disguise your sacriledge of the Cup taken from the people as if our Saviour Christ were not sparing enough in ordainiâ—g as few outward Ceremonies as might wel be but that he must doe that by two which might have beene compassed by one or as if he would have the Ministers receive his body and bloud superfluously that is to say both in the Bread and in the Cup too which was sufficiently received in either of them Againe though the devout Communicant receiving Christ spiritually by Faith is thereby possessed of whole Christ crucified in the inward act of the soule yet we deny that the whole is received Sacramentally in this outwad act under one onely part of this Sacrament so that if Concomitance were granted yet Communion in one kinde is not justifiable for although it deprive not people of Christs bloud as it is a bodily part conteined in the veines yet it depriveth them of the bloud of Christ as it was shed powred out and offered in sacrifice for them neither can suâ—h manner of receiving shew foorth the Lords death which is one chiefe end of the celebration of this Sacrament 1 Cor. 11.28 The breaking of Bread repesenteth in no wise the effusion of bloud this is lively represented by the powring out of the consecrated Wine and dâ—inking of the Cup there being a perfecter signification in both kinds then in one Lastly though the people might receive the blood together wiâ—h the host â—et he that so receives the blood cannot properly bee said to drinke now Christ saith expresly Vnlesse you drinke his blood you shall not have life in you Iohn 6.53 which place your Papists themselves understand of the Eucharist Concerning the number of Sacraments the Trent-Councell accurseth all such as shall say that the number of Sacraments is either more or lesse then seaven but our Church holds that of the Sacraments of the Newe Testament there bee two ordained of Christ our Lord in the Gospell that is to say Baptisme and the Lords Supper and those five which by the Church of Rome are called Sacraments to wit Confirmation Penance Orders Matrimony and Extreame Vnction are not to be accounted Sacraments of the Gospell Now that there are and ought to be two Sacraments onely in the New Testament appeareth hereby in that there is no promise made unto us of life everlasting in Iesus Christ which is not sufficiently witnessed and assured unto us by these two Sacraments For the summe of all the promises of God in Christ is reduced unto these two heads that for his sake we are received into the favour and houshold care of God and that being once received we shall be continued in the saâ—e for ever the former whereof is sealed unto us by Baptisme for our entrance and admission into the Covenant and the later by the Lords Supper for our continuance growth and confirmation therein These two were instituted by Christ Hoc facite Doe this in remembrance of mee is our warrant for the one and goe teach and baptise for the other x there is deepe silence in the rest Of the Eucharist The Trent Councel holds that there is a conversion of the whole substance of bread and wine into the substance of Christs body and blood wrought by the words of consecration and that there onely remaine the semblances and shewes the outward shapeâ— formes or accidents of bread and wine yea the Councel accurseth such as affirme bread wine to remaine in this Sacrament after consecration And yet S. Paul tells us that after consecration it is bread which is broken and eaten it is no lesse than fivetimes so called after the pretended change Neither is it called Bread because it was bread but because it is bread not in name onely but in nature and properties for after consecration the bread and wine they nourish the body and comfort the heart as before but the bare formes of bread and wine as the roundnesse of the Hoste or colour of the Wine such as they say onely remaine the substance thereof being abolished cannot nourish without corporall substance Now our Church holds that the change of the substance of the bread and wine into the substance of the body and blood of Christ commonly called Transubstantiation cannot be prooved by holy Writ but is repugnant to plaine testimonies of holy Scripture PA. How doth it appeare that Christs bodie and bloud are not corporally given and taken in the Sacrament PRO. By these reasons First wee receive the body and blood of Châ—ist in the Sacrament as the Discâ—ples of Christ did in the first Iâ—stitution of it Now the body and blood of Chriâ—t were not corporally received by them but onely spiritually Secondly Christ his body is ascended and taken up into heaven and the heavens must containe him till the end of the world Thirdly Christ hath but one body and that a true body and such as cannot be in many places at once and it filleth a place wheresoever it is and may bee both seene and felt This was also the judgement of otherâ— whom you much reverence Dionysius Areopagita held not Transubstantiationâ— For he distinguisheth bâ—tweene the substantiall Signâ—s and Christ signâ—fied by them saying that By those reveâ—end Signes and Symboles Christ is signified and the faithfull made partakers of him He calleth not tâ—e ministration of the holy mysteries the sacrificing of Christ unto his Father as the Papists doe but a Typicall or Symbolicall Sacrifice that is a figuâ—e or signe of that great sacrifice and the same Denys as Bellarmine confesseth calleth the Sacrament an Anâ—iâ—ype and that after consecration so that according to Saint Denys the Elements of Bread and Wine in this Sacrament are Types Antitype and Symbols that is Figures and Signes of the body and bloud of Châ—ist and yet not onely bare naked and Signes significative but reâ—lly exâ—ibiting Christ for that is Denys his word to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the faithfull thereby partake Christ Iesus PA. The Scripture is plaine for us where Christ saith This is my Body Math. 26.26 PRO. Although Christ say This is my Body yet hee saith not as you doe this is made or shall be changed into my Body he saiâ—h not that his body and bloud is conteined under the shapes or formes of Bâ—ead and Wine Againe you that stand so for the Letter take not Christs Words litterally for it is an improper speech to say This is my Body that is the thing conteined under these formes is by conversion and substantiall transmutation my Body but your Papists mainteining Transubstantiation expound Christs words in this or the like manner therefore in the point of Transubstantiation you depart from the Letter and consequently make it figurative You indeed alleage the Words and Letter but not the true meaning we beleeve Christs words in their right sence now the shew makes for you the sence and substance
and Wine in the Sacrament of the Supper are made flesh and the bloud of Iesus in that same manner that the eternall Word of God was made flesh but so it is that the substance of the Divine nature neither evanished nor yet was changed into the substance of flesh and in like manner the Bread is made the Body of Christ neither by evanishing of the substance thereof nor yet by changing the substance thereof into another substance Iustine Martyr telleth us that the Bread and the Wine even that sanctified food wherewith our bloud and flesh by conversion are nourished is that which we are taught to be the flesh and bloud of Iesus incarnate Our Lord saith Clemens of Alexandria did blesse Wine when he said take drinke this is my bloud the bloud of the Vine Irenaeus saith that our Lord taking Bread of that condition which is usuall among us confessed it to be his Body and the Cup likewise containing that creature which is usuall among us his bloud so that in their construction it was Bread and Wine which Christ called his Body it was Bread in substance mateâ—iall Bread and the Body of the Lord in signification and Sacramentall relation The Lord called Bread his body now since Bread could not be his body substantially it must needs be it was onely his body Sacramentally Of Images and Prayer to Saints Concerning the use of Images we find that in these best ancient times Christians were so far from bringing them into their Churches that some of them would not so much as admit the Art it selfe of making them so jealous were they of the danger and carefull for the prevention of deceipt whereby the simple might any way be drawn on to the adoring of them we are plainly foâ—bidden saith Clemens Alexandrinus to exercise that deceitfull Art for the Prophet saith Thou shalt not make the likenesse of any thing either in the Heaven or in the Earth beneath Moses commandeth men to make no Image that should represent God by Art for in truth an Image is a dead matter formed by the hand of an artificer but we have no sensible Image made of any sensible matter but such an Image as is to be conceived with the understanding yea but thine Images are of Gold be it so now I pray thee what is Gold or Silver Iron Brasse Ivorie the Adamant Diamond or Precious Stones Are they not terra et ex terrâ are they ought but Earth and made of the Earth now being nothing else but a piecâ— of more refined Earth I have learned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 terram calcare non colere to walke on the Earth and not to worship it to set my foote on it not to bow my knee to it And thus farre Clement of Alexandria holding it a monstrous thing to bow downe to a stock or a stone Irenaeus reckons it among the abuses of the Gnostikes that they had certaine painted Images and others made of other stuffe saying that it was the Picture of Christ made by Pilate When the Emperour Adrian in favour of the Christians had commanded that in every City Churches should be built without Images which at this day are called Adrians Temples because they have no Gods in them which they said he made for that end to wit to pleasure the Christians it was presently conceived that he prepared those Temples for Christ as Aelius Lampridius noteh in the life of Alexander Severus which is an evident Argument that it was not the use of Christians in those dayes to have any Images in their Churches Learned Master Casaâ—bone in his notes upon this place of Lampridius thinketh that this story is rather to be referred to Tiberius the Emperour â—han to Hadrian and that Adrian causd Temples to be dedicated to his owne name and thâ—se Temples Adrian being prevented by death remained unfinished and without any Images at all whence it came to passe that many wâ—n thought that Adrian built those Temples not to himselfe but unto Christ and with these agreeth Lampridiusâ— as one who knew that which none could then be ignorant of that both the Iewes in the Temple at Hierusalem did worship God without Images and Pictures as both Strabo and Dio write and that in their dayes the Christian Churches were such as afterwards Saint Austine reports them to have beene in his dayes Saint Austin upon the hundred and thirteenth Psalme expounding those words of David that Idols have a mouth and speake not makes this objection that the Church hath also divers instruments and vessels made of gold and silver for the use of celebrating the Sacraments but he answers have these instruments mouths and speake not eyes and see not doe we addresse our prayers to them now surely he could not have spoken thus if he had Images in Churches or if Images had bin a part of the Churches Vtensils and moveables in his dayes Concerning Prayer to Saints Iustine Martyr Clemens Alexandrinus and Tertullian have reported the publike formes of Christian service and Religious excercises of the Primitive Christians and yet make no mention of Prayer to Saints or Angels but onely of Prayer directed to God in the name and mediation of Christ alone Irenaeus tels us that in his dayes the Church per universum mundum Irenaeusâ—aith â—aith not as Fevardentius and the Papists now a dayes would teach him that the Heretikes called upon false and imaginary Saints and Angels and the Church upon the true Saints and holy Angels but this he saith that the Church called upon God in Christ Iesus Eusebius in his Storie setteth downe Verbatim a long Prayer used by Polycarp the Martyr at the time of his suffering wherin if Invocation of Saints had beene reputed any part of Christian devotion in those dayes he would undoubtedly in so great perill and at his deaâ—h have recommended himselfe to God by the Prayers and Merits of Saints but his forme of Praier is Protestant-like tendered to God himselfe only by the mediation of Christ concluding his Prayer in this manner therefore in all things I Praise thee I blesse thee I Glorifie thee through the eternall Priest of our profession Iesus Christ thy beloved Sonne to whom with thee O Father and the Holy Ghost be all Glory now and for ever Amen When the people of the Church of Smyrna desired to have the body or bones of their Martyredâ— Bishop Polycarp to buriall the Iewes perswaded the Governour not to grant it for that then the Christians would leave Christ and worship the body of Polycarp to which surmise they reâ—urne this answer we can never be induced either to forsake Christ which hath suffered for all that are saved in the World 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or to worship any other for him being the Sonne of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee adore him but the Martyrs as the
