that hee erred in the faith the words of the Lord are not in vaine That the gates of Hell shall not preuaile against the Church The piety and integrity of Religion may be firmely preserued in other Bishops It is then manifest that it is not peculiar to the Roman Church to bee founded vpon this stone for that should be hard and grieuous and not far differing from the Iewes basenesse to inclose the Church within Rome Well then Christ hath built his Church but he builded it vpon the faith and doctrine of Peter and vpon those that shal be keepers and obseruers of such a confession And if Saint Agathon affirmed that his Church to wit that of Rome neuer erred from the truth it is no wonder for it is because that indeed very seldome she falleth from the faith Otherwise how should a man interpret this place of Scripture All are gone out of the way they are al corrupt there is none that doth good no not one Moreouer when he saith that the Church of Rome is not stayed from the way of truth he speaketh of the time past and doth not include the time to come and that which is to bee noted Agathon spake that before the sixt Synode Theuet The Patriarch of Ierusalem as I haue seene did excommunicate out of the body of their Church the which they hold from al antiquity aswel the pope of Rome as also all Christian Princes to wit those of the Roman Church because that they are seperated from the Greeke Church the which receiued the Gospell before the Latine Church Villamont The Syrians doe boast themselues to be the first Christians of the world because that Saint Peter had his seate seauen yeares in Antioch before that euer he went to Rome which is the reason that the Syrians would neuer submit themselues to the Church of Rome Theuet The Christians of Traprobane and the Ilands neare thereunto doe not acknowledge nor their fathers did neuer acknowledge the popes Cardinalles or prelates of Rome Also the Nestorians and other Indians doe call the Pope a Bishop vnapproued Sacranus The Ruthenians and Moscouites doe say that the Pope is an Hereticke and doe excommunicate him and his Clergy at such times as they do celebrate the Lords supper THE SOVTH CHVRCH ALuares Prester-Iohn calling to remembrance that I had said that the Church had drawn these things that is to say the ceremonies of the Masse out of the passion he demaunded of me what was this Church and wherefore haue we two chiefe heads in Christendome the one at Constantinople in Greece and the other at Rome in Italy vnto whom I made answere that we acknowledged no more then one Head of the Church and although Constantinople was the chiefe in the beginning yet the same now was abolished for that the head of the Church ought to be where Saint Peter dwelleth because that Iesus Christ tolde him Tues Petrus super hanc petram c. And then when Saint Peter was in Antioch the Church was there by reason that the chiefe head was then there resident the which being now come to Rome there was the Ecclesiasticall Iudge established and so firmely placed that it remaineth there vntil this present Moreouer he told me then that I yeelded sufficient reason for the Church of Rome but hee asked me what I could say of the Church of Constantinople which was planted by St. Marke and of that of Greece whereof Saint Iohn Patriarch of Alexandria was head Annot. The reason of this great King is the very same with the Grecians in the controuersie against some Cardinals in these wordes If that your Roman Church be the chiefe and mother of the other Churches by reason that Saint Peter was her Pastor it is more reason that Antioch should obtaine these titles because she first embraced and receiued his preaching from thence it commeth that Antioch is called Theopolis the citie of God or else that Church of Ierusalem which obtained the great and Soueraigne Sacrificer who preached and offered himselfe a Sacrifice therein The vniuersall Histories of the Indies made mention that the Pope sent Ouiedo a Spaniard to drawe the Abyssins or Aethiopians to acknowledge the Romane Church but the Emperour Claudius of Ethiope then raigning chased him away and Ouiedo was compelled to hide himselfe THE REFORMED CHVRCH OF THE WEST THE confession of Wittenberg Wee beleeue and confesse that the Church ought to expound the Scripture but there are diuers opinions concerning the Church that is to say where it must be sought for and whether her iurisdiction be inclosed within certain limits Now wee doe thinke according to the holy Scripture and the holy Fathers that the Catholike and Apostolike Church is not tyed to any one certaine place to one nation or to one sort of people but that it is in that place and with those nations where the Gospell is sincerely preached The confession of the Swizers We doe condemne the Donatists which would inclose the Church in a corner of Affrica and we approue not the Clergie of Rome who attribute the name of Catholike onely to the Romane Church Annot. The Diuines of Tubinge in their letters doe call the Patriarch of Constantinople Oecumenicke and haue sought the Vnion of the East Churches THE CATHOLIKE ROMAN CHVRCH POpe Pelagius Although that all the Catholicke and Apostolike Churches established through the vniuersall world are a nuptiall bedde of Christ Neuerthelesse the holy Roman Church was not preferred before the other Churches by any constitutions of councels but rather obtained the Primacy from the holy words of our Lord. The Church of Rome is therefore the first Sea of the Apostle Peter she hath no spot or wrinkle or any such thing but in these things the higher her degree is the greater is her authoritie for the greater haue the power to commaund and the lesser are to yeelde obedience ANNOTATION SAint Peter ought to be considered foure manner of wayes first in the quality of an Apostle sent by God immediately as such a one that had no successor In the second place as an Apostle simply hauing charge to plant many Churches in such manner S. Marke and other Euangelistes their Substitutes which also are called Apostles were his Successors In the third place as a Bishoppe and President in euery Church where he was that is to say in Antioch Rome Ierusalem as Euodias did succeede him in Antioch Clement in Rome S. Iames the Apostle and S. Simeon in Ierusalem Fourthly S. Peter is to be considered as Primate in the Catholike Church in such manner S. Iohn the Apostle entirely beloued of the Lord succeeded him hauing out-liued S. Peter fiue and twenty or thirty yeares Moreouer that S. Iohn was preferred before all the Bishops of the world is apparent by that that he was taken for one of the three pillers of the Church and was one of the twelue foundations
The Councell seeing that this veritie is conteined partly in written bookss and partly in Traditions not written doth receyue and honour with equall affection pietie and deuotion aswell all the bookes of the old and new Testament as also all Traditions which appertaine as well to faith as to good manners ANNOTATION FIrst the Romane Catholickes especially when they would serue their turnes with the sayings of the Fathers against the Protestants doe not distinguish the doctrine of faith from Ecclesiasticall policie which the Grecians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Protestants doe beleeue that all matters of Faith may bee sufficiently taken out of the holy Scripture And that that which belongs to Policie Ceremonie and Circumstances hath bene let go by Tradition not written such Tradition which may bee changed by the Catholicke Church that is to say by the mutuall consent good will of all Christian people in like manner by the particular Churches vnder the consent and good liking of the Catholicke Church In sum that the Scripture is the rule of the faith of the Catholicke Church as the Catholicke Church is the rule of the members thereof in that which concernes Policie or outward worship Secondly the foresaid Maior is deceiued in saying that the Scripture prohibiteth not to ordaine women Prests the prohibition is in Saint Paul as for the orders or inferiour offices of Priesthood they are of meere Policie And as touching the soueraigntie of the Bishop or Pope of Rome it is certaine that the Scripture maketh no mention of it also Tradition of the Catholicke Churches doth contradict it It is obiected that the Scripture maketh no mention of the perpetuall virginitie of the Mother of our Sauiour Wherevnto some men answere that it may be gathered out of the Scripture and that whereas the holy virgine is called blessed among all women if she had not beene alwayes a virgine other virgines should haue excelled her in blessednesse He that marrieth doth well saith Saint Paul but hee that marrieth not doth better well then those that haue done best shall bee most blessed in heauen Now if any man will restraine her felicity in regard that shee bore our Sauiour he must giue an account of that restraint Thirdly the Cardinall of Perron saith that the holy Scripture is sufficient to saluatiō because it doth send vs back vnto the Church and the Church teacheth that which particularly is wanting in the Scripture But if that were so the holy Scripture should bee manifestly imperfect and insufficient for if the Scripture teacheth vs not where is the head as Maior auoucheth how may one know by it the body of the Church And for to descant vpon the comparison of the same Cardinall if the King should say to one my Chauncellour shall tell you the rest and then many should arise for to speake vnto whom should hee hearken whom should be beleeue to be the true Chauncellour Our Sauiour neuer said that the Church should continue in Italy or in France and that it should faile in other Countries Moreouer it is certaine that our Sauiour knew all things yet not as a bare man but by participation of the heauenly wisedome neuerthelesse he reuealed not all things to his Apostles And the Apostles knew things which were not lawfull for them to declare but they might happily declare farre more to their Disciples then they haue written to wit many discourses miracles and other particularities of the life and doctrine of the Lord which got them a farre more great and perfect knowledge in Diuinitie Moreouer there haue beene very many profitable things for the gouernment of the Church which were not written but are come to their successors by Tradition But as concerning that which is properly belonging to faith and necessary as well for the Church in generall as for the particulars thereof the Catholicke Church beleeueth That the holy Scripture is sufficient to saluation QVESTION VIII Whether all the Bookes contained in the Volume of the Bible haue an absolute and equall authority THE EAST CHVRCH DAmascenus the greatest Doctor amongst the Greekes The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say the booke replenished with all sorts of vertues and the wisedome of Salomon the which being written in Hebrew by the Father of Sirac was translated into Greeke by his Nephew which although they bee as the rest of the bookes very elegant yet are they not numbred with the others because that they were not contained in the Arke Annot. Although that Saint Iohn Damascene be an ancient Author and that those Christians of the East doe to this day follow his doctrine in that point of the distinction of the Canonicall books from the Apocryphall or lesse authenticall Yet the Grecians haue not had since that any Councell which made a new Canon THE SOVTH CHVRCH THe South Church The Egyptians and Ethiopians do follow altogether the Canon of the Hebrewes and receaue not as truely Canonicall the bookes of Wisedome Iudith and Maccabees and others they of those Countreys haue hereby giuen vs this aduise If any man can shew that this testimoniall is false hee ought to be beleeued Villamont saith that hee could not discouer what bookes they held authenticall and that he thought they were in Hebrew It is well knowen that the Abyssins doe retaine very much of the old law and therefore one ought not to thinke it strange if those that call themselues Israelites do conforme themselues to the antient Church of Israel THE REFORMED CHVRCHES IN THE WEST THe Confession of the French Church after the account of the bookes according to the Canon of the Hebrewes We acknowledge these bookes to be Canonicall and a certaine rule of our faith not so much for the consent of the Church as by the testimonie of the holy Ghost which made vs to discerne them from the other Ecclesiasticall vpon which although that they be profitable none ought to ground any Article of Faith The confession of Wittenberg We do call holy Scripture the Canonicall bookes of the old and new Testament such as the Authority whereof was neuer called in question in the Church Annot. If any ancient or moderne writers haue doubted of the authority of some Canonicall bookes their doubt ought not to be imputed vnto the whole body of the Church THE CATHOLIKE ROMANE CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent hauing accounted amongst the other auncient Canonicall bookes those which otherwise some doe call the second Canonicall to wit Iudith Wisedome and the Maccabees saith thus If there be any one that will not receiue for good and Canonicall these bookes all whole and entire which haue beene accustomed to be read in the Romane Catholike Church let him be accursed ANNOTATION THe foresaid people of the East and South and the reformed of the West say that our Sauiour and his Apostles after him haue receiued for holy Scripture and perfectly authenticall but onely those bookes which
were and haue beene since in the Canon of the Hebrewes wherein the books of the Maccabees VVisedome and the third and fourth booke of Esdras are not conteined That the Authours of these bookes were not as the Prophets inspired of God who confirmed their doctrine with Miracles this is the cause why the Church in that time receiued the one into the Canonicall authoritie and not the other That the Catholike Church much lesse the Romane cannot make newe Articles of Faith To affirme that the Auncient Church knewe not nor taught the verity in that behalfe and that the Church hath had since new reuelations is an absurd thing In fine that they first which numbred these Deutero-canonicall or Ecclesiasticall with the Propheticall intended not to equalize them but rather thought good to put them in the Volume of the holy Bible because that there are good precepts in them and Histories whereby one may see the estate of the Church after the time of the Prophees vntill the comming of the Redeemer The Councell of Trent doth hold likewise for Apocrypha and in suspect the 4. book of Esdras although it be in the volume of the Bible There are also learned men of great account in the Catholike Romane Church as Cardinall Caietane Nicholas de Lyra and others which hold not the bookes of Maccabees for authenticall books And the generall voyce is that The bookes of Wisedome Syrach the third and fourth of Esdras the Maccabees and others although that they may perhaps call them Canonicall haue not equall authority with the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles QVESTION IX Whether the Latine Translation be of the same authoritie with the Originall Hebrew and Greeke written by the Prophets and Apostles THE EAST CHVRCH NIcholas The christians of the East say that the Popes of Rome whom they hold for heretikes together with their Sectaries haue wholly corrupted and changed the Gospel and other books of our Religion in taking away and adding that which seemed to them most fit to serue their insatiable couetousnesse The King of Moscouia The Chapters which thou cytest out of Apostolicall epistles and Gospels agree not with ours Here Lasicius marke that which followeth The writings of the Apostles are otherwise distinguished by the Russians then by vs for in their language there is in S. Matthew 116. chapters the most part of them so little that there is sometimes but three little verses therein according as the sense of the discourse requireth and a little after he saith that all that was done by one Cyrillus a Priest of the Church of Constantinople which they doe obey who vnderstood the Sclauonian tongue Aug. Eugub saith that the Grecians hold the translation of the seuentie Interpreters which almost quite through differeth from the latine Translation Aluares saith that Prester-Iohn asked him how many of the Prophets had foretold the comming of Iesus Christ I answered saith he that there was not any one amongst them which made not some mention of his comming Afterward hee asked him how many bookes S. Paul had written who answered one booke diuided into many epistles Annot. This discourse sheweth that the Churches of Ethiope haue neuer seene the Latin Bible of the Church of Rome and regarded not to approue it if they found it differing from the Hebrew THE REFORMED CHVRCH IN THE VVEST THe confession of the Swizers We doe receiue onely that Interpretation of the Scriptures for Orthodoxal and lawful which is taken out of the Scripture it selfe expounded according to the true sense and meaning of the language wherein they were written VVhitaker Wee Englishmen doe hold that the Latine translation of the Church of Rome is in very many places miserably corrupted and falsified and that it is not authenticall and that the Hebrewe and Greeke edition is sincere Scripture THE ROMAN OCCIDENTAL CHVRCH THe councell of Trent The Councell considering that no smal profit would redound to the Church if of many Latine editions of the holy Scriptures one were knowne to be Authenticke doth ordaine and declare that the same vulgar edition bee held for such and that none be so bold to reiect it vpon what pretence soeuer ANNOTATION THe Authour of the vulgar Latin translation is not knowen The Romane Catholikes say that it is the labour of S. Ierome The Reformed Churches doe thinke that S. Ierome was not the Authour thereof Neuerthelesse the Councell of Trent doth authorise it Cardinall Bellarmine affirmeth that that Translation is true and that the originall is corrupted But there are many Romane Catholikes which doe hold the Catholike beleefe and haue made newe Translations and consequently corrected the vulgar Those of the East Churches hold that onely the Greeke Originals written by the Apostles are authenticall And as touching the bookes of the old Testament they allow of the Translation which is called the Translation of the seuentie or of Ptolomeus Neuerthelesse they hold it not for a certainty that those be altogether the translation of the seuenty which carry that name It is thought that the Apostles did vse the Translation of the said seuenty the which neuerthelesse was not altogether comformable with the Hebrew but if they haue approued it then it followeth that there was not any errour in that they haue alledged it Moreouer the Hebrew text is preferred before all other Translations The Latines doe obiect that it is not reasonable to receiue the Hebrew Bible of the Iewes The Greekes doe answere that our Sauiour and his Apostles had the Hebrew Bible and that they left the same to their successors from whom those of this present time haue receiued it from hand to hand and not from the vnbeleeuing Iewes and therefore the vulgar translation was taken from the Hebrew It followeth therefore that the Hebrew was then in the Church or else that the Romane Church hath taken it from the Iewes Masius saith that the Syrians hold for authenticall the Syrian translation of one Theodorus peraduenture they intend not to preferre or equalize it with the originall Hebrew and that the Grecians the Moscouites the Abyssines and the Armenians would attribute each one of them to the translation vsed in their Church as much as the Latins doe attribute to theirs which would be but so many particular opinions each one of them being reiected by the other and therfore the Catholicke assured opinion is That the Latin translation of the Romane Church or any other hath not equall authority with the originall Hebrew and Greeke of the Prophets and Apostles QVESTION X. VVhether the Traditions of the Latin Church are Catholicke and whether all Christian Nations are obliged to obserue them THE EAST CHVRCH NIcolas The Grecians say that they were the first Nations that were conuerted to the faith of Iesus Christ and that in consideration and regard thereof they are the men that truely and purely hold the Traditions of the Primitiue Church as it was preached and
