cause precedes not efficient but deficient that is the forsaking of the chief good and coveting inferiour things when the soul falleth from the love of God and coveteth inferiour things ..... But albeit God is not the cause of our ill will nor any subsisting nature but the affection of the reasonable creature falling from the love of the Creator yet we may not say that he is not the just revenger of our wicked thoughts or eternal Predestinator of just judgment and vengeance which this fellow would by such ambiguities make void Again this man saith There is no predestination of God but of them who are prepared for everlasting blessedness We know surely that this is an errour of this age ..... It is to be marked in the writings of the Prophets that the word predestination is not expressly mentioned yet because things concerning both predestinations appear and are declared most openly the Apostle most confidently useth their testimonies for confirming this doctrine and hath given them to be so understood by the Church teaching us by his authority and example and informing us that we should not contentiously and idly strive for the word predestination in the Oracles of the holy Prophets but by godly and peaceable understanding wheresoever the matter is manifestly declared we should without doubting acknowledge and maintain the predestination of God And if it be asked How shall the World be judged righteously whom the necessity of predestination forceth to perish Far be it that any of us should say it because it is most open blasphemy that God by his predestination forceth any man to sin and to perish by sin But by the judgment of predestination whom continuing in their sins he hath decreed to punish he rather calleth them from their sins and stirreth in them by hearing a wholsom terrour that they fearing may be amended and amending should not be damned It is also most false that the fellow affirmeth that there is no predestination of punishment for if punishment were not predestinate for the Divel and his Angels and all the wicked that are to be punished with them Truth would not say Go into everlasting fire prepared for the Divel and his Angels And where he saith Predestination is alwaies to be understood of the gifts of God's bounty it is also false for it is found and truly understood of the judgments of just damnation Of which damned through their own deserving and the just judgment of God when this man saith Cap. 14. § 4. that they are justly forsaken in the damned mass according to the merit of original sin and they are suffered to live wickedly and are at last to be condemned with everlasting fire even unwillingly and contradicting himself he saith no other thing but that in Divine judgment they are predestinate unto everlasting life for if all that mass be condemned certainly it is condemned in the just judgment of God and without doubt unto everlasting perdition and punishment And it is a wonder how he saith Cap. 14. That God hath predestinate pain unto sinners and hath not predestinate sinners unto pain for when he predestinated pain for them he was not ignorant who were to be punished And when he confesseth saying The foreknowed if God foreknew certainly who were to be punished with these torments what else did he when he prepared most certain pain for every one of them but predestinated them certainly for pain For surely these only shall suffer whom he hath foreknown to suffer and what is it that by unchangeable prescience he hath foreknown them for pain It was not to be feared that what he foreknew to be justly he hath not predestinated to do it justly There is indeed another condition of mens laws who so ordain certain punishments unto delinquents that nevertheless they know not those which do sin thus or which shall be tormented in these punishments and therefore they may appoint and prepare punishments for sinners and know not that the punishments are just and yet not appoint for punishments the sinners whom they know not at all but if they knew certainly the persons which are worthy of those punishments they might justly ordain them for the pain as they appoint the pain for delinquents as in the execution of judgment whom they find guilty of capital crimes they both rehearse unto them the death which is appointed by the Law and by open sentence they adjudge them unto death which is done by a certain knowledge of judgment that they dare appoint as punishment for sinners so sinners for punishments Seeing then both these are rightly and justly done in the Courts of men being informed and directed according to certain knowledge that they discern justly and irreprovably pain for sinners and sinners for pain and yet not any of those guilty persons is compelled unto sin by the Laws nor Judges but only because he who hath sinned is justly punished how much rather may we beleeve certainly that this is done in Divine judgment that because by eternal knowledge he knows the pain which in justice is due for sinners and the sinners to whom it is due seeing he causeth none to sin he predestinates most justly both punishments which he knows to be most just for sinners and sinners who are never unknown unto him but most certainly known by eternal verity for everlasting punishment So and more writeth Florus And the judgment of Prudentius is in the abovenamed history Vsser cap. 11 where among other things he shews that when Aeneas who had been a member of the Carisiac Synod was to be ordained Bishop of Paris Prudentius being called unto his ordination did excuse himself by Letter and sent unto Wenilo Metropolitan of Senonen four articles which if the elect Bishop would not subscribe he did protest that he would no way consent unto his ordination These Articles are First That he confess that as free-will is lost in Adam by merit of disobedience so it is restored unto us by our Lord Jesus Christ and freed now in hope but afterwards really as the Apostle saith We are saved by hope that nevertheless we have alwaies need of the grace of the Almighty God for every good work whether for thinking or beginning or working or perseverantly perfecting and that without that grace we can no way either think or will or do any good 2. That he beleeve and confess that in the most high and secret purpose of God some are by the gracious mercy of God before all ages predestinated for life and some by his unsearchable righteousness are predestinated for pain to wit that whether in them which shall be saved or condemned he hath predestinated that which he foreknew he would do in judging as the Prophet saith Qui fecit quae futura sunt Esa 45. juxta LXX Interp. 3. That he beleeve and confess with all the Catholicks that the blood of Jesus Christ was shed for all men beleeving in him through the world and not for
