and his annointed magistrate for so much the rare inflicted punishment doth euidently conuince CHAP. XIIII Of Nestorius and his heresie NEstorius Bishop of Constantinople albeit hee denied not Christ to be god as Arrius did yet he affirmed pure man to be borne of the blessed virgin that she therefore ought not to be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mother of God Whose heresie was condemned in the Ephesine councell vnder Theodosius iunior then Emperour of Rome Nestorius his heresie consisted in this that since the blessed virgin was a woman God could not be borne of her and consequently she ought not to be called the mother of God For although he neither denied in Christ the deitie nor the humanitie yet did hee place two persons in Christ together with the two natures and consequently he denied the wonderful hypostaticall vnion which our christian faith acknowledgeth Arrius held that Christ was only man wholly voide of the nature and person of God but Nestorius helde that Christ had both the nature and person of God as also both the nature and the person of man which last was the formalitie of his heresie and therefore ought well to be obserued of the reader For albeit there be two natures in Christ the nature of God and the nature of man yet is theâ—re but one onely person in Christ which is the person or subsistence of God for in that diuine person by vnspeakeable hypostaticall vnion the true nature of man subsisteth without the person of man By reason hereof it is truely saide and christianly beleeued the sonne of God was borne of the blessed virgin the sonne of God did suffer torments the sonne of God was crucified the sonne of God rose againe the third day the sonne of God ascended into heauen All which Nestorius denied because hee seuered the natures by multiplying persons in Christ Iesus Christ therefore taking vpon him the nature of man did single it from the person of man vniting it to himselfe and making it subsist in his diuine person by reason of which supernatural vnion Christ became perfect God and perfect man hauing two distinct natures subsisting in one indistinct person CHAP. XV. Of Macedonius and his heresie MAcedonius the Bishop of Constantinople denied the holyghost to be God he said the sonne was God indeed and equal with the father in substance but the holyghost with him was without honor and dignitie a seruant and minister little better then the Angels For the condemnation of this wicked heretike and heresie the second generall councell was holden at Constantinople vnder the Emperours Graâ—ianus and Theodosius where were assembled 150. fathers for that onely end and purpose CHAP. XVI Of Eutiches and his heresie EUtiches whose complices Dioscorus and Seuerus helde the same opinion was the Abbot of Constantinople who while hee sought to auoid the opinion of Nestorius diuiding one Christ into two sonnes and two persons fell into another mischiefe and taught more absurdly then Nestorius to wit that Christ had but one onely nature after the hypostaticall vnion was accomplished because the humanitie was absorpte of the diuinitie for so Christs diuinitie vncapeable of all mortalitie was peâ—force made partaker of the bitter death vpon the crosse as therfore Nestorius to auoide the confusion of natures multiplied the persons so contrariewise Eutiches to auoide the multiplicitie of persons admitted the confusion of natures These heretikes Eutiches Dioscorus and Seuerus were condemned by the fourth famous generall councel of Chalcedon celebrated vnder Ualentinianus and Martianus the Emperours where were present 360. Bishops CHAP. XVII Of Mahomet and the Saracens MAhomet descended of the Image of Ismael and Agar and being a very poore orphane ioyned himselfe to his kinswoman Chadiga first as an hired seruant afterward as her betrothed husband so was greatly enriched by her as who was a woman of exceeding wealth Which Chadiga when she took very heauily that Mahomet was troubled with the faling euil he told her it was no disease but that the archangel Gabriel then appeered to him whose wonderfull maiestie because he was not able to behold he fell groueling vpon the ground This Mahomet professed himselfe to be the mighty prophet of the euerliuing God by that meanes stirred vp to sedition great troupes of men aswel in Asia as in Africa which people he infected with a new kind of religion perswaded them that they were called Saracens by Gods holy decree of Sara the wife of Abraham that they were the lawful successors of that diuine promise that was made to Abraham his seed for euer The form of the aforesaid mangled religion Mahomet who was borne and buried in Mecha a citie in Arabia composed by the help of the Arrian monke Sergius and called it the Alcoran which word Alcoran in the Arabian language signifieth law or doctrine In which Alcoran they professe that Christ is a prophet and an excellent doctour but withall they deny him to be God and the true Sauiour of the world The Saracens called Arabians of the place Ismaelites of Ismael and Agarenes of Agar being in wages vnder Heraclius the emperour rebelled for want of pay about the yere of Christ 628. and within 38. yeeres they conquered all Syria Damascus Ierusalem much of Assyria and the greater part of Asia al which they subdued to the religion of Mahomet at that time but newly broched and of the Arabians or Saracens first of all receiued For so soone as the Agarenes dwelling in Arabia and seruing in wars vnder Cesar vnderstoode by proclamation that they could no longer haue the emperours pay they stirred vp sedition against the Romane captaines by the meanes whereof the power of Mahomet encreased to whome the common people being destitute of an head and in some distresse for want of mony did submit themselues