taught vnto them by the Apostles Ieremie Oecumenicall Patriarch writeth thus to the Protestants of Germanie Let these things suffice you most deare brethren which as you see do best of all accord and agree with the Scriptures vnto vs diuinely giuen according to the interpretation and exposition of the most wise and holy Fathers inspired by God For wee are not permitted to trust vpon our owne particular interpretation or to vnderstand or teach but only that which agreeth with the holy Councels and Doctors of the Church for feare that being once drawen or ledde out of the way of the Euangelicall doctrine and the path of true wisedome and vnderstanding we do erre and that our iudgement be transported as an other Proteus one while to one fashion of beleefe another while to another Well some of you will demaund peraduenture by what meanes may a man attaine to this That shall he doe by the aide and assistance of God if he doe attempt nothing and follow but that which hath bene ordained by the Apostles and holy Councels For he that doth well and constantly continue within these limits shall march the very same pace and be of the very same faith and Communion with vs. Sacranus The Moscouites denie that the Church of Rome is the chiefe head of all other Churches saying also that the Sayings Statutes Writings Canons and Determinatiōs of the Councels of the Church of Rome are nothing and that all Councels after the seuen first Councels are not truely Catholicke because that they were holden without their consent and approbation THE CHVRCH OF THE SOVTH ALuares Againe it was demaunded of me what number of Bishops were at the Councell of Nicei whereunto I answered three hundred and eighteene Moreouer they asked me wherefore wee doe not obserue the Statutes and Articles of that holy Councell seeing it was therein ordained that Priests should mary I answered that of all that which was there ordained there was now nothing obserued but onely the great Symbole or Creede They put me also in mind of many other things which were broken and violated by Pope Leo and they prayed me to recite them But I excused my selfe saying that I knew them not although that in my iudgement if that hee infringed any they were such as sauoured of some heresie and that he had approued and caused to bee obserued those which hee knew to be holy and necessary The same Aluares Prester Iohn asked me whether wee had a booke diuided into eight parts which was composed by the Apostles assembled at Ierusalem which they call Manda and Abetilis the contents whereof was by them obserued but I answered him that I neuer knew any such because it was not to bee found in our Countries Zaga-zabo an Ethiopian Bishop Neither our Patriarch nor our Bishops doe beleeue that either of themselues or in Councell they may make any lawes vnto which any man should be bound vpon paine of mortal sinne THE REFORMED CHVRCHE IN THE WEST THe confession of the Swizers S. Peter the Apostle saith that the holy Scriptures are not of any priuate interpretation and therefore we approue not all interpretations neyther receiue as a lawful exposition that which is called the opinion of the Church of Rome We do not contemne the exposition of the Fathers which doe agree with the holy Scriptures we reiect all humane Traditions although neuer so well adorned with fine Titles if being conferred with the holy Scripture they doe differ and varie Zanchius We doe iudge that those Traditions must be retained and obserued in the Churches which doe manifestly appeare to be of the Apostles obserued euer in all the Churches although that there is no such commaundement in the Scripture It is not the part of a Christian man and one that feareth God to reiect that which is proued to haue bin receiued by the consent of all Churches to reiect that I say without iust and necessary cause but if hee attempt any such matter it must be debated in a generall Councell THE CATHOLIKE ROMAN CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent The Councell considering that all Doctrine and Discipline is contained in Bookes written and Traditions not written following the example of the Catholike Fathers and good interpreters of the faith doth receiue and honour with equal affection and pietie all the bookes of the old and new Testament and in like manner the Traditions which doe appertaine as well to faith as to good manners as hauing beene spoken eyther by the mouth of Iesus Christ or else by the holy Ghost and alwaies kept in the Catholike Church Romane by continuall succession ANNOTATION THere is no part of Christendome that holde not themselues to haue the best forme of gouernement The three principall that is to say the Grecians Romanes and Abissins or Aethiopians doe claime their Traditions from the Apostles notwithstanding that they are found eyther to be different or contrary but in Histories their Original is to be seen especially the Traditions of the Grecians and Latines As touching those of the Abissins or Aethiopians it is harder to find out the Authours Neuerthelesse they haue receiued some of the Greekes and Latines in the time of Iustinian the Emperour as hereafter shall be said But the most part of their ceremonies are taken from the law of Moses The Reformed Christians say that if ceremonies must be it is more conuenient to obserue those which God hath in times past ordained then to receiue any Paganisme superstition That which brought most nouelties into the Latine Church is the authority which is giuen to one alone for euery Pope would leaue some remembrance of faith from hence do proceed so many canonized saints and fashions to honour them feasts pilgrimages Religions or orders of monks and friars and such like blind deuotion wherein the Latins haue surpassed all people who accuse the foresaid Latines of presumption because they would make to passe for Catholike those customes which were neuer ordained by the seuen vniuersall Councels They of the East Church require the obseruation of those of the generall Councels but not of any particular The Reformed Christians doe protest that they dispute not against Catholike customes but against abuse and superstition or if any thing displeaseth them it is the multitude of ceremonies rather then any one of them considered in particular It is true that in reiecting those that haue beene brought onely in by the Church of Rome they haue not spared the Catholike ceremonies Luther thought that all Christian nations would reforme themselues the one after the other and also that that which seemed to be a particular attempt would be corroborated and confirmed by a Catholike approbation Howsoeuer it be the learned and greatest men amongst them doe protest to submit themselues to a generall and free Councell The Frenchmen likewise who haue of late time begun and had lesse means giuen them to errect
inuocatitions as also the Protestants doe sing with the Psalmist Prayse God yee Angels of great power yee Angels of God which doe all that he commaundeth as soone as you heare his voice As for other matters two things are obiected against this inuocation or exhortation of Saints practised by the Grecians Armenians other of the East the one that it is an idle vnprofitable interpellation seeing that the Saints vnderstand not at al those that pray vnto thē Whereunto they aunswere that the spirit of Charitie which they haue vnderstandeth the Prayers and knoweth the thoughts of men and that this spirit was promised them vntill the end of the world It seemes that by this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they vse they meane the holy Ghost dwelling in the faithfull for the Patriarch Gennade taketh it in this sense in that place of Scripture which wee haue alleadged in the Preface of this Treatise where it is said that all the Apostles had one selfe same teacher to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that the opinion of the Grecians should be this that it is good to recommend our soules to the prayers of Saints because that the holy Ghost which dwelleth in them and which vnderstandeth the prayers of them that are liuing doth moue the Saints to pray for them The other obiection is that there is no commaundement of God to recommend a mans selfe to the Prayers of the dead They answere that God commanded the friends of Iob to goe vnto Iob to pray him to pray to God for them and that there is no impediment why a man may not doe the like to the Saints that are dead The greatest argument herein is the custome receiued from antiquitie in the Catholike Church The intention or meaning thereof now a dayes is That the Saints doe not vnderstand the Prayers of the liuing neuerthelesse it is lawfull for vs to recommend our selues to their Prayers because that the holy Ghost the spirit of Charitie which dwelleth in them doth induce them to pray for the liuing either in generall or in particular for those that recommend themselues to their prayers QVESTION XLI Whether those that haue beene Canonized by the Pope are truely Saints THE EAST CHVRCH THeuet As concerning the Saints of the Latin Church which we reuerence the Indians acknowledge none of them except the Apostles and Prophets nor the Grecians and Iauians likewise Idem The Grecians do keepe holy the Feastiuall daies of Saints as well as we not for that they acknowledge those which the Latins and the Church of Rome doth reuerence Sacranus They speake ill of the Saints of the Catholike Church and faith vnder the Roman obedience Gagninus They reiect the Saints of the Church of Rome and doe hold them for great Heretickes THE SOVTH CHVRCH Theuet The Abyssins doe acknowledge but verie few of our Saints Honored in our Church except Catherine by reason that her body is in Mount Sinai Saint Anthonie an Egyptian and S. Helen except also the Virgin Marie whose name is acknowledged throughout the vniuersall world THE REFORMED CHVRCH CHemnitius Those of the Church of Rome doe worship many Saints which neuer liued as George Christopher and Catharine This saying hath been vsed in the Church of Rome that in earth men doe worship the reliques of many whose soules doe burne in hell They are worthy of the hate of al good men though there were no other reason but this that they haue depraued by their fables the Histories of the liues and deaths of the Saints which doubtlesse were very full of true doctrine and consolation THE LATIN CHVRCH THe Glosse of the Canon Gloriosus The Pope alone hath power not onely to extoll some amongst the Saints but also to Canonise them first because it is one of the greatest matters that can bee propounded amongst Christians Secondly because miracles are attributed vnto faith Thirdly because that if it appertainneth vnto the Pope to determine those things that are doubtfull in the Scripture then by farre greater reason ought he to iudge of holinesse Fourthly to the end that the people should not be deceiued through the simplicity of many Bishoppes and fiftly to the end there should not be an infinite number of Saints least that thereby deuotion should grow cold ANNOTATION IT is a thing confessed that particular Churches may erre namely in the Canonizing of Saints and by tradition of the Catholike Church the Church of Rome ought to bee held for a particular Church This aboue written doth shew that the most part of Christians doe not hold for Saints those which the Pope hath canonized If any man say that the Church cannot erre I will answere that from thence it followeth that it cannot be that she can vndertake to Canonize them whom she neuer did while they were in their bodies The Church cannot make a new article of Faith Pope Leo the third saith Bellarmine was the first which Canonized Saints before they were honoured by custome and not by law the same is retained as yet in the East Countries where they name none Saints but those auncients which liued about a thousand years agoe there are none in those Churches which thinke themselues able to know who those be whom God hath chosen Not because that none ought to hold for saints those whose holinesse the ancient Church did acknowledge it would be worse to doubt it then dangerous to beleeue it charitably That which induceth the Protestants to say that Catherine George and Christopher neuer liued is the falshood of their Legends Bellarmine confesseth that they are Apocrypha They of the East doe beleeue that there was a certaine man named Christopher but no Giant They hold likewise that there haue beene a S. Catherine and a S. George both very renowned in all the east But if credible histories doe contradict the Storie of their liues it may well be said that they were not to wit such as they are imagined to haue beene To end seeing that the Churches haue euery one the memorie of the Saints who haue liued in their Countries the surest way is not to condemne them without good and sufficient proofe Neuerthelesse it is not an Article of Faith that they should be al Saints no nor those neither of the Church of Rome for all the Churches do beleeue That those which the Pope Canonizeth are not vndoubtedly Saints QVESTION XLII Whether it be lawfull to paint God to bowe or kneele before Idoles or Images to bowe the head or vncouer it before Churches Crosses or Pictures of Saints or when we take in hand holy Relickes and the Books of the holy Scripture THE EAST CHVRCHES DAmascen a Greeke Doctor Who can make an Image of God who is inuisible incorporall and incircumscriptible It is a great folly and impiety to seeke to giue a shape to him who is Diuine Sacranus The Russians doe abhorre the Images of the Romane Catholikes and
CATHOLIQVE TRADITIONS OR A TREATISE OF THE BELIEFE OF THE CHRISTIANS OF ASIA EVROPA AND AFRICA in the Principall Controuersies of our TIME IN FAVOVR OF THE LOVERS Of the CATHOLICKE Trueth and the Peace of the CHVRCH Written in French by Th. A. I. C. And Translated into English by L. O. LONDON Printed by W. STANSBY for HENRY FETHERSTONE and are to be sold at his Shoppe in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Rose 1609. TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTIE PRINCE HENRY Prince of Great BRITAINE MY GRACIOVS LORD GReat Attempts become great Princes And is there a greater or a more worthy enterprise more holy in it selfe and more comfortable to the world then the re-establishing of peace in the Church and the refreshing of Christendome through the reconcilement of the differences which ignorance auarice and ambition haue hatched and which passion and stomacke doe as yet maintaine And is there any Prince more worthy for the sincerity of his life more capable for his solide iudgement and rare knowledge in all good sciences especially in those that belong to God and godlinesse then that great King your father the nurs-father of learning Who I say more fit for this great businesse then Hee as well for his eminent dignitie power credite and authority amongst the Christian Princes of the West as also for the experience which he hath in the managing of the like affaires hauing already well nigh pacified those diuisions which the ouermuch scruple of some and the too too much libertie of others had brought into the Church of England vnto the which conformity he hath also most happily reduced the Church of Scotland to be conioyned and re-vnited both in discipline and ceremonies that he may attainne to that marke which he aimes at that is a holy and strict vnion as well in the religion as in the state of all the people and Countries vnder his obedience Who I say can with more hope of good successe vndertake so excellent a peece of worke then he whom the heauens haue so richly endowed with such rare qualities as I haue sayed and other perfections truely heroique and admirable And you my renowned Lord after him and with him for to second him in such a goodly and honourable enterprise seeing that already by reason of the generosity of your spirit the happy education of your youth the imitation of so rare an example and that at home and of your owne Father and aboue all the rest by reason of the bountie and courage of your nature you are the second hope of great Britane and make men expect great and mighty desseignes at your hands and such shal be profitable to all Christendome and if it please God to be one day a principall instrument to tame these damnable Monsters of wicked factions and pernitious sects which haue almost made a spoile of the body of Christ his Church yet not so much doubtlesse through the diuersity of beleefes in the matter of faith which is the soule and essence of religion for the which we are greatly to praise God As for the differences of Ecclesiasticall rytes and ceremonies whereof your highnesse shall see here a patterne or plat-forme established only to shew to the world that in the three other Clymates yea euen among the blind Pagans and impious Mahometists the name of the Sonne of God is knowne and called vpon if not with so much puritie yet surely with more pietie although that their doctrine is not so subtilly expounded then amongst vs and shall be more and more God willing toward the end of the world according to the Propheticall and Euangelicall promises and in the issue to conuince and confound those which doe empale and enclose the Church of Iesus Christ within the circuite of their walles or within the limits of one Prouince or else within the regions of those people who hold one selfe same opinion and are obedient to one chiefe or head aboue all other Iesus Christ is the grand Soueraigne and vniuersal Patriarch of al his Church and the holy Ghost saith that it neither hath nor shall haue any other bounds or limits then the whole compasse of the round world and which is more that it shall haue his presence and assistance for euer although for the ingratitude of men not at all times nor in all places with like glorie and efficacie The Sunne neuer ceaseth to shine vpon the earth but not euery day and in euery place with the like brightnesse This enterprise of Reconciliation my gratious Lord hath been attempted not once or twice but often in ages past as well by calling of Councells as by publicke conferences as for example that with the Donatists through the mediation of Saint Augustine at Carthage where the end was happie enough and might in some sort serue for a paterne in the differences of this age as also the conference at Ratisbon vnder the authority of the Emperour Charles the fift for Germanie and for Fraunce that at Poisi in the raigne of Charles the ninth And besides these publicke meetings and conferences there haue beene found learned iudicious and moderate men not a a few from time to time who bearing a great zeale to the peace of the Church haue opened and shewed certaine meanes and wayes euery one according to his knowledge and conscience But these discoueries of the trueth haue found no place in the hearts of them that were lead with passion but will by all possibilitie bring foorth better fruit hereafter in their due season that is to say When as God being first ouercomeby our Repentance Cries and Prayers shall cause that lamentable Schisme to cease being one of the greatest Plagues that euer happned or could happen among Christians Your Highnesse shal see by marking that which I haue here compiled out of them and their writings how the difficultie of reconciliation for a great part of our controuersies whether it be with the East or South Churches or between our selues of the Westerne Churches lies not so much in the things themselues which fall in question as in the peruerse opinion of the disputants and that those things wherein we agree are a thousand times of more importance to the glorie of God and our saluation then those things wherein we varie and disagree and shall haue farre more reason to loue vs for those things wherein we agree then for to hate and persecute vs cruelly for those things which remaine as yet to be auoided from among vs yea seeing the greater part of our disputations happen for want of vnderstanding the state of the controuersies in question or els by reason of our termes and fashion of speaking but farre more for want of conceiuing the true sense of the holy Scripture which also some great men of our time haue shewed manifestly in certain points of doctrine which were iudged irreconcileable wherein was manifested Gods iustice against our sinnes of presumption curiosity vaine-glory enuie auarice and ambition I say the
