman commaunded K. Henrie the first to oppresse and beate downe the Irish as heretikes that is to say as Nicolaitans Because saith he they suffer and maintaine their Priestes to be married and this was about the yeare 1150. At this time or neere there about In Polonia Martin Cromerus in Polonic l 7. fell the establishment of forced continencie in the Northerne prouinces In Polonia aboute the yeare 1190. two hundred yeares and more after they had receiued the Christian faith Celestine the 3. sent Petrus Diaconus Cardinall of Capua who accordingly did his best endeuour after some further time Henry Archb. of Gnesna in the time of Honorius the 3. who hauing called a Synode there tooke an oath of the Cleargy to obey the Legate his ordinances vpon paine of being depriued of their offices benefices In Bohemia the same Cardinall about the yeare 1196. being come thether to the same end In Bohemia failed not to be well beateÌ„ and knocked the Prelates and Priests consenting together and conspiring the same In Denmarke Clement the 3. excommunicated the Danes Saxo. l. 15. In Den marke In Sueu land because they maintained their Priests to be maried In Sueueland and Gothland Cardinall Gulielmus sent by Innocent the 3. about the year 1200. assembled a Synode at Schoening where hee tooke from the priestes their lawfull wiues which they had married publikely Iohan. Magnus l. 9. c. 15. Goth. histo l. 3. de Pontificib Vpsalensib in vit Iarlerit Execrable and cursed speeenes giuen out against marriage Heb. 13. and before the whole congregation and that by the assistance and aide of Ericius the K. his power and the Duke Brigere but not without a great commotion and hurlie burlie throughout the whole realme And thus you see by this time the law of forced continencie established throughout all the Westerne Church Likewise it is of the same time that the spirite of error thinking to mount and raise it selfe on high by the hypocrisie of the Monkes and fauour of the Popes beganne to speake more shamelesly against marriage Innocent the 2. that he might yeeld a reason for the forced continency of Priests saieth It is not meet that Priestes which are the Lordes seruantes should serue at bedde and in the workes of vncleannes as if he should speak in despight of S. Paule who calleth all the faithfull the Temples of God and marriage the bedde of cleannes and the pure and vndefiled bed Alexander the third said Alexand. 3. extrauag de cleric coniug 1. Timoth. 3. It is not possible to bee at leasure to attend the seruice of God and carnall pleasures together setting out holie marriage by this name What shall become then of S. Paule who could not find but that the gouernment of a priuate familie of a publike assembly that is the gouernment of a mans own priuate house D. 81. C. Ministr and of the house of God might be matched together in one man Lucius the 3. saith Those which are married are vnworthie to administer the sacramentes imo indigni qui vrceum ad altare suggerant yea vnworthy to carrie the water pot to the Altar What shal be done now with so many holy Bbs. and holy maried priests who haue in their own persons ferued at the Altar in al nations and throughout all ages And yet notwithstanding after all this Concil Late ranense c. 14. Innocent the thirde in the Councell of Lateran about the yeare 1200. hauing promised to represse and take away the filthy vice of Sodomitrie in the Clearkes which the Decrees before alleadged had spread multiplied throughout the worlde concludeth Let the Clearks Regionis alias Religionis which according to the custome of their countrie haue not forsaken and put away their wiues if they bee taken in fornication be the more grieuously punished inasmuch sayeth hee as they may vse lawfull marriage an euident signe that notwithstanding all their thundering and terrible Decrees there were found in manie places that continued their married estate and an argument likewise that they did not holde them prohibited and forbidden Ipsoiure seeing that after so many Councels Pope Innocent still calleth them legitime and lawfull Now wee haue hetherto seene sufficientlie The fruites of the Popish sole life that this forced continencie was neuer instituted of God but deuised not so much by man as by the Diuell himselfe and the fruites thereof if wee should stand to recken them vp will shew that God did neuer plant this plant in his Church For our Lorde saide By the fruites we know the trees and as truelie are the doctrines of men tried by the fruites which they bring forth This law sprung and tooke his beginning from the Gentiles and the Priestes of 〈◊〉 â—â—â—tiles
in the Councell of Basill Wherefore doe our Doctors vse all this disputation whether a married man chosen to bee Pope bee not bound to giue vnto his wife all due beneuolence but that because a married man may bee receyued and taken into that place For was there neuer anie Popes married Aen. Syl. in Ep. 307. was not Saint Peter himselfe And in his Epistle vnto Iohn Freund who asked his counsell vppon the same he saith It had beene more meete and conuenient that thou haddest thought vpon this matter before thy taking of Orders but seeing thou hast proceeded so far know now that it is better for thee to marrie then to burne But as for the present seeing the Pope will not giue thee anie dispensation being setled and throughlie resolued to continue the strict and seuere course which hee hath begunne thou must stay till some other doe inioye the Apostolike See whome thou maiest finde more tractable and easie to bee wonne Ad Panorm O Cum olim de Cleric coning The authoritie of Panormus first an Abbot and afterwarde an Archbishoppe was great in the Councell of Basill which propounded a question If the Church could not make a statute that the Clearkes might bee married And hee aunswered that it could and his reasons are Because abstinencie is not anie branch of Gods lawe neither yet anie parte of the substance of Orders and that otherwise the Grecians should sin Yea saieth hee I am perswaded that in respect of the saluation of soules it ought to bee made and so much the rather because that wee see that there hath followed vppon it a cleane contrarie effect to that which was pretended for now they let not the greatest parte to pollute themselues with vnlawfull copulation whereas their lying with their owne wiues according to the Councell of Nice is chastitie And would it might please God sayeth hee that there might be a course taken with all those positiue lawes that are so multiplied as that there are not many liuing whome they haue not caused to corrupt their waies And many other Canonistes were of the same iudgement after Panormus Stephan Aufrer Francisâ—n decisionib saying that this Decree serued for no other thing but to intrappe weake soules in the snares of sinne and that they had good hope that the Church would discharge the Cleargie thereof for their saluation And thereuppon it went as it were in a Prouerbe mentioned by Platina and Sabellicus which attribute it vnto Pius the second Marriage was suppressed and put down for certaine reasons it must be restored vpon more waightie and necessarie considerations Polydor. l 6. Index Expurg pag. 2 c 3. Erasm de laud. matrim Idem in 1. Timoth. 3. Index Expurg p. 249. 255. Item 210.211.227 Mantuan l. 1. Fastor de Hilatio Stan. Orich de lege Syricii ad Iul. 3. Oricho Episc Russiens de Celibatu Polydore Virgil after he hath alleadged some reasons and authorities concludeth that it should be restored The Councell of Trent ordained that that should bee raced out and so in like manner of Munster Erasmus also in his booke of marriage did giue aduise that it might not onely bee allowed vnto Priestes but vnto Monkes also for to matrie For sayeth hee let them extoll their single and vnmarried life as much as they please there is no life more holie then a married life chastlie obserued Againe he noteth that this single condition of life was not so much as knowne by his name in the most auncient Fathers But the foresaide Councell hath decreede that this whole treatise and all other places wherein hee speaketh of the same should bee defaced and left out And we neede not to doubt but that they will doe the same by those verses of Mantuan in the life of S. Hillarie Bishoppe of Potiers who was married To bee shorte Stanislaus Orichonius a Bishoppe of Russia put vppe a petition to Pope Iulius the thirde in the yeare 1551. to the ende that it might bee permitted him to bee married shewing vnto him the iniuriousnes of Syricius his law as being contrarie to the whole law of God alleadging vnto him further that Pope Paule the second had condemned it secretlie amongst his friendes hardlie disgesting it that a daughter of his which by Gods law hee knew to bee lawfullie giuen vnto him should bee accounted for a bastarde and that in such sort as that hee was resolued to haue reuoked it if death had not preuented him and reproching him with the children of Paule the thirde worthy sayeth hee of a loyall marriage and not sparing to tell him of his owne dissolute loosenes And Lindanus who elsewhere defendeth the most grosse abuses in Poperie doth yeeld in this point and concludeth with Paphnutius And in the Councell of Trent the greatest parte of the Embassadors for the princes doe require the libertie of marriage as likewise the Emperour Ferdinand by his articles how entirelie affected soeuer he stoode vnto the Church of Rome alleadging the pollutions and vncleannes that alreadie insued thereuppon and the great inconueniences that were yet to come and doe we not iustlie then maruaile at shamelesnes it selfe as also at the mother of fornications why Turrian l. 2. de Dogmatic Character notwithstanding all these warning peales she still persisteth so busilie to bestirre herselfe for the hatching of whoredoms For the Councell of Trent doth pronounce them accursed which say that those of the Cleargie may lawfullie be married and likewise executeth the same with like rigor euen to this day in euerie place where their power and authoritie may extend And as for the Iesuites they are not ashamed since then to teach that continencie is of the essence of the Priesthoode and that the Pope may aswell murder or robbe a man without sinning as dispense with a Priest in the matter of marriage and not sinne thereby condemning all the westerne and Easterne Churches in all ages In the East Church this doctrine was likewise assailed Of the East Church and wee haue heretofore seene how farre Epiphanius his opinion went but it neuer came so farre as to bee made a law but rather gaue an occasion of a law to the contrarie Doubtlesse these two Churches before the diuision of the Empire or rather before the distraction renting away of that of the West remaining as yet vndeuided by the faction of the Popes it could hardlie bee that the euill which had infected the one should not likewise fasten it selfe vpon the other And therefore we reade Iustinian in auth de â—â—nttissima cor 9. col 6. 9. that Iustinian ordained made a law about the yeare 530. that there should not be any Clearkes made which had had concubines or bastardes but either such as had neuer beene maried or els such as had beene and were not or such as yet were with a lawfull wife And hitherto hee was in a good way and went not besides the word of God And
the same no widow neither yet diuorced or put away And this also rise of the doubtfull interpretation of the place But afterward he goeth further In Auth. Quâ—modo Opâ—â—ter Concil 6. Occumen Constantin in Trullo D. 32. C. Quoniam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Familiaritatem Cohabitatione Let such as amongst the maried doe abstaine from their wines he preforred But the East Church about the yeare 680. to stay the further course of that streame decided the controuersie in the sixt generall Councell held at the pallace of Iustinian the second called Trulla there being assembled to the number of 227 Bishops For in the thirteenth canon recorded by Gratian we reade these words In as much as we haue knowne that it is ordained in the Canon of the order of Rome that such as should be ordained priests and Deacons should declare that they would abstaine from the keeping of company with their wiues we following the ancient canon of the Apostles special care diligence and the constitutions of the fathers do decree that loyall and faithfull mariages take place from this time forward and that the knot of coniunction of priestes with their wiues be not dissolued as also that they shall not be depriued of hauing familiaritie with them in due time Wherefore whosoeuer shall be found worthy to bee ordained Subdeacon Deacon or Priest shall not be drawne back by reason of his company keeping with his loyal wife neither bound in his ordaining to promise to abstaine from hauing due familiaritie with her In like maner it behoueth them which serue at the Altar at the time of the offering of holy thinges to bee continent in all thinges c. And therefore If any man presume contrary to the authoritie of the Apostolicall Canons to bereaue the abouenamed persons of the inioying of their lawfull wiues let him be deposed and as for those who vnder the colour of religion doe cast off their wiues let them be excommunicated and if after the same they continue obstinate let them be deposed Where is to bee noted that these fathers opposed against the Canon of Rome the Canons of the Apostles and the decrees of the Fathers But in as much as this Canon did torment them as if they had beene cast into some scorching furnace D. 16. C. Habeo they haue taken vppon them to maintaine notwithstanding their champion Gratian be against them that it was not made and decreed for one of the Canons in the sixt Councell making the world belieue that this Councell was held at two seuerall times and that at the first time they did not make any Canons but at the second onely the fathers begunne therewith saying That after the manner of other generall councels going before it behooued them to ordaine and make some And Peter the Bishop mentioned by Gratian saith vnto the Bishop of Nicomedia that he had a booke containing 102. And Nicaetas Studensis citeth this same for the thirteenth Nilus likewise Archbishop of Thessalonica saue that he leaueth out this part of it Likewise it behoueth them that serue at the Altar c. because it seemeth not to hang well together with that which goeth before But we haue thsi Canon all whole in Photius his Canon law in such tearmes as do giue much light to that of Gratian and being further expounded by Gentian Heruet and Perion in so much as that it hath not stood them in any stead to haue cut it out of the volumes of the Councels And that wee may not make any moe repetitions thereof we will onely obserue that in stead of this clause Likewise it behoueth them c. there is set down in the Greek Canon Sed vicis suae tempore abstinebunt That they should abstaine from their wiues when their course was to do seruice Againe the words are much more proper forcible throughout the whole tenor of the Greeke text then they are in the Latine translation whether it came that Gratian in fauour of the Romaine Church did of purpose weaken the same or of the vnsufficiencie of one tongue at all times to expresse an other And it is furthermore not to be forgotten that Pope Agatho was presented in this Councell by George of Constantinople and Theophanes of Antioch which thing Nicaetas being assured of did not let to obiect the same against Cardinall Humbert who writ against him by the commandement of the Pope and in particular of this matter Whereupon ensued that which is ordinarily happening in contentions namely for peace sake to remitte and lose somewhat both of the one side and the other that so they may accord in a middle opinion For the third Canon debarreth such as haue beene twise maried from taking of orders the twelfth doth except from the general libertie of ecclesiasticall persons the Bishops and some make the reason there of to be that the goods of the Church might not bee wasted and spent and yet this not to bee vnderstood saue onely of those who should marrie after they were called to the Bishopricke for the sixth doth excommunicate such Bishop whosoeuer as vnder the colour of religion should forsake his wife as also the sixth doth counsell them who would be emploied in any ecclesiasticall function to take a wife before hand esteeming it not so conuenient to do it afterward and according to this law it is to be seene practised in Greece at this day But in deed the most certaine course is to cleaue fast vnto the law of the Lord the Apostles Canon for after that we begin to make the decree of God to bee arbitrarie it is not possible for vs to keep within any measure And againe all the Churches professing the name of Christ those excepted which are vnder the gouernment of the Bishop of Rome haue retained their married Priestes as the A byssines Syrians Armenians Russians Muscouites c. And that in so much saith Aluares as that amongst the Abyssines the Canons and Priestes haue wiues and children amongst the Greekes Muscouites saith the Baron of Herbestein according to the Councell of the Canon of Constantinople it is oftentimes seene that Priestes and Deacons are oftentimes maried and called to their charges in one and the same day to the end that amongst so many other markes of Antichrist which doe so fitly and properly paint out the Church of Rome as also amongst so many liuely representations of the spirit of errour working by hypocrisie it hath yet ouer and aboue this one peculiar and speciall from all other Churches namely the forbidding of mariage forespoken by the Apostle and intitled by the spirit of God by the expresse name Of the doctrine of Deuils Thus farre then haue we alreadie discoursed of The summe of the second booke and examined the dependances circumstances of the auncient diuine seruice and of the Masse which hath intruded it selfe into the place thereof in the Church of Rome examining what manner of ones they
