Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
england_n french_a great_a king_n 16,597 5 4.3459 3 true
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A16161 The Protestants evidence taken out of good records; shewing that for fifteene hundred yeares next after Christ, divers worthy guides of Gods Church, have in sundry weightie poynts of religion, taught as the Church of England now doth: distributed into severall centuries, and opened, by Simon Birckbek ... Birckbek, Simon, 1584-1656. 1635 (1635) STC 3083; ESTC S102067 458,065 496

There are 12 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

By whose Councel and procurement the Peeres whom she had corrupted shut up her sonne Constantine the Emperour in the palace where he was borne and there they put out his eyes so that he died of hearts griefe Thus they put out the eyes of him that saw and set up Images that have Eyes and see not and all this was done saith the story that her sonne being deposed she might 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rule alone But this dec●ee of the Nicen Synod repealed by that at Frankford was not halfe so bad as that which followed when Aquinas set up Schoole and taught That the Crucifixe an● Image of Christ must be adored with the same honour that hims●lfe is to wit with Latria or divine Honour whereas those Nice Fathers haply stood but for veneration or outward reverence of Images in passing by them or s●anding before them as friends use to salute or embrace one another Howsoever the Nicen d●●r●e was r●j●cted as repu●nant to the doctrine of G●ds Church by the P●inc●s and bish●ps of England fi●● about the yeere 792. And by Charles th● Great afte●w●rd a●d by the b●sh●ps of Italie France and Germany which by his appointment were gathered together in the Frankford Counce● in the yeare 794. Rog●r Hovede● saith ●harl●s the French King sent a Synod●ll i●to Britaine directed unto him from Constantinople in the which booke many things out alas inconvenient an●●epugnant to right faith were found especially it was con●●●med a most by the unanimous consent of all the Eastern Doctors ●o l●sse than three hundred or more that Images ought to ●e worshipped which thing the Church of God doth altogether d●test agains● which Synodall b●oke Albinus wrote an Epistle m●rveilouslie con●irmed by authoritie of divine Scripture and ca●ried the same to the French King together with the fore s●●d booke in the name of our Bishops and Princes H●n●marus Bishop of Rhemes living at the same time s●ith In the time of the Emperor Charles by the command of the See Apostolike there was a generall Councell called by the Emperour wherein according to the pathway of Scripture and tradition of ancestors the Greekes false Synod was destroyed● and wholl● ab●ogat●d touching the repealing whereof the●e was a just Volumne sent from the Emperour to Rome which my selfe have read in the Pallace when I was a yo●g man saith Hin●marus ●he same also i● testified by others namely Ado Rh●g●o and Cassander a moderat Pontifician and King Charles speaking of this Synod sayth that be●●g destitute of Scripture proo●e they betooke themselves to Apoc●●yphall and ridiculous toyes PA. This Booke is forged under the name of Carolus Magnus PRO. Indeed we were not at the making thereof yet thus much we can witnesse that your Champion Eckius saith Charles wrote foure books touching Images and Austine Steuchus the Popes Library-keeper presseth some things out of those Caroline bookes making as hee thinks for his masters advantage Cassander saith That in his time there was a copy of those Caroline books in the Vaticane Librarie and in divers places of France and that Hincmarus Bishop of Rhemes mentions those foure Caroline bookes Besides they were lately to be seene in the Palatines Library at Heidelberg but are now conveyed to Rome where yet for all Charlemaignes greatn●sse th●y h●●e sued out a Prohibition against him And his book● are forbidden in the Romane Index first published by Pius the fourths command enlarged by Sixtus Quintus and r●viewed and published by Clement the eight Howsoever you see and Baronius confes●eth that the most learned an●●amous of these times speake against this Nicen decree PAP The Councel of Frankford and Paris under Lewis the first and other learned men mistooke the d●finition of th● Nicen Councel and therein erred● yet no● i● a m●tter of doctrine but a matter of fact say Geneb●ard and Bellarmine PRO. There be of their owne side as learned as they whi●h mislike this excuse to wit Suarez and Vasques so tha● it seemes they are not agreed of their verdict nor who shall speake for them PA. Bellarmine saith That the Pope confirmed the Frankford C●uncell in one part and canc●lled it in another to wit in that poynt touching adoration of Images whereunto the Popes Legates never consented PRO. This b●wrayes the Popes partiall d●aling to make the Counc●l onely to serve his owne turne But what if it wa●ted ●is approbation the thi●d Canon of the Chalced●n Counc●l that gave the See of Constantinople the precedence b●f●re other Patriarkes as the n●xt after the Bishop of Rome was opposed by Pope Leo's L●gat●s and yet the Canon was decreed and pass●d and the Councell is held for Generall howsoever the P●pes Legates contradicted it For they were to bee ruled by the maior part of the Councels votes neither doe wee find that anciently the Pope had a negative or casting voice in Councels And therefore the Chalcedon Councel notwithstanding the Popes opposition professeth Haec omnes dicimus This is all our vote and tota Synodus the whole Councel hath confirmed this Canon for the honour of the See of Constantinople and accordingly the whole Councel wrote to Pope Leo. PA. Could the later Councel at Frankford repeale the former at Nice PRO. Very well for as Saint Austine saith Even full and plenarie Councels themselves may be amended by the later Neither doth he meane it in matter of fact but in point of doctrine for Austine there speakes of Re●aptization and ●m●ndari is as much as è mendis purgari to be rectified wherein it erred and not onely to be Explaned PA. Would Charles who loved Pope Adrian so dearely write against him so sharply or the See of Rome which by the hands of Leo the third crowned Charles Emperour of the West endure that Charles should condemne Images PRO. Charles might love the See of Rome and yet expresse his judgement in the point of Images neither doe we doubt but that Charles and Pipin would have condemned the Popes proceedings therein more expressely but they could not meddle with the poynt of state without quarrelling the Pope in a matter of the Church so that as Saint Austine saith of the old Romans That they bare downe many desires for the excessive desire they had of one thing to wit Soveraignty and Dominion so the bishops of Rome desirous to keepe their new purchases of Lumbardie and Ravenna which Charles and Pipin had procured them thought it not fit to contend with their new and potent favorites For so it was when the Emperour Leo the third desirous to abolish Image worship which then was creeping in had caused them to be defaced and thereupon did punish some who withstood it Gregorie the second excommuuicated him Forbidding the Italians to pay him tribute or to obey him upon this sentence and exhibition of the Pope a great part of Italie rebelled against their Emperour
That which maketh strongly against the Papacie For now a dai●s this Stile of Vniversall Bishop which Gregorie held to b●e the Harbinger of Antichrist is brought in as a maine proofe of the Popes Supremacie Neither could Gregorie restraine his Successors from bearing this Title for Boniface the third who next save one succeeded Gregorie Obtained of Phocas the Emperour not without great contention that the See of Rome should bee call●d the head of all Churches being the same place of preheminence in ●ffect which Iohn in Gregories time so much affected Now by this the Reader may perceive and that from the tongue and pen of one of their best Popes that were since his time that in Gregories judgement his successours that enjoy this swelling Title and transcendent power are proved to be Antichristian Bishops Lastly the Reader may observe who it was that gave the Pope this jurisdiction it was even that usurper Phocas who murthered his master Maurice the Emper●ur and then conf●rred this prophane Title on Pope Boniface a fit Chapleine for such a Pa●ron Hitherto wee have treated of Saint Gregories Faith and visited the Colledge of Bangor the Foundation whereof is ascribed to King Lucius from whose time unto the entra●ce of Austine the Monke 438. yeares were ●xpired In all which space the Christian Faith was both taught and imbraced in this Iland notwithstanding the continuall persecutions of the Romans Huns Picts and S●xons which last made such desolation in th● outward face of the Church that they drove the Chri●●●●n bishops into the Deserts of Cornwaile and Wa●es in which number were the bishops of London and Yorke Now by their labours the Gospell was repla●ted amongst the Inhabitants of those vast Moun●taines and farther spread it selfe into these Northerne parts what time as Edwin and Oswald Kings of Northumbe●land sent for Saint Aidan and Finan into Scotland to convert their Subjects to the Faith PA. What were this Aidan and Finan PRO. They were the worthy instruments which the Lord raised up for the good of our countrey for by the ministery of Aidan was the kingdome of Northumberland recovered from Paganisme whereunto belonged then beside the shire of Northumberland and the lands beyond it unto Edenborrough Frith Cumberland