necessity that he could not be otherwise but that He in his Almighty and unchangeable Majesty as he knows all things ere they be did foreknow that the wicked were to be such of their own will Nor do we beleeve that any is condemned in His prejudice but according to the merit of their own iniquity nor that the wicked do perish because they could not be good but because they would not be good and through their own fault continue in the mass of perdition or original and actual sin Ca. 3. But concerning the Predestination of God it pleaseth and faithfully doth please according to the authority of the Apostle saying Hath not the Potter power over the clay to make of the same mass one vessel unto honour and another unto dis-honour We confidently confess the predestination of the elect unto life and predestination of the wicked unto death and in the election of them who are to be saved the mercy of God precedes the good merit but in the damnation of them who perish their wicked merit precedes the just judgment of God And in that predestination God hath only appointed what he was to do either in his gracious mercy or just judgment as the Scripture saith Which hath done what things were to be But in the wicked he foreknew their wickedness because it is of them and he did not predestinate it because it is not of him but because he knows all things which he did foreknow and because he is just he did predestinate the punishment that follows their merit for with him as Augustine saith is as well a fixed decree as a certain knowledge of every thing and hither belongs that saying of the Wise Man Judgments are prepared for the Scorners Prov. 19. Of this unchangeableness of the foreknowledge and predestination of God by which the future things are already done may that well be understood Eccles 3 I know whatsoever God doth it shall be for ever nothing can be put to it and nothing taken from it and God doth it that men should fear before him But that any are by the power of God predestinated unto evil as if they could not be otherwise We not only do not beleeve it but even if there be any which will beleeve such evil with all detestation as did the Arausicane Synod we say Anathema unto them Ca. 4. Item of the redemption of the blood of Christ because of so great an errour which hath begun in this point so that some as their writings declare define that it was shed even for the wicked which from the beginning unto the coming of Christ being dead in their wickedness are punished with everlasting damnation contrary to that of the Prophet O death I will be thy death and O grave I will be thy destruction it pleaseth us to hold and teach simply and faithfully according to Evangelical and Apostolical truth that this price was given for them of whom our Lord saith So must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever beleeves in him shall not perish but .... And the Apostle saith Christ was once offered to take away the sins of many And moreover the four Articles that were defined unadvisedly in the Synod of our brethren at Carisiac for their inutility are also errour contrary unto truth and likewise other things concluded foolishly in the 19 Syllogisms of John Scot and glorious with no secular literature although it be boasted otherwise in which rather the argument of the Divel then any argument of the faith is found we discharge them altogether from the hearing of Beleevers and by the authority of the Holy Ghost we inhibit them that those and such things be altogether shunned and we do judge that introducers of new things should be corrected lest they be smitten more severely Ca. 5. We believe that it should be held firmly that all the multitude of the faithfull is regenerated by the water and the Spirit and thereby truly incorporated into the Church and according to Apostolical doctrine are baptized into the death of Christ and washed in his blood because neither could be true regeneration in them unless there were also true redemption seeing in the Sacraments of the Church nothing is in vain and nothing in mockage but altogether all things are true and relieth upon its truth and sincerity And yet of that multitude of the faithfull and redeemed some are saved by eternal salvation because through the grace of God they continue faithfully in their redemption hearing in their hearts the voice of their Lord Matth. 10. 24 Who continueth unto the end shall be saved and others because they would not continue in the salvation of faith which before they had received and did chuse rather to make the grace of redemption in vain through their wicked doctrine and life then to keep it attain no way to the fullness of salvation and possession of eternal blessedness Seeing in both we have the doctrine of the godly Doctour Whosoever are baptized into Christ are baptized into his death and All which are baptized into Christ have put on Christ and Let us draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and being washed in the body with clean water let us hold fast the profession of our hope without change And again For them which sin willingly after the received knowledge of the truth there remains no other sacrifice for sin and He that despised the Law of Moses ..... Ca. 6. Item of grace by which the Beleevers are saved and without which never any reasonable creature hath lived blessedly and of free-will which is weakned by sin in the first man but by the grace of Jesus Christ is renewed and healed in his Beleevers We beleeve constantly and with full faith the same that the most holy Fathers have left to be kept according to the authority of the Holy Scriptures what the Arausican and African Synods have professed what the blessed High-Priests of the Apostolical See have held in the Catholick faith and presuming to decline no way into another side concerning nature and grace But we reject altogether the foolish questions and almost the fable of old women and Scot's pottage which the purity of faith cannot disgest and which have miserably and lamentably arisen in these most dangerous and grievous times unto a heap of our labours and breach of charity lest Christian minds be corrupted and fall from the simplicity and purity of faith which is in Jesus Christ So far they What they say here of Scot's pottage they understand that Treatise of Iohn Scot and have borrowed the phrase from Jerom's Prologue on Ierem. lib. 1. speaking of Celestius a Disciple of Pelagius a Briton and not a Scot. And from this word Baronius ad An. 855. § 1. writes that this Synod was convened against some vagring Scots of whom Gotteschalk was the prime man and thereby hath brought not only his Binius
decent union in Christ of twoe persons man and woman keeping a chast bed without breach and it is a signe of a great truth to wit the coupling of Christ with the Church and a believing soul By faith wee affirme that if God give a contrite and humbled heart for sin unto a falling sinner having the true faith of Christ and if with heart and mind and really he repent of his former sins such a one being so truly disposed if he find a presbyter able to discerne good from evill and whose lips preserve the knowledge of Gods law he should reveale uprightly unto such a priest his sins by confession by whom as a judge ruling in stead of God and the Church according to the law of the Lord the weight of the fault may be rightly discerned to the end he may be ashamed and being corrected he may have advice of repentance unto reformation of himself and being either loosed or bound by Christs keyes he may obey humbly and that such humble contrition of the heart is a sacrament that is a signe of true grace bestowed on the repentant But if there be not a heart contrite humbled through faith abhorring vice and an afflicted Spirit embracing the will of God and also confession with relaxation of the fault and moreover if fained satisfaction be added wee pronounce it to be a vain signe and void of the grace of Christ The anointing of the sicke containes two things in it first a cause of a more ready approaching unto the diseased for this it is not a sacrament the