equal in the thing signified or diverse in visible signes and the same in the intelligible signification those were promissory and these are demonstrative or as others speak the old were prenuntiative and the new are contestative Therefore it is not expedient to put that in a Decree Others said The opinion of the Lutherans and Zuinglians must be condemned without descending into particulares seing they say there is no difference but in rites and no other difference hath been shewed Article 6 Immediatly after the sin of Adam the sacraments were instituted by God and by means of them grace was given The Dominicans would have this absolutly condemned The Scotists said It is probable because of the sacrifices and circumcision and if as Thomas saith children were saved before Christ by faith of their parents children now are in a worse estate seing the faith of parents availes not their children without baptism for Augustin holds if a parent were carrying his child to be baptised and the infant to die on the way this infant were condemned They all condemned the 7. and 8. articles In the sacrament grace is given unto him only who believes that his sins are remitted Grace is not alwayes given in the sacraments nor unto all in respect of the sacrament itself but when and where and to whom it pleaseth God The 9. article denying a character in a sacrament gave occasion of more talking Soto said It is grounded on holy Scripture and was ever held as an Apostolical Of the character of the sacrament tradition albeit the word character was not vsed by the Fathers Others said Gratian makes no mention of it and Scotus saith It is not necessary by the words of Scripture nor Fathers but only by authority of the Church this is vsual unto that Doctor by a kind of courtsy Then it was questioned What is a character where is it Some called it a quality and those were of four several opinions as there be so many sorts of qualities Some called it a spiritual power some an habite others a spiritual figure and others called it a metaphorical quality Others called it a relation Some said It is ensrationis No less variety was for the subiect of it some placed it in the essence of the soul some in the understanding some in the will and some in the tongue or hands Then how many sacraments have a character Some said Only three which are not iterated Others said That is probable but not necessary Others said It is a necessary article of faith because Innocentius 3. mentioneth it and it was so defined by the councell of Florence Article 10. All Christians of what soever sexe have equal power in the ministration of word and sacraments Albeit none VVho may administer hold this article so much as the Romish Church doth especially in baptism yet they condemned it as contrary unto Scripture to tradition and the use of the Church As also they condemned article 11. A bad Minister conferreth not a sacrament Article 10. Every pastor hath power at his pleasure to protract or contract or change the forms of the sacraments It was distinguished as having a double sense by formes may be understood the essential words as it is said A sacrament hath a sensible element for the matter and a word for form or may be understood the rites which include some things not necessary but decent In the first sense they made a canon condemning the article and for the other they made another canon that albeit accidental things admit mutation yet when a rite is received by publick authority or confirmed by common custom it should not be in every mans power to change it excep the Pope only Concerning article 3. of the Minister's intention they would not change from the councel of Florence holding the Minister's intention necessary But what Of the ministers intention intention The common opinion was Intention to do as the Church doth is sufficient Here arose a difficulty Because mens opinions are different in that What the Church is their intention to do as the Church doth might also be different Some said It might rather be said It is not different when one hath the same aime to do what was instituted by Christ and observed by the Church though a false Church be taken for the true if the rite be the same The Bishop of Minori said It is no difficulty among the Lutherans for the Minister's intention but it is otherwise amongst us holding that the sacrament gives grace and it seldom happeneth that grace is obtained by any other means surely little babes and many having but small understanding are saved no other way If a priest having the charge of 4. or 5000. souls were an infidel or hid hypocrite and had intention not to do as the Church doth it must follow that the children are damned and all penitents and communicants were without fruit Neither is it sufficient to say Faith suppleeth the defect because faith suppleeth nothing to the children according to our doctrine neither availeth it unto others so much as the sacrament and to attribute so much unto faith were to take it from the sacraments as the Lutherans do He nameth other in convenients and then said He who saith God suppleeth by his omnipotency will sooner make one believe that God hath provided that such accidents should not happen by ordaining that to be a sacrament which is administred according to the instituted rite albeit the Minister hath another intention This doth not cross the common doctrine or Florentin counsel because that intention is only to be understood which is manifested by external work tho inwardly it may be contrary He confirmed this by example of Athanasius being a child and the censure of his fact by the famous Alexander Bishop of Alexandria The Divines abode still for the intention either actual or virtual as if without it a sacrament can be of no force And to speak by anticipation this Bishop wrote a little book of this question the year following and said The determination of the Synod is understood and should be expounded in this his sense The 14 article was readily condemned Sacraments were ordained only to cherish faith There was not much debate of baptism or confirmation some of them were calumnies and others were contradictory to all their Divines They agreed â—asily in framing the anathematismes Difficulty in framing the decreeâ— but no way could they agree in the positives of doctrine nor of reformation In the doctrine every sect was stieve for their own opinions wherefore some said Positive articles are not necessary lest one party be condemned Others said The order that is begun can not be left and diligence may be used to satisfy all parties Some said Albeit the factions were contentious in delivering their opinions yet all submit unto the determination of the Synod Others said Such protestations of submission are terms of reverence and should be ansvered with
pain and therefore they would pray for increase of their blessedness but the Latines believe they are all in Heaven and gave thanks for them and praied for the increase of their glorie by the resurrection of their bodies and so forth as is said except only Augustine who thought that some of the elect may be in torment And of them Fra. Junius in his Notes on Bellarm. de Purgat lib. 1. cap. 10. observeth That the former ages sought only an increase of good things but the latter ages do pray for relief or ease of torments the first opinion saith he is tolerable and the other is contrarie unto veritie and to the vertue of Christ's death For as Augustine de verb. Dom. ser 37. saith In thy two evils one is a fault and the other is punishment the fault is thou art unjust and the punishment is thou art mortal But he Christ Jesus that he might be thy neighbour took on him thy punishment but not thy fault and if he took it he took it to abolish and not to commit it and by taking on him the punishment and not the fault he hath abolished both the fault and punishment And de temp ser 66. Now is the time of forgiveness to them who repent but the time of vindication to them who have neglected to confess their sins But after this age arose another difference for Pope Innocentius the III. being asked what his judgment was in this matter he answered Some be verie good they need no prayer of the living some are verie bad they cannot be helped some are mid-way good to them prayers are profitable for expiration and some are mid-way bad to them prayers are profitable for propitiation Bellar. de Purg. lib. 2. c. 18. will not approve this judgement of his ghostly father he gives assent unto the first three parts of that distinction and he makes a gloss on the last part saying I suspect that Innocentius hath forgot himself when he thinks that Augustin's division hath four parts which hath only three for they who are mid-way good are the same who are mid-way bad And in the beginning of that 4. chapter he saith It is certain the prayers of the Church are profitaable neither unto the blessed nor the damned but onlie unto them who are in Purgatorie Augustin's division is in Enchir. cap. 110. Praiers avail not unto all who are departed and why not but for the difference of life which everie one hath made in the bodie Therefore when the sacrifices of the Altar or of Alms are offered for all them who were baptized and are defunct for the verie good they are thanksgivings for the not verie bad they are propitiations for the verie bad although they do not help the dead yet they are comfortable to the living but to whom they avail they avail to this end either that there may be a full remission or that their damnation may be the more tolerable and because we know not what is their estate we should pray alike for all that our benefit may be superfluous rather then deficient To conclude this point seeing praier for the dead as it was used in the second age of the Church is now condemned by the Romish Church and such praiers as are now used in the Romish Church are a branch of the opinion of Purgatorie which the Ancients knew not their praiers now for the dead are but a noveltie and as we may say a plant of that third age and unknown unto the Church of Rome in this seventh Centurie For in the Synod at Toledo an 627. when were assembled 62. Bishops it was ordained that the dead should be conveied to the graves with the voices of men singing Psalms onlie in hope of the resurrection they forbid all mourning and they will have no word of praiers for them which they would not have omitted in such a place if they had thought upon any necessitie or utilitie thereof conc Toleta 3. cap. 22. But the Romanists say These oblations are comfortable to the living It is true the Priests and Monks receive no small gain for them but the other people are handsomlie cheated 5. A third question of this age and nature is Whether living Christians Praâ—â—r unto the dead may lawfullie pray unto the departed Saints The Councel at Trent hath discerned That they think wickedlie who denie that Saints should be invocated Sess 25. cap. 2. Therefore it ought to be inquired when and how this honour was given unto the Saints Here we may borrow some help from the Jesuits Salmeron on 1 Tim. 2. disp 8. answereth it was not the custom of the Old-Testament nor was so great honour due unto them Ibid. disp 2. Nothing is found of this matter in the Epistles of Paul or Canonical or Catholick books of others But possiblie somewhat hereof is found in the Evangelists or Revelation No saith he Ibid. disp 7. It is not expressed under the New-Testament in the Scriptures but by tradition for in the primitive Church it had been hard to command such a thing unto the Jews and occasion had been given to the Gentiles to think that instead of manie Gods whom they had left they had received manie other Gods yet saith he without doubt the Apostles delivered this Doctrine unto the Churches But he telleth not unto what Churches whether Jews or Gentils or if there be a third Bellarm. de beat Sanct. lib. 1. cap. 19. saith Before the coming of Christ the Saints entred not into Heaven neither saw they God nor ordinarilie could they know the praiers of them who did invocate them therefore it was not the custom of the Old-Testament to say Holie Abraham pray for me but the men of these times praied onlie unto God I will not quarrell with him that some of his words seem contrarie Io. Eckius in Enchir. loco comm saith more The invocation of Saints was not commanded in the Gospel lest the converted Gentiles would believe that according to their former custom they should worship the Saints not as Patrons but as Gods as the Lycaonians would have sacrificed unto Paul and Barnabas and if the Apostles and Evangelists had taught that Saints should be worshipped it might have been judged their arrogancie as if they had craved such glorie after their death Wherefore the holy Spirit would not by express Scriptures teach the invocation of Saints We see then by the testimonie of Papists that praiers to the departed Saints hath no warrant in Scripture but is grounded on tradition onlie If this tradition was first revealed by the Apostles how was the scandal of Jews and Gentiles taken away by the tradition If it were concealed induring the more general conversion of the Jews and Gentiles then it was not in use for a long time in the Church whereunto the practice of the Reformed Church is agreeable How began it then Eusebius hist lib. 4. cap. 15. hath a large Epistle of the Church of Smirna concerning the
have any propriety but they may have the use of utensils of books and other moveables that they shall get lawfully and the Friers may use such things as their General or Provincials shall think good reserving the dominion of the houses and places unto such as is known it belongeth unto neither may they sell their moveables or give them away from their Order unless a Cardinal of the Roman Church who shall be Governor of the Order shall give power and consent unto their General or Provincials Innocentius the IV. declared that the propriety of the Minorites goods belongeth unto the Apostolical See and he gave them power to appoint Procurators who might sell or any way change their goods for their use and to change the Procurators as they thought good And so though they had vowed simple poverty yet they devised ways of possession yea they sought the possessions of other Monks and as Matth. Paris saith ad An. 1235. it was told them It is a shame unto them and scandal unto others to change their rule and profession so soon Their way of purchasing was thus They had liberty to hear confessions as the Dominicans had to preach and they did ask persons of whatsoever quality Hast thou made thy confession If it were answered Yea they said To whom if it were answered To our Priest the Frier said What an idiot is that he never learned Divinity nor hath he read the Decrees nor hath he learned to solve a question those Priests are blinde guides of the blinde come unto us we can distinguish between leprosie and leprosie unto us are the mysteries and secrets of God revealed confess unto us to whom so great priviledges are granted by the Apostolical See Therefore many Nobles and others left their Bishops and Priests and made their confessions unto the Friers and gave them their tithes and offerings as is manifest by the querulous Letters that were collected by Petrus de Vineis Epist lib. 1. And then the Friers began to rear up georgeous buildings for themselves and the Priests were for the most part but contemned and poor Some Popes made Decree in favor of the Friers for the benefit of the Church and some made contrary Decrees for them Honorius the IV. Gregory the IX Alexander the IV. Clemens the IV. and V. against them and for the Curates was especially John the XXII who made himself Pope and others after him In his time some that were called pauperes de paupere vita and Beguini separated themselves from their Order and returned to their Institution Pope John condemned them and their constitution but these were zealous of their first rule even so zealous that at Massiles four of them were condemned by their own Order the Inquisitors and were burnt because they would not consent unto the dispensation that was granted unto them Others in many places of France called these four Martyrs and said If the Pope hath consented unto their death he is an Heretick Such doings and speeches provoked Pope John the XXII first to suspend and then to condemn the Decrees of his Predecessors that had confirmed the Institution of that Order as commanded and practised by Christ Geo. Calixtus in his book De nova arte hath those things at more length ex Nic. Eimer the Author of Directori Inquisitor and Alvar. Pelagius de Planctu Eccles After Pope John were many Bulls both for and against the Friers Then starteth up a new controversie between the Friers and the Priests The Priests said Of Tithes The Tithes being the proper patrimony of the Church should be paid unto them who serve in the Church and not unto idle bellies who have not charge in the Church The Friers move other two questions 1. By what Law should Tithes be paid 2. Unto whom they should be paid For the first they say It was the uniform consent of the Church that God commandeth the payment of Tithes under the Gospel as under the Law So Origen on Numer cap. 18. August de temp Ser. 219 48. and such was the practise in many ages saith Concil Matiscon 2. cap. 5. But at that time the Friers held It was a judicial Law binding the Jews only yet so as it may be continued by Princes and the Church hath enjoyned the payment of the tenth part of the increase neither may any refuse to pay the Tithe and more also if the Church shall enjoyn more as she hath power indeed Tho. Aquin. in Sum. 2. 2. qu. 87. The other question was before without scruple that Tithes should be paid unto Church-men and a division should be of them as of all other Church-goods one unto the Bishop another for the Curate and a third for the fabrick of the Church and the fourth for the poor and strangers But the Friers made a new distinction saying In Tithes two things are to be considered to wit the power of receiving them and the Tithes themselve the power is spiritual and belongeth unto them that serve at the altar for their service but the things called Tithes are corporal and therefore may be given unto Laicks Tho. Aquin. ib. By this distinction the Priests were cheated and afterwards the Tithes were given to Abbeys and Monasteries By the way note that the Frier Thomas calleth the Friers Laicks as they were never reckoned among the Clergy unless they were promoted and received Orders And we may Their subdivisions see how the Franciscans were subdivided as also other Orders into Sects some kept the first Institution and go coursely apparelled living onely by begging and others want not their ease nor abundance they say They have nothing and yet enjoy plenty and they excuse their practise which is contrary unto their profession with a distinction They have riches in common but nothing in propriety This cause why Friers are so many ways subdivided is marked by Bellarmin de Monach. l. 2. c. 2. Every Sect saith he is hot at the beginning and then they become colder then ariseth some one or other who reduceth the Sect to the first Institution with some particular Rite in remembrance of himself and this is called a new Religion Until this day these two Orders kept the Office of Inquisition wheresoever the Pope commandeth Their office saith Francis Pegna in Directo Inquisitor but principally the Fransciscans exercise it How they discharge this Office Agrippa de vanitat scien cap. 96. sheweth saying Whereas their jurisdiction should be grounded upon Theological traditions and holy Scriptures they exercise it according to the Canon-Law and Papal Decrees as if it were impossible the Pope can err and they throw away the holy Scriptures as a dead letter or but a shadow of truth yea and they say as a buckler and fortress of Hereticks neither admit they the ancient traditions of Fathers and Doctors saying Those might be deceived and deceive but the holy Church of Rome cannot err nor the Pope the head thereof and they set before
