White field among whom there was contention about the order of Easter For Lasreanus the Abbot of the monastery of Leighlin unto whom there were subject a thousand and five hundred monkes defended the new order that lately came from Rome but others defended the old This Lasreanus or Lazerianus is the man who in other Legends of no greater credite then this wee now have in hand is reported to have beene the Bishop of Romes legat in Ireland and is commonly accounted to have beene the first Bishop of the Church of Leighlin His principall antagonist at this meeting was one Munna founder of the monastery which from him was called Teach-munna that is the house of Munna in the Bishoprick of Meath who would needs bring this question to the same kinde of triall here that Augustin is said to have done in England In defence of the Roman order Bede telleth us that Augustin made this motion to the Brittish Bishops for a finall conclusion of the businesse Let us beseech God which maketh men to dwell of one minde together in their fathers house that he will vouchsafe by some heavenly signs to make known unto us what traditiō is to be followed by what way we may hasten to the entry of his kingdome Let some sick man be brought hither and by whose prayers he shall be cured let his faith and working be beleeved to be acceptable unto God and to be followed by all men Now Munna who stood in defence of the order formerly used by the Brittish and Irish maketh a more liberall proffer in this kinde and leaveth Lasreanus to his choyce Let us dispute briefely saith he but in the name of God let us give judgement Three things are given to thy choyce Lasreanus Two bookes shall be cast into the fire a booke of the old order and of the new that wee may see whether of them both shall be freed from the fire Or let two Monkes one of mine and another of thine be shut up into one house and let the house be burnt and wee shall see which of them will escape untouched of the fire Or let us goe unto the grave of a just Monke that is dead and rayse him up againe and let him tell us after what order we ought to celebrate Easter this yeare But Lasreanus being wiser then so refused to put so great a matter to that hazzard and therefore returned this grave answer unto Munna if all be true that is in the Legend We will not goe unto thy judgement because we know that for the greatnesse of thy labour and holinesse if thou shouldest bid that mount Marge should be changed into the place of the White field and the White field into the place of mount Marge God vvould presently doe this for thy sake So prodigall doe some make God to be of miracles and in a maner carelesse how they should fall as if in the dispensing of them he did respect the gracing of persons rather then of causes In what yeare this Councell of the White field was held is not certainly known nor yet whether S. Munna be that whited wall of whom we heard Cummianus complaine The Synod of Strenshalch before mentioned was assembled long after at Whitby called by the Saxons Streanesheale in Yorkeshire the yeare of our Lord DCLXIIII for the decision of the same question Concerning which in the life of Wilfrid written at the commandement of Acca who in the time of Bede was Bishop of Hangustald or Hexham in Northumberland we reade thus Vpon a certaine time in the dayes of Colman metropolitan Bishop of the citie of Yorke Oswi and Alhfrid his sonne being Kings the Abbots and Priests and all the degrees of Ecclesiasticall orders meeting together at the monastery which is called Streaneshel in the presence of Hilde the most godly mother of that abbay in presence also of the Kings and the two Bishops Colman Aegelberht inquiry was made touching the observatiō of Easter what was most right to be held whether Easter should be kept according to the custome of the Brittons and the Scottes and all the Northren part upon the Lords day that came from the XIIII day of the Moone untill the XX. or whether it were better that Easter Sonday should be celebrated from the XV. day of the Moone untill the XXI after the maner of the See Apostolick Time was given unto Bishop Colman in the first place as it vvas fit to deliver his reason in the audience of all Who with an undaunted minde made his answer and sayd Our fathers and their predecessors who were manifestly inspired by the holy Ghost as Columkille was did ordayne that Easter should be celebrated upon the Lords day that fell upon the XIIII Moone following the example of Iohn the Apostle and Evangelist who leaned upon the brest of our Lord at his last Supper and was called the lover of the Lord. He celebrated Easter upon the XIIII day of the Moone and we with the same confidence celebrate the same as his disciples Polycarpus and others did neyther dare we for our parts neyther will we change this Bede relateth his speech thus This Easter which I use to observe I received from my elders who did send me Bishop hither which all our fathers men beloved of God are knowne to have celebrated after the same maner Which that it may not seeme unto any to be contemned and rejected it is the same which the blessed Evangelist Iohn the disciple specially beloved by our Lord with all the Churches which he did oversee is read to have celebrated Fridegodus who wrote the life of Wilfride at the command of Odo archbishop of Canterbury expresseth the same in verse after this maner Nos seriem patriam non frivola scripta tenemus Discipulo eusebij Polycarpo dante Iohannis Ille etenim bis septenae sub tempore Phaebae Sanctum praefixit nobis fore Pascha colendum Atque nefas dixit si quis contraria sentit On the contrarie side Wilfride objected unto Colman and his clerkes of Ireland that they with their complices the Pictes and the Brittons out of the two utmost Iles and those not whole neyther did with a foolish labour fight against the whole world And if that Columb of yours saith he yea and ours also if he were Christs was holy and powerfull in vertues could he be preferred before the most blessed prince of the Apostles unto vvhom the Lord said Thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevayle against it and I will give unto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heaven Which last words wrought much upon the simplicitie of King Oswy who feared that when he should come to the doors of the kingdome of heaven there would be none to open if he were displeased who was proved to keepe the keyes but prevayled nothing with Bishop Colman who
letters doe testifie unto this day For all Ilands of ancient right are said to belong to the Church of Româ— by the donation of Constantine who founded and endowed the same But will you see what a goodly title here is in the meane time First the Donation of Constantine hath beene long since discovered to be a notorious forgerie and is rejected by all men of judgement as a senselesse fiction Secondly in the whole context of this forged Donation I finde mention made of Ilands in one place onely where no more power is given to the Church of Rome over them then in generall over the whole Continent by East and by West by North and by South and in particular over Iudaea Graecia Asia Thracia and Aphrica which use not to passe in the account of S. Peters temporall patrimonie Thirdly it doth not appeare that Constantine himselfe had anie interest in the kingdome of Ireland how then could he conferre it upon another Some words there be in an oration of Eumenius the Rhetorician by which peradventure it may be collected that his father Constantius bare some stroke here but that the Iland was ever possessed by the Romanes or accounted a parcell of the Empire cannot be proved by any sufficient testimonie of antiquitie Fourthly the late writers that are of another minde as Pomponius Laetus Cuspinian others do yet affirme withall that in the division of the Empire after Constantines death Ireland was assigned unto Constantinus the eldest sonne which will hardly stand with this donation of the Ilands supposed to be formerly made unto the Bishop of Rome and his successors Pope Adrian therefore and Iohn of Salisbury his soâ—licitor had need seeke some better warrant for the title of Ireland then the Donation of Constantine Iohn Harding in his Chronicle saith that the Kings of England have right To Ireland also by king Henry le fitz Of Maude doughter of first King Henry That conquered it for their great heresie which in another place he expresseth more at large in this maner The King Henry then conquered all Ireland By Papall dome there of his royaltee The profytes and revenues of the land The domination and the soverayntee For errour which agayn the spiritualtee They held full long and would not been correct Of heresyes with which they were infect Philip Osullevan on the other side doth not only denie that Ireland was infected with any heresie but would also have us beleeve that the Pope never intended to conferre the Lordship of Ireland upon the Kings of England For where it is said in Pope Adrians Bull Let the people of that land receive thee and reverence thee as a Lord the meaning therof is saith this Glozer Let them reverence thee as a Prince worthy of great honour not as Lord of Ireland but as a Deputie appointed for the collecting of the Ecclesiasticall tribute It is true indeed that King Henry the second to the end hee might the more easily obtaine the Popes good will for his entring upon Ireland did voluntarily offer unto him the payment of a yearely pension of one penny out of every house in the countrey which for ought that I can learne was the first Ecclesiasticall tribute that ever came unto the Popes coffers out of Ireland But that King Henry got nothing else by the bargaine but the bare office of collecting the Popes Smoke-silver for so wee called it here when wee payed it is so dull a conceit that I do somewhat wonder how Osullevan himselfe could be such a blockhead as not to discerne the senselesnesse of it What the King sought for and obtained is sufficiently declared by them that writt the historie of his raigne In the yeare of our Lord MCLV. the first Bull was sent unto him by Pope Adrian the summe wherof is thus laid downe in a second Bull directed unto him by Alexander the third the immediat successor of the other Following the stepps of reverend Pope Adrian and attending the fruite of your desire we ratifie and confirme his grant concerning the dominion of the KINGDOME of Ireland conferred upon you reserving unto S. Peter and the holy Church of Rome as in England so in Ireland the yearly pension of one penny out of every house In this sort did Pope Adrian as much as lay in him give Ireland unto King Henry haereditario jure possidendam to be possessed by right of inheritance and withall sent unto him a ring of gold set with a faire Emerauld for his investiture in the right thereof as Iohannes Sarisburiensis who was the principall agent betwixt them both in this businesse doth expressely testifie After this in the yeare MCLXXI the King himselfe came hither in person where the Archbishops and Bishops of Ireland received him for their KING and Lord. The King saith Iohn Brampton received letters from every Archbishop and Bishop with their seales hanging upon them in the maner of an Indenture confirming the KINGDOME of Ireland unto him and his heyres and bearing witnesse that they in Ireland had ordayned him and his heyres to be their KINGS and Lords for ever At Waterford saith Roger Hoveden all the Archbishops Bishops Abbots of Ireland came unto the King of England and received him for KING and Lord of Ireland swearing fealtie to him and to his heyres and power to raigne over them for ever and hereof they gave him their Instruments The Kings also and Princes of Ireland by the example of the clergie did in like maner receive Henry King of England for Lord and KING of Ireland and became his men or did him homage and swore fealtie to him and his heyres against all men These things were presently after confirmed in the Nationall Synod held at Casshell the Actes whereof in Giraldus Cambrensis are thus concluded For it is fit and most meet that as Ireland by Gods appointment hath gotten a Lord and a KING from England so also they should from thence receive a better forme of living King Henry also at the same time sent a transcript of the Instruments of all the Archbishops and Bishops of Ireland unto Pope Alexander who by his Apostolicall authoritie for so was it in those dayes of darkenesse esteemed to be did confirme the KINGDOME of Ireland unto him and his heyres according to the forme of the Instruments of the Archbishops and Bishops of Ireland and made them KINGS thereof for ever The King also obtained further from Pope Alexander that it might be lawfull for him to make which of his sonnes he pleased KING of Ireland and to crowne him accordingly and to subdue the Kings and great ones of that land vvhich would not subject themselves unto him Whereupon in a graund Councell held at Oxford in the yeare of our Lord MCLXXVII before the Bishops and Peeres of the kingdome he constituted his sonne Iohn KING of Ireland according to
the second at Constantinople was called by Theodosius the elder the third at Ephesus by Theodosius the yonger the fourth at Calcedon by Valentinian and Martian And this is so manifest a truth that Cardinall Cusanus confesseth and affirmeth that the first eight generall Councells were called by the Emperors And so also witnesseth Socrates that Since Emperors became Christians the businesses of the Church have seemed to depend upon their vvill and therefore the greatest Councels saith he have beene and still are called by their appointment But here Bellarmine steppeth in and would perswade that howsoever Emperors did call Councels yet it was done authoritate Papae by authoritie of the Pope A verie strange assertion and untrue for even Leo himselfe Bishop of Rome in his time made supplication to the then Emperor Theodosius the yonger Supplicationi nostrae dignetur aâ—nuere That hee vvould be pleased to yeeld to his Supplication for the calling of a Councell in Italy But the Emperor for all that contrarie to the Popes will and desire and notwithstanding that his humble petition caused the Councell to bee called and assembled not in Italy as the Pope desired but at Ephesus Afterward againe the same Leo Bishop of Rome made a second supplication alledging withall the sighes and teares of all the Clergie for the obtayning of a Councell in Italy He sollicited the Princesse Pulcheria to further his supplication to the Emperor He wrote to the Nobles Clergie and people of Constantinople to make the like supplication to the Emperor and yet for all this he could not obtaine it this second time neither For although then a Councel were granted yet it was not in Italy as the Pope would have had it but at Calcedon It is then more then manifest by this example of Leo that Councels in those times were assembled and convocated not by the commandement and authoritie of the Popes but of Emperors Yea by the subscription also to those constitutions you may further discerne that the Pope in those times had no authoritie to command the Emperor but contrariwise the Emperor had to command the Pope for thus saith the same Leo to the then Emperor Because saith he I must by all meanes obey your sacred and religious vvill I have set downe my consent in writing to those Constitutions If then there were no other evidences or proofes doe not these three former examples viz. of Miltiades Leo and Gregory all Bishops of Rome in their severall times make plaine demonstration and openly proclaime to the world that in those dayes the Bishops of Rome were without all question or contradiction inferior obedient and subiect to the Emperors and not superior to them But yet further ye know that King Solomon removed the high Priest Abiathar and put Zadoc in his place The Emperor Theodosius the elder did likewise nominate and appoint Nectarius to be Bishop of Constantinople Honorius also appointed Boniface to be Bishop of Rome And other Emperors did the like Is it not then lawfull for King IAMES our Soveraigne Lord likewise to nominate appoint a Bishop of a Diocesse or Province and upon iust cause againe to remove and displace him For as touching the sacration or consecration of Bishops or other Minister ecclesiasticall otherwise called the ordination of them by imposition of hands the King medleth not but leaveth those kind of Acts to be done by Bishops and such to whom they belong Yea King VVilliam Rufus likewise in his dayes nominated appointed Anselmus to be Archbishop of Canterburie And before him King VVilliam the Conqueror used the like authority nominating and appointing Lanfrancus to be the Archbishop as is also testified by the same Author And even before the Conquest King Edward the Confessor appointed one Robert first Bishop of London and afterward an Archbishop And before that King Alfred nominated and appointed Asserio Bishop of Sherborne and Denewulfus Bishop of Winchester And more then 200. yeres before that Edelwalk King of the South Saxons appointed VVilfred to an Episcopall Sea Grantzius speaking of the ancient times saith thus The Emperor placed a Bishop in Monster And mervaile not saith he that a Bishop vvas appointed by the Emperor for this vvas the Custome of those times vvhen Emperors had power to place and displace Popes And further he saith That vvhomsoever the Prince did nominate that man vvas to be consecrated a Bishop by the next adioyning Bishops And he addeth further That concerning this Iurisdiction there vvas a long contention betweene the Papacy and the Empire This vvas the Iurisdiction vvhich the Two Henries the father and the sonne and vvhich the Two Fredericks likewise the grandfather and the grandchilde sought long to Defend and maintaine but the sword of the Church saith he prevayled and forced the Emperors to relinquish their right to the Church Thus you see how namely That partly by fraude and partly by force the Popes after much striving and contending prevayled at last against the Emperors and made them to loose their rights And therefore worthily is that Statute which giveth these rights againe to our Kings and Princes entituled An Act restoring to the Crowne the ancient Iurisdiction over the state Ecclesiasticall and Spirituall and abolishing all forraine power repugnant to the same The premisses then well and advisedly considered what is there in all the authoritie concerning Ecclesiasticall causes attributed or belonging to the King that can iustly offend anie of you For I doubt not but such authorities in Ecclesiasticall causes as were in ancient time yeelded to the godly Kings of Iudah or unto the godly Christian Emperors yee will well allow as in all right and reason ye ought unto Christian kings Princes within their dominions And amongst the rest of their rights and authorities this also was one that the Emperors approved ratified and confirmed even the Constitutions and Decrees of Councels before they were promulged or put in execution For so did Constantine that Christian Emperor confirme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Decrees of the Councell Againe Rogamus clementiam tuam saith the Councell to the Emperor Theodosius ut per Literas tuae pietatis ratum esse Iubeas confirmesque Concilij Decretum Wee beseech your clemencie that by your Letters you will ratifie and confirme the Decree of the Councell Sacro nostrae Serenitatis Edicto saith also Martian the Emperor venerandam Synodam confirmamus We by the sacred Edict of our Serenity doe confirme the reverend Synod This then is a right which must likewise be acknowledged due and to belong to King IAMES our Soveraigne Lord. What obiection then or exception can be taken against his Maiesties Supremacie in any point or why should not all his subiects most readily and willingly acknowledge it and in testimonie thereof take the Oath concerning the same whensoever they bee thereunto lawfully required For if anie suppose as
