if they be dishonoured how are they Christs 5. They celebrate Masse in the morning a time not appointed by the Catholicke Church 6. One and the same Priest celebrateth Masse twise or thrise a day either on the same Altar or on another and againe many Priests successiuely vpon the same Altar 7. They contemne the Liturgie made by Saint Chrysostome 8. In the Lent they say Masse euery day The thirteenth Article is Confirmation as the words of the Index beare reiected by the Greciās The words are these When the Baptized is come to age and is now subiect to actuall sinne they annoynt him with Oyle for remission of sins and so they seeme to baptize twice The fourteenth Article is in Baptisme they Baptize with once dipping pronouncing these words In the Name of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost They baptize onely with water and they annoynt him that is to bee baptized with Spittle powred out vpon the palme of the left hand and againe taking it in the right hand they anoynt the baptized with it neither receiue they from the Catholike Church the appoynted oyntment The fifteenth Article is concerning Ordination Bishops at euery occasion consecrate not the Cleargie and Bishops but seldome in the yeare and superstitiously keepe set dayes in the weeke at the Equinoctialls and Solstices that is in the Spring Summer Haruest and Winter in March and September Iune and December and that in the first weeke of March but in the rest of the moneths on the fourth day they ordaine Priests and Deacons with others of the Clergy but vpon Saterday they ordaine Bishops and others of the higher Orders The Successour of the dead Pope is chosen after this manner The Synod chooseth him and bringeth him to the dead the * The liuing is the whole the dead the halfe viz a carkase Calumnie whole to the halfe and taking the dead Popes hand they put it vpon the necke of the liuing Pope and this they thinke to bee the Vnction and Consecration of the Successour who incontinent offereth sacrifice for the safetie of the dead Pope and thereafter hee stoutly and couragiously taketh the pontificall Offices vpon him as if hee were lawfully annoynted The sixteenth Article is Marriage they make vnlawfull marriages for two brethren marry two sisters and when one in the Latin Church giueth his Daughter in marriage to any man he againe asketh the daughter of him * Consoceri that is Father in Law to his Daughter for his Sonne brother or kinsman 2. They shut vp all Priests and Deacons from marriage by their Lawes and they hold it an abomination to receiue the Sacrament from a married Priest 2. If any married man be initiated in Priest-hood or Deaconship he must quit his wife and leaue her and this by a very strict Law they command to be kept in all the prouinces subiect vnto them but many were amongst them who vilipended this Law and married a second wife after the death of the first and so some married the third and yet they remained still in their sacred Office 4. There are many Churchmen amongst them who commit whordome and all kind of vncleanesse most securely without punishment taking their whores in the night time to their chambers and letting them againe depart being vailed neither doe they account this to be an act of vncleanesse but only an idle dreame or apparition Thus farre they accuse the Latines doctrine and Sacraments now follow the errours which they impute to them in their manners 1. The first errour in manners and ceremonies not so essentiall to the substance of Religion as they hold the rest is this Their Priests vse a certaine purging and washing which serues as they say for remission of sinnes and yet it is meerely Iudaisme 2. Their principall Bishops entring to their Masse in a Procession haue little naked children going before them whom they sprinckle with water affirming that this maketh them inuincibly strong in warrs 3. They vse the holy Eucharist most negligently Here there is some Calumny for going to the fields or countrey they carry it without light and giue it to the people without light and those fellowes that follow the warres carry it in their burse or put it vp after such a fashion 4. In the summer solstice they gather the bones of impure beasts as Asses Dogges and such like they burne them and put the ashes of them in water affirming that they serue for the purging and expiation of those persons whom they sprinckle with them In the beginning of Lent which is the fourth day called Wednesday with these ashes mingled with water they sprinckle all the Priests that come on the forehead and face thinking thereby to giue aide and helpe to their fast It is reported that they mingle these ashes with the bread that they eate O how great and how strange an abhomination is this 5. Vpon Easter day being the Lords day they kill a Lambe and roast it they bring it vnto the Altar and