Law of God unto the Gospel and to Councels that have been approved by the inspiration of the holy Ghost and unto good human Laws whatsoever is found to have been attempted by men in government of the world contrary unto these let it be amended and reformed and therefore away with all abuses customs dispensations priviledges and exemptions that are contrary unto them 2. Let the Popes conform themselves their works and words unto divine and human Laws and give unto their inferiors an example of things that should be done or if they will shift from those Laws and domineer rather then provide for their Subjects their honor is puft up with pride and what was ordained for concord is turned to dammage 3. It cannot be denied but the Roman Church in many things hath strayed from the primitive institution and from the minde of the holy Fathers Councels and Decrees even so far that the first institution is forgotten but they should prefer the truth of the holy Scriptures unto all custom how ancient soever it may seem to be 4. The Pope should not suffer causes to be lightly brought from other Provinces unto his Court now all order is confounded the Pope giveth Benefices before they be vacant and the proverb is to be feared as too true He who coveteth all loseth all Here he inveigheth at the promotion of strangers who are blinde leaders of the blinde when they know not the language of their flock And against Simony which reigneth said he in the Court as if it were no sin Against the plurality of Benefices and pensions wherewith Bishopricks are burthened to pay unto Cardinals Benefices are bestowed on the Pope's Nephews and Friends St. Gregory would not be called universal Bishop nor suffer that name to be given unto any other and the ancient Popes were wont to prefer the names of other Bishops unto their own this he sheweth by instances and concludeth the point thus Every cause should be decided in its Province 6. It seemeth profitable that in the Councel marriage be granted unto Priests 7. Monks should be compelled to work with their hands as anciently ...... they should not be permitted to meddle with the office of Priests ...... and far less should Friers be permitted to go a begging 8. It is necessary to repress the abuse of images the selling of indulgences and pennances and the impertinent discourses of Monks in their Sermons for they leave the Scriptures and preach the inventions of men He often repeateth There is no hope of reforming the Church unless Rome begin with her good example and here in the ninth place he reckoneth their corruptions for the universality of the Church is offended and infected with the example of the Roman Church and the leaders of the people as Isaiah saith cause the name of God to be blaspemed and as Augustine saith nothing is more hurtful unto the Church then the Clarks who are worse then Laicks He sheweth the rapines of the Legates and other servants of the Court the exactions for indulgences for priviledges and dispensations from whence floweth the neglect or contempt of Religion and all these are through the luxury and pride of Popes and Prelates whose pride is greater then of all Kings and Princes Here he taxeth the negligence and ignorance of the most part of them and seemeth to despair of them in these words Alas that saying of Isaiah seemeth now to be too true of the Church It shall be an habitation for dragons and a Court for ostriches ..... O that it were not true of our Clergy which he saith This people draw near unto me with their mouth but their heart is far from me He hath many such passages in the three parts of that Treatise but no fruit followed so wholesome admonitions Mornay in Myster 3. Arnold de Villanova a French man or Catalanus as some say wrote Tbe doubts and fears of a King many books In Colloquâ—o Frider. Arnol. he hath a remarkable History Frederick King of Sicily a religious Prince said unto him He had a purpose to do some remarkable service to the honor of our Savior but two impediments were in his way fear and doubt he feared to be dispised as a fantastical fool by the world both of Clarks and Laicks who are all careful of earthly things but none of them savor of heaven and he doubted whether the Gospel be mans invention or brought from heaven three things did move him to doubt so 1. He certainly knew by hearing and seeing that Bishops and Clarks make a shew of Religion through custom but they had no devotion they are earnest in vain-glory and lusts but they feed no souls unto salvation 2. Monks and Regulars professing Apostolical simplicity and poverty do astonish men with their lewdness they are so estranged from the way of God that in comparison of them not only the Secular Clarks but even the Laicks are justified their wickedness is so vile that no Estate can endure them they profess humility poverty and perfection of vertues but no measure of vertue may be found in them for humility they are presumptuously proud creeping into Kings Courts Councels and Commissions they intrude themselves into secular affairs and if they be refused or rebuked they become furious with viperous bitings they attend feasts and endeavor by any means to enrich themselves they are false ungrateful deceitful and affected liars in hatred pertinacious in preaching pestiferous disobedient to superiors and do openly avow uncleanness The third cause of his doubt was Whereas in former times the Bishops of the Apostolical See sent their Legates unto the Nations to know of their increase or decrease in Religion now no such thing is heard of but their business is for worldly things Arnold are answered answered His purpose is pious and he should not leave it off his fear is a suggestion of Satan hating the glory of God and the salvation of souls and he should vanquish such fear by consideration of God's love and the example of Christ suffering the revilings of men ..... As for his doubts he might be sure that the Scriptures are the Word of God Jesus Christ is the promised Saviour and the same God who created the world which is clear not only by the Articles of faith but even by irresistable demonstration His reasons are such as should rather confirm his faith for the first two are null because Christ who is the foundation of the Church hath foretold the defection and corruption of preachers both by voice and Canonical Scriptures and by revelation unto persons of both sexes which the Popes with great devotion keep among the Archives of the Apostolical See and I have seen and handled them in the holy City And against the third motive it may suffice what God had done in his time and what he is about to do shortly to wit he had warned the See of Apostacy under Boniface the VIII and under Benedict for a certain
schismatical side This Cardinal Cusan in his Books De Concordantia Catholica which he directed unto the Councel at Basil maintaineth these positions All the promises which Christ spoke unto Peter as I will give thee the keys I have prayed for thee and such other things should be understood of the Church universally and not particularly of Peter or his Successors especially since many Popes have been Schismaticks and Hereticks Every Prelate hath place in the Church according to the Dignity of his Seat and so the Bishop of Rome hath attained such precedency in the Church as Rome had antiently among the Nations Or if they have place according to the holiness of him which first sate there certainly Jerusalem should have the primacy where the great high Priest did wash his Church with his blood And why should not Ephesus the seat of St. John be preferred to Alexandria the seat of Mark and so of the rest The Councel dependeth not upon the head thereof but upon the consent of all the Assessors although the Bishop of Rome were present there he hath not more power there then a Metropolitan in his Provincial Synod Without all controversie a universal Councel is above the Bishop of Rome whose power is sometimes said to have been from Christ yet in more places we finde that his primacy is from man and dependeth on the Canons wherefore as he may be judged and deposed by a Councel so he cannot abrogate nor change nor destroy the Canons of Councels In lib. 3. cap. 2. ss by many testimonies of Antiquity he proveth it false that Constantine gave or could give the Empire of the West unto the Pope These testimonies are exstracted and subjoyned to the Declamation of Laur. Valla in Fascic rer expetend There also Cusanus saith Neither is it true that the Pope gave it unto Charls or transferred it from the Greeks unto the Germans and it is most false that the Princes Electors were instituted by the Pope and that they discharge the office of Election in his name In the contrary The Emperor dependeth on God alone and it is not necessary that he be confirmed by the Pope nor may the Pope depose him The Emperors in old time called the General Councels as other Princes have taken care of Provincial Synods When he was Legate in Germany he hindred and discharged the carrying of the Sacrament in their Processions Crantz in Metrop He addeth Because the Sacrament was ordained for use and not for ostentation 23. In the year 1442. the Emperor Frederick had a Diet at Mentz where they spoke of casting off the Pope's yoke in time of the schism But in the time of Pope Nicolaus this Neutrality was taken away by the mediation of Aen. Sylvius and therefore he got a red hat Nevertheless because the conditions that he had made in name of the Pope were not fulfilled the Germans assembled again and by advice of Diether Bishop of Mentz they would provide for themselves according to the Pragmatica Sanctio against the tyranny of the Roman Church and they agree upon Decrees concerning the election of Prelates the collation of Benefices the pleading of causes the granting of pardons the exactions of tenths c. And if the Pope shall discern against them they resolve to provide for themselves by an appellation 24. Martin Meyer Chancellor unto this Diether wrote an Epistle unto Cardinal Aen. Sylvius and complaineth in his Master's name that the Canons of Constance and Basil were not observed that Calixtus as if he were not tied to the covenant of his Predecessors did oppress Germany he contemneth the election of their Prelates and reserveth their Benefices of all sorts unto his Cardinals and Secretaries expectative graces are given without number Annates or mid-fruits are exacted rigorously yea more is extorted then is owed the Government of Churches is not given unto them which deserve best but who payeth most new Indulgences are sent dayly for squeezing money ..... a thousand means are devised whereby the See of Rome draweth gold from us as if we were witless Barbarians .... Our Princes being awakened have resolved and decreed to cast off this bondage and to defend their former liberty In the end he congratulateth his late advancement and lamenteth that so many evils hapned in his time But saith he God will have it otherwise and his decree must have place By these words Meyer giveth to understand more then he speaketh This Epistle is printed with Sylvius his description of Germany 25. The Greeks wrote unto the Bohemians in this manner The holy A Letter from Greece unto the Bohemians Church of Constantinople and Mother of all Orthodox Believers unto all the Masters and each of the famous Brethren and Sons beloved in Jesus Christ in Bohemia salvation by the Son of the glorious Virgin and an hundred-fold increase of spiritual fruit The holy Church of the heavenly Bridegroom which is the Head of the whole Church hath not greater pleasure then that she heareth that her Sons walk in the truth therefore when not without most great pleasure and as it were a pledge of common fruit the fertility and growth of them who couragiously suffer persecution for the testimony of true faith came unto the ears of the same godly and bountiful Mother especially by a Brother and Son Constantinus Anglicus the bearer of these presents and a reverend Priest we were more plainly advertised that ye hearken not unto the novelties that are brought by some into the Church of Christ but that ye are constant in the foundation of faith which was given unto us by our Lord and his Disciples The holy Church hath incontinently written unto you and intended to exhort you into concord with her and not according to the forged union of Florence which was separate from the true and lawful Councel which union should rather be called a diremption from the truth for which cause we received not that union but altogether refused it and according to the immoveable decree of truth wherein only we can be truly and safely united for the Church of Christ doubteth not of these things which she heard reported of you as is said Seeing therefore you have judged it expedient to contraveen the perillous novations of Rome ye shall be of one mind with this Church by means of the Holy Scriptures which is the true Judge For although no good report of you came unto us before that ye did not resist the Roman novelties but rather were enemies to the ancient traditions of the Catholick and Christian Church yet now we are informed more surely that ye are revived and returned unto the common religion of Christians and unto true godliness and that you leave not your Mother but being zealous with true love of your true Mother have a singular desire to promove and inlarge her which we understood by the coming of this devout Priest as we have said who hath declared unto us particularly the estate
because the difference is mainly in religion he adviseth that they would cause a few good and peaceable men on each side to treat of the controversies amicably and when they shall agree the particulares may be referred unto the Estates to be decerned by them and the Popes Legate so that the Decree of Ausburgh An. 1530. may stand Sleidan The first question of chusing such persons spent some dayes the Emperour sought and obtained from both parties the naming of the men and promised that he would do nothing but what might be for the good of both For the Papists he nameth John eckius Julius Pflugius Jo. Gropper On the other side he nameth Melanthon Bucer Jo. Pistorius these he did admonish to lay aside private affections and look only unto Gods glory He named also Frederik Prince Palatin and Granvellan Presidents and others as witnesses When these did meet Granvellan gives them a book which said he was writen by good and learned men and presented unto Caesar as convenlent for reconcilation he biddeth them read and weigh it shew what articles they can accord on what they dis-allow amend it and wherein they consent not study a conciliation The book contained 22. heads of the creation of man and his estate before the fall of free-will of originall sin Iustification the Church and notes thereof the interpretation of Scripture the sacraments the sacrament of orders baptisme confirmation eucharist pennance marriage exextrem unction charity hierarchy articles that are determined by the Church the use rites and administration of the Sacraments discipline of the Church discipline of the people Lu. Osiander saith The writer of the book was not altogether Popish he had written soundly of justification and some other articles When they had examined the heads they agree in some and they amend some with common consent they agree not on the heads of the Church and her power the Eucharist the enumeration of sinns orders of Saints use of the whole Sacrament and single life They render the book as they had amended it and the Protestants adde their judgement of the articles wherein they did not agree The Emperour commendeth them for their diligence and exhorts them to continue the same way if they shal be further employed And he reported in the publick meeting of the Estates what was done Pe. Soave saith The bb which are the greatest part of that Diet reject both the book and all that was done and because the Electors and Catholick Princes which loved peace did not consent unto them then Caesar as the Church's advocat dealt with the Legate to approve what heads they had agreed on and would expound what was dubious and also with the Protestants that they would not stoppe the way of further reconciliation The Legate answereth in write I use the words of Soave but ambiguous lyke the old oracles He had read the booke and the annotations and the Protestants exceptions and he thinks that seing the Protestants have departed from the consent of the Church yet there is hope that by the help of God they may be brought unto consent as for other things nothing more is to be decerned but to be referred unto the Pope and the Apostolick See he will call a councel shortly or take some other course convenient for the time and will use diligence to do what is expedient unto the Christian world and namely of Germany And to testify that he was desirous to have the clergy reformed he calleth all the bb into his lodging and exhorts them unto their duty to bewar of all scandals al shew or suspicion of Luxury covetousnes ambition that they govern their families seing by that the people do judge of a Bishops manners that they should dwell in the most populous places of their own Diocies that they may attend their flock and where they live not they should send faithfull Ministers that they visite their Provinces bestow priesthoods on good sufficient men distribute the Church-goods to the use of the poore appoint pious learned temperate and not-contentious preachers to teach the people have care to breed the youth in good arts seing upon this account the protestants do allure the children of the Nobility unto them He caused this speech be written and gave it unto Caesar the bb and Princes The Protestants declare their judgement of both these writes and said unto the Emperour If they had keept silence they might have been judged to have approved both In the publick meeting the Emperour shewes the Legates answer and seeing no more can be done for the time he propoundeth that they would advise whether without prejudice of the Decree at Ausburgh these heads wherein the Collocutours had consented may be received as truly Christian and no more to be controverted untill a generall councel shortly to conveen which seemes to be the Legat's mind or if there be no councel untill the next Diet of the Estates The Elector Princes do consent it should be so because there is more appearance to agree in other points if these be ratified and they entreat the Emperour to continue even now the further agreement if he can or if not that he would deal for a General or National councel in Germany The Protestants answer to the same purpose and adde that as they had alwayes desired a free councel in Germany so they can never consent unto such a one wherein the Pope and his party shal have the power of cognoscing and judging the cases of religion But the Bb. and some Popish Princes do flatly oppose and professe they will not consent unto any change but by authority of a coucel to be called by the Pope And they were the more adverse because they thought the Emperours overture was in favours of the Protestants Then Contaren hearing that the Emperour had commended him as consenting unto the accommodation of the Collocutours they goeth unto Charles and complaines that his answer was altogether mistaken as if he had consented unto these conciliations untill a Councel for his mind is that no matters of religion can be concluded in such meetings but all must be referred unto the Pope as the faithfvll Pastor and Universall Bishop July 28. the Emperour referreth all unto a councel for which he promiseth to deal with the Pope and if it can not be obtained he promiseth to appoint another Diet within 18. months to end the differences of religion and in the Interim he forbiddeth any more alterations and suspendeth the Decree of Ausburgh Soave lo. cit Then the Protestants promise their aid against the Turk and interceed for the Duke of Cleve who had offended the Emperour by invading Gelderland That summer King Ferdinand besieged Buda in Hungary the Queen a widow sent unto the Turk for aid who came repulsed Ferdinand and took Buda to himself Then Ferdinand held a Convention of the Estates in Prague where the Nobility of Austria did supplicate for a Reformation of their Churches
