with all popish recusants neuer to pay their debts to loyall christian subiects This assertion because it is strange to good christian eares cannot but bee obscure and hardly vnderstood for explication sake wee must note two principles of lately coyned romish religion First that our most gratious soueraigne Queene Elizabeth and al her faithfull subiects are flatte heretiques Secondly that all her maiesties dominions with all the landes and goods of her loyall obedient and christian subiects are the Popes due vnto him from the first day of the profession of their loyall obeysance and of the true ancient christian romain catholike and apostolike faith That these be their principles their best writers doe testifie their Iesuite Bellarminus their Canonists Nauarrus and Couarrunias their Diuines Syluester and Medina their religious friers Fumus and Alphonsus with many others Vppon these rotten principles of their newe no religion they grounde their most execrable dispensation to witte that it is lawfull for all popish recusants by reason of such dispensations to withholde what landes and goods soeuer from all such as wil not yeelde themselues captiues to the brutish bondage of poperie Hereof it commeth first that so many this daie make conscience to bee absent from diuine seruice in the church who haue no conscience at all to pay their debts Hereuppon it commeth secondlie that manie repute it deadlie sinne once to heare a godlie sermon who thinke it no sinne at all to owe great summes of money and neuer to pay the same Heereuppon it commeth thirdlie that sundrie recusants haue so intayled their landes and so fraudulently away their goods and that of late yeares as no law enforceth them to pay their debts to their poore creditors Hereupon it commeth fourthly that her maiesty is defrauded her faithfull subiects impouerished the Popes vassals enriched the lawes of the realme contemned and domestical rebellion fostered It therefore behooueth good Magistrates to haue speciall regarde hereof Good lawes are established but slowly in many places executed God of his mercie either conuert dissembling hypocrites soundly or else for the common good of his church confound them euerlastingly for a greater and more pestilent plague cannot come vnto the Church then to haue such magistrates as pretend publiquely to fauour it and yet are secret enemies to the same qui potest capere capiat this kind of popish pardoning my selfe though then a papist could neuer brooke but so soone as I vnderstood it did sharplie impugne the same The mediate externall sabboth is that which God appointeth mediately by his church in the new Testament to wit the sunday which is our christian sabboth And here obserue that when I say by the church I specially vnderstand the supreme gouernour of the Church much lesse doe I exclude the same which obseruation shall be made manifest before the end of my discourse And because no veritie doth clearely appeare vntill the difficulties and doubts be plainely vnfolded I will propound in order the greatest obiections that can be made against the same framing briefe pithie and euident solutions thereunto The first obiection The Sabbatharies contend with tothe and naile that christians are no lesse bound this day to keepe the legall sabboth then were the Israelites in time of Moses law and they proue it because God blessed the seuenth day and sanctified it which sanctification was nothing else but a commaundement to keep it holy as appeareth by the declaration made by Moses Againe bicause this sanctification was forthwith after the creation and therefore as all nations are bound to make a memoriall of the creation as well as the Israelites so must all nations as well as the Israelites keepe holy the seauenth day that is the day of rest after the creation which is our saturday and vpon which day the Iewes still keepe their sabboth The answere I say first that there is no precept in the olde or new Testament by which either the Gentiles then or christians now are bound to keepe the legall sabboth I say secondly that albeit it could be proued that the fathers before the law had kept it yet would it not follow that wee were bound by their ensample this day to keepe the same for otherwise we shoulde be bound to offer vp bloudy sacrifices as they did both before and after the deluge The second obiection God speaking of the sabboth saide it should be a signe betweene him and the children of Israel for euer and hee added for in sixe dayes the Lorde made heauen and earth and in the seauenth day rested therefore all nations are bound to keepe the sabboth of the seauenth day The answere I say first that the word euer is not taken there simpliciter but secundum quid as the schooles tearme it that is not for eternitie or for the duration of this life but for all the time from Moses vnto Christ which was 1495. yeares I say secondly that though the sabboth be not eternall as it is ceremoniall which I shall prooue by and by yet is it eternall in the thing signified that is ceasing from sin and rest in God which shall be accomplished in heauen for euermore The third obiection The decalogue was before Moses and this day is of force for the Gentiles were bound before the promulgation of the law written in the tables of stone and we christians after the translation of the law to abstaine from blasphemie periurie theft murder whoredome couetousnesse fraudulent dealing and the like as were the Iewes in time of the law The answere I answere that whereas the law of Moses was partly iudiciall partly ceremonial and partly morall the morall part being the verie lawe of nature engrauen in mens hearts in the hour of their natiuities as it was before Moses so shall it endure to the worlds end but all ceremonies which were types and figures of the promises made in Christ Iesus were accomplished and abolished in his sacred aduent such was the circumcision giuen to Abraham the sacrifices commanded to our first fathers and the sabboth in respect of the determination vpon the seauenth day for it was not Gods will to continue shadowes after the things indeede were exhibited The fourth obiection A perpetuall cause requireth a perpetuall lawe and consequentlie since the memorie of the creation and meditation of Gods works is a perpetuall cause of the law of the seauenth day it followeth necessarily that the law of the seauenth day must still abide in force The answere I answer that the memorie of the creation is indeed a perpetuall cause of a perpetuall sabboth but not of a perpetual precise and determinate sabboth the reason hereof is euident because the memorie of our creation may be done as conueniently vpon another day as vpon the seauenth day thus my answere is confirmed because the sabboth which wee now keepe is not the seauenth day but the eight for our sunday is the first day of the weeke
alledged by Gratianus in the popes owne Decrees Solent plures qui se ieiunare putant in quadragesima mox vt signum audierint ad horam nonam comedere qui nullatenus ieiunare credendi sunt fi ante manducauerint quam vespertinum celebretur offâ—cium Many who thinke they fast in Lent vse to eate so soone as they heare the bell at the ninth houre who by no meanes can be thought to fast if they eate before the euening praier Out of which wordes of the auncient holy councill I note this constant decree to wit that whosoeuer eate before the ninth houre cannot truely fast And consequently that no papists fast in their holy Lent howsoeuer they bragge or boast thereof The reason hereof is euident because all papistes vsually dine at noone that is three houres at the least before the time appointed by the councill I say at the least because they vse to anticipate noone some more some lesse For better explication whereof wee must obserue two thinges the one concerning noone the other concerning the euening praier I say therefore that by the ninth houre the councell with all antiquitie vnderstandeth three of the clocke at afternoone for in the time of the Apostles and long after them the day was deuided into twelue houres which day was againe distributed into foure Vigils whereof euery Vigil contained three houres so that their ninth houre was with vs three of the clocke in the after noone Now for the obscuring of this euident confutation of the popish supposed fasting the papistes of latter dayes haue deuised this miserable shift a fit inuention of their newly hatched Romishe religion The Pope forsooth hath dispenced with his greedy religious godlesse people who will needes be thought deuout fathers albeit they fast not one day in the whole yeare that they may huddle vp their vespertine houres or euening praier at anie time before twelue of the clocke and then at their pleasures to eate drinke and make good cheere And if it please your worships this done with full panches to beginne their discontinued disholy fast againe The ninth proposition Of fastinges some are priuate and some publicke Priuate fastes may be vsed of ones owne accord when and so often as shall seeme conuenient so they be referred to the glory of God and true mortification of the bodie or bee vsed for the good of our neighbour Thus fasted king Dauid all the time his childe was sicke After the death whereof hee surceased from praier and fasting and ate meate 2. King 12. Thus fasted Nehemiah when he vnderstood the affliction of the Iewes he sate downe wept and mourned certaine dayes hee fasted and prayed before the Lord of heauen Nehem. 