lib. 3. Illic pronuncianda est regulae â—nteruersio vbi posteritas inuenitur that where any after-faith is found there is to be pronounced the peruerting of the rule of faith Now therefore in question of religion the triall of truth shall be to haue recourse to that which was first deliuered or as Cyprian expresseth it c Cypâ—ian l. 2. Epist 3. Ad radicem atque originem traditionis Dominicae reuertatur to returne to the roote and originall of the Lords tradition and thence to secure our selues what we are to beleeue and what to doe that we may be saued To the same purpose I alleaged other wordes of Cyprian in the same place that d Ibid. Si soluâ— Christus audiâ—ndus est non debemus attendere quid aliquis ante nos faciendum putauerit sed quid qui ante omnes est Christ prior fecerit Neque enim hoâ—â—nis consuetudinem sequioportet sed Dei veritatâ— sith Christ only is to be heard according to that which the Father proclaimed from heauen concerning him This is my beloued sonne c. heare him we are not to regard what any man before vs hath thought fit to be done but what Christ hath done who is before all for we must not follow the custome of man but the truth of God Which wordes or the most of them as fitted my occasion being by me set downe in a distinct letter that they might be knowen to be Cyprians wordes M. Bishop in transcribing my text hath changed into his common letter that they might be thought to be but mine owne wordes knowing well enough that otherwise by the credit of the authour they would giue the Reader a preiudice against all that he hath here said We see that Cyprian teacheth vs first of all without respect what men haue done to looke to that which Christ did and thereby to iudge of all the custome of men But M. Bishop like the Crabbe that goeth backward teacheth a man to looke first what his father did and then his grandfather and then his great grandfather and so the rest that out of the custome of men he may learne what is the truth of Christ Those children saith he who follow the holy steps of their Catholike Progenitours ascending from sonne to father successiuely till they arriue at the first Christians of that Country are true Christians But what if the first conuersion of a Country be not aright as befell to the e Abb. Vrsperg in Chronico Valâ—ns Ariana persidiae saucius suae partis sautores illuc direxit praedicatores qui venientes rudibus ignaris illiâ—ò perfidâ—ae suae viruâ— insundunt Gothes whose conuersion was to Arianisme in the time of the Arrian Emperour Valens how then shall his rule stand good of ascending from sonne to father till we arriue at the first Christians of that Country Will he say that such doubtlesse beleeue aright because they beleeue as they did who first were conuerted in that Country If he alleage that he speaketh of following the holy steps of Catholike progenitors he maketh himselfe ridiculous because it is the question whether the Progenitours be Catholike and their steps holy and to be followed or not and he for triall hereof referreth vs to them that were in that country first conuerted who haply were corrupted at first by them by whom they were conuerted This case we put concerning the conuersion of our nation whereat he aimeth by Austin the Monke who though he brought hither the Christian religion yet brought it somewhat blended and sowred with the leauen of humane traditions and inuentions so that to receiue religion as he brought it is to receiue the corruption which he also brought which being growen since as in corruptions it falleth out from a little scabbe to a foule leprosie yet shall the foule leprosie be coloured and defended by the example of the scabbe This case being put M. Bishops rule is out of ioynt because we are come to the first conuerted of our nation and we doubt of some default in their conuerters which we the more suspect for that we f See the Answere to the Epistle sect 31. finde the Britaines who had beene formerly and anciently Christians refusing at that time to meddle with them Here then we are new to seeke and are forced to make further enquiry whether the faith of Christ as it was taught here first by that Romish Monke were in any such sort defiled or not But that being granted that a country is at the first rightly and truly conuerted to the faith of Christ how shall the posterity after so many generations haue infallible assurance that they hold inuiolably the same doctrine which they embraced who were first conuerted What rolles what records haue we certainly and particularly to informe vs that our fathers and fathers fathers and their fathers and forefathers from the beginning haue without adding or detracting without change or alteration either of phrase or meaning beleeued and practised thus and thus Will he send vs to the Chronicles and Stories of our country to be certified hereof To say nothing that euery one that seeketh assurance of his faith cannot studie Chronicles for the finding of it suppose a man hath read them all what is he the nearer inasmuch as Bellarmine hath taught vs to say of them all that g Bellarm. de Effect Sacram. l. 2. c. 25. Quòd historici quidam meminerint c. non potest parere fidem nisi humanam cui potest subesse falsum they breede but humane beleefe wherein there may be falshood Of the greatest matters many times