aswell for his great riches as for other his singular gifts The Iewes Arrians and pseudochristians did al embrace Mahomets Alcoran and mangled religion they first subdued Arabia and part of Syria for in Damascus Mahomet had his pallace The Saracens hauing mightily enlarged their dominions diuided themselues into seuerall gouernements they termed their chiefe lord Caeliphae their next gouernour Seriphes next to him a Sultan who was ouer euery prouince at length the empire was translated to the Turkes CHAP. XVIII Of the originall of the Turkes THe Egyptians wearied with the yoke of the Romans submitted themselues to the Saracens and receiued their religion They continued Saracens aboue 400. yeres vntil such time as the Sultan of Syria conquered them which was about the yeere of our Sauiour Iesus 1170. at which time he made himselfe Sultan of Egypt also at length the multitude of captiues which the Sultan had brought from the Tartarians for his warres growing mighty killed the Sultan took to themselues the kingdome of Egypt They called their king Turquemenius and conquered al Asia the lesse from the Sultan of Asia
plaine and pithie as no papist is able to wrest and writhe them to serue his turne For first S. Chrysostome prooueth marriage to be honourable and holy against the heretickes that condemned it and that because a Bishoppes function is honourable and holie who for all that may bee a married man Which argument were vaine and friuolous if Saint Chrysostome should speake of a Bishops marriage while he was a meere lay man For hereupon would it follow necessarily that tyrannie persecution adultery and murder should be honourable aswell as honest wedlocke I prooue it because no disparitie can be giuen betweene S. Chrysostomes reason and this of mine For first as the function of a bishop is honourable so is the function of an Apostle so is the function of a prophet Againe as a married man may be a bishop so may a persecutor of Christes church be an apostle for S. Paul was both so may an adulterer so may a murderer be an holy prophet for good king Dauid was all three Thirdly as tyrannie is a great sin â—lbeit once a tyrant may afterward become an apostle and as adultery and murder be greeuous crimes although once an adulterer and once a murderer may afterward bee an holy prophet euen so doubtlesse marriage may be an vnlawfull thing albeit once a married man may afterward be an holy bishop And so S. Chrysostome coulde not well conclude marriage to be lawful because once a married man may be a Bishop S. Chrysostome saith yet further that euen with it eumeâ with holie wedlocke one may be made a bishop euen while hee is a married man For as the father and the sonne so also the husband and the wife be relatiues and correlatiues whose nature is as all Logicians graunt to place and displace be and not be liue and die all at once For so soone as a man beginneth to be a father so soone hath he a childe and so soone as hee ceaseth to haue a childe so soone ceaseth he to be a father although he still remaine a man And euen so is it with the husband and the wife Adde hereunto that S. Chrysostome should not say with wedlocke but after it if he meant as the papistes woulde haue him to doe I therefore conclude that if S. Chrysostome meane not of a Bishoppes marriage during the very time hee is a bishop his argument is vaine and friuolous And in this argument Theophilactus subscribeth to S. Chrysostome The second place is that reason which S. Paule maketh to the Corinthians and is conteined in these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Haue we not power to leade about a sister a wife aswel as the rest of the apostles and as the brethren of the Lorde and Cephas By this it appeareth manifestly if it be well marked that S. Peter and other of the apostles were married and that they did leade their wiues about with them when they went abroad preaching the holy gospel For first the Greeke worde in the originall signifieth a wife as well as a woman Secondly the word carrying about argueth a certaine interest and right in the partie that is carried about Thirdly it had been a very scandalous thing that the apostles being single men shoulde carry strange women about with them Fourthly this place cannot be vnderstoode of riche matrones because such women would haue relieued the apostles and not haue suffered them to be chargeable to their auditors and yet doth the apostle here speake of such women as were relieued by the preaching of the Gospel Fiftly if the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be not here taken for a wife but for a woman it must needes be a vain and childish addition because euery sister is a woman Sixtly because S. Clâ—ment and Eusebius Caesariensis expound this place of S. Paules wife and not of any other woman Iohannes Christophorsonus a great papist alledgeth S. Clements wordes out of Eusebius in this maner Clemens deinceps apostolos qui matrimonium contraxisse reperiuntur enâ—merat Ãdque contra eorum sententiam qui nuptias tollere abrogareque instituerent Numinquit sunt apostolos improbaturi Petrus enim Philippus liberos procrearunt Philippus filias viri collocauit in matrimonium Paulus etiam non veretur in quadam epistola contugis suae mentionem facere quam eò minime secum circumduxit quò facilius liberiusque suo fungeretur ministerio Clement afterward reckoneth the apostles who are knowne to haue been married men and that against their opinion who endeuoured to abrogate and take away marriage Will they saith he condemne the apostles for both Peter and Philip begat children and Philip bestowed his daughters vpon husbandes in marriage Paul also blusheth not in one of his Epistles to make mention of his wife whom he woulde not carrie about with him to the end hee might