1.4 Thus fasted Daniel when hee perceiued the captiuitie of his countriemen spoken of by the prophet Ieremie He confessed his owne sinnes and the sinnes of the people and turned to the Lord in fasting heartie prayer Dan. 9. vers 2 3 4 5. Publique fasts are appointed either by God in his holy word or by the magistrate hauing his authoritie Thus did Samuel appoint the Israelites to fast at such time as the Philistims did greeuously afflict them 1. Kin. 7. ver 3 6. Thus king Iosaphat proclamed a fast throughout all Iuda when the Ammonites Moabites and Idumeans oppressed them 2. Par. 20.3 10 22. Thus did queene Hester appoint a publique fast to all the Iewes by the mouth of Mardocheus Hest. 4. v. 16. Thus did the king of Niniueh command a publike fast after he vnderstood Gods wrath by his prophet Ionas 3. verse 7. Here endeth the first Booke containing yeeres 3426. The second book containeth the description of the first Monarchie that is of the Assyrians or Babylonians The first chapter of the originall and continuance of the monarchie The first Section of the reason of the inscription ALbeit this first Monarchie was either wholy or in effect expired before the accomplishment of the captiuitie of the two tribes Iuda and Beniamin yet haue I thought good to had le it in a seuerall tract after the saide captiuitie so to auoide confusion and for perspicuitie sake The second section of the originall of the monarchie King Ninus the sonne of Belus was the first king of Asia except the Indians whome the Assyrians named their god he reigned 52. yeeres and in the 43. yeere of his raigne was Abraham borne He builded the citie Ninum in Assyria nowe called Niniueh Euseb. in chronico When Ninus was dead Semiramis his wife raigned she feared lest for the tender yeres of her sonne Nunas and for hir feminine sex the people should reuolt from their due loyaltie For which cause she clad her selfe in mans apparel and fained her selfe to be the kings sonne She excelled in heroicall feats and raigned 42. yeeres in great felicitie She fortified the citie of Babylon which Ninus had conquered from the Chaldeans with rampires ditches and walles After her death Zameis aliâs Ninias reigned 30. yeres in all peace and tranquilitie Euseb. Carion The kings of the Assyrians Ninus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 52 Kings 36 Semiramis Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 42 Kings 36 Ninias Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 â—8 Kings 36 Arius Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 30 Kings 36 Arelius Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 40 Kings 36 Xerxes Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 30 Kings 36 Armametres Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 38 Kings 36 Belochus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 35 Kings 36 Baleus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 52 Kings 36 Altadas Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 32 Kings 36 Mamitus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 30 Kings 36 Mancaleus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 30 Kings 36 Ipheréus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 20 Kings 36 Mamylas Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 30 Kings 36 Spaâ—êtus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 40 Kings 36 Ascades Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 40 Kings 36 Amyntas Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 45 Kings 36 Belothus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 25 Kings 36 Bellepares Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 30 Kings 36 Lamprides Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 32 Kings 36 Sosares Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 20 Kings 36 Lampares Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 30 Kings 36 Pannias Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 45 Kings 36 Sosarmus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 19 Kings 36 Mitreus Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres Anno mundi 3197 27 Kings 36 Tantanes Anno mundi 1948 reigned yeres
humanitate foeliciter sancti quiescunt in quam nimirum desiderant etiam sancti angeli prospicere donec veniat tempus quando iam non sub altare collocentur sed exaltentur super altare In the meane season the saints rest happily vnder Christs humanitie which doubtlesse the holy angels desire to behold vntil the time come wheÌ„ they shalbe no longer hid vnder the altar but exalted aboue the altar So then not only the ancient fathers but holy and deuout Bernard with others of late yeres were and continued in this grosse error to wit that y e souls of the faithful dying in the Lord shal not be admitted to the vision and fruition of God to the sight of his diuine essence clearely to behold his deity vntil the general resurrection of our bodies Further theÌ„ this which is a scourge to the papists Pope Iohn the 22. of that name professed this heretical doctrine and commanded al the diuines in Paris to teach the same His wordes with all the due circumstances thereof are cited at large in my booke of Motiues These two Canons well marked will serue for many good purposes and especially at this time to prooue that the opinion of the fathers are of no more force for the inuocation of saints theÌ„ for these other important matters already in these Canons named For as we ouerrule them in these pointes by Gods sacred word so must we still ouerrule them by the same word if at any time they swarue from it either for the inuocation of saints or for praying for the dead or for marriage of priestes or for whatsoeuer els And so to ouerrule them is consonant to their owne doctrine as is already prooued The third Canon The primitiue church for the space of two hundreth thirty yeares after Christ liued vtterly destitute and vnacquainted with the merites suffrages intercession and inuocation of the saintes in heauen after which time this cacozeale by degrees proceeded till it became perfect and consummate idolatry as this day is seene in the church of Rome For before this time the papistes cannot alledge any one authenticall writer for the inuocation of saintes in heauen The first obiection Irenaeus who liued within one hundreth and nintie yeares after Christ affirmeth expressely that the virgin Mary was the aduocate of the virgin Eue. The answere I answere that S. Irenaeus had a farre other meaning then such popish friuolous collection would enforce vpon him which I prooue first indirectly because the virgin Mary was not born or conceiued much lesse a saint in heauen for the space almost of foure thousand yeares after the virginitie of Eue and so doubtlesse Eue neither did nor possibly could inuocate the holy virgin Mary Neither will it helpe to say that though Eue could not then inuocate the holy virgin Mary yet did the holie virgin pray for her and so became her aduocate For besides that the virgin Marie is there said to be Eues aduocate when she was a virgin at which time Marie the virgin was not born the same Eue was either a Saint in heauen as soone as the virgin Mary or a damned soule in hell Againe I prooue it directly because Irenaeus compareth the virgin Mary with the virgin Eue to insinuate vnto vs that we receiue no lesse good by the virgin Mary in that she bare Christ then euill by the virgin Eue in that she transgressed Gods holy lawes For thus doth Irenaeus interpret himselfe in another place in these words Sicut Eua inobaudiens facta et sibi vniuerso generi humano causa facta est mortis sic Maria habens praedestinatum virum tameÌ„ virgo obaudiens sibi vniuerso generi humano causa facta est salutis As Eue being disobedient was the cause of deathed her selfe and to all mankinde so Mary hauing a predestinate husband and withal an obedient virgin was the cause of saluation both to her selfe and to all mankinde in that shee bare Christ the true and only sauiour of the world The second obiection S. Iames in his Masse which the sixt general councel holden at Constantinople admitteth teacheth vs to inuocate the virgin Mary and all Saintes and to hope for mercie by their praiers and intercessions The answere I say first that that councell of Constantinople saith indeed that S. Iames did deâ—iuer a certain form of the masse in which hee shewed the custome of mingling water with the wine but of praying to Peter or to Paule it hath not one worde at all I say secondly that pope Gregorie who liued well neere an hundred yeares before that councell either knewe no such masse deliuered by S. Iames or at least reputed it for a counterfait and forged thing For the same Gregory auoucheth as shalbe prooued when I come to speake of the Masse that the Apostles did celebrate the holy communion onely with the Lordes praier and their owne deere frier Carranza witnesseth the same while he confesseth that there is no such tradition extant as that whereof the councell speaketh Whereby it well appeareth with what intolerable burdens and counterfaite bookes the papistes doe this day oppresse and seduce the simple people For this disholy Masse is currant euery where and my selfe haue one of the bookes The fourth Canon In the daies of Origen who liued about the yeare of our Lord 233. the first seede of the inuocation of Saintes began to be sowen Which seed so sowen by Origen was but a step or degree to popish inuocation For besides that Origen onely taught this that saintes in heauen doe pray for vs and not that we on earth should pray to them this his doctrine was not definitiue and resolute but doubtfull opinatiue and disputable This Canon Origen himselfe hath deliuered to vs whose expresse words are these Sed requiris qui sunt isti qui pugnant quae est illa pugna quam illi gerunt Ego sic arbitror quod omnes illi qui dormierunt ante nos patres pugnent nobiscum adiuuent nos orationibus suis. Ita namque etiam quendam de senioribus magistris audiui dicentem But thou requirest who they are that fight and what that battaile is which they fight I am of this opinion that all the fathers which are before vs and are dead doe fight with vs and doe helpe vs with their praiers for so I heard one of our old maisters say Againe in another place thus Sed omnes sancti qui de hac vita decesserunt habentes adhuc charitatem erga eos qui in hoc mundo sunt si dicantur curaÌ„ gerere salutis eorum iuuare eos precibus suis atque interuentu suo apud deum non erit inconueniens But also all saints which are departed hence and haue still charitie towards them which are in this world if wee say they haue care of their saluation and help them with their praiers and
