writers much coÌ„ntention there hath beene about tradâ—tions some vrginge the necessity of them and others râ—iectinge them For the clearinge whereof wee must oâ—serue that wee reiect not all for first wee receaue tâ— number and names of the Authors of bookes diuine aâ— Couell cont Burg pag. 60. whitaker ib. Wotton def of Perk. pag. 442. Couell def of hook pag. 31. 34 32. 33. feild l. 4. c. 5. pag. 203. Ormer pict Pap. pag 93. Sutcliffeag the 3. conu pag. 79. canonicall as deliuered by tradition This tradition wâ— admit The number Authors and Integrity of the partâ— of these bookes wee receaue as deliuered by tradition Tâ— Church of Christ according to her authority receaued â— him hath warrant to approue the Scriptures to acknoâ—ledge to receaue to publish and commaunde vnto â— children The Church of Rome teacheth noe badde opâ—nion to affirme that the Scriptures are holy and diuiâ— in themselues but so esteemed by vs for the authority the Church That the Scriptures ar true wee haue it froâ— the Church Wee say that wee are taught to receaue â— word of God from the authoritie of the Church wee see her Iudgment wee heare her voyce and in humility subscribe vnto all this The Church hath fower singular offices towards the Scripture First to be of them as it were afaithfull register Secondly to discerne and Iudge betweene false and adulterate and that which is true and perfect The third to publish and diuulge to proclaime as a Crier the true Edict of our Lord himselfe The last is to be an Interpreter and in that followinge the safest rule to be a most faithfull Expositor of his owne meaninge Wee thinke that particular men and Churches may erre damnably But that the whole Church at one time cannot so erre for that the Church should cease vtterly for a time and so not be Catholike beinge not at all times Christ should sometimes be without a Church The Church is called a pillar because it is like vnto a pillar For as a pillar doth support and vnderproppe a buildinge and maketh it more stable firme and stronge So the Church doth sustaine and supporte the truth for the truth is no where preserued but in the Church Christs true Church is a diligent and wary keeper of doctrines committed to her and changeth nothinge at any time diminisheth nothinge addeth nothinge superfluous looseth not her owne nor vsurpeth things belonginge to others And this is publikely warranted in Protest Reli. of Engl. Art 19. these their Articles and Rule of their Religion where thus they define the Church The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithfull men in the which the pure word of God is preached And the Sacraments be duely ministred accordinge to Christs ordinance Art 8. Catech. com Booke Iniunct Canons feild l. 4. c. 20. pag. 238. 239. in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same Secondly those men in their Rules of Religion and their priuate writers affirme that the Apostles Creede which by all Antiquity was by them deliuered to the Church and by these Protestants as Rule of faith before the Scriptures of the new Testament were written is an vnwritten Tradition yet by their words a summary comprehension of thâ— cheife heades of Christian Religion a Rule of thâ— Churches faith And yet it is constantly maintaineâ— by many Protestants that diuers articles thereoâ— as our Ladies perpetuall virginity natus ex Marâ— Virgine Christs descending into hell descendit aâ— inferos The communion of Saincts and forgiuenesse of sinnes Sanctorum communionem Râ—missioneâ— peccatorum and others by diuers others Protestantâ— are not contained in any Scripture written beforâ— or after And this Creede deliuered by word anâ— tradition onely by the Apostles before the new tâ—stament written this Scripture could not possiblâ— be a rule or direction vnto it but rather otherwisâ— for euery rule hath priority to the thinge ruled anâ— the things ruled posterity to their rule Matters aâ— done without rule when there is no rule vntill aftâ— they be acted These Parlament Protestants proceede furthâ— Feild supr pag. 239. in this question and plainely say with greate aâ—lowance The third kind of Tradition is that somme â— Christian doctrine and explication of the seuerall parâ— thereof which the first Christians receauinge of the saâ— Apostles that deliuered to them the Scriptures coâ—mended to posteritie This may rightly be named a tradâ—tion for that wee neede a plaine and distinct explicatiâ— of things which are somewhat obscurely contained the Scripture The fourth kinde of tradition is the contâ—nued practise of such as neither are contained in tâ— Scripture expressely nor the example of such practiâ— expressely there deliuered of this sorte is the Baptisme of Infants which is therefore named a tradition because it is not expressely deliuered in the Scripture that the Apostles did baptize infants nor any expresse precept there founde that they should doe it Which their rule of Religion in these Articles thus further iustifieth The Baptisme of yonge children is in any wise to be retained Art of Engl. Prote Relig. Art 17. CommunioÌ„ Booke Tit. Baptisme The. Rog. in Art 27. Q. Elizab. and k. K. Iames Iniunct and Canons in the Church as most agreable with the institution of Christ Where they plainely in their publike rule of Religion make it a tradition and no Scripture article And by the coÌ„mon practicall of their religion their communion booke so they practise baptizinge all infants and sayinge all Christian Churches allowe of the baptisme of infants And these Protestants are onely baptized when they are infants and not after and yet confesse it is most necessary to saluation And whereas they reiect all other Sacraments besides Art of Relig. art 25. this and the Eucharist or the CoÌ„munion as they terme it confessing that these Sacraments be necessary to saluation And yet denyinge the Eucharist to be as Catholiks professe the true body and blood of Christ and sacrifice for the lyuinge and deade they contradict themselues for that they confesse that in this sinse it was generally vsed in Kinge Iames and Casanb resp ad Card. per. pa. 51. 52. 20. Middleâ— Papistom 20. p. 92. 113. 49. 137. 138. 47. 45. Feild l. 3. cap 29. p. 138. Couell Exa pag. 114. primitiue Church that the Apostles so deliuered it by tradition all Churches so obserued it and it was heresie to deny it Their words be The sacrifice of the altar and vnbloody sacrifice were vsed in the primitiue Church The primatiue Church did offer sacrifice at the altar for the deade sacrifice for the deade was a tradition of the Apostles and the auncient Fathers Aerius condemned the custome of the Church in naming the deade at the altar and offeringe the sacrifice of Eucharist from them and for this his rash and inconsiderate boldenesse and presumption in condemninge the vniuersall Church of Christ he was iustly condemned Their whole congregation Kinge Iames
his councell King Iames Prot. Lords Bish. Doct. in Confer at HaÌ„pt Court p. 13. 18. 35. 36 10. 11 Couell ag the plea. of the Innoc. p. 104. Barlow Serm. before the K. Sept. 21 an 1607. part 3. cap. 2. Protestant Bishops and best learned Doctors assembled in publike confereÌ„ce haue left thus concluded The particular and personall absolution from sinne after confesson is apostolicall and a very Godly ordinance That baptisme is to be ministred by priuate persons in time of necessity is an holy Tradition Bishops and Archbishops be diuine ordinations confirmation iâ— an apostolicall traditioÌ„ And in their publike Rituall their communion booke they testifie that confirmation was a Tradition of the Apostles hath an externall signe also vsed by them and giueth grace which by the 25. Article of their religion maketh â— Communion booke of Engl. Protest Titul Confirmation §. Almighty Prot. of Religion art 25. a Sacrament So that to insist onely vpon these graunted Traditions not contained in Scripture by these Protestants and yet so necessary to saluation as they by their greatest allowance and authority deliuer wee may not say as this Article doth Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary for saluation These men also deliuer vnto vs with greate approbation Articul 6. supr makinge the Author of that worke and for the same a Bishop certaine sure rules to knowe such true Thraditions by in these words Rules by which wee may Iudge which are true and Indubitate Feild Books of the Church l. 4. pag. 242. August l. 4. contr Donat. c. 23. Traditions The first rule is deliuered by Sainct Augustine Quod vniuersa tenet Ecclesia nec Conciliâ—â— Institutum sed semper retentum est non nisi authoritate apostolica traditum rectissimè creditur Whatsoeuer the whole Church holdeth not ordained by Councels but beinge euer holden it is most rightly belieued to haue beene deliuered by Apostolike authority The second Feild supr l. 4 c. 21. p. 242. c. 5. pag. 202. Kinge Iames and Confer at Hampton Couel def oâ— Hooker Ormer pict pap p. 184 Down l. 2. Antichr pag. 105. Sutcliffe Subuers pag. 57. rule is whatsoeuer all or the most famous and renowned in all ages haue constantly deliuered as receaued from them that went before them no man contradictinge or doubting of it may be thought to be an Apostolicall Tradition The third rule is the constat Testimony of the Pastors of an Apostolike Church successiuely deliuered Amongst Apostolike Churches the Church of Rome is more specially to be obeyed reuerenced and respected The Church of Rome is our mother Church it was a rule to all both in doctrine and ceremonies when it was in her florishinge and best estate The Church of Rome was the cheife and onely Church It was a note of a good ChristiaÌ„ to cleane vnto the Romane Apostolicall Church Euery Church ought to haue respect to the Church of Rome for her eminent principality And our English Protestant antiquaries and Diuines haue generally giuen their allowance that the Church of Rome both in this and the next age when Britayne did receaue the most pure Religion of Christ from thence was most holy and vnspotted free from all error Therefore whatsoeuer wee doe or may bringe in generall or particular for vnwritten traditions either from this so renowned Apostolike Church in this time from the whole Church or the most famous and renowned in this age beinge our Protestants owne allowed rules and to be denied by none must needs be euidence and testimony vndeniable in this and all others their questioned Articles Frst I exemplifie in the Apostles Creede stiled by our Protestants before a sundry comprehension of the cheife heads of Christian Religion Protest supr Ruffin in exposit Symboli alij a rule of the Churches faith This was deliuered by the Apostles by tradition not by Scripture but before the Scriptures of the new Testament werâ— written as both they and the auncient Fathers by â— common consent of the whole Church of Christ are witnesses And the same consent of Christ Church with these our Protestants in these their Articles so conclude of Sainct Athanasius and the Art 8. of prot Religion Nicen Creede in these words The three Creeds Nicen Creede Athanasius Creede and that which is commonly called the Apostles Creede ought throughly to bâ— receaued beleeued And so generally they obserue although the reason which they immediatly yeelâ— thereof for they may be proued by most certaine warrants of holy Scripture is childish and impertinentâ— for being confessed that the Apostles Creede waâ— deliuered onely by tradition of the Apostles and by that authoritie receaued before the Scriptures either receaued or written this Creede could not possibly be receaued by the written warrant of Scriptures but vnwritten tradition and warrant of thâ— Apostles And although the Nicen and S. Athanasius Creeds were written longe after this time yâ— they were both written receaued in the Churcâ— before the Scriptures were generally allowed anâ— receaued as both the auncent Fathers and Protestants haue acknowledged before and it is testifie by the publike warranted Protestant glosse vpoâ— Prot. Glosse by authority of Church of Engl. in Art 8. these their Articles that very many both old anâ— late writers euen whole sects and professionâ— namely to vse their owne words Ebionites Trâ—theits Antitrinitarians Apollinarians Arians Mâ—nichies Nestorians Origenians Familists and Anâ—baptists with others are Aduersaries vnto and deniers that these Creeds may be proued by holâ— Scripture Much more doe they and many other both Catholiks and Protestants themselues deny that all and singular their articles necessary to saluation may so be proued And to come to the holy and happy Apostolike writers and Saincts which liued and wrote in this first age and first hundred of yeares to wit S. Linus Sainct Clement Sainct Denys the Areopagite S. Martial Sainct Ignatius Sainct Policarpus or any other of whom any worke is extant I shall make it S. Ignat. epist ad Smyrn Theod. dialo Euseb l. 3. c. 31. Hieraâ— lib. de vir Illust S. Bern. Serm. 7. in ps 9. Marc. Michal Carnoten lib. de vir illustr Dion Carth. ad l. Areop de diuin nom Sint Sin lib. 2. Ignat. ep ad S. Ioh. 1. 2. ad B. Mar. Virg. B. Mar. epist ad Ignat. S. Ignat. epist ad Smyrnen Euseb hist l. 3. ca. 33. â— Chrisost orat de traÌ„sl S. Ignatij Foelix Rom. ep ad Zenon Imperat synod S. Constant Theodoret. Immutabil dialog 1. euident that in euery Article in this Protestant Religion contained in their booke of the Articles thereof they dissented from these Protestants and they and the Apostolike Church then vniuersally agreed in and professed the same doctrine which the present Roman Church doth at this day in all points This will plainely appeare in euery Article hereafter and therefore in this place I will onely cite Sainct Ignatius as a sufficient pawne or pledge
the dead reueâ—nced the signe of the crosse other holy Images â—d sacred Reliks said or heard Masse and praâ—ized other Christian rites and duties which proâ—stants deny to be contained in or proued by â—cripture Tertullian lyuing and writing as many testifie â—en Protestants before Pope Eleutherius time Tertull. l. de praescription Magdeburg Centuâ— 3. col 34. c. 4. col 240. 241. Sutcl subu p. 4. Whitg def Respon pag. 96. â—d witnessing Britayne had in his dayes receaued â—e faith of Christ euen in those parts thereof wheâ—er the Pagan Romans could neuer come loca â—omanis inaccessa speaketh of the traditions before â—membred as both his owne works Catholiks â—d Protestants proue in these words Tertullianus â— genere de doctrina suae aetatis inquit eam consentire cum Ecclesijs Apostolicis eamque consensum câ— cordiam communem esse omniuÌ„ Ecclesiarum in Europâ— in Asia in Africatestatur That this the doctrine his time did agree with all Apostolike Churches thaâ— was the common consent and concordance of all â— Churches in Europe in Asia in Afrike And thouâ— wee assigne a somewhat later time to Tertullian others doe in the later end of the second age â— when he so confidently and generally assignâ— this common consent of all Churches of Britaiâ— Fraunce Spaine Italy all Europe Asia and Afriâ— in these holy Christian doctrines thus impugned Protestants hauing therein the consent of all Aâ—stolik Churches wee must needs say whether tâ— were receaued and professed from Scriptures Traditions being longe before any generall Coâ—cels kept by the generall confessed rule of the â—thers and Protestants before they must needâ— deliuered by authority of the Apostles non â— authoritate Apostolica traditum certissimè crediturâ— And the first receauing of the holy Scriptureâ— Britayne which wee finde in Antiquities was in â— time of Pope Eleutherius and from the Churcâ— Rome the same Catalogue of Scriptures it tâ— vsed and still vseth as wee finde in the epistlâ— Eleuth Pap. epist ad Lucium Regem Britan. Godwin CoÌ„uers of Brit. in epist Eleuther Stow. hist Romans that holy Pope to Kinge Lucius suscepistis nâ— miseratione diuina in Regno Britaniae legem fiâ— Christi Habetis penes vos in Regno vtramque pagiâ— You haue there in your Kingdome both testamentâ— our Protestants translate it or both parts of Scripturâ— THE THIRD CHAPTER The 7. 8. 9. 10. Articles examined and wherein they differ from the present Romane Church condemned by this first Apostolike age HAVING thus absolutely and at large confuted and ouerthrowne by the Apostolike â—ge the last Article the erroneous ground of all â—rotestant Religion wee may be more breife in â—he rest being all at the least generally confuted â—nd ouerthrowne in their false foundation so deâ—royed And vntill wee come to their 11. Article â—tituled of the Iustification of man It may be queâ—ioned whether any of them doth in common and â—robable construction and meaninge oppose the â—oman Church or no. And for the two next the 7. â—nd 8. Articles it is most certaine and euident the â—rst of them being intituled of the old testament only â—acheth The old Testament is not contrary to the new â—nd the other stiled of the three Creeds is in tâ—e â—me condition onely affirming The three Creedes â—icene Creede Athanasius Creede and tâ—â—â—â—hich is â—mmonly called the Apostles Creede ought throughly â— be receaued and beleeued But the reason hereof â—hich thus they yeeld for they may be proued by most â—rtaine warrantes of holy Scripture is both before â—onfuted very friuolous for neither is the Scripâ—re the compleate Rule of Religion neither was â—e Scriptures of the new testament written when â—e Apostles deliuered their Creede to the Church â—or the Scriptures agreed vpon vntill after both â—e Creedes of the Nicene Councell and Sainct Athanasius were generally receaued and professâ— by all Catholiks as is already made manifest eueâ— by Protestants themselues aswell as other Authoâ— of more worthy credit The next Article is intâ—tuled of Originall or birth sinne And was expresseâ— concluded by them against the Pelagians denyiâ— originall sinne in man as they expouÌ„d themseluâ— naming the Pelagians and their heresie there wiâ— a confutation of it in their proceedings holdiâ— that Originall sinne in those that be not baptizeâ— deserueth Gods wrath and damnation Yet in the lâ— and concluding words of the Article their phraâ— of speach hath perhaps giuen occasion to some pâ—ritane Nouelists to thinke they held as these mâ— Caluin and such doe that concupiscence withoâ— assent is sinne The words be Although there is â— Artic. 9. supr condâ—mnation for them that beleeue and are baptizâ— yet the Apostle doth confesse that concupiscence lâ— Thomas Rogers in Articul 9. Confes Helu 2. c 9. Saxon. ar 2. 20. hath of it selfe the nature of sinne A Puritane glosser vpon this place saith Conâ—piscence euen in the regenerate is sinnâ— Among foâ—tâ—ene Protestant Confessions he citeth but two fâ— his opinion by his owne exposition And so seauâ— to one by his owne argument of Protestant authâ—rity he is deceaued And the Puritan Heluetian â—sembly Protest Engl. Art art 10. Caluin lib. 1. Instit c. 5. l. 2 c. 2. 3. a. lib. l 3. c. 3. Ant Wotton against D. Bish pa. 112. ruled by Caluine holdeth this besides tâ— other errour which our English Protestants deâ— in ther next article that man hath not free will â— doe well or fly sinne And he plainely confesseâ— that all the primatiue Fathers sufficient for tâ— purpose are against him holding concupiscenâ— without assent to be no sinne Omnium sententâ—â— So do our English Puritans also which hold thâ— errour acknowledge and it is apparant euen â— â—e words of this article before related that the Enâ—ish Protestants doe no otherwise terme coÌ„cupisâ—nce sinne then materially as the Apostle doth â—hose onely authority they vse in that matter and â—ot properly and formally as sinne is truely and â— right sense vsed and taken hauing liberty and â—nsent of minde annexed vnto it otherwise Inâ—nts Ideots frantike madde men without iudgâ—ent and men sleepinge doinge the materiall part â— things sinfull should also sinne or if the flesh of â— selfe the vegetatiue or sensitiue power abstraâ—ing from reason could sinne creatures onely haâ—ng beeing vegetation and sense might and should â—nne equally as those that be reasonable Beasts â—shes fowles plants herbes and trees would be â—oth capable and guilty of sinne And our English Protestants in their commuâ—on booke of as greate credit and approued by as â—reate authority with them and their Religion as â—ese articles acknowledge that the baptized are deade Communion Booke Titul ministrat of publike Baptisme And Catechisme â— sinne And the whole body of sinne is vtterly aboliâ—ed in them They promise and vowe to for sake the â—uill and all his workes the carnall desires of the flesh â—d not to followe and be ledde by them obediently to â—epe Gods commaundements