by little and little to her obedience The Protestants or reformed Christians doe make the sixt Church of Christians they inhabite a great part of Germanie and the Kingdoms of England Scotland Denmarke and Swethia and haue Churches in France Flanders and Poland This reformation attempted and desired by the Albigeans and Valdians was receiued in Bohemia in the yeere 1400. or there abouts and afterwards in the yeere of 1517. established in the said Regions by the doctrine of Luther Melanchton Zuinglius Bucer Caluin and others The reformed haue not Primate in common neither any generall Synods which are the Markes and Bands of Vnitie and from thence haue proceeded and entred amongst them with great scandale the diuisions and names of Hussits Lutherans Caluins and Puritans ¶ Secondly Certaintie of Christian Religion FOrasmuch as we intend to intreate of diuers points of the Euangelicall veritie It seemeth necessarie vnto vs before all things to establish and shew the foundation The which shall bee of more authoritie if we insert here the end of a learned discourse of Gennade Patriarke of Constantinople made by him in the presence of Mahomet the second Emperour of the Turkes Besides these reasons saith he there are seuen which doe altogether assure vs of our faith The first because that the Prophets of the Iewes the which we doe receiue haue foretold of IESVS and all that which he did and his Disciples after him through his power And in like maner the Oracles of the Grecians by the permission of GOD and the Astronomers of Persia and of Greece did foretell of him The second because the holy Scriptures is altogether conformable to our Faith for that those which did write them had all one teacher to wit the grace of God for if the same had not beene they had differed and varied in some point The third because that men receiued this faith although new and strange with great care among all nations and in great daungers And not onely the foolish but also the wise and prudent and all Diabolicke deceit was perfectly reuersed and ouerthrowne The fourth because that this faith contayneth nothing that is impossible and which disagreeth with it selfe and that there is no corporall thing therein but rather spirituall and it is the way which leadeth the soule to the loue of God and to the hope of euerlasting life The fift because that those which haue receiued this faith and that haue liued vertuously according to the loue of Christ haue receiued great gifts of God and haue wrought many miracles the which could not haue beene done had not the faith beene true The sixt because that all that which may be obiected against it is easily refuted with firme arguments The seuenth because that the Kings of Paganisme Countries haue made Warres against this faith with infinite power and cruelties during many ages and haue profited nothing at all but rather the faith hath preuailed so well insomuch that it doth persist vntill this present and when the Lord doth come he shall finde it To the same Iesus our Lord and true God be glory for euer Amen ¶ Thirdly the Subiect and end of this Treatise IF the Schismes doe ruinate Christendome by the aduantage that the Infidels doe take it is nothing lesse endamaged by the scandall which Christians themselues doe receiue the one of the other the one liueth vncertaine of that which he ought to beleeue the other perswadeth himselfe that he followeth the right way and animated out of measure against the opinion of the rest he doth but attend the houre to renew those auncient Furors If any man speake of a Councell or to correct and eschue those vitious and scandalous extremities he is so soone reproued by those which haue the eares of Kings and people I seeke peace saith the Prophet and when I talke thereof they are bent to warres The saying of Zaga Bishop of Ethiope and Embassadour of Prester Iohn is more charitable It is a miserable thing saith he that Christian strangers should be so sharpely reprooued as enemies as I haue beene heere and other things which concerne not the true faith But it should be farr more conuenient to support all Christians be they Grecians be they Armenians be they Ethiopians be they of any one of the seuen Christian Churches with charity and loue of CHRIST and to permit them to liue and conuerse amongst other christian brethren without any iniurie because that we are all Infants of one Baptisme and doe hold truely the true faith and there is no reason to dispute so sharpely touching ceremonies but rather that euery one should obserue and keepe his owne without hating or troubling the other and not to be excluded out of the commerce of the Church if being a stranger in other Prouinces hee keepe and obserue the customes of his owne Country This is the Discourse of a Moore which should make vs blush But seeing that ignorance obscureth the vnderstanding and that anger stoppeth the eares and shutteth the eyes of the men of this world It resteth for the Louers of peace and trueth to put in practise the commandement of our Sauiour Take heede saith he of the leauen of the Pharisees For who can assure himselfe that this commaundement hath not more scope But some man will say what meanes is there to discerne this leauen and these Pharisees in so great a conflict of reason The answere is that when the Scriptures the which all Christians doe claime haue not sufficient light for to make the trueth in the doctrine of controuersies to bee apparently perceiued Yet may a man now a dayes vse that meanes which S. Ireneus councelleth vs which is that he haue a recourse to the Churches where the Apostles haue conuersed for to learne the Apostolicke tradition But men are farre enough from taking this way The one perswadeth himselfe that the Apostolicke Churches are perished the other calleth them plaine heretickes For it is manifest that we must beleeue the promise of the Son of God who said to his Apostles yea as well to them as to the Colledge of their successors Goe through the vniuersall world behold I am with you vntill the consumation of the world Here is the full But of this Treatise to make men see by Testimonie of Historiographers being ocular witnesses and of vnreproueable Authors that there are Churches in the Apostolicke Sees and for to shew that they are conformable among themselues and to the Scripture in that which is necessarie to saluation As for ceremonies or curious Questions it matters not if euery one of them doeth make or beleeue that which seemeth him best That which is worst of all is the diuision which proceedeth of zeale but with little charitie and it will not be amisse to recite the moderation which Saint Paul commandeth If you saith he bee otherwise minded GOD shall reueale euen the same vnto you As
for the rest this Treatise is not for the learned sort of whom we are willing to receiue both councell and correction wheresoeuer it shall so fall out It is but for to solace those which desire to learne and haue not the meanes to read diuers authors especially the Greeke and Latin Those also that search discourses garnished and painted out with all sorts of flowers and coulers shall not bee here satisfied This subiect cannot permit any rhetoricall sentences and the fashion of the Treatise is farre wide from it here is but a Collection of diuerse passages Coppies and sentences of authors word by word with briefe and simple Annotations The breuity is to the end that the simplicity should not be enuious and the simplicity is because that it is conuenient both to the matter and argument In like manner because that which is most plainely spoken should haue lest suspicion and be more intelligible I doe not doubt that this breuity will giue any aduantage to the contentious But I shall haue better meanes hereafter to satisfie them God willing Let it then suffice thee for this present Catholicke Reader to haue here a beginning of the knowledge of this subiect a knowledge which will increase in thee through the loue of the truth The ancient Bishop Meliton as Eusebius writeth did visite the Churches of the East for to learne what were the Canonicall Bookes and true writings of the Apostles If thou doest read this abridgment thou shalt imitate without any paine the holy curiositie of this good man A TREATISE OF THE TRADITION AND BELIEFE of the Christians of Asia Europa and Affrica in the principall Controuersies of our time QVESTION I. Whether Saint Peter had authority ouer the other Apopostles or onely the Presidencie and whether his successors haue the same authority THE EAST CHVRCH NIlus Archbishop of Thessalonica The Apostles being in Hierusalem St. Peter tooke not vppon himselfe the Primacy neither said he is it lawfull for me to make a Canon vpon the same But the Apostles and the Priests assembled themselues together for to consult thereupon and Saint Peter reiected them not but he began to speake and after him Saint Iames spake and they all did condescend to the opinion of Saint Iames that is to say Saint Peter himselfe and the rest of the Apostles and Priests Barlaam Monachus Graecus I acknowledge that St. Peter was an Vniuersall Pastor and Teacher but hee was not alone but also euery one of the other Apostles was in honour equall with him It is true that our Sauiour promised the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen to Saint Peter the which he declareth to bee no other thing then the power to binde and vnbinde But it is manifest that he gaue the same power to the other Apostles saying Whatsoeuer yee binde on earth shall bee bound in Heauen Wee doe conclude then that all the Apostles had equall and like honour in that which was belonging to the Church but Saint Peter was preferred in this holy dozen and for that the others were present he propounded the question and peraduenture receiued the honour to be set in the first ranke Maior Anacletus saith that the Apostles receiued with Saint Peter an equall Communitie of honour and authoritie but they would that hee should bee their Prince And this saying of Anacletus is confirmed by this signe to wit that the Grecians doe follow the contradictorie of our conclusion that is to say of the beliefe of the Church of Rome and none ought to say that soe great a people are in errour a people I say that haue receiued the faith before the Romanes and the most part at the very first foundation or planting of the Church Sacranus The Muscouites deny that Saint Peter was a true Pope or a true Bishop of the sea of Rome or that hee was the onely head of the Militant Church And they say that he receiued not of Iesus Christ full authority The same they beleeue of the Bishop of Rome the which they maintaine to bee like other Bishops THE SOVTH-CHVRCH ALuares Prester-Iohn sent to me to aske wherfore we haue diuided the Churches of Antioche and Rome seeing we professe to be Christians seeing that the Church of Antioche was in a manner the chiefest vntill the Councell of Pope Leo whom three hundred and eighteene Bishoppes assisted I answered as I had said once before to his greatnesse that indeed Antioche was heretofore the head of the Church which Saint Peter gouerned and dwelt in it fiue yeares and in Rome fiue and twenty yeares After that hee inquired whether we doe obay all that which the Pope commaunded vs I answered him that we doe and that we were obliged therunto by the Article of our holy faith which confesseth one holy Catholicke Church Whereupon hee replied that if the Pope would vsurpe so great prerogatiue as to vse towards them an vnlawfull commaundement they would not make any reckoning of it And if by such meanes their Abuna would presume so farre they would burne the Coppie of such commaundement Annot. By this discourse it is seene that the Aethiopian Church doth hold that the Primate of the Church may erre and commaund vnlawfull things although he doe it in the qualitie of a Primate for hee commandeth not by any other authority and that the Iudgement of the Church is good and valuable without the aduise and consent of the Primate THE REFORMED CHVRCH IN THE WEST THe Confession of England Christ is alwaies present in his Church and hath no neede of any Lieuetenant that should succeede him totally in the Church neither can any one mortall man embrace in his vnderstanding the Catholicke Church that is to say all the partes of the world much lesse to establish a good order and to administer and gouerne it well and duely The Apostles as Saint Cyprian sayth were all of an equall authoritie And the rest of them had the same authority as Saint Peter had It was spoken to them equally Feed goe through the Vniuersall world Preach the Gospell And as Saint Ierome saith All Bishops in-what place soeuer they be either in Rome or in Eugubio or in Constantinople or in Rhegium are of one selfe same merite or calling and of one selfe same Priesthood THE ROMAN OR LATIN CHVRCH POpe Leo. The Lord would that this holy charge should belong in such sort to all the Apostles that he hath appointed and ordained it in the person of Peter as soueraigne amongst the other Apostles Pope Stephan Forasmuch as the Romaine Church ouer the which wee doe sit and gouerne hath beene proposed for a mirror and example all that whatsoeuer she doth ordaine and command ought to be for euer inuiolably obserued Card. Bellarmine The Soueraigne Bishop is absolutely aboue the Councels and cannot subiect himselfe to their Coactiue sentence Besides this point is the most important of all Religion and to holde
the contrary is as much as if one would say that the Church may perish and decay ANNOTATION THere is three manners of gouernement that is to say Monarchie Aristocracie and Democracie Monarchie is when one alone hath power to commaund Aristocracie is when the lesser part of the people hath the Soueraignetie in it selfe to giue a law to the rest of the people be it to all in generall or to some one in particular Democracie when all the people or the greater part of them haue the soueraigne authority Presidencie is when in a State Aristocratique or Democratique there is one that hath the first ranke and the charge to gouerne in the assemblies Magistracie or Superintendencie is when he that is President hath iurisdiction ouer the particulars for to cause the Lawes and Statutes of the Common-wealth or Monarche whereof he is a Subiect to bee obserued This charge and Iurisdiction is giuen sometimes for terme of life and instituted both in Title and Office Sometimes for a certaine time and in the forme of a Commission Some man may demand whether Saint Peter had simply the Primacy that is to say the first ranke or place amongst the Apostles or whether he had Iurisdiction ouer euery one of them in particular or whether he had a Monarchall authority ouer their company Also whether had he the Primacie in Diuine affaires and in such sort that it was not Lawfull for his fellowes to giue to vnto another The Romane Church doth holde that Saint Peter had authority in diuine matters ouer the company of the Apostles and that he that is elected and chosen to preside or gouerne in the Church hath the same authority ouer it and is not obliged to follow the greater voyce in giuing his sentence according to the consultations of the Councels For proofe whereof is aleaged Thou art Peter and vpon this Stone c. I wil giue thee the Keyes I haue prayed for thee Feede my Sheepe Strengthen thy Brethren And that the faith of the Romanes was renowned through the world This opinion of the Romane Church is so particular that not onely the Catholicke and Apostolicke Churches of the East South and of the North and the reformed Churches of the West but also the rest that make profession to beleeue the Roman Church cannot approue of this point Neuertheles this is the ground foundation of the others For when one makes profession of Christianitie it is necessarie that he be resolued to which hee ought to giue credit To wit whether to the holy Scripture expounded by the greater voice of Bishops and of the Apostolicke Seas which is the foundation of the East Churches or to a supreame head who hath assistance of the Bishops of his quarter which is the foundation of the Latine Church The Church of Rome pretendeth that her Bishop cannot erre in the things which he pronounceth in the quality of the head thereof although that one whole Councell was of a contrary opinion But the councel of Basil wherin was assembled all the Latine Church did hold the contrary Yea many Catholicke Romane Doctors doe mainetaine it in their writings Concilium esse supra Pontificem saith Bellarmine asserunt omnes haeretici idem asserunt Cardinalis Camaracensis Io. Gerson Iac. Almaricus Cusanus Panormitanus Cardinalis Florentinus Abulensis Moreouer it is the voice of the people that it be so and if one doe aske a Romaine Catholicke wherefore he belieueth or doth such and such things he answereth presently that the Church hath so ordained it In saying so hee confesseth that the Soueraigntie belongs to the Church For were not that a haynous crime so to obscure the Maiestie of a Monarch as to say that the Estates doe make Lawes and Edicts And it is manifest that the Romane Catholickes in soe doing doe accuse the Pope and the Church of Rome of errour to the which they giue neuerthelesse the title of Mistresse of all other Churches and do confesse that if there be any error in this there may be likewise in other opinions And consequently the Grecians and the Reformed Christians doe build vpon a farre more sure foundation As for the places of the holy Scripture alleaged by the Latine Church the foresaide Apostolicke Churches doe clearely and manifestly affirms that those places before alleaged doe conclude nothing for a Monarchie That the Church is founded vpon all the Apostles in like manner as vpon Saint Peter That our Lord prayed for them all That all had power to binde and vnbinde To Feede and confirme them And that the faith of the Church of Thessalonica which is now the faith of the Greek Church is spread and scattered into all places And moreouer that the Lord made a promise to the company of the Apostles more expresse then that which he made to S. Peter in particular I am saith he with you vntill the end of the world And withall two great Lawyers of that time viz. Hotman and Ranchin After many others haue very amply written thereof From hence therefore the Catholicke and Apostolicke conclusion is taken That the Church which in her foundation is a Monarchie because that Iesus Christ is the King ought to be gouerned Aristocratically by her Bishops which are equall in power although different in charge and degrees for the order and policie thereof QVESTION II. Vnto what Bishop appertaineth Presidencie in the Councels and whether this Presidencie be a Diuine Law or Ecclesiasticall THE EAST CHVRCH THe answere to the Councell of Ausburge Forasmuch as the Church of God which is with vs is the Princesse of all other Churches And that shee guideth the people of God in all knowledge and grace and glorieth in the pure sinceritie of the splendore of the Apostolicke Traditions and of the Fathers And for that also she hath born the first prerogatiue in the Orthodoxall veritie It is reason that all Christian common wealthes should celebrate the Diuine mysteries as she doth Nilus Archi-episcopus Thessalonicoensis The Latines say that the blessed Apostle Saint Peter was constituted by the Lord the Prince of the twelue Apostles and that he gaue into his hands the Keyes of Heauen against the which the Gates of Hell should neuer preuaile that hee also prayed that his faith should not faile and such like things as doe manifestly shew the Primacie of Saint Peter And they say that the Pope was constituted to be his successor and hath receiued of Saint Peter all the Primacie and that hee can all that Peter could in things concerning faith and that it is impossible that he should decline from the truth in matters of faith For if hee should faile all matters of faith would runne to ruine But Honorius Bishop of Rome was an heretike according to the seauenteenth decree of the sixt Vniuersall Councell It may bee then that the Pope might decline from the truth in matters of faith Yet graunt
