S. Leo Missae sacrificium approbanit Hee did approue the sacrifice of Masse therfore Masse was termed and knowne to be so accepted a sacrifice before his time and approbation For a thinge approued or to bee approued vnseparably carrieth with it a precedency to the approbation that which is not cannot possibly bee approued as a thinge past or present and euery such allowance or approbation necessarily supposeth the thinge to bee so allowed or approued And this will suffice for S. Leo. 4. After whome in this age the onely Pope which is produced by these men to haue added or altered in the Masse is Gelasius of this Pope a protestant thus writeth Robert Barnes in vit Pontif. in Gelasio praefationem Missae verè dignuÌ„ iustum est instituit But this is euidentlie vntrue as I haue proued before for S. Ciprian and before him Tertullian informe vs it was in vse in the church before their times and S. Ciprian alleadgeth it is an apostolicall common known custome of the church Ciprian l. de orat Dominic and Foxe the protestant proueth Io. Foxe Tom. 2. in Q. Mary that this could not bee any inuention of Gelasius for that both the auncient Greeke church before that time and both S. Ciprian and S. Augustine so agree it was in vse before Ciprian sup Aug. de vera Religione cap. 3 therefore followeth therein the opinion of Thomas Waldensis that it could not bee the inuention of Pope Gelasius And Pope Vigilius which liued not longe after Gelasius who writinge to the Bishops of Germany and Fraunce desirous to know the order which the church of Rome obserued in the prefaces of Masse answereth in this maner Vigilius epistola ad Episcopos Germaniae Galliae Inuenimus has nouem praefationes in sacro catalogo tantumodo recipiendas quas long a retro veritas in Romana Ecclesia hactenus seruauit Wee finde that these 9. prefaces are to bee receued in the holy catalogue which truth hath longe time from former ages hitherto obserued in the Roman church And thus hee recoÌ„pteth them one of Easter another of the Ascension of our Lord the third of Pentecoste the fourth of the natiuitie of our Lord the fift of the apparition of our Lord the sixt of the Apostles the seuenth of the holy Trinitie the eight of the Crosse the ninth in Lent And thus concludeth has praefationes tenet custodit sancta Romana Ecclesia has tenendas vobis mandamus These prefaces the holy Roman church obserueth these wee commaund to bee kept by you And Houeden as our protestants haue published him reciteth all these out of the same authoritie to haue bene receued in England in a councel of our Bishops manie hundred yeares since setting downe the begininge of euery one of them and addeth the tenth of the blessed Virgin decimam de beata Virgine Roger. Houeden in annal part posterior in Henr. 2. 5. And our English Protestants themselues by their highest parlamentary authoritie in such things with them vse the same prefaces except that of the Apostles and blessed Virgine in their publick church seruice their communion booke Protest communion booke titul communion and yet in that of the blessed Virgine which seemeth to haue beene added after the dayes of Pope Vigilius there is no inuocation of her nor any matter now questioned by protestants found in it And concerninge that of the Apostles of matters questioned there is onely this clause or petition vnto God for preseruing his church vt gregem tuum Pastor aeterne non deseras sed per beatos Apostolos tuos continua protectione custodias vt ijsdem Rectortbus gubernetur quos operis tui Vicarios eidem contulisti praesse Pastores That God the eternall Pastor will not forsake his flocke but keepe by his blessed Apostles with continuall protection that it may bee gouerned by the same Rulers whome Vicars of his worke hee hath appointed Pastors to rule it Which is not a prayer immediatlie to the Apostles but to God for the protection of his Apostles and such as our protestants themselues in their publick seruice on S. Michael his day doe vse for the protection of Angels as is manifest in their collect or prayer of that feast being the old Catholick prayer word by word translated into English And yet if there were any immediate prayer vnto the Apostles or any other Saints or Angels in any oÌ„f these prefaces I haue proued before that it was the receaued doctrine of Christs church from the beginninge 6. And if wee should allow vnto protestants that Pope Gelasius did add in the prefaces all that clause verè dignum iustum est vnto per Christum Dominum nostrum What is there in it but holy and allowable and still practised by themselues in their church seruice This it is verè dignum iustum est aequum salutare nos tibi semper vbique gratias agere Domine sancte Pater omnipotens aterne Deus per Christum Dominum nostrum ô Lord holy Father omnipotent eternall God verely it is a thinge worthie and iust right and belonginge to saluation that wee alwayes and in all places giue thanks to thee by Christ our Lord. Are not all Christians in all iudgements bound to bee of this minde and this being a dutie so bindinge and belonginge vnto al that beleeue in Christ is it not the better the oftner and more publickly it be acknowledged oâ—… if it be good by protestants and in their publick practise how can it be ill in Catholicks or could bee so in Pope Gelasius And if hee had added Te igitur clementissime Pater per Iesum ChristuÌ„ filium tuum Dominum nostrum supplices rogamus ac petimus Therefore ô moste mercifull Father wee aske and beseeche thee by Iesus Christ thy sonne our Lord. It is the same reason as before this beinge a very Christian and holy prayer by Protestant Religion to aske all things of God in the name of Christ as hee himselfe said whatsoeuer you shall aske in my name that will I doe Io. c. 14. v. 13. and whatsoeuer yee shall aske of the Father in my name hee may giue it you Io. c. 15. v. 26. 7. Whereby these men may see that neither the primatiue church which vsed inuocation of Saints nor the present church of Rome insistinge therein did or doe diminish any honor or dutie to Christ by honoringe them which honor him and are honoured by him Yet S. Remigius witnesseth this prayer Te igitur clementissime Pater to haue beene vsed from the Apostles Remig. in epist. 1. ad Timoth. cap. 2. Wheras some protestants write of Pope Gelasius Balaeus l. 2. de actis Pontif. Rom. in Gelasio Gelasius hymnos prefationes gradualia collectas orationes praescripsit Pope Gelasius did prescribe hymnes prefaces graduals collects and prayers I haue proued by these protestants that all these were vsed in the church and laudably longe before and by the word praescripsit hee did
Vicar or Vicegerent in his kingdome to see iustice ministred the church of Christ to bee defended from wronge and the priuiledges thereof to bee kept inuiolable Which this holy king moste christianly performed for when all ecclesiasticall matters were settled here by the Popes authoritie and these Lawes here appointed for this kingedome first here coÌ„cluded and then with the rest confirmed by the Pope cuncta quae fecerant à Pontifice confirmari impetrauerunt Then this kinge accordinge to the direction and instructions of the holy Pope to speake in Protestants owne words endowed the churches of Britanie with liberties Lucius Rex ecclesias Britanniae libertatibus muniuit Which ar to many to bee related and ar sett downe in the Brittish historie Matthew of Westminster and others Pontic Virun lib. 4. in fine Galf. Mon. lib. 4. histor Reg. Britan. cap. 20. Matth. Westm an 186. Protest Annot. vppon Matth. West an 187. Galfrid Monum sup l. 4. Matth. West an 187. And in this sence our best Brittish and christian Saxon kings who were most obedient euer to the church of Rome were from that time and by vertue of that donation of Pope Eleutherius giuinge Lucius the Title of the vicar or vicegerent of God in his kingdome soe called and enioyed that Title as a Protestant Lawier and Antiquarie thus deduceth Selden Analect l. 1. pag 4â—… Ex quo non solum Britannorum sed etiam Anglorum subsequentes Reges hoc nomine vicarij Dei sunt potiti From which time or the graunt of Pope Eleutherius the kings that followed not onely of the Britans but English alsoe obteyned this name of the vicars of God and citeth the auntient Lawyer Henry Bracton for the same But wee neede not demurre vppon the authorities of priuate Lawyers or Antiquaries for this matter For wee haue Lawes themselues of good kinge Edward which William the Bastard afterward confirmed a Protestant Lawyers or rather the words of the Lawe to confirme warraÌ„t this Where the very words of the Lawe thus auntient and confirmed are these Leges S. Eduardi apud Gul. Lamb. fol. 126. pag. 2. leg 1. cap. 17. leg 77. Rex autem quia Vicarius summi Regis est ad hoc est constitutus vt regnum terrenum populum Domini super omnia sanctum veneretur Ecclesiam eius regat ab iniuriosis defendat maleficos ab ea euellat destruat penitus disperdat Quod nisi fecerit nec nomen Regis in eo constabit verum testante Papa Iohanne nomen Regis perdit The kinge because hee is the Vicar of the highest king is constituted for this to rule the terrene kingedome and people of God and aboue all things hee ought to reuerence his holy church and defend it from iniurious people and to pull from it and destroy and wholly ouerthrowe euill doers Which except hee performeth the name of a Kinge shall not bee appearinge in him but as Pope Iohn doth wittnes he loseth the name of a kinge or Ruler Where wee see by the publicke Lawes themselues that the Kinge is not called the Vicar or Vicegerent of God in respect of spirituall but temporall affaires to reuerence and defend it and suffer noe wronge to bee done vnto it or priuiledges taken from it which is more plainely expressed in the same Lawe in this maner leg S. Vsuardi supr Debet Sanctam EcclesiaÌ„ regni sui cum omni integritate libertate iuxta constitutiones patrum praedecessorem seruare fouere manutenere a kinge ought to keepe foster maintayne the holy church of his kingedome with all integritie and libertie accordinge to the constitutions of the Fathers and predecessors Which a kinge ought to sweare in proper parson vppon the ghospels and relicks of Saints before the laietie preists and clergie before hee is crowned by the Archbishops Bishops of the kingdom hither to this holy law of our auntieÌ„t kings I haue insisted vpon this Epistle of Pope Eleutherius the longer because with Protestants it is in soe high esteeme soe auntient and certaine that a Protestant Bishop writeth Wee haue seene the Bishop of Romes owne letter to kinge Lucius that is reputed to bee the first christian kinge of Britanie Iohn Bridges def of the gouernm in the church of Engl. l. 16. pag. 1355. The Theater writers say it is in the custody of Syr Robert Cotton Baronet of Conington in Huntington shire Theater of greate Brit. l. 6. c. 19. Others say it is likewise founde in the old historie called Brutus Caius antiquit Cantab. l. 1. Stowe writeth I finde the same entered in a booke intituled Constitutions pertayninge to the Guilde hall of London Stovve histor in Kinge Lucius And it is founde alsoe amonge the old Lawes of Saint Edward our kinge and others before him and placed receaued as a part of our Lawe both by our Saxon kinges and Norman alsoe as namely kinge William the first as the Protestant publisher of them himselfe a lawyer and antiquarie is witnesse vvith all moste all writers plaerique scriptores omnes as hee testifieth Williel Lambard lib. de Priscis Anglorum legib fol. 1. ante praef fol. 126.131 Therefore I may boldely terme Pope Eleutherius the first Christian Lawe maker and first director and confirmer of Lawes in this kingedome Which how it can stand to bee iustly done as all these our kinges their nobles clergies lawyers and these Protestants auouche without as greate a preeminent power as the Popes of these times doe clayme or commonly Catholicks ascribe vnto them I leaue to the quickest sighted Protestants to distinguish And yet this schole of Protestant antiquaries doe reade a lesson vnto vs to clymbe a stepp higher in such affayres For they assure from the same publick lawes of our auncient Saxon and other kinges and from the same Pope Eleutherius his owne donation that hee declared to be annexed to the crowne of this kingedome all the Ilands betweene vs and Norway and that our kings should haue care thereupon to enioye them The words of that auncient Lawe by Protestant publishing and allowance publick ar these Leges Edâ—…wardi Regis c. 17. apud Lumbard supr fol. 130 pag. 2. Debet de iure Rex omnes terras honores omnes dignitates iura libertates coronae regni huius in integrum cum omni integritate sine diminutione obseruare defendere dispersa dilapidata amissa regni iura in pristinum statum debitum viribus omnibus reuocare Vniuersa vero terra tota Insulae omnes vsque Norwegiam vsque Dariam pertinent ad coronam regni eius sunt de appendicijs dignitatibus Regis vna est Monarchia vnum est regnum vocabatur quondam Regnum Britanniae modo autem vocatur Regnum Anglorum tales enim metas fines praedictae sunt constituit imposuit coronae Regni Dominus Eleutherius Papa sententia sua qui primo
sacrificium gentium sicut dicit per os Malachiae ô my Master I feare that God hath cast vs away froÌ„ him and our sacrifice also and hath accepted the sacrifice of the gentiles as hee speaketh by the mouth of Malachy And immediatlie citing the wordes of that Prophet as before concludeth thus for the sacrifice of Masse vsed by Christians sacrificium gentium est mundus quam sacrificium nostrum The sacrifice of the gentils so he called Christians conuerted of the gentiles is more pure then our sacrifice 9. Thus commonly also the holy Christian Fathers among whom S. Augustine citinge that prophesie of Malachie thus speaketh to the Iewes Augustin orat contra Iudaeos cap. 9. Quid ad haec respondetis aperite oculos tandem aliquando videte ab oriente sole vsque ad occidentem non in vno sicut vobis fuerat constitutum sed in omni loco sacrificium Christianorum offerri non cuilibet Deo sed ei qui ista praedixit Deo Israel What do you answere to these things open your eyes sometime at the laste and see that the sacrifice of Christians is offered from East to West not in one place as it was appointed vnto you but in euery place not to euery one that is called God but to him the God of Israel that foretold thâ—…se thinges Therefore seeing the word of God proposed by his holy Prophet cannot bee vntrue but must needs be verified in some sacrifice offered thus vnto him by some professors of Religion and all others besides Christians are thus clearely excluded and Christians haue only one externall sacrifice of the Masse conteining the oblation of Christs most blessed body blood the onely most pure sacrifice and acceptable vnto God and offered in euery place in the whole world it must needs bee this pure and generall sacrifice 10. To which our protestants themselues to make all sure do thus giue testimonie First his Maiestie as Casaubon hath published by warraÌ„t Casaub Resp ad Card. Per. pag. 51.52 neither is the Kinge Ignorant nor denieth that the Fathers of the primatiue church did acknowledge one sacrifice in Christian Religion that succeeded in the place of the sacrifice of Moises lawe And both from our Kinge and D. Andrewes the Protestant Bishop now of Winchester affirmeth of this sacrifice pag. 50.51 sup It is Christs body the same obiect and thinge which the Roman church beleeueth An other diuidinge Christians into the Latine and Greeke church as the common diuision is and telling vs as all acknowledge that in all contries of the Latine church remayning still in obedience to the see of Rome the sacrifice of the Masse is publickly in all places offered and in the contries that haue reuolted lately from it the same sacrifice is priuatly with many still celebrated thus hee writeth of the Greeke church Edwine Sands relation of Religion cap. 53. or 54. with Rome they concur in the opinion of transsubstantiation and generally in the seruice and whole body of the Masse in praying to Saints in auricular confession in offeringe of sacrifice and prayer for the dead They hold purgatory also and worshipping of pictures Their Liturgies bee the same that in the old time namlie S. Basils S. Chrisostoms and S. Gregories that which the Roman church now vseth translated without any bendinge them to that chaunge of language which theire tongue hath suffered 11. Chytraeus a German protestant writinge de statu Ecclesiae of the state of the church pag. 7.8.11.13.15.18.20.21 saith Among all the nations of Greece Asia Africa Ethiopia Armenia c. all places are full of Masses the sacrifice of the Masse is offered for the liuing and the dead The Georgians inhabiting old Iberia and Albania The Syrians name S. Basile author of their Masse The Armenians inhabitinge most large spaces of the earth from the bounds of Cappadocia and Cilicia vnto Iberta the Caspian sea Media and Assiria are moste like the papists in Religion and ceremonies in their Masse they remember inuocation and intercession of Saints offering vp of the Sacrament Also euery where in Persia and all the east the Christians doe the same The Maronites at mount Libanus are conformable to the Latine church in all thinges The Iacob is in Asia and Africke are more by much propagated and haue their Masses 12. Our English Protestant translator of the author of the booke of the estates Empires principalities of the world Edw. Grymston pref to the Reader although as he confesseth he altereth and addeth at his pleasure cannot finde out any one prouince or contry of note in al the whole world where hee dareth to affirme and can proue that this holy sacrifice of Masse is not there offered vnto God The same proueth pag. 102. to pag. 283. in the estate of the K. of Spaine that the Kinge Catholicke of Spaine by land and Sea in all parts of the worlde Europe Asia Africke and America is the greatest Emperour and Kinge that now presently is or euer heretofore hath beene in the world possessinge more territories and dominions then all Turkes Tartars Pagans and enemies of Christianitie that be and yet in all these dominions this most holy sacrifice of Masse is publickly offered and celebrated with great honor and glorie So that if it were receued no where els but in his territories the prophesy of Malachias is fulfilled in his dominions as well appeareth by this and all Cosmographers of these dayes that truely sett downe the estates of great Princes There is no maine part ab ortu solis vsque ad occasum from the risinge of the sunne vnto the setting thereof nor from the settinge to the rising againe but he hath some dominion there as a late verse is of the Enfante Mary of Spaine her Father and her brother is in the same condition Vnto her greatnes witnes giues the sunne tasked no houre to shine at any hand As he his course about the globe doth runne but on some part of her late Fathers land An homage which hee neuer did before to any Prince nor like to doe no more 13. And yet besides these so many and vaste countries our protestants haue told vs before that all the other three parts of the world Asia Africke and Europe are full of Masses and sacrificinge Christian preists Which this protestant also confirmeth Grymston supr in these kingdoms pag. 700. c. teaching that not only in the territories but in Tartaria China Iapan Peru Magor Calicut Narsing Persia all the Turks estates in Europe Africk and Asia Monomotapa Congo Moraco and from the rising to the setting of the sunne the prophesie of Malachie is iustified and performed for in all these places Mincha tehora thusia Cathara the pure sacrifice hee speaketh of the holy sacrifice of Masse is offered to the name of God and his name is great among the Gentiles 14. This is the state of thinges at this time Thus it was from the first planting of christianity in the whole
thinges deliuered by the tradition of the Apostles saith S. Basil l. 5. de vniuersal eccl this tradition did commend the words of long prayer and consecration ouer the breade and chalice set downe in order multifariam digesta super panem calicem prolixae orationis consecrationis verba commendauit Irenaeus saith the church receaued this order of sacrifice from the Apostles and in his time offered it to God in all the world Oblationem noui testamenti Ecclesia ab Apostolis accipiens in vniuerso mundo offert Deo Irenaeus l. 4. cap. 32. contr haeres The auncient learned Bishop Stephanus Eduensis writtinge of this holy sacrifice setteth down the maner how the Apostles practised and preached it Stephan Eduen Episc l. de Sacramento Altaris cap. 20. Sicut Magister docuerat Apostoli se alios communicando consecrationem corporis sanguinis Domini facere caeperunt fieri per vniuersas Ecclesias instituerunt Primo sine aliquo ornatu fiebat canonis mysterium postea cum canone legebatur epistola Euangelium Deinde à Romanis Pontificibus quibusdam additis ad ornatum decoratum Ecclesiae celebranda aliqua susceperunt As Christ theire Master had taught them the Apostles communicating themselues and other began to make the consecration of the body and blood of our Lord and preachinge instituted it to bee done throughout all churches First without any ornament the mistery of the canon of Masse was practised afterward with the canon were reade the epistle and Ghospel After this somethings for ornament were therto added by the Popes of Rome the churches receiued the rest to be celebrated 3. Where wee see the whole body and substance of the Masse consistinge in the holy canon perfected practised and deliuered by the Apostles And what was after added by the Popes of Rome were onely ceremoniall for honor and ornament sake and not necessitie as hee there expresseth and I wil demonstrate herafter by our protestants themselues and for this place their prime man and first protestantlye made Archbishop testifieth as much as this holy Bishop hath done before For he saith plainlie Matth. Parker l. de Britan. antiq cap. 17. pag. 47. that the order and forme of Masse which the Apostles vsed and deliuered to the church ducētis āplius ānis in prima Ecclesia durauit continued aboue two hundred yeares in the primatiue church without alteration And then beeing somewhat altered by Pope S. Zepherine the chaunge which was made was to a more excellent forme and matter Ad pulchriorem materiam formamque S. Proclus Patriarch of Constantinople and successor to S. Chrisostome there testifieth that Saint Clement receaued the forme of Masse from the Apostles and published it to the world Proclus tractat de traditione diuin Liturgiae infra cap. Quia Sacrosancta illa mysteria à Sanctis Apostolis sibi reuelata in lucem edidit And how daily after Christs Ascension they assembled and found great comfort in this holy sacrifice of Christs body and blood said Masse with longe prayers Cum multam consolationem in mistico illo Dominici corporis sacrificio positam inuenissent fusissimè longa oratione Liturgiam decantabant and more plainely as hereafter preferringe it before all other holy duties and exercises And Amalarius Fortunatus maketh this reason why the forme and order of this sacrifice was by our Sauiour recommended to the care of the Apostles Amalar. Fortunat l. 3. de Eccles offic cap. Saluator quo vehementius commendaret mysterij illius altitudinem vltimum hoc voluit infigere cordibus memoriae discipulorum a quibus ad passionem digressurus erat ideo non praecipit quo deinceps ordine sumeretur vt Apostolis per quos Ecclesias dispositurus erat seruaret hunc locum Our Sauiour that hee might more vehemently commend the worthines of that mistery would haue it the last thing hee was to fasten into the harts and memorie of his disciples from whom he was to depart to his passion and therefore did not commaund in what order it should afterwards bee receaued that hee might reserue that dutie to the Apostles by whom hee was to dispose the churches 4. To this all the holy Fathers before that testifie Christ ordeyned this holy sacrifice and recommended it to his Apostles beare witnes for none but Antichristians will say that the Apostles taught or practised otherwise then Christ instituted and commaunded And they were so zelous in this holy doctrine that as both Catholicks and Protestants haue proued before they were wicked Hereticks by S. Ignatius testimony that then denyed this B. sacrifice to bee the body and blood of Christ which were giuen and shed for the sinnes of the worlde Ignat. apud Theodoret. Bezam Whitaker al. supr And Leontius Bizantinus writing against the Hereticks Nestorius and Eutiches charging them first with denyinge the Nicen creed and producinge a pseudosimbolum of their owne inuention taxeth the Hereticke with an other prophane impietie not inferior to the other to deny the holy order of the sacrifice of Masse ordeyned and instituted by the Apostles receaued by the Fathers and that of S. Basil penned by the same holy spirit inuented an other Masse of his owne to susteine his heresie full of blasphemies Audet aliud malum non secundum ad superiora aliam enim Missam effutiuit praetor illam qua à patribus tradita est Ecclesijs neque reueritis illam Apostolorum nec illam magni Basilij in eodem spiritu conscriptum in qua Missa blasphemijs non precationibus mysterium Eucharistiae oppleuit And this wickednes was so great by this renowned author that hee calleth it Antichristianitie and the denier of the Apostles Masse Antichrist An vt alius Antichristus adhuc expectetur par est qui sic Christum oderit quae Christi sunt mutare nitatur And our English Protestants themselues both say that the sacrifice of Masse for the liuing and the dead was a tradition of the Apostles and Aerius was iustly condemned of heresy by the primatiue church for denyinge sacrifice for the dead And this is publickly and authoritatiuely approued by the remembred statute of Queene Elizabeth Kinge Eduard the 6. and Kinge Iames our present soueraigne assuringe vs that this holy sacrifice of the altare was instituted by Christ at his laste supper with his Apostles deliuered to thē and by them to the church and succeeding Christian preists to the end and conteyneth the oblation of the most sacred body and blood of Christ Middleton Papistom pag. 49.137.138.47.48 Feild l. 3. cap. 29. pag. 138. statut an 1. Edu 6. an 1. Elizab. an 1. Iacob Reg. THE X. CHAPTER Wherin is particularly proued of all the holy Apostles and Euangelists that they were sacrificinge massinge preists and did both practise and teach the same doctrines And first the 4. Euangelists and S. Paule who haue remēbred these misteries in holy scriptures THis being thus inuincibly proued and acknowledged