heard in their seruice Sursum Corda 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lift vp your heartes on hie and when their currant speech and common talke was but of one Altar and one celestiall sacrifice when in their entrance into the celebration of the sacrament it was saide vnto the people Shew yee forth the death of the Son of man and confesse his resurrection vntill his comming But there were two doctrines especiallie which springing vppe in those ages Transubstantiation and Purgatorie concuning and conspiring together establish this sacrifice and prospering and growing together at that time and that by equall degrees did aduance and set aloft this pretended sacrifice The one Transubstantiation for after such time as it was taught that the bread and the wine were chaunged that they were reallie the body and blood of our Lord then what honour was too great to giue vnto this sacrifice Who can then doubt that it should bee propitiatorie for the sinnes of all that were liuing this sacrifice offered in the Masse being the same in flesh and blood which was hanged vppon the Crosse for the sinnes of the world The other was that of Purgatorie for if we haue saide they both our friendes departing passing out of this worlde to abide the scorching flames of Purgatorie and that our owne sinnes also must bee purged there then let vs prouide a remedie let vs goe to this Masse which is so soueraigne and full of saluation let vs laye good foundations and powre out largelie for our selues and our parentes let vs leaue grounds goods with charge of hauing the same saide after vs. And hereto belong the lawes aboue mentioned to bee made in the time of Charles the Great and then euery day thinges grew from ill to worse The ignorance then of the age the coldnes of the people in deuotion the couetousnes of the Priestes the carelesnes of the Bishoppes and the barbarousnes of the speech of men begot fostered and maintained this abuse in the Church which hauing once taken roote and growne vppe to strength could not bee beaten downe againe but by the spirite of God which thing also manie men of good spirits did perceiue verie well Arnoldus de villa noua one of the great men of that time About the yeare 1200. helde in his positions That the sacrifice of the Masse was a manifest abuse and a plaine starting aside from the pure doctrine of Christ The Waldenses and Albigenses in France That Masses whether they were for the liuing or for the dead were directlie against the institution of the Lord. And these resistances and contradictions did so assaulte the maintainers of this abuse as that all Christendome was in an vprore and not without fruite for the spreading of them throughout all the nations of the west Church proued a good seed sowne by God to cause the truth to spring vp there againe in his time but what shall wee say if their greatest and grauest Doctors carried away notwithstanding with the streame do likewise speake against their doctrine Peter Lumbard saith the Maister of the sentences Distinct 12. l. 4. De Consec D. 2. Can. handleth this question aboute the yeare 1150. saying It is demaunded of some if that which the Priest doth bee properlie called a sacrifice and oblation and if Christ be sacrificed euery day or whether hee was onely once offered Whereunto this short aunswere may be shaped That that which is consecrated and offered by the Priest is called a sacrifice and oblation because it is the renuing of the memorie and representation of the true sacrifice and of the holy oblation made vpon the Altar of the Crosse And this hee proueth by manie places out of S. Augustine and of S. Ambrose c. Note here how well hee agreede with the Councell of Trent which pronounceth If any man say that the verie and proper body of Christ is not offered in the Masse let him be accursed The Schoolemen which came after him haue beene so bold as to rob the Crosse of Christ to hang the Iewels euen the power thereof about the necke of their Masse so that sometimes they break out into these speeches That the bodie of our Lord was offered for originall sinne but that hee is continuallie offered by them vpon the Altar for actuall sins A cursed blasphemie by which the Crosse of Christ is made of none effect by which there is lesse attributed vnto it then vnto the Table of their Altar directlie also against the expresse Scripture which sayeth comparing the fall of Adam with the benefite of Christ his death That the fault was through one offence vnto condemnation but the gift is of manie offences vnto iustification Againe after hee had spoken of all manner of sinners And such saith S. Paule were you but you haue beene washed you haue beene sanctified but you haue beene iustified by the name of Iesus Christ Rom. 5. 1. Iohn 3.8 c. And to bee briefe That the Sonne of God hath appeared to destroy the workes of the Diuell c. But so the case standeth as that Thomas their chief Champiō Thom. in Ep. ad Heb. 6. doth again in an other place agree with himself saying Christ was wounded for our iniquities Esa 53. and that not oftentimes but onely once 1. Pet. 3 Christ hath died once for our sinnes and his onely oblation sufficeth to drie vp the fountaine of the sinnes of all mankinde Idem in sūma part 3. q. 83. And as concerning the sacrament It is but the representation sayeth hee of the passion of our Lord for S. Augustine sayeth as oft as wee celebrate the Passeouer is Christ slaine euerie time yea rather this is but a yearelie renuing of the memory of that which was done otherwise thereby setting before vs such notable and famous monumentes thereof as if by them wee were brought to the verie beholding of his hanging vppon the Crosse Idem part 13.3 q. 73. art 6. And elsewhere It behoued that euermore there should remaine some representation of the passion of our Lord In the old Testament this principall sacrament was the Paschall Lambe Whereuppon the Apostle sayeth Christ our Paschall Lambe was offered And in place thereof hath succeeded in the new Testament the Eucharist which is a memoriall of his passion past and suffered as the other was a prefigurer and foreshewer of his passion to come Petrus Alphonsus at the same time Petr. Alph. l. 2. Ep. did not acknowledge either the Eucharist or the Masse for any other thing then a sacrifice of praise and this was at that time one of the questions disputed by the Albigenses and Petrus Brutis who was burnt aliue at Tholosa where he taught publikelie that it was not propitiatorie All these sacrifices sayeth hee which were offered vnder the lawe were nothing but signes of this great sacrifice Idem in Dialog tit 12. which was to destroy sinne But since the comming of Christ we vse
not any other sacrifice but that of bread and wine which hee hath ordained and is like vnto that which Moses in the law called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sacrifice of praise c. For therein wee praise God for the benefite which hee hath bestowed vpon vs sauing vs by his onelie Sonne c. Alexander Hales holdeth manie assertions that cannot agree with the Masse saying Iesus Christ hath offered a double sacrifice a spirituall and corporall the spirituall that is a sacrifice of deuotion and loue towardes mankind which he hath offered in spirit the Corporall the sacrifice of the death which hee vnderwent vpon the Crosse which is represented in the sacrament Marke represented The spiritual prefigured by the incense and perfume which was made vpon the inner Altar the corporall which hee offered in his flesh two waies that is to say sensibly vpon the Crosse and insensibly vpon the Altar obserue and marke again insensiblie That sensible sort being shadowed out by the sacrifiees of beastes but the insensible by the sacrificing of thinges that are incensible as fruites bread and wine both the one and the other vpon the vtter Altar The one of them to speake as hee speaketh propitiatorie for such were the sacrifices wherein beasts were offered with the shedding of their blood for sinne figuring out that sacrifice offered by Iesus Christ the other Eucharisticall onelie for such properlie were those of fruites and such like thinges Againe The sacrifices of the law were signes both of the true sacrifice of Christ Circumferimus as also of the spirituall sacrifices which we shall haue to offer vnto God That for the purging away of all our sinnes aswell originall as actuall these to haue relation to the mortification of our flesh inasmuch as we carrie about with vs Iesus Christ in our bodies to the end that his life may be manifested in vs. Lyranus handleth the matter more clearelie Lyranus in ep ad Heb. c. 10. That which cleanseth and wipeth away sinne must needes bee heauenlie and spirituall and that which is such hath perpetuall efficacie and by consequent ought not neither indeed can be reiterated and this that wee say of the oblation of Christ is because of the Godhead being vnited and conioyned with the manhoode for it being once offered ought not to be reiterated and yet is sufficient to deface and blot out al the sins that are alreadie or hereafter to be cōmitted You wil say yet behold the sacrament of the Altar is euery day offered vp in the church c. But the answere hereto is that this is no reiterating of the sacrifice but an ordinarie remēbring calling to mind of the only sacrifice offered vpon the Crosse wherupon it is said in Mat. 26. Do this in remēbrance of me c. Now manie such good people enflamed with a true zeale had stayed the course of this mischieuous monster but their owne infirmitie and weakenes did incumber and hinder them tyranous rule and gouernment astonished them and the multitude carried them away For on the contrarie to this error once so farre admitted of the multitude there is added an other heape of more then good measure Gab. Biel. lect 26. That it is cleane an other thing to be present at the Masse then to communicate in the holie supper That the Masse ex opere operato by the worke wrought that is to say by being onely present without receiuing anie thing or yet bringing anie good motion thereunto doth apply vnto euerie such person present al the merites of Christ Who could not now loue the Masse better then the holie supper which requireth a serious examination and tryall of the conscience that offereth life but representeth to the vnworthie receiuer the dreadfull horror of tormenting hell Againe That the Masse hath a most speciall a most great and an indefferent or middle power and efficacie a most speciall in respect of the Priest seeing that by it hee meriteth eternall life a most generall in respect of the Church and all the members thereof without anie exception and a meane or middle in respect of him or them that cause the same to bee saide c. Of the sacrament of the holie supper the institution of the Sonne of God of all the sacramentes together yea or of the verie death of Iesus Christ is there anie one of them that hath written so high tearmes of commendation But seeing that it hath such efficacie and vertue in it to what end is it so oft reiterated or multiplied so manie waies seeing that the oft administring and taking of a medicine as they saye themselues is a marke and note of the weakenes of the same But this question is not yet throughlie decided amongst them as those that haue too eager a stomacke to loose their fatte morsels They dare not saye that it is for anie wante of sufficiencie in the sacrifice neither will they saye that the vertue and efficacie thereof may bee so farre stretched and extended as the sufficiencie thereof woulde beare Some saye that none but Iesus Christ doth knowe how farre it concerneth euerie man Others that hee bestoweth the power and vertue of the Masse according to the determination and application of the Priest that sacrificeth it Gab. Biel. lect 26. And thereuppon Gabriel Biel is set in a chafe saying I praye you such as wauer in this sorte and doe not so much as giue but sell such vncertainties in the Church and that in so serious and waightie a matter can we otherwise call them then most pernicious and daungerous Impostors and deceiuers Now as all truth doth agree and hang together That the doctrine of the Masse is against it selfe so wee may see in this doctrine the figure of falshoode and broad stampe of a shamefull lye which as his nature is is giuen to destroye and ouerthrowe it selfe Sometimes they say that Christ hath offered his bodie vnto God in the supper for the Apostles and that in the Masse the promises of the new Testament euen those of the remission of sins are applyed and that thereby it becommeth propitiatorie yea ex opere operato Other sometimes they say that this sacrifice doth not worke sufficientlie and immediatelie Bellarm. l. 2. de Missa c. 4.2 Idem l. 1. c. 2. and that it is not properlie ordained of God the instrument to iustifie as Baptisme and Absolution are but that it serueth onelie to obtaine the gifte of penance by which the sinner would drawe neare vnto the sacrament and bee iustified by it Againe sometime that the Masse carrieth with it the remission of sinnes in asmuch as Christ hath sacrificed his body and his blood for the remission of the sinnes of his Apostles and that in the same howre wherein hee celebrated the supper with them and commaunded them to continue the same and therefore it is propitiatorie yea saith Caietanus infinitelie meritorious and satisfactorie Sometimes they conclude that
to take it well and rightlie Idem l. 2 de Misla c. 2. 4. it is not so but onely impetratorie for say they Christ a mortall man might merite and satisfie and this is the cause why his sacrifice is truly propitiatorie aswell as meritorious and satisfactorie but Christ immortall cannot anie more merite or satisfie so neither can his sacrifice be meritorious nor satisfactorie but onelie is called so inasmuch as hee obtaineth remission for vs whether it bee of the punishment or of the fault or otherwise Grace to doe wel and to merite c. and thereuppon wee saye If that of Christes in the supper bee propitiatorie and yours but impetratorie or auailable to obtaine fauour by intreatie that then your sacrifice is not the same with Christes but and if this bee that of Christes then you vtter open blasphemie because you should make that of Christes not to bee propitiatorie Let vs yet goe further wee haue by this account lesse to doe with your Masse for shall hee bee excluded from obtaining being immortall which hath power being mortall to merite and satisfie by the offering of himselfe a sacrifice And againe this contrarietie is suted with an other That the sacrifice of the Crosse is by consequent more excellent then that of the Masse as sayeth Vega and Bellarmine also Veg. Thes 8 124. de Missa Bellarm. l. 1. de Missa c. 6. That the sacrifice of the Masse non est perfectum neque absolutum neque redemptionis perse consummatiuum c. And how then can it bee as they woulde haue it Idem subiecto numero And what will become of that which they say else where namelie that it is Vere propitiatorium pro peccatis and certaine Schoolemen Caietan tract 2. de cele r. Miss c. 2. q. 1. Bellarm. l. 2. d◠Miss c. 4. That that of the Crosse doth not wash away anie other then originall sinne and that of the Altar actuall sinnes Againe If the Masse as sayeth Caietan bee of infinite valew and worth because it is the power of Iesus Christ in himselfe and by consequent his infinite effect as of the passion of Christ what shall become then of Bellarmine who sayeth that the vertue and operation of the sacrifice of the Masse is infinite That otherwise as hee sayeth so manie Masses should bee vnprofitable as likewise for one and the same effect c. Some saye vnto them what then Iesus Christ in respect of you is hee not reallie sacrificed in the one and in the other and in that his bodie is glorified should that diminish and detract anie thing from the price and worth of this sacrifice Idem l. 2. c. 24. 27. But here they are worse intangled then before for sometimes Bellarmine saith If there bee not in the Masse a true and reall slaying of Christ that then there is not a true and reall sacrifice for a true sacrifice which consisteth in killing requireth of necessitie to haue it reall and indeede Sometimes when this sacrifice is offered of thinges without life as breade and wine there is no need of killing Veg. Thes 12 l 8. De Missa but onelie of eating c. And of these contrary opinions there do also rise contrary corollaries Of some as saith Vega That Christ dieth mystically in figure vpon the Altar but is offered vpon the same aliue Of Others That Christ is as truely slain and killed in the sacrament of the Eucharist as he is truly existing being in the sacrament is offered in the same either dead or as it were dead Again sometimes they say that the sacrament is truely really offered when the bread wine are consecrated by the words Gulielm Alanus de Sacrif Miss l. 2. c. 9. not before sometimes that it is offered really at such time as the bread and wine are set vpon the Altar before the words of consecratiō If the first be true then the offering of the kinds and the offering of the thing it selfe are offered at seueral times so the bond of relation is broken If the second what followeth then but that they sacrifice nothing but bread and wine For what other thing are they else according to their iudgement before the words of consecration Now of this contradiction followeth an other Of some which say that the sacrifice is properlie accomplished by the oblation Vega. Thes 107. Turrian tract 2. c. 22. Bellard 1. de Miss c. 27. Biel. lect 81. of others by the eating of the same by the priest And Vega and Bellarmine are at controuersie one with an other To bee shorte if they square and differ aboute the point de opere operantis neither can they better agree in that de opere operato by what meanes the benefite of this operation is applyed to those that are present whereas the common opinion adiudgeth according to Biel that the onely being present at the consecration and oblation maketh a man capable of saluation without anie looking for of a spirituall life as requisite thereunto And at the Councell of Trent hee may seeme to holde on this side The Cardinall Caietan on the contrarie Anno 1518. who did his endeuour at Ausbourg to cause Luther to retract this proposition That faith was necessarie for the receiuing of the sacrament commeth so farre namelie to say That it is a common receiued error that this sactifice Ex opere operato Caiet in quod libel de vsu Spirit q. 3. should haue a certaine kinde of merite or bee able to make application of some certaine kinde of satisfaction vnto this or that person c. Doctrines as newlie come out of the minte as the wordes themselues which are such as none of them that haue written twelue yea thirteene hundred yeares after Christ did euer heare of And thus you see that these doe nothing at all agree together amongst themselues howsoeuer they would make men belieue that they are all as one either in the matter or in the forme of this pretended sacrifice neither yet aboute his effect or ende no nor in the substance or circumstances thereof Wherefore how farre more commend able had it beene for them and nearer to the purpose to haue kepte themselues to the institution of Christ in the alone propitiatorie sacrifice accomplished on the Crosse for the declaration and remembrance which is to be vsed according to the institution of the Lord in the holy supper And furthermore it is certaine that as by the grace of God the light beganne to rise and spring againe in the Church notwithstanding the terror and torment of the fire which was kindled and blowne vppe against it in all nations so the Doctors of Papistrie grewe ashamed of this doctrine Whereuppon wee see that Sidonius Faber Zwifaltensis and others who writte in the time of Luther did contente themselues to call it the Sacrifice of remembrance although vnder these wordes they doe not laye