Christ but this one alone Christ did purchase but one militant Church with his pretious blood he hath no more but one such daughter nor true Christians more then one such mother which the same Sainct Clement likewise proueth thus conuenite ad Ecclesiam Domini quam acquisiuit sanguine Christi dilectâ— primogeniti Const Apost l. 2. c. 65. omnis creaturae Eaest enim altissimi filia quae partâ—rijt nos per verbum gratiae He coÌ„pareth this Church also to one greate shippe Carrying passengers from all contryes to the desired hauen and harbour saying that God is alwayes the Lord and owneâ— of it Christ the Master or Gouernour the Bishop cheife ruler vnder him Preists Deacons and other Clergy men euer supply their places and offices therein Similis est omnis status Ecclesiae magnae naâ— Clem. epist 1. quae per vndo sum Pelagus diuersis è locis regionibâ— viros portat ad vnam potentis regni vrbem properâ—â— cupientes Sit ergo nauis huius Dominus ipse omnipâ—tens Deus gubernator verò sit Christus Tum demâ—â— proretae officium Episcopus impleat Presbyteri nauâ—â—rum Diaconi dispensatorum locum teneant hi qui â—â—techizant nautologis conferantur He giueth also â—â— lay persons their place in this shippe saying thâ— world is the Sea it passeth and witnesseth that thâ— shippe notwithstanding all stormes and tempestâ— persecutions tribulations daungers false Prophetâ— seducers persecuting potentates hypocrites anâ— whatsoeuer enemies aduersaries and aduersities â— euer is safe and neuer maketh shipwrake foâ— Christ euer gouerneth it and the whole Church must endeuour to serue and obey him and his commaundes Saluator Dominus gubernator Ecclesiae suae Martial ep ad Burdegal cap. 11. diligatur ab omnibus ipsius solius praeceptis ac iussis credat obediat omnis Ecclesia Thus Sainct Clement from the Apostles themselues And Sainct Martial also teacheth that the Church of Christ is so firme it can neuer fall nor be broken And yet in the same place he teacheth that the deuill and heretiks his vassals and instruments shall neuer cease to labour and fight against it Inimicus venturus est vt superseminet in populo Dei grana errorum Sed firma Ecclesia Dei Christi nec cadere nec disrumpi poterit vnquam Venient praesumptores absque gratia Dei loquentes quorum gloria labiorum procedit ex superbia similes illi qui superbiâ caelum praesumens habitare mox de caelo cum Angelis suis sequacibus ruit in aeternam voraginem Hi docebunt aliam doctrinam quae aliena est à Deo amica autem diabolo per quam ipse spiritus erroris animas post se trahere festinabit Which cannot more properly be applyed to any sects of heresies then the libertine Protestants so first arising encreasing and subsisting by wanton and lewde licentiousnesse S. Dionysius Areopagita wrote a whole booke Dion Areop l. de Eccles Hierarch in Greeke yet euery where extant de Ecclesiastica Hierarchia of the Ecclesiasticall Hierarchy or holy order which was in his time and to continue euer in the neuer fayling or ceasing Church of Christ All the Apostles so firmely and vniformely beleeued Clem. Rom. epist 1. Ruff. in exposit Symbol Leo iâ— mulâ—is locis and professed this doctrine as a necessary article of faith for all Christians and to obtaine saluation by as the rest and so proposed it vnto all in their Symbolum as Sainct Clement then liuing Ruffinus S. Leo and all Christians acknowlegde Credo Sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam euer to be an Article of faith as the others which possible could not be true if at any time Christ should want a Church holy and Catholike And our Protestants of England in these their articles doe twise in one article before intituled of the three Creeds make and receaue it with the other articles of their Creede an article of faith throughly to be receaued and beleeued For So they define The three Creeds Protest artic of Relig. art 8. Nicene Creede Athanasius Creede and that which is commonly called the Apostles Creede ought throughly to be receaued and beleeued affirming further they may be proued by most certaine warrants of holy Scripture And both in the Apostles and Nicen Creede this article is contained with the rest This is also confirmed in their publike communion Engl. Protest com booke â—it Catechisme booke vsed in their Churches and allowed by their Parlaments where besides the Article of the Apostles Creede I belâ—eue in the holy Ghost the holy Catholike Church they say vnto God in the canticle Te Deum as they translate it The holy Church Tit. morning prayer through all the world doth knowledge thee And in their Creede of the Nicen Councell they Nicen Creede plainely professe and beleeue that from the Apostles till now and euer after there is and shal be one holy Catholike and Apostolike Church vnam sanctam Catholicam Apostolicam Ecclesiam Where the Church is euer one holy Catholike and the same in all matters of faith it was in the Apostles time And in this sense and no other they haue in their 19. article before described or defined the Art 19. supr Church of Christ to be one congregation of faithfull men with true preaching and due ministration of Sacraments in all things necessary and requisite according as Christ ordained And their publike glosse vpon this 19. article diuiding it into diuers propositions and making this the second proposition There is Thomas Rogers in art 19. proposit 2. but one Church When wee doe say that the Church is visible and that there is a westerne East Greeke Latine English Church wee meane not that there be diuers Churches of Christ but that one and the same Church is diuersely taken and vnderstood and also hath many particular Churches as the Sea many Riuers and armes branching from it For the visible Church is not many congregations but one company of the faithfull For proofe of this out of Scriptures they cite diuers texts Rom. 12. 5. 1. Cor. 10. 17. 1. Corint 12. 13. 27. Gal. 3. 28. and conclude thus all Gods people meaning Protestants agree with vs in this point And particularly cite Confess Helâ—et 2. cap. 17. Bohe. cap. 8. Gal. art 26. Belg. art 27. August art 27. Wittemb art 32. Sueu art 15. and these Protestant Confessions so agree I will onely cite two for the rest one of Heluetia for the Caluinists and for the Lutherans that of Wittemberge where Luther liued as Caluine in Heluetia The Heluetian confession saith Cum semper vnus Confessio Heluet. c. 17. modo sit Deus vnus mediator Dei hominum Iesus Messias vnus item gregis vniuersi Pastor vnum huius corporis caput vnus denique spiritus vna salus vna fides vnum testamentum vel foedus necessariò consequitur vnam duntaxat esse Ecclesiam quam propterea Catholicam
nuncupamus quod sit vniuersalis diffundatur per omnes mundi partes ad omnia se tempora extendat nullis vel locis inclusa vel temporibus Seing alwayes there is onely one God one mediatour of God and men Iâ—sus the Messias also one Sheepheard of the vniuersall flocke one heade of this body to conclude one holy Ghost one saluation one saith one testament or league it necessarily followeth that there onely is one Church Which therefore wee name Catholike because it is Vniuersall and diffused through all parts of the world and extendeth it selfe to all times not concluded within any places or times This holy Church of God is called the house of the liueinge God builded of liuely and spirituall stones and seated vpon an vnmoueable rocke and vpon a foundation on which no other thing can be placed and therefore it is called the pillar and supporter of truth Haec Ecclesia Dei sancta vocatur domus Dei viuentis extructa ex lapidibus viuis spiritualibus imposita super petraÌ„ immotaÌ„ super fundamentuÌ„ quo aliud loc ari noÌ„ potest ideo nuncupatur etiam coluÌ„na basis verit atiâ— 1. Tim. 3. The Lutheran Religion or confession of Wittemberge saith credimus confitemur quod vna sit Confess Wirtemberg cap. de Eccl. sancta Catholica Apostolica Ecclesia iuxta Symbolum Apostolorum Nicaenum Quod haec Ecclesia â— Spiritu sancto ita gubernetur vt conseruct eum perpetuo ne vel erroribus vel peccatis pereat Quod in hac Ecclesi asit verapeccatorum remissio Quod haec Ecclesia habeat ius iudicandi de omnibus doctrinis Quod haec Ecclesia habeat ius interpret and aescripturae Ecclesia habet certam promissionem perpetuae praesentiae Christi Cap. de Concilijs gubernatur à Spiritu sancto Wee beleeue coÌ„fessâ— that there is one holy Catholike and Apostolike Church according to the Creede of the Apostles and Nicen Councell That this Church is so gouerned by the holy Ghost that he preserueth it for euer that it perish not either by errours or sinnes That in this Church there is true remissioÌ„ of sinnes thâ—â— this Church hath authority to Iudge of all doctrines That this Church hath authority to interpret the Scripture The Church hath certaine promise of the perpetuall presence of Christ and is gouerned by the holy Ghost By this it is euident by all Testimonies of this Apostolike age and these Protestants themselues that the true Church of Christ neuer did shall or can erre in any Iudgment decree sentence or profession in matters of faith but is pure Catholike and Apostolike in all such in all times and places And this article either denying or doubting of such power and prerogatiue in the true Church is very Idle or Antichristian taking away all certaine and holy Religion of Christ As also that the Church which was when these heresies began euen Catholike and vniuersall in all places and had beene so in all times before hath beene so euer since and still so continueth and florisheth is that true holy Catholike Apostolike Church which the holy Scriptures Fathers of this age and the Article of our Creede giue testimony vnto And the Protestant particular Confessions and congregations of Heluetia Fraunce England Scotland Belgia Poland Argentine Ausburgh Saxony Wittemberge the Palatine of Rheine Boheme and perhaps some others being onely of particular Contryes or Townes and onely of some and not all persons of them cannot be possibly Catholike for place and as vnpossibly for time the eldest of them by their owne testimony and confession vnknowne vntill the yeare of Christ 1530. the Confession of Ausburge first began not printed vntill the yeare 1540. the Confession of Boheme 1532. Heleutia 1536. Saxony 1551. England 1562. Scotland 1581. the like of the rest These nor any of them by the same reason can be Apostolike arising so many hundreds of yeares after the Apostles time None of all these can be that one Church which was euer those being diuers from that among themselues at warres both for Sacraments discipline doctrine None of their coÌ„gregations or coÌ„fessions yet hath brought forth any one man or woman knowne which in their owne Iudgment or senteÌ„ce is honoured or calendred for a Saint though their calenders chronicles and histories be full of Saints which were of the Roman Church and Religion They haue taken away and ouerthrowne many thousand foundations of holynesse and piety their owne first foundation in such kinde is yet to begin this cannot be the one holy Catholike and Apostolike Church of Christ which our Creeds doe teach vs being in all respects diametrically opposite or rather contradictory to whatsoeuer is or can be defined or described as they themselues define the true Church by those attributes properties or distinctiue differences to be one to be holy to be Catholike and vniuersall in all times places and points of doctrine and Sacraments and to be Apostolicall continued without intermission from the Apostles in sound and Apostolicall Christian Religion in all articles and matters of faith And thus it was confessed and professed by our Christian Britains from their first couersion in the Apostles time as these men themselues haue before deliuered THE IX CHAPTER The 21. Article so examined and condemned THE Article which followeth 21. in number is intituled of the authority of generall Councels And in these their words Generall Councels may not be grathered to gether without the commaundement and will of Princes And when they be gathered for asmuch as they be an assembly of meÌ„ whereof all be not gouerned with the spirit and word of God they may erre and some time haue erred euen in thinges pertaining vnto God wherefore things ordained by them as necessary to saluation haue neither strength nor authority vnlesse it may be declared that they be taken out of holy Scripture Hitherto this English Protestant Article The first part of it requiring of necessity the commaundement and will of Princes for the validity of Councels is singular not onely against Catholiks but all Confessions of Protestants not any one consenting in this matter with our English Protestants as is euident in those confessions Neither doe the Protestants of Britaine agree herein but all they whom they terme Puritans or Disciplinarians are quite of an other opinion And the Parlament Protestants themselues of best Iudgment doe euen with publike allowance condemne it Thus with such approbation they write of themselues Protestant relation of Religion cap. 47. The Protestants are seuered bandes or rather scattered troopes each drawing diuers wayes without any meanes to pacifie their quarrels to take vp their controuersies No Prince with any preeminence of Iurisdiction aboue the rest no Patriarcke one or more to haue a common superintendance of care of their Churches for correspondancy and vnity no ordinary way to assemble a generall Councell the onely hope remaining euer to
at all THE XII CHAPTER The 24. article Likewise examined and condemned by this first Apostolike age and writers therein THe 24. article is this It is a thing plainely repugnant to the word of God and the custome of the primatiue Church to haue publike prayer in the Church or to minister the Sacraments in a tongue not vnderstood of the people What is agreable or repugnant to the word of God the Church of God as those Protestants haue confessed before is the best witnesse and interpreter and of necessity it must needs be so in such things as be graunted to be agreable or repugnant vnto both as this question is The word of God extendeth both to that which is written in Scriptures and the vnwritten preserued in the Church without such canonicall writing otherwise which is vnpossible God might be contrary to himselfe and his word contrary to his word which is blasphemous to say or write And in this question of the publike Church seruice finding no prescript forme order or office nor of what language or tongue it is to be vsed in the written word of God wee must needs resorte to vnwritten tradition and the custome of the primatiue Church to finde it forth And wee finde in all the publike offices of the Church in this age ascribed to S. Peter S. Andrew S. Matthew and S. Iames Apostles to S. Marke Euangelist S. Clement successour to S. Peter at Rome and whosoeuer in antiquities is taken to be Authour or composer of any liturgy Masse or publike seruice or forme of prayers in the Church in this time they were all first penned and after practised in all places wheresoeuer they were vsed in the learned common languages and no where in any barbarous or vulgar tongue of any particular Prouince or Contry All histories their oldest manuscripts and generally receaued tradition witnesse they were in the Greeke or Latine tongue This is so manifestly Doue persuas p. 23. 24. c. oâ— prayer true that our Protestant writers do thus confesse it vntill of late since Protestant Religion began through out the west part of the world publike prayers were in Latine in the east part in Greeke euen among Edw. Sands Relation of Relig. c. 53. or 54. those nations to whom the languages were no mother tongues Thus one of their Bishops with publike allowance Their first Protestant Archbishop Matthew Mat. Parker Antiq. Brit. in Aug. c. 17. p. 47. Parker writeth that the publike Church seruice named Masse Missa dicta did continue 200. yeares and more from Christs institution à Christi primo â—â—stituto vntill Pope Zepherine the 16. Pope did change it to a better matter and forme Donec eam Zepherinus 16. Romanus Pontifex quorundam suasioâ—ibus ad pulchriorem materiam formamque mutare voâ—uit And this Masse was the same which sainct â—ames vsed at Hierusalem and sainct Peter in the â—asterne Contries And when this man and other Protestants come to set downe what change S. Zepherine Pope made in the holy Masse it was â—ot to change it into a Vulgare tongue but he a Roman Zepherinus Romanus kept it still vnchanged in the Latine tongue as all his predecessours had Damas Pont. in Zepherino Magdeburg in eod Rober. Barns in vit Pontif. Rom. in eod Bal. l. 1. act Pontific Rom. in Zepherino Robert Barnes alij in Alexandro Sixto Telesphoro done before in the west and Latine Church onely he tooke away wodden chalices vsed then in some places ordaining better and in this all writers Catholikes and Protestants agree Vitreos calices pro ligneis ordinauit And wheresoeuer there was any thing changed or added in the Masse it was as these men confesse euer done in the Latine tongue Alexander Romanus ad Adriani tempora peruenit Iâ— Missa pridiè quam pateretur vsque ad haec verba HOC EST CORPVS MEVM addidit ad memoriaÌ„ passionis Christi inculcandaÌ„ Sixtus Romanus vt SANCTVS in coÌ„munione Eucharistiae ter caneretur ordinauit Telesphorus Graecus GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO esse in Missa caneâ—dum praecepit These be all the additions changes they finde in the holy Masse before S. Zepherines time before which S. Eleutherius Pope had publikely sent it into Britaine and S. Lucius our King here publikely receaued it and all those additionâ— were taken out of Scripture not then translated into any vulgar vnlearned language So they prouâ— of all additions after all euer made in the Latine tongue except some very few in the Hebrew anâ— Greeke in the whole Latine Church And this iâ— vnquestionably conuinced out of the publike offices of he Church of Christ whether the Sacrificâ— of Masse or the rest Matins Laudes houres euen songe compline or whatsoeuer to be termed publike prayer of the Church for the farre greateâ— part of all these consisteth of the holy psalmes anâ— other parts of Scripture all bookes thereof publikely reade euery day and the psames euery weekâ— yet none of these were in any vulgar tongue in thâ— age nor many after this time The rest which is contained in the Catholike Church Creeds Prefaces Hymnes Antiphons or â—hat else amont not vnto the tenth part of what is taken from Scriptures and yet these were deliuerâ—d to the Church in learned toÌ„gues in them composed and not in other Wee are assured by Scriptures and good histories that the Apostles 72. disâ—â—ples and other holy Cleargy men in this first age preached in all nations they prayed and had publike prayers in many contries and in them founded Churches and must needs leaue some forme of such publike seruice for them they conuerted But wee are assured againe both by Scriptures and such antiquities that they all had not the guift of tongues numquid omnes linguis loquuntur and sainct 1. Cor. 12. Paul reckoneth it for a singular guist and priuiledge in himselfe to speake in all languages gratias 1. Cor. 14. Godwin Conuers c. 3. p. 36. Io. Leland in commentar Ant. Brit. v. Britanniae Io. Caius hist Cantabr p. 19. ago Deo quod omnium vestrum linguis loquor And our Protestants themselues with other antiquaries â—onfesse that these renowned men did preach in many places by interpretours and diuers Barbarous nations where they preached had then no vse of letters to write any thing at all in their owne laÌ„guage much lesse formes and offices of publike prayers which were and of necessity to be vsed in all Churches and by all Preists And in this condition was this Kingdome of Britaine all Gallia now Fraunce and other parts where the Druydes ruled not vsing letters and writing because all nations were then accompted and called by the Romans Barbarous in that and such vnciuill respects Some write the Greeke letters were vsed in Gallia but if it were so they were by the same authority very vnperfect many added afterward to bringe that writing to perfection and no history mentioneth that euer any forme of publike prayer or
