him-self was that is to say Consecrators c. If then that which is greather then all be given indifferently to all men and women I meane the word and baptism then that which is less I mean to consecrat the supper is also given to them So much Luther With Luther in this doctrin concurred all the reformed Churches even the Prelatick of England seems to approve therof in the 23. and 25. articles of Religion and M. r Horn Bishop of Winchester in the Harbrough An. 1559. n. 2. saith concerning the Ministery Preaching or Priesthood of women Jn this point we must vse a certain moderation and not absolutly in every-wise debarr women herein c. J pray you what more vehemency vseth S. Paul in forbidding women to preach then in forbidding them to vncover their heads and yet you know in the best reformed Churches of all Germany all the maids be bareheaded They who know this to have bin the Doctrin of Luther and of the reformed Churches are not so much startled at Q. Elizabeths spiritual headship of the Church nor at the Act of Parliament 8. Eliz. 1. wherin it is declared that she and her successors may authorise any person whatsoever whether lay man or woman to exercise any spiritual jurisdiction or power in any matter whatsoever even of consecrating Archbishops Bishops Priests c. And albeit afterwards art 27. there hath bin an explanation made concerning the supremacy excluding from the Church a shee or Lay Ministery and Priesthood yet the words of the Oaths both of supremacy and Episcopal homage and the laws of the land especialy this Act 8. Eliz. 1. maks it most manifest that even Prelatik protestancy maks the temporal Lay Soveraign to haue the source of all spiritual power and jurisdiction and that the letters Patents of the Kings of England directed to any person whatsoever renders him capable of consecrating Archbishops Bishops Priests c. as may be seen in the aforesaid Act of Parliament And if any person whatsoever may by vertue of the Kings letters patents consecrat Bishops Priests c. without doubt the King that gives that spiritual authority and the Lay men or women so authorised must of necessity have the caracter of Episcopacy and Priesthood which they communicat to others vnless it be maintained that men can give what they have not themselves Thus was Protestancy begun principled and propagated by Martin Luther and his Disciples and because their Sects agree in nothing so vnanimously as in protesting against the doctrin of the Roman Catholik Church and the Imperial Decrees enacted in behalf therof though some Lutherans only exhibiting the Confession of their faith at Auspurg were the Protesters yet all others who pretend a Reformation like the name and call themselves Protestants thinking it to be more for the credit of their dissenting Congregations to pretend vnity of doctrin by assuming one name then declare the novelty and diversity of their Tenets by calling themselves by the names of their first Authors and Reformers Now it is tyme we treat in particular of the Protestant Church of England SECT IV. Of the Protestant Church of England IT was the misfortune of England to have had in that tyme when Reformation began to spread a vicious King and lewd Court an ambitious Minister of state a timorous Clergy and contemporising Parliament Cardinal Wolsey who had bin raised from the meanest parentage to domineer over the English Peerage not content with his good fortune and the Kings favour would needs be Pope and obtained from Charles V. the Emperour a promise of his best endeavours to promote him to that dignity but perceiving himself deluded when the occasion was offered of performance and that Charles had preferred to the Papacy one of his own subjects that had bin Instructor to him in his tender age he resolved to be revenged vpon the Emperors relations seeing hee could not reach his person And observing that K. Henry 8. was weary of Q. Catharin the Emperors Aunt and desired her death or divorce to the end he might marry and have issue male to succeed him in the Crown The Cardinal discoursed with his Majesty of the doubts which himself had raised and many seemed to entertain concerning the validity of a mariage with one that had bin his brothers wife and proposed the publick conveniency and privat satisfaction the King might receave by taking to wife some relation of the French King with whom he persuaded Henry 8. to make a league in defence of the Sea Apostolick against Charles V whose army at that tyme had sackt Rome and