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
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
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
Gregorie for Gregorie believed that the soul of Paschasius was purged in a bath at Puteoli and Damian thought that the soul of Severinus was purged in a flood and therefore saith Bellarm the Fathers both Greeks and Latines before the School-men have erred and nevertheless Bellarm. and other Papists for proof of their Purgatorie do bring all the testimonies of these Fathers to prove this their opinion whereas the opinions differ 1. In regard of the persons who are to be purged 2. The place 3. The durance there 4. The nature of the fire 5. Which is the principal they hold now that the pains of Purgatorie may be mitigated and taken away by the prayers and offerings of the living Augustine that renowned Bishop of Hippo was the first amongst the Ancients who spoke of such a place and he spake but doubtinglie for in Enchir. ad Laur. cap. 68. he saith As well they who build gold as they who build straw shall pass through the fire whereof the Apostle speaketh and therefore that fire is the tentation of tribulation in this life but whether there be any such thing after this life is not incredible and it may be asked But in serm 62. ad fra in Erem and ser 232. de temp he saith There be onlie two sorts of places for two sorts of souls after this life and this is no third In lib. 5. hypognost he saith The Catholick Faith by Divine authoritie believes that the first place is Heaven wherein the Reprobate his word is the not-baptized is excepted The second is Hell where everie Apostate and alliant from the faith of Christ shall suffer everlasting punishment We are altogether ignorant of a third place nor shall we find it in the holie Scriptures saith he And de Civit. Dei lib. 21. cap. 25. after the words of Gal. 5. 19 20 21. he saith Certainlie this saying of the Apostle is false if such men being delivered after what time soever shall possess the Kingdom of God but because it is not false trulie they shall not possess that Kingdom and if they shall never enter into the Kingdom of God they shall be held in everlasting punishment because there is no middle place where he is not punished who is not brought into the Kingdom Pope Gregorie Dial. lib. 4. cap. 39. moveth the question Whether after death there be a Purgatorie fire He answereth In the Gospel the Lord saith Walk while ye have light and by the Prophet In an acceptable time have I heard thee which the Apostle Paul expoundeth saying Behold now is the acceptable time now is the day of salvation Solomon also saith Whatsoever thy hand can do do it instantlie because there is neither work nor reason nor knowledge nor wisedom in the grave he hath it apud inseros whither thou goest David also saith His mercie indureth for ever out of which sayings it is certain that in what condition everie man departeth in the same shall he be represented in judgement But yet for some light saults a purging fire may be believed to be before judgement because truth saith If any speak blasphemie against the holie Spirit it shall not be forgiven unto him in this life nor in the life to come In which saying it is given to understand that some faults may be forgiven in this life and some in the life to come for what is denied of one it follows consequentlie that it is granted of some But as I said it is to be believed of little and very small sins as all idle words continuallie c. Thus unto Augustin's question Whether it be Gregorie answereth It is to be believed and that he gathereth out of one negative and contrarie unto the affirmative that he had confirmed by several sentences of Scripture And concerning the Text in 1 Cor. 3. he adds there Although this may be understood of the fire of tribulation in this life yet if one will take it of the fire of the future purging it may be diligentlie considered In the following chapter he sheweth his motive to think so But first consider that the Doctrine of the Church before him was that the dead doth not appear as Chrysostom to 1. de Laza. con 4. saith If souls did return to shew men what were done after this life Satan might verie easilie deceive the World for as when God sent Prophets Satan sent false Prophets when Christ came Satan sent false Christs when the Apostles were sent he sent false Apostles still mixing tares with wheat so if God did send the dead back into the World most easilie might Satan counterfeit that also not raising dead men but by deceiving the eies with false inchantments or by suborning some men to feign themselves dead or to say they have been dead and so he might confound all things But the all-knowing God hath prevented this falshood and he sparing us suffereth none to come from the dead to tell the living what things are done there to the end we should learn and believe the Scriptures But now Pope Gregorie saith he was induced to think that there is a purging fire after death because the soul of Paschasius a Deacon of Rome in the contention betwixt Laurentius and Symmachus had appeared before Germanus Bishop of Capua as he heard it said when he was young in a bathe and did service unto him and when the Bishop asked him Why he was there he answered For no other cause am I appointed to this place of punishment but because I was on the side of Laurentius against Symmachus but I beseech you pray the Lord for me and by this you shall know that he hath heard you