they beleeue that they are not giuen them for confirmation of their doctrine because the same is sufficiently prooued in the holy Scripture although that the truth it selfe is oftentimes holden in suspition If then all the Sects of Christians doe vaunt themselues equally to haue Miracles how can he that is out of the foresaid churches and is willing to become a good and a true christian resolue himselfe by considering of their Miracles Surely if euery Nation doe say that the Miracles which are done amongst other people are not assured signes that the doctrine which they teach is altogether true We may herethen make this conclusion as Catholike and agreed vpon by all in generall That miracles are no prooffes of Doctrine neither markes of the true Church QVESTION IIII. Whether personall succession bee a Marke of the true Church THE EAST CHVRCH BArlaam How absurd is it and out of reason to say that euery one of the Apostles was a Pastor and common Teacher of the Vniuersall world as S. Peter was and yet that none of them left any successors but S Peter onely because that if any one of the Apostles hath left for his successor eyther Bishoppes or Gouernours of the Church wherein any of them finished his dayes and yeelded vp his soule to God vpon what reason commandest thou that all should be created by the Pope Moreouer if I should affirme now that the other Apostles haue left successors behinde them amongst whom none was first or last but all equal and of one selfe same order peraduenture you would not beleeue me but if I shall bring you here some vnreproueable testimonie you will not be able to withstand it It shall be Saint Denis Areopagite in an Epistle which he wrote to Demophilus a Monke in these words Moderate thou then thy desires thy anger thy purposes as it is conuenient to the end that the holy Ministers may haue authority ouer thee and the Priests ouer them and the Bishoppes ouer the Priests and the Apostles ouer the Bishops the Successors of the Apostles for if any of them haue committed any fault in his office he may be corrected by them of the same order This man liued in the time of the Apostles and knew exactly the affaires and businesse of those dayes which saith that the successors of the Apostles are of one equall order and calling THE SOVTH CHVRCH LItourgia Ethiop Pray for our prince the prince of our Arch-Bishops the Lord Gabriel and the chiefe of the Church of Alexandria and for the chiefe of our countrey our venerable Archbishop Marke and for the Bishops priests and Deacons of the right faith THE REFORMED CHVRCH COnfessio Heluet. The celestiall father sent his onely sonne in whom is the Diuine wisedome which is powred vppon vs through his most holy most pure and most perfect doctrine for he hath chosen his disciples which he made Apostles and they being gone through the vniuersall world haue gathered together Churches by the preaching of the Gospell And afterwards they ordained Pastors in all the Churches of the World by the commaundement of CHRIST through whose Successors he hath vntill this present taught and gouerned the Church THE ROMANE CHVRCH CArd Bellarmine The fift marke of the Church is the succession of persons in the Romane Church continuing from the time of the Apostles vntill now for that is the reason that she is called Apostolike For if the ancient Fathers haue esteemed it so great an argument to proue the true Church by the continuance of twelue or twenty or fortie Bishops how much more ought we to esteeme the infallible succession of more then 200 Bishops especially because we see that the other Apostolicke Sees are decayed and failed that is to say those of Antioch Alexandria and Ierusalem wherin after that those places were taken away from the Romanes by the Persians and Sarrasins sithens which time there are nine hundred yeares past there hath beene no succession and if there were any the same was verie obscure ANNOTATION OVr Sauiour being now ready to ascend to heauen said to his Apostles Goe through the vniuersal world and preach the Gospell vnto all creatures c. This commandement was executed as may appeare as well in the holy scripture as also in ancient histories that S. Peter was in Antioch S. Andrew in Greece and Moscouia S. Iames kept in Iudea S. Iohn went into Asia S. Philip into Assyria S. Thomas into India S. Matthew into Ethiope S. Thaddeus into Armenia S. Paul called from heauen preached in all countries from Arabia vnto Sclauonia Wel then euery one of them left successors and vntil this day there is not any one of those regions where there are not Christian Bishops which plead to haue succeeded the Apostles without any interruption Bellarmine saith that if there be any succession it is obscure Others doe answer him that it was no more obscure vnder the Persians and Sarrasins then it was in the time of the ancient Bishops of Rome vnder the Roman Pagans and persecuters of the Church The East Churches neuer cease to vaunt and brag of their Apostolicke seas The Christians of Africk doe exalt him of Alexandria and acknowledge no other head The Abyssines by antiquity doe hold the succession of that sea so certain that none amongst them can haue the imposition of hands but by the hands of him that is especially chosen by the Church whom they call Abuna and whom they doe beleeue to haue his succession from S. Peter and S. Marke the Euangelist Finally if by personall succession a man pretend to know the true Church he cannot know what part to take And although that the Latin Church only had the succession without Interruption that could not be a sure marke seeing all those nations which S. Ireneus writeth of do beleeue that the Roman Church is not the true Church notwithstanding her succession We might here insert the Catalogue of vniuersall Bishops according to the Greek Church proceeding from S. Peter vntill the time of Neophytus which now holdeth or latelie held the Sea at Constantinople But we will omit that for breuitie sake This then here shall bee the Catholick conclusion That the personall succession of the Church of Rome or of any other is not the make of a true beleefe QVESTION V. Whether the multitude of Christians or the greatnesse of Countries are markes of the true Church THE EAST CHVRCH VIllamont The Church of the holy Sepulchre in Ireusalem is gouerned by diuerse sorts of Religious men some are Romane Catholickes others are Christians but Schismatickes and no adherents or louers of the Catholike Apostolike Roman Religion You haue in the first place the Grecians which are Masters and Lords of the chiefe place of the Church Moreouer there are there a certaine people which multiplie as well in Greece and Asia as also in Affrica Besides the Syrians doe very nearely imitate the vse customes and manners of the
Grecians Againe the Georgians doe obserue altogether the ceremonies and errours of the Grecians in their Sacrament Louis Regius The Empire of the king of Moscouia dooth extend towards the East almost vnto the kingdome of Persia THE SOVTH CHVRCH VIllamont The Abyssines are a people of Ethiope that is to say a part of Affrica and the greater part thereof by reason of their large scope Their King is by them called Negus and in the Persian tongue Prester-Iohn or Catholik which Prester-Iohn heretofore dwelt in Tartaria neuerthelesse he is yet one of the greatest Kinges of the East and of the greatest power and might in all Affrica and his Kingdome doth extend from the end of Egipt vnto the Indies This king hath more then fortie kingdomes vnder him The Iacobites doe inhabite a great part of Asia and liue pell-mell with the Turkes Persians and Tartarians some of them inhabite neare the Riuer Nubius which is in the confines of Egipt and hold a good part of Ethiope and of the higher Indies insomuch that it was told me that they occupy very neare fortie kingdomes They call themselues christians of the first conuersion say that they were conuerted to the faith of Iesus Christ by S. Matthew the Apostle before the other nations They circumcise their children after the fashion and manner of the Sarrasins THE LATIN CHVRCH BEllarmine The fourth marke of the Church is the greatnesse or multitude and diuersitie of the beleeuers for the church that is truely Catholike ought not onely to comprehend all times but also all places all nations and all sorts of people And that our Roman church is the true Church may be proued by this argument that is that before the time of Luther there was not in the world any more Religions then these that is to say Paganisme Mahometisme the Greekes the Nestorians the heresies of the Hussites and the Romane Church THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe Heluetian confession Forasmuch as there is but one God and one Mediator betwene God and men Iesus Christ the Messias one holy Ghost one Saluation one faith one couenant it followeth necessarily that there is but one Church which is the cause that we call it Catholike because that it is Vniuersal and spread through all parts of the world and extendeth her selfe vnto all times not being inclosed within any time or place We condemne therfore the Donatists which inclose the Church in a certaine corner of Affrica And we approue not the Clergie of Rome who affirme the Romane church to be the onely Catholike Church ANNOTATION THere are two or three hundreth yeeres past since that it hath beene very hard to iudge by the multitude whether the name of the Catholicke Church appertained to the Greeke Church or the Latine Church The Greeke Church had the Empires of Constantinople and Trebizonde and the Northern nations who did maintaine her But now shee is diminished by the oppression of the Turkes as the Latine is increased by the conquests of the Spaniards farre otherwise then it was heretofore For Almanie was halfe Pagans and Spaine Sarrazins and this was at such time as there was diuision betweene the Greekes and Latines So that if the multitude did giue the Name of Catholickes the Grecians should haue had it and the certaine time when they lost this Title is not to be knowen Notwithstanding all this these two Churches and that of the Iacobites doe professe themselues to be Catholickes the passages or proofes before alleged doe shew that euery one of them is extended very wide Vnder the name of Iacobites wee will comprehend the Cophites and the Abyssins and we may adde thereunto the Nestorians For Masius telleth vs that these people are rather differing in name then in Religion whose Testimonie is reported to be very true The reason wherefore they haue in Ierusalem diuerse Churches and Oratories the one neere the other is to the end euery nation might vse that language which he best vnderstandeth Bellarmine also seemeth to account these three for one for it is certaine that before Luthers time there were Cophites Abyssines and Iacobites The rest the same Masius as it were dischargeth of the crime of heresie which was imputed to them I am assured saith he they are free and exempt from that wicked Doctrine of that infamous hereticke Nestor For hauing read a great Volume of their solemne Prayers which they make to God I haue found nothing that might offend any man of sound opinion in our Religion if it be not this that I suspect them because that they in many places call not the Virgine Marie mother of God But instead of this Title they call her the mother of life and of light Here is to bee noted that Villamont had some notice that Prester Iohn had sent to the Pope to submit himselfe to the Church of Rome and Cotion the Iesuite affirmeth that the Patriarch of the Cophites had done the like But wee haue now fresher newes and know that there is no such matter Well then if all those people doe make but one Church the same is as great or rather greater and ampler then the Latin Church and if the multitude be the marke of the true Church it must be attributed to them as the greater number of people But because it appeareth not that either they or the Greeke Churches doe constitute or appoint the multitude for a marke of the true Church and that it doth not appeare where that multitude is moreouer because that those which now are fewe in number may exceed the rest hereafter and that the multitude of the Latins is not so great to induce others to turne to their religion we will conclude that according to their beliefe The multitude of people or the greatnesse or largenesse of Regions are not markes of the true Church QVESTION VI. Whether the Primate of the Church hath any power or authoritie ouer the Temporaltie of Common-weales THE EAST CHVRCH IEremie Patriarch of Constantinople Wee ought to obey all principalities and power and not onely of good Princes but also of euill Princes and to obserue inuiolably their lawes notwithstanding that we must obey God rather then men And in another place he that resisteth soueraigne power shall be condemned Sacranus The Emperours of Greece haue had the power and right to holde vnder their yoakes the Patriarches and all the Clergie the which they placed and displaced when it seemed them best Nicholas The Patriarches of Constantinople Ierusalem Antioch and Alexandria possesse neither townes nor Castles and entertaine no Souldiers or Archers for their guard much lesse doe they cloath themselues eyther with cloath of golde veluet or purple and haue no more Reuenues toward their maintenance habites and books then about 200. Ducats by the yeare In their habites they differ nothing from the other people and they are no more richly cloathed then the simpler sort Sacranus The Princes of
the beginning therefore he that is a Melchite is a Catholike and whosoeuer holdeth a contrary opinion is an Hereticke It is this heresie that keepeth the kingdome of Nauarre vnder the Spanish yoke It is this heresie that brought that frowning fortune into our France and had bene the ruine of her if her great and inuincible Melech seconded by faithfull Melchites otherwise called Polititians had not preserued and defended her with the grace and assistance of him which is the onely giuer and translater of Monarchies It is this Heresie that the most Puissant and mightie King of Great Britaine indeuoreth to quench abolish in the hearts of his subiects a heresie which for a while lyeth hid vnder ashes but meeting with any proper matter will breake into a great combustion Euery one may here see that the most part of Christians doe reiect this opinion yea the Romanes themselues although they suffer the Pope of Rome to maintaine it in the Canons Wee will then conclude according to the generall voice That the Primate of the Catholike Church whether he be at Constantinople or at Rome or at Alexandria hath no power or authoritie ouer Temporall Common-wealthes QVESTION VII Whether all the doctrine necessarie to saluation may bee taken out of the holy Scripture THE EAST CHVRCH NIlus Archbishop of Thessalonica This is not then the cause of this difference and much lesse the whole bodie of the Scripture as if it were too short No it is not vttered openly and plainely wherof this question is for to accuse the Scripture is as great a fault as to accuse God but God is voyd of all blame Lombard The Grecians say that the holy Ghost proceedeth onely from the Father the which they beleeue say they because that the Gospell which containeth wholy the Faith that is to say the doctrine of the faith maketh mention of the Father onely The King of Moscouia If the Gospell had not bene written how could the word of God haue bene vnderstood and if the Apostles had not reduced into writing their delegation or Commission how had it bene knowen to the world that they were sent to men Sacranus The Russians say that the teachers of the Latin Church are not credible because they teach but that they receiue from the Greeke Doctors conditionally that they find nothing therein contrary to their owne opinion Annot. The Christians of the East are marueilous iealous of the Traditions and Ceremonies of the Fathers neuerthelesse they hold that the Scripture is necessarie against those that say that the Church may erre Moreouer they hold the same sufficient and a rule of Faith and therefore admit not altogether the Greeke and Latin Doctors but iudge of their doctrine which they could not doe but by examining it by the rule of Scripture THE SOVTH CHVRCH A Luares It was demaunded of me whether all those things that is to say the customes of the Romane Church were contained in our Bookes and whether they seemed better vnto me then those which they vse I answered that I found our bookes reduced into a better order then their bookes were because that since the time of the Apostles wee haue had alwayes great masters and teachers which were neuer imployed in any other vocation but to compose and gather together the holy Scriptures and passages of the Prophets and Apostles scattered in many volumes They replied vnto me that they had fourescore and one bookes of the olde and new Testament and asked whether we had more I answered that we had tenne times more drawne and extracted out of the olde and new Testament enriched with many expositions wherein was contained very deepe doctrine Prester-Iohn caused one to tell me that he was not ignorant of the great quantitie of bookes which we haue but that he desired verie much to know their names Damianus a Goes The Abyssins say that they haue all the writings of Moses and the Prophets and other bookes of the old Testament the foure Euangelists and all the Epistles of S. Paul and that they want not any booke of the holy Scripture whereof they recyted a Catalogue in my presence Neuerthelesse the Bishop Zaga an Ethiopian seemeeth to count the bookes of the Bible otherwise for he saith that in the new Testament there are fiue and thirtie peraduenture he comprehends those which Aluars saith that they call Manda and Abetilis diuided into eight parts but the same Abyssins doe beleeue that the holy Scripture is sufficient for saluation without those for they denie not the name of true Christians to those that haue not those bookes and therefore they hold them not to be of equall authority with the other The same Authour saith that the Abyssins beleeue not that there is any power whether Councel or whatsoeuer able to make lawes which binde the conscience much lesse such doctrine as is not grounded vpon the Scripture Annot. The Ethiopians are of the opinion of the Reformed if they meane those foure-score and one bookes which are in the Volume of the Bible for the same number is to be found if one reckon the Epistle of Ieremie for one booke by it selfe and if one doe seperate the Histories which are not found but in Greeke added to the bookes of Daniel and Hester Moreouer it is to be noted that the Abyssins do limite that which they holde for the word of God within the number of foure score and one bookes against the opinion of the word not written and they demand if the fashion and manner of celebrating the Masse is to be found in the holy Scripture Aluares a Roman Catholik answereth them cleane besides the matter saying that the Romane Church hath Doctors and Teachers which haue a doctrine farre greater and more perfect then that of the olde and new Testament The Reformed Church subscribe not willingly to this Article for they make a contrary Article as hereafter followeth THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe confession of the French Church We do beleeue that the word which is conteined in these bookes proceedes from God of whom it taketh his authority and not of men And forasmuch as it is the rule of all truth and verity conteining all that is necessary for the seruice of God and our saluation it is not lawfull for men neither for the Angels themselues to adde diminish or change it THE CATHOLIKE ROMAN CHVRCH I. Maior It is to be noted that wee doe hold many things to be diuine Law which are not expresly conteined in the Diuine law to wit in the holy Scripture neyther may they euidently be deduced from thence As for example not to ordaine a woman to be Priest or the institution of any one order In like manner we read not in the new Testament and much lesse in the old that the soueraigne Bishopricke was graunted to the Successors of S. Peter yet notwithstanding wee hold the soueraigne Bishopricke is by Diuine law The councell of Trent