he thought to set them and the Germans by the ears and if they consented he hoped to triumph over them Beza answered He and his collegues were come to defend the Confession of their own Church and to this end should the Conference be directed The Cardinal with vehemency did press that point The Ministers fearing that the Conference might be broken off and the blame be layd on them crave leave to consider the Confession forwhich the Prelates seemed absolutly to proclaim The Cardinal nameth one article We confess that the very body and blood of Jesus Christ is truly really and sacramentaly in the Supper of the Lord and is so given and received by them who communicate He alledged also the testimonies of the Saxon Ministers concerning it So the Conference was dismissed The next day Beza was bid to speak and he spake to this purpose We have declared our mind concerning the articles propounded unto us namely of the Church we trust none hath occasion to complain of us and these things that have been handled should have been approved or disproved by the Scriptures But we were demanded By what authority we preach the Word of God they think to make our cause odious by this demand This questioning seemes superfluous seeing we were called hether not to give account of our calling but to confer of our doctrine otherwise it may seem we are brought into judgement Or if it was done only for disputation consider that when two parties are brought into Conference if the one demande Why do you this and the other mutually ask the same this is but caâ—illation and dissention But omitting the Prelates of this realm whom we will not offend let us suppose a certain Bishop were here demanding us By what authority we do preach and we like wise would demand him By what authority he were a Bishop that is whether he was elected by the Seniours of his Church whether the people had desired to have him and whether his life manners and doctrine had been examined and he would answer that he was so and so called but the contrary is manifestly known we call the consciences of those who hear us and know the matter to bear witness If he say We are not Ministers because we have not imposition of hands we might answer Thou hast but one thing the imposition of hands and if the want of that as thou thinkest make us to be no Ministers the want of the other two which are more principal make thee to be no Bishop We speak also another thing albeit beyond our purpose and against our will but that this assembly may see how this question is full of enuy If one were demanding that Bishop From whom had he received imposition of hands and for how much he had bought his title he would answer I had imposition of hands from Bishops and I bought not imposition of hands but only for my place I gave two or three 1000 Crouns which is as if one would say I have not bought the bread but I bought the wheat I say If this contest were judged by the Councels and decrees of the Church it would make many Bishops and Curats ashamed And we speak thus not of intention to bring Quid pro Quo but that yee may see how unwillingly we touch the matter and would have other things handled lest the work of peace be hindred We would have spoken of the article of the Lords Supper because the Cardinal of Lorrain promised to satisfy us in this point of doctrine which is a principal one by the proper words of the Fathers this we do eagerly desire And to satisfy this desire one article was culled from so many and necessary articles of the faith and it was said unto us Either subscribe unto this or we will proceed no further If they were our Judges and sitting upon out lifes they would not say Subscribe but We condemn you Their office leades them into another manner of speach and they should shew if there be any errours in our doctrine We are here before you to give an account of our doctrine unto God and unto all the world and to obey God and the King and you ô Queen so far as lyeth in us to the pacisying of those troubles about Religion If yee had to do with us only who now are here ye might easily have your wills but we represent a greater number not only of this kingdom but in Helvetia Poland and other parts who think long to hear whether this Conference will turn but when they shall understand that in stead of a free Conference the tenth part of an article was exhibited unto us with these words Either subscribe or no more Albeit we would subscribe what were ye the better Others will know whether we have subscribed by force of argument or by constraint Wherefore ô Queen we most humbly beseech that so good and profitable a work be not broken off and that you will vouchsafe to grant such men which will not disdain to dispute soberly Nevertheless lest they say We have not an answer we receive all those passages which Espencaeus brought out of Caluine but in that bit of an article out of the Augustan Confession many things are to he considered 1. the whol Confession should have been propounded and not a line only 2 we would know whether the Cardinal propoundeth it in his own name or of the Prelates and then we would give thanks that they confess themselves overcome in the article of transsubstantiation which is justly condemned by all the Reformed Churches 3. if we should subscribe they also should subscribe that our Churches may understand what we have dene 4. and if they will come to the whol Confession of the Germans we trust that we are come unto a very good way of concord and unity In the mean while we affirm that the Lord Jesus is present in the use of the Supper where he offereth exhibits and truly gives unto us his body and blood by the operation of the Holy Ghost we eat the same body that was broken for us but we eat spiritually and by faith that we become bone of his bones And if this be not sufficient it is hard to speak of so great a mystery in few words if it seem good unto the Cardinal let us consider and confer the Scriptures and writings of the Fathers as he hath promised and if it please you ô Queen to appoint a convenient form of collection and to appoint Notaries to receive our disputations We trust yee understand that we came not to bring disorder and trouble but would dedicate ourselves unto God unto your Majesties and the whole Christian common-wealth and specially unto the tranquillity of this Realm The Prelates were angry that he had spoken of their Vocation and Lorrain said He had dishonoured the Queen into whose hands the right and liberty of election was given So there was bragging of the Cardinall and Prelates and
were instant to begin and the most part condescend to treat of doctrin and Reformation jointly so that also a Letter was sent unto the Pope craving to further the Synod and to solicite the Princes for continuing peace among themselves as also other Letters were written unto the Emperour unto the French Roman Portugal Kings and other Princes requiring them to conserve peace to send Ambassadors to secure the high-wayes and to cause their Prelats resort unto the Synod Those Letters should have been read and sealed in the ensuing congregation but they could not agree what seal to use In a word before the next Session they could agree only that they should begin with heresy and because they were informed of more prelats a coming they delay the next Session untill Aprile 8. Again the Legats send for their oft demanded instructions and they advise to begin at the controversies between them and the Lutherans concerning the holy Scriptures and the abuses brought into the Church in that matter About that time the Conference in Germany was dissolved and the Pope thought it scandalous to delay any more so he gave information to begin according to the advice but so that they be slow in the Reformation Accordingly on February 22. 1546. it was ordained to read Luthers books and frame articles concerning the Scripture to be censured by the Divines and so matter to be prepared for Decrees As for abuses every one should call to mind what he thought needfull to be Reformed and what remedy is fittest The articles of doctrine were propounded of the sufficiency of the Scriptures 2. Of the number of the books 3. of the Latin Translation 4. Of the perspicuity of the Scriptures In the first article all did agree to make Traditions Of the Scriptures equal with the Scriptures excep Antonius Marinarus a Carmelite whose discourse was called Lutheran They all agree to canonize the Apocrypha on these two they spend sixe congregations In the third article was difference between them who were ignorant of the languages and a few having a taste of Greek Frier Aloisius de Catanea did prove by authority of Jerom and Cardi. Caietan that the Hebrew edition of the old Test and the Greek of the New are the pure fountains and all Latine translations are but impure brooks and so have been accounted in all time by past The greater number said This opinion openeth a door unto Lutherans the doctrin of the Roman Church is by Popes and Divines founded upon the Latine Bible and if it be lawfull to scan whether it be rightly translated the base Grammarians shall be preferred unto the Bishops and Cardinals and the Inquisitors shall have no place if they be ignorant of Hebrew and Greek Do Isidorus Clarus a Brescian and Benedict an Abbot discourse historically of the old and later Translations and of their account at the first and how at last that which is called vulgata was patched of them both Andreas Vega a Franciscan commends that Latine but preferreth the Hebrew and Greek In the end sixe Divines were deputed to correct the Vulgata to be printed by auhority of the Councel There was no less difference concerning the expounding of Scripture some alledging the authority of Car. Caietan said The Spirit of God is tied to no age and all men should be encouraged unto the diligent and sober study of Gods Worde Others said Vnbridled spirits must be curbed or else can be no hope to see an end of the late pretences neither do the Lutherans gain upon any but such who study the Scriptures the study of Aristotle is safer and the Word of God should be kept in due reverence from it is much derogated when it is too common Dominicus Soto a Dominican said In matter of faith every one should be tied to the exposition of the Church but in manners let every one abound in his own sense so that piety and charity be preserved otherwise men may fall into inconvenients by contrariety of expositions among the antient Fathers who never required that they should be absolutely followed The opinion prevailed which held that the Scriptures are already so well expounded that there is not hope of any more good and if any man will not be content with the Antients let him not trouble the world with his whimsies The Divines had discoursed so irresolutely that the Prelats who scarcely understood the discourses and yet have the power of suffrage doubted what to say in the canons and anathema's therefore overture was found to add anathema unto the Decree concerning the number and species of the books but the other canons should have no anathema lest they accuse their own Divines They talk of many abuses and a Decree was made against the pettiest for hast because the Session was approaching There the Decrees were read and the fifth Session was appointed to be Juny 17. Five Cardinals were present and 48 Bishops and none of them saith my author remarkable for learning The canons were sent to Rome The Court after information how particulares were debated began to think they must attend the Synod more narrowly therefore the Pope sendeth moe Cardinals and admonishes the Legats that the Decrees should not be published before they be advised at Rome he admonishes also to avoid too much flowness but bewar of celerity lest there be not time to receive order from him what to propound deliberat and conclude and spend not time in points not controverted as they had done now in some undoubted points finally take heed that the Papl authority be not permitted unto disputation At that time the Pope had deposed Herman Bishop of Colein for heresy as was pretended and ordained Adolph Count of Scavenburgh into his place and he wrote unto the Emperour for this effect Charles loved not Herman for the same heresy yet fearing that he would joyn with the ptotesâ—ants would not consent Hence arose a new jealousy between the Pope and the Empetour The Protestants complain that they were condemned not only being not heard but without the Councel by the Pope alone and therefore it is needless for them to go unto Trent IV. In the first congregation the Prelats urge two points of Reformation Sess V that were propounded and left-of in the former Session The Legats would treat of original sin Because they could not agree Letters were sent to Rome and in the mean while another order was prescribed for dispatching affaires to wit there must be a congregation of Divines to treat of doctrin and Canonists must be joyned with them when they come to Reformation yet so that Prelats might be present if they please And another Congregation of Prelats to frame the Heads of doctrin and Reformation which being examined and digested according to the most common opinion should be brought unto the generall congregation and there the voice of every one being known decrees may be framed by the determination of the greater part and then
articles collected as they said out of the books of Zuinglius and Luther and they commanded the Divines to confirm their opinions by holy Scripture by Apostolicall traditions and approved Councels by authorities of the holy Fathers to use brevity and avoid superfluous questions they who were sent by the Pope should speak first then they who were sent by the Emperour and in the third place the Secular Divines after the order of their promotion and lastly the Regulars after the precedence of their Orders This method pleased not the Italian Divines and they said It is a novelty condemning all School-Divinity which in all difficuities vseth reasouning in the first place as Thomas and others have done and the collecting of Sentences out of the Fathers and Scriptures is a faculty of the memory and full of toil in writting it was used in old times but it is known to be insufficient and unprofitable as appeares by those Doctors who in these 350. years have defended the Church yea it is to grant the victory unto the Lutherans who do alwayes overcom by those weapons for they know many tongues and read many Authors But those reasons had no place IX In sundry congregations they censured ten articles of the Eâ—charist little is noted worthy of memory untill they came to the framing of the Decrees Some would had anathematisms only condemning the contrary doctrine as they had done in the other sacraments Others said The first order was better decerning the positiues with the anathematisms as was done in Justification The Italians cherished this opinion because they thought it to be some mean of regaining their former reputation The Cownt of Montfort Ambassade of the Emperour and the Orator of King Ferdinand dissuade to make any Decree concerning the communion with both kindes because it would offend the Protestants who certainly shall not be brought unto the Synod if that be put in Decree and so both the Emperour and Councel have laboured in vain These shew also that the Of a Safe-conduct Emperour had given a safe-conduct unto the Protestants and they are not content with it alledging that it was decreed in the Councel at Constance and also executed that a Councel is not tied to the Safe-conduct of any man and therefore they demand a Safe-conduct from the Synod and the Emperour hath promised it unto them as also he hath commanded them to crave and purchase it The Presidents referred the answer unto the next Session or rather unto the Pope and the Ambassade said It is not fit that the points of the Eucharist be debated before their coming especially seing they want not matter of reformation where is no controversy The Legate answered This method is already decerned An account of all those is sent to Rome where the Safe-conduct found variety of opinions Some said It should not be granted because the like was never done but at Basile and that should not be followed because it is a prejudice unto the Synod to tie themselves unto rebels especially when there is no hope to gain them Others said Not for hope to gain them but to take from them all excuse it were not amiss to give them all probable satisfaction seing the Emperour is so earnest for it As for prejudices it may be so framed that it shall tie little or nothing for if it be conceived generally of Ecclesiastical and Secular persons in the German Nation and of every condition it may be said afterward that the Protestants are not comprehended or that it is meaned only of the Catholiks and a special mention is necessary for the Protestants Or the Synod may give a Safe-conduct and the Pop's authority shall be safe According to this opinion a form of a Safe-conduct was sent to Trent and a direction to omit the question of the cup and to expect the Protestants but not beyond three months neither to be idle in the mean while but hold a Session within 40. dayes and treat of pennance While this consulation was a Rome they were proceeding at Trent as is before but when they came to declare the manner how Christ is in the sacrament and of transsubstantiation a contention arose between the Dominicans and Franciscans The Dominicans said All the Contention for transsubstanâ—â—ation substance of the bread is turned into Christs body and the body is in the place where the bread was and because the whole bread is turned that is the matter of the bread is turned into the matter of his body and the form of the bread into the form of his body therefore it is called transsubstantiation and so there be two sorts of Christ's existence both real and substantial the one natural as he conversed on earth or is now in heaven and the other as he is in the sacrament which is a proper manner of his existence and can not be called natural nor sacramental as if yee would say He is not there really but as in a signe seing a sacrament is but a signe Vnless by sacramental yee understand a real existence proper unto this sacrament The Franciscans would have it said One body by Gods omnipotency may be truly and substantially in many places at once and when it comes into a new place it is in it because it goeth thether not by a successive mutation aâ—leaving the first place but in an instant it getreth the second without losing the first and God hath so ordained that where the body of Christ is no other substance â—hall abide there but by annihilation because the body of Christ succeeds in steed of it so it is truly called transsubstantiation not because the one substance is made of the other but because the one succeeds unto the other The manner of Christs being in heaven and iâ— the sacrament differ not in substance but in quantity only because in heaven the magnitude of the body possesseth a place proportionable unto it and it is substantially in the sacrament not possessing a place therefore both sorts are substantial and natural in regard of the substance but in respect of the quantity the existence in heaven is natural and in the sacrament is miraculous differing only in that in heaven the quantity is truly a quantity and in the sacrament it hath the condition of substance Much dispute was for hearing and understanding this matter but none could give satisfaction namely unto the Nuntio de Verona who for the time had the place of moderating October 11. was the Session the decrees of faith with the anathematisms and of reformation were read with express reserving some points of faith untill the coming of the Protestants and the Safe-conduct was framed according to the direction from Rome yet so that the Presidents caused all the same things be first concluded in the congregations The French Orators appeared not to receive answer to their protestation for they had received order not to contest nevertheless the Councel framed an answer denying that they were
