joyne in the worthy participation of Christs body and bloud Omnes all the people as well as the Priests Isidore saith These be thâ— Sacraments to wit Baptisme and Chrysme and the body and bloud of Christ. Now with Baptisme he joynes Chrysme because their manner was to annoint those who were baptized Of the Eucharist Isidore saith Bread because it strengtheneth the body is therefore called Christs body and wine because it worketh bloud in the flesh it hath therefore relation to the bloud of Christ but these two being sanctified by the Holy Ghost are changed into a Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ. He saith Christ called bread his body to wit Sacramentally a signe a Sacrament of his body and not Substantially he saith Bread is changed into a Sacrament of Christs body which notes a Sacramentall Conversion and not Substantiall he saith Bread strengthens mans body bread Substantially and not Accidentallie so that it is not the roundnesse or figure of bread that strengthens mans body nor the colour of wine that is turned into bloud Hesychius saith We eate this food by receiving the memorie of his Passion not of his Glory but of his Passion the same Author saith Our mysterie is both bread and flâ—sh to wit bread in substance and indeed and Christs body not in substance but in a mystery Of Images and Prayer to Saints Gregorie allowed onely an Historicall use of Images otherwise he speakes positively that The worshipping of Images is by all meanes to bee avoided and though hee misliked the breaking of them yet he commended those that forbad the adoration of them yea he commands the people to Kneele and bow downe to the omnipotent Trinitie onely and therefore not too or before an Image And Cassander saith that Gregorie therein declared the judgement of the Romane Church to wit that Images are kept not to be adored and worshipped but that the ignorant by beholding those Pictures might as by written records be put in mind of what hath beene formerly done and be thereupon stirred up to Pietie Concerning Prayer as wee finde in Gregorie very rarely any prayer to Saints so unto the Virgine Mary not any one Which we may conceive he would not have omitted if he had believed as divers Papists maintaine That she is a Savioresse a Mediatresse That as Assuerus offered halfe of his kingdome to Queene Esther so Christ reserving the kingdome of Iustice to himselfe hath granted the other moitie the kingdome of mercie to his mother PA. Was not Invocation of Saints used in the Church-service in Saint Gregories dayes PRO. Be it so that some such devotions were used in his time yet in the ancient Missals there is no such forme to be found In them indeed the Saints names in their Anniversarie solemnities and Holydayes were remembred and put into their Memento but they were not praied unto men praied only to God that he would give them grace to follow their examples and make them partakers of that happinesse which those blessed ones already enjoyed and at that time when this alteration began and that the Gregorian forme tooke place the Invocation was not brought into the Liturgie and publike prayers of the Church in Direct forme but men prayed still unto God onely though desiring him the rather to respect them for that not onely their brethren on earth but they also that are in heaven cease not to pray for them neither is there any other forme of prayer found in the missall but in the Sequences and Litanies onely saith Learned Doctor Field Gregorie indeeed added some things to the Canon the Alle-lujah the Kyrie Eleâ—son Lord have mercie upon us the Orizon Diâ—sque nostros in pace disponas Give peace in our times O Lord together with other Collects But I doe not find either in Cassander or Pamelius their Liturgies that Gregorie brought in any direct forme of Prayer to Saints Afterwardâ— Nocherus the Abbot who lived about the yeaâ—e eight hundred and fifty composed the Sequences and so when the ancient Missalls were abandoned it is no marvaile if Invocation of Saints stept up in their place Lastly the forme and manner of Saintly Invocation used about the yeare 600 in Saint Gregories dayes differeth extreamely from that which was used by Papals in later times as may appeare by these instances following The Hymne of Thomas Becket runnes thus in the Salisbury Primer Tu per Thomae sanguinem Quem pro te impendit Fac nos Christe scandere Quò Thomas ascendit By the bloud of Thomas Which for thee he did spend Make us thither O Christ to climbe Whither Thomas did ascend To the blessed Virgin they pray Maria mater gratiae Mater misericordiae Tu nos ab hoste protege Et horâ mortis suscipe Mary mother of heavens grace Mother where mercie hath chiefe place From cruel Foe our soules defend And them receive when life shall end The Crosse is likewise devoutly saluted in this manner O Crux ave spes unica Hoc passionis tempore Auge pijs justitiam Reisque dona veniam All Haile O Crosse our onely hope In this time of the passion Encrease thou justice to the godly And give to sinners pardon Of Faith and Merits Hesychius saith The grace of God is given onely of mercie and favour and is embraced and received by onely Faith Gregorie held not justification by inherent righteousnesse for speaking even of the second justification hee teacheth that we are justified before God freely by grace Our just advocate saith he will in judgement defend us for just if so bee wee know and accuse our selves to bee unrighteous and unjust He confesseth That all our righteousnesse is manifestly proved to be unrighteousnesse if once it bee strictly examined according to justice Hee accounts a mans best actions imperfect and unable to abide the Iudges triall unlesse hee weigh them by the scale of his mercie Isidore saith it was noted a propertie in the Catherists or ancient Puritans to glorie of their merits Gregorie held not Merit of Condignitie but appealed to the court of Mâ—cie saying I grow on to eternall life not by the merit of my works but by the pardon of my sinnes presuming to obtaine that by the onely mercie of God which I dare not hope for by my owne deserts and hereof as also of the imperfâ—ction of our works he gives a good reason saying that the evill that is in us is simply evill but the good that we thinke we have it is not absolutely pure and simply good So that how much soever we travaile in good works we never attaine to true puritie but onely imitate it And this may suffice to shew what religion Saint Gregorie professed other testimonies may be seene in Master Panks Collectanea out of Saint Gregorie and Saint Bernard shewing that in most fundamentall poynts they are ours PA.