say that in the manuscript books which I have met withall here in S. Brendans own countrey one whereof was transcribed for the use of the Friars minors of Kilkenny about the yeare of our Lord 1350. there is not the least footstep thereof to be seene And this is a thing verie observable in the ancienter lives of our Saints such I meane as have beene written before the time of Satans loosing beyond which we doe not now looke that the prayers and oblations for the dead mentioned therein are expressely noted to have been made for them whose soules were supposed at the same instant to have rested in blisse So Adamnanus reporteth that S. Colme called by the Irish both in Bedes and our dayes Colum-kille caused all things to be prepared for the sacred ministerie of the Eucharist when he had seene the soule of S. Brendan received by the holy Angells and that hee did the like when Columbanus Bishop of Leinster departed this life for I must to day saith S. Colme there although I be unworthy celebrate the holy mysteries of the Eucharist for the reverence of that soule which this night carried beyond the starry firmament betwixt the holy quires of Angells ascended into Paradise Whereby it appeareth that an honourable commemoration of the dead was herein intended and a sacrifice of thanksgiving for their salvation rather then of propitiation for their sinnes In Bede also wee finde mention of the like obsequies celebrated by S. Cuthbert for one Hadwaldus after he had seene his soule carried by the hands of Angells unto the joyes of the kingdome of heaven So Gallus and Magnus as Walafridus Strabus relateth in the life of the one and Theodorus Campidonensis or whosoever else was author of the life of the other said Masse which what it was in those dayes wee shall afterward heare and were instant in prayers for the commemoration of abbat Columbanus their countreyman frequenting the memory of that great Father with holy prayers and healthfull sacrifices Where that speech of Gallus unto his deacon Magnus or Magnoaldus is worthie of speciall consideration After this nights watch I understood by a vision that my master and father Columbanus is to day departed out of the miseries of this life unto the joyes of Paradise For his rest therefore I ought to offer the sacrifice of salvation In like maner also when Gallus himselfe died Iohn Bishop of Constance prayed to the Lord for his rest and offered healthfull sacrifices for him although he were certainly perswaded that hee had attained the blessing of everlasting life as may be seene in Walafridus And when Magnus afterwards was in his death-bed he is said to have used these words unto Tozzo Bishop of Ausborough that came to visite him Doe not weepe reverend Prelate because thou beholdest me labouring in so manie stormes of worldly troubles because I beleeve in the mercie of God that my soule shall rejoyce in the freedome of immortalitie yet I beseech thee that thou wilt not cease to helpe me a sinner and my soule with thy holy prayers Then followeth that at the time of his departure this voice was heard Come Magnus come receive the crowne vvhich the Lord hath prepared for thee and that thereupon Tozzo said unto Theodorus the supposed writer of this historie Let us cease weeping brother because wee ought rather to rejoyce having heard this signe of the receiving of his soule unto immortalitie than to make lamentation but let us goe to the Church and be carefull to offer healthfull sacrifices to the Lord for so deare a friend I dispute not of the credite of these particular passages it is sufficient that the authors from whom wee have received them lived within the compasse of those times whereof we now doe treate For thereby it is plaine enough and if it be not it shall elsewhere be made yet more plaine that in those elder dayes it was an usuall thing to make prayers and oblations for the rest of those soules which were not doubted to have beene in glorie and consequently that neyther the Commemoration nor the Praying for the dead nor the Requiem Masses of that age have anie necessarie relation to the beleefe of Purgatory The lesson therefore which Claudius teacheth us here out of S. Hierome is verie good that while wee are in this present world we may be able to helpe one another eyther by our prayers or by our counsailes but when vvee shall come before the judgement seat of Christ neyther Iob nor Daniel nor Noah can intreate for any one but every one must beare his owne burden and the advise which the no lesse learned then godly abbat Columbanus giveth us is verie safe not to pitch upon uncertainties hereafter but now to trust in God and follow the precepts of Christ while our life doth yet remaine and while the times wherin we may obtayne salvation are certaine Vive Deo fidens saith he Christi praecepta sequeÌ„do Dum modò vita manet dum tempora certa salutis Touching the worship of God that I may now come to that point Sedulius delivereth this generall rule that to adore any other beside the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost is the crime of impietie and that all that the soule oweth unto God if it bestow it upon any beside God it committeth adultery More particularly in the matter of Images he reproveth the wise men of the heathen for thinking that they had found out a way how the invisible God might be worshipped by a visible image with whom also accordeth Claudius that God is to be knowen neyther in mettle nor in stone and for Oathes there is a Canon ascribed to S. Patrick wherein it is determined that no creature is to be sworâ—e by but onely the Creator As for the forme of the Liturgie or publick service of God which the same S. Patrick brought into this countrey it is said that he received it from Germanus and Lupus and that it originally descended from S. Marke the Evangelist for so have I seene it set down in an ancient fragment written wellnigh 900. yeares since remayning now in the Library of Sir Robert Cotton my worthy friend who can never sufficiently be commended for his extraordinarie care in preserving all rare monuments of this kinde Yea S. Hieroms authoritie is there vouched for proofe hereof Beatus Hieronymus adfirmat quòd ipsum cursum qui dicitur praesente tempore Scottorum beatus Marcus decantavit which being not now to be found in anie of S. Hieroms workes the truth thereof I leave unto the credite of the reporter But whatsoever Liturgie was used here at first this is sure that in the succeeding ages no one generall forme of divine service was retayned but diverse rites and maners of celebrations were observed in diverse parts of this kingdome untill the Romane use was brought in at last by
for the feare of his country as the ancient author of the life of Wilfride writeth contemned the tonsure and the observation of Easter used by the Romanes and taking with him such as would follow him that is to say such as would not receive the catholick Easter and the tonsure of the crowne for of that also there was then no small question returned backe againe into Scotland In his roome was Wilfride chosen archbishop of Yorke who had learned at Rome from archdeacon Boniface the course of Easter vvhich the schismaticks of Brittaine and Ireland did not know so goe the words of the ancient writer of his life and afterward did brag that he was the first which did teach the true Easter in Northumberland having cast out the Scotts which did ordayne the Ecclesiasticall songs to be parted on sides and vvhich did command S. Benetts rule to be observed by Monkes But when he was named to the Archbishoprick he refused it at the first as William of Malmesbury relateth least he should receive his consecration from the Scottish Bishops or from such as the Scotts had ordayned vvhose communion the Apostolicke See had rejected The speech which hee used to this purpose unto the Kings that had chosen him is thus laid downe by the writer of his life O my honourable Lords the Kings it is necessary for us by all meanes providently to consider how with your election I may by the helpe of God come to the degree of a Bishop without the accusation of catholick men For there be many Bishops here in Brittayne none of whom it is my part to accuse ordayned within these foureteene yeares by the Brittons and Scotts whom neyther the See Apostolick hath received into her communion nor yet such as consent with the schismaticks And therefore in my humility I request of you that you would send me with your warrant beyond the Sea into the countrey of France where many Catholick Bishops are to be had that without any controversie of the Apostolick See I may be counted meet though unworthy to receive the degree of a Bishop While Wilfride protracted time beyond the Seas King Oswy ledde by the advise of the Quartadecimans so they injuriously nicknamed the Brittish and Irish that did celebrate Easter from the fourteenth to the twentieth day of the moone appointed a most religious servant of God and an admirable Doctor that came from Ireland named Ceadda to be ordayned Bishop of Yorke in his roome Constituunt etenim perverso canone Coeddam Moribus acclinem doctrinae robore fortem Praesulis eximij servare cubilia sicque Audacter vivo sponsam rapuere marito saith Fridegodus This Ceadda being the scholler of Bishop Aidan was farre otherwise affected to the Brittis◠and Irish then Wilfride was and therefore was content to receive his ordination from Wini Bishop of the West-Saxons and two other Brittish Bishops that were of the Quartadeciman partie For at that time as Bede noteth there was not in all Brittaine any Bishop canonically ordayned that is to say by such as were of the communion of the Church of Rome except that Wini onely But shortly after the opposition betwixt these two sides grew to be so great that our Cuthbert Bishop of Lindisfarne upon his death bedd required his followers that they should hold no communion with them which did swerve from the unitie of the catholick peace eyther by not celebrating Easte◠in his due time or by living perversely and that they should rather take up his bones and remove their place of habitation then anie way condescend to submit their neckes unto the yoake of schismatickes And among the decrees made by some of the Saxon Bishops which were to be seene in the librarie of Sir Thomas Knevet in Northfolke and are still I suppose preserved there by his heyre this is laid downe for one Such as have received ordination from the Bishops of the Scotts or Brittaynes who in the matter of Easter and Tonsure are not united unto the Catholick Church let them be againe by imposition of hands confirmed by a Catholicke Bishop In like maner also let the Churches that have bin ordered by those Bishops be sprinkled with exorcized water confirmed with some service We have no licence also to give unto them Chrisme or the Eucharist when they require it unlesse they doe first professe that they will remaine with us in the unitie of the Church And such likewise as either of their nation or of any other shall doubt of their baptisme let them be baptized Thus did they On the other side how averse the Brittish and the Irish were from having anie communion with those of the Romane partie the complaint of Laurentius Mellitus and Iustus before specified doth sufficiently manifest But above all others the Brittish Priests that dwelt in West-wales abhorred their communion beyond all measure as Aldhelme abbot of Malmesbury declareth at large in his Epistle sent to Geruntius king of Cornewall where among manie other particulars he sheweth that if anie of the Catholicks for so he calleth those of his own side did go to dwell among them they would not vouchsafe to admit them unto their companie and societie before they first put them to fortie dayes penance Yea even to this day saith Bede who wrote his historie in the yeare DCCXXXI it is the maner of the Brittons to hold the faith and the religion of the English in no account at all nor to communicate with them in any thing more then with Pagans Whereunto those verses of Taliessyn honoured by the Brittains with the title of Ben Beirdh that is the chiefe of the Bardes or wisemen may be added which evidently shew that he wrote after the comming of Austin the monke into England and not 50. or 60. yeares before as others have imagined Gwae'r offeiriad byd Nys angreifftia gwyd Ac ny phregetha Gwaeny chèidw ey gail Ac ef yn vigail Ac nys areilia Gwae ny cheidw ey dheuaid Rhac bleidhie Rhufeniaid A'i ffon gnwppa which Humfrey Lhoyd doth thus English VVo be to that priest yborne That will not cleanly weed his corne And preach his charge among VVo be to that shepheard I say That will not watch his fold alway As to his office doth belong VVo be to him that doth not keepe From Romish wolves his sheepe VVith staffe and weapon strong By all that hath beene said the vanitie of Osullevan may be seene who fayneth the Northren Irish together with the Pictes and the Britons to have beene so obsequious unto the Bishop of Rome that they reformed the celebration of Easter by them formerly used as soone as they understood what the rite of the Romane Church was Whereas it is knowne that after the declaration thereof made by Pope Honorius and the clergie of Rome the Northren Irish were nothing moved therewith but continued still their owne tradition And therfore Bede
dissented from the Church of Rome in the celebration of Easter and manie other things made no scruple to prefixe this loving respectfull superscription to their letters To our Lords and most deare brethren the Bishops or Abbots throughout all Scotland Laurentius Mellitus and Iustus Bishops the servants of the servants of God For howsoever Ireland at that time received not the same lawes wherewith other nations were governed yet it so flourished in the vigour of Christian doctrine as Abbot Ionas testifieth that it exceeded the faith of all the neighbour nations in that respect was generally had in honour by them It now remaineth that in the last place we should consider the Popes power in disposing the temporall state of this kingdome which either directly or indirectly by hook or by crook this graund Usurper would draw unto himselfe First therefore Cardinall Allen would have us to know that the Sea Apostolick hath an old claime unto the soverainty of the countrey of Ireland and that before the covenants passed betweene king Iohn and the same Sea Which challenges saith hee Princes commonly yeeld not up by what ground so ever they come What Princes use to yeeld or not yeeld I leave to the skanning of those unto whom Princes matters doe belong for the Cardinalls Prince I dare be bold to say that if it be not his use to play fast and loose with other Princes the matter is not now to do whatsoever right he could pretend to the temporall state of Ireland he hath transferred it more then once unto the Kings of England and when the ground of his clayme shall be looked into it will be found so frivolous and so ridiculous that wee need not care three chippes whether he yeeld it up or keep it to himselfe For whatsoever become of his idle challenges the Crowne of England hath otherwise obtained an undoubted right unto the soveraintie of this countrey partly by Conquest prosecuted at first upon occasion of a Sociall warre parâ—ly by the severall submissions of the chieftaines of the land made afterwards For whereas it is free for all men although they have beene formerly quitt from all subjection to renounce their owne right yet now in these our dayes saith Giraldus Cambrensis in his historie of the Conquest of Ireland all the Princes of Ireland did voluntarily submitt and binde themselves with firme bonds of faith and oath unto Henry the second King of England The like might be said of the generall submissions made in the dayes of King Richard the second and King Henry the eighth to speake nothing of the prescription of diverse hundreds of yeares possession which was the plea that Iephte used to the Ammonites and is indeed the best evidence that the Bishop of Romes owne proctors doe produce for their Masters right to Rome it selfe For the Popes direct dominion over Ireland two titles are brought forth beside those covenants of King Iohn mentioned by Allen which hee that hath anie understanding in our state knoweth to be clearly void and worth nothing The one is taken from a speciall grant supposed to be made by the inhabitants of the countrey at the time of their first conversion unto Christianity the other from a right which the Pope challengeth unto himselfe over all Ilands in generall The former of these was devised of late by an Italian in the raigne of King Henry the eighth the later was found out in the dayes of King Henry the second before whose time not one footsteppe doth appeare in all antiquitie of anie clayme that the Bishop of Rome should make to the dominion of Ireland no not in the Popes owne records which have beene curiously searched by Nicolaus Arragonius and other ministers of his who have purposely written of the particulars of his temporall estate The Italian of whom I spake is Polydore Vergil he that composed the booke De inventoribus rerum of the first Inventers of things among whom he himselfe may challenge a place for this invention if the Inventers of lyes be admitted to have anie roome in that companie This man being sent over by the Pope into England for the collecting of his Peter-pence undertook the writing of the Historie of that nation wherein he forgatt not by the way to doe the best service hee could to his Lord that had imployed him thither There he telleth an idle tale how the Irish being moved to accept Henry the second for their King did deny that this could be done otherwise then by the Bishop of Romes authority because forsooth that from the very beginning after they had accepted Christian religion they had yeelded themselves and all that they had into his power and they did constantly affirme saith this fabler that they had no other Lord beside the Pope of which also they yet do bragge The Italian is followed herein by two Englishmen that wished the Popes advancement as much as he Edmund Campian and Nicholas Sanders the one whereof writeth that immediatly after Christianitie planted here the whole Iland with one consent gave themselves noâ— only into the spirituall but also into the temporall Iurisdiction of the See of Rome the other in Polydores own words though he name him not that the Irish from the beginning presently after they had received Christian religion gave up themselves and all that they had into the power of the Bishop of Rome and that untill the time of King Henry the second they did acknowledge no other supreme Prince of Ireland beside the Bishop of Rome alone For confutation of which dreame we need not have recourse to our owne Chronicles the Bull of Adrian the fourth wherein he giveth libertie to King Henry the second to enter upon Ireland sufficiently discovereth the vanitie thereof For hee there shewing what right the Church of Rome pretended unto Ireland maketh no mention at all of this which had beene the fairest and clearest title that could be alledged if anie such had beene then existent in rerum natura but is faine to flie unto a farre fetcht interest which he saith the Church of Rome hath unto all Christian Ilands Truly saith he to the King there is no doubt but that all Ilands unto which Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse hath shined and which have received the instructions of the Christian faith doe pertaine to the right of Sainct Peter and the holy Church of Rome which your Noblenesse also doth acknowledge If you would further understand the ground of this strange clayme whereby all Christian Ilands at a clap are challenged to be parcell of S. Peters patrimonie you shall have it from Iohannes Sarisburiensis who was most inward with Pope Adrian and obtayned from him this verie grant whereof now wee are speaking At my request saith he he granted Ireland to the illustrious King of England Henry the second and gave it to be possessed by right of inheritance as his owne