then to their Table Which Ceremonies being finished they eate the flesh of the Lambe and burne the bones and keepe the ashes all the yeare long to sprinckle those whom they would haue to be blessed They kill and are killed they commit murther how then can their Priests with those bloody hands offer the mysticall body and blood of Christ 6. Vpon the Lords passion day they build the Lords Tombe within the Church with common and base cloathes ordained for quotidian vse and running to this Tombe they worship it no lesse than if it were that same Tombe wherein the Lords body was laid Afterwards euery man pulleth to him his owne cloathes againe and vseth them for couering of his body sanctifying a prophane thing and prophaning that which is holy and so pull downe that Tombe like a prophane Stage which a little before was so worshipped by them sporting with things which are not matters of ieasting like little children building cabinets of straw which a little after they beate downe 7. They vse the Altar in stead of their common Table and the linnen belonging to the same which from the sacrifice they bring to their supper and from their supper to the Sacrifice againe 8. Any man that pleaseth may approach to the Altar yea when the action is in hand and that without regard of Sexe Age or Order and Layicks sit with Priests and other holy Orders yea they plead Actions at the Altar Sometimes the same Layicks carry Spurres vpon their heeles and carrying rods in their hands they keepe a foule noise Yea before the Altar they are bold euen to doe those things which they doe in the commonest Court in all the Country Sometimes women sit in the Chaire of a Bishop for those that among the Latins are most eminent in piety can no bettter discerne holy things from prophane Yea which is worse they suffer Dogges to enter into the Church and when the Priest is a sacrificing and celebrating the
a saying to be registred in the hearts printed vpon the fore-heads of turbulent and furious spirits now adayes who cannot indure but with gnashing of teeth that any Church or Countrey baptize with crossing after haue Organs or Altars Curats or Prebenders vse Cap or Surplise because they haue them not or rather will not haue them at all or else because they are in vse in the Popish Church a fine reason indeed I wonder that these men can indure preaching in a Church built by a Papist or ringing of Bells this being a custome vsed by the Papists or giuing of thankes after meat seeing the Papist doth the like And as those men loathe euery Ceremonie which the Romane Church hath so doth the Romish Church detest the Greeke Church and shee no lesse the Romish so that this question being propounded to Chomatianus by a Greeke Whether it was lawfull for a Greeke to enter into a Latin Church and worship there being desired he answered negatiuely Tom. 1. Iuris Graecorum Balsamon saith That all the ceremonies of the Latin church differing from the ceremonies of the holy Catholike Church he meaneth the Greeke Church are to be reiected and no societie to be kept with the Latines Ibidem Cabasila propounded a question to Iohn Bishop Citrius if the Greeks which were buried in the Latine Churches and had Hymnes sung at their Funeralls could be subiect to censure Yea after the Councell of Florence the rage of the Grecians was so great against those that were at the Councell and accorded to some Articles for the purchasing of ayd against the Turke who at that time tooke the neuer enough lamented citie of Constantinople that when they came home though subiect to the vncertaine and faithlesse mercy of the barbarous conquerour they excommunicated all those who accorded to the Articles and when their soules had taken their good night in parting from the body they cast them like dogs into ditches and denied them most barbarously the benefit of Christian buriall The Latine Church not being willing to be inferiour to her sister in these prankes doth serue the Protestants after the like manner for if any of the reformed Church die amongst them his soule is determinately sent packing to Hell by the Popes * For euery Holy Thursday he curseth all Protestants cursing his body it must either lie vnburied at all or else it must be carried to some place where Protestants vse to interre their dead O my soule what shalt thou think How must thou meditate vpon the barbarous and beastly crueltie against the dead bodies of them who liued to the eyes of all vnblameable perchance and died in the faith of the Lord Iesus holding him onely their Redeemer Sauiour and Mediatour baptized in the Name of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost giuing testimonies of their comfort and gladnesse in the houre of their death shewing by their cheerfulnesse the Prognostications and infallible tokens of their entrance and fore-smelling of endlesse