point I would desire him therefore to tell mee if hee can wherein I informed him amisse as hee saith I did for first I shewed that there was an Auncient custome of commemorating the departed of rehearsing their names and offering the sacrifice of praise for them to expresse the assurance Christian men haue of the immortality of the soule and their hope of the resurrection Secondly that this sacrifice of the Eucharist that is of praise and thankesgiuing was offered for the Patriarches Prophets Apostles Martyres and the blessed Mother of Christ and euery soule at rest in the faith of Christ for proofe whereof I produce the Liturgy that goeth vnder the name of Chrysostome Thirdly that the Auncient prayed for the soules of men in their passage hence and entrance into the other world Fourthly that they prayed for the resurrection publique acquitall in the day of judgment and perfit consummation of the departed all which customes and obseruations I allow and approue Fiftly that some prayed for the remission or mitigation of the paines of men in hell Sixtly that some other out of a conceipt that there is noe iudgment yet passed and that none of the iust enter into heauen till the resurrection prayed for their admittance into those Heauenly Pallaces and into the presence of God but that none of the Ancient euer prayed to deliuer men out of purgatory What collusion or what vnfaithfull dealing doth Maister Higgons finde in any of these passages yet the faithlesse and perfidious Apostata hauing as he sayth experience of my vnfaithfull dealing directed himselfe to foure considerations whereof the first is that it is vanity in vs Protestants to accept and refuse the Liturgy of Chrysostome at our pleasure the second that Chrysostome did pray for the dead the third that it was by way of thankesgiuing and not of petition that the Church offered sacrifice to God for the Patriarches Prophets Apostles c. the fourth that in the Liturgie of Chrysostome there is prayer for the dead To the first of these wise considerations I answere that wee doe not accept and refuse the Liturgie of Chrysostome at our pleasures but that wee admitte it so farre forth onely as wee finde the thinges it hath in it confirmed out of the indubitate writings of the Auncient and in other things relie not much vpon the credit of it Now that which I alleadge it for hath proofe out of Epiphanius and others and therefore I might rightly alleadge it as I did and doubt of the credit and authority of it in some other thinges To the second wee say Chrysostome did pray for the dead not to deliuer them out of Purgatory whereof hee neuer dreamed nor any Greeke Father that euer liued but in such a sort as Maister Higgons dareth not pray namely for the ease of men in hell Chrysostome sayth Sixtus Senensis in his three and thirtieth Homilie vppon Mathew interpreting these words The damsell is not dead but sleepeth treating of the care that is to be taken for the dead fell in a sort into the opinion of them who thinke that the suffrages and prayers that are made here in the Church doe profit as well those that are damned in hell as those that enjoy eternall glory For there hee hath these words If many barbarous nations doe vse to consume in fire together with the dead the things that pertaine to them how much more oughtest thou to deliuer to thy sonne departed such things as hee possessed not to bee burnt to ashes but that they may make him more glorious Supposest thou that hee went hence defiled with spottes and staines giue vnto him the things he had when he liued that he may wash away those spots Supposest thou that he departed in righteousnesse giue them to him for the increase of his reward And againe that prayers and oblations doe bring some refreshing to them that departed hence without repentance the same Chrysostome seemeth to shew in his third Homily vpon the Epistle to the Philippians where he speaketh to them that bewaile the dead more then is seemely in this sort Bewayle them that died in the midst of great riches and procured with their riches no consolation to their soules who when they had power to wash away their sinnes would not so do let vs weepe for those but with seemely modesty let vs helpe them what wee can let vs procure vnto them some helpe though small yet let vs helpe them but how or in what sort let vs pray and exhort others to pray for them let vs without ceasing giue almes to the poore for them this thing hath some comfort doubtlesse c. To the third consideration I say that the Auncient offered for the Patriarches Prophets Apostles c. by way of thankesgiuing principally but in a sort also by way of petition which this good man also confesseth and bringeth Gersons authority to proue they might do soe who sayth that as it is not absurdly deliuered by the learned Diuines that there is an addition or increase of accidentall felicity in the Saints soe it is not inconuenient if in this respect also we recommend them to God in our Deuotions To which purpose it seemeth to bee that Gregory ordaineth that men shall pray in this sort in the sacred mysteries of the Eucharist We haue receiued O Lord the diuine mysteries which as they profit thy Saints for their glory so wee beseech thee that they may profit vs for our health And Chrysostome willeth the liuing parents to giue something out of their substance to their children departed though they suppose they are departed in the state of righteousnes for the increase of their reward Touching the fourth and last consideration of this considerate and aduised young man we confesse that Chrysostome or the Author of the Liturgie that goeth vnder his name whosoeuer he was teacheth men to pray vnto God to remember all them that are falne asleepe in the hope of the resurrection of eternall life and to make them to bee at rest where the light of his countenance is seene But that this forme of prayer must bee vnderstood in the same sence that the other in the Missal is wherein men are taught to pray to God to deliuer the soules of all faithfull ones departed from the hand of hell from the deepe lake and from the mouth of the Lyon that the lowest hell swallow them not vp and that they fall not into the dungeons of vtter darkenesse or else as proceeding from that opinion that Sixtus Senensis speaketh of that the soules of the Iust are not in heauen-happinesse till the resurrection and not of any deliuerance out of Purgatory For there is not any the least signification of the desire of easing men temporally afflicted in another world expressed in any prayer found in Chrysostomes Liturgie Neither doth it any way contrary any thing that wee professe that hee teacheth men to pray to God to graunt
to permit leaue free the vse of the cup to the lay people being moved so to doe by Charles the Archduke his sonne the Duke of Bavaria his son in law and the due consideration of the necessity of his subiects There are extant certaine articles concerning reformation of manners Church discipline proposed in the councell of Trent by the embassadours of Charles the ninth the French King amongst which the 18 article is that the auncient decree of Leo and Gelasius touching the communion vnder both kindes might be reviued brought to be in vse againe But when the French perceiued that there were scarce any footesteps of the libertie of auncient councells to be discerned in the councell of Trent that all things were swayed and disposed by the absolute commaund of Pius the fourth then Pope the embassadours were commaunded to make a protestation in the name of the King their master the words of which protestation are these Wee refuse to bee subject to the commaund disposition of Pius the fourth Wee reiect wee refuse contemne all the judgments censures decrees of the same Pius And although most holy Fathers your religion life and learning was ever and euer shall bee of great esteeme with vs yet seeing indeed you doe nothing but all things are done at Rome rather then at Trent and the things that are here published are rather the deerees of Pius the fourth then of the councell of Trent wee denounce protest here before you all that whatsoeuer things are decreed published in this assembly by the meere will pleasure of Pius neither the most Christian King will euer approue nor the French Church euer acknowledge to be the decrees of a generall councell Besides this the King our master commaundeth all his Arch-Bishops Bishops and Abbots to leaue this assembly and presently to depart hence then to returne againe when there shall be hope of better more orderly proceedings Wherefore from this point of Romish Religion touching the communion in one kinde which findeth no helpe in the publique liturgie vsed in the dayes of our Fathers by which it is evident that the people were wont to cōmunicate in both kindes when that forme of divine seruice was first composed nor no liking or approbation of the best and worthiest guides of Gods Church then liuing let vs come to the next which is the propitiatory sacrifice for the quicke and the dead This indeede is a grand point of Romish Religion and if M Brerelie can prooue that it is contained in the publique Liturgie that was vsed in the Church at and immediatly before Luthers appearing and consequently that all that vsed that Liturgie had such an opinion of a sacrifice hee hath said much to proue that the Church vnder the Papacie was no Protestant Church but this neither hee nor all the most learned Papists in the world will euer be able to proue First therefore I will make it appeare that the Canon of the Masse importeth no such sacrifice And secondly I will shew at large that neither before nor after Luthers appearing the Church beleeued or knew any such new reall sacrificing of Christ as is now imagined Touching the canon of the Masse it is true that therein there is often mention of sacrifice and oblation but Luther professeth that the words may be vnderstood in such a sense as is not to be disliked and hee saith hee could so expound it and that somewhere hee hath so expounded it but seeing it is obseure and may beare diuers senses and a better and more cleare forme of divine celebration may be brought in he will not honour it so much as to giue it that sense which it may well carry and in which the first composers of it and others after did vse it but that wherein they of Rome will now needes haue it to be vnderstood That the forme of words vsed in the canon are obscure in sundry parts of it and hard to bee vnderstood euen by the learned Cassander confesseth and therefore thinketh it fit it were explained illustrated by some briefe scholies put in the margent or inserted into the text by way of parenthesis The obscuritie that is in it groweth as he rightly obserueth partly out of the disuse discontinuing of certaine