writers much coÌ„ntention there hath beene about tradâ—tions some vrginge the necessity of them and others râ—iectinge them For the clearinge whereof wee must oâ—serue that wee reiect not all for first wee receaue tâ— number and names of the Authors of bookes diuine aâ— Couell cont Burg pag. 60. whitaker ib. Wotton def of Perk. pag. 442. Couell def of hook pag. 31. 34 32. 33. feild l. 4. c. 5. pag. 203. Ormer pict Pap. pag 93. Sutcliffeag the 3. conu pag. 79. canonicall as deliuered by tradition This tradition wâ— admit The number Authors and Integrity of the partâ— of these bookes wee receaue as deliuered by tradition Tâ— Church of Christ according to her authority receaued â— him hath warrant to approue the Scriptures to acknoâ—ledge to receaue to publish and commaunde vnto â— children The Church of Rome teacheth noe badde opâ—nion to affirme that the Scriptures are holy and diuiâ— in themselues but so esteemed by vs for the authority the Church That the Scriptures ar true wee haue it froâ— the Church Wee say that wee are taught to receaue â— word of God from the authoritie of the Church wee see her Iudgment wee heare her voyce and in humility subscribe vnto all this The Church hath fower singular offices towards the Scripture First to be of them as it were afaithfull register Secondly to discerne and Iudge betweene false and adulterate and that which is true and perfect The third to publish and diuulge to proclaime as a Crier the true Edict of our Lord himselfe The last is to be an Interpreter and in that followinge the safest rule to be a most faithfull Expositor of his owne meaninge Wee thinke that particular men and Churches may erre damnably But that the whole Church at one time cannot so erre for that the Church should cease vtterly for a time and so not be Catholike beinge not at all times Christ should sometimes be without a Church The Church is called a pillar because it is like vnto a pillar For as a pillar doth support and vnderproppe a buildinge and maketh it more stable firme and stronge So the Church doth sustaine and supporte the truth for the truth is no where preserued but in the Church Christs true Church is a diligent and wary keeper of doctrines committed to her and changeth nothinge at any time diminisheth nothinge addeth nothinge superfluous looseth not her owne nor vsurpeth things belonginge to others And this is publikely warranted in Protest Reli. of Engl. Art 19. these their Articles and Rule of their Religion where thus they define the Church The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithfull men in the which the pure word of God is preached And the Sacraments be duely ministred accordinge to Christs ordinance Art 8. Catech. com Booke Iniunct Canons feild l. 4. c. 20. pag. 238. 239. in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same Secondly those men in their Rules of Religion and their priuate writers affirme that the Apostles Creede which by all Antiquity was by them deliuered to the Church and by these Protestants as Rule of faith before the Scriptures of the new Testament were written is an vnwritten Tradition yet by their words a summary comprehension of thâ— cheife heades of Christian Religion a Rule of thâ— Churches faith And yet it is constantly maintaineâ— by many Protestants that diuers articles thereoâ— as our Ladies perpetuall virginity natus ex Marâ— Virgine Christs descending into hell descendit aâ— inferos The communion of Saincts and forgiuenesse of sinnes Sanctorum communionem Râ—missioneâ— peccatorum and others by diuers others Protestantâ— are not contained in any Scripture written beforâ— or after And this Creede deliuered by word anâ— tradition onely by the Apostles before the new tâ—stament written this Scripture could not possiblâ— be a rule or direction vnto it but rather otherwisâ— for euery rule hath priority to the thinge ruled anâ— the things ruled posterity to their rule Matters aâ— done without rule when there is no rule vntill aftâ— they be acted These Parlament Protestants proceede furthâ— Feild supr pag. 239. in this question and plainely say with greate aâ—lowance The third kind of Tradition is that somme â— Christian doctrine and explication of the seuerall parâ— thereof which the first Christians receauinge of the saâ— Apostles that deliuered to them the Scriptures coâ—mended to posteritie This may rightly be named a tradâ—tion for that wee neede a plaine and distinct explicatiâ— of things which are somewhat obscurely contained the Scripture The fourth kinde of tradition is the contâ—nued practise of such as neither are contained in tâ— Scripture expressely nor the example of such practiâ— expressely there deliuered of this sorte is the Baptisme of Infants which is therefore named a tradition because it is not expressely deliuered in the Scripture that the Apostles did baptize infants nor any expresse precept there founde that they should doe it Which their rule of Religion in these Articles thus further iustifieth The Baptisme of yonge children is in any wise to be retained Art of Engl. Prote Relig. Art 17. CommunioÌ„ Booke Tit. Baptisme The. Rog. in Art 27. Q. Elizab. and k. K. Iames Iniunct and Canons in the Church as most agreable with the institution of Christ Where they plainely in their publike rule of Religion make it a tradition and no Scripture article And by the coÌ„mon practicall of their religion their communion booke so they practise baptizinge all infants and sayinge all Christian Churches allowe of the baptisme of infants And these Protestants are onely baptized when they are infants and not after and yet confesse it is most necessary to saluation And whereas they reiect all other Sacraments besides Art of Relig. art 25. this and the Eucharist or the CoÌ„munion as they terme it confessing that these Sacraments be necessary to saluation And yet denyinge the Eucharist to be as Catholiks professe the true body and blood of Christ and sacrifice for the lyuinge and deade they contradict themselues for that they confesse that in this sinse it was generally vsed in Kinge Iames and Casanb resp ad Card. per. pa. 51. 52. 20. Middleâ— Papistom 20. p. 92. 113. 49. 137. 138. 47. 45. Feild l. 3. cap 29. p. 138. Couell Exa pag. 114. primitiue Church that the Apostles so deliuered it by tradition all Churches so obserued it and it was heresie to deny it Their words be The sacrifice of the altar and vnbloody sacrifice were vsed in the primitiue Church The primatiue Church did offer sacrifice at the altar for the deade sacrifice for the deade was a tradition of the Apostles and the auncient Fathers Aerius condemned the custome of the Church in naming the deade at the altar and offeringe the sacrifice of Eucharist from them and for this his rash and inconsiderate boldenesse and presumption in condemninge the vniuersall Church of Christ he was iustly condemned Their whole congregation Kinge Iames
sine originali peccato fâ— esse Atque it a in primo momento cum viuere inâ—ret omnis peccati expers erat And saith that eâ— from her conception she was full of grace and hauing no place for any sinne Maria Virgo â—â— In Euang. de Annunt Mar. animaÌ„ plâ—na gratia concepta est Gratia Deiipsam â—â— boni abundantem facit Et ab omni malo liberat Dâ—cum ea est hoc est omne quod facit aut omittit diuiâ— est in eo a Deo perficitur ad haec tutatur eam â—fendit ab omni quod obnoxium incommodum esseâ— Antiquitat Glaston manuscrip tabul lign fixe Io. Capgrau in vit S. Iosephi ab Aramathia Guliel Malmesbur l. de anâ—iq coenob Glastonien test That from her conception she was full of grace whatsoeuer she did or omitted was holy and diâ— she was free from all thing illor sinfull Her hoâ— here in Britaine was so greate and timely that â—â— in 31. yâ—ares of the passion of Christ and 15. of the blâ— Virgins Assumption anno post Passionem Dominâ— cesimo primo ab Assumptione vero Virginis glorâ— quinto decimo S. Ioseph and his holy company by â— monition of the holy Angel Gabriel and diuine waâ— â—ilded here a Chapell vnto her honour It is accompted â—e first Church of Britaine dedicated miraculously by â—hrist in honour of his Mother The ChristiaÌ„ builders in â—eate deuotion watching and fastings and prayers â—ere serued God and the blessed Virgin and by the â—lpe of the blessed Virgin were releiued in their necesâ—ies Praedicti sancti per Archangelum Gabrielem in â—isione admoniti sunt Ecclesiam in honore sanctae Dei â—netricis perpetuae Virginis Mariae in loco caelitus â—â—onstrato coÌ„struere Qui diuinis admonitionibus obeâ—entes capellam consuminauerunt Et cum haec in hac â—ione prima fuerit Ecclesia ampliori eam dignitate â—â— filius insigniuit ipsain in honore suae matris dediâ—ndo Duodecim sancti praedicti in eodem loco Deo â—atae Virgini deuota exhibentes obsequia vigilijs ieâ—ijs orationibus vacantes eiusdem Virginis Dei â—etricis auxilio in necessitatibus suis refocillabantur â—hus haue our most auncient antiquities both by â—atholiks and Protestants testimonies The three next articles being thus intuled The â— of sinne after Baptisme the 17. of predestination and â—ection and 18. of obtaining eternall saluation onely â— the name of Christ doe not seeme in equall and â—orall construction euen as they expound themâ—lues to haue opposition to any Catholike doâ—rine but to haue beene receaued by them to conâ—mne newly risen vp heresies among them as liâ—rtines denyers of saluation to penitent sinners â—edestinaries not respecting to liue well vpon â—icked presumption of their predestination and â—ch as affirmed that euery man shall be saued Iew â—urke Pagan or whatsoeuer Infidell or heretike â—all be saued by the law or sect which he professeth that he be diligent to frame his life according to that law and the light of nature as is plainely registred â— set downe in those Articles THE VII CHAPTER The 19. Article examined and condemned by the same authority THEIR next and 19. Article intituled of â— Church is this The visible Church of Christ iâ— congregation of faithfull men in which the pure worâ— God is preached and the Sacraments be duely ministrâ— according to Christs ordinance in all those things thâ— necâ—ssity are requisite to the same As the Churâ— Hiâ—rusalem Alexandria and Antioche haue erred â— also the Church of Rome hath erred not onely in thâ— liuing and manner of ceremonies but also in matters â— faith Hitherto this article Whose definition â— description of the Church if wee should alloâ— wee are sufficiently instructed by that is said bâ—fore that the Protestants new congregation câ— not be this true visible Church of Christ eâ—â— from the truth in so many necessary and requiâ— things as hath beene proued in all Articles befoâ— wherein it opposeth the receaued doctrine of tâ— primatiue Apostolike age and the present Churâ— of Rome as the like demonstration shall be maâ— against them in all their contradictory Articâ— following in their due place And so is also and â—â— be most manifest that the present Roman Churâ— agreeing in all those Articles both already heâ— after to be examined with the vndoubted â—â— Church of the Apostles and this their age is â—â— must needs be the true Church of Christ Aâ— â—eir assertion in the second parte of this Article â—hat the Church of Rome hath erred not onely in their â—ing and manner of ceremonies but also in matters of â—ith is most euidently false and impudently slaunâ—erous And the open dore to infidelity For if all â—e commaunding Churches in the world Hieruâ—lem Nicen. Concil Can. Parlament â— of Queene Eliz. Parl. â— Iacob 1. Caroli Alexandria Antioche and Rome as they are â—t downe in the first greate Councell of Nice and â—proued by the Parlaments and Parlament Reâ—gions of Queene Elizabeth King Iames King â—harles haue erred in matters of faith as this Arâ—le affirmeth then all other Churches all being â—biect vnto them haue likewise erred And this â—w Protestant pretended Church not being then â—runge vp being noe congregation of faithfull â—en in that time nor any congregation or men at â— and so neither hauing the pure word of God â—eached nor Sacraments duely ministred nor any â—e point of doctrine yet preached or Sacrament â—nistred nor man to preach or minister any such â—uld not nor can possibly by their owne rule and â—dgment be the true visible Church or any â—ember peece or part thereof That true primaâ—e and Apostolike Church teaching by all Preists â—d Cleargy men it had both to the congregation â— faithfull men to vse these mens phrase conâ—rted and to others yet not Christians all those â—cessary articles hitherto examined contrary to â—otestant Religion when the onely want of any â—e of such necessary things by their owne definiâ—e sentence before taketh away the name and â—e to be the true Church at this present any â—e past or to come the preaching of the pure â—rd of God due ministring of the Sacraments in all things of necessity being one and the same â— all persons in all times and places And to be of any other minde quite crosseth wiâ— Christs Institution and the continuance and visiâ—lity of his Church which both that article of theâ— Creede I beleeue the holy Catholike Church and tâ— their article and confession of an euerduring visibâ— Church doth proue For if at any time after Chriâ— founding his Church either in this Apostolike â— any age after it had generally erred in matters â— faith that it retained not the name and truth of â— true Church there was then by this article no tâ— Church in the world For whosoeuer it was whâ— wee will dreame to haue beene the first finder oâ— of this generall errour and supposed Apostaâ— Martine
greeke Origen hom 2. in leuitic Chrisostom l. 3. de Sacerdotio Cirill Alexandr l. 6. de adorat in spiritu victor Antioch ad c. 6. marci Ambros in missali Hier. ad c. 14. Oseae August Serm. 215. de tempor in Tract de rectitud cathol conuersat l. 2. de visitat Infirm c. 4. Innocent 1. epistol ad Decent Eug. cap. 8. Aug. l. de Haeres cap. 47. Gabriel Prat. Elench haeresum in Hierarchitis Epiph. haeres 67. Extreame vnction a Sacrament with the Britans Manuscript Brit. Antiquissimi Authoris and Latine Church doe thus expound this place deriue this Sacrament from thence and affirme it euer to haue beene so receaued in Christs Church and by him instituted proposed by S. Iames. sic roges dete pro te fieri sicut dixit Apostolus Iacobus immo per Apostolum suum Dominus ipsa videlicet olei sacrati delibutio intelligitur Spiritus sancti typicalis vnctio I need not to make repetitions of their testimonies this veritie being so generally receaued and practized in the first times of Christian Religion that about the yeare of Christ 279. it was commonly adiudged heresie to deny it and is so censured registred and condemned in the exploded heresies of the Hierarchite Heretiks dicebant extremae vnctionis Sacramentum à Deo institutum non esse Which being condemned for herefie in the whole Church of Christ must needs be so also adiudged in this Kingdome renowned then for true Christian Religion and the Catholike doctrine yet we want not particular testimonies hereof for our Protestants themselues commonly teaching that the Britans neuer chaunged any materiall point in Religion produce vnto vs a most auntient manuscript as they terme it written ab authore antiquissimo and as is euident in the same Antiquitie when there were yet many Pagans and Idolaters here in which commaunde and direction is giuen that all sick persons in daunger of death should both receaue the Sacrament of Christs holie bodie and this of extreame vnction sette downe by S. Iames the Apostle and the primatiue Fathers before Quotiens aliqua Infirmitas superuenerit corpus sanguinem Christi illi qui aegrotant accipiant oleum in nomine Domini à presbyteris humiliter petant inde corpus suum vngant vt quod scriptum est impleatur Infirmatur aliquis inducat Iacob 5. presbyteros Ecclesiae orent super cum vngentes eum oleo in nomine Domini oratio fidei saluabit infirmum alleuiabit eum Dominus et si in peccatis sit dimittentur ei Videtefratres quia qui infirmitatem habent ad Ecclesiam currant corporis sanitatem reâ—ipere peccatorum Indulgentiam merebuntur obtiâ—ere The Protestants of England euen the composers of these Articles cannot by their owne Religion be of other mind without grosse Ignorance and contradiction for defining a Sacrament as they haue done in this Article and in their most Protest commun booke Tit. catechisme warranted communion booke thus do define it by this word Sacrament I meane an outward and visible signe of an Inward and spirituall grace giuen vnto vs ordeyned by Christ himselfe as a meanes whereby we receaue the same and a pledge to assuer vs thereof They must needs graunt that S. Iames in expresse words in holie scripture their pretended Rule hath deliuered as much for this Sacrament as they require the outward visible signe the Preists prayer and vnction with oyle and remission of sinnes which cannot be without grace receaued by the same Thus I haue inuincibly proued by this first Apostolike age for the doctrine and practise of the Catholike Church and against this Protestant Article the whole compleat number of 7. Sacraments And yet if I had onely proued three Sacraments or any lesse number then seuen and greater then two I had sufficiently confuted this Article which onely alloweth two Baptisme and the Eucharist stiled by them the Supper of the Lord for such THE XVIII CHAPTER The rest of this Article repugnant to the Catholike faith likewise condemned THE remnant of this Article they deliuer in these words The Sacraments were not ordeyned of Christ to be gazed vpon or to be carryed aboute but that we should duely vse them And in such onely as worthyly receaue the same they haue a wholesome â—ffect or operation But they that receaue them vnworthily purchase to themselues damnation as Sainct Paule saith This is the whole content of this Article and in this last if these Protestants desire to speake properly as they should and would so be vnderstood there is very little or no difference betwene Catholiks and them For where they say that Sacraments haue a wholesome effect or operation in their worthie receauers this agreeth with the Catholike doctrine that Sacraments giue grace and worke ex opere operato which many Protestants denie And concerning the vnworthie receauing of them it is not a thing questioned What they meane by these wordes The Sacraments were not ordeyned of Christ to be gazed vppon or to be carryed about So speaking of Sacraments in the plurall number is a straunge speach excepting one Species of the Sacrament of Eucharist we reserue none nor carry any about for any respect nor can by their doctrine professing they consist in their ministration and receauing as is euident in Baptisme Confirmation Orders Confession and Absolution Matrimony and Extreame vnction What they meane by their words gazed vpon requireth a better glosse then they giue to vâ—derstande their meaning for to take the worde as it is commonly and properly vsed in our language earnestly or intensiuely to beholde if they forbid such gesture at Sacraments they forbid publik ministration of them which their practise alloweth warranteth and prescribeth by their greatest authoritie If they would haue this their termed gasing vpon or carrying about to be vnderstood any reâ—â—rence or reseruation the Romane Church vseth â—owards the blessed Sacrament of the Altare the question with them properly belongeth to their â—8 Article where they expressely speake against Transubstantiation or chaunge of breade and wine into the body and blood of Christ and his true and reall presence in those most sacred misteries which being vndeniably confuted as in that place it shall this errour is thereby clearely ouerthrowne For wheresoeuer Christ is or howsoeuer heis heis to be worshipped and adored with as greate dutie and reuerence as any Catholike giueth vnto him in this Sacrament In the meane tyme the Apostolike men of this first age do thus testifie S. Clement often testifying the reall and true presence of Christ in this most holie Sacrament setteth downe the deuotion and honour of all people then Bishops Preists Deacons Subdeacons Virgyns widowes married old and young to be as greate or greater then Catholiks now commonly vse vnto it When consecration is ended and the blessed Sacrament was shewed vnto the Christians present the Deacon vsed to say let vs aâ—tend or behold The Bishop or Preist