one to the King of Denmark and Princes of Germany and another unto King Iames the motion did well please the Estates of Scotland conveening at Santandrews Here the Bishop omittes that the pest was raging in Edinburgh and other chief townes and then the people cried out that the Lord's hand would not be stayd till the banished Lords and Ministers were returned whereupon their friends advertised them to draw near unto the borders and these that were exiled before for other causes joyned with them and so did Maxwell They appoint their rendezvous at Lintoun and meeting there did solemly swear that they shall not separate nor give over the prosecution of their enterprise untill the King be moved to accept them in favor and put Arran out of his company To justify their proceedings they gave forth a Proclamation shewing their aimes to be the defence of the truth the deliverance of the King from corrupt Counsellors and the preserving of amity with England In this proclamation they especially endeavoure to make Arran odious and they named Col. Stuart as an abuser of the King of other Counsellors was no mention which encreaseth Arrans jealousie against them They The exiled Lords returne and are restored and thereby a change of Court came to Falkirk and understanding that there was no great company with the King at Sterlin they draw near it October 31. that night Arran and Crawford keept the town-gate but the Lords entred by a secret passage without resistance a cry was raised The town is taken Crawford flyeth to the Castle and Arran escapes by the bridge So soon as the King understood of their humble petitions by the Secretary and Justice-Clerk he said I did never love that mans vjolence to wit Arran and howbeit I can not but offend with their doings yet for the Countries sake and for publick quietness I can pardon all but one thing I desire you to look unto that none in my company receive any harm I know there be quarrells betwixt Crawford and Glammes betwixt Anguise Montrose and I believe that Col. Stuart is not well beloved with my honor I can not permitt these to be hurt provide that these be in savety and I shall willingly admit them This was reported unto the Lords they reply they had not taken arms for any privat quarrell nor would they mixe particulars with the publlck but it were good for eschuing inconvenients that the Noble men whom the King had named were put in custody of speciall persons and the Colonell be discharged from his office of the guarde and the same be conferred on another This was declared unto the King and he consented to receive them Two dayes thereafter the King renewes his promise unto them and confirmes it by Act of Counsell and proclames a Parliament to be held at Lithgow in December for ratisying the same Ministers repaire from all parts to Lithgow a litle before the beginning of the Parliament and sought abrogation of the late Acts against the discipline The King would not hear of it and the exiled Lords said It was not expedient to medle in that matter at that time they must first be setled in their estates and afterwards they may prevail with the King The King also willed them to set down in write what exceptions they had against these Acts. They did offer their animadversions with a supplication wherein they crave the Ministers to be restored to their former possession alswell of the disciplin as of their places The King took paines to penn with his own hand a mitigation of these Acts in this manner as I found among the Papers of John Erskin That the word of God be truly and sinceerly preached as before That all process of excommunications shall proceed as before The Generall Assembly shal be only convocate by the kings Letters That the Ministers shall not proclame a fast before they shew the causes unto the King That all Bishops nominat by the kings Majesty shal be tryed and admitted by the Gen. assembly That all sects and heresies shal be tryed by the Church and as the persons shal be found culpable the Kings shall execute justice When the king delivered these he said These shall bee al 's good and sufficient as an Act of Parliament But the Ministers were not contented with these and the full determination was remitted unto the next Generall Assembly which then was called to conveen at Edinburgh in May following XXII Some thing was done in the Spring but it will be mentioned 1586. The 47. Assembly in the Assembly which conveened May 10. in Edinburgh After Sermon had by Robert Pont the Lord of Privy Scal and Mr Peter young being directed from the King shew that his Majesty is taken up with great affaires so that he can not give his presence for that day and therefore craves that all the brethren would repair after noon unto the great chapell in the Abbey where he shall propound his minde unto them and to delay the election of the Moderator untill that time All the brethren do consent upon condition It shall not prejudge the liberty of the Assembly in any way The Commissioners declare that they know no prejudice intended After noon they conveen in that place the king declares why he had desired them to conveen there then prayer being make by Robert Pont David Lindsay is chosen Moderator The King appoints the Lords Secretary Iustice-Clerk Privy-Seale Iohn Graham L. Culros and Peter young to reason and advise with the Moderator and Assessors on matters mutually to be propounded and them or any two or three of them to concur with the Assembly as his Commissioners The next day they return to the ordinary place I. Two Ministers being directed unto the king to solicite the redeliverance of the Assemblie's Register bring answer that they shall be directed unto the Clerk every day but at night they shall be in the hands of the Privy-Seall enduring the Assembly and before the closing he will be personally present II. The places for conveening of Presbyteries are named through out all the kingdom and Commissioners are appointed to designe the Churches in every Presbytery Their advice vvas returned in the last Session III. The Synodall assemblies are appointed to conveen the first tuysday of October next and the places are named and thereafter every Synod is left to their own option of time and place IV. David Cuningham Bishop of Aberdien is ordained to be summoned before the Presbytery of Glascow for adultery with Elisabet Sutherland V. The Articles of the Conference held in February between the Deputies of the Counsell and some Ministers called together by the King were propounded in the privy Conference to be examined by the Kings Commissioners the Moderator with the Assessors and they Some Articles concerning Episcopacy report agreement 1. That none shall vote in the Assembly but such as the Scripture appoints Governors of the Church 2. There are four
Richard a Deacon with others upon several occasions of sedition amongst the people When Chetumar was dead so great was the sedition there that no Presbyter did abide untill Walinch being Duke sent again unto Virgilius who sent Hiemo and Reginbald Presbyters and Majoran a Deacon with others and in the year 794. Charls sent Erick to be their Duke who expelled a great number of the Huns and then that land of Pannonia Inferiour continued under obedience of the King and the Christian faith was embraced by the people Catal. test ver lib. 9. In all these is no mention of sending to or from Rome for their Reformation 13. In this Century the Turks came out of Scithia or Tartary into the Province Turks became Mahametans of Alami thence into Colchis out of that into Armenia and then into Asia the less An. 755. Histories do vary concerning their original but the most probable opinion is that they are descended of the Tartars because Pompon Mela who lived in the daies of the Emperour Claudius reckoneth Turcae among the Scythians Lib. 1. Cap. Chalybes and as Io. Lampadius after Mechovius witnesseth the Turks and Tartars have the same manner of Apparel one manner of Riding one manner of Bows and Arrows and in Language they differ only in dialect as the Italian and Spaniard At that time the Turks hindered the Sarazens from conquering in Asia and Europe God raising up one wicked enemy against another that his Church might have breathing except that they prevailed in the Mediterrane Isles and Peloponnesus In the end these two did agree upon conditions 1. That the Turks should be called Sarazens and imbrance Mahumetism 2. They should have the Province of Hircana or Sogdiana 3. They should be subject unto the Calipha of Babylon They continued living by Pastorage without a Prince of their own untill Civil Wars among the Sarazens about the year 1050 and therefore I speak no more of them untill the 11. Century CHAP. IV. Of BRITAN 1. BEda a Presbyter in the Monastery at Weeremouth neer Durham for Beda Venerable and hiâ— doctrines his godliness and modesty was called Venerable and is still accounted worthy of that Title He was credulous in believing of false miracles and slipped into some corruptions of the times as confession and chrism yet even in these he differeth from the latter times for on Jam. 5. at these words Let them pray anointing he saith We read in the Gospel that the Apostles did so and the custom of the Church holdeth that the weak should be anointed with oil by the Presbyters and prayer being conjoined be healed nor only by the Presbyters but as Pope Innocentius writeth even any Christian may anoint in his own necessity or of others Here he speaketh of anointing as a means of healing and not a Sacrament for the dying And on the words Confess your sins one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed he saith In this sentence should be that discretion that we should confess to one another daily and light sins and beleeve to be healed by their daily prayer And moreover the uncleanness of more grievous leprosie let us according to the Law confess unto the Priest and have a care to be cleansed at his will how and how long time he shall command He seeth in these words no warrant that any should confess unto a Priest but one to another mutually and as he saith coaequaliter and that to the end they may be healed and what he would have done unto the Priest he borroweth it from the Law of Moses And on Mar. chap. 3. when he hath spoken of the miracles that were done by the Apostles he saith Now when the number of Believers is multiplied many within the holy Church have the life or conversation of vertue but have not the signs or miracles of vertue because miracle is in vain shewed outwardly if it fail that should work inwardly for according to the saying of the Apostle of the Gentils Tongues are a sign not to believers but to unbelievers Here he sheweth that miracles were not necessary when the Gospel is confirmed and received As for the articles of positive doctrine he is clear Of the perfection of the Scriptures on 1 Pet. 4. at these words If any speak as the words of God he saith Fearing lest any man speak or command any thing but the will of God or but what is evidently commanded in the Holy Scriptures and be found as a false witness of God or sacrilegious or introducing any thing different from the Lord's doctrine or leaving or passing-by any of these things which are pleasant unto God seeing He most manifestly commandeth Preachers concerning those whom they shall teach saying Teaching them to observe whatsoever I have commanded you For he commandeth to deliver those things to be observed by their hearers which he hath commanded and no other things and those things not in part only but all And on the 2 Pet. 1. neer the end Who giving heed unto the words of the Prophets do well that thereby they may have the light of knowledge these should first know that none of the holy Prophets did preach unto the people through their interpretation but what they had learned from the Lord that did they commend to be done by their hearers and what heavenly mysteries they had perceived in secret these simply either by word or writ did they deliver unto the people of God and not as the Diviners of the Gentils who what they had forged out of their own hearts these things did they deliver unto the deceived people as the Oracles of God Therefore as the Prophets did write not their own but God's words so the reader of these should not follow his own interpretation lest he stray from the true sence but by all means he should attend this how he who writ would have his words understood So far he And how the right sence may be had he teacheth in Philip. 1. from Augustine saying When words make the Scripture ambiguous first we must see that we distinguish or pronounce them not wrong and when after such diligence we find it uncertain how to distinguish or to pronounce them look to the rule of faith which we have from plainer places of the Scripture and from the authority of the Church But if both or all or more parts be dubious then we should consult the Text it self by the following and preceding parts where the ambiguity is to the end we may see unto which of these many senses it will give suffrage and suffer it self to be conjoined Concerning the person and natures of Christ on 2 Pet. 2. he saith Arrius who said that our Redeemer is in respect of divinity inferiour unto the Father and Photinus who said that Christ is Man and not God and Manichaeus who said Christ is God only and not a very man and Hebron who said Christ was not before Mary and took his original
Canons that each Presbyter dwelling in a Parish be subject unto the Bishop in whose Parish he dwelleth and alwaies in Lent that he shew and give account of their Ministry whether of Baptism or Catholick Faith and Prayers and order of Masses Then he forbiddeth sacrifice to the dead and other prophane rites of Heathens he appointeth punishment against the fornications and adulteries of Monks In the end it is Dâ—creed that Monks and Nuns should live within their Abbeys and Alms-houses according to the rule of their Father Benedict Concil tom 2. edit Crab. Behold how little mention is here of the Bishop of Rome 2. In the year 747. at Clonesho in England was a frequent Synod where At Clonesho it was Decreed 1. That Bishops should be more diligent in taking heed to their charge and admonishing people of their faults 2. They should maintain the devotion of true peace and love and serve God in the same faith hope and love praying for one another mutually 3. That once in the year each Bishop should visit all the Parishes of his Diocy and restrain the Heathenish observations which as yet were amongst the people 4. That none should be admitted into Orders till his life and conversation and literature were examined 7. That Bishops and Abbots should diligently take heed that all under them be diligent in reading for instruction of souls for it is to be lamented say they that so few are found to be ravished with the love of holy knowiedge but are rather mis-carried with vanities and love of idle glory and trace not the study of holy Scriptures 10. That Presbyters should learn to know all the duties of their Office especially they should learn to interpret in their own language the Creed the Lord's Prayer and the words that are said in the Mass and in Baptism and they should study to know what the words signifie spiritually â—8 That the Fast of the fourth seventh and the tenth months should be observed King Aelfwald and Offa were present and they two with many Dukes and Counts confirm the Decrees with their subscriptions Spelman ad An. 747. 3. Constantine Copronymus assembled a Councel at Constantinople of At Constantinople 338. Bishops out of Asia and Europe An. 755. this they called the seventh General Councel Here was Theodore Bishop of Ephesus Basil Bishop of Pisidia Pastiles Bishop of Pergamenum John of Nicomedia Cosmas of Epiphania in Apamea c. The controversie of Images was discussed Germanus Patriarch of Constantinople Gregory Bishop of Cyprus and John Damascene Patrons of Images were accursed and Constantine Bishop of Salaeum was made Patriarch Images of Christ of Mary and of the Apostles were condemned as having no warrant from Christ nor the Apostles nor the Fathers And if any would say that the Images of Christ only were condemned because they cannot represent his two natures but the Apostles had two natures and therefore they may be tolerated The Synod answereth it is the subtlety of divelish men following the errours of the Gentils but it is said in the Scriptures God is a Spirit and will be worshipped in spirit and truth No man hath seen God at any time but ye heard his voice and Blessed are they who have not seen and believe c. Then they alledge many testimonies of the Fathers against Images They conclude Let none of whatsoever estate henceforth follow so wicked and impure institution who dare from henceforth make any image or worship or set up any image in a Church or private house or have it privily if he be a Bishop or Deacon let him be deposed if he be a Laick let him be accursed and subject to the Emperour's censure because he fighteth against the Scriptures nor observeth the traditions c. Lastly follow the Canons accursing particularly all them who have images of the Trinity or of Christ as he is God or as he is man or as he is both God and Man in the hypostatical union or as if he were two persons to paint on the one side the son of God and on the other the son of Mary And they accurse all who have an image of any Saint 4. In the year 787. by perswasion of Tharasius Patriarch Irene called a Councel at Constantinople Here were Pe. Vicedon a Priest and Pe. Hegumen a Monk Legates of Pope Adrian John Patriarch of Antiochia Thomas of Alexandria c. Augustus made disputation of the worship of Images it was scanned on both sides Tharasius and other Bishops and Monks were for them against them was Basilius Bishop of Ancyra Theodore Bishop of Myri Theodosius Bishop of Amorio with many more Bishops and a great number of Teachers and Lay-men The Patriarch could not prevail by number and went about to exclude the better part from the Synod or disputation whereupon a tumult was like to arise for the people could not be content that so great a part should be debarred when the Patriarch saw that he could not prevail the Synod was dissolved The Image-worshippers report this story as if their adversaries had dealt only by faction and not by reason But thus writeth Pa. Diacon lib. 23. rer Roman Irene retaineth the Legates of Rome and by their advice banished a great number of them whom they called Iconomachi or fighters against Images Then she assembled another Synod at Nice in Septemb. An. 788. where the matter was quickly dispatched as Adrian and Tharasius would when there was no great opposition to wit as it is declared in Act. 3. they Decree that Images should be had embraced saluted kissed and adored but that which is called Latria they reserved unto the Trinity only Their chief pretence is because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to imbrace and to love and the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 addeth unto the signification as in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and what a man loveth or imbraceth that doth he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as David did Jonathan and Christ saith the Pharisees love the first places at Bankets and salutations in the Market-places Also the fore-named Basil Theodore and Theodosius with the Bishops Hippatius of Neece Leo of Rhodos Gregory of Pisidia Gregory of Pessinus Leo of Iconium Nicolaus of Hierapolis and Leo of Carpathe were perswaded to profess repentance and confess an errour in the former Synod So Images were set up and worshipped both in the East and West saith Pa. Diacon loc cit and Zonar lib. 3. Not long after Constantine did annull the Acts of this Convent Platin. which they call the seventh General Councel Baronius in Annal ad An. 794. sheweth that many learned men and of great esteem in those daies as Jonas Aurelianen Walfrid Hincmarus and others writ against the worship of Images and directly did contradict that Councel although it was confirmed by the Pope Yea and 5. In the year 792. Charls the Great summoned a Councel at Franckford At Franckford which he did moderate