other is the thing signified by that unction which is given by God in Christ for which thing prayer especially should be made in true faith that it may be given unto the sick believer as blessed James commandeth saying Is any sick among you let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray for him anointing him in the name of God and the prayer of the faithfull shall save him and the Lord wil relieve him and if he be in sins they shall be forgiven him By faith of the sick the signe of unction assures him of the forgiveness of sins When wee have declared the faith of the Catholick Church and her truth by which truth holiness is given unto her it remaines to declare by the same certainty of faith the communion of Saints The communion of the Saints is when the members of the Holy Church doe for common benefite use the good free saving and administring grace of God which is given without repentance and they exercise themselves according to the grace of God given unto them to the common utility of others It is cleare then that the elect only are partakers of true faith grace and righteousness in Christ by his merite unto the glory of eternall salvation as also they receive the sacraments to the evidence of faith albeit they have been seduced yet damnation shall not ceize upon them But the wicked of unformed faith albeit they communicate truly in the Sacraments digniries administrations and publick manners if they he destitute of true faith they communicate unworthily as hypocrites and if they follow the erroneous by their leading they fall into seduction and deceit By faith of Christs grace wee pronounce freely that who communicateth with a lively faith by the same he attaineth through Christ true remission of his sins and also because he partaketh of the Sacraments of the Church he getteth by the same faith and certainty the relaxation of crimes and at the time of the last judgement in the resurrection the glorification of his soul Amen The Letter which they sent with this Confession is worthy of reading But for brevity I omit it When the Confession was delivered their adversaries ceased not to accuse them still as if they had writen otherwise then they did believe or practize and so the King went on in cruelty against them Wherefore they sent another Apologie where in they tooke God to witness of the injuries done unto them by their adversaries and that they had writenin singleness of heatt nor did their tongue dare to speak what their heart did not believe There also they expresse them selves more clearly in some particulares as concerning the Eucharist they say Wee do not only believe and confesse that the bread is the naturall bodie and the wine is the naturall blood sacramentally but also that the bread is the Spirituall bodie and the wine is the Spirituall blood And to believe this we are induced by the saying of the Apostle Paul The bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ and the cup ..... for wee that are many are one bread and one bodie for wee are partakers of one bread and of one cup ...... The Redeemer of mankind hath commanded to take eate and to doe that in remembrance of him but no command is given unto believers to worship the sacramental subsistence of Christ's body and blood for Christ gave unto his disciples sitting what they should use and they obeying him did eat and drink but did not worship the sacrament And the Apostles and their successours for a long space of time went to the houses of believers and break the bread with joy and certainly they did not worship the sacrament nor in so doing did they erre nor were called hereticks But they did worship the personall subsistence of Christ at the right hand of the Father And unto the true worshippers of the Divine Majesty it is commanded in both the Testaments the old and new to worship and adore Christ very God and Man not in the sacramentall existence but in his naturall and personall subsistence at the right hand of his Father For the old Testament as the triumpher over Satan tempting him remembreth saith It is wrtiten Thou shall worship the Lord thy God and him only shall thou serve The vessell of election explaines the New when he saith God hath exalted him and given him a name which is a bove every name that at the name of JESUS every knee should bowe .... The incarnat truth confirmes this when he saith That all men should honour the Sonne as they honour the Father But none doeth worship the Father in any creature but only in heaven as that prayer published by Christ testifieth Our Father which art in heaven c. In the words following because they were accused that they did not worship the Virgine Mary nor the Saints they shew that they did esteem of the Virgine as blessed above all women not only for that she was sanctified but also for that the Sonne of God did assume a body of her body and they esteem of all them who were sanctified by faith in the grace of God through Christs merite and so as blessed of God they doe honour them with due honour they love them and would follow them but they can not give them more honour than Gods word directs them 10. When
and Adoptive where they were not and on the contrary he produceth their testimonies where they do expressely deny that Christ is the Son of God by adoption and in this respect distinguish Christ's son-ship and the son-ship of the Elect. As for the testimonies of the Spanish Missal he toucheth them not as if that Missal were nothing Nevertheless hence we see that the Spanish Church at that time had a proper Missal and were not subject unto the Roman Church It is also worth the marking that whereas Elipant had alledged a testimony of the son of Sirach Alcwin lib. 1. saith When the testimonies of God's Prophets have failed unto thy perversness thou feignest a new Prophet speaking according to thy errour In Jesus the son of Sirach is that sentence which book blessed Jerom and Isidore do witness that without doubt it is reckoned amongst the Apocrypha that is dubious witness and it was not in the time of the Prophets but of the Priests when Ptolemeus Evergetes was King In lib. 2. neer the end he saith Holy Father raze raze quickly this opinion out of the Closet of thy heart lest the Lord who hath appointed thee to give Wheat unto his family find that written in the Table of thy heart and say unto thee I acknowledge not these Letters these words were not taught thee by the men to whom I said Go teach all Nations If we join these two testimonies we see that Alcwin did not acknowledge any book for Scripture nor any doctrine for truth which had not a warrant from the Prophets and Apostles In lib. 4. The original of these evils which begets the occasion of all impieties is this While the wisedom of the heavenly Teachers is weighed through the fault of miss-thinking men in their temerarious pride not according to the propriety of their meaning but is turned into other meanings after the will and pleasure of the reader and otherwise then the respect of truth carrieth and it is easie unto any who understandeth the Scripture rightly to find this by the Comments of all Hereticks that they are not afraid in their ungodly temerity and froward blindness to draw the most holy words of the Divine books into the similitude of their errour which kind of impiety and misery if thou Father Elipant hadst considered with a prudent mind and humble searching thou hadst never fallen from the unity of the Catholick