receaued this Sacrament reserued when extreame vnction was ministred vnto them And one of their most auntient antiquities carrying with it our Protestants approbation doth witnesse that the primatiue Christian Britans did publikely â—â— Euery Masse worship and pray vnto Christ present in this Sacrament this hath our Protestants translation Hereof singe Gods seruants at euery Masse Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi miserere nobis That is in our speach Thou lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world haue mercy vpon vs. And thus I end this their many braunched Article THE XIX CHAPTER The 26. and 27. Articles examined and Protestant doctrine in or by them condemned THeir next Article being the 26. by their numbring them is thus intituled Of the worthiâ—es of the ministers which hinder not the effect of the sacraments The whole Article followeth in these All though in the visible Church the euill be euer mingled with the good and sometime the euill haue cheife authoritie in the ministration of the worde and sacraments yet for asmuch as they do not the same in their owne name but in Christes and do minister by his commission and authoritie we may vse their ministerie both in hearing the word of God and in receiuing of the sacraments Neither is the effect of Christes ordinance taken away by their wikednesse nor the grace of Gods guifts diminished from such as by faith and rightly do receiue the sacraments ministred vnto them which be effectuall because of Christs institution 〈◊〉 promise allthough they be ministred by euill men Neuerthelesse it apperteyneth to the discipline of the Churche that inquirie be made of euill ministers and that they be accused by those that haue knowledge of their offences and finally being founde gyltie by 〈◊〉 Iudgment be deposed Hitherto this Article in which there it not any one proposition or sentence against the doctrine of the Romane Church and Catholike Religion but rather a graunte and confirmation thereof 〈◊〉 a renowncing of Protestant profession and proceedings in diuers particular poyntes and some most materiall As declaring that in the visible Church the euill be euer mingled with the good they confesse the Church to be euer and indeâ—ectible And so Luther Caluyn Cranmar King Henry 8. with his daughter Queene Elizabeth or whomsoeuer els they will or can make the first publisher or aduancer of their doctrine separating themselues and being separated and cutt of from that visible true Church which was then generally so held this their Protestant congregation and Religion takeing Originall being from thence cannot possibly be the true Church and Religion of Christ And in making the true Church euer visible they must needs make their association or prerended companie eúer inuisible and so nothing vntill these dayes and condemne those their brethren Protestants who knowing their new fraternitie was neuer vntill those late times haue mathematically framed in their Imagination a new straung chimericall Inuisible vnbeeable and vnpossible Church Agayne professing that Preists the Ministers of Sacraments do Minister them in Christes 〈◊〉 by his commisson and authoritie they sufficiently confesse that if Christ omnipotent could and did consecrate breade and wyne into his body and blood forgiue sinnes and giue grace in sacraments truely consecrated Preists haue that power and do the same And affirming The sacraments to bâ— effectuall because of Christes Institution and promise â—either is the effects of Christes ordinance takâ—n away nor the grace of Gods guists diminished by the wikednesse of ministers They proue what the Catholiks holde in these things and Protestants cammonly deny Their last clause of Discipline in the Church making but one true visible Church and their congregation being as before no part thereof depriueth them of all such discipline as they haue already spoyled themselues of the pure worde of God preached and Sacraments duely ministred vnseparable signes and properties of the true visible Church by their 19. Article and thereby want all things which by their owne confession are euer founde in and belonge vnto the Church of Christ The 27. Article intituled of baptisme hath no thing contrary to Catholik Religion But the last clause thereof is against their 6. Article before that nothing is to be beleeued as an Article of faith or to be thought requisite necessarie to saluation that is not read in nor may be proued by scriptures And in this place thus they decree The Baptisme-ef yong Prot. Articl 27. children is in any wise to be retayned in the Church as most agreable with the Institution of Christ In this whole Article before they make Baptisme in all requisite necessarie to Saluation So they do iâ— Protest communion Booke Tit. Baptisme Protest Conference at hampton Court. their communion booke in the administration thereof and in the reuewe of their Religion â—â— Hampton court thus they define That baptisme to be ministred by priuate parsons in tyme of necessitie is an holie tradition And so they vse in their common practise and Baptise Infants both by their ministers and others men and women especially my dwiues instructed how to Baptisme in time of Engl. Protest in feild Bookes of the Church pag. 239. and others necessitie Yet with publik consent and allowanâ—â— thus they write and publish Baptisme of Infants â—â— â—â—â—ed a Tradition because it is not expressely deliuered iâ— stripture that the Apostles did baptize Infants nor 〈◊〉 expresse precept there founde that they should so do Tâ—â—t the holy Fathers of the first age held Baptisme Supr in articul 6. of Infants for an vnwritten tradition I haue spoken before And S. Clement doth giue comâ—â—â—nd Clem. Rom. lâ—b 6. constit Apostolic cap. 15. Dionys Areopag Ecclesiast Hierarch cap. 7. concil mileuit cap. 2. Chrisostom homil de Adam Eua. Augustin cont Donat. l. 1. cap. 23. Epiphan Aug. alij de haeres Innocent 1. epist concil African cap. 77. concil Carthagin 5. cap. 6. Hect. Boeth Scot. hâ—st l. 9. Georg. Buchan Rer. scot l. 5. Reg. 52. holinsh hist of Scotland in Fâ—equard pag. 112. to haue it obserued Baptizate vestros pueâ—â—◠〈◊〉 S. Denys the Areopagite affirmeth it was so vsed Pueri qui necdum possunt intelligere diuiâ—â— sacri hapti smatis participes fiant And shewâ—â—gâ— how others answeare and promise for them 〈◊〉 prâ— ipsiâ— abrenunâ—iant sanctaquâ— ineunt faedera 〈◊〉 iâ— an holy tradition sanctam traditionem 〈◊〉 S. Chrisostome and others testifie generally in the whole Catholik Church in all places Praediâ—â—t Ecclesia Catholica vbique diffusa debere parâ—â—â—â—â— Baptizari prepter originalâ— peccatum And they were Nouatian Pelagian such condemned Hâ—retiks which at any time called this holy tradiâ—â—on and custome into question So it was here â—â— Britayne which though it was Mother and Noble longe time to pelagius the Archeretike wâ—o among other his damned Errours denyed the Baptisme of Infants yet it so much detested among tâ—â— rest this his obsurd Inuention that it
for defence of the Catholike Faith and Iastlie by your Maiestie our last Queene MARIE by whom this land is blessed by a royall issue and as we hope shall in time be madâ— happie by restitution of the Catholike Religion ether in your owne oâ— your childrens dayes And the ratheâ— when England shall see by the Iudgement of the Apostles that the Catholike religioÌ„ aggreeth in all point with the religion taught deliuereâ— by the Apostles and first Apostolicalâ— preachers and that the Protestant religioÌ„ is discouÌ„tenaunced discarded condemned by them This shall appeare by this booke which I youâ— Maiesties most humble subiect aâ— old student in holie learning doe iâ— all dutifull manner present vnto youâ— wishing to your Gracious Maiestie and to our noble Souueraigne your deare Spouse a long and happie raigne in our great Brittainie such a temporall raigne amongst your subiectes as you may both raigne in heauen eternallie with God his Saintes and Angelles Your Maiesties most humble and deuoted subiect R. B. APPROBATIO CVm mihi constiterit ex testimonio fide digni S. Theol. Doctoris in hoc libro cui tituluâ— Apostolorum iudicium c. nihil inueniri Catholicae fidei aut bonis moribus contrarium sed multâ— quae ostendunt religionem Catholicorum esse Apostolicam haereticorum verò Apostaticam censuâ— vtiliter praelo committi posse Actum Duaci die 23. Iunij 1632. GEORGIVS COLVENERIVS S. Theol. Doctor Regius ordinariusque Professor Gollegiatâ— Ecclesiae S. Petri Praepositus Duaâ— censis Academiae Cancellarius librorum Censor THE FIRST CHAPTER CONCERNINGE THE FIRST 5. PROtestants Articles not differinge from the Apostles Religion and the Roman Church BEEINGE to enter into the Examen and comparison of the parlament protestant Articled Religion of England with the Religion of the present Church of Rome and â—e whole Christian world named Catholike â—or profession whereof the Catholiks of England â—y the protestants thereof haue longe tyme suffâ—red and still most constantly endure most bitter persecutions by the first knowne and confessed â—ue Christian Catholike Apostolike Religion â— the Apostles and that their happy age wee finde â—t in the first fiue Articles of this new Religion â—y difference or difficulty to be thus decided both â—atholicks and parlameÌ„tary protestants agreeing them all and they all beeing ordeyned by these proâ—tants against other Sectaries so soone within 4. â—ares of the beginning of Q. Elizabeth her Reigne reâ—eing old condemned heresies amongst them as their â—tories and registers remember and therefore it will â—re suffice onely to recite the Titles of these arâ—les to giue notice thereof The contents and title â— the first article are Of faith in the holy Trinity The second of the word or sonne of God which was made verymaÌ„ The 3. Of the going downe of Christ into hell The 4. Of the Resurrection of Christ The 5. Of the Holy Ghost The whole Article the Title being subiect to doubt is The holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the sonne is of one substance Maiesty and glory with the Father and the Sonne very and eternall God Hitherto wee finde nothing against the doctrine of the Catholike Church Which noâ— vnlikely these men did rather to winnesome crediâ— at their entrance to be thought louers of truth then that they hated the enemies of these articles not yet suppressed among them THE SECOND CHAPTER Examining their 6. Article about Scriptures and traditions and condemning it by the Apostles and Apostolike men and doctrine of their age THEIR next sixt Article intituled of the sufficiency of the holy Scriptures for Saluation â— thus holy Scripture containeth all things necessary â— saluation Soe that what soeuer is not read therein nâ— may be proued thereby is not to be required of any maâ— that it should be beleeued as an article of faith or â— thought requisite or necessary to saluation By the naâ— of holy Scripture wee doe vnderstand those canonicâ— bookes of the old and new testament of whose authâ—rity was neuer any doubt in the Church And from tâ— number of those bookes which there they allowâ— to be canonicall They doe in expresse words aâ— tearmes reiect The booke of Tobias the booke of Iuditâ— the rest of the booke of Esther the booke of wisdomâ— Iesus the sonne of Sirach Baruch the Prophet the songe of the three children the story of Susanna of Bel and the Dragon the prayer of Manasses the first and second Bookes of the Machabees Concerning the new testament thus they adde all the bookes of the new testament as they are commonly receiued wee doe receiue and accompte them for canonicall This their Article is in their proceedings as the grounde worke and foundation whereupon their Religion is wholy framed and builded and yet so weake Feeble totteringe ruinous arid deceitefull that not any one true certaine and infallible point of doctrine as euery Article in true religion is can be framed vpoÌ„ it or from it so deduced by the expresse graunt of this article it selfe and of all English Protestants professed and sworne maintainers of it For whereas they sentence and define In the Art 6. supr name of holy Scripture wee doe vnderstand those canonicall bookes of the old and new testament of whose Field Booke of the Church lib. 4. cap. 5. wotton def of perk pa. 442. Couell ag Burg. pag. 60. def of Hooker pag. 31. 32. 33. proâ—â—st glosse on the 6. art Tho. Rogers ibid. authority was neuer any doubt in the Church They plainely make the Iudgment of the Church to be the highest tribunall in spirituall questions euen of the scriptures themselues And thus their best and cheife writers published by authority doe glosse and expound this article And of necessity so they must say except at their first entrance they will plainely confesse their religion and congregation their Church of England as they terme it to be erroneous or hereticall and to haue noe power or warrant at all to doubt deny or determine and propose what bookes be or be not Scriptures canonicall either of the old or new testament Or what one chapter or sentence in them is part or not part of such canonicall and vndoubted holy Scriptures for this power and prerogatiue being onely committed to the true Church by their Article and professors before if these men doubt or Iudge otherwise in this case then the true confessed Church hath hitherto done They can be noe part or members of that true Church And whatsoeuer is read or may be deduced from vntrue or doubted Scriptures cannot be possibly any certaine and vndoubted article of faith and religion For noe conclusion can be more certaine and vndoubted then the Maximes and authorities from which it is concluded but as the light of nature common law and vndeniable Maxime of true reasoning teacheth all men and all men truely acknowledge for a verity most certaine it euer followeth the weaker part euer erroneous doubtfull vncertaine or false if both or
and Sainct Luke they were not all thought able â— condemne those named hereticks which S. Ihâ— confounded Amonge the Epistles onely that of â— Paul to the Romans was sent into these parts â— was in a language wee did not vnderstand aâ— written after the faith of the Romans was spreâ— both in Britaine and all the world as Sainct Pâ— witnesseth fides vestra annuntiatur in vniuâ— Rom. 1. mundo The two Epistles of Sainct Peter accordiâ— to antiquity were written in Rome and after Bâ—taine had receaued the faith especially the last aâ— the first being longe doubted of was sent quite coâ— â—rary from Britayne vnto the contries of PoÌ„tus Gaâ—atia 2. Petr. 1. Capadocia Asia and Bithynia in the easterne â—arts Wee finde no memory after of Scripture reâ—eaued here vntill longe time after in the second â—ge expressed in Pope Eleutherius his Epistle to our â—ing Lucius And yet all our ProtestaÌ„t antiquaries â—ue before assured vs that Britaine had in the Aâ—stles time and longe before any Scripture came â—ther or probably was written and possibly in â—orall Iudgment could come hither receaued the â—ith of Christ so fully purely and sincerely that it â—euer changed it in any materiall point after the â—riptures were receaued here nor diuers hundreds â— yeares after And if wee will be directed by Scriptures in this â—int those which our Protestants allowe for such â—e testimony to vnwritten Traditions in many â—ces To exemplifie onely in Sainct Paul which â—ote most in the new Testament hee chargeth S. 1. Tim. 6. â—mothy and all others in him to keepe obserue â—ngs so deliuered without writinge O Timothee 2. Tim. 2. â—ositum custodi This in his first Epistle not haâ—ge written vnto him before And in his second â—stle hee giueth him commaund that the things â—ich he had heard froÌ„ Sainct Paul he should deâ—er vnto others fit to teach them Quae audisti a me â— multos testes haec commenda fidelibus hominibus â—idonei erunt alios docere And expressely comâ—undeth 2. Thessal 2. the Thessalonians and in them all in â— second epistle to them to obserue and keepe the â—aditions which they had learned either by word â— writinge State tenete traditiones quas didiciâ— siue per sermonem siue per epistolam nostram â—hich the Fathers expound of the necessity of keepinge vnwritten traditions as Catholiks now doe Hinc est perspicuum quòd non omnia per epistolaâ— Chrisost in 2. Thess orat 4. tradiderunt sed multa etiam fine scriptis eaquoque sunt fide digna Quamobrem Ecclesiae quoque traditionem censeamus esse fide dignam Est traditio nihil quaeras amplius And expoundinge that of S. Paul in his first epistle to the Corinthians hoâ— they kept his commaundements by word beforâ— he wrote vnto them sicuttradidi vobis praecepta mâ—tenetis he doth inferre the doctrine of Traditions ergo fine literis mult a tradidâ—rat quod alibi saepe meminit And Sainct Hierome vpon the same words Hier. in eadem Verba Tom. 9. quasi legem praecepta meatenetis scientes illum in â— spiritum loqui qui in lege locutus est prophetis Thâ— like hath S. Ambrose vpon the same and S. Epphanius Ambros in 1. Cor. Epiph. haeresi 69. oportet traditione vti non enim omnia diuina Scriptura possunt accipi Quapropter aliqua â— traditione Sancti Apostoli tradiderunt Quemadmdum dicit Sanctus Apostolus Sicut tradidi vobis â— alibi sic doceo sic tradidi in Ecclesijs Thus the best learned both Greeke and Latiâ— Fathers expounded these to inferre a necessity Traditions and their equality with Scriptuâ— Which our best Protestant writters with thâ— common allowance thus confirme Our aduer sarâ— Feild l. 4. c. 20. pag 238. meaninge Catholiks make traditions equall with words precepts and doctrines of Christ the Apostâ— and Pastors of the Church left vnto vs in writinge â—ther is there any reason why they should not so doe they could proue any such vnwritten verities for not the writinge that giueth things their authority the worth and credit of him that deliuereth thâ— though by word and liuely voyce onely Thus tâ— confesse and the reason which they giue so enâ—ceth them the worth and credit of the reuealer and deliuerer or proposer of holy misteries supernaturall being the motiue and cause of mans assent so firme and vnmoueable in articles of faith not to be proued by humane reason and not the writinge or not writinge being fallible and subiect to many casualties corruptions and vncertainties which we are sure are not to be found in Christ the reuealer nor his holy Church the vndoubted true proposer of his mysteries and reuelations And both these are the same and as certaine in traditions not written such as Catholiks maintaine as in the written Scriptures For wee doe not defend any one vnwritten tradition that it should be beleeued as an Article of faith or to be thought requisite necessary to saluation which be the very words of this Protestant Article of Religion but wee produce the Artic of Protest Relig. 20. highest authority in their owne publike Iudgment also in these their Articles the true primatiue Church of Christ to warrant it The which Church hath power and authority in controuersies of faith That euery tradition came from Christ and his Apostles to be receaued professed in Christian Religion As to instance in some and those which most concerne euen in our Protestants proceedings and by their owne confessions and testimonies vnwritten Traditions are necessary For first in this Engl Protest Rel. artic 6. very article they haue giuen their finall sentence in the very first words thereof that the holy Scriptures are of this nature Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary for saluation So that whatsoeuer is not read therein nor may be proued thereby is not to be required of any man that it should be beleeued as an Article of faith or to be thought requisite necessary to saluation And yet in the immediatly following words they plainely declare and professe that wee haue noe warrant in Scripture for any booke chapter or sentence of Scripture to be such holy Scripture but for euery least percell thereof wee must resorâ— to Tradition and the Churches Iudgment In thâ— name of holy Scripture wee doe vnderstand those canonicall bookes of the old and new testament of whose authority was neuer any doubt in the Church Where weâ— are assured from these men that the Church anâ— Tradition vnwritten is supreme Iudge of all questions in Religion euen of the Scriptures themselues And so necessarily they must say confesse or els leaue no Religion or Scripture at all to bâ— proued or proue vnto vs. For it is vnquestionablâ— that no part of Scripture doth propose vnto vs anâ— Catalogue or Canon of Scriptures Which the thus further testifie in their publikely approueâ— Feild l. 4. pa. 238. c. 20.
