inuocatitions as also the Protestants doe sing with the Psalmist Prayse God yee Angels of great power yee Angels of God which doe all that he commaundeth as soone as you heare his voice As for other matters two things are obiected against this inuocation or exhortation of Saints practised by the Grecians Armenians other of the East the one that it is an idle vnprofitable interpellation seeing that the Saints vnderstand not at al those that pray vnto thē Whereunto they aunswere that the spirit of Charitie which they haue vnderstandeth the Prayers and knoweth the thoughts of men and that this spirit was promised them vntill the end of the world It seemes that by this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they vse they meane the holy Ghost dwelling in the faithfull for the Patriarch Gennade taketh it in this sense in that place of Scripture which wee haue alleadged in the Preface of this Treatise where it is said that all the Apostles had one selfe same teacher to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that the opinion of the Grecians should be this that it is good to recommend our soules to the prayers of Saints because that the holy Ghost which dwelleth in them and which vnderstandeth the prayers of them that are liuing doth moue the Saints to pray for them The other obiection is that there is no commaundement of God to recommend a mans selfe to the Prayers of the dead They answere that God commanded the friends of Iob to goe vnto Iob to pray him to pray to God for them and that there is no impediment why a man may not doe the like to the Saints that are dead The greatest argument herein is the custome receiued from antiquitie in the Catholike Church The intention or meaning thereof now a dayes is That the Saints doe not vnderstand the Prayers of the liuing neuerthelesse it is lawfull for vs to recommend our selues to their Prayers because that the holy Ghost the spirit of Charitie which dwelleth in them doth induce them to pray for the liuing either in generall or in particular for those that recommend themselues to their prayers QVESTION XLI Whether those that haue beene Canonized by the Pope are truely Saints THE EAST CHVRCH THeuet As concerning the Saints of the Latin Church which we reuerence the Indians acknowledge none of them except the Apostles and Prophets nor the Grecians and Iauians likewise Idem The Grecians do keepe holy the Feastiuall daies of Saints as well as we not for that they acknowledge those which the Latins and the Church of Rome doth reuerence Sacranus They speake ill of the Saints of the Catholike Church and faith vnder the Roman obedience Gagninus They reiect the Saints of the Church of Rome and doe hold them for great Heretickes THE SOVTH CHVRCH Theuet The Abyssins doe acknowledge but verie few of our Saints Honored in our Church except Catherine by reason that her body is in Mount Sinai Saint Anthonie an Egyptian and S. Helen except also the Virgin Marie whose name is acknowledged throughout the vniuersall world THE REFORMED CHVRCH CHemnitius Those of the Church of Rome doe worship many Saints which neuer liued as George Christopher and Catharine This saying hath been vsed in the Church of Rome that in earth men doe worship the reliques of many whose soules doe burne in hell They are worthy of the hate of al good men though there were no other reason but this that they haue depraued by their fables the Histories of the liues and deaths of the Saints which doubtlesse were very full of true doctrine and consolation THE LATIN CHVRCH THe Glosse of the Canon Gloriosus The Pope alone hath power not onely to extoll some amongst the Saints but also to Canonise them first because it is one of the greatest matters that can bee propounded amongst Christians Secondly because miracles are attributed vnto faith Thirdly because that if it appertainneth vnto the Pope to determine those things that are doubtfull in the Scripture then by farre greater reason ought he to iudge of holinesse Fourthly to the end that the people should not be deceiued through the simplicity of many Bishoppes and fiftly to the end there should not be an infinite number of Saints least that thereby deuotion should grow cold ANNOTATION IT is a thing confessed that particular Churches may erre namely in the Canonizing of Saints and by tradition of the Catholike Church the Church of Rome ought to bee held for a particular Church This aboue written doth shew that the most part of Christians doe not hold for Saints those which the Pope hath canonized If any man say that the Church cannot erre I will answere that from thence it followeth that it cannot be that she can vndertake to Canonize them whom she neuer did while they were in their bodies The Church cannot make a new article of Faith Pope Leo the third saith Bellarmine was the first which Canonized Saints before they were honoured by custome and not by law the same is retained as yet in the East Countries where they name none Saints but those auncients which liued about a thousand years agoe there are none in those Churches which thinke themselues able to know who those be whom God hath chosen Not because that none ought to hold for saints those whose holinesse the ancient Church did acknowledge it would be worse to doubt it then dangerous to beleeue it charitably That which induceth the Protestants to say that Catherine George and Christopher neuer liued is the falshood of their Legends Bellarmine confesseth that they are Apocrypha They of the East doe beleeue that there was a certaine man named Christopher but no Giant They hold likewise that there haue beene a S. Catherine and a S. George both very renowned in all the east But if credible histories doe contradict the Storie of their liues it may well be said that they were not to wit such as they are imagined to haue beene To end seeing that the Churches haue euery one the memorie of the Saints who haue liued in their Countries the surest way is not to condemne them without good and sufficient proofe Neuerthelesse it is not an Article of Faith that they should be al Saints no nor those neither of the Church of Rome for all the Churches do beleeue That those which the Pope Canonizeth are not vndoubtedly Saints QVESTION XLII Whether it be lawfull to paint God to bowe or kneele before Idoles or Images to bowe the head or vncouer it before Churches Crosses or Pictures of Saints or when we take in hand holy Relickes and the Books of the holy Scripture THE EAST CHVRCHES DAmascen a Greeke Doctor Who can make an Image of God who is inuisible incorporall and incircumscriptible It is a great folly and impiety to seeke to giue a shape to him who is Diuine Sacranus The Russians doe abhorre the Images of the Romane Catholikes and
doe dishonour them as much as they can Cythraeus The Moscouites haue no Images in their Churches but the Pictures of Saint Nicholas and the Virgine Marie They handle not the Bookes of the holy Scripture without bowing their bodies many times in making the signe of the Crosse Ieremie generall Patriarch None ought to reprehend vs if we incline or bow our selues before the Images of Saints for we do bow as well before the one as before the other because that they are made after the Image of God and Saint Basile saith that the honour of the Image doth ascend vnto the first patterne And the Israelites did kneele round about the Tabernacle which bore the Image of Celesticall things and of all the Creation THE SOVTH CHVRCHES ALuares Within their Churches are to be seene many ancient remembrances of Saints which are not vpon the Altars because it is not their custome But they haue them within their vestries wrapped vp and mingled with many bookes and Papers and they neuer bring them foorth vnlesse it bee vpon Feastiuall dayes Idem Vpon the walles of their Churches is to bee seene the remembrances of Iesus Christ our blessed Lady the Apostles and Prophets and all those in flat painted pictures for their is no restauration or mending of them They will not haue Iesus Christ painted as he was crucified saying that no man is worthy to see him in that passion Theuet The Cephalians doe vse Images but onely in flat or plaine pictures after the manner of the Armenians Georgians Grecians and others of the East THE LATIN CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent The Images of Iesus Christ the Virgin Mary mother of God and other Saints must be had and retained especially in Churches and honor and reuerence done vnto them as appertaineth Cardinall Bellarmine The Images of Christ and of the Saints ought to be worshipped not onely by accident or improperly but also in themselues and properly So as that they limite and finish the adoration as considered in themselues and not onely as they supplie the place of the first patterne THE REFORMED CHVRCHES THe Confession of the Swizers Forasmuch as God is an inuisible spirit and an infinite essence he cannot be represented by any art or Image that is the reason why we doe not sticke to call with the holy Scripture the Images of God plaine lies The Confession of Bohemia The Church is also taught that none ought to honour holy men as God much lesse Images neither worship them with any honour or affection of Spirit the which is due onely to God ANNOTATION THere are diuers and sundry opinions touching Images First the Mahometists will haue none at all Secondly the Iconomaques do thinke it vnlawfull to haue any in their Churches Epiphanius held this opinion saying that it is against the authoritie of holy Scripture that the Image of a man should hang in a Church but hee citeth not the place of Scripture Also the Grecians and Latines doe not beleeue that so learned a man did write the Epistle where the same is found Thirdly many Protestants now a dayes doe say that it is not expedient to place Images in Churches confessing thereby that the same is a thing of it selfe indifferent Fourthly Chemnitius saith that Images are profitable in regard of the historie and decent for the Ornament of Churches and that the abuse maybe auoided by the preaching of true Doctrine Fiftlie the second Councell of Nice after Saint Basill and others followed by the Churches of the East and Africa doth teach that it is lawfull to bow downe before Images and because that the law of God is by some opposed thereunto Thou shalt not bow down to them the Councell aunswereth by distinguishing that there are two fashions of inclining or bowing The one Latria which is to haue trust and confidence in that thing before which a man boweth or to prostrate himselfe altogether before it The other is the inclination called Dulia which a man vseth when hee meeteth with one of his friends for in the East Countreys the custome is to bow their heads in saluting one another as they doe put off their hats in Fraunce in this fashion saith the Councell it is lawfull to bowe or incline before Images And which is more the same Councell saith that this inclination or bowing doth altogether tend to the thing represented the meaning of the Councell was explaned in this verse Hanc videas sed mente colas quod cernis in ipsa Behold the Image but honour in thy heart that which it doth represent Moreouer to the end that none should thinke that this is some particular Ceremonie belonging to Images onely the Councell and the Grecians doe hold to this day that passing before any Church or Crosse or in taking vp the holy Bible a man ought to encline or bow his head which is as much as for a man in France to put off his hat and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Councell that is to say hauing the heart eleuated vp to God The Abyssins doe not passe beyond these limits They haue pictures in their Churches but the people very seldome enter into the place where they are they are not vpon the Altars towards the which they turne themselues in praying Also if they doe incline or bowe their heads it is in passing before Churches Crosses or the stones of the Altar The Ecclesiasticall persons enter not into the Church with their hose and shooes on according to that which God spake to Moyses Put off thy shooes for the place where thou standest is holy ground He that commeth by a Church if he be a horsebacke will alight vntill he be past it Behold here the Ceremonies of the Africanes They of the East doe passe these limits especially the lesser for they stand still while they pray and bow their head before the images but they kneele not downe Ieremie saith that it is not in fauour of the Images for all the honour is carried to the patterne as if he should haue said that they are honoured onely by accident as when a man saluteth any one he putteth off his hat before his habite without hauing any meaning or intention to doe it in honour of his habite So that wheras they pray before the pourtraict or Image it is say they to stirre vp themselues to deuotion and to shew how much they honour the thing represented All these exceptions take no place amongst the Protestants We ought not say they attribute to the Images of Saints any kind of worship either Ciuill or Religious for the same cannot be done without detestable superstition It seemes that this is the greatest accusation which the Protestants haue against the Churches of the East and Africa Neuerthelesse this custome is not now a dayes the auncient doctors which destroied the Pagane idolatrie haue approued it their deuotion did lead them to it Peraduenture no man will thinke it strange if
That such may vow Chastitie as know by sufficient experience that they haue power to accomplish performe their vowes And that Munkes ought not to beare the name of diuers Sects nor consume by their begging that which appertaineth vnto those which cannot labour QVESTION XLIIII VVhether the Church ought to haue Festiuall daies and fasting dayes appointed and whether there be any Diuine or generall Ecclesiasticall law about the same THE EAST CHVRCHES IEremie Patriarch of Constantinople Wee ought not onely to performe the Commaundements but also ought not to dispise the institutions of Feasts hauing in remembrance the 53. Canon of the Apostles which saith If any one vpon festiuall daies eate not flesh c. And the 69. Canon saith If any doe not fast the holy Lent or VVednesdaies and Fridaies let him be deposed Nicholas The Armenians doe keepe Lent neither eating any earthly flesh or fish and to shew themselues much differing from the Grecians vpon certaine Fridaies they eate flesh and drinke wine and all other food that pleaseth them Vilamont The Grecians obserue not the foure times nor the Vigilles they eate flesh euery Saturday they haue foure Lents in the yeare The Armenians keepe not Christmas day holy Gagnin The Moscouites doe celebrate many feasts of saints but not vpon those daies that the Romanes doe celebrate them they haue not at all the feast of Corpus Christi vpon the festiuall daies the chiefest amongst them after seruice doe spend the time in eating and drinking but the Cittizens and Artificers doe betake themselues to labour and Domesticall affaires and other businesse saying that it is for Lords to keepe feasts and to abstaine from labour Genebrard hath brought to light the Calender of the Syrian Greeke and Latin Churches wherein one may see the difference touching feasts THE SOVTH CHVRCH ALuares The Aethiopians doe keepe Lent and do beginne it the Munday after Sexagesima ten daies after Shroue-Tewesday and so they make their Lent to continue fifteene daies longer taking those daies for aduantage because that they fast not on Saturdaies Their manner of fasting is NOT TO EATE vntill night communicating euery day which is the reason why they singe not the Masse during that time but only in the night and after seruice they communicate and then goe to supper And euen as they haue these fiftie daies of Lent In like manner they take other fifty dayes after Easter and the Pentecost wherein they fast not and then when it is not fasting day they celebrate Masse in the morning eating flesh during that time without excepting any one day The Lord of Escales hath brought to light the Calender of the Church of Aethiopia wherein one may see the feasts and the fasting dayes there and how much they differ from ours THE LATIN CHVRCH THe Councell of Lyons It must be declared to the Lay people what times they must keepe holy in the yeare to wit euery Sunday from eue to eue and to eschue all imitation of the Iewes they must also keepe these Feasts Christmas S. Steuen S. Iohn c. The Fasting-dayes of the Latine Church are ordained De Consecr dist 3. and elsewhere THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe constitutions of England Seeing that the Authoritie of the holy Fathers grounded vpon the example of the Apostles hath commanded to celebrate Prayers and Fasting in the solemne ordination of Ministers and to that end hath ordained certaine prefixed times for the foresaid Prayers and Fastings Wee honouring their Holy and Pious institution doe will and ordaine that hereafter no Priests nor Deacons bee ordained but vpon those Sundayes which follow immediatly after the Fasting of the fower times vulgarly called the Ember weekes hitherto kept in the Church of England The Synod at Torun in Poland We haue thought it necessarie to appease the wrath of God with Fasting and Prayers assembling our selues together with one consent at certaine times And to the end that wee may not ordaine any new thing touching this matter we haue Dedicated vnto Fasting the dayes accustomed foure times in the yeere which are vulgarly called the dayes of abstinence Neuerthelesse we will not hinder the faithfull to follow their deuotion in obseruing Fasting and Prayers at other times but on the contrarie side we doe exhort and stirre them vp thereunto Oecolampadius Wee haue not learned out of Gods word any distinction of meates Neuerthelesse that we may pray more sincerely wee doe abstaine not without fruit from meates not prohibited In consideration whereof the fathers haue consecrated fortie dayes before Easter for to Fast Zanchius The ancient institution of Lent cannot be simply condemned but the necessitie which is inforced Item Telesphorus about the yeere 139. maketh mention thereof as a thing obserued before his time We doe ordaine saith he that all the Clergie doe abstaine from flesh seuen whole weekes before Easter Saint Ambrose saith that before Lent continued but sixe weekes The feastiuall dayes of the Church of England are set downe in the Booke of Common Prayers of the said Church Chemnicius and Zanchius doe note those feasts which are kept by the Protestants of Germanie ANNOTATION THis Question might haue beene omitted Neuerthelesse because that there are too many scrupulous people which take more heede to the externall seruice of God then to the truth of beliefe it shall not bee much besides the purpose to giue here aduertisement touching Feastes and fasting It is therefore to be vnderstood that the Apostles neuer made in common any order touching Feasts and Fasting If they had it would haue beene knowne for the Tradition would haue beene alike amongst all Nations which is not nor neuer was Incontinently after the time of the Apostles the Churches of Asia where Saint Iohn gouerned yea where S. Peter and S. Paul taught were found to differ from the Church of Rome touching the Feast of Easter There is no doubt but that the Feasts of the Apostles were ordained a long time after their decease As touching fasting there are two sorts The one which is truely and properly fasting is abstinence from all kind of meate this fasting is obserued and very much vsed in Aethiop and amongst all the Iacobites The other kind of Fasting is an abstinence from the most delicate and delicious meates Against which Fasting the Protestants doe bring this sentence out of S. Paul The spirit speaketh euidently that in the latter dayes men shall giue heede vnto the spirits of errour and doctrine of Diuels which teach lies through hypocrisie commanding to abstaine from meates which GOD hath created to bee receiued with giuing of thankes Some will demaund whether the Protestants doe pretend that this place of Scripture is absolutely against Lent and obseruation of Fridayes Zanchius answereth no. Lent was instituted before the yeere 139. and the Author is not knowne For the constitution of Telesphorus serued but to confirme that which was then already receiued So that if some of the