coÌ„secrated many preists which as before must needs be sacrificing massing preists And he made Kinge Polimius a massinge Bishop and maker of massinge preists continuinge so 20. yeares besides others Breuiar Rom. in fest S. Bartholom Abd. cert Apostol l. 8. Antonin part 1. titul 6. Petr. de natal l. 7. cap. 103. Martyrâ—log Rom. die 24. Aug. Dion Areopag l. mistic Theolog. Euseb l. 5. hist. c. 10. Origen in Gen. Hieron l. de script in pauten 9. S. Simon and Iude could not bee of any other profession opinion or practise in this point beeing both with the rest of the Apostles consecrated sacrificinge preists and S. Simon so zelous a louer of Christ as our protestants write that hee thereby was named Zelotes by a kinde of excellency and S Iude as he himselfe is witnes in his epistle was frater Iacobi brother to S. Iames that notorious massinge preist and Apostle as is before declared and S. Simon is generally taught to haue conuersed most in those contries where S. Marke that massinge Euangelist practised and plaÌ„ted that doctrine And S. Iude first preached in Iury diuers yeares where his massing Brother S. Iames was so renowned for writinge the forme of this holy sacrifice and both practising it himselfe and deliueringe it to others And they consecrated Abdias Bishop of Babilon who by his owne and all testimonies was a massinge and sacrificinge preist and Bishop who could make and consecrate no others but such as hee was and had authoritie to doe Socrat. l. 1. cap. 15. Niceph. hist. l. 4. c. 32. Fortunat. Godwin Conuers of Britanie Iud. Episc c. 1. v. 1. Martyrolog Rom. die 28. Octob Bed Vsuard ib. Stowe histor Godwin Conu of Brit. Nicephor l. 2. cap. 4. Ado Treuer Bed 5. cal Nouemb. Nicephor lib. 2. cap. 40. Guliel Eisengr centen 1. part 5. dist 7. fol. 168. Abd. certam Apost l. 4. Antonin part 1. Petr. de natal l. 9. cap. 115. Abdias l. de certam Apost l. 6. Iul. African praefat histor Apostol Anonym in S. Bartholom 10. S. Matthias beeing chosen into the place of Iudas the traitor by the other Apostles could bee of no other iudgement and Religion herein then they were And the places hee preached in giue testimony vnto this for whether wee will say with Sophronius Dorothus and Nicephorus that hee preached in Aethiopia wee haue heard that massinge Apostles and preists preached there or with our auncient Martyrologes that hee was martired in Iury S. Iames and the other Apostles before haue proued hee must needs hee a massinge and sacrificinge preist and execute that holy function liuing and dying there Sophron. apud Hier. l. de scrip Eccles Doroth. in Synops Nicephor l. 2. c. 40. Martyrolog Rom. 24. Febr. Bed Ado. Vsuard ib. Isidor l. de vit obit Sanct. cap. 81. 11. To conclude with S. Barnabas extraordinarily called to bee an Apostle as S. Paul hee is commonly taken to bee the first composer of the Masse of Milane in Italy named S. Ambrose his Masse in respect of certaine additions of his vnto it vsed with great priuiledge in that church to this day not differinge in any materiall point from the present order of saying Masse vsed in the rest of the Romane Latine or Greeke church at this time or whersoeuer Traditio Eccl. Mediolanen in Ital. Iodoc. Cocc l. 6. To. 2. articul 9. lib. 7. artic 5. And this Masse was as our protestants themselues acknowledge in such vse and credit in the Latine church that it was more vsuall then that called S. Gregories Masse vntill the time of Pope Adrian the first about the yeare of Christ 780. Their words bee these Io. Balaeus in act Roman Pont. lib. 3 in Hadrian 1. Missarum ritus à magno Gregorio editus occidentalibus Ecclesijs imperauit Pope Adrian commauÌ„ded the order of the Masse published by Gregory the greate to bee vsed of the west churches till which time S. Barnabas and S. Ambrose Masse still vsed at Millane were more vsuall as an other thus writeth Foxe Tom. 1. act and Monum pag. 130 Pope Adrian the first ratified and confirmed the order of Saint Gregories Masse aboue the order of S. Ambrose Masse for vnto this time which was about the yeare of our Lord 780. the Liturgie of S. Ambrose was more vsed in the Italian churches Therefore there is no difficultie but S. Barnabas as the rest of the Apostles was also a sacrificinge massinge preist THE XI CHAPTER How S. Peter the cheife Apostle and first founder of the church of Christ in this our kingedome was a sacrificinge massinge preist deliuered a forme of Masse to the church consecrated many massinge preists in this part of the world nere vnto vs and some of this kingdome NOw lastely to come to S. Peter the prime and cheife of the Apostles hee could not bee at difference with the rest in this but must needs bee a massinge preist as they were and so for this purpose is it little materiall whether this contry receaued the faith from him or any other of the Apostles But because both Catholicks and protestants agree Gul. Cambden in Britan. Theatr. of great Brit. l. 6. controuers histor To. 1. in S. Petro. that both Greeke and Latine antiquities giue that vnto him as is lately proued at large hee must also bee the first institutor of our ecclesiasticall Hierarchie in consecratinge vnto vs diuers holy Bishops and preists which that is deliuered already proueth to haue beene massing Bishops and preists and by those sacrificinge Bishops and his sacrificinge successors our preists and Bishops were euer sacred massinge Bishops and preists vnto these daies of innouation as will manifestlie appeare in all ages herafter by this treatise For besides that which is said before how all the Apostles were massing and sacrificing preists and all the other Apostles and Euangelists besides S. Peter wee haue of him in particular more and moste credible witnesses then are needfull to be alleadged S. Isidor saith Ordo Missae vel orationum quibus oblata Deo sacrificia consecrantur primum à S. Petro est institutus cuius celebrationem vno eodemque modo vniuersus peragit orbis The order of Masse or of the praiers by which the sacrifices offered vnto God are consecrated was first instituted by S. Peter whose celebration the whole world obserueth in one and the same maner Isodor l. 1. de officijs cap. 15. de Missa orationibus 2. Our holy auncient learned contriman S. Albinus or Alcuinus by others purposely entreatinge of this most blessed sacrifice and the ceremonies thereof thus writeth Celebratio Missae in commemorationem Passionis Christi peragitur sic enim ipse praecepit Apostolis tradens eis corpus sanguinem suum dicens hoc facite in meam commemorationem hoc est in memorian Passiones mea Tanquam diceret quod pro vestro salute passus sum ad memoriam reuocate Hanc Petrus Apostolus primus omnium Antiochiae dicitur celebrasse The
because according to theire knowne heresie against Christs true humanitie they did reiect the sacrifice of his body and blood in the sacrifice of Masse Theodoret. Dial. 3. Beza Dial. Cyclops Peter Mart. loc 12. Missae Scutlet part 1. Medull patr l. 1. Whitaker contra Camp al. They doe not receaue saith S. Ignatius Eucharist and sacrifice because they doe not confesse the Eucharist to bee the body of our Sauiour Iesus Christ which suffered for our sinnes which his Father by his bountie raised againe apud Theoderet supr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 12. The protestants of Magdeburg cent 2. col 113. cap. 6. acknowledge which no man can deny in epistolis Ignatij vt hodie extant vtrimque legitur sacrificium immolare Missas facere Wee reade both to offer sacrifice and say Masses in the epistles of Ignatius as they are extant at this day And our English Protestants confesse in these termes Sutclisse subu pag. 32. Wee reade in Ignatius this phrase offerre and sacrificium 〈◊〉 to offer and immolate sacrifice And not to insist vpon the words of S. Ignatius Ignatius epistol ad Smirnens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the olde translation turneth â—…ssam facere to say Masse the other Greeke wordes of this holy Saint which the Magdeburgian protestants doe allowe for his Magdeburg supr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do in all lexicons and Greeke Authors properly signifie sacrificinge or offering sacrifice and yet as that holy Father witnesseth this was in his time the act and office of Christian preists And saith this preisthood is the toppe or cheife of all good things amonge men and hee that rageth against it doth not reproach maÌ„ but God and Christ his onely begotten Sonne who by nature is the highest preist of God his Father and hee teacheth how an externall sacrifice offered vppon an externall materiall altar is a proper act of this holy preisthood Ignat. epistol ad Hieron epistol ad Ephes And that this sacrifice in particular is a medicine of immortality a preseruatiue against death and procuringe life in God The bread of God heauenly food which is the flesh of Christ and blood of Christ Ignat. epist ad Trallian ad Ephes ad Roman 13. And if wee attend S. Peter in his iorney from the east to these western parts as Rome from thence to this kingdome of Britanie wee shall still finde antiquities and monuments though so many ar loste that hee still continued his holy function in sayinge Masse and neither there nor here did or could consecrate any but sacrificinge massinge preists This holy Apostle cominge in his iorney to Rome to Pisa a famous citie of Hetruria in Italy vppon the Sea coaste with his disciples we finde auncient euidence that he there said Masse in honor memory of him a church was there builded and after his death dedicated vnto him yearely frequented with great resorte of pilgrims Martin Peres l. de diuinis Apost traditionib part 3. fol. 70. and part of the very altar whereon hee said Masse is there still kept in the sacrarie of that church with an antiquitie in authenticall old characters testifying the truth herof Certa parte altaris vbi celebrauit in sacrario templi maioris venerabiliter recondita vna cum testimonio literis valde authenticis vetustis hinc rei fidem minimè suspectam facientibus Also there is at Naples as both Catholicks and protestants witnes an old church where S. Peter said Masse and the church thereuppon called Ad diui Petri aram At the altar of S. Peter Benedict Fulco l. de locis antiq Neopolitan Lindan Apolog. Iacob Gualter tabula chronographic secult 1. pag. 44. at the entrance of the dore whereof this inscription still remayneth to keepe it in remembrance Siste fidelis Et priusquam templum ingrediaris Petrum sacrificantem venerare O faithfull man stay and before thou enter into the church worship Peter sacrificinge 14. For Rome wee haue still the portable and remoueable altare whereon S. Peter and many of his successors there in persecution said Masse Antiquitat Eccl. Lateran Romae Breuiar Rom. die 9. Nouembr in dedica Basilic Saluatoris wee haue all his successors holy Saints and Martyrs allmost 300. yeares by protestants confession all of them sacrificinge and massing preistes as shall bee manifest in their times and places and the foure first of them S. Linus Cletus Clement and Anacletus consecrated and ordered massing and sacrificing preists by their holy Master and predecessor S. Peter himselfe as both they themselues and other auncient authors testifie We are warranted by our protestants with others before that the forme and order of the sacrifice of Masse which S. Peter composed vsed and deliuered to the church was without any chaunge or alteration continued in that church of Rome these western nations aboue 200. yeares from whence it appeareth consequently plainlie by these protestante writers that this kingdome of Britanie receauing the faith from Rome in the Apostles times and generally in the times of Pope Eleuthenus Victor who both were before S. Zepherine in whose dayes they suppose some addition to haue beene vsed in that Masse inuincibly prouâ—…th that this kingdome with others did not onely admit Masse and massinge preists in the first conuersion thereof but the very vnchaunged and vnaltered Masse of S. Peter himselfe We haue the Catalogues and histories of the successions of Bishops in all renowned churches in this part of the world which receaued theire first Apostles and Bishops from S. Peter that are preserued testifyinge that these their first Apostles Preists and Bishops sent vnto them from S Peter were massinge and sacrificinge preists and Bishops If I could exemply but in halfe the number of them which were so ordered and sent by S. Peter into Italy Spaine Germanie and Fraunce I should make to longe a digression from the question of Britanie which I cheifly handle write a forreine historie and entertaine my reader ouer much in such affaires therefore I will only insist in some few of the cheifest those that came nearest vnto vs and with whom our Britans in al probable iudgement had most intercourse commerce or acquaintance 15. I begin with S. Maximinus and S. Lazarus whom Christ raised to life seeing to the first one of the 72. disciples of Christ S. Peter commended S. Mary Magdalen because some protestants thinke S. Ioseph of Aramathia that buried Christ and liued died and was buried with vs in Britanie came into Fraunce with them Guliel Eisengren centenar 1. part 5. dist 3. fol. 148. Theater of great Britanie l. 6. That the first said Masse we are taught because we read that hee did minister the holy Eucharist to S. Mary MagdaleÌ„ after Masse was ended Quod morienti S. Magdalenae post Missarum solemnia Sacrosanctam Eucharistiam administrasse legimus Anton. Democh. l. 2. de Mass contra Caluin Petrus de
practise of this holy sacrifice of Masse could possibly haue entraÌ„ce into this kingdome for in those parts wee finde S. Denis the Areopagite that glorious massinge and Masse teachinge Father S. Pauls scholler sent thither by the massinge Pope S. Clement with his massinge companions S. Rusticus and Eleutherius and S. Nicasius sent a massinge preist and Bishop by the same massinge Pope Gregor Turonen l. 1. hist. Sur. in vit Genouefuae Metaphr 3. Octob Bed Vsuard 7. id Octob. Volater l. 15. Breu. Rom. in S. Dionis Arnold Merman l. Britones Normandos Rothomagenses Picardos omnemque maris Oceani tractum instruxit formauitque fide S. Nicasius à S. Clemente illue Apostolus delegatus imperante Nerone Conuers gent. tabul Eccles Rothomagen And some thinke he preached and practised this doctrine also in this our Britanie Harris Theatr. l. 1. 20. If we circuite further and come to Gallia Belgica Collen Mentz Treuers Lothoringia Alsasia Heluetia and those parts wee shall finde in these daies of the Apostles sent thither by S. Peter S. Clement vncle to S. Clement the Pope his glorious companions S. Mansuetus our contriman Celestius Felix and Patiens wee see sent thither also by the same Apostle his authoritie S. Maternus one of the 72. disciples of Christ with S. Eucharius Valerius our noble Britan S. Beatus and others Arnold Mohu supr Io. Scomer Gul. Eisengren cent 1. Antonin part 1. Petr. de natal l. 10. cap. 113. Ant. Democh. lib. 2. de Miss Sebast. Munster in Cosmograph Bed 18. cal Octobr. Wolfg. Bawr in vit praesul Memetocern Annal. Colonien Treueren And that these were massinge and sacrificinge preists wee haue many authorities onely I will exemplify in the two cheifest to which the others were subordinate in such affaires and taught and practised as those two their superiors S. Clement and S. Maternus did 21 Of these it is euident not onely because they were both consecrated preists and directed by that great massinge preist and Apostle S. Peter whose commaund order and their owne institution beeingâ—… holy Saints they neither did nor could violate but also that they vsually said Masse as first of S. Clement it is testified of his publicke and solemne sayinge of Masse Missarum solemnijs celebratis wherewith he armed himselfe before hee wrought that great miracle in destroyinge the horrible dragon which had killed at Metz so many men other creatures by which publick miraculous deede many were conuerted to the faith of Christ Antonin part 1. tit 6. cap. 26. Anton. Demochar l. 2. de Missa c. 42. Gulielm Eisengren centen 1. fol. 147. And to performe this holy solemnitie and sacrifice of Masse hee ordered cleargie men in diuers degrees and orders in diuersis gradibus which no Christians but such as allow the sacrifice of Masse admit and builded churches there Antonin supr Petr. de natal l. 10. c. 113. Vincent l. 9. cap. 42. S. Maternus also the disciple of the same massing Apostle S. Peter and sent into Germany by him who preached in many prouinces thereof buildinge diuers churches to holy Saints as S. Iohn Baptist his Master S. Peter and others was so renowned a massing preist that among other his wonderful miracles Petrus Merssaeus Cratepol Catalog de Archiepiscop Treuern it is commonly deliuered and written of him that he said three Masses in one day in far distant places Diuersis ac longe distantibus locis So renowned were these men for that most holy function and office so zelous and deuoute in the performance thereof and God so well pleased and serued in that so sacred an exercise that he did so miraculously concurre vnto it THE XII CHAPTER Wherein is proued euen by protestants that whatsoeuer Apostle or other first preached Christ in Britanie brought sacrificinge preisthood hither and S. Peter first founded here our ecclesiasticall Hierarchie of sacrificinge massinge preists and Bishops NOw we may hope that no man being by name a Christian will bee so opposite an Antichristian to thinke that Christ which could not teache errors or contrary doctrines and deliuered but one and the same true and infallible Religion to the whole world for all places people and ages had one Religion for the rest of the world in Europe Asia and Africke all of them as before embracing in the Apostles time the holy sacrifice of Masse and sacrificinge preisthood and an other for Britanie quite different and neuer heard of in any antiquitie neuer practised in any other forme or order neuer registred in any monument And seeing all the Euangelists and Apostles of Christ together with their disciples were massinge and sacrificinge preists and there were no other to preach and propagate true Religion in this or any other nation vnder heauen but they how could any Caluinistical communion or other new deuise bee imagined to haue had beeinge here For whosoeuer it was which any protestant doth or will affirme to haue beene the first preacher of Christianitie in this kingdome S. Peter S. Paul or S. Simon Zelotes who onely among the Apostles are reported in histories to haue beene in this kingdome as our best learned protestant antiquaries with others truely acknowledge or S. Ioseph of Aramathia for which many contend or whosoeuer if they were preists as preists they must needes bee in all opinion Catholicke or Protestant that should found our church they must needes also be massing and sacrificing preists no other Christian preists beeinge in the whole worlde at that time as before is euident Theater of great Britanie lib. 6. Camb. in Britan. Godw. conuers of Brit. Stowe hist. Holinsh. hist of Engl. 2. And for those three Apostles I haue particularly proued in euery of them that they all as also all the rest of that holy order of the Apostles which diuided the world among them to conuert it to Christ were without any exception massing preistes And if any man will persist in S. Ioseph and his holy company seeing none of these were Apostles but directed by them as all other disciples either of the 72. or others were at those daies whosoeuer among them were preists must needs also be massing and sacrificing preists no others being either to consecrate or direct them in their holy labours but those which are manifestly proued such And seeing wee do not finde in any antiquary Catholicke or Protestant but S. Iosephs both conuersation and direction was either with or by S. Peter S. Iohn S. Iames or S. Philip Apostles all these beeing acknowledged to bee massinge preists whosoeuer in S. Iosephs company were consecrated or directed by any of them could not receaue any other consecration or direction 3. But to do some honor vnto this kingdome of great Britanie more expressely in this kind though the generally complained of and lamented amonge antiquaries losse of our auncient records and histories of these matters will forbid mee to write so fully as I could wishe of this subiect I will set downe some of the cheifest
and first massinge and sacrificinge preists and Bishops in this nation and shew plainly how wee had and euer continued an holy and hierarchicall succession of such sacred parsons from S. Peter that greatest Apostle of Christ in all ages offeringe the blessed bodie and blood of Christ in the sacrifice of Masse vnto these times So that it shall euidently appeare although this kingedome hath for situation beene called an other world yet it did neuer from the beginning of Christianitie here differ frō the known Catholick Christian world in these holy misteries vntill these times 4. For the truth and veritie of this first plantinge the sacrificinge Christian preisthood and sacrifice of Masse in this kingdome it is little or nothing materiall whether it was S. Peter S. Paul or S. Simon Zelotes or S. Ioseph of Aramathia or any others disciples to any of those or any others of the Apostles because as before is proued they all agreed in these holy thinges yet to know who was our first founder and Father in Christ to whome wee owe for that the greatest reuerence dutiful children should and ought to performe to deriue from him our happy Hierarchicall succession in holy things and to know the truth which some haue veiled and obscured to much it is a thing most worthy our knowledge and our shame if wee shoulde dwell in ignorance thereof Therefore to be breife because it is lately and largely proued that S. Peter was this our first parent in Christ by all testimonies for this place it will suffice to shew how the best learned English Protestant antiquaries most backward in this busines by certaine Maximes or vndoubted grounds in antiquitie doe consequently and by an euident necessitie binde themselues and al others to be of this opinion Stowe and Howes histor 5. First they say the twelue Apostles diuided the world amongst them to conuert it Secondly which followeth from the former that this kingdome fell in diuision to one of these Apostles· Thirdly that there is a silence in histories that any Apostle but S. Peter S. Paul this none of the twelue and S. Simon Zelotes were here Fourthly that this kingdome receaued the faith if not sooner in the beginninge of the Empire of Claudius Fiftly that in his time many Christians came hither from Rome and diuers here were in that time conuerted to the faith of Christ Sixtly that S. Paul came not to Rome nor any of these western parts while longe after the death of Claudius in the dayes of Nero as the scripture it selfe with all histories is witnesse therof Seuenthly none of them doth affirme that S. Simon Zelotes was here at all but if hee were here they incline to thinke hee came not hither vntill the cominge of S. Ioseph of Aramathia in the 63. yeare of Christ when in all opinions diuers of this kingedome were Christians allmost 20. yeares and some preists of this nation very longe before that time 6. From hence an halfe blind man must needs make this vndoubted and infallible conclusion that S. Peter was our first Apostle and Father in Christ These protestant antiquaries of Englād giue vs further warrant both from themselues and antiquitie that S. Peter did in euery Prouince appoint one Archbishop whom all other Bishops of the same Prouince should obey Peter preached in no place but hee there ordeyned Bishops and teachers and founded churches And that it is confirmed almost 800. yeares since by Simeon Metaphrastes a learned Saint of the Greeke church out of the Greeke Antiquities and diuers others that S. Peter preachinge the word of life in this Iland hee here founded churches and ordeyned preistes and deacons And except S. Peter himselfe S. Iohn S. Iames S. Marke and S. Timothie with whom they Paralel S. Aristobulus our first Archbishop were not Archbishops this great Saint was by theire allowance our Archbishop in Britanie and as before so constituted by S. Peter no other being then to ordeine him to that dignitie in this nation all which our protestants thus write with publick warrant and priuiledge Iohn Whitguift answere to the admonition pag. 65. sect 1. and def of the answ pag. 318. Clem. Rom. apud eund Polydor. Virg. l. 4. de inuent c. 12.13 Sutcliff Subuers pag. 3. Theater of great Britanie l. 6. cap. 9. Sim. Metaphrast die 29. Ian. Eisengren centen 1. Thom. Rogers in artic Relig. of Engl. articul 36. 7. Therefore except this great massing preist and Apostle S. Peter should bee of an other opinion and practise in these thinges in this our Britanie then hee and all the other Apostles had beene in all other times and places before which no Christian can once imagine he also consecrated massing and sacrificing preists and Bishops in and for this kingdome And although our losses of such sacred monuments haue beene great yet wee haue not altogether loste the memory of al their names one and the first which I finde in histories was S. Mansuetus natione Scotus borne in this kingdome of great Britanie and by the antiquities of the church of Toul in Lorraine claimed to bee the first Bishop of that citie so likewise of the church of Treuers except the identitie of the name deceaueth mee to be afterwarde liuinge very longe Archbishop there because hee made much stay or residence in those places yet both our learned contriman S. Marianus and Methodus nere the Apostles times affirme that hee as others which they there name S. Clement Felix Rusticus Moses Martinus c. preached both in propria prouincia exterius both in their owne and other nations Annal. Tollens Arnold Mirman in Theatr. conuers gent. Belliforest Cosmograph Petr. Merssaeus Catalog Archiep. Treuerens in S. Mansueto Marian. Scot. l. 2. aetat 6. col 254. Method apud eundem supr 8. This holy contriman of ours beeinge consecrated preist by S. Peter that greate massinge preist and Apostle must needes himselfe also by that if wee had no other argument bee a massinge preist But wee ar not so streightned of proofes in this matter for wee haue warrant by the French German histories that hee was one of the companions of S. Clement vncle to S. Clement the Pope that great massinge Archbishop of Metz sent thither as Arnoldus Mirmannius thinketh in the time of Caius Caligula so auncient a massinge preist he maketh this our glorious contrimā Arnold Mirm. supr Annal. Tullen Bellifor supr Gul. Eisengren centur 1. Petr. de natal l. 11. Demochar l. 2. de Miss contra Caluin Caio Caligula Imperante Tullenses habuere Apostolum suaeque in Christum fidei primum Antistitem S. Petri Apostoli discipulum S. Clementis Collegam origine Scotum The inhabitants of Toul had for their Apostle first Bishop of their faith in Christ S. Mansuetus disciple of S. Peter the Apostle companion of S. Clement hee beeinge a Scot by natiuitie Eisengrenius and the Authors hee followeth hath the same onely saying he was made Bishop of Toul Anno Christi 49. in