renowned among the Northerne English and one that was well acquainted with Bishop Tonstall his kinsman and Diocesan saith I remember that Bishop Tonstall often tolâ—e me that Pope Innocent the third had done very unadvâ—sedly in that hee had made the opinion of Transubstantiation an Article of Faith seeing in former times it was free to holde or refusâ— that opinion The same Bishop tolde me and many time ingenuously confessed that Scotus was of opinion that the Church might better and with more ease make use of some more commodious exposition of those words in the holy Supper and the Bishop was of the minde that we ought to speake reverently of the holy Supper but that the opinion of Transubstantiation might well be let alone This thing also the same Bishop Tonstall was wont to affirme both in words and writings that Innocent the third knew not what he did when hee put Transubstantiation among the Articles of Faith and he said that Innocentius wanted learned men about him and indeed saith the Bishop if I had beene of his councell I make no doubt but I might have beene able to have disswaded him from that resolution By this that hath beene sayd it appeares that Transubstantiation was neither holden nor knowne universally in the Church before the Lateran Councell twelve hundred yeares after Christ and that when it began to be received as a matter of Faith it was but beleeved upon the Churches authoritie and this Church virtually and in effect was Pope Innocent in the Lateran Councell twelve hundred yeeres and more after Christ before which time there was no certaintie nor necessity of beleeving it and the Councell might have chosen another sence of Christs words more easie and in all appearance more true there being no scripture sufficient to convince it Of Images and Prayer to Saints HOnorius of Authun in France saith There is none that is godly wise who will worship and adore the Crosse but Christ crucified on the crosse Roger Hoveden our native historian who lived in the beginning of this age condemned the adoration of Images for speaking of the Synodall Epistle written by the Fathers of the second Nicen councell wherein Image worship was established he tells us that Charles the King of France sent into this Isle a Synodall booke directed unto him from Constantinople wherein there were divers offensive passages but especially this one that by the joynt consent of all the Doctors of the East and no fewer than 300 Bâ—shops it was decreed that Images should be worshipped quod ecclesia Dei execratur saith he which the Church of God abhorres Guilielmus Altissiodorensis saith that for such and such reasons many doe say that neither we pray unto the Saints nor they pray for us but improperly in râ—spect we pray unto God that the merits of the Saints may hâ—lpe us Of Faith and Merit THomas Aquinas saith that workes be not the cause why a man is just before God but rather they are the execution and manifestation of his justice for no man is justâ—fied by workes but by the Habit of Faith infused yea justâ—fication is done by Faith onely And Aquinas in his commentary on the Galatians in the place alleadged tho at the first he mention such workes as are performed by the power of nature yet afterwards he speakes also of workes wrought by the power of grace and of such as Saint Iames mentions Chap. 2. saying Was not Abraham justified by workes but these were workes of grace and yet Thomas excludes from justification workes done in the state of Grace and saith Iustification is done by Faith onely Bonaventure saith that by onely Faith in Christs passion all the fault is remitted and without the faith of hâ—m no man is justified Velosillus in his animadversions upon the writings of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church observeth that Scotus held not merit of Condigâ—ity And Vega saith that Thomas Aquinas the flower of the Schoole-Divines constantly affirmeth that a sinner can not merit his owne justâ—fication either of congruity or of condignity and thus have these men given in their verdict but now let us heare themselves speake There is no action of ours saith Scotus that without the speciall ordinance of God and his divine acceptation is worthy of the reward with which God rewardeth them that serve him in respect of the inward goodnesse that it hath from the causes of it because alwayes the reward is greater than the merit and strict Iustice doth not give a better thing for a thing of lesse value And againe hee saith That speaking of strict Iustice God is bound to none of us to bestow rewards of so high perfection as hee doth the rewards being so much greater in worth than any merits of ours The Prophet David saith the learned Archbishop of Armagh hath fully cleared this case in that one sentence Psalm 62.12 With thee Oh Lord is mercy for thou râ—wardâ—st every man according to his workes Originally therefore and in it selfe this reward proceedeth meerely from Gods free bounty and mercy but accidentally in regard that God hath tyed himselfe by his word and promise to conferre such a reward it now provâ—th in a sort to be an act of Iustice in regard of the faithfull performance of his promâ—se For promise amongst honest men is counted a due debt but the thing promised being free and on our part altogether undeserved if the promiser did not performe and proved not to be so good as his word hee could not properly be sayd to doe us wrong but rather to wrong himselfe by impayring his owne credit And therefore Aquinas confesseth That God is not hereby simply made a debtor to us but to himselfe in as much as it is requisite that his owne ordinâ—nce should be fullfilled William Bishop of Paris treating of prayer giveth us this Caveat Not to leane on the weake and fraile foundation of our owne merits but wholly denying our selves and distrusting our owne strength to relye on the sole favour and mercy of God and in so doing sayth hee the Lord will never faile us Cassander saith That both ancient aâ—d moderne with full consent professe to reposâ— themselves wholly upon the meere mercy of God and merit of Christ with an humble renunciation of all worthinesse in their owne workes and this doctrine Cassander derives through the lower ages of the Schoole-men and later writers Thomas of Aquine Durand Adrian de Trajecto afterwards Pope Adrian the sixth Clictoveus and delivers it for the voyce of the then present Church THE FOVRTEENTH CENTVRIE From the yeere of Grace 1300. to 1400. PAP WHat say you of this fourteenth Age PROT. In this Age learning began to revive for so it came to passe that divers learned men among the Greekes abhorring such cruelty as the Turkes used against their Countrey-men the Grecians left those parts and fled into Italy Now by their meanes the
Images are not to be adored Now all this is to be found even totidem veâ—bis in the selfe same termes in the Fatâ—ers text and yet the Index of Spaine published by Cardinâ—ll Quiroga and reprinted at Samur by the honour of the French Gentilitie the Lord of Plessis comes in and gives these Faâ—hers a strong purge commaunding all the sentences above named to bee blotted out of the Fathers Indices or Tables In like sort hath another Index of Spaine printed at Madrill reprinted by Turretine and still preserved and kept in the Archivis or Treasurie of Monuments in the â—ublike Libraâ—y at Oxford dealt with the Index or Table of S. Austin and Athanasius as by these few instances may appeare Blot out say the Spanish Inquisitors these words out of Saint Austins Index to wit Whâ—n God crowneth our meritâ—s that is good deeds hee crowneth nothing else but his owne gifts and The Saints are to bee honoured for imitation not to bee adored for Religion as also out of Athanasius Index that God onely is to bee worshipped that the creature is not to adore the creature Now all these must bee rased out notwithstanding they bee the selfe-same words which these Father 's used in the Text Now this is no good dealing since these Tables and Indices tâ—uely gathered out of the Fathers Workes might have served for a hand to poynt at the chiefest Sentences in each Auâ—hour but they have either remooved or turned the hand aside to the great hiâ—derance of those which upon a sudden occasion are to see what such a Father saith to such a point and have not the leasure to peruse over the whole booke PA. We have not purged the Fathers Text but only the Index PRO. You have put out the very Text it selfe out of Saint Cyâ—ill whose words are Now this faith which is the gift and grace of God is sufficient to purge not onely them which find themselves somewhat ill but those also that are dangerously diseased Now all this is commanded to be blotted out by the expurgatory Index of Spaine Neither can it be justly replied that these words are put out of Cyril as not being the Authors words or not truely translated by our men for they bee Cyrils owne words faithfully translated and the copie agreeth with the Originall yea this golden sentence thus rased is still to bee found in Cyrils Workes set foâ—th by your owne man Gentian Hervet Neither yet hath Gods Booke escaped your fingeâ—s witnesse the Bible set forth by your owne men there wee reade in the Text Levit. 