who can with any reason deny that the Popes supremacy the confession whereof is now made treason in England was in King Lucius dayes acknowledged generally of all men for what moued him being so farre from Rome to seeke to receiue the faith of Christ from thence but that he desyred to haue it from the fountayne head were there not Christians at the same tyme in England as there had ben from the tyme of Ioseph of Arimathia by some of whome it is lyke he was conuerted and might haue ben Baptysed or yf there were no Christians there that might satisfy his deuotion and desyre in that behalfe was there not at the same tyme very learned Bishops in France by whome he might haue receiued satisfaction without sending so farre as to Rome what then moued him therto but that he vnderstood that the admission of all Christs sheep into his fold the Church belonged principally to the successor of S. Peter to whome our sauiour particularly commended the feeding of his flock which saynt Bede insinuateth sufficiently saying that King Lucius beseeched Eleutherius by his letters that he might be made a Christian per eius mandatum by his commandement Neither can there any other probable reason be geuen why a few yeres after Donaldus King of Scots sent to Pope victor the next successor of Eleutherius to receiue of him the Christian fayth which at the same tyme florished not only in France as before I haue sayd but also in England from whence he might haue had Bishops and Priests to instruct and baptise him and his people But for the more manifest proof of this poynt let vs heare what S. Ireneus who florished at the same tyme in France teacheth concerning the autority of the sea Apostolike gouerned then by Eleutherius from whome K. Lucius receiued the fayth VVhen we shew sayth he the tradition of the greatest and most AuncieÌ„t Church knowen to all men founded constitute at Rome by the two most glorious Apostles Peter Paule that the same tradition receiued from the sayd Apostles is deriued euen to this our tyme by the succession of Bishops we confound all those that any way eyther by an ouerweening of their owne wits or by vayne glory or by blyndnesse and euil opinion are led away with fals conceyts for euery Churche that is to say the saythful which are euery where must needs haue recours to this Church agree therewith propter potentioreÌ„ principalitatem for the greater or more mighty principality of the same wherein the tradition of the Apostles hath ben alwayes conserued by them which are euery where abroad and a litle after hauing declared the succession of the Bishops of Rome from saynt Peter to Eleutherius who he sayth was the twelfth he addeth by this ordination and succession the tradition which is in the Church from the Apostles and the preaching of the truth is come euen to vs hec est plenissima osteÌ„sio this is a most ful euident demonstration that the fayth which hath ben conserued in the Churche from the Apostles vntil now is that one true fayth which geueth lyfe Thus farre S. Ireneus out of whose words may be gathered three things very imporrant and manifest against our aduersaries The first the force of tradition in the Churche of God that the same alone being duly proued is sufficient to conuince all heretykes that teach any thing contrary therto The second that the continual succession of the Bishops of Rome in one seat and doctrin is an infalible argument of the truth The which also Tertulian in the same tyme not only obserued but also prescrybed for a rule against all heretykes in his book of Prescriptions To which purpose S. Augustin sayth the succession of Priests from the seat of Peter the Apostle to whome our Lord recoÌ„mended his sheep to be fed holdeth me in the Catholyke Church and in another place number the Priests euen from the very seat of Peter and in that order of fathers see who succeded one an other that is the rock which the proud gaâ—â— of hel do not ouercome Optatus Mileuitanus in lyke sort vrgeth this succession of the Roman Bishops against the Donatists reckoning vp all the Bishops from S. Peter to Siricius with whome he sayth all the world did communicat and there-vpon concludeth therfore yow sayth he that challeÌ„ge to your selues a holy Churche tel vs the beginning of your chayre Thus reasoned these fathers against heretykes aboue 1200. yeres ago as also did S. Ireneus before in K. Lucius tyme and the same say wee now with no lesse reason against the heretykes of our tyme we shew them our doctrin conserued in a perpetual succession of Bishops from the Apostles vntil this day we demaund the lyke of them and seing they cannot shew it we conclude with S. Irenaeus that they remayne confounded and that they are to be registred in the number of those that eyther by an ouerweening of their owne wits or by vayne glory or by blyndnes and passion are led away with fals conceits The third poynt that I wish to be noted in the words of S. Irenaeus is the supreme dignity of the Roman Churche aboue all other seing that he cauleth it the greatest most ancient not in respect of tyme for the Churches of Hierusalem and Antioch were before it but for autority and therfor vrgeth it as a matter of necessity duty that all other Churches whatsoeuer and all faythful people throughout the world ought to haue recours therto and agree therwith propter potentioreÌ„ principalitateÌ„ for the greater and more powreful principality and autority therof which autority is founded vpon no other ground then vpon the institution of our Sauiour himselfe who gaue the gouerment of his Church to S. Peter the Apostle not only for him selfe but also for his successors which I wil prooue heare with as conuenient breuity as the importance of the matter wil permit THAT OVR SAVIOVR made S. Peter supreme head of his Churche CHAP. VIII THE supreme autority of S. Peter ouer the Churche of God is to be proued directly out of the holy scriptures by many places and arguments but 3. shal suffice for breuityes sake The first place is in S. Mathew where our sauiour promised to S. Peter to buyld his Church vpon him saying Tu es Petrus super hanc Petram adificabo Ecclesiam meam that is to say thou art Peter or a rock and vpon this rock I wil buyld my Churche signifying by this allegory that he made him the foundation or head of his Church for the head is to the body the gouernour to the common welth as the foundation is to the buylding that is to say the principal part the stay strength and assurance therof and this appeareth more playnly in the Siriac tongue in which saynt Mathew wrote his gospel where