old obseruations to which the words of the canon composed long since haue a reference and partly from the vsing of the word sacrifice in diuers and different senses though all connexed the sudden passing from the vsing of it in one sense to the vsing of it in another It is not vnknowne to them that are learned that in the Primitiue Church the people were wont to offer bread wine and that out of that which they offered a part was consecrated to become vnto them the Sacrament of the Lords body bloud other parts converted to other good holy vses Respectiuely to this ancient custome are those prayers conceiued that are named secretae the first part of the canon wherein wee desire that God will accept those gifts presents offerings and sacrifices which we bring vnto him and that hee will make them to become vnto vs the body bloud of his Son Christ which onely are that sacrifice that procureth the remission of our sins and our reconciliation and acceptation with God So that to take away this obscurity that the words may haue a true sense the ancient custome must bee brought backe againe or at least it must be conceiued that the elements of bread wine that are set vpon the mysticall table are to be consecrated are brought thither and offered in the name of the people and that as being their presents they are symboles of that inward sacrifice whereby they dedicate and giue themselues and all that they haue vnto God Touching the second cause of the obscurity of the wordes of the Canon which is the vsing of the word sacrifice and ◅ffering in so manifold and different senses and the sudden passing from the one of them to the other wee must obserue that by the name of sacrifice gift or present first the oblation of the people is meant that consisteth in bread and wine brought and set vpon the Lords table In which againe 2 things are to be considered the outward action and that which is signified thereby to wit the peoples dedicating of themselues and all that they haue to God by faith and deuotion offering to him the sacrifice of praise In this sense is the word sacrifice vsed in the former part of the canon as I haue already shewed In respect of this is that prayer powred out to God that he will be mindfull of his seruants that doe offer vnto him this sacrifice of praise that is these outward things in acknowledgement that all is of him that they had perished if he had not sent his sonne to redeeme them that vnlesse they eate the flesh and drink the blood
of Christ they haue no life that he hath instituted holy Sacraments of his body and blood under the formes of bread and wine in which he will not onely represent but exhibit the same vnto all such as hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and therefore they desire him so to accept and sanctifie these their oblations of breade and wine which in this sort they offer vnto him that they may become vnto them the body and blood of Christ that soe partaking in them they may bee made partakers of Christ and all the benefits of redemption and saluation that hee hath wrought Secondly by the name of sacrifice is vnderstood the sacrifice of Christs body wherein wee must first consider the thing offered and secondly the manner of offering The thing that is offered is the body of Christ which is an eternall and perpetuall propitiatory sacrifice in that it was once offered by death vpon the crosse and hath an euerlasting and neuer failing force and efficacie Touching the manner of offering Christs body and blood wee must consider that there is a double offering of a thing to God First soe as men are wont to doe that giue something to God out of that they possesse professing that they will no longer be owners of it but that it shall be his and serue for such vses and imployments as hee shall conuert it too Secondly a man may bee sayd to offer a thing vnto GOD in that he bringeth it to his presence setteth it before his eyes and offereth it to his view to incline him to doe something by the sight of it and respect had to it In this sort Christ offereth himselfe and his body once crucified dayly in heauen and soe intercedeth for vs not as giuing it in the nature of a gift or present for hee gaue himselfe to God once to be holy vnto him for euer nor in the nature of a sacrifice for hee dyed once for sinne and rose againe neuer to die any more but in that hee setteth it before the eyes of GOD his Father representing it vnto him and soe offering it to his view to obtaine grace and mercie for vs. And in this sort wee also offer him dayly on the altar in that commemorating his death and liuely representing his bitter passions endured in his body vpon the crosse wee offer him that was once crucified and sacrificed for vs on the crosse and all his sufferings to the view and gracious consideration of the Almighty earnestly desiring and assuredly hoping that hee will encline to pitty vs and shew mercie vnto vs for this his dearest sonnes sake who in our nature for vs to satisfie his displeasure and to procure vs acceptation endured such and soe grieuous things This kind of offering or sacrificing Christ commemoratiuely is twofold inward and outward Outward as the taking breaking and distributing the mysticall bread and powering out the cuppe of blessing which is the Communion of the blood of Christ. The inward consisteth in the faith and deuotion of the Church people of God so commemorating the death and passion of Christ their crucified Sauiour and representing and setting it before the eyes of the Almighty that they flye vnto it as their only stay and refuge and beseech him to be mercifull vnto them for his sake that endured all these things to satisfie his wrath worke their peace good And in this sense and answerable herevnto that is which wee finde in the canon where the Church desireth Almighty God to accept those oblations of bread and wine which shee presenteth vnto him to make them to become vnto the faithfull communicants the body bloud of Christ who the night before he was betraied tooke bread into his sacred hands lifted vp his eyes to heauen gaue thankes blessed it gaue it to his disciples saying take and eate yee all of this for this is my body And in like manner after hee had supped tooke the cuppe and gaue thankes blessed it and gaue it to his disciples saying drinke yee all of this for this is the new Testament in my bloud doe this as oft as you shall drinke it in remembrance of mee And then proceedeth and speaketh vnto Almighty GOD in this sort Wherefore o Lord wee thy seruants and thy holy people mindfull of that most blessed passion of the same CHRIST thy sonne our Lord as also of his resurrection from the dead and his glorious ascension into heauen doe offer to thy diuine maiestie out of thine owne gifts consecrated and by mysticall blessing made vnto vs the body and bloud of thy sonne Christ a pure sacrifice a holy sacrifice and an vndefiled sacrifice the holie bread of eternall life and the cuppe of euerlasting saluation that is wee offer to thy view and sette before thine eyes the crucified body of Christ thy sonne which is here present in mystery and sacrament and the blood which hee once shedde for our sakes which wee know to be that pure holy vndefiled and eternall sacrifice wherewith onely thou art pleased desiring thee to bee mercifull vnto vs for the merit and worthinesse thereof and soe to looke vpon the same sacrifice which representatiuely wee offer to thy viewe as to accept it for a full discharge of vs from our sinnes and a perfect propitiation that soe thou mayest behold vs with a pleased cheerefull and gratious countinance This is the meaning of that prayer in the canon supra quae propitio sereno vultu respicere digneris c. as the best interpreters of the canon doe tell vs. And when in the same prayer wee desire that this sacrifice may be accepted for vs as the sacrifices of Abell Abraham and Melchisedec were they obserue that this comparison must not be vnderstood in quantitie but in similitude onely For the thing it selfe is infinitely better then the figure and the sacrifice that CHRIST offered and wee here commemorate is incomparablie more excellent then those of Abell Abraham and Melchisedec And that therefore the meaning of those words is That as God accepted those sacrifices which his seruants offered vnto him before the comming of CHRIST his sonne as prefigurations of that sacrifice which he was afterwards to offer and as a profession of their hope of remission of sinnes by the same soe it will please him to accept the sacrifice which CHRIST once offered and wee now commemorate for vs and vs for it That soe our sinnes may be remitted and wee receiued to fauour After this there followeth another prayer in the canon wherein as humble suppliants they that come to celebrate and to communicate beseech Almighty God to commaund the oblations which they offer to be carried by the hands of his holy Angell vnto his altar that is on high and into the view and sight of his diuine Maiestie that soe many as shall by partaking of the altar receiue the sacred body and bloud of his sonne may bee filled vvith all heauenly benediction
non diffido scio quid faciam calicem salutaris accipiam That is When my strength shall faile I will not bee troubled neither will I despaire I know what I will doe I will take the cup of saluation And in another place Totum quod dare possum miserum corpus istud est id si minus est addo corpus ipsius Nam illud de meo est meum est parvulus enim natus est nobis filius datus est mihi de te Domine suppleo quod minus habeo in me O dulcissima reconciliatio O suavissima satisfactio That is All that I can giue is this miserable body if that be too litle I adde his body for that is of mine and it is mine a litle child is borne vnto vs a sonne is given vnto mee from thee I take ô Lord to supply what I finde wanting in my selfe O most sweete reconciliation O most sweet satisfactoin Who doth not see that God doth by such a faith as that is that is exercised in the celebration of this representatiue sacrifice and in the eating of the body of Christ the sufferings whereof are here represented apply the benefit of Christ his dearest sonne to his faithfull ones Neither doe wee attribute this application to the priest but to God nor to our worke but to Gods benefit Which yet wee receiue no otherwise but by faith with the assent of our owne will Hitherto wee haue heard the words of the authour of the Enchiridion and the same authour els-where sayth that the orthodoxe diuines deny the externall action which wee call the sacramentall oblation to conferre grace or to haue any spirituall effect ex opere operato It is true sayth hee that a wicked man may pronounce the words of Christ and so make the elements of bread wine to become the sacrament of the Lords