it hath new and different Articles and doctrines of Faith unknowne to the old Church and not to be found for such in the writings of any of the ancient Fathers for five hundred yeeres after Christ FOr the first The Church of Hierusalem is more ancient then the Church of Rome Hierusalem where our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ himselfe preached and offered himselfe a Sacrifice for our sinnes and where the Apostles and Disciples first preached for although they were sent to preach to all Nations yet they preached first to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel according to Christs Commandement This Church is most ancient St Iames was the first Bishop there The Law went out of Sion Matth. 10.6 the word of the Lord from Jerusalem This Citie was Emporium Isay 2.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Histor Eccles Lib. 5. cap 9. the Mart of Christian faith the mother of all Churches as Theodoret saith 2. 2. Antioch Acts. 11.26 The Church of Antioch in Syria where the Disciples were first called Christians Of this Church Saint Peter was Bishop some yeres before he went to Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad populum Antioch homil 3. and this Church is also more ancient then the Church of Rome Saint Chrysostome calleth this Church the Head of all the world 3. The Greeke Church was planted by Saint Paul 3. Graecians and Saint Andrew from whence and the fore named Churches the name of Christ flowed Eia igitur Graecia mater nostra cui id totum debet quod habet Latina Ecclesia Conc. Trid. orat Episc Bitont as from a spring over all the world and the faith was spread in all places and this the Bishop of Bitonto acknowledged in the Councell of Trent It is our mother Graecia to whom the Latine Church is beholding for that which she hath the Easterne Church was before the Church of Rome in Time and from thence the Church of Rome hath received Christianitie the new Testament the three Creedes the very name of Baptisme Eucharist Bishop Priest and Deacon 4. 4. Aethiopia Aethiopia received Christianitie from the Eunuch of Queene Candases Huic Philippus responsis Sancti Spiritus jussus primò ex omnibus Gentibus mysterium fidei sacramentum Baptismi tradidit velut quasdam eum Dee primitias omnium consecrat nationū Eusch Eccles histor lib. 2. cap. 1. to whom as Eusebius reporteth first of all the Gentiles Philip by the command of the holy Ghost delivered the mysterie of Faith and the Sacrament of Baptisme and consecrated him to God as the first Fruits of all nations Saint Matthew also preached to the Aethiopians 5. For the Antiquity of the Church of Rome both St Hierom and Eusebius testifie that St Peter came to Rome in the raigne of Claudius the Emperour 5. Rome Hierom Catalog Eccles script pag. 265. Euseb Eccles his lib. 2. c. 14.16 and in his second yeere saith Hierom. 6. The Church of England received Christianitie as some say from Joseph of Arimathea others from Simon Zelotes the Apostle 6. England Guildas Sapiens de excidio Britan. Christus suos radios id efl suapraecepta indulget tempore ut scimus sūmo Tiberij Caesaris quo absque ullo impedimento eius propagabatur religio Bibli vet Pat. tem 5. par 3. pag. 675. Britannia omniū provinciarum prima publicitus Christi nomen recepit Sabel in Ennead 7. lib. 5. Guildas reporteth that our Island received Christianitie in the time of Tiberius Caesar who dyed in the yeere of our Lord 39. which if it bee so the Church of England received Christianitie before the Church of Rome some yeeres before Peter came to Rome which was in the time of Claudius who succeeded Tiberius And for the Honour of my Mother Church I speake that Christianity was first publickly professed by authority in this Kingdome about 130. yeeres before it was in Rome Lucius our King beeing as I reade the first Christran King in Europe who reigned about the yeere of our Lord 170. And moreover Constantine the Christian Emperour was borne amongst us who gave the first publique libertie of Religion to the Roman Church So that Rome was beholding for the publique liberty of Religion to Constantine Our country man Speedes histerie pag. 207. Also the inhabitants of Britaine as I reade were instructers unto others as frō hence was Netherland converted to Christianitie as testifieth the storie of Swithbertus Burgundie by our Columbanus saith Sigebert Swedia by Gallus as saith Petrus de Natalibus and Frisia by Wilfred as it is recorded by Beda and Matthew of Westminster The Franconians Hassians and Turingians by Winifred our Devonshire man The Norvegians by Nicolas Breakespere of Middlesex And the Lituanians by Thomas Walden of Essex and all the reformed Churches in Christendome derived their light from the learned Wickleffe of Oxford In regard of this Polidor Virgil doth rightly call England the Parent or Mother-Monasterie of all Europe And Peter Ramus termeth Britaine to be twice Schoolemistris to the Kingdome of France Terra Britanniae ante adventum Christi unius Dei consensit religionem hom 4. in Ezech. moreover Origen writeth