of the Evangelist what wants it what obscuritie is there in it all things there are full and perfect Saint Basil saith it is a manifest falling from the Faith and an argument of arrogancie either to reject any point of those things that are written or to bring in any of those things that are not written Gregory Nyssen layeth this for a ground which no man should contradict that in that onely the truth must be acknowledged wherein the seale of the Scripture testimonie is to be seene The same Father in an oration of his calleth the Scripture an even streight and inflexible Rule neither mentâ—oneth he any more rules but this onâ— and adding the word ipsa to the Rule he delareth the same to be an adaequate and onely Rule Of the Scripture Canon The Councell of Laodicea saith we ought to reade onely the bookes of the Old and New Testament yea the same Councell recites onely those Canonicall bookes of Scripture which we allow and the Canons of this Councell though a provinciall Councell are confirmed by the sixt generall Councell in Trullo now if it be replied the Laodicean Councell excludes the Apocrypha the Carthaginian Councell receives them and both these were confirmed in the sixt generall Councell held in the Palace called Trullo and how can this stand together the matter is thus reconciled the Laodicean speakes of the Canon of Faith the Carthaginian of the Canon of good manners to both which the sixt Councell subscribed in that sence and we to it To proceed Hilary tells us the Law of the Old Testament is conteined in two and twentie bookes according to the number of the Hebrew letters and Athanasius saith the same and as touching the Apocryphall bookes as namely the booke of Wisedome Maccabees and the rest he saith Libri non sunt Canonici they are read onely to the Caetechumens or novices in Religion but are not Canonicall Epiphanius after he had reckoned up the Canon of two and twentie bookes censureth the bookes of Wisedome and Ecclesiasâ—icus in these words they are fit and profitable but not reckoned amongst those bookes which are received by our Church and therefore were neither laid up with Aaron nor in the Arke of the New Testament Ruffinus in his explanation of the Creede which is found among Saint Cyprians workes and so attributed to him setteth downe the Catalogue conteining all those bookes which we admit secluding all those that are now in question wee must know saith he that there be also other bookes which are not Canonicall but are called of our Ancestors Ecclesiasticall as is the Wisedome of Salomon Ecclesiasticus Tobias Iudith and the bookes of Maccabees all which they will indeed have to be read in the Church but not to be alledged for Confirmation of Faith To this testimonie of Ruffin Canus a Popish writer thus replieth although Ruffin did affirme that the bookes of Maccabees were to be rejected by the tradition of the Fathers yet by the Readers leave he was ignorant of that Tradition as if Canus a late writer were better skilled in the Primitive tradition than Ruffinus or Cyprian Gregorie Nazianzen nameth all the bookes that wee admit save that he omitteth the booke of Hester being misperswaded of the whole by reason of those Apocryphall additions to it Now Bellarmine would shift off such testimonies as these by saying it was no fault in them to reject these bookâ—s because no generall Councell in their dayes had decreed any thing touching them But we aske how it came to passe that so many Catholike Divines after this pretended decree of their Canon rejected these bookes as others had done before for some in every Age rejected thâ—m Of Communion under both and number of Sacraments Gregory Nazianzene saith of his sister Gorgonia in this manner if her hand had laid up any portion of the types or tokens of the precious body and of the bloud he saith that his sister after she had communicated she laid up some part of the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ now as she kept the consecrated bread in a cloth so she might carry the wine in a viall howsoever this religious woman received in both kinds The same Nazianzen bids reverence the Lords Table to which thou hast accesse the bread whereof thou hast beene partaker the cup which thou hast communicated being initiated in the passions of Christ. Athanasius being accused for breaking a Chalice writeth thus What manner of Cup or when or where was it broken in every house there are many Pots any of which if a man breake he committeth not sacriledge but if any man willingly break the sacred Chalice he committs sacriledge but that Chalice is no where but where there is a lawfull Bishop This is the use destin'd to that Chalice none other wherein you according to institution doe drinke unto and before the Laity This was the custome in Athanasius his dayes Saint Ambrose speakes to a great secular Prince Theodosius in this sort How dare you lift up to him those hands from which the blood yet droppeth will you receive with them the sacred body of our Lord or how will you put in your mouth his precious bloud who in the commanding fury of your wrath have wickedly shed so much innocent bloud The same Saint Ambrose in his Treatise that hee wholly set apart for the laying foorth of the Doctrine of the Sacraments specifyeth not any other than either those two of ours Baptisme and the Lords Supper and yet wee have of his as they are divided sixâ— bookes de Sacramentis of the Sacraments And so I come to treat of the Sacrament Of the Eucharist PA. You have produced Hilarie and Cyril of Hierusalem on your side whereas they make for us in the poynt of the Sacrament Saint Hâ—larie sayth nos verè verbum carnem cibo Dominico sumimus Hil. l. 8. de Trinitate PRO. Hilaries testimony was much urged by Mr. Musket Priest and was notably cleered by Doctour Featly in the second dayes disputation now to the place alleadged he sayth The Word truely became Flesh truely to wit by Faith and Spiritually not with the mouth and carnally Objection These words of Hilarie Sub Sacramento communicandae carnis and the like following nos verè sub mysterio carnem corporis sui sumimus wee truely receive the Flesh of his body under a mystery prove the reall presence of Christs flesh under the formes of bread and wine Answer Saint Hilarie by the words Sub Sacramento and sub mysterio carnem sumimus meaneth nothing but that in a mystery or Sacramentally we eate the true flesh of the Sonne of God sub mysterio is no more than in mysterio that is mystically under a similitude in a similitude or after a resemblance Object St. Hilarie sayth in the booke alleadged de veritate carnis sanguinis non est relictus ambigendi locus
and Austine in this point are ours Of Communion under both kinds Saint Chrysostome saiâ—h that whereas Vnder the Law there was a difference betweene Priests and Laicks in communicating of victimâ—s In the nâ—w it is otherwise for one body and one Cup is ministred to all Hierom saith that the Pastors administred the Eucharist and distributed the bloud of our Lord to his people the same Hierome reportâ—th how Exuperius Bishop of Tholouse in France was wont to carry the CoÌ„munion to persoâ—s absent There was no man saith he richer than Exuperius who carried the Lords body in a Wicker basket and his bloud in a Glasse It is true indeed that the Bishop sold the Churchâ—Plate for the reliefe of the poore so that he was driven to use Osier baskets and glasse-Glasse-cups but withall the story saith he carried the consecrated bread and wine severally and apart and not by way of Concomitancie Besides that the wine might be carried abroad in a viall to sicke persons without any such danger of spilling as the Iesuit dreames on Saint Austine saith All that would have life are exhâ—â—ted to drinke of the bloud and that The whole Church having received the Cup answereth Amen Pope Lâ—o râ—proveth such as in his time refused the Cup which is a token that the Cup was then in use among the Laietie his words are these Whereas some to hide their infidelitie come sometimes to Catholike Churches and are present at the celebration of sacred mysteries they so temper the matter that with unworthy mouthes they receive the Lords body but decline to drinke the bloud of our Redemption I would â—herefore have your holinesse take notice that by these signes they may be discovered and their Sacrilegious dissembling may be found out and descried that being thus discovered they may by Priestly authoritie he cast out of the societie of the Saints In like sort Gelasius enjoyned Communion in both kinds We have found saith he That certaiâ—e having received a poâ—tion of the sacred body onely abstaine from the Cup of the most holy blâ—ud which men because they are said to be intangled with I know not what superstition either let them receive the whole Sacrament or else let them be wholly â—xcluded from receiving because there can be no dividing of one and the same mysterie without grievous Sacriledge Reply Gelasius hap'ly speaketh of some Priests who consecrated the elements but themselves received not in both kinds Answer The words hee useth are Recipiant and Arceantur which doe evidently prove that he speakes of the people who doe not themselves receive the Sacrament but from the Ministers hand as also the word Arceantur that is Let them not be received though they offer themselves Besides the ancient histories speake not of any Priest that ever made scruple of drinking of the Chalice which himselfe had consecrated Reply The Manichees had an opinion that Wine was not created by God but by some evill spirit and that Christ did not shed his bloud on the Crosse and hereupon they abstained from the Chalice therefore the Church in detestation of this errour for a time commanded Communion under both kinds upon this occasion Gelasius made the Decree recorded by Gratian. Râ—joynder This was not done upon occasion of the Manichee's errour for before ever they appeared in any number Communion in both kinds was practised as appeareth by the Apostles Ignatius Iustin Martyr Irenaeus Tertullian and Saint Cyprian Now Cyprian the youngest of these flourished about the yeere two hundred and fiftie and the Manichees rose not till about the yeere two hundred seventy three Againe although Leo speake of the Manichee's yet Iesuit Vasques sayth that He commanded not the use of the Cup because of them but required that those which feigned themselves Catholikes and came to the holy Communion receiving the bread and taking the Cup into their hands pretending that they dranke the wine and yet did not should carefully be observed Now among a multitude of Communicants some few might hold the Cup to their mouth and make shew of drinking and yet receive no wine The Cup then was not for a time only allowed to the Laicks by Leo and Gelasius thereby to discover who were Manichees but in these Popes dayes the Cup was usually and ordinarily given to the Laicks and upon the refusing of the Cup then in use among the Catholikes the Manichees were discovered otherwisâ— how could the Pope have reproved their practice How could the Manichees have beâ—ne espyed and kâ—owne if they and the Catholikes had received in one kind both alike For this is the token that Leo would have them knowne by for that Thâ—y refuse to drinke the bloud of our Redemption by which words it is cleere that the Cup was offâ—red orderly unto them as unto others but thâ—y refused it Now touching the place of Gâ—lasius the same Vasquâ—z sayth that Whereas some of his part apply the same to the Manichees Canonâ— for therein he teacheth That the mysterie of the Eucharist is of that natuâ—e in regard of it selfe that without griâ—vous sacriledge it cannot bee dâ—vided and severed the one part from the other to wit because of the institution and signification Admit then that the Manichees occasioned this Decree yet this Decree is backed with a generall â—eason which forbids all to communicate in one kind onely under the perill of Sacriledge so that the Popes Canon reacheth not onely to the Manichee but to all such as halve the Communion be they Manichees oâ— Papists or whatsoever they be Of the number of Sacraments Saint Austine with others tell us That the Sacraments of the nâ—w Law flowed out of Christ's side now none issued thence but the Sacrament of water which is Baptisme and the Sacrament of bloud in the Supper The same Austine sayth Our Lord and his Apostles have dâ—livâ—red unto us a few Sacraments in stead of many and the same in doing most easie in signification most excellent in obsâ—rvation most revâ—rend as is the Sacrament of Baptisme and the celebration of the body and bloud of our Lord. And the same Father speaking of the same Sacraments whiâ—h he calleth for number the fewest for observation easiest for signification excellentest withall indeed addeth a si quid aliud if any such other Sacrament bee to bee found in Scripture but himselfe could not find any other for he concludeth them within the number of two saying These be the two Sacraments of the Church Of the Eucharist Saint Chrysostome saith that Before the Bread be sanctifyed we call it Bread but when Gods grace after consecration hath sanctifyed it by the meanes of the Priest it is freed from the name of Bread and is accounted worthy of the name of the Body of Christ although the nature of the Bread remaine still in it Châ—ysostome sayth the nature of bread remayneth after consecration they say
say the word of Christ is most efficacious to alter the propertie of naturall water and to give regenerating force and vertue to it Saint Ambrose saith that in Baptisme man is changed and made a new creature Learne saith he how the word of Christ is accustomed to change every creature and when he will he altereth the course of nature Saint Cyril saith the waters are changed into a divine nature And Gregorie Nazianzene saith that by Baptisme we put on Christ by Baptisme we are changed or transmuted into Christ. Now from hence we cannot infeâ—re that eiâ—her the water of Baptisme or regenerate persons are changed by Transubstantiation the change is not corporall in either of the Sacraments but mysticall in use and signification In the Church saith Macarius Scholler to Saint Anthonie bread and wine is offered the type of his flesh and bloud and they which are partakers of the visible bread doe Spiritually eate the flesh of the Lord. Now according to this Father bread and wine are taken bread and wine are offered and these be the types or tokens of the body and bloud and that they be so called after Consecration is likewise acknowledged by Bellarmine And we may farther observe that the words of Macarius are so cleere for the spirituall and not corporall receiving as that some were faigne to set a Marginall glosse upon Macarius his text Of Image-worship The Councel of Elliberis in Granado in Spayne decreed That no Pictures should or ought to be in the Church lest that which is worshipped or adored should be painted on walls Now it will not serve to say that the Councel onely forbad the painting of Images on Church-walls where in time of persecution or otherwise they might be defaced as if they might be set or hung in tables for the Councels decree runs generally saying It is our mind that Pictures ought not to be in the Church Now if it forbad the very being of them in Churches then surely it utterly condemned their adoration Melchior Canus chargeth this ancient Councel with impietie for making such a decree de tollendis Imaginibus Saint Ambrose saith God would not have himselfe worshipped in stones the Church knoweth no vaine Idaea's and divers figures of Images but knoweth the true substance of the Trinity The fact of Epiphanius which himselfe records in his Epistle to Iohn Bishop of Hierusalem translated by Saint Hierome out of Greek into Latine is very famous in this case namely how himselfe found a Picture in the Church of the village of Anablatha which though it were out of his owne Diocesse yet in an hoâ—y zeale he tore it and wrote to the Bishop of the place beseeching him that no such Pictures might bee hanged up as being contrary to Religion The words of Epiphanius are these I found there a vayle hanging at the doore of the Church dyed and painted and having the Image as it were of Christ or some Saint for I doe not well remember whose Image it was when therefore I saw this that contrary to the authority of the Scriptures the Image of a man was hanged up in the Church of Christ I cut it and gave counsel to the keepers of the place that they should rather wrap and burie some poore dead man in it and afterward hee intreateth the Bishop of Hierusalem under whose governement this Church was to give charge hereafter that such vayles as those which are repugnant to our Religion should not be hanged up in the Church of Christ. I know indeed that Iesuit Fisher would shuffle off this evidence by saying that it was the picture of some prophane Pagan bâ—t Epiphanius himselfe saith it had imaginem quasi Christi vel Sancti cujusdam the image as it were of Christ or of some Saint surely therefore the Image went for Christs or for some noted Saints neither doâ—h he finde fault with the irresemblance but with the Image as such Baronius saith they are rather the forged words of some Image-breakers than of Epiphanius Bellarmine would disproove them by sundry conjectures which Master Rivet rejects and defeâ—dâ— the foresayd Epistle of Epiphanius clearing it from all the Cardinal 's cavills aâ—d surely if we observe Epiphanius his practice about the foresayd Image and his Doctrine of Mariam nemo adoret we may well thinke these two had both one Father PA. The Idolatry forbidden in Scripture and disliked by the Fathers is such as was used by Iewes and Pagans and this wee Christians practise not PRO. Indeed the Apostle when hee disswadeth Christians from Idolatry propounds the Iewes fall saying Neither be yee Idolaters as some of them were 1 Cor. 10. 