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A18209 A defence of Catholikes persecuted in England invincibly prouing their holy religion to be that which is the only true religion of Christ; and that they in professing it, are become most faithfull, dutifull, and loyall subiects, to God, their King and country. And therefore are rather to be honoured and respected, then persecuted or molested. Composed by an ould studient in diuinitie. Broughton, Richard. 1630 (1630) STC 4833; ESTC S107625 93,830 235

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from Bishops Neque laico permi●u●ous facere opus aliquod Sacerdotale vt sacrificium aut Baptismum aut impositionem man us aut benedictionem siue paruam siue magnam Nemo enim sibi sumit honorem sed qui vocatur a Domine huiusmodi namque gratia per impositionem manuum Episcopi datur Neque Presbyteris potestatem damus ordinandi Diaconos aut Lectores aut Ministros sed Episcopis tantum Hic enim est Ecclesiasticus ordo Cum à Deo consequen●iam rerum didicerimus Episcopis quidem assignauimus a●tribuimus quae ad principatum Sacerdotij pertin●nt Presbyteris vero quae ad Sacerdotium Deinde Diaconis quae ad ministrandum vtriusque vt pu●è castè fiant quae ad Religionem pertinent Neque enim sas est Diacono sacrificium offerre aut baptizare aut benedictionem fiue paruam siue magnam facere neque Presbytero ordinationem Clericorūfacere Ostensum est An●istitum Ordinem perficientem esse perfectionis authorem Non licet sine Episcopo baptiz●●e neque dothen celebrare Neither doe we permit ●he Lae●ie to doe any Priestly functi●n as to offer Sacrifice baptize impose hands or to giue any Benediction either litle or great For no man taketh this honour to himselfe but ●e who is called by God Because this grace is giuen by the imposition of the Bishops hands Neither doe we giue vnto Priestes the power of ordaining Deacons or Lectours or Ministers but onely to Bishops This is the order of the Church When we did lerne the sequell of things from God indeede what appertained to the principalitie of P●iestes we assigned and gaue it to Bishops and to Priestes what belonged to Priestehoode afterward to Deacons what appertained to the assistance of both that these things which concerned Religion might be performed chastly and cleanely Neither is it lawfull for a Deacon to offer Sacrifice or to baptize or to make any Benediction either litle or great neither for Priestes to ordaine Clergie-men It is declared the Order of the Bishops is the perfecting Order and authour of perfection It is not lawfull without a Bishop to baptize nor to offer Sacrifice nor to saie Masse 6. Wherevppon the English Protestants in their most publicke and authorised proceedings thus acknowledge It is euident vnto all men diligently reading holy Scripturs and auntient authors that from the Apostles time there hath beene these orders of ministers in Christ Church Bishops Priests and Deacōs which offices were euermore had in such reuerent estimation that no man might presume to execute any of them except he were first by publike praier and imposition of hands approued and admitted therevnto And these orders should be continued and reuerently vsed and esteemed in this Church of England And in this both their booke intituled Of Consecration of Archbishops Bishops Priests as their Articles of Religion and cōmon practise doe onely allowe and commit such thinges to them whome they call and apprehend to be Bishops saying Allmightie God giuer of all good things by his holy spirit hath appointed them in the Church Episcopall Order is of diuine Ordination and by law diuine Christ acted it by the hands of the Apostles It is an ordinance Apostolicall He hath enacted it for succeding posteritie and so it is a Canon or Constitution of the whole Trinitie Wherevpon the Protestant Puritās conclude If prelacie be de Iure diuino by the lawe of God it receiueth both breath and life from the Religion of Rome And this they offer Publikly to defend and the Parlament Protestants so graūte claiming that Ministrie they haue by ordination from Rome Wherevpon these Puritans with generall assent haue thus concluded They cannot see how possibly by the Rules of Diuinitie the separation of our Chu●ches from the Church of Rome and from the Pope head thereof can be iustified They protest to all the worlde that the Pope and the Church of Rome and in thē God and Christ Iesus himselfe haue had great wronge and Indignitie offered vnto them and that the Protestant Churches are scismaticall in forsaking the vnitie and communion with them If the English Protestant opinion he maintained That Bishops Iurisdiction is de Iure diuino by the lawe of God his Magestie and all the Nobilite ought to be Sub●ect to Excommunication 7. Which neither king Nobles or vnnoble no meanest Protestants of England can ●oubt feare or pretend against the Bishop of Chalcedon he neither hauing or claiming the ●easte spirituall power or Iurisdiction ouer ●ny one great or little highe or lowest Protestant in Englād His Episcopall both Order ●nd Iurisdiction which as he construeth be●ongeth vnto it extending onely to Catho●iks of this kingedome to keepe them in good order and loyall dutie both to God and ●heir king as good Catholik Bishops doe ●nd are bounde to doe Which must needs be an helpe and no hurt or offence to any Common-wealth Bishops learned louing and knowing their dutie and hauing charge whereof they must render a seuere accompt to God attended with watchfull and reuengfull eyes vpon them for loue will not or feare dare not concurre vnto or suffer vnder them disobediēce to heauenly or earthly Prince They which cannot endure spirituall dutie are in most daunger of lapse into temporall disobedience hauing reiected spirituall power keeping them in awe and dutie to temporall VVhich perhaps caused Constantine our wise king and Emperour to saie vpon experience as he did of staggerers in Religion and faithfulnesse to God No doubt but both the Pope of Rome and Rich of Chalcedon know their offices sufficiently without any admonishments They are not ignorant who said and how it concerned them Non possumus aliquid aduersus veritatem sed pro veritate VVe cannot any thing against 2. Cor. 13. the truth but for the truth and potestatem quam Dominus dedit mihi in aedification●m non destructionem The power which our Lord hath giuen me vnto edification and not vnto destruction 8. There is great difference in hauing and exercising power from Rome The first should not feare them which would feare without cause of feare neither secret and prudent exercise in necessitie to redesse or preuent euills Greater meetings and assemblies be often made by some in and of as great daunger and to lesse purpose then would serue priuately to examine witnesses or so to giue a sentence where the litigants be and ought to be secret To doe many vsuall and necessarie act● of Religion be as daungerous and require as great and greater assemblies A publike setled Consisto●ie in any place or ●laces to be set vp could not but with ●onde ●maginations be thought vpon were the Iudg ●ad not vbi reclinet caput suum Probate of pu●like wills administrations Tithes Con●racts Marriages Diuorces Alimonie Bas●erdie and publike slanders among Protestāts ●aue publike Protestant Courts and all or ●any mixt with our temporall lawes Many ●f the remembred instances as Tithes and ●asterdies concerning inheriting
these Westerne parts that both Catholik and Protestant Antiquaries thus deliuer vnto vs ●raedi●abat ad flumen vsque ●ordens● ad mare S●o●um vbi Caledonios Athalos Horestos ac vicina●m Ion. Ba●●● descript Briten in 〈◊〉 Albaniae regionum In●olas docendo monendo ●r ando ad veritatis obseruationē●nstigauit Ex d●s●ults suis quosdam ad Orchades Insulas ad Norwe●● Islandiam misit vt ●orum instructioni●us fi●i quo que lumen recipe●ent Nam in Elguensi Collegio ●centos sexaginta quinque literatos viros ad id ●mper para●os habebat praet●r reliquos alijs exercitijs ●ditos He preached a● farre as to the riuer of Forde ● the Scotish sea where he sti●ed vp the Caledo●ns Athali●ns Ho●ests and the Inhabita●ts of ● neighboring k●ngdoms to A●bion vnto the obserua●n of ●●ue●h by teaching admonishing and 〈◊〉 ing ● sent some 〈…〉 disciples to the Iles of Or●i ades to ● waye and ●sland that 〈…〉 instru●●ions they 〈…〉 receiue the light of ●aith For in ●he Coll●dge ●●●gue he ●ad 365. learned ●●n alwaise readie for ● purpose besides others imploted in other exer●● Saint Asaph his scholler a Bishop of ●●tanie who as Protestants sai● from Ro●n power Au●h●●itatem ●nct●nem acce●it ● tooke authorit● and 〈◊〉 Suc●ceded h●m ● that great charge and gouernment of at Apostolike Colledge in VVales This S. ●ntegern being by all accounts a Bishop ●0 yeares and disciple to S. ●●●uanus con●●a●ed Bishop by S. Pa●●ad it●s who was sen● ther from S. Celestine Pope in or about the are 431. must need● be liuing with Saint ●aph at or a litle before Saint Augustin●●m●ning And as our Protestants sa●e Sa●●●aph ioyned with Saint Augustine So Saint Asaph writer of his maister S. Kentegerns li● proueth that S. Kentegern was at Rome wh● S. Gregorie was Pope and submitted hi●selfe to him in all things and was approue● by him also in his Apostolike proceedings 16. In this time in the yeare 596. Sai● Augustine was sent Legate hither by the sa● holy and learned Pope S. Gregorie who b● his supreame Pastorall power gaue him sp●rituall authoritie ouer all Bishops and othe● here in these his owne words vnto him B● tanniarum omnes Episcopos tuae Fraternitati commi●mus Beda l. 1. Eccles hist gentis Angl. c. 27. vt indocti doceantur infirmi persuasione rebor●tur peruersi authoritate corrigantur We commit ● the Bishops of Britanie to your Fraternitie that the ● learned may be taught the weake by persuasiō streng●●ned the wicked corrected by authoritie By this Pap● power and authoritie all things were orde● in the Church of Englād in S. Augustins ti● and all his Successours by the same aut●ritie were setled in that Archiepiscopall S● which he translated after 400. yeares fro● London to Cāterburie All those Bishops v● to the first Protestant Bishop called Math● Parker who was made by Q. Elizabeth b● will and manner receiued Consecratio● Pall power and Iurisdiction from the See Rome and they swore obedience vnto it their owne Parker Godwin Ioceline a● others in the liues of them and those Yorke together with all Registers Recor● Annals and Antiquities doe prooue parti●●arly In generall for this place it sufficeth in these Protestants publikely approued confessions to write it in their owne words Archbishop Parker being the 70. Archbishop after Augustine yet of all that number he was the onely man and the first of all which receiued Consecration without the Popes Bulls 17. They assure vs that vntill the 23. of King Henry the eight a ssuming supreamacie to himselfe euery Bishop in England swore ●uch obedience vnto the Pope Hoc Iuramentum ● singulis Episcopis Papae praestari consueuit Obediens ●ro Beato Petro Sanctaeque Romanae Ec●lesiae Domino meo Domino Papae suisque successoribus Papatum Romanum R●galia S. Petri adiutor ero ad retinendum defendendum saluo meo ordine contra ●mnem ●ominem This Oath was accustomed to be taken by ●uery Bishop I will be ob●dient to S. Peter and to the Lord my Lord the Pope and to his Successours I will ●e an helpe● to hold and defend the Popedome of Rome ●nd R●t● of S. Peter against all men In the yeare of Christ 1536. and 23. of King Henry S. they ●are and the Statuts themselues so prooue Leges in Parlamento lataesunt de Rege supremo Ecclesiae Anglicanae Capite declarando de Clero Anglicano Regifulij●iendo Ne quid deinceps amplius Papae aut Romanae Cu●iae quot unque praetextu ex Anglia pendatur De Episcopis consecrandis alijsque quae Roma an●ea ge●ebantur intra Regnum persierendis De Eccle●●asticorum beneficiorum primitijs atque decimis Principi in perpetuum soluendis His legibus potentia Papalis quae nongentis amplius annis in Angli● durauis ●entidi● Lawes were enacted in the Parliament of declaring the King to be supreame head of the English Church of subiecting the English Cle●gie to the King That nothing heareafter vnder what pretence so●uer in England shall depend of the Pope or the Court of Rome Of cons●crating Bishops and performing other a●●air●● within the kingdome which before were done at Rome Of paying p●rpetually to the Prince the fi●st fruites of Ecclesiasticall Benefices and Ti●hes By these lawes the Papall power which hath b●ne in for●● for these nine hundred yeares did fall And this was ●o strang a thing and wonder in the world to see the supremacie of the Pope of Rome thus taken from him by a temporall Prince af●er so many hundreds of yeares continuance and a lay man to stile himselfe supreame head of the Church that his very flatterers themselues crye out Habetur Con●ilium Londini i● quo Eccle●ia Angli●an● formam potesta●●s nullis a●te temporibus visum induit Henricus enim Rex caput i●sius Eccl●si● constituitur At London there is holden a Councell in which the English Church ha●h put on a power which in no times past was seene For King Henry is constituted head of that Church So large testimonie haue we from our greatest Adu●rsaries witnessing that the Catholikes of England giue no other power or Iurisdiction to t●e Pope of Rome then he had euer without any inte●ruption And in this we haue ●he generall assent of all our Kings Princes Bishops and others and all the Christians in the world from the tim● of Christ vntill long a●ter the greater part of King Henrie the eight his reigne No King against it but he whom the Protestant Sir VValter Ralegh sufficiently discribeth his young sonne King Edward the sixth of that name ouerruled by Protestant Protectours and Q●eene Elizabeth a woman King Iames wiser then any of them hath le●t it thus publick●y in open assembly declared by his Regall sentence The kings Resolution is that no Church ought further to se●erate he●selfe frō the Church of Rome either in doctrine or Ceremonies then she hath departed from herselfe when she was in her flo●ishing