reluctatur Christo Iesu qui autem â—on obedit filio non videbit vitam sed ira Dei manet â—uper eum Praefractus enim contentiosus superbus â—t qui non obtemperat praestantioribus And by that â—eading which the Canon law vseth euen Princes â—nd all not obeying their Bishops are excluded both â—rom the society of the faithfull on earth and the Kingdome of heauen Si vobis Episcopi non obedieint S. Ignat. citat C. Si autem 11. quaest 3. Iacob Simanchal dedignitare Episcopali omnes clerici omnesque Principes at que reliqui pouli non solum infames sed etiam extorres à Regno â—ei consortio fidelium ac à limitibus sanctae Eccleâ—ae alieni erunt eorum est enim vobis obedire vt Deo â—ius legatione fungimini And he plainely confineth bedience to temporall Princes that it be not with reiudice of the spirituall and danger of the soule â—aesari subiecti estote in ijs in quibus subdi nullum aniâ—ae S. Ignat. Epist ad Antioc periculum est And saith plainely that a Bishop is â—boue all other principality and power Quid aliud I. Ignat. Epist ad Trallia â— Episcopus quà m is qui omni Principatu potestate â—uperior est And to expresse the lamentable estate â—f them which want true Bishops Preists and â—eacons concludeth there neither is nor can be â—y true Church nor communion of Saints withâ—ut them Sine his Ecclesia electa non est nulla sine his Sanctorum congregatio nulla Sanctorum collectio Anâ— setteth downe their holy functions and offices to bâ— such that noe Protestants can possibly clayme tâ— haue either Bishop Preist DeacoÌ„ or other Cleargâ— man amonge them Sine Episcopo nec Presbyter nâ— Epist ad Magnesian ad Philadelph Epist ad Heronem Diaconus nâ—c Laicus quicquam facit The Bishopâ— saith he doe baptize offer sacrifice giue orders â— vse Imposition of hands Baptizant sacrificaÌ„t eliguâ— ordinant manus imponunt Nothing is to be done â— the Church without their allowaÌ„ce no Sacrameâ— ministred he is dispenser of all spirituall busines â— Epist ad Smyrn is not lawfull for the Preists without his approbâ—tion to baptize to offer to sacrifice to say Massâ— Sine Episcopo nemo quicquam faciat eorum quae ad Eâ—clesiam spectant Rata Eucharistia habeatur illa qâ— sub Episcopo fuerit vel cui ipse concesserit Non liâ— sine Episcopo baptizare neque offerre neque sacrificiuâ— immolare neque dochen celebrare others reade nâ— que Missas celebrare which is sufficiently expressâ— and approued in offerre and sacrificium immolaâ— before The Bishops did consecrate Virgins anâ— Mariages made by their warrant Si quis potest in câ—stitate Epist ad Polycarp permanere ad honorem carnis Dominicae viâ— iactantiam si idipsum statuatur sine Episcopo câ— ruptum est Dâ—cet vero vt ducentes vxores nâ—bentes cum Episcopi arbitrio coniungantur The Preisâ— Epist ad Smyrn ad Heronem besides their preaching and ministring of Sacrâ—ments did offer sacrifice and say Masse as is befoâ— expressed And the Deacons ministred vnto the â—shops and Preists in their holy sacrifice Diaconâ— Sacerdotum minister Sacerdotes sacrificant And wâ—tinge to Sainct Heron a Deacon of the Church â— Antioch hauing immediately spoken before hoâ— the Preists did offer sacrifice he saith that he dâ— â—inister to them in the holy Sacrifice as Sainct Stephen did to Sainct Iames the Apostle Preists â— Hierusalem prouing that they there said Masse â—s the Preists of Antioch and other Churches did â—uillis ministras vt Sanctus ille Stephanus Iacobo â—esbyteris qui erant Hierosolimis And in an other eâ—stle saith plainely that DeacoÌ„s ought to doe such â—ty in those misteries to Preists as Sainct Steâ—en Epistol ad Trallian did to Sainct Iames Sainct Timothy and S. â—ucius to Sainct Paul Sainct Anacletus and Sainct â—lement to Sainct Peter Purum inculpatum miâ—sterium illis exhibent vt S. Stephanus Beato Iacobo â—motheus Linus Paulo Anacletus Clemens â—ero And expresseth this their office in these plaine â—mes Oportet Diaconis mysterioâ—um Christi per omnia â—cere nec enim ciborum poâ—uâ—m ministri sunt sed â—clesiae Dei administratores The Geeke readinge â—eifely signifieth ministring in the holy sacrifice of â—asse and so expresseth it selfe in this matter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He reâ—embreth both altar and sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in as plaine termes as any present writers of â—e Roman Church now doth and to manifest he â—h not meane such acts as Protestants terme saâ—fice and are so many as the different kindes of â—otion but onely the externall common saâ—fice he saith there is but one sacrifice and this saâ—ice the onely flesh and blood of Christ Vna est Epistol ad Philadelp â— Christi Iesu Domini nostri vnus illius sanguis qui â— nobis effâ—sus est vnus panis omnibus confractus â—us calix qui omnibus distributus est vnum altare â—â— Ecclesiae The prayer and words of a Preists are Epistol ad Ephes â—uch force that they place Christ among vs. Vâ—s siue alterius precatio taÌ„â—â—irum virium est vt Christumâ—nter illos statuat It is a preparatiue of eterniâ— a preseruatiue against death procuring life in Gâ— and a medicine expelling all euill Pharmacum â— mortalitatis mortis antidotum vitamque in Deo câ—cilians Epis ad Rom. per Iâ—sum Christum medicamentum oâ— expellens mala The breade or foode of God heauâ—ly breade the flesh of Christ the sonne of God â— Ignat. apud Theodoret. Dialog 3. blood of Christ Panis Dei panis caelestis qui est â— Christi filij Dei potus sanguis illius The Euchaâ— which is the flesh of our Sauiour which suffâ— for our sinnes which his Father raised againe â— charistia est caro Saluatoris quae pro peccatis nâ—â— passa est quam pater sua benignitate suscitauit Tâ— holy sacrificing Bishops and Preists and Deaâ— ministring vnto them in those sacred misteriâ— they were farre from the pretended Protesâ— cleargy which haue to their vttermost endeaâ— euer afflicted such holy Functions especiallâ— England with most bitter edicts and persecutiâ— and the sacred Priests of that for that onely â—fession with most barbarous and cruell dâ—athes seing by the most constant Testimony and praâ— of this blessed Apostolike age no true Church â— or could be without them no Protestant comâ— or congregation all of them wantinge such â— consecrated Bishops Preists and Ecclesiasâ— persons and Professors can possibly haue the â— and Title of a true Church and religion And â— tending as they doe that these sacrificing holâ—ders without which no true Church can be aâ— contained in Scripture They must needs â— They were deliuered vnto the Church and â— Church well founded in these so essentiall thâ— by Tradition Which they must needs likâ— â—raunt of these ensuing doctrines and practises in Religion vsed
ad caput ipso dicente prâ— Apostolorum Petro Tues Petrus super hanc Pâ— aedificabo Ecclesiam meam Sainct Papias also â— Protestants confesse to speake in their â— words taught Peters primacy and Romish Eâ—pality Sainct Martial a disciple of Sainct Peteâ—â—sent Martial ep ad Burdegal cap. 11. Hier. l. de vir Illust in Iren. epist 29. ad Theod. Tert. l. contra Valent Martyrol Rom. die 28. Iunij into Fraunce by the Apostolike Râ— Church and a member thereof teacheth thâ— Church of Christ is firme and can neuer be â— throwne or dissolued Firma Ecclesia Dei â— nec cadere nec disrumpi poterit vnquam Sainct Ireneus being by Sainct Hierome thâ— Romane Martyrologe and others scholler Polycarpus and Papias and neare the Apâ— time Apostolorum temporum vicimus must neeâ— and be learned in this age and both knowe â— followe the approued doctrine thereof beâ— most Catholike holy learned Sainct Martyâ— Doctour yet he witnesseth of the Roman Câ— Iren. l. 3. c. 3. that it hath principality ouer all others and â— fore euery Church all true beleeuers must concordance with it euer keeping the truâ— Christian Religion which the Apostles deliâ— Ad hanc Ecclesiam propter potentiorem principalitâ— necesse est omnem conuâ—nire Ecclesiam hoc est eâ— sunt vndique fidelâ—s in qua semper ab his qui sâ—â— dique conseruata est ca quae est ab Apostolis trâ— â—e saith this Church is the greatest most auncient â—owne to all founded by the two most glorious â—ostles Sainct Peter and S. Paul keeping inuiâ—â—le the faith they taught and confounding all â—t erre Maximae antiquissimae omnibus coâ—itae à gloriosissimis duobus Apostolis Petro Paulo â—maefundatae constitutae Ecclesiae eam quam haâ— ab Apostolis traditionem annunciatam hominiâ— fidem per successiones Episcoporum peruenientem â—que ad nos indicantes confundimus omnes eos qui â—quo modo velper sui placentiam malam vel vaâ— gloriam vel per caecitatem malam sententiam â—terquam oportet colligunt Where this Church of â—me is euer pure and vnspotted free from errour â— Iudge and confounder of all wheresoeuer or â—wsoeuer erring and falling from the true Apoâ—like doctrine S. Simeon Metaphrastes die 29. Iunij Leland in Arthurio Harrison descr of Britaine Stow hist of Engl. Hollinsh his of Engl. Theater of greate Brit. l. 6. Caius antiquit Cautab Godwin CoÌ„uers of Brit. and Catal. of Bish. Io. Goscelin hist Manuscript Mat. parker Antiquit Brit. And particularly concerning Britaine So it â—s euer adiudged here wee receaued our first â—h from Sainct Peter and the Roman Church â—nct Peter stayed longe in Britaine conuerted â—y founded here Churches ordained Bishops â—ists and Deacons venit in Britanniam quo in loco â—o temporefuit moratus verbo gratiae multos illumiâ—it Ecclesias constituit Episcoposque Presbyteros â—iaconos ordinauit â—nd all our Protestant Antiquaries confesse that â— receaued this holy Apostolike faith and â—at this time and in euery age had Bishops and â—chers sent hither from Rome as Sainct Daâ—nus and Faganus with others from Pope Eleuâ—ius in the second age from Pope Victor wee â— many in the third age and Sainct Mellonius or Mello from Pope Stephen and S. Amphibalus with others from the same Romes authority in the same age In the fourth age one holy Emperesse Emperour Queene and King S. Helen with our whole Cleargy agreed with Sainct Syluester and others Popes there and Sainct Ninian with others of ours which where there consecrated and sent hither by that power Apostolike and many of our Bishops were then at diuers Councels as Arles in Fraunce Sardyce and others both ioyning with the Roman Church and acknowledging the supreame spirituall power thereof In the next and fift age Pope Celestine and other holy Popes sent hither S. Palladius Sainct Germanus S. Lupus Sainct Seuerus S. Patricius S. Dubricius Coelius Sedulius with others renowned in all the world In the sixt age the Sea of Rome sent hither and approued here Sainct Iuo Sainct Ethelardus S. Dauid Sainct Kentegern Sainct Asaph Sainct Molochus Sainct Augustine Mellitus Iustus with all that holy company sent hither by Sainct Gregory Pope then especially to the Pagan and noâ— yet beleeuing Saxons Now that our Christiaâ— Britains neuer forsooke or chaunged in any onâ— materiall point their first receaued Apostolike faith Io. Balaeus l. 2. de Act. Rom. Pontif. in Greg. 1. l. de scrip Centur. 1. in August Dauid powel Annotat. in l. â— Girald Cambren Haier Camb. cap. 1. wherein they were assisted by the Popes and Seâ— of Rome all this while to the cominge of S. Augustine in the end of the sixt hundred of yeares oâ— most esteemed Protestant Antiquaries directly tâ—stifie from Antiquities Two of them speake in these very same wordâ— apud Britannos vigebat veritat is praedicatio doctriâ— sincera purus Dei cultus qualis ab ipsis Apostoâ— mandato diuino Christianorum Ecclesijs tradiâ—us 〈◊〉 At the comminge of Augustine hither here florished among the Britans the preaching of the truth sincere doctrine and the pure worship of God which by the Apostles themselues by Gods commandement was deliuered to the Churches of Christians One of theÌ„ saith their doctrine was most sincere Doctrinae sincerissima Both of them cite the brittish history so they might haue cited the old manuscript history of Rochester with diuers others Two other principall Protestant Antiquaries the one an Archbishop with them say Euangelium quod primis Apostolorum Mat. Parker Antiq. Brit. p. 68. 9 45. alijs â—o Goscelin hist Eccles manuscr c. Britâ—nunq prolaff à fide Godwin conuers of Brit. p. 43. temporibus in Britannia nuntiatum non modo semper retentum firmiter sed singulis saeculis auctum dilatatum creuisse The Ghospell which was preached in Britaine in the first times of the Apostles was both euer firmely retained and encreased in euery age An other a Bishop in their congregation writeth The Britans continued still in the same tenour of pure doctrine which they had receaued in the first infancy of the Church The doctrine and discipline of their Church they had receaued from the Apostles of Christ An other hath thus among the Britains or welchmen Hollinsh hist of Engl. c. 21. p. 102. Foxe Act and monum pa. 463. edit an 1576. Fulke Answ to a counterf Cathol p. 40. Middleton Papistomast p. 202. Theater of greate Brit. l. 6. Christianity as yet remained in force which from the Apostles time had neuer failed in that nation An other hath thus The Britains after the receauing of the Faith neuer forsooke it for any manner of false preachinge of others An other thus witnesseth The Britains before Augustines cominge continued in the faith of Christ euen from the Apostles time The like haue many others to many to be cited not any of them contradicting it And by this they haue
nuncupamus quod sit vniuersalis diffundatur per omnes mundi partes ad omnia se tempora extendat nullis vel locis inclusa vel temporibus Seing alwayes there is onely one God one mediatour of God and men Iâ—sus the Messias also one Sheepheard of the vniuersall flocke one heade of this body to conclude one holy Ghost one saluation one saith one testament or league it necessarily followeth that there onely is one Church Which therefore wee name Catholike because it is Vniuersall and diffused through all parts of the world and extendeth it selfe to all times not concluded within any places or times This holy Church of God is called the house of the liueinge God builded of liuely and spirituall stones and seated vpon an vnmoueable rocke and vpon a foundation on which no other thing can be placed and therefore it is called the pillar and supporter of truth Haec Ecclesia Dei sancta vocatur domus Dei viuentis extructa ex lapidibus viuis spiritualibus imposita super petraÌ„ immotaÌ„ super fundamentuÌ„ quo aliud loc ari noÌ„ potest ideo nuncupatur etiam coluÌ„na basis verit atiâ— 1. Tim. 3. The Lutheran Religion or confession of Wittemberge saith credimus confitemur quod vna sit Confess Wirtemberg cap. de Eccl. sancta Catholica Apostolica Ecclesia iuxta Symbolum Apostolorum Nicaenum Quod haec Ecclesia â— Spiritu sancto ita gubernetur vt conseruct eum perpetuo ne vel erroribus vel peccatis pereat Quod in hac Ecclesi asit verapeccatorum remissio Quod haec Ecclesia habeat ius iudicandi de omnibus doctrinis Quod haec Ecclesia habeat ius interpret and aescripturae Ecclesia habet certam promissionem perpetuae praesentiae Christi Cap. de Concilijs gubernatur à Spiritu sancto Wee beleeue coÌ„fessâ— that there is one holy Catholike and Apostolike Church according to the Creede of the Apostles and Nicen Councell That this Church is so gouerned by the holy Ghost that he preserueth it for euer that it perish not either by errours or sinnes That in this Church there is true remissioÌ„ of sinnes thâ—â— this Church hath authority to Iudge of all doctrines That this Church hath authority to interpret the Scripture The Church hath certaine promise of the perpetuall presence of Christ and is gouerned by the holy Ghost By this it is euident by all Testimonies of this Apostolike age and these Protestants themselues that the true Church of Christ neuer did shall or can erre in any Iudgment decree sentence or profession in matters of faith but is pure Catholike and Apostolike in all such in all times and places And this article either denying or doubting of such power and prerogatiue in the true Church is very Idle or Antichristian taking away all certaine and holy Religion of Christ As also that the Church which was when these heresies began euen Catholike and vniuersall in all places and had beene so in all times before hath beene so euer since and still so continueth and florisheth is that true holy Catholike Apostolike Church which the holy Scriptures Fathers of this age and the Article of our Creede giue testimony vnto And the Protestant particular Confessions and congregations of Heluetia Fraunce England Scotland Belgia Poland Argentine Ausburgh Saxony Wittemberge the Palatine of Rheine Boheme and perhaps some others being onely of particular Contryes or Townes and onely of some and not all persons of them cannot be possibly Catholike for place and as vnpossibly for time the eldest of them by their owne testimony and confession vnknowne vntill the yeare of Christ 1530. the Confession of Ausburge first began not printed vntill the yeare 1540. the Confession of Boheme 1532. Heleutia 1536. Saxony 1551. England 1562. Scotland 1581. the like of the rest These nor any of them by the same reason can be Apostolike arising so many hundreds of yeares after the Apostles time None of all these can be that one Church which was euer those being diuers from that among themselues at warres both for Sacraments discipline doctrine None of their coÌ„gregations or coÌ„fessions yet hath brought forth any one man or woman knowne which in their owne Iudgment or senteÌ„ce is honoured or calendred for a Saint though their calenders chronicles and histories be full of Saints which were of the Roman Church and Religion They haue taken away and ouerthrowne many thousand foundations of holynesse and piety their owne first foundation in such kinde is yet to begin this cannot be the one holy Catholike and Apostolike Church of Christ which our Creeds doe teach vs being in all respects diametrically opposite or rather contradictory to whatsoeuer is or can be defined or described as they themselues define the true Church by those attributes properties or distinctiue differences to be one to be holy to be Catholike and vniuersall in all times places and points of doctrine and Sacraments and to be Apostolicall continued without intermission from the Apostles in sound and Apostolicall Christian Religion in all articles and matters of faith And thus it was confessed and professed by our Christian Britains from their first couersion in the Apostles time as these men themselues haue before deliuered THE IX CHAPTER The 21. Article so examined and condemned THE Article which followeth 21. in number is intituled of the authority of generall Councels And in these their words Generall Councels may not be grathered to gether without the commaundement and will of Princes And when they be gathered for asmuch as they be an assembly of meÌ„ whereof all be not gouerned with the spirit and word of God they may erre and some time haue erred euen in thinges pertaining vnto God wherefore things ordained by them as necessary to saluation haue neither strength nor authority vnlesse it may be declared that they be taken out of holy Scripture Hitherto this English Protestant Article The first part of it requiring of necessity the commaundement and will of Princes for the validity of Councels is singular not onely against Catholiks but all Confessions of Protestants not any one consenting in this matter with our English Protestants as is euident in those confessions Neither doe the Protestants of Britaine agree herein but all they whom they terme Puritans or Disciplinarians are quite of an other opinion And the Parlament Protestants themselues of best Iudgment doe euen with publike allowance condemne it Thus with such approbation they write of themselues Protestant relation of Religion cap. 47. The Protestants are seuered bandes or rather scattered troopes each drawing diuers wayes without any meanes to pacifie their quarrels to take vp their controuersies No Prince with any preeminence of Iurisdiction aboue the rest no Patriarcke one or more to haue a common superintendance of care of their Churches for correspondancy and vnity no ordinary way to assemble a generall Councell the onely hope remaining euer to