glory Such mens bones doe the Papists debarre from resting in that Portion of our Grand-mother Tellus where the former Saints bodies which now in part triumph in delight rest waiting for a glorious resurrection a perfect beatitude with a full and plenary indulgence acquittance from sin and her reward death for death is the wages and stipend of sinne Is not this a tyrannie going far beyond that of Nero surpassing that of Decius and an hundred times more execrable than that of Heliogabalus These men can suffer him whom they haue seene with their eyes die in a kennell stabbing and stabbed in a drunken humour or him who all his life time hath played the throat-cutting Ruffian or the leacherous whoremonger and who at last hath dyed in the Poxe without so much as poenitendi animus yea him whom they haue heard with their eares awake Stix Lethe and Acheron with hideous and fearfull bannings abuse with thunderbolts and cannon-shot volies of abominable oathes the great and glorious Name of the euerliuing God such men I say they can indure to be intombed incoffined with them and to haue their portion in their ground and to lie among them with abundance of peace whereas they would striue to ransacke Heauen and Earth yea Acheronta mouerent they would euen trouble Hell it selfe if they did know that any Protestants ashes did rest there O Lord how long wilt thou delay and suffer this vnheard of crueltie To returne to my purpose The reason of all these things is either the want of charitie or of prudent discretion of things necessary from things indifferent This age is pestered yea it is consumed with these fire-brands in matters indefinable Many good Christian people haue vsed direct and indirect meanes to cure this sore to quench these faggots with their Writings full of prudence and pietie but behold their reward both the parties haue persecuted them with calumnies calling them Neutralls neither hic nor haec Nullifidians Vbiquitaries yea the ordinary censure goeth so far as without soule and conscience now to call them Atheists Or else both the parties hate them in such a measure that they thrust them from their Communions This maketh the Speakers in this businesse to bee few but Writers almost none I remember that conferring with a learned man concerning this subiect I asked him why he did not write his iudgement in these controuersies His answer was Cui vsui reip Christianae et cui bono mihi telling me that it could not helpe the generall cause one whit but doe much hurt to the doer I know many such on both sides who lament the Schisme and yet cannot helpe it Oh that the Roman Church sometimes the beautifullest amongst women that fairest and most glistering Church amongst all her Sisters millitant vpon Earth would acknowledge her selfe to be a Sister and not a Mistris There was a time when she gaue her helping hand as at the famous Councells of Nice Ephesus Constantinople and Chalcedon and did not rule with a dictatory power There was a time when in an harmonicall concord she was moued with the rest of her planeticall and wandring Sisters in this vaile of sorrow and triall by the reuolution of her first mouer and did shine amongst them all like Phoebus in his Spheare imparting out of her deuotion and charytie that portion of light which her Redeemer had made her Hand-maide of euen then when Arrianisme had ouer-runne all the Orient and Affrick when Ierome cried out of it Ingemuit mundus se Arrianum esse factum but now the fogge of her smoakie vapours obscureth the declining rayes of Religion and Charity which in the latter ages are so fast rushing to their Sun-set yea to their lamentable and darkesome midnight Alas who shall furnish my eyes with floods of waters who shall make my head a liuing spring that from henceforth I may water my Couch with sorrowfull teares Let mee mourne with the Turtle and chatter with the Crow for the losse
and without repentance and therefore damnable I remember that once conferring with a Cousin of mine a prudent and learned Gentleman compleat in all endowments of body and mind his want of charitie onely being excepted he said Woe is mee that you should be in Hell when I am in Heauen seeing you are an Heretike Protestant he meant I answered Well Sir you are too rash in iudging I am as sure said hee of your damnation if you die a Protestant as that Christ is in heauen at the right hand of the Father I answered You that are Papists are very sure of our damnation I wonder greatly that your are neuer sure of your owne saluation But thus much I tell you I will not sit vpon Gods Tribunall to giue out the Sentence of condemnation against you yet since you lacke charitie towards me your Christian Brother and giue out the sentence of condemnation against me so peremptorily taking Gods part vpon you I thinke you will be damned except you repent you of your speech