Gospells from the shoulders of the ●nsecrated But this maketh not much to the ●rpose it being onely as I haue saied a Ceremonie and not essentiall to the Consecration of a Bishop and that true and vndouted Bishops were made before the Gospells were written Otherwise the whol● Church then euer after and now and eue● had wanted it and had no Ecclesiastical Order at all Which is the lamentable and desperate condition of such as persecute a tru● Bishop and Priest for their Order and power thereby confessing their want both of tha● which is essentiall in this high office as als● consecratours to performe it consecrat tru● Priests or confer any Ecclesiasticall Orde● or degree at all not the meanest in that kin● to any person 20. All Authors agree euen Protestants i● their Catalogues of British and English Bi●hops that we had continuall succession o● such here in great numbers vntill Queen Elizabeth by her supreamacie depriued an● deposed them And to keepe it farre from th●●●me of an Innouation to haue one such Bishop Successour to so many if we haue tha● libertie in time of Persecution when Bishop are driuen from their Sees vsuall in histories to remember and honour them in Exi● and Persecution we haue still kept a Succesion of Bishops in or of this nation Of tho●● which were depriued of their Bishop pricke we haue Richard Pates Bishop of worcheste who subscribed to the Councell of Trent h● being there present by this Title Richard● Patus wigorniēsis Episcopus Thomas Goldwell Bishop Godw. Catal. of Bish. in Worcest in Ric. Pates in S. Asaph in Thom. Goldwell of Asaph liued at Rome 20. yeares after that deposing Thomas watson Bishop of Lincolne was committed to prison in the I le of Elie and died about the yeare 1584. Thus the Protestants themselues deliuer and moreouer they deliuer much praise and commendatiōs of thē and all others our renowned Bishops 14. or more in number who were deposed and persecuted by Queene Elizabeth yea far more and greater thē they doe of those which were intruded into their places Before or soone after the death of Bishop Wa●son of Lincolne Owen Lew is of this our Nation was consecrated Bishop of Cassan in whose life-time our most Illustrious Cardinall William Allan was honoured with that dignitie and consecrated Archbishop of Ma●k●en who liued with these honours vntill the 16. day of October in the yeare of Christ 1594. ●n his time William Gifford was by Pope Clement the eight made Deane Ecclesiae Diui Petri Insulensis Of Saint Peters Church at Lile And afterward he was ordained Archbishop of Rhemes in Champaine in France where he lately liued And whilst he liued Archbishop both VVilliam of Chalcedon and Richard also who is now so persecuted were by highest Papall authoritie cōsecrated ad sent into England And what man of ordinarie knowledge Iudgement or vnderstanding will aduenture to saie but all these were renowned men as also diuerse of our renowned Priests most worthie of Episcopall honour ād dignitie in equall times honourably stiled and registred for all posteritie not onely as great glories of their Coūtrie England but the whole Church of Christ Therefore to haue one of such worthie men a Bishop in his natiue Countrie bearing for auoyding offence his Title of a place so farre hence which frō the first Conuersion thereof to Christ had 3. Archbishops ād many Bishops aboue 1400. yeares past should not in the new English Religion teaching the Church of God neuer wanted Bishops and acknowledging both him and all Catholikely consecrated Bishops and Priests to be true and lawfull Bishops and Priests vndoubtedly by right ordination be offensiue but desired such Order Function and dignitie being by their publike testimonies most needefull excellēt and honourable with all true Professours of Christian Religion 21. Thus we see a Succession of English Bishops though not all in England but in other Coūtries some of them consecrated and remaining a thing not vnusuall in times of Persecution and bannishment of Bishops as in the great lights in their time of Gods Church S. Hilarius S. Athanasius S. Chrysostome and others lōg time exiled yet thereby did not interrupt a continuall Succession in their Sees What least exception then can be taken against our renowned Bishop of Chalcedon for Order and degree so honourable and eminent by all testimonies for his owne worthines and worthily therefore to be had in high reuerence euen with his Persecutours he bringeth able witnesses with him his knowne loue ād honour to our king Queene and Coūtrie his owne holy life and conuersation his learned works and writings with all at home and abroad he hath euer piously and gratefully conuersed and with honour defended and iustified himselfe against Male●olants Among all English Catholick● o● Protestants few are to be found which haue more defēded the honour of our Soueraigne ●one more acceptable to his Maiesties frieds ●nd Allyes in marriage no mā among so ma●y renowned Priests of England worthie of ●reatest honour in equall times adiudged so ●t to supply such place by that highest Pa●or which hath shewed great care and loue four king Queene and hoped Posteritie ●nd Countrie And since Persecution and ●roclamation against him what could such a ●an in Persecution doe more then he hath ●one in decreeing and Ordering that all ●riests and Catholiks should daily with de●otion praie for our king Queene State and Countrie And both since the comming in of ●im and VVilliam of Chalcedon of happie ●emorie his Predecessour as likewise before ●e Catholiks of England haue bene and now ●e knowne to be the most loyall dutifull and liuing Subiects in our dearest Countrie of England THE VI. CHAPTER That our English Priests who teach al● things with the Apostolicall Religio● are truely cōsecrated worthie men an● are to be honoured and not persecuted 1. Hauing redeemed Episcopall Ord●● and dignitie conferred by the S● of Rome from all Imputation of wick● obloquies and made it knowne to be so hig● and honourable we might spare all furth● labour for exemption and defence of Prie●●lie Function seeing euery Bishop of nece●sitie must be a Priest and whatsoeuer of th● calling is noble and glorious in a Bishop must needs be such in Priests Episcopal h●nour and consecration addeth an higher a● greater worthinesse to him that was befor● Priest but cannot take away or diminish a● excellencie or renowne he had before T● Protestants of Scotland doe confesse whi●● all knowe that after Catholike Religiō w● ouerthrowne there they had not any prete●ded Bishops before King Iames accordi●● to his manner of making such gaue su● Titles to them And their Knoxe Buchanan Forbs Bale and others both of England ●nd Scotland are not ashamed to saie that ●efore the sending of Saint Palladius thither ●y Saint Celestine Pope about the yeare 430. ●lonckes who were onely Priests supplied ●he place of that dignitie with that People ●ut malice to Episcopall worthinesse and ●ower their owne
God with men and he will dw●ll with them And they shall be ●is people and he God with them shall be their ●od And God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes and death shall be no more nor mourning nor crying neit●er shall there be sorrow any more which first things are gone All you shall or can giue or ra●her lend for such a recompence of sure Inheritance for euer was giuen you by him that for but lending him the same againe for a time will with so great honour returne you all againe y●a an hūdred for one Omnis qui reliquerit domū velfra●●es aut sorores aut Patrem aut Matrem aut vxo●em aut filios aut agros propter nomen Matth. 19. meum cen●●plum ac●●pi●t vitam ●●ernam possidebit Eu●ry one that ha●● l●ft house or bretherne or sisters or father or mother or wife or childrne or ●and●● for my sake sh●ll ●e●eiue on hundre● fold and shall posses● life euerlasting 3. You that be great and Noble and Noble Catho●●kes be not troubled ●or not enioying such ●●mpo●all and fading honours in Court or Countrie which your equals or inferiours en●oye not being of your Religion but rather p●rsecuting it are exalted or that you haue lost or let any such for this holy cause If there was danger you could not exercise ●uch without offence to God or hurting his S●ruants it is your honour and securitie in conscience to want or loose them Qui amat pericu●um in illo peribit Coringrediens du●● 〈◊〉 3. ●●as non habebit success● He that l●ueth danger shall pe●ish in it A ●eart that goeth two wa●es s●all not haue Successe And God hath prouided better L●eu●enanci●s and Offices for you in a bett●r kingedome Iudicabunt Nationes dom●n●●untur 〈◊〉 3. populis regnabit Dominus illorum in perpetuum They shall iudge Nations and haue dominion ouer peoples and their Lord shall reigne for euer Let it be your comfort that neuer had the that if you had enioyed such you would as your holy Religion teacheth you haue performed them to you vttermost power to the honour of God our king and Countrie as they which had and lately loste them did euer most faithfull and dutifull to our king in his commaunds and as readie as any Protestants to doe him all seruice and supplies they could by themselues or other meanes they might or were able to procure and more then diuers Protestants did well approue or commend in them for such duties which all Catholikes without exception generally and vpon all occasions in their degree most readily and willingly performed Let it not be a griefe vnto you that you are driuen out of Parlaments whose chiefest and onely members you with the Catholike Bishops and some priuiledged Abbots were with the kings of England long before any howse of Common● was in power Your lawfull and iust refusal● of an Oathe made and as it was expounded by king Iames by greatest spirituall power vnlawfull to be taken giueth you lawfull excuse from all assent to Acts of persecution England euer was a noble Nation your Auncestors and of vs all that be truely English came by all Antiquities from a most honourable people and progenitors Saint Gregorie the great so called and in great parte our Apostle and Father in Christ compared them not onely for name but endowments of nature vnto Angells and the liues and conuersation of many thousands of your holy Auncesters when England was holy England were Angelicall and you now with other Catholikes made for profession of your faith a spectacle to the world Angells and men shall 1. Cor. 4. be for your rewarde thus perseuering as Angells Matt. 22. of God in heauen sicut Angeli Dei in caelo Your renowned Priests haue giuen you example in the highest degree of perfection in this kinde and cause in forsaking all at once and with his Apostles following Christ with an Ecce reliquimus omnia secuti sumus te Behold we haue Matt. 19. l●f● all things and haue followed thee So depriued and persecuted onely in England because we are Priests and borne in England Be not afraide to followe such guides with some hazard losse or diminution of your honours esteeme with carnall mindes Ritches and reuenewes for the like cause ād for that you are Catholikes of Englād For others both Priests and Catholikes not of England are otherwise entertained here in England not onely ●n times of peace but in times of open hostilitie betweene England and their Countries from whence they are of such by some some Ielousie might be made of English Priests and Catholikes no possible place is left to inuent the least suspition Our Priests haue so long and voluntarily professed pouertie and liued therein that no man