out the efficacie thereof so fullie and largelie as they might But beholde the Councell of Trent assembled and called together not to reforme the Church of Rome as the Christian Princes had hope they woulde but rather to authorize and establish euen the most ill fauoured and deformed things that were therein for so they prouided and brought to passe therein If anie man holde and maintaine sayeth it that the Masse is not a true and proper sacrifice but rather a sacrifice of representation and praise and not propitiatorie for the liuing and the deade for sinnes punishmentes satisfactions and all other necessities let him bee accursed Cursing thereby in a fewe wordes the whole Scripture and all the olde Church And Pope Pius the fourth in whose time it was helde thrust into the oath which Bishoppes were to take this Article in expresse wordes I belieue that there is offered vnto God in the Masse Onuph in vita Pii 4. a true proper and propitiatorie Sacrifice for the quick and the dead c. But what And is there such abhomination in the Masse Let vs make a plaine and simple rehearsall of the principall errors therein without anie making of them more heinous and grieuous then they are indeede The first This pretended Sacrifice hath no institution or warrant in the worde of God but hath it on the contrarie directlie against it What audacious boldenes was this in man to dare to inuent of his owne braine a sacrifice by which God might bee appeased and made at one with vs And what other thing is it but an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Seruice deuised of our owne carnall and corrupte sense and by consequent condemned of God who hath saide vnto vs In vaine doe you worshippe mee according to the Traditions of men c. The seconde This Sacrifice is a cleare and euident wresting and corrupting of the holy Supper and of the vse thereof whereby of a Sacrament ordained of God to assure vs of his good grace in Iesus Christ there is framed a Sacrifice whereby wee pretende to merite the same yea and that not hee onelie which doeth offer the same but those also that doe but stande by and beholde the same and that by their meere presence though they haue neuer a good thought or motion within them What is this then but to abolish the holie Supper of the Lorde vnder the colour of offering of it And who is hee that will any longer care to come to the Lordes Supper in the straight examining of his conscience if by the onelie hearing of a Masse hee may bee assured of eternall life And againe what presumption to dare thus to transforme the Will and Testament of the Sonne of God made and set downe in his holie Supper a thing not to bee endured in the Will and Testament of anie meane or base person The thirde The Masse is derogatorie to the onelie Sacrifice of the Sonne of God made vppon the Crosse and that not onelie by putting it selfe in place thereof but also by aduancing and setting forth of the power and efficacie thereof farre aboue the other It is saide There is but one oblation the Sonne of God giuen for the sinnes of the worlde this oblation the Masse will needes bee and yet renued and reiterated euerie howre Whereas there is pardon and remission of sinnes sayeth the Apostle there is no more anie oblation to bee offered And what should followe of this continuall and ordinarie repeating of this Sacrifice but that as yet there is no remission And that the sacrifice of Christ is either vnprofitable or imperfect And who doubteth but that this is the same which the Apostle called the frustrating and making of the Crosse of Christ of no effect and what more woulde hee haue made of it if hee had hearde the rest of their blasphemies as that the sacrifice of the Crosse hath not purged and done awaye anie but originall sinne but that the Masse hath taken awaye actuall sinnes c. and by consequent to become fellowe-worker with the same What can this bee tearmed but to declare the Sacrifice of Christ insufficient to renounce the power as also the benefite therof both together The fourth The Masse taketh awaye asmuch as lyeth in it the onelie Priesthoode of Iesus Christ whereof no other creature is capable for seeing it was requisite that the Priest shoulde bee eternall and the sacrifice infinite followeth it not that one and the same was to bee both the Priest and the Sacrifice And what other then but the Sonne of God offering vppe himselfe once to God by the holie Ghost and alwaies by his infinite merite making intercession for the infinite multitude of our sinnes vnto the infinite iustice and mercie of God And what a blasphemie is it then to say that anie man yea or that anie creature is able to performe the same And these are the abhominations which wee finde in the Masse as they make it the pretended sacrifice of the bodie and blood of Iesus Christ propitiatorie for the quicke and the deade for such a one our aduersaries doe teach it to bee the rest rising of the deprauing and corrupte wresting of the sacrament shall bee spoken of hereafter And now wee are to goe about the finding out of the originall and first beginning as also of the growth and proceeding of this applying of the benefite thereof to the deade deriued and fetcht as one error from an other from the opinion or rather imagination of Purgatorie CHAP. VI. That Purgatorie the foundation of Masses for the deade is not at all and first that it was not knowne in the Church of Israell or vnder the olde Testament ONe of the great imployments of the Masse That Purgatorie should haue had place in the church of the Iewes if there be any such thing is about the deade such deade as are not in Paradice for such haue no need of anie neither yet for such as are in hell for they all agree that it wold not any whit auaile them but rather for a certain number whome they pretend to be in a certain third place which they call Purgatory wherein they are to purge and make satisfaction for their sins of which when they went out of this worlde they were not acquited cleansed for the purging whereof there is no other helpe but that which may bee procured and supplied by a number of Masses Surelie man was a sinner and mortall from the beginning of the world yea man I say was subiect to dye in sinne being indebted by sinne and by consequent to incurre this penaltie of Purgatorie God likewise from all eternitie both iust mercifull iust in hauing appointed this punishment for sinne from the first creation of mankinde and mercifull as hauing taught him from the beginning the meanes of mitigating and remedying the same Which doctrine proueth Purgatorie to bee no newe fiction if so bee it may haue place but to haue beene
euer since the foundation of the worlde Now if it bee of this antiquitie then it will bee found mentioned spoken of and that in plaine tearmes in the olde church and the remedie also of this fire cannot but bee reuealed by God and practised amongst his people And so much the more in that the mercifulnes of God in Iesus Christ lesse shining in the first times and ages of the worlde the onelie satisfaction for our sinnes being couered vnder the vailes of the law made by all likelyhoode the remedy of Purgatory to be the more haunted and practised vnder the olde Testament as being at that time most needfull and necessarie Heere our aduersaries make vs this answere whence commeth it then that in all the writinges of Moses and the Prophetes there is nothing spoken of it that amongst so manie threatninges which are made against the transgressors of the law this should not bee so much as once touched That amongst so manie sacrifices ordained for voluntarie and willinglie committed sinnes as also for sinnes committed vnwillingly and of ignorance as likewise that in the middest of so manie expiatorie and purging sacrifices for all manner of pollutions whether they came of sicknes infirmitie sinne or of the defiling comming by touching of the dead c. there should not bee found anie thing appointed for sinnes after death not anie sacrifice not anie offering And yet notwithstanding they died euery daye and how deepelie engaged in sinne There is likewise nothing founde to bee practised in the Church in the behalfe of the dead whereuppon a man hath not any ground either from literall or figuratiue interpretation to proue this Purgatorie The Patriarkes did burie their wiues and children they were carefull of buying sepulchres of mourning and of conueying of their bones from one place to an other Where was their pietie if it may bee tearmed pietie to pray for the deade Dauid wept for Ionathan his verie true and trustie friende and Salomon for Dauid his predecessor and Father If these did practise no such thing what may wee coniecture thereof more But and if they did practise such a thing then whereby shall it become apparant vnto vs by anie one worde And that notwithstanding that Dauid haue made so manie prayers vppon so many occasions and those both of ioye and also of mourning and so manie kinges of Israell and Iuda haue beene honourably buried as also so manie Prophetes left vnto vs behinde them their open protestations against impieties and vngodlines and in the commendation of pietie and godlines euerie one in his time none of them recōmending this deuotion vnto vs for pietie or accusing of impietie those that haue omitted and neglected it yea no one of them authorising the same either by precept or example And it auaileth not to say That there was not in the Church of the Iewes any sacrifice for the deade because that according to the doctrine of the Church of Rome Paradice was not opened to the Fathers vnto the death of our Lord. For woulde not this haue beene a refreshment and comforte vnto them to haue beene translated from Purgatorie into the limbes from a place of dolour and paine and that such as they describe it to bee into a place of rest And againe what apparance is there that they shoulde haue remained there without remedie for the space of some three or foure thousande yeares what inequalitie had there beene in such punishment in respect of that which is inflicted at this daye when as they come forth now from day to daye whether it bee through the absolute authoritie of the Pope by his Indulgences or by the diligence of their kinsfolkes not neglecting to contribute and bestowe these suffrages vppon them In conclusion if there bee anie such thing it is as old as the creation and that more clearelie appearing vnder the olde Testament then vnder the newe and if it bee vnder the olde then it ought to haue had sacrifices for the deade and that a great deale more requisite at that time then vnder the new but and if the lawe had no such sacrifices neither then was there as it followeth by consequent anie Purgatorie neither indeede is there at this daye Now therefore let vs see if the olde Testament say anie thing of it yea if it speake of it in plaine tearmes as the importance of the thing doth require if I say in such sorte as it is saide to agree and stand with the iustice and mercie of God the instruction of the Church and the rest and consolation of poore distressed soules Now it is most certaine That Purgatorie cannot bee found in the olde Testamēt Deutr. 30. Psal 34. 116 Esay 57. that the olde Testament traceth out vnto vs onelie two waies Blessing or cursing Saluation or Condemnation the death of the Saintes as precious before the Lorde or the death of the wicked condemned of him as also the verie remembrance of them And theruppon it is that without leauing any thing coniecturall vnto vs betwixt those two the Prophete sayeth The iust man dyeth and departeth hence in peace lying himselfe down to rest in his bed In peace that is to saye to speake after the manner of the Hebrewes in all prosperitie verie farre from the pretended horrible paines of Purgatorie But yet let vs heare them speake to see what they can alleadge and let vs withall beare it continuallie in minde that our aduersaries doe make it an Article of their faith and so by consequent the lawe of the auncient Fathers ought here to take place as that of Saint Ierome That vpon obscure doubtfull darke and allegoricall places of the Scripture wee ought not to grounde anie pointe of doctrine That of Saint Augustine That in the controuersie of religion darke and figuratiue places must bee set aside and those onelie helde which are cleare of themselues And that of the Schoolemen likewise That allegoricall Diuinitie doth not proue c. It is saide in Leuiticus 12. Leuiticus 12. wee will take the places in order Shee shall not touch anie holie thing neither enter into the sanctuarie vntill that the daies of her purgation be accomplished Luke 2. Hee speaketh of her that is deliuered of her first borne according to the lawe practised likewise by the holy virgin as wee reade in Saint Luke and the literall sence is so cleare as that wee neede not seeke anie allegorie therein The Glose saieth Shee shall not come within the Court of the sanctuarie And in like manner Cardinall Hugo Hugo Cardinall in Leuit. c. 12. What is there now in this place that will afforde vs a Purgatory or that the sanctuarie is Paradice whereinto none can enter till after they bee deliuered out of Purgatorie If this bee saide generallie of all what shall become of the exception concerning Martyrs who doe not passe the same and if the allegorie bee good in the wordes Sanctuarie and Purgation how will they
this venome as it were by a fire Marke this word As then the speeches here vsed do not deale with the fire of that materiall purgatorie And in deed he setteth downe S. Cyp. l. 3. testim aduers Iud. c. 57. Cyrill in Esa l. 1. c. 4. orat 3. Barnabas as one of this number S. Cyprian likewise The Lord hath reformed and amended me not giuing me ouer vnto death according to that which is written in Malachie c. For saith he God amendeth and preserueth his faithfull S. Cyrill expoundeth it of the operation of the holy Ghost in the regnerating and sanctifying of the faithfull and according to the same expoundeth the place of Esay 4. When the Lord shall wash the daughters of Sion c. But yet and if wee marke the text Behold the Lord saith he quasi ignis as a fire This then cannot be purgatorie but God which maketh this purging and not properly a fire but as a fire hee meaneth doubtlesse the fire of the spirit of Christ which purifieth our soules by his doctrine And so S. Ierome hath expounded it Hugo in Esa c. 4. in Malac. c. 3. Cardinall Hugo in like manner saith He will purge sinnes by the fire of his passion or of his spirit And by this meanes we conclude that there is no place throughout all the canonical bookes of the old Testament from which may bee gathered or proued this their purgatorie or any of the praiers or Masses for the dead neither yet according to the exposition of the fathers and that the most worthie and renowned amongst them any such torment as is giuen to them And this is freely acknowledged by Perion the Monke and thereof there is as yet some iarre and disagreement remaining amongst those of the Church of Rome namely whether there were any purgatorie in the time of the olde Testament or not There remaine the booke of Tobiah and the second of the Machabees both Apocrypha which we are to examine howbeit that wee could answere them in a word that all doctrines that haue no other ground approbation but in the Apocrypha bookes must needs themselues be Apocrypha Tobiah saith Tob. c. 4. v. 18. Cast thy bread liberally vppon the graues of the iust but giue nothing vnto the wicked The Israelites had beene amongst the Gentiles and so had Tobiah also now the Gentiles were wont to make feastes at the funeralles of their neere kinsmen Vnde parentare et parentatum The Iewes that they might not seeme to be behind the Gentiles in honouring of their parentes distributed victualles vnto the poore In like manner saith Saint Ierome they caried victualles to such as were sorrowful pensiue and which wept about the graues of their dead which hee gathereth out of the 31. of the Prouerbes And Cardinall Hugo Hee speaketh here of some fashion not knowne vnto vs or rather for the comforting of the kinsfolkes hee commanded feastes to be made after the buriall c. This is all that can be gathered out of this place That of the Machabees may seeme to minister vnto them some better matter for their purpose This is saith he a oly cogitation to pray for the dead 2. Micab 12. to the ende that they may bee deliuered from their sinnes c. First it is pittie that this doctrine of their pretended fire whereof they make so great accounts and for the defence whereof they haue kindled so many fires throughout Christendome should haue no other foundation then one only place and that out of the Apocripha bookes and that the rather in as much as they haue beene acknowledged such by all antiquitie and by the most auncient Doctors and Councels witnesse S. Cyprian S. Ierome S. Augustine S. Gregorie c. The primitiue Church gouerned by the holy Ghost Cypr. in Symbol Hieronym in lib. Sapient August contr Gaudentium Gregor l. 8. Moralium hath not iudged the books of the Machabees to be such without cause if afterward they haue been permitted to be read in the Church it was as S. Augustine telleth vs For the example sake of vertue and not for the grounding of any doctrines vpon them Saint Ierome saith They are read for the instruction of the people and not to authorize any doctrine c. S. Gregorie likewise They are not produced or alleadged for to testifie or confirme any thing as canonicall but onely for edification There are whole volumes to this effect And when as the Church hath not touched or had any dealing with the reportes and narrations contained in the second booke partly as not agreeing vppon the same matters with that of the first and partly for their being detected and conuinced of falshood by the whole storie of the ancient gestes of the Iewes as in that matter of the hidden fire of the Arke c. which Nehemiah and Esdras would not haue concealed c. We cannot but haue them suspected as also it fared with Pope Gelasius who would not admit of the first c. yea the Author himselfe giueth sentence of condemnation against himselfe as crauing pardon if he haue written amisse The holy Ghost who hath inspired and enlightened the authors of the canonicall scriptures would neuer haue written so In the second book it is certaine that from the time of the Machabees 2. Machab. 4.7.12 the Iewes by means of the familiaritie that they had with the Grecians began mightily to incline to Paganisme Now wee will shew hereafter that this doctrine is taken from the Paganes and it appeareth so to be by Iason who in fauour of Antiochus prouided an vniuersitie of paganisme in Ierusalem by other priestes who turned the sacrifices of the law into the manner of vsage that was amongst the Paganes 2. Machab. 3.13 sacrificing for the idolatrous kings for the Lacedemonians for the health of Heliodorus a piller and spoiler of the temple also by their suffering of the Paganes contrarie to the law to offer therein as namely vnto Antiochus Eupator the Emperor Augustus c. Philo de legatione ad Caium By the historie of Razias who laid violent hands vpon himselfe that so he might not fall into the enemies hands the opinion of al Paganes yet commended by this author of the second book of Machabees But after all this let vs come to the storie which is the same with that which is mentioned in the 1. book and 5. chap. Ioseph the sonne of Zachary and Azarias priestes 1. Mach. 5.57 in the emulation which the prowesse and valiantnesse of Iuda had stirred vp in thē contrarie to his inhibition made an enterprise against Iamnia but Gorgias comming out against them discomfited them so that there remained 2000. vpon the place And Israel had receiued a sore ouerthrow Because saith he that hee had not obeied Iuda and that they were not of those whom God had stirred vp for the deliuerance of Israel that is to say because they
better come out of this Labyrinth then by the course of the text Saint Paul therefore hauing spoken before of the Doctors and Pastors that doe teach in the Church and continuing his discourse saith That the foundation of Religion is Christ that is to say the remission and forgiuenesse of sinne in him That if those Doctors and Pastors doe build vppon this foundation matter conformable and correspondent vnto the same that is to say sound and sincere doctrines and instructions that then when they come to triall they will be able to beare out and vndergoe the same whereas on the contrarie vaine and friuolous doctrines will vanish and turne to nothing as dooth the smoake in the ayre The sound and sincere ones he compareth to Gold Siluer and precious stones matters able to indure the fire but the corrupt and vaine ones to wood haye or straw all of them being matter which doe not beare or indure the fire yea which on the contrarie doe serue for nothing more then to set it on flame and kindle it Comparisons vsed elswhere in the Scriptures Psal 29. 119 Prou. 8. and 16 and to the same sence The commaundements of God saith Dauid are more to be desired then Gold Siluer or precious stones The fruit of wisedome is better then Gold Siluer or any Iewel-house In the Psalmes and Prouerbes the vaine opinions of men of which notwithstanding they make great accompt are compared to haye that passeth and withereth away Esay c. 40. Esay 1. and 58 Tertul. aduers Matc. l. 5. Dignam aut indignam doctrinam and opposed vnto the word of God which indureth for euer Esay 40. dooth compare them to stubble and drie wood Esay 1. and 58. And thus Tertullian Saint Ierome and Saint Ambrose doe interpret it Bellarmine also doth not turne it into any other sence The Apostle saith Euerie mans workes shall bee discouered and made manifest for the day will declare what it is The day that is to say the light opposed and set against darknesse such darknesse as vnder the cloake whereof the most corrupt Marchandises are couered and shrowded the light which maketh them knowne to bee such as they are Ioh. 5. according to that which is said Who so worketh truely and iustly let him come to the light that so his workes may bee made manifest Againe That which maketh all things manifest Ephes 4.5 that is the light And indeede it is not said here The day of the Lord but the day And Saint Gregorie and Saint Augustine doe vnderstand it of this present life And this day saith hee shall declare the worke vnto euerie one because it shall bee manifested by fire for the fire shall trie the workes of euerie man c. Assuredly no materiall fire but a fire fitted and proportioned according to these matters for it behooueth that the Allegorie should hang together Now the matters or substances are spirituall as true or false sound and durable or else vaine doctrines This fire then must be spirituall that is the effectuall power of the word of God and of his spirit vsing to accompanie the same which pearceth euen into the most secret ioyntes and parts before which in shorter or longer time all false doctrines and humane traditions not builded vpon the foundation which Christ hath laid will bee made vnable to stand An vsuall Metaphor in the Scripture The words of the Lord are as siluer refined in the fire Psal 19. Malach. 