authority of Saint Gregorie they fore-taste not milke and honey nor milke and wine when they are baptized they abstaine not from bathing a whole weeke after baptisme they stand not at their prayers from Easter to Whitsontide nor on the Lords dayes they keepe not the Lent fast as the Primitiue Church did and as all other Churches of Greece Armenia and Aethiopia doe to this day by eating nothing till night and by abstaining from wine strong drinke and whatsoeuer is pleasing but they make a meere mocke of God and men in their obseruation of Lent and other fasts in saying a part of their Euen-song in the morning that so after the ending thereof at dinner time men may be thought to goe to supper and to do as the Fathers did that did eate nothing on their fasting dayes till the euening they fast not the Wednesday which in the primitiue Church was fasted as precisely as Friday but in steede hereof they faste on Saturday which aunciently was not fasted in many churches nor yet is in the Churches of the East they baptize at any time in the yeare If they haue disused and left off these obseruations as no doubt they will professe they haue let them not thinke that we contemne or condemne all those auncient customes which we vse not but haue a due respect to circumstances of times and the different states of things Tertullian and the ancient thought it Nefas an vnlawfull thing to kneele at prayers on the Lords day wee thinke it very lawfull fit and seemely yet are wee not contrary to the Fathers They suffered none to bee baptized but onely at Easter and Whitsontide wee admit men to baptize at all times they dipped those whō they baptized thrise wee but once they signed themselues with the signe of the crosse when they went out and when they came in when they put on and when they put off their apparell we by reason of the abuse of this harmelesse ceremony in that it was vsed by the Romanists not as an outward profession of their faith in him that was crucified or a silent invocation of his name but to driue away diuels still tempests cure diseases and remit veniall sinnes ex opere operato vse this ceremony more sparingly yet doe we not wholly neglect it but signe our new baptized infants with this glorious marke and character of the crucified Sauiour of the world they mingled water with that wine which they consecrated in the blessed Sacrament because euen in ordinary vse their wines being hot were wont so to be allayed wee not hauing the like reason of mixture mingle not water with wine in the Sacrament as likewise the Armenians doe not yet are we not contrary to the ancient Christians nor contemners of olde obseruations So that to conclude this point we approue the saying of Hierome answering the question whether it were lawfull to faste on the Saturday or not His wordes are Ego illud te breviter admonendum puto traditiones Ecclesiasticas praesertim quae fidei non officiant it a observandas ut à maioribus traditae sunt nec aliorum consuetudinem aliorum contrario more subverti atque utinam omni tempore ieiunare possem us quod in Actibus Apostolorum diebus Pentecostes die Dominico Apostolum Paulum cum eo credentes fecisse legimus nec tamen Manichaeae haereseos accusandi sunt cùm carnalis cibus praeferrinon debeat spirituali nec hoc dico quod Dominicis diebus ieiunandum putem contextas sexaginta Diebus ferias auferam sed unaquaeque provincia abundet in sensu suo praecepta maiorum leges Apostolicas arbitretur Wherefore let vs proceed to see if he haue any thing else to say in this hisreflection as he calleth it vpon my doctrine His fourth allegation is that the rules I assigne cannot tell of any traditions to advantage Protestants which deny traditions but that both traditions and rules to know them must of necessity belong to the church Apostolique of Rome being in this question a rule of it selfe as I haue declared Surely it seemeth the good man knoweth not what he saith for in the beginning of this chapter hee affirmeth though falsly that I acknowledge the perpetuall virginity of our Lady to be a tradition and onely receiued by such authoritie and other Protestants doe so likewise And in the end of the chapter he bringeth in his Maiesty the Bishop of Winchester and Doctour Couell admitting diuerse traditions and yet heere hee saith Protestants admit no traditions If hee say that they now admit them but formerly did not hee is refuted by Brentius Chemnitius before cited who though they deny as we doe that there is any article of Faith or materiall and substantiall point of Christian doctrine deliuered by bare tradition and not written yet acknowledge all those kindes of traditions that we now doe In that which he hath that the rules assigned by me can tell of no traditions that advantage Protestants and that therefore both traditions and rules to know them must of necessitie belong to the church Apostolique of Rome there are not a few but very many grosse faults cōmitted For first the consequence is naught the rules to know true traditions from false can tell of none to advantage Protestants therefore they belong to the Romish church and is no lesse absurd then if a man should conclude in this sort Parsons the Iesuite is not a Cardinall though hee had once skarlet brought to his lodging in Rome to make his robes as Watson testifieth therefore the Author of these pretended proofes hath right to put on those robes For as there are others fit to be Cardinals though neither Parsons nor this good Author be so there are other societies of Christians in the world besides the Romanists and Protestants to which traditions and rules to know them may pertaine if Protestants haue no claime to them But the Romane Church is an Apostolicall Church planted by the Apostles of Christ and receiuing an Epistle from blessed Paul wherein she is commended therefore in my iudgment she hath not onely claime to traditions is a rule to know them by This consequence is as bad as the former for I doe not make the present profession testimony or iudgement of euery Apostolicall church to bee a rule to know true traditions by seeing there would bee no certaintie in such a rule the present profession of the Apostolicall churches of Rome Ephesus Sardis and Philadelphia being contrary the one to the other but the constant testimony that the Pastors of such a church haue giuen from the beginning But his Maiestie in open Parliament acknowledged the Romane Church to bee our mother Church therefore wee must beleeue in all things as she doth by no meanes forsake her or depart from her For the clearing of the meaning of this speech of his Maiesty and the silencing of these cauillers wee must note that the churches of
or to driue them to dislike that they formerly liked well and so to purge them from the impurity of sinne as they of the Church of Rome imagine Thirdly they pray for the dead not as the Papists to deliuer thē out of purgatorie but for their resurrection the remission of their sinnes and publicke acquitall in the day of judgement the perfecting of whatsoeuer is yet wanting vnto them the possessing of them of heavenly happines and in the meane while the placing of them where in best sort they may expect till they bee perfected Lastly touching the Saints departed they lay downe these propositions First that truely and properly God onely is to bee invocated Secondly that Saints are invocated improperly and by accident onely Thirdly that Peter and Paul heare none of those that invocate them but the grace and gift that they haue according to the promise I am with thee till the end of the world Meaning as it may bee conceiued that the Saints heare not them that invocate them but Christ the Sonne of God who was given vnto them and promised to bee with them and the holy Ghost which is likewise given vnto them and abideth and dwelleth in them for ever So that whatsoeuer their words seeme to import when they speake to the Saints their meaning is to direct their petitions to that God that promised to bee with them and to heare the petitions and grant the requests of all such as by them should bee converted and should seeke to him in hope to obtaine such things as by them hee made them promise of The question is proposed sayth Hugo de Sancto Victore whether the Saints when wee intreat them to intercede for vs doe pray for vs and how The answere herevnto is that the Saints are no otherwise sayd to pray for vs but in that the favour and acceptation they haue with God induceth him to doe good to such as he findeth well affected towardes them for his sake So that it is nothing whether they heare vs or not for it sufficeth that God heareth vs to whom wee principally direct our selues Ninthly touching Images First they differ from the Church of Rome in that they allow no Image of God Who can make an Image saith Damascen of God who is invisible incorporeall incircumscriptible it is great folly and impiety to seeke to haue any representation of him that is an infinite and incomprehensible Spirit Secondly they admit no grauen carved or molten Images of gold siluer wood or stone but thinke they savour of Heathenish superstition Thirdly they haue the Pictures of the Saints not only for history and ornament which might be allowed but so as in reference to Christ and his Saints to bow and incline themselues before them this they doe following the 2d Nicene Councell which though it condemne all religious adoration of the Saints and their pictures seemeth to permit no other acts of outward reuerence and respect to be done to pictures of Saints then they yeeld to all sacred and holy things as bookes vessels vestiments and places dedicated to the service of God nor the expressing of any other affections towards them or remembrances of them then holy men heere in this World beare one towardes another and so come farre short of the conceipt of the Romanists yet the Westerne Church in the time of Charles the Great a long time after condemned that Councell and the Image-worship which they that met in that Councell sought to bring in neither can the Greekes bee excused from superstition in this point Tenthly they permit such as are to be Priests if they like not to liue single to marry wiues before they be ordained and made Priests to liue with them after they are entred into that degree order knowing that God hath ordained marriage that it is honourable amongst all men that they that condemne Priests marriage are the occasion of much sinfull impurity The Romanists saith Photius doe so presse the law of single life that many grievous scandals follow the same For with them many Virgins become mothers that neuer were wiues many mothers are found to nurse the Children of such Fathers as may not be known And yet these indeavour to make the true Priests of God that liue in lawfull marriage to be odious and hatefull So then the Graecians leaue it free to them that are to be ordained Priests to take vnto them wiues before their ordination and to liue with them afterwards but if they then refuse so to doe they permit them not to marry afterwards Yet if any doe they dissolue not the marriage but put them from the execution of their office and ministerie Lastly touching abstinence they differ not a little from the Church of Rome for they fast Wednesday because on that day Iudas agreed with the Iewes to betray Christ and Friday because on that day Christ was crucified But they fast no Saturday in the whole yeare but onely Easter Eue. In the Lent they abstaine on Saturday from flesh but all the yeare besides they freely eate flesh that day They keepe foure Lents in the yeare The first that which the Westerne Christians obserue The 2º from the Octaues of Whitsuntide vntill the holydayes of Peter and Paul which they call the fast of S. Peter The 3d from the first of August vntill the assumption of the blessed Virgin The 4th 6 weekes in the Advent beginning presently vpon the feast of S. Philip according to the Kalendar of the Russions and therefore call it the Fast of S. Philip. Their Monkes and Bishops as hauing beene Monkes doe neuer eate flesh Lastly they all abstaine from things strangled and blood obseruing as they suppose the Canon of the Apostles Thus wee see the extent of the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Constantinople and the Religion of them that are vnder the same This jurisdiction hath beene greatly straightned within these few yeares for both the Russiaes both that vnder the Moscovites and the other subject to the King of Polonia are fallen from the same But the number of them that professe the Greeke Religion is not diminished For all those Christians still retaine their former religion rites and ceremonies The metropolitan of Mosco saith Possevine was wont to be confirmed by the Patriarch of Constantinople but now he is chosen by the Prince and consecrated by two or three of his owne Bish. without seeking any confirmation from the Patriarch of Constantinople to whom yet the Emperour of Russia sendeth yearely a certaine somme of money by way of almes The occasion of this breach and falling off Possevine saith was the comming of a certaine Priest from Constantinople vnto Russia in the time of Basilius For this Priest finding the Muscovites to differ in some things pertaining to religion not only from the Latines but the Greekes also freely reprehended them and shewed his mislike this his reproofe so enraged the Emperour that though hee had sent