that the Britaine 's received the religion of one God before the comming of Christ Secondly whereas the Church of Rome boasteth of Antiquity The Church of Rome since Boniface the 3 and the old Church of Rome planted by St Peter St Paul are not one and the same but are farre different The old Church of Rome as St Paul telleth us was a branch of that Tree whereof Christ Iesus was the root The now Church of Rome will bee no branch but the roote it selfe The ancient Church of Rome was but a member of the Catholique Church of God of which Iesus Christ was Head But the now Church of Rome is the Catholique Church it selfe of which the Pope is head and such a Church was never in Rome for 600. yeares after Christ for so long no Bishop of Rome durst presume to take upon him Christs title to be head of his Church husband of his spouse till Boniface the third with him began this Church Thirdly And as they have a new Church so they have a new Creede and Articles of Doctrine as for example sake 1. That the Pope the head of the Church cannot erre in the matter of faith 2. That all Ecclesiasticall power dependeth upon the Pope 3. That he hath power to canonize Saints 4. That he hath power to depose Kings 5. That the Popes pardons are requisite or usefull to release soules out of Purgatorie 6. That there is a treasurie of Saints merits and superabundant satisfactions at the Popes disposing 7. That the Priest can make his Maker 8. That the sacred Host made by the Priest ought to bee elevated and carried in solemne procession and adored 9. That the effects of the Sacrament dependeth upon the intention of the
Of the agreement of the Ancient Roman East and South Church with vs in the points set downe and also of Gregorie the great Bishop of Rome who sent Austen into England 7 Of the Religion of the Antient Brittans and of their differences from the now Roman Church 8 Of the Pietie and Devotion of the Christians before named 1 The principall differences betweene the Romanists and us THE maine difference betweene the Church of Rome and us consists in certaine points which they of Rome hold for important and necessary Articles of the Christian faith which we doe not beleive or receive for such For the things which we beleeue are verities cleerely founded upon Scripture and summarily set downe in the Creed and vnaminously received by all Orthodoxall Christianes This Creed which the Antients thought compleat enough seemeth to the Romanists defective and therefore they have adioyned and added to the same many new Articles yea to those twelue which the Apostles set downe for a sufficient Summary of wholesome doctrine The Articles of their New Creed and Doctrines are Their Apocryphall Scriptures Their Dogmaticall Traditions which they equall with the holy Scriptures Their Transubstantiation Their Communion in one kinde Their Purgatorie Their Invocation of Saints Their Worship of Images Their Obedience to the Pope without which no salvation Their Latine Service Their Trafique of Indulgences These and other new doctrines are Canonized in their late meeting at Trent and vpon these and the like is the contestation betweene the Romanists and vs these are obtruded by them as vndoubted verities and to be believed under the Popes curse These are reiected by vs as human inventions some of them cunningly devised to advance their ambition avarice without any solid ground or countenance of Scripture or Antiquitie He that desireth to see mere of the differences betweene the Romanists and us let him reade Doct. Field of the Church Doct. Field of the Church Booke 3. cap. 7. pag. 83. 2 The Agreement of the Churches before named with us in the chiefe Points in Controversie following Of the Greeke Church AS the writings of the Greeke Fathers for above five hundred yeares space after Christ give testimonie to our Religion in the maine Points thereof So also the Churches at this day in those parts doe hold with us and we and they against the now Romish Church As 1 The Greekes deny the Popes Supremacie Cyrill Patriarch of Constantinople 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cap. 10. pag. 28. Wee beleeve that no mortall man can be Head of the Church and that our Lord IESVS CHRIST is the alone Head Marke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concilium Ptorens pag. 721. Binius Archbishop of Ephesus We account the Pope as one of the Pariarks if he be Orthodox Nilus Archbishop of Thessalonica The Greeke Church though it never denied the Primacie of Order to the Pope of Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Nilus de Primatu pag. 101. yet their assumed predominancie of Authoritie they have alwayes resisted The Emperour Ioannes Paleologus submitted himselfe to the Pope in the Councell of Florence 1436. in hope of Aide against the Turke Paulus Aemilius cited by Bishop Iewell Defence of the Apolog. pag. 411. for which he was so hated of his people that being dead they denied him Christian buriall Jsodore Archbishop of Kiovia returning from the sayd Councell because he began Hunc Moscovitae obedientiam