body and bloud and this sacrament ex opere operato that is out of the very nature of a sacrament of it selfe how ill soeuer the minister bee will conferre grace instrumentally to all such as receiue it without such indisposition as might hinder the working of it But if wee speake of the offering of Christ representatiuely it hath no force farther then the faith of the offerer extendeth If the priest therefore not onely outwardly but inwardly also by the acte of faith present the sufferings of Christ in the body of his flesh to God in desire by the merit thereof to escape his wrath hee bringeth much good vpon himselfe if hee devoutly beseech God for his Christs sake whose sufferings hee representeth vnto him to bee mercifull to the people committed to his charge or to any other there is no doubt but this his prayer in the nature of a prayer is most powerfull to obtaine in this kind But if hee bee wicked faithles his representatiue offering of Christ of meerely in respect of it selfe worketh no good to himselfe nor any other For in the representatiue offering of Christs passion to God must be included a supplication made to God for that passion sake and a desire of those good things that wee need Now the prayer of such a sinner God heareth not but the people spiritually representing vnto God by the acte of their faith that which the priest doth sacramentally obtaine all desired good and the removing of all evill not by force of that the priest doth but by their owne faith which is stirred vp by that outward acte done by him The most reverend Canons of the Metropoliticall Church of Colen agree with the authour of the Enchiridion their words are these Consecratione factâ in missâ Christus Dominus qui seipsum aliquando in corpore suo mortali Deo patri coelesti cruentum sacrificium pro peccatis mundi obtulit denuo totius ecclesiae nomine modo incruento spirituali representatione commemoratione sacratissimae suae passionis offertur quod ipsum fit quando ecclesia Christum eius verum corpus verumque sanguinem Deo Patri cum gratiarum actione oratione attentâ pro suis totius mundi peccatis proponit seu repraesentat quanquam enim sacrificium illud in eâ formâ quâ in cruce offerebatur semel tantum oblatum sit semel tantum sanguis effusus vt ita repeti iterumque offerri non possit nihilominus tamen consistit manet tale sacrificium coram Deo perpetuò in suâ virtute efficaciâ acceptum ita vt sacrificium illud in cruce oblatum non minus hodierno die in conspectu patris sit efficax vigens quam eo die quo de saucio latere sanguis exiuit aqua Quapropter cum vulnerati corporis nostri plagae pretio redemptionis semper opus habeant ecclesia proponit Deo Patri pretium illud in verâ fide devotione iterum sed figuratiuè spiritualitèr ad consequendam remissionem peccatorum non quod huic operi suo quo videlicet commem or at repraesentat sacrificium illius meritum ascribat remissionis peceatorum vt quam solus Christus cruentâ suâ oblatione in cruce nobis promeruit verum tali suo commemoratiuo mystico fidei sacrificio in quo repraesentat ecclesia sistit in conspectum patris verum corpus sanguinem eius vnigeniti applicat sibi accommodat magnum illud donatiuum remissionis peccatorum quod Christus impetravit cum accipiat remissionem peccatorum per nomen eius qui credit in eum Act. 10. That is So soone as the consecration is done in the Masse Christ the Lord who sometime offered himselfe in his mortall body a bloudy sacrifice to God his heauenly father for the sins of the whole world is now offered again after an vnbloudy manner by representation and commemoration of his most sacred passion which thing is then done when the Church doth propose and represent Christ and his true body ' and bloud to God the Father with thanksgiuing and with earnest prayer for the remission of her sinnes and the sinnes of the whole world for although that sacrifice in such sort as it was offered on the Crosse was offered onely once and his bloud only once powred forth so that he can no more be so offered yet notwithstanding that sacrifice remaineth and abideth before God perpetually in its vertue and efficacie and is so acceptable vnto him that being but once offered on the Crosse it is no lesse effectuall and of force in the sight of God to day then it was that day when water and bloud streamed out of his wounded side Wherefore seeing the soares and hurts of our wounded bodies haue alwayes need of the price of redemption the Church proposeth to God in faith and devotion that price againe but figuratiuely and spiritually to obtaine remission of sin not as if shee did ascribe to this her worke whereby she commemorateth and representeth that his sacrifice the meriting of
but of good parentage and of his owne people Hee might not vncouer his heade rent his garments nor goe in to mourne ouer any that was dead noe though it were his father or mother His imployment was to goe dayly into the Sanctuary to light the Lampes to burne incense and euery weeke to prouide the shew-bread or breade of proposition on the feast daies to offer the peoples sacrifices together with the other Priests and once in the yeare on the day of expiation to enter into the holiest of all to cleanse and hallow it from the sinnes of the people and to make prayer for himselfe and them The holy vestiments in which hee was to performe this seruice of God are discribed to haue beene a Breast-plate an Ephod a Robe a broidered Coate a Mitre and a Girdle The Ephod was of gold blue silke purple skarlet and fine twined linnen of broidred worke In the shoulders of the Ephod were two Onyx-stones and vpon them the names of the children of Israel grauen sixe names vpon the one stone and sixe other names vpon the other stone according to their generations These were stones of remembrance of the children of Israel before the Lord. Of these Iosephus writeth that they shewed when God was present with his people when hee accepted the Sacrifices they offered vnto him and was pleased with them and likewise when hee was displeased with them and rejected them in that when God was pleased with his people and accepted their sacrifices the stone which was on the right shoulder shined in such sort that it might be seen a farre off whereas otherwise no such shining brightnesse appeared in it The Breast-plate of judgment was of broydered worke like the worke of the ◅phod of gold blewe silke purple and skarlet and fine twined linnen It was set full of places for stones euen foure rowes of stones The stones that were set in these rowes were twelue according to the number of the tribes of Israel and in them the names of the twelue tribes were grauen In this Breast-plate likewise were put Vrim and Thummim which were vpon the heart of the high Priest when he went in before the Lord. By these twelue stones that were in the Breast-plate of the high Priest God did shew vnto his people the successe of their battles when they intended to make warre For if hee meant to prosper their enterprise these stones did so shine that they were thereby vvell assured God vvould goe forth vvith their armies and fight their battels for them otherwise they were discouraged from attēpting any thing The Vrim and Thummim likewise some of the Iewes thinke to haue beene two stones by which the high Priest vnderstood what things were to come revealed the same vnto the people For if nothing new strange were to fall out they held their colour but if any great extraordinary mutation were to follow the bright shinings of these stones did foreshew it Others suppose that they were the Name of God Iehovah in letters of gold by the shining brightnesse whereof they vnderstood the answer of God when they sought vnto him but Augustine is of opinion that these very wordes were written in letters of golde in the middle of the breast-plate that did hang before the breast of the high Priest CHAP. 5. Of the Priests of the second ranke or order TOuching the Priests of the inferiour Ranke they had the same kinde of consecration which the high Priest had in sacrificing they were like vnto him in the seruice of the Sanctuarie in burning incense prouiding the Shew-bread and preparing looking to the lampes lights neither was there any other difference betweene him and them in the performance of these things but that hee was chiefe and they assistants vnto him The onely thing that was peculiar vnto him was the consulting of God by Vrim Thummim and the entring into the Holiest to make an Atonement Their vestiments were the same saue that the high Priest onely had the Breast-plate an Ephod of gold for the rest did also sometimes weare a linnen Ephod The things required in them that were to serue in the Priestly office were these They might not bee deformed nor defectiue in body they might drinke no wine nor strong drinke when they were to enter into the Sanctuary they might not defile themselues by the dead nor come neare vnto any that was dead except it were their father or mother sonne or daughter or sister vnmarried they might not shaue their heads nor beards nor cut their flesh they might marry no harlot nor woman divorced The first that were consecrated Priests were Nadab Abihu Eleazar and Ithamar the sonnes of Aaron Nadab and Abihu died before their father and had no children they both perished because they offered strange fire vpon the Altar so that Eleazar Ithamar onely remained of whom the whole number of Priests that were afterwardes did come From Eleazar in Dauids time were issued sixteene Families and from Ithamar eight These Dauid sorted into twenty foure Classes or Courses and named euery Classis or Course after the name of him who was then chiefe of each Family and for the ordering of them and setting one before another they cast lots The reason of the sorting of them into these rankes was for that hee would not haue all the Priests to attend euery day but that they should haue some intermission and times of vacation one Classis performing the seruice one weeke another another Though sayth Iosephus there bee twenty foure Classes or Courses of Priests amongst vs whereof euery one hath more then fiue thousand yet they waite not all at once but on certaine dayes appointed assigned vnto them which being past others succeede who are called into the Temple at Noone haue the keyes thereof deliuered vnto them and the sacred vessels by tale In this sense it is saide in the booke of Chronicles that Iehoiada the Priest dismissed not the Courses that is sent not away the Troupes and Companies of Priests that attended the seruice of the Temple when their time was expired and according to order they should haue departed and others succeeded them for that he meant to make vse of them in the deposing of wicked Athaliah and the establishing and setling of the true and lawfull King in the Royall Throne of Iudah In these Courses they were wont to cast lotts what kinde of seruice euery one should doe in the weeke of his attendance as for example Who should sacrifice and who should burne Incense wherevpon it is sayd in the Gospell of Luke that in the time of Herod King of Iudaea there was a certaine priest named Zacharias of the course of Abiah and it came to passe as he executed the Priests office before God as his course came in order according to the custome of the Priests office