of vpright Iudgment can thinke they would disorderly or vniustly seeke for Ritches with hazard of their friends And if his Maiesty should allowe to laie Catholikes which receiue no spirituall good from Protestant Ministers to paie Tithes to others of their Religion this would not be offesiue to God nor hinder but rather further a noble great Nation hauing now more neede of chaste then married of such sorte 5. If we had not preferred our loue of England before all earthly things no doubt but both the Bishop of Calcedon and diuers renowned Priests of England might haue founde farre greater amitie fauour and wordly preferment in other parts then they could euer expect or looke for in their owne Countrie We neuer had hand or singer in these late warrs and contenuons or euer ●aue the least occasion of any daunger difficultie or hazard our dearest Countrie is subiect or exposed vnto as diuers publick Pro●lamations and other Protestant Relation publish We neuer were of Counsaile or acquaintance with any great Councellour o● Courtier dead or liuing full at this time o● any such which as many Protestans or ●uritans haue thought did not good offi●●s to this kingedome We were and are 〈◊〉 to all mē or womē Courtiers or others which haue bene suspected to haue furthered the driuing ●● the French Bishop Priests Ladies and others from the Queene and placed thēselues ●●●riends for them the beginning of daba ewith France We are as Innocent of the breath with Spaine either Ma●●iage or peace o● with any other Prince We haue not disturbed it at ●ome or ab●oad The rebellion of the Netherlanders Hungarians Austrians 〈◊〉 Lu●atians Sile●ians Moranian● French and whatsoeuer Protestants against their Princes were by Protestants not Catholiks allowing but allwayes condemning them As in England in all oppositions of Parlamentarie Protestants against our king hindering or witholding duties from him euen in his times of needs and wants the Catholiks euer yelded to and most readily performed all allthough by Parlament they were charged with double subsidies without any freedome or release of any penalties for Religion All Priests of the Clergie Bishop and others haue vtterly condemned the deniers
had S. Cyprian his learned ●eale and S. Chrysostome his golden mouth or pen to laye downe the worth and due o● you all most renowned Teachers Learnes and Sufferers in this cause the cause of Christ For although the most reuer●nd Father in God Richard Bishop of Chalcedon and the holy learned reuered Priests of England ar● not in person those greatest or others among the Apostles yet they all both ou● Bishop and Priests in their Episcopall an● Priestlie Order Preaching and teaching a they did and deriuing Succession both i● doctrine and dignitie f●●m them if we ma● beleeue the Apostles and Apostolike me● Clem. Rom●● Cost Apost l 2. ●●5 and witnesses doe supplie the●r p●ace and a●● so to be obeyed Presbyteri si assiduè in studio decend verbum Dei laborauerint Apostolorum locu● tenent Sacerdo●es sunt omnes Domini Apostoli q● n●que agros neque domos haeteaitant hic sed sempe● Altar● Deo seruiunt If Priests will continually labour in the studie of teaching the word of God the s●all inioye the pla●e of the Apostles Priests are all t●● Apostles of our Lord who inheriteth here neith● feil●s nor houses but alw●yes they serue God and th●● neighbour Eis qui in Ecclesia sunt Presbyteris obedi● ●rinaeus l. 4. c. 20. 43. oportet his qui successionem habent ab Apostolis q● cum Episc●patus successione Charisma certum secundu● pla●●tum pa●ris acceperunt Those Priests which a● in the Church ought to be obeyed who haue their Sucession from the Apostles and with the Succession Iust●● Di●● 5. 〈◊〉 T●i 〈◊〉 Bishoprikes haue receaued the certaine gift accordi● to the will of the Father Neque vero à quoquam De● hostias accipit nisi à suis Sacerdotibus Neither indee● ●oth God Accept of Sacrifices of any 〈◊〉 of his Priests ●here we see the honour which ought to ●e done to our preaching and Sacrificing ●ishop and Priests ● And the holy Scr●●turs pronounce and ●clare them wor●●● 〈…〉 1. 〈◊〉 5. ●nour Qui 〈…〉 habeantur maximè 〈…〉 do●●â The Priests t●at 〈◊〉 w●ll let them be esteemed ●r●hie of duble honour ●●specially they that labour in ● word and do●trine ●nd I may auerre that ho● conuersatiō wh●●● you with so many dif●ulties possesse ●n forsaking all to follow ●rist to teach preach and doe other ●esslie functions to be the Apostolicall life ●d calling Our Protestant persecutours alwhich doe acknowledge you for true and ●full Priests and doe attribute so much to ●aching and most highly d●e commend ●r holy Apostolicke predecessours Priests ● Monckes who liued as you doe in the ●e of the Britons before all of the Reli●us Protest Th●●tor of great Brit. God Win. Conue●s ●f Brit. Orders that came hither in the Saxōs ●e should not otherwise vse you then ●h honour and respect especially when al●es euen from the begining of Christia●e here they finde it so ● In the very first age yea in the A●les time they auo●ch that S. Ioseph and Associates our first Religious disconti●d their Monasticall life to preach the ●h Abbot Fecknam did alleage out of S. Gildas in the fi●st Parliament of Queene Elizabeth that Pope Elutherius in his time sent from their Monasticall life such hither to preach S. German and S. Lupus Religious of Lycinum Monasterie were sent hither into Britonie by S. Celestin before they wer● Bishops to the same end and purpose Whe● our renowned English Apostle S. Gregori● tooke religious Monckes S. Augustine an● others out of his owne Monastarie to sen● them hither to preach to the vnbeleeuin● Saxons and hey terrified with the labou● and perils of such an Apostolicall life desred rather to returne to their quiet Monast●call conuersation he vrged them and se● them forward because this Apostolicall li● was most perfect and had greatest reward ● heauen Omniinstantia omnique seruore quae i● Gregorius Epist ad Monachos in Angl. destin●nd Bed hi●●or ●ccle l. 1. c. 23. choastis Deo authore peragite sciences quod labor● magnum maior retribution i● gloria sequitur With for●e and seruour finish that you haue by the mo●● of God begun assuring your selues that after your gr● labour eternall reward shall followe And the Berdictine Monckes in their Trithemius a● others doe glorie much and not witho● cause of the many Bishops Archbisho● Cardinals and Popes of their Order by t● title of Apostolicall Mission Our Benectines also of the English Congregation snites Dominicans Franciscans and Car●lites with dispen●●tion from his Holines h● left the rigour of their Rule and Order ● better to applie themselues here in our countrie for the conuerting of soule● as in a vocation of greater merite and higher perfection preferring the Apostolicall preaching life in ●his time and place before the exact and pro●essed obseruation of their owne particular Orders thereby to notifie vnto vs and all ●hat this Apostolicall priestlie life euer from ●he beginning of Christianitie here or in the ●orld was the most perfect and most excel●nt calling and profession pleasing to God ●rofitable to his Church and honourable in ●he professours therof 7. All our old holy Bishops Colledges Monasteries Seminaries or Schooles of lear●ed Christians such as by our Protestants ●onfession were here extant in euery age ●uouis saeculo extiterunt and longe before Matth. Parker Antiquit. Britun Ion. Iosilin hist Eccles manuscript Gregorie was Pope or that he did or could ●nd any Monckes of what Order soeuer in● Englād or any part of Britonie sent most ●oly and learned priests by allowance of the ●e Apostolike to preach in France Ger●anie Denmarke Friseland Bauaria Nor●ay Ireland Greenland and into other ●rts of the world diuers times and in great ●mber as it shall be hereafter more largly ●clared Knowing both by holy Scriptures ●d the testimonie of Christ himselfe that ●is Apostolicall condition a signed by him his dearest Apostles first taught and pra●ised in himselfe not onely to forsake all externall wordlie thinges as Religious men doe or be bound to doe but ●or a man to denie himselfe the sauing of his health libertie and life daily exposing them to losse and oftē loosing them for the loue of Christ truely following him in sauing many soules that were in danger otherwise eternally to perish is the most absolutly perfect calling and profession in the Church of God 8. Monasticall life by abnegation is a State of perfection and a safe way to saue the professers soule but to saue both his owne and many others by a more perfect abnegation must needs be the greatest perfection and following of Christ Si quis vult post me venire abneget Luc. ● semeti●sum tollat crucem suam quo●idiè sequatur me If any man will come after me let hi● denie himselfe and take vp his crosse dayly and follow me And our Sauiour when he demande of Saint Peter his greatest and most louin● Apostle Diligis me plus his Loues ●hou me more
great if euery one that is persecuted for Iustice shall haue his reward in heauen what will their honour be which haue suffered so much and so long time for that cause Your Protestant Aduersaries and Persecutours themselues taking the altitude of your miseries and suffrings for this greatest iustice haue found their eleuation to be raised to the hight of all former Persecutours who were Pagans professed enimies to Christ and all Christians They which professe Christ and Christianitie may not be such Great was the persecution of Nero and yet Britonie felt it not but was then a Refuge A●yle and as a Sanctuarie to receiue and defend the persecuted Bitter was Dioclesiaus Persecutiō here in Britonie but as our Gildas telleth vs it was but N●u●nnis of nine yeares onely at which time the Scots ●●cts Saxons Gormundians A●ricans and D●nes ●ll Pagans persecuted the Christi●s here But neuer any bearing the name of Christ before ●hese dayes persecuted the Catholike Chri●tians of this Kingdome All those Pagans ●ersecuted Christians as enimies to their old Gods and Religion and for not ioyning ●ith them in Idolatrie deeming Christian ●eligion newe and erroneous Our Protestāt Persecutours persecute vs for defending the old Religion of Christ which cannot be vntrue and for not imbracing their newe which in the Schoole of Christ cannot be true 13. All the Pagans that euer persecuted here distroied not ●o many Churches and Chappels as King Henrie the eight and his daughter Elizabeth nor tooke from the Church the halfe of that which they did Halse such a Fine and Ransome as the Catholikes paid to them aboue the third part of England in Religious Church-lands possessed by the Clergie here Sixhundred yeares since besides other for fitures would haue stopped the Pagans Persecution The Saxons greatest Persecution next to Dioclesians soone slacked and relēted no soon ●r had the Saxons driuē Theonus and Thadiocus Archbishops of Lōdon and Yorke with other Bishops Priests and Religious from ●heir Sees and Residences in the yeare of Christ 586. But King Ethelbert of Kent ruling vnto Húber by meanes of his blessed Christiā Queen● Bertha and her holy Bishop S. Lethard gau● ease and peace to Christians here before S. Augustines and his Associates comming hither and they were receiued by Ethelber● not yet a Christian with honours and no● indignities All they were strangers and forrainers to the persecuted Our Persecutour● be of the same Nation blood and kinred and stiled Christians with them whom thus they persecute for Christs true Religion If King S. Ethelbert Queene S. Bertha and Bishop S. Lethard were now liuing Catholikes would not be persecuted THE II. CHAPTER That the Religion of our English Catholikes as well from the Saxons as Britons is the same with their first Apostles and deduced from them and first of the Saxons conuerted by S. Augustine and his Roman Mission NOw because our Protestants and Persecutours before haue deliuered it For greate glorie to our Nation to deriue our spirituall degree from so noble a Father as S. Peter We will ●riue and deduce from him a continuall ●d neuer interrupted Succession both of ●iscopall and Priestlie function and do●ine also in euery point now questioned by ●r Persecutours frō that so noble a Father ● these Protestant times And to begge more ●ce and fauour from these our enimies in ●s cause they themselues shall briefly make ●s deduction ● And first concerning Bishops and Massing Priests sent hither or consecrated here by S. Peter's or his Roman Successours Iu●●●diction such as they now so greuiously d●● 〈◊〉 ●hey confesse publickly that they had ●o 〈◊〉 but so consecrated as the Roman Church did from the begining and stil● doth consecrate vn●ill their ne●● booke o● pretended Consecration ma●● by King Edward th● S●●th ● child hi●●●thoritie brought in thei● 〈…〉 a●d they acknowledge 〈…〉 consecra●e● 〈…〉 Pries●● 〈…〉 and doe 〈…〉 ●●stifie 〈…〉 Engl. Prote●● in Rogers Booke of articles Annal. Burton an 140. Caiu●●●tiq 〈…〉 Ann●l 〈…〉 ●n Mans●● 〈…〉 1. 