proued by â—criptures Fathers and Councels that no mortall man had power to giue a dispensation for a man to marry hâ—s brothers wife and told the Pope they had brought also other learned men out of England which were ready by dispensation to maintaine it The Pope promised sundry times a day of disputation but after many delayes giuing them good entertainement he made Cranmer his â—enitentiary and dismissed them Then the rest returning Cranmer was sent by the Kings appointment Embassadour into Germany to the Emperour where hee drew many to his side and among the rest Cornelius Agrippa While hee was in Germany Archbishop Warhan dyed and the K. sent for Cranmer to make him Archbishop of Canterbury who delayed his returne partly for businesse and partly for conscience and feare that he should be vrged to receiue the Bishopricke as from the Popes Donation when the right or Donation was in the King As he plainely told the King after his comming home But yet the matter was so handled that both with the Kings and the popes consent Cranmer was made Archbishop There are many letters from the pope soâ—â— to the King some to Cranmer in fauour of Cranmer recorded in the Register of Cranmer fol. 1 2 3. and related in Master Masons Booke lib. 2. cap 6. Whereof one for his Consecration runnes thus Clement Bishop 〈◊〉 our welbeloued sonne Thomas elect of Canterbuty Weâ— grant he eâ—câ— to thee that thou mâ—â—st â—â—â—eiue the gift of Consecration of whatsoeuer Catholicke Prelate thou wilt so he enioy the fauor and communion of the Apostolicke See two or three Bishops enioying the like fauour and communion being sent for and assisting him in this businesse Dat. Bouon 1532. Pontificatus numeri decimo And he was accordingly consecrated March 30. 1533 24. H. 8. by three Bishops to his Lincolne John Exon Hâ—yâ—ry Assaph I hope there can be no quarrell picked against this Consecration The most busie-headed Iesuite of our times Robert Parsons acknowledgeth Cranmer a true Bishop in his three Conuersions part 3. pag. 340. Antiquus But did not Cranmer take the oath to the Bishop of Rome at his Consecration as his predcessors had done and afterwards brake it Sanders de schis lib. 1 cap. 58. Mason lib. 2. cap. 7. Ex Regist Cran. fol. 4. b. Antiquissimus Indeed your D. Sanders so slanders him as if he had taken it simply and absolutely which he did not but with a protestation often made and repeatâ—d plainly and publikely first in the Chapter-house secondly kneeling before the high Altar in the hearing of the Bishops and people at his consecration thirdly in the very same place and in the very same words when by Commission from the Pope they deliuered him the Pall. The summe of the protestation was this That hee intended not to binde himselfe to any thing which was contrary to the Law of God or contrary to the King or Common wealth of England or the Lawes and prerogatiues of the sâ—me nor to restraine his owne liberty to speake consult or consent in all and euery thing concerning the Reformation of Christian Religion the Gouernment of the Church of England and the prerogatâ—ue of the Crowne or the commodity of the Common-wealth And euery where to execute and reforme such things which he should thinke fit to be reformed in the Church of England And according to this interpretation and this sense and no otherwise he professed and protested that hee would take the oath Sect. 5. Antiquus Well I am satisfied for Cranmer What say you to the rest of that time for he alone could not consecrate Antiquissimus I say first the Bishops in King Henries time which had beene consecrated before the renouncing of the popes authority lost not their power of consecrating afterwards For their Character is indeleble and cannot bee nullified by schisme heresie or censure of the Church being a thing imprinted in the soule by God and not by Man as the Councels h Concil of Florence Trent cited by Bellar. De Sacram in genere lib. 2. cap. 19. and your owne Doctors i Bellarmine in the same chapter De Rom. pont lib. 4. c. 10. § Respondeo falsissimum esse in fine he saith Quis ignorat Catholicorum baptizatos ab Haereticis verè esse baptizatos similiter ordinatos vere esse ordinatos quando ordinator vere episcopus fuerat adhuc erat saltem quantum ad Characterem teach Secondly I say that by the Statutes made in the 25 yeare of King Henry 8 it was ordained that euery Bishop should be consecrated by three former Bishops and with all due ceremonies And this is acknowledged by your k De schis lib. 3 pag. 296. D. Sanders and was duly performed in all Consecrations as of Cranmer of Canterbury 1533. Lee of Liechfield 1534. Browne Archbishop of Dublin 1535. Wharton of Assaph 1536. Holgate of Landaffe 1537. Holbecke of Bristow 1537. Thurlby of Westminster 1540. Wakeman of Glocester 1541. Bucklsy of Bangor 1541. Bush of Bristow 1542. Kitchin of Landaffe 1545. Euery one consecrated by three Bishops at the least and with all due ceremonies So that of King Henries time both by the statute De jure and by Records De facto you may be fully resolued that according to your owne rules all were true Bishops that were consecrated either before or after the schisme as you call it nd so they were acknowledged that liued still in Queene Maries time they that had beene thus consecrated in King Henries time were acknowledged I say by all your Catholickes and by the Pope himselfe to be rightly consecrated neither needed they any new consecration as B. Bouer Bishop Thurlby and Cardinall Pole But Thurlby made Bishop of Westminster in King Henries time was translated to Norwich by King Edward and to Ely by Queene Mary and made of her priuy Councell And Anthony Kitchin made Bishop of Landaffa in King Henries time so continued in King Edward and Queene Maries time and till his death in the fift yeare of Queene Elizabeth without any new orders or consecration the first being sufficient and in all times vndoubted Also Reginal Poole Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Watson Dauid Pole Iohn Christoferson made Bishops in Queene Maries time deriued their Consecration from Bishops which were made in the time of the pretended schisme and some of them from Cranmer himselfe Now then if you allow them for Canonicall you must allow their consecrators also to be Canonicall Sect. 6. King Henries Bishops then being thus cleared come we to King Edwards time wherin the Bishops formerly made and then continuing are cleared also to bee truely Consecrated and the Priests also formerly made and continuing in King Edwards time must be acknowledged to be rightly ordered and therefore to be capable of consecration to be made Bishops as were Ridley Hooper Ferrar. These therefore being consecrated by three Bishops became true Canonicall Bishops and so were all throughout King
Edwards dayes as appeareth both by your Doctor Sanders confession l Sanders de schism lib. 3. pag. 297. And by our publicke Records or Registers m Extracted published in Mr. Masons booke Ridley 1547. Ferrar 1549. Hooper 1550. Poynet 1550. Scory and Couerdale 1551. In whose consecrations good and fit prayers were vsed and all necessary ceremonies as of imposition of hands c. Auoyding onely vnnecessary superfluous superstitions Ceremonies as we call them which your owne men confesse to be accidentall things onely and not touching the essence of orders without which orders may well stand and be prefect enough Of Queene Maries time you make no doubt all was according to your minde all the Bishops and Priests were true and Canonicall and might well deliuer the like to posterity I speake this ex concessis And of Queene Elizabeths time you haue as little reason to doubt Sect. 7. Antiq. Yes for in the very beginning of Queene Elizabeths time some Bishops were depriued See Arnâ—ls of Elizabeth Engglish Darâ—â— pag. 32. and the rest denyed to consecrate new ones So that for the consecration of D. Parker Archbishop of Canterbury there could not be found Bishops to do it D. Sanders saith you had neither 3 nor 2 Bishps to do it D. Kellison saith you could finde none Antiquissimus This is a shameles vntruth For when the Deane and Chapter had elected D. Parker for their Archbishops according to the ancient and inuiolated custome of the Church as the Record n Register Mat. Parker saith the Queene sent her letters Patents to seuen Bishops giuing commission that they or at least foure of them should consecrate him c And foure of them did it accordingly the 17 of December 1559. To wit William Barlow and Iohn Hodgskins both made Bishops in King Henries Dayes and John Scory and Miles Couerdale made Bishops in King Edwards dayes Antiq. There may be some doubt whether these were Bishops or no because they fled and left their Bishoprickes in Queene Maries dayes and other Bishops were placed in their roomes Antiquissimus These prelats did but as Athanasius and many other holy Bishops did in the dangerous times of the domineering Arrians Matth. 10. â—3 who according to Christs precept fled to saue their liues and reserue their gifts to better times But as Athanasius and those otâ—er Bishops were still accounted the true Bishops and those that were set vp in their roomes were accounted vsurpers and put downe when those better times came and the other true Bishops restored to their places so at the comming of Elizabeths happy times these Bishops that fled were recalled returned and restored to their former places or preferred to other Now except you will condemne that most worthy Athanasius and the other for no Bishops in the time of their exile when others had their places you cannot reiect these worthy men as no Bishops their case being the same with those ancient Bishops And of all other you should least quarrell at these things For you know there are many in your Roman Church both Bishops and Priests which haue no particular places Bishoprickes or Benefices and yet you account them true Bishops and Priests Such was Olaus Magnus Archiepiscopus Vpsalensis o Gentil in Examine and blind Robert Archiepiscopus Armachanus p Jdem ib. Who both were sent by the Pope to the Councell of Trent to fill vp the number of Bishops q Sleidan com lib. 17. And Robert King entituled Episcopus Roanensis r Goodwin Catalogo in the Archbishoprick of Athens in Grecia vnder the Turke and many the like And your innumerable Priests without Benefices sent into England and other Countries Your owne Bellarmine saith Å¿ Bellar. De Sacram conf lib. 2. cap. 12. in fine Respondeo Suffraganeos esse verè episcopos quia ordinationem habent iurisdictionem licet careant possessione pro priae ecclesia They are true Bishops which haue ordination and Iurisdiction though they want the possession of their proper Church And this also warranteth our Suffragan Bishops wherof we had some in later times who had both due consecration by three Bishops and also Iurisdiction though not very large as other Bishops had t By the statute of 26. H. 8. c. 14. Antiquus Since you haue so well satisfied mee of Archbishop Parkers consecration when true Bishops willing to put to their hands were so hard to be found I need not doubt of the rest of al the Bishops the in more plentifull reignes of Queene Elizâ—beth or King Iames since D. Sanders u Sanders de schism lib. 3. pag 297. confesseth that the Law of King Henry 8 for consecration by three Bishops was reuiued by Queene Elizabeth and standeth in force and hath been very duely obserued in these later times Antiquissimus If you desire yet fuller satisfaction you may see the Consecrations of the Bishops in both these Princes raignes set downe largely in Master Masons booke together with a deriuation of the Episcopall line from the Bishops of King Henry 8 which you acknowledge to be Canonicall vnto George now Lord Archbishop of Canterbury with the dayes and yeares when euery of them and their Consecrators were consecrated euer more by three former Bishops and sometimes by foure or more I conclude with Bishop Andrewes answere to Bellarmine Eliensis Responsio ad Bellarmini Apologiam contra Praefationem monitoriam Iacobi Regis cap. 7. pag. 168. Our Bishops haue been alwayes ordayned by three true Bishops Bishops not as you sometimes against the CanoÌ„s by abbots Also by true Bishops euen your Bishops except yours be not true This Canon was neuer violated by vs nor that order euer interrupted And in our Bishops there is res Episcopi non nomen solum et opus non opes the office and not onely the benefice Which they performe much more frequently and diligently then yours doe Sect. 8. Antiquus I haue been very much wronged and abused with the contrary opinion which our teacherr hold so confidently and vrge so vehemently with such seeming certaine knowledge of the trueth that I thought it a shame to doubt of it And I confesse it was one principall cause of my alienation from hearing or regarding your Ministers whom otherwise I knew to be very honest and learned men Antiquissimus You may see by this how mens mindes leauened with malice will Imagine euill without cause and how mightily their passions and affections transport them to receiue vayne surmises for truest oracles and vent them for arguments vnanswerable This may occasion you to suspect their dealing in other things And as you do wisely and religiously to yeeld to the manifest truth grâ—euing that you haue been abused by the vnskilfull or deluded by the willfull euill teachers so I hope when others see the same truth they will be stayed from falling and they that haue fallen be restored to the bosome of their naturall