also and Westmoreland Lancashire Yorkshire and the Bishopricke of Durham And by the meanes of Finan not onely the kingdome of the East-Saxons which contained Essex Middlesex and halfe of Hertfordshire regained but also the large kingdome of Mercia with the shires comprehended under it was first converted unto Christianitie so that these two for their extraordinarie holinesse and painefulnesse in preaching the Gospel were ●xceedingly reverenced by all that knew them Aidan especially Who although hee could not keepe Easter saith Bede contrary to the manner of them which sent him yet hee was carefull diligently to performe the works of Faith Godlin●sse and Love after the manner used by all holy men whereupon hee was worthily beloved of all even of them also who thought otherwise of Easter than hee did and was reverenced not onely of the meaner ranke but of the Bishops themselves Honorius of Canterbury and Felix of the East-Angles In this Age also was held the sixt generall Councell at Constantinople summoned by the Emperours commandement it was called against the heresie of the Monothelites and therein Honorius the Pope was accursed for a Monothelite It was the●e also decreed that the See of Constantinople should enj●● equall priviledges with the See of Rome And whereas some Canons were alleadged for restraint of Priests marriage they were opposed by this Councel and the Church of Rome is in expresse termes taxed for urging them And upon paine of deposition to the gainsayers it was decreed That the marriage of Ecclesiasticall persons was a thing lawfull and that their conjugall cohabitation stood with the Apostolike Canons was an ancient tradition and orderly constitution And in case continencie were enjoyned it was not perpetuall but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the proper turnes or courses of their ministery so that the restraint of Priests from marrying neither is nor ever was conceived to be saith learned bishop Andrews but Positivi juris which being restrained upon good reason it might upon as good reason be released and Pope Pius the second was of opinion That there was better reason to release them then to restraine them and so were divers other at the Councell of Trent if there had beene faire play and yet Iesuit Coster holds that a Priest offends greatly if he commit fornication Gravius tamen peccat but he offends more grievouslie if he marry PA. This Councel was neither the Sixt nor generall PRO. Caranza and Balsamon call it both sixth and generall We grant indeed that to speake precisely the sixt Synod under Constantine the fourth published no Canons but afterwards divers of the same Fathers which had formerly met in the sixt Synod they and others to the number of 227 being called together by the then penitent and restored Emperour Ius●inian gathered up and set for●h the Canons formerly made and by them re-enforced and Balsamon saith that Basilius Bishop of Gortyna the Metropolis of Creete which was then under the Arch-bishop of Rome and the Bishop of Ravenna were there to represent the Roma●e Church The truth is your Romanists cannot endure t●is G●eeke Councel because it sets the Patriarke of Constantinople cheeke by joule with the Romane Bishop In a word if some Canons of this Councel be justly excepted against this mak●s not against us for wee warrant not all that goes u●d●r tha● Councels name nor them that once spoke truth from ever erring And it seemes Gratian he Monke hath beene a tampering with the Canon alleadged for in one of Gratians Editions we reade thus Let not Constantinople bee magnified as much as Rome in matters Ecclesiasticall and in another Let Constantinople be advanced as well as Rome And now have we surveyed the first sixe generall Councels and found them to have beene called by the Emperour and not by the Pope and yet Bellarmine now a dayes denyes this power to godly Princes and would conferre it on the Pope THE EIGHTH CENTVRIE From the yeare of Grace 700. to 800. PAPIST WHat say you to this eighth Age PROTESTANT This Age was beholden to our nation which afforded such worthies as venerable Bede the honour of England and mirrour of his time for learning as also his Scholler Alcuinus counted one of the Founders of the Universitie of Paris and Schoole-master to Charles the Great by whom or his procurement were written tho●e Libri Carolini King Charles his bookes opposing the second Nicen Synod which stood for Image worship Now also lived Antonie the Monke and Damascen one that laid the foundation of Schoole-divinitie among the Greekes as Peter Lombard afterward did among the Latines he was indeed a Patron of
professors commonly called Waldenses There was also in England in the time of Henry the first for his knowledge surnamed Beau-clerke or fine scholler great contention touching investitures or the collation of Bishoprickes When Thurstan elect Archbishop of Yorke received his consecration from the Pope the King understanding thereof forbad him to come within his Kingdomes This contention betweene the Crowne and the Mitre was ho●ly pursued betweene King Henry the second and Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury it was partly occasioned by one Philip de Broc Canon of Bedford who being questioned for a murder he used some reproachfull speeches to the Kings Iustices for which he was censured and I finde that in these dayes as the Monke of N●wborrough who then lived saith the abuses of Church men were growne to a great height insomuch as the Iudges complayned in the Kings presence that there were many robberies and rapes and murthers to the number of an hundred committed within the Realme by Ecclesiasticall persons upon presumption of exemption from the censure of the lawes Herewith the King was so highly displeased that he required that Iustice should be ministred alike unto all sine delectu saith Novoburgensis and Roger Hoveden saith the Kings pleasure was that such of the Cleargie as were taken in any murther robberie or felonie should be tryed and adjudged in his temporall Courts as Lay-men were but the Archbishop would have the Cleargie so off●nding tryed onely in the spirituall Courts and by men of their owne coate who if they were convict should at first onely be deprived of their benefices but if they should againe be guilty of the like they should be adjudged at the Kings pleasure But the King stood upon his Leges Avitae his Grandfathers lawes and customes which were indeed the auncient lawes of this realme not first enacted by the Conqueror but onely confirmed by him and received from his predecessors Edgar the peaceable and Alfred the learned Prince and accordingly the King in a great assembly at Clarendon confirmed the foresaid lawes of his Grandfather and enacted that none should appeale to the Sea of Rome for any cause whatsoever without the Kings License That it should not be lawfull for any Archbishop or Bishop to depart the Realme and repaire to the Pope upon his summons without the Kings license That Clerkes criminous should be tryed before secular Iudges By this we finde two maine branches of Papal Iurisdiction to wit Appeales and the exemption of Clergie men from being tryed in causes criminall before Christian Magistrates strongly opposed by the King and the State PA● Name your men for this age PROT. There were divers worthies who ●lourished in this age namely Hugo de Sancto victore a second Augustine as Trithemius calleth him Zacharias Chrysopolitanus Saint Bernard Abbot of Clarevaux Robert Abbot of Duits in Germany usually called Rupertus Tuitiensis Peter Abbot of Clugni usually called Petrus Cluniacensis ●oachim Abbot of Courace of the order of the Cistertians a man very famous in this age and thought to have had a propheticall spirit Petrus Blesensis Peter of Bloix Archdeacon of Bath and Chancellour of Canterbury a man for his pleasant wit and learning in great favour with the Princes and Prelates of his time and of inward acquaintance with Iohn of Salisbury Bishop of Chartres Now also the Schoolemen began to arise of whom Peter Lombard Master of the Sentences was the first who was afterward made Bishop of Paris Aventine saith he hath heard of his Masters Iames Faber of Estaples and Iodocus Clichtoveus above a thousand times that this Lumbard had troubled the pure fountaine of Divinity with muddy questions and whole rivers of opinions and this saith he experience doth sufficiently teach us if we be not wilfully blinde And yet some of their distinctions being purged from barbarisme and cleerely applyed to the point in question may be of good use especially when as according to the proverbe we can eate the Dates and cast out their stones and herein Zanchius and Iunius were excellent It is reported that Lumbard Gratian and Comestor three pillers of Poperie Gratian for the Cannon law Comestor for the history of the Church and Lumbard for Schoole-divinity were three bastards borne of one woman who in her sickenesse comming to confession could not be drawne to be sorry for this her incontinuencie but thought shee had done well in bearing those great lights of the Church whereunto her confessour replyed that that was not hers but Gods gift they proved such great scholler however she was to be sorry for her fault and be heartily sorry for this that she could not sorrow and lament as she should One of these brothers was called Comestor as it were booke-eater because he was such a Helluo librorum a devourer of bookes as if booke learning had beene his ordinary food and repast he had the Bible so perfectly by heart as though he had swallowed it Now what opinion was held of the Papacie may be