Romanam praedicantem spoliaverunt in necem extremam impulerunt Mathias à Michou de Sarmatia lib. 2. cap. 1. for unities sake to move the people to submit themselves to the Pope was deposed from his Bishopricke and put to death 2 They account the Pope and his Church Schismaticall The Patriarke of Constantinople doth yearely upon the Sunday In Praefaclene ante acta screpta Theelogorum Wirtembergensium Patriarchae Constantinopolitani Dom. Hieremiae An. Dom. 1576. called Dominica invocavit solemnely excommunicate the Pope and his Clergie for Schismaticks Summum antem Pontisicem Christi Vicarium omnesque Latinos pre excemmunicatis babens Elench Alphab omnium Hareseum lib. 7. pag. 202. Prateolus The Graecians account Christs Vicar the Pope and the Latines excommunicate persons 3 Concerning Transubstantiation Cyrill the Patriarch of Constantinople 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cap. 17. pag. 60. In the administration of the Eucharist we doe confesse a true and reall presence of Christ but such a one as Faith offereth us not such as devised Transubstantiation teacheth For we beleeve the faithfull to cate Christs body in the Lords Supper not sensibly champing it with their teeth but partaking it by the sence of the soule for that is not the body of Christ which offereth it selfe to our eyes in the Sacrament but that which Faith spiritually apprehendeth and offereth to us Hence it ensueth that if we beleeve we cate and participate if we beleeve not we receive no profit by it Hierimi the Patriarch teacheth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Respons 1. pag. 101. a change of bread into the body of Christ which he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a transmutation which is not sufficient to inferre a Transubstantiation because it may signifie onely a mysticall alteration which the Patriarch in the same place plainely sheweth saying the body and blood of Christ are truely mysteries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Patriar Respons cap. 10. pag. 86. not that these saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are changed into humane flesh but wee into them for the better things haue ever the preheminence Neither was the flesh saith he of our Lord. which he carried about him given to his Apostles for meate not his blood for drinke neither now in the holy mysteries doth the Lords body descend frō heaven this is blasphemie Ganlterus The Greeks say Malos dum consecratum panem accipiunt non accipere corpus Iesu Christi hoc ipsum perpeino Calvini Ministri in ore habent In Tabula Chronograph pag. 604. de Photio 19. that the wicked eating the consecrated bread doe not receive Christs body This also the Calvinists Ministers have alwayes in their mouthes 4 They celebrate the Eucharist in both kinds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Patriar Respons de Abusib pag. 129. Hieremie the Patriarch You say the holy Supper ought to be received in both kindes and you say well so also doe we when we doe receive those venerable Mysteries Cyrill the Patriarch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyrill cap 17 pag 61. As the Institutor speaketh of his body so also of his blood which Commandement ought not to be rent a sunder or mangled according to human Arbitrement but the Institution is to be kept intire as it is delivered to us Prateolus Item esse necessario sub vtraque specîe panis scilicet et vini communis andum adeo quidem vt qui vna specie tantum communicat etiamsi laicus sit peccare dicatur quod ut aiunt
approved him and so it may be said of many others Moreover their want of unitie will appeare in that the Popes of Rome as Lawgivers set them down in St. Peters Chaire as they pretend and made lawes and constitutions contrary to Gods commandements and Christs institutions As Clement the 5 gathered a Councell at Vienna 1311 in which it was ordeined that the Emperor should give his oath of Allegiance to the Pope Roman 13.1 1 Pet. 2 13. contrary to the written word of God Let every soule be subiect to higher powers And to the King as supreme Also in the Councell at Constance Anno 1414 the Pope and his Prelates altered the Testamentall legacy of Christ himselfe in taking from the Laitie the use of the Cup in the Sacrament the holy Symboll of Christs bloud which caused many true hearted Christians to tremble for that their Prelates durst set their mouthes against heaven and correct the ordinance of Christ himselfe and in that rude manner that although Christ did administer to his disciples under the formes of bread and wine c. Yet they commanded no Priest to communicate to the people in both kindes under the paine of excommunication And last of all Paul the third summoned a Councell at Mantua after removed to Irent wherein some few Bishops assembled being the Popes Creatures Flaccus Illyricus in prote statione adversus concilium Tridentinum of which holy fathers some were titular as Richard Pates Bishop of Worcester and blind Sr. Robert Bishop of Armagh and also two of them were taken in Adultery as