peace into the pit of this errour In his book De virtut vitis which he writ at the intreaty of Wido a Count he exhorteth him to read the Scriptures diligently Ca. 5. saying The reading of the Holy Scriptures is the knowledge of divine blessedness for in them as in a glass a man may know himself what he is and whither he goeth Continual reading purifieth the soul breedeth fear of Hell and stirreth up the heart of the reader unto Heavenly joies He who desireth to be with God for ever should frequently read and pray for when we pray we speak with God and when we read God speaks with us The reading of the Holy Scriptures bringeth a twofold benefit because it instructeth the understanding and brinketh a man from the vanities of the World to the love of God Honest is the labour of reading and conduceth much to the purifying of the soul for as the body is nourished by fleshly meat so the inward man is nourished and fed by God's word as the Psalmist saith How sweet unto my tast are thy words O Lord even more then the honey and the honey-comb unto my mouth But he is blessed who reading the Holy Scriptures turneth the words into works Certainly all the Holy Scripture is written for our salvation to the end we may by them grow in the knowledge of the truth A blind man stumbleth oftner then he who seeth so he who knoweth not the Law of God sinneth through ignorance oftner then he who knoweth it Certainly this man would not have consented unto that Canon of the Councel of Trent which forbiddeth people to read the Scriptures But to the end that all should not be thought to be his which goeth under his name it is to be marked that in Par. II. is an Homily in festo omnium Sanctor which Quercitanus hath marked to be amongst the Sermons of Augustine but he had found it in a manuscript under the name of Albin but it can not be either Augustin's nor Albin's seeing that feast was afterwards appointed by Pope Gregory the IV. These books de Trinitate are written so clearly that Sixtus Senens in praefat Biblioth saith They were written by John Calvin and published in the name of Alcvine But Doctor James in The Corruption of the Fathers par 4. pag. 50. testifieth that antient copies thereof were in the Prince's Library at Saint James and they were Printed at Lions An. 1525. when Calvin had not begun to write Rich. Hoveden in The Continuation of Beda writeth That Charls the Great sent over into England the Acts of a Synod sent him from Constantinople for the adoration of images the which the Church of God utterly detesteth Against this adoration saith he Albinus writ an Epistle marvellously grounded on divine Scriptures and carried it with some Synodical Acts in name of the English Bishops and Princes unto the King of France 6. Ecbert King of the West-Saxons vanquished Merceland Kent Essex and Northumberland and then he commanded that land to be called Anglia and the inhabitants Angles or English men Tho. Cooper ad An. 796. CHAP. V. Of COUNCELS 1. FEw Councels were assembled in the beginning of this Century In France Carloman assembleth one which beginneth thus In the A Synod in France Name of our Lord Jesus Christ I Carloman Duke and Prince of France with the advice of the Servants of God and my Nobles in the fear of Christ have assembled An. 742. Febr. 19. the Bishops which are in my Kingdom with the Priests into a Councel and Synod these are Boniface Arch-Bishop of Mentz Burchard Bishop of Wirtzburg Reginfrid Guntharius and the rest of the Bishops with their Priests That they should give me counsel how the Law of God and religion of the Church many be restored Nota which in the daies of former Princes hath been shattered and fallen and how Christian people may attain the salvation of their souls and not perish being deceived by false Priests And by the advice of my Priests and Nobles We have ordained Bishops thorow Cities and set over them the Arch-Bishop Boniface who is the Legate of Saint Peter And we have ordained that Synods should be called every year that in Our presence the Decrees of Canons Rites and Laws of the Church may be restored and We restore unto the Churches the monies which hath been taken from them We have also discharged all the Servants of God from hunting and wandring in woods with Dogs and that they have no Hawks nor Falcons We have also Decrced according to the holy
honorable marriage from the Church and ye do fill her with whores incestuous and all kinde of uncleanness choose which of the two that either all these monsters of men shall be saved or the number of them that shall be saved is restrained to the few which are continent How sparing in the one and how wide in the other nothing less becometh the Author of honesty shall all be condemned but these few continent persons this is not to be a Savior Continence is rare on the earth nor did he who is fulness make himself of no reputation for so small advantage c. In Ser. de Triplici Gen. Bonor he exhorteth to have pity and to pray for them who are departed not having perfected their repentance But in Lib. Sententiar c. 9. he saith There are three places heaven earth and hell and these have their own indwellers heaven hath onely the good the earth hath of both sorts and hell the bad onely And in cap. 14. he saith Place is necessary and profitable unto repentance to wit the Church of this present life in which whosoever neglecteth to repent while he is in the body he can finde no remedy of salvation hereafter In Epist 190. contra Abailar he saith Abailard defineth faith to be an opinion then faith saith he is wavering and our hope is vain he who saith so hath not as yet received the holy Ghost Augustine saith better Faith is not in the heart by ghuessing or trowing but it is a sure knowledge the conscience also bearing witness it is the substance of things hoped for and not a fantasie of conjecture by the name substance a thing sure and certain is meant doubtings belong unto the Academicks which doubt of all things and know nothing Bernard died in the 63. year of his age Ann. 1153. 13. The same Bernard De Consider ad Euge. lib. 3. teacheth us that then A Sermon in the Councel at Rhems was a Councel held at Rhems where the Pope was also President and with Bernards works are many Sermons which are said certainly not to be his among these is one Sermo cujusdam ad clerum in Concilio Rhemensi congregat unto me it seemeth certainly to be Bernard's seeing the most part of it is Supe Cant. Ser. 33. and also on Psal Qui habitat Ser. 6. so that either another hath borrowed it from Bernard or he from another This Sermon is for the most part historical I mean serveth to give knowledge of that time and therefore I will transcribe it for the use of some who possibly have not that Book A weighty charge is laid upon me to teach the Teachers and instruct the Fathers especially seeing it is written Ask the Fathers and they will declare unto thee Deut. 32. but that Moses commandeth me whose power is great and must be obeyed not by me onely but by all and he is greater then Moses for unto Moses was but one people of Israel committed and unto this the whole Church and he is greater then an Angel for unto which of the Angels hath God said at any time Whatsoever thou shalt binde on earth shall be bound also in heaven Matth. 