3. Leuit. 1.3 Amâ—ros in Psal 118. Ser 13. God will purge the Sonnes of Leui as Gold you are tried like Gold in the fire c. And so Saint Ambrose hath vnderstood it expounding these words Ignitum eloquium tuum c. Let come saith hee the worde of God let it enter into the Church let it become a consuming fire let it burne the haye and the strawe and whatsoeuer is therein that is not holye and consecrate vnto the Lord let it melt this leaden Masse of iniquitie c. Againe This fire it is the word of Christ a good fire which heateth and burneth not any thing saue sinne By this fire built vppon the good foundation this Gold of the Apostles was tried by this fire the Siluer of workes or of maners is examined and proued by this fire these goodly buildings of beautifull Iewels and precious stones haeue their glasse and goodly shew giuen vnto them but the haye and the straw are consumed Wherefore this fire refineth and maketh cleane the spirit but consumeth and wasteth errour c. And note that this is hee that did interpret vnto vs this place heretofore to be vnderstood of Doctors and doctrines and in the same hee still persisteth and continueth vnderstanding by Gold doctrines and by Siluer workes in that of sound or vaine doctrines proceede good or euill workes Hieronim in Daniel c. 7. In Esay c. 66. Saint Ierome in like manner God saith hee is called a consuming fire for to deuour all that which is vicious in vs as haye wood stubble c. And I suppose that this is that fire that did sit vpon the tongues of the Apostles And it is generally to bee noted that not one of the old Fathers hath vnderstood it of their Purgatorie And what is it that will ensue of the triall made by this fire that if the doctrines that shall bee prooued therein doe abide the hammer then hee which shall haue builded vppon that good foundation shall receiue his reward but and if they burne or flie away in smoake hee shall loose his time and labour and yet notwithstanding in as much as he hath built vpon the good foundation and hath not defiled nor ouerthrowne it hee shall be saued but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were by fire that is to say as one that escapeth the fire He that escapeth out of the fire thinketh himselfe to haue performed verie much in hauing saued himselfe all bare and naked For hee accompteth his life for a pray how much so euer he loose otherwise And this is the true signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is also of sauuer in our tonge Acts. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saue your selues from this froward generation that is Eripite vos As also these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but so as it were by fire are held for a prouerbe Cicer. de consol Zachar. 3. Amos. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which wee shall not faile to meete withal in all languages amongst good Authors In Latine Tanquam ex incendio effugere vel euadere In Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if a man should say in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a brand saued out of the fire And these Particles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say Sic autem quasi doe sufficiently shew vs that he doth not speake of any sire here in this place but of a power like vnto fire and namely that fire whereof hee
whole as that it may seeme to be nothing else then his words translated For he maketh and that by the report of Eusebius himselfe in his booke of the soule three degrees of men some that haue liued well and vertuously whom they conceiued to haue their abode in the Elisian fields as accompting them for most pure places and heauenly habitations Those whom he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 past hope of amendment whome hee placeth in Tartaro in hell from whence they can neuer come out and those which haue committed sinnes but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as are curable and veniall whome hee casteth into burning flouds there to accomplish and make perfect their repentance to the ende they may bee purged therein and after their purgation receiue absolution And in deed he vseth these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to purge and absolue Yet notwithstanding note that Eusebius who compareth the opinions of Philosophers with the doctrines of Christians doth not make any mention therein but onely of two conditions of men after death namely of the saued or of the damned A plaine and cleare testimony that the Church in his time did acknowledge no other but these two Virgill describeth it at large in the sixt booke of his Aeneidos Aliis sub gurgite vasto Infectum eluitur scelus aut exuritur igni Virgil. l. 6. Aencid Where he may seeme to haue expressed the two verbes before mentioned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Donec longa dies perfecto temporis orbe Concretam exemit labem c. Wherefore S. Augustine needed not to be abashed when he said August de ciuit Dei l. 21. c. 13. 17. That Purgatorie was one of Platoes doctrines As also That the dead may be relieued by the suffrages sacrifices of the liuing in so much as that the souls which are destitute therof are stil delaied caused in lingring manner to lie languishing in torments Homer Odyss 12. Virg. l. 6. Aenei Alcor Azo 10. as wee reade of the soule of Elpenor in Homer and of Palinurus in Virgill c. In like manner the Iesuits do not let to confesse that purgatory is sound there And we do further giue them to vnderstand that it is all whole to be had in the Turks Alcoran if that of the Paganes doe not content them The Iewes as we haue seene learned the same of the pagans vpon their falling away from their maner of worship religion and yet not so as that it preuailed with them to get a place in their Church for in the time of our Lord there appeared no markes or notes of any such thing but rather the contrary Paul Fagius in Deut. c. 14. Anton Margarita de superstitionibus Iudaic. The bookes of remembrance which they vse at this day wherin they name three times a yere those which are dead in the yeare praying to God that he would place them in his paradice with Abraham Isaac and Iacob c. are come since thē And this is made most apparant by their order for the extreame and deadly sicke was demanded if he did not perseuere to hold fast belieue the 13. Articles of their faith amongst the which the eleuenth is of the glorie to come and of eternall death the twelfth of their faith and beliefe in the Messias for want whereof they say the law is vnprofitable the thirteenth of the viuification or resurrection of the deade of Purgatorie not a worde neither yet of the Suffrages by which they should bee freed out of the same There happeneth one to die whereupon wee come to see all their ceremonies euen to the least Their neerest kinsfolkes doe rent their garmentes they eate not for that day in the house but without they eate not any flesh neyther drinke any wine except it bee vpon their Sabbath They neither wash nor annoint themselues for the space of seuen daies They lie vpon the ground and refraine the companie of their wiues They follow the bodie bare-footed They light a lampe for the space of seuen whole nightes setting it on the house floure perswaded thereto through a sottish and fantasticall conceipt that the soule commeth during the same time for to seeke the bodie c. And this is all that humane superstition had till then inuented the most part thereof being contrarie to the pure worde of the eternall God forbidding them in expresse wordes not to torment themselues for their dead And as for their praier if you obserue the tearmes thereof it will appeare to come neerer the nature of a wish then of a prayer Let his soule rest let his sleepe bee in peace let the gates of paradice bee opened vnto him by the Comforter that is to come c. And what is there in all this that is common with Purgatorie And in deed their Capitula patrum doe not make mention of any moe then two places But amongst Christians the first seedes of this doctrine are contained in the bookes declared to be Apocripha by the Primitiue Church and so by consequent the doctrine also is Apocrypha because it hath no other foundation besides them A certaine man named Hermas in his visions asketh an old woman if after the casting of certain stones there remaine any more pennance to bee done she answered that they could not come to a certaine tower but that they should be put into a lower roome where they are tormented vntill they haue accomplished the daies of their sinnes A booke of the Actes of Saint Andrew prayeth vnto God for an old Pandor and saith vnto him Iren. l. 5. We obtaine much mercie of him for the dead and why should we faile for this man which is aliue But the doctrine of the Church is to bee read in Ireneus The priestes saith he the disciples of the Apostles say that those which are translated from hence are conueighed into paradice which is prepared for iust men and such as haue the spirit whither Saint Paule was rauished and where he heard wordes that cannot bee vttered and that they abide and continue there vnto the end of the world Index expurgator p. 71. Iust Martyr in resp ad quaest Orthod q. 7. And therefore vpon good ground doth Erasmus shew that he spake as one that knew not purgatory And this obseruation the fathers of Trent haue caused to be raced And Iustin Martyr also After saith he the departure of this bodie there is presently made a seperation of the iust and vniust for they are caried into places worthy of them that is to say the soules of the iust into Paradice where they inioy the company of Angels Archangels as also the sight of our Sauiour Iesus Christ but those of the vniust and wicked into the infernall places c. They will alleadge against vs Clemens Alexandrinus and Origen Clem. Alex. l. 6 The one whereof laboureth to proue by the supposed Apocryphes of S. Peter S. Paule
Hell and Purgatorie That all whatsoeuer miserie all the men in this world had indured from Adam vnto that time did not come any thing neere vnto the paines and punishment that is therein c. And that had not Saint Ierome come in the meane time they had beene neere to haue receiued the sentence of condemnation for not hauing belieued it c. Thus we may see a thing then which nothing is more naturall the doctrine of lyes maintained and nourished by a lie it selfe CHAP. X. What prosperous proceeding Purgatorie attained vnto in the Church of Rome and by what degrees IN the ende after that our aduersaries cannot all this while make choyse of any one of the Fathers to whose opinion they may trust and hold themselues in this matter of Purgatorie for wee freely permit and allow them their choyse out of them all notwithstanding that wee haue runne through the space of those fiue hundred yeares next after our Lord Purgatorie affirmed and avouched by Gregorie Anno. 600. Deut. 18.11 Esay 8.19 August de cura pro mortuis gerend Vpon what foundation he buildeth his doctrine Gregor Magn. in Dialog they are constrained to haue recourse to Gregorie Bb. of Rome liuing about the yeare 600 euen vnto that Gregorie which of the custome of the Gentiles made a Law in the Church of Christ of Origen his curiosities a necessarie deuotion of the speculations of the olde Fathers who had gone before him a grounded principle and firme Maxim and of S. Augustines doubt an affirmatiue doctrine but grounded also altogether vpon other raasons then had bene alleadged by the former as reuelations apparitions of spirits and others such like delusions directly contrarie to that which is said in the Law Who so goeth to aske counsell of the dead is an abhomination vnto the Lord as also against the Maxim which S. Augustine is so carefull for to proue That the soules of the dead intermeddle not with the affaires of those that are aliue The doctrin then of S. Gregorie in brief is That as at the breake of the day and in a browne colour the darke is mingled with the light is called the twylight so the neerer we come to the day of iudgement so much the more inter-course and communitie shall there bee betwixt spirits and men What solide or sound stuffe can hee picke out of this foundation seeing hee presupposeth and setteth downe the end of the world to bee as then And this is the cause why saith hee that men doe attaine speaking of his owne time to know the estate and condition of Soules a thing lesse knowne to such as went before Of Paschasius his soule he learneth how that it indured his Purgatorie amidst the scaldings of hotte waters because that in a certaine schisme falling out amongst the Popes he tooke part with Laurence not with Symmachus And thereupon he inferreth that good soules which halt and come short be it neuer so little in the workes of righteousnesse are detained kept backe for a like proportion of time from the inioying of heauen From the soule of a certaine Lord how that it serued at the bathes to pull off the hose and shoes of all such as came to them vntill the time that a certain Priest to whom it made it selfe knowne had offered two loaues such as had beene accustomed to bee offered for it As also from the soule of a Monke who died hauing in store the summe of three Crownes how when there was a holy day kept in his name it receiued the Communion in Purgatorie c. Hee inferreth that when the trespasses are not vnpardonable there is meanes to procure a remedy and helpe for the same by the offering of a sacrifice c. And his Dialogues are full of such friuolous tales Howsoeuer that Schoolemen doe not admit into Purgatorie any faults or sinnes how sleight so euer but the paines and punishment only he concludeth notwithstanding that there is no way to be followed but to do well so long as we are here without trusting to that which may be done afterward But what manner of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what steadfastnes of faith is there in all this Or rather what hath it but it may giue vs to belieue that these were spirits of deceipt watchfull and painefull in their craft and occupation euen in perswading the world to that which might deceiue them Tertullian saith Tertull. de Anima c. 5.7 These apparitions are but the mockeries and deceits of the euill spirit who carrieth himselfe priuily vnder the shapes of liuing men or masked and disguised after the manner of men deceased c. God hath sufficiently declared vnto vs in the parable of the poore and rich man that Hell is not open for any to come forth c. no not to winne credite to Moyses and the Prophets c. To be short all manner of representation or apparition of soules that is without body is nothing else but a delusion nothing else but witchcraft Chrysostome after the same manner Chrysost hom 29. in Math. hom 13. Idem de Lazaro hom 4. The possessed with Diuels will crie sometimes vnto thee and say I am the soule of such a one but wilt thou belieue it No not so saith hee for this speech commeth of the fraud and deceipt of the Diuell It is not the soule of any dead person that speaketh so but it is the Diuell that counterfeiteth the deepelier to deceiue and abuse the people For of a certaintie the soule seperated from the body goeth not vp and down wandring in these lower regions the soules of the righteous are in the hand of God those of the sinners after this life are quickly by force carried away The historie of Lazarus and the rich man doth proue the same vnto vs. And againe Wouldest thousee that the doctrine of the Scriptures and of the Prophets is of an other manner of weight then that of the dead which rise againe consider and know that whosoeuer the dead partie may be yet he is a seruant but as for the Scriptures it is the Lord which speaketh in them And therefore though a dead man reuine and liue againe though an Angell come downe from heauen yet let vs principally belieue the Scriptures For the Author of them is as wel the Lord of the dead as of the liuing of men and of Angels And therefore what the Scriptures teach vs most clearely let vs not goe about to learne of the dead c. And there is an Article in the auncient Synodes That such visions vnder the colour of soules are of the Diuell But what then may we thinke that Tertullian or Chrysostome would haue said to Gregorie Verily that these visions had beene of the Diuell Verily and his Purgatorie also a doctrine of Diuels And againe some haue doubted of these Dialogues that they were not his because that in the rest of his bookes hee seemeth to be more graue And
Let vs approch with boldnes vnto the throne of grace c. And no cause is there why his being lifted vp in Maiestie should either make thee ashamed or cause thee to be cast off and to take the repulse For in that he is exalted it is to draw thee vnto him and after him that he is at the right hand of the Father saith the Apostle Rom. 8. it is to make intercession for thee that he sitteth vpon the throne of Maiestie it is for to make thee to raigne The obiection that new honours vse to make men to bee hardly drawne to easinesse or familiaritie what grosse and friuolous toyes cannot bee alleadged against this partie for to speake properly hee hath not receiued any increase nothing more then his owne is growne due or come vnto him from before all eternitie hee is glorious yea and by that same glorie which he inioyed eternally with the father Father saith he glorifie me with thine owne selfe with the glorie which I haue had with thee before the world was made And that such a glorie as did not hinder him Ioh. 17.5 Philip. 2. from making him selfe of no reputation nor from taking the shape of a seruant nor from humbling him selfe for our saluation euen to the death of the Crosse a glorie likewise for certaine that cannot hinder him from graunting the things necessarie for our infirmities neither yet from inclining his eares in most bountifull manner vnto our requests that so he may carrie and faithfully report them to the Father For for that cause hath hee humbled himselfe euen to be like vnto vs To the end saith the Apostle that hee might be mercifull and faithfull in that which is to be done with God for vs. CHAP. XIII That the inuocation of Saints was not taught in the Primitiue Church and of the growth and proceeding thereof HOw then did this doctrine enter into the Church of Christ and how came it to be made a law Verily euen as all other humane inuentions by many steps and by tract of time after many ages Day by day errour was increased whiles men pleased themselues in their inuentions whereas knowledge should haue abounded if they had kept themselues to the word of Christ Many ages passed and were expired without any inuocation of Saints seeing it slipt in amongst the multitude of Gentiles in such maner as that no man regarded the same to marke and obserue it in the beginning and it hath caused some to wonder exceedingly how it should already be come to haue a party so throghly wonne vnto it amongst the people by the blunt blind aide of the ouertaken with forestalled embracing of Paganisme seing the most sincere vncorrupted Doctors did their whole indeuor to driue it out But this shal be made to appeare more clearely in the handling of the maner of the growth proceeding thereof howbeit for the better vnderstanding of the same we must here set before our eyes how they practise this article at this day in the Church of Rome in Inuocation Adoration Pilgrimages Temples Altars Sacrifices and in all the rest of the duties seruices honours that belong vnto God and are not to be giuen vnto any other and how they would gladly couer and colour the same vnder the shadow of some Apostrophe or Prosopopie framed and applied vnto some Saint or of some Panegyricke deuised in the honour of some Martyr or from some priuate opinion left free and indifferent not of the Church onely but of euerie Christian As for the holy Scriptures wee haue seene that it hath no foundation in them on the contrarie that part or portion therin which speaketh so honourably of the Saints whether liuing or dead of Angels likewise of their ministerie which they performe for our saluation commeth short Rom. 1. when once we goe beyond our bounds and limits They haue saith S. Paul speaking of the Gentiles honoured and serued the creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more then the Creator and therefore God hath giuen them ouer to their brutish affections c. And when as men doe goe beyond their compasse bee it neuer so little in that the honour due vnto man for Similitie sake may not proceed by little and little vnto that which is due to God onely the Saints and Angels doe vse to restraine them and plucke them backe yea euen before they be come so farre as they lawfully might S. Act. 10.26 Act. 14.15 Apocal. 19.22 Peter saith to Cornelius who fell downe at his feete Rise vp for I am a man and the Angell vnto S. Iohn too well instructed and taught of the Sonne of God to worship any creature Refraine thy selfe doe not so for I am thy fellow seruant and one of thy brethren which haue the testimonie of Iesus And the Disciples of the Apostles and their first successors had not forgot these admonitions It would be too long and tedious a thing here to recite all those places of the first Fathers prouing the inuocation of one onely God by one onely Iesus Christ besides that in the praiers of the Christian Church Clement strom l. 7. Iust Martyr Apol. 2. Tertull. in Apol. whereof we haue the patterns in Clemens Alexandrinus Iustinus Martyr Tertullian c. God is onely called vppon through his Sonne without any mention at al made therein either of Angels or of Saints Againe the ordinarie disputations that these of the first age had with the Gentiles were vpon this point for that they called vpon the Gods and others who for their excellencie in vertue were held for halfe Gods tearming it by the name of Idolatrie Whereas the subiect or matter it selfe did carie thē on rather to say vnto them that it was much better for them to giue this honour vnto Saints and Angels as our patrons and aduocates vnto God in heauen and yet not a word thereof On the contrarie Polycarpus the Disciple of S. Euseb l 4 c. 15 Iohn in his last praier which he made vnto God being now fastned to the stake to be burned aliue calleth vpon God feruently and calleth him The God of Angels the God of all the righteous that liue before his face This was enough and the rather being in that his perplexitie distresse to haue put him in mind of these patrons if he had so reputed them but he remembreth not neither yet maketh mention of any but one Bishop and mediator Iesus Christ Irene l. 2. c. 58. And Ireneus the Disciple of this Polycarpus saith Those which are the true Disciples of Christ receiuing grace from him accomplish and fulfill in his name the benefits which they doe vnto others according as euerie man hath receiued the gift from him From him they haue power ouer diuels from him the knowledge of foretelling things to come as also their visions and prophesies as well as the gifts of healing c. In all this there is not a word of