kept the Pope prisoner not doubting that his Holiness so oblidged by Henry and injured by Charles would declare Q. Catharins mariage voyd K. Henry applauded the motion but lik't not so well the French Lady as An Bullen one of his Queens Mayds of honour of whom he was so desperatly enamoured that though he was advertised of her amorous disposition and lewd conversation by one of the Courtiers that sayd he had enjoyed her savours yet she rejecting his Majesties courtship he thought she was not so cunning as chast and persuading himself that a woman so sparing of favours to a King would not be prodigal of them to others he gave litle credit to the publick reports and privat informations of her immodest behaviour and now courted her not as his present Mistriss but as his future wife not questioning but that the Pope whom he had obliged would declare null his mariage with Q. Catharin but his Holiness though much inclined to gratifie the King and incensed against the Emperour for many indignitys resolved neither to reward or revenge by abusing his spiritual authority which he knew could not be extended to dissolve a knot that God had tyed and blessed with posterity his Predecessors dispensation after mature deliberation was found to be valid and no way contrary to Scripture which is so far from prohibiting a mariage with a deceased brothers wife Levit. 18. that it commands Deuter. 25. the brother to marry his issuless brothers widow And when S. John Baptist told Herod it was not lawfull for him to keepe his brothers wife his brother was then living so that these words could not be applyed to K. Henry 8. his case nor occasion any scruple in his conscience He therfore finding by experience that the Sea of Rome was not directed in deciding controversies of Religion by human respects or interest and that the Colledge of Cardinals could not be corrupted with bribes to favour his sute as some Doctors of forreign vniversities had bin nor terified by his threats as was most of the English Clergy he resolved to renounce that spiritual jurisdiction and supremacy the only lett against his lust which all his Christian Ancestors had acknowledged and himself defended in an excellent Treatise against Luther demonstrating as well by Scripture as by reason that the Bishop of Rom's supremacy and jurisdiction was de jure
down Bp Morton's Falsification to persuade that Cathotholiks hold it lawfull to murther and massacre Protestants IN the 6. page of Morton's discovery he hath this grievous 〈…〉 out of the Canon law against Catholiks 〈◊〉 felij vel consanguinei non dicuntur sed juxta legem sit 〈◊〉 super 〈◊〉 vt fundas sanguinem ipsorum And then he 〈◊〉 thus Apud Grat. Gloss. in decret lib. 5. ex decret Greg. 9. 〈…〉 cap. legi Which words he englisheth thus 〈…〉 termed either Children or kindred but according 〈…〉 thy hand must be against them to spill their blood 〈…〉 in the Margent he setteth down this special prinâ—â—â— note The professed bloody Massacre against the Protestants withâ—â—â— distinction of sex or Kindred First of all is to be considered that this Gloss or 〈◊〉 of the Canon law which here is both vntruly cited 〈◊〉 malitiously applied is vpon a Canon begining si quis Episcopus which Canon is taken out of the third Councell of Carthâ—ge wherin the famous Doctor St. Austin was present and 〈◊〉 device of the Canon is that if any Bishop should institute hereticks or pagans for his heires whether they were Kinsmen or 〈◊〉 ei Anathema dicatur let him be accursed c. now the 〈◊〉 yeilding a reason of this severity saith Quia isti haeretâ—â—â—am non dicuntur filij vel consanguinei vnde dicitur in lege si 〈◊〉 tuus amicus tuus vxor tua depravare voluerit veritatem sit manus tua super illos For that these hereticks are not nâ—w called Children or Kinsfolks therfore as such they cannot be made Inheritors by ecclesâ—astical men Wherupon it is sayd in the law of Deuteronomy if thy Brother or friend or wife will go about to deprave the truth let thy hand be vpon them And presently he citeth to the same effect the authority of St. Hierom in an other Canon and volume of the law where the holy Doctor excusing to his friend Riparius a Priest his earnest desire and zeal to have Vigilantius the heretik punished by his Bishops alledgeth divers examples of severity in like cases out of the Scriptures as of Phinees Elias Symon Chananaeus St. Peter St. Paul and lastly citeth also the aforesaid words of God's ordinance in Deuteronomy If thy Brother thy friend thy wife c. shall