no satisfaction for Pennance onely they shew themselves to the Priests who anoint them with oyl in token of the remission of their sins 15. Onely on Maundy Thursday they do consecrate for the sick and keep it the whole year after and think it more holy that day then any other neither do they fast on any Saturday save onely on Easter-even 16. They have but five Orders as Clerks Deacons Sub-Deacons Priests and Bishops whereas the Romish Church hath nine Orders according to the nine Orders of Angels 17. In their Orders they make no vow of single life alledging the Canon J. N. Priest or Deacon shall not put away my wife as it were for honesties sake 18. Every year on certain days they excommunicate the Church of Rome and all the Latins as Heretiques 19. They excommunicate him who striketh a Priest 20. Their Emperor doth name Patriarchs Bishops and others of the Clergy and deposeth them at his pleasure also he giveth Benefices to whom he listeth and retaineth the Fruits of the same Benefices as it pleaseth him 21. They blame the Latins because they eat not flesh eggs nor cheese on Friday 22. They hold against the Latins for celebrating without consecrated Churches and fasting on the Sabbath days and for permitting menstruous women to enter into Churches before their purifying also for suffering dogs or other beasts to enter into Churches 23. They use not to kneel at their devotion yea not to the body of Christ but one day in the year affirming that the Latins like goats or beasts prostrate themselves on the ground in their prayers 24. They permit not the Latins to celebrate on their Altars and if it chance a Latin Priest celebrate on their Altar by and by they wash it in token of abomination and false sacrifice 25. They condemn the worship of Images as idolatry These are the Articles contained in the said Register But there are many more in the Book of Catholique Traditions published in the French tongue by Th. A. I. C. and translated into English and printed at London ann 1610. out of which I have drawn these Articles 1. All the Apostles were equally universal Pastors and no primacy given to Peter who was never at Rome but when he was martyred 2. To say that the Church is grounded on the stone of Rome is hard and grievous and not far from the Jewish baseness to include the Church within a Town 3. St. John ending his life after Peter had the first place among all Evangelists and Bishops and he never taught that Rome by divine right ought to be the Lady of other Churches 4. But after St. John the Bishop of Rome obtained the first place among the Bishops within the Roman Empire for seeing the Citizens of Rome reigned above other Cities he had been proud and audacious who would have preferred himself before their Bishop especially without Ordinance of a Council 5. The Churches of Italy and others their neighbors by lapse of time gave to the Church of Rome not onely the first place but also superintendence over the Bishops near them in particular to give his advice in matters that happened until a Synod might be held yet never any presidency or power was given to the Church of Rome above other Churches 6. As all the Apostles were equal in Authority so they left behinde them every one diverse Successors of equal Authority 7. He who accuseth the Scriptures accuseth God the Author thereof but God is void of blame and the Scriptures contain the whole matter of faith 8. Those onely are Canonical Books which were contained in the Ark and written in Hebrew before or in Greek after the coming of the Lord. 9. They hold they were the first Nations converted unto Christ and in that regard they are the men who truly and purely maintain the Traditions of the Primitive Church as it was taught them by the Apostles 10. Faith is an assurance of the love of God and he who doubteth cannot approach unto God with confidence 11. The saying of Paul It is not in him who runneth nor in him who willeth prevents two mischiefs One that no man exalt himself for grant that thou runnest or endeavorest yet think not what thou doest well is thine for if thou be not inspired from above all is vain Another that no man deem that he shall be crowned without service 12. Faith is imputed to justification faith sufficeth for all faith absolveth justifieth and maketh partaker of eternal glory for God requireth no other thing but compunction and mourning 13. When we praise good Works we mean not to exalt our selves by them or to put our trust in them but we desire men would give themselves thereunto as to things necessary unto salvation and which every one is bound to exercise according to his power following the commandment of God 14 They communicate under Both elements and they have one fashion for the Communicants in the Church and another for the Sick the Priests with little or no reverence eat the remanent elements which are not eaten by the faithful but for the sick it is kept all the year being consecrate the week before Easter 15. They celebrate the Liturgy in their own Language that the people may understand 16. The Bishop of Rome cannot by his Indulgences deliver any from these temporal punishments which God inflicteth neither ought he to dispense with the fulfilling of all these works of repentance which are possible c. The most part of these last differences are fallen twixt the east and western Churches since the 11. Century and in them all we finde that the differences are either calumnies articulated by the Church of Rome or matters of Discipline or Ceremony or then our Reformed Church agreeth with them 8. The Bishop of Millan had the next place in Italy unto the Bishop of How Millan became subject unto Rome Rome he had eighteen Suffragan Bishops under him twenty two Ordinary Cardinals and divers other Offices of mark he was always named by the King of Lombardie neither he nor any of his Clergy trotted at any time to Rome This was a great moat in the Priests eyes and therefore the Popes ofttimes sought to bring Millan into subjection unto their See but the Millanoyes still kept their liberty At last ann 1059. Ariald Clericus Decumanus conspired with Landulfus Cotta praefatus populi against the Arch-Bishop Wido and made a pretext that married Priests ought to be exautorate Wido assembled all his Bishops and Clergy at Fontanetum with common consent it was denied that Priests should have liberty of marriage Then was great strife in the Town the Nobility defended Wido and the People were for Landulf who sent Ariald to Pope Nicolaus II. accusing the Clergy of Millan and requiring him to send some Judges to try the matter He was glad of the occasion and sent Peter Damian Bishop of Ostia and Anselm Bishop of Luca. So soon as Damian began to talk
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
made known unto God And lib. 8. Ep. 36. They who come after us will see worse times so that in comparison of their times they will judge that we have had happy daies Yea Gregory not only foresaw Gregory deviseth new Rites yet tieth not others unto them this defection but he was not the least agent in multiplying new Rites he did frame a new order of Divine Service or as they call it a new Mass where it is clear that the former manner did not please him And li. 7. indict 2. Ep. 63. he shews that some of his friends both Greeks and Latines did grumble against it and in the end of that Epistle it is remarkable that he saith Nevertheless if that of Constantinople or any other Church hath any good I am ready to follow in goodness even my inferiours to whom I forbid unlawfull things for he is a fool who thinks himself chief and that he will not learn the good things that he seeth And when Augustine whom he sent into Britain did ask him seeing the faith is one why are the customes of the Churches diverse And why is one sort of Mass in Rome and another in France Gregory answers Thy Brother-hood knows the custom of the Roman Church in which you have been nourished but it pleaseth me that whether in the Church of Rome or of France or in any other thou hast seen any thing that may more please the Almighty God that thou diligently follow it and in that Church of the English which in respect of the Faith is new they ordain the best things that thou hast seen in many Churches for things are not to be loved for the places but the places must be loved for the good things therefore chuse thou out of every Church what things are godly pious and right and these being gathered into a bundle put thou into the minds of the English for customes Interrog August resp 3. Whence it is clear that although Gregory was the Authour of the Mass yet he did not bind all men to follow it nor any other Ceremonies In his answer to Augustin's sixth question he saith The holy Law forbids to uncover the filthiness Degrees of kindred of kindred therefore it is necessary now that the third and fourth degree may lawfully marry but should altogether abstain from the second Here he wresteth Scripture and restraineth the degrees which God permits Then Augustine asketh in his 7. question Whether those who are so unlawfully married shall be commanded to divorce and shall be denied of the Communion Gregory answereth Because many in that nation while they were infidels were mixed in that unlawfull marriage when they come into the faith they are to be admonished to abstain and let them know that it is an heinous sin let them tremble at the fearfull judgement of God lest for their carnal pleasure they suffer everlasting torments and yet they are not to be deprived of the Communion of the Holy Body and Bloud of the Lord lest we seem to revenge on them the things whereunto they had bound themselves in their ignorance before the Laurel of Baptism for at this time the holy Church correcteth some things in zeal suffereth some things in meekness dissembleth some things in prudence that oft by tollerance and connivance she may amend the ill which she hateth But all they who imbrace the faith are to be admonished that they do not such a thing and if they shall then do it they are to be deprived of the Communion of the body and bloud of the Lord. Here is a good advice in this but still he aimeth at his own conceit He deviseth a superstitious manner of consecrating Churches which the posteritie have changed he did foster the fond conceits of men by too credulous believing the false miracles of his time saith M. Canus in Theol. In Vita Gregor loc lib. 11. cap. 6. He praied for delivering the soul of Trajan out of Hell Pope Siricius who lived an 387. was the first who contradicted marriage of Priests and Deacons Gratian. dist 82. and forbad their societie with their wives whom they had married And Pope Pelagius did ordain that Deacons who had wives should either put them away or leave their Benefice Ibid. but then Pope Gregory judgeth it contrarie unto the Gospel to put away a wife unless it be for fornication and he ordained that no sub-Deacon should be admitted unless he promise chastitie and he thought by this means to bring single life upon the Clergie seeing they must be Deacons ere they be Priests Pol. Verg. de invent rer lib. 5. cap. 4. Nevertheless afterwards when he finds that Priests lived not continentlie and thereby many children were murthered as he saw 6000. heads of children taken out of a pond see hereafter in the 9. Centurie in the Epistle of Huldricus Bishop of Augusta he annulleth his own Act and saith It is better to marry then to burn and murther he was credulous of Purgatorie of which it follows For these and other conceits Gregory is called worse then any of his Predecessours but for his soundness in other articles and for his vertues worthy of praise he is commended above all his Successours for he taught far otherwise then the Church of Rome doth now In lib. 4. Ep. 40. he perswadeth Leander a Physician to diligent The faith of Gregory for matter of doctrine reading of the Scriptures and that upon such reasons that concern all men saying The Scripture is an Epistle sent from God to his creatures if thou receivest a Letter from an earthly King thou wilt not rest nor sleep till thou understandest it but the King of Heaven and God of Men and Angels hath sent his Letters unto thee for the good of thy soul and yet thou neglectest the reading of them I pray thee therefore study them and meditate daily on the words of thy Creatour And in the preface on Job unto Bishop Leander cap. 4. In the Scripture is milk for babes and meat for the stronger There is a river plain and deep wherein lambs may wade and Elephants may swim He hath the same again in Ezek. lib. 1. hom 9. in the end of this he saith whatsoever serves for edification and instruction is contained in the holy Scriptures In Iob lib. 19. cap. 17. The books of Maccabees are not Canonical Scripture and he permits an excuse of citing a testimony out of them to wit he doth not inordinately herein because they are written for edification albeit they be not Canonical Again lib. 5. cap. 7. he saith Our righteousness is found to be unrighteous when it is narrowly examined and it stinketh in the censure of the Judge which glistereth in the esteem of the worker And lib. 18. cap. 25. some rejoice in their own power and they do glory that they are redeemed by their preceding merits whose assertion certainly is contrary to it self for while they say They are innocent and redeemed
words but they have done it wickedly as will appear hereafter 29. Gratian an Hetrurian and Monk of Bononia did out of the Canons The Canon Law of ancient Synods and decrees of Popes and sentences of Fathers and some forged writings of late Monks compile and amass the volume of the Canon Law which they call Decreta and Causae These were afterwards augmented by the Popes adding the Decretals and Extravagants and they are commented by the School-men Gratian took this work in hand in imitation of Lotharius the Emperor who had caused the Civil Laws to be digested into a method and he gathered these books so that by addition substraction or changing of a word or letter one or more he made all to serve the present times For example whereas Augustin de Doctr. Christ l. 2. c. 8. saith In Canonicis Scripturis Ecclesiarum Catholicarum quamplurium authoritatem sequatur inter quas sane illae sunt quas Apostolicae sedes habere epistolas accipere meruerunt Gratian Dist 19. c. In Canonicis hath them thus Inter quas Scriptur as Canonitas sane illae sunt quas Apostolica sedes ab ea aliae accipere meruerunt epistolas 2. In the sixth Councel at Carthage the Can. 165. saith Ad transmarina qui putaverit appellandum à nullo intra Africam in communione recipiatur This Canon speaketh absolutely and was made especially against appeals unto Rome But Gratian repeating it Caus 2. qu. 6. c. Placuit addeth Nisi forte Romanam sedem appellaverit 3. Pope Gregory lib. 9. epist 41. saith Scripsit mihi tua dilectio piissimum dominum nostrum speaking of the Emperor reverendissimo fratri meo Iohanni primae Iustinianae Episcopo pro agritudine capitis quam patitur praecipere succedi But Gratian Caus 7. qu. 1. c. Scripsit repeateth it thus Scripsit tua dilectio me reverendissimo fratri Iohanni pi Iust epis praecipere succedi 4. That common saying Petri successionem non habent qui Petri fidem non habent Gratian considering that hereby the succession of Peter might be called into question De poenit dist 1. c. potest saith Qui Petri sedem non habent Hear what a Papist judgeth of these Decrees Corn. Agrippa sometime Doctor utriusque Iuris in his Book De vanitat scient cap. 92. saith From the Civil Law hath flowed the Canon Law which may seem unto many to be very holy it doth so cover the precepts of covetousness and forms of robbing with the shew of godliness albeit very few things in it belong unto godliness religion or the worship of God besides that some things are contrary and fight against the word of God and all the rest are nothing but chidings pleas prides pomps gain or lucre and the pleasures of Popes which are not content with the Canons prescribed by the Fathers unless they do heap up Decrees Extravagants that there is no end of making Canons such is the ambition meer pleasure of Popes The School of Paris did openly detest and reprove this erroneous intolerable temerity I will not say heresie Out of these Canons and Decrees we have learned that the patrimony of Christ is Kingdoms donations foundations riches and possessions and that the Priesthood of Christ and primacy of the Church is Empire and Kingdom and that the sword of Christ is temporal jurisdiction and power and that the rock which is the foundation of the Church is the person of the Pope and that Bishops are not servants or Ministers of the Church but heads thereof and the goods of the Church are not the doctrine of the Gospel zeal of faith contempt of the world but tributes tithes offerings collects purples mitres gold silver jewels lands beasts authority it belongeth unto the Popes to manage battels break covenants loose oaths absolve from obedience and to make the house of prayer become a den of thieves so that a Pope may depose a Bishop without a cause he may dispose of other mens goods he cannot commit simony he may dispense against a vow against an oath and the law of nature nor may any man say unto him What doest thou yea and they say that for a weighty cause he may dispense against all the new Testament he may thrust down to hell a third part or more of Christian souls Agrippa in that place hath more of the matter and scope of the Canon Law and for instance I will name Dist 40. c. Si Papa If the Pope be found to neglect either his own salvation or his brethrens be unprofitable and slack in his office silent in that which is good hurtful to himself and all others yea though he lead with him innumerable people in troops to the first slave of hell yet let no mortal presume to finde fault with his doings And nevertheless in these Decrees we may finde not a few stops of Antiquity and some part of the doctrine and practise of the primitive Church even then remaining as I have touched in some places and more may be added as Dist 39. cap. 8. If as the Apostle saith Christ be the power of God and the wisdom of God and he which knoweth not the Scriptures knoweth not the wisdom and power of God then the ignorance of the Scriptures is the ignorance of Christ Dist 9. c. he saith from Augustine I have learned to give such fear and honor unto these books of the Scripture onely which now are called Canonical that I believe certainly none of their Authors could err in writing and if I finde any thing in them that seemeth contrary unto truth I doubt not but there is an escape in the Book or the Translator hath not attained the right meaning or that I do not understand it but I do read other books so that whatsoever was their holiness or learning yet I think it not true because they have thought so but because they could perswade me by other Authors or by the Canonical Scriptures or by probable reasons And Dist 8. cap. Si consuetudinem If you do object custom it is to be observed that the Lord saith I am the way the truth and life he saith not I am custom but I am truth and truly to use the words of blessed Cyprian whatsoever be the custom how old soever or common it be it must not in any respect be preferred unto truth and use which is contrary unto truth must be abolished Dist 16. c. Canones These that are called the Canons of the Apostles are known to be forged in the name of the Apostles by Hereticks although some good things be in them yet it is certain that they are not from Canonical or Apostolical Authority And c. Clementis All the Fathers do reckon the book of Clemens that is the travels of Peter and the Canons of the Apostles among the Apocrypha Dist 36. c. Si quis These be the two works of the high Priest to learn from God by reading the Scriptures and by frequent meditation
of Corp. Christi Jo. Naucler He multiplied the number of canonized Saints adding Edmund an English Minorite and Vincentius a Spanish Minorite c. When the before named Bessarion heard of this enrolling he said These new Saints make me doubt of the old He ordained a general Letany and procession the first Sunday of every moneth and that every one observing it shall have indulgence for seven years He added unto the Mass a prayer for victory against the Infidels which whosoever shall say shall have three years indulgence If he had minded sincerely to aid the Christians he had a fair occasion for at the same time John Hunniades or Vaivoda overcame Mahumet at Alba saith Naucler or as others write Belgrad and was not able to pursue his victory his Army was so sore weakened Antonin par 3. tit 22. cap. 14. Shortly thereafter the valiant Hunniades died at Zemplen An. 1456. But Callistus was more desirous to have his Son or Nephew Lignius Borgias to attain the Crown of Sicilies for Alfonso King of Arragon died and his base Son Ferdinand succeeded in all his Kingdoms but the Pope proclaimed the Kingdom of Sicilies to be vacant and fallen again unto St. Peter and so the Pope may dispose of it at his pleasure he commanded Ferdinand under pain of his curse that he call not himself King of Sicilies but if any can pretend any right unto it it should be examined at Rome and he dissolved all oath of obedience unto Ferdinand Anton. ibid. cap. 16. They were levying on both sides and in the mean time Callistus died when he had sate three years 9. PIUS the II. was before Aeneas Sylvius with the change of his name he changed his manners He had been Scribe at the Councel of Basil and was one of the twelve Censores Concilii when any thing was done by Deputies of Nations Aeneas was one for Italy when Eugenius was deposed and Felix was chosen Aeneas was sent by the Councel unto the Emperour to declare the equity of the election and the Emperour admiring the dexterity of his wit chose him to be his Secretary In his first book Degestis Conc. Basil he hath a large discourse proving that the Pope is subject unto the Councel there he saith The Church is the Spouse of Christ and the Pope is but his Vicar now saith he the Spouse is above a Vicar neither will will any man subject his Wife unto his Vicar There he proves that these passages of Scripture Thou shalt be called Cephas and I will give thee the keys and I have praied for thee and feed my sheep give no priviledge unto Peter but are wrested by flatterers contrary to the mind of Christ and exposition of the Fathers There also he saith Christ is the head of the Church and the Pope is not the head unless one will say that he is the Ministerial head or Vicar of the Head for edification and not the harm of the Church and therefore as an offending member may be cut off so the Pope may be deposed And that a Councel may be assembled without the consent of the Pope he proves both by reason and practice But when Aeneas was made Pope he sent abroad a Bull with the Title of Retractations revoking what he had written against other Popes and praising them In another beginning Execrabilis and dated in the second year of his Papacy he condemneth all appellations unto a future Councel as execrable and pestiferous and he condemns all Universities and favourers of such appellations In another that beginneth In minoribus agentes and directed unto the University of Colen An. 1463. he professeth repentance for writing the Dialogue and other books for authority of a Councel and saith He had persecuted the Church ignorantly as Paul did and he would prove the authority of a Pope above a Councel from the same passages of Scripture which he had brought to the contrary In the end he saith he doth reverence the Councel of Constance and yet that Councel had decreed that a Councel is above the Pope And so Pius verifieth what Pope Gregory on Iob lib. 11. cap. 10. saith A Doctor neglecting to practice what he hath taught and will not do the good that he hath averred beginneth to teach the lewd things that he loveth and in the just judgment of God now he shall not have for good who refuseth a good conversation because when the heart is inflamed with the love of earthly things it speaks alwaies of earthly things as truth saith in the Gospel Out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh This Pope absolved Ferdinand King of Arragon from the curse of Pope Callistus yet so that he gave his wifes sister in marriage unto the Pope's Nephew and also gave him the Dutchy of Maldeburg and Celan Platina saith This Pope's sister had four sons and the King made the two youngest both Knights and unto one of them he gave his daughter with the Dutchy of Amalphis Pius was an enemy to Lewis the II. King of France because he confirmed the Pragmatica Sanctio and he caused him to annul it He menaced Borsius Duke of Mutina because he favoured the affairs of France He pursued with most grievous censures Sigismund Duke of Austria because he had imprisoned Card. Nicol. Cusanus unto whom the Pope had given a Bishoprick in Tirolis without the Duke's consent He deprived Diether Bishop of Mentz because he would not consent that the Pope should exact the Annats in Germany nor give his Oath that he would never sollicite for a Councel and Pius gave that See unto Adolph of Nassow Crantz in Saxon. lib. 12. cap. 1. saith The Pope's confirmation was not regarded therefore Adolph levied an Army and by the aid of the Palatine of Rhine he prevailed against Diether and spoiled the City pitifully and brought it into miserable bondage and all trading decaied there Fascic rer expeten fol. 164. Edit An. 1535. saith Pius sighed so oft as he heard the name of Mentz because he had done so great harm unto that City and thereafter he restored Diether Pius brought unto the Patrimony of the Church Tarracino Benevento Sora Arpino and a great part of Campania and was alwaies carefull to inlarge the Papal authority He was so intangled with wars that he seemed not to favour learning saith Platina In the year 1460. he assembled a Councel at Mantua for levying an Army against the Turks The Orator of France came thither and complained that the Kingdom of Naples was taken from the right heir and given unto the King of Arragon but the Pope pleaded for Arragon and would have no business to be treated there but only preparation against the Turk and he sent Bessurion into Germany and Hungary for the same effect But their private jars hindred the common cause saith Laon. Chalcocon lib. 8. Io. Naucler saith Many Souldiers came from Germany France and Spain unto Ancona the Pope gave them all his blessing and