6. Harrison descript of Brit. wa● o●r Archbishop 〈…〉 moreouer that this our 〈…〉 was se●l●d by this grea●est A●ost●● in ●he 〈◊〉 y●are of Nero and 67. 〈…〉 ● Peter returned againe to 〈…〉 d●uers of th●se our Bishops and 〈…〉 Nation as S. Man●uetus S. 〈◊〉 S. Ma●cellus or Marcellinus the reno●ned Priests and Preachers of Cambridge ●n and afte● the yeare 140. S. Marcellus being and liuin● Bishop after King Lucius and Britonie wa● conuerted when three Archbisbops an●●●ventie eight Bishops were here placed an● all Ecclesiasticall thinges established an● confirmed by Papall power in this Kingdome ● To make this Succession without a● question they deliuer vnto vs the names a● ●me Episcopall Acts of our Archbishops Hollin●h Hist of England Stow●s Hist. Godwin conuers of Britan. Cata● of Bishops in London Yorke and S. Dauids ●f Londō Yorke and Caerlegion In London ●e chiefe Metropolitan See S. Theanus S. luanus Cadar Obinus Conanus Palla●us Stephanus I'tutus Theodwynus or ●edwynus Thedredus Hillarius Guiteli●s Restitutus Fastidius Vodinus Theo●s Others adde S. Augulus Ternokinus ●d Gormcelinus They confesse that Theo●s the last Archbishop of London with full ●risdiction continued in his Archiepiscopall ●e notwithstanding the Pagon Saxons inua●n and persecutiō vntill the yeare of Christ ●● which was but 10. yeares before S. Augu●●● coming hither So they testifie of Tha●●us Matth. West an 586. Archbishop of Yorke the same ye●●e ●auing his See and with the Archbishop of 〈◊〉 and many of their Clergie flying into ●al●● and Cornewall to the Christian Bis●ps Priests and people there They re●pt in th● Archb●●●op See of Yorke Theo●sius Sampso●●● Taurinus ●eruan●s Sampson●● 〈◊〉 and the ●enamed Thadiocu● 〈…〉 ●egion they ● downe Tremonus S. 〈◊〉 S Da●id ●iud Conanc Theliaus E●b●dus wholi●d in S. Augustins time and after him im●ediatly succeeding in Archiepiscopall dig●tie fourty or more vntill the time of Ber●rd who in the yeare 1115. lost that honour ●om that See by Papall order as all Anti●aries Catholikes and Protestants agree 4. These men also deliuer vnto vs a Catalogue of learned holy writers in euery ag● and in the age wh● S. Augustine came hithe● they recount vnto vs the most noble Sain● and Doctours Dubritius Iltut●s Congellu● Dauid Gildas Kentige●n●s Brendant Asaphus and others wh●ly ●nd absolut● agreeing with the Church of ●ome They ●● downe our Vniu●rsi●ies 〈…〉 a● among others 〈…〉 from all e●ror Our 〈…〉 in the gre●●ouncel●s 〈…〉 ●he same fai● with t●e whole 〈…〉 they had m● entercour●e 〈◊〉 ●●●munica●●on next to t● Popes of 〈…〉 the mo●● Catholike a● renow●●d 〈…〉 Churc● of Christ ● Athana●●●● 〈…〉 S. Martine and ma● more and b●th ●●●se Tertul●●an S. Chry●stome with 〈◊〉 did highly commēd th● our 〈…〉 true Religion 5. An● beca●●● some Pro●estants to mu● 〈…〉 libertie cannot well e●dure 〈…〉 ●●ckes and Religious s● king w●a● 〈…〉 can ●o disgrace su● as o●her● 〈◊〉 ●●nowned Clergie especial● the 〈◊〉 of S. Benedicts Order
very a●ci●●●●●●●gland and doe endeuour all t● can ●● di●inish the glorie of the Children so noble a Father and so doing for disli● rather then loue either of them vs or o● first Christian Saxons diuers among the doe very forwardly ascribe much to such hat labour And some of their prime Anti●uaries as some lately haue published haue ●et downe vnder their hands that there were ●o● aunciently and but Egyptian and Bene●ictine Monckes in this Kingdome of Brita●ie no great glorie but rather di●honour to his mo●t noble and aunciēt Nation in Chri●ian Religion A Nation that may iustly ●aime prioritie in that kinde of honour ●efore Egipt or any other Countrie in the ●orld except they cā proue their Religious ●ore auncient then S. Ioseph and his holy ●mpanie here in the yeare of Christs Nati●tie 63. by their owne confession and what ●ōckes of Egypt they were that came hither ●ey should if they could haue instanced ● To performe which they will haue great ●fficul●ie sith that they themselues confesse ●at di●ers denie the Egyptian Rule was e●r receiued in the West and consequently ●re Minimè credi volunt nonnulli Mo achorum Iohn Selden not spicileg in Eadmerum pag. 200. Egyptientium Instituta in Occid●nte vnquam esse ●epta Some will not haue it beleeued that the In●ute of the E●yptian Monckes was euer receiued in west And yet it is certaine by their owne otestant writers that many Monckes and ●nasterie were here in Britanie or in En●nd Quouis saculo In euery age And before ●yp had any Monasteries or Mon●kes 6. We can and doe recount vnto them ●nckes from Greece and Syria who came ●o Britanie though longe after our first Conuersion and Religious were ●et●ed here So from the most ●amous Monasterie of Lyrinum Veremun● Hist. S●●t Hector Boeth Hist Scot. l. 6. R●phael ●ol●enshed ●ist of Scots our Greeke Mōckes S. Regulus Albatus and his holy companie who brought the Relickes of Saint Andrewe the Apost●e into Scotland and were so nobly entertained by King Heirg●stus leauing Successou●s ther● who after were vnited to our old Bri●is● Monckes are ●amou● to posteritie S. Palladius who was sent Apostle hither by S. Caelestin the Pope as our Protestants write● was also a Grecian Palla lius Graecus And firs● Ioan. Bal. l. de ●cript ●rit ●entu● 1. Nicolaus H●rlem●n Pa●●●●io Graeco a disciple to S. Iohn Patriarch of H●erusale● that liued a Religious life in Syria especiall● about Mount Carmelus Ioannis Hierosolymoru● Patriarcha 44. dum adhu● Eremi cultor solita●● Syriae loca Carmelum praecipuè incoleret Nicolao Ha●lemio teste Discipulu● fuit As witnesseth Nicola● Ha●lem he was t●e Disciple of Iohn the 44. Patriarc● of Hierusalem whilst he was as yet a louer of the He●mit●ge and inhabited the desert places of Syria b● especially the Mount Carmelus This may gi● antiquitie ●ere to our learned Carmelits t●king their name thence and as they saie comming from Syria S. Germanus and S. Lup●sent Britan. 〈◊〉 Antiq. in m●●usc●ipt hither Apostles by the same holy Pop● were first Monckes of Lyrinū Monasterie a● brought that Church seruice hither And ● Patri●ke borre in this our Iland liui● sometimes with our Glastenburie Moncke● and Scholler to S. G●●man was in the sa●●anner sent into Ireland These were t● Rulers and Directours vnto all our British Scotish and Irish Monckes so much renow●ed through the whole world 7. Both English and Scoti●h Antiqui●ies V●remund Hect. Boeth supra Man Antiq in vita S. Birini Capg●● in eodem witnesse that soone after S. Augustine of ●ippo his death and long before any Monckes of S. Benedicts Order came hither ●he Augustine Monckes Canon-Regulars ●ere seated and setled here who were most ●oly and learned men Non tam eru●itionis ●●am pro●atissimarum viriutum ve●aeque pie●ati●l●● insignes Not so much famous f●● learning a● for ●proued vertues and zeale o● deuotion S Dauid ●aint Brendanus Saint Columbanu● Con●ellus and others here wrote Rules of Monckes 8. To exemplifie but in the worthinesse of Sigibert 〈…〉 vir Illustr in S. C●s●●●o Caesar Ar●latēsis Homilia 25. ad Monachos Tom. 2. B●●liot●●● Patrum ●e Lyrian Monckes who ioyned with ours ● Britonie as S. Caesarius Archbishop of ●rles neare adioyning thereto and before ●bbot there testifieth that Ab Orien●e vsque ad ●ccidentem ab omnibus paene locis in quibus Chri●iana Religio ●olitur religios●ssima vestra conuersatio ● Christi gloriaem praedica●ur From the East to the ●st in all places almost where Ch●●stian Re●igion is ●aintained th●re to Christ his glorie your most Chri●ian conuersation was preached And 〈◊〉 sae●●●sula Lyrinensis quae cum p●ruula plana esse vi●atur innumerabiles tamen mon●es ad ●aelum misisse ●gnosci●ur Haec est quae eximios nu●ri● Mon●chos ●astan●●ssimos per o●nes Prou●●cia● erogat Sa●er●●es The blessed and hap●ie ●●and of ●●rinum though it seeme to be little and plain● yet it is knowne to hau● sent vnto heauen innumerable mountains This is s●e which bring th vp most famous Monckes and through all Prouinces sendeth forth most excellen● Priests 9. This testimonie of such a witnesse being giuen a little before S. Gregories tim● who was so learned a Moncke and Father to many such in Rome argueth that his Mōkes and the Monckes of Lyrinum could no● be stranger●●o ea●h other S. Gregorie also commanding his Monckes he sent into Englād to goe to the Archbishop of ●r●e● Successour to S. Cesarius so neare Lyr●num 〈◊〉 his assistance and they bringing from thenc● into England Assistants and Interpreter ●n● S. Augustine being consecrated after Bisho● of Englād by E●he●●us Archbishop of Arles according to S. Gregories directions confirmeth the same the accesse of such hither thei● preaching● and directions here and our firs● English Moncke after S. Augustine comming hither so honouring the Monckes an● Monasterie of Lyrinum that they tra●elle● ouer all England and France with them an● Saint Benedict Biscope who was brought ●● with our British Monckes when none other were here being professed in ●yrinum Mon●sterie showeth how little d●ffe●ence there wa● betweene the old Monckes of Britanie th● Monckes of Lyrinum and Saint Augustin● and his fellow Monckes sent hither b● ●ly Saint Gregorie the Pope 10. By all accompts it is most certaine in ●storie that S. Benedict Biscope was pro●led in Lyrinum went to Rome returned ●o the North part of England where he as Abbot diuers yeares before S. Benedict ● Rule was first giuen or receiued in these ●rtes and was also Abbot at Canterburie ●bey and gaue place to S. Adrian who was ●t hither by the Pope with Saint Theodore ●chbishop there before S. Wilfride the first ●er of S. Benedict's Rule in the North was ●le● Archbishop of Yorke to giue it or gaue ●e foresaid Rule to the Monckes as the ●onckes themselues confesse And that he ● not deliuer Saint Benedicts Rule to the ●onckes in the
North neither was it in his ●wer so to doe vntill he was Bishop there ●ich was not vntill the yeare of Christ 670. there about by all Authours which was ●ge after S. Benedict Biscops being Abbot ●th in Northumberland and Canterburie ●d whereas some Monckes now would haue Aigulphus a Benedictine Moncke first to ●ie persuaded the Monckes of Lyrinum to Ma●●h VVestm ●●r●n Flo●ent VVigorn chron Sig●bert a●●● ●eiue S. Benedict's Rule this cannot be for Aigulphus was a Moncke of Floriacū Mo●sterie which was not builded many yeares ●er this time and so it is not certaine but ●th the Monckes of Canterburie and those Northumberland vnder this holy Abbot Benedict Biscope hitherto were Lyrinian and not Benedictine Monckes and yet as before they were of the most Religious an● learned Monckes and Apostolike men in th● Christian world as the rest of our Britis● Mo●ckes euen by Protestants confession ● also were 11. ●nd this is the glorie of this our E●glish Nation to haue had generally both i● Kent where S. Augustine was and in all oth● par●s c●nuerted to Christ such renowne● Fathers and Protogenitours in him For suc● were the Monckes of S. Gregories Monast●rie Io. Diac●n in vita S. Gregorij l. 2. c. 11. in Rome from which S. Augustine ar● his fellowes learned and holy Disciples ● the most learned and holy Pope S. Gregori● were sent as our Protestants them selues ac●nowledge that euer was And so learne were the Monckes of this his Monasterie● aboue other Italian Monckes in that tim● that besides the Apostolike men about 4● in number which S. Gregorie sent into E●gland he made Maximianus his Abbot the● Bishop of Siracusas Marimanus a Monc● thereof Archbishop of Rauennas and Pr●bus another of his Monckes of his Monast●rie Mari● S●●put l. 2. atate 6. in S. Benedicto Trithemius l. de script Eccles in S. Benedicto he sent to Hierusalem to build a Monste●ie there we haue also warrant from ● Church of God so witnessing in S. Greg●ries publike office that S. Augustine and ● Monckes he sent into Bri●anie about 40. number were learned and holy men Missi● Britanniam Doctis Sanctis viris Augustino ● ●lijs Monachis Sending into Britanie learned and holy men Augustine and other Monckes 12. But whether S. Augustine and those who came into England with him to conuert it as they most happily did were indeede Monckes of S. Benedicts Order I will not heare dispute leauing it perchance to some other worke in hand it being all one ●o this my purpose whether S. Augustine ●nd his companie were Benedicton or other Monckes I onely intending now to shew that from our first Conuersion in S. Peters time vnto these times there was a continuall succession of Priests and of the same Religon for which now in Englād we are so persecu●ed And that S. Augustine and his companie were most ho●y and learned men Docti and Breuiar Romandie 12. Martij in festo S. Gregor Bed Hist. Eccles Angl. l. 2. Matth. VVes● in Chron. F●orent VVig●r