seene by the testimonies of such of their owne as were famous in this age Iohannes Sarisburiensis had a conference with Pope Adrian the fourth called Nicholas Breake-speare an English man which himselfe hath l●ft us in writing I remember saith he I we●t ●nto Apulia to visit Pope Adrian the fourth who admitted me into great familiarity and inquired of me what opinion men had of him and of the Roman Church I plainely layd open unto him the evill words I had heard in d●vers Provinces for thus it is sayd The Church of Rome whic● is mother of all Churches behaveth her selfe towards others not as a mother but as a stepdame The Pope saith he laughed at it and thanked me for my liberty of speech The same Iohn of Sarisbury saith that th●y wholy apply themselves unto wickednes that they may seeme Concilium vanitatis a Councell of vanity the wicked Synagogue of the Gentiles ecclesia malignantium the Church of the envious and evill doers Peter of Bloyes describeth unto us in the person of an Officiall the fashion and manner of the Church of Rome For as much saith he as I love thee in the Bowels of Iesus Christ I thought good to exhort thee with wholesome admonitions that thou in time depart from Vr of the Chaldees from the midst of Babylon and leave the mysterie of this most damnable stewardship Richard the first King of England and Philip the second of France being on their voyage to Ierusalem and comming into Sicilie and there hearing of Abbot Ioachim who was thought to have the gift of Prophe●ie they desired to know of him what successe they should have in this their expedition the Abbot saith Paulus Aemilius answered they should not then recover it and therein hee proved too true a Prophet besides this they heard him expound the vision of Saint Iohn in the Apocalypse touching the Churches afflictions
say it was not onely apparant enough in the Greeke and Easterne Churches and in such as had made an open separation from the Romish corruptions such as were in these Westerne parts the W●ldenses Wickle●i●ts and Hussites but it was also within the community of the Romish Church it selfe even there as in a large field grew much good corne among tares and weeds there as in a great b●rne heape or garner was preserved much pure graine mixed with store of chaffe Object I except against that you have said Master Brereley cals it a Ridle To say your Church was under the Papacie as wheat is under the chaffe and yet the Papacie was not the true Church Answer It is no Enigma or Ridle it being all one in effect as to say the Christian Church at our Saviours comming and after consisting of Ioseph and Mary Simeon and Anna the Shepherds and the Sages Christs disciples and others was in and under the Iewish Church consisting of Scribes and Pharisees who with their false glosses and vaine traditions had corrupted the Law of God was not sanum membrum a sound part of Gods Church but as our Saviour saith Like sheepe without a Shepheard Mark 6.34 Object You say your Church was under the papacie but the papacie was not the true Church by the like reason you may say that the hidden Church of God is preserved among the Turkes can there be a Church without an outward ministerie Answer It followeth not and the reason of the difference is because amongst the Turkes there is not that meanes of salvation inasmuch as they have not given their names to Christ but the true Church of God may bee preserved withi● the Romish Church in as much as they have the Scriptures though in a strange tongue as also Baptisme● and lawfull ordination and the like helpes which God in all ages used that his Elect might begathered out of the midst of Babylon And whereas you urge an outward and publike ministery this maketh nothing against the Church of England which for substance hath the same descent of outward ordination with the Roman Church neither can any man shew a more certaine pedegree from his great Grand father than our Bishops and Pastors can f●om su●h Bishops as your Church accounts canon●call in the time of King Henry the eight and upward such ●a●re evidence can wee produce for an outward and publ●ke mi●istery in the Church of England and such ordination wee hold very necessary and yet in case it cannot be had Gods children by their private reading and meditation of that which they have formerly learned may supply the defect of a publike ministery even as some Christians at this day being sl●ves in Turky or Barbarie may be saved wi●hout externall ministery but this is in case of extremity for us we never wanted a standing ministery Neither did the Waldenses Wickliv●sts and Hussites for so I call them for distinction sake ever want an outward and lawfull ministery amongst them for the administration of the word and Sacraments● Object You say your Professors communicated with the Roman Church but did not partake in her errours as you call them did they not joyne with them in the Mass● and the Letanies of the Saints and the like Answer The thing wee say is this that howsoever they outwardly communica●ed with Rome yet divers of them misliked in their heart their grosser erro●s they groaned under the Babylonish yoake and desired reformation besides many of them were ignorant of the depth and mysterie of poperie Object If your Protestant Church were in b●ing at and before Luthers appearing then did such as were members thereof either make profession thereof or not if they did tell us their names and where they did so if they did not then were they but dissemblers in Religion according to that of Saint Paul Rom. 10.10 and our Saviour Math. 10.33 Answer I will but take what your Rhemists grant and re●o●t your owne argument they say That the Catholike Church in their time was in England although it had no publike government nor open free exercise of holy function whence I argue thus if their Roman Church had any being at that time in England then their Priests and Iesuits either made publike profession of their faith or not if they made open profession why then did they goe in Lay-mens habits and lurke in corners if they made not open prof●ssion then were they but dissemblers Besides I have already given you in a Catalogue of our professors who within the time mentioned witnessed that truth which wee maintaine by their writings confessi●ns and Martyrdom Now for us wee have rejected nothing but popery wee have willingly departed from the Communion of their errors and additions to the faith but from the Communion of the Church wee never departed In a word there were some who openly and constantly withstood the errours and cor●uptions of their time and sealed with their bloud that truth● which they with us professed others dissented from the same errours but did not with the like courage opp●se themselves such as would s●y to their friends in private Thus I would say in the Schooles and openly Sed maneat inter nos diversum sentio but keepe my Councel I thinke the contrary PA. Was not the Masse publickly used in all Churches at L●thers a●pearin● was Protestancie then so much as in being saith Master B●e●ely PRO. If by a Protestant Church saith learned Doctor Field we me●ne a Church beleeving and teaching in all poin●s as Protestants doe and beleeving and teaching nothing but that they doe the Latine or West Church wherein the Pope ●yran●ized before Luthers time was and continu●d a true Protestant Church for it taught as we doe it condemned the superstition wee have removed it groaned under the yoke of tyranny which wee have cast off howsoever there were many in the mid●t of her that brought in and maintained superstition and advanced the Popes Supremacie But if by a Protestant Church they understand a Church that not onely dislikes and complaines of Papal usurpation but also abandon●th it and not onely teacheth all necessary and saving truth but suff●reth none within her jurisdiction to teach otherwise wee confesse that no part of the Westerne Church was in this sort a P●otestant Church till a Reformation was begun of evils formerly dislik●d Now whereas it is obj●ct●d that the Masse wherein they say many chiefe poin●s o● their R●ligion are comprehended was publickely u●ed at Luthers appearing It is answered by Doctor Field that th● usi●g o● the Masse as the publicke Liturgie is no good proofe inasmuch as manifold abuses in p●actice besides and contrary to th● word of the Canon and the in●en●●●● of them that first compo●ed the same● have cre●t into i● as also sundry Apocryphall thi●gs have slipt into the publicke Service of the Church these things will b●tter appeare by ●articular instances Concerning private