that the sonne of one Irenaus was restored to lyfe being anoynted only with the oyle of a lamp that did hang before the tomb of a martyr in lyke manner Theodoret Venantius Fortunatus Paulus Diaconus recount wonderful miracles donne by the oyle of lamps that burned by martyrs tombs yea S. Gregory Nazianzen sayth of his owne knowledge that not only a litle dust or bone of the martyrs but also the very remembrance of them supplyeth sometymes the want of their whole bodyes and concludeth with this exclamation O rem predigiosam salutem assort sola recordatio o prodigious thing the only remembrance of them giueth health and in his oration in prayse of S. Ciprian he calleth to witnesse many that knew by their owne tryal and experience what great vertue power was in this very dust ashes to expel diuels to cure diseases and for the foreknowing of things to come S. Ambrose asketh why faythful men should not honour relickes of saynts which the very diuels reuerence and feare who also signifieth that he had a reuelation from almighty God of the place where the bodyes of S. Ceruas and Protase were buryed in Millan wher-vpon he took them vp with great solemnity as S. Augstin also witnesseth who was present and reporteth a great miracle of a blynd man that recouered his sight at the same tyme and diuels expeld by the merits of those blessed martyrs S. Chrisostome proueth against the Painims by the honour donne to saynts relicks that Christ is God to whose power and omnipotency he sayth it is to be ascrybed that his disciples and seruants who whyles they were liuing did seeme most contemtible became after they were dead more venerable then Kings in so much that at Rome and Constantinople Kings and praesidents sayth he runne to the tombe of a fisher and take it for a great fauour that their bodyes may be buried not hard by the Apostles bodyes but without the circuit of their tombs and be made as it were porters of Fishermen Furthermore in his book against the gentils where he discourseth at large of the lyfe death of S. Babilas the martyr he signifieth that his body being placed in the suburbs of Antioch neare to a temple where there was an Oracle of Apollo it put the diuel to silence and when Iulian the Apostata thought by the remoue of it to remedy the same the Temple and Idole were presently after destroyed with fire from heauen wherwith as saynt Chrisostome testifieth Iulian and all the gentils were wounderfully confounded and so may our heretykes be in lyke manner seing that they not only impugne with them this euident argument of the diuinity of Christ but also hold that for Idolatry which maistreth the diuel ouerthroweth Idols and confoundeth Idolaters I omit infinit others for breuities sake conclude with saynt Hierome who declareth the custome of the whole Churche of God both in his tyme and longe before therby to confute Vigilantius the heretyke that taught the same doctrine in this behalfe that our heretykes teach at this day whosoeuer sayth he adored martyrs who euer taught men to be God yt greueth vigilantius to see the relickes of martyrs couered with costly and precious veyles belyke Constantin the Emperour committed sacrilege when he translated to Constantinople the holly relyckes of saynt Andrew S. Luke S. Timothe wheraâ— the diuels roare and now also Arcadius the Emperour belyke committeth sacriledge who after so long tyme hath translated the bones of Samuel the Prophet into Thratia and all the Bishops that caryed the ashes laye in silk and in a vessel of gold are to be condemned for fooles and sacrilegious persons yea then the faythful people of all Churches are fooles also for going to receiue the same with no lesse Ioy then if they had serue the Prophet aliue in so much that froÌ„ Palestina to Calcedon ther was all the way 〈◊〉 of people that with one voyce sounded forth the praise of Christ lastly so shal wee say that the Bishop of Rome doth il when he offreth sacrifice to our Lord ouer S. Peter and saynt Paules venerable bones as wee tearme them though thou caulest them vâ—le dust and when he taketh their tombs for the altars of Christ lo here good reader the vse of Images and relykes and the honor due to them approued by the Fathers of all ages confirmed by the custome of all Christian nations ratyfied by miracles acknowledged by infidels and Paynims confessed by diuels and yet denied and deryded by the heretyks of this tyme are they not then more obstinat and malicious then heathens yea then diuels themselues THAT OVR DOCTRIN concerning the sacrifice of the Masse was generally receiued and beleued in the tyme of king Lucius first that it was foretold prophecyed by Malachias CHAP. XIIII BVT I wil passe to an other importaÌ„t poynt I mean the sacrifice of the Masse to see whether our doctrin concerning the same or theirs was deliuered by our sauiour to the Apostles and taught in king Lucius tyme or no. The sacrifice of the Masse consisting in the oblation of the blessed body and blood of our sauiour Iesus Christ was prophesyed by Malachias praefigured by the sacrifice of Melchifedeth instituted and offred by our sauiour at his last supper deliuered by him to his Apostles practysed by them and by the Churche of God euer since Malachias the Prophet foretelling the reiection of the Iewes and the election of the gentils signifieth withall the translation of the Iewes law and priesthood into a new law and a new priesthood and compareth or rather opposeth the priests of the one to the priests of the other sacrifice to sacrifice place to place altar to altar and a poluted bread which they were woÌ„t to offer only in Hierusalem to a cleane oblatioÌ„ which should be offred to God amongst the Gentils euery where throughout the whole world saying to the priests of the Iewes in the person of God that seing they dispysed his name and offred vpon his altars a polluted bread and blynd and lame sacrifices non est mihi voluntas in vobis c. sayth hee my wil is no longer to be serued of you neyther wil I accept any more sacrifice at your hands for my name is great amongst the Gentils euen from the east to the west there is a cleane oblation offred to my name in euery place c. Thus farre the Prophet who cannot be vnderstood to speake of any other sacrifice then of the Masse which being nothing els but the oblation of the blessed body and blood of our sauiour Iesus Christ in forme of bread and wyne is a most pure and cleane oblation and cannot be polluted by the wickednes of the priests as the bread offred in the old law was wont to be to which purpose it may be noted that the Prophet speaking of dyuers kinds of sacrifices some consisting
to make others of the â—emples of the Idols which saint Gregory ordayned shuld â—e donne with casting holy water therin buylding altars â—nd placing relikes of saynts commaunding further that â—easts should be celebrated in the dayes of the dedication of â—he sayd Churches in the natiuity of the martyrs whose â—elykes should be kept there besyds that he appoynted saynt Augustin to be Metropolitan of England and sent him holy vessels and vestiments for altars and Priests and relyckes of the Apostels and martyrs and granted him the vse of the pal ad sola missarum solemnia agenda only for the celebration of solemne masses and further gaue him order to ordayne 12. Bishops vnder himself and to make another Metropolitan at Yorke who when those parts should be coÌ„uerted should haue as many vnder him and be himself after saynt Augustins dayes dependant only vpon the sea Apostolyk and receiue the Pal from the same furthermore saynt Augustin caused King Edelbert to buyld a Church from the ground in honour of the blessed Apostles S. Peter S. Paule and a monastery not farre from Canturbury whereof the first Abbot called Peter was of so holy a lyfe that after his death it was testified from heauen by a continual light that appeared ouer his tombe Also King Edelbert caused S. Paules Church to be buylt in London and another in Rochester dedicated to S. Andrew the Apostle Hereto may be added the exercise of the Popes autority not only in the dayes of King Edelbert but also after in the raygne of other Christian Kings vntil the tyme that saynt Bede ended his history Pope Boniface sent the Pal to Iustus fourth Archbishop of Canturbury after saynt Augustin Honorius the Pope sent also the Pal to Honorius that succeded Iustus and to Paulinus Archbishop of York ordayning at the request of King Edwin and his wyfe