Chroni● G●liel Malmesbur●●● d●g●st Reg. Angl. ●ancti viri that they taught our Predeces●ours the same faith we now professe and that ●hey conuerted to the faith of Christ Ethel●ert King of Kent and his Kingdome of Kēt ●nd Sebert or Sigebert King of the East Saxons with his Kingdome and preached in many other places o● England conuerting in ●hem many to Christian Religion I saie with ●hem and the whole Christian world then Asia Africke and Europe agreeing with S. Gregorie who sent hither these so holy and ●earned men and therefore is rightly by Saint Beade instiled Apostle of England in Religion vsing his masse and honouring him for a Sainct as our Protestants confesse that their doctrine and Religion was true and for this part of the world Italie frō whence they came France through which they came England or Britanie whether they came Ireland Scotland and Germanie where some of our Britans and English then were acknowledging S. Augustines Religion to be true so prooue vnto vs. So S. Augustine prooued it both by humaine and diuine testimonie So his Opposits and our persecuting Protestants confesse To vse their words The Britans confessed indeede that to be the way of Protestāt in Stowes ●●st righteousnesse which Augustine had preached and sbewed vnto them 13. And he is a simple witted man if he can vnderstand but the Latine tongue that doth not most clearely see and confesse the same if he will but reade the publicke Church seruice Masse and the others which our Protestants confesse S. Gregorie perused and published the Latine and Greeke Church vsing his Masse translated into Gre●ke as they doe S. Basiles and S. Chrysostomes as also his holy learned workes which he ● Doctour of the Church and as our Protestants stile him The most holy and learned Pop● that euer was did publish and are now extant Thus he and his L●gates s●nt hither into England generally taught the same Doctrine in all points which we Catholikes now professe euen those for which we are so pittifully persecuted Roman Supremacie Sa●ifice of Ma●●e Sacrificing Priesthood such ●piscopall Roman Ordination and what●euer elsse now controuersed by Protestants ● I shall demonstra●e against them in euery ●ticle of their Religion when I come to the ●onuersion o● t●e other Parts of England ● those which were of our old British Or●er and Re●ig●on And yet our English Pro●stants publickly generally and with such ●thoritie protest and testifie that in the first ●0 yeares of Christ within which S. Gre●rie and his Legates liued and ●aught the ●hurch of Rome was pure and free from er●r And if she had or should haue erred in ●is publicke doctrinall practises and orders ●ncerning the whole Church the whole ●hurch which these men denie should also ●ue erred For they constantly thus ack●wledge that this most holy and learned ●pe so published and proposed them Gre●ius Io. Bal. d● Roman Pon●ifice Art l. 2. in Gregor Magno Robert ●arnes ● de vit ●ontif Rom. in ●od Magdebur his● Ecclesiasc in Greg. Magnu● omnium Pontificum R●manorum do●inâ vi●â praestantissimus Scholas Canto●um in●uit Ambrosi● more ec●lesiasti●as cantiones qua●●aecè dicimus Antiphonas composuit Officiarium ●clesiae fecit Antiphonarium nocturnum diurnum ●po●uit Sacrorum normas digessit Missarum ritus ●●planauit eius Canonem consar●inauit Gregorie ● great the most worthies● of all the Bishops of Rome ● doctrine and life instituted Schooles of singer● and ●er Ambrose his manner composed Ecclesiasticall ●ges which in Greeke we call Antiphones He made ●e office of the Church be ordered the nightlie and daylie Antiphonarie he digested the Rites of t● Church he polished the Ceremonies of the Masse a● the Canon thereof he gathered together 14. It will be very hard for the quicke● sighted Persecuting Protestant to finde a● one of their Articles of Religion which w● not condemned and of Catholikes not p●blickly
approued and practised in t● Church of Christ in and by those so gen●rally receiued and professed Ritualls an● Doctrinalls of Religion And therefo● those pure Protestan●s which call Cath●likes vsually in respect of their Doctrin● Papists and their holy Religion Papistri● Papisme Romanisme or the like confes● plainly that Saint Augustine from Sai● Gregorie b●ought hither Masses Altars Vesments Chalices Relickes Massing Priests prayer Saincts for the Deade and to be briefe Rom●nisme Papistrie all which they terme no Io. Bal. l. de Scripto Brit. cen tur c. 2. de Act. Poatif Rom. in Gregor Franc. Godwin conuers of Britan. D●●●●l Powe●l in Giral● Cambr. in our Catholikes Superstition● And n● only Saint Augustine thus taught and deli●red but Q●●●ne B●●tha the French Ladi● and her Bisho● 〈◊〉 Lethardus did t● same and King E●helbert with his Cou●trie wa● conuerted to that Religion Conu●sus ●xoris Berthae ●ersuasione ●thelbertus Rex R●manismum cum a liun●●●s sup●rstitionibus suscep● King ●thelbert being conuerted by the pe●suasion hi● wife he imbraced Romanisme with all it 's Sup●stition● 15. So we haue not only S. Augustine our ●postle with his Assistants but S. Gregorie ●e Church of Rome Italie and all Subiects that See Apostolike our King Queene ●d all here agreeing then with vs in this Ro●anisme Papisme and Papist●ie for which ●e are now persecuted And this our Con●rsion S. Asaph in vit S● Kētegerni C●pgrau in eod D. Bal. l. de Scriptor centur 1. in Ken●igern● to the tru● Apostolike Religion of ●hrist which is the same Catholikes now ●osesse as both Catholikes and Protestants knowledge was miraculously prooued ad ●retold by the words of God his propheti●ll holy Bishop S. Ke●egerne long before in ●e declination of the Britans that God ●ould giue Britanie ouer to Forraine Na●ns which knewe not God and Chri●nae legis Religio vsque ad praefinitum tempus ●sipab●●ur Sed in pristinum sta●um unò me●em miserante Deo in fine rep●rabitur the Region of the Christian Lawe vnto a determinate ●●●me shall be dissipated but in the ●n● by God his mercie it shall be restored to it's former ye●●●tter state THE III. CHAPTER The like proued of all other persons a● parts of England as also the Br●cans that their Religion was th● same with the Apostles and th● which our now Persecuted Cath●likes Professe and maintaine 1. NOw let vs come to the Conuersio● of the other parts of England n● conuerted by S. Augustine or his Missio● from Rome but by others our old Britis● or Scotish Bishops and Priests in some part● before by many writers and in the far● greatest a●●er And because amongst other● the Religious of our old British Order ha● influēce therein 〈◊〉 I lately spake of Mōck● sent into England by Saint Gregorie and ● their labours and Religion here I will ne● ioyne these vnto them Their Antiquitie ● haue deliuered before from S. Ioseph of A●ramathia which buried Christ arriuin● here in the yeare of his Natiuitie 63. 2. To take better knowledge of their heauenly life and conuersation on earth I wi● set downe their Rule as with some alteratiō● ●s is vsuall in such holy Orders it was ap●roued and deliuered to our Monckes by S. ●auid Metropolitane Archbishop in Brita●ie that most learned Religious holy Pre●te The Rule of our old British Monckes Manuscipt antiq in vit● S. Dauidis Io. Capgra C●tal in ●●d liuing vntill with in 50. yeares of S. Au●ustines comming hither Dauid constructo in ●alle Rosinta Monasterio talem caenobialis praepositi ●gorem decreuit vt Monachorum quisque quotidiano ●sudās operi manuum labore suam in commune trans●eret vitam dicens Qui enim non laborat ait A●stolus non manducet nesciens enim quod secura quies ●itiorum fomes mater esset Monachorum hume●s duris fatigationibus subiugauit nam qui sub otij ●iete tempora mentesque submittunt instabilem spiri●m libidinisque stimulos sine quiete parturiunt Pos●siones enim Iniquorum respuebant dona reprobabāt ●uitias detestabantur boum nulla ad arandum cura●●isque sibi fratribus diuitiae quisque bos Nul●n praeter necessarium inter eos habebatur colloquium ●d quisque aut orando aut Deo placi●a cogitando in●nctum opus peragebat Peracto autem R●rali opere ● Monasterij Claustra reuertentes aut legendo aut ●ibendo aut orando totam ad vesperum peragebāt ●em In vespere verò audito Nolae pulsu dimissis ●x operibus Ecclesiam petebant visis in caelo ●llis ad mensam conuenientes citra saturitatem come●bant nimia enim satietas quamuis solius panis ●uriam generat Pane autem oleribus sale conditis ●sti sitim lacte aquâ mixto restringebant Peractâ ●nâ quasi per tres horas vigilijs orationibus genu●ctionibus insistebant Quamdiu in Ecclesia orationi●s vacabant nullus oscitare nullus sternutationem facere vel sal●●●● 〈…〉 Hi●ita gestis sopo●● 〈…〉 〈…〉 experg●fa●li 〈…〉 Cogitationes 〈…〉 etia● vel ad naturae 〈…〉 induebantur 〈…〉 desiderans 〈…〉 priu● decem diebus 〈…〉 n●●non ve●●●● 〈…〉 Si au●em benè 〈…〉 perstar● diem acceptus priu●● 〈…〉 constructus seru●e●a● 〈…〉 desudans fractusque mul●●s 〈…〉 fra●rum merebatur inire 〈…〉 ●nem cupientibus eorum nih●● 〈…〉 ●●lu● è na●●ragio ●uadentes recepti era●●● 〈…〉 se extollendi non haberent S. autem Daui●●ost ●tinas frigidam petebae aquam in qua diu●●●s man● carnis ardorem domabat Orphanorum ●●pilloru● Vidua●ū Egentium Peregrinorum multitudinē pas●● bat In English epitomated They ha● not Rid● or proprietie Receiued nothing of the wi●●● they l●ued by their labour They had not cattell ●●●hing b● themselues to ●ill their ground no speach ●●●pt necesarie at their worke but with praier and medita●● they performed it They did not eate till ●●ght ●● their diet then was bread ●erbs and ●al● th● drinke water and mi●●e mixed together After th● resection they persist●d three howers in watching a● praier vppon their knees then sleeping vntill ●● croweing ●f the Cocke they arose to their praiers vn●●●ay light Ending their corporall labour they retu●● their Monasteries and spen● all the 〈◊〉 ●●till the e●ning Anna●●●●cl 9. 〈◊〉 G●●w 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 in ● ●●auid in 〈…〉 Ni●●● 〈…〉 Io. Ba● 〈◊〉 ●●n● 1. in Kentig●●n ●●●grau ●n ●od God W. catal in S. 〈◊〉 K●●eg●r M 〈◊〉 antiq Brit●● prima 〈◊〉 E●●lesiast● Se●●● either in reading writin● 〈…〉 ●rres appeared in the 〈…〉 their ●ll they went to the Church And 〈…〉 ●et of bodie This was part of the 〈…〉 our ●ritish Moncl●e● approued by th● greatest ●relate here who receiued i● all ●●●●ches ●scipline by t●e Roman Authoritie 3. Their Bis●ops and 〈…〉 ●steritie in conuersation T●● 〈…〉 ● S. Dauid 〈…〉 ●neu about 〈…〉 The 〈…〉 others 〈…〉 i● the 〈…〉 by diuers 〈…〉 Mon●● 〈…〉 in his Mo●●● 3000. Disci●●e S. VVandi●ocus and Go●●ogillus about 〈◊〉 vnder them ● ●entigern and
westminster saith it was in th● yeare 753. by which accompt his Abbots i● England must needs be professed in the o● British Order 7. Marianus Scotus a Scot by Nation● and liuing in a strict discipline a Moncke ● Germanie with in 200. yeares of S. Bonif●cius his time though he acknowledgeth hi● to be an English man Anglus yet very oftē● calleth him S●otus a S●ot in no other respe● then for his being of the Scotish Order and i● that regard calleth these Monasteries Monastria San●torum Scotorum Sancti Galli Sancti Bonfacij Monasteries of the ●cotish Saints S. Gallus a● S. Bon●f●ce VVhen it is certaine and he w● knew that neither of them was a Scot by N●tion but onely in profession He proue● further that euen in his tim● there we● Monckes of the Scotish old Order there wh● ●ad a peculiar Monasterie in Colen where ●e Abbot with others were Scots Helias Sco●s abbas Who professed a strict Religion and ●n the opinion of men giuen to more liber●e ouer grea●e Discipline Religionem di●ictam disciplinamque ni●●am and God did mi●culously approue it This was also the con●ition of S. Benedict Biscope Master to Saint ●ede be●ng a childe this the condition of ●●eolfr●dus and Easterwinus wh●m S. Bo●face constituted Abbots in his absence in ●s Monas●eries 8. Wa●es had seuen Bishops with an ●rchbishop others with their Clergie were ●ed thither out of England and yet diuers ●mained still in other parts with many Chri●ians euen Vniuersites as that of Cambridge ●ee then as they saie from all errour and ne●r Manuscript antiq in vit S. Dauid●s Capgrau in cod censured by Saint Gregorie as some were ●heir difference from the Church of Rome ●as not in Questions of faith but others tol●rable and tollerated and this had not beene ●ng for in S. Dauid● time a litle before all ●greed in all things with Rome Omnes Britan●ae Matth. w●st in chronic an 794. Stows histor in Mercel●● Ecclesiae modum Regulam Romana authoritate ●ceperunt All the Churche● of Britanie toocke their ●anner and Rule by Roman authoritie 9. The greate Kingedome of Northum●erland bounded with Trent and Scotland ●ere thus conuerted The greatest kingedome ●f Mercia which then comprehended 23. ●hyres in 20. tribus Prouin●ijs quas Angli Shiras 〈◊〉 ●●s conuerted by the old renowned Clergie men Bishops