they say least they deliuer things many times vnperfectly and often we may rather gather from them the priuate affection of the authour then any testimony of publike faith To the deuices of their owne times they apply the phrases of former times and corrupt the meaning of former times by speaking in the language of their owne times We finde many times differences and disagreements amongst them and that reproued by one which is approued by another Sometimes we descry lyes and tales wilfully deuised and falsly fathered vpon the times and persons that haue beene before and guilefully thrust into ancient bookes for the gracing of superstitions that haue growen of latter times and other writings and stories suppressed and made away which taxed such superstitions as they did arise Many vncertainties there are many difficulties and perplexities in this course and vnpossible it is for them that are the authors of it to set downe out of any records any perfect forme of their owne faith whereof a man can but reasonably satisfie himselfe that it hath beene vniuersally and vniformely receiued of all our fathers and continued wholly the same without alteration from the first conuerted till our time M. Bishop therefore by referring men in question of religion to their fathers forefathers doth but send them a long iourney in the darke not seeing which
That we are not to imitate our fore-fathers descendeth to the subsequent to wit That his Maiesties Progenitours Kings of England and Scotland were not of our Roman faith which he will proue hereafter at more leasure that is to say neuer For he doth not deny but that the religious and holy man Augustine sent into our country by Gregory the Great Bishop of Rome to conuert our Ancestours the Saxons and English to the Christian faith did then teach the same Roman faith which we now professe so that aboue this thousand yeares by his owne confession his Maiesties Progenitours haue beene of our Catholike Roman faith and religion and very few Kings now liuing I weene can deriue their pedegree much further Afterward he doth rake out of the chanels of Bale Iewel Hollinshead and such like Page 198. late partiall writers which any man not past all care of his reputation would be ashamed to cite for sufficient witnesses in matters of controuersie wherein they themselues were parties that there was great disagreement betweene Augustine the Italian Monke as he speaketh and the Churches of England and Scotland whereas venerable Bede a most approued authour and neare vnto those times who did as most diligently trace out those matters so record them most faithfully he I say whose authority is sufficient to put downe an hundreth late writers interessed in the cause affirmeth that there was no variance betwixt them in any one article of faith but only in some few points of ceremonie namely in these two Vpon what day the feast of Easter was to be kept Beda lib. 2. histor cap. 2. and about the rites of Baptisme For S. Augustine offered them to beare with all other their different rites if they would yeeld vnto him in these two points Vt Pascha suo tempore celebretis That yee would keepe Easter-day at the due time appointed by the Councell of Nice and minister the Sacrament of Baptisme after Euseb in vita Const lib. 3. 17. Epiphan lib. 3. Haeres 70. the manner of the Roman Apostolike Church And concerning these two points who can thinke but that the Sacrament of Baptisme was like to be administred in those daies in the most renowmed City of Rome after a more decent and deuout manner then among the Britans that liued in a corner of the world Now for the other of keeping the feast of Easter the fourteenth day of the first Moone with the Iewes It was many yeares before condemned in the first most famous generall Councell of Nice and therefore it cannot be denyed but that those Britans were either very ignorant in the Canons of the Church if they knew not so solemne a decree or else too too contentious and wilfull in refusing to yeeld vnto it A third clause was added by S Augustine that the Britans would ioyne with him and his fellowes Beda ibidem in preaching the word of God vnto the English nation which also argueth yet more strongly that they agreed together in all articles of faith or else they would not haue required their helpe in instructing others in matters of faith And this is not only registred by S. Bede that holy Historiographer but also reported by their owne late writers Hollinshead and * M. Godwine Volum 1. page 103. * Page 6. in his Catalogue of the Bishops of England S. Bede also witnesseth further in the place aboue said that the same Britan Christians euen then confessed that they did perceiue that to be the true way of iustice which Augustine did preach Furthermore the principall Preachers and most godly men that liued not long before S. Augustines arriuall among the Britans as namely S. Dulcitius and S. Dauid were brought vp at Rome and one of them the Popes Legate too as the aduersaries Iohn Bale in their liues themselues confesse Whereupon it followeth clearely that not only for these later thousand yeares but also in the former hundreths all his Maiesties Ancestors both English and Britans embraced and maintayned the same Catholike Roman faith which we now doe R. ABBOT MAster Bishop kindly threapeth