the I that authority is derived from Peter and the other Apostles unto all the Bishops of the Church for the priviledge of Saint Peter is wheresoever according Rome and Rhemes compared to his equity justice is done no less in Rhemes then in Rome and no more in Rome then in Rhemes but is alike unto all every where according as Bishops more or less discharge their office And he expounds these words Thou art Peter ... as Augustine doth in Ser. 13. de verb. Dom. I will build my Church upon that firm and solid confession which thou hast confessed Ph. Morn in Myster in an Epistle to Hincmar Bishop of Laudun saith The seventh general Councel so called by the Greeks indeed a wicked Councel concerning Images which some would have broken into pieces and some would have to be worshipped was kept not long before my time by a number of Bishops gathered together at Nice the Acts thereof the Bishop of Rome did send into Francia in the Reign of Charls the Great the See Apostolick willing it to be so a Synod was held in Germany by the convocation of the same Emperour and there by the path-way of Scriptures and the tradition of the Fathers the false Councel of the Greeks was confuted and utterly rejected of whose consutation there was a good big volumn sent from Charls by some Bishops unto Rome which in my young years I did read in the Palace This testimony is of more credit then a hundred late Writers who deny that Synod at Frankford or that a Synod under Charls did condemn the second Synod at Nice Thereafter in that Epistle he saith We should beleeve that the motion of repentance is from God as the Apostle saith If God will give them repentance .... To have Church is not to have a primacy in Divine things for then all rulers of the Church should have primacy all those wicked men rule not the Church who seem to be within neither is it denied but they give baptism In the same Epistle he rebuketh his Nephew for denying baptism unto Infants Catol test ver lib. 9. 17. At that time was much to do in the doctrine of Predestination Gotteschalk The five Articles of Gotteschalk by birth a Frank or Belgik as Aventin lib. 4. Annal. Boior calleth him was ordained a Priest by Rigbold chorepiscopus in the vacancy of the See of Rhemes The now named Hincmar in an Epistle unto the Church of Lions which is in Biblioth Sixt. Senen part 1. pag. 1053. edit Colon. writes that he held these five Articles First God before all ages and ere he made any thing even from the beginning did predestinate unto the Kingdom whom he would and did predestinate unto destruction whom he would 2. They who are predestinate unto destruction cannot be saved and who are predestinate unto the Kingdom cannot perish 3. God willeth not that all men be saved but only them who be saved and whereas the Apostle saith Who willeth that all men be saved he meaneth only all them who shall be saved 4. Christ came not to save all men nor did he suffer for all men but only for them who shall be saved by the mystery of his Passion 5. Since the first man fell of his free will none of us can use free-will to do good but only to do evil Remigius Bishop of Lions in the name of the Church of Lions are defended and opposed defended these five Articles as is to be seen loc cit Whereupon Hincmar writ unto Pope Nicolaus as Baron Annal. ad An. 948. relates against Gotteschalk and calleth these Articles the heresie of the Predestinatians which was overthrown in Affrick and thereafter in France by authority of Pope Celestine and by the care and vigilancy of Prosper When Gotteschalk returned from Italy Raban Bishop of Mentz summoned him into a Synod and when he could not perswade him to change his mind he did write unto Hincmar and others and did oppugn some conclusions which he had wrested from these five Articles Remigius writes again shewing that all the arguments of Raban did not touch the Articles as it is in the above named Bibliotheca Then Hincmar summoned Gotteschalk unto a Synod of 12 Bishops and some Priests and Abbots in Carisiac on Isara where four Articles were enacted against him he was condemned of heresie and contumacy and he condemned The Articles at Carisiac he was whipped with rods and cast in prison The Church of Lions after sight of these four Articles sent forth their censure of them both which are in Biblioth cit pag. 1082. The Canons are these First God Almighty made man without sin upright with free will and set him in Paradise whom he would to abide in the holiness of righteousness 2. Man using ill his free-will did sin and fall and became the mass of perdition of mankind but the good and just God did chuse of the same mass of perdition according to his fore-knowledge whom by his grace he did predestinate to life and prepared life eternal for them 3. But others whom in the judgement of righteousness he left in the mass of perdition he foreknew them to perish but he did not predestinate that they should perish yet because he is just he did predestinate everlasting punishment unto them and therefore we say there is but one predestination of God which concerneth the gift of grace or the rendring of righteousness Can. II. In the first man we have lost the freedom of will which we have received by Christ and we have free will unto good being prevened and helped by grace and we have free will unto evil being forsaken of grace and we have free-will because it is freed by grace and by grace healed from corruption Can. III. God will have all men without exception to be saved although all men be not saved and that some are saved it is the gift of him who saveth and that some perish it is the merit of them who perish Can. IV. Our Lord Jesus Christ as there was not is nor shall be any man whose nature is not assumed in him so there was is and shall be no man for whom he did not die although all be not redeemed by the mystery of his Passion it concerneth not the greatness and copiousness of the price but it concerneth the part of unbelievers and them who beleeve not with that faith which worketh by love for the cup of man's salvation which was made through human infirmity and divine vertue hath in it self that it may be profitable unto all but if it be not drunken it cureth not Followeth the sum are censured by the Church of Lions Can. I. of the censure of the Church of Lions in the first part of the first Canon is no mention of the grace of God without which no rational creature ever could or now can or shall be able to be or abide or persist in righteousness and holiness as if man had been
the death of my Lord Jesus Christ betwixt thee and my wicked merits and I offer the merit of his most worthy passion for the merit that I should have had and alas I have it not Say again O Lord I lay the death of my Lord Jesus Christ betwixt thy wrath and me Then let him say thrice Into thy hands O Lord I commend my spirit Ia. Vsser de succes Eccles c. 7. sheweth from Cas Vlenberg lib. causar caus 14. that all Christendom received this form of questioning the sick from this Anselm but it hath been changed from time to time In the Book Institutio baptizandi aliaque Sacramenta administrandi ex decreto concilii Tridenti restituta printed at Lions ann 1598. at that part de recommendatione anima are the same questions and answers but there are set first these Believest thou dear brother all the Articles of the Faith and all the holy Scripture according to the exposition of the holy and Catholique Doctors Ans I believe Doest thou detest and refuse all Heresies and Superstitions which are damned and disallowed by the holy Mother the Catholique Church Ans I do disallow Instead of these two questions the above-named Jesuit reporteth ex Bibliotheca Vaticana thus If he be a secular man he should be demanded so Believest thou these things that belong unto Christian faith in so far as they be determined by the Church Ans I believe And in the end he saith These things being finished Anselm saith Without doubt the sick man shall be saved Observe Here is no word of Purgatory nor of saying Masses for him after death But the most remarkable difference is in Index Expurgat set forth by Cardinal Quiroga there it is ordered to blot away or leave out these questions Believest thou that our Lord Jesus Christ died for our salvation and that none can be saved by his own merits or any other way but by the merit of his passion And where it was said in Or do baptizandi printed at Venice ann 1575. at the end of these questions We need not dispair of his salvation which with his heart believeth and with his mouth confesseth these questions that Index ordereth to leave out these words also By this form and the changes of it we may see how the Papists have changed their faith especially in this main cordial for a sick soul The same Anselm wrote two Books etituled Cur Deus homo against some The reasonableness of redemption by Christ whom he calleth Infidels And it appeareth certainly unto me these have been the Fore-fathers of the Socinians and that Socinus have gathered the most part of their quirks out of these Books but as the man hath been wickedly minded he hath not taken to heart what Anselm hath answered unto these Infidels I studying brevity will onely repeat some of the answers except onely the first objection Lib. 1. c. 2. The Objector saith As right order requireth that we should believe the profound things of Christian faith before we presume to search them by reason so it seemeth to be negligence if after we be confirmed in the faith we endeavor not to know what we do believe wherefore as by the preveening grace of God I think that I know the faith of our redemption so that albeit I cannot comprehend by reason what I do believe yet nothing shall be able to pull me away from the certainty thereof I crave that thou wouldest declare unto me which many others do crave as thou knowest upon what necessity and reason hath God seeing he is Almighty assumed the baseness and weakness of humane nature for the restoring of us This is the main objection and the preamble of it condemneth implicite faith Anselm answereth cap. 3. We do neither wrong nor reproach to God but giving thanks with all our heart we do praise and set forth the unspeakable altitude of his mercy that how much the more wonderously and above all imagination he hath restored us from so great and so deserved wickedness wherein we were unto so great and so undeserved benefits which we had lost he hath set forth the greater love and pity toward us for if they would diligently consider how conveniently the restauration of man is procured after this maner they would not jeer at our simplicity but with us they would commend the wise bountifulness of God for it was necessary that as by the disobedience of a man death entered into mankinde so by the obedience of a man life should be restored and as sin which was the cause of our damnation had its beginning from a woman so the Author of our righteousness and salvation should be born of a woman and as the divel overcame man whom he perswaded by eating of a tree so a man should overcome him by suffering whereof he was the author on a tree Cap. 4. Is not this a necessary reason why God should do these things seeing his so precious a work mankinde was altogether lost nor was it fitting that what God hath propounded concerning man should be altogether annulled nor could his purpose be brought to pass unless mankinde had been delivered by the Creator himself Cap. 5. Whatsoever other person had delivered man from everlasting death man might be judged to be a servant unto that person and if it were so man had not at all been restored unto that dignity which he had had if he had not sinned seeing he which should have been the servant of God onely and equal unto the good Angels in every respect should have been a servant unto one which is not God and whose servants the Angels are not C. 8. The will of God when he hath done a thing should be a sufficient reason unto us albeit we see not why he hath done so nor should any think it contrary to reason when we confess that God hath done these things which we believe of the Incarnation And they understand not what we believe for we affirm without any doubt that the divine nature cannot suffer nor in any respect can be brought from his Celsitude nor hath any difficulty in whatsoever he will do But we say that our Lord Jesus Christ is very God and very man one person in both natures and two natures in one person wherefore when we say that God was humbled and suffered weakness we understand it not according to his imsuffering nature but according to the infirmity of humane nature which he had assumed and so it is clear no reason is against our faith for thus we do not understand any humiliation of the divine substance but we declare that there is but one person of God and man nor did God the Father deal with that man so as you seem to understand or give an innocent unto death for the guilty for he did not force him unto death against his will nor suffered him to be killed but he himself did willingly suffer death to the end he might save us from death
Kingdom forty two years The Successor of Hyatho made apostasie and called himself Mahumet Cham and the Son of Cobila forsook the faith Then Cothos Melechmeses Sultan of Egypt slew him in a battel and drave all the Tartars out of Syria they had their refuge unto Armenia Benedeclar Sultan of Egypt hunted them and conquering that Land called himself King of Armenia Argon the Brother Son of Mahumet Cham took his Uncle and cut him in the middle with a saw and by agreement with the Sultan was King and kept the faith Cusan the Nephew of Cobila was also a Christian and had nothing so dear as to advance the faith in singular wisdom he kept peace with his neighbors and obtained great victories against the Sultan of Egypt and conquered all Syria about the year 1320. In his Son's time both the faith and power of the Tartars failed for the Sultan of Parthia entered into Persia and the house of Otoman overcame all the rest of Asia unto Pontus and the Tartars were rooted out of all their conquest about the year 1350. their power continued about 130. years This History and the Greek article of the accusative case in Revel 20. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 give occasion to consider whether these words and the verse following be not a prediction of this their Empire and their Apostasie rather then of any instruments of Satan in pursuing the believers CHAP. IV. Of BRITAIN 1. IN the year 1203. a certain number of Greeks came from Athens into England and asserted that the Latins had erred from the way of truth in the Articles of Christian faith and they would shew the right way by invincible arguments which all should receive if they will be saved This was reported unto King John he answered Our faith is grounded upon the Authority of Christ and the Saints and I will not suffer that it be tossed with disputes and janglings of men nor will we change the certainty for uncertainty go therefore let me hear no more of you So they departed Matth. Parisien 2. Alexander Abbot of the Benedictines at Canterbury was sent by King John in commission unto Rome there he maintained before Pope Innocentius and the Clergy that there is no power under God higher then a King and that the Clergy should not have temporal Government since the Kingdom of Christ is not of this world He proved these two Articles by Scripture and Reason and by testimony of Gregory the I. in an Epistle unto Augustine Bishop of Canterbury Behold the event Pandulf the Legate suborneth some English Barons to accuse the Abbot and he accursed and deposed him so brought him to poverty Then the worshippers of the Roman Beast did boast saying Behold the man that took not God for his help Idem 3. In the year 1205. Hubert Bishop of Canterbury died the same night Contention between the Pope and Iohn King of England the young Monks chose their Superior to be Arch-Bishop without the knowledge of King John being then in Normandy The elder Monks sent unto the King craving his gracious licence to chuse their Arch-Bishop according to their Canons The King gave them his assent provided that for his sake they would shew favor to John Bishop of Norwich They obeyed and the King sent to Rome for confirmation Reginold preveeneth his Messenger The Suffragans of Canterbury were offended at both parties and sent speedily to Rome to stop both the elections because they both were without their knowledge Then arose no small trouble both at home and at Rome At home was such a strife that the King sent Letters and Commissioners commanding them to leave their contentions and attend their ministration or he would deprive them of their Benefices c. At Rome was reasoning on all sides and Innocentius said The disposition of that See appertained unto the Monks onely and he willed them to chuse Stephen Langton Cardinal of St. Chrysogono None durst refuse but the King's Procurator When Stephen came unto King John he was content so that his Soveraignty be preserved entire Stephen loved not this supposition and shewed some haughtiness The Monks receive the Cardinal because it was the Pope's pleasure Therefore the King banished sixty four of them as contemners of Royal Authority and he sent Letters unto the Pope expostulating 1. That he had rejected the Bishop of Norwich and had set up another which was unknown to him and brought up among his enemies and which is worse who derogateth from the Royal priviledges wherefore I cannot admire enough that the Bishop and Court of Rome do not consider how necessary said he my favor is unto the Roman Church and that they weigh not how vast revenues have been gathered out of England the like whereof they have not received from any Nation about the Alps. As for his priviledges he said he would rather quit his life then forsake them Finally he concludeth If the Pope will not hearken unto his request he will so provide that there shall be no more such gadding to Rome neither the sinews and riches of the Land any more transported whereby he was made less able to resist his enemies and he had of his own sufficiently instructed at home in all kinde of literature that he needed not to seek justice abroad Breifly the Pope excommunicated King John and forgave all his adherents in time past but he condemned all who in time coming shall serve or aid him or pay him tribute c. And he commanded the Bishops and Clergy to publish this sentence every Sunday Some forsook the Countrey but none durst publish the sentence nevertheless it became known unto all whence began great distraction of mindes and the King was severe against all which denied him homage Some were not afraid to speak for the King that the Pope had not power to domineer over any King since Peter had received onely Ecclesiastical power Matth. Parisi saith It were tedious to tell all their names which spake thus Then Innocentius wrote unto Philip King of France proffering unto him full remission of all his sins and clear possession of all England unto him and his heirs if he will kill John or expel him The French King accepteth prepareth and armeth himself especially with Bishops Priests Monks and their adherents John understanding this as also perceiving how his Lords and Barons were diversly enclined for fear of the curse as such who took part with him and for the foresaid dispensation unto all who forsook him and they were not a little byassed by that command to deny all service and debts duties and allegiance he knew not whither to turn In the mean time cometh a Nuntio from Rome unto the King and his Nobles at Canterbury with this Commission That the King and they would consider their present danger and be reconciled unto his Holiness in time Then the Lords swear unto the Nuntio that unless the King will obey his Commission they will make him
words If it be lawful to celebrate for a penny it were far better and precious to celebrate without pennies this they say thinking that simony is committed in these exactions Oh how great a wickedness and madness to exact forty fifty or sixty florens for the absolution of a City and relaxation of a Church-yard I am silent of other things simple and secular people do abhor all these things 28. Jagielo Duke of Lituania was married to Heduigis Queen of Poland The conversion of Lituania An. 1386. with condition that he should embrace the Christian faith and annex that Dukedom to the Crown of Poland he and his three Brothers Borissus Suidrigielo and Vidold were baptized at Cracow Febr. 14. The next year he called a general convention of all the people of Lituania at Vilna in the beginning of Lent and took with him the Bishop of Gesna and some Priests There he propoundeth unto them the forsaking of their Idolatry and the embracing the Christian Religion he allured them with exhortations and promises but the Priests being ignorant of the language could teach them nothing at all The barbarous people were loath to leave the customs of their Ancestors but when they saw that at commandment of the King the fire in the Temple of Vilna to be extinguished and the Altar broken and the Serpents which they had worshipped to be killed and dead and their holy groves destroyed without the hurt of any man the people wondered and said How is it that our gods do not revenge themselves on these wicked Christians if any of us had done the like we had perished by the wrath of the gods Then were they willing to follow the Religion of their Prince and because it had been wearisome to baptize them all this honor was given to some of the Nobles to baptize them severally and the vulgar sort were set in companies and the Priests cast water upon them and gave unto every company a name saying I baptize ye in the name c. and so in one day 30000 barbarous people were baptized Ale Guaguin in Rer. Polon To. 1. 29. Nicolaus de Lyra a Jew by birth and then a converted Christian wrote Annotations on all the Bible which were in great account among the School-men but in many Articles of faith he differeth from the Papists now as appeareth clearly by these passages When Jerome had written in Prologin lib. Tobiae The book of Tobiah which the Jews following the catalogue of divine Scriptures have reckoned among those which they call Hagiographa de Lyra saith He should rather have said among the Apocrypha or he taketh the Hagiographa largely And in his Postilla he saith When I have written as God hath helped upon all the Canonical books of the holy Scriptures ..... trusting in his help I intend to write of the other books which are not of the Canon to wit the book of Wisdom Ecclesiasticus Judith Tobias and the books of Maccabees ...... We must know that the books of the sacred Scriptures which are called Canonical are of such authority that whatever is written there it is held true without controversie and consequential also what is manifestly concluded thereupon for as in the writings of Philosophers truth is known by reducing unto the first principles that are known in themselves so in the Scriptures of Catholick Doctors truth is known in so far as things to be believed can be reduced unto the Canonical writings of the sacred Scripture which we have by revelation from God who cannot lye therfore the knowledg of these writings is necessary unto the Church for which cause of the exposition of them it may be said what is written Eccles 24. All these are the book of life that is all the books that are expounded in the preceding work are contained in the book of life that is in the books of truth revealed by God who is life for as divine predestination is called the book of life so this Scripture revealed by God is called the book of life both because it is from him which is life essentially as is said and it leadeth unto the blessed life And next it is to be considered that the books which are not of the Canon are received to be read by the Church for information of manners but their authority is not such that they are thought sufficient to prove things in controversie as Jerome teacheth in the Prologue on Judith c. On Deut. 17. at the words Thou shalt not decline he saith Here an Hebrew Glossa saith If he say unto thee The right hand is the left hand or the left is the right thou must receive such a sentence But this is manifestly false since the sentence of no man of whatsoever authority is to be received if it be manifestly false or erroneous and this is clear by what is said in the text They shall judge unto thee the truth of judgement and they shall teach thee according to his law Hence it is clear that if they speak false or decline from God's Law manifestly they should not be heard On Psal 124. or rather 125. on these words Like mount Sion he saith because as mount Sion is unmoveable so they who trust in the Lord are not moved from the stability of faith therefore it followeth shall not be moved for ever to wit who dwell in the spiritual Jerusalem by faith formed by love And the cause of this stability followeth The mountains are about it that is the Angels are deputed to keep the Church and the Lord is round about his people as he saith in Matth. ult Behold I am with you unto the end of the world On Daniel at the last words he saith The last two Chapters to wit of Susanna and the History of Bell and Dragon are not of the Canon therefore now I leave them and intend to take in hand the other books which are Canonical On Matth. 1. at the words Iudah begot Phares he rehearseth an opinion of Jerome which he confuteth and he addeth a general reason saying The sayings of Saints are not of such authority but we may think the contrary in those things which are not determined by the sacred Scripture therefore Augustine in Epist ad Vincent saith of the writings of the Saints This sort of writings is to be distinguished from the Canonical Scriptures and testimonies are not brought from them so that we may not think the contrary On chap. 10. at the words He gave them power over unclean spirits he saith If it be asked Why Preachers do not such miracles now Gregory answereth Because when the Catholick faith is sufficiently proved by the miracles of Christ and his Apostles it is needless to reiterate such proof any more And a little after Ye have received freely to wit grace which God hath bestowed on you whether grace making acceptable or grace which is freely given Give it freely even as ye have received for for spiritual acts as for administration