preach the gospel more freely See the first proposition following The first obiection It is cleere that S. Paul would not marry his owne sister and therefore the woman he speaketh of could not be his wife The answere I answere that the names of brother and sister in the primitiue church were proper to the faithfull and true beleeuers Sundrie wiues also in those daies were of a dissonant religion from their husbands S. Paule therefore to shew his wife to be a christian and a true beleeuer calleth her a sister As if he had said the woman I speake of is not only my wife but withall a christian and a true beleeuer The 2. obiection These women that S. Paul speaketh of were not the wiues of the apostles but cerâ—aine deuout women that followed the Apostles for zeale of the gospel as we reade of many women that followed Christ and did not thereby commit any scandall at all The answere I say first that the women S. Paule speaketh of were the wiues of the apostles as I haue proued I say secondly y t it is one thing to follow voluntarily as the women did our sauiour Christ and another thing to be led about as were the women of whom the apostle speaketh I say thirdly that it was an vsual and ordinary thing aswell for women as for men to resort to Hierusalem whither these women followed Christ. I say fourthly that these womâ—n were many togither and went in the company of their husbandes and neighbours and so they could not be subiect to any scandal at al. But if the Apostles were single men and went into seuerall partes of the worlde and led single women about with them so must they then needes be subiect vnto scandall vnlesse they were as is said their lawfull wiues indeed I say fiftly that if they were old women they could not endure the labours of so painfull and long iournies And if they were yong women or vnder threescore they ought to marry according to Paules doctrine The 4. proposition Marriage was deemed lawful for all sortes of people aswel
Egypt This age of Ioseph is thus made manifest he was 17. yeres of age when he was sold Gen. 37. verse 2. he was 30. yeeres olde when hee became gouernour of Egypt Genes 41. vers 40 41 46. to which adde the seuen yeeres of plentie and three yeeres of famine Genes 41.42 and 45. at which time Leui came into Egypt with his father and the number of 40. yeeres will be compleate I note secondly that if we graunt Leui to haue beene 100. yeeres olde before hee begate Caath and affirme the same of Caath and Amram which thing surpasseth the course of nature Ge. 17. v. 17. and therefore neede it not be granted we must for al that come short and neither find the abode of the Israelites in Egypt to be 430. neither yet 400. yeeres in all I note thirdly that if we grant Caath Amram and Moses to haue beene begotten in a competent age we shall easily finde the number of 215. yeres which Eusebius and Marianus Scotus haue put downe An other probation of this difficultie Iochebed was the owne daughter of Leui and the naturall mother of Moses for so we reade in the 26. chapter of the booke of Numbers and in the sixt chapter of the booke of Exodus and yet if we grant Leui to haue bin 120. yeres old when he begat Iochebed and Iochebed to haue bin 100. yeres old at the birth of Moses both which are impossible by the course of nature and if we adde thereunto eightie yeares the full age of Moses at the departure out of Egypt yet will all this be no more but bare 300. yeres so then we are short of the supputation mentioned in Genesis by one ful hundred yeres and of the reckoning specified in Exodus by an hundred and thirtie yeares Therefore the vndoubted meaning of those scriptures must needes be as I haue already shewed The corollarie First therefore since Moses brought the Israelites out of Egypt secondly since he was the sonne of Iochebed thirdly since Iochebed was the daughter of Leui fourthly since Leui was with Iacob at his going into Egypt we must perforce deduce the time of their abode from Leui Iochebed and Moses Let vs therefore assigne 85. yeeres to Leui when hee begate Iochebed 50. yeeres to Iochebed when she bare Moses and 80. yeres to Moses when he brought them out of Egypt which is as much as can be granted by the course of nature and wee shall find the iust number of 215. yeeres and so the supputation of this third age is consonant The obiection Eusebius and Marianus Scotus say plainely that the Israelites abode in Egypt no more but 144 yeeres The answer I grant that some otherwise very learned haue so written but I thinke their meaning is according to the wordes of the authors plainely vttered For albeit they both say that they abode but 144. yeres there yet do they affirme alitle after that that their whole abode was 215. yeeres So then when they terme their abode but 144. yeres they meane of their greuous seruitude after the death of Ioseph for Eusebius whom Scotus doth imitate hath these expresse words Postcuias interritum Hebraei Aegyptijs seruierunt annis 144. fiunt autem omnes anni quos Hebraei in Aegypto fecerunt 215. qui ab eodem tempore computantur quo Iacob cum filijs suis descendit in Aegyptum After the death of Ioseph the Hebrewes or Israelites were in bondage to the Egyptians 144. yeeres but all the yeeres that the Hebrewes were in Egypt make 215. which we must reckon from that time when Iacob with his children went into Egypt The fourth age The fourth age from the comming out of Egypt vntil king Salomon beganne to build the temple containeth 480. yeres hereof this is an euident demonstration Moses gouerned the Israelites in the wildernesse the space of 40. yeeres after they came out of Egypt Deute 1. verse 3. and Deut. 29. verse 5. Iosue and Othoniel iudged Israel 40. yeres Iud. 3. v. 11 for Iosue was ouer them 32. yeeres and Othoniel 8. some giue but 