tuta Lond. 1632. Nichol. Lyrani opera in 6 tom Paris 1590. M. Saint Macharij Homiliae in tom 2. Biblioth Sanct. Patr. edit secund per Marg. de la Bigne Paris 1589. Iehan le Maire de la difference des Scismes des Concilles de l' eglise A. Paris 1528. Gul. Malmesburiens de Gest. Reg. Anglor Fr. 1601. De Gest. Pontif. Anglor Fr. 1601. Bapt. Mantuani opera Par. 1513. Manuale ad usum Eccles. Sarisbur Rothomagi 1554. Pet. Martyr defensio doctrinae de Eucharistiâ advers Gardiner 1562. ●ran Mason of the Consecration of Bishops in the Church of England Lond. 1613. Papyr Massoni Annales Lutetiae 1577. S. Maximi Taurinensis Homiliae variae Colon. 1618. Rich. Montague now Lord Bishop of Chichester his treatise of the Invocation of Saints Lond. 1624. Galfr. Monumetens de Reg. Brit. H●idelb 1587. Philip Morney of the mysterie of iniquitie Lond. 1612. Tho. Morton now L. Bishop of Darham his Catholike Appeale for Protestants Lond. 1610. Of the Grand Imposture of the now Church of Rome London 1628. Of the Masse London 1631. His Answer to the English Baron London 1633. Pet. Moulin's Apologie for the Lords Supper Lond. 1612. Waters of Siloe Oxford 1612. Ioan. a Munster in Vortlage Haereditarij Nobilis discurs●s Francof 1621. Cornel. Musso in Epist. ad Rom. Venet. 1588. Martin Mylius his Apothegmata Morientium Hamburg 1593. N. Napier on the Revelation London 1611. Mart. ab Azpilcueta Navarrus his Enchirid. Confessarior Romae 1588. Opera Navarri tom 3. Lugd. 1597. Gregor Nazianzeni opera Graec. Lat. Lut. 1609. Lat. 3. tom Basil. 1571. Gul. Newbrigens de rebus Anglic. Antuerp 1567. Nicetas Choniates his Annal. Basil. 1557. Nilus de Primatu Hanov. 1608. Gregor Nysseni Opera Graec. Latin tom 2. Paris 1615. O. Gul. de Ockam liber Dialogor Lugd. 1495. Idem in Sentent Lugd. 1495. Oecumenius in Acta Apostolor Epist. sept Canonicas omnes D. Pauli Gr. Veronae 1532. The Office of the B. Virgin at Saint Omers 1621. Officium B. Mariae Pij V. jussu Edit Antuerp 1590. Olympiodor in Ecclesiasten in Biblioth Patr. Paris 1589. Optatus ex Bibliopolio Commeliniano 1599. Origenis opera tom 2 Basil. 1557. Ejusdem contrà Celsum Graec. Latin Aug●st Vindel. 1605. P. ●ac Pamelij Litu●gica Latinor 2. tom Colon. 1571. Io. Panke his Collectanea out of Saint Gregory and Saint Bernard Oxford 1618. Gul. Parisiens Opera Venet. 1591. Math. Parisiens Histor. major Anglicana London 1571. Th●ee Conversions of England by Rob. Parsons 1 part 1603. The third part 1604. Paschasius de Corpor. Sanguine Dom. in tom 4. Biblioth Patr. Paris 1575. Marsil Patavinus his Defensor Pacis Basil. 1566. Bene● Pererius in Daniel Lugd. 1602. Will. Perkins Exposition on the Creed Cambridge 1596. Il Pe●rarea nuovamente In Venetia 1600. Franc. Petrarchae opera Basil. 158● Philo Iudaeus in lib. Mosis Gr. Par. 1552. Ioan. Pici Io. Franc. Pici opera Basil. 1601. Alb●rti Pighij Controvers Colon. 1545. Baptista Platina de vitis Pontif. Romanor Colon. 1593. Plutarchi vitae Lat Basil. 1573. Anton Possevini Apparat. in tom 2. Colon. 1608. Doctor Ch●istopher Potter his Answer to Charitie mistaken Oxford 1633. Gabr. Powell Disputatio de Antichristo London 1605. Gabr. Prateolus his Elenchus Haereticor Colon. 1569. Primasius in Epist. Pauli Paris 1543. Prosper Aquitanic opera Colon. 1609. R. Rabanus Maurus de Clericor Institutione Colon. 1532. De Sacram. Fucharistiae Colon. 1551. In Ieremiam Basil. 1544. Doctor Rainolds Conference with Hart. London 1588. Del dol●latriâ Romanae Eccles. Oxon. 1596. I●ann Rainoldi Theses cum Apologiâ London 1602. Regino Chron. inter Germanicar rerum Chronograph Francof 1566. A Rejoynder to Iesuite Malone's Reply Dublin 1632. Reinerus contrà Waldenses ex Manu-scripto Codice per Iacob Gretzer Ingolstad 1614. Remigius in Epistola Pauli in tomo 5. mag Biblioth vet Patr. The Rhemists Testament with Doctor Fulkes Annotations London 1589. Beat. Rhenanus de reb Germaniae Basil. 1551. Franc. Ribera his Commentar in Apocalyps Antuerp 1602. Andr. Rivet Critici sacri Genevae 1626. Ioan. Roffens Quaere Fisherius Ruffinus Presbyter his Opuscula Par. 1580. Rupert Tuitiens de Victoriâ Verbi Dei Norimbergae 1525. Ruperti Tuitiens opera Colon. 1602. S. Sacranus de Russor Muscovit Religione Spirae 1580. Cl. de Sainctes de reb Eucharist Controvers Paris 1575. Ioan. Sarisburiens Policratic in tom 15. mag Biblioth vet Patr. Colon. 1622. Hieron Savonarolae Expositio in Psal. 50. Basil. 1540. Ejusdem expositio Oration Dominicae 1615. Conrad Schlusselburg de Theolog. Calvinist Franco● 1594. Claudius Scotus in Evang. S. Pauli Epist. cited by Bishop Vsher of the ancient Irish Religion London 1631. Io. Duns Scotus his opera in MS. Manuscript in Biblioth Mertonensi Oxoniae Io. Duns Scotus in Sentent Venet. 1597. Sedulius Scotus in Epist. Pauli Basil. 1528. Abra. Scultetus his Medulla Patrum pars secunda Ambergae 1606. Sixtus Senens Biblioth Sancta Paris 1610. Iean de Serres Inventaire general de l' Histoire in 3. Tom. Paris 1600. Sulpit. Severi Histor. sacra Colon. 1573. Claudius Seysellus advers Sectam Valdens Paris 1520. Sigibert de Illustrib Eccles. Scriptorib Colon. 1580. Sigeberti Chron. Paris 1583. Sigismund lib. Baro in Herborstan rerum Muscovit Com. Basil. 1556. Carol. Sigoni●s de Regno Italiae Fr. 1591. Io. Sleidani Comment Argentor 1566. Smaragdus Abbas apud Math. Flac. Illyric in Catalogo Test. Verit. lib. 11. Ioh. Speed his Hi●torie of Great Britaine London 1614. Thom. Stapleton de Iustificat P●ris 1582. Ejusdem Principia Doct●inalia Antuerp 1596. Statutes from King Henry the third unto the first yeare of King Henry the eighth London 1564. Didac Stella his Commentar in Lucam Antuerp 1600. Augustini Steuchi Opera Venet. 1591. Iohn Stow● the Annalls of England London 1600. Walafr Strabo de reb Ecclesiast in Biblioth Patr. Paris 1589● The Papists Supplication to the Kings Majestie answered by Gabr. Powell Oxford 1604● ●aur Surij vitae Sanctor Colon. 1521. Math. Sutcliffe his Answere to the third part of the Three Conversions London 1606. Suarez in 3. part D. Thomae Mogunt 1604. tom ter●ius Mogunt 1610. Defensio Fidei Cathol Mogunt 1619. Aeneae Sylvij Opera Basil 1571. T. Io. Tauleri opera Interprete Laurent Surio Colon. 1553. Tertulliani opera to 5. cum annot Iac. Pamelij Paris 1598. Cum notis Beat. Rhenani Paris 1545. Cum Castigation Fr. ●unij Fravech 1609. Theodoreti Ope●a Lat. Colon. 1567. Theodoreti Dialogi Graeco-latin Tiguri 1593. Theodoreti Histor. Eccles. Graec. Paris 1544. Lat. Basil. 1611. Theophylact. in quatuor Evang. Graeco-lat Lut. Paris 1631. Theophylact. in Epist. Pauli Gr. M S. Manuscript in Archivi● Biblioth Bodleianae Oxoniae I●c Thuani Historia sui Temporis Lut. 1609. Cuthb Tonstallus de veritate corp sanguinis Dom. in Eucharisti● Lutet 1554. Dan. Tossani Synopsi● de legend Patrib Heidelberg 1603. Alphons Tostati Abulens opera venet 1596. Io● Trithemius de Scrip. Ecclesiast Coloniae 1531.
Church as if Saint Peter whose successour he pretends to be had h●ld the Apostolike chayre as it we●e in Fee for him and his Successours for ever and the other eleven had held thei●s for terme of life onely And now to looke hom●wa●ds to our Britaine in this Age we find our au●cestors besides their common enemies the Scots Picts and Saxons troubled with another more secret but as dangerous to wi● the Pelagian heresie wherewith Pelagius a Romane Monke borne in Little Britaine with his Disciple Celestius beganne to infect these Northerne parts But after they and their heresies were condemned in the Councels of Carthage and Mela Pope Celestine sent Palladius into Scotland as also our neighbours the French bishops at the request of the Catholique English s●nt Germanus bishop of A●xerre and Lupus bishop of Troys in Champeigne into England to beat downe Pelagianisme which they happily suppressed Now also there was a Provinciall Councel held in Britaine for the reforming of Religion and repairing of the ruin'd Churches which the Pagan marriage of Vortiger had decayed to the great gri●fe of the people A plaine token that their zeale continued ev●n unto those day●s for so it was whiles Vortiger a British Prince marryed with the fayre but Infidel Rowena Hengists daughter this Saxon match had almost undone both Church and State whilest as Bede complaines Priest's were slaine standing at the Altar and bishops with th●ir flocks we●e murdered till at length they assembled a Councel to repayre those decayes which this marriage had made Now to close up this Age the Reader may observe that we have surveyed the first foure Generall Councels which Gregorie the Great pro●essed that he ●mbraced as the foure Gospels and indeed they were called ag●inst those foure Arch-heretickes that pestered the C●urch the first was h●ld at Nice against Arrius a Pri●st of Al●xandria who held that Christ was neither God nor eternall but an excellent creature created before all creatures The second at Constantinople against Macedonius who held that Christ was not of the same essence not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consubstantiall and of the same substance with the Father but onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like to him and that the Holy Ghost was not God but Gods Minister and a creature not eternall The third at Eph●su● against Nestorius who held that Christ had two severall persons but not two wills and that the Virgin Mary was not to be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mother of God but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mother of Christ. The fourth at Chalcedon where Dioscorus and Eutyches were condemned This Eutyches confuting Nestorius fell into other heresies and confounded the two natures of Christ making him after his union to have but the divine nature onely Besides the Reader may farther observe that upon the survey of these first foure Generall Councells so much esteemed by S. Gregory it is found that they confined the bishop of Rome to his bounds with other Patriarkes and they equalled other Patriarchall Seas to the Romane so that hereby is discovered the vanity of Campian's flourish saying Generall Councells are all ours the first and the last and the middle For we imbrace such Generall Councells as were held in those golden Ages within the first sixe hund●ed yeares or thereabouts The middle ranke beginning at the second Nicene unto the Councell of Florence held in the Ages of the mingled and confused Church they are neither wholly theirs nor ours The two last the one at Lateran the other at Tr●nt these being held by the drosse of the Church are theirs AN APPENDIX to the fi●th CENTVRIE Of the Fathers Authoritie PAPIST YOu have produced the Fathers for these five or sixe hundred yeares as if they had beene of your Faith