preserued to posterity and how briefe they are It is rather to be wondred that they should cite and allow so many of those books of the old testament and parts of them so often aâ— Eleuther ep ad Lucium Reg. Rritan apud Gal. Lambrrt l de leg S. Eduardi Stowe hist fore tom 1. Godwin CoÌ„uers of Brit. Hollinsh hist of Eng. Speed Theat of Bit. Matth. park antiq Britan. Matth. park antiq Brit. p. 69. Io. Gosc hist Eccl Dauid poiuel in Annot. in l. 2. c. 1. Girald CaÌ„br Iâ—iner CaÌ„br Bal. l. 1. Script Brit. cent 1. in August Rom. l. 2. de Act. Pontif Rom. in Greg. 1. they doe then that they should omit any And although wee doe not finde any Antiquity of Britaine which in this age entreateth of such things yet the most auncient which our Protestants will graunte vnto vs beinge the Epistle oâ— Pope Eleutherius to Kinge Lucius wee finde there in that he makinge mention that Britaine had receaued both the Testaments of holy Scripture although in particular he citeth so few bookes oâ— them that out of the new testament he citeth nâ— more then onely the 23. chapter of S. Matthew from the old testameÌ„t but three texts two of them beinge out of the Psalmes 45. 55. the third is thâ— booke of wisdome disallowed by these ProtestaÌ„nâ— in this Article but allowed by him and our primatiue Christian Britans of that time and so from ouâ— first receauing of holy Scriptures And if I may but write what all our Protestant Antiquaries generally affirme for a constant and vndoubted truth that our Christian Britans did neuer vntill Saincâ— Augustines cominge hither change or alter any oâ— materiall point in the holy ReligioÌ„ which they receaued in the Apostles time I must needs auouchâ— that those Scriptures of the old testament which Godwyn CoÌ„uers of Brit. pag. 43. 44. fore pag. 463. edit an 1576. Holinsh. hist of Engl. cap. 21. l. 4. fulke answ to a couÌ„terf cath pag. 40. harr descript Brit. c. 9 Gild. ep de excid conq Britan. this Article refuseth Were receaued both in Britaine and in other nations as Italy and Rome whence our conuersion came with other contries in that happy Time for Sainct Gildas our most auncient and allowed Historian both in many manuscripts and bookes published by Protestants their warrant for his wisdome Surnamed Sapiens the wise doth very often in one short worke allowe and cite for holy Scriptures diuers of those bookes especially Ecclesiasticus many times and the booke of wisdome vsinge the authority thereof 8. times in one page and lesse And vnto what time persons or place soeuer wee will appeale for Triall wee shall in noe age contry councell or auncient particular writer finde any one person which agreeth with this Protestant Article in the nuÌ„ber bookes of canonicall Scripture It citeth S. Hierome but both hee himselfe and these Protestants Kinge Iames his Protestant Bishops in their publik dispute at Hampton Court with others proue that Conference at Hampton Court pag. 60. Couelag Burges pag. 87. 8. 86. 88. 89. 90. 91. S. Hierome spake onely against the bookes which these Protestants reiect not in his owne opinion but what the Iewes obiected Most of the obiections made against those bookes were the old cauils of the Iewes renewed by S. Hierome in his time who was the first that gaue them that name of Apochryphe which opinion vpon Ruffinus his challendge hee after a sort disclaymed and the rather because a generall offence was taken at his speaches in that kinde They are most true and might haue the reconcilement of other Scriptures If Ruffinus be not deceaued they were approued as parts of the old testament by the Apostles S. Hierome pretendeth that what hee had spoken was not his owne opinion but what the Iewes obiected And for his paines in translating the booke of Iudith which this article reiecteth he giueth this reason because wee reade that the Councell of Nyce did reckon it in the number of holy Scriptures And Sainct Hierome is plaine both for this booke of Iudith and the rest that he did not deny them for first of Iudith hee saith the Nicen Councell which he and all Catholiks euer honored receaued it Hunc librum Synodus Nicaena Hieron Tom. 3. oper praef in Iudith Ruffin inuectit 2. in Hieronym in numero sanctarum Scripturarum legitur computasse And for the other books beinge chardged by Ruffinus to speake in his owne words to be the onely man qui praesumpserit sacras Sancti Spiritus voces diuina volumina temerare Diuino muneri Apostolorum haereditati manus Intulerit Ausus est Instrumentum diuinum quod Apostoli Ecclesijs tradiderunt depositum Sancti Spiritus compilare To haue herein abused the words of the holy Ghost and diuine volumes To haue offered violence to the diuine office and Inheritance of the Apostles And to speake in Protestants Couel sup pag 87. translation to haue robbed the Treasure of the holy Ghost and diuine Instrument which the Apostles deliuered to the Churches Sainct Hierome neuer denieth any of those things for true which Ruffinus spake Ruffin supr of the authority of those books of Scriptures that the Apostles deliuered theÌ„ for such to the Churches and no learned man euer denied it and that S. Peter at Rome deliuered them to the Church Petrus Romanae Hier. Apol. 2. aduers Ruffin Tom. 4 oper praef in libros Machul Ecclesiae per viginti quatuor annos praefuit Quid ergo decepit Petrus Apostolus Christi Ecclesiam libros ei falsos tradidit But onely denieth that he wrote in his owne but in our Enemies the Iewes opinion non enim quid ipse sentirem sed quid illi contra nos dicere soleant explicaui And writinge to Pope Damasus plainely testifieth that he ioyned with the Catholike Church in this busines nouum vetus testamentum recipimus in eo librorum numero quem sanctae Catholicae Ecclesiae tradit authoritas And Feild l. 4. of the Church cap. 23. pag. 245. Act. 6. Gloss ordin Lyra. in eund locum our Protestants from Antiquities acknowledge thus The Iewes at the cominge of Christ were of two sorts some named Hebrews commorant at Hierusalem and in the holy land properly named Hebrewes others named Hellenist that is Iewes of dispersion mingled with the Greeks these had written certaine bookes in Greeke which they made vse of together with other parts of the old Testament which they had of the translation of the Septuagint But the Hebrews receaued onely the 22. bookes before mentioned Hence it came that the Iewes deliuered a double Canon of the Scripture to the Christian Churches And in this second Canon of the Iewes as these men write were those bookes of the old Testament which this article denieth And whereas some Protestants would excuse this Article by some old Authorities of Melito Sardensis Origen the
generall Councels as necessary vnto saluation hâ—â—e neither strength nor authority vnlesse it may be declared that they be taken out of holy Scriptures This is aboundantly before confuted where I entreated of their article of Scriptures So it is by that is deliuered in this Councell which they wholy and without any the least exception admit For in denyall of marriage vnto Cleargy men it hath done it by the old Apostolike tradition of the Church Can. 6. 7. secundum veterem Ecclesiae traditionem So they doe in the true gouernment of the Church by the Pope and Patriarkes Antiqua consuetudo Antiqua mores Mos antiquus Seruetur Seruentur Consuetudâ— obtinuit antiqua traditio Yet true gouernment of the Church is with them an essentiall property of the true Church vnseperable and so necessary to saluation So is the true Cleargy and consecration as also the holy Sacrifice Sacrament of the altar really containing the body of Christ yet by these men not to be declared by Scriptures they finding no such thing in them And these Protestants themselues with publike Protest of Engl. in feild libr. 4. of the Church pag. 228. allowance write Bishops assembled in a generall Councell haue authority to interpret Scriptures and by their authority to suppresse all them that gaine say such interpretation Therefore if there were question of truely interpreting Scripture Protestants must yeeld to generall Councels and not these to them particular Churches if the Protestant was such must of duty and necessity submit themselues to the vniuersall and Apostlike Catholike such as a generall Councell is as the first Nicen Councell in the Creede thereof which Protestants receaue doth declare it selfe and such generall Councels to be and so inflicteth censures Anathematizat Caâ—â—olica Symb. Niceâ— Ruffin lib. 1. hist c. 5. Soc. l. 1. hist c. 6. Apostolica Ecclesia Therefore wee are sure a generall Councell cannot erre in expounding Scriptures or any decree of faith That our Christian Britains were of this minde opinion and profâ—ssion their Bishops with longe and tedious labours present at the greate primitiue Councels of Arles Sardice Ariminum and others by all witnesses and with our King and Emperour at Nice in most probable Iudgment also Rome and the sacred Nicen Councell here then authentically receaued and embraced by all holy writers giue aboundant testimony THE X. CHAPTER The 22. Article thus likewise examined and condemned THE next article the 22. in number is intituled of Purgatory And is thus The Romish doctrine The doctrine of Purgatory prayer and other satisfaction for the true faithfull deceased practised in this first agâ— concerning Purgatory pardons worshipping and adoration aswell of Images as of reliques and also inuocation of Saincts is a fond thing vainely inuented and grounded vpon no warranty of Scripture but rather repâ—gnant to the word of God Much matter in few words many things peremptorily affirmed nothing proued All false and foolish also where as they would haue all thing grounded vpon warranty of Scripture so many times by theÌ„ affirmed and as often by me before confuted And to take their assertions in order beginning with their first about the Romish their phrase doctrine concerning Purgatory This is thus set downe in the Councels of Florence and Trent If men truely ponitent depart this life in the loue of God before they haue satisfied for their sinnes their soules are purged with the paines of Purgatory And that they may be releiued from such paines the suffrages of the saithfull aliue to wit sacrifice of Masse prayers and almes and other offices of piety which by the faithfull are vsed for other faithfull people according to the instituâ—â—ons Concil Flor. Concil Tâ—id Sessione 4. can 30. of the Church doe profit them Definimus si verè poenitentes in Dei charitate decesserint antequam dignis poenitentiae fructibus de commissis satisfeâ—eriâ—â— omissis eorum animas paenis Purgatorij purgari Et vt à poenis huiusmodi releuentur prodesse his viuorum fidelium suffragia Missarum scilicet sacrificio orationes eleemosynas pietatis officia quae à fidelibus proaijs fidelibus fieri consueuerunt secundum Ecclesiae institutae Nor is this the Romish onely but also the Greekish and Catholike doctrine of the Church of Christ So is affirmed by Gennadius their learned Patriarke in his defence of the recited Councell of Florence The doctrine of Purgatory prayer and Sacrifice Gâ—nad Schol. in defens CoÌ„cil Floraent def â— cap. 3. for the deade was a tradition of the Apostles That which the Laâ—â—nes call purgatorium purgatory they of the Greeke Church name catharterion a purging place They were onely Scismaticorum Sectatores followers of Scismatikes which denied it This is likewise confessed Relation of Relig. c. 53. 54. 55. by our English Protestants and knowne vnto all trauaylers either into the contries or writers of the Greekes Now let vs see whether it was the doctrine of the Apostolike age or noe The Greeke Patriarke hath before affirmed it So will our Protestants hereafter And the Apostolike men of this age affirme and proue it Sainct Clement saith his Master and predecessour Sainct Clem. Rom. Epist 1. Peter among other things did teach mortuos sepelire diligenter corum exequias peragere proque eis orâ—â—e eleemosynas dare To bury the deade and diligently performe their funerals and pray and giue almes for them He deliuereth further how in their publike Constitut Apost l. 8. c. 19. Church seruice and Sacrifice of that time among their prayers for other necessaries they prayed for the faithfull departed out of this world Pro ijs qui infide quieuerunt oremus And from Iames Alphaeus named the Brother of our Lord frater Domini he setteth downe the manner how the Deacon vsed publikely to giue warning in the time of the holy Sacrifice to pray for the soules of the faithfull deceased deliuering the very prayer commonly vsed in such cases directly proueing a place of Purgatory and prayer for the deliuery of the faithfull departed from thence with a remission of all punishment they had deserued and were to suffer vntill they were by such meanes freed thereof Pro defunctis qui in Christo requieuerunt L. 8. supr cap. 47. iuxt al. 40. 41. postquam Diaconus edixit orandum esse adiunget etiam haec oremus profratribus nostris qui in Christo requieuerunt vt Deus summae erga homines charitatis qui animam defuncti suscepit remittat ei omne peccatum voluntarium non voluntarium propitius illi factus collocet eam in regione piorum qui laxati sunt in sinu Abrahae Isaac Iacob cum omnibus qui à saeculo condito Deo placuerunt vnde fugit dolor maeror gemitus And againe ipse nunc respice hunc seruum tuum quem in aliam sortem elegisti assumpsisti condona ei si quid tum volens tum
Niceph hist Eccl. l. 11. cap. 14. yeare of Christ 80. which in antiquitie are remembred first to haue denyed the grace of this holie Sacrament as they did of others and affirmed that the holie ghost was not receaued therein for this as other their Errours were condemned then of heresie Messaliani dicunt in clericorum ordinatione Spiritum sanctum non suscipi These Protestants Ordination will be spoken of in their 36. Article of that Title THE XVI CHAPTER Matrimonie thus proued a Sacrament THE next Sacrament which this Protestant Article excepteth against in the same wordes and phrase of speach as against the former is that of matrimonie euer in the Church of Christ from his and his Apostles time receaued and vsed for an holy Sacrament The holie scriptures say it is an honorable estate honorabile connubium God Hebr. 13. maketh the vnion of husband and wife vnseparable by man Quod Deus coniunxit homo non separet Matth. 19. The bonde of matrimonie is the greatest greater then towards father or mother And a reason is because it is a Sacrament Relinquet homâ— Ephes 5. patrem matrem suam adherebit vxori sua erunt duo in carne vna Sacramentum hoc magnum est ego autem dico in Christo in Ecclesia This supernaturall and Sacramentall Iustitution in Christian Religion maketh the obligation inuiolable Matth. 10. not admitting separation to take any other Quicumque dimiserit vxorem suam aliâ—â— duxerit adulterium committit super eam si vxor dimiserit virum suum alij nupserit maechatur Ijs 1. Cotinth 7. qui matrimonio iuncti sunt praecipio non ego sed Dominus vxorem à viro non discedere quòd si decesserit manere innuptam aut viro suo reconciliari vir vxorem non dimittat It was not so either with the Iewes or gentiles The Iewes enen in the dayes of Moyses had their diuorces Moses mandauit dare Matth. 19. libellum repudij dimittere Moses permisit dimittere vxores As they also had pluralitie of wines then At the cominge of Christ and after by their Rabbines allowance Rabbini vestri sanè ad hunc vsque Iustinus dial cum Tryphone diem quatuor quinque vestrum quemque vxores habere permiâ—tunt And yet condemned them not for other incontinencies All which as S. Iustine liuing in this age witnesseth against them is condemned by the Christian Sacrament of matrimony Si quis vestrum venustam inspiciens eam expetiuerit nihil iniqui agere asseuerunt quo quidem etiam miseri stulti sunt nomine Nam sicut prius dixi magnorum Sacramentorum aeconomiae dispositiones in quolibet eius generis facto sunt celebratae The gentiles though euer without title of true Religion and therefore needles to be remembred in this busines were not inferiour to the Iewes in this disorder no more then the later Hereticall Turkes and Mahometans now be Yet I shall speake of the gentiles by accidentary occasion hereafter S. Martiall in this age doth say not onely that marriage among Christians is honest constituted by God lawfull and immaculate but hath sanctification and honour of chastitie Coniugium Martial epist ad Tholosan cap. 9. honestum constitutum à Deo lâ—gitimum immaculatum eis qui ex sanctificatione honore castitatis nubere volunt And Christ our Lord himselfe so approued it Dominus Magister meus Christus approbauit S. Clement from the Apostles proueth there could be no dissolubilitie in Christian mariage no taking a second wife or husband during the life of the first Si quis Laicus vxorem propriam pelleâ—s Clem. Can. Apost 48. Euarist ep 2. alteram vel ab alio dimissam duxerit communione priuctur So S. Euaristus expoundeth S. Paul cited before of not parting husband or wife So Tertullian prouing that mariage among Christians is Tertullian de Monogam cap. 11. l. 4. contra Marcion cap. 34. onely dissolued by death and not diuorce Per mortâ—m non per repudium facta solutione quia repudiatis non permitteret nubere Apostolus aduersus pristinum praeceptum Manet matrimonium quod non ritè diremptum est Manente matrimonio nubere adulterium est He maketh the prayses of matrimonie l. 2. ad vxorem cap. 9. all most vnspeakeable the Church maketh it sacrifice confirmeth it the Angels honour it God ratifieth it It is a coniunction of two Faithfull of one hope one vowe one discipline of the same seruice To these God sendeth his peace Vâ—â— sufficiam ad enarrandum faelicitatem eius matrimonâ—â— quod Ecclesia counciliat confirmat obligatio obâ—â—gnatum Angeli renunciant pater rato habet Quaâ— iugum fidelium duorum vnius spei vnius voti vniâ— disciplinae eiusdem seruitutis His Deus pacem suâ— Tertullian l. de Monog cap. 5. aduers Valentinian cap. 30. l. de praescript aduers heret c. Euaristus Pap. epist 2. Ephes 5. mittit He diuers times and in diuers places calleth it a Sacrament Sacramentum celebranduâ— Sacramentum diuinum Sacramentum euen as Baptisme and confirmation So doth S. Euaristus Popâ— liuing in this age and as other Fathers both greekâ— and latin so expound S. Paul before cited callinâ— it a greate Sacrament Sacramentum hoc magnum 〈◊〉 S. Chrisostome though liueing after this age yet giueing the custome and practise of thes and after dayes for his reason besides S. Paules authoritie so expoundeth him saying it is a Sacrament and a greate Sacrament as S. Paul did prouinge a Sacrament by the Sacramentall grace giuen therein for a man or woman to forsake him that begotte Chrisostom in cap. 5. ad Ephes Hom. 20. them nourished and hrought them vp her which conceaued them brought them forth with payne and affliction who bestowed so many benefites vpon them as parents do on children with whom there was so long acquaintance and cohabitation to adhere to him or her that was not seene to them before and preferr them before all things this is verily a Mysterie And the parents when these things are done are not greeued but rather if they bee not done and with Ioy pay money and make expences to see them performed Veriely this is a greate mistery hauing a certayne secrette wisedome This long since S. Paul Prophesied saying in Christ and his Church But this was not spoken alone for him but what That the husband should cherish his wife as his owne flesh And as Christ doth his Church Reuera est mysterium magnum mysterium eo qui procreauit qui genuit qui educauit ea quae concepit quae cum dolore peperit afflictione quitot ac tantis affecerunt beneficijs cum quibus diuturnus fuit vsus consuetudo relictis ei adherere quae ne visa quidem fuit cum co nibil habere commune eam omnibus praeferre reuera est mysterium parentes cum
it to himselfe though he punished with death as others often since then haue done the professours thereof yet both he and all or Rulers temporall since Kings or Queens haue retained in their stile of honour that title Defensor fidei defendour of the faith which the Pope gaue him for defending before his fall the Catholike faith against Martine Luther though they all except Queene Mary impugned it And our present K. Charles whome together with his Queene Mary God blesse with all good and happines in his late publike declaration to all his louing Subiects among whome his Catholiks be not in the lowest place of duty and desert to him though not in like degree of his fauour to theÌ„ thus and thus vehemently protesteth wee call God to recorde before whome we stand that it is and alwaies hath beene our harts desire to be found worthy of that title which we accompt the most glorious in all our Crowne DEFENDOVR OF THE FAITH But to defend the faith is not to reprint the articles of Religion established in the time of Queene Elizabeth and by a declaration before those articles to ty and restraine all opinions to the sense of those articles as he speaketh immediately before and to persecute Bishops Preists and Catholiks as he doth That title was giuen by the Pope to King HeÌ„ry for defence of the true faith longe before the articles of Queene Elizabeth or she was borne Longe before hee K. Edward 6. Queene Elizabeth King Iames and King Charles persecuted Catholiks their faith whereof by their stile they should be defendours longe before their religion or any of them I except King Henry the 8. to whome it was giuen receaued beeing The true faith Catholike and Apostolike which by that regall stile and title they should defend against these articles I haue aboundantly by the best testimonies proued in euery point for the two last following articles the 38. intituled of Christian mens goods which are common and the 39. the last of a Christian mans oath doe not containe any coÌ„trouersie with Catholikes but were ordained against new Sectaries among themselues I hope no Protestant Parlament will hereafter glory that their religion was almost 80. yeares old though it wanteth 10. of that number and so extraordinarily contend to persecute that which I haue proued to exceed it aboue 1500. yeares in time and truth which they ought to embrace and honour and not so maliciously or ignorantly not being the most religious nor learned diuines to persecute it FINIS A TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS Chap. 1. COncerning the first 5. Protestant Articles not differing from the Apostles Religion and the Romane Church pag. 1. Chap. 2. Examining their 6. Article about scriptures and traditions and condemning it by the Apostles and Apostolike men and doctrine of their age p. 2. Chap. 3. The 7. 8. 9. 10. Articles examined and wherein they differ from the present Roman Church condemned by this first Apostolike age p. 53. Chap. 4. The 11. Article of the Iustification of man examined and condemned by the Apostolike Fathers of this first age p. 60. Chap. 5. The 12. Article examined and in whatsoeuer differing from the present Romane Church condemned by the Apostolike age So of the 13. and 14. Articles p. 67. Chap. 6. The 15. 16. 17. 18. Articles so examined and wheresoeuer repugnant to the Roman Church likewise condemned p. 82. Chap. 7. The 19. Article examined and condemned by the same authoritie p. 88. Chap. 8. The 20. Article thus examined and in whatsoeuer contrarie to the Church of Rome thus condemned p. 99. Chap. 9. The 21. article so examined and condemned p. 109. Chap. 10. The 22. article thus likewise examined and condemned p. 141. Chap. 11. The 23. article examined p. 207. Chap. 12. The 24. article likewise examined and condemned by this first Apostolike age and writers therein p. 212. Chap. 13. The 25. article intituled of the Sacraments thus examined and condemned in all things contrarie to Catholike doctrine p. 222. Chap. 14. Pennance so called in this article and by Catholikes The Sacrament of Pennance was so iudged and vsed in this Apostolike age p. 228. Chap. 15. Holy Orders contrary to this article was vsed and held à Sacrament in this first age p. 233. Chap. 16. Matrimonie thus proued a Sacrament p. 242. Chap. 17. Extreame vnction thus proued to be a Sacrament p. 249. Chap. 18. The rest of this article repugnant to the Catholike faith likewise condemned p. 252. Chap. 19. The 26. and 27. articles examined and Protestant doctrine in or by them condemned p. 258. Chap. 20. The 28. article intituled of the supper of the Lord examined and condemned p. 262. Chap. 21. The 29. article intituled of the wicked which do not eate the bodie and blood of Christ in the vse of the Lords supper examined and condemned p. 276. Chap. 22. The 30. article intituled of both Kindes examined and where it is contrarie to the Romane Church condemned p. 284. Chap. 23. The 31. article being intituled of the one oblation of Christ finished vpon the Crosse thus examined and condemned p. 297. Chap. 24. The 32. article intituled of the marriage of Preists thus examined and condemned p. 315. Chap. 25. The 33. 34. articles examined and in whatsoeuer repugnant to the doctrine of the Church of Rome thus condemned p. 339. Chap. 26. The 35. 36. articles intituled of homilies and of consecration of Bishops and ministe◠〈…〉 examined and condemned 〈…〉 Chap. 27. The 37. article intituled of the ciuiâ—â— Magistratus thus examined and whatsoeuer against the Roman Church condemned p. 390.