Lewis who died in a battel against the Turks An. 1528. and then the covenant was accomplished and the house of Austria are Kings of Hungary After the death of Ladislaus was strife also for the Dutchy of Austria three Brethren the Emperor Albert and Sigismund contend for it they did name some Umpires to decide the controversie but it is hard to judge against the mighty Frederick carried it But in the year 1463. Albert besieged his brother in the Castle of Vienna so streightly that the Emperour sent for relief unto George King of Bohemia whom he was wont to despise as an Heretick and he sent unto Pope Pius intreating him that he would not accurse George with his Thunder the Pope yeelded because of that necessity saith Naucler And the Bohemians delivered the Emperour but so warily that he neither did perish nor was victorious In the year 1466. Frederick went to Rome some say to perform a vow others say to treat with the Pope concerning Wars against the Turk whatsoever was his purpose he returned in peace and by his means peace continued in Italy and Germany At that time Charls surnamed The Hardy Duke of Burgundy Flanders Gelderland Holland c. durst hold all the World for his enemies and spared not to invade and take Towns where he pleased He had a conference with the Emperour at Lutzemburg and amongst other purposes he demanded the Title of the Kingdom of Naples because it sometime had belonged unto the Empire and now he intended to make Conquest of Italy The Emperour knowing and misliking his ambition gave him fair words and departed the City in the night Wherefore the Duke besieged Colein The Emperour came against him with a great Army yet desirous of peace They were both induced to agree and Charls left the bounds of the Empire But he could not live in peace he intended to march into Italy and to molest the Switzers in his way but he was killed by them in the year 1476. Then the French the Switzers and others repossessed themselves of what Charls had taken from them and Maximilian the Emperour's son married the only daughter of Charls and kept his inheritance not without troubles In the year 1480. Mahumet having conquered the Islands of Archipelagus invaded Italy his Bassa Acomath took Otranto and some other places all Italy was in fear Mahumet died and his son Bajazeth was molested with Civil wars so Italy was freed In the year 1486. Frederick caused his son Maximilian to be chosen King of the Romans and made several Statutes under great penalties against all that should disturb the peace of Germany The year 1492. is remarkable first for the death of Pope Innocentius and election of Alexander the VI Next for expelling the Moors out of Spain by Ferdinand King of Castile above 700. years after their first arrival it is written that 224000. families of the Jews were banished Thirdly under the name of the same Ferdinand Christopher Columbus sailing Westward discovered the Isles Azores as Americus Vespusius in the year 1499. discovered the West-Indies which after him was called America Pope Alexander gave that Kingdom unto Ferdinand When this gift was reported unto Artabaliba King of Peru he said That Pope must be a fool who gave unto another what he never had or certainly he is impudent and unjust who gives another man's Lands unto strangers and stirreth up men to the shedding of innocent blood as Benzo Lopez do record When all the Empire was in peace Frederick died An. 1493. The Reign of his son was for the most part in the next Century CHAP. III. Of Divers Countries 1. IT were tedious to repeat all the strange Eclipses of the Sun and Moon Ominous signs which are recorded to have been in this Century portending the wondrous darkness of the ignorance of these times as indeed it surpassed all others since no age had seen more ungodly Popes nor greater ignorance of the Clergy The inundations of waters the frequent pestilence and famine did also proclaim the wrath of God against the iniquity of men but the more God did strike the stithies of their hearts they became the harder except a small number in respect of the ungodly multitude who therefore were had in reproach and were persecuted 2. In the beginning of this Century God made some preparation for a Helps of knowledge Reformation of the Western Church and in the midst of it more which were two mighty helps of knowledge First some Greeks came into Italy to wit Emanuel Chrysoloras and Argyropulus two Byzantines Musurus Cretensis John Laicaris Theodor Gaza George Trapezuntius c. The Greek language had scarcely been heard in Italy the space of 700. years but then both Greek and Latine Schools were multiplied and they translated some Greek Fathers into Latine as Trapezuntius translated some works of â—yril Alexandrin of Eusebius c. Their Disciples were Leonard Aretin Guarin Veronen Pogius Florentin Philelphus c. In emulation of them were famous in the Latine language Laurentius Valla Flavius Blondus Donatus Acciaiolus a Florentine and many more And the year 1450. is famous First printing for the excellent invention of Printing in Strawsburg by a Gold-Smith John Gutenberg whom some do call Johannes Faustus This Art as it was wondrous for invention so it was and is singularly profitable for store of books then the Scriptures were seen and read the writings of the Fathers came to light Histories were made known times were compared truth was discerned falsehood was detected c. Before that time the rich-poor Monks gathered all the books into their Cloisters and few read them but others could not have them This was a great occasion of ignorance which thereafter was removed by use of Printing 3. Several Homilies and Treatiâ—es came forth against the covetousness luxury and ignorance of the Clarks and Monks Herman Ried in a book De vita honestate Clericorum saith In these dangerous times are many Clarks whio make no account of the authority of the Fathers nor of reason they admit not the Holy Scriptures and they despise the ancient Canons as Bernard had written unto Eugenius they do hate and deride men of understanding and Catholicks because they espy the grievous vices of the Clergy and in zeal speak against their unfaithfulness the Clarks call such men fantastick disturbers of peace and men of erroneous consciences Who are zealous to root out the vices of the Clergy and who alledge the truth as it is written in the Canonical Scriptures these I say are checked and reviled by their own and other Prelates so that at last they must even against their wills be silent and dissemble So it is verified what St. Jerom said in lib. 1. de norma vivendi cap. 5. There is not so cruel a beast as a wicked Priest for he cannot indure to be corrected or hear the truth in a word they are full of wickedness Then he complains that the
Spiritual alliance did accurse the man who shall marry his god-mother Grego decreta 6. BONIFACE V. is said to have been a man of singular vertue and bountifulness especially toward those of the Clergy who were most vigilant in their calling He ordained that so great reverence should be had unto the Churches a refuge of impiety place of Gods worship that whosoever shall take his refuge into a Church should not be taken by force making the Law of God against murtherers and such ungodly men to be of no effect by his tradition because he loved them who bring saith I. Beda in Catal. Scriptor illust and that sacrilegious Except sacriledge persons should be accursed for he hateth them who take away In his time Testaments were of strength when they were confirmed by the Magistrates but his Successours would have this power to themselves His Epistles direct to England as in Beda's history wherein are sundry passages fighting against the perfection of Christ's satisfaction He sate 5. years and died an 622. 7. HONORIUS I. was a Monothelite Onuphrius in Annot. in Platin. A Pope condemned of heresie and Bellarmin de Ro. Pont. lib. 4. cap. 11. would purge him of this blot by the Epistles of a Monk Maximus and of Emanuel Caleca who lived about the year 1274. they cannot deny that they saw in the most common books of Councels this heresie imputed unto him in the sixth general Councel as also the Epistles of Sergius Bishop of Constantinople unto Honorius and of Honorius to Sergius were read in the twelfth Action or Session and in the sixteenth Action they both were accursed for that heresie and in the seventeenth a Confession was published contrary to the errour of the Monothelites and after the Confession Honorius Pope of old Rome is reckoned amongst the Hereticks see hereafter in Leo II. and some among the Romanists stick not to call him an Heretick as Melc Canus in loc Theol. li. 6. c. 8. Platina makes mention of his great care in building of Churches and transporting Ornaments from the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus into the Church of St. Peter but nothing of his spiritual building He appointed Processions on the Lords day whence was the compassing of Churches Catal. test verit lib. 9. He sate 12. years and then the Seat was vacant 1. year and 7. months 8. SEVERINUS was confirmed by Isaacius Eparch of Ravenna Election of the Pope for at that time the Election of the Pope was naught till he were confirmed by the Emperour or his Eparch Platin. Isaacius came to Rome for confirmation of the Pope and saw great Treasure in the Lateran Church he took it all away because the Souldiers were in great necessity in time of the wars against the Saraâ—ens yet he gave only a part of it to the Souldiers and sent the rest to Ravenna whence he sent a part unto the Emperour like unto all other Popes Severinus was more carefull of houses then of souls Platin. He by Epistle reproves the Scots for observing Penticost or Easter on another day than the Church of Rome but his reproof had no place there because they were not accustomed with the yoke of the Romish Bishops saith Catal. test ver He sate 1. year 2. months Beda hist lib. 2. cap. 19. hath written None free of Original sin except our Saviour an Epistle at this time thus Unto the most learned and most holy the Scotch Bishops and Presbyters and other Doctours and Abbots Hilarius Arch Priest and keeping the place of the holy Apostolical See John a Deacon and chosen in the name of God and John Primicerius and holding the place of the Apostolical See and John a servant and counseller of the same Apostolical See The writings which the Bearers brought unto Pope Gregory of good memory he departing this life have not been answered till now Which being opened lest the mist of so great a question should continue ...... Hereby we know that the Pelagian heresie beginneth to revive among you wherefore we exhort you earnestly that so venemous a work of superstition be put from your minds for it cannot be unknown unto you how that execrable heresie is damned seeing it hath not only been abolished out this 240. years but it is also daily condemned by us by a perpetual anathema and is buried and we exhort that among you their ashes be not stirred up whose weapons are burnt For who will not abhor the proud and wicked attempts of them who say A man may be without sin by his proper will and not by the grace of God And indeed the first foolish saying of blasphemy is to say A man is without sin Which cannot be except the only Mediatour of God and Man Christ Jesus who was conceived and born without sin For other men being born with Original sin are known to bear the testimony of Adam's transgression even they who are without Actual sin according to the Prophet saying Behold I was conceived in iniquity and in sin hath my mother born me What may be collected out of this Epistle I leave unto all Judicious Readers only I would that this were remarked that in the inscription they observe the stile and phrase of the Roman Court directing their Letters unto the Scotch Bishops c. whereas neither at that time nor many ages thereafter was any Bishop in Scotland but only Abbots who were Doctours and Presbyters in several congregations 9. JOHN IV. bestows all the Treasure that Isaacius and Severine had left on the redeeming of some captives of his Nation Dalmatia and Istria from the Lombards He transports the bodies of Vincentius and Anastasius Reliques Martyres from Dalmatia to Rome from the hands of enemies to the superstition of a more eminent place In his time Lotharis King of the Lombards a good Justitiary and Arrian did permit in every City of his Kingdom two Bishops one Catholick as they spoke then or orthodox and another Arrian John sate 1. year 9. months 10. THEODORUS I. the son of Theodorus Bishop of Jerusalem Pretended authority availeth not strove against Paul Bishop of Constantinople because he was a Monothelite and sought his deprivation but in vain for he dealt by authority and not by Scriptures or reason and Paul despiseth his authority Lotharis said he was puft up with ambition and not inspired by a good spirit and therefore he contemned him also saying He fostereth many errours and reproved one only He disswadeth the Emperour Constans from the errour of the Monothelites therefore the Emperour sought his life Thereafter all his care was to adorn and adore the bodies of the departed Saints and their Reliques he died an 647. 11. MARTIN I. augmenteth the number of holy daies he commandeth New Rites the Priests to shave their hair continually and that each Bishop should consecrate the chrism or holy ode yearly and send it through all the Parishes of his Diocy and that all the Clergy should at their
2. cap. 19. saith There can be no true religion where there is an image Epiphanius hath an Epistle unto John Bishop of Jerusalem which is translated by Hierom and is extant in both their works there he saith I hear that some do grumble against me because when I was going to the holy place called Bethel and saw in the Village Anablatha a lamp burning and having asked what place that was I was informed that it was a Church and going to pray I found at the entrance a dyed and painted cloath having the Image as it were of Christ or some Saint for I remember not well whose image it was but I saw the image of a man hanging in a Church of Christ contrarie to the authority of Scripture I did cut it and did advise the keepers of the place to wrap a poor dead body in iâ—â— and they grumbling said If he will tear it he might have given another vail and changed it which when I heard I did promise to send another shortly unto them But now I pray you command that no such vails as are contrary to our religion be hung hereafter in a Church of Christ for it becomes your fatherhood rather to have care of banishing such superstition unfit for Christ's Church and the people concredited unto you But from gathering many testimonies Pol. Verg. de invent rer lib. 2. cap. 23. spareth our travel saying To the end the memory might be continued of the defunct or of them who are severed in place as none doubteth were images devised but seeing God is every where nothing was thought more foolish from the beginning than to represent him Only I add that of the Councel at Eliberis cap. 36. It pleaseth to forbid images in Churches that it be not painted on walls which is worshipped This Councel was held in the daies of Constantine the Great Bellarmine de imagin Sanct. cap. 9. bringeth many answers of his own sort to elude this authoritie and rejects them amongst others he reporteth the answer of Nic. Sanderus That that Councel forbad images for that present time because then it was feared the heathens might believe that we worship stocks and stones This is a good answer saith he and yet he hath another The Councel forbad not images on Boards or Vails but on Walls because images on Walls are most spoiled But the Fathers made no difference of the matter for generally as Pol. Verg. de invent rer lib. 6. cap. 13. saith all the old Fathers almost he might have truly omitted this almost did condemn the worship of images for fear of idolatrie then which is no sin more execrable Moses repeateth nothing so oft as is manifest in Exodus and Leviticus as that the people worship not any thing made with hands And the Prophet saith Let them be confounded who worship graven images and glory in images Then he addeth how Serenus Bishop of Marsilia did not only take Images out of a Church when he saw the people worship them but broke them in pieces and burned them Observe this takes away Bellarmin's answer seeing he burned the Images and not the Church Walls And upon this occasion Pope Gregorie the I. writ unto him Ep. 119. lib. 7. saying Verily we commend thy zeal that thou wouldest have no man to worship that which was made with hands but we think thou oughtest not to have broken those images for the Pictures are set up in the Church to this end that the unlearned by seeing and beholding them may at least behold on the Walls what they cannot read in Books Out of Ep. 9. lib. 4. it is clear that Serenus did maintain both the breaking and the worshipping of images and therefore Gregory chideth him as affecting singularity and yet he addeth If any man will make images forbid him not but by all means stop the worship of images In this Epistle it appeareth that at that time images were in many other Churches and that in former times also but only for ornament or for instructing the ignorant as he saith But certainly no image was in a Christian Church before the Emperour Constantine's time and after that many did oppose them altogether and they who had them did pretend historical use but with a bad success for Gregory lib. 7. Ep. 53. professeth that he did prostrate himself before the image of Christ and from worship at the image is the ready way to worship the image as Pol. Vergil complaineth in the fore-named place The first establishing of images saith he was in the daies of Pope Agatho and it were to be wished that Priests would instruct their people more diligently how they should regard images which because they do not and it is commonly thought that they are silent for their own commodity therefore men are come to this madness that this part of pietie differeth little from impietie for almost all the rude and ignorant people worship the images of stone or wood or brass or painted on walls in sundry colours nor as signs but as if they had sence and they trust in them more than in Christ or the Saints to which they are dedicated whence it is that they add foolishness to foolishness and they offer unto them gold silver rings which errour hath so waxed that we think Religion consisteth in riches c. The same saith Agrippa de vanit scient cap. 57. where having spoken of images amongst the Heathens he subjoineth Which corrupt custom and false religion of the Heathens after they were brought to the faith of Christ did infect our religion also and brought images and statues into our Churches whereas there was no such thing amongst the primitive and true Christians neither can it be told how great superstition I will not say idolatrie is fostered amongst the rude people and the Priests wink at these things because they do reap no small gain thereby We should learn not from the forbidden books of images but from the Word of God the book of Scriptures he who will know God should not seek knowledge from images or statues but let him search the Scriptures which testifie of him and Christ saith My sheep hear my voice And then Agrippa as fearing to be censured for his boldness makes some shew of recanting but anon falleth afresh to it saying Covetous Priests and greedy men seeking matter of their avarice not by wood and stones only but by the bones of the dead also and reliques of Martyrs have found means of covetousness they open the graves of the Confessours they take out the reliques of Saints and do sell a touch or a kiss of them they busk up their images and adorn their feasts with great pomp they call them Saints and proclaim their praises whose life they will not follow c. And to the end we may see the worship of images is not the errour of the ignorant only Thomas Aquin. in Sum. pag. 3. quest 25. arg 3. saith The same reverence should be given to
it is called the daily prayer by the Doctours and Fathers Ca. 16. The book of Revelation shâ—uld be read yearly in the Church between Easter and Whitsunday Ca. 18. A pernicious custom should not be kept contempt of ancient statutes hath perturbed all the order of the Church while some by ambition and others by gifts do usurp Priesthoods and Bishopricks and some prophane men and souldiers unworthy of such honour have been admitted into the holy order they should be removed But lest great scandal arise in the Church what hath been done is past it is expedient to prescribe who shall not hereafter be admitted into the Priesthood that is he who hath been convicted of any infamous crime who by publick repentance hath confessed gross sins who hath fallen into heresie who hath been baptized in heresie or is known to be rebaptized who hath married a second wife or widow or divorced or corrupt woman who hath concubines or whores unknown men or young Scholars who have been Souldiers or Courtiers who are ignorant of Letters who are not 30. years old who ascendeth not by the degrees of the Church who seeketh honour by ambition or gifts who were chosen by their Predecessours whom the People and Clergy of the City have not chosen or the authority of the Metropolitan and consent of the comprovincial Priests have not required Whosoever is required unto the Office of a Priest and is not found guilty in one of these and his life and doctrine being approved according to the Synodal Decrees he should be consecrated by all the comprovincial Bishops at least by three upon a Sabboth day and the rest sending their Letters of approbation and especially by the authority and presence of the Metropolitan A comprovincial Bishop should be consecrated in the place where the Metropolitan should chuse him the Metropolitan should not be consecrated but in his own See when the Comprovincials were assembled Ca. 24. Priests are commanded to read the Scriptures diligently that all their doings might serve for instruction to the people in knowledge of faith and good example of life Ca. 35. Every Bishop should visit his Diocy once every year in proper person and if sickness or weightier business did hinder him then by the most grave Priests Ca. 46. At command of our Lord and King Sisenand the holy Councel ordaineth That all Clarks for the service of Religion should be exempt from all charges and labours of the Common-Wealth Ca. 74. So great is the falshood of many Nations as they report that they keep not their Oath of fidelity unto their Kings and in a word they feign the profession of an oath but retain in their minds the impiety of falshood they swear unto their Kings and transgress against their Oath nor fear they the judgement of God against perjurers What hope can such have when they War against their enemies What faithfulness can other Nations expect in peace What Covenant shall not be violated since they keep not their Oaths unto their own Kings If we will eschew the wrath of God and if we desire him to turn his severity into clemency let us keep religious duty and fear God and our promised fidelity to our Princes let there be no ungodly subtleties of infidelity amongst us as amongst some Nations let none of us presumptuously usurp the Kingdom let none raise seditions amongst the Subjects let none attempt the murther of Kings but when the King is departed in peace let the Nobles of the Realm with the Priests in a Common-Councel of the Kingdom appoint a Successour that when the unity of concord is kept by us no dissension can arise by violence or ambition and whosoever among us or of all the people of Spain by any conspiracy or design whatsoever should violate the Sacrament of his promise that he hath promised for the standing of his Country and Kingdom of Goths or for safety of the King or attempt to murther the King or to deprive him of his Royal Power or by presumptuous tyranny shall usurp the Kingdom let him be accursed in the sight of God the Father and of the Angels and let him be debarred from the Holy Church which he hath defiled with perjury and let him be estranged from the assembly of Christians with all the complices of his impiety because they all should be subject in the same punishment who are guilty of the same fault Which we repeat saying again Whosoever among us c. 5. About the year 616. was a Councel at Altisiodore or Autricum Ca. 5. Synod at Altisiodore All vigils which were wont to be kept to the honour of God are forbidden as divinations Ca. 18. It is not lawfull to baptize at any time except at Easter unless it be such that are neer unto death who are called grabbatarij Ca. 21. It is not lawfull for a Presbyter after he hath received the blessing to sleep in a bed by a Presbyteress Here they ordain not to put away the wives nor forbid they cohabitation but sleeping together Ca. 40. A Presbyter should not sing nor dance at a feast In this Councel 7. Abbots and 34 Presbyters had decisive votes and subscribe 6. About the year 650. was the VIII Councel at Toledo to the number The VIII Synod at Toledo of 52. Bishops where first was recited and approved a rule of faith little differing from the Nicene Creed as taught by the Apostles allowed by the Orthodox Fathers and approved by the Holy Councels here is no mention of Christ's descending into Hell and in the IV. Councel at Toledo that article was not omitted In many of all these Spanish Councels the sleeping of Presbyters with their wives is condemned as sinfull and execrable but some would maintain their liberty and would not obey as is manifest in the sixth and seventh chapters of this Councel 7. In the year 655. was a Councel of 45. Bishops at Cabella or Cabilone in Synod at Cabilone Burgundy Ca. 1. The fore-named Creed is approved Ca. 10. When a Bishop of any City dieth another should be chosen only by the Clergy and indwellers of the same Province otherwise the election is nul Ca. 17. If any shall move a tumult or draw a weapon in a Church so giving scandal let him be debarred from the Communion Ca. 18. We not ordaining a new thing but renewing the old do ordain That no manner of husbandry-work be done on the Lords-day Ca. 19. Many things fall out that are lightly punished it is known to be very unseemly that on holy Feasts women in tribes use to sing filthy songs when they ought to be praying or hearing prayers therefore Priests should abolish such things and if such persons continue in their wickedness let them be excommunicated 8. About the year 673. was a Synod at Hertford or Herudford in England Synod at Hertford where it was decreed 1. That Easter should be kept thorow the Realm on the Sunday the 14. day of
and ye all should further and help us Ca. 4. He admonisheth Bishops especially to teach their people both by life and doctrine both by themselves and them who are under them as they will answer in their accounts at the great day Can. 17. The Bishop of the first See should not be called the Prince of Priests or the highest Priest or any such title but only the Bishop of the first See Can. 4â— None can lay another foundation save that which is layed which is Christ Jesus whosoever therefore in the love of God and of his neighbour keepeth the certainty of faith which is in Christ Jesus he hath laid the same Jesus Christ the Son of God and Man to be his foundation it is to be hoped therefore that where Christ is the foundation the edifice of good works will follow In a word if his medling with Italy and his advancing His Conversation the Pope for confirming that which he had taken can be excused he was unto all Princes a patern of magnificence zeal in religion learning eloquence temperance prudence moderation c. Alcwin contra Elipant lib. 1. saith Charls was a Catholick in faith a King in power a High-Priest in preaching a Judge in equity a Philosopher in liberal studies famous in manners and excellent in all honesty he was never served at Table with more then four dishes at once his exercise was hunting and reading of Histories Pet. Mexia In the year 813. Crunus Duke of Bulgaria pursued his Victory and fought once with Michael Rangabis a worshipper of Images and at the second alarm he did renounce his Crown and Leo Armenius General of the Army was declared Emperour he slue Crunus in Battel and returned home with Triumph Thereafter he had peace he threw down Images and banished the Patriarch Nicephorus a worshipper of Images and many more Zonar 3. LEWES the Godly confirmeth the peace with Leo Armenius and Lewes his troubles had Wars in Datia whence he was necessitated to return to redress some accidents at home and he easily calmed them by means of his Nephew Bernard In the year 818. the same Bernard rebelled against his Uncle and claimed the Crown of France because he was the son of the eldest brother but he was soon taken captive his eys were picked out he was sent Prisoner into France and his Kingdom was given to Lotharius the Emperour's son At that time Lewes confirmed the Donation of King Pipin and of Charls unto the Church of Rome without making mention of any former right as may be seen in the words of the Donation in Volaterran and Gratian. Yet he gave not over the City of Rome for Platina in Serg. 2. sheweth that Rome was allotted unto Lotharius when the Empire was divided again and Thegan chorepi Trevir writing of the same Lewes saith It was appointed that according to former custom some should be sent from the Emperour to Rome who having the authority of Judges should do justice to all the people and accordingly Legates were sent to Rome to judge Pope Paschalis who was challenged of murther Io. Lampad in Mellif Lewes caused the Bible to be translated into the Saxon language Though he was religious and studious of peace yet he was not free from conspiracy he had advanced many persons unto high honours and as Crantz in Saxon. lib. 2. cap. 25. for their wickedness which he had certainly tried he cast them down again they therefore did devise many things against him and drew his own sons Lotharius Pipin and Lewes on their side under pretext that the Emperour did affect his youngest son by his present wife more then them They did so prevail that the Emperour was deposed and Lotharius was declared Emperour who shut his father into a Monastery and his young son Charls Many who were loyal would have taken Arms for his relief but he did forbid them Hugobert Bishop of Lions and Bernard Bishop of Vienna and many other Bishops took part with the sons because he would have restrained their pomp and pride but they made pretence that he had married Judith within degrees forbidden by the Pope Also Pope Gregory the IV. hateth him because he was an ememy of Images nevertheless he came into France under pretence to appease the troubles But as Morn in Myster ex Chronic. Dtonys and others testifie to kindle the coals he sought that both parties would submit unto his arbitrement They who were on the Emperour's side were suspicious of deceit and would not submit but said to the Pope If thou come to excommunicate us thou shalt return excommunicated Vsser de Eccles stat cap. 1. Crantz loc cit saith When the sons had examined the cause of this stir they found the innocency His restoration of their father and restored him unto his Empire and he being the meekest of all mortals did readily forgive them and made Lotharius partner of the Empire with him but he dealt more severely with the Bishops they fled into Italy nor could the authority of the Pope help them only who did most humbly confess their offence were pardoned About that time a huge multitude of Sarazens entred into Italy took Rome and made Saint Peter's Church a stable for their horses and wasted all Thuscia burning Houses and Churches when they heard of the Lombards coming against them they made hast away with much spoil with infinite number of Captives as also they spoiled Sicily Michael the Stutterer conspired against Leo Armenius in his 7 year and killed him he slue some Bishops and banished others who worshipped images His son Theophylus was answerable to his name he punisheth not only the worshippers but the makers of Images In the year 824. he sent unto Lewes desiring the determination of the French Church concerning Images and intreating that he would interpone his authority with the Pope in that matter The Emperour called a Synod at Paris of which is mention in the end of Century 8. and he sent Jeremia Bishop of Senone and Jonas Bishop of Orleance unto Pope Eugenius who did ask By what place of Scripture he could prove it lawfull to worship images He answereth They are arrogant who dare ask such questions Ph. Morn in Myster ex Synod Paris sub Ludo. Lothar Pe. Mexia writeth that these three most famous heads of Europe died within the space of four daies Theophylus Lewes and Pope Gregoryths IV. An. 840. Lewes before his death divided his Kingdomes and sought not the consent of the Pope 4. LOTHARIUS the eldest son of Lewes succeeded unto his father The Empire is divided and weakned with common consent except of his brethren Charls and Lewes for they took it ill that he should have both France and Italy and they be inclosed in Bojaria and Aquitania so they force their brother unto a new division Lewes became King of Germany and had Hungary Bohemia Saxony Moravia Frisia Bojaria c. Charls was King of France except