troubles enough from the Papacy euen in these remote parts farre from Rome after the thousandth yeer of Christ that is after the loosing of Sathan Reuel cap. 20.7 8. and after that the Pope came to his height Anselme Archbishop of Canterbury did somewhat trouble King Henry the first for whereas in former times the Bishops and Abbots of England vsed to receiue their Inuestitures from the King by receiuing a Pastorall Staffe and Ring at his hand as Saint Wulstan had done from St. Edward the King professing thereby he would resigne it onely to him now Anselme refused to consecrate certaine Bishops whom the King aduanced and gaue them their Inuestitures so that the King was compelled to send an Embassage to the Pope Paschalis and before him to pleade his cause as Anselme also did his in like manner But this matter was indifferently quietly ended for the Pope by the mediation of white and red saith a Monke the historian was content to confirme the Bishops but ordained withall that the King should doe so no more that is that the King should lose the priuiledge of his Ancestors This was done Anno dom 1104. Anselme died Henries primi anno 11. Speed Chron. pag. 457. But Thomas Becket being made first Lord Chancelor and afterwards Archbishop by the fauour of King Henry 2. troubled the King much more for the King being informed of much misdemeanour of Clergy men who besides other offences had committed an hundred murders in his raigne and that they were not punished nor degraded by the Bishops but shifted away into Abbeyes or otherwayes defended so that the wronged had no remedy the wrong-doers no punishment true innocent men no safety and none of them were in condition of subiects the King required such to be punished by his Lawes and to haue the customes of his Ancestors obserued whereunto all the Bishops assented but onely Becket who not only resisted but complained of the King to Pope Alexander and Alexander at first desiring to hold the Kings loue willed Becket to yeeld and Becket so promised to the King absolutely But when the King assembled his States at Clarendon in Wiltshire Becket relapsed and said hee had grieuously sinned in promising but would not sinne in performing yet at the instance and teares of many Noble persons and others priuately intreating him for the good of the whole land he yeelded againe and promised in verbo sacerdotali to obserue all and all the Earles Bishops Abbots and Clergy did sweare and promise the like but when hee should set his hand and seale to a writing thereof hee refused againe Of all this the King by Embassage enformed the Pope desiring a legantiue power to be sent to the B. of Yorke which the Pope vnwillingly granted and withall made it so slight that the King in disdaine sent the Bull backe againe to the Pope Then was Becket required to giue an account of his Chancelorship which he refused to doe and to come vnto the King and being told he would be condemned of periury and treason for not yeelding temporall alleagiance to his temporall Soueraigne as hee had sworne and that the Prelates would disclayme all obedience vnto him as their Archbishop hee caused to bee sung before him at the Altar The Princes sit and speake against mee and the vngodly persecute me And forthwith taking his siluer Crosier in his hands went armed into the Kings presence Whereat the King inraged caused his Peeres to proceed in iudgement against him they condemne him to prison for treason and periury he appeales to Rome and away gets him into France procures the French Kings fauour and by him the Popes To the Pope the King sends a Noble Embassage desiring to haue two Cardinalls sent into England to end the matter The Pope denies it reseruing the iudgment to himselfe The King by his Sherifs Sequesters all Beckets profits in England Becket in France excommunicates all in England that maintained the Auitall or ancient customes naming some great men The King fearing his owne excommunication gathers a great Army pretending to subdue Wales Meane season the Pope is perswaded to send two Cardinalls but they cannot perswade Becket to yeeld any thing and so that designe for peace was frustrate At length the two Kings of France and England being reconciled met in France before whom Becket being called and earnestly dealt withall would not yeeld any thing so that all men blamed him The Pope willed Gilbert B. of London to admonish the King to giue ouer hee did so but excused the King to the Pope The Pope excommunicates Gilbert and went so farre that the King had scarce one left to reade diuine Seruice in his Chappell The King prayes the Pope to send two Cardinals to absolue his subiects and to make peace Two come into Normandy but returne without possibility of doing any good because Becket would not yeeld a iot At last by the Popes mediation the two Kings met at Paris where King Henry offered to stand to the iudgement of the Diuines of Paris but no peace would be had After all this the King crowned his sonne the Archbishop of Yorke supplying Canterburies absence And in the beginning of the seuenth yeere of the banishment of Becket the two Kings met againe in France and the King fearing the whole Realmes interdiction by the Pope receiued Becket into fauour yeelding him his Bishopricke with all the profits and arrearages and signified it to his sonne in England Now Becket Archbishop in England shortly after published the Popes letters suspending the Archbishop of Yorke for crowning the young King which was Canterburies office with all his adiuuants and would not absolue them but vpon conditions at the earnest request of the young King which the Father King hearing in Normandy was sore displeased and shewed it by some words which foure Knights Courtiers hearing and thinking to doe a great pleasure to the King and to ease the Kingdome of much trouble posted into England and at Canterbury the next day after Innocents day killed the Archbishop at the high Altar and fled into the North. The old King was exceeding sorrowfull at the newes of this murder and sent to the Pope desiring him to send Cardinalls to enquire of the murder to whose wils he would submit himselfe if he could be found consenting Here obserue 1. What these customes were which Becket withstood 1 That without the Kings licence none should appeale from the Courts of England to the Court of Rome 2 That no Bishop nor Archbishop should leaue their Flocke and goe to Rome without the Kings license 3 That they should not interdict nor excommunicate any officer or such as held on the King in chiefe without the Kings licence 4 That Clerkes accused for secular offences should bee tried before secular Iudges 2. Obserue that these Customes besides profitable and necessary were also ancient and so termed but now shortly after Hildebrands time must be altered Kings and States depressed and
Paragraph Of the differences of Fathers and Protestants and of their contentions Page 236 Paragraph § 1 Many Fathers are confessed by all sides to haue held some erronious opinions which none are bound to receiue and yet in the substance of Religion were good Catholick Christians and our Predecessors Page 236 Paragraph § 2 Many differences also are noted among Romish Doctors which yet hinder them not from being all accounted Catholicks Page 243 Paragraph § 3 The differences among Protestants are nothing so great or many as those afore noted of the Fathers and of the Romish the especiall one about the manner how Christ is present in the blessed Sacrament is much lesse then it seemeth Page 248 Paragraph § 4 The popes vnwillingnesse to reforme manifest abuses by the way of generall Councels was the cause of all differences in Reformed Churches when each seuerall state was compelled to reforme a part without sufficient generall consultations with other Nations Page 250 Paragraph § 5 The Protestants contentions for Gods cause as they take it are nothing so hote or troublesome is the contentions of many ancient holy Fathers haue beene about smaller matters View the examples Page 253 CHAP. 4. Paragraph Of the rule to iudge the soundnesse and purity of all Christians and Churches by Page 261 This Chapter hath foure sections Page 261 Paragraph The first section of the rule vsed in the Primitiue Church Page 261 Paragraph The second of the Rule enlarged and approued in this Age. Page 268 Paragraph The third of obiections arising from the former discourses and their answeres Page 280 Paragraph The fourth of the necessity of preaching still to them that hold this rule Page 288 The first section Paragraph § 1 The rule in generall Page 261 Paragraph § 2 Opened by distinctions of the foundation of Religion Page 262 Paragraph § 3 A necessity of a short rule drawne out of the Scriptures Page 262 Paragraph § 4 This rule is described by S. Paul Page 263 Paragraph § 5 The practise of it by the Apostles who deliuered the most necessary fundamentall points to the Iewes and then baptized them Page 265 Paragraph § 6 The like practise vsed by the following Primitiue Church to their Catechumeni before Baptisme Page 266 The second section Paragraph § 1 The rule enlarged and approued in this Age. Page 268 Paragraph § 2 By Azorius out of the Schoole-Diuines in 14 Articles Page 269 Paragraph § 3 Some obseruations and censures of those 14 Articles Page 272 Paragraph § 4 The rule set downe by Bellarmine more briefely Page 273 Paragraph § 5 By Doctor Field farre more sufficiently in 6 Articles with his iudgement of the deductions therefrom euident or obscure Page 274 Paragraph § 6 Bishop Vshers distinction of superstructions vpon the foundation Page 277 Paragraph § 7 Consequents of this doctrine Page 278 The third section Paragraph § 1 Obiection If holding the foundation will serue then wee may easily obtaine saluation in the Church of Rome Page 280 Paragraph § 2 Answer The Church of Rome holds many things which by consequent destroyes the foundation by the most moderate Master Hookers iudgement Page 281 Paragraph § 3 Obiection This crosseth what was said before That many before Luthers time might be saued in the Roman Church Answ No for they liued in those errours of ignorance not obstinacy and not knowing any dangerous consequence of them Page 282 Paragraph § 4 Such men by particular repentance of sinnes knowne and generall repentance of vnknowne might by Gods mercy be saued Page 284 Paragraph § 5 Obseruations hereof Page 285 Paragraph § 6 Other learned Protestants ioyne in opinion with Master Hooker Page 286 The fourth section Paragraph § 1 There is a necessity or great profit of preaching euen to them that are well grounded in all necessary principles Page 288 Paragraph § 2 As Israel needed all helpes after the giuing of the Law and all were too little Page 289 Paragraph § 3 The profits of preaching in generall Page 290 Paragraph § 4 Some particulars for continuall spirituall food cordiall medicine and comfort memory armour c. Page 290 Paragraph § 5 The continuall need thereof was found in all Churches planted euen by the Apostles and in their times Page 292 CHAP. 4. Paragraph Of the succession of the Protestants Bishops and Ministers from the Apostles Page 296 Paragraph Section 1. The necessity thereof vrged without which there can be no Church Page 296 Paragraph 2 This succession is clamourously denyed to Protestants Page 299 Paragraph 3 But manifestly proued and the slanders confuted Page 300 Paragraph 4 Particularly in Cranmer our first Archbishop Page 302 Paragraph 5 In other Bishops of King Henry 8 his time Page 304 Paragraph 6 And of King Edward 6. and of Queene Maries time Page 306 Paragraph 7 And of Queene Elizabeths time Page 306 Paragraph 8 The false reports whereof doe alienate many from the Reformed Religion Page 309 Paragraph 9 A proofe of the sufficient ordination of Ministers in forraigne Reformed Churches Page 310 Paragraph 10 Which is further confirmed by the doctrine and practise of the Romish Page 312 CHAP. 6. Paragraph Of the Popes supremacy challenged ouer the whole Church page 1 Paragraph § 1 The necessity thereof vrged as the maine pillar of Religion Page 1 Paragraph § 2 The matter and method of the Answer propounded Page 4 Paragraph § 3 The ancient Church yeelded to Rome as the greatest and most honourable City of the world and seat of the Empire to haue the dignity of one of the fiue Patriarcks Page 5 Paragraph § 4 And among the Patriarkes sometime the first or chiefest place Page 6 Paragraph § 5 Which dignity the ambition and couetousnesse of following popes haue much impaired Page 8 Paragraph § 6 And haue challenged that dignity which was anciently yeelded vnto their predecessors for their sanctity and for politicke reasons and much more also by authority of the Scriptures But Bellarmine gathering the pith of all learned writers can finde no strengh in them by any Scriptures to maine the Papacy as in their chiefest places Matth. 16.18 Page 11 Paragraph § 7 And Iohn 21.15 c. Page 16 Paragraph § 8 Obserue the Romish strange extractions out of the words Feed my Sheep Page 18 Paragraph § 9 And other learned-foolish allegations of other Scriptures Page 20 Paragraph § 10 The Scripture against the supremacy of Peter Page 23 Paragraph § 11 And the fathers are vrged for it vainely beyond their meaning Page 24 Paragraph § 12 The Fathers are manifestly against it Page 29 Paragraph § 13 Saint Peters prerogatiues were personall and descended not to his successors Page 32 Paragraph § 14 The conclusion collecting the parts of this Chapter briefly and Iustifying the Protestants Page 35 CHAP. 7. Of the Popes infallible Iudgement in guiding the Church by true Doctrine Paragraph § 1 Jt cannot be prooued by Scriptures or Fathers or by the Analogie to the chiefe Priests of the Old
first they would by no meanes suffer Babylon to signifie Rome but the text is so punctuall and plaine pointing out a City a City built on seuen hils a City that bare rule ouer the Kings of the earth that at last they grant it can be no other but Rome But see a second shift not Christian Rome but Heathen Rome vnto the persecuting Emperours long since gone Now when they are driuen from this also because the Text descrbes Rome as it must be nere the end of the world note their third shift It must be Rome onely three yeares and an halfe before the last day §. 10. Well howsoeuer yet you see it granted by you own men Rome must be the seat of Antichrist Who if hee be not come already from which Controuersie I will now spare you yet you cannot imagine but there must be preparations for his comming and entertainment I will not say with your owne S. Gregory Greg. lib. 4. epist 38. Rex superbiae prope est quod dici nefas est Sacerdotum ei est praeparatus exercitus The King of pride is at hand and an army of Priests is prepared for him Be it what it will there must be corruption both of life and doctrine to make way for his entertainment as your Ribera said before there must be new impieties and grieuous sins of Rome matching the old of the Emperours that must fore-runne the plagues of Antichrist and Romes destruction Take heed they haue not farre proceeded already I haue demonstrated vnto you already first that any particular Church may in time gather corruption erre yea and fall away Secondly that the Church of Rome is not excepted nor priuiledged from that calamity but contrarily thirdly that many threatnings warnings and prophesies therof are found in the Scriptures and fourthly further that Rome must bee the seat of Antichrist and fiftly that towards the end of the world which cannot be farre off and lastly that there must bee many corruptions and impieties that shall deserue and make preparation for his comming All which ought to abate your high conceit of the present Church of Rome and worke in you a more reuerend esteeme of our Church which hath reformed the abuses which we found in the Church of Rome CHAP. 3. Of the time when corruptions came into the Roman Church 1 A designation of the time when the corruptions first came into the Church required 2 often and often aswered 3 many crept in secretly and insensibly 4 as themselues acknowledge 5 best knowne by their difference from their first pure doctrine 6. The Romans cannot find the beginnings of our doctrines on this side the Scriptures 7 We can and doe many of theirs 8 No Church in the world held the now Romish doctrines but onely the Romish Church it selfe in these later times §. 