16. I speak in respect of office and not of merit if ye except God none is like unto him in heaven nor on earth ergo he is Antichrist This is Peter which cast himself into the sea when all the other disciples did sail unto Jesus Ioh. 21. every one of you is content with his own little ship i. e. his Arch-Bishoprick his Abbey his Provestry but he casteth himself into all the Arch-Bishopricks Abbeys Provestries this sea is wide and there the fishes cannot be told And unto you I say my Brethren the Bishops God hath exalted you highly ye are the salt of the earth as the Lord saith in the Gospel Matth. 5. ye are the light of the world ibid. I have said ye are gods and all are the children of the most High but ye shall die as men and shall ye not fall as one of the Princes Psal 81. Where is the wise man where is the Scribe where is the Conqueror of this world 1 Cor. 1. shall they not die as men and shall they not fall as one of the Princes whence shall they fall and whither from the side of the Lord into the bottom of hell Brethren two great evils are coming death and judgement for hard is the condition of death and therefore few would die but what preparation is made for death albeit it be the way of all flesh alas whither shall I go from thy Spirit and whither shall I flee from thy face Psal 138. seeing the Apostle saith We must all appear before the throne of Christ that every one may receive according to what he hath done in the body whether good or ill 2 Cor. 5. Brethren I tell you of another Synod where the Lord God will sit in judgment and there we all must stand and there will God judg all the world Here on earth unrighteousness is shut up in a bag but in that judgement God will judge righteously and there we must all appear unless the Apostle hath lyed which is a sin to say whether he be a Pope or a Cardinal or an Arch-Bishop or a Bishop or poor or rich learned or unlearned that every one may receive according to what he hath done in the body whether good or ill And seeing account must be given of those things that every one hath done in the body alas what shall become of those things that every one hath done in the body of Christ which is his Church hear The Church of God is committed unto you and ye are called Pastors but are robbers And alas we have few to feed but many to excommunicate and oh that ye were content with the wool and the milk but ye thirst after the blood Nevertheless four things I think are necessary in them which especially are set over the Church of God to wit that they enter by the door that they keep themselves in humility that they flee avarice that they indeavor to cleanness both of heart and body But what availeth it that they be chosen canonically which is to enter by the door if they live not canonically The Lord said unto the twelve Have not I chosen you twelve and one of you is a divel Ioh. 6. Lord Jesu seeing that election was in thine hand and there was none to contradict thee why didst thou choose a divel to be a Bishop good Jesus why didst thou not choose a good just and holy man as Peter was good just and holy or if thou choosest a divel why talkest thou that thou hast chosen him Brethren to day Jesus doth the like he chooseth many divels to be Bishops Alas alas where shall we finde Bishops that after they have come to Dignity keep themselves in humilty yea pride moveth them to aspire unto so great Dignity that they will break into the fold of
Lewis who died in a battel against the Turks An. 1528. and then the covenant was accomplished and the house of Austria are Kings of Hungary After the death of Ladislaus was strife also for the Dutchy of Austria three Brethren the Emperor Albert and Sigismund contend for it they did name some Umpires to decide the controversie but it is hard to judge against the mighty Frederick carried it But in the year 1463. Albert besieged his brother in the Castle of Vienna so streightly that the Emperour sent for relief unto George King of Bohemia whom he was wont to despise as an Heretick and he sent unto Pope Pius intreating him that he would not accurse George with his Thunder the Pope yeelded because of that necessity saith Naucler And the Bohemians delivered the Emperour but so warily that he neither did perish nor was victorious In the year 1466. Frederick went to Rome some say to perform a vow others say to treat with the Pope concerning Wars against the Turk whatsoever was his purpose he returned in peace and by his means peace continued in Italy and Germany At that time Charls surnamed The Hardy Duke of Burgundy Flanders Gelderland Holland c. durst hold all the World for his enemies and spared not to invade and take Towns where he pleased He had a conference with the Emperour at Lutzemburg and amongst other purposes he demanded the Title of the Kingdom of Naples because it sometime had belonged unto the Empire and now he intended to make Conquest of Italy The Emperour knowing and misliking his ambition gave him fair words and departed the City in the night Wherefore the Duke besieged Colein The Emperour came against him with a great Army yet desirous of peace They were both induced to agree and Charls left the bounds of the Empire But he could not live in peace he intended to march into Italy and to molest the Switzers in his way but he was killed by them in the year 1476. Then the French the Switzers and others repossessed themselves of what Charls had taken from them and Maximilian the Emperour's son married the only daughter of Charls and kept his inheritance not without troubles In the year 1480. Mahumet having conquered the Islands of Archipelagus invaded Italy his Bassa Acomath took Otranto and some other places all Italy was in fear Mahumet died and his son Bajazeth was molested with Civil wars so Italy was freed In the year 1486. Frederick caused his son Maximilian to be chosen King of the Romans and made several Statutes under great penalties against all that should disturb the peace of Germany The year 1492. is remarkable first for the death of Pope Innocentius and election of Alexander the VI Next for expelling the Moors out of Spain by Ferdinand King of Castile above 700. years after their first arrival it is written that 224000. families of the Jews were banished Thirdly under the name of the same Ferdinand Christopher Columbus sailing Westward discovered the Isles Azores as Americus Vespusius in the year 1499. discovered the West-Indies which after him was called America Pope Alexander gave that Kingdom unto Ferdinand When this gift was reported unto Artabaliba King of Peru he said That Pope must be a fool who gave unto another what he never had or certainly he is impudent and unjust who gives another man's Lands unto strangers and stirreth up men to the shedding of innocent blood as Benzo Lopez do record When all the Empire was in peace Frederick died An. 1493. The Reign of his son was for the most part in the next Century CHAP. III. Of Divers Countries 1. IT were tedious to repeat all the strange Eclipses of the Sun and Moon Ominous signs which are recorded to have been in this Century portending the wondrous darkness of the ignorance of these times as indeed it surpassed all others since no age had seen more ungodly Popes nor greater ignorance of the Clergy The inundations of waters the frequent pestilence and famine did also proclaim the wrath of God against the iniquity of men but the more God did strike the stithies of their hearts they became the harder except a small number in respect of the ungodly multitude who therefore were had in reproach and were persecuted 2. In the beginning of this Century God made some preparation