the 49. yeare of Christ in the Empire of Claudius Guliel Eisengr centur 1. fol. 56. cit Petr. de natal l. 11. Demochar l. 2. so that if this Britanie had a massinge preist made by S. Peter whose disciple he was in the 40. yeare of Christ and the same a massinge Bishop within 9. yeares after the sacrifice of Masse beeing of continuance here aboue 1580 yeares it maketh a sufficient time of prescription to claime title of continuance And hee was one of the oldest massing preists and Bishops that I finde of this nation onely S. Kentigern equall perhaps vnto him therin for the annals of Treuers say that this S. Mansuetus I finde no other in that time was successor to the greate massinge Archbishop of that city S. Maternus of whome I haue spoken before Anno Domini 160. in the 160. yeare of Christ at which time by many authors Kinge Lucius and this kingdome was conuerted and besides many such preists had 28. massing Bishops as I shall demonstrate in the next age Petrus Mersseus Catalog Archiep. Treuer an 160. 9. And very probable it is euen by our English Protestants The Protestant Theater of great Britanie l. 6. teaching that about this time betweene the 40. and 50. yeare of Christ many in Britany became Christiās as namely Pomponia Graecina the wife of the Romans Lieutenant Aulus Plautius and about the same time S. Beatus and his holie companion Anonymus but that a German writer calleth him Achates made massing preists by S. Peter directed by him this holy massinge preist S. Mansuetus had some cooperatiō in that happy busines And that these our two renowned contrimen S. Beatus and his companion were sacrificing massing preists it is euident first because they were here first instructed in the faith of Christ by thē which of necessitie no others being here or els where at that time were massinge preists secondly because as these protestāts both Germā English tell vs they were further instructed directed by S. Peter a massing preist and Apostle if perhaps which these men doe not insinuate S. Peter was martired before they were consecrated preists yet beeing consecrated at Rome without all question where none but massinge Bishops and consecrators were S. Linus Cletus or Clemens they must needs bee consecrated massinge preists which is further proued by the places of their moste aboade after S. Beatus liuinge in and beeinge the Apostle of Heluetia where abouts many massinge preists before remembred consecrated by S. Peter as S. Eucharius Valerius Clemens Mansuetus his contryman with others were The other came into his owne contry of Britanie here where as before as he could finde none but massinge preists so hee left behinde him no others as I shall proue herafter 10. And manifest it is that our Christian Britans which were conuersinge at Rome when and where they were consecrated and with whome they also at their beeing there conuersed were for their qualities sayers or hearers of Masse Which is clearely proued by the Christian family of our noble contriwoman Claudia or Sabinella wife to Aulus Pudēs whose house by the Romane antiquities as it was the first lodginge of S. Peter the Apostle that great massinge preist so it was their cheifest place of saying and hearinge Masse Maiorum traditione praescriptum est domum Pudentis Romae fuisse primum hospitium Sancti Petri illicque primum Christianos conuenisse ad Synaxim coactam Ecclesiam Martyrolog Rom. in S. Pudente Praxede Pudentiana Donato Timotheo Baron ib. annotat die 19. Maij. Where wee see it the first and principall massinge church in Rome both for the Britans Romans also that were Christians and the best residency S. Peter or his successors which were the consecrators of preists there had at that time And hee had such care of this house and family that not onlie the parents Pudens and Claudia but all their children S. Nouatus S. Timotheus Pudentiana and Praxedes were by him instructed in the faith and S. Timothie was made massinge preist as the auncient Roman Martyrologe and others witnes Romae depositio S. Nouati filij beati Pudentis Senatoris fratris S. Timothei presbyteri sanctarum Christi virginum Pudentianae Praxedis qui ab Apostolis eruditi sunt in fide Martyrolog Rom. die 20. Iunij Vsuard eod die Baron annotat in 20. diem Iun. act S. Nouati S. Iustine Therefore this S. Timotheus our holy cōtriman by his blessed Mother S. Claudia beeinge instructed by S. Peter a massinge preist and consecrated by a massinge preist and Pope and resigninge his house to be a massinge church as will euidentlye appeare in the beginninge of the next age when I come to that notorious massinge preist and Pope S. Pius by our protestants confessions who dedicated that house for a massing church must himselfe also by these protestants bee a massing preist and his holy parents brother and and sisters sacred Virgins with the rest of our Christian contrimen there bee reuerencers and frequenters of holy Masse 11. The like I might without reprofe write of others whose names I haue els where remēbred that probably they preached in Britanie in this age and out of question were massinge preists but hauing so many certaine and euident examples without exception I neede not the assistance of probabilities onely because wee are assured by great English Protestants Bishops and others that as the truth is there is a mutuall relation and dependance betweene an altare and sacrifice and that an altar doth as naturally and as necessarily infer a sacrifice as a shrine doth a Saint a Father a sonne Morton Apolog. part 2. pag. 82. Morton appeale l. 2. sect 1. pag. 162. these protestants confesse vnto vs againe which they cannot deny that longe before they imagine any alteration of Religion in the church of Rome this kingdome had Christian altars Theater of great Britanie l. 6. Gildas l. de excid and amonge others they iustifie vnto vs the antiquities of Glastenbury which assure vs there was an altare in the olde church there builded by S. Ioseph of Aramathia and his holy company and this altar and holy place was of such reuerence that the holy Saint Patrick with others desired to bee buried by that holy altar and an Angel from heauen did assigne him that place of buriall Sepulturam Angelo monstrante flamamque ingente de eodem loco cunctis videntibus erumpente in vetusta Ecclesia in dextera parte altaris promeruit Where we see an Angel from heauen and with a great signe and miracle openly before all people present cunctis vidētibus to giue testimony to the worthines of the holy altar place in respect therof Io. Leland in assert Arthur Math. Park antiquit Britan. Stow hist Godw. conuers of Brit. antiquit Glastō apud Capgrau in S. Patric Gul. Malm. l. antiq caenob Glast 12. And not without iust cause deseruing by these our protestāts who in Gildas as they allowe him
Apostoli deportauerunt Trophinus Bishop of Arles and S. Photin Martyr and Bishop of Lions disciple of S. Peter Apostle deliuered the Roman order in Fraunce Then afterward the relation of S. Photin Martyr imprisoned together with 48. Martyrs it was carryed to S. Clement the fourth in succession to S. Peter the Apostle Where wee plainely see that the church of Rome had then a publick order forme of Masse and this was published throughout France by S. Trophinus from whose fountaine as I haue shewed before both from Catholicks and Protestants all the churches of Fraunce did receaue instruction Zosimus Pap. epist. To. 1. Concil Petr. Cluniacens Magdeb centur 2. pag. 2. col 6. Martyrolog Rom. die 29. Decemb. 13. And this Masse after the death of S. Peter Linus and Cletus was approued by S. Clement and as it seemeth by an auncient Manuscript french history hee added the epistle and ghospell which all were not written in S. Peters time For thus it testifieth with others S. Clement Pope ordeyneth that in the solemnitie of the Masse the epistle and ghospell should bee reade M. S. French historie an Do. 81. cap. 2. and immediatlie addeth how then hee sent many preachers and holy Bishops into Fraunce and these parts which could bringe with them no other Liturgie or Masse then that which their Master S. Clement had so published and approued both by his authoritie and practise before And if the Masse of S. Marke was not the same with Saint Peters as some thinke yet sure wee are seeing hee was an Euangelist S. Peters scholler and wrote his ghospell ex ore Petri from S. Peters mouth as S. Hierome witnesseth and by his approbation Hieron in Catal. script in S. Marco that his Masse could not bee different from his Masters in any materiall thinge and seeinge S. Peter approued his ghospell hee did not and would not disproue or disallowe his Masse And yet this old Brittish antiquitie is witnes that the Masse which the old Christian Scots did vse in his time and was accompted very holy was practised by S. Marke and from him continued to the time of this Author by continuall tradition from one to an other 14. Ipsum cursum qui dicitur presenti tempore Scottorum Beatus Marcus decantauit post ipsum Gregorius Nazianzenus quem Hieronymus suum Magistrum esse affirmat beatus Basilius frater ipsius S. Gregorij Antonius Paulus Macharius vel Ioannes Malchus secundum ordinem Patrum decantauerunt Inde postea beatissimus Cassianus post ipsum beatus Honoratus Sanctus Caesarius Episcopus qui fuit in Arelata beatus Porcarius Abbas qui in ipso monasterio fuit ipsum cursum decantauerunt qui beatum Lupum beatum Germanum Monachos in eorum monasterio habuerunt ipsi sub norma regulae ipsum cursum ibidem decantauerunt Et postea Episcopatus cathedram adepti in Britannijs Scottijs praedicauerunt Quae vita beati Germani Episcopi Antisiodorensis vita beat Lupi affirmat Qui beatum Patricium literas sacras docuerunt atque enutrierunt Et ipsum Episcopum in Scottijs ac Britannijs posuerunt qui vixit annos centum quinquaginta tres ipsum cursum ibidem decantauit post ipsum beatus Vuandilocus senex beatus Gomogillus qui habuerunt in eorum monasterio Monachos circiter tria millia Inde beatus Vuandilocus in predicationis ministerium à beato Gomogillo missus est beatus Columbanus partibus Galliarum ibidem ipsum cursum decantauerunt That order which at this time is called the order of Scots S. Marke did singe and after him Gregory Nazianzen whome Hierome affirmeth to haue beene his Master and S Basil brother of the said S Gregory Antonius Paulus Macharius or Iohn and Malchus accordinge to the order of the Fathers did singe it And after that most blessed Cassian and after him S. Honoratus and S. Caesarius Bishop that was in Arles and S. Porcarius Abbot which was in the same monasterie did singe that order who had monkes in their monastery S. Lupus and S Germanus and they three vnder rule did singe the same order and after made Bishops preached in Britanie and Scotlande which thinges the life of S. German Bishop of Antisiodor and the life of S. Lupus doth affirme who taught S. Patricke holy learning brought him vp and placed him Bishop in Scotland and Britanie who liued an hundred fifty and three yeares and songe there the same order And after him Vuandilocus an old man and S. Gomogillus who had in their monastery about three thousand monkes After S. Vuandilocus was sent to preach by S. Gomogillus as also S. Columbanus to the parts of Fraunce and there they did singe the same order 15. Hitherto the wordes of this so auncient and approued Manuscript Brittish antiquitie So that whether soeuer or to whomsoeuer we turne our selues to enquire of these thinges whether Hebrues Grecians or Latines Apostles Euangelists or their Disciples with vs at home Britons or Saxons Catholicks or Protestants it is clearely and plainely confessed that generally in this first Apostolicke age and hundred yeares of Christ which must needes bee allowed for a rule square and direction to all succeedinge times and posterities The holy sacrificing preisthood of the present Greeke and Latine church and all Christian nations whether these late nouelties haue not entered sacrificinge massinge preists and the moste holy sacrifice of Masse were our Sauiour Christ Iesus his sacred ordinances and institutions and so vsed practised and with all honor performed by the whole number of the Apostles without exception their disciples and successors in all places among the rest to the great glory thereof in this our nation of great Britanie And all this without any materiall chaunge or alteration in that sacrifice the principall act and office of truely cōsecrated preists preisthood as is before related and our cheife protestantes haue before confessed of the moste contradicted and questionable thinges a sacrifice instituted by Christ himselfe conteyning an oblation of his moste blessed body and blood both for the liuing and faithfull departed propitiatory for sinnes with a memory of the holy Saints in heauen of which lesser instance hath bene giuen because few Saints of the new testament were then at the first deceased this life and entered into glory yet the churches then dedicated to diuers of them and inuocation praier then made vnto them as before appeareth maketh it an vndoubted truth 16. To which I only add for this kingdome of our Britanie from those antiquities both printed and Manuscripts which our protestants most allowe and approue that S. Ioseph of Aramathia and his holy company besides their buildinge a church in honor of the blessed Virgin Mary did expressely serue her and pray vnto her duod cim praedicti in eodem loco Deo beatae Virgini deuota exhibentes obsequia vigilijs ieiunijs orationibus vacantes eiusdem Virginis
vel comburi vel in sacrarium repositum seruari 19. Therefore this Pope beeinge in all mens iudgements Catholicks and Protestants Ioh. Bal. l. 1. act Pontif. Rom. in Pio 1. an holy Saint and martyr and to vse a Protestant Bishops words one that did many vvorks of true pietie in the field of the Christian church multa verae pietatis opera in agro Christianae Ecclesiae fecisse perhibetur was so wel acquainted with our Christian Britans and both claymed and exercised supreame spirituall iurisdiction ouer all places and parsons in matters of Religion by these protestants Robert Barnes in vit Pij 1. Quae ad Religionem spectant à suae dioceseos synodis audtenda esse statuit salua tamen Pontificia authoritate of all natious this our Britanie must needs then bee an honorer of sacrificinge preists and holy Masse in this time and euer after vnto the generall conuersion of it in the time of S. Eleutherius betweene whome and this Saint Pius there were but two Popes S. Anicetus and S. Sother both which were not Popes many yeares by these protestaÌ„ts not 18. yeares by any of their accompts Robert Barn in Pio 1. Anicet Sother Io. Balaeus in act Pontif in eisdem Edvv. Grimst in the same Popes Foxe Tom. 1. 20. And these Popes were so far from crossinge with this and others their predecessors in these points of supreamacy sacrificinge preists and sacrifice of Masse that by the confession of these protestants they made decrees which confirmed them all makinge lawes bindinge all Archbishops Primates and Metropolitans and shewing they were subiect to the Pope of Rome and prescribed rules for all preists sayinge Masse and shauing their crownes as they now vse in the Roman church at this day Archiepiscopum à suo Episcopo aut coram primate aut Romano Pontifice accusandum esse Archiepiscopos non Primates sed Metropolitanos appellandos esse dixit nisi ista praerogatiua à Romano Pontifice concederetur Capitis verticem spherulae instar radendum Sacerdotibus praecopit Ne Sacerdos celebraret nisi vt minimum duo adessent ordinauit ne Monacha pallam contrectaret neuè thus in aceram poneret statuit So wee are sure these two holy Popes Saints and Martyrs were also sacrificinge Popes and all preists at that time vnder them whether in Britanie or els where beeinge subiect and obedient vnto them were massinge preists And so wee are now come with a continuall deduction of these sacred doctrines and practises both in the church of this our Britanie and others vntill the time of Pope and Saint Eleutherius when and by whose happy meanes historians commonly tell vs this kingedome was generally conuerted to the faith of Christ THE XVI CHAPTER Wherin is proued by testimonies of protestants and others that this kingdome in the time of Kinge Lucius was conuerted by massing Preists and Bishops and the holy sacrifice of Masse and such massinge preists and Bishops continued here in honor all this age IN this happy generall conuersion of this kingdome no man of what Religion soeuer can without prophane and irreligious boldnes and impudentnes affirme in iudgement that so wise and vertuous a Kinge his Nobles so many learned Druides and others especially moued to Christian Religion by the paâ—…ence pietie and vertue of the glorious Martyrs and Saints of those dayes by all antiquities Masse sayinge or Masse hearinge Christians would write such suppliant letters and send Ambassadors so longe a iorney as from hence to Rome to bee conuerted to any other Religion of Christ but that sacrificinge and massinge profession by the miracles and sanctity of whose professors they were so moued and conuinced in iudgement it was the only truth Neither would or could Pope Eleutherius an holy learned Saint and successor onely to sacrificinge massing Popes and preists recommend vnto King Lucius and this kingdome any other then massinge preists and Religion or the learned messengers of Kinge Lucius as our protestants stile them Io. Bal. centur 1. de scriptor in Eluan Meduuin Math. Parker antiq Brit. Godwin Conuers of Britanie consent to any other or so many renowned both preists and Bishops as were still remayninge in or of this nation knowne massinge preists and bishops ioyne with the Legats of Pope Eleutherius in teaching and preachinge any other doctrine or Religion 2. Such were our renowned contrimen S. Mansuetus yet liuinge except the Annals of Treuers or the same name deceaue vs consecrated preist by S. Peter and now remoued from Toul to Treuers for the ecclesiasticall Annals of that archiepiscopall sea tell vs. Petr. Merssaeus Annal. Archiep. Treueren 7. that S. Mansuetus I reade of no other of that name but our holy coutryman in that time was Archbishop of Treuers in the yeare of Christ 160. Mansuetus qui huic nomini vocationi suae vita proba anno Domini 160. optimè respondit And S. Marcellus or Marcellinus our glorious contryman who before his departure out of Britanie had moued Kinge Lucius to the faith of Christ and after of the Tungers and Archbishop also of Treuers returninge hither with the Popes Legats was so renowned an instrument in the conuersion of this kingdome that the Annals of the place where hee was Archbishop say that by the preachinge of this Saint the third Bishop of Tungers Kinge Lucius was baptised Annal-Treuer in S. Marcello S. Marcellus alijs Marcellinus fuit Tungorum tertius Episcopus huius praedicatione Rex Angliae id est Lucius baptizatus est The catalogue of the Bishops of Tunger giueth him greater honor tellinge vs that by his preaching hee conuerted Lucius Prince of Britanie with the whole nation to the faith of Christ Lucium Britanniae Principem cum tota gente sua praedicatione ad Christum conuertit Catalog Episcop Tungrens in S. Marcello And yet I haue shewed before that these were massinge preists and Bishops as their predecessors in those places S Valerius Eucharius Maternus and others were 3. The same I say of S. Tymotheus our holy contryman by his Mother S. Claudia beeinge a knowne massinge preist and one of the owners of that his and his brother Nouatus and Sisters house in Rome so notoriously dedicated to bee the first publick massinge church there for this holy massinge preist came hither in this time and was so great a worker in the conuersion of this his contrie that the histories of Treuers themselues which giue such honor as before to their Archbishop S. Marcellus in this busines yet freely also acknowledge that Kinge Lucius was brought to the Religion of Christ by S. Timothie whome they call S. Paules disciple perhaps because S. Paul maketh so honorable a memory of his parents S. Pudens and Claudia 2. Timoth. 4. likely did baptize this S. Timothie and therby called his disciple though a very child when S· Paul was martyred Martyrolog Rom. die 20. Iunij Baron annot ib. Sur. Tom. 3. die 12. Iunij and the other S.
propalandum in extremam miserat Albionem Which was in the yeare of Christ 203. Humanae salutis tertius supra ducentessimum And euer continued in the same as theire historians contend vnto these dayes of heresie nostri qua fide pietate instituti semel fuerunt hactenus erroribus aspernatis perseuerant Which was written in the yeare of Christ 1526. Anno salutis Christianae sexto vigesimo supra millesimum quingentesimum 3. So longe and longer these massinge preists sacrifice of Masse continued there with honor by their writers and our English Protestants affirme as much in these termes Edw. Grimston in the est of the K. of great Britanie pag. 20. cap. 17. Scotland receaued the Christian faith in the time of Pope Victor the first in the yeare 203. and idolatry did quite cease vnder Kinge Craknite who died in the yeare 313. Celestine the first sent Palladius thither to roote out the Pelagian heresie which began to encrease there vnder Eugenius the seconde who died in the yeare 460. since this time the realme continued longe in the profession of the Romish church vntill these later dayes the daies of Kinge Iames our present soueraigne as hee there expresseth Therefore seeing the profession of the Romane church which froÌ„ the beginning by these authorities and testimonies both Catholicke and Protestant euer continued there was the profession of the sacrifice of Masse and massinge preists such was the profession euer vntill now in those parts Againe this part of this Iland was subiected both by Pope Eleutherius and Victor to the Archbishop of Yorke a massing Prelate either S. Theodosius or S. Sampson therefore the preistes subiect to that see must needs bee massinge preists Harrison description of Britanie in K. Lucius Godwin Catalog in Yorke pag. 555. edit an 1515. and both S. Gildas S. Bede and all antiquities assure vs that this Religion was preserued in peace and quiet here vnto the persecution of Diocletian Gild. l. de excid Britan cap. 7. Bed histor eccl l. 1. cap. 4. antiq Winton apud Godw. Catal. in Winchester 1. and the Annals of Scotland tell vs expresselie of the altars chalices patens and all vessels instruments and ornaments vsed in the holy sacrifice of Masse to haue bene in honorable and publicke vse in this time in that contry Hector Boeth Scot. histor l. 6. fol. 102. 4. And if we leaue Britanie and returne againe to Rome and the Pope there S. Zepherine these protestants assure vs he was rei diuinae magis quam humanae inteÌ„tus a man more giuen to diuine then humaine affaires a Protestant Bishops words and yet they absolutly teache hee claimed and exercised supreame spirituall iurisdiction and made decrees concerninge the holy sacrifice of Masse of what mater the chalice and paten in and on which the body and blood of Christ should be consecrated in that sacrifice were to bee made and how preists ought to bee present when the Bishop celebrated the sacrifice of Masse cum Episcopus celebraret Missae sacra iussit omnes presbyteros adesse Bal. in act Pontif. Rom. l. 1. in Zepherino Edw. Grimston pag. 436. in Zepherin Rob. Barnes in vit Pontif. Rom. in Zepherin alij Sacer and by the sentence of their first Protestant Archbishop hee was so far from doing any dishonor to this holy sacrifice of Masse that ad pulchriorem materiam formamque mutare voluit The chaunge hee made was for the more honor therof Math. Parker antiquitat Britan. pag. 47. Magdeb. cent 1. cap. 5 col 146. beeing nothing but that I cited before of causing the sacrificing instruments to be made of a better matter making no other chaunge at al therin And within few yeares after the next Pope but one Vrbanus the first as these protestants assure vs made a lawe that eueÌ„ in the poorer churches the sacrificinge vessels should either bee of gold siluer or tinne Ne vasa sacra vitrea sed aut aurea aut argenâ—…ea aut stannea in inopioribus Ecclesijs essent legem tulit Rob. Barnes in Vrban 1. Edw. Grimston estate of the church of Rome in Vrban 1. pag. 436. Magdeb. cent 1. cap. 6. col 146. and that Pope Fabian an holy Saint and miraculously chosen to the papall dignitie made a decree about the sacrifice of Masse what preists were to bee allowed to say Masse And they put it out of all question that the most renowned other Fathers of this age as Tertullian S. Ciprian with others taught and maintained this doctrine of the sacrifice of Masse Magdeburg cent 1. cap. 4. col 83. titul de Eucharist sacrificio so they write of Pope Stephen Faelix Sixtus in this age whom they acknowledge for holy Saints and open maintayners and practisers of this blessed sacrifice shewinge how in their time the whole canon was secretly read as is now obserued Sixtus dum Sacerdos canonem ante celebrationem sub silentio legeret vt in populo Sanctus triplicatum caneretur instituit And neither bringe any Pope or Father to the contrary or any Pope altered any thinge in this holy sacrifice which they doe or can dislike 5. And concerning communion it selfe in one onely kinde by the laitie and such as saide not Masse now vsed in the Latine church with much dislike of many protestants these protestants themselues confesse vnto vs. Magdeburgen· cent 3. cap. 6. de ritib. circa caenam col 149 that it was the custome of the church of Rome of Italy and with other Bishops for the communicants to receaue onely vnder the forme of bread And some of our English Protestants as Master Parkins Parkinsus l. demonstr problem pag. 155. giueth many instances and examples of such communicating And amonge others bringeth S. Ciprian to bee a witnes hereof writinge in this time as also the Protestants of Germany doe teachinge this custome in those churches of Rome Italy and others to haue bene more auncient then this time and moste certaine it is that both S. Ciprian and Tertullian before him testifie it was also soe vsed in Afrike to communicate onely vnder the forme of blood Ciprian l. de laps l. de spectacul Tertullia l. 2. ad Vxorem cap. 5. S. Irenaeus proueth the same of the age before and both S. Chrisostome or whosoeuer author of the opus imperfectuÌ„ super Matthaeum S. Augustine Isichius S. Bede Theophilact and others doe so expound that act example of Christ at Emaus in S. Lukes Ghospell after his resurrection thus by our protestants translation hee tooke bread and blessed it and brake and gaue to them Homil 16. operis imperfect supr Matth. August consens Euang. l. 3. c. 25. Isych l. 2. in Leuit c. 9. Bed Theop. in c. 24. Luc. cap. 24. v. 30. the same exposition is made of breakinge of breade in the 2. and 20. chapter of the acts of the Apostles by the auncient author of that vnperfect worke and our learned coutrimen Ionas Aurelianensis and S. Bede and the