Priests an● Monckes that were of our old British Orde● they in their Auncestors receiuing Conuersion from such our Britans and thēselue● also liuing within the limits and boundes o● Britanie or England now for their Iland a● Saint Bede and others witnesse belonged to our Countrie Insula Hydesti cuius Monasteri● ●ed Eccl. hist. l. 3. cap. 3. in 〈◊〉 penè Septentrionalium Scotorum omniu● Pictorum Mon●sterijs non paru● tempore Arcem tenebat regendisque eorum populis praeerat Quae videl● ce● Insula ad ius quidem Britanniae pertinet non magno ab ea s●e●o discreta Whose Monasterie in the Ile● Hydestine was n● small ●im● the chiefe house of al● the Monasteries Allmost of all the Northeren Sco● and of the Abbeys of all the Red●hankes and had th● soueraintie in ruling of then people VVhich I le i● very deede belongeth to the right of Britanie bein● seu●red from it with a narr●w sea Sebert King o● the East Angles was conuerted in Burgundie● and brought ouer with him who was consecrated after Bishop of his Countrie Sain● Felix and he so honoured the Priests of ou● old British Order that Saint Furseus on● thereof comming hither and with his allowance and donation building a Monasteri● of that Order King Sebert himself entered into Monasticall life and was professed ● Mon●ke therein Regni negotijs cognato suo Egri● commendatis in Monasterio à sancto Furseo sibi constructo habitum Monachalem suscepit Committing th● affaires of his Kingdome to his Kinsman ●gre●k he betoocke himselfe to Monasticall habit in a Monasterie ●ounded by S. Furseus 11. Concerning the Kingedome of the East Saxons ●igebert their King ioyned herein with the Northumbers and ●as baptized by Bishop Finan of the Scotish Order ad Bishop of his Countrie C●d that was of the same order and consecrated by S. Finan he in all his dominions consecrated Priests and Deacons in all places of Essex but especially at ●thancester and Tilberie For although King Seber's sonne of Sledda was a Christiā before ●et he dying the Countrie vnder his sonnes ●erred and Sigbert deadly enemies to Chri●tian profession was till then in Infideli●ie 12. To come to the west Saxons although ●hey receiued the faith by Saint Birinus sent ●rom Rome yet at the Baptisme of their King Kinegillus S. Oswald King of Northū●erland was Godfather vnto him and he ●arried King Oswald his daughter and Do●auerunt ambo Reges both these Kings gaue him ●orchester sixe miles from Oxford to settle ●here his Episcopall See And in the yeare ●35 He instituted there Canonic●s se●ulares secu●r Canons VVe reade in the Manuscript of the ●ntiquities of winchester that he builded ●gaine the old Monasterie of winchester ●ounded in king Lucius time and did restore ●nto or in it againe holy Monckes which were not long if at all before Saint Augustines comming driuen thence for we are assured that in the time of Constantine kinsmā to king Arthur killing the sonne of Mordred Gildus l. de excid ●ritan Matth. ●●estm Chronic. an 586. before the Altar of that Monasterie they were there and without doubt in king Careticus his time in the yeare ●●6 when and not before Bishops Priests and Moncks fled into wales So the Moncks placed there could be no others but such as had beene Bed h●sto Eccles lib. 4. cap. 13 Manuscr●p● antiq ●● vit S. VVilfridi Capgrau ●n catal in ●od driuen from thence before who still in themselues or succession of that order continued in those parts as in the Scotish and British Order in the Monasteries of Bosenham whe●e Dicul a Scot was Abbot in Redford vnder Abbot Kinebertus at Malmesburie vnder Meildulphus a Scotish Moncke Natione Scoto eruditione phylosopho professione Monacho By nation a Scot in lerning a P●ylosopher in profession a Moncke VVho was so famous there that he gaue the old name Maildulfesburch to that Guliel Malmesb. L●ntherius Saxoniae Episcop in chart ●● 675. place where and vnder whom in the same disc●pline S. Aldelme after Abbot there was brought vp A primo aeuo infantiae from his child●ood Bishop Eleutherius in his graunt to that house dated 675. proueth there were many Abbots and Abbies in these places in that time 13. VVilliam of Malmesburie with the Antiquities of Glast●●burie assureth vs that in our ●enowned Abbey of Glastenburie after Saint Augustines comming and during his ●eing here in the yeare 601. we had our old Moncks in quiet and peace their Abbot was ●alled Morgret the Bishop vnder whom they ●hen liued Manuto Manuto Episcopus and their King Rex Domnoniae whose name by the
old●esse of the Record is not remēbred Quis is●e Rex fuit scedulae ve●ustas negat scire he was their Be●efactour and gaue them or confirmed to ●hem Inswitrin Terram quae appellatur Inswitrin ●d Ecclesiam ve●ustam concessit ad petitionem Mor●ret ●iusdem loci Abbatis The land which is called ●nswitrin he granted to the old Church by the p●ti●iō of Morgret Abbot of that place and their Bishop Manuto wrote and cōfirmed it Ego Manuto Epis●opus hanc chartam scripsi I Bishop Manute wrote t●i●●aper 14. Besides this Bishop England had then ●t Saint Augustines cōming diuers Bishops ●ere ordered or sent by the Popes authori●ie Saint Asaph in the west S. Iuo in Hun●ingtonsyhre S. Lethard in Kent and others not vnprobably in other places besides ou● British Bishops in VVales and those of Scot●and And to remember but the names of our first Bishops in England after S. Augustines comming besides Kent and London where ●he and his Associats were Bishops all which vndoubtedly by all writers Catholike and Protestant old or new Monasticall or others either were of our British old Order or ioyned with them that were at that time here 15. VVe haue in the North Saint Aidan● Finan Colman Tuda Eata Cuthbert Fo● Yorke S. Paulinus the first by Marianus wa● ex Francia and staied but onely 6. yeares after him S. Cedda S. Wilfride Bosa Sain● Iohn called of Beuerlaie brought vp in Sain● Hilda her old Monasterie At winchester w● had S. Birinus spoakē of before who restored in that Monasterie our old Mōckes and ioy●ned with the Northumbers Agilbertus ● Frenchman who preached long in Ireland ioyned ●lso with the Northumbers VVin● also a Frenchman and Eleutherius remembred before In Li●hfeild we had Diuma o● Dwyna a Scot hauing all Middle England for his Dioces so had sixe or seuen of his Successours all such vntill the yeare 678. Cellac●● Scot Trumhere Ianuman Cedda winfride Saxulf I passe ouer all the old Sees i● wales knowne and confessed by all to haue had none but such Bishops 16. Such also was the ordinarie ād vniuersall pietie and sanctitie of our old holy Priest● and Preachers of that time before any later Order was receiued euen of the laie people conuerted and taught by them as the learned Saint Bede then liuing much be waileth the great change and alteration saying In tantum Beda l. 3. Hist ●ccles Angl. cap. 5. au●●m vita ill●us Aidani à nostri temporis segnitia dist●bat vt omnes qui cum eo incedebant siue aettonsi ●●ue laici meditari debe●ent id est aut legendi● Scripturis aut Psalmis discendis S. Aidan his lif● ●as so farre different from the slouthfulnesse of our ●e that all those which went with him wheather ●onckes or Laickes were to meditate that is they ●ere to bestowe their time either in reading Scripture ● learning the Psalmes And in an other place ●●aieth thus of Bishop Colman who dispu●d with Saint VVilfrid and of his Prede●ssours Bed hist● ecclesiast l. 3. ca. 26. Quantae autem parsimoniae ●uiusque conti●tiae fueri● ipse cum praedecessoribus suis testabatur ●am ipse locu quem regeba● Of how great abstinen● and continencie he was with his Predecessours the ●ce it selfe which he ruled did witnesse where ●en they went away very few howses besides the ●urch remained and these howses onely without ●ch ciuill conuersation could not continue They had ●onie nothing but cattell If they receiued any mo● of the riche presently they gaue it to the poore All care of those Doctours then was to serue God and not worlde All their desire was for the soule and no●●bellie wherevpon in that time the habite of Reli● was in greate reuerence so that wheresoeuer ●●st or Moncke did come he was ioyfully receiued ●ll as the Seruant of God And if any trauailing ●eir iornie did meete him a Priest bending ●selues they reioyced to be signed with his hande ●ssed by his mouth They gaue diligent eare to his ●rtatiōs Vpō the sondayes they floc●ed to the Church ●onasteries to be instructed in the word of God If Priest chanced to come into a villadge the Inha●ts presently came together and desired to receiue ●ord of life from him For there was no other cause ●riests or Ecclesiasticall men to goe to villadges but to speake briefely to ●uer soules And they were so 〈◊〉 from all infection of couetousnesse that they would n● except compelled by the riche men of the world ●●ceiue lands or possessions to build Monaste●ies Whi● custome was gen●rally obserued in the Churc●es of t●●ingdome of Northumberland sometime af●erward● Thus of Saint Aidan their first Ap●st●e an● of his Dis●iples and people by him conue●ced and although he kept Easter otherwi● then those did which came from Rome y● he was and worthily beloued of all euen ● the Archbishop of Canterburie Honori● for his workes of faith pietie and chariti● and during his life that difference was patie●tly endured And this was not an errour c●mon to all Scots but to some of thē for Ro● and others impugned it And whē it was ro●ted out it was not done by Mōckes or othe● Bed l. 3. 4. 5. Guliel Malmesb. Matth. Westm Floren. ●●ig●rn from Rome but as Saint ●ede and othe● prooue either by the Po●es admonitiō as ● Ireland by Bishop Agilbertus and Sai● Wilfride in Northumberland and in oth● place by Saint Egbertus Adamnanus a● others of their old owne Order and prof●sion 17. In this I haue the longer insisted ●● onely for the glorie and honour of those o● Fathers in Christ not iustly to be tak● from them to be giuen vnto others and t● it is the honor of our English Priests a● Catholiks to be heires successours a● children to such Antecessours and parent● Religion But because it is the most common Dauid P●w●ll ●● anno●a● in l. 2. ●●raldi Cābren de 〈◊〉 Cambr. Io. Bal. in Act. R●man po●●ific l. 2 ●● G●egor 1. Francis Godwin conuers of B●i● p. 4● Fulk answ 〈◊〉 cont Cain p 4 Middl●to papist pag. 202. Foxe A●● and Me● pag. 463. edit an 1576. Io. G●s● lin H●●●or e●clesiast Matth. parker Antiqui● Brit. pag. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. receiued allowed and approued opinion and confession of our English Protestants and those their best learned in their estimatiō to write in their owne very words At the comming of Augustine there florished with ●he Britans the preaching of the truth sincere do●trine liuelie faith and the pure worship ●f God ●uch as from the Apostles themselues was by Gods cō●aundement deliuered to the Churches The Britans ●efore Augustines comming continued in the ●aith of ●hrist euen from the Apostles time After the Britans ●mbraced the saith of Christ they neuer forsooke i● nei●er when Augustine came into the Iland So many ●nd so great a number of the old names of Priests ●oncks Abbots Prelates Bishops Churches Ab●eyes and Sees which haue beene in euery age doth ●fficiētly