26. chap. according to your translation Thou shalt not make to thy selfe an Idoll and graven thing your Index saith Blot this out of the margâ—nt that graven things are forbidden Againe the Text saith 1. King 7.3 Prepare your hearts to the Lord and serve him onely your Index saith Blot out this glosse that wee must serve God onely Besides Christ is noted to bee the sacrifice for our sinnes now these words Christ is the sacrifice for our sinnes must bee dashed out In like sort they have blotted out these words in Vatablus Annotations They that beleeve in God shall be saved and they that beleeve not shall perish Now if these sayings alleadged be to be found in the Fathers and Scriptures not onely in the same sense but totidem verbis in the same termes why doe they then blot them out of the Fathers Indices or the Margents and Concordances of the Bible they might as well raze them out of the very Text of Fathers and Scripture but this they durst not openly attempt and therefore under hand they wound both Scripture and Fathers through the sides of their Expugatorie and Prohibitorie Tables PA. Your men have published Parsons Resolutions and Granadoes Meditations and therein have changed and altered divers sentences PRO. Some private men amongst us have dealt so with some late Writers but withall they professed that they had changed and altered their words thereby to shew that with a little helpe your bookes such as doe tend to godlinesse of life might lawfully bee râ—ad of us now what you did you did it secretly and under hand whereas ours dealt plainly and openly Besides you have altered and changed the writings of the Ancient at your pleasure and then would make the World belâ—eve you have onely corrected the faults of the Print or some such matter Now as you worke by your Expurgatory Indices so doe you also by your other tricke of Prohibitorie whereof you make this use that in case upon the evidence given in by good Authors the verdict bee like to goe on our side then you bring a Prohibitionâ— and remove the matter to be tried by Tradition But it is no wonder you prohibit our Writers for you have forbid Gods Booke and called it into the Inquisition Forbidding the having or reading of any part of the Bible in the vulgar Tongue tho it be set forth by Catholikes and howsoever you winke at the matter where you cannot helpe it yet in countries generally Popish as in Spaine and elsewhere The Bible and each part thereof in the vulgar tongue is utterly prohibited as your owne Iesuit witnesseth And this have divers felt with us in Queene Maries dayes and of late Iohn Murrey a Merchant of Aberden in Scotland who having a New Testament in the ship was accused by the Serchers brought before the Inquisition and lost both his goods and life for it To close up this point you have laboured to roote out all memory of our Professors for example sake Is King Edward the sixth stiled and that worthily A Prince of admirable towardnesse Is Fredericke Duke of Saxonie tearmed Christianissimus Princeps A most Christian Prince this commendation of King Edward must be left out in the next impression so must the Dukes title of Christian Prince and thus they deale with our Writers Is Melanchâ—on tearmed A man famous for all kind of learning and Bucer sirnamed the Divine doth Beatus Rhenanus in his notes upon Tertullian call Pelicane A man of admirable learning and holinesse of life All these Epithets and Titles the Romish Inquisitors have commanded to be blotted out Yea whereas Oecolampadius and Doctor Humfrey of Oxford have taken good paines in translating some parts of Cyrils Works they aâ—e but slenderly rewarded for Possevine saith that by all meanes their names must bee razed out of those Translations And another Iesuite tells us that Our names must not be suffered to stand upon Record nor Protestant Writers once so much as to bee named either in their owne Workes or others unlesse it bee per contemptum by way of scorne and reproach and yet you bid us name our men PA. Wee have purged some bookes but not corrupted the Scriptures PRO. Your Trent Councell makes Traditions of equall credit and to be embraced with the like godly
to them nor worship them saith also thou shalt not make to thy selfe any graven Image PRO. Our learned Bishop White hath answered for 〈◊〉 the Ground and Proposition of this argument saith he is falâ—e for worshipping of Images is forbidden as the principall object of that negative precept and as a thing Morally evill in his very kind but making them is forbidden onely when it is a meanes subservient to worship and because it may be separated both in his owne nature and in mans intention from that end and use therefore the one is simply forbidden and the othâ—r is onely prohibited when it becommeth a meanes or instrument to other for we mislike not pictures or Images for historicall use and ornament now this distinction and disparitie betweene making and woâ—shipping is comfirmed by the example of the â—razen Serpent made by Gods owne appointment for when the same was onely made and looked upon it was a Medicine when it was worshipped it bâ—came a poyson and was destroyed To proceedâ— the Church of Rome holds that the Saints raigning with Christ are to be worshipped and prayâ—d unto but this we hold is not warranted by Gods word but rather repugnant to it for we are commanded to invocate God in the name of Christ and our Saviour himselfe inviteth us to approach with confidence to the throne of his grace he is rich in mercie to such as call upon him and more compassionate better able and more willing to helpe us than any Saint or Angel and he is appointed by God to be our Intercessour We reade in the new Testament many examples of people which made supplication immediately unto Christ but not of one which made intercession to the Virgin Mary or to the blessed Saints or Angels And if any question with this our negative concluding from Scripture Saint Hierome upon occasion did the like saying we beleeve it not because we reade it not I will close up this point with that advise which Ignatius gave the Virgins of his time not to direct their prayers and supplications to Saints or Angâ—ls but to the Trinity onely O ye Virgins have Christ alone before your eyes and his Father in your Prayers being enlightned by the spirit Of Faith and Merit The Trent Councâ—l accurseth all such as say that a siâ—ner is justified by Faith onâ—ly or deny that the good workes of holy men doe truly Merit everlasting life our reformâ—d Churches hold that wee are accounted righteous bâ—fore God onely for the Merit of Iesus Christ applyed by Faithâ— and not for our workes or Merits And when we say that we are justified by Faith onely we doe not meane that the said justifying Faith is alone in man without true repentance hope charity and the feare of God for such a Faith is dead and cannot justifie Even as when we say that the eye onely seeth wee doe not meane that the eye severed from the head doth see but that it is the onely propâ—rtie of the eye to see Neither doth this Faith of Christ which is within us of it selfe justifie us or deserve our justâ—fication unto us for that were to account our selves to be justified by the vertue or dignity of something within our selves but the true meaning therâ—of is that although we heare Gods Word and beleeve it although wee have Faith Hope Charity Repentance and the fâ—are of God within us yet we must renounce the Merit of all our vertues and good deedes as farre too weake and unsufficient to deserve remission of our Sinnes and uâ— justification and therefore we must trust onely in Gods mercie and the Merits of our only Saviour and justiâ—ier Iesus Christ. Neverthelesse because Faith doth directly send us to Christ for our justification and that by Faith given us of God we embâ—ace the promise of Gods mercie and the remission of our Sinnes which thing none other of our vertues or workes properly doth therefore the Scripture useth to say that Faith without workes and the ancient Fathers