7 8. The like also hee addeth touching another sinne Neither let us commit fornication as some of them did as well then might one pleade that Iewish or Heathenish fornication were onely reprehended as Iewish or Heathenish Idolatry it being a foule sinne whether it bee committed by Iewe Pagan or Christian and more haynous in the Christian who professeth Christ to practise that which Gods word condemneth in the Iewes and Pagans for Idolatry PA. The Heathen held the Images themselves to be Gods which is farre from our thought PRO. Admit some of the simpler sort of the Heathen did so what shall wee say of the Iewish Idolaters who erected the Golden calfe in the wildernesse can wee thinke that they were all so sencelesse as to imagine that the calfe which they knew was not at all in rerum naturâ and had no being at that time when they came out of Aegypt should yet be that God which brought them out of Aegypt Exod. 32.4 And for the Heathen people though they haply thought some divine Majestie and power was seated in the Images yet they were scarcely so rude as to thinke the Images which they adored to be very God for thus we find them usually to answer in the writings of the Fathers Wee worship the Gods by the Images and I neither worship the Image nor a Spirit in it but by the bodily portraiture I doe behold the signe of that thing which I ought to worship PAP Though the Heathen did not account the Image it selfe to be God yet were those Images set up to represent either things that had no being or Devils or false-Gods and in that respect were Idols whereas we erect Images onely to the honour of the true God and of his servants the Saints and Angels PRO. Suppose that many of the Idolatrous Iewes and Heathens Images were such as you say they were yet they were not all of them such howsoever Idolatry is committed by yielding adoration to an Image of the true God himselfe as appeareth by the first Chapter of the Epistle to the Romanes where the Apostle having said that God shewed unto them that which might bee knowne of him and that the Invisible things of him that is his
resiant at Constantinople and part of the countrey that rebelled was Conquered by the King of Lumbardie and Rome and the Romane Dukedome fell unto the Pope now was the Emperour driven out of Italie and every one caâ—cht what he could the Lumbards were the strongâ—st partie and with them the Pope falls at oddes about the dividing of the spoyle and finding them too hard for him as before he had used the strength of the Lumbards to suppresse the Emperour so now he cals in Pipin Marshall of the Palace or Constable of France and â—â—aâ—les his son surnamed the Great and by their power he suppressed the Lumbards this service did Pipin and his sonne to the See of Rome in requitall whereof Chilpâ—ricke being a weake Prince was deposed Pipin and the Barons and the people of France are absolved from their Oath of Allegeance and by Pope Zacharies favour Pipin sonne to Carolus Martellus is crowned King of the Fâ—aâ—ks and Charles the Great sonne to Pipin is crowned Emperour of the West by Pope Leo the third who sâ—cceeded Adrian Then came the Pope and Charlemaigne to the partage of the Empire leaving a poore pitâ—ance for the Emperour of Greece And this was the issue of the fierce contentions about Images The Popes pulling downe Emperours and setting up Images and indeed these babies and puppits served the Popes to stalke withâ—ll but other fowle was shot at to wit Iurisdiction and a temporall Monarchie and indeed about this time the Pope grew great so that it was Gods gracious dealing with his Church that he found such opposition as he did the Easterne Emperour not daring and the Westerne in regard of late courtesies received from the Pope being haply not willing openly to affront him And thus much of Images come we now to speake a word or two of Prayer to Saints Concerning Prayer Bede in his Commentarie on the Proverbes rightly ascribed to Bede and not to Saint Hierome saith We ought to invocate that is by prayer to call into us none but God Antonius in his Melissa or mellifluous Sermon saith that Wee are taught to worship and adore that nature onely which is uncreated but the Spanish Inquisitors have clipt off a piece of his tongue Commanding the word Onely to be blotted out of his writings now the word Onely is the onely principall word that shewes us the Authors drift and the word which Gregorie Nyssen from whom he borrwed this speech used in the Originall Of Faith and Merits Bede held that we are justified by the merits of Christ imputed to us Christs condemnation is our Iustification his death is our life Hee disclaimed Iustification by inherent Righteousnesse for speaking of a regenerate man he saith That no man shall bee saved by the righteousnesse of workes but onely by the righteousnesse of Faith and therefore No man should beleeve that either his freedome of will or his merits are sufficient to bring him unto blisse but understand that he can be saved by the grace of God onely And elsewhere he saith That in the life to come we shall be well rewarded and that not by merits but by grace onely and he hath a sweet prayer that the Lord would take compassion of him and that after the worth and condignitie of his mercies and not after the condignitie of wrath which himselfe had deserved His Scholler Alcuinus maintained the same truth as appeares by these passages following I could saith Alcuinus defile my selfe with sinne but I cannot clense my selfe it is my Saviours bloud that must purge me and againe Whiles I looke on my selfe I find nothing in mee but sinne thy righteousnesse must deliver mee it is thy mercy not my merits that saves mee And elsewhere he saith very sweetly He onely can free me from sinne who came without sinne and was made a sacrifice for sinne And thus by Gods prouidence was the weightie point of Iustification preserved found in these latter and declining times THE NINTH CENTVRIE From the yeare of Grace 800. to 900. PAPIST WHat say you of this ninth Age PROTESTANT The seeds of Knowledge which our worthy Coâ—ntrey-men Bede and Alâ—win planted in Gods Field shewed themselues in their Schollers such as were Claudius Scotus Scholler to Saint Bede Rabbanus Maurus Abbot of Fulden one who as Trithemius saith for his learning had not his match in Italy or Germanie Haymo bishop of Halberstat and our Countrie-man Ioannes Scotus Erigena all three Schollers to Alcuinus Now also lived Christianus Druthmarus the Monke and the Abbot Walafridus Strabo who collected the ordinary Glosse on the Bible Agobardus bishop of Liâ—ns Claudius bishop of Thurin in Piemont Bertram a Pâ—iest and Monke of Corbey Abbey wherâ—of Paschaâ—ius was sometimes Abbot and about the yeare Eight huâ—dred and â—inetie according to Bellarmine lived the Monke Ambrosius Ausbertus About the yeare 880â— lived Remigius borne at Auxâ—rre in Fraâ—ce and sometimes called Rhemensis haply because he taught at Rhemes there was another Remigius Archbishop of Rhemes who liued in the sixth Age and converted King Clovis of France to the Christian Faith but this Saint Remigius for ought wee know wrot nothing Claudius Scotus already mentioned was one of the Irish Nation by birth a famous Divine and accounted one of the Founders of the Vniversitie of Paris this Claudius Clemens Presbiter was of latter standing and inferiour in place to that other Claudius Scotus bishop of Auxerâ—e a great opposite to Boniface Archbishop of Meâ—ts This latter Claudius wrote on the Gospels and Epistles and is often alleaged by the Reverend and learned Lord Primate Doctor Vsher. Of the Scriptures sufficiencie and Canon Claudius Scotus saith That men therefore erre because they know not the Scriptures and because they are ignorant thereof they consequently know not Christ who is the power and wisdome of God Hee also bringeth in that knowne Canon of Saint Herome This because it hath not authoritie from the Scriptures is with the same facilitie contemned wherewith it is avowed Nicephorus Patriarke of Constantinople gives us to understand That the Bookes of the old Testament were twenty and two And treating of the Apocriphall Bookes he mentioneth in particular the Bookes of Maccabees Wisdome Ester Iudith Susanna Tobie Of Communion under both kindes and number of Sacraments Paschasius upon our Saviours words Drinke yee all of this saith Drinke yee all of this as well Ministers as the rest of the Faithfull Rabanus saith That the Lord would have the Sacrament of his Body and bloâ—d to be received by the mouth of the Faithfull Haymo saith The Cup is called the Communion because all communicate of it and doe take part of the bloud of the Lord which it containeth in it Hee saith all did communicate so that the People as well as the Priests were admitted to the Cup. And Rhemigius hath the very same words
his realm was subject to the Court of Rome or the Pope and that he had that libertie in his realme that the Emperour had in his Empire Anselme therefore was accused of high treason and being still desirous to goe to Rome the King told him That if hee would promise and sweare neither to goe nor Appeale to Rome for any affaires whatsoever he should then well and peaceably enjoy his Bishopricke if not that it should be free for him to passe the Seas but never to returne as the Monke of Saint Albans reports the matter Now also there arose great contention about the carnall presence of Christ in the Sacrament under Pope Victor and Nicholas the second Hildebrand being the brand that kindled it making Berengarius subscribe to their Tenet That all the faithfull in the Sacrament doe really teare with their teeth the body of Christ which position neverthelesse in these dayes is with them accounted hereticall And to say the truth they really teare the body of Christ who by their ambition doe miserably teare in pieces the Church of Christ. Now to proceede there lived in this Age Fulbertus bishop of Chartres Anselme of Laon Author of the Interlineall Glosse Theophylact Archbishop of the Bulgarians a great follower of Chrysostome and indeed his Epitomizer or Abbreviator and our Anselme Archbishop of Canterbury a man of speciall note in this Age. For as the Monke of Malmsbury reports in the Councel at Barre when the Greekes disputed against Pope Vrban so eagerly against the procession of the Holy Ghost that the Pope was at a Non plus remembring himselfe that Anselme was in the Councel he cried aloud before the whole Councel Pater Magister Anselme ubi es Oh my Father and Master Anselme where are you come now and defend your Mother the Church and when theâ— brought him in presence among them Pope Vrban said Includamus hunc in orbe nostro quasi alterius orbis papam Let us inclose him in our Circle as the Pope of the other world Now also lived Oecumenius Radulphus Ardens and Berengarius And now let us see what these good men and â—â—ue Catholâ—cke witnesses can say to the matter in quâ—stion Of the Scriptures suâ—ficiencie and Canon Saâ—nt Paul saith of the Scriptures that They are able to make us wise unto salvation that the man of God may bee peâ—fited thorowly furnished unto all good workes That the man of God saith Oâ—cumenius may bee not onely partaker after a vulgar manner of every good worke but perfect and compleate by the doctrine of the Scripâ—uâ—e And Anselme in his Commentarie upon this place saith They are able to make thee sufficiently learned to obtaine eternall salvation Petrus Cluniacensis Abbot of Clugin abutting on these times for he was saith Bellarmine of the same standing with Saint Bernard who was borne in this Age â—ut flourished about the yeare 1130 after the recitall of the canonicall bookes saith that There are besides the Authenticall bookes â—ixe others not to be rejected as namely Iudith Tobias Wisdome Ecclesiasticus and the two bookes of Maccabees which though they attaine not tâ— the high dignitie of the former yet they are received of the Church as containing necessary and profitable doctrine Of Communion under both and number of Sacraments Theophylact sharply reproves those who delighted in drinking alone and quaffing by themselves saying to such How dost thou take thy cup alone considering that the dreadfull Chalice is alike delivered unto all The Normans saith Mathew Paris thâ— morning before they fought with Harald strengthned themselves with the body and bloud of Christ. Hildebert B. of Mans â—â—lates and approves that Canon of the Councel of Brachara which condemneth the delivering of the bread sopt in the wine to the Laitie for the whole CoÌ„munion It is the manner saith Hildebert in your monasteries to give the Sacramentall bread to none but dipt in the wine which custome we find is not taken either from the Lords institution nor out of authencall constitutions Now they that misliked the receiving of the bread dipt in wine how would they have beene pleased with a dry feast for of the two it is better to receive the bread dipt in wine than the bread and no wine at all Fulbertus shewes us the way of Christian Religion Is to believe the Trinitie and veritie of the Deitie and to know the cause of his Baptisme and in whom duo vitae Sacramenta the two Sacraments of our life are contained Anselme mentions but two Sacraments common to us under the Gospâ—l as the other were to the Iewes under the law they two and we two two and no more Of the Eucharist In the year 1608 there were published at Paris certaine works of Fulbertus pertaining as wel to the refuting of the heresies of this time for so saith the Inscription as to the clearing of the history of the French Among these things that appertain to the confutatioâ—â—f the heresies of this time there is one specially fol. 168. laid down in these words Vnlesse saith Christ ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his bloud ye shall not have life in you he seemeth to command an outrage or wickednesse It is therefore a figure will the Heretick say requiring us only to communicate with the Lords passion and sweetly and profitably to lay up in our memory that his flâ—sh was crucified wounded for us He that put in these words Dicet Haereticus thought he had notably met with the Hereticks of this time but was not aware that therby he made S. Austin an Hereticke for company for the words alleadged are S. Austins de doctrinâ Christianâ lib. 3. cap. 16. Which some belike having put the publisher in mind of he was glad to put this among his Errata to confesse that these two words Dicet Haereticus were not to be found in the Manuscript copie which he had from Pâ—tavius buâ— telleth us not what we are to think of him that for the countenancing of the Popish cause ventured so shamefully to abuse S. Austin as both the learned Archbishop of Armagh Doctor Vsher and Master Moulin have observed PA. Here is much a doe about a mistake of two words saith our Iâ—suit Maloune PRO. There hath been much a doe ere this about one word the word Deipara whether the blessed Virgin Maâ—y were to be called the mother of God or no great difference raised in the Church touching the Sacrament and all about three prepositions Trans Con and Sub and the greatest stirre that ever was in Gods Church was about one letter it was but one little Iota whilst the Arriansâ—eld â—eld Christ to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the like substance with the Father but denied him to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Consubstantiall of the same substance with the Father Besides was it
