to allude to the place of the prophet Malachie but in a far other sence then that of our aduersaries To bee short hee sayth Christ is called a high Priest sacrificing vnto God and besides him there is not any one to whom we do attribute either the name or the effect of priesthood for hee was made the mediator betwixt God and men hee hath sacrificed for vs and not for himselfe and that euen his owne bodie All which arguments are grounded vpon the qualities requisite in a priest of the new Testament but such as men cannot attaine vnto He calleth the Eucharist verie many times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sacrifice without blood Idem in Ioban l. 5. c. 7. ad Reginas de recta fide but in the same sence that the former by comparing of it with them of the law Vpon S. Iohn S. Paule saith he to the Hebrewes would not take away the second nor the third remission of sinnes but rather the secondoblation because that Christ hath beene offered once and cannot be any more offered c. The Latine fathers did not vnderstand it otherwise Saint Ambrose saith In Christ the oblation or sacrifice hath beene once offered powerfull and mightie vnto life eternall Againe The Lord commanded the Angell to spare the people and to offer the sacrifice of Dauid For at that time there were sacrifices for sinnes the same are now the sacrifices of repentance Ambros in ep ad Heb. c. 10. Idem ad Theod ep 28. Idem in ep ad Rom. c 12. Idem ibid. Againe The Elders did kill the sacrifice to signifie that men because of sinne were subiect to death And now that men by the gift of God are purified and deliuered from the second death they must offer a liuing sacrifice to the end it may bee vnto them a signe of eternall life For the case standeth not now as when bodies were slaine and sacrificed for bodies now there is not any more question of killing of bodies but of the vices of the bodies Again Is there not a celestiall altar our faith whereupon we dayly offer our praiers Let vs draw neere saith he in another place with a true hart a fulnes of faith let vs draw neere in faith in a spiritual seruice from a sincere hart for in all these there is nothing visible neither the priest nor the sacrifice nor the altar c. In our spirits we receiue spirituall things c. Idem in institut virgin c. 2. In another place We sacrifice vnto God the sacrifice of praise whereupon the Apostle saith I pray you before all thinges to make prayers supplications requestes and thankesgiuing c. Now this is one of the places from whence our aduersaries would gather their Masse their propitiatorie sacrifice and see how hee expoundeth it of the sacrifice of praise Idem epist 28. lib. de fuga sent c. 8. Againe A simple prayer is a sacrifice the good sacrifice that is wisedome the good oblation that is faith and euerie other vertue c. And of all this going before we conclude most euidently that he acknowledged no sacrifice for sinne saue the blood of Christ once shed nor any sacrifices amongst Christians but repentance mortification and calling vpon the name of God in faith c. But some will say vnto vs hee speaketh now and then of the holy Supper in the tearmes of a sacrifice But in this case I could wish such to hearken how hee expoundeth himselfe he speaketh to the matter of the onely oblation of Christ and saith What then do not we offer euery day for the Supper was then administred ordinarily We offer saith he but in making a memoriall of his death and there is but one oblation but one sacrifice not many One and not many saith he how because that it hath beene once offered in the most holy place and this sacrifice is the patterne of that other c. That which we do is in remembrance of that which hath beene done For hee saith vnto vs doe this in remembrance of mee c. Wee offer not as the Priest did another sacrifice but euerie daie the same or rather wee sacrifice the memoriall of this sacrifice Thus say wee sayeth hee to daye is the resurrection of the Lorde that is to say to day wee call to minde the resurrection of the Lord c. And Saint Ierome vnderstoode as little as the rest in this point namely that there should remaine a seruice to bee performed of Christians Hieronim in Esa c. 1. which properly was called a sacrifice Shall I eate sayeth the Lorde the flesh of bulles c. Psalme â—â— After hauing reiected and cast away sayeth hee the ceremonies of the old law hee passeth to the puritie of the Gospell and sheweth what hee desireth in stead of them Offer vnto mee the sacrifice of praise Idem in psal 26. c. Againe I will offer in his Tabernacle the sacrifice of ioy and gladnesse that is to say of full and perfect ioy that is to say I will ioyfully declare that hee did vnder-go a base and lowe estate for vs that is to say that he did humble himselfe to aduance exalt vs For God taketh pleasure in such sacrifices of reioycing ioyfull declaring of their gladnesse for this is the sacrifice of preaching And in another place Idem in psal 49. 50. The old sacrifices are past he requireth his sacrifice in good works and maners a fat burnt offering That is that God may be praised by man whom he hath created whom he hath redeemed and to whome hee hath promised the kingdome of heauen Againe By this place the Iewes doe knowe and vnderstand that their sacrifices are ceased And what then shall men haue hereafter to offer hearken to that which hee addeth The humbled heart and the contrite heart is a sacrifice vnto the Lord c. Idem ad Damas Yea but hee sayeth in another place Our Sauiour is the calfe of whose flesh wee are dayly fed and with whose blood wee all haue our thirst quenched This banquet is solemnized euerie day euerie day the father receiueth his sonne euerie day Christ is slaine and sacrificed This is a large speech but hee addeth yet one worde more Immolatur credentibus out of question not sacrificed by the Priest but sacrificed sayth hee by the faithfull In so much as this sacrifice is dayly freshe alwaies present and in Gods sight daily applyed apprehended and taken holde vppon with great efficacie of the faithfull as being such Idem in Psal 97. August quest euangel l. 1. as conceiue and finde their life to lie and consist in his death and the appeasing of Gods wrath for their sinnes to rest in his bloode This is it which hee saith in a worde elsewhere Euerie day Christ is crucified vnto vs. S. Augustine yet more distinctly Christ is then properly slaine for any one when hee beleeueth him to be
hauing these giftes either of Saints or Angels but on the contrarie this doctrine was then noted to be the doctrine of heretickes as of the Basilidians and Ophites c. Who praied vnto Angels in their workes and that by set formes of praier Idem l. 1. c. 23. 35. which Ireneus rehearseth O tu Angele ab a te or opere tuo c. And these had likewise their pretended Saints Iudas Cain c. Against whom Ireneus doth not oppose either Abell or S. Peter but onely Iesus Christ our Lord. But in the Epistle of the Church of Smyrna Idem in Ep. ad Sâ—â—yâ—nens apud Euseb l. 4. c. 15. we haue this whole question handled the Martyrs were much honoured in the Church and they deeply condemned that did not honour them and not without cause being vessels chosen of God to seale and assure by their testimonie the resurrection of the Lord. But how far did this honour extend They were buried with great regard and there is made yearely a rehersall of their martyrdome vppon a certaine day the day of their death is celebrated and solemnized by the name of the day of their natiuitie in stead of the Paynims their Genethliacks or birth-daies the Church commeth together into the common place of buriall there to praie vnto God that by the sight of their bones they may be stirred vp to the like constancie for at that time they had not yet any Churches Now in respect of any of al this may they iustly be said to haue either worshipped or praied vnto them Nay rather saith this Epistle The Iewes and the Gentiles came to intrcate the gouernour that the body of Polycarpus might not be deliuered to the Christians least they should honour it in stead of Christ. But how doth the Church defend it selfe They are abused through ignorance saith it for we can neuer forsake Christ who hath suffered for the saluation of all them which are to bee saued in the whole world neither can we euer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 colere honour any other And note how it vseth the word which coÌ„prehendeth the seruice which was accustomed according to godlines to be giuen vnto Christ that is to say the seruing of him in calling vpon him seeking of our saluation in him But some said vnto them so greatly do you honour your Martyrs Yea saith the Church of Smyrna but we worship Christ as the true and naturall Sonne of God and we loue the Martyrs as his Disciples and followers and not without good cause for the incomparable loue which they haue borne to their king Schoolemaster we our selues greatly longing and earnestly desiring to become their companions and Schoole fellowes c. Finally We celebrate the natiuitie that is to say the day of the death and Martyrdome of Polycarpus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in remembrance of them that haue finished the combat before vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for the preparing and exercising of them which are to come thereto that is to say to stirre vp such as are present to the like constancie for the name of Christ Who giueth vs the grace say they and not the Martyrs to bee partakers of the like crowne Tertull. in Apol. c. And this Epistle was written about the yeare 160. Tertullian saith J pray not to any but him of whome I know that I may obtaine because it is hee onely which doth and giueth all things and I am one that haue need to beg and craue his seruant to honour him alone and to offer vnto him the best fattest sacrifice as he hath commanded euen a praier and supplication which proceedeth from a chast body an innocent soule and a holy spirit c. And in the booke of the Trinitie he yeeldeth a reason why hee praieth vnto him alone It is not proper or pertinent to any but God to know our secrets but Christ knoweth the secrets of our harts Jt belongeth not to any but God to forgiue sins but Christ forgiueth sinnes Reasoning from his all-seeing knowledge and from his Almightie power to proue his Deitie Godhead and froÌ„ the Godhead to the seruice of inuocation Againe Else how should a man be sought sued vnto in our praiers as our mediator seing that the inuocating of one only man is without any power or efficacie to saluation seeing also it is said cursed is that coÌ„fidence that is put in man c. To that aboue said they oppose and bring a place of Ireneus Obiections where there is comparison made betwixt Eue and the Virgine Marie As Eue saith he was seduced by the words of an Angell that is a wicked Angell to runne from God by transgressing of his word so the Virgine Marie receiued ioyfull tidings by the word of an Angell that is a good Angell to heare God by obeying vnto his word And as the first was seduced and drawne away to runne and flie from God so the second was perswaded to obey him to the end that of the Virgine Eue the Virgin Mary fieret aduocata might become say they the aduocate Here saith Belarmine what can be more cleare Yea rather say we vnto him what can be more obscure That the Virgine Marie should be Eue her aduocate with God being borne 4000. yeares after Eue and receiued likewise a long time after her into heauen when as likewise we shall haue regard to their opinion of the Limbes But in deed that which goeth before as also that which followeth sheweth clearely that Ireneus had no other drift but to oppose the good that came to mankind by the meanes ministerie of Marie to the maladie and mischiefe wherwith the same became infected by that transgression of Eue. And as for the word Aduocate some are of iudgement that Ireneus was translated out of Greeke into Latine for we haue great peeces of him as yet in Greeke and further it cannot possibly bee that euer any Latine writer would haue written in such a stile 2. Cor. 7. passim Ioh. 16 And in other places also hee is verie absurdly translated by his interpreter Now the case so standeth that in the Greeke one and the same word dooth signifie both an aduocate and a comforter that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and one and the same Verbe to comfort and to exhort as is often and commonly to be seene in the Scriptures So in S. Iohn that which is translated in the Gospell Comforter according to the old translation speaking of the holy Ghost the comforter of our soules is interpreted Aduocate in the Epistle of S. Iohn 1. Ioh. 2.11 Tertul. de Trinit c. 29. speaking of Christ the mediatour Likewise Tertullian where he speaketh of the holy Ghost translateth it Aduocatum so indifferently hath it beene taken either for the one or for the other And so the sence is as if Ireneus should say that as Eue was the ruine and ouerthrow of mankind so the
the Pastor hereupon couetousnes and other abuses companions of the same was first bred and brought into the Church to the infecting of the Ministers of the same S. Ierome sayeth Clerici de altari viuunt altari seruientes altaris oblatione sustentantur c. The Cleargie liue of the Altar those which serue at the Altar are fed and maintained of the oblations of the Altar c. And as Walafridus Berno and others haue told vs that the Offertorie came to bee in the Diuine seruice by reason of such a custome practised amongst the Iewes so indeed wee finde manie of the steppes threof by obseruing and marking of the same For the bookes of the Hebrewes doe teach vs that there are seauen thinges to bee obserued in the oblations and offringes of the first fruits The first that the chiefe and gouernours of the house did bring them themselues vnto the Church porch and hauing them vpon their shoulders did euerie of them say these wordes of Deuteronomye ch 26. verese 3. vnto the Priest I giue you to vnderstand this day before God c. that I am come into the land which hee had promised vnto our Fathers c. The second that the Priest receiued the basket of euery one from his owne hand and put it before the Altar The third that this excellent place of Deuteronomie where this thankefulnes is ordained with such a liuelie representation of the miseries of the people and of the mercifulnes of the Lord should bee read vnto them all along Of the eleuation Exod. 29.24 27. Leuit. 23.11 c. The fourth that to the offring of the first fruites there was ordinarily ioyned the Sacrifice of thankesgiuing The fift that there was an ordinarie singing of Psalmes without which say they there did not passe anie Sacrifice The sixt that the offring of those first fruits was lifted vp on high by the Priest which wee read commaunded in verie manie places of the Scripture and whereof we will speake hereafter in place conuenient they adde thereto the seuenth that they which offred were inioyned to passe the night in the Citie to shew that they came not thether eyther for fashion sake or in hast but for to render thankes vnto the Lord vpon good deliberation Here now beginneth the seruice of the faithfull Generall prayer The Letanie with a generall prayer for the whole world for the estate of the Church for publike and particular necessities which the Grecians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saye supplication 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say prayers for peace because that therein they vsed to pray vnto God for the peace and prosperitie of euerie particular person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is an vniuersall Collect because it contained an abridgement of all prayers wherof it may seeme that there abide some notes and markes in the Prosne so called because that euerie one did fall downe flat vpon his face the Minister of the Church for to say prayers and the people for the better ioyning of themselues in deuotion with him and thereupon it is as yet called prayers in some places the forme thereof continued as we haue seene it since the time of the Primitiue Church is to bee found and read in the writers of that time S. Ambrose Oratio praemittitur prayer for the people for kinges and all others goeth before c. S. Ambrose cont relat Sym mach Epist 29. l. 4. de Sacr. cap. 4. in 1. ad Tim. cap. 2. S. Ambrose de vocatione gentium August Ep. 119. ad Ianuar. serm de temp 237. Ep. 59. ad Paulin q. 5. Epist 106. de bon perseu cap. 22. haeres 88. Chrysost hom 79. ad Pope Antioch 72. in Matth. The Lithurgie attributed vnto S. Basill Chrysost in Epist 2. ad Cor. hom 18. The blessing of the Sacraments and this rule is deliuered and giuen vnto vs and our Ministers by the Maister of the Gentiles c. that is by S. Paule Insomuch sayeth he as that it became a rule and patterne obserued and followed in all the Churches it became a rule obserued in all the Churches to pray not onelie for the Saintes and regenerate in Christ but also for the Infidels and enemies of his Crosse for the Idolaters persecutors Iewes Heretikes and Schismatikes S. Augustine after the lessons and sermon addeth Aut cum Antistites clara voce deprecantur that is when the Pastors doe pray with aloude voice Againe After the sermon those which are catechised haue leaue to depart the faithfull stay behinde then they shall come to the place of prayer c. And for the form maner for all men for kings for them which are in authoritie c. for those that are catechised for the vnbeleeuers and for the infidels Chrysostome Wee pray for the whole world for the Church spread and dispersed euerie where for the vnitie of the same for them which gouerne it and are the chiefe in the same c. Againe for the possessed for the pentients for sinners for the afflicted and for our selues S. Basill for the uire and weather for the fruits of the earth for peace for Trauellers Saylers sicke persons Prisoners and Captiues for the troubles the forgiuenes of sinnes the Church the Bbs. and the Emperours c. And this is it which S. Denys calleth the holie prayers others the Letanie that is Supplication made and offred to one onlie God by Iesus Christ and that euerie where and for all things And that they were made properlie in that place appeareth by S. Chrysostome After sayeth hee that wee haue put forth them which may not bee partakers of the holie Table we haue an other praier to make and then we are altogether after one manner cast flat vpon the ground both the Pastor and the people and do all of vs rise againe after one and the same manner c. This prayer thus ended which was verie long but deuided into Articles to euerie one whereof the people that they might be kept the more attentiue were bounde to aunswere Amen they came to set the bread and the wine appointed for the holie Sacramentes vpon the holie Table and that with reuerence and deuotion and certain forespeeches which might stir vp the people to come also after the same maner then the Pastor said Dominus vobiscum a Salutation vsed amongst the Hebrewes that is The Lord be with you and the people answered him saying Et cum spiritu tuo and with thy spirit The Minister saide Sursum Corda 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is â—ft vp your heartes on high 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doe not imagine here or thinke vpon anie terrestriall or earthlie thing the people aunswered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Habemus ad Dominum we haue them fixt and bent vpon the Lord. Againe the Minister 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Gratias agamus Let vs giue thankes vnto our
vnder the colour of certain words which their familiaritie with the Chaldeans had dropped into their language Ioh. 5.39 Act. 17 11. the truth may easily appeare for wherefore then should our Sauiour haue said vnto the people Search the scriptures And how should the Iewes of Berea haue otherwise done as they did And what will they say to that in the Actes that S. Act. 21.40.22.2.21 Paule made an oration vnto the people in the Hebrew tong that the people hearing him speake vnto them in that language made the more silence And if they did not vnderstand whence commeth it that when he spake of going to the Gentiles the people should be in a mutinie crie out Away with such a fellow let him be taken from off the earth it is not meete that he should liue Now therefore we stand resolued and firme That it was not otherwise vnder the new Testament that in the time of the old testament the seruice of God was practised and exercised in a language vnderstood of the people and who can belieue that it was otherwise in the time of the newe who will belieue that the light should be more darke then the shadow the fulnesse of knowledge more barbarous and rude then the rudiments without all peraduenture our Lord is come to dismaske the mystery concealed kept close from before all worlds to vnfold them and lay them broade open to the Iewes to the Gentiles to all nations and to all languages Gal. 3. And before him saith the Apostle there is no distinction or difference betwixt the Iew the Grecian nor yet betwixt the Grecian and Barbarian Therefore let vs conclude that whatsoeuer hath serued for the better clearing and manifestation of his holy mysteries or for the instruction of Christians hath likewise beene acceptable and well pleasing vnto him But let vs not once imagine that any thing tending to the darkning and dimming of that which is light and bright can proceed from any example giuen by him and then much lesse from his lawes and commandementes He instituted his holy Supper amongst his disciples who doubteth but that all the words thereof were vttered in the same tongue language by him which he ordinarily was wont to speake in vnto them It is his will that it should bee celebrated after his example in his Church that so we may therein shew forth his death vntill his comming What manner of shewing forth declaration doth he require to vtter it in a language which the people doth not vnderstand Now in deed in asmuch as it was decreed that his Gospell death resurrection should be preached vnto all nations and that it was hindered by reason of the manifold variety of languages that possessed men he sent his spirit in tongues of fire vnto his Apostles he graunted and continued the gift of tongues a long time vnto his Church Such as affirme that vpon the same day of Pentecost the Masse was instituted and will notwithstanding that throughout all Christendome the same should be said in Latine let them tell me I pray them in what language it was deliuered if it were deliuered but in one or what tong was excepted if it were deliuered in all There are some that come after and do abuse this gift vnto vanitie and ostentation in the Church What saith S. Paule vnto them 1. Cor. 14. Languages are for signes not to the belieuers but to the vnbelieuers they are giuen vnto vs for the gracious worke of edification and not for our ouerthrow and confusion If you vtter a language that is not vnderstood you speake in the aire you are as Barbarians one vnto an other vnprofitable as the trumpet which giueth a sound that no man vnderstandeth If thou blesse with thy spirit and not with thy vnderstanding the simple and vulgar sort of people that are there how shall they be able to answere Amen to thy thanksgiuing how can they possibly be edified by thee And the Conclusion is after all these generall propositions the least whereof all the rabble of our aduersaries are not able to auoid I loue it better to speake fiue wordes in the Church in my vnderstanding that is that are vnderstood then ten thousand in a language that is not vnderstood c. And a little after I teach so in all Churches if any man be spirituall let him vnderstand and know that what I write vnto you are the commandements of God Hieronim in 1. Cor c. 14. If they doubt of the interpretation and meaning of this place let vs heare the Doctors what they haue deliuered vpon the same S. Ierome expounding it in plaine and expresse termes Euerie word which is not vnderstood must be iudged and thought barbarons Againe The spirit signifieth in this place the tongue as when he hath said he that speaketh tongues that is to say an vnknowne speech He maketh no question whether Greeke or Latine Ambr. in 1. Cor. S. Ambrose This is spoken because of the Iewes who in their sermons and oblations did vse amongst the Greekes sometimes the Hebrew tongue And yet this was the holy tongue the language of the Patriarkes and he saith in their oblations by name that is in the administration of the Sacraments as in deed it seemeth that in this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Paule would speake of the holy Supper Againe he saith If thou blesse with the spirit he speaketh of such a one as speaketh vnto himselfe in a language which he knoweth and saith that he giueth thankes well in as much as he knoweth what hee saith but another saith the Apostle is not edified so that if you come together to edifie the Church you must speake such thinges there as the hearers do vnderstand For to what end is it that a man should speake in it a language that he himselfe doth onely vnderstand and whereby the hearer doth not profit a dodkin but rather he should hold his peace in the Church to the end that such may speake as can profit the hearers And his conclusion is So the ignorant which doth not vnderstand cannot say Amen for he knoweth not the end of the prayer to answer thereto with this word Basil in reg contract which is the confirming and sealing vp of the blessing in his place S. Basill maketh this question intreating vpon this place How can the spirite of any man pray when his vnderstanding is idle and vnfruitfull This saith he must by name be meant of them which make their prayers in a tongue vnknowne vnto the hearers For when the words of prayer are not vnderstood of those that are present his vnderstanding that prayeth is vnfruitfull Chrysost in 1. Cor. 14. in as much as no man reapeth profit thereby Chrysostome S. Paul would say if I speake not the things which you may easily and plainly vnderstand but that I go about as it were no other thing but to shew that
seruice were in Latine it was vulgar if it were not vulgar then had Isidore Archbishop of Seuill said in vaine Isidor de eccle Offi. c. 10. That when there is singing in the church it behoueth euery man to sing and when there is praying that euerie man doe pray for what edge or quickning to the spirit can the singing of a Psalme or the making of a praier that is not vnderstood affoord bring And so of England the language of their Iland was peculiar to themselues and no Latine amongst them saue what the Romain Colonies did speake They will haue it that Christian religion was established there in the time of Ioseph of Aremathia howbeit Chrysostome saith that it was about his time And yet neuerthelesse S. Gregory saith that in his time the tong of the ancient inhabitants of great Britaine called at this day England Gregor in Iob. c. 27. had no better a sound then a barbarum frendere a rude and barbarous kind of grunting and how then could the Latine seruice be found there But the truth is as certaine English Iesuits do confesse that S. Augustine the Monke sent by Gregorie did there chaunge and alter both the forme and tongue wherein they had before celebrated their seruice for they could not fetch or deriue the antiquitie of their religion any further off They say it cannot at the least be denyed but that the Latine seruice was vsed in the Churches of Africke then let vs adde thereto that the Latine tongue was also common there amongst the rascall and poorer sorte of people This appeareth for the sermons of Saint Cyprian and S. Augustine Bbs. of Africke were made in the Latine tongue Now wee are of the same iudgement with our aduersaries that sermons euer were so ought to be made for the instruction of the people in the common vulgar tong because say they that properly they are to be applyed and fitted for the capacitie of the people praiers directed vnto God But in another place S. Augustine saith that being borne in the Citie of Tagusta in Africa Idem l. 1. retract c. 10. he had learned the Latine tong Inter blandimenta nutricum by means of the sporting pleasing speeches which are currant amongst cockering nurses that is in his swathing clothes or whiles he was very young tender whereby it appeareth that nurses had the knowledge of it Againe he saith To the end that euen the most simple and ignorant may see perceiue that it is of purpose because of the Donatists I haue turned a psalme into Latine that it may the better remaine with them be remembred Hence is proued that it was common to the basest and coursest kind of people And for as much as that the people there did not speake good congruitie S. Augustine applyeth himself vnto their Solaecismes Idem in psal 118. saying ossum for os and sometimes taking one case for another saying Because it is far better that the Grāmarians should reproue vs thē that the people should not vnderstand vs. In a word he saith This is a Prouerbe amongst the Carthaginers I wil tel it you in latine in asmuch as you al do not vnderstand conceiue the Punicktong Hence it followeth that the Latine tong was better knowne in Afrike then the Punicke it selfe But will you further see that whereas the knowledge of this tongue was wanting in this country there they did not tie themselues to haue their seruice in it Throughout all Sclauonia they had their seruice in the Dalmatian tong Ecchius de Missa Latina S. Ierome likewise did translate it into their tong and our aduersaries are of iudgement that it is still so obserued there vnto this day In this part of Italie likewise called great Greece ouer against Sicilia it is said in Greeke because the Greeke tong was there vulgar and common In Germany to the cōming in of the pretended reformation of Boniface that is to say vntil after the yeare 800. Walasr c. 7. it was obserued after the like maner order in so much as that Walafridus the Abbot saith that euen in his time the Northern countries had their seruice in the Germaine tong Aeneas Sylu. histor Bohem. c. 13. And Aeneas Syluius after the time of Pope Pius the 2. reporteth after many others that as Cyril Methodius were conuerted to the Christian faith certain people speaking the Sclauonian tongue were come to intreate the Pope about the yeare 800. that it might be permitted them to haue their seruice in their vulgar tong whereupon the Consistorie being gathered together and standing doubtfull what to do therein there was heard a voice as it were from heauen in these words Omnis spiritus landet Dominum omnis lingua confiteatur ei let euery spirit praise the Lord let euery tongue confesse acknowledge him And in deed whatsoeuer our aduersaries do alleadge against this as done is more then 600. yeares after the death of our Lord that is to say all that which they alleadge after the time that the Popes for to establish their authority did vndertake as we haue said in another place to impose and thrust the set forme of the Romish seruice vpon all nations abolishing others as theirs came in place that in their Romaine language for so of this exploit some attribute the first attempt onset to Pope Vitalian about the yeare 700. Now this old custome of the Church is to be compared ioyned with those goodly Maxims generall rules of the ancient Doctors S. Augustine saith August in psal 18. Basil in ps 28. Let vs be well aduised looke that we take hold with a cleare inlightned heare of that which we sing with one consent of voice And Basil conformablie Let the tong sing but let the hart vnderstanding at the same time sound and reach the sence meaning of that which is sung Cassiodor in psal 46. And Cassiodorus Let vs look that the vnderstanding of the thing be ioyned with the singing of it for nothing can be done wisely without the vnderstanding of it Which things cannot concurre go together after the rules and practise of popish doctrines And Iustinian the Emperor for to remedie such abuses tooke the matter in hand about the time that the Pope laboured with might maine to bring them in in these words saying We will and command that the Bbs. and Pastors do celebrate the oblation and praiers in baptisme with a loude voice Iustin Nouel de diuers eccl c. 123. such as may be vnderstood of the people to the end they may be stirred vp to greater deuotion to praise God c. alleadging for the confirmatiō of his constitution the places of S. Paul 1. Cor. 14. menacing roughly thundring out against thē the iudgements of God if they shold do to the contrary And wheras they answer that this constitution was not
is the cause also that S. Ambrose would haue men to be throughlie intentiue Ambros 1. Cor. 83. Chrysost in 2. Cor. hom 8. To the end sayeth hee that this oblation which is of many may be celebrated together And Chrysostome seteth it downe vnto vs for a general rule That in the mysteries that is in this sacrament the Pastor differeth not from the Parishioner c. In like manner the forme and ceremonie of ordaining and instituting of Ministers in the Apostolike Church is most cleare and euident The maner of the laying on of hands vsed of the olde Church The Church prayed God that it would please him to be present by his holie spirit at the election to blesse it And to the end that they might be the more feruent in praier they vsed to fast before after which those which were elect by the Church receiued the imposition of hands in the beginning by the Apostles and afterward by the Pastors Bishops but neuer without a perfect knowledge and triall of their doctrine and life It is also to bee obserued that whereas our Lord breathed vppon his Apostles saying vnto them Receiue the holie Ghost the Primitiue Church notwithstanding did not practise the same because such signes haue no other power then that which God hath giuen vnto them and therefore must not presumptuously be conceiued to haue anie such except there appeare the expresse institution and ordinance of the Lord for the warrant of the same In the election of the Bb. Fabian Eusâ—b l. 6. c. 29 wee see the simplicitie that was in the olde Church The Church came together aswell the Elders and Deacons as the other people manie were propounded as thought worthy to vndertake the charge in the end Fabian by the common consent and voice of the whole Church is named Bb. and sometimes wee see the common people make the election and after to present the elected to the Presbyterie that is to the ecclesiasticall assemblie and other sometimes wee see the Presbyterie to propound them vnto the people for to approue them if there bee no man that can say anie thing against them onelie it was alwaies vsed that before they were ordained and installed in their Ministerie there was a generall agreement and consent of the people and ecclesiasticall order that is of the whole Church as concerning the soundnes of his doctrine and vnspottednes of his life which was to bee chosen Bishoppe or Elder And this wee coulde proue through all ages successiuelie if so be it were anie controuersie amongst vs. For the present the questioÌ„ is first of the charge of the Minister of the church whether Bishop or Priest for the first were intituled by the Ancientes with the name of Ministers the old Episcopall bookes doe yet make mention thereof secondlie of the ceremonie which was obserued in the ordaining of the same And seeing that these two pointes doe one of them cleare and make plaine the other wee purpose to insist and stand vppon them The charge of such a one I say was to preach the Gospell and administer the Sacramentes not to say Masses not to sacrifice the bodie of Christ for the liuing and for the dead The forme of giuing of orders in the ancient time Theodoret l. 4 c. 23. Concil Carth. 4. c. 1. 2. Epiphan l. 1. tom 2. Sozom. l. 4. c. 24. Iust Nouel 123 de eccles diuer The auncient forme and manner also say wee had not any ceremonie that did shew anie thing eyther of Priestes or sacrifices And this wee must proue by taking the search and view of the auncient recordes of antiquitie Theodoret teacheth vs in the election of one that was to succeede Meletius the Great that it was the custome in ordaining of a Bb. that all the Bbs. of the Prouince should be present therat at the least three or fowre Where hee was examined of his doctrine and sometimes called to make confession of his faith and in his life so farre foorth as that hee was to aunswere therein to whatsoeuer hee could bee accused of or charged withall whereuppon wee haue a most expresse lawe made by Iustinian the Emperour Afterwarde it was agreede that the Metropolitane or in his absence the most auncient Bishoppe should lay his hand vppon him and blesse him and all the others likewise laide to their handes in signe of consent And to the end that he might bee aduertised and put in minde of his dutie by an eye signe two Bishoppes helde the holie Gospels ouer his head to the end hee might know that his calling tyed him to the preaching of the Gospel And this ceremonie was ordinarily done before the holie Table where the Sacraments were wont to bee administred Nazian in leudem Basil In some places likewise it was obserued that the Bishoppe passed through all the degrees of the Church before that hee came to that place and roome S. Denys describing this ceremonie sayeth The Bishoppe is kneeling before the Altar hee hath the bookes giuen of God helde ouer his head and the hand of the Bishoppe that is his who layeth his handes vppon him and is blessed of him by most holie praiers the consecrating Bishoppe doth set vpon him the signe of the Crosse c. but of the Masse or any sacrifice or yet any other ceremonie hee speaketh not at all August l. 3. cont Crescon c. 21. 22. Sozom. c. 19. l. 8. Chrysost 2. Cor. 8. hom 18 Volaterr l. 22. Herman Gigas Concil Aquisgran c. 9. The same forme and manner was practised in the person of Cresconius Maximilianus Theophilus Alexandrinus c. and these alwaies with publike praiers and fasting going before And from thence the Romaine Church retaineth as yet the fastes of the fowre times because that Pope Gelasius did ordaine that Orders should be giuen onelie fowre times a yeare vpon a Saturday the dayes going before being spent in examining their liues and manners The ages following added therto the staffe and the ring saying The staffe as a shepheardes crooke to reforme and call the stragling into the way as also to vpholde the infirme and weake and the ring in signe of the honour due vnto Bishoppes and for to seale their secrets withall But the truth is that this was after that they were become Lordes of great Lordshippes that the Popes and Emperours would receiue fealty and homage from them inuesting them with these ensignes and badges as Knightes and Squiers are wont to bee noted out by the speare the sword and shield c. But what get wee hereby but that the Bb. both in his election and examination as also in the whole forme and maner obserued in his ordination was charged onelie to teach the word of God well and faithfullie and to administer his holy sacraments purelie and sincerely to correct his people by his prescribed form of discipline and his church with such a gouernment as is truly ChristiaÌ„ And look what