whereas you dissent from th●m and refuse their tryall but wee honour them and appeale to the joynt co●sent of An●iquity PROTESTANT Where wee se●me to vary from them it is eith●r in things humane arbitrarie and indifferent or in matters not fully discussed by the ancient or in poynts which were not delivered by joynt consent of the ancient or in things which are reproved by plaine demonstration of holy Scripture and wherein the Fathers permit liberty of dissenting and the Papists thems●lves usually take it Neither would Saint Austine the fai●est flower of Antiquity have his Reader follow him farther than hee followeth the Truth not denying but that as in his maners so in his writings many things might justly be taxed Neither doe we refuse the triall of the Fathers truely alleadged and rightly understood witnesse the challenge made by Bishop Iewell and seconded by Doctor Whitaker and Doctor Featly yea Doctor Whitaker as Scultetus observeth was confident That the Fathers although in some matters they be variable and partly theirs partly ours yet in the materiall poynts they be wholly ours and theirs in matters of lesser moment and some few Tenets Likewise that great light of Oxford Doctor Reinolds in his Conference with Master Hart solemnely protested that in his opinion not one of all the Fathers was a Papist for saith he The very being and essence of a Papist consists in the opinion of the Popes supremacie but the Popes supremacie was not allowed by any of the Fathers as he there proveth against Hart not one then of all the Fathers was a Papist PA. May wee not ground our Faith upon the Fathers Testimonies PRO. Wee reverence the ancient Fathers but still with reservation of the respect wee owe to that Ancient of dayes Daniel 7.6 their father and ours who taught young Elihu Iob. 32.6 to reprove his Ancients even holy Iob amongst them Iob 33.12 him alone doe we acknowledge for the father of our Faith on whom wee may safely ground in things that are to bee believed For every Article of Christian Faith must bee grounded on divine revelation but all opinions of the Fathers are not divine revelations neither doe the Fathers challenge to themselves infallibility of judgement S●int Austine saith This reverence and honour have I learnt to give to those Bookes of Scripture onely which are called Canonicall that I most firmely believe none of their Authors could any whit erre in writing But others I so reade that with how great sanctity and learning soever they doe excell I therefore thinke not any thing to be true because they s● thought it but because they were able to perswade me either by those Canonicall Authours or by some prob●ble reason that it did not swerve from truth Neither doe our Adversaries yield inf●llibil●ty of judgement t● the Fathers Baronius saith The Church doth not alwayes and in all things follow the Fathers interpretation of Scripture Bellarmine saith Their writings are no rules of Faith neither have they authority to binde Canus tells us That the ancient Fathers sometime erre and against the ordinary course of nature bring forth
taught the same doctrine in other books also to wit De Nativitate Christi and de Animâ which are to be seene in the Libraries of the Cathedrall Church of Sarisburie and Bennet Colledge in Cambridge as the same Bishop Vsher observes PA. Was Bertram a learned man and of a good li●e PRO. Trithemius the Abbot gives him a large commendation For his excellent learning in Scripture his godly life his worthy Bookes and by name this of the Body and Bloud of Christ. Clodius de Sanctes ●aith Hee is put in the Catologue of Ecclesiasticall Writers for one Catholike in life and doctrine and your Brerely saith That ancient Catholike Writers doubt not to honour Bertram for a holy Martyr of their Church Now are wee come to our famous countrey-man Scotus much what of Bertrams standing and both of them in favour with Charles unto whom as Bertram Dedicated his Treatise of the Sacrament so also Ioannes Scotus wrot of the same argument and to the same effect that Bertram had done Bellarmine saith That Scotus was the first who in the Latine Church wrot doubt●fully of the reall presence It is indeed their fault that we have not his Booke yet may wee presume that he wrot positively neither doe we any where find that his booke of the Sacrament was condemned before the dayes of Lanfrancke who was the first that leavened the Church of England with this corrupt doctrine of the carnall presence so that all this while to wit from the yeare 876 to 1050 he passed for a good Catholike PA. Was Scotus a man of that note PRO. He was as Possevine saith Scholler to Bede Fellow-pupill with Alcuinus and accounted one of the founders of the Vniversitie of Paris and in the end dyed like a Martyr For after that he came into England and was publike Reader in Oxford by the favour of King Alfred he retired himselfe into Malmsbury Abbey and was there by his owne Schollers stabbed to death with Pen-knives and this was done saith Bale and others Fortassis non sine Monachorum impuls● haply not without the Monks procurement being murdered by his Schollers whiles he opposed the carnall presence which then some private persons began to set on foot By his birth he was one of the Scottish or Irish nation and is sometime called Erigena sometime Scotigena He was sirnamed Scotus the Wise and for his extraordinary learning in great account with our King Alfred and familiarly entertained by Charles the Great to whom he wrote divers letters In a word there is an old homely Epitaph which speakes what this Scotus was Clauditur hoc tumulo Sanctus Sophista Ioannes Qui ditatus erat jàm vivens dogmate miro Martyrio tandem Christi conscendere regnum Quo● meruit sancti regnant per saecula cuncti Vnder this stone Lyes Sophister Iohn Who living had store Of singular Lore At length he did merit Heaven to inherit A Martyr blest Where all Saints rest Or thus Here lyes interr'd Scotus the Sage A Saint and Martyr of this Age. Of Images and Prayer to Saints Ionas Bishop of Orleance who wrote against Claudius bishop of Turin in the defence of Images holds that The Images of Saint● and Stories of divine things may b●e painted in the Church not to be worshipped but to be an o●nament and to bring into the minds of simple people things done and past But to adore the Creature or to give it any part of divine honour we count it saith he a vile wickednesse detesting the do●r thereof as worthy to be accursed It is fl●t impiete saith the same Ionas out of Origen to adore any save the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Agobardus bishop of Lyons saith That the Ancients they had the pictures of the Saints but it was for historie sake and not for adoration and that none of th● ancient Catholicks haply thought that Images are to be worshipped or adored And the Orthodoxe Fathers for avoiding of superstition did carefully provide that no pictures should bee set up in Churches lest that which is worshipped should be painted on the walls Rhemigius saith That neither Images nor Angels are to be adored and Walasfridus Strabo would not have divine honour given to ought that is made by us or any other Creature Now what say the Papists to these Testimonies Baronius yeelds us Walafridus Strabo Ionas bishop of Or●leance Hincmarus Archbishop of Rhemes and saith That they fo●sooke the received opinion of the Church and yet they were ever held sound Catholicks Bellarmine saith That Ionas was overtaken with Agobard his errour and other bishops of France in that Age and therefore puts in a Caveat that Ionas must bee read warily So that by their owne confession the learnedst and famousest men of this Age stand for us in this point this makes them seeke to suppresse such testimonies as are given of them Papirius Massonus set forth this booke of Agobards and delivers the argument therof to be this Detecting most manifestly the errours of the Greci●ns touching images pictures he to wit bishop Agobard denies t●at they ought to be worshipped which opinion all we Catholicks do allow and follow the testimony of Gregory the great concerning them Now this passage the Spanish Inquisitors in their expurgatorie Index Commanded t● bee blotted out and this is accordingly performed by the Divines of Collen in their late corrupt Edition of the great Bibliothek of the ancien● Fathers To close up this poynt Charles the Great was seconded by his Sonne Lewis the Godly for by his appointment the Doctors of France assembled at Paris in the yeare 842 and there condemned the adoration of Images It is not strange saith Ambrose Ansber●us that our prayers and teares are not offered up unto God by us but by our High Priest since that Saint Paul exhorts us to offer up the Sacrifi●e of Praise unto God Haymo upon those words of Isay 〈◊〉 enim Pater noster Thou O Lord art our Father Isay. 6● ver 16. ●aith Et rectè solum invocamus ac d●p ecamur te And we doe right onely to invocate thee and to make our supplication to thee Of Faith and Merit Claudius Scotus saith that Faith alone saveth us because by the works of the Law no man shall be justified yet he addeth withall this caution Not as if the works of the Law should be contemned and without them a simple faith so he calleth that solitary faith which is a simple faith indeed should bee desired but that the works themselves should be adorned with the Faith of Christ. Rhemigius saith That in truth those onely are happy who are freely justified of grace and not of merit Haymo saith Wee are saved by Gods grace and not our owne merits for we have no merits at all Ambros. Ansbertus expounding that place Revel 19.