sed vnum licet à multis offeratur sit vnum Corpus Christi cum illo quod suscepit in vtero virginali non multa corpora nec nunc quidem est aliud magnum aliud minus aliud hodie aliud eras offerimus sed semper idipsum aequam magnitudinem habens proinde vnum est hoc sacrificium Christi non diuersa Nam si aliter esset quoniam multis in locis offertur multi essent Christi quòd obsit Vnus ergo vbique est hic plenus existens illic Plenum vnum corpus vbique habens Et sicut qui vbique offertur vnum corpus est non multa corpora it a etiam vnum sacrificium I haue beene enforced by this Article forging S. Augustines authoritie for the grounde thereof to discend thus â—owe to defend him and shew the feeble and false foundation of our Protestants in this poynt THE XXII CHAPTER The 30. Article intituled of both kindes examined and where it is contrary to the Romane Church condemned THE 30. and next Article being intituled of both Kindes consisteth of these words The cuppe of the Lord is not to be denyed to the lay people For both the partes of the Lords Sacrament by Christs ordinaunce and commaundement ought to be ministred to all Christian men alike This is all this Article and it is confuted before where I haue proued that both in and immediately after the Apostles time and by their order and direction this blessed Sacrament was both honorably preserued onely vnder the forme of bread and so often ministred vnto the primatiue Christians which in no case or respect might be done if Christ had ordeyned and commaunded otherwise and the contrary as this Protestant Article pretendeth And so the Apostles themselues and the Apostolike Church then the true Church of Christ without all question both by Catholiks and Protestants had erred in a thing of necessitie requisite according to Christes ordinance in so greate a Sacrament and so by these men and their diuinitie in this Article the true Church of Christ was not the true Church and he neuer had a true Church for in their Article of the Church before they define it to be a congregation of faithfull men in which the Prot. Artiâ—l 19 sup of 〈◊〉 oâ— the Church pure word of God is preached and the Sacraments be duâ—ly ministred in all thâ—se things that of necessitie are requisite to the same Therefore this Protestant Article assirming that both the partes of the Lords Sacrament by Christs ordinaunce and commaundement ought to be ministred to all Christian men alike is false in itselfe and contradictorie to their owne most allowed proceedings for not onely diuers of their priuate writers but the parlament lawe of all our Protestant Princes King Edward 6. Queene Elizabeth Statute of King Edw. 6. Titul Sacram in both Kindes Stat. in parliam 1. Elizabeth Iames 1. Charles 1. King Iames and King Charles their Rule and warrant for this Article doth confesse enact and decree that in the true primatiue Church this Sacrament was not allwayes ministred in both Kindes but some times in both some times in one onely Therefore by these men the true primatiue Church neuer did nor could adiudge or hold that the ministration of this Sacrament allwaies in both Kindes was Christs Ordinance and commaundement otherwise by ministring it often in one onely Kinde as this cheâ—fe Protestant parlament and their religion therein confesse it had acknowledged itselfe to haue erred from Christs ordinance and commaundement in a Sacrament and necessitie requisite and so by these Articles not to haue beene Christs true Church and he had by these men no true Church at all Againe These Protestants standing in this Article vpon the Ordinance and commaundement of Christ confesse that he instituted and ordeyned this Sacrament at his laste supper and what he commaunded concerning it he then commaunded it and they also confesse the three Euangelists S. Matthew S. Marke and S. Luke to be the Euangelicall Registers of that his holie ordination But all thus do plainely testifie that none but his twelue Apostles were then present Discumbebat Matth. 26. Marc. 14. Luc. 22. cum duodecim discipulis eius Venit cum duodecim Vnus ex duodecim discubuit duodecim Apostoli cum eo Et ait illis desiderio desideraui hoc Pascha manducare vobiscum And our Protestants before in their most allowed publick communion booke haue so deliuered saying of the Sacrament vnder the forme of bread Iesus gaue it to his Disciples saying take eate this is my bodie which is giuen for you And of the other parte he gaue it to them saying drinke you all of this for this is my blood of the new testament which is shedd for you And all these witnesses the Euangelists S. Paule 1. Corinth 11. Catholiks Protestants do freely acknowledge that Christ then pronounced and spake these words hoc facite in meam commemorationem do this in commemoration of me vnto them all Giuing them thereby power and commaunde to do what he had donâ— in that misterie which was as is proued before to transubstantiate and chaunge breade and wine into the blessed bodie and blood giuen and shedd for the sinnes of the world and this euen our Protestants haue before acknowledged confessing that supernaturall power to haue beene in Christes Apostles then present Preists after them for there is no other place in scripture the Rule of these men wherein such power was communicated vnto them or Christ a Preist after the Order of Melchisedech exercised the office or Act of that preishood So that none but they which were then consecrated Preists which euer offer this Sacrifice in both Kindes were present to receaue this charge of them both And this is directly told vs not onely by all Catholike writers but Protestants with the greatest allowance their Religion can giue the authoritie of the supreame of their Church by the greatest champion externall which euer it had the Archbishop of Spalato which with King Iames Marc. Anton. l. 2. de repub Christian c. 2. pag. 167. and his cheifest Protestants warrant thus writeth Ad hoc Sacerdotium promoti sunt Apostoli à Christo Domino in vltima caena quando eis dixit hoc facite in meam commemorationem The Apostles were promoted to preisthood by Christ our Lord in his last supper when he said to them do this in my commemoration And agayne Quod consecrantes panem orationes fundamus c. 4. p. 219. eoque fideles pascamus Christi Iussum facimus qui id iniunxit dicens hoc facite in meam commemorationem hoc ipsum quod me nunc vidistis facere vos facite circa panis vini benedictionem Where the Apostles and Preists receaued and receaue power and commaunde to consecrate bread and wine into the bodie and blood of Christ as he then did And we must needs so say
any of the propositions from which it is deduced be or is of that nature Nothing can giue that to an other which it selfe wanteth and by noe meanes hath to giue A lying false or vncertaine humane witnesse or assertion can by no meanes possible make a constant and certainely true probation in any thing whatsoeuer much lesse in supernaturall matters articles of faith aboue mans capacity and therefore to be proued by diuine testimony which possibly cannot deceaue vs. And in this miserable and desolate estate and condition is the Protestant congregation of England in and for euery article pretended by them to be of faith which they hold against the Roman Church at this day and so they censure themselues by their owne definitiue sentence in this their owne cheefest Article and publikely authorized glosse thereof with diuers others of their Religion allowed and recommended writers among them Artic. 6. supr Confessio Wirtemberg cap. de Scriptura Protest glosse in art 6. p. 1. Willet Synop quaest 1. of scripture pag. 2. 3. â—dit an 1594. holnish chron f. 1299. Stowe hist an 1579. in Q. Elizabeth Io. BreÌ„t Apolog confess Wittemberg histor Dauidis Georg. Display Art 6. Magdeburg hist cent 3. ca. 11. In their Article receauing onely for canonicall bookes neuer doubted of in the Church and in the others to vse their owne authorizing words perused and by the lawfull authority of the Church of England allowed to be publike plainely manifestly deliuering from all kinde of Authors Greeke and Latine old and late Catholike and Protestant That euery booke in particular not one excepted which they allowe for canonicall Scripture either â—n the old or new testament haue both beene â—oubted of and by their owne men Protestants deâ—ied for such Therefore it remaineth without question conâ—rary to this Protestante Article euen by themâ—elues and their best authority that neither all nor â—ny one of those bookes which vpon this vayne â—retence they haue blotted forth from the Canon â—f holy Scripture and the Roman Church still reâ—eaueth may be denyed by that Title of sometimes â—eing doubted of for wee should haue noe Scripture â—nonicall at all all bookes thereof hauing beene â—us doubted of By that colour wee might deny â—l Articles of faith which sometimes doubted of â—ue beene concluded and agreed vpon against the â—est heretiks that euer were and all their heresies â—th might and ought to be reuiued againe Sainct â—ul and Sainct Thomas Apostles were thus to â— denied Apostles and thrust out of heauen beâ—use they had doubted wee might and ought to â— that no conuerted Christian first doubting â—as â—rue Christian neither our first brittish Christian â—nge Sainct Lucius nor Kinge Ethelbert among our Saxons nor any of their first doubting and afterward conuerted Subiects and soe of the whole Christian world doubting or denying before it receaued the law of Christ All Courts Consistories Tribunals and Seates of Iustice and Iudgment ecclesiasticall and ciuil to decide and determine must be ouerthrowne no sentence or decision though of Kings Parlaments or any community is to bâ— obeyed no doubt no Controuersie hitherto eueâ— was or hereafter can or may be finally determined nothing but doubtes quarrels Controuersies anâ— contentions as wee see among Protestants nâ— peace quiet or vnion must be left vnto vs. Therâ— fore this Protestant paradoxe and presumption iâ— reiecting so many bookes of holy Scripture again both the Latine and Greeke Church onely vndeâ— colour of being sometime and by some doubteâ— of being thus grosse and absurd by their owâ— Iudgments and proceedings let vs examine whâ— this first pure and Apostolike age did Iudge of thâ— And first to begin with the scripture it selfe of tâ— The new testament by Protest â—râ—st published by King â—ames authority Matth. 6. 2. Cor. 9. Luc. 14. Ioan 9. Hebr. 5. 1. Cor. 1. Hebr. 1. new Testament euen as our Protestants receaâ— and translate it King Iames his new testament the 6. chapter of Sainct Matthew his ghospell aâ— the 9. chapter 2. Corinth citeth Ecclesiasticus â— two seuerall places In the 14. chapter of Saiâ— Luke the 4. chapter of Tobias is cited And in â— 10. chapter of Sainct Ihon the 4. chapter of the â— booke of Machabees And in the 5. chapter to â— Hebrewes the second booke And 7. chapter the Machabees In the 1. chapter 1. Corinth Tâ— first chapter of the booke of wisdome is cited chapter to the Hebrewes citeth the 7. chapter wisdome And the 9. chapter thereof is cited Roâ— Rom. 11. cap. 11. And yet wee shall scarcely finde any Text of diuers bookes of the old Testament which our Protestants allowe for canonicall to be cited at any time or place of their new testament as the 4. Booke of the Kings the 1. and 2. of Paralip the booke of the Iudges Ruth Esdras 1. and 2. Esther Ecclesiastes Cantica canticorum Abdias Sophonias Therefore wee are as well warranted by this argument of concordance of Scriptures and that holy authority to receaue for canonicall Scriptures of the old Testament all those bookes which our Protestants haue excluded as those they haue receaued The Canons ascribed to the Apostles and published by Sainct Clement per me Clementem Concil gener 6. can 2. Successour to S. Peter in this age are plainely acknowledged by the sixt generall Councell to haue beene receaued by the holy Fathers before them as deliuered from God firmi stabilesque maneant qui à sanctis patribus qui nos praecesserunt susceptiac confirmatisunt atque à Deo nobis etiam traditi sunt sanctoctorum Apostolorum nomine 85. Canones These doe Canon Apostolor can 85. vlâ— â—n the last Canon expressely receaue the books of â—he Machabees Esther and the booke of Ecclesiasticus for holy Scriptures of the old testament Veâ—erandi ac sacri libri veteris Testamenti In the very same maÌ„ner as they doe the others which our Proâ—estants allowe for such Sainct Clement often ciâ—eth Clem. epist 1. 2. Apostolic constitut li. 2. c. 4. cap. 21. c. 49. 51. cap. 63. l. 3. cap 3. l. 6. c. 19. 23. 29. l. 8. l. 7. and alloweth for bookes and parts of the old Testament Baruch Ecclesiasticus Sapientia Toâ—ias The prayer of Manasses the history of Suâ—anna the booke of Esther those parts of Daniel which our Protestants reiect the bookes of Maâ—habees and others Sainct Ignatius receaueth the booke of Daniel which our Protestants deny Ecclesiasticus Sainct Policarpus approueth Tobias Ignat. epist ad Philadelph epist ad maynesian epist ad Heron. Polycarp epist ad Philippen Dionis l. de diu nom cap. 4. Ecclesiast Hier. c. 2. de diu nom c. 7. Sainct Denys the Areopagite conuerted by Sainct Paul alloweth the booke of wisdome calleth the part of Daniel excluded by our Protestants diuine Scripture Diuina scripta These be all or the chiefest writers especially by Protestants allowance in this first age and consideringe how few of their works are
his councell King Iames Prot. Lords Bish. Doct. in Confer at HaÌ„pt Court p. 13. 18. 35. 36 10. 11 Couell ag the plea. of the Innoc. p. 104. Barlow Serm. before the K. Sept. 21 an 1607. part 3. cap. 2. Protestant Bishops and best learned Doctors assembled in publike confereÌ„ce haue left thus concluded The particular and personall absolution from sinne after confesson is apostolicall and a very Godly ordinance That baptisme is to be ministred by priuate persons in time of necessity is an holy Tradition Bishops and Archbishops be diuine ordinations confirmation iâ— an apostolicall traditioÌ„ And in their publike Rituall their communion booke they testifie that confirmation was a Tradition of the Apostles hath an externall signe also vsed by them and giueth grace which by the 25. Article of their religion maketh â— Communion booke of Engl. Protest Titul Confirmation §. Almighty Prot. of Religion art 25. a Sacrament So that to insist onely vpon these graunted Traditions not contained in Scripture by these Protestants and yet so necessary to saluation as they by their greatest allowance and authority deliuer wee may not say as this Article doth Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary for saluation These men also deliuer vnto vs with greate approbation Articul 6. supr makinge the Author of that worke and for the same a Bishop certaine sure rules to knowe such true Thraditions by in these words Rules by which wee may Iudge which are true and Indubitate Feild Books of the Church l. 4. pag. 242. August l. 4. contr Donat. c. 23. Traditions The first rule is deliuered by Sainct Augustine Quod vniuersa tenet Ecclesia nec Conciliâ—â— Institutum sed semper retentum est non nisi authoritate apostolica traditum rectissimè creditur Whatsoeuer the whole Church holdeth not ordained by Councels but beinge euer holden it is most rightly belieued to haue beene deliuered by Apostolike authority The second Feild supr l. 4 c. 21. p. 242. c. 5. pag. 202. Kinge Iames and Confer at Hampton Couel def oâ— Hooker Ormer pict pap p. 184 Down l. 2. Antichr pag. 105. Sutcliffe Subuers pag. 57. rule is whatsoeuer all or the most famous and renowned in all ages haue constantly deliuered as receaued from them that went before them no man contradictinge or doubting of it may be thought to be an Apostolicall Tradition The third rule is the constat Testimony of the Pastors of an Apostolike Church successiuely deliuered Amongst Apostolike Churches the Church of Rome is more specially to be obeyed reuerenced and respected The Church of Rome is our mother Church it was a rule to all both in doctrine and ceremonies when it was in her florishinge and best estate The Church of Rome was the cheife and onely Church It was a note of a good ChristiaÌ„ to cleane vnto the Romane Apostolicall Church Euery Church ought to haue respect to the Church of Rome for her eminent principality And our English Protestant antiquaries and Diuines haue generally giuen their allowance that the Church of Rome both in this and the next age when Britayne did receaue the most pure Religion of Christ from thence was most holy and vnspotted free from all error Therefore whatsoeuer wee doe or may bringe in generall or particular for vnwritten traditions either from this so renowned Apostolike Church in this time from the whole Church or the most famous and renowned in this age beinge our Protestants owne allowed rules and to be denied by none must needs be euidence and testimony vndeniable in this and all others their questioned Articles Frst I exemplifie in the Apostles Creede stiled by our Protestants before a sundry comprehension of the cheife heads of Christian Religion Protest supr Ruffin in exposit Symboli alij a rule of the Churches faith This was deliuered by the Apostles by tradition not by Scripture but before the Scriptures of the new Testament werâ— written as both they and the auncient Fathers by â— common consent of the whole Church of Christ are witnesses And the same consent of Christ Church with these our Protestants in these their Articles so conclude of Sainct Athanasius and the Art 8. of prot Religion Nicen Creede in these words The three Creeds Nicen Creede Athanasius Creede and that which is commonly called the Apostles Creede ought throughly to bâ— receaued beleeued And so generally they obserue although the reason which they immediatly yeelâ— thereof for they may be proued by most certaine warrants of holy Scripture is childish and impertinentâ— for being confessed that the Apostles Creede waâ— deliuered onely by tradition of the Apostles and by that authoritie receaued before the Scriptures either receaued or written this Creede could not possibly be receaued by the written warrant of Scriptures but vnwritten tradition and warrant of thâ— Apostles And although the Nicen and S. Athanasius Creeds were written longe after this time yâ— they were both written receaued in the Churcâ— before the Scriptures were generally allowed anâ— receaued as both the auncent Fathers and Protestants haue acknowledged before and it is testifie by the publike warranted Protestant glosse vpoâ— Prot. Glosse by authority of Church of Engl. in Art 8. these their Articles that very many both old anâ— late writers euen whole sects and professionâ— namely to vse their owne words Ebionites Trâ—theits Antitrinitarians Apollinarians Arians Mâ—nichies Nestorians Origenians Familists and Anâ—baptists with others are Aduersaries vnto and deniers that these Creeds may be proued by holâ— Scripture Much more doe they and many other both Catholiks and Protestants themselues deny that all and singular their articles necessary to saluation may so be proued And to come to the holy and happy Apostolike writers and Saincts which liued and wrote in this first age and first hundred of yeares to wit S. Linus Sainct Clement Sainct Denys the Areopagite S. Martial Sainct Ignatius Sainct Policarpus or any other of whom any worke is extant I shall make it S. Ignat. epist ad Smyrn Theod. dialo Euseb l. 3. c. 31. Hieraâ— lib. de vir Illust S. Bern. Serm. 7. in ps 9. Marc. Michal Carnoten lib. de vir illustr Dion Carth. ad l. Areop de diuin nom Sint Sin lib. 2. Ignat. ep ad S. Ioh. 1. 2. ad B. Mar. Virg. B. Mar. epist ad Ignat. S. Ignat. epist ad Smyrnen Euseb hist l. 3. ca. 33. â— Chrisost orat de traÌ„sl S. Ignatij Foelix Rom. ep ad Zenon Imperat synod S. Constant Theodoret. Immutabil dialog 1. euident that in euery Article in this Protestant Religion contained in their booke of the Articles thereof they dissented from these Protestants and they and the Apostolike Church then vniuersally agreed in and professed the same doctrine which the present Roman Church doth at this day in all points This will plainely appeare in euery Article hereafter and therefore in this place I will onely cite Sainct Ignatius as a sufficient pawne or pledge
for the rest vntill I come to them in the Articles followinge He had personally seene our Sauiour was an eyewitnesse of his resurrection had written vnto visited was instructed and confirmed in Christian Religion both by the words and writinge of the blessed Virgin Mary Mother of Christ Hee was disciple to Sainct Ihon the Euangelist disciple and immediate Successor of Sainct Peter the Apostle at Antioch consecrated there Bishop by him as Sainct Chrysostome Patriarke there Sainct Felix Pope of Rome and Theodoret testifie S. Ignatius dextera Petri ordinatus Episcopus Ecclesiae Antiochenae per magni Petri dexteram Pontificatum suscepit And so consecrated Bishop was taught himselfe and taught others before either the Ghospels or other parts of the new Testament were written Hee liued longe Patriarke of Antioch the cheifâ— and Apostolike See of the Greeke Church he dieâ— a blessed Martyr at Rome the greatest of aâ— Churches he ioyned in Religion with the most renowned Churches and Prelates Apostles and others of the Christian world as the very Titles oâ— his extant epistles to the Romans Philippians Ephesians Smyrnians Philadelphians Magnesianâ— Trallians and others To Sainct Ihon the Apostlâ— Sainct Policarpe with others most famous amongâ— Christians and all auncient writers Sainct Hierome Eusebius Ireneus make him a most gloriouâ— learned man and Sainct Eusebius testifieth that hâ— Euseb l. 3. hist cap. 32. Euseb hist l 3. c. 33. Hieron l. de Scriptor in S. Ignat. Gildas epist de excid conquest Britan wrote a particular worke of the Apostles traditioÌ„â— But those few and short Epistles which he wrote receaued as all Greekes Latines and amonge ouâ— primatiue Britans the most auncient historian S Gildas is an ample witnesse will sufficiently prouâ— vnto vs. That very many things euen necessary iâ— Christian Religion and to saluation in our Protestants Iudgment and in their opinion not containeâ— in Scripture were then taught practised and generally receaued in the Church of Christ in the Apostles time Concerninge the Church of Rome hâ— thus stileth it misericordiam in magnificentia altissimâ— S. Ignatius epist ad Romanos in initio Dei Patris Iesu Christi vnigeniti filij Ecclesia sanctificata illuminata per voluntatem Dei qui seâ—â— omnia quae pâ—rtinent ad fidem charitatem Iesu Christi Dei Saluatoris nostri quae in Loco Romanae regionis Deo digna decentissima beatificanda laudandâ— digna qua quis potiatur castissima eximiae charitatiâ— Christi Patris nomine fruâ—ns spiriâ—uque plena Thâ— Rulinge Roman Church sanctified Illuminated worthâ— of God most decent blessed to be praised worthy to bâ— attained vnto most chaste of excellent charity enioyinge â—he name of Christ and his Father and full of the holy Ghost With other Titles of dignity and priuiledge more then he giueth to any or all those principall Churches of Greece to which he wrote and as greate and ample as any learned Catholike now â—eeldeth to the Church of Rome at this time or â—eretofore since then Hee remembreth the same Ecclesiasticall Orders in the Church then which Catholiks now and euer since obserue as in the Church of Antioch founded by Sainct Peter and â—ainct Paul and their tradition there Pauli Petri â—istis discipuli ne perdatis depositum Hee himselfe was there Bishop besides whome it had Preists â—eacons Subdeacons Exorcists Readers Ianiâ—rs Saluto sanctum Presbyterorum Collegium saluto Epist ad Antiochen â—acros Diaconos Saluto Hypodiaconos Lectores Ianitoâ—s Exorcistas And him that was to be Bishop after â—is martyrdome as it was reuealed vnto him optaâ—le illud nomen eius quem vidâ—o in spiritu locuÌ„ meum â—nere vbi Christum nactus fuero Hee giueth them â—e same honor preeminence worth office and digâ—ty which the Church of Rome now yeeldeth to â—em All must honor and obey the Bishops Omnes â—piscopum sequimini vt Christus Patrem Kings and Epistol ad Symrnen â—ulers must be ruled by him being greatest in the â—hurch Honora Deum vt omnium Authorem Doâ—inum Episcopum verò vt Principem Sacerdotum â—iaginem Dei reserentem Dei quidem propter princiâ—tum Christi vero propter Sacerdotium Honorare â—ortet Regem nec enim Rege quisquam praestanâ—r aut quisquam similis ei in rebus creatis nec Episâ—o qui Deo consecratus est pro totius mundi salute â—icquam maius in Ecclesia Nec inter principes quisquam similis Regi qui in pace optimis legibus subditos moderatur Qui honorat Episcopum à Deo honorabitur sicut qui ignominia afficit illum à Deo punietur Sâ— enim Iure censebitur paena dignus qui aduer sus Regeâ— insurgit vt qui violet bonas legum constitutioneâ— quanto put at is grauiori subiacebit supplicio qui sine Episcopo aliquid egerit concordiam rumpens decentâ— rerum ordinem confundens Sacerdotium enim est oâ—nium bonorum quae in hominibus sunt Apex qui aâ—uersus illud furit non hominem ignominia afficit sâ— Deum Christum Iesum primogenitum Laici Diâ— conis subijciantur Diacom Presbyteris Presbyteri Epicopo Episcopus Christo. Principes subditi estote Caesaâ—milites Epist ad Philadelphienses principibus Diaconi Presbyteris Presbyteri vâ— Diacom at que omnis clerus simul cum omni populo militibus at que principibus sed Cesare obediant Epicopo Episcopus vero Christo sicut Patri Christus â— vnit as per omnia seruatur Where wee plainely sâ— there was no Princes supremacy in spirituall thinâ— in those happy times but Princes kings and Emâ—rors as those of the cleargy and all others were sâ—iect and ought obedience to the Bishop and preihood was the highest and most honorable dignâ— in the world And the honor which was due Kings themselues was inferior to that of Bishoâ— Ego dico honorate Deum vt authorem omnium â—minum Epistol ad Smyren Episcopum autem tanquam Principem Saâ—dotum Imaginem Dei ferentem principatum quiâ— secundum Deum Sacerdotium vero secuÌ„dum Christâ— post hunc honorare oportâ—t etiam Regem Nâ—mo eâ—potior est Deo neque similis illi neque Episcopo honâ—bilior in Ecclesia Sacerdotium Deo gerenti pro muâ— salute neque Regi quis similis in exercitu pacem neuolentiam omnibus principibus cogitanti Where giueth an vnanswerable reason of the preeminence of Episcopall dignity before the Regall though in good Kinge because this ruleth onely in martiall â—nd temporall affaires the Bishop in spirituall the Church of God his howse and Kingdome And he â—hargeth all without exception to be subiect not â—nely to the Bishop but to Preists and Deacons â—uen vnder paine of eternall damnation Exitimini S. Ignatius epist ad Ephesios â—ubiecti esse Episcopo Presbyteris Diaconis qui â—im his obedit obedit Christo qui hos constituit Qui verò his reluctatur