of the Sacraments preaching and the like nothing should be received as a price This is against the practise of that time as we have now heard in the testimony of Jo. Vitoduran On chap. 16. He calleth Peter blessed because the confession of true faith leadeth unto blessedness ...... and I say unto thee i. e. for thee and thy companions thou art Peter i. e. a confessor of the rock which is Christ and upon this rock which thou hast confessed i. e. upon Christ will I build my Church and the gates of hell i. e. persecution of tyrants the assaults and tentations of evil spirits shall not prevail against her to turn from the true faith Whence it is clear saith he that the Church consisteth not by men in respect of power or dignity Ecclesiastical or Secular because many Princes and chief high Priests and others inferiors have made apostasie from the faith and therefore the Church consisteth in those persons which continue in true knowledge and confession of the faith and truth By these few words he overthroweth the Popedom as it is taught now And then he saith These keys are not material but are a spiritual power which is two-fold one a power of discerning sin from what is not sin as under the Law the Priests discerned between leprosie and not leprosie But observe that although one cannot discern this without knowledge yet knowledge is not the key but a power of judging by knowledge which he must first have and therefore although knowledge is not the key yet it is necessarily requisite unto the due exercise of the key The other key is the power of receiving into the Kingdom or of shutting out according to true judgement for the unworthy should be excluded and the worthy should be received On Ephes 1. at the words Before the foundation of the world he saith The election is from eternity but the effect thereof is in time which effect is the sanctification of the reasonable creature therefore it followeth that we should be holy ..... according to the pleasure of his will from which dependeth election and predestination and not for our merits not onely in deed or actually but also in the foresight of God 30. The third age of the School-men began from the year 1320. or thereabout The third age of School-men and continued until 1516. of the condition whereof we have had somewhat by the way but because we promised to speak of it here we add more particularly The School-men of this age had a three-fold power teaching in Schools preaching in Pulpits and giving Indulgences of their Inquisition is enough before For the little modesty of former ages was now turned into impudence for because in their Inquisition they had refused the holy Scriptures to be their rule now in their Schools they durst say The Scriptures are the buckler of Hereticks and therefore all Laicks must be discharged from reading the Scriptures under no less pain then to be accounted Hereticks They blamed the Scriptures of obscurity imperfection ambiguity and compared it unto a nose of wax Will. Tindal in his book of obedience Edit at Marlborough in Hesse An. 1528. fol. 16. saith The Scripture say they is so hard that thou couldest never understand it but by the Doctors that is I must measure the measuring yard by the cloth ...... They will say yet more shamefully None can understand the Scriptures without Philautia that is Philosophy a man must be well seen in Aristotle before he can understand the Scripture say they And fol. 62. They pervert the holy Scripture and all Doctors wresting them unto their abominable purpose quite contrary to the meaning of the Text and circumstances going before and after which divellish falshood lest the Lay-men should perceive is the very cause why they will not suffer the Scripture to be in English Then also it began to be doubted among them whether the Pope be a god or a man or neither of the two to be the Vicar of Christ was thought to be a small honor In Prooem Clementin Iohannes Epist the Gloss at the word Papa saith Nec Deus est nec homo sed neuter inter utrumque And in the margin Papa nec Deus est nec homo Pope Pius the V. in his Edition An. 1572. was ashamed of these words and left them out But Pope Gregory the XII in his recognition An. 1580. omitteth the words of the margin and in the Gloss the words are thus Papa id est admirabilis dicitur à Papa quod est interjectio admirantis verè admirabilis quia vices Dei in terris gerit Inde dixit ille Anglicus in poetria nova Papa stupor mundi circa finem Qui maxima rerum Nec Deus es nec homo sed neuter inter utrumque Etymologia vero nominis est pater patrum But the man of sin is yet advanced higher therefore in these extravagants Ioha XXII tit 14. c. Cum inter nonnullos the Gloss saith To believe that the Lord God our Pope cannot ordain otherwise it is heretical Ye may see such other passages in Morn Myster pag. 444 445. and Spalaten de Repub. Eccles lib. 2. cap. 6. § 15. cited out of their books So those times were darkened with clouds of most gross ignorance and divellish illusions And who can any more doubt but the Pope is the Antichrist we The Pope is the Antichrist have heard not onely the profession of their opposites and the confessions of those which were held to be Popes and called Antipopes calling one another the Antichrist but likewise we see the gloriation of the Popes admitting that title The Lord God our Pope and not only laying the Scriptures in their footstool but dispising them and preferring their own Canons and traditions in comparison of the sacred Scriptures But to make more clear what was the order of the Schools in that age hear yet more from Will Tindal in that book and place cited One of you teacheth contrary to another when two of you meet the one disputeth and brawleth with the other as if it were two scolds and for as much as one of you holdeth this doctrine and another that as one followeth Duns another St. Thomas another Boneventure Alexander de Hales Raymond Lyra Brigot Dorbel Holcot Gorran Trumbet Hugo de S. Victor de Monte Tegio de Nova Villa de Media Villa and such like out of number so that if thou hadst but of every Author one book thou couldst not pile them up in any were-house of London and every Author is contrary to another in so great diversity of spirits how shall I know who lieth and who saith truth And fol. 18. speaking of the same School-men he saith Ye drive men from God's word and will let no man come thereunto until he have been two years Master of Art first they nosel them in sophistry and in bene fundatum in the margin he saith The School doctrine as
perceived his dissembling and told him so nevertheless answered to his questions In the evening the Pope sent the Provost of the Court unto the Lord de Chlum willing him to go unto his lodging as for Mr. Huss they had provided for him otherwise The Lord Iohn went speedily unto the Pope putting him in minde of his promise concerning Iohn Huss and intreating him that he would not so lightly falsifie his faith besides that he was come hither under the Emperor 's Safe-conduct The Pope answered All those things are done without my consent and he said privily What reason is it that thou shouldest impute this deed unto me who am in the hands of these Bishops and Cardinals as indeed the Pope fearing to be deposed or to procure the favor of the Prelates did betray the innocent unto them So the Baron returned complaining openly of the injury but availed nothing Iohn Huss was led to the Chapter-House of the great Church where he was kept prisoner eight days and from thence he was led unto the lacobines upon the Rhine and shut up in the vilest prison of the Abbey although his cause was not as yet heard publickly After a short space he fell into a Feaver by occasion of the stink of the place so that they despaired of his life and lest he died as others in that prison the Pope sent a Physitian to attend him The Emperor was not yet come to the Town In the midst of his sickness his accusers Michael de Causis and another Bohemian made importunate suit that the Heretick might be condemned to this effect they presented unto the Pope some Articles namely 1. Of the Communion under both kindes 2. The giving of the elements amongst the people 3. He will not acknowledge that the word Church signifieth the Pope and his Cardinals but affirmeth that that signification had its beginning from the School-men 4. He holdeth that temporal Princes may take temporal possessions from Church-men 5. Concerning the equality of all Princes in power 6. That reservation of causes did proceed from the ambition and pride of Popes 7. Of the schism and tumults that he had moved in Bohemia In the time of his sickness four Commissioners from the four Nations were appointed to hear the accusation and witnesses who were ignorant Priests of Bohemia one confuting another John Huss sent and craved that an Advocate might have place to answer for him since he was hindered by sickness This liberry was denied because a Canon forbiddeth that one accused of heresie should answer by a Proctor When he had recovered some health at the command of the Commissioners certain Articles were sent unto him which they said they had gathered out of his Books de Ecclesia but such as Stephen Paletz a Bohemian had either forged or patched by halfs So he continued in prison until March 28. An. 1415. When health permitted he wrote some Treatises to wit Of the ten Commandments of Love and Knowledge of God of Marriage of Pennance and of the Lord's Supper When Pope John fled his Servants delivered the keys of the prison unto the Emperor and the Councel commanded to deliver the Prisoner unto the Bishop of Constance he shut him up into a Tower with fetters on his legs that he could hardly walk in the day and in the night he was tied to a rack near to his bed All this time certain Noble men of Poland and Bohemia did their best indeavors for his liberty but all who appeared to favor him were derided by all men in the City Wherefore they presented their supplication unto the Councel May 14. shewing that the Emperor had granted a Safe-conduct unto their Preacher and he who was Pope for the time had consented unto it nevertheless he was so hardly abused and falsely reviled and slandered therefore they intreated that his cause might be brought quickly to an end The Bishop Luthomislen answered In the last words of the supplication he was touched as a slanderer therefore he craved that a day might be appointed for clearing those things that were called slanders The 17. day of the same month was named and on the next day the Noble men returned their answer clearing their Preacher of all that the Bishop had objected as it is to be seen in divers Histories and their very words are in the Meditations of Mr. Fox on the Apocalypse cap. 11. and in the History of John Huss's life Printed at Nurenberg An. 1558. They concluded their answer with another supplication but received no answer before the last of May when they presented the testification of the Bishop of Nazaret another of the Bishop of Prague and a third from the University all three clearing John Huss from the calumnies of his adversaries And the Noble men petitioned that the man might have liberty to answer personally or that his accusers should not be so lightly believed The Patriarch of Antioch answered in name of the Councel Iohn Huss shall be brought before the Councel Iune 5. and have liberty to speak for himself But they did not so Therefore the same day these Noble men presented another supplication unto the Emperor shewing the uncourteous dealing of the four Deputies and intreating that according to the Safe-conduct he would hear their former supplications But he was also driven from his Safe-conduct by the Cardinals because no protection can be given unto one who is suspected of heresie On the foresaid day all the Cardinals and Bishops and Clergy almost who were in the City assembled in the Convent of the Franciscans and there it was commanded that before the Prisoner were brought forth the Articles should be rehearsed and the Witnesses be heard A Notary Madonienetz hearing that the Bishops had determined to condemn the Articles in absence of the party went with all speed unto the Bohemian Barons and told them they also went unto the Emperor who sent Lewis Count Palatine of Heidleberg and Frederick Burgrave of Nurenberg to shew them who ruled the Councel that nothing be done in that cause until first the party be heard and that they should send unto him the Articles and he would cause them to be examined by good and learned men So the decreet was suspended At that time the two Barons gave unto those whom the Emperor had sent certain Books of Iohn Huss that his adversaries and their accusations might be tried by them The Books were delivered to the Cardinals and Iohn Huss was brought forth and acknowledged the Books to be his saying If there were any error in them he was willing to amend it Then they proceeded having scarcely read one Article when they called for Witnesses He would have spoken but they all cried out so against him that he had no liberty to speak one word and when the tumult was calmed that he could answer out of the Scriptures or antient Fathers some said It was to no purpose some mocked him and some were so outragious that he resolved to
him silence and said Hereafter thou mayest answer unto them all together if thou wilt He said How can I answer unto all these at once I am not able to remember them all The Cardinal of Florence said We have heard thee enough Huss besought them to hear him lest others conceive amiss either of them or of him When they would not hear him he kneeling committed all the matter unto the Lord God and to Jesus Christ as he hoped at their hands to obtain all his desire Lastly It was imputed unto him that he had said There is a fourth Person of the Deity and a certain Doctor heard him speak it Huss craved the Doctor 's name A Bishop said That is not needful Then he said O miserable man that I am who am forced to hear such blasphemy and slander They said He hath appealed unto Christ which is heretical He said O Lord Jesus whose Word is here openly condemned I do again appeal unto thee who when thou wast evilly intreated of thine enemies didst appeal unto God thy Father committing thy cause unto the most just Judge that by thy example when we are opprest with manifest wrongs we should flie unto thee The definitive sentence was read declaring That by the Councel it was ordained for his heretical doctrine to degrade him publickly from his Priestly Order c. When the sentence was reading he did now and then interrupt them and so oft he was commanded to be silent when it was read of his obstinacy he cried I was never obstinate but was always desirous and now I desire to be taught by the holy Scriptures and am ready to imbrace the truth When his Books were condemned he said Why have ye condemned those Books since ye have not proved by one Article that they are contrary unto the Scriptures or Articles of Faith and what injury is that unto me to condemn my Books written in the Bohemian tongue which ye never saw Often times he looked up to Heaven and prayed When the sentence was ended he kneeling said Lord Jesus forgive my enemies by whom thou knowest I am falsely condemned and that they have used false witnesses and slander against me forgive them for thy great mercies sake Many of them laughed at this prayer Then seven Bishops who were appointed to see the execution put on him the Priestly vestures as they put on the Alba he spake of the white vesture wherewith Christ was clothed and mocked So in all the other things he comforted himself with the example of Jesus Christ When all the vestiments was put on a Bishop exhorted him to change his minde yet and provide for his welfare and honor He went to the top of the scaffold after the custom and being full of tears spake unto the people saying Those Lords and Bishops exhort me that I would profess here before you that I have erred which if it were to the infamy of any man they might happily perswade me but now I am in the sight of the Lord my God without whose ignominy and grudge of my conscience I can no way do what thy require of me with what countenance could I look up to Heaven with what face could I look on them whom I have taught of whom there is a great number if by my example it come to pass that the things which heretofore they have known to be most true should now be made dubious I will never do it nor give any such offence that I might seem to think more of this vile carcase which is condemned to die then of their salvation A Bishop said Behold how he continueth in his pernicious errors Then he was commanded to come down to the execution And a Bishop took the chalice from him saying O accursed Judas why hast thou forsaken the way of peace we take from thee the chalice of thy salvation John said I trust in God my Father and in my Lord Jesus Christ for whose sake I suffer these things that he will not take away his chalice of redemption but I have stedfast hope that I shall drink thereof to day in his Kingdom The other Bishops took away the other Priestly things and each of them accursed him He answered He willingly suffered their curses for the name of Christ At last those Bishops began to contend with what instrument his shaven crown should be un-priested with a razor or cizers John then turned unto the Emperor and said I marvel that when they are of a like cruel minde yet they cannot agree in the manner of their cruelty At last they cut off the skin with cizers and said Now the Church hath taken from thee all her ornaments and priviledges and nothing remaineth but that thou be delivered into the hands of the Magistrate Then they caused a crown to be made of paper almost a cubit deep upon it they painted three black divels with this title above them HAERESIARCHA When he saw it he said My Lord Jesus for my sake hath born a crown of thorns why then should not I bear this light crown be it never so ignominious truly I do it willingly When it was set upon his head a Bishop said Now we commit thy soul unto the Divel John lifting up his eys to Heaven said But I commend my soul into thy hands O Lord Jesus who hast redeemed me Then said the Bishops unto the Emperor This most sacred Synod of Constance leaveth unto the Civil Power this John Huss who hath no more to do in the Church of God The Emperor commanded the Duke of Bavier who was standing in his robes holding the golden Apple with the Cross in his hand to receive the Prisoner from the Bishops and deliver him unto the Sergeants When he was led to the place of execution he saw before the Church-dore his Books burning he smiling exhorted all men that they should not think that he died for any error or heresie but only for the hatred of his adversaries charging him with crimes most falsely All the City followed him in Arms. When he came to the place of execution he kneeled down and lifting up his eys to Heaven he prayed and said certain Psalms namely the 31 and 51 they who were near him heard him repeat oft the verse Lord into thy hands I commend my spirit The People said What he hath done before we know not but now he prayeth devoutly Some said It were good he had a Confessor A Priest sitting on a horse's back answered He may not be heard who is a condemned Heretick While he prayed and lifted up his eys to Heaven his paper hat fell off his head a Souldier took it up and said Put it on again that he may burn with his Masters the Divels When he arose from praying he said with a loud voice Lord Jesus assist me that with a patient and constant minde by thy most gracious help I may indure this ignominious death unto which I am condemned for preaching thy most holy