or institute such an estate and forme of Church as is to be seene in other Countries haue neuerthelesse protested in like manner in the conference at Poissy that it would be easier for them to fall into accord in ceremonies if the differences in doctrine were once appeased So it is that the contempt of Catholicke Gouernment doth get the said Reformed Christians an euill opinion among other Christians And that produceth two effects the one that the said Protestants considering ceremonies but as outward shewes and the Romane Catholickes doe confesse that ceremonies haue iustly that name doe condemne the customes of other nations without discerning those that are Catholike from other more particular or that are profitable and tollerable from those that are euill and naught And the other seeing themselues dispised and contemned without reason perswade themselues that it is all one when one reprehendeth them in a matter concerning faith Saint Paul saith that such ceremonies haue appearance of holines in that they spare not the body and haue no regard to cloath or feede the same but hee said not that they should abandon all Ceremonies rather sayd he he that eateth doth well and he that eateth not doth likewise well much lesse hath he approued that one should rent asunder or condemne the Catholike Church The other effect of condemning the Catholicke Church is that a man cannot now a dayes read the writings of the ancient Fathers nor the Histories of the Apostolicke Churches no not the holy Scripture it selfe without finding very many ceremonies and fashions of speaking not vsed amongst the Protestants of France from whence it happeneth that many doe change their beleefe being offended at the contemning of Councels as it is seene by their writings and conuersations and on the other side they of the Romane Church which doe relie too much vpon outward ceremonies are more and more confirmed in their opinion presuming that they follow and ymitate in all things the holy Scriptures and the Fathers nay the most learned and those that approue not in all points the Romane Church doe not thinke it in any wise reasonable to preferre the aduise or opinion of some particular and new writers before the iudgement of auncient Councels in that which concernes the Policie of the Church Heere it is to bee marked that the moderne Chronicles in writing the Ecclesiasticall Historie doe cause the readers very often to erre They write the names of the auncient Bishops of Romein Capitall letters naming them alone and recounting their actes liues they gather their lawes ordinances decrees and make no mention of the Canons which the other Bishops haue made in their Churches from thence grew the opinion that the said Bishops of Rome were Monarchs of all the world as the Emperours haue bene in temporall matters of their Empire and that such Lawes Traditions and Decrees which were but onely for the Church of Rome were lawes giuen to the Catholicke Church which is not so For it hath bene but of very late yeeres that France Spaine Germanie and England haue receiued them that is to say three or foure hundreth yeres since as for other nations they haue not receiued and approued the same as yet but haue inuented others In fine the reformed Christians say that the estate of the Church hath bene tollerable during the fiue first ages and they approue not Aerius and such like which in times past troubled the Church in reiecting the Ecclesiasticall customes and from thence it followeth that the Customes receiued during those first ages are not those which haue brought or doe nourish the Schisme in Christendome and therefore all nations doe auowe That Catholicke Traditions ought to be receiued if the inestimable good of peace and agreement might thereupon ensue alwayes prouided that you comprehend not vnder the name of Catholicke those which onely belong to the Greeke Church or the Latin or the Abyssin Aethiopian Armenian or any other particular Churches QVESTION XI Whether the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the sonne or from the Father onely THE EAST CHVRCH THe second answere to the confession of Ausburg You see how many absurdities doe arise on euery side if it bee concluded that the holy Ghost doth proceede from the Father and from the Sonne Hold not an euill opinion in the name of the Lord. For if the Latins the Church of Rome and others doe bring approued witnesses as it seemeth likely to them that is to say Augustine Ambrose and Ierome we likewise can produce farre more and more worthy of credit All which haue pronounced that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father onely and haue prohibited vpon paine of a grieuous Anathema to hold any other beleefe THE ROMANE CATHOLIKE CHVRCH THe confession of faith by the Councell of Trent We beleeue in the holy Ghost the Lord and giuer of life which proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne which is worshipped and glorified together with the Father and the Sonne who spake by the Prophets THE SOVTH CHVRCH SAint Seuerus Patriarch of Alexandria I beleeue in one holy Ghost liuing which giueth life vnto all who proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne The King of Aethiope In the name of God the Father Almightie Creator of all things visible and inuisible In the name of God the Sonne Iesus Christ which is one with the Father light of lights In the name of the holy Ghost God liuing which proceedeth from the Father I am King c. THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe English Confession Wee beleeue that the holy Ghost which is the third person in the holy Trinity is very God not made nor created nor begotten but proceeding from the one and from the other to wit from the Father and the Sonne in a manner vnknowen and vnspeakeable of men ANNOTATION LOmbard surnamed Master by the Schoole Doctors of the Latin Church saith as followeth touching the differēces between the Grecians and the Latins in this question The Grecians say that the holy Ghost proceedeth frō the Father only and not frō the Son which they hold because that the truth in the Gospel which cōtaineth wholy the faith speaking of the procession of the holy Ghost maketh mention onely of the Father and also that in the principallest Councels which were celebrated with them their Symbols or Credes haue bene so fortified by the Anathemaes added that it is not lawfull for any man to teach any thing touching the Trinitie otherwise then is therein contained in which Symbole or Creede the holy Ghost is fayd to proceede from the Father and not from the Sonne And therfore say they all those are Anathema that doe affirme that he proceedeth from the Sonne and a little after Wee doe conclude that the Grecians doe accord with the Latins in the matter it selfe although that they differ in words Behold here the opinion of the Master of sentences who to shew that there is no difference betweene the
alone is the cause and beginning as well of the Sonne as of the holy Ghost That which moueth the Latins to be so obstinate and to say that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the person of the Sonne is because they feare that otherwise men would feigne or imagine inequallitie in the persons And if the Father did not communicate to the Sonne the inspiratiue power he communicated not vnto him all that is in him but hee communicated vnto him all except the constitutiue propertie of his person Neuerthelesse the truth is that the Grecians confesse constantly the equality of the persons they say that the Father did communicate all to the sonne but they seeme to denie that that production is the action of the Sonne because that the Son doth not inspire but the person already begotten and resident in himselfe and they say moreouer that there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is that the inspiration is one and the very selfe same action of them both the which neuerthelesse onght to be attributed to the Father alone because that he alone is the beginning The Latins do confesse all this that is to say that there is one selfe same inspiratiue vertue and consequently one selfe same inspiration which proceedeth from the Father yea euen in that that it is the action of the Sonne and that the Father and the Sonne doe inspire because they are both one for the essence is the foundation of the power although that it is the Persons that doe produce it It is as if one would search to know whether the light which shineth sometimes in the night time doth proceede onely from the Sunne or else as well from the Sunne as from the Moone A man should not doe amisse to maintaine both the one and the other I speake this yet not comparing the most holy mysteries with creatures as some for want of a more solid discourse are wont and would make men beleeue so I say this onely that there may be found Logomachies as well in the one as in the other The conclusion according to the intention of all the Churches seemeth to be that The Father as a person produceth the holy Ghost and as a Father begot the Sonne who through the inspiratiue vertue communicated produceth also the holy Ghost in such sort that the holy Ghost is said to proceede from the Sonne if one consider the action of the Sonne simply but if one haue regard to the beginning of the same he proceedeth from the Father only QVESTION XII Whether that the faith which God giueth be a sure and certaine confidence of saluation THE EAST CHVRCH IEremie Let vs approch to him which is without sinne entring into repentance with assurance Let vs come to Iesus which is most mercifull with full confidence not hauing an ill conscience or doubting any thing for hee that doubteth cannot approch with assurance Item Wee begge first the peace of our consciences and the saluation of our soules Peace is a thing most profitable or rather a vertue which is altogether necessarie for it is impossible that the troubled spirit should haue accesse vnto God THE SOVTH CHVRCH SAint Seuerus Alexandrinus Let vs approch with a pure heart and confidence of faith and let vs perseuere in the confession of our hope without declining for he that promised vs is faithfull Litourgie Aethiop Let this Bread and this Cup be effectuall vnto vs all that shall receiue it with Faith vnspotted Charitie vnfained perfect Patience firme Hope and Confidence THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe confession of Bohemia The repentant are taught to confesse their sinnes before those that haue care of their soules and to receiue of them absolution with confidence to inioy without doubt the remission of their sinnes The confession of Wittemberg Seeing God hath promised vs his mercy freely for his sonnes sake he requireth in that regard that we should abandon the doubtfulnesse of our flesh and conceaue a most certaine confidence in his mercy and to the end that might bee he hath placed our saluation not in the merits of our righteousnesse which is vnperfect but in the merits of his sonne Iesus Christ Item wherefore wee doe account that those which doe commaund vs to doubt of the grace of God doe not onely fight against the true beleefe of the Catholike Church but also doe prouide very ill for their soules health THE ROMAN CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent Albeit it is necessarie to beleeue that sinnes are not pardoned nor neuer shall be pardoned but freely through the mercy of God for the loue of Iesus Christ Neuerthelesse it must bee held that sinnes are not pardoned nor neuer haue bene par-pardoned to any which vaunteth himselfe of his beleefe and certainty of the remission of his sinnes and reposeth himselfe only vpon that although perhaps he be an vtter heretike and that in our time this vaine hope being farre from all pietie is preached with a great force against the Catholicke Romane Church And wee ought not to be assured that it must needes bee that those which are truly iustified without doubting any thing doe relie vpon themselues that they are iustified and that none can be absolued of his sinnes iustified but he that beleeueth for a certaintie that he is absolued and iustified and a little after for none can know by the certaintie of faith without all question of falshood that he hath obtained the grace and fauour of God ANNOTATION THe Councell of Trent saith that confidence is a vaine opinion a presumption a vice remote from all pietie and consequently the way to damnation The reformed on the contrary side doe maintaine that confidence is a Theologicall vertue and that faith whereof the Gospell maketh mention so often and is not hurtfull but rather aboue all things necessarie to saluation and that hee that repenteth ought to be assured that he is absolued before God especially then when he receaueth the Sacraments the seales of the remission of sinnes and at such time say the Greekes as one is possessed with the affection of him that said I haue hated iniquitie that is to say at such time as sinne raigneth no more in that man although it doth remaine in him Euery one seeth that this point is of importance for if the sayings of the Protestants be true it goeth very hard with the Romane Catholikes because that they follow the doctrine of the said Councell albeit not all and cast farre from them this hope as vaine and deceitfull and in so doing cannot be saued On the other side the reformed doe runne in hazard if they doe perswade themselues that this confidence commeth of diuine inspiration which in the decree of the Councell is a vice farre voide from all piety But because that this is not a place to debate vpon the reasons which are alledged on the one side and on the other it shall suffice to aduertise you that out of the passages before
mentioned is gathered that the Churches of the East and South and many of the Catholike Church of Rome doe hold with the Reformed contrary to the Councell of Trent That the faith which God giueth to the repentant is a firme assurance of saluation and consequently that whosoeuer hath this assurance hath the faith which God giueth QVESTION XIII Whether a man may attaine faith or confidence by his free will or doe workes proceeding from faith and such as are profitable vnto saluation by the same THE EAST CHVRCH IEremie It is of vs to chuse and will but it is of God to performe and bring it to effect And beeause that which is most excellent is of him S. Paul attributeth all vnto him imitating therein the custome of men As when we see a house built we atttribute all to the chiefe builder yet neuerthelesse all is not done by him but by the workemen and by the owner that prouided the stuffe but we attribute all vnto him because he hath layed the foundation and is the chiefeth builder In like manner is it here for so saith S. Paul also It is not in him that willeth neither in him that runneth which saying preuenteth two mischiefes the one that no man exalt himselfe for graunt saith he that thou runnest or that thou doest endeuour yet thinke not that which is well done is thine for if thou art not inspired from aboue all is in vaine It is neuerthelesse confessed that thou shalt attaine vnto the end of that which thou desirest because that thou runnest and because thou labourest For he said not simply that wee runne in vaine but that we runne in vaine if we thinke that all is of vs and make not God the principall partie for God would not that all should be from him least he should seeme to crowne vs for no seruice neither that all should be of our selues least we should happen to fall into a foolish opinion of our selues for if we be proud of the least part thereof because it is in vs howe much more should we be if we had all in our selues Item in recyting of S. Chrysostome To the end that the greatnesse of his benefits exalt the not behold how he doth humble thee that is saith hee by giuing grace through faith On the contrary side to the ende that free-will haue no preiudice hee hath also added that which is of vs And againe he hath taken it away for the same saith he is not of vs nay faith it selfe is not of our selues For if he had not called vs how could wee haue beleeued It is the gift of God The Anaphor of the Cophites And therefore O Lord wee thy vnprofitable seruants and miserable strangers whom thou hast vouchsafed to make administrators of thy holy mysteries not by reason of our righteousnesse for wee haue done no good on the earth c. Liturgia Ethiop Giue vs thy holy spirit to the ende that with a pure heart perfect loue and firme hope wee may be bold with confidence and without feare to pronounce that prayer which thy dearely beloued Sonne hath taught his holy Apostles THE LATINE CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent If any one say that the free-will of a man being moued and stirred by God doth not cooperate at all in assenting to God which moued and called it to the end that hee dispose and prepare himselfe to obtaine the grace of iustification and that he cannot consent if he would nay rather that he doth nothing at all as a thing without a soule and that he is onely a patient and no agent let him bee accursed Item If any one say that the freewill of a man hath beene so lost and razed out after the fall of Adam that it is a thing without a name or rather a name without a thing and to conclude That it is a fiction that Sathan hath brought into the Church let him be accursed THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe confession of the Saxons Those men that were well instructed haue alwaies distinguished outward discipline from the regeneration of the spirite which is the beginning of eternall life and haue taught that in man there is such a freedome of will to rule the externall motions of the body that those which are not regenerate may in some fashion accomplish that discipline which is an externall obedience according to the law But a man cannot deliuer himselfe from sinne and from eternall death by his naturall strength For this deliuerance conuersion of man to God is wrought by the Sonne of God which doth quicken vs through his holy spirit and the will hauing once receiued the holy spirit is neuer after idle or voide The confession of Ausburg Touching freewill the Churches doe teach that mans will hath some liberty to worke ciuill righteousnes and to chuse that which is conformeable vnto reason But it hath not the power to worke spirituall righteousnesse which is the righteousnes of God We confesse that all men haue free-will which haue the iudgement of reason neuerthelesse not such as that they are sufficient of themselues either to begin without God or to end without him in that which concerneth God but onely in the workes of this present life as well good as badde ANNOTATION SOme men doe thinke that the difference touching free-wil consisteth all in wordes which may be graunted because that the Romane Catholikes doe not hold any thing to be in a man that is regenerated which the protestants doe not confesse with them that is that it proceedeth either in all or in part from free-will But the difference is in this that the Protestants doe thinke it necessary that a man should haue an assured faith the which say they proceedeth in no wise from free-will nor by consequent from the workes that doe proceed from this faith for if it proceede totally from God it followeth that the effects ought to be imputed to him onely If the Latines would confesse that God giueth this confidence they should approue the opinion of the Protestants and indeede many doe so and therein are true Catholickes The Churches of Asia and Affrica which affirme that it is necessary to saluation to haue this confidence do also confesse that it commeth from God and therefore begge it of him and consequently denie therein free-will as the Protestants doe and are contrary to the Latines although that they doe not debate with them about it and though they know it not agree with the Protestants those Protestants I say which beleeue that the Grecians do contrary them as much or more then the Latines and so it is certaine that the fault is for want of vnderstanding the matter Now to comprehend well this thing a man must marke the propositions of the Patriarch Ieremie and explane them to the end he may gather his meaning by his owne discourse First he saith that a man hath power or ability to chuse the good as well as the euill