if they die without Baptisme dare not pronounce of them as the Romanists do 7 They deny confirmation extream vnction to be sacraments 8 Touching the Eucharist they consecrate ordinarily in leauened bread but on Maundy Thursday in vnleavened bread and in wine or the juice of raisons moistened in water and so pressed out They minister the Communion in both kinds to all both Clergie men and Lay-men The priest ministereth the bread and the Deacon the wine in a spoone They giue this Sacrment to infants when they are baptized in this sort The priest dippeth his finger into the consecrated wine and putteth it into the mouth of the child They haue neither eleuation nor reservation nor circumgestation as the Roman Church hath They all Communicate twice every weeke but the Sacrament is neuer ministred in private houses no not to the Patriarch or Emperour him selfe 9 Touching purgatorie they beleeue that soules after death are detained in a certaine place named in their tongue Mecan aaraft id est locus alleviationis that is a place of refreshing in which the soules of such as die not hauing repented of their former sinnes in such full and perfect sort as was sitting are detained and so whether the soules of good men doe enioy the vision of God before the resurrection they resolue not 10 They say no masses for the dead they bury them with crosses and prayers but specially they vse the beginning of St Iohns Gospell The day following they giue almes and so a certaine number of dayes and make feasts also 11 They grant no indulgences 12 They haue no cases reserued 13 They beleeue that the Saints do intercede for vs they pray vnto them they haue painted images but none molten or carued they much esteeme them in respect of those holy ones they represent and make sweete perfumes before them 14 Their Priests receiue no tithes but they haue lands on which they liue 15 Their Bishops and Priests are married but may not marry a second wife and continue in those degrees and orders vnlesse the Patriarch dispence with them 16 They thinke it vnlawfull to fast on Saturdaie or Sundaie and vrge to that purpose the Canon of the Apostles 17 They keepe Saturday holy as well as Sunday following the Auncient Custome of the East Church they eate flesh on that day throughout the whole yeare except only in Lent and in some Provinces they eate flesh on that day euen in the Lent also 18 They fast Wednesdaies and Saturdaies till the Sunne setting and celebrate not on those dayes till the euening 19 Betweene Easter and Whitsontide they eate flesh freely on those daies 20 They abstaine from things strangled and blood observing the Canon of the Apostles in so doing as they suppose and besides forbeare to eate of such kinds of meate as were forbidden by Moses Law 21 The Emperour hath a supreame authority in all causes aswell Ecclesiasticall as Civill though the Patriarch also exercise a spirituall iurisdiction 22 They deny the supremacy of the Roman Bish. But they yeeld a primacie vnto him acknowledging him to be the first amongst Bishops Hauing spoken of the Grecians Assyrians and supposed Monophysites it remaineth that wee come in the last place to treate of the Maronites Touching the name ◠Baronius sheweth that it was not from any heretick named Maron but that there was a holy man so named and that in honour of him a certaine monastery was founded which was named the monastery of St Maron that all the monkes of that monastery were named Maronites These in time as it may be thought ioyned them selues to the Monophysites formerly described though happily not without some litle difference And hence all the Christians that professed to beleeue so as these did were named Maronites They haue a Patriarch of their own who claimeth to be Patriarch of Antioch He resideth in a monasterie some 25 miles from Tripolis in Syria He hath vnder him some 8 or 9 suffragan Bishops These Maronites inhabit mount Libanus and some of them in Damascus Aleppo and some parts of Cyprus Mount Libanus is of such extent that it is in compasse 7 hundred miles It hath no cities but villages which are neither few nor small Within this compasse none inhabite but Christians though vnder the Turke For they redeeme it at a high rate and pay an intollerable tribute to liue without mixture of Mahumetans The particulars of their Religion are these First they beleeue that the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father onely 2 They blesse consecrate the water so often as any are to be baptized And not as in the Roman Church on the Saturday before Easter only for the whole yeare The reason of which observation is for that at Easter and at Whitsontide onely in the Primitiue Church they ministred Baptisme which they did because in baptisme men are mortified to sin quickned in the life of grace by vertue of Christs death resurrection and giuing of the spirit All which things were cōmemorated in these solemnities 3 They neuer baptize males and females together lest they should contract a kind of affinity 4 None baptizeth with them in what necessity soeuer but a Priest or Deacon 5 They require not the intention of the Minister but thinke the faith of the Church sufficeth 6 They baptize not a male till the 40th day nor a female till the 80th in respect of the impurity of the mother which they thinke continueth so long 7 They seeke no confirmation from the Bishop nor haue any other anointing then that which is vsed in baptisme 8 They consecrat the Eucharist in vnleauened bread in a massie loafe out of which they giue a peece to euery cōmunicant 9 They giue the Sacraments to Lay men in both kinds 10 They celebrat but once in one day vpon one the same altar 11 They think the Person of the Holy Ghost to be in the holy oile in such sort as the Person of Christ is in the Eucharist 12 They thinke that the Eucharist receiued into the mouth goeth not into the stomack but presently diffuseth it selfe through all the members of the body 13 On fasting-dayes they celebrate not till the euening which custome Tho à Iesu saith is not to be altered affirming that it was most auncient in the Church of God the Councell of Cabilon related in the decrees prescribing that they should celebrate the Sacrament in the Ember fasts in the euening on the saturday before Easter in the beginning of the night And although saith he the Church yeelding to our infirmity permit the Latines to doe otherwise yet where the old custome may be kept it is not only not to be takē away but much to be cōmended that men when they fast may put it off as long as may be before they eat any thing In former times they did not eat in Lent till the euening as appeareth by the Councell formerly mentioned Which custom continued till
persecuted and oppressed and so be incensed against so pertinacious and stiffe maintainers of the Churches confusions This counsaile would not be followed whence ensued this alteration of things wee now see resisted by the Pope and Papists set forward by many Christian Countries kingdomes and States and long before wished for and foretold before it came to passe For what is now done in this reformation which Cameracensis Picus Sauanorola Gerson and innumerable other worthy guides of Gods Church long before thought not necessarie to be done as appeareth by that wee haue already deliuered touching that matter Thus then it being evident that the number of lawes canons and customes formerly in vse and by vs taken away was a burthen to the Church and an insnaring of mens consciences That in the feasts fasts holy-holy-dayes worship of God and honour of his Saints there were abuses in that very kinde which wee haue reprehended and that a reformation was wished for and the Popes were so farre from setting it forward that when they saw the States of the world ready to accomplish it euen with division of themselues from them they would in no sort consent vnto it though the wisest about them perswaded them to it as the likeliest way to keepe all in quietnesse seeing it was necessary for the good of the Church to free it selfe from that bondage it was formerly holden in vnder the Pope taking all into his owne hands by innumerable sleights and treading downe vnder his feete the Crownes of Kings and jurisdictions of Bishops as hath beene shewed and proued out of Authors not to bee excepted against seeing in matters of doctrine wherein we dissent from them we found vncertainty contradiction and contrarietie some saying that we now say and others that which they defend and the things they defend not hauiug the consenting testimony of other Churches in the world as of Armenia Grecia Aethiopia c. nor the certaine approbation of antiquity and the places of Scripture on which they were grounded being most apparantly mistaken as now in this light of the world themselues are forced to confesse seeing it is certaine there was great ignorance of tongues and all parts of good learning neglect of the studie of Scripture mixture without all judgment of things profane with divine seeing innumerable errours superstitions barbarismes and tautologies were crept into the prayers of the Church seeing there was great corruption ignorant mistaking and shamelesse forgeries of the monuments of antiquitie writings of Ecclesiasticall Authours in favour of errours then maintained which haue beene detected in this age wherein learning is revived and with and out of learning the purity of Religion seeing it was long before resolued the Church must be reformed that this reformation was neuer likely to be obtained in a generall Councell and that therefore seuerall kingdomes were to reforme themselues seeing it was then feared the proceeding in this reformation thus seuerally without generall consent would breed too great difference in the courses that would be taken as wee see it hath now fallen out to the great griefe of all well affected who mourne for the breaches of Sion seeing notwithstanding this disadvantage in that one part of Christendome knew not what another did in this worke of reformation nor consulted with other that so they might proceede in the same in one and the same sort yet it so fell out by the happy providence of God that there is no essentiall fundamentall or materiall difference among those of the reformed Religion whose confessions of faith are published to the view of the world howsoeuer the heate ignorant mistaking inconsiderate writings of some particular men the diversity of ceremonies rites obseruations make shew of a greater division than indeed there is it is most vndoubtfully cleare and evident if wee be not wilfully blinded that this alteration of things in our times was a reformation not as our adversaries blasphemously traduce it an heretical innovation CHAP. 13. Of the first reason brought to prooue that the Church of Rome holdeth the faith first deliuered because the precise time wherein errours began in it cannot be noted NOtwithstanding to stop the mouths of our adversaries whom a spirit of contradiction hath possessed and to satisfie all such as bee any way doubtfull I will by application of the notes of the Church formerly agreed vpon examine the matter of doubt and answere all such reasons as from thence are taken and by them vrged against vs either for proofe of their profession faith and the soundnesse of their owne Church or reproofe of ours The first note assigned by them is Antiquity by which they vnderstand not simply absolutely long continuance in the profession of Christianity but the retaining and hauing that faith which was first delivered to the Saints by the Apostles the immediate and prime witnesses of the trueth which is in Christ. Let us therefore see how they indeavour to make proofe that they now hold that auncient profession This they indeauour to demonstrate three wayes First it being confessed the Church of Rome was the true Church established in the faith by the blessed Apostles and the faith thereof commended and renowned throughout the world they thinke they can prooue there hath beene no change alteration or departure from that sincerity which some times was found in it Secondly they offer to shew the consent and agreement of that forme of doctrine they now teach and that the Fathers of the Primitiue Church did teach in their times and commended to posterity in their writings Thirdly they presume they can shew that our doctrine who dissent from them is nothing else but the renewing of old heresies long since condemned in the best times of the Church by consent of the whole Christian world If they could as easily proue these things as they confidently vndertake it there were no resisting against them But seeing they faile therein so much that very children may discerne their weakenesse therefore I will propose whatsoeuer I find alleaged by any of them in this kind that carrieth any shew of probability that all men may see how weakely their perswasion is grounded in these things which are of greatest consequence First therefore let vs see how they proue there hath been no change in the doctrine discipline profession and state of the Romane Church since the Apostles times In every great and notable mutation say they may bee obserued the author the time place beginnings increasings and resistance made against it But the protestants are not able to note these circumstances in that mutation in matters of religion which they suppose hath been in the Church of Rome Therefore it is evidently convinced there hath beene no such mutation For the more full answering of this obiection wee must obserue that there are 4 kinds of mutation or change in matters of religion The first when the whole essence
proue he must reason thus The custome of praying to deliuer the soules of men out of the paines of Purgatory is the custome and practise which the Romane Church defendeth and Calvin impugneth but this custome Calvine confesseth to haue beene in vse more then a thousand and three hundred of yeares since therefore he acknowledgeth the doctrine and practise of the Romane Church to be most ancient and to haue beene receiued a thousand three hundred yeares agoe The Minor proposition of this reason is false and Calvin in the place cited by Bellarmine protesteth against it most constantly affirming that the Fathers knew nothing of Purgatorie and therefore much lesse of prayer to deliuer men from thence But Bellarmine will reply that the custome of praying for the dead was most auncient We answere The custome of remembring the departed naming their names at the holy Table in the time of the holy mysteries offering the Eucharist that is the sacrifice of praise for them was a most ancient and godly custome neither is it any way disliked by vs. And surely it appeares this was the cause that Aerius was condemned of hereticall rashnesse in that he durst condemne this laudable and auncient custome of the commemoration of the dead In this sort they did most religiously obserue and keepe at the Lords Table the commemoration of all the Patriarches Prophets Apostles Evangelists Martyrs confessours yea of Mary the Mother of our Lord to whom it cannot be conceiued that by prayer they did wish deliuerance out of Purgatorie sith no man euer thought them to be there but if they wished any thing it was the deliuerance from the power of death which as yet tyranniseth ouer one part of them the speedy destroying of the last enemy which is death the hastning of their resurrection and joyfull publique acquitall of them in that great day wherein they shall stand to bee judged before the Iudge of the quicke and dead This was the practise of the whole church and this the meaning of their commemorations and prayers which was good and no way to be disliked Notwithstanding it is most certaine that many particular men extended the meaning of these prayers farther and out of their owne private errours and fancies vsed such prayers for the dead as the Romanists themselues I thinke dare not justifie and so it is true that Calvin saith that many of the Fathers were led into errour in this matter of prayer for the dead and not that all as if the whole Church had fallen from the truth as Bellarmine falsely imputeth vnto Calvin who saith no such thing First therefore it was an opinion of many of the Fathers that there is no judgment to passe vpon men till the last day that all men are holden either in some place vnder the earth or else in some other place appointed for that purpose so that they come not into heauen nor receiue the reward of their labours till the generall iudgement Out of this conceipt grew that prayer in Iames his Liturgie that God would remember all the faithfull that are fallen asleepe in the sloepe of death since Abell the iust