And take not my Iudgement for rash since I iudge the Tree by the Fruit and you by your Charitie which is the principall and cardinall Vertue of the law Deuout Preachers fill your Sermons from the Store-house of Scripture informe in faith from Saint Paul to the Romanes and from the first and second of Iames reforme manners from Ieremie Ezechiell Hosea and Ioel denounce iudgements from Zacharia Amos Ionas Michaiah teach your selues from Titus and Timothie This is all your taske and to liue well and goe before the people like the fierie Pillar in the night and the Cloud in the day to guide them and to preserue them from Schisme and Heresie Doe not spend your time in inventing Rhethoricke to admiration critticke Methods for emulation vnprofitable Questions breeding Controuersies Feed not the itching eares of the humerous people with Nouelties needlesse questions and vnhandsomely borrowed Similies In touching and taxing your Aduersaries in Pulpits which would to God you did more seldome doe not so much endeauour to make them odious to your people as to make your hearers commiserate their estate for whom Christ died and to mooue your Auditorie to pray for their conversion and not for their confusion Our prayer to God should be to suspend his Iudgements and to helpe vs with grace as he pleaseth to giue it for measure and when hee pleaseth to giue it for time Prayer should bee Optatiue desiring and wishing with feare and humilitie no wayes Imperatiue enioyning substance and circumstance to God that he would inflict such punishment at such time and in such place vpon such and such persons Popish curses and Excōmunications the Sword which vntie the Gordian knot of the Church the Hammer which broake the wall in the mids the noyse which must not be heard at the rebuilding of the Temple I abhorre with my soule since the peremptory and rash Excommunications the drawing of the Sword of God vpon euery idle occasion scandalously and many times in derision of God and his Church the cutting off men from the Communion for little causes for no causes yea for vertuous actions and reproouing of sinnes offensiue to God and opprobrious to man haue occasioned bred brought to light nourished and yet still foster the rent of the Church Lord giue vs affections to loue peace hearts to bewaile the Schisme and then will we hope for Vnion Which O Lord in thy due time performe to thy glory the honour of thy Sonne and the comfort of those who shall perseuere in thy grace to the end Amen Thine in the Lord I. R. THE DIFFERENCES BETWEENE THE Easterne and Westerne CHVRCHES THe causes of this lamētable Schisme which diuided the affections of Christians and brought vpon them the yoake of Turkish seruitude as I can gather them from Petrus Stewartius Leodius a man by discent of the Scottish blood for Religion a Romish Catholicke remarkable for his dignity Vice-Chauncelour and professor of Diuinitie in Ingolstade famous for the Iesuites renowned Schoole there neither adding nor diminishing from his words as they are set downe in his notes vpon Caleca who being a Greeke wrote against the Orientall Churches in defence of the Ceremonies of the Occidentall Churches you shall haue faithfully translated as here followeth Petrus Stewartius in Calecam Pag. 407. editione Ingolstadiensi 1608. Ex varijs Graecorum monumentis WE think that the causes or rather the excuses of the Schisme are foure 1. First the deuision of the Empire for albeit the Emperours who did raigne at Constantinople after Constantines departure from the Citie of Rome a He toucheth the forged donation of Constantine which I would wish no man to beleeue since it is refuted inuincibly by the learned of this Age. Reynolds with Hart. History of Magdenburge and the Booke intituled Constantines defence because they had by a donation bestowed it all as wee spake before vpon the Church had not right it Italy yet not withstanding sometimes they ruled b This indeed is not probable that they had no right at all in Rome and yet should rule euery where Iudge indifferent Reader euery where But when a barbarous Nation had rushed c Infra pro in videtur poni into Italy euen to Rome and the d Loe. 3. Pope had required the aide of Leo Emperour then at Constantinople who negligently refused aide to the Church the Pope was forced to recall e Anno Dom. 800. Charles-maine from the French Territories and make him Emperour in Italy and defender of the Church For this Pope Leo was a man much giuen to voluptuousnesse as we read and therefore too too remisse in his gouernement of the Empire whence it came to passe that in his time the Sarazens tooke Syria the Turks Capadocia and so the Roman Empire was diuided 2. The second cause of the deuision was because they were not called to the Counsell f Vltra montanum seu Lugdunense lib. Greg. x. beyond the hills when the word filioque