Virgine Marie was for his comfort and consolation yea and that amongst the rest vnto Eue her selfe which had sinned in as much as God had chosen this vessell to beare and bring forth the comfort of mankind from the first man euen to the last They abuse in a higher degree of vnfaithfull dealing a place in Iustinus Martyr Iustin Martyr Apol 2. The Gentiles reproach the Christians saying that they were Atheists that is to say without God The Christians answere Yea without Gods whom you take to be Gods but not without the true God For as concerning him we worship him that is the father and the Son which is of him who is come and hath taught vs these things and all the host of good Angels that follow him and the propheticall spirit that is to say we worship the father the sonne and the holy Ghost Now these words which yet are not found in many copies must vpon euident and apparant necessitie be read with a Parenthesis for there he alludeth to that Ephes 3.10 which S. Paul saith to the Ephesians That the mysterie of our Redemption which was hid from all time in God was manifested vnto principalities and powers in heauenly places c. Otherwise what should this meane We worship the father the Sonne the Angels and the holy Ghost And the holy Ghost himselfe after the Angels And by this meanes to saue the Saints they make no conscience to blaspheme the holy Ghost But in the meane time this is the Monke Perion his translation and from thence this errour hath beene dispersed into many bookes in these daies Origen commeth About the yeare 260. Hieronym ad Pammach Ocean Epiphan t. 2. l. 1. haeres 63. hauing a bold spirit Whome I loue saith S. Ierome as hee is a translator but not as he is an author of straunge opinions for his spirit and ingeniousnesse but not for his faith because his writings are venemous without any warrant of Scriptures and offering violence vnto the same c. And of this iudgement is the whole Church After this then to whome may he not iustly be suspected For as heretofore he laid the foundations of Purgatorie vpon the opinions of the Platonists so from the same he gathereth the first stone wherupon afterward was laid the inuocation of Saints The Platonists said that the vpper and higher things must bee ioyned with the inferiour and lower by a middle comming betwixt both God with men by Angels that is by their mediation and comming betwixt But Christians must not lend their eares to this as those that haue a far deeper secret and mysterie reuealed vnto them hauing giuen them his Son God and man and ioyned together in one person for the saluation of mankind that which was farre remooued and set asunder by our sinnes so that the Platonists could not comprehend or conceiue the same Notwithstanding wee see that mans inuentions do commonly please vs better then the reuelations of God and flesh and bloud doth more freely and willingly imbrace them because it smelleth and findeth something of it owne therein Euseb â—e preparat Euang. l. 12. 13. August de Ciuit. Dei l 8. c. 14.18.20 22 23.25.26 Now the summe thereof was that betwixt the greatnesse of God and the infirmitie of man there were two orders of Mediators the blessed spirits or the separated intelligences and the soules of the blessed wee call them in our Christian language Angels and Saints That these Angels offer vp mens suites and petitions to God in reporting them vnto him and obtaining a graunt thereof by their intercession c. That for this cause we must praie vnto and honour them partly as Aduocates partly as more excellent in their merits then men And that such also do the same who for their merits being men whiles they were here vpon earth haue beene exalted and extolled as Gods in heauen such a one was Aesculapius who wrought the same effects in heauen by his Diuinitie which he wrought here below by his Art such a one also was Hermes which succoured and conserued generally all those who directed their praiers vnto him c. Who is hee that cannot behold and clearely perceiue the opinions of the Church of Rome in these points of Paganisme Now they did not all enter with a full sea into the Christian Church but for certaine it is that the Gentils which were receiued into the same being seasoned with this doctrine could not be so little cherished and vpheld either by being winckt at or otherwise by the sufferance of the Pastors but that they by and by tooke great footing and that in a small time What is it then that Origen saith Origen hom 3 in Cant. The Saintes saith he which are departed out of this life bearing stil their wonted loue and charitable affections to such as remaine behind in the world if any man say that they are carefull for their saluation and that they helpe them with their praiers and intercessions towards God he doth not runne into any inconuenience for it is written in the booke of the Machabees This same is Ieremie the prophet of God that prayeth daily for the people c. Marke There is no inconuenience in it And further some are of opinion those also of the learned that these Homelies vpon the Canticles were made by some latin writer and not by Origen Vpon Iosue Ego sic arbitror I am mightilie drawne to be perswaded that all the fathers which haue fallen asleepe before vs doe still in part beare some portion of the combat with vs and doe helpe vs with their praiers thus much I haue heard said of some of our old maisters Vpon the booke of Numbers he groweth more hot for saith he Quis enim dubitat who doubteth but that they helpe vs with their praiers and confirme vs by their examples c. Where it is to bee considered how that he speaketh doubtfully of this opinion that he which had the scriptures at his fingers ends if hee had had in store euer a place to haue confirmed and setled it vpon he would neuer haue had recourse to an Apocrypha place of the second booke of Machabees neither to the report of his old maisters But yet moreouer it appeareth by Origen himselfe that this was but a discourse of his and not the faith of his time If saith he the Saintes that haue left this bodie and are with Christ do any thing for vs after the manner of Angels that take charge of our safetie let it be accompted amongst the secrets that are hidden and kept close by God and are not to be intermedled withall by any writer that is to say in a word inter Apocrypha for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke doeth not signifie any other thing But of this priuate discourse of this pretended secret misterie that the Saints pray for the faithfull gathereth he this consequent it
shall first be called away hence let them continue their amitie and loue without ceasing in the presence of God let their prayers neuer cease for their brethren and sisters crauing in their behalfe the manifolde mercies of the father That is Saynt Cyprian extending and stretching the care that the Saintes deceased should haue not vnto the Church in generall onely but by a continuance of holy affection vnto them whome they had loued in Christ here vppon earth And this although it haue no example in the scripture yet it is far off from our aduersaries their doctrine for he prayeth to the liuing and not to the dead Now the controuersie or question betwixt vs is not if they pray and to what end but if wee ought to pray vnto them at all I know well what they haue to alleadge out of the sermon of the starre and the wisemen of the East As that the infantes slaine by Herode are made Senators in Paradice and obtaine grace for them which doe not merite it c. But they are not ignorant that this sermon hath by themselues beene alwaies numbred amongst the deuised and faigned ones As likewise that which they bring out of the booke of S. Cyprian his penitentnes How that he had beene a Magician and that by the help of the Deuils hee would haue assailed the chastitie of a maide and that she calling vpon Iesus Christ her husband and afterward the virgine Marie was deliuered and thereupon also S. Cyprian conuerted But with what face seeing S. Ierome telleth vs that S. Cyprian was a Rhetorician and wonne vnto Christ Hieronym in epist ad Paul in Comment in Ionam c. 3. Cyp l. 2. ep 2. Gelas D. 15. c. Sancta Rom. partly by the familiaritie he had with Caecilius whereupon he was surnamed the Cecilian and partly by the reading of the Prophete Ionas And seeing that S. Cyprian in setting downe his owne conuersion saith not a worde of all this And as little is that which commeth to light by Pontianus his Deacon who hath written his life But which is more seeing that Pope Gelasius at the verie same time when the inuocation of Saints had rooted it selfe verie deeply did pronounce and affirme vnto them that this booke was Apocrypha And yet they are still abusing the common people with the name of the fathers For as concerning the sermon of Gregorie Nazianzene Marulla hath very well obserued that he hath made Cyprian of Damascus and Cyprian the Carthaginian all one whereas the first suffered in the time of Valerian and the second vnder Dioclesian And it hath beene noted by many others before and after him We are now in this place to bring in Dionysius the pretended Areopagite for hee cannot be so auncient as we haue proued as they would make him Dionvs eccles Hierarch c. 3. and this we say and affirme by the way that we need not doubt that the miracles which God wrought vppon the establishment of the Church at the sepulchers of the Martyrs made many to looke downe and to fixe their eyes vppon the Martyrs whereas they ought to haue lifted them vp and to haue caused them to looke vpon God alone and that so much the more because it was called and accompted to be the honouring of God in his Saintes as also for that it seemed to bee an instigation and pricking of men forward to suffer for the name of Christ Whereunto also you may adde as another cause the want of a Paule or Barnabas at the corner of euerie fielde to represse these disordered and vnruly deuotions of the people Actes 14. and to cause them to leaue the creature to betake themselues to the liuing God But so it is that this Denys rehearsing the causes for which he made mention of the Saintes in the seruice speaketh not but of those that follow To the end saith he that those that liue may learne by these examples to liue and die well in God and that they might bee admonished and taught that those that die in him doe liue out of this life in a better That God hath them in his remembrance according to that which is said God knoweth those that are his The death of the Saintes is precious before God That they are also one with Christ by an indissoluble vnion and bond that can not bee broken which are the causes saith he that this mention or rehearsall is made at the time of the celebrating of the Sacrament the Sacrament of the coniunction and vnion of Christ and his members That is to shew vnto vs that those that bee not the greatest parte in this world that yet they cease not to be a part of the Church The contention raised about the Arrians was a cause that for a certaine time men did speake without fault The Christians reasoned Christ is truely God for we are all agreed to pray vnto him but we pray not vnto neither call vppon any but God This argument had beene of no force if the Church at that time had vsed the inuocation of Saintes for the reply had beene verie readie But tell mee how many Saintes doe you pray vnto Hillar in psal 129. which you know to be no Gods And although S. Hillarie doe playe the Philosopher as others before him vppon the mediation of Angelles the protection of the Patriarkes and Apostles c. yet he reserueth inuocation for Christ alone Idem in Psal 123. Because saith he that he belieueth that he is very God that he is present by his nature when he is faithfully called vpon and for that he is present with him that belieueth in him c. Idem c. 27. in Matth. Athanas orat 2. cont Arrian Idem de incarnat verb. But in regard of the Saintes The virgines saith he doe answere that they cannot giue any oile because it behoueth euerie one to buy for themselues and that none doe expect trust to be helped by the merites and workes of another c. Athanasius in like manner The Saintes saith he doe not craue any helpe of the creatures but they crie and call vnto Christ in their necessities He is not therefore a creature hee is verie God Againe If thou worship saith he Christ as he is man because the word dwelleth in him then worship the Saintes because that God hath a little house or dwelling place in them c. which thing hee proueth to bee absurd What force should such a reason haue had if the sermon intituled of the virgine the mother of God were his wherein he praieth vnto her for succour by the names of Ladie Mistresse Queene c. But the learned know that the greatest part of the third and fourth Tome of Athanasius are suspected of vntruth as Nannius likewise hath confessed being publike professor in the vniuersitie of Louaine and hee that did translate them And this is one speciall marke thereof for that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was not
Eunomius the Sonne be not partaker of the substance of the Father how shall he be an intercessor c. And therefore the Saintes by the same accompt no Gods no intercessors CHAP. XIIII Of the continuance of the purenesse of doctrine concerning Inuocation and of the growth and proceeding of the corruption of the same in the Latine Church LEt vs here againe returne to the rest of this doctrine in the West Church proceeding where we left to speake of the same S. Hillarie tooke vp his standing at this point That notwithstanding that the Angels and the Saintes do continue their charitie towardes vs that yet we must call vpon one onely God by Christ it being expected that hee should be alone and onely one which knoweth and can doe all things And now let vs a little looke ouer S. Ambrose S. Augustine and Saint Ierome in the Latine Church and examine their opinions the first of them answering within a little the time of Basil Nazianzene the other two the time of Epiphanius and Chrysostome in the Greeke Church S. Ambros in sunere fratris Satyr Ambrose verily in like manner as S. Basill wanteth no store of Rhetorike such as the time afforded In the funeralles of his brother Satyrus he is vehement Well saith he go thou first into this common house that which now is more desired and wished for of me then any other thing make readie there for vs our bed chamber leaue mee not to languish and mourne any long time after thee Call vpon me if I be too slow and helpe me to make more hast Ambr. in Luc. l. 10. c. And in another place From whence shall I cause thee to come Peter that thou maiest tell me what thou didst thinke when as thine eies distilled teares shal it be from heauen where thou art in the companie of Angels or els from the graue c. Who will not acknowledge in these words the Rhetorical Apostrophes so familiarly vsed of Orators In his booke of widowes he is carried away a great deale further in a Declamation When saith hee Peter his mother in law had a feauer Andrew and Peter praied vnto the Lord for her And thou O widow hast so many neighbours that pray for thee the Apostles the Martyrs and the Angels therefore thou must pray vnto them for they can pray for our sinnes seeing that they are washed from theirs by their owne bloud seeing also that they are beholders of our actions Againe Is she lesse fit to pray because of her sinne or lesse fit for to aske and obtaine let her vse the benefite and helpe of others which doe pray c. Who is hee that may not iustly be offended with these loftie and hyperbolicall speeches with this exceeding ryot lauish laying out of such high mounted speeches directly contrarie to the doctrine of Christ his Apostles Of Christ who calleth the repentant vnto himselfe they being so much the more fit to come vnto him by how much the heauier they feele themselues laden with the burthen of their sinnes Come vnto mee saith he all you that labour are heauie laden c. Of the Apostles who teach vs that the sins of the Apostles themselues were washed away in the blood of Christ As also against the doctrine of his dearely beloued Origen That the virgin Marie hath need to be washed to be sanctified and to haue a part in the redemption purchased by this blood But now let vs heare him like some still brooke or little riuer gliding smoothly along some plaine channell all his heate of Rhetoricke laid aside and expounding the scriptures according to their bare meaning and sence that verily in a far other sence The Gentiles said to him as we haue seene before It is needfull to haue accesse vnto kings by the mediation of great personages so we must looke to approch vnto the high God by inferior and pettie Gods so say our aduersaries by the saints And what answer doth he make them vpon the Romaines Ambr. in epist ad Rom. c. 1. But saith he and that in many words With God thou needest not any other intercessor then a deuout spirit It is high treason against him to make way to come to him by his creatures whereas in deed it is good for kinges who know not whom to trust in their common wealth but not in respect of God who knoweth all things Idâ—â— de Iscac Antma who vnderstandeth the value and worth of euerie man c. But wouldest thou haue a Mediator looke vpon him whom he giueth vnto thee Iesus Christ himselfe saith he is our mouth by which we speake vnto God our eye by which we see the father our right hand by the which we offer vnto the father and if that hee make not intercession for vs neither we nor any of the saintes haue anie part or portion in God And elsewhere Idem l. 3. de Spir. Sanct. c. 12 Wee must not worship saith he any thing but God as the scripture saith Thou shalt worship one onely God The holy Ghost likewise must be worshipped seeing that wee worship him who after the flesh is borne of the holy Ghost But no man must draw or applie this to the virgine Marie she was the temple of God but not the God of the temple c. And if any man reply and say that he speaketh of adoration and not of praier he ouerthroweth the question for in vaine is it to pray where wee put not our affiance But saith hee the Almightie power of Christ was declared and manifested in that we know that it is hee alone in whom wee must haue our affiance c. Coloss 1. In so much that if any man thinke that he ought to frame his deuotion either to some one of the Angels or els to some one of the superiour powers bee it knowne vnto him that he is in an errour for he that humbleth and casteth downe himselfe before the subiectes is altogether out of the way he cleaueth not fast vnto the head he is without a head Truncus est c. And this is according to the scope of the place in the Colossians expounded heretofore by Theodoret of the Canon of the Councell of Laodicea In the time of S. Ierome this inuocation did insinuate it selfe more and more amongst the people in so much as that it was come to an open offence and controuersie And this is proued by the disputation betwixt Saint Ierome and Vigilantius Hieronym contr Vigilant whether it were that on the one side Vigilantius did not speake honorably enough of the Martyrs or that Saint Ierome doth wrongfully so charge him proceeding here as in other places from wholesome admonition and reproofe to hot and distempered choller a man for that cause certainely vnworthy to bee admitted into any disputation concerning religion But of all Vigilantius his Theses because his bookes are not to bee come by