nature with Christ who receive him and are renewed by his Spirit by whom he was conceived Away therefore with that superfluity whereby it is said and defined that there was is or shall be no man whose nature he hath not assumed 2. It is affirmed No man was is or shall be for whom Christ hath not suffered Of which question what other can we answer but that first we demand them who have defined this and admonish them to weigh vigilantly and faithfully lest perhaps by little considering what they should say they say and write such things against the faith and their own conscience for to omit those who are now or shall be till the end of the world among whom shall be the Antichrist certainly of that innumerable multitude of the wicked which have been from the beginning untill the coming of Christ and being dead in their wickedness are condemned in everlasting pains we think not that they who have written this do beleeve that Christ hath suffered for them which are dead in their wickedness and now condemned in everlasting judgment for if it be beleeved that he hath suffered for them why may it not also be beleeved that he hath suffered for the Divel and his Angels Therefore as it cannot be said that Christ Jesus hath suffered for those wicked and damned Angels so far be it that we should believe that he hath suffered for those wicked and damned men ...... But of those who as yet continue in their unbelief and wickedness shall perish if good men who have defined these things could demonstrate unto us by sure and clear testimonies from the authority of the Holy Scriptures what the Lord hath suffered for those we should also beleeve the same and if that they cannot let them not contend now for that which they read not let them be ashamed to determine what they cannot find to be decreed by any Councel of the holy Fathers or determination of Ecclesiastical doctrine or if they find any thing written by the ancient Doctours whereby occasion of such interpretation may be given yet saving the reverence due unto them let them rather contain themselves and submit unto Divine authority 3. They say All the unbeleevers are not redeemed by the mystery of Christ's blood so neither are the beleevers redeemed who have not faith which worketh by love Why should we speak of this question seeing it is manifest from what is said that no redemption in Christ is unto any unbeleevers and all beleevers who come truly unto faith and grace of regeneration receive their true redemption and true regeneration because they cannot be truly regenerate unless it be truly certain that they are redeemed from the power of the Divel and bondage of sin neither can they be truly redeemed unless they be cleansed in the laver of mercy and made free from the guilt of sin and from the power of the Prince of this world unless which is most absurd in this definition it be said that our Lord Jesus Christ hath suffered even for the wicked who perish in their sins and it be affirmed that every beleever is not truly redeemed by the mystery of His passion and renewed in his baptism Hincmar Bishop of Rhemes could not take this censure patiently but writ Epistles unto several Bishops in defence of his opinions That censure is oppugned by some and Remigius sent abroad his censures of them as Vsser in histor Gottescal cap. 8. hath at length John Scot did follow Hincmar and although in other things he had purchased a name yet because here he undertook a wrong and maintained by others cause Florus a Deacon of Lions and Prudentius Bishop of Tricassin did not spare him as is at large loc cit cap. 9. 10. 11. I will shortly shew their testimonies whereby summarily their doctrine may be known Florus saith Whereas he John saith that man sinning hath lost liberty but not the power and vigour of the liberty he saith not rightly for he hath not kept in part and lost in part the gift of liberty but as he hath lost the power and vigour of liberty so he hath lost liberty it self so that now he is not free unto good from which he hath fallen he continueth free unto evil because as of his free-will he forsook good so by free-will he cleaveth unto evil Man therefore after that damnation hath free-will whereby he may incline and doth incline unto evil through his will he hath free-will whereby it is possible that he may arise unto good but that he ariseth unto good it is not of his own vertue but of the compassionating grace of God for he who is heavily diseased may possibly receive health but that he may receive health he hath need of a medicament and he who is dead it may be said that possibly he may rise and live yet not by his own vertue but by the power of God so the free-will of man being wounded and dead may be healed but by the grace of God shewing mercy Again John saith If any cause precede will that is nature to think good or evil it is not nature where he speaks manifestly against truth for if no cause precede the will of man to think or do good whence is in man a good will that is a good affection to think or do any good for man hath not of himself a good will nor doth he any good but he hath it from him of whom the Apostle speaks unto beleevers It is God who worketh in us both to will and to do according to his good will He by his mercy preveneth the will of man as the Psalmist saith My God his mercy shall prevene me He inspires into man the grace of thinking well as the Apostle saith Not that we are able to think a good thought as of our selves but our sufficiency is from God Therefore He is the cause of good will in us He is the cause of good desires and of perfecting He is unto us the cause of mercy and grace by which we are able not only to do well and to perfect but also to think well And not only doth he these things in his elect in this life but also before the foundation of the world he hath predestinated them by his grace that they should be holy and blameless before him as the Apostle witnesseth Seeing therefore so great and such a cause which is the cause of all good things both in making and rewarding his creatures is unto us the best and eternal cause of good will prevening us by grace that we may will well and do well how saith this man that no cause precedes our will and works Or if any cause precede them that cause is not nature Seeing the Almighty God who is the cause of our good will is the highest and best nature .... But far be it to say that this highest and best cause precedes our will to think or do evil and nevertheless a
Jews so here election is for the Elect who obtain justification by faith On Cap. 15 at these words Whatsoever is written is written for our instruction ... he saith The Apostle joineth himself unto all Beleevers and will shew that all things which are written in Divine books are not written for them whose deeds and works are there reported for they are in rest long ago but for our salvation and of them which are to come that we may have whence we may take example of faith and good works and whence we may know with what works God is pleased and with what he is provoked to punish .... for what did it avail to Abraham that Moses hath written he was obedient and that he commends him to have pleased God But he saith Whatsoever things are written in the Law Prophets Psalms and other Scriptures are written for our instruction that we which are come unto the faith may thence learn Seeing Remigius writeth that the Scriptures are written for the instruction of all Beleevers would he then have consented unto the Act of Trent which forbids the use of the Scriptures unto Beleevers On 1 Cor. 1. at these words That no flesh should glory before him he saith No flesh that is no man The wise and mighty cannot glory because they are not called by him for their wisdom and riches neither had they divine wisdom or spiritual riches of themselves The Apostles could not glory because whatsoever they had of favour they received it from God without their merits and they cannot glory that they were chosen for their wisdom and riches ..... He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord he glorieth in the Lord and not in himself who confesseth that all the good he hath he hath received it from God without his own merit and therefore seeks not his own glory and praise but his glory from whom he hath received whatsoever he hath On Gal. 6. on these words God forbid that I rejoice but in the Cross of Christ he saith that is I will not rejoice in the riches and dignities of this World but in the Cross of Christ i. e. in his suffering which was done on the Cross will I rejoice from whence is my redemption and salvation Or I will rejoice in the Cross of Christ that is in this will I rejoice if I can follow the suffering of Christ what he hath sustained for me I may sustain the like for his name Hence we may see that Remigius did not rejoice in the painted or moulded Cross but in Christ's sufferings for our redemption On Eph. 2. at these words Built on the foundation he saith The foundation of the Prophets Apostles and of all the faithfull is Christ because they are grounded and established in faith of him as he himself said Upon this Rock that is upon me will I build my Church Here Remigius expoundeth the Rock to signifie Peter On Cap. 5. at these words Not having spot or wrinkle he saith In this world the Church may be said to be glorious one way because it hath Kings and Princes subject and it hath many orders and degrees but it cannot be without spot or wrinkle of sin because it hath many penitents in it and if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us and there is not a man upon earth which doth good and sinneth not wherefore it is better that we refer these words unto the general resurrection On Cap. 6. The sword of the Holy Ghost is the Word of God as the Apostle saith that is the doctrine and knowledge of the Divine Scriptures which is given unto us by the Holy Ghost And it is called a sword because as enemies are put to flight by a sword so by the knowledge of Divine Scriptures we may put to flight all the craft and devices of the Divel by following what the Scripture teacheth and eschewing what it forbiddeth and not only may we overcom the Divels by the knowledge of the word and by the help of God but by authority thereof we may convince all Hereticks and destroy all their errours Reader observe in this testimony the manifold use of the Scriptures and especially that they are a rule wherewith all errours may be destroied On Phil. 2. at these words It is God who worketh in you he saith Lest he seem to exclude God from our salvation or as if without the help of God we could be saved â—e subjoins For it is God who worketh in you therefore every good which we have as well the good will as the good operation is not of us but of God ..... both to will that is to have a good will and to do according to good will that is that we may alwaies will what is good On Cap. 3. at these words If I may comprehend in whom I am comprehended he saith All the Elect which are predestinated for eternal life are comprehended in the Passion of Christ because thereby are redeemed not only those who are saved after his resurrection and who are purged in baptism but all the godly which were before his coming ..... Whosoever are perfect in comparison of others let us think so understand that we are not perfect for whosoever are perfect that is who are thought to be perfect let us understand that this is in comparison of Beleevers and who have less understanding because we are not perfect in respect of what we shall have at the day of judgement On 1 Tim. 2. he saith Seeing the Psalmist saith The Lord doth whatsoever he willeth and the Apostle saith Which will have all men to be saved Why are not all men saved To which I say Because it is true what the Psalmist saith For he hath said and it shall be likewise he will save all men which are saved and which by his mercy seek to be saved for the Apostles have put the whole for a part as in the Gospel the Lord saith When I shall be exalted from the earth I will draw all men unto me for he drew not all men nor draweth all men but all that is the Elect out of all sorts and Nations out of all sex and condition from Kings unto Beggars from the perfect unto the babe of one day yet none can be saved but whom God willeth because he sheweth mercy on whom he will for if all men had continued in perdition just had been the judgment of God but that his mercy and power might be shewed because he is powerfull to save all men in those which do perish he shews his just judgment and his mercy in them which are saved for his grace preveneth us that we have will and our will should accord with his will and then he will give us ability and because we join our will to his will we are worthy to be rewarded and nevertheless it is all to be ascribed unto his grace whatsoever good we do He saith then Which will have
necessity that he could not be otherwise but that He in his Almighty and unchangeable Majesty as he knows all things ere they be did foreknow that the wicked were to be such of their own will Nor do we beleeve that any is condemned in His prejudice but according to the merit of their own iniquity nor that the wicked do perish because they could not be good but because they would not be good and through their own fault continue in the mass of perdition or original and actual sin Ca. 3. But concerning the Predestination of God it pleaseth and faithfully doth please according to the authority of the Apostle saying Hath not the Potter power over the clay to make of the same mass one vessel unto honour and another unto dis-honour We confidently confess the predestination of the elect unto life and predestination of the wicked unto death and in the election of them who are to be saved the mercy of God precedes the good merit but in the damnation of them who perish their wicked merit precedes the just judgment of God And in that predestination God hath only appointed what he was to do either in his gracious mercy or just judgment as the Scripture saith Which hath done what things were to be But in the wicked he foreknew their wickedness because it is of them and he did not predestinate it because it is not of him but because he knows all things which he did foreknow and because he is just he did predestinate the punishment that follows their merit for with him as Augustine saith is as well a fixed decree as a certain knowledge of every thing and hither belongs that saying of the Wise Man Judgments are prepared for the Scorners Prov. 19. Of this unchangeableness of the foreknowledge and predestination of God by which the future things are already done may that well be understood Eccles 3 I know whatsoever God doth it shall be for ever nothing can be put to it and nothing taken from it and God doth it that men should fear before him But that any are by the power of God predestinated unto evil as if they could not be otherwise We not only do not beleeve it but even if there be any which will beleeve such evil with all detestation as did the Arausicane Synod we say Anathema unto them Ca. 4. Item of the redemption of the blood of Christ because of so great an errour which hath begun in this point so that some as their writings declare define that it was shed even for the wicked which from the beginning unto the coming of Christ being dead in their wickedness are punished with everlasting damnation contrary to that of the Prophet O death I will be thy death and O grave I will be thy destruction it pleaseth us to hold and teach simply and faithfully according to Evangelical and Apostolical truth that this price was given for them of whom our Lord saith So must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever beleeves in him shall not perish but .... And the Apostle saith Christ was once offered to take away the sins of many And moreover the four Articles that were defined unadvisedly in the Synod of our brethren at Carisiac for their inutility are also errour contrary unto truth and likewise other things concluded foolishly in the 19 Syllogisms of John Scot and glorious with no secular literature although it be boasted otherwise in which rather the argument of the Divel then any argument of the faith is found we discharge them altogether from the hearing of Beleevers and by the authority of the Holy Ghost we inhibit them that those and such things be altogether shunned and we do judge that introducers of new things should be corrected lest they be smitten more severely Ca. 5. We believe that it should be held firmly that all the multitude of the faithfull is regenerated by the water and the Spirit and thereby truly incorporated into the Church and according to Apostolical doctrine are baptized into the death of Christ and washed in his blood because neither could be true regeneration in them unless there were also true redemption seeing in the Sacraments of the Church nothing is in vain and nothing in mockage but altogether all things are true and relieth upon its truth and sincerity And yet of that multitude of the faithfull and redeemed some are saved by eternal salvation because through the grace of God they continue faithfully in their redemption hearing in their hearts the voice of their Lord Matth. 10. 24 Who continueth unto the end shall be saved and others because they would not continue in the salvation of faith which before they had received and did chuse rather to make the grace of redemption in vain through their wicked doctrine and life then to keep it attain no way to the fullness of salvation and possession of eternal blessedness Seeing in both we have the doctrine of the godly Doctour Whosoever are baptized into Christ are baptized into his death and All which are baptized into Christ have put on Christ and Let us draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and being washed in the body with clean water let us hold fast the profession of our hope without change And again For them which sin willingly after the received knowledge of the truth there remains no other sacrifice for sin and He that despised the Law of Moses ..... Ca. 6. Item of grace by which the Beleevers are saved and without which never any reasonable creature hath lived blessedly and of free-will which is weakned by sin in the first man but by the grace of Jesus Christ is renewed and healed in his Beleevers We beleeve constantly and with full faith the same that the most holy Fathers have left to be kept according to the authority of the Holy Scriptures what the Arausican and African Synods have professed what the blessed High-Priests of the Apostolical See have held in the Catholick faith and presuming to decline no way into another side concerning nature and grace But we reject altogether the foolish questions and almost the fable of old women and Scot's pottage which the purity of faith cannot disgest and which have miserably and lamentably arisen in these most dangerous and grievous times unto a heap of our labours and breach of charity lest Christian minds be corrupted and fall from the simplicity and purity of faith which is in Jesus Christ So far they What they say here of Scot's pottage they understand that Treatise of Iohn Scot and have borrowed the phrase from Jerom's Prologue on Ierem. lib. 1. speaking of Celestius a Disciple of Pelagius a Briton and not a Scot. And from this word Baronius ad An. 855. § 1. writes that this Synod was convened against some vagring Scots of whom Gotteschalk was the prime man and thereby hath brought not only his Binius
had made the death of Christ unprofitable unto themselves which certainly is horrible to be spoken and very lamentable seeing that death brought salvation unto many This was the mind of Basilius also and nevertheless we find in the Gospel That he might give his life a ransom for many to be expounded for all Cap. 10. Can never with these sacrifices which were offered year by year ..... If they being once offered had been available they should no more have been offered but when the oblation was made year by year and often it is clear that they were too weak for bringing salvation unto them who were desirous of it and therefore after the first offering followed another and again and again another for amongst Drugs that are called most valid and efficacious which being but once applied or drunken doth heal and cure but what must be often changed and applied hath the less vertue of healing and doth no good unto the sick But one may ask Do we not offer without blood Yea indeed but then we remember the death of Christ and we have but one oblation and not many seeing He is offered but once for we offer him continually or rather we remember his oblation even as if at this time He were sacrificed wherefore it is certain that we have but one sacrifice and the Law had many although as it is said before it was offered the oftner that it might be the more profitable unto many which nevertheless is far otherwise But our sacrifice as I have said is but one and once offered and continueth whole both in this life and that to come and it is more perfect for it is but one blood and once poured forth and one body although it was offered for many and it is not many as it is but one sacrifice which is offered for we do offer that continually as if it were present So far from Theophylact. But here some may object that Theophylact agreeth not with the Reformed Church in Theophâ—lact is vindicated many particulars It is true and therefore I say often we must make separation of the dross from the pure gold but his difference is supposed to be greater then it is Porsena in his Epistle unto the Reader before the Gospels saith Theophylact follows Chrysostom concerning free-will and faith and some other things and therefore in expounding some places he is somewhat more violent which I say that herein you should use discretion which knowest thy self to be addicted unto the Canonical Scriptures only and not to scar thee from reading of him as some are wont when any passage displeaseth they throw the book away So say I in reading of any book written by man we who are addicted to the holy Scriptures only must use discretion But it seemeth Porsena speaks not this unto Papists because they are not addicted to the holy Canonical Scriptures only and he saith that Theophylact is more violent in expounding some places where certainly Porsena understands that he crosseth the Tenets of the Romish Church But this may be more clear by particulars 1. Porsena hath often marked the margine with liberum arbitrium as if Theophylact did in point of free will there assert the Romish errour concerning free-will and I know that others do alledge his testimony against the doctrine of the Reformed Church howbeit he speak nothing against us nor for them as is clear by inspection of particular places On Luk. 15. fol. 103. on the margine is Liberum arbitrium and in the line is The substance of man is rational whereupon followeth free-will for all rational creatures have a free-will and the Lord hath given them reason that they may use it freely c. It is clear that Theophylact speaks there of the nature of man absolutely or without any relation to any particular condition of man before the fall or after the fall and he speaketh against the Stoicks and Manicheans which did hold that the actions of men were carried by fate or pressing necessity and therefore it follows there If God would have us to be compelled he had not made us rational and of a free-will On Ioh. 6. at the words Will ye also go away he saith The Lord saith not Go ye away for this had been to repel them but he asketh will ye go away whereby he makes it free whether they will follow him or not and he sheweth that he will not have them to follow him in fear On these words also hath Porsena fixed Liberum arbitrium As also on Mat. 16. at the words If any will follow me he saith to the same purpose The Lord saith If any will to shew free-will and not coacted vertue These and many more places are clearly spoken against the necessity of fate or coaction which now is not controverted But if you ask By what power is an unregenerated man converted he hath said it already on 2 Cor. 4. and Eph. 1 and 2. Or if you ask By what power doth a regenerate man continue in the faith and practise of godliness Theophylact teacheth that on Phil. 2. at the words For it is God who worketh in you both to will and to do Whereas he had said with fear and trembling now he saith that they need not fear for I have not spoken so that ye should despair but be the more wary for if ye take heed and be diligent God will make all perfect for it is he which makes you prompt to such a good will that we will good things and also bringeth such promptitudes of our mind unto an end for God worketh in us both the will that is he inableth you that ye desire good things and he will augment this good will and kindle it that it may be the more fervent ..... the Apostle takes not away free-will but willeth that we should alwaies give thanks unto God and committed all unto him Mark saith Theophylact but this manner of speaking he saith in you who work your salvation with fear and trembling for in such men which are willingly led unto good God worketh all things According to good will that is that it may be fullfilled in you what is acceptable unto God ..... for God will inable us to live rightly although it were no other cause but only this because so he willeth 2. It is objected that Theophylact and election by foreseen faith or works saith that election was made upon the fore-sight of faith and good works as on Eph. 1. it is When he saith He hath chosen he pointeth forth both the mercy of God and their vertue to wit whom God had separated as who were to be good I answer In these words Theophylact toucheth not the moving cause of election but only teacheth that God had chosen none but such as were to be good and godly and this he insists oft upon against them which held that faith or profession of faith is sufficient to salvation although men do not
assured that this is the mind of Theophylact because for confirmation he adds The Lord said The bread that I will give you is my flesh and on these words in Ioh. 6. he saith Note well that the bread which is eaten by us in the Sacrament is not only some figuration of the Lord's flesh but the same flesh of the Lord for he said not The bread that I will give is a figure of my flesh but it is my flesh for by mysterious words it is transformed by mystical blessing and accession of the Holy Ghost into the Lord's flesh And at the words Vnless ye eat the flesh of the Son of man he addeth When we hear unless ye eat the flesh of the Son of man ye shall not have life we must in taking the Divine mysteries or Sacrament hold undoubted faith and not ask what way for the natural man that is who follows human and natural thoughts is not capable of spiritual things which are above nature and so he understandeth not the spiritual eating of the Lord's flesh of which they who are not partakers are not partakers of eternal life because they have not received Iesus who is eternal life for it is not the flesh of a meer man but of God and is able to Deifie us to wit being united unto the God-head That flesh is also verily food because it indureth not for a little time nor can be corrupted as corruptible food but it is a help unto eternal life In these his words we see that he speaks not absolutely as he did seem to speak on Matthew but as he spoke on Mark The bread is not only some figuration and then he saith It is transformed by mystical blessing and accession of the Holy Ghost And then he saith In taking the Divine mysteries we must hold undoubted faith then they who have not faith undoubted cannot eat that mysterious Sacrament And we must not ask what way to wit as they do now whether the substance of the bread be turned into the substance of Christ's body or whether the substance of the bread is turned to nothing and Christ's body comes into the form of the bread or c. Theophylact is far from asserting any of these waies And when he saith That flesh is verily food because it indureth not for a little time nor can be corrupted he speaks not of the visible bread which experience teacheth to be corruptible but he speaks of the Lord's flesh which we receive by faith In a word then Theophylact speaks nothing of transubstantiation but rather against it and the Papists delude themselves and abuse his words A fourth thing they object out of Theophylact that he asserts the Primacy of Peter when he saith on Joh. 21 He who durst not ask concerning the Traitour but did commit the question unto another now the government of all is concredited unto him And on the margine Porsena addeth Praefectura omnium Petro tributa and it follows as if Christ were saying unto Peter Now I bring thee forth that thou mayest govern the world and follow me and on the margine Praeest Petrus orbi But to expound these words as if Peter were the only governour of the World and the government of the World were wholly concredited unto Peter alone is far contrary unto the words and mind of Theophylact as we have heard from him on Gal. 2. where he asserteth that Paul was equal unto him and on Matth. 16 where he asserteth that all the Apostles were of equal authority Peter therefore was a governour of the world but not the only governour for all the Apostles were as much governours as he in respect of power since the power was given unto them all with one and the same words as Theophylact asserts and whatsoever power they had yet they had no civil power because as we have heard from Theophylact on Rom. 13. all souls even Apostles must be subject unto the Civil Magistrate Neither do the words of Porsena insinuate so much as they would have for Praefectura and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is but a subordinate power and a little jurisdiction yea and for the most part a conjunct power as Praefectus urbis which at Rome were two conjunct and subordinate unto the power of the former So this is all the power which they can bring unto Peter from the words of Theophylact and we may see how in many particulars he differeth from the Tenets of the Romish Church and favoureth them not in the main things wherein they pretend to have his consent 4. Radulph a Benedictine of Flaviak in this Century writ 20 books on Leviticus and 14 books on the Epistles of Paul as witnesseth Gesner In the Preface on Levit. he saith Although it should move us not a little to beleeve that the world was contrary unto the faith and now is subject unto the faith and that the faith was declared by so many miracles and testified by the blood of so many Martyrs yet the singular ground of faith is in the Scriptures when it is clearly seen to be fulfilled in our daies which we know was prefigured and foretold so many years by the Sacraments of the Fathers and Oracles of the Prophets Here by the way note that not only Radulph but many others of the more ancient Fathers do use the word Sacrament for the rites of religion yea and for mysteries and very largely or homonymously Lib. 1. cap. 1. Our Lord Jesus Christ is our Altar because we lay our oblation on him for if we do any good thing we hope that by him it shall be accepted of the Father and therefore the Apostle Peter saith Offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable unto God through Jesus Christ ..... The authority of the Holy Scripture doth furnish unto us matter of holy thoughts Ibid. Scarcely can any good work be perfected without admission of some sin it is therefore to be feared lest when the reward of perfect devotion is expected the punishment of our guiltiness be required of us Lib. 2. cap. 2. That Angel is none other but our greatest High-Priest of whom we speak to wit he was sent by the Father unto men and sent again from men unto the Father to plead the causes of men before the Father he being the Mediatour of God and men Ibid. cap. 4 Whatsoever man can do for himself were no way sufficient to obtain forgiveness unless the immaculate sacrifice of that Just one did commend the repentance of sinners Lib. 5. cap. 3 When ye do any good thing ascribe not the very affection of godliness unto you as if ye could do it of your self for it is God which worketh in us at his good pleasure both to will and to perfect ..... he who ascribeth grace unto himself must necessarily lose grace for which he was not thankfull Lib. 6. cap. 3. He dieth who discovereth his head because while he expects salvation another way then by the grace of Christ he doth