contrite heart is a sacrifice vnto God And a sacrifice to God is the sacrifice of praise c. Againe Thy faith hath saued thee because saith he that it hath apprehended and taken for graunted that it must offer his sacrifice vnto the Almightie euen thankesgiuing in the true temple and by his true high priest Iesus Christ c. And againe Wee sacrifice for the health and prosperitie of the Emperour Idem in Apolog but vnto our God and to his Sonne and that according to his commaundement Pura prece by a pure and sincere praier c. Cypr. serm 1. de cleemosyn Saint Cyprian could not learne any other lesson of this his Maister whatsoeuer some would make him to belieue For hee saith Rich Ladie come you in Dominicum to the Lordes banquet without a sacrifice there to take of the sacrifice which some poore person hath offered c. Here sacrifice is vnderstood almes or offering because that of the fruits which were giuen by the faithful there was so much taken as might make a sufficient quantity to distribute in the celebrating of the holy supper amongst the faithful They obiect vnto vs his Epistle vnto Cecilius Idem l. 2. cp ◠wherein he saith Who is the priest of the high God by any greater priuiledge and prerogatiue then our Lord Iesus Christ who hath offered sacrifice vnto God his father hath also offered the same that Melchisedec did offer that is to say bread and wine his bodie and his blood Let vs obserue that here he compareth Iesus Christ with Melchisedec Melchisedec the priest of the highest saith the Apostle but Iesus Christ is preferred for he offered himselfe vnto God in sacrifice Melchisedec offered but bread and wine vnto Abraham but our Lord offered his bodie his blood for the faithful Otherwise this text contrary to the nature of the author should haue no force or power in it But let vs heare him expounding himself in this same Epistle wherein he saith In asmuch as we make mention of the passion and death of Christ in all our sacrifices for it is the death and passion of Christ which we offer wee are not to attempt doe or offer any thing but as he in giuing vs an example hath done before vs. For the scripture saith As oft as ye shall eate this bread c. you shall declare and shew forth the death of the Lord vntill his comming Then wee offer not Iesus Christ but we offer his death and passion we offer him alreadie slain vpon the crosse that is we celebrate the remembrance of his death and passion we offer it vnto God as the meanes of the remission of our sins And he giueth a reason thereof in another place saying Because the sacrifice which the welbeloued Son of God hath offred vpō the crosse is so acceptable and well pleasing vnto the father as that his oblation is as effectuall at this day in the presence of his as it was the verie same day that the blood and water issued out of his side Origen saith The blood of Christ is so precious as that he suffered alone for the redemption of all Origen in cp ad Rom. in hom 2. in Cant. What need then hath the Church of any other sacrifice And as for the whole burnt offerings of Christians Those are their praiers and supplications vnto God c. But yet there is more behind For when Celsus had obiected vnto him you haue neither sacrifice nor altars he answereth not any otherwise but we haue the sacrifice of the Altar c. Or els Our temples are the spirits of good people who breath out a sweet smelling incense Idem l. 8. contra Celsum the vowes praiers of a good and pure conscience To the like obiection made in the time of Arnobius and Minutius Felix by one Cecilius a Pagan there was shaped the like answer This was about the yeare 300. And as for the place of Tertullian Tertul. de paenit c. 9. Aris adgeniculari c. without troubling our selues therewith any further Pamelius as we haue alleadged before hath corrected it by the copie in the Vatican and hath very excellently shewed that it cannot so stand but that it must bee read Caris Dei adgeniculari c. in so much as that we may from hence conclude very strongly cleane against our aduersaries They say there were altars in the Primitiue Church and therefore Sacrifices and therefore the Masse Wherefore wee with the consent of all antiquitie for the space of 300. yeares do reply and crosse them saying there were no altars in the Churches of the Christians neither yet sacrifices neither yet Masses And if we shold repeat that which hath beene said before of altars our proofe would extend it selfe to a farre longer time Athenagoras in his Apologie for the Christians Athenagor in apol pro Christianis hath the verie same obiection to confute and freely vndertaketh to proue that the sacrifice that God demandeth of vs is that we should bee carefull to know him and to acknowledge all the goodnesse that we do receiue at his hands But what haue I to doe saith he to trouble my selfe with thinking vpon and remembring of sacrifices and burnt offeringes wherewith God hath nothing to do God who requireth saith he that men should offer vnto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sacrifice without blood a reasonable soule c. His answere had beene more readie We sacrifice Christ daily c. And let vs marke by the way that he calleth it a sacrifice without blood not to put any distinction or difference betwixt that of the Crosse and that of the altar but to distinguish betwixt the sacrifices of the Iewes and of the Paganes which were materiall and bloodie and the spirituall sacrifices of the Christians Lanctantius Lanctan l. 6. c. 26. Two things saith he must be offered giftes and sacrifices vnto God and they must be offered without bodily substance for the gift the integritie and vprightnesse of the soule for the sacrifice praises and hymnes c. who so doth this sacrificeth vnto God so oft as he doth a good worke c. And therfore vpon the Altar of God which is great in deed and which is placed in the heart of man so that it cannot be defiled with blood it behoueth vs to set patience faith innocence chastitie c. There is not any other holy seruice then this same This man as yet knew nothing what this pretended Sacrifice meant and as little of Altars Eusebius hath beene cited heretofore in the expounding of the place of Malachie We sacrifice therefore saith he and burne he answereth the Paganes Euseb de Demonstra l. 1. c. 6 10. And what sometimes the memorie of this great sacrifice celebrating the mysteries which our God hath giuen vs and rendring vnto him thankes for our saluation as also offering to him religious hymnes and praiers
receiued into eternal happines because of the Son of God made a sacrifice for vs whome they haue participated in the Eucharist But as hee was vrged drawne by the strife contention of the time for there was then much to do about this Article whereas al the former haue made but two orders of the deceased August de cura pro mortuis ad Paul Nol. c. 1.4.18 Ad Dulcit q 2. De Ciuit. Dei l. 21. c. 13. 14 Idem de verb Domini Serm. 32. he hath made three The good saith hee who haue nothing to doe but to make prayers and supplications and these are they whome by name they dayly vsed so to praie for The wicked for whome no prayers or supplications could serue if it be not it may be saith he for the damned for the diminishing and lessening of their punishment And Chrysostome said also that they did ease their paines And the middlemost or those betwist the other two who haue need and accordingly ayde and succour there by whether it bee saith hee that God may not deale with them according to their sinnes or that their soules may be purged before the day of iudgement by temporall punishment that so they may not fall into the eternall Finally the prayers which are made for the good are thankesgiuings for the wicked such as whereby the liuing may be comforted and for those which are betwixt both such as are propitiatorie Now this is the first man that hath set open this way and passage contrarie to all auncient writers and more then foure hundred yeares after our Sauiour Christ there hauing not beene any man before time that had so much as read any thing of prayer for the dead or of a third place which they call Purgatorie and this Purgatorie notwithstanding wherof he saith elswhere in other places That there is some apparance that it is That it may be that there is one That no part of the Scripture speaketh of it That there is not any at all Doubtfull therefore are these prayers and oblations euen for the middle order of the deceased as is also his Purgatorie Or rather none at all absolutely as neither his Purgatorie seeing that by his confession there is none in the Scriptures What doe wee gather out of all this discourse Verily first That these prayers haue no foundation or ground either in the olde or new Testament Secondly that they are proceeded partly from humane affections and partly from the imitation of the Pagans Thirdly that the old Fathers vsed them for those whome they belieued alreadie to enioy eternall life as the Apostles Prophets Martyrs the holy Virgine c. Or we may say better according to the manner wherin they prayed in the Councell of Trent for the Soules of the Popes Paul the third and Iulius the third For those which liue and die in a most holy manner can they possibly according to their owne doctrine abide so long in Purgatorie Fourthly that it was then in regard of their soules a holy desire and to be taken in like sence as when we say liue O Christ liue O God c. whome wee know to raigne eternally In regard of their bodies a prayer vnto God that it would please him to glorifie them in the resurrection c. Fiftly that they were made rather in consideration of the liuing then of the dead to ease them of their griefe and confirme them in their faith instructions that may bee taken at a better hand and warrant from the Apostle Torment not your selues about them which are a sleepe c. Sixtly that they made them not vpon any consideration of Purgatorie seeing that amongst so many reasons of so many Doctors liuing in diuers ages and places not any one before Saint Augustine hath alleadged Purgatorie Seuenthly that these obseruations and reasons so diuers and manifold doe witnesse vnto vs that it was at that time held as an indifferent doctrine as also how that the greater sort doe call it a Custome a Decree an Institution c. Eightly that Saint Augustine himselfe who alone after many other better reasons alleadgeth Purgatorie cannot make any good proofe of the same seeing he himselfe doth not couer or conceale what doubt hee was in whether there were a Purgatorie or not Likewise he deliuereth contrarie assertions whereby there is great apparance and likelyhood that he did not reuoke or vnsay any thing but so farre as hee was wonne and ouerswayed by the headstrong conceipt of men seming in the light of nature to know that which they had neuer heard or seene Finally that the prayers for the dead which haue no foundation in the world ought not to haue any more authoritie in the Church then Baptisme for the dead practised say the ancients but not approued from the time of the Apostles or the Eucharist giuen into the mouth of the dead the one and the other proceeding from the same naturall affections and yet both the one and the other abolished and banished out of the Church Now it is not to be forgotten that that which was to be seene very weake and feeble in S. Augustine for to strengthen this new building withall hath beene since that time vnderpropped by counterfait and fained writings by men willing that way to imploy their vttermost indeauour thus labouring by vntruth to establish a lie and mans deuice and inuention by notorious and hainous crimes And to that end some haue attributed vnto him the Bookes August de ver fals paenit c. 71. De vera falsa paenitentia made in deede by Monkes though they be commonly cited in his name where he saith Let him that deferreth to conuert and turne too long passe through the fire of Purgatorie which is more painefull and grieuous then all the punishment that man can indure in this life A Sermon also of the day of the dead or of the remembrance of all the deceased where they haue made him speake in the same tearmes and manner of speach A booke notwithstanding wherein the Author himselfe alleadged S. Augustine as also the feast not being as yet receiued into the Church in his time but instituted by Odilo Abbot of Clugni more then 500. yeares after And yet which is more there are some that haue deuised an Epistle written from S. Cyril Bb. of Ierusalem to S. Augustine for to confirme him in the opinion of Purgatorie Cyril I say whose life S. Ierome did write whiles he liued writing to S. Augustine of the myracles of Saint Ierome after his death In which Epistle there is mention made How that S. Ierome appeared vnto a certaine man named Eusebius and commaunded him to cast his sacke ouer three dead bodies which should presently therupon rise therby confounding the heresie which denied Purgatory That these three men thus raised againe made their abode amongst men for the space of twentie dayes declared how that S. Ierome had beene the meanes of their seeing of
for feare saith he that veritas abeat in errorē the truth be turned and changed into error that is for as much as that which is performed duely vnto God can not chuse but be misplaced vnduely bestowed when it is performed vnto creatures Now these honors such as is adoration as also inuocation are parts of that which he calleth Latria For so he expresseth his meaning to be by the examples which he mentioneth of them in Ieremie that honour the hoasts Queene of heauen of Noe giuing thanks for his deliuerance by a sacrifice of Iacob crauing aide of the Lord in his necessity in powring the oile vpon the stone c. And whereas the abuse did grow more plausible by reason of the name of the virgine Marie There are some saith he which do not honor her sufficiently there are some that glorifie her too much The Deuil vnder the colour of doing good entreth into the spirits of men deifieth the nature of man to cause thē to worship the dead c. But although the bodie of Marie were holy yet notwithstanding it was not God she was a virgin to be honored and reuerenced but not to be adored worshipped she her selfe falling downe worshipping him that was borne of her according to the flesh whereupon he saith vnto her What haue I to doe with thee O woman for feare that any man admiring too much her excellencie might fall into heresie These are the reasons hee vseth in all this disputation In the first place It is not spoken of in the scriptures Where is saith he the scripture where is the Prophet that hath spoken it And for the second Rom. 1. It is an old error which must not rule ouer vs to forsake the liuing and to worship that which he hath made according to that which is written They haue worshipped the creature more then the Creator c. And therefore neither Helias nor S. Iohn nor Thecla nor Marie For if it be denied the Angels why should it be granted to the daughter of Hanna that is to say Mary And afterward also whole pages to the like purpose Let Ieremie saith he hold in these sillie simple women that they may not trouble the whole world that they may not haue any more to say we honor the Queene of heauen c. What other thing should he heare at this day in the deuotions of the Church of Rome Then he concludeth And this wee haue written for their sakes that are desirous to attaine the truth of the scriptures But if there bee any man that liketh better to heare the contrarie for this superstition did not want Monkes to support it he that heareth let him heare he that is disobedient let him be disobedient c. Chrysostome may seeme to haue taken to taske the pulling downe subuersion of this abuse he taketh such paines by all maner of meanes to vndermine the very foundations thereof Hee saw that the people were more inclined to receiue helpe from the suffrages of another then to amend their owne liues Therefore hee impugneth this opinion Nay saith he We are a great deale more assured certified Chrysost hom 5. in Matth. by our owne suffrages thē by the suffrages of an other neither doth God so soon grant our saluation at the praiers of another as at our owne For by that meanes was he moued to pittie the Cananitish woman by that meanes also he gaue the harlot to belieue thus also did the thief obtaine paradise there being neither aduocate nor mediator to moue him to any of these by intercession But Idem hom 12. in Matth. Thou saist I haue no good works I cannot trust to my good life hereupon it is that we are to betake our selues to his mercie the calme and quiet hauen of sinners where iudgement ceaseth wherein consisteth vnspeakable safety according to the example of the Cananitish woman who neither went to Iames nor Iohn nor Peter c. But in stead of all these she embraced as her dearest companion vnfained and hearty repentance and it was also vnto her as her aduocate going on her behalfe directly vnto the soueraigne head and fountaine And wherefore said she is he come downe to take humane flesh vpon him why is he made man but that I may speake vnto him In another place Idem hom de prof Euang. Wilt thou see saith he what more we do for our selues by our owne praters then by those of an other◠when the Apostles pray for the Cananitish woman they are repelled I am not sent but to the lost sheepe of Israel c. But when shee pleadeth her owne cause by prayer how great a sinner soeuer shee were euen then it was that shee obtained grace euen then it was that the Lord did graunt her petition Yea but the scripture commandeth vs to pray one for another Other mens praiers therefore are not vnprofitable Admit it yet it must be by the Saints that are aliue and not by them that are dead And of this intercession of the Saints it is that he speaketh and not of that of the Church of Rome When we offer saith he altogether vnto God Idem hom 44 in Genes 1. Idem hom 5. in Mat. Idem hom in 1. ad Thes Genes 18. Ierem. 7.16.11.14 that which commeth from our selues and the intercession of the Saints is ioyned therewith it doth greatly profite vs. For saith he in another place the praiers and supplications of the Saints are of great force power on our behalfe and therefore let vs not neglect them but rather let vs pray them to pray for vs and to lend vs their helping hand But what Saintes euen those that are liuing and wee know them by the examples and patternes that he giueth vs of them As of Abraham making intercession for Lot and of Ieremie whom God forbiddeth to pray for the people and many other Where in the meane time wee haue to obserue and note the faithfull and good dealing of the Doctors of the Church of Rome who alleadge the same of the Saints deceased and not of the faithfull liuing which are in all the scipture commonly called Saintes As concerning the Saints deceased he sometimes speaketh of them according to the common opinion Idem in Basil Martyr especially in his Panegyricks That the magnanimitie and vndaunted boldnesse of the Martyrs is a terrour vnto the tyrantes the deuils and the Prince of the deuils That they pray to God with confidence as soldiers are wont to shew their wounds vnto their Prince Idem in Iuuent Maxim That if S. Paule haue loued men here below he hath also in heauen a more feruent loue towards them but that this neuer reacheth either to praying vnto Saintes or vnto Martyrs on the contrarie in all his praiers we doe not heare of any other but onely God But haue they not purchased Paradise by their sufferings and merites
that heade But O intollerable blasphemie He offered incense vnto God He offered it vpon the same tearmes as it seemeth to him that hee offered his owne sonne as with the same faith and with the same hope Receiue saieth he at the handes of vs sinners this offring of incense for a sauour of a sweet smel for the remission of our sinnes and the sins of all thy people c. and this he repeateth againe afterward without changing anie thing therein when hee blesseth and presenteth the Sacramentes How will this agree with the doctrine of the Apostles which is that there is no remission of sinnes without blood that our onelie propitiation is in the onelie blood of Christ Genebr in Miss S. Dionis c. yea and how will it agree with that of our Lithurgists who hold that the offring of incense is an oblation of thankesgiuing not of propitiation expiation or satisfaction and that altogether concurring and answerable to the old law from whence they would deriue and borrow their ceremonies forbidding to powre anie oyle or put anie incense vpon the oblations which were for sinne Leuit. 5.11 And this we see to bee directlie contrarie to that which they will make Saint Iames say a Sacrificer notwithstanding say they both of the one other Testament Furthermore there are manie things contained therin which might be verie wel obserued and noted for the conuincing of the same of error falshood as the Gloria patri and the Gloria in excelsis both which as we shall see did enter a long time after into the Lithurgies as also prayers for the dead prayer vnto the holie virgin c. which are yet of later time then the other witnes hereof is likewise Epiphanius who cōdemned praying vnto the holie virgin fiue hundred yeares after who would not haue opposed himselfe as a contrary party to an Apostle of Iesus Christ And without doubt this Lithurgie hath beene presented vnto the world vnder this name for no other end but that it might giue credite and applause vnto all these errors But all these particulars shall bee spoken of euerie one in more fit and conueniente places One thing wee will not omit which runneth as a long thread throughout the whole length of the webbe of this Masse or Lithurgie which is that there is an infinit sort of sentences and whole clauses out of S. Paul his Epistles wouen in here and there notwithstanding that they were not written by S. Paule till after S. Iames his death All that which we haue saide of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Marke his Masse of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Prayer for the Monkes and Monasteries of the offring of incense for the remission of sinnes c. let stande as saide that so wee may not bee driuen to vnnecessarie repetitions and spoken concerning and about the Masse of S. Marke also And yet ouer and besides them it hath his particular notes and brands of false and feyned counterfettednes as namelie a prayer for the Pope where was the Pope then in conscience tell me I pray you or where was he knowne then For the Subdeacons Readers Chanters c. whereas wee are of the minde that the Primitue Church knew not anie degrees of Officers vnder Deacons And a third prayer for the Cittie of Alexandria that God would keepe and preserue it in the vertuous life of the Martyr S. Marke c. S. Mathew his Masse who can excuse these contradictions these fooleries And Againe in S. Mathew his Masse besides whatsoeuer hath beene discouered before you may see the blessing of the boxe the Chalice and the spoone for the taking vp of wine A prayer for the Popes Patriarkes and Archbishops though they were not ordayned and extant for many ages after Mention of the Councell of Nice whose Creed is likewise sung therein Of the Councels of Constantinople Ephesus c. Of Saints as that Chrysostome Basill Gregorie the great c. Of all Christian kinges whereas there was not one when S. Mathew liued who now is he that is able to protest for these Masses that they are the Apostles if he consider either the matter or the forme thereof But yet if anie man wil replie and say that for the substance thereof or in grosse these things are true notwithstanding that from time to time there haue beene some small and particular circumstances cast in and mingled amongst expecting that wee should proue the contrarie as we will yet at the least what man is there that shall dare to be so bold as to take vpon him to distinguish of that which was the Apostles from that which was added by others betwixt that which was from God and that which was from men that which is authentike and originall from that which is positiue and of it selfe c. Of the Masse attributed to S. Andrew Concerning that which they pretend of S. Andrew we haue it not but they alledge about the same one Abdias a Bb. of Babilon made and appointed thereunto by the Apostles who reporteth of himselfe that he did see our Lord in his humane bodie c. This witnes themselues being Iudges may easilie bee controld and conuicted of falshood He hath seene saieth he our Lord and he alledgeth Hegesippus the Historian who liued a hundred and sixtie years after vpon which proposition S. Augustine against Faustus lib. 11. 22. cap. 80. Against Adim ch 17. Of faith against Manich ch 38. Cont. aduer leg lib. 1. ch 20. Distich 21. Sancta Romana wee may easilie inferre the conclusion But which is more S. Augustine teacheth vs in many places that this is for the most part the same booke which the Manichies chaunged for the true historie of the Apostles when wee reade therein the Historie of S. Thomas cursing a man who by and by afterward was torn in peeces of a lion Of Maximilla refusing to lye with Eger her husband putting in her roome her maide seruant Eucleia c. cited by S. Augustine in the same words and gathered out of the forenamed hereticall bookes which he condemned and Pope Gelasius was of the same opinion Adde to the former the miracles which he attributeth to the Apostles howbeit vnworthy of them in respect of their worthines and dignitie as namelie the repairing and mending of broken fingerstals the turning of trees and stones into golde a thousand such follies A temple builded at Ephesus to S. Iohn in his life time c. whereas for more then two hundred yeares after Origen was much troubled how he might answere Celsus asking of him what might be the cause that Christians had not eyther temples or altars c. There is yet remaining as not spoken of the Masse Of the Masse attributed to S. Peter which they call S. Peters and which they hold to be the same with S. Marke his Disciple framed and contriued somewhat neer vnto that sayeth Turrian
manner of seruice That the seruice of Christians was deriued from thence excepted one that after they had with all honourable reuerence and tender compassion buried the olde Synagogue they prayed vpon the Lords day that is to say vpon the first daye of the weeke in remembrance of the resurrection in stead of the Sabath and brought in the reading of the Euangelists the Epistles of the Apostles with that of the law the Prophets out of which the Bb. or Pastor did expound somewhat vnto them then after these lectures the holie supper was celebrated amongst the faithfull by the reciting of the institution of the same and the distributing of the bread and cup vnto the people the which for the most part were taken from their owne offrings for the vse of the holy Sacraments which done there followed certain Psalmes of thanksgiuing for the spiritual good things receiued of God at this holie table after which the assembly brake vp and all this was done and said euen till all was ended in great simplicity and singlenes and in a lauguage vnderstood and in such garmentes as all the people did weare as it shall bee certainelie proued hereafter from point to point Of the Confession of sins the first profession that euery Christiā must make Matth 3. Mar. 1 we haue some prints marks in S. Iohn Baptist for such as came vnto him cōfessed their sins were baptized for without the knowledge of sin no man can come to the acknowledgement of grace Acts 13. the shutting vp of Paul his sermō to the Iewes in the Synagogue at Antioch standeth vpon these words Be it known vnto you that by Iesus Christ remission of sins is preached vnto you c. wherby likewise we see that they which were cōuerted by the preaching of the Apostles were touched with compunction of heart confessed their sins hence cōmeth that which Lyranus telleth vs vpō those words in Leuiticus And the high Priest laying both his handes vppon the Goate Leuit. 16. shall confesse the iniquities of the children of Israell c. Not sayeth hee declaring all their particular sinnes for that were impossible but in generall as wee doe in the confession vsuallie made in the beginning of the Masse And yet notwithstanding now a dayes the Priest hath neuer a word that waye saue onelie for himselfe whereas the Pastor holding the place of the high Priest that is which is the mouth of the people in the Church ought to confesse vnto God the iniquities of that people in setting before them for the remission thereof the benefite of the Sacrifice of his onelie begotten sonne Iesus Christ our Lord which should make vs belieue together with other signes and marks which we shall see hereafter that this parte of seruice was of good praise and commendation as for reading it was ordinarie as we haue seene in the Synagogues whereinto the Apostles came for to instruct and teach the Iewes Acts 20. and for the publike assemblies wee haue a manifest example thereof in the Actes where S. Paule the Disciples being come together for to breake bread that is to celebrate the Lordes Supper handleth the word of God amongst them and continueth his speech vnto midnight that is he did not only reade vnto them but expounded it vnto them also and drew out from thence doctrines for their vse after the manner vsed in preaching and likewise hee ordinarilie calleth his office and function the Ministerie or administration of the word And as for prayers to be made for the aduancement of the glorie of God for the necessitie of the Church and state politique the heads and members of the same and for our owne saluation we haue both precept and prescript forme deliuered vs by our Lord Mat. 6. c. Mat. 6. 1. Tim 2. the admonition of S. Paul to make intercessions prayers supplications c. for all men for kinges for men set in authoritie c. and the example of the Apostles perseuering in prayer and in the breaking of bread c. and S. Augustine doth by name expound that place of S. Paule of solemne prayers of the Lordes Supper and as for the administration thereof we haue the forme set downe in the 1. to the Corinthians 10. 1. Cor. 10. 11. and 11. vnder the signes of bread wine which were wont to be brought to the common feastes of Christians they were blessed according to the institution of the Lord as it is there set downe for the communicating of his bodie and blood and in remembrance of his death which he suffered for our sinnes And this whole action was intermingled with Psalmes and spirituall giuinges of thankes taken and deriued from the example of our Lord who after the holie Supper sung a Psalme with his Apostles according to the exhortation likewise of S. Paule speaking thus vnto vs Be yee filled with the spirit speaking amongst your selues in Psalms and Hymnes and spiritual songs c. Ephes 5.18.19 Colos 3. giuing thankes alwaies for all thinges in the name of our Lord Iesus vnto our God and Father vpon a solemne or festiuall day it is cleare and euident by these wordes in the Actes Acts 20. And the first day of the weeke the Disciples being assembled c. that is to say vpon the Lordes day confirmed likewise 1. Cor. 11. where these assemblies may seeme to bee appointed properlie for the holie Supper of our Lord. 1. Cor. 11. To bee briefe that all was done in a knowne tongue 1. Cor. 14. we need no other witnes then S. Paule I esteem more sayeth hee of fiue wordes in the Church spoken to my vnderstanding then often thousand in an vnknowne tongue c. And againe this verilie was the scope and drift of the Spirit of God in the gift of tongues Now concerning all that hath gone before especiallie that of the more often celebrating of the holie Supper by the faithfull exercising themselues therein during the continuance of the first loue and zeale then they did afterward it is confirmed by all them that haue written anie thing of sacred functions but wee will insist vpon and presse them onelie who are of most authoritie and best allowance For Confession Lyranus hath told vs that they had a generall confession of the sinnes of the people in the beginning of their seruice imitating therein the manner of the Iewes in their prayers and sacrifices And to him let vs ioyne S. Ciprian as next The holy Hierarchie saieth hee that is the Minister of the Church whome the holie Ghost toucheth with compunction Ciprianus siue quis alius de card operib Christi let him watch thereto let him dwell therein and keepe holie the same c. and let him pray boldlie and confidentlie for his own ignorances and those of the peoples by making a confession from a wounded hearte c. Of Psalmes and reading of lessons out of
sacraments are distributed by the Deacons to euerie one yea vnto theÌ„ which through infirmity were not able to come as a signe of that coniunction vnitie which they had with the rest Tertul. in Apo. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Instino quod Tertulliano caetus Pro mora finis that is either of the world or of the Empire what can there be found more vnlike vnto the ceremony of the Masse or more like and answerable vnto the simplicitie of the reformed Church Tertullian in his Apologeticall Oration some fiftie yeares after Now saith he I will declare vnto you the practises of the Christian faction to the end that when I haue refuted the euill I may shew you the good we come together into one congregation to haue recourse vnto God by prayer forcing him as it were by the ioyning together of all our prayers and this violent inforcement is well pleasing and acceptable vnto God Wee pray for Emperors for their Officers and Potentates for the estate present for the quieting of matters and for the deferring and putting off of the ende we come together for the communicating of the holy scriptures if the estate of the time present do presse vs or to preuent somewhat to come or to take acknowledgement of the present and thus we shall feed our faith with holy speeches we relieue and succour our hope we make strong our confidence and therewithall likewise fortifie our discipline and manner of gouernment by the vrgent and vncessant rehearsall and renewing of the memorie of good preceptes In our congregation are likewise vsed exhortations reprehensions and the exercise of sacred censures for there matters are iudged with great aduisement as is wont to be done of such men as assuredly know that the face of God is towardes them to behold and see their doings And it is a great foreshew of the iudgement to come if any one amongst vs haue sinned so deepely as to bee excluded from the communication of prayer and of the assemblie and from all manner of hauing any thing to doe with this holy societie and fellowship The Elders that are best approued and found most faithfull 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iustino doe sit as Presidentes in our assemblies aduaunced and called to that dignitie not through any summes of money but vpon the waight and sway of the good testimony Tertul. de Corona milit which they haue giuen c. And at their handes saith hee in another place wee receiue the Lordes Supper In the second booke written by him to his wife speaking of the exercises of pietie which a woman married to an vnbelieuing man could not inioy Tertull. l. 2. ad vxorem At whose hand saith he shall shee desire the Sacrament of bread and of whome shall shee participate and take the cuppe What shall her husband talke and commune of with her or what shall she talke and commune of with him Doe you thinke that it will be meete for one to bee talking of Tauernes in the time of the receiuing of the Lordes Supper or of Hell c And where then shall bee our due and holy remembring of God our calling vpon Christ the nourishing of our faith and the intermingled reading of the scriptures Tertull. de anima In his booke of the Soule There is saith hee a sister amongst vs vnto whom is giuen the gift of reuelation In the middest of diuine seruice shee is cast into an extasie She is brought into the companie of the Angels and sometimes into the presence of the Lorde himselfe Adlocutiones proferuntur c. Againe according to the scriptures which are read or the Psalmes which are sung or the Sermons which are made or the prayers which are offered newe matter of visions is administred and offered vnto her she seeth and heareth the Sacraments c. In which words he may seeme to haue comprehended in briefe all the substance of the auncient diuine seruice Tertull. de Pudicit c. 10. For the circumstances in his booke of shamefastnesse there was alleadged vnto him a chalice whereupon was painted our Lord seeking the stray sheepe Out of this cuppe saith he thou wilt drinke that is deriue and fetch a second kinde of pennance he speaketh after the phrase of the heresie of Montanus but as for mee I draw and drinke of the scripture of this Pastor which cannot be broken in peeces Tertul. de orat c. 12. alluding to the glasse cuppes which were of Glasse in his time As likewise in his booke of prayer he reproueth them which after the manner of the Pagans Posit is penulis orabant that is put off their cloakes or vpper garments to pray Where haue you saith he any commandement either from the Lord or from his Apostles This is superstition and not religion a curious and not a reasonable seruice wherein was nothing but an apish imitation of the Gentils I omit to speake of the kisse of reconciliation before the holy supper which he calleth SignaculuÌ„ orationis without the which we canot pray well vnto God nor come neere vnto his mysteries And therfore hee taketh them vp roundly Tertull. in lib. de oratione which habita oratione subtrahebant osculum pacis that is which after prayer did depriue themselues of the kisse of peace that is refused the marke of reconciliatioÌ„ with their brethreÌ„ But let it be that we our aduersaries agree wel together about all these places yet notwithstanding they will draw vs forth an African Masse But what wil they gaine themselues that way seeing they shal be able to proue nothing but that the holy supper was distributed vnder both kinds vnto all in generall euerie one in particular by the Pastor or Minister That there was vsed ardent and deuout prayers before and after that the word of God was there read expounded by the Praeses or Pastor of the Church applyed likewise in reprehensions and censures That therein men and women did vse to sing Psalmes That all was done there in a knowne tongue without any curiositie about the vessels and without any distinction or difference for or about apparell and garmentes S. Cyprian in Epist ad Câ—â—câ—â—uÌ„ Cyprian in an Epistle vnto Cecilius disputing Contra Aquarios against such as vsed water in the holy Supper which he calleth Dominicum as if a man should say the Lords banket sheweth vs very well that we must keepe and hold our selues fast and close to the institution of Christ without changing any thing thereof and that throughout his diocesse hee vsed it so for he sendeth them to the Gospell and to Saint Paule to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 11. out of whom he rehearseth the place euen through to the very end Of a truth saith he seeing that neither any Apostle neither yet any Angell from heauen could declare or teach vs any thing PraeterquaÌ„ quod Christus semel docuit besides that which Christ hath once taught