difficultie In Ester the Prouinces are reckoned to be 127. but in Dan. cap. 6. verse 1. reckoning is made onely of sixe score seuen wanting of the number in Ester The answere I answere that the vsual maner and course of the holy scripture is this to recite the perfect number and to omit the odde and vnperfect Euen so Daniel expressing the perfect number was carelesse for the odde CHAP. IIII. Of the weekes mentioned in Daniel The first section The Monarchie of the Persians conteined the kingdomes of the Persians of the Medes of the Assyrians of the Chaldeans a great part of Asia and of other regions adiacent It began in the age of the world 3425. In the 20. yere of Darius Longhand aliâs Darius Artaxerxes beganne the seuentie weekes foreshewed by Daniel cap. 9. See the fourth section No place of holy scripture is more excellent more worthie or more necessarie to be vnderstood of euerie christian man then the 70. weekes reuealed by the angel to Daniel For no place in all the old testament doth more cleerely set Christ with al his glory and manifold giftes before our eies no place doth more firmely strengthen our faith no place doth more effectually conuince the Iewes no place doth more strongly confute all heresies all phantasticall opinions and all pestilent errors against our Sauiour Christ then this place of Daniel Worthily therfore ought we to employ our whole care studie and industrie for the exact vnderstanding of the same The second section All writers agree in these two points First that weeks in the ninth chapter of Daniel are not taken for common weekes but for weekes of yeares euen as we finde in Leuiticus cap. 25. verse 8. where it is thus written Thou shalt number seuen Sabbothes of yeeres vnto thee euen seuen times seuen yeare and the space of the seuen Sabbothes of yeares will be vnto thee nine and fortie yeares Secondly that the 70. weekes make seuentie times seuen according to the phrase of Leuiticus and so the iust number must be 49. yeares In this point the very Rabbins of the Iewes doe agree with our Christian interpreters and historiographers And necessitie without more adoe enforceth vs to admit this glosse and exposition of the weekes because otherwise the assertion of the angel of God notified to vs by the Prophet Daniel shoulde be absurd and vtterly swaruing from the trueth The third section Of the probation for the exposition of the seuentie weekes Dan. 9. verse 24. That 70. weekes doe neither signifie weekes as a weeke importeth seuen daies neither yet 70. weekes only as weekes be taken for yeares I prooue sundry waies First because an angel needed not to haue been sent from heauen to instruct Daniel if the 70. weekes had no mysticall nor secret meaning far aboue the common and literall signification of the wordes Secondly because the vision which Daniel had and which the angel came to expound conteined the duration of the second and third monarchies as appeareth in the eight of Daniel Which farre exceedeth both the number of 70. weekes and 70 yeares Thirdly because Gods mercie doth seuen fold exceed his iudgment which mercy he promiseth to his people who were 70. yeares in captiuitie and that it shalbe accomplished in the aduent of the true Messias Christ Iesus By whom and through whom wickednesse shall be finished sinnes sealed vp iniquitie reconciled and our righteousnesse purchased euerlastingly Fourthly because no other interpretation of the 70. weeks can possibly accord the wordes of Daniel Fiftly because albeit S. Hierome Clemens Alexandrinus Tertullianus Africanus and others doe muche dissent in determining the beginning of the 70. weekes that is in what yeare of what king we must beginne the supputation yet doe they all iumpe in the signification of the 70. weeks as who al do constantly write that they connotate 490. yeares Sixtly because the supputation of euerie writer bringeth vs to Christ which is the scope intended and plainly expressed in Daniel and consequently no other exposition can be true Obserue well the second section The fourth section Of the varietie in writers touching the time of the 70. weekes Some writers beginne the supputation of the 490. yeares in the second yere of the 80. Olympias which was in the 7. yeare of Darius Artaxerxes Longimanus Some beginne in the 32. yeare of Darius Histaspis Others begin in the first yeare of Cyrus Others sooner others later Some end their supputation in the birth of Christ some in his baptisme some in his preaching some in his death So that all agree in the substance of the thing though they dissent in the modification of the same Affricanus whose opinion I preferre beginneth the supputation in the twentieth yeare of Artaxerxes Longhand because then receiued Nehemias commandement to build vp the walles of the Citie of Hierusalem and to consummate the whole worke of the temple walles and cittie Nehe. 2.1.8 from which time if we reckon saieth he vntil Christ we shall find the 70. weekes But if we beginne out computation from anie other time neither the times wil be consonant and many absurdities wil insue thereupon And we must saith Affricanus reckon our yeares after the supputation of the Hebrewes who doe not reckon moneths after the course of the Sunne but of the Moone for from the 20. yere of the said Artaxerxes that is from the fourth yere of the 83. Olympias vnto the 202. Olympias and second yeere of the same Olympias and 18. yeare of Tyberius Cesar in which yeare Christ was crucified are gathered 475. yeares which doe make 490. yeares after the supputation of the Hebrewes and course of the Moone Whoso listeth may reade this matter handled at large in Saint Hierome in his excellent Commentaries vppon the ninth of Daniel where hee citeth the variaable opinions of Hippolitus Tertullianus Clemens Affricanus Eusebius and others and seeing the difficultie to bee great referreth the iudgement to the reader although hee seeme indeede to preferre the opinion of Affâ—icanus before the rest That this opinion of Affricanus is grounded in the true meaning of the prophecie of Daniel I will prooue by sundrie important reasons First because it agreeth verie fitlie with the supputation of the Persians and Romain monarchie Secondly because from the twentieth yere of Artaxerxes Longimanus vntill the passion of Christ be iust 490. yeares according to the course of the Moone or after the supputation of the Hebrewes Thirdly because no other opinion doth either iumpe with the death of Christ or with the computation of the monarchies Fourthly because the prophet speaketh expressely of the death and passion of Christ Iesus These are the words And after threescore and two weekes shall Messiah be slaine so then the true account of the weekes must so beginne as they may end iust with the death of Christ but so it is that no account saue onely this of Affricanus which I preferre doth or
multiplier 11  475  475 The summe amounting 5225 Againe if ye diuide the 5225. dayes by 30. you shall finde 174. moneths and fiue dayes thus The number to be diuided 5225 5 daies 174 moneths The diuisor 30 To these you must adde 87. daies because the moone hath not aboue 29. daies and the halfe of one day Thirdly if ye will diuide the 174. moneths by 12. ye shal finde 14. yeeres and 6. moneths thus The number to be diuided 174 6. moneths 14 yeeres The diuisor 12 Now these 6. moneths remaining togither with the 92. dayes od houres and minutes wil suffice to make vp the 15. yeere that is wanting in the last diuision So then this supputation is consonant to the yeeres of the monarkes and to the iust record of the Olympiades of the Greekes which by vniforme consent of all learned writers are most certaine as also answerable to euery thing in Daniel which no other supputation is able by any possibilitie to affoord For it is without all controuersie that the weekes of Daniel were ended in the 4. yeere of Tiberius Cesar at which time Christ was crucified from which yeere vntill the fourth yere of the 83. Olympiade which was the twentieth yeere of Artaxerxes Longimanus where I holde the 70. weekes of Daniel to beginne be iust 475. yeeres after the course of the sunne which make as is already prooued 490. yeeres after the course of the moone CHAP. V. Of the sabbaoth and festiuall dayes of the Iewes WHen the children of Israel were come againe out of captiuitie they and all such as had forsaken heathenish idolatry and ioyned themselues vnto them kept the feast of vnleauened bread seauen dayes with ioy And after the temple was finished in the sixt yeere of Darius the Priests Leuites and residue of the children of the captiuitie kept the dedication thereof Esdr. 6.16 22. Concerning which festiuall dayes and the like because many are superstitious and some very ignorant it shall not be impertinent in this place to set downe a briefe discourse thereof The first Section Of sabbaoths one is legall an other spirituall the third celestiall The spirituall sabbaoth is a ceasing from sinne and is peculiar to the godly and regenerate for with it dissolute liuers and carnally affected persons such as Sardanapalus was can haue no fellowship at all albeit they professe a certaine externall obseruance of the ceremoniall sabbaoth and glorie no little therein For as the apostle saith Rom. 8.13 they that liue after the flesh must die but they that mortifie the deeds of the bodie by the spirit shal liue This sabbaoth is not tied to any certain time or daies but ought to be kept euery day without anie intermission for we must euer beleeue euer hope euer loue euer bring foorth the fruites of the spirit Otherwise there should be no proportion betweene the spirituall sabaoth and the spirituall man The second Section The celestiall sabbaoth is it in which wee shall rest both in body and soule from the labours and vexations of this present mortalitie Yet in this life we may labor in the body although the mind regenerate do sabbatize vnto the Lord. For the spirituall sabaoth doth not so prohibite the regenerate from corporall labours but that they may in due season exercise the same for their own honest sustentation and of others Yea the minds euen of the godly albeit they sabbatize in the Lord yet are they oft afflicted now w t tentations now with errours with tribulations now with anguishes with charitable cōpassions ouer their brethren These are the imperfections of this present life which the spirituall sabaoth cannot take away but the celestiall sabbath in the heauenly Ierusalem will vtterly make an ende thereof For in that sabbath there shall be no place to anie labours errours tentations or miseries whatsoeuer For the vision beatificall will wipe away all teares from our face This is the pure and perfect sabbath not of the bodie onely as the legall whereof I am to speake by and by nor of the mind only as the spirituall but of soule and body both together which sabbaoth was shadowed in the olde law begunne in the new lawe and shall be accomplished in the kingdome of heauen where we shall celebrate the sabbaoth of all sabbaoths world without end The third section The legall ceremoniall and externall sabboth is a certaine set time appointed in the church for the ministerie of the worde and administration of the sacraments And it is of two sorts immediate and mediate the immediate is that which was instituted immediately in the old Testament and this kind was manifold because there was the sabboth of dayes as the seauenth day of the weeke which was tearmed by the peculiar and proper name of sabboth as well in respect of the diuine rest which God had from creating new creatures as of the rest which Gods people must keepe that day There were also other sabbothes of dayes though not properly so tearmed but by the names of feasts to wit the feast of the Passeouer the feast of Pentecost the feast of Tabernacles the feast of expiacion the feast of blowing trumpets the feast of vnleauened bread the feast of the first fruites Againe there was the sabboth of moneths called neomeniae 2. Paralipomenon the second chapter and the fourth verse Thirdly there was a sabbaoth of yeares as euerie seuenth yeare Leuiticus chapter 25. vers 4. in which yere the Israelites were prohibited to till the ground to sow their seede and to cut their vineyardes Fourthly there was also the sabboth of Iubilee which came euerie fiftieth yeare Leuit. 25. vers 12. in the which yeare libertie was proclaimed to all that were in bondage in which yeare none might sowe none might reape none might gather grapes in which yeare euerie one returned to his owne possession in which yeare all land that had beene sold returned to the familie which yeare when it was farre off they might sell dearer but the nearer it was the better cheap ought they to sel their land An apishimitation of this Iubilee the late Bishops of Rome pretend vnto the worlde But alas who seeth not what a diabolical illusion it is In this Iubilee none did or could pardon their neighbours sinnes but the Pope pardoneth al as well great as small in this Iubilee all bond men were set at libertie but in the Popes Iubilee the Turks stil row in galies in bondage they stil remaine both in Italie in Spain in this Iubilee all sold lands had an end and returned againe to the seller but in the Popes Iubilee not onely sold landes do not returne againe but landes bought with other mens goods do stil remain Note wel gentle reader what I say for of late yeares since the Pope by diabolicall perswasions of ambitious and seditious Iesuites intended the inuasion of this land he hath promised facultie to his Iesuites and seminaries that they may dispense