vpon me that I denie not but that Austin the Monke sent hither by Gregory Bishop of Rome did then teach the same Roman faith that they now professe whereas I doe not only deny it to be so but also doe bring a Answ to the Epistle to the King sect 31. diuers instances to proue directly that it is not so Of those diuers let one only here suffice The religion brought in by Austin the Monke continuing here till the time of Charles the Great though it approued the hauing of Images yet condemned the second Nicene Councell for that it approued the worshipping of them The thing by Roger Houeden is thus reported that b Roger. Houeden Annal. p. 1. Anno 792. Carolê° Rex FraÌ„corum misit Synâ—dalem librum ad Britanniam sibi à Constantinopoli directum in quo libro beu proâ— dolor multa inconuenientia verâ— fidei coÌ„traria reperiebantur maximè quòd penè â—mnium Orientalium Doctorum non minus quà m trecentorum vel â—o amplius Episcoporum â—nanima assertione confirâ—atum fuerit Imagines adorari debere quod omninò Ecclesia Dei execratur Contra quod scripsit Albinus EpistolaÌ„â—x authoritate diuinarum Scripturarum mirabilitèr affirmataÌ„ illamque cum â—odâ—m libâ—o ex person 1 Episcoporum ac Principli nostro 〈…〉 â—rancorum 〈…〉 t. in the yeare 792. Charles the King of France sent ouer into Britaine a synodall booke or booke of a Councell directed to him from Constantinople in which booke alas for woe many things were found inconuenient and contrary to true faith specially for that by agreement of all the Easterne Doctors no lesse then three hundred Bishops and more it was decreed that Images should be worshipped which thing the Church of God wholly accurseth Against which saith he Albinus wrote an Epistle wonderfully strengthened by authority of holy Scriptures and brought it together with the booke to the King of France in the name or behalfe of our Bishops and Peeres The Roman faith which Austin brought condemned that Nicene Councell Tho Roman faith which M. Bishop bringeth approueth that Councell for so hath he done in his c Sect. 12. Epistle to the King Therefore the Roman faith which M. Bishop bringeth is not now the same that Austin brought He cannot doubt but that Austin being sent hither by Gregory did teach the same faith here which Gregory himselfe taught at Rome But the faith which Gregory taught at Rome shall be shewed if God will in this booke in many particulars to haue beene contrary to that faith that is now taught from Rome As for our writers Bale Iewell Hollinshead and such like I cite them not as sufficient witnesses in matters of controuersie as he vainly cauilleth but I name them only as recording matters of history which they haue taken out of former stories and writers when mine owne Library
Commandements to deserue and merit life euerlasting and that man hath by the aide of Gods grace free-will to performe them Fourthly they that were skilfull in the law of Moyses could not be ignorant of workes of supererogation that is that there were many good workes which men were not bound to doe yet if they did them they might thereby aduance themselues in Gods fauour because there is speciall Numer 6. order taken for the sanctification of any man or woman that would be a Nazarite that is any one that of deuotion would withdraw himselfe from secular affaires and for some certaine time serue God more religiously yet no man was bound thereunto Further they were allowed and encouraged to make vowes which is also a worke of supererogation against M. Abbots fift instance For not only Dauid saith Vow and render it Psalm 75. v. 12. to our Lord but in the law it is written When thou Deut. 23. v. 21. doest vow a vow vnto the Lord thy God slacke not to performe it because the Lord thy God doth require it c. but if thou wilt not promise thou shalt be without sinne And to leaue the word Monkery as fitter for a Monkey then for an Abbot Iosephus a graue authour among the Iewes witnesseth That there liued Antiquitat Iudaic lib. 18. c. 2. in the time of the law many thousands called Esseni who were contemners of riches liued in common hauing neither wiues nor seruants What other thing doe Monkes professe then such pouerty and chastity sauing obedience which must needes also in some degree be among the others who liued no doubt in orderly society Sixtly neither they nor we either buy or sell pardons yet had great mercy and pardon shewed them for their forefathers sake as God testifieth in the first Commandement And that they were on the other side to endure temporall punishment for sinne after the guilt of the sinne and the eternall paine was forgiuen them is most clearly recorded both of all the people of Israel Whose murmuration against Numer 14. God was at the earnest intercession of Moyses pardoned and yet were they therefore depriued of entring into the land of promise Yea Moyses and Numer 20. v. 24 Aaron themselues were in like manner both pardoned for their diffidence that they did not glorifie God at the waters of contradiction and yet neuerthelesse debarred from entring into the land of promise for the Deut. 32. v. 51. same offence so that after the mortall guilt of sinne is remitted there remaineth either some temporall satisfaction to be made on our parties or else to be forgiuen and pardoned vs by God and his Ministers Seuenthly that