Anall Platin. in Adrian Irene caused the same by a Synod of Bishops to bee decreed in Nice And I pray you doe you thinke worse of your Iubilies because y Platina in Bonif 8. Walsing in Edward 1. Polychron lib. 7. cap. 40. Boniface the 8. who entred most ambiciously like a Foxe liued like a Lion and died like a Dogge brought them in beware of such mislikes it will not be for the profit of Romes purse Againe the Church of England is calumniated euery day by all the Ignatians as though she had no true orders or iurisdiction I dare affirme that in it there is as certaine and as assured a succession of orders spirituall iurisdiction as in the Church of Rome it selfe which hath so often tottered with so many schismes and hath bin pestered with so many Apostatical Popes as both Baronius and Genebrard deliuer I my selfe very lately searched for my own satisfaction the Records and I find clearly that Archbishop Parker was sufficiently truly and canonically ordered and consecrated by such Bishops as had receiued orders and consecration according to the Romane Church he swore not thou wilt perhaps obiect obedience to the Bishop of Rome a toy Where in all antiquity finde you the vse ofswearing subiection to the Bishop of Rome Romane Tyranny brought it in to the Church and Christian liberty hath exploded it It is indeede the soule of your Religion that subiection to the Bishop of Rome is a meane necessary to saluauation as necessary as Baptisme it selfe O prodigious Doctrin it is not enough say these men to saluation to be vnited with Christ and subiected to our immediate Pastors who are in vnion with the whole Catholike Church touching the Catholike faith vnlesse we be also vnited by immediate subiectiō vnto the Pope of Rome who may both be an Heretike and also contaminate the Church with his pernicious Lawes So that if a Pope Nerolike as Boniface the 8. would by pernicious Lawes draw you from Christ and like as a Heliogabalus as Iohn the 12. would draw you to all impurities and teach you to diuide the Church by opposing against the true Pope after his iust deposition by the whole Romane Clergy most Bishops of Italy assembled in a Synod or Ottomanlike as Paul the 5. will teach you against Christs institution not to yeelde temporall obedience to your lawfull Soueraigne if hee out of his throne take vpon him to dethrone him vnlesse forsooth you be subiect to such Vicars of Christ you cannot haue saluation in Christ O prodigious and vaine Doctrine of these times the holy Prophets O ye Britaine 's haue forewarned vs let vs beware of them What vile calumniation is that by which the reformed Churches of England are charged to deny the seeing of Gods face and glory vnto the Saints departed vntill the day of Iudgement What a slander that she respects no Holy daies of Christ or his Apostles I dare say that the memories of the Apostles are in many places of this Kingdome as religiously obserued as the Sundaies are with them but in the obseruation of the Sabbath our Lords day the Church of England doth so farre surpasse all Papistical Churches yea of Rome it selfe that it were a sinne to make any comparison therein betwixt them a Caluino Turcismo William Rainolds calumniateth Caluin that hee teacheth that Christ by his corporall death redeemed not mankinde A meere Calumnious imputation his doctrine is that Christ by his meere Corporal death had he not subiected himself to haue vndergone his fathers displeasure against mankinde and to haue clothed himselfe as it were with the deserts punishment and guilt of man he had not fully made that satisfactiō for mankind of which the Scripture so often speake of which doctrin who can be ignorant who is acquainted with holy writ Great is their spight against that man but notwithstanding all their malice against him he liued peaceably laboured faithfully and died Christianly leauing such a posterity of books behinde him which checketh the daily continual innouations of Rome Grieuous is the imputation to the English Church for condemning and contemning the ancient Fathers whereas the most it striueth for is to support that of b Tertull. lib. de prescriptio Tertullian Quod antiquissimum verissimum that which is most Ancient euen in the Fathers is most true At first when counterfeit Martials Abdias Clements Markes Dionises were produced the Prelats of the reformed Churches were more afrighted then hurt and to such Fathers they might iustly giue the Anatheme because such fathers had impugned and contradicted that Gospell of Christ the which whosoeuer though an Angell from heauen shall doe we are warranted by the c ad Galat. 