Secondly I must crave leave to say that I find not Popery how subtill or sophisticall soever it be to be of anie such puissance but that a man of meane learning armed with the strength of the divine Scriptures may easily ruinate and overturne it Thirdly those that oppugne the Religion His Majesties Supremacie what doe they else but oppugne therewithall as they must needs at least inclusively the Lawes and Statutes of the Kingdome whereby they are both established And what reason then can bee shewed why hee that is a Lawyer by profession may not defend and maintaine the Lawes and Statutes of the Realme in those two great points especially wherein they be so unjustly and causelessely oppugned But when I consider my selfe further to be a servant though unworthy to his most excellent Majestie and that in so high and eminent a Court as His Maiesties Bench is beside my profession the duetie of my place also tyeth mee to defend his Maiesties Supremacie as being a thing properly appâ—rtayning to his verie Crowne and Regall dignitie And doth not moreover the Oath of Supremacy to His Majestie which I have taken necessarily binde mee hereunto Yea even for this verie cause that I am a subiect to his Maiestie though there were no other reason doe I hold my selfe in duetie tyed to my power to uphold and maintain that his Regall Supremacie For if everie good childe will maintaine the right and Authoritie of his Father and everie good servant the right and Authoritie of his Lord and Master ought not everie good subiect to maintaine the right and Authoritie of his Soveraigne Lord and King And as touching the Religion if there were no other reason but this that I am a Christian by profession though no professed Divine doe I hold it for that verie cause not onely well beseeming mee but my duetie likewise according to such measure of knowledge and abilitie as God hath given mee to defend and maintaine the true and Christian Religion I professe against that which is untruly called the Christian and Catholike and is indeed the false erroneous and Antichristian For whereas some have a conceit that not Lay men at all but Clergie men only and such as be of the Ecclesiastical Ministerie should meddle with the Scriptures and matters of Religion it appeareth to be a verie vaine conceit and an untrue opinion because S. Paul directly requireth even of Lay Christians as well as of others that the Word of Christ should Dwell in them and that not poorely or in a small or slender measure but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is richly plentifully or abundantly Whereupon Primasius saith that Hence wee learne that the Lay people ought to have the knowledge of the Scriptures and to teach one another not onely sufficiently but also abundantly And therefore are they further expressely charged to admonish exhort and edifie one another yea to contend and not onely to contend but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 earnestly to contend for that faith which was once given unto the Saints And doth not God himselfe also command thus Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart but Thou shalt in anie wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sinne to be upon him Agreeably wherunto would not S. Iames likewise have all Christians to labour the conversion of such as be in error and goe astray telling them for their better encouragement in this matter that if any doe erre from the truth and another convert him let such a one know that he which converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soule from death and cover a multitude of sinnes You see then what duties in respect of the good of others as well as of himselfe be required even of a lay person in matters concerning God and his religion And indeede verie strange it were if lay Christians should be tyed in charitie to take care of mens bodies and yet should in no sort be permitted to have anie care or to shew anie Christian charitie or affection in respect of their soules and the good and safetie of them It is true that no man may take upon him the office and function of Bishops Pastors or other Ministers of the Word without a lawfull calling or ordination first had and obtayned but although a lay man may not therfore preach minister the sacraments nor do anie such acts as be proper and peculiar to those that be Ecclesiasticall Ministers yet in such things as be not proper and peculiar unto them but be acts and duties common with them to other Christians a Lay man may lawfully intermeddle It is likewise true that the knowledge of Gods Word and consequently of Divinitie doth in a more exact and more plentiful and fuller maner and measure and chiefly belong to those that be professed Divines and of the Ecclesiasticall Ministery but thereupon it followeth not that therefore it belongeth onely to them As also although those of the Ecclesiasticall Ministery are to teach and instruct the Lay people out of the Scriptures and that the Lay people are to learne what they rightly teach from thence yet neither doth it thereupon follow nor is that anie argument or impediment but that the Lay people may neverthelesse reade and get knowledge in the Scriptures and thereout learne what good they can also even by their owne industry diligence and endevour We reade of Aquila and Priscilla his wife that they were by their Trade Tentmakers and that Apollos was a man eloquent and mightie in the Scriptureâ— yet so skilfull learned expert were those two nameâ—ly not onely Aquila but Priscilla also his wife in the Word of God as that they tooke unto them the same Apollos and expounded unto him The Way of God more perfectly All men know that Kings Princes and such like civill Magistrates be none of that Order of the Ecclesiasticall Ministery and yet of them it is specially required that they reade the Scriptures Book of God and that they be verie diligent and conversant in it For God expressely requireth of a King that When hee shall sit upon the Throne of his Kingdome He get him the Book of his Law and chargeth him to reade therein all the Dayes of his Life that he may learne to feare the Lord his God and to Keepe All his Words and ordinances not turning from them eyther to the right hand or to the left That so he may prolong his Dayes in his Kingdome Hee and his Sonnes after him And to Iosuah a civill Magiâ—â—â—ate hee likewise giveth this charge and commandement saying Let not This Booke of the Law depart out of thy mouth but Meditate therein Day and Night that thou maist Observe and Doe according to All that is written therein for then shalt thou make thy Way prosperous and then shalt thou have good successe Was not the Treasurer to Candace Queene of the Ethiopians also a Lay man and not
by making lawes for Christ but they may also command and externally compell their subiects if they stubbornly be Reâ—â—sants and wilfull to become obedient in that behalfe For so did the godly and religious Kings of Iudah as for example King Asa King Manasseth and king Iosiah The Donatists were the first that denied this authoritie of Kings in matters Ecclesiasticall Against whom therefore S. Augustine disputeth at large in sundry places VVhy doe the Donatists saith he acknowledge the force of the laws to be iustly executed against other malefactors and deny the same to be done against heretickes and schismaticks seeing that by the authoritie of the Apostle they be alike reckoned with the same fruits of iniquity yea if a King should not regard such things why then saith he doth he beare the sword Againe hee saith Mirantur quia commoventur potestates Christianae adversus detestandos dissipatores Ecclesiae Si non ergo moverentur quo modo redderent rationem de Imperio suâ— Deo They marvaile that these Christian Powers be moved against the detestable wasters of the Church If they should not be moved against such how should they render an account to God of their rule or governement Thinkest thou saith he to Vincentius that no man ought to be forced to righteousnesse vvhen as thou readest that the Master said unto his servant Compell all that you finde to come in c. Where is now saith he to Bonifacius that vvhich these Donatists harpe at so much viz. That it is free for a man to beleeve or not to beleeve what violence did Christ use whom did hee compell Behold Paul for an example Let them marke in him first Christ compelling and afterward teaching first striking and then comforting Let them not mislike that they be forced but examine whereto they be sorted And cyting that part of the second Psalme Be vvise ye kings understand yee that iudge the earth Serve the Lord in feare hee saith thus How doe kings serve the Lord in feare but when they forbid and punish vvith a religious severitie those things which be done against the commandements of God As Ezechias did serve him by destroying the groves and Temples builded against the precept of God As Iosiah did in like maner As the king of Nineveh also did forcing the vvhole City to please God As Nebuchadnezar likewise did restraining all his subiects from blaspheming God with a dreadfull law 3 As for the reason of Gaudentius that the peace of Christ invited such as were willing but forced no man unwilling the same S. Augustine again answereth it speaketh on this manner VVhere you thinke saith he that none must be forced to truth against their wils you be deceived not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God vvhich maketh them willing afterward vvhich were unwilling at the first Did the Ninivites repent against their will because they did it at the compulsion of their king VVhat needed the kings expresse commandement that all should humbly submit themselves to God but that there were some amongst them vvhich never vvould have regarded nor beleeved Gods message had they not beene terrified by the kings Edict This princely power and authoritie giveth many men occasion to be saved vvhich though they vvere violently brought to the feast of the great Housholder yet being once compelled to come in they finde there good cause to reioyce that they did enter though at first against their wills And when Petilian also obiected that no man ought to be forced by lawes to godlinesse S. Augustine still answereth and saith Preposterous vvere discipline to revenge your ill living but vvhen you first contemne the doctrine that teacheth you to live vvell And even those that make lawes to bridle your headinesse are they not they that beare the sword as Paul speaketh not in vaine being Gods ministers and executors of wrath on him that doth ill Yea S. Augustine teacheth further directly that it is the office dutie of Kings and Princes to compell their subiects although not to faith yet to the outward meanes of faith which is comming to the Churches and assemblies of Gods people there to heare the word of God read and preached and to doe other Christian dueties there used For howsoever it be granted that God only worketh faith in mens soules and not Men nor the power of Kings yet thereupon it followeth not but that Kings may neverthelesse command and compell them to external obedience and cause them to present their bodies in those Churches and assemblies where the ordinarie meanes of faith and salvation is to be had And as for Gods inward working upon their soules and his blessing upon that outward meanes when they be in those Assemblies Kings and Princes doe and must leave those things unto God alone as being things not included within their power to give nor within the power of anie earthly creature whosoever Some of the Donatists in ancient time rather then they would be forced from their fancies were so wilful unnaturall and impious as that they slew themselves yet did this nothing hinder the Church of God but that Donatists for all that were compelled by vertue of Princes lawes to their due obedience without anie respect or regard had to such their wicked and desperate doings I vvas once so minded saith S. Augustine that I thought no man ought to be forced to Christian unity but that vvee should deale by perswasion strive by disputing and conquer by reasoning lest they proved dissembling Catholickes vvhom we know to be professed Heretickes But afterward as himselfe sheweth he altered this opinion upon better advisement teaching That as it is fit that men that be in error touching Religion should be admonished instructed and dealt withall by perswasion so if they neglect scorne or contemne admonitions and instructions or doe grow wilfull stubborne perverse and obstinate upon no ground of reason they are iustly worthie to be punished according to the lawes For what a vaine idle thing is it for anie to say It is against their conscience to come to our Churches there to heare Gods word read and preached to pray unto God with us to thanke him for all his benefites to be present and partakers of his Sacraments and of other godly and religious exercises there used and yet can shew no reason at all for this their doing A blinde conscience such as this and every other is that hath not anie good reason to shew for it selfe is to be corrected and reformed and not to be followed And therfore doth S. Augustine yet further say expresly touching this matter That it is enioyned Kings from God ut in Regno suo bona iubeant mala prohibeant non solum quae ad humanam societatem pertinent verum etiam quae ad Divinam Religionem that in their Kingdomes they should command good
and Canons of the Church by this haughty name to make himselfe his forerunner that is the forerunner of the King of Pride namely of Antichrist And he further addeth that hereby Iohn went about to attribute to himselfe those things which properly belong to the head himselfe that is to Christ and by the usurpation of this Pompous Title to bring under his subiection all the members of Christ. And therefore hee saith They must beware that this Tentation of Satan prevaile not over them either to give or to take this title of universall Bishop Gregory the great was likewise verie vehement and earnest against it By this Arrogancy and Pride saith he what else is portended but that the time of Antichrist is now at hand in that he imitateth him who making light of that happinesse which he possessed in common with the whole army of Angels would needs aspire to a singularitie above all the rest Againe hee saith All those that have read the Gospel know well vvhat the Lord said unto Peter c howbeit he is not called the universall Apostle and yet behold my fellow Priest Iohn seeketh to be called the universall Bishop I am now forced to cry out O the times and ô the maners of men Europe is now exposed for a prey to the Barbarians and yet the Priests vvho should lye along in the dust upon the Pavement vveeping and rowling themselves in ashes seeke after names of vanity and boast themselves of their new found prophane Tiâ—les And againe he saith VVhat vvilt thou answer unto Christ vvho is the true head of the universall Church in that day of Iudgement seeing that by this name of universall Bishop thou seekest to bring under all the members of his body unto thy selfe whom dost thou imitate herein save onely him vvho in contempt of those legions of Angels vvhich vvere his fellowes sought to mount aloft to the Top of Singularity vvhere he might be subiect to none and all others subiect unto him Againe he saith The king of Pride is at hand and vvhich I dread to speake an army of Priests standeth ready to receive him For they that vvere appointed to chalke out the vvay of meekenesse and of humblenesse doe now become souldiers unto that neâ—ke of Pride vvhich lifteth it sâ—lfe up And againe he saith Not to speake of the vvrong vvhich he hereby doth unto other Bishops If there be one called universall Bishop then must the universall Church goe to the ground if he vvhich is universall happen to fall but never may such foolery befall us never may this vveakenesse come unto my eares And againe he saiâ—h I speake â—t confidently that vvhosoever calleth himselfe or desâ—reth to be called universall Priest is in that his elation of minde the forerunner of Antichrist And a great deale more doth he write to this effect against it But notwithstanding that both these Bishops of Rome were herein thus earnest and vehement yet neverthelesse after the death of this Gregory the great Sabinianus succeeded who was Bishop but for a verie little space then came in Boniface the third to be Pope of Rome who obteyned of Phocas the Emperor who was a Traytor and murtherer of his predecessor and liege Lord the Emperor Mauritius that new and proud title of universal Bishop or headship over the whole Church For so also testifieth Paulus Diaconus Abbas Vspergensis Platina Otho Frisingensis Marianus Scotus Sabellicus Blondus and other Historians So that this appeareth to be then and in those times a verie new device and a new matter not heard of before in the Church and consequently could not be a declaration of a thing ever before acknowledged as Bellarmine would most strangely perswade Howbeit he alledgeth that before that time Iustinian called the Church of Rome the head of all the Churches And this is true but in that sense in which he called also that other namely the Church of Constantinople by the same name saying likewise that Constantinople is the head of all other Churches both which he so calleth in respect they were Patriarchall Sees and consequently everie of them Head of all the other Churches that were under them in those their severall Patriarchships But saith Bellarmine the Patriarch and Bishop of Rome was called Vniversall or Oecumenicall Bishop before Phocas his time whereunto is answered that so were also the other Patriarchs as well as he for so did Iustinian call Epiphanius the Bishop of Constantinople sometimes oecumenicall and sometimes which is all one universall Patriarch So doth he also call Anthemius and Menna in his Novels And the Councell of Calcedon likewise in sundry places calleth Menna oecumenicall Patriarch And so were other of the Patriarchs also called in respect of the generall charge which iointly together they had over all the Churches and in respect also of all those particular Churches which were severally belonging to each of them in right of those their severall Patriarchships Wherefore the taking of this Title from the rest of the Patriarches within their severall Patriarchships and the peculiarizing and appropriating of it to one Bishop or Patriarch alone as namely to the Bishop of Rome thereby to give him the headship and supremacie over all the Bishops in the world doth still appeare to be not untill this time of that abhominable Traytor and murtherer Phocas who bestowed it upon him about the yeare of our Lord 606. Such a wicked Founder and Author of it hath the Popes Ecclesiasticall Supremacy which as it had his originall from a Traytor so is it still continued upheld and maintained if ye well observe it by Treason and Rebellion But to make this yet more manifest ye may remember that the Christian Churches were in ancient times divided amongst foure or five Patriarches as of Rome Constantinople Alexandria Antioch and Hierusalem who in those ancient times were all of equall authoritie amongst themselves and had everie one their severall bounds limits beyond which they might not goe This is evident even by divers generall Councels and first by the first generall Councell of Nice holden anno 325. wherein were 318. Bishops The words of that Councell Can. 6. be these Let the ancient customes continue in force that are in Egypt Libia and Pentapolis That the Bishop of Alexandria have the governement of all these for as much as the Bishop of Rome also hath the like custome And so likewise throughout Antioch and in other Provinces let the Churches have their Prerogatives upholden by them Where we see that the severall Patriarches and by name the Bishop of Alexandria and the Bishop of Rome had their limits and bounds set them which they might not exceed for the ancient rights and customes touching the bounds limits of Alexandria be there confirmed because the Bishop of Rome who was another of the Patriarches had the like custome as touching bounds and limits set and appointed to him within his