answere God forbid it should be so God forbid it should bee so you have judged well once said the Roode and to change that againe is not good Now this Oracle made for Saint Dunstan and against the Priests who said this was but a subtile tricke of the Monks in placing behind the wall a man of their owne who through ● T●unke uttered those words in the mouth of the Roode the matter therefore came againe to s●anning the Prelats and the States met at Cleve in Wiltshire where after hot and sharpe Disputation on either side a heavie mischance fell out for whether through the weakenesse of the Foundation or the overpresse of weight or both The upper L●ft where the Councell sate fell downe and many of the People were hurt and some slaine outright But Dunstan the Monkes Prolocutor remained unhurt For the Post whereon his Chaire stood remained safe By this fall fell the cause of the Secular Priests and they of Dunstans side thought these rotten joysts foundation enough whreon to build their Prohibition of Marriage But Henrie Archdeacon of Huntington interprets this casualtie more probably To be a signe from God that by their Treason and murder of their King who was slaine the yeare after they should fall from Gods favour and be crushed by other Nations as in the event it prooved And thus did Dunstan by his fayned Miracles seduce King Edgar to drive out the Secular Priests wh●re yet Dunstan haply thought not to thrust married men out of the Clergie but to thrust married Clergie men out of Cathedrall Churches because they ●equired a daily attendance as the Learned bishop Doctor Hall hath observed Howsoever it fell out it is worth the observing that the Clergy pleaded Praescription for themselves for so their owne Monke of Malmesbury hath recorded their plea they alleadged saith he That it was a great sh●me that these upstart Monks should thrust o●t the ancient possessors of those places that this was neither pleasing to God who gave them that long continued habitation nor yet to any good man who might justly feare the same hard m●asure which was offered to them Mathew of Westminster speaking of Pope Gregorie the seaventh saith that He r●moved married Priests from their function a new example and as many thought inconsiderately prejudicial● against the judgement of the holy Fathers And Henrie of Huntington saith Archbishop Anselme held a Synod at London wherein hee forbad wives to the Priests of England before not forbidden Was not this now an Innovation Besides we find that in King Edmunds reigne a West Saxon Prince before the dayes of Edgar or Dun●tan bishop Osulphus with Athelme and Vlricke Laicks thrust out the Monks of Evesham and placed Canons married Priests in their roome And afte●wards when not onely the meaner sort but the Nobles and great ones ●ided even then also Alferus a Mercian Duke favouring the cause of married Priests cast out the Monks and restored againe the ancient revenewes to the Clerks and it seemes they were the ancient owners and others but incommers inasmuch as divers Cathedrall Churches originally were founded in married Cleargy-men and afterwards translated from them to Monks as appeares by that which the Monks of Worcester wrote under their Oswald Archbishop of Yorke Per me fundatus Fuit ex Clericis Monachatus That is By me were Monks first founded out of Cle●ks So that the Monks were not the first possessors but came in by such as Dunstan who wrought with that good King Edgar by dreames visions and miracles mostly tending to Monkery as namely that When the Devill in the likenesse of a faire woman tempted Dunstan to l●st he caught him by the nose with an hot paire of tongs and made him roare out for mercie that Eastward● That Dunstans harpe hanging upon the wall played by 〈◊〉 selfe the tune of the Anthem Gaudent in coelis animae Sanctorum By the meanes of this Dunstan and his Cousins Athelwold and Oswald King Edgar was set on worke for the building of religious houses wherein he surpas●ed Charles the Great for whereas he built as many as there be letters in the Alphabet or A. B. C. King Edgar as app●ares by the Chart●r of the foundation of Worcester Church he built almost as many as there be Sundayes in the yeare I have made saith he 47 Monasteries and I intend if God grant life to make them up fiftie which seemes to be the number that Dunstan set him for his penance THE ELEVENTH CENTVRIE From the yeare of Grace 1000. to 1100. PAPIST YOu said of the last Age that Satan was let loose was he bound in this PROTESTANT Hee that brake loose in the former tyrann●zed in this for now those two great Enemies of the Church the Pope and the Turke the one in the East and the other in the West began to rise to their greatnesse about the y●are 1075 lived Pope Hildebrand who forbad marriage and deposed Kings from their l●wfull thrones so that for his doctrine the Churches did ring of him for an Antichrist In their Sermons saith Aventine bo●n about the yeare 1466 they declared him to be Antich●ist that under the title of Christ he playd the part of Antichrist That he sits in Babylon in the Temple of God and is advanced above all that is called God as if he were God he glorifieth that he cannot erre This fine man denyes those Priests which have lawfull wives to be Priests at all in the meane time he admits to the Altar Whoremongers Adulterers Incestuous persons and afterwards Everard Bishop of Saltzburg in Germanie in an assembly at Regenspurge spake thus of the Pope Hildebrand under colour of Religion layd the foundation of Antichrist's kingdome thus doth that child of perdition whom they use to call Antichrist in whose forehead is written the name of blasphemie Revel 13.2 I am God I cannot erre he sits in the Temple of God and beareth rule far and neere Now began the Croisier staffe to beate downe Crownes and Scepters when Hildebrand deposed the Emperour Henry the fourth and yet this fact of his was opposed and condemned by divers worthy Councels Bishops and Historians both in France and Germany and the like Papall Vsurpations Appeales and Investitures were also resisted in England Hubert your Legate saith William the Conquerour in his letter to Gregory the seventh came unto me warning me from your Holinesse that I should doe fealty to you and your successors as for fealty I neither would doe it to you neither will I because I neither promised it my selfe nor doe I find that my predecessors have done that to your predecessors When Anselme an Italian was chosen Archbishop of Canterbury he craved leave of king William the second to goe to Rome to receive his Pall of Pope Vrban wherewith the King greatly offended answered That no Archbishop nor bishop in
were so powerfull that they brought an hundred thousand fighting men into the field and were then very likely to have utterly overthrowne Simon Montfort Generall of the Papall armie had not the unexpected death of the King of Arragon intercepted by ambush quite discouraged and dissolued the Albigenses army Besides if the Waldenses had not had any visible assemblies what needed such councels consultations conferences disputations inquisitions and examinations bans and excommunications against them They set up the order of Dominican and Franciscan Friers to preach against them they leavied forces of Pilgrimes Cruciferi or crossed souldiers to fight against them they published their Croysadoes promised their pardon of sinnes and remission of pennance enjoyned to as many as would take up the badge of the crosse and weare it on their coate-armour and goe against the Waldenses as against Sarracens and Infidels Now sure had the Waldenses beene but some few dispersed and meane persons they needed no such stirre to suppresse them But we finde that they used all possible meanes for to quell them Pope Inncent the third about the yeere 1180 called a a solemne Councell at Lateran against them Caelestine the third in the yeare 1197 confirmed the order of the Cruciferi or crossed souldiers and they were to warre against them The Monke of Auxerre in France saith That the Pope sent his Bulls farre and neere and granted them pardon of sinnes and absolution of pennance to such as should serve in his warres against the Waldenses About this time was the holyhouse of Inquisition set up by Pope Innocent the third and the mastership thereof committed first to Frier Reiner and Guido and afterwards to Saint Dominicke and his order Eymericus hath given certaine directions to the Inquisitors and Commissioners and Francis Pegna hath glossed upon them and there were lately to be seene the severall consultations of the Bishops and Lawyers of France in what sort they were to proceed against the Waldenses And the Monk of Newborrow tels us that when the Waldenses came into England under the name of Catharist's or Publicans there was strict charge given under paine of excommunication that none should receive harbour or keepe them within their houses liberties or territories nor to have any commerce or manner of dealing with them and if any of that sect dyed in that state that upon no termes they should have any prayer or Christian buriall but they saved them a labour of buriall for Caesarius saith that at the taking of La-vail there were foure hundred of them burnt and the rest hanged and the like execution done in divers other places and namely at Vaurcastle where after they had strangled the Governour Aimerius they stoned to death the Lady Girard the Popes Legats not sparing as Thuanus saith any Sexe at all Now all this they patiently endured so that as Altissidore saith the beholders were astonied to see them goe so cherefully to their death and withall to exhort one another to abide the fierie tryall PAP There might be great numbers of the Waldenses and them of the meaner sort PROT. That is not so for Du Haillan saith that many Noble and worthy men tooke part with them even to the hazzarding of their lives and estates namely the Earles of Tholouse of Cominges of Bigorre of Carmain of Foix as also the King of Arragon for Remond had marryed Ioane once Queene of Sicilie sister to Iohn King of England by whom he had a sonne called also Remond after the decease of Ioane he married Elenor sister of Peter King of Arragon so that he was strong in affinity and confederacy besides that he had as one saith as many citties and castles and townes as the yeere hath dayes By the way we may observe that considering the neere alliance which was betweene the Earle of Tholouse and his brother in law the King of England as also the Earles lands lying so neere to Guienne then in the possession of the Engl●sh hence I say we may observe that this made the way more easie to communicate the doctrine and profession of the Waldenses unto their neighbou●s of the English Nation PAP You tell us of great troupes of the Waldenses and yet they had but bad successe PROT. We must not measure the lawfulnesse of warre by the issue nor judge the cause by the event The eleven Tribes of Israel were appointed by God himselfe to goe and fight against the Benjamites the Israelites