go about to pervert thee from God's true worship c. heare him not nor conceal him but bring him 〈◊〉 Judgmeâ—â— and let thy hand be vpon him first and then after the hand of all the people c. which is to be vnderstood accordiâ—◠〈◊〉 the form of Law appointed afterwards in the 17. Chapâ—â—â— that he be orderly brought forth to Iudgment and 〈…〉 sentence is past against him he which heard or 〈…〉 commit the sin and is a witness against him must 〈◊〉 the first stone at him and the rest must follow And this also doth the ordinary Gloss of Lyranus and others vpon those texts of Scripture declare And now let the Judicious Readeâ— consiâ—â—â— how many corruptions this Protestant Bishop hath vsed to 〈◊〉 forth to his purpose this one litle distracted Text for proof of professed bloody massacres in ended by Catholicks against Protestants For first he corrupteth the words of the Gloss leaving out the beginning Quia isti Haeretici which 〈◊〉 to the vnderstanding of the Author's meaning as also he lest out the reasoâ—â—â—ledged by the Gloss out of God's own words in Deuteronomy to wit the wilfull corruption of his truth Then he corrupteth the meaning both of the Gloss and Canon depraving that to a wicked sense of bloody massacring without distinction of sex or Kindred which the Canon and Councell of Carthage with St. Austin meant only of civil punishment against heretiks to wit that they should not be made heires to Ecclesiastical men He perverteth in like manner St. Hieriom's intent which was that heretiks and namely Vigilantius for denying the lawfulness of praying to Saints worshipping thâ—ir Reliques c. should be punished but by order and form of Law and not that any one shall Kill an other and much less by bloody massacres Lastly he presumeth to reâ—ort the very words of God himself in the Law by translating fundas sanguinem ipsorum 〈◊〉 their blood in steed of shed their blood for that to spill 〈◊〉 is always in Scripture taken in the worst sense for murthâ—â—â—ng or killing vnjustly The good Bishop remits vs for an answer to the allegaâ—â—â—â— of this place of Gratian to his friend Stock once more 〈◊〉 Stock doth not take vpon him to justifie any thing therin 〈◊〉 then the citation to be true which notwithstanding is 〈◊〉 as every one may see in the Text. Morton in his preamble denyeth the foresaid Canon to have bin decreed in the 〈◊〉 Councel of Carthage therfore saith he must his 〈◊〉 own terms of falshood fraud treachery 〈◊〉 vpon himself But let any one peruse the said Councell 〈◊〉 he will find decreed in the 13. Canon Vt Episcopi vel Clericâ— c. That neither Bishops nor Clergy men shall bestow any of their goods vpon any that be not Catholikly Christians though they be their Kinsfolks And the Councell of Hippo where St. Austin was Bishop which Councell professeth to mâ—ke Abbreviationes Concilij Carthaginensis tertii an abridgment of the third Carthage Councell hath this Canon That Bishops and Clergy men shall bestow nothing of their goods vpon any but such as are Catholiks Bp. Morton's Falsification to assert the King's supremacy POpe Leo writing to a true Catholik Emperor saith Morton hath these words You may not be ignorant that your princely power is given vnto you not only extinguished The oblation of Sacrifice the Mass is intermitted the hollowing of Chrysm is ceased and all 〈◊〉 Mysteries of our Religion have withdrawn themselves from the parricidial hands of those heretiks that have murâ—hered their own Fatherâ— and Patriarch Proterius burned his 〈◊〉 and cast the ashes into the ayre This then was the cause and occasion wherin the holy 〈◊〉 Leo did implore the help and secular arm of Leo the 〈◊〉 for chastising these turbulent heretiks for the 〈◊〉 of the Church And is this all that is exacted of 〈◊〉 by the Supremacy Is this the substance of the 〈◊〉 we know the English Prelatik Clergy are now ashaâ—â—â— to acknowledg that their own spiritual caracter and jurisâ—â—â—tion is dâ—â—ived from Queen Elizabeth's shee supremacy but 〈…〉 they did own 8. Eliz. what now they 〈◊〉 every man may see how vngratfully and confidently 〈◊〉 contradict what is extant in the Act of Parliament 8. 〈◊〉 and in their Episcopal Oath of homage wherin it is 〈◊〉 that all spiritual Jurisdiction supreme power order 〈◊〉 and authority over all the state Ecclesiastical of their 〈…〉 is in the Kings of England and that in 〈◊〉 of the prerogative they may by their Letters patents 〈◊〉 only authorise Arch-Bishops and Bishops to consecrat 〈…〉 Caracter but that they may authorise any 〈…〉 not Bishops