for a Helps of knowledge Reformation of the Western Church and in the midst of it more which were two mighty helps of knowledge First some Greeks came into Italy to wit Emanuel Chrysoloras and Argyropulus two Byzantines Musurus Cretensis John Laicaris Theodor Gaza George Trapezuntius c. The Greek language had scarcely been heard in Italy the space of 700. years but then both Greek and Latine Schools were multiplied and they translated some Greek Fathers into Latine as Trapezuntius translated some works of â—yril Alexandrin of Eusebius c. Their Disciples were Leonard Aretin Guarin Veronen Pogius Florentin Philelphus c. In emulation of them were famous in the Latine language Laurentius Valla Flavius Blondus Donatus Acciaiolus a Florentine and many more And the year 1450. is famous First printing for the excellent invention of Printing in Strawsburg by a Gold-Smith John Gutenberg whom some do call Johannes Faustus This Art as it was wondrous for invention so it was and is singularly profitable for store of books then the Scriptures were seen and read the writings of the Fathers came to light Histories were made known times were compared truth was discerned falsehood was detected c. Before that time the rich-poor Monks gathered all the books into their Cloisters and few read them but others could not have them This was a great occasion of ignorance which thereafter was removed by use of Printing 3. Several Homilies and Treatiâ—es came forth against the covetousness luxury and ignorance of the Clarks and Monks Herman Ried in a book De vita honestate Clericorum saith In these dangerous times are many Clarks whio make no account of the authority of the Fathers nor of reason they admit not the Holy Scriptures and they despise the ancient Canons as Bernard had written unto Eugenius they do hate and deride men of understanding and Catholicks because they espy the grievous vices of the Clergy and in zeal speak against their unfaithfulness the Clarks call such men fantastick disturbers of peace and men of erroneous consciences Who are zealous to root out the vices of the Clergy and who alledge the truth as it is written in the Canonical Scriptures these I say are checked and reviled by their own and other Prelates so that at last they must even against their wills be silent and dissemble So it is verified what St. Jerom said in lib. 1. de norma vivendi cap. 5. There is not so cruel a beast as a wicked Priest for he cannot indure to be corrected or hear the truth in a word they are full of wickedness Then he complains that the
manners the power of calling a Councel returns unto the Cardinals which is the most ready remedie in such a necessity especially seing the authority of the Emperour and of the most Christian King and the consent of the Clergie of Italy and Germany doe all concurre in one and it is according to the practise and Acts of the Councels at Constance and Basile Pope Pius V. caused Thomas Manricus revise and gheld or mangle that book as may bee seen in Biblioth Possevini 9. The Waldenses have been often mentioned and their doctrin hath The Confession and a supplication of the VValdenses been related from the report of others now in the year 1508. these of Bohem being accused before their King Vladislaus and fearing a persecution sent unto him the Confession of their faith with an apologeticall supplication Because I have seen this Confession in Fasciculo rerum expetendarum fugiendar only and so it is not common I think good to insert it heer Most glorious King and our most gracious Lord Wee afflicted men and humbly subject unto your Majesty and falsly cloathed with a contemptible name doe first declare our humble request and also our earnest desire of your long health with the increase of every good thing and freedom from every evill in your happie Empire even at it is our duty to wish unto your Highnesse Wee declare unto your Excellencie that heertofore your Grace's Write is come unto us not by common rumor only but by actuall deed also into many of our hands in which Wrire by the accusation of our enemies which have unjustly given forth their Sentence of wicked judgement against us wee understand that wee ar called wicked and ungodly men seducers of ignorant people and through the craft of the Devill more noisom than the false nation of Turks ..... Wherefore wee most humbly pray that your pietie would patiently heare us for the justice of God and for his mercies sake which wee wish continually that God would give unto you and what wee shall now write you may wirhout doubt think that every point thereof comes from the sincerity of our heart for what wee believe in our heart before God that doe wee in this manner professe with our mouth First wee with a believing mind have received this in which now for some space wee having continued doe intend constantly to persevere with a stable mind and free intention to wit All the truth of faith revealed by the Holy Ghost and then by the H. Ghost layd up in the Scriptures and briefly summed up in the Creed of the Apostls and also really keept by the primitive Church and confirmed by signes miracles sinceer teaching and martyredom and lastly diligently explained by the Nicene Councel by the Bishop Athanasius and many Teachers against hereticks this faith wee confesse to be necessary even in this age for the salvation of our souls So lively faith is the universal fundation of mens salvation which faith is by the gift of the Holy Ghost bestowed principally and by the merite of Christs grace is ministerially preached in the Church by the voice of the Gospel and word of truth and is exemplarly confirmed by the Holy Sacraments We believe and confesse constantly while we live by the same fountain of faith that the authour of faith and giver of Salvation is God almighty one in the substance of Godhead but three in Persons the Father Sonne Holy Ghost one God blest for ever By this faith wee believe of God the Father wee believe God the Father and in God the Father We believe of God the Father that he begetteth his only Son eternally whom of his mercy he hath given unto the World for redemption salvation by whose merite the only Father worketh salvation according to the purpose of his own election By the same faith wee believe God the Father when we doe acquiesce upon his testimony which came down from heaven concerning his beloved Sonne This said he is my beloved Sonne hear him Which also the blessed and ever unviolate Virgin Mary said with a suitable mind VVhatsoever said she my Sonne shall say unto you doe it With the lyke faith wee say also that his commandements are faithfull and true and of God that who ever of ripe age living in faith shall forsake these can no way attain salvation through Christ Wee believe in God the Father when wee knowing that he is the almighty maker of heaven and earth love him with our heart and really keep his commandements according to our knowledge and power The Catholick faith which wee have once received from God maketh us believe of Christ believe Christ our Lord and in Christ Wee believe and professe of Christ the eternall wisdom that he is the true and only God equall in Godhead with the Father and Holy Ghost in power wisdom and that he is eternall life proceeding from the Father by perpetuall generation by whom he made the world Who to fulfill the promise made unto the Fathers came personally from the high heavens for the salvation of the Nations was inclosed