answereth that the threats of the Iudge are terrible but his vnspeakable mercy exceedeth all and is of opinion that Christ when he went downe to hell deliuered such as had liued honestly though without the knowledge of God preaching vnto them and perswading them to beleeue in him which he saith is not to contradict the Prophet but to shew that God is ouercome of his mercie as hee was in the case of the inhabitants of Niniue Ezechias and Achab to whom that was threatned which yet mercy staide that it should not be executed This mercy hee thinketh shall prevaile and ouercome till the time of retribution come and the time of negotiation be past so that till the day of Iudgment we may help them that are in hell but that afterwards there shall be no place left for the relieuing of any there or the deliuering of any thence The same Damascene teacheth that all men when they depart hence are weighed in the ballance and that if their well-doings and vertues in the right skale waigh downe the other they shall bee brought into a place of refreshing that if the skales be equall mercy carryeth it if the euill doings in the left skale bee too heauy mercy supplyeth that which is wanting to the waight of the right skale yea that though their euill doings doe much exceed their vertues when they are waighed yet the exceeding goodnesse and mercy of GOD shall sway the matter for their good and pronounceth that in whomsoeuer any conscience of good at any time appeared GOD will stirre vp the hearts of men to pray for them that they may be deliuered and that none shall perish euerlastingly but such as liued so vilely that no man sendeth a good wish after them when they are gone Hereupon he bringeth forth sundry examples of men deliuered out of the hell of the damned by the prayers of the liuing for first he saith that all the East and West know that Gregory the Great prayed for Traian an Infidel and a persecutor of Christians in the time wherein hee liued almost fiue hundred yeares after his death mooued so to doe by the consideration of some vertues that were in him and receiued this comfortable answere from God I haue heard thy prayers and doe pardon Traian but see heereafter thou offer no more sacrifice vnto me for any godlesse vnbeleeuing and prophane person Secondly hee reporteth that Tecla the Protomartyr by the prayers which shee powred forth to God while shee liued deliuered Falconilla out of hell who was a worshipper of Idols and averse from Christian religion as long as she liued Another Tale he telleth of a dissolute man continuing in a wicked course of life euen till his end who appeared to a good Father after his death in flaming fire first vp to the necke afterwards vpon the prayers that were made for him vp to the girdle onely so finding ease and deliuerance out of his torments This opinion was very preuailing in Augustines time and therefore with all modesty he opposeth himselfe against it sheweth himselfe willing to yeeld as much to them that were so minded as possibly hee might and saith if they would onely haue the paines of the damned to bee mitigated or wholy suspended till the day of iudgment and acknowledge them to be eternall hee would not greatly striue with them Vppon this conceipt of the mitigation or suspension of the paines of such as are in hell many in former times made prayers for the damned in hell Damascene reporteth out of the sacred history of Palladius to Lausus that Macharius the Great praying oftentimes for the dead and carefully seeking to know whether his prayers did helpe or profit them any thing or not a certaine drie skull of a dead man who had beene an Idolater which by chance lay in the way by the commandement of God brake forth into the liuely voyce of a man saying O Macharius when thou offerest vp thy prayers for the dead wee for the time finde some ease Praepositi◅us Presbyter of the Church of Leoden was of opinion that prayers for the damned may bee multiplied in such sort that in processe of time they may be freed from all paine and punishment though not perpetually as Origen thought yet till the time of the general resurrectiō at what time their bodies resumed they shall be cast into euerlasting punishments without all hope of any refreshing or comfort Gilbertus Pictauiensis supposed that there is something continually taken away from the paines of the damned by the prayers and oblations of the faithfull without any consumption of them or vtter taking of them away as infinite proportionable parts may be taken from a Line without consuming of it though it selfe be finite Gulielmus Antisiodorensis thinketh that prayers be auaileable and helpefull to the damned not to diminish or interrupt rheir torments but to strengthen the sufferers that so the burden that lieth on them may be borne by them with the lesse paine as if a man giue meate to him that is ready to faint vnder his burthen or wine that cheereth his heart hee maketh him the better able to beare it though he no whit diminish the weight of it Thus we see there is no such mutuall dependance and connexion of Purgatory and prayer for the dead as Theophilus Higgons childishly imagineth and that many prayed for the dead that neuer dreamed of Purgatory some praying only for the resurrection publike acquitall and perfect consummation of the dead and respectiuely to their passage hence and entrance into the other world for the remission of their sinnes and their escaping of hell and euerlasting destruction other out of an erroneous conceipt for the deliuerance of men dead in mortall sinne out of the hell of the damned or for mitigation of their paines or at least the suspension of them for a time as Damascene and sundry others before mentioned and therefore the poore nouice is to be put in minde that hee grossely abuseth himselfe and others when soe sadly he citeth Saint Iohn Damascen for proofe of the deliuerance of men out of purgatory that speaketh no word of any such thing but of the deliuerance out of hell or the mitigation of the paines of them that be there which hee should not do that talketh of nothing but falsehood notable vntruethes and collusion in our writers especially seeing Bellarmines grace telleth him that the author of the booke vnder the name of Damascen writeth so absurdly that we may assure our selues Damascen was not the author of i◅ Hauing thus out of the writings of the Fathers deliuered the sense and purpose of the auncient Church in praying for the dead it is strange that this shamelesse companion should charge mee with collusion there being no part of that I haue said that he or any other can except against nor any thing concealed by me that is foūd in the Auncient touching this
expresly We retaine it in our Colledges I obserued before that wee must carefully distinguish the generall practise and intention of the whole Church from priuate conceipts the whole Church commemorated the dead offered the sacrifice of praise for them prayed for them in the passage for their resurrection and consummation all which thinges we allow so that neither Doctor Humphrey nor we condemne the Vniuersall Church but thinke it were madnesse soe to doe but the priuate fancies of such as extended their prayers farther thinking they might ease mitigate suspend or wholy take away the paines of men damned in hell for of Purgatory no man thought in the Primitiue Church wee reject This erroneous conceipt and practise Aerius rightly condemned and Doctor Humphrey and wee all agree with him in the same dislike but he did ill to impute this errour to the whole Church and to condemne that which was good and laudable vppon soe weake a ground Of the difference which Maister Higgons would faine make betweene our commendation of the dead vsed in colledges and that vsed anciently whereof Saint Augustine speaketh I haue spoken before wherefore let vs come to his last exception against Doctor Humphrey which is that hee handleth the matter artificially to make a credulous reader beleeue that Saint Augustine himselfe doth conuell the vse of prayer for the dead by those sentences of the Apostle that we cannot reape if wee sowe not here and that wee must all stand before the iudgement seate of Christ that euery one may receiue according to the things hee hath done in his body whether good or euill This imputation is nothing else but a malitious and impudent charging of him with that he neuer thought of For the onely thing he sayth Augustine held proued by these sentences is that vnlesse we depart hence in a true faith wee canot be relieued by any deuotion of other men after we are gone Which is so vndoubtedly true that I thinke Higgons him-selfe dareth not deny it But that Augustine thought that men dying in the state of grace and faith of Christ may bee holpen by the prayers of the liuing hee neither made question himselfe nor euer sought to make his reader beleeue otherwise Neither doe wee dissent from Augustine in this point if the prayers hee speaketh of bee made respectiuely to the passage hence and entrance into the other world as I haue shewed before The onely thing that is questionable betweene Vs and our Aduersaries being whether prayers may releeue men in a state of temporall affliction after this life whereof Augustine neuer resolued any thing what-soeuer this pratling Apostata say to the contrary These things being soe let the reader judge whether the detection of falshood and ill dealing in Doctor Humphrey could possibly occasion Maister Higgons his change as hee would make the world beleeue there being nothing found in his whole discourse that is not most true and iustifiable by all course of learning But because hee is sufficiently chastised by others and knoweth too well the true cause of his running away to bee things of a farre other nature then those he pretendeth I will prosecute this matter no farther against him The Appendix §. 