that the ternarie number doth not determine the apparitions in themselues but the diuersitie of dayes and times in which they were made for al apparitions made in one the same day are reputed named one The second doubt It is saide in these apparitions that Christ came into the middes of his Disciples and stoode among them euen when they were within the house the doores closely shut Wherby it appeareth euidently that Christs body may be both in heauen and in the sacrament at one and the same time for it no more repugneth for one bodie to bee in diuers places at once then for diuers bodies to be in one place at once Which latter is here verified of Christs body and the doore or walles of the house The answere I answere that God cannot by his absolute power make Christes body to be in diuers places at once not because there is any defect in God who is omnipotent but because contradiction is implied in the thing which should be done Which point I haue prooued euidently in the 12. preamble of my Booke of Motiues For the reasons there alleadged are effectuall if they be applied to this purpose In like maner I say that two bodies cannot be in one place at once because to haue parts without parts and to occupie place is of the formall and intrinsecall conceit of euery organicall and quantitatiue bodie such as Christes true body is Whereupon S. Augustine said truely and learnedly that if occupation or spaces of places be taken away from bodies they shall lose their essence and be no bodies at all So then the entrance of Christ into the house when the doors were shut and also his comming out of the sepulchre when the stone was vnrolled away neither doth nor can prooue that two bodies were in one place at once but that the doore and the stone gaue place for the time to Christes mightie power like as the red Sea gaue place to the Israelites and they passed through the middest thereof And as S. Peters chaines gaue place to his handes and as the Iron gate opened to him of it owne accord Furthermore if Christes bodie can be in ten thousand places at once as the papistes impudently auouch it must also follow that it may be in infinite places at once which is the heresie of the Vbiquitaries For after this maner did S. Hierome reason against Iohn the Bishop of Hierusalem when hee laboured to prooue that our bodies may liue without meate after the resurrection If a man may liue fourty daies without meate saith S. Hierome as Moses and Elias did by the power of God then doubtles may he liue eternally by the same power of God In fine this veritie is made euident by that argument which Gods angel made to Mary Magdalen and the other Mary comming to see the sepulchre And because the argument is of force to confound all papistes in the world if it be well vrged I will alledge the argument as it is in the originall and then make effectuall application thereof These are the expresse wordes of the holy Euangelist Saint Matthew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee is not heere for he is risen as he saide Where I obserue first the assertion simplie in it selfe Secondly the cause and reason of the same assertion The assertion is this Christ is not in the sepulchre the reason heereof is this because Christ is risen Nowe then since Christ cannot be in the Sepulchre because he is risen it followeth of necessitie that either the angel of God inspired with Gods holy spirite made a very foolish and friuolous argument which to affirme is void of all christianitie or els that Christes body cannot be in two places at once which is that that I intend to proue For if it were not as I say the women might haue replied effectually against the angel thus albeit Christ be risen as you say yet may he be in the sepulchre also because his body may be in two places at once but the angel reputing it a thing cleere and euident that Christes body could not be in two places at one the selfe same time concluded directly and forcibly as hee thought Christes absence in the sepulchre bicause he was risen againe See the 3. part 10. chapter 4. conclusion and 3. paragraphe CHAP. VII Of Christes ascension and being in heauen CHrist hauing presented himselfe by many infallible tokens after that hee had suffered his passion conuersing visibly with his disciples by the space of fourtie daies in which time he spoke of thâ—nges pertaining to the kingdome of God told them that they should be his witnesses in Hierusalem al Iudea in Samaria and vnto the vttermost part of the earth he commanded them that they should not depart from HierusaleÌ„ but shuld wait for the promise of the father which things when he had spoken hee was taken vp in a cloud out of their sight While they looked stedfastly toward heaueÌ„ two men stood by them in white apparel said to them ye men of Galilee why stand ye gazing into heauen this Iesus which is taken vp fro you into heuen shal so come as ye haue seen him go into heuen Then y e disciples returned to Hierusalem froÌ„ the mount Oliuet which is neer to HierusaleÌ„ being froÌ„ it a sabaoths dayes iorny which is about 2000. paces or two English miles While the Apostles whose names are Peter Iames the son of Zebedeus Iohn Andrew Philip Thomas Bartholomew Mathew Iames the sonne of Alpheus Symon Zelotes and Iudas Thaddeus expected the comming downe of the holy ghost at Hierusalem there abode with them certain women and Mary the mother of Iesus and his brethren that is his kinsfolkes For it was as well behooueable to haue the wiues confirmed as the husbandes because they were afterward to be partakers of the daungers with them All which praied with one accord not onely for the sending of the holy ghost but also for deliuerance from present daungers wherewith they were beset Christ ascended vp into heauen must there remaine vntill his second aduent the day of doome general And so he neither is nor can be in the round cake as papistes impudently contend After Christes ascension and comming of the holy Ghost his apostles went abroad preaching the gospel to all nations whose limites actes and death the next chapter in particular maner shall describe CHAP. VIII Of the seuerall precinctes liues and deathes of the Apostles taken out of Epiphanius Tertullian Optatus Eusebius Oecumenius Nicephorus and others Of Peter and Philip. S. Peter after that hee had preached the gospell of Iesus Christ in PoÌ„tus Galatia Cappadocia Bithyma Italy was crucified at Rome with his had downward vnder the emperour Nero and buried there the third Calendes of Iulie S. Paul the chosen vessel of God omnipotent and the immoueable piller of his church was beheaded the same yere the
and his annointed magistrate for so much the rare inflicted punishment doth euidently conuince CHAP. XIIII Of Nestorius and his heresie NEstorius Bishop of Constantinople albeit hee denied not Christ to be god as Arrius did yet he affirmed pure man to be borne of the blessed virgin that she therefore ought not to be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mother of God Whose heresie was condemned in the Ephesine councell vnder Theodosius iunior then Emperour of Rome Nestorius his heresie consisted in this that since the blessed virgin was a woman God could not be borne of her and consequently she ought not to be called the mother of God For although he neither denied in Christ the deitie nor the humanitie yet did hee place two persons in Christ together with the two natures and consequently he denied the wonderful hypostaticall vnion which our christian faith acknowledgeth Arrius held that Christ was only man wholly voide of the nature and person of God but Nestorius helde that Christ had both the nature and person of God as also both the nature and the person of man which last was the formalitie of his heresie and therefore ought well to be obserued of the reader For albeit there be two natures in Christ the nature of God and the nature of man yet is theâ—re but one onely person in Christ which is the person or subsistence of God for in that diuine person by vnspeakeable hypostaticall vnion the true nature of man subsisteth without the person of man By reason hereof it is truely saide and christianly beleeued the sonne of God was borne of the blessed virgin the sonne of God did suffer torments the sonne of God was crucified the sonne of God rose againe the third day the sonne of God ascended into heauen All which Nestorius denied because hee seuered the natures by multiplying persons in Christ Iesus Christ therefore taking vpon him the nature of man did single it from the person of man vniting it to himselfe and making it subsist in his diuine person by reason of which supernatural vnion Christ became perfect God and perfect man hauing two distinct natures subsisting in one indistinct person CHAP. XV. Of Macedonius and his heresie MAcedonius the Bishop of Constantinople denied the holyghost to be God he said the sonne was God indeed and equal with the father in substance but the holyghost with him was without honor and dignitie a seruant and minister little better then the Angels For the condemnation of this wicked heretike and heresie the second generall councell was holden at Constantinople vnder the Emperours Graâ—ianus and Theodosius where were assembled 150. fathers for that onely end and purpose CHAP. XVI Of Eutiches and his heresie EUtiches whose complices Dioscorus and Seuerus helde the same opinion was the Abbot of Constantinople who while hee sought to auoid the opinion of Nestorius diuiding one Christ into two sonnes and two persons fell into another mischiefe and taught