that the longer liuer of them should consecrate a successor to the orher that should dy first to excuse so long a Iourney as to Rome The two Kings Oswy and Egbert the one of Northumberland and the other of kent sent Wigard to Rome to be made Primat when both the seas of Canturbury and Yorke were vacant and Wigard dying there Pope Vitalianus made Theodore a grecian primat in his steede Wilfrid Byshop of Yorke being twys vniustly expelled from his Bishoprik appealed both tymes to Rome first to Pope Agatho and after to Pope Iohn and being cleared by their sentences was restored to his Bishoprik and heer I wil ad a woord or two concerning the exceeding great zeale and deuotion of the Saxon Kinges to the sea Apostolyke in those dayes King Oswy determined to goe to Rome in Pilgrimage and had donne it yf death had not preuented him King Ceadwald weÌ„t thether to be baptysed dyed there King Hun his successor after he had raygned 37. yeares weÌ„t thether also in Pilgrimage as many sayth saynt Bede in those dayes both of the layty and clergy as wel women as men were wont to doe King Coenred did the lyke had in his company the sonne of Sigher King of the east Saxons and both of them entred into religion in Rome about the yeare of our Lord 709. not past 22. yeares before S. Bede ended his history which was almost 900. yeres a goe wherto may be added out of later historiographers the lyke examples of the extraordinary deuotion and obedience of our English Kings vnto the sea Apostolyke in â—uery age vntil after the conquest King Inas shortly after S. Bedes tyme about the yeare of our Lord 740. went to Rome and made his Kingdome tributary to the Pope ordayning the Peter pence the lyke did also afterwards Offa the King of the Mercians in the yeare of our Lord .775 Etheluolph King of England went to Rome in Pilgrimage about the yeare of our Lord 847. and made that part of England which his father Egbert had conquered tributary also to the Bishop of Rome King Edward being threatned with excommunication by Pope Iohn the teÌ„th for that he was carelesse to prouide the English Church of Bishops caused Pleimund the Bishop of Canterbury to make many and after to goe to Rome to purge him selfe of his negligence about the yeare of our Lord 920. King Edgar obtayned of Pope Iohn the 13. with licence to giue certayne liuings of secular Priests to Monkes about the yeare of our Lord .965 Canutus King of England went to Rome in Pilgrimage about the yeare of our Lord 1024. S. Edward King of England hauing made a vow to goe to Rome procured the same to be commuted by Pope Leo the nynth into the buylding of a monastery of S. Peter he also confirmed the payment of the yearly tribute to the sea Apostolyke about the yeare of our Lord 1060. which was not past 5. yeares before the conquest after the which there were no lesse notable examples of this matter King Henry the second who by Pope Adrian was first intituled Lord of Ireland sent legats to Rome to craue pardon of Pope Alexander for the murder committed by his occasion vpon saint Thomas of Canterbury where vpon two Cardinals were sent into England before whome the King lyke a publike penitent a priuat person submitted himselfe to the Ecclesiastical discipline in a publik assembly of the cleargy and nobility When King Richard the first was kept prisoner by Frederick the Emperour his mother wrote to Celestinus the Pope calling him the successor of Peter and the Vicar of Christ quem Dominus constituit super gentes regno in omni plenitudius potestatis whome our Lord had placed ouer nations and Kingdomes in all fulnesse of power and willed him to vse the spiritual sword against the Emperour as Alexander his predecessor had donne against Frederick his Father whome he did excommunicate King Iohn being excommunicated by the Pope was not absolued before he tooke his crowne of froÌ„ his owne head and deliuered it to Pandulfus the Popes legat promising for himselfe and his heyres that they should neuer receiue it afterwards but from the Bishop of Rome I omit others of later tyme seing no maÌ„ I think doubteth but that all the successors of King Iohn liued in the communion and obedience of the Roman Church paying the old yearely tribute called the Peter peÌ„ce vntil the tyme of King Henry the 8. her maiestyes father who being maried to his brother Arthurs widdow by dispeÌ„sation of the sea Apostolyke continued many yeares after in the obedience therof and in defence of the autority of the sayd sea wrote a learned book agaynst Luther for the which the honorable title of defender of the fayth was giuen him by Pope Leo which tytle her maiesty also vseth at this day so that no man can deny that our country was conuerted by S. Gregory to the Roman fayth or that it hath continued therin vntil K.
Henries tyme except he haue a brazen face and a â—eared conscience or els be ignorant of all antiquity But to returne to S. Augustin and those first two hundreth yeres comprysed in the history of S. Bede yf wee consider the notable miracles wherwith it pleased God to confirme this our Catholyke religion in those dayes for his owne glory and the conuersion of the panims no man can â—out that it is the true fayth except he be more faythlesse incredulous then those infidels that were conuerted therby Saynt Bede signifieth that S. Augustin wrought so many miracles whereof he declareth some that S. Gregory wrote vnto him to admonish him not to be proud therof he also declareth very many famous miracles donne by a crosse erected by King Oswald and after by his relickes as wel in Ireland and Germany as England and by the relickes of saynt Eartongatha daughter to the King of Kent and her cosen Edelburg both virgins and nunnes of S. Edelâ—â—eda the Queene that dyed a virgin in a monastery whose â—ody was taken vp whole vncorrupt after many yeares â—â— the discouery whereof diuels were expelled and many â—â—sseasses cured Also he recounteth the lyke notable miraâ—â—es of S. Chad S. Cutbert S. AEdelwald and saynt Iohn a Bishop which they did whyles they were yet liuing and others donne by holy oyle by the blessed sacrifice of the masse all which for breuities sake I omit remitting our aduersaries to the autor in the places aleaged in the margent OF THE FIRST CONUERSION of our country whyles it was called Britany in the tyme of King Lucius with euident proofes that our Catholyke fayth was then preached planted there CHAP. V. BVT for as much as our country hath ben twyse coÌ„uerted from paganisme first in the tyme of the Britains and after in the tyme of the Saxons or English they wil say perhaps that although we proue that the second tyme our Catholyke religion was planted and established there when many errors as they would haue the world to thinke were crept into the Church yet at the first conuersion in King Lucius dayes their religion was taught and deliuered to the Britains which some of their croniclers are not ashamed to intimat to their readers and namely Holinshed who yf my memory fayle me not for I haue not his book here maketh Eleutherius the Pope write a letter to King Lucius more lyke a minister of England then a Bishop of Rome Therefore I wil take a litle paynes to examine this poynt wil make it manifest that our Catholyke religion which saint Augustin planted amongst the English was deliuered 400. yeres before to King Lucius and the Britains by Fugatius and Damianus or as some say Donatianus sent into Britany by Pope Eleutherius in the yeare of our Lord 182. And although no ancient historiographer