vpon which the ordinarie Bishoppes of cities were constituted And withall Tradition confirmeth this for there is no Church in the world which nameth not the Apostles before the Bishops yea the Church of Rome preferreth the Apostles before the Popes It remaineth then for vs to search who was the successor of S. Iohn in the Catholike Primacy whether Polycarpus was his successor in Ephesus or Simeon successor to S. Peter in Ierusalem or Albinus of Alexandria successor of S. Marke successor and chosen of S. Peter or Ignatius successor of Euodias and of S. Peter in Antioch or Euaristus successor of Clement and of Linus and of S. Peter in Rome There are two Churches which haue contended herein more then eight hundred yeeres that is to say that of Constantinople and that of Rome The Romane Church saith that S. Peter hath ordained is from God that Rome should haue the Primacie and power to command and that for euer They of Constantinople say on the contrarie side that our Lord neuer spoke any such words much lesse Saint Peter himself and if any such thing had been some one of the Apostles would haue written of it this Article being the foundation of all the doctrine and gouernement of the Church Moreouer Saint Peter himselfe would haue Preached the same and Saint Iohn who succeeded and out-liued S. Peter would not haue stayed in Ephesus Well then you see that all the Churches planted by the Apostles not excepting any one doe testifie after many ages that neither they nor their fathers neuer beleeued nor held that the Primacie by diuine power was due to the Church of Rome but rather that it appertaineth to whosoeuer shall bee chosen and elected by the greater part of the Churches and that the Bishop of Rome alone ought not to be q beleeued much lesse in his owne proper cause In like maner many learned men of the Latine Church doe confesse that the reason wherefore Rome is helde to haue the Primacie in diuine affaires is an opinion of the vulgar sort So that rather to Constantinople appertaineth the Primacie seeing it was giuen her by the Apostolicke Churches which they gaue not then to Rome being one of the last seates of Saint Peter but onely in regard of the Imperiall seate Well then to make this the more intelligible it is necessarie to know how it happeneth that the Citie of Rome now a dayes pretendeth that the Primacie is due to her by diuine right The aboue mentioned Apostolicke Churches doe surmise as followeth and say First that Saint Peter had the first place among the Apostles for he was oftentimes demanded many things by the Lord and he answered in the name of his fellowes ouer whom neuerthelesse he had no iurisdiction nor authority although that some doe thinke that he resigned it to Saint Iames when they were together at Hierusalem after that S. Iames was instituted Bishoppe that is to say after that hee was staied that hee should make his ordinarie residence there Secondly that Saint Iohn during his life after the time of S. Peter had the first place amongst all the Euangelists and Bishoppes Thirdly that he neuer taught that Rome by Diuine right ought to be the Mistresse of the other Churches if he had S. Polycarpus his Disciple and others his successors in Ephesus had not debated so earnestly and obstinately against the Roman Church touching the feast of Easter Fourthly that after S. Iohn the Bishop of Rome obtained by iust title the first place among the Bishops which were vnder the Romane Empire for seeing that the Citizens of Rome then raigned ouer the Inhabitants of other Cities hee had been both proud audacious and vnreasonable which would haue preferred himselfe before their Bishop especially without any ordinance of a Councell Fiftly that the churches of Italy and other their neighbours through the laps of time gaue to the Bishop of Rome not only the first place but also the superintendancie ouer the Bishops neare them in particular for to giue his aduice in matters that happened till a Synode might be had Sixtly that the councell of Nice approued the same and ordained that Alexandria should in like manner haue the ouer-sight of the Churches of Egipt and of Affrica and that the church of Antioch should ouer-see those of the east And after a certaine time because the Emperiall seate was transported vnto Constantinople it was ordained that that Bishop should be ouer-seer of the Greeke Churches and the Bishop of Ierusalem should be admitted to be one of the fiue for Palestina and those fiue were called Patriarches Seuenthly that the Bishop of Rome all this while had the first seat but yet without any vniuersall iurisdiction but rather euery one of the foresaid fiue Patriarches iudged or rather gaue his aduise and opinion till a Councell might be had as euen to this day they of Constantinople although that they call themselues Oecumenicke are subiect to Synodes but yet of Greece onely Eightly that Maurice Emperour of Constantinople would haue taken away the primacie from Gregorie Bishoppe of Rome and giuen it to Iohn Bishop of Constantinople who for a Marke of his place desired to haue the Title of a generall Bishoppe and that Gregorie did oppose himselfe against him least he should loose his place vrging how insolent that Title was and saying that Iohn would vsurpe Dominion ouer the other Bishops which peraduenture was not the intention of Iohn but he on the contrary side to shew that he was contented with the ranke or place of his predecessors called himselfe Seruus seruorum Dei The seruant of the seruants of God Ninthly that Phocas hauing slaine Maurice gaue to the Bishop of Rome which was then Boniface the first seate and Title of Generall or Vniuersall Bishop and yet without any iurisdiction or Dominion ouer the other patriarches which notwithstanding the churches acknowledged him not in that quality Tenthly that Charles the great King of France hauing subdued with armes a great part of Europe The citie of Rome craued his ayde against the Lombards who being ouer come by the same King the Romanes proclaimed him their Emperour 11 That then the Emperors of the East with the consent of the Patriarchall and Apostolicke Churches tooke from Rome the primacy and gaue it to the said Church of Constantinople 12 That then the Romanes seeing that by the Ecclesiasticall law they should loose the primacie began to say that the primacy belonged as of Diuine right to them and to their Bishop and consequently that the whole Church together could not take away from them the first ranke because that Rome is the Sea of S. Peter 13 That after that they of the East had rightly said that hee is successor of S. Peter which is elected confirmed and approued by the greatest part of the Churches in what place soeuer he maketh his residence and that imitateth S. Peter in doctrine and humilitie That the Bishoppes of
haue a custome to vse one fashion for the sick another for the Cōmunicants For the sicke it is kept all the yeare being consecrated the weeke before Easter Scarga Their Popes that is to say their Priests after dinner somtimes halfe drunk do eat with little or no reuerence the rest of the body of Christ which was not eaten by the faithfull Gagninus They keepe not holy the feast of the body of the Lord. THE SOVTH CHVRCH ZAga Ethiop The Sacrament of the Eucharist is not kept with vs in the Temples or Churches as they doe in Europe that is to say in the Roman Church The sicke receiue not the body of the Lord but at such time as they haue recouered their health This they do because the Priests and the Laickes doe vse to receiue twise euery weeke and all those that would receiue it goe to the Temple and it is not permitted neyther to the Patriarch himselfe nor to Prester-Iohn to doe otherwise THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe confession of Saxon. It is a manifest prophanation to carry about in procession a part of the Sacrament and to adore or worshippe it seeing that part is transferred to an vse quite contrary to the institution where the Text saith Take eate c. The Diuines of Wittenberg The Ministers of the Church are ordained amongst vs to baptise and celebrate the Lords supper both publikely in the Temples and particularly in the houses of those that are neare death THE ROMANE CHVRCH CLement We must principally employ our selues about the right vse of this liuely Sacrament of the body and blood of Iesus Christ which is the glory and crowne of all the Saints to the end that it may shine through a festiuall and speciall celebration to supplie thereby that which is omitted in the other Offices of the Masse ANNOTATION ALl Christian Nations doe agree together against the Romane Church that none ought to keepe the Sacrament to employ it to any other vse then that to which our Sauiour hath dedicated it to wit the Communion And therefore it ought not to be carried in Procession as Pope Clement hath of late time commaunded in the institution of the feast of God or Corpus Christi As for the reseruation which is made to be caried to the sicke it is not in vse in the Churches of Affrica but the Grecians and Latines doe approue it yea and the Protestants likewise as appeareth in the place before mentioned Thinkest thou saith Beza that none ought to celebrate the holy Supper of the Lord noe where else but onely in a publique assembly Answere In the beginning of the auncient Church it was the custome to send the Eucharist by the Deacons to the sicke being absent to whom I doubt not but that the same did bring great consolation I desire heartily that this custome were put in vse againe The Resolution of this question is That none ought to reserue or keepe the Sacrament but onely to carrie to the sicke QVESTION XXIX Whether the Sacrament ought to be eleuated or lifted vp by the Priest for to adore and worship it or for to Sacrifice through that externall ceremony THE EAST CHVRCH SAcranus The Russians as also some amongst the Grecians before that they prepare the Chalice doe light waxe Candles and shew to the people the bread that is to be consecrated with the wine and water powred in the Chalice and then the people fall downe bending their bodies to worshippe and to commit idolatry But being once set vpon the Altar and consecrated it is not worshipped of any neyther is it eleuated or lifted vp THE SOVTH CHVRCH ZAga In this Ministery the Sacrament is not shewed as I see they doe here in the Romane Church Aluares After that the Priest commeth speaking in his owne language after our fashion and the very same wordes but that he dooth not eleuate the Sacrament but couereth it THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe confession of Basil We adore not Iesus Christ in the signes of bread and wine which we commonly call Sacraments of the body and blood of the Lord But in heauen on the right hand of God the father from whence he shal come for to iudge the quicke and the dead THE LATIN CHVRCH THe Canon That euery Priest doe oftentimes teach his people to bow reuerently when in the celebration of the Masse the wholesome host is eleuated and that he doe the same when hee carrieth it to any sicke person ANNOTATION THere is no Catholicke saith Bellarmine that teacheth that the Sacramentall signes must be adored in themselues and properly with that worship which is called Latria but that they must be worshipped with a lesser honour which belongeth to all Sacraments But we say that Christ must be worshipped in himselfe and that adoration or worshippe dooth belong to the signes in regard that they are conceiued to be the same thing with Christ euen as they that adored Christ being cloathed vpon earth adored not him onely but also his habite for hee commaunded not himselfe to bee stript naked The Latines doe accuse the Protestants because that they worship not the Sacrament or Iesus Christ in the Sacrament but if a man consider the matter well he shall finde that they doe all that Bellarmine requireth Socolouius to shew that there is a great defect yea impiety in them layeth before them the example of all the Christians of the world who saith he doe worshippe or adore Iesus Christ in the Sacrament euery one Suo modo And if one can shew that the Protestants doe the same also Suo modo those that search out occasion to complaine shall they not haue reason to be content Bellarmine speaketh of the worshipping of the signes and of the worshipping of Iesus Christ signified In both these the Protestants doe vse such adoration as Bellarmine himselfe doth paint out Those that honoured our Sauiour being in his Clothes had not any intention or meaning to honour or adore his cloathes likewise following the example of Bellarmine be it that a man haue no intention to honour the Sacrament he is blamelesse If Bellarmine doe say that the Cloathes of the Lorde were worshipped per accidens I doe answere him that in like manner the Protestants doe honour the signes per accidens In Germany they receiue the Sacrament vpon their knees The constitutions of England do ordain the like In so doing they doe adore Iesus Christ before the Sacrament that is to say the Sacrament per accidens with a more humble ceremony then the Christians of the East doe who as Vilamont saith receiue it not vpon their knees The Churches of the South doe the like If the Frenchmen doe follow their example they adore it also eorum modo and Suo modo The Romane Catholikes themselues doe not kneele alwaies when they pray or adore as it is seene in the benediction of the table it sufficeth then in adoring to haue the head
concerning the wordes Sacrament and Mysterie As touching the word Sacrament noe Christian Nation is holden to vse it for it is grounded neither vpon Diuine law nor Ecclesiasticall Catholicke law The word is Latine and the Catholike Church neuer speaketh Latine but onely Greeke in the vniuersall Councels If therefore the Protestants will call none Sacraments but Baptisme and the Eucharist they doe nothing either against God or against the Church But these two Ceremonies are by them esteemed so holy and so authenticall and to haue such prerogatiues that they thinke it meete and reasonable to cal them by some peculiar name first because that they are common to all those of the Church secondly because that they haue a visible substance or matter ordained by Iesus Christ and thirdly because that the holy Scripture doth attribute very much vnto them But some will say the Protestants are contrarie to the East Church both in the name and in the thing it selfe for that Church beleeueth that there are seuen Mysteries Here is to be noted that as concerning the word Mysterie the Protestants haue not as yet put it in vse and haue not defined what that is which may be called Mysterie That word with them is further extended then the word Sacrament and which is yet more they confesse that the word Sacrament may be taken more largely and they protest that they will neuer be superstitious about words Chemnitius saith that it was neuer yet stood vpon but that absolution of Penitents might be called a Sacrament Caluin saith that Imposition of hands in anie Ordination may be called a Sacrament And the Apologie of the Confession of Ausburg saith the verie same Confirmation is commaunded in the Canons of the English Church and Caluin desireth that it might be vsed and practised The Annointing or Vnction of the sicke is likewise a Sacrament yea euen at this time as Monsieur de Moulin saith for the reason wherefore it is not vsed is because that men see not the effects of those daies As concerning Marriage if it be likewise taken simplie they neuer call it a Sacrament It is common both to the Iewes Turkes and Pagans but if one speake of the marriage of Christians considered as it is contracted and blessed in the face of the Church it may be called as the Patriarch Ieremie calleth it a Mysterie or a Mysterious action and a holy celebration And if all or the most part of Ecclesiasticall actions may bee called Sacraments then more properlie may they by them be called Mysteries for although that the word of God in it selfe be also called a Mysterie yet more particularly when it is emploied in some holy action The Churches of Affrica hold not for Sacraments neither the Chrisme nor the oile of Extreame Vnction as Zaga-Zabo one of their owne Bishops and Aluares who dwelt many yeares in Aethiope doe witnesse These men are more credible then Titelman and such like who neuer were there Peraduenture the Abyssins would expound them according to the beleefe of them of the East but seeing that here is nothing controuerted but words it will be no inconuenience to make this conclusion That there are seuen celebrations in the Church the which are called mysteries and two principall which may be called Sacraments QVESTION XXXIX Whether it be lawfull or needfull to pray for the Saints which are in Paradise THE EAST CHVRCH LIturgia S. Basilij Lord haue mercy vpon vs remember the Saints which haue pleased thee from the beginning our holy Fathers the Patriarkes Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessors Euangelists Preachers and all the righteous which are dead in the Faith especially the holy blessed and euer-Virgine Marie Saint Iohn Baptist and Saint Stephan the Protomartyr THE SOVTH CHVRCH THe Liturgie of Cyrill of Alexandria O Lord haue pitty vpon our Fathers and Brethren whose soules thou hast receiued giue them rest call to remembrance our holy Fathers the Patriarkes Prophets Apostles and aboue all the rest the holy and glorious Virgine Marie Saint Iohn Baptist and Saint Stephan Graunt O Lord that the of soules them all may rest and repose in the bosome of our holy Fathers Abraham Isack and Iacob graunt that their soules may inhabite and dwell in a greene place by the waters of Comfort in the Paradise of pleasure from whence griefe heauinesse and sighings are chased away Raise their bodies in the day which thou hast ordained according to thy true promises which cannot faile THE LATIN CHVRCH BEllarmine The first question is whether the soules of the faithfull separated from their bodies and such as haue no need of Purgatorie are admitted to enioy the felicitie which consisteth in the cleere vision of God This hath beene the opinion of auncient and moderne heretickes that they are reserued vntill the last day in some secret receptacle where they see not God and are not blessed but in hope Tertullian affirmed it first Vigilantius followed him Guido attributeth the same to the Armenians The Grecians held it in the Councell of Florence Luther holdeth the very same error and Caluin also who bringeth no arguments to proue it THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe Councell of Wittenberge The State is all one of a Saint which is at rest in Christ and a faithfull man that dieth for he that dieth in the Faith is a Saint We doe thinke it a thing agreeable to a godly soule to make an honest mention of his Elders departed in the faith Charitie requireth that we wish and desire to the dead all tranquilitie and felicitie in Christ But there is no testimonie in the Propheticall and Apostolicall doctrine that the dead are helped by Prayers Watchings and Merits or that they obtaine in heauen a greater felicitie thereby ANNOTATION BEllarmine telleth vs that the Churches of Greece and Armenia doe beleeue that vntill the day of Iudgement the Saints doe not enioy that perfect felicitie which is called the vision or sight of God They thinke saith Vilamont that there are none there but the Virgine Marie and peraduenture the good thiefe And that the rest are in certaine Chambers where the Angels wont to visite them They would say lodgings whereof our Sauiour speaketh In my Fathers house are many mansions The Africanes doe beleeue the same as may be gathered by their Liturgie Bellarmine attributeth the same to Caluin As for the Syrians their errors saith Villamont are not so great as these of the Grecians for they beleeue that the righteous are in Paradise and the wicked in hell and that in praying for the dead their paines are diminished albeit there is no place to purge soules the Anaphore of the Syrians saith thus O Lord Creatour of soule and body remember those that are departed out of this world refresh them in thy Tabernacle passe them thither from horrible lodgings draw them out of darkenesse and dolour In like maner the opinion of the Apostolicke Churches is contrarie both to the Romane Catholickes and
for the rest this Treatise is not for the learned sort of whom we are willing to receiue both councell and correction wheresoeuer it shall so fall out It is but for to solace those which desire to learne and haue not the meanes to read diuers authors especially the Greeke and Latin Those also that search discourses garnished and painted out with all sorts of flowers and coulers shall not bee here satisfied This subiect cannot permit any rhetoricall sentences and the fashion of the Treatise is farre wide from it here is but a Collection of diuerse passages Coppies and sentences of authors word by word with briefe and simple Annotations The breuity is to the end that the simplicity should not be enuious and the simplicity is because that it is conuenient both to the matter and argument In like manner because that which is most plainely spoken should haue lest suspicion and be more intelligible I doe not doubt that this breuity will giue any aduantage to the contentious But I shall haue better meanes hereafter to satisfie them God willing Let it then suffice thee for this present Catholicke Reader to haue here a beginning of the knowledge of this subiect a knowledge which will increase in thee through the loue of the truth The ancient Bishop Meliton as Eusebius writeth did visite the Churches of the East for to learne what were the Canonicall Bookes and true writings of the Apostles If thou doest read this abridgment thou shalt imitate without any paine the holy curiositie of this good man A TREATISE OF THE TRADITION AND BELIEFE of the Christians of Asia Europa and Affrica in the principall Controuersies of our time QVESTION I. Whether Saint Peter had authority ouer the other Apopostles or onely the Presidencie and whether his successors haue the same authority THE EAST CHVRCH NIlus Archbishop of Thessalonica The Apostles being in Hierusalem St. Peter tooke not vppon himselfe the Primacy neither said he is it lawfull for me to make a Canon vpon the same But the Apostles and the Priests assembled themselues together for to consult thereupon and Saint Peter reiected them not but he began to speake and after him Saint Iames spake and they all did condescend to the opinion of Saint Iames that is to say Saint Peter himselfe and the rest of the Apostles and Priests Barlaam Monachus Graecus I acknowledge that St. Peter was an Vniuersall Pastor and Teacher but hee was not alone but also euery one of the other Apostles was in honour equall with him It is true that our Sauiour promised the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen to Saint Peter the which he declareth to bee no other thing then the power to binde and vnbinde But it is manifest that he gaue the same power to the other Apostles saying Whatsoeuer yee binde on earth shall bee bound in Heauen Wee doe conclude then that all the Apostles had equall and like honour in that which was belonging to the Church but Saint Peter was preferred in this holy dozen and for that the others were present he propounded the question and peraduenture receiued the honour to be set in the first ranke Maior Anacletus saith that the Apostles receiued with Saint Peter an equall Communitie of honour and authoritie but they would that hee should bee their Prince And this saying of Anacletus is confirmed by this signe to wit that the Grecians doe follow the contradictorie of our conclusion that is to say of the beliefe of the Church of Rome and none ought to say that soe great a people are in errour a people I say that haue receiued the faith before the Romanes and the most part at the very first foundation or planting of the Church Sacranus The Muscouites deny that Saint Peter was a true Pope or a true Bishop of the sea of Rome or that hee was the onely head of the Militant Church And they say that he receiued not of Iesus Christ full authority The same they beleeue of the Bishop of Rome the which they maintaine to bee like other Bishops THE SOVTH-CHVRCH ALuares Prester-Iohn sent to me to aske wherfore we haue diuided the Churches of Antioche and Rome seeing we professe to be Christians seeing that the Church of Antioche was in a manner the chiefest vntill the Councell of Pope Leo whom three hundred and eighteene Bishoppes assisted I answered as I had said once before to his greatnesse that indeed Antioche was heretofore the head of the Church which Saint Peter gouerned and dwelt in it fiue yeares and in Rome fiue and twenty yeares After that hee inquired whether we doe obay all that which the Pope commaunded vs I answered him that we doe and that we were obliged therunto by the Article of our holy faith which confesseth one holy Catholicke Church Whereupon hee replied that if the Pope would vsurpe so great prerogatiue as to vse towards them an vnlawfull commaundement they would not make any reckoning of it And if by such meanes their Abuna would presume so farre they would burne the Coppie of such commaundement Annot. By this discourse it is seene that the Aethiopian Church doth hold that the Primate of the Church may erre and commaund vnlawfull things although he doe it in the qualitie of a Primate for hee commandeth not by any other authority and that the Iudgement of the Church is good and valuable without the aduise and consent of the Primate THE REFORMED CHVRCH IN THE WEST THe Confession of England Christ is alwaies present in his Church and hath no neede of any Lieuetenant that should succeede him totally in the Church neither can any one mortall man embrace in his vnderstanding the Catholicke Church that is to say all the partes of the world much lesse to establish a good order and to administer and gouerne it well and duely The Apostles as Saint Cyprian sayth were all of an equall authoritie And the rest of them had the same authority as Saint Peter had It was spoken to them equally Feed goe through the Vniuersall world Preach the Gospell And as Saint Ierome saith All Bishops in-what place soeuer they be either in Rome or in Eugubio or in Constantinople or in Rhegium are of one selfe same merite or calling and of one selfe same Priesthood THE ROMAN OR LATIN CHVRCH POpe Leo. The Lord would that this holy charge should belong in such sort to all the Apostles that he hath appointed and ordained it in the person of Peter as soueraigne amongst the other Apostles Pope Stephan Forasmuch as the Romaine Church ouer the which wee doe sit and gouerne hath beene proposed for a mirror and example all that whatsoeuer she doth ordaine and command ought to be for euer inuiolably obserued Card. Bellarmine The Soueraigne Bishop is absolutely aboue the Councels and cannot subiect himselfe to their Coactiue sentence Besides this point is the most important of all Religion and to holde