relate it in these his owne words Manuscript antiq Godwin Catal. of Bish. in Winch. pag. 207. This church as the same Author olde Manuscript saith was hallowed and dedicated vnto the honour of our Sauiour October 29.189 by Faganus Damianus Bishops about the space of 100. yeare the church of Christ had then peace in this land viz. vntill the reigne of Dioclesian who endeauouringe to roote out Christian Religion not onely killed the professors of the same but pulled downe all churches and Temples any where consecrated vnto the exercise thereof Amongest the rest this of Winchester at that time went to wracke the buildings thereof beeinge ruinated and made euen with the grounde and the Monkes and all the officers belonginge vnto it either slaine or enforced to flie for the present time and yet afterward to denie Christ This happened anno 289. not longe after the death of this cruell Tyrant to witt the yeare 309. The church aforesaid was againe reedified and that with such wonderful forwardnes and zeale as within one yeare and thirtie dayes both it and all the edifices belonginge vnto it as chambers and other buildings for the Monkes were quite finished in very seemely and conuenient maner The 15. day of Marche following it vvas againe hallovved and dedicated vnto the honor and memory of Amphibalus that had suffered death for Christ in the late persecution by Constance Bishop as my author saith of Winchester at the request of Deodatus Abbot of this nevv erected monastery The like or greater expedition was vsed in buildinge and dedicatinge a church to S. Alban of great coste sumptuousnes where hee suffered Martyrdome and yet as Matthew of Westminster writeth it was finished or builded within ten yeares of his death and martyrdome Fabricata decem scilicet annis post passionem eius elapsis S. Bede saith as soone as the persecution ceased a church of wonderfull worke was builded there vnto his honor Vbi postea redeuÌ„te temporum Christianorum serenitate Ecclesia est miri operis atque eius Martyrio condigna extructa So our histories testifie of S. Iulius and Aaron in particular Bed histor Eccl. l. 1. cap. 7. Matth. Westm. an gratiae 313. Io. Capgrau in S. Albano 6. And to make it manifest vnto vs that there were many Bishops left here after this persecution to consecrate and dedicate so many new builded founded and consecrated churches as were presently after the persecution ended erected in this kingedome and to execute other episcopall functions the best and moste auncient histories wee haue as S. Gildas S. Bede with others testifie that bilustro necdum ad integrum expleto before ten yeares of persecution were ended S. Gâ—…ldas words the ChristiaÌ„s eueryvvhere renevv their churches pulled dovvn to the ground found build finish churches of their holy Martyrs and celebrate their festiuities Bilustro supradicti turbinis necdum ad integrum expleto emercescentibusque nece suorum Authorum nefarijs decretis laetis luminibus omnes Christi Tyrones renouant Ecclesias ad solum vsque destructas basilicas Sanctorum Martyrum fundant construunt perficiunt ac velut victricia signa passim propalant dies festos celebrant And that wee may be assured that among these holy Christian exercises the holy sacrifice of Masse was offered by their sacrificinge and massinge preists it immediatly followeth in these renowned antiquities sacra mundo corde oreque confiâ—iunt They celebrate theire sacrifice with a pure hart and mouth And our antiquaries both Catholicks and Protestants assure vs there were altars for sacrifice in these churches S. Gildas calleth the altars altaria sacrosancta sacred altars whereon the heauenly sacrifice is offered and laied Sacrifieij caelestis sedem And that all the preistes of these Brittish churches were sacrificing or massing preistes at the altars Sacerdotes sacrificantes inter altaria stantes Gild. l. de excid Stovv histor in Constantine 2. Galf. Mon. histor Brit. l. 11. cap. 4. Matth. Westm an gratiae 543. 7. And if we wil appeale to other churches and iudges in this time whether to our Kinge and Emperor now a Christian or to the Popes of Rome yet Saints and holie men by the licence of our protestants or to generall councels the first being celebrated in this time or to the renowned Fathers that liued and wrote in this age wee shall finde these holy doctrines and exercises of the sacrifice of Masse sacrificinge massinge preists and preisthoâ—◠〈◊〉 haue beene in greatest honor as well in all other Christian nations as in this kingdome For CoÌ„stantine our Kinge Emperor and contryman we cannot better learne what minde and Religion hee was of in these matters then from S. Siluester then Pope and his Master and Father in Christian Religion who instructed him therein and from the first generall councell of Nice wherin and wherto hee was present and consented And to make all sure and walke with the passe of protestants in this trauaile wee are told by these men that this massinge Pope declared and decreed in what sacred attire both the preists which offered and the deacons which serued and ministred in the sacrifice of Masse should bee inuested Rob. Barnes l. de vit Pontif. Roman in Siluestro and to speake in a protestant Bishops wordes Huius Siluestri permulta feruntur instituta de chrismate consecrando pueris confirmandis temptis ornandis altaribus tegendis missatoribus constituendis vngendis vestiendis hostijs adorandis seruandis sacrificijs ceremonijs alijsque ritibus Very many institutions are ascribed to this Siluester of consecratinge chrisme confirminge children adorninge churches coueringe altars makinge massinge preists anointinge and vestinge them adoringe and reseruing the consecrated hostes of sacrifices ceremonies and other rites By which no man can doubt but S. Siluester was a massing preist and Pope this renowned Emperor conuerted by him a reuerencer of holy Masse and sacrificinge preisthood 8. which truth and doctrine for this age is more confirmed by the great generall councell of Nice where Constantine present assented and S. Siluester also present by his Legats Victor and Vincentius subscribinge approued in which it is plainely declared that none but consecrated massinge preists haue power to offer that holie sacrifice Concil Nicen. 1. can 14. per al. translat can 18. and to carry our protestants consents with vs herein the present protestant Archbishop of Canterbury director of Master Frauncis Mason together with this his directed secretary warrant vs herin sufficiently in these words The Nicen councell in that canon which Caluine and all other receaue saith plainely that the Lambe of God offered vnbloodily is laide vpon the holy table Fran. Mason in pref of his booke of consecrat pag. 243. therfore this holy councell being by all iudgements generall hauinge besides the consent of the Pope and Emperor the allowance and subscription of 318. Bishops and immediatly in those dayes as our protestants Theater of great Britanie l. 6. with others assure vs
alij diuers churches besides with their allowance were founded and dedicated to S. Peter S. Martin and other Saints In the third age S. Amphibalus at his Martirdome publickly prayed to S. Alban Martyred a little before so did other holy Brittish Christians to him and other Martyrs and Saints of Britanie at that time tabul M. S. in Eccles S. Petri in Cornhill Stowe histor in K. Lucius Caius antiq Cantabrig Harris l. 2. Holinsh. hist. of Engl. M. S. antiq in Lucio M. S. antiq in S. Amphibal Capgrau in eod S. Alban legend antiq alij in the beginninge of this fourth age I haue shewed before what generall buildinge and dedicatinge of churches there was to our Martyrs that had suffered a little before and solemnizinge their festiuities and consequently prayer and inuocation vnto them And all this longe before S. Damasus was Pope being scarcely borne at that time Therefore many our protestants of England confesse that prayer and inuocation of Saints and Angels was publicklie vsed in the primatiue church euen in the sacrifice of Masse And some of them make it an article of our creede for to speak in their wordes If wee deny it wee shall peraduenture depriue ourselues of a great part of their Angels ministery and dissolue that communion of Saints which vvee professe to beleeue as an article of Gods truthe Couel examin pag. 295.178 Parkins problem pag. 89.93 Ormerod Pict Pap. pag. 26.27 Middlet papistom pag. 129. Morton Apolog. part 1. pag. 227.228 Couel ag Burges pag. 89.90 16. Wherefore I may boldly conclude of this holy Pope in this matter in these words of a Protestant Archbishop Damasus vvas a good Bishop and therefore no good thinge by him appointed to bee disallovved Io. Whitg ansvv to the admonit pag. 78. sect 2.3 and def of ansvv pag. 489. of Pope Siricius they say hee commaunded that Masses should bee said in places consecrated by the Bishops Missas in loco ab Episcopo sacrato celebrandas esse Rob. Barnes l. de vit Pont. Rom. in Ciricio but this was onely a ceremoniall decree and to Gods more honor as I haue shewed in our old Britans by their dedication of churches and our protestants in England after their ceremonies obserue it to this day What a protestant Bishop meaneth when hee writeth of this Pope Missae memorias adiunxit Hee adioyned memories to the Masse Io. Bal. l. 1. de act Pontif. Rom. in Siricio I know not if hee meaneth memories of Saints to pray vnto them or memories of other faithfull departed to pray for them as one of them hee must needs vnderstand I haue proued before they were both vsed from the Apostles time and so cannot bee said to bee any additiō of Pope Siricius in this time These protestants do not mention any other Pope in this age to haue added or altered any thinge in this holy sacrifice Therefore by their good leaue I doe here end this fourth hundred of yeares THE FIFTHE AGE OR HVNDRED YEARES OF CHRIST THE XIX CHAPTER Wherein is manifestly proued that all this fift age the sacrifice of Masse massing preists and Bishops did continue in honor in this our Britanie THe first Pope which offereth himselfe in this next and fifth hundred of yeares to speake as a late protestant writer doth was Innocent of Albania or Scotland Edw. Grimst est of the church of Rome Pope 41. pag. 44. an D. 402. and commonly it is written of him both by protestants and others Rob. Barnes in vit Innocentij Io. Bal. in eodem that by contrie hee was Albanus or of Albania the old common and receaued knowne name of Scotland And if hee was of this our Albania it might be occasion that the Scots and Britans of this kingdome did more frequent Rome at this then other times But whether hee was of Northren Albania that is in the east or of Alba in Italy or whencesoeuer sure wee are that many of this nation which proued holy preists and Bishops also had their education and instruction in Religion at Rome in these dayes by the massing and sacrificinge preists and Popes in that place Such were S. Teruanus made Archbishop of the Picts by S. Paladius the Popes Legate in Scotland about the yeare of Christ 432. as our Scottish writers testifie And that he was instructed in the faith at Rome I gather from the same Authors affirming that S. Paladius baptized him beeing an Infant Teruanum Infantem lustrico lauerat fonte Paldius Hector Boeth l. 7. histor foli 133. Posseuin in appar To. 2. pag. 452. which must needs bee at Rome from whence S. Palladius was sent into this kingdome in or about the yeare of Christ 431. died soone after his cominge hither And so hauinge for his Master and Tutor in Religion that massinge preist and Bishop and the Pope also then being the like this man could not bee instructed there in any other Religion different from that And in the same age before this S. Ninian who was also brought vp and instructed by the massinge Popes and their disciples at Rome was sent from thence to teach the same and other holie doctrines of Christian faith to the same people and was theire Bishop as all antiquaries Catholicke and Protestant testifie Bed hist. Angl. l. 3. c. 4. Bal. l. de scriptor cent 1. in Ninian Capgrau in eod Theat of great Brit. l. 6. whose successor S. Teruanus was and about the same time as our Scottish and other histories tell vs S. Seruanus was made Bishop of the Orchades beinge instructed and consecrated by the massinge Bishop Paladius which that famous massinge Pope S. Celestine sent his Legate into this nation of whome herafter Hector Boeth Scotor histor l. 7. fol. 133. 2. Besides these extraordinary the ordinary Archbishops and Bishops with their whole cleargie perseuered in these holy doctrines none to contradict them herin but in other questions moued by Pelagian hereticks And that S. Innocentius the first Pope in this age vnder whome our remembred Bishops had theire education and instruction was a massinge Pope our protestants assure vs testifyinge that hee confirmed the ceremonie of giuinge the Pax in Masse Vt pax in Missa daretur ordinauit The like they testifie of Pope Sozimus and Bonifacius which were betweene S. Innocentius and S. Celestine that sent so many Bishops into this kingdome affirming how they both maintayned sacrificinge preisthood and holy Masse with the ceremonies thereof and the supreamacy of the see of Rome Io. Bal. l. 2. de act Pont. Rom. in Innocent in Sozimo Bonifacio Robert Barne in vit Pontif. in eisdem And for the sacrifice of Masse that it was Missa papistica the papisticall or papists Masse such as Catholicks of this time whome they call papists and their Masse preists and Religion papisticall doe vse Bal. supr lib. 2. in Caelestino before the dayes of Saint and Pope Celestine who as they say added some thinges to the papisticall Masse vsed before his papacie
haereticis Britannos ad Catholicam fidem dirigat Hee consecrated many massinge preists and Bishops in this kingdome among whom the cheifest was that massing Saint Dubritius Archbishop the cheife Doctor Primate the Popes Legate Prosper in Chronic. An. D. 432. Io. Capgrau in S. Dubritio Matth. Westm. Galfrid Monument hist. Brit. l. 9. cap. 12. Rob. Caenal l. 2. M. S. Gallic antiq M. S. antiq Io. Capgrau in vita S. Dubritij Episcopos in pluribus locis Britanniae consecrarunt dextralis partis Britanniae beatum Dubritium summum Doctorem Archiepiscopum statuerunt a protestant Bishop writeth Dubritius was made Archbishop by Germanus and Lupus and they appointed his see to bee at Landaffe Godwin Catalog in S. Dauide this holy Archbishop by the heauenly direction did consecrate that notorious massinge preist S. Sampson Archbishop of Yorke in whose consecration a miraculous vision appeared to confirme his callinge and Religion and both S. Dubritius and others did see a piller of fier miraculously proceeding from his mouth as hee celebrated the holy Masse and hee himselfe all his life had Angels ministring vnto him in that blessed sacrifice Angelus Domini beato Dubritio apparens Sampsonem ordinari Episcopum praecepit In cuius consecratione qui aderant columbam celitus emissam immobiliter super eum stare videbant Eodem die Sampsone celebrante Dubritius cum Monachis duobus columnam ignis de ore eius procedentem rutilare perspexit Ille vero omni tempore vitae suae Angelos dum celebraret sibi assistere in sacrificio ministrare meruit M. S. antiquit Capgrau in S. Sampsone Episcopo what massinge preistes and Archbishops the immediate successors of these two renowned Archbishops were I shall lay downe herafter more at large 7. And such as these were such also was the Archbishop of London S. Vodinus and all Bishops and preists vnder him and so consequently in all Britanie at that time which aswel appeareth by their owne historian S. Gildas venerable S. Bede as also Matthew of Westminster with others who speaking of the miserable and generall persecutiō of the christian Britans in al places quasque Prouincias amonge other cruelties they tel vs these infidels martyred the Brittish preists as they were standing at the altars where they said Masse Sacerdotes iuxta altaria trucidabāt Gild. de excid conquest Brit. Matth. Westm. an gratiae 462. Bed l. 1. histor Eccles cap. 15. therefore the preistes generally then were altare sacrificinge and massinge preists otherwise they could not haue beene thus cruelly put to death at the altars and places of saying Masse in all all parts of this nation at that time Neither could there possibly at that time bee any other preists but massinge preists except they would turne hereticks which we doe not reade and leaue the doctrine and Religion of their both Archbishops Bishops and Masters in diuinitie which in this time were by all testimonie both of Catholicks and Protestants either the onely or principall S. Dubritius of whome I haue spoken before S. Iltutus and S. Gildas all moste holy and miraculous men and knowne massinge preists For concerninge S. Iltutus he was as a Protestant Bishop with Vicentius and Antoninus confesseth scholler to the renowned Popes Legate and massinge Bishop S. German spoken of before Io. Bal. l. de script Britan. cent 1. in Ilchtuto alias Iltuto And to proue him a massinge preist and all his schollers after him that were preists to haue bene massinge preists Nennius our moste auncient exceptinge Gildas writer which wee haue left testifieth in his Manuscript historie that there was in a church which this massinge Saint Iltutus builded a miraculous Altar susteyned only without any propp or foundation by the power of God altare quod nutu Dei fulcitur Nennius histor M. S. in fine post nomina ciuitatum Britanniae and this miraculous altar so inuisibly susteyned did remayne in Nennius time manet vsque in hodiernam diem altare potestate Dei fulcitum 8. To proue S. Gildas to haue beene of this opinion and practise his historie de excidio Britanniae often cited in this treatise is full of altars massinge and sacrificinge preists and maketh their irreuent sayinge of Masse and often neglect of celebrating that holy sacrifice to haue beene one of the cheife causes of Gods indignation against them and depriuinge them of this kingedome and giuinge it to the Saxons theire professed enemies And hee was one of the renowned schollers of his massing Master S. Iltutus as S. Sampson the great massing Archbishop of Yorke of whome I haue spoken before and S. Dauid that moste holy sacrificinge and miraculous Archbishop of Caerlegion of whome hereafter and S. Paulinus were as both Catholicks and Protestants are witnesses M. S. antiq de vit S. Iltuti Ioh. Capgrau in Iltuto Ioh. Bal. centur 1. de scriptor Brit. in eod what this Paulinus was and whether hee that was sent hither with S. Augustine I dare not affirme yet considering the longe time S. Iltutus liued as many then did and hee beeing liuinge as diuers write Bal. supr in the yeare of Christ 520. hee might haue in his olde age a scholler that might liue longer then S. Paulinus death that came with S. Augustine and was Archbishop of Yorke for many our holy Bishops as S. Kentegern and S. Dauid liued longer and we finde no other renowned Paulinus here in those times And Nennius who saith expressely that hee omitteth of purpose to speake of those that came with S. Augustine and were not of this nation yet maketh a most honorable memory of that Paulinus Archbishop of Yorke saying that hee baptized 12000. at one time and ceased not baptisinge fourtie dayes together Nennius in histor M. S. prope finem 9. So that it is not vnprobable but this holy man S. Paulinus was the scholer of S. Iltutus and leauinge his contry as manie did in that rage of the Saxons wēt to Rome and liued to come hither againe to accomplish so holy labours as hee did with those other massinge preistes sent hither at that time Which hee might well performe if wee allowe him to bee 20. yeares old at the death of his Master S. Iltutus as before in the yeare 520. and as an other Protestant Bishop writeth Godwin Catalog Yorke 1. pag. 558. to haue died in the yeare 644. which accompt maketh him but 124. yeares old two yeares yonger then his fellow scholler S. Dauid by all antiquities makinge him 146. yeares of age at his death Post 146. aetatis annum vt omnes eius fatentur historiae mortuus In the yeare of his age 147. anno aetatis suae centesimo quadragesimo septimo And twenty one yeares yonger then S. Kentegern by all histories dyinge when hee was one hundred eightie and fiue yeares old cum esset centum octaginta quinque annorum Ioh. Bal. centur 1. de scriptorib Britan in Dauid Menenien Ioh. Capgrau· Catal in S. Dauid M. S. antiq in
which haue the rule ouer you Obey them that haue the rule ouer you and submit yourselues Hebr. cap. 13. v. 7.17 and S. Ignatius liuinge in the first hundred yeares proueth noe such thinge ought to bee done without the Bishops assent Ignat. epist ad Smyrnenses and the puritan presbytery and among our English parlament Protestāts no such matter in their Religion may bee done without the allowance of theire Protestant Bishops And these protestant obiectors themselues before confesse that Pope Syricius tooke order that Masse should not bee said but in places cōsecrated by the Bishop Missas in loco ab Episcopo sacrato celebrandas esse Rob. Barnes in vit Syricij Papae which was soone after the ceasinge of persecution by the Emperors that places might bee freely dedicated to God and hallowinge of altars belōged properly euer to the episcopal dignitie And our protestants ar witnesses that this was then practised and obserued in Britanie by S. Dauid S. Dubritius and others too many to be recited And in Kinge Lucius his time when so many churches with their altars were dedicated by our holy Bishops to God S. Peter and other Saints Godwin conuers cap. 2. pag. 11. Holinsh. hist. of Engl. Theat of great Britanie Capgrau in S. Patricio alij 3. From Horsmida they lepp ouer Ioannes 1. Faelix 4. Bonifacius 2. Ionnes 2. Agapetus 1. Syluerius 1. vntil they come to Pope Vigilius who as these men say decreed that Masse should bee said towardes the caste Instituit vt Missa celebretur versus orientem Io. Bal. l. 2. de Act. Pontif. Rom. in Vigilio or as an other protestant interpreteth it Vigilius instituted that preists being to say Masse should turne their face towardes the east Barnes in vit Vigilij Vigilius instituit vt Missam celebraturi faciem ad orientem verterent But this is onely a ceremony if he had first inuented it but S. Basile telleth vs it was an apostolicall tradition so to pray towards the east Basil l. de Spiritu Sancto cap. 27. for speaking of such traditions from the Apostles not conteyned in scripture he saith vt ad orientem versus precemur quae decuit scriptura to pray with our faces towardes the east is a tradition and not taught in scripture And this tradition and custome of the primatiue Christians to pray and say Masse turning their faces towards the east was so common publick and well known longe before this time Proclus supra in vita S. Patricij Holinsh. histor of Ireland in S. Patrick that as I haue declared before both Catholick and Protestant antiquaries so assuring vs it was giuen for a distinctiue signe by the deuils and magiciens of Ireland to the then Pagan inhabitants therof before the cominge of S. Patrick thither to know him and his Christian disciples by that they should sett their Altar say Masse and pray towards the east as wee generallie see chauncels high altars of Christian churches are framed Therefore wee may be secure that hitherto the church of Rome and Britanie agreed in these misteries nothinge added yet by any Pope which the Britans did not embrace For better testimonie whereof we are told by the antiquaries of Cambridge that Kinge Arthur in his charter of priuiledge to that schole or vniuersitie bearinge date at London in the yeare of Christ 531. doth therin expresse that hee giueth that confirmation with the counsaile and assent of all and euery Bishops and nobles of his kingdome and licence of the see Apostilick of Rome Consilio consensu omnium singulorum Pontificum Principum istius regni licentia sedis Apostolicae Io. Caius l. 1. antiquit pag. 69. Diploma Regis Arthuri 7. die Aprilis an 531. Londini apud Caium supr pag. 68.69.70 therfore if the then Kings of Britanie and all the Bishops and Noble men thereof by which the rest were gouerned did then so firmly adhere to the Pope of Rome in matters of Religion that they would not ioyne in such an Act without his licence no man will thinke there was or then could be any difference in Religion betweene them And to cōfirme vs the more in this great vnion and amitie of Rome and Britanie in such affaires at this time of Pope Vigilius and Kinge Arthur our protestants Matthew of Westminster telleth vs. Matth. Westm. an 533. that this Religious Kinge committed Walwan sonne to Loth his sisters sonne Who should haue inherited the kingedome of Norwey to Pope Vigilius to bee brought vp when hee was but 12. yeares of age and that hee was knighted by him Erat autem Walwanus filius praedicti Loth duodecim annorum iuuenis Vigilio Papae traditus ad nutriendum à quo etiam militiae cingulum accepit How farr this Pope intermeddled in ordering the prefaces in Masse I haue said before these protestants being silent therin thereby rest contented in that point 4. The next additioner with these protestants is the next Pope Pelagius the first who as these men say gaue allowance that in time of Lent preists might say Masse at the ninth hower of the day which is three of the clocke in the afternoone by our accompt In quadrage sima presbytero licere sacra facere hora nona pronuntiauit Rob. Barnes in Pelag. 1. an other saith vt quadrag esimali tempore hora nona sacrificulis missare liceret Bal. in Pelag. 1. but this was but a ceremony and argued how reuerent and deuout preists were in that time to this holy sacrifice that they did and would fast so longe to say Masse so nere the time it was instituted by Christ and Christ was offered vpon the Crosse this proueth they were not protestants in that time which neither reuerence Masse nor fast so longe or at all in Lent But they add of this Pope mortuorum memorias approbauit ac lucri gratia missis adiecit Hee approued the memories of the dead and for gaine added them to Masses Bal. in Pelag. 1. but this Protestant Bishop is either very forgetfull or maketh no scruple to contradict himselfe for he telleth vs before in the life of Saint and Pope Siricius lōge before S. Celestine sent S. German and the rest into these parts that this S. Syricius adioyned memories vnto Masses and yet died a confessor in the yeare of our Lord 399. Syricius Missae memorias adiunxit anno Domini 399. confessor occubuit Balaeus l. 2. de Act. Pontif. Rom. in Syricio and Tertullian in his time setteth it downe for an Apostolicall tradition to say Masse for the deade and keepe their anniuersary daies oblationes pro defunctis pro natalitijs annua die faecimus Tertul. l. de coron milit cap. 3. S. Ciprian S. Chrisostome and others haue the like And our protestants haue confessed before that it was an Apostolicall tradition to say Masse for the dead and that Aerius was iustly condemned of heresie and for an hereticke for his denyall thereof And wee had here in Britanie
many foundations to say Masse and pray for Christian soules and frends deceased as we find in the charter of Kinge Arthur before recited wherin among other motiues of that his confirmatorie priuiledge to the vniuersitie of Cambridge hee saith expressely that hee doth it with the consent of all his Bishops for the helpe of the soules of his antecessors Kings of Britanie Pro amore caelestis patriae remedioque animarum Antecessorum meorum BritaÌ„niae Regum Charta Regis Arthuri apud Caium supr antiq Cantabr l. 1. pag. 69. 5. After this Pope vntill they come to S. Gregory these protestants complaine of no additions but onely in Pope Pelagius the second which was the immediate predecessor to S. Gregory and sent him yet a priuate preist his legate to Constantinople of this Pope they write nouem praefationes ante canonem in Missa canendas de dit Hee gaue nyne prefaces to bee sunge before the canon in Masse Bal. in Pelag. 2. l. 2. in Act. Pontif. an other thus more particularly expresseth it Pelagtus nouem praefationes Ecclesiae de dit ante canonem in Missa canendas in Natali in Epiphania in Quadragesima de Cruce de Resurrectione de Ascensione in PeÌ„tecoste de Trinitate de Apostolis· Barnes in Pelag. 2. in vit Pont. Pelagius gaue nyne prefaces to the church to bee sunge before the canon in Masse one in the natiuitie of Christ an other in the Epiphanie in Lent of the Crosse of the Resurrection of the Ascension at Whitsontyde of the Trinitie of the Apostles I haue answered this before in Pope Gelasius to whome these protestants before contradictinge them selues ascribe the preface how vaine this quarrell is I haue there declared and onely add here from theire protestant like published Matthew of Westminster Anno gratiae 581. Papa Pelagius decreuit nouem praefationes taÌ„tum ad Missas debere cantari cassatis quotidianis quae dici solebant In the yeare of grace 581. Pope Pelagius decreed that only nine prefaces should bee sunge at Masse omittinge the daily prefaces which were wont to bee said Where wee see that this Pope did not add any thinge in this busines but rather deducted some prefaces though they had beene vsed to bee said before for so the words dici solebant manifestly proue as I wrote of Pope Vigilius before All which doe euidentlie testifie that the auncient receued custome of the church of Christ was longe before these dayes to vse these prefaces THE XXII CHAPTER Wherein euident demonstration is made euen by these protestants themselues that neither S. Gregory the great which sent S. Augustine with many other holy learned men into England did make any materiall addition or alteration in these misteries But the Religion which those his disciples preached here was in all points by all testimonies both of God and man Britans them selues and Saxons Catholicks and Protestants auncient and late writers the true Religion of Christ and in all things wherin they differed from the Britans more pure then that which they then professed NOw wee are come to the happy dayes of S. Gregory the great that sent so many holy men to preach Christian Religion to this English nation and so called our Apostle in which it will bee more manifest euen by these protestant accusers themselues that whatsoeuer differeÌ„ce there was betweene the holy disciples which he sent hither and some Britans the error in euery point was in those that opposed against the Roman mission And for S. Gregory himselfe one of the four holy Doctors of the church of Christ he was by all testimonies a great learned man holy Saint and so honored both in the Greeke and Latine church and the Masse hee vsed as our protestants haue told vs. Edw. Sands relation of Relig. supr both was and is receued and publickly vsed euen in the Greeke church beeing translated into Greeke hee is stiled by all writers protestants and Catholicks Gregory the great and commonlie named the Apostle of the English nation in all publicke protestant Kalenders placed amonge the holy Saints and by a Protestant Bishop his greatest accuser dignified with these honorable termes Bal. l. 2. de Act. Pontific Rom. in Gregorio Magno Gregorius Magnus omnium Pontificum seu vt dictum est Patriarcharum Romanorum doctrina vita praestantissimus inuitus ac demuâ—… coactus Pelagio praedicto successit vir doctus bonus Gregory the great the most excellent both for learninge and life of all the Romane Popes or Patriarkes did against his will and at laste therto compelled succeed Pelagius the second hee was a learned and good man Therefore it cannot bee either probable or possible that a man so learned vertuous and holy that hee is thus dignified by so great enemies both for learninge and pietie aboue all the Popes that euer were so learned knowne holy Saints and so vnwillinge to take that greatest honor and charge vpon him would or could contrary both to so great learning and pietie which could not consist with any the least error in Religion in essentiall things make any erroneous publick decree in such affaires For in so doinge hee should haue beene so farr from that eminent learninge and pietie and beinge a glorious Saint in heauen which both by protestants and Catholicks are generally held and written of him that quite contrary hee should haue beene an vnlearned wicked and damned man Which no tonge or mouth that hath learned to coÌ„fesse Christ dareth to affirme or vtter 2. But to giue all contentment I will examine all whatsoeuer in particular they say this so holy learned Pope added or altered in these misteries as they pretend This Protestant Bishop saith of him Bal. l. 2. supr in Gregor Mag. introitum in Missa ex aliquo psalmo cancre iussit Hee commaunded the introite in the Masse to bee sunge out of some psalme They haue told vs before of more auncient times wherein the introite was vsed before S. German Lupus Palladius Patricius were sent into these parts But if S. Gregory did any such thing seeing it was ex aliquo psalmo out of the holy scripture neither these men nor any which will not disallow of holy scripture may reprehend it And where this protestant accuser further saith Nonies in Missa Kyrie eleyson canere iussit S. Gregory commaunded that Lord haue mercy vpon vs should bee sunge 9. times in Masse Hee is deceued for that is songe but 6. times and Christ haue mercy vpon vs thrise And his frend Master Foxe Io. Foxe in Q. Mary pag. 1401. will tell him that this was the auncient custome of the Greeke church longe before froÌ„ which is was taken by S. Gregory only that S. Gregory added Christ haue mercy vpon vs. But howsoeuer is it not a moste holy and warranted custome so to pray our protestants theÌ„selues obserue it in their publick church seruice Com. booke tit Litan alibi and commonlie preferr them before