and from the sonne was added 3. The third occasion was which they themselues sometimes in familiar conference did shew vnto vs the too great and extraordinary exaction of the Popes Legats for when they brought yearely the Chrisme from the Apostolicke Sea to Constantinople they would not depart from thence vnlesse they had eighty pound weight of gold besides other gifts bestowed vpon them I will be silent of the pompe and pride whereof they spake which the Legats shew there 4. The fourth and chiefest cause vpon the Clergies part was the deposition of their Patriarch Photius f Et in the Latine multiplied soundeth harshly the excommunicating of him with other Prelats and some Abbots Paulo infra These things were written in Constantinople by the preaching Friers for the edifying of the people and for the profiting of soules in the yeare of our Lord 1252. to the praise and glory of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Amen The Articles controuerted
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in that weeke eate flesh as also on two daies of the first weeke of Lent They begin their fasting vpō the fourth day of the weeke called Wednesday by vs giuing a reason forsooth because from this day of the first weeke to the weeke of Palmes the fortie daies are accomplished so strict are these fasters in keeping exactly the number of fortie The second branch is because the Latins once a day quickly eating at night they eate fish their bellies full and some bcome drunke and they make no conscience to drinke all the day long and yet with this one refreshment of theirs they will haue their fast vnblamable and vnreprehensibly kept The third is because on euery Saturday and Lords day of the Lent they giue their children cheese and egges to eate they themselues eate the same without any scruple at all vpon the fish day of the great Feastiuitie that is vpon holy Thursday The fourth is because all the yeare long vpon any fourth or sixt day they eate either fish or flesh all eate flesh vpon the fourth day some also vpon the sixt The fift as they fast euery sixt day eating at night so though the day of the Natiuity or Circumsition or any of the great Feasts fall vpon Saturday they will not lose the Fast for it The sixt they eate with dogges and tame beares to which they throw the platters and dishes that they may lick them out of which they themselues afterwards eate meat The seuenth their Monkes eate fat of Hogges growing fast to the flesh which is called Lard vpon any suspicion of sicknes though it be neuer so little both Monks and Laicks eate flesh in the Lent But if it fall out that any Monke be ordained a Bishop then safely without any controulement hee eateth flesh The eight the Latins are not vniforme in their fasting in the Lent time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fast 9. weekes the Italians 6. others 8. others fewer The eleuenth Article is the Popes * Sentina malorum est supremacie the Romish Church challengeth Supremacie to the Pope from Peter by all Ecclesiasticall Canons as she alleadgeth The Grecians strongly deny all the allegations of the Latin Churches and leaning to the fourth generall Synod at Chalcedon at last they attribute the Superiority to Sea of Constantinople that by two Canons in which it is said if controuersies cannot bee ended by Bishops in Prouinciall or Nationall Synods then * Ibi terminentur Can. 9. let them bee determined by the Bishop of the Princely Citie Constantinople This is repeated againe in the same Synod in another Canon and therefore I will here set downe the words of Hugo Aetherianus who deliuereth the Grecians mind after this manner Romanus Pontifex omnes partium occidentalium Christiani sacerdotes Laici praeter Calabros ante multa tempora extra Catholicam Ecclesiam peruagantur Euangelicarum Apostolicarum traditionum ignari a fide alieni The Roman Bishop and all the Christian Priests of the Westerne parts and Laicks except the Calabrians this long time haue gone astray from the Catholicke Church being ignorant of the Euangelicall and Apostolicke troditions and Aliens from the faith And a little after Etinim sua concimantes alienis adhaerentes neque diuinis Scripturis redarguentibus ipsorum errores neque illis qui ipsos miserunt volunt morem gerere for making vp their owne conceits and adhering to strange opinions they will neither obey the Scripture rebuking their errour nor yet those men who ordained them The Princes of their Priests goe to warre with Laicks in Armes and they fight in the Battell marching before others Ex iudice de missae sacrificio in Bibliotheca Bauarica wee finde these notes gathered by Petrus Stewartius as errours of Grecians and yet imputing them to the Latins but how iustly let the Reader iudge seeing my intent goeth no farther then to translate the words without any glosse or censure