could at the samâ— time dictate unto seven severall Clarkes or Notaries hee was of such esteeme that divers would say Malle se cum Origene errare quà m cum alijs verâ— sentire that they had rather erre with Origen than thinke aright with others hee exhorted others to Martyrdome and from his child-hood was himselfe desirous of the honour thereof but in the seventh persecution under Decius hee fainted and his heart was so overset with feare to have his chaste body defiled with an ugly Ethiopian that hee chose rather to offer incense to the Idoll then to bee so filthily abused for this cause hee was excommunicated by the Church of Alexandria and for very shame fled to Iudea wherâ— he was not only gladly received but also requested publikely to preach at Hierusalem But so it was falling upon that place of the Psalmist Vnto the ungodly saith God why doest thou preach my Lawes and takest my Covenant in thy mouth whereas thou hatest to bee reformed and hast cast my words behind thee Psalm 50.16.17 These woâ—ds so deepely wounded his heart with griefe that hee closed the booke and sate downe and wept and all the congregation wept with him In expounding the Scriptures hee was curious in searching out of Allegories and yet falling on that place Math. 19.12 Some have gelded themselves for the kingdome of heaven hee tooke those words literally and gelded himselfe to the end hee might live without all suspition of uncleannesse whereas hee expounded almost all the rest of the Scriptures figuratively Hee held a fond opinion concerning the paines of devils and wicked men after long torments to bee finished It is usually said of him Vbi bene scripsit nemâ— melius ubi malè nemo pejus where hee wrote wellâ— nâ—ne better so that wee may say of him as Ieremy of his figs the good none better the evill nonâ— worse Ier. 24.2 Cypriaâ—â— was a learned godly Bishop and glorious Martyr he erred indeed in that he would have had such as had beene baptized by Heretikes if afterwards they returned to the true Church to bee rebaptized yet he was not obstinate in his errour hee was as Aâ—stin saith of him not onely learned but docible and willing to bee learned and that hee would most easily have altered his opinion had this question in his life time beene debated by such learned and holy men as afterwards it was so that S. Austin makes this observation touching Cyprians errour hee therefore saw not this one truth touching Rebaptization that others might see in him a more eminent and excellent truth to wit his humilitie modestie and châ—ritie Of the Scriptures sufficiencie and Canon Tertullian though hee stood for Ceremoniall traditions unwritten and for Doctrinall traditions which were first delivered from the Apostles by word of mouth and afterwards committed to writing yet dealing with Hermogenes the Hereticke in a question concerning the faith whether all things at the beginning were made of nothing presseth him with an Argument ab Authoritate negativè Whether all things were made of any subject matter I have as yet read no where saith hee Let those of Hermogenes his shop shew that it is written if it bee not written let them feare that wâ—e which is allotted to such as adde or take away but for himselfe hee professeth that hee adoreth the fulnesse of the Scripture And why may not wee also argue negatively touching divers Tenets of Poperie that from the beginning it was not so Math. 19.8 In the two Testaments saith Origen eveâ—y word that appertaineth to God may bee required and discussed and all knowledge of things out of them may be understood but if any thing doe remaine which the holy Scripture doth not determine no other third Scripture ought to be received for to authorize any knowlâ—dge Origen in his exposition upon the first Psalme faith wâ—e may not bee ignorant there are two and twenty bookes of the old Testament after the Hebrewes which is the number of the Letters among them This is likewise witnessed by Eusebius that as Origen received the Canon of the Iewes so likewise he reiected those sixe bookes which wee terme Apocriphall with the Iewes Of Communion under both and the number of Sacraments Tertullian speaking in generall of Christians saith the flesh feedeth upon the body and blood of Christ that the soule may be fatâ—ed as it were of God hee speakes of the body and blood of Christ as distinct things saying Corpore sanguine and elsewhere he mentions the Cup given to a Lay-woman saying from whose hands shall shee desire the Sacramentall Bread of whose Cup shall shee participate hee speaketh of a Christian woman married to an Infidell and sheweth the inconvenience of such a match whereby the faithfull wife was like to bee debarred of the comfort of receiving the Sacrament and drinking of the Lords Cup. Origen maketh this question What people is it that is accustomed to drinke blood and hee answereth the faithfull people Hereunto Bellarmine saiâ—h the people did drinke but they had no commâ—nd so to doe where hee grants us that communicating under both kinds was the Agend or Church practise in this age besides Origen in this very place alleadgeth Christs praecept for the Cup out of the sixt of Iohn Cyprian speaking of such as in time of persâ—cution had lapsed and not stucke to the truth and therâ—upon were barred from the Communion hee desires that upon their repentance they may bee admitted and hee gives this reason How shall wee sit them for the Cup of Martyrdome if before wee admit them not by right of Communion to drinke of the Lords cup in the Church And againe Because some men out of ignorance or simplicity in Sanctifying the Cup of the Lord and ministring it to the people doe not that which Iesus Christ our Lord and God the Authour and Institutour of this Sacrifice did and taught Where albeit the maine scope of the Epistle bee to prove the necessity of administring the Sacrament in Wine and not in meere water as the Aquarij did yet on the bye he discovers the practice of the Church for both kinds and saith expressely that the Cup was ministred or delivered to the people Tertullian in divers places of his works acknowledgeth the same Sacraments with us to wit Baptisme and the Lords Supper and Beatus Rhenanus in his notes upon Tertullian observes the same and for this hee is brought under the Spanish inquisition and roughly entertained for his paines as appeares by a Censure passed on him and extant in the latter end of Tertullians Works Of the Eucharist Tertullian disputing against Marcion who denied that Christ had a true Body confuteth him by a reason drawne from the Sacrament of the Supper in this manner A Figure of a Body presupposeth a true Body for of a shew or phantasie there can be no Figure But
of the trueth of Christs flesh and bloud there is no place left for doubting Answer Neither doe we doubt of the truth of Christs body and bloud but firmely believe the doctrine of the true Incaâ—nation of Christ. Objection Hilarie saith in nobis carnalibus manentem per carnem Christum habemus we men consisting of flesh and bloud have Christ remayning in us by his flâ—sh Answer So wee have by reason of our mysticall union with Christs flesh and not by any corporall transubstantiation of our flesh into Christ. The same Hilarie saith nos in eo naturaliter inessemus ipso in nobis naturaliter permanente Christ is naturally in us and wee in him but wee are not in him naturally or carnally by any transubstantiation therefore neither is he so in us these termes then of Hilaâ—ies permanentâ—m in nobis carnaliter silium the sonne remayning in us carnally note onely a greater and more reall union than barely by consent or concord of will such as the Arrians acknowledged onely betwixt the Father and the Sonne denying an unitie of nature purposely to avoid that text I and the Father are oneâ— Hilary speaking of this neere union calleth it the mysterie of a true and naturall union mysterium verae ac naturalis unitatis and so indeed it is in respect of Christs inseparable union which hee hath with us by his incarnation by which he is become flesh of our â—lesh and bone of our bone and in respect of our mysticall union with him and his body whereby wee become members of Christs body and quickned by his spirit Object Saint Cyril in his fourth Catechisme saith He that in the marriage of Cana changed water into wine by his onely will is not hee worthy that wee beleeve him that he hath changed wine into his blood Answer S. Cyrils place maintaineth not Popish transubstantiation for in this the shapes and accidents remaine and the materiall substance is corrupted but in our Saviours miracle in the second of Saint Iohn the shapes accidents and forme were changed and the common materiall substance remained Iohn 2.9 Object Cyril saith it is not simple bread and wine it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibid. Answer Hee sheweth his meaning to be this namely that the consecrated bread is not common ordinary and meere naturall bread but sanctified elevated and changed to supernaturall use and operation And so I proceed The Elements called Antitypes after Consecration The Fathers of this age treating of the Sacramentall Signes call them Similitudes correspondent types or figures of the body and blood of Christ the figure of the body and blood of the Lord Iesus saith Ambrose and Nazianzene speakes as wee have heard of his sisters laying up some portion of the types or tokens of Christs precious body and blood and againe how durst I offer unto him the type of so great a mysterie in lâ—ke sort Cyril of Hierusâ—lem cals them types and antitypes and they call the Symboles after Consecration Antitypes Now that which is a figure similitude and representation of a thing is not properly the same PA. It followeth not the Eucharist is termed the figure of Christs naturall body therefore it is not substantially and properly his body The figure of a thing may be the same with the thing figured Christ Iesus is a figure of his Fathers substance Hebr. 1.3 and yet is the same substantially with the Father Iohn 10.30 PRO. There is such opposition of Relatives as that the signe and the thing signified cannot bee the same in that very respect and point wherein they are opposite for the instance brought it followeth thus the sonne is the chaâ—acter of his Fathers substance ergo the Son is not the Father though of the same substance nor is the Father the Sonne so must the opposition of necessity hold the Sacrament is the figure signe and representation of Christs body ergo it is not the body of Christ but sacramentally and figuratively In a word you say that Christ is a Character and figure of his Father and yet of the same substance but to have spoken home to the matter in question you should have said that Christ a figure of the Fathers person is yet the same person that the Father which is utterly false To procâ—ed Saint Ambrose saith if thâ—re bee such vâ—rtue in the words of our Lord to make those things that were not to begin to bee how much more powerfull is his word that they remaine the same they were and yet bee changed into another thing hee holdeth the bread and wine in the Lords Supper to remaine to bee the same thaâ— they were therefore they are not changed in substance for then they should not be the same they were yet hee saith they are changed into other to wit not in substance but in qualitie use and signification for so hee saith before the blessing of the heavenly words another kind is named after the Consecration the body of Christ is signified Now if by the consecrated bread in the Eucharist the body bee signified then is not bread essentially the body PA. Saint Ambrose in the ninth chapter of such as are newly instructed in the mysteries saith Moses his word changed the water of Aegypt into blood if so great was the benediction of man what may wee thinke of divine Consecration where the very words of our Saviour worke hee saith also that by benediction or consecration the nature of the Elements in the Lords Supper is changed PRO. Among the six or seaven examples broâ—ght by Saint Ambrose only two are substantiall and the rest accidental for in the place alledged he addeth also these examples that Moses divided the Red Sea that Iordan turned his couâ—se that the bitter waters of Mara were made sweet in all which workes of God there was no Transubstantiation for the waters and the Red Sea were the same in nature and substance as they were before so that by these examples it appeareth that notwithstanding Saint Ambrose say the nature is changed yet he meant a change in qualitie onely and not in substance And such a change there is in the Eucharist the Elements are changed when of common and naturall creatures they are made sacred and become Channels and Instruments of saving grace and such a change Ambrose meant for comparing these miracles of the Prophets wherein God changed the nature of things with the change that is wrought in the Sacrament he saith that it is no lesse to adde some new things unto things than to change the nature of things averring plainly thereby that the bread had received some new thing without loosing the nature of bread and such a change is not strange for thus a piece of waxe becomming the Kings Seale changeth it's nature without Transubstantiation Besides the Fathers use the like Tenour of speech of the Sacrament of Baptisme and yet doe not hence inferre any Transubstantiation they