that time was great contention in England between the Monks and Contention between Priests and Monks the Clergy whereas before all Cloisterers and Priests were called Clergy or Clarks but then they which did profess a single and more strict life were called Monks and Regulars and others were called Seculars This was so hot that where a Monkish Bishop had place Secular Priests were thrust out and likewise the Secular Bishops did with the Regulars During this difference Dunstan Arch-Bishop of Canterbury obtained from the Pope a Palle and a Bull to cast all the Priests who had wives out of some Monasteries which by consent of some other Bishops they had lately taken from the Monks Many did dispute and Preach against him Antonin hist tit 19. par 3. cap. 6. remembreth a Scot which did especially resist Dunstan and Alfred Prince of Mercia took part with the Priests Pol. Virgilius in histor Angl. writes that in a Synod it was debated and concluded that Priests should be restored and immediately a voice was heard from the wall whereon was the Image of Christ saying They think amiss who favour the Priests That was received as a Divine Oracle and the Priests were secluded from their Benefices and Monasteries They say None heard the words but the King and the Bishop and the Priests and their adherents became dumb and spoke no more But Sir Hen. Spelman in Concil pag. 491. shews that no mention is of this miracle in Florent Wigorn. who about that time writ the life of King Edgar and saith The Synod was dissolved because of a variance in the election of a new King and Hoveden writing next after Florent hath nothing of it All do agree that in this Synod the one part did maintain their liberty by testimonies of Scripture ancient Canons practise of the Church in all ages On the other side Dunstan advanceth the late Canons and the Papal Bull and when he saw that his Gorgon had no force and the Synod would determine of the Priests Ranulph hist lib. 2. cap. 11. saith that he raised the Divel to speak out of the Image these former words The adverse party protests to the contrary and would not consent because they knew that God would not work miracles for confirming errours contrary to his own word Catal. test ver lib. 11. Because at that time all did not agree the King sent into Scotland craving some learned men to be sent unto a Synod that was called for that cause Io. Bale Cent. 14. saith Fathard or as some call him Etheldrad possibly they were two singular for learning eloquence and authority went and in Synodo Calnensi did confirm the marriage of Priests by Scriptures and strong arguments to be lawfull that the Monks being blinded with the light shining so brightly had nothing to say against him Dunstan said he was old and could not attend such disputes and although ye seem to prevail it will not be for long space nor shall ye have your will and so by his art he caused the beams or joists of the house to fall some were killed many were wounded only Dunstan was safe with his chair that was fixed on a Pillar So the controversie was ended with Divelish cruelty Catal. test ver 6. In the end of this Century Elfrick Abbot of Malmsbury became Arch-Bishop of Canterbury by him a Sermon was appointed to be read publickly on Easter-day before they received the Communion It was Printed at London An. 1623 and afterwards at Aberdeen together with Bertram's treatise In it is written thus Men have often searched and yet do search So this was questioned before Berengarius how bread that is gathered of corn can The change of the elements in the Lord's Supper be turned into Christ's body and wine that is pressed out of many grapes is turned through one blessing into the Lord's blood The answer is made thus Some things be spoken by signification and some by things certain a true and certain thing it is that Christ was born of a Maid he is said to be bread by signification and a Lamb and a Lion he is called bread because he is our life he is said to be a Lamb for his innocency but yet Christ is not so by true nature neither bread nor a Lamb. Why then is the holy Housel or Sacrament called Christ's body or his blood if it be not truly what it is called without they be seen bread and wine both in figure and tast and they be truly after their hallowing Christ's body and blood through ghostly mystery .... Much is between the body of Christ wherein he suffered and the body which is hallowed to Housel truly the body wherein Christ suffered was born of the flesh of Mary with blood and bone with skin and sinews in human lims with a reasonable soul living but this ghostly body which we call the Housel is gathered of many corns without blood or bone without lim without soul and therefore nothing is to be understood there bodily but all ghostly Mark this distinction between the two bodies or the sign and the thing signified Whatsoever in that Housel gives substance of life that is of the ghostly might therefore is that Housel called a mystery because one thing is seen in it and another thing is understood that which is seen there hath bodily shape and that which we do understand hath ghostly might Certainly Christ's body which suffered death and rose again from the dead is eternal and impassible that Housel is temporal not eternal it is corruptible and dealed into several parts chewed between the teeth and sent down into the belly howsoever after ghostly might it is all in every part many receive that holy body and yet it is so all in every part after a ghostly mystery though some chew less yet there is no more might in the greater part then in the lesser because it is whole in all after the invisible might This mystery is a pledge and a figure Christ's body is the truth it self we keep this pledge mystically untill we come to the truth it self and then is this pledge ended Truly it is as we have said Christ's body and blood not bodily but ghostly and ye ought not to search how it is done but to hold in your beleef that it is so done So there It is true in that homily are some suspicious words as it speaks that the Mass is profitable unto the quick and dead and a report of two miracles but are judged to be an addition because they stand in that place unfitly and thâ— matter without them both before and after doth agree most orderly and these purposes are different from the scope of the Authour The same Author hath two other Treatises one directed to Wulfsin Bishop of Shirburn and another to Wulfstan Bishop of York in both which he hath the same doctrine of the Sacrament saying That lively bread is not bodily so nor the self-same body wherein
president or record of it in writing it is plain that the Apostles left liberty unto every man at his own discretion without fear compulsion or constraint to addict himself unto what seemed good and commendable We know for certain that this diversity of fasting is rife throughout the world so far Socrates Before him Theodoret on Rom. 14. at the words Let every one abound in his own sense saith He speaks not generally but of meat onely he gives liberty unto every one for this Custom continues unto this day in the Churches that one abstains and another eats any meat without scruple neither doth the one condemn the other but this law of concord makes them the more famous and laudable And Eusebius Hist li. 5. c. 26. repeats the Epistle of Iraenaeus unto Victor Bishop of Rome saying Neither is this difference of the day onely but of the maner of fasting some think they should fast one day some two some more some forty and telling the hours of the night and day neither began this variety in our time but long before yet for all this variety they held unity one with another and as yet we retain it for this varity of fasting commends the unity of faith They who before Soter were Bishops of that See I mean Anicetus Pius Higin Telesphorus and Xistus did not observe it themselves nor did they publish any such president unto posterity and though they kept not that Custom they held unity with others who came unto them from other Churches c. Indeed Caranza in Summ. Concil hath a Decree as of Telesphorus to wit We Decree that seven full weeks before Easter all Clerks that is who are called into the Lot of the Lord should fast from flesh because as the life of Clerks should be different from the conversation of Lay men so there should be a difference in their fasting Observe the time is here appointed seven full weeks and it is enjoyned unto Clerks onely nor is any thing forbidden but flesh But how can this Decree stand with the words of Irenaeus or with the practice of Rome in the days of Socrates In the first Council at Orleance and that was about the time of the Nicen and a National is such an Act concerning Priests onely Augustine in Epist 86. saith If you ask my opinion in this I resolving it in my minde do see in the writings of the Evangelists and Apostles fasting is commanded but upon what days we should fast or not fast I do not see it defined by precept of our Lord or his Apostles so he Bellarmin De bon oper li. 2. c. 15. saith It seems a wondrous difference was among the Antients in keeping of Lent Nevertheless Pope Gregory had a precedent for Eusebius Hist li. 5. c. 16. saith Montanus condemned marriage and eating of flesh and also he kept three fasts yearly whereof one was two weeks before Easter It is also to be marked that whatsoever necessity be laid on keeping of Lent yet a man may have a dispensation from his Priest for a small sum of money as the Papal Chancelary directeth 10. Peter Damian Bishop of Oscia wrote a Book De Correctione Episcopi Some fruits of Bishops are noted Papae it is in Catal. test ver lib. 12. There he sharply rebukes the arrogance of Bishops which will live as they list without subjection unto censure albeit the Prophet David did not spurn at the admonition of the Prophet Nathan and Samuel though suffering wrong did not refuse the censure of the people of Israel and albeit Peter was endowed with such graces yet he was subject to the censure of others Act. 1. and when he was rebuked by Paul he did not quarrel but took it in good part because he well understood it was not of malice but in love But saith he now they say I am a Bishop I should not be rebuked by my sheep they must be silent whatsoever be my carriage c. He concludes Therefore let this pernicious Custom be abolished by Ecclesiastical discipline away with this deceitful subterfuge that he who pretends so malepert arrogancy may not enjoy his sin with immunity In an Epistle unto Udalrik Bishop of Firma he reproves the Popes that they do contrary unto that which they are commanded to teach for they should exhort all men unto patience and toleration of injuries and forbid vindictive contentions But now saith he what Bishops should exhort others to do they themselves will not do Christ commands to forgive thy brother seventy times in a day the King may use the temporal sword but a Priest should use onely the sword of the Spirit which is God's Word If for maintaining the faith Priests should not carry iron weapons how then see we armies of them rising against one another for earthly things But so it is fulfilled what the Apostle writes When they preach to others themselves are found to be reprobates 11. About the year 1072. at Nantes in low Bretanny a Letter was Opposition against Gregory VII and description of the Church at that time presented unto a Clerk as directed from hell in it Satan and all that fry gave thanks unto all Church-men because they were not deficient unto his and their pleasures and by negligence of preaching they sent so many souls unto hell as no age preceding had seen so many Mat. Parisi ad ann 1072. Cardinal Benno testifieth that none of Hildebrand's Cardinals would at first subscribe the excommunication of the Emperor Henry and he hath a large Catalogue of Cardinals Bishops and Deacons who left the Pope and would never return unto him so that as he saith the Church was divided the one party pretending the Authority of the Pope and the other accusing them and their Pope that he and they taught and did contraray unto the Scriptures and primitive Church He addes that he and his Successor Turban had presumed to violate the Decrees of Chalcedon namely in baptising and communicating without the Church But saith he as Eusebius alone defending the unity of the Church against Liberius proved him to be an Heretique and by his refusing to communicate with him did binde him with the keys so much more is Hildebrand persevering in this error condemned unto hell by the departing of so many Fathers from the Roman Church and who accurse his Heresies and abuses of the power of binding and loosing Then he hath a large description of Hildebrand and his disciples saying Let the Prophets be astonished at the voice of Peter and his disciples they are men in face and scorpions in tail wolves lurking in sheep-skins killing bodies and dedestroying souls their Religion is nothing but treachery and covetousness they haunt widows and lead women captives who are loaden with sins by occasion of times they give heed to the spirit of error and doctrine of divels which their Master Hildebrand hath received from his Masters Theophylact or Pope Benedict IV. Laurence Bishop of
Book Castigatio in Ecclesiasticum Ordinem he distinguisheth Church-men into Bishops or Priests as he speaketh and the Clerks of the first sort he expoundeth the first part of the third Chapter of 1 Tim. and he expoundeth the second part of the Clerks and from that Chapter he convinceth them both He nameth no other degree of Church-men but certainly he had named them if any other had been among them because he speaketh so distinctly of the several ranks of men both in State and Church He calleth the first sort oftest Sacerdotes simply but never Episcopos unless he add sive Sacerdotes The book is in Bibliotheca Patrum de la Bigne We may conclude then the ancient Britans had no Church-men above the degree of Priest-hood Now if that were added which followeth in this Chapter concerning Ireland we have found four National Churches that have been governed without Prelates to wit the Affrican ancient Britan the Scots and Irish some for the space of 500. years yea untill the Britans were subdued by the English and some for the space of 1000. or 1100. years And we have found that there was a Church-Council consisting partly of Rulers who were not Teachers besides that Ambrose and others testifie that such were every where Yea and in Rome it is most probable that the first Teachers Of the first Bishops of Rome were of equal Authority I say probable because Histories are not clear in this point Epiphanius Haeres 27. saith Peter and Paul were the first Bishops there but whether Linus and Cletus were Bishops there while the Apostles were alive I cannot well say It may be saith he because the Apostles went into other Nations to preach and Rome could not be without a Bishop for Paul went into Spain and Peter did oft visit Pontus and Bithynia and possibly when Clemens had refused I cannot say it certainly and Linus and Cletus were dead he was compelled to take the Bishoprick So conjunctuarily writeth Epiphanius Jerome in Catalog Scriptor saith Clemens was the fourth Bishop and he nameth Peter but not Paul Linus and Cletus but saith he many Latins say Clemens was next unto Peter Theodoret on 1 Tim. 4. saith They say Linus did succeed unto great Peter Io. Naucler in vol. 2. Generat 3. saith In the year of our Lord 70. Linus succeeded unto blessed Peter although blessed Peter had ordained that Clemens should succeed but Clemens considering that it was an ill example that one should succeed his Successor he renounced the Papacy and Linus was chosen then Cletus and fourthly Clemens Rufinus in praefa before Clemen Rocognit saith Some do ask seeing Linus and Cletus were Bishops of Rome before Clemens how could Clemens writing unto James say that Peter had given unto him the Chair of Teaching we have this reason of it Linus and Cletus were Bishops of Rome before Clemens but while Peter was alive they had the charge of the Bishoprick and Peter fulfilled the Office of Apostleship Dion Petavius a Jesuit in Rationa par 1. lib. 5. cap. 5. saith When Peter was killed by Nero Linus governed the Church of Rome as ancient writers affirm and they assign unto him eleven years two moneths and some days so that he died in the year 78. Unto him succeeded Cletus whom Irenaeus calleth Anacletus and he sat twelve years and seven moneths and suffered martyrdom ann 91. and Clemens was his Successor The Jesuit Io. Hart in Collog cum Io. Reynold c. 6. se 4. affirmeth That Peter before his death ordained onely Clemens to be his Successor Others have other opinions as it is in Collog ca. cit se 3. therefore I said Histories are uncertain in this point albeit a great part of the Romish faith is grounded upon it but it is most probable that Clemens Linus Cletus and Anacletus were Sympresbyters and the writers in following Ages speaking conformable to their own practice do name some one and some another But it is more certain that others were the first preachers of equal Authority at Rome then that any of these four were the first preachers there That Peter or Paul were Bishops of Rome it is not probable because they were Apostles and did the work of their Apostleship and the Scripture sheweth their diligence from time to time and it is certain that in the mean while other preachers were at Rome whom Paul saluteth Rom. 16. Aquila Epenaetus Andronicus Junias c. these he calleth of note among the Apostles and his fellow-laborers in the Lord. Sedulius saith Whom he calleth fellow-laborers he meaneth in the work of teaching and it is not without reason thought that the Romans believed by their teaching Ambrose or whoever was the Author of the Commentaries saith Those were not idle at Rome for they were zealous in devotion And it is understood that all those whom Paul saluteth came for confirmation of the Romans for which cause he saith that not onely he but all the Churches of the Gentiles give them thanks and he admonisheth the Romans to obey them In 2 Tim. 4. Paul mentioneth Linus to have been at Rome at that time and in the same verse he nameth others before him to wit Eubulus and Pudens which he would not have done if Linus had been their Prelate Wherefore there was a Church at Rome before Peter or Paul came thither as Paul writeth unto them as a constituted Church and testifieth that their faith was spoken of throughout the world c. 1. 8. and their obedience was come abroad unto all men It is certain also that they had many Preachers and other Officers to whom he directeth chap. 12 6 7 8. nor can any man prove that those Preachers had superiority one over another therefore it deserveth consideration Whether the Roman Church was not once constituted with purity of Teachers and Whether the Church of Antioch was not of the like constitution See and consider Acts 13. 1. and many Elders or Bishops were at Ephesus Acts. 20. 17 28. and so at Thessalonica 1 Thess 5. 12. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Revel 2. will not prove any imparity seeing it is attributed unto all Priests generally Mat. 2. 7. and the the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is too weak a foundation for such a building seeing it implieth not always a singularity but often an indefinite thing and answereth unto our particle a or an oftner then unto the particle the and so it may well be translated there To an Angel seeing many Bishops were at Ephesus And this putteth the question out of all doubt to me that as the Scripture is the first and main foundation commanding to Ordain Elders or Bishops these are one in Scripture-language in every Church Acts 14. 23. or in every Town Tit. 1. 5. Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Clemens Bishop of Rome in his Epistle ad Corinth So for Practice and History it cannot be shewed that when the constant Moderators were appointed under the name of
Tribute and understand it as an indignity unto himself and his Realm The Pope was moved with the argument of his purse and restored the Bishop to his own and gave him a Palle Such was the custom in those days and until this present time in Germany France and Spain that albeit the Prince do principally name the Bishops yet they cannot be admitted unless they go to Rome for their Palle which custom is a burden to the Nations and bingeth no small gain to Rome Cumi Ventura in Thes Polit. Discepta de Vrbe Rom. 8. In this Century as reckoneth Sir Hen. Spelman in Concil were compiled Ecclesiastical Laws the Ecclesiastical Laws which go under the name of Aelfrick unto Wulfin Bishop among which are these I say unto you Priests I will not suffer your negligence in your Ministery but in truth I tell you what is ordained for Priests Christ himself hath given an example of Christian institution and purity of life or chastity therefore all who will walk with him in his way have forsaken all earthly things not looking unto their wives wherefore he saith in his Gospel Who hateth not his wife is not worthy to be my disciple C. II. After the ascension of Christ the departure of his Venerable Apostles so great a persecution was raised on earth that the Ministers of God could not meet in a Synod because the heathens lay in wait for them until Constantine having the Government of the earth became a Christian In many words there is condemned the marriage of Bishops and Priests and also second marriage and then C. X. it is said There be seven degrees in the Church Ostiarius Lector Exorcista Acoluthus Sub-Diaconus Diaconus Presbyter C. XVII Presbyter is the Missal Priest or Elder not for his age but ancient wisdom it is his office to consecrate the body of the Lord in the Sacrament even as our Savior hath ordained he should lead the people into the faith both by preaching and exercising the holy Ministery chastely being a pattern unto Christians and not living after the maner of Laicks There is no difference twixt a Bishop and a Priest but that a Bishop is appointed to give ordination and to visit or have care of things belonging unto God which may not be permitted unto the multitude they have both the same Order albeit in this respect the Bishop is more worthy C. XVIII There is no other Order in the Ministery of the Church but these seven Monks and Abbots are of another sort and not to be reckoned with them nor have they the name of any order and nevertheless they are called holy Orders and they lead the souls of their Priests unto blessedness if they abide holy C. XXIII A Presbyter or Mass-Priest should on Sundays and Mass-days teach the People in English the understanding of the Gospel and the Lord's Prayer and the Creed and that they learn the Creed or Christian Confession by heart as the Lord commandeth by the Prophet saying They are dumb dogs that cannot bark they must therefore bark and exhort the People lest we destroy them for want of teaching C. XXVII A Presbyter should not sell his Ministery C. XXVIII Nor pass from one Church to another for gain C. XXIX Nor be a drunkard C. XXX Nor a Merchant nor a Lawyer nor bear weapons The same Author hath a Letter of Pope Nicolaus unto King Edward called the Confessor where it is said It is clear that the Kings of England for their reverence and devotion which they have given to blessed Peter have flourished in glory and honor and by his defense they have obtained glorious triumphs by the merits of which blessed Apostle the Almighty God may bring to pass your desire and confirm unto you the Empire of your Fathers Kingdom We commit unto you and the Kings your Successors the advocation and maintaining of that place speaking of the Abbey of Westminster that Edward had re-builded and enlarged and of all the Churches in all England that in our place Vice Nostra Note here He would have the King to be his Vicar and not alone but Ye with the advice of Bishops and Abbots may ordain every where things that are just knowing that for these things you shall receive reward from Him whose Kingdom and Empire shall have no end The same Author page 571. saith The Ecclesiastical Laws of Maccabaeus King of Scots Note here an error in the name Maccabaeus for Macbeth of whom Buchanan saith lib. 7. In the beginning he made good Laws both many and useful which now are not known or are neglected taken out of his Register are these One who is entered into Orders call thou not before a profane Judge if he be summoned and appear do not thou judge him but remit him unto the holy Rulers Give willingly the tenth part of all the fruits of the ground unto the Pastors of the Churches and worship God continually with vows and oblations Who being accursed shall contemn the Authority of the Church for a whole year and shall not reconcile himself let him be accounted an enemy of the Realm and if he continue two years in that contumacy let him be forfaulted of all his goods If any shall accompany as a servant another man by whose charges he is not dayly sustained either unto the Church or publique Convention or a Market let him want the head Boet. Hist li. 12. hath these and others of his Civil Laws 9. Anselm an Italian was transported against his will as saith M. Fox in Act. from the Abbey Becheloin in Normandy unto the See of Canterbury This is he who said He had rather be in hell without sin then in heaven with sin A man of special note in his time for as Gul. Malmesbu de gest Anglo pontif li. 1. reporteth when the Greeks disputed at Barri against Pope Urban concerning the procession of the holy Ghost the Pope cried aloud Father and Master Anselm where are you come now and defend your Mother the Church And when they brought him into presence Urban said Let us take him into our world as the Pope of the other world He wrote many books The doctrine of faith in Century XI which to this day are commonly in hands and declare the doctrine of the faith as it was then professed In the general is a remarkable passage in lib. 1. epist 68. according to the Edition of the Jesuit The. Raynaud directed unto Lanfranc saying Concerning those things which are said in that little book you do by a wise and wholesome advice admonish to consider more exactly in the ballance of the minde and to confer with the Learned in their holy books and where reason faileth to confirm them by divine Authority I have done so both before and since I have received your fatherly and loving admonition so far as I could for that was my intention through all that disputation to assert nothing at all but what I saw undoubtingly might be