or writer for ought I haue seene do signify particularly what poynts of religion were preached to King Lucius at his conuersion partly for that matters of so great antiquity are but very breefly and obscurely handled and partly because in those dayes when there was no other but our Catholyke religioÌ„ vniuersally professed this of the protestants not so much as dreamt of it was needlesse to signify the poynts or articles therof for that it could not be immagined to be any other bur the Roman fayth yet in the discourse of the tymes and ages next ensewing the conuersion of King Lucius whyles the fayth which he receiued remayned pure and vncorrupt the cleare light of truth doth snfficiently shew it selfe through the clouds of the obscure breuity wherewith the matters of those tymes are treated To this purpose it is to be vnderstood that as our famous countryman S. Bede testifieth the fayth preached to King Lucius and the Britains remayned in integrity and purity vntil the tyme of the Arrians which was for the space of almost 200. yeares and although he signify that from that tyme forward the people of Britany weare geuen to noueltyes and harkened to euery new doctrine yet it is euident in him that neyther the Arrian heresy nor yet the Pelagian afterwards took any root there or could infect the whole body of the Britain Church but only troobled the peace thereof for a short tyme in so much that it should seeme the first was rooted out by the industry of the good Pastors and Bishops of Britany whereof some were present at the great councel of Sardica held against the Arrians shortly after that of Nice in which respect S. Hilary doth worthely prayse the Britain Bishops for that they wholy reiected the Arrian heresy and the later I meane the heresy of Pelagius which saynt Bede sayth the britains would nullaâ—enus suscipere in no sort receiue was suppressed by S. German and saint Lupus two Bishops of France who at the request of the Britains came into Britany and confounded the Pelagians in open disputation whereby the people were so â—ncensed against the said heretykes that they could hardly â—old theire hands from them and in conclusion banished those that would not yeld to the true Catholyke faith and here vpon ensewed such peace and tranquility in the britan Church that for a long tyme after as saynt Bede testifieth the fayth remayned there intemerata vncorrupt wherby it appeareth that after the expulsion of the Pelagians which was about the yeare of our Lord 450. the Church of Britany reteyned the same fayth that it receiued at the first conuersion and therfore yf we fynd the vse and practise of our religion vntil these tymes it may serue for a testimony that the same was deliuered to King Lucius First we read that presently after the persecution of Dioclesian wherin our protomartyr saynt Alban with some others was put to death about the yeare of our Lord 286. the Christians that had liued before in woods and caues not only repayred the Churches which the persecuters had destroyed but also made new in honour of the martyrs celebrated festiual dayes and buylt amongst others a most sumptuous Church in honour of S. Alban where many miracles were wount to be donne continually vntil the tyme of S. Bede as he himselfe witnesseth afterwards when the Pelagian heresy had somwhat infected the country saynt German going thether out of France to confound the Pelagians at the request of the Britans themselues as I haue declared before appeased a great storme at sea with casting therein a little water in the name of the Trinity which no dout was holy water and being arriued there he restored sight vnto a noble mans daughter applying vnto her eyes certayne relyckes which he caryed about him c. after hauing confuted the Pelagians and reduced all to the purity of fayth as saynt Bede sayth meaning therby the fayth first preached to King Lucius he went to the toomb of S. Alban to geue thankes to God per ipsum by
him sayth saynt Bede that is to say by his meanes or meditatioÌ„ causing the sayd toÌ„be to be opened he placed very honorably therin certayne relickes of the Apostles dyuers other martyrs going to the place where the blood of the blessed martyr was shed he took away with him some of the dust which was stil bloody Furthermore it hapned after in the tyme that the Britans kept their lent a litle before the feast of the resurrection of our Lord that they were molested by the Picts and SaxoÌ„s whyles saynt German was yet there and therefore they craued the help of his prayers and direction dispayring altogeather of theyr owne forces and he vndertaking the conduct of them ordayned that when they should come to ioyne battayle all the army of the Britains should cry out a loud three tymes Alleluya which they did and therewith they put their enemyes to flight and gayned a notable victory This being donne and the affayres of the Iland both spiritual and temporal wel composed saynt Bede sayth the holy Bishops had a prosperous returne partly by their owne merits partly by the intercession of blessed saynt Alban whereby he geueth to vnderstand that such was their opinion according to the great deuotion they had shewed before to the blessed martyr It is also to be gathered playnly out of S. Bede that there were monasteries of Monkes and religious men in Britany before this tyme for speaking of the rebellion of Constantinus against Honorius which was in the yeare of our Lord 407. he sayth that hauing proclaymed himselfe Emperour he made his sonne Constance Caesarem ex monacho Caesar of a monk Here I wish thee to note Good reader that saynt Bede in his breefe introduction to his Ecclesiastical history where he intended to treat specially of the second conuersion of our country in the tyme of the Saxons toucheth the 400. yeares before from the tyme of King Lucius so breefely that he passeth with silence about 350. yeres therof at one tyme and other noting only some things by the way aswel concerning the temporal as spiritual affayres in diuers tymes ages to make some conexion of his history from the beginning Therfore I leaue it to thy consideration what testimony and euidence we should haue found of our Catholyke religion yf he had treated those matters particularly and at large â—eâ—ngâ—n the course of so few yeres as he runneth ouer and in so few leaues lynes of a part only of his first book which is also very breefe wee fynd the practyse of so many poynts of our religion testified and confirmed as buylding of Churches in the honour of martyres the reuerend vse of saynts relyckes and greate miracles donne by the same the intercession of saynts for vs and the custome to prayse and geue God thankes by them also monastical lyfe which includeth vowes of religion and chastity the vse of hollywater the custome which in our Church is yet most frequent of Alleluya whereby it may be gathered that the seruice of the Church out of the which the same no dout was then taken was not in the vulgar tongue finally the keeping of lent easter and others feastes wherby playnly appeareth the vse force of traditioÌ„ in the Church of God without the testimony of expresse scripture and all this we see was vsed in the Church of Britanny when the fayth deliuered to King Lucius was yet in purity which proueth euidently that he was conuerted to the â—ame Catholyke religion that saynt Augustine planted after-wards amongst the English Saxons which wee that be Catholykes professe vntil this day THE SAME IS CONFIRMED and proued out of