the contrary is as much as if one would say that the Church may perish and decay ANNOTATION THere is three manners of gouernement that is to say Monarchie Aristocracie and Democracie Monarchie is when one alone hath power to commaund Aristocracie is when the lesser part of the people hath the Soueraignetie in it selfe to giue a law to the rest of the people be it to all in generall or to some one in particular Democracie when all the people or the greater part of them haue the soueraigne authority Presidencie is when in a State Aristocratique or Democratique there is one that hath the first ranke and the charge to gouerne in the assemblies Magistracie or Superintendencie is when he that is President hath iurisdiction ouer the particulars for to cause the Lawes and Statutes of the Common-wealth or Monarche whereof he is a Subiect to bee obserued This charge and Iurisdiction is giuen sometimes for terme of life and instituted both in Title and Office Sometimes for a certaine time and in the forme of a Commission Some man may demand whether Saint Peter had simply the Primacy that is to say the first ranke or place amongst the Apostles or whether he had Iurisdiction ouer euery one of them in particular or whether he had a Monarchall authority ouer their company Also whether had he the Primacie in Diuine affaires and in such sort that it was not Lawfull for his fellowes to giue to vnto another The Romane Church doth holde that Saint Peter had authority in diuine matters ouer the company of the Apostles and that he that is elected and chosen to preside or gouerne in the Church hath the same authority ouer it and is not obliged to follow the greater voyce in giuing his sentence according to the consultations of the Councels For proofe whereof is aleaged Thou art Peter and vpon this Stone c. I wil giue thee the Keyes I haue prayed for thee Feede my Sheepe Strengthen thy Brethren And that the faith of the Romanes was renowned through the world This opinion of the Romane Church is so particular that not onely the Catholicke and Apostolicke Churches of the East South and of the North and the reformed Churches of the West but also the rest that make profession to beleeue the Roman Church cannot approue of this point Neuertheles this is the ground foundation of the others For when one makes profession of Christianitie it is necessarie that he be resolued to which hee ought to giue credit To wit whether to the holy Scripture expounded by the greater voice of Bishops and of the Apostolicke Seas which is the foundation of the East Churches or to a supreame head who hath assistance of the Bishops of his quarter which is the foundation of the Latine Church The Church of Rome pretendeth that her Bishop cannot erre in the things which he pronounceth in the quality of the head thereof although that one whole Councell was of a contrary opinion But the councel of Basil wherin was assembled all the Latine Church did hold the contrary Yea many Catholicke Romane Doctors doe mainetaine it in their writings Concilium esse supra Pontificem saith Bellarmine asserunt omnes haeretici idem asserunt Cardinalis Camaracensis Io. Gerson Iac. Almaricus Cusanus Panormitanus Cardinalis Florentinus Abulensis Moreouer it is the voice of the people that it be so and if one doe aske a Romaine Catholicke wherefore he belieueth or doth such and such things he answereth presently that the Church hath so ordained it In saying so hee confesseth that the Soueraigntie belongs to the Church For were not that a haynous crime so to obscure the Maiestie of a Monarch as to say that the Estates doe make Lawes and Edicts And it is manifest that the Romane Catholickes in soe doing doe accuse the Pope and the Church of Rome of errour to the which they giue neuerthelesse the title of Mistresse of all other Churches and do confesse that if there be any error in this there may be likewise in other opinions And consequently the Grecians and the Reformed Christians doe build vpon a farre more sure foundation As for the places of the holy Scripture alleaged by the Latine Church the foresaide Apostolicke Churches doe clearely and manifestly affirms that those places before alleaged doe conclude nothing for a Monarchie That the Church is founded vpon all the Apostles in like manner as vpon Saint Peter That our Lord prayed for them all That all had power to binde and vnbinde To Feede and confirme them And that the faith of the Church of Thessalonica which is now the faith of the Greek Church is spread and scattered into all places And moreouer that the Lord made a promise to the company of the Apostles more expresse then that which he made to S. Peter in particular I am saith he with you vntill the end of the world And withall two great Lawyers of that time viz. Hotman and Ranchin After many others haue very amply written thereof From hence therefore the Catholicke and Apostolicke conclusion is taken That the Church which in her foundation is a Monarchie because that Iesus Christ is the King ought to be gouerned Aristocratically by her Bishops which are equall in power although different in charge and degrees for the order and policie thereof QVESTION II. Vnto what Bishop appertaineth Presidencie in the Councels and whether this Presidencie be a Diuine Law or Ecclesiasticall THE EAST CHVRCH THe answere to the Councell of Ausburge Forasmuch as the Church of God which is with vs is the Princesse of all other Churches And that shee guideth the people of God in all knowledge and grace and glorieth in the pure sinceritie of the splendore of the Apostolicke Traditions and of the Fathers And for that also she hath born the first prerogatiue in the Orthodoxall veritie It is reason that all Christian common wealthes should celebrate the Diuine mysteries as she doth Nilus Archi-episcopus Thessalonicoensis The Latines say that the blessed Apostle Saint Peter was constituted by the Lord the Prince of the twelue Apostles and that he gaue into his hands the Keyes of Heauen against the which the Gates of Hell should neuer preuaile that hee also prayed that his faith should not faile and such like things as doe manifestly shew the Primacie of Saint Peter And they say that the Pope was constituted to be his successor and hath receiued of Saint Peter all the Primacie and that hee can all that Peter could in things concerning faith and that it is impossible that he should decline from the truth in matters of faith For if hee should faile all matters of faith would runne to ruine But Honorius Bishop of Rome was an heretike according to the seauenteenth decree of the sixt Vniuersall Councell It may bee then that the Pope might decline from the truth in matters of faith Yet graunt
that hee erred in the faith the words of the Lord are not in vaine That the gates of Hell shall not preuaile against the Church The piety and integrity of Religion may be firmely preserued in other Bishops It is then manifest that it is not peculiar to the Roman Church to bee founded vpon this stone for that should be hard and grieuous and not far differing from the Iewes basenesse to inclose the Church within Rome Well then Christ hath built his Church but he builded it vpon the faith and doctrine of Peter and vpon those that shal be keepers and obseruers of such a confession And if Saint Agathon affirmed that his Church to wit that of Rome neuer erred from the truth it is no wonder for it is because that indeed very seldome she falleth from the faith Otherwise how should a man interpret this place of Scripture All are gone out of the way they are al corrupt there is none that doth good no not one Moreouer when he saith that the Church of Rome is not stayed from the way of truth he speaketh of the time past and doth not include the time to come and that which is to bee noted Agathon spake that before the sixt Synode Theuet The Patriarch of Ierusalem as I haue seene did excommunicate out of the body of their Church the which they hold from al antiquity aswel the pope of Rome as also all Christian Princes to wit those of the Roman Church because that they are seperated from the Greeke Church the which receiued the Gospell before the Latine Church Villamont The Syrians doe boast themselues to be the first Christians of the world because that Saint Peter had his seate seauen yeares in Antioch before that euer he went to Rome which is the reason that the Syrians would neuer submit themselues to the Church of Rome Theuet The Christians of Traprobane and the Ilands neare thereunto doe not acknowledge nor their fathers did neuer acknowledge the popes Cardinalles or prelates of Rome Also the Nestorians and other Indians doe call the Pope a Bishop vnapproued Sacranus The Ruthenians and Moscouites doe say that the Pope is an Hereticke and doe excommunicate him and his Clergy at such times as they do celebrate the Lords supper THE SOVTH CHVRCH ALuares Prester-Iohn calling to remembrance that I had said that the Church had drawn these things that is to say the ceremonies of the Masse out of the passion he demaunded of me what was this Church and wherefore haue we two chiefe heads in Christendome the one at Constantinople in Greece and the other at Rome in Italy vnto whom I made answere that we acknowledged no more then one Head of the Church and although Constantinople was the chiefe in the beginning yet the same now was abolished for that the head of the Church ought to be where Saint Peter dwelleth because that Iesus Christ tolde him Tues Petrus super hanc petram c. And then when Saint Peter was in Antioch the Church was there by reason that the chiefe head was then there resident the which being now come to Rome there was the Ecclesiasticall Iudge established and so firmely placed that it remaineth there vntil this present Moreouer he told me then that I yeelded sufficient reason for the Church of Rome but hee asked me what I could say of the Church of Constantinople which was planted by St. Marke and of that of Greece whereof Saint Iohn Patriarch of Alexandria was head Annot. The reason of this great King is the very same with the Grecians in the controuersie against some Cardinals in these wordes If that your Roman Church be the chiefe and mother of the other Churches by reason that Saint Peter was her Pastor it is more reason that Antioch should obtaine these titles because she first embraced and receiued his preaching from thence it commeth that Antioch is called Theopolis the citie of God or else that Church of Ierusalem which obtained the great and Soueraigne Sacrificer who preached and offered himselfe a Sacrifice therein The vniuersall Histories of the Indies made mention that the Pope sent Ouiedo a Spaniard to drawe the Abyssins or Aethiopians to acknowledge the Romane Church but the Emperour Claudius of Ethiope then raigning chased him away and Ouiedo was compelled to hide himselfe THE REFORMED CHVRCH OF THE WEST THE confession of Wittenberg Wee beleeue and confesse that the Church ought to expound the Scripture but there are diuers opinions concerning the Church that is to say where it must be sought for and whether her iurisdiction be inclosed within certain limits Now wee doe thinke according to the holy Scripture and the holy Fathers that the Catholike and Apostolike Church is not tyed to any one certaine place to one nation or to one sort of people but that it is in that place and with those nations where the Gospell is sincerely preached The confession of the Swizers We doe condemne the Donatists which would inclose the Church in a corner of Affrica and we approue not the Clergie of Rome who attribute the name of Catholike onely to the Romane Church Annot. The Diuines of Tubinge in their letters doe call the Patriarch of Constantinople Oecumenicke and haue sought the Vnion of the East Churches THE CATHOLIKE ROMAN CHVRCH POpe Pelagius Although that all the Catholicke and Apostolike Churches established through the vniuersall world are a nuptiall bedde of Christ Neuerthelesse the holy Roman Church was not preferred before the other Churches by any constitutions of councels but rather obtained the Primacy from the holy words of our Lord. The Church of Rome is therefore the first Sea of the Apostle Peter she hath no spot or wrinkle or any such thing but in these things the higher her degree is the greater is her authoritie for the greater haue the power to commaund and the lesser are to yeelde obedience ANNOTATION SAint Peter ought to be considered foure manner of wayes first in the quality of an Apostle sent by God immediately as such a one that had no successor In the second place as an Apostle simply hauing charge to plant many Churches in such manner S. Marke and other Euangelistes their Substitutes which also are called Apostles were his Successors In the third place as a Bishoppe and President in euery Church where he was that is to say in Antioch Rome Ierusalem as Euodias did succeede him in Antioch Clement in Rome S. Iames the Apostle and S. Simeon in Ierusalem Fourthly S. Peter is to be considered as Primate in the Catholike Church in such manner S. Iohn the Apostle entirely beloued of the Lord succeeded him hauing out-liued S. Peter fiue and twenty or thirty yeares Moreouer that S. Iohn was preferred before all the Bishops of the world is apparent by that that he was taken for one of the three pillers of the Church and was one of the twelue foundations
Rome haue brought into their church many errours and haue innouated many things without and against the decrees of the councels withall they haue added to the Symbole of Nice of their priuate authority that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Sonne euen as from the Father That although that the vniuersall councell hath giuen the first seate to the bishoppe of Rome yet did not they beleeue that the church in future time could not take from him this place especially if the church of Rome should fall into any errour as they say she is already fallen 14 That in the meane while the prouinces of the Empire of Charles the great to wit Fraunce Italy Germanie and Spaine remained vnder the bishoppe of Rome as being their nearest Patriark which is the reason that they now go about to perswade men that the Primacie appertaineth vnto him by Gods Law but this should bee no preiudice to other Churches nor to the trueth 15. That the Bishops of Rome enriched with the gifts and Donations of the Kings of France and per aduenture beleeuing themselues to be that which was repated of them haue ouerthrowne both Spirituall and Temporall Monarkes and haue caused to bee receiued in places vnder obedience to them as well the Lawes of their predecessors the Popes made by the Church of Rome as also those Lawes which they themselues from time to time doe adde thereunto in somuch that the Churches of the East South and North with good reason haue opposed themselues against these enterprises The confession and beliefe of the Apostolicke Churches about this Question here in controuersie is this That the first seate which is by diuine Law so farr as is necessarie for the order of Councels and is meete to shew vnitie is by the Ecclesiasticall Law as also the Sea that appertaineth to any such Bishop whome the Catholicke Church shall iudge to be fit and capable of such a charge QVESTION III. Whether Miracles are sufficient proofes that a Christian Nation ought to bee held for a true Church and without errour THE EAST CHVRCHES MArcus Paulus a Venetian The Citizens of the Citie of Tauris are Mahomets but there are some Christians that inhabit there to wit Nestorians and Iacobites Neere to which Towne is a Mountaine which was once remoued out of his place by the occasion that followeth The Sarrazins willing to scandale the Gospel said that it was written If you haue faith as much as a grine of Mustard-seede you shall say vnto this Mountaine remoue hence to yonder place it shall remoue Well said the Sarrazins mocking the Christians if your saith be so excellent cause this Mountaine to remoue out of his place Then one of the Christians feruent in faith spake to the Mountaine with a great confidence Get thee hence The which incontinently remoued in the presence and fight of all the people The very same Author maketh mention of a Pillar hanging in the ayre which sustaineth the Vault of a Church in Sammarchan Vilimont Whosoeuer would see a thing worthy of memorie must goe to a little Towne called Sardinale inhabited by the Christians of the Church of the Syrians where Turkes Sarrazins or Moores cannot dwell but they die before the yeeres end Faber Not farre from the Citie of Muscouia there is a great Monasterie wherein is the Sepulchre of one Sergius an Abbot which Monasterie is very much frequented of the people for it was holden very famous for many miracles that were there wrought whereof it shall be sufficient to produce one Which is that two blind men were restored to their sight there The same Author It is a common thing amongst the Muscouits to enchant Serpents with words and chase away Diuels and deliuer and helpe them that are possessed Thomas Lopes The people of Mangalor say that they went very often to the Sepulchre of S. Thomas which is in their Countrey who wrought among them many miracles The Ecclesiasticall Historie of Constantinople maketh mention that Arsenius was instituted Bishop by the Pope hee being then become a member of the Church of Rome for which cause hee was Excommunicated by the Patriarcke Pachomius a little after that hee died and his soule went with the soules of Arrius and Eutiches hereticks and his body was found black swollen which caused great feare to those that saw him THE MERIDIAN CHVRCH ALuares There is a Sepulchre of one of the Sons of King Abram which they say was a Priest Amongst other miracles which they attribute vnto him they say that the Angels did minister bread and wine vnto him when he celebrated The same Author They attribute the title of a Saint to a certaine King whose name was Balibeta towards whom the people beare such great deuotion that all Ethiope doth runne thither where his body is buried which they report to worke great miracles Idem There is a Monastery called Abba Gariman retaining this name of one which as they report raigned in Greece who hauing forsaken his Kingdome retired to this place to do penance for his sinnes where he finished his daies very holily and they report that he at this present doth miracles THE CATHOLIKE ROMAN CHVRCH GLoss Canon glorios We must enquire of miracles done in the life time and after death And to the end that these may be true miracles foure things are requisite first that they be of God and not framed by arte or by the diuell for miracles are wrought by the wicked secondly that they be contrary to nature as that of the Rodde of Moses turned into a Serpent thirdly that they be not wrought by wordes but thorough the merites of a man fourthly that they be for the confirmation of the faith Annot. Whosoeuer would know more amply the Miracles of the Latin Church may reade the Legends and liues of the Saints THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe confession of the French-men We beleeue that the word conteined in the Canonicall Writings proceeded from God And forasmuch as it is the very rule of trueth it followeth that neither antiquity nor customes nor the multitude nor humane wisedome neither iudgements nor visions nor Miracles ought to be opposed to it ANNOTATION THe East Churches doe beleeue that the Roman and Ethiopian Churches doe holde an erroneous and Hereticall opinion although there are Miracles wrought amongst them In like manner the Romanes doe pronounce an Anathema against all Christians that haue not obeyed them as well against them of the East and South as also the North Church notwithstanding their Miracles the Church of Affricke refuse nay scorne to goe and submit or subiect themselues eyther to the Greeke Church or to the Latine Church notwithstanding their Miracles the Latin church in the foresaid Canon dooth confesse that Miracles are wrought by wicked persons The reformed Church saith that Miracles or the bruite of Miracles ought not to be taken as a Marke of the true church And which is more