defended by the Canonical Scriptures and the sayings of blessed Augustine Observe here he whom the Pope calleth his Father and Master dependeth upon the Canonical Scriptures and upon Augustine and not upon the Pope nor thinketh upon that which now they call The casket of the Pope's breast I have also observed in his Epistles written unto the Popes Urban and Paschalis that he calleth them the Reverend high Priest of the Catholique Church and he saith your Highness your Majesty but he never saith your Holiness he calleth them the Vicar of St. Peter but never the Vicar of Christ nor in any place can I finde that he speaketh of any priviledge of Peter above the other Apostles and in the contrary in Comment on Mat. 16. he saith It is to be noted that this power was not given to Peter alone but as Peter answered one for all so in Peter he gave this power unto them all On Rom. 9. Seeing by the free-will of the first man all men fell into condemnation certainly it is not to be ascribed unto mans righteousness which is not before grace but unto the onely mercy of God that any of them are made vessels of honor but that any of them are vessels of wrath it should not be imputed unto the iniquity of God which is not but unto his justice He is Potter which of the same lump altogether corrupt in Adam maketh at his own pleasure some vessels unto honor in his mercy and others unto shame in his justice On 1 Cor. 1. The grace of God is given unto us through our Lord Jesus Christ and not through Peter or Paul grace is given by Jesus Christ because it is so appointed by God that whosoever believeth in Jesus Christ shall be saved not by works but by faith onely and freely receive the forgiveness of his sins On Rom. 10. Seeing hearing is of grace another grace is also necessary which may move the heart because the word of the Teacher outwardly availeth nothing if God do not inwardly touch the hearers heart On Chap. 14. He shall stand because God is able to make him stand for not he himself but God is able to make him stand for he who falleth falleth by his own will but by the will of God he standeth who standeth and riseth who riseth On 1 Cor. 4. Who hath discerned thee he saith this because of the mass of corruption which was by Adam none but God discerneth man that he is made a vessel unto honor But a man who is carnal and vainly puft up when he heareth Who hath discerned thee might answer by voice or thought and say My faith or my prayer or my righteousness hath discerned me The Apostle preveeneth such thoughts and saith What hast thou that thou hast not received God was the cause why thou wast and art thou the cause why thou art good Away for if God hath been the cause why thou wast and another hath been the cause why thou art good he is better which hath made thee good then he who made thee But none is better then God therefore thou hast received from God both that thou art and that thou art good On Hebr. 10. This true Priest did not offer often or many sacrifices but one offering which alone is sufficient for the sins of all believers after that he had fulfilled the obedience of his suffering sitteth his sacrifice was of such perfection and efficacy that it is needless to be offered again for the sins of any and albeit we offer it dayly that is but the remembrance of his suffering The Iesuit Raynaud denieth these Commentaries to be Anselm's albeit he cannot deny that in many Editions they go under his name nor can he bring any argument out of the Commentaries to prove what he saith and once he alledgeth that the Commentary on Matthew is Anselm's Bishop of Laudun and again he guesseth it to be Willielm Parisiens but this is an easie way to reject any Book But these testimonies agree with his other works which the Jesuit acknowledgeth and hath published That on Matth. 16. I finde not in them yet whereas he hath said in li. 1. ep 68. that he accordeth with the Canonical Books and with Augustine see then what Augustine saith on Ioh. Tract 124. As for Peter himself properly he was but one man by nature one Christian by grace one and the first Apostle by more abounding grace but when it was said I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt binde on he did signifie the whole Church which is founded upon the rock from which Peter had his name for the rock was not named from Peter but Peter from the rock as Christ was not named from a Christian but a Christian from Christ therefore the Church which is founded on Christ received from him the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven that is the power of binding and loosing sins for what the Church is in Christ by propriety Peter is in the rock by signification And ibi Tract 7. In the name of Peter the Church was signified In many other places doth Augustine speak in that maner denying that power to have been given to Peter but as a member of the Church and at that time speaking in the name of all the Apostles or Church as that Commentary saith Concerning free-will and grace Anselm speaketh often and copiously I shall name but one in Tractat. de Concordia grat lib. arbi c. 13. Without doubt the will willeth not rightly unless it be right for as the sight is not quick or sharp because it seeth sharply but therefore it seeth sharply because it is sharp so the will is not right because it willeth rightly but it willeth rightly because it is right Now when it willeth righteousness certainly it willeth rightly Therefore it willeth not righteousness but because it is right I deny not that a right will willeth righteousness which it hath not when it willeth more then it hath but this I say it cannot will that righteousness if it have not righteousness by which it may will it Let us now consider whether any not having this righteousness can in any way have it of himself Certainly he cannot have it of himself but either by willing or not willing but by willing no man is able to attain it of himself because he cannot will it unless he have it and that any not having the righteousness of will can by himself attain it by not willing no mans minde can conceive therefore a creature can by no means have it of it self but neither can a creature have it from another creature for as a creature cannot save another creature so it cannot give that by which it may save it It followeth then that no creature hath that righteousness of will but by the grace of God But I have proved before that this righteousness may be kept by free-will therefore by the gift of God we have
Scripture so many as are predestinated unto life are they not called Kings and Priests therefore what God hath conjoyned let no man put asunder but rather what divine Authority hath ordained mans will should endeavor to fulfil and they should joyn in hearts who are conjoyned in ordinances let them cherish one another defend other mutually and bear one anothers burthens The wise man saith A brother aiding a brother both shall be comforted but if they bite one another which God forbid both shall come into desolation Let not my soul come into their counsels which say That either the peace and freedom of the Church is hurtful unto the Crown or the prosperity and exaltation of the Crown is hurtful unto the Church for God the Author of them both hath conjoyned them not to destruction but to edification If ye know this how long will ye dissemble the common contumely and common injury Is not Rome as the Apostolical Seat so also the head of the Empire therefore though I would not speak of the Church is it the honor of the King to have an headless Empire I know not what the wise men and Princes of the Kingdom do advise you herein but though I speak imprudently I will not be silent in what I do judge The Chuch of God from the beginning even till these times hath been oft afflicted and oft delivered it is her voice They have often afflicted me from my youth but they could not prevail against me Be sure O King that neither now will the Lord leave the rod of the wicked upon the back of the righteous the hand of the Lord is not shortned nor become unable to help At this time he will deliver his Spouse which he hath redeemed by his blood endowed with his spirit furnished with heavenly gifts and nevertheless enriched with earthly things He will deliver I say again he will deliver but if by the hand of another let the Princes of the Kingdom consider whether this be to the honor and advantage of the King certainly not Wherefore gird thy sword O most mighty and let Caesar recover unto himself what is Caesar's and unto God what is God's Vtrumque interesse Caesaris constat undoubtedly both these appertain to Caesar to maintain his own Crown and to defend the Church the one becometh the King and the other the Advocate of the Church The victory as we trust in the Lord is at hand the Romans are more arrogant then potent for what did ever any great or mighty Emperor or King presume so vile a thing both against Crown and Priest-hood but this cursed and tumultuous people which cannot measure their strength nor think on the end nor consider the event in their foolishness and fury durst attempt so great sacriledge the temerity of the multitude cannot stand for a moment before the King's face c. I will not here add observations Bellarmin de Ro. Pont. l. 2. c. 31. The original of the title â—icar of Christ alledgeth That Bernard did first give unto the Pope the Title Vicar of Christ It was not from the beginning so but the Cardinal mistaketh it Bernard was not the first if Platina do truly report the words of Gregory VII he used this Title before him and according to the language of the Court at that time Bernard giveth this Title unto all Priests even from whom all iniquity procedeth as he speaketh in festo Convers Pauli ser 1. and giveth unto Eusebius both this and loftier Titles for lib. 2. de Consider he calleth him The Great Priest the Prince of Bishops the Heir of the Apostles Abel in Primacy in Government Noah in Patriarchship Abraham in Order Melchisedek in Dignity Aaron in Authority Moses in Iudging Samuel in Power Peter in Vaction Christ here is a rhapsody of glorious Titles and he addeth these passages of Scripture that are wrested to maintain the ambition of the man of sin but whether he speak so in derision or according to his own minde it may be judged by his words following immediately but first see what he And confuted by Bernard at large said a little before What hath the holy Apostle left in legacy unto thee he saith What I have I give thee What is it One thing I know it is not silver nor gold seeing he said Silver and gold have I not If thou happen to have it use it according to the time and not at thy pleasure so use them as not abusing them seeing these in respect of the souls good are neither good nor ill but the use of them is good the abuse ill the care of them is worse and seeking is filthier by whatsoever way thou may have them certainly thou hast them not by title of the Apostle for he could not give what he had not what he had that he gave the care of all the Churches Gave he Lordly power hear himself Not domineering over the people but being an example of the flock And lest you think he said so in humility onely and not in truth the Lord saith in the Gospel The Kings of the earth have dominion but not ye so It is clear dominion is forbidden unto the Apostles Go then and take if thou darest either Apostleship if thou be a Lord or dominion if thou be Apostolical thou art clearly forbidden to do either of the two if thou wilt have them together thou shalt lose them both or else think not thy self to be excepted from those of whom God complaineth saying They have reigned but not by me they were Princes and I knew them not And if thou wilt reign without God thou hast glory but not with God We see what is forbidden now hear what is commanded Who is the greater among you let him be as the yonger and he that is chief as he that serveth There is the model of an Apostle dominion is forbidden and serving is commanded which is commended also by example of the Law-Giver for it followeth I am in the midst of you as he who serveth Bernard there hath many things to this purpose and after he hath mentioned these former Titles and prerogatives he saith I have spoken of who thou art but forget not what consider what thou wast and now art why wilt thou not behold what thou canst not cease to be Indeed it is one thing what thou wast and art and another who thou art â—ecome the one must not be forgot in searching thy self for thou art what thou wast and thou art not less after thou art become such and perhaps more thou wast born that and changed this but not changed into this the former is not cast off but this is added If thou consider what remember thy nature thou wast born a man if thou ask who thou art a Bishop this thou art made and not born which of these thinkest thou nearest or chiefest unto that thou art made or that thou wast born is not that thou wast born therefore I advise thee to
they are letcherous in such a maner that they have not broken any bond of marriage Ibid. cap. 3. It is not possible that any of these whom God hath predestinated unto the Crown can lose their Crown it may be and it hath come to pass that some lose the Crown whom God hath called by a visible calling or which might have been heard by man Ibid. lib. 6. cap. 11. Excepting the Apostles whatsoever other thing afterwards is said let it be cut off neither have any authority therefore albeit after the Apostles there be any holy man how wise soever he be let him not have that authority seeing the Lord speaketh in the Scriptures Ibid. lib. 11. cap. 20. Possibly one will say Since Christ overcame death and ascended into the heavens doth he descend thence again surely he descendeth but invisibly all the world hath heard his descending when a sound was heard from heaven as of the Spirit coming and filled the house where they were sitting did not Christ then descend from heaven Is the substance or Majesty of the Son separated from the Spirit that when the holy Ghost descendeth the Son of God descendeth not also certainly he descendeth not in the form of his manhood yet undoubtedly he descendeth in his uncircumscribed Deity or in the Spirit that he giveth and he descendeth to visit the Nations by his Messengers whom he inspireth 9. Bernard in Epist 56. ad Gaufrid Episco Carnot writeth that Notbert Praemonstratensis did teach that Antichrist was before the doors and to be revealed in the same age Within these few days saith Bernard there I obtained to see this mans face and I learned many things from an heavenly fistule to wit from his mouth Behold what account this Author made of him who spake thus Hen. Oraeus in Nomenclat saith this Notbert was the beginner of the Order of Monks in the Diocy of Magdeburgh Pol. Vergil de inven rer lib. 7. cap. 3. calleth him a Priest of Lorrain and saith that he began that most exact Order after the rule of Augustinians as also in that Chapter and the preceeding he sheweth that sundry others seeing about that time that the Monastical institutions were not observed men becoming always worse and worse and godliness was corrupted by riches quae pietas ut mater illas à principio Ordini pepererat quotidie sunt qui ignaviae suae potius quà m religioni consulant therefore they would reform the Order and added some new Rites for distinction from others of the same Order who were become looser and by these means the number of Orders were multiplied 10. Theodoricus Abbot of St. Trudo at Leodium about the year 1120. said Simon Magus now reigneth at Rome and not Simon Peter and Simony is in place of the Gospel what may we not have if we have money In Catal. test verit lib. 14. are some of his verses concerning the Government of the Church he saith Vt Mopso Nisa corvo datur ecâ—e columba Qualis pullus erit quem fert commixtio talis Hence it appeareth that good men at that time bewailed the wretched condition of the Church 11. Hugo de S. Victore by Nation a Saxon and Abbot of S. Victor at Paris was in great account about the year 1130. His works are extant in three Tomes In one place he saith The Clerks of our time know not the Law nor learn they it but they study vanity ease surfeiting and drunkenness they are often in the streets seldom in the Churches slow to search the faults of sinners and ready to follow the trace of hares they give more bread to dogs then to the poor their beds are better arayed then the altars the barking of dogs and lowing of oxen is more pleasant unto God then the singing of such Clerks their preaching may be dispised whose life is contemned Of our communion with Christ he saith on Iohn 6. The Lord shewing a difference betwixt the bread he gave and which they did eat in the wilderness saith I am the bread of life for he is the bread wherewith an hungry soul is refreshed which is when true faith embraceth him for by faith we love him and by love we are united unto Christ which is our life therefore this spiritual bread is eaten by faith even without Sacramental eating and is profitable unto salvation dayly we have need of this bread while this present life endureth and so said Augustine Why preparest thou thy teeth and stomach believe and thou hast eaten On Chapter 20. he saith Whose sins ye forgive i. e. whose sins are forgiven by you God also forgiveth them this is spoken generally not onely unto the Apostles as some say this is the prerogative of the Apostles but it is spoken and granted unto all their successors On Rom. 3. The written Law is called the Law of works because men under the Law thought that all their righteousness was in the works of the Law but the Law of Faith and Grace is so called because men under Grace set the sum and efficacy of their salvation on Grace onely knowing that as no man is saved by righteousness of his works so none is justified by works of his righteousness for righteousness is not of good works but good works are of righteousness On Chapter 4. If man had not sinned he should have had perfect righteousness which consisteth in the perfect fulfilling of God's commands so that he should have had no lust against reason and he might have loved God with all his heart but after sin and for sin man cannot have this perfect righteousness unto which eternal life is justly due but God of his grace giveth faith unto man and of the same grace reputeth it for that perfection as if he had the perfection of righteousness De Scriptura Scriptor Sacris cap. 1. he saith That Scripture onely is truly called Divine which was from the Spirit of God and written by those who spoke by God's Spirit that maketh a man divine and reformeth him according to the image of God by teaching to know him and by exhorting to love him whatsoever is taught therein is truth whatsoever is commanded is good and whatsoever is promised is blessedness for God is truth without falshood goodness without wickedness and blessedness without misery In cap. 6 7. All Divine Scripture is contained in the Old and New Testaments and when he hath divided the Old Testament into the Law Prophets and Hagiographa and hath reckoned the Books that are in the Hebrew Canon he addeth There be also other Books as Wisdom the Books of Syracides Judith Tobias and the Maccabees that are read indeed but are not rolled in the Canon Catol test ver lib. 15. Likewise De Sacramentis fidei lib. 1. cap. 28. If it be asked What is original sin in us It is a corruption or vice by which in our birth we draw ignorance in our minde and concupiscence in the flesh And cap. 19. In the
parts thereof Did not Bernard or whosoever was the Author of that Sermon say unto the Councel That the Imposthume was spread through all the body of the Church from the sole to the top the Bride was spoiled and even they which were called the Bridegrooms of the Church were not the friends of the Bridegroom And did not the Councel so far take with this rebuke that some Acts were made for Reformation but no Reformation did follow 14. Before I do leave Bernard here I do add an History from P. Soave in How the worship given unto the blessed Virgin came up by degrees Histor Conc. Triden lib. 2. concerning the degrees of the worship which is given unto the Virgin Mary After the impieties saith he of Nestorius dividing Christ making two sons and denying that he who was born of the Virgin Mary is God the Church desirous to ingraft this Catholique truth in the mindes of believers thought good to repeat often in the Churches both of the East and West these two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Mary the Mother of God This indeed was appointed for the honor of Christ but by little and little it was communicated unto the Mother and at last referred altogether unto her alone Upon the same ground when the use of Images became frequent they were wont to paint the babe Christ in the arms of his Mother the Virgin to testifie the worship which was due unto him even in that age but quickly they began to worship the Mother without the Son and he was added as a pendicle of the picture Thereafter Writers and Preachers especially who were given to speculation being miscarried with the wilfulness of the people which is powerful in such things as with a land-flood did omit the remembring of Christ and with earnestness strove to devise now praises epithets and sorts of religious worship unto the blessed Virgin So that about the year 1050. they devised for her honor the dayly Office which is distinguished into seven Canonical hours after the same maner as in former times it was wont to be done to the honor of God In one hundred years next following the veneration grew so that it seemed to have come unto the height those titles being given unto her which in the Scriptures are spoken of the Divine wisdom Among the priviledges then devised was that of universal freedom from original sin which opinion had been in the mindes onely of some private persons but was not yet come among the Ceremonies of the Church nor into the mindes of the learned About the year 1136. the Canons of Lions durst first bring it into the Service of the Church S. Bernard flourishing at that time for piety and learning before all the Divines of that age and so immoderate in the praises of the blessed Virgin that in some place he calleth her The neck of the Church as if by her all grace did flow from the Head nevertheless he sharply writeth against these Canons that without reason and without example of former times they had brought in so dangerous a novelty he confesseth that they had matter enough to commend the blessed Virgin but such ambitious novelty which is the mother of fondness the sister of superstition and daughter of levity could not please her In that Epistle of Bernard it is remarkable which P. Soave toucheth not that the Canons did alledge they had a writ of revelation for them Bernard dispiseth that saying Even as if any man could not produce a writ wherein the Virgin may seem to command to give the same worship unto her parents according to the word of God saying Honor thy father and mother I perswade my self easily to give no credit unto such writs that are not confirmed by reason nor certain Authority c. I say this is remarkable that Bernard did reject their pretended revelations as a means whereby they might have been deceived not in that onely but in other things and so I return unto the former History In the next age saith P. Soave the Scholastick Doctors of both Orders Franciscans and Dominicans did by their writs refute this opinion until the year 1300. when Iohannes Scotus a Franciscan having examined the reasons of this question diligently did at last flie unto the power of God and said God could do that she was never in sin or that she was obnoxious unto sin for a moment of time onely or for a short time and onely God knoweth which of the three was true but the first is most probable unless it be against the Authority of the Church or Scriptures The doctrine of this School-man famous in his time did all the Franciscan Friers follow for the most part but in this singular article they having boldly entered the gate that was opened by this Author they held it simply and absolutely to be true that he said might be and had propounded it as probable under a doubt and uncertain condition unless it be contrary unto Orthodox saith The Dominicans do fight constantly against it under the safeguard of Thomas a famous Doctor of that Order both for his excellent doctrine and for the commendation of P. Iohn 22. For he to hold down the Order of the Franciscans who for the most part did partake with Lewes the Emperor after his excommunication did commend that Doctor and advance his doctrine Behold upon what reason the Pope did ground his doctrine The shew of piety and Religion did prevail so that the opinion of the Franciscans did please almost them all it was accepted by the University of Paris which in the conceit of excellent doctrine went before all others and thereafter by the Councel of Basil after much disputation was approved and it was forbidden to preach or teach the contrary opinion which had place in these Nations that did approve that Councel At last Pope Sixtus IV. a Franciscan did publish two decrees of this point in the first Ann. 1476. he confirmed a new Officium that was gathered by Leonard Nogarol Protonotary and Indulgences were granted unto such as did keep that or did entertain it by their presence In the other he condemned as false and erroneous the assertion of such as say That the defence of her conception is heretical or thought that the celebration of that Office was a sin and all preachers and all others were denied of all holy things who held either this or the contrary opinion to be heretical because that controversie was not determined by the Roman Church and Apostolical See But here was not an end of the contention hatred swelling more and more twixt these two Orders and yearly renewed in the moneth of December so that Pope Leo X. putting to his helping hand thought to have ended the strife and for that cause did write unto many but the change of Religion in Germany changed his thoughts unto other weightier things and as they are wont in a besiedged City they leave factions and
would contentiously defend his error by and by it should by these Legates be deferred unto the audience of the other Sisters and if by Letters Canonically written that Sister could be reduced unto the harmony of wholesome doctrine it was well but if not a general Councel might be assembled 2. The Empire was translated from Rome to the East and then it was ordained by 150. Bishops assembling in this City when blessed Nectarius was ordained Bishop of this See after the condemnation of Maximus Ennius who was infected with the contagion of Apolinaris then it was ordained I say with consent of the most godly Emperor Theodosius the elder that as old Rome had obtained from the holy Fathers in former time the first place in Ecclesiastical causes so then new Rome for the honor of the Empire should have the Ecclesiastical precedency after her and should be called as the second Rome so be called and be the second See and should preside all the Churches of Asia Thracia and Pontus and treat of all Church-affairs and determine them by her own Authority And then such Legates Wardens of the Catholique faith as were sent to Alexandria and Antiochia were sent also into this Royal City and likewise from hence unto them for the same ministery that they all might teach the same and differ in no point of truth 3. When the Empire was divided the Bishops were also divided the decrees of the Roman high Priest that were established in their Councels without the Greeks let these Bishops which belong unto him look unto them As for these Councels which in these days they hold how should we imbrace their decrees which are written against our knowledge For if the Roman Bishop sitting in the high throne of his glory will thunder against us and as it were from above throw his commands and will judge of us and our Churches not with our counsel but at his own pleasure yea and will Lord it over us what brotherhood or what fatherhood can be in this who can patiently endure it for then we might be called the very slaves and not children of his Church And if this were necessary and so grievous a yoke were to be laid on our necks none other thing followeth but that the only Roman Church should have that priviledg which they hunt after and she shall make Laws unto all others and she her self be without Law and so be not a pious mother of children but an imperious Lady of slaves To what purpose then were the knowledge of the Scriptures the studies of learning the doctrine and discipline of teachers and the noble wits of the wise Greeks the onely authority of the Roman high Priest which as thou sayest is above all turneth all to nothing Let him be the onely Bishop the onely Teacher the onely Commander and let him onely as the onely Pastor answer unto God for all things that are concredited unto him onely But if he will not have fellow-laborers in the Lord's vineyard and if he be exalted in keeping his primacy let him glory in his primacy but not contemn his brethren whom the truth of Christ hath begotten in the womb of the Church not unto bondage but unto freedom For as the Apostle saith We must all stand before the throne of Christ that every one may receive as he hath done whether good or ill He saith All though he was an Apostle he excepteth not himself he excepteth no mortal He said All he excepteth not the Roman high Priest Nor is it found in any Creed that we should believe specially the Roman Church but rather we are taught every where to believe that there is one holy Catholique Church These things speak I of the Roman Church with your favor which I do reverence as you do but will not follow absolutely nor do I think that she should be followed in all particulars whose authority thou hast propounded unto us as so excellent that we must forsake our own customs and receive her form and change in Sacraments without examining by reason and without authority of Scriptures but we as blinde men should follow her leading us whither she willeth by her own spirit which how safe or honorable it is for us let both the Latin and Greek Sages judge 4. Thou sayest that the Lord said unto Peter alone and not unto all the Apostles Whose sins ye forgive and what thou shalt binde on earth But it is believed that the Lord said that not unto Peter onely but indifferently unto them all with Peter or to Peter with them all Nor did the holy Ghost come down on Peter onely at the Pentecost but the Lord sent him unto them all in a like gift and in a like measure as he had promised therefore we do so acknowledge the power to be given of the Lord and received by Peter that we think the Authority of the other Apostles should not be minced seeing certainly they all equally without any prejudice of another or usurpation as truly meek and lowly in heart did receive the same holy Ghost and by the same holy Ghost did receive the same power of binding and loosing nor can we think that the priviledge was given unto Peter onely which is common unto them all by the Lord's gift therefore we may not take from others which have the same power and ascribe unto one the Authority which is common to them all Let Peter as the twelfth Apostle be honored so that the other eleven be not excluded from the Apostleship which certainly they did receive by an equal and not different dispensation not from Peter but from the Lord himself even as Peter did 5. I grant there have been many heresies in Constantinople but there also were they extinguished as the heresie of Arrius in the days of Constantine the root of them all was Philosophia which was planted in Constantinople and which the learned have abused So heresies have been condemned in the Churches of Calcedon Constantinople Ephesus Antiochia and Alexandria and it was commanded that none should any more plead for these heresies But now in this City are no heresies As for Rome haply no heresies began there because they were not so witty and subtil nor were they such searchers of the Scriptures as some here and as the vain wisdom wherewith some among us were miscarried into heresies is to be condemned so the rudeness of the Romans is to be commended whereby they said neither this nor that of the faith but with an unlearned simplicity did hear others which seemeth to have come either through too much sloth in searching the faith or through slowness of judgement or that they were taken up with the multitude and weight of secular affairs Catal. test verit lib. 15. The Reader may judge of this reply unto these objections and by these particulars understand what the Greeks did judge of the particulars that are omitted It seemeth the Romans would wipe away that jeering blot in the last