they made prayers and offered Sacrifice for the soules in Purgatory is manifest by the fact of Iudas Machabeus 2. Mach. 12. who was a most noble vertuous and faithfull Israelite as all Christians doe confesse Neither is there any neede for this purpose to auerre and proue the bookes of the Machabees to be Canonicall Scripture when it serueth this turne that they be taken for a graue History and that the Protestants allow them to be of sufficient authority for instruction of manners Further all the Iewes euen to this day doe pray for the soules in Purgatory see the Catholike Apologie out of Protestant Authours Eightly the Titul 1. Sect. 4. Iewes of the male-kinde by their law were bound to goe as it were in pilgrimage at three solemne feasts in the yeare vnto one speciall place that God should choose for his seruice And King Salomon encouraged all strangers to goe on pilgrimage to the Temple builded by him when hee prayed that what stranger soeuer should Deut. 16. v. 16. come thither to pray hee might obtaine his sute And the bones of the Prophet Elizeus giuing life by 3. Reg. 8. v. 21. 4. Reg. 13. v. 21. their touch vnto a dead man doth sufficiently instruct all true beleeuers that it is very profitable to goe on pilgrimage vnto the sacred bones and holy relikes of Gods faithfull seruants departed Lastly they were not wholly vnacquainted with a kinde of shrift and absolution for they Numer 5. Leuit. 5. were charged to confesse the sinnes they had committed and to bring with them vnto the Priest a prescribed Sacrifice to be offered by them for their pardon and absolution And as the lepers by that law were bound to present themselues to the Priests and were by them declared such or purged from that imputation so in the law of grace men infected with the soules leprosie that is mortall sinne are either to be bound and declared obstinate by the Priests if they will not repent or repenting and confessing the same are to be cleansed therefrom by the Priests absolution as both S. Chrysostome Chrysost lib. 3. de Saceraot Hieron in cap. 16. Math. and S. Hierome doe argue This in briefe will suffice I hope for answere vnto M. Abbots particulars R. ABBOT I Gaue instance in mine answere of sundry points of faith and religion which I affirmed to bee vnknowen to the first Fathers which notwithstanding are such as they could not haue beene ignorant of if they were matters of so great moment in religion as they are pretended now I named the worshipping of Idols and Images Inuocation of Saints and Angels Merits and supererogations Monkish vowes Popish pardons and prayers for soules in Purgatory Pilgrimages to Relikes and dead mens bones auricular Confession and shrift in which and sundry other such like deuices the very substance of Catholike religion is now with the Papists imagined to consist Now M. Bishop affirmeth to the contrary that they held the most of these the most he saith not all thereby importing concerning some of them at least that they were vnknowen to them And yet as though hee wist not what hee had said he taketh in hand to touch euery one of my instances and to giue some proofe of euery one of them referring the Reader for more full satisfaction to the proper places of the head controuersies whereas he knoweth well that in the answere to those controuersies is already taken away almost all that he hath here said As first his exception against the name of Idoll a Of Images sect 5. I haue shewed to be wholly vaine and haue made it plaine out of Tertullian and others that euery Image consecrated to be worshipped is properly an Idoll Againe his allegations of Images in the Tabernacle and in the Temple of Salomon and of the wordes which he bringeth out of the Psalme b Ibid. Sect. 8. 16. Adore yee his foote-stoole haue beene also declared to be to his purpose false impertinent and vaine But yet to giue a touch for a touch note here also briefly the folly of them I say that the old Fathers worshipped no Images and he to proue the contrary alleageth that in the Tabernacle and Temple they had Images What is the one of these to
Christ her Lord and head and most entire in the faith and doctrine which shee had receiued from him Of this flourishing and best estate we must consider in the next Chapter and therefore I cease here to speake any further thereof CHAP. VII Of the flourishing and best estate of the Church of Rome and of the testimony of Theodoret concerning the fulnesse of doctrine contained in the Epistle to the Romans and that the Apostle there condemneth Popery of Idolatry in worshipping of Saints and Images ANSWERE TO THE EPISTLE VVE hope you vvill not deny but the Apostle S. Paul vvas one principall pillar c. to Chap. 8. Paul saith and vve say the same that c. W. BISHOP §. 