they beleeue that they are not giuen them for confirmation of their doctrine because the same is sufficiently prooued in the holy Scripture although that the truth it selfe is oftentimes holden in suspition If then all the Sects of Christians doe vaunt themselues equally to haue Miracles how can he that is out of the foresaid churches and is willing to become a good and a true christian resolue himselfe by considering of their Miracles Surely if euery Nation doe say that the Miracles which are done amongst other people are not assured signes that the doctrine which they teach is altogether true We may herethen make this conclusion as Catholike and agreed vpon by all in generall That miracles are no prooffes of Doctrine neither markes of the true Church QVESTION IIII. Whether personall succession bee a Marke of the true Church THE EAST CHVRCH BArlaam How absurd is it and out of reason to say that euery one of the Apostles was a Pastor and common Teacher of the Vniuersall world as S. Peter was and yet that none of them left any successors but S Peter onely because that if any one of the Apostles hath left for his successor eyther Bishoppes or Gouernours of the Church wherein any of them finished his dayes and yeelded vp his soule to God vpon what reason commandest thou that all should be created by the Pope Moreouer if I should affirme now that the other Apostles haue left successors behinde them amongst whom none was first or last but all equal and of one selfe same order peraduenture you would not beleeue me but if I shall bring you here some vnreproueable testimonie you will not be able to withstand it It shall be Saint Denis Areopagite in an Epistle which he wrote to Demophilus a Monke in these words Moderate thou then thy desires thy anger thy purposes as it is conuenient to the end that the holy Ministers may haue authority ouer thee and the Priests ouer them and the Bishoppes ouer the Priests and the Apostles ouer the Bishops the Successors of the Apostles for if any of them haue committed any fault in his office he may be corrected by them of the same order This man liued in the time of the Apostles and knew exactly the affaires and businesse of those dayes which saith that the successors of the Apostles are of one equall order and calling THE SOVTH CHVRCH LItourgia Ethiop Pray for our prince the prince of our Arch-Bishops the Lord Gabriel and the chiefe of the Church of Alexandria and for the chiefe of our countrey our venerable Archbishop Marke and for the Bishops priests and Deacons of the right faith THE REFORMED CHVRCH COnfessio Heluet. The celestiall father sent his onely sonne in whom is the Diuine wisedome which is powred vppon vs through his most holy most pure and most perfect doctrine for he hath chosen his disciples which he made Apostles and they being gone through the vniuersall world haue gathered together Churches by the preaching of the Gospell And afterwards they ordained Pastors in all the Churches of the World by the commaundement of CHRIST through whose Successors he hath vntill this present taught and gouerned the Church THE ROMANE CHVRCH CArd Bellarmine The fift marke of the Church is the succession of persons in the Romane Church continuing from the time of the Apostles vntill now for that is the reason that she is called Apostolike For if the ancient Fathers haue esteemed it so great an argument to proue the true Church by the continuance of twelue or twenty or fortie Bishops how much more ought we to esteeme the infallible succession of more then 200 Bishops especially because we see that the other Apostolicke Sees are decayed and failed that is to say those of Antioch Alexandria and Ierusalem wherin after that those places were taken away from the Romanes by the Persians and Sarrasins sithens which time there are nine hundred yeares past there hath beene no succession and if there were any the same was verie obscure ANNOTATION OVr Sauiour being now ready to ascend to heauen said to his Apostles Goe through the vniuersal world and preach the Gospell vnto all creatures c. This commandement was executed as may appeare as well in the holy scripture as also in ancient histories that S. Peter was in Antioch S. Andrew in Greece and Moscouia S. Iames kept in Iudea S. Iohn went into Asia S. Philip into Assyria S. Thomas into India S. Matthew into Ethiope S. Thaddeus into Armenia S. Paul called from heauen preached in all countries from Arabia vnto Sclauonia Wel then euery one of them left successors and vntil this day there is not any one of those regions where there are not Christian Bishops which plead to haue succeeded the Apostles without any interruption Bellarmine saith that if there be any succession it is obscure Others doe answer him that it was no more obscure vnder the Persians and Sarrasins then it was in the time of the ancient Bishops of Rome vnder the Roman Pagans and persecuters of the Church The East Churches neuer cease to vaunt and brag of their Apostolicke seas The Christians of Africk doe exalt him of Alexandria and acknowledge no other head The Abyssines by antiquity doe hold the succession of that sea so certain that none amongst them can haue the imposition of hands but by the hands of him that is especially chosen by the Church whom they call Abuna and whom they doe beleeue to haue his succession from S. Peter and S. Marke the Euangelist Finally if by personall succession a man pretend to know the true Church he cannot know what part to take And although that the Latin Church only had the succession without Interruption that could not be a sure marke seeing all those nations which S. Ireneus writeth of do beleeue that the Roman Church is not the true Church notwithstanding her succession We might here insert the Catalogue of vniuersall Bishops according to the Greek Church proceeding from S. Peter vntill the time of Neophytus which now holdeth or latelie held the Sea at Constantinople But we will omit that for breuitie sake This then here shall bee the Catholick conclusion That the personall succession of the Church of Rome or of any other is not the make of a true beleefe QVESTION V. Whether the multitude of Christians or the greatnesse of Countries are markes of the true Church THE EAST CHVRCH VIllamont The Church of the holy Sepulchre in Ireusalem is gouerned by diuerse sorts of Religious men some are Romane Catholickes others are Christians but Schismatickes and no adherents or louers of the Catholike Apostolike Roman Religion You haue in the first place the Grecians which are Masters and Lords of the chiefe place of the Church Moreouer there are there a certaine people which multiplie as well in Greece and Asia as also in Affrica Besides the Syrians doe very nearely imitate the vse customes and manners of the
The Councell seeing that this veritie is conteined partly in written bookss and partly in Traditions not written doth receyue and honour with equall affection pietie and deuotion aswell all the bookes of the old and new Testament as also all Traditions which appertaine as well to faith as to good manners ANNOTATION FIrst the Romane Catholickes especially when they would serue their turnes with the sayings of the Fathers against the Protestants doe not distinguish the doctrine of faith from Ecclesiasticall policie which the Grecians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Protestants doe beleeue that all matters of Faith may bee sufficiently taken out of the holy Scripture And that that which belongs to Policie Ceremonie and Circumstances hath bene let go by Tradition not written such Tradition which may bee changed by the Catholicke Church that is to say by the mutuall consent good will of all Christian people in like manner by the particular Churches vnder the consent and good liking of the Catholicke Church In sum that the Scripture is the rule of the faith of the Catholicke Church as the Catholicke Church is the rule of the members thereof in that which concernes Policie or outward worship Secondly the foresaid Maior is deceiued in saying that the Scripture prohibiteth not to ordaine women Prests the prohibition is in Saint Paul as for the orders or inferiour offices of Priesthood they are of meere Policie And as touching the soueraigntie of the Bishop or Pope of Rome it is certaine that the Scripture maketh no mention of it also Tradition of the Catholicke Churches doth contradict it It is obiected that the Scripture maketh no mention of the perpetuall virginitie of the Mother of our Sauiour Wherevnto some men answere that it may be gathered out of the Scripture and that whereas the holy virgine is called blessed among all women if she had not beene alwayes a virgine other virgines should haue excelled her in blessednesse He that marrieth doth well saith Saint Paul but hee that marrieth not doth better well then those that haue done best shall bee most blessed in heauen Now if any man will restraine her felicity in regard that shee bore our Sauiour he must giue an account of that restraint Thirdly the Cardinall of Perron saith that the holy Scripture is sufficient to saluatiō because it doth send vs back vnto the Church and the Church teacheth that which particularly is wanting in the Scripture But if that were so the holy Scripture should bee manifestly imperfect and insufficient for if the Scripture teacheth vs not where is the head as Maior auoucheth how may one know by it the body of the Church And for to descant vpon the comparison of the same Cardinall if the King should say to one my Chauncellour shall tell you the rest and then many should arise for to speake vnto whom should hee hearken whom should be beleeue to be the true Chauncellour Our Sauiour neuer said that the Church should continue in Italy or in France and that it should faile in other Countries Moreouer it is certaine that our Sauiour knew all things yet not as a bare man but by participation of the heauenly wisedome neuerthelesse he reuealed not all things to his Apostles And the Apostles knew things which were not lawfull for them to declare but they might happily declare farre more to their Disciples then they haue written to wit many discourses miracles and other particularities of the life and doctrine of the Lord which got them a farre more great and perfect knowledge in Diuinitie Moreouer there haue beene very many profitable things for the gouernment of the Church which were not written but are come to their successors by Tradition But as concerning that which is properly belonging to faith and necessary as well for the Church in generall as for the particulars thereof the Catholicke Church beleeueth That the holy Scripture is sufficient to saluation QVESTION VIII Whether all the Bookes contained in the Volume of the Bible haue an absolute and equall authority THE EAST CHVRCH DAmascenus the greatest Doctor amongst the Greekes The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say the booke replenished with all sorts of vertues and the wisedome of Salomon the which being written in Hebrew by the Father of Sirac was translated into Greeke by his Nephew which although they bee as the rest of the bookes very elegant yet are they not numbred with the others because that they were not contained in the Arke Annot. Although that Saint Iohn Damascene be an ancient Author and that those Christians of the East doe to this day follow his doctrine in that point of the distinction of the Canonicall books from the Apocryphall or lesse authenticall Yet the Grecians haue not had since that any Councell which made a new Canon THE SOVTH CHVRCH THe South Church The Egyptians and Ethiopians do follow altogether the Canon of the Hebrewes and receaue not as truely Canonicall the bookes of Wisedome Iudith and Maccabees and others they of those Countreys haue hereby giuen vs this aduise If any man can shew that this testimoniall is false hee ought to be beleeued Villamont saith that hee could not discouer what bookes they held authenticall and that he thought they were in Hebrew It is well knowen that the Abyssins doe retaine very much of the old law and therefore one ought not to thinke it strange if those that call themselues Israelites do conforme themselues to the antient Church of Israel THE REFORMED CHVRCHES IN THE WEST THe Confession of the French Church after the account of the bookes according to the Canon of the Hebrewes We acknowledge these bookes to be Canonicall and a certaine rule of our faith not so much for the consent of the Church as by the testimonie of the holy Ghost which made vs to discerne them from the other Ecclesiasticall vpon which although that they be profitable none ought to ground any Article of Faith The confession of Wittenberg We do call holy Scripture the Canonicall bookes of the old and new Testament such as the Authority whereof was neuer called in question in the Church Annot. If any ancient or moderne writers haue doubted of the authority of some Canonicall bookes their doubt ought not to be imputed vnto the whole body of the Church THE CATHOLIKE ROMANE CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent hauing accounted amongst the other auncient Canonicall bookes those which otherwise some doe call the second Canonicall to wit Iudith Wisedome and the Maccabees saith thus If there be any one that will not receiue for good and Canonicall these bookes all whole and entire which haue beene accustomed to be read in the Romane Catholike Church let him be accursed ANNOTATION THe foresaid people of the East and South and the reformed of the West say that our Sauiour and his Apostles after him haue receiued for holy Scripture and perfectly authenticall but onely those bookes which
taught vnto them by the Apostles Ieremie Oecumenicall Patriarch writeth thus to the Protestants of Germanie Let these things suffice you most deare brethren which as you see do best of all accord and agree with the Scriptures vnto vs diuinely giuen according to the interpretation and exposition of the most wise and holy Fathers inspired by God For wee are not permitted to trust vpon our owne particular interpretation or to vnderstand or teach but only that which agreeth with the holy Councels and Doctors of the Church for feare that being once drawen or ledde out of the way of the Euangelicall doctrine and the path of true wisedome and vnderstanding we do erre and that our iudgement be transported as an other Proteus one while to one fashion of beleefe another while to another Well some of you will demaund peraduenture by what meanes may a man attaine to this That shall he doe by the aide and assistance of God if he doe attempt nothing and follow but that which hath bene ordained by the Apostles and holy Councels For he that doth well and constantly continue within these limits shall march the very same pace and be of the very same faith and Communion with vs. Sacranus The Moscouites denie that the Church of Rome is the chiefe head of all other Churches saying also that the Sayings Statutes Writings Canons and Determinatiōs of the Councels of the Church of Rome are nothing and that all Councels after the seuen first Councels are not truely Catholicke because that they were holden without their consent and approbation THE CHVRCH OF THE SOVTH ALuares Againe it was demaunded of me what number of Bishops were at the Councell of Nicei whereunto I answered three hundred and eighteene Moreouer they asked me wherefore wee doe not obserue the Statutes and Articles of that holy Councell seeing it was therein ordained that Priests should mary I answered that of all that which was there ordained there was now nothing obserued but onely the great Symbole or Creede They put me also in mind of many other things which were broken and violated by Pope Leo and they prayed me to recite them But I excused my selfe saying that I knew them not although that in my iudgement if that hee infringed any they were such as sauoured of some heresie and that he had approued and caused to bee obserued those which hee knew to be holy and necessary The same Aluares Prester Iohn asked me whether wee had a booke diuided into eight parts which was composed by the Apostles assembled at Ierusalem which they call Manda and Abetilis the contents whereof was by them obserued but I answered him that I neuer knew any such because it was not to bee found in our Countries Zaga-zabo an Ethiopian Bishop Neither our Patriarch nor our Bishops doe beleeue that either of themselues or in Councell they may make any lawes vnto which any man should be bound vpon paine of mortal sinne THE REFORMED CHVRCHE IN THE WEST THe confession of the Swizers S. Peter the Apostle saith that the holy Scriptures are not of any priuate interpretation and therefore we approue not all interpretations neyther receiue as a lawful exposition that which is called the opinion of the Church of Rome We do not contemne the exposition of the Fathers which doe agree with the holy Scriptures we reiect all humane Traditions although neuer so well adorned with fine Titles if being conferred with the holy Scripture they doe differ and varie Zanchius We doe iudge that those Traditions must be retained and obserued in the Churches which doe manifestly appeare to be of the Apostles obserued euer in all the Churches although that there is no such commaundement in the Scripture It is not the part of a Christian man and one that feareth God to reiect that which is proued to haue bin receiued by the consent of all Churches to reiect that I say without iust and necessary cause but if hee attempt any such matter it must be debated in a generall Councell THE CATHOLIKE ROMAN CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent The Councell considering that all Doctrine and Discipline is contained in Bookes written and Traditions not written following the example of the Catholike Fathers and good interpreters of the faith doth receiue and honour with equal affection and pietie all the bookes of the old and new Testament and in like manner the Traditions which doe appertaine as well to faith as to good manners as hauing beene spoken eyther by the mouth of Iesus Christ or else by the holy Ghost and alwaies kept in the Catholike Church Romane by continuall succession ANNOTATION THere is no part of Christendome that holde not themselues to haue the best forme of gouernement The three principall that is to say the Grecians Romanes and Abissins or Aethiopians doe claime their Traditions from the Apostles notwithstanding that they are found eyther to be different or contrary but in Histories their Original is to be seen especially the Traditions of the Grecians and Latines As touching those of the Abissins or Aethiopians it is harder to find out the Authours Neuerthelesse they haue receiued some of the Greekes and Latines in the time of Iustinian the Emperour as hereafter shall be said But the most part of their ceremonies are taken from the law of Moses The Reformed Christians say that if ceremonies must be it is more conuenient to obserue those which God hath in times past ordained then to receiue any Paganisme superstition That which brought most nouelties into the Latine Church is the authority which is giuen to one alone for euery Pope would leaue some remembrance of faith from hence do proceed so many canonized saints and fashions to honour them feasts pilgrimages Religions or orders of monks and friars and such like blind deuotion wherein the Latins haue surpassed all people who accuse the foresaid Latines of presumption because they would make to passe for Catholike those customes which were neuer ordained by the seuen vniuersall Councels They of the East Church require the obseruation of those of the generall Councels but not of any particular The Reformed Christians doe protest that they dispute not against Catholike customes but against abuse and superstition or if any thing displeaseth them it is the multitude of ceremonies rather then any one of them considered in particular It is true that in reiecting those that haue beene brought onely in by the Church of Rome they haue not spared the Catholike ceremonies Luther thought that all Christian nations would reforme themselues the one after the other and also that that which seemed to be a particular attempt would be corroborated and confirmed by a Catholike approbation Howsoeuer it be the learned and greatest men amongst them doe protest to submit themselues to a generall and free Councell The Frenchmen likewise who haue of late time begun and had lesse means giuen them to errect
or institute such an estate and forme of Church as is to be seene in other Countries haue neuerthelesse protested in like manner in the conference at Poissy that it would be easier for them to fall into accord in ceremonies if the differences in doctrine were once appeased So it is that the contempt of Catholicke Gouernment doth get the said Reformed Christians an euill opinion among other Christians And that produceth two effects the one that the said Protestants considering ceremonies but as outward shewes and the Romane Catholickes doe confesse that ceremonies haue iustly that name doe condemne the customes of other nations without discerning those that are Catholike from other more particular or that are profitable and tollerable from those that are euill and naught And the other seeing themselues dispised and contemned without reason perswade themselues that it is all one when one reprehendeth them in a matter concerning faith Saint Paul saith that such ceremonies haue appearance of holines in that they spare not the body and haue no regard to cloath or feede the same but hee said not that they should abandon all Ceremonies rather sayd he he that eateth doth well and he that eateth not doth likewise well much lesse hath he approued that one should rent asunder or condemne the Catholike Church The other effect of condemning the Catholicke Church is that a man cannot now a dayes read the writings of the ancient Fathers nor the Histories of the Apostolicke Churches no not the holy Scripture it selfe without finding very many ceremonies and fashions of speaking not vsed amongst the Protestants of France from whence it happeneth that many doe change their beleefe being offended at the contemning of Councels as it is seene by their writings and conuersations and on the other side they of the Romane Church which doe relie too much vpon outward ceremonies are more and more confirmed in their opinion presuming that they follow and ymitate in all things the holy Scriptures and the Fathers nay the most learned and those that approue not in all points the Romane Church doe not thinke it in any wise reasonable to preferre the aduise or opinion of some particular and new writers before the iudgement of auncient Councels in that which concernes the Policie of the Church Heere it is to bee marked that the moderne Chronicles in writing the Ecclesiasticall Historie doe cause the readers very often to erre They write the names of the auncient Bishops of Romein Capitall letters naming them alone and recounting their actes liues they gather their lawes ordinances decrees and make no mention of the Canons which the other Bishops haue made in their Churches from thence grew the opinion that the said Bishops of Rome were Monarchs of all the world as the Emperours haue bene in temporall matters of their Empire and that such Lawes Traditions and Decrees which were but onely for the Church of Rome were lawes giuen to the Catholicke Church which is not so For it hath bene but of very late yeeres that France Spaine Germanie and England haue receiued them that is to say three or foure hundreth yeres since as for other nations they haue not receiued and approued the same as yet but haue inuented others In fine the reformed Christians say that the estate of the Church hath bene tollerable during the fiue first ages and they approue not Aerius and such like which in times past troubled the Church in reiecting the Ecclesiasticall customes and from thence it followeth that the Customes receiued during those first ages are not those which haue brought or doe nourish the Schisme in Christendome and therefore all nations doe auowe That Catholicke Traditions ought to be receiued if the inestimable good of peace and agreement might thereupon ensue alwayes prouided that you comprehend not vnder the name of Catholicke those which onely belong to the Greeke Church or the Latin or the Abyssin Aethiopian Armenian or any other particular Churches QVESTION XI Whether the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the sonne or from the Father onely THE EAST CHVRCH THe second answere to the confession of Ausburg You see how many absurdities doe arise on euery side if it bee concluded that the holy Ghost doth proceede from the Father and from the Sonne Hold not an euill opinion in the name of the Lord. For if the Latins the Church of Rome and others doe bring approued witnesses as it seemeth likely to them that is to say Augustine Ambrose and Ierome we likewise can produce farre more and more worthy of credit All which haue pronounced that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father onely and haue prohibited vpon paine of a grieuous Anathema to hold any other beleefe THE ROMANE CATHOLIKE CHVRCH THe confession of faith by the Councell of Trent We beleeue in the holy Ghost the Lord and giuer of life which proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne which is worshipped and glorified together with the Father and the Sonne who spake by the Prophets THE SOVTH CHVRCH SAint Seuerus Patriarch of Alexandria I beleeue in one holy Ghost liuing which giueth life vnto all who proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne The King of Aethiope In the name of God the Father Almightie Creator of all things visible and inuisible In the name of God the Sonne Iesus Christ which is one with the Father light of lights In the name of the holy Ghost God liuing which proceedeth from the Father I am King c. THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe English Confession Wee beleeue that the holy Ghost which is the third person in the holy Trinity is very God not made nor created nor begotten but proceeding from the one and from the other to wit from the Father and the Sonne in a manner vnknowen and vnspeakeable of men ANNOTATION LOmbard surnamed Master by the Schoole Doctors of the Latin Church saith as followeth touching the differēces between the Grecians and the Latins in this question The Grecians say that the holy Ghost proceedeth frō the Father only and not frō the Son which they hold because that the truth in the Gospel which cōtaineth wholy the faith speaking of the procession of the holy Ghost maketh mention onely of the Father and also that in the principallest Councels which were celebrated with them their Symbols or Credes haue bene so fortified by the Anathemaes added that it is not lawfull for any man to teach any thing touching the Trinitie otherwise then is therein contained in which Symbole or Creede the holy Ghost is fayd to proceede from the Father and not from the Sonne And therfore say they all those are Anathema that doe affirme that he proceedeth from the Sonne and a little after Wee doe conclude that the Grecians doe accord with the Latins in the matter it selfe although that they differ in words Behold here the opinion of the Master of sentences who to shew that there is no difference betweene the