18. yeres to Ioshua and the rest to Othoniel but that skilleth not much because it is certaine that from the death of Moses till the death of Othoniel were 40. yeeres compleate which no writer doth or can deny for holy writ hath so reuealed Ehud or Shamgar the son of Anath iudged the Israelites fourescore yeres Iud. 3. verse 30 31. but of these 80. we must ascribe 18. to the inter-raigne in which time Israel was in bondage to Eglon king of Moab Iud. 3. verse 14. Deborah and Barak iudged Israel 40. yeres Iud. 5. v. 31 Gedeon iudged the Israelites 40. yeres Iud. 8. ve 28. but in this time the Midianites oppressed them 7. yeres Iud. 6. v. 1 for feare of which ennemies the Israelites made them dennes in the mountains and caues strong holds Iud. 6. ve 2. This Gedeon is termed also Ierubbal Iud. 7. vers 1. Iud. 8. ve 35 Abimelek iudged 3. yeeres Iud. 9. verse 22. Thola the sonne of Puah iudged 23. yeres Iud. 10. verse 2 Iair iudged 22. yeres Iud. 10. verse 3. from this time the Israelites were afflicted with the Ammonites and the Philistines for the space of 18. yeres together Iud. 10. verse 7 8. Iephtee iudged sixe yeeres Iud. 12. verse 7. Abesan or Ibzan iudged 7. yeeres Iud. 12. verse 8 9. Elon iudged Israel 10. yeeres Iud. 12. verse 11. Abdon iudged the Hebrewes 8. yeres iudg 12. vers 13 14 Samson iudged 20. yeres Iudg. 16. ver 31. his wife Delilah betrayed him and deliuered him into the hands of the Philistines who put out his eies bound him with fetters and made him to grinde in the prison house but in the end when they called him out to make them pastime and to be a laughing stocke to them he pulled downe the two pillers of the house and so with the fall of the house killed more Philistines at his death then he had slaine in all his life before Iudg. 16. ve 18 21 29 30 31. Eli the priest iudged Israel fortie yeares 1. Sam. 4. ve 18. Samuel and Saul reigned fortie yeeres Act. 13. verse 21. Dauid raigned ouer Israel fortie yeeres 1. King 2. ve 11. The whole summe of yeeres is 477. 40 40 80 40 40 3 23 22 18 6 7 10 8 20 40 40 40 477 Make addition and this will be the summe 477. To these we must adde three yeares of king Salomon because in the fourth yeere of his raigne hee beganne to build the temple and so the whole number will be 480. to which must be added one moneth and one day This summe is confirmed by the testimonie of holy Writ in thefe expresse termes in the 480. yeere after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt and in the fourth yeere of the raigne of Salomon ouer Israel he built the house of the Lord 1. King 6. ve 1. Againe it is thus written so Salomon began
worship them And in Mathew Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely thou shalt serue For which cause S. Iohn could not be permitted to adore the Angel but was bidden to worship God For which cause Moses cast the Tables out of his hands brake them in peeces beneath the mountaine burned the calfe in the fire and grounded it vnto pouder For which cause the holy ghost commendeth Ezechias for breaking in peeces the brasen serpent For which cause Marcellina was condemned as an hereticke who worshipped as S. Augustine recordeth the Images of Iesus of Paul of Homere of Pythagoras For which cause S. Epiphanius seeing the image of a saint hanging in the Church tare the same in sunder and aduised the wardens to bury some poore body with the vaile and that no more any such vailes should be hanged vp in the Church Yea the same Epiphanius will not haue the blessed virgine Mary to be adored much lesse her image And if her image must be excluded what image I pray you can be approued for which cause the councill of Elibertine decreed grauely that nothing should be painted on the church walles which is adored of the people For which cause Lactantius pronounced freely that where images are there is no religion Neither will it help the papists to answer after their woonted manner that Lactantius speaketh of such images as are adored for gods For Lactantius maketh the selfe same obiection in the person of the Gentiles and inueyeth against it bitterly as a vaine friuolous and ridiculous thing And because I wil proceed sincerely in this point as in all other matters I thinke it conuenient heere to alleadge his expresse words which are these Non ipsa inquiunt timemus sed eos ad quorum imaginem ficta quorum nominibus consecrata sunt nempe ideo timetis quod eos in caelo esse arbitramini neque enim si dij sunt aliter fieri potest curigitur oculos in caelum non tollitis â—â—ur ad parietes ligna lapides potissimum quam illò spectatis vbi eos esse creditis We feare not say they the pictures or pourtraies but them after whose images they be made to whose names they are consecrated Doubtlesse ye therefore feare them because ye thinke they are in heauen For if they be gods it cannot otherwise come to passe Why therfore do ye not lift vp your eyes to heauen why doe ye rather looke vpon the walles vpon stockes and stonâ—s then thither where ye think they are In which words I note first that the Gentiles did not adore the images but the persons represented by the same for of fearing and adoring Lactan. speaketh indifferently throughout the whole chapter yet are they sharply reproued for their fact I note secondly that we must not adhere and fix our minds vpon stocks stones and the images of saints but lift vp our hearts to heauen where the saints now are Worthily therefore doe we condemne the Papists who do not only make images but also adore the same and that with the selfe same worship which is due and proper to God alone for so much auoucheth their owne deare doctor and canonized saint Aquinas of the image of our Sauiour Christ. For which respect Gregorie surnamed the Great who himself was a bishop of Rome sharply reproued the