lands and ●onours determinable onely by our tempo●all lawes with others cannot come to his au●●ence except such imaginaries could a●d ●ould put Ministers out and Priests into ●e Benifices of England A secret and consioable ending of many of these matters amōg ●atholikes though iuridically can be no ●ore daunger in a Bishop then in a Regula●●rieste If diuersitie of Iudgments should ●me time happen in the Iudgment of one a ●shop giuen in priuate the inconuenience ●uld be lesse the now it is by the I●dgemēts ● many Priests all of them as much differing ●m the Protestants Censures and ●ribunals as those by a Bishop would be Yet these few● cases would chance but seldome We see the Queenes Priests of France and Sotland to be permitted by the king and state to dea●e with English Cathol●ks ●ome times br●nging such ca●es So are all Priests of all Orders litle pleasing vnto the necessitated to doe so But seeing there can be no daunger by suc● secret procedings none can take that offic● from a learned Bishop and leaue it to euer● Priest learned or not 9. Such or greater difficulties were fro● the Apostles time and therein in them an● Bishops their Successours among Ethnic● and Pagan Princes yet the holy Scripturs before and Apostolike men haue taught a● men obedience vnto Bishops euen in su● daies and all good Christians did so ob● them Saint Peter in Scripture strangely e● communicated Ananias and Saphira So d● S. Paul Hymineus Alexander and the ince●tuous Corinthian So did the other Apostl● among Pagans exercise spirituall Iurisd●ction So did all Bishops among Infidels v● till the Emperours and Princes more differi● from Catholiks the Protestants should we● conuerted yet at that time they exercised sp●rituall Iurisdictiō and the Christians obey● them And now at this time and long vnd● the Turks Tartars Chinenses and other e●mies to Catholiks Catholik Bishops doe e●ercise their Iurisdiction among the Christi● and all obeye ●t This is the case of Catholiks vnder their Bishop in Holland among the Protestant Ho●landers And in his Maiesties Dominion in ●re●and where Bishops are and doe exe●cise t●eir Iu●isdicti●n Catholiks obeying them And it is Christs ord●nance that ●● they should doe God forbid any bearing the name Catholike in England ●o renowned for holy Con●essou●s of true Religion in this time should be wanting in ●uch dutie or any other 10. But because our Protestant Persecu●ours pretend most exception against the Bishop of Chalcedon for d●riuing Iurisdi●tion from the ●ee of Rome we must needs ●ith all antiquitie deliuer vnto them that in ●uery age from Christ we here in Britani●●aue receiued Bishops and Pastours with ●heir Iurisdiction from the S●e o● Rome and ●hat highest Papall power and authoritie ●Ve haue spoakē before how in the fi●st Age ●aint Peter the first Pope o● Rome consecra●d Bishops and Pri●sts and founded ●hurches here We a●de ●urther how our Pro●stants eue● king Iames himselfe and others ●y his and their greatest authoritie con●sse of the Apostolik Church It is our mot●er ●urch And Adde Est capu● Roma quatenus ab ea ●ffasum est Euang●lium in reliquas t●●●us O 〈◊〉 ●cl●sias in mu●●as Orien●●s a●que in ●ar●ar●● eti●●●tra R●manum Impe●●um Nationes Rome i● the ●d as s●● it the Gospell is di●●used into the rest of the Churches of all the west and into many of the East as also into Barbarous Nations out of the Romā Empiere Peter preached in no place but he there or●ained Bishops and teachers and founded Churches The Apostle Peter did in euery Prouince appoint one Archbishop whome all other Bishops of the same Prouince should obey The Archbishop of Britanie was Aristobulus S. Clement his Successour Pope in the later end of this and in the beginning of the second age writeth of him concerning Britanie Sanctus Clemens and other Coūtries Episcopos persingulas Ciuitates quibus ipse non mis●rat perdoctos nobis mi●●ere praecepit Quod facere inchoauimus Domino ope● ferente faecturi sumus He commaunded vs to send ve● learned Bishops vnto all Cities to which he had n● sent any Which we haue begun to doe and by G● his healpe shall doe 11. In the second age also Pope Eleuth●rius sent hither S. Damianus and Phagan● his legats with others who consecrated an● VVestm an ●85 seated here three Archbishops with 28 Bi●hops Templa qua in honorem plurimorum Deo●● fundata fueran● vni Deo eiusque Sanctis dedicarunt diue●sisque Ordinatorum coetibus repleueru● The Churches which were builded in the honour of ●ny Gods they dedicated to one God ād his Saints ād f●led thē with diuers ●ssēblies of such as had takē Orde● And afterwards they being by King Luci● sent to Rome to haue those things confirm● Idem an 186. by the Pope which here in Britanie th● had done Quibus peractis redierunt in Britann● praefati Doctores cum alijs quamplurimis quorum ● ●rina gens Britonum in fide Christi fundata refulsit VVhich being ended the foresaied Doctours accom●nied with many others returned againe into Britanie whose doctrine in a short time the Britans groun●ed the faith of Christ florished And although in this ●onuersion of Britanie that holy Pope sub●cted the Countrie now called Scotland not ●mporally subiect to king Lucius of Britanie Bedalib 1. hist. Angl. c. ● ● the Romans vnto our Archbishop of ●rke Susceptamque fidem Britanm vsque in tempora ●ocletiani Principis inuiolatam integramque quie●a in ●e seruabant The Britans did with peace keepe the ●th they ●ad receiued whole and inuiolate vntill the ●e of Dioclesianus the Emperour Yet in the be●nning Hector Boeth lib. 6 Scote Histor fol. 86. B. of the third age Saint Victor then ●ing Pope of Rome Donaldus king there ●ud Victorem Pontificem per Legatos ob●inuit vt ●i doctrinà Religone insignes in Scotiam ab eo ●si se cum liberis coniuge Christinomen profiten● hap●ismate insignirent Regis exempl●m Scotica ●bilitas secuta auersata impietatem Christique Re●onem complexa sacro fonte est abluta Donaldus ●n King by Legats abtained from Pope Victor that ●●hie men both for lerning and Religion might from ● be sent into Scotland who might baptize himselfe ● and Childrne professing the name of Christ The ●ish Nobilitie following the Kings example did cast ●y impietie embraced the Christian Religion and ● bapti●ed And those Scots or Britans were ●ructed both in learning and Religion Ibidem those Priests and Preachers which Pope ●tor sent Incaepere tum primum sacras colere literas Sa●erdoti●us Prae●●ptoribus ques Victor Pontif● Maximus ad Christi dogma propalandum in ex●●mam miserat Al●ionem Then first of all they b●gun to studie the holy Scripturs vnder the Pri●● their maisters which Victor the Pope had s● into the farthest Albion to diuulge the doctrine Christ 12. When the Persecution of Dioc●esi● raged here 9. yeares many of our Briti● Clergie sent
and best estate Wherfore as ●he Bishop o● Chalcedon and Catholiks o● England may not depart from the Church of Rome in this question So it will be a great wonder if King Charles and his Councell should thus persecute that which to them and all should be so honourable They may not persecute him for his Episcopall Order for that likewise is prooued the most glorious calling in the Church of Christ All English Parlamentarie Protestants confesse the Bishop of Chalchedon and all cons●crated as he was by the Roman Order containing all and more then they vse and by most true and lawfull Consecratours to be an vndoubted true and lawfull Bishop And so it must needs be for whether we will follow the present Roman Order euer vsed here since Saint Augustins time before their new deuised forme of so called Consecration made by King Edward the Sixth a child and altered by his Sister Elizabeth Queene a woman or that which the Britans Scots and Irish vsed long before ●t is out of question by all that the Bishop of Chalcedon and euery one such is a true and most vndoubted lawfull Bishop hauing by due and true Consecratours whatsoeuer is contained or prescribed to be done in either of both which the new Protestant forme if they had true Consec●atours cometh short and wanteth euen in things essentiall both by all others and their owne iudgment and practise 18. The present Roman Order hath more though Ceremoniall then that of our Britās Scots and Irish therefore I exemplifie onely in this and the rather to giue Satisfaction to our Protestants so extolling them for their Apostolik Religion neuer changed or altered as they saie Before S. Kentegern was consecrated Bishop all most 1200. yeares since this was their old vse and māner herein as Saint Asaph his Scholler a Bishop and others prooue Mos in Britannia inoleuerat in Consecratione Pontificum tantummodo capita corum sacri Cbrismatis infusione perungere cum inuocatione Sancti Spiritus benedictione manus impositione It was an auntient custome among the Britans that in the Consecration of Bishops they onely annoynted them on their heads with holy Chrisme inuocation of the Holy Ghost Benediction and imposi●ion of ●ands This was done by consecrating Bis●ops And this was Mos Britonum Scotorum ● Hibernia The Custome of the Britans Scots and in ●eland In those times when Canons of Coun●ells were not made of this matter or not ●nowne here by reason of great troubles in ●ese parts as our Antiquaries write and yet ●ey were excused as hauing true and essen●ally needfull Consecration Insulam enim quasi ●ira orbem positi emergentibus Paganorum infesta●onibus Canonum erantignari Ecclesiastica ideo Cen●ra ipsis condiscendens excusationem illorum admit tit ●ha●●arte Fo● the inhabitants of the Iland being as were placed out of the world were ignorant of the anons by reason of the Continuall inuasions of the Pa●ans and therfore the Ecclesiasticall Censure yelding ●nto them in this parte adm●●ted their excusation But ●ur Protestants cannot be excused being not ●gnorant but Cōtemners of the Canons and ●ot this onely but omitting that which by ●he custome of the Britans Scots and Irish ●he old Roman Order in that time as Al●uinus Amalarius and others 800. yeares ●nce terme it in their dayes was vsed then and is now all of them deliuering that ●oly vnction by true Bishops to be necessa●ie and essentiall euer naming the man to be ●onsecrated Bishop Bishop elect onely vntill Dieny●●us A●eop l. de Eccl●sia●t H●erarchia ●hat vnctiō be ended and then Bishop cōsecrated ●piscopus consecratus Our Protestants t●ēselues ●ublickly haue written ad warranted that ●aint Denys the Areopagite Vnctionem ponit expressè Doth expresely put vnction Anaclet● wrote Bishop● are to be made by imposition of han● Anacletus Epist 2. §. ● of Bishops and ●oly ●uction by the exampse of the Apostles because all sa●ctification consisteth in the ho● ghoste whose mu●●●ble power is mixed with ho● Chrisme and by this R●●e s●lemne ordination is to ● celebrated O●● Protestants a ●o confes●e th● the holy Fathers both of the Greeke and L●tine Church were thus co●ecrated Of Sain● Basile Vn●●ion● s●c●a adh●b●ta est ●●dinatus He w● ordained by applying holy ●nnointing Of S. G●●gorie Nazianzen Me ●ontifi●em vngis So of ● Iohn Chrysostome and Saint Seuerus So ● Augustine Vi●arius Christi Pontifex efficitur i● in capite vngitur imitādo illū qui caput est to●iu● Eccl●siae per vnctionis grati● sit ipse caput Eccl●siae sibi ●missae The Vicare of Christ is made Bishop ād therf● he is annointed on the head in imitatiō of him who the head of the whole Church and he by the grace the ●nnointing is made the head of the Chu●● committed vnto him So Saint Gregorie Qui S. Gregor mag in c. 10. l. 1. Regum culmine ponitur Sacramenta sus●ipit vnctionis qu● ve ò ipsa vnctio Sacramentum est is qui pr●mou●●● benè soris vngi●ur s●●ntus virtute Sa●ra●ē●● rob●re●● He that is p●a●ed in the top ta●eth the Sacraments ● annointing b●caus● the annointing it selfe is a Sacram● he that is to be promoted is to be ●nnointed well wi●l ●● if he would be str●ng●hned within with the ●e●tue ● the Sacrament An●●● this T●●e he adiudge the Epi●copa●l c●n●●●●ation of the Britan● Scots a●d I●i●h ●● be essentially vali●e S Saint Bede Amal●●●●s S. Iuo Stephant Eduensis and other auntient writers and Expositours of holy mysteries 19. Concerning the Ceremonie of the Booke of Gospels laied vpon the Consecrated though Alcuinus saieth Non reperitur in Alcuinus l●b d● 〈…〉 c. ●● ●uthoritate veteri neque nouâ sed neque in Romanâ ●raditione It is not found in authoritie either auncient ●● newe yea not in the Roman tradition And Ama●arius Neque vetu● authoritas intimat neque Apostolica traditio neque Canoni●a authoritas Neither auncient authoritie neither Aposteli●all tradition nor Canonicall authoritie doth intimate ●ny such thing Yet we find this Cerem●nie to ●aue bene obserued in the time of S. Denis for ●n his booke of the Ecclesiasticall Hiera●chie ●e hath these words Pontifex quidem qui ad perfe●ionem Dionisiu● 〈…〉 virtutemque pontifice dignam eu●●i●ur vt●o●e genu flexo ante altare supra caput habet libros à to traditos manumque pontifi●is The Bishop indeede ●hich is eleuated to worthy perfection and vertue of a ●i●hop kneling on both knees before the Altar hath ●on his head the bookes giuen from God and the hand ● the Bishop Which Ceremonie is also vsed ●ily in the Catholike Church as is to be ●ene in the Rub●iks of the Roman Pontifi●ll for after the ring is put on the finger of ●e newe Consecrated Bishop this direction ●●ntificale ●omanum de Cons●cratione El●cti ●n Episc●●●● giuen Tum Consecrator accipit librum Euangelio●● de spatulis Consecrati Then the Consecratour ta●h the booke of the