Greekes and the Latins in that point doth onely report the sayings and sentences of the ancient Grecians who say that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne But that hath not satisfied his followers which thinke that the modern Gretians hold not the beleefe of the ancient besids some of the Latin Doctors doe confesse that they vnderstand not well the intention and meaning of the Grecians others doe call them Heretickes and Schismatikes The reformed Churches doe leaue this question with the same irresolution We reiect saith Tilenus the errour or as others tearme it the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the moderne Grecians This difference hath beene the cause or at least wise the pretext of the Schisme betwixt the East Churches and the VVest The East Churches who would transport the Primacie to Constantinople pretending that the Pope of Rome abuseth the Church doe take occasion to accuse the Pope vpon this Article that Pope was Nicholas the first by the report of Bellarmine who alledgeth Anthoninus or Adrianus as some will haue it because that he had beene so bolde as to adde of his owne authoritie to the Symbole of Nice that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the sonne and because peraduenture he hath not expounded it fully they of the East haue accused the Latines of constituting two principles and the Latines laying the fault vpon them doe impute vnto them blasphemie saying that they did derogate from the Diuinity of the Sonne of God Lombard and others say that the difference is in words and not in the matter it selfe Peraduenture the Grecians doe denie the procession of the holy Ghost to be from the sonne in one consideration and the Latines do affirme it in another for to know if it be so wee are constrained to enter into very curious considerations of Diuinitie It is therefore necessary to marke that the sonne is considered three manner of waies First as being the Diuine essence and the very same essence with the Father hoc sensu filius non spirat for the actions are of the persons and not of the essence considered apart Secondly the Sonne is to be considered as a Sonne and that formally So the Sonne produceth not the holy Ghost for he which is produced so farre as hee is produced produceth not In the third place the Sonne is to be considered as a person and that is it which S. Austen regarded when he saide that the Sonne hath from the father not onely to be sonne but also to be or his being that is to say to be a distinct person not to be simply the Diuine essence for the Sonne hath the same of himselfe and the person begetteth not the essence but the essence begetteth the person and if the sonne produce not in this maner that is to say as a person then the holy Ghost proceedes not from the Sonne in any wise for as it hath beene said the holy Ghost proceeds not from the Sonn eyther as an essence or as a Sonne Well then if the Grecians say not that he to wit the holy Ghost proceedeth from the essence of the Sonne being simply taken neyther from the Sonne as a Sonne the Latines should not take occasion to condemne them seeing that they say the same But because the Grecians say and that according to the Gospell that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father it is manifest that they denie not the procession of the holy Ghost to be from the Sonne because he proceedeth not from him either as an essence or as a Sonne for if that were so they should denie in like manner his procession to be from the father for the father produced not the holy Ghost as an essence simply for the essence produceth not neither as a father for if he had produced him as a father the holy Ghost should be then his sonne The Grecians doe hold that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the father in such a sort as he cannot be saide to proceede from the sonne And they haue reason to say so because the holy Ghost is in the person and from the person of the Sonne the which the father hath begotten as a sonne and the father begot not a Sonne which had not the holy Ghost and his productiue grace and fertility Likewise the father is the cause the Greeke Doctors do vse this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the holy Ghost both as a person primo per se and as a father per filium But the Sonne inspireth not as a sonne primo per se neyther in producing another person which should produce the holy Ghost This obseruation remaineth obscure if it be taken without distinction that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and from the Sonne also the Grecians should seeme to speake more properly then the Latines The auncient Doctors confesse that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the father proprie as hee speaketh more properly which saith the King commandeth then he that saith the King goeth for the commandement proceedeth from the King as a King but the King goeth as he is a man If then the Sonne be an inspirer the Father is the cause euen as a father But because that the Grecians do absolutely denie that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Sonne denying thereby that his person is an inspirer a man must take heede least he fall into a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for if by the word proceede they vnderstand to haue his originall or beginning they say not ill considering the Father alone is the beginning The Diuines doe confesse as much when they call the Sonne Principium quasi Secundarium This word Secundarium destroieth the name of Principium and the word quasi sheweth that it is to speake improperly Yet here one cannot speake properly enough Therefore you may see that the holy Ghost is sayd to proceed from the Father alone in diuers sorts the which the Churches of the East doe regard But they regard not the reasons wherefore he may be said to proceed from the Sonne as also it is very hard to expresse how the person of the Sonne is an inspirer without considering him either as an essence simply or as begotten for in this person is considered but the essence and the relation as those schoole diuines affirme the which relation hath the place of forme from which the action ought to proceed It is likewise very hard to say how the Father inspireth as a person without inspiring neither as a Father nor as an Essence Neuerthelesse we must so say seeing the sonne of God himselfe hath sayd and taught so as his beloued Disciple Saint Iohn testifieth vnto vs which heard it of himselfe But because he hath not said that the holy Ghost proceeds from himselfe the Churches of the East will not say so but do consider the Father as Father and the Sonne as Sonne and they say with their great Doctor Saint Damascenus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Father
alone is the cause and beginning as well of the Sonne as of the holy Ghost That which moueth the Latins to be so obstinate and to say that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the person of the Sonne is because they feare that otherwise men would feigne or imagine inequallitie in the persons And if the Father did not communicate to the Sonne the inspiratiue power he communicated not vnto him all that is in him but hee communicated vnto him all except the constitutiue propertie of his person Neuerthelesse the truth is that the Grecians confesse constantly the equality of the persons they say that the Father did communicate all to the sonne but they seeme to denie that that production is the action of the Sonne because that the Son doth not inspire but the person already begotten and resident in himselfe and they say moreouer that there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is that the inspiration is one and the very selfe same action of them both the which neuerthelesse onght to be attributed to the Father alone because that he alone is the beginning The Latins do confesse all this that is to say that there is one selfe same inspiratiue vertue and consequently one selfe same inspiration which proceedeth from the Father yea euen in that that it is the action of the Sonne and that the Father and the Sonne doe inspire because they are both one for the essence is the foundation of the power although that it is the Persons that doe produce it It is as if one would search to know whether the light which shineth sometimes in the night time doth proceede onely from the Sunne or else as well from the Sunne as from the Moone A man should not doe amisse to maintaine both the one and the other I speake this yet not comparing the most holy mysteries with creatures as some for want of a more solid discourse are wont and would make men beleeue so I say this onely that there may be found Logomachies as well in the one as in the other The conclusion according to the intention of all the Churches seemeth to be that The Father as a person produceth the holy Ghost and as a Father begot the Sonne who through the inspiratiue vertue communicated produceth also the holy Ghost in such sort that the holy Ghost is said to proceede from the Sonne if one consider the action of the Sonne simply but if one haue regard to the beginning of the same he proceedeth from the Father only QVESTION XII Whether that the faith which God giueth be a sure and certaine confidence of saluation THE EAST CHVRCH IEremie Let vs approch to him which is without sinne entring into repentance with assurance Let vs come to Iesus which is most mercifull with full confidence not hauing an ill conscience or doubting any thing for hee that doubteth cannot approch with assurance Item Wee begge first the peace of our consciences and the saluation of our soules Peace is a thing most profitable or rather a vertue which is altogether necessarie for it is impossible that the troubled spirit should haue accesse vnto God THE SOVTH CHVRCH SAint Seuerus Alexandrinus Let vs approch with a pure heart and confidence of faith and let vs perseuere in the confession of our hope without declining for he that promised vs is faithfull Litourgie Aethiop Let this Bread and this Cup be effectuall vnto vs all that shall receiue it with Faith vnspotted Charitie vnfained perfect Patience firme Hope and Confidence THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe confession of Bohemia The repentant are taught to confesse their sinnes before those that haue care of their soules and to receiue of them absolution with confidence to inioy without doubt the remission of their sinnes The confession of Wittemberg Seeing God hath promised vs his mercy freely for his sonnes sake he requireth in that regard that we should abandon the doubtfulnesse of our flesh and conceaue a most certaine confidence in his mercy and to the end that might bee he hath placed our saluation not in the merits of our righteousnesse which is vnperfect but in the merits of his sonne Iesus Christ Item wherefore wee doe account that those which doe commaund vs to doubt of the grace of God doe not onely fight against the true beleefe of the Catholike Church but also doe prouide very ill for their soules health THE ROMAN CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent Albeit it is necessarie to beleeue that sinnes are not pardoned nor neuer shall be pardoned but freely through the mercy of God for the loue of Iesus Christ Neuerthelesse it must bee held that sinnes are not pardoned nor neuer haue bene par-pardoned to any which vaunteth himselfe of his beleefe and certainty of the remission of his sinnes and reposeth himselfe only vpon that although perhaps he be an vtter heretike and that in our time this vaine hope being farre from all pietie is preached with a great force against the Catholicke Romane Church And wee ought not to be assured that it must needes bee that those which are truly iustified without doubting any thing doe relie vpon themselues that they are iustified and that none can be absolued of his sinnes iustified but he that beleeueth for a certaintie that he is absolued and iustified and a little after for none can know by the certaintie of faith without all question of falshood that he hath obtained the grace and fauour of God ANNOTATION THe Councell of Trent saith that confidence is a vaine opinion a presumption a vice remote from all pietie and consequently the way to damnation The reformed on the contrary side doe maintaine that confidence is a Theologicall vertue and that faith whereof the Gospell maketh mention so often and is not hurtfull but rather aboue all things necessarie to saluation and that hee that repenteth ought to be assured that he is absolued before God especially then when he receaueth the Sacraments the seales of the remission of sinnes and at such time say the Greekes as one is possessed with the affection of him that said I haue hated iniquitie that is to say at such time as sinne raigneth no more in that man although it doth remaine in him Euery one seeth that this point is of importance for if the sayings of the Protestants be true it goeth very hard with the Romane Catholikes because that they follow the doctrine of the said Councell albeit not all and cast farre from them this hope as vaine and deceitfull and in so doing cannot be saued On the other side the reformed doe runne in hazard if they doe perswade themselues that this confidence commeth of diuine inspiration which in the decree of the Councell is a vice farre voide from all piety But because that this is not a place to debate vpon the reasons which are alledged on the one side and on the other it shall suffice to aduertise you that out of the passages before
without them one cannot be saued and if there be no good workes a man falleth from the absolution already receiued and looke how much force confidence hath to put a man in possession of the merite of the passion of the Lord so much euill workes haue that is to say so long as they remaine and raigne in the soule to breake the vnion that faith had contracted In like manner good workes are causes sine quibus non of this iustification or else may be said to be causes per accidens Neither the Christian Churches of this time nor the fathers nor the holy Scripture doe set downe the order of euery one of these causes according to the termes of Philosophers neyther is it necessary It sufficeth that euery one haue faith and that euery one giue himself to good works and that he know that both the one and the other is necessary The difference betweene the foresaid people and the Protestants is that the Protestants seeing that the Latines doe not attribute enough to faith or rather doe not acknowledge this faith of confidence to the which they attribute so much cannot endure to haue this faith disgraced And other Christians hearing of the commendations of this faith doe perswade themselues that it makes to the preiudice of good workes for which cause they cannot by any meanes hold their peace Well then because that wee haue said that euill workes cause men to fall from iustification that is to say from absolution which is the beleefe receiued without any contradiction in all times and by all Christian people It may be obiected that amongst the Protestants there are some found for all doe not so as is to be seene in the confessions of Ausburg Bohemia Saxonie and Wirtenberg which say that he that hath this iustifying faith cannot fall From whence it followeth according to their sayings that hee which beleeueth himselfe to be iustified may giue himselfe to all wickednesse To this may be answered that those which hold this proposition eyther doe not explane themselues well or else their explication is not well vnderstood For they say not simply that euery one ought to beleeue that he is iustified but only he that is repentant ought so to beleeue Also that repentance whereof euery one may iudge in his owne soule sheweth whether his faith be a iustifying faith And that he that shall say I will doe euill is not at all repentant for these are quite contrary Moreouer those which are said to hold this opinion say ordinarily that none ought to commit sinn in hope to repent for none can or ought to promise himselfe that God will giue him time and meanes to accomplish it Those which doe haunt their Sermons can beare witnesse if this be not an ordinary lesson Well then what is this but to say that none can haue this confidence at such time as vice and sinne dooth raigne in him And if one cannot haue it is not this as much as to say that if one had it he may loose it in giuing himselfe to wickednesse But behold here how their saying is true forsooth because confidence of faith doeth coutaine in it Historicall faith which remaineth in him in whom vice doth raigne as the Councell of Trent also saith And this faith if he be elected will moue him to repentance which endeth not in dispaire as in the reprobate but in a full confidence and all by the assistance of God The Catholicke conclusion is That a man receiueth remission of his sinnes at the very instant that the assurance of faith is infused into his soule and that without any consideration of former or future workes QVESTION XV. Whether a man meriteth properly euerlasting life by his good workes THE EAST CHVRCH IEremie Patriarch Oecumenicke When we praise good workes we doe not pretend to exalt our selues by them or to put our trust in them for we should then sinne very much in so doing But we desire that men would giue themselues thereunto as to things that are especially necessary to saluation and the which euery one is bound to exercise according to his power following the commaundement of God But if we trust in that great and incomprehensible mercie of God and his onely grace in such sort that wee doe hope for saluation remaining vnfruitful and ingrateful that must not be by no meanes for it will bring vs no profite at all As for the rest let vs iudge of that which is in vs although that there is not any thing that is perfect Neuerthelesse the same doth profite and makes knowne what it is which we haue in our soules to wit that we are charitable and obedient to the commaundement of God and that we pretend not to be carried into heauen as people amased and without vnderstanding negligent and idle the which certainely we can neuer obtaine if we doe not conioine our owne power and endeuours with the grace and mercy of God for in sticking fast to sinne we are iustly to be esteemed fooles and senselesse as cleauing to those things that can helpe vs nothing and which hauing no beeing in themselues are nothing the which we ought aboue all things to hate and eschew because that they doe prouoke Gods wrath against vs and doe draw vs backe farre from him Therefore when we are euen at the point to offend God let vs prostrate our selues before the iudgement seate of Christ which is very terrible whereon he shall sit in a high and glorious place as a iust iudge before whom shall appeare all creatures beholding his glory and maiestie for to render an account of all their words and actions The King of Moscouia As concerning that which thou writest of Iesus Christ the mediator and of his onely name through the which wee are saued and of the remission of sinnes and life euerlasting wee beleeue the very same THE SOVTH CHVRCH ANaphor Cophit Forasmuch O Lorde as wee are thy poore seruants strangers and vnprofitable whom thou hast vouchsafed to make administrators of the holy mysteries of the passion of thy Christ not for our iustice for we haue not done any good vpon the earth but for thy mercy and clemencie which thou hast aboundantly powred vpon vs wee doe now approch with confidence to touch thy holy Alar And we which haue offered the figure of the body and blood of thy Christ doe adore and most humbly pray thee that thy holy spirit doe come vpon vs and vpon these gifts which we haue offered and that thou wouldest sanctifie them THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe Confession of Saxonia Euerlasting life saith Saint Paul is a gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord and those which are reconciled or iustified are likewise Coheires with the Sonne of God for his sake and not for their owne merits in like maner those that repent are accounted iust by faith by the onely meanes of the Son of God and are quickened through him and for