1. Apostle to giue him the Anatheme But in and for true Fathers the Church of England reuerently and constantly auoucheth that of d Vincent Lirin contra Heres cap. 4. Tertull. de praescript Vincentius Lirinensis to take place Quicquid non unus aut duo c. Whatsoeuer not one or two but al together with one and the same consent openly frequently and constantly shall bee knowne to haue held written and taught that she also without any doubt knoweth must by her bee beleeued and this most iustly the English Church admitteth it being as cleare as the verie no one daies that all Fathers of the Ancient Church neuer taught helde nor wrot any thing in this sort which is not clearely agreeing to Gods word which is the onely Rule of Christian faith But iustly to retort vpon them who knoweth not that for most of their Roman nouel positions the Aduersaries haue no Ancient Fathers and therefore to defend themselues being vrged they do not produce Fathers but stand to their imagined Traditions written no where in Antiquity but only reserued in the Romane Bishops and Churches brests as they pretende this is their City of refuge as for example When a world of Fathers concurring with sacred Scripture is produced to shew that the Virgin Mary whose name bee euer blessed amongst and aboue all women was conceiued in Originall sinne yea some of them with S. Anselme auouching that shee was borne in sinne which I can hardly beleeue doe they heere sticke to the Fathers nothing lesse their imagined traditions must take place Againe when whole centuries of Fathers and those assembled in Synods bee produced to affirme that Popes haue beene and may bee Heretikes will they heare admit of the Fathers nothing lesse all records must be coūterfeit their own best Authors deceiued rather then the Fathers authorities admitted against their Popes infallibilies When irrefragable authorities of most ancient Fathers are produced to shew that the holy Scriptures are the onely inerrable rule of Christian Catholike faith and the square by which the writings and faith of all men and all Churches must be examined and tried will they heere allow the Fathers No alas they flye the field and seeke after some maimed sentences
incessantly in that dreadfull fire of Purgatory for extremity and anguish equalized by the Pontificians with the fire of the damned dost thou vnderstand Christian Reader dost thou thinke that Scholasticus if hee were the Author of this prayer would call the burning flames of purgatory the rest in peace the sleepe of peace a very sweete rest of peace doubtlesse for such especially as shall continue in it vntill the day of Iudgement for they affirme so much that some who are burning in that rest shall restlessely there rest vntill the generall resurrection and perhaps when they end their Masses of purgatory rest and of requiems they p In fine missâ— thus conclude them requiescant in pace let them rest in peace dâ—siring thereby that the soules departed may rest in Purgatory yea rest in Purgatory still Doubtlesse whatsoeuer they meane in their daily requiem-Masses the Author of the Praier whosoeuer hee were desired that they might rest in peace and in the sleepe of peace to wit in some place of rest vntill the day of Generall iudgement and resurrection For most probable it is that the Author of this prayer for the dead was of opinion of many of the q Tertull. lib. de anima cap. 55. deliuereth it as a matter assured in his time that all soules of the faithful departed are kept in some lower part vntill the generall iudgment Laotant lib. 7. cap. 21. Yea in Saint Bernards time this errour was rife hee helde it Serm. 3. De omnibus sanctis and who is ignorant that Iohn the 22. Pope held it and would haue defined it and caused preachers publikely to teach it Gerson Serm. de pasch Ioh. Viltan in Historia See S. Austin in Psal 36. and his Enchirid. cap. 108. the like haue S. Chrisost and Theoph. in 1. ad Corinth 11. Iustin lib. Questiq 60. et 67. r Grego Niss orat 3. Auncient Fathers of the Church and some latter Popes to wit that the soules of the Faithfull departed remained in some certaine appointed place of rest vntill the day of Iudgement which place some of them call vnder the Altar but most manifest it is that if the Author of the praier were in his wits hee would not esteeme the dreadfull flames of purgatorie for a sleepe of rest peace of Christ sleepe of peace vnlesse it may bee saide that hee thought that soules departed doe put on the natures of Salamanders small little beasts who as fishes doe swimme in the waters so they liue and breath in the fire it selfe Or else perhaps hee was of Saint Gregory Nissenes opinion with some of the other Auncients of the Church who in one of his Orations vppon the resurrection of our Sauiour Christ writeth thus animam vero per se separatam c. But the soule beeing by it selfe and separated from the bodie fire cannot touch neither can darkenesse bee irkesome or greeuous vnto it because shee wanteth eies and therefore with these agreeing considerations and reasons wee are compelled to approoue the resurrection of the deade thus bee proouing by the impassibility of the soules separated a resurrection of the body that in it the soule might bee punished and afflicted and so according to this Fathers opinion the flames of purgatory should nothing at all afflict the soules departed and therfore they might bee said to rest in them and