vs I cannot but meruaile how against all both Euangelical Apostolicall doctrine men dare to offer in some places water in the cup c. Afterward he addeth For they should aske counsell at those whom they follow wherefore if in the sacrifice which is Christ wee are not to follow any other then Christ it must of necessitie follow and be laid vpon vs that we ought to obey and doe as Christ hath done and also commanded vs to doe seeing hee telleth vs in his Gospell If you doe the things which I command you I call you no more seruantes but friendes For that Christ ought onely to be heard saith he God the father himselfe hath witnessed it from heauen saying This is my welbeloued Sonne c. heare him Whereupon then it must follow that we are not to regard what euery one before vs hath iudged meet and conuenient to be done but vnto that which Iesus Christ hath done which is before all because wee are not to apply our selues to follow and imitate the custome of man but the truth and veritie of God But and if thy conscience checke or trouble thee by reason of the life and doinges of thy predecessors who haue so and so liued and which haue followed such and such traditions he putteth into thy mouth what to answere vnto thy selfe in that case likewise For saith he if any of our Predecessors either through ignorance or foolish simplicitie haue held otherwise then the Lord hath taught vs eyther by his precept or by his example God will pardon such his simplicitie through his rich and aboundant mercie but vnto vs forewarned taught the contrarie by himselfe it cannot be pardoned and forgiuen Now in deede it were meet that we should write out all the whole treatise because it driueth onely and aymeth at the annihilating of all manner of mens traditions that so nothing might bee embraced but the pure institution of Christ contained in the Gospell and in the Apostle But that wee may come to the particular and speciall pointes of this diuine seruice we haue alreadie seene and heard what he hath said of the generall confession which the Minister or Priest made of the sinnes of the people and his owne There was also at this time in the Christian assemblies a mounted or raised place out of which the reader appointed for the same vsed to reade the scriptures as also the Bb. to make his sermons vpon the same so read Cyprian de operib Cardinal Christi Conciliū Laodic Canon 19. Which said place Cyprian calleth Tribunal ecclesiae but others Suggestum pulpitum c. And the sermon or Homelie was made after the reading of the Gospell and before the celebration of the Sacrament as appeareth by the Councell of Laodicea that is to say before the going out of those which were to be instructed and catechised in Christianitie to the end that they might bee receiued into the Christian Church This reading is likewise apparant Cypr. lib. 2. Epist 5. where Saint Cyprian ordained for the reader a Confessor of the name of Christ He was worthie saith he not for his age but for his deserts of some higher roome in the church but it seemed good vnto vs that he should begin at the office of reading because nothing soundeth better in that mouth which hath confessed Christ by a glorious professing and witnessing of him then the sound of the celebrating of the diuine lectures To reade saith he the Gospel of Christ which maketh the Martyrs to come from the stockes to the pulpit c. and because such ioy loueth not any lingring delay Dominico legit Hee began to reade vpon the day of the holy Supper c. And as for the sermon Eusebius maketh mention that it was ordinarily and commonly vsed in the holy assemblies of the African Churches Euseb lib. 7. cap. 22. and wee haue many places also to that effect out of Saint Cyprian Wee learne also of Origene that it was the custome that the Reader should reade the scripture Socrat. lib. 5. cap. 12. Cipri serm in orat Doinic and the Pastor expound it And Socrates maketh mention that in the Church of Alexandria this was Origene his professed practise And as concerning prayers Our praying saith Saint Ciprian is publike and common not for one man alone but for all the people for that likewise all this people is but as one And to the end that all carnall cogitation may bee far from vs the Minister before praier prepareth the hearts of the brethren by this preface Sursum corda which is lift vp your harts on high to the end that the people which answere Habemus ad Dominū that is we lift them vp vnto the Lord may be forewarned not to think of any thing but him onely And consequently the celebration of the Lordes Supper followed the insticution whereof was read for the blessing of the sacraments and after that a generall prayer as appeareth in a historie of one possessed of a Deuill of whom he saith Cypr. in serm de lapsis that she was impatient during the time of this prayer Precis orationisque nostra impatiens c. But that solennibus adimpletis the holy things being accomplished that is to say Et accipientibus caeteris locus eius aduenit Cypr. de Caena Dominic the blessing of the sacraments the Deacon beginning to giue the cup she would haue taken it in her place howbeit very quickly by a secret instnct and motion from God she began to turne away her face At which time likewise all the faithfull indifferently without exception of any did communicate practising the same that he speaketh of elsewhere saying The Priests are not admitted alone to the communicating of this foode but the whole church euery one receiueth his portion equally c. Hitherto you see the simple and sincere manner of diuine seruice continued and vsed in the Church but let vs see what thinges they were that in this meane time are reported to haue beene added thereunto by the Bishops of Rome Some attribute to Pope Alexander the first this clause Qui pridie quam pateretur c. that is who in the day before his passion tooke the bread in his precious hands and lifting vp his eyes vnto thee O God his father most mightie and yeelding thee thankes blessed it brake it and gaue it to his disciples saying take eate ye all c. Whereby appeareth that in former times by their owne testimony these words Hoc est corpus meum was pronounced without any Canon and without any preface Iustin Apol. 2. Plat. in Sixt. 1. as we may reade them all naked and by themselues in Iustine his second Apologie Do this in remembrance of me This is my bodie This is my bloud c. To Sixtus 1. is attributed Sanctus c. Holy holy holy Lorde God of hostes the heauens and earth are ful of thy glorie And this which Platina did set
Neither yet that S. Paule became a Iew and obserued the law but to the end that hee might draw them from their rudiments or that in like manner by becomming a Gentile hee held not any thing of their vnknowne God but rather preached vnto them the sonne of God come into the worlde that is to say without the annihilating of the crosse of Christ without preiudicing yea to the aduauncing of the veritie simplicitie and puritie of doctrine But as yet the substance of the truth ceased not to swimme and flote a long time vpon the face of these humane inuentions being the good seed husbanded by the care and industry of good teachers who suffered not the same to be choked ouerrun with the darnell at the first blow vntill the ouerflowing streame of barbarous and rude men which happened some ages after did vtterly ouerwhelme it and make an end of the same by occasion whereof the darke and palpable thicke cloudes of ignoraunce did burie and swallow vp Christianitie The Pastors being partly ignorant and partly negligent suffered the darnell to grow so that the darnell occupied the place of the corne euen the incorruptible seed of the word in so much as that the greatest part of Christendome suffered the famine of the true breade that is of the true preaching of the Gospell becomming drunken opprest in the meane time with the excessiuenesse of mens inuentions the proper darnell-bread thrust vpon them vnder the name of traditions And this is that which we haue now to verifie concerning the matter of the Masse going forward with the handling of the growth and proceeding thereof from age to age And here let vs call to mind in what estate condition we left the diuine seruice in the former Chapter It consisted of a general confession of sinnes in singing of whole Psalms in the reading of the holy scriptures in the Pastor his preaching vpō the same after that in a generall prayer for the whole world in the blessing and distributing of the Sacraments to all the faithfull vnder both kindes in a thankesgiuing for the benefite receiued of God in Christ renewed in the action of the Sacrament and how that all this was vttered in a knowne tongue and a language vnderstood of all the people which answered thereunto from time to time the vessels and apparrell being such as were commonly vsed euery thing done in simplicity without vaine ostentation void of all manner of wauering ceremonies and all these thinges continued vnto the times and ages that we are now to speake of being the substantiall partes of the true and lawfull diuine seruice Euseb lib. 10. cap. 2. 3. Eusebius speaking of the ordinarie actions of the true diuine seruice maketh mention of prayers psalmes lessons sermons the blessing communicating of the Sacraments Euseb lib. 4. of the life of Constantine S. Hilarie psal 65. S. August in epist 119. of thankesgiuing c. Likewise saith he Constantine the Emperour praied with the congregation sung himselfe heard the sermon reuerently and that standing saith he not thinking it seemly for him to sit downe in that place S. Hillarie If any man stay without the church he shall heare the voice of the people which prayeth he shall vnderstand the solemne tunes of the Psalmes and in the offices of the holy Sacramentes the aunswere of a denout confession Saint Augustine in as many wordes Jt is not to the purpose saith he to sing Psalmes in the Church when the scripture is in reading or when it is in handling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the same that he meaneth by these words Quando disputatur when the chiefe the Pastors or the Bishops doe pray aloude or when warning is giuen by the Deacons that wee must giue our selues vnto the generall prayer But these meane whiles excepted what can the assemblies of the faithfull bee better occupied about what more holy thing is there which they may exercise themselues in then in singing of Psalmes Hesychius vpon Leuit. lib. 7 cap. 24. Dionys in Hicratch lib. 3. Hesichius Prayer is holy the reading of the scriptures is holy the hearing of the expounding of the same is holy yea and holy it is whatsoeuer is said or done in the church of God according to his law c. This in briefe is the summe of the whole seruice as is testified likewise in the Hierarchie of Saint Denis for it must needes bee referred vnto this time describing the manner of the celebrating of the holy Supper for he affordeth and graunteth place vnto euerie one of these partes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 making it to begin with the harmonious singing of Psalmes the whole ordinance of the Church singing with the Bishop Afterward hee causeth the reading of the holy scriptures to follow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Ministers of the Church and from thence to draw out exhortations vnto the people after which hee giueth leaue to those which were not admitted to the sacramentes to go forth of the Church and temple as namely those that were catechised the penitents and the possessed Then the holy sacraments are set vpon the table and are blessed and sanctified by holy prayer the which are first receiued and taken by him that is the chiefe in these holy actions as the Minister or Bishop and after giuen to all that are by after that they haue testified their spirituall vnitie by a holy kisse Which done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith hee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is hauing participated and distributed the Sacramentes that is the breade and the wine hee closeth vppe the whole action with a holy Eucharist that is a publique than kesgiuing for the benefite receiued from our God in the receiuing of his holy Supper Let vs now follow on The Psalmes Chryso in his eight hom vpō the Heb. Chrysost in hom 6. de paenitent and go forwarde through euerie one of these partes Chrysostome saith of the Psalmes Euerie weeke the Psalmes are read twise or thrice Againe Wherefore haue the Christians the Psalmes alwayes in their mouthes seeing wee reade the Gospell but once or twice neither yet the writinges of the Apostle and why also doe wee sing those with our owne mouthes doing nothing but lending our eares to these Saint Augustine recommendeth them vnto vs by the example of Christ and his Apostles for the profit comming of the precepts contained therein for the edge which they set vpon our zeale Againe he taketh vpon him the protection thereof against such as blamed the Church of Carthage because it did sing them S. Augustine li. 2. retract ca. 2◠whether it were before the offering or in the time of the distributing thereof vnto the people that is to say the Lordes Supper Now it was the auncient custome to sing them and that altogether all throughout The Psalmes cut in sunder diuided into parts Optat. lib. 4. Epiph. haer 64.
as it is to this day vsed in the Greeke Churches But about this time the zeale of Christians waxing cold they began in the Church of Rome to deuide them into certaine peeces or pawses which were called partes to the end that seruice might be made the shorter as we reade in Optatus who citeth the 2. part of the nine and fortieth Psalme And alth ought this diuiding of Psalmes into partes may seeme to haue beene in the time of S. Hillarie yet it was not receined into the Church Epiphanius calleth them distinctions S. Ambrose in his Lithurgie Psalmulos or little Psalmes which are nothing else but verses and they were sung within a certaine time after countervoicewise one side singing one verse and an other an other Of the Institution Theodoret reporteth of Flauianus and Diodorus in Antioch Theodor lib. 2 cap. 24. that they caused them to be thus sung about the sepulchers of Martyrs but in the Latine Church Paulinus reporteth it to be by the appointment of Saint Ambrose in his Dioces which was afterward about the yeare 430. spread abroad euerie where and that by the authoritie of Pope Celestine who by name did practise it at the first beginning and entrance into ecclesiasticall or diuine seruice Of reading S. Chrysostome reporteth ordinarily When it is told thee in the church Of reading Chrysost hom 36. in 1. ad Cor. hom 3. in 2. ad Thessal Concil Laodi cap. 17. Cut diuided readings or lessons Ambr. in praefat in Psalm De Offic. lib. 1 cap. 11. 44. Seuer Sulpit. de vita S. Mart. l. 3. De Offi. l. 1. c. 8 De Virg. l. 3. ad Gratian. l. 4. c. S. Agust tract 9 in Ioann serm 236. de temp serm 7. 10. de verb. Apostol c. Beloth c. 57. Berno Radulphus The Sermon Ambr. epist 33 post tractatū S. Basil in psal 14. 114. S. August in 1. Epist S. Ioh. Amb. epist 33. S. August de ciuit l. 22. c. 8 August de doctrina Christia the Lord saith so and that the Deacon doth bid all the world to be silent and still thinke not that it is not to the ende that thou shouldest honour the reader but rather him that speaketh by his mouth Againe when thou hearest the Prophete which telleth thee the Lord saith this Remoue thy solfe O earth and rise thou higher O heauen thinke within thy selfe who it is from whom the Prophet speaketh vnto thee If these readinges had beene such as are now a daies in the Masse to what end should those exhortations of S. Chrysostome serue But the Councell of Laodicea is likewise plaine and pregnant in this point Let the Canonical scriptures be read in the church not any others S. Ambrose oftentimes What seueritie of punishment haue we established in the Church to the end that silence may bee kept whiles the scriptures are reading whereas notwithstanding the Psalmes doe keepe silence of themselues And these readinges or lessons were aswell out of the law as out of the Gospell and Apostle as appeareth in infinite places of S. Ambrose S. Augustine and others and that throughout whole books vntill such time as S. Ierome by the commandement of Pope Damascene because the lithurgy seemed as then to be too long did make an extract of certain lessons out of the Prophets Epistles Gospels wherevpon he composed the booke called Comes or the booke of lessons from which time they began to be in vse in the Church Now the Bishop or Pastor of the Church was wont to take the place whereof he wold make his sermō ordinarily out of those lessons as appeareth by those wordes of S. Ambrose S. Augustine and others so oftentimes vsed We haue heard in the lesson that hath beene read c. and vpon the same we must deliuer and speake as the Lord shall vouchsafe to enable vs c. And sometime out of the Psalme that had beene sung as may be seene in S. Basill vpon Psalme 114. Or else they tooke a whole booke as S. Augustine in his treatise vpon S. Iohn saue that vpon the daies of great feastes as the feast of the Natiuitie Easter and Pentecost they chose out picked places from thence to intreate of the historie and misterie And the sermon was called Tractatus Sermo and from thence grew these speeches Homilia tractare de superiori loco dicere siue de exedra And it was the custome of the Pastor before he began to speake to the people to pray vnto God that hee woulde shew him the fauor and mercie to teach them well and to giue them well and throughly to apprehend that which hee should teach them according to Saint Augustine his precept Before he speake let him pray vnto God for himselfe and for them to whom he is to preach and let him be saith hee Orator antequà m dictor which is let him pray before hee preach And this sermon did continue as wee learne out of Saint Basill about an houre in the ende likewise concluding the same with prayer In Saint Augustine Conuersi rursus ad Dominum c. we betake our selues againe vnto God c. And furthermore as this is the principall charge of the Ministers to preach the worde as those vnto whom our Lord deliuering his commission spake in these expresse wordes Go preach the Gospell vnto all creatures c. So haue we from these great and worthie men infinite sermons as by name from Saint Cyprian Saint Ambrose Saint Augustine S. Chrysostome S. Basill c. but not from any one of these any booke of rites or ceremonies neyther yet any patterne of any sacrifice And they let not to take great paine to prescribe and point out vnto vs the qualities of a preacher and the partes and conditions of a Bishoppe that is worthy the roome and place of teaching the people especially Saint Augustine in his bookes of Christian doctrine but for teaching of him howe many diuers wayes and with howe many ceremonies hee should say Masse or offer his pretended sacrifice they trouble not themselues at all Now after the sermon That the holy Supper was frequented at that time of al the faithful it was ordinarily the custome to beginne with the administration of the holy Supper especially during the time of their first loue and zeale when as the Christians for the most part did communicate euerie weeke yea and some euerie day the Sacramentes being neuer set vpon the Table of the Lorde but that there would bee a number of faithfull Christians to communicate thereof And furthermore S. August ad Ianuar. ep 119 Saint Augustine exhorteth the faithfull to communicate euery Lordes day Prouided saith hee that thy soule be not set vpon sinne Saint Ambrose giueth warning and admonisheth them to celebrate the memorie of the Lord euerie day rebuking certaine of the East Churches which did not communicate oftener then once a yeare And Eusebius saith that the same
learned thinke not these sermons to bee his as being founde elsewhere to bee attributed to Saint Ambrose or to Hugo de Sancta victoria such furthermore as haue thus found them without any name Erasm de concionib Amb. August ad frat Eremit August in ser de tempore 23 not knowing to whom well to attribute or impute them Saint Augustine saith Ecce post sermonem fit Missa catechumenis manebunt fideles that is that after the sermon leaue shall bee graunted vnto those that are catechised to depart that is to say such as yet haue neede to bee instructed in the faith whereas the sufficient instructed and grounded in faith shall abide In which place by Bellarmine his owne iudgement it cannot bee taken for any other thing then a simple leaue to depart and not for any sacrifice or Sacrament Againe In lectione quae nobis ad Missas legenda est audituri sumus that is We shall heare in the lesson which shall bee read in the Masse c. In which place hee may seeme to comprehend not onely the one or the other seruice or part of seruice that is to say that of the catechised and the other of the faithfull but euen all manner of spirituall exercise in the Church Cassian l. 2. c. 7. l. 3. c. 7. 8. Amb. l. 5. epis 8 whether it did follow the celebration of the holy Supper or not as it is ordinarily taken and meant in Cassian who writ more then a hundred years after S. Ambrose The day following which was the Lords day Post lectiones atque tractatum dimissis catechumenis c. Missam facere coepi After the lessons and Sermon hauing giuen leaue to the catechised to depart I began to say Masse Where behold how that here seemeth no other thing to bee meant then a restrayning of that hee did to the seruice which was proper to the faithfull that is to say to the blessing communicating and distributing of the Sacramentes verie farre differing as wee shall well see from the Popes Masse once I say for all in Saint Ambrose neuer in Saint Ierome and in Saint Augustine cleane in an other sence And this assuredly maketh the suspition of no small weight which some haue had of these bookes namely that they should bee none of Ambrose his workes Hieronymus in Prou. Salo. c. 11. as contrarying his doctrine in many places For as for the place that is alleadged out of S. Ierome vpon the Prouerbes who will belieue that it was his seeing that S. Gregorie is there alleadged and not rather some worke of Beda to whom the best learned doe ascribe it But what fatall chaunge or translation was destinated vnto this word that from an ill throwne Latine word signifying leaue or libertie it should necessarily be drawne in first to signifie a part of Gods diuine worship and seruice then a pretended sacrifice Thirdly a worke wrought for the saluation of the quicke and the dead and finally to leape into the roome of the market place called Palladium in Rome promising as large and plentifull store of wares and marchandise for the Christian soule as euer that other did commodities for the carnall bodie And yet here we are not to omit that which wee haue alreadie touched namely that all the seruices and exercises of the church as publique prayers singing of Psalmes by night by day euening or morning were called Masses in the ages following although they medled not at all with the administration of the Lords Supper the reason thereof was because that all Christian assemblies were wont to dismisse themselues vpon a general praier made which was called Collecta sometimes Missa that is a leaue or libertie to depart or a Masse in asmuch as the departure followed imediately after the same This appeareth by S. Benet his rule wherein after he hath declared the order of prayers and supplications to be kept at the houres canonicall there is added Et sint vel fiant Missae which is as much as if he should say And then let them depart giue them leaue to go away The same also appeareth by Cassian to be so who saith speaking of the Monkes of Egypt that after the Masse of the vigils they were permitted a little sleepe vntill it was day And againe that vpon the Lordes day they had but one Masse or departure before dinner which was reckoned vnto them for their thirdes and sixtes c. But in as much as in this they were wont to communicate and receiue the Lords Supper altogether the name by little and little and by succession of time tooke roote and continued to the rooting out of all others But that we may not content our selues with our former store go no further we haue testimonies of this dismission Masse or departure from the best most approued of this our time I speake not of the Liturgies touched heretofore and which shall be againe touched hereafter in all which these wordes are to bee founde and read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dionys in Hierar l. 3. Hieron in â—pi ad Gala. l. 3. c. 6 Chrys hom 24 83. in Math. 24.61 79. ad popul Antioch hom 3. 4 de natur Dei c. that is to say let the catechised and such as are inioyned humiliation for their transgressions withdraw themselues let the faithfull onely stay c. And froÌ„ the time euen of Gregory this was the crie of the Deacon after the Gospel not any more after the sermon because that after that time there was but little preaching Si quis non communicat exeat which is If there be any man that wil not communicate let him go away out of the congregation But in Saint Denis in S. Ierome and in S. Chrysostome this ceremonie may bee obserued and marked in infinite places And the Counsels of the same time shew it euidently Catechumeni in Missa corum ne demittantur c. Let not those that are catechised bee licensed to depart from their Masse except it bee after that they haue heard eyther the Sermon made by the Bb. Concil Laod. c. 19. Concil Câ—â—thgin 4. c. 84. or the Sermon made by the Minister Neither let the Bb. keepe anie one from entring into the Church for to heare the word of God whether it be Iew or Gentile or from staying there vntill the Masse that is to say vntil the time of admonition to depart giuen to those which are catechised And thus we haue seene what manner of seruice it was whereat they were present namelie the first prayers singing of Psalmes reading of holie Scriptures the Sermon and the Creede It remaineth that wee see what manner of seruice the second was namelie that which was reserued onelie for the faithfull CHAP. V. What manner of Diuine seruice was vsed namelie in that which was called the Masse of the faithfull IT is first to bee noted that in that space of time happening
the furnace Also for that now the Church beganne to be very rich of gifts that the sacrifices that is the offerings of the people should be distributed and diuided equally into foure portions for the Bb. or Pastour for the Cleargie or ministers of the Church for the poore and for the repairing of the church And therevpon and that not without cause euerie one being hereby thus tickled and pricked forward to adde euery day some thing to the seruice as their fancie led them the Mileuitane Councell in the time of S. Augustine tooke the matter in hand ordaining that no other praiers prefaces supplications and masses that is Collects Recommendations or Impositions of hands should be vsed in the Church but those which were approued in that Councel or Synode Least as the same saith by negligence or ignorance there might slip some thing which might be contrarie to the faith this reason is likewise giuen afterward by the Africane councell and it came as yet timely enough if it had been well obserued by those which after came in place yea by Gregorie himselfe And thus be hold The vnlikenes of the Romish Masse we are come to the fiue hundreth yeares after Christ finding in all this time one seruice consisting of confessions and praiers Psalmes reading preaching blessing and distributing of the sacraments according to the institution of our Lord singing of praises vnto God during the time of the communion and a thankesgiuing for the end and conclusion c. without any new offering or sacrificing vp of the sonne of God without any inuocating of the creatures by praying vnto theÌ„ without adoring and worshipping of the sacraments and without as yet free from infinite other both impieties and superstitions and therefore by consequent far from the Masse vsed at this day and on the contrarie side comming much neerer vnto the manner of the holy supper as it is now vsed in the reformed Churches The Romish Masse which is the action of one onely man saying reading speaking by figures in a language not vnderstood that is voide of edification then eating drinking without communion all alone and yet speaking continually in the plurall number being a colde ceremonie if euer there were any The holy supper on the contrarie consisting of a feruent praier by the which the Pastour maketh open protestation The cokerâ—ce and agreement of the Lords Supper with that of olde and declaration of the miserie and destruction of mankinde for the people and himselfe of their serious repentance vnto amendement of life and of remission of sinnes by faith in Christ in Psalmes sung with one consent of heart and voice by all the people for to quicken and stirre vp their fainting and ouer dull spirits vnto God in the reading of the sacred word and the interpreting and applying of the same in his time place by the Pastour as namely after that he hath in solemne sort supplicated the Almightie creator in the fauour of his onely begotten that it would please him to open his mouth for to teach and deliuer the same profitably and the eares and hearts of the people for to vnderstand well in a generall praier for the necessities of the Church and of the whole world for Magistrates pastours the conuersion of Infidels the extirpation and rooting out of heresies the publike peace and all maner of generall and particular afflictions in the reading of the holy supper and expounding of the same by the which namely the faithfull are exhorted to come to the holy table in humilitie and deuotion in assurance of faith and ardent charitie with an earnest acknowledgement of their sinnes and notwithstanding in a stedfast affiance in the mercies of God manifested and reuealed in Iesus Christ admonished to renounce all rancour and hatred contentions and strife and carefully to labour to bee reconciled if so be that they bee broken forth and come to the knowledge of others but the impenitent and wilfull obstinate are debarred from the same and that not by the voice and declaration of the Deacon alone but by a seuere denunciation of the iudgement of God if they abuse the bodie of the Lord as likewise by the sence and feeling of their owne consciences or by the iudgement of the Church After which things all and euery one came neere vnto the holy table in decent order and due reuerence to communicate the bodie and bloud of our Lord they receiued the holie sacraments at the hands of the Pastors with the most significant words that are either in the Gospel or in any of the Epistles of the Apostles lifting vp their hearts on high and praying to God that it would please him by the vertue of his holy spirit to giue them the flesh of his sonne for their spirituall repast and foode and his blood for their drinke vnto eternall life seeing that of his infinit mercie he hath vouchsafed to make them bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh c that so they may abide liue and dwell continually in him And during all the time of this action the deuotion of the assemblie was cherished and nourished with the reading of the holy scriptures as most meete to declare the death of the Lord vntill his comming and to record the vnspeakable benefite of the same with singing of Psalmes also chosen out of purpose both for the calling to minde of man his miserie as also for giuing vnto them the sence feeling of Gods mercie and thirdly for the stirring of them vp to giue vnto God for the same all vnfained and solemne thankes And finally there followed the dismission of the assemblie with a praier of the whole people vnto God containing a briefe thankesgiuing for that it had pleased him to make them to see and taste the assurance of their saluation in the communion and participation of his welbeloued sonne ioyning therunto the singing of the song of Simeon vsed of the old Church as wee haue alreadie seene to the same end and purpose And after the solemne and accustomed blessing admonition being giuen them how they should witnes and testifie the coniunction vnitie which they feele and find in Christ by the way and manner of that liuelie sence and feeling which the members of the bodie haue with the head they were to distribute euery one according to his abilitie vnto the poor for whome the Deacons were to receiue what should be giuen I speake nothing of the order of Catechising both publikelie and priuatelie which was wont to bee appointed and practised certaine weeks before for the instruction and examination of such as should be partakers thereof the morning Sermon which ordinarily is spent in the expounding of the doctrine of the Sacrament vnto the people and that also of the after noone tending to the stirring of vs vppe to the giuing of thankes vnto God Now then let euerie man iudge without being partiall in the matter in which of these two
also to be of the same mind with S. Augustine when he saith in the very same places That the catechised in a certain maner were sanctified by the sign of Christ That the signe of the crosse is a Sacrament which is receiued in the forhead as the others are in the mouth and in the bodie improper speeches as well the one as the other haue begotten and hatched sutable like opinions Els what will they say to Thomas Aquinas who maintaineth and defendeth that the signe of the crosse is not necessarie in the sacraments And how much better had it beene to the purpose for them to haue kept themselues to the serious meditation of the true crosse the death and passion of our Lord But all that they thus struggle and striue for Thomas 3. p. Summae qu. 84. artic 42. add 3. is to be able to approue and make good the signes of the Crosse which are so often in the Masse but yet they cannot tell how to become friends with S. Denis who amongst so many ceremonies reckoned vp in his lithurgie hath not made any mention at all thereof But they tell vs The lithurgies of this time that all these ceremonies are found in the lithurgies or offices of this time as that of S. Basil S. Chrysost c. as likewise many doctrines which we approue not I auouch confesse the same most freely and reserue the doctrines to handle them in their place but I aunswere here in a word that I will not let to indorse write vp the title of false and counterfeite against all these lithurgies and that by prouing either that they were neuer written nor made by them or that if they did ordaine any prescript forme of the administration of the sacrament in their diocesses as there is some apparance and likelihood that they did that according to the measure of abuses that haue beene brought in they were corrupted and depraued afterward And first he that shal compare that which the Syrians vse vnder the name of Basil with that which we haue shall find most notable differences therein Then againe of that which we haue there is one patterne and copie which the old interpreter did vse and another which the latter new interpreter did vse so likewise it standeth with it in the matters of substance Secondly for that that which is attributed vnto Chrysostome is not agreed vpon by the copies of Leo Thuscanus Erasmus and Pelargus one of the making mention of the dead of the inuocating of the virgin there being nothing in the other concerning the same one of them also being printed at Rome and the other at Paris where may also be obserued the forward readinesse and zeale of one place to corrupt and falsifie a thing more then another which is a matter of no small moment to cause men to doubt of the truth of them both And furthermore the Doctor of Espence noteth Claud. Espenc de Missa priuata That this Leo went about to alter and change that which Chrysostome had said of the priuate Masse into an ill fauoured sence and that far from the purpose for which he had deliuered it fitting and applying it to the fashion of the Latine Church in his time into which as then they had brought the same for he was Secretarie to Emanuel Emperour of Greece about the yeare 1170. and did interprete vnto him the writinges of Trithemius the Abbot Which notwithstanding saith hee I doe not stand vppon eyther to make it suspicious or to bee thought vnworthie of Chrysostome and the Greeke Church but rather to cause that it might bee receyued and certainly knowne that as it was begunne by Saint Chrysostome so it had beene amplified and inlarged by others in succession of time The same likewise for the same reasons may bee saide of Saint Basill Thirdly wee haue the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both in the one and in the other And wee haue shewed before that it was not receiued till about a hundred yeares after them by Proclus Archbishoppe of Constantinople and in both of them there is mention of Confessors after the Martyrs Now it is confessed by our aduersaries themselues that their name was not receiued into the seruice of the Church till a long time after and yet also a great deale later into the Latine Church Wee find also in both of them the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mother of God speaking of the holy virgin the doctrine concerning the same is as old and was borne with the Church but the heresie of Nestorius gaue occasion of the worde first receiued in the Councels of Ephesus which were after them In both of them wee find the offring vp of incense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the remission of sinnes a ceremonie altogether vnknowne vnto these auncient fathers and a blasphemous doctrine not tollerable amongst Christians In that of Basil particularly wee finde the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Panis Catechumenorum the holy bread to bee distributed after seruice vnto them which had not communicated not knowne at this time in the Church of the Grecians neither yet mentioned in Basil Nazianzene nor Chrysostome againe in that of Chrysostome by it selfe the Priest adoreth the image of our Sauiour crucified and of the holy virgine a thing not heard of in the Greekish Church for 300. yeares after neither made mention of in any one of all his bookes though he writ verie many volumes and that amongst the rest he was giuen very diligently to write of the ceremonies of the holy supper yea and which is more condemned by himselfe in expresse tearmes Is not this saith he a shame that those whome God hath indued with reason Chsysost in hom 57. in Genes c. 31. doe honour wood and stone that those vpon whom he hath bestowed a voice and speech should bee caried away to the worship of dumbe thinges yea doe we thinke that such brutish and beastly Apostasie can be within the compasse of mercie Fourthly ioyne to the former that there is mention made not of Chrysostome only who is inuocated and prayed vnto therein in certaine copies but of many moe Saintes who liued after Chrysostome and that therein is prayer made for the Emperour Alexius and for the Pope Nicholas by the name of Oecumenius or vniuersall Now it is well knowne that the Greeke Church did neuer take any acknowledgement of the Bb. of Rome by this name and title but that euer since the yeare 1054. the Greekes haue degraded him and set vp in his place the Patriarch of Constantinople that is to say more then 30. years before Alexius came to the Empire And from other places it is to be proued that the first of this name fell to be in the yeare 855. that is to say more then 200. yeares before Alexius in somuch as that this must needs be Nicholas the Patriarch of Constantinople of whom Zonarus maketh mention as liuing in