adoration worship of images albeit he admitted wel liked y e ciuil vse therof The second Booke of Christs birth baptisme preaching passion resurrection and ascension into Heauen with other things coincident CHAP. I. Of Christs birth ABout the time that Elias the Cabbalist foretolde in the age of the worlde 3969. the eight calends of Ianuary in the third yeere of the 194. Olympiade the 32. yeere of king Herode and the 42. yere of Augustus Cesar was our Lorde and Sauiour Christ Iesus borne into this world For albeit the 4000. yeres were not complete fully ended yet was his prediction true as some report it because he added that God would shorten the time for his elect Our Lord and Sauiour was conceiued by the holighost taking flesh blood bone of the blessed virgin Mary made like vnto vs in all things sinne onely excepted true man and true God hauing two perfect natures subsisting in one diuine person by reason of which hypostaticall vnion his holie mother was truely called deipara and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well the mother of God as of man Christ assuming the perfect nature of man lost no part of his nature diuine and consequently he must haue two willes diuine and humane of God and of man Christ assuming the perfect nature of man must needs haue euery thing pertaining to the perfection thereof among which the sensitiue appetite is one which wee call sensualitie yet in Christ Iesus there was no motion of sensualitie which was not ordered by reason and wholy obedient to the same For the sensitiue appetite to be moued according to the course of it owne nature was nothing repugnant to the diuine and reasonable humane wil of Christ. The blessed virgin being 14 yeres of age conceiued Christ her son by the power of the holie ghost the 25. day of March He was before all worlds and by him al things were made yet was he incarnat in the end of the world borne after a new and miraculous maner of the virgin Marie who was Saint Iosephs lawfull wife Christ the sonne of the euerliuing God tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant was poorely borne in a stall and made him selfe of no reputation and all this he did for the loue of man to teach man humilitie and to abase himselfe as Christ his Lorde and master gaue him ensample In those dayes Cyrenius being gouernour of Syria Augustus Cesar sent out an edict to taxe all that were subiect to the Roman empire Then Ioseph being of the house and linage of Dauid went vp from Galile to be taxed in Bethlehem with Mary his wife being then big with childe where she brought forth Christ and wrapping him in swadling clothes laide him in a cratch bicause there was no roome for them in the Inne So soone as Christ was borne the angels of God nothing regarding the pride of mightie men declared to the poore shepheards the godhead and office of the childe lying in the cribbe how that he was borne to be the sauiour of the world After the departure of the angels the shepheards went to Bethlehem where they found Marie Ioseph and the sweete babe lying in the cribbe at their returne they published abroad that which was tolde them of that childe CHAP. II. Of the infancie of our Sauiour Christ. WHen Christ Iesus was but eight dayes olde he was circumcised euen then beginning to spend his blood for the loue of man for albeit he was the head of the church yet was he subiect to the law to
to beleeue Therefore by due application the monasticall vow is a wicked and damnable thing I say seauenthly that euerie vowe must bee de meliori bono of a better good or of that which is a more holy thing so writeth their approued doctour and canonized saint Aquinas in his theological Summe and therfore because the popish perpetuall vowe of single life is not of such a better good it must needs be a wicked vnlawful act To prooue the saide popish vow is not of a better good the reader must diligently obserue these points first that it is one thing to speake of virginity in it selfe or as it is compared with wedlocke and another thing to speake of it as it is perpetually vowed in such such a person secondly that to leade a single life is indifferent to such persons as haue the gift of continencie but not to others thirdly that such intangle themselues in snares by Saint Paules doctrine as do not know their future continuance and for all that make a popish vow of single life for euer fourthly that it is a great sinne to do any thing which is not of faith for so saith the apostle Hereupon it followeth first that the vow of single life or virginitie is vnlawfull the reason is euident because it is not a better good I prooue it by the flat testimonie of Saint Gregorie Nazianzene a most eloquent and learned father who was S. Hieroms master and taught him the holy scriptures and for his wonderfull knowledge therein was rightly surnamed Theologus as recordeth Simeon Metaphrastes these are his expresse wordes Cum in duo haec genera vita nostra omnis diuisa sit nimirum in matrimonium caelibatū quorum alterum vt praestantius diuinius ita maioris quoque laboris periculi alterum humilius quidem abiectius caeterum minori periculo obnoxium vitatis vtriusque status incommodis quicquid in vtroque commodi erat delegerit in vnumque coegerit alterius nempe sublimitatem alterius securitatem fuerìtque citra supercilium pudica caelibatus commoda matrimonio temperans ac reipsa ostendens neutrum horum suapte natura tale esse vt nos prorsus vel Deo vel mundo astringat vel ab his penitus nos separet Sic quidem vt alterum natura omnino fugiendum sit alterum prorsus expetendum verum mentem esse quae nuptias virginitatem recte moderetur atque vtrumque horum instar materiae cuiuspiam ab artifice ratione componi ad virtutem elaborari Whereas our whole life is diuided into these two kindes to wit