SOVTH ZAga-Zabo Bishop of Abyssin It is likewise the office of the Patriarch to denounce excommunication against the obstinate the obseruation whereof is so straight that they let him that is obstinate die for hunger They giue nor graunt no Indulgences THE REFORMED CHVRCH COnfess Sax. In times past those that did penance to the end that it might be perceiued that they desired Pardon with all their heart and to the ende that their example should profite others were not receiued vpon a suddaine but the absolution was deferred for certaine daies to the end that they might be seene to aske it publickely Afterwards superstition encreased so much that fasting was ordained and abstinence from women many yeares These wil-worshippes being too much augmented the Bishops againe released them The relaxation of such customes were called Indulgences The Monks doe not consider the Historie of these things if they imagine that they make satisfaction for eternall paine or the paine of Purgatorie and others of this life or do adde that satisfactions were ordained by the Church to the end that these paines should be qualified Well we say that this application of Indulgences by the which the Pope applyeth the merites of the Saints is inuented at his pleasure THE LATIN CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent Forasmuch as the power to conferre Indulgences hath beene giuen by Iesus Christ to the Church and hath beene vsed in very auncient time with the like power as it was diuinely giuen The holy Councell teacheth and commaundeth that the vsage of these Indulgences which are very necessarie for Christian people and approued by the Authoritie of the holy Councels ought to be receiued in the Church ANNOTATION THe Protestants say that the custome in times past was to appoint to repentant sinners a certaine terme during which by their good workes they might giue the Church testimonie of their repentance The same is as yet practised in the East and South Churches Ieremie Patriarcke of Constantinople discourseth hereupon as followeth Satisfactions are profitable if they be imposed as a medicine by the spiritual ministers that is to say for those that are Proude Couetous Gluttonous Incontinent Enuious Quarrelous or giuen to such like vices Who if they would conuert and repent ought to submit themselues to the rules made according to the aduise of the holy Fathers But if those satisfactions bee translated to the gaine and profit of those that giue them and not to the true end which is to prouide for the saluation of the Soule and to heale each sinne which is the intention for the which they were instituted In that fashion we doe reiect them and doe say that they were ordained in vaine which cannot by any meanes be denied And we doe pronounce remission of sinnes with some punishment adioyned for many considerations First to the end that a man for voluntarie affliction might escape the ineuitable paine of an other life Bring forth fruites worthy of Repentance saith S. Iohn Euery tree that beareth not good fruit shall be cut down and throwne into the fire to wit Euerlasting For God is not so much pleased with any thing as with affliction and therefore S. Gregorie saith Teares are recompensed with mercie Secondly to the end that the inclination of the flesh to voluptuousnesse which is the cause of vice should be taken away Thirdly to the end that that punishment should be a stay to the soule to the end it fall not into such like sinne or worse Fourthly to the end that a man should accustome himselfe to take paines for vertue is gotten with trauaile Fiftly to the end that a man might bee assured whether he perfectly hateth euill Neuerthelesse we doe leaue all these things in those that depart For we doe count that it is sufficient if in him that repenteth there bee a true conuersion Therefore we doe pronounce remission of sinnes according to the power of him that said If you remit sinnes they shall be Pardoned We beleeue that by the same meanes the punishment is pardoned for assurance whereof we doe giue the diuine gift of the Eucharist For repentance hath his seate in the soule of the sinner but not to vndergoe punishment is in the handes of God which for this cause hath really by his owne humanitie giuen remission as to the thiefe who did but desire of the Lord that hee would remember him when he came to his Kingdome See here the Doctrine of the Churches of the East touching satisfaction The Protestants doe proceede more compendiously they are content that in regard of vnknowen sinnes euery one doe apply according to his discretion the saying of S. Iohn Bring forth fruits worthy of repentance As concerning sinnes knowen by the most part of the Church satisfaction sufficeth not vnlesse it make a reparation or publike acknowledgment in asking pardon of God and the Church for the scandale and if the offence be knowne but to a few the same acknowledgement is made in their Consistories Those that refuse doe remaine suspended or excommunicated vntill that they doe obey and they giue no Indulgence There is also apappointed to the repentant a time of suspension from the Sacraments more or lesse according to the fault as well for a punishment as also to the end that the Church may see whether such repentance be true or fained by the fruits therof The auncient Church imposed punishments and sometimes so hard that they were constrained to release the rigor of them and that relaxation was called Indulgence The Churches of the South doe release or mittigate nothing at all and also reiect Indulgences in what sort soeuer they are taken for this euill proceedeth from appointing punishments so hard that they are constrained afterwards to reuoke them But if satisfaction doe consist in doing good workes It is very il done to dispence with men for doing all the good that is possible for them to doe The people of the East and of the South allow not of this abuse but they condemne rather the opinion of the Romane Church which ordaine satisfactions to auoide certaine paines of Purgatorie and teach that by Indulgences the said paines are escaped without performing or making of any satisfaction yea as if by Indulgences a man might be deliuered from the obligation whereby he is bound to God to doe all that is possible to obtaine pardon of him Also the Apostolicke Churches doe beleeue that there is neither Pope nor any other person which by Indulgences can deliuer men from the punishments that God inflicteth which if it be so that Indulgences do not deliuer a man from temporall punishments of this life as pouertie sickenesse and death it selfe how can they deliuer him from the paines of Purgatory For there is the same reason for the one as for the other It followeth vpon the premises that the Church cannot dispence with times and workes lawfully ordained for proofe and disproofe but may well release for iust and reasonable
causes the custome of confessing secret sinnes and may pronounce remission without any confessing as they of the East Churches doe to this day by their Synchoreses as we will relate in his due place We will then make this Catholike conclusion that The Pope cannot by his Indulgences deliuer aniy from those temporall punishments which God inflicts neither ought he to dispence with the doing of al those workes of repentance that are possible QVESTION XVIII Whether the soule of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ descended into hell and whether it vscended into heauen the very sameday of his passion THE EAST CHVRCH RItual of the Syrians The side of the Lord was pearced thorough with a Launce and thence issued water and blood a sacrifice for all the world his body was buried and his soule came backe from hell and was vnited to his bodie Moyses the sonne of Cephas Bishop of Beth-raman Iohn hath written of corporall Paradise in the prayer whose Title is Wherefore this tree is called the tree of knowledge of good and euill and would teach as much as our Sauiour Iesus Christ said Thou shalt be this day with me in Paradise for there he proueth by many arguments that Paradise was corporall The Liturgie of Saint Basil Thou hast appeared in the last dayes vnto vs which sate in darkenesse and that by thy onely Sonne which gaue himselfe to death for our saluation and by reason of our sinnes descended into hell by his Crosse and Passion THE SOVTH CHVRCH DAmianus a Goes The Aethiopians beleeue that Christ descended afterward into hell and hauing rased and broken the gates thereof he came backe into life the third day with great triumph ouer his enemies and ouer death and that after that hee returned into heauen from whence he came and that by his admirable ascention THE LATIN CHVRCH CArdinall Bellarmine DVRAND affirmeth that the soule of Christ descended into hell not according to his substance but by some effects that is to say as it did illuminate and beatifie the holy Fathers which were in Lymbo Caluin hath taught some such like thing touching the descent of Christ vnto the soules of the holy Fathers by his efficacie or vertue and not by his essence Idem It contradicteth the holy Scripture and the Fathers to say that Christ returned from hell the first day THE REFORMED CHVRCH LAsicius Polonus It is the beleefe of the Bohemians that Iesus Christ descended into hell in his soule seperated from his body to triumph ouer Satan The Sybilles doe deriue this word Ades which signifieth hell of the word Adam by reason that Adam descended This place seemes to be els-where then in heauen Vrsinus We must beleeue that which is certaine to wit that Christ descended into hell in that fashion as we haue sayd in suffering in his soule but if any one can defend that he descended in any other fashion it is well but as for me I cannot beleeue it ANNOTATION THe auncient Catholike Church beleeued that the soules of the Fathers in the old Testament went to a place called in Hebrew Scheol in Greeke Ades in English Hell And all Christians for the most part doe beleeue that the Apostles haue taught so likewise seeing that there is not any one particular man knowen that should be the author of this opinion And although that this Article was not in the beginning in the Creede of the Apostles as it is not in the Creed of Nice neuerthelesse hauing beene receiued without contradiction the same doth argue that the beleefe was such before time And which is more the Scripture of the old Testament makes no mention in any place that the soules should ascend into heauen but very often it maketh mention of Scheol or Hell and to descend I will descend into Scheol with sorrow for my sonne sayd that good man Iacob and to descend signifieth to go to some lowe place It is true that the word Scheol signifieth sometimes a graue but the Catholike Church takes it here for Hell for the Greeke translator approued by the Apostles taketh it so as also Saint Luke in this sentence of the Psalmes cited by S. Peter Thou wilt not leaue my soule in Hell For to vnderstand well this question you must note first that it doth not appertaine to saluation to know whether the soules of the Fathers were aboue or belowe prouided alwayes that one doe not call the holy Scripture into doubt which it is not done by and by although a man doe not alwayes attaine to the true sense of it Secondly there are two places that the most learned diuines yea the antient and now a dayes the Latins and the Protestants can hardly agree off So that in so doing some proceede in one fashion others in another The Creede saith that our Lord descended into hell and our Lord said This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Some men will aske how ascended he into Paradise seeing he descended into hell The greater voice of the Romane Catholikes and of the Protestants is that Hell was Paradise when our Sauiour was there but there are many learned men of the Catholike Romans as Durand and the learned Picus which thinking it absurd to say that Paradise was in Hell haue thought fit otherwise to agree vpon it And haue written that the soule of the Lord went really vnto the true Paradice and descended not into Hell but by efficacie or vertue On the other side amongst the Protestants Caluin and Beozo haue thought more to the purpose to referre this word Hell to the torments that our Sauiour suffered to the end that that which the Scripture saith that our Sauiour went to Paradise should be beleeued without running to any false or forged Exposition Also there are learned men amongst the Latines and the Protestants which doe decline from the common opinion herein because that it seemeth very absurd vnto them Neuerthelesse because that none of the three is receiued without contradiction it sheweth that there is difficultie in them all For to say that the Lord descended not into Hell but by his efficacie or vertue is to wrest that place of Scripture Thou wilt not leaue my soule in Hell To say that Hell whereof mention is made in the Creede is the torments which the Lord suffered vpon the Crosse is an Exposition altogether vnknowen to the Ancients and against the intention and meaning of those which added that clause to the Creede and those Protestants themselues for whom this serueth are ready to receiue one more proper as is to bee seene in that sentence before alleadged of Vrsinus As for the rest one may giue many Expositions and all Orthodoxall of one selfe same place of Scripture when one is not assured of the intent and meaning of the Authour so is it likewise in the Creede But about these difficulties the Apostolicke Churches in the East doe furnish vs with a fourth
punished by the Magistrate or dishonoured for euer But to shew how the Churches of the East doe proceed in pronouncing absolution without any confession made we are aduertised that the Popes that is to say the Priests doe it in particular But because that in that Church of the East there is a Patriarch which gouerneth it seemes vnto them hauing regard vnto all the Churches to whom the keyes were giuen that if hee declareth that absolution it is more authenticke and giueth more consolation to the conscience to content the curious reader we will insert here the forme or manner of a Synchorisme translated out of Greeke Theophanes by Gods mercy Archbishop of Constantinople new Rome and Oecumenique Patriarch Our mediocrity by the grace gift and power of the holy and liuing spirit which our Sauiour Iesus Christ hath giuen to his Diuine Disciples and the holy Apostles for to bind and loose the sinnes of men saying receiue the holy Ghost to whom you remit sinnes they shall be remitted and whose sinnes you shall retaine they shall be retained and those that you bind on earth shall be bound in heauen likewise and those you loose in earth shall be loosed in heauen Wee hauing by a successiue descent receiued from them this Diuine grace doe absolue N. aspirituall sonne of the same in all things wherein he hath erred or sinned as a man and offended God in word deede or thought and in all his senses if he be vnder the cursse of the Bishop or Priest or of his father or mother or if he bee fallen into any of his owne sinnes hauing sworne by an oath and not performed it or if hee hath transgressed as a man in other sinnes and hath confessed them to his spirituall fathers and hath receiued of them the Canon exactly of all those things and others whereby he is bound wee doe vnbind and loose him by the power and grace of the most adored and holy Spirit and also of all things which he hath left vnconfessed whether they be by forgetfulnes or Shame All which be pardoned him of the most mercifull God which is blessed eternally Amen The Latines otherwise called the Romane Catholikes say that our Sauiour comaunded euery one to confesse particularly euery sinne and all the circumstances thereof to imploy all possible diligence to remember them and that hee that confesseth not all those memorable sinnes cannot be saued If their opinion be true the Apostolicke Churches of the East South North and the Reformed or Protestants in the West are damned and the gates of hell shall preuaile against the Catholicke Church He that list let him beleeue them so many there be that doe hold with one consent That our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ hath not comaunded any particular confession by numbring our sinnes but that it is an ordinance of the Church which neuerthelesse constraineth no man to confesse those sinnes which he is ashamed to declare QVESTION XXII Whether the Bread and Wine in the holy Sacrament are changed into the body and blood of the Lord. THE EAST CHVRCHES THe answere of the Patriarch Ieremie The tenth Chapter doth treat of the Lords Supper yet not amply but if we may so say obscurely For amongst you men vnderstand many things touching the same the which agree in no wise with vs. The Catholike Church therefore beleeueth that the bread after the sanctification is changed into the body of Christ and the wine into his blood by the holy Ghost prouided that the bread bee leauened not without leauen For the Lord in that night in which he was betraied hauing taken bread and giuen thankes broke it and sayd Take eate this is sayd he not bread without leauen or the figure of my body but my body and my blood Neuerthelesse at that time the flesh of the Lord which he carried about him was not giuen to the Apostles to eate nor his blood to drinke nor now in the diuine celebration of those mysteries as if the body of the Lord descended from heauen for it were a blasphemie to say so but both then and now by the inuocation and grace of the Almighty Spirit the beginner or Author of this mysterie the bread is conuerted and changed into the body of the Lord and the wine into his blood And in another place he sayth thus And from thence it commeth that the Masse or Lumpe of bread is broken in peeces it is not offered entyer or whole which figureth the passion of our Sauiour And at the time that this bread is offered it is Common Bread offered onely to God but afterwards it is made extraordinary bread and is chaunged in deede but if wee would by reasons causes and effectes debate and resolue thereof we should neede a thousand tongues and yet they would not bee sufficient But our Sauiour hath commaunded to doe this in remembrance of him And a little after he saith that the Church is signified in mysteries and not as in Symboles but as the members depend on the heart and as the boughes on the roote of the plant and as the Lord said in that fashion that the branch is in the stocke of the vine For here is not only a Communion of name or a similitude of Analogie but the identitie of the things themselues For the body and blood of the Lord are true mysteries which are not changed into any humane bodie but we are changed into them for the better things haue euer the preheminence Euen as Iron being vnited with fire becommeth fire but the fire neuer becomes Iron And euen as whe the Iron is glowing hot wee see not the Iron but only the fire the properties of the Iron not being apparant euen so also if a man might see the Church of God as it is vnited to him and participates of his body hee should see nothing else but the onely body of our Sauiour by reason whereof Saint Paul writeth Yee are the body of Christ THE SOVTH CHVRCH LIturgia Ethiopica O our Lord Iesus Christ whose substance was not created but art the pure word thou art the Sonne of the Father thou art the bread of life descending from heauen who wouldest come in the figure of a Lambe without spot for the redemption of the world Now O thou louer of mankinde wee doe most humbly beseech thy bounty praying thee that thou wouldest shew the light of thy countenance vpon this bread and vpon this portable Altar blesse sanctifie purifie and translate this bread into thy spotlesse flesh and this wine into thy precious bloud and let it be made an ardent and an acceptable sacrifice and the saluation of our soules and bodies for thou art our King THE LATINE CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent Forasmuch as our Lord and redeemer Iesus Christ hath said that it was his true body which he offered vnder the forme of bread for this cause the Church of God hath alwaies had the same perswasion and this holy Councell doth
which hath beene spoken that the voice of Christians is well nigh diuided into two parts The Armenians Indians Affricans and the Protestants of the West do not celebrate without a Communion But the Latines and Grecians doe I put the Grecians in this ranke because that although their Liturgie holdes more of the Sacrament then of the simple Sacrifice yet they doe approue or tollerate the Liturgies without a communion Neuerthelesse they say that it is not their intention but that it is the fault of the people who present not themselues although that they were summoned thereunto And they forbeare not to celebrate the Liturgie for seeing that action hath diuers ends they thinke that although they cannot obtaine the principall yet they ought not to omit the other vnles peraduenture some man will say that the Liturgie is a Sacrament to the Priest and serueth the people simply as a Sacrifice But because that particular Liturgies were not ordained by any vniuersall Councell which the one halfe of Christians or rather more haue not and the Greeke Church hath onely by tolleration and that seldome it may be said that The Liturgie ought not to be celebrated without a Communion which is the principall end thereof QVESTION XXXI Whether the Liturgie be a Sacrifice expiatory and propitiatory and obtaining the intercession of Saints remedie for diseases and such like things THE EAST CHVRCH IEremie This holy action is sanctified in two sortes the one by mediation for gifts presented because that they are presented doe sanctifie those that doe offer them and those for whom they are offered and doe make them fauoured of God The other by receyuing for that is vnto vs the true bread and drinke as Christ saith Of these two sortes the first is common to the liuing and dead for this Sacrifice is made as well for the one as for the other The other appertaineth to the liuing onely for the dead can neyther eate nor drinke What then doth not that sanctification which commeth by receiuing concerne them and is their condition worse then that of the liuing That is not so for Iesus Christ communicateth himselfe vnto them in a fashion best knowne to himselfe Cythraeus The Canon of S. Basil is farre more famous then the other wherein is an excellent prayer Hee maketh no mention in that Liturgie of offering the body and blood of Christ much lesse to ransome by that deede the liuing or the dead or to apply it for others Sigismundus Lib. In euery Temple there is but one Altar THE SOVTH CHVRCH ZAga Bishop of Ethiope We say no Masse for the remission of sinnes or the redemption of soules but the dead are buried with Crosse and praiers Aluares I haue seene them burie persons of all qualities in one selfe same manner without any difference without saying any Masses eyther for the dead or for the good of those that were liuing THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe Confession of VVittenberg If it be necessary to speake of the Commemoration of that onely sacrifice and of the application of the merites therof then the Ministers of the Church doe not onely make a true and due commemoration of the expiatorie sacrifice but also doe apply the merits of this Sacrifice Bucanus The oblation of the vnbloody Sacrifice doth continue safe and sound with vs whether one regard the benediction of the signes that is to say the recitall of the institution of the Lord and the explication thereof ioyned with prayers by the which as S. Cyprian saith the passion of the Sonne in some sort is offred to God his father or that by that Sacrifice one vnderstand the profession of the faith or the giuing of thanks or the Contribution of Almes THE LATINE CHVRCH THe councell of Trent If any man say that the Sacrifice of the Masse is onely a Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing or only a commemoration of the Sacrifice made on the Crosse and not propitiatorie and that it profiteth him onely that receiueth it and that none ought to offer it for the liuing and the dead and that it is a cosonage to celebrate the Masse in the honour of Saints and to obtaine their intercession to God let him be accursed ANNOTATION THis is a very hard point to be vnderstood First it may be demaunded whether the Eucharist be a sacrifice Secondly what that is that is offered Thirdly whether it be expiatorie Fourthly whether it profite them that communicate not Fiftly whether it may serue to obtaine the intercession of Saints First All Christian people doe hold it for a sacrifice yea the Protestants Marcyr Beza and Chemnitius Bucanus calleth it with the Catholicke Church a Sacrifice not bloudie Euery one seeth plainely that it is so If therefore the Auncient Fathers haue ascribed vnto this holy Sacrifice the prophesies of Malachie and others they are not peraduenture farre wide from the intention of the Prophets Neuerthelesse if the principall end of this action is to be a Sacrament the name of Sacrament is more fit and conuenient for it In a Sacrifice one offereth at the Sacrament one receaueth here one receiueth not because he hath not first offered but one offereth to the end he may receiue Secondly The difference is not such in the thing which is offered One cannot offer but either gifts or Iesus Christ But he explanes not his meaning which speakes on this fashion that is to offer Iesus Christ he was offered onely once when vpon the Crosse he besought God that hee would receiue his passion then presented in satisfaction for al the sinnes of the world Moreouer he is a continuall intercessor for men and presenteth to God not a new passion which might be the formall cause of expiation for that was once done and cannot be done againe vnlesse he should die againe but hee offereth a continuall sacrifice of that passion in that he incessantly intreateth that God would receiue that very same passion And to desire of God to receiue or accept a thing is to offer it to him Well then if men doe beseech him that hee would accept and receiue the passion of Iesus Christ they offer it him euen as Iesus Christ offred it him but with this difference that Iesus Christ offred it by himselfe alone and immediatly and men doe it by the meanes and intercession of the great Sacrificer and by seconding his sacrifice and adioyning their owne vowes But some man will say hereupon it followeth that in all praiers Iesus Christ is offered The answerere is that there are foure sortes of offering the first is that by the which Iesus Christ offered himselfe in suffering on the Crosse then he besought God either by expresse words or in silence that God would receiue his passion there presented Secondly Iesus Christ at his last supper by the breaking of the bread and by the distributing thereof represented his Passion and obtained of God that the Apostles might receiue that expiation which was to be merited by