till this present day that he would place them in the land of the liuing c. And the like are found in the masse booke Of this opinion was Iustin Martyr Tertullian Clemens Romanus Lactantius Victorinus Martyr Ambrose Iohannes Romanus Pontifex and sundry other The second opinion was that men may be deliuered from the punishments of sinne after this life if they die in the profession of the true faith how vvickedly soeuer they liued or at least if the punishment of such bee eternall and cannot be ended yet it may be deferred or mitigated How many of the Fathers were in this errour and made prayers for the dead vpon this false perswasion that all Christians how wickedly soeuer they liued may find mercy at Gods hands in the world to come at the entreatie of the liuing they that haue read any thing can soone report Thirdly whereas there are three estates of the soules of men the first in the body the second when they are seuered from the body and stand before God immediately and instantly vpon the dissolution and the third after they haue receiued their particular iudgement the godly doe not onely recommend them vnto God while they are yet in their bodies but when departing thence they goe to stand before the iudgement seate of God they accompany them with their prayers and best good wishes euen to the presence of the Lord. Hence were all those prayers that were vsed on the dayes of the obites of the Saints conceiued respectiuely to their passage out of this world and the dangers they doe by the goodnesse of God escape in that fearefull houre of their dissolution which prayers were againe repeated in the anniuersarie remembrances of their obites Of this sorte was that prayer in the Masse booke Libera Domine animas omnium fidelium defunctorum de poenis inferni de profundo lacis libera eas de ore leonus ne absorbeat eas tartarus ne cadant in obscurum c. Deliuer O Lord the soules of all faithfull ones departed from the paines of hell and the deepe Lake deliuer them from the month of the Lion that hell swallow them not up and that they fall not into the dungeons of vtter darkenesse How hard this was to vse these prayers in a set course in the dayes wherein they did only commemorate and represent the dayes of mens departure hence and so to pray for them long after their death as if they were but euen then in the passage and so in daunger of falling into the hands of their ghostly enimies and not yet secure and assured of their eternall future state which yet Bellarmine confesseth is the best construction can be made of them I leaue to the consideration of the wise These are the seuerall kindes of praying for the dead all which I hope Bellarmine dareth not justifie but for the Romish manner of praying for the dead it hath no certaine testimony of Antiquitie no man euer thinking of Purgatorie till Augustine to avoide a worse errour did doubtingly run into it after whom many in the Latine Church embraced the same opinion but the Greeke Church neuer receiued it to this day Thus then we see how vniustly Calvin is traduced by Bellarmine in this matter of prayer for the dead and how weakely he prooues that it is confessed that their opinion and the doctrine of Antiquitie is the same His next challenge is scarce worth the mentioning much lesse the refuting Caluin saith the Fathers were farre from the popish errour touching merites and that yet they vsed the word whence men haue since taken occasion of errour Therefore hee dissenteth from all Antiquity and acknowledgeth the Romane faith to bee the auncient faith and religion Truely I am weary in following
of it maketh not them that haue it more acceptable vnto God then others that haue it not vnlesse they excell them in vertue It is then a state of life wherein if all things bee answereable in the parties that imbrace it there are fewer occasions of distractions from God and more opportunities of attaining to the height of excellent vertue then in the opposite estate of marriage yet so as that it is possible for some married men so to vse that estate that they may be noe way inferiour to any that are single This doth Gregorie Nazianzene most confidently and peremptorily defende in his oration made in the prayse of Gorgonia his sister Our whole life sayth hee is diuided into two sorts or kinds to witte marriage and single life whereof the one that is single life as it is more excellent and diuine so it is of more labour and perill The other as it is more meane and of lesse esteeme so it is subiect to lesse perill Gorgonia auoiding the inconueniences of both estates whatsoeuer shee found in either of them behoofefull beneficiall and commodious shee tooke made the height of the excellent perfection of the one estate and the safety and security of the other to concurre and meete together Shee was chast and vndefiled without scornefull disdaine mixing the commodities of single life with marriage and shewing by euident proofe that neither of those estates is in it own nature such as that it should wholly ioyne us to God or the world or wholly diuide seperate vs from these so that the one of these should be a thing altogether to be avoided the other to be desired but that it is the minde which doth rightly vse both marriage single life that either of these is as fitte a matter for a skillfull workeman to worke vpon and to bring forth the excellent worke of vertue And in his Oration in the prayse of Basill hee sayth There haue beene some found that liuing in the state of Marriage haue so carried themselues as that they made it euident that marriage is no impediment or hinderance but that therein man may attaine to as great glory of vertue as in virginity or single life By which it may appeare that marriage and virginity are rather diuerse sorts and kinds of life then differences and degrees of liuing better or worse These sentences of Nazianzene are very different from the inconsiderate speeches of Hierome that hee is wont to vse in comparing these two states of life together For who knoweth not that hee was so farre in loue with the one and carried away with the admiration of it in such sort that hee spake too basely of the other and indeede otherwise then truth and reason would permitte If this bee not so let them that thinke otherwise tell mee what they thinke of these sayings of his Melius est nubere quam vri si per se nuptiae sint bonae noli illas incendio comparare sed dic simpliciter Bonum est nubere Suspecta est mihi omnis bonitas eius rei quam magnitudo alterius mali malum esse cogit inferius Ego autem non leuius malum sed simplex per se bonum volo Si bonum est mulierem non tangere malum est ergo tangere nihil enim bono contrarium est nisi malum c. Soe then as wee do not approue any priuate opinion of Iouinian contrary to the iudgment of Gods Church Soe on the contrary side wee dare not approoue these and the like rash and inconsiderate speeches of Hierome beeing contrary to the trueth of scripture and the iudgment of the rest of the Fathers who are wont soe to compare marriage and virginity that the difference betweene them should bee bonum melius both good but the one better then the other not bonum malum the one good and the other evill For soe to thinke is to fall into the heresie of Marcion and Tatianus CHAP. 31. Of the Heresies of Vigilantius THe next heresie that we are supposed to fall into is that of Vigilantius The opinions imputed to him by Hierome and disliked are these The first that the Saints departed pray not for the liuing The second that they abide in some certaine place and are not euery-where The third that the vigils of the Saints are not to be kept nor their bodies and the reliques and the ashes that remaine of them to be honoured but despitefully trampled vnder feete The fourth that Bishops are bound to marry and may not be admitted vnlesse they doe first marry The fift that it is better to giue almes of our goods according to that ability we haue and to retaine a sufficiencie to our selues then to sell away all and giue whatsoeuer wee haue at once to the poore Two other assertions there are where with Bellarmine chargeth Vigilantius to wit the impugning of the invocation of Saints and the condemning of the adoration of Saints and their reliques Thereby intending to make his Reader beleeue that there was a controversie betweene Hierome Vigilantius about these things That Hierome did defend invocation of Saints whereof yet he speaketh not one word and that he justified the adoration of Saints and their Reliques which yet in expresse words he disclaimeth and condemneth saying that the Church honoureth them but adoreth them not For the opinions wherewith Hierome chargeth him this wee briefly aunswere First if he absolutely denyed that the Saints departed doe pray for vs as it seemeth he did by Hieromes reprehension we thinke he erred For we hold they doe pray in genere Touching the second whether the Saints doe abide in some one place appointed for their rest or bee present euery-where how peremptory soeuer Hierome be wee wish the Reader to consider how doubtfully Augustine hath written of this matter in his booke de curâ agenda pro mortuis And that Tertullian Athanasius and sundry other haue resolutely deliuered that the soules of men departed doe neuer returne nor intermeddle with the liuing any more Touching the third which is the keeping of the vigils of the Saints wee know they were long since by the decree of a Councell condemned and forbidden and that the Church of Rome doeth not continue nor retaine any such vse or custome at this day But whereas he is said to haue denyed any honour to be giuen to the bodies of Gods Saints and despitefully to haue vsed them if so he did wee cannot but as much condemne his impiety therein as Hierome did Neither doe we suffer any with vs to despise the blessed Saints of God to trample their bodies vnder feete or cast them into the fire as Bellarmine most falsely vnjustly accuseth vs. But this indeede we confesse we haue done remembring the saying of Gregory and other of the Fathers affirming that neither the bodies of the Saints nor any parts of them ought to be brought into open
devout as to desire to communicate euery Sunday and some other dayes also So that there wanted not of the people in former times that desired to communicate aswell as to be present nor of the guides that encouraged them so to doe and therefore hitherto nothing can be proued against my assertion Wherefore let vs come to the Masse it selfe Amongst all the Sacraments of the Church that is the principall saith Durandus that is celebrated vpon the table of the most holy Altar representing that Feast banquet of the Church wherein the father vpon the returne of his lost sonne caused the fatlings to be slaine setteth out the bread of life the wine which wisedome hath mixed for her friends louers These mysteries this holy Sacrament Christ then instituted when he made his new and last testament disposing to his heires a kingdome as his father had disposed to him that vpon his Table they might eat drinke in his kingdome that which the Church hath consecrated for as they were at supper Iesus tooke bread and when he had giuen thanks blessed it brake it gaue it to his Disciples saying take eat this is my body which shal be giuen for you doe this in the remembrance of me The Apostles following this institution began to celebrate these mysteries for the same end that Christ had expressed keeping the same forme in words and vsing the same matter of bread wine that he did as the Apostle witnesseth to the Corinthians where he saith what I haue receiued of the Lord I haue deliuered vnto you who the same night that hee was betrayed tooke bread c. and added to the forme of wordes vsed by Christ the Lords prayer And S. Peter is said in this sort to haue celebrated first of all in the East parts Wherefore in the beginnings of the Church these mysteries were celebrated in another sort then since they haue bin Afterwards the reading of some parts of sacred scripture particularly of the Epist. Gospell was added Pope Celestinus instituted the introitus other things were added at other times by others Howsoeuer this is certain there were are at this day diuers formes of celebrating this mystery For the formes of the East Churches are different from those of the West it appeareth that aunciently in France Spain sundry parts of Italy they had other formes then now are vsed more like to those of the East which being in some things enlarged and perfitted by S. Ambrose were called the Ambrosian forms of divine seruice These cōtinued till the time of Charles the great For thogh Gregory as Io. Diaconus tels vs taking the forms of celebrating masse which Gelasius had cōposed adding somethings detracting others changing others brought in a new forme which the Church of Rome followed yet the other churches of the west retained the old forms which they had receiued frō their ancesters And to this purpose it is that Berno Augiensis testifieth that amongst the monuments of his Abbey there was found an olde ◅all much different from those of Rome But Charles the great sought to bring the Provinces subiect to his Empire to receiue the Romane forme by threats punishment We read saith Durandus in the life of blessed Eugenius that while the forme of divine seruice which was named the Ambrosian forme was more followed obserued by the Church then that of Gregory Adrian the Pope called a councell in which it was ordered that the Gregorian forme should euerywhere be obserued To the obseruation whereof Charles the Emperour by threats and punishments forced the Cleargie in sundry Provinces burning the olde Ambrosian bookes And further hee addeth that Saint Eugenius comming to a certaine councell called about this businesse finding that the Bishoppes were gone and the councell ended three dayes before his comming induced the Pop◅ to call the Bishoppes backe againe which hee did and the councell being againe renued it was agreed on by common consent that both the missals both that of Saint Ambrose and the other of Saint Gregorie should be layed on the altar of Saint Peter the Apostle that the doores of the Church should be fast locked and sealed with the seale of sundry Bishops and that then they should spend the whole night in prayer beseeching God that he would shew by some signe which of these hee would haue to be obserued in his Church and in the morning entering they found that of Gregory torne in peeces and scattered all ouer the Church the other opened but yet still lying entire and whole on the altar of which accident they made this construction that that of Gregorie was to be vsed euery where thorough the world the other only at Millain in S. Ambroses owne Church and so saith Durand it is vsed vnto this day For by the helpe of Charles the great that of Ambrose was disused in many Churches that other brought in place Onely the Christians of Spaine admitted not this alteration notwithstanding all these endeauours till the time of Gregorie the seauenth what time they were constrained by Alphonsus the sixt to giue way which they did most vnwillingly and not without teares Rodericus reporteth that when this alteration was vrged by the Popes legate and the king there being an assembly of all the states the Clergie Nobilitie and people resisted mainely against it whereupon in the end it was resolued that that matter should be tried by cumbate and one being chosen for the newe and another for defense of the old he that vndertooke the defense of the old preuailed which caused a great reioycing among the people But the king not regarding this triall nor thinking it to bee any sufficient clearing of the matter questioned it was agreed that both the bookes should be cast into the fire that that which should bee preserued in the fire might bee allowed as best which accordingly being done the booke of the old forme came forth vntouched and the other was consumed yet would not the king be perswaded to desist but threatning death and vtter confusion to all gainesayers made this innouation in his Church and kingdome all his subiects weeping and sorrowing and then began the prouerbe Quo volunt reges vadunt leges So that wee see howsoeuer our aduersaries would make the simple beleeue that things were euer as now they are yet there haue beene great alterations in the forme of diuine seruice and it is not to be doubted but that the auncient formes as different from the latter were more pure and sincere then they that are now vsed They that haue diligently looked into the monuments of antiquity sayth Rhenanus vpon Tertullians booke de corona militis do thinke that aunciently the masse began when the priest did say The lord be with you immediately after Lift vp your harts and Let vs giue thankes to our Lord God and againe It is very meete right and our