they know likewise not to bee his c. But S. Augustine did neuer thinke to winne heauen by any other meanes then the merite of the onely Christ for his Maxim is vniuersall August ad Hieronym de natura origi animarum Idem in quaest veter Nou. test q 73. That there is not any one soule in all mankind thus hee writ vnto S. Ierome for the deliuerance whereof the Mediator of God and men Iesus Christ the man is not requisite and necessarie Not so much as the Virgine Marie excepted seeing that he saith after many of the fathers going before That the Virgine in whome was wrought the mysterie of the incarnation of Christ did doubt as much in the death of our Sauiour Christ as shee was confirmed by his resurrection What doe we get by this discourse Verily that vnto the time of S. Chrysostome and S. Augustine that is to say neere hand fine hundred yeares after the death of our Lord there was no Inuocation of Saints in the Christian Church nor any mention of the same in the seruice of the Church that it was practised onely by the particular deuotions of some few which they had learned for the most part out of the Schoole of the Gentiles and that there were great personages at those times that laboured to represse them by the opposing and setting of the pure doctrine against them as wee haue seene by their disputations And if that they did speake so at such time as those myracles which it pleased God to worke for the confirmation of the faith and the approuing of his Martyrs were most fresh and new what would they haue said of that which we see at this day when wee pray not vnto God as then in the burying places of the Martyrs but vnto the Martyrs themselues yea and to all the sorts of pretended Saints both directly as the authors of good things and without any mention made of God and in their images And whereas they scrape together here and there some places that seeme to make for them some of them being true but ill translated some manifestly fained and deuised and some drawne from Rhetoricke to make proofes and reasons in Diuinitie what other thing may they seeme to be hereby but Spiders which out of most wholesome hearbs doe sucke poyson whereas the Bees doe gather sweetnesse out of the most bitter And here withall let vs not forget to obserue and note that at this time and manie ages after it was indifferent in the Church whether the faithfull departing out of this world were by and by gathered vnto God and inioyed his presence or else that they continued expecting the day of the resurrection in the bosome of Abraham in a place of most blessed rest from thence to bee receiued into heauen all together Which is more Ireneus Iustine Tertullian Origen Saint Ambrose Saint Augustine Saint Chrysostome Bernard Serm. 4. in sest omnium Sanct. Idem Serm. 3. Theodoret c. yea Saint Barnard no lesse then all the rest doe incline to belieue rather that they are reserued vnto the resurrection without the inioying of the presence of God Now the case so standeth that the Inuocation of Saints is grounded vpon intercession and their intercession vpon the sight and presence of God according to our Aduersaries their owne doctrine Whereupon it followeth that the Inuocation of Saints could not haue any ground to grow vpon in the Church all this time neither yet shall hereafter in any sure or certaine sort according to Saint Barnard his iudgement who liued not aboue three hundred yeares since seeing he stood more vppon this opinion then any other the Inuocation of Saints beeing such as could not match with this doctrine CHAP. XV. Of the growth and proceeding of the corruption of Inuocation both in the Greeke and Latine Churches NOw when these great lights of the Church S. Ierome S. Augustine S. Chrysostome Epiphanius and such like were put out there is no cause why we should maruaile if the Prince of darknesse The proceeding of the abuse in the Greeke church did thriue prosper mightily in a short time as also by the assistance of the ignorance which was brought into Europe at such time as the barbarous nations did ouerrunne and swarme in the same In the East Church they had beene drencht with the Apostrophes of Basill Nazianzene Ephrem and others but the Inuocation of Saints was not yet entred into their seruice onely they had receiued the Commemoration of them the prints and footesteps whereof remaine to be seene in these words In Liturg. Iacobo Basilio Chrysost attribut In calling to our minds the holy Virgine Patriarkes Prophets Apostles Martyrs c. We recommend them and our selues and our whole life vnto God c. Speeches so farre from bearing any inuocating of them as that they comprehend and include them in the same recommendation as also in the same worke of the grace of God with our selues following that opinion which they had currant amongst them that they were not as yet receiued into perfect blisse Likewise we haue a Church rule in S. Basill Basil in asceti c. 40. free from the fierie heate of his boyling Rehetoricke When saith he the Christians come to the Sepulchers of the Martyrs or into the adioyning places it must be looked vnto that it bee to no other end but to pray Idem hom 19 and to bee stirred vp to the imitating of their constancie by the recording and calling of them to mind For saith he in an other place by the calling to mind of their good deedes there ariseth profit vnto vs as of the vsing of an excellent parfume a good smel Anno. 500. Niceph. l. 15. c 18. But now one Petrus Gnapheus Bishop of Antioch ordaineth that in all publike praiers in his Church and note that his Patriarchall prerogatiue extended verie farre the inuocating of the Virgine Marie should bee vsed And this Peter was a most pernicious hereticke condemned in the fift generall Councell held at Constantinople for the heresie of the Theopaschites whereof hee was the Author teaching that God himselfe euen as hee was God was crucified and did suffer vppon the Crosse The mischiefe whose nature is neuer to bee idle went forward with speed The second Councell of Nice about the yeare eight hundred establishing the worshipping of Images ordained the Inuocation of Saints And it is likewise much about the same time that Euagrius the Monke brought in the King of Persia praying vnto Saint Sergius in these words That he and Syra his loue did hope in his power and belieue in him Damascen about the yeare eight hundred praieth himselfe vnto the Virgine Marie I shall saith he be saued by hoping in thee and hauing thee for my defence J will not feare any thing In thy Almightie helpe I shall put mine enemies to flight thou art the saluation of mankind open vs the doore of mercie c. And
infinite number of imaginations they are crossed or into our zeale which if it be according to knowledge yet is it delayed with coldnesse and beeing more feruent then commonly it is without knowledge into our brotherly loue which is more for a shew then in deed and more for that regard wee haue of men rather then for the awe of God into our faith which is either little or else wauering farre lesse then a graine of Mustard seede farre off from remoouing of mountaines Finally into our whole life which being examined according to the summe of the Law of the perfect loue of God and our neighbour will not afford vs so much as one action answerable thereunto but rather such as are contrarie thereunto and that euerie day yea euerie houre And what shall wee find in our wordes nay rather in our thoughts all which are knowne vnto God and must vndergoe the rigour of his iudgement Now we haue heard the old Fathers How far concupiscence worketh in the regenerate according to the old Fathers Tertul. de praescript aduers haeres Probatus aliquis August de fid Orthod c. 49. Idem ad Inno Pap. Ep. 95 vppon the concupiscence that remaineth in the regenerate but it may be that we may thinke that in some it breaketh not out into actuall sinne which they call sinne But let vs heare what they say Tertullian saith Is it such a maruaile that an approued man should come to fall What say you to Saul whome hatred ouerthrew Nay Dauid a man according to Gods owne heart by murther and Adulterie Salomon indued with wisedome from God drawne by women to Idolatrie because it was reserued to the onely Sonne of God to abide without sinne Saint Augustine There is neither Saint nor righteous man that is without sinne and notwithstanding they cease not to bee Saints and righteous because they haue their affections still set vpon holinesse And therefore the Saints are truely declared to be sinners c. Againe O death where is thy victorie where is thy sting The sting of death is sinne And there haue beene some men who haue thought that there might bee some men liuing in this life without sinne though not from their birth yet at the least from the time of their conuersion from sinne vnto righteousnesse and so they would vnderstand that which is said That Zacharâ—e and Elizabeth walked in all the wayes of the Lord Sine querela vnrebukeable But they should haue considered that Zacharie was a Priest and that the Priestes were bound by the Lawe of God to offer sacrifice chiefely for their owne sinnes And secondly are we not all conuinced of sinne in that we are all commaunded to say Forgiue vs our sinnes c. For saith he in an other place It must content vs that there is not so much as any one man found in the Church how excellent righteous or well profited so euer he be that dare say that hee hath not any need to praie and say this prayer Forgiue vs our sinnes c. For this should bee as much as to say that he had no sinne and so by that meanes deceiue himselfe not hauing any truth in him although that hee liued Sine querela without giuing of iust cause to anie to complaine of him Againe Yea seeing all the Saints Ep. 9. if they should be asked together if they had any sinne would aunswere If we should say that wee haue no sinne the truth is not in vs c. But saith he Idem de perfect Iustit in Enchirid. c. 33. Idem Serm. de temp Dominic 4. post Oct. Epiphan Idem in Ep. 54 ad Maced Idem dc Martyr Hieronym aduerf Pelag. Although the Apostle doe openly confesse that both he and all the Saints are tied to this necessitie of sinne yet hee boldly affirmeth that none of them are subiect to condemnation when hee saith There is then no condemnation vnto them that are in Christ c. You will say But behold the one hundred fortie foure thousand in the Apocalips which neuer defiled themselues with women they are vnreproueable there hath not any lie beene found in their mouthes c. And knowest thou wherefore Verily because they haue confessed their sinnes for that they became their owne accusers c. Otherwise the truth had not beene in them and where truth had not beene lying had beene c. And this he said speaking of the Martyrs Saint Ierome The Phylosophers the chiefe begetters and patrons of heretickes defiled the puritie of the Church by a peruerse doctrine raised by their being ignorant how that it was spoken of the frailtie of man Dust and ashes whereof art thou proud Seeing also that the Apostle saith I see an other Law in my members Againe I doe not the good that I would but the euill that I would not that I doe if hee doe that which he would not how can this stand which is said That man if he wil may be without sinne And how can he be that which hee will seeing that the Apostle affirmeth that hee cannot accomplish that which he desireth When as therefore J shall thinke my selfe to haue attained the end of vertues Idem ad Rustic then I am but in the beginning for their is no other perfection in men but to knowe themselues imperfect In an other place There dwelleth no good in our flesh the spirit willeth one thing the flesh is constrained to do an other There is not any man cleane from sin though his life haue bene but a day long The very stars are not pure in Gods sight And if there be sin in the firmament how much more in earth If in theÌ„ that haue no bodily temptatioÌ„ how much more in vs compassed about with this fraile flesh who crie with the Apostle Miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this mortall bodie c. Idem ad Pelag Ep. 9. ad Saluian But Saint Paul saith We which are perfect accompt that c. Then there is some perfection in this world Nay rather saith he to the end that thou maiest see that the perfect perfection of the gifts of God is not here he addeth straight after Not because that I haue alreadie receiued or that I am perfect Then he was perfect through the hope that he had of the glorification to come imperfect through the burden of corruption and mortalitie perfect through his wayting for the reward imperfect through his fainting and being wearied in the fight perfect in that he knew that God was able to performe whatsoeuer he hath promised vnto his imperfect in that God had not as yet performed to his all that which he hath promised them In a word imperfect thinking vpon that which he wanted vnto perfection perfect in that he is not ashamed to confesse his imperfection and that he might come thither he traueleth thitherward like a good traueller Prosper Aquit in Psal 105. 142. c. Prosper
Idem Serm. 5. dedicat Jt is impossible with men but not with God Wherefore wee are assured of his power but where are we so of his will For who knoweth say they who is worthie of loue or of hatred This is it which Abailard did obiect vnto him of Salomon and our Aduersaries vnto vs. But saith he It is here that faith must helpe vs that the truth must succour vs to the end that that which is hidden from vs in the heart of the father may bee reuealed vnto vs by his spirit And that this spirit that beareth witnesse vnto and perswadeth our spirits that wee are the children of God doth perswade vs of it in calling of vs and in freely iustifying of vs by faith c. CHAP. XX. How the doctrine of merite entered into the Church after what manner it grew and increased and how it hath beene resisted and withstoode in all ages euen vnto the time of Saint Barnard SEeing then that this doctrine of free iustification opposite and quite contrarie to the merite of workes is so cleare and manifest in the Scriptures so euidently and plainely taught and of such continuance in the Church from whence possibly may this doctrine of merit at this day taught and held take his beginning And what may be the meanes that it hath prospered and so well succeeded And how is it come to occupie the roome of the bloud of Christ And how hath such deepe presumption seazed vppon vs as not onely to arrogate vnto our selues an abilitie to fulfill the whole Law of God but furthermore to worke an infinite sort of workes of Supererrogation and those more meritorious then the other of the Law Not seruing onely to saue our selues but others also and that so farre forth as that we should bee bold to say no more with Dauid Saluation is of the Lord but my saluation yea and thy saluation is of me But and if we stand in need to search out the antiquitie of this opinion where shall we rather find it then in the mouth of the Serpent Gene. 3. â—â—ay 4.24 In the eare of the woman Yea which is worse in the hart of our first father You shall become as Gods you shall bee like vnto the most high and Soueraigne Lord c. In like manner the whole Scripture aymeth and tendeth to the rooting of this pestiferous weede out of the heart of man 〈◊〉 â—â—ope and 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 Scrip 〈◊〉 to hum 〈…〉 by 〈◊〉 of his sinne thereby â—â—ining him to see the necessiue of the merit of christ Ezech. 16. The Law as wee said and all the pedagogie thereof teaching and training vs vp to see our infirmitie and want of abilitie The Prophets controlling and reprouing vs of the same continually and that both generally and particularly In generall God by his Prophets saith vnto his Church Thou tookest thy beginning from out of the land of the Cananites Thy father was an Amorrhite and thy mother an Hittite In the day that thou wast borne thy nauel-string was not cut Thou wast not washed with water nor salted nor wrapped in swathing clothes Euerie man was afraid of thee I alone stoode forth to take pittie vpon thee I saw thee defiled in thy bloud I caused thee to liue in the same I cast the lap of my garment ouer thee I couered thy nakednesse I entered into league with thee I washed thee I annoynted thee with oyle I clothed thee with imbroidered worke I caused thee to grow vp and raigne then didst thou put thy confidence in thy beautie and hast plaid the harlot by reason of thy fame and high renowne c. What other thing can bee made of all this throughout this whole growth of the Church but that there is nothing in her as of her selfe but pollution and imperfection And that the whole matter of her being and felicitie is onely of God That her vncleanes and disloyaltie proceedeth from her trusting in her beautie notwithstanding that it proceede not from her selfe Esay 64 In particular hee saith of the most righteous and iust the Prophetes themselues being reckoned amongst the same You are all as a polluted thing and all your righteousnesse as a filthie cloth your iniquities haue carried you all away as a wind neither had you any manner of remedie left but onely to flie and haue recourse vnto me who deface and blot out your offences Idem 43. Idem 53. and that for mine owne sake who am not minded to call them to remembrance and through the attonement made by Christ vpon whom is laid the chastisement of your peace who is wounded for your sinnes and in whose stripes you are healed c. All which notwithstanding did it let or hinder this people consisting of men these men tainted and stained with this first and capital pride of man from hasting and endeuouring from time to time continually to returne to this pretended righteousnes which is euer floating and swimming vpon our hearts In the time of our Sauiour Christ Merit amongst the hereticall â—â—wes we see two sorts of people to bee infected with this poyson the Essees which would be so called as doers and fulfillers of the Lawe accusing the Pharisies to bee no better then bare teachers of the same whose will worship is taxed of the Apostle as deuotion of their owne deuise as also their superstitions Tast not touch not c. wherein they laid the foundation of their merits And the Pharisies who taught that it was in the power of man to fulfil the Law hauing also these same workes of supererogation whereof the Prophet speaketh saying Who hath required this at your hands Of these according to the diuers obseruations which they had tied themselues vnto the Thalmud maketh seuen sects but one especially which had this name What ought I to doe and I will doe it And of these we haue an example in him that is spoken of in the Gospell All these things haue I done euen from my youth c. Both the one and the other being verie vnfit to cast and repose themselues vpon the rest of grace and by consequent enemies of our Lord who reckoneth more basely of these sorts of people then of the Publicans and harlors And heereupon hee breaketh out to the denouncing of diuers curses against them as such as would not onely not receiue the kingdome of God themselues but hindered the people also by their interpretations and constructions to receiue the same that is to say remission of sinnes in Christ Whereupon S. Iohn Baptist preparing the way to this kingdome to vnbewitch them beginneth his Sermons at that point Repent the kingdome of beauen is at hand c. So then some of the circumcision that receiued Christ brought this errour into the Church of Christ as also they which did obstinately cleaue vnto Iudaisme had not any other ground for the same then the righteousnesse purchased by the Law and the workes thereof in which