find it to bee bread but the body of Christ insomuch as Bellarmine upon this testimonie saith Quid clariùs dici potest What can be said more plainely Answer Cyril saith The bread which is seene of us is not bread and the same Cyril saith of the Water in Baptisme it is not simple water let the one satisfie the other Cyril saith of the bread as hee doth of the oyle that it is no bare simple or common oyle but Charisma the type and symboll of a spirituall gift and so hee meant of the bread the Consecrated bread that it is no ordinary or common bread but of different use and servâ—ce and yet theâ—ein not any change of substance at all Neither doth Cyril say as Bellarmine corrupâ—ly traâ—slateth it or at leâ—st mâ—kes use of a corrupt trâ—nslation That the body of Câ—rist is given Sub spâ—cie panâ—s Vnder the forme of bread but as it â—s in the Greeke Vnder the type of bread even as hee saith afterwards Thinke not tâ—at you taste bread but tâ—e Antitype of Christs body so that hee calleth the consâ—crated bread and wine â—ypes and Antitypes that is signes of the body and blooâ— of Christ. Now whereâ—s Cyril would not have us judge of thâ—s Sacrament by our taste or sense it iâ— true that as the Bread and Wine are â—ound and whiâ—e aâ—d sweet in taste our bodily senses mâ—y indeed perceive thâ—m but as they are types and Aâ—titypes that is signâ—s Of the body and blood â—f Christ so â—hey aâ—e spiâ—itually to bee discernâ—d with our understanding onely as the Reverend and learned Dâ—ctor Morton Lo. Bishop of Coventry and Lichfiâ—ld and now Lord Bishop of Durâ—sme hath observed Lastly the same Cyril saith That wee have râ—pentance and remission of sinnes confined onely to the terme of thâ—s prâ—sâ—nt life More might be alleadged out of the same â—yâ—il but these may suâ—fice to shew what hee in his Caâ—echismes taught his schollers touching the Scripturâ—s sâ—fficâ—encie aâ—d Caâ—on Communion in both kinds the Euchaâ—ist and Purgatory Before I cloâ—e up this Centurie I must needs speake of Constantinâ— the Great and the two generall Councelâ— held in this Age. In â—his age flourished the honour of our nation that Christian Pâ—ince Constantine the Great borne of our coâ—nâ—rey woman Hâ—lâ—na both of them Britaines by biâ—thâ— Royâ—ll by descent Saints by estiâ—ation and true Catholikes by profession PA. Doâ—tor 〈◊〉 and Master Brerely show them to have bâ—â—nâ— o◠〈…〉 PRO. Our reverend and learned Doctor Doctor Abbot late Bishâ—p of Salisbury hath sufficiently confuted your Bishop and acquitted them from being Papists since they held not the grounds of Popery as at this day they are maintayned PA. If constantine were no Papist of what faith tâ—en was hee PRO. Hee was of the true ancient Christian Faith as may appeare by these instances following Hee held the Scriptures sufficient for deciding matteâ—s of Faith and accordingly prescribed this rule to the Nicene Councell saying Because the Apostles Bookes doe plainely instruct us in divine matters therefore we ought to make our Determinations upon Questions from words which are so divinely inspired he saith not that the Scriptures plainely teach us what to thinke of the nature and substance of God as Bellarmine would wrest it but also of the holy Law and things concerning Religion for so doe the words sound in the originall and herein saith Theodoret the greater part of the Councell obeyed the voyce of Constantine Constantine held it not the Popâ—s peculiar to summon generall Counâ—â—lls for hee called the Councell of Nice himselfe and therein sate as President and mâ—deratour receiving every mans opinion helping sometimes one part sometimes another reconciling them when they were at ods untill hee brought them to an agreement in the Faith The same Eâ—perour by his royâ—ll Letters Prescribed to the Bishops such things as belonged to thâ— good of Gods Church yea hee held himselfe to bee a Iuâ—ge and supreme Governour in Causes Ecclesiasticall for hee professeth speaking generally of all soâ—tâ— of men if any shall rashly or undadvisedly maintaine these pestilent assertions meaning the Arrians His saucinesse shall beâ— instantly curbed by the Emperours exâ—cution who is Gods Ministers Moreover Constantine never sought to the Pope for pardon hee never worshipped an Image never served Saint nor Shrine never knew the Masse Transubstantiation nor the halfe Communion hee prayed not for his Fathers soule at the performance of his Funeralls used no Requiems nor Diriges at his Exequies he wished not any prayers to bee made after his death for his owne soule but having received Baptisme newly before his death professed a stedfast hope that needed no such after-prayers saying Now I know indeed that I am a blessed man that God hath accounted mee worthy of immortall life and that I am now made partaker of the light of God And when they that stood about him wished him longer life hee answeâ—ed That hee had now attayned the true life and that none but himselfe did understand of what happinesse he was made partaker and that he therfore hastned his going to his God Thus Constantine dyed outright a Protestanâ— hee craved no after-prayers for his soule hee dreaded no Purgatory but dyed in full assurance of going immediately to his God Was this Prince now a Trent papist Now to proceed the fiâ—st Generall Councell in Christianitie after the Synod of the Apostles was that famous fiâ—st Councell of Nice consistiâ—g of 318. Bishops the greatest lights that the Christian world then had it was called about 325 yeares after Christ against Arrius that denyed Christ to bee veâ—y God from this Councell wee had oâ—r Nicen Creed it was summoned not by the thâ—n Bishop of Rome but by the Emperour Constantine Gathering thâ—m together out of divers Cities and Provinces as themsâ—lves have lâ—fâ—â—ccorded Wee produce the sixth Canon of this Councell against the Popes monarchicall Iurisdiction the â—enour thereof is this Let ancient customes hold that the Bishops of Alexandria should have the government over Aegypt Lybia and Pentapolis because also the Bishop of Rome hath the same custome as also let Antioch and other Provinces hold their ancient priviledges Now these words of the Canon thus limiting and distinguishing the severall Provinces and grounding on the custome of the Bishop of Rome that as hee had preheminence of all the Bishops about him so Alexandria and Antioch should have alL about them as likewise every Metropolitane within his owne Province these words I say doe cleerely shâ—w that before the Nicene Councell the Pope neither had preheminence of all through the world as now hee claymeth to bee an universall Bishop nor ought to have greater preheminence by their judgement than he had before time this being the effect of the Canon to wit That the Bishop of Alexandria shall have authority over his Diocesses as the Bishop of Rome
the Protestants PRO. Master Bedel answereth Master Wadesworth that had it pleased God to have opened his eyes as hee did Elisha's servants hee might have seene that there were more on our side than against us Besides as Master Bedel saith the Romane Doctors may bring in whole armies of witnesses on their side when they change the question and prove what no body denyes as when the question is whether the Pope have a monarchy over all Christians an uncontrollable jurisdiction and infallibility of judgement Bellarmine alleadgeth a number of Fathers Greek and Latine to prove onely that Saint Peter had a primacie of honour and authority which is farre short of that supremacie which the Popes now claime and which is the question So also to prove the verity of Christs body and blood in the Lords Supper Bellarmine spends the whole booke in citing the Fathers of severall Ages To what purpose when the question is not of the truth of the presence but of the manner whether it bee to the teeth or belly which hee in a manner denyes or to the soule and faith of the receiver So also Bellarmine for the proofe of Purgatory alleadgeth a number of Fathers as Ambrose Hilarie Origen Basil Lactantius Ierome but farre from the purpose of the question and quite beside their meaning for they spake of the fire at the end of the world as Sixtus Senensis saith and Bellarmine cites them for the fire of Purgatory before the end In like sort for proofe of Saintly invocation Bellarmine musters up thirty Fathers of the Greeke and Latine Church now here is an army of ancients able to fright some untrained souldiers but it is but like the army that troubled the Burgundians Who lying neere to Paris and looking for the battaile supposed great Thistles to have beene Launces held upright or like those souldiers mentioned by Plutarch in the life of Agesilaus who bombasted and embossed out their coates with great quarters to make them seeme bigge and terrible to the enemy but after they were overthrowne and slaine in the field Agesilaus caused them to be stript and bid his souldiers behold their slender and weerish bodies of which they stood so much in feare whiles they looked so big upon their enemies the like may be sayd of Bellarmine's forces they keepe a great quarter but when they come to joyne issue for it they are soone defeated For of the Fathers alleadged by Bellarmine thâ—re be as is already showne in the fifth Age seven of the thirty which bee no Fathers but post-nati punies to primitive Antiquity Eight of them bee justly suspected not to bee men of that credite as that their depositions may bee taken Two or three of them are wrong cited by a writ of errour being either ignorantly or wilfully mis-translated Seven others of them speake like Poets Oratours Panegyrists not dogmatically but figuratively with rhetoricall compellations expressing their votes and desires The other sixe that remaine they speake of Intercession in generall not of Invocation in paâ—ticular of some few pâ—oples private practice but not of the Chuâ—ches Office Agend or Doctrine generally taught practised and established Besides as Master Moulin saith among so many Authours as might fill a house it is an easie matter to finde somewhat to wrest to a mans owne advantage and never to bee perceived because few men have these bookes and of them that have them few doe reade them and of those that reade them fewest of all doe understand them But that wee may the better conceive the meaning of the testimonies and allegations of the Fathers let us observe such cautions as the learned have set downe for our helpe herein The Fathers writings bee either Dogmaticall Polemicall or Popular In their Dogmaticall and Doctrinall wherein they set downe positive Divinity they are usually very circumspect in their Polemickes and Agonistickes earnest and resolute in their Homilies and popular discourse free and plaine In their conâ—roversall writings it fall's out sometimes that through heat of disputation whiles they oppose one errour they slâ—p inâ—o the opposite like one that labouring to make a crooked thing straight bends it the quite contrary way thus Hierome whâ—les he affronts such aâ— impugn'd virginity himselfe quarrels at lawfull Matrimony otherwise the Fathers in their Polemiques whiles they keepe themselves close to the question in hand their tenets are ever most sound and direct In their Homilies and exhortations to the people they stâ—ive to move affections so that they runne forth into figuâ—es of Rhetorick and keepe not themselves close to points of doctrine Of this kind of speech Sixtus Senensis gives a good Rule to wit that Their sayings are not to be urged in the rigour because that Orator like they speake Hyperbolically and in excesse and he gives instance in Chysostome as well he might for in the point of the Sacrament he used such Rhetoricall straines as hath beene noted in the fifth Centurie and Hierome saith of himselfe I have played the Oratour in manner of a declamation to wit by way of amplification and exaggeration Saint Hierome observes That before that Southerne Devill Arius arose at Alexandria the ancients spake certaine things in simplicitie and not so warily Saint Austine makes the like observation touching Pelagius how that the Fathers ante mota certamina Pelagiana extended the power of Free-will above measure having then no cause to feare there being no Pelagius then risen up in the world an enemie of grace and advancer of nature Vntill the Pelagians beganne to wrangle the Fathers saith Saint Austine and he gives instance in Saint Chrysostome tooke lesse hâ—ed to their speeches to wit in the poynt of Originall sinne and free-will but after that the Pelagian heresie arose it made us saith the same Austine Multò vigilantiores diligentioresque much more diligent and vigilant in scanning of this point In like sort the Doctors that lived in the middle ages what time Popery was not yet growne to his height they spoke not so warily in the poynt of justification and grace yet they left not the truth of God without a witnesse 1 Tim. 6.12 We must not take up such customes as were sometimâ—s used in the Church and make presidents of them as if they had beene warranted by the Church and the Faâ—hers then living for the Fathers being taken up wiâ—h weightier matters winked at other faults and were driven to beare with what they could not redresse Saint Austine complaineth of the superstition of certaine Christians that in Church yards did kneele before the Tombes of the Martyrs and before the painted Histories of their sufferings I know many saith he who worship Sepulchers and Pictures I know many who drinke most excessively over the dead The good Bishops saw these malladies in their flocks and desired to reforme them but they feared lest the rude people should hinder