1. NOw it remaineth that I come to the Appendix which he addeth to his booke which hee deuideth into two partes whereof the first concerneth Mee the second D. Morton which hee hath answered already In that part which concerneth Me he vndertaketh to proue that I notoriously abuse the name and authority of Gerson Grosthead c. to defend the reformation made by Princes Prelats in our Churches Wherefore that the reader may perceiue I haue not abused these reuerend worthy men but that he wrōgeth both Them Me I will take the paines to examine his whole discourse though it will be very tedious soe to do by reason of the cōfused perplexed manner of handling of things in the same without all order method In the 1. chapter he doth but lay the foūdatiō of his intēded building therefore gathereth together a great nūber of positiōs sayings out of my book miserably māgled torne one frō another all which shall be defended whē he cōmeth to say any thing against them in such sort as that it shall evidently appeare that there is no falshood or collusion in any part of my Discourse as this false and treacherous Fugitiue is pleased to say there is Onely one thing there is heere that may not bee passed ouer because it hath no farther prosecution in that which followeth His wordes are these Whereas Bellarmine doth object the intestine divisions and conflicts of the pretensed Gospellers this Doctor turneth him off with this answer wee say that these diuersities are to bee imputed wholly to our Adversaries for when there was a reformation to be made of abuses and disorders in matters of practise and manyfold corruption in many points of Christian Doctrine and in a Councell by a Generall consent it could not bee hoped for as Gerson long before out of his experience saw and professed by reason of the prevailing faction of Popes flatterers it was not possible but that some diversity should grow while one knew not nor expected to know what another did This he saith is a very admirable devise For answere hereunto we must obserue that the divisions of this part of Christendome are of two sorts the first is from the faction of the Pope the second among them that haue abandoned the vsurped Authority of the Pope That the Pope and his adherents were the cause of the former of these divisions and the consequents of it is affirmed by better men then Master Higgons I will not deny saith Cassander a man highly esteemed for piety learning by the Emperours Ferdinand and Maximilian that many in the beginning were moued out of a Godly affection more sharply to reprehend certaine manifest abuses and that the chiefe cause of this calamitie and distraction or rent of the Church is to be attributed to them who puffed vp with the swelling conceipts of their Ecclesiasticall power proudly disdainfully contemned and repelled them that admonished them rightly of things amisse And therefore I do not thinke that any firme peace is euer to be hoped for vnlesse the beginning thereof be from them that gaue the cause of this diuision that is vnlesse they that haue the gouernment of the Church remit something of that their too great rigor listning to the desires of many godly ones correct manifest abuses according to the rule of sacred Scripture the ancient Church from which they are departed c. Touching that saith c Contarenus which the Lutherans say in the first last place of manifold and great abuses brought into the Church of Christ against which they so exclaime concerning which they haue made so many complaints to expresse their greiuances I haue nothing to say but first of all to
Christ in the world are of two sorts for some were planted by the Apostles themselues or their coadiutors the Euangelists by their directions which are named Apostolicall churches and some other there are that receiued not the faith immediately from the Apostles or their coadiutors but from the Churches which the Apostles had planted The former of these were euer esteemed to be mother churches in respect of the latter So the churches of Alexandria Antioche Ephesus and the like were mother churches to many famous churches in those parts of the world and so the Romane church is a mother church to many churches of the West that receiued their Christianity and faith from her neither may the daughter churches as his Maiesty excellently obserued depart farther from those mother churches from which they receiued the faith then they are departed from themselues in their best estate first establishment but as the Romanists thinke it lawfull for the daughter churches of the East to depart from those their mother churches from which they receiued their faith because as they suppose they are gone from their first faith so wee thinke with his Maiesty that we may iustly depart from our mother church of Rome because shee hath forsaken her first faith commended by the Apostle and is so farre changed that a man may seeke Rome in Rome and not finde it That which he addeth that no rules can leade vs to the finding out of any traditions that aduantage vs is most vntrue For the certaine and indubitate tradition whereby the Scriptures are deliuered vnto vs from the Apostles of Christ doth aduantage vs so much that thereby the Papacy is almost shaken to peeces and besides the forme of Christian doctrine and catholicke interpretation of Scripture brought downe vnto vs from the Apostles discouereth vnto vs the nouelties and singularities of the Romanists to our great aduantage and confirmation in the truth of our profession Hauing thus in his fancie engrossed all traditions appropriated them to the present Romane church hee goeth forward and inferreth out of my admitting some kinde of traditions and assigning rules to know them that diuers particular thinges which hee specifieth are traditions The two first instances that hee giueth are the signe of the crosse and the mingling of water with wine in the holy Sacrament whereof I haue spoken before The third is the reuerence of Images which hee saith is by my rules proued to be an Apostolicall tradition It is well he dareth not say the worshipping of Images is proued to bee Apostolicall for that by Saint Gregory and the Fathers it will be proued to be rather a Diabolicall then an Apostolicall tradition Wherefore let vs see what those rules are that proue the reuerence of Images to be Apostolicall seeing it is euident the church had them not at all for a long time and Eusebius assureth vs the making and hauing of them was by imitation of Heathenish custome The rules saith hee that proue this are the Pastors of the Apostolicall Churches in the second Nicene Councell and old custome but these are no rules assigned by me For I neuer admit the iudgement of the present Pastors of Apostolicall churches or custome to bee rules to know true traditions by and therefore much lesse make the Bishops in the second Councell of Nice to bee rules of this sort but the consenting profession of the Pastours of an Apostolicall Church successiuely from the beginning and the generall and perpetuall obseruation of a thing from the time that Christianity was first known in the world by neither of which he shal euer proue either the worshipping or reuerencing of Images to be Apostolicall The fourth thing that he saith by my rules is found to bee an Apostolicall tradition is sacrifice and prayer for the dead but herein he is deceiued or goeth about to deceiue others as in the rest For it is true indeede that the offering of the sacrifice of praise and thankesgiuing the naming of the dead and prayer for their and our ioynt consummation and publicke acquitall in the day of CHRIST is such an Apostolicall tradition as hath ground in Scripture but he can neuer proue that the offering of a propitiatory sacrifice for the dead or prayer to deliuer them out of Purgatory paines was deliuered as a tradition from the Apostles by any of my rules to wit consent of Fathers from the beginning or continued practise from the Apostles times The like I say of his fifth instance for hee cannot proue the vow of single life in Priests to haue beene from the beginning but I haue largely proued the contrary in my fifth booke of the Church So that the vow of single life is not proued out of any of the rules set downe by mee to bee an Apostolicall tradition Wherefore let vs proceede to the rest of his instances He telleth vs in the next place that we may resolue with the ancient Fathers that Reliques are to bee reverenced is a tradition because M. Willet telleth vs Vigilantius was condemned of heresie for denying it Surely it is greatly to bee doubted that he is not a sound and perfect Romish Catholique for that hee dareth not to say the worshipping of Images and Reliques is a tradition but minseth the matter and saith onely the reverencing of them is a tradition For touching the reverence of Reliques if hee meane nothing else thereby but the reverent and honourable laying vp of such parts of the bodies of Gods Saints as come to our hands it is a Christian duty that we stand bound vnto so that not onely M. Willet but we all think Vigilantius was iustly condemned if he either despised or contemptuously vsed the dead bodies of the Saints Neither neede we flye to vnwritten tradition to seeke proofes for the necessitie of this duty for they are plentiously found in Scripture but if he meane by the reverencing of Reliques the shewing of them to be touched and adored we think it impiety and know it was forbidden by S Gregory who condemneth the bringing forth of any parts of the bodies of Gods Saints departed into the sight of men to bee seene or handled of them That particular and personall absolution from sinne after confession is an Apostolicall and godly ordinance which is his next instance we make no doubt but deny that it is an vnwritten ordinance neither can this good man proue it so to bee For doth Christ in Scripture giue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen to the Apostles and their successors with power to binde and power to loose with power to remit and power to retaine sinnes and is it not a written veritie that particular absolution is necessary His Maiestie on whom he fathereth this tradition did most learnedly and excellently distinguish in the conference he mentioneth three kindes of absolution from sinne making the first to bee the freeing of men from such punishments of Almighty God as sinne subiecteth them vnto