of the Church to the same purpose that onely Faith doth justifie us Now for the Poynt of Merit it is neither agreeable to Scripture nor reason for we cannot Merit of him whom we gratifiâ— not we cannot gratifie a man with his owne now all our good is Gods already his gift his proprietie What have we that we have not received saith the Apostle not our Talent onely but the improvement also is his meere bounty there can be therefore no place for Merit PA. Wee hold the ancient Romane Faith PRO. That is not so as may appeare by these instances Saint Paul taught his Romanes that our Eleâ—â—ion is of Gods free grace and not ex operibus praevisis of workes fore-seene He taught that we are justified by Faith onely we conclude that we are justified by Faâ—th without the workâ—s of the Law which is all one as to say a man is justified by Faith onely He taught that eternall life is the gift of God and therefore not due to the Merit of workes that the good workes of the Regenerate are not of their owne condignitie meritorious nor such as can deserve heaven and the sufferings there expressed are Maâ—tyrdomes sanctified by grace He condemned Images though made to resemble the true God and taught that to bow the knee religiously to an Image or to worship any creature is meère Idolatry He taught that we must not pray unto any but unto God onely in whom we beleeve and therefore not to Saints or Angels since we beleeve not in them He taught that concupiscence is a Sinne even in the regenerate and Possevine the Iesuit confesseth that Saint Paul called it so but saith he we may not call it so He taught that the Imputed righteousnesse of Christ is that onely that maketh us just before God Thus taught Saint Paul thus the ancient Romanes beleeved from this Faith our latter Romanists are departed Here then let the Reader judge whether it be likely that Saint Paul who as Theodoret saith delivered doctrine of all sorts and very exactly handled the Points thereof should neverthelesse writing at large to the Romane Church not once mention those maine points wherein the life of Poperie consists namely the Popes Monarchical Iurisdiction Transubstantiation Communion in one kinde Service in an unknowne tongue Popes pardons Image worship and the like if the Church of Rome were then the same that now a dayes it is Now if these points mentioned were no Articles of Faith in the ancient Romane Church in Saint Pauls dayes when their Faith was spoken of throughout the whole world then they be not Articles of Faith at this day but onely Additions to the rule of Faith such as the corruption of the times hath patched up and pieced it withall for it is a ruled case in the Schooles that the body of Religion
Disciples and followers of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them wee love worthily Now when they say that they cannot worship any other our learned and divine Antiquarie Doctour Vsher observeth that the Latine Edition of theirs which was wont to be publikely read in these Churches of the West expresseth their meaning in this manner Wee Christians can never leave Christ who did vouchsafe to suffer so great things for our Sinnes nor impart the supplication of Prayer unto any other PAP Irenaeus termeth the blessed Virgin the Advocate of Eve PRO. Indeed Bellarmine cryeth up this place with a quid clarius what can be said more plainely and Fevardentius answerable to his name falls not upon Gallasius about this place Now Irenaeus his meaning as elswhere he expresseth himselfe is this and no more that as by Eva Sinne came into the World and by Sinne death so by the Virgins meanes life and salvation instrumentally in that she was that chosen vessell of the Holy Ghost to beare him in her wombe who by taking flesh of her redeemed us from the curse of death And thus she was the Advocate or Comforter of Evah and her children by bearing Christ and not because she was invocated as a mediatour after her death by Evahs children Of Faith and Merit Irenaeus as Chemnitius observeth though he speake not expressely of Sola Fides yet he useth termes equivalent to that exclusive particle saying that there is no way to be saved from the sting of that old Serpent the Devill but by beleeving in Christ. The Fathers of this Age the most of them alleaged if not all wrote in Greeke and could not understand Merit And Polycarp the Martyr in his Prayer above mentioned useth the terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not for to deserve but for to attaine procure or find favour I thanke thee O Father saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that thou hast graciouslie vouchsafed this day and this houre to allot me a portion among the number of Martyrs Now surely had the doctrine of Merit beene Catholike in his dayes he would doubtlesse being now in extremis and upon his fiery tryall have recommended himselfe to God by the Prayers and Merits of Saints but he neither pleades his owne nor others Merits none but Chaists In this Age Polycrates Bishop of Ephesuâ— and other Easteâ—ne Bishops in Asia withstood the Pope about keeping the Feast of Easter they prooved their custome to be received from Saint Iohn and that it was practised and continued by Polycarp the Martyr and others This did so vex Pope Victor as that he excommunicated the Churches of Asia neither did he revoke his censure for ought that Bellarmine can find and yet Irenaeus a godly Bishop of Lyons in France sharply rebuked the Pope for troubling the peace of the Church yea Pâ—lycrates stood at defiance with the Pope and contemned his threates to wit excommunications PA. This was no great difference PRO. If it were a matter of small weight why then would the Pope excommunicate so many famous Churches for dissenting from him therein Besides Bellarmine saith that the Pope conceived that this difference might breede heresie belike then he thought it a matter of consequence Howsoever by this oposition to the See of Rome we may observe that had those ancient Churches of Asia acknowledged the Popes Supremacie they would not have thus opposed his Constitutions nor sleighted his Censures In this Age also I find that when Lucius a Christian Prince in this our Britaine sent to Pope Elentherius to receive some Lawes thence the Bishop returned him this Answer as appeares by a Letter or Epistle usually inserted amongst the Lawes of Saint Edward the Confessâ—ur There are already within your owne Kingdome the Old and New Testament out of which by the Councell of your Kingdome you may take a Law to Governe your people for you are the Vicar of Christ within your own kingdom Whence we may observe that howsoever the Papists now adayes labour to prove the Popes Supremacie by his giving of Lawes and inflicting his Censures on others yet in these ancient times even by the Popes owne acknowledgement the King was held to be Supreame Governour within his owne Kingdome PA. Belike then Britaine was now Converted to the Faith PRO. It was converted before this time for in the Raigne of this Lucius lived those two learned British Divines Elvanus of Glastenbury and Medvinus of Wells and these two were sent by King Lucius to the Bishop of Rome to desire a supply of Preachers to assist the Britaines and with them returned Faganus and Damianus and these jointly with the Britaines preached the Gospell and Baptised amongst the Britaines whereby many were daily drawne to the Faâ—th of Christ and the Temples of the heathenish Priests their Flamines and Archflamines as they termed them were converted into so many Bishops and Archbishops Sees as the Monke of Chester Ranulphus Higden reports Neither yet is this to be called a conversion of our Iland but rather a new supply of Preachersâ— for Iohn Capgrave a Domynickâ— Frier one whom Parsons commends for a Learned man reports that Elvanus the Britaine had dispersed thorow the wilde fields of Britaine those seeds of the Gospel that Ioseph of Arimathea had formerly sowne and that the Pope made Elvanus Bishop in Britaine and Medvinus a Doctour to preach the Faith of Christ throughout the whole Iland which sheweth that when they were sent Ambassadours to to Eleâ—therius Bishop of Rome they were then no novices but learned and practised Divines as one of their owne Historians calleth them THE THIRD CENTVRIE From the yeare of Grace 200. to 300. PAPIST WHom name you in this Age PROTESTANT In this Age there flourished Tertullian Origen and Saint Cyprian now also lived Minutius Felix a famous Lawyer in Rome Arnobius and his eloquent Scholler Lactantius Tertullian was a man of a quicke and pregnant wit hee wrote learned and strong Apologies in the behalfe of Christians Cyprian read daily some part of his writings and so reverenced him that hee used to say to his Secretary Da magistrum helpe me to my Tutour reach me my master meaning Tertullian afterwards through spight of the Roman Clergie hee revolted to the Montanists and was taken up with their idle Prophecies and Revelations Origen was in this his age a mirrour of piety and of learning of all sorts both divine and humane he conferred the Hebrew text with the Greeke translations not onely of the Septuagints but also the translations of Aquila Theodosion and Symmachus hee found out other editions also which hee set forth and called them Octupla or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because every page contayned eight columnes or severall translations such as were then in estimation hee was of so happy a memory that hee had the Bible without booke and