in the wombe of the Virgine in the fulness of time seen on earth cruelly racked on the cross when Pilate was President of Judea and with his holy blood gave up the ghost when he was taken off the cross he was layd in a rock ye grave and on the third day was raysed from sweet sliep and lastly on the fourtieth day being taken up in a cleare cloud we believe that he reigneth at the right hand of the Father to wit in a most honorable place and most worthy unto him that all the desires of our heart and all the confidence of our hope may be lifted unto that glory prepared by his blood which sitting on the throne of grace pleadeth as a faith full Advocate for them who shall enioy the inheritance of glorie He leaveth not his Church for which he offered him self unto death destitute of grace vertue and aid by his free gift which Church he preserved diligently in the dayes of his flesh unto him every knee of things that live in heaven on earth and under the earth is so subject that they should worship and reverence the Sonne with the same glorie honour and majesty as God the Father and confesse with their toungs that he sits in his glorie and seat of the majesty of his Father Nor shall he at an time descend untill al contrary Nations being made subject under his feet bee at last consumed with everlasting damnation Wee believe Christ Jesus when wee say that his commandements which oblidge us to believe in him trust and love him for attaining the eternall life of glory are true faith full And we believe in Christ when knowing him to be our God and Saviour wee doe imbrace all his words with full faith and loving him with perfect love are united with his true members in faith love Lastly by vertue of the same faith which we
and so to drive unto Christ in whom God hath promised his favour and forgiveness of sin unto all that repent and consent to the law that it is good If thou believe the promises then doth Gods truth justify thee that is forgives thee and receives thee to favour for Christs sake In assurance where of and to certify thy heart he sealeth thee with the Spirit Eph. 1. Fol. 54. Peter in Act. 2. practiseth his keyes and by preaching the law brought the people to the knowledge of themselves and bindeth their consciences so that they were pricked in their hearts and said What shall wee do Then brought he forth the keye of the sweet promises saying Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sinnes ...... As Christ compares the understanding of the Scripture unto keyes so compares he it to a nett and unto leaven and many other things for certain properties I marvell therefore that they boast not of their nett leaven aswell as of their keyes But as Christ biddeth us bewar of the leven of the Pharisees so beware of their counterfited keyes Fol. 56. The Bishop of Rochester would prove by Moses Aaron that Satan and Antichrist our most holy father the Pope is Christs Vicar and head of Christs Church Moses saith he signifieth Christ and Aaron the Pope And yet the epistle unto the Hebr. proves that the high priest of the old law signifieth Christ and his offering and his going once in the year into the inner temple signify the offring wherewith Christ offered himself and Christs going-in to the Father to be an everlasting Mediatour or intercessour for us ...... If the Pope be signified by Aaron and Christ by Moses why is not the Pope as well content with Christs law doctrin as Aaron was with Moses why do our bb preach the Pope and noâ— Christ seing the Apostles preached not Peter but Christ Paul speaking of himself and of his fellow apostles saith Wee preach not ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord and Wee preach ourselves your servants for Christs sake c. For such doctrin Tindall was persecuted and when he escaped out of their hands into Germany they burnt the New Testament that he had translated into English and they caused the Masters of Lovan to burne his body An. 1535. II. It is not necessary to speak more of the grosse ignorance and wickedness Pa. Hamilton a Scotish Martyre of the clergy people at that time unless iâ— fall in by the by but behold how God brought the light of the Gospell into this Island I may say wonderfully First Patrik Hamilton a young gentleman was made Abbot of Ferne and then he would go and see other countries and in his trauels he visites Witemberg and there he heard Luther Melanthon others he had litle or no understanding before and hearkned unto them and took it to heart He returnes â—ome in the 23. year of his age in the end of the year 1526. In what companie he came he spared not to speak against the corruptions of the Church and to declare the truth as he had learned it The clergy could not endure this and under colour of conference they entice him unto Santan drews They had persuaded the young King James 5. to go in pilgrimage to S. Duthess in Rosse lest he sould hinder their proceeding In the night time Patrik Hamilton was taken out of the chamber where he was lodged and carried into the castle the next day he was presented before the arch Bishop James beâ—on and accused upon these articles The corruption of nature remains in children after baptisme 2. No the articles layd to his charge man by the power of free will can do any good 3. No man is without sin so long as he liveth 4. Every true Christian may know himself to be in the estate of grace 5. A man is not justified by works but by faith only 6. Good works make not a good man but a good man doth good works and an ill man doth ill works yet the same ill if truly repented make not an ill man 7. Faith hope charity are so linked together that he who hath one of them hath all and who lacketh one of them lacketh all 8. God is the cause of sin in this sense that he withdrawes his grace from man and grace being withdrawn he can not but sin 9. It is a devilish doctrine to teach that by any actuall pennâ—nce remission of sin is purchased 10 Auricular confession it not necessary to salvation 11. There is no purgatory 12. The holy Patriarchs were in heaven before Christâ— passion 13. The Pope is Antichrist and every priest hath as much power as the Pope He is demanded What he thinks of these articles He answereth â— hold the first seven to be undoubtedly true and the other are disputable points nor can I condemne them unless I see better reason than as yet I have heard After some conference with him these articles were delivered unto the Rectour of the University who with other twelve as they were called Divines Lawyers having censured and condemned them as hereticall redelivereth them within two dayes in a solemne meeting March 2. year 1527. of the two archbb three bb sixe Abbots and Priours and eight Divines These all set their hands unto the sentence and the â—ame day Pa. Hamilton was condemned by the Secular Judge and burnt in the afternoon When this execution was reported many in all parts of the kingdom do enquire why was such a man burnt and when they heard of the articles they talk of the truth of them and many do apprehend otherwise then was judged The blood of a Martyr 〈…〉 seed of the Church In the University these articles took a deep impression yea and many Friers begâ—n in their Sermons to comdemn the errours and abuses of the Clergy Thus God made the martyrdom of one man to be the meanes of spreading the trueth unto many In time of that Lent Alex. Seton a Dominican preached oft in Santandrewes the substance of his Sermons was The law of God is the only rule of righteousnes If Gods law be not violated no sin is committed It is not in mans power to satisfie for sin The forgiveness of sin is no way purchased but by unfained repentance and true faith apprehending the mercy of God in Christ He spoke not of purgatory pilgrimage prayer to Saints merits nor miracles as the Friers were wont therefore he was suspected of heresy Before the Lent was finished he went to Dundy and there he was advertised that another Dominican had publickly contradicted his former doctrine without delay he returnes and in a Sermon confirmes what he had taught before and moreover he speaks of the vertues that are required of a faithfull Bishop and made this Use of them Within Scotland are no true Bishops if they be examined by those notes which