is punished in the other which remaineth when either he is kept from inioying the things he orderly desireth or left free to desire such things as orderly are not to be desired If man haue lost all desire of that which is just as just as here he saith he hath then surely he sinneth in all his actions and is depriued of all morall rectitude for what morall rectitude is in him that loueth nothing because it is just farther then it may be commodious and in that respect pleasing The schoolmen are wont to vrge that a man may naturally loue God aboue all for seeing he naturally loueth that which appeareth vnto him to bee good why should he not loue God aboue all who is the chief good To this Luthers answer is this that there is a twofold loue for there is amor amicitiae amor concupiscentiae a loue whereby a man willeth the good of him that he loueth a loue whereby he desireth to make vse of the good of that hee loueth and to make it serue his turne In the first sort a man loueth his friend by the latter his horse now saith Luther it is true that euery sinfull man loueth God with the latter kind of loue desiring to make vse of God to serue his owne turne but it is not possible for a naturall man to loue God as a man loueth his friend that is to desire that God may rule raigne be glorified as God to rejoyce when his will is done though it be contrary to that we desire to bee grieued when he is offended And this surely is confirmed by Bernard for he saith that there are 4 degrees of loue For 1 a man loueth nothing but himself 2◠Heloueth other things amōgst other things God for himself finding that he cannot be without him Thirdly He loueth God for God Fourthly he loueth him selfe for God The two former are naturall and as I thinke finfull the two latter I am well assured in the iudgement of Saint Bernard proceede from grace and not from nature for hee sayth That is first that is naturall and then that which is spirituall and that scarce any of the elect of God goe beyond the first of these two latter degrees in this life So that according to that which before I alleadged out of Gregorius Ariminensis euery one that willeth any thing either willeth God or some other thing that is not God if God not for God but for some other thing expected to bee had from him or by him this is vti fruendis to make vse of that for the hauing of some thing as more loued that should be enjoyed as the best and most loued of all other things and this is most perverse as Saint Augustine telleth vs. If wee loue any thing else besides God and not for God it is likewise an iniquitie So that seeing naturally it is impossible to loue for God it is impossible to loue any thing rightly and consequently all the actions of naturall vnregenerate men are sinne And that they are so indeede it is proved by such authorities as may not be excepted against Cyprian de bono patientiae in principio sayth the true vertue of patience cannot be in Infidells now there is the same reason of one vertue and of all his words are these Hanc se sectari Philosophi quoque profitentur sed tam illis patientia est falsa quam falsa sapientia vnde enim vel sapiens esse vel patiens posset qui nec sapientiam nec patientiam Dei novit quando ipse de ijs qui sibi sapere in mundo videntur moneat dicat perdam sapientiam sapientum prudentiam prudentum reprobabo Augustine sayth Thou wilt say if a Gentile shall cloath the naked is it sinne because it is not of faith truely in that it is not of faith it is sinne not because the action of cloathing the naked in it selfe is sinne but to glory in such a worke and not in the Lord none but an impious man will deny to bee sinne If a Gentile that liueth not by fayth shall cloath the naked deliver him that is in daunger binde vp the wounds of him that is wounded bestow his goods to honest friendly purposes and shall not suffer himselfe to bee brought by any torments to beare false witnesse I aske of thee whether hee doe these good workes well or ill for if hee doe these things ill that are good thou canst not deny but that hee sinneth that doth any thing ill if thou say hee doth these good things and doth them well then an euill tree bringeth forth good fruite which he that is truth it selfe saith cannot bee If thou shalt say that a man that is an Infidell is a good tree then hee pleaseth God for that which is good cannot but please God who is good But Iulian the Pelagian answereth as the Papists doe at this day I acknowledge saith hee that they are steriliter boni that is their good is barren and bringeth forth no fruite who not doing the good things they do for God receiue not from him the reward of eternall life The answere of Saint Augustine is out of the 6 of Mathew If thine eye bee evill thy whole body shall bee full of darkenesse c Know that this eye is the intention with which every one doth that hee doth and learne by this that hee that doth not his good workes out of a good intention of a good faith that is of that faith that worketh by loue all the whole body that consisteth of such workes as members is full of darkenes that is the blacknes of sinnes Or truely because thou grantest that such workes of infidels as seeme to thee to bee good bring them not to eternall saluation and the kingdome of heaven know thou that we say that that good will that good worke by which onely a man may bee brought to the everlasting gift and kingdome of God can bee given to none without that grace that is given by him that is the only mediatour betweene God and man All other things that seeme to bee commendable amongst men let them seem to thee to bee true vertues let them seeme to thee to bee good workes and done without all sinne For my part this I know that the will is not good that doth them for an vnbeleeuing will and vngodly is not good Let these wills be according to thy iudgement good trees it sufficeth that with God or in Gods judgement they are barren and so not good Let them be fruitfull amongst men amongst whom also they are good vpon thy credit authority thy commendation thy planting if thou wilt haue it so so that I obtaine this whether thou wilt or not that the loue of this world whereby euery one is a friend of this world is not of God and that the loue that maketh a man injoy the creatures whatsoever they bee without
the virgin in the councell of Lateran But Cardinall Caietan writeth a learned discourse touching the same matter and offereth it to Leo praying him to be well aduised and in this tract for proofe of her conception in sin he produceth the testimonies of 15 canonized Saints For first S. Augustine writing vppon the 34 Psalme sayth that Adam died for sin that Mary who came out of the loynes of Adam died for sinne but that the flesh of the Lord which hee tooke of the virgin Mary died for to take away sin And in his 2d booke de baptismo parvulorum Hee only who ceasing not to be God became man neuer had sinne neither did he take the flesh of sin or sinfull flesh though hee tooke of the flesh of his mother that was sinfull And in his tenth booke de Genesi ad litteram he sayth Though the body of Christ were taken of the flesh of a woman that was conceiued out of the propagation of sinnefull flesh yet because hee was not soe conceiued of her as shee was conceiued therefore it was not sinnefull flesh but the similitude of sinnefull flesh And Saint Ambrose vppon those words Blessed are the vndefiled hath these words The Lord Iesus came and that flesh that was subiect to sinne in his mother performed the warrefare of vertue And Crhysostome vpon Mathew sayth Though Christ was no sinner yet hee tooke the nature of man of a woman that was a sinner And Eusebius Emissenus in his second sermon vpon the natiuity which beginneth Yee know beloued c. hath these words There is none free from the tie and bond of originall sinne no not the mother of the redeemer Saint Remigius vppon those words of the Psalme O God my God looke vpon mee sayth The blessed virgin Mary was made cleane from all staine of sinne that the man Christ Iesus might bee conceiued of her without sinne Saint Maximus in his sermon of the assumption of the blessed virgin sayth The blessed and glorious virgin was sanctified in her mothers wombe from all contagion of originall sinne before shee came to the birth and was made pure and vndefiled by the holy Ghost Saint Beda in his sermon vppon missus est and the same is in the ordinary glosse sayth that The holy spirit comming vpon the virgin freed her minde from all defiling of sinnefull vice and made it chast and purified her from the heate of carnall concupiscence tempering and cleansing her hart Saint Bernard in his epistle to them of Lyons sayth It is beleeued that the blessed virgin after her conception receiued sanctification while shee was yet in the wombe which excluding sinne made her birth holy but not her conception Saint Erardus a Bishoppe and a martyr in his sermon vpon the natiuity of the virgin crieth out O happie damsell which being conceiued in sinne is purged from all sinne and conceiueth a sonne without sinne Saint Anthony of Padua in his sermon of the natiuity of the blessed virgin sayth The blessed virgin was sanctified from sinne by grace in her mothers wombe and borne without sinne Saint Thomas Aquinas for he also was a canonized Saint in the third part of his summe quaest 27. art 2. sayth that the blessed virgin because shee was conceaued out of the commixtion of her parents contracted originall sinne Saint Bonauenture vppon the third of the sentences distinct 3. p. 1. artic 1. quaest 1. sayth Wee must say the blessed virgin was conceiued in originall sinne and that her sanctification followed her contracting of originall sinne this opinion is the more common the more reasonable and more secure More common for almost all hold it The more reasonable because the being of nature precedeth the being of grace The more secure because it better agreeth with the piety of faith and the authority of the Saints then the other Saint Bernardine in sermonum suorum opere tertio in his tract of the blessed virgin sermon the fourth sayth There was a third sanctification which was that of the mother of God and this taketh away originall sinne conferreth grace and remoueth the pronenesse to sinne mortally or venially Saint Vincentius the Confessor in sermone de conceptione virginis sayth The blessed virgin was conceaued in originall sinne but that the same day and houre she was purged by sanctification from sinne contracted so soone as euer shee had receiued the spirit of life And besides all these holden to bee Saints in the Church of Rome hee sayth there were a great multitude of auncient doctors who speaking particularly and distinctly of the virgin say shee was conceiued in originall sinne whose sayings who pleaseth may find in the originalls or may find them in the bookes of Iohannes de Turrecremata and Vincentius de Castro Nouo writing vpon the conception of the virgin whence they are taken Thus farre Caietan Bonauentura professeth that the opinion of the blessed virgins spotlesse conception was so new in his time that he had neuer read it in any author neither did he finde it to be holden by any one that he had euer seene or heard speak And Adam Angelicus sayth If the sayings of the Saints be to be beleeued wee must hold that the blessed virgin was conceiued in originall sin and none of the Saints is found to haue sayd the contrary Yet in time some beganne to bring in this opinion and to make it publike as Scotus and Franciscus de Maironis but very doubtfully and fearefully for Scotus hauing spoken of both opinions touching the conception of the virgin sayth in the conclusion that God onely knoweth which of them is the truer but if it be not contrary to the authority of the Church or of holy Scripture it seemeth probable to attribute that to the virgin that is more excellent And that indeede hee had reason to feare least hee should contrary the Fathers and holy men that went before it will easily appeare by that of the master of Sentences It may truely bee said and wee must beleeue according to the consenting testimonies of the Saints that the flesh which CHRIST tooke was formerly subiect to sinne as the rest of the flesh of the virgin but that it was soe sanctified and made pure and undefiled by the operation of the holy Ghost that free from all contagion of sinne it was vnited to the word But see how strangely things were carried this opinion which was vnknowne to the Church for more then a thousand yeares and at the first broaching of it had fewe patrons yet in time grewe to be so generally approued that almost all they of the Latine Church thought they did God good seruice in following this opinionâ—… many visions reuelations and miracles were pretended in fauour of it and the Councell of Basil decreed for it Bridget canonized for a Saint professed it had beene particularly revealed to her but Catharina Senensis a Prophetesse also and more authentically canonized then the former professed that the contrary