who set forth Eusebius Now Eusebius hath no such thing as is pretended his words in his owne language are these It is our custome to come to the Tombes and Monuments of the Martyrs and to make our prayers at or befâ—re those Shrines or Tombes and to honour those blessed soules Plâ—â—saith they used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to present themseâ—ves at the Martyrs Tombes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to make their prayers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those Toâ—bes and Monuments he saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to these Martyrs as Bellarmine would have it It is onething to pray ad memorias Martyrum before or neere the Sepulchers of â—he Martyrs as ancieÌ„tly they were wont to doe another thing to say as our adversariâ—s doe that these Prayeâ—s were made unto the Martyrs themselves the truth is they were made unto God to pâ—aise him for the assistaâ—ce given unto the Martyrs and to crave of God the like Gâ—ace 4. Fâ—urthly and lastly Eusebius in the same treatise doth fully expreâ—se himselfe touching this matter saying We are taught to worship God onely and to honour those blessed Powers that are about him with such honour as is fit and agreeable to their â—state and condition and againe To God onely will we give the worship due unâ—o his name and him onely doe we religiouslie worship and adore Object Saint Ephraim the Syrian saith Wee pray you O yeâ— blâ—ssed Spirits vouchsafe to make intercession to God for us miserable sinners Answer The learned take exceptions at this Ephraim as being a counterfeit lately brought to light and not set forth in his native language but taught to speake in the Roman tongue â—ut bee it that it is the true Saint Ephraem yet hee saith nothing directly for praying to Saints for it is but an Apostrophe in generall which infeâ—reth no coâ—â—lusion aâ— all noâ— is it directed to any one peculiar Saint bâ—t â—o the Saints iâ— geneâ—all Now it is conâ—essed that they pray to God Pro nobis miseris peccatoribus and this their bâ—other-like affâ—ction and Saint-like performance is an â—speciall paâ—t of the Communion of Saints Besides Ephraem take him as hee commâ—th to our hands delivereth that which overthroweâ—h Saintly Invocatioâ— for hee prayeth to God onely without mentioâ—ing any Saint at all yea hee saith expresly That hee knoweth no other save God to whom hee should present his prayers and yet more fully saying Tibi soli redemptori supplico To thee only my Saviour and Redeemer I make my prayer and supplication And thus speakes Ephraem when once he is out of his pâ—osopopeiaes and Rhetoricall compellations his paâ—egyâ—icks and commendatorie orations of the Saints Of Iustification by Faith onely Concerning Iustification by Faith onely Saint Ambrose or some of the same standing with Ambrose is cleare and plentifull throughout his Commentaries on Saint Pauls Epistles They are justified by faith alone by the gift of God yea hee farther saith No worke of the Law but onely faith is to bee given in Christ's cause Saint Hilarie saith That which the Law could not unloose is remitted by Christ for faith alone justifieth Saint Basil saith That it is true and perfect rejoycing in the Lord when a man is not puffed up with his owne righteousnesse but acknowledgeth his want thereof yet râ—joyceth that hee is justified by faith alone in Christ. By this that hath beene said it appeareth that when wee say Faith onely justifieth wee have not departed from the doctrine of the ancient Fathers in this point of Iustification Of Merit Concerning Merit Saint Ambrose saith Whence should I have so great merit seeing mercy is my crowne and againe What can wee doe worthy of the heavenly rewards the sâ—ffâ—ringâ— of this time are uâ—worthy for the glory tâ—â—t is to come therefore the forme of heavâ—nly Decrees doth proceed with men not according to our meâ—its but according to Gods mercy Basil saith Everlasting rest is layd up for them that strive lawfully in this life not to bee rendred according to the dâ—bt of workes but exhibited by the grace of the bountifull God to them that trust in him Macarius the Aegyptian Hermite touching the gift which Christians shall inherit averreth That this a man may rightly say that if any one from the time wherein Adam was created unto the very end of the world did fight against Satan and undergoe afflictions hee should doe no great matter in respect of the glory that hee shall inherit for heâ— shall reigne together with Christ world without end PA. You produced Saint Cyril of Hierusalem as if he should witnesse for you whereas hee is ours and your Mr. Cooke tellâ—th us that Bellarmine often alleadgeth him on our behalfe PRO. The learned make question whether Cyril or Iohn B. of Hierusalem were the Author of those Catechismes and surely in some part thereof there bee divers things unworthy of that ancient and learned Cyril who is the more to be beloved of the Orthodoxe as he was greatly hated of the Aâ—rians yet even in these Catechismes take them as they come to our hands Master Rivet a learned and judicious Divine finds many testimonies that make for us and against the Papists For instance sake Cyril in his Catechisme having numbred all the bookes of the old Testament omitteth all those that are controverted and saith Peruse the two and twenty bookes but meddle not with the Apocrypha meditate diligently upon those Scriptures which the Church doth confidently read and use no other Hee saith That the safetie and preservation of faith consists not in the eloquence of words but in the proofe of divine Scripture The same Cyril saith Receive the body of Christ with a hallow hand saying Amen and after the partaking of the body of Christ come also to the cup of the Lord. The same Cyril saith that the words my Body were Spoken of the bread Christ thus avoucheth and saith of the Bread this is my Body He resembleth the consecrated oyle wherewith their foreheads were annoynted to the consecrated bread in the Eucharist Looke saith he Thou doe not thinke it to be onely bare and simple oyle for even as the consecrated bread after prayer and invocation is no more common bread but Christs body so the holy oyle is no more bare and simple oyle or common but Charisma the gift of Grace whence as Master Rivet saith wee may thus argue as is the change in the oyle such there is in the Eucharist but in the oyle there is no change in substance but use and sanctification by grace and therefore there is no substantiall change or conversion in the Elements of bread and wine when they become the body and blood of Christ. Objection Saint Cyril saith Know you for a surety that the bread which is seene of us is not bread though the taste