1. Antiquus SInce you impute so many errours and abuses to the Church of Rome which you pretend to haue reformed Tell me when those corruptions came into that Church which you confesse was once and a long time the true sincere and famous Church of God For no such foule matters so grosse and intollerable can enter into such a famous Church without being noted in Histories Bellar. de notis ecclesiae lib. 4. cap. 5. and opposed by godly learned men Shew me therefore when these corruptions came in and changed the Roman faith in what Age vnder what Pope by what men and meanes and with what relâ—ctation or opposition of the godly learned For if no such time can be shewed I shall neuer beleeue there were any such thing §. 2. Antiquissimus This is another point of your ench ntment indeed Your Masters politikely stand vpon generals to discredit our reformation which in particulars they cannot disproue Among which generals this is as it seemes their great Goliah brought into the field so oft to terrifie all our troops at once To omit your forraigne Iesuites a Bellar. De Euchar lib. 3. cap. 8 Bellarmine b Costerus epist ad Apolog. Costerus c Greg. de Valent lib. 6. cap. 12. Gregorius de Valentia c. your English are enow The Author of The briefe discourse of Faith which is answered by D. Iohn White and Mr. Anthony Wootton bringeth it in in his 50 Section as d Camp ratione 7. Campian their great Champion had done before him which being foyled by our men in their answeres yet is brought in againe by A. D. his Reply in his 57 Chapter and foyled againe by D. White Defence pag. 519 c. Lately brought in againe by a Iesuite in Ireland in his Challenge and ouerthrowne by D. Vsher B. of Meath in the beginning of his Answer D. Kellison Suruay lib. 2. c. p. 163. 1. And still is brought in againe and againe without measure or end as if it had neuer been answered before And most lately by M. Fisher the Iesuite at least foure seuerall times in his little booke written to our late Gracious King James of famous memory which B. Francis White hath fully answered in euery of the places e D. White pag. 116. 131 143. 255 c. Out of all whose answers and Doctor Fauours Booke entituled Antiquity triumphing ouer Nouelty f D. Favour pag. cap. 17. and many others I will giue you some short satisfaction wishing you at your leasure to reade the Authors themselues at large §. 3. Your argument presupposeth that errours and abuses came into the Church full strong and at once See also D. Field Church lib. 3. cap. B. Morton Appeal lib. 4. cap. 16. So that their very entrance must needes be apparant visible obseruable and therefore strongly opposed by learned and good men and described in Histories whereas indeed the most of them crept in secretly insensibly and were not observed of a long time Saint Paul calleth the great desertion and Apostacy The Mystery of Iniquity g 2 Thes 2.7 Which the ordinary glosse thereupon saith is Iniquitas Sed mystica id est pietatis nomine palliata an iniquity indeed but mysticall that is cloaked vnder the name of piety A mystery worketh not openly but secretly not at once but by little and little and then getteth greatest aduantage when it is least obserued and suspected It is first a Mystery and creepeth in secretly before it be a History obserued and described In Common-wealthes it is ordinary for things of obscure and vnsensible beginnings to worke sensible and notorious changes in the end so that the wisest shall not so easily finde out the first entrance as the simplest may see and feele the grosse and dangerous euents in the end As Plutarch obserueth in the life of Caesar and in the life of Coriolanus he tels how the corruption of the people by bribes and banquetting entred into the old Roman Common-wealth This Pestilence saith he crept in by little and little and did secretly win ground stil continuing a long
priests onely Cassander writes and Micrologus Cassander praefat ord Romani Microl. de officio Missae cap. 19. Clicthâ—veus on the Canon of the Masse cited by Cassander ibidem and Clicthoveus among many others Circumgestation saith Cassander is contrary to the manner of the Ancients Cassander consult art 22. Feild quo supra for they admitted none to the fight of the Sacrament but the partakers and therefore the rest were bidden depart Crautzius praiseth Cusanus who being the popes Legat in Germany tooke away his Circumgestation vnlesse it were within the Octaues of Corpus Christi day The Sacrament being instituted for vse and not for ostentation Touching the honour of Saints Gerson and Contarenus Gerson de Directione cordis consider 16. sequent Contarenus in confut artic Lutheri and many others reprehend sundry superstitious obseruations and wish they were wisely abolished Whether the Saints in heauen doe particularly know our estate and heare our cryes and grones not onely Saint Augustine August de cura pro mortuis Glossa in Esay 63 Hugo Erudit Theolog. de sacram fidei lib. 2. part 16. cap. 11. and the Author of the Interlineall glosse But Hugo de Sancto victore tels vs it is altogether vncertaine and cannot be knowne So that though in generality they pray for vs or rather for all the Church on earth yet we may not safely and with faith pray to them That in the primitiue Church publike prayers were celebrated in the vulgar tongue Lyra confesseth Lyra in 1. Cor. 14 Caietan in respons ad Articulos Parisienseâ— and Caietan professeth that he thinketh it would bee more for edification if they were so now And he confirmeth his opinion out of Saint Paul Saint Bernard wrote diuers things concerning the now Romish Doctrine touching speciall faith imperfection and impurity of inherent righteousnesse merits power of freewill the conception of the blessed Virgin and the keeping of the feast of her conception a See D. Field Appendix to the fift booke of the Church part 1. pag. 89. Bernard serm 5. de verb. Esaiae All our righteousnesse saith he is as the polluted rags of a menstruous woman b Serm. 1. de Annunciat We must beleeue particularly that all our sinnes are remitted vs. c Tract de gratia lib. arb in fine Our workes are via regni not causa regnandi they are the way that leadeth to the kingdome but no cause why we raigne d Epist 175. ad Canonicos Lugd. The blessed Virgin was conceiued in sin and the feast of her conception ought not to be kept So that what errours and abuses we haue amended in our reformed Churches those the learned men of former Ages haue espied and haue written against them and we haue made no other Reformation then they heartily desired For conclusion of this point see what a number of famous men writing and preaching against the corruptions of Rome One Vniuersity afforded and thereby gesse what the world did §. 15. Gabriel Powel de Antichristo Edit Lond. 1605. reckons these Oxford men amongst many others in his Preface 1 King Alfred Founder of Oxford Vniuersity would not haue his people ignorant of Scriptures or bard the reading thereof Anno 880 Capgrav cataloge Sanct Angliae Polydor. Virg hist Ang. lib. 5. Baleus 2 Joannes Patricius Erigena a Brittan first Reader in Oxford ordained by the King wrote a booke of the Eucharist agreeable to Bertrams and condemned after by the Pope in Vercellensi Synodo And he Martyred for it anno 884. Philip. in Chron. lib. 4. sub Henr. 4 Baleus cent 2. cap 24. 3 Some Diuines at Oxford were burnt in the face and banished for saying the Church of Rome was the Whore of Babylon Monkery a stinking carrion their vowes toyes and nurses of Sodome Purgatories Masses dedications of Temples worship of Saints c. inuentions of the Deuill anno 960. Matth. Paris lib. 4. Guido Perpin de haeresib Baleus cent 2. 4 Arnulph or Arnold an English preacher a Monke of Oxford for preaching bitterly against Prelats and Priests wicked liues and corruptions cruelly butchered anno 1126. but saith Platina greatly commended by the Roman Nobility for a true seruant of Christ Bale cent 2. cap. 70. 5 Joannes Sarisburiensis anglus Oxoniensis theologus Episcopus Carnotensis beloued of the Popes Engenius 3. and Hadrian 4. wrote against the abuses of Clergy and Bishops in Objurgatorie Cleri in Polycratico he saith The Scribes and Pharises sit in the Roman Church laying importable burdens on mens shoulders The Pope is grieuous to all and almost intollerable Ita debacchantur ejus legati ac si ad ecclesiam flagellandam egressus sit Satan a facâ—e domini and he that dissents from their doctrine is iudged an Hereticke or a Schismaticke c. 1140. Sarisburien Polycr lib. 5. cap. 16. lib. 6. cap. 24. 6 Gualo Professor of Mathematicks in Oxford much praised of Sarish in Polycrat wrote inuectiues against Priests of the Monkish profession their luxuries pompes and impostures anno 1170. Bale cent 3. cap. 15. 7 Gilbert Foliot Doctor of Diuinity in Oxford Bishop first of Hereford and after of London perswaded King Henry 2 after the example of Jehoshaphat and other Kings to keepe the Clergy in subiection and oft resisted and blamed Tho. Becket to his face 1170. Bale ib. cap. 7. 8 Syluester Gyrald Archdeacon Meneuensis beloued of Hen. 2 and Iohn King of England wrote a booke of the Monks Cistertians naughtinesse c. 1200. â—eland catalogo virorum illustrium Bale cent 3 cap. 59. 9 Alexander a Diuine of Oxford sent by King John to defend his authority against the Pope which he did by reasons and Scriptures and wrote against the Popes power and temporall Dominion He was banished by Langton Bishop of Canterbury and dyed in exile he liued anno 1207. when King Iohn banished 64. Monkes of Canterbury for contumary breaking his commandement Bale cent 3 cap. 57. 10 Gualter Maxes Archdeacon of Oxford a famous man hauing been at Rome and seene the ambition of the Pope he set it out while he liued with most vehement satyricall criminations He wrote a booke called The Reuelation of the Romish Goliah and diuers others of the enormity of the Clergy lamentation ouer Bishops and against the Pope the Roman Court the euils of Monkes c. he flourished anno 1210. Siluester Gyrald in spec eccles lib. 3. c. 1. 14 Bale cent 3 cap. 61. 11 Robertus Capito Robert Grosthead Doctor of Diuinity in Oxford Bishop of Lincolne wrote against Prelats idlenesse and thundered against the Romish Court he modestly but yet publikely reproued the couetousnesse pride and manifold tyranny of Pope Innocent 4. He was excommunicated to the pit of hell and cited to come to their bloudy Court but he appealed from the Popes tyranny to the eternall tribunall of Iesus Christ and shortly after dyed anno 1253. The Priests that taught mens commandements and not
more then three times so much as the taxe for Incest with a mans Mother 4 Consider Bellar. de Iustif lib. 2. cap. 1. in fine if they winke not at our doctrine in their owne men as Pighius the Diuines of Colen Durandus and hundreds of others as long as they professe subiection to the pope in such Catholickes our opinions are not heresie but in vs the same opinions are persecuted with fire and sword 5 Consider Histor concil Trent lib. 3. pag. 293. how kindly they offer to tolerate things otherwise very odious vnto them if men will professe subiection to the pope as anno 1548. Paul the third sent the Bishops of Verona and Ferentino his Nuncij into Germany then almost lost from him with faculties to grant vnto all persons Kings Princes Ecclesiasticall and Regular that would returne to his obedience absolution from all censures dispensations for irregularities or objuration penance oathes perjuries and to restore them to honour fame and dignity and to license them to partake the Cup in the Communion to eat flesh in Lent and Fasting dayes with many other immunities so farre as might be done in time and place without scandall c. So Pius the fourth Annals Eliz. Engl. pag. 63. Latin pag. 49. anno 1560. offered to Queene Elizabeth to allow our whole booke of Common Prayer if she would receiue it as from him and by his authority 6 Consider whether this was not the maine cause of the popes quarrell and thunder against the German Emperours and our English Kings John and Henry the 8. who held all the doctrinall points of the Romish Religion and onely impaired the popes highnesse greatnesse or reuenues In Henry 8 time Hist conc Trid. lib. 1. pag. 70. the Court of Rome maintained that it could not be said There was no change of Religion in England the first and principall article being changed which is the supremacy of the pope and that seditions would arise as well for this onely as for all the rest which the euent shewed to bee true For though the King continued the Religion of the pope so fully by commands and punishments that pope Paul 3 commended him highly to the Emperour Ibid pag. 89 90. ibid. pag. 87. as an illustrious example to bee imitated in that course yet for abrogating the popes supremacy and reuenues in England he thundred a Bull against him denouncing him depriued of his kâ—ngdome and his adherents of whatsoeuer they possessed and commanding his subiects to deny him obedience and strangers to haue any commerce with that kingdome and all to take armes against and to persecute both himselfe and his followers granting them their estates and goods for their prey and their persons for their slaues It is not therefore the points of true ancient Catholike Christian Doctrine that you so much contend for to make good gracious Christians inheritors of heauenly felicity but it is your wealth and greatnesse or the setting vp and maintaining of your Visible Monarchy of the Church as you Doctor Sanders calls it whereof Christ and his Apostles spake neuer a word and whereof the Primitiue Church neuer dreamed This if our Religion would allow Pius 4. Hist conc Trid. lib. 8. pag. 745. you would allow of our Religion The rather-politicke-then-pious pope saide once since he could not regaine the Protestants it was necessary to keepe those in obedience which hee had Bellar. de eccles militant lib. 3. c. 2. §. nostra autem sententia See Triplici nodo pag. 41 42. Printed 1609. to make the diuision strong and the parties irreconciliable Conformable whereunto now their Doctrine is that such as submit not to the popes supremacy doe renounce Christianity For the Church saith Bellarmine is the company of them that liue in subiection to the pope professing the same faith with him though they haue no inward vertues but be indeed Atheists Hypocrites or Heretickes And in his Epistle to Blackwell the Arch-priest in England anno 1607. he cals the popes supremacy one of the principall heads of the Faith and foundation of the Catholicke Religion and saith They that disturbe or diminish that primacy seeke to cut off the very head of the Faith and to dissolue the state of the whole body and of all the members §. 4. This primacy is practised in the popes challenged gouernment ouer the Church of the whole world For a Turrecremata lib. 2. c. 27. Aug. Triumph q. 19. art 1. as Matrimony is contracted betwixt a prelate and his particular Church by his election and consecration so betwixt the pope and the Vniuersall Church Thus if the pope be the generall bridegroome sponsus and Rome the generall bride sponsa then they two are the common parents of all Christians so that none is to be accounted a Christian that hath not the pope for his father and that Church for his mother Capist fol. 31. â— So saith Capistranus fol. 56 a. A manifest errour for 1 none of the Churches of the New Testament Corinth Galatia Ephesus Philippi Colossus Thessaly Smirna Pergamus Thyatira Sardis Philadelphia Laodicea c. nor 2 other Primitiue Churches following for many hundred yeares were any way dependant vpon Rome or her Bishop but were built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets in generall Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone and by that meanes Eph. 2.20 were no more strangers and forrainers but fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God Ephes 2.19 20. They did not acknowledge Rome their mother but their sister not the roote but a particular branch of the Church such a one as equally with the rest did partake of the root and fatnesse of the Oliue tree Rom. 11.17 Rom. 11.18 20 21 22. And to the Roman Church was written directly this propheticall Caueat Boast not against the branches but if thou boast thou bearest not the root but the roote thee Bee not high minded but feare for if God spared not the naturall branches take heed lest he also spare not thee if thou continue not in his goodnesse thou shalt also be cut off This shewes 1 that Rome is but a branch not the root of the vniuersall Church 2 that it may be cut off and yet other Churches stand and flourish being vnited to the common root and therefore are independant vpon the Church of Rome Baronius an 45. n. 18. Bellar. de Rom. pont lib. 2. c. 2. lib. 3. cap. 13. And it is plaine that the mysticall Babylon ' mother of Abominations drunken with the bloud of the Saints and Martyrs Reuel 17.5 6 is the very City of Rome built vpon seuen mountaines verse 9. and raigning ouer the Kings of the earth Ribera in Apoc. 14. n. 27. seq Viegas in Apoc. 27. comment 1. sec 3. Suarez lib. 5. c. 7. n. 11. Of this point see the glorious Panegyrick Oration of Innotencius 3. calling himselfe the Spouse of the