this body they would all crye out with a loud voice If we say we haue no sinne wee deceiue our selues and there is no trueth in vs. Gregorius Ariminensis noteth that Augustine speaketh not of originall sin but actuall and that this ample grace to ouercome sinne was not giuen her till the spirit ouer-shadowed her and the power of the most High came vpon her that shee might conceiue and beare him that neuer knew sinne so that before shee might commit sinne which yet hee will not affirme because the moderne Doctours for the most part thinke otherwise so intimating that all did not And surely the wordes of Augustin doe not import that shee had no sinne but that shee ouercame it which argueth a conflict neither doth hee say he will acknowledge shee was without sinne but that hee will not moue any question touching her in this dispute of sinnes and sinners So passing by the point and not willing to enter into this dispute with the Pelagian who conceiued it would be plausible for him to pleade for the puritie of the Mother of our Lord and disgracefull for any one to except against her By that which hath beene said it appeareth that the Church of God neuer resolued any thing touching the birth of the blessed Virgin without sinne nor whether shee were free from all actuall sinne or not If happily it bee alleadged that the Church celebrated the Feast of her nativitie and therefore beleeued that shee was borne without sinne First touching the celebration of this Feast it is evident that it was not auncient That it was not in the dayes of Saint Augustine as some imagine because on that day there is read in the Church a Sermon of Saint Augustines touching the solemnitie of that day it is proued out of Saint Augustine himselfe for in his 21 Sermon de sanctis he hath these wordes Wee celebrate this day the birth-day of Iohn the Baptist which honour wee neuer read to haue beene giuen to any of the Saints Solius enim Domini beati Ioannis dies nativitatis in universo mundo celebratur colitur That is For the birth-day of our Lord onely and of Iohn the Baptist is celelebrated kept holy throughout the whole world illum enim sterilis peperit illum virgo concepit in Elizabetha sterilitas vincitur in beatâ Mariâ conceptionis consuetudo mutatur That is A woman that was barren bare the one and a virgin the other in Elizabeth barrennes is ouercome in blessed Mary the ordinary course of conceiuing is changed And in his 20 â—h sermon hee hath these words Post illum sacrosanctum Domini natalis diem nullius hominum nativitatem legimus celebrari nisi solius beati Ioannis Baptistae In aliis sanctis electis Dei novimus illum diem coli quo illos post consummationem laborum devictum triumphatumque mundum in perpetuas aeternitates praesens haec vita parturit In aliis consummata vltimi diei merita celebrantur in hoc etiam prima dies ipsa etiam hominis initia consecrantur pro hac absque dubio causà quia per hunc Dominus adventum suum ne subito homines insperatum non agnoscerent voluit esse testatum That is After that most sacred day of the birth of our Lord wee reade not that the nativity of any one amongst men is celebrated but of Iohn the Baptist onely touching other Saints and other the chosen of God wee know that that day is celebrated in which after the consummation of their labours after their victories and triumphs ouer the world this present life bringeth them forth to begin to liue for euer In others the consummate vertues of the last day are celebrated in this the first day and the beginnings of the man are consecrated for this cause no doubt because the Lord would haue his comming made knowen to the world by him least if his comming had not beene expected and looked for it might happily not haue beene acknowledged Neither doth the reading of the sermon of Saint Augustine on that day pertayning to the solemnity of the day proue that this day was kept holy before his time for as Baronius sheweth the sermon was fitted originally to the solemnity of the feast of the Annunciation the words were these Let our land reioyce illustrated with the solemne day of so great a virgine which are altered and read in the breviarie in this sorte Let our land rejoyce illustrated by the birth day of so great a virgin And it is evident by the councell of Mentz holden in the time of Charles the great in the yeare 813 that this feast was not celebrated in the Church of Germany and France in those times As likewise it appeareth by the constitutions of Charles and Ludovicus Pius Secondly the celebrating of the birth-day of the blessed virgine will no more proue that shee was borne without all sinne then that Iohn the Baptist was so borne concerning whom Bernard sayth hee knoweth he was sanctified before he came out of the wombe but how farre this sanctification freed him from sinne hee dareth not say or define any thing Thus wee see that the Church wherein our Fathers liued and died was a Protestant Church in these poynts touching the conception birth of the blessed virgine aswell as in the former CHAP. 7. Of the punishment of originall sinne and of Limbus puerorum BEllarmine sheweth that there are foure opinions in the Roman Church touching the punishment of originall sinne and the state of infants dying vnregenerate for Ambrosius Catharinus in his booke of the state of children dying vnbaptized Albertus Pighius in his first controversie and Savanarola in hâ—…s booke of the triumph of the crosse doe teach that infants dying without baptisme shall after the iudgement enioy a kinde of naturall happinesse and liue happily for euer as it were in a certaine earthly paradise howsoeuer for the present they goe downe into those lower parts of the earth which are called Limbus puerorum These men suppose that infants incurre no staine or infection by Adams sinne but that for his offence being denyed the benefit of supernaturall grace which would haue made them capable of heauen happines they are found in a state of meere nature in which as they cannot come to heauen so they are subiect to no euili that may cause them to sorrow For though they see that happines in heaven whereof they had a possibility yet they no more greiue that they haue not attained it then innumerable men doe that they are not Kings and Emperours as well as others of which honours they were capable as well as they in that they were men The second opinion is that infants dying in the state of originall sinne not remitted are excluded from the sight of God and condemned to the prison house of the infernall dwellings for euer so that they suffer the punishment of losse but
as if we had merited it and that to these purposes it is imputed to vs as if it were ours And farther he addeth that as God doth nothing in nature but by his sonne as God so he will do nothing pertaining to our iustification and restauration but for him as he is man and that there is no benefit bestowed on vs or good done vnto us but it presupposeth a newe application and imputation of the merits of Christ. Soe that euery one is newly made partaker of Christs merits and oweth newe thankes to him soe often as new gifts and benifittes are conferred and bestowed vpon him and he feareth not to pronounce that the righteousnesse of Christ is imputed vnto vs not only when wee are baptized as he sayth a man excellently learned vnaduisedly affirmeth but in other sacraments and as often as men receiue any newe gift from God yea that a new imputation of Christs righteousnesse is necessarily required for the remission of those veniall sinnes into which the iustified fall and the freeing of vs from temporall punishments Bernar Nemo leuia peccata contemnat impossibile est enim cum iis saluari impossibile est ea dilui nisi per Christum à Christo August tam de eo qui leuioribus peccatis obnoxius est quam de eo qui grauioribus pronunciat quod si sibi relinquerentur interirent All therefore acknowledge as he thinketh that the righteousnesse of Christ is imputed but there are as he telleth vs 2 opinions in the Church of Rome touching this point the one that Christs righteousnes is no otherwise communicated or imputed to us but in that for the merit of it wee are accepted all things necessary to fitte vs for iustification are giuen vnto us righteousnesse making vs formally iust that is inclining vs to decline euill do good is infused into vs and what soeuer is profitable to set vs forward and to make us continue in the same is bestowed on vs. Others renowned for learning and piety do thinke that for the attaining of heauen happinesse not only in a twofold righteousnesse is necessary the one inherent the other imputed as to the former but that this imputed righteousnes of Christ is twise offered and presented by Christ to God the Father First that we may be iustified that is that our sinnes may be remitted we accepted and renewing grace may be giuen vnto vs. And secondly that we may avoyd and decline the extremity and seuerity of Gods iudgment that he may accept our weake indeauours and admitte vs to heauen notwithstanding the imperfection and defects thereof that for his sake the imperfection impurity of our righteousnesse may be couered This opinion is clearely deliuered by Cardinall Contarenus he tellethus it was allowed in the conference at Ratisbon by the diuines of both sides his words are these Seeing we haue affirmed that we artaine a twofold righteousnesse by faith a righteousnesse inherent in vs as charity and that grace whereby we are made partakers of the diuine nature and the iustice of Christ giuen and imputed vnto vs as being graft into Christ and hauing put on Christ it remaineth that wee enquire vppon which of these wee must stay and relie and by which wee must thinke our selues iustified before GOD that is to be accepted as holy and just hauing that justice which it beseemeth the sonnes of God to haue I truely thinke that a man very piously and Christianly may say that wee ought to stay to stay I say as vpon a firme and stable thing able vndoubtedly to sustaine vs vpon the justice of Christ giuen imputed to vs and not vpon the holinesse and grace that is inherent in vs. For this our righteousnes is but imperfect and such as cannot defend vs seeing in many things we offend all c. But the justice of Christ which is giuen vnto vs is true perfect justice which altogether pleaseth the eyes of God in which there is nothing that offendeth God Vpon this therefore as most certaine stable wee must stay our selues beleeue that wee are justified by it as the cause of our acceptation with God this is that precious treasure of Christians which whosoeuer findeth selleth all that he hath to buy it Ruard Tapper followeth the other opinion and saith that whereas according to Bernard our righteousnesse is impure though sincere and true we must not conceiue that this impurity defileth our righteousnesse as if it selfe were stayned or any thing were wanting in it for so it should not bee true and right but that it is saide to bee impure because there are certaine staines and blemishes together with it in the operations of the soule for GOD onely is absolutely free from sinne and in many things wee sinne all our righteousnesse therefore according to his opinion is imperfect in vertue and efficacie because it cannot expell and keepe out all sinne out of the soule wherein it is by reason of the infirmity of the flesh but the good workes of the just doe abide the severity of Gods judgment neither can they bee blamed though tryed most exactly and discussed in all their circumstances yea though the divell should be permitted to say what he can against them for they haue no fault nor deformitie Here for the better clearing of this point it is to bee obserued that it is confessed by all that the most righteous liue not without sinne consequently that they haue need continually of remission of sinnes It is resolued amongst all Catholiques saith Andreas Vega that there was neuer any found amongst the Saints the blessed Virgin onely excepted that in the whole course of their liues avoided all veniall sinnes Iob asketh who shalll be cleane from filthinesse and answereth himselfe according to the translation which the ancient Doctors followed namely Cyprian Ambrose Augustine Gregory and others no one though he liue but one day vpon earth And Dauid saith generally no man liuing shall bee justified in thy sight and in another place for this impiety of sinne shall euery holy one pray vnto thee hee saith not euery sinner but euery holy one saith Saint Augustine for it is the voice of the Saints If we say wee haue no sinne we deceiue our selues there is no trueth in vs and Solomon saith there is no man righteous on earth that doth good and sinneth not and those sayings of the Apostles are well knowne in many things wee sinne all If wee say wee haue no sinne wee deceiue our selues c. And who is hee that neuer needed in his whole life to say that part of the Lords Prayer forgiue vs our trespasses And all this is strongly proued in that if wee looke on the liues of all the Saints which are marvailously commended in Scripture we shall finde none of them that had not some blemish as in the most beautifull body Let vs begin with