Gildas CHAP. VI. THis may easely be confirmed out of Gildas the britan surnamed the sage who wrote shortly after the Saxons came into Britany almost 200. yeares before S. Bede in whose treatyse of the distruction of Britany and in his reprehension of the Ecclesiastical men of those dayes it is euident ynough what religion was professed from Lucius tyme vntil his for first speaking of the persecution vnder Dioclesian he sayth that electi sacerdotes gregis domini the chosen Priests of our Lords flock were killed meaning such priests as did offer sacrifice vpon the altar for so he sufficiently interpreteth him selfe when he reprehendeth the negligeÌ„ce or the Britain Priests of his dayes whome he calleth sacerdotes raro sacrificantes ac raro puro corde inter altaria stantes Priests sacrifising sildome and seldome comming to the Altar with a pure harte and tearmeth the Altars venerabiles aras and sacrosancta altaria sedem Caelestis sacrificij the reuerend and holly altars and the seat of the heauenly sacrifice and calleth that which is offred therein sacrosancta Christi sacrificia the holly sacrifices of Christ and further geueth to vnderstand that the hands of the Priestes were consecrated at those dayes as yet they are in the Catholyke Church when holy orders are geuen wherby wee may playnly see that the Priests of our primatiue Church in England and their function consisting principally in offring to almighty God sacrifice vpon the Altar is all one with ours Furthermore treating of the martirdome of S. Alban and his fellowes he sayth that yâ— God had not permitted for che great sinnes of the Britains that the barbarous nations which were entred he meaneth the Picts and Saxons did depriue the People of the toombs of saynt Alban and of the other martyrs and of the place of their martyrdomes the same might stryk vnto them a feruor of deuotion and deuine charity insinuating therby the great consolation and spiritual benefite that the Christians were wont to receiue by the visitation of those holy places Also he sayth that before ful 10. yeares past after that persecution the Christians repayred the old Churches distroyed by the persecutors and buylt now in honour of the martyrs and kept festiual and holy dayes lastly he playnly signifieth that the Christians vsed in his tyme to make vowes of chastity and that their were monasteries wherin religious and monastical life was exercysed for he maketh mention of an holy Abot called Amphibalus and most bitterly reprehendeth two wicked Princes Cuneglasus and Maglocunus the first for marying a widdow that had vowed perpetual chastity and the other for that being become a monke he returned to the world and maryed hauing a former wyfe then liuing wherein he also geueth to vnderstaÌ„d that it was not then lawful for him post monachi votum irritum after the breach of his monastical vow to returne to his owne wyfe and much lesse to mary another To this purpose also it may be obserued in Gildas as before I noted in saynt Bede that vntil the tyme of the Arrians there entred no infectioÌ„ of heresy into Britany therfory hauing signifyed the sincerity and zeale of the Christians after saynt Albans death in buylding Churches of martyrs keping feastiual dayes and
doing other workes of deuotion as I declared before he addeth mansit haec Christi capitis membrorum consonantia suauis donec Arriana perfidia c. this sweet consonance or agreement of the members of Christ the head remayned vntil the Arrian heresy spread her poyson there and although he insinuat as saynt Bede also doth that afterwards the people became new fangled and embraced other heresyes meaning no dout the Pelagian heresy which as I haue shewed before out of S. Bede was quickly extinguished there yet afterwards he signifieth playnly that neither the Arrian nor Pelagian nor any other heresy took root in Britany and that the Churche was cleare therof after the coÌ„ming in of the Saxons about the tyme of his byrth which was in the yere of our Lord 594. for speaking of the tyme and of the ouerthrow geuen by Ambrosius Aurelianus to the Saxons and Picts and of the great slaughter of them shortly after at blackamore in York-shire which as Polidore supposeth is called in Gildas mons Badonicus he sayth that the people hauing noted the punishment of God vpon them for their sinnes and his mercy in giuing them afterwards so greate victories ob hoc reges publici priuati sacerdotes ecclesiastics suum quique ordinem seruauerunt for this cause saith hee the Kings and others as wel publik as priuat personâ—â— Priests and ecclesiastical men did euery one their dutyes and although he declare presently after that by the extreame negligence of their Kings and gouernours ecclesiastical and temporal which immediatly succeded greate corruption was entred at the same tyme that he wrote yet it is euident ynough in him that it was not corruption of fayth but of manners as pryd ambition dissolutioÌ„ of lyfe droÌ„kenesse lying periury tyranny in the Kings simony couetousnesse in the clergy sildome sacrifices breach of vowes of chastity and of monastical lyfe profaning of altars and such lyke for the which he threatneth and as it were prophesyeth the vtter destruction of Britany which shortly after followed so that amongst other things which he was persuaded brought the plague of God vpon our country we see he taxed certayne customes peculiar to our aduersaries and the proper fruits of their religion tending only to the ouerthrow of ours therfore it playnly appeareth that ours was then in vre and receiued detriment by those who though they were not protestants in profession yet were protestants in humour and condition I meane profaners of Altars and holy things breakers of vowes of chastity and Apostatats from religious and monastical lyfe such as Luther and many of his followers haue ben since And now to come to later tymes after Gildas yf we consider the relicks of Christian religion which saynt Augustine found in Britany amongst other things the great monastery of Bangor wherein were aboue two thowsand monks it wil be manifest that the ancient religion of the Britains was our Catholike fayth for although in the space of a hundreth seuenty and three yeres that passed from the comming in of the Saxons vntil their conuersion the Britain Church was not only much decayed but also had receiued some aspersion of erronious and euil customes yet in fayth and opinion they diffred not from S. Augustine insomuch that he offred to hold communion with them if they would concurre with him in three things only the first in the tyme of celebrating the feast of easter the second in the manner of administring the sacrament of Baptisme and the third in preaching the faith to the Saxons all which the monkes of Bangor refused vpon no better reason then for that S. Augustine did not ryse to them when they came to the synod condemning him therefore to be a proud man notwithstanding that he had restored a blynd man to sight by his prayers in the presence of all the Bishops and clergy of Britany who vndertooke to do the lyke in confirmation of their customes but could not performe it Therfore as saynt Bede reporteth S. Augustine did foretel to the sayd Monkes of Bangor that seing they would not haue peace with their brethren they should haue warre with their enemies and yf they would not preach vnto the English nation the way of lyfe they should by their hands receiue reuenge of death which after was truly fulfilled for Edelfrid a pagan King of