Vicar or Vicegerent be applyed giuen or sold to whom he thinkes good A quaint deuise but without all this purgatory pardons pilgrimages Masses for the dead c. are to no purpose If Saint Pauls doctrine of Iustification by Christs merits onely stand then haue we no merits if no merits no supâ—rerogation if no super-erogatory merits then no pardons if no pardons surely either no purgatory or no deliuerance by the pope from thence and then a great deale of the popes income is cut off But horresâ—o refâ—rens rather then that earthly treasure be diminished the spirituall and heauenly treasure and worth of Christs merits be diminished the sound Doctrine of Iustification corrupted mans free-will merit supererogation pardons and other gainfull doctrines appendant thereunto deuised magnified and established Saint Paul said 1 Tim. 6.6 9 10. Godlinesse is great gaine these men make great gaine to be godlinesse He saith They that will be rich fall into temptations snares foolish and hurtfull lusts and that the loue of mony is the root of all euill which while some haue coueted after they haue erred from the faith Alas that they that hold the chiefest places in the Church should be of that number §. 13. I omit Crucifixes Beads Amulets Graines Medals and other things of great vertue sent from the pope to be hanged about peoples neckes or otherwise worne about them 1 Cor. 3.12 as defensatiues against euill spirits and other dangers which though they may be thought to be but hay and stubble yet when your Midaâ— hath touched them they are taken for pure gold and of great vertue farre fetched and deare bought §. 14. To omit these and many other things I will speake onely of extraordinary exactions and in our Countrey onely An. Dom. 1245. Regis 29. or especially Matthâ—w of Wâ—stmiâ—stâ—r â—n his booke called Flores Historiarum writing of King Henry the thirds tâ—me saâ—th that the Kâ—ng vpon search through euery County of England found the Romane reuâ—nues to amount to threescore thousand markes by yeare equall to the Kings reuenues And yet the popes exactions were so great besides Pag. 195. that our Nobles made complaints thereof both by words anâ— writing in the Counâ—ell of Lyons shewing the â—ntollerable grieuanâ—es oppressions of the popes Officers most impudently violently done that by the popes Commissâ—on coâ—mand with a non obstante which took away all lawes or rights and authenticke writings The pope for the present put off his answer being busied with excommunicating Fâ—edericke the Emperour But afterwards enraged with anger and disdaine at their complaints he multiplied their oppressions without measure or end So that a Parliament was called to take some course to saue the land from vtter spoyle and ruine of the pope Pag. 206 207. and all men reioyced to see the Kings courage and constancy hoping now they should be powerfully deliuered from the iniuries of the Court of Rome And first seuerall letters were sent to the pope and Cardinals wrâ—tten by the Bishops and by the King and by the Abbots and Priors and by the Earle Richaâ—d and all the Nobles with him all humbly petitioning to spare the exhausted Realme of England and recall the grieuances which in their letters they rehearsed which letters were pennâ—d in such pittifull sort that they were able to soften an heart of yron saith the story But they receiued hard answers Pag. 209 210 217. and drew more misery still vpon them For the pope shortly after demaunded of euery Beneficed man in England resident on his charge a third part and of non residents an halfe of their goods for thâ—ee yeares which prouoked all Christ and in England to hate and curse the pope And diuâ—rs Noblemen of France to wit the Duke of Burgundy the Eâ— le of Britaine the Earle of Saint Pâ—ul and many other conspired against â—im and bâ—gan a Sch sme which tâ—â— puâ—lished in writing which is extent in â—he â—â—ory and in Mâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 â—erswading all men to reforme and liue after the fashion of the Primitiue Church Anno 1247. But the State and Clergy of England wrote againe to the popâ— and Cardinals for ease from these exactions giuing notice also of a dangerous Shisme else like to follâ—w This caused the pope somewhat to mitigate the exaction in England and draw downe to â—lâ—uen thousand markes to be payed for his present necessities Which summe our Bishops thought best to grant to auoyde the Roman greater persecution But out of this payment they left out all the Abbots of England pag. 219. to be deeplier fleeced by the Court of Rome At the same time also the pope got vp sixe thousand markes in Jreland and in other Countries what could be raked vp pag. 210 After all this new exactions came vpon the English especially vpon the Abbots and exempted persons pag. 222. Of one Abbey of S. Albans the popes Officer demaunded foure hundred markes which yet the pope was afterward induced to mitigate Math. Paris in vlla Henrici tertij See also Speeds Chron. in Henry 3. nu 52 57 60. anno 1234. In the same Kings raigne Mathy Paris saith that by the popes mandata de prouidendo for illiterate Italian Clerkes and Gratiae expectativae to wit in giuing Benefices as they fell voyd to Italians that neuer came at them but had the yearely reuenues thereof in mony brought into Jtaly to them there went out of the land yearely more treasure then the Kings reuenues amounted vnto And because it was not possible that the English of themselues should be alwayes funished with money to be sent in such summes out of the land the popes Merchants as they called them that is men sent hither for that purpose supplied them with money vpon vsury and the Roman Farmers and Proctors like greedy Harpies scraped vp all into their hands to the great impouerishing and misery of the English So that holy men with heart-breakings teares and deadly groanes singultu cruentato saith Paris professed it were better for them to die then to see such miseries vpon their Nation and vpon holy men the Daughter of Sion becomming such an impudent Harlot Against which Robert Grosthead Bishop of Lincolne opposeth himselfe writing to the Pope his Epistle is extant in Mathy Paris that his detestable abhominable soule-murdering actions did euince him to be an Hereticke worthy of death yea to be Antichrist and to sit in the chaire of pestilence next to Lucifer h mselfe and that he had no power to excommunicate such as resisted these his actions Paris telleth further that King Henrie requiring the Prelates to binde themselues to the Popes Merchants for a great summe of money they replyed English Prelats counted it rather Martyrdome to dye against the Pope then for him that they would rather dye then suffer such oppression holding it a more manifest Martyrdome to dye in such a cause then was the death of Thomas Becket
Bishops and ordinary Pastora would or no and to vphold the Popes falling kingdome and withall to execute a most cruell Inquisition against hereticks for by that odious name were all good Christians branded that would not be subiect to the popes tyranny and Romish corruptions But all this being insufficient f Rigordus histor anni 1208. pag. 207. he published his Croysadoes promising pardon of all sinnes and the ioyes of heauen to all that would take the signe of the crosse vpon their Coates or Armour and become souldiers against the Waldenses and continue in the warre for forty dayes together after they came or that happened to dye in their way comming thither A very politicke and a thrifty course he promised paradise and eternall life very liberally to his crossed souldiers but bestowed not one crosse of siluer to maintaine them But withall they that were once crossed thus for the holy warres in what land soeuer were no longer the Kings subiects but the popes neither might they be arrested sued or troubled for any debts or actions but must be suffered freely to goe about to prepare themselues and all men must thinke it a holy and meritorious deed to furnish and ayde them with whatsoeuer they needed and account them the vndoubted citizens of heauen whether they liued or dyed Thus the politicke pope turned the Croysadoes and Armies ordained to goe against Christs enemies the Sarazens or Turkes now to goe against the popes own enemies Christians the best seruants of Christ g Gretserus Prolegom in scripta edita contra Waldens cap. 6. Vsh ib. cap. 9. §. 4 5. The Catholicks saith your Iesuite Gretser which tooke the badge of the crosse vpon them to warre and roote out the hereticks Albigenses or Waldenses were promised to enioy the same Indulgence and be guarded with the same holy priuiledge which was granted to them that warred against the Turke for defence of the holy Land And further the better to gather numbers of souldiers in euery place h Vmbert Burgund Serm. part 2. serm 64. the pope vsed the helpe of Preachers to stirre vp the people And the Preachers taking this or some such like text Psal 94.16 Who will rise vp for me against the euill doere or who will stand vp for me against the workers of Iniquity would commonly conclude their Sermons with this exhortation Behold deare Brethren you see the malice of the Heretickes you see how much hurt they doe in the world and you see againe how carefully and by all holy meanes the Church doth labour to recall and recouer them but with such men she cannot preuaile no they defend themselues with the secular power And therefore our holy mother the Church sore against her will and with great sorrow is compelled to call together a Christian army against them Whosoeuer therefore hath any zeale of Religion whosoeuer is touched with the honour of God whosoeuer desireth to be a partaker of that great Jndulgence let him take vpon him the signe of the crosse and ioyne himselfe to the army of our Lord crucified By these meanes the pope drew out of all parts an innumerable company of Souldiers in the yeere 1209. conducted by many Bishops Earles and Barons c. The King of France himselfe saith Guilielmus Armoricanus sent fifteene thousand at his owne charge giuing example to others This great Army in short time tooke one great strong populous City * Vrbem Biturensem and put to the sword threescore thousand among whom were many of their owne Catholickes i Caesarius Heisterbachensis histor lib. 5. cap. 21. Let our English Catholicks consider what they are to looke for in like cases of our enemies preuailing For Arnoldus the Cistercian Abbot being the Popes Legate in this great Warre commanded the Captaines and souldiers saying Cedite eos novit enim Dominus qui sunt ejus Kill them all Catholicks or Hereticks for the Lord knoweth who are his Then the Army marched on to Carcasson a City both of it selfe strong and well manned not likely without strong siege effusion of much blood and great losse of time to be taken with this great Army and therefore the Leaders were glad to gaine it by composition suffering a woâ—ld of people of the Albigenses religion thence to depart so they would leaue the City vnweakned and vndefaced which City thus gotten §. 4. they made the head City of the warre which they foresaw would be very long the number strength and resolution of the Albigenses being very great k Vsher cap. 10. §. 26. This City tnerefore they fortified and furnished with all manner of store for all future euents and made Simon of Montfort a Noble man highly descended and allied to the Kings of England and of France gouernour of the City and generall of the whole Army and Lord of all the Land already conquered or to bee conquered by these warres The cunning Legat to get the great Earle of Beziers into his hands perswaded him with faire promises and safe conduct to come to a parley l Vsh ib. Hist Albig booke 1. cap. 6 7. and when he had him in his power contrary to promise tooke him prisoner saying that faith is not to be kept with Hereticks He dyed shortly after in prison suspected by poyson and Simon Montfort succeeded him in his Lands and in a monethes space tooke an hundred Castles with much slaughter of the Albigenses and their fauourers But this course of victories had interchanges of losses For the Gentlemen of the Vicounty of Beziers by secret instructions of the King of Aragon tooke such aduantages that Simon was faine to send to all the Prelates of Europe for new supplies affirming hee had lost aboue forty Townes and Castles since the last departure of the Pilgrimes Then Simon taking the Castle of Beron neere vnto Montreal caused the eyes of aboue an hundred Albigenses to be put out and their noses cut off leauing onely one with one eye to conduct the rest to Cabaret §. 7. See ib. and the Authors there alledged The new pilgrimes or crossed souldiers arriuing the next yeere 1210 Simon taketh Minerbe a strong Castle situate vpon the Frontiers of Spaine where 140. some say 180 men and women chose rather to bee burned on earth then in hell for changing their Religion Among many other hee tooke also the Castle of Thermes and Remond lord of the place and Countrey spoyling all with fire euen the lord also his wife sister daughter and other Nobles for their constancy in their old faith m Vsher ibid. §. 9 seq Caesarius hist lib. 5. cap. 21. The next yeere also 1211. §. 6. another great Army arriued which tooke many Cities and Castles hanging and burning many of the Albigenses and besieged Lavallis a towne strongly fortified and defended during which siege others of the Religion tooke Montem gaudij and flue great numbers of the Pontificians But after along siege Lauallis