came to passe Synod Agath c. 18. that there was not any one ordinarily to cōmunicate saue the ministers of the church whom they call Clearkes or the Cleargie And what came vppon this The Priestes notwithstanding would not leaue taking of offerings and to the end that the people might not quaile or let fall their deuotion that way they make them belieue that the worke which they doe doth not cease to profit them being but onely present But by little and little these offeringes were not any longer brought from the table to the Altar or from the bodie of the Church into the Quire for to bee consecrated by the priest as also in deed it had beene vndecent seeing they were of such things as the Canons did forbid that is to say consisting of siluer wooll cattell c onely that part which consisted of bread wine and was to serue in the Sacrament continued his former course And yet whereas they were wont to consecrate many loaues for the seruice of the whole assemblie being cut into peeces distributed now the Priest contenteth himselfe with the blessing of so much as he thought would bee requisite and needfull for the number of communicantes and that was verie small In so much as that ordinarily hee needed not to consecrate aboue one loafe which in Gregorie his time was great large and round kneaded after the manner of common bread and of no other substance or matter then the ordinarie bread then vsed was he calleth it Coronam or Corollam and this loafe grew lesser Greg. l. dial 4. euen as deuotion it selfe diminished in so much as that within a little after it became nothing as the Canon testifieth which saith That the Priest cannot celebrate the Communion with fewer then three to communicate with him And thereupon also it came vp for a custome to breake the bread made so small and thin into three peeces whereupon afterward as we shall see in place conuenient diuers and sundry allegories haue beene framed and made Now we come by these steps and degrees The change alteration which was ab oblatis ad oblatam falling out in this time to passe ab oblatis ad oblatam that is from all such thinges in generall as were offered vnto this small pettie parte reserued for the Sacrament which by corruption came to bee called a Wafer cake from such breads and loaues as were vsually brought for offeringes as Saint Gregorie teacheth vs to one onely bread without leauen which also the priest himselfe within a small time after tooke vpon him to prouide for the seruice of the Sacrament Gregor in dialogis And so also the praiers and supplications which were wont to be said and made in the consecration of these first offrings came to be transferd applyed vnto the bread and wine appointed and put apart for the priest and that small companie that was to communicate with him And here it was that they found themselues incumbred whether it were Scholasticus or Gregorie whē as the question was of reforming these praiers that made vp a part of the Canon for in deed these words Vt accepta habeas benedicas haec dona haec munera haec sancta sacrificia illibata that is that thou woldest accept these gifts these offerings these holy and whole sacrifices Againe Qui tibi offerunt hoc sacrificium laudis that is which offer vnto thee this sacrifice of praise Againe Supra quae propitio vultu ac sereno respicere digneris accepta habere sicuti dignatus es munera pueri iusti tui Abel c that is that it would please thee to behold them with a mercifull and fauourable countenance and accept of them as thou didst of the offerings of thy righteous Sonne Abel c Againe Iube haec perferri per manus Angeli tui in sublime Altare tuum c that is Command that these may be conueyed by the handes of thine Angell vpon thine high Altar c I say all these wordes cannot be soundly vnderstood but of these offeringes nor without folly be turned to the blessing of the sacraments which wee receiue from God in stead whereof it pleaseth him to receiue againe at our hands the sacrifice of praise No not without blasphemie can they be wrested to the oblation which the Priest pretendeth to make of the Sonne of God seeing likewise that it is said Qui tibi offerunt they which offer vnto thee for this must needes bee meant of the people that are present and not of the priest alone And yet notwithstanding all this they skip me at one iumpe in their Canon ab oblatis ad oblatam from the oblations and offeringes to the Wafer cake without any manner of agreement coherence or consequence from a sacrifice of praise to a Sacrament and from a Sacrament to a sacrifice propitiatorie from the signe to the thing signified from the remembrance of the death of Christ to the pretended real sacrificing offering vp of himself And they will haue it that all this which hath beene spoken and said of these offeringes should bee spoken of Christ whom they pretend to offer and sacrifice vp vnto God notwithstanding whatsoeuer absurdities in construction and diuinitie vtterly conuincing and ouerthrowing them in their fond and blinde assertions As namely in Diuinitie these That he would be intreated to vouchsafe to accept of the sacrifice of his onely begotten sonne as he did of that of Abel That his Angels should offer him vp vnto him vpon his Altar and a thousand such impertinent thinges which shal be better examined in their place And notwithstanding after certaine praiers which stand indifferent betwixt both they cannot looke to themselues to goe on with the course which they are fallen into but they returne againe vnto these offringes yea and that after the consecration Per quem say they haec omnia Domine semper bona creas sanctificas viuificas benedicis praestas nobis by whom thou O Lord doest alwaies create sanctifie quicken blesse and giue vs all these good thinges c. which is most euidently and directly applyed to dona munera sacrificia illibata to the giftes offerings and whole sacrifices and was wrested by them first to the Sacraments and afterwards to the sacrifice of Christ himselfe which by such their accompt and reckoning they did acknowledge for a creature that was to be created sanctified quickened and blessed day by day And in deede in the lithurgie which they attribute to Clement yea and that after the consecration they pray Pro dono oblato for the gift offered but in no such sence or meaning as the Romish Masse that is to say after this manner That it wold please that our good God to receiue it vppon his holy Altar by the intercession of Christ for a sweete sauour which cannot by consequent bee spoken of Christ himselfe In the Seruices going before there was mention made of
Saintes and Martyrs The Praiers of the Saints the names wherof as sayth S. Denys were read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of a certain register or catalogue partlie to shew vs that they did liue and make vppe one part of the Church and partlie to encourage vs to follow their example and afterwarde the deuotions or rather superstitions of some particular people had brought it so aboute as that they were prayed vnto But in this Canon they are a great deale more forward namelie to pray vnto God that hee would receiue their merites and intercessions for the liuing And it was in this time that Gregorie would haue it put into the Letanies for the virgin Marie Ora pro nobis Deum pray vnto God for vs. And this in tract of time became common and was not thought vnmeet or vnworthie of anie one of the Saints And indeed it is most cleare that in the time of S. Augustin not the Saints but God alone was prayed vnto in the prescript forme of the celebrating of the Lords Supper The place is plaine and euident They are named sayeth hee as men of God August de Ciuit. Dei l 22. c. 10. which by standing vnto their confession haue ouercome the worlde but they are not prayed vnto by the Priest which sacrificeth that is which performeth the holie office c. Afterward there was taken vp a custome that they which died Prayer for the dead should bestow some giftes vpon the Church and their kinsfolke for them that they might be distributed vnto the poore and these gifts were wont to be blessed as the other giftes offrings were but by this meanes men fell into the fowle errors of the Pagans as namelie either to pray for the dead or to moue it themselues that they might be prayed for after death And this is it which we haue before obserued to haue in expresse wordes been ordained by Pelagius the second As then offringes grew to come in place of sacrifices so these giftes in their place did grow to bee sacrifices for the dead and therevpon we read those wordes in S. Gregorie Gregor in Dial 4. passim To offer a wholesome and sauing host for euerie one vnknowne to the a ges going before and after which a certaine time sprung vp the Masses for the dead And thus this parte is receyued againe into the Canon in more forcible tearmes then before although as yet not receyued and practised euery where for there are as yet some Masse bookes to bee found The old Masse booke of Zurich Bullinger de origine erroris c. 8. and those verie auncient and authentike where prayer for the dead is not any thing specified at all Againe if we waigh and consider well the wordes of the Canon Pro his qui dormiunt in somno pacis for such as sleepe the sleepe of peace they may seeme rather to concerne the memoriall of such whose saluation is sure and certaine or the opinion of men as it was then most commonly receyued of a place of refreshment or rest where they wait attend the fulnes of glorie to be inioyed after the resurrection then anie opinion of Purgatorie full of tormentes or else the forme of prayer vsed at this day for the deliuering setting at libertie of the dead For the liuing For the liuing Gregorie bringeth in the custome of making mention of them in the place of the mysteries as wee see hee writeth vnto Constantius Bb. of Millaine Gregor l. 3. Epist 37. l. 6. Ep. 71. that it is done by name of Iohn Bb. of Rauenna although before the ordinance and appointment of Innocent the first there was nothing spoken of any in that place saue such as had offred whose names were wont to bee read in the place of the consecration And thus wee see clearelie that all that which is said and done in the Canon for the liuing and for the dead is traduced and wrung from the Sacrifices of praise that is from the offringes which the Christians offred whether they were as tokens of their plentifull increase or for to impart and bestow vpon the poore to this pretended propitiatorie sacrifice of the Priest Now Gregorie telleth vs that the author be it of the Canon Who shoulde bee the author of the Canon Gregor l. 7. Ep. 63. or be it of the praier of the Canon was one Scholasticus and of him we finde not a iot in Eusebius S. Ierome Sophronius yea nor in Gimodius though he haue drawne a catalogue of ecclesiasticall writers about the yeare 500. insomuch as that hee cannot bee eyther anie ancient author or worthy personage as may also be easilie gathered of his work And as for them who to acquite themselues somewhat the better say that it was Pope Gelasius called by Gregorie by the name of Scholasticus as willing by this title to signifie the worthy account and name which he had obtained before hee came to the Popedome it is answered them that it appeareth by other places of S. Gregorie that this Scholasticus was a proper name and verie vsuall for a Iudge of Champagnie in Italie Gregor lib. 2. Ep. 54. l. 6. Ep. 14. and an other who stoode out for a defender of the Church are both of them called by that name But wee know from else where by the historie of the Church all whatsoeuer is attributed to Gelasius who therein is neuer called nor qualified by the name of Scholasticus besides that it is most plaine that Gregorie had rather haue adorned and marked it with his proper name which carried so great honour with it then with a borrowed name which wee know not whether euer it were bestowed vpon him or no. Againe it is not the phrase or custome to call men yea and those greate personages by the first and least offices which they haue borne but by the last as being ordinarilie the most worthy and excellent But whosoeuer it was that was the author The three petitions S. Gregorie doth not let to take it in hand againe after him as is very apparant vnto vs and indeed it is agreede vpon that hee did adde thereunto Diesque nostros in tua pace disponas c. which they call the three petitions issuing and proceeding euermore from that spirite which wresteth the offringes of the faithfull vnto the sacrifice offred by the Priest For the praier of Leo the first which was called as yet the Masse is called Super oblata vppon the giftes and oblations it did onely carrie and containe That it would please thee O Lord to receiue and take in good part these giftes of our bounden dutie and of all thy family And after some Authors And dispose of our dayes in peace that is to continue vnto vs of thy fauour and mercie thy holy blessinges according to the praier of the Israelites But Gregorie which sticketh fast to the pretended offring of the bodie of Christ goeth further
the worlde did sound therein Euseb lib. 2. c. 16. 17. in the doctrine of the Gospell For whereas Eusebius would applie vnto Christians that which Philo saith in the treatise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they had at that time sacred or consecrate houses which they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the best learned do vnderstand acknowledge that he speaketh there of those religious Monkish Iewes which were called Essei for that he saith that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alluding vnto their name De praeparat e. uang l. 8. c. 4. and Eusebius himselfe in another place doth expound it of them Those which haue written after him as Sozomenus Epiphanius Nicephorus c. as they followed his steps so they stumbled at the same stone And that which Onuphrius saith that Anacletus the first in the life time of S. Peter did build the temple of Laterane at Rome is verie fond and friuolous And in deed the first Christians were without temples for certaine ages That there were no churches at the beginning Orig. contr Celsum l. 8. Minutius in Octauio Euseb l. 9. c. 10. Tertul. cont Valentinian Onuph in appendice Platin. Euseb l. 7. c. 9. Euseb l. 9. c. 42. which appeareth by Origen and Arnobius who were reproched by the Painims for that the Christians had not any As also by Eusebius who saith that the places wherein they prayed were caues and dennes as hauing made them places for to pray in whereas on the contrarie our Sauiour Christ reproueth and reprocheth the Pharisies for that of the places of praiers they had made dennes for theeues Tertullian sheweth vs that in his time they had no where to assemble and come together but in simple and silly houses where he saith The house of our doue is but a simple one scituate in high places daily inuaded and beset This was about the yeare 200. their first publike assemblies were in the places where they vsed to burie the Martyrs So wee reade that in the time of Valerian Aemilianus gouern or of Egypt defendeth the exercise of religion in the Christians of Alexandria by these words You are vnthankefull for the mildnes and lenitie of the Emperors c. you are not like to hold and inioy your Synodes and assemblies in the places of buriall of your Martyrs any longer And it is said of Galerius That hee may spoile vs and bring vs to nothing he will take away from vs the libertie of our assemblies in the places of the buriall of our Martyrs Euseb l. 6 c. 3. But contrariwise of Galienus That he restored them the places of the buriall of their Martyrs to the end that they might celebrate the diuine seruice that is saith Onuphrius baptisings the holy Supper and sermons c. But in time they began to build and erect certaine slight manner of buildings to defend them against the iniuries of the weather and them they called frames And this is attributed to Fabianus a Bishop of Rome and a Martyr by Damasus And hereby is seene the impudencie of those men which haue imagined and deuised these goodly legendes wherein is reported that Sauinian did build a temple vnto Saint Peter in his life time and Alexander the first another which hee called Advincula And Hyginus ordained that temples should not be dedicated without Masse that the stuffe brought into the place to build withall should not be conuerted vnto profane vses c. All such as liued in the heat and raging times of persecution being more busie to build the Church by their death then by any such monuments which might be the remembrauncers of their life After the yeare 200. at certaine spaces of time which fell out calme they assembled more freely and builded more solide and substantiall places of praier and that in Citties in the time of Alexander Seuerus Gordianus Euseb l. 8. c. 1. 2 Philippus Aemilianus Marcus Aurelius c. Whereupon Eusebius crieth out Who shal be able to describe vnto vs these goodly assemblies in euerie citie this great concourse of people vnto the places of praier which are so far inlarged and made much bigger then the old But within a short while after they were seene pulled downe again and ouerthrowne by Dioclesian The beginning of Temples in so much as that their foundations therewithal were razed and in this ruinous vnprouided estate they continued till it pleased God to raise vp Constantine who did not onely command that they should be built againe with all diligence but himselfe began to erect build them in most sumptuous and costly manner going on from necessitie to vtilitie and profit and from profitablenes to wast superfluitie conuerting and turning by little little in the great famous cities the temples that had beene dedicated vnto idolles vnto the vse of Christians the like did his successors according to his example And from that time forward we find the Bbs. of Rome more careful industrious to build churches as they call thē then the Church it selfe the Doctors on the contrarie calling vpon them that rather to the praise of God through the beauty and brightnes of the same they wold labor for the true ornaments of the Church Lactantius the Maister of Constantine saith It behooueth not to build such sumptuous temples vnto God but it behooueth euery man to consecrate his breast vnto him to retire and betake himselfe into the same therein to fall downe worship And Chrysostome Wouldest thou build a house to God giue vnto the poore faithfull ones to sustaine their liues withall and then thou hast built him a reasonable house Chrysost in Matth. The Martyrs take no delight or pleasure in it to be so honoured with thy siluer when the poore in the meane while do mourne and weepe But Ierome more then any other Hieronym ad Demetriad howsoeuer ordinarily too much giuen to outward decking and trimming Let others saith he speaking to Demetrias build Churches parget the walles with marble rough-cast let them gilde the heades of these huge pillars which do nothing at all perceiue their beautifying c. I speake not against it but it behooueth thee greatly to haue some other drift and purpose and what must that bee To cloath and couer saith he Iesus Christ in his poore to visite him in those that languish to feed him in the hungrie to barbour him in those that haue no house or roofe to lie vnder but especially in those which are of the houshold of faith c. Meaning by these speeches that Christian charitie proueth a far better lodging and house then all these goodly and stately buildings And vppon Aggee Hieronym in Aggeum Wouldest thou know what I meane by the money wherewith the temple of God is to be garnished verily the words of the holy scripture whereof it is written The words of the Lord are pure words they are as siluer purified in the
I vnderstand tongues you cannot chuse but go away without profiting any thing for what good can there come of a word not vnderstood you altogether in like manner if you speake but not with such wordes are as significant and sensible doe speake to the wind that is to no bodie Againe Idem in ho. 36 If the vnlearned do not vnderstand that which thou prayest he is not edified he cannot giue his consent vnto thy praiers thou speakest to the wind and by consequent in vaine Againe Thou who speakest an vnknowne language if there be not any that can interpret expound it hold thy peace for in the church there is no place to do any thing that is superfluous or tending to ostentation Let such a man speake vnto God himself that is Theodor. in 1. Cor. 14. in his spirit without making any noise by himselfe Theodoret The Apostle cōmandeth that euery thing may tend to edification in the church and therefore he saith hee that hath the gift of tongs let him pray vnto God that he may also haue added thereunto the gift of interpretation that so he may be able to do some seruice in the church for the fruitfulnes of the speaker consisteth in the profiting of the hearers and this cannot he possiblie haue that speaketh in an vnknowne language He therefore calleth the spirit the gift of tongs but the vnderstanding the interpretation or giuing of the sence of that which is said c. Oecumenius who hath made a collection out of all the Greeke fathers I call the spirit the spirituall gift of tongs the vnderstanding the facultie and abilitie to interprete expound that well which is said To pray then with the spirit doth no good to any but himselfe that so prayeth but to pray with vndetstanding is auaileable vnto the edifying of thy neighbour And therefore when he saith If thou blesse with the spirit it is as much as to say that thou thy selfe doost onely vnderstand and art not vnderstood of others c. Whereunto Chrysost added And there is as much difference betwixt the one and the other as there is betwixt the whole Church and one man and as there is betwixt the edifying of the whole Church and himselfe onely Iustin Nouel 123. S. interdicimus Iustinian the Emperour in his Nouelle wherein he commandeth the Ministers of the Church to doe the diuine seruice in a language that is plaine vnderstood hath not otherwise expounded this place for he saith Thus the diuine Apostle teacheth vs in these wordes If thou blesse with the spirit alone how shall the simple people be able to say Amen vnto thy blessing seeing that they vnderstand not what thou sayest And this he cōmanded with such earnestnesse as that he proceeded against them to the death which did the contrarie And yet no more then the Councell of Aix doth the Chapter which Councell saith The speech and the vnderstanding of those that sing vnto God must accord that so it may be fulfilled which the Apostle saith I will sing with the spirit I will sing with the vnderstanding also Haimo Bb. of Halberstat in the time of Lewes the son of Charlemaine saith Haimo in 1. Cor. 14. I am a Grecian and thou an Hebrew if I speake Greeke vnto thee I shal seeme to be a Barbarian I pronounce the Creed in Greeke because I haue found it so written I am a Latine I am a Barbarian vnto thee c. If then saith he an idiot be with thee a man that knoweth no more thē his mothers tong thou sayest thy Masse in a tong not vnderstood how shall he answer thee Amen when he knoweth not what thou sayest c. I had rather therefore saith he to speak fiue words in the assembly of the faithfull that are vnderstood by them then ten thousand otherwise which will do no good And Cardinall Hugo in like manner In a word Hog Cardin. 1. Cor. 14. Lyranus expounding this scripture in his place The Apostle speaketh here of publike prayer wherein if so be that the people do vnderstand the Minister his giuing of thanks he is a great deale the better stirred vp to God made the more deuout ready to say Amen And Thomas after him That in the Primitiue church seruice was celebrated solemnly done in a language that was vnderstood And S. Augustine his generall rule tendeth to the same end August l. 12. de Genes ad lit c. 8. The practise of The old church That no man can be edified by hearing that which he vnderstandeth not Now next after the institution of our Sauiour Christ his Apostles it followeth that we look into the practise of the ancient Church And first it is to be noted that the practise of the publike seruice was such as that the people did answer the Pastor whereupon it must needes follow as saith the Apostle that they did vnderstand him but which is more that all of thē did answere to all the people doing their part in the office and seruice no lesse then the cleargie which could not wel conueniently be done without vnderstanding S. Paul saith how can he qui supplet locū idiotae that occupieth the room of the vnlerned say Amē Theodor. in 1. Cor. 14. l. 7. stromat Iostin in Apol 2. S. Ierome He speaketh of the laitie not of the cleargie Chryso Oecumenius after the same sort Theodoret He calleth him an idiot which is of the order of the laitie as we likewise call them idiots which are void of subtiltie craftines And all the old writers doe testifie this custome vse Clemens Alexādrinus In their praiers they haue but one cōm on speech as likewise one spirit Hieronym in 2. procem in Galat. Chrysost in 2. Cor. hom 18. Iustinus in the description of the holy Supper saith All the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speake aloude in signe of approbation Amen And the pretended Dionisius Areopagita vseth the same words And S. Ierome All the Church like a thunder soundeth out Amen Chrysostome The prayers are common both to Pastor and people they say prayer together the people pray for the Pastor and the Pastor for the people c. Againe All that which is vsed about the Eucharist is common to both all the whole bodie of the sacred liturgie is common vnto them why doest thou maruell then to see them speaking together in their prayers Basil in exa hom 4. Idem epist 63. S. Basill Men women and children cast forth their prayers vnto God you would say that they were floods beating against the shore In another place hee describeth how they sing Psalmes diuided in the halfes and intermingled with prayers meditating deeply and with a feruent zeale vpon that which they did sing And can any man in his conscience affirme this of those who vnderstand nothing of all that which they say And now what followeth
man did offend against the Apostle who accompteth it amongst the vertues of a Bishop that he be the husband of one wife onely And all the world saith he is full not of priestes nor of inferior persons but of Bishops so that the number would become greater then that which was found in the Councell of Rimini c. Tertullian himselfe Pertull de Monogam although he were a Montanist alleadging these places of Timothie and Titus is of iudgement that Bishops and Priestes should be maried onely he standeth vpon the disalowing of second mariages for which hee is reproued by Saint Ierome in the place aboue named But this point should not bee to our purpose In the meane time we are not to belieue as some would go about to wrangle out the matter against vs by this place of Saint Ierome disagreeing with himselfe whiles he was caried away with the streame of contention that we should nourish this opinion that the Bishop had beene maried but that he may not bee so derogating and detracting the credite due to other places wherein he handleth the question that of purpose and void of all passionate affections Let vs say then for it followeth by like reason from the coherence and scope of the text that the Apostle doth likewise vnderstand that the Bb. hath beene vigilant sober of good report giuen to hospitalitie apt to teach c. but that he may not be so any more But the holy Ghost hath preuented such wrangling and false assertions who saith In the present time Let the Priest be established Tit. 1. 1. Timoth. 3. let him be the husband of one onely wife let the Deacons also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be the husbandes of one onely wife c. And Saint Paule doth describe afterward vnto vs what manner of women the wiues of Bishops Priestes and Deacons should bee And thus you may see whither a blind passion had almost led vs against the cleare and euident light Chrysost in ep ad Tit. hom 2. In ep ad Heb. hom 7. Chrysostome therefore saith better There are some that affirme that S. Paule his purpose is to speake of one that hath beene maried but that he may not bee so any more But saith hee although hee shall bee so still yet he may demeane carrie himselfe honestly therein Vse saith he mariage soberly and thou shalt be the chiefe in the kingdome of heauen Ambros D. 26. C. Qui sine Likewise Saint Ambrose saith Who so otherwise blamelesse is the husband of one onely wife is beld by the law to bee capable of the office of the Priesthoode Saint Augustine August in quest ex vtroque testam Hug. Card. in 1. Tim. 3. Caiet in 1. Timoth. 3. ad Tit. 1. The Apostle saith that hee which hath a wife may and ought to bee made Sacerdos a priest a Minister a Bishop Cardinall Hugo saith At that time it was lawfull for Priestes to haue wiues And Cardinall Caietan after him This estate and condition must bee vnderstood negatiuely that is to say Non plurium vxorum virum not a husband of many wiues But Pope Calixtus the second about the yeare 1100. did turne make it into an other maner of sence The husband of one onely wife that is consecrate and put apart for one onely Church for one onely Bishoprick that to be taken so as that he was not to haue any moe then one or that he was not greedily or proudly to labour to be translated and remoued from one to another And in S. Ierome his time this Allegorie was begotten and borne and by some preferred and better liked then that which was according to the letter and Carterius his aduersaries themselues saith he did finde that interpretation to be violently forced and very harsh To whome hee answereth thereupon Restore them to the scripture his simple sence and meaning that so we may not reason against you from the constitutions and conclusions of your owne lawes that is to say that wee may not oppose allegorie against allegorie and iudgement against iudgement but may hold and keepe our selues simplie to the wordes of the Apostle Otherwise what will become of S. Paule his argument If he know not to gouerne his owne children how shall hee be able to direct and guide the Church of God As also when the Apostle shall tel vs of widowes that choise must be made of such as haue beene the wiues of one onely husband shal we vnderstand it of Bishopricks or Diocesses that haue had but one only Bishop But to draw to an end what should hinder the Apostle that be could not more plainly say It behoueth that the Bb. to the end he may be without blame abide vnmaried or at the least be a widdower c. But shame maketh them mingle these absurdities with a blasphemie as that during the weaknes of the church these mariages were permitted but prohibited and forbidden when it came to bee strong And what will they say to Chrysostome who saith plainely That S. Paul gaue this law to Timothie not for himselfe onely but for all them which were to come Or rather vnto Egesippus who endeth the flower and virginitie of the Church at the death of the Apostles Euseb l. 3. c. 32 And presently after there followed saith he an infinite number of impurities and corruptions They labour further to proue the matter in controuersie against S. Paul by himself 1. Cor. 7.5 for say they he telleth vs in another place That they must abstaine from women to attend vpon fasting and praier And what shall they doe then who are to pray euery day let them with conscience carefully reade this place they shall see that which Chrysostome obserueth in the same that he speaketh not there of an ordinary praier but of an extraordinarie made with rare singular attending thereunto by fasting And therefore he saith Defraude not one another except it bee by mutuall consent and that for a time Againe And come together againe to the end that Sathan doe not tempt you because of your incontinencie And Chrysostome saith expresly If he said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the maried which lie together could not pray how should that which he commandeth all Christians in another place agree therewith Pray without ceasing wherefore hee speaketh of an extraordinarie prayer saith he which requireth an exact attention not that the societie betwixt the married doth conuay or carrie about it any impuritie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but rather businesse and affaires 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whereupon also Saint Ambrose saith Ambr. in ep 1. Cor. 7. We must pray without ceasing but this is spoken Vt orationi insistatur by courses and distances of time saith hee to strengthen and increase meditation And Theodoret For to sanctifie the fast And likewise hee saith in another place That the Apostle hath deemed him worthy of a bishopricke that liueth and dwelleth
is also an Altar and so an Altar doth inferre a sacrifice and a sacrifice the Masse So that Amensa ad Missam from the table we find the way to come to the Masse I feare nothing here but least that these argumentes should bee taken for mine owne but this is one of Bellarmine his arguments in this mater such a one too as he taketh to be a goodly one a wonder to consider that none of the old writers could perceiue this mysterie yea that their Glose being so new as it is could not finde anie thing in these wordes but our coupling with Christ which is confirmed and ratified in the sacrament of the holie supper or Eucharist And it is no lesse manifest and plain that S. Paule speaketh here de Mensa not de Missa that hee here forbiddeth all Christians to bee at the feastes of the Idolaters wherein they gaue themselues to sit downe and eate after their sacrifices the meates offered to Idols as the words going before doe make it plaine and euident You cannot drinke the cup of the Lord and the cuppe of Diuelles For there is nothing to testifie and witnes that euer the Pagans did vse to drinke vpon their Altars but that they vsed to feast afterwarde Whereupon Atheneus sayeth that it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because that they did drinke themselues drunke after their sacrifices Tertul. de Spect. c. 13. Tertullian did not take this place in anie other sence for hee saith Non sacrificamus nec parentamus sed neque de sacrificio parentato edimus quia non possumus coenam Dei edere coenam Daemoniorum That is to say we do not sacrifice vnto Idols neither yet vnto our Parents being dead and as far off are wee from eating of that which is sacrificed either vnto Idols or for the dead which he calleth Idolothyta and Necrothyta in the same place Because sayeth hee that wee cannot eate the supper coenam of God and the supper of Diuelles So that what the Apostle calleth mensam Theodor. in 1. Cor. 10. hee expresseth by the worde coenam Theodoret in like sorte How shall wee communicate in the precious bodie and blood of our Lord and afterwarde at the Table of Diuels Haimo in 1. Cor. 10. by eating the meate which is sacrificed vnto Idols And Haimo Mensae Domins to participate at the Table of the Lord that is to say to participate in the bodie of the Lord. In the ende they finde it whereas it selfe can finde no place as namely in the Epistle to the Hebrewes which whole Epistle hunteth and chaseth it out of the whole world Heb. 13. Wee haue saith the Apostle an Altar whereof they haue no power to eate which doe serue in the Tabernacle If they had an Altar then had they a sacrifice and what sacrifice but that of the Masse But by comming to the knowledge of the Altar wee shall come to finde out the sacrifice Beholde sayeth S. Paule in an other place Israell according to the flesh Those that eate of sacrifices are they not partakers of the Altar This is then that Israel which is according to the flesh that is to say the Iewes which hee opposeth and setteth against that Israell which is according to the spirite that is to say against Christians that so hee might restraine them from affecting the rites and seruice of the Iewes Thinke not saieth hee but that wee haue an Altar and a sacrifice of which they which serue in the Tabernacle that is they which are giuen still to subiect and make themselues seruantes to the ceremonies of the law haue not power or possibilitie to eate namelie saieth the Apostle because they disanull the grace of God and make the power of the Crosse of no effect for that If righteousnes be by the lawe Christ should be sayeth hee deade in vaine and this Altar is nothing else but the Crosse of Christ and this sacrifice is nothing else but Christ stretched vpon the Crosse Who hath suffered saith hee without the gates to accomplish the figures of those beastes which were sacrificed without the host for sinne who hath shedde his owne blood for to sanctifie his people But it behoueth vs saieth hee if wee will bee partakers of this Altar and of this sacrifice That wee goe forth to carrie his reproach shame that is to say that wee cast off all manner of thinges to follow him that wee denie our selues beare our Crosse after him and become crucified with him following that which is saide If wee suffer with him wee shall also raigne with him Then the Apostle concludeth By him therefore by the merite of his sacrifice Wee offer vnto God continuallie the sacrifice of praise that is to say the fruite of our lips praising his name c. And indeede their Glose it selfe hath not vnderstood or taken it otherwise We haue an Altar that is the Crosse vpon which Christ was offered of which such are not partakers c. According as it is written If you be circumcised Christ will not auaile you anie thing because that such as doe obserue the thinges of the law pointed out by the seruice of the Tabernacle haue no part in the effectuall working of the passion of Christ And therefore let vs offer by him c. that is to say a spirituall sacrifice by Christ which is our high Priest And not Christ himselfe as our aduersaries doe pretend and this sacrifice that is saith Lyranus almes deedes for the comforting of the needie c. Oecumenius after the same manner Oecumen in ep ad Heb. c. 13. The Iewes will say How say you that you haue an Altar for what hath beene sacrificed or offered vpon it for as concerning Christ whom thou so oft settest before vs to haue beene sacrificed to haue beene offered and slaine thereupon for the whole world hee was not sacrificed vppon thine altar but on the contrarie hee suffered without the gates of the citie yea saith the Apostle and thereupon it is that I can proue vnto thee so much the more effectually that we haue an Altar for euen amongst vs the bodies of sacrificed beasts are not burnt vpon Altars but without the host Now for that cause also did he suffer without the gates to the end that he might sanctifie not the priestes onely but likewise all the people But and if hee haue beene the sacrifice for all why hath he not also beene the Altar And a little after Wherefore we offer by him as we did of old time by the high Priest the calues of our lips namely prayers hymnes and supplications vnto God Not any more saith he any sacrifices of beastes but the sacrices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are without blood The Masse will our aduersaries say here for so they call it Sacrificium incruentum But he expoundeth himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sacrifices which are offered by the lips