for defence of the Catholike Faith and Iastlie by your Maiestie our last Queene MARIE by whom this land is blessed by a royall issue and as we hope shall in time be madâ— happie by restitution of the Catholike Religion ether in your owne oâ— your childrens dayes And the ratheâ— when England shall see by the Iudgement of the Apostles that the Catholike religioÌ„ aggreeth in all point with the religion taught deliuereâ— by the Apostles and first Apostolicalâ— preachers and that the Protestant religioÌ„ is discouÌ„tenaunced discarded condemned by them This shall appeare by this booke which I youâ— Maiesties most humble subiect aâ— old student in holie learning doe iâ— all dutifull manner present vnto youâ— wishing to your Gracious Maiestie and to our noble Souueraigne your deare Spouse a long and happie raigne in our great Brittainie such a temporall raigne amongst your subiectes as you may both raigne in heauen eternallie with God his Saintes and Angelles Your Maiesties most humble and deuoted subiect R. B. APPROBATIO CVm mihi constiterit ex testimonio fide digni S. Theol. Doctoris in hoc libro cui tituluâ— Apostolorum iudicium c. nihil inueniri Catholicae fidei aut bonis moribus contrarium sed multâ— quae ostendunt religionem Catholicorum esse Apostolicam haereticorum verò Apostaticam censuâ— vtiliter praelo committi posse Actum Duaci die 23. Iunij 1632. GEORGIVS COLVENERIVS S. Theol. Doctor Regius ordinariusque Professor Gollegiatâ— Ecclesiae S. Petri Praepositus Duaâ— censis Academiae Cancellarius librorum Censor THE FIRST CHAPTER CONCERNINGE THE FIRST 5. PROtestants Articles not differinge from the Apostles Religion and the Roman Church BEEINGE to enter into the Examen and comparison of the parlament protestant Articled Religion of England with the Religion of the present Church of Rome and â—e whole Christian world named Catholike â—or profession whereof the Catholiks of England â—y the protestants thereof haue longe tyme suffâ—red and still most constantly endure most bitter persecutions by the first knowne and confessed â—ue Christian Catholike Apostolike Religion â— the Apostles and that their happy age wee finde â—t in the first fiue Articles of this new Religion â—y difference or difficulty to be thus decided both â—atholicks and parlameÌ„tary protestants agreeing them all and they all beeing ordeyned by these proâ—tants against other Sectaries so soone within 4. â—ares of the beginning of Q. Elizabeth her Reigne reâ—eing old condemned heresies amongst them as their â—tories and registers remember and therefore it will â—re suffice onely to recite the Titles of these arâ—les to giue notice thereof The contents and title â— the first article are Of faith in the holy Trinity The second of the word or sonne of God which was made verymaÌ„ The 3. Of the going downe of Christ into hell The 4. Of the Resurrection of Christ The 5. Of the Holy Ghost The whole Article the Title being subiect to doubt is The holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the sonne is of one substance Maiesty and glory with the Father and the Sonne very and eternall God Hitherto wee finde nothing against the doctrine of the Catholike Church Which noâ— vnlikely these men did rather to winnesome crediâ— at their entrance to be thought louers of truth then that they hated the enemies of these articles not yet suppressed among them THE SECOND CHAPTER Examining their 6. Article about Scriptures and traditions and condemning it by the Apostles and Apostolike men and doctrine of their age THEIR next sixt Article intituled of the sufficiency of the holy Scriptures for Saluation â— thus holy Scripture containeth all things necessary â— saluation Soe that what soeuer is not read therein nâ— may be proued thereby is not to be required of any maâ— that it should be beleeued as an article of faith or â— thought requisite or necessary to saluation By the naâ— of holy Scripture wee doe vnderstand those canonicâ— bookes of the old and new testament of whose authâ—rity was neuer any doubt in the Church And from tâ— number of those bookes which there they allowâ— to be canonicall They doe in expresse words aâ— tearmes reiect The booke of Tobias the booke of Iuditâ— the rest of the booke of Esther the booke of wisdomâ— Iesus the sonne of Sirach Baruch the Prophet the songe of the three children the story of Susanna of Bel and the Dragon the prayer of Manasses the first and second Bookes of the Machabees Concerning the new testament thus they adde all the bookes of the new testament as they are commonly receiued wee doe receiue and accompte them for canonicall This their Article is in their proceedings as the grounde worke and foundation whereupon their Religion is wholy framed and builded and yet so weake Feeble totteringe ruinous arid deceitefull that not any one true certaine and infallible point of doctrine as euery Article in true religion is can be framed vpoÌ„ it or from it so deduced by the expresse graunt of this article it selfe and of all English Protestants professed and sworne maintainers of it For whereas they sentence and define In the Art 6. supr name of holy Scripture wee doe vnderstand those canonicall bookes of the old and new testament of whose Field Booke of the Church lib. 4. cap. 5. wotton def of perk pa. 442. Couell ag Burg. pag. 60. def of Hooker pag. 31. 32. 33. proâ—â—st glosse on the 6. art Tho. Rogers ibid. authority was neuer any doubt in the Church They plainely make the Iudgment of the Church to be the highest tribunall in spirituall questions euen of the scriptures themselues And thus their best and cheife writers published by authority doe glosse and expound this article And of necessity so they must say except at their first entrance they will plainely confesse their religion and congregation their Church of England as they terme it to be erroneous or hereticall and to haue noe power or warrant at all to doubt deny or determine and propose what bookes be or be not Scriptures canonicall either of the old or new testament Or what one chapter or sentence in them is part or not part of such canonicall and vndoubted holy Scriptures for this power and prerogatiue being onely committed to the true Church by their Article and professors before if these men doubt or Iudge otherwise in this case then the true confessed Church hath hitherto done They can be noe part or members of that true Church And whatsoeuer is read or may be deduced from vntrue or doubted Scriptures cannot be possibly any certaine and vndoubted article of faith and religion For noe conclusion can be more certaine and vndoubted then the Maximes and authorities from which it is concluded but as the light of nature common law and vndeniable Maxime of true reasoning teacheth all men and all men truely acknowledge for a verity most certaine it euer followeth the weaker part euer erroneous doubtfull vncertaine or false if both or
of Sainct Peter Sainct Paul and the rest of the Apostles written vnto such places and persons as had before beleeued and receaued the Religion of Christ as is in euery of them plainely expressed And yet as is shewed before diuers of these were doubted of and not generally receaued for holy Scripture vntill 300. yeares after they were writteÌ„ The not receauers or doubters of them being faithâ—ull true Christians in all points S. Matthew the â—irst of the Euangelists which wrote writinge for â—he conuerted Iewes in Hebrew could not thereby â—rofit any but Hebrews And yet Sainct Ireneus Irenaeus lib. 3. aduer haereses cap. 1. Hieron catal Script Eccl. in S. Matthaeo Euseb hist Eccl. l. 3. c. 21. Iren. supr witnesseth he did not write vntill both Sainct Peter and Sainct Paul were come to Rome Matthaeus in Hebraeis ipsorum lingua scriptura tradidit Euangelij cum Petrus Paulus Romae Euangelizarent fundarent Ecclesiam And onely for the Iewes before conuerted without scripture Propter eos qui ex cirâ—umcisione crediderunt And taught them by tradition not writinge vntill he was to depart from them to preache vnto others in other places And so was vrged by a kinde of necessity as S. Iohn also to write a Ghospell Ex omnibus Domini discipulis commentarios nobis soli Matthaeus Ioannes reliquerunt quos etiam necessitate ad scribendum esse adactos ferunt Matthaeus enim quum primum Hebraeis praedicasset etiam ad alios quoque transiturus esset EuangeliuÌ„ suum patrio sermone literis tradidit quod subtracta praesentia sua desiderabatur illis à quibus discedebat per liter as adimpleuit Sainct Marke placed in order to be the seconâ— Euangelist he beinge none of those Apostles and immediate Schollers of Christ but disciple of Saincâ— Peter the Apostle as he could not receaue his learninge in Christian Religion from the Scriptureâ— but from his Master and Tutor in Christ S. Peter noe writer of any Ghospell but of one onely shorâ— epistle at that time if the first was then written thâ— last second being written a litle before his death as the same Scripture withnesseth certus quod veloâ— 2. Petr. 1. est depositio tabernaculi mei secundum quod Dominus noster Iesus Christus significauit mihi So followinge Sainct Peter and learninge his Ghospell froâ— him he writ it by Sainct Peters warrant and ordeâ— at the entreaty of the Christians at Rome This foâ— whome hee wrote it being conuerted before without Scripture Marcus discipulus Interpres Petrâ—iuxta quod Petrum referentem andiuerat Rogatus Romae Clem. lib. 6. hypoâ— Hier. l. de Script Eccl. in Marc. Euseb hist l. 3. c. 21. l. 2. cap 15 Matth. westin chr an 42. Flor. wigorn chr an 45. 67. Marian. Scot. an 47. Marian Scot. an 47. Martin Polon an 44. Hier. lib de sc in Luc. Act. 1. Luc. c. 1. à fratribus breue scripsit Euangelium Quod cuâ— Petrus audisset probauit Ecclesiae legendum sua authoritate edidit sicut Clemens in six to Hypotyposeon libro scribit The case of Sainct Luke was the like with S Marke but that Sainct Luke cheifely followed S Paul which was not of the 12. Apostles which conuersed with Christ wryting his Ghospell after S Marke the Acts of the Apostles being writteÌ„ iâ— Rome in or after the 4. yeare of New the 57. or 58 of Christ both the Bookes were writteÌ„ by traditiâ— and after the faith of Christ receaued as he him selfe witnesseth of the first sicut tradiderunt nobâ— qui ab initio ipsi viderunt ministri fuerunt Scrmonis His Acts of the Apostles is an history of things done and encrease of Christians by tradition By all Antiquities S. Iohn was the last which wrote his Ghospell at the entreaty of the Bishops of Asia against Cerinthus and other heretiks and â—heifely the Ebionites denying the diuinity of Christ Ioannes nouissimus omnium scripsit Euangeâ—um Hieron lib. de Script Eccl. in Ioanne Apost Euseb hist Eccl. l. 3. cap. 21. rogatus ab Asiae Episcopis aduersus Cerinthum â—iosque haereticos maximè Ebionitarum domga â—nsurgens qui asserunt Christum ante Mariam non â—isse And neuer wrote before but onely by word â—reached vnto the people conuertinge them by â—n written tradition Ioannem aiunt qui toto tempore Euseb supr l. 2. 3. hist Hier. libr. de Scriptor Ecc. in Ioanne â—uangelici cursus praedicatione sine literis vsus fuerat â—ndem ad scribendum hisce de causis esse permotum Whereby wee also see that his Epistles were not written vntill his later time and the two last longe â—me doubted of as his Apocalipse also was and â—et neither written nor reuealed vntill his bannishâ—ent into Pathmos in the 14. yeare of Domitian Athanas Synopsi Crdren in nerua Epiphan Hier. 51. Iren l. 3. ca. 1. apud Eus l. 5. hist cap. 8. flor Wigorn. chron an 81. 103. Mat. westin chron an 98. â—e yeare of Christs Natiuity 97. or 98. And the â—mmon opinion in antiquity is that he did not â—rite his Ghospell vntill his returne to Ephesus â—ter the death of Domitian Matthew of westâ—ister with others saith that he first by worde conâ—emned those heretiks Cerinthus and Ebion affirâ—ing the world was made by the Angels that Christ â—esus was onely man and denying the resurrection â—f the deade and after by entreaty or compulsion â—ther of the Christians wrote his Ghospell to the â—me end Ioannes Apostolus Ephesum redijt Et quia â—ncussam se absente per haereticos vidit Ecclesiae fiâ—em Cerinthi Ebionis haeresim ibidem damnauit â—struunt enim mundum ab Angelis factum Iesum â—ominem fuisse tantum nec resurrexisse resurrectioâ—em quoque mortuorum non credebant Contra hanc haeresim à fratribus compulsus Apostolus Euangeliuâ— scripfit oftendens in exordio eius in principio fuissâ— verbum ipsum esse Deum per quem omnia factâ— sunt Therefore it is thus made euident that the worâ— was not conuerted to Christ nor his doctrine anâ— Religion receaued and established first by scriptures but vnwritten tradition As to exemplifie â— this our Kingdome of Britaine whose history â— write one of the remotest then knowne natioâ— from Hierusalem and apply the rest to the samâ— being in like estate with it for these things It â— proued both by old and late Greeke and Latinâ— domesticall and forreyne Catholike Protestaâ— writers that it receaued the faith of Christ long before any part of the new testament was writteâ— And it is euident in Antiquities that none of tâ— Ghospels except that of Sainct Marke was writtâ— in this parte of the world or in any language whiâ— the Britans vnderstood And that was but brâ— Hier. in Marco supr Io. an Euseb li. 3. hist Euangelium a short Ghospell and so short as beiâ— assisted both with the Ghospell of Sainct Mattheâ—
to Christâ— resurrection as the cheifest of all dayes Post Sabbatum Epistol ad Magnesianos epist ad Trallian omnis Christi amator Dominicum celebret diem resurrectioni consecratam Dominicae Reginam principem omnium dierum in qua vita nostra exorta est per Christum mors deuicta as all Christians now also doe The feast of Easter was also chauÌ„ged with other solemnities and they were accompted as cursed persecutors of Christ and his Apostles which obserued otherwise or kept any festiuity oâ— the Iewes although before commaunded in Scriptures Si quis cum Iudaeis celebrat Pascha aut Symbolâ— Epist ad Philadelphenses festiuitatis corum recipit particeps est eorum qui Dominum occiderunt Apostolos eius He proueth plainely that both the principall feasts and fasts also oâ— the Church as Lent and others were then in vse by this authority of Tradition Festiuitates ne dehonestetis Epistol ad Philippen quadragesimale iciunium ne spernatis contineâ— enim imitationem conuersationis Dominicae Post Passionis Doâ—â—â—iâ—ae hebdomadam ieiunare quartis sextis 〈…〉 negligatis Si quiâ— Dominicam diem ieiunarit â—ic Christi interfector est He often there remembreth the perpetuall virginity of the Blessed Virgin Mâ—ry Mariae Virginitas admitanduâ— ille partus Virginem esse quae parit The forme and manner of offering the holy Sacrifice of Christs body and blood of consecrating Bishops Preists and other Clergy men of ministringe so many Sacraments as he hath remembred the publike Church seruice to which he bindeth all the order of receauing peniâ—ents the custome and limitation of their vsed fâ—sts and whatsoeuer almost appertaining to the holy vse and exercise of Christian Religion in that Apostolike age was knowne and practized by this blessed disciple and all Apostolike men which was deliuered and vsed onely by tradition and so descended to later ages and posterities no Scripture prescribing Christians any such requisite instruction in so necessary and essentiall parts of Religion or the true practise and profession thereof to which all true Christians vnder paine and daunger of euerlasting damnation were bound And as Sainct Ignatius so also testifie the other holy and Apostolike writers of this age as I shall most clearely proue and cite them in euery particular article questioned by these Teachers For this present it will be more then needfull to remember what they write hereof in generall termes Sainct Denis the Areopagite conuerted by Sainct Paul the Apostle writinge of Christian necessary doctrines saith plainely that the Apostles deliuered some of them by tradition onely without writinge as they did some by writinge partim scriptis partim non scriptis suis institutionibus ex Sacrosanctis legibâ— Dionysius Areopag l. Eccles Hierarc c. 1. nobis tradiderunt And proueth that in this Apostolike time the ChristiaÌ„ mysteries were neither communicated by writing nor word for their greate reuerence but to holy and perfect Christians Vide â—â— Sancta Sanctorum enunties sed reuereberis ea patius quae occulti Dei sunt cognitiâ—ne mentis â—nimi â— honore habebis ac preteo ita tamen vt ea minus perfectis non tradas cum ijs folis qui Sancti erunt cuâ— Sancta illustratione pro sacrarum rerum dignitate communices And setteth downe expressely That thâ— Apostolike Church then did not permit Cateâ—hâ—mens Energumens or penitents to be present at the the holy misteries Catechumenâ—s Energâ—menos Cap. 5. quique in poenitentia sunt Sanctae Hiererchiae mos paâ—itur quidem audire sacram psalmorum modulationem diuinamque sacrarum Scripturarum recitationem aâ— sacra autem operae quae deinceps sequuntur at que mysteria spectanda non eos comiocat sed perfectos oculâ—â— eorum qui digni sunt And testifieth what greate Cap. care the Christians then had to conceale their ceremonies Sainct Timothy also as this holy writer proueth Dionys supr c. 1. S. Dionys l. de diuin nomin cap. 3. Clem. Rom. ep 1. 2. 3 4. 5. l Recog l. coÌ„stitut Apost Chris hom 49. in Matth. Euseb histor Eccl. Cedren Nicephor Callist hist l. 2. Epiphan in panar Ruffin praef in Clem. Bed in cap. S. Luc. Freculp Lerouien Chron. lib. 2. Synod Sext. in Trullo Ruffin praef translat oper S. Clement S. Proclus Patriarch Constant l. de tradit diuinae Liturg Nichol. Episcopus Methonen l. de vero Christi corp in Eucharist Marcus Ephes l. de corpore sang Christi Bessar l. de Sacr. Eucharist Manuscript Gallic antiq an D. in S. Clem. Manuscript Brit. antiquis Protest CollectioÌ„ of priuate prayers An. 1627. p. 147. 125. 107. 87. 35. Mat. Park antiquit Brit. pag. 47. was of this opinion and practise S. Hieroth eus also Tutor to Sainct Denis did write a booke of Christians holy traditions Hierotheus clarissimâ—s praeeeptor noster elementa Theologica magnacâ—m laâ—de collegerit And this before S. Denis write The Apostolike Traditions collected together and committed to writinge by Sainct Clement Successor to Sainct Peter at Rome as both he himselfe with other auncient and approued Authors Greeke and Latine and generall councels witnesse are so many that a short volume containeth them â—ot yet in all things condemne Protestant Reliâ—ioÌ„ not approuing it in any one Article wherein it â—ifferreth from Catholiks and the doctrine of the â—resent Roman Church as will be made euident â— the particular articles hereafter manifestly â—nowne and confessed by Ruffinus his translation â—nd testimony to haue bene then and from the beginninge contained in his workes and aggreable â—oth with the Apostolike doctrine of this age and â—ther confessed vnspotted times after as in the â—ourth hundred yeare of Christ wherein Ruffinus â—ued the Church of Rome at this time wherein â—ee now liue I will onely in this place exemplifie â— the publike liturgy Masse or Church sacrifice puâ—lished by him vnto the Church of Christ Greeks â—atines French and our old brittesh antiquities our Protestants theÌ„selues confesse That as Peter â—t Antioch S. Marke at Alexandria Sainct Iohn â—nd S. Andrew in Asia So Sainct Clement wrote â—nd published a forme of Masse and generally all Churches embraced it Omne sque vniuersae Ecâ—esiae vbicumque sint per eam quam Sanctus Cleâ—ens conscripsit liturgiam tradiderunt In this so old â— vniuersall so approued wee finde protection of â—e Angels Angelorum tutelas honor to all Saincts â—atriarks Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confesâ—ors c. Sanctis Patriarchis Prophetis Iustis Apoâ—olis Martyribus Confessoribus Sanctorum martyrum â—emoriam colamus Prayer for the faithfull deceased â—roijs qui in fide quieuerunt oremus The Ecclesiaâ—icall orders which I haue before remembred from â—ainct Ignatius That the holy sacrifice was offered â—r all Seruants of God Offerimus tibi pro omnibus â—ui à saeculo placuerunt tibi Wee finde virgins and liuers in professed chastity Pro virginibus castitâ— seruaÌ„tibus The sacrifice of