of your affairs he hath given unto our holy Mother his godly and acceptable confession and hath received the Doctrine of the true Faith from her wherein all men should agree who desire to be saved which also we will declare unto your charity Wherefore beloved Brethren and Sons if it be so as we believe and trust hasten the unity together with us for where can ye be more zealous against tempters then in the bosom of the true Church and under the shield of true salvation and where can ye better refresh your selves then where the fountain of the water of life is open All therefore who are thirsty come unto the waters come buy the wine of sober joy without money and receive milk from the teats of her comfort we trust then that in all things ye agree with us wherefore from henceforth with singular care and love we will provide unto you spiritual Pastors which shall have care of your souls and feed you with the word of truth and example of life and shall not afflict you Moreover concerning the Rites of the Church we will graciously yield unto you with the Apostle in these whatsoever have a good ground and a pure intention the granting of which may tend to your edification and shall not be contrary to the honor of this our holy and true Mother and her communion and obedience for verily we intend to dispense and deal with good will and discretion in the difference of Customs and Rites The Almighty God grant that we may hear as we have heard that many others have likewise received the spirit of true life to the increase and multiplying of the beloved Children of the true Mother and cause you together with us to rejoice in the house of the Church with the same Professions and Rites yea that we may praise him with heart and mouth for ever and ever Amen Given at Constantinople Ianuary 18. An. 1451. Rer. Bohem. autiqui Scriptor pag. 235. Edit Hannoviae An. 1602. 26. George Pogiobratz King of Bohemia was a good Warriour and did not fear the threats of the Pope and Emperour and he restored the ruined estate of the Kingdom Vratislavia and Silesia refused to obey him because he was an Heretick as Cochlaeus speaks Hist Huss lib. 12. But Pius the II. then intending Wars against the Turk did by all means perswade them to yeeld obedience and the King did require the Pope to keep the Compacts of Basil in favours of the Bohemians The Pope refused to grant so much Wherefore the King called the Estates together and protested before that he would live and die in that faith which they did profess and so did the Nobles An. 1462. Cochl ibid. Pope Paul gave that Kingdom unto Matthias King of Hungary and when he was busie against the Turks and had recovered several Towns and had entred into Thracia with good success Rodulph the Pope's Legate drew him back from the Turks to invade the Christians in Bohemia but God protected them against him although he had the aid of the Pope and the Vratislavians and some Cities did accept him yea God defended that Kingdom so that when George died An 1471. and the Pope had stiled Matthias King of Hungary and Bohemia the Estates of Bohemia would not accept him even howbeit he had married the daughter of George before the Wars but hated him for his unnatural usurpation and did chuse Ladislaus the son of Casimire King of Poland And the two sons of Pogiobratz prevailed in Wars against Matthias and the Emperour made them both Dukes This was so offensive unto Matthias that he proclaimed Wars against the Emperour but he was taken away by death Pet. Mexia 27. Stephen Brulifer a Doctor of Sorbone and a Franciscan taught in his lessons and maintained in disputes that neither the Pope nor Councel nor Church can make any Article or Statute to bind the conscience of a Christian that all their authority consists in the urging of obedience unto God's word in preaching it and administring the Sacraments which he hath instituted so that they bring nothing without his command he called justification by merits a Divellish doctrine since the Lamb of God was sacrificed and hath satisfied God's justice for us The Doctours of Sorbone would not suffer him amongst them But he went to Diether Bishop of Mentz which had been deposed for speaking against the avarice of Rome and was restored Fascic rer expet fol. 164. 28. John de Wesalia a Preacher of Worms was delated by the Thomists unto the same Diether he gathered his books and sent them unto the Universities of Colein and Heidleburg to be examined They convened this John before them at Mentz in February An. 1479. After they had viewed his books they found these Articles which they called errours 1. All men are saved freely by the meer grace of Christ through faith 2. We should beleeve the Word of God only and not the glosses of any man 3. God hath from all eternity written in a book all his Elect whosoever is not written there shall never be written in it and whosoever is written in it shall never be blotted out 4. Our Doctours do expound the Scriptures wickedly and falsly 5. Christ never appointed a Fasting nor Festival day neither forbad to eat any meat upon any day 6. When Peter did celebrate the Eucharist he said the Lord's Prayer and the consecration and then did communicate with others but now the Priest must stand an hour and more when he saith Mass 7. They are fools who go in Pilgrimage to Rome for they may find as much good elsewhere 8. The Word of God should be expounded by conferring one Text with another 9. Prelates have no authority to expound Scriptures by any peculiar right given unto one more than to another 10. Mens traditions as Fasts Feasts Pardons set Praiers Pilgrimages and such other things are to be rejected 11. Extream unction confirmation auricular confession and satisfaction are to be contemned They demanded of him several questions as Whether Christ was present bodily in the Sacrament or spiritually He answered Christ's body was there present and the substance of Bread and Wine remain also 2. What he thought of the Procession of the Holy Ghost Ans He beleeved not that he proceeds from the Father and the Son as from one principium because the Scripture speaks not so 3. What he thought of the Vicar of Christ Ans He beleeved not that Christ hath a Vicar for he said Behold I am with you unto the end of the World 4. What he thought of pardons Ans He had written a book wherein he had shewed that the Treasure of the Church cannot be distributed by Popes because it is written Revel 14. Their works follow them After these interrogatories and others of that sort three Doctors were appointed to deal with him privately He said unto them As ye deal with me if Christ were here you would condemn him as an Heretick but he
Christ that one and the same work of Indulgence shall have vertue sometimes for six years sometimes for seven sometimes for seven hundred sometimes for seven thousand and sometimes full and absolute Then answering unto that position The Church is ruled by the Spirit of God he saith It is true in so far as the Church is holy but not in these particulars whereof she is ignorant and in which she erreth as alas we lament that she erreth grievously as appears by the unsavoury salt the delated Husband-man and the unfaithfull Steward whom Bernard expoundeth to be Mercenaries in place of Shepheards yea and Wolves for hirelings and Devils for Wolves In his Book De subditis superioribus he averreth That the Pope may err and when he erreth he should be resisted Pius the II. did usurp all the Kingdoms of the earth and Sixtus the IV. dispensed with all maner of oaths in causes temporal not only that were already made but that shall be made which is nothing else but to give unto men licence to forswear themselves and deceive others Because the Pope and his Cardinals are contrary unto Christ they are the Antichrist John Ostendorp a Canon of St. Levin in Daventry went once to visit him and Wesselus said unto him O diligent youth thou shalt live until that time when the doctrine of these late Divines and contentious School-men shall be forsaken Wesselus died in the year 1490. and Ostendorp lived until the year 1520. Gerhard Gelderhavrius writeth that he heard his Master Ostendorp report this Prophesie Ja. Triglandius in his Church History against â—tenboga par 3. writeth of him that when Pope Sixtus the IV. was chosen Wesselus went to visit him because he had been his good friend in Paris The Pope bade him ask what he would and it should not be denied unto him He answered I wish that since now you are universal Pope you would demean your self in your office according to your name that in due time you may hear that approbation Come thou good and faithful Servant enter into thy Master's joy The Pope said Why seekest thou not somewhat for thy self He said I crave no more but an Hebrew and Greek Bible out of the Vatican The Pope answered That you shall have but fool thou mightest have sought a Bishoprick or some such thing Wesselus answered Because I have not need of so great things When he died some Friers burnt all his books and papers but he had given sundry books unto others which were collected and printed at Wittemberg in the year 1522. When Luther saw them he spake of the Prophet Elias who thought that he was left alone and yet the Lord had preserved seven thousand that had hot bowed the knee to Baal so said he hath God preserved many thousands from the Idolatry of the Pope And he wrote of him as followeth There is one Wesselus come forth whom they call Basilius a Friselander of Groning a man of wonderful understanding and of an excellent spirit who hath been taught of God as Isaiah hath prophesied of Christians for it cannot be thought or said that he hath learned such things from men as neither I have If I had read those books before mine enemies might have said Luther hath taken all this out of Wesselus we do so agree But by these my joy and courage increaseth and I doubt not but I have learned the truth since he and I do agree in so constant unity and almost in the same words although differing in place and time and occasions And I admire by what mishap it is come that so Christian works were not published by another 37. Among the lights of that time Rodulph Agricola may justly be reckoned he was born in Friseland Ph. Melanchthon writing his life saith Josquin Groningensis had reported unto him that when he was young he heard Vesselus and Agricola often lamenting in their Sermons the darkness of the Church the abuses of the Mass the single life of Priests and that they both taught that men are not justified by works but by faith as Paul oft teacheth and they condemned the multitude of traditions He died An. 1489. Buxtorf Ind. 38. Paul Scriptor teaching on Scotus in Tubing when he came to the fourth Book Dist 10. did speak against transubstantiation and said All things should be tried by the Word of God as a true touch-stone all Scholastical teaching shall shortly be abolished and the doctrine of the primitive Church shall be restored according to the holy Scriptures Conradine Pelicanus was his Auditor and testifieth that he heard him reprove many errors and abuses of the Roman Church therefore the Minorites caused him to be banished and as Rud. Gualter in his Epistle before his Homiles on Matthew testifieth he was put to death as many did suspect being not moved with uncertain conjectures He died at Keiserberg in the year 1499. 39. Nicolaus Rus a Batchelor of Divinity preached at Rome and wrote The Pope hath not such power as is commonly believed the Pope should not be heard when he strayeth from the Scripture his Indulgences are but fraud those only are true pardons which God giveth of his free grace in Christ Saints should not be adored and far less their bones they who are called the Spiritualty to wit the Roman Clergy have packed up all Religion in mens traditions and vain superstitions and they are careless of their office and are Ministers of Antichrist These things are written in his Threefold Cord where he expoundeth the Lord's Prayer the Creed and the ten Commandments which he wrote in the Saxon Languauge that the common people might understand he left Rome and abode there and had many Auditors The Pastors of the Waldenses in Bohemia came and visited him At last he was forced to flee into Liveland where he died 40. Jerome Savonorola a Dominican in Florence taught these Articles 1. Men are justified freely by faith 2. The Communion should be administred in both kindes 3. The Pope's Indulgences are frivolous 4. The keys were given unto the Church and not to Peter alone 5. The Pope hath not from Christ any primacy above other Bishops 6. The Pope followeth neither the life nor doctrine of Christ and therefore he is the Antichrist 7. He who feareth the Pope's excommunication is excommunicated of God 8. He preached against the vices of the Clergy Io. Fox in Act. Mon. Philip Cominaeus did confer with him and testifieth that he was a man of most upright life He foretold that God would raise up a King to punish the Tyrants of Italy and that God would shortly reform the Church therefore some did hâ—te him and some believed him namely the Senate of Florence was perswaded by his preaching to give way unto Charls the VIII King of France When the league was made in Italy against the French he foretold that Charls should return in safety of his person maugre all the power of his adversaries Charls returning from Naples sent for
craving in the name of their Masters that a Book written by a Frier John Falkenbergh containing notorious errours and heresies may be examined by the Councel or Commissioners of the Nations or else they protest de injuria and they appeal unto the next General Councel Pope Martin answered saying I will inviolably observe and no way violate whatsoever hath been done Conciliariter in this Councel and these I do ratifie and approve and no otherwise Then Cardinal Antonius proclaimed liberty of departing unto every one and in the name of the Almighty God and of his Apostles Peter and Paul and of Pope Martin the V. he gave unto every one there present a full remission of all their sins once in their lives if that every one within two moneths after the knowledge hereof shall seek the Indulgence in forma c. Here the Cardinal of Ostia said Placet and Augustine de Lance in the name of the Pope said Placet and so it is written but no mention of Sigismund's Placet because the Councel was dismissed against his will 5. According to the Decree at Constance Pope Martin sent his Legates to Papia An. 1424. to open the Councel few Bishops came thither and the Pest beginning the Councel with common consent was removed to Sena more Prelates came there Alfonso King of Arragon intending to purchase the Kingdom of Sicily sought by all means chiefly by giving gold saith Platina to procure the adjournying of the Councel and to restore Pope Benedict the XIII But Pope Martin disappointed him by dissolving the Councel and nothing was done but only the next Councel was appointed to be at Basil An. 1431. 6. The Councel at Basil was began December 14. An. 1431. by the Legate Julian Cardinal of Sancti Angeli by Commission granted first by Pope The Councel at Basil Martin and confirmed by the lately elected Pope Eugenius the IV. as it is written in Sess 1. The Emperour Sigismund was Protector thereof whilest he lived sometimes by his Deputy William Duke of Bavier as appeareth in Sess 7. and sometimes personally as in Sess 14. In Sess 1. they propounded their main purposes 1. The extirpation of Heresie namely of the Bohemians 2. The quenching of the Wars in Christendom 3. Because the Vineyard of Christ is overspread and as it were laid wast with huge numbers of Thistles and Weeds of Vices that these may now be pulled up and the Church Mark this ye who say that the Roman Church hath never erred may flourish again and bring forth the fruit of honesty But the particulars that were treated in it may be reduced to four chief heads to wit concerning the Bohemians the Greeks the authority of General Councels above the Pope and the Reformation of the Church So omitting the order of time and Sessions for the clearer and more compendious method I will shew what was done in those 1. In Sess 4. the Bohemians were summoned to appear and a Safe-conduct was sent unto them Three hundred of them some Civilians and some Ministers came and disputed upon these four Articles 1. All who would be saved should receive the Communion under both kinds 2. All civil government is by the Law of God forbidden unto the Clergy 3. The Preaching of the Word is free unto all men having once received Ordination and free in any place Aen. Sylvius hath not this parenthesis and the Epistle of the Bohemians directed unto all the faithfull in the year 1431. saith Per eos quorum interest 4. Open crimes and scandals should not be suffered no not for avoiding greater evil The Deputies were ordered by their Commission to debate these Articles and no other and they would admit no argument grounded upon any Authority except of the Scripture alone Therefore the Fathers of the Councel charged Cardinal Cusanus to fight them in their own field and he was not ashamed to say The Scriptures belong to the well of the Church and not to the essence or necessity thereof either in the beginning or continuance And The Gospel is known by the Church but not the Church by the Gospel The Bohemians replied Such was not the mind nor voice of the Primitive Church which did administrate the Eucharist and expound the Scriptures otherwise then they do now Cusan answered Let not this move you that at divers times the Rites of the Sacraments be divers or that the Scriptures are applied unto the times or understood diversly so that at one time they are expounded according to the universally current Rite and when the Rite is changed the sence is also changed .... because when the sentence of the Church is changed divine judgement is changed The dispute continued fifty daies in the end the Councel approved the last three Articles in some sence And in Sess 13. they granted that the first was according to Christ's institution but say they the Church hath otherwise ordained and practised for weighty causes Nevertheless they would grant this unto the Bohemians and Moravians not as the bill of divorcement was granted unto the Jews but as lawfull by the authority of Christ Jesus and of his true Spouse the Church and as healthfull and profitable unto them who receive worthily Io. Cochlaeus and Garranza have omitted this dispute and conclusion but they are written by Aen. Sylvius and his Epitomizer Orth. Gratius in Fascic rer expetend fol. 96. Then Anno 1438. the Bohemians did supplicate that by allowance of the Councel they might have the Divine Service namely the Gospel and the Epistles and the Creed read unto the people in the vulgar language as it had been in that Kingdom by long custom and permission of the Church And that the Fathers there present would be carefull of the Reformation of the Church both in head and members as it is most necessary for Christian Religion and hath been of a long time wished by all godly souls and as they themselves had propounded from the beginning Orth. Gratius saith Many things were advised and conceived but had many obstructions the enemy of mankind procuring so Nevertheless the Bohemians failed not in their hopes neither would they fail in their indeavours 2. The second head was concerning the Greeks in hearing their Embassadours whose golden Bull was dated in the year of the World 6944. indict 14. An. Ch. D. N. 1435. November 26. and sending Legates unto Constantinople they gave a Safe-conduct and for the place of their meeting the Greeks propounded that if the Latines would go unto Constantinople the Clergy of the East would assemble upon their own charges but if the Latines will have the Greeks coming into the West their coming should be upon the expences of the Latines and the place of their assembly should be Basil or Avenion or Sabaudia at the option of the Greeks When they had agreed on these particulars in Sess 24. and 25. with consent of Pope Eugenius afterwards he drew the Greeks from the Councel as follows 3. The