Illyricus reporteth the one stroken with a dart the other taken in a trap by the husband Bp. Iuell defence pag. 625. hanged by the neck out of a window these helped to make the new articles of faith before mentioned and upon this Councell the now Roman Church dependeth Against this assembly Bellarm. de effect Sacrament lib. 2 cap. 25. Francis the French King protested and held it but for a private Conventicle and divers other Christian Nations have disavowed the same Many of the Canons therein decreed and established for Articles of faith are repugnant to the holy Scriptures as for example they decreed That Images may be made to be worshipped contrary to Deut. 27 15. and to the very second Commandement it selfe That prayers may be made to the Virgin Mary and to the Saints departed contrary to Math. 6.9 contrary to the practise of the Patriarches Prophets and Apostles and holy men in Scripture That the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is to be ministred and received in one kinde contrary to Christs institution Mat. 26.27 1 Cor 10.16 They that desire to see more particulars of the popish doctrines Barnard pag. 18.19.20 contrary to holy Scriptures let them read Mr. Barnards booke called Looke beyond Luther Doct Feild of the Church lib. 5 pag. 114. Frequentur accidit ut quae opinio paucis ab hinc annis usu non erat modo communi consensione recipiatur in Gallia et Germania nonulli scriptores tradide runt Crucem non esse colendam hono re et veneratione â—atriae sed alio infe viore cultu at in Hispania communi consensione doce tur Cruci cultum et honorem latriae deferendum Azori mora â—instit Tom 1. lib. 2 cap. 13. And moreover their opinions are different according to times places as Azorius the Iesuit saith it fals out that that which was the Comon opinion a few yeares since is not the opinion now and that which is the common opinion of Papists in one place is not the opinion in another As for example it is the comon opinion in Spaine and Italy that Latria or divine honor is due to the Crosse which in France and Germany is not so but some inferror kinde of worship is due thereunto And Navare the Iesuit saith that at Rome no man may say that the Councell is above the Pope nor at Paris that the Pope is above the Councell and thu s much of their want of unity difference between the Romanists VI. The Agreement of the antient Roman East and South Churches with us in these points following Which sent Austen the Monke to us and especially of Gregorie Bishop of Rome who is pretended to be the founder of the Roman Religion amongst us who lived about the yeere 600. which Tenets are condemned by the now Roman Church which plainely sheweth the Noveltie of the Doctrine of the now Romish Church and the Antiquitie of ours 1. The Popes Supremacie GRegory I say confidently The old Roman Church Ego autem sidenter dice quia quisquis se universalem sacerdâ—tem vocat vel vocari desiderat in elatione sua Antichristum pracurrit lib. 6. Epist 30. whosoever calleth himselfe or desires to bee called the universall Bishop is in the pride of his heart the forerunner of Antichrist None of my Predecessors Bishops of Rome Nullus unquam decessorum meerum hoc tam profane vocabulo uti concessit lib. 4. Epist 36. Distinct 99. Vniversalis autem nee etiam Romanus Pontifex appelletur ever consented to use this so profane a name Pope Pelagius Gregories Predecessor decreed that no Bishop no not the Bishop of Rome himselfe ought to be called universall Bishop Saint Chrysostom The Easterne Church Distinct. 40. C. multi ex Chrysos Quicunque desideraverit Primatum in terra inveniet confusionem in coelo nec inter servos Christi computabitur qui de primatu tractaverit Chrysost hom 3. ad Popul Antiochen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fol. 474. Savil. Patriarch of Constantinople He that seeketh primacy in earth in Heaven hee shall finde confusion and hee that doth but once intreate of primacie is not worthy to bee numbred amongst the servants of Christ Our Citie of Antioch is most dearest to Christ above all others and like as Peter did first preach among the Apostles so among Cities this had first of all the name of Christians as a certaine wonderfull Crowne Saint Augustine Bishop of Hippo in Aphrick The South Church Saint August de Verb. Domini Ser. 13. Super me aedificabo te non me super te Cyprian in sententijs Concil Carthag ad QuirinuÌ„ On these words thou art Peter and on this rocke which thou hast confessed I will build my Church I will build thee upon me and not me upon thee None of us maketh himselfe a Bishop of Bishops neither was Peter so arrogant to take things so insolently upon him as to advance himselfe as primate and one unto whom the rest as novices and punies should bee subject The old Roman Church Greg. moral lib. 19 c. 13. art 6. de qua re non inordinate agimus si ex libris licet non canonicis sed tamen ad adificationem Eccl. editis testimoniuÌ„ proferamus Eleazar namque c. 2. Canonicall Scripture Gregory Wee doe not amisse if wee bring forth a testimony out of the bookes