to Christâ— resurrection as the cheifest of all dayes Post Sabbatum Epistol ad Magnesianos epist ad Trallian omnis Christi amator Dominicum celebret diem resurrectioni consecratam Dominicae Reginam principem omnium dierum in qua vita nostra exorta est per Christum mors deuicta as all Christians now also doe The feast of Easter was also chauÌ„ged with other solemnities and they were accompted as cursed persecutors of Christ and his Apostles which obserued otherwise or kept any festiuity oâ— the Iewes although before commaunded in Scriptures Si quis cum Iudaeis celebrat Pascha aut Symbolâ— Epist ad Philadelphenses festiuitatis corum recipit particeps est eorum qui Dominum occiderunt Apostolos eius He proueth plainely that both the principall feasts and fasts also oâ— the Church as Lent and others were then in vse by this authority of Tradition Festiuitates ne dehonestetis Epistol ad Philippen quadragesimale iciunium ne spernatis contineâ— enim imitationem conuersationis Dominicae Post Passionis Doâ—â—â—iâ—ae hebdomadam ieiunare quartis sextis 〈…〉 negligatis Si quiâ— Dominicam diem ieiunarit â—ic Christi interfector est He often there remembreth the perpetuall virginity of the Blessed Virgin Mâ—ry Mariae Virginitas admitanduâ— ille partus Virginem esse quae parit The forme and manner of offering the holy Sacrifice of Christs body and blood of consecrating Bishops Preists and other Clergy men of ministringe so many Sacraments as he hath remembred the publike Church seruice to which he bindeth all the order of receauing peniâ—ents the custome and limitation of their vsed fâ—sts and whatsoeuer almost appertaining to the holy vse and exercise of Christian Religion in that Apostolike age was knowne and practized by this blessed disciple and all Apostolike men which was deliuered and vsed onely by tradition and so descended to later ages and posterities no Scripture prescribing Christians any such requisite instruction in so necessary and essentiall parts of Religion or the true practise and profession thereof to which all true Christians vnder paine and daunger of euerlasting damnation were bound And as Sainct Ignatius so also testifie the other holy and Apostolike writers of this age as I shall most clearely proue and cite them in euery particular article questioned by these Teachers For this present it will be more then needfull to remember what they write hereof in generall termes Sainct Denis the Areopagite conuerted by Sainct Paul the Apostle writinge of Christian necessary doctrines saith plainely that the Apostles deliuered some of them by tradition onely without writinge as they did some by writinge partim scriptis partim non scriptis suis institutionibus ex Sacrosanctis legibâ— Dionysius Areopag l. Eccles Hierarc c. 1. nobis tradiderunt And proueth that in this Apostolike time the ChristiaÌ„ mysteries were neither communicated by writing nor word for their greate reuerence but to holy and perfect Christians Vide â—â— Sancta Sanctorum enunties sed reuereberis ea patius quae occulti Dei sunt cognitiâ—ne mentis â—nimi â— honore habebis ac preteo ita tamen vt ea minus perfectis non tradas cum ijs folis qui Sancti erunt cuâ— Sancta illustratione pro sacrarum rerum dignitate communices And setteth downe expressely That thâ— Apostolike Church then did not permit Cateâ—hâ—mens Energumens or penitents to be present at the the holy misteries Catechumenâ—s Energâ—menos Cap. 5. quique in poenitentia sunt Sanctae Hiererchiae mos paâ—itur quidem audire sacram psalmorum modulationem diuinamque sacrarum Scripturarum recitationem aâ— sacra autem operae quae deinceps sequuntur at que mysteria spectanda non eos comiocat sed perfectos oculâ—â— eorum qui digni sunt And testifieth what greate Cap. care the Christians then had to conceale their ceremonies Sainct Timothy also as this holy writer proueth Dionys supr c. 1. S. Dionys l. de diuin nomin cap. 3. Clem. Rom. ep 1. 2. 3 4. 5. l Recog l. coÌ„stitut Apost Chris hom 49. in Matth. Euseb histor Eccl. Cedren Nicephor Callist hist l. 2. Epiphan in panar Ruffin praef in Clem. Bed in cap. S. Luc. Freculp Lerouien Chron. lib. 2. Synod Sext. in Trullo Ruffin praef translat oper S. Clement S. Proclus Patriarch Constant l. de tradit diuinae Liturg Nichol. Episcopus Methonen l. de vero Christi corp in Eucharist Marcus Ephes l. de corpore sang Christi Bessar l. de Sacr. Eucharist Manuscript Gallic antiq an D. in S. Clem. Manuscript Brit. antiquis Protest CollectioÌ„ of priuate prayers An. 1627. p. 147. 125. 107. 87. 35. Mat. Park antiquit Brit. pag. 47. was of this opinion and practise S. Hieroth eus also Tutor to Sainct Denis did write a booke of Christians holy traditions Hierotheus clarissimâ—s praeeeptor noster elementa Theologica magnacâ—m laâ—de collegerit And this before S. Denis write The Apostolike Traditions collected together and committed to writinge by Sainct Clement Successor to Sainct Peter at Rome as both he himselfe with other auncient and approued Authors Greeke and Latine and generall councels witnesse are so many that a short volume containeth them â—ot yet in all things condemne Protestant Reliâ—ioÌ„ not approuing it in any one Article wherein it â—ifferreth from Catholiks and the doctrine of the â—resent Roman Church as will be made euident â— the particular articles hereafter manifestly â—nowne and confessed by Ruffinus his translation â—nd testimony to haue bene then and from the beginninge contained in his workes and aggreable â—oth with the Apostolike doctrine of this age and â—ther confessed vnspotted times after as in the â—ourth hundred yeare of Christ wherein Ruffinus â—ued the Church of Rome at this time wherein â—ee now liue I will onely in this place exemplifie â— the publike liturgy Masse or Church sacrifice puâ—lished by him vnto the Church of Christ Greeks â—atines French and our old brittesh antiquities our Protestants theÌ„selues confesse That as Peter â—t Antioch S. Marke at Alexandria Sainct Iohn â—nd S. Andrew in Asia So Sainct Clement wrote â—nd published a forme of Masse and generally all Churches embraced it Omne sque vniuersae Ecâ—esiae vbicumque sint per eam quam Sanctus Cleâ—ens conscripsit liturgiam tradiderunt In this so old â— vniuersall so approued wee finde protection of â—e Angels Angelorum tutelas honor to all Saincts â—atriarks Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confesâ—ors c. Sanctis Patriarchis Prophetis Iustis Apoâ—olis Martyribus Confessoribus Sanctorum martyrum â—emoriam colamus Prayer for the faithfull deceased â—roijs qui in fide quieuerunt oremus The Ecclesiaâ—icall orders which I haue before remembred from â—ainct Ignatius That the holy sacrifice was offered â—r all Seruants of God Offerimus tibi pro omnibus â—ui à saeculo placuerunt tibi Wee finde virgins and liuers in professed chastity Pro virginibus castitâ— seruaÌ„tibus The sacrifice of
the dead reueâ—nced the signe of the crosse other holy Images â—d sacred Reliks said or heard Masse and praâ—ized other Christian rites and duties which proâ—stants deny to be contained in or proued by â—cripture Tertullian lyuing and writing as many testifie â—en Protestants before Pope Eleutherius time Tertull. l. de praescription Magdeburg Centuâ— 3. col 34. c. 4. col 240. 241. Sutcl subu p. 4. Whitg def Respon pag. 96. â—d witnessing Britayne had in his dayes receaued â—e faith of Christ euen in those parts thereof wheâ—er the Pagan Romans could neuer come loca â—omanis inaccessa speaketh of the traditions before â—membred as both his owne works Catholiks â—d Protestants proue in these words Tertullianus â— genere de doctrina suae aetatis inquit eam consentire cum Ecclesijs Apostolicis eamque consensum câ— cordiam communem esse omniuÌ„ Ecclesiarum in Europâ— in Asia in Africatestatur That this the doctrine his time did agree with all Apostolike Churches thaâ— was the common consent and concordance of all â— Churches in Europe in Asia in Afrike And thouâ— wee assigne a somewhat later time to Tertullian others doe in the later end of the second age â— when he so confidently and generally assignâ— this common consent of all Churches of Britaiâ— Fraunce Spaine Italy all Europe Asia and Afriâ— in these holy Christian doctrines thus impugned Protestants hauing therein the consent of all Aâ—stolik Churches wee must needs say whether tâ— were receaued and professed from Scriptures Traditions being longe before any generall Coâ—cels kept by the generall confessed rule of the â—thers and Protestants before they must needâ— deliuered by authority of the Apostles non â— authoritate Apostolica traditum certissimè crediturâ— And the first receauing of the holy Scriptureâ— Britayne which wee finde in Antiquities was in â— time of Pope Eleutherius and from the Churcâ— Rome the same Catalogue of Scriptures it tâ— vsed and still vseth as wee finde in the epistlâ— Eleuth Pap. epist ad Lucium Regem Britan. Godwin CoÌ„uers of Brit. in epist Eleuther Stow. hist Romans that holy Pope to Kinge Lucius suscepistis nâ— miseratione diuina in Regno Britaniae legem fiâ— Christi Habetis penes vos in Regno vtramque pagiâ— You haue there in your Kingdome both testamentâ— our Protestants translate it or both parts of Scripturâ— THE THIRD CHAPTER The 7. 8. 9. 10. Articles examined and wherein they differ from the present Romane Church condemned by this first Apostolike age HAVING thus absolutely and at large confuted and ouerthrowne by the Apostolike â—ge the last Article the erroneous ground of all â—rotestant Religion wee may be more breife in â—he rest being all at the least generally confuted â—nd ouerthrowne in their false foundation so deâ—royed And vntill wee come to their 11. Article â—tituled of the Iustification of man It may be queâ—ioned whether any of them doth in common and â—robable construction and meaninge oppose the â—oman Church or no. And for the two next the 7. â—nd 8. Articles it is most certaine and euident the â—rst of them being intituled of the old testament only â—acheth The old Testament is not contrary to the new â—nd the other stiled of the three Creeds is in tâ—e â—me condition onely affirming The three Creedes â—icene Creede Athanasius Creede and tâ—â—â—â—hich is â—mmonly called the Apostles Creede ought throughly â— be receaued and beleeued But the reason hereof â—hich thus they yeeld for they may be proued by most â—rtaine warrantes of holy Scripture is both before â—onfuted very friuolous for neither is the Scripâ—re the compleate Rule of Religion neither was â—e Scriptures of the new testament written when â—e Apostles deliuered their Creede to the Church â—or the Scriptures agreed vpon vntill after both â—e Creedes of the Nicene Councell and Sainct Athanasius were generally receaued and professâ— by all Catholiks as is already made manifest eueâ— by Protestants themselues aswell as other Authoâ— of more worthy credit The next Article is intâ—tuled of Originall or birth sinne And was expresseâ— concluded by them against the Pelagians denyiâ— originall sinne in man as they expouÌ„d themseluâ— naming the Pelagians and their heresie there wiâ— a confutation of it in their proceedings holdiâ— that Originall sinne in those that be not baptizeâ— deserueth Gods wrath and damnation Yet in the lâ— and concluding words of the Article their phraâ— of speach hath perhaps giuen occasion to some pâ—ritane Nouelists to thinke they held as these mâ— Caluin and such doe that concupiscence withoâ— assent is sinne The words be Although there is â— Artic. 9. supr condâ—mnation for them that beleeue and are baptizâ— yet the Apostle doth confesse that concupiscence lâ— Thomas Rogers in Articul 9. Confes Helu 2. c 9. Saxon. ar 2. 20. hath of it selfe the nature of sinne A Puritane glosser vpon this place saith Conâ—piscence euen in the regenerate is sinnâ— Among foâ—tâ—ene Protestant Confessions he citeth but two fâ— his opinion by his owne exposition And so seauâ— to one by his owne argument of Protestant authâ—rity he is deceaued And the Puritan Heluetian â—sembly Protest Engl. Art art 10. Caluin lib. 1. Instit c. 5. l. 2 c. 2. 3. a. lib. l 3. c. 3. Ant Wotton against D. Bish pa. 112. ruled by Caluine holdeth this besides tâ— other errour which our English Protestants deâ— in ther next article that man hath not free will â— doe well or fly sinne And he plainely confesseâ— that all the primatiue Fathers sufficient for tâ— purpose are against him holding concupiscenâ— without assent to be no sinne Omnium sententâ—â— So do our English Puritans also which hold thâ— errour acknowledge and it is apparant euen â— â—e words of this article before related that the Enâ—ish Protestants doe no otherwise terme coÌ„cupisâ—nce sinne then materially as the Apostle doth â—hose onely authority they vse in that matter and â—ot properly and formally as sinne is truely and â— right sense vsed and taken hauing liberty and â—nsent of minde annexed vnto it otherwise Inâ—nts Ideots frantike madde men without iudgâ—ent and men sleepinge doinge the materiall part â— things sinfull should also sinne or if the flesh of â— selfe the vegetatiue or sensitiue power abstraâ—ing from reason could sinne creatures onely haâ—ng beeing vegetation and sense might and should â—nne equally as those that be reasonable Beasts â—shes fowles plants herbes and trees would be â—oth capable and guilty of sinne And our English Protestants in their commuâ—on booke of as greate credit and approued by as â—reate authority with them and their Religion as â—ese articles acknowledge that the baptized are deade Communion Booke Titul ministrat of publike Baptisme And Catechisme â— sinne And the whole body of sinne is vtterly aboliâ—ed in them They promise and vowe to for sake the â—uill and all his workes the carnall desires of the flesh â—d not to followe and be ledde by them obediently to â—epe Gods commaundements
sectaries doe want though it is so necessary â— saluation that no King Prince Prelate Potenâ—te or whosoeuer can be iustified and saued withâ—ut it yet of it selfe without hope charity and loue â—f God and our neighbour which bringeth all â—ood vnto vs and the keeping of Gods commaunâ—ements such faith neither saueth nor iustifieth â—emo erret nisi crediderit Iesum Christum in carne â—nuersatum crucem illius confessus fuerit pasâ—nem Epistol ad Smyrnen sanguinem quem effudit pro mundi salute â—n assequetur vitam aeternam siue Rex fuerit siue Saâ—dos siue princeps siue priuatus homo siue Dominus â—e seruus siue vir siue foemina Qui capit capiat qui â—dit audiat Locus dignitas diuitiae neminem efferant â—obilitas paupertas neminem deijciant Totum â—mque praecipuum est fides in Deum spes in â—ristum fruitio eorum quae expectamus bonorum â—aritas in Deum proximum Diliges enim Domiâ—m Deum tuum extoto corde tuo proximum tuum â—ut teipsum Et Dominus inquit haec est vita aeterna â— cognoscant te solum verum Deum quem misisti â—um Christum Et mandatum nouum do vobis vt diâ—atis vos mutuo In his duobus mandatis pendet tota â— Prophetae Sainct Clement teacheth the same â—ctrine assuring vs that Christ was so farre from â—ching that man is to be iustified onely by faith â—he lawe of the ghospell that he tyeth vs to more â—ct lawes and commaundements then vnder the â—e of Moyses Qui tunc homicidium interdixit nunc â—am iram tâ—nere concitatam qui tunc adulterium nunc prauam quoque cupiditatem lâ—gem naturalâ—m â—sustulit Clem. Rom. l. 6. constit Apost cap. 23. sed confirmauit Qui dixit diliges proxiâ— tuum idem in Euangelio ait renouandi gratia maâ—tum nouum do vobis vt diligatis inuicâ—m And â—ching the way and meanes how wee should â— made friends with God and so be iustified heâ—leth vs that this friendship is to be procured by â—uing well and obaying his will which is the laâ— all liuing men vt tendamus ad amicitiam Conditâ—amicitia Clem. Rom. l. 1. recognit autem efficitur benè viuendo volâ—â— eius obediendo quae voluntas omnium viuentium â— est The like hath Sainct Martiall vtterly condâ—ning all such presumption as is in the pretenâ— Protestant iustifying faith teaching and directâ— to obay the will of God in holy words and gâ— workes Vobis est testis scutator renum cordiuâ— eius S. Martial ep ad Tolosan cap. 17. obedientia nihil arroganter nihil superbè nihâ—â— merè praesumere sed tanquam pusillus grex Dei â— luntatem eius adimplere studete in verbis Sanctiâ— operibus honis Where wee euidently see that â— will of God is not fulfilled nor iustice wroughâ— onely faith but holy speaking and doing gâ— workes Sainct Denis the Areopagite saith that â— knew well and therein agreed with the diâ— Scriptures that euery one was to be rewarded â—cording to his worthinesse or deseruing Probè◠Dionys Areo. Eccl. Hierar cap. 12. scriptis diuinis assentiens vnumquemque praeâ— accepturum pro dignitate And addeth that euery shop or learned Preist being the Interpretor oâ— nine things doth learne from holy Scriptures â— euerlasting life and happenesse is with most â— measure giuen vnto men according to their dâ—â—ings and merits Diuinus Antistes interpres diuiâ—orum iudiciorum didicit à scriptis quae diuinitùs proâ—ita sunt clarissimam diuinamque vitam pro dignitate â—c meritis iustissimis lancibus tribui Sainct Polycarpe in his Epistle which Sainct Irenaeus l 3. c. 3. Euseb l. 3. hist c 36. Polycarp epist ad Philipp â—eneus Eusebius and others cite and approue doth â—istinguish faith and iustice in Christians and â—heweth that holy men that are saued obtayned â—lory by such distinct iustice and sufferings for Christ Hi omnes qui non in vacuum cucurrerunt sed in â—de iustitia ad debitum sibi locum cum Domino â—ui compassi sunt abierunt And this glory was â—ue vnto them for such iustice and sufferings Sainct Iustine in his publike Apologie for all Iustin Apol. 2 pro Christianis ad Anâ—on Pium Imper. post med Christians to the Emperour protesteth that all â—ood Christians euer from the beginning so held â—ued and practised that men were punished or reâ—arded according to the worth and dignity of their â—eeds and the Prophets before the Apostles so â—aught Hoc etiam explicamus nos supplicia poenas â—tque praemia pro dignitate actionum redditum iri à â—rophetis didicisse idque vere enuntiamus That this article of Catholike Religion was proâ—essed and practiezed here also it is euident being â—he vniuersall doctrine and profession of the whole Catholike Church as before appeareth And for â—hat this Kingdome being so remote a nation â—rom Hierusalem Rome Antioch and other cheife â—laces where Christian Religion then most floriâ—hed and those glories of the world whose authoâ—ities I haue cited and such others as then florished â—ust needs receaue their faith from them and â—hence and be of the same minde and opinion with â—hem herein And to examplifie onely in particular in thâ— which our Protestant antiquaries confesse to hâ— beene Christians of or in this nation in this agâ— Sainct Beatus a noble Britan Sainct Ioseph of â—romathia who buried Christ and his holy compâ—nions which conuersed with the Apostles and tâ— Speed Theater of greate Britaine li. 6. Pantal. de vir Illustrib German Antiquitat Glast tabulis affir Guliel Makn l. de antiq caen Glaston Cupgr in S. Ioseph Arom Apostolike Doctors remembred they thought â— faith onely to be it by which men were iustifiâ— as these Protestants hold but liued in most strict â— penitentiall life all their dayes in watchings fâ—stings and prayers so seruing God the blessâ— Virgin Mary with other Saincts and Angels Vâ—gilijs Ieiunijs orationibus vacantes Deo Beâ— Virgini deuota exhibentâ—s obsequia Their reuerenâ— which they vsed to the holy reliks which thâ— brought with them spoken of before and to tâ— crosse and other Christian Images ther building â— chappell in honour of the blessed Virgin Mary â— the admonishment of S. Gabriell the Archangeâ— Archangeli Gabrielis admonitu their poore chastâ— and obedient religious life foresaking all euâ— their wiues Sainct Ioseph bringing his wise iâ— Britaine as these antiquities say and leauing hâ— and all wordly comforts for the loue of Chrisâ— proue sufficiently vnto vs they were not of oâ— Protestant profession that onely faith did iustifâ— and that there was no Iustice merit or reward bâ— and for good workes holynesse and perfection â— lyuinge well THE V. CHAPTER The 12. Article examined and in whatsoeuer differing from the present Romane Church condemned by the Apostolike age So of the 13. and 14. Articles AND by