preached to the spirits in prison sometimes disobedient in the dayes of Noe. But as Saint Augustine fitly noteth this preaching of Christ in spirit mentioned by the Apostle was not after his death in his humane Soule but in the dayes of Noe in his eternall Spirit Deity And as Andradius rightly obserueth they that he preached vnto are named spirits in prison because they were spirits in prison when Peter wrote of them not when Christ preached to them though if they should be vnderstood to be named Spirits in prison as being such when Christ preached vnto them yet we might rightly conceiue as Saint Augustine doth that he preached to the Soules and Spirits of Men shut vp in the prison house of their sinfull bodies and the darke dungeons of ignorance and sin and not in the prison of hell Thus then our Diuines deny the descending of Christ into Purgatory Limbus puerorum and Limbus patrum perswading themselues that there are no such places But his descending into the Hell of the damned they all acknowledge though not to deliuer men thence yet to fasten condemnation to them that are there to bind Sathan the Prince of darkenesse that hee may not prevaile against them that beleeue in Christ and to keepe them from sinking downe into that deuouring piâ—… into which he went and out of which hee soe triumphantly returned Onely this difference may seeme to be amongst them that some of them thinke he went personally and locally others onely vertually in power and operation Which diuersity of opinions is likewise amongst the Papists Bellarmine and some other in our time teaching that hee went locally into the lowest Hell and the Schoole-men that he went not locally into the lowest Hell but vertually onely in the manifestation of his vertue and power and into Limbus Patrum locally and personally soe that all the controuersie betweene them and vs standeth in two points The descending of Christ into Limbus Patrum and the suffering of Hellish paines For whereas Cardinall Bellarmine laboureth to proue a locall Hell he busieth himselfe in vaine no man denying it But sayth he Beza and others do say the words vsed in the Hebrew and Greeke Sheol and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doe alwaies signifie the Graue in holy Scripture and not Hell whence it may seeme to follow that there is no other Hell then the Graue and soe consequently noe locall Hell for damned soules Surely this is a most vnjust and vntrue imputation For Beza and the other learned Diuines he speaketh of do not affirme that Sheol and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doe precisely and alwayes in holy Scripture signifie the graue but as Arias Montanus Andradius and sundry other excellently learned amongst our aduersaries do that Sheol which the Septuagint translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not precisely and immediatly signifie the place of damned soules but in an indifferencie and generality of signification noteth out vnto vs the receptacles of the dead And that seeing there are two parts that are sundered one from another in them that are dead there are likewise two kinds of receptacles of death or dwelling places for them on whom death hath her full force the one prouided for their bodies putrifying and rotting and the other for their soules tormented euerlastingly Soe that when these words thus indifferently signifying either of these receptacles of death do note out vnto vs the one or the other of these two places either the graue for the body or hell for the soule cannot be gathered out of the words themselues but the circumstances of those places of Scripture where they are vsed In like sort they say that the word Nephesh translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and anima doth not alwaies signifie the spirituall substance of man that is immortall but the whole person the life yea and some times that which hath beene aliue though now dead euen a dead carcasse according as wee reade in Leuiticus where God pronounceth that whosoever toucheth Nephesh that is a deade corpes shall be vncleane And in this sense it is that Arias Montanus translateth not that place in the Psalme Non derelinques animam meam in inferno that is Thou shalt not leaue my soule in Hell but Non derelinques animam meam in sepulchro that is Thou shalt not leaue my Soule Life or Person or that Body that sometimes was aliue in the Graue For it it cannot be vnderstood that the reasonable soule or immortall Spirit of Christ was euer in the graue either to be deliuered thence or left there If it be sayd that the Greeke and Latine words vsed by the Translators signifie more precisely hell and the reasonable Soule or Spirit then those Hebrew words Sheol and Nephesh doe we answere that whatsoeuer their vse and signification be in prophane Authors yet they must be enlarged in the Scriptures to signifie all that which the Hebrew words doe that so the translation may be true and full Bellarmine to confute this explication and construction of the Hebrew words made by Beza and the rest vrgeth that the Septuagint neuer translateth Sheol by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies the graue but by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that therefore Sheol doth not properly signifie the Graue Hereunto we answere that the word of it selfe being indifferent to signifie any receptacles of the dead whether of their bodies or soules must not be translated by a word precisely noting the graue as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth and that therefore it is not to be marvailed at that the Septuagint neuer translate the Hebrew word by this Greeke word of a narrower compasse straiter significatioÌ„ Secondly we say that seeing Sheol when by the circumstances of the places where it is vsed it is restrained to signifie onely the place of dead bodies yet doth not precisely note that fitting receptacle provided for them to be laide in as in their beds of rest by the liuing as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth but any other receptacle whatâ—…er euen of such as want that honourable kind of buriall whether they be devoured by wilde beasts swallowed vp of the Sea or receiued into any other place of stay and abode till the time of the generall resurrection the Translators vsed not the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of too narrow compasse straight signification but the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enlarged by them to expresse all that the Hebrew word importeth in this sense Iacob said he would go down mourning into Sheol or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to his son not into a place of soules sequestred from God or into hell sor he neuer thought his sonne to bee gone thither nor into the graue properly so named for he thought his son had bin devoured of a wilde beast but into the receptacles of the dead and into the chambers of death wherein there are many very different
And therefore Hierome saith that Liberius impatient of any longer continuance in banishment subscribed to hereticall prauity and so returned to Rome as a conquerour and cast out Felix who had possessed himselfe of the Episcopall chaire and put divers other of the Clergie also out of the Church and Bellarmine himselfe confesseth he hath seene in the Vatican Library manuscript Epistles of Liberius some written to the Emperour and some to the Easterne Bishops wherein he signifieth plainly enough that in the end hee was content to yeeld to the will of the Emperour And besides if the Romanists doe not acknowledge that Liberius was a conuicted hereticke there being no other cause but heresie for which as they thinke a Pope may lawfully bee iudged and deposed they must put Felix who was Pope while Liberius yet liued out of the number of Popes whom yet their church doth worship as a Pope Saint and a Martyr So that wee see Liberius was justly judged and condemned as an hereticke and that seeing a Pope in that he becommeth an hereticke ceaseth to be Pope hee lost all the priuiledges that belong to Peters successours and so might decree for heresie yea I thinke there is no reasonable man but will confesse that his subscribing to heresie that is the head of the church is a decreeing for heresie Now that he subscribed to heresie we haue the expresse testimony of Saint Hierome After the banishment of Liberius by the meanes of Acatius Bishoppe of Caesarea in Palestina who was a great man with Constantius the Emperour Felix a Deacon of the church of Rome was chosen Bishop and appointed to succeed him This Felix as Theodoret testifieth was a Catholicke and held the profession of faith agreed on at Nice but communicated freely with the Arrians Wherevpon hee was so much disliked by those that were Catholickes that none of them would once enter into the house of prayer while he was within For that though he were not in perswasion and vocall profession a full Arrian yet by communicating with them and being ordained by them he consented to their wicked and hereticall courses Neither doth it appeare by any history of credit that euer he refused to communicate with the Arrian heretickes during the time he quietly possessed and enioyed the Bishopricke of Rome But the contrary is more then probable because when Liberius subscribed and was thereupon sent home with letters of commendation from the Arrian Bishoppes assembled at Sirmium they carefully prouided for Felix his continuance in the Episcopall office still and desired that the violences and outrages committed in the time of his ordination when the people for the loue they bare to Liberius were in an vprore and some of them were slaine might be forgotten and that both of them might sitte and gouerne the church together as Bishops of the place which fauour the Arrian Bishoppes would neuer haue shewed to Felix if he had disclaimed their communion So that it is more then probable that he neuer forsooke the communion of the Arrian hereticks For Liberius returning as a conquerour so soone as hee came to Rome cast him out of the Church and shortly after hee dyed and therefore I cannot see what reason the Romanists haue to put this good man into the Kalender of their Pope Saints whose entrance into the Episcopall chaire was not onely schismaticall there beeing a catholicke Bishop yet aliue suffering banishment for the catholicke faith but violent bloudy also for he got the place by the meanes of bloody heretickes making himselfe guilty of all the sinnes of those heretickes with whom he communicated and of whose relinquishing and abandoning the communion and fellowship of the Arrians there is no mention found in any Authour of credit but in the Authour of the Pontificall only who hath as many lies as words in his narration concerning Felix For first hee saith he sate but one yeare three moneths and three daies whereas it is reported by Theodoret that Liberius had beene more then two yeares in banishment before suite was made to the Emperour for his returne all which time Felix was Pope Secondly he saith Felix declared and published Constantius the sonne of Constantine to be an hereticke and that Constantius was rebaptized or the second time baptized by Eusebius Bishoppe of Nicomedia neare vnto Nicomedia which thing is most false as Binnius in his Annotations telleth vs because both Athanasius and Socrates doe affirme he was baptized by Euzoius an Arrian when he was ready to die And Hilarius after the time of this supposed baptisme inueyeth against him for that not being baptized he presumed to prescribe to the Church a forme of faith Thirdly he saith Felix built a certaine Church while he was a Presbyter whereas it is certaine that of a Deacon hee was made a Bishoppe and neuer liued in the degree of a Presbyter And fourthly touching the death of Felix he is very vncertaine and doubtfull and others speake nothing of his martyrdome at all Heereupon as both Bellarmine and Binnius report in the time of Gregory the thirteenth in the yeare of our Lord 1582. where certaine learned men in Rome were deputed to correct the Martyrologe they were doubtfull whether they should put his name into the new Martyrologe or not seeing both his entrance into his Bishopricke was violent bloudy and schismaticall and his end vncertaine and they inclined to leaue it out which they had done if a certaine marble chest had not beene found in the Church of Cosmas and Damianus the 28 of Iuly the day before his wonted and accustomed feast with this inscription in olde characters Heere lyeth the body of Felix the Pope and Martyr who condemned Constantius the hereticke Whereby wee see how little reason the Roman Church hath to worship this Saint and to admire the providence of God in preseruing this See Apostolicke from heresie in that as they would beare vs in hand Felix after he heard of the subscription of Liberius who thereby ceased to bee Pope condemned the Arrians was admitted by the Catholickes and became a true Bishop suffering death vpon the returne of Liberius as if the very See did change the mindes of all that sit in it and make them good how bad soeuer they were before whereas Felix being in his entrance a schismaticke in communion if not in profession an hereticke and in his ordination which was voyde no Bishop and no history of credite reporting either his condemning Arrianisme or his admission to bee a Bishop after the deposition of Liberius by the Catholickes or what his end was it appeareth that heretickes and schismatickes may possesse the chaire of Peter and bee worshipped for Pope Saints after their death But whatsoeuer became of Felix they say Liberius after the death of Felix became a Catholicke and got the loue of the Catholickes and so by their acceptation of him became a
wife which hee marryed while hee was yet a Lay-man hee should bee put out of the Ministery of the Church Whereas all the most famous Presbyters and Bishoppes also in the East might if they pleased but were no way by any Law constrained to refraine from the company of their wiues So that many of them euen when they were Bishoppes did beget children of their lawfull wiues A particular and most approued example whereof wee haue in the Father of Gregory Nazianzene who beeing a Bishoppe not onely liued with his wife till death divided them but became the Father also of Gregory Nazianzen as worthy and renowned a man as any the Greeke Church euer had after he was entered into the priestly Office as appeareth by his owne wordes reported by Gregory Nazianzen For after many motiues vsed by him to Gregory Nazianzen his sonne to perswade him to assist him in the worke of his Bishoply Ministery the last that hee most insisteth on is taken from the consideration of his olde age dis-inabling him to beare that burden and performe that worke any longer that hitherto hee had done And therefore intreating him to put to his helping hand he breaketh out into thesewords Thou hast not liued so long a time as I haue spent in the priestly office therefore yeeld thus much vnto mee and helpe mee in that little time of my life that is yet behinde or else thou shalt not haue the honour to bury mee but I will giue charge to another to doe it Heere we see Gregory Nazianzens father was employed in the priestly function before hee was borne and that therefore hee became the father of so worthy a sonne after hee was a Bishoppe or at least after hee was a Presbyter Neither was the father of Gregory Nazianzene singular in this behalfe For Athanasius writing to Dracontius who beeing greatly in loue with a retyred and monasticall kinde of life refused the Bishoply Office when hee was chosen vnto it for that hee feared hee might not in that state liue so strictly as formerly hee had done controuleth this his conceit and telleth him that hee may in the Bishoppes office hunger and thirst as Paul did drinke no wine as Timothy and fast often as did the Apostle So that the Bishoppes Office is no cause of doing ill or doing lesse good then may bee done in other states of life and there-upon assureth him that hee hath knowne Bishoppes to fast and Monkes to eate Bishoppes to drinke no wine and Monkes to drinke it Bishoppes to worke miracles and Monkes to doe none lastly many Bishoppes neuer to haue married and Monkes to haue become fathers of children and on the contrary side Bishoppes to haue become fathers of children and Monkes to haue liued altogether as Monkes without desire of posterity Neither can this authority of Athanasius bee avoyded as Bellarmine seeketh to avoyde it namely that those Bishoppes did ill which hee sayth became fathers of children For Clemens Alexandrinus an auncient Greeke Father sayth expressely The Apostle admitteth the husband of one wife to bee a Bispoppe and that though hee bee a Presbyter Deacon or Lay-man if hee vse marriage aright and so as not to incurre iust reprehension hee shall be saued by the procreation of children Chrysostome accordeth with Athanasius and Clemens Alexandrinus and sayth that mariage is in so high a degree honourable that men with it may ascend into the Episcopall chayres euen such as yet liue with their wiues For though it be an hard thing yet it is possible