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. in prayers in hymnes and supplications c. confessing the name of the Lord. And how In as much saith hee as wee giue him thankes for that he died for our sinnes c. Theoder ad Hebr. c. 13. Thom. ad Heb. c. 13. Chrysostome and Theodoret vpon this place after the same sort But Thomas more clearely then any of them all saying This is the Altar or the Crosse of Christ whereupon he was offered for vs or els this is Christ himselfe in whom and by whom we offer vp our praiers This is the Altar likewise whereof mention is made Apoc. 8. c. But let them tell me then in their consciences Belarm l. 1. de Sacram. c. 35. l. 1. de Miss c. 14. if there be in all this any one word of the Masse And in deed Bellarmine in a certain place after the manner of other would faine abuse it but elswhere he saith that hee will not presse this place seeing that other good Catholike writers doe vnderstande it of the Altar of the Crosse In the ende they come to breath life into the Masse with that which cannot but make it breathlesse and presse it to death euen with this Epistle Heb. 5. v. 1. which ceaseth not to go ouer it againe and againe in a hundred places that our priest hath fulfilled whatsoeuer was needfull for our redemption by the onely sacrifice of the Crosse It is written say they Omnis Pontifex siue sacerdos euerie high priest or other priest taken from amongst men is established by men in things which are done to Godward to offer sacrifices and giftes for sinnes then it behoueth that our priestes doe offer for sinnes and that in the new Testament Let vs note their good dealing the text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euery high priest and not euerie sacrificer nor euerie priest And in deed hee compareth in this place and setteth the high priest of the law against our high Priest Iesus Christ in these words In like manner also Christ c. Hee compareth him I say in this that both of them had their calling of God he setteth downe the prerogatiue in that the one was a seruant and the other the Sonne of whom it is said This day haue I begotten him He opposeth and setteth him against him in that he was taken from amongst men from time to time but this our high priest vnder the Gospell is eternall without beginning after the manner of Melchisedech And this is the cause why the interlineall Glose saith Omnis Pontifex secundum legem And Oecumenius By the comparing of the priestes that is to say of Christ and of the high priest of the law hee would shew the excellencie of the new Testament aboue the old c. And Thomas of Aquin comming after all the old writers vnderstandeth this place after the same manner What shamelesse cogging and foisting then is this to conclude from the high priest to euerie ordinarie and inferior priest from the high priest of the law to the inferior priests of the Church of Rome And let it be said here by the way that which is to bee held once for all that there is not so much as any one place in all the holy scripture where the Ministers of the new Testament are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sacerdotes priestes or by any other name of equall sence and signification but rather all manner of Christians are called in certaine places by the name of Priestes notwithstanding that they be qualified with diuers names as Euangelistes Prophets Teachers Ministers Pastors and Elders that for no other cause doubtles but because the holy Ghost purposed to abolish the pedagogie and childish rudimentes of the law that so they might not haue any place or vse vnder the Gospel He wold also take away therby this stumbling stone which Antichrist hath very cunningly cast in the way hauing drawne from this word sacrifice which is to say A holy consecrate kind of dutie or seruice a phrase and tearme first vsed by Christians generally for the whole exercise of deuotion a Sacrifice properly so called as they speake then propitiatorie and afterward meritorious for the remission of sinnes and that not for the liuing onely but also for the dead But they go further It is thus said at the least in place elsewhere that it behoueth that Iesus Christ should haue something to offer and if any thing then himselfe and that euery day vnto God in heauen for vs. Now without all question the Masse by this accompt is as farre from this place as heauen is remoued from their Altar But yet we must looke further into this their deceit craft It must needs be that he haue something to offer that is to say that he hath offered something and what hee hath offered Heb. 8.3 the Apostle telleth vs in a hundred places Hee offered himselfe once for all for the sinnes of the world he hath purchased vnto vs by his blood an euerlasting redemption by one onely offering once offered he hath sanctified vs and sitteth at the right hand of God his father He doth not then offer or sacrifice any such thing vnto him euerie day as they doe falsly alleadge the text but rather Hee appeareth before God making intercession for vs praying and making requestes for vs by the power and vertue of this sacrifice once made c. The question onely betwixt vs is whether these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ought to be expounded Quod offerat or Quod offerret that is that he doth dayly offer or that he hath once offered And the Apostle hath decided it without the helpe of any others in many places but let vs heare what the olde writers doe say thereof Oecumenius saith Oecumen in epist ad Heb. c. 8. Because it properly belongeth to priests to offer gifts sacrifices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where our aduersaries woulde vnderstand for the perfecting of the sence this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is necessarie we do make the supply with this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make the sence It was necessarie which agreeth better with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is as much as to say that it was meet that Christ should also haue something to offer But that which followeth doth decide the question This was the cause saith he wherefore he had his owne proper flesh which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath offered For it might haue beene said If he bee a high priest for euer why is he dead wherefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hee might offer himself a sacrifice c. And a little after He is therefore dead that he might offer this sacrifice but he is risen from the dead ascended into heauen to possesse keepe the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where it is requisite that he should exercise his priesthood And how Verily saith he by
the same Amen CHAP. IIII. That the old fathers haue not acknowledged any other propitiatorie sacrifice then that onely one made vpon the Crosse THus you cannot deny say they that the old fathers haue called the Masse a Sacrifice yes we haue flatly denyed them the whole plainly proued that the olde fathers did not so much as knowe it by name But they reply at the least they doe vnfold vnto vs the celebrating of the sacrament of the Eucharist or holy Supper of the Lord. And surely vpon good cause warrant seeing it is a holy consecrate action and that the spirituall sacrifices of our heartes are thereby sacrificed to God vnto repentance as also seeing that the incense of our praiers and the calues of our lips and the Gospell the word of God as saith S. Paul is therein sacrificed seeing that our bowels tanquam per viscerationem doe therein open inlarge and spread abroad and distribute themselues by our almes deedes vnto our neighbours seeing likewise that the death of Iesus Christ is therein declared the onely sacrifice of the Crosse and that by the expresse commandement of the sacrificer And thus and no otherwise haue they all vnderstood it But we denie that euer they said any thing of it as a sacrifice properly so called of the new offering vp of the Sonne of God to God by the priest of his bodie and of his blood vpon an altar for our sinnes Neither must they here go about to abuse vs with a distinction of Sacrificium cruentum aut incruentum of a bloodie or vnbloodie sacrifice For this distinction wil not be receiued or admitted of against the vniuersal propositions of the scripture which tell vs that where remission and forgiuenes of sinnes is purchased there needeth no more sacrifice or offering Againe that there is no remission purchased where there is no shedding of blood But so it is that wee haue forgiuenesse in the blood of Christ much more then an oblation But so it is that in their pretended sacrifice there is no shedding of blood and therefore much lesse pardon and forgiuenesse or any effectuall grace that may procure vs Gods fauour But yet it is further to be considered that the old fathers did neuer name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bloodlesse or vnbloodie sacrifices to make distinction thereby betwixt the sacrifice of the crosse and the sacrament or pretended sacrifice of the altar but rather to set downe a difference betwixt the sacrifices of the law and the sacrifices of Christians Whereupon Oecumenius saith Oecumen ad Heb. c. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say Sacrifices without blood those saith he of the lippes as praiers hymnes and supplications vnto God by Iesus Christ c. And others after the same manner which wee shall see farre better by tracing them from age to age Clemens Alexandrinus next succeeding the time of the Apostles saith Clem. l. 3. Paedag c. 2. in strom We sacrifice not vnto God and that vpon good consideration for he hath no need of any thing but hath giuen all thinges vnto vs and therefore we do glorifie him who was sacrificed for vs in sacrificing offering vp of our selues Againe God would be honoured though he haue no need of any thing and therefore doe we honour him with our praiers and this is the best and most holy sacrifice when wee send them vp into his presence in iustice c. Our Altar then is the congregation of such as are attentiue in prayers and haue all of them one common spirit and one common voice c. Againe Our Altar that is one holy soule our perfume and incense euen our praiers So that he doth not acknowledge or make any mention of a Sacrament properly so called when he saith We do not sacrifice hee acknowledgeth another manner of fashion namely the prayers of the faithful the sacrificing of themselues vnto God c. And yet herein hee is not behind with speaking honourably of the Eucharist For saith he this is that speciall good grace whereof those are partakers which communicate therein in faith and are sanctified both in body and soule Ireneus we haue seene heretofore how he speaketh Iren. l. 4. c. 34. and yet you may perceiue him to deale more plainly We must saith he offer vp a sacrifice to God and in all thinges bee found to acknowledge our creator by a pure and vpright opinion and iudgement by faith without hipocrisie by certaine hope by feruent loue offering vnto him the first fruits of his creatures And this is that pure oblation which the Church onely doth offer vnto the creator offering vnto him of his creatures with thankesgiuing Therefore saith he he would haue vs to be continually offering our oblations vpon the altar And what Altar This also he teacheth saying There is an altar in heauen thither our prayers and sacrifices are directed and in the temple according to that which Saint Iohn hath said in the Apocalips and the temple of God was open and the tabernacle For behold saith he the tabernacle of God where hee will dwell with men Here then is no sacrifice but that of man vnto God in the acknowledgement of his benefits by continuall prayers as also of the first fruits of the goods which he giueth him and that by communicating them charitablie with his brethren Iustinus Martyr speaketh highly honorably in commendation of the Lords Supper he describeth and setteth out vnto vs the holy ceremony wholly intirely Iustin Martyr in Tryphon and yet not a word of the propitiatorie sacrifice in all that he saith But on the contrarie he saith I dare be bolde to affirme that there are no other sacrifices that are perfect and acceptable vnto God then the supplications and thankesgiuing of good people and Christians haue learned that they are not to offer any other c. Againe Idem in exposit fidei Tertul. aduers Iud. We sacrifice vnto God without ceasing the sacrifice of praise sincere praiers and of the sweet sauour of good workes c. We haue heard heretofore what Tertullian hath said vpon the first Chapter of Malachie but yet behold what he saith further It behoued that Christ should be made a sacrifice for all the Gentiles who was led as a sheepe to the slaughter Behold here the onely sacrifice Idem aduers Marc. l. 4. ad Scapul Againe The prophecies of the lawe did signifie that man otherwise a sinner presently after that hee was cleansed by the worde of God did offer an oblation in the Temple that is praier and thankesgiuing in the Church and congregation of the faithfull by Iesus Christ the catholike that is the vniuersall Priest of the father Behold now and see here an vniuersall and onely priest by whom wee offer vnto God our sacrifices and our praiers And therefore hee saith Wee must not sacrifice vnto God any thing but that which is spirituall for it is written a
had no calling to doe it There the first booke stayeth without speaking of any sacrifice or praier for the deade The second book goeth further Iuda saith it hauing beaten Gorgias came to carry away the bodies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his countrimen which had beene slaine before for to burie them who found vnder the garmentes of euery one of them which had beene slaine things sacrificed to idols Euery man iudged them worthily punished and gaue glory vnto God praying him that he would blot out this sinne or rather as it is in the best copies that they might not bee quite raced out that is to say that they might not bee vtterly rooted out for this sinne But Iuda did openly make knowne vnto the people this notable iudgement to the end they might beware and keepe themselues from sinne c. he maketh a collection of twelue thousand groates or rather according to the Greeke of two thousand which he sendeth into Ierusalem for to offer in sacrifices for the sinne For the sinne simply that is to say of the people to the end that it might not be as that of Achan namely imputed to all in generall and not for the sinnes of the dead Biblia impressa madatu Concil Trident â—ub Sixt. 5. Clem. 8. Missal in anniuersariis defunctorum triginta Missale reformatum Pii 5. as our aduersaries haue corruptly falsly turned the same in certaine of their Bibles and those imprinted by the authoritie of the Councell of Trent and as they reade it as yet vnto this day in their Masse bookes Hitherto according to the law Iosua 7. Deuteronomie 21. That which followeth goeth further that is that it pretendeth also that the oblation of these groates did serue for the purging away and blotting out of the prouocation of that sinne committed by the dead But now we are to see how farre this may make for purgatorie It appeareth that Iuda ought not to belieue or doe this either by reason of the law or in respect of any example of the fathers or yet by reason of any custome receiued in the church for it is not spoken of in all the scripture And in deed the Author himselfe giuing his iudgement theron sheweth sufficiently that he doth it by way of a particular discourse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dealing verie honestly and ciuillie saith he in discoursing vppon the resurrection And it is likewise as apparant that it was not in any consideration of Purgatorie but rather saith he of the last resurrection In so much as that the intention and drift of this prayer properly was that this sinne might not be imputed vnto them in the day of the iudgement of the Lord which shall bee at the generall resurrection a praier which conueieth not either good or euil vnto the dead no more then that of Paul for Onesiphorus when hee was aliue 2. Tim. 1. Ingolstadienses The Lord giue him to find mercie with the Lord in that day For as for that which certaine Iesuites say that hee speaketh of the mysticall resurrection from sinne and not of the actuall there needes no more but the reading of the text to refute them It appeareth likewise by our aduersaries their doctrine that this praier and sacrifice could not be to draw them out of Purgatory For the sinne according to their owne distinction was mortall being idolatrie which is treason against the Maiestie of God that in the highest degree Now purgatorie is not for mortall sinnes Againe God say they doth neuer punish one and the same thing twise But it was saith the Author for this sinne that they had beene slaine and that euerie man did iudge it so wherefore they were not to haue inflicted vpon them any more temporall punishment that is to say any purgatorie Againe purgatorie say they doth not satisfie for the fault but for the punishment and notwithstanding Iudas doeth there offer a sacrifice for sinne which was neuer offred in the law for the punishment onely but for the fault wherefore it followeth that in that his action hee had no mind of purgatory so much as to thinke once thereof so farre was he from the thing For the Author addeth He considered that those which were dead in a true godly sort could not faile to find grace and fauour which is saith he by a parenthesis a sound and wholesome thought And so it is in the Greeke text far differing from that which they pretend namely that all lesse or more may bee supposed to stand in need to bee freed from purgatorie But say they yet he praid for the dead let it be so How beit we shal see by and by that it is but an euill argument to go about to proue purgatory because of such praiers And on the contrary we haue reason to belieue seeing that according to the doctrine of the Church of Rome it selfe this place cannot stand with purgatory that this sacrifice hath no other end as may appeare by the text but to pray vnto God that in the last resurrection he wold be fauorable vnto theÌ„ But there is more in the matter Iudas did it say they therefore it is wel done That we deny How many actions do we reade of in the scriptures of famous men which notwithstanding are not to be imitated In the church of God men liue by his lawes not by our owne examples neither do we see in deed since the time of the Machabees vnto the comming of Christ that this example was euer followed in the Church The mourning also and lamentation made for Lazarus is contrarie hereunto Ioh. 11. And as concerning that the author of this booke doth approue it so hee did the fact of Razias who murthered himselfe And this is the cause why S. Augustine sayeth to the Donatistes which woulde haue made it a good consequent That these bookes ought to be read soberlie and the same libertie haue wee to aunswere our aduersaries after the same sort in a different and diuerse cause but about the same author To bee short this seconde booke of the Machabees doth approue prayer for the dead but to bring them to bee allowed by the Church it is requisite that they should first bee allowed of by the word and all this notwithstanding as wee haue seene doth not make any thing for Purgatorie Insomuch as that of so manie textes alleadged out of the olde Testament wee haue seene them by the confession of Perion to haue not so much as one left them besides this same as being put besides all holde and proofe in the Canonicall and tyed to one onelie Apocrypha text and that such a one as is the most Apocrypha of all the rest and yet euen that cannot stand match with Purgatorie Whereupon wee conclude here That Purgatorie hath not anie one foundation or ground in all the olde Testament not anie one in all the Church of Israel where notwithstanding it seemed to haue beene most
for but approue O Lord and heare witnesse with Voluntariaoris mei the free offerings of my mouth Epiphan cont Aerium l. 3. t. 1 haeres 75. c. This argument was more throughly canuased and hotly dealt in about the yeare 500. in the time of Epiphanius who concealeth not or hideth the same from vs but setteth downe the verie same wordes That this is no commaundement of the father but an instruction and lesson taught by the mother that is to say by the Church Aerius found himselfe offended at these prayers for the dead which passed measure He put foorth this question Wherefore are the names of the deceased repeated and recited after their death And to what end doe praiers serue for those that are taken out of this life If it be to the end that they may not suffer for their sinnes c. Heere verily were a place to answere him that there is a Purgatorie That those that are departed hence without hauing satisfied for their sinnes are relieued by such suffrages c. But on the contrarie what dooth Epiphanius presuppose and set downe for the foundation of the matter in question Verily euen the quite contrarie That such as the liuing pray for are and liue in the presence of the Lord and that by these prayers such as are as yet trauelling this worldly pilgrimage doe witnesse their hope S. Chrysostome hath spoken of these prayers for the dead with greater aduantage then any others For that which Tertullian hath called Custome Epiphanius a Decree or Tradition of the Fathers he hath called an Apostolicall Tradition But he is confuted in one word by S. Ierome and S. Gregorie who saith that the Apostles vsed no other prayer in the celebration of seruice then the Lords prayer But yet for all that shall we thinke that hee praied for soules in Purgatorie when as hee belieued not any such thing Nay verily but rather for them which are with Christ Chrysost hom 3 ad Philip. Idem hom 4. ad Hebr. They are saith he with their king not any more beholding him as in a mirrour no longer loking vp vnto him by the eyes of faith but face to face For else what shuld be the meaning of these flaming Lamps but that we beare these glorious Champions companie home to their houses after their combat finished and accomplished As also what should bee the meaning of these Hymnes but that we glorifie God and giue him thankes for that hee hath crowned the deceased That he hath set him at libertie from all griefe and anguish and that he keepeth him now euen with himselfe These then are all of them nothing else but actions of ioy and reioycing And if thou marke what thou singest at that time it is Conuertere anima mea in requiem tuam Flie O my soule into thy rest for the Lord hath dealt graciously with thee And againe I wil not feare the euil wicked persons because that thou art with me c. Idem hom 70 ad Antioch in Math. hom 32 in Ioh. 61. In an other place The faithfull dying saith he shal take his flight vp into the habitation of the Angels so that he shal not be to be found euen at the time of his funerall And in deed the Liturgies which they obiect so much vnto vs should so much the more confirme them in this point That of Saint Basil Remember those O Lord which sleepe in hope of the resurrection Would he in their conscience call Purgatorie a sleepe And when hee prayeth for the liuing he saith For their saluation for the remission of their sinnes But for the dead For their rest and ease of their soule in a cleare and light place farre and free from weeping and wayling c. And thus Chrysostome The office of Millaine attributed to Saint Ambrose For them saith it which haue gone before vs with the ensigne of faith and which sleepe the sleepe of peace c. And that which they attribute vnto Saint Iames in the same sence For all such as haue embraced the true faith from Abell for the Patriarkes Apostles Prophets Martyrs as also for the Virgine Marie whome he calleth the mother of God most holy and pure c. And which amongst them is hee that would say that shee is in Purgatorie But after all Saint Ierome in the place before alleadged cutteth off all quite and cleane That out of this world we receiue no helpe aide or comfort either by the counsailes or prayers one of another And this is cited to the same end and purpose in the Decree And what shall wee say of the Masse vsed at this day Hierony apud Grat. c 20. in praesenti 13. q 2. which on the contrarie praieth not for the deliuerie of soules out of Purgatorie but out of Hell from the darke lake from the iawes of the Lyon and from eternall paines And that not for the time present but in respect of the iudgement to come as likewise that that which is read of the memorie of those which sleepe the sleepe of peace and which rest in Christ is not to bee read in the old Masse bookes of Rome which are written with hand but added onely after that the Masse hath beene applied to the vse of the dead So hard a thing it is and alwayes hath beene to vpholde and maintaine a lie against the truth They replie And what then was the end of praying for the dead In what sence they praied for the dead Orig. l. 3. in Iob We cannot better sound the reason of this then by the line of the Fathers themselues which did practise it Origen alleadgeth two reasons We celebrate saith hee the memorie of their rest partly to reioyce for that they are placed in Refrigerio at their ease partly for to pray vnto God that he would giue vs euen vs that are still liuing a good ende by faith c. This then is properly for the instruction of the liuing and not for the comfort of the dead Saint Denis Wherefore saith hee doth the Minister pray vnto God that he will pardon the dead Dionys c. 7. Eccles Hierar and place him in the region of the liuing For seeing that euerie man is there handled according to his life and that he hath now ended the same what can such prayers preuaile and helpe him Heere was to bee aunswered according to the doctrine receiued and taught by the Church of Rome That this was to free him out of the paines of Purgatorie But in deed what is his answere That the praiers of good and vertuous men doe neuer faile of their fruit That God rendreth to the faithfull according to their workes but in such sort notwithstanding as that he blotteth out their spots and imperfections for his mercie sake then it is not by the rigour and seueritie of Purgatorie That although the promises of God made vnto the faithfull be alreadie effected and fulfilled that yet the Minister doth
craue the same of God for three reasons First to shew himselfe desirous according to Christian vnitie that gifts and good things might be bestowed vpon others euen as hee would wish or desire them for himselfe Secondly to confirme and assure the hearts of such as are present of the performance of those good things which God promiseth in the Scriptures to those that fall a sleepe that is to say die in him And thirdly to declare vnto them the iudgement of God according to the charge which is giuen him from God to bind and to loose in admitting and receiuing of some and reiecting of other some by his testimonie as if he conueyed and carried them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by this his praier out of this life into that blessed and happie estate for this praier was wont of old time to bee saide at the laying of them into the earth S. Ambrose giueth vs other reasons Griefe and sorrow saith he is oftentimes the comfort of the grieuing And in good affections there is likewise a certaine pleasure in weeping but we content and satisfie our selues in some manner by speaking of him whome we haue lost c. What other thing could he say of such as he witnessed to bee dead in Christ and by consequent liuing and raigning with him Nilus de Purgatorio Chrysost hom 4. ad Hebr. hom 70. ad Antioch hom 22. in Act. hom 33. in Math. Saint Chrysostome maketh two orders of the dead the one dying in a true faith and the other not so and hee findeth it good to praie both for the one and for the other but for the one at the Altar but not so for the other And these prayers saith hee are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any fained thing or counterfaite Pageant but full of efficacie Let vs see what manner of efficacie Is it a Purgatorie or purging efficacie Nay not so for the Grecians say that hee neuer beleeued it Neither yet the Greeke Churches But saith hee thou callest the Priestes and the Singers to the ende they may comfort thee and honour the deceased Idem hom 3. ad Philip. hom 69. ad Antioc hom 41. ad Corinth 61. in Ioh. 21. in Act. Greg. contr l. 4 Dialog c. 44. Bonauentur in 4. Sen. 46. D Epiphan haeres 75. Idem aduers Acrium Wee come and discourse like Phylosophers of the resurrection instructing all such as haue not as yet beene ouertaken by the death of their kinsfolkes to beare out the same stoutly and vndauntedly when it shall happen vnto them But if one presse him further These prayers and almes saith he serue for them that are saued as an increase of their glorie and for the damned to the mittigating of their paine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea in a certaine place to the working of a full deliuerance Now I would know if Saint Gregorie the Schoolemen or our aduersaries doe approoue this Epiphanius dooth what he can against Aerius to rid him out of doubt and to leare his intangled mind and the doctrine of Purgatorie had beene a fit replie and for his purpose to haue fully satisfied Aerius who did so presse and vrge him For said he if these pruiers profit a wicked man that he shall not vndergoe the punishment deserued after death is there any euill and wicked thing that a man will let to doe either against God or man being assured that hee shall not faile to haue certaine prayers offered for him after his death But Epiphanius saith rather The end and scope of these prayers is not that but first that those that are liuing may be admonished that those that depart hence well are not dead but liue with the Lord that is to say Paul ad Cor. 2.3.5 Nazianz. in hom de Caesario quem vocat primitias 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rest confirmed in the resurrection Secondly that they which pray for their brethren reape this consolation that they are away from them as it were for the time of a iourney 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but following that which Saint Paul saith and Nazianzene hath learned of him to soiourne with the Lord. For they that expound this pilgrimage of Purgatorie cannot shift themselues from the words that goe before That the Church doth praie for them by name which are alreadie receiued vp to be with Christ Thirdly They praie also saith hee for the Patriarkes Prophets Apostles Martyrs c. To the ende that thereby the faith full might dayly learne to make difference betwixt Christ a man and all other men because he possesseth eternall ioy of himselfe but al other by him how iust and righteous so euer they be And to conclude withall vppon the inconuenience and absurditie that Aerius did alleadge Epiphan cont Acrium l. 3. c. 1 haeres 75. What should this prooue to bee if thereby all faultes and offences were abolished He aunswereth him That wee must not thinke notwithstanding that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the totall summe of crimes is blotted out without any further declaring how farre this abolishment dooth stretch Our aduersaries doe here take vppon them to gesse what hee would say That small sinnes and not great and haynous crimes are there blotted out and we tell them that the Schoolemen will not allow it them And we also doe thinke that it is more seemely to rest and stay our selues where hee hath rested seeing hee would not say any more but conceale the rest And in deede Cassander in his aduise to the Emperour Maximilian Cassand in consult c. de iterat Missae though holding parties with our aduersaries doth freely confesse That vntill this day it was neuer agreed vpon in the old Church after what manner these prayers did profit those which were dead neither yet what was the state and condition of the Soules for which they prayed but that it was a meere testimonie of charitie towards the deceased and a profession of that Article of the faith concerning the immortalitie of the soule and of that also of the resurrection to come Saint Augustine remaineth who seemeth to them to bee more fauourable then all the rest and behold the reasons that hee yeeldeth He prayeth for his mother though presupposing her to bee alreadie in heauen Prayer then for the dead being vsed in the same sence that hee vseth it dooth not presuppose any Purgatorie Of the calling to memorie and rehersall of the dead which was made at the Altar that is to say August de Ciuit Dci l. c. 9. in the seruice of the Church he deliuereth this as an occasion That it was to shew the Communion that euen the dead haue in the Church who cease not to bee members of the same though they raigne already with Christ and be absent from this life Againe that the friends of the deceased may receiue this consolation that they which are asleepe in Christ how infirme and weake so euer are not excluded and shut out from his kingdom but
owne sonnes as in deed they drew lots for two But and if they belieue not vs yet let them at the least belieue their owne writers Cardinall Hugo saith To the end they might haue tribes as the sonnes of Iacob had And in the same sence hee expoundeth this word Esay 4. Lyranus Et inuocetur c. quia vocati sunt because they are called the adopted sonnes of Iacob and are become heades of two tribes after the manner of his owne children The annotation also of their Fonseca vpon Caietan This is a phrase of speech familiarly vsed of the Hebrewes that the name of this man is called vppon by that man when their meaning is that that man is called by this mans name And thereupon he alleadgeth the fourth of Esay and Daniel 9. Let them also remember themselues of their owne doctrine How that the fathers were in the Limbes that in the Limbes they did not see God neither by consequent know the affaires of men whereupon it followeth by their owne sayings that they could not be called vpon And yet notwithstanding Bellarmine in the time of the cleare light of learning is not ashamed to alleadge this place Eliphaz saith to Iob Iob 5. Call now and see if there be any that will answere thee and turne thy selfe vnto some one of the Saintes c. Which place other expositors doe reade with an interrogatiue point And the summe of the text is That no man when he is chastised of God can say that it is any wrong or iniustice seeing hee hath found as hath beene said before matter of reprehension euen in his Angels And how much more saith hee in them which dwell in these houses of clay c. And thereupon hee addeth Cast thine eies round about and see if thou canst find any amongst the most holy who hath beene punished causelesse But and if they will haue it that by Saintes the Angels are vnderstoode besides that it standeth not with the scope and purpose of the text it is as quickly denied as affirmed and such figures doe not proue or conclude any thing But and if they simplie take it to bee vnderstoode of the Sainte then so much the lesse seeing that they in the Limbes could neither heare norse according to their owne doctrine And certainly S. Ierome if he be the author of those commentaries was not aduised of this doctrine notwithstanding that he three handle this verse by name In the Psalmes saith Cocleus it is said Psal 32. Pro hac orab ad te omnis sanctus The Hebrew saith For this shall euerie holy man pray vnto thee c. The Chaldie For this shall euery good man pray vnto thee in time conuenient that is Because thou art readie to forgiue them which confesse their faultes And so S. Paul hir selfe doth expound it Romaines 4. But in euerie place where they find the name Saiâ—t there they will find inuocation or intercession of the Saints August Hieronym Theodor. in Psal 32. But without any longer staying vpon the matter Sant Augustine intreating vpon this place saith Euery holy man shall pray vnto thee because of impietie and for the remission of sinnes because thou fâ—â—giuest them and otherwise no holy man would pray vnto thee And when In due and conenient time when the new Testament shall be come when the grace of Christ shall be manifeted when in the fulnes of time God shal haue sent his Sonne to redeeme them which were vnder the law c. And this is spoken saith he of all Christians of Saint Paule himselfe who being prickt with the sting of the law cryeth vnto God wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the bodie of this death Saint Ierome saith The Saintes doe pray in this life for the remission of their sinnes seeing the most holy are not exempted now is the conuenient time for to obtaine Theodoret in like manner I will not pray vnto thee alone for mine impietie but all those that shall haue the knowledge of thee shall make the same prayers vnto thee Seeing saith he that vnder the new Testament Haimo in Psal 32. Bernard serm 73. in Cant. the faithfull by sea and by land shall praise God by the singing of the Psalmes of Dauid c. Haimo The remission of iniquitie is good and for the obtaining thereof euerie holy man will pray vnto thee in a time conuenient that is to say in this life in which alone prayer can obtaine the same Saint Bernard For this saith he c. Seeing saith he that the Saintes haue need to pray to God for their owne sinnes to bee saued by his mercie they being nothing able to trust and leane to their owne righteousnesse c. And againe Pro hac orabit O misericors c. Idem in ep ad Henric. Senens Archiep. Euerie Saint whosoeuer saith hee shall pray vnto thee O most mercifull father for his iniquitie becomming a humble suter for the sence and feeling of his sinne and miserie and yet notwithstanding a Saint for that he consenteth not vnto it in that be delighteth and taketh pleasure in the law according to the inward man c. And Cardinall Hugo saith For all the Saints and holy men haue need to pray vnto God for the remission of their owne sins c. And in a couenient time that is to say in this present life according to that which is said labour whiles it is day c. Farre enough off then from the exposition of our aduersaries That the saintes deceased doe pray for vs. And Lyranus followeth Saint Ierome Cardinall Caietanus and Arias Montanus translate it Super hac not Pro hac that is saith Caietanus That euerie Saint shall pray vnto God for to obtaine the blessed fauour of his diuine righteousnesse c. Here is no question then of praying for another in an other life And as little proofe is there to bee gathered out of Psalme 121. Psalm 121. I haue lifted saith Dauid mine eies towardes the mountaines from whence succour shall come vnto me c. By the hils they will vnderstand the Saintes This is a figure And by these hils some vnderstood the scriptures as Saint Augustine others the heauens as Euthymius some the Saintes as Caâ—siodorus Of such sortes of speaking there followeth no good argument But let vs take them in whatsoeuer sence they will If it bee to the Saintes they were according to their owne doctrine in the Limbes and therefore in vaine for that purpose they had more need to haue cast downe then to haue lifted vp their eyes But they should at the least haue considered what followeth My succour commeth from the Lord who hath made heauen and earth And then not from all or any of these creatures bee they neuer so high and eminent And this is that which Saint Augustine saith No man can vnderstand by these mountaines great personages August in psal 121.