free-will for if one Church will not follow willingly the example of another in these circumstantiall things why is a Councel needfull to compell men by decrees which may turne to lawes snares of mens consciences Therefore let one follow another freely or use their own fashion so that the Spirit be mantained in the faith and word howbeit there be a variety in other externall things Schultet Annal. ad Ann. 1524. ex Luth. tom 2. epist XXIII In the year 1526. Solyman the Turk entereth into Hungary 1526. there the King Lewes could have no help from Christians yet the bb stirre him to a batell and as he had sold himself to be a slave unto them in killing The authority of thâ— Pope is denied in Spain the professours of Reformation he was killed Jo. Sleidan The same year the Emp. being provoked by that league made by Pope Clemens dischargeth the authority of the Pope through all Spain leaving an example unto posterity that Church-disciplin may be maintained without Papall authority But as good seed being sown out of season so good works without good motives and principles have no continuance In Juny was a Diet at A Diet in Spira Spira Letters were brought from the Emperour dated at Spala March 23. the sum was For so much as he intends to go shortly unto Rome to be crowned and to talk with the Highpriest concerning a generall Councell and no good can be done in the matter of religion in these assemblies therefore they should observe the Decree at Worms and take his absence in good part hoping there shall be a generall Councell shortly The Princes and towns professing the Reformation said They were desirous in all things to please the Emperour but if he were rightly informed of the condition of Germany and how the controversy of Religion increaseth dayly he would not urge the Decree of Worms As for a Generall Councell there is no appearance of it seeing there was friendship twixt him and the Pope when the Letter was written as appeares by the Date but now it is otherwise seing the Pope hath levied an Army against him Wherefore they think best to send Oratours unto the Emperour to informe him more fully and how dangerous it is to delay the business of religion and no less perillous to execute the Decree of Worms and to entreat him to call a Councell in Germany and come unto it or at least to permit it as it was determined at Noribergh but was contromanded by the Emperour to the harme of Germany Or if he will not allow a Nationall Councell of Germany to entreat him to delay the execution of the Decree untill the Generall Councell for otherwise the malady will waxe worse And to represent that so long as every man is solicitous of his own estate in time of this variance it will be difficill to collect any money for any other use Then another supplication was presented unto the Diet complaining of the multitude idleness and opposition of begging Friers of the multitude abuses of holy Dayes and petitioning to leave unto every man the choise of his meats untill the generall Councell At this time the Duke of Saxon and the Landgrave of Hass enter into conference with the Commissioners of Strawsburgh that seeing they know not what the bb and their adherents do intend all of tkem shall concurr unto mutuall aid if any of them shall be in danger for Religion But the bb would not proceed here in matters of Religion and crave to delay these because of the present variance betwixt the Pope and Caesar Great strife ariseth among them Wherfore the Duke of Saxon and the Landgrave say they will stay no longer Ferdinand and the Bishop of Trevers considering how dangerous it were if nothing be done and all depart with grudge and malice do propound for appeasing such heart burnings that it is necessary to resolve upon a lawfull Councell either Generall or Nationall within a year at farrest and to entreat the Emperour to repaire shortly into Germany in consideration of their present condition As concerning the Decree at Worms they are content that all shall demean themselves in their Provinces untill a Councell so as they will be answerable unto God and Caesar And it was decreed so After this Diet certain Princes consult at Esling to write speedily unto the Emperour and shew that they had decreed to send Oratours unto him but the King of France will not grant them passage except for foure months whereof one was past therefore they have determined to defer their Oratours untill their next assembly which they have appointed to be at Regensburgh the first day of Aprile next to treat of the Turkish warr trusting that by time they shall have better occasion to send or they shall give him intelligence another way and entreating him to repaire into Germany as shortly c. Slcidan lib. 6. XXIV In the beginning of the year 1527. Otto Paccius Counseller of George Duke of Saxony informeth the Duke Elector and the Landgrave that Ferdinand then King of Bohem and Hungary and the Bishop of Mentz had made a league with others also to destroy them and Luther's religion Wherefore these prepare themselves for defense troubles were like to ensue but when these which were said to have made that league did purge themselves the fear was appeased Paccius was banished but the Diet at Regensburgh was discharged Ibid. Leonard Cesar a preacher was burnt at the command of the Bishop of Passaw in Bavier for holding these articles Faith only justifieth there be but two sacraments baptisme the Lords Supper the Masse is not a sacrifice nor is profitable unto the living nor dead confession of all sins is not commanded only Christ hath satisfied for sin a vow of chastity bindeth not the Scripture speakes not of purgatory there is no difference of dayes in Divine things is no free-will He would have declared himself in these articles when he was brought before the court but they would not suffer him Eccius was his accuser and spoke always in Latine but Leonard spoke in the common language he would have all the company to understand him Osiand centu 16. Lib 2. c. 5. This yeare was the first visitation of the Churches A publick dispute at Berna in Saxony On the 17. day of December the Senate of Berne make publick intimation of a Dispute in the controversies of Religion to begin January 7. they envite the bb of Constance Bafile Sedun and Lausan to come and bring their Divines or els they tell them they will confiscate all their goods within their territory they shew that only the books of the old and New Testament shall be the rule of the Dispute and they engadge themselves for safety unto all who shall come Two Ministers are named to sustain these articles The true Church whose head is Christ only ls begotten by the word of God continueth in it and heares not the
respect of the vast charges of the Papal Chamber upon the Legats the poor Italian Bishops and other extraordinaries it were expedient to calculat the time of beginning and proceeding and that no hour be spentidly As also it is necessary that before hand his Ma. were assured of the Germans both Catholiks and Protestants and bind themselves unto the Decrees especially what things are already established should not be called into question As he had condescended to further the affairs of his Ma. by holding the Synod in that place so he craves that his sincerity be not abused unto a burdening of himself and hopeth if any shall attempt against him by caviliations or calumnies his Ma. will not marvel if he use the remedies that shall occur for defense of the authority which he hath received immediatly from God The Emperour returns answer extolling his wisdom both in remitting the Synod and in his considerations As for himself and Germany in a Decree at Ausburgh a yeare ago they all even Protestants had submitted themselves as the Copy which he sent shewes but of the particulars that are determined it will be expedient to speak of them when parties are brought together And he promiseth to be a Protector of his Holiness and of his life if occasion require About that time the Emperour propounded in another Diet at Ausburgh that now the Synod was to be opened at Trent It pleased the Popish but the Reformed submitted themselves conditionally 1. that the Pope should not preside but himself be subiect unto the Synod 2. the things that were acted against them should be rëexamined 3. The Divines of the Augustan Confession should have decisive voices Now the Emperour gives unto the Pope account of the absolute submission of the one party and of the conditions required by the other and he demandeth a copy of the Bull of convocation before it be published to the end he may make a Decree concerning it in the Diet and cause it be received by them all Those things did not please the Court of Rome and a Bull was sent conform to the late one for the Pope said If the Germans will refuse he is delivered from his fears of the Synod as also from the scandal for the want of it or if they accept it they shall not be able to practize any thing against him All both Papists and Protestants spoke against the Pop's pride appearing in that Bull but the Emperour calmed their animosities by fair promises He sent unto the Pope for more smooth words in the Bull but all in vain The opening of the Synod was appointed to be May. 1. An. 1551. In the beginning of the year the Pope consulteth how to have trusty Presidents and to save great charges many Legats must have much moneys and he dareth not trust one alone wherefore he sent Marcellus Crescentius Car. de S. Marcello Legat and two Nuntij Sebastianus Pighinus arch Bishop of Siponto and Aloiâ—us Lipomanus Bishop of Verona all of equal authority and as large as the Letters of his predecessor did bear he commanded them to open the Synod at the day appointed even though there were no other Prelats present VIII Very few Prelats came nevertheles a Session was held and a The Councel is opened Decree was published to wit The Synod is open and the next Session shall be September 1. At that day another Decree was made The third Session shall be October 2. In this second Session Letters were presented from Henry King of France the Inscription was offensive because he called A protestation of France against it them not a Synod but a Convent they refuse to open the Letter as not directed unto them Then said the Bishop of Mentz If yee will not receive Letters from the King of France calling you a holy Convent how will yee he arken unto the Protestants calling you a malignant Convent Then the Legate said The word may be taken in good part and otherwise wee protest that it shall not be prejudiciall The Contens of the Letter was to shew the equity on his part of the present warrs against the Emperour and Pope in protecting Octavius Farnes Duke of Parma he was devote unto the Apostolical See albeit he be compelled to take Arms agaigst Pope Julius he had sent unto Rome and there had protested that if the Pope do judge the protection of Parma which he had so lawfully undertaken even by the Pop's permission to be a just cause of stirring up all Europ into warr he was sory but it can not be imputed unto him who is most willing to accept the Decrees if due order be observed in making them If the Pope will continue in warring he can not send his Prelats unto Trent where they have not secure access nor can France be tied unto their Decrees but he will use the remedies of his Ancestors by National Councels When the Letters were read the Orator makes protestation to the same purpose The Speaker of the Synod after some private conference with the Legate said The Kings modesty is acceptable but they can not accept the person of the French Abbot who had made the protestation and according to Law they summon him apud acta to be present October 2 to receive answer and they forbid to make any note of these actions There was variety of opinions concerning this protestation The Imperialists said It is null because an Act of the greater part of any Vniversality is esteemed lawfull when the lesser being called will not be present and the French Bishops might have come without passing thorow any of the Pop's territories Others said To cal in word and exclude indeed is not to envite and albeit one may come from France to Trent not passing thorow the Pop's territoâ—ies yet he must come through the Emperours Laâ—â—s which is all one in respect of the time The Major part hath full authority when the lesser part can not or will not appear and is silent because silence presupposeth consent but when it protests it hath it's place especially if the hinderance be from him who calleth The French Orator said This can not be a lawfull Synod because the Presidents confer privatly with the Emperours Embassador nor communicat with any other and yet the Speaker saith The holy Synod receives the Letters and when the Letters were read the answer of the Presidents only was given in name of the Synod They can not say these are matters of smal importance seing it is a matter of dividing the Church But truly those and other delaying answers were devised untill they were informed from Rome In the mean while the French King was the more bitter against the Reformed lest he be suspected of Lutheranism The Prelats at trent held congregations now and treated of the Eâ—charist but after another manner A new methode of debating than they had done before because the Prelats understood not the subtilities of the Divines the Presidents gave
ordinary Offices warranted by the Scripture to wit Pastors Doctors Elders and deacons and the name of a Bishop should not be taken as it hath been in Papistry but is common to all Pastors or Ministers 3. It is lawfull and necessary at this time that Uisitation and the form thereof continue and other circumstances to be considered here after c. In Sess 7. some were appointed to confer with the Kings Commissioners upon the circumstances And in the same Sess the Kings Commissioners crave the resolution of the wholl Assembly Whither they will accept Bishops as they were circumscribed in the abovenamed Conference or if they will refuse Answer is delayd untill the next day that all the Conference be publickly read and immediatly it is voted and concluded that a Bishop is a speciall charge and function annexed to it by the word of God even the same that an ordinary pastor is In Sess 9. after reasoning it was concluded It is lawfull to the Gen. Assembly to admit a Pastor Bishop or Minister having a Benefice and presented by the King unto it Also that Visitation may be in the person of a Pastor and that the Gen. Assembly may send a man with such as the Presbytery shall adioyn unto him in Visitation In Sess 10. after conference had as said is the wholl Assembly declares that by the name of a Bishop they meane only such a Bishop as is described by Paul and in this sense they agree with the third Article of that Conference 4. It is agreed on the fourth article that a Bishop may be appointed by the Gen. assembly to visite certain bounds that shall be designed unto him and in Visitation he shall proceed by the advice of the Synodall assembly or such as they shall adjoyn unto him 5. In receiving of presentations and giving Collation to Benefices he shall proceed by the advice and vote of the Presbytery where the Benefice lyeth at least of the most part of the Presbytery and of the Assessors that shal be adjoined unto him Untill the time the Presbyteries be better established and the gener Church take further order And those assessors at the first time shall be named by the G. Ass 6. In Sess 11. He shall be subject in respect he is a Pastor as other Pastors are to be tryed in his life and doctrine by the Presbytery or the Synodall Assembly and because he hath commission from the G. Assembly in that respect he is to be tryed by them 7. If he admit or deprive without the consent of the most part of the Presbytery the deed shall be null and the doing thereof shall be a sufficient cause of deprivation of him 8. His power is to be ordinis causa nonjurisdictionis 9. Where they that shall be so called Bishops may not undertake the wholl bounds that of old was called a Diocy Commissioners shall be presented by his Ma. unto the Gen. assembly and admitted by them thereunto as the saids Bishops are to theirs and to be countable only unto the said assembly for their commission And the Bishop to have no power within their bounds more than they have within his boundes 10. The Commissioners being elected as said is have a like counsell and power in the execution of their office as the Bishops have 11. The Commissioners appointed to visit presbyteries or their particular Churches as the the presbyteties or Synods shall think good shall not prejudge the Presbyterie's peculiar Visitation 12. The same causes of life and doctrin shall deprive a Bishop or Commissioner that deprives a Minister The 13. article is agreed The Commissioners from his Majesty do protest that in respect the assembly hath cast down what was required in the Conference at Halirudhouse nothing done either in that Conference or in this assembly have any force or effect and namely that they have subjected the Bishops unto the tryall and censure of the Presbyteries Synods Because of this protestation the assembly immediatly directes Ja. Martine Ro. pont and Pa. Galloway to inform his Ma. concerning this matter In Sess 12. these brethren report that his Majesty will not agree that Bishops and Commissioners shall be otherways tryed than by the Generall Assembly The assembly jâ—dgeth it expedient in respect of the time that albeit it be reasonable that the tryall and censure of all Pastors should be in the Presbyteries where they remain nevertheless that the tryall and censure of such Pastors as the Generall Assembly shall give commission unto to Visite shall be in the hands of the said Assembly or such as they shall depute Untill farther order be taken by the Gen. assembly Unto this ordinance the Kings Commissioners do consent and so passe from their former protestation 14. Vhe Commissioners that before have received commission of Visitation shall continue in that charge for a year to come and thereafter as the Assembly shall judge expedient 15. In Sess 1â— The Generall assembly gives full power commission unto certain brethren of every Province to summon before them respectivè at such day and place as they shall think expedient the Bishops and commissioners if they find occasion of slander to arise by them in doctrin life or conversation at any time before the next Generall assembly and to try and take probation thereof lead and deduce process against them unto the Sentence Exclusivè Remitting the finall judgement therein unto the Gen. assembly 16. It is agreed that where Bishops Commissioners make their residence they shall be Moderators in these presbyteries except Fife where by his Mas advice Robert Wilkie is continued Moderator of the presbytery of Santandrews untill the next Synod-VI In Sess 7. The Lord Maxwell compeares and declares that at his Ma s command he now appeares before the Assembly as he had given caution before the Counsell that he should compear before them this day and in respect of his obedience he protestes that his cautioner should be free he takes instrument upon his appearance and protestation The Assembly know not the cause of his compearance nor had any information from his Majesty therefore they order him to be present the next day after noon and they aske the kings Commissioners what the cause is The kings Commissioners do protest that Maxwel's Cautioner should not be free untill they return his Majest mind unto the Assembly In Sess 8. Compeares the Earle of Morton the Lord Maxwell and some others Maxwell was accused for hearing Masse The Act of the Privy Counsell was read for information of the Assembly Maxwell answered For his transgression he had answered the kings Law and he craves conference of learned men concerning the religion Certain Sentence against P. Adamson not examined yet annulled and why brethren were appointed to inform him VII In Sess 13. Concerning an appellation made by Pa. Adamson from the process and Sentence of excommunication pronouncâ—d against him by the Synod of Fife Pa. Galloway and John Duncanson had been