were moe in number than the Benjamites and had the better cause and yet the Israelites were twice overcome by the Benjamites so King Lewis of France fighting against the Turke his army was scattered and himselfe dyed of the Plague ●esides you have little reason to stand on the successe of this warre It is true indeed that their chiefe Cittties Tholouse and Avignion were taken and the King of Arragon was slaine in the Waldensian warre but so also was Simon Montfort Generall of the Popes army he was slaine like Abimelech Iudges 9 with a stone cast out of a sling or engine and the same supposed to be ●lung or darted by a woman And as for King Lewis he dyed at the siege of Avignion and as Math●w Paris saith sustained great losses by a terrible plague strong and venemous flyes and great waters devouring and drowning his army so that there were two and twenty thousand French slaine and drowned during that seige Lastly the Waldenses had no such ill successe for though themselves were persecuted yet their doctrine was thereby communicated to others and spread abroad throughout the world PAP You make as if the Pope had dealt ill with the Albingenses but they dealt ill with him for the Earle of Tholouse or some of his subjects killed the Popes Legat Frier Peter de Casteaneuff and this was it that stirred up the Pope PROT. This was but a colour of the warre and an untruth when the Popes Legat charged the Earle with this fact his answere was that he was no way culpable of the Fryers death that there were many witnesses of the death of the sayd Monke slaine at S. Giles by a certaine Gentleman whom the said Monke pursued who presently retired himself to his friends at Be●caire that this murther was very displeasing to him and therefore he had done what lay in his power to apprehend him and to chastise him but that he escaped his hands that had it beene true which they layd to his charge and that he had beene guilty of the fact yet the ordinary courses of justice were to be taken against him and not to have wracked their anger upon his subjects that were innocent in this case In the end he was forced to confesse that he was guilty of the murder onely because it was committed within his territories so that he was glad to doe pennance and that in a strange sort for the Legat
knowledge of Letters and study of Tongues specially the Greeke Latin began to spread ab●●ad thorow divers parts of the West Of this number were Emanuel Chrysoloras of Constantinople Theodorus Gaza of Thessalonica Georgius Trapezuntius Cardinall Bessarion and others in like sort also afterwards Iohn Cap●io brought the use of the Greeke and Hebrew tongues into Germany as Faber Stapulensis observeth And in the beginning of this age Hebrew was first taught in Oxford as our accurat Chronologer Mr. Isaacson hath observed Now also lived Nicholas de Lyra a converted Iew who commented on all the Bible In this age there were divers both of the Greeke and Latin Church who stood for Regall Iurisdiction against Papall usurpation and namely Barlaam the Monke Nilus Archbishop of Thessalonica Marsilius Patavinus Michael Cesenas Generall of the gray Friers Dante the Italian Poet and William Ockam the English man sometime fellow of Merton Colledge in Oxford surnamed the Invincible Doctor and Scholler to Scotus the subtile Doctor Now also lived Durand de S. Porciano Nilus alleadgeth divers passages out of the generall Councels against the Popes supremacy and thence inferreth as followeth That Rome can not challenge preheminence over other Seas because Rome is named in order before them for by the same reason Constantinople should have the preheminence over Alexandria which yet she hath not From the severall and distinct boundaries of the Patriarchall Seas he argueth that neither is Rome set over other Seas nor others subject to Rome That whereas Rome stands upon the priviledge that other places appeale to Rome he saith That so others appeale to Constantinople which yet hath not thereby Iurisdiction over other places That whereas it is said the Bishop of Rome judgeth others and himselfe is not judged of any other he saith That St. Peter whose successour he pretends himselfe to be suffred himselfe to be reproved by S. Paul and yet the Pope tyrant-like will not have any enquire after his doings Barlaam prooveth out of the Chalcedon Councell Canon 28. That the Pope had not any primacy over other Bishops from Christ or S. Peter but many ages after the Apostles by the gift of holy Fathers and Emperours if the Bishop of Rome sayth hee had anciently the supremacy and that S. Peter had appointed him to be the Pastour of the whole Church what needed those godly Emperours decree the same as a thing within the verge of their owne power and jurisdiction Marsilius Patavinus wrote a booke called Defensor Pacis on the behalfe of Lewis Duke of Baviere and Emperour against the Pope for challenging power to invest and depose Kings Hee held that Christ hath excluded and purposed to exclude himselfe and his Apostles from principality or contentious jurisdiction or regiment or any coactive judgement in this world His other Tenets are reported to be these 1 That the Pope is not superiour to other Bishops much lesse to the Emperour 2. That things are to be decided by Scripture 3. That learned men of the Laiety are to have voyces in Councels 4. That the Cleargy and the Pope himselfe are to be subject to Magistrates 5. That the Church is the whole cōpany of the faithfull 6. That Christ is the Head of the Church and appoint●d none to be his Vicar 7. That Priests may marry 8. That St. Peter was never at Rome 9. That the popish ●ynagogue is a denne of theeves 10. That the Popes doctrine is not to be followed With this Marsilius of P●dua there joyned in opiniō Iohn of Gandune and they both held that Clerkes are and should be subject to secular powers both in payment of Tribute and in iudg●ments specially not Ecclesiasticall so that they stood against the Exemption of Clerkes Michael Cesenas Generall of the Order of Franciscans stood up in the same quarrell and was therefore deprived of his dignities by Pope Iohn the two and twentieth from whom he appealed to the Catholicke univers●ll Church and to the next generall Councell About this time also lived the noble Florentine Poet Dante a learned Philosopher and Divine who wrote a booke against the Pope concerning the Monarchy of the Emperour but for taking part with him the Pope banished him But of all the rest our Countrey-man Ockam stucke close to the Emperour to whom he sayd that if he would defend him with the sword he againe would defend him with the Word Ockam argueth the case and inclineth to this opinion that in temporall matters the Pope ought to be subject to the Emperour in as much as Christ himselfe as he was man professeth that Pilate had power to judge him given of God as also that neither Peter nor any of the Apostles had temporall power given them by Christ and hereof he gives testimony from Bernard and Gregory Ockams writings were so displeasing to the Pope as that he excommunicated him for his labour and caused his treatise or worke of ninety dayes as also his Dialogues to be put into the blacke bill of bookes prohibited and forbidden It is true indeed that Ockam submitted his writings to the censure and judgement of the Church but as hee saith to the judgement of the Church Catholike not of the Church malignant The same Ockam spoke excellently in the point of generall Councels Hee held that Councels are not called generall because they are congregated by the authority of the Romane Pope and that if Princes and Lay-men please they may be present have to deale with matters treated in general Councels That a generall Councell or that congregation which is commonly reputed a generall Councell by the world may erre in matters of faith and in case such a generall Councell should erre yet God would not leave his Church destitute of all meanes of saving truth but would raise up spirituall children to Abraham out of the rubbish of the Laiety despised Christians and dispersed Catholikes Wee have heard the judgement of the learned abroad touching Iurisdiction Regall and Papall let us now see the practice of our owne Church and State In the Reigne of King Edward the third sundry expresse Statutes were made that if any procured any Provisions from Rome of any Abbeyes Priories or Benefices in England in destruction of the Realme and holy Religion if any man sued any Processe out of the Court of Rome or procured any personall Citation from Rome upon causes whose cognisance and finall discussion pertained to the Kings Court that they should be put out of the Kings protection and their lands goods and chattels forfeited to the King In the Reigne of King Richard the second it was enacted That no Appeale should thenceforth be made to the Sea of Rome upon the penalty of a Praemunire which extended to perpetuall banishment and losse of all their lands and goods the words of the statute are If any purchase or pursue
in the Court of Rome any Translations of Bishoprickes processes and sentences of excommunication Bulles instruments or other things they shall be out of the Kings protection and their lands and tenements goods and chattels forfeit to the King and processe to be made against them by Praemunire facias It was also enacted in the Reigne of King Henry the fourth that all elections of all Archbishoprickes Abbeyes Priories Deanries and other dignities should be free without being in any wise interrupted by the Pope And indeede it was high time to curbe the Popes bestowing of Benefices on forrainers for upon an Inquisition taken by Simon Langham Archbishop of Canterbnry it was found that some had above twenty Churches and dignities by the Popes authority and were thereby further priviledged to hold so many more as they could get without measure or number Yea the Romans and Italians were so multiplied within a few yeares in English Church-livings that when King Henry the third caused a view thereof to be taken throughout the whole Realme the summe of their revenewes was found to be yeerely as Mathew Paris sai●h Sexaginta millia marcarum threescore thousand markes to the which summe the yeerely revenues of the Crowne of England did not amount By this that hath beene said it appeares to be an untruth which the Papists in their Supplication and the Authour of the treatise called the Prudentiall Ballance have given out to wit● That all the Kings of England unto King Henry the eight were papists for divers of them dyed before the grossenes of Popery began othe●s of thē as namely King Henry the first and secōd King Iohn King Richard the second and Edward the third opposed the Papacy Now the very being essence of a Papist consists in acknowledging the Popes supremacy which since these did not acknowledge but withstood it they cannot properly be tearmed Papists though they were carried away with the errours of those times In this age lived those famous Florentine Poets Dante and Petrarch as also our English