These termes are strange to the Protestants Neuerthelesse they are true because that hee speaketh of the soule which is the inward man and the cheefest part of a man for so he expoundeth himselfe This soule is of it selfe apt to iudge and chuse the good that is to say that good which belongeth to morall vertue but the bodie which is the soules instrument doth suggest vnto it without ceasing those obiects which haue appearance of good in such sort that the soule cannot resist but very hardly euen as a shippe which of it selfe is apt to be conducted any way is oftentimes carried by the winde against the will of the Pilot. Secondly Ieremie saith that a man attempteth and that God effecteth The Protestants doe confesse the same likewise saying that a man may by his free-will doe a ciuil worke of iustice and such as is commanded by God But because that of it selfe it profiteth nothing to saluation the same Ieremie addeth that God effecteth by bestowing that which is his own that is to say faith Thirdly Neuerthelesse the Protestants say that all proceedeth from God The same Authour saith so also and in the very same termes and sheweth that the morall worke is but as the matter euen a matter vnprofitable to the which God giueth a forme that is to say faith Euen as an Housholder which would build prouideth the matter but the Master workeman maketh the house or building in such sort that all the commoditie of inhabiting which is the vse of the house is attributed to him that builded it Fourthly Ieremie saith that God dooth cooperate It is necessary here to marke that two causes may concurre to one effect Reason leadeth a man to a worke of iustice the holy Ghost doth likewise driue him And a man fortified with special grace executeth it better then if he were caried alone by naturall reason Neuerthelesse all is attributed to God because that the soule being illuminated employeth her naturall faculties to a good end the which it would neuer do without God and for this cause S. Paul saith that it is not in him that willeth nor that runneth wherein he teacheth that a man may will and runne but because that in running he erreth S. Paul addeth to it that God must needs giue his mercy which he doth when he purifieth the heart through faith faith I say which not onely maketh the Morall works good which proceede of reason but also bringeth forth a farre greater number and maketh the righteousnesse of the faithfull to exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisies for a man loueth God according to that proportion that hee beleeueth in him and a man doth good workes according to that measure that hee loueth him and it cannot be otherwise for in all our willingnesse the principall part or all proceedes from inspiration and in this consideration it is sayd that God giueth the will and the deede 5. When a man speaketh of faith it is necessary to distinguish it for the want of this is the cause of the strife about words The Latins neuer speake but of that faith which Bellarmine defineth thus Catech. cap. 11. Faith is a Theologicall vertue whose office is to illuminate the vnderstanding and to raise it vp to a firme beleefe of all that which God hath reuealed vnto vs by the meanes of his Church although it be a hard thing and farre passing naturall reason 6. The Councell of Trent saith that this faith dependeth partly vpon free will that is to say in as much as a man disposeth himselfe to receaue it and may reiect it when it is offered him The Protestants doe call this faith historicall and do confesse that a man may furder himselfe in receiuing of it For the authoritie of the Church may moue a man to beleeue that the Gospell is a true historie likewise the testimonie of the Apostles who are vnreproueable Authors and the predictions of the Prophets and the Sybils yet so that all this would be weake if God should not illuminate the vnderstanding to beleeue firmely The Protestants doe confesse also that one may reiect this faith and fall into dispaire for this faith hath her seat in the vnderstanding as the Romane Catholickes say very well but in such sort that the vnderstanding draweth not the will to accept and rest in it seing that by this faith a man is not assured whether any 〈◊〉 be giuen to himselfe but onely he beleeueth that it is 〈◊〉 to some men in such sort that if he loueth God it is of a 〈◊〉 proportionable to this faith Hee loueth him as the Author of nature and as a benefactor to them that please him If he keepe in some sort his commaundements it is more formidine paenae then virtutis amore rather of seruice feare then of filiall loue It is impossible for a man to loue him withall his heart whom he mistrusteth 6. This is the cause that the Church of the East South together with the reformed Church of the West and that against the Councell of Trent doe hold that a man must haue confidence and assurance The confession of Saxonie saith as followeth Faith signifieth not onely to know the historie as the diuels themselues doe which beleeue and tremble but also signifieth to imbrace all the Articles of the faith and amongst the rest this also I beleeue the forgiuenesse of sinnes and doe beleeue that they are forgiuen not only vnto others but also vnto me 7. Behold here the true knot of the question of free-will The Protestants affirme that this faith of assurance dependeth not at all vpon free will this is not to say that it is not a man which beleeueth and which willeth but that he beleeueth not nor willeth not if God of his extraordinary and especial grace would not that a man beleeued were willing Moreouer this is not to say that naturally the actuall vnderstanding cannot beleeue all that which is credible and that the will naturally accepteth not all that which the iudgement proposeth to be good but man is sayd not to helpe himselfe by his free will to receiue this faith because that nature doth not shew to the iudgement of man any reason whereby hee might conclude that God loueth him would faine be fauorable merciful vnto him as Ieremy very learnedly saith in his second answere all that which is proued by arguments is examined very profoundly by earnest inquirie or search but the simplicitie of faith is more firme then the demonstrations which reason doth deuise Moreouer man cannot reiect this faith when it is offered him because that God hath so ordered that a man iudgeth and beleeueth without any precedent debating And withall a man cannot haue a will to reiect it at such time as it is in the vnderstanding because that the wil naturally necessarily but freely for otherwise it should be no will yeeldeth it selfe to that which the iudgement esteemeth to bee good
and profitable The Protestants in the confession of Saxonie and Ausburg and others doe confesse also that it may be imputed to the vnderstanding by reason of other succeeding obiects as the cause that vice raigneth in man for man hath his free will to euill and God hath not promised saluation to them which sinne willingly and notoriously 8. As touching the Christians of the South although that this question is not found handled in their writings yet they speake very sufficiently They say that assurance of faith is a guift of God and therefore they begge it at his hands and they confesse that a man cannot doe any good in the world to wit by his free will Moreouer the Councell of Trent confesseth that this faith proceedeth not at all from free will Euery man saith the Councell when he hath regard to himselfe and to his owne indignity and indisposition may haue some feare and doubt of Gods grace seeing a man cannot know by any certainety of faith that hee hath obtained the grace of God Out of this confession of the Councell a man may conclude that if God giueth this confidence as the Apostolike Churches doe beleeue against the said Councell then it is a supernaturall gift and dependeth no way on freewill 9. But the Reformed stay not on so faire a way They say that we cannot doe any good workes through free-will They would say in as much as these workes proceede of faith for in that they proceede from naturall all reason which is no lesse in the faithfull then in the vnfaithfull the free-will doth cooperate also neuerthelesse they are not therefore truely good that is to say rewardable but they are in that they proceede of faith or that they are addressed to a true end through faith and therfore the Catholike Church beleeueth That God giueth a kind of faith called confidence which proceedeth not in any wise from free-will nor by consequent works considered as effects of this faith QVESTION XIIII Whether a man receiueth remission of sinnes by a confident faith without the workes of the law THE EAST CHVRCH IEremie The one hath neede of the other that is to say grace of the works and the workes of grace as the light of the sight and the sight of the light as the soule of the body and the body of the soule Seeing then that both the one the otherdoth auaile to saluation without doubt a man ought to haue them both a true faith with works the works of vertue through faith and a man ought to beleeue without doubting for doubt and perplexity in faith is no faith for that which is proued by arguments though once receiued is examined more profoundly by searching But the simplicity of faith is more firme then the demonstrations of reason and those things which are beleeued without arte are more strong then those that are artificiall without all comparison For if one sound the depth of Faith she is tossed to and fro but if she be considered in her simple disposition she remaineth stedfast It being then most certaine and not to be doubted that a man must beleeue without Doubting It remaineth here onely that we must with all our might seeke and find in some fashion what that is because that we ought to apply our selues to obtaine saluation for faith without workes and workes without faith are equally reiected of God The booke called Dioptra Thou didst discend O Lord thou hast taken flesh to saue all men preserue me by thy grace I beseech thee for if thou shouldest preserue me by my workes the same should not bee reputed grace For thou my Lord Iesus Christ hast sayde he that beleeueth in mee shall liue and shall neuer see death Let faith be imputed to me in stead of workes for to iustifie me but let that faith suffice me for all It is faith that will absolue me it is faith that will iustifie me it is faith that will make me partaker of eternall glorie for God requireth noe other thing but compunction and mourning THE CHVRCH OF THE SOVTH ANaphor Cophit Lord which art praised by Angels and Archangels called holy of the Seraphins which sittest vpon the Cherubines art praised without ceasing by their voices formed by the diuine word which wouldest also be honored by a Priestly function euen by vs which dwell on the earth not for that thou hast any need of our worship or seruice but for to make vs partakers of thy holinesse support vs O Lord I say which approach to thy holy altar disdaine not vs thy seruants which doe stand before thee for the blot of sinne wherewith we are spotted for thou which art our maker knowest and seest what thy creature is for no man borne of a woman shall be iustified in thy sight THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe confession of Ausburg When the Gospell doth reprehend our sinnes the astonished hearts ought to holde for a certaintie that the remission of sins and iustification through faith are giuen vs freely thorough Iesus Christ which was made a sacrifice for vs and hath apeased his father Albeit then the Gospel requireth repentance yet neuerthesse to the end that the remission of our sinnes might be certaine it teacheth vs that it is giuen freely and that it dependeth not vpon condition of our worthinesse and is not giuen in confideration of any precedent workes neither of any insuing worthinesse or dignitie For remission should become vncertaine if wee should hold it not to bee giuen but after such time as it was merited by precedent workes or else by some notable repentance THE LATIN CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent when the Apostle saith that man is iustified by faith and that freely those words ought to be vnderstood in that sence that the Catholike Church hath alwayes held expounded them that is to say that we are iustified by faith because that faith is the beginning of the saluation of mankind the foundation and root of our iustification without the which it is impossible to please God to come into the companie of the sonnes of God And that we are freely iustified by reason that there is no other thing that goeth before iustification bee it faith or good workes which meriteth the grace of Iustification For if it be of grace it is not of works otherwise as the same Apostle saith grace were no grace Item If any man say that iustifying faith is nothing els but the trust which one hath on the mercy of God which pardoneth sinnes for the loue of Iesus Christ or that this trust is the onely thing through which we are iustified let him be accursed If any man say that to obtaine remission of sinnes It is onely necessary that a man beleeue assuredly and neuer to make any doubt notwithstanding his owne infirmitie and indisposition that his sinnes are pardoned him let him be accursed ANNOTATION TIme saith Malancthon hath mollified the controuersie
touching iustification for the learned agree in many things which in the beginning they had in great disputation all doe now confesse and mainetaine that faith is needfull that is to say confidence in Christ for the remission of sinnes of the which faith or confidence the Schoole men made no mention Melancthon did suppose that there were very many men in the Church of Rome whom they counted learned that were not of the opinion of the Councell of Trent but confessed with the Churches of the East and South and with the Reformed Church that a man both may and ought to haue assurance and confidence Neuerthelesse the Reformed cease not to debate vpon this point of iustification as also vpon that of free will not onely against the Latins but also against the Grecians The Author of a certaine discourse called Examen pacifique saith That these are but striuings about wordes inuented to trouble the Church because that one taketh this word Iustification in one sense and another in another sense one taketh the word Faith in one sense and another in another sense In such sort that both the one and the other saie true being taken according to their meaning although that they differ in words We haue said in the question precedent that the Latins and the Reformed agree vpon the point of free will if all the Latins would confesse that the Faith of the Elect is a full assurance wee say the very same in this point of Iustification but to shew where the difference is we ought not to vse the word Faith or Iustification without distinguishing of what faith or what iustification we speake The Councell of Trent saith foure things First that faith that is to say that which is without confidence which the Protestants call historicall for the Councell acknowledgeth none other is the beginning of mans saluation and that this faith commeth from God The Protestants doe acknowledge both the one and the other to wit that it is necessary first that one beleeue that the Gospell is a true historie and then that one cannot beleeue perfecty and as he ought without the grace of God as the same Councell saith Secondly that this historicall faith is the beginning and root of Iustification that is to say that it bringeth forth good workes which God doth approue and for which God iustifieth a man that is to say he holdeth and declareth him iust The Protestants say that this faith may bring forth a certain inherent iustice through the which a man is iustified Secondum quid that is in a sort but not absolutely for a man that doth one good worke doth a thousand bad workes which doe make him vniust so that the same man is good and bad iust and vniust approued of God and condemned of God againe God were vniust if he should not hold himiust whom he himselfe hath iustified well then he iustifieth men according to ciuill righteousnesse in giuing this historicall faith and in stirring vp in them charity such as it is that is proportionable to this faith One cannot saith Bellarmine loue God himselfe as the Author of nature if it bee not by the helpe of speciall grace And so there is no difference in this point In the third place the Councel saith that through this historicall faith a man is not absolued of his former sinnes The Protestants doe confesse as much and adde withall that no more is he through good works which proceed from thence which say they are not good but for humane societies sake In the fourth place the Councell saith that Saint Paul and S. Iames speaking of this faith in the example which they alleadge of Abraham the which saith the Councell was iustified that is to say found iust in that he beleeued God but plainely iustified that is to say held iust of all when he effected the commandement of God The Churches of the East doe approue this opinion but it is not needfull to debate much touching the intention and meaning of S. Paul The Scripture may receiue diuerse expositions and al orthodox It is certaine that Abraham was iustified in that he beleeued and more iust in that he laid his hands to the worke But there are two conclusions wherein the Apostolicke Churches and the Reformed Church are contrary in the sayd Councell The first is that the said Councell doth hold that through the workes which proceede of this historicall faith a man obtaineth others say a man meriteth that God should pardon his former sinnes in imputing vnto them that doe those good workes the merite of the passion of our Sauiour The Protestants on the contrary side say that such works proceeding from such historicall faith serue not to saluation Hereunto the Churches of the East do agree who say that the workes which proceede from a true faith are truely good and they call this faith Confidence which ought to be noted to the end that none should doubt the truth of the history for they declare sufficiently that they meane that it is not needfull that a repentant man should doubt of his saluation That is also seene more plainely in that that they of the East haue written before to the Protestants of Germany who presse very hard this point of Confidence wherein they of the East doe approue and confirme their saying The second difference is in that the Protestants say that a man is absolued they call it iustified at that instant that he receiueth this confidence by diuine inspiration and that without any consideration of precedent workes otherwise grace should be no grace as also without consideration of any future workes for it happeneth sometimes as it did to the good thiefe that a man shall haue no time to doe good works and if the faith of confidence sufficeth as soone as it is in fused yea and sufficeth as an instrumentall cause to put a man in possession of the passion of the Lord which is the formall cause of absolution it followeth that during all the tearme of a mans life he neede not seeke any other instrumental cause of this application For when our Sauiour healed the sicke he sayed not vnto them louest thou me although it was necessary that they should haue loued him but he said to them beleeuest thou for by this beleefe they were healed And that the Churches of the East doe beleeue that this confidence putteth a man in possession of the grace of God they shew in that which their Patriarch sayth that his confidence vniteth things separated and that distrust doth dis-vnite and seperate them for what vnion can there be with God without remission of sinnes Moreouer the Grecians confesse that God inspireth this confidence If it be so it followeth that at that very instant a man obtaineth pardon otherwise God should be the Authour of deceitfull and vaine confidence But some will then demaund to what end serue good workes The Grecians and the Protestants with one consent doe answere that