NorthumberlaÌ„d killed a thousand two hundred Monkes of that monastery at one tyme by the iust iudgement of God as saynt Bede sayth for their obstinacy Thus much for this matter wherby thou mayst see good reader that saynt Augustine found in wales amongst the Britains the same religion faith in substance that he then preached to the English or Saxons and which we Catholykes stil professe which being considered with that which I haue proued before concerning the continual practise therof in the primatiue Church of Britany whyles the same was in purity and integrity no man that hath common sence can dout that the same fayth was deliuered by Pope Eleutherius to King Lucius and generally professed throughout Christendom at those dayes in which respect we fynd honorable mention and testimony of the faith of the Britains in the Fathers both Greekes and Latins from the tyme of their conuersion as in Tertulian in K. Lucius tyme and in Origen presently after in S. Athanasius and S. Hilarius in the tyme of the Arrians of which two the first testifieth that the Bishops of Britany came to the councel of Sardica and the other commendeth the Britan Church for reiecting the Arrian heresy as I haue noted before also in S. Chrisostome and saynt Hierom who commendeth the deuotion of the Britans that came to Bethlem in pilgrimage in his dayes about the same tyme that the Saxons entred into Britany CERTAINE POINTS OF CONTROUERSY are discussed wherby it is prooued that King Lucius receiued our Catholyke fayth and first of the Popes supremacy in Ecclesiastical causes CHAP. VII BVT to the end that this vndouted truth may be cleared of all dout I wil ioyne Issue with our aduersaries vpon some two or three poynts now in controuersy betwyxt vs and them and breefly proue that the doctrin that we teach concerning the same was publykly held for truth throughout Christendome in King Lucius dayes and that therfore he could receiue no other then the same from the Church of Rome and this I vndertake the more willingly for that albeit all matters of controuersy haue ben very learnedly and sufficiently handled yea and whole volumes written of them by our English Catholykes in the beginning of her maiestyes raygne yet by reason of the strayt prohibition of the sayd bookes there are an infinit number in England especially of the younger sort that neuer saw the same to whome I desyre to giue in this treatyse at least some litle tast of the truth of our Catholyke religion so farre as my determined breuity wil permit First
reuenge thereof and S. Chrysostome complayneth greeuously of the indignity donne to the Emperour therin The lyke was iudged in England of the violeÌ„ce doÌ„ne by Hacket to the Queenes picture which was iustly held for a disloyal act agaynst her Magestyes person And who knoweth not that he which standeth bare headed in the presence chaÌ„ber before the Queenes chayre and cloth of state doth honour the Queene therein Also it was the custome in tymes past to adore the images of the Roman Emperours which the Christians refused not to do in which respect Iulian the Apostata thinking either to draw them to adore his fals Gods or els to haue some pretence to punish them for contempt of his person placed his owne image amongst the images of false Gods as I haue noted in my Apology vpon an other occasion whervpon S. Gregory Nazianzen sayth that the simple Christians who did not fal into account of the deceat were to be excused of ignorance for that they thought they adored no more but the Emperours image if therfore it be lawful to adore the image of an Emperour or earthly king for that he is the image of almighty God I meane if it bee lawful to adore the image of Gods image how much more is it lawful to do reuerence to the image of God him selfe I meane of Christ God and man And sure I am that many in England which wil not haue nor reuerence the image of our sauiour for feare of committing idolatry wil make no bones at all to keep some picture or remembrance of their Maistres to kisse it and to vse other tokens of affection and respect towards it to shew therby their good wil to her And how many are there in England that condemne catholykes for keeping images and pictures to moue them to deuotion and yet make no scruple to keep lasciuious pictures to prouoke themselues to lust wherby they might see by their owne experience if they were not wilfully blynd what is the effect of good and deuout pictures in wel disposed mynds and what it would bee in themselues if they were as spiritual and feruerous in the loue of God as they are carnal and fyry in sensual appetyt for who douteth that deuout representatioÌ„s do as easely moue pious and godly minds to holy cogitations and affections as lasciuious obiects do kindle carnal mynds to concupiscence and lust and therfore S. Gregory Nissen sayth that he neuer beheld the picture of Abraham sacrifising his sonne Isaac but hee was moued to teares and yet it is likely that he had often read the story therof without any such effect as Basilius byshop of Ancyra noted very wel in the 7. general councel of Nice when the same was aleaged there out of S. Gregory aboue 800. yeres agoe wherevpoÌ„ Theodorus byshop of Catane also inferred in the same councel that much more may the story of our sauiours passion represented by picture woorke the lyke effect in deuout persons that behold the same Wherof I think good to declare here a manifest example of my owne knowledge It chaÌ„ced in the house of a Catholyke where I was that a young mayd of 15. or 16. yeres of age who had ben alwayes brought vp amongsts protestaÌ„tes comming thether and seeing a picture of Christ crusified demaunded whose picture it was and being told that it was the picture of our sauiour Christ wherby she might see what he suffred for vs she was moued with such compassion that after she had stedfastly beheld it a whyle she burst out first into sighes after into teares saying that shee had often heard of it but neuer seene it before adding further our Lord helpe vs if he suffred all this for vs. Wherby it may appeare how true is that which saynt Gregory the greate sayth of Images to wit that they are the bookes of the ignorant who are many tymes more moued with pictures then with preaching and vnderstand that which is taught theÌ„ much better when it is by Images or pictures represented to their eyes for as the Poet sayth Segnius irritant animos immissa per auros Quam quae sunt oculis commissa fidelibus That is to say those things that are conceaued by hearing do lesse moue the mynds of men then such thinges as are committed to the sight This the deuil knoweth so wel as to hinder the same all other good effects of holy Images and deuour pictures yea and to exterminat as much as in him lyeth all external monuments and memories of the lyfe and passion of our sauiour and his saynts and so by degrees to root out all Christian religion he hath stirred vp in all ages his instruments and seruants to make warre against holy Images vnder colour of zeale to Gods honour and glory To this purpose it may be noted that the first and cheef impugners of the lawful vse of Images for some hundreth yeares togeather were eyther Iewes or magicians or manifest heretikes or otherwyse know in for most wicked men The first wherof was a perâ—â—◠〈…〉 about 500. yeres after Christ whome 〈…〉 cauleth the seruant of Satan saying that he made himselfe a Bishop before he was baptised and that he was the first that taught that the Image of Christ and of his saynts