1. WHat a worthy graue Preface he vseth to assure men that we will not deny S. Paul nor his Epistle to the Romans which neuer were called in doubt by any man But good Sir whiles you muse and busie your head so much vpon bables you forget or wilfully mistake the very point of the question Was the Church of Rome at her most flourishing estate when S. Paul wrote that Epistle to the Romans was her faith then most renovvmed ouer all the vvorld as you write nothing lesse for not the ten thousand part of that most populous Citty was then conuerted to the faith and they that had receiued the Christian faith were very nouices in it and stoode in great neede of the Apostles diuine instructions Any reasonable man would rather iudge that the Church of Rome then came first to her most flourishing estate when Idolatry and all kinde of superstition was put to silence and banished out of her when the Christian religion was publikely preached and conntenanced by the Emperours authority which was not before the reigne of Constantine the Great our most glorious countrey-man wherefore M. Abbots first fault is that he shooteth farre wide from the marke which he should haue aimed at principally The second is more nice yet in one that would seeme so acute not to be excused It is that he taketh an Epistle written to the Romans for their instruction and correction as if it were a declaration and profession of their faith when as all men know such a letter might containe many things which they had not heard off before Further yet that you may see how nothing can passe his fingers without some legerdemaine marke how he englisheth Theodorets wordes Dogmatum pertractationem The handling of opinions is by him translated all points of doctrine whereas it rather signifieth some then all opinions or lessons But I will let these ouer-sights passe as flea-bitings and follow him whither he pleaseth to wander that euery man may see when he is permitted to say what he liketh best that in truth he can alleage out of S. Paul nothing of moment against the Catholike faith R. ABBOT WEe see here what great cause there was that his Maiesty should adde the wordes now spoken off And from Christ her Lord and head because it might be doubted what construction they or any other might make of the flourishing and best estate of the Church of Rome I say that St. Paul wrote his Epistle to that Church when the faith thereof was most renowmed through the world This M. Bishop denieth and will not haue that to be taken for the flourishing and best estate of the Roman Church And why First not the ten thousand part of that most populous Citty was then conuerted to the faith and secondly they who had then receiued the Christian faith were very nouices in it and stoode in great neede of the Apostles diuine instructions So then he will haue vs to vnderstand that then was the flourishing and best estate of the Church of Rome when there were in it the greatest number of Christians and they were so perfect in the faith as that they needed not the Apostles diuine instructions But when was that Not before the reigne of Constantine the Great saith he Well and was it then Nay he saith not so and we may well thinke that he knoweth not well when or what to say Certaine it is that Paganisme abounded in Rome after the time of Constantine who indeede for his time by lawes restrained the publike exercise thereof but yet a Relat. Symmach apud Ambros lib. 5. Epist 30 Diui ConstaÌ„tij factum diu non sletit that act of his saith Symmachus did not long stand good the people returning to their old superstitions and sacrifices vntill that by Theodosius and Gratian the Emperours of Rome they were repressed againe Which lawes of theirs Symmachus the Lieutenant of the city moued the next Emperour Valentinian in his owne name and in the name of the City and Senate of Rome to haue againe repealed who b Symmach vt supra Senatus me querelaruÌ„ suarum iussit esse I egatum c. Vt Praefectus vâ—ster gesta publica prosequor vt Legatus ciuium mandata commendo though he pretended a farre greater number of Senatours to ioyne with him then did as Ambrose sheweth yet cannot be doubted to haue had a great number also partakers with him beside the common multitude of the City whose affection how it stood we may gather by that that Hierome saith not much distant from that time that c Hieron in Esai lib. 16. c. 57. â—psaque Roma orbiâ— Domina in singulis insulis domibusque Tutela simulachrum cereis venerans ac lucernis quam ad tuitionem aedium isto appellant nomine Rome in euery house did with tapers and candles worship the image of Tutela whom they so called for the tuition and defence of their houses though elsewhere he testifie that d IdeÌ„ ad Marcel vt commigret Bethlehem Est ibi sancta Ecclesia c. gentilitate calcata in sublime se quotidiè erigens vocabulum Christianum Paganisme was decaying and the name of Christians arising and growing higher and higher from day to day But if it were yet growing then it was not at full growth and therefore when will M. Bishop say was the most flourishing and best time of the Church there Againe we desire to know of him when the time was that the Church of Rome stoode in no neede of the Apostles diuine instructions May we thinke M. Bishop that euer there was any such time Surely we know now what the cause is why the Apostles diuine instructions are so little set by at Rome They serued the Romans forsooth at first when they were but nouices in the faith but now they are growen ripe and haue no neede to be taught by him May we not thinke him a wise man that thus telleth vs that the Romans then stoode in neede of the Apostles diuine instructions as if there were any time since that they had not the like neede But I would aske him how it appeareth to him that the Romans were then but nouices in the faith The reason which his wordes imply is because