was taken the souldiers slaine foure hundred Albigenses burnt the rest hanged and the like executions were done in many other Cities and Castles But the City Tolous though besieged could not then be taken Remond Earle of Tolous was a great man neere in blood to the King of France in the 2. degree he had married Joane once Queene of Sicilia sister to Iohn King of England by whom he had a son called also Remond who was the last Earle of Tolous and after the decease of Joane he married Elenor sister of Peter K. of Araegon He was strong therfore in bloud affinity and confederacy and n Armoricanus philippidâ—â— lib. 8. one saith he had as many Cities Castles and Townes as the yeere hath daies He had many great prouinces vnder him Bertrandus o Bertrand de gestâ—s Tulosar fol. 32. col 4. reckons them thus Tenebat Cemes Tolosanus comitatum Tolosae comitatum de Sancto Egidio Prouinciam Delphinatum comitatum venaissimi Ruthenensem patriam Cadurcensem Albigensem Tolosae circumvicinas Iudiciarias linguam Occitanam lata dominia intra vltra Rhodanum Aquitaniam But because he was a great defender of the Albigenses and was one of their Religion himselfe The pope proscribed him and exposed him to extirpation and ruine and to be a prey to Simon Montfort with his pilgrimes p So saiâ—h â—â—m Marian â—â—â—ch hâ—span lib. 1. cap. 2. The Earle therefore gathering an Army of an hundred thousand was very likely to haue vtterly ouerthrowen Simon had not the vnexpected death of the King of Aragon intercepted by ambush quite discouraged and dissolued the Albigenses Army so that they could not be stayed by their Captaines from running away q Vsher ibid. §. 34. seq Some write that the Albigenses lost 15000 fighting men some say 17000 others say 32000 r Hist Albig lib. 1. cap. 11. By this meanes Simon now able to take the City of Tolous sendeth for the King of France his sonne to come and haue the honour of taking the City who came accordingly tooke it and dismantled it beating downe the towres thereof §. 7. Yet this great mifortune cast not downe the Albigenses but their courage and power was still so great that new Croisadoes and Jndulgences were sent abroad to gather new crossed souldiers against them anno 1213 by whose aide Simon wonne many other Castles and townes And now in a Councell of many Bishops was Simon declared Lord of all the Countries and Dominionâ— gotten by this holy warre and possession shortly after giuen vnto him by Lewis eldest sonne of the King of France and confirmed also by the pope in the Councell of Lateran anno 1215. §. 8. Yet for all this while Simon made a iorney to Paris to the King and stayed there about honourable Ceremonies and making marriages for his children Remond was returned to Tolous and ioyning with many Aragonians that were come to reuenge the death of their King tooke the City and many other Castles anno 1217. Vpon the newes whereof Simon returned and for recouering of the City besieged it but was most strangely and suddenly slaine with a stone which a woman threw out of an Engin. Whereupon the siege brake vp that town remained and many other townes and Castles returned vnder the obedience of old Remond Earle of Tolous Againe anno 1219. The King of France sent his sonne now the second time taking vpon him the signe of the crosse with a great Army against the Albigenses who slew of them 5000 and besieged Tolous againe but in vaine The Albigenses also retouer many Castles Againe anno 1221 King Philip of France sent 10000 footmen and 200 horsemen against them still without fruit of their labours In the yeere 1223. by the popes appointment Vsh d cap. 10. §. 46. was a Councell held at Paris by the popes Legate two Archbishops and 20 other Bishops against the Albigenses and King Philip of France at his death appointed 20000 pounds or as some write 100000 pound to be bestowed in winning the Albigenses lands saith Å¿ Rigord pag. 225. Rigordus For now the Albigenses had recouered the strong City head of the warre Carcasson and many other Castles which their enemies had wonne and held 14 yeeres t Math. Paris hist an 1223. pag. 306. And were now growne so powerfull in Bulgaria Croatia and Dalmatia that among many others they drew some Bishops to their partie But on the other side Remond the Earle of Tolous § 9. submitted himselfe â—nto the pope vpon his oath that he would endeuour to root out the Albigenses the pope restored him Yet when he came before the Legat in a great Councell of French Bishops and there claimed restitution of his lands according to the popes grant Simons sonne came also and claimed the same lands as wonne by his father and assured by the pope and also by the King of France hereupon the Legat demurred Vsher ib §. 51. seq Math. Paris hist pag. 319. seq and vnderhand procured the King of France Lewis to to gather a great Army of crossed souldiers to winne from the Albigenses the Citie of Avignion a place of theirs of great strength and thought to be invincible The King mak ng peace with the King of England by mediation of the pope raiseth a great army anno 1225 of 50000 horse and innumerable foot and marcheth towards Avignioâ— then being in the power of the Earle of Tolous and being denyed entrance besiegeth it The warlike Earle defended it brauely Hee had very prouidently before the kings comming withdrawen all kind of prouision out of the Countrey round about into the City to furnish them within and disfurnish them without and now by often sallies hee mightily afflicted them killing at one time 2000 at another 3000 being helped by the breaking of a bridge and the pestilence daily wasted great numbers So that the King though he had sworne neuer to depart till he had taken the City went aside to an Abbey not farre distant to auoyd the pestilence where he dyed shortly after as some write out of his wits The Legat the more easily to winne the City kept secret the Kings death and despairing to preuaile by force attempted to doe it by fraud He cunningly perswaded the City to send vnto him 12 of their Citizens to conferre about some good conditions giuing them his oath for their safe returne but when the gates were opened to receiue them so returning his Army rushed in and tooke the gate and finally the City contrary to his oath giuen For the Pope or himselfe by the popes authority could easily enough dispense with such oathes Thus the city of Avignion which could not be taken in three monthes siege and assault by the power of the King of France Math. Paris hist an 1228. 〈◊〉 237. was easily taken by the fraud and periury of his Holinesse holy Legat. §. 10. In the
and preaching the kingdome of God no man forbidding him He called them in his Epistle Beloued oâ— God Rom. 1.7 8. Saints and saith their Faith was spoken of throughout the whole world Rom. â—5 14 and that they were full of goodnesse filled with all knowledge able also to admonish one another And yet Saint Paul was faine to admonish the same Romans to marke them which caused diuisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine which they had heard and learned and to auoid them For such serue not our Lord Iesus but their owne belly and by good words and fayre speaches deceiue the hearts of the simple Rom. 16.17 18 The same Saint Paul had planted a famous Church at Corinth continuing there a yeare and an halfe so famous that he said of it 1 Cor. 1.5 I thanke God that in euery thing ye are inriched by God in all vtterance and knowledge c. But that Church of Corinth which Paul had planted Acts 18.11 Apollo watered and God so encreased The Diuell and wicked men corrupted both in life 1 Cor. 5.1 to suffer such wickednesse as was not so much as named among the Gentils and in doctrine to embrace such points as made the Apostles preaching vaine 1 Cor. 15.14 19. and their faith vaine Yea and made Christians of all men most miserable Whâ—ch Saint Paul was faine laboriously to reforme by writing two large Epistles vnto them The Galations erred so dangerously about the doctrine of Iustification Gal. 5.2 4. that Saint Paul told them if they reformed it not they were fallen from grace and Christ profited them nothing The Philippians had among them dogs euill workers Phil. 3.2 18 19 enemies to the crosse of Christ whose God was their belly whose glory was in their shame whose end was damnation Of whome Saint Paul tels them weeping Saint Paul praised the Colossians Col. 1.3 4 6. Col. 2.8 16 21 22. yet he found it necessary to warne them of the danger of vaine philosophy traditions worshipping of Angels and other fruitlesse obseruations after the commandements and doctrines of men He praised the Thessalonians also 1 Thes 1.2 3. c. 2.13 14. ib. cap. 3.7 5. 2 Thes 2.2 3. Yet he found it fit to send Timothy to strengthen and comfort them least the tempter should by some meanes tempt them and frustrate his labour And by two Epistles he stirres them vp to continuance and stedfastnesse in the truth and giues them many good precepts of life As he doth also in all his other Epistles to other Churches The seuen Churches of Asia had their imperfections Reu. 2.4 5. their dangers and their need of helpes against them Ephesus fell from her first loue verse 7. Smyrna dwelt by the Synagogue of Sathan Pergamus by Satans seat verse 13. in danger of Balaams stumbling blocks and the Nicolaitans hatefull Doctrine Thyatyra tempted by Iezabels fornication and Idols verse 20. Sardis had a name to liue and was dead Reu. 3.1 Philadelphia had but little strength verse 8. verse 15. Laodicea was neither hot nor colde thought all well and knew not she was wretched miserable poore blinde and naked These Churches to which it may be presumed all other may in some sort more or lesse be resembled and ranked had the foundation well layed in them but yet they stood in need of continual renewed instructioÌ„s excitations exhortations consolations armour against temptations physicke against diseases and food against faintings and consequently of the Word of God which is all these to dwell plentifully among them and duely and daily to be ministred vnto them I verely thinke the want of frequenting our Sermons is the cause that so many fall away to the Romish It is the policy of your seducers to keepe them by all meanes from hearing and knowing the truth 2. Thes 2.10 11 12. Otherwise they could neuer be so blinded to beleeue lies to take Nouelty for Antiquity Idolatry for Gods worship treasons and massacres for holy acts to take pleasure in vnrighteousnesse and be carried away with such other strong delusions and withall deceiuablenesse of vnrighteousnesse to their owne perdidition and not rather receiue the loue of the truth that they might be saued Psal 58.4 â— These deafe Adders might be charmed if they did not willfully stop their eares against the voice of the Charmer Heb. 4.12 2 cor 10.4 5. charme he neuer so wisely For the word of God iâ— quick and powerfull and sharper then any two-edged sword piercing euen to the diuiding asunder of the soule and the spirit and of the Ioints and marow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart The fruit whereof you may see where it is plentifull and graceously preached obseruing how religious deuout iust and truely honest the people become how temperate sober charitable vpright dealing and blessed people abhorring all sinne desirous and diligent to practise all good duties that tend to the honor of God and the good of men I doe not thinke but if your backsliders would carefully heare many of our Preachers they would be as Saint Paul saith conuinced of all 2 Cor. 14.24 25. and iudged of all the very secrets of their hearts made manifest and so falling downe on their faces would worship God and report that God is in the Preachers of a truth Antiquus Oh Sir so we thinke of our Priests wee reuerence them as Gods Angels we heare them as sent from God as God himselfe or as men sent and endued with power from God to teach vs the true way to heauen to absolue vs from our sinnes to offer vp the reall sacrifice of Christs body and blood for vs and to giue vs the true naturall body of Christ himselfe into our moothes to our eternall saluation Which priuiledges your titulary Ministers haue not They are no Priests they are meere secular men without any power and authority from God to doe any of these things And therefore we haue no reason to heare them or to reuerence them otherwise then we doe other ordinary men for their personall honesty or ciuility not for their offices You haue therefore offered mee iust occasion to proceed and vrge this thing as CHAP. 5. Of the succession of the Protestants Bishops and Ministers from the Apostles Section 1. The necessity thereof vrged without which there can be no such Church 2. This succession is clamourously denyed to Protestants 3. But manifestly proued and the slanders confuted 4. Particularly in Cranmer our first Archbishop 5. Jn other Bishops of King Henry 8 his time 6. And of Edward 6. and of Queene Maries time 7. And of Queene Elizabeths time 8. The false reports hereof doe alienate many from the Reformed Religion 9. A proofe of the sufficient ordination of Ministers in forraigne Reformed Churches 10. Which is further confirmed by the Doctrine and practise of the Romish Section 1. Antiquus ANother