without them one cannot be saued and if there be no good workes a man falleth from the absolution already receiued and looke how much force confidence hath to put a man in possession of the merite of the passion of the Lord so much euill workes haue that is to say so long as they remaine and raigne in the soule to breake the vnion that faith had contracted In like manner good workes are causes sine quibus non of this iustification or else may be said to be causes per accidens Neither the Christian Churches of this time nor the fathers nor the holy Scripture doe set downe the order of euery one of these causes according to the termes of Philosophers neyther is it necessary It sufficeth that euery one haue faith and that euery one giue himself to good works and that he know that both the one and the other is necessary The difference betweene the foresaid people and the Protestants is that the Protestants seeing that the Latines doe not attribute enough to faith or rather doe not acknowledge this faith of confidence to the which they attribute so much cannot endure to haue this faith disgraced And other Christians hearing of the commendations of this faith doe perswade themselues that it makes to the preiudice of good workes for which cause they cannot by any meanes hold their peace Well then because that wee haue said that euill workes cause men to fall from iustification that is to say from absolution which is the beleefe receiued without any contradiction in all times and by all Christian people It may be obiected that amongst the Protestants there are some found for all doe not so as is to be seene in the confessions of Ausburg Bohemia Saxonie and Wirtenberg which say that he that hath this iustifying faith cannot fall From whence it followeth according to their sayings that hee which beleeueth himselfe to be iustified may giue himselfe to all wickednesse To this may be answered that those which hold this proposition eyther doe not explane themselues well or else their explication is not well vnderstood For they say not simply that euery one ought to beleeue that he is iustified but only he that is repentant ought so to beleeue Also that repentance whereof euery one may iudge in his owne soule sheweth whether his faith be a iustifying faith And that he that shall say I will doe euill is not at all repentant for these are quite contrary Moreouer those which are said to hold this opinion say ordinarily that none ought to commit sinn in hope to repent for none can or ought to promise himselfe that God will giue him time and meanes to accomplish it Those which doe haunt their Sermons can beare witnesse if this be not an ordinary lesson Well then what is this but to say that none can haue this confidence at such time as vice and sinne dooth raigne in him And if one cannot haue it is not this as much as to say that if one had it he may loose it in giuing himselfe to wickednesse But behold here how their saying is true forsooth because confidence of faith doeth coutaine in it Historicall faith which remaineth in him in whom vice doth raigne as the Councell of Trent also saith And this faith if he be elected will moue him to repentance which endeth not in dispaire as in the reprobate but in a full confidence and all by the assistance of God The Catholicke conclusion is That a man receiueth remission of his sinnes at the very instant that the assurance of faith is infused into his soule and that without any consideration of former or future workes QVESTION XV. Whether a man meriteth properly euerlasting life by his good workes THE EAST CHVRCH IEremie Patriarch Oecumenicke When we praise good workes we doe not pretend to exalt our selues by them or to put our trust in them for we should then sinne very much in so doing But we desire that men would giue themselues thereunto as to things that are especially necessary to saluation and the which euery one is bound to exercise according to his power following the commaundement of God But if we trust in that great and incomprehensible mercie of God and his onely grace in such sort that wee doe hope for saluation remaining vnfruitful and ingrateful that must not be by no meanes for it will bring vs no profite at all As for the rest let vs iudge of that which is in vs although that there is not any thing that is perfect Neuerthelesse the same doth profite and makes knowne what it is which we haue in our soules to wit that we are charitable and obedient to the commaundement of God and that we pretend not to be carried into heauen as people amased and without vnderstanding negligent and idle the which certainely we can neuer obtaine if we doe not conioine our owne power and endeuours with the grace and mercy of God for in sticking fast to sinne we are iustly to be esteemed fooles and senselesse as cleauing to those things that can helpe vs nothing and which hauing no beeing in themselues are nothing the which we ought aboue all things to hate and eschew because that they doe prouoke Gods wrath against vs and doe draw vs backe farre from him Therefore when we are euen at the point to offend God let vs prostrate our selues before the iudgement seate of Christ which is very terrible whereon he shall sit in a high and glorious place as a iust iudge before whom shall appeare all creatures beholding his glory and maiestie for to render an account of all their words and actions The King of Moscouia As concerning that which thou writest of Iesus Christ the mediator and of his onely name through the which wee are saued and of the remission of sinnes and life euerlasting wee beleeue the very same THE SOVTH CHVRCH ANaphor Cophit Forasmuch O Lorde as wee are thy poore seruants strangers and vnprofitable whom thou hast vouchsafed to make administrators of the holy mysteries of the passion of thy Christ not for our iustice for we haue not done any good vpon the earth but for thy mercy and clemencie which thou hast aboundantly powred vpon vs wee doe now approch with confidence to touch thy holy Alar And we which haue offered the figure of the body and blood of thy Christ doe adore and most humbly pray thee that thy holy spirit doe come vpon vs and vpon these gifts which we haue offered and that thou wouldest sanctifie them THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe Confession of Saxonia Euerlasting life saith Saint Paul is a gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord and those which are reconciled or iustified are likewise Coheires with the Sonne of God for his sake and not for their owne merits in like maner those that repent are accounted iust by faith by the onely meanes of the Son of God and are quickened through him and for
Exposition and that most ancient of all They hold with S. Chrysostome a very true Catholicke teacher that the soules of the Fathers were in Ades the Latines call that place Infernum Lymbus but improperly and that our Sauiour descended thither And that he was the very same day in Paradise and that Paradise is no other place but the same which the thiefe conceiued and meant for if our Sauiour had spoken of one place and the Thiefe had conceiued and meant another his vnderstanding had beene deceaued Now the Thiefe meant no other Paradise but that earthly Paradise for hee could not know what Paradise it was but by the Scripture of the old Testament which speaketh not of any other Paradise It followeth then that our Sauior was that same day in that Paradise and his soule was not left in hell It is there also whether the Fathers were conducted wherof some rose with the Lord and were seene in Ierusalem It is in this Paradise say they that Henoch and Elias were placed in their bodies and peraduenture Moses who appeared at the transfiguration of our Sauiour Iesus Christ and all the Fathers were rapt vp into heauen some in their bodies when our Sauiour ascended the other onely in soule when he rose from the dead as the same Saint Chrysostome saith And this opinion is not onely held by the Apostolicke Churches of the East as we haue vnderstood by themselues But it is very true by all likelihoode that the Christians of Africke doe consent thereunto for they are Cophites and of the same faith and Religion as the Cophites Syrians and Assyrians are for in all the Churches the sayd booke of Moyses Bar-cepha touching the Paradise before alleaged and the Author which he alledgeth who doe confirme the same exposition are very much approued Now this shall bee for the Catholike Reader to follow and approue that is to say either of the foresaid three opinions or else that of the Churches of the East and South which is That the soules of the Fathers were in hell called in Hebrew Scheol and in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that the soule of our Sauiour Iesus Christ descended thither yet was not left there but the same day ascended into heauen QVESTION XIX Whether all Infants I meane those of the Elect aying without Baptisme are damned and whether it be permitted to the Lay people to baptise THE EAST CHVRCH IEremie In Baptisme the matter is the water The forme the words of the Priest to wit these This seruant of God is baptized in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost The instrumentall cause is the Priest although we doe not condemne altogether that which is done by one that is no Priest in time of necessity Iohannes Faber In Russia no man is thought sufficient to exercise the office of Baptizing if he be not a Priest what necessity soeuer doe happen Theuet The Moscouites baptize not at all but within their Churches vnlesse it be because they are verie farre from any Church THE SOVTH CHVRCH ALuares of the Ethiopians They minister Baptisme to their male children when they are fortie dayes olde and to the female when they are threescore dayes olde the infants not arriuing to that age die without Baptisme The which thing being come to my knowledge I could not detaine my selfe from publishing in many places the great fault and error which was committed against the Gospel where it is written That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirit is spirit Whereunto they answered me that for that matter the faith of the mother sufficed together with the communion which shee receiued being with childe They baptize not in Fonts as wee doe but in the Porch of the Church with a potte full of water and that the fortieth day Theuet The King of Maitachasi receiued the Gospell at the perswasion of King Cephalian which was a Christian and established in his Churches eight Bishoppes a notable company of Priests and other Ministers there was also established an Alcaide or Ismiel that is to say in their language a Priest aboue all the other Priests which within sixe daies preached a thousand heresies Amongst the rest that if a woman be deliuered and the child die it was depriued of eternal be atitude and on the contrary side it was decreede by a Synod holden at Quiticoi that if a woman being ready to be deliuered came to receiue the Sacrament after their vsage law and faith and that afterwards her childe should be borne dead by this Sacrament only the child was baptized and freede from punishment and damnation THE LATIN CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent Translation into the estate of grace cannot be without the water of regeneration or a firme purpose to be baptized The Canon Praeter If peraduenture there be no Catholicke to be found it is better and more religious to receiue Baptisme of an Hereticke then to perish eternally The Canon Mulier That women presume not to baptize if it be not in case of necessity The Canon Romanus The Romane Bishop taketh it not to be the man that baptizeth but the spirit of God although he that baptizeth be a Pagan THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe confession of the Swizers We doe teach that Baptisme ought not to be administred by women for S. Paul forbiddes them Ecclesiasticall offices The confession of Ausburg Touching baptisme the Church doth teach that it is necessary to saluation as being a ceremony instituted by Iesus Christ The answere of the Diuines of Wirtenberg to the Grecians We doe reioyce that there are many points of agreement between vs and your holinesse and amongst other things that you hold that it must not be permitted to any to presume to take vpon him the office of Teaching in the Church and to administer the Sacraments which notwithstanding in case of necessity the Laickes may baptize ANNOTATION THe Protestants in France doe hold that the Infants of the faithfull dying without baptisme are neuerthelesse saued This word Faithfull seemes to be restrained to the Elect for there are wicked Christians against whom God denounceth that he will punish the iniquitie of the fathers vpon the children Moreouer it may happen that the parents may be Gods Elect and neuerthelesse as all men are subiect to erre they may be negligent to procure Baptisme for their Infants Now it may be doubted whether this fault be any preiudice to the Infants These considerations perhaps haue moued Christian people to encline to this beleefe that the Church ought to hasten Baptisme because they know not who be the children of the Elect and that one cannot erre in prouiding for the saluation of these Infants by baptizing them by reason that in Baptisme a token or signe ordained by the Lord the inuocation of the holy Trinity is vsed and the pardon of originall
againe declare it that through the consecration of bread and wine all the substance of the bread is conuerted into the substance of Christ our Lord and all the substance of the wine into the substance of his blood And this conuersion hath the Catholicke Church conueniently and properly called Transubstantiation THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe Confession of Wittenberg We beleeue that the Eucharist is a Sacrament instituted by Iesus Christ himselfe and the vse thereof was recommended to the Church vnto the end of the world But because that the substance thereof is one thing and the vse another we will speake in order of them both Touching the substance of the Eucharist we beleeue and teach that the true body and blood of our Sauiour Iesus Christ is distributed in the Eucharist do reiect those that say that the bread and wine in the Eucharist are but signes of the body and blood of Christ being absent We doe also beleeue that the Almightie power of God is so great that hee may eyther bring to nothing the substance of the bread or change it into the body and blood of Christ but it cannot be proued by the manifest word of God that God exerciseth in the Eucharist any such absolute power and it appeareth that no such matter was knowne to the auncient Church But as when he speaketh of the Citie of Ierusalem portrayed vpon a bricke this same is Ierusalem it was not necessary that the bricke should be chaunged into the Citie of Ierusalem In like manner when he speaketh of the bread this is my body It is not necessary that the substance of the bread should be changed into the substance of the body of Christ But it sufficeth for the veritie of the Sacrament that the body of Christ be truely present with the bread yea rather the verity of the Sacrament requireth that the true bread remaine with the true presence of God For euen as for the truth of the Sacrament of Baptisme it is necessary that in the vse therof the water should be and remaine true water In like manner it is necessary in the Lords Supper that the bread in the vse therof be and remaine true bread because that if the substance of the bread were changed the veritie of the Sacrament remained not in his true nature The Confession of England We say that the bread and the wine are sacred and celestiall mysteries and that by them Iesus Christ the true bread of life eternall is offered vnto them that are present that doe receiue his body and blood through faith Neuerthelesse we say not that we beleeue that the nature of the bread and wine are wholly changed and reduced to nothing Liturgia Gall. Let vs lift vp our spirits and our hearts where Iesus Christ is in the glory of the father and from whence we looke for our redemption And let vs not dwell vpon these earthly and corruptible Elements which we see with our eyes and touch with our hands to seeke for it there as though it were inclosed in the bread or wine For then our soules shall be fit to be nourished and reuiued by his substance when they shall be eleuated aboue all terrestiall things to obtaine heauen and to enter into the kingdome of GOD where he dwelleth The Confession of the French men We do confesse that the holy Supper of the Lord is a testimony vnto vs of the vnitie which wee haue with Christ Iesus because that he is not onely dead and risen againe for vs but also nourisheth and feedeth vs truely with his flesh and blood to the end that we should be one with him and that his life should be our life And albeit that he be in heauen vntil such time that he shal come to iudge the world yet neuerthelesse we beleeue that through the secret and incomprehensible power of his spirite he nourisheth and quickeneth vs by the substance of his body and blood ANNOTATION ALl Christian nations do with one consent agree that the bread and wine of the holy Sacrament are conuerted into the body and bloud of the Lord. It is true which Alphon. de Castro saith that the Armenians haue heretofore otherwise beleeued but he sheweth not whether it was their auncient manner or whether any particular man brought it in amongst them As touching the Abyssins there is mention made oftentimes of transmutation in their Liturgie which they referre to the Apostles according to the subscription thereof But the Historiographers doe say that the said Abyssins were not Christians so long agoe as they make vs beleeue They report themselues to haue receiued the Christian faith by the Eunuch of Queene Candace and by Saint Matthew and Saint Philip But it is thought in these parts that in the fifteenth yeare of Iustinian Emperor of Constantinople Adad King of the Auxumites made a vowe to become a Christian if he got the victory against the King of the Omerites which hauing obtained he sent Embassadours to the Emperour Iustinian to haue Bishops sent to him which being come thither conuerted his people to the faith Both opinions may be true that is to say that Adad would haue receiued the faith and yet not after the forme of the other Ethiopians but rather after the East Church In like manner the French men receiued the faith vnder king Clouis the which faith notwithstanding was in Fraunce three hundred yeares before Likewise Great Britaine is said to haue receiued the Gospell by Ioseph of Arimathea Yet neuerthelesse the Romanes doe bragge that they conuerted the English men fiue hundred yeares after Howsoeuer it be the Liturgie of the Ethiopians came vnto them from the Sea of Alexandria as appeareth by the Greeke names which are inserted therein Aluares saith that they haue another so briefe that it was no sooner begun but it presently ended One might doubt whether this were not the auncientest If we had the bookes which the said Aluares saith that they haue in great number one might know whether they differ But howsoeuer it be it appeareth not that this beleefe of Transmutation was receiued in any place of the world as a new thing Now a daies it is a question whether the Fathers haue beleeued it or whether it be slipt in by little and little If the Latines and Greekes do alleadge proofes out of the Fathers the Protestants doe thinke them to be Hyperbolicall tearmes for to lift or moue mens soules to the worshipping of the Sacrament If the Protestants doe bring on the contrary side other proofes some will answere them that the Fathers did keepe close that beleefe for feare of giuing occasion to the Pagans to mocke them We will leaue these difficulties the Fathers are not in the worlde now to resolue vs But the Churches scattered through the vniuersall world are as yet to beare witnesse of the Tradition in this point as well as in others and to declare and explane their meaning to those that vnderstand it