all other prayers both in their priuate and publicke writings 3. Of S. Gregories addinge diesque nostros in tua pace disponas and dispose our dayes in peace and graunt wee bee deliuered from eternall damnation and numbred in the flock of thy elect I haue spoken before here only I add that S. Bede whome this Protestant Bishop Io. Bal. l. de scriptor Britan. centur 1. in Beda Girwino doth equall or rather preferr before S. Gregory S. Augustine S. Hierome and S. Chrisostome those great lights of Christs church doth say that these wordes which S. Gregory added in the holie Masse are words ful of greatest perfection Beatus Papa Gregorius in ipsa Missarum celebratione tria verba maximae perfectionis plena superadiecit diesque nostros in tua pace disponas atque ab aeterna damnatione nos cripi in electorum tuorum iubeas grege numerari Beda Eccles histor l. 2. cap. 1. in which place hee also commendeth him for causinge in the churches of S. Peter and S. Paul at Rome Masses to be said ouer their bodies Fecit inter alia beatus Papa Gregorius vt in Ecclesijs beatorum Apostolorum Petri Pauli super corpora eoruÌ„ Missae celebrarentur Which sacred bodies of those two glorious Apostles this lewde protestant superintendent therin as his phrase teacheth a Vâ—…gilantian hereticke calleth the deade â—…arcasses of the Apostles so as wee terme the deade bodies of beastes and therefore disliketh S. Gregory for that institution super Apostolorum mortua cadauera Missas celebrari mandauit Bal. l. 2. de Act. Pontif. Rom. in Gregor Magno but though it doth not belonge to this place and my promise yet to free S. Gregory from all pretended error in any matter I wil shew in the next chapter when I come to speake of the brittish preists and Bishops of this age that they were as farr engaged in this doctrine of reuereÌ„ce to holie relicks as either S. Gregory or his disciples hee sent hither were or the Catholicks of the present Roman church bee at this time The same I wil demonstrate concerning the doctrine of Indulgences an other preteÌ„ded blott which they would gladly find out to staine and blemish the glory of that great Doctor Pope and Saint 4. And whereas this protestant Bishop saith of this holy Pope Hee admitted Masses for the dead Missas pro mortuis admisit I haue often shewed by these protestants that this was vsed from the beginninge And whereas hee obiecteth Bal. supr in Greg. Magno that S. Gregory first instituted Candelmasse day and palme sonday with solemnitie of procession though these bee but ceremoniall yet he contradicteth himselfe knowinge and acknowledginge that processions were longe before in vse and that Candelmasse day was kept with candels in the time of Pope Vigilius and by his approbation candelaruÌ„ festum instituit Bal. in Vigilio l. 2. Act. Pontific Rom. whereas this man saith in S. Augustine S Gregories disciple that hee brought hither altars vestiments holy vessels relicks and bookes of ceremonies introduxit altaria vestimenta vasa sacra reliquias ceremoniarum codices Bal. l. de scriptor Britan. l. 1. in Augustino Monocho I haue shewed already that all these were in vse with the ChristiaÌ„ Britans longe before and this protestant obiector among others so acknowledgeth in diuers both Scots and Britans in this Iland and in the life of S. Patrick he receueth as S. Patricks the epistle written in his name Patricius scripsit ad Aualonios Inculas epistolam Bal. centur 1. Gild. l. de excid Bed l. v. histor Eccles Bal. centur 1. in Brigida Lagin Kentegern Patric Iona. Monacho alijs in which hee proueth both S. Patricke S. Pope Celestine S. Pope Eleutherius and his Legates S. Damianus and Fugatianus in Kinge Lucius time and all the Britans in those times to haue beene as great Patrons and practisers of these doctrines and customes which hee disliketh in S. Gregory his disciples as any of them theÌ„ was or any learned Catholicke at this present is Thus fâ—…rr these protestants exceptions against the doctrine of S. Gregory and his disciples all turning to theire glory and confusion of the protestant accusers by their owne sentence 5. To which I will add one thing more from our holy contrimaÌ„ S. Aldelmus scholler to S. Gregory as his words import who thus relateth an addition of S. Gregorie to the canon of the Masse which our protestants doe not remember in their oblations S. Adelmus l. de laudib Virginitat cap. 22. mihi operae pretium videtur vt Sanctae Agathae rumores castissimae Virginis Luciae praeconia subsequantur Quas Praeceptor pedagogus noster Gregorius in canone quotidiano quando Missarum solemnia celebrantur copulasse cognoscitur hoc modo in Catalogo Martyrum ponens Faelicitate Anastasia Agatha Lucia It is a thinge worth labour that after speach of S. Agatha he speaketh of the praise of virginitie the praises of the moste chaste Virgin Lucia should follow which our Master and Instructor Gregory is knowne to haue coupled in the daily canon when the solemnities of Masse are celebrated placing them thus in the Catalogue of Martyrs Faelicitas Anastasia Agatha Luciae But this rather maketh against protestant quarrels in this kinde for they contendinge against the doctrine of prayer to Saints are taught here that it was the auncient custome of Gods church to pray vnto them euen in their publick Masses can Miss § nobis quoque peccatoribus for S. Gregory did here onely add S. Agatha and S. Lucia vnto the others which were in the canon before copulasse cognoscitur and bee very many in particular as appeareth in that place besides all the Apostles and holy Martyrs in generall cum tuis Sanctis Apostolis Martyribus and the words in canone quotidiano in the daily canon of Masse are an euident conuiction that the daily canon of Masse was vsed and this honor of Saints also therin before this time as wee see in all old Masses Greeke Latine or Syriake And I haue before proued that this holy doctrine was euer from the beginning of Christianity in this kingdome reuerently obserued Of the truth and excellency of S. Gregories and S. Augustines Religion planted amonge the Saxons I haue spoken sufficiently in all things in my ecclesiasticall historie at large 6. To proue it breifly in this place more sound and perfect then the Religion of the Christian Britans so dignified by our protestant writers I first vse them for witnesses thereof And first the present Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury D. George Abbots the director of Master Frauncis Mason and this his directed scribe thus write producinge the Brittish Bishops themselues at that time so acknowledginge George Abbot and Franc. Mason l. 2. of consecrat of Bish. cap 4. pag. 59. The brittish Bishops confessed that they vnderstood that to be the true way of righteousnes which Augustine had preached Yea the faith which S. Augustine brought and
that which the Britans had before must needs be one and the same in all materiall and substantiall points Wherefore wee cannot excuse the Britans for refusing to ioyne with him in the conuersion of the Saxons The like haue Stowe Howes Hollinshed and other protestants Stowe and Howes histor in K. Ethelbert Holinsh. hist. of Engl. l. 5. cap. 15. pag. 96. pag. 97. an 581. shewinge directly that the Christian Britans at the coming of S. Augustine and his companions were farr inferiour vnto them both in holines of life and puritie of doctrine Which is testified with great lamētation by S. Gildas a Britane S. Bede writer of the brittish history Gildas l. de excid conquest Brit. Bed histor Eccl. l. 1. Galfrid Monument hist. Reg. Brit. l. 10. 11. 7. And if wee discend vnto the particular differences which then were betweene S. Augustine and the Britans there is not any one to bee found in any antiquitie that concerned the questions I haue in hand but in them there was an vniforme consent by all writers onely I finde that they differed in some ceremonies about the consecration of Bishops but in no materiall thinge S. Asaph in vit S. Kentegerni M. S. in vit eius Capgrau in Catal. in Kenteg and our protestants differ from them both therein For the Britans did then consecrate Bishops with anointing their heads with holy Chrisme Inuocation of the holy Ghost Benediction and Imposition of handes Mos in Britannia inoleuerat in consecratione Pontificum tantummodo capita eorum sacri Chrismatis infusione perungere cum inuocatione Sancti Spiritus Benedictione manus Impositione And the Romans besides these necessarie things in that consecration kept and obserued the decrees of the holy Canons in this busines Which the Britans did not omit for any dislike they had of those sacred ceremonies but by distance of place and infested with Pagans inuasions were ignorant of the canons as our Authors say Insulam enim quasi extra orbem positi emergentibus Paganorum infestationibus canonum erant ignari· M. S. de vita S. Kenteger· antiq Capgrau supr in eod and yet our protestants both knowinge the canonicall institutions and what both the Romans and Britans with all the Christian worlde at that time thought to bee essentiall and necessary in this holy Sacrament neither follow the one or other and so by al iudgement haue depriued them selues of lawfull and true Bishops and consequentlie of all true cleargie men which cannot be without true and lawful Bishops such as they want to consecrate them 8. The other differences betwene S. Augustine and the Britans may appeare out of the words of S. Augustine vnto them related by S. Bede and others and thus sett downe by our protestant historians Augustines oration breifly was thus Bed histor Eccles l. 2. cap. 2. Stowe and Howes histor in Kentish Saxons K. Ethelbert although deare bretheren in many other points yee doe contrary to our custome or rather contrary to the custome of the vniuersall church of Christ yet notwithstandinge if yee will in these three things consent vnto mee that is to celebrate the easter in due time to accomplish the ministerie of Baptisme accordinge to the Roman and Apostolick church and last of all to preach with vs to this English nation the vvord of our Lord all your other ceremonies rites and customes though they bee contrary to ours yet vvee vvill vvillinglie suffer and bee content to beare vvith them But they ansvvered they vvoulde doe none of these thinges requested Where wee see that S. Augustine and the Britans did differ principally in these three things and by our protestants themselues S. Augustine held the truth in them and the Britans were in error And so likewise in all other ceremonies rites and customes then cōtrouersed for S. Augustine iustifieth that the Britans in them all were contrary to the custome of the vniuersall church of Christ. In multis quidem nostrae consuetudini immo vniuersalis Ecclesiae contraria geritis And their learned contriman Gyraldus Cambrensis diuers hundreds of yeares since beeing as a protestant Bishop stileth him vetustae cognitionis verè helluo an vnsatiable seeker forth of antiquities with protestants allowance thus setteth downe the ceremonies of the Britans wherein they differed from all other churches in this order Bal. l. de scriptor Britan. in Gyrald Cambren cent 2. Gyrald Cambren descript Cambr. cap. 18. Dauid Powell ib. 9. De quolibet pane apposito primum fractionis angulum pauperibus donant Of euerie loafe of breade sett before them they giue the first corner they breake to the poore They sitt three and three together at dinner in memorie of the Trinitie They cast away theire armour and bare headed aske the benediction of euery Monke or preist or any wearinge the habit of Religion The people doth greatly and more then other nations desire confirmation by a Bishop and Inunction of Chrisme by which the grace of the holy Ghost is giuen They giue tythes of all things they possesse cattell sheepe sometimes whē either they marry wiues or go on pilgrimage or correct their life by the counsaile of the church Aboue all forreine labour moste willingly going on pilgrimage to Rome they more readily vvith deuout mindes adore the Tombes of the Apostles Wee see they yeeld deuout reuerence to churches and ecclesiastical men and relicks of Saints and portable bells vvouen books and the crosse giue farr more honor to all these then any other nation The immunities of theire churches farr exceedeth the Indulgence of the canons You shall not see any vvhere the Eremites and Anachorites of greater abstinence or more spirituall And speakinge of the Britans in the time of S. Germanus and Lupus when they were troubled with Pelagianisme and first irruptions of the Pagan Saxōs these Authors say These customes and ceremonies of the Britans continued from them to the time of Gyraldus Cambrensis that died in the yeare of Christ 1190. ab eorundem doctrina haec vt fertur vsqe in hodiernum documenta tenuerunt 10. Thus wee haue learned all the differences that were betweene S. Augustine and the Britans and finde that S. Augustine was the innocent partie in them all For amonge all these laste recited where any thinge is remembred as singular and differing from other churches it is the case of the Britans and the Romans agreed with the common and receued customes of the church of Christ And concerninge those doctrines and customes which our protestants doe moste dislike in S. Gregory and S. Augustine with his associates and the now present Roman church which are pilgrimages and especially to Rome with the honor of that holy Apostolicke see reuerence of holy relicks Indulgences honor to sacrificinge massinge preists and Religious men and more Sacraments then protestants admit as namely the Sacrament of confirmation giuinge of the grace of the holy Ghost by anointinge with sacred Chrisme reuerencing of the crosse and holie images
Meneuiensi and by an other protestant which faith he sate longe to witte 65. yeares Godwin Catal. in S. Dauids 1. S. Dauid hee liued within 16. yeares or nearer to S. Augustins arriuall in this kingedome an 596. for as I proued before his predecessor S. Dubritius was Archbishop there in the yeare 516. and after and died not vntill the yeare 522. though in his old age he had a little before resigned his charge to S. Dauid Godwin sup in S. Dauids in S. Dubritius Bal. cent 1. in eod Galfr. Mon. l. 11. hist. Britan. cap. 3. there is some question in histories whether as Giraldus Cambronsis and some others say Cenauc was immediate successor to S. Dauid or S. Theliaus Telianus Eliud all one man by others Girald Cambr. Itiner Cambr. l. 2. c. 1. Godw. M. S. Dauids antiquitat Eccles S. Dauidis apud Godwin Catal. Epis pag· 506. in S. Dauids but for this matter it mattereth nothing for this Cenauc was scholler and successor to S. Patern that great knowne massinge preist and Prelate companion to S. Dauid in his holy pilgrimage And so could not differ from these holy Saints in so great questions in Religion And for the other S. Telian or Eliud there is no doubt for hee was scholler to the renowned massinge Prelate S. Dubritius and by him so throughly instructed in diuinity that being indued with the holy Ghost hee could perfectly expound all difficulties of holy scriptures A sancto Dubritio Episcopo in scripturis sanctis eruditus fuit donec explicaret M. S. de vita S. Theliai Capgr· Catalog in eod and was so vndiuided a companion of S. Dauid his predecessor not onely vnder their Master Paulinus not vnprobably hee that liued to bee Archbishop of Yorke that great massing Prelate in S. Augustines time but in his pilgrimage to Hierusalem and so by Rome from which hee could not differ in Religion and so intrely and nearely conioyned in Religion and affection that as wee reade in his life they were both of one minde perfectly in all things Sanctum Dauid perfectae hominem vitae sibi associauit quos tanta coniunxit dilectio sancti spiritus gratia quod idem velle nolle ambobus esset Therefore hee could not possibly nor the Bishops and preists vnder him differ from S. Dauid in so great matters but were wholly of the same mind and practise with him in those thinges And the church of Rome in all Catalogues receueth and acknowledgeth him for an holy Saint which it neuer did will or can doe to any an enemie and apposite vnto it in those misteries And this sacrificinge massinge Prelate probably was Archbishop of Caerlegion amonge the Britans at the cominge of S. Augustine hither liuinge longe after that time and as a late writer holdeth Engl. Martyrolog die 25. Nouembr vntill the yeare of Christ 626. liuinge before diuers yeares amonge the massing preists and Bishops of Fraunce and not vnprobably was there when S. Augustine first landed here and neither present at or consenting vnto that opposition to S. Augustine 7. And concerninge the two other Archiepiscopall sees London and Yorke although there is little memory left of Ecclesiasticall affaires in them beeing both with their whole diocesses in those times moste greeuously afflicted and almoste wholly eaten and deuoured vpp by the Pagan persecutors in Religious things yet for these doctrines wee haue in hand there is sufficient testimonie left in antiquities that so longe as the state of Christian Religion had publick and open profession there was also there the like publicke vse and exercise of these points of Catholicke Religion And after the external face of Christianitie was ouerthrowne yet at the leaste in many places of those Prouinces a priuate vse and exercise was still coÌ„tinued of these articles euen to the coming of S. Augustine and after vntill the general conuersion of the Saxons themselues And for Yorke wee haue the knowne massing Prelate Pyramus chapeline to Kinge Arthur that great Patron of sacrificinge preists holy Masse which as his place required was deputed to say Masse and ordinarily so did before that Religious Kinge Galfrid Monum l. 9. histor Reg. Briton cap. 8. Matth. Westm an gratiae 522. and as Thadiocus succeeded him in place and dignitie so likewise hee was his successor in opinion and practise in those questions as will euidently appeare if wee onely consider that they were both ordeyned by the authoritie Legantine power either of S. Dubritius or S. Dauid those famous massinge preists Prelats primats and Saints But wee haue the generall warrants of the renowned S Gyldas Badonicus which now liued and vntill within 16. veares of S. Augustins cominge hither florishinge in the yeare of Christ 580. as a protestant Bishop and antiquary with others writeth Bal. l. de scriptor Britan. cent 1. in Gilda Badonico proueth that in this time all the preists of Britanie were sacrificantes sacrificinge massinge preists inter altaria at the holy altars the seates of the celestiall sacrifice sedes caelestis sacrifiâ—…ij and Probus that wrote the life of S. Patricke in this age testifyinge as much Gildas l. de excid conquest Britan. Probus in vita S. Patricij inter opera S. Bedae 8 And if we turne our eyes to looke into the further and more northien parts of the diocesse of this Archiepiscopall see in Golloway and Albania wee shall finde many particular testimonies of this veritie There wee shall finde S. Kentegern that most miraculous holy Saint so far a massing preist and Prelate and after the Roman order that hee had in his schole or monastery vnder him in the north of Britany besides 600. that were not learned 260 learned diuines trayned vp to pâ—…eacâ—… and offer the holy sacrifice of Masse M. S antiq de vit S. Kentegerni Io Capgrau Catal. in eod Io. Bal. l. script Britan. cent 1â—… in Kentern Godwin Catal. in Asaph Hector Boâ—… Scotor histor l. 9. and he had an other as great a schoole and companâ—…e of massinge men in Britany which he left to S. Asaph and sent of these into all parts both of this our Britanie and into other nations as Norwey and Island beeing warranted in all these things by the Popes of Rome where hee was seuen times on pilgrimage Romam septies adijt and in all things conformed himselfe to that holy Apostolicke church and at his death gaue strict ommaund to all vnder his charge to be in all thinges obedient to the church of Rome de Sanctorum Patrum decretis sanctaeque Romanâ—… Ecclesiae institutis firmiter custodiendis fortia dedit ac dereliquit praecepta And that hee liued either after or vnto the cominge of S. Augustine I will demonstrate herafter 9. And to come to London diocesse now afflicted with Pagan persecutors yet wee find Theonus a massinge preist and Prelate familiarly acquainted with S. Dauid that massing Archbishop hauing beene Bishop of Glocester before to haue beene Archbishop
of the English Author of the booke de Virginitate or laude Virginum of the praise of Virgins commonly ascribed to our holy learned Bishop S. Aldelmus callinge S. Gregory the Pope his Master and Tutor Praeceptor Pedagogus noster Gregorius l. de laude Virginum Bal. cent 1. in Adel. Pitseus To. 1. in eod wee must needs as the rule of correlatiues Master and scholler requireth make him scholler to S. Gregorie the great which liued but few yeares after S. Augustines cominge hither and being Pope then likely he was Tutor Master to this aūciēt English writer before the time of his papacie as he was to many others and not after 15. So I might instance of others but these aboundantly suffice to proue that after the first plantinge of the faith of Christ in this our Britanie there neuer wanted in it either in the time of the Britans Saxons or whom els soeuer Masse massing preists and Bishops For euen those Brittish preists and Bishops which moste opposed against S. Augustine in some other things were as farr engaged in these articles to bee sound and Orthodoxe as S. Augustine was and so both practised here in Britanie as I haue related before their most learned S. Kelian Columban and Gallus with others going hence into other nations did wholly submit themselues to the Popes of Rome and their cheifest S. Keliā was made Bishop of Mitzburgh by the Pope receuinge power from him to preach Romam profectus est officio praedicandi à Papa receptus Episcopus orditus Manuscript antiq de vita S. Keliani Io. Capgrau Catalog in eodem Sur. die 8. Iulij And that S. Columbanus the man whose authority was most obiected against S. Augustine about the diuers keeping of Easter was a notorious massinge preist as also S. Gallus in as high degree as any Catholicke now is it is testified in their liues where we find S. Columban did dedicat a church and altar with the relicks of S. Aurelia adorninge the altar said Masse vpon it Beatus Columbanus iussit aquam afferri benedicens illam adspersit ea templum dum circuirent psallentes dedicauit Ecclesiam deinde inuocato nomine Domini vnxit altare beatae Aureliae reliquias in eo collocauit vestitoque altari missas legittimè compleuerunt And in the same Authors wee reade that S. Gallus did ordinarily vse Missam celebrare to say Masse and beeing vrged both by the Prince Bishops and Cleargie to accept of the Bishoprick of Constance hee refused it and preferred Iohn his deacon whome S. Gallus had conuerted vnto the faith of Christ Who in his consecration was ledd by the Bishops to the Altar and solemnely consecrated and said Masse in which after the ghospell as the maner was S. Gallus preached Episcopi duxerunt eum ad altare solemni benedictionts officio ordinauerunt Antistitem consumatoque sacrae promotionis ministerio rogauerunt cum sacrificij salutaris celebrare mysteria Praemissis ergo ex more diuinae oblationis initijs post lectionem Euangelij rogauerunt venerabilem Gallum vt multitudini quae aderat verbi officio sacrae instructionis pabulum ministraret Where wee see as much deuotion and reuerence vsed by the greatests opposites to S. Augustine to the holy sacrifice of Masse sacrificinge preisthood holy water holy oyle to consecrate altares dedication of churches and such like matters moste disliked by protestants as S. Augustine vsed or any learned Catholicke now professeth or defendeth 16. And to remember Masses of requiem for the deade so soone as S. Gallus heard of the death of Saint Columban this S. Gallus so renowned a man called his bretheren together and they prayed and said Masses for his soule Audiens mortem S. Columbani collegit fratres causas meroris aperuit Deinde tanti patris memoriam precibus sacris sacrificijs salutaribus frequentarunt What forme of Masse both these and they which then continued in Britanie vsed I haue proued before from the Brittish antiquities as also how al which here were contrary to S. Augustine in some ceremonials I haue demōstrated by all kinde of testimonies that in these and al other essentiall and fundamentall things and not ceremoniall or alterable in Religion they wholly agreed and without the leaste difference consented with S. Augustine the church of Rome and differed in all now controuersed questions from the present protestants of this nation and all others And so Catholicke Romane or as protestants call it the papists church as it hath euer since to these dayes of innouation from then beene the onely knowne and visible church as these men freely confesse and acknowledge all antiquities writers and monuments so testifying so it was in the same maner the onlie true visible church in euery age or hundred yeares from Christ and his Apostles vnto that time no other in any thing resēbling the present protestants congregation beeinge knowne or heard of at home or abrode by their owne confessions and all Arguments in any one of those ages of the primatiue church of Christ And so I end this historie FINIS A TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS THE I. CHAPTER WHERIN sacrificinge and Massinge Preisthood Preists and the sacrifice of Masse are proued by learned Protestants other testimonies from the history of Melchisedech Gen. 14. pag. 8. Chap. 2. The same proued with like allowance and approbation of Protestants out of the booke of Exodus pag. 30. Chap. 3. The same proued with allowance and consent of Protestants out of the booke of Leuiticus pag. 43. Chap. 5. Wherin the same holy doctrines are so also proued out of the Prouerbs of Salomon cap. 9. pag. 72. Chap. 6. Wherin the same mysteries are proued by the same maner out of the Prophet Esay and others pag. 78. Chap. 7. Wherin the same is proued at large by all expositions and testimonies euen by our Protestants themselues out of the Prophet Malachy pag. 89. Chap. 8. Wherin is proued by all kinds of testimonies Catholicks Protestants and whatsoeuer that Christ the true Messias as his calling and dignitie required in abrogatinge the preisthood and sacrifices of Moses lawe instituted an other more perfect sacrificinge preisthood and sacrifice of his sacred body and blood in Masse pag. 106. Chap. 9. Shewinge how the Apostles in generall beeing by Christ ordeyned sacrificinge preists did accordinge to that power and commaundement giuen vnto them offer the sacrifice of Christs body blood in Masse and ordered other preists to that end pag. 121. Chap. 10. Wherin is particularly proued of all the holy Apostles and Euangelists that they were sacrificinge massinge preists and did both practise and teach the same doctrines And first the 4. Euangelists and S. Paule who haue remembred these misteries in holy scriptures pag. 130. Chap. 10. How all the rest of the Apostles in particular S. Andrew Iames the great Thomas Iames the lesse Philip Bartholomew Symon Thaddaeus and Matthias were sacrificinge Preists and Apostles