some have done that the King is therein called Supreme head of the Church they are deceived The words of the Oath at this day to take away all offence that any might conceive in that point being not supreme HEAD but supreme GOVERNOR And as touching this Title of Governor within his owne Dominions none can with anie reason gainesay it inasmuch as beside that which is before spoken King Alfred reigning long sithence was likewise called Omnium Britanniae Insulae Christianorum Rector The Governor of all the Christians vvithin the Isle of Britanny The Councell also held at Mentz in Germanie the yeare 814 in the time of the Emperor Charles the great and Pope Leo the third calleth likewise the Christian Emperor Carolus Augustus Governor of the True Religion and Defendor of the holy Church of God c. And a little after they say thus VVee give thankes to God the Father almighty because he hath granted unto his holy Church a Governor so godly c. In the yeare 847. there was also held another Councel at Mentz in the time of Leo the fourth and Lotharius the Emperor where they againe call the Emperor Verae Religionis strenuissimum rectorem a most puissant Governor of the true Religion The like was ascribed to King Reccesumthius in a Councell held at Emerita in Portugale about the yeare 705 in these words VVhose vigilancie doth governe both secular things vvith very great piety and ecclesiasticall by his vvisedome plentifully given him of God Where you see it expressely acknowledged that the King is a Governor both in causes secular and ecclesiasticall And this Councell of Emerita had also good allowance of Pope Innocent the third in his Epistle to Peter Archbishop of Compostella as Garsias witnesseth So that the Title of Governor even as touching matters ecclesiasticall as well as civill or secular attributed to the King he governing in them after a Regall manner and not in that Ecclesiasticall manner which Bishops and Clergie men use can no way justly be misliked but must in all reason be well approved and allowed Howbeit I grant that King Henry the eight and King Edward the sixt had that Title of Head in their times given unto them but not of the universal Church upon earth as the Pope hath but of the Church onely within their owne Dominions and not within their owne Dominions neither in such sort and sense as the Pope taketh upon him to be Head over all the Churches in the world that is to rule and governe them at his own pleasure and as he lift himselfe Indeed Stephen Gardner Bishop of Winchester when he was in Germanie upon the Kings affaires was there a very ill Interpretor of that Title Supreme head of the Church vvithin his owne Dominions given to King Henry the eight reporting that the King might thereby prescribe and appoint new ordinances in the Church concerning faith and doctrine as namely forbid the marriage of Priests and take away the use of the Cup in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and in things concerning Religion might do what he listed This manner of declaring the Kings power and authoritie under that Title did so much offend the reformed Churches that Calvin and the writers of the Centuries did complaine of it and that iustly and worthily bearing that sense but in no other sort or sense did they dislike it Yea even that Title of Supreme head being rightly understood needed not to have offended anie for they had iâ— in no other sort or sense then the King of Israel likewise had the title of Head of the Tribes of Israel of which Tribes the Leviticall Tribe was one Or then Theodosius that Christian Emperor had the like within his Empire of whom Saint Chrysostome saith that non habet parem super terram He hath no peere or equall upon earth and affirmeth moreover of him that hee was summitas Caput omnium super terram hominum the Head and one that had the Supremacy over all men upon earth Yea by the Title of supreme Head attributed to King Henry the eight and King Edward the sixt was no more meant but the verie same that was afterward meant to the late Queene Elizabeth of blessed memorie or to King Iames our now Soveraigne Lord under the title of Supreme Governor for that they are both to be taken intended in one the selfe same sense is verie manifest even by a direct clause in an Act of Parliament viz. the Statute of 5. Eliz. cap. 1. in which also is declared how the Oath of Supremacie is to be expounded And the words of that Statute be these Provided also that the Oath viz of Supremacie expressed in the said Act made in the said first yeare of her raigne shall be taken and expounded in such forme as is set forth in an Admonition annexed to the Queenes Maiesties Iniunctions published in the same first yeare of her Maiesties raigne that is to say to confesse and acknowledge in her Maiestie her heyres and successors none other authoritie then that vvhich vvas challenged and lately used by the noble king Henry the eight and king Edward the sixt as in the said Admonition more plainly may appeare Where first you may observe the Authoritie attributed to King Henry the eight and to King Edward the sixt and to Queene Elizabeth as touching this point intended and declared to be all one And secondly you see it enacted how the Oath of Supremacy is to bee expounded namely that it is to be taken expounded in such forme as is set forth in an Admonition annexed to the Queens Majesties Iniunctions published in the same first yeare of her Raigne The words of which Admonition therefore as more amply conteyning the explanation of the same Oath I have here thought good to adde for your better and most full satisfaction in this matter The Title whereof is this An Admonition to simple men deceived by the malicious HEr Maiesty forbiddeth all her subiects to give eare or credite to such perverse and malicious persons vvhich most sinisterly and maliciously labour to notifie to her loving subiects how by the vvordes of the Oath of Supremacy it may be collected that the Kings or Queenes of this Realme possessioners of the Crowne may challenge authoritie and power of Ministery of Divine offices in the Church vvherein her said subiects be much abused by such evill disposed persons for certainly her Maiestie neyther doth nor ever vvill challenge any other authority then that vvhich vvas of ancient time due to the Imperiall Crowne of this Realme that is to say under God to have the Soveraignety and rule over all maner of Persons borne vvithin these her Maiesties Dominions and Countries of vvhat estate eyther Ecclesiasticall or Temporall soever they be So as no forraine Power shall or ought to have any superioritie over them And if any person that hath conceived any other sense of the
yee cannot so much as shew the points of your religion wherein yee differ from us by the testimonie of the sacred and Canonicall Scriptures to have beene in the Apostles times and taught or approved by them as wee can doe ours And as touching Perpetuitie your Church hath it not but ours verie clearely hath it as having beene not onely in the times of the Apostles but in all succeeding ages also and posterities as is before sufficiently and plainely declared in the first part of this booke Chap. 2. For the true Church is builded upon so strong and invincible a Rocke namely upon Christ Iesus himselfe whom Peter confessed as that the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it If all the power of hell and divels as is here manifest cannot prevaile against the Church of God that is the companie of Gods Elect and the number of his true and right Worshippers It is evident that this Church that is a companie of right and true worshippers of him must be granted to be perpetuall and to have continued throughout all ages and generations especially considering what God himselfe further speaketh saying thus I will makâ— this my covenant with them my spirit that is vpon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy Seede nor out of the mouth of thy Seedes seede saith the Lord from henceforth even for ever Yea that our Church was in Esse and had continuance even during the hottest rage of the raigne of that Romish Antichrist besides all other arguments this is a manifest one namely because the Popish Church still molested pursued and persecuted our Church under the names of Berengarians VValdenses Albigenses VVickâ—evists Lutherans Calvinists Lollards Heretickes Scismatickes and such like And yet very true it is that such may be sometime in some place the state of the Church by reason of rageing persecution against it as that even a right godly man and true worshipper of God may thinke himselfe to bee left alone without anie followers or copartners with him there in the right service of God As for example Elias complained in his time and of that place where he then lived that hee was left alone and That they sought to take avvay his life also And yet for all that was not Elias left alone although he so supposed and spake for God told him that he had even there namely in Israell where Elias then was reserved unto himselfe Seven thousand right worshippers of him which had not bowed their knee to Baal If the Companie of Gods chosen Church and elect people and right Worshippers of him be as is here evident sometime in some place unknowne even to a right godly man and Prophet of God no marvell is it though they sometimes lye hid and be unknowne to their enemies and persecutors to whose devowring pawes and bloodie hands without urgent cause they had no reason to shew themselves It is therfore no good argument which Papists make when they say that at some times during the raigne of Poperie they neither saw nor knew nor could heare of anie Protestants for if it were so as they say that they could finde none nor knew of anie at sometimes yet even then might there bee and were there also some such true and right worshippers of God albeit they lay hid from them and kept themselves as they had reason from their knowledge and mercilesse crueltie The reason then which they make against the continuance and perpetuitie of our Church because it was not as they say at all times seene of the world nor had their exercises of Religion at all and singular times publikely knowne to the world appeareth to be verie idle and of no force As for the answer which the Rhemists make to the former complaint of Eâ—ias that the faithful in his time were forced to keep close by reason of the persecution of Achab Iesabel which was onely in the Kingdome of the ten Tribes that is in Israell and yet neverthelesse that at the verie same time in Ierusalem and in all the Kingdome of Iudah the externall worship and profession of faith was openly observed well known even to Elias himselfe Admit all this were true which is not proved yet what will they then say to this that the Church at other times hath beene so hidden that there was no open or publike exercise of Religion to be sâ—ene no not in Iuda or Ierusalem it selfe no more then in those ten Tribes of Israell as namely in the daies of Ahas the sonne of Iotham King â—f Iuda of whom it is said that hee walked in the way of the Kings of Israâ—ll yea and made his Sonne to goe through the fire after the abhominations of the Heathen and in whose time the Altar of God was removed and an Idolatrous altar by the high Priests consent 〈…〉 Yea in the daies also of Hoseah King of Israell it is testified that not onely Israell but Iuda also kept not the Commandements of the Lord their God but walked according to the fashion of Israel vvhich they vsed How was the Church then visible in that sort and sense that wee speake of that is to say was it such a Church as had publike exercises of Gods religion splendently seene and openly apparant to the world Againe in the daies of Manasseth King of Iuda when Hee did evill in the sight of the Lord after the abhomination of the Heathen and erected altars for Baall and worshipped all the hoast of heaven and served them and when hee also built Idolatrous altars in the house of the Lord yea when it was recorded that this King Manasseh led the people out of the way to doe more wickedly then did the heathen and made Iuda also sinne vvith his Idols I say when Iuda became thus corrupted and Idolatrous aswell as Israell Had then the Church her outward practise of Religion according to Gods commandement and appointment to bee openly seene of the world And was it not so likewise in the daies of Amon King of Iuda Sonne and successor to Manasseh vvho did evill in the sight of the Lord as his father Manasseh did for he walked in all the waies his father walked in and served the Idols that his father served and worshipped them Thus you see that the Church of God was sometimes not openly seene but lay hidden and that as well in Iuda and Ierusalem as in the ten Tribes But perceiving this Church of Iuda and Israell to make against them then they flie to another devise and say that the Christian Church hath better promises then the Church of the Iewes Howbeit they can shew none as touching this point better for the one then for the other Yea for the Church of the Ievves to continue untill the first comming of Christ there be as strong as good promises to be seene as for
that unlesse you ioine veritie and the truth of Gods Religion with it which is not in the Popish Church it is no better then a wicked and plaine conspiracie against the Truth which kind of unitie being amongst them is indeed a marke not of the true but of the false erring and Antichristian Church For so is it accordingly recorded of those that followed the Beast That they were of one minde or of one consent 4 And as for the Succession ye talke so much of That Succession in place to so manie good Bishops of Rome which were Orthodoxe and of the right Religion can no way serve to iustifie and defend those degenerate and Apostaticall Bishops of Rome which have sithence that time for the space of manie hundreth yeares succeeded no more then the Succession of manie wicked and Idolatrous Kings in a kingdome unto divers godly vertuous rightly religious Kings which were their predecessors is able to iustifie and defend those ungodly and degenerate successors Those high Priests which conspired and consented to put Christ to death were never the lesse wicked nor anie jot the more to be commended or allowed because they succeeded diverse godly Priests which were their predecessors The vertue then and right religion of anie predecessors can no way serve to countenance and defend the vice and false religion of the successors Non locus sanctificat hominem nec Cathedra facit Sacerdotem The place sanctifieth not the man nor doth the Chaire make the Priest saith Chrysostome Neque sanctorum filij existimandi sunt quicunque tenent loca sanctorum sed qui exercent opera eorum Neyther are they to be esteemed the children of the Saints vvhosoever hold the places of the Saints but they vvhich exercise their vvorkes saith Hierome Qui praesunt ecclesijs non ex loci aut generis dignitate sed morum nobilitate non ex urbium claritate sed fidei puritate debent innotescere They vvhich be rulers of the Churches ought to be knowne not by the dignitie of their place or ancestors but by the noblenesse of their manners not by the famousnesse of their Cities but by the puritie of their faith saith Gregory Albeit therefore the Pope otherwise called the Bishop of Rome succeedeth in place to manie godly and vertuous Bishops that were his predecessors in former and ancient times yet what doth all this make for him except he were like unto them and did succeed them in veritie pietie humilitie right faith and true religion aswell as in place The local succession without the other is nothing worth but serveth rather to shame reprove and condemne the successors then anie way to commend or allow of them when they be so exceedingly degenerate and unlike to those their good and godly predecessors 5 And here they are wont to alledge that Peter was Bishop of Rome and that the Pope is his Successor But first it is not true that Peter was Bishop of Rome in that sense they speake of that is to say He was not tied limited and restrained to that citie of Rome as to his particular Diocesse or Province as Bishops in these daies be for it is cleere that S. Peter was by his proper office and function one of the Apostles of Christ who by their office of Apostleship were not restrained to anie particular place as a Bishop is to his Diocesse or Province but were permitted to goe into anie part of the world and to preach the Gospel as the verie commission given unto them from Christ Iesus himselfe doth plainly declare Againe it is well knowne that ancient Writers doe also call S. Paul Bishop of Rome as well as S. Peter and therefore Peter is in no other sense to be accounted Bishop of Rome then S. Paul was Yea S. Ambrose calleth all the Apostles Episcopos that is Bishops And Iudas the Apostle is also said in the verie Scripture it selfe to have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Episcopatum that is a Bishoprick You see then that whosoever either in the Scripture or in the ancient Fathers is said to be a Bishop is not by and by to be supposed a Bishop restrained to a particular place as a Bishop of a Diocesse or Province is For this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke and Episcopus in Latin commonly Englished a Bishop signifieth in the originall nothing else but an Overseer or one that hath anie charge to looke to in which ample and generall signification it is rightly attributed to anie of the Apostles whosoever and consequently well might S. Peter though he were by his proper office and function an Apostle be called by some of the ancient Fathers a Bishop in respect of that his Apostolicall charge and Ministerie which he performed But thereupon to inferre that he was Bishop of Rome in this sense namely as a Bishop affixed and restrained to that place as to his proper and peculiar Diocesse or Province and as though he might not goe from thence into other parts of the world to performe the Office of an Apostle aswell as thither is besides the inconsequencie of it verie absurd Whatsoever stay or abode then either S. Peter or S. Paul made at Rome or elsewhere or wheresoever they lived or died it is manifest that they were Apostles and executed everie where that their Apostolicall office and function and lived and died Apostles and therefore are not in proper and strict appellation to be termed and deemed Bishops of Diocesses and Provinces For neither can he that is by Christ his Lord and Maister designed and appointed to be an Apostle lawfully forsake that his office and calling of Apostleship and at his owne or other mens pleasure become of another and that an inferior degree and calling as namely to be a Bishop tied restrained to a Diocesse or Province But admit Peter had beene Bishop of Rome in that strict signification of the word yet then secondly was he farre from being Bishop of the whole world for to be Bishop of one Citie in the world or of one particular Diocesse or Province in the world is not all one with this namely to be Bishop of the whole world or to be universall Bishop over all the Churches in the world for Episcopus orbis and urbis doe farre differ Yea thirdly let us admit if you will that S. Peter was Bishop of Rome and that by being Bishop of Rome he was also Bishop of the whole world or of all the Christian Churches in the whole world which neverthelesse is verie absurd to be admitted yet what would all this advantage the Bish. of Rome that now is or any other of the Bishops of Rome that have beene in these later times for the space of diverse hundreth yeares that they be successors to him in place whom they are nothing like unto in conditions and vertues humilitie faith and religion For how unlike the Pope is to S. Peter iudge