into matrimonie and single life whereof the one as it is more excellent and diuine so is it also of greater labour danger the other more base and vile but subiect to lesse danger Gorgonia eschewing the discommodities of either state hath chosen and gathered into one what commoditie soeuer was in both that is the sublimitie of the one and the securitie of the other She was chaste and nothing proud tempering the commodities of single life with marriage and shewing in very deede that neither of the twaine is such of it owne nature as can eyther ioyne vs wholy to God or to the worlde or withdraw vs wholy from God or from the world So verily as the one ought of it owne nature be auoided and the other to bee required but that it is the minde that doth rightly moderate both marriage and virginitie and that either of them must bee by reason composed of the artificer as certaine vnwrought stuffe so be made a vertue These are the words of this great clarke and holy father in which he hath learnedly described the natures and properties both of marriage virginitie which I haue alleaged at large because they are worthy of our consideration and doe exactly explaine this intricate and important matter Out of them therefore I note first that as virginitie is more excellent one way so is it more dangerous another way and so all things considered there is no preeminence in either of the twaine at least not in virginitie I note secondly that as matrimonie is more secure and free from perill so may it also include al the good that is in virginitie For as S. Gregorie saith Gorgonia being a married woman ioyned the sublimitie most excellent part of virginitie with the securitie of hir chast wedlocke I note thirdly that by S. Gregories discourse wedlock is to be preferred before virginitie For al the good parts of virginitie may be included in chast wedlocke not so the good parts of wedlocke in virginitie that is virginity is euer subiect to perill from which wedlocke abideth free I adde hereunto that the world may be cōtinued without virginity although wedlocke be necessarie for the same I note fourthly that virginitie of it owne nature can neither ioyne vs to God nor withdraw vs from God but is as marriage in that respect I note fiftly that neither wedlock nor yet virginity is a virtue of it selfe but a peece of vnwrought stuffe which then becommeth a vertue when it is perfectly laboured by the worker and consequently that virginitie hath no such perfection and merite as our papists doe ascribe vnto it Clemens Alexandrinus taught this doctrine long before Saint Gregorie It followeth secondly vppon the foure obseruations that if virginitie were a better good as it is considered in it selfe the contrarie whereof is proued yet woulde it not follow that it were a better good as it is vowed of him or hir that hath not y e gift the reason is euident because our sauiour hath appointed such persons to vse the soueraigne medicine of chast wedlocke and so single life is so farre from being a better good in such persons that it is no good at all but a flat damnable sin Besides this such persons expose themselues to great perill that is to commit fornication because they know not their own future state It followeth thirdly that such a vowe cannot be of a better good because it is not of faith I proue it because his act cannot be of faith who knoweth not whether his act please God or not yea he contemneth God presuming to do that which is offensiue in Gods sight If they answere that they know God will giue them the gift for asking I replie that so to say is great presumption For Christ himselfe saith that all cannot liue single but they onely to whom it is giuen and saint Paul after he had wished euerie man to be as himselfe added forthwith but euerie one hath his proper gift of God one after this manner and another after that Saint Ambrose saith sola est virginitas quae suaderi potest imperari non potest onely virginitie is a thing which may be counselled but commanded it cannot be I say eightly that a lawfull and godly vowe must bee of such things as are in our owne
and then vttered the wordes of drinking the fruit of the vine For the papists would gladly haue Saint Luke to tell the storie out of order and that Christ spoke these wordes before the deliuerie of the sacrament that is before the consecration of the cuppe which Saint Crysostome and other fathers doe denie Saint Cyprian hath these words Dico vobis non bibam amodò ex ista creatura vitis vsque in diem illum quo vobiscum bibam nouum vinum in regno patris mei Qua in parte inuenimus calicem mixtum fuisse quem Dominus obtulit vinum fuisse quod sanguinem suum dixit I say to you I will not drinke henceforth of this creature of the vine vntill that day in which I wil drinke new wine with you in the kingdome of my father Wherein we find that the cup was mingled with our Lord offered and that it was wine which he called his body Out of these words I note first that Saint Luke spoke of the consecrate cup when hee tearmed it the fruit of the vine as is proued already out of Saint Clement and S. Chrysostome I note secondly that the consecrate cup contained naturall wine and not Christs corporall bloud indeed This testimonie doth conuince and so effectually confuteth transubstantiation and the popish reall presence as if S. Cyprian were this day liuing and knew the blasphemous doctrine of the papists yet coulde hee not decide more plainely the controuersie betweene them and vs. Yea this testimonie of saint Cyprian may bee a generall rule for vs as well to expounde himselfe in other places as also the rest of the holy fathers For when they tearme the holy communion or Eucharist Christs bodie and blood the bloud that issued out of his side the body that was nayled on the crosse