if when you return hither you shall not find me The Bishop did so and after a few daies returning he found not Paschasius in that place Thus we see what was Pope Gregorie's opinion of Purgatorie and what were his grounds and motives Bellarm. de Purg. lib. 1. cap. 7. promiseth to prove Purgatorie by more apparitions from testimonies of most grave Authours but he cannot alledge one before this Gregory who as I said before from Mel. Canus was too credulous In a word as Roffensis hath well observed and ingeniously confesseth in Respons contra Luther art 18. and Pol. Verg. de invent rer lib. 6. cap. 1. repeats it Little or no mention of purgation is amongst the ancients and the Greeks untill this day believe it not so long as there was no fear of Purgatorie none sought indulgences for upon it depends all esteem of indulgences The beginning of indulgence take away Purgatorie and what need is there of indulgence say they Nor was it universally believed in the Latine Churches nor was it reckoned an article of faith till it was established by the Councel at Florence an 1439. where the Greeks did oppose it till they were hastning to an end and then they would not strive against the word but would never believe the thing 4. About the same time another
bold reprover of Kings he became a shameless flatterer of Popes for he is said to have first moved the decree in Gratian. dist 40. cap. Si quis if a Pope carry with him innumerable souls into Hell no man ought to say unto him What doest thou He spoke so and afterwards the Popes did aim at exemption from censure untill they did attain it he had from Rome a power Legantine in Germany neither preached he only unto the Heathens but did corrupt several Provinces where Christ had been preached as Thuringia Argentina c. with Roman Manicheism condemning some meats forbidding marriage of Priests and permitting to have Nuns or Whores urging the worship of images in a word his care was not so much for Christianism as for Papism for he writ unto Pope Zachary saying How few soever Disciples God giveth me in this my charge I cease not to incline them to the obedience of the Apostolick See he caused the Monastery of Eulda to be built in favour of English men and was killed at Borna being suspected of a conspiracy 5. Many did preach and write against him and his superstitions as Adelbert The opposers of his Rites a French Bishop and Sidonius an Arch-Bishop of Bavaria Samson a Scot Bishop of Auxerre and Virgilius an Irish man Bishop of Juvavia as Nauclerus and Aventine do record Boniface dilateth them unto Pope Zachary and as Bern. Lutzenburg in Catol writeth the Pope in a Synod at Rome condemneth them depriveth them of their Priesthood and excommunicateth them before they were heard and when they sought to be heard and plead their cause in a Synod Boniface denied access unto them and said Excommunicated men should not be admitted into a Synod nor have the benefit of the Law So partly by tyranny of the Pope and partly by authority of Pipin Boniface did oppress all his adversaries Catal. test ver ex vita Bonifac. Particularly one Clemens did reprove Boniface 1. That he did so advance the authority of the Roman Bishop seeing all Teachers are equally successours of the Apostles 2. That he condemned the marriage of Priests 3. That he did speak too much for the Monkish life 4. That he had anointed the King of France contrary to the undoubted right of the Merovei 5. That he appointed Masses for the dead and other new Rites unknown in the Church heretofore Aventin Annal. lib. 3. Epist Zachar. ad Bonif. in tom 2. Concil 6. Albine or Alcwin had good knowledge of the Latine and Greek languages Alcwin and his doctrines Charls the Great calleth him his Master in an Epistle written unto him deseptuages sexages Biblioth de la Bigne tom 3. where are some of his works On Ps 51. he writeth thus It is said unto the Father Then wilt thou accept the sacrifice of righteousness that is the most glorious passion of the Son who offered himself a sacrifice for all men that they might attain salvation which the world did not deserve by their works Ibid. When I look on my self I find nothing in me but sin thy righteousness must deliver me it is thy mercy and not my merits that saveth me we are quickned by the mercy of God in the name of our Saviour and not by our merits In his works he often useth the word merite but here we may see in what sence he and others do understand it On the fourth poenit Ps I could defile my self but I cannot cleanse my self unless thou Lord Jesu do cleanse me by sprinkling thy holy blood No good can be in us unless it be thy working grace who hast made us On Ps 118. Thou hast made me to be desirous of thy Commandments make me also able to do help that I may do what thou commendest and give what thou commandest And in another place Free-will abideth as yet in men by nature that in whom God willeth he may be pleased to make free by grace that they have not an evil will for since the first man by free-will was sold under sin the freedom of man is evil because the goodness of the will is taken away from the free-will which goodness none can have of himself unless he have it being helped by the grace of God's mercy without whose help free-will can neither turn unto God nor make any progress unto God He hath the like words in lib. 2. de Trinit cap. 8. On Eccles cap. 1. The Sun Christ inlightneth all things with the splendour and vertue of his spiritual grace in whose punishment is our