erroneously nameth one for another often c. By this ingenuous testimony of the Printer we may see what account they make now of their ancient Master and seeing these books have been so oft changed little credit can be given to any of their late Editions and thirdly that even the Master himself had not written soundly according to the Fathers which he citeth The Edition of Lombard at Paris An. 1550. hath in the end a catalogue of these which they call his errors in quibus Magister non tenetur I will shew some instances In the Edition at Lovane An. 1568. lib. 4. Dist 2. F. They who had not hope in the baptism of John and did believe the Father Son and holy Ghost were not baptised thereafter but the Apostles laid hands on them and then they received the holy Ghost Here on the margint it is Erronea Magistri opinio Dist 5. C. Christ might give unto them his disciples power to forgive sins yet not the same power that he himself had but a created power by which a servant may forgive sins yet not as the author of remission but as a servant and yet not without God the Author On the margin it is added Hic Magister non recipitur Dist 13. A. It may be truly said that the body of Christ is not eaten by the brute beasts albeit it seem so what then doth a mouse take and eat God knoweth In the margin it is said Non probatur haec Magistri opinio Dist 17. B. It may truly be said that without confession of the mouth and paying outward punishment sins are forgiven upon contrition and humility of the heart In the magin it is added Non rectè hic sentit Magister Dist 18. F. Unto the Priests he gave power of binding and loosing that is of shewing that they are bound or loosed In the margin it is Gravis Magistri lapsus In many other particulars though they have not put such a censure on him he is no less adversary unto the doctrine of Rome now as lib. 1. Dist 1. A. Let the diligent and modest speculation of Divines take heed to hold the Divine Scripture as the prescribed form in doctrine Dist 2. C. As Augustin lib. de Trini teacheth we must first shew whether faith hold out so according to the authority of holy Scriptures and then against babling disputers which are more proud then capable use Catholique reasons and fit similitudes for defense and asserting the faith that so satisfying curiosity we may the more fully instruct the modest or if they cannot finde the truth which they seek they may complain of their own minde rather then of the truth or of our assertion D. Therefore let us propound the Authority of the old and new Testaments Dist 40. D. Seeing predestination is the preparation of grace that is Divine election whereby he hath chosen whom he would before the foundation of the world as the Apostle saith on the other side reprobation must be understood the foreknowledge of the iniquity of some and the preparation of their damnation for as the effect of predestination is that grace whereby now we are justified and helped to live well and to continue in good and whereby we are blessed in the future so the reprobation of God whereby from eternity by not electing he hath rejected some is considered in two particulars whereof the one he foreseeth and prepareth not that is iniquity the other he foreseeth and prepareth that is everlasting punishment Whence Augustin ad Prosp Hilar. saith This rule must be held without wavering that sinners are foreknown in their sins and not prepared but that the punishment is prepared for God in his presence as Augustin in lib. de bono persever hath prepared his good things unto whom he would and unto whomsoever he giveth certainly he foresaw that he would give them Dist 41. A. If we seek the merit of obduration and mercy we finde the merit of obduration but we finde not the merit of mercy because there is no merit of mercy lest grace be made nothing if it be not given freely but rendered unto merits So he sheweth mercy according to grace which is given freely but he hardeneth according to judgement which is rendered unto merits whence we may understand that as God's reprobation is that he will not shew mercy so God's obduration is that he sheweth not mercy so that not any thing proceedeth from him whereby a man is made worse but onely it is not given whereby he may be better Hence it is clear saith he what the Apostle understandeth by mercy and hardening and because mercy admitteth not merit but obduration is not without merit and by the word mercy here is understood predestination and especially the effect of predestination but by the word obduration is not meant the eternal reprobation of God because there is no merit thereof but the privation or refusing of grace which is some way the effect of reprobation yet sometimes reprobation is taken for obduration as predestination for its effect which is grace given for grace which is given is the effect of predestination therefore seeing there are no merits of grace which is given to man for justification and far less of predestination it self whereby God hath from eternity chosen whom he would can there be any merits so nor of reprobation whereby from eternity he foresaw that some would be evil and be condemned as he did chuse Jacob and denied Esau which was not for their merits which they had then because they had none because themselves were not nor for the future merits which he could foresee did he either chuse the one or refuse the other In the next Section he sheweth how Augustin once thought that God had chuse Jacob because he foresaw that Jacob would be such and therefore Augustin recanted that error and he concludeth the Section thus Augustin in lib. de praedest sanctor saith Not because he foresaw that we would be such did he therefore chuse but that we might be such by the very election of his grace whereby he hath accepted us in his beloved Son Dist 46. B. Unto that objection from Matth. 23. 37. he answereth That is not to be understood so as if the Lord would have gathered the children and it was not done what he would because Jerusalem would not but rather that she would not have her children gathered by him and yet against her will he gathered her children even all whom he would because in heaven and on earth there be not some things that he would and doeth and some things that he would and doeth not but all whatsoever he would he hath done and therefore the meaning is whomsoever I have gathered by my ever efficacious will I did against thy will Behold it is clear that these words of the Lord are not contrary unto that is said Lib. 2. Dist 25. G. In man may be observed four estates of free-will for before
flatteries unto strangers and learned men and had heard their oaths with Judas kisses that faith was like spices rare and dear that the Pope and his Court did draw all things unto them they were worse then Pharaoh thieves and robbers always in womens bosomes 19. John Semeca Provost of St. Stevens in Halberstad and Doctor of the Io. Semeca Author of the Gloss on Gratian though for some hundred years allowed was lately censured Laws did first with Herculean courage saith Crantz in Saxon. lib. 8. cap. 27. attempt to write a Gloss on the Decrees which none before him had done nor could any after him do better When Pope Clement the IV. did require from the Clergy the tenths through France and Germany for redemption of the holy Land this John did publish an Appeal in the contrary and the Pope did excommunicate him and deprive him of his Provostry for his presumption as he said But many great men in Germany did judge that John was not the worseman or to be forsaken and death did prevent the evils that were thought to have followed for both the Pope and John lived not long thereafter Ibid. This Glossa of Semeca was in high account until the time of the Councel at Trent but after that time the Popes Pius the V. and Gregory the XII have put several censures on it Jo. Pappus hath collationed their censures and published them Argentorati An. 1609. out of which Edition I have marked these Coll. VII Dist 9. cap. 11. Sana quippe ver Cùm ergo he saith In the Canonical Scripture nothing can be found that agreeth not with Divine Laws and Divine Laws consist with nature this is manifest whatsoever is contrary unto Divine and Canonical Laws is contrary unto natural Law The Edition of Pope Pius ordaineth these words to be left out and the Gregorian blotteth them not but addeth on the margin See above Dist 6 c X. Dist 16. cap. 1. Canones And among the Apocrypha that is books without a certain Authority as the Wisdom of Solomon the book of Jesus the Son of Sirach which is called Ecclesiasticus and the books of Judith and Tobias and the book of Maccabees these are called Apocrypha and yet are read but perhaps not generally The Edition of Pius biddeth blot all these words until Clementis exclusively the Gregorian hath the whole Gloss but noteth on the margin I but these books are not Apocrypha but Canonical albeit in ancient times some Catholicks doubted of them XI Dist 17. cap. 6. Concilia The Roman Church hath her Authority from Councels The censure of Pius saith Blot away these words as also in the margin these words The Pope from the Councels c. But the Gregorian keepeth the words of the Gloss and omitteth the margin And in the same Gloss where it is said The Roman Church hath primacy principally from the Lord and secondarily from Councels Gregory will have it in the margin thus Councels give not properly the primacy unto the Roman Church but declare what is given by the Lord. XVI Dist 17. cap. 3. His igitur In all the Sacraments Simony is committed except marriage perhaps because in it the grace of the holy Ghost is not given as 32. q. 2. Connubia The censure of Pius putteth away these words and it followeth in the Gloss But in other Sacraments it is given Pius saith Put away other And where the margin hath I allow not this saying because Pius saith Put away all that But the Gregorian retaineth the Gloss wholly and setteth another margin thus The Sacrament of marriage also giveth grace nor doth the alledged text serve the purpose XVIII Dist 25. cap. 3. Vnus ad ver Quia facile And because we may confess unto a Laic even albeit a Priest be at hand but we shall not confess mortal sins save unto a Priest so that one may be had or else we may confess them unto a Laick The censure of Pius putteth away all these words as also the margin where it is said We may confess unto a Laick But the Gregorian retaineth the Gloss and for the margin setteth these words We may not confess venial nor mortal sins unto a Laick sacramentally but unto a Priest XX. Dist 26. cap. 2. Acutius ad ver Significat And so a Bishop is a Sacrament even as the water it self The censure of Pius putteth away all these But Gregory retaineth the Gloss and addeth in the margin Neither the Bishop nor the water is properly a Sacrament XXIV Dist 50. ca. 14. Et purgabit ver Domo i. e. sacerdotibus For all evils have flowed from Priests 24. quaest 3. Pius putteth away all these words as also the margin which saith All evils from Priests But Gregory retaineth the Gloss and for the margin saith See the Gloss cited in that Chapter Now the cited Chapter is from Jerome on Hos 9. where he saith When I have searched ancient Histories I cannot finde that any hath rent the Church and seduced people from the house of the Lord but these whom God hath appointed to be Priests and Prophets i. e. watch-men these therefore have been turned into winding snares and have laid scandals in all places LVII De poenitentia Dist 1. in princ Vtrum Gloss ver eod But whatsoever Bas saith say thou That neither by contrition of the heart nor by confession of the mouth are sins forgiven but onely by the grace of God Pius putteth away all these words Gregory retaineth the words but noteth in the margin or rather perverteth thus Onely God forgiveth sins but by the merit of Christ and the ministery of the Priests and in the penitent he requireth contrition at least attrition which by vertue of the keys becometh contrition confession and satisfaction LIX Ibid. cap. 5. Magna ver dimiserit Remission of sin goeth before contrition of heart for one cannot confess truly unless he first have faith working by love Pius putteth away all these words Gregory retaineth them and in the margin addeth two corrections one at the word goeth before yea remission is the effect of contrition S. Tho. 4. Dist 17. ar 1. q. 1. another at the word Confesse one confesseth truly and profitably with attrition onely LXIV Ibid. ver Iustificeris That thou mayest be justified in respect of others not in respect of God with whom thou art justified Pius putteth awaway all these words Gregory putteth them not away but in the margin he saith Yea Gratian bringeth this to shew that neither with God is any justified without confession of the mouth De consecratione LXXVII Dist 2. cap. 22. Tribus gradib ver Miscere It is certain when the species elements are broken with the teeth so soon is the body of Christ taken up into heaven Pius putteth away these words Gregory putteth them not away but saith in the margin The body of Christ abideth so long as the species abide which goeth down into the belly and do nourish There be many
they call it and there they corrupt their judgements with apparent arguments and with alledging unto them texts of Logick of natural Philautia Metaphysick moral Philosophy and all manner of books of Aristotle and of all manner of Doctors One holdeth this another that one is a real another a nominal What wonderful dreams have they of their predicaments universals second intentions quiddities hecceities and relatives and whether this proposition be true Non ens est aliquid whether ens be aequivocum or univocum Ens is a voice only say some ens is univocum saith another and descendeth into ens creatum increatum per modos intrinsecos When they have this way brawled 8 10 or 12. years or more and after that their judgements are utterly corrupt then they begin their Divinity not at the Scripture but every man taketh a sundry Doctor which Doctors are as sundry and divers the one contrary unto the other as there be divers fashions and monstrous shapes none like another among our Sects of Religion every Religion every University and almost every man hath a sundry Divinity Whatsoever opinions every man findeth with his Doctor that is his Gospel and that only is true with him and that he holdeth all his life long and every man to maintain his Doctor corrupteth the Scripture and fashioneth it after his own imagination as a Potter doth his clay And in the margin Yet in this they all agree That no man is saved by Christ but by holy works and that Christ hath given up his God-head unto the Pope and all his power and that the Pope may give Christ's merits to whom he will and take them from whom he will Of what Text thou provest Hell another will prove Purgatory another Lymbus patrum and another the Assumption of our Lady and another will prove out of the same Text that an Ape hath a tail and of what Text the Gray-Frier proveth that our Lady was without original sin out of the same shall the Black-Frier prove that she was conceived in original sin and all this they do with apparent reasons with false similitudes and with arguments and perswasions of mans wisdom ..... The wisdom of one is that a white coat is best to serve God in another a black another a gray another a blew and while one saith God will hear your prayer in this place another saith in that place and while one saith this place is holier another saith that place is holier this Religion is holier then that this Saint is greater with God then that and an hundred thousand such things c. And if ye will hear a Papist writing of those times Corn. Agrip. De triplici ratione cognoscendi Deum c. 4. de vanitat scien c. 97. describes them thus Scholastical Divinity by little and little is turned into Sophistry while the latter Theosophists and huksters of God's word which are Divines but by a bought title of so sublime a faculty have made a kind of Logomachy moving questions forging opinions and doing violence unto the Scriptures by intricate words putting a strange sense upon them readier to winnow then examine presuming to device many seminaries of contentions whereby they furnish matter of strife unto the wrangling Sophists when they abstract forms call the words genera species some cleave to the things and others to the names and what they take from one they adscribe unto another and some take it indifferently and every one studies how to prove his own heresie and they turn the sacred faith into sport and infidelity whereof Tho. Aquin. did complain among the wise of this age while they dispise the Canonical Scriptures of the holy Ghost and chose unto themselves many questions of divine things to foster brawlings wherein exercising their wits and wasting their time they will have all the doctrine of Divinity to consist in such things If any will oppose unto them the authority of the holy Scriptures he shall hear anon The letter killeth it is pernitious it is unprofitable but say they we must search what is hid in the letter and then turning to their interpretations glosses and syllogisms they allow any sense rather then the proper sense of the words If you do urge them instantly you shalt receive reproaches and be called an ass which understands not what is hid in the letter but as a serpent eatest the earth only so that among them none are thought to be Divines but who can contend to purpose and give an instance in every matter and quickly devise new meanings making a noise with so monstrous words that he be understood by none and then are they called Subtle Angelical Seraphical and divine Doctors when they talk so that no man understands them These wicked Hypocrites and presumptuous Sophists which as Paul saith teach not Christ of good will but for strife have brought in so many heresies that the Philosophers shall sooner accord then these Divines which have killed all that glory of ancient Divinity with opinions of men and new errors and labyrinrhs of infinite expositions which they have devised under disguised titles they profess detestable doctrine and falsly usurp the name of sacred Divinity and abusing the names and doctrine of the holy Doctors they introduce Sects as it was said in the Church I am Apollo's I am Pauls I am Cephas's pretending regard of them by whose means they began to know and swearing to the words of their Master they dispise all others not regarding what is said but who hath said it And no Divine is thought to be truly learned which hath not addicted himself unto some Sect and maintains it stoutly and covets to be named and advanced by the title thereof as a Thomist Albertist Scotist Occamist for it is no credit unto such Masters to be called Christians since that name is common to Butchers Cooks Bakers and every body and these Sectators are divided again many ways .... Moreover they do forge so many strange things of God so many forms of the God-head and so many Idols of phantasies concerning divine things and they pull Christ our Savior into pieces with the wickedness of their opinions and clothe him with so many vizards of sophisms and as an Idol of wax they forge and reforge him into any shape they please by their absurd suppositions that their doctrine may be called meer Idolatry I pass over the debates and heresies concerning the Sacraments Purgatory Primacy the commandments of Popes and obligations thereunto concerning Indulgences Antichrist to come and many such things wherein they shew mad wisdom with the presumption whereof they are puft up like the Giants in the Fables Then coming to the Preachers he saith They make stories of the Saints with pious lyes they counterfeit reliques they devise miracles and which they call examples plausible and terrible fables they number prayers weigh merits measure ceremonies sell indulgences distribute pardons make merchandise of good works and by begging they
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
be regarded but are nul In Sess 5. Apr. 6. was another Decree much to the same purpose In Sess 6. Apr. 17. a Procuratory of renunciation was sent to Pope John and the Messengers were ordred to exhort him to return Item Commissioners were named out of the four Nations to examine John Huss unto the definitive Sentence inclusivè Item a Citation was sent to Jerom of Prague to appear before the Councel within 15. daies 5. daies being allowed for each of three citations And a Safe-conduct was granted in these terms By the tenor hereof we give all Safe-conduct from all violence justice being excepted so far as in us lieth and the Orthodox Faith requires with certification that whether he appear or not we will proceed against him In Sess 7. May 2. a Citation was directed against Pope John In Sess 8. May 4. the Articles against John Wickliff were read these and he and his memory were condemned and it was ordained that his bones should be taken up and burnt In Sess 9. the execution of the citation against Pope John was exhibited In Sess 10. May 14. Pope John for his notorious simony or selling of Benefices and because he is not only diffamed but really defiled with other grievous crimes and is incorrigible is suspended from all spiritual administration and the process is to be followed unto his deposition In Sess 11. May 15. the Articles against Pope John were read and sent unto him together with a citation to appear hear and see himself deposed in the next Session In Sess 12. May 29. the Commissioners unto Pope John made their report and it was ordained that if the Papal Chair should be vacant another Pope should not be chosen without the consent of the Councel Item definitive Sentence of Deposition was pronounced against Pope John the XXIV for his departing from the City privily in the night and disguised in habit and for the scandal given by him in troubling the peace and union of the Church contrary to his promise oath and vow unto God and the Church and this sacred Councel Item That none of these three who in time of their obedience were called Pope John the XXIV Benedict the XII and Gregory the XIII should be chosen Pope or if they shall be chosen their election shall be null In Sess 13. June 15. Although Christ did institute after Supper and gave unto his Disciples both kindes bread and wine hoc non obstante the Authority of holy Canons and the approved Custom of the Church hath kept and keepeth that the holy Sacrament is not given after Supper nor taken by any not fasting excepting the case of infirmity or other necessity allowed by Law and the Church And although in the primitive Church this Sacrament was received by Believers under both kindes yet ..... we command under the pain of excommunication that no Priest communicate unto the people under both kindes of bread and wine This was the first time that such an Act was made in a Councel In Sess 14. June 24. Charls de Malatestis Rector of Romandiola being sent Proctor by Pope Gregory approveth the Councel and simply renounceth his Papacy Item The Acts canonically done by Pope Gregory the XIII before that instant were approved and his Cardinals were received with the song Te Deum laudamus Item It was ordained that a Pope should be chosen in manner time and place as the Councel shall appoint Item Citation was directed against Pope Benedict In Sess 15. July 6. The Articles of John Huss were read to wit 1. The holy Catholick Church is but one which is the universality of the predestinated 2. Paul was never a member of the Divel although he did some acts like to the acts of the malignant Church 3. Praesciti or those who are foreknown are not any part of the Church since no part of her falleth finally because the charity of predestination falleth not away 4. The two natures God-head and man-hood are one Christ 5. Although he who is foreknown be in grace according to present righteousness yet he is never a part of the holy Church but he who is predestinated abideth ever a member of the Church although he fall from temporary grace yet he never falleth from the grace of predestination 6. Taking the Church for the company of the predestinated whether they be in grace or not according to present righteousness after that manner is an Article of the Faith 7. Peter was not nor is the head of the Catholick Church 8. Priests living criminously defile the power of Priest-hood and as unfaithful Children they think amiss of the seven Sacraments of the Keys Offices Censures Manners Rites worshipping Reliques Indulgences and Orders 9. The Papal power hath flowed from Caesar 10. None without revelation can reasonably say of himself or of any other that he is the head of a particular Church neither is the Priest of Rome the head of that Church 11. We should not believe that who is particular high Priest of Rome is the head of any particular Church unless God hath predestinated him 12. None hath the place of Christ or of Peter unless he follow them in manners 13. The Pope is not the true Successor of Peter and if he follow avarice he is the Vicar of Judas Iscariot and the Cardinals are not the Successors of the Colledge of the Apostles unless they follow their manners and keep the commands of Christ 14. Doctors holding that one worthy of Ecclesiastical censure if he will not amend should be given unto Secular power assuredly in this they follow the high Priests Scribes and Pharisees in delivering Christ unto Pilate because he would not follow them in all things and they were worse murtherers then Pilate 15. Ecclesiastical obedience is an human invention and contrary to the express authority of Scripture 16. Mens works are either vicious or godly for if a man be vicious his works are vicious and if he be vertuous his works are vertuous for as mortal sin infecteth all the actions of a vicious man so vertue quickneth all the actions of a vertuous man 17. A Priest of Christ living according to his Law and having knowledge of the Scriptures and affection to edifie people should preach notwithstanding any pretended excommunication 18. Who by command accepteth the Office of a Preacher and cometh to the Office of Priest-hood should also execute that Office notwithstanding any pretended excommunication 19. By Church censures of excommunication suspension and interdiction the Clergy for their own exaltation supplant the Lay-people multiply avarice protect malice and prepare a way unto Antichrist it is an evident token that such censures proceed from Antichrist that by such censures which they call fulminations they proceed especially against them who discover the wickedness of Antichrist and he will principally maintain himself by the Clergy 20. If the Pope be an evil man especially if he be praescitus then as the Apostle Judas he is a Divel a
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