concerning the wordes Sacrament and Mysterie As touching the word Sacrament noe Christian Nation is holden to vse it for it is grounded neither vpon Diuine law nor Ecclesiasticall Catholicke law The word is Latine and the Catholike Church neuer speaketh Latine but onely Greeke in the vniuersall Councels If therefore the Protestants will call none Sacraments but Baptisme and the Eucharist they doe nothing either against God or against the Church But these two Ceremonies are by them esteemed so holy and so authenticall and to haue such prerogatiues that they thinke it meete and reasonable to cal them by some peculiar name first because that they are common to all those of the Church secondly because that they haue a visible substance or matter ordained by Iesus Christ and thirdly because that the holy Scripture doth attribute very much vnto them But some will say the Protestants are contrarie to the East Church both in the name and in the thing it selfe for that Church beleeueth that there are seuen Mysteries Here is to be noted that as concerning the word Mysterie the Protestants haue not as yet put it in vse and haue not defined what that is which may be called Mysterie That word with them is further extended then the word Sacrament and which is yet more they confesse that the word Sacrament may be taken more largely and they protest that they will neuer be superstitious about words Chemnitius saith that it was neuer yet stood vpon but that absolution of Penitents might be called a Sacrament Caluin saith that Imposition of hands in anie Ordination may be called a Sacrament And the Apologie of the Confession of Ausburg saith the verie same Confirmation is commaunded in the Canons of the English Church and Caluin desireth that it might be vsed and practised The Annointing or Vnction of the sicke is likewise a Sacrament yea euen at this time as Monsieur de Moulin saith for the reason wherefore it is not vsed is because that men see not the effects of those daies As concerning Marriage if it be likewise taken simplie they neuer call it a Sacrament It is common both to the Iewes Turkes and Pagans but if one speake of the marriage of Christians considered as it is contracted and blessed in the face of the Church it may be called as the Patriarch Ieremie calleth it a Mysterie or a Mysterious action and a holy celebration And if all or the most part of Ecclesiasticall actions may bee called Sacraments then more properlie may they by them be called Mysteries for although that the word of God in it selfe be also called a Mysterie yet more particularly when it is emploied in some holy action The Churches of Affrica hold not for Sacraments neither the Chrisme nor the oile of Extreame Vnction as Zaga-Zabo one of their owne Bishops and Aluares who dwelt many yeares in Aethiope doe witnesse These men are more credible then Titelman and such like who neuer were there Peraduenture the Abyssins would expound them according to the beleefe of them of the East but seeing that here is nothing controuerted but words it will be no inconuenience to make this conclusion That there are seuen celebrations in the Church the which are called mysteries and two principall which may be called Sacraments QVESTION XXXIX Whether it be lawfull or needfull to pray for the Saints which are in Paradise THE EAST CHVRCH LIturgia S. Basilij Lord haue mercy vpon vs remember the Saints which haue pleased thee from the beginning our holy Fathers the Patriarkes Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessors Euangelists Preachers and all the righteous which are dead in the Faith especially the holy blessed and euer-Virgine Marie Saint Iohn Baptist and Saint Stephan the Protomartyr THE SOVTH CHVRCH THe Liturgie of Cyrill of Alexandria O Lord haue pitty vpon our Fathers and Brethren whose soules thou hast receiued giue them rest call to remembrance our holy Fathers the Patriarkes Prophets Apostles and aboue all the rest the holy and glorious Virgine Marie Saint Iohn Baptist and Saint Stephan Graunt O Lord that the of soules them all may rest and repose in the bosome of our holy Fathers Abraham Isack and Iacob graunt that their soules may inhabite and dwell in a greene place by the waters of Comfort in the Paradise of pleasure from whence griefe heauinesse and sighings are chased away Raise their bodies in the day which thou hast ordained according to thy true promises which cannot faile THE LATIN CHVRCH BEllarmine The first question is whether the soules of the faithfull separated from their bodies and such as haue no need of Purgatorie are admitted to enioy the felicitie which consisteth in the cleere vision of God This hath beene the opinion of auncient and moderne heretickes that they are reserued vntill the last day in some secret receptacle where they see not God and are not blessed but in hope Tertullian affirmed it first Vigilantius followed him Guido attributeth the same to the Armenians The Grecians held it in the Councell of Florence Luther holdeth the very same error and Caluin also who bringeth no arguments to proue it THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe Councell of Wittenberge The State is all one of a Saint which is at rest in Christ and a faithfull man that dieth for he that dieth in the Faith is a Saint We doe thinke it a thing agreeable to a godly soule to make an honest mention of his Elders departed in the faith Charitie requireth that we wish and desire to the dead all tranquilitie and felicitie in Christ But there is no testimonie in the Propheticall and Apostolicall doctrine that the dead are helped by Prayers Watchings and Merits or that they obtaine in heauen a greater felicitie thereby ANNOTATION BEllarmine telleth vs that the Churches of Greece and Armenia doe beleeue that vntill the day of Iudgement the Saints doe not enioy that perfect felicitie which is called the vision or sight of God They thinke saith Vilamont that there are none there but the Virgine Marie and peraduenture the good thiefe And that the rest are in certaine Chambers where the Angels wont to visite them They would say lodgings whereof our Sauiour speaketh In my Fathers house are many mansions The Africanes doe beleeue the same as may be gathered by their Liturgie Bellarmine attributeth the same to Caluin As for the Syrians their errors saith Villamont are not so great as these of the Grecians for they beleeue that the righteous are in Paradise and the wicked in hell and that in praying for the dead their paines are diminished albeit there is no place to purge soules the Anaphore of the Syrians saith thus O Lord Creatour of soule and body remember those that are departed out of this world refresh them in thy Tabernacle passe them thither from horrible lodgings draw them out of darkenesse and dolour In like maner the opinion of the Apostolicke Churches is contrarie both to the Romane Catholickes and
in handling holy Reliques or the bookes of the holy Scripture That it is some appearance of Idolatrie to passe these limits That it is plaine Idolatry to adore Images properly That it is an imitation of the Pagans to haue Images of releefe in Churches That it is follie and impiety to make an image of God QVESTION XLIII Whether it be lawfull to vowe single life whether Monkes ought to be of diuers Orders and whether it be lawfull for them to begge THE EAST CHVRCHES IEremie the generall Patriarch You say that you prohibite not good workes Neuerthelesse you account holy-daies Ceremonies regular fasting and monastical life vnprofitable workes that is not well done neither doth it agree with the holy Fathers For if you doe approue al good works you will aproue these things for they are good and for instance Basil the great saith that a contemplatiue life hath one chiefe end that is to say the saluation of the soule Theuet Neare to mount Sinai you shall finde at this present a religious order of Monkes which are of good conuersation and holy life founded in times past by the great Emperour Iustinian The Grecians do say that it was the first Monasterie of their religion for others they haue none neither would the Grecian and Trapezontine Emperours euer haue any other order but that of S. Basil Bishoppe of Cesaria who instituted his order of Monkes in the East about the yeare of our Lord 380. He caused those that professed his order to vow chastitie which were not receiued till they had attayned to the age of eight and twenty yeares Gemistius Pletho If the people giuen to meditation doe not labour it is a superstition the third kind of impietie THE SOVTH CHVRCH ALuares In all the Dominions of Prester Iohn there is but one order of Religion which is of Saint Anthonie the Hermite Item the greatest traficke in Faires and Markets is made by Monkes Zaga-zabo Bishop of Aethiopia With vs the Priests Monkes and all the Ministers of the Church doe liue by their labour for the Church hath not nor receiueth not any Tythes Neuerthelesse the Church hath reuenues and lands which the Monkes doe Till and labour themselues and it is not lawfull for them to begge from doore to doore neither to wrest or wring any Almes from the people THE LATIN CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent In any Religion whatsoeuer as well of men as of women they must not make profession before sixteene yeres be accomplished Sixtus quartus Let not the Parish Priests hereafter say that heresies are arisen of Mendicant Friers seeing that in truth our faith hath beene illuminated and the Church exalted by them and especially by the Orders of the Iacobins and Franciscans THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe Confession of the Suizers Those that haue receiued from heauen the gift of a single life so that they are pure in heart and soule ought to serue the Lord in that vocation so farre forth as they feele themselues endued with this Diuine gift for such men are more fit to set their minds on heauenly things thē those that are distracted with the affaires of their families The Confession of Bohemia There are bountifull and peculiar promises made to them that are such and singular recompenses so that a great reward shall be giuen to this excellent worke to wit To him that shall voluntarily leaue Father Mother Brethren and Wife Those which haue receiued this gift ought to take heede lest they loose it Neuerthelesse there must no snares be laide for any Caluin We reiect not Monasticke vowes for any other reason but that they are rashly made by those which haue not the power to keepe them Idem Saint Austine prooueth that it is not lawful for Munkes to liue in idlenesse Idem Looke how many Monasteries there are in these dayes so many conuenticles are there of Schismatickes And to the end that their diuision might be better knowen they haue giuen themselues diuers names They are not ashamed to glory in that which S. Paule had in execration saying that the Corinthians did diuide Christ when they said I am of Paul and I of Apollo and I of Cephas and I of Christ And now a daies they thinke that they may without doing any iniurie to Christ call themselues Benedictans Franciscans Dominicans ANNOTATION THere are three things to bee regarded in a Monasticall life First the will to liue in a Chaste single life ioyned with the deede Iesus Christ approueth this will and this estate That is the cause that the Grecians did extoll it following S. Basil but with hyperbolicall termes as may bee seene in their answere to the Diuines of Wittemberg They beleeue that if it be a Diuine and supernaturall guift then it ought not to bee esteemed vnprofitable neither as a humane inuention The hate which a man beareth to the abuse of a thing ought not to preiudice the true vse of it They call that life Angelicall Acertaine Grecian expounding that word hath told vs that they beleeue that the life of the Caloiers is Angelicall as long as they doe good but diabolicall as long as they doe euill Secondly is to be noted the Custome of those that will follow this institution to associate themselues in Colledges The Protestants condemne not that The Monasteries say they were in times past houses where some did labour and worke with their hands others did exercise themselues to serue in the Church The third thing to bee noted is the Vow The Protestants likewise do not absolutely condemne it but in that saith Caluin it is made by those that haue not the power to accomplish that which they haue vowed the same Author doth thinke that a Vow may be taken at threescore yeeres of age For S. Paul saith Let not a widdow be taken into the number vnder that age That Canon of Saint Paul hath not beene obserued by his successors for afterward were they receiued at fiftie yeeres of age and after that at fortie Neuerthelesse the same is continued and is as yet held in the East Churches because it is necessarie that he that Voweth should haue knowledge by long experience that he hath receiued of God power to accomplish and performe that which hee hath vowed contrarie to which the doctrine of the Councell of Trent is which saith that a Vowe may be made at sixteene yeeres of age The foresaid Churches would not allow of diuers Sects of Munkes and Friers and therein are differing from the Latine Church or rather contrarie to it As touching the begging of Munkes the proofes before alleadged doe shew that these Churches approoue it not Amongst the Latines themselues there were many which haue condemned it as Pope Nicholas the third saith In the Churches of Africa the solemne vowes of chastitie Pouertie Obedience are not vsed as in the Church of Rome Therfore the beliefe of the foresaid Churches is
they vnderstand vs not Melancton thinketh that one might peraduenture vse the ancient maner that is to direct our Prayers to God in making mention of the Prayers which the Saints doe make So that all doe tend to the same end but doe differ in termes The third difference is of lesser importance It is certaine that in the time of the Apostles the widowes were receiued without any regard to their age If there had beene no abuse S. Paul would not haue made mention of Reformation If the Caloiers of the East and the Antonians or Estafarus of Aethiop are not good people it is for the Bishops of those Prouinces to prouide and see to it as also they ought not to thinke much that other Nations haue found out a lawfull remedie The fourth and last point is the Question so much disputed vpon now a dayes touching the changing of the Eucharist Here without doubt is a difference in mens beliefe But the Reformed Churches haue not debated against the Catholike Church and are not seperated from them of the East and the Africans for they were not in their vnion Moreouer those that denie it shewe themselues ready to communicate with them that beleeue Consubstantiation which not withstanding by their saying is almost as contrarie to the Articles of Faith as the Romane Transubstantiation Lesse occasion haue they to hold themselues seperated from the other Apostolicke Churches which as hath beene said beleeue not Iesus Christ to be any where else then in heauen touching his humanitie And their beliefe containeth not any thing that doeth contradict the Scriptures although they be not able to conclude the same necessarily out of the Scriptures The beliefe of these Churches is that by Prayers the Bread is changed into the body of the Lord as Christians are and that in both there is a change not onely in name but really Because that some supernaturall thing proceeding from the matter of the body of the Lord which is onely in heauen is infused into the matter of bread and from thence passeth into the soule of the Communicant and hath the place of forme both in the one and in the other and causeth that both the one and the other be called after a speciall fashion the body of Christ Because that they suffer a change through the obtaining of a new forme or else their forme suffereth a change through the obtaining of new faculties And that is the reason why aswell the said Churches as the Reformed doe confesse that as S. Paul writeth The bread is the Communion of the body of the Lord The difficultie therefore lieth in this point to wit whether the Bread hath positiuely in it selfe this forme or faculties to communicate them vnto the Soule by it selfe Or whether the soule receiueth them of the Bread because that the holy Ghost which is present in the Bread as in all things causeth that when one receiueth this bread he receiueth the body of Christ by meanes of this essence or faculties which proceede immediatly from the same body If there were as much Charitie in men as zeale they might find this aboue mentioned tollerable vntill an vniuersall and lawfull Councell In the meane time it is the part of the louers of truth and enemies of heresies to search and seek out the truth sufficiently contained in the holy Scriptures wherein if they find any obscuritie which they shall not in those things necessarie to saluation it is their part to haue recourse vnto the voice of the Churches to the which our Lord hath promised his assistance And if they be not of one accord then to suspend their iudgement or else with a holy libertie to trie all and to retaine that which they take to be good in euery one of them If you proceede thus Christian Reader you will no more say I am of Paul and I am of Cephas but rather you shall bee true Catholickes and Orthodox Christians and in no maner Idolaters or Heretickes Grecians nor Romanes Papists nor Huguenots Lutheranes nor Caluinists Protestants nor Puritanes and make them lyers that seeke to staine your beautifull and holy profession with names so infamous and vnworthy of honourable people and true Christians AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER THose that do build Religion on Ceremonies will thinke that this Booke is lame or maimed because that it doth not declare those which are obserued by euery Nation But we thought it a labour as much vnprofitable as enuious to the most iudicious Readers Calecas a Romane Catholicke hath written a volume against the Grecians wherein hee speaketh almost of nothing else That we may not omit any thing of importance we doe aduertise that there are two euill Ceremonies found among the Grecians The first is that they vse Leauened bread in their Sacrament The other that they abstaine from things strangled and from blood In both they thinke themselues grounded vpon the holy Scripture The Grecians hauing opposed themselues against the Latines doe reprehend them because they vse litle Wafers vnleauened and not ordinarie Bread as our Sauiour did They doe not thinke that this word Bread agrees to those Hosts or Wafers and that most commonly that name is not giuen them Moreouer to make their fashion seeme better they haue thought good to say that Iesus Christ did not institute this Sacrament in the dayes of sweete bread As for vnleauened Bread the Romane Catholickes doe not insist much vpon it And it is not so important a matter of faith to know vpon what day the Sacrament was ordained prouided that one pretend not to preiudice thereby the Historie of the Gospel the passages or sentences whereof may bee better reconciled through the one then through the other As for abstinence from things strangled and from blood It is founded vpon the decrees of the Apostles assembled in Ierusalem the which Decree they doe not thinke to be abrogated because that their Church which they hold to be true and Catholicke hath still obserued it Yea this maner of abstinence hath beene confirmed by the sixt Synode There is likelyhood that they haue remitted this to a generall Councell for they haue not much pressed this point against the Latines The Aethiopians are both in the one and in the other on the Romanes and Protestants side In France the Protestants doe vse leauened Bread after the fashion of the Grecians Against the Churches of the Abyssines in the South is obiected that they are rebaptized euery yeare But the Ambassadour of Prester-Iohn saith that the cause why they bath themselues in Riuers and Ponds is not because that they thinke it necessary to saluation but they doe it vpon the day of the Epiphanie in remembrance of the Baptisme of our Sauiour It is to be noted that this ceremonie is new amongst the Abyssins for their King Dauid which raigned but about some hundred yeares agoe said that the same was by the institution of his Grandfather The Romane Catholikes haue no occasion