the flesh that was borne of the virgin the price of our redemption all this is truely saide in their godly meaning that is to say all this is truely verified sacramentally mystically spiritually but not corporally as the Papistes teach For all the Fathers admitte this doctrine of Saint Cyprian that euen after consecration remayneth still the true nature of bread and wine Sixtly Tertullian being consonant to the other fathers hath these wordes Acceptum panem distributum discipulis corpus suum illum fecit hoc est corpus meum dicendo id est figura corporis mei Figura autem non fuisset nisi veritatis esset corpus Caeterum vacua res quod est phantasma figuram capere non potest Hee made that bread which hee tooke and gaue to his disciples to bee his bodie saying this is my body that is to say the figure of my bodie and there shoulde not haue beene a figure vnlesse there had been a true body indeed for a vain thing which is but a falâ—â— imagination cannot receiue a figure Out of these wordes I note first that y â— which Christ gaue to his disciples was bread I note secondly that it was the figure of his body I note thirdly that to be Christes body as Christ himselfe and the fathers speake is nothing els but to be the figure or signe of his body For so doth this learned father declare the very phrase I note fourthly that the thing figured is much different from the figure and consequently that Christes body cannot be the figure of it selfe Seuenthly S. Theodoret hath these words Neque enim signa mystica post sanctificationeÌ„ recedunt à sua natura Manent enim in priore substantia figura forma videri tangi possunt sicut prius The mysticall signes after the sanctification depart not froÌ„ their nature but they abide in their former substance and figure and forme and may be seen and touched euen as before Out of these most golden wordes of this auncient and learned father I note first that hee writeth against certaine heretickes who held that Christes body was chaunged into his deitie after his ascension And they prooued it because as the bread and wine after consecration were changed into the body and bloud of Christ euen so was his body changed into his deitie after his ascension This note is plainly set downe in the wordes aforegoing I note secondly that S. Theodoret confuteth the heretickes euen by their own reason For the mysticall signes saith hee remaine still in their former substance and nature euen after the sanctification therof As if he had said ye lay not a good foundation your supposall is false ye take that as graunted which is flatly denied For although the creatures of bread and wine be sanctified by Gods word and accidentally changed into the mysticall signes of his body and bloud yet doe they still retaine their former nature and substance yet doe they still remaine truely bread and truely wine I note thirdly that though the bread and wine haue gotten by sanctification a new diuine qualitie yet haue they lost nothing that they had before for they haue the same nature the same substance the same figure the same forme they may be seene tasted and touched euen as they might before All the papistes in Europe cannot answere this reason For Theodoret prooueth against the heretickes that as bread and wine are as truly bread and truely wine after consecration as they were before consecration euen so is Christes body as truely a body now after his ascension as it was afore heere on earth So as the papistes cannot now say that the bread and wine haue lost their true natures in y e eucharist vnlesse they wil also say y t Christ hath lost y e nature of a true body now in heaueÌ„ Eightly S. Austen a worthy pillar of Christes Church as the papistes themselues doe graunt hath these wordes Nisi manducaueritis inquit carnem filij hominis sanguinem biberitis non habebitis vitam in vobis Facinus vel flagitium videtur iubere Figura est ergo praecipiens passioni domini esse communicandum suauiter atque vtiliter recondendum in memoria quod pro nobis caro eius crucifixa vulnerata sit Vnlesse saith Christ ye shall eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye shall haue no life in you Hee seemeth by these wordes to commaund to doe an heinous offence It is therefore a figure commanding vs to be partakers of Christes passion and sweetly and profitably to lay vp in our mindes that his flesh was crucified and wounded for our sakes In another place hee hath these words Cum videritis filium hominis ascendentem vbi erat prius certe vel tunc videbitis quia non eo modo quo putatis erogat corpus suum certe vel tunc intelligetis quia gratia eius non consumitur morsibus When yee shall see the sonne of man ascending thither where hee was before then doubtlesse shall ye see that hee giueth not his body in such sorte as ye imagine then
Constantinople Sigebertus writeth in this maner Secunda synodus vniuersalis 150. patrum congregatur Constantinopoli iubente Theosio annuente Damaso papa quae Macedonium negantem spiritum sanctum Deum esse condemnans consubstantialem patri filio spiritum sanctum esse docuit The second general synode of an hundred and fifty bishops is assembled at Constannople by the commandement of Theodosius Damasus agreeing thereunto in which councell Macedonius who denied that the holy ghost was God was condemned the consubstantialitie of the holy ghost with the father and the sonne was confirmed in the same Nicephorus Theodoretus and Prosper teach the same doctrine whose words for breuitie sake I here omit The third conclusion The third generall councel being the first Ephesine of two hundred bishops was proclaimed by the commandement of the Emperour Theodosius the yonger against Nestorius denying the virgin Mary to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and affirming Christ to haue two persons prouing that two natures did subsist in one onely person of Christ Iesus in the yere of our Lord 433. Euagrius hath these words Haec nefaria Nestorij dogmata cum Cyrillus episcopus Alexandria vir c. When Cyrillus the bishop of Alexander a man of great renowned had distinctly confuted the wicked opinions of Nestorius and Nestorius for al that gaue no place to his writings neither obeyed Cyrillus nor the councell of Caelestinus the bishop of old Rome but licentiously powred out his poyson against the church then Cyrillus made sute to Theodosius the yonger who at that time was Emperour in the East that by his will and authortie a councell might be called at Ephesus The Emperour vppon this sent his letters to Cyrillus and to the other presidents of the churches appointing the assembly to bee vppon Whitsunday at what time the holy Ghost came downe vnto vs. Nicephorus hath these words Theodosius imperialibus literis suis in metropoli Ephesi locorū omnium episcopos conuenire iussit sacram c. Theodosius commanded by his imperiall letters that all bishoppes should meete in the metropolitaine church of Ephesus at the day of Pentecost which wee call Whitsunday for on that day the holy ghost came vppon the Apostles He added this to his letters that no man shoulde excuse himselfe either before God or the worlde but that euerie one should be there present at the day appointed Cassiodorus hath these words Non multo post tempore iussio principis episcopos vndique Ephesum conuenire praecepit No long time after the commandement of the Emperor Theodosius charged the bishops to come from euery place to Ephesus Sigebertus hath these words Tertia synodus vniuersalis Ephesina prima ducentorum episcoporum iussu Theodosii iunioris Augusti aedita est quae Nestorium c. The third general councel the first Ephesine of 200. bishoppes was celebrated by the commandement of the emperor Theodosius the yonger which councell iustly condemned Nestorius affirming Christ to haue two persons shewing that two natures in Christ did subsist in one person The fourth conclusion The fourth generall councel of Chalcedon against Eutiches who affirmed Christ to haue but one onely nature after the hypostaticall vnion although hee granted him to haue had two before the coniunction thereof was called by the commandement of the emperour Martian in the yeare of our Lord 454. Socrates hath these words Passimque in historia imperatorum mentionem propterea fecimus quod ex illo tempore quo Christiani esse coeperunt ecclesiae negotia ex illorum nutu pendere visa sunt atque adeo maxima concilia de eorundem sententia conuocata fuerunt adhuc cōuocantur I haue therfore made mention of the emperours in euerie place of my hystory because since that time in which they became Christians the affaires of the church depended vppon their good wil and pleasures in regard whereof most famous councels were then called by their appointment and are so caled euē to this day Out of these words I note first that Socrates was a famous greeke Historiographer I note secondly that hee liued aboue 400. yeares after Christs sacred incarnation I note thirdly that the end for which he made mention of the Emperours was to declare that the chiefest matters of the church did depend on their good pleasures I note fourthly that councels were euermore appointed by authoritie of the Emperors euen to the dayes of Socrates which was 400. yeares after Christ. These obseruations well marked this Corollarie followeth of necessitie that the vsual practise of the ancient Christian Apostolike and Catholike church doth flatly ouerthrow all Poperie and late Romish abhomination Nicephorus hath these words Earum rerum gratia imperatorum literis locorum omnium episcopis conuocatis synodus Chalcedone est coacta In regard of these matters a councell was called at Chalcedon and all bishops sent for thither by force of the Emperours letters Sigebertus hath these words Instantia Leonis papae iubent imperatore Martiano congregata habita est quarta vniuersalis synodus sexcentorum triginta episcoporum apud Chalcedonem The fourth generall councel of six hundreth thirtie bishops was holden in Chalcedon by the commandement of the Emperour Martian at the request of Pope Leo. Loe the Pope could but request to command was in the Emperours power Euagrius in the second booke and second chapter of his hystorie teacheth the selfe same veritie The 5. conclusion The Emperor euermore had the chiefest place in councels which thing is an euident confirmation of the former conclusions Sozomenus hath these words Vbi autem venit praestituta dies in qua c. And when the day appointed came that they shuld decide the cōtrouersies the bishops come together into the palace as the emperor had decreed that he might consult with them of the matters And when he came to the place where the priests were he passed by to the highest roome of y e assemblie and sate downe in a chaire prepared for him and commanded al that were present in the councell to sit downe Out of these words I note first that all the bishops came at the emperors appointment to attend his maiesty at the time place by him designed I note secondly that he consulted with them for and concerning the controuersies of religion as who knew right well that the vnitie and peace of Christs church pertained to his charge I note thirdly that he had the highest place in y e councel I note 4. that bishops did not sit down vntil the Emperour commanded them so to do The famous popish archbishop and Cardinall Panormitanus hath these golden words to the great comfort of all true Christians the confusion of al papists Ipse autem Imperator repraesentat totum populū christianum cū in eum translata sit iurisdictio potestas vniuersi orbis loco ipsorū hoc ergo populorum