resiant at Constantinople and part of the countrey that rebelled was Conquered by the King of Lumbardie and Rome and the Romane Dukedome fell unto the Pope now was the Emperour driven out of Italie and every one caâ—cht what he could the Lumbards were the strongâ—st partie and with them the Pope falls at oddes about the dividing of the spoyle and finding them too hard for him as before he had used the strength of the Lumbards to suppresse the Emperour so now he cals in Pipin Marshall of the Palace or Constable of France and â—â—aâ—les his son surnamed the Great and by their power he suppressed the Lumbards this service did Pipin and his sonne to the See of Rome in requitall whereof Chilpâ—ricke being a weake Prince was deposed Pipin and the Barons and the people of France are absolved from their Oath of Allegeance and by Pope Zacharies favour Pipin sonne to Carolus Martellus is crowned King of the Fâ—aâ—ks and Charles the Great sonne to Pipin is crowned Emperour of the West by Pope Leo the third who sâ—cceeded Adrian Then came the Pope and Charlemaigne to the partage of the Empire leaving a poore pitâ—ance for the Emperour of Greece And this was the issue of the fierce contentions about Images The Popes pulling downe Emperours and setting up Images and indeed these babies and puppits served the Popes to stalke withâ—ll but other fowle was shot at to wit Iurisdiction and a temporall Monarchie and indeed about this time the Pope grew great so that it was Gods gracious dealing with his Church that he found such opposition as he did the Easterne Emperour not daring and the Westerne in regard of late courtesies received from the Pope being haply not willing openly to affront him And thus much of Images come we now to speake a word or two of Prayer to Saints Concerning Prayer Bede in his Commentarie on the Proverbes rightly ascribed to Bede and not to Saint Hierome saith We ought to invocate that is by prayer to call into us none but God Antonius in his Melissa or mellifluous Sermon saith that Wee are taught to worship and adore that nature onely which is uncreated but the Spanish Inquisitors have clipt off a piece of his tongue Commanding the word Onely to be blotted out of his writings now the word Onely is the onely principall word that shewes us the Authors drift and the word which Gregorie Nyssen from whom he borrwed this speech used in the Originall Of Faith and Merits Bede held that we are justified by the merits of Christ imputed to us Christs condemnation is our Iustification his death is our life Hee disclaimed Iustification by inherent Righteousnesse for speaking of a regenerate man he saith That no man shall bee saved by the righteousnesse of workes but onely by the righteousnesse of Faith and therefore No man should beleeve that either his freedome of will or his merits are sufficient to bring him unto blisse but understand that he can be saved by the grace of God onely And elsewhere he saith That in the life to come we shall be well rewarded and that not by merits but by grace onely and he hath a sweet prayer that the Lord would take compassion of him and that after the worth and condignitie of his mercies and not after the condignitie of wrath which himselfe had deserved His Scholler Alcuinus maintained the same truth as appeares by these passages following I could saith Alcuinus defile my selfe with sinne but I cannot clense my selfe it is my Saviours bloud that must purge me and againe Whiles I looke on my selfe I find nothing in mee but sinne thy righteousnesse must deliver mee it is thy mercy not my merits that saves mee And elsewhere he saith very sweetly He onely can free me from sinne who came without sinne and was made a sacrifice for sinne And thus by Gods prouidence was the weightie point of Iustification preserved found in these latter and declining times THE NINTH CENTVRIE From the yeare of Grace 800. to 900. PAPIST WHat say you of this ninth Age PROTESTANT The seeds of Knowledge which our worthy Coâ—ntrey-men Bede and Alâ—win planted in Gods Field shewed themselues in their Schollers such as were Claudius Scotus Scholler to Saint Bede Rabbanus Maurus Abbot of Fulden one who as Trithemius saith for his learning had not his match in Italy or Germanie Haymo bishop of Halberstat and our Countrie-man Ioannes Scotus Erigena all three Schollers to Alcuinus Now also lived Christianus Druthmarus the Monke and the Abbot Walafridus Strabo who collected the ordinary Glosse on the Bible Agobardus bishop of Liâ—ns Claudius bishop of Thurin in Piemont Bertram a Pâ—iest and Monke of Corbey Abbey wherâ—of Paschaâ—ius was sometimes Abbot and about the yeare Eight huâ—dred and â—inetie according to Bellarmine lived the Monke Ambrosius Ausbertus About the yeare 880â— lived Remigius borne at Auxâ—rre in Fraâ—ce and sometimes called Rhemensis haply because he taught at Rhemes there was another Remigius Archbishop of Rhemes who liued in the sixth Age and converted King Clovis of France to the Christian Faith but this Saint Remigius for ought wee know wrot nothing Claudius Scotus already mentioned was one of the Irish Nation by birth a famous Divine and accounted one of the Founders of the Vniversitie of Paris this Claudius Clemens Presbiter was of latter standing and inferiour in place to that other Claudius Scotus bishop of Auxerâ—e a great opposite to Boniface Archbishop of Meâ—ts This latter Claudius wrote on the Gospels and Epistles and is often alleaged by the Reverend and learned Lord Primate Doctor Vsher. Of the Scriptures sufficiencie and Canon Claudius Scotus saith That men therefore erre because they know not the Scriptures and because they are ignorant thereof they consequently know not Christ who is the power and wisdome of God Hee also bringeth in that knowne Canon of Saint Herome This because it hath not authoritie from the Scriptures is with the same facilitie contemned wherewith it is avowed Nicephorus Patriarke of Constantinople gives us to understand That the Bookes of the old Testament were twenty and two And treating of the Apocriphall Bookes he mentioneth in particular the Bookes of Maccabees Wisdome Ester Iudith Susanna Tobie Of Communion under both kindes and number of Sacraments Paschasius upon our Saviours words Drinke yee all of this saith Drinke yee all of this as well Ministers as the rest of the Faithfull Rabanus saith That the Lord would have the Sacrament of his Body and bloâ—d to be received by the mouth of the Faithfull Haymo saith The Cup is called the Communion because all communicate of it and doe take part of the bloud of the Lord which it containeth in it Hee saith all did communicate so that the People as well as the Priests were admitted to the Cup. And Rhemigius hath the very same words
taught the same doctrine in other books also to wit De Nativitate Christi and de Animâ which are to be seene in the Libraries of the Cathedrall Church of Sarisburie and Bennet Colledge in Cambridge as the same Bishop Vsher observes PA. Was Bertram a learned man and of a good liâ—e PRO. Trithemius the Abbot gives him a large commendation For his excellent learning in Scripture his godly life his worthy Bookes and by name this of the Body and Bloud of Christ. Clodius de Sanctes â—aith Hee is put in the Catologue of Ecclesiasticall Writers for one Catholike in life and doctrine and your Brerely saith That ancient Catholike Writers doubt not to honour Bertram for a holy Martyr of their Church Now are wee come to our famous countrey-man Scotus much what of Bertrams standing and both of them in favour with Charles unto whom as Bertram Dedicated his Treatise of the Sacrament so also Ioannes Scotus wrot of the same argument and to the same effect that Bertram had done Bellarmine saith That Scotus was the first who in the Latine Church wrot doubtâ—fully of the reall presence It is indeed their fault that we have not his Booke yet may wee presume that he wrot positively neither doe we any where find that his booke of the Sacrament was condemned before the dayes of Lanfrancke who was the first that leavened the Church of England with this corrupt doctrine of the carnall presence so that all this while to wit from the yeare 876 to 1050 he passed for a good Catholike PA. Was Scotus a man of that note PRO. He was as Possevine saith Scholler to Bede Fellow-pupill with Alcuinus and accounted one of the founders of the Vniversitie of Paris and in the end dyed like a Martyr For after that he came into England and was publike Reader in Oxford by the favour of King Alfred he retired himselfe into Malmsbury Abbey and was there by his owne Schollers stabbed to death with Pen-knives and this was done saith Bale and others Fortassis non sine Monachorum impulsâ— haply not without the Monks procurement being murdered by his Schollers whiles he opposed the carnall presence which then some private persons began to set on foot By his birth he was one of the Scottish or Irish nation and is sometime called Erigena sometime Scotigena He was sirnamed Scotus the Wise and for his extraordinary learning in great account with our King Alfred and familiarly entertained by Charles the Great to whom he wrote divers letters In a word there is an old homely Epitaph which speakes what this Scotus was Clauditur hoc tumulo Sanctus Sophista Ioannes Qui ditatus erat jà m vivens dogmate miro Martyrio tandem Christi conscendere regnum Quoâ— meruit sancti regnant per saecula cuncti Vnder this stone Lyes Sophister Iohn Who living had store Of singular Lore At length he did merit Heaven to inherit A Martyr blest Where all Saints rest Or thus Here lyes interr'd Scotus the Sage A Saint and