more absurdly then Nestorius to wit that Christ had but one onely nature after the hypostaticall vnion was accomplished because the humanitie was absorpte of the diuinitie for so Christs diuinitie vncapeable of all mortalitie was peâ—force made partaker of the bitter death vpon the crosse as therfore Nestorius to auoide the confusion of natures multiplied the persons so contrariewise Eutiches to auoide the multiplicitie of persons admitted the confusion of natures These heretikes Eutiches Dioscorus and Seuerus were condemned by the fourth famous generall councel of Chalcedon celebrated vnder Ualentinianus and Martianus the Emperours where were present 360. Bishops CHAP. XVII Of Mahomet and the Saracens MAhomet descended of the Image of Ismael and Agar and being a very poore orphane ioyned himselfe to his kinswoman Chadiga first as an hired seruant afterward as her betrothed husband so was greatly enriched by her as who was a woman of exceeding wealth Which Chadiga when she took very heauily that Mahomet was troubled with the faling euil he told her it was no disease but that the archangel Gabriel then appeered to him whose wonderfull maiestie because he was not able to behold he fell groueling vpon the ground This Mahomet professed himselfe to be the mighty prophet of the euerliuing God by that meanes stirred vp to sedition great troupes of men aswel in Asia as in Africa which people he infected with a new kind of religion perswaded them that they were called Saracens by Gods holy decree of Sara the wife of Abraham that they were the lawful successors of that diuine promise that was made to Abraham his seed for euer The form of the aforesaid mangled religion Mahomet who was borne and buried in Mecha a citie in Arabia composed by the help of the Arrian monke Sergius and called it the Alcoran which word Alcoran in the Arabian language signifieth law or doctrine In which Alcoran they professe that Christ is a prophet and an excellent doctour but withall they deny him to be God and the true Sauiour of the world The Saracens called Arabians of the place Ismaelites of Ismael and Agarenes of Agar being in wages vnder Heraclius the emperour rebelled for want of pay about the yere of Christ 628. and within 38. yeeres they conquered all Syria Damascus Ierusalem much of Assyria and the greater part of Asia al which they subdued to the religion of Mahomet at that time but newly broched and of the Arabians or Saracens first of all receiued For so soone as the Agarenes dwelling in Arabia and seruing in wars vnder Cesar vnderstoode by proclamation that they could no longer haue the emperours pay they stirred vp sedition against the Romane captaines by the meanes whereof the power of Mahomet encreased to whome the common people being destitute of an head and in some distresse for want of mony did submit themselues aswell for his great riches as for other his singular gifts The Iewes Arrians and pseudochristians did al embrace Mahomets Alcoran and mangled religion they first subdued Arabia and part of Syria for in Damascus Mahomet had his pallace The Saracens hauing mightily enlarged their dominions diuided themselues into seuerall gouernements they termed their chiefe lord Caeliphae their next gouernour Seriphes next to him a Sultan who was ouer euery prouince at length the empire was translated to the Turkes CHAP. XVIII Of the originall of the Turkes THe Egyptians wearied with the yoke of the Romans submitted themselues to the Saracens and receiued their religion They continued Saracens aboue 400. yeres vntil such time as the Sultan of Syria conquered them which was about the yeere of our Sauiour Iesus 1170. at which time he made himselfe Sultan of Egypt also at length the multitude of captiues which the Sultan had brought from the Tartarians for his warres growing mighty killed the Sultan took to themselues the kingdome of Egypt They called their king Turquemenius and conquered al Asia the lesse from the Sultan of Asia
taught to pardon in the Lords praier saying and pardon vs our trespasses as we pardon or forgiue them that offend against vs. I say fourthly that the renowmed popish Thomist Syluester Prierias sometime maister of their so termed sacred pallace confesseth plainely according to right and reason that popish pardons were neither knowne to vs by this place of S. Paul neither yet by any other place of the whole scripture these are his expresse words Indulgentia nobis per scripturam minimè innotuit licet inducatur illud 2. Corin. 2. si quid donaui vobis sed nec per dicta antiquorum doctorum sed modernorum Dicitur enim Gregorius indulgentiam septennem in stationibus Romae posuisse quia ecclesia hoc facit seruat credendum est ita esse quia regitur spiritu sancto The popes pardons saieth frier Syluester their surnamed absolutus theologus were neuer knowne to vs by the Scriptures although some alledge S. Paul to the Corinthians for that purpose neither were they knowne by the ancient fathers but onely by late writers For Gregorie is said to haue appointed seuen yeeres of indulgence in his stations at Rome And because the church of Rome this doth and thus obserueth we must beleeue it to be so for the church is gouerned by y e holy ghost Out of these words I note first that this frier Syluester was a man of great fame among the papists for his singular learning reputed an absolute diuine and therefore that his testimonie must needs be very authenticall among the papists I note secondly that Antoninus a learned papist who was the archbishop of Florence euen in the altitude of popedome holdeth the selfe same opinion and hath the very same wordes now recited out of Syluester I note thirdly that popish pardons can neither be proued by the scriptures nor by the ancient fathers and consequently that pope Boniface the eight of that name was the first founder thereof as is already proued For albeit Syluester seemeth here to ascribe the originall of some kind of pardoning to Gregorie yet doth he onely tel that by heare-say and besides that Gregorie either gaue no pardons in deede which is very probable or at the most he pardoned after saint Paules manner some part of seuerity inioyned by the church I note fourthly that the chiefest ground vppon which Popish pardoning is built is the bare and naked commaundement of the pope For whatsoeuer the church saith that is to say the pope that must be beleeued because forsooth the pope cannot erre but yet that he both may erre and hath alreadie erred de facto I haue prooued aboundantly in my Booke of Motiues where the gentle Reader shall finde the opinions of other popish doctors most fit for this end and purpose Shamelesse and impudent therefore are the papists when they blush not to father their Romish pardons vpon saint Paul The reply In the councell of Laterane which was almost an hundred yeeres before pope Bonifacius mention is made of pardons with good liking of the same yea S. Gregorie appointed stations and granted pardons for frequenting them The answere I say first that in processe of time when sinne increased and the people waxed slow in accomplishing ecclesiasticall satisfaction inioyned redemptions and commutations succeeded in the place thereof and canonicall discipline began to decay as their owne Burchardus writeth about the yeere of Christ 1020. I say secondly that by little and little after such redemptions commutations superstitious opinions were instilled into the minds of the vulgar people as that the fulfilling of the multe inioined by the church was necessarie for saluatioÌ„ able to satisfie the iust iudgement of God that god required much more satisfaction then was so inioyned and that for the same they must either satisfie in this life or afterward in purgatorie if they were not pardoned by the pope I say thirdly that albeit penance satisfaction or canonicall discipline vsed in the olde church and auncient councels which was nothing else but a ciuill multe imposed to publike offenders not to satisfie Gods iudgement but to bridle ill life and to keepe comely order in the church was by little and little changed into superstitious popish satisfaction yet had not that execrable doctrine gotten place in the church in the time of the Lateran councel I proue it because that councel maketh mention onely de poenitentiis iniunctis of penance inioyned which was holden Anno Dom. 2215. I say fourthly that the bishoppe of Rome now called Pope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might haue released or pardoned in his owne churches and iurisdiction as Cornelius and other good bishoppes did such ligaments mults or canonicall corrections as he had inioyned to publike offenders and perhappes Gregorie the Great granted some such pardons indeede but that hee gaue pardons for sinne and to satisfie Gods iustice as Popes this day doe it can neuer be proued out of his works The fourth obiection The blessed virgin Marie holy Iob and manie others haue suffered much more then was needefull for their owne sinnes And saint Paul saith of himselfe that he supplied the wants of Christs passion for his church which super abundant satisfactions of S. Paul and others bicause they were not determined by themselues to this or that particular person it pertaineth to the supreme pastour the popes holines to make application thereof as he seeth cause Which application is termed pardoning for that when the pope applieth twentie degrees of the satisfaction of Christ or of S. Paul or some other saint to one of his nunnes monkes or iesuites then so many degrees of satisfaction are pardoned to such a nunne monke or iesuite which the saide nunne monke or iesuite should otherwise haue done either in this life or else in purgatorie The answer I say first that no saint did or can suffer so much as is sufficient for his sinnes And I prooue it euidently because the best learned papists graunt freely and truely that euery mortall sin hath in it infinite deformitie as which is an auersion from God of infinite maiestie and consequently that God requireth infinite satisfaction for the same yet so it is that pure man is vncapable of euery infinit action for otherwise he should be an other God and consequently mans actions of which no one among all can be infinite can not yeeld condigne compensation for one only mortall sin and yet is euery sin mortall indeed as I haue prooued in my Motiues euen by popish doctrine Pervse the eight article of Dissention in the second Booke of the said Motiues and thou shalt see euidently that not only Gerson Durand Baius Roffensis and Almayn who al were renowmed papists but euen the common schooles of late dayes doe holde the same opinion I say secondly that God hath alreadie rewarded euerie saint in heauen as he will also in time rewarde euerie saint nowe on earth fâ—r aboue their deserts Which I prooue