ought not to be woorshiped and almost 200. yeres after in the yere of our Lord 676. the Iewes impugned the vse of Images in their Talmud and about the yere of our Lord 700. a Iew persuaded a Mahometan King in Arabia to burne all the Images in the Churches of the Christians and shortly after Leo Isaurus the Emperour did the lyke by persuasion of a Iew whose example his sonne Leo Copronimus followed being a magician and a nestorian heretyk and about the yere 800. Leo Armenius the Emperour and his successors Michael Balbus and Theophilus all three most wicked men the last addicted both to iudaisme and necromancy made a new warre against Images which the wyclefists also did 500. yeares after and now of late the Lutherans and Caluinists whereas all those that defended the vse of Images against Leo and those other Emperours were most holy and learned men as Gregorius and Hadrianus Bishops of Rome in those dayes and Germanus and Tharasius Bishops of Constantinople S. Iohn Damascen Methodius Leontius Ionas Aurelianensis Paulus Diaconus and diuers others all of them men of singuler learning and vertue by the testimony of all autors both Greeks Latins THE COMMANDEMENT OF God touching images explicated and the practise of the Churche declared CHAP. XII BVT our aduersaries obiect against vs the commaÌ„dement of God to wit thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image nor any similitude of any thing c. wherto I answere yf they take the bare letter without the true sence and circumstances no man may make any Image whatsoeuer nor so much as any lyknesse of any thing
Paule kept by the Christians in his tyme. Euagrius Nicephorus and S. Iohn Damascen do declare that amongst other auncient monuments of the Citty of Edessa therwas a long tyme kept a true portrait of our sauiour Christ which he himselfe sent to Abgarus king of that citty and Leo a reader of Constantinople affirmed before the whole councel of Nice aforesayd that he had seene it and Euagrius and Theophanes recount great miracles donne therby in so much that the Greekes celebrated a solemne feast therof in September as appeareth in the menologio or kalender of the Greekes Nicephorus also sayth that the holy Euangelist S. Luke did draw the true pourtraicts of our blessed Lady and the Apostle S. Peter which was kept at Constantinople in the tyme of Theodosius the Emperour Tertullian maketh mention of the picture of our sauiour in the forme of the good sheepheard carying a sheepe vpon his back ordinarily paynted vpon the chalices that were vsed in the Churche in his tyme which was in the raygne of king Lucius so that there is no dout but the vse of Images and pictures hath ben receiued in the Church of God euer since the Apostels tyme although by reason of the great persecutions vnder the Pagan Emperours they could neither be so frequent nor publyk as after they began to bee in the tyme of Constantine the great who buylding gorgious temples adorned the same not only with the signe of the crosse but also with the Images of our sauiour and of the twelue Apostels of Angels and of S. Iohn Baptist. S. Augustin noteth that the paynims might see our sauiour Christ paynted with S. Peter and S. Paule in many places S. Hierome coÌ„mendeth the feruor and deuotion of Paula that went vp the mountayne of Caluary and prostrayting her selfe before the Crosse adored it as though she had seene our sauiour hanging theron S. Chrysostome in his liturgy which Erasmus translated signifieth that the priest going foorth with the gospel in his hand and a candel caried before him vsed to bow downe his head to do reuerence to an Image of Christ. S. Basil S. Gregory Nissen Euodius Prudentius and S. Paulinus do make honorable mention of the Images of S. Barlaam S. Theodorus S. Steeuen S. Cassian S. Martin in Churches in their tyme which was 1200. yeres agoe and yf good reader I should alledge the testimonies of all the fathers that from the tyme of Constantine did witnes approue the publyk vse of Images in the Churche I should write a whole volume of this matter and therfore it may suffyse the to vnderstand that although some auncient Fathers as S. Ireneus Epiphanius and S. Augustin do reproue somtymes the abuse of some Images as that the heretykes called Gnostici and others of the sect of Simon placed the images of Christ and of S. Peter and S. Paule with other of Pithagoras Homer Aristotle Helen Minerua and such lyke and adored them as Gods with sacrifices and incense after the manner of the gentils yet they neuer disalowed the lawful vse therof and therfore those that haue at any tyme reiected the â—ame haue ben alwayes noted and abhorred of all as heretykes and called Iconomachi or Iconoclastae against whome was assembled 800. yeres agoe the seuenth great general Councel at Nice where they were condemned for heretykes and woors then Samaritans by 350. Bishops OF THE RELICKS of Saynts CHAP. XIII NOW to say somewhat of holy relicks There is no dout but the vse thereof proceeded of the examples in H. Scripture of the great miracles doÌ„ne by the touching of Christs garment by the handkerchef and gyrdle of S. Paule by the shadow of S. Peter and in the old Testament by the body of Elizeus wherewith a dead man was reuiued by all which the first Christians were â—nduced to reuerence and honour euery thing that pertayned to the seruants of God and to expect consolation therby wherfore when S. Peter and S. Paule suffred at Rome the Christians of the east came thether to haue theyr relycks as belonging to them by right for that they were their cuntrymen when S. Ignatius who was thyrd byshop of Antioch after S. Peter was martyred at Rome the ChristiaÌ„s caryed his relickes with great solemnity to Antioch and as S. Chrysostome testifieth many miracles were donne by the same At the martyrdome of S. Policarp byshop of Smyrna who also liued in the Apostles tyme was put to death not aboue 12. yeres before king Lucius receiued the sayth the Christians of his diocesse that were present gathered vp his relikes vsed them with great reuereÌ„ce as they themselues witnessed in an epistle which Eusebius recyteth at large wherin amongst other things they say thus Afterwards hauing gathered out of the ashes his bones more worthy then precious stones and more pure then gold we placed them in a place seemely and fit for them where assembling our selues sometymes wee may by the help of our Lord celebrat the day of his martyrdome as of his natiuity with great ioy and exultation thus farre the ChristiaÌ„s of the Churche of Smyrna S. CipriaÌ„ besydes the yerely celebration of martyrs feasts maketh often mention of oblations and sacrifices offred in memory of them so doth also Tertullian so that by these testimonies it appeareth that in the tyme not only of King Lucius but also of the Apostles and their Disciples the relikes of Gods seruants were kept and highly honored and feasts of their martyrdome celebrated vnder tytle of their natiuityes as stil it is vsed in our Cathol Churche and no maruel seing the Christians at that tyme vsed to creep and kisse their chaynes whyles they were yet liuing in prison as Tertullian witnesseth and yf we coÌ„sider the vniforme consent of all fathers in all ages concerning this poynt wee may wel wounder at the malice of our aduersaries that do deny it especially seing in the primatiue Church it was so euident that the very paynims knew it and therfore were wont to cast the ashes bones of the martyrs into riuers or otherwyse to make them a way to the end the Christians should not recouer them and Eunapius Sardianus of Alexandria a paynim writteth that the Christians in his tyme honored their martyrs being dead kneeling and prostrating them selues before their tombs and making them their Embassadours to deliuer their prayers to God But to returne to the fathers of the Churche S. Augustin to confound the gentils reherseth many miracles donne by the very flowers that had but only touched the rehearies where the relickes of saynts were kept S. Gregory Nissen sayth that the Christians that came to the tombs of saynts did take it for a great fauour that they might be suffred to cary away some of the dust that was about the same S. Augustin also telleth