their course they are crossed by the Epistles of Paul written to the Romaines and Galathians for in them he opposeth and setteth against their righteousnesse of workes that which is of faith and grace giuing them to consider the enormitie of sinne and the soundnesse and sinceritie of the righteousnesse of God In summe he bringeth them backe to the seeking out of their saluation in the Crosse of Christ their blessednesse and righteousnesse in that that he is made a curse and sinne for them And yet notwithstanding this doctrine being of the nature of that old Serpent cannot be so cut in peeces by the sword of Gods word but that it taketh hold againe and knitteth together And so much the rather Merit maintained by the Philosophers brought into the Church by how much the flocking of the Gentiles into the Church was the greater to whome it was plausible as agreeing with the Philosophie of the world and their free will the fountaine of all mans presumption and ouerweening beeing admitted into the bodie of Diuinitie by the Greeke Doctors who sprung out of the same Schoole more easily then was either meete or needfull Now the chiefe brocher of the same was one Pelagius a Briton borne about the yeare 400. in the Latine Church who had beene a Monke in Syria and had many other Monkes his followers Merit of workes confuted But God raised vp vnto vs also in those times to withstand this doctrine Saint Ierome Prosper Aquitanus Fulgentius Primasius and other great persons who sharply confuted and gainesaid the same and aboue all one Saint Augustine Resistance and head made against the same who ouerthrew all the foundations of the same who also tooke occasion by this stumbling stone to plucke vp by the rootes all manner of presumption and preiudicate opinions which in the former times had crept into the Church by the meanes of Circumcision Paganisme the Law or Philosophie What followed hereupon He should haue rooted out men and all so deepely had this sprout taken roote in man For no sooner was Saint Augustine departed this world but this heresie sprung vp a new in a Monke called Cassianus meanely learned taking his beginning to the end hee might find a more easie and plausible entrance at a third Assertion consisting of a meane or middle nature betwixt the doctrine of Saint Augustine and Pelagius and by this meanes preuailed and was approued of verie greatly in our Countrie of France who yet found presently there to withstand and refell him the foresaid Prosper Aquitanus and certaine others This man at that time taught that many attained grace without grace by the only power of free will That man crauing the same of himselfe it was giuen him and afterward grew and increased according to the proportion of his merits That as fully there might be certaine men found who how vnwilling so euer they might be were notwithstanding made partakers of this grace through pure and meere grace Thus making two sortes of Christians one saued by free will and the other freely by grace That it was in the power of man after his fall of himselfe to doe good workes yea to merit eternall life But what saith Prosper thereupon vnto him Who if any others was mightie in the Scriptures And here it stood him vpon to haue alleadged him wholly Verily that it behoued him to haue firmely held the doctrine of Saint Paule being most excellently expounded by Saint Augustine and accordingly hee draweth our Countrie men thereunto most learnedly That no man obtaineth grace but of pure and meere grace That they that flie thereunto through the feare of death and those which runne thereto with a ioyfull hope are helped and assisted thereunto by one and the same grace That man in Adam hath lost all the meanes of comming vnto eternall life all the seedes of pietie and vertue That who so attributeth our merits vnto any other then God or vnto man any other thing but his deserts doth greatly erre and speake against the scriptures were he a Iob a Prophete or an Apostle the law hauing beene giuen to no other end but to condemne vs and consequently to make vs to be altred and chaunged by grace And yet notwithstanding all this this said heresie and naturall claime of nature against grace doth not cease continually to returne and swimme aloft being relieued by the Monkes the Pharisies of these latter times blowen vp and kindled by the common people who willingly hold and suffer themselues to be perswaded that their saluation is of themselues neglected by the succeeding Bishops the most part of thē being ignorant maintained by the grosse palpable darknesse which for a long time vnder the ouerflowing of barbarisme did couer all the world God notwithstanding not suffering this truth of saluation in the saith of one only Christ to be chooked extinguished as is easie to be verified by the writings of the most famous renowned that haue liued heretofore For Greg. saith We are redeemed by grace Anno 600. Gregor in c. 28 Iob. l. 18. c 22. Non nostri Conaminis sed diuinae dignation is who so should giue but their right vnto all our good workes in stead of giuing vnto them Christ should giue vnto them sharpe and seuere punishment For it is one thing that man meriteth by righteousnes an other thing which he receiueth by grace Again It resteth not in our power to attaine and come by the inwarde light but herein euen for that God hath vouchsafed to bestow it vpon vs For how oft doe we begge and craue it with inward sighes and gronings Et in eius amaenitates recipi non meremur neither doe wee deserue that is to say and affirme with a witnesse Wee are not reputed or thought worthy to receiue it at his pleasure and at another time all at a blow the grace of God will assist and help vs c. Againe Without him there should some become Saints and holy men if a man without the gift of the onely begotten Sonne Idem in 3. cap. Iob. l. 5. c. 8. could possiblie attaine the gift of sanctification But who is he that dare build himselfe as on a certaintie vpon men when hee cannot possiblie doe it vppon Angels Againe Our righteousnes being examined with the righteousnes of God is vnrighteousnes In destructione iudicis Looke what is glortous in the eye of the workman is nothing but dirt and dung being tried by the Iudge And therefore Saint Paule hath said I find not my selfe greatly guiltie in any thing but by and by he addeth and yet am I not therefore iustified c. And againe I am restored to life Idem in cap. 9. Iob. l. 2. c. 11. in c. 28. l. 18 c. 22. Idem in cantic canticor not by hauing merited but by being pardoned And as for them which boast themselues of being saued by their merits they are contrarie vnto themselues for whiles they desire
Frier hath purposely written and put forth a booke The truth is that he teacheth Ioh. Ferus in Mat. l. 1. In Ioh. c. 1. v. 4.13.17.19 That all our old birth for so hee calleth the man not regenerate and all the powers of our nature are condemned in the Scriptures that wee are nothing but sinne and darknesse that our thoughts speech reason and will are accursed that our light if the same be not inlightned by the word of God worketh nothing in vs but errour and going astraie that euen the Law howsoeuer good in it selfe without grace begetteth nothing but hypocrites that without faith there is no good workes and that none but such as belieue can worke them that in the regenerate not onely after Baptisme Idem in Ioh. c. 13. v. 10. c. 14 v. 16 c. 16. v. 9. but euen after they become to an actuall faith there abideth continually a remainder of originall sinne which bringeth forth sinne in vs whereupon it must consequently bee auouched that no man is without sinne and notwithstanding that such as belieue doe not cease therefore to be cleane that is in as much as they be purified by faith and by the same ingrafted into the body of Christ participating his holinesse and possessing himselfe according to that which S. Paul saith But you are washed but you are sanctified c. And that notwithstanding that considered in themselues they are nothing but sin yet there is no condemnation for them with God who doth not impute vnto them any their sinnes vncleannesse but rather reputeth them for pure cleane because of their faith in Christ Moreouer that this faith which iustifieth vs is not any other thing then the free mercie of God forgiuing sinnes for his Christs sake which only is requisite in vs vnto saluation c. and it worketh in vs a certaintie of the same so farre foorth as that it leaueth vs not without a pledge and earnest penie of eternall life that by the only merits of Christ we are saued made partakers of the same merits by faith alone In all which points he doth verie notably agree with vs that is to say with all antiquitie and consequently is condemned by the Councell of Trent in diuers Canons in the sixth Session Now of all this discourse wee gather that this doctrine of free iustification in the bloud of Christ by faith hath beene of a long time kept maintained in the Church in his puritie howsoeuer deadly assailed by Sathan and that at diuers times in diuers depending points as the See and seate of our saluation That notwithstanding it hath beene subiect to manifold diuers great alterations and changes through the proud and presumptuous nature of man through the doctrine of Philosophers through the subtilties of the Schoolemen and the Pharisaical hmuour of the Monkes In so much as that notwithstanding the couragious defence of the same by diuers worthie and great personages holding vnto the yeare 1200. more for the grace of God against the ingratitude of man the said Pharisaicall doctrine did preuaile and get the vpper hand and yet not so absolutely but that at the same time it was still impugned and confuted almost throughout all the nations of Christendome by many good people and that euen to the suffering of death for their confession being also mightily and soundly crossed by their Maxims by whose fine conceipts and subtile deuises it had beene chiefely established that in it there is hapned vnto vs as it falleth out in the Countries farre North wherein the brightnesse of the two twilights doe happen and fall out so neere together as that the day is no sooner dead and departed on the one side but it quickneth and reuiueth againe on the other This Article hauing beene no sooner shut in and couered with the darknesse which had ouer-spread and ouershadowed the Church but that wee might see it incontinently after more splendent and glorious then euer it was before Wherein we may note the singular goodnes of God towards his Church for in as much as iustification is that point of Christian doctrine which ioyneth man Christ together which maketh the proper difference of the Church from all other sortes of assemblies and of a Christian from all other men as being that without which no man can bee a Christian with which alone well vnderstood we retaine both the name and the effect and to be short which may bee called by good right the life of a Christian the soule of the Church the bond of the mariage betwixt Christ and his Church it was surely verie necessarie seeing that God according to his promise cannot destroy his Church that this article should be conserued in the same that such Eclipse as should couer the face therof shuld be but short to the end it might returne vnto his former brightnesse and light In a word as Phisitions say that the heart is the first liuing last dying part in man That this heart also of the Church by which it began to liue notwithstanding first assailed and set vpon by the venimous poyson of Sathan was the last that was mortally wounded and striken and the first againe recouered as for certaine it is come to passe in our daies wherein God making his Gospell as it were to liue againe after so long a time of death and darknesse would of his incomparable grace that this point should bee the first restored into his former estate and perfection by them whome he had raised for the restauration of his Church Now in this third part we haue entered into the consideration of the Masse A briefe rehea 〈◊〉 of that which hath beene said before this third book in the qualitie of a Sacrifice so it remaineth for our better comming to our selues againe after so long a discourse that we briefly repeate the same which we meane to performe in manner as followeth The Masse is properly a corrupting adulterating of the holy Supper of our Lord and the Supper of our Lord was not ordained for a sacrifice taken in his proper signification but for a Sacrament Neither can it be called a sacrifice except for that it is a holy action or else because it is a commemoration of the sacrifice of our Lord once made vpon the tree of the Crosse for our sinnes or thirdly for that it is a thankesgiuing for the benefits receiued by him Wherefore the Masse cannot properly be called a sacrifice and much lesse a propitiatorie sacrifice in as much as the whole Scripture and all antiquitie do teach vs that there is not in the Church any moe sacrifices truely propitiatorie then one euen the bloud of our Lord shed for our sinnes represented and shadowed out vnder the Lawe by all the sacrifices then in vse and fulfilled in the time of grace in one onely which ought not neither can bee reiterated without sacriledge From this pretended Sacrifice of the Masse haue
confound the Creator with the creature And not any more to diuide and seperate with Nestorius but with Eutiches to confound and couple together the two natures In like maner S. Ierome Didimus l. 1 de spir sanct or rather Didimus translated by him goeth further Yea if the holy Ghost saith he were a creature euen he should haue a circumscriptible substance that is to say a substance restrained kept within certaine limits Yea saith S. Cyril The Diuinitie could not possibly auoid limitation Cyril de Trinit c. 2 if it were within the reach of any quantitie And then will the fathers exempt and except his glorified body from these rules Can you once thinke how seeing they do not exempt the Diuinity it self if it were possible for it to come vnder any presupposed quantitie Theod. Dial. 2 Verily not Theodoret who saith It is glorified with diuine glorie adored of the celestial powers but notwithstanding a body but notwithstanding subiect to that limitation which it was before c. I heard the Lord who said You shall see the Sonne of man comming in the clouds c. But I know that that which is seene of men is finite and limited August ad Dard. Idem ad q. 35. q. 65. 20. Idem de diuers quaest q. 83. Ep. 6. Idem in Ioh. tract 30. de Consecr d. 2. C. prima quidem Idem ad Dar. Ep. 57. ad Consent 46. Nazianz. ad Theod. dial 1. Concil Chalced apud Damasc l. 3. c. 3. Euagr. l. 2. c. 4 Concil Constant aecumenic 6. for neuer could any man see that nature which is infinite and vnlimited Not S. Augustine For saith hee take from bodies space of place and so you shall make thē not existant and if not existant then not to be any thing at all Againe Euerie body is locall and euerie locall thing is a body whatsoeuer is locall is in one place and not in many and it occupieth with his least part the least place with his greatest the greatest c. Againe The Lord is on high but the Lord which is veritie and truth that is to say in as much as hee is God is also here It must needs be that the body wherin he rose againe marke how he speaketh of his glorified body should continue in one place albeit that his truth bee dispersed and shed abroad euerie where Againe Let vs not be so insolent as to say that the body hath not onely put off mortalitie and corruption by the glory of the resurrection but also that it is now become spirit where it was a body For I belieue and esteeme it to be such a one in heauen as it was here on earth when he ascended into heauen c. For a spirituall body is that which is alreadie immortal with the spirit but not that it is changed into a spirit c. Not Gregorie Nazianzene We teach saith hee the same Christ consisting of a circumscriptible body and of an incircumscriptible spirit of a body which may be contained in a place of a spirit which no place is able to contain c. Not the Orthodox and purer Church in the Councels of Chalcedon Constantinople III. The two natures after the vnion haue verily their owne natures their naturall properties for either of thē doth retaine his natural property so as that it cannot possibly be changed But in the meane time we haue here to obserue that the heretickes of that time against whom the fathers disputed doe not aleadge for themselues any thing of transubstantiation but is not the bodie of Christ in diuers places at one the same time in the holy supper and then is it not either changed or cōfounded with the diuinitie or the properties of the one nature become communicable with the other which no doubt they would not haue forgotten if the Church of that time had taught either transubstantiation or any doctrine which had come neere therto They obiect yea but our Lord came forth of the virgins wombe Tertul. de car Christ c. 4. 20. 23. aduers Marcion l. 3. c. 11. l. 4. c. 21. l. 5. c. 19. Quod communi parefacti corporis lege pepetit Orig. in Luc. hom 14. Ambr. in Luc. l. 2. Hieron ad Eustoch de cast virg Luke 2. Durand l. 4. in l. 4. Sent. D. 44. q. 6 Nu. 21. Leo 1. ad Epis Palaest Hilar. de Trin l. 3. ad Constant August Hieronym ad Pammach Iustin Martyr in quaest q 120 Cyril Alex. in Ioh. l. 12. c. 53. that was closed and shut vp he rise againe the sepulcher fast he went into his discipls the dores made c. Wherfore there is a penetrating of dimensions and a concurrence of bodies in one and the very same place c. Tertullian Origen S. Ambrose and S. Ierome did answere them That Christ being borne did open the wombe of the virgine And S. Luke alleadgeth the law to this purpose Euerie male opening the matrix shal be holy vnto the Lord c. Out of which Theophilact gathereth altogether an other manner of doctrine For saith hee this law properly hath beene accomplished in Christ alone who onely opened the wombe of the virgin for as concerning other mothers their husbands and not their children doe open them And Durand likewise is farre from finding this miracle To the stone rolled vpon the sepulcher Iustinus Martyr would tell them That the diuine power caused it to make way for him or that the Angell rolled it away And Pope Leo the first likewise That Christ rise againe the stone of the sepulcher being rolled away And S. Hilarie in generall That all closed and shut thinges are open to the power of God S. Ierome That the creature giueth place to the Creator c. But yet his entrance the dores being shut is vnanswered Iustinus Martyr answering purposely this verie question This was not saith he by chaunging his bodie into a spirit but by the same reason that our Lord walked vpon the sea causing by his diuine power the sea to befit to walk vpon which of it owne nature was not so in so much as that it did not onely beare vp his bodie but that of Peters also The miracle then was in the sea not in the bodie in the dores which opened by a speciall power and not in the subtlenes as they speake of his bodie Then he addeth For this is the same with the walking of his body vpon the sea without being chaunged for euen so without any manner of change in his bodie he entred in at the dores being shut And therefore he would saith he that his disciples should touch him to the end that they might know that he entred not by changing of his bodie into a spirite but that by diuine power which bringeth thinges to passe beyond the course of nature this bodie of his consisting of grosse parts was entered and come into them Saint