intercession before God it shal not be a thing inconuenient Out of which sayinges of Origen I note first that he speaketh only of the praiers which saintes in heauen make for vs and not one word of our praying to them I note secondly that to holde that the saintes in heauen doe pray for vs is not a constant position in Origens doctrine but only an opinion and disputable question I proue it because he saith arbitror I think Again because he saith non erit inconueniens it shal not be incoÌ„uenient Thirdly because he saith audiuâ— ita dicentem I heard one say so The fiâ—st obiection Origen in his book de paenitentia saith y t he will fall prostrate on his knees and inuocate all the saintes in heauen that they will helpe him because he dare not pray to God for himselfe The answere I say first that this assertion fathered vpon Origen will confute it selfe for how could Origen or anie faithfull christian be in feare humbly to inuocate our most mercifull God who willeth all to come to him that are in distresse who promiseth to heare all those that in their trouble call vpon him Who graunteth to vs whatsoeuer we aske in his sonnes name who hath appointed his sonne to make intercession for vs. I say secondly that this booke alledged in the obiection is not Origens but a plaine counterfeit And I prooue it effectually because their owne pope Gelasius hath so resolued The 2. obiection Origen saith that the fathers of the churche appointed the feast day of the holy Innocentes and that by the will of God that so their intercession might profite their parentes The answere I say first that if all this were graunted it could but at the most proue that the saints pray for vs which in a good sense may be admitted For I willingly graunt that the saintes in heauen doe in generall maner and termes pray for vs that is that they wishe vs to perseuere in the true faith and feare of God and y t in the end we may be partakers with theÌ„ of eternal glory I say secondly that sundry learned men doe thinke these homilies from whence this obiection is taken not to be any part of Origens workes I say thirdly that if Origen doe make that a constant doctrine in one place which he graunteth to be a disputable question in another place what remaineth but to thinke his opinion therein to be of no force I say fourthly that the papistes as their Ruffinus recordeth will admit nothing in Origen which disliketh them but reiect all such stuffe as infarsed into his workes by the heretickes Let them therefore giue vs leaue also to reiect in Origen if in any place he seeme to approoue inuocation of saintes as that which is infarsed by the heretickes specially because in other places he teacheth the contrary doctrine The fift Canon About 20. yeares after that Origen had doubtfully disputed the praying of saintes for vs S. Cyprian and S. Cornelius set down that point resolutely as standing no longer in doubt therof to wit that the saintes in heauen doe pray for the liuing here on earth For they made this couenaut that whether of them soeuer should die the first should pray for his brethren and sisters yet liuing These are S. Cyprians owne wordes Et si quis istinc nostrum prior diuinae dignationis celeritate praecesserit perseueret apud dominum nostra dilectio pro fratribus sororib apud misericordiam patris noncesset oratio And if either of vs shall through Gods mercie die before the other let our loue continue still in Gods sight let vs not cease to desire the fauour of God for our brethren and sisters yet liuing Thus saith S. Cyprian Out of whose wordes I note first that to be established in his time which was but in opinion and doubtfull case in the daies of Origen To wit that the saintes in heauen pray for vs here on earth I note secondly that the inuocation of saintes in heauen was neither established in saint Cyprians time neither once called into question I note thirdly that popish inuocation of Saintes sprung vp by little and little from one degree to another The sixt Canon About an hundreth yeares after S. Cyprian which was about 350. yeares after Christ some of the fathers by rhetoricall apostrophees did applie their orations to the dead as if they had been liuing Of which sort were S. Basill and saint Gregory Nazianzene who though they did but inuocate the saints figuratiuely and of a certain excessiue zeale yet did such their inuocations minister occasion to the papistes of all their superstition in that behalfe These are the wordes of S. Gregory Nazianzene Audite populi tribus linguae homines omnes cuâ—usuis generis aetaetis quicunque nunc estis existetis Infra audiat quoque Constantini magni anima si quis mortuis sensus est omnesque eorum qui ante eum imperium tenuerunt piae Christique amantes animae Heare O people kinreds tongues nations ages whosoeuer are now liuing or shalbe borne hereafter Let also the soule of Constantine the Great heare all the christian godly soules of the Emperors before him if the dead perceiue any thing at all And againe in another place he thus writeth At ô pascha magnum inquam sacro sanctum pascha totiusque mundi piaculum te enim quasi vita praeditum alloquor But O Passeouer the great I say and sacred Passeouer and the purgation of the whole world For I call vpon thee as if thou hadst life Thus writeth Nazianzene by whose wordes we may measure both the rest of his sayings and of the other fathers First therefore I note that hee doth inuocate aswell senselesse thinges as reasonable soules Secondly hee calleth vpon the soules of all the people in the world whereof some were damned in the bottome of hell and so could not heare as euery learned papist will admit Thirdly he inuocateth those that are yet vnborne Vpon these sandie foundations are built all popish superstitious inuocations The 7. Canon Catholique doctrine is that as Vincentius Lyrinensis who liued aboue a thousand yeares agoe defineth it which hath been receiued constantly of al the faithful at al times and in all places Which Vincentius is and euer was of great reputation with and amongst al learned papists and consequently since popish inuocation of Saintes neither was constantly receiued of all the faithfull neither in all places neither at al times as which was not heard of for many hundreth yeares after Christ it cannot be deemed catholicke doctrine no not by popishe proceeding This Canon ought to be well remembred as which of it selfe ouerthroweth al Romish religion An obiection S Chrysostomes Masse which was generally vsed in the Greeke church maketh expresse mention of the inuocation of Saintes and the same doctrine is taught in sundry places of his workes The
that by writing which he doth approue at least so farre forth as mans iudgement can haue place The fyft Paragraph That the holy Eucharist is a figure and signe of Christes body and bloud not the thing it selfe that is thereby signified corporally but in a diuine and spirituall sort FOr the perspicuous explication of this Paragraph I will vse certaine effectuall and distinct proofes and that done I will succinctly aunswere to such obiections as may be made against the same My first proofe is grounded in the analogie of our christian faith for first Christ tooke our nature vpon him and that so really and truly as it was like vnto ours in euery thing sinne only excepted The former part saint Paul prooueth in these wordes who being in the forme of God thought it no robberie to be equall with God but he made himselfe of no reputation and tooke on him the forme of a seruant and was made like vnto men and was found in shape as a man The latter part S. Peter proueth in these words for Christ suffered for you leauing you an ensample that ye should follow his steps who did no sinne neither was there guile found in his mouth And S. Paule sayth for he hath made him to be sinne for vs who knew no sinne that we should be made the righteousnes of God in him Now our bodies are such as they can not with one act be made to be in two places at one time ergo the priests words can not make Christs body in a thousand places at once for if he could so do Christs body should be of an other nature then ours contrary to the holy scripture Secondly Christ sayth Ye worship that which ye know not God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth Thus doth our faith tel vs but the Papists say that we must worship God in a round cake that we must worship for God that which neither we nor they know to be God for if the priest either want intention to consecrate which often chaunceth by reason of wandring imaginations or of purpose meaneth not to consecrate or of negligence omitteth any one word of consecration then by popish religion the thing adored is but pure bread and yet do they worship it for the euerliuing God It is therefore truely said to them that they worship they know not what Thirdly Christ must so be eaten of vs as he abideth in vs for to that end do we eate him that he may dwell in vs and yet is it certaine that he dwelleth not in vs corporally but spiritualy by faith The former part is not only euident in it selfe but verified by Christ himselfe in these words he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him the latter part S. Paule proueth in these words that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith Fourthly Christ ascended vp visibly into heauen and there must remaine til the day of generall doome as our faith telleth vs therefore we must feede on him in heauen by faith and not on earth with our teeth For which cause the auncient Church exhorted y e people before the communion to lift vp their hearts vnto the Lord as if it had beene said ye must not affixe your mindes to these visible creatures but meditate on heauenly things which are promised by y e reuereÌ„t faithfull vse thereof Fiftly S. Paul saith plainly that the faithfull in the old testament did all eate drinke Christs body bloud which they could not do but by faith because Christ was not then incarnate and euen so do we eate Christ spiritually by faith not corporally with our teeth To which effect grauely said S. Austen vt quid paras ventrem dentem crede manducasti Credere enim in eum hoc est panem vinum manducare qui credit in eum manducat eum Wherefore preparest thou a belly and a tooth beleeue thou hast eaten for to beleeue in him is to eate bread wine he that beleeueth in him eateth him Thus saith S Austen euen as their owne Gratian hath alledged him Sixtly S. Paule saith that so often as we eate and drinke of Christs cup so often do we shew his death till he come but doubtles if he be corporally present vnder the accidents of bread and wine then is he already come nay more truely is it said that he was neuer gone For as S. Austen saith donec seculum finiatur sursum est dominus sed tamen etiam hic nobiscuÌ„ est veritas domini corpus enim in quo resurrexit in vno