storie is That Iudas to incourage his soldiers being vppon the point of entering into a great fight acquainted them with this vision that had appeared vnto him But either it was a reall action or a likenesse and representation onely If it were reall and in deed where is then their Limbes become For they all agree that in the Limbes they can make no intercession neither be inuocated If representatiue or figuratiue then let them heare the exposition of their owne Doctors Gloss in 2. Machab. c. 15. That in Onias is represented the order of the priesthood and in Ieremias the Propheticall order and in the one and the other Iesus Christ the high priest and Prophet of whom Moyses hath said I will raise vp vnto you a Prophet like vnto mee of whom S. Iohn likewise saith If we haue sinned we haue an aduocate with God Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes Baruch Baruch 3.14 3. It is said Lord heare now the prayer of the dead of Israel and of their children which haue sinned before thee Now it is to be known whether this word dead be taken for such as were dead in deed or else for a people brought vnto such an extremity as did threaten death vnto them euery moment Now the verse going before seemeth to make for the latter For it saith we perish are destroied for euer But let vs take it according to their own sence Lyranus giueth them the repulse ouerthrow He speaketh saith he of the praiers which the Patriarkes the Prophets had made whiles they liued for the good estate of their posteritie And their opinion also of the Limbes doth debarre them of the benefit of the place in their owne sence But what agreement hath this praier and intercession of the liuing Saints with that of the dead Those being commanded with promise to be heard these not mentioned in the Scripture but subiect vnto that great Woe so oftentimes repeated Woe to them which adde therunto Saint Paul prayeth for them that were in the same Shippe he praieth also the Romaines to pray for him But did he allow them to call vpon or to pray for aide vnto him or did hee himselfe inuocate the Romaines And therefore if we from these mutuall praiers of the faithfull that are liuing rise vp to the inuocation of the Saints that are dead what shall let vs then but that from the inuocation of the dead wee shall descend by consequent to the inuocating and adoring of those that be aliue to make vowes and offer vp our oblations vnto them to erect and build Churches and Altars in honour of them to burne sacrifices and incense vnto them and finally to reuiue the whole Masse of Paganisme for them which are as yet vppon earth as wee haue alreadie done for them which are in heauen And thus much for that which they can say as well for the inuocation as for the intercession of the olde Testament CHAP. XII That the inuocation of Saints hath not any foundation in the holy Scriptures of the new Testament IN the new Testament they alleadge that S. Paul ordained 1. Tim. 2. Rom. 15. Collos 4. that intercession shuld be made in the Church for all men that he praieth the Romaines and Colossians to pray for him that he hoped to be offered in the praiers of the Saints that S. Iames saith Pray yee one for an other to the ende that yee may bee saued c. What are all these places but the praiers of the Saints liuing and not of the Saints deceased whereupon there is not any thing further to bee inferred then what concerneth the dutie of charitie amongst the liuing and from which there wil not any old writer be found to gather the inuocating of Saints which are in heauen But we see that the rich man in the other life Luk. 16. praieth Abraham that his punishment may be mitigated and why not as wel here below What maner of argument is this concluding that what is done in Hel may be done here on earth And that what the damned doe the same also may the faithfull doe And what Diuinitie is this borrowed from the damned from the damned feeling in themselues the vnappeasible wrath and anger of God as not being able to comprehend him otherwise then as an angrie iudge for vs which haue accesse vnto his throne by Christ which is both the Porter and the gate which are led vnto the throne of his grace by the hand of his Sonne And what wilfull blindnesse is it to oppose vnto the cleare light of the Scriptures outward darknesse to the intercession of our Lord full of power and efficacie a parabolicall praier of a wicked rich man repelled and cast off by Abraham for the impertinencie thereof And no lesse impertinent and farre from the purpose are those places elsewhere Math. 27.47 as that of the crie of our Lord vpon the Crosse Eli Eli my God my God c. The souldiers had thought that he had called for Elias Let vs see say they if he will come This was then say they a familiar thing to call vpon the Saints But I should bee ashamed to confute it if they had any shame to alleadge it For what is this To learne the faith of the Church of Pilats souldiers the faith of Israel at the hands of the Gentils which are in garrison in Ierusalem which haue heard speech amongst the Iewes of one Elias that should come at that time which were trained vp in Paganisme to praie vnto as many Gods as they could dreame of or deuise to hold for Gods all those from whom they expected any good or feared any euill Which by reason of the ignorance of the tongue did suppose that our Lord called for Elias S. Ierome vpon this place I thinke that they were the Romane Souldiers who vnderstood not the propertie of the Hebrew tongue and thereupon did thinke that he had inuocated or called Elias But if we vnderstand and take them to haue beene Iewes then it was nothing but their ordinarie practise to speake reprochfully of the Lord accusing him of weaknesse and infirmitie and therby driuen to pray vnto Elias And the Glose and Caietanus haue vnderstoode it of the Romaines and of the Gentiles In S. Iohn 5. Thanke not saith our Lord vnto the Pharisies that I am to accuse you vnto my father Iohn 5.45 Moyses in whom you haue your hope he it is that will accuse you Thereupon they conclude that it was a doctrine amongst the Iewes that Moyses tooke the matter vppon him before God whether it were to accuse or defend them And still they forget that this dutie could not be exercised in the Limbes Wheras the text is plaine enough to those that haue any eyes Moyses that is to say the lawe and doctrine of Moses doth accuse vs is the sentence of condemnation against vs when we infringe and breake it when
we reiect and cast of that which it offereth vs and particularly it condemneth the Pharisies for that they denie Christ promised in the law Moyses on the contrarie that is to say this same doctrine dooth iustifie vs worketh with vs vnto saluation when we embrace Christ at whome it altogether aimeth according to that which is said afterward If you belieue Moyses you will also belieue me for it is written of me Iohn 5.39 And the Pharisies hoped in him that is to say in this doctrine according to that which hee said in former times Search the Scriptures for you thinke to haue eternall life by them c. And in the same sence Abraham aunswered the rich man They haue Moyses and the Prophets Not Moyses in the flesh not Moyses in the soule but Moyses as likewise the Prophets in the doctrine What should then the question of the intercession of Moses doe here Origen To belieue Moyses that is to say the writings and workes of Moses Orig in Ep. ad Fom l. 4 c. 4. Basill de Spir Sanct c. 14. Cirill in Ioh. l 3. c. 8. And by consequent to be accused by Moses that is to say by the law giuen by the Ministers of Moses S. Basill It is the custome of the Scripture to vnderstand vnder the name of Moyses the Law as when it is said they haue Moses and the Prophets Cyril more clearely intreating vpon this place When as saith he all others did hold their peace the Lord said that Moyses law alone did suffice to condemne the incredulitie of the Iewes Cardinal Hugo Moyses that is to say the Scripture or Law giuen by Moses Caietanus goeth yet further Caiet in Ioh. c. 5. The Iewes are accused by Moyses for that his writings declare them worthie of punishment in not belieuing in Iesus the Iewes also are said to hope in Moses because they generally hoped in the promises contained in the said writings but they acknowledged not the fulfilling of the same Iesus In the 2. Peter 1.15 I am saith he shortly to goe out of this my Tabernacle as our Lord himselfe hath declared vnto me 2. Pet. 1.15 but I will doe my indeuour that after my departure also you may continually call to mind these things that is pietie charitie brotherly loue c. Here they affirme that this shall be by his intercession in heauen But we that this shall bee by his diligence in instructing them well before that he goe out of this world that is as he hath said in the former verses By continually bringing it to their remembrance And the text is verie cleare and plaine for the same for he doth not say Dabo operam post obitum meum vt possitis but Vt possitis post obitum meum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say I wil haue care that after my death you may remember your selues and not I will haue care after â—y death c. That which followeth teacheth it For we haue not taught you the power and comming of our Lord in the deceitfulnesse of fables c. The Glose saith Jnterim dum venio dabo operam c. As long as I liue I will giue order or I will doe my endeuour c. And as for the alleadging of Oecumenius saying that certaine would collect heereof by the figure called Hyperbaton that is to say a long draught of words the intercession of Saints it had beene their dutie in like maner for the discharge of a good conscience to haue added that which followeth That others which handle the same more simply do vnderstand it thus That wheras he so carefully laboureth to imprint this doctrine in them it is not for that he doubteth them to be egnorant but to the end that they might abide the more firme after his death Caiet 2. Pet. 1. At the least they should haue held themselues to Caietanus I wil giue order that is in my life time that you may haue after my death books which may put you in remebrance of this doctrin In the Apocalips 5. Apocal. 1.8 the foure beasts and the foure and twentie Elders haue harps in their hands and Viols of gold full of perfumes Which are saith S. Iohn the prayers of the Saints therefore they must be imployed as intercessors for vs. Now it is not called in question whether they pray or praise God or no but if they make intercession to God for the things which wee particularly and by name pray vnto them for and againe if we may and ought to imploy them for intercessors with God for vs. And this cannot be gathered out of this place but rather that they praise God and pray vnto him And this praier without any further gessing of it doth follow in the next verse Thou art worthie to take the booke and to open the Seales thereof c. for thou hast bought and purchased vs to God by thy bloud out of euerie tribe and language c. And then not to imploy their merits with God for vs in stead of that of the Lambe but rather to acknowledge the bloud of the Lambe imployed for themselues And that maketh yet lesse for them Apocal. 8.3 which they further alleadge out of the fore part of the eight Chapter where the Angell standeth before the Altar with a Censor of gold wherein there were many perfumes giuen vnto him either to offer vp with the praiers of all the Saints or rather according to the Greeke to adde it to the praiers of the Saints vpon the Altar of gold which is before the throne For this Angell saith their Glose is Christ himselfe offering vnto God his father the petitions of the faithfull which are acceptable and well pleasing to him for his sake S. Ambros Aug. Primas Andraeas Caes in Apocal. Ambrose expoundeth this whole place of the teachers of the Church euerie man in his age That Christ openeth then the booke when by his holy spirit hee manifesteth vnto them the sence of the Scriptures that they fall downe before the Lambe when they are raised to the meditation of his mysteries and by consequent are humbled in themselues that these odors are their praiers whereof the Psalmist speaketh Let my praier ascend vp vnto thee as the perfume of incense c. And vpon the eight Chapter he taketh Christ for the Angell Ambros in Apocal c 8. the Church for the Altar c. and maketh many sorts of incensings praiers of the Saints For saith he the faithfull pray when they aske forgiuenesse of their sinnes when they giue almes when they forgiue their neighbours when they obserue and keepe the commaundements of God c. August Primas Andr. Caesar Thom. Aquin. in Apoc. c. 5. l. 8 And not a word of the praiers of the Saints that are dead for vs or of vs praying to them And as little in S. Augustine Primasius Andreas Bb. of Caesarea Thomas
which are with God haue not any foundation in the Scriptures Whereby for certaine we get as much aduantage at the least Ioh. 4. against our aduersaries as the Iewes against the Samaritans That we worship that which we know euen God who hath vouchsafed to manifest himselfe vnto vs in his word They worship that which they know not namely the Saints for the inuocating of whome there is not any thing deliuered or declared vnto vs in the same But they will deriue and fetch it from certaine places The consutation of certain places wrongfully applied as consequently following vpon the same and these are now to be examined of vs. For say they those which liue here pray vnto God one for an other and doe vse the praiers one of an other vnto God wherefore should such as liue in heauen aboue lesse performe the same for such as are liuing heere below and those below make lesse vse of such as are abiding on high The oddes and difference betwixt the one and the other doe furnish vs with store of answeres And first we haue an expresse commaundement to pray one for an other here below and a promise accompanying the commaundement and so consequently a blessing when these our praiers are made in faith Which falleth out contrarie in the matters of pietie and seruice of God exercised without any foundation in his word for so it falleth out to bee an vncertaine worke and therefore without faith and therefore also sinne and by consequent displeasing vnto God Secondly we belieue that the Saints in heauen are inflamed with charitie towards the Church neither do doubt of their hartie desire of the good of the same as vnto the bodie for the glorie of God and to euerie particular as they are members of the same for their saluation And to proceed thus farre is not beyond the bonds of pietie so that a man learne to stay himself there But we denie that they either see our necessities or heare our sutes and complaints affirming that this should make them like vnto God the onely searcher of hearts and our aduersaries themselues dare not say it They answere that they see our thoughts not as they are in our spirits but in God And we answere them that this is a deuised fantasie without any foundation and that the created spirit doth not pearce or enter into the spirit not created but on the contrarie that if it were otherwise that then the Angels should know all things in God as wel the things to come as those that are present seeing that with him euerie thing is present Now there are many things vnknowne vnto them for the mysterie of our saluation was hid from them before and now at this day they are still ignorant when the day of iudgement shall bee Luk. 15. c. But they say that the Angels reioyce in heauen at the conuersion of sinners c. And therefore they are able to know it and wee doe not denie it But by meanes that it is their office and dutie to bee imployed and set on worke of God for to serue the faithfull whereupon the Apostle calleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hebr. 1. Pâ—al 34. Psal 91. Act. 13. ministring spirits to whome God committeth saith the Psalmist the care of his seruants He maketh them to pitch their tents round about them c. But there is no such thing said of the Saints no not of Dauid himselfe who after he had serued in his generation by the wil of God was laid vp with his fathers And againe that praier which is of such importance vnto Christians must not bee grounded vpon the subtile deuises of mans braine but vpon the soliditie and soundnes of the word of God For certainly God can reueale what it pleaseth him either vnto the liuing or vnto the dead But wee are not to make a common rule of his miracles neither any commaundement of his reuelations vnknowne vnto vs from his power saith Tertullian the Diuine dooth neuer reason to his will but rather from his will vnto his power and that by a more forcible reason seeing the holy Scripture doth teach vs the contrarie 2. King 22.20 God saith vnto Iosias I goe about to gather thee vnto thy forefathers and thine eyes shall not see the euils which I will bring vpon this place The people of Israell saith also in Esay Thou art our father Esay 63.16 August de cura pro mortuis gerenda c. 13. notwithstanding that Abraham know vs not c. And from these two places Saint Augustine gathereth that the Saints know nothing of all the matters that happen vnto men in these words The dead and deceased doe not meddle with the affaires of those that are liuing neither to know nor yet to helpe or further them They are in rest and as for the troubles and turmoyles of them that are liuing they doe not disquiet them God promiseth to Iosias that he should die before to the end that his eyes might not see the euils the spirits then of the deceased are in aplace where they see not what is done in this life c. Adde thereunto that the greater part of the other fathers as we haue seene before haue taught that the Saints at their departure out of this life doe not inioy the sight of God but are in a place of rest expecting and waiting for the resurrection that so they may receiue the fulnesse of their glorie Now those which held this opinion could not approoue the reason which our Aduersaries alleadge for the inuocation of Saints that is that their soules and spirits doe see euerie thing in God nor by consequent this inuocation if so bee it doe depend and follow thereupon Saint Paul saith Rom. 8.26 Hee that soundeth the heart dooth know the affection of the spirit Salomon vppon the subiect and matter of prayer how in our afflictions wee must haue recourse vnto God 1. King 8. For saith hee thou alone knowest the hearts of all the Sonnes of men This reason should haue no force if these two generall propositions were not true together That man is not to praie to anie but him that knoweth all things And that God is hee alone which knoweth all things But where the word of God faileth them they forge humane reasons A confutation of their human reasons and those a great deale more vnmeete to bee admitted in Diuinitie as that which intreateth of God then those of the Ciuill Law to bee admitted in Physicke or on the contrarie because also that that in hauing an infinite subiect which is not knowne otherwise then as it pleaseth him to vouchsafe to reueale himselfe is infinitely and beyond all proportion exceeding all others In the Courts of great Princes say they there is not any man that goeth directly to the King hee hath need to make waie for the same by the fauour and mediation of some great Lord who is imployed neere
about his person And not without cause say wee because that the Prince is sometimes disdainfull and sometimes shunneth and seeketh to auoide occasions of businesses But in God which is altogether infinite what place or reason can this reason haue whose power and wisedome cannot be ouercharged with the managing of the whole vniuersall world whose goodnesse reacheth and extendeth most liberally and freely euen vnto the least and smallest things nay rather who standeth more readie and willing assaith the Psalmist more neere vnto the afflicted heart and more readie continually to heare vs then wee are to call vppon him infinitely more readie to bow and stoupe vnto vs in his bountifull kindnesse then wee are to arise and lift vp our selues vnto him in our praiers Nay saith he O fraile and vaine man that thou art measure not me according to the shalownes of thy capacitie Esay 55. For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither my waies your waies they are as much surpassing ouerreaching yours as the heauens do the earth And his thoughts are manifested vnto vs from himselfe that he alone will be called vpon and that if there be any question made of an intercessour he hath ordained his one onely Sonne and therefore they are to vnderstand that to speake after the maner of the Court it is a high displeasing of the king that any shuld be sued vnto besides himselfe Now in deed this was the reason that the Gentiles vsed against the Christians in the time of S. Ambrose for their doctrine reasons for the defence therof August de Ciuit. Dei l. 8. are both taken from one head and spring And S. Augustine saith that the Schollers of Plato taught that there were Gods intercessors betwixt the high and soueraigne God and the requests of men that conueied the same vnto him God beeing most worthy to haue the hearing of such matters Ambro. in Ep. a â— Rom. c. 1. tom 5. but we most vnworthie to come neere vnto his Maiestie But what answere dooth S. Ambrose make them When saith he they are ashamed of hauing neglected God they are accustomed to vse a certaine pitifull excuse saying that they had accesse vnto God by these Gods as by the Lords or Earles about the Court. Subiects haue accesse vto the king But I beseech you is there any man so foolish and so rechlesse of his owne preseruation as that he will giue that honour vnto any such Earle which is due vnto the King seeing that to intreat such a man onely is a point of treason And these men shall not they thinke themselues guiltie of hauing transgressed who giue to the creature the honour due to God alone and which forsake him to adore and pray vnto their companions with seruice as though besides that there were nothing reserued for God For verily in that men make way to haue accesse to Kings by Tribunes or Earles it is because the King is a man and knoweth not to whome to trust in matters concerning the Common-wealth But to make God readie and fauourably inclined vnto him from whom nothing is hid who knoweth what euerie man wanteth and wisheth a man needeth no other supporter or mediator then a deuout spirit for in what place soeuer he would speake with him hee is readie there to giue him an aunswere Origen likewise hath aunswered the verie same to Celsus Orig. aduers Cell l. 8. Chrysost in Math. hom 2. in and about the same matter from whome Saint Ambrose doth willingly borrow and that word for word not failing any thing at all And Chrysostome who is nothing behind in speaking for the practise of Christians sheweth vs that we may by as good right vse the same answere against our aduersaries Tell me woman speaking of the Cananite Who hath made thee so bold wicked and sinfull wretch that thou art to approach and come so neere vnto the Lord I know saith shee what I haue to doe See the wisedome of the woman shee praieth not vnto Iames shee beseecheth not Iohn neither doth shee turne her selfe to Peter no shee betaketh not her selfe to all the whole companie of the Apostles shee seeketh not for any Mediatour shee goeth right forward vnto the fountaine And wherefore Of a certaintie saith hee in the verie same Homely Because that hee vnderstandeth in what place so euer thou art in what place so euer thou callest vpon him Thou needest not any either porter or mediator neither yet any one of the family to bring thee in thou needest not but onely to say Lord haue mercie vpon me c. And againe When we haue any matter to obtaine at mans hand wee seeke the fauour and helpe of Vshers Chrysost de paenit hom 4. To whome then wilt thou haue recourse To Abraham He will not heare thee But he onely is to be praied vnto which can blot out the hand writing of condemnation that is against thee and quench the burning c. But say they God dooth better accept of those praiers that are made vnto him in humilitie and doth not this appeare more fully and manifestly in them that seeke to haue accesse vnto him by the Saints then in those that dare bee so bold as to goe directly to him But in deede the greatest point of humilitie is obedience which the Lord loueth better then sacrifice And this is also mans humilitie to confesse himselfe lost in himselfe and in all the nature of man and contrarily pride to seeke in himselfe or in any other man whatsoeuer that which cannot be found but in God onely By this note of proofe and tryall did the Lord himselfe iudge the Pharisie to bee proud namely in alleadging mens workes and the Publicane humble who durst not lift vp his eyes vnto heauen and yet notwithstanding said confidently God bee mercifull vnto me a sinner and this man hee iustified but not the other For whosoeuer saith hee doth exalt himselfe shall bee brought low and hee that humbleth himselfe shall bee exalted And this therefore is humilitie in our praiers to renounce and forsake al our owne natures and to betake and lift vp our selues to God And beware thou blaspheme not hereafter the manner of some that Christ is more rigorous and more hard but the Saints more milde and fauourable Nay saith he to all the Saints Hebr. 2. Hebr. 4. Learne of me that I am meeke and humble of heart And the Apostle saith He was made like in all things vnto his brethren to the end that he might be a high Priest mercifull and faithfull in things belonging to God Tempted saith he to the end that he might succour such as doe fall into temptation subiect vnto all our infirmities sinne excepted to the end he might know how to haue compassion And therefore he saith Come vnto me all you that are laden that is to say you which feele your burthen euen the heauie load of your sinnes c. And therefore also saith the Apostle
is meete and conuenient therefore that Christians doe pray vnto them And did the Church of his time the same Nay but cleane contrarie Celsus a Pagan obiecteth vnto him That it cannot be displeasing to the high God that men should make vowes and supplications vnto the Gods as vnto his louing friendes which helpe men forward in the thinges which they pray vnto him for c. He answereth him that he acknowledgeth no such Gods but rather the holy Angels the seruants of God and the blessed ones whom hee vouchsafeth to call his friendes And the drift of the disputation required that if he had belieued any such thing that he should haue added To whome God is well pleased that men should make their vowes and praiers and not to your Gods But what saith he We offer saith hee and speaketh no more there as hee was Origen but as a Syndicke of the Church of his time in all humilitie our vowes vnto God who sitteth as chiefe Iudge and gouernour ouer all by his one onely Sonne Iesus Christ in whom we put vp our supplications in as much as he is the propitiation for our sinnes and that as a high priest hee offereth our praiers vnto God c. For God saith he afterward must alone be worshipped and the word his one onely Sonne and first borne of euerie creature must be alone praied vnto as the head and chiefe to the end that he may commend vnto God our praiers which shal be come vnto him c. But if wee desire saith he furthermore that the companie of Angels should helpe vs in procuring his further fauour and readie inclination to doe vs good and here should he take his oportunitie to counsell vs to pray vnto them let vs know that the Angels will loue and affect those whom they shall know to loue God to serue him and hartily to call vpon him euen as they themselues doe pray vnto and worship him c. For is it not better addeth hee to commit ones selfe and to trust to God which ruleth ouer all thinges which bringeth this doctrine vnto vs by Iesus Christ and to aske of him such assistance and protection as may bee ministred vnto vs both from Saintes and Angels c. But if Celsus or rather our aduersaries taught by Celsus should replie vpon him But doth it not well to haue friendes in the Court And why then also should it not doe as well to haue friendes with God in paradise c. Verily saith he although this life bee full of examples how to winne the great and mightie afterward by them the kings themselues yet notwithstanding we haue but one God to pacifie and appease and he is pacified with godlinesse and vertue And as the shadow doth follow the mouing of the bodie so in like manner doe all the inferiors attend and waite vppon him which is the superior For who so hath God his friend hath also by consequent all those friendly to him that are Gods friendes whether they bee Saintes or Angels which without being praied vnto do pray with him and for him and assist him euery manner of way that they are able c. And herewithall as when the Canonical scriptures do faile them they are accustomed to haue recourse vnto the Apocrypha so likewise the true books of Origen not contenting or satisfying them they betake themselues to such as are falsely attributed vnto him Origen say they praied vnto the Saints You Saints of God saith he I pray you that you would prostrate your selues before the seat of Gods mercie for me a miserable wretch But herewithall I could haue wisht them not to haue concealed how that this booke called the lamentations Gelas Decret 15. or penitential worke of Origen are declared by pope Gelasius to be counterfeit fained Vpon Iob likewise they say that he saith O Saint Iob pray for vs miserable sinners to the end that the mercy of God may deliuer vs c. But it were to be wished that they had the shame to blush for fathering this shamefull thing vpon Origen for attributing to him this whole booke which is not his in the least tittle thereof being stained with Arrianisme and that in such deep horrible manner as that it calleth the holy Trinitie a sect an heresie infidelitie the three persons the three hornes of the Deuill And in deed it was attributed to the Bishop of the Arrians called Maximinus against whom S. Augustine hath written And let them remember also that he speaketh therein of the Manichies of Lucian the Martyr of the heretikes Homousioi all which rose sprung vp a long time after him which is also confessed by themselues as likewise the Homilies of the said author in diuersos Let them also learne of S. Origen that he would haue his works read as the works of a man and not of an Angell Consider and take good aduise saith he that so thou maist be able to iudge if that which we say may be made to agree with the scripture I suspect it it is my coniecture but trie and see if it may be so c. But so it is that he hath onely said this nothing further namely that it is credible that the saints retaining as yet their charitable and louing affections do hartily desire all maner of good vnto men And now let vs see how far he was off from looking to enter into Paradice by the merites of the Saintes Origen hom 17. in Luc. What thinke we then saith he that all the Apostles were offended in our Lord and that not so much as his mother was exempted Yea saith he if she had not beene offended at the death of our Lord Iesus had not beene dead for her sinnes But if all haue sinned and stand in need of the grace of God and are iustified and set at libertie by his grace verily Mary her selfe for a time was offended And it is the same which Simeon prophesieth when he saith Behold a sword shall pearce through thy soule euen thine who knowest thy selfe to haue brought forth a childe without the companie of man yea euen thee who hast hearde of Gabriel The holy Ghost shall come vppon thee and the power of the highest shall ouershadow thee shall the sword of in fidelitie wound with doubtfulnesse and vncertaintie as with a pricke for that diuers thoughtes shall distract and teare thee in peeces when thou shalt see him crucified and put to death whom thou hast heard called the Sonne of God Saint Cyprian passeth on a little further Cypr. l. 1. ep 1. aâ— Cornel. and yet not to a flat inuocation or calling vpon Saintes deceased but rather to the stirring of vs vppe to pray vnto them whiles they bee aliue that they would remember vs when they be in heauen And it is in this sence that he saith Let vs bee mindfull one of another let vs pray one for another euerie where And those of which
receiued into the Church in Athanasius his time howsoeuer it be out of doubt that they had the doctrine And now we be come to the time of the first Nicene Councell Anno 350. the word of inuocation of the Saints hauing neuer beene heard of in the church of all that time which by this meanes had beene without this doctrine more then 4000. yeares as likewise neere hand 400. Tertull. aduer Praxeam yeares after the incarnation of Christ a manifest signe and token that it was neuer his but that it came from the Deuill according to the rule which Tertullian giueth vs to try the doctrines of the church That that which is the ancientest is the truest and that what is come in since then is false and counterfeit Or els according to Lyrinensis his rule That which alwaies hath beene and euery where and amongst all men The first notwithstanding that brought it in might be led thereunto by a good intention and those which suffered it might happily not see to what abuse it was likely to come the qualitie and nature of superstition being such as the Phisitians deliuer the Hectike feuer to consist of which is in the beginning very hard to bee knowne or discerned but easie to be cured whereas in progresse tract of time it becommeth verie hard to cure and very easie to be knowne The praiers of the Saintes deceased for the liuing were the particular opinions of Origen and Cyprian The bringing in of this abuse by a Rhetorica l figure founded vpon a likelihood and fostered in the solitarie celles and cloisters of Monkes vntil such time as they brought forth the offering vp of praiers from the liuing vnto those that were dead And breaking out of the cabins of the Monasteries they beganne to pearch in the pulpit vppon that great increase of the Church that followed the empire of Constantine and his successors and yet all this while carried more like vnto a Rhetoricall figure or flourish then anie article or graue pointe of Diuinitie and deliuered in their Panegyrickes And Saint Basill and Nazianzene Anno 370. who brought the Monkes out of Egypt and Syria into Greece were the promoters and furtherers thereof being the most famous Orators of that age an age verily wherein the Church grew and prospered greatly for honour and wealth by reason of the protection of the Empire but therewithall growing heauy and laden with the errours of Paganisme slipping into it together with the multitudes of the Gentiles the Church in the meane while being busied in beating down the heresies raised about the trinity they being thē in their chief strength The quickest sighted conceiuing that they had gained no small matter when they had turned the Gentiles from their Gods to Angels Basil in Gord. Mart. de Martyre Manante and from their halfe Gods to the Saintes of the Christians and from the seruing of the one to the louing and imitating of the other Saint Basill therefore speaking of the Martyr Gordius celebrateth his feast rehearseth his life and exhorteth the people to follow him and all this according to the order of the Church But in the praier that hee made of the Martyr Manans he went beyond the bounds of the order and obseruation of the Church falleth into the superstition of the common people Call to your remembrances saith he how oft you haue seene him in a dreame and how oft he hath ministred help vnto you in your praiers and in your iourneyes c. This passeth the limits both of the scriptures as also the decrees and ordinances of the Church and it had beene better that he had kept himselfe to the rule which he himselfe elsewhere doth giue vnto vs As That to depart from the scriptures is to fall away from the faith But yet our aduersaries not contented with this will make him say more then he would He saith in the Panegyricke of the 40. Martyrs He that is in affliction goeth vnto these 40. and hee that is in ioy runneth vnto them c. the wife praying for her husband and the mother for her children c. that is to say thus did the common people practise Bellarmine giueth our aduersaries more aduantage Let him that is afflicted go vnto them c. as though hee would prescribe and appoint them to doe it And hitherto haue the Panegyrikes brought vs. Nazianzene against Iulian Heare all ye people tribes tongues and ages that is Nazianz. in orat 1. in Iulian. all ye which are aliue at this day or shall be borne hereafter Hearken O yee hostes of heauen and companies of Angels heare likewise O thou soule of the great Constantine if thou haue any sence in thee and you O ye soules of the rest of the Christian Emperors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Againe vpon the passeouer O thou great and sacred Passeouer saith he the purgation of the whole world I am purposed to speake vnto thee as if thou hadst a soule c. Idem in orat Sanct. Pasch Who seeth not that this is the verie same which the Rhetoricians call Apostrophe For and if this were a formall and orderly inuocation would hee haue applyed the same so confusedly to euerie thing both liuing and not liuing as well to the wicked as to the good godly to things without life as well as to things hauing life to the liuing as well as to the dead And as for the dead would hee haue prayed vnto them in such vncertaine and wauering sort and with so little faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the verie fashion and manner of speaking vsed by the Pagans If you haue as yet saith he any sence or feeling in you In orat de Basil And yet in certaine other places he waxeth more feruent and hot And in his Panegyricall oration which he made of S. Basill so far as to say that he is in heauen and that he sacrificeth prayeth for the people yea so farre as to say vnto him Behold and looke downe from heauen vpon vs represse and plucke out the pricke of this flesh by thy praiers c. Idem in orat de Athanas Cypr. And likewise in that of Athanasius Direct this people guide and furnish them in this combat and spirituall warfare And in that of S. Cyprian after the same manner But that we may more clearely see that this was a priuate opinion which the Pastors held rather in respect of the peoples deuotion Idem in epitaph patris then the people from the instruction of the Pastors let vs alwaies obserue these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I thinke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I perswade my selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if it may be spoken without arrogancie c. Againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if they haue any sence or feeling left them I am constrained to speake vnto them as though they were present and heard I aduise and counsell you
we are onely made acquainted with so much as Saint Ierome maketh mention of It is manifest likewise that the Church of Fraunce did not allow of this superstition in as much as that French Bishoppe of whome Saint Ierome speaketh vnto Ripacius a holy and reuerent man did hold the opinion of Vigilantius according to that which Ireneus saith That the French men and Germaines held and kept so fast what they had first receiued of the Apostolike faith as that they shutte their eares vnto whatsoeuer departed and swarued from the same Vigilantius saith by the report of Saint Ierome That wee must not worship or adore the Martyrs nor the deceased Saintes And who can denie that which hee saith of worship and adoration But for the honour due and of right to bee giuen in the remembring of the Martyrs and Saintes by the acknowledging of the giftes of God in them and the imitation of their constancie who is hee that would contend or striue against it But you say that in this honour inuocation is included which thing Vigilantius denyed Let them shew vs then in all this disputation how hot soeuer S. Ierome be any one word of the inuocation of saints or of Martyrs or any one proofe or allegation that he maketh for the same either out of the scriptures or the fathers the Councels or the Liturgies Greeke or Latine Howsoeuer notwithstanding the case so standeth as that he could not bee ignorant of that goodly Masse of S. Iames at Ierusalem if so be it were at that time for to haue proued thereby the intercession of the virgine Marie and of the Saintes For as concerning that which he saith If any man come to pray ad memorias Martyrum it is well knowne that that was for no other thing but to point the place where had beene accustomed for a long time the meetinges of the Christian assemblies to stirre vp thereby those which were present to the like constancie Origen was the first that said though doubtfully and ambiguously That the blessed soules do pray in the other world for the Church Vpon this stone men haue laboured by degrees to found and settle this inuocation Vigilantius doth take occasion by this foundation and denieth it adding that here we ought to pray one for another that there is not any place for this action elswhere S. Ierome striueth for this proposition of Origens as for an article of faith Vigilant gainsaith it as contrary vnto faith but of them passing beyond their bounds seeing that this proposition if a man stay there and go no further is indifferently to be borne with of the Church But S. Ierome gathereth therevpon this conclusion The Saintes pray vnto God in heauen for the Church therefore the Church here vppon earth must not onely pray vnto God but vnto the Saints also Superstition said But wherefore shal we not pray vnto them seeing that they pray for vs For is there not appearance that they ioyne their praiers vnto ours when we pray vnto them at their graues c. Vigilantius aunswereth No for they doe not meddle any more with humane affaires So far is it off that their soules should keepe about these graues Apocal. 14. S. Ierome thereupon cryeth out Wilt thou chaine vp the Apostles wilt thon make a law for God to keepe Do they not follow the lambe wheresoeuer he goeth c. But the question is not here of the power of God but of the nature which he hath giuen for a law to all thinges Tertullian had said vnto him That it was no good diuinitie Chrysost hom 20. in Mat. Idem de Lazat Diuite August de cu ra pro mort â—erend Idem de G. Virg c. 27. Hieronym in Epitaph Nepotian To reason from the power of God to his will or to the effect And S. Chrysosostome That the soules seperated from the bodies haue not their abode in these regions That the soules of the iust are in the hand of God And S. Augustine had proued it vnto him by scripture That they are not any more dealers in the thinges of this world That in the same place To follow the Lambe is to follow the footsteps of Christ Not saith he in respect that he is the Sonne of God by whom all things were made but the sonne of man who hath shewed vs in himselfe what we ought to doe But S. Ierome doth he say the same vnto vs that they of the Church of Rome say That they know all thinges in the seeing of God Then they reade in God that which is in our hearts in our thoughtes c. No but cleane contrarie In the Epitaph of Nepotian All whatsoeuer I can say to him seemeth to mee to be no more then a dumbe shew because that he heareth not Againe Let vs not wearie our selues with speaking to him with whom we cannot speake any more But he ceaseth not to vse his Rhetoricall figures his Apostrophes as the others do in the Epitaph of Paula whom he had so entirely loued and in his speech of the death of Blessilla wherein hee speaketh vnto them and causeth them to make answere the dead and deceased daughter to comfort her mournefull and sorrowing mother c. But in his Commentaries his choller and languishing mind is laid aside Idem in Ezech. l. 4. c. 14. tom 5 If we be to put our confidence in any let vs trust in the one only God For cursed is the man that putteth his confidence in man though they were Saintes yea and though they were Prophets We must not trust in Principibus ecclesiarum in those which are the chiefe and principall of the Churches who how vpright and righteous soeuer they be shall not deliuer any but their owne soules not so much as the soules of their owne children And to the end wee may not conceiue him to haue spoken of any but such as were liuing writing vpon the Epistle to the Galathians vpon these words Euerte man shal beare his owne burthen Idem in ep ad Galat. l. 2. c. 6. see what he saith vnto vs Wee learne though somewhat darklie by this little sentence a new doctrine which is hid and secrete that so long as wee are in this present world we may be helped by the praiers and counsels one of another but when as we shall be come before the iudgement seat of Christ neither Iob nor Daniel nor Noe can pray for any man but euerie one shall beare his owne burthen c. Which may seeme to bee a retractation of that which he had stifly maintained against Vigilantius For out of this text are gathered two propositions together Gra. Câ—in praesenti 13. q. 2. Hieronym de Assumpt Mariae virg tom 4 that is That the prayers of the liuing serue not to any vse for the dead neither the praiers of the dead for the liuing and this place is inserted into the Decree Of the virgine Mary likewise hee sayeth Thou hast
worshipped God a child with the wise men The virgine Marie hath no other honor but when he is by good right and for iust cause honoured who hath vouchsafed to be begotten and borne of her c. S. Augustine taketh great paines against the abuses of his time and doth oftentimes complaine of the presumptuousnes preiudicate opinions that had taken so deep root in men but yet he striueth so much as his naturall modesty will well agree and stand withal against the streame of superstitions August ep ad lanuar um It is great pittie saith he to see how presumptuousnes doth eurey where ouerflow that is to say preiudicate opinions threatning the oppression of the truth it selfe I see many things that I dare not so freely reproue for auoiding of giuing of offence to some persons wherof some are holy and other some troublesome contentious As if hee should say that the good deuotion and holy intention of some may craue pardon for their errour whereas the same is supported by pride and insolencie in others Againe to the end he may manifest his iudgement vnto vs that so we may discerne the sincernesse of his opinion It is one thing saith hee which we teach and an other thing which wee maintaine and support one thing which we are commaunded to teach Idem contr Faust and an other thing which we are taught to amend and constrained notwithstanding to tolerate vntill that we haue amended it Now these rules should serue to cleare our sight in distinguishing of his doctrine But more particularly it seemeth that hee would point out vnto vs with his finger this abuse here in question when he saith Many things Idem de Ciuit. Dei l. 10. c. 4. which are properly belonging to the seruice of God haue beene vsurped and transferred to serue to set out the honour of men either by too much humblenesse of mind or else by the pestilent botch of flatterie but yet in such sort a that they haue euermore beene taken but for men but why doe we say that we must worship then that we must honour them adde neuer so little more to it and then say also we must adore them So farre as that the Councell of Carthage where hee was present for the repressing of the multitude of Altars that were builded vnder the colour of Martyrs and their apparitions ordained verie well that those where the Martyrs had not beene buried should bee pulled downe but it was with this clause Concil Carthag 5. c. 14. If there be no daunger toinsue by any vprore or insurrection of the people So far had the rage of Idolatrie preuailed that it began to shake the Councels with feare To come therefore vnto the point August Ep. 121. ad Probam viduam let vs see the Maxims and generall rules which he giueth for to direct vs in the way of praying well Whosoeuer saith hee saith in his praier any thing that is not contained in the praier of the Gospell that is to say in the Lords prayer either he prayeth carnally or else vnlawfully Psal 24. Wherefore we must pray vnto one onely God for thereis no mention made of Saints But Dauid said I haue lifted vp mine eyes vnto the hils And Origen and S. Hillarie did differ and varie thereupon vnderstanding it sometimes for the Propheticall bookes and sometimes for the Angels whose ministerie God vseth for the safetie of his children On the contrarie you will say that he hath vndertaken the rooting vp of that August l. de Pasto Looke then saith he that thy hope be not in the hils and mountaines for Dauid saith my helpe is of the Lord who hath made heauen and carth And thinke not for all this that thou doest iniurie vnto those holy hils for these are the hils themselues which sing of him vnto thee S. Paul which is one of these hils and which crieth vnto thee I vnderstand that there are schismes amongst you I am of Paul and J of Apollos and J of Cephas and I of Christ lift vp thine eyes vnto this mountaine heare what it will say vnto thee and there stay thee Was Paul crucified for you So when thou shalt haue lift vp thine eyes vnto the mountaines from whence thy helpe is to come that is to say towards the writers of the holy Scriptures heare them attentiuely which crie vnto thee from the depth of their bones from the bottomes and innermost parts of their marrow O Lord who is like vnto thee c. To the end that without all feare of doing iniurie vnto these bils thou doe freely say My helpe is of God which hath made heauen and earth And then feare not that they should or would doe thee any harme Nay they doe loue thee so much the more nay they will become the more fauourable vnto thee if on the contrarie thou put thy trust in them thou makest them heauie and sad An Angell that hath shewed vnto a man marueilous great and diuine things is worshipped and adored of this man from this hill whether he lifted his eyes he calleth him backe vnto God farre bee it from thee saith he that thou shouldest euer doe it worship God and adore him for J am thy fellow seruant and one of thy brethren c. And in an other place When thou shalt find a holy man Idem in Psal 95.96 Colere aseruant of God and that thou wouldest worship or adore him for God hee will staie and keepe thee from doing it for he will not be vnto thee in stead of God but rather with thee vnder God And thus did Paul and Barnabas c. And feare not saith he least thou shouldest grieue them if thou dost not honour them for it is their whole and hartie desire that the one only God be worshipped that he alone be serued and adored Thus doe all the Saints and Angels desire and wish they seeke the glorie of this one onely God whome they loue they studie not any other thing but to increase our loue and Zeale and to draw vs as by force to serue him to call vppon him Ad eius oratio nem and to looke vp vnto and behold him And note these words to call vpon him for hee maketh it a part of adoration They are as much mooued to anger when they are honored as the diuels are when they are not honored for they preach God vnto men and not themselues and so are the Angels that is to say messengers the Diuels on the contrarie seeke their owne glory They answere We do not worship the Diuels but the Angels the powers and Officers of the great God I would to God that you did serue them for so you should soone learne of themselues not to worship them Will you heare an Angell for your teacher who sought nothing but the glorie of his God Arise saith hee what doest thou I am thy fellow seruant c. When as therefore thou
goest about to worship them then it is that the good Angell is displeased with thee c. And in an other place That which the greatest of the Angels doth worship Colere Idem de Vera relig c. 55. tom 10. the same is that which is to bee worshipped of the most base and meanest of all men for because of fayling toworship it the nature of men is become the last and worst For the Angels are not become either wise and vnderstanding or true and iust by any other then man but euen from one and the same wisedome and from that one and the same immutable veritie Euen the truth and wisedome of God of the same substance with the Father which hath thought good to take vpon him the nature of man to teach vs thereby that man hath no other to worship and adore then him which is adored and worshipped by euerie creature indewed with vnderstanding and reason Seruitute And leâ— vs know and belieue that the good Angels are also of the same mind that wee should worship with them one and the same God and therefore we doe honour them with brotherly loue but not with diuine worship or seruice neither doe we build any Churches vnto them and that because that Religon doth bind and restraine vs to the one onely Almightie God c. And thus you may see one of the foundations of Inuocation irrecouerably vndermined by this that we are not to adore any but the one only God that the Angels and Saints take it for offered iniurie when we doe otherwise That Inuocation hath an interest in Adoration as apart thereof c. And now behold here an other Idem in Psal 29. That there is not any mediatour but one onely that this one onely God will not bee called vpon and praied vnto but by this mediator If thou consider saith he the Diuinitie of our Lord Jesus Christ wee find not in it either matter place or affection for praier For in the beginning was the word c. But hearken to that which followeth after The word became flesh thou hast herein a Maiestie wherunto to pray and an humanitie that praieth for thee For this was spoken by the Apostle and that after the resurrection Who sitteth saith hee at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for vs. In as much as he hath vouchsafed to be a mediatour betwixt God and men And what is this God The Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost And what are men Sinners wicked and vngodly mortall Betwixt this Trinitie and the iniquitie and infirmitie of men was a mediatour made euen a man But it may be that this man is not placed ordained al alone for the executing of this charge office Non est quo eas nisi ad me Non est qua cas nisi per me In Iohan. tract 22. Idem de Relig. Serm. 55. tract 10. Praeteripsum Idem in Psal 109. but heare yet further Behold what thy Sauiour saith vnto thee Thou hast not whether else to goe besides me thou hast not whereby to goe thither but by me Walke by Christ so thou commest to God thou goest by him thou goest to him Seeke not wherby thou maiest come to him otherwise then by him He was made the way by which thou hast to come I say not vnto thee seeke the way he that is the way is come vnto thee arise walke walk by good manners walke on foote Whosoeuer runneth out of this way the more hee runneth the more he waÌ„dreth because that he draweth the more backward out of his way And for as much as praier is the meane by which man approcheth vnto God he explaneth himself the more carfully Ther is not saith he any righteous praier but by Christ Again that praier that is not made by Christ is sin Let his praier saith he be turned into sin And wherefore Because it was not made by the mediatour of God men Iesus Christ the man What then the Saints Martyrs Apostls angels cannot they be mediators cannot they be our aduocates Let vs heare him Idemâ—ontra Parmen l. 2. c. 8 S. Iohn saith not saith he you haue an Aduocate as seperating himselfe from amongst sinners as though forsooth hee had had no more need of the propitiation which is made by the Mediator sitting at the right hand of the father making intercession for vs for then he had spoken arrogantly and falsely And if he had said you haue me for a mediator with the father I obtaine pardon for your sinne as Parmenian who set the Bishop in the place of the mediator betwixt the people and God it had beene yet worse Exoro Who would haue taken him for an Apostle of Christ Yea who wold not on the contrarie haue taken him for Antichrist To the end therfore that Christians may keepe the vnitie of the spirit in al their praiers let theÌ„ be assuredly perswaded of one onely mediatour For Christians doe recommend one an other in their praiers but he alone is the true mediator which maketh intercession for all and for whome no man praieth So Paul though a principall member vnder the head but yet notwithstanding a member recommendeth himselfe to the praiers of the faithfull he maketh not himselfe any mediatour betwixt the people and God but he praieth that all the members of the body of Christ would praie for him c. For if Paul were a mediatour then all his fellow Apostles should be so likewise Non constaret ei ratio Idem in 1. Ep. Ioh. And if that there should be any mediatour then Paul himselfe should misse in his accompt when as hee saith one God one mediatour of God and of men c. In an other place We haue an aduocate c. Behold and marke Iohn the same that dranke vpon the Lords breast c. He saith not you haue but we haue and he saith not you haue me for an aduocate but you haue Christ. And he chused rather said hee to put himselfe in the number of the sinners that he might haue Christ an aduocate then to set himselfe downe for the aduocate in the place of Christ and to be found condemned amongst the proud and arrogant He that hath held this hath not spotted himselfe with heresie hath not fallen into schisme For hence it is that schismes arise when men say we are iust and righteous we sanctifie the vncleane we iustifie the wicked we praie we obtaine c. And the Saints then saith hee doe they not pray for vs And the Bishops doe not they pray for the people Read but the Scriptures and you shall see that the Bishops doe recommend themselues vnto the people The Apostle saith praying alwaies for vs the Apostle for the people the people for the Apostle you for vs wee for you all the members one for another the head for all c. And then the Saints liuing and not the dead for
heere were the place to speake of it if he had belieued otherwise Not the Angels themselues Idem l. 10. con fess c. 42. For saith hee in an other place How shall I find one that may reconcile me vnto thee must I goe vnto the Angels But with what praiers With what Sacraments Many indeuoring to return vnto thee and not being able of themselues haue as I vnderstand assaied this way and haue beene deceiued by vaine illusions as they deserued c. But the true mediatour hath appeared betwixt mortall men being grieuous sinners and the immortall iust one euen Iesus Christ man c. In him is my hope hee maketh intercession with thee for vs. Otherwise I should flie and hide my selfe from before thy presence but thou hast staied and kept me backe saying Therefore is Iesus Christ dead for sinners c. Behold therefore Lord I cast my whole care vpon thee and I shall liue And now after that he hath laid these Maxims behold how cunningly he indeuoreth to stop and turne the course of the presumptions of his time It was now growne to an inueterate opinion that the Church triumphant or already gathered into heauen had care of the militant or that which was warfaring here vpon earth hee standeth not obstinate and wilfull as Vigilantius against it on the contrarie Idem de praedest sanct c 14 Idem confess l. 9. A great companie saith hee doe wish vs in heauen being alreadie assured of their owne saluation but yet standing in some doubt of ours Againe Now Nebridius is in Abrahams bosome hee greedily powreth downe full draughts of wisedome and yet I cannot be perswaded that he drinketh himselfe so deepely and deadly drunke therewith as that hee forgetteth vs seeing that thou O Lord who giuest him to drinke vouchsafest to haue vs in remembrance c. In a certaine place hee cannot containe himselfe from desiring and wishing that S. Cyprian would praie for him Behold saith he S. Cyprian disburdened of this bodie Idem contr Donatist l. 5. c. 1. who seeth the truth more clearely let him helpe vs with his praiers in this our fraile and mortall flesh as in a darke and gloomie cloud to the end that by the grace of God we may follow him c. This is a wish and not a set praier or purposed inuocation on the contrarie after hauing discoursed vppon the question Whether the Martyrs doe intermeddle in humane affaires Idem de cura pro mort agend 10. 13 and if they appeare in dreames and visions c. and the same argued and disputed euerie manner of way he protesteth that The thing passeth his vnderstanding that he is not able to reach so high c. And notwithstanding setteth downe his opinion according to the Scriptures Let euerie man saith he take that which I shall say as it pleaseth him if the soules of the dead should be found dealers in the affaires of them that are liuing my good mother would not leaue me or forsake me any one night but certainly that which the holy Psalme doth sound out so shrilly is true My father and my mother forsooke me And if our parents haue no care ouer vs what other amongst the dead are there that either know what wee doe or what we suffer Esay saith Thou art our father for Abraham hath not knowne vs Jsraell is ignorant of vs. If then these great Patriarkes were ignorant of that which befell this people sprung and risen out of their loynes how shall the dead haue any dealing in the affaires of the liuing to helpe and further them And how shall wee say that it was prouided that such as are departed out of this world 2. King 22. 2. Paralip 32. before that the euils which followed their transgressions he speaketh of Iosias should fall to the end that they might not be grieued at the sight thereof And the conclusion is The spirits therefore of the deceased are in a place where they see not what is done or what accidents fall out in the life of man August de cura pro mort c. 13.14.15.16 And vpon the obiection of the wicked rich man He had as much care and consideration of the liuing as we haue of the dead we know not what the dead doe neither did hee regarde whether the liuing did sinke or swimme Now if you take away this knowledge from the dead what shall become of the praiers made vnto them by the liuing In the meane time Miracles at the Sepulchers of the Martyrs the common people say wee see miracles at the graues of the Martyrs But to the end that they might not conclude or gather therevpon any inuocation or praying vnto them as holding such a good fauour to come from them he leadeth them to the consideration of other causes Jt is God saith hee that dooth this thing by himselfe in this wonderfull manner so that although he be eternall yet it is hee that worketh these temporall things and hee bringeth them to passe either by his Ministers or else the same which he doth by his Ministers he effecteth likewise somtime by the spirits of his Martyrs as though they were done by men still dwelling in their bodies or else hee bringeth all these things to passe by his Angels the Martyrs obtaining by earnest sute that the same may be done though they bee no Actors in the same or finally by some incomprehensible manner past the reach of mortall men but yet such as may vndoubtedly confirme vs in the resurrection vnto eternall life Who seeth not in the reckoning vp of â—o diuers causes that he would pull them from one and in that hee concludeth that the cause is incomprehensible that hee would breake off both their manner of reasoning and the consequences which they gather thereon But in the Maxim which hee setteth downe in an other place that he would draw them from the Martyrs vnto God August de Ciuit Dei l. 10. c. 12. when he saith That all the miracles which are done whether it be by Angels or any other manner doe not recommend vnto vs any other Religion deuotion or worship then that of the one onely God in whome alone consisteth the blessed and eternall life But to what ende and wherefore then was it that they praied and worshipped which they cal also by the name of sacrificing Ad memorias MartyruÌ„ at the Sepulchers of the Martyrs Verily we haue said that before that Christians had Churches and during the times of the persecutions of the Church they met with one consent in their burying places for the cherishing of their zeale by the example of the Martyrs and this custome was still retained for a long time after But was that which they called sacrificing to the Martyrs the action of inuocation or praying vnto them God forbid Idem de Ciuit. Dei l. 22. c. 10. We build saith S. Augustine no Churches vnto our Martyrs as vnto Gods
but for memorials as vnto men that are dead whose soules liue with God Neither doe we prepare any Altars to sacrifice vpon vnto our Martyrs but we offer a sacrifice vnto the one onely God both our God and the God of the Martyrs in which sacrifice the Martyrs are named in order for the number is read ex diptychis as men of God which haue ouercome the world in confessing of him but they are not praied vnto by the Minister which saith seruice for hee sacrificeth to God and not to them notwithstanding that hee doe it In memoria corum non in memoriam in the place of their Graues or Sepulchers and not for their Sepulcher or Graue Where it is to be noted that he plainely opposeth vnto their particular deuotions Precem Canonicam the forme of praier vsed in the Church An euident testimonie that in the seruice of his time the Commemoration of the Saints had not as yet proceeded vnto inuocation and by consequent ought to cause vs to suspect a place alleadged of our Aduersaries out of Cyrill the Bishop of Ierusalem his instructions concerning the interpretation of mysteries Gesner in Bib lioth August de Ciuit Dei l. 8. c. 27. wherin are these words When we offer the sacrifice we make mention of the Saints which are deceased before vs to the end that God by their praiers may receiue our praiers c. And indeed these bookes are found in Greeke written by hand in some Libraries vnder the name of one Iohn who liued not till many yeares after In an other place Saint Augustine Wee honour the memortes of the Martyrs as well to bee thankefull to the true God in these solemne Assemblies for their victories as for to bee exhorted thereby by the renuing of their memories to imitate them in praying vnto the same God for our aide and succour And by this meanes ad Sepulchrum aut memoriam Petri supplicare Idem Ep. 42. is not to praie vnto Saint Peter but to praie vnto God in remembring our selues of the place of the Martyrdome of Peter and that it would please him to giue vs the like constancle that hee gaue vnto his Apostle Peter And this is the cause why in the time of Saint Augustine in the third Councell of Carthage and in the Mileuitaine there were Canons made of purpose forbidding that any thing should bee rashly chaunged in the praiers of the Church Concil Carthag 3. c. 23. but obserue and marke notwithstanding what followed The former saith When a man is at the Altar let his praier be directed euermore vnto the father and to whatsoeuer praiers a man betaketh himselfe let him not vse them before he haue first conferred with the best instructed of his brethren The latter Concil Mileuit c. 12. That no praiers petitions or Masses that is to say Collects Prefaces or recommendations bee made in the Church except they haue beene approued in the Councell for feare saith it that there bee mixt something amongst them that is contrarie to the soundnesse of faith either by ignoraunce or else by vnaduisednesse And S. Augustine by name did sit in this Councell August Ep. 43.44 The Gentiles obiected vnto the Christians and a certaine man named Madaurensis vnto S. Augustine And well VVhat doe you lesse then we Wee call vppon the powers of God vnder many names we make our supplications vnto them after diuers sorts Piis precibus adoramus We adore and worship them by our holy praiers for it is to bee noted that inuocation alwaies in the old writers is taken for a part of Adoration And wherein are the Christians behind the Pagans when in stead of Iupiter Iuno Minerua and Venus habent colunt they haue and worship the Martyrs of Africke as Mygdor Sananes Naupsion and Lucitas c. But doth S. Augustine confesse it On the contrarie Nullum eoli mortuorum how doth he take it in the matter of honour Be it knowne vnto you saith he that no Christian Catholike doth worship or adore any of the dead that nothing is worshipped with the worship of the Deitie that hath beene created of God but the onely God that hath created all things To Faustus the Manichee in like manner You haue said he chaunged the Idols into Martyrs Quos votis similibus colitis which you worship with like vowes Where the word of Vowes is taken as in the Greeke for Praiers And the Gentiles knewe well inough to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they did not worship their Idols as Gods but as mediatours vnto God Nay saith he We honour the Martyrs with the honour of loue and fellowship August contr Faust l. 20. c. 22. as we shall doe to the people that are good and vertuous here in this world saue that we performe that we doe to them with greater deuotion as being alreadie become conquerours But with that manner of worship which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is not for any to be worshipped but the one onely God and because that oblations and Sacrifices belong vnto him alone we teach that neither they nor any other such thing can bee giuen to Martyr or Angell Let our Aduersaries who are continually saying of Masses their pretended sacrificings of the Sonne of God in honour of the Saints and Angels wash their hands of this place Let them answere vs also how they may pray vnto them seing that they cannot sacrifice vnto them and that because that praiers are the sacrifices of Christians as wee haue shewed at large both by the Scriptures as also by all the old Fathers and themselues cannot denie it Idem de Vera religione But how much better should they doe if they would conclude with S. Augustine Non sit nobis Religio cultus mortuorum Let vs not make a Religion of the worshipping of the dead The honour that is to be giuen to them consisteth in imitating of them and not in a deuout adoring of them If they liued godly they doe nothing affect any such honour but their desire is that wee should honour the one onely God and so doe likewise the Angels Now it is sufficiently apparant by that which goeth before what S. Augustine his opinion was concerning this Article and we need not doubt but that if he had had but a little the vpper hand and aduantage against the streame of the time hee would haue made it seene In the meane time as false doctrin cannot stand but by falsehood Serm. 2. de Annunt Assumpt our Aduersaries haue mingled with Saint Augustine certaine Homelies of Fulberts Bishop of Charters who liued not till almost sixe hundred yeares after S. Augustine wherein hee saith Sancta Maria succurre miseris c. Sentiant omnes tuum leuamen c. The Chanon Garet hath dealt more faithfully for hee alleadgeth them vnder the name of Fulbert And after the same manner they alleadge the bookes of Meditations which