euidently proued against this their Article that the Church of Rome in euery age as they haue before declared assisting and directing the Christian Britans here and concurring and agreeing with them ineuery point and article of Religion neither did nor could be said to haue erred in matters of faith And this these Protestants expressely confesse when they generally acknowledge as all Antiquities doe that there was then no materiall or essentiall difference in matters of faith betweene the Christian Britains except some Pelagian heretiks among them and Sainct Augustine with his company being sent from the Church of Rome the Pope then being a greate S. Gregory the most learned and holy Pope that euer was by these mens Testimony Gregorius magnus omnium PoÌ„tificum Romanorum Balaeus l. 2. de Act. Rom. Pontif. in Gregorio Mâ—gâ—â—o doctrina vita praestantissimus And therefore by them and all holy writers stiled Gregory the greate And wherein soeuer any difference though ceremoniall obseruing of Easter any ceremony about the ministering of Baptisme or giuing holy Orders was betweene the Roman Church and the Britains all writers both Catholiks and ProtestaÌ„ts proue the Roman Church professed the truth And the Britains were in the errour and so they freely and publikely in their first meeting coÌ„fessed as Sainct Bede and our Protestants themselues Bed hist Eccles l. 2. c. 2. with others acknowledge Tum Britones confitentur quidem intellexisse se veram esse viam iustitiae quam praedicaret Augustinus and this was inuincibly proued vnto them both by vnanswearably humane arguments and diuine testimony and miracle And they afterward generally corrected and conformed themselues to the Romane Church in all things formerly questioned betweene them as all Antiquaries Brittish English Forreine domesticall Catholiks and Protestants agree neuer contending about any question moued by Protestants against the present Roman Church but both the Romane Church then and our Britains as the whole Christian world also iointly agreing in euery article against this new Protestant Religion And this is manifestly proued particularly already in all articles yet examined and so will be in all that followe Therefore it is manifestly false by all testimonies auncient later forreine domesticall Catholikes and Protestants euen in their publike decrees and Confessions that which this Article so desperately hath deliuered The Church of Rome hath erred in matters of faith and the contradictory that it hath not so erred nor shall at any time so erre is euidently true by all witnesses This will be yet more euidently manifested in the two next following examinations and others THE VIII CHAPTER The 20. Article thus examined and in whatsoeuer contrary to the Church of Romè thus condemned THEIR 20. and next article intituled of the authority of the Church is this It is noâ— lawfull â—or the Church to ordaine any thinge contrary to Gods word written neither may it so expound one place of â—cripture that it be repugnant to another Wherefore â—lthough the Church be a witnesse and a keeper of holy â—rit yet as it ought not to decree any thing against the â—ame so besides the same ought it not to enforce any â—hing to be beleeued for necessity of saluation In this article no thing needeth other answeare or confutation then is made before in their article of Scriptures and traditions where the pretended sole necessity of the written Scriptures heretikely insinuated is most plainely confuted both by the Apostolike doctrine and practise of this age and otherwise And the supreame power and authority which here they giue vnto the Church to be a witnesse and keeper of holy writ and the cheifest expositour thereof and as their common glosse â—â— this article is the Church hath authority to Iudge and determine in controuersies of faith doth vtterly disable and condemne those Protestants to haue any colour or pretence to hold the truth in any one article they maintaine against the Roman Church either concerning Scriptures Church or anâ— thing else for the Church which onely was and â— visible as they haue described the true Church before hath in all and euery article condemned aâ— such Protestant Innouation And for these men to say as they haue done â—â— their 19. Article that the Church is a congregatiâ— of faithfull men in which the pure word of God â— preached and the Sacraments be duely ministred anâ— to make it an article of faith as they doe in theâ— publike profession of the Creede that this Church one holy and Catholike doth so continue for 〈◊〉 without interruption or corruption in ministriâ— Sacraments and preaching doctrine and the things are in their censure should onely be take from the written word and Scriptures It is vnpoâ—sible in such proceedings that the Church shoâ— ordaine any thing contrary to Gods word writteâ— or so expound on place of Scripture that it be repugnant to an other For otherwise it should neither be one holie or Catholike but diuers different vnholy particular no pillar of truth but a forge of falsehood no howse of God no spouse of Christ no saluation to be had or hoped for in any Iudgment Catholike or Protestant but in the true Church of Christ To this the Apostolike men of this age giue Ignat. epist ad Philadelp Ephes Trall Magn. Antiochen Ignat. ep ad Philadelp euident testimony Sainct Ignatius doth make the Iudgment of the Church both supreame and certaine and receauing penitents and saith Christ hath firmely builded his Church vpon a hile by spirituall building without help of mans hands against which the floods dashing and windes puffing could not ouerthrowe it nor any spirituall wickednesses shall euer be able to doe it but they shall be weakened by the power of our Lord Iesus Christ. Iesus Christus secundum propriam voluntatem suam firmauit Ecclesiam super Petram adificatione spirituali citra humanarum manuam operam in quam collisa flumina venti non potuerunt eam subuertere nec id valcant vnquam spirituales nequitiae sed infirmentur virtute Domini nostri Iesu Christi And saith plainely as there is but one flesh and blood of Christ shedd for our sinnes one Euchariste one Altare one Priestly order one God the Father one God the sonne one holy Ghost so there is but one preaching and one faith and one baptisme and one Church which with their sweate and labours the holy Apostles haue founded in the blood of Christ from the one end of the earch to the other vnapraedicatio fides vna vnum baptisma vna Ecclesia quam suis sudoribus laboribus fundarunt sancti Apostoli à finibus terrae vsque ad fines in sanguine Christi Sainct Clement Câ—em Rom. Const Apost l. 1. c. 1. saith the Catholike Church is the plantation of God and his chosen vineyard which cannot be digged vp or destroied Dei plantatio est Catholica Ecclesia vinea eius electa So that no other can be planted or chosen by
onely in our Concil in cen 1. cen 1. can â— Concil Antioch c. 20 Ignat. epist Polycarp most auncient Popes and writers as Sainct Anacletus before but in first and generall Councels themselues Sainct Ignatius testifieth it was the order in his time and giueth that order that such councels should be often kept Crebrius celebrentur conuentus synodique And euident it is by all antiquities that many such Councels and Synods were kept longe before and when and where there was not any Christian Prince or King to giue his will commaund or consent vnto them Diuers such are yet extant Tertullian lyuing long before any such Christian King was either in Britaine which had the first or els where is an ample witnesse that in diuers places and from all Churches councels were assembled about affaires in religion and with greate reuerence and such as represented all Tertullian aduers Psychicos cap. 13. that were Christians Aguntur praecepta per Graecias illas certisin locis concilia ex vniuersis Ecclesijs per quae altiora quaeque in communa tractantur ipsa represent atio totius nominis Christiani magna veneratione celebratur And if wee should follow the will and Rule of Protestants to accompt them generall Conc. Arelat to 1. Conc. in Subscript Io. Bal. l. de Scriptor Brit. cent 1. Stowe hist Romans Godwine conuers of Britaine Concil Sunessan to 1. Concil in 3. examp Act. antiq S. Marcellin Robert Barnesse l. de vit Pontif. Rom. in Marcellin councels where the most Bishops and from most prouinces in greatest number be assembled wee may relate for such the Councels of Arles where our Archbishop of LoÌ„don Rectitutes was present gathered forth of aboue 30. Kingdomes and contries and that of Sunessanum hauing 300. Bishops present at it in such time when the King of the Contry and Emperour of the world Diocletian reigned and raged the greatest persecutour of Christians that euer was they assembled themselues against his will and to keepe their meetinge vnknowne to him kept their couÌ„cell in a secret Caue of the earth and thither entered not aboue 50. at one time it not able to receaue more together at one meetinge these things thus agreed vpon both by Catholike and Protestant antiquaries must needs make vs all Catholiks in this point As also to see the first Christian Kings and Emperours so to haue behaued themselues in this matter as Catholiks now professe Britaine was made happy with the first Christian King holy S. King Lucius who neuer tooke vpon him any such pretended spirituall power but so much honoured that true power in the Pope of Rome that by all antiquities he sent humble Ambassadge and suppliant letters to the then Pope S. Eleutherius to haue his Kingdome conuerted and Christian Religion setled here by his meanes and authority and by him and his holy legates all such busines was here established ratified confirmed all historians forreine domesticall Catholike and ProtestaÌ„t so consenting Philipp was the first Christian Emperour though a short time he was so farre from arregating any such power to him selfe or denying it to the Pope of Rome that as Eusebius and others testifie he did publike pennance euen among the common penitents at the Popes enioyning it vnto him De Philippo fertur quod cum Euseb Eccl. hist l 6 ca. 3â— Nicephoras Callist l 5. ca. 25. Christianus esset in die qua vltimae Paschatis vigiliae seruabantur in precationibus multitudini Ecclesiasticae tanquam consors coniungi vellet ab eo qui tum Ecclesiae praeerat admissum non esse nisi primum consiteretur ijs se qui propter peccata inquirebantur in poenitentiae loco constituti erant coniugeret Alioqui nisi hoc faceret nonfore ipsum admiitendum propterea quòd in multis culpabilis esset fertur itaque promptè obediuisse sincerumque ac religio sum animum erga Deum ipsis operibus declarasse This Pope as Nicephorus with others writeth was Sainct Fabian which so commaundeth the first Christian Emperour and hee Christianly and dutifully obeyed him When the first Nicen Councell against Arius which is commonly reputed for the first generall Councell was called That greate glory of this Kingdome borne here Constantine the greate was Emperour and although he was the greatest benefactour to the Church of God founder and dilatour of the honour and renowne thereof that enioyed the Empire and hauing onely in his power then to permit so greate assemblies of learned and holy Christians Bishops as were present there yet as Eusebius then liuing Euseb lib. 3. de vit Constantini cap. 6. writeth he called not the Bishops together by his commaunde as this article giueth to Kings but wrote honorable letters vnto them to such purpose per literas honorificè scriptas And as Ruffinus a Ruffin lib. 1. hist cap. 1. man also of that time expoundeth those proceedings vnto vs this was as the Bishops willed and directed ex Sacerdoâ—um sententia apud vrbem Nicanam Episcopale cuncilium conuocat And S. Damasus Damasus in vit Syluestri Papae an other old writer of the liues of the Popes saith expressely it was called by the consent of Sainct Syluester then Pope of Rome Huius temporibus factum est concilium cum eius consensu in Nicea Bithiniae Besides it is euident in the authenticall subscription Subscript in Concil Nicaeno in fine Euseb l. 3. 4. de vit Constantini to that holy Councell that diuers Bishops were present and subscribed vnto it out of Persia and other Kingdomes and contries where Constantine had no temporall commaund or dominion and they which so then ruled in them were not Christians at that time So hath Eusebius others when they say that assembly was froÌ„ all Churches in Europe Afrike and Asia ex omnibus Ecclesijs quae frequentes in tota Europa Africa Asia extiterunt And name diuers in particular where Constantine Euseb l. 3. de vit Constantini cap. 7. Socrates Ecclesiastic hist l. 1. c. 5. Sozomen hist l. 2. c. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12 13. 14. had then no power by his owne relation giuing still the most he could to that Emperour in all respects This is euident also by the exceeding greate desire which all good Bishops in all places then had to assemble in such a councell which could not be done at that time persecution scarcely yet ceased by inferiour rulers and the Bishops in greate pouerty and distresse by their late persecution without the temporall helpe and allowance of the Emperour which being had as Eusebius and others write came together with greatest alacrity and ioye as men newly set at liberty out of prison Vbi edictum in quaque prouincia diuulgatum crat omnes Euseb l. 3. de vit Constant cap. 6. summa cum animorum alacritate tanquam è carceribus ad cur sum emissi properè aduolarunt This is
inferioribus prospiciant vt consulant paria autem vt inter se societate iungantur inferiora verò vt se conuertant Dionys l. caelest Hierâ—â—â—h cap. 9. ad superiora And the same S. Denis saith plainely both that the Angels are Rulers of nations euen all nations Angeli vnicuique nationi praefecti And that God hath coÌ„mitted all men to his Angels for their Saluation and this is the prouidence of God Vna quidem de omnibus altissimi prouidentia omnes homines cap. 3. patr 3. ante med salutis causa Angelis suis ad se deducendos distribuerit And he plainely saith that the prayers of holy people and Saincts both in this world and in heauen are profitable to them which be worthie of them Iustorum etiam in hac vita ne dum post mortem ijs dumâ—axat prosint qui sacris precibus dignisint vere oraculorum traditiones nos edocent S. Clement is also witnesse and citeth it from S. Peter the Apostle his mouth that the Angels Clem. Rom. l. 2. Recognit haue the care and custody of men and euery nation hath an Angel to whome it is committed by God Est enim vniuscuiusque gentis Angelus cui credita est gentis ipsius dispensatio à Deo And proueth that not onely God the holy Trinity but all Saincts and l. 8. Constitur Apostolic cap. 11. administring Angels do so and behold our Actions on earth and exemplifieth in the election of Bishops Coram Iudice Deo Christo praesente etiam Spiritu sancto atque omnibus Sanctis administratorijs l. â— cap 8. edit Turr. Graec. c. 7. Latin l. 8. c. 33 spiritibus And coÌ„maundeth to honour Saints and Martirs De Martiribus praecipimus vobis vt in omni honore sint apud vos And prescribeth diuers of their festiuities to be kept holy with honour The short historie of S. Paule ascribed to S. Linus Successour to S. Peter who by all Antiquitie wrote the Martyrdome of S. Paule doth testifie in the name of S. Plantilla who ministred to S. Paule and was present at his death that this glorious Apostle soone after his martyrdome appeared to that holy woman in glory with an Innumerable company of heauenly creatures innumerabilium candidatorum S. Linus hâ—st S. Paulâ— caterua comitatus and sayd vnto her that as shee had done holy offices to him on earth so he in heauen would remember her and shortly returne to bring her thither and there shew her the glory of God Which was soone after performed at her Martyrdome Tu mihi Plautilla in terris absequium prestitisti ego tibi quam primum ad Regna pergenti officiofissimè obsequar in proximo namque pro tereuerâ—ar tibi Regis inuicti gloriam demonstrabo This is proued by the auncient Masses ascribed to the holy Apostles in which there is expresse prayer not onely to God to be assisted and helped by the prayers of the blessed Virgin Mary and other Saincts libera nos quâ— fâ—inâ—s Domine ab omni Missa S. Petri Marci Iacobi Minor Mat. Missa S. Iacobi Maioris malo prasente acfuturo intercessionibus Iminaculâ—â— Gloriosae Dominae nostrae Deiparae Semper que Virginis Mariae But to the very Saincts themselues commemorationem agamus Sanctissima Immaculata Gloriosissimae benedictae Dominae nostrae Matris Dei semper Virginis Mariae atque omnium Sanctorum Iustorum vt precibus intercessionibus corum omnes misericordiam consequamur It is manifest in histories that in all places where Christ was preached Martiâ—l epist ad Burdegal c. 3. Petr. de Nat. lib. 6. c. 151. Vinc. l 9. c. 99 feq Ant. part 1. Titul 6. c 20. Petr. Masseus in Cat. Episcop Colon. Annal. Colonien Annal. Tungren in S. Materno Annal. Treu. Churches and Altars were founded and dedicated in honour of Saincts which dyed in this age And they ther ly and are honoured S. Martial then liuing and writing so testifieth of S. Stephen S. Martha with allowance of S. Maximus Bishop there builded a Church in honour of the blessed Virgin Mary betwene Aâ—les and Auinion S. Maternus sent into Germany by S. Peter founded a Church at Bonna in honour of S. Iohn Baptist and an other at ColeÌ„ in honour of S. Mathias the Apostle And an other at Tungers in honour of the blessed Virgin S. Eucharius an other of S. Peters disciples in this time dedicated a Church at Treâ—erâ— honour of S. Iohn the Euangelist S. Sauiâ—â—â—â—â— sent by S. Peter into France builded there 〈◊〉 Churches one in honour of the blessed Virâ—in Mary a second in honour of S. Iohn Baptist â—he third in honour of S. Stephen constructis tribus â—cclesijs in honorem Virginis Mariae Iohannis Baptistae S. Sâ—ephâ—ni And S. Altinus one in honour of our â—ady The Churches which were thus founded and The first Christian Britans thus professed and practised deâ—iâ—â—ted to Saincts in this age in histories are too 〈◊〉 to recite confessed to be so in all places hathby Catholik and Protestant Antiquaries So it was here in Britayne as the first knowne Church thereof at Glastenbury witnesseth ereâ—â—â—â— and dedicated to our blessed lady both by â—eâ—uâ—â—ly and earthly warrant The Angel of God so directed S. Ioseph and his holy company And to make euident to all that to dedicate Churches then to the honour of Saincts was in them to honour Saincts and pray vnto them and by them to be protected it is so proued of hese our primatiue founders in Religion of this first age that they prayed vnto the blessed Virgin and honoured her and Antiquitat glast manuscript Tabul ligneis fix Gal. Malmesb l. de antiquit Caenobij glaston M. S. Capgran catal in 6. Ioseph S. Patric in episto Hâ—storia apud S. Edmundum she protected them as the most auncient monuments of that place and other Antiquities clearely proue praedieti Sancti in eodem deserti conuer santes per Archangelum Gabriâ—lem in visione admoniti sunt Ecclesiam in honore Sanctae Dei Genitricis perpetuae Virginis Maria caelitus demonstrato construere duodâ—cim igitur Sancti in eodem loco Deo Beatae Virgini deuota exbibentes obsequia vigilijs Ieiunijs orationibus vacantes eiusdem Virginis Dei Genitricis auxilio in necessit atibus suis refocillabantur These antiquities say this was the first Church which the Christians builded in this country and it was a greate honour vnto it to be dedicated bâ— Christ to his mothers honour Et cumhaec Ecclesâ— in hat Regione prima fuit ampliori cum digâ—iâ—ate Dâ— filius insigniâ—it ipsum videliceâ— in honore sâ—ae 〈◊〉 dedicando All agree that this Church was buildeâ— by S. Ioseph and his Associats And yet the same antiquities and other Historians euen Protestants who alleadge the Authoritie of S. Augustine termed the Apostle of the English nation to the same purpose are witnesseâ— that there was a Church miraculously
buildeâ— before S. Ioseph and his holy companians caâ—â— hither and here founded by them wholly finished Antiquitat glast tabulis fix sup S. Augustinus in Ecclesia S. Edmundi Matth. parker Anâ—iquit Britan. c. 2. p. 3. edit Hanouiae an 1605. and perfected dedicated also to the blessed Virgiâ— Many Primi Catholicae legis Neophyta antiquaâ— Deâ— dictante repererunt Ecclesiam nulla hominion arte vâ— referunt constructam immo â—umanae saluti à Deo pâ—â—atam quam postmodum ipse caelorum fabricator mâ—ltis mirâ—culorum gestis multisque virtutum mysterij◠〈◊〉 Sanctaeque Dei Genitrâ—ci Mariae se consecrasse monstrauit This was in the â—1 yeare after the Passion of Christ and after the assumption of our lady 15. Anno post Passionem Domini 31. post Assumptioâ—eâ— Gloriosa Virginis 15. When few other Saincts in the lawe of Christ were deceased this life and then in heauen Thus were our Two first Churches dedicated here by greatest warrant to the honour of the blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God where shee assisted and protected her Suppliant Seruants and petitioners there And S. Bede with all Antiquaries Catholiks Protestants consenteth that the Britans kept their first faith inuiolate and whole vntill the cruell persecution of Dioclesian Bed histor Eccl Angl. l. 1. cap. 4. susceptam fidem Britanni vsque in tempora Dioclesia◠〈◊〉 inuiolatam integramque quieta in pace seruaâ—â—â— And when this Kingdom was generally â—â—â—â—erted which happend in the succeding age all â—â—â— Temples before founded to false Gods were by common and greatest authoritie in all opinions 〈◊〉 now whatsoeuer of the holy pope S. Eleuâ—â—â—â—iâ—s his legats and our holy kinge S. Luâ—â—us câ—â—â—nged into Christian Churches dedicated to God and his Saincts Templa quae in honore plurimoâ—â—â— Galfrid histor Briton l. 4. c. 19. Matth. west an 185. Deorum fundata fuerant vni Deo eiusque Sanâ—â—â—â— dedicanerunt So they dedicated Churches to â—â—â— holy Angels namely S. Michael the Archangel â—â—â—oured and prayed vnto him and he protected Antiquitat glaston manuscript epistol S. Patricij Capgr catal in S. Patric Ioseph Bed hist l. 1. c. 7. Matth. westin An. 303. Manuscript Antiq. Iacob gemen in vit S. Amphibali Cap grau in eod in S. Alban Gradual antiq miss Sarisb in festo S. Albani litan Angl. antiq ante bapt commend animâ— â—â—em Phaganus Damianus Oratorium aedificauerunt in honore S. Michaelis Archangeli quatenus ibi ab hominibâ—â— haberet honorem qui homines in perpetuos honores iâ—â—ente Deo est introducturus So they prayed vnto the Saincts as is euident in the Examples of Sainct Heraclius our Martyr at the death of our fist Martyr S. Alban praying to him and heard and helped by him And S. Amphibalus that conuerted Saint Alban thus prayed vnto him both to be assisted by him and the holy Angels Sancte Albane Deum nostrum depreceris vt mihi Angelum bonum obuiam mittat ne mihi praedo truculentus obsistere nec Iter meum pars iniqua valeat impedire So it was in all after times which I am not to speake of in this place but thus may end this tedious and confused Article stuffed with so many fulshoods and aunciently condemned heresies I may be more breife in the rest of their followeing Articles not conteyning so many particulars THE IX CHAPTER The 23. article examined THeir next Article the 23. in number is this â— is not lawfull for any man to take vpon him â—â— office of publik preaching or ministring the Sacrameâ—â— in the Congregation before he be lawfully called â—â— sent to execute the same And those wee ought to Iudgâ— lawfully called and sent which be thosen and called â— this worke by men who haue publik authoritie giuâ— vnto them in the Congregation to call and send miâ—â—sters in the Lords vineyard This is the whole Article wherein there is no controuersie with or againâ— the Church of Rome neuer allowing any foâ— Preists or publike ministers of the holy Sacraments but such as are duely and truely consecrateâ— in the Sacrament of holy orders onely ministreâ— by lawfully and Canonically Sacred Bishops aâ— the doctryne and practise of this Apostolike agâ— was as I haue proued before and S. Ignatius witâ— S. Ignatius epist ad Smyrnen others thus proue vnto vs Non licet sine Episcopâ— baptizare neque offerre neque sacrificium immolâ—â—â— neque Dochen celebrare sed quodcumque illi visâ—â— fuerit secundum beneplacitum Dei vt tutum raâ—â—â—sit saci at is No Sacrament could be ministred nothing done in the Church without the Bishopâ— authoritie and approbation No man could be â— Preist minister Sacraments or exercise any Ecclesiasticall order or function but onely such as werâ— Epistol ad Heron. consecrated thereunto by lawfull Bishops Nihâ—â—sine Episcopis facito baptizant sacrificant eligâ—â—â— manus imponunt And these Protestants themselueâ— both in their Booke of their pretended consecration Protest Booke of consecrat pref per tot artic 36. infra prot glosse vpon the same canons Iniunctious c. and their 36. Article hereafter intituled of Consecration of Bishops and Ministers as also their publik glosse therevpon and common practise do thus testifie The Superioritie and authoritie which Bishops and Archbishops do exercise in ordering â—â—d consecrating of Bishops and Ecclesiasticall ministers iâ— grounded vpon the word of God From the Apostles dâ—â—es hither to there neuer wanted à Succession of Bisâ—ops neither in the East nor westerne Churches And from the first nursing of their Religion here in England they euer by their publik proceedings allowed that consecration which was in the Romane Church and most willingly without any addition or ceremony allowed such as were so consecrated to be Preists Ministers and Ecclesiasticall men among them if they would in wordly respects and in externall shew giue any allowance to their Religion And at this day they contend to deriue their owne pretended Bishops and Ministers by Consecration from our Catholik Roman Bishops This Article as their glosse expoundeth it seemeth to haue beene made agaynst the Mancerians Them Rogers Analis vpon the b. of Articles art 23. allowed by the lawf authoritie of the Church of Engl. Anabaptists family of loue and such others risen vp in their ProtestaÌ„t Schoole denying externall Ordination and calling of cleargie men But being well examined it doth both free the Roman Church as is proued and they confesse and condemneth all Protestants in the world First for forreyne Protestants none of them take or clayme ordination true or pretended from eyther true or pretended Bishops and so by that is already saide are vtterly condemned by this Article And for our English Protestants which pretended a calling and ordination by Bishops they are in the same case by their owne decree in this Article for therein they say that men lawfully called and sent be onely they which be chosen and called by men who haue publike