those â—hich liued not vnmarried and in pouerty after the â—anner of the Apostles could not be saued The Eucraâ—tae Irenaeus l. 1. c. 10 Epiph. l. 1. Tom. 3. haer in Tatian c. 46. vlt. Epiphan l. 2. Tom. 2. haer cap 67. cont Hieracit Schollers to Tatianus were drowned in the â—ke heresie docuerunt omnes Christianos debere à nupâ—ijs abstinâ—re caelibes viuere sic continentiam â—olebant esse praecepti non consilij Hierax and his Hieracitae maintained the like excluding all marâ—ied Christians from the Kingdome of heauen Non admittit nuptias concessum est ait in veteri testaâ—ento nuptias contraherc verum à Christi aduentu â—on amplius nuptias admitti neque posse ipsos possidere â—egnum caelorum Some of the Pelagians also held â—hat no man could be saued except he sold all he â—ad and gaue it to the poore neminem saluum esse August epist 89. â—osse nisi omnia venderet daret pauperibus quasi â—on consilium sed praeceptum hoc esset As if this were â—ot a counsaile but a commaundement Which the Protestants thus also plainely confesse in these Couel def of Hook p. 52. points all haue not holden the same opinions some thought the counsailâ—s to be of the same necessity with precepts as those heretiks called Apostolici Thus with publike approbation And yet this article in the reason it would make falleth into the same heresie plainely affirming that whatsoeuer worke of piety or perfection is or may be wrought or done in this life virginity chastity voluntary pouerty obedience or what such soeuer none excepted in this their doctrinall decree all men are beunde to doe they be bound in duty they are commaunded And so â— married men or women none that be rich noâ— that be in authority and rule spirituall or tempâ—rall Kinge Prince Prelate or whosoeuer tâ— liue not in virginity and chastity forsake not â— for Christs sake and followe him as the Apostlâ— and such did or liue not in professed obedienâ— which no Protestants doe or euer did can possibâ— be saued by the expresse conclusion of this articâ— leauing no place or hope of saluation for any of thâ— religion which hath vtterly to their power abaâ—doned all such holy estates and conditions of perfâ—ction When Christ himselfe and his Apostles aâ— the Apostolike writers of this age haue taught â— otherwise that the keepinge of the commaundâ—ments is sufficient to bringe men to saluation aâ— there be other perfections of counsaill and not nâ—cessity bringing greater glory and reward â— heauen Si vis ad vitam ingredi serua mandata Aâ— Matth. c. 19. illi Iesus si vis perfectus esse vade vende omnia qâ— habes da pauperibus habebis the saurum in coelâ— veni sâ—quere me De virginibus praeceptum Domiâ— 1. Cor. cap. 7. non habeo consilium autem do Qui matrimonio iungâ— Matth. 19. virginem suam bene facit qui non iungit melius fâ—cit SuÌ„t eunuchi qui seipsos castrauerunt propter regnâ—â— caelorum qui potest capere capiat That these holy estates of perfection besides thâ— keepinge of the commaundements were professed Ignat. epist ad Philippen ep ad Philadelp epist ad Smy epist ad Polycarp Dion Areop supr Ignatius ep ad Heron. exercised and honored in this age I haue proued before by the Apostolike writers then Sainct Ignatius Sainct Denis and others And in his epistle tâ— Sainct Hero these holy virgins are stiled the pretious Iewels of honor vnto Christ Virgines serua vâ— pretiosa Christi monilia Sainct Iames in his liturgy â—aketh honorable mention of the liuers in monaâ—eries Dionysius Areop Eccl. Hierarc c. 6. in such condition Proijs qui in virginitate â—stitate in monasterijs degunt Dominum oremus S. â—ionisius giueth vnto them the greatest titles of â—onour perfection holinesse which this life can â—ue and next to God himselfe Ordo monachorum â— exactissimam perfectionem diuina ratione subuehiâ—r Vnde sancti patres nostri diuinis eos appellationibus â—nt prosecuti partim Therapentas id est cultores à â—cero Dei famulatu atque cultu partim monachos ab â—diuidua singulari vita appellantes vt quae illos â—nctis diuisibilium complicationibus in diuinam â—eo gratam monadem perfectionemque promoueat The â—der of monkes by a diuine manner is exalted to the most â—act perfection Whereupon our holy predecessors called â—em by diuine names partly Therapents that is worâ—ippers for their sincere seruinge and worshippinge of â—d partly also naming theÌ„ monkes for their indiuiduall â—d singular life exalting them to an hâ—auenly perfeâ—ion and acceptable vnto God Antiquaries recken Sainct Iohn Baptist greater â—en whome by the testimony of Christ himselfe â—e best witnesse no man was who was onely man â—er natos mulierum nâ—n surrexit maior Ioanne Bapâ—ta his chastity contempt of the world pouerty â—d austerity of life was a profession lesson and paâ—ne of this perfection Wee may recken such both â— Scriptures and histories all the Apostles which â—r the loue of Christ forsook all and followed â—m in holy chastity paines pennance and austeâ—y of life so longe as they liued And this was not â—gular and peculiar vnto them but a thinge alâ—ost common to very many Christians besides the â—postles and properly named disclples selling their possessions and giuing away their wealth Ricâ— of this world to serue God in more perfection aâ— to be made rich in heauen and were honored mâ— for so doing as the holy Scriptures and the mâ— worthy writers proue So at Hierusalem omnes â— Act. c. 2. eredebant habebant omnia communia Possessione â— substantias vendebant diuidebant illa omnibâ— prout euique opus erat Habentes gratiam ad omnem pâ—bem So at Alexandria vnder Sainct Marke as Phâ— then liuing seeing it Sainct Hierome and othâ— witnesse Philo disertissimus Iudaeorum videns â—lexandriae Philo l. de vita contempl Hieron l. de Script Eccl. in Marco Euangel Clem. l. 1. recogn in ep praesertim S. vita communi Vrban Papa ep decret Robert Barnes in vit Pontif. Rom. in Vrban 1. Ignat. Epistol ad Philadelp primam Ecclesiam adhuc Iudaizantem qâ— in laudem gentis suae librum super eorum conuersatâ— scripsit Et quomodo Lucas narrat Iero solymae credeâ— omnia habuisse communia siâ— ille quod Alexandâ— sub Marco fieri Doctore cernebat memoriae tradidit â— it was also in the Church of Rome vntill Pope Vâ—banus time as Sainct Clement and Sainct Vrbaâ— write and after as others proue And our Protestaâ— antiquaries consent affirming that Pope Vrbanâ— concluded and decreed in his time fundos vltrò â—clesiae oblatos accipiendos esse praedia debere esse comâ—nia prouentus vero viritim inter clericos distribuâ— dos esse iussit S. Ignatius speaking of the honoâ— and noblenesse of chastity and how it
assuage their contention The other haue the Pope as a common Father aduiser and conductor to all to reconcile their Iarres to appease their displeasures to decide then difference aboue all things to drawe their religion by consent of councels to vnity And this is euidently and experimeÌ„tally knowne to be true by all men no Prince or Potentate spirituall or temporall except the Pope of Rome either hauing or pretending to haue any such power as is necessary to call assemble a generall Councell And for Protestant Princes none clayming such prerogatiue but onely in his owne temporall dominions it is absolutely vnpossible that any such assembly of Bishops which could deserue the name of one halfe or third or lesse part of a generall CouÌ„cell from all Christian Kingdomes and contries should at any time or place be called and gathered together by any such pretended power And if wee should allowe meere lay and prophane men Souldiars The SubscriptioÌ„s of these Protestants confessions Captaines Rebels and heretikes without knowledge in diuinity or humane duty to haue decisiue voyces in Ecclesiasticall matters and to offord to euery common Artizan the place and office of holy and learned Bishops in such assemblies IudgmeÌ„ts it were a thing most ridiculous And further to say that all the Bishops and Catholike Cleargy men in all those contries where Protestant confession haue beene kept were present and consented vnto them all those assemblies and conuenticles could not come to be the halfe of a fourth part of a Councell generall out of the whole Christian world There was not in any of forreine conuenticles and conciables any one man bearing the name of a Bishop which inuented them or subscribed vnto them as is euident in their subscriptions neither any one such at this day amoÌ„g them except in Scotland whether some of King Iames his bastard Bishops haue crept sent or appointed by his regall supremacy from the newly hatched broode of England which neither now hath or had any one true and lawfull Bishop at the enactinge and first shaping of these articles called forsooth Anglica confessio the confession of England and now scarcely a man to be founde in England Scotland Fraunce or other contry where those confessions were first vented which consenteth vnto them Diuers of them of late as of Bohemia the Palatinate of Rhyne and others in Germany wholly ouerthrowne and all returned to the Catholike faith and the rest so farre at variance and distastes with their confessions as wee see in England the late bookes of Doctor Montague and him that gathered the booke of prayers priuiledged by the present Protestant Bishop George of London both them iustifiable by this booke of articles their communion booke and other allowed rules of their religion are esteemed and accompted for strauÌ„ge wonders among the present called Protestants And to shew of what validity these pretended peeces of Protestants Councels and confessions were from the beginning in their owne Iudgment disablinge all such as be not gathered together by the commaundement and will of Princes except here in England where a woman was head in alâ— things both temporall and spirituall there was nâ—â— either the commaundement will or assent of aâ—â— true lawfull and cheife Prince to those confessionâ— but the contrary those assemblies and Confessioâ— being gathered and concluded by refractory disobedient and vndutifull people as is euident in thâ— very Protestant proceedings and histories of theâ— all In the confession of Ausburg the Protestant pâ—blishers of it say that Ihon Duke of Saxony Eâ—ctour George Marquesse of Brandeburge Ernestus Duke of Luneburge Philip Lansgraue â— Subscriptio confessionis Augustanae Hesse Ihon Frederike Duke of Saxony Francâ— Duke of Luneburge Walfangus Prince of Anhaâ— the Senats of Nurnberge and Reutling subscribeâ— but by their owne confession they subscribed â— subiects to the Emperour and protesting their fidelity vnto him Caesareae maiestatis vâ—strae fideles oâ— subditi And the Emperour their Supreame Lord and Prince neuer consented vnto it No Prince â—â— Potentate Protestant that consented vnto any â— these confessions neuer had or claymed any Iuridiction or power spirituall or temporall ouer â— other or any one other Prince or contry and so noâ— generall Councell euer was or can be called bâ— any right or title claymed or pretended in their religion all Protestants agree the true Church eâ—â— had hath and shall haue true discipline Sacâ—ments and due ministration of them and true dâ—ctrine in all things necessary none of these coâ—fessions thus agree together And the Protestanâ— of England with their temporall Princes spirituaâ— Supremacy with two onely Sacraments and dâ—uerse points of necessary doctrine differ from theâ— all Neither euer was there any Christian temporall prince King or Emperour or euer like to be that did or shall Reigne ouer all prouinces and contries where Christians did doe and are to liue hereafter yet councels haue beene kept and lawfully called euen such as be named generall from the beginning and before any Christian King was in the world and were lawfully kept and called contrary vnto and against the temporall Princes will and commaundement The Apostles themselues kept diuers councels in such manner The Scripture witnesseth that S. Peter and the Apostles assembled in Councell to be called generall for that time consisting of all the Apostles hiomnes erant perseuerantes vnanimiter Act. cap 1. and almost 120. Petrus in medio fratrum dixit erat autem turba hominum simul fâ—re câ—ntum viginti when Sainct Matthias was chosen in the place of Iudas It was a generall Councell also for that time Act. cap. 6. which was called and kept by the Apostles When Sainct Stephen and the other 6. Deacons with him were chosen remembred in the 6. chapter of the Acts of the Apostles For both all the Apostles and disciples being then very many crescente numero Act cap. 6 discipulorum were present at it called thither by Apostolike authority both without and against the consent will or liking of any temporall Prince It was also a generall Councell for that time when S. Paul S. Barnabas with others Paulus Barnabas Act. cap. 18. Clem. Rom. const Apost l. 6. cap. 12. quidam alij went a long Iorney to the rest of the Apostles and disciples at Hierusalem about the question then moued concerninge circumcision For these were receaued by the Church Apostles and others of the Clergy there Suscepti sunt ab Eâ—clesia ab Apostolis senioribus And the Apostles with the disciples and rulers of the representatiue Church gaue resolution and sentence vpon that doubt Placuit Apostolis senioribus cum omni Ecclesia So wee may say of the councels wherein the Canones Apostol Const Apost l. 6. c. 12. Canons of the Apostles and their constitutions registred by S. Clement and remembred in many auncient writers Greeke and Latine were made The like is also set downe by S. Clement when Clemens
sufficient for this Question The next Protestant exception in this article is concerning Images and is this The Romish doctrine The reuerent vse of holy Images thus proued concerning worship and adoration of images is a fond thinge vainely inuented and grounded vpon no warrant of Scripture but rather repugnant to the word of God The Councell of Trent for Catholiks thus deliuereth their doctrine and practise in this point which these men terme the Romish doctrine Imagines Christi Deiparae Virginis aliorum Sanctorum Concil Trid. Sess 9. in templis praesertim habendas retinendas eisque debitum honorem venerationem impertiendam non quòd credatur inesse aliqua in ijs diuinitas vel virtus propter quam sint colendae vel quòd ab eis sit aliquid petendum vel quòd fiducia in Imaginibus sit figenda veluti olim fiebat à gentibus quae in idolis spem suam collocabant Sed quoniam honos qui eis exhibetur refertur ad prototypa quae illae representant Ita vt per imagines quas osculamur coram quibus caput aperimus procumbimus Christum adoremus Sanctos quorum illae similitudinem gerunt veneremur Id quod conciliorum praesertim verò secundae Nicaenae Synodi decretis contra imaginum oppugnatores est sancitum That the Images of Christ The Mother of God and other Saincts are to be had and retained especially in Churches and due honour and reuerence is to be done vnto them not because wee may or doe beleeue there is any diuinity or vertue in them for which they are to be reuerenced or that any thing is or may be asked of them or trust placed in them as it was vsed of the gentils which placed their hope in Idols But because the honour which is done to them is referred to these whose Images they be and represent So that by the Images which wee kisse and before which wee put of our hats and knâ—ele downe wee adore Christ and worship the Saincts whose similitude they beare Which is defined in the decrees of Councels especially of the second Councell of Nice against the oppugners Concil Nic 2. of Images That Nicen generall Councell so defineth and testifieth it to be the doctrine of the Fathers and tradition of the Catholike Church in all the world Imaginis honor in prototypuÌ„ resultat qui adorat Imaginem in ea adorat quoque descriptum argumentum Sic enim Sanctorum nostrorum patrum obtinet disciplina vel traditio Catholicae Ecclesiae quae à finibus vsque ad fines Euangelium suscepit They say it was the faith of the Apostles Fathers and all true beleeuers in the world And doe anathematize all that alledge the sentences of holy Scripture against Idols against such sacred Images or call them Idols or say the Christians adore Images as Gods and those that wittingly communicate with them that hold opinion against such Images or abuse them Sancta Synodus exclamauit omnes sic credimus omnes idem sapimus omnes approbantes subscripsimus Haec est fides Apostolorum haec est fides patrum haec est fides orthodoâ—orum haec fides orbem terrarum confirmauit Credentes in vnum Deum in Trinitate laudatum venerandas Imagines amplexamur Qui secus agunt anathemate percelluntur Quicunque sententias sacrae Scripturae de Idolis contra venerandas Imagines adducunt anathema Qui venerandas Imagines Idola appellant Anathema Qui dicunt quòd Christiani Imaginès vt Deos adorent anathema Qui scientes communicant cum illis qui contra venerandas Imagines sentiunt aut eas dehonestant anathema And this being a generall Councell as our Protestants confesse and so by their owne allowance before the greatest authority in the Church of Christ doth expressely confute all preteÌ„ded