principall argument to proue that you Protestants haue no Church at all because you haue no Priests or true Ministers sent and authorized by the Lord. In vrging whereof giue me leaue somewhat to enlarge my selfe Antiquissimus Say what you will I hope to giue you a sufficient and satisfactory answer Antiquus First there can be no Church without true Ministers to teach the holy Doctrine to performe the holy seruice of God and to minister the Sacraments vnto Gods people and bring them to saluation a Ephes 4.8 c. And therefore when our Sauiour ascended into heauen he gaue all necessary gifts vnto men making Apostles Prophets Euangelists Pastors Teachers for the worke of the Ministery gathering and perfecting of the Saints and edifying of the Church to continue by succession to the end of the world b Jb. verse 13. That all might be kept from errour and vnited in the Truth These are the Lords Ambassadors c 2 Cor. 5.18 19 20. planters waterers husbandmen builders yea co-adjutors and workers-together-with God d 1 Cor 3.6 9 Secondly therefore these Ministers must be furnished by the Lord with two things 1 With authority to meddle with this holy seruice 2 with power effectually to performe those ancient acts of gracious efficacy belonging to their office as teaching of true sauing doctrine forgiuing of sinnes and administring the admirable holy Sacraments which no man of any other ranke can doe and which they onely can doe who are sent of God and furnished with his authority and power and with whom God effectually worketh To which end the Sacrament of Order giuen to Priests by the hands of Gods officers imprints a Character in the Receiuer e Bellar. de sacraÌ„ in genere lib. 2. cap. 19. § propositio sexta § prop. tertia in sine that wheresoeuer it is God is present * By Couenant or promise ex pacto and concurreth to the producing of supernaturall effects which he doth not where his Character is wanting Therefore when Christ sent his Apostles with this Commission As my Father sent mee euen so send J you f Ioh. 20.21 c. He breathed on them and said Receiue yee the Holy Ghost whose sinnes soeuer yee remit they are remitted vnto them and whose soeuer sinnes yee retaine they are retained Where he gaue them both Commission and power to performe it And in the end of Saint Matthewes Gospell g Matth. 28 18 19 20. first mentioning his vnbounded power both in heauen and earth he sends his Apostles to teach and bring the world into his subiection adding that he would be with them to the end of the world to wit with their persons while they liue and with their successors while the world lasteth with his power and effectuall working with them So that Christ must send and he must furnish with gifts and power And no man taketh to himselfe this office or honour but he that is called of God as was Aaron h Heb. 5.4 Thirdly then As the Father sent the Sonne and the Sonne his Apostles i Ioh 20.21 so the Apostles k Bellar. De notis ecclesiae lib. 4. cap. 8. afterwards chose and ordained other Bishops and gaue them the like power to ordaine others both Bishops and inferiour Priests and Deacons as Timothy at Ephesus Titus in Creet l As appeareth by the Epistles to Tim Tit. By this meanes all true Bishops and Priests haue their succession and ordination from hand to hand from the very Apostles And none are to be accounted true Bishops that were not ordained by the imposition of hands of former true Bishops and they by other former and so vpwards ascending to the very Apostles to Christ Iesus from whoÌ„ they must deriue their authority and power for all workes of the Ministery Therefore Saint Ierom saith m Hieroâ—ym contra Luciferianos Ecclesia non est qua non habet sacerdotem It can bee no Church that hath no Ministery And Saint Cyprian that the Church is nothing else but n Cypr. Plebs Episcopo adunata lib. 4. ep 10. citat à Possevino bibl select lib. 6. cap. 31. ad interrog 4. D. Field Church lib. 3. cap. 39. People vnited to the Bishop And Tertullian further o Tertull. lib. De praescript Bellar. quo supra Let Heretickes shew the originall of their Churches and runne ouer the order of their Bishops comming downe by succession from the beginning so that their first Bishop had some Apostle or Apostolicke man for his author and Predecessor For thus the Church of the Romans reckons Clement ordained by Saint Peter And Saint Cyprian saith p Cypr. lib. 1. ep 4. ad Magnum Nouatianus is not in the Church neither can bee accounted a Bishop who contemning the Apostolicke tradition succeedeth no man but is ordained of himselfe The like haue many other Fathers alleadged by Bellarmine q Bellar. quo supra And by the Canons of the Apostles and many ancient Councels r So Bellarm. sheweth lâ—o citato D. Field lib. 3. cap. 39. lib. 5 cap. 36. A Bishop must receiue his Consecration by three Bishops at the least which were formerly consecrated in like manner And all inferious Ministers must receiue orders of such a Bishop or else they are not Canonicall Lawfull nor to be receiued They that come in other wayes then by this doore are theeues and robbers Å¿ Iohn 10.8.9 10. All this describing and prouing the nature succession and ordination of true Bishops and inferiour Ministers is the first proposition or major of my Argument Then comes my Assumption or minor proposition thus But the Protestant Ministers are not such 1 Kings 20.11 namely their Bishops were not consecrated by three Bishops so formerly consecrated as abouesaid neither did their inferiour Ministers receiue their orders from true Bishops The conclusion will necessarily follow Ergo the Protestant Ministers are no true Ministers of the true Church And consequently they haue no true Church among them An argument inuinsible vnanswerable Sect. 2. Antiquissimus Good Sir triumph not before the victory let not him that putteth on his harnesse boast himselfe as hee that putteth it off It is your mens fashion first to confirme that with glorious words and arguments which we sticke not at as you haue done your Major to make the world beleeue it seemes that we denyed all that which you so busily and so brauely proue and so to make vs odious And your other fashion is as ill to leaue the maine matter in controuersie vtterly vnproued as here your Minor thinking to carry it away with out facing and great words This is a charming and bewitching of the credulous world without all truth and honesty As I shall make it plainly appeare For why else doe your Rabbins so generally declaime against vs and neuer proue it Your 1 Bristow Motiue 21. Bristow 2 Harding confut Apol.
part 2. cap 5. Harding 3 Sanders de schis lib. 3. pag. 299. Sanders 4 Howlet briâ—fe discoursâ—…ason 7. Howlet 5 Card. Allen. with Rhemists Annot in Rom. 10.15 Allen with his Rhemists 6 D. Stapleton princ doctr l. 13. cap. 6. Stapleton 7 Doctor Kellison Reply to D. Sutclif p. 31. Kellison 8 Will. Rainolds Calvino-Turr l. 4. c 15. p. 975. William Rainolds 9 The Cath. Priests in their supplication to K. Iames anno 1604. The number of Catholicke Priests 10 Bellar. eccles milit lib. 4. c. 8. Bellarmine 11 Posnanienses assert de Christi in terris ecclesia thes 60. Posnanienses 12 Gregorius de Valentia tom 4. disp 9. q. 3. punct 2. Valentianus 13 Turrian de Iure ordinand lib. 2. c. 3. The like hath Turrianus 14 Mattheus Lanoius and Lanoius 15 D. Tyreus cited by Schaltingiuâ—â—ib cathol t. 4. pag. 33. The words of these â—uthors you may see in the booke of Mr. Francis Mason lib. 1. cap. 2. Tyreus and other not worth the reckning without measure or end Why doe they so bitterly inueigh against our Bishops and Ministers leauing their Doctrine and discrediting their calling to make people forsake them as men vnsent vncalled vnconsecrated without successiion ordination or iurisdiction yea calling them false prophets inuaders vsurpers and other Apostataes from the Church or Rome or mere Laymen but neither true Bishops nor Ministers at any hand Which they onely say and repeat and affirme with great vehemency but neuer proue Sect. 3. Antiquus Yes they proue it too * Christ a Sacrobosco de Invost Christi eccl cap. 4. Sacroboscus reports the story of the Consecration of the Bishop Iewell Sands Scory Horne Grindal and others who met at a Tauerne or Inne in Cheapside called the Horse-head in the beginning of Queene Elizabeths raigne being disappointed of the Catholicke Bishop of Landaffe who should there haue beene to consecrate them some of them imposed hands vpon Scory he vpon the rest and so were sons made without a father and the father procreated by the sons Thus saith Sacroboscus adding that one Thomas Neal Hebrew Lecturer at Oxford who was present told this to his old confessors and they told it to Sacroboscus and that afterward it was enacted in Parliament that these men should bee accounted lawfull Bishops The same story is also reported in a Preface to a Catholicke booke called A discussion numb 135. citing Sacraboscus for it And thus saith that Preface they vsed the like Art that the Lollards once did in another matter who being desirous to eate flesh on Good Fryday and yet fearing the penalty of the Lawes tooke a Pig and diuing it vnder the water said Down Pig and vp Pike and then after constantly auouched that they had eaten no flesh but fish So these caused him who kneeled downe Iohn Iewell to rise vp Bishop of Saliâ—bury and him that was Robert Horne before to rise vp Bishop of Winchester and so forth with all the rest Antiquissimus I wonder that men of any foreheads are not ashamed to vent such fantasticall and false tales which are confuted fully by the publike Records and Registers of those times Bishop Iewell published his answer to Hardings obiections threescore yeeres agone Anno Dom. 1567. wherein he plainely sheweth f Jewels Defence of the Apology 2. part cap. 5 printed anno Dom. 1567. that himselfe and all our other Bishops succeeded the Bishops that had beene before them and were elected consecrated and confirmed as they were So that your learned men haue had time enough to read search consider and confute or be satisfied and not still thus wickedly to proclaime to the world such falsities And Master Francis Mason hath done it more thorowly in a compleat Treatise g Of the consecration of the Bishops in England and ordination of Priests and Deacons Fiue bookes printed Anno Dom. 1613. Ex Register Park 1. fol. 18. fol. 39. printed anno DoÌ„ 1613. who sheweth out of the Register books of the Archbishops of those times among all other the Consecrations of these Bishops whom your Catholicke scoffers thus depraue 1 B. Scory was consecrated August 30. anno 1551. in the time of Edw. 6 by Archbishop Cranmer Nicholas London and Iohn Bedford 2 3 B B. Grindall and Sauds were consecrated both vpon one day the 21 of December anno 1559. being the Sabboth day and in the forenoone in the Chappell at Lambehith by Matthew Archbishop of Canterbury William Cicester Iohn Hereford and John Bedford Master Alexander Nowell the Archbishops Chaplein then preaching vpon this Text Acts 20.28 Take heed to your selues and to all the flocke whereof the Holy Ghost hath made you ouerseers and a Communion reuerently administred by the Archbishop 4 B. Iewell was consecrated Ian. 21. 1559. being the Sabboth day in the forenoone in the Chappell of Lambehith by Matthew Archbishop of Canterbury Edmund Grindal Ib. fol. 46. Bishop of London Richard Gox Bishop of Ely and Iohn Hodskius Bishop of Bedford with Common prayers Communion a Sermon preached by Master Andrew Pierson the Archbishops Chaplein vpon this Text Matt. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in Heauen Ib. fol. 88. 5 B. Horne was consecrated Febr. 16. 1560. being the Sabboth day in the forenoone in the Chappell at Lambehith in all respects as the former by Matthew Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Bishop of Saint Dauids See also Annals of Q. Elizabeth Engl. Darcy pag. 32. Edmund Bishop of London Thomas B. of Couentry and Liechfield which I doe thus punctually relate that the world may be satisfied thorowly and wonder at the impudency of these forgers of lies and at the folly of their beleeuers Antiq. I doubted alwayes of that vnlikely tale of the Consecration of the Nags-head depending onely vpon the report of one sole witnesse Thomas Neal an obscure man and telling it in darkenesse and now I am fully resolued out of publicke Records by you alledged easie to be sought and scarched that it is vtterly false But if it be granted that all these Bishops mentioned in that tale were orderly consecrated by 3 Bishops at the least according to the Canons how may it appeare that those other Bishops which consecrated them were themselues true Bishops Shew me how your first Reforming Bishops as you call them which vpon the banishing of the Popes authority by K. H 8 consecrated the fallowing Bishops were consecrated themselues by lawfull Bishops their Predecessors and then you say something All this out of Mr. Mason lib. 2. cap. 7. Antiq. Brit. pag. 321 322. Act. Mon. Sect. 4. Antiquissimus Our first reformed Bishop was Thomas Cranmer who had beene sent before by King Henry to the Pope with other Ambassadours who deliuered to the Pope a booke of his own writing wherin he
Councels Emperors yeelded much honour and reuerence as to men sitting at the principall sterne of the Ship of Christs Church to direct and guide it and men right worthy of their place as appeareth by innumerable testimonies in Histories and Fathers both Greeke and Latine Irenaeus Tertullian Optatus Ierom Ambrose Basil Chrysostome Augustine c. Thus saith your learned and moderate Cassander and now mark what he immediately addeth Georgiâ— Cassandri Censulâ—atio artic 7. §. De Pontifice Romano Neque vnquam credo c. Neither doe I thinke that euer any controuersie would haue beene amongst vs of this point if the Popes had not abused this authority to a certaine shew of Domination and stretched it beyond the bounds prescribed by Christ the Church through their ambition and couetousnesse But this abuse of that Bishops power which first his flatterers stretched out beyond measure gaue occasion to men to thinke ill of the power it selfe which that Bishop had obtained by the vniuersall consent of the whole Church yea it gaue occasion to men wholly to forsake it which yet I thinke hee might recouer saith Cassander if hee would reduce it within the limits prescribed by Christ and the ancient Church and vse it according to Christs Gospell and the tradition of his ancestors onely to the edification of the Church Therefore at the first Luther thought and wrote modestly enough of the power of the Pope though afterwards being offended and enraged at the most absurd writing of some of his flatterers he inueighed more bitterly against it c. And in the next page before this Cassander saith Non negarim c. I cannot deny but many men were compelled at first by a godly care sharpely to reproue some manifest abuses and the principall cause of this calamity and distraction of the Church is to be imputed to them that being puffed vp with a vaine pride of Ecclesiasticall power did proudly and disdainfully contemne and reiect those that iustly and modestly admonished them Wherefore I thinke there is no firme peace of the Church to be hoped for except it take beginning from them who gaue the first cause of the distraction that is that those that sit at the sterne of Ecclesiasticall gouernment remit something of their too much rigor and yeeld something to the peace of the Church and harkening to the earnest enertaties and admonitions of many godly men correct manifest abuses according to the rule of holy Scriptures and the ancient Church from which they haue swarued Thus writes your Cassander D. Field Of the Church book 5. cap. 50. §. These are all Our D. Field saith much like to Cassander that if the Bishop of Rome would disclaim his claime of vniuersall Iurisdiction of infallible Iudgement and power to dispose at his pleasure the kingdomes of the world and would content himselfe with that all Antiquity gaue him which is to be in order and honour the first among Bishops we would easily grant him to bee in such sort President of generall Counsels as to sit and speake first in such meetings but to bee an absolute Commander we cannot yeeld vnto him Thus writes D. Field Idem Appendix to the fifth booke pag. 78. and more fully in another place If the Pope would onely clayme to be a Bishop in his Precinct a Metropolitan in a Prouince a Patriarch of the West and of Patriarchs the first and most honourable to whom the rest are to resort in cases of greatest moment as to the head and chiefe of their company to whom it especially pertaineth to haue an eye to the preseruation of the Church in the vnity of Faith and Religion and the acts and exercises of the same and with the assistance and concurrence of the other by all due courses to effect that which pertaineth thereunto without claiming absolute and vncontroulable power infallibility of Iudgement and right to dispose the Kingdomes of the world and to intermeddle in the administration of the temporalities of particular Churches and the immediate swaying of the iurisdiction thereof Luther in libro contra PapatuÌ„ Luther himselfe professeth he would neuer open his mouth against him King Iames in his Praemonition to all Christian Monarchs § Of Bishops pag. 46 Our late most learned and iudicious King Iames of happy memory writes the like Patriarchs I know were in the Primitiue Church and I likewise reuerence that institution for Order-sake and amongst them was a contention for the first place And for my selfe if that were yet the question I would with all my heart giue my consent that the Bishop of Rome should haue the first seat I being a Westerne King would goe with the Patriarch of the West And for his temporall Principality ouer the Signory of Rome I doe not quarrell it neither let him in God his name be primus Episcopus inter omnes Episcopos and Princeps Episcoporum so it be no otherwise but as Peter was Princeps Apostolorum But as I well allow of the Hierarchy of the Church for distinction of orders for so I vnderstand it so I vtterly deny that there is an earthly Monarch thereof whose word must bee a Law and who cannot erre in his sentence Thus ye see if the Bishop of Rome enioy not the honours and priuiledges which the ancient Church gaue vnto his predecessors the fault is not in vs but in him who vnworthily abusing his power to vntollerable tyranny hath worthily lost it Iude vers 6. Mat. 24.45 as the Angels not content with their first estate and the euill seruant that instead of well guiding his Masters house intrusted to him misused and beat his fellow seruants and therfore was cut off and had his portion with hypocrites §. 