by them allowed what highest spirituall offices the same glorious Apostle and his disciples performed here TO proue more amply what hath beene said of S. Peters beeing and preachinge here and to shewe what hee did for the first foundinge of our church A protestant Archbishop from diuers authorities writeth Whit gifts Answ. to the Admonition pag. 65. sect 1. and def of the Answ. pag. 318. The Apostle Peter did in euery prouince appoint one Archbishop whom all other Bishops of the same prouince should obey An other with great priuiledge saith Sutcliffe Subuers pag. 3. Peter preached in â—…e place but hee there ordeyned Bishops and teachers and founded churches And to shew that all these and such benefits came to vs first from S. Peter and his holy see of Rome among other Marcus Antonius de Dominis now by the greate mercy of God a penitent in the catholicke church when hee was in profession a protestant in England Marcus Anton de Domin de Repub christian l. 4. cap. 10. with publick priuiledg in England and a chosen champion for that Religion against the Pope by cheifest protestant authoritie in England then testifieth Est caput Roma quatenus ab ea diffusum est euangelium in reliquas totius occidentis ecclesias in multas orientis atque in barbaras etiam extra Romanum Imperium nationes Rome is the head of the church in so much as from it the ghospell was diffused into the other churches of all the West and into many of the East and into barbarous nations also without the Romane Empire And our Soueraigne kings speach in parlam 1. publickly protested of this church of Rome It is our mother church and consequently that it first brought vs forthe in spirituall christian birth as mothers doe their natural children to the world and that wee except wee will turne bastardly vnnaturall and disobedient children doe owe and must performe all dutie and obedience vnto it our most holy mother in Christ And to further this our bounden dutie the protestants of England in their Theater of the Emp. of greate Britante pag. 203 l. 6. c. 9. num 5. will helpe vs foreward whoe write in this maner That S. Peter the Apostle preached the word of life in this Iland as to other gentiles hee did for whome God had chosen him that from his mouth they might heare the ghospell as himselfe alleadgeth and that hee here founded churches and ordeined preists and deacons which is reported by Simon Metaphrastes out of the greek Antiquities and Gulielmus Eisingrenius in the first of his Centuries Therfore this beeing written by soe learned and holy a man as S. Simon Metaphrastes was and soe auntient aboue 700. yeares since and out of such monuments and Authorities of the Gretians as in his time were honored with the Title of Antiquities this alone might content vs in this matter as it hath already the best learned protestant Antiquaries of this nation But because allowance is giuen to the authoritie which cannot be denyed because it is the maner of Protestants to mynce authorities I will cite that holy auntient Father and Saint S. Sim. Metaphr 29. die Iunij in his owne wordes which bee these RomaÌ„ redijt ex qua venit Mediolanum Photicen quae sunt ciuitates in Continente In quibus cum constituisset Episcopos Presbyteros venit in Britanniam Quo in loco cum longo tempore fuisset moratus multas gentes non nominatas attraxisset ad fidem Christi angelicam aspexit visionem quae dicebat Petre instat tempus tua resolutionts oportet te ire Romam in qua cum mortem per crucem sustinueris recipies mercedem Iustitiae Cum ergo propterea Deum glorificasset egisset gratias apud Britannos mansisset dies aliquot verbo gratiae multos illuminasset ecclesias constituisset episcoposque presbyteros diaconos ordinasset duodecimo anno Caesaris Neronis rursus Romam reuertitur S. Peter by reuelation came to Hierusalem at the death of the mother of God then returning into Egipt by Africk came againe to Rome From whence hee came to Milane and Photice which bee cities in the contineÌ„t in which when hee had constituted Bishops and preists hee came into Britanie where when hee had stayed a longe time and drawne many nations not named to the faith of Christ hee had an Angelicall vision which saide ô Peter the time of thy Resolution is at hande and thou must goe to Rome in which when thou hast suffered death by the crosse thou shalt receaue the reward of lustice Therfore when hee had glorified God and giuen thankes for it and remayned some dayes with the Britans and illuminated manie with the word of grace and founded churches ordeyned both Bishops priests and deacons hee returned againe to Rome in the twelueth years of the Emperor Nero. Hitherto the very words of this learned Saint soe precisely and particularly describeing the tyme and comming of that glorious Apostle into this Iland staying here with his returne to Rome againe that as noe man except an infidell will or can deny it no Author of antiquitie or credit auouching halfe so much for either S Paul or any other Apostle to haue beene here at all soe except wee of EnglaÌ„d wil shew our selues the most vngratefull disobedient to that our first and most glorious Pastor and parent of all nations in the world except HierusaleÌ„ Antioch and Rome wee ar most engaged to honor and reuerence this most glorious Apostle his Successors in his holy Sec for neither Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia or Bythinia which hee himselfe particularly remembreth 1. Pet. 1. v. 1. nor any other kingdome or nation mentioned in any Author of credit and Antiquitie and to bee paralelled with him whom I haue cited approued euen in this point with all Catholicks and the moste iudicious indifferently mynded and best learned protestants can constantly affirme and proue that they had receaued such benefites and blessings from S. Peter as this our Britanie which to visitt hee went soe farr stayed therein soe longe and enritched as with soe many and vnansweareable graces and fauors continuinge them soe longe vntill he was admonished from heaueÌ„ to returne from hence to Rome as before his cominge thither hee also was as Metaphrastes die 29. Iunij S. Leo serm de Apostol with others write directed to come helpe vs in the west And if wee will follow the Roman tradition Baron annotat in 9. Maij in Pudente that Domus Pudentis erat primum hospitium S. Petri Romae the house of Pudens was the first lodging of S. Peter of Rome wee are more strictly bound to Rome and Rome to vs that beeinge the house of our renowned christian contrywoman Lady Claudia as our protestant writers tell vs. Matth. Parker antiq Britan. pag. 2.3 Godwyn Conuers of Britanie Cambd. in Britan. Theater of Brit. l. 6. Now lett vs enquire and sett downe
England allowed to bee publicke Thom. Rogers booke of the faith of England pag. 1. doe playnely saie that S. Aristobulus was Archbishop in this our Britanie Thus hee writeth in the name of English protestants and by their warrant Rogers supra artic 36. pag. Albeit the Termes and Titles of Archbishops we finde not yet the superioritie which they enioye and authoritie which Bishops and Archbishops doe exercise in orderinge and consecratinge of Bishops and ecclesiasticall ministers is grounded vppon the word of God for wee finde that in the Apostles daies how themselues both were in dignitie aboue the Euangelists and the 70. disciples and for authoritie both in and ouer the church as twelue patriarches saith Beza and alsoe established an ecclesiasticall heerarchie Hence came it that bishop was of Hierusalem Iames of Antioch Peter of the Asian churches Iohn of Alexandria marke of Ephesus and all Asia Timothie of all Creete Titus of Philippos Epaphraditus of Corinth and Achaia Apollos of Atheâ—…s Dionisius of Fraunce Crescens of Britanie Aristobulus Beza in act Apost 1.2 D. Chrisosto in Act. Homil. 33.2 Hieron in Gal. Euseb D. Hieron ad Euagr. D. Hier. in 2. Tim. 1. Theod. arg in epist. ad Tit. Theod. in epist. ad Phil. Euseb lib. 2. Dorotheus in Apostol Synops Where we see S. Aristobulus not onely ioyned in ranke and dignitie of spirituall preeminence with the Euangelists and Apostles themselues but with the generall authoritie of the protestant church of England plainely declared to bee the first founder of ecclesiasticall hierarchie and Archbishop of this our Britanie And to giue euident testimonie that in their iudgement this nation of the west both deriued the succession of the Bishops thereof from S. Peter and Aristobulus and neuer wanted by such vntil these dayes they thus conclude in this matter supra pag. 197.198 Finally from the Apostles dayes hetherto neuer wanted a succession of Bishops neither in the East nor Weste churches soe prouideÌ„t hath the almightie beene for the augmentation of his glorie and people by this kinde and callinge of men And thus much for the first Archbishop of Britany ordeyned by Saint Peter Now to come to speake of the Bishops hee consecrated and ordeyned for vs although it is precisely proued before that such there were Episcopos ordinauit S. Peter ordeyned Bishops here in Britanie for vs and euery Archbishop which is cheife of Bishops such as S. Aristobulus was vnto vs doth necessarily inferr and proue some Bishops subordinate and vnder els hee could not bee the cheife and principall for euery Archbishop inferreth necessarily some Bishops or Bishop vnder him their cheife in that callinge Diuers Antiquities of Glastenbury apud Capgrau in S. Ioseph affirme that one of the holy company of Saint Ioseph of Aramathia namly his sonne Iosephe was a Bishop which if so it was hee must needes bee subordinate to S. Aristobulus And yett if I would sett downe vncertayne thinges I might place our holy Bishoppe and marty S. Angulus in or neare this time with much more probabilitie then some without any authoritie I can finde referr him to the dayes of Diocletian his persecution or say that S. Martine to whome the christian Romans builded dedicated the church at Canterbury was a British Bishop and in this time for that such a S. Martyne a Bishop there was about those dayes there bee many testimonies and that hee was consecrated by Romane authoritie and soe aunciently to proue it probable hee was a Britanie that the auntient Manuscript of Radulphus de Diceto deane of London or whosoeuer Author of Abbreuiatio chronicorum saith that it was builded in the time of kinge Lucius for speaking of the time of that our first christian kinge hee affirmeth Abbreuiatio chronicorum in Lucio M. S Tunc constructa est extra Cantuariam ecclesia Sancti Martini then the church without Canterbury dedicated to S. Martyne was builded As diuers also were to S. Peter our moste glorious Apostle One I finde consecrated by S. Peter or his successor at Rome which was both a Britanne and liued and died a Bishop here in the time of S. Aristobulus a Germane writer calleth him Achates but I take not that to bee his name hee was one of the happy companions of S. Beatus our noble contryman consecrated at Rome of whome I will speake more when I come to that glorious man when I haue first entreated of the consecration of S. Mansuetus a renowned Bishop borne in this Iland consecrated by S. Peter himselfe This man as many antiquities say was natione Scotus by contry a Scot of the north part of this kingedome made Bishop by S. Peter whose disciple hee was before and sent into these parts or consecrated by him here and made Bishop of TulluÌ„ in Lorrayne Tullenses habuere ApostoluÌ„ suaeque in Christum fidei primuÌ„ Antistitem S. Mansuetum S. Petri Apostoli discipulum S. Clementis CollegaÌ„ origine ScotuÌ„ Arnold Merman in Theatro Conuers gentiuÌ„ in Metensib The inhabitants of Tullum saith Arnoldus Mermannius bad for their Apostle and first Bishopp of their faith in Christ S. Mansuetus a disciple of S. Peter the Apostle the fellowe of S. Clement a Scot by birth An other citinge alsoe for Authors Antonius Democarez and Petrus de Natalibus saith Guliel Eiseng centenar 1. part 1. dist 3. pag. 56. Petrus de Natal l. 11. c. vlt. Anton. Monchiacen Democh. l. 2. de Miss contr Caluin c. 33. S. Mansuetus natione Scotus ex nobili prognatus familia Simonis Barionâ—… Apostolorum Coryphaei discipulus socius B. Clementis Episcopi Mettensis à Petro Leucorum in vrbe Tullensi primus Antistes consecratus est anno Christi 49. Tiberio Claudio Caesare Augusto In the 49. yeare of Christ in the Empire of Claudius S. Mansuetus a Scot by contry borne of a noble family disciple of S Peter cheife of the Apostles companioÌ„ of S. Clement Bishop of Metz was By Peter consecrated the first Bishop in the citie of Tullum Mermennius before cited saith in Theatro conuers gentium that Saint Clement whose companion this our contrye man Saint Mansuetus was was Bishop of Metz in or about the 40. yeare of Christ in the â—…yme of Caius Caligula Emperor Metensibus fidei Religionisque Antistes fuit S. Clemens Romanus anno quod excurrit 40. Caio Galigula Imperatore S. Petro pontifice maximo But to admitt that S. Mansuetus was not made Bishop by S. Peter vntill the 49. yeare of Christ and was noe Bishop but an assistant of S. Clement at his first sendeing by S. Peter of him to Metz yett to haue a Bishop of our nation and consecrated and sent to forreyne parts by the cheife Apostle is an inuincible argument that both S. Peter was the first founder and father of the Brittans birth and life in Christ disposed of all spirituall affaires here longe before the cominge of any other Apostle either into this kingedome or part of the world to conuert it and left
at that time diuers Bishops in this contrie or fitt for that moste holy order otherwise hee would not haue sent S. Mansuetus of this contrie forth of Britanie to execute that high dignitie in a straunge nation such as Lorrayne where Tullum is then was and still is to this Iland And this I may more boldly write by a consequent and concluded leaue and warrant from our Protestant Bishops and other such Antiquaries whoe in their greate Theater of Britanie giue vs diuers graunts and Rules to leade vs both to soe tymely a beeing of Saint Peter in this kingedome his disciples preaching here both claiming exercising such powerable iurisdiction and authoritie here as I haue related from others First they write in these words Theater of greate Britanie lib. 6. cap. 9. § 5 If Peter were here at all which they graunted and is demonstrated by them before it was before euer he went to Rome and the ghospell was preached here before it was in Rome if Peter were the first as some hold that preached there both which may bee more probable Againe thus they write § 7. It hath passed with allowance amonge the learned Senate of our Antiquaries that when Claudius began to bannish and persecute the Christians in Rome which they think to bee before this time of S. Mansuetus beeing Bishop of Tullum many Romans and Britans beeing conuerted to the faith fled thence into these remote parts of the earth where they might did more freely enioy the libertie of their professions And from this Sanctuarie of saluation the sad lamenting Lady Pomponia Graecina the wife of Aulus Plantius the first Lord lieutenant of Britanie brought that Religion whereof she was accused and stood indited vppon life and deathe which was noe other then the Christian profession And to interpret themselues more clearlye where as they hould this greate Lady the Lord Lieutenants wife was conuerted thus they sett downe their marginall direction concerning this matter Aulus Plantius his wife became a christian in Britanie Now to assure vs how soone it was that S. Peter and his disciples had made soe happie an entrance and wrought soe glorious effects in this our kingdome these very Protestants tell vs. That Aulus Plantius was sent hither out of germany with an army the second yeare of Claudius which was as some Protestants write in the 44. yeare of Christ by others the 45. and stayed here but a short time returninge to Rome and triumphing there for his victories ouer the Britans in the yeare of Christ 49. and then in the yeare 50. Publius Ostorius Scapula was Propraetor here Theater supr lib. 6. c. 6. pag. 193. Protestants in Festis Regum an Dom. 44. Claudij 3. Stowe and Howes histor an D. 45 By which accompt of these Protestants themselues this lamentinge Lady Pomponia Graemia by them here conuerted to the faith of Christ and all her christian company as chaunceth in such cases at soe greate parsonadges conuersion and many other christians of the Britans which they say were then conuerted by those disciples of S. Peter or by himselfe noe others then beeing here must needes bee conuerted before or in the 49 yeare of the Incarnation of our Sauiour in which as I proued before our contryman S. Mansuetus was ordeyned Bishop of Tullum by S. Peter which was 14. yeares before the cominge of S Ioseph of Aramathia hither by all antiquities and diuers by the scriptures themselues before S. Paul came to Rome or any westerne nation And if wee may beleeue the Protestant writers of the Theater they make the coming of S. Paul to Rome longe after writing in these wordes Theater of greate Britanie supr l. 6. § 7. Paule came not to Rome till the tenth of Nero. When both by them and the scriptures hee was a prisoner two yeares and could not depart from Rome Which maketh these Protestants reckoning 16. or 17. yeares after the conuersion of soe many in Britanie and consecration of S. Mansuetus that holy Bishop by S. Peter And to proue further vnto vs not onely that these first christians of Britany were conuerted by S. Peter but that others of this our nation were euen at this time consecrated preists and Bishops alsoe by S. Peter these Protestant Bishops and others hauing immediatly spoken before of the conuersion of Lady Pomponia Graecina herein Britany in or before the 49. yeare of Christ they proceede in these wordes Theater of the Empire of great Britanie l. 6.8.9 B. Rhenan in history of Germany Pantaleon And much about these times as B. Rhenanus in his history of Germany Pantaleon and others doe reporte one Suetonius a noble mans sonne in Britanie conuerted to the faith by the first planters of the ghospell in this Iland and after his Baptisme called Beatus was sent by the bretheren from hence vnto Rome to bee better instructed and further directed by Saint Peter himselfe And returninge through Suitcerland found such willingnes and flockinge of the people to heare and receaue the doctrine of Christ that hee there stayed and built an oratory not far from the bake Thun neare the Towne called Vnderfewen where in preachinge and prayers hee employed his time to the day of his death which happened in the yeare of grace 110. Hitherto the words of our english Protestants of this glorious and renowned man far exceeding that which they giue him here for as their Author Henricus Pantaleon de viris Illustr Germaniae part 1 p. 114 a German Protestant writeth plainely of him that hee was the Apostle of Heluetians S. Beatus Heluetiorum Apostolus Which Title and name none but puritans of anie Religion will giue to any but Bishops and none but such which onely haue power to consecrate preists without which a true church cannot bee can either bee or truely called their Apostle And that this holy Bishop of Britanie though hee staied most in Heluetia yet that hee was principally sent to bee a Bishopp in Britanie by Saint Peter it is euident by these Protestants before testifyinge that hee was returning into Britanie and soe cheifely directed by Saint Peter Pantal. supra Stamph lib. 7. de Sanct. Which Pantaleon with Stamphius and others doe more plainely witnesse saying S. Beatus ille nobilibus parentibus natus ex Britannia in patriam rediens c. S. Beatus borne of noble parents in Britanie returninge into his contry and adding of him omnia bona pauperibus distribuit hee distributed all his goods to the pore must needes bee in Britanie where of these his goods he was to make distributor of them And these Germā historians tel vs that hee had an other companion sent and directed with him from Rome by S. Peter or his authoritie there and beeinge alsoe a Britaine returned hither beeing consecrated Preist or Bishop by the same authoritie and at the same time So that wee see by these Protestants themselues that soe longe as S. Peter liued the Bishops and Preists
Quē cùm benedictione consecrassent ab eius oculis elapsisunt And yett neither S. Sampson nor any other tooke this for a reall consecration but onely figuratiue of that which was after to bee done by the holie externall rite of the church of Christ vntill as wee reade in the same history our holy Archbishop S. Dubricius vpon the apparition and message of an Angell did truely and really externally consecrate him a Bishop nec multo post Angelus Domini beato Dubricio apparens Sampsonem ordinari Episcopum praecepit Capgr supr Soe I might exemplifie in many such cases only propheticall and figuratiue what should afterward bee done and not what was then effected Therfore if S. Ioseph was a Bishop as that antiquitie persuadeth by that figuratiue vision not cōsecrated before hee came into Britanie as is shewed before wee reade of no other which at that time made consecrated Bishops but S Peter I may probably at the leaste affirme that S. Iosephe was one of them which S. Peter at his departure hēce S. Iosephe beeing certainely here at that time was consecrated Bishop by Saint Peter here in Britanie And when I finde both Catholicks and Protestants affirme Martyrol Angl. 7. die Februarij Drekin Almin an 1620. 7. Feb. with others that S. Angulus was our Bishop of London martyr and yet noe historiā Catholick or Protestāt putteth him in the nūber of them which were Bishops there after the time of K. Lucius but quite leaue him out of that catalogue as appeareth by our Protestants Harrison Godwyne Stowe others which with al diligēce they could haue collected the auncient Bishops of London I must needs drawe him to an higher time then that of kinge Lucius was before which noe consecration of Bishops in Britany was or is so memorable as this by S. Peter the Apostle Harris de script of Brit Godw. Catalog of Bishop in London 1. Stowe and Howe l. hist Lucius Iocelin of Furnes l. de Episc Brit. And to end here the Relation of S. Peters proceedings in Britanie wee haue clearly deduced with the allowance of our best English Protestant Antiquaries and other Authors by them approued That S. Peter Prince of the Apostles was our first Father in Christ and renowned Apostle both immediately by himselfe and his holy disciples That hee performed here all cheife and eminent pastorall duties and offices when our Emperors with our Lieutenants here as also all our Kings were pagan Infidels That hee ordeyned and consecrated for vs Bishops preists and other clergie men and founded churches to the honor Religion of Christ and the honor of his blessed Mother S. Mary the Virgin few other christian Saints then deceased as that of Glastenbury not soe dedicated without his approbation beeing cheife in such affaires Hee consecrated other Britans out of this nation exemptinge them from the pagan seruice of those such remembred princes hee sent them by authoritie to preach the ghospell in other contries hee or his disciples conuerted Pomponia Graecina the Lord Lieutenants wife of Britanie as these Protestants haue proued and many in the like case their husbands continuing in their infidelitie and contradiction and many husbands and children the wiues and parents not allowinge as seruants in respect of their Lords and masters and Subiects in regard of soueraignes I a Catholick Preist now demaund of the best learned Protestāts Bishops of England whether these proceedings and prerogatiues in that moste glorious Apostle and his worthie disciples our first Masters in Christ were not as greate and ample as the renowned Preists and Catholicks of this kingedome now attribute and giue to the Popes of Rome his Apostolicke Successors Wee whoe haue reade moste and suffered much for this cause cannot see the difference or finde instance of disparitie except in number of parsons lesse or greater quantities of groundes and some improportions in such thinges which make noe essentiall diuersitie for otherwise wee haue beene told by the best learned Protestants with others that S. Peter and his disciples did manifestlie and directly transfer and chaunge those parsons places and propertie of thinges of this our Britanie from a temporall to al spirituall vse from the commande except in temporall dutie of the present Emperors Lieutenants Kings and Soueraignes alienated from Christiā Religion to the cōmande of Christ his Religion our moste holy Apostle and his disciples by his authoritie soe directinge THE III. CHAPTER How in the rest of this first Hundred yeares of Christ after Saint Peter The Apostolicke See of Rome still continued and exercised this supreame spirituall power in Britanie IT is a question not onely amonge Catholicks but some Protestants also whether S. Linus Cletus were Popes after S. Peter or onely Suffragan Bishops as soe ordeyned by him at the first And Pope Leo the second an holy Saint with there nowned of our Historians to omitt others S. Marianus Florentius Wigorniensis say plainely Si Petrus Apostolorum princeps adiutoris sibi asciuit Linum Cletum non tamen pontificij potestatem cis tradidit sed Clementi successori suo If Peter Prince of the Apostles did take Linus and Cletus to bee his Adiutors yett hee gaue not them the Papall power but to Clement his successor And Linus and Cletus did nothinge by their owne Lawes and power as popes but only soe much as was commaunded them by S. Peter S. Leo 2. in epist. decretal Marian. Scot. lib. 2. aetat 6. Florent Wigor in Siluan Otho Consul Robert Barns in vit Port. Rom. in Linum Therfore to omitt doubtfull and vncertaine thinges and to come next to S. Clement whoe moste certainely by all Cathololicks and Protestants was Pope of Rome nominated by S. Peter though Baronius and others whom he alleageth are of opinion that S. Clement yeelded his right and did not exercise the office of supreame pastour til after Linus and Cletus yet who in S. Peters life him were his Coadiutors after his death his successors before S. Clemēt to 1. Annal. p. 742.743.744.745 before any other by this Pope Doctors were sent into the west as our Protestants tell vs Margin annot vppon Matth. Westin an 94. Matth. Westm supr in greate numbers as S. Denis Nicasius Taurinus Trophimus Paulus Narbonensis Saturninus Martialis Gratianus Iulianus Lucianus Firminus Photinus all Bishops they add S. Regulus Whome although they setle thē with their Bishopricks in Fraunce yett it proueth the power spirituall commaund of that holy pope to haue extended it selfe aswell to this kingdome one and the same reason beeing for and against them both But wee finde diuers Authorities both late and auncient to induce vs to consent that some of these named holy Bishops sent at this time by S. Clement were sent by him into this kingdome of Britanie namely S. Taurinus and S. Nicasius and that S. Taurinus was Archbishop or Bishop of yorke Amonge others William Harrison a Protestant historian In descript of Britanie