obiections out of Scripture which Protestants now vse against holy Images being vrged by the I conoclasts Image breakers heretiks at that time And proueth that from the Apostles time the Catholike doctrine and vse of them had euer beene obserued in the Church And for this first Apostolike age Eusebius Sozomen Nicephorus and others testifie that the woman of phoenicia cured of her infirmity by our Sauiour in the Ghospell by touching the hemme of his garment did make Images of that miracle of Christ healing her and herselfe kneeling vnto him and that at the Image of our Sauiour there grew vp an herbe curinge all diseases to proue the allowance and reuerent vse of such for the Christians had that Image in greate reuerence and so it continued at Paneades in phoenicia vntill Iulian Euseb histor Eccl. l. 7. c. 17. Sozom. hist Eccl. l. 5. c. 20. Niceph. l. 10. c. 30. Synod Nicaen 2. the Apostata pulled it downe as he did other such Christian monuments and set vp his owne statua in the same place which was miraculously brokeÌ„ and ouerthrowne by God to make knowne his wickednesse therein And they were onely Pagan Idolaters which broke and prophaned the Image of Christ the Christians gathered the peeces together placed and reuerently preserued them in the Church Id temporis gentiles statuam Christi tanta câ—â— violentia trahebant vt eam confringerent At Christiani postea cius fragmentae cum collegissent in Ecclesia posuerunt vbi etiam adhuc custoditur Nicephorus and others write Statuam autem Christi Christiani tum iâ— Diacocinum Ecclesiae transtulerunt honoratiore locâ— positam cultu conuenienti prosecuti sunt locum â—â—â—que eum libenter frequentantes Imaginâ—m ipsam iâ—spectantes desiderium suum amorem ergastatuae ipsius archetypum primariumque exemplar declararunt Like is the history of our Sauiours holy Image miâ—â—culously Tabul Archiu ciuit Edessae apud Nicep l. 2. ca. 7. alios Euagr l. 4. c. 26 Damasc li. 4. de fid orth c. 17. Orthod c. 17. Const Porph. Imperat orat apud Metaphr 10. Aug. Monol Graecor cal septem Metaphrast 15. Nouemâ— in vit S. Alexiâ— Niceph. l. 2. c. 7. Conc. Nic. 2. Stephan 1. Pap. apud Adrian Pap. ep ad Corol. Mag. Tom. 3. Concil Tradit Eccâ— de S. Imagine Rom. Meth. in Tyberio Marian. Scot. in chronic an 39. Matth. Westmonast chron an graâ—iae 31. Ranulph hig Polychroâ— l. 4. c. 4. made by himselfe and sent to King Abgâ—â—us or Abagarus at Edessa in Syria kept and frequented with greate honour and reuerence as inuincible testimonies and authorities of antiquity proue Euagrius and others call it sanctissionam Imaginem diuinitus fabricatam The most holy Image made by God The Greeke Church keepeth a yearely feaste and solemnity of this holy Image on the 17. of the Calends of September The same I say of the holy Image of Christ made by himselfe in wipinge his face going to his passion with a linnen cloath deliuered to him by S. Veronica by some Bereuice as the traditioÌ„ of the Church of Christ Methodius Marianus Scotus Mattheus Westmonasteriensis and
that latin which he deliuered at Rome in Fraunce and other westerne places These Bishops Preists and Deacons which were not Britans could not vse that brittish tongue in their seruice which they did not vnderstand and which neither they nor the Britans could write for them or others to reade And whosoeuer any man will say preached here first S. Peter S. Paul S. Symon S. Ioseph or any other they not vnderstanding the brittish language nor any man writing they could not possibly vse or deliuer the seruice of the Church in that language our old brittish manuscript mentioned before saith the Manuscrip Brit. antiq de prima Institutione Eccles officij Church seruice which S. Marke vsed was also here in vse in Scotijs ac Britannijs Cursum qui dicitur praesenti tempore Scotorum beatus Marcus decantauit It testifieth further that S. Germanus S. Lupus S. Patrik and others vsed this seruice here both in Britayne and Scotlands when our Protestants confesse there was no errour in Religion Ipsum cursum decant auerunt Beatus Lupus Beatus Germanus S. Patricius in Scotijs ac Britannijs ipsum cursum decantauit And after them S. Vuandilocus ad S. Gomogillus who had 3000. monkes in his Monastery and S. Columban in whose time this Authour liued with others sent with him into Fraunce vsed euery where in Ireland and Scotland as also Britaine Fraunce Germany and Italy the same publik Church seruice in the latin tonge Beatus Vuandilocus Beatus Columbanus partibus Galliarum destinati ipsum decantauerunt And he deriueth this Church seruice from S. Marke shewing where and by whome it was vsed And it was Gildas in prolog apud Fecknam orat public in 1. parliamento Elizabethae Reginae iustified in open parlament the first of Queene Elizabeth by Abbot Fecknam out of S. Gildas in the prologue of his booke now suppressed by our Protestants but then extant that the same publik Church seruice which was vsed here in Queene Maryes time and now in the Catholike Church was brought hither and publickly deliuered here in the latin tongue in the generall conuersion of Britaine in King Lucius his time And that Gildas Gildas l. de excid conquest Brit. which Protestants propose vnto vs diuers times citeth the old Church seruice of Britaine in the latin tongue And the old manuscript antiquities of Glastenbury william of Malmesbury Capgraue Guliel Malmesb manuscrip lib. de antiquit caenob glaston in collego S. Benedict Cantabrig Antiquitat glaston tabulis fix Capgrau in S. Ioseph S. patric Galfrid monum l. 4. histor Brit. cap. 20. vlt. Matth. Westin chron an 186. Matth. Westin an 187. Galfrid l. 5. cap. 1. and others proue as much and more then Doctour Fecknam cited from S. Gildas For they speaking of the Religious men which S. Damianus and S. Phaganus placed at Glastenbury to be successours in place and profession to S. Ioseph of Aramathia and his associates there do plainely deliuer that as in other things these professed the same Religion order Church seruice and manner of life which S. Ioseph and his companie did so also as they did they come often euery day together into the old Church to say their diuine office which they brought from Rome with them and deliuered here in memoriam primorum ex suis socijs 12. elegerunt S. Damianus Phaganus in praefata Insula Rege Lucio consentiente habitare fecerunt qui in diuersis locis sicut Anachoretae manserunt ibidem in eisdem lucis inquibus prima 12. primitùs habitarunt in vetustam tamen Ecclesiam ad diuina obsequia deuotiùs complenda crebrò conuenerunt quotidiè And this latin publik Church seruice being the very same which had beene vsed at Rome from the Apostles time not changed at that time as all Catholiks and Protestants agree was planted and deliuered here not onely by these legates of Pope Eleutherius but by himselfe with the rest which his legates did here confirme restauratis omnibus redierunt Antistites Romani quae fecerant à beatisssimo Papa coÌ„firmari impetrauerunt Confirmatione facta reuersi sunt in Britanniam compluribus alijs comitati And if any Protestant will haue the Kings confirmatioÌ„ needfull our holy King then S. Lucius likewise confirmed this as the rest Glorio sus Britonum Rex Lucius chartis munimentis omnia communiuit THE XIII CHAPTER The 25. Article intituled of the Sacraments thus examined and condemned in all things contrary to Catholike doctrine THEIR next the 25. Protestant Article is intituled of the Sacraments And thus beginneth Sacraments ordained by Christ be not onely bages or tokens of Christian mens profession but rather they be certaine sure witnesses and effectuall signes of grace and Gods good will towards vs by the which he doth worke inuisibly in vs and doth not onely quicken but also strengthen and confirme our faith in him Hitherto ther appeareth no difference betweene these Protestants in this article and Catholiks for they decreeing that Sacraments be effectuall signes of grace that is in all true proper manner of speach signes which doe effect cause worke grace otherwise they be not effectuall signes of grace and that God worketh in vs inuisibly by them is as much as Catholiks professe wheÌ„ they define a SacrameÌ„t Sacramentum est visibile signuÌ„ inuisibilis gratiae A SacrameÌ„t is a visible or externall signe of inuisible grace giuen thereby And these Protestants declare theÌ„selues so Protest art 27. 28. infra farre plainely in both those they accept for SacrameÌ„ts Baptisme the Eucharist called by them the Supper of the Lord. In the first they manifestly confesse it and approue and practise baptisme of Infants who borne by them also in originall sinne cannot possibly haue remission thereof and grace but by their baptisme not able to vnderstand or haue any act of faith or other vertue Yet theâ—â— Art 27. decree is The baptisme of young children is in any wise to be retained in the Church as most agreable with the institution of Christ. So they doe or ought to speake of their other Sacrament confessing it was in the primatiue Church ministred sometimes to infants The difference betweene vs in this article is in that which thus followeth There are two Sacraments ordained of Christ our Lord in the Ghospell that is to say baptisme and the supper of the Lord. Those fiue commonly called Sacraments that is to say Confirmation Pennance Order Matrimony and extreame Vnction are not to be compted for Sacraments of the Ghospell being such as haue growne partly of the corrupt following of the Apostles partly are states of life allowed in the scriptures but yet haue not like nature of Sacraments with baptisme and the Lords supper for that they haue not any visible signe or ceremony ordained of God Hitherto this Protestant â—rticle denying those fiue Sacraments which the Catholike Church receaueth for such with the â—wo former baptisme
haec fiunt â—on egrèferunt sed potiùs aegrèferunt si non fiant cum impenduntur pecuniae fiunt sumptus laetantur Reuera magnum est mysterium arcanam quandam habens sapientiam Hoc multis retroactis soeculis prophetans dicit In Christo Ecclesia Sed non propter ipfum solum hoc dictum est Sed quid Vt ipsam tanquam propriam carnem foueat sicut Christus Ecclesiam And to insist vpon the graunt of this Protestant Article That Sacraments be effectuall signes of grace we haue the testimonie of the whole Christian world in this Apostolike time to proue Matrimonie to be such a signe and Sacrament for all the world at the coming of Christ Iewes and gentils were giuen to Poligamie and pluralitie of wiues and yet not so contayning themselues from other incontinencies but such as receyued this holy Sacrament abstayned both from the sinnes of Poligamie and other vnchastities an euident and vndeniable argument of the power and sanctitie of this Christian Institution and holy Sacrament I will onely exemplifie here in Britayne infected as the rest of the vniuersall world with that generall errour and sinne at that time Iulius Caesar Emperour which inuaded this Kingdome and others Iul. Caesar belli gallici l. 6. Ioh. Zonaras in Seuero Bandica orat Solemni apud Ioan. Xephil in Epitom Dionis in Nerone Dion ibid Dion Hect. Boeth descript Scotiae william Harrison descrip of Scotl. cap. 14. after him giue such shamefull testimonie hereof modestie forbiddeth me to write it in English Vxores habent deni duodenique inter se communes maximè fratres cum fratribus parentes cum liberis nudi degunt mulieribus promiscuè vtuntur Their Queene Bandica in her publike sacrifice to the Britans Goddâ—sse Andraste or Andaste in her solemne prayer openly pronounced of them Qui cum caetera omnia tum liberos vxores communes inter se putant Pagans Catholiks and Protestants write the like of the Picts The Protestants thus speake it in English They liue naked in Tents thâ—ir wiues are common The Scots were more barborous in these sinnes and their Kings especially Euenus confirmed them by publike lawes Leges tulit improbas omnem olentes Leges Euan. Regis Scotorum Hector Boeth Scot. Hist l. 3. fol. 36. pag. 1. spurcitiam vt liceret singulis suae gentis plures vxores alijs sex alijs decem pro opibus ducere Nobilibus plebeorum vxores communes essent ac virginis nouae nuptae loci Dominus primam libandi pudicitiam potestatem haberet This was the miserable condition of this Kingdome of greate Britayne as of other nations before it receaued the lawe of Chist and the holie Sacrament of Matrimonie betweene one man and woman one husband and one wife to giue infallible demonstration to all people present and to come that great supernaturall assistance and grace was giuen by that externall rite or ceremonie and so consequently ordayned of God no other being able to do it all those most horrible lasciuious incontinencies generally ceased in the true and due receauers of this Sacrament And for the barbarous customes and lawes before Veremund Hect. Boeth hist Scot. l. 10. fol. 202. Hollinshed hist of Scotl. pag. 133. caplawes these were made kept and seuerely executed Our Protestants thus translate them Any mans lemman or concubyne shall suffer the same paynes that he doth which offendeth with her He that rauisheth a mayde shall dye for it vnlesse shee require for safe-gard of his life to haue him to her husband If any man be taken with another mans wife in adulterie shee consenting vnto him therein they shall both suffer death for it But if shee consent not but beforced against her will then he shall dye onely for the same and shee shall be released In such greate seueritie the sinne of Incontinencie was punished here after this holie Sacrament by the grace thereof a preseruatiue against it was receaued and few were founde transgressours thereof all though these lawes were prosecuted with such zeale and deuotion that we finde that Princes and Kings found delinquent were neither exempted nor spared in such cases as we see in the lamentable example of King Vortigerne testified both by brittish English Catholike and Protestant historians who breakeing his Matrimoniall Nennius hist manuscript in Vorthigerno Rege Mat. westm an 450. Mat. Park Antiq. Britan. pag. 7. 8. Protest annotat in Mat. westm an 454. Stowe and Howes hist in Vortigern Hollins hist of Engl. in eod Protest Communion booke Tit. Matrimonie § Dearely 1. §. O God §. Allmightie God Faith with his first lawfull wife and adulterously ioyning himselfe with an other woman Rowenna Daughter of Engist was by S. German the Popes legate with the aduise and consent of the brittish cleargie cited Iudged and excomunicated and by the whole Kingdome deposed Neyther can the Protestants of England deny Matrimonie to be a Sacrament For in the manner of celebrating thereof at euery mariage it termeth it holy matrimonie an honorable estate instituted of God signifying vnto vs the misticall vnion which is betwene Christ and his Church God instituted it and did teache it should neuer be lawfull to put a sunder those whom he by matrimonie had made one God hath consecrated the stat of matrimonie to such an excellent mistery that in it is signified and represented the spirituall mariage vnitie betwixt Christ his Church And this Rituall expresseth that God giueth grace sanctification and blessing at this externall ceremonie so instituted and ordeyned by him Which euidently ouerthroweth what they haue saide to the contrary in this Article and proueth by their owne most generall and warranted vse practise and profession that Matrimonie is truely and properly an holie Sacrament THE XVII CHAPTER Extreame vnction thus proued to be a Sacrament THE Sacrament following being the last in number and order which this Protestant Article desalloweth is extreame vnction But we are most assured that in this Apostolike age and by the Apostles themselues it was taught and practised for an holie Sacrament S. Iames the Apostle in his epistle maketh it a precept and matter of necessitie and not arbitrary so to vse it Insirmatur Iacob c. 5. quis in vobis inducat Presbyteros Ecclesiae orent super eum vngentes eum oleo in nomine Dominï Etsi in peccatis sit remittentur ei Here we haue all which this Protestant Article requireth to a true and properly named Sacrament testified by an Apostle in holie scripture and tradition of the Church from that time to be founde in extreame vnction That it was ordayned of Christ and an effectuall signe of grace the words are playne as also that the visible signe or ceremonie thereof was ordayned of God for no power limited and created can ordayne or institute a signe or ceremonie externall to forgiue sinnes si in peccatis sit remittentur ei The auntient Fathers both of the