loco esse oportet veritas autem eius vbique diffâ—sa est Our Lord is aboue vntill the worlds end but yet his truth is with vs heere for the body of our Lord wherein he rose againe must needes be in one place but his truth is diffused euery where Againe the same S. Austen writing against Faustus the Manichee hath these expresse words Secundum praesentiam quippe spiritualem nullo modo illa pati posset secundum praesentiam vero corporalem simul in sole in luna in cruce esse non posset For his flesh could no way suffer according to his spirituall presence and according to his corporall presence it was not possible for him to be both in the sunne and in the moone and on the crosse at one and the same time Againe he saith in another place after this manner Videte ascendentem credite in absentem sperate venientem sed tamen per misericordiam occultam etiam sentite praesentem Ille enim qui ascendit in coelum vt tolleretur ab oculis vestris promisit vobis dicens ecce ego vovestris promisit vobis dicens ecce ego vobiscum sum vsque in consummationem seculi Beholde Christ ascending beleeue in him absent trust in him that is comming and for all that feele him also present by his secret mercie Thus ye see the flat opinion of this graue writer of this ancient father of this holy learned doctour his resolution is so euident and so free from all obscuritie as none can pretend ignorance that once read his words For first he telleth vs that Christs naturall body must needes be in one onely place at one time Secondly hee telleth vs that Christs naturall body can not bee at one and the same time both in the Sunne and in the Moone and on the crosse Thirdly he maketh the same assertion plain by comparing his corporall presence with his spirituall For he saith that the one may be in many places but the other cannot as if he had saide Christs body may be spiritually in the sacrament but corporally it cannot be there Fourthly he proueth Christs corporal absence by the veritie of his ascension exhorting vs to beleeue in him that is corporally absent and withal to feele
as by which he may readily finde such places soundly answered as the Papists vse to wrest against the trueth The Texts of the Old Testament GEnesis chapter 3. verse 22. And now leâ—t he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life and eate and liue for euer Page 1 Ge. 4.7 And thou shalt haue power ouer thy sin 361 Ge. 14.18 Melchisedech offred bread wine 419 Ge. 48.16 And let my name be named vpon them the name of my fathers Abraham Isaac 311 2. Sam. 12.14 Howbeit because by this deede thou hast caused the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the child that is borne to thee shal surely die 292 Iob 42.8 And my seruant Iob shal pray for you for I wil accept him lest I should put you to shame 315 Psal 99.5 Adore ye his footstoole for it is holy 326 Psal. 110.4 Thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech 419 Psal. 66.12 We went into fire and water and thou hast brought vs into a place of comfort 298 Psal. 107.13 14 He bâ—ake their bonds asunder ib Ierem. 35.6 Ionadab the sonne of Rechâ—b our father commaunded vs saying Yeâ— shal dâ—iâ—ke no wine neither you nor your sonnes for euer 59 Dan. 4.24 â—edeeme thy sinnes with righteousnes 392 Dan. 9.24 Seuenty weeks are determined vpon thy people 99 Dan. 8.14 Vnto the euening and the morning two thousand and three hundred then shall the sanctuary beâ—â—â—ansed 98 Zach. 9.11 I haue loosed thy prisoners c. 297 Mal. 1.11 And a pure oblation shall be offered euery where 468 Mal. 3.3 He shal fine the sonnes of Leui. 299 Texts of the New Testament MAtth. chap. 5 verse â—6 Thou shalt not depart thence vntill thou hast payed the vtmost farthing 300 Mat 12.32 He that sinneth against the holy ghost shal neither be forgiuen in this world neither in the world to come 299 Matt. 16 19. And whatsoeuer thou shalt binde on earth c. 272 Matth. 28.20 And beholde I am with you till the worldes end 208 Luke 18.25 It is easier for a camel to go through a needles eie then c. 472 Luke 22.36 The saâ—nts are equall to the angels in heauen 338 Luke 22.31 I haue prayed for thee that thy faith neuer faile 212 Iohn 16.13 He will leade you into all truth 210 Ioh. 21.16 Feede my sheepe 215 Ioh. 21.26 Then came Iesus when the doores were shut and stoode in the middes 270 Actes 2.24 Whom God hath â—aâ—â—ed vp and loosed the sorowes of hell 305 1. Cor. 3.12 13. And the fire shall trie euery mans worke of what sort it is 301 1. Cor. 15 29. What shall they do that are baptized for the dead 302 2. Cor. 2.10 To whom ye pardon any thing I also pardon 277 2. Cor. 8.13 14. That also their abundance may be for your lacke that there may be equalitie 295 Ephes. 4.11 He hath put pastors and doctors in his church vntil the worlds end 193 Philip. 2.10 That at the name of Iesus euery knee should bow 301 1. Corinth 9 5. Haue we not power to leade about a sister a wife 220 Coloss. 1.24 And fulfil the rest of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his bodies sake which is the church 281 1. Timo 3.2 A bishop must be the husband of one wife 217 1. Timot. 3.15 The church is the ground of trueth 207 1. Timot. 4.3 Forbidding to marry and to abstaiâ—e from meates 226 1. Timot. 5.11 12. Hauing damnation bicause they haue broken their first faith 241 Hebr. 13 4. Marriage is honorable in all 225 1. Ioan. 5.16 If any man see his brother sinne a sin not to death 310 Apoc. 5 13. And all the creatures which are in heauen and on earth and vnder the earth and in the sea c. 304 Apoc. 19.10 See thou do it not I am thy fellow-seruant 321 A Table Alphabeticall A Abels death folio 46 Abraâ—â—mâ— birth and acts 49 Popish Abstinence 59 Adam created on friday 46 Adam though hee were mortall might haue liued foreuer 1 Adams age death and buriall 46 Ages of the world 2 Agnus Dei and the superstition thereof 492 Agrippa king of the Iewes 137 Allegeance taken away by the Pope 528 Alexandra the wife of Alexander 137 Angels if they heare our prayers 337 Antichrist See Supremacie and Priests marriage Antichristian tyranny 200 Antiochus his linage 147 The Apostles when and where they preached 172 Aristobulus king Herods sonne 139 Arrius and his heresie 178 Arrius thought to deceiue Constantine 179 Augustus the name of euery emperor 151 Auricular confession 493 B The tower of Babel 48 Babylon the place of the captiuitie 26 Praying vpon beades 487 Bernard condemneth merite of workes 389 Bernard affirmeth concupiscence to be sinne ibid. Bernard affirmeth the virgin M. to be a sinner 287 The Bookes of the scripture burnt and restored by Esdras 133 The Booke of Ieremie burnt by Ioachim and written againe 34 The Bookes of the Prophets 36 c. Bread remaineth in the eucharist 335 Popish Bulles 492 The building of the Temple 28 All Bishops erre by popish grant 204 C A Camel may passe through a needles eie 472 Candlemas day 491 The Captiuitie of the ten tribes 29 The Captiuitie of the two tribes 2â— The Cardinalles hat 488 The popish Carni-uale 492 Ceremonies of the Romish Church intollerable 486 Christs resurrection 168 Christs ascension and being in heauen 171 Christs body cannot be in two places at once 436 and 169 Christs body not carnally in the eucharist 466 Christs body truely eaten in the eucharist 464 Christs body not eaten by the wicked 452 Christs passion and the houre thereof 167 Christs resurrection 168 The Church cannot erre and how it is to be vnderstoode 207 The Church inuisible and how 206 The Church visible and how ibid. The visible Church among the Papists how ibi Church-seruice ought to be in the vulgar tongue 476 Circumcision a signe onely of the couenant 52 Concupiscence sinne in the regenerate 389 Confession in popish maner when it began 509 c Confession first instituted 515 Confession in popish manner impossible by grant of learned Papists 5â—6 Confession not knowne in Tertullians time 505 Confession abolished by Nectarius 509.510 The Communion of infants 186 Communion vnder one kinde 402 Communion of priests alone 415 Consecration in the popish masse and the forme thereof 432 The signe of the Crosse 157 Councelles summoned by the Emperour 518 D Dayes 2300. expounded 140 Dayes of popish abstinence 59 Daniel preached in Babylon 36 Daniel expoundeth the seuentie weekes 101 Darius king of the Medes 93 Dauid and other kings of the Hebrewes 24 The generall Deluge 27 The Departure of Israel out of Egypt 56 The Disciples of Christ 172 The Duration of the world 2 E Eli the priest Iudge of Israel 12 Elias at what time he liued 23 Elias the Cabalist his prophecie 2 Elias knew not the 7000. faithfull reserued in Samaria 206 The elect
people neither answere the minister nor yet vnderstand what is said Saint Ambrose hath these words In oratione totius plebis tanquam vndis refluentibus stridet tum responsoriis psalmorum cantu virorum mulierum virginum paruulorum consonus vndarum fragor resultat When al the people pray together there is a noyse as if the waues of the sea should beate one against another then with the answering of Psalmes with the sâ—â—ging together of men women maids and little children the consonant sound reboundeth as it were an eccho with the surges of the sea By this testimonie we see euidently that the practise of the ancieÌ„t church agreeth with ours and vtterly confoundeth the antichristian popish mumbling Pope Gregorie himselfe confirmeth this doctrine in these wordes Sed dominica oratio apud Graecos ab omni populo dicitur apud nos autem à solo sacerdote Furthermore among the Greekes all the people say the Lords prayer but with vs the priest alone saith it Behold this Gregory liued 590. yeres after Christs sacred incarnation yet in his daies y â— people of Rome vsed to pray with the minister eueÌ„ in time of the masse Philo a very ancient and learned writer sheweth this olde practise of our christian church in these words Et vt vnus ex omnibus consurgens in medio psalmum honestis modulis concinat vtque praecinenti ei vnum versiculum omnis multitudo respondeat And that one among all shall rise vp in the middest and sing a Psalme with tuneable voice and that so soone as he hath sung one verse all the people answere him Sozomenus sheweth plainely in his historie that in his time which was more then 400. yeares after Christ the people and the ministers did sing psalms in the church together These are the words as Cassiodôrus in his Tripartite historie reporteth them Apud Antiochiam non concordabant in professione sua clerus populus sed per choros vt est consuetudo ad hymnos dicendos Deo in fine psalmorum monstrabant propriam voluntatem At Antioch there was variance in a certaine point of religion betweene the people the clergie but singing spalmes to God in companies as the maner was they declared their mindes in the end of the Psalmes S. Chrysostome speaketh so plainely of the peoples