tom 5.22 * See thee nulity of the Prelatick Clergy of England cap. 2. and D. Bramhal in his vindication therof pa. 92. pag. 10â— Dr. Stapleton in his return of vntruths against Jewel fol. 130. and in his Counterblast against Horn fo 79 301 Dr. Harding Confut. Apol. fol. 57. 60 part 2. fol. 59. edit 1563 fol. 57. 59 edi 1566 Stat. 8. Elizabeth 1. Stat. 8. Eliz. 8. See the nullity of the Clergy and Church of England edit 1659. Bramhal in his vindicâ—tion pag. 132. Demonstrat Discipl cap. 8. ¶ 1 2. pag. 43. 2. part See this Act of ParliameÌ„t in the life of the Queen of Scots Written by Mr. V. dal and dedicated to King James pag. 200. 201. See 1 p. seâ— 1. Primat Bramhal's succession and vindication of the Prelatick Clergy was answered by the Author of the nullity of the Church of England and by an other book after he had both these aÌ„swers by him and durst not reply but rather coÌ„curred with his Brethren in adding the words Priests and Bishop to their forms of ordination as appeareth in their last edition of the CommoÌ„ praier rites c. of the Church of England See in the epistle Dedicatory and our Preface the Act of Parliament preferring any natural issue of Queen Elizabeth to the Crown before the royal family of the Stewards See Udal a ProtestaÌ„t in his history of the Queen of Scots wher he proves how the bastard Mâ—rry by the means of John Knox and others that he employed changed the ancient Religion in Scotland to the end him self might be made King by the Protestants and how afterwards by the same way he murthered King James his Father and persecuted King James and his mother all vnder the pretext of a Protestant Reformation Luther in epist. ad Argentinenses anno 1525. Christum à nobis primò vulgatumau demus gloriari See part 2 sect 5. n. 5. See M. r Belson Bishop of Winchester in his true difference c. part 2. pag. 353. See M. r Rogers in the Catholick doctrin of the Church of England pag. 103. pervsed aÌ„d published by the Lawful authority of the Church of England an 1633. Calvin in Dan c. 6. v. 22. 23. Abdicant se potestate terreni Principes duÌ„ insurgunt coÌ„tra Deum c potius ergo coÌ„spicere oportet in illorum capita quam â—llis parere c. (a) Perkins in his exposition vpon the Creed p. 400. vve say that befor the days of Luther for the space of many hundred years an vniversal Apostacy overspread the vvhole face of the earth and that our Church vvas not then visible to the world Mr. Napper upon the revelations dedicated to King Jams pag. 143. saith from Constantin's time vntill these our days even 1260 years the Pope and his Clergy hath possessed the out ward visible Church of christianity [b] vpon thy vvalls ö Jerusalem have I set vvatchmen all the day and all the night for ever they shal not be silent Esay 62.6 see Ephes. 4.11 (c) Dr. Powel in his consideration of the Papist's supplication pag 43. Buchanan in loc com pa. 466. And Whitaker contra Camp rat 7. pag. 101. 102. contr Duc. pag. 277. This Whitaker after vainly attempting to shew the beginning of Popery and seing the insufficiency of his particular instances doth at length acknowledg his weakness and runs with the rest of his Protestant Championâ— to divert the Reader from the evidence of truth so deceitful and silly similituds (d) Luther tom 2. Wittemb anno 1551. lib. de se. arbit pag. 434 [e] Luther in parâ—a Confess to 3. Germ fol. 55. in Colloq mons Germ. fol. 210. (f) Mr. Gabriel Povvel in his consideration of the Papists supplication pag. 70. [g] Fox act and Mon. pa. 40 Jewel in his Apology p. 4. c. 4.5 2. and in his defence of the Apology edi 1571. p. 426 (h) Andreas Museâ—lus in praef in libellum Germ. de Diaboli Tyranide Nicolaus Androphius Conc. â— de Luthero [i] Conrad Schlusletbur Catal. haeret l. 13. pa. 314 seqq (k) M. Cartwright in M. whit gifts defence pag. 17. [l] Luther contra Regem Angliae fol. 344. I pass not if a thousand Austins a thousand Cyprians a thousand King Henry's Churches stood against me Et libro de se. arbit contra Eras. edit 1. Lay a side all the arms of orthodox antiquities c. see also nullus and nemo G. 6. pag. 153. And Cnoglerus his symbola tria pag. 152. [m] Danaeus pag. 939. in his answer to Belarm of the confess'd austerity of life of S. Bernard S. Francis S. Dominick the Monks c. says they were all fools And M. r Willet who maketh a special Treatise against the austerity of the ancient Fathers in pag. 358. of his Synopsis reproved S. Bazil S. Gregory Nazianzen for plucking down themselves by immoderat fasting and concludeth Wher in all the Scripturs learn'd these men thus to punish their bodys Oseander reprehended S. Anthony the Eremit for the same and saith his Religion was superstition And Calvin lib. 4 cap. 12. sect 8. that the austerity of the ancient Fathers was not excusable and differeth much from God's prescript and is very dangerous And Iunius in his animadversions pag. 610. 