he had many bickerings with the monkes In one epistle he calleth the priests contemners of the Holy Scriptures in another he complaineth that Aristotle was more preached in pulpits then Christ In his answer unto the 8. questions of the Emperour Maximilian he hath these propositions If there be any salvation without Christ Christ is not the Saviour of all 2. Seing the Sacred Scripture is the work of God we must necessarily confesse it is in all respects perfect for the great God whose works are all perfect hath given unto his Scriptures such order as he pleased and without all doubt he inspired his pen men how they should write Adquaest 4. 3. The heavenly doctrine is not in the words but in the meaning of the Scriptures not in the pages of an hid oration but in the secret of mysticall inspiration ibid. 4. Neither hath the Church any authority without the Scripture nor is faith given unto the Scripture without the Church for as Augustin saith I had not believed the Scriptures if the authority of the Church had not moved me So John Gerson said I would not believe the Church if the Gospell did not move me the Church confirmeth the Scripture and is confirmed by the Scripture when the Church doubteth she hath recourse unto the advice of the Scriptures for the same Spirit of God hath founded the Church on the faith of Jesus Christ and he only hath inspired the Scriptures This is the three fold cord which is not easily broken when the Holy Scripture is by the Holy Spirit coupled with the authority of the Church so that the Scriptures commend the Church and the Church commendeth the Scripture 5. Some men think that the Holy Scripture is in many things confused and imperfect and yet if they would read it with due purity of mind they would find it very perfect solid At last he concludeth The authority of any Catholik Church not of any particular Church is great which only in the doubts concerning faith hath place to expound the Scriptures to wit out of the Scriptures themselves which are perfect as he said before unto whom speaking according to the Scriptures the neckes of all powers are subject c An. 1516. died the worthy Carmelite Baptista Mantuanus a Poet of such same that he is aequalized unto the antient Poets as Bostius writeth unto Burellus In many places he describeth the estate of Rome to wit he professeth his own affection toward that Church in Fast. lib. 12. saying Et licet his olim nugis juveniliter aures Praebuerim tamen ut melius cum tempore factum Judicium lis haec mihi perniciosa videri Caepit ex gravium cuneis abigenda virorum In his Eclog. 9. he describeth the City thus Mille lupi totidem vulpes in vallibus istis Lustra tenent quod dirum ac mirabile dictu est Ipse homines hujus tanta est violentia coeli Saepe lupi effigiem moresque assumere vidi Inque suum saevire gregem multâque madere Caede sui pecoris factum vicinia ridet Nec scelus exhorret nec talibus obviat ausis Saepe etiam miris apparent monstra figuris Quae tellus affecta malis influxibus edit Saepe canes tantam in rabiem vertuntur ut ipsos Vincant caede lupos qui tutela fuerunt Hostiles iâ—eunt animos ovilia mactant And in his first book Sylvarum after along catalogue of the impieties of Rome he saith Singula texentem convitia deseret aetas Tantum ac tale tuae est impietatis onus Romanis Pater est Mavors lupa Martia nutrix Haec hominum mores ingeniumque docent Vivere qui sanctè cupitis discedite Romae Omnia cùm liceant non licet esse pium And in Fast. libr. 2. he directeth his speech unto Pope Leo X. Sed tria praesertim restant curâ atque labore Digna tuo bellum est primum quae fessa laborat Italia pleni humano jam sangnine campi Est aliud Romana gravi maculata veneno Curia quae spargit terras contagia in omnes Postremum est oppressafides expósta rapinis Vndique in praedam populis subjecta cruentis A te haec subsidium magnis clamoribus orant Sancte Pater succurre Leo Respublica Christi Labitur agrotatque fides jam proxima morti 17. The University of Padua in their determination for the divorcement of Augustinus Furnarius a Noble man of Genua did hold that those things which appertain unto the law of God are not subject unto the power of the Romish Pope and that in these things the Pope is not the Vicar of Christ but only in such things that are committed unto the jurisdiction of men Corn. Agrippa in Apolog. § 2. 18. Cornelius Agrippa Count a Niettesheim Doctor utriusque Juris became afterwards counseller unto Charls V. Emperour Albeit he continue professing himself to be a member of the Romish Church and wrote despitefully of Martin Luther yet in sundry of his works he dissembleth not the estate of the Romish Church An. 1510. he had a declamation against diverse abuses of the Church and in defence of his declamation he wrote a book which he calleth De vanitate scientiarum artium in which his purpose is to shew that no where no not in the Pope nor in Scholastik Theology is there any Divine solidity but only in the word of God and in proof heer of as he taxeth the faults of all studies and Arts so he concealeth not the vices of priests monks Bishops Cardinals and Popes as elsewhere I have touched especially in cap. 54. he sheweth that the Doctours of Theology in Lovan do reckon among the canonized Saints Aristoteles who by killing himself had made himself a sacrifice unto the Devils and nevertheless they had caused to print a book de Salute Aristot and they had published another booke de Vita Morte Arist with a Theologicall glosse in the end of which they conclude as John the Baptist was the fore-runner of Christ in things concerning grace so Aristotle was the forerunner of Christ in other things c. In c. 60. he saith It is not the least part of Religion that consisteth in the pompe of ceremonies in cloaths in vessell candles bell organs concents odours sacrifices gestures pictures in the choise of meates fastes such other things that are in singular admiration adoration of the unlearned people who receive and take heed only to such things as are before their eyes But as it oft happeneth that those things which are ordained for remedy turne to harme so it comes to passe that by the multiplication of the lawes concerning these caeremonies Christians are now burdened with too many constitutions with moe that the Iewes of old and which is more to be lamented whereas those rites are neither good nor bad in themselves people trust more in them and observe them more praecisely than the commandements of God
yet what have the successours of the poor Apostles to do with riches I say if they would consider these things they would not be ambitious of such a place and they would gladly leave it or certainly they would be more laborious as the antient Apostles lived Now the chief highpriests which are the Vicars of Christ if they would follow his life that is poverty labour teaching cross contempt of life or if they would remember their name Papa that is a Father or their sirname most holy who were more afflicted on earth or who would buy that place with all their wealth or when it is bought defend it with poison sword and all manner of violence how great commodity shall they be deprived of if they had any wit or a grain of that salt where of Christ speakes ........ I was lately at a theologicall disputation whither I often go and one asked what authority of Divine Scriptures commandeth to burn an heretick rather than to convince him with reason An old grave man you might by his stately countenance have known him to be a Divine said with great indignation the Apostle Paul hath given this law Haereticum hominem post vnam et alteram admonitionem de vita And when he thundered the words again and again and many did admire what had hapned unto him at last he explained him self and said Put out the life of an heretick Some did laugh and yet many did commend it as a very theologicall commentary c. The same Erasmus in epist adJod Jon. dated Louan 6. id May An. 1521 shewes the lamentations of all good men for the apostasie of the Romane Church and the general corruption in doctrine aswel as in manners and how they earnestly dealt for Reformation but could effectuat nothing because of the covetousnes of Prelates of him more followes 25 Joh. Ludovic Vives borne in Valentia and living at that time in Lovan at the intreaty of Erasmus did revise and collation sundry old Copies of Augustin's books de civit dei and wrote annotations or Commentaries upon them where he noteth the condition of the time as lib. 2. c. 21. not penult he saith What will ye do with these Princes of the Schools which as yet know not that Paul wrote not in Latine but in Greek As also it is a very presumptuous thing that these which are altogether ignorant of the manner of speaking will so often dispute foolishly and determine more foolishly of the signification of words which they do every-where both in Dialectick and philosophy where as they would seem to be nothing less then Grammarians and take it very ill if any who is a little more learned will but speak of a word in these Arts. Lib. 7. c. 26. Augustin speaks of the priests of Cibele which in his time were wont to go a begging from the people where upon they did live lewdly and Nota a Vives shewes that in the days of Cicero the begging of these priests was restrained unto some daies because superstition possesseth mens minds and emptied their houses and he addeth What if Augustin and Cicero saw the wealthy and most large Societies begging from them a farthing who should rather distribute of their own where with they abound and overslow and in the mean time the giver biteth dry bread and drinketh watr out of an earthen vessel for which he must work hard both night and day for himself and children and the rich beggar surfets himself with white bread wood-cocks and good strong wine Lib. 8. c. 27. Augustin saith What believer ever heard a priest ..... say in his prayers I offer a sacrifice unto thee Peter or Paul or Cyprian seing at their monuments it is offered unto God who hath made these to be men and Martyres ..... we worship not therefore our Martyres .... nor turne we the villanies of the gods unto their sacrifices Vives addeth But now the custome is when a holy day is kept unto Christ who hath redeemed mankind by his death to make playes unto the people litle differing from the antient comedies albeit I speak no more whosoever heareth will think it filthy enough they make sports in that which is most serious they laugh at Judas glorying most foolishly that he hath betrayed Christ there the disciples fly away when the souldiers pursue them and that not without the loud derision both of the Actours and beholders there Peter cutteth off the eare of Malchus and the black band clap their hands as if the captivity of Christ were well revenged And a litle thereafter he that fought so stoutly being afrigtted at the question of a girle denieth his Master then the multitude scorned the maide and hissed at Petet among so many laughings and so many fooleries Christ only is sad and while he endeavoureth to fetch up sad affections I know not how but not only there but also in the very act of religion he cooleth to the great crime and impiety not only of the beholders and Actours but of the priests who will have such things to be done Lib. 11. c. 18. b. Vives saith Augustin saith that there is some of the arte of Rhetorick in Pauls words it is tolerable because Augustin saith it but if any of us would say it they would cry out against it not as a crime only but as heresy so ready at hand are heresies they talk of nothing sooner nor more easily when themselves are full of them Lib. 18 c. 22. Augustin saith Rome was built as another Babylon and as the Daughter of the former Babylon Vives saith The Apostle Peter calleth Rome Babylon as also Hierom expoundeth it in the life of Mark and writing to Marcella thinks that no other Babylon is described by John in the Revelation but the city Rome but now it hath laid off so odious a name for no confused thing or riff-raffe is there every thing is distinguished by certain lawes so that albeit every thing may be sold and bought there yet yee shall doe nothing without law and formality even of the most holy law And c. 31. no. c. Vives saith There is mention of this Prophet Habacuc in Dan. 14. that he brought his dinner from Judea to Babylon unto Daniel but Augustin useth not this testimony for proofe of his time because that story of Bell and all that 14 chapter and the history of Susanna are Apocrypha nor are in the Hebrew nor were translated by the LXX Lib. 15. c. 11. a Augustin justly derides them which give more credite unto translations then unto these languages from which the sacred Scriptures have flowd into others And lib. 21. c. 24. d. Paul signifieth that no man can boast that he is made glorious by his own merits but that it is wholly by Gods benefite He hath many such passages that are blotted out by Index expurgator 25. In a word there was no Nation that did not oppose their grievances at that time against the impious inuentions of the Romane
the next yeare they were both put out by the Vicar of Spira and Bucer went to Strawsburgh In the country of Greichga by the river Neccan many towns received preachers Henry Sutphan an Augustinian having escaped from the hands of the Inquisitours in Antwerp went to Breme and preached in S. Ansgarie's Church which the Chanons had left because a man had been killed in it The Clergy seeing the people following his preaching did complain unto the Magistrates and then unto the Bishop but Sutphan defends his doctrine by authority of the Scriptures and promised to surcease if they shall convince him of errour So the Magistrates maintained him The light of the Gospell went a long to Magdeburgh Stetin Sund in Pomer to Riga Derbat and Reval in Liveland to Scaphusen Berna S. Gall in Helvetia to Dantsick Vienna Ulma Wila Creilsheim Cothuse Arnstat c. From Delph in Holland Friderik Canirm wrote unto Caspar Hedio then in Mentz saying The adversaries do attempt much by their mandates letters and messages but God infatuateth the Counsell of Achitophel and it comes to passe that Monte parturiente nascatur ridiculus mus this I know that if we had liberty to preach in publick the Monks which are bitter against the truth would turn to nothing for their credite is gone already by a few preachings in the Schoole But we must patiently wait upon the will and good pleasure of the Lord who when he seeth that we are so earnest doth purposely delay to help lest we sacrifice unto our nets and take the praise unto ourselves if every thing went on smoothly He hath respect not only of them which are to be called that they may be brought unto grace but likewise of them that are called that they may continue in grace but when he shall see us giving over or despairing of salvation unto Israel and to be altogether doubtfull then that he alone may be seen to work on the earth he will help his Church unexpectedly that unto him alone may be praise and glory Amen I am very sorry that Erasmus becomes colder dayly and so far as I can judge he retraits indirectly what he did seem to have written and spoken freely and I perceive his childish fear in respecting the honour of men more then of God And there bee many such Nicodemuses with us but certainly they would stand more stoutly if the glory of Christ who only doth strengthen weak consciences were publickly preached Abr. Schultet Annâl 15. In that summer Luther published the New Testament in the Dutch Opposition by others language and a book against the falsely named Order of Bishops there he accuseth them for condemning and persecuting the truth of the Gospell howbeit when he had so oft provoked them to dispute they could neither oppugne the doctrine of the Gospell nor defend their Popish errours He telleth that they will not come to speed with their tyranny for he regardeth not the Papall curse nor the Cesarean edicts that for them he will not forsake the profession of truth but the rather shall it spread through the world and he endeavours to do it the more heartily because that they rage so cruelly neither shall the Gospell fail albeit he were killed but God will punish them grievously if they will continue in their fury When the bb abbots and Monks heard of this book and of the Dutch New Testament they were the more enraged and sought by all meanes they could to have Luthers books burnt and in some places they prevailed as in Wittembergh Ferdinand the Emperours brother the lawfull Duke being exiled put in execution the Edict of Worms and in November put many to death As also Henry Duke of Brunswike George Duke of Saxony and Philip Bishop of Frisinga Naumburgh were violent against all having any of Luthers books Likewise Erasmus sent a Letter unto Jodoc President of the Senate of Mechline dated Basil prid Jd. Jul. An. 1522. saying Here and there I have turned away partly by my words and partly by epistles many from Luther's faction nor doth any thing so much discourage the Lutheran affections as that I have declared plainly by my divulged books that I do cleave unto the Romane Pope and do disallow Luthers business Scultet writes that Pope Hadrian had exhorted Erasmus to employ his pen against Luther XVI We have heard before in part what Pope Hadrian had written The Diet at Norenhergh An. 1522 1523. unto the Diet of the Germane Princes at Norinbergh in November An. 1522 now hear their answer they say unto the Legate They had with all reverence read the Popes Brieve and heard his commands against the Lutherans they give God thanks that his Blessednesse was come into that See and unto him they wish all happiness And after they had spoken of their unanimity to joyn in war against the Turk they say they are ready to execute the ordinances against the Lutherans and to root out all errours but for weighty causes they had delayed because many had understood by Luthers books how Germany was oppressed many and grievous waies by the Court of Rome and if they had attempted to execute that Edict many would have thought that they were confirming all these vexations and thence had certainly a popular tumult arisen even open rebellion and Civill warr wherefore in such difficulties it were safer to use softer cures and seing the Legate had confessed in the name of the Pope that sin was the cause of all those miseries and he promised to Reforme the court of Rome and if these abuses be not amended and the grievances removed with others which the Princes will now propound it is impossible to calme the present broils or to settle peace again Especially seing Germany had consented unto the paiment of Annates expressely on condition that they should have been employed in warrs against the Turks and these have been payed for many years and never applied unto that use they entreat that the Romane Court would permit that money be brought in to the Emperiall Chamber for that use And where he craves their Counsell for healling the present and imminent maladies they think they have not to do with Luther alone but to root up many vices that are festered by long custom and which some through imprudence and others through impudence do defend therefore they see not a more expedient and efficacious way then if a godly and free Councell be called with the Emperours consent in some convenient part of Germany so soon as possible and at farthest within a year and there must it be lawfull unto all both laick and Ecclesiasticall persons to advise and pronounce freely without danger of any oath or former tye but so far as is expedient for the glory of God and the salvation of souls c. The Legate replieth That excuse of delaying the Edict is but weak for albeit it may seem that scandals might have arisen yet evill things may not be
a small number of men we must set the decrees of the antient and general councels and judgement of the approved fathers and specially we should give place to the testimonies of Scripture being expounded by the interpretation of the Church lest hereticks brag and say They alone have the Worde of God As for the other point If those words This is my body have not so greata force as they sound and seem to have why are they repeated by all the three Evangelists and by Saint Paul why did not the later Evangelists or the Apostle expound these words as the Sacramentaries do this is the minde of the Testator which should not be reiected this was the mind of all the antient fathers that not only the bread is given but the very body of Christ really He concludes with those words I will yeeld unto your opinion of the Sacrament except yee pointing unto the Ministers think that Jesus Christ in his flesh is not in this world from the time of his ascension and that he hath some other body then that which is visible and except ye think he is otherwise in the sacrament then in the Word if ye think it all one to put on Christ in baptisme and to eat his body and drink his blood and briefly that he is so in heaven that he is not also on the earth and that he is otherwise in the sacrament then he is in a myre And then abjuring all those dangerous opinions he exhorts the King and Queen to maintain the antient faith and protested in the name of the Prelats that they would live and die in defence of that Doctrine which he had declared All the clergy came before the King and Cardinal Turnon in their name protested again This was the Confession of their faith which they would seal with their blood and which the King should embrace and if these who are separated will not subscribe the same they should not be heard but be bannished and they crave most earnestly that the King would so do The Ministers were afraid that the King would not admit them at another day and therefore was the more earnest that the King would be pleased to hear a reply presently but that could not be obtained By supplication they procured continuation of the Conference but in a more private place where were the King and Queen and king of Navar the Prelats twelve Ministers and a few others Beza declared what the Church is and distinguished it according to the twofold calling then he spake of the Notes of the Church and of the succession and calling of Pastors in ordinary calling he said three things are necessary examination election and imposition of hands and in extraordinary calling it is lawfull by Gods authority albeit one or two or all these conditions be wanting as for working of miracles it is not alwayes conjoined with extraordinary calling unless we will talk of things whereof we have no testimony Then he spoke of the authority of the Church and whether it may err and he shewed out of the Cardinals words that the Church may err in particular members and congregations As for the general Councel he said Men have not the more learning that they become Commissioners and many times the Prelats of sound judgement have been absent and they who should have been most sound have been most corrupt as Bernard complained in his time and therefore the authority of the Scriptures is above the authority of the Church for which cause Augustin wrote unto Maximin the Arrian that he will not obiect the councel of Nice nor will have the councel of Arimino obiected against him but let the Scriptures be Judge for both And yet we despise not the judgement of councels and fathers if they agree with the Scriptures but as Jerom writes the errours of the antiens should not be followed but the authority of the Scriptures may never be despised I feare said he that I have been too prolixe and therefore lest I give offense I will continue or leave off to speak of the sacrament as it shall please your Royal Majesties The Cardinal beckned unto Claud. Espensius a Sorbonist he said He oft had wondred how the Ministers had entred into the Church seing they neither entred ordinarily by ordinary authority and imposition of hands nor by any extraordinary way seeing they are not confirmed by working of miracles nor by express testimony of Scripture and therefore their Ministry is not lawfull From that he turned to speak of the sacrament at the command of the Cardinal Lorrain that he might bring the Ministers into controversy with the Germans as was said To the same purpose spake a white Monk of Sorbon Xainctius but more despite fully against the Ministers and to the offence of both parties Beza complained of his impertinency and did supplicate the Queen that she would provide against reviling words and digressions then he said Our Ministers were chosen and approved by our own Churches and so have two parts of ordinary calling and if imposition of hands be wanting unto any the calling is lawfull because these two are the substantials and the other is less principal And in so great confusion of all things in the Roman Church we would not seek imposition of hands from them whose vices superstition and false doctrine we disallow for they be open enemies unto the Trueth as the Prophets had not such enemies then as the Priests neither sought they confirmation of their offices unto which God had called them Neither are miracles necessary in extraordinary calling as is manifest by examples yea Paul in evidencing his calling speaks not of miracles that he had wrought but of the fruits of his preaching the which wee also may say of so many Nations and Provinces which have received the Gospel by our preaching nor can there be a greater confirmation of any Ministery seeing the power of God is manifest in us which neither imprisonment nor banishment nor fire could hinder Espenseus said Bring mee one example in those 1500. years like to yours All things said Beza are not written that have been done and however it hath been it followes not that our calling is not manifest enough and set forth from God in his due time He is not now bringing a new Gospel but restoring the old which was sufficiently confirmed before and now by a singular way he hath caused his light to shine He spake also of traditions but was oft interrupted by Xainctius and the Cardinal fearing that his incivility were checked by the Queen would end the controversy as if the question had been sufficiently cleared and the Sorbonists spoke as if the victory had been on their side Then the Cardinal said in the name of the Prelates that they would proceed no further unless the question of the Sacrament were handled and then he asks the Ministers Whether they do embrance the Augustan Confession Here he playd the fox for if they denied
the Scripture requires This was by and by reported to the Bishop in words varying a little that a Bishop must be a preacher or els he is a dumbe dog He is sent for and said The reporters are manifest liars The reporters are called and they affirm that he had said so and they profer to bring more witnesses He still saith They are lyaâ—â— More witnesses are brought and many come to heare Then said Seton My Lord you may consider what eares these asses have they can not discern betwixt Paul Esaie Zacharie and Malachie and Frier Alex. Seton I said indeed Paul saith A Bishop should be a teacher Esaâ—e saith shepherds not feeding their flocks are dumbeâ— oggs Zacharie saith they are idle pastours and I declared what those have said and my Lord if you be not offended at them you can not be offended at mee therefore I say again these men are manifest lyaâ—s which have reported that I called you or any other Bishop no Bishops but belly gods The Bishop was offended but durst not at that time proceed against him because he was learned bold and in favour with the King and his Confessour But he and his complices did judge it not expedient such a man to bee with the King and so they endeavoure to make him odious unto the King and call him an heretick The King did remember how in private confession the Frier had admonished him for his lusts of the flesh and loved noâ— such advice and said He knew more of that man than any of them and then subscribes their accusation and promiseth to follow their advice in punishing him and all of that sect Seton is informed of these things and fleeth to Berwick whence he wrote unto the King in this manner Most Gracious Soverain Lord under the Lord and King of all of whom only thy Highness and Majesty hath power and authority to exercize justice within thy realme under God who is King Lord of all realms and thy Seatons letter against the iniquity impiety usurpation of bb and his advice to the King Ma. and all mortall Kings are but servants unto that only immortall Prince Chr. Jesus .... It 's not unknown to thy gracious Highness how thy Mas. somtime servant Oratour and ever shall be to my lifes end is departed out of thy realme ..... but I believe the cause of my departing is unknown which only is Because the bb and churchmen of thy realme have heertofore had such authority over thy subjects that apparently they were rather King and thou the Subject which unjust regiment is of it self false and contrary to holy Scripture Thou art the King Master and they are thy subjects which is true and testified by the word of God And also because they will give no man of whatsoever degree whom they once call hereticks audience time nor place to speak and use defence which is against all lawe .... So that if I might have had audience and shewd my just defence .... I should never have fled .... albeit it had cost mee my life But because I believed that I could have no audience they are so great with thy Ma. I have departed not doubting but moved of God untill a better time that God illuminate thy Ma. even to give every man audience as thou shouldst mayst and art bound by the law of God who are accused to death And to certify thy Highness that these are not vain words here I offer me to come into thy realm again if thy Ma. will give mee audience and hear what I have for mee according to the word of God and cause any Bishop abbot frier or Secular which is most cunning some of them can not read their Matins who are made Judges of heresy to impugne mee by the law of God and if my part be found wrong thy Ma. being present and judge I refuse no pain .... and if I convince them by the law of God and that they have nothing to lay to my charge but the law of man and their own inuentions to uphold their own glory and pridefull life and dayly scourging thy poor subjects I refer myself unto thy Ma. as judge Whether he hath the victory that holds him at the law of God which can not fail nor be false or they that hold themselves at the law of man which is very oft plain contrary and therefore of necessity false for all thing contrary to verity which is Christ and his law is of necessity a ly And to witness that this comes of all my heart I shall remain at Berwick whil I shall have thy Mas. answer and shall without fail return having thy hand writing that I shall have audience and place to speak I desire no more whereof if I had been sure I should never have departed .... Pardon mee to say that which lieth to thy Mas. charge Thou art bound by the law of God albeit they ly and say It appertaines not to thy Ma. to intermedle with such matters to cause every man who in any case is accused of his life to have their just defense and their accusers produced according to their own law They do blinde thy Ma. eies that knowest nothing of thy law but if I prove not this out of their own law I offer mee to the death Thy Ma. therefore may learn by dayly experience seing they neither feare the King of heaven as their lives testifie neither Thee their natural Prince as their vsurped power in their actions shewes why thy Highness should be no longer blinded Thou mayst consider that they intend nothing else but only the upholding of their barded mules augmenting their insatiable avarice and continually overthrowing swallowing up thy poore subiects never preaching nor teaching out of the law of God as they should the ignorant people but contend who may be most high most rich and nearest thy Ma to put thy temporall Lords and Lieges out of thy Counsell favour who should bee and are most tender servants to thy Ma. in all time of need to the defense of Thee and thy Crown ...... Let thy Ma. take boldness and authority which thou hast of God and suffer not their cruell persecution to proceed without audience given to him who is accused ... and then no doubt thou shalt have thy subiects hearts and all that they can do in time of need tranquillity justice and policy and finally the kingdom of heaven May it please you to give a copy of this to the Clergy and keep the originall and thy Ma. shall have experience if I go against one word that I have spoken c. This Letter was delivered unto the King and it was read by many but no answer was returned and the man went into England and preached some years the gospell to the comfort of his hearers The histo of Reformat Others spoke also against the licenciousness of the Clergy that a new resolution was taken to burne moe A