praying together with the priest and that euen in the time of masse as none that heare his words can stand any longer in doubt therof These are his expresse words In ijsdem iterum horrendis mysterijs bene precatur sacerdos populo bene precatur populus sacerdoti Nam cum spiritu tuo nihil aliud est quam hoc Ea quae sunt eucharistiae id est gratiarum actionis coÌ„munia sunt omnia neque enim ille solus gratias agit sed etiam omnis populus Prius enim acceptâ illorum voce deinde congregatis illis vt digne iuste hoc faciat incipit Eucharistiam Et quid miraris si populus cum sacerdote loquitur Againe in these reuerend mysteries the priest wisheth grace to the people the people desire grace for the priest For these words with thy spirite haue no other meaning The things that pertaine to the Eucharist that is to the giuing of thanks are common to them all for he onely giueth not thanks but all the people also with him For hee first receiueth their voice after that they being gathered together that he may doe this reuerently and well he beginneth the communion And what maruell is it to thee if thou see the people speaking with the priest S. Hierome giueth a constant testimony of the practise of the church of Rome in his time affirming that the people were heard sounding out Amen with an Eccho as if it had beene with an heauenly thunder And Saint Basill saith that in his time all the people sang psalmes together in the church Yea hee addeth that it was the custome of all churches so to doe Saint Cyprian witnesseth the same thing to haue beene the practise of the church in his time alleaging the very words that the commoÌ„ people answered to the priest Thus doth he write Ideo sacerdos ante orationem praefatione praemissa parat fratrum mentes dicendo sursum corda vt dum respondet plebs habemus ad Dom admoneatur nihil aliud se quam dominuÌ„ cogitare debere Therfore the priest after y e preface before the praier prepareth the minds of the brethren saying Lift vppe your hearts that while the common people answer we lift them vp vnto the Lord they may be instructed to thinke vpon no other thing but the Lord. S. Augustine confirmeth that which the other fathers haue said in these golden words Quid hoc sit intelligere debemus vt humana ratione non quasi autum voce cantemus Nam meruli psittaci corui picae huiusmodi volucres sâ—pe ab hominibus docentur sonare quod nescâ—unt Scienter autem cantare non aui sed homini diuina voluntate concessum est Infra Nos autem qui in ecclesia diuina eloquia cantare didicimus simul etiam instare debemus esse quod scriptum est beatus populus qui intelligit iubilationem Proinde charissimi quod consona voce cantauimus sereno etiam corde nosse ac videre debemus Wee must vnderstand what this is that wee may sing with reason as men and not chirpe in voice like birds For Owsels and Parrets and crowes and Pies and other birds are often taught by men to sounde they knowe not what but to sing with knowledge God hath granted to man not to birds Wee therefore that haue learned to sing in the church gods heauenly words must also endeuour to be that that is written Blessed are the people that vnderstand what they sing Therefore my dearest we ought to know and see with a pure hart that which we haue sung with tuneable voice In fine S. Paul doth bitterly exclaime against this detestable practise in celebrating the holy mysteries in a strange and vnknowen tongue Hee commaundeth straitely that euerie thing in the churche be done to edification and consequently that the communion be not ministred in an vnknowne tongue because no man can be edified thereby These thinges being so it may be demaunded what mooued our disholy father the pope to commaund the church-seruice of late yeares to be done in the Latine tongue To which question the auncient and learned writer Lactantius seemeth to answere pithily in these wordes Hinc fida silentia sacris instituta sunt ab hominibus callidis vt nesciat populus quid colat Heereupon trustie silence was appointed to the mysteries by subtle and crafty men that the people stil remaining in ignorance should neuer know what they worshipped The 3. Section Of the canon of the Masse THe papistes of late daies ascribe such sanctimonie to
the canon of their Masse as farre surpasseth all sense and reason So soone as they come to the beginning thereof they spread abroad both the armes they looke vp to heauen they ioyne their handes in solemne maner they kisse the altar they multiply the signes of the crosse they quake they tremble as if heauen and hell should go togither they mumble to themselues no by stander knoweth what but by coniecture although as they prate euen thē be in hand the chiefest mystery of their redemption And yet for all these solemne magicall dispositions this their canon was inuented by one Scholasticus of latter daies Pope Gregorie a man of sufficient credite doth witnesse the same to the confusion of all the Papistes These are his expresse wordes Et valde mihi inconueniens visum est vt precem quam Scholasticus composuerat seu per oblationem diceremus ipsam traditionem quam redemptor noster composuit super eius corpus sanguinem non diceremus And it seemed to me verie vnfit that wee should say that praier ouer the oblation which Scholasticus composed and let that tradition passe which our Lord himselfe deliuered To the noueltie may fitly be annexed the manifold varietie of their mangled irreligious canon For they haue one of Basilius another of Chrysostomus another of Ambrose another of Gelasius another of Scholasticus another of Isidorus and as they beare the world in hand another of S. Peter and another of S. Iames. To which I adde the late reformation of their Missals and of their Breuiaries in which was found so much beggarly stuffe infarsed as their late councell of Trent could not for shame beare any longer therewith The 4. Section Of other peeces of the popish Masse PLatina their owne deere friend and Abbreuiator apostolicus hath these expresse wordes Nuda haec primò erant omnia simplicer tractabantur Petrus enim vbi consecrauerat oratione Pater noster vsus est Auxit haec mysteria Iacobus episcopus Hierosolymitanus auxit Basilius auxêre alij Nam Caelestinus missae introitum dedit Gregorius Kyrie eleyson gloria in excelsis deo Telesphorus collationes Gelasius primus epistolam euangelium Hieronymus hallelu-ia vero sumptum est ex ecclesia Hierosolymitanâ symbolum in concilio Niceno mortuorum autem commemorationem Pelagius inuenit Thus Leo tertius osculum pacis Innocentius primus vt caneretur agnus Dei Sergius pontifex instituit These thinges were bare in the beginning and were all handled simply For where Peter did consecrate he vsed the Lords praier Iames the bishop of Hierusalem increased these mysteries Basill augmented them other also aded thereunto For pope Celestine made the introite pope Gregorie added Kyrie eleyson Telesphorus added gloria in excelsis pope Gelasius made the collects Hierome added the Epistle and the Gospel Hallelu-ia was set from Hierusalem the Creede was made in the councel of Nice Pope Pelagius inuented the memorie of the dead pope Leo incense and Innocentius the pax But pope Sergius caused agnus Dei to be sung And as Sigebertus saith pope Gregorie added these wordes Diesque nostros in tua pace disponas Here onely I will admonish the reader that among popishe ceremonies which are so mystical one solemne mysterie is this to wit that the pax may not be giuen in Masses for the dead Now if we ask why they depriue the dead of their peace more then the liuing Durandus answereth grauely for them in these expresse wordes In missa pro defunctis pax non datur quia fideles animae iam non sunt nec vlterius erunt in turbatione huius mundi sed quiescunt iam in domino Vnde non est eis necessarium pacis osculum quod est pacis concordiae signum In the masse for the dead the pax is not giuen because the faithful soules are not nowe nor shalbe any longer in the troubles of this world but rest henceforth in the Lord. Wherfore the kisse of peace is not needfull for them which is the signe of peace and concord Thus gentle Reader thou beholdest their ceremonies and thus thou hearest their doctrine for the same marke therwith this my briefe application This their ceremonie of witholding the pax in the masses for dead doth vtterly confound their massing sacrifice for the same For if the withholding of the paxe doth signifie their rest in the Lord then is the masse it selfe idololatricall which is offered for their purgation On the other side if the soules be in purgatorie and therefore stand in neede of the masse then is their ceremonie false and phantasticall which signifieth them to be in heauenly rest To these I must adde as a merriment that our popishe monkes doe neuer receiue the paxe because forsooth they are dead to the world So saith Durand Hinc est quod etiam inter monachos pax non datur quoniam mundo mortui reputantur Heereupon it commeth that among the monkes the paxe is not giuen because they are thought dead vnto the worlde How they be dead vnto the world let the worlde iudge They haue goodly houses pleasant gardens fine celles they are seated in the most wholesome aire planted vpon the most fertile soyle enuironed with most desired prospects Their diet is readily prouided their table is euer well furnished they want no daintie fare This only may be the proofe S. Thomas Bedle the monke was imprisoned in Yorke sundry yeares he is now dead I will reporte no vntrueth of the man This onely wil I say for instruction sake Hee vsed ordinarily to send euerie day for one quart or one pinte of wine which was verie chargeable to him being but a prisoner His friendes sometime wished him to abstaine adding sundry reasons why it seemed conuenient But he answered that in their abbay he had been so long vsed to drinke wine at his pleasure that hee could not now liue without it O mortified monkes Nay O hypocriticall deceiuers of the worlde for that more fitly is your name The 5. Section Of the mysticall kissing in the popish masse The mysteries in the popishe masse are so fit for edification which is the end pretended by the same as if one Priest among tenne hundred can expound them let me haue the shame For if you aske this priest or that priest what is meant by such a ceremonie hee must either obserue monkish silence or aunswere with the colier That is hee that inuented them can tell what they meane But because I will deale sincerely and in suche maner as no papist shalbe able to charge me I will now as euer set downe their owne words for their better confutation Thus therefore doth their owne Durandus write Sacerdos ter osculatur altare ad designandum triplicem pacem scilicet temporalum spiritualem aeternam Sequitur rursum ad notandam duorum testamentorum concordiam Episcopus duabus vicibus codicem osculatur