such office was so written or deliuered among or to that people in this or any after time but the contrary that the first publike office Church seruice they had in this age was brought thither from Rome and so the Latine tongue This is proued by the French Annals testifying Annal. Gallic Matth. westm an 94. Clem. Roman Ep. that the first Apostles of that nation were sent vnto them by S. Peter and his successour S. Clement at Rome Our old brittish history of the first institution of Church seruice prima institutio varietas Ecclesiastici Seruitij as our Peotestant Antiquaries name it testifieth plainely that S. Trophimus Bishop of Arles and Sainct Photinus Bishop of Lyons disciples of S. Peter the Apostle did deliuer in all Gallia the Romane order and forme of Church seruice Beatus Trophimus Episcopus Arelatensis Manuscript antiq Britan. de prima Instit Eccles officij Sanctus Photinus Martyr Episcopus Lugdunensis Discipulus S. Petri Apostoli Cursum Romanum in Gallijs tradiderunt And it citeth others more auncient in this sense And addeth that this Church seruice was after sent to S. Clement at Rome by the Bishops and Martyrs of Gallia to be approued by him and all the Churches of Zozimus Pap. epistol ad Episcop Galliae de priuileg Eccl. Arelat tom 1 concil Martyrol Roman die 29. Decem. in S. Trophinius Fraunce then embraced that Order that of Arles being there the cheife Metropolitane Church from which and S. Trophimus all others there as Pope Zozimus is an able witnesse receaued light and direction Metropolitanae Arelatensium vrbi vetus priuilegium minimè derogandum est ad quam primum ex hac sede Romana Trophimus Summus Antistes ex cuius fonte tota Gallia fidei Riuulos accepit directus est So hath the old Romane Martyrologe and diuers others And So it must needs be by all antiquitie consenting that all Gallia receaued the water of life from the same foūtaine the Church of Rome both with their forme and order of Church seruice and other directions in Religion all their first Apostles and pastours with full instruction and power being directed and sent from them as sainct Martial sainct Denys the Annal. Gallican Eccles Martyrolog Roman Bed Adon. vsuard in his Sant Matt. westm an 94. mult al. apud Guliel Eisengren centen 1. part 5. dist 3. Henric. Erford cap. 5. Monsterus in Cosmogr in German Antonin part 1. petr de natal l. 10. vincent l. 9. Annal. Eccl. Treuer Tungr meten Martyrolog Roman Beda vsuard Ado die 15. Maij. Breu. Toletan cal maij Areopagite sainct Lucianus sainct Eutropius sainct Eugenius sainct Ionius sainct Timotheus sainct Apollinaris sainct Aphrodisius sainct Sanianus sainct Potentianus sainct Altnus sainct Totaldus sainct Iulianus sainct Fronto sainct Taurinus sainct Paulus Narbonensis sainct Staurinnus sainct Astremonius sainct Gratianus sainct Firmius and others sent from Rome thither in this age in which time also sainct Peter the Apostle sent into Germany sainct Egistus sainct Clement vncle to sainct Clement the Pope sainct Eucharius sainct Valerius sainct Maternus sainct Mansuetus and many others The Apostles of Spaine were sent thither also from Rome in this Time namely sainct Torquatus Ctesiphon Secundus Indalitius Caecilius sainct Hesychius sainct Euphrasius and others In Hispania Sanctorum Torquati Clesiphontis Secundi Indaletij Caecilij Hesichij Euphrasij qui Romae à Sanstis Apostolis Episcopi ordinati ad praedicandum verbum Dei in Hispanias directi sunt And to proue that all nations in this part of the world called the Latin Church receaued their first Bishops preists cleargie men with their Church seruice from Rome S. Peter or his Successour in this age S. Clement his Successour so speaketh from S. Peters owne direction and testimonye Episcopos per Clem. Roman epist 1. singulas Ciuitates quibus ille S. Petrus non miserat iuxta Domini praeceptionem nobis mittere praecepit Quod etiam facere inchoauimus Domino opem ferente facturi sumus Aliquos verò ad Gallias Hispaniasque mittemus quosdam ad Germaniam Italiam atque ad reliquas gentes dirigere cupimus And euen to such barbarous and sauage contryes as had not vse of letters and learning ferociores rebelliores gentes This Kingdome of Britayne excepting the Scotts when they came hither had euer learned men and of ciuilitie as the Druids their cheifest being here and others Yet after the coming and rule of the Romans here at and after the birth of Christ his Religion preached in this contry the latin tongue was vsuall to all of qualitie no man might beare office but such as vnderstood it all publike guifts donations charters priuiledgs and Records whatsoeuer both as old and late Catolike and Protestant Antiquaries proue were performed and written in the latin tongue and onely the vulgar people vsed thcir vulgar language and yet corruptly without writing Coniectura ducor Io Leland in commenrar antiq voc Britan. v. Britannin Cains histor Cantabrig p. 19. eo tempore vulgus Britānorum ineruditissimum fuisse ac prorsus non potuisse linguae suae voces depingere Quamdiu Imperium Britanniae in Prouinciam reductae penes Romanos stabat tamdiu necessè erat Britannis Magistratum gerere cupientibus latinè loqui Prouincialem linguam vulgus cum magna difficultate id quidem corruptè discebat Tabulae donationum omnes rationes alicuius momenti latinè fiebant By which it is euident that their publike Church seruice must needs also be latin in which onely as S. Bede with others proue all people Inhabitants here euer Bed histor ang l. 1. c. 1. studied and reade the scriptures from which it is taken Haec Insula quinque gentium linguis vnam eandemque summae veritatis verae sublimitatis scientiam scrutatur confitetur Anglorum videlicet Britonum Scotorum Pictorum Latinorum quae meditatione scripturaecaeteris omnibus est facta communis And as S. Gyldas writeth this Kingdome was by the reigning of the Romans there so latinized Gild. epistol de excid conquest Britan cap. 5. and Romanized that it was rather to be named Romana then Britannia vt non Britannia sed Romania censeretur And though the Romans had many Hands yet this in antiquities is aboue all named the Romane Hand Greek and latin Catholik and Protestant Antiquaries agree that S. Peter the Apostle who deliuered that latin Church seruice which the Romans vsed and brought into Fraunce by his disciples as is proued before preached in this Kingdome stayed here longe time longo tempore moratus founded vs Churches consecrated S. Symeon Metaphrastes in S. Petro. Euseb apud eund ib. Sur. die 29. Iuuij Cambden in Britannia prot Theater of greate Brit. l. 6. for vs Bishops Preists and Deacons Ecclesias constituit Episcoposque Presbyteros Diaconos ordinauit could deliuer vnto them no other Church seruice then
entered into Britaine which denied holy Vnction to be vsed in this Sacrament Negligant confirmationem habere olei sacri illinitionem And our English Protestants themselues by their owne most authorized and allowed proceedings haue doe condemne this their article doctrine in this point For first in the publike correctioÌ„ of their religion at Hampton court King Iames being present Conference at Hampton p. 10. 11. and consenting they thus decree Confirmation is an Apostolicall tradition That Confirmation deliuered by the Apostles is a SacrameÌ„t is proued before Secondly these Protestants confesse and decree that the order of Bishops hath euer beene in the Church from the Apostles time but these men not condemning all forrayne Protestants and in denying to Bishops onely power to make Preists and Clergy men leaue no act of Order peculiar and proper to them if they deny confirmation to be a Sacrament and by them onely to be ministred for all others are lawfully ministred by Priests noe Bishops And these our English ProtestaÌ„ts by the greatest power they haue haue set fourth and vse a publike forme and manner of ministring confirmation by them onely which they pretend to be Bishops among them In which they proue it in their proceedings and by the doctrine of this very article for supposing their opinion though false that holy Vnction is not necessary in this practise of Confirmation English Prot. Communion booke Titul ConfirmatioÌ„ Et tit Catechisme they requiring onely two things needfull to a Sacrament a visible signe or ceremony ordained of God and grace giuen thereby thus propose and practise both first they say and direct The Bishop shall lay his hand vpon euery childe seuerally And that in their Iudgment it is a signe and ceremony ordained Communion Booke supr §. alliuinghly of God and that grace is thereby giuen their pretended Bishops in ministring this to children thus proue wee make our humble supplications for these children vpon whom after the manner of the Apostles wee haue laide our hands to certifie them by this signe of thy fauour and gratious goodnesse towards them Therefore being a signe vsed by the Apostles giuing and certifying grace by this very article and their owne definition of a Sacrament before this of Confirmation must needs by their Religion be a Sacrament in the same degree as they allowe baptisme and the Eucharist to be This their communion booke is daily practized by them in all their Churches vsed both before and after these articles were ordained and at this present and supported and warranted with the greatest allowance their religion or any or point therein by their owne proceedings possibly can haue Queenes and Kings supremacy Parlaments Iniunctions Canons Conuocations publike approbation and practise of all their pretended Bishops or named Clergy men THE XII CHAPTER Pennance so called in this article and by Catholikes The Sacrament of Pennance was so iudged and vscd in this Apostolike age THâ— next SacrameÌ„t of the Catholike Church which this Protestant Article demeth to be such is the Sacrament of Pennance S. Ignatius in this Apostolike age giueth power vnto Pennance to bringe sinners both to the vnity of the militant Church on earth and inherite euerlasting life in heauen Obsecro vos quotquot poenitentia ducti redierint Ignat. epist ad Philadelph ad vnitatem Ecclesiae suscipite illos cum omni mansuetudine vt per bonitatem patientiam vestram resipiscentes ex diaboli laqueis digni iam Christo facti salutem consequantur aeternam in regno Christi And writeth how Christians were then bound to admonish and exhort sinners to pennance Oportet eos commonefacere ad poenitentiam cohortari si forte manus dent monitisque cedant S. Denis the Areopagite deliuereth the manner of penitents and pennance to haue beene then as the Catholiks now vse the penitent to kneele to the Preist and with sorrowe confesse his sinnes and the Preist by absolution to forgiue them and so iustifie the penitent sinner and greately reprehendeth one Demophilus for hindering it saying it was the order of discipline then Tu vt tuae literae indicant procedentem Dion epist aâ— Demophil ante med Sacerdoti impium vt ais peccatorem nâ—sâ—io quo pacto contra disciplinae ordinem astans calce abiecisti Adhuc cum ille quidem quod oportuit fateretur se ad peccatorum remedium quaerendum venisse tu non exhorruisti sed bonum Sacerdotem ausus es lacâ—rare conuitijs miserabilem eum dicens quòd poenitentem impium iustificasset S. Ignatius maketh it one of the IgnaÌ„t epist aâ— Heronem Sacraments ministred by Preists Baptizant sacrificant eligunt manus imponunt S. Clement setteth it downe for a tradition of S. Peter and the other Apostles to confesse all sinnes vnto the Pastours of their soules and to rceaue cure and remedy from them Si forte alicuius cor vel liuor vel infidâ—lâ—tas Clem. Rom. epâ—st â— vel aliquod malum ex his quae superius memorauimus latenter irrepserit non erubescat qui animae suae curam gerit confiteri haec huic qui praeest vt ab ipso per verbum Dei consilium salubre curetur And he addeth afterward from the mouth of S. Clem. Rom. sup epist 1. Peter Instruebat actus suae vitae omni hora custodire in omni loco Deum respicere firmiter scire cogitationes malas cordi suo aduenientes mox ad Christum allidere Sacerdotibus Domini manifestare S. Peters instruction was diligently to take knowledge euen of the euill cogitations of the hart and to confesse them to the Preists of God He saith in an other Constitut Apost l. 2. cap. 49. place that penance is like vnto baptisme Erit ei in locum lauachri impositio manuum He setteth downe the verie manner of enioyning penanc according to the qualitie of the sinnes committed dayes or weeks in fasting and penance Afflictum diebus Cap. 19. Ieiuniorum pro ratione peccati bebdomadas duas vel tres vel quinque vel septem dimitte dicens ei quaecumque conueniunt ad peccatorem corripiendum And he expoundeth those words of Christ in the ghospel of bynding and loosing of this Sacrament as others after him do Paenitentibus remissionem concedere oportet Cap. 21. Recognosce ô Episcope dignitatem tuam quod sicut ligandi potestatem accepisti sic etiam soluendi Obtinens igitur soluendi potestatem recognosce Pennancea Sacrament among the Britans tâ—ipsum secundum dignitatem loci tui in hac vita versare It was so generally a receaued truth here in Britaine that euen when our Protestant Antiquaries confesse our Christian Britans kept their first faith inuiolate the contrary was adiudged heresie and a King himselfe frequard summoned Hector Boeth l 9. Scotor Hist fol 179. Georg. Buch. l. 5. Rer. Scotir Reg. 52. and proceeded against for laughing at the Baptisme of
Preist is to offer Sacrifice and Minister other Sacraments and Deacons are to Minister vnto them in such holie mysteries and so must needs haue power giuen them accordingly in their consecration and this was so with the Apostles and Ignat. epistol ad Heronem Diaconum the first Preists and Deacons Sacâ—rdotes sunt Tâ— verò Diaconus Sacerdotum Minister Baptizanâ— sacrificant manus imponunt tu verò illis ministras vt Sanctus ille Stephanus Iacobo presbyteris qui Epistol ad Trallian erant Hierosolymis Oportet Diaconos mysteriorum Chtisti ministris per omnia placere nec enim ciborum potuum ministri sunt sed Ecclesiae Dei administratores Ipsi itaque tales sunt at vos reueremini illos vt Christum Iesum cuius vicarij sunt Episcopus Typum Dei Patris omnium gerit presbyteri verò sunt consessus quidam coniunctus Apostolorum chorus Sine his Ecclesia electa non est nullasine his Sanctoruâ— congregatio nulla Sanctorum electio Quid Sacerdotium aliud est quam sacer caetus consiliarij assessoreâ— Episcopi Quid verò Diaconi quà m imitatores Angelicarum virtutum quae purum inculpatum ministerium illi exhibent vt sanctus Stephanus beato Iacobo Timotheus â—nius Paulo Anacletus Clemens Petro Qui igitur his non obedit sine Deo prorsus impurus est Christum contemnit constitutionem eius imminuit S. Martial deliuereth plainely a cheife and principall cause of the honour and excellencie of this Sacrament of holie Orders because among other eminencies thereof Bishops and Preists offer and Deacon assist them therein the most holie sacrifice of Christs bodie and blood vpon an holie Altar the very same which the Iewes did by malice offer Martial epist ad Burdegal cap. 3. when they crucified Christ Sacerdotes honorabatis qui decipiebant vos sacrificijs suis qui mutis surdis statuis offerebant Nunc autem multò magis Sacerdotes Dei omnipotentis qui vitam vobis tribuunt in calice viuo pane honor are debetis Christi corpus sanguinem in vitam aeternam offerimus Quod Iudaei per Inuidiam immolauerunt putantes se nomen eius à terra abolere nos causa salutis nostrae in ara sanctificata proponimus scientes hoc solo remedio nobis vitam The Britanâ— here so held praestandam mortem effugandam hoc enim ipse Dominus noster iussit nos agere in sui commemoratioâ—em This was also the doctrine of our first Christian Gildas l. de excid conq Britan. c. 26. manuscript antiq de tit S. Patricij Capg in cod Giâ—ald Caâ—mb Britans Their Preists were consecrated to offer the heauenly Sacrifice at the holie Altar They conseâ—rated Christs bodie and blood with their mouthes â—roprio ore And of all the people in the world as â—heir Antiquities witnes they most honoured clearâ—ie men in such respects Ecclesiasticis viris longè â—agis quà m vllaÌ„ gentem honoreÌ„ deferentes Their Bishops were consecrated with holie Chrisme imposition in descript cambr c. 18. of hands and consecrating words in consecratione Pontificum capita eorum sacri Chrismatis infusione perungere cum Inuocatione sancti Spiritus manus impositione The hands of Preists were consecrated Gild. l. de excid Britan. in castigatione Cleri to offer and handle the blessed Sacrifice Benedictione initiantur Sacerdotum manus S. Paule in diuers places proueth it giueth grace so making it a true and proper holie Sacrament Noli negligere 1. Timoth. 4. gratiam quae in te est quae data est tibi cum impositione manuum presbyterij And admoneo te vt resuscites 2. Timoth. 1. gratiam Dei quae est in te per impositionem manuum mearum And Christ himselfe by his owne example and testimonie S. Iohn the Euangelist so recording affirmeth that the holie ghost and power to forgiue sins were giuen in this Sacramentall ceremonie Io 20. Accipe Spiritum fanctum quorum remiseritis peccata remittuntur eis And it is the witnesse of God that holie Orders is the worke of the holie ghost Dixit Spiritus sanctus Segregate mihi Saulum Act. 13. Barnabam in opus ad quod assumpsi eos Tunc iâ—iunantes orantes imponentesque eis manus dimiserunt illos It is confessed by the greatest Protestant authoritie in England of King Protestant Bishops K. Iames and his protest publike conference at hampton court Couell def of hooker p. 87. and others their best scollers in their publike examen of their Religion That this power of Orders giuen as they pretend by imposition of hands Iâ— diuinae Ordinationis and de iure diuino The ordinâ—â—ce of God and by his diuine lawe To these persons Gâ—â— imparted power ouer his mysticall bodie which is â—â— societie of soules and ouer that naturall which is himself Mod. exâ—minaâ— pag. 105. 155. def of hooker pag. which antiquitie doth call the making of Christ body The power of the ministry by blessing visâ—â— elements it maketh them inuisible grace giueth 87. 88. 91. daily the holy ghost it hath to dispose of that flesh which was giuen for the life of the world and that blood which was powred out to redeeme soules It is a power which neither Prince nor potentate King nor Caesar on earth can giue The Apostles did impart the same power to ordayne which was giuen to them And in their publikly authorized Rituall and Protest Booke of Consecrat in Order Bish. and Preists booke of consecration or making Protestant Bishops and Preists warranted by their parlaments in these very Articles and their generall practise in ordayning all their Church men it is diuers times and plainely confessed both by words and actions that the holy ghost grace and power to giue grace and forgiue sinnes is infallibly giuen Protest confat hampton Communion Booke Titul visitat of the sike by the externall signe or ceremony vsed therein And both their publike conference and examen of their Religion and the common booke of their Church seruice do proue and giue warrant from hence from their ministers to forgiue sinns by such power committed to them from God in their ordination Therefore if there be any ground or warrant for the Protestant Religion of England or any one point or article thereof though but such as they pretend for the proposers and authorizers thereof whether Protestant Prince parlament conuocation canons Articles the publik bookes and practise thereof or whatsoeuer els they can name in this kinde holie Orders and preisthood so vehemently persecuted by them is by their owne doctrine and Religion an holie Sacrament in such proper true sense and meaning as it is vsed in the Romane Church at this time and euer was They were the Messaliani or Massaliani Euchitae or Enthusiastae heretiks about the Damascen de haeresib hist tripart l. 7. Theod. l. 4 c 11.