frier John forrest was brought to Santandrews for saying Pa. Hamilton died a Martyr because they had not clear proof against him another frier Walter Laign was sent to confesse him he askes him in way of confession What is his judgement concerning Pa Hamilton Forrest answereth I think he was a good man and the articles might be well defended for which he was condemned This is sufficient evidence to condemn him unto the fire When they lead him out to be degraded he cried among the people Fie on falshood fie on false friers revealers of confession let never a man trust them after mee they are despisers of God and deceivers of men While they consult upon the manner and place of his execution John lindsay a gentle man waiting upon the Bishop said If yee will burn any more do it in a hollow cellar for the smoke of Mr Pa. hamilton hath infected all these on whom it blew Nevertheless he was burnt at the north side of the abbey that the hereticks of Anguise might see the fire The persecution goeth-on James Hamilton of Livinston brother of the Martyr and his sister Caâ—herin were summoned to compear at Halirudhouse before the Bishop of Ross The King adviseth the gentleman not to appear he was condemned for not obeying Catherin was asked whither she believes to be justified by works She answered I believe no person can be justified by their own works John spence a Lawyer had a long discourse of the diversity of works of congruitie and of condignity c. The young woman saith Worke here work there what kinde of work is all this I know perfitly that no work can save mee but the works of Christ my Saviour The King laugheth at the answer and taking her aside persuades her to recant her opinion and by her example sundry others at the same time were moved to abiure their profession as Wi. kirk a priest Adam daes c. So soon as these were dismissed Normand gourley and David straton were brought to tryall Norman was charged for denying Mo are persecuted purgatory and that the Pope had any jurisdiction in Scotland David had been turbulent and was by conference with John Erskin of Dun becom another man and God had kindled in his heart such love to the knowledge of trueth that he oft prayd for spirituall courage if he shall be brought to suffer for Christ He was charged for maintaining that tyths were not due to Church-men He denied that he had said so but said he I send a fish-boat to the sea and they are so rigorous in craving the tenth fish that they can not be contented and I said If they will not believe how many fishes are taken go and see where they are taken yea and I gave order to my servants to cast the tenth fish into the sea And â—e was further accused of the same points wich Norman He was condemned with him and was offered to be spared if he would burne his bill which was then vsed as the signe of recanting but he would not So they were burnt together August XXVII year 1534 At the same time were summoned Alex Alesse Jo. Fife John macbee and one Macdowall they fled into England and thereafter into Germany the first two were Professours of Divinity in Lipsia the thrid was called Maccabeus and was Chaplain to Christian King of Denmark As the history of the Reformation shewes there were civil broils in the countrey and the persecution was interrupted untill the year 1538. and in the mean while the knowledge of the truth increaseth partly by conference of men about what had been done and partly by reading the New testament in English and partly by report of merchants and â—eamen telling what was a doing in other countries in the cause of religion The bb and their officialls accurse many for triffles and pecuniall causes the people contemn their excommunications therefore the bb would strengthen their sentences by civill autority and procure an act of Parliament against such who lay 40 daies under excommunication James 5. Parl. 4. Act. 8. III. The heat of persecution in England seemed but to begin in year 1527. The beginning of Reformation in England those who before were called Lollards were then called Lutherans great numbers were burnt whereby the King thought to promerite the Popes favour Behold how God brings light out of darknes When King Henry had been 20 years married he falles into the scruple whither his marriage was lawfull but who can tell whither he was so touched indeed or King Henry intends to divorce but a pretext in respect he had not a son or that he loved another woman Yet so it was he abstaines from her company and speakes of divorcement The Queen sendeth unto the Pope and complaines the King also sendeth and craves that the Pope would justify by the sacred word the former dispensation to marry or dissolve the marriage How this was carried in the Popes court none can declare better than an Italian and so Pe. Soave in Histor Conc. Triden hath it thus Pope Clemens in time of his distress had It is pleaded at Rome good hope if the Kings of France England shall continue in his grace and make disturbance unto Cesar in the Kingdom of Naples therefore he dispatches Card. Campegius into England and commits the cause unto him and the Card. of York The King was certified by letters from Rome that the cause shall be discerned speedily in his favours this was in the year 1528. But when Clemens considereth that the Emperours favour was more usefull unto him in recovering the City Florence in the year 159. he sent Francis Campana unto Campegius ordering him to burne his former Bull and proceed warily in that cause Campegius deviseth pretexts of delay and pretends difficulties The King observes his jugling and askes the advice of the Universities in Italy Germany France Some were against his mind and some for him especially the Parisians and many thought that they were moved by his gifts more than by weight of reason But the Pope whether willing to gratifie Caesar or fearing that by means of the Card. of York some what might happen contrary to his mind drawes back the cause unto himself The King being He marryeth without the Popes indulgence impatient and smelling the fraud forsakes Catharin and marrieth Anna Bolen in the year 1533. Nevertheless the plea is continued but slowly that if the Pope can he may both satisfie the Emperour and decline the offense of the King And then he touches not the point but some accessory articles especially he decerneth against the King that it was not lawfull for him by his own authority and without the Sentence of the Church to forsake the company of his wife When the king understood this in the beginning of the year 1534 he denieth obedience unto the Pope and chargeth all his subjects that they send no mony unto Rome nor pay