poynts which I haue handled what hath alwayes bin the doctrin of the Churche of God concernâ—ng the same and that therfore King Lucius could receiue no other froÌ„ the Catholyke RomaÌ„ Churche by the which he was conuerted to the Christian fayth and yf I thought it needful to rip vp euery other particuler point controuersed betwyxt our aduersaries and vs I could easely shew the same in euery one But what needeth it seing they cannot proue that any Pope I wil not say from S. Eleutherius to S. Gregory but from S. Peter to Clement the eight that now gouerneth the Churche hath taught and decreed any different doctrin from his predecessors whereas on the other syde wee shew euidently that in a perpetual succession of our Roman Bishops there hath ben also a continual succession of one the selfe same doctrin where vpon it followeth infalibly that King Ethelbert and the English could not receiue from S. Gregory the Pope any other fayth then King Lucius and the britans receiued from saynt Eleutherius and that wee which now hold communion with the Roman Churche teache no other doctrin then that which was taught by them to our ancestors and hath successiuely come from S. Peter consequently from our Sauiour Christ. Therefore thou mayst wel wonder good reader at the impudency of our English ministers that are not a shamed to preache teache the contrary wherby thow mayst also see how lamentable is the case of our poor country wherein such haue the charge and cure of soules as haue not so much as common honesty to say the truth in matters as cleare as the Sunne and teach such a religion as for lack of better reasons and arguments they are forst to mayntayne it with manifest lyes slanders yea and murders of innocent men whome they execute for fayned crymes vnder colour of matter of state acknowledging therby sufficiently the truth of our Catholyk fayth seing they are ashamed to aâ—ow that they trooble any man for it whyles they confesse that they punish and put to death heretykes namely the Anabaptists directly for their religion and their impudency is so much the more notorious for that their publyk proceedings in the dayly execution of penal and capital lawes touching only matter of religion doth contradict and conuince their sayings and writings wherein they affirme that they put none to death for religion But for as much as I haue treated this matter at large in diuers partes of my Apology besydes that I vnderstand that some others also entend to treate thereof in the answere of a ridiculous challenge made by O. E. fraught with most absurd paradoxes as wel concerning this poynt as others touching our Catholyke fayth I remit thee good reader therto and so conclude this treatys beseeching almighty God to geue our aduersaries the light of his grace and vs in the meane tyme pacience and constancy and to thee indifferency to iudge of maters so much importing the eternal good and saluation of thy soule which I hartely wish no lesse then my owne FINIS A TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS OF THIS TREATISE THE preface wherein are declared the causes of the long delay of printing the Apology and withall is noted the impudency of a late wryter in England disguysing his name with the letters O. E. who auoweth the fiction of Squyres employment for a truth and affirmeth that none are put to death in England for religion An Answere to two malitious slanders auowched in the foresayd libels concerning the conquest of England falsly supposed to be pretended sollicited by the Catholyks touching the late enterprise of the King of Spayne in Ireland Also concerning sir VVilliam Stanley and the Iesuits calumniated by the lybellers CHAP. 1. Concerning father Parsons in particular and that the extreame malice that the heretyks beare him is an euident argument of his great vertue CHAP. 2. That the Catholykes are persecuted martyred now in England for the same causes that the martyrs dyed in the primatiue Churche and of the great iniustice donne to two Priests condemned at Lincolne by Iudge Glanduile CHAP. 3. Of the impudeÌ„cy of a minister who being present at the death of the two martyrs aforesaid affirmed publykly that our country was conuerted by saynt Augustin the monk to the protestants religion by occasion where-of the truth of that poynt is euidently declared CHAP. 4. Of the first conuersion of our country whyles it was called Britany in the tyme of King Lucius with euideÌ„t proofes that our Catholyk fayth was then preached and planted there CHAP. 5. The same is coÌ„firmed proued out of Gildas the sage Ca. 6. Certayne poynts of controuersy are discussed whereby it is proued that King Lucius receiued our Catholyke fayth and first of the Popes supremacy in Ecclesiasticall causes CHAP. 7. That our Sauiour made S. Peter supreme head of the churche CHAP. 8. That the successors of saynt Peter to wit the Bishops of Rome succeed him in the supremacy of the Churche CHAP. 9. That the Bishops of Rome exercised supreme autority in the tyme of King Lucius CHAP. 10. The matter of holy Images is debated and the vse thereof proued to haue ben in the Churche of God euer since our Sauiours tyme. Chap. 11. The commandment of God touching Images is explicated the practise of the Churche declared Chap. 12. Concerning the relicks of saynts and the reuerend vse thereof Chap. 13. That our doctrin concerning the sacrifice of the Masse was generaly receiued and beleeued in the tyme of King Lucius and first that it was foretold and prophecyed by Malachias Chap. 14. That not only the sacrifice of Melchisedech but also all the sacrifices of the old law were figures of the sacrifice of the masse and are changed into the same and by the way is declared the necessity of sacrifice as wel for common welth as for religion Chap. 15. That our Sauiour Christ instituted and offred at his last supper the sacrifice of his blessed body and blood proued by his owne woords by the expositions of the Fathers with a declaration how he is sacrificed in the masse and lastly that he gaue commission and power to his Disciples to offer his body and blood in sacrifice that is to say to say the Masse Chap. 16. That the Apostles practised the commission geuen them by our Sauiour sacrificing or saying Masse them-selues and leauing the vse and practise thereof vnto the Churche that the ancient Fathers not only in King Lucius tyme but also for all the first 500. yeares afeer Christ taught it to bee a true sacrifice and propitiatory for the liuing for the dead Chap. 17 An answere to the obiections of our aduersaries out of S. Paules epistle to the Hebrewes with a declaration that the heretyks of this tyme that abolish the sacrifice of the Masse haue not the new testameÌ„t of Christ and that they shew themselues to be most pernicious enemies of humain kynd Chap. 18.