spared nâ—â— Princes themselues that followed him therein at all Antiquities tell vs in the case of King Frequard who being noted to haue laught at the Baptisme of Infants and confession of sinnes to Pâ—â—ists Notatus est aliquando risisse paruulorum â—â—ptisâ—um peccatorumque ad Sacerdotis aurem confesâ—â—â—â—â— was accused of pelagianisme cited condemned imprisoned and deposed So testifie both Catholik and Protestant Antiquaries THE XX. CHAPTER The 28. Article intituled of the supper of the Lord examined and condemned THEIR 28. Article being intituled of the 〈◊〉 supper is as followeth The supper of the Lorde is not onely a signe of the loue that Christians ought to haue among themselues on to an other but rather it is a Sacrament of our redemption by Christes death in so much that to such as rightly worthily and with faith receaue the same the bread which we breake is a partaking of the body of Christ and likewise the cuppe of blessing is a partaking of the blood of Christe Transubstantiation the chaunge of the substance of breadâ— and wine in the supper of the Lord cannot be proâ—ed by holy writ it is repugnant to the playne words of scripture ouerthroweth the nature of a Sacrament 〈◊〉 hath giuen occasion to many superstitions The body â—â— Christ is giuen taken and eaten in the supper 〈◊〉 after an heauenly and spirituall manner And tâ—â— meane whereby the bodie of Christ is receaued and 〈◊〉 in the supper is faith The Sacrament of the Lords supper was not by Christs ordinaunce reserued carryed about lifted vp or worshipped Hitherto this 28. Protestant Article In the first part thereof vntill we come to the woâ—â— Transubstantiation or the chaunge of the substance there is no apparant contradiction to the doctrine of the Catholik Church And if our Protestants secretly meane otherwise their Intention iâ— plainely expressed in that which followeth iâ— denying Transubstantiation or chaunge of the substance of breade and wyne Which I affirme with the Catholike Church and thus proue against this Article First by holy writ or scripture allthough that is not necessarie as is often made manifest against these men Where soeuer there is a chaunge or mutation of one thing into an other as in this case of breade into the body of Christ and this manifestly expressed and conteyned in holy writ and scripture there is transubstantiation or chaunge of breade by scripture into Christs body likewise of wyne into his blood This is euident by their owne exposition and transubstantiation in this place declaring it to be a chaunge of the substance of breade and wine But the holy writ and scripture in three Euangelists and S. Paule expressely proue that before Christ blessed and consecrated the breade and wine it was noe other but breade and wine and proue likewise euen from the testimonie of Christ himselfe that after his Matth. cap. 26. Marc. cap. 14. Luc. cap. 22. 2 Chorinth 11. blessing and omnipotent worde spoken it was now chaunged into his body and blood playnely saying this is my body which is giuen or shall be giuen for you and this is my blood which is shedd or shall be shedd for you Therefore by these Protestants exposition before there was and of necescessitie must be transubstantiation or chaunge of the substance of bread and wine Thus hath holie writ and scripture in all learned languadges Hebrue Greeke and Latin before consecration it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lechem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 artos panis breade after consecration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ghenijah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sonâ—a corpus Christs body likewise of the wine chaunged into his blood this is the testimony of Christ S. Matthew S. Marke S. Luke and S. Paule in holie writte and scripture And S. Iohn is witnesse also Io cap. 6. that Christ had taught and promised this before And yet any one place of scripture in so playne words maketh a matter of faith out of doubt and vndeniable Nothing can be more playne then such an affirmatiue proposition of a Subiect present in the hands of Christ the speaker and in the sight and presence of the greatest witnesses his Apostles at his last supper in the greatest Sacrament Christ neuer interpreted himselfe otherwise That his Apostles so vnderstood him beleeued practized and left to others is euidently proued both by Scriptures and the antiquities of this age First S. Iohn in scripture speaketh in Christs words Io 6. that breade is made his bodie Panis quem ego dabâ— caro mea est pro mundi vita And were plaine and often in that his 6. Chapter And both Catholike and Protestant Antiquaries confesse that hee said Masse wherein this chaunge and transubstantiation is vsed and confirmed HOC EST CORPVS MEVM c. And assuers vs that the Altare on which he said Masse many yeares before the blessed Virgyn was preserued in a Church on mount Syon miraculously brought thither Ad occidentalem Guliel way Etonem presbyter l. Itinerar cap. Ioc. Sanct. mont Sinay Hakligis booke of Trauailes in eod Matth. cap. 26. partem Ecclesiae quae est in monte Sion est lapâ—â— rubens prae altari qui lapis portatus erat de monte Sinay per manus Angelorum super quem celebrabat S. Ioannes Euangelista coram Beatisima Virgine Maris Missam per multos Annos post ascensionem Domini Thus testifie holie pilgryms eye witnesses euen of this Kingdome so remote from Hierusalem S. Matthew in his ghospell saith in the words of Christ This is my bodie HOC EST CORPVS MEVM This is my blood HIC EST SANGVIS MEVS In his â—â—â—â—rgie or Masse deliuered to the Church and S. Matth. in missa Aethiopum which he vsed he directly teacheth transubstantiation and chaunge of breade and wine into Christs bodie and blood ô Amator hominum benedic sanctifica munda transfer panem in carnem tuam immaculatam vinum hoc in sanguinem tuum pretiosum And thus hee vsed all his life euen to his martyrdome at the holie Altare where he thus consecrated Christs bodie by chaunging breade Anonym antiquiss in vit S. Matth. edit per Frederic Naus Episcopum Viennen Breuiar Rom. 21. Sept. 1. Corinth 11. into it as the old historie of his life and death beaâ—â—â—h wittnes Cum misteria Domini celebrata fuissent missam suscepisset omnis Ecclesia retinuit se Sanctâ—â— Matthaus iuxta Altare vbi corpus fuerat Christi â—â—fectum illic martyrium expectauit S. Paule in holie scripture saith it was breade before benediction Accepit panem gratias agens and â—fter Christs consecrating words it was his bodie HOC EST CORPVS MEVM And promiseth there to deliuer by tradition what was to be beleeued and practised herein caetera cum venero disponam Which his most learned scholler S. Denys the Areopagite was most like to knowe who before hath testified it was Christs bodie and to be adored S. Marke hath assured vs in
Eisen centen 1. part 6. dist 6. concil general 6. can 52. Francisc Aluar de reb Indic Florin Raem de Orig. Haer. l. 8. c. 8. Grym booke of estates pag. 1088. 1089. 201. 203. Sebast Munster l. 6. cap. 57. Rich. Hacklints booke of Trau in Mount Syon Mandeu pag. 36. cap. 14. Guliel Eisengren centen 1. fol. 168. mult ib. Steph. Eduen l. de Sacram. Altaris English Prot. in Marcus Anton. l. 2. c. 4. p. 118. Petâ—â— and 8. Iohn And this answeareth also for S. Iâ—mâ—s â—â—med the brother of our Lord his Masse before cited being warranted both by Fathers and councels greeke and Latine S. Thomas the Apostle who preached not onely to many easterne contryes of our continent but by many Arguments and authorities in the new world as men call America was of the same faith and practise The Annals of the Indians proue they had a Christian Church within 10. yeares of Christs Ascension and the Altare was made of a Stone brought from mount Syon and thereby called the Church of our Ladie of Mount Syon And in many places there Christian altars are founde and as both Catholike and Protestant Antiquaries confesse the Preists of these Indians conuerted by S. Thomas do in holie Masse make conficiunt the bodie and blood of Christ and wine behauing themselues with greatest attention reuerence humilitie and deuotion I need not proceede to the other Apostles in particular they could not beleeue or teach otherwise then these I haue recompted And both Catholiks and Protestants so acknowledge Sicut Magister docuit Apostolise alios communicando consecrationem corporis sanguinis Domini facere caeperunt fieri per vniuersas Ecclesias praedicando institerunt And English Protestants with publik warrant most plainely say that Christ both so did and so gaue power and commaunde to all his Apostles and they so performed Panis consecrationem in corpus Christi vinum in sanguinem Ipse Christus coram Apostolis feciâ— candem ipsi quoque vt faccrent expressè mandauit This was the faith doctrine and practise whicâ— Tradit Antiquit. Eccl. Medol in Italia all the Apostolike men of this age warranted by the example and authoritie of the Apostles followed and vsed S. Barnabas so neare and deare to S. Peter and S. Paule as scripture and histories assuâ—â— vs and he also called to be an Apostle with S. Paule is accompted Authour of the Masse of Millane after called S. Ambrose his Masse famous in these westerne parts where this doctrine is plainely taught S. Clement S. Peters Successour at Rome doth Clem. Const Apostolic l. 7. cap. 27. l. 8. cap. 14. often confirme the same calling it the holie bodie pretious bodie and pretious blood of Christ Sanctâ—m Corpus Saluatoris nostri pretio sum Corpus pretiosâ—â— sanguis Iesu Christi And teacheth in the forme of Masse deliuered by him the doctrine of transubstantiation or chaunge of breade and wyne into Christs bodie and blood Mittas sanctum spiritum tuum super hoc l. 8. supr cap. 17. sacrificum testem Passionum Domini Iesu vt ostendat hunc panem corpus Christitui hunc calicem sanguinem Christi tui Setting downe the verie words of consecration by which this miraculous chaunge is made the words of Christ as the Euangelists deliuered before HOC â—ST CORPVS MEVM quòd pro multis frangitur in remissionem peccatorum HIC EST SANGVIS MEVS quipro multis effunditur in remissionem peccatorum S. Alexander Pope lyuing in this Apostolike age and learning his diuinity theâ— writeth euen as Protestants confesse that Christ did giue instruction to offer this Sacrifice which being at the first but breade and wine is by consecration made Christs bodie and blood being so Alexander Pap. 1. epist 1. c. 4. Robert Banes l. de vit Pontif. in Alexandro consecrated it is the greatest sacrifice syns are thereby forgiuen it is to be worshipped of all and â—â— it is more excellent then all other so it is more â—o be worshipped and reuerenced Ipsa veritas nos 〈◊〉 calicem panem in Sacramento offerre quando ait accepit Iesus panem c. crimina atque pâ—â—cata oblatis his domino sacrificijs delentur Talibus â—ostijs delectabitur placabitur Dominus peccata dimittet ingentia Nihil enim in Sacrificijs maius esse potest quà m Corpus Sanguis Christi nec vlla oblatio hac potior est sed haec omnes praecellit Quae pura conscientia Domino offerenda est atque ab omnibus veâ—eranda sicut potior est caeteris ita potius excoli veneraridebet S. Ignatius S. Peters Successour at Antioch the Ignat. epist ad Roman next and immediate by some and by all but one S. Euodius betwene them saith it is the breade of God heauenly breade the flesh of Christ the sonne of God Panem Dei volo panem caelestem quae est câ—â—o Christi Filij Dei It is the flesh of our Sauiour Iesus Christ which suffered for our syns and was Ignat. epist ad Smyrnen cit Theodor. dialog 3. raised agayne Carnem Saluatoris Iesu Christi quae propeccatis nostris passa est quam Pater sua benignitate suscitauit S. Martial who as he himselfe wittnesseth had Martial epist ad Tolosan cap. 3. conuersed with Christ and was instructed by him and by S. Peter sent to preach in Fraunce saith plainely that the same bodie of Christ which the lewes for enuie did sacrifice thinking to blott his name from earth the Christians then did offerit on Martial epist ad Burdegal cap. 3. the holie altar for saluation knowing that by this remedie life is to be giuen and death auoyded and Christ himselfe thus commaunded it to be done in commemoration of him Vbique offertur Deo oblatio munda sicut testatus est cuius corpus sanguinem in vitam aeterâ—am offerimus Ipse enim corpus habens immaculatum sine peccato in ara Crucis ipsum permisâ—â— iâ—molari Quod autem Iudaeiper inuidiam immolauerâ—â— putantes se nomen eius à terra abolere nos causa sâ—â—â—tis nostrae in ara sanctificata proponimus scientes â—â—c solo remedio nobis vitam praestandam mortem eâ—â—ogaudam hoc enim ipse Dominus noster iussit nos agâ—â—â— in sui commemorationem S. Iustinus liued and learned his Religion in this age though dying in the next he affirmeth plainely that as by the word of God Christ our Sauiour became flesh and had both flesh and blood for our saluation euen so we are taught that the Iustin apol ad Antonium Pinm foodc on which by prayers of the word which came from him thankes be giuen is the flesh and blood of Iesus â—â—carnate Quemadmodum per verbum Dei Caro factâ—â— est Christus Seruator noster canem sanguineâ— salutis nostrae causa habuit Ad eundem modum etiâ—â— eam in qua per
sed vnum licet à multis offeratur sit vnum Corpus Christi cum illo quod suscepit in vtero virginali non multa corpora nec nunc quidem est aliud magnum aliud minus aliud hodie aliud eras offerimus sed semper idipsum aequam magnitudinem habens proinde vnum est hoc sacrificium Christi non diuersa Nam si aliter esset quoniam multis in locis offertur multi essent Christi quòd obsit Vnus ergo vbique est hic plenus existens illic Plenum vnum corpus vbique habens Et sicut qui vbique offertur vnum corpus est non multa corpora it a etiam vnum sacrificium I haue beene enforced by this Article forging S. Augustines authoritie for the grounde thereof to discend thus â—owe to defend him and shew the feeble and false foundation of our Protestants in this poynt THE XXII CHAPTER The 30. Article intituled of both kindes examined and where it is contrary to the Romane Church condemned THE 30. and next Article being intituled of both Kindes consisteth of these words The cuppe of the Lord is not to be denyed to the lay people For both the partes of the Lords Sacrament by Christs ordinaunce and commaundement ought to be ministred to all Christian men alike This is all this Article and it is confuted before where I haue proued that both in and immediately after the Apostles time and by their order and direction this blessed Sacrament was both honorably preserued onely vnder the forme of bread and so often ministred vnto the primatiue Christians which in no case or respect might be done if Christ had ordeyned and commaunded otherwise and the contrary as this Protestant Article pretendeth And so the Apostles themselues and the Apostolike Church then the true Church of Christ without all question both by Catholiks and Protestants had erred in a thing of necessitie requisite according to Christes ordinance in so greate a Sacrament and so by these men and their diuinitie in this Article the true Church of Christ was not the true Church and he neuer had a true Church for in their Article of the Church before they define it to be a congregation of faithfull men in which the Prot. Artiâ—l 19 sup of 〈◊〉 oâ— the Church pure word of God is preached and the Sacraments be duâ—ly ministred in all thâ—se things that of necessitie are requisite to the same Therefore this Protestant Article assirming that both the partes of the Lords Sacrament by Christs ordinaunce and commaundement ought to be ministred to all Christian men alike is false in itselfe and contradictorie to their owne most allowed proceedings for not onely diuers of their priuate writers but the parlament lawe of all our Protestant Princes King Edward 6. Queene Elizabeth Statute of King Edw. 6. Titul Sacram in both Kindes Stat. in parliam 1. Elizabeth Iames 1. Charles 1. King Iames and King Charles their Rule and warrant for this Article doth confesse enact and decree that in the true primatiue Church this Sacrament was not allwayes ministred in both Kindes but some times in both some times in one onely Therefore by these men the true primatiue Church neuer did nor could adiudge or hold that the ministration of this Sacrament allwaies in both Kindes was Christs Ordinance and commaundement otherwise by ministring it often in one onely Kinde as this cheâ—fe Protestant parlament and their religion therein confesse it had acknowledged itselfe to haue erred from Christs ordinance and commaundement in a Sacrament and necessitie requisite and so by these Articles not to haue beene Christs true Church and he had by these men no true Church at all Againe These Protestants standing in this Article vpon the Ordinance and commaundement of Christ confesse that he instituted and ordeyned this Sacrament at his laste supper and what he commaunded concerning it he then commaunded it and they also confesse the three Euangelists S. Matthew S. Marke and S. Luke to be the Euangelicall Registers of that his holie ordination But all thus do plainely testifie that none but his twelue Apostles were then present Discumbebat Matth. 26. Marc. 14. Luc. 22. cum duodecim discipulis eius Venit cum duodecim Vnus ex duodecim discubuit duodecim Apostoli cum eo Et ait illis desiderio desideraui hoc Pascha manducare vobiscum And our Protestants before in their most allowed publick communion booke haue so deliuered saying of the Sacrament vnder the forme of bread Iesus gaue it to his Disciples saying take eate this is my bodie which is giuen for you And of the other parte he gaue it to them saying drinke you all of this for this is my blood of the new testament which is shedd for you And all these witnesses the Euangelists S. Paule 1. Corinth 11. Catholiks Protestants do freely acknowledge that Christ then pronounced and spake these words hoc facite in meam commemorationem do this in commemoration of me vnto them all Giuing them thereby power and commaunde to do what he had donâ— in that misterie which was as is proued before to transubstantiate and chaunge breade and wine into the blessed bodie and blood giuen and shedd for the sinnes of the world and this euen our Protestants haue before acknowledged confessing that supernaturall power to haue beene in Christes Apostles then present Preists after them for there is no other place in scripture the Rule of these men wherein such power was communicated vnto them or Christ a Preist after the Order of Melchisedech exercised the office or Act of that preishood So that none but they which were then consecrated Preists which euer offer this Sacrifice in both Kindes were present to receaue this charge of them both And this is directly told vs not onely by all Catholike writers but Protestants with the greatest allowance their Religion can giue the authoritie of the supreame of their Church by the greatest champion externall which euer it had the Archbishop of Spalato which with King Iames Marc. Anton. l. 2. de repub Christian c. 2. pag. 167. and his cheifest Protestants warrant thus writeth Ad hoc Sacerdotium promoti sunt Apostoli à Christo Domino in vltima caena quando eis dixit hoc facite in meam commemorationem The Apostles were promoted to preisthood by Christ our Lord in his last supper when he said to them do this in my commemoration And agayne Quod consecrantes panem orationes fundamus c. 4. p. 219. eoque fideles pascamus Christi Iussum facimus qui id iniunxit dicens hoc facite in meam commemorationem hoc ipsum quod me nunc vidistis facere vos facite circa panis vini benedictionem Where the Apostles and Preists receaued and receaue power and commaunde to consecrate bread and wine into the bodie and blood of Christ as he then did And we must needs so say