salvation he ariseth to them who believe in him and he goeth down to every unbeliever Ibid. cap. 3. We should rejoice in this spiritual pleasure of meat and drink not only in the Sacrament but in reading the Holy Scriptures also where we may eat and drink of the Tree of life Ibid. cap. 7. Let us consider the works of God how great and wondrous they are and how in his free mercy he hath chosen one and in his just judgement he despiseth another as it is written of the Twins I have loved Jacob and hated Esau In Praefa lib. 1. de Trinit We should all pray that the Catholick faith which only quickneth mankind and only doth sanctifie may be truly fixed in the hearts of all men by one confession Ca. 1. Although we be thrown down from the joy of blessed felicity into the miserable blindness of this exile for the just punishment of original sin yet we are not so cut off that even in this changable and temporary estate we know not to seek and desire eternity truth and blessedness which is clear in that we have not a will to die nor be deceived nor be miserable whence is this natural instinct that all men would be blessed although this appetite is diversly in the minds of particular persons some think to be blessed in riches The whole divine Scriptures exhort us to be lifted up from earthly unto heavenly things where is true and eternal blessedness unto which it is most certain that none can attain but by the faith of the Catholick peace In Praefa lib. 2. All the authority of the holy books serve unto us to make us believe rightly of God and to love him with all our heart but the sight of man's mind is not able to behold the most excellent light of God's Majesty unless it be inlightned by the brightness of the righteousness of faith and love through the gift of God's grace therefore we should pray for the grace of God that the ey of our heart may be cleansed to see how properly the Trinity is the one and only and true God and how rightly the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit is said understood and beleeved to be one and the same substance Lib. 3. cap. 1. What did the human nature in the man Christ deserve that it should be assumed into the unity of the person of the only Son of God what good will what desire of
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
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
of his God-head and He is the bread of life not of this natural but of that unchangeable life which fails not by death And who beleeveth in that bread shall not suffer hunger by hearing the Word of God nor suffer spiritual thirst because he hath the water of Baptism and sanctification of the Spirit ... And shewing that faith in Christ is not a common thing but a gift of God and given by the Father to the upright in heart he saith Whomsoever the Father gives unto me he shall come unto me that is they shall beleeve in me whom my Father gives unto me .... And I will not cast him out which comes unto me that is I will not lose him but I will save and I will refresh him with much diligence for I came from Heaven to do no other thing but the will of my Father And near the end of that Chapter he saith When ye hear that his Disciples went away do not think it of his true Disciples but of them who did follow in the order of Disciples and seemed to have the form of Disciples while they were taught by him for there were some among his Disciples who being compared with the other multitude were called his Disciples for they abode longer time then the multitude but being compared with others which were true Disciples they were not to be considered because they beleeved him but for a time and as I might say with a cold heat .... The flesh profiteth nothing ... the flesh that is to expound these words carnally profiteth not but are the occasion of scandal So then they who understood carnally the things spoken by Christ were offended Therefore he addeth The words I speak are spirit that is are spiritual and life having no fleshly thing and bringing eternal life Shewing that it is the excellency of the God-head to reveal these hid things he saith There be some among you who beleeve not when he saith Some he excepteth the Disciples On Cap. 10. He sheweth the sure tokens of a good Shepheard and of a Wolf ... and first of the pernicious Shepheard saying He entreth not by the dore that is by the Scriptures for he useth not the Scriptures and Prophets as witnesses for certainly the Scriptures are the dore by which we are brought unto God and these suffer not Wolves to enter for they forbid Hereticks that we may be secure and they give a reason of every thing therefore he is a theef who entreth not into the fold by the Scriptures and so is found by them .... Because the Scriptures are understood and opened by the Holy Spirit they do shew Christ unto us the Porter is justly expounded the Holy Spirit by whom as the Spirit of wisdom ann knowledge the Scriptures are opened and by them the Lord entreth to have a care of us and by them the Shepheard is known And the Sheep hear the voice of the Shepheard for because they had often called him a deceiver and they would through incredulity confirm this saying Doth any of the rulers beleeve in him Christ shews that they should not think him a deceiver though none of those beleeved in him but rather they should be cast out of the sheep-fold for saith he if I come in by the dore it is clear that I am the true Shepheard and ye which beleeve not in me seem not to be