6. Antiquus I am ioyfull that such iudicious moderate Princes as King Iames and such great learned men as Cassander Luther D. Field c. yeeld so much honor to the Pope but I doubt the greatest part of Protestants doe not so yet all that they are content to yeeld comes farre short of that which the Scriptures and Fathers doe attribute to Saint Peter and his successors Antiquissimus Scriptures and Fathers neuer yeeld more For the Scriptures will you stand to the examination and iudgement of the most famous Iesuite Bellarmine Antiq. That most Reuerend Learned Iudicious and laborious Reader of controuersies at Rome Bellarmine the most eminent man in the most eminent City of the world handling all points so exactly and excellently that he was therfore made an honourable Cardinall of Rome and his bookes printed with the priuiledges of the vnerring Pope the Emperour and the State of Venice c. he I say shall ouer-rule my iudgement in all points Antiquis Yet take heed your implicit faith doe not deceiue you when it is vnfolded Bellar. praesatio ante libros de Romano Pontifice But in this cause you need seeke no further then to see what hee saith for first This
the Pope aboue all former times exalted 3. Obserue If Becket had stood for the substance of Religion or any necessary point thereof it had beene a worthy which now was a wicked part but his standing for matters against the good and peace of the Church and Common-wealth and them ancient and well established and that with obstinâ—cy against the iudgement not onely of the King Bishops and Nobles at home but euen of the Pope himselfe at the first the Cardinalls the King of France the Vniuersity of Parts and as I may say all the world argued his exceeding folly pride and peeuishnesse 4 Obserue that euen the best sort of Popes against their owne knowledge and inclination may be drawn by their Counsellors and flatterers and by the tickling desire of wealth and greatnesse to take parâ— countenance and backe most obstinate rebells periured persons and vntollerable troublers of Church and Common wealth yea to defend them while they liue and Saint them after their death Thus King Henry was troubled much by the Romish Hierarchy but King Iohn much more It appeares by this which hath beene said Flores historiarum Matthaei West monast l. 2. p 81 anno 1205 that there had beene troubles about the ancient customes libertie of Princes in the English Church which the Kings stroue still to maintaine and the Popes to infringe whereof one was that no Bishop should bee elected and inuested without the Kings consent in his owne dominions which King Iohn maintained as his predecessors had done It hapned in the seuenth yeere of his raigne that Hubert the Archbishop of Canterbury dyed and the Monks of Canterbury secretly in the night chose Reginald their Sub-prior and brought him in with Te Deum first to the high Altar and then to the Archbishops chayre and presently causing him to sweare secresie sent him with some of their company to the Pope to see how it would be taken but the Pope seeing no letters commendatory from the King made some stay and tooke time to deliberate In the meane season the Monks at home hearing of this delay and finding that Reginald in his way towards Rome had carried himselfe as Archbishop elected and so published their secrets now repenting their euill choyse and bad successe sent to the King and craued license to chuse a new Archbishop whom the King would commend The King winking at their former iniury tooke this kindly and commended vnto their choyse Iohn Grey Bishop of Norwich and brought him to Canterbury himselfe and the Monks in the Kings presence very solemnely chose him put him into the Archbishops seate and the King put him into all the Archbishops possessions writing to the Pope to accept him Had the Pope beene a pious Father of the Church as you describe him giuen to seek peace and ensue it Rom. 12. as much as in him lay he might haue beene well pleased with this peaceable course but hee was led by the spirit of Hildebrand not of Peter and Paul and tooke a course that there might be no peace and that the people might not vnder their natural Kings leade a peaceable and quiet life in all godlinesse and honesty 1 Tim 2. For he would neither accept of Reginald nor Iohn but vrged the Monks that were sent vnto him to chuse a third one Steuen Langton and against all excuses commanded them vpon their obedience and vnder payne of Anathema to doe it presently Whereupon they all yeelded except onely one Elias de Brantfield who still stucke to the King and to the election of the Bishop of Norwich a man worthy of honourable memory for his constant standing though standing alone in danger and to the Popes face to the right to his Prince to the good and liberty of the Church The rest with the Hymn brought Langton to the Altar and the Pope wrote to the King to receiue him B. Caritou iuris c. 7. §. 124. The King was herewith much moued because Steuen Langton though an Englishman born was brought vp vnder the French King promoted by him and tyed to be at his command And therefore King Iohn wrote to the Pope that he had no reason to admit such a one as Langton to such a great place in his kingdome And withall hee banished the Monks that had chosen Langton as traytors and confiscated their goods This was done vpon Saint Swithens day Mat. Westmonast vbi supra The Innocent Pope Pope Innocent the third who about the same time excommunicated Otho 4. Emperour and discharged the States of Almaine and of the Empire from their alleageance vnto him being set on fire with this news sent to the Bishops of England commanding them to put the King and his land vnder the sentence of interdiction which was executed the 24. of March by the Bishops of London Ely and Wigorne who now turned plainely subiects to the Pope and leauing England fled to Rome The King for this cause of Interdict whereby himselfe and his whole land stood accursed commanded all the goods of the Clerks to bee confiscate and theÌ„ drew as many as he could of his people to an oath of alleageance The Pope proceeds to excommunicate the King by name and finally to pronounce sentence of deposition against him discharging all his subiects of their oath of alleagiance vnto him sending also Pandulph his Legate first into England and then to Philip Augustus King of France to bestow vpon him the kingdome of England so that hee would expell King Iohn and take it by force By this meanes King Iohn was strangely and suddenly weakened and vtterly disabled to hold his kingdome seeing strong inuasions from without and daily reuolting within to open insurrections and euery man now counted a Saint and Martyr that would fight or suffer in wars against him considering that the Popes Bulles like Magike spelles had let loose many turbulent spirits not easie to be layd againe but by him that raised them After much strugling he was finally compelled to deliuer vp his Crown to Pandolph that he might receiue it againe from him as from the Popes hands and be protected hy him And this was done in the 15. yeere of King Iohns reygne anno dom 1213. And Steuen Langton made Archbishop Thus the King became the Popes vassall and the King of France forbidden by the Popes Nuncio to meddle any further against him K. Iames Remonstrance pag. 256. being now the Popes liege man whom he would protect And now Iohn held his Crowne of the Pope as a man holds his land of another in Knights seruice or by homage and fealty and did faire homage to the Popes Legate laying downe at his feet a great masse of the purest gold in coyne which the reuerend Legate in token of his Masters Soueraignty kicked and spurned with his feet and at solemne feasts was easily entreated to take the Kings Chayre of estate Obserue here first The progresse of the Hildebrandine Religion in deposing of
yea Deicides for Kings are callled gods and regnicides the quellers of the Common-wealth Neuer was any Doctrine so fruitfull of Treasons and Rebellions The desire to mainetaine it the hunger to plant it againe hath beene the onely cause to the superstitious and pretence to the couetous and ambitious of all late treasons The traytors euer confirmed by the Doctrine of their books the exhortations of their tongues and the Sacrament deliuered by their haÌ„ds many of their Priests partakers and actors of their crimes The knowledge and experience of the intollerable mischiefe of this doctrine doth iustifie our Lawes that were sharpened against the practisers of it See Cambd. Annals 4. pa t. 842 843. as many of your owne Priests haue confessed Secondly you may note that neuer any Nation was so often so strangely so strongly so diuellishly assaulted and endangered with treasons as this our land and on the other side neuer any Nation so strangely and mightily defended and the traytors confounded Thirdly consider whether these actions bee not manifest tokens of a false religion If we must iudge the tree by his fruits as Christ teacheth vs how can the tree be good that bringeth forth such fruits Mat. 12.33 Are those true Prophets howsoeuer they come in sheepes clothing that doe the acts of Wolues No you shall know them by their fruits to bee false Prophets Mat. 7.15.16 Beware of them Your Bellarmine giueth it for one note of the true Church Sanctity of life and doctrine If these things so taught and practised taste of sanctity what is villany Your Gospell is not the Gospell of peace but of confusion and mischiefe in stead of building the Church it ruines Common-wealths and kingdomes Fourthly looke well Bellarm. â—e notis Ecclesiae Nota 15. if Gods protection and blessings be notes of the true Church as your Bellarmine teacheth what thinke you of ours which God hath so mightily defended and blessed euen when Balaam most cursed Though you neuer ceased heauing at our foundations Church and Princes in these two last Princes times Queene Elizabeth and King Iames yet they haue both liued to see all your wicked practises ouerthrowne the practisers ruined their people 's defended Gods truth maintayned they liued happily dyed in their beds peaceably and left a blessed memoriall behind them Our one Queene brought more happinesse to vs then nine Popes did to Reme who all liued in her time Paul 4. Pius 4. Pius 5. Gregory 13. Sixtus 5. Vrbanus 7. Gregory 14. Innocent 9. Clemens 8. They wrastled against her and cursed her in vayne and their curses fell vpon their owne heads and King Iames wounded the learnedst of thâ—ir leaders with his penne Lastly consider well whether they that perswade you to be absolute Roman Catholikes doe not in deed and effect perswade you to be traytors troublers of the world cursed and deuilish people for perfect and absolute Papists are no better as you may see by these manifold examples of these treasons and therefore it is a wonder that Princes doe not concurre to root out this wicked Sect that make wickednesse godlinesse yea that make a traffik of Kings sacred liues to set vp an Idoll of mans inuention at Rome aboue them all §. 13. Antiq. Good Sir I doe not hold that the Pope hath any such power ouer Kings to depose them and set vp others or to dispense with subiects oathes of alleagiance or to rayse warres or other troubles against ciuill Magistrates I finde many good Catholikes doe reiect and condemne such doctrine and practises they take the oath of alleagiance willingly and write in defence of it I hould with all my heart a Conference of D. Rainolds M. Hart. in Hartâ— preface to the Reader that the Pope hath onely a fatherhood of the Church not a princehood of the world or dominion ouer Princes temporall states to depose or dispose any way of them For Christ said His kingdome was not of this world b Ioh. 18.36 he payed ribute to secular Magistrates c Mat. 17.27 medled not with temporall matters no not with diuision of inheritance amongst brethren d Luk. 12.14 he acknowledged Pilate to haue power to crucifie him and power to release him euen lawfull power giuen him from aboue e Ioh. 19.10 1â— Saint Paul acknowledged Caesar to bee his lawfull Iudge f Acts 25.10 and Saint Peter the first Bishop of Rome taught thus g 1 Pet. 2.13 Subiecti estote omni humanae creaturae propter Deum siue regi c. Be sâ—â—iect to euery humane creature for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as excelling or to rulers as sent by him to the reuenge of malefactors but to the prayse of the good Saint Paul taught euery soule to be subiect to the higher powers h Rom 13 1. By those higher powers meaning secular and ciuil Magistrates i As the Iesuits Pererius and Tolet in locum obserue out of the Fathers that beare the sword be subiect to them not onely for feare of wrath but for conscience sake k Rom. 13.5 And who must be subiect to them all sorts of people both Ecclesiasticall and secular euen Apostles Euangelists and Prophets saith Saint Chrysostome l Chrysost in locum Ista Imperantur omnibus sacerdotibus monaâ—his noÌ„ solum secularibus Omnis anima etiamsi Apostolus sis si Euangelista si Propheta siue quisquis tandem fueris And Saint Bernard m Bernard epist ad Episcopum Senonensem Omnio anima tum vestra quis voâ— excipit qui tentat excipere tentat decipere writing to a Bishop tells him hee is not excepted from temporall subiection to Princes he that excepts him deceiues him Our late gracious Soueraigne King Iames n King Iames Apology for the oath of Alleagiance pâ—g 23. deinceps alleadgeth many Fathers Saint Augustin Tertullian Iustine Martyr Ambrose Optatus Gregory Bishop of Rome for subiection euen of Bishops and Popes to the secular Emperours and Princes Hee alleadgeth many Councels six vnder Charles the Great to wit of Frankford Arles Towres Chalons Meâ—tz and Rhemes yea all the Generall Counceâ—s that of Nice Constantinople Ephesus Chalcedon and the rest who submitted themselues to the Emperours wisedome and piety in all things and desired from him power and validity to their decrees and for the oath of Alleagiance he alleadgeth diuerse Councells These Scriptures Fathers Councels are so playne so plentifull so powerfull with me for giuing dominion to Princes and subiecting all both Clergy and Laity vnto them in all ciuill things that all the world shall neuer draw me to deny my Alleagiance and subiection to my Soueraigne but I will readily take Armes in his defence as Gods Lieutenant and Deputy though the Pope should excommunicate him Antiquis I ioy to heare your good resolution built vpon so good grounds I hope then you iustifie vs Protestants for departing from the Popish