of rest till the day of the resurrection Yea it is knowne to all them that haue perused the monuments of Antiquitie that Iraeneus Iustin Martyr Tertullian and sundry others were of opinion that none of the iust are in Heauen till the end and consummation of all things but that they are below in some part of hell or in some hidden inuisible place sequestred from the presence of God till the second comming of the sonne of man Now seeing the inuocation of Saints presupposeth that they pray for vs in particular and particular prayer for vs knowledge of our wants which the presence and sight of God is supposed to afford them if they do not yet enioy the presence of God as many of the Auncient though falsely did thinke wee see not how in their iudgment there should be any safe and fruitfull inuocating of them For the absence from GOD and the not enioying of his sight and presence is the reason alleaged by our adversaries why the Fathers in the time before Christ neither prayed in particular for the Church on earth nor were prayed vnto as being in Lymbus and not in heauen Howsoever it is most certaine if we looke into the auncient practise of the Church that the Saints in their anniuersarie solemnities and holy daies were not prayed vnto but remembred only proposed for imitation rather prayed for then prayed vnto as it appeareth by that Innocentius reporteth that in the Feast of blessed Leo the auncient custome was to pray that the solemnitie of that day and the oblations then offered might bee auaileable to his soule for the encrease and consummation of his glory which since hath beene altered the prayer is now that by his mediation this Festivall solemnity may availe and be to the good of them that obserue and keepe it So that it cannot be shewed by our adversaries that before the auncient Liturgies were abandoned and those brought in by Gregory had gotten into their place there was any invocation of the Saints found in the publique prayers of the Church but when their names were remembred men prayed only to God that he would giue them grace to follow their examples make them partakers of that happinesse which those blessed ones already enjoy And at that time when this alteration began the invocation was not brought into the Liturgie and publique prayers of the Church in direct forme but men prayed still vnto God only though desiring him the rather to respect them for that not only their brethren on earth but they also that are in heauen cease not prostrate before his sacred Majestie to pray for them Neither is there any other forme of prayer found in the Missall but in the sequences and Litanies onely Wherefore to conclude this matter concerning the invocation and adoration of Saints and Angels seeing the Fathers did not in their sette courses of devotion make prayers to the Saints but when they had particular occasions to speake or thinke of them vsed doubtfull compellations desiring them if they had sense of these things to be remembrancers for them vnto God seeing for ought we know the Saints are not particularly acquainted with the state of things here below seeing no degree of spirituall worship is to bee giuen to any creature we invocate them not but pray vnto God onely assuring our selues that if they can heare vs or any way further our suites they will doe it when we pray vnto God as Augustine rightly obserueth We adore them not but rest in the judgment of the same Augustine that the Saints are to be honoured for imitation but not to be adored for Religion that they doe not seeke desire or accept any such honour but will haue vs to worship God onely being glad that we are their fellow-servants in well-doing The Romanists evasion that God is onely to bee adored with that highest kinde of religious worship which is named Latria which yeeldeth to him that is worshipped infinite greatnesse but the Saints may be adored with an inferiour kinde of religious worship named Doulia is directly contrary to Augustine who speaking of Saints Angels saith Honoramus eos charitate non servitute Wee honour them with the honour of loue but not of Doulia or service If they say they haue this distinction frō Austine it is true but he doth not vse it to this purpose to make difference of two sorts of religious or spirituall worship the highest degree whereof should be Latria the lowest Doulia neither doth he anywhere call the honour giuen to Saints Doulia but nameth it the honour of loue and fellowship but he vseh to distinguish religious worship euery degree whereof he calleth Latria from that externall and ciuill worship dutie and seruice that men yeeld to their Princes Masters and Rulers which is fitly named Doulia a seruice but it is servitus corporis non animae a seruice of the body and not of the minde For men notwithstanding this servitude haue their mindes and their thoughts free as being knowne to none nor ouerruled by none but GOD onely But the service of the spirit and minde in the lowest degree that can be imagined is due vnto GOD onely and not to bee giuen to any creature for no creature knoweth the secrets of our hearts no creatute can prescribe lawes touching the inward actions thoughts of the mind not hauing knowledge of them nor power to punish them that should offend It is therefore an impious conceipt of the Papists that the Saints both can and doe know all our inward actions and secret thoughts approuing or reprouing excusing or accusing them and that as presidents of our whole life and conuersation and that therefore they are to bee honoured and worshipped with spirituall service or seruice of the spirit and minde Thus then it is true the Centurie writers report that in the third and fourth age after Christ there were some beginnings of that superstition which afterwards grew to be intolerable in the adoration and inuocation of Saints and Angels but neither they nor wee are so ignorant as to thinke that the inuocation of Saints or the adoration of them preuailed in the Church within the compasse of the first six hundred yeares neither doe they as Bellarmine is pleased to slaunder them taxe that as idolatry in the Romane Church which they find to haue beene the practise of all the Fathers for they finde nothing of the Romish Idolatry in these glorious lights of the Christian world CHAP. 21. Of Martyrdome and the excessiue prayses there◅f found in the Fathers THe next allegation against them is touching Martyrdome which Bellarmine saith they suppose the Fathers did too immoderately and excessiuely magnifie and extoll The reason of this their censure hee thinketh is because they will not admitte it to bee a kinde of Baptisme and to wash away sinne as both the Romanists and the Fathers teach For the better
that so many of vs as shall receiue the sacred body and bloud of thy Sonne by partaking of this Altar may be filled with all benediction and grace thorough the same Christ our Lord Amen And after the communion they pray againe in this sort graunt Lord that we may receiue with a pure minde what we haue receiued with the mouth And againe Let this communion O Lord purge vs from sinne and make vs partakers of the heauenly remedie Whereupon Micrologus inferreth that they must not neglect to communicate that thinke to haue any benefit by these prayers These prayers remaine as witnesses of the olde obseruation Durandus saith that in the Primitiue Church all that were present at the celebration of the Masse were wont to communicate euery day and that to this purpose they did offer a great loafe that might suffice for the communicating of them all which custome saith he the Grecians are said to keepe still Afterwards when the multitude of beleeuers encreased and devotion decreased it was ordained that at least euery Sunday they should communicate In processe of time when this could not be kept there was a third constitution that at least thrice euery yeare each Christian man should communicate if not oftener In the end it was ordered that at the least at Easter euery one should come to the Sacrament and insteed of the daylie communicating the Priest gaue daylie the kisse of peace to the minister saying in some places take you the bond of peace and loue that you may be fit for these sacred mysteries which were words that were wont to be vsed when they vsed to salute one another before the cōmunion did import an ensuing cōmunion The antheme which is named post cōmunio is so named because it is sung after the cōmunicating or in signe that the cōmunion is past For in the Primitiue Church all the Faithfull did daylie communicate and presently after their cōmunicating this song was sung that it might appeare the people did giue thanks to God for the body blood of Christ which they had receiued Odo Cameracensis saith that in old times there was no masse celebrated without some assembly of such as might offer together with him that celebrateth partake with him of the sacrament Generally we may say saith Durandus that that is a lawfull masse at which are present the Priest such as answere vnto him such as offer communicat And Walafridus Strabo agreeth with him saying that the very forme of the prayers vsed in the masse shew so much where there is mention expresly made of such as offer communicate And the booke of Ecclesiasticall obseruations intituled Micrologus written 500 yeares since saith it is to bee knowne that according to the auncient Fathers onely the communicants were wont to bee present at the celebration of the sacred mysteries and that the catechumens penitents were all sent out as not being fit to cōmunicate Which the very forme of celebrating importeth in which the priest prayeth not for his own oblation cōmuniō alone but that of others also especially in the praier after the cōmunion he seemeth to pray only for the cōmunicants Neither can it properly be said to be a communion vnlesse diuerse doe partake of the same sacrifice Chrysostome writing vpon the Ephesians sayth that hee that standeth by and communicateth not is impudent and shamelesse And that not only they that sit downe at table but they that are present at this feast without their wedding garment are subiect to a fearefull iudgment For the master of the feast will not aske friend how durst thou sit downe but how durst thou come in not hauing thy wedding garment thou abidest thou singest the himme with the rest thou professest thy selfe worthy in that thou goest not out with the vnworthy how darest thou abide and not communicate They that are in the state of penitencie are commanded out if thou bee in thy sinnes how continuest thou if thou be vnworthy of the sacramentall participation thou art so also of the communion in the praiers For the spirit descendeth and commeth by them aswell as by the mysteries there proposed And surely how any can be present that are not fit at least in desire and in as much as in them is to communicate I know not In old time they communicated every day or so often that they might seeme to communicate every day and the holy canons debarre all such as did not communicate from hearing of the masse as it apeareth De consecr dist 2. can peract Caietan in 3am Aquinat q 80. art 12. Yet so did deuotion decay and abuses grow that in many places the whole people stayed and were present yet none but the Clergie alone communicated and afterwards none but the Deacon and subdeacon Whence it came that whereas the mysticall breade was wont to be broken into 3 parts whereof the first was for him that celebrated the 2◠for the Clergy and the 3◠for the people in time it was so ordered that a diuisiō being made into 3 parts he took the one to himselfe gaue the other