and his company for a Protestāt Bishop according to the truth of histories writeth Godwyn conuers of Brit. pag. 16. c. 3. It seemeth that Ioseph and his fellowes preuayled little by their preaching and therefore gaue themselues at last vnto a monasticall and solitary life in the Iland of Aualon And euen their memorie was soe much forgotten when kinge Lucius was conuerted that as our best antiquities wee haue of that matter tel vs those which S. Eleutherius sent from Rome found the best information of them at Rome their auncient howse or church was foe desolat that it was become Latibulū Ferarum a den for wyld beasts at their cominge hither Antiquit. Glaston apud Capgrau in S. Ioseph Aramath in S Patr. I finde in histories no others from whom wee haue the leaste probabilitie to clayme a continuaunce in Religion therefore it must needs bee from Rome from whence alsoe wee had amonge these holy men some Bishops to continue a succession from thence For although S. Beatus was but lately deade liuing vnto this yeare 110. it is not vnlikely but his companion was still liuinge and except there were twoe of that name and in those times and the same contrie which no history doth remember S. Mansuetus was yet a liue and longe after vntil wee had manie other Bishops sent from Rome or consecrated here by the Romane authoritie in the time of this Kinge Lucius For wee reade in the Annals and Catalogue of the Archbishops of Treuers neare vnto Tullum that in the yeare 160. S. Mansuetus was Bishop there Mansuetus qui huic nomini vocationi suae vita proba anno Domini 160. optime respondit The seuenth Archbishop of Treuers was Mansuetus whoe by his godly life did excellently answeare this his name to bee meeke and his vocation in the yeare of Christ 160. Annales Arch. Treuer Petrus Merssaeus Catal. Arch. Treuer Which by noe historye I can finde was or could bee any other but Saint Mansuetus our contryman spoken of before both the name time and place soe neare vnto Tullum where hee was first Bishopp alloweinge it and nothinge impugninge it And amonge those Bishops here in Britanie and of our owne nation I finde two named beinge both consecrated and sent hither by the Authoritie of the See of Rome one of them S. Tymotheus sonne to our holy contryman Saint Marcellus or by some Marcellinus a Britanne borne and a Bishop here and after Bishop of the Tungers and lastely Archbishop of Treuers both which preached here in the time of Kinge Lucius longe before his conuersion and at or before this time and were instruments of his happy conuersion actually and parsonallye concurringe therto by mission and Authoritie from the Popes of Rome of which I haue made more lardge and ample relation in other places for this purpose soe many Authors here cited will suffice both Catholicks and Protestants consentinge that S. Tymothie and S. Marcellus or Marcellinus preached here in the time of kinge Lucius and before his conuersion Petrus de Natalib lib. 1. cap. 24. Harris Tom. 2. Magdeb. centur 2. Annal. Eccles Cur. Io Stumph in Rhetia Petrus Merssaeus in catalog Archiep· Treuer in Archiep. 20. Anton. Democh. l. 2. de Miss cont Caluin Gulielus Eisengren centen 2. part 4. distinct 7. Petr. Merss in Archiep. Treuer And that this S. Tymothie could not bee Saint Tymothie Bishop of Ephesus S. Pauls Scholler to whome hee wrote the Epistles whoe was martyred many yeares before Kinge Lucius was borne and S. Onesimus was his Successor in S. Ignatius time as hee himselfe is witnesse Epist ad Ephes But onely S. Tymothie our blessed contryman by his mother S. Claudia Martyrol Rom. die 20. Iunij and a child baptized by the Apostles and thereupon called their disciple whoe was owner of the house in Rome where S. Peter by the Roman tradition first entertayned there and of S. Tymothie the Lord thereof in his time named Thermae Timothinae the Bathes of Tymotheus Act. 5. Iustini Philosoph Baron annot in 20. Iunij in S. Nouato which hee forsooke for the loue of God and this his nation soe soone that by Pope Pius the first martyred in the yeare 154. his said house was cōsecrated a church hee himselfe beeing then in all probabilitie preaching in this Iland as so many Authorities cited doe warrant The historie of S. Marcellus or Marcellinus both to haue beene a Britane a Bishop and to haue preached here longe before S. Linus was conuerted that hee persuaded him to bee a Christian and after went into Germany and returned from thence into Britanie againe sent with others from Pope Eleutherius to conuert kinge Lucius this kingdome as they did is an vndoubted veritie acknowledged by all that write of that matter And therefore our Protestāts of England freely graunt vs in these wordes Euen from the dayes of those godlie men whoe first taught the Britans the ghospell there remayned amonge the same Britans some Christians which ceased not to teach and preach the word of God most sincerely vnto them But yett noe kinge amongst thē openly professed that Religion till at length this Lucius perceauinge not onely some of the Roman Lieutenants in Britanie as Trebellius and Pertinax with others to haue submitted themselues to that profession but alsoe the Emperor himselfe to begin to bee fauorable to them that professed it And then hee setteth downe how kinge Lucius sent to Pope Eleutherius to bee instructed in and receaue the faith of Christ and in like maner is the Relatiō of other Protestāts Holinsh. histor of England lib. 4. cap. 19. Math. Park Antiquit Britan. pag. 4.5 Ioh. Goscelius in histor Manuscript Bal. l. 2. de actibus Pontif. in Gregor 1. l. de Scriptor cent 1. in August Dirnoth Godwyn Conuers Powel annot in l. 2. Girald Cambr. c. 1. Foxe to 2. Act. pag. 463. Fulke Ans to count Cath. pag. 40. Middlet papist am pag. 202. Stowe Holinsh. c. Then if by these men there stil continued a succession of true preachers in Britanie from the Apostles time Protestant Articl of Religion Bils Whitgift Barlow Bridges Downam Hookeer Couel others against puritans Which the puclick Protestant Religion denieth to bee without true Bishops to consecrate such preists and preachers and the Romane Luietenants themselues and christians and soe consequently as the greatnes of their state and necessitie of the church here required had Bishops and rather from Rome beeing themselues Romans And I haue exemplified in soe many Bishops consecrated and sent hither by S. Peter and his holy successors Popes of Rome and not any one Instance can bee giuen of any one Bishop or preist in all this time sent or consecrated by any others wee must needes leaue that prerogatiue to Rome and honor to Britanie to haue had the holy Bishops and pastors of this church from thence And that Apostolicke See to haue ruled here in spirituall things as these Protestants haue freely acknowledged
the other Iudges were subiect to their power these by the the coÌ„mandement of the Apostle and Pope they deliuered from Idolatry and where there were Flamines they placed Bishops and Archbishops where there were Archflamines And the Seats of the Archflamines were in the three more noble cyties in London to witt in Yorke and the cytie of the Legions To these three superstition beeing taken away eight and twentie Bishops are subiected and the parishes or diocesses beeinge diuided Yorkeshire Scotland which the great riuer of Humber doth diuide from Loegria England was made subiect to the Metropolitane of yorke And the Archbishop of Yorke did of old time enioy the Right of Primate ouer all the prelates and Bishops of Scotland Which was againe decreed in a cowncell held vnder kinge Henry the second and Hughe the Popes Legate The like to this haue all our Antiquaries Catholicks or Protestants writinge of this matter The Author of the old Brittish historie the booke of Landaffe the Antiquities of Glastenbury S. Bede Ponticus Virunnius Radulphus de Diceto Asserus Capgraue Will of Malmesbury with other auncients and our present Protestant Antiquaries consentinge as Cambden HoÌ„linshed Harrison Stowe Howes the Theater writers and others two many to bee recited and needles their workes commonly extant and to bee seene of all onely I will alleadge Bicetes because his manuscript is rare and hee much commended both for Antiquitie and Authoritie by the ProtestaÌ„t Authors of the greate Theater Thus hee writeth Eleuther Papa ad quem Lucius Rex Britanniae missa epistola se fieri Christianum impetrat Eleuther ergo misit Faganum Dinuanum qui Regem Lucium baptizauerunt Templa etiam quae in honore plurimorum deorum fundata erant vni Deo dedicauerunt Erant tunc in Britannia 28. Flamines tres Archiflammines vbi erant Flamines Episcopos vbi autem Archistamines Archiepiscopos posuerunt Londonensi subiacuit Loegria Cornubia Eboracensi Diera Albania vrbi autem legionum Kambria Eleuther Pope of whome Lucius kinge of Britanie obteyned by an epistle hee sent vnto him to bee made a Christian sent Faganus and Dimianus which baptized Kinge Lucius The Temples which were founded in honor of manie gods they dedicated to one God There were then in Britanie 28. Flamines and three Archiflamines and where there were Flamines they placed Bishops and where there were Archflamines they placed Archbishops To the Archbishop of London England and Cornwall were subiect To the Archbishopp of Yorke were subiect Diera the North of England and Scotland and Wales to the Archbishop of Caerlegion Galfrid Monum l. 4. c. 19.20 Chronic. eccl Lond. apud Cam. l. 1. antiq cantabrig Antiq. Glast apud Capgra in S. Patric Bed l. 1. hist c 4. Pontic Virun l. 4. Radulph de Dicet hist. in Lucio Guliel Malmes de antiq caenob Glast Camb. in Brig Holinsh. hist of Engl. in Lucius Harris descript of Brit. Stow Howes in Lucius Theat of greate Brit. lib. 6. Hector Boeth l. 5. fol 86.85 with others Thus wee see by all historians olde and late Catholicks and Protestants that in this general plantinge of the faith in this nation all Religious matters were wholly ordered by these Legats of the Pope his supreame direction all Iurisdiction spirituall of Archbishops and Bishops with their peculiar diocesses and gouernements assigned and distinguished by this highest papall authoritie of the Pope of Rome by his legats here And to assure vs that nothing was then thought by the kinge himselfe or any christians here to bee firme and validate in this kinde without the confirmation of the Pope himselfe when these Archbishops and Bishops with their Iurisdictions were settled many churches dedicated to God and his holy Saints vniuersities or colledges for christian learninge and education assigned all orders of cleargie men instituted with all other necessary things in such a cause remembred in our histories which I haue at lardge related in an other place these holy Legates returned to Rome againe to obtaine the Popes confirmation of all these their holy ordinances constitutions which was orderly performed as both Catholick antiquities and Protestant historians doe thus vndoubtedly assure vs herein First Ponticus Virunnius in his Brittish historie l. 4. as it is warranred by Protestants saith of these Legates sent by Pope Eleutherius Romam redierunt cuncta quae fecerant a Pontifice confirmari impetrarunt confirmatione facta cum pluribus alijs redierunt in Britanniam They returned to Rome and obteyned to haue all things they had done to bee confirmed by the Pope and the confirmation beeing made they returned into Britanie with other The Author of the old Birttish history published with the selfe same Protestant approbation Galfrid Monument l. 4. histor Britan. cap. 20. saith Denique restauratis omnibus redierunt Antistites Romam que fecerunt à beatissimo Papa confirmari impetrauerunt confirmatione vero facta reuersi sunt in Britanniam compluribus alijs comitati At laste when the Bishops soe Virunnius also termeth those Legats had restored all things they returned to Rome and obteyned to haue those things they had done to bee confirmed by the most blessed Pope and the confirmation beeing made they returned againe into Britanie accompanied with many others Like bee the words of Matthew of Westminster warranted by these Protestants in this maner Matth. Westm. an 186. Anno gratiae 186. beati Antistites Faganus Deruuianus Romam reuersi quae feceraÌ„t impetrauerunt à Papa beatissimo confirmari In the yeare of grace 186. The blessed Bishops Fuganus and Deruuianus returned to Rome and obteyned those things which they had done to bee confirmed by the moste blessed Pope Which beeing finished the said doctors with many others returned into Britanie And our English Protestants in their Annotation vpon this place thus approue it Protest annot Merginal in Matth. West supr ad an 186. Fides Christi in Britannia confirmatur The faith of Christ is confirmed in Britanie All things of this nature were here confirmed by the Popes Authoritie De mandato Apostolico by the Popes commaundement as Martinus Polonus turned Protetestant by these men in their publishinge of him De mandato Apostolico ex praecepto Apostoli by the commaundement of the Apostle or Pope as readeth the Protestant Antiquarie Master Selden Martin Pol. in Eleutherio col 49. Selden supr in Anaclet c. 6. And soe all Protestants doe or ought to confesse approuinge those Authors I haue cited before and fetchinge the greatest euidence they haue of these things and tymes from them soe particularly as before registringe both the necessitie of the Popes approbation and confirmation to bee such that the Legates themselues were enforced to go froÌ„ hence to Rome to procure it and returned not hither for a finall settlinge of all things vntill the Pope had confirmed and approued them at Rome And â—…his illimitated and supereminent Power both claimed and exercised
the ghospell through the contryes of the Britans Scots and Picts ordeyned there preists consecrated them Bishops and diuided the contry into parishes as both Catholicks and Protestants are witnesses Audiens Pontifex Romanus quosdam in occiduis Britanniae partibus necdum fidem Christi suscepisse ad Episcopatus gradum Ninianum consecrauit Concreditum à Deo talentum per Britannorum Scotorum australium Pictorum terras ad senium vsque latissimè profudit Ordinauit presbyteros Episcopos consecrauit totam terram per certas parochias diuisit And liuinge in this preachinge vntill hee was very ould as a Protestant Bishop writeth Bal. centur 1. in Ninian Palladio Patricio he died in the yeare of Christ 432. before which time S. Palladius S. Patricius SS Germanus and Lupus were sent hither by S. Celestine Pope of Rome And yett that hee came hither in the fourth century it is euident for in his cominge hither from Rome hee came by S. Martin Bishopp of Tours in Fraunce as Capgraue and others writte Ioh. Capgr in S. Ninian and yett by Sigebert and others S. Martine died within the first 400. yeares Sigebert in Chronic. ad an 399. In which time alsoe wee had Coelius Sedulius of this nation scholler as a Protestant Bishop writeth to Hildiberthus a learned Bishop of Scotland Ioh. Bal. centur 1. in Coel. Sedul after whose death hee trauailed many nations for learninge sake as Spayne France Italy and Asia and beeinge excellently learned returned to Rome where hee longe time continued and was soe learned holy and gratefull a man to the Popes of Rome that Pope Gelasius to vse the Protestants words in the decrees distinct 15. calleth him venerable Sedulius and much prayseth his writings Neyther can wee thinke otherwise of his Master Bishop Hildibertus of whome hee was instructed and directed in these courses And this Sedulius himselfe alsoe was a Bishop as both Sigebertus and Bostius our contryman and the Protestant Bishop Bale from them are wittnesses Sigebertus Bostius apud Bal. centur 1. de Script in Coel. Sedul In which time alsoe liued S. Kebius our Cornish Bishop successor though perhaps not immediate to S. Amphibalus in the Bishoprick of Mona Ioh. Capgrau in S. Kebio Harpesf histor pag. 26. Pits in Kebio Whoe liued longe time with S. Hilary Bishopp of Poicters in Fraunce that worthie piller of the true Catholick faith and honor of the church of Rome and Successor of Saint Peter there that hee calleth him Hilar. ad Psalm 131. in Matth. can 16. Ecclesiae fundamentum caelestis Regni Ianitor cuius arbitrio aeterni aditus traduntur cuius terrestre iudicium praeiudicata authoritas sit in caelo Foundation of the church porter of the kingedome of heauen The happy foundation of the church the blessed porter of heauen to wose will die eternall passadges are committed whose iudgement on earth is preiudicate authoritie in heauen Such a tutor pedagoge and consecrator alsoe had this our happie contryman Saint Kebius in those turbulent hereticall times of the Arrians and their opposition against the Romane church a greate meanes by this our holy Bishop S. Restitutus Fastidius Priscus our Archbishops then and other godly Bishops of this nation to preserue this kingedome in the true faith and obedience to the Pope of Rome in soe much that S. Hilarie himselfe lib. de Synodis aduersus Arr. commendeth the Bishops of Britanie for the sinceritie in those times to their eternall honor Hee dyed as our Protestants write in the yeare of Christ 370. And in this age alsoe was that renowned S. Vrsula with her glorious company of Bishops other cleargie men Virgins and others as those Protestants ar witnesses whoe as both Ptolomaeus Lucensis Capgraue the Antiquities of Collene and the German histories testifie Baleus centur 1. in Vrsula Cynosura an 390. Stowe histor an 394. in Theodosius Martyrolog Roman die 21. 22. Octob. Beda hac die Vandelbert Baron in annot Ptolom Lucens in S. Vrsula Capgrau in S. Vrsula Annal. Coloniens c. made that their moste holy pilgrimadge to Rome and at their returne receaued the crowne of Martyrdome at or neare Cullen in Germanie where as alsoe in the whole Christian world and both to their honor and the glory of our country they are celebrated in the most auncient Martyrologes in which sacred company as Capgrauius and diuers others testifie there were manye Bishops of this kingedome as namelie Willielmus or Michael Columbanus Ywanus Eleutherius and Lotharius Which I rather name that wee may know how this kingedome at that tyme both was soe replenished with Bishops that it might spare soe manie to bee sent from hence with those holy Virgins and to giue euidence how deuoted and respectiue the Bishops and cleargie with the rest the Christians of this kingedome were towards the See of Rome in these dayes THE FIFTE CENTVRIE OR HVNDRED YEARE THE IX CHAPTER Shewinge by these Protestants of England how both the Popes highest spiritual power was still here continued and a perpetuall succession of our Bishops and Cleargie alsoe in Britanie from the See of Rome as in the other Ages before NOw wee are come to the fift Century in the beginning whereof the first Fathers of Heresie and Opposers against the holy Apostolick See of Rome which I finde to haue beene of our Brittish nation were the monstrous rebellious Hereticks Pelagius and Timotheus not that I finde them more formally directly opposite to the See Apostolick then other Hereticks were but as the nature and necessitie of heresie is to bee euer contrarie and disobedient to their cheife iudge and commaunder in such cases the Pope of Rome with councels assembled for as our Protestants tell vs diuers Popes of Rome both by themselues and in councels had condemned Pelagius for an hereticke and yett hee obstinately persisted in his condemned errors Innocentius the first condemned Pelagius the monke and Coelestius of heresie for preferringe free vvill before the grace of God and sayd the vvil of man by it selfe was sufficient able to fulfill the cōmaundements of God and tooke avvay the necessitie of Baptisme and faith in Christ Rob. Barns in vit Pont. Rom. in Innocent Bal. centur 1. de Scriptorib in Pelagio heresiarcha Innocentius primus Pelagium monachum Coelestium haereseos damnauit quod liberū arbitrium gratiae Dei praeferrent dicerentque voluntatē per se sufficere ad implenda Dei mādata praesul ordinatus Pelagius sui nominis haeresim fabricabat asserens hominem sine peccato nasci ac solo voluntatis imperio sine gratia saluari posse vt ita nefarius baptismum ac fidem tolleret Pelagius after hee was made a Bishopp framed an heresie of his name affirminge that man was borne without sinne and by the onely commaunde of his wil without grace by Christ might bee saued that the wicked man might soe take away both baptisme and faith Pope Sozimus alsoe as these men
before and that by the Popes approbation I will shew herafter And it seemeth to bee certayne both by himselfe and others that this Protestant Bishop where hee speaketh of the kings and peoples election did add it of his owne Inuention for both by others and himselfe alsoe in other places there is no such thinge in this narration Iohn Capgraue whome this man much commendeth thus relateth this history Godwin Conuers of Brit. Cum Sanctus Germanus Lupus haeresim illam Pelagianam extirpassent Episcopos in pluribus locis Britanniae consecrarunt dextralis partis Britanniae beatum Dubritium summum Doctorem Archiepiscopum statuerunt Landauensem ecclesiam in honore beati Petri fundatam sedem cathedralem collocarunt collatis autem ecclesiae Landauensi à Rege multis possessionibus ecclesijs Dubricius discipulos per ecclesias diuisit quasdam nouas ecclesias fundauit Danielem in Episcopum Bangerensem Sanctum Iltutum in loco ab illo Lanitut id est Ecclesia Iltuti vocatum ordinauit Ioh. Capgrauius in Catalog in S. Dubritio When S. Germanus and Lupus had rooted out that Pelagian heresie they consecrated Bishops in many places of Britanie they appointed blessed Dubritius cheife Doctor and Archbishop of the right hand part of Britanie and placed the church of Landaffe founded in honor of S. Peter the cathedrall See and many possessions and parishes being giuen by the kinge to the church of Landaffe Dubricius diuided his disciples by the churches builded some new churches Hee ordeyned Daniel Bishop of Bangor and S. Iltutus in a place called of him Lanitut that is the church of Iltutus The very same words without any word added or detracted ar in the life of S. Dubritius in the greate old Manuscript of many Saints written diuers hundreds of yeares since Manuscript antiquum permagnum pr. gloriosi ac Deo dilecti in S. Dubricio And both these Antiquities teach with all others that Aurelius Ambrosius kinge was here at that time with generall commaund and that hee with the whole cleargie consented to haue S. Dubritius Archbishop of Wales and S. Sampson of Yorke their words bee Sancti Episcopi praedicti consentiente Rege Ambrosio Aurelio necnon omni clero Dubritium Archiepiscopum consecrarunt The twoe holy Bishops S. Germanus and Lupus the kinge Ambrosius Aurelius and all the cleargie consentinge consecrated Dubritius Archbishop and againe Impositum est Diadema capiti Regis Aurelij Ambrosij de communi consensu sedem Eboracensem contulit Sampsoni viro Sancto vrbis verò Legionum Archiepiscopatum inclito Dubritio dedit Aurelius Ambrosius was crowned kinge and by common consent of the Legats and cleargie hee bestowed the See of Yorke on Sampson an holy man and the Archbishoprick of Caerlegion on renowned Dubritius Soe that it clearely appeareth that if there was any such kinge as Monric at that time he was but a little Regulus in the cōtry about Lantaui and perhaps temporall Lord of that place and soe his consent for the settlinge of the Archbishops See there by the Legats was requisite and graunted and in noe other sence For this Protestant Bishop himselfe Godwin Catalog in S. Dauies Roger Houeden Matth. Parker antiquit Britan. Producer of this Antiquitie is wittnes with all writers that at this time and at the cominge of S. Augustine soe longe after the Bishopricks of Exeter in Deuonshire Bathe in Sommersettshire Hereford and Worcester which could not belonge to any petty Prince or Regulus were subiect to that Archiepiscopall See therefore such things were rather done by the direction or cōmaund of the Legats Iubente Sancto Germano as our Protestants publish in their Brittish history Galfrid monum histor Reg. Britan. lib. 6. c. 14. And as much confessed by this Protestant Bishop himselfe in diuers others places and in these plaine termes Godwin Catalog in S. Dauids in Dubritius Dubritius was made Archbishopp of all Walles by Germanus and Lupus twoe Bishops of Fraunce that were entreated by Aurelius Ambrosius the Kinge or Ruler of Britanie to come ouer and yeeld their best helpe for extinguishing the Pelagian heresie that had then taken great roote in this contry And they appointed his See to bee at Landaff which soone after was remoued to Caerlegion vppon Vske in Monmoutshire And in an other place thus hee writeth Godwyn Catalog in Landaff 1. in Dubritius The cathedral church of Landaffe is reported to haue beene first built in the time of Lucius about the yeare of Christ 180. But I perceiue not that any Bishop satt there before Dubritius that by Germanus Bishop of Altisiodore and Lupus of Trecasia tvvo Bishops of Fraunce vvas first consecrate Archbishop of those parts and sate sometimes at Caerleon sometimes at Landaffe Where hee quite forgetteth his kinge Monric attributinge all to the Popes Legates And a little after citinge the very same booke of Landaffe which hee did before hee produceth many Bishops of that See to haue excommunicated the kinges or princes of that contry of which hereafter Godvvyn Catalog of Bish. in Landaff pag. 518.520.521.523 edit an 1615. Soe that there is not the leaste suspition left eyther by the booke of Landaffe or any antiquitie but the cheife spirituall power and iurisdiction in this kingedome was euer acknowledged generally to be in the holy Apostolick See of Rome and at this time executed here by those holy Legats from thence Which more appeareth in this holy Archbishop S. Dubritius whoe was not onlie thus consecrated and disposed of in those highest spirituall affaires by authoritie from Rome but was alsoe himselfe the Popes Legate here in Britanie as Robertus Caenalis the french Bishop the Brittish history and other witters say Robert Caenal Gallic hist. l. 1. perioche 6. Galfr. monum l. 9. cap. 12. histor Brit. Ex Vrbe Legionū Dubritius hic Britaniae primas Apostolicae sedis Legatus tanto religione clarebat vt quemcumque langore grauatis orationibus suis sanaret Dubritius Archbishop of Caerlegion Primate of Britanie and legate of the See Apostolicke was soe holy that hee healed all sick parsons by his prayers Therefore beeing the Popes Legate and liuinge here soe longe vntill the yeare of Christ 522. as two Protestant Bishops tell vs. Godwyn sup Bal. centur 1. in Dubricius And Primate of Britanie there can bee noe doubt of the Popes power here in this time if wee had noe other instances and Arguments to Insist vpon in this matter for those daies But these Protestant Antiquaries Galfrid monum histor Reg. Britan l. 6. c. 13. Io. Capgrau Catal. in S. Dubritij Manuscript of Saints old in Dubrit and others tell vs that these Legats thus sent from the Pope did not come hither onely to extirpate those heresies but to preach the true Religion in all other things for the christianitie of the Britans was then corrupted not onely by the Pelagian heresie but by the Pagans which the kinge had brought hither