611 attributs S. Simon Stilletes his austerity and Miracles to cunjuring melancoly and his prophecies to suggestion from the Devill [n] Bucer one of the Composers of the Common prayer-book and of the Religion of the Church of England whom Mr. Withguift Archbishop of Canterbury in his defence pag. 522. termeth a Reverend learned painfull sound Father teacheth in his applauded work of the Kingdom of Christ and translated into English that it is lawful to procure liberty by a libel of divorce to marry again not only in the case of adultery but in case of the on 's departure from the other in case of homicide theft or repairing to the company or banquets of immodest persons likewise in case of incurable infirmity of the woman by Child birth or of the man by lunacy or otherwise See his own words in the aforsaid work l. 2. c. 26. 27. pag. 99. 100. cap. 28. pag. 101. saies that who ever will not induce his mind to love his wife with conjugal charity that man is commanded by God to put her away and marry an other And in Math. cap. 19. saith that the wife repudiated either justly or vnjustly if she hath no hopes to return to her husband and desirs to live piously and wants a husband may be marryed to an other without sin The whole University of Cambridg comends this Bucer for a man most holy and truly devine and this letter of commendations is printed with Bucer's Book wherin he teacheth this doctrin see it pag. 944. Luther's words in Serm. de Matrim are notorious If the wife will not or can not come let the mayd come Et ibd fol. 123. tom 5.
are now superfluous and disrespectfull to the Royal Family that Reigns but such as have the honor to know him best assure us his Lâ—p is no great friend to Pâ—pists Lastly whosoever will call vnto mind the mis-chief which but a few members of the House of Commons of the long Parliament wrought against the late King and will observe how popular others of the same stamp are now and how apt the giddy multitude is to be fool'd again into Rebellion by the like madd zeale against Popery will be of opinion that not any on thing can be of so great prejudice to the peace and prosperity of England as the continuance of lawes which if executed make the Nation and Government SVBSECT II. Queen Marys and the Inquisitions severity against Protestancy can be no President or excuse for the Statuts against Popery I Will conclude this matter with answering the vulgar Objection made for vindication of the penal and sanguinary lawes of Queen Elizabeth against Roman Catholicks grounded vpon a parity of the like lawes executed by Queen Mary and the Jnquisition against Protestants The disparity will discover the fallacy and dissolue the force of their argument Neither Queen Mary nor the Jnquisition made any lawes against Protestants they were made by the first Christian Emperours and accepted by all Catholick Kings into the statuts of their Kingdoms and confirmed by their Parliaments The ancient Christian Soveraigns not only believed that the Roman faith was the Apostolick but found by experience the same Roman Catholick faith had peaceable principles agreablâ—â—o just Government and therfore they enacted lawes of death infamy confiscation of goods c. against all such as presumed to alter that doctrin declaring such as contradicted the Tenets therof to be Innovators and Hereticks When protestancy began in England they who preach't the new doctrin being conscious of their own guilt and of having incurred the penalties of these ancient Christian lawes then in force against Innovators and Hereticks and in particular against the marriage of Priests with Nuns proceeded other-wise Zozomen hist. lib. 6. cap. 3. affirmeth how that the Christian Emperour Jovinian who was in course the third Emperour after Constantin the Great published an Edict that who allured a Nun to mariage should be therfore punished with the loss of his head And this law is yet extant Câ—d l. de Episcopis Câ—â—ricis But they I say petitio to the Parliament of Edward â— to have those 〈◊〉 repealed wherby you may see how they acknowledged their own doctrin was