so to performe the duties of marriage as not to be wanting in the performance of the duties of a Bishoppe wherevnto Zozomen agreeth saying of Spiridion that though hee had wife and children yet he was not therefore any whitte the more negligent in performing the duties of his calling and of Gregory Nyssene it is reported that though he were marryed yet he was no way inferiour to his worthy brother that liued single But some haply will obiect that Epiphanius is of another minde and that hee sayth where the strictnesse of the canon is obserued none but such as are vnmarried or resolued to refraine from matrimoniall society with their wiues are admitted into the ministery of the Church Wee deny not but that he sayth so But hee confesseth in the same place that many in the Church did liue with their wiues in his time and beget Children euen after their admission into the ministery Soe that the strictnesse of the Canon hee speaketh of was not generall but in some certaine places onely as I noted before out of Socrates Nay it is euident by Socrates that howsoeuer in Thessalia Thessalonica Macedonia and Hellas this strictnesse preuailed yet all the Bishoppes of the East besides were left to their owne liberty and howsoeuer some in diuerse places went about to take away this liberty yet the worthyest men the Church had stood in defence of it protesting they would not suffer themselues to bee inthralled in this behalfe to which purpose that of the famous and renowned Synesius is most excellent who when they of Ptolemais would needes haue him to be their Bishoppe which thing hee little desired hee made them acquainted with his present condition and resolued purpose for the time to come God sayth hee the Law and the sacred hand of Theophilus hath giuen vnto mee a wife I therefore tell all men afore-hand and testifie vnto all that I will neither suffer my selfe to be altogether estranged and seperated from her neyther will I liue with her secretly as an adulterer For the one of these is no way pious and godly and the other no way lawfull but I will desire and pray vnto God that exceeding many and most good and happy children may be borne vnto mee Neyther will I haue him that is to be chiefe in ordayning of mee to be ignorant hereof This liberty the councel in Trullo impeached in respect of Bishops but in respect of Presbyters it continueth in all the East Churches of the world euen till this day Greeke Armenian and Ethiopian warranted vnto them by the Canons of the Apostles Iudgment of Bishops Decrees of Councels and the consent of all other partes of the World For first the Apostle Saint Paule telleth the Corinthians hee had power to lead about a wife a sister as well as the brethen of the Lord and Cephas Which words Clemens Alexandrinus interpreteth in this sort Paul feareth not in a certaine Epistle to speake to his yoake-fellow which hee did not lead about with him because he had no neede of any great seruice Therefore hee sayth in a certaine Epistle Haue wee not power to lead about a sister a wife as the rest of the Apostles but they truely as it was meete because they could not spare their Ministery attending without distraction to preaching lead their wiues about not as wiues but as sisters which should minister together with them
there either paine or ease and refreshing that there the rich man is in paine and the poore in a comfortable estate for sayth hee why should wee not thinke that the soules are tormented or refreshed in this invisible place appoynted for them in expectation of the future Iudgement In quadam vsurpatione candida eius The Iudgement doubtlesse is begunne there So that neither is good altogether wanting to the innocent nor the sence and freling of euill to the nocent Heere wee see Tertullian maketh but two sorts of men departing hence and that hee thinketh that presently after their departure hence the good are in a kinde of imperfect possession or enioying of that good they looke for hereafter and the euill and wicked in a kinde of state wherein they already beginne to taste of those euerlasting miseries that shall swallowe them vppe in the daie of judgement So that according to his opinion there is no Purgatorie nor state of temporall paine and affliction after this life out of which there is hope of escape or deliuerance Gregory Nazianzen in his Oration made in the praise of Caesarius after many comforts against the sorrowes conceiued for the losse of so worthy a man addeth this as the chiefest of all other Verbis sapientum adducor vt credam generosam omnem Deoque charam animam posteaquam corporis vinculis soluta hinc excesserit protinus bonum quod eam manet persentientem contemplantem vtpote eo quod mentem caligine obducebat vel purgato vel abiecto vel quo verbo eares appellanda sit nescio mirabili quadam voluptate affici exultare atque hac vita veluti gra◅issimo quodam ergastulo relicta excussisque compedibus quibus animi penna deprimi solebat hilarem ad Dominum suum conuolare beatitudinem recondita Imaginatione quadam iam percipere That is I am induced and inoued by the sayings of the wise to beleeue that euery generous soule and such as is beloued of GOD presently after the loosing from the bonds of the body and departure hence that which darkened the minde beeing either purged out or cast from it or done away in what sort I cannot well expresse beginneth sensibly to discerne and behold that good which remaineth for it to bee filled with wonderfull delights and to leape for ioy and that leauing this life as a most grieuous prison and hauing cast off those fetters that depressed and held her downe desiring to mount vpon high with her siluer wings shee flieth ioy fully to her Lord and presently in a certaine apprehension beginneth to tast of that hidden happinesse that shall be reuealed Epiphanius speaking of the Godly departed remembred in the praiers of the Church sayth they are and liue with God Ambrose is more full to this purpose then any of the former for in his booke de bono mortis first he sayth all soules remaine in certaine habitations till the day of Iudgment whence they shall be called forth in that great day of resurrection Secondly that till the fulnesse of time appointed they all are holden in an expectation of the reward due vnto them are not in full possession of it Thirdly that in the meane time neither the soules of the wicked are without some present sence of euill nor the other without some enioying of good The ioy of the good and righteous he sheweth to bee in respect of the victory which they haue obtained ouer the flesh the deuine testimony which they haue in their consciences of their former walking in the waies of God making them not to feare the future iudgment their escape out of the prison of the body of death the liberty they are come to and the possessing of the promised inheritance c. Heare we see plainely that Ambrose maketh but two sorts of men two sorts of soules separated from the body and two estates assuring vs that all good faithfull-ones ordained to eternall life are presently after their seperation in a state of happinesse boldly hastening to the view and and sight of that God whom they haue so carefully serued to which purpose he alleageth that of the Prophet to the Angell shall there be giuen a time to soules after they are seperated that they may see the thing thou hast spoken of and the Angells answer Seauen daies shall their liberty endure that in those seauen daies they may see the things that haue beene spoken and after they shall bee gathered into their dwelling places out of which as I noted before he thinketh they shall not bee called till the resurrection so that according to the opinion of Saint Ambrose there is no place of temporall paine and punishment after this life appointed for the soules of men dying in state of Grace Neither was this the opinion of Dionysius Irenaeus Iustin Martyr Tertullian Nazianzen Epiphanius and Ambrose only but all the auncient were of the same judgment touching the state of the faithfull departed and therefore neuer any of them made any praiers for the deliuering of them out of temporall paine and punishment but as it hath beene before obserued they made prayers for them respectiuely to their passage out of this world and the entrance into the other as also for their resurrection publike acquitall in the day of judgment and perfit consummation This the Masse-booke and all the prayers that are found in any auncient bookes of Ecclesiasticall prayers doe clearely shew George Cassander hath published a booke of Ecclesiasticall prayers gathered out of the old Liturgies and Bookes of diuine seruice that hee could meete with amongst which there are many pro commendatione animae some few of them I will produce for example The first We beseech thy clemency O God mercifully to receiue the soule of thy seruant returning vnto thee Let Michaell the Angell of thy couenant be present with it and vouchsafe to place it amongst thy Saints and holy ones in the bosome of Abraham Isaacke and Iacob that beeing freed and deliuered from the Princes of darkenesse and the places of punishment he may be confounded with no errors of his first birth of ignorance or of his owne iniquity frailty but that rather he may bee acknowledged of thine and enioy the rest of holy blessednesse and that when the day of the great Iudgment shall come being raised vp amongst thy Saints and chosen ones hee may be satisfied with the glory of the cleere beholding of thee The 2d Vouchsafe O Lord to giue to thy seruant a lightsome place a place of refreshing and quiet Let him passe by the gates of hel the punishments of darkenesse let him remaine in the mansions of the Saints and in holy light which of old thou promisedst to Abrahā to his seede let his spirit sustaine no hurt but when the great day of resurrectiō reward shal come vouchsafe to raise him together with thy Saints chosen ones blot out doe away his sins euen to the
any Papist at this day If Gerson or any other whom I honour held this heresie they held it not heretically as the Romanists now doe euen as Cyprian helde the heresie of rebaptization and sundry of the Auncient the heresie of the Millenaries but not heretically so that Vincentius Lyrinensis saith The Fathers were saued and the children condemned the authors of errours acquited the followers of them in the same cast into the pit of hell But Mr Higgons saith Bernard whose sayings touching the not punishing of such as are freed from the impurity of sin I alleadge thereby to ouerthrow the erroneous conceipt of Papists touching Purgatory admitteth Purgatory therefore I traduce the Testaments of the dead to establish such doctrines as they impugne For answer whereunto I say that whether Bernard admit Purgatory or not yet may hee haue a sentence which supposing all sinfulnes to be purged out in the moment of dissolution proueth that there is no Purgatory to which purpose I alledge him therfore traduce not the testaments of the dead to establish any Doctrines they impugned as M ◠Higgons vntruely vnjustly chargeth me For my distilling our Church out of the writings of learned men liuing vnder the Papacie I shall haue a sitter place to answere him when I come to his Appendix where I will make it appeare that the Israel of God hath not binforced as he vntruely saith it hath to seeke to the Philistines as the distressed Israelites did for the sharpening of their tooles when there was no Smith in Israel but that the Israel in Canaan deriueth it self from that Israel that sometimes was in Egypt in misarable bondage enjoyeth the jewels and treasures fighteth against the enemies of God with the weapons brought from thence And thus much touching Gregory §. 2. IN the next place hee commeth to Augustine whom he saith I haue likewise abused The words wherein the supposed abuse is offered vnto him are these The Romish manner of praying for the dead hath no certaine testimony of antiquity for no man euer thought of Purgatory till Augustine to avoide a worse error did doubtingly runne 〈◊〉 after whom many in the Latine Church embraced the same opinion but the Greeke Church neuer receiued it to this day 〈◊〉 inwhich words he saith I note the temerity irresolution and folly of Augustine the Reader I doubt not will note his temerity and folly in censuring me thus without a cause for I note not Saint Augustine for temerity nor make him the Author of a new fancy as hee falsely chargeth mee but shew that whereas there were very dangerous opinions in the Church in his time touching the state of the departed many of great esteeme thinking that men dying in mortall sinne and adjudged to hell shall in the end come out thence and be saued hee sought to qualifie the matter in the best sort hee could with least offence vnto them and to bring them from that error and therefore sayth If they would acknowledge the punishments of such to be eternall and thinke onely that they may bee mitigated or suspended for a time or that men dying in the state of grace yet in some lesser sinnes are afflicted for a time in the other world though he know not whether these things be so or not yet he would not striue with them This is not to be the author of a new fancy but in hope to reclaime men from a great extremity to leaue something lesse dangerous in the same kind doubtfull and this is all that I say of Saint Augustine neither is this my priuate fancy but the Graecians in that learned Apology before mentioned haue the same obseruation to wit that hee wrote not those things which hee hath touching Purgatory out of a certaine perswasion and as vndoubtedly holding them to be true but as it were in a sort inforced and for the avoiding of a greater euill which was this that there is a purging of all sinnes after death as some then thought So that as it seemeth thinking it something a violent course directly to go against the opinion of many and fearing his words would not seeme probable if whereas others thought all sins may be purged out after death he on the contrary side should say none may be purged hee chose rather to goe in a middle way not contradicting that which is lesse absurd and inconuenient that so he might more easily bring them he had to deale with from that which was farre more inconuenient then too much to exasperate thē This was the apprehension the Grecians had of Augustines writings touching this point which whosoeuer shall without any sinister affection peruse will find to bee righte and true Touching irresolution it was farre from Augustine in matters pertaining to the rule of faith but in other things wherein men may bee ignorant and doubtfull and dissent one from another without danger of eternall damnation no man was more slow to resolue no man more inclined to leaue things doubtfull But howsoeuer that hee was doubtfull and vnresolued in the points concerning the state of the dead it is euident in that he sayth If they whose mercifull error he refuteth would onely thinke the paynes of them that are in hell to bee mittigated or suspended hee would not greatly striue about it though I am well assured hee would not willingly haue resolued that these things are so The like may be sayd touching the temporall affliction of good men dying in the state of grace but yet with some lesser sinnes for hee was euer doubtfull concerning the same and neuer resolued that they are vndoubtedly in a state of temporall afflictions as Maister Higgons vntruly reporteth and thence inferreth many things childishly against mee but that they are in a state wherein prayers may auaile thē which two things are very different For the Graecians in their Apology before cited admit remission of sinnes after this life and yet deny that there is any estate of temporall affliction And I haue shewed before how sinnes may be sayd to bee remitted after this life in the enterance into the other world without admitting Purgatory-punishmēts But it cannot be excused that I say Augustine fearefully opposed himselfe against the error of thē who thought all right-beleeuing Christians how wickedly soeuer they liued shall in the end bee saued Surely the Graecians said as much before and are in good hope to be excused and therefore I am in some hope that I may be also for I do not say that he so feared any thing as to conceale any truth he was thorowly resolued of and which hee held necessary to be knowne of all but that he feared to offend them hee dealt with farther than of necessity hee must and therefore resolued to yeeld to them as farre as possibly hee might without impugning knowne and resolued truthes they being many and of great esteeme that were otherwise minded then he was Thus