to sleepe also a slecepe of peace in them Or else most probable it is that he thought the state of the soules departed in respect of damnation or saluation was in some sort vncertaine vntill the generall iudgement according as many of the ancient Fathers seeme to haue taught and this vntill the sentence of damnation or saluation were by the Iudge pronounced and therefore although they were in a kinde of rest and expectation of that which was to come yet in respect of the communion of charitie which is betwixt all members of the Church he might thinke that prayers of the liuing might be auaileable for them so that by them they might finde their Iudge more propitious And this verie aptly yoa necessarily accordeth with other like euident matters in their Masses for the dead for as by their f Missal in comemorat omnium fideliuâ—â— defunct sequence which beginneth thus diet irae dies illa c. A day of wrath is that day they haue often relation to the day of generall iudgement and to the generall account which is to be made that day and therefore the whole sequence is purposely pronounced as in the persons of the dead who t See all this most euidently in their sequence dies Ire c. ibidem desire â—â— fauourable and a mercifull iudgement at that day and to be deliuered then when the Goates shall be set on the left hand and the sheepe vpon the right hand so that there can be no tergiuersation at all but that the authour of that sequence prayed that the soules of all faithfull departed for bee prayeth for all faithfull departed none excepted might finde a mercifull iudgement at the daye of the Generall account And agreelingly to this are liuers prayers also of the dead And most expresly is their 〈◊〉 in their daily Masses of the dead which is thus u In missis quotidianis pre defunctis Domine Iesu Christe c. Lord Iesus Christ deliuer the soules of the faithfull departed from the paines of hell and the deep lake deliuer them from the mouth of the Lion that hel may not note this sentence swallow them vp that they fall not into the darke but let thy flander bearer or Signifer Michael represent and exhibite them into that holy light which thou hast promised to Abraham and to his seede for euer Thus there he who seriously considering this prayer pondereth those words the soules of all faithfull departed and those that they may be deliuered from the deepe lake and that they be not swallowed vp by hell nor fall into the darke he cannot easily be perswaded to thinke otherwise then that the Authour of this prayer did thinke as many ancients did that the state of the soules departed * August lil 1. retract 14. 12. de ciuit cap. 9. epist. 111. ad Fortunat. Irenae lib. 5. cap. ult Ambros lib. 2. de Cain cap. 2 lib. de bono mortis cap. 10. Chrisost homel 28. Haeb. Origen hom 7. in Leuit. Hilarius in Psal 138. Theoph in 1. ad Corinth 11. in 11. ad Hoebr Theodor. ibidem was not certaine vntill the day of Iudgement and that none of them were to see the glorie and face of God vntill after the day of Iudgement and generall resurrection when they should receiue the promises as Theophilactus proueth and discourseth This errour had very many and ancient patrons as Bellarmine himselfe cannot denie and without all question it may be thought the parent of another errour of praying for the soules departed to deliuer them from the fire of Porgatorie Doubtlesse a Nouell
Ignatians will make outcries against such a man as would in any publike seruice pray but for the conuersion of their Soueraigne by them reputed an Heretike but to adde a prayer for his prosperitie or safeguard it were not sufferable but no more of this it toucheth to the quicke Yet God from whose knowledge nothing is hidde knoweth that this which I write is true c. I haue heard very crediblie of a superstitious Monke who hath often protested that hee will not by name in Masse pray for the conuersion of any one no not of his owne Father O hypocrisin blasphemam O more then most blasphemous hypocrisie damned Diues had in Hell greater charitie when by name and specially in what hee could hee desired and procured the saluation of his Brethren vpon earth Some one will reply perhaps and say that in speciall and by name they pray for all Iewes Infidels and Heretikes vpon Good-Friday I graunt it but heare withall that vpon Good-Friday they haue no Propitiatorie sacrifice offered which may bee polluted with publike prayers for the conuersion of Infidels and here by the way I maruaile what mysterie is in it that specially vpon that Anniuersarie day when Christ suffered they will haue no Propitiatorie sacrifice offered no receiuing of the Lordes Supper vsed in their Churches For some one of their Priests in euery Church receiuing and offering of Christ onely vnder the forme of bread doth not with them offer a perfect and proper sacrifice Christ forsooth must bee vnder both kindes else hee is not a perfect and proper Sacrifice according to the k Bellar. lib. recog pag. 85. where he citeth many for the same opinion Bellarminian doctrine Who detesteth not such fopperies the wise are caught in their wisedome Oh that they were rather conuerted then confounded Further what a maruaile that they who pretend to bee so zealous for conuersion of sinners that they willingly trauaile l Math. 23. ouer Sea and Land for that purpose and to make their Proselytes twofold more children of hell should bee so hypocritically pure that in that sacrifice which themselues make to bee the propitiation of the whole world there should not bee some commemoration had at least for the conuersion of such their Magistrates and Soueraignes whom they repute Heretikes The ancient Iewes and their holy Priests did pray in their publike sacrifices yea offered m 1. Mach. 12. 