Eleutherius time or in the Apostles dayes for had it beene so the Britaines who changed not their Faith but kept still the substantiall grounds thereof would likewise have held the Popes Supremacie yea doubtlesse those Catholike Bishops of Britaine had they but knowne and believed as now it is given out the Pope to be Iure divinâ— by divine right and Gods appointment the Monarch of the whole Church they would have yeelded obedience to Austine and in him to the Pope but they opposed it as being urged by those of the Romish faction so that it was not then as now it is made one of the chiefe heads of the Romish Faith for now a dayes men are made to believe that out of the Communion of the Romane Church nothing but hell can be looked for and subjection to the Bishop of Rome as to the visible Head of the Vniversall Church Is required as a matter necessary to salvation But this was no part nor Article of the ancient Britaines Creed and therefore they withstood it and if it were no Article of Faith them surely it is none now a dayes To close up this point hereby is overthrowne the maine Article of the Romane Creed For if as the Papists say and sweare there be no salvation out of the Romane Communion then is the case like to goe hard with the one thousand two hundred British Monks of Bangor stiled Saints and Martyrs that died out of the Roman Communion and yet within the Communion of Saints But this Grand Imposture of the now Romane Church is notably discovered by the learned and zealous Bishop of Coventrie and Lichfield Doctor Morton now Lord Bishop of Durham My conclusion shall be this out of the holy Catholike Church of the Creede there is no salvation but out of the fellowship of the Romane Church there hath beene and is salvation as appeares in the case of these our British Martyrs therefore the present Romane Church is not as it is pretended the Catholike Church of the old Creede but a particular of the new Trent Creede THE SEVENTH CENTVRIE From the yeare of Grace 600. to 700. PAPIST PRoceede to name your men PROTESTANT I name Gregory the great whom Bellarmine usually placeth in this seventh Age for that hee lived unto the yeare 605 what time as Trithemius saith he dyed Now also lived his Scholler Isidore Bishop of Sivil in Spaine usually termed Isidore the younger Now also by Bellarmine's account though others make him much ancienter lived Hesychius Bishop of Hierusalem with other Worthies as namely the Britaines of Wales as also Saint Aidan and Finan now also was held the sixth Generall Councell PA. I challenge Saint Gregory hee is ours PRO. Gregorie indeed lived in a troublesome time whiles the Goths and Vandals overranne Italie and Rome was besieged by the Lombards There was then also great decay in knowledge and scarcity of able men to furnish the Church withall and few in Italie as Baronius saith that were skilled both in Greeke and Latine Yea Gregory himselfe proâ—esseth that hee was ignorant of the Greeke tongue yet was he stâ—led the great and yet not so great as godly and modest It is commonly said of him That he was the last of the good Bishops of Rome and the first of the bad ones That he was the first Pope and leader of the Pontifician companies and the last Bishop of Rome Hee was supeâ—stitious in diverse things hee lived in a declining age and as in time so in some truths came short of his predecessours yet he taught not as your Trent Papists doe but joyned with us in diverse weighty poynts of Religion Of the Scriptures sufficiencie and Canon Gregory held the Scriptures sufficiencie saying Whatsoever serveth for edification is contayned in the volume of the Scriptures wherein are all resolutions of doubts fully and plentifully to be found they being like a full Spring that cannot be drawne drye Hee approved the vulgar use of the Scriptures exhorting a Lay-man to study them because saith hee they bee as it were Gods Letter or Epistle to his Creature wherein he reveales his whole minde to him And lest any complaine of the difficulty of the Scriptures he compares them to a River wherein there are as well shallow Foords for Lambes to wade in as depths for the Elephant to swim in And Isidore saith that the Scripture is common to petty Schollers and to Proficients And whereas Heretickes use to alleadge Scripture for themselves Gregory saith they may bee confuted by Scripture it selfe even as Goliath was slaine with his owne sword Gregory held the bookes of Maccabees Apocryphall Wee doe not amisse saith he if wee produce a testimony out of the booke of Maccabees though not Canonicall yet published for the iâ—struction of the Church And Occham accordingly reports Gregories judgement saying The booke of Iudith Tobias the Maccabees Ecclesiasticus and Wisedom are not to bee received for the confirmation of any doctrine of Faith Isidore saith In these Apocryphall although there be some truth to be found yet by reason of the many errours therein they are not of Canonicall authâ—rity Of Communion under both kindes and number of Sacraments Saint Gregory in his Dialogues if they be his tells us of some that were going to Sea some whereof happily were Lay-men carryed with them the consecratâ—d body and bloud of the Lord in the Ship and there received it And againe His body is there recâ—ived his flesh is there divided for the peoples salvation his bloud is not now powred out upon the hands of Infidels but into the mouth of the Faithfull Hee speakes expressely of the Faithfull and of the people And in his Homily touching the Passeover he saith What is meant by the bloud of Christ you have now learned not by hearing of it but by drinking of it which bloud is then put on both posts when it is drawne in both by the mouth of the body and of the heart Herein Gregory resembles the partaking of Christ's bloud in the Eucharist to the bloud of the Paschall Lambe in the twelfth of Exodus striken upon both poâ—ts of the doore thereby noting the mouth and the heart each whereof after their manner receive Christ for with the mouth and corporally wee receive the wine which is the Sacrament of his bloud and with our heart and by faith we receive the thing Sacramentall the bloud it selfe Besides hee speakes expressely of drinking and the termes hee useth hauritur and perfunditur That Christ's bloud is shed and taken as a draught demonstrate that he speaks not of partaking Christ's bloud as it is joyned to his body and inclosed in his veines but as severed from it as my worthy and learned friend Doctor Featly hath observed Isidore saiâ—h The fourth prayer is brought in for the kisse of Peace that all bâ—ing reconciled by charity may
with Haymo as indeed his Commentaries on Saint Pauls Epistles are in a manner all taken out of Haymo as Doctor Rivet hath observed It is the report of our Ancestors saith Walafridus Strabo that in the Primitive times they were wont according to Christs Institution to Communicate and partake of the Body and Bloud of our Lord even as many as were prepared and thought fit Regino describeth the manner of Pope Adrians delivering the Communion to King Lotharius and his followers in both kindes The King saith hee takes the Body and Bloud of our Lord at the hands of the Pope and so did the Kings Fallowers Paschasius saith These bee the Sacramentâ— of Christ in the Church Baptisme and Chrysme and the Body and Bloud of Christ and Rabanus hath the selfe same words Now with Baptisme they joyne Chrysme because they used to annoint such as were baptized for otherwise Rabanus speakes precisely of two saying What doe these two Sacraments effect and then hee answers That by the one we are borne anew in Christ and by the other Christ abides in us Of the Eucharist Rabanus saith Bread because it strengthneth the body is therefore called the Body and Wine because it maketh bloud is therefore referred to Christs bloud Haymo saith the same with Rabanus Rabanus farther saith That the Sacrament in one thing and the power thereof another the Sacrament is turned into the nourishment of the body by the vertue of the Sacrament we attaine â—ternall life Hee saith the Sacrament which is the Bread is turned into our bodily nourishment nâ—w spâ—cies shewes and accidents can not nourish but these latter words of Rabanus are razâ—d â—ut whereas the Monke of Malmesbury witnesses that Rabanus wrote accordingly as is alleaged and this razure is observed by the publisher of Mathew of Westminsters Historie Haymo calls the Eucharist A Memoriall of that Gift or Legacie which Christ dimised unto us at his Death Rabanus saith that Christ at first instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Bloud with blessing and thanksgiving and delivered it to his Apostles and they to their Successors to doe accordingly and that now the whole Church throughout the world observes this manner Christianus Druthmarus reporting our Saviours Act at his last Supper sayth Christ changed the bread into his body and the wine into his bloud Spiritually he speaks not of any change of substances Walafridus Strabo saith That Châ—ist delivered to his Disciples the Sacraments of his body and bloud in panis vini substantiâ in the substance â—f bread and Wine When Carolus Calvus the Emperour desired to compose some diffeâ—ences about the Sacrament then on â—oot he râ—quired Bertram a learned man of that Age tâ— deliver hâ—s jâ—dgement in that poynt Whether the body and bloud of Christ which in the Church is received by the mouth oâ— tâ—â— faithful be celebrated in a mystery or in the truth anâ— whether it be the same body which was borne of Mary Whereunto hâ— returnes this answer That the bread and the wine aâ—e tâ—â— body and bloud of Christ figuratively that This body is tâ—e pledge and the â—igure the other the very naturall bodie That for the substance of the Creatures that which they were before consecration the same are they also afterward That they are called the Lords body and bloud because they take the name of that thing of which thâ—y are a Sacrament That there is a great difference betwixt the mystery of the bloud and body of Christ which is taken now by the faithfull in the Church and that which was borne of the Virgin Mary All which he proves at large by Scriptures and Fathers Your wisedome most excellent Prince may perceive saith he that I have proved by the testimonies of holy Scriptures and Fathers that the bread which is called Christs body and the Cup that is called his bloud is a figure because it is a mysterie PA. I except against Bertram his booke is forbid to be read but by such as are licenced or purpose to conâ—ute him PRO. Bertram wrote of the body and bloud of Chrâ—st as Trithemius saith and by your Belgicke or Lâ—w Countrey Index Bertram is stiled Catholicke Now this Index was published by the King of Spaines commandment the Duke of Alva and first printed at Antwerp in the yeare 1571 and often since reprinted Now so it is howsoever he be accounted a Catholicke Priest and much commended by Trithemius yet are this Catholicks writings forbid to be read as appeares by severall Indices the one set forth by the Deputies of the Trent Councel and another printed at Parts under Clement the eight Now these Inquisitors dealt too roughly and therefore the divines of Doway perceiving that the â—orbidding of the booke kept not men from reading it but rather oâ—casioned them to seeke after it thought iâ— better policie that Bertram should be suffered to goe abroad but with his keeper to wit some popish glosse to wait on him Seeing therefore say they we beare with many errours in other old Catholicke writers and extenuate them excuse them by inventing some device oftentimes deny them and â—aine some commodious sense for them when they are objected in disputation with our adversaries we doe not see why Bertram may not deserve the same equitie and diligent revisall lesâ— the Herâ—ticks cry out that we burne and forbid such antiquity as maketh for them and accordingly they have dealt wiâ—h Bertram for by their Recognition We must reade Invisibiliter in stead of Visibiliter and these words The Substance of the Creatures must be expounded to signifie outward shewes or Accidents But this will not serve the turne for Bertram speaking of the consecâ—ated bâ—ead and wine saith that for the substance of the creatures they remaine the same after consecration that they were before Now if they doe so then is not the substance of bâ—ead and wine changed into the substance of the flesh and bloud of Christ as the Trent Councel would have it Nor will it serve to say that by the substance of the Creatures is meant the outward accidents as the whitenesse of the bread the colour of the wine or the like for Bertram speakes properly that the consecrated bread and wine remaine the same in substance And it were an improper speech to attribute the word Substance to Accidents as to say the substance of the colour or rednesse of the wine or the like PA. Master Brerely suspects that this booke was lately set forth by Oâ—colampadius under Bertrams name PRO. This suspicion is cleered by the antient Manuscript copies of Bertram extant before Occolampadius was borne one whereof that great Scholler Causabon saw in the Librarie of Master Iames Gilot a Burgesse of Paris as he witnessed to the Reverend and learned Primate Doctor Vsher. And yet besides these Mâ—nuscripts Bertram
7 makes this inference In this doe wee give glory to him when we doe confesse that by no precedent merits of our good deeds but by his mercie onely wee have attained unto so great a dignitie And Rabanus in his commentaries upon the Lamentations of Ieremie least they should say our Fathers were accepted for their Merit and therefore they obtained such great things at the hands of the Lord he adjoyneth that it was not given to their Merits but because it so pleased God whose free gift is whatsoever he bestoweth I will close up this Age onely with producing an Evidence drawne about the yeare 860 namely a learned Epistle which Huldericke Bishop of Ausburg in Germanie wrote to Pope Nicolas in defence of Priests Marriage From this holy discretion saith he thou hast no a little swarved when as thou woâ—ldst have those Cleargy-men whom thou oughtest only to advise to abstinence from mariage compelled unto it by a certaine imperious violence for is not this justly in the judgement of all Wise men to be accounted violence when as against the Evangelicall institution and the charge of the Holy Ghost any man is constrained to the execution of private Decrees The Lord in the old Law appointed marriage to his Priest which he is never read afterwards to have forbidden PA. Master Brerely saith that this Epistle is forged under the name of Ulrick Bishop of Augusta PRO. Your Spanish Inquisitors have suppressed this Tesâ—imonie and strucke it dead with a Deleatur Let that whole Epistle be blotted out but our learned bishop Doctor Hall prooves that this Huldericke wrote such a Treatise and about the time assigned and also that this Record is Authenticke that it is extant as Illyricus saith in the Libraries of Germanie that ouâ— Archbishop Parker bishop Iewell Iohn Foxe had Copies of it in Parchment of great Antiquitie Besides your owne man Aeneas Sylvius afterwards Pope Pius the second almost two hundred yeares agoe mentions it and reports the Argument of it for speaking of Ausburg he saith Saint Vdalricus huic praesidet qui papam arguit de Concubinis Vdalricke is the Saint of that City who reproved the Pope concerning Concubines THE TENTH CENTVRIE From the yeare of Grace 900. to 1000. PAPIST WE are now drawing on to the thousandth yeare what say you to this tenth Age PROTESTANT By the fall of the Romane Empiâ—e Learning was now decayed and the publike Service no longer to be understood by reason of the change of the vulgar Tongues Wernerus a Carthusian Monke saith of this Age That holinesse had left the Popes and fled to the Emperours Bellarmine saith There was no Age so unlearned so unluckie And Baronius complaines saying What was then the face of the Roman Church when potent and base Whores bare all the sway at Rome at whose lust Sees were changed Bishoprickes bestowed and their Lovers thrust into Saint Peters Chaire Insomuch as Baronius is glad to prepare his Reader with a Preface before he would have him venter upon the Annals of this Age Lest a weake man seeing in the Story of those times the abomination of Desolation sitting in the Temple should bee offended and not rather wonder that there followed not immediatly the Desolation of the Temple And he had reason to Preface as much considering the corruption that grew in this Thousandth yeare wherein Satan was let loose For at thiâ— time they of Rome forbad others to marâ—y and in the meane whiles themselves slept in an unlawfull bed They also devised a carnall Presence of Christ in the Sacrament so that as the noble Morney saith The lesse