without partiality and Iudge betweene vs as God shall direct thee THE FIRST PART Contayning a discouery of the vanitie of such silly exceptions as haue beene taken against the former foure Bookes by one Theophilus Higgons §. 1. THE first exception Master Higgons is pleased to take against me is that in all my foure Bookes I haue not graced any Father with the glorious title of Saint his words are these I am bold to intreat D Feildes leaue to honour Augustine with the name of Saint howsoeuer hee hath not once vouchsafed in his foure Books to grace him or any Father with this glorious title It is strange that such a novice as he is should dare to begin in so scornfull a manner with so shamelesse an vntruth as if hee had been anold practitioner in the faculty of lying but his desire it seemeth was to giue as good proofe at first as possibly hee might of the good seruice hee is like to do if his new Masters wil be pleased to make vse of him imploy him as they do others For otherwise he could not but know he might easily be convinced of a lye for I haue giuen the title of Saint to Augustine that worthy and renowned Father more then once twice or thrice I call Leo blessed Leo so giue him a title aequivalent to that of Saint more often found in the writings of the Ancient If happily it offend him that euery time I name any Father I giue him not the title of Saint let him take the paines to peruse the writings of Alexander of Hales Tho. Aquinas Scotus Durandus Waldensis Sixtus Senensis and other of that sort I doubt not but hee will soone perceiue his folly cease to be angry with me any longer vnlesse he be resolued to condemne them also This surely is a childish and a bad beginning and may make vs justly feare he will performe little in that which followeth §. 2. THat which he hath in the next place that D Humphrey and I admit try all by the Fathers is true but to no purpose for he and his consorts know right well that the Fathers make nothing for them and therefore they are soone weary of this course of tryall as often as they are brought to it as it appeared by Hardinges writing against Bishoppe Iewell For whereas the challenge was made by that worthie Bishoppe to try the matter of difference betweene the Romanists and vs not onely by discourse of reason or testimonies of Scripture wherein all the world knâ—…w our Adversaries to be too weake but by authorities of the Auncient wherein they were thought to haue more strength And whereas to that purpose hee brought out against them all the renowned Fathers and Bishoppes that lined in auncient times the decrees of Councels then holden and the report of Historians Harding could finde none to speake for him but Martialis Abdias Amphilochius such branded counterfeits nor no other proofes of his cause but the fayned Epistles of the auncient Popes and shamelesse forgeries vnder the honourable names of holy Fathers with other-like base stuffe The thing that offendeth Master Higgons in Doctor Humphrey is that he saith the Romanistes are like Thrasilaus who in a madde humour tooke all the shippes in the Atticke hauen to bee his owne though he possessed not one vessell or rather maketh the degree of their phrensie greater because they see and yet seeing dissemble that they are destitute of all defence from the Fathers Which saying of the worthy and renowned Doctor is most true and shall bee defended against a farre better man then Theophilus Higgons though childishly hee charge him with Notable and vast vntruth in this behalfe Neither shall hee nor any of his great Masters euer proue that I haue vntruely alleadged the cause why Luther Zuinglius and other at the first seemed to decline the tryall by the Fathers for the true cause was indeede as I haue alleadged the feare of the corruptions of the Fathers workes and writings and not any imagination that the Fathers generally from the beginning were in errour which is so barbarous a conceit that it cannot enter into the heart of any reasonable man Neither was it any folly in them as this wise man is pleased to censure the matter to decline the tryall by the Fathers in those times after barbarisme superstition and tyrannie had so long prevayled and almost layd waste all learning religion and liberty of the Church seeing Vincentius Lyrinensis prescribeth that after Heresies haue long preuailed growne inueterate wee shoulde flie to the Scriptures alone SECT 3. IN the third place he saith Hee was desirous to vnderstand why amongst other particulars I should esteeme it a folly and inconstancy in the Romanistes to say that Purgatory is holden by Tradition and yet proued by Scripture Which argueth that the man is either very weake in vnderstanding or else maketh himselfe more simple then indeed he is For hauing shewed that the name of Tradition sometime signifieth euery part of Christian Doctrine deliuered from one to another either by liuely voyce only or by writing sometimes such partes there of onely as were not written by them to whom they were first deliuered and that our Aduersaries so vnderstand the word in the controuersies betweene them and vs. I note it as a contradiction amongst Papistes that some of them say Purgatory is holden by Tradition in that latter sence other that it is proued by Scripture as likewise that some of them alledge for proofe of vnwritten Traditions the article of the consubstantiality of the Sonne of God with the Father and the proceeding of the holy Ghost from them both and others constantly affirme that those Articles may bee proued out of Scripture Now if to bee written and not to bee written to be holden by vnwritten Tradition or Tradition opposite to writing and to bee proued out of Scripture bee not contradictory in Master Higgons his apprehension it is no great matter of what side he be § 4. IN the Fourth place he saith I accept the rule of Saint Augustine that whatsoeuer is frequented by the vniuersall Church and was not instituted by Councels but was alwayes holden that is beleeued most rightly to be an Apostolicall tradition And that liberally I adde that whatsoeuer all or the most famous and renowned in all ages or at the least is diuers ages haue constantly deliuered as receiued from them that went before them no man doubting or contradicting it may be thought to be an Apostolical tradition Whence hee thinketh hee may conclude ineuitably by my allowance that prayer for the dead may bee thought to be an Apostolicall tradition many famous and renowned Fathers in diuers ages mentioning prayer for the dead and none disliking or reprouing it For answere whereunto I say that prayer for the resurrection publike acquittall in the day of Iudgement and perfit consummation and blisse of them that
are falne asleepe in the sleepe of death is an Apostolicall tradition and so proued by the rule of Saint Augustine and that other added by mee as likewise prayer made respectiuely to the passage hence and enterance into the other World and hereof there is no controuersie betweene vs and our Aduersaries But prayer to ease mittigate suspend or wholy take away the paines of any of them that are in hell or to deliuer men out of the supposed Purgatorie of Papists hath no proofe from either of these rules as shall appeare by that which followeth and therefore this poore nouice hath not yet learned his lesson aright nor knoweth what it is he is to proue But if he will be content to be enformed by me the thing he must proue if he desire to gratifie his new masters to maintaine the Romish cause is that all the Fathers or the most famous amongst them from the beginning of Christianity did in the seuerall Ages wherein they lived teach men to pray for the deliuerance of their friends and brethren out of the paines of purgatory which if hee will vndertake to doe hee must bring some better proofes then such as are taken from the mutuall dependance and coniunction of Purgatory and prayer for the dead which yet principally hee seemeth to vrge For many Catholicke Christians whom this Gentleman must not condemne made prayers for such as they neuer deemed to bee in Purgatory Neither did the ancient Catholicke Church as he fondly imagineth in her prayers and oblations for the dead intend to releeue soules temporally afflicted in a penall estate but in her generall intention whatsoeuer priuate conceites particular men had desired onely the resurrection publicke acquitall and perfect consummation and blessednesse of the departed and respectiuely to the passage hence and entrance into the other world the vtter deletion and full remission of their sinnes the perfect purging out of sinne being in or immediately vpon the dissolution in the last instant of this life and the first of the next and not while the soule and body remaine conioyned This is strongly proued because the most auncient amongst the Fathers make but two sortes of men dying and departing out of this world the one sinners the other righteous the one prophane the other holy so Dionysius in his Hierarchie so Epiphanius against Aerius so Ambrose in his booke De bono mortis and Cyrill of Hierusalem in his Catechisme all of them teach that the soules of the Iust are in a joyfull happie and good estate and present with God in an excellent sort immediatly vpon their dissolution ◅nimā departure hence Obdormitio sanctorum saith Dionysius est in laetitia spe immobili quia peruenerunt ad finem certaminum norunt se totos percepturos Christi-formem requiem that is The falling a sleepe of the holy ones is in ioy gladnesse and immoueable hope because they are come to the end of their combates and againe they know they shall altogether bee partakers of the rest of Christ beeing come to the end and bound of this life so that they are filled with holy ioy and gladnesse and with great delight and pleasure enter the way of the most happy regeneration Wherevpon the friends and kinsmen of any faithfull man departed when they carry him to his bedde of rest pronounce him blessed as indeede hee is hauing obtayned the wished end of victory and send forth Hymnes of gratulation to GOD that hath made him a conquerour and praying that they also may be admitted into the like rest carry him to the Bishoppe to be crowned with garlandes who prayseth the departed as beeing in a most happy condition and amongst other the party presently dead as beeing a companion of Saints and partaker of like happinesse with them After this his body is layde vp with other already fallen a sleepe in the Lord comfortable places of Scripture are read touching the resurrection and blessed hope of the iust and the Bishoppe prayeth GGD to forgiue vnto him all his sinnes committed through humane infirmitie and to place him in the land of the liuing in the bosomes of Abraham Isaac and Iacob Thus doth Dionysius teach that the soules of all faithfull ones are at rest with GOD immediatly vpon their departure hence and yet sheweth that the Bishoppe was wont to pray for the departed at the time hee was brought to his bed of rest which thinges seeming not well to agree together hee demaundeth what good the prayer of the Bishoppe doth the dead seeing euery one shall receiue the rewardes of the things he did in this life whether good or bad and prayers haue no force to put any man after death into any other estate then that hee is worthy of when he dieth Whereunto he answereth that by desiring wishing that good to the departed which GOD hath promised and of his mercy vndoubtedly will doe vnto them he accompanieth them to the presence of GOD and the place of rest which hee hath appointed for them solemnely convaying them thither with his desires and as hauing the power of binding and loosing and discerning betweene the holy and prophane separateth in a sort by the solemne good wishes hee sendeth after them such as GOD hath adjudged to eternall happinesse from other not partakers of like pretious hope with them admitting the one as deare vnto GOD by way of declaration and convoy into their resting place and rejecting the other So that the prayers Dionysius speaketh of were made respectiuely to the departure hence and first enterance into the other world were nothing else but an accōpanying of the faithfull departed to the Throne of God with desire of that vtter deletion of sinne and full remission of the same which is not to bee found but in the dissolution of soule and body and in the first enterance into the other world but of any relieuing men temporally afflicted in a penall estate after this life hee neuer dreamed Irenaeus is of opinion that the soules of the faithfull goe into a certaine invisible place and are there stayed till the Resurrection but of Purgatory as Erasmus noteth hee maketh no mention Iustine Martyr teacheth that after the departure out of the body there is presently a separation made betweene the soules of the just and the vnjust and that they are carryed into places worthy of them and fitte for them that is to say the soules of the just into Paradise where they enjoy the company of Angels and Archangels as also the sight of our Saviour IESVS CHRIST but those of the vnjust and wicked into infernall places Tertullian sayth There is a place whether the soules of good and euill men are carryed and where they haue a kinde of fore-judging and discerning of that which shall be adjudged to them in the last judgement And againe hee sayth That euery soule immediatly vpon the departure hence is in this appointed invisible place hauing