midst of you c. Yea to frustrate and disapoint them euerie manner of way whether his purpose and intention stand good or not For if he be nothing bent that way then according to their doctrine hee consecrateth not neither is the Sonne of God communicated And neuerthelesse if he do consecrate yet they doe not communicate therein for they are alwaies subiect to doubt whether hee had any purpose and intention or not And whereas there is doubting there is no faith and where there is no faith there is nothing but sinne Now themselues are of this iudgement that hee cannot receiue the bodie of Christ which doth not belieue in him Now then what priuiledge hath the vertuous and godly man more then the wicked seeing that the intention or not intention of the Priest transubstantiateth or leaueth vntransubstantiated seeing that both the one the other are subiect to doubt of the intention therefore of the effect seeing that both the one and the other whether doubting or assured thereof do equally receiue or not receiue Likewise what shall become of their doctrine De opere operato That the thing profiteth and is auaileable in asmuch as it is onely performed and done not in regard of the person which doth it seeing that this whole mysterie dependeth now Ex opere operantis of the working and operation of the sacrificer Moreouer where shall the excellencie of this Sacrament aboue all other Sacraments bee found if the rest depend vppon the grace of God without any such necessitie of the intention of him that consecrateth as the greatest part of them doth hold of baptisme and of that pretended Sacrament of mariage c. On God I say whose intention and purpose neuer halteth or faileth neither yet by consequent the obiect of our faith the same not to speake any thing more sharpely and grieuously of the infirmity of man being subiect to faile euerie moment But further I would know what shal become of their priuate Masses Bonauent in Comp. Sacr. Theol. rubr 11. l. 8. Gabr. Biel. lect 6. lit C. seeing that Bonauenture Biel hold That besides the intent of him that consicrateth there is required the intent and purpose of him that instituteth and ordaineth that it is not sufficient for the Priest to haue an intent to consecrate if hee follow not the intent of Christ in this sacrament But Hugo and Biel the most part of the schoolmen are they not of iudgement that priuate Masse wherein there is no publike remembrance made of the death of Christ doth nothing at all agree with the mind of the institutor what consolation then can they of the Church of Rome haue in the Sacrament when in stead of nourishing of their faith they maintaine and feed doubt and vncertaintie when as after they haue beene well prepared they know not what they receiue the efficacie of the consecration being vnable to penetrate and pearce according to their doctrine in the Sacrament without this intention and purpose the man likewise not being able to pearce and see into the intent of the consecrating Priest by any meanes Thus in seeking to giue too much to the worthinesse of the Priest they haue taken away the effect of the Sacrament from God who onely worketh the same and from the people the profit and fruit which should come to them thereby Stella clericoruÌ„ and for which it was ordained And all this that they might be honoured in the dispensation of the mysteries of God more then God himselfe more then the Creator whose Creators and makers since the time of the entring of the doctrine of transubstantiation they haue not beene ashamed to professe themselues to be Now the old Church had neuer any such doctrine they did not at any time once thinke of calling of Christ out of heauen by multitude of wordes What is meant by consecrating they did attribute the communion of the bodie of Christ to the institution of our Lord to the operation of the holy Ghost and to the faith of the faithfull To consecrate in their language was to sanctifie that is to blesse that is to change a thing from the common vse to a holy and from a profane to a sacred which is accomplished by the word that is to say by the institution of the Lord which giueth it his efficacie Thus speaketh Saint Cyprian ordinarily That the bread and the wine of the holy Supper are sanctified by the word And S. Augustine expoundeth it saying Not for that it is spoken but for that it is belieued not the sound that flâ—eth away but the permanent and abiding power that is to say the operation of the spirit of God c. After the same manner haue all the ancient fathers written as S. Hillarie Isidor l. 6. Ambrose Ierome Gregorie c. Isidore in like sort By the commandement of Christ we call his bodie and his bloud that which is sanctified of the fruites of the earth and made a Sacrament by the inuisible operation of the spirit of God c. In which sence the prophane Authors vsed also the word Consecration Promiscui vsus Cornelius Fronto saith Consecrated that is that which is made holy or turned to a holy vse being before prophane that is to say of a common vse But God forbid that our Lord should make the communion of his bodie which he offereth vnto vs subiect either to the sound of words or to the intent mind of him that vttereth them The ministers as were also the Apostles are made for the church not the church for them yea they are the ministers and not the Lords thereof they are not dispensers of their owne mysteries but of Christs yet which is more not of Christes mysteries but of the signes of his mysteries onely 1. Cor. 13. no more then they are of faith which commeth of the hearing of the worde notwithstanding that they minister the word to vs God hauing reserued vnto himselfe the gift of faith to worke the same by the effectuall power of his spirit as a dispensation only from his grace being no more depending on him that ministreth then tied to the signes which hee ministreth c. God verily saith to Moses And thou shalt sanctifie it c. Leuit 3. August in quaest in Leui. But he saith also in another place I am the Lord which do sanctifie it S. Augustine demandeth thereupon How can it be that both the Lord and Moses should do it Verily saith he Moses by the visible sacraments by his ministerie but the Lord by his inuisible grace by his spirit as that wherein lieth all the fruit and benefit of the visible sacraments So Iohn Baptist the greatest amongst those that are borne of women saith the Lord baptised with water but the gift of the spirit was of Christ And by the ministerie of Paul and Apollos many belieued but the gift of faith by which man belieueth
implore and craue the aide and authoritie of the Emperours whose Lawes to that effect are extant with vs That euerie person should communicate euerie Sabboth after that at the least thrise a yeare vpon paine of not being held any more for Christians The Ministers thē that feared that their offerings which were at that time their principall staie and maintenance for there were not as yet any personages or foundations of Masses or priuate seruices should come to be dried vp were constrained as we haue seene to teach the people that although they communicated not it wold not faile to yeeld them great aduantage furtherance to the saluation of their soules if they would but onely bee present at their seruice And the more easie to perswade them the same as wee say before they did suggest into them by little and little That there was not handled a Sacrament onely but also a sacrifice So that though they did not communicate in the one yet at the least they were partakers in the other A doctrine plausibly imbraced of the most part of those which had learned the meaning of the trying and proouing of themselues which is required in the receiuing of the Lords supper not comming to the same but with feare and trembling and which on the contrarie did see that there was nothing more easie then to bee present at this pretended sacrifice the profit whereof was so highly commended to them and also vnderpropt as we haue seene heretofore by the Lawes of the Emperours And to make the same to be the more reuerently thought of they applie thēselues the more freely to deceiue the present age being now ouer-shadowed with ignorance and the people brought to entertaine a seruice which was done altogether in an vnknowne language by meanes of the alteration of languages which hapned almost throughout al Christendome with diuers discourses and sundrie speeches taken out of those godly Fathers a thing vnpossible for any man to haue effected in their time the people being then seasoned with the doctrine of Christ by the reading of the Scriptures the preaching of good Bishops the frequenting of their Sermons and the Ecclesiasticall seruice which euerie where was done according to the rule of the Apostle in the vulgar tongue And yet wee are not to imagine that this monster was perfected by such increase and growth all at once For first it found such as by whome it was conceiued and after some to beare it others to bring it foorth others to receiue it vpon their laps others to nurse it and others to like and beautifie it Many were the ages that ouer-passed before it came to any certaine forme or shape and hardly hath it as yet attained an assured and secure estate as we shall see when as the most learned and soundest part of Christendome hath condemned smothered it right out sometimes by the spirit of the mouth of the Lord. Damascen about they yeare 800. was the first that remoued the markes of the ancients concerning this matter prouing also a patron of many other superstitions in his time but particularly of the adoration of images Out of this man our aduersaries alleadge these words The bread and wine are not figures of the body bloud of Christ L. 4. c. 14. God forbid but it is the verie deified body of the Lord the Lord himselfe saying This is my boby not the figure of my bodie c. directly contrarie to Tertullian Saint Ambrose and Saint Augustine The Lord hath not doubted to call the bread his bodie althogh it were but the figure and signe of his bodie c. Againe Damascen saith If any man haue called them representations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Basill it is before their sanctification Whereas we are of iudgement with Bellarmine that before the same they could not be called by that name and in deed it is after But of what force can these his speeches be if he agree not either with our aduersaries or with himselfe Thou demaundest saith he how the bread is made the bodie of Christ c. I answere thee the holy Ghost worketh these things farre surpassing speech and vnderstanding but the bread and wine are taken Then they retaine their substance Againe God stooping to our wonted vse and custome worketh the things that are aboue nature by the things that are accustomed vnto nature As in Baptisme hee ioyneth the grace of the holy Ghost with the oyle and water and hath made the same the washing of regeneration So because it is an ordinarie thing for men to eate bread and drinkewine hee hath ioyned to these things his Diuinitie and hath made them his bodie and his bloud c. Then the bread and wine do continue in the holy supper no more transubstantiated then the water and oyle in Baptisme And declaring this coniunction afterward Esay saith he saw the coale not altogether simple but made one with the fire so the bread of the Communion is not altogether simple but ioyned to the Diuinitie But yet not without the abusing of the comparison vsed of the auncient writers for the representing of the Vnion of the humane nature with the diuine in Christ Now the burning cole abideth still a cole in Esay and notwithstanding a propitiation for his sinnes How doth al this agree with that deified bodie that he spoke of a little before With that which they say at this day that came after Thomas That the bread is not the bodie of Christ That the essence of bread goeth not into the essence of the bodie but that it giueth place to the bodie but that it vanisheth away c And who seeth not that these are patches ill fauouredly set together by a Monke which knew not whereunto to hold himselfe Apon l. in Cant. l 5. sub fine Aponius a great man in his time dealeth somewhat better Christ according to the place time and cause is become the meate and drinke of the Church by the Sacrament of his bodie and of his bloud And in an other place he calleth this Sacrament Desponsationem annuli traditionem osculi The ring and the kisse of the affiancing of Christ vnto his Church that is to say the certaine pledge of the coniunction of the faithfull with Christ And now consider the doctrine of the Church in the VII generall Councell Citatur in Nicaen Syn. 2. art 6. held at the same time at Constantinople vnder the Emperour Constantine V. wherein all Images of Christ were condemned this onely for so the holy supper was there called being reserued All those saith he doe glad and reioyce themselues which bring to the saluation of the spirit and bodie the true image of Christ which our high Priest taking wholly vpon him our fleshly masse when hee drew neere vnto his Passion gaue vnto his Ministers and Disciples for a figure and remembrance of exceeding great efficacie for hauing freely and willingly offered himselfe to die hee
diuine power and vertue cannot bee in the Sacrament in any other manner then by turning of the bread into him c. For this is a harde and harsh speech and may seeme to derogate from the Almightinesse of God c. And what nowe will they haue to say vnto vs which alleadge nothing for themselues but his omnipotencie On the contrarie sayeth hee it being granted and set downe that the substances of breade and wine doe remaine there can not but a difficultie must needes arise namely that two bodies are together but yet not too great or such a one as is vnaunswerable But the contrarie being graunted there followe manie namelie howe the Accidentes can nourish bee corrupted howe there can any thing bee ingendred in them seeing that there is nothing made but there is presupposed or thought to bee a matter and therefore it seemeth that men should rather holde them to this former c. And yet notwithstanding these Patrons of transubstantiation do not let to shuffle vs vp together two bodies in one and the same place in the stone of the graue Holcor in 4. sent q. 3. in the dores that were shut c. and consequently one bodie in a thousand places according to Holcot If there had beene saith he a thousand hostes in a thousand places at the same time that Christ did hang vpon the crosse Christ had beene crucified in a thousand places c. In the end whereas Scotus did shift out himselfe by the Church this man will come to the scripture We may not saith he here heape one difficultie vpon another Idem in d. l 4. d. 11. q. 3. num 5. but rather according to the doctrine of the scripture doe our indeuoure to cleare and make plaine the thinges that are obscure and darke And therefore when there is found out one course and meanes that is euidently possible and that may be vnderstood and another that cannot be conceiued or vnderstood it seemeth that the former in all likelihood should be chosen and retained c. As for example It is most clearely to be vnderstood and in all probabilitie possible that the substances doe abide and continue and contrarily for the contrarie The Cardinall of Alliaco told vs Card. de All. in 4. Sent. q. 6. Biel. in Can. lect 40. This opinion which setteth downe and graunteth that the substance of bread remaineth is not repugnant vnto reason or the scriptures but is both more easie and also more reasonable Gabriel Biel more boldly Whether it be by changing or without changing there is nothing expressely found in the Canon of the Bible To be briefe in the Canon of Lateran Pope Innocentius the third did not curse those that held the contrarie opinion namely That the substances of bread of wine do still remaine although he make mention there all along that it is the stile and ordinarie course of Councels to set downe and allow of the one and to curse the other And if Wicklife in England about the yeare 1370. had kept himselfe onely to that point without seeking to remoue the Popes power and authoritie he should neuer haue beene molested notwithstanding he died in peace in his owne parish and his bones were not burnt till a long time after Concil Flor. Sess Vit. But yet there is more behind for in the Councell of Florence which was held in the yeare 1439. vnder Eugenius the fourth where the Pope and the Emperour of Constantinople were in person as the Grecians Latines could not agree vpon the matter of transubstantiation as it is recorded at large in the Actes of the said Councell this controuersie did not let or hinder why there should not bee an vnitie signed betweene the said Greeke and Latine Churches which beganne Exultent coeli c. That Transubstantiation was no Article of faith vntill the Councell of Trent a most euident signe that the opinion of transubstantiation remained as yet disputable and that the contraie was not held for heresie So farre was it off from holding the place of an article of faith as it doeth at this day and that by vertue of the Councell of Trent which did first pronounce and ordaine it so to be If any man say that the substances of bread and wine doe still continue c. let him bee accursed So young and new is that pretended antiquitie of transubstantiation And therefore a daughter begotten not of the Apostles nor yet in the ages next following them not of the Fathers of the first fiue hundred yeares or of the second or yet of the third but to speake properly of those Fathers which we dayly see whose fathers also we haue beene able to behold and looke vpon begotten in the verie declining extreame old age of the Romish Church and borne in a most corrupt age whether you take it for doctrine or for manners For if Saint Ierome said of his time as bewailing it that it was as the lees dregs in respect of the purenesse of the former times what would he haue said of the present but haue called it Ex faece Tartarum the verie grossest parte of the lees euen the Tartar it selfe Now as concerning that scruple which remained from time to time amongst the most learned as a thing that they cold neither disgest nor conceale The Popes their decrees for the honering of Transubstantiation as we haue found out by their writinges The Popes according to their pretended omnipotencie in the Church for therein lyeth the foundation thereof and not in the diuine omnipotencie doe not make any bones at all to leape ouer it letting it alone for it did so much import them to see the stablishing of it for the authorizing of the sacrifice of the Masse and the making of the same to be worshipped of the people from whom the ordinarie communicating of the holy Supper had beene taken and restrained to one onely priest from whom likewise at such time as it came there to be receiued but once a yeare they had also taken the cup. Now therefore the question is of honouring of this new doctrine and behold how it hath proceeded In stead that it had beene accustomed to hold vp the offerings which were consecrated to God for the poore The eleuation of the bread or host whether it were done in the imitating of the Iewes or for the stirring vp of the people vnto the like charitie the priest beginneth to eleuate the host that is to say the bread which of a great one which it was wont to bee able to haue fedde many persons and by consequent to haue beene distributed in the holy Supper to a great multitude is brought downe and rebated by little and little as it were to nothing seruing in deed but for one alone that is to say to that which they call a singing bread Durand in Rational l. 4. at the least saith Durandus of the greatnes of a pennie