the earth so are my vvayes higher then your vvaies and my thoughts then your thoughts Yea what are they else but superstitious vvorkes which are done by the will and pleasure of men without the Commandement of God or his rule and direction for so Isidorus giveth the Etymologie of that word superstition to be a thing done supra-statutâ—m more then is appointed by the law of God upon mens pleasures and devisings May not God say in these cases as sometime he spake Quis requisivit haec de vobis VVho hath required these things of you A good Intention therefore is not sufficient to prove or make the worke to be good in Gods sight unlesse it bee a worke or action commanded from God or by his word approoved For King Saul had a good intention or meaning when being sent against the Amalâ—kites and commanded from God to kill both man and woman infant and suckling oxe and sheepe camell and asse hee neverthelesse spared some of the Cattell suffering the people to take Sheepe and Oxen to this intent to sacrifice to the Lord. But notwithstanding this his good intention the fact was odious in Gods sight and because he had thus reiected the vvord of the Lord not suffring his actions to be thereby squared and ruled therfore also did the Lord reiect him from being King over Israel So likewise had Vzzah a good meaning or a good intention when driving the Cart wherein the Arke of God was and the Arke being shaken and in danger of falling hee put forth his hand to the Arke and tooke hold of it to keepe it from falling yet because it belonged not unto him so to doe with the Arke and that he therein did an action not commanded nor warranted unto him from God or his word therefore notwithstanding this his good intention God was offended with him and hee smote Vzzah there for his error and there hee died by the Arke of God The workes then which men doe of their owne heads and devisings without Gods commandement or approbation by his word be not to be accounted amongst the number of good workes in Gods censure what faire shew soever they make amongst men or what good meaning or intention soever they have For that which is highly esteemed amongst men is oftentimes abhomination in the sight of God as Christ himselfe also teacheth and affirmeth 2 But yee have further in the Papacie workes preparative or workes or merits de Congruo as yee call them such as bee done by a man before faith received which ye also account good workes But first How can a man that is not himselfe as yet made good bring forth any good vvorks for The tree must first bee good before it can bring forth good fruit as Christ himselfe teacheth Yea good workes and a sanctified course of life be the fruites of righteousnesse as S. Paul declareth and therefore before that a man be made righteous and iustified by faith hee cannot possibly bring forth these fruites of righteousnesse Againe the Scripture witnesseth expresly that VVithout faith it is impossible to please God How then can the workes of anie man before faith received please God be accepted of him or merit anie grace or favour at his hands The Heart is the fountaine of all mens actions and by faith it is that mens hearts be purified and cleansed as S. Peter witnesseth Vntill such time therefore that mens hearts bee thus clensed and purified by faith in Christ they can bring forth no good cleane or pure vvorkes but works like themselves that is most impure and uncleane For to them that be uncleansed and unbeleevers nothing is pure but even their minde and conscience is defiled as S. Paul also directly affirmeth And so hee saith againe of all the corrupt naturall men in the world untill they bee regenerated converted and iustified in Gods sight by faith they be such as have all gone out of the way they are all become unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one Not without good cause therefore hath S. Augustine before told us that all the workes of Infidels and Heathens and even the Morall vertues of the Philosophers as they were done and performed by them that had no beliefe in Christ were no good workes in Gods sight but Splendida peccata glittering sinnes Yea hee hath told us expreslie that Good vvorkes do follow him that is before iustified and doe not goe before him that is aftervvard to be iustified And againe he saith that faith goeth before that good vvorkes may follow neither are there saith he anie good vvorkes but those that follovv faith going before And therefore touching Cornelius the Centurion whose praiers to God and Almesdeâ—des be much commended before he was baptised whose example the Rhemists and other Papists alledge in this case the same S. Augustine giveth a sufficient answere thereunto saying That hee did not give Almes and Pray without some faith So likewise testifieth Beda and that out of Gregorie that Non virtutibus ad fidem sed fide pertingitur ad virtutes c. Men attaine not to faith by vertues but to vertues by faith as S. Gregorie expoundeth it For Cornelius saith he vvhose almes before baptisme as the Angell witnesseth be praised came not by vvorkes to saith but by faith to vvorkes And againe he saith Hee had faith vvhose prayers and almesdeeds could please God So that at this verie time of his Prayers and Almesdeedes hee beleeved in the Messias albeit most true it is that hee did not then so well know Christ or so firmely beleeve in him as hee did afterward by the ministerie of Peter 3 The merits also de Candigno as the Popish Church calleth them be not to be reckoned in the number of good works yea this conceit and opinion of Merit is it that poysoneth and marreth the vvorkes so that they are not reputed in Gods sight and censure to be good but bad and odious vvorks that be done with that affection and to that end For even those good workes that be done after grace and faith received and by a man regenerate and Iustified doe not merit or deserve salvation or eternall life because in the best works that men regenerate or sanctified persons doe is some humane frailtie defect or imperfection intermingled for which defects they are to crave pardon at Gods hand and not to stand upon the merit of them VVee are all saith Esay as an uncleane thing and all our righteousnesse is as filthy raggs If thou O Lord shouldst straitely marke iniquitie saith the Psalmist O Lord vvho shall stand But there is mercie vvith thee that thâ—u maist be feared In many things vvee all offend saith S. Iames And therefore well saith S. Augustine Vae universae iustitiae nostrae si remota misericordia Iudicetur VVoe to all our righteousnesse if it be iudged mercie being laid
then the Popish have the soules of men bin bought sold For be not their Priests Iesuits Friers and such other of that counterfeit holie order the men that are imployed as Merchants Factors in such wicked merchandizes Yea doth not everie 〈◊〉 among them take upon him to forgive sinnes verie boldliâ— I know that the Ministers of Christ have power and authorite given them to remit and forgive sinnes But these Priests of theirs bee not the Ministers of Christ whatsoever they pretend but the Ministers of Antichrist and therefore they have no such authoritie from Christ to forgive sinnes but doe onely cousen and abuse mens soules therein For the Pope from whom they derive their authoritie and ordination to that their Priesthood is the verie grand Antichrist as doth alreadie but yet more fullie afterward in good measure shal appeare And yet even the authority also which Christs Ministers themselves have received herein is to forgive sins not absolutelie as pleaseth themselves but ministerially only and declaratively that to such persons as by warrant from Gods word be allowed to receive it that is to say they are to declare pronounce remission of sins to all and everie such person or persons as unfainedlie beleeve in Iesus Christ as in their whole and onely Saviour and Redeemer renouncing utterlie all confidence in their owne merits and righteousnesse and together with a true and livelie faith have an earnest sorrow and repentance for their sinnes formerlie past and a purpose and endeavour of amendment for the time to come And so S. Hierome upon Matth. 16. expoundeth it and saith that the Ministers of Christ have received power to binde and to loose that is saith he to shew or declare who they bee that bee bound or loosed in the sentence of God and before his Tribunal and Iudgement seat And so doe the Schoolemen also interpret it and in all reason it must be so For if anie Minister shall declare or pronounce remission of sinnes to an ungodlie and impenitent or unbeleeving person or to anie whosoever whom Gods word doth not warrant remission of sinnes unto everie man will grant that such a one hath not remission of sinnes at Gods hand notwithstanding the Ministers such pronouncing of remission of them So that if they will have that to bee bound in heaven which they doe binde on earth and that to bee loosed in heaven which they doe loose on earth they must bee carefull to pronounce both remission and reteyning of sinnes to such persons onely as they bee due unto by the warrant of Gods word For if they shall binde the godlie penitent and beleeving Soule whom God looseth and absolveth or if they shall loose or absolve the wicked ungodlie impenitent and unbeleeving person whom God by the tenor of his word bindeth and forgiveth not such binding and loosing is not warranted nor ratified in heaven Howbeit most unreasonable and unsatiable hath beene the covetous merchandizing of mens soules in the Popish Rome not onelie this waie and by buying and selling of Pardons Indulgences but by buying and selling also of Popedomes Bishoprickes Cardinalships Abbathies Benefices and such like Yea from whence else arose the Proverbe so long used in Poperie viz. No penie no Pater noster but from the intolerable greedie covetousnesse of the Popish Priests and Clergie who would doe nothing without money and for money seemed to doe anie thing So that these Romish Merchants bee those that through covetousnesse with fained words doe merchandize men as S Peter foretold they should and as Claudius Espencaelus himselfe declareth But moreover whilst those their filthy Stewes be by publicke authoritie allowed or tolerated amongst them for rent or money do they not sell and merchandize both bodies and soules of men and women Be not also Masses Trentals Dirges Requiems Orizons and Praiers deliverance from supposed Purgatorie paines the supposed merits of the Saints and Martyrs the merits of Christ dispensations against Gods word yea and the Ioyes of heaven and all to be bought and sold in the Popish Church S. Bernard treating of the Psalme which beginneth VVhoso dwelleth speaketh on this manner of that Church The dignities and promotions of the Church are sought after for filthie lucres sake and to keepe revell-rout withall and for these roumes and their revenues they labour and contend in verie shamelesse manner And againe in his Sermon of the Conversion of Paul treating of the governement of the Church under the Pope of Rome hee uttereth the like matter And upon the Canticles Sermon 33. speaking further of the Romish Prelates and Clergie he saith thus of them They beare out themselves saith hee iâ— an honourable port with the goods of the Church vvhereunto notwithstanding themselves bring no credit or worship at all Hence commeth that whorish tricking that Stage-like attire that Prince-like pompe vvhich dayly vvee see in them Hence proceeds the gold they use in their Bridles Saddles and Spurres insomuch as their Spurres are more glittering then their Altars Hence came their stately Tables their varietie of Dishes and quâ—ffing Cups Hence issued their Iunkâ—tting Bankets their Drunkennesse and Surfeits Hence followed their Viols Harps and Shawmes Hence flovved their Cellars and Pantries so stuffed vvith vvines and Viands of all sorts Hence gat they their Lee pots and painting Boxes And hence had they their Purses so vvell lined vvith coyne Oh such men they vvill needs bee and yet they are our great Masters in Israel as Deanes Archdeacons Bishops and Archbishops These vvorkes of theirs are little inferior to that filthinesse vvhich they commit in Darkenesse And in his 4. Booke De Consideratione unto Eugenius Bishop of Rome after that hee hath described and detested the pompe of Romish Bishops hee shutteth up the matter in these words saying thus unto him Herein thou shevvest thy selfe to have succeeded not Peter but Constantine the Emperor Peter is hee vvho never knevv vvhat belonged to such solemne shewing of himselfe abroad in braveries of precious stones or silkes or gold or riding upon a vvhite Palfrey or being guarded vvith a troupe of attendants c. Agreeably also whereunto speaketh S. Hillary contra Auxentium of the state of Antichrist saying thus These fellowes doe ambitiously affect the continuance and maiestical port of the secular power and so thinke to uphold the flourishing estate of the Church by a shew of vvorldly Pompe Againe he saith They make great account of this to be greatly accounted of in the vvorld And therefore doth S. Bernard againe in his Epistle 230 further make this accusation and exclamation against those Bishops of Rome saying thus unto them At first indeed yee began to play the Lords over the Clergie contrary to the counsell of Peter And vvithin a vvhile after contrary to the advise of Paul Peters fellow-Apostle ye would have dominion over the faith of all men But yee stay not there yee have taken upon you more namely to have
a peremptory power in religion it selfe VVhat more remaineth wherein ye migh further encroach except yee will go about to bring the very Angels also under your subiection c. Now how should all this pomp pride in the Pope and Popish Clergie so much licentiousnes withall permitted to the people of their Church be maintained and upheld without this covetous and greedie kinde of merchandizing Who then doth not see that this Rome mentioned in the Revelation to be such a one as did merchandize the soules of Men must needs be intended of Popish Rome and not of Heathen Rome For all men know that the Heathen Rome never used this kinde of Trade namely of merchandizing mens soules Seventhly the Rome there mentioned is shewed to be such a one as caused or made the Kings and inhabitants of the earth to drinke of the vvine of her fornication that is of the pleasant seeming but indeed filthie and poysoned Religion and so to take upon them the Marke of the Beast But the Heathenish Rome where she conquered and prevailed and brought people in subiection under her urged not nor enforced her religion upon those nations or people which shee subdued but gave leave unto them still to retaine and hold that religion of their owne which formerly they had as even Leo Bishop of Rome himselfe declareth and as is apparant by the countrey of the Iewes and by other countries also which shee brought into subiection Whereupon followeth that not the Heathenish Rome which allowed the religion of other countries beside her owne but the Papal Rome which alloweth no other religion but her owne is must needs be there intended Eightly the Babylon that is the Rome there mentioned is such a Rome that shall be so desolated and destroyed as that it shall never be builded againe or inhabited anie more as is verie fully evident by the 18. chapter of the Revelation And this is so cleere that Suarez himselfe confesseth and teacheth it But the Heathenish Rome governed by Heathen Emperors was never yet so destroyed yea after that the citie of Rome was destroied by the Gothes and Vandals and others yet it was rebuilded againe and reinhabited and as yet it continueth a citie builded and inhabited to this day The Rome therefore that is here described and shewed to be such a Rome as shall be so desolated and destroied as that it shall never be inhabited anie more by men cannot possibly be imagined to be Heathen Rome but contrariwise must needs be supposed that which is now the Papal or Popish Rome for there is no Heathen Rome remaining so to bee destroyed I hope therefore by this time ye fully perceive that it is not the Heathen Rome as Bellarmine and some other of your Teachers would blindfold the world but the Papal or Popish Rome which in that place of the Revelation of S. Iohn is intended and described Yea further if yee would have Heathen Rome to be there described then must ye make Antichrist to bee come in the daies and times of the Heathen Emperors which is contrarie to your owne positions and opinions who say and hold though most untruly that hee is not yet come Lastly remember that these things which be mentioned concerning the Whore of Babylon be brought in and mentioned after that the seventh Angel had blowne his Trumpet and therefore also were long after the time of the Heathen Emperors An Appendix to the former Chapter NOw because Popish Rome is so directly affirmed to be an VVhore and a great VVhore and the mother of whoredomes and abominations of the earth not to speake anie more of her grosse bodily whoredomes filthinesses wherein she doth excell give me leave here to speake a few words of some of her spiritual whoredomes and adulteries that is to say of some of her Idolatries that so the truth of this matter may the better appeare First then as touching her most detestable Idolatry committed in adoring and worshipping of a peece of bread I meane their consecrated bread in stead of the true God that made heaven and earth I have before spoken and I doe here only put you in remembrance of it againe that yee may for ever hereafter tremble and feare to commit it For whereas ye say that yee take it not for bread anie longer after consecration but for Iesus Christ his verie natural bodie by way of Transubstantiation consider that that will not be sufficient to cleere you yea it is before shewed unto you that in so taking it yee doe utterly and most grossely mistake contrarie not onely to all sense and reason but contrarie to all right faith and true religion also And therefore your sinne of a most abominable Idolatry cannot be so execused but is rather so much the more aggravated by such an untrue and a most ungodly construction and supposition Ea demum est miserabilis animae servitus signa pro rebus accipere That is saith S. Augustine a miserable servitude of the soule to take the signes for the things signified by them 2 A second Idolatrous point in the Popish Church is the making of Images or visible formes of God For what Is not God a spirit How then can anie fashion him by anie bodily shape or visible likenesse Is hee not also an eternal and invisible Spirit What man then can make an Image and visible similitude of him that is eternal and whom he never saw Againe is not God incomprehensible and infinite Doe not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord And doth not King Solomon say That the heaven of heavens are not able to conteyne him And yet will silly men in the vanitie of their foolish thoughts presume to comprehend so almightie and incomprehensible a Maiestie within the narrow compasse of an Image made by themselves S. Paul sheweth it to be the error of the Heathen to take upon them to make Images of God and calleth them fooles for their labour VVhen they professed themselves to be wise they became fooles saith hee for they turned the glory of the incorruptible God to the similitude of an Image of a corruptible man and of birds and of foure footed beasts and of creeping things If the Heathens were counted and called Fooles as yee see they were for taking upon them to make Images or visible similitudes of the invisible and incorruptible God and iustly did deserve to be so called and reputed for that high indignitie and dishonour offered to so great and incomparable a Maiestie what ought Papists to thinke of themselves in this case Notwithstanding they say they doe it for a remembrance and to put them in minde of God and notwithstanding whatsoever devotion or good intent or meaning they pretend For no doubt even those Heathens likewise pretended a devotion and a good intent and meaning in this matter aswell as Papists otherwise they would never have done it But yet further