of mine Titulo 5. * This is more than truly alleadged against the Church of Rome which forbiddeth reading of Scripture Sacros canones Sacras Literas c. Scarce read they the sacred rules and holy Scriptures they say that the Popes Commandements who for the time sitteth in the Sea of Rome are their Canons and Lawes They hold that the precepts of those who are dead whether Apostles or Fathers are dead with them Tittulo 7. They make not much account of periury yea the Pope freeth them of all periurie whensoeuer they intend to breake any bargaine or couenant made with any man Titulo 30. The Pope and his Priestly traine remit slaughter periurie and all kinde of crimes past or to come by which remission there is a gate opened to all sort of villany And that which is most foolish and ridiculous for the future time they will remit to a prefined determinated time of two three more or fewer months or yeares They sport after the same manner with by-past of fences forgiuing the sinnes of dayes months or yeares And yet they cannot tell by what authority and vpon what grounds or by what Ecclesiasticall Canon they doe this Titulo 45. The Latin Bishops are accessarie to the death of Christian people the Pope especially who pronounceth the killers of Christians such as resist the Papacie blessed and happy The twelueth Article is the Eucharist and Liturgie which the Latins call Masse which I reduce to those heads 1. They vse vnleauened bread for leauened belying Peter and his Successours as if they had this by tradition from them 2. They take not bread of any quantitie they breake not the bread they distribute it not as the Lord deliuered it in his mysticall Supper only the Priest swalloweth vp a morsell of vnleauened bread of the bignesse of a farthing 3. Only he that sacrificeth is partaker of the sacrifice as for the rest whether they be of the Clergie or of the Laity they are made partakers of it by a kisse Neither hath that saying any place with them Calumnie who eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath life eternall seeing they are not pertakers of the body and blood of Christ they communicate neuer but in the a Preparation to the Passeouer parascene and the houre of death and then they receiue no b Vnleauened bread Azymes consecrated but only a bitte of another bread common and not blessed and they render a reason of it so because they know not who is worteh of it which excuse doth bewray another fault worthy of blame to wit that they vse no Confessors for if they had vse of those they would not be ignorant of this point 4. Whosoeuer are partakers of the sanctification that is of the Eucharist washing their mouthes Calumnie they put out the water out of their mouthes vpon the earth and trample it vnder their feete If therfore these misteries bee Christs why are they so dishonoured and
Hoast which they hold to be life giuing bread they suffer the Dogs sitting at the Priests feete to barke at all those that come in and to fawne vpon the Priests and others that stand by They suffer Beares and Hogges also to enter into the Church 9. When the Gospel is a reading and Masse a singing yea when the very sacred gifts are taking out all men who please sit and yet they are neuer blamed by their Leaders When wee aske the cause of this irreuerent and vndecent gesture they answere that they sit that no tumult be raised whereby God may bee offended as if that vnseemely and irreligious sitting were not iniurious to God but rather tending to his honour 10. After Table they take not the Panagia or blessing in honor of the most holy Mother of God but they mocke at vs for the same as if wee Grecians onely tooke the blessing when our bellies are full of meat and drinke and so they esteeme a thing holy of it selfe prophane These forsooth are the men that are bold to say that they are most religiously minded towards the most holy Mother of God 11. They nick-name the Grecians which are most pious in their actions calling them Bogomili they say that the Armenians are more religious then the Greekes whom they call Brethren and whom they loue as brethren yea they hate vs more cruelly then Iewes and Saracens for they honour and embrace Iewes which amongst them may carry the old Testament in their hands 12. If any man amongst them die by the sword hee is thought to bee blessed and to goe straight to Paradise though he be killed fighting out of auarice or for murther or for any other wicked deed 13. Whatsoeuer death any man dieth amongst them they euer blame * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I thinke to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for in the Westerne parts they vse to blame Fortune much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for so after a barbarous manner they name Fortune or Destiny 14. They shaue their beards and all the haires of