Missa●que celebrare t●pro viuis qu● pro de●●eris in nomine Domini And the prayer being endea taking the holy oyle he shall make a Crosse ●● both the hāds of the Priests saying Thou shalt vouchsafē● Lord to conse●●t and sanctifie these hands by this holy ●yntement and our benedi●●ion that whatsoeuer they shall cens●●rat may be ●onsecrated and whatsoeuer they shall ●lesse may be blessed and sanctified in ●he name of our Lord I●sus Christ ●● is finished ●e s●all take the patten with the hoste ●nd Chal●●e with the wine and shall giue it 〈…〉 saying ●ake yea power to offer Sacrifice to God ●nd saye masse as well for the liuing a●●r the dead in the name of our Lord. ●his is the most auntient Pontificall which ●tiquitie hath preserued and del●●ered vnto ● vniformely agreeing with the now vsed ●ntificall in the Roman Church which dif●eth not from but ag●eath with the most ●ntient Manuscript Copies and Examplare ●tant in the most renowned Labraries And ●erefore our old British Antiquities deliuer Manus●● antiq Cap●● in 〈…〉 Histor. 〈…〉 Arthur dip● ap●● Cam. ● for a receiued Tradition ād custome here in other places for the Priests thereof ac●●ding to their Office and Consecration to ●er Sacrifice both for the liuing ād the dead ●t consuetudo tam pro vi●● qu●● defunctis ho● D●o immolare And this was so generall a ●●ued truth and custome in the whole ●●ch from the Apostles time and Tradition ●● them that is was and iustly adiudged Heresie the Protestants thus acknowleging ●ngl Protest in Feild ●●oke● of the Church ● 3. ca. 25. pag. ●●8 Ciu●● 〈◊〉 pag 〈…〉 to denie it Aerius condemned the custome of the Church in naming t●● dead at the Altar and ●ffering the Sacrifice of 〈◊〉 ●or them and for this his rash● and inconsidera●●●oldnesse and presumption in condemning t●e ●●●●e●sall C●urch of C●rist ●● was 〈◊〉 ●o ●●emned So S. Epiphanius S. Augustine Isodorus Dama●c●nus and others demonstrate 10. And for England where holy Priests an● Priest●ood are so greuously persecuted w● thus suc●●ss●uely and without any Interrupti● deduce it in a●● times and changes to the● daies Saint Peter a massing Prieste Bishop● and Apostle preaching and consecrati●● Priests and Bishops here could consecrat a●● ordaine no others but such as were to be ● his owne Order So Saint C●ement his confe●sed massing and Sacri●icing Sucessor dircted to se●d such into these parts Pope Ele●●herius who by his holy Mission of Prie● and Bishops hither conuerted this kingdome being also a Massing Priest and Pop● could send no other P●●ests but such And ● Churches and sacrificing Massing Altars e●ct●d in them all to such vse and end con●sed by all wri●ers Ca●holi●s and Protesta● doe so demonstrate All agree we ●ad q●i●●essesse 〈…〉 Relig●● and agreeme●● 〈◊〉 vntill D●ocl●lian his Persecution wh●n ●●o●g others pers●●u●●ed the holy Pr●●● Massin● Pri●sts as Saint Gildas before ●● proued and others 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Electi Sacerdotes trucidati and they which escaped did as often as they could sai● Masse in places whether they fled to escape da●●ger as in Scotland whether the Persecution did not come ●t not being vnder the Romans We had many Massing Priests as Saint Amph●labus ●odocus Priseus Calanus Ferranus Am●ianus Carno●us ●d others who ●●●ed thith●●●ut of our Britanie now England and were maintained by king Crath●●●●en to ●a●e Masse ●ho founded all things necessarie to such ●urpose Churches Altars Chal●●● P●●ens ●adlesticks and all things else Se● Crathlint●us ●ex sacram Antistitis adem mun●●ibus ornaui● an●●●ssini●s Hect. Boeth 〈◊〉 6 Sco● Hist fol. 99. ●● Calicib●●s Patenis Candelabris al●●sque s●●●lib●● ad sacrorum ●vsum commodis ex argen●o aur●●e fabrefactis Altarique cupro are cla●●●o ●●prouen●●s ad ca●x agris in sacrae aedis vicin●● constitu●● But ●● King Crathline adorn●d the Sacred house of the Bis●p with most ample gifts Chalices Patens Cand●stikes and such like necessaries made of ●●l●er and ●ld for the vse of the Church with an Altar also e●●ased in Copper and Br●se to doe all which he allotte●●yearely rents of the fields neare adioyning to that s●●a house 11. Britanie after this vntill the Pelagian ●●resi● was quiet for Religion and the●●●pe Caelestine who was so ●arre a Massing ●pe and Priest that although the Masse wa●●pisticall before as he Protestants acknow●lge yet he added the Introi●● Graduall ●sponsorie Tract and O●●e●torie vnto it strictly commaunding that Priests shoul● knowe the Popes ●ano● ad ●e sent such Ma●sing Bishops and P●●est with them in●o the●● kingdom●● 〈◊〉 g●●d S●otland and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●●tro●um 〈◊〉 responsorium ●ra●●● 〈…〉 ins●ruit atque vt 〈◊〉 cod●●e● 〈◊〉 Ca●ones scirent ar●●e pr●cep● Cerman●m in 〈◊〉 Palladium in Scott●●● ● P●●r●●ium cum quod●● 〈◊〉 in ●iberniam ●● P●lagianas ●aer●ses 〈◊〉 E●iscopos misi● Caelestin●●●d a●de to the 〈◊〉 all ●asse the Introite C●a●us● Resp●nsori● Tra●●● and Offertorie and be stric● c●mmaunded that the Priests should knowe the Ca●●● of the Bishops He sent Bishops ●erm●nus into 〈◊〉 Pa●●●●ius into ●●otland and Patricius with one Sege● into ●reland that they mig●t extirpate thēce the P●gia ●●erisse All m● acknowledge that these w●● Massing Priests and Bishops and that t●● con●ecrated Such in great numbers bot● England Scotland and Ireland Ne●●usuing neare or in the time of Saint Patri● writeth thus of him Ordinauit Episcopo● tre●●● fexagint● quin●ue aut amplius in quibus sp●●itus ● 〈◊〉 ●rat P●●sbiteros au●em vs●ue ad tr●a 〈◊〉 ●in●●it He conse●ra●ed more then 365. Bi●hops whome wa● the sp●●it of our Lord but P●●●sts 〈◊〉 ●cd ●000 And of The●● diuers we●t so ●a as to Ameri●a ●d there e●ecu●ed their Pri●●●e O●der ●n o●●ering the sacred bodie a●bl●●od of Christ at M●●se on consecra●ed ●●ar● in one place of America were l●uing 〈◊〉 the time of Saint 〈◊〉 〈…〉 ●is life and trauailes allmost 1000. yeare●●ast 24. Priests which were Saint Patricks ●isciples daily hauing Mas●e am●ng them ●nd others in other p●aces Immola●●nt agnu●●a ●macula●um ●mnes ad communionem ven●●bant ●●entes Ho● sacrum corpus Dom●n● Saluatoris s●●●ite sanguinem vo●●s in vitam ●ternam● They sacri●ed the imma●ulate Lawbe● and all came to the Com●union saying Ta●e yea this bodie and blood of our ●●d and Sauiour which will be to you l●se euerla●●g And to manifest vnto all the vndoubted ●uth of Saint B●●ndans trauai●es and rela●n of these things i● is set downe in memo●ble Antiquities diuers h●ndred● of ●eares fore the Spa●iards or Por●ugals enterance to America that there it was thus Prophe●ally reuealed vnto him Post 〈◊〉 Anneru●●●●cul● d●●larabitur ist● te●r● vestris Successo●●●us 〈◊〉 Christiano●●●n super●ene●i● 〈◊〉 After ●● yeares this land shall be discouered ●● your Su●●urs wh● P●rs●●●tion ●hall come 〈◊〉 the Christians 2. That S. German S. Lupus S. Seue●● S. Paladius and all th●se which S. Ce●●ne that Massing Pop● s●nt hither into Br●●●ie were Massing Bishops and Priests as al●●
S. Asaph had vnder each of ●em 960. wherof aboue ●60 were Aposto●ke Preachers and y●t to speake euen in our ●emies words Being 〈◊〉 into companies they ●ended the service of God in the Church in such 〈◊〉 day and night perpetually seruice was there con●ued some while by some and other ●hile by others ●ording to an order by him S. Kentegern esta●shed and set downe 4. And although in some parte amongst ●e Britans afflicted 〈◊〉 Pagans Inoasions ●d cohabitation with them t●●s great pi●tie ●d deuotion was ●●caied not long before S. Augustines comming hither from S. Gr●gorie then Pope yet many o●●hese with the holy Disciples as S. Brendan Vuandilocu● Gomogillus Kentegernus Asaphus an● others still continued in their Apostolike p●ritie and perfection together with all o● three Archbish●ps of Brita●ie many Bi●hops and Priests thereof in the same fait● and Religiō which they receiued in our fi● Conuersiō some Ceremonies onely of whic● the obseruation of Easter was the greatest question●d with some of them but no materiall and ess●ntiall points at all And such w● their holinesse euen here in Britanie whe● into the Pagans were entered that to exe●plifie in one place of Glastenburie who● Church●yard there vpon was called Tumul● Sanctorum The Sepulcher of Saints thousands ● Saints Millia were interred there before th● yeare of Christ 550. The old Antiquities ● Glastenburie recompt 104000. Cum centu● qua●uor millibu● and adde that the Church yar● it being one of the greatest in compasse and the Altars aboue on and vnder the● are so full of holy Relicks that there was ●● spa●e place to be founde Non in toto illo Coen●● terio à profund●●ate 16. pedum vsqi ad eius superficie● à Sanctorum cinerilus habetur lo●us vacuu● In ● that Church●yard for 16. Foot de●pe to the superfic● or top the●of no place was found voyed of the ashes ● Saints And not onely Churches and Church yards were esteemed thus holy for the Bodie● of so many Saints buried in them but whole Countries and Ilands for and ●rom the Sanctirie of so many miraculous British Saint●●iuing in thē tooke and doe keepe still their ●ames of holy Iles Lands and the lik● And ●o great was the Sanctitie learned and Apostolike glorie of these our British Bishops Culdeys Priests ād Religious in those times ●hat we may almost saie of them as the Scrip●ure saied of the Apostles In omnem terram exi●it sonus corum in sines orbis terrae verba eorum ●nto all the earth hath the sound of them gone forth ●nd vnto the end of the whole world the worde of ●hem They preached in all or almost all the Manuscript antiq S. Asap● Capgr in vit S. Kenteg●r Bal. scrip-Brit ●●tu ● in Kē● Godw. Cata. epis in Asaph Kentegr Saxonic leges antiq inter leg S. Edwardi Regis Gu●●●am●ard l d● p●is● Anglor ●●gib world more then we finde deliuered of any Apostolike Clergie men or any Religious since then 5. All the world knoweth their preaching ●nd preuailing in all Britanie Ireland and all Ilands To the Caledonians Athals Ho●ests Orchadians Norwegians Islandians ●y Papall authoritie and of Saint Gregorie ●imself It is cōtained in our old Saxon pub●ick lawes many hundred yeares old that ●hey preached with like Commission before ●hat time in Island Greenland accompted part of America Scantia Norwegia Sne●horda Gutlandia or Iutland Dacia Seme●andia Winlandia Curlandia Roe Femelādia Wirelandia Flandria Cherrela Lappa Lapland omnes terras Insulas Orientalis O●eani vsque Russiam multas alias Insulas vl●●a Scantiam vsquedum sub Septentrione and all other Ilands and Lands to Russia in the East and many other Ilands beyond Scantia in the North. Yf we turne from the East and North to West euē the West India or that America we finde in the old Manuscrip●e Author that wrote S. Brendans trauailes and life Capgraue and others that many Apostolike Priests consecrated by Saint Patrick that great Apostolik man went thither preached liued and died there If we turne South to make a circuite we had in Saint Peters time our Saint Mansuetus his Disciple an Apostolik Preacher in Germanie and Bishop of Trull in Loraine We had in the same age our blessed Beatus cons●crated at Rome by Saint Peter or presently after Preacher and Apostle of the Heluetians We had Saint Lucius or Lucian by some Conuertor and Apostle of the Bauarians as they acknowledge VVe had our S. C●lumbanus S. Gallus S. Kilianus Totnanus the both Ewaldi Furseus Foillanus Vltanus Offa or Offo VVitbertus or VVictbertus S. VVillibrodus and his eleuen Associats Schollers to S. Egbert of our old British Apostolick Order S. VVyrus Saint Plechelmus Egelbertus Saint Dysibodius with many in his companie of his Associats All these were of our old Apostolicall Priests and Religious Order here before any other Order came into Britanie who as Apostolike men with Papall authoritie preached in Gallia Almania Italia Franconia Bauaria Thuringia Ha●sia Frisia Dania and other Countries diuers of them by Papal power were consecrated Bishops others Abbots ●nd in other degrees they founded Monaste●ies ad Religious houses in great nūber which ●ould not be of any other Order thē in which ●heir founders and Rules were trained vp ●nd professed in to wit that our most aun●ient holy and learned British Order 6. This our Protestant Persecutours them●lues acknowledge who speakin● of Ban●or a Monasterie of our British order here ●nd of S. Columban and Brendan two Dis●iples of Cōgellus Abbot thereof they testifie ●at S ●ernardus hunc locum tradit primum exti●ss Bernard in 〈…〉 Io. B●l. Sc●●ptor Brit. centur 〈◊〉 ●ong●llo Menasteriorum caput multa generauisse Mo●●horum nullia Huius Discipuli fuere plures quo●m Columbanus Galliam Germaniam ●●aliam ●en●anus v●ro Hiberniam Scotiam Monacho●m habitaculi● implcuit Saint Bernard relateth this ●ace to haue bene the head and chiefist of Monasteries ●d to haue begotten many thousands of Monckes ma● were his Disciples of whom Columbanus filled ●ance Germanie and Italie Brendan Ireland and ●otland with habitations of Monckes To these I ●ight adde that renowned Archbishop and ●postolike Legate Arc●bishop of Moguntia ●int Boniface and his holy companie and ●artyrs with him who being a child but of ●ue yeares old was brought vp by our Apo●olik Priests ad after entered into the Monasteries of Exancester with vul●hardus à Moncke of our old British Order and after into the Monasterie of Huntscelle vnder Winbert Abbot of the same profession where he liued a long tim● and afterwards going into Germanie being and Abbot there he spen● diuers yeares in preaching before he wen● to Rome in the time of Pope Gregorie th● second by whom he was ordained Bishop ● Archbishop and Legate in the yeare of Chri● 719. and li●ed vntill he was martyred in th● yeare 754. the 36. yeare of his being Bisho● with 53. others Cum alijs quinquaginta tribu● Matthew of