Heresy whervpon they werâ— dispensed with to marry and all the 〈◊〉 lawes against Herâ—tickâ— and heresiâ—â— were repealed Queen Mary succeeding restored the ancient lawes that had bin repealed by King Edâ—â—â—d 6. togeather with the ancient Religion but she was not the Author of them as Queen Elizabeth was of the penal and sanguinary statuts against Priests and Roman Catholicks which never had bin heard of before her time in a Christian Kingdom or Common-wealth Jn like manner the Inquisition maâ—â— no new lawes against Protestants neither do they sentence them to death they only declare that they are Innovators of the ancient Catholick doctrin or Hereticks and then the secular Magistrats do execute the temporal lawes in foâ—â—e against such persons If protestants had not found themselves guilty of heresy why were they so solicitious to have the laweâ— â—hat had bin â—â—acted against hereticks not lately but during those venâ—â—â—ble 〈◊〉 of the priâ—â—tive Church repealed why did 〈…〉 if their doctâ—â—â— was the â—â—me with that of â—he ancient Fathers that lived in times wherin the Imperial lawes were made and in force what needed they to except against lawes which had bin enacted to favour the doctrin of those Fathers with whom they pretend to agree Queen Mary therfore and the Inquisition who proceeded acâ— willing to those ancient â—â—wes against protestants did nothing but what all Christian and Catholick Emperours and Kings had don for the space of 1300. years against hereticks But Queen Elizabeth took the quite contrary way she observed that according to the principles of Christianity as also according to the ancient and modern lawes of England her self could not enjoy the Crown having bin declared illegitimat by sundry Acts of Parliament never repealed nor the Stewards be excluded they being the lawfull and immediat Heirs and because the Queen of Scots from whom they derived their title was a Catholick Queen Elizabeth made her-self and England Protestant that is by Acts of Parliament she declared that all the Catholick Emperours Kings and Churches of the world for almost 1300. years had bin superstitious and Idolatrous that the Bishop of Rome was Anti-Christ the Catholick Clergy Cheats the sea of Rome the whore of Babylon spiritual Jurisdiction a shee and secular supremacy the sacrifice of Christ's body and bloud a blasphemy five of the seaven Sacraments human invention and corrupt following of the Apostles Priesthood and Episcopacy nothing but a lay Ministery authorised vnder the Soveraign's great seâ—le all lawfull Priests and Bishops Traytors all Catholicks Hereticks c. And all these absurdities were made legal in England to make her Father's marriage with Anne Bullen seem lawfull wheras it had bin declared null and invalid by so many Parliaments of England that her self durst not attempt an immediat and cleer repeale of Acts so notoriously inconsistent with the right that herself pretended â—o the Crown Tâ—at 〈…〉 and men who expected favors from her should so metamorphose sacred things into profane Scripture into fancy and illegitimacy into legitimacy we do noâ— admire neither is it strange that illiterat people after a Century of years continuance and education in such a Religion should be zealous in the maintenance therof or that a Clergy which hath no other livelyhood nor hopes of promotion but by justifying these proceedings should endeavor to continue her lawes against orthodox Christianity and the known truth for their own interest are frailties incident to men but that the nobility and Gentry of England being so well vers'd in their own Chronikles and in the Histories of other Nations that persons of so much witt knowledg and judgment should not when they meet in Parliament move and resolve to restore Christianity and rectify so gross and vulgar mistakes especialy since the family against whose succession the statuts had bin introduced is restored to the Crown this 〈◊〉 or oblivion I say of the English 〈◊〉 and nobility iâ— hardly excusable And if the 〈◊〉 will not be moved out of charity to their fellow subjects and 〈◊〉 to abolish the sanguinary and penal Laws against Roman Catholicks let them do it out of civility to the Royal Family against whose party and Title so injust Laws were â—â—acted There is not therfore any thing 〈◊〉 more Queen Elizabeths penal statuts then to compare 〈◊〉 wiâ—h Queen Mariâ—â— and the Inquisitions proceedings against Protestants It 's now time that we pass from the examination of