that they beleeved God in hâ—aven the more carefull were they to affirme him to bee in the Bread in the Priests hands in his words in his nods and that by these meanes when it pleased them they could make him appeare upon earth Thus dishonesty accompanied infidelitie and no marvell since as Ockam saith A lewd life oftentimes blindâ—th the understanding But leâ— us see whether in this Monkish Age during this mist in Aegypt wee can discover any light in the Land of Goshen In this Age lived the Monke Radulphus Flaviaceâ—sis Stephanus Edvensis Bishop Smaragdus Abbot of Saint Michaels in Germany and Aelfricke Abbot of Malmesburie about the yeare 975. Of the Scriptures sufâ—iciencie and Canon Flaviacensis compares the Scripture to a well-furnished Table or Ordinarie It is saith hee our spirituall refection and Cordiall given to us against the heart-qualmes of our enemies The same Author speaking of Bookes pertainning to sacred Historie saith The Bookes of Tobit Iudith and of the Machabees though they bee read â—or the Churches instruction yet they have not any perfect Authoritie In like sort Aelfricke Abbot of Malmesburie in his Saxon Treatie of the old Testament tell us There are two Bookes more placed with Salomons workes as if he had made them which for likenesse of Stile and profitable vse have gone for his but Iesus the sonne of Syrach composed them one is called Liber Sapientiae the Booke of Wisdome and the other Ecclesiasticus very large Bookes and read in the Church of long custome for much good instruction amongst these Bookes the Church hath accustomed to place two other tending to the glory of God and intituled Maccabaeorum I have turned them into English and so reade them you may if you please for your owne instruction Now by this Saxon Treatise written by Aelfricus Abbas about the time of King Edgar seven hundred yeares agoe it appeares what was the Canon of holy Scripture here then received and that the Church of England had it so long agoe in her Mother tongue Of Communion under both and number of Sacraments Stephanus Edvensis saith These gifâ—s or benefits â—re dayly performed unto us when the Body and Bloud of Christ is taken at the Altar Aelfricke mentions but two Sacraments of Baptisme aâ—d the Lords Supper the same which Gods people had under the Law who though they had many Rites and Ceremonies yet in proper sense but two Sacraments his words are these The Apostle Paul saith 1 Cor. chap. 10. vers 1 2 3 4. That the Israelites did eate the same ghostly meate and drinke the same ghostly drinke because that heavenly meate that fed them fortie yeares and that water which from the Stone did flow had signification of Christs Body and his Bloud that now bee offered dayly in Gods Church So that as a good Author saith This Age acknowledged onely two Sacraments Of the Eucharist Our English Abbot Aelfricke in his Saxon Homily which was appointed publikely to be read to the people in England on Easter day before they received the Communion hath these wordes All our Forâ—fathers they did eate the same Ghostly meate and dranke the same Ghostly drinke they dranke truely of the stone that followed them and that stone was Christ neither was
then that you doe what reward can you looke for if God doe all and these and such like Pelagian speeches of some Monkes occasioned him to write his treatise of Grace and free will wherein he denying such freewill as many Popish schoolemen teach ascribes the whole originall power of good in the consent of the will unto grace saying That the good which we doe is not partly Gods but it is to be ascribed wholly unto God He disclaimed humane satisfactions saying Who will murmure and say we labour too much fast too much since we are unable to dâ—scharge the thousandth nay not the least part of our debts He held that man was unable to keepe the Law in perfection according to Gods Commandements Neither saith he was the commander ignorant that the weight of the Commandement exceeded mans strength but he judged it to be profitable thereby to put them in mind of their owne insufficiencie so that God by commanding things impossible to us did not thereby make man a transgressour but humbled him to the intent that we receiving the Law and feeling our owne wants might call to heaven and the Lord might helpe us And to the same purpose he elsewhere saith God hath therefore commanded his precepts to be observed exceedingly or to the full that we beholding our imperfection and falling short and finding that we are unable to fulfill that which we ought may fly to his mercy He held certainety of Salvation saying that a just man by the testimonie of the Holy Spirit within him may be assured of grace Bernard likewise held that our workes doe not merit condignely and herein he is most direct and punctuall against all Popish merit-mongers Dangerous saith he is the dwelling of them that trust in their owne merits dangerous bâ—causâ— ruinous And This is the whole merit of man if he put all his trust in him who saveth the whole man Againe the merits of men are not such saith he as that eternall life is due to them of right or as if â—od should doe wrong if he did not yeeld the same unto them and he giveth a reason hereof because all merits are Gods gifts and so man is rather a debter to God for them than God to men for what are all merits to so â—reat a glory Indeed he elsewhere telleth us of his merits but they be Christs and these we doe willingly embrace with Saint Bernard and apply them to our selves his words are these Therefore my merit is the mercy of the Lord I am not poore in merit so long as he is not poore in mercie and if the mercies of the Lord be many my merits also are many otherwise S. Bernard renounced al confidence of his owne merit reposing his soule on that imputative Iustice which is without man even the merit of Christ as in that al-sufficient satisfaction saying I am not worthy I confesse neither can I by my owne merits obtaine the kingdome of heaven but rest upon that interest which I have in the merits of Christs passion Now what could be spoken more Protestant-like and yet thus spake Bernard of himselfe And in this sweete meditation the devout Father closed his life as the reporter thereof hath left recorded Now besides these Articles already mentioned which are weighty ones Bernard was no universall Tâ—ent Papist neither held he divers points which your Trent Counsell hath established for foundamentall and namely the doctrine of Transubstantiation of which he is altogether silent even there where he was likeliest to treate of it if he had then knowne it for Catholike doctrine yea he there delivereth that which makes against it He taught also that the Eucharist was a commemorative sacrifice onely insomuch as alleadging those words Do this in remembrance of me he menâ—ioneth no reall sacrifice of â—hrists body and blood such as is made in the Masse but a thankefull remembrance of his death and passion Indeed S. Bâ—rnard in that Sermon of the Lords Supper if it be his for Bellarmie saith it is nothing like S. Bernards sâ—ile speakes of the Priests holding his God and reaching him forth to others as also of touching God with their hand with their mouth and hearing him speake unto them Now as the Priest heareth Christ speake unto him so he holdeth Châ—ist in his hand but the Priest heareth not Christ speake verily and indeed but in a certaine peculiar manner and forme of speech therefore he holds not Christ in his hand really and indeed but after a sort for a straine of Rhetoricall amamplification he is sayd to hold God that holdeth any thing specially pertaining to God Besides hee held the sufficiencie of the Scriptures without Traditions for writing unto a Covent of Abbots he requireth such a Councell wherein the traditions of men are not obstinately defended but which doth diligently and humbly enquire what is the good and perfect will of God and elsewhere hee saith that the Word of God is all in all He held habituall Concupiscence to be a sinne saying That kinde of sin which so often troubles us I meane our concupiscence and evill desires ought indeed to be repressed Besides he never taught adoration of Images hee held not the precise number of seaven Sacraments he stood against the opinion of the immaculate conception of the blessed Virgin Marie and the like Tenets which be Articles of Faith with you In a word he plainely confessed that the Roman Church was degenerate from the auncient religion And this may suffise to shew what religion S. Bernard professed if any man desire to see more testimonies he may finde them in Master Pankes Collectanea out of Saint Gregorie the Great and S. Bernard the devout shewing that in most foundamentall points they are ours PAP Well but I challenge Saint Bernard for one of our side PROT. I have showne already that he was ours on the surer side he was indeed a Monke and in some things superstitious and no mervaile since he lived in a later age above a thousand yeares after Christ what time as errours crept into the Church which hee might sucke in from the age wherein he lived neverthelesse he was sound in the principall points of Religion for other things wee defend him not since as your owne Proverbe goes Bernardus non vidit omnia even holy Bernard had his blemishes Yet since he held the foundation of Iustification by Faith onely in Christ and disclaimed his owne merits though otherwise his hay and stubble of praying to Saints and such like stuffe as cannot endure the fire of the Holy Ghosts triall doe burne and consume yet since he kept close to the foundation wee doubt not but his soule is safe and rests with the Lord God pardoning his errours and ignorances which he being carryed with the streame of the time tooke up as they were delivered to him without scanning or
have beene called Lollards of Lollium cockle or darnell and so saith the glosse in Linwood as also in the Squires prologue in Chaucer I smell a Loller in the wâ—nde quoth hee abideth for Gods digne passion for mee shall have a predication this Loller here will preach us sâ—mewhat here shall hee not preach here shall he no Gospell glose ne teach he beleeueth all in the great God quâ—th he he would sowne some difficulty or spring cockle in our cleare corne But they were called Lollards from one Raynard Lollard who at the first was a Franciscan Monke and an enemy to the Waldenses but yet a man carried with a sanctified desire to finde the way of salvation Hee afterwards taught the doctrine of the Waldenses was apprehended in Germany by the Monkes Inquisitours and being delivered to the secular power was burnt at Cologne He wrote a Commentary upon the Apocalyps wherein he applied many things to the Pope as to the Roman Antichrist This was he of whom the faithfull in England were called Lollards where he taught witnesse that Tower in London which at this present is called by his name Lollards Tower where the faithfull that profeâ—sed his religion were imprisoned Iohn lâ— Maire in the third part of the difference of Schismes puts him in the ranke of those holy men that have foretold by divine revelation many things that have come to passe in his time such as were Boccace Saint Vincent of Valence of the order of preaching Friers Ioâ—chim Abbot of Gaâ—abria to them he adjoyneth the Frier Râ—ynard Lollard And so I proceede to the severall points in question Of the Scriptures sufficiâ—nâ—y and Canon VVIckliffe saith that Christs law sufficeth by it selfe to rule Christs Church that a Christian 〈◊〉 well underâ—tanding it may thence gather sufficient knowledge during his pilgrimagâ— hâ—re on earth Lyra upon those words in the Gospell They have Moses and the Prophets let them heare them Luke 16.29 makes this inference Moses he taught morâ—lity and what was our duty to doe the Prophets taught mysteries and what we are to beleeve Et ista sufficiunt ad salutem and these are sufficient for our salvation and therefore it followes Heare them so that hee reduceth all to two heads the Agenda or practicall partâ— and the Credenda or Articles of the Creede and these essentiall necessaries contained in the Scriptures he makes sufficient to salvation Amongst the sundry opinions which Ockam reckons vp this is one sayth Ockam That onely those verities are to be esteemed Catholike and such as are necessarily to be beleeved for the attaining of salvation which either expressely are delivered in â—cripture or by necessary consequence may be inferred from things so expressed Richard Fitz-Raphe Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of Ireland saith It is defined in generall Councels that there are two and twenty Authenticall bookes of the Old Testament Nicholas Lyra the converted Iew is plentifull in this argument Now that I have by Gods helpe saith he written upon the Canonicall bookes of holy Scripture beginning at Genesis and so going on to the end trusting to the helpe of the same God I intend to write upon those other bookes that are not Canonicall such as are the booke of Wisedome Ecclesiasticus Iudith Tobias and the bookes of Macchabes and withall addeth that it is to be considered that these bookes which are not Canonicall are received by the Church and read in the same for the information of manners yet is their authority thought to be weake to prove things that are in controversie And the same Lyra writing vpon the first of Esdras the first Chapter saith That though the bookes of Tobias Iudith and the Maccabes be Historicall bookes yet he intendeth for the present to passe by them and not to comment on them and he gives his reason namely quia non sunt de Canone apud Iudaeos nec apud Christianos because they are not in the Canon neither with the Iewes nor with the Christians Wickliffe also held that there are but two and twenty Authenticall bookes of the Old Testament Of Communion under both kinds and number of Sacraments THe custome of communicating in both kinds was not abolished in the beginning of this Age but was retained in certaine places especially in Monasteries untill the yeere of our Lord thirteene hundred and more Thus writeth Cassander Beatus Rhenanus saith that Conradus Pellicanus a man of wonderfull sanctity and learning did finde in the first constitution of the Carthusians That they were forbidden to possesse any vessels of price besides a silver Chalice and a pipe whereby the lay-people might sucke the blood of our Lord. Durand their profound Doctor denieth Matrimony to be a Sacrament properly so named and of the same nature with the rest or to give grace Robert Holcot our countrey-man denied that Confirmation was from Christs Institution now Bellarmine saith that Christ onely can institute a Sacrament Alphonsus à Castro telleth us and that from the testimony of Iodocus Clichtoveus and Thomas Walden a bitter adversary of Wickliffes that Wickliffe held extreame unction or annealing was not a Sacrament Of the Eucharist Ockam saith There are three opinions of Transubstantiation of which the first supposeth a conversion of the Sacramentall Elements the second an annihilation the third affirmeth the bread to be in such sort transubstantiated into the body of Christ that it is no way changed in substance or substantially converted into Christs body or doth cease to be but onely that the body of Christ in every part of it becomes present in every part of the bread This opinion he saith the Master of Sentences mentioneth not much disliking it yet it is not commonly holden Their owne Proctours and Canonists Hostiensis and Gaufridus tell us that there were divers in those dayes who taught that the substance of bread did remaine and this opinion say they was not to be rejected Durand was of opinion That the materiall part of the consecrated bread was not converted insomuch that Bellarmine professeth that saying of Durand is hereticall although he is no heretike because he is ready to submit to the judgement of the Church Wickliffe saith that Friers perverten the right faith of the Sacrament of the Auter and bringen in a new heresie of an Accident withouten subject and whence Holy writ sayes openly that this Sacrament is bread that wee breaken and Gods body they sayen that it is nother bread nor Gods body but accident withouten subject and nought and thus they leaven holy writ and taken new heresie on Christ and his Apostles and on Austin Ierom Ambrose Isidore and other Saints and the Court of Rome and all true Christian men that holden the faith of the Gospell Now for his owne opinion he expresseth it in these termes that the body of Christ was really truely in the Sacrament in his