two to the deacon and subdeacon and in some places did eate all himselfe Whatsoeuer the neglect or abuses were it is evident by the composition of the canon that the mysticall action in which the canon is vsed was publique that there were alwaies some present that offered the sacrifice of praise together with the priest participated of the sacrament as these words do clearely shew Quotquot ex hac altaris participatione sacrosanctum corpus sanguinem filii tui sumpserimus Item prosint nobis domini sacramenta quae sumpsimus And therefore Iohn Hofmeister a learned man expounding the prayers of the masse hath these words Res ipsa inquit clamat tam in Graecâ quà m in Latinâ Ecclesia non solum sacerdotē sacrificantem sed reliquos presbyteros diaconos nec non reliquam plebem aut saltem plebis aliquam partem communicasse quod quomodo cessauerit mirandum est vt bonus ille vsus in Ecclesiam revocetur laborandum that is The thing it selfe proclaimeth it that aswell in the Greeke as Latin Church not only the priest which sacrificeth but the other priests and deacons also yea and the people or at least some part of them did communicate which good custome how it grew out of vse I know not but surely we should labour to bring it in againe That it was not lawfull for the priest to celebrate without the Deacon who was to receiue the sacrament at his hand Cusanus sheweth by that which is in the missal Sumpsimus domini sacramēta we haue receiued the Sacraments of the Lord c. In the ◠Interim published by the Emperor Charles the fift in the assembly at Augusta in the 15 of May 1548 we find these words Atque hic expedierit cum verissimum
testimony from their Curates or Confessours that they are humble discreet and devout persons and like to take much good no harme thereby This was the decree of Pius 4 but Clement the 8th in a later edition of the same Index with new additions saith that this power of permitting Lay-men to haue the Scriptures in the vulgar tongue was taken away by the mandate and practise of the Roman Church and of the generall inquisition so that they may not permit any to haue the whole Bible in the vulgar tongue or any parts of the Olde or New Testament or any summaries or epitomies though historicall of the same Bibles and this hee prescribeth to be inviolably kept Thus doth he condemne the practise of all the Churches of God which had the Scriptures translated into vulgar Languages for to what end should they be translated if no man might vse them and together with them his Predecessour Pius the 4th and all the learned Prelates that concurred with him and falleth into the folly or indiscretion which Stapleton condemneth as wee heard before Thus variable and vncertaine are these Romane Bishoppes who yet would bee taken not onely to bee built vpon the Rocke but to be that Rocke vpon which the Church is builded against which the gates of hell cannot prevaile But as Stapleton telleth vs in the place aboue cited There were certaine Catholique and great men and in the margent hee nameth Sir Thomas More who thought it fit as tending to the honour of God and saluation of the people to deliuer vnto them the Scriptures in the vulgar tongue without any restraint leauing it free to all to read them that will for that so many good and godly Christians who would receiue great comfort and be much edified thereby are not to be depriued of that most excellent benefite which they may haue by reading them in respect of few or many vnlearned or vnstable men who depraue the scripture to the perdition of themselues and others as S. Peter saith in his 2 Epistle cap. 32. No more then it had beene fit that Christ the Lord should haue forborne to come and saue others in respect of such wicked ones to whom his comming is a rock of offence a stone to stūble at or that he that is the true light that lighteneth euery man that cōmeth into the world should therefore haue kept him selfe away or not appeared to the world because men loued darkenes more then light And surely if the vulgar free and ordinary reading of the scripture were to be denied and restrained in respect of the wicked who abuse it the scripture must neuer haue bin in the Hebrew Greeke or Latine tongues for all these tongues were vulgar to the Iewes Grecians and Romans This opinion Stapleton confesseth to be probable and godly and yet he disliketh it And yet it is confirmed by the authority of the Fathers who earnestly exhort the people to the reading of the scripture as a thing necessary to saluation Soe doth Chrysostome in sundry places 2 Homily vpon Mathew 3. Homily vppon Lazarus 3. Homily vpon the second to the Thessalonians 28. Homilie vpon Genesis 9. Homilie vpon the Epistle to the Colossians where he sayth the Apostle commandeth secular men that are married to reade the scripture and whereas St Paul to the Colossians 3. hath these words Let the word of Christ dwell plentifully in you in all wisdome teaching and admonishing your selues in Psalmes hymmes and spirituall songs Chrysostome in his ninth Homily and Hierome in his commentaries vpon the same place collect and inferre that the Scriptures are to be reade of Lay men and that by the precept of the Apostle It is therefore vntrue that Stapleion hath that Chrysostome doth not exhort the people to the reading of the scripture as a thing necessary but as fitte and profitable for them that liued idlely in a rich citty thus to occupy them selues as if it had beene onely to keepe them from doing nothing that they were to reade the booke of God Neither is it any better that he hath in answere hereunto that Chrysostome spake not exactly but as a preacher or oratour as if in the pulpit a Preacher might exhort the people with all earnestnesse to that which is not fitte to be done or as if there were not many now adayes that liue idlely in rich cities From the translating of the Scriptures into vulgar tongues and the peoples priuate reading of the same let vs come to speake of the publike liturgy of the Church and the common praiers in the vulgar tongue Here I will first shew what the practice of the Church hath beene and secondly what the opinion of Iudicious men is and hath beene touching this point That in the Primitiue Church they had the seruice in the vulgar tongue it is euident by the testimonies of the auncient For first Origen writing against Celsus and answering that calumniation of them that said Christians vsed certaine barbarous words and names of God in their prayers supposing vertue to be in them more then in Greeke or Latine words or names telleth them there is no such thing but that they that are true and right Christians in their prayers vse not the names of God found in the Scripture written in Hebrew but the Grecians vse greeke words the Latines latine and all pray and praise God in their own tongue he that is the Lord of all tongues heareth thē in what tongue soeuer they pray and vnderstandeth them speaking in so different languages no lesse then if they all vsed one language Bellarmine saith in the time of the Apostles the whole people was wont to answere Amen in the celebration of diuine seruice and not as now by one appointed in their steed For Iustin Martyr testifieth expressely in his 2 apology that the whole people was wont to answere amen when the Priest ended his prayer or thankesgiuing and it is euident that the same vse was continued a long time after both in the East and West as it appeareth by the liturgy of Chrysostome where the things that were to be sayd by the priest deacon and people are distinctly set downe And by Cyprian in his sermon vpon the Lords prayer where he saith the people doe answere we lift them vp vnto the Lord when the priest willeth them to lift vp their harts and by Hierome praefat lib. 2. in epist. ad Galatas who writeth that in the Churches of the city of Rome the people are heard with so loud a voyce sounding out amen as if it were a thundring from heauen Thus farre Bellarmine in his 2 booke de verbo Dei chap. 16 which argueth that they had their seruice in a knowne tongue for otherwise how could they thus haue answered to the seuerall parts of the diuine seruice as they were appointed to do surely the long answeres of the people to the priest in their praiers
what is yet wanting to the faithfull departed or to such as are aliue at the suite supplication of the holy Patriarches Prophets Apostles c. For seeing it is confessed by vs that the Saints in heauen doe pray for vs in a generality we may desire of God the graunting of such things as we or others need not only vpon our own suite but much more for that there are so many supplyants to him for vs not in earth alone but in heauen also though without sence or knowledge of our particular wantes So that there is nothing found in Chrysostome either touching prayer for the dead or invocation of Saints that maketh any thing for the confirmation of popish errours For neither doth Chrysostome in that Liturgie pray for the ease of men in Purgatorie neither doth he inuocate any Saint but calleth vpon God onely though not without hope of being heard the rather for that not onely the faithfull on earth but the Saints in heauen also make petition for him But Master Higgons asketh why I concealed these things To whom I answere that I did not conceale any of them For howsoeuer citing some other parts of Chrysostomes Liturgie to another purpose I had no reason to bring in these passages being altogether impertinent to my purpose and the matter in hand yet in other places I haue shewed at large the ancient practise in all these things and therefore this seduced runnagate whom Sathan the tempter hath beguiled had no reason to compare me to the Tempter leauing out certaine wordes in the text he alleadged vnto Christ. §. 