Peter-pence unto any of the Collectors This vexeth the Romane Court and all their thoughts were upon remedies Many would proceed with censures against the king and interdict all Nations to have commerce with England but they took a more moderate course to serve the time and by intercession of France to compose the business And Francis undertooke it and sent the Bishop of Parise unto Rome with tolerable propositions and in the mean while they went on slowly at Rome that they would decern nothing unless Cesar would either first ot at the same time revenge by the sword his cousin's wrong The plea was branched into 23 articles as 1. whether Prince Arthur had carnall copulation with Catherin The half of Lent was spent on this question then March 19 Newes were brought to Rome that a famous libell was published in England against the Pope and all his Court and that before the king was a comâ—dy to the great reproach of the Pope and the Cardinals Then all were in a rage and March 24 they pronounce sentence that the marriage betwixt Henry Catharin was lawfull and unless he hold her for hiâ— wife he shall he reputed as excommunicated This praecipitation pleaseth not the Pope for within sixe dayes Letters come from France shewing that Henry is content to submitt unto their judgement and obey the Pope if such Cardinals were secluded of whom he was jealous and such as were free of suspicion were sent to Camerac and there determine the plea and Francis sent Oratours for tâ—is effect Thâ—n Clemens adviseth on pretenses to suspend the Sentence and recover a lost cause But Henry said Their Sentence was nothing unto him he is the only Lord of his own kingdom as the Pope is the only Bishop of Rome and he will do as the Easterne Church did of old He renunceth the Pope and takes his power unto himself in England to wit he will keep the Christian faith and cast-off the Popes authority nor will he suffer that the Lutheran or any other heresy have place in his â—ealm And so he did for he publisheth an Edict whereby he declares himself The head of the Church of England and chargeth upon pain of death that no man assâ—ribe any power unto the Pope within Englâ—nd and commandeth all the Collectors of Peter-pence to be gone All those were confirmed by ordinance of the Estates which they call the Parliament And it was also Acted that the archb of Canterburry shall invest all the bb of England and that the Churchmen shall pay yearly unto the King 150000 pounds for defence of the kingdom against whatever enemy Various were the judgements of men concerning this action of the King some said it was done prudently that he had cast of the Romane See without any alteration of religion without any sedition among his subjects and without appeal of his cause unto a Councel for if he had permitted it unto the judgement of a Councel he saw that he could not carry it without difficulty and the issue might have been dangerous for a Councel consisting of Church-men would without doubt have maintained the Papal power seing albeit they be in some respect obnoxious unto Emper. and Princes yet they do prefer the eminency of the Pope nor among the Churchmen is any but the Pope that carrieth sway having no Superour in degree of honour But the Roman Court argueth it could not be affirmed that he had made no change in religion â—hen the chief and first article of their faith concerning the Primacy of the Pope was changed for which alone they should have kindled the fire of sedition as if all had been changed and the event did confirm this seing the King was driven by necessity of maintaining this edict to punish severely his formerly dearest minions Nor can it be easily told how great offense and sadness not only at Rome but every where this departure of so great a Prince from the obedience of the Pope wrought in the â—earts of Churchmen Certainly â—t was a cleare document of humane frailty whereby it often hapneth that what things were most advantagious turn at last to the greatest A wicked policy of the bb loss and harm For the Romish PP by dispensations of marriages and sentences of divorces either granted or denied were wont to make great advantages under the name of Christs Vicar as under a shadow covering those Princes which thought it expedient either by some incestuous marriage or by violating one and contracting another to make new purchase of other Landes or to cut away the rights and titles of diverse competitours and that made sure friendship among them The Pope and the Princes when his authority did serve to maintain their power without which the actions of Princes being unlawfull had been clearly condemned hindered nor only unto these Princes but unto all their children which might have been called to prove the lawfulness of their birth So far Pe. Soave in hist Conâ— Trid. Lib. 1. Others shew what was done in England Card. Wolsey archb of York had advised the King unto that divorcement but when he understood of his affection toward Anna Bolen he changeth his mind because she was infected so he spoke with Lutheranisme and he wrote unto the Pope that for this cause he would not consent unto the divorce Thus we see that in all these variations both at Rome and in England the Pope and his Cardinals look not to any Rule either of Gods word or of reason but are moved by the Spring of their own interest When the King understood of these Letters by his Agent lying at Rome he was highly displeased and displaceth Wolsey of his office of Chanceller in France and of two bishopricks for he had three York Duresme Winchester and at last â—e sent the Captain of his Gaird to bring him to London but he died by the way of a flixe When the king was married with Queen Anna he entangleth all the Clergy by the law Praemunire for assisting the Popes Legate They submitt themselves namely the Prelates profer for discharge of that law to give unto the king 100000 pounds out of Canterburry and 18840 pounds out of York and in their submission they call the King the head of the Church In the Parliament An. 24. of his reigne in January following he annulleth some former Acts that were made against hereticks and ordaineth that none shall be in danger for speaking against the Popes pretented authority or his Decrees or lawes which are not grounded on the holy Scriptures Item An. 25 ch 39 he appointed 32 judges out of the higher lower houses whereof 16 should be of the clergy and 16 of the temporality and all at his own nomination to examine the Synodal Canons and to determine of them either to stand in strength or to abrogat them at their discretions Item the Clergy should promise on the word of a priest never to assemble without the Kings
from above from the Father of lights 15. The priest distributing the Sacrament of the Supper speaketh unto every one of the communicants in these words Receive thou grace from the Lord and mercy from God our Saviour 16. Unto these words he who receives the mysteries of the holy Supper answereth Son of God make me partaker to day of thy mystical Supper I shall never deny thee I shall not kiss thee as Judas did but as the thief I will confess thee remember mee Lord in thy Kingdom 17. They sing not in time of communicating but al the spectators do meditate on these holy mysteries with singular devotion 18. When the communion is finished is a thanksgiving and a prayer then the priest turning toward the people blesseth them in this manner The blessing of the Lord be upon you And all the people say Amen Demetrius told mee those things concerning the Masse which is celebrated four times a year as I have said But in their dayly meetings the same Demetrius told mee the Christians have this custom 1. The priest beginneth with a blessing as in the Masse 2. Publick prayers are made a lesson is rehearsed out of the holy Scriptures and there is a short Sermon 3. When the prayer is finished bread is distributed without wine they call not this bread the body of the Lord but it is given in token of mutuall brotherly-love that their mindes being admonished by this sign may be united who eat of the same bread 4. When they have eaten that bread they are dismissed with this blessing The blessing of the Lord be upon you So Heming XIV It may be required here why is not mention made of the tares which the ill man did sowe among the wheat in this Century I intended indeed to have marked those heresies but partly because these are collected already and partly that this Compend hath swelled bigger then I intended I leave them and only will writ a little of a late kind of Monks in the Roman Church these are the Jesuits They had their first hatching Of the Iesuites from Johannes Petrus Carafa a Venetian who became Pope Paul IIII. But because he brought not that Order to an establishment his name is forgot in their genealogy and Ignatius Loyola is called their first father This was a Spanjard and a Captain When the Frenches beseeged Pompejopolis his one leg was broken and the other was wounded with a bâ—llet when his wounds were cured so as might be he saw that he could not follow the warrs as he intended thereupon he took himself unto a reteered life and reades the Legend's of Saints as they are called and went to Jerusalem for devotion after his returning he began to studie in Compluto Salamantica and then at Paris where he became Master of Arts An. 1536. Then he intends to begin a new order and hearing what Carapha had intended he will prosecute that project for upon occasion he lived at Venice He takes with him ten fellowes of his minde and go togeher for confirmation of their Order The Cardinals opposed him because the world was complaining of the multitude of Orders and Monks and indeed there was more need to restrain the number then add new But Loyola said The Franciscans and Dominicans who were wont to be stout Champions for the Apostolical See had failed of their duty but if his Order were confirmed he and all his fellowes will oblige themseves to do what they can for confirming the Papal power Upon this motive Pope Paul III. confirms the Order with this limitation that their number should not exceed sixty but in the year 1543. the Pope understanding of their diligence takes off that restraint of the number What sort of men those are may be wel known by two litle books one under the name Aphorismi Doctrinae Jesuitarum printed An. 1608. another called Anatomia Societatis Jesu printed An. 1643. The first saith They maintain all thearticles determined by the councel at Trent and namely these 1. The Pope hath spiritual and temporal power to command forbid to excommunicat and escheat to set up and cast down Emperours Kings and Princes and who believe not this is an heretick 2. All clergy-men Monks and Nonns and all their priviledges are al together free from obedience censures and taxations of Magistrats all Princes should commit their chief castls and fortresses unto church-men rather then to laicks 3. Unto the pleasure of the Pope belongeth the authority of the Scripture the interpretation and power of changing it and the Pop's Decrees are absolutly necessary unto salvation and they are firm and obligatory 4. Albeit the Pope be a man yet seing he is the Vicar of God on earth and therefore Divin honor should be given unto him he cannot err in matter of faith albeit all other men yea and councels may erre and for this cause appeals may be from Councels unto the Pope but not contra 5. All capitulations constitutions leagues fraternities priviledges of Emperours Kings Princes and States whereby any other religion is permitted excep the Romish religion are of no validity although they had been ratified by solem oaths 6. All Papists every where should endeavour to oppress by fire sword poison powder warre and whatsoever engines all hereticks especially Lutherans and their abbetors even these Politick Catholicks who would rather observe peace then contribute to oppress hereticks 7. But if Papists do fear that enterprices shall be in vain and dammage may befall the Romish religion in this case may be a toleration and they may wait for better occasion 8. When Popish subiects have in an assembly judged an Emperour King or Prince to bea tyrant then they may cast him off and deliver themselfs from all obligation but if they can not assemble then any subject taking the advice of a Jesuit or any such Divine may yea he doth meritoriously to kill that King or Prince 9. If subjects have a Lutheran or Calvinian Prince who would compell them into heresy those subjects are free from all homage and fealty and they may expell or kill him 10. Yea Emperours Kings and Princes may be killed if Jesuites or other grave Divines judge them tyrants 11. The Pope may give unto Catholiks the Kingdoms dominions and territories of all hereticks and infidels and such donations are validâ— 12. Jesuites and other Catholick priests when examined by heretical Magistrats may use equivocations fained names and cloaths and they may deny the truth for insinuating themselves abroad or for bringing their designements to pass 13. Jesuites and other Papists may use equivocations when he who is demanded thinks that that Judge hath not lawfull power to question him or his adversary hath not just cause to plead 14. Neither is every catholick tied to answer according to his mind unto privat catholicks but he may equivocat and deceive his demanders 15. This equivocation is a profitable Art and a new prudence These Aphorisms are proved particularly by
preachers should be placed oppidatim how can it well be thought that three or four preachers may suffice for a shire ...... Some there be that are mislikers of the godly Reformation in Religion once established wishing indeed that there were no preachers at all and so by depriving of Ministers impugne Religion Non aperto Marte sed in cuniculis much like the Bishops in your Fathers time who would have had the English translation of the Bible called-in as evill translated and the new translation to be committed unto them which they never intended to perform A number there is and that exceeding great altogether worldly-minded ...... And because the preaching of Gods Word which to all Christians conscience is sweet and delectable to them having Cauterizatas conscientias is bitter and grievous ..... they wish that there were no preachers at all but they dare not directly condem the office of preaching so expresly commanded by Gods Word for that were open blasphemy they turn themselves altogether and with the same meaning as others do against the persons of them that are admitted to preach But God forbid Madam that you should open your ears unto any of these wicked persuasions Cum defecerit Propheta dissipabitur Populus saith Salomon Prov. 27. Where it is thought that the reading of godly Homilies set forth by publick authority may suffice the reading of these hath it's commodities but it is nothing comparable to the office of preaching ...... These were devised by godly Bishops in your The use of the Book of Homilies brothers dayes only to supply necessite by want of preachers and are by the statute not to be preferred but to give place to Sermons wheresoever they may be had and were never thought in themselves to contain alone sufficient instruction for the Church of England For it was found then as it is now that this Church had been by appropriations not without sacriledge spoiled of the livings which at the first were appointed to the office of preaching or teaching which appropriations were first annexed to Abayes and after came to the crown and now are disposed to privat mens possessions without hope to reduce the same to the original institution ..... Concerning the second point which is of the learned exercises and conferences amongst the Ministers of the Church I have The exercise of Ministers consulted with diverse of my brethren the Bishops who think of the same as I do a thing profitable to the Church And therefore expedient to be continued and I trust your Majesty will think the like when you shall be informed of the matter and order thereof what authority it hath of the Scriptures what commodity it bringeth with it and what discommodities will follow if it be clean taken away The authors of this exercise are the Bishops of the Diocess where it is used who by the law of God and by the canons and constitutions of the Church now in force have authority to appoint exercise to their inferior Ministers for encrease of learning and knowledge of the Scriptures as to them seemes expedient for that pertaines ad disciplinam Clericalem So after he hath spoken of the matter and order of that Exercise and the ground of it from 1. Sam. 10. and 1. Cor. 14. he addeth This gift of interpreting the Scriptures in S. Pauls time was given to many by a special miracle without study ...... but now miracles ceasing men must attain to the Hebrew Greek and Latin tongues ...... by travel and study God gives the increase So must men attain by the like means to the gifts of expounding and interpreting the Scriptures and amongst other helps nothing is so necessary as these above named exercises and conferences amongst the Ministers of the Church which in effect are all one with the exercises of Students in Divinity in the Universities saving that the first is done in a tongue understanded to the more edifying of the unlearned hearers Howsoever report hath been to your Majesty concerning these exercises yet I and others of York whose names are noted as followes 1. Cantuariensis 2. London 3. Winch 4. Bathon 5. Lichfield 6. Glocester 7. Lincoln 8. Chester 9. Exon 10. Meneven alià s Davids as they have testified unto mee by their Letters have found by experience that these profits and commodities following have ensued of them 1. The Ministers of the Church are more skilfull and more ready in the Scriptures and more Apt to teach their flocks 2. It withdrawes them from idleness wandring gaming c. 3. Some afore suspected in doctrine are brought to the knowledge of the truth 4. Ignorant Ministers are driven to study if not for conscience yet for shame and fear of discipline 5. The opinion of lay men touching the ableness of the Clergy is hereby removed 6. Nothing by experience beats down Popery more then that 7. Ministers as some of my brethren do confess grow to such knowledge by means of those exercises that where a fore were not able Ministers not three now are thretty able and meet to preach at Pauls cross and 40 or 50 besids able to instruct their own Cures so as it is found by experience the best means to increase knowledge in the simple and to continue it in the learned Only backward men in religion and contemners of learning in the countries abroad do fret against it which in truth doth the more commend it The dissolution of it would bâ—eed triumph in the Adversary and great sorow and grief unto the favorers of Religion contrary to the Counsel of Ezek. 13. 18. Cor justi non est contristandum Although some have abused this good and necessary exercise there is no reason that the malice of a few should prejudice all abuses may be reformed and that which is good may remain Neither is there any just cause of offences to be taken if diverse men make diverse senses of one sentence of Scripture so that all the senses be good and agreable to the analogy and proportion of faith for otherwise we must condemn all the antient Fathers and diverse of the Church who most commonly expound one and the same text of Scripture diversely and yet all to the good of the Church .... Because I am well assured ..... that these exercises for the interpretation of the Scriptures and for exhortation and confort are profitable ......... I am inforced with all humility and yet plainly to profess that I can not with safe conscience and without the offence of the Majesty of God give my assent to the suppressing of these exercises much less can I send out any Injunction for the utter and universal subversion of the same I say with Paul I have no power to destroy but only to edify and I can do nothing against the truth but with the truth If it be your Majesties pleasure or for any other cause to remove me I consider with myself Quod horrendum est incidere in manus Dei viventis
J. Christ correction of manners and administration of the holy Sacraments and declares that there is no other face of Church nor other face of religion than is presently by the favor of God established within this realm and that there be no jurisdiction ecclesiasticall acknowledged than which is and shall be within the famin Church or which flowes there from concerning the premisses 3. All markets and faires were forbidden to be keept on the Sabboth-day or in any Church or churchyaird so all handy-work on the Sabboth-day all gaming playing passing to taverns and aile-houses and wilfull remaining from their parish-church in time of Sermon or prayers and a pecuniall mulct layd upon the transgressours respective to be payd for the use of the poor of the parish 4. An Act was made concerning these who send their children out of country 5. Every housholder having lands or goods worth 500. pounds was obliged to have a Bible which at that time was printed in folio and a Psalme book in his house for the better instruction of themselves and their families in the knowledge of God 6. In the table of Acts not printed is mention of a Commssion anent the Jurisdiction of the Kirk the last part thereof Observe 1. The Parliament in the year 1560. is acknowledged to have been a lawfull Parliament 2. We may see that the disciplin at that time in the Church was authorised and ordained to continue Moreover what was the estate of the Church at that time wee may learn from an Epistle of Andrew meluin unto The. Beza dated Nouember 13. An. 1579. Wee have not ceased these fyue years to fight against pseudepiscopacy many of the Nobility resisting us and to presse the severity of discipline wee have presented unto his Roiall Majesty and three Estates of the realm both before and now in this Parliament the form of discipline to be insert among the Acts and to be confirmed by pulick authority wee have the Kings minde bended toward us but many of the Peers against us for they alledge if pseudepiscopacy be taken away one of the Estates is pulled down if presbyteries be erected the Rojall Majesty is diminished if Church-goods be restored unto the lawfull use the Kings treasury is emptied Seing the B. with Abbots and Priors make up the third Estate and all jurisdiction both ecclesiasticall and politicall belongeth unto the King and his Counsell and things ecclesticall should by their Sentence be adjudged unto the Kings treasure That they do speak or think so the cause in many is ignorance in others a wicked life and evill manners and in many a desire to catch the goods of the Church which yet remain or fear of losing what they have taken and what shall I say of that they hold that the Sentence of excommunication is not lawfull untill the cause be known by the Kings Counsell for they knowing their own guiltiness are feared for the Sentence of the Presbytery not so much for fear of Gods judgement as for terror of the civill punishments which by our lawes and practise do follow lastly whill they have regard unto the wisdom of the flesh more than unto the reveeled word of God they wish that all things should be carried in the name and at the beck of a Bishop or one perpetuall overseer and would have nothing administred by the common sentence of the Presbytery The Lord in mercy sweep away these evills from his Church This epistle is in Vindic. Philadelph Pag. 41. Immediatly before this Parliament the Duke d'Obigny afterwards styled Earle of Lennox came into Scotland towit in the last week of Septemb. as Spotswood shewes in Histor Pag. 308. Now if we conferre that time with what is written in that page his splene may appeare against the truth for he makes the Duke's coming to be a cause of variance betwixt the King and the Church at the Assembly preceeding where no difference was appearing but afterwards some what followes Jelousies and emulations were in the winter following among the Noble men as the Earle of Athol Chancelor was envied and died and others fled out of the Country but no variance did as yet appeare betwixt the King and the Church-men XVII In Aprile 1580. a Proclamation was made in the Kings name 1580. ex deliberatione Dominorum Consilii charging all Superintendents and Comnissioners and Ministers serving at Kirks to note the names of all the subjects alsweel men as women suspected to be Papists or ...... And to admonish them ...... To give confession of their faith according to the Form approved by the Parliament and to submit unto the disciplin of the true Church within a reasonable space ...... And if they faile ...... That the Superintendent or Commissioners present a catalogue of their names unto the King and Lords of the Secret Counsell where they shall bee for the time between and the 15. day of July next to come to the end that the Acts of Parliament made against such persons may be executed The Assembly conveens at Dundy July 12. here was the Laird of Lundy Commissioner The 38. Assembly from the King Commissioners c. James Lowson is chosen Moderator 1. Some spake against the Privy Conference as if tyranny and usurpation might creep-in by it and liberty were taken from other members nevertheless after reasoning it was judged expedient to continue 2. John Craig one of the Kings Ministers delivereth this Letter from the King Trusty and welbeloved friends Wee greet you well Wee have directed toward you our trusty friend the Prior of Pettinweem and the Laird of Lundy instructed with Our power for assisting with their power and counsell in all things that they may tending to the glory of God and preservation of Vs and Our Estates desiring you heartily to accept them and Our good will committed to them for the present in good part so wee commend you to Gods blest protection From our palace of Falkland July 11. 1580. 3. Forsomuch as the Office of a Bishop as it is now used and commonly taken in this realm hath no sure warrant authority nor good ground out of the Scriptures of God but is brought in by folly and corruption of mens inventions to the great overthrow of the Church of God The wholl assembly in one voice after liberty given to ail men to reason in the matter and none opponing himselfe to defend the said pretended Office Finds and declares the same pretended Office used and termed as is above said Unlawfull in itselfe as having neither ground nor warrand within the Word of God And ordaines all such persons as use or shall use hereafter the said Office shal be charged to dimit simpliciter quite and leave-off the same as an Office whereunto they are not called by God And to desist and cease from all preaching ministration of the sacraments or using any way the office of Pastors untill they receive de novo admission from the Generall assembly Under the pain of