their body holding this in a manner for expiation which is meere Iudaisme 15. They eate dead things and strangled things taken from wild beasts blood vncleane things as Hogges Beares Conies Hares Snailes Water-dogs Mice Crowes Rauens Dolphins and such like vncleane beasts And so much for that which the Grecians taxe in the Doctrines and Ceremonies of the Latines now followeth that which they taxe some things iustly and some things vniustly in their habit The Pope and his Vicars vse a Miter and a Turkish tuffe with long robes and other things vsed in the old Testament more fitting for women Their Priestly vesture is not of wooll to signifie Christ slaine like a Lambe for vs but of silke party-coloured When they are doing holy Seruice they carry their Gloues in both their hands and vpon the right hand they write Tanquam ex nube and vpon the left Agnus Dei. Their Bishops vse rings alwayes and they giue this reason Because that they are like Bridegromes or rather Husbands euer married to their Churches so grosse are their thoughts of sacred matters Their Ecclesiasticke persons and Monkes vse no other daily vesture then Layickes vse neither shalt thou euer discerne Church-men from prophane men since they shaue the chin and that women-like Gloria enim eorum inconfusione for their glory is their shame their ordinary clothing is of haire the vesture for holy dayes is all silke directly repugnant to the Constitutions of the Catholike Church Some Monkes alwayes vse white robes a token as they say of vertue and cleanlinesse in them A Supplement They suffer Priests and men of other Orders to lye eight dayes without buriall and that for filthy lucre and gaine They celebrate sundry of the festiuities of Christ vntimely and confusedly not according to the tradition of the Fathers Whomsoeuer they loose from excommunication they strip them naked to the loynes and hauing whipt them soundly they let them goe as then being perfectly reconciled to the Church They receiue not the workes of Saint Chrysostome Basil and Gregory Nazianzen the lights of the Church There are some calumnies heere They contemne the Epistles of Saint Paul saying that hee was not one of the twelue and that hee did not see Christ regarding nothing that vision which hee saw going to Damascus when it was said Vas electionis eris neither regard they his stripes trauailes and conuersion of Gentils Herein as in some other the Greeks falsely charge the Latins Cerularius Archbishop Patriarch of Constantinople in his Epistle to Peter Patriarch of Antioch in briefe tearmes short words gathereth all these long poynts and concludeth out of his narration that since the Latines are such men and so giuen it is impossible that they should haue any vnion with them or hold them to bee true and Orthodox Christians or suffer and endure them to bee numbred with them And that which he holdeth to be most grieuous and intolerable is the Supremacie challenged by the Latine Church to teach all and to bee taught of none and Dictator-like to giue Lawes to binde other Churches whereas shee doth those things which others mislike in her This gentle Reader thou shalt finde in Baronius his Annals Tomo XI anno Christi 1054. num 33. where Baronius striueth to excuse the true things laid to their charge to refute the vntruths and to cloke the errours of this Westerne Church in things rebukeable Yea hee bringeth in Petrus Antiochenus writing an answere to Cerularius and doing it with greater credit to the cause if he wrote such an answere and in more modest and Christian tearmes then any Sides-man could haue done seeing that preiudice oftentimes leadeth the best man that is either in answering to be Satyricke and invectiue or else to defend the absurdest and most erronious things that can be And therefore I will set downe his Epistle because it is profitable for these times in which we liue wherein euery man would draw another to his opinion and practise in all things in things of themselues meerly indifferēt in things touching Verity Schisme or Heresie for Nature hath made man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ciuil creature and sociable delighting in the company of those that are of his owne Species and desiring all those that are of his owne kind to sympathize with his mind and affection But Christian Charitie suffereth many things tolerating that in the weake which in the stronger it would whip with a scourge before it should come to bee Schismaticall either in action or affection The Lord ioyne the Christian Church in vnitie of faith and Communion in Charitie Amen The Letter of PETRVS ANTIOCHENVS to CERVLARIVS WHat is it to vs that their Priests shaue their beards And what although they carry a Ring as a Badge of their Marriage with the holy and blessed Church * * This place seemeth to bee forged for it was Christ that was crowned