5. IN the next place he obiecteth to vs the heresie of Aerius condemned by Augustine amongst many other impious heresies and Augustines conclusion that whosoeuer maintaineth any of the hereticall opinions condemned by him is no Catholicke Christian and telleth vs that this censure toucheth vs very neere but that I demeane my selfe plausibly and artificially to avoid the pressure of that difficultie which is too heauy for me to beare Whereunto I briefly answer that I demeane not my self artificially to avoid the force of any trueth which I esteeme value aboue all treasures in the world but in all sincerity vnfold those thinges which Papists seeke to wrap vp in perplexed and intricate disputes to the entangling of the Readers For I shew that the naming of the names of the departed the offering of the sacrifice of praise for them the praying for their resurrection publike acquitall perfect consummation and blisse in the day of Christ yea the praying for their deliuerance from the hand of hel the mouth of the Lyon the vtter deletion remissioÌ„ of their sins respectiuely to their passage hence first entrance into the other world are not disliked by vs and that thus far the general intention of the Church extended but that to pray for the deliuerance of meÌ„ out of hel or for the mitigation or suspension of the punishments that are in hel was but the priuat deuotioÌ„ of some particular men doubtfully eroneously extending the publicke prayers of the Church farther then they were meant and intended by her and that in this particular they fell from the trueth which if M. Theophilus Higgons shall deny justifie such kind of prayers for the dead we will be bold to call him by his new name Theomisus But he is desirous to know of me or any other without lies obscurities and circuitions whether Cyrill of Hierusalem concurring absolutely with the Papists in this point of prayer for the dead and Augustine agreeing with him fell away from the truth or not That he professeth himselfe an enemy to lies obscurities and circuitions the best sanctuaries of their euill cause I greatly maruell feare that if he giue ouer the aduantage which he and his companions are wont to make thereof this his first booke will be his last But in that he saith Cyrill of Hierusalem concurreth absolutely with the Papists in the matter of prayer for the dead and Augustine with him hee doth as beseemeth him for he vttereth lies and vntruthes which before vnaduisedly he condemned For first it is most certaine that Cyrill maketh but two sortes of men departing out of this life sinners righteous and that he thinketh as Chrysostome also doth and after them Damascene many other that wicked and sinfull men in hell may find some ease be relieued by the prayers of the liuing but of Purgatory he speaketh not Touching Augustine he dissenteth altogether from this opinion of Chrysostome Cyrill and Damascene thinketh that the prayers of the Church for such as excelled in goodnes are thanksgiuings to God for such as died impenitently in grieuous sins comforts of the liuing but no helpes of the dead for those that were neithâ—… exceeding good nor exceeding euill propitiations and meanes to obtaine fauour and remission But whether they of this middle sort be in any penall estate after death or whether by the mercy of God and working of his grace the prayers of the liuing accompanying them they bee freed from sinne and the punishment of it in the first entrance into the other world he resolueth nothing and therfore there was no cause why this good man reflecting as he saith vpon my assertion should bee amazed to behold such a repugnancie betweene these things to wit Augustine ran doubtingly into the opinion of Purgatorie and yet he affirmeth there is no doubt but that some sinnes are remitted in the other world and tâ—…at some soules may be relieued by prayer For in the iudgement of wiser men then Mastâ—…r Higgons these thinges imply no contradiction and therefore the Grecians admit the latter of them and yet deny Purgatory Yea in their Apologie touching Purgatory they say if there be remission of sinnes after this life there is no enduring of the punishments due to sin it being one thing to haue remission of a sin or fault and another to suffer the extremity of punishment it deserueth That there is therefore remission of sinnes of a middle sort of men after this life in the entrance into the other world Augustine made no doubt and to that purpose he alleadged the saying of Christ concerning the sinne that is neither remitted in this world nor the other from thence to inferre that some sinnes are remitted after this life But whether there be any Purgatory-punishments after this life or not hee was euer doubtfull as appeareth by sundry places in his workes where he saith Perhaps there is some such thing it is not incredible that there is some such thing and whether there be or not it may be found out or it may be hid neither will it follow that because he maketh three estates of men dying whereof some are so good that wee haue rather cause to giue God thankes for them then to pray others so ill that they cannot be relieued and a third sort that need our
the whole composition and forme of the sacred prayer called the Canon agreeth onely to a publike ministration there being often mention made in it of the people standing round about offering and communicating so that some ancient expositors of the Roman order thinke the Canon ought not to bee vsed but in a publike ministration To which purpose Micrologus obserueth that the prayers vsed after the communion are appliable onely to such as haue communicated and therefore willeth them not to neglect to communicate that desire to enioy the blessing of these praiers Clichthoueus vppon the Canon of the Masse sayth that which some note that the Priest soe often as hee celebrateth should giue the Sacrament to all that stand by is Auncient and agreeable to the custome of the Primitiue Church when the faithfull did euery day receiue the Sacrament according to that Sanction of Calixtus the Pope After the consecration let all communicate and that of Anacletus who willeth them to bee excommunicated that beeing present at the consecration communicate not which Andradius will not haue to be restrained to the Ministers assisting but extended to all the people and that by the authority of Dionysius and Iustine Martyr Cochlaeus against Musculus de sacrificio missae hath these wordes In olde time both Priest and people as many as were present at the sacrifice of the Masse after the oblation was ended communicated with the Priest as it is evident by the Canons of the Apostles and the Epistles of the most ancient Doctors c. Afterwards the devotion of the people decayed yet the Cleargy and Ministers communicated still when all they did not communicate yet at least the Deacons and Subdeacons communicated as the Authour of the Romane Breviary testifieth Whereupon saith Cassander some godly and learned men doe wish that this ancient custome were restored that at least the Ministers might communicate with him that celebrateth as agreeable to the practise of the Primitiue Church and making much for the dignity and gravitie of this Mystery In the Churches of Aethiopia all communicate in both kindes twise euery weeke to this day Iohn Hofmeister expounding certaine prayers of the Masse hath these wordes the thing it selfe proclaimeth it that as well in the Greeke as Latine Church not the Priest that celebrateth onely but the rest of the Presbyters and Deacons the whole people or at least some part of the people was wont to communicate which custome how it ceased and grew out of vse may seeme strange but it were greatly to be wished that it were restored againe which thing might easily be effected if the Pastors of the Churches would do their duty for the Priests themselues are in fault that few or none of the people are found to communicate in that they doe not invite stirre them vp to communicate more often as appeareth by the writing of a certaine Diuine not vnlearned in the former age in which he reprehendeth certaine Pastours of that age wherein hee liued who tooke it ill that some of their Parishioners though liuing very laudably desired to communicate euery Sunday That the Sacrament was ministred in former times in loafe bread as we minister it at this day it is evident by the booke called Ordo Romanus by Durandus sundry other authorities In auncient times the manner was to giue the holy Sacrament into the hands of the communicants as wee doe and not to put it into their mouthes as the Papists doe What shall I speak saith Andradius of the vse of the holy Eucharist which now no man may lawfully touch but the Priests whereas it was wont to be carryed by the Deacons to such as were absent and to be giuen to Laymen into their hands whence proceeded that exhortation of Cyrill of Hierusalem full of piety and religion that each communicant should fasten his eyes vpon those hands that receiued the holy Eucharist and kisse them with the kisses of his mouth that so he might communicate to the rest of the members the holynesse of the Eucharist The custome of circumgestation saith Cassander is contrary to the manner of the Auncient and would neuer haue beene liked of them who held this mysterie in so great respect that they admitted none to the sight of it but such as they thought worthy to be partakers of it whereupon all such as might not communicate were ejected before the consecration and therefore it seemeth that this circumgestation might be omitted Crantzius praiseth Cusanus who being the Popes Legate in Germany tooke it away vnlesse it were within the Octaues of the feast of Corpus Christi the Sacrament being instituted for vse and not for ostentation Touching the honour of Saints Gerson Contarenus and others reprehend sundry superstitious obseruations wish they were wisely abolished Whether the Saints particularly know our estate and heare our cryes groanes not onely Augustine the Author of the Interlineall Glosse but Hugo de sancto Victore also will tell vs it is altogether vncertaine cannot be knowne whence it followeth that howsoeuer being assured they pray for vs in a generality wee may safely desire to bee respected of God the rather for their sakes yet it is not safe to pray to them Neither is this a new conceipt of ours but Guilielmus Altisiodorensis saith it was a common opinion in his time that neither we doe properly pray to Saints nor they in particular pray for vs but that improperly we are said to pray to thē in that we pray vnto God that the rather for their sakes at their suite we may finde fauour and acceptation with him Touching the abuse of Images and how much it was disliked in former time let the Reader see Cassander How great complaints were made long since against the forced single life of the Cleargy and how many and great men desired the abrogation of the law that forced men so to liue I haue shewed at large else-where That in the Primitiue Church they had their prayers in the vulgar tongue Lyra confesseth and Caietane professeth that he thinketh it would be more for edification if they were so now and confirmeth his opinion out of the Apostle Saint Paul Thus haue I giuen the Reader a taste of the iudgement of those that liued in former times both concerning matters of doctrine now controuersed the Popes incroachments now by vs restrained and also such abuses as we haue remoued by which I thinke it will appeare to be most true that amongst many good proofes of the equitie of our cause there can no better be desired then that what wee haue done in the reformation of thinges amisse the worthiest men in the Church wished to be done before wee were borne And therefore Master Higgons hath little cause to say Our cause is bad and the Patrons worse That which hee addeth that