as the holyest Sainct that euer was there is noe damnation there is noe hell at all This doctrine putteth downe that beastely saying of Epicurus to take all pleasure in this life because he thought there was none after death for this doth Breede all wantonnesse and yet promiseth euerlasting pleasures in the world to come Therefore although wee most freely doe and are so bounde to beleeue and professe that the passion merits of Christ are of infinite cure validity worth and value in themselues able to haue beene a perfect redemption propitiation and satisfaction for all the sinnes of the whole worlde and more then euer were shall or can be committed if Christ had so ordeyned and sinners so applyed them by such holy Instruments and meanes as Sacraments and others as he prouided and Instituted and they which are and shall be saued haue and will vse and apply to that end and purpose the meanes yet to those that doe not receaue and practise neither Christs oblation vpon the Crosse nor any thing he did or suffered can be a perfect redemption propitiation or satisfaction for all or any sinne And among these necessary Instruments meanes applications of Christs redemption propitiation and Satisfaction for sinners the holy sacrifice of Masse is one and most excellent eminent and honorable wherein the truely and duely consecrated Preists of Christs Church by vertue and power giuen them in their consecration doe offer Christ for the quicke and the deade to haue remission of paine or guilt which this article blasphemously faith were blasphemous fables and daungerous deceites And first our Protestants themselues euen King Iames the heade cheife interpretour of their Religion and congregation whilest he liued with his approued protestante writers Bishops Doctours and others publickly priuiledged and warranted by cheife authoritie in their proceedings thus confesse for truth this article to be hereticall Neither is Casanbon resp ad Card. Per. p. 51. 52. c. the King ignorant nor denyeth that the Fathers of the the primatiue Church did acknowledge one Sacrifice in the Christian Religion that succeeded in the place of the Sacrifices of Moses lawe Middlet Papistm pag. 92 113. 49. 137 138. 47. 45. The sacrifice of the Altare and vnbloody sacrifice were vsed in the primatiue Church and the auncient Fathers called the sacrifice of the body blood of Christ a sacrifice The primatiue Church did offer sacrifice at the altare for the deade sacrifice for the deade was atradition of the Apostles and the auncient Fathers Aërius Feild l. 3. pag. c. 29. p. 138. Couel exam pag. 114. condemned the custome of the Church in naming the deade at the altare and offerring the sacrifice of Eucharist for them and for this his rache and inconsiderate boldnesse and presumption in condemning the vniuersall Church of Christ he was iustly condemned Here we see by our Protestants themselues that vpon a second and better consideration they graūte from our first founders in Christ that the Catholike doctrine and custome so basely censured in this their Article is Orthodoxall the Religion and tradition of the Apostles Iudgment and practise of the vniuersall Church of Christ and that which this their article concludeth was iustly condemned for heresie Therefore I may be more breife in alleadging the Apostolike writers to such propose Sainct Paul witnesseth that euery high preist or Hebr. c. 8. Cap 5. preist is ordayned to offer Sacrifice to God for the people omnis Pontifox ad offerenduni munera hostias constituitur Omnis namque Pontifex ex hominibus assumptus pro hominibus constituitur in ijs quae sunt ad Deum vt offerat dona sacrificia pro peccatis He also with other Scriptures saith both that Christ was a Preist after this Order of Preisthood and Preists of this Order should be for euer Hebr. 7. Ps 109. in the lawe of the Ghospell Tu es Sacerdos in aeternum secundum ordinem Melchisedech necessarium fuit secundum ordinem Melchisedech alium surgere Sacerdotem Translato Sacerdotio necesse est vt legis translatio fiat sempiternum habet Sacerdotium But it is also euident both by Scripture and all Apostolike writers that neither Christ nor any Christian Preist of that Order offered any other sacrifice hauing resemblance to the Sacrifice of Melchisedech in breade and wine then when Christ at his last supper offered gaue his blessed bodie and blood vnder those formes and gaue then power commaunde to his Apostles other Preists to doe the same as I haue aboundantly proued by the Fathers of this age and our Protestants haue so confessed before It was also so certaine among the old Hebrues before Christ that Christ the Messias should be such a Preist and offer such a sacrifice and his Preists after him and all sacrifices in the lawe should then cease and giue place vnto it That Theodor. Bibliandor de SS Trinit lib. 2. pag. 89. vit l. de test Miss Petr. Gallat l. de arcan fid ca. Franciscus Stancar Prot. Rasil in pref ad Petr. Gallat de Arcan Mort. Supr alij Protestants themselues thus confesse it Erat apud Veteres Hebraeos dogma receptissimum in aduentu Messiaebenedicti cessatura esse omnia legalia sacrificia tantumque celebrandum sacrificium Thoda illud peragendum pane vino sicut Melchizedech Rex Salem Sacerdos Dei altissimi temporibus Abrahami panem vinum protulit And the old Rabbines of the Iewes before Christ euen as they are commended vnto vs both by Catholike Protestant Antiquaries do most playnely deliuer vnto vs the same Catholike truth as hath beene before confessed by thes Protestāts that in this holie sacrifice offered for sinnes bread and wine are miraculously chaunged into the bodie and blood of the Messias Rabbi Samuel saith vpon the oblation of Melchisedech Rabbi Samuel in Bereschit Rabba ad cap. 14. Genes that he sacrificed and taught that Sacrifice Actus Sacerdotij tradidit erat ipse Sacrificans panem vinum Deo sancto benedicto So haue Rabbi Moses Hadarsan and Rabbi Enachinam Melchisedech proferens panem vinum ostendit quod docuit eum Sacerdotij actum quier at panem vinum sacrificare Et hoc est quod habetur in Psalmis Iurauit Dominus non paenitebit eum tu es Sacerdos in aeternum secundrm ordinem Melchisedech And Rabbi Phinees saith most euidētly that in the time of Messias all other Sacrifices should cease and the Messias being a Preist after the Order of Melchisedech should except this alone and this onely should be vsed in this Religion Tempore Messiae omnia sacrisicia cessabunt sed sacrificium panis vini non cessauit sicut dictum est Gen. 14. Melchisedech Rex Salem protulit panem vinum Melchisedech enim Rex Messias excipiet a cessatione Sacrificiorum panis vini sicut dicitur psalmo Tu es Sacerdos in aeternum
the most auncient publike Church Masses or liturgies which Christians do or can alledge in their Religion bearing the names of the Apostles themselues and yet in euery one of them this most holie Sacrifice of Christs bodie and blood is quite contrarie to this article offered both for the quicke as is manifest and the deade also to haue remission of payne and gilt Fac Domine vt oblatio nostra accepta sit in propitiationem peccatorum nostrorum inrequiem animarum eorum qui ante nos dormierunt So S. Iames. Memento Domine famulorum famularumque Miss S. Iacob tuarum qui nos praecesserunt cum signo fidei dormiunt in somno pacis Ipsis Domine omnibus in Christo quiescentibus locum refrigerij pacis indulgeas deprecamur So S. Peter Animabus patrum Miss S. Petr. fratrum nostrorum qui antea in Christo fide dormierunt dona requiem Domine Deus noster horum omnium animabus Domine Deus noster dona requiem in sanctis tabernaculis tuis in regno tuo easque caelorum regno dignare So S. Marke Memento Domine Miss S. Marc. omnium fidelium dormientium in rectae fidei quiescentium So and much more S. Matthew Memento Miss S. Matt. Domine Seruorum tuorum quaecumque in vita deliquerunt ignosce Offerimus tibi rationabile hâ—c obseqnium pro fidelibus dormiâ—ntibus So S. Andrew and S. Chrisostome after him with the consent of the Fathers both of the greeke Latin Church testifying it was so decreed and left by the Apostles and practised by the Church of Christ Non Chrisostom Hom. 69. ad populum Antiochen temere ab Apostolis haec sancita fuerunt vt in tremendis mysterijs desunctorum agatur commemoratio Sciunt enim illis inde multum contingere lucrum vtilitatem multam Cum enim totius constiterit populus Sacerdotalis plenitudo tremendum proponatur sacrificium quomodo Deum non exorabimus pro his deprecantes And neque abs re is qui astat altari dum venerandâ— Oratione 41. in 1. Corinth peraguntur mysteria clamat pro omnibus qui in Christo dormierunt ijs qui pro ipsis celebrant memorias So in the Masses of S. Barnabas and S. Ambrose S. Basile the Syrians Mozarabes Gothes Muscouites Armenians and all Christians before thes times So it was in the old Masse vsed in Fraunce Hilduinus epist ad Loduic Imperat. Berno Augen Abb. Libell de reb ad missa spectant r. 2. Brytaâ—ne and all this west part of the world from the first receauing of Christianitie here as Hilduinus writing 800. yeares since with others proue the auncient copies thereof being then so old and worne that they were allmost consumed with age Cui adstipulari videntur antiquissimi nimia vetustate pene consumpti Missales libri continentes Missae ordinem more gallico qui ab initio receptae fidei vsus in hac occidentali plaga est habitus vsque quo tenorem quo nunc vtitur Romanum susceperit These our Missals so old 800. yeares since were no new Inuention THE XXIV CHAPTER The 32. Article intituled of the marriage of Preists thus examined and condemned THeir next 23. Article intituled of the marriage of Preists is thus Bishops Preists and Dcacons are not commaunded by Gods lawe either to vowe the estate of single life or to abstaine from marriage Therefore it is lawfull also for them as for all other Christian men to marry at their owne discretion as they shall Iudge the same to serue better to godlinesse This is their whole Article and making the only Scripture which they meane by Gods lawe to be the rule of Religion it is often confuted before And most false prophane and in many cases euen by their owne lawes and proceedings rebellious trayterous and tumultuous to say or write that no thinge is to be obeyed and performed but what is commaunded by Gods lawe or scripture and euery priuate carnall minister may Iudge herein at his owne discretion For by this Paradoxe all temporall and ciuill lawes of Princes not commaunded in scripture are voyde frustrate and not to be obeyed and such men and ministers against all publike rule and gouernment may Iudge censure doe and practise against all or any such lawes of his true and lawfull Soueraigne King though the wisest most Godly and potent in the world all common weales are layde open to manifest or rather certaine daunger and destruction And no law of England in particular is by this article to be obeyed except these ministers will interprete it to be commaunded by Gods laws And so all humane lawes doe cease and onely the lawe of God is in force and to be obeyed So wee must say of all Ecclesiasticall lawes also if they be not commaunded in the law of God all Courts Consistories and Tribunals must be taken away with their Iudges Rulers and Gouernours both ciuill and Ecclesiasticall except they can proue to these men that all their processes proceedings are commaunded in the lawe of God Againe by their owne Religion this Articles doctrine both for the reason it maketh and the conclusion it selfe is false for first in their 6. Article before intituled of testimony of holy scriptures for saluatioÌ„ They haue declared that things read in scriptures or to be proued thereby are articles of faith and requisite or necessary to saluation And so by these men it is allowed against this article that although it is not commaunded by Gods lawes or the Scripture that Bishops Preists and Deacons must vowe the state of single life or abstaine from Marriage yet if this is either reade in holy Scripture or can be proued thereby their Marriage is vnlawfull by their owne confession Queene Elizabeth her Iniunctions an 1. Regni eius Secondly the iniunctions of Queene Elizabeth nothing inferiour to these Articles doe forbid all their ministers to marry without their Bishops licence and allowance Therefore this article in their owne proceedings is vntrue to say they might lawfully marry at their owne discretion as all other Christian men might doe And as false it is that all other Christian men might lawfully Marry euen in these mens doctrine in this article For if the scripture Gods lawe did not commaunde Bishops Preists Deacons or any other to vowe the estate of single life or to abstaine from Marriage yet they which voluntarily doe make such vowes are commaunded by Gods lawe to keepe them redde altissmo vota Naum 1. psal 20. 60. 65. 115. Hier. 44. Psal 75. Is 19. tua Tihireddetur votâ—m Faciamus vota nostra quae vouimus Voueâ—e reddite Domino Vota vonebunt Domino soluent If a iust promise of man to man doth so stricktly binde by all lawes how much more obligatorie and binding is the promise and vowe of man to God The vowes of Chastitie Pouâ—rtie and Obedience in religious men neither Bishops Preists nor
Dominus Sed tâ—rtium excellentem gradum honestatisin virginitate demonstrauit nobis perfectum per omnia similem angelicae dignitati And he thought the chaste life to be so fitte requisite for the more perfect seruing of God that euen princes then not onely clergy men embraced it to that holy end So he writeth of the Queene or Princesse Valeria though espoused how shee had professed virginitie by his preaching Virgo Valeria Sponsa Regis caelestis per meam praedicationem virginitateÌ„ mentis corporis Deo deuouerat And of King or Prince Stephen pro suauitate praemij futuri illectus copulam carnalium nuptiarum deuitauerit per meam praedicationem quatenus liberior Deo famulari possit S. Dionysius is most playne in this matter and Dionys Areopag Eccl. Hier. c. 6. ep ad Gain alibi setteth downe the very manner how chastitie was professed before the Bishops in that time and how that such in respect of others were cheifly called Therapentae cultores the perfect worshippers of God euen by the Apostles themselues Sancti praeceptores nostri diuinis eos appellationibus sunt prosecuti So both he and they must needs teach that Bishops Preists and Deacons euer conuersant about most sacred things were to liue in chastitie So we Sim. Metaphrast die 29. Iunij must needs say of Britayne first because we finde that S. Peter admitting onely men of chastitie to thes holie Orders as before did first consecrate our first Bishops Preists and Deacons here Apud Britannos Ecclesias constituit Episcoposque Praesbyteros Diaconos ordinauit Secondly if any were wanting after they were as before supplyed by S. Clement onely allowing such to those sacred offices Thirdly all those whose names be preserued to haue beene Bishops in or of this nation as S. Aristobulus S. Mansuetus S. Beatus S. Ioseph sonne of S. Ioseph of Aramathia which buryed Christ and some others by some writers are so remeÌ„bred by the Antiquities where we finde that there is not the least suspition but they continually liued in virginall or chastelife If this Aristobulus was the same which Metaphrastes Metaphrâ—st die 26. Iunij Mat. 8. Marc. 1. Luc. 4. Gulielm Eisengren centenar 1. part 1. dist 3. Petr. de Natal l. 11. Anton. Democh. l. 2. câ—nt Caluin Arn. Merman Theatr. conuers gent. in metensib Martyrolog Rom. Bed vsuard Molan die 9. Maij Guliel Eisengren centen 2. part 5. Annal. Helueth Antiquit Eccl. Constant Baron an in mart Rom. 9. Maij. Theater of great Britaine l. 6. Antiquitat Glaston manuscript writeth to haue beene Father in lawe to S. Peter the scripture wittnesseth his wife remayned in Iury so farre distant from him in Britayne if shee liued so long S. Mansuetus liued a collegiall life with onely Preists and clergy men no women with them and was consecrated by S. Peter the Apostle hauing before forsaken contrie kindred verie noble ex nobili prognatus familia men women and all for the loue of Christ S. Beatus of noble birth here in Btitayne both by Catholike Protestant Antiquaries forsooke all and went to Rome and there with an other Britan whose name is not perfectly remembred one calleth him Achates was consecrated and was so chaste that except when he preached he seldome or neuer saw women one or other liuing a solitary single Eremiticall life Of S. Ioseph sonne of S. Ioseph said in the oldest monuments and antiquities of that holie company to haue beene miraculously by Christ himselfe consecrated or at the least elected and designed a Bishop and the rest of that sacred company Preists Deacons or whatsoeuer it is most euident they liued and died in perpetuall chastitie in the Iland Aualan all Antiquaries Catholiks and Protestants confesse that King Aruiragus gaue the place onely to those holy men it was to them onely confirmed by the two next following Kings Marius and Goillus celles were made onely for Tab. fix Gul. Malmesbur l. de Aut. Caenobij Glaston Capgr Catal. Sanct. in S. Ioseph Aramath S. Patricio Iacob Genuen in ijsdem Ioh. Bal. l. de Script cent 1. in S. Ioseph Aramathien Ioh. Leland assertion Arthurij Godnyn Theater of great Brit. l. 6. Caius l. antiq accadem Cantabrigien Stowe Hist Romans Charta Regis Hen. 2 aliorum Reg. Socrat. Hist Ecâ—l l. 1. cap. 8. them there they liued alone they left no children or posteritie after them and the place of habitation was so desart and desolate when S. Damianus and Phaganus were sent hither by Pope Eleutherius in King Lucius his time the next age that their place of dwelling was become a denne for wylde beastes Caepit idem locus esse ferarum latibulum qui priùs fuerat habitatio Sanctorum Therefore we are enforced by the authorities of Scripture tradition the whole Church Geeke and Latin the Apostolike age and writers and all warrant in religion to conclude that the doctrine of this article is false that Bishops Preists and Deacons may lawfully marry at their owne discretion And verie vainely our Protestants singularily alledge for their defence from Socrates the historian that Paphnutius dissuaded the Fathers of the first Nicen councell not to decree that Bishops Preists and Deacons might not keepe companie with their wyues which they had marryed when they were lay men vt qui essent sacris initiati sicut Episcopi Presbiteri Diaconi cum vxoribus quas cum erant Laici in matrimonium duxissent minimè dormirent But it should suffice that they which were vnmarried when they were called to the clergie should according to the old tradition of the Church abstayne afterward from marriage vt qui in clerum ante ascripti erant quam duxissent vxores hi secundum veterem Ecclesiae traditionem deinceps à nuptijs seabstinerent For here the marriage of such men and this Article is plainely condemned by their owne Authour and the old Apostolike tradition in the Church And this is confirmed by aboue 200. Later Bishops Episc Grâ—â— 227. in can Trullen can 6. of the Greeke Church itselfe testifying it was the doctrine and tradition of the Apostles that among those of the cleargie none but Lectours and Singers might marrie and they accordingly decree that no Subdeacon Deacon or Preist may marrie and if he should he must be deposed Quoniam in Apostolicis Canoibus 〈◊〉 est torum qui non ductâ vxore in clerum promouentur solos lectores cantores vxorem posse ducere nos hoc seruantes decernimus vt deinceps nulli penitus Hypodiacono vel Diacono vel Presbytero post sui ordinationem coningium contrahere liceat Si autem hoc facere ausus fuerit deponatur And this is their vse and practise to thes dayes The other clause of Paphnutius opinion about Bishops Preists and Deacons married before their consecration not to be barred from such their former wiues married vnto them when they were lay men by any expresse lawe
whole Christian worlde in that generally confessed puer and vnspotted time both by Catholiks and Protestants And these men confessing that Christ did not in any other place of scripture giue this sacrificing Preistly power vnto his Apostles the cheife founders of his Church and yet being acknowledged before to be our high Preist according to that Order of Melchisedech and both to offer the Sacrifice thereof and establish it for his perpetuall Preisthood and sacrifice it cannot be said by any but his Apostles were by him ordained sacrificing Preists at that time The words of the power hee then gaue them hoc facite do that which he in that preistly act and office did or had done being spoken by him which had both ample power and intention to giue and continue that preistly order at and in his place and time of Sacrifice and now no longer to continue with his disciples be as significant of that power as the words of consecrating true Preists by true and lawfull Bishops euer vsed in the Church of Christ Accipe potestatem offerre Sacrificium Deo Pont. Rom. in ordinat Presbyteri missasque celebrare tam pro viuis quà m pro defunctis Receaue power to offer vpp sacrifice to God celebrate Masse both for the liuing and deade For as I haue proued before both Christ and his Apostles so did and left that preistly power and practise to posteritie for euer to offer Sacrifice both for the liuing and deade And our Protestants themselues haue with publike allowance confessed it was the generall custome of the primatiue Church so to do and such as impugned ordenied it were iustly condemned for so doing And they haue with Regall Is Casaub resp ad Card. peron pag. 51. 52. Middleton papist omast pag. 51. 92. 113. 44. 137. 138. morton appeale l. 3. cap. 13. sect 1. pag. 394. cap. 13. authoritie and direction from King Iames published that it was the Religion of the King and the whole Protestant Church of England Haec est Regis haec est fides Ecclesiae Anglicanae that the fathers of the primatiue Church did acknowledge one sacrifice in Christian Religion that succeeded in place of all the sacrifices in the lawe of Moses And the King with his Protestants agreed with the Catholiks in their opinion de duplici sacrificio expiationis nempe commemorationis siue Religionis Concerning two Kindes of sacrifice the one of expiation for the world the other commemoratiue or of Religion And this Sacrifice is the bodie of Christ in the Eucharist as Catholiks hold Nobis vobiscum de obiecto conuenit De hoc est fide firma tenemus quod sit Praesentiam credimus praesentiam inquam credimus nec minus quà m vos veram Therefore to giue Preists power to offer this sacrifice there must needs be some consecratorie words or forme to bestowe it vpon them which if we recurre to scripture as thes men must do we can finde nothing there but those words of hoc facite in meam commemorationem spoken at the sacrifice time and place by Christ to those he then ordeined sacrificing Preists And this is most plainely confessed by thes our English Protestants with common and publike warrant both confessing that the order of the preisthood in the lawe of Christ was to offer sacrifice this sacrifice was the bodie and blood of Christ he made his Apostles such Preists at his last supper when he saide those words vnto them Hoc facite in meam commemorationem Marc. Anton. lib. 2. cap. 1. num 3. Do this is my commemoration Ordinis potestatem intelligo ad conficiendam Eucharistiam sacrificij in cruce per Iesum Christum peracti memoriam celebrandam ad quod Sacerdotium quoddam est necessarium Ad hoc Sacerdotium promoti sunt Apostoli à Christo Domino in vltima caena quando eis dixit Hoc facite in meam commemorationem Quando Christus Eucharistiae conficiendae Apostolis dabat potestatem dixit eis Hoc facite in meam commemorationem cap. 3. pag. 193. nimirum id quod me videtis nunc facere vos facite Hoc est sumite panem benedicite frangite porrigite similiter vinum consequenter Apostoli ex ipso facto Christi instructi certè diuina Christi institutione dabant Eucharistiam And they say that Christ in those words gaue power to his Apostles to consecrate or transubstantiate breade into Christs bodie and wine into his blood as he himselfe had done Accepto pane gratias egit fregit dedit cap. 4. pag. â—18 eis diâ—ens HOC EST CORPVS MEVM quod pro vobis datur Hoc facite in meam commemorationem Panis consecrationem in Corpus Christi vini in sanguiâ—em ipse coram Apostolis fecit eandem ipsi quoque vt facerent frangerent darent expressè mandauit Thus haue our Protestants published with their cheife authoritie Which I haue inuincibly proued before And the Apostles themselues best witnesses of their owne consecration to preisthood and how others are to be consecrated thereto so testifie and direct as S. Clement their disciple thus recordeth from their owne words Quare vos quoque Clem. const Apost l. 5. cap. 20. suscitato Domino offerte Sacrificium vestrum de quo vobis praecepit per nos dicens hoc facite in meam commemorationem The like testimonie is from them of themselues l. 8. const Apost cap. 5. and other Preists before offerendo Sacrificium mundum inâ—ruâ—ntum quod per Christum instituisti mysterium noui testamenti So haue others also before And to followe our Protestants Rule in expounding scriptures by comparing places and the new testament to preferre the Greeke Text S. Paule maketh it plaine vnto vs euen in our Protestants proceedings that those words of Christ to his Apostles Do this in commemoration of mee were spoken vnto them onely as Preists then consecrated For in S. Matthew and S. Marke they are not vsed Mat. 26. MaÌ„r 14. Luâ— 22. at all and in S. Luke they are onely at the deliuery of Christs bodie vnder the forme of bread hoc facite in meam commemorationem and not at the calice But S. Paule saith plainely that he had receaued from our Lord and so deliuered vnto others before he wrote it Ego enim accepi à Domino quod 1. Cor. 11. tradidi vobis and so writeth afterward that Christ said those words to this Apostles twice once at deliuering his bodie the other time at the calice yet it is euident before and our Protestants haue so graunted that lay people haue often communicated onely in one Kinde which had neuer beene lawfull if this commaunde and power in both had beene giuen to them therefore it must needs be a power and commaunde onely to Preists at their holie sacrifice who onely in the holie Masse haue euer and in all places both consecrated offered and there receaued in both Kindes