one to him his sword could not discerne them so he might make way for his Master all was one to him How vnlike are the Romish Religions of this age to the Ancients As the pure Primitiue vncorrupt Religion was the greatest blessing both to Prince and subiects so this corrupt ambitious and turbulent visor of Religion hath beene an vntollerable scourge and Plague vnto them meanes more likely to make Religion stinke in the nostrils of men then to make it sweet and comfortable vnto them All these vnâ—atholike courses I grant the secular Priests lay vpon the Iesuites as if all other Papist were cleare of them Which is nor so 1 For who were in the fault â—n the troublâ—s of the German Emperours and other Kings before there wâ—re any Iesuites in the worlâ— whose first beginning was little abâ—ue an hundred yeares agone and their plotâ—ing Statizations within halfe that time 2 Secondly all Papists in common seculars not excepted hold the Apostolicke power and necâ—ssity of obeying it Quodliâ—et 8. art 9 â—ag 277. 3 The secuâ—ars often bewray it in their writings though somewhat couertly because the times fit not so well to vtter their mindes plainely See Watsons Quodlib iâ— 9 art 3. pag. 293 art 5 pag. 306. quodl 8. art 6. pag 243. 4 They also submit themselues and all their writings yea euery word and tâ—ttle to the censure of the Roman Church as Quodl 8. art 8. pag. 267 361. 362. and Important Considerations pag. â—3 in the Postscript 5 The seculars sometimes plainly confâ—sse it Jmp Con. pâ—g 15 hauing spoken of diuers attempts of the pope and Spâ—niard in England and Ireland to depriue Queene Elizabeth of her Crowne they say plainely in all these plots none were more forward then many of vs that werâ— priests adding that if they the priâ—sts had opposed those designments the Laity would haue beene ouer-rulâ—d by them 6 Beyond all this Watson himselfe a secular priest who had set forth the said Important Considerations with a flourishing Epistle before as also the Qâ—odlibets c. to cleare the secular priests from all treasons euil practises became himselfe a Traitor and a Ringleader of diuers others in the beginning of King Iames his raigne for which he and Clarke his fellow were executed and the Traitor Ballard 1586 was a secular priest And many secular priests were in the Spanish army against England anno 88 as saith the Quodlibet 8. art 7. Doctor Sanders Morton and Webb were secular priests So that howsoeuer they would excuse themselues and lay all vpon the Iesuites it iâ— certaine that all perfect papists are conscious or guilty in heart and many of them in action of these courses vntollerable to the Church and State Isaacus Cosaubonus pist dedic ad â—bum Regem praefix Excercitatâ—n Baronium But concerning the corruptions of the Church both in doctrine and practises and our happy Reformation thereof I present the Reader with the substance of a worthy discourse of learned Casaubon Who after hee hath shewed that neither Truth nor Christians nor Christ himselfe the Way the Truth and the Life euer wanted enemies and that amongst those enemies two troopes haue euer beene most infest and most infectious Nonatores Veteratores the Introducers of new Doctrines and they that vnder colour of forged antiquity oppugne the true antiquity as some oppugned the most ancient true worship of the true God to maintaine old Gentilisme the worship of Idols he proceedeth to shew the old enemy of mankinde seeing himselfe shut out of the gates crept in at the backâ—ore into the Christian Church and not being able to hinder the sowing of good seed he secretly sowed Tares amongst it as in our Europe the Westerne part of the world the worship due to God alone to be many waies giuen to creatures Ceremonies vnder whose burden the Church groaned in Saint Augustines time wonderfully encreased drawing men from the substance of Religion to place all their hope of saluation in obseruing them from whence grow the worship of sacred Reliques beyond custome and due measure the trust in the aide of Saints and the carefull inuocation of them the worship and adoration of Images which we see at this day increased which nouelty when it was first brought in set the East and West at jarres and warres and droue the Emperour out of Italy Thence came also new idle worships deuised by mans brain and new rites of new superstition and the better to keepe the world from mistrusting or misliking such Innouations the holy Scriptures were by the vncredible fraud of Sathan withheld not onely from the Laity but from the greatest part of the Clergy And to top vp all these euils was introduced a terrible domination of one man The seat of Rome which before thought it sufficient to bee accounted the first among the Patriarkes seates now would bee the Lady and Mistresse of the whole Church And when her Bishop had lifted vp her power in spirituall things to the highest top not content with that height set his heart also to bring all temporall power vnder him and would neuer be quiet till hee saw himselfe lifted aboue Emperours Kings and princes and looked vpon them as persons farre beneath him vpon whom he might tread with his feet as oft as he list or iudged expedient for his affaires Thus the light of the Gospell was turned into darknesse the golden simplicity of true piety into innumerable superstitions Christian liberty into horrible seruitude the Rights of the Church together with the Crownes of Emperours and Kings made subiect to that Monarches Miter who challenged to himselfe alone the power to giue and take away Empires and Kingdomes Which he practised by bringing in all kinde of calamities wars and vexations wherewith Europe was so often and mightily shaken wh le the truth lay hid euery where neglected and deepely ouerwhelmed drowned and buried Thus Gasaubon of the former times III. Then hee proceedeth to the times of Reformation The great blessings of the Reformation of Religion After a long suffering saith he of vnspeakeable euils after long sighings and gronings of Emperours Princes Clergy and Laity after much expectation of many Ages for reformation in the head and members often promised neuer performed At last there were some found which brake the patience and shewed themselues leaders to them that sought the truth from their hearts What they were or what infirmities they had it mattereth not to argue Malice neuer speakes well of the best and most innocent This is certaine by the very euent that they as men stirred vp by God awaked and rowzed vp the world to looke into the corruptions of Christian Religion which long-time had brought in and to thinke of the grieuances and complaints which both Princes and people throughout Europe had shewed And if then the Bishop of Rome had carried the mind to suffer himselfe to be ouercome with the entreaties prayers publâ—ke or priuate of the Emperors
Kings Princes and Nations and of the whole Church their hopes should not haue beene so often deluded who sought and promised to themselues at least some tollerable reformation from him neither should there haue beene such a Rent among the Churches of Europe when euery Nation seeing Rome would doe nothing was constrained to looke to it selfe and make if not a perfect reformation yet as good as it could and as neere to the Word of God and the custome of the Primitiue Church as time and meanes would afford For if it be obiected that the intended Reformation is not perfect as appeareth by the differences of some Reformed Churches yet surely first th◠Reformers mindes were good who with all their hearts and endeuours sought it and secondly the coniunction of all Nations Wits Learning and other meanes by a free generall Councell which might ouer-rule the Pope and all other particulars was onely hindred by the Pope and his Faction But 3 surely the Reformation was most laudable and necessary if it had effected no more but this as one of them wrote in answere to Cardinalll Sadolet that they freed themselues from the tyranny of the Bishop of Rome and had constituted in their Countries somewhat better forme of the Church which before was most vntollerable both to Princes and People Such a Reformation as many former Ages had with greeuous sighes and grones wished and desired hungred and thirsted after but all in vaine because the truth in Europe had not yet shined out of darknesse of which our Sauiour had said ye shall know the truth Ioh. 8.32 and the truth shall set you free Therefore 1 Our late Princes 2 all the orders of the Kingdome and 3 all the people haue seene and felt the goodnesse of God and are bound to be most thankfull to him except they be of all men the most insensible and vngratefull for their great blessing following the Reformation of Religion in England 1 The Princes that they reigne now in their owne right they are not the liege-men and Vassals of the Pope that haue not their kingdome Precariò at the pleasure of another as Bayliffes of another mans inheritance that they and their Reuerend Clergy are at vnity neither fearing excommunications nor depositions from other that they diuide the care of placing Ministers with their Bishops challenging to themselues without feare that part which is due to them and concerneth the temporalls and leauing that part of the care to the Bishops which toucheth spirituals and all things which proue them to be true Kings For this blessing Kings are behoulden to Gods truth which is a friend to them which establisheth them and is with all care and diligence by them to be established Alas for those former times Inas See Polydor hist Angl. lib. 5. pag. 86. wherein amongst our Kings glorious Ancestors one led away with blinde superstition hauing zeale but not according to knowledge did of his owne accord when no necessity compelled him make his Kingdome tributary to Gregory the third King Iohn Bishop of Rome Another brought into desperation by aduerse crosses yeelded vp his Kingdome of England and Ireland to Pope Innocent 3. By whom he had bene miserably embroyled and was compelled to be content to be the Popes steward or Baily O horrid blindnesse of those times O sucessors of Peter egregiously resembling Peter in their doings O what a griefe surprized not onely the Barons Nobles and all subjects of the Realme but also the Kings and Princes throughout Europe as euery one was more wise and better then other to see the fall so heauy so foule of so great a Prince The speaches which some of them vttered at the newes of so inhumane example are committed to writing for perpetuall memory as witnesses also of their most iust both indignation and amazement Yea the speach of that vnfortunate King is extant in the writers of those times most worthy to be deeply setled in all Princes hearts After that I was reconciled to God saith hee and subjected my selfe and my Kingdomes alas for sorrow to the Roman Church nothing came to me prosperous But al things contrary Post quā ut dixi Deo reconciliatus me ac mea regna proh dolor Romana subjeci ecclesiae nulla mihi prospera sed contraria omnia aduenerunt 2 The Clergy and people of England liue happily The Bishops elect neede not run beyond the Alpes to buy their confirmation of the Pope for great summes of money nor purchase their Palles with the waight of gold nor run to Rome euery 3 yeares or as oft as the Pope list that is as oft as he thirsteth after English coyne Now they haue no such care as in times past the Bishops of England had to take vp the best benefices for Italians In which benefices as Mathy Paris saith neither lawes nor order were kept nor releefe for the poore nor hospitality nor preaching of Gods word nor necessary ornaments or repair of Churches nor care of soules nor diuine or deuout prayers as was fit and as was accustomed in the country but in their buildings the walles and roofes fell downe or were pitifully rent and torne Now the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury feareth not new Bulles from the Pope to suspend him from collating any benefices vntil 300 Romans be prouided for by benefices next falling void as it fell out anno 1239 to Edmund the Archbishop by Buls sent from Gregory 9. The Pope hauing promised it to the Roman citizens who at that time little fauored him 3 The Ecclesiasticall controuersies arising in England by a very ancient Canon wherof S. Cyprian also maketh mention are determined in England The collectors of Peter pence and other contributions the Roman visitors proctors and farmers the Marchants of Indulgences or pardons to men according to their wealth the dispencers of vowes and Institors of legitimation to make men capable of orders the Caursine Vsurers that liued at Rome but drew thither all the wealth of England lending to English Nobles others vpon morgage of their lands or other extreme vsuries money to satisfy the Pope and his Harpies The bringers of Buls for new extortions The witty Mice-catchers Muscipulatores as the Story cals them such as Petrus Rubeus and many others conning Artificers to drain money from men for the Pope and sixe hundred such like greedy and greeuous Arts by the vnvtterable benefit of the truth of Religion their names are now scarse heard of and should be vtterly vnknowne were it not for the monuments and histories of former ages Neither doth now any Legat à latere any messenger from the Popes side exercise any Rauin for money in England as many did heretofore and some with execrable hunger of gold as we read of one of them Otto sent by Gregory 9 who after three yeeres raking together of money by most detestable Artes at last departing hence left not so much money in the whole Kingdome as he either carried with