lesse moment and danger such as blemished indeed but tooke not away the Churches being and that they held the true foundation of Religion that is Iustification and Salvation by Iesus Christ his merits onely God dealing graciously with our fore-fathers in that this point was ordinarily taught in their bookes of Visitation and Consolation of the sicke In this respect wee hope that divers both formerly and in our dayes who live Papists die Protestants for howsoever in their life time they talke of Workes Merits and Satisfaction to God yet on their death-bed divers of them find little comfort in Crosses and Crucifixes Pictures and Popes pardons in Agnus Dei's blessed Gâ—aines Reliques and the like then they renounce all meere humane satisfaction merit and workes and breath out their last breath in the Protestant language of that holy Martyr Master Lambert who lift up his hands such hands as he had and his fingers ends flaming with fire and cried out to the people in these words None but Christ none but Christ. The example of Stephen Garâ—iner Bishop of Winchester is notable to this purpose when the Bishop lay sicke on his death-bed and Doctor Day Bishop of Chichester comming to visit him began to comfort him repeating to him such places of Scripture as did expresse or import the free justification of a repentant sinner in the blood of Christ hereunto Winchester replyed What my Lord quoth he will you open that gap now then farewâ—ll altogether you may tell this to such as me and others in my case but open once this window to the people and then farewell altogether Laâ—tly we are not simply and in euery thing to follow our Ancestors it was the argument of Simmachus the heathen Our religion which hath continued so long is to bee retained and our Ancestors to be followed by us who happily traced their fore fathers but the Loâ—d saith Walke yee not in the ordinances of your fore-fathers neither after their manners nor defile your sâ—lves with their Idols I am the Lord your God walke yee in my statuâ—es and keepe them and not after your vaine conversation which yee have received by the tradition of the Fathers as Saint Peter speakes Object If you hope so well of our fore-fathers why hope you not so well of us their children Answer The parties are not alike besides there is great difference of the times then and now the former were times of ignorance these are the dayes wherein light is come into the world in what they erred they erred ignorantly following the conduct of their guides doing as they taught them and so were mislead as Saint Austine saith Errantes ab errantibus by their blind guides but upon better information wee presume they would have reformed their errours Now he is more to bee pitied who stumbleth in the darke than in the day-light men are now admonished of their erâ—rours offer is made to them to be better instructed so that their censure will bee heavier if either they dote on their owne opinions unwilling to bee instructed in the reveled truth or after sufficient knowlâ—dge and conviction for some worldly respects they wilfully and obstinatly persist in their old errors and which is farre worse hate and persecute the maintainers of the truth Saint Cyprian saith If any of our Predecessors either of ignorance of simplicity hath noâ— observed and held that which our Lord hath taught us by his word and example by the Lords mercy pardon might bee granted to his simplicitie but to us that are now admonished and instructed of the Lord pardon cannot bee granted Saint Augustine puts a difference betwixt Heretikes and them that beleeve Heretikes and he saith farther They that defend an opinion false and perverse without pertinacious selfe-mindednesse especially which not the boldnâ—sse of their owne presumption hath begotten but which from their seduced and erronious Parents they have received and themselves doe seeke the truth with care and diligence ready to amend their errour when they find the truth they are in no wise to bee reckoned among Heretikes this was the case of our Fathers under the Papacie In a word our Fathers they lived in those errours of ignorance not of obstinacie and knew not the dangerous consequence of them such men by particular repenâ—ance of sinnes knowne and generall repentance of unknowne might by Gods mercie be saved Object If holding the foundation will serve as you seeme to say in the case of our fore-fathers then we may safely obtaine salvation in the Church of Rome Answer This followeth not for the Church of Rome buildeth many things which by consequent destroy the foundation Rome doth both hold the foundation and destroy it she holds it directly destroyes it by consequent As the Galathians held the foundation to wit salvation by Iesus Christ and yet withall held a necessity of joyning Circumcision with Christ which doctrine by consequence destroyed the very foundation for so Saint Paul wrote unto them Galat. 5.2.4 If they were circumcised Christ profited them nothing hâ—e became of none effect unto them they were fallen from gracâ— In like sort Poperie opposeth the Faith not directly but obliquely not formally but virtually not in expresse termes but by consequence Poperie overthrowes the foundation by consequence whiles it brings on so many stories of unsound adjections and corrupt super-additions upon the ancient ground-sole of Religion as are like to â—ndanger the whole frame The learned and acute Doctor Doctor Hall now Lord Bishop of Exceter gives severall instances hereof Poperie overthroweth the truth of our Iustification whiles it ascribes it to our owne works the All-sufficiencie of Christs owne Sacrifice whiles they reiterate it daily by the hands of a Priest Of his Satisfaction while thâ—y hold a payment of our utmost farthings in a devised Purgatorie Of his Mediation while they implore others to ayde them not onely by their Intercession but their Merits suing not onely for their prayers but their gifts the value of the Scriptures whiles they hold them unsufficient obscure in points essâ—ntiall to salvation and bind them to an uncertaine dâ—pendance upon the Church Now for the simpler sort whilâ—s in truth of heart they hold the maine principles which they know doubtlâ—sse the mercy of God may passe over their ignorant weakenesse in what they cannot know For the other I feare not to say that many of their errours are wilfull The light of truth hath shined out of heaven to them and they loved darkenesse more than lighâ— Thus farre that learned â—ishop PA. The Protestants at â—ast many of them conâ—â—sse there may be salvation in our Church we absolutely deny thereâ—s salvâ—tion in theirs therefore it is safâ—r to come to ours than to sâ—ay in theirs to be where almost all grant salvation than where the greater part of the world deny it PRO. This point is fully cleered by the judicious Author of the Answer to
Ministers to marry In divers other points also many of your side say the same with the Protestants as it is already shown in this treaâ—ise And therefore if you will force the Argument to make that the safest way of salvation which differing parts agree upon why doe you not joyne with uâ— since for the Positive and Affirmative Articles of our Religion noâ— onâ—ly the mâ—st but alâ— Prâ—tâ—stant and Papâ—â—â— agâ—eâ— therein For example sâ—ke Wee agree on boâ—h sides the Scripâ—ures to be the Râ—le of Faith the bookes of the old Testamâ—nt written in Hebrew to bee Canonicall that wee are justified by Faith that God hath made two Receptaclâ—s for mens sâ—â—les aftâ—r death Heaven and Hell that God may â—e woâ—shipped in spirit wiâ—hout an Image thaâ— we are â—o pray unto God by Christ that there bee two Sacramâ—nâ—s that Christ is really recâ—ived in the Lords Suâ—per that Christ made one oblation of himselfe upon the Crosse for the Redemption Propiâ—iation and Satisfaction for the sinnes of the whole world In a word where they take the Negative part as in with-holding the Cup from the Laiâ—ie foâ—bidding the administration of the Sacraments in the vulgar tongue and restraining the marriage oâ— Pâ—iests yet even in thâ—se they condescend unto uâ— for tâ—e lawfulnesse of the thingâ— in themselves and in respâ—ct of the law of God anâ— oâ—pose them onely in regaâ—d of their conveniencie and for that the Church of Rome hath otherwise ordaâ—ned But see our â—ffiâ—mations content them not To the Scriptures theâ— addâ— and equalize unwritâ—en Traditions to â—he Hebrâ—w Canon the Apocrypha to Faith in the act of Iuâ—â—ification works to Heaven and Hell Purgaâ—oâ—ie Limbus Patrum and Limbus Pueroâ—um to the woâ—ship of God in spirit Images to Prayer to God by Chriâ—t Iâ—vocation and Intercession of Sâ—inâ—s to Bapâ—isme and â—he Lords Supper five other Sacramâ—nts to the Realiâ—ie of Christ in the Sacramenâ— his Coâ—porall presence to tâ—e Sacrifice of Châ—ist upon the Crosâ—e â—he Sacrifice in tâ—e Masse witâ— other like and these wee deny as beâ—ng Corrupt Additions to the Faith These be our grounds wherein we enter-common with them and these be their additions and improvements which they have raised and enclosed upon the Lords Freehold Let us briâ—fely survey them both Bellâ—â—mâ—ne is confidâ—nt that The Apostles never used to Preach openly to the people other things than the Articles of the Apostles Creâ—dâ— the ten Commanâ—â—mâ—nts and some of the Sacraments because saith he these are simply necessary and profitable for all men the rest besides such as that a man may be saved without them If one worship God without an Image they will not deny but that this spirituall worship is acceptable to God If one call upon God alone by the onely mediation of Christ they will not say that this dâ—votion is fruitlesse If one say the Lords Prayer or other devotions in the vulgar tongue they will not deny but that such Prayers as aâ—e made with understanding and in a knowne languagâ— may be fruitfull and effectuall For Lyra saith that If the people understand the prayer of the Priest they are better brought to the knowledge of God and they answâ—r Amen with greater devotion Cardinal Cajetan who had often performed the publike service in an unknowne tongue in the Church yet contrary to his practice professeth It is better by Saint Pauls doctrine for the â—difying of the Church that publike prayers were made in a vulgar tongue to bee understood indifferently by Priâ—sts and people â—han in Latine If a man receive the Sacâ—ament in both kinds they will not I suppose deny but that it is very comfortable to receive boâ—h pâ—rts oâ— the Eucharist Alexander of Hales the first and greatest of all the Schoole mâ—n prâ—fesseâ—h that Though the order of receiving in one kiâ—d bâ— sufâ—icient yet the order of both kinds is of morâ— merit for incâ—ease of devotion and faith If oâ—e peâ—forme the best woâ—kes hee can which wee also require and stand not upon the point of meâ—it but only upon the mercy of God as we doe this likewise serves to justiâ—ie our doctrine for they themselves hold it a Mans safest course not to trust to his owne merits but wholly and solely to cast himselfe on the mâ—rcy of God in Iesus Christ. Now this justifies our Religion and shewes that it is suâ—â—icient to salvation in as much as the grounds thereof setting aside the matters in question betweene us are fully able to instruct a man in all points necessary to his salvation both how to live religiously and to die comfortably Hence also it followeth that by their owne confâ—ssion the controveâ—ted points are unnecessary and superfluous in as much as a man may bee saved who neither knowes nor beleeves nor practises these additions and excesses of theirs Object You talke of our excesses and conceale your owne defects now as the Arch-bishop of Spalato saith Heresie consists in the defect not in the excesse of beleeving and he is an Heretike who falleth short in his faith by not belâ—eving something that is written and not hee that abounds in his faith by beleeving more than is written now you faile in that you scant the measure of your faith Answer The Analogie and integrity of faith is hurt and broken by Addition as well as Subtraction by Diseases as well as by Maimes We are forbidden under the same pâ—naltie either to adde or diminish ought from Gods word Faith is of the nature of a rule or certaine measure to which if any thing be added or taken from it it ceaseth to be that Rule Faith saith Tertullian Is contained in a Rule to know nothing beyond it is to know all thâ—ngs And a little before This first of all wee beleeve that no more ought to be bâ—leeved as necessary to all Vâ—rtue is in the meanâ— vice as well in the excesâ—e as in the defect in our body the superabundance of humours is as dangerous as lacke of them as many dye of Plethories as of Consumptions a hand or foote which hath more fingers or toes than ordinary is alike monstrous as that which wanteth the due number A foundation may bee as well overthrowne by laying on it more than it will beare as by taking away that which is necessary to support the building Errours of addition are dangerous as appeares by these instances following The Samaritanes feared the Lord and served their owne Gods 2. King 17.33 The Galathians beleeved the Gospell yet retained also and observed the legall Ceremonies Galath 4.9 Helvidiuâ— held that blessed Mary had other children unto Ioseph her husband after her sonne Iesus here was an excesse of beliefe for hee beleeved more than was revealed this opinion of Helvidius although it be not denied in the Scripture yet it is erroneous in as much as it is not therein affirmed neither can it bee thence deduced by any good consequence and therefore the