Martyr of this Age. Of Images and Prayer to Saints Ionas Bishop of Orleance who wrote against Claudius bishop of Turin in the defence of Images holds that The Images of Saintâ— and Stories of divine things may bâ—e painted in the Church not to be worshipped but to be an oâ—nament and to bring into the minds of simple people things done and past But to adore the Creature or to give it any part of divine honour we count it saith he a vile wickednesse detesting the doâ—r thereof as worthy to be accursed It is flâ—t impiete saith the same Ionas out of Origen to adore any save the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Agobardus bishop of Lyons saith That the Ancients they had the pictures of the Saints but it was for historie sake and not for adoration and that none of thâ— ancient Catholicks haply thought that Images are to be worshipped or adored And the Orthodoxe Fathers for avoiding of superstition did carefully provide that no pictures should bee set up in Churches lest that which is worshipped should be painted on the walls Rhemigius saith That neither Images nor Angels are to be adored and Walasfridus Strabo would not have divine honour given to ought that is made by us or any other Creature Now what say the Papists to these Testimonies Baronius yeelds us Walafridus Strabo Ionas bishop of Orâ—leance Hincmarus Archbishop of Rhemes and saith That they foâ—sooke the received opinion of the Church and yet they were ever held sound Catholicks Bellarmine saith That Ionas was overtaken with Agobard his errour and other bishops of France in that Age and therefore puts in a Caveat that Ionas must bee read warily So that by their owne confession the learnedst and famousest men of this Age stand for us in this point this makes them seeke to suppresse such testimonies as are given of them Papirius Massonus set forth this booke of Agobards and delivers the argument therof to be this Detecting most manifestly the errours of the Greciâ—ns touching images pictures he to wit bishop Agobard denies tâ—at they ought to be worshipped which opinion all we Catholicks do allow and follow the testimony of Gregory the great concerning them Now this passage the Spanish Inquisitors in their expurgatorie Index Commanded tâ— bee blotted out and this is accordingly performed by the Divines of Collen in their late corrupt Edition of the great Bibliothek of the ancienâ— Fathers To close up this poynt Charles the Great was seconded by his Sonne Lewis the Godly for by his appointment the Doctors of France assembled at Paris in the yeare 842 and there condemned the adoration of Images It is not strange saith Ambrose Ansberâ—us that our prayers and teares are not offered up unto God by us but by our High Priest since that Saint Paul exhorts us to offer up the Sacrifiâ—e of Praise unto God Haymo upon those words of Isay 〈◊〉 enim Pater noster Thou O Lord art our Father Isay. 6â— ver 16. â—aith Et rectè solum invocamus ac dâ—p ecamur te And we doe right onely to invocate thee and to make our supplication to thee Of Faith and Merit Claudius Scotus saith that Faith alone saveth us because by the works of the Law no man shall be justified yet he addeth withall this caution Not as if the works of the Law should be contemned and without them a simple faith so he calleth that solitary faith which is a simple faith indeed should bee desired but that the works themselves should be adorned with the Faith of Christ. Rhemigius saith That in truth those onely are happy who are freely justified of grace and not of merit Haymo saith Wee are saved by Gods grace and not our owne merits for we have no merits at all Ambros. Ansbertus expounding that place Revel 19.
that Though Berenger retracted yet they could never reclaime all those whom he in divers countreyes had drawne away And no marvaile since they leaned not on the weake reede of mans authoritie but on Gods word which abideth for ever Of Images and Prayer to Saints Anselmus Laudunensis in his Interlineall Glosse on the Bible Composed out of the Fathers writings expounds that text of Deuteronomy Formam non vidistis ye saw no manner of similitude Deut. 4.15 in this sort Ne scilicet volens imitari sculpendo faceres Idolum tibi lest that willing to resemble that similitude by engraving thou shouldst set up an Idol to thy selfe In the former times it was a great question Whether at all or how farre or after what manner the Spirits of the dead did know the things that concerned us here and consâ—quently whether they pray for us onely in generall and for the particulars God answereth us according to our severall necessities where when and after what maner he pleaseth Anselmus Laudunensis Interlineall Glosse upon that text Abraham is ignorant of us and Irael knoweth us not Esay 63.16 noteâ—h that Augustine saith that The dead though Saints in heaven doe not know what the living doe no not though they bee their owne children of whom in all probability they have a more speciall care And indeed Saint Austine in his booke Of the care for the dead makes this inference upon that place of Scripture that If so great Patriarks as was Abraham knewe not what befell the people that came of them it was no way likely that the dead doe entermeddle with the affaires of the living either to know them or to further them and Theophylact gives some reason hereof sayiâ—g Therefore it may be said that the Saints both those that lived before and sinâ—â— Christs time doe not know all things and that this is done that neither the Saints themselves should bee too highly conceited nor others esteeme them above that which is meete And whereas the Romanists repose such confidâ—nce in the intercâ—ssion of Saints that they looke to receive farre greater benefit by thâ—m than by their owne prayers Theophylact tracing Saint Chrysostome in this very point meâ—ts with this their concâ—it Obsâ—rve saith he that although the Saints doe pray for us as the Apostles did still for her to wit the woman of Canaan yet we praying for our selves doe prevaile much more I will close up this point with the testimonie of one of our kings of England William the second It appeareth by writers saith Holinshead out of Eadmerus that hee doubted in many poynts of the religion then in credit for hee sticked not to protest openly that he beleeved no Saint could proâ—it any man in the Lords sight and therefore neither would he nor any that was wise as he affirmed make intercession either to Peter or any other for helpe Of Faith and Merit Theophylact saith The Scripture that is God himselfe who gave the Law hath fore-ordained that wee are justified not by the Law but by Faith and againe the Apostle having showne how that the Law accurseth but Faith blesseth he now sheweth that Faith onely justifieth and not the Law And Anselme saith Truely by Faith onely was Abraham said to have pleased God and this was imputed to him for righteousnesse Radulphus Ardens saith and that from the Testimonie of Saint Augustine that God crowneth onely his owne grace in us and the same Radulphus as I finde him alleadged by Dâ—ctor Vsher in his learned Answer to the Iesuits Challenge in Ireland in the point of Merit for I could not elswhere meete with him saith God crownes nothing else in us but his owne grace who if he should dâ—ale strictly wiâ—h us no man living should be justified in his sight whereupon the Apostle who laboured more than all sâ—ith I reckon that the sufferings of this time are not worthy to bee compâ—red with the glory which shall bee reâ—â—â—aled in us therefore this agreement is nothing else but Gâ—ds voluntarie promise In like sort Occumentus a Greeke Scholiast saith Wee cannot suffer or bring in any thing worthy of the reward that shall be and our Anselme Archbishop of Canterbury more fully saying If a man should serve God a thousand yeeres and that most fervently he should not deserve of Condignitie to be halfe a day in the kingdome of heaven Besides it it evident that this doctrine of free-grace was the received doctrine of the Church both abroad and here in England shortly after the Conquest and for divers ages after taught and believed both of Priest and people for there was a certaine forme of Instruction appointed to be given unto men upon their death-beds to prepare them thereunto and to leade them unto Christ. It was put into question and Answer was commonly to be had in their Libraries and thought for so saith Cardinall Hosius expressely to be made by Anselme Archbishâ—p of Canterbury Amongst the questions propounded to the sicke-man this was one Doâ—st thou believe that thou canst not be saved but by the death of Christ whereunto hee when hee hath made answer affiâ—matively he is presently directed to make use thereof in this manner Goe to therefore as long as thy soule remaines in thee place thy whole confidence in this death onâ—ly have confidence in no other thing commit thy selfe wholly to this death with this alone cover thy selfe wholly If he say unto thee that thou hast deserved damnationâ— say Lord I set the death of our Lord Iesus Christ betwixt mâ— my bad merits and I offer his merit in sâ—eed of the merit which I ought to have but yet have not Here was a Cordiall for a sick-soule in extrâ—mis more soveraign than their extreme unction or Holy-water-sprinkle than any Indâ—lgences Reâ—â—kques or Images yet their quesy stomacks caÌ„not now digest this Catholicon but have called S. Anselms visitation iâ—to the Spanish inquisition and there by their expurgatorie Index set out by Cardinall Quiroga have commanded these Interrogatories to bâ— blotted out Dost thou believe to come to glory not by thine owne merits but by the vâ—rtue and merit of the passion of our Lord Iesus Christ and Dost thou believe that our Lord Iesus Christ did dye for our salvation and that none can be saved by his owne merits or by any other meanes but by the merit of his passion whereby wee may observe saith our learned and laborious Bishop Vsher how late it is since our Romanists in this maine and most substantiall poynt which is the very foundation of all our Comfort have most shamefully departed from the Faith of their fore-fathers THE TWELFTH CENTVRIE from the yeere one thousand one hundred to one thousand two hundred PAPIST YOu sayd that Satan was loosed in the former ages was he bound in this PROTESTANT In this age he was mainely curbed by the
saying of Ernestus Arch-bishop of Magdeburg lying on his death-bed some five yeares befoâ—e Luther shewed himselfe It is witnessed by Clement Schaâ— Chaplaine to the said Arch-bishop and one who was present at his death that a Frier Minor used this speech to the Archbishop Take a good heart most worthy Prince wee communicate to your excellencie all the good workes not onely of our selves but our whole order of Frier Minors and therefore doubt not but you receiving them shall appeare before the tribunall Seate of God righteous and blessed Whereunto the Arch-bishop replyed By no meanes will I trust upon my owne workes or yours but the workes of Christ Iesus alone shall suffice upon them will I repose my selfe THE SIXTEENTH CENTVRIE From the yeare of Grace 1500. to 1600. Of Martin Luther PAPIST WHat say you of this sixteenth Age PROTESTANT We are now by Gods assistance come to the period of time which was agreed upon in the beginning of our conference to wit to the dayes of Martin Luther for about the yeare of Grace 1517 hee beganne to teach and Preach against Indulgences And withall I have produced a Catalogue of our professours unto this present sixteenth Centurie PA. Stay your selfe you must saith Master Brerely show us your professours during the twentie yeares next before Luther PRO. It is done already for besides our English Martyrs we have produced Trithemius the Abbot and Savonarola both which lived within the time mentioned and held with us the Article of free Iustification and Savonarola howsoever the matter be otherwise coloured was burnt for Religion in the yeare 1498. Besides there have beene in all Ages and in the time mentioned such as held the substantiall Articles of our Religion both in the Roman and Greeke Church and by name the Grecians in common with us have openly denyed the Popes Supremacie Purgatorie private Masses Sacrifices for the dead and defended the lawfulnesse of Priests marriage Likewise in this Westerne part of the world the Schollers of Wickliffe called Lollards in England the Taboâ—ites in Bohemia and Waldenses in France maintained the same doctrine in substance with our moderne Protestants as appeareth by a Confession of the Waldensian Faith set forth about the yeare of Grace 1508 which was within the time prefixed Neither did these whom we have produced dissemble their Religion but made open profession thereof by their Writings Confessions and Martyrdomes as also their just Apologies are extant to cleere them from the Adversaries imputation PA. I thought Luther had beene the first founder of your Religion for there bee some of your men who call him the first Apostle of the reformed doctrine PRO. Luther broached not a new Religion he onely drained and refined it from the Lees and dregs of superstition he did not forme or found a new Church which was not in being but onely reformed and purged that which he found from the soilâ— of errours and disorders When Hilkiah the Priest in Iosiah's time found out the booke of God he was thereby a meanes to bring to light what the wicked proceedings of Manasses Amon and others had for a season smothered and so did Luther he was the instrument whom God used for the farther enlightning his Church and yet hereupon it no more followeth that he was the first that preached our Religion than upon the former that Hiâ—kiah first preached the Law The Protestants Church by Luthers meanes began no otherwise in Germanie than health begins to be in a body that was formerly sicke and overcharged and now recovered So that in respect of doctrine necessary to salvation the Church in her Firme members as Saint Austine speakes was the same before Luther and afterwards and it began to be by his meanes onely according to a greaâ—er measure of knowledge and freedome from such corruptions as formerly like ill humours oppressed it and oveâ—charged it The Proâ—estants Church then is the same with all good and sound Christians that lived before them and succeedeth the sound members of the visible Chuâ—ch that kept the life of true Religion in the substantiall matters of Faith and Godlinesse though otherwise those times were daâ—kened with a thicke mist of errours Now whereas some call Luther the first Apostle of the reformed doctrine they did not therâ—by intend that he was the fiâ—st that ever preached the dâ—ctrine of the râ—formed Churches for they could not be ignorant that after Christ and his Apostles and the Fathers of the first five Ages Bertram and Aâ—lfricke and Berenger Peter Bruis and Henry of Tholouse Dulcinus and Anâ—ldus and Lollardus Wickliffe Husse Hierome of Pragâ—e and others stood for the same truth which we professe but their meaning was that Luther was the first who in their Age and memorie publickly and succesfully set on foot a generall reformation of the Church in these Westerne parts And thus in a tollerable sense Luther may bee called the first Apostle of the Reformation though not simply the first that preached the Protestants doctrine Americus Vesputius is reported to have discovered the West Indies or America and withall beares the name thereof and yet Christopher Columbus discovered it before him Bishop Iewell saith that in Luthers dayes in the midst of the darknesse of that Age there first began to shine some glimmeâ—ing beame of truth his meaning is not that the truth was then first revealed but that by Luthers mâ—anes it was manifested in a fuller measure and degree of lâ—ght and knowledge than it was in the fâ—rmer and daâ—ker times of Poperie yea he giveth pâ—rticular instance of true professours that were before Luther namely Saint Hilarie Gregory Bernard Pauperes de Lugduno the â—ishops of Greece and Asia as also Valla Marsilius Petrarch Savonarola and others PA. Did Luther himselfe acknowledge he had any predecessors or fore-runners PRO. I answer with my worthy and learned friend Doctor Featly that Luther acknowledged the Waldenses termâ—d fratres Pigardi as appeares by his Preface before the Waldension Confession I found saith hee in these men a miracle almost unheard of in the Popish Church to wit that these men leaving the doctrines of men to the utmost of their endeavour meditated in the Law of God day and night and were very ready and skilfull in the Scriptures whereas in the Papacie the greatest Clerkes uâ—terly neglected the Scriptures I could not but congratulate both them and us that wee were together brought into one sheepfold Of Iohn Husse and Hiâ—rome of Prague he saith They burned Iohn Husse and Hierome both Catholike men they being themselves Heretikes and Apostates and in his third Preface hee saith hee hath heard from men of credit that Maximilian the Emperour was wont to say of Iohn Husse Alas alas they did that good man wrong And Erasmus Roterodam in the first bookes which hee printed lying yet by me writeth That Husse indeed was condemned and burned but not convicted PA. To