intercession of Saints the healing of diseases and such like If all this be besides and against the intention of Iesus Chrrist it is manifest that it were an abuse to cōuert it to other vses The Councell of Trent doth excommunicate those that hold this to be euill it would be knowen whether this Councell bee allowed by the Apostolicke Churches The Grecians say that in their Liturgie they make mention and remembrance of the Saints but this is not to say that they thinke that the Liturgie was ordained to that end Likewise although that the Armenians doe kisse and salute one another in the Liturgie yet no man will impute vnto them that they doe beleeue that it was instituted for to kisse salute one another If the Romane Catholikes cannot shew that the foresaid Nations doe say their Liturgies of purpose for to obtaine thereby the intercession of Saints It is a hazard but they will be found alone in that opinion attending to see if that will be we will here conclude as well vpon this last Article as vpon the precedents and will say That the Liturgie which the Latines call the Masse and the Protestants the Lords Supper is a Sacrifice wherein the Communicants by the receiuing of the Sacrament and Prayers doe obtaine forgiuenesse of their sinnes and by their prayers and offerings and not by the Communion doe profite those that Communicate not but this Sacrifice is not instituted to obtaine the intercession of the Saints nor for any other vses QVESTION XXXII Whether we ought to vse in the Church an vnknowen Language as Latin or any other and whether the people ought to read the holy Scripture or heare it read THE EAST CHVRCHES BElon When the Priest in Armenia readeth the Gospel the attendants doe salute one another both on the right hand and on the left euery one vnderstanding the Armenian tongue in which language it is alwayes read Vilamont The Iacobite doe vse many languages according to the seuerall Prouinces where they inhabite hauing neuerthelesse one particular language which they vse onely in Diuine Seruice but what language it was I could not discouer Idem The Nestorians vse the Chaldean language in their Liturgie or Diuine Seruice and in their Scriptures Idem The Armenians can speake diuers Languages but in their Diuine Seruice Masses Prayers and Ceremonies they vse the Armenian tongue which is vnderstood both of men and women throughout all their Countrey Nichol. The Grecians doe celebrate the Liturgie in their owne language to the end the common people may be able to vnderstand them Vilamont The Maronites doe vse the pure Syrian tongue in their Diuine Seruice Theuet The Moscouites haue fewe Preachers contenting themselues onely with the Lectures which the Priests make euery Sunday who reade vnto them the Gospell and Epistles of the Apostles and the bookes of learned men in a language that they vnderstand Cythraeus The Priests in Russia do consecrate with the words spoken by Iesus Christ but it is onely in the language of the Countrey THE SOVTH CHVRCH THeuet I haue seene many Bishoppes and haue heard their Masses which they say in the Abyssin language the which is very neare the Arabicke yea in the Characters themselues Aluares All their bookes whereof the number is great are of Parchment for they haue no other paper and their Scripture is read in the Tigique tongue which is Abyssin the first Countrey that receiued the doctrine of the Gospell THE REFORMED CHVRCH CAluin It is euident that publicke prayers ought to be pronounced not in Greeke amongst the Latines neyther in Latine amongst the French-men and English-men as heretofore hath beene vsed but in the vulgar tongue to the end that they might bee vnderstood by the people for it is conuenient that all bee done in the Church to edification for no man receiueth any fruite from an vnknowne language THE LATIN CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent Albeit the Masse doth containe much instruction for faithfull people Neueruerthelesse it seemed not expedient to the Fathers that it should bee celebrated euery where in the vulgar tongue ANNOTATION IN the Catholike Church of the East VVest North and South is manifestly accomplished that Scripture which saith That all languages doe confesse the Lord. The Church of Rome onely say the Protestants labours to hinder the same They will not permit the Masse nor any part of Diuine seruice to bee celebrated in the French tongue in Fraunce and which is more they haue brought their Latine seruice into America But the people cannot say Amen to any purpose if they vnderstand not that which is said in the Church their vowes and their intentions cannot be ioyned together with those of the Priest The Priest and the people which speake a language vnknowne and barbarous each to other may thinke one thing and say another behold here the confusion Likewise one may gather by the places or sentences before alleadged that the foresaid Apostolicke Churches prohibite not at all the reading of the holy Scripture for if it be permitted to the Laicks yea commaunded to be present at the reading therof being written in the vulgar tongue it followeth that they may reade it also in priuate There are Romane Catholickes which on the contrary side doe abhorre and hate the same Their Doctors and Teachers not being ashamed to say that the Translation of the holy Scripture into the vulgar tongue is the mother of heresies But there are many Catholikes in the Church of Rome which are not of this opinion and who reade attentiuely the holy Scripture Immitating therefore the practise of the Catholike Church we will say That the language of the Countrey ought to bee vsed in euery Church and that it is good to read the holy Scriptures and to heare them read in the vulgar tongue QVESTION XXXIII Whether the Ordination of the Ministers of the Church doth depend on the Pope of Rome THE EAST CHVRCH IEremie Patriarch Ordinations are no further respected of vs then the holy Canons haue prescribed And as touching the Ordination of a Bishoppe the first Canon of the Apostles teacheth vs thus That a Bishop be ordained by two or three Bishoppes and a Priest by a Bishoppe in like manner the Deacons and the rest Nichol. The foure Patriarches are created and elected by the Metropolitans of the Prouinces who aboue all other things take great care to elect him who is amongst them the maturest in yeares wisedome and holinesse Gagninus All the Metropolitans of the Ruthenians and Moscouites haue their authoritie from the Patriarch of Constantinople and in the beginning the Metropolitan was elected and chosen by the iudgment and consent of the Bishops and Abbots and of all the spirituall orders but now the great Duke of Moscouia hath this authority Theuet Within the Iland of Gezert doth the Patriarch of the sect of the Nestorians make his residence And also there the
chiefest Bishoppe resideth being ordained to giue Orders of Priesthood and Ministerie according to the Perswasion and Custome of the Nestorians THE SOVTH CHVRCH ALuares The Patriarch of the great Negus who is ouer all Aethiopia is called Abuna without whom there is none found which hath authority to make Priests but by him alone THE REFORMED CHVRCH MOnsieur du Plessis If our aduersaries aske vs what was the vocation of those first Ministers which vndertooke the Reformation of the Church in these last dayes we wil answere that it is the very same vocation and succession whereof they bragge But that vocation which they abuse our men haue well vsed And to the vaine succession which they so much stand vpon wee haue added the succession of true doctrine without the which all succession is but continuance of abuse and a vaine title For Iohn Hus Luther Zuinglius Oecolampadius Bucer Capito Martyr and others out of whose schoole the Ministers are come forth were Priests Curates and Doctors in Diuinitie I forbeare to speake of Archbishops Bishops and Cardinals in Germany England Italy and Fraunce THE LATIN CHVRCH THe Canon Renouantes Renuing the auncient priuiledges of the Patriarchall Seates we doe ordaine that after the Romane Church which by the disposing of God obtaineth the principalitie of the ordinarie power and authority ouer al the rest as a Mother and Mistresse of all the faithfull Children of Christ that of Constantinople haue the first place that of Alexandria the second that of Antiochia the third and that of Ierusalem the fourth reseruing for each one her proper dignitie in such sort that after that their Prelates haue receiued the Pall or Robe of the Bishoppe of Rome the which is the liuery of the plenitude of the Pontificall Office and made vnto him the Oath of obedience and fidelity they likewise haue license to giue the foresaid Pall to their Suffragans receiuing of them the Canonicall profession and taking of them promise of obedience to the Church of Rome ANNOTATION THe question is not here to know in what part of Christendome the true succession and Ordination is to bee found and which is the Church that hath it not This cannot bee found out by the Tradition of the Churches and the greater number therof for euery one seuerally doth condemne in generall and in particular all the rest It is sufficient to know whether they beleeue that it is necessary for Bishops and Priests to take their ordination from one head or cheefe whosoeuer he be It may be gathered out of the Authors afore alleadged that they doe thinke that the Apostles hauing left Successors behind them in all parts and quarters those Successors had power to ordaine Bishops Neuerthelesse for order sake the Church hath giuen particular charge and authoritie to the Patriarkes and Metropolitanes to ordaine other Bishops Also the Bishops of Constantinople Ierusalem Antiochia Alexandria and others haue equall authoritie euery one in his owne quarter and they are installed into their charges by those of their quarter without incroaching one vpon another Also those of the Clergie of England haue their odinay and lawfull ordination for if the Church of England did voluntarily submit it selfe to receiue Ordination and Confirmation from the Church of Rome she might challenge her auncient right Touching the Pastors and Euangelicall Doctors of other places the Romane Catholikes doe thinke them as much or rather more intruded without vocation seeing that Luther and Zuinglius themselues and others were no Bishops and consequently excluded by their Canons from the power to ordaine But the answere is that indeed a Priest alone as a Priest cannot ordaine but a Priest authorised by a companie of Priests may for he hath the place and power of the body of the Presbetery If a companie of Priests cannot make a Priest a Bishop the Pope could not be a lawfull Bishop of Rome for he is not made Bishop of Rome but by Priests and Cardinall Deacons that is to say the principallest of the Church of Rome it followeth therefore That Ordination dependeth not vpon an vniuersall head but onely vpon the Patriarkes or Metroplitanes of euery place QVESTION XXXIIII Whether Priests and Deacons may marry as well by Gods law as by Ecclesiasticall law THE EAST CHVRCHES THeuet The Priests in India are married and neuerthelesse cease not to execute their duties and offices Item The Priests of the Armenians are married as all the rest of the East Countreyes Item No man is made Deacon in Moscouia that is not married neuerthelesse he is not permitted to marry twise and he that marrieth twise remaineth amongst the Lay people and he that remaineth continent although he cannot sacrifice by reason of age yet doth he assist at the Sacrifice Vilam In Syria the Priests are married as in Greece in briefe they doe imitate very neare the vse and customes of the Grecians Scarga The Russians and Moscouites admit no man to be Priest that hath not a wife Theuet In Cyprus the Bishops haue in all ages bin married as well as the Priests THE SOVTH CHVRCH ZAga Episcopus The reason why Priests are married with vs is because that Saint Paul thought it better both for the Clergie and Laitie to marrie then to burne He himselfe saith that a Bishop ought to be the husband of one wife irreprehensible and sober and the Deacons likewise Item The Bishops and Priests cannot marry twise vnlesse the Patriarke will dispence with them Aluares It was demaunded of me in the presence of Prester-Iohn wherefore we doe not obserue the Statutes of the holy Councell of Nice seeing therein it was ordained that Priests should marrie and a little after hee saith thus Besides his Maiesty caused me to speake more concerning the marriages of Priests asking me if it was euer knowen that the Apostles were married Wherevnto I answered that I remembred not that euer they married any woman after that they were called by Iesus Christ and although that Saint Peter had a daughter that was before such time as he was of the number of the Apostles but they told me that their bookes did commaund that they should marry the which expresly Saint Peter had in charge THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe Confession of England We say that marriage is holy and honourable in all kind of people and each estate and as Saint Chrysostome saith that it is lawfull for a married man to mount vp to the Episcopall Chaire THE LATIN CHVRCH POpe Lucius Let such Ministers Priests and Deacons of the Altar be chosen for the seruices of the Lord as obserue and keepe continency ANNOTATION THe Latines do note aboue all the rest that the Christians of the East South and North are contrary to them in this point as well as the Protestants The vulgar thinke that there is no other difference The foresaid people notwithstanding doe differ from the Protestants in this one point that
to the Protestants but it is a curious question For they hold That the Saints which are in Heauen doe not enioy the vision or sight of God vntill the last day and that we ought to pray for them that is request that God would put them in a cleere place or that hee would keepe them if they are his owne or that he would raise them in the last day or that hee would pardon them at the day of the Resurrection QVESTION XL. Whether the Saints doe vnderstand or see by reason of the vision or sight of God or by any other meanes the Prayers and affaires of those that are vpon the earth and whether it be lawfull for them of this world to recommend themselues to their Prayers THE EAST CHVRCHES IEremie Patriarch Generall Inuocation agreeeth properly to God alone and appertaineth to him both chiefely and very peculiarly But that which is done to the Saints is not properly due to them but if it may be so said rather by accident and grace for neither Peter nor Paul vnderstand nor heare those that call vpon them but it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spirit of Charitie that is in them according to that which was spoken by the Lord I will be with you vntill the consummation of the world THE SOVTH CHVRCH THe Liturgie of the Ethiopians Reioyce O Lady for we will pray for thy health O Virgin at all times mother of God and of Christ carrie vp our praiers on high vnto the eares of thy sonne to the end that our sinnes may be pardoned Reioyce O Lady for thou hast brought forth vnto vs the true light Iesus Christ Pray for vs vnto him to the end that he may haue pittie vpon our soules O thou good Minister S. Paul the healer of Diseases which hast receiued the Crown pray for vs that our soules may bee deliuered through the multitude of the mercies of Iesus Christ THE LATINE CHVRCH THe councell of Trent The holy Councell dooth commaund all Bishoppes and all others who haue charge to teach that they instruct the faithfull concerning the intercession and Inuocation of Saints teaching them that the Saints doe offer their prayers to God for men and that it is a thing both good and profitable to call vpon them humbly and to haue our refuge to their prayers THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe Apologie of the confession of Ausburg We doe confesse that the Angels doe pray for vs yea euen in particular as in in Zacharie cap. 1. The Angell praied thus O Lord of Hosts how long wilt thou be vnmercifull to Ierusalem Melancton If we must needes retaine some intercession by reason of the Custome receiued albeit that the same be dangerous neuerthelesse it would be determined whether it ought to be constituted in that forme which is in the auncient prayers of the Church where Inuocation is made to God and not to Saints and yet there is mention made of some intercession for it is certaine that the Saints in heauen doe pray for the Church in generall as godly men doe in this world The confession of VVittenberg The Angels doe pray to God for vs in some sort But for all the Prayers of the Saints which are in heauen we must not take occasion thereby to call vpon the Saints for in the holy Scripture there is neyther commandement nor example thereof And seeing that it is necessary that he that is called vpon should be a searcher of the hart the saints ought not to be called vpon ANNOTATION BEhold here two questions the one concerning faith or beleefe the other concerning the practise of the Church First A man may demaund Whether the Saints doe vnderstand our praiers The Romane Catholik Church doth answere that they vnderstand them in the vision or sight of God as in a glasse The beleefe of the East Church is contrary which saith that the Saints doe not vnderstand anie thing at all and indeede as it hath beene said in the precedent question they beleeue not that the Saints doe enioy perfect felicity in the vision of God But rather they hold with the Reformed Churches which doe abhorre this Inuocation of Saints especially because the Church of Rome doth attribute vnto them that which appertaineth to God and which God neuer communicated to any creature whatsoeuer to wit to haue an habituall knowledge of the thoughts of men for if any Prophet hath had by reuelation any knowledge the same was by an extraordinarie dispensation S. Augustine saith that if the Saints haue any care of the liuing it is euen as the liuing haue care of them to wit the one not hauing any particular knowledge of the estate of the other Secondly The other question is to know whether it be lawfull for a man to recommend himselfe to the praiers of the Saints Here they commit three Logomachies The first is in the word to Inuocate or Inuocation which sound so il in the eares of the Protestants that they therfore doe abhorre all other Christians Ieremie Bishoppe of Constantinople auoucheth that this word is improper It rests onely then to finde out a word more pleasing and fit Well then thus it must be to recommend a mans selfe to the praiers of Saints is to attribute vnto them some diuine matter but on the contrarie side it confesseth them to bee creatures subiect to the Creator nay it is to debase them when a man doth desire them to pray for him which is as much as to endeuour to stirre vp their piety and charity The second Logomachia is in the word Intercessor which they vse for want of another to signifie him that praieth for another Bellarmine himselfe confesseth that Iesus Christ is the onely Intercessor and therefore if the Saints are heard it is by reason of Iesus Christ the Intercessor as well for the liuing as for the dead In like maner the Saints dead and liuing are in the same ranke and the Saints departed are Intercessors vnto Iesus Christ himselfe for the liuing The third variance in words is in that the Grecians and the Latins doe pray thus Saint Peter helpe vs our Lady haue pittie vpon vs vs. Bellarmine saith that this is as if one should say Saint Peter helpe vs through thy prayers but the Protestants would that men should speake plainely and they are as farre from receiuing these tearmes as the Latines are little disposed to correct their Howers or the Grecians their Horologe for so they call their bookes of prayers It appeareth not that the Aethiopians vse this manner of speech yea Hondius in his Cosmographicall Cart or Map saith that they do in no wise call vpon the Saints Aluares neither saith not that they doe which he would hardly haue forgotten if it had bene so so that if they haue no other inuocation but that which is found in their Liturgie a man may thinke that these are rather Apostrophes and Prosopopaeaes to stirre them vp to deuotion then true
he consider the persons time and place Those Fathers might defend themselues as hauing the Spirit resting vpon them insignes which is not granted to the meaner sort of people The Christians of the East haue beene alwayes giuen to ceremonies It was the custome to bowe the head before the Images of Kings and Princes Artabanus king of Persia saith Suetonius worshipped the Eagles and the Images of the Emperous The Grecians at this time doe argue thus If it be lawfull to vncouer the head in passing by the Image of a King why not in like manner by the Image of Iesus Christ They of these Countries doe answere that it is not the custome amongst them to vncouer their heads before the Images of Kings whosoeuer should doe it would be held ridiculous In like manner if a man should doe so before the Image of a Saint the Protestants would call it superstition The Romane Catholikes doe passe very often by Churches and Images without once mouing their hats or bowing their bodies Neither doe they so when they take in hand their Howers or the holy Bible The custome in these parts is to put off the hat when in publik acts the King is named Moreouer the Protestants in England doe ordaine that men put off their hats at Sermons when they heare the name of Iesus In like manner all countries haue their customes that which is ridiculous and superstitious in one place is held and esteemed comely and religious in another The most expedient way would be in stead of calling one another Idolaters and Heretickes to exhort one another charitably to doe all to edification to auoid the appeareance of euill and excesse and not to scandalize the Infidels and vnbeleeuers If any Infidell doe enter into the Church saith S. Paul will not he say that you are out of your wits In like manner when an Infidell or vnbeleeuer doth see a Christian praying with his eies fixed vpon an Image will not he say that he speaketh to the Image Intreaties obtestations and mutuall demonstrations doe serue sometimes to procure the peace of the Church but iniurious speeches will neuer take away schismes and the passages or places of Scripture which are alledged to make that seeme vnlawfull which is but vndecent do not cause eyther the superstitious to leaue their superstition or the lesse deuout their irreligion The strife founded vpon the Equiuocation of the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 edifies as little A great part of the Church will neuer consent to a manifest alteration Those that gouerne the Church doe sweare at their entrance to follow the tract of their Predecessors but it happeneth very often that euill customes doe ware away by laps of time although not so fast as those which are good The Church of Rome neuer staieth vpon these termes as Wicelius a Romane Catholike writeth yea one that was verie much affectionate If I would saith he I could produce the testimony of the Primitiue Church by the which the vse of the intercession of Saints is coroborated But as I doe affirme this so I also confesse that it doth greeue me that vnder pretext of I know not what Dulia it is affirmed that one may and ought to honour with adoration the Saints and their Images The Diuines of the auncient Church haue preached to the people that they must honour but not worshippe or adore the Saints Well then if they haue truely spoken thus of the Saints what thinke you would they haue said of the Statues and Images of Saints worshipped in Appearance and honored with the manner of Diuine worshippe Those who in Churches adore Images through any appearance seeme not much vnlike those which in times past worshipped Gods and Goddesses Where is the sobrietie of our vnderstanding to bow or stoope before carued or molten Images contrary to the law of God vnlesse peraduenture wee would offend the Iewes the Sarasins and those which are parted from vs through such like enormities The strange nations of whom we haue spoken to wit the Christians of the East and South haue very holily kept and obserued the law of God touching adoration and haue honoured the soules of the Saints in rendering to God that which appertaineth to God and to the Saints that which appertaineth to the Saints for who can find colours alwaies to excuse himselfe if he daily being too much giuen to vice doe foolishly search out extremities by mistaking the meane From this discourse of Wicelius a man may learne two things First that the Churches of the East and of Affrica are not fallen into the errour of the Latines Secondly that in the Church of Rome there are good people which will not be Idolaters no not in outward appeareance They are to be well aduised whether it be tollerable for them to stay in the Church of Rome and to call her Mother and Mistresse and to hold them for heretickes which doe depart from her and yet withall to call her Mother and Mistresse of Idolatrie For it is certaine that she approueth not onely the appeareance of euill which Wicelius condemneth but also the euill it selfe And for the same cause Thomas of Aquin. hath beene canonised by her yea honoured by a solemne feast as a Saint and a true Teacher and it is he that maintaineth that a man ought to adore and worshippe Images with the same adoration or worshippe as the thing represented to wit the Image of Iesus Christ with Latria and those of the Saints with Dulia in such sort that the Images are also the obiect of adoration against which doctrine the learned Earle Picus hath written who neuerthelesse denieth not that a man ought to adore Images but not saith he with that adoration which Thomas maintaineth Some man may aske if Thomas went beyond the meane in the adoration of Images how shall we call that errour and vice The Image adored with Latria shal it not be an Idole and he that adoreth it in like maner shal he not be called an Idolater But this opinion is not yet forgone in the Church of Rome Cardinall Bellarmine their great Doctor maintaineth it We must not saith hee adore the Images onely by accident or improperly as the Grecians say but also properly and in themselues The foresaid Christian people are also contrarie to the Church of Rome in that they will not haue the Diuine essence painted especially in the Churches and follow the opinion of their Doctor Damascen although that there are some Grecians in places neare to Italy which take libertie herein as may be seene in their Horologies printed at Venice Moreouer they abhorre Images of Gould Siluer wood and stone as smelling of Paganish idolatry and haue none but pictures The conclusion of this question according to the opinion of the foresaid people is That it is lawfull but not necessary neither peraduenture profitable to bow or vncouer the head before Churches Altars Crosses Pourtraitures or Images of Saints or
in handling holy Reliques or the bookes of the holy Scripture That it is some appearance of Idolatrie to passe these limits That it is plaine Idolatry to adore Images properly That it is an imitation of the Pagans to haue Images of releefe in Churches That it is follie and impiety to make an image of God QVESTION XLIII Whether it be lawfull to vowe single life whether Monkes ought to be of diuers Orders and whether it be lawfull for them to begge THE EAST CHVRCHES IEremie the generall Patriarch You say that you prohibite not good workes Neuerthelesse you account holy-daies Ceremonies regular fasting and monastical life vnprofitable workes that is not well done neither doth it agree with the holy Fathers For if you doe approue al good works you will aproue these things for they are good and for instance Basil the great saith that a contemplatiue life hath one chiefe end that is to say the saluation of the soule Theuet Neare to mount Sinai you shall finde at this present a religious order of Monkes which are of good conuersation and holy life founded in times past by the great Emperour Iustinian The Grecians do say that it was the first Monasterie of their religion for others they haue none neither would the Grecian and Trapezontine Emperours euer haue any other order but that of S. Basil Bishoppe of Cesaria who instituted his order of Monkes in the East about the yeare of our Lord 380. He caused those that professed his order to vow chastitie which were not receiued till they had attayned to the age of eight and twenty yeares Gemistius Pletho If the people giuen to meditation doe not labour it is a superstition the third kind of impietie THE SOVTH CHVRCH ALuares In all the Dominions of Prester Iohn there is but one order of Religion which is of Saint Anthonie the Hermite Item the greatest traficke in Faires and Markets is made by Monkes Zaga-zabo Bishop of Aethiopia With vs the Priests Monkes and all the Ministers of the Church doe liue by their labour for the Church hath not nor receiueth not any Tythes Neuerthelesse the Church hath reuenues and lands which the Monkes doe Till and labour themselues and it is not lawfull for them to begge from doore to doore neither to wrest or wring any Almes from the people THE LATIN CHVRCH THe Councell of Trent In any Religion whatsoeuer as well of men as of women they must not make profession before sixteene yeres be accomplished Sixtus quartus Let not the Parish Priests hereafter say that heresies are arisen of Mendicant Friers seeing that in truth our faith hath beene illuminated and the Church exalted by them and especially by the Orders of the Iacobins and Franciscans THE REFORMED CHVRCH THe Confession of the Suizers Those that haue receiued from heauen the gift of a single life so that they are pure in heart and soule ought to serue the Lord in that vocation so farre forth as they feele themselues endued with this Diuine gift for such men are more fit to set their minds on heauenly things thē those that are distracted with the affaires of their families The Confession of Bohemia There are bountifull and peculiar promises made to them that are such and singular recompenses so that a great reward shall be giuen to this excellent worke to wit To him that shall voluntarily leaue Father Mother Brethren and Wife Those which haue receiued this gift ought to take heede lest they loose it Neuerthelesse there must no snares be laide for any Caluin We reiect not Monasticke vowes for any other reason but that they are rashly made by those which haue not the power to keepe them Idem Saint Austine prooueth that it is not lawful for Munkes to liue in idlenesse Idem Looke how many Monasteries there are in these dayes so many conuenticles are there of Schismatickes And to the end that their diuision might be better knowen they haue giuen themselues diuers names They are not ashamed to glory in that which S. Paule had in execration saying that the Corinthians did diuide Christ when they said I am of Paul and I of Apollo and I of Cephas and I of Christ And now a daies they thinke that they may without doing any iniurie to Christ call themselues Benedictans Franciscans Dominicans ANNOTATION THere are three things to bee regarded in a Monasticall life First the will to liue in a Chaste single life ioyned with the deede Iesus Christ approueth this will and this estate That is the cause that the Grecians did extoll it following S. Basil but with hyperbolicall termes as may bee seene in their answere to the Diuines of Wittemberg They beleeue that if it be a Diuine and supernaturall guift then it ought not to bee esteemed vnprofitable neither as a humane inuention The hate which a man beareth to the abuse of a thing ought not to preiudice the true vse of it They call that life Angelicall Acertaine Grecian expounding that word hath told vs that they beleeue that the life of the Caloiers is Angelicall as long as they doe good but diabolicall as long as they doe euill Secondly is to be noted the Custome of those that will follow this institution to associate themselues in Colledges The Protestants condemne not that The Monasteries say they were in times past houses where some did labour and worke with their hands others did exercise themselues to serue in the Church The third thing to bee noted is the Vow The Protestants likewise do not absolutely condemne it but in that saith Caluin it is made by those that haue not the power to accomplish that which they haue vowed the same Author doth thinke that a Vow may be taken at threescore yeeres of age For S. Paul saith Let not a widdow be taken into the number vnder that age That Canon of Saint Paul hath not beene obserued by his successors for afterward were they receiued at fiftie yeeres of age and after that at fortie Neuerthelesse the same is continued and is as yet held in the East Churches because it is necessarie that he that Voweth should haue knowledge by long experience that he hath receiued of God power to accomplish and performe that which hee hath vowed contrarie to which the doctrine of the Councell of Trent is which saith that a Vowe may be made at sixteene yeeres of age The foresaid Churches would not allow of diuers Sects of Munkes and Friers and therein are differing from the Latine Church or rather contrarie to it As touching the begging of Munkes the proofes before alleadged doe shew that these Churches approoue it not Amongst the Latines themselues there were many which haue condemned it as Pope Nicholas the third saith In the Churches of Africa the solemne vowes of chastitie Pouertie Obedience are not vsed as in the Church of Rome Therfore the beliefe of the foresaid Churches is
Apostles were not the inuenters thereof yet it is certaine that it was some of their Disciples all the rest consenting thereunto The saying also of S. Paul cannot be applied to that institution for S. Paul saith that this forbidding should bee in the latter dayes The same Zanchius saith that Lent was free vntill the time of Pope Gregorie the seuenth that is to say vntill the yeare 1075. And that this Pope did forbid in the Latine Church to eate flesh vpon paine of mortall sinne And that this prohibition so absolute and exact is that whereof S. Paul speaketh For otherwise it is not a true prohibition or forbidding The Romane Catholikes do bring other exceptions to wit that these meates are not forbidden as euill of themselues Another answereth them that Saint Paul saith the vse of them must not be forbidden and speaketh in the same sort of Marriage which is not forbidden but onely to those which haue vowed neuer to marrie Also vnlesse one doe vow not to eate flesh the vse ought not to be absolutely forbidden him The Latines say also that they forbid it not but for certaine times The contrary part doth reply that it is euer a forbidding That which is white for one day saith Aristotle is no lesse white then if it had beene so a whole yeare As for the Christians of the East they are more exact obseruers of Fasting and abstinence then the Latines are although that their Church hath not this doctrine that it should be vnto them a mortall sinne Zeale and deuotion is many times imitated by superstition The Reformed Churches haue their Fasts and do keepe them straightly and the common people amongst them might fall into some scruple of conscience but that they are oftentimes aduertised of their Christian libertie It hath beene said before that the Ethiopians doe beleeue that the commandements of the Church doe not binde a man vpon paine of mortall sinne And in that point they are manifestly on the Protestants side as the Grecians also are if they hold that which their auncestors held all alike doe beleeue that the Bishoppes may both make lawes vse their censures and impose certaine punishments vpon the infringers or breakers of them but not forbidde as God If thou dost eate of this fruit thou shalt die the death both temporall and eternall So that some scruple is noted among Christians but the doctrine which they confesse is That the Church may ordaine holy or festiual daies together with abstinence of all or some kind of meats neuerthelesse not so as to bind the conscience without contempt or scandall and the diuers practise therof doth shew that there is no Catholike ecclesiasticall law which hath ordained either festiuall daies or fasting daies or the manner of keeping those feasts or fasts ¶ The Conclusion of this Treatise THe Councell of Basil hath declared the Pope to bee subiect vnto the Church If the same were beleeued at this day by the Latines as it is by all other Christians it were sufficient to make a peace If the Pope may transport that Sea out of Rome the Church may doe it farre better yea the East Church might haue done it at such time as it was greater then the Latine It followeth also that all that the Popes haue ordained approued or tollerated is vnder correction If there had not beene ambition in him or in his Clergie of Rome hee would haue heard the Catholike voyce of the Church This ambition is the cause wherefore the Grecians doe call him an Arch-hereticke the Indians a reprobate Bishoppe the Protestants the sonne of perdition Those that liue vnder him vse not these termes Neuerthelesse they are not farre wide from this beleefe If the Duke of Venice should presume to call himselfe Monarch and that the most part tooke armes against him calling him Tyrant Capitall and Principall enemy of the Common-wealth and that there were others more patient then they which confessed that in truth he was not such a one as he counted himselfe to be neuerthelesse beleeued that he ought to be supported I pray you would not all these Cittizens agree together in the principall point although they were of diuers opinions in the manner of proceeding Father Coton after many others maketh an argument here which he thinketh to be inuincible The Sonne of Perdition saith he must sit in the Temple of God according to Saint Paul that is to say in the Church of God according to Crysostome And we must not goe out of the Church for out of it there is no saluation therefore we must continue vnder the sonne of perdition Answere The Temple of God is all the earth in this Temple there are many Episcopall Chaires which as Pope Pelagius saith are one nuptiall bed of Christ that is to say which make but one Church which begetteth children to God by baptisme Well then if hee that sitteth in S. Peters Chaire teacheth not at all who will gaine-say but that without forsaking the Church one may goe to heare him which sittes in Saint Peters chaire at Antioch among the Armenians or in the seate of S. Andrew in Constantinople Some will say that the Protestants doe not take this way But we haue shewed that if ceremonies were laid apart and that Logomachies were eschued there would want but little of agreement and scarce would there be any discord but onely in these foure points First about Images Secondly praiers to Saints Thirdly the time of making Monasticall vows Fourthly about the conuersion of Bread and Wine in the Eucharist and peraduenture not so great as is imagined For the first it is decreed in the second Councel of Nice that one should put off his Hat in passing before a Church a Crosse an Altar an Image or portraict of a Saint hauing the heart lifted vp to God The Protestants doe call the same superstition See here is a great heresie a trimme subiect to diuide Christianitie Panigarolas confesseth that one may altogether let passe Images why not then this ceremonie The Catholicke Romans know well enough that sometimes they were not vsed at all And Wicelius saith that wee ought to eschew all appearance of euill In the time of S. Basil there was tolleration herein Vigilantius brake the peace peraduenture his iniurious speeches haue beene the cause why men did more in hate of him The second Question whether one ought to recommend himselfe to the Prayers of the Saints is of the same nature They of the East Churches doe confesse that the Saints doe not vnderstand our Prayers Neuerthelesse that the holy Ghost which they haue doeth induce them to pray and to crie Abba father saith S. Paul that is to say in generall for those that recommend themselues to their Prayers The Protestants doe confesse that the Saints doe pray and that one may wish or desire that they would so doe notwithstanding they hold it absurd to addresse our Prayers vnto them seeing that wee doe know that
to impute this vnto the Abyssins for an errour seeing that in the Church of Rome they baptize Bells and contrary to the practise of the Apostolicke Churches they sprincle water euery day entring into their Churches for remission of veniall sinnes a custome taken eyther from the Iewes as the Grecians doe reproach them or else from Pagan Idolaters The other accusation against the Iacobites is because that they tollerate Circumcision vpon which Berthius saith thus They circumcise their children both Male and Female but they borrow not that from the Iewes insomuch that the same is not for any Religion sake as Aluares also saith but it is an auncient custome for Herodotus witnesseth that the Ethiopians in times past likewised vsed it It hath beene likewise thought by some that the Iacobites baptize with fire But the Historiographers and those of the Countrey doe certifie vs that the same is not so but they make incisions in their temples either for comlines or els for their healths sake If the Ethiopians haue no other errours then those which appeare vnto vs we might peraduenture appropriate vnto them by better right that place of Scripture vbi cubas in meridie then the auncient Donatists could attribute it vnto themselues * ⎠* FINIS ¶ A TABLE OF THE MATTER CONTAINED IN THIS BOOKE OF the Popes spirituall authority Quest Quest 1. Of the first Seate Quest 2. Of Miracles Quest 3. Of personall Succession Quest 4. Of Multitude Quest 5. Of the Popes temporal authority Quest 6 Of the sufficiency of the holy scripture Quest 7. Of Canonicall bookes Quest 8. Of the Latine Translation of the holy Scripture Quest 9. Of Traditions Quest 10. Of the proceeding of the holy Ghost Quest 11. Of true faith Quest 12. Of Free-will Quest 13. Of Iustification Quest 14. Of the merite of good works Quest 15. Of Purgatory Quest 16. Of Pardons Quest 17. Of Christ his discention into hel Quest 18 Of the necessity of Baptisme Quest 19. Of Confirmation Quest 20. Of particular Confession Quest 21. Of the change of the signes in the Eucharist Quest 22. Of the words of consecration Quest 23 Of the Sacrament reserued Quest 24 Of the bread in the Sacrament Quest 25 Of mingling Wine and Water in the Chalice Quest 26 Of the Communion vnder both kindes Quest 27 Of carrying the Sacrament in Procession Quest 28 Of the eleuation of the Sacram. Quest 29 Of priuate Masses Quest 30 Of the Sacrifice of the Masse Quest 31 Of an vnknowne tongue in the Church Quest 32 Of the ordination of Ecclesiasticall persons Quest 33 Of the Marriage of Ecclesiasticall persons Quest 34 Of Ecclesiastical orders and offices Quest 35 Of the indeleble Character Quest 36 Of Extreame Vnction Quest 37 Of the number of Sacraments Quest 38 Of Praiers for the Saints Quest 39 Of the Inuocation of Saints Quest 40 Of the canonizing of Saints Quest 41 Of Images Quest 42 Of Monasticall vowes Quest 43 Of feasts and fasting Quest 44 a Sugil Turc spurc cap. 22. And other Authors do reckon ten they put sometimes three seueral Nations the which doe make but one Church b Respo Confess August cap. 13. c Generall d Orat. Corn. Epis Biton in concil Trid. e Theuet Cosm 1. lib. 18. cap. 13. f Cras Turcogr lib. 3. in ann g Barlaam de Papae princ cap. 15 h A Bridge-maker Fenest de Sacerd ca. 8. i Father k Panor de concil Basil l Theuet Cos lib. 4 cap. 2. m King n Apostolicke o Broken or Cut. p Our father q Isch-ja a man of God r Vilam l. 2. cap. 21. Å¿ M. Paule Venet. Hist Ind. orient Å¿ Sent from God Å¿ M. Masius in praef in lib Mosis de parad t Nichol. l. 4. cap. 19. u Vniuersal x Alphons de Castro de haeres passim y Vilamont l. 2. cap. 23. z Sleidan de Stat. Rel. lib. 1. c. â— a Cyprian de simpl Cl. Gennadius Confession Hist Eccl. de Const The Sybils To wit Pagans a Psal 120. 7. b Damian à Goes de morib Aethiop Impedit ira animum ne possit cernere verum c Mat. 16. 6. d Lib. 4. contra haeres e Mat. cap. vlt. 20 f Phil cap. 3. 15. g Hist Eccl. l. 4. cap. 22. a The causes of dissentions Eccl. 5 1. b De princip cap. 2. c In 4. Sent. dist 24. qu. 3. d 〈…〉 cr cap 2. e Descript Aeth cap. 29. f Art 4. g Simpl. prael h Ad Euagr. i Dist 19. Ita Dominus k Dist eadem enimuerò l Tom. 2. l. 2. c. 17. 18. m In praef de summo Pont. n Bodin Repub l. 2. c. 1. n Durand de sacris Eccl. lib. 3. c. 2. n Matth. 16. o Iohn p Rom. 1. p 2. Respon Jerem. fine q Apoc. 21. 14. r Ioh. 14. 16. Å¿ Mat. 18. 18 t 1. Pet. 5. 1. u Acts 14. 22 x 1. Thes 1. Mat. 28. 20. y De Statu Prim. Eccl. z Reuis Concil 1. Cor. 12. a Cap. 13. b De primat l. 2. c Mat. 16. 18 d Psal 14. 4. e Cosm lib. 9 f Voyages l. 2 cap. 22. i Cosm l. 10. c. 15. k Elucid c. 2. l Cap. 26. m Discept Graci Caldei n Chap. of Ethiop o Cap. 32. o Cap. 17. p Acta Theol Virtemb q Dist 21. Quamuis Å¿ Alexandria was the greatest Citie of the Empire after Rome Ioseph l. 4. c. 42. t Antioch was the third Citie Josep bello Iud. lib. 3. there was in this Citie 360. Churches of Christians u The Grecians doe call him Gregorie Dialoger x John nestentes That is to say the younger y Oecumenicos z S. Cypr. de simpl cl a Lib. 1. cap. 17. 18. Matt. 17. 20. b In the third Booke of his Voyages cap. 4 c Dâ—â—Kel Mâ—sc ad Ferd. d Ibidem e Nauigat de Lopes f Turcogr lib. 2. Pach. g Cap. 16. h Disc of Aeth cap. 17. i Cap. 11. k De reliq ven sanct tit 22. l Art 5. m De princ cap. 3. n Cap. 18. o De notis Eccl. cap. 8. p Mar. 15. 16 q L. 2. c. 21. r Lib. 2. ca. 22 Å¿ De viciss t Lib. 2. c. 24. u Idem l. 2. cap. 22. x De not Eccl. l. 4. c. 2. y Cap. 18. z Praef. in Anaph Basilij a Lib. 2. cap. 24. b De sacrifi c Resp 1. cap. 16. d Eluc cap 3. e Lib. 4. c. 36. f Cap. 3. g Viciss l. 8. h Lib. 2. c. 13 i Art 13. k De Maior obed Dan. 12. 45. l Melech a King m Fr Paul of Venice in Apologie n De Causis diss lib. 1. o Lib. 1. dist 11. b. p Iohn 15. q Resp Rohit r Elucid err Å¿ Cap. 31. t De indor leg art 11. u Art 5. x In 4. Sent. d. 24. q. 2. y 4. Sess decret 1. z 1. Tim. 2. 11. 1. Cor. 14. 34. a Smith apud P. Vermil Martyrem de caelib b 1. Cor. 7. 38.