come This man had disciples in greate number aswell French men as Britās of the which the cheifest were Sampson Paulinus Dauid and Gyldas Badonicus The same is proued vnto vs by other Protestants Merchiannus Rex in Dipl apud Caium antiq Cantabr l. 1. pag. 147. Catalog Sanct. Wall in S. Iltuto And how the Pope graunted him this priuiledge of such publick teachinge Magistralis tibi cura à Pontifice concessa est as the kinge of those parts in his princely graunt with others witnesse Therefore if the greatest doctors and teachers of others in Britanie in these times were thus licenced by the Popes their Legates and schollers of their legats wee cannot question but such as the Masters such likewise the schollers and disciples were especially when wee find their cheifest Schollers S. Dauid S. Sampson made Archbishops by the Poopes Authoritie and this former primate of all Britanie by the Popes graunt as hereafter Matth. Westm. ad An. 727. And that the scholers of Britanie were not then allowed without the Popes priuiledge doth further appeare by our Protestants Hardinghe Lydgate and others Ioh. Hardinge apud Bal. in praefat ad l. de Script Stow histor Ioh. Caius l. 1. antiq Cantabrig Brian Twin apol Oxon. l. 1. testifying that in the tyme of S Gregorie the vniuersities or publick Scholes of Stamford Caerlegion and perhaps some others were interdicted by the Pope for some errors they held at this time The Antiquaries of Cambridge contend Caius sup l. 1. that their vniuersity was then Innocent and soe preserued and priuiledged Brian Twyn apol l. 2. pag. 143. They of Oxord seeme to graunt and glory in it that S. Germanus the Popes Legate did confirme the orders and constitutions of the vniuersitie of Oxford and alledge Asserius Meneuersis to that purpose Asser Meneu apud Brian Twyn supr Diuum Germanum Oxoniam aduenisse annique dimidium illic esse moratum qui ordines instituta illius loci mirum in modum comprobauit Saint German came to Oxford and stayed there halfe a yeare and greately approued the orders and institutions of that place And to proue that all the Christians of this Britany then in this age acknowledged this power of the Pope or Rome and their dependance of him in spirituall things the Archbishops See of London beeinge wasted and persecuted by the pagan Saxons moste swayinge in the prouinces subiect vnto it wee doe not reade of any Archbishop of London after the martyrdome of S. Vodinus vntill Theonus Bishop of Glocester tooke charge thereof in the yeare 553. as a Protestant Bishop writeth in this manner Godwyn Catalog of Bish in Lond. in Vodinus and Theonas Stow. histor in Lucius I finde onely one of them named viz. Theonus that beeing first Bishop of Glocester forsooke it and tooke the chardge of London vppon him in the yeare 553. soe write other Protestants Therefore wee must now seeke to the other two Archiepiscopall Sees Caerlegion and Yorke For S. Dubricius hee was both consecrated by the Popes Legate S. Germanus and hee himselfe alsoe both the Popes Legate and Primate of all Britanie Britanniae Primas Apostolicae sedis Legatus Galfrid Monum hist Reg. Brit. l. 9. cap. 12. Godwyn Catal. in S. Dauids 1. Landaff 1. Soe that there is noe question of him but hee acknowledged this highest spirituall power in the See of Rome whose Legate hee was then in this kingedome Neyther can there bee any doubt of the Archbishop of Yorke in this behalfe at this time for S. Sampson was then Archbishop there whoe as before was both scholler to S. Dubritius soe earnest a patrō of the Romane See and alsoe of S. Iltutus as before scholler to S. German the Popes Legate and warrāted to bee publick professor teacher here by the Popes allowāce to giue more certaynety herein this holy man S. Sāpson was miraculously chosen of God as Capgraue and others write to the Archiepiscopall See of Yorke Ioh. Capgrau in Sampsone and was consecrated by S. Dubritius the Popes Legate and primate of Britanie Therefore there cannot bee the least suspition but that both hee and the prouinces both of the North of England and Scotland alsoe then vnder his iurisdiction were of the same opinion in this matter And if the Metropolitan See of London a little before destroyed as our histories tell vs. Galfrid mon. histor Reg. Brit. l. 8. cap 9. by the pagan Saxons with other churches of that prouince had then any Archbishop whose name is not remembred noe man of indifferent iudgement will thinke that he differed in opinion in this matter from those glories of this kingedome and church thereof S. Dubritrius the Popes Legate and S. Sampson consecrated by him by whome alsoe whose authoritie from the See of Rome if London then had any Archbishop at this time hee was likewise consecrated noe others then beeing to intermedle in that busines And our kings of that time Vortimer Aurelius Ambrosius Vther Pendragon and Arthur crowned kings by these holy Archbishops Legats patrons and knowne mainteyners of the priuiledges of the Apostolicke See of Rome Kinge Vortimer belonged to the age before therefore I onely here say of him as I am directed by our Protestants in the Brittishe historie as they approue it Galfrid Monum l. 6. cap. 14. Matth. Westm. an 454. That after hee was chosen kinge and obteyned victorie of the pagans soe soone as it was in his power hee did all thinges especially apperteyning to Religion by the direction or rather commaund as the words be of S. Germanus the Popes Legate Victoria potitus Vortimerus caepit reddere possessiones ereptas ciuibus ipsosque diligere ac honorare Ecclesias iubente Sancto Germano renouare Vortimer hauing obteyned victorie began to restore the possessions that were taken from the citizens and to loue and honor them and by the commaundement of S. German to renewe the churches Neyther can wee make it a straūge thing if wee will follow soe manie Protestant guides to leade vs as before that kinge Vortimer followed the commaundement of Saint German the Popes Legate in such affaires when they haue assured vs that by his direction and order both his Father Vortigern kinge before him was deposed and this man by the same power and order was chosen and erected to bee kinge And the same is the condition and case of Aurelius Ambrosius by the same power and proceedings made kinge as these Protestants tell vs when Vortigern was deposed the second time Protest Catalog Regum Britan. Stowe histor in Vortiger Aurel. Ambros and Vterp Holinsh. in eisd Soe likewise of Vterpendragon his brother both of them made kings by cōmon consent of the cleargie nobles the line of Vortigern beeinge quite disinherited and hee himselfe to write in Protestāt words burnt in his castle in Wales by Aurelius Ambrosius his brother Vter Galfrid monum histor Reg. Brit. l. 8. cap. 2.17 But Nennius writeth that one
Walles sufficient is said allready And yet these were onely the cheife holy and learned Bishops here in that time not anie one comparable to the meanest of these mentioned in any writer I can finde to haue resisted either the Popes ordinance or his Legats authoritie And to satisfie a vaine obiection of some Protestant writers That S. Columbanus the holy Irish or Scottish Abbot whose authoritie some Britans in the tyme of S. Augustine pretended for defence of their error in obseruing the feast of Easter not presently submitting theÌ„selues to the coÌ„maund of the church of Rome it is euident by auntieÌ„t histories that both this S. Columban and the cheifest of them submitted theÌ„selues wholly vnto it receaued both instruction and iurisdictioÌ„ froÌ„ thence For it is testified in a very old Manuscript cited by Surius that both S. Kelian which was the most renowned of them and that S Columbanus and S. Gallus submitted themselues with their associats to the Pope of Rome in all thinges at that time Thus it testifieth of S. KeliaÌ„ made Bishop of Herbypolis Wirtzburg in Franconia by the Pope Sur. in vit S. Kel M. S. peruetust apud eund supr Praedicationi abstinuit donec Romano se Pontifici praesentaret quatenus apud RomanaÌ„ sedem integruÌ„ christianae Religionis dogma licentiaÌ„ praedicaÌ„di acciperet Hibernia siquidem olim Pelagiana faedata fuerat haeresi Apostolicaque censura damnata Hee abstayned from preaching vntil hee presented himselfe vnto the Pope of Rome that hee might receaue froÌ„ the See of Rome both the sownd doctrine of Christian Religion and licence to preach For Irland his contry was auntiently defiled with the pelagian heresie and condemned by apostolick censure and there sheweth how hee had companions both of his iorney and submission amonge others Saint Columbanus and S. Gallus leauing the first in Italy and the other in Almayne The like hath Iohn Capgraue and a verie old manuscript which hee followeth if not the same with that of Surius Ioh. Capgrau in S. Kilian M. S. antiq pr. gloriosissimus Rex Eduardus in S. Kiliano In oppido orientalis Fraunciae quod Wirttzburch eorum lingua dicitur cum aliquo tempore sub silentio stetisset Romam profectus est officio praedicandi à Papa recepto Episcopus ordinatus socijs eius Columbano scilicet in Italia Gallo in Almania remanentibus Saint Kilian stayed in a Towne of east France called in their languadge Wirtzburch and when hee had beene there some time in silence hee went to Rome and receauing from the Pope power to preach and beeing ordeyned a Bishop returned leauing his Companions Columbanus in Italy and Gallus in Almayne Where it is euident not onely these Scottish Saints did not onely submitt themselues to the Pope in all matters both of doctrine and iurisdiction but the Pope at that time extended and exercised that his supreame spirituall power both in Italie Fraunce Almayne Britaine and Ireland both to censure a whole nation and to disable any to preach or exercise spirituall function without his licence And although the kings of Britanie after Kinge Arthur euen to the desolation of the Britans were by all histories euen of their owne as Gildas Nennius the Brittish historie and others moste wicked men and such that by all testimonie of Protestants and others their kingedome was ouerthrowne by God for the sinnes of them and their people yett not anie one of them by any historie did denie this power of the See Apostolick but euen their last kinge Cadwalladar as their owne historian writteth Gildas de excid Britan. Galfrid mon. l. 11. histor cap. 3.4.5.6.7.8 monum histor beeing admonished from heauen Nolebat Deus Britones in Insula Britanniae diutius regnare that God would not haue the Britans reigne any any longer in the Iland of Britanie went as hee was admonished on pilgrimage to Rome submitted himselfe to Pope Sergius and died an holy Saint in soe much that our Protestants thus note of him Galfrid mon. l. 12. cap. 17.18 Bed l. 4. histor in Epitom an 688. Matth. Westm. an 688.689 Protest annot in Matth. Westm an 688. Regnum relinquens propter Deum Romam venit leauinge his kingdome for gods sake hee went to Rome An other saith Stowe histor in Cadwallader Cadwallader forsakinge his kingely authoritie went to Rome whoe after became a monke and was buried in S. Peters church at Rome hee was the laste kinge of Britanie saith Geffrey Galfrid Mon. l. 11. cap. 12. And for the Archbishop of Walles to whome some British Bishops in the time of S. Augustine said they ought obedience cum suum Archipraesulem haberent there is not the least colour or pretence of any title by these Protestants themselues how hee or his See could bee exempted from the Popes Authoritie for as these men haue told vs before it was first instituted by Pope Eleutherius in the time of kinge Lucius and by the succeedinge Popes and their Legats here as is before declared confirmed and ratified they receaued their Palle the signe of an Archbishop from Rome and after their vnion with the Saxons and disciples of Pope Gregory in the time of S. Theodore Archbishop of Canterbury vsed it and Archiepiscopall Authoritie in all degrees and by the Popes permission and allowance fiue and twentie Archbishops successiuely from S. Dauid to Archbishop Sampson and had seuen Bishops subiect vnto them vntill this Sampson flyinge the contry in a time of sicknes carried away the Pall into little Britanie Amonge manie others a Protestant Bishop thus relateth this matter Girald Cambren in Itinerar Cambr. Antiquit. eccl S. Dauid apud Godwin S. Dauid Matth. Park antiquit Brit. Rog. Houeden Godwin Catalog in S. Dauids in Sampsone In the time of Sampson the See of S. Dauid had seuen Bishops Suffragans subiect vnto it as the Antiquitie of the church of S. Dauid declareth to witt Exeter Bathe Hereford Landaff Bangor S. Assaph Furnes in Ireland Roger Houeden vvhich I accompt more likely reckoneth these Landaffe Lanpatern in Cardigan shire Bangor Saint Assaph Chichester Hereford and Worcester While hee was Bishop it hapned the people of all that contry were wonderfully vexed with Ianudise soe as great numbers of them died daily of that disease By the importunitie of his clergie and disciples hee was induced to flie the contry and sailed into Britanie where the Bishoprick of Dola beeing voide hee was straight way elected vnto the same Hee had brought thither with him the Archiepiscopall Pall of S. Dauid and vsed it duringe his life as did alsoe his successors there for many yeares vntill they were compelled by the Pope at the suite of the Archbishop of Turon to leaue it and make profession of obedience vnto him as in former times By this occaâ—…on it fell out that the Successors of Sampson in Saint Dauids what for want of their Pall or for pouertie or negligence or some other occasion loste their Title of bishop and to
british Bishops besides with their preists and cleargie sent from hence for Armorica or little Britanie in Fraunce as the holy massinge Bishops and Martyrs sent and martyred with S. Vrsula and the other 11000. Virgins and Martyrs of Britanie S. Michael Iacobus Columbanus Iwanus Elutherius Lothorius and Mauritius Episcop Gen. in vit S. Vrsul Matth. Westm. an 391. Io. Capgrau Catal. in S. Vrsula M. S. antiq ibid. Harris in Theatr. To. 4. in S. Vrsula antiquitat Ecclesia Coloticen al. al which with all other Bishops and preists of this kingdome cōsented with the whole Christian world as is shewed before in the doctrine of holy Masse sacrificinge preists and preisthood which our protestants will more demonstrate vnto vs by the publicklie taught and receaued Religion of Britanie in this time for they produce vnto vs an old auncient sermon written in the latine tonge and translated into the saxon language by Aelfricus in the yeare 996. and to write in protestants words this sermon was vsuall to bee read in the church here in England in the yeare 366. Iohn Foxe Act· Monum pag. 1142. which must needs bee a moste excellent testimonie for this age time And yet amonge many other thinges tendinge to the same purpose thus we finde by our protestants translation therof In the olde lawe faithfull men offered to God diuers sacrifices that had fore signification of Christs body which for our sinnes hee himselfe to his heauenly Father hath since offered to sacrifice Certainely this housell which wee doe now halow at Gods altare is a remembrance of Christs body which he offered for vs and of his blood which hee shed for vs So hee himselfe commaunded doe this in my remembrance Once suffered Christ by himselfe but yet neuerthelesse his sufferinge is daily renevved at this supper through mistery of the holy housel And againe In that holy housel there is one thing in it seene and an other vnderstoode That vvhich is there seene hath bodily shape and that vvee doe there vnderstand hath ghostly might The housell is dealed into sondry parts chevved betvveene teeth and sent into the belly hovvbeit neuerthelesse after ghostlie might it is all in euery part Many receaue that holy body and yet notvvithstandinge it is so all in euery part after ghostly mistery 13. And shewing how the Paschal Lambe was a figure of this holy sacrifice of Christ the Lambe of Innocency and God which taketh away the sins of the worlde as in holy Masse wee so pray vnto Christ there present vnder that denomination they teach it was the vse and custome of our Christians in Britanie in that time to doe the same the very words of that olde brittish publicke homely by our protestants translation bee thus That innocent Lambe vvhich the olde Israelites did then kill had signification after ghostly vnderstandinge of Christs sufferinge vvho vnguiltie shedd his blood for our redemption Hereof singe Gods seruants at euery Masse Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi miserere nobis That is in our speache Thou Lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the worlde haue mercie vpon vs. Where wee see plainelie acknowledged by this so auncient antiquitie in this fourth hundred yeare and the protestants themselues so translatinge and proposinge it that generally in that time the holy sacrifice of Masse was offered by the Bishops and preists of Britanie in all places and all the seruants of God did then acknowledge professe that Christ the true Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world was therin offered and there present prayed vnto by all Gods seruants Which is as much as any massing preist Bishop or Pope holdeth teacheth or practiseth at this time concerning these things 14. And because in this age this our kingedome had by agreement both of auncient and late writers and by protestants themselues Bal. l. de scriptor in Palladio Niniano a greate dependance of Rome both in temporall and spiritual affaires and many of our cheifest cleargie men as S. Teruanus and S. Ninianus those two glorious Northrē Bishops had both their education instruction ordination and iurisdiction from thence as many others had at this time and the Bishops of Rome are so much charged by our protestant writers for adding vnto the holy sacrifice of Masse I will only vse these mens authority which say they will set downe what euerie Pope did add Quid alij Pontifices addiderint suo loco in Pontificijs actis dicetur And they are so farr from not performinge their promise in this that they rather relate more then lesse added by these holy Popes as will bee made euident by theire owne testimonies hereafter Yet for more ample satisfaction let vs followe them in this point Of S. Siluester I haue spokē before next to him succeeded S. Marke who as these men say was Pope in the time of Constantine the great Constantino Imperante in Pontificatu sedit which time was an holy time in Religion by our Kings iudgement and so this Pope not likely to make any publick lawe vnholie Therefore these protestants onely say of him that hee ordeyned the creede of the Nicen councell to bee said or sunge at Masse Rob. Barnes in act Pont. Rom. in Marc. 1. Io. Bal. in vit Pont. in eod Edw. Grimston in Marc. but this Nicen creed is holy in all iudgements and was receaued and vsed in Britanie here in that time as I haue proued it is receaued by the protestant parlament of England subscribed and sworne vnto by all the protestant Bishops and ministers of England allowed in the articles of their Religion and practised in theire churches Parlam an 1. Eliz. K. Iames can articles of Relig. articl Creed commun booke c. and therefore doth a protestant antiquarie iustly say of that holy creed time in the yeare of Christ 330. At this time the Nicen creed was commaunded to bee sunge or said in all Christian churches Stowe hist. Rom. ad an 330. therefore none but Arrian Hereticks euer did or will impugne it 15. The next Pope which these mē finde to haue added any thinge to this holy sacrifice was holy Damasus an acknowledged good Bishop and as they teache hee onely added the Confiteor Confession vsed in the beginninge of Masse in which there is nothinge which protestants disallowe but confession and prayer to Saints there remembred Io. Whitguift ansvv to the admonit pag. 78. and def of ansvv pag. 489. Bal. in vit in Damaso Barnes in eodem Grimston in Damasus which as I haue proued before was vsed in the church of God and in this Realme of Britanie in the Apostles dayes And to passe ouer so many examples and testimonies of other Christian people and places in the second age our Apostles S. Damianus and Fugatius praied to S. Michaell the Archangell and other Angels dedicated a church or chappell to them the ruines yet standinge neare Glastenburie antiquit Glaston M. S. Gapgrau in Catal
Papisticae Missae inseruit And yet this sacrificinge massinge and papisticall Pope was hee by all antiquities on whome Britanie in those dayes did cheifly depend for direction and instruction in matters of Religion 3. Therefore to make all peace and attonement wee may by the proceedings and institutions of this holy Pope and our Master and Pedagogue in Christ let vs learne of our protestants themselues what were the things he added to the sacrifice of Masse whether any matter essentiall or that may be excepted against They haue told vs that before his additions the Masse was papisticall and concerninge his additions In initio sacrificij vt psalmus Iudica me Deus discerne causam me am c. à sacrificaturo diceretur ordinauit graduale in Missa ordinauit He ordeyned that the psalme Iudge mee ô God discerne my cause should be said in the beginning of the sacrifice by the preist that offereth the sacrifice and he ordeyned the graduale should be said in Masse Rob. Barn l. de vit Pontif. Rom. in Caelest Magdeb. cent 5. in Caelest so write others of these protestāts amōg whom one a Bishop saith Caelestinus introitum graduale responsorium tractum offertorium vt propria inuenta papisticae Missae inseruit Pope Celestine did put into the papisticall Masse as inuentions of his own the introite graduale responsorie tract and offertory Iohn Foxe Tom. 2. in Q. Mary Cartwright admon Whitg answ to the admonit pag. 94. sect 1.2 Io. Bal. l. 2. act Pontif Roman in Caelestino which wordes of his vt propria inuenta as his owne inuentions are the euident forgery and inuention of this protestant for all these thinges are plaine wordes of holy scriptures in all places and so the inuentions of God himselfe and not Pope Celestines And if hee meaneth that the placing them in the Masse was his inuention which hee doth not insinuate why was it not lawfull for him to vse the scriptures in Masse otherwise no prayer or part of Masse or whatsoeuer liturgie or publicke office of any church could bee lawfull nothinge could be lawfull for nothinge is more lawfull or warranted then the word of God and scripture Yet it was not S. Celestines inuention to place any one of these in the Masse but they were all vsed therin before his time euen by the confession of these protestants themselues For first concerning the introite it is one of the psalmes of Dauid the 42. by the Latine accompt and by the Hebrue 43. and such kind of introite to the holy Masse was in vse longe before this Popes time as our protestants acknowledge wherof one thus confesseth Io. Foxe To. 2. Act. and Monum Q. Mary pag. 1401. Chrisostome in the eleuenth homely vpon the Ghospell of S. Matthew saith that in his time and before his time the vse was to singe whole psalmes till they were entered and assembled together And so belike Caelestinus borrowed this custome of of the Greekes and brought it into the Latine church Therfore by these men S. Caelestine was not the Author of this custome yet if he had bene no protestāt or Christian will say that sayinge or singinge holy psalmes so warranted in scripture is an vnlawfull but a lawfull and godly exercise 4. The same protestant Author maketh the graduale response and tract of as auncient standinge when hee thus speaketh of the graduale and consequently of the others belonging vnto it Foxe supr the graduale the people were went to singe when the Bishop was about to go vp to the pulpit or some higher standinge where the worde of God might be better more sensibly heard at his mouth readinge the epistle and the ghospell Which custome hee maketh as auncient or more auncient then the time of Pope Alexander in the Empire of Traian Touchinge the laste which is the offertorie it is euident by these protestants and al testimonies before that it was and of necessitie must needs be vsed from the begininge for where there is Masse sacrifice and oblation offered there must needes bee an offeringe or offertorie thereof otherwise it could not bee offered Foxe supr Therefore this protestāt acknowledgeth it to haue bene vsed before the time of S. Irenaeus so neare the Apostles and that hee thus doth remember it Iren. l. 4. cap. 18. pro diuersis sacrificiorum ritibus simplex oblatio panis vini fidelibus sufficiat In stedd of diuers rites of sacrifices in the olde lawe one oblation of breade and wine serueth Therfore I will conclude with these words of a protestāt Archbishop Celestinus was a godly Bishop and the church of Rome at that time had the substance of the Sacraments according to Gods word neither was there any superstition mixed with them Iohn Whitg def of the answ to the admonit pag. 588. 5. And in this opinion are and ought to bee all our English Protestant antiquaries and diuines which generally hold teach that the Britans of this kingedome inuiolablie kept the true faith and Religion of Christ in all things vntill the cominge of S. Augustine and his companions from S. Gregory the great Pope of Rome in the later end of the sixt hundred yeares for most certaine and vndoubted it is by all antiquities that this nation at this time of S. Celestine being infected with the Pelagian Hereticks learned and subtile in disputation this holy Pope sent many holy Bishops hither to confute that heresie instruct the ignorant repaire the decaied discipline of our church and reforme many abuses growne by reason of that heresie and the Saxon Pagans which then were entered into this Iland Which Legates of this holy Pope must needs bee adiudged to bee of the same faith and Religion with him that sent them by his authoritie and direction to effect those holy labours He sent the two holie Bishops S. Germanus Lupus into this part of Britanie S. Palladius into Scotland S. Patricke and Segetius into Ireland I haue spoken of S. Palladius before how by his power from the see of Rome hee placed sacrificing and massinge preists and Bishops amonge the Scots and Picts in the north parts of this kingdome of vnited great Britanie Prosper in Chronic. ad An. 432. Rob. Barnes l. de vit Pontif. Rom. in Caelestino Io. Bal. l. 2. Act. Pontif. Rom. in eod Bal. l. de scriptor Brit. cent 1. in Leporio Agricola 6. Also I haue shewed out of our auncient Brittish Manuscript otherwise before how both S. German and Lupus were massinge preists and Bishops and obserued the auncient forme of Masse composed by S. Marke therefore beeing sent by authoritie from that massinge Pope S. Celestine they neither did nor might vary and differ from the opinion and practise of him that sent him as S. Prosper who liued at that time and others write to supply his owne place and parson in ordering and reforminge the church of Britanie Papa Celestinus Germanum Antisiodorensem Episcopum voce sua mittit vt deturbatis