Ignat. epist ad Anthioch ep ad Ephes ep ad Philadelphien Ignatius writeth of and saluteth the holie colledge of Preists in this time in the Church of Antioch as in other places liuing in chastitie as also the Deacons did Saluto sanctum praesbyterorum collegium and placeth his predecessour S. Euodius Bishop there among the holie Virgins So did the Deacons also liue in perpetuall chastitie epist ad Heron as he exemplifieth in S. Heron Deacon of Antioch to succed him in his Episcopall dignitie there Teipsum castum custodi vt Christi babitaculum Templum Christi es Spiritus es instrumentum Tu introduces educas posthac populum Domini qui â—st Antiochiae Saluto sanctos Condiaconos tuos He Epistol ad Smyrnens which teacheth that preisthood is the highest dignitie Sac erdotium est omnium bonorum quae in hominibus sunt Apex and their Sacrifice the sacred bodie and blood of Christ and they which offer it and performe the other sacred functions are to be most perfect in the most holie estate and virginitie and chastitie are to be preferred before the married life vxores maritis subditae sint in timore Dei Epistol ad Philadelph Virgines Christo in puritate id quod praestantius est amplectentes vt liberiùs diuinam legem meditentur virgines solum Christum in precibns vestris ante oculos habete patrem illius illuminatae à spiritu must needs so much as he can ioyne them together in this most holie and sacred calling as he doth S. Clement assigneth such to be admitted to holie orders as are vnmarried or if married neuer kept company with their wiues and if any such shall after his ordination haue knowledge of his wife though married before he shall not be admitted to execute his sacred function but onely the inferiour offices as of the dorekeeper and such Ad Clem. Rom. epistol 2. Dominica ministeria tales eligantur qui ante ordinationem suam coniuges suas non nouerint Quòd si post ordinationem ministro altaris contigerit proprium vxoris cubile inuadere sacrarij non intret limina nec sacrificium portet nec altare contingat nec ad Dominici Corporis portationem accedat nec aquam Sacerdotibus ad manus porrigat nec vrceum siue calicem ad altare ferat sed ostia forinsecus claudat minora sectatur officia He vtterly disableth in the name of the Apostles that any Bishop Preist or Deacon vnmarried at their consecration should marrie after Episcopum Presbyterum ac Diaconum dicimus Lib. constitut Apost c. 17. vnius vxoris debere constitut siue viuant eorum vxores sine decesserint non licere autem eis qui post ordinationem sine vxore fuerint ad nuptias transire Where he expoundeth that saying of S. Paule of a Bishope or Preiste being husband of one wife to be vnderstood of such before consecration as Catholiks now doe against Protestants as he also doth before in the second booke of Apostolike Lib. 2. const Apost cap. 2. constitutions And to auoyde all suspition and occasion of breach of chastitie in such persons no woman alone without an other and shee a consecrated Diaconissa was permitted to come vnto them Sine Clem. lib. 2. const Apost cap. 30. Diaconissa nulla mulier accedat ad Diaconum vel Episcopum And this was not onely taught by the Apostles and Disciples of Christ but practised also in themselues Tertullian neare the Apostles time writeth Tertull. l. de Monogomia that he could not finde that any of them but S. Peter onely was married Petrum solum inuenio maritum per socrum Caeteros cum maritos non inuenio aut spadones intelligam necessè est aut continentes S. IgnaÌ„t epist ad Philadelph Ignatius in some copies seemeth to hold that not onely S. Peter but S. Paule also and some others of the Apostles were married men vt Petri Pauli aliorum Apostolorum qui nuptijs operam dederunt But in the most auncient Manuscripts of S. Ignatius this is not founde and by the word aliorum he neither doth nor can meane by any copie in his owne opinion that all the other Apostles were married for immediately before he proueth that S. Iohn both the Euangelist and Baptist were perpetuall Virgins Virgines solum Christum prae oculis habete sicut Ioannes Baptista sicut dilectissimus discipulus qui in castitate de vita exierunt And S. 1. Chorinth 7. Paul for himselfe hath proued before that he was either vnmarried or a wydower then liuing in chastitie Dico non nuptis viduis bonum est illis si sic permanserint sicut ego And S. Ignatius hath Ignat. epist ad Philadelphen suprâ— sufficiently before proued the chastitie of clergie men after ther calling whether Apostles Bishops Preists or Deacons and in this very place deliuereth in particular that S. Euodius who succeeded S. Peter at Antioch S. Clement his Successour at Rome and S. Timothy and S. Titus to whome S. Paule gaue so strict charge before of chaste clergy men lyued and dyed pure Virgins And neuer denyeth that either S. Peter or any other Apostle supposed by any man to haue beene married did forsake their wiues and liued in chastitie after they were called to be Apostles Which both holy scriptures fathers inuincibly proue vnto vs. S. Peter speaketh in the name of all the Apostles that they had forsaken all things followed Christ Ecce nos reliquimus omnia secuti sumus Matth. 19. te And expected reward for so doing Quid ergo erit nobis Among all things forsaken for Christ wiues the most neare and deare to married men among temporall matters must needs be comprehended if they or any of them were Married And Christ himselfe so expoundeth that speach of S. Peter putting wife vxorem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the things which S. Peter and the Apostles had forsaken for his seruice and were therefore to receaue eternall reward Centuplum accipiet vitam aeternam possidebit So S. Hierome and other fathers expounde this Hierom. l. 1. con Iouin Apolog. ad Pammach c. 8. Chrisost hom 33. in Gen. hom 2. in Iob. Basil de ad Amph. c. 3 Epiphan Her 59. Euseb prâ—par Euang. l. 9. c. 1. Porphir Herat. ib. Enseb l. 1. c. 9. supr c. 8. l. 3. c. 8. scripture assumpti in Apostolatum relinquunt officium coniugale Apostoli vel Virgines vel post nuptias continentes The like haue the Greeke Fathers S. Chrisostome S. Basile S. Epiphanius Eusebius and others wittnessing not onely that the Apostles liued thus in chastitie but among the Iewes the Essaei liued in chastitie vxores non ducunt And all that serued in the temple remained in chastitie vbi nocte ac die Sacerdotes castè versantur nunquam in templo vinum bibentes All that write of the lyues of the Apostles giue testimonie to
God committed vnto thee or both together here is no true consecration of a Deacon in their owne proceedings nor Deacon so made if their pretended consecrating Bishop were a true a lawfull Bishop for first of giuing the new testament Act. 6. and power to reade the ghospell this cannot be the full and lawfull manner to make Deacons The first Deacons in the lawe of Christ being made otherwise by the Apostles as the Scripture witnesseth and before the new testament or anie part thereof was written to be giuen to them or for them to reade the ghospels then vnwritten and vnpossible to be read by them or any at that time or longe after The other of taking authority to execute the office of a Deacon cannot be the manner for first no man can truely and lawfully execute that wherein he hath no power and here is no power of a Deacon giuen in all this their forme and order And Statut. in parliament an 27. Elizabethae Reg. ad 1. Jacobo their owne parlaments and highest authorities in their religion doe not onely disable any man in England Deacon or other to execute the office of a Deacon such as the Apostles and Apostolike men of this age haue deliuered vnto vs but make it an offence of high treason for any lawfull Deacon either to execute that office in any Church Chappell or other place or to be in England without executing any such office or function at all euen reading the ghospell or any other And so if we ioyne this Protestant pretended power to execute the offices of a Deacon and reade the ghospell in the Church together there is not the least power of a true Deacon thereby either giueÌ„ or permitted by them in all England vnto any such Deacon to doe or not doe such or any dutie of that holy function And thus much of Deacons No true Preist amonâ— English Protestants Now it can be no question but the pretended ProtestaÌ„t Ordination of Preists is altogether vaine Idle and friuolous for being so iuuincibly proued that the cheifest and principall office and function of a Deacon is to assist and minister vnto Preists Bishops in the holy Sacrifice of Christs blessed body and blood at Masse such Sacrificing Preists not heauing any such power before their consecration to holy Preisthood must needs receaue it aâ— that time otherwise they should still remaine without it as they did before And our Protestants vtterly before denying all such sacrifice and sacrificing power and in this their pretended forme and manner of consecration hauing no thing at all to receaue or allowe it but the quite contrary and by their lawes so straungely persecuting sacrificing Preists and Preisthood this their fashioÌ„ of making or ordering their pretended Preists must needs be voyde and frustrate and they still remaine in that lay state in this respect wherein they were before euen from their first birth into the world Their Practise in this pretended consecration is this The Bishops the Preists present shall lay their handâ— seuerally vpon the heade of euery one that receaueth orders Prot. forme and manner of makiâ—g consecr Bish. Preists and Deac Tit. forme of Order of Preists The receauers humbly kneelinge vpon their knees and the Bishop saying Receaue the holy ghost whose sinnes thou doest forgiue they are are forgiuen and whose sinnes thou doest retaine they are retained The Bishop shall deliuer to euery one of them the Bible in his hand saying Take thou authority to preach the word of God and to minister the holy Sacraments in this congregation where thou shalt be so appointed Here is all their pretended consecration of Preists so farre from all meaning or intention to conferre any sacrificing power or Preisthood that before they come to this article in their 31. Article before they thus defined The Sacrifices of Masses in the which it was commonly Prot. art 31. supr sayde that the Preists did offer Christ for the quicke and the deade to haue remission of paine or guilt were blasphemous fables and dangerous deceites In that place I haue inuincibly proued against them both this Sacrifice and sacrificing Preisthood and Preists Institution All his Apostles and all consecrated by them and their Successours were massing and sacrificing Preists all the Apostolike writers of this first age gaue testimony to that doctrine and practise All Masses Missales or publike liturgies of all Churches ascribed to the Apostles themselues and continued by continuall neuer interrupted generall tradition beare witnesse vnto it The holy Prophets so described the Messias by a perpetuall holy Sacrifice to be offered in all places in his time that he should be a Preist after the order of Melchisedech teach and establish that Preisthood neuer to end or cease in his Church Thus taught the most learned rabbines among the Iewes before Christ So the Fathers and common practise of both Greeke and Latine Church with the best least learned Protestant writers euen of England writing and published by their publike allowance and authority as I haue vndeniably proued in that article and there made demonstration by all authothority that Christ at his last Supper when he onely did execute the act and office of his Preisthood according to the order of Melchisedech did ordaine his Apostles sacrificing massing Preists at that time in expresse termes set downe in holy Scripture hoc facite in meam commemorationem To offer his consecrated holy body and blood in Martial ep ad Burdegal cast 3. Clem. Coust Apost l. 8. c. 3. Iustin dialog cum Triphon Irenaeus adu haer l. 4. c. â—2 Eus l. 1 cap. 10. demon Euang elicar Theod. in c. 8. ad Hebraeos Alexa. 1. ep 1. cap. 4. Cyprian l 2. epist 3. ep 63. Ambr. in Psal 38. Gandentius tractat 2. Aug. lib. 83. q. q. 61. Sacrifice as he had done So the Apostolike men of this first age assure vs. Vbique offertur Deo oblatio munda sicut testatus est cuius corpus sanguinem in vitam aeternam offerimus Quod Iudaei per inuidiam immolauerunt putantes se nomen eius à terra abolere nos causa salutis nostrae in ara sanctificata proponimus scientes hoc solo remedio nobis vitam praestandam mortem effugandam Hoc enim ipse Dominus noster iussit nos agere in mei commemorationeÌ„ Domine omnipotens potestatem Apostolis dedisti offerendi tibi sacrificium mundum incruentum quod per Christum constituisti mysterium noui testamenti Suis discipulis dans consilium primitias Deo offerre eum qui ex creatura panis est accepit gratias egit dicens hoc â—st corpus meum calicem similiter qui est ex ea creatura quae est secundum nos suum sanguinem confessus est noui Testamenti nouam docuit oblationem quam Ecclesia ab Apostolis accipiens in vniuerso mundo offert Deo This was the opinion profession and practise of the
otherwise we haue no warrant in scripture to which onely Protestants appeale in such matters as Sacraments be either to proue that Preists haue any power at all to consecrate or minister this Sacrament or that it is a Sacrament for besides S. Paule to the Corinthians and in the 6. Chapter of S. Iohns Ghospell there is no place in the new testament that is by any interpreted to speake of the communion vnder both kyndes S. Paule plainely referreth himselfe to Christs Institution sette downe in the Euangelists cited And for S. Iohn our Protestants deny that he speaketh of the Sacramentall and actuall receauing of this misterie And yet he onely hath words Io 6. that haue likelynesse of precept to communicate in both Kindes Nisi manducaueritis carnem filij hominis biberitis eius sanguinem non habebitis vitam in vobis Except you eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his blood you shall not haue life in you And yet this is not so of Sacramentall eating and drinking the bodie and blood of Christ for the holie scriprures and all expositours of them Catholiks and Protestants agree that new baptized infants and others martyrs all holie and iust men shall haue and haue life in them though they neuer actually and Sacramentally receaue Christs flesh and blood and neither Catholiks nor Protestants do communicate young people though in daunger of death or dying S. Paule hath no semblance of a commaundement or necessitie of both Kindes to be receaued by all Therefore the precept commaund and necessitie onely concerning Preists at holie Masse then and there to consecrate and offer as Christ did and commaunded in both Kindes hoc facite Catholike Preists at their sacrifice in all places most dutifully performe it at other times as sicknes they communicate onely in one Kinde as the lay people doe All that is to be founde in scripture of both Kindes to be receaued or haue beene receaued of all is in S. Paule to the Christians of Corinthe arguing that in that Church and likely some others both formes were receaued af all Quicunque manducaâ—â—rit 1 Chorinth 11. panâ—m hunc biberit calicem Domini indignâ— â—â—us erit Corporis Sanguinis Domini probet autem sâ—â—â—sum homo sic de pane illo edat de calue bibat Qui enim manducat bibit indignè iudicium sibi manducat bibit non dijudicans corpus Domini Yet here is no praecept And his words non dijudicans corpus Domini onely speaking against the abuse towards the bodie of Christ not mentioning his blood which to dishonour was as greate a sinne may make questionable whether he there speaketh of the Sacramentall receauing of both by all persons or no. But if he so did we finde in diuers other places of scripture as they be expounded to vs by the holie Fathers that communion was then vsed diuers times and in diuers places in one Kinde onely S. Chrisostome S. Augustine Isychius S. Bede Chris homil 16. oper imperfecti in Mat. August l. 3. de consensu Euang. c. 25. Isych Hierosol l. 2. in leuit c. 9. Bed ad c. 24. Luc. Theophâ—lact ibid. Luc. 24. Chris homil 17. oper imp in Mat. Bed ad c. 20. Act. Apost Ionas Aurelian lib. 3. de Imag. Act. 2. Act. 20. Text. Syriac Act. 2. Theophilact and others so expound that act of Christ taking bread blessing breaking giuing it to his two disciples at Emaus registred by S. Luke Accepit panem benedixit ac fregit porrigebat illis And the scripture our Protestants Rule mentioneth not the other Kinde at all So do the same S. Chrisostome S. Bede Ionas Aureliensis with others expound that in the 2. Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles erant autem perseuerantes in doctrina Apostolorum communicatione fractionis panis orationibus Where no memorie is of the other Kinde So likewise that in the 20. Chapter of the Acts cum conuenissemus ad frangendum panem and whereas in the 2. Chapter of the Acts the Latin translation readeth in communione fractione panis the Syriak text is infractione Eucbaristiae in breakeing the Eacharist And this was vsed both by the Apostles and Apostolike Preists in this first age to minister this blessed Sacrament to the Christians onely vnder the forme of breade So S. Clement writeth of S. Clem. epist de reb gest B. Petri. Peter he himselfe being one among many others which so communicated from S. Peters hands Petrus panem acceptum actis gratijs consccrauit fregit primoque matri porrexit deinde nobis filijs The approued Apostolike Relation of S. Andrew his Presbyteri Diac. Achaiae in vit S. Andâ—eae Breuiar Rom. die 30. Nouemb. Breuiar Surisbur al. eodem die Metaphrast in S. Andr. Anonym Antiq. in eius vita Cipr. l. de 2. Martyr Lippom. to 1. Sur. Tom. 6. S. Bernard Ser. de S. Andrea Roâ—ig Antisiod in Psal 21. 4. â—aufr cont Bereng Iuo Sebast Munster Cosmogr l. 6. c. 57. Ignat. epist ad Ephes martyrdome written by present wittnesses in this age doth wittnesse that the Christians vnder him receaued the bodie of Christ vnder the forme of bread making no mention of the other Kinde Cuius agni immaculati carnem posteaque omnis populus credentium manducauerit agnus qui sacrificatus est integer perseuerat vnius Here all omnis populus so communicated It was thus preached and practized by the Apostle or Apostles which preached to the Abissines as both they and others both Catholiks and Protestants are witnesses and they keepe this custome still from the Apostles vpon the feaste of the Epiphanie Accipiunt Corpus Domini sub exigui specie panis S. Ignatius in this age is a sufficient wittnesse in diuers places that it was so vsed in his time Nemo erret nisi quis intra altaris septa sit priuatur pane Dei And exorteth often so to communicate Date operam vt crebriùs congregemini ad Eucharistiam And telleth vs such communion bringeth immortalitie is a preseruatiue against death giueth life and expelleth all euils Frangentes panem quod pharmacum immortalitatis est mortis Antidotum vitamque in Deo concilians per Iesum Christum mediâ—amentum omnia expellens mala And allthough in his epistle to the Philadelphians Ignat. epist ad Philadelph hee speaketh as if this breade and cup were giuen and distributed to all Vnus panis omnibus confractus vnus calix qui omnibus distributus est he speaketh of the giuing and distributing of them by Christ to his Apostles vseing the tense and time past as in Greeke is playne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and when he there speaketh of the present vse and time he saith there is one Eucharist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet entreating Ignat. epist ad Symrnen apud Theodoreth Dialog 3. alios of the Institution and as it is offered by Preists at Masse he