2. Mach. 3. Esdr 1. cap. 6. Baruch saepe publike sacrifices for such as were Aliens from the worship of the true God although ioyned in amitie with them as the Machabees doe expresly deliuer The ancient n Clemens l. 8. Constitut cap. 15 Ignat. epist ad Smir. Tertnll Apolog ad scapulaÌ„ cap. 2. Ambros Chrysost in hunc locuÌ„ Aug. Epist 59 alibi saepissime Prosp de vocatione Getium l 1. cap. 4. Chrysost hom 79 ad Pop. Antio l. 6. de Sacer. hom 77. in Ioh. homil de Adam Euaâ—â—iturg Iacob Basil Chrysost Some IgnatiaÌ„s to temper this vncharitable position so mince the matter that you may pray for increase of faith in that place where none but Heretikes are prouided that you doe not personat any So my Master in Rome Azor. aly Christians with their most religious Bishops praied publikely and offered sacrifice so saith Tertullian for the health and safetie of the Emperour and all antiquitie concurreth herein with ioynt approuance of publike praier for all If the Aduersarie reply and say such excommunicated persons such Infidels are not capable of any good from the sacrifice what not of conuersion not of repentance not of reconcilement apagesis is your sacrifice so weake that it is not potent and powerfull to doe any good that way yea but the Church hath forbid it for a correction of the excommunicated what for a correction of the Infidels also indeede your Church that is your Pope hath of later yeares since they put on tiphum secli secular pride haue forbid it but it was not so of old let vs aske our Fathers and they will tell vs it was not so of old bring out one ancient Father O yee Pontificians that ioyneth with you in this I am assured you cannot God forbid you could staine ancient Christian doctrine so farre as that it should forbid any publike praier to be vsed for the conuersion of Infidels Heretikes c. or for the temporall prosperitie and safetie of lawfull Soueraignes whatsoeuer by and from such Priests and Prelates as are their subiects The second Law HYpocriticall also and vaine is that custome and law by which they strictly forbid the eating of flesh vpon their appointed Fasts and yet permit and allow the drinking of wines of all sorts and in what quantitie it shal please with eating also of preserues and conserues of any kind marchpanes with spiced and sugred cakes only prouided there be no dramme of butter nor creame in them when they are vsed either in lent or vpon fasting-nights so that their fasts seeme to pinch and afflict only the poore whose purses reach not to dainties not the rich who may drinke wine till they surfet and yet not breake their Papisticall fast And whereas the Primitiue Christians in their solemne fasts according as the ancient Iewes fasted till night which custom continued a long time after o Caput solent de coÌ„secrat dist 2. Epiph. Haeres 80 Tertull. aduers Psychi c. 14. but was afterwards fully broken for aboue some 1000. yeares ago since when the time of eating vpon publike fasting daies beganne to bee vsed about three of the clocke in the afternoone from which custome they are now so farre degenerated that the Ignatianed Pontificians will most commonly preuent noone a whole houre and the precisest of them marke the superstition say it is enough to keepe the fast so that a man be in the middest of his repast iust at noone and now also the precisest fasters will haue their drinkings at night and almost all of them will eate either a good quantitie of bread with sweet meats with fruits or some kind of broth so that their fastings as they are now vsed are indeede meere mockeries I should say as they are commonly vsed and yet forsooth these men must be reputed the precise * The Pontificians who staÌ„d so strictly for their maÌ„ner of fasting I aske them why haue they brokeÌ„ the fast of the fourth sixth Ferie and Saterday in Rome which the ancient Romane Church held for a Tradition Apostolicall See Innocent 1 Epist ad Decent cap. Sabbato de coÌ„secrat dist 3. cap. Quia diâ—s distin 5. de consecrat Conc. Elibert Can 26. Clem. constit lib. 5. cap. 16. 19. vlt. Canon Apost Can. 68. Ignat. Epist. 3. ad Phill. Epiph. â—eres 80. 75. caput de esu carn dist 3. de consecrat Pene omnes antiqui Imitatours of the Apostles in their fasting and none reputed to fast but they no though they abstaine