me in the beginning of his waies Prouerb 8. before euer he created any thing I was ordainea euerlastingly c. And it is read in this sence in the Romish Missall vpon the day of the Natiuitie Leo 10. in ep 17. Anno 15 4. And Pope Leo the tenth in his Epistles written by Cardinall Bembo his Secretarie for them calleth her Deam Goddesse a title neuer heard of in any of the former ages thereby to adde vnto all this masse and huge heape this one thing which was wanting vz. the weathercocks And these are the goodly doctrines contained in these goodly bookes whereof all maner of Couents were full Marialia Rosaria Hortulus animae Promptuarium discipul c. Let vs come vnto the Saintes Alexander Halez and Bonaduenture haue taught That they are Mediators of our saluation that although they be sufficiently rewarded for their merites and not any more in case to merite yet for the manifold workes of Supererogation which they haue done they haue purchased so great a place as that they haue not onely merited blessednesse and glorie for themselues but also are able to relieue and make supplie for others in such sort as that they which before were vnworthie are likewise verie speedily made worthy by their intercession Now what is it that they haue builded vpon this foundation Verily the verie daughter and full representation of all Paganisme if so be it be not some worse thing Euerie nation towne village and familie is come to haue his Saint euerie estate condition craft and diâ—ease is become beholden and bound vnto one or other Thereby also they are come to the canonizing of their Saintes imitating therein the Pagans by so doing as much as lyeth in them they go about to make Gods of men to deifie them deifie I say for they are their owne phrases They canonize them whom they vnderstand to be worshipped and praied vnto Anton part 5. Summ. t 12. c. 8 This is the definition that they make of their Saintes Againe There belong seuen things to a canonized Saint The first to bee publikely held for a Saint The second to be inuocated in the praiers of the Church The third to haue Churches and Altars The fourth an office and sacrifice in honour of him The fist a fest iuall day The sixt an image with lightes in signe of glorie The seuenth relikes and shrines Adde also that they pray vnto them directly by the Lords prayer it selfe being directed and framed for God the Father And yet they say that this is not idolatrie That this is nothing els but Doulia and thus they thinke to pay God with their distinctions But I could wish them that they would at the least bethinke themselues and call to mind at the least that which is said vnto them by their Pope Innocentius Innocent l. 5. c. 4. Gulielm Durand epist Mimatens That there are two sortes of worship Latria and Doulia the former proper vnto God the Creator the latter for the creatures but that to the first do belong Churches Altars sacrifices feastes and ceremonies c. And Durand hath said the same wherefore by their owne reckning it must needes be idolatrie And what shall wee say in the end of their Frauncis and Dominicke Francis Anno 1200. in whose persons they haue delighted and pleased themselues to abolish and vtterly extinguish so much as lyeth in them both the merite and the name of Christ Barthol de Pisis l. conformit Frauncis say they in their booke of Conformities is a more worthy person then Iohn Baptist Iohn was a preacher of repentance Frauncis both a preacher and an ordainer of the order of Penitents Iohn a forerunner of Christ Frauncis both a forerunner and a standerd bearer Iohn receiued the word of repentance of Christ Frauncis both of Christ and of the Pope quod est plus which is more Iohn his father had reuelation from God by an Angell concerning him euen what he should be but of Frauncis it was declared both to his mother and his seruantes by Iesus Christ himselfe what he should be Iohn was the friend of the bridegroome but Frauncis like vnto the bridegroome himselfe Iohn a rare and singular man in sanctimonie and Frauncis in conformitie Iohn lifted vp and set amongst the Seraphins Fol. 39. Frauncis in the same order and manner with Iohn but set moreouer in the place from which Lucifer was throwne c. Againe hee is better then all the Apostles for they forsooke nothing for Christs sake saue some little ship Fol. 66. but hee left and forsooke all euen to his hosen The virgine Marie and the other Saintes in heauen go in procession euery one in his order but this man is lodged within the side of Christ He commeth forth by his wound with the banner of the crosse in his hand for to conduct guide them This man is a Iesus typicus a figuratiue Sauior a crucifixus singularis a singular crucified man who in sight hath receiued the verie same wounds that Christ suffered the same pains This is he that is via vitae the way of life abusing that which our Lord said of himselfe I am the way the truth and the life This man is the image of Christ as Christ is the image of his Father c. And what more Christus orauit Franciscus exorauit Christ did but pray but Frauncis prated and obtained Happie is he that dieth in Domino in Christ yea he that dieth say they in the habite of S. Frauncis yea if he haue but his hand in the sleene of it he is happie Baptisme doth wash away originall sinne the hood of S. Frauncis much more as oft as you shall resolue to continue the wearing of it it is worth as much vnto you as a new baptizing yea rather it is a new abolishment not of original sin onely but of all manner of actuall sinnes In a word we haue seene written ouer the gates of the gray friers of Bloys Quaeretur peccatum illius non inuenietur his sinnes shall be sought for but they shall not bee found The same that the Apostle hath said of one onely Christ and that the Prophete hath said of the abolishment of sinnes in his blood Neither can they excuse these matters in saying that they are but some particular mans opinions and not approued of the whole Church of Rome For the Popes Gregorie the ninth Alexander the fourth and Nicolas the third doe ordaine to bee belieued of all the faithfull vpon paine of being condemned as heretickes the scars and printes of S. Frauncis And Pope Benedict the twelft ordained that the day whereupon he receiued them should be kept holy And Alexander the fourth in particular Anton Archiep tit 24. S. 10 Math. Paris Monach. Albanens in hist Anglic. in Henric. 3. doth take into the protection of the Church of Rome and his Montem Aluerniae the mountaine wherein this
Francise Dominic To euerie one that would ioyne themselues not with the Couent but to be of the fraternitie onely of S. Francis or S. Dominicke c. For to merite the kingdome of heauen for to be able to ransome redeeme their owne soules and the soulet of their friends for these are the expresse tearmes of the Bull There are Bulles of fraternitie giuen vnto the Prouinces by which they are made capable as well in life as in death of the merites of the whole Couent and of all the friers in the prouince purchased by their Masses praiers sermons fastinges contemplations vigiles abstinences Cloister disciplines deuotions singinges lessons labours c. About this time also there was in England one Thomas Becket who was slaine for hauing traiterously attempted to haue withdrawne the Cleargie from their obedience vnto the king It was concluded by the full Colledge of Sorbone at Paris that he was worthie of eternall death the Cleargie notwithstanding caused him to be canonized by Alexander the third And in derision of the blood of Christ he was there praied vnto in these words Tu per Thomae sanguinem quem pro te impendit Fac nos Christe scandere quo Thomas ascendit That by the grace fauour purchased by the blood of Thomas hee would make vs ascend whither Thomas is ascended c. this was about the yere 1220. And who can then but be ashamed for their sakes for that as yet in the time of so great light they are not ashamed themselues verily it is not to be concealed or hidden that there haue been some that might seeme to haue blusht in their souls as being able to haue taught better things if they durst Alex. Halez q. 91. Alexander Halez Bonauenture likewise after all their wandrings turne backe againe to our Maxims Alexander We must not inuocate or adore any but one God onely c. The Saints ought rather to be reckned ex parte orantiū quà m illius qui oratur as assisting our praiers by their owne not to be praied vnto themselues Bonauent in l. 3. Sentent Anno 1360. Bonauēture likewise We must be warie in our large setting forth and commending of the excellency of the mother that is of the holy virgin least we impaire and diminish the glorie of the Son and by so doing prouoke her to anger seeing she delighteth more to haue her son praised and magnified then her self she being but a creature and he the creator And whereas there were some that replied vpon him that the honor of the mother returned to the honor of the Son But therefore saith he we ought not to giue vnto the mother all that which is due vnto the son c. And this was much spoken of both in his time in the Couent of S. Francis Wicklif apud Thom. Waldens tom 3. tit 12. c. 121. 124. Iohn Wicklife shortly after went further for amongst many abuses of the Church of Rome he condemned this openly by the scriptures and maintained the same with the peril of his life against all those of the facultie of diuinity in England His wordes are This is and seemeth to be a sottishnesse to leaue the fountaine which is more ready to our handes to seeke the troubled brookes and those further from vs c. Againe Who would make I know not what Scurram knaue that is the Latine of the time his Mediator when hee may freely speake vnto the King And yet notwithstanding his thus writing he ceast not to be verie well intreated of king Edward the third and after some small time of his liuing an exile in Bohemia to die an old man in his owne house leauing behind him a number of disciples of euerie estate condition in England Anno 1416. in whom his doctrine liued after him vntill such time as things grew to that extremitie wherein they now stand We may say the same of Iohn Hus and Ierome of Prage put to death contrary to the promise made them of safe conduct by the Councell of Constance wherein the good fathers in stead of being inuited and won to the reformation of the Church both by the truth of their doctrine and the constancie of their faith did thinke it better to haue them the heraldes of their condemnation by the iust iudgement of God then of their repentance before men And further as if they would worke a further despite they turned in the same Councell that goodly hymne which the Christian Church had made for the holy Ghost to the virgine Marie and in stead of Veni sancte spiritus c. they made it Veni mater gratiae c. wherein they call her the fountaine of mercie the light of the Church the saluation of those that call vpon her the Mediatrix betwixt God men the port of S. Peters ship the death and destruction of heresies c. But in the meane time as in this age wherein we liue men begin willingly and wittingly to cast out this dung and filthines with others such like the stinke whereof groweth so strong euen vnto themselues that haue made it as that they are constrained to stop their nose and to endeuour themselues to couer it as much as lyeth in them Viues in August de ciuit Dei l. 8. c. vit Viues that famous Spaniard had rather to cause them to be detested then couered and smoothed ouer in saying That he could find no difference betwixt the opinion that the Christians haue of their saintes and that which the Pagans haue of their Gods when as they giue them the same honour that is giuen vnto God himselfe And if there had beene any number found of the same zeale with him at that time he could haue hoped wel to haue obtained a remedie against idolatrie But certainly the greater part had rather against their owne consciences of a carnall wisedome runne and betake themselues to disguise and smooth ouer the matter Some saying that we ought not to pray vnto saints to obtaine any help of them or yet any mercie but onely to bee assisted by their praiers to obtaine them of God And this was in one worde to ouerturne all their Howres Psalters Letanies and praiers before alleadged which were directly made vnto the virgine Marie and that that she might not onely procure but giue the things praied for Wicelius Other some more boldly That wee ought not at all to pray vnto them inuocation being an honour due vnto God alone but onely Compellare to solicite them that they would remember vs vnto him as wee vse to stirre vp the liuing to succour and help vs with their praiers And other some do yet go further That this inuocation was nothing but a figure of Rhetoricke by which wee were admonished that the saintes deceased as triumphant members of the Catholicke Church haue care in heauen on the members which are as yet warfaring here below after the manner
spoken of in the song of the three children in the furnace Daniel 3. ex Graeco Ye spirits and soules of the righteous blesse ye the Lord c. All these false couers and colourings notwithstanding being euident testimonies not so much of an vnwillingnesse to come to reformation as of a shamefastnesse to be ouertaken and detected of this spirituall whoredome Cassander therfore and Hofmeisterus more freely if so be they had but practised it in the Church as they belieued held it in their harts Cassander verily who after hee had excused the Church of Rome to Maximilian the Emperour as much as he could euen vpon this article that Orate was as much as Vtinam oretis Pray ye that is I wish and desire that you would pray saith notwithstanding That he maketh not in his owne behalfe any praier but vnto God by Iesus Christ and that he accompteth that the most infallible way Hofmeister who after he had gathered whatsoeuer hee could out of the old writers August de visâ—tâ—t infirmotu si eius est l. 1. c. 2. concludeth with these words of Saint Augustine I shall speake more boldly and ioyfully to my Iesus then vnto anie one of the holy spirits of God c. But what do our fathers of Trent say here after the long looking wherewith they haue made vs to looke for reformation Do they allow at the least these expositions these mitigations or do they bring some better of their owne Neither but on the contrarie they institute and ordaine that we should call vpon the Saintes by praier to help vs Suppliciter humblie beseeching them vpon our knees and that we should betake our selues not to their praiers onely but to their helpe and succour declaring all such as haue any other opinion to be wicked impious And the Catechisme made by the authoritie of the said Councell saith plainly Christians worship Angels but not as God is worshipped we must pray vnto the Saints in as much as by the grace and merit purchased by them God doth deale wel with vs c. And Cardinal Hosius a man approued of them Rom. 8. to such as alleadge S. Paul That we cannot call vpon any but him in whom we belieue answereth lustily That we must also credere in Sanctos belieue in Saints What reformation can there be from theÌ„ who after such enormous faults laid open discouered by the light of Christendome doe wilfully make themselues blind and yet will not haue themselues accompted of as hauing failed in any point And yet furthermore they ioyne thereunto another notorious pranke of maliciousnesse which is their causing to bee raced out in good bookes Index pag. 8.10.24 25.30.31.36.38.47.49.50 whatsoeuer might checke or controll their proceedings for so they haue resolued and set it downe as appeareth by their Index Expurgatorius As for examples The place where S. Augustine distinguisheth betwixt the honour due vnto God and that of Saints the interpreter hath giuen this note This that is to say that which is to be reserued to God alone is now giuen to all the Saintes Deleatur let it be raced and put out In the Tables of S. Augustine S. Chrysostome and S. Ierome their works there were many places noted which directed vs vnto such sayings in their works all speaking against the inuocation of Saints vpon the heads whereof were set Deleantur In Erasmus and Faber Stapulensis famous worthy men in their profession when they say Deum solum omnis oratio adoratio decet Vnto God alone belongeth all praier and worship is it not written Torcular calcaui solus Index pag. 49.50.55.59.61.255 I haue troden the wine presse alone All the Saints are nothing if the question bee once of true worship all our owne workes and those of our fathers from the beginning of the world are no better c. Deleantur And Cassander likewise where he sheweth how the old father did vse the words Merite and to merite That When they said Orate this was as if they had said Vtinam oretis c. Deleatur But what reasons will there satisfie these men if they need not any other answer to them but the racing and vtter blotting of them out or what witnesses if there be nothing but away with them to burning CHAP. XVI That man cannot merite eternall life for himselfe much lesse for another where the consideration is first of mans state before regeneration OVr aduersaries as they say do pray vnto Saints because they make intercession for them vnto God but we haue alreadie destroied this foundation And they make intercession for them say they by the power of their merites and that not onely for the procuring of them gifts and graces in this life but also eternall happines in that to come For which cause wee haue next to shew vnto them that so we may not leaue any thing doubtfull That no man can merite with God not eternal life or rather not the least grace of this fraile transitorie life not for any other man no not for himselfe And this we will deale in according to the three estates of man Man in his first estate could not merite Genes 1. Ephes 4. Colos 3. Psalme 19. his integritie or innocencie his fall or transgression and his regeneration Of his integritie it is said That God had created him according to his own image and S. Paul expoundeth it to consist in righteousnesse holinesse and the knoweldge of God c. That he had placed him in Paradise in a place abounding with all felicitie which Dauid calleth placed in honor In so much that he held had both his being his graces and his glorie at the good pleasure of his Creator of his meere free and vndescrued goodnes The abilitie to merite might haue beene great the good deeds only considered but then what abilitie or power can there be to merite of him of whom he holdeth all of him for whom a man can do nothing Let vs admit then that our first father had vsed all these graces perfectly well that he had possessed them in such feare 〈◊〉 awe as he should yea and that he had fulfilled the law as naturally he might yet had he beene able to say after all this but with the same pride which cast him down from his high glorious estate it selfe alone I haue deserued that God should yet further giue me this yea that he should continue vnto me what he hath alreadie giuen mee If we do not wrongfully name and call our merit that pleasure which it pleaseth God to take in adding and bestowing graces vpon his euen grace for grace and glory for glorie to deserue well of vs if I may so say and that so exceeding bountifully and liberallie as that we are not able to merite any thing of him So then here is place for that Iob. 41.1 which God saith in Iob Who is it that gaue me first I wil
infinite number of imaginations they are crossed or into our zeale which if it be according to knowledge yet is it delayed with coldnesse and beeing more feruent then commonly it is without knowledge into our brotherly loue which is more for a shew then in deed and more for that regard wee haue of men rather then for the awe of God into our faith which is either little or else wauering farre lesse then a graine of Mustard seede farre off from remoouing of mountaines Finally into our whole life which being examined according to the summe of the Law of the perfect loue of God and our neighbour will not afford vs so much as one action answerable thereunto but rather such as are contrarie thereunto and that euerie day yea euerie houre And what shall wee find in our wordes nay rather in our thoughts all which are knowne vnto God and must vndergoe the rigour of his iudgement Now we haue heard the old Fathers How far concupiscence worketh in the regenerate according to the old Fathers Tertul. de praescript aduers haeres Probatus aliquis August de fid Orthod c. 49. Idem ad Inno Pap. Ep. 95 vppon the concupiscence that remaineth in the regenerate but it may be that we may thinke that in some it breaketh not out into actuall sinne which they call sinne But let vs heare what they say Tertullian saith Is it such a maruaile that an approued man should come to fall What say you to Saul whome hatred ouerthrew Nay Dauid a man according to Gods owne heart by murther and Adulterie Salomon indued with wisedome from God drawne by women to Idolatrie because it was reserued to the onely Sonne of God to abide without sinne Saint Augustine There is neither Saint nor righteous man that is without sinne and notwithstanding they cease not to bee Saints and righteous because they haue their affections still set vpon holinesse And therefore the Saints are truely declared to be sinners c. Againe O death where is thy victorie where is thy sting The sting of death is sinne And there haue beene some men who haue thought that there might bee some men liuing in this life without sinne though not from their birth yet at the least from the time of their conuersion from sinne vnto righteousnesse and so they would vnderstand that which is said That Zacharâ—e and Elizabeth walked in all the wayes of the Lord Sine querela vnrebukeable But they should haue considered that Zacharie was a Priest and that the Priestes were bound by the Lawe of God to offer sacrifice chiefely for their owne sinnes And secondly are we not all conuinced of sinne in that we are all commaunded to say Forgiue vs our sinnes c. For saith he in an other place It must content vs that there is not so much as any one man found in the Church how excellent righteous or well profited so euer he be that dare say that hee hath not any need to praie and say this prayer Forgiue vs our sinnes c. For this should bee as much as to say that he had no sinne and so by that meanes deceiue himselfe not hauing any truth in him although that hee liued Sine querela without giuing of iust cause to anie to complaine of him Againe Yea seeing all the Saints Ep. 9. if they should be asked together if they had any sinne would aunswere If we should say that wee haue no sinne the truth is not in vs c. But saith he Idem de perfect Iustit in Enchirid. c. 33. Idem Serm. de temp Dominic 4. post Oct. Epiphan Idem in Ep. 54 ad Maced Idem dc Martyr Hieronym aduerf Pelag. Although the Apostle doe openly confesse that both he and all the Saints are tied to this necessitie of sinne yet hee boldly affirmeth that none of them are subiect to condemnation when hee saith There is then no condemnation vnto them that are in Christ c. You will say But behold the one hundred fortie foure thousand in the Apocalips which neuer defiled themselues with women they are vnreproueable there hath not any lie beene found in their mouthes c. And knowest thou wherefore Verily because they haue confessed their sinnes for that they became their owne accusers c. Otherwise the truth had not beene in them and where truth had not beene lying had beene c. And this he said speaking of the Martyrs Saint Ierome The Phylosophers the chiefe begetters and patrons of heretickes defiled the puritie of the Church by a peruerse doctrine raised by their being ignorant how that it was spoken of the frailtie of man Dust and ashes whereof art thou proud Seeing also that the Apostle saith I see an other Law in my members Againe I doe not the good that I would but the euill that I would not that I doe if hee doe that which he would not how can this stand which is said That man if he wil may be without sinne And how can he be that which hee will seeing that the Apostle affirmeth that hee cannot accomplish that which he desireth When as therefore J shall thinke my selfe to haue attained the end of vertues Idem ad Rustic then I am but in the beginning for their is no other perfection in men but to knowe themselues imperfect In an other place There dwelleth no good in our flesh the spirit willeth one thing the flesh is constrained to do an other There is not any man cleane from sin though his life haue bene but a day long The very stars are not pure in Gods sight And if there be sin in the firmament how much more in earth If in theÌ„ that haue no bodily temptatioÌ„ how much more in vs compassed about with this fraile flesh who crie with the Apostle Miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this mortall bodie c. Idem ad Pelag Ep. 9. ad Saluian But Saint Paul saith We which are perfect accompt that c. Then there is some perfection in this world Nay rather saith he to the end that thou maiest see that the perfect perfection of the gifts of God is not here he addeth straight after Not because that I haue alreadie receiued or that I am perfect Then he was perfect through the hope that he had of the glorification to come imperfect through the burden of corruption and mortalitie perfect through his wayting for the reward imperfect through his fainting and being wearied in the fight perfect in that he knew that God was able to performe whatsoeuer he hath promised vnto his imperfect in that God had not as yet performed to his all that which he hath promised them In a word imperfect thinking vpon that which he wanted vnto perfection perfect in that he is not ashamed to confesse his imperfection and that he might come thither he traueleth thitherward like a good traueller Prosper Aquit in Psal 105. 142. c. Prosper
Againe that which followeth Thy bodie is broken O Christ thy cup is blessed let thy blood be to vs vnto eternall life Can this be spoken and that in their owne iudgementes but of the bread and not of the bodie seeing that in the bodie they do not allow of any breaking And in deed he calleth the kinds after the consecration Creatures in these words Per quem haec omnia Domine semper bona creas sanctificas viuificas c. By whom O Lord thou createst all these thinges as also sanctifiest and quickenest them c. But the praiers which are said after the communion which they call Post-communions will witnesse with vs of the intent of the Church We which receiue the pledge of eternall life doe humblie beseech thee that this which we haue toucht by the image of the sacrament may be receiued of vs by a manifest receiuing c. Againe Hauing beene refreshed with celestial meat drinke we pray thee that we may be made strong through this prayers in remembrance of whom we haue receiued these things Again That we may receiue the sauing effect the pledge whereof we haue receiued by these mysteries Note Pledge Image of the Sacrament communication mysteries c. which they also commonly call Commercia sacrosancta redemptionis nostrae The sacred trafficke of our redemption Celestiall gifts the celestiall Table celestiall sacraments spirituall nourishmentes which are receiued by the spirit in visible mysteries but by an inuisible effect c. Now followeth that which is attributed vnto Chrysostome S. Chrysostomes liturgie but with what apparance of truth we haue shewed before for it cannot bee of fiue hundred yeares after The prefaces therein are customarie There is something said of change but by the inuocating of the name of God and by the power of the holy Ghost not by the pronunciation of wordes and not in the nature of the elementes but in the vse for likewise after the blessing there is a prayer For the precious giftes sanctified And the bread is called Holy bread which is distributed vnto those that are present in these wordes The Lambe of God the Sonne of the father is distributed and not diuided daily eaten and neuer consumed but he sanctifieth them which are partakers thereof Can this be any otherwise spoken then figuratiuely They obiect vnto vs that it is there said That Christ is present there That he is there toucht with the hand and seene with the eye c. And would they haue all this vnderstood according to the letter How then is it said both before and all with one breath Christ is there inuisiblie It is not incident for him to bee discerned there by our sight c. And how will these contradictions in one the same Periode agree stand together but only thus by vnderstanding the signe to be spoken of in the one the thing in the other Can they any way relieue themselues still holding their opinions without falling as saith the Canon into greater more dangerous heresies then euer did Berengarius But verily Chrysost hath spokē thus elswhere Christ is crucified before your eyes his bloud runneth downe from his side c. And S. Paul likewise to the Galathians Christ is crucified before your eies As in S. Ierome Hyeronym in Psal 85. Tertul. de baptism Our faces in baptisme are marked with the bloud of Christ In Tertullian We are washed in the passion of our Lord c. In S. Barnard Washed in his bloud in Baptisme c. And all this without any reall transmutation in the elements In the Masse also vsed at this day The liturgie of the Latines although that it haue beene ouertrimmed againe and againe wee may find sorne traces and footinges thereof for the bread and the wine are there called Dona Munera giftes offerings and the same gifts after consecration are called Creatures Per quem haec omnia semper bona creas c. Whereas the massing Priestes would haue vs belieue that after they haue once gone ouer them that they become the Creator himselfe And they pray vnto God That he would vouchsafe to accept them as the offeringes of Abell c. If it were Christ himselfe with what face could this be done Furthermore there are as yet many Post-communions carrying S. Ambrose his stile As this Pignus vitae eternae c. the pledge of eternall life Again Quod specie gerimus rerū veritare capiamus Lord let thy Sacraments accomplish in vs that which they containe to the end we may receiue in truth that which we handle in figure Otherwise how wil they expound this without a figure That the bodie that I haue taken and the bloud that I haue drunke cleaueth vnto my entralles if we vnderstand it not of the entralles of the soule and by consequent of the mouth of the same according to the words which follow That so there may not remaine any spot of mine iniquities in me c. They think themselues to haue done a great act against al these so euident proofes Obiection when they can but obiect against vs That our Lord had told his disciples that hee would not speake any more vnto them in similitudes and that the question is here about a Testament wherein euerie thing must be plainely set downe But is there any that do both wittingly and willingly make the same more obscure and intricate then they doe which of them or vs doth admit therein both moe figures more strange figures But we say that there is something to be said betwixt parables and figures and that figures are giuen to make cleare and plaine not to make obscure darke And that more is there is not any place in the scripture without speaking either of their figures That the whole discourse of the holy supper is full of figures or our owne wherein there are so many figures to be found Father let this cup passe from me Let a man sell that he hath to buy him a sword This cup is the new Testament c. I will not drinke any more of this fruit Behold thy mother c. Are these figures And is there not also both before and after the passion not onely figuratiue speeches but also figured deeds The washing of the feet of the Apostles The sop giuen to Iudas c. The breathing vpon the Apostles c. in these words Receiue the holy Ghost c. And yet these figures whether those concerning actions or those concerning wordes such as both expressely signifie as also giue much light to that which is intended to bee deliuered yea more then many other wordes would haue done For what store number would haue sufficed to lay open the duetie that our Lord would that S. Iohn should performe to the virgine or the humilitie which hee recommended to the Apostles or to haue set forth the presence of the spirite which he was as certainely to send vnto
shall first be called away hence let them continue their amitie and loue without ceasing in the presence of God let their prayers neuer cease for their brethren and sisters crauing in their behalfe the manifolde mercies of the father That is Saynt Cyprian extending and stretching the care that the Saintes deceased should haue not vnto the Church in generall onely but by a continuance of holy affection vnto them whome they had loued in Christ here vppon earth And this although it haue no example in the scripture yet it is far off from our aduersaries their doctrine for he prayeth to the liuing and not to the dead Now the controuersie or question betwixt vs is not if they pray and to what end but if wee ought to pray vnto them at all I know well what they haue to alleadge out of the sermon of the starre and the wisemen of the East As that the infantes slaine by Herode are made Senators in Paradice and obtaine grace for them which doe not merite it c. But they are not ignorant that this sermon hath by themselues beene alwaies numbred amongst the deuised and faigned ones As likewise that which they bring out of the booke of S. Cyprian his penitentnes How that he had beene a Magician and that by the help of the Deuils hee would haue assailed the chastitie of a maide and that she calling vpon Iesus Christ her husband and afterward the virgine Marie was deliuered and thereupon also S. Cyprian conuerted But with what face seeing S. Ierome telleth vs that S. Cyprian was a Rhetorician and wonne vnto Christ Hieronym in epist ad Paul in Comment in Ionam c. 3. Cyp l. 2. ep 2. Gelas D. 15. c. Sancta Rom. partly by the familiaritie he had with Caecilius whereupon he was surnamed the Cecilian and partly by the reading of the Prophete Ionas And seeing that S. Cyprian in setting downe his owne conuersion saith not a worde of all this And as little is that which commeth to light by Pontianus his Deacon who hath written his life But which is more seeing that Pope Gelasius at the verie same time when the inuocation of Saints had rooted it selfe verie deeply did pronounce and affirme vnto them that this booke was Apocrypha And yet they are still abusing the common people with the name of the fathers For as concerning the sermon of Gregorie Nazianzene Marulla hath very well obserued that he hath made Cyprian of Damascus and Cyprian the Carthaginian all one whereas the first suffered in the time of Valerian and the second vnder Dioclesian And it hath beene noted by many others before and after him We are now in this place to bring in Dionysius the pretended Areopagite for hee cannot be so auncient as we haue proued as they would make him Dionvs eccles Hierarch c. 3. and this we say and affirme by the way that we need not doubt that the miracles which God wrought vppon the establishment of the Church at the sepulchers of the Martyrs made many to looke downe and to fixe their eyes vppon the Martyrs whereas they ought to haue lifted them vp and to haue caused them to looke vpon God alone and that so much the more because it was called and accompted to be the honouring of God in his Saintes as also for that it seemed to bee an instigation and pricking of men forward to suffer for the name of Christ Whereunto also you may adde as another cause the want of a Paule or Barnabas at the corner of euerie fielde to represse these disordered and vnruly deuotions of the people Actes 14. and to cause them to leaue the creature to betake themselues to the liuing God But so it is that this Denys rehearsing the causes for which he made mention of the Saintes in the seruice speaketh not but of those that follow To the end saith he that those that liue may learne by these examples to liue and die well in God and that they might bee admonished and taught that those that die in him doe liue out of this life in a better That God hath them in his remembrance according to that which is said God knoweth those that are his The death of the Saintes is precious before God That they are also one with Christ by an indissoluble vnion and bond that can not bee broken which are the causes saith he that this mention or rehearsall is made at the time of the celebrating of the Sacrament the Sacrament of the coniunction and vnion of Christ and his members That is to shew vnto vs that those that bee not the greatest parte in this world that yet they cease not to be a part of the Church The contention raised about the Arrians was a cause that for a certaine time men did speake without fault The Christians reasoned Christ is truely God for we are all agreed to pray vnto him but we pray not vnto neither call vppon any but God This argument had beene of no force if the Church at that time had vsed the inuocation of Saintes for the reply had beene verie readie But tell mee how many Saintes doe you pray vnto Hillar in psal 129. which you know to be no Gods And although S. Hillarie doe playe the Philosopher as others before him vppon the mediation of Angelles the protection of the Patriarkes and Apostles c. yet he reserueth inuocation for Christ alone Idem in Psal 123. Because saith he that he belieueth that he is very God that he is present by his nature when he is faithfully called vpon and for that he is present with him that belieueth in him c. Idem c. 27. in Matth. Athanas orat 2. cont Arrian Idem de incarnat verb. But in regard of the Saintes The virgines saith he doe answere that they cannot giue any oile because it behoueth euerie one to buy for themselues and that none doe expect trust to be helped by the merites and workes of another c. Athanasius in like manner The Saintes saith he doe not craue any helpe of the creatures but they crie and call vnto Christ in their necessities He is not therefore a creature hee is verie God Againe If thou worship saith he Christ as he is man because the word dwelleth in him then worship the Saintes because that God hath a little house or dwelling place in them c. which thing hee proueth to bee absurd What force should such a reason haue had if the sermon intituled of the virgine the mother of God were his wherein he praieth vnto her for succour by the names of Ladie Mistresse Queene c. But the learned know that the greatest part of the third and fourth Tome of Athanasius are suspected of vntruth as Nannius likewise hath confessed being publike professor in the vniuersitie of Louaine and hee that did translate them And this is one speciall marke thereof for that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was not