the people in the world may aptlie be divided The Vnchristian people be those that make no profession at all of Christ or Christianitie of which sort be Iewes Turkes and other Infidels of the world The Christian people revera and indeed of which in this distribution I speake be those that professe Christ and beleeve in him and addict themselves onelie to his religion and the rules and waies of it as it is described and set downe in the sacred and canonical Scriptures The Antichristian people be those that professe Christ in words in outward shewes and semblance but yet neverthelesse denie or oppugne him in deeds or in doctrine or in both Whence is concluded that neither the Turke nor Mahomet as I said before nor anie of the rest of the Infidells of the world can properly and according to the Scripture phrase and sense bee tearmed Antichrists or Antichristians fith they make no profession of Christ at all but such are properly to be termed Vnchristian and not Antichristian people and consequently it remaineth that Antichrist and Antichristian people bee onely to bee found within Christendome and amongst those that professe Christ. And who these be within Christendome is easily to be discerned for that the Pope of Rome and his followers be this kinde of covert masked and disguised adversaries and opposites to Christ and that under the name and profession of Christ his church and religion I thinke there is none but doth or may verie readilie perceive But would you know it further and in some particulars For you must indeed come to particulars with them inasmuch as otherwise in general termes and words they will make great profession of Christ and of the rights honors prerogatives to him his Church belonging and yet in the meane time in particulars and indirectlie and by consequent they will oppugne him Inasmuch therefore as he hath the name of Antichrist chiefelie by reason of his opposition unto Christ in this covert and disguised manner let us see how that is verified in the Pope and Papacie For which purpose let us consider our Lord Iesus Christ as he is to be considered namelie in respect of his person and in respect of his offices committed to him from his Father In respect of his person he is both God and Man in respect of his offices he is a Prophet a Priest a King unto us Now in everie of these respects doth the Pope and Papacie oppugne Christ. For first what a God doe they make Christ to be when they preferre the Virgin Mary above him and acknowledge authoritie in her to command him For thus they speake unto her Iube natum Iure Matris Impera redemptori monstra te esse Matrem That is Command thy Sonne and by thy motherly authority command the Redeemer and shew thy selfe to be a mother Is he God and the creator and supreame commander of all things that is thus made subiect to the authoritie and commandement of a creature But doe they not further oppugne his Godhead verie manifestlie when they hold that everie Priest of theirs after breathing of a few words out of his mouth can create and make Iesus Christ his maker for so they say as is before shewed that Sacerdos est Creator creatoris sui The Priest is the Creator or maker of his maker Now then is he a God that can be thus made by men And what doe they else but oppugne his Manhood also verie manifestlie whilest they make his bodie to be multi-present that is present in manie places at one time For they say it is both in heaven and in earth at once yea in so manie places as their Masse is celebrated or their Host reserved at one and the selfe same time which is contrarie to the nature and propertie of a true bodie which we are sure Christ Iesus hath Yea as they hold his Body to be carnallie eaten in the Sacrament with the bodily mouth so doe they hold it also to be void of dimensions and quantitie and to be uncircumscribed and invisible and no way sensible which is likewise as much as to make him to have no true bodie at all When againe they hold that his bodie is made out of the substance of a peece of bread for so much that their verie word of Transubstantiation importeth which was indeed not so made but of the substance of the Virgin Mary doe they not verie cleerelie oppugne his humanitie and the veritie of his bodie You see then how they doe oppugne the person of Christ both in respect of his Deitie and also of his humanitie verie apparantlie Let us now likewise briefelie consider how they oppugne Christ in his three offices namelie as he is a Prophet a Priest and a King unto us The Prophecie of Christ whose voice and instruction as of a Prophet and Teacher all-sufficient we are commanded to heare and obey they oppugne first by teaching that the sacred and Canonical Scriptures be imperfect and insufficient for a Christian mans instruction and salvation without their Traditions secondlie by adding not onlie their owne Traditions but the Apocryphal Bookes and Decretal Epistles also to the Canon of the Bible and stablishing them to be of equall authoritie reverence with the Canonical Scriptures themselves thirdlie by equaling also the determinations of their Popes and the Decrees of their Councels and Church which they say cannot erre unto the divine and canonical Scriptures they holding them to be as undoubtedlie the voice oracle of the Holie Ghost as anie thing is which is contained in those Scriptures fourthlie not onlie in equaling but which is more and much worse in preferring magnifying and advancing of their Pope and Church and their authoritie above the authoritie of the Scriptures and therefore doth Silvester Prierias Master of the Popes Palace affirme that Indulgences bee warranted unto us not by the authoritie of Scripture but by the authoritie of the Church and Pope of Rome which saith hee is a greater Authority Againe hee saith Whosoever resteth not on the doctrine of the Roman Church and Bishop of Rome as the infallible rule of God à qua sacra Scriptura robur trabit authoritatem from which the sacred Scripture draweth her strength and authoritie hee is an Heretick And so saith Eckius likewise that Scriptura nisi Ecclesiae authoritate non est authentica The Scripture is not authenticall but by the authoritie of the Church and sundry such waies doe they oppugne the all-sufficient written word doctrine and instruction of Christ our Prophet His Priesthood they also oppugne which consisteth chiefly in these two things viz. in sacrificing himselfe once for all his people upon the Crosse to take away their sinnes and in making intercession for them Now this his onely-propitiatory and only-bodily and all-sufficient Sacrifice they oppugne by erecting of another Sacrifice in their abominable Masse wherein they say their Priests
respect of his Episcopal or Spiritual And for this cause also the one is said to arise out of the Sea and the other out of the Earth Rev. 13.1.11 for in respect of his Episcopal supremacie and Pseudoprophetical demeanour hee arose from the Earth it receiving his original from below and from the Earth and not from Heaven and in respect of his Imperial dominion hee arose out of the Sea because the Ruines of the Empire by meanes whereof hee arose to that his Imperial Greatnesse were not otherwise wrought but by the wavering and disquiet turbulencies that were in the World in those daies So that howsoever it is called the first Beast and the second Beast in distinct considerations yet upon the matter they both make but one Antichrist And therefore in Rev. 17. is there mention made but of One Beast only which supported the Whore of Babylon Yea Fatentur omnes pertinere omnino ad Antichristum verba illa Iohannis c. All men confesse saith Bellarmine himselfe that those vvords of Iohn in Rev. 13.11 c. doe undoubtedly belong to Antichrist Now then let us examine and see if they be not all verified in the Pope and Papacy First it is said that this second Beast had two hornes like a Lamb but he spake like the Dragon Duo Cornua similia Agni scilicet Christi cuius duo Cornua sunt duo Testamenta He shal have two Hornes like to those of the Lambe that is like to those of Christ vvhose two Hornes be the two Testaments as Lyranus Primasius and Augustine also expound them Whereby appeareth that Antichrist shall outwardly pretend great sanctitie sinceritie humilitie and simplicitie and as if hee did all things by good authoritie and strength of the holy Scriptures the two Testaments the Old and the New and yet in verie deed his voice and speech that is his doctrines decrees lawes canons and constitutions should bewray and discover him to be but a Wolfe in Sheepes clothing and no lesse cruell and malignant against the true Church of God then the verie Dragon Doth not everie man perceive that these things doe rightly fit the Pope For who maketh a greater outward shew of sanctitie pietie and Christianitie then he and what doth he else but pretend the strength and authoritie of the two Testaments namely of the holy Scriptures for warrant and maintenance of the false doctrines errors heresies hee teacheth and holdeth Can anie man outwardly pretend greater humi litie then he when he entitleth himselfe Servus servorum Dei a servant of Gods servants and yet for all that he taketh upon him by his claimes and actions to be Rex Regum Dominus Dominantium the King of Kings and Lord of Lords So that howsoever hee pretendeth humilitie yet wee see hee is farre from it And howsoever hee pretendeth the authoritie of the holy Scriptures viz the two Testaments for the strengthning and confirmation of his religion doctrine and doings alledging them to be shadowed out and figured in the two Hornes of his Myter yet partly by reason of the unsound and false translations of those Scriptures which he defendeth and authorizeth against the truth of the Originals and partly whilest he perverteth and misinterpreteth the true Scriptures themselves and equalleth also his Traditions unto them and moreover dispenseth with them at his pleasure and preferreth his owne authoritie and the authoritie of his Church above them and so maketh them to speake in another sense and otherwise then ever they meant it is apparant that being thus used and abused they be at the most but like the two Hornes of the Lambe as this Text speaketh and be not the verie two hornes themselves that is they be not the pure incorrupt and undoubtedly true Scriptures themselves but corrupted differing from them Pope and Popery then appeareth to consist all in shewes semblances and likenesses of veritie sanctitie and pietie and have it not in verie deed and substance And therefore not without good cause did diverse Bishops make their complaint long sithence in their Epistle to Pope Nicholas recorded in Aventine saying in this sort unto him Thou bearest the person of a Bishop but thou playest the Tyrant under the habite and attyre of a Pastor vvee feele a VVolfe It is a lying Title that calleth thee Father thou in thy deeds shewest thy selfe to be another Iupiter being the servant of servants thou strivest to be the Lord of Lords c. But moreover doth not the Pope speake like the Dragon that is like the Divell for by the Dragon in the Revelation is the Divell understood when he saith that the Kingdomes of the world be his and that he hath power to dispose and give them to whomsoever hee will For did not the Divell speake the verie same to Christ in the Gospel Yea the Pope is as they write Totius orbis Dominus The Lord of the vvhole vvorld and hath Coelestis terrestris potestatis Monarchiam The Monarchy or soveraignetie both of the heavenly and earthly power and to him forsooth they apply that Prophecie Dominabitur à mari ad mare à flumine usque ad terminos orbis He shall rule from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the vvorld Yea they attribute that unto him which Iesus Christ spake of himselfe saying that All power is given unto him both in heaven and earth Matth. 28.18 Be not these most abominable blasphemous and divelish speeches being attributed to the Pope But yet further what doth hee else but speake like the Dragon that is like the Divell whilest he teacheth that doctrine of Divells mentioned in the Epistle to Timothy as shal afterward appeare and whilest he maintaineth a wrong worship of God a false faith and an Apostatical and Antichristian religion against the right most pure and onely true religion of Christ extant in the booke of God the holy and canonical Scriptures 3 Againe it is said that this second Beast did exercise all the power of the first Beast and that before him And who is so ignorant but hee knoweth that the Pope exerciseth all the power of the first Beast that is of the Latine or Romane State and that before him or before his face that is to say even at Rome and in the presence of the Romane State For hath not the Pope gotten that which was the seate of the Emperor namely Rome and made it his seate And is not the Emperor put downe from having anie Headship or Soveraigne Authoritie there Yea doth not the Pope there take upon him to exercise all the Imperial power authoritie tamen sine nomine Romani Imperatoris yet vvithout the name of the Emperor of Rome as Bellar. himself also saith that Antichrist must doe For this Imperial Authoritie aswell as his Ecclesiastical that is to say both his supremacies as before is shewed hee claimeth and holdeth under the name and title
Law of the Realme bee put to death or was there a Law in former times when Poperie raigned to put Protestants to death under the 〈◊〉 of Heretickes which were in verie died no Heretickes but of the most ancient religion and the Orthodox and right beleeving Christians and is there not a Law now when Protestancie reigneth to put Papists to death for heresie who be Hereticks reveâ—â— and in verse deed For you must 〈…〉 it is not the Determination of a Councell without appâ—â—bation of Gods word that is sufficient to prove a man an Hereticke because then should that renowned famous godly Bishop Athanasius who was condemned in the Councels of Tire and Antioch bee held and concluded to bee an Hereticke Which God forbid Yea if as is evident the determination of Councells bee not sufficient to convince or proove Athanasius Iohn Chrysostome and other Orthodox Bishops in that time to bee Heretickes much lesse is the determination of the Bishop of Rome and of his Councells in these latter times when both hee and they bee so farre revolted and degenerate able to convince the Orthodox Protestants of Heresie The strength force and authoritie of the holy Canonical Scriptures must be produced to convince a man to be an Hereticke For an Hereticke is hee that stifly and obstinately holdeth maintaineth an error in matter of Faith against the manifest authoritie of the Canonical Scriptures So that not what men hold but what God holdeth to be error heresie is so to be reputed And by this rule namely by sufficient evidence and warrant of the Canonical Scriptures it was that the Bishops their Councels in ancient time convinced the Arrianâ— Nestorianâ— Eâ—tâ—chians the other Heretickes of their dayes Which rule of iudging and convincing Hereticks by the Canonical Scriptures if it had beene held as evermore it ought it is thereby evident that Protestants never were nor ever rightly could have beene concluded to bee Hereticks Yea by this rule Papists cleerely are to bee iudged the Hereticks as appeareth by examining and trying their severall and particular Doctrines and Opinions wherein they differ from us and wherein they bee so wilfull and pertinacious by the same Canonical Scriptures And how should it or can it be otherwise For must not the doctrin of the gâ—and Antichrist of his Concubine the Whore of Babylon bring adulterate erroneous and Antichristian needs be concluded if it be wilfullie and obstinately persisted in to be cleere Heresie If then our Bishops should as they might if they were so disposed and that His Maiestie would give â—â—ave thereunto censure some points of Poperie to be heresie being 〈…〉 and obstinately persisted in and thereupon should cyte some Papists to come before them to answer as for heresie and did upon hearing and examining of the cause by sentence defiâ—â—tive declare and pronounce them to bee Hereticks What should or can hinder but that the Kings Writ de Haereticâ— Comburendo after all due circumstances observed might issue and be awarded for the putting of them to death Doth not the Law of the Realme apparantly warrant this For the Lawyers of your owne Religion can tell you that even by course of Common Law those that bee convicted and condemned of heresie may bee put to death And this it further evident even by those verie Statutes themselves viz. of 2. H. 4. cap. 1.5 and 2. H. 5. cap. 7. and 25. H. 8 cap. 14. which although they were afterward repealed in England yet do they sufficiently shew declare both what was yet stil is the Common-law in that case namely that Bishops in their several Diocesses and Provinces aswell as in their Convocations might and therfore still may even by course of Common-law notwithstanding the repeale of those Statutes by their Iurisdiction ordinarie cite Heretickes censure and sentence them and so leave them to the Lay power to bee executed And this also is learned and judicious Writer in his Apologie of certaine proceedings by Iurisdiction Ecclesiasticall doth tell you and testifieth against Fitzherberts opinion who seemeth to put a difference in this point betweene the Bishop of a Diocesse and the Convocation that hee hath heard the two Chiefe Iustices the Lord chiefe Bar◠〈◊〉 some other Iudges and the Queenes learned Councell resolve against that difference in a speciall consultation held about the matter of Heresie viz that Every Bishop within his owne Diocesseâ— as well as the Convocation might at the Common-law and still may â—â—â— demne an Hereticks Yea hee hath made a whole Chapter affirming this verie point viz. that Iudgement of Heresie still reâ—aineth at the Common-law in Iudges Ecclesiastical and that the Provise in the Statute of 1 Fliz. cap. 1 which is in Ireland 2 Eliz. cap. 1. touching Heresie is onely spoken of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners and such as bee authorized by that Statute So that the authoritie and Iurisdiction of Bishops in their severall Diocesses Provinces as also in their Convocations notwithstanding that or anie other Stat. still remaineth such as it was at the Common-law namely of force sufficient for the citing censuring sentencing of Heretickes whereupon Execution of death by burning may ensue All which neverthelesse I speake not to anie such end as to incense or exasperate anie in authoritie so farre against papists but only to answer and disanull their untrue conceits and so to represse and remove the insolencie of some of them and to shew them that if our Protestant princes pleased and were so disposed they might have found as still also they may a way and meane and law sufficient to put Papists to death for Heresie Wherefore it is no defect of matter of Heresie in Poperie wherewith it doth abound nor anie defect of law which sufficiently warranteth the putting of Heretickes to death but it is the meere mercie and clemencie of His Maiesty and of other Protestant Princes his Predecessors that doth thus spare and forbeare them Whereby as they may all learne to be highly thankfull unto God for such mercifull gratious Princes to whom they are so much beholding for not executing the severitie of their lawes upon them in this case so is it their parts to give no occasion further to incense or anie way to provoke them thereunto Where also you may observe to put a difference betweene the two Religions viz. of Protestancie and Poperie considering how milde gentle and mercifull the one is namely Protestancie in comparison 〈◊〉 the other which is and ever hath beene where it is predominant and beareth rule against Protestants most terrible cruel inhumane and extreamely Bloodie and so bee mooved to affect and imbrace the one and to abhorre and detest the other as it deserveth But as touching these points I shall not neede to use manie words to men of understanding learning and iudgement especiallie when the thing desired of you tendeth to your owne good not onely in respect of this world but