Laureat Chaucer as also Ioannes de Rupe scissâ or Rocke-cliffe and S. Bridget And these found fault with the Romish faith as well as with her manners Dante in his Poeme of Paradise written in Italian complaines that the Pope of a shepheard was become a wolfe diverted Christs sheepe out of the true way that the Gospell was forsaken the writings of the Fathers neglected and the Decretals onely studied That in times past warre was made upon the Church by the sword but now by a famine and dearth of the Word which was allotted for the food of the soule not wont to be denied to any that desired it that men applauded thēselves in their owne conceits but the Gospell was silenced that the poore sheepe were fed with the puffes of winde and were pined and consumed away Dante his words are these Produce et spande il maladetto fi●r● Cha desu●ate le pecore et gli agni Però che fatto ha lupo del pastore Per quest● l' evangelio i d●ttor magni Son derelitti et solo à i decretali Si studia si che pare à i lor viuagni A questo intende ' l papae Cardinali which may be thus Englished She did produce and forth hath spread The cursed flower which hath misled The sheepe and lambes because that then Shepheards became fierce wolves not men Hereupon the Gospell cleare And the ancient Fathers were Forsaken then the Decretals By the Pope and Cardinals Were onely read as may appeare By th' salvage of the gownes they weare Againe Già solea con le spade far guerra Ma hor si fa togliondo hor qui hor quivi Lo pan ch' el pio padre a nessun serra I' th' dayes of old with sword they fought But now a new way they have sought By taking away now h●re there then The bread of life from starved men Which our pious fathers ne're denyed To any one that for it cryed Againe Per apparer ciaf●un in gl●gn● et face Sue inventioni quelle sontrascorse Da predicanti e● l vangilio sitace Non disse Chris●o al su primo convento Andate predicate al mondo ciance Ma d●ed e l●r verace fondamento Et quel tanto sond ne le sue guance Si cli à pugnar par accender la fede Del ' evangelio fero scudi lance Hora si va con motti et coniscede A predicar pur che ben si rida Gonfi● a' l cappuccio più non si richiede Matal vcel nel ' bechetto S' annida Che se'l vulg il vedesse vederebbe La perdonanza di che si confida Per cui tanta stultitia in terra crebbe Che sanza prova d' alcun testimonio Ad ogni promession si conuerebbe Di questo n grassa l' porco Sant Antonio Et altri auch●r che son assai più porci Pagando di moneta sanza conio Christ sayd not to th' Apostles goe And preach vaine toyes the world unto But he did give them a true ground Which onely did in their eares sound So providing for to fight And to kindle faith●s true light Out of the Gospell they did bring Their sheild and speares t' effect the thing Now the way of preaching is with toyes To stuffe a sermon and herein joy's Their teachers if the people doe but smile At their conceits the Frier i'th'meane while Huff'es up his Cowle and is much admir'd For that 's his aime there 's nothing else requir'd ●ut in this hood there is a nest Of birds which could the vulgar ●ee They might spie pardons and the rest How worthy of their trust they bee By these their Indulgences and pardons And by their Friers absolutions Such follies on the earth abound That without proofe or other ground Of testimony men agree To any promise that made can be By this St. Anthony piggs grow fat And such like Pardoners so that Hereby they feede the belly and the groine Paying their people with counterfeit coine Here we see how the Poet taxeth papall Indulgences which the Friers vented enriching themselves by marting such pardons or Bulles signed or sealed with Lead for which the people paid currant money he also taxeth such as vainely trusted to such pardons as also the fond conceite they had of being shriven and absolved in a Monkes cowle as if some rare vertue had layd in that Cuculla or Capuccio alluding belike to the Monkes hood or Friers cowle as if the fashion thereof had resembled the Cuckowe The same Dante in covert termes calleth Rome the whore of Babylon mentioned in the Apocalyps his words are these Di voi pastor s' accorse ' l' vangelista quando colei che siede soura l' acque putaneggiar co i regi à lui fù vista Quella che con le sette teste nacque et da le diece corna hebb
by the Romists such as indeede could not in truth with any possibilitie fall into the imagination or fancie of any man much lesse bee doctrinally or dogmatically delivered Besides many of the books and writings of Wickliffe and Husse are extant wherein are found no such doctrines as Papists have charged them with but rather the contrary So that we hope there is no indifferent person will regard their slanders for even at this day when things are in present view and action they calumniate the persons and falsifie the doctrine of our professours as grossely as ever Pagans traduced the Primitive Christians for instance sake they give it out that we hold that God regardeth not our good works whereas we beleeve that Good works are necessary to salvation and Works are said to be necessary for us unto salvation to wit not as a cause of our salvation but as a meane or way without which wee come not unto it as a Consequent following Iustification wherewith Regeneration is unseparably joyned In like sort they gave out that Beza recanted his Religion before his death whereas he lived to confute this shamelesse lye and with his owne hand wrote a tract which he called Beza Redivivus Beza Revived Thus also of late have they dealt with that Reverend zealous and learned Prelate Doctor King late Bishop of London giving it out in their idle Pamphlets that hee was reconciled to the Church of Rome which is unanswerably proved to bee a grosse lye for towards his death hee received the holy Sacrament at the hands of his Chapleine Doctor Cluet Arch-deacon of Middle-sex he received it together with his wife children and family whom he had invited to accompany him to that Feast whereof hee protested in the presence and hearing of divers personages of good note that his soule had greatly longed to eate that last Supper and to performe that last Christian duty before he left them and having received the Sacrament he gave thanks to God in all their hearing that he had lived to finish that blessed worke for so himselfe did call it And then drawing neerer to his end ●e expresly caused his Chapleine then his Ghostly Father to reade the Confession and absolution according to the ordinarie forme of Common prayer appointed in our Li●urgie Did this worthy Prelate now dye a Papist who to his last breath communicated with the Church of E●gland Besides whereas Preston the Priest was given out to be the man that reconciled the Bishop to the See of Rome Preston as appeareth by his Examination and Answer taken before divers honourable Commissioners protested before God and upon his conscience as he should answer at the dreadfull day of Iudgement that the said Bishop of London did never confesse himselfe unto him nor ever received Sacramentall absolution at his hands nor was ever by him reconciled to the Church of Rome neither did renounce before him the Religion professed and established in the Church of England Yea he added farther that as he hoped to be saved by Christ Iesus he to his knowledge was never in company where the said Doctor King late Lord Bishop of London was neither did he ever receive letter from him nor did write letter unto him neither did he ever to his knowledge see the said Bishop in any place whatsoever nor could have knowne him from another man Object You have singled out some testimonies of Fathers Schoole-men and others and alleadged them on your owne behalfe as if they had thereby beene of your Religion whereas they be our witnesses and speake more fully for us than for your side Answer According to the Rule in law Testem que● quis inducit pro se te●etur recipere contra se you have produced them for your owne ends and now in reason you cannot disallow them when they are alleadged by us so that you must give us leave to examine your men upon crosse Interrogatories Besides one may be a materiall witnesse who speaks home to two or three Interrogatories although he cannot depose to all the rest It is no part of our meaning to take the scantling of our ancestors Religion from some single testimonies wherein they either agree with or dissent from us but f●om the maine body of the substantiall points of doctrine which are controverted betwixt us at this day Neither make wee any such simple collection Such a man held such a point with us therefore he was a Protestant no more then we allow them to frame the like Such a man in such or such a particular agreed with the n●w Church of Rome therefore he was a Papist For it followeth no more than this an Aethiopian or Tauny-moore is white in part namely in his teeth therefore he is white all over But our care hath beene that since In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word is established Deut. 19.15 and tha● as Hie●ome saith One single witnesse were it Cato hims●lfe is not so much to bee credited to joyne together the severall testimonie● o● such worthies as lived in the same age presuming that what some of note delivered and the same not opposed by their contemporaries that that is to bee supposed to have beene the doctrine commonly received in those countries and at that time Vpon these and the like considerations the Reader may bee pleased to rest satisfied with such passages as have beene produced on our behalfe though not so thronged and full in every age inasmuch as divers of our Ancestors have not left unto us sufficient evidence whereby it might appeare what they held in divers particulars Besides that there bee divers testimonies suppressed so as we can hardly come by them as namely in Faber Stapulensis his Preface to the Evangelists there is a notable place touching the Scriptures Suficiencie the words are these The Scripture sufficeth and is the onely Rule of eternall life whatsoever ag●eeth not to it is not so necessary as superfluous The Primitive Church knew no other Rule but the Gospel no other Scope but Christ no other Worship than was due to the Individuall Trinity I would to God the forme of beleeving were fetched from the Primitive Church Thus saith Stapul●nsis Now this whole passag● is appointed by the Expurgatory Index of Spaine to be l●f● ou● in their later editions and yet by good hap I met with this passage in an edition a● Bas●l● as also in anoth●r at Colen An. 1541. In like sort I ●●nd alleadged out of Lu●ovicus Vives his Commentaries upon Saint Augustine d● Civitate Dei these passages following touching the Canon of the Scripture and the practised Adoration of Images in his time namely the same Vives saith that The storie of Susanna of Bel and the Dragon are not Canonicall Scripture he saith also that Saints are esteemed and worshipped by many as were the Gods among the Gentiles These places I carefully sought for in the severall editions of S. Austin