Gillebertus and Malachias and Christianus who were the Popes Legates here about 500. yeares agoe This Gillebertus an old acquaintance of Anselme Archbishop of Canterbury in the Prologue of his booke De usu ecclesiastico directed to the whole Clergie of Ireland writeth in this maner At the request yea and at the command of manie of you dearely beloved I indevoured to set downe in writing the canonical custome in saying of Houres and performing the Office of the whole Ecclesiasticall Order not presumptuously but in desire to serve your most godly command to the end that those diverse and schismaticall Orders wherewith in a maner all Ireland is deluded may give place to one Catholick and Romane Office For vvhat may bee said to be more undecent or schismaticall then that the most learned in one order should be made as a private and lay man in another mans Church These beginnings were presently seconded by Malachias in whose life written by Bernard wee reade as followeth The Apostolicall constitutions and the decrees of the holy Fathers but especially the customes of the holy Church of Rome did he establish in all Churches And hence it is that at this day the canonicall Houres are chanted and song therein according to the maner of the whole earth whereas before that this was not done no not in the citie it selfe the poore citie of Ardmagh he meaneth But Malachias had learned song in his youth and shortly after caused singing to be used in his owne Monasterie when as yet aswell in the citie as in the whole Bishoprick they eyther knew not or would not sing Lastly the work was brought to perfection when Christianus Bishop of Lismore as Legate to the Pope was President in the Councell of Casshell wherein a speciall order was taken for the right singing of the Ecclesiasticall Office and a generall act established that all divine offices of holy Church should from thenceforth be handled in all parts of Ireland according as the Church of England did observe them The statutes of which Councell were confirmed by the Regall authority of King Henry the second by whose mandate the Bishops that met therein were assembled in the yeare of our Lord 1172. as Giraldus Cambrensis witnesseth in his historie of the Conquest of Ireland And thus late was it before the Romane use was fully settled in this kingdome The publick Liturgie or service of the Church was of old named the Masse even then also when prayers only were said without the celebration of the holy Communion So the last Masse that S. Colme was ever present at is noted by Adamnanus to have beene vespertinalis Dominicae noctis Missa He dyed the midnight following whence the Lords day tooke his beginning 9º viz. Iunij anno Dom. 597. according to the account of the Romanes which the Scottish and Irish seeme to have begunne from the evening going before and then was that evening Masse said which in all likelyhood differed not from those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mentioned by Leo the Emperour in his Tacticks that is to say from that which wee call Even-song or Evening prayer But the name of the Masse was in those dayes more specially applied to the administration of the Lords Supper and therefore in the same Adamnanus we see that Sacra Eucharistiae ministeria and Missarum solemnia the sacred ministerie of the Eucharist and the solemnities of the Masse are taken for the same thing So likewise in the relation of the passages that concerne the obsequies of Columbanus performed by Gallus and Magnoaldus we finde that Missam celebrare and Missas agere is made to be the same with Divina celebrare mysteria and Salutis hostiam or salutare sacrificium immolare the saying of Masse the same with the celebration of the divine mysteries and the oblation of the healthfull sacrifice for by that terme was the administration of the sacrament of the Lords Supper at that time usually designed For as in our beneficence and communicating unto the necessities of the poore which are sacrifices wherewith God is well pleased we are taught to give both our selves and our almes first unto the Lord and after unto our brethren by the will of God so is it in this ministerie of the blessed Sacrament the service is first presented unto God from which as from a most principall part of the dutie the sacrament it selfe is called the Eucharist because therein we offer a speciall sacrifice of praise thankesgiving alwayes unto God and then communicated unto the use of Gods people in the performance of which part of the service both the minister was said to give and the communicant to receive the sacrifice as well as in respect of the former part they were said to offer the same unto the Lord. For they did not distinguish the Sacrifice from the Sacrament as the Romanists doe now adayes but used the name of Sacrifice indifferently both of that which was offered unto God and of that which was given to and received by the communicant Therefore we read of offering the sacrifice to God as in that speech of Gallus to his scholler Magnoaldus My master Columbanus is accustomed to offer unto the Lord the sacrifice of salvation in brasen vessels Of giving the sacrifice to man as when it is said in one of the ancient Synods of Ireland that a Bishop by his Testament may bequeath a certain proportiō of his goods for a legacie to the Priest that giveth him the sacrifice and of receiving the sacrifice from the hands of the minister as in that sentence of the Synod attributed unto S. Patrick He who deserveth not to receive the sacrifice in his life how can it helpe him after his death and in that glosse of Sedulius upon 1 Cor. 11.33 Tarry one for another that is saith he untill you doe receive the sacrifice Whereby it doth appeare that the sacrifice of the elder times was not like unto the new Masse of the Romanists wherein the Priest doth eate and drinke alone the people being only lookers on but unto our Communion where all that are present at the holy action do eate of the Altar as well as they that serve the Altar Againe they that are communicants in the Romish sacrament receive the Eucharist in one kinde onely the Priest in offering of the sacrifice receiveth the same distinctly both by way of meate and by way of drinke which they tell us is chiefely done for the integritie of the Sacrifice and not of the Sacrament For in the Sacrifice they say the severall elements be consecrated not into Christs whole person as it was borne of the Virgin or now is in heaven but the bread into his body apart as betrayed broken and given for us the wine into his blood apart as shed out of his body for remission of sinnes and dedication of the new Testament which
to be by others abroad notwithstanding the Pope doth now by his Bulls of dispensation take upon him to make a faire matter of it may easily be perceived by this censure of Giraldus Moreover saith he which is very detestable and most contrarie not onely to the faith but also unto common honestie brethren in many places throughout Ireland doe I say not marry but marre rather and seduce the wives of their deceased brothers while in this sort they filthily and incestuously have knowledge of them cleaving herein not to the marrow but to the barke of the old testament and desiring to imitate the ancient in vices more vvillingly then in vertues Thirdly touching divorces we reade in Sedulius that it is not lawful according to the precept of our Lord that the wife should be put away but for the cause of fornication and in the Synod ascribed to S. Patrick It is not lawfull for a man to put away his wife but for the cause of fornication as if he should say for this cause he may Whence if he marry another as it were after the death of the former they forbid it not Who they were that did not forbid this second marriage is not there expressed that S. Patrick himselfe was of another minde would appeare by this constitution following which in another ancient Canon-book I found cited under his name If any mans wife have committed adulterie with another man hee shall not marry another wife as long as the first wife shall be alive If peradventure she be converted and doe penance hee shall receive her and she shal serve him in the place of a mayd servant Let her for a whole yeare doe penance in bread and water and that by measure neyther let them remaine in the same bedd together Fourthly concerning single life I doe not finde in anie of our records that it was generally imposed upon the Clergie but the contrarie rather For in the Synod held by S. Patrick Auxilius and Isserninus there is a speciall order taken that their wives shall not walke abroad with their heads uncovered And S. Patrick himselfe confesseth at leastwise the Confession which goeth under his name saith so and Probus Iocelinus and others that write his life agree therewith that he had to his father Calpurnius a Deacon and to his grandfather Potitus a Priest True it is that for the most part the Clergie here did live unmarried but the speciall reason thereof was because almost all the prelates of Ireland were chosen into the Clergie out of monasteries not because that secular Priests were by any law debarred from marriage For our monasteries in ancient time were the seminaries of the ministerie being as it were so many Colledges of learned divines whereunto the people did usually resort for instruction and from whence the Church was wont continually to be supplied with able ministers The benefite whereof was not onely contayned within the limits of this Iland but did extend it selfe to forraine countries likewise For this was it that drew Egbert and Ceadda for example into Ireland that they might there leade a monasticall life in prayers and continencie and meditation of the holy Scriptures and hence were those famous monasteries planted in England by Aidan Finan Colman and others unto which the people flockt apace on the Lords day not for the feeding of their body but for the learning of the word of God as Beda witnesseth Yea this was the principall meanes whereby the knowledge both of the Scriptures and of all other good learning was preserved in that inundation of babarisme wherewith the whole West was in a maner overwhelmed Hitherto saith Curio it might seeme that the studies of wisedome should quite have perished unlesse God had reserved a seed in some corner of the world Among the Scottish and the Irish something as yet remayned of the doctrine of the knowledge of God and of civill honestie because there was no terrour of armes in those utmost ends of the world And we may there behold and adore the great goodnesse of God that among the Scotts and in those places where no man would have thought it so many great companies should be gathered together under a most strict discipline How strict their discipline was may appeare partly by the Rule partly by the Daily penances of Monkes which are yet extant of Columbanus his writing In the later of these for the disobedience of Monkes these penances are prescribed If any brother be disobedient he shall fast two dayes with one bisket and water If any say I will not doe it three dayes with one bisket and water If any murmure two dayes with one bisket and water If any doe not aske leave or tell an excuse two dayes with one bisket and water and so in other particulars In his Rule these good lessons doth hee give unto his Monkes among manie others That it profited them little if they were virgins in body and were not virgins in minde that they should daily profite as they did daily pray and daily reade that the good things of the Pharisee being vainly praised were lost and the sinnes of the Publican being accused vanished away and therfore that a great word should not come out of the mouth of a Monke least his great labour should perish They were not taught to vaunt of their state of perfection and workes of supererogation or to argue from thence as Celestius the Pelagian monke sometime did that by the nature of their free will they had such a possibilitie of not sinning that they were able also to doe more then was commanded because they did observe perpetuall virginitie which is not commanded whereas for not sinning it is sufficient to fulfill the precepts It was one of the points which Gallus the scholler of Columbanus delivered in his sermon preached at Constance that our Saviour did so perswade the Apostles and their followers to lay hold upon the good of virginitie that yet they should know it was not of humane industry but of divine gift and it is a good observation which we reade in Claudius that not only in the splendor of bodily things but also in mournefull abasing of ones selfe there may be boasting and that so much the more dangerous as it deceiveth under the name of the service of God Our Monkes were religious in deed and not in name only farre from the hypocrisie pride idlenesse and uncleanenesse of those evill beasts and slouthfull bellies that afterward succeeded in their roome Under colour of forsaking all they did not hooke all unto themselves nor under semblance of devotion did they devoure widdowes houses they held begging to be no point of perfection but remembred the words of our Lord Iesus how he said It is a more blessed thing to give rather then to take When King Sigebert made large offers unto Columbanus and his companions to keepe
them within his dominions in France he received such another answer from them as Thaddaeus in the Ecclesiasticall historie is said to have given unto Abgarus the governour of Edessa We who have forsaken our owne that according to the commandement of the Gospell we might follow the Lord ought not to embrace other mens riches least peradventure we should prove transgressors of the divine commandement How then did these men live will you say Walafridus Strabus telleth us that some of them wrought in the garden others dressed the orchard Gallus made netts and tooke fish wherewith he not only relieved his owne companie but was helpefull also unto strangers So Bede reporteth of Cuthbert that when he retired himselfe unto an anchoretical life he first indeed received a little bread from his brethren to feed upon and drank out of his owne well but afterwards hee thought it more fit to live by the worke of his owne hands after the example of the Fathers and therefore intreated that instruments might be brought him wherewith he might till the earth and corne that he might sowe Quique suis cupiens victum conquirere palmis Incultam pertentat humum proscindere ferro Et sator edomitis anni spem credere glebis The like doth he relate of Furseus and Bonifacius of Livinus and Theodorus Campidonensis or whosoever else wrote that book of Gallus Magnoaldus and the rest of the followers of Columbanus that they got their living by the labour of their owne hands And the Apostles rule is generally laid down for all Monks in the life of Furseus They vvhich live in monasteries should worke with silence and eate their owne bread I passe by a like sentence which we reade in the life of S. Brendan A Monke ought to be fedd and cloathed with the labour of his owne hands that is more memorable which others do write of the same Brendan that he governed three thousand Monkes who by their owne labours and handy-worke did earne their living Such was the monasterie of Magio founded in this countrey by Bishop Colman for the intertainment of the English where they did live according to the example of the reverend Fathers as Bede writeth under a rule and aâ— canonicall abbot in great continencie and sinceritie with the labour of their owne hands Such also was the monasterie of Mailros planted by Bishop Aidan and his followers in Northumberland where S. Cuthbert had his education who affirmed that the life of such monkes was justly to be admired which were in all things subject to the commands of their Abbot and ordered all the times of their watching praying fasting and working according to his direction Excubiasque famemque preces manuumque laborem Ad votum gaudent proni fraenare regentis As for their fasting for of their watching and praying there is no question made and of their working we have alreadie spoken sufficiently by the rule of Columbanus they were every day to fast and every day to eate that by this meanes the enabling of them for their spiritual proficiency might be retayned together with the abstinence that did macerate the flesh Hee would therefore have them every day to eate because they were every day to profite and because abstinence if it did exceed measure would proâ—e a vice and not a vertue and he would have them to fast everie day too that is not to eate anie meate at all for other fastes were not known in those dayes untill evening Let the food of Monkes saith he be meane and taken at evening flying satietie and excesse of drinke that it may both sustaine them and not hurt them This was the daily fasting and feeding of them that lived according to Columbanus his rule Such as followed the instructions of Bishop Aidan observed this kinde of fast on Wednesdayes Fridayes only upon which dayes they forbare eating of anie meate untill the ninth houre that is to say untill three of the clock in the afternoone according unto our account So Bishop Cedd who was brought up at Lindisfarne with Aidan and Finan keeping a strict fast upon a speciall occasion in the time of Lent did every day except the Lords day continue his fast as the maner was untill the evening and then also did eate nothing but a smal pittance of bread one egge with a little milke mingled with water Where by the way you may note that in those dayes egges were eaten in Lent and the Sondayes excepted from fasting even then when the abstinence was precisely and in more then an ordinarie maner observed But generally for this point of the difference of meals it is well noted by Claudius out of S. Augustin that the children of wisedome doe understand that neyther in abstayning nor in eating is there any vertue but in contentednesse of bearing the want and temperance of not corrupting a mans selfe by aboundance and of opportunely taking or not taking those things of which not the use but the concupiscence is to be blamed and in the life of Furseus the hypocrisie of them is justly taxed that being assaulted with spirituall vices doe yet omit the care of them and afflict their body with abstinence who abstayning from meates which God hath created to be received with thankesgiving fall to wicked things as if they were lawfull namely to pride covetousnesse envy false witnessing backbiting And so much for that matter Now concerning the Catholick Church our Doctors taught with S. Gregory that God hath a vineyard to wit the universall Church which from just Abel untill the last of the elect that shall be borne in the end of the world as many Saints as it hath brought forth so many branches as it were hath it budded that the congregation of the just is called the kingdome of heaven which is the Church of the just that the sonnes of the Church be all such as from the beginning of mankinde untill now have attayned to be just and holy that what is said of the body may be said also of the members and that in this respect as well the Apostles and all beleevers as the Church it selfe have the title of a pillar given them in the Scriptures that the Church may be considered two maner of wayes both that which neyther hath spot nor wrinkle and is truly the body of Christ and that which is gathered in the name of Christ vvithout full and perfect vertues which notwithstanding by the warrant of the Apostle may have the name of the Church given unto it although it be depraved with errour that the Church is sayd not to have spot or wrinkle in respect of the life to come that when the Apostle saith In a great house there are not only vessels of gold c. but some to honour and some to dishonour 2. Tim. 2.20 by this
of the elect and eternall life as witnesseth the Apostle who saith Other foundation can no man lay beside that which is laid which is Christ Iesus Yet doth the same Claudius acknowledge that S. Peter received a kinde of primacie for the founding of the Church in respect whereof he termeth him Ecclesiae principem and Apostolorum principem the prince of the Church and the prince or chiefe of the Apostles but he addeth withall that S. Paul also was chosen in the same maner to have the primacie in founding the Churches of the Gentiles and that he received this gift from God that he should be worthy to have the primacie in preaching to the Gentiles as Peter had it in the preaching of the Circumcision and therefore that S. Paul challengeth this grace as granted by God to him alone as it vvas granted to Peter alone among the Apostles and that he esteemed himselfe not to be inferiour unto S. Peter because both of them were by one ordayned unto one and the same ministerie and that writing to the Galatians he did in the title name himselfe an Apostle of Christ to the end that by the verie authoritie of that name he might terrifie his readers judging that all such as did beleeve in Christ ought to be subject unto him It is furthermore also observed by Claudius that as when our Savior propounded the questiō generally unto all the Apostles Peter did answer as one for all so what our Lord answered unto Peter in Peter he did answer unto all therfore howsoever the power of loosing binding might seeme to be given by the Lord unto Peter alone yet without all maner of doubt it is to be knowne that it was given unto the rest of the Apostles also as himselfe doth witnesse who appearing unto them after the triumph of his passion and resurrection breathed on them and said unto them all Receive the holy Ghost whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted unto them and whose sinnes yee retayne they are retayned Lastly as Claudius noteth that the foundation of the Church was laid not only upon S. Peter but also upon S. Iohn so in a certaine Hymne supposed to be written by Secundinus knowne in this country commonly by the name of S. Schachlin in the yeare of our Lord CCCCXLVIII S. Patrick also is thus commended He is constant in the feare of God and unmoveable in the faith upon whom the Church is builded as upon Peter whose Apostleship also hee hath obtained from God and the gates of Hell shall not prevayle against him yea Christ is there said to have chosen him for his Vicar upon earth and as for the titles of Summus Sacerdos and Summus Pontifex the highest Priest and the highest Bishop we finde them in Cogitosus attributed unto the Bishop of Kildare himselfe those titles and prerogatives which the Pope now peculiarly challengeth unto himselfe as ensignes of his Monarchy being then usually communicated unto other Bishops when the universal Church was governed by an Aristocraty Master Campion I know telleth us that vvhen Ireland first received Christendome they gave themselves into the Iurisdiction both spirituall and temporall of the See of Rome but therein hee speaketh without book of the spirituall jurisdiction untruly of the temporall absurdly For from the first legation of Palladius and Patricius who were sent to plant the faith in this country it cannot be shewed out of anie monument of antiquitie that the Bishop of Rome did ever send anie of his Legats to exercise spirituall jurisdiction here much lesse anie of his Deputies to exercise jurisdiction temporall before Gillebertus quem aiunt primà functum legatione Apostolicae sedis per universam Hiberniam saith one that lived in his owne time even Bernard himselfe in the life of Malachias One or two instances peradventure may be alledged out of som obscure authors whose names and times and authoritie no man can tell us newes of but unlesse that which is delivered by Bernard as the tradition that was current in his time can be controlled by some record that may appeare to have beene written before his dayes we have small reason to detract anie thing from the credit of so cleare a testimonie This countrey was heretofore for the number of holy men that lived in it termed the Iland of Saints of that innumerable companie of Saints whose memorie was reverenced here what one received anie solemne canonization from the Pope before Malachias archbishop of Ardmagh and Laurence of Dublin who lived as it were but the other day We reade of sundry Archbishops that have beene in this land betwixt the dayes of S. Patrick and of Malachias what one of them can be named that ever sought for a Pall from Rome Ioceline indeed a late Monke of the abbey of Furnesse writeth of S. Patrick that the Bishop of Rome conferred the Pall upon him together with the execution of legatine power in his roome But he is well knowne to be a most fabulous author and for this particular Bernard who was his ancient informeth us farre otherwise that from the very beginning untill his time the metropoliticall see of Ardmagh wanted the use of the Pall. And therefore Giraldus Cambrensis howsoever he acknowledgeth that S. Patrick did choose Ardmagh for his seate and did appoint it to be as it were a metropoliticall see and the proper place of the primacie of all Ireland yet doth he affirme withall that in verie deed there were no Archbishops in Ireland but that Bishops onely did consecrate one another untill Iohannes Paparo the Popes legate brought foure palls thither in the yeare of our Lord 1152. Gelasius was then arcbishop of Ardmagh who dyed in the yeare 1174. at which wee finde this note in our Annales This man is said to be the first Archbishop because he used the first Pall. But others before him were called Archbishops and Primates in name only for the reverence and honour of S. Patrick as the Apostle of that nation The same time that the foure Archbishopricks were established by Iohannes Paparo our Bishopricks also were limited reduced unto a fewer number whereas at the beginning they were verie many for we reade in Nennius that S Patrick founded here 365. Churches and ordayned 365. Bishops beside 3000. Presbyters and in processe of time were daily multiplied according to the pleasure of the Metropolitan so farre that every Church almost had a severall Bishop whereof Bernard doth much complaine in the life of Malachias For in erecting of new Bishopricks the Pope was no more sought unto here then in the nomination and confirmation of the Bishops themselves all matters of this kinde being done at home without relation to anie forraine authoritie The ancient forme of making a Bishop is thus laid downe by Bonifacius archbishop of Mentz in the life of Livinus When Menalchus
the Archbishop vvas dead Calomagnus the King of Scotts and the troupe of his Officers with the under-courtiers and the concourse of all that countrey with the same affection of heart cryed out that the holy Priest Livinus was most worthily to be advanced unto the honour of this order The King more devoute then all of them consenting thereunto three or foure times placed the blessed man in the chayre of the Archbishoprick with due honour according to the will of the Lord. In like maner also did king Ecgfrid cause our Cuthbert to be ordayned Bishop of the Church of Lindisfarne and king Pipin granted the Bishoprick of Salzburg to our Virgilius Duke Gunzo would have conferred the Bishoprick of Constance upon our Gallus but that hee refused it and caused another upon his recommendation to be preferred thereunto As the Pope intermedled not with the making of our Bishops so neyther can we finde by any approved record of antiquitie that anie Visitations of the clergie were held here in his name much lesse that any Indulgences were sought for by our people at his hands For as for the Charter of S. Patrick by some intituled De antiquitate Avalonicâ wherein Phaganus and Deruvianus are said to have purchased ten or thirtie yeares of Indulgences from Pope Eleutherius and S. Patrick himselfe to have procured twelve yeares in his time from Pope Celestinus it might easily be demonstrated if this were a place for it that it is a meere figment devised by the Monkes of Glastenbury Neyther doe I well know what credite is to be given unto that stragling sentence which I finde ascribed unto the same author for I will still deale fairely and conceale nothing that I meet withall in anie hidden part of antiquitie that may tend to the true discoverie of the state of former times whether it may seeme to make for me or against me If any questions doe arise in this Iland let them be referred to the See Apostolick Onely this I will say that as it is most likely that S. Patrick had a speciall regard unto the Church of Rome from whence he was sent for the conversion of this Iland so if I my selfe had lived in his dayes for the resolution of a doubtfull question I should as willingly have listened to the judgement of the Church of Rome as to the determination of anie Church in the whole world so reverend an estimation have I of the integritie of that Church as it stood in those good dayes But that S. Patrick was of opinion that the Church of Rome was sure ever afterward to continue in that good estate and that there was a perpetuall priviledge annexed unto that See that it should never erre in judgement or that the Popes sentences were alway to be held as infallible Oracles that will I never beleeve sure I am that my countreymen after him were of a farre other beleefe who were so farre from submitting themselves in this sort to whatsoever should proceed from the See of Rome that they oftentimes stood out against it when they had little cause so to do For proofe whereof I need to seeke no further then to those verie allegations which have beene lately urged for maintenance of the supremacie of the Pope and Church of Rome First Mr. Coppinger commeth upon us with this wise question Was not Ireland among other countries absolved from the Pelagian heresie by the Church of Rome as Cesar Baronius writeth then he setteth downe the copie of S. Gregories epistle in answer unto the Irish Bishops that submitted themselves unto him and concludeth in the end according to his skill that the Bishops of Ireland being infected with the Pelagian errour sought absolution first of Pelagius the Pope but the same was not effectually done untill S. Gregory did it But in all this the silly man doth nothing else but bewray his owne extreme ignorance For neyther can he shew it in Cesar Baronius or in anie other author whatsoever that the Irish Bishops did ever seek absolution from Pope Pelagius or that the one had to deale in any businesse at all with the other Neyther yet can he shew that ever they had to doe with S. Gregory in anie matter that did concerne the Pelagian heresie for these be dreames of Coppingers own idle head The epistle of S. Gregory dealeth onely with the controversie of the three chapter◠which were condemned by the fifth generall Councell whereof Baronius writeth thus All the Bishops that were in Ireland with most earnest studie rose up jointly for the defence of the Three Chapters And when they perceived that the Church of Rome did both receive the condemnation of the Three chapters and strengthen the fifth Synod with her consent they departed from her and clave to the rest of the schismaticks that were eyther in Italy or in Africk or in other countries animated with that vaine confidence that they did stand for the Catholick faith while they defended those things that were concluded in the Councell of Chalcedon And so much the more fixedly saith he did they cleave to their error because whatsoever Italy did suffer by commotions of warre by famine or pestilence all these unhappy things they thought did therefore befall unto it because it had undertaken to fight for the Fift Synod against the Councell of Chalcedon Thus farre Baronius out of whose narration this may be collected that the Bishops of Ireland did not take all the resolutions of the Church of Rome for undoubted oracles but when they thought that they had better reason on their sides they preferred the judgement of other Churches before it Wherein how peremptorie they were when they wrote unto S. Gregory of the matter may easily be perceived by these parcells of the answer which he returned unto their letters The first entry of your epistle hath notified that you suffer a grievous persecution which persecution indeed when it is not sustayned for a reasonable cause doth profite nothing unto salvation and therefore it is verie unfit that you should glory of that persecution as you call it by which it is certaine you cannot be promoted to everlasting rewards And whereas you write that since that time among other provinces Italy hath beene most afflicted you ought not to object that unto it as a reproach because it is written Whom the Lord loveth hee chasteneth and scourgeth every sonne that he receiveth Then having spoken of the booke that Pope Pelagius did write of this controversie which indeed was penned by Gregory himselfe he addeth If after the reading of this book you will persist in that deliberation wherein now you are without doubt you shew that you give your selves to be ruled not by reason but by obstinacie By all which you may see what credite is to be given unto the man who would beare us in hand that this epistle of S. Gregory was sent
findeth no other excuse for Bishop Aidan herein but that eyther hee was ignorant of the canonicall time or if he knew it that he was so overcome with the authoritie of his owne nation that he did not follow it that he did it after the maner of his owne nation and that he could not keepe Easter contrary to the custome of them which had sent him His successor Finan contended more fiercely in the businesse with Ronan his countryman and declared himselfe an open adversary to the Romane rite Colman that succeeded him did tread just in his steppes so farre that being put downe in the Synod of Streanshal yet for feare of his countrey as before we have heard out of the ancient writer of the life of Wilfride hee refused to conforme himselfe and chose rather to forgoe his archbishoprick then to submit himselfe unto the Roman laws Colmanusque suas inglorius abjicit arces Malens Ausonias victui dissolvere leges saith Fridegodus Neither did hee goe away alone but took with him all his countrymen that he had gathered together in Lindisfarne or Holy Iland the Scottish monkes also that were at Rippon in Yorkeshire making choyse rather to quit their place then to admit the observation of Easter and the rest of the rites according to the custome of the Church of Rome And so did the matter rest among the Irish about forty yeares after that untill their own countreyman Adamnanus perswaded most of them to yeeld to the custome received herein by all the Churches abroad The Pictes did the like not long after under king Naitan who by his regall authoritie commanded Easter to be observed throughout all his provinces according to the cycle of XIX yeares abolishing the erroneous period of LXXXIIII yeares which before they used and caused all Priests and Monkes to be shorne croune-wise after the Romane maner The monkes also of the Iland of Hy or Y-Columkille by the perswasion of Ecgbert an English Priest that had beene bredd in Ireland in the yeare of our Lord DCCXVI forsooke the observation of Easter the tonsure which they had received from Columkille a hundred and fiftie yeares before and followed the Romane rite about LXXX yeares after the time of Pope Honorius and the sending of Bishop Aidan from thence into England The Brittons in the time of Bede retained still their old usage untill Elbodus who was the chiefe Bishop of Northwales and dyed in the yeare of our Lord DCCCIX brought in the Romane observation of Easter which is the cause why his disciple Nennius designeth the time wherein he wrote his historie by the character of the XIX yeares cycle and not of the other of LXXXIV But howsoever Northwales did it is verie probable that West-wales which of all the other parts was most eagerly bent against the traditiōs of the Roman Church stood out yet longer For we finde in the Greeke writers of the life of Chrysostome that certaine clergie men which dwelt in the Iles of the Ocean repayred from the utmost borders of the habitable world unto Constantinople in the dayes of Methodius who was Patriarch there from the yeare DCCCXLII to the yeare DCCCXLVII to enquire of certaine Ecclesiasticall traditions and the perfect and exact computation of Easter Whereby it appeareth that these questions were kept still a foot in these Ilands and that the resolution of the Bishop of Constantinople was sought for from hence as well as the determination of the Bishop of Rome who is now made the only Oracle of the world Neyther is it here to be omitted that whatsoever broyles did passe betwixt our Irish that were not subject to the See of Rome and those others that were of the Romane communion in the succeeding ages they of the one side were esteemed to be Saincts as well as they of the other Aidan for example and Finan who were counted ringleaders of the Quartadeciman party as well as Wilfride and Cuthbert who were so violent against it Yet now a dayes men are made to beleeve that out of the communion of the Church of Rome nothing but Hell can be looked for and that subjection to the Bishop of Rome as to the visible Head of the Universall Church is required as a matter necessarie to salvation Which if it may goe currant for good Divinitie the case is like to goe hard not only with the twelve hundred Brittish Monkes of Bangor who were martyred in one day by Edelfride king of Northumberland whom our Annales style by the name of the Saincts but also with S. Aidan and S. Finan who deserve to be honoured by the English nation with as venerable a remembrance as I doe not say Wilfride and Cuthbert but Austin the monke and his followers For by the ministery of Aidan was the kingdome of Northumberland recovered from paganisme whereunto belonged then beside the shire of Northumberland and the lands beyond it unto Edenborrow Frith Cumberland also and Westmoreland Lancashire Yorkeshire and the Bishopricke of Durham and by the meanes of Finan not only Essex and Middlesex regained but also the large kingdome of Mercia converted first unto Christianitie which comprehended under it Glocestershire Herefordshire Worcestershire Warwickshire Leicestershire Rutlandshire Northamptonshire Lincolneshire Huntingtonshire Bedfordshire Buckinghamshire Oxfordshire Staffordshire Darbyshire Shropshire Nottinghamshire Chesshire and halfe Hertfordshire The Scottish that professed no subjection to the Church of Rome were they that sent preachers for the conversion of these countries and ordayned Bishops to governe them namely Aidan Finan and Colman successively for the kingdome of Northumberland for the East-Saxons Cedd brother to Ceadda the Bishop of Yorke before mentioned for the Middle-Angles and the Mercians Diuma for the paucitie of Priests saith Bede constrayned one Bishop to be appointed over two people and after him Cellach and Trumhere And these with their followers notwithstanding their division from the See of Rome were for their extraordinarie sanctitie of life and painfulnesse in preaching the Gospell wherein they went farre beyond those of the other side that afterward thrust them out and entred in upon their labours exceedingly reverenced by all that knew them Aidan especially who although he could not keep Easter saith Bede contrary to the maner of them which had sent him yet he was carefull diligently to performe the workes of faith and godlinesse and love according to the maner used by all holy men Whereupon hee was worthily beloved of all even of them also who thought otherwise of Easter then he did and was had in reverence not only by them that were of meaner ranke but also by the Bishops themselves Honorius of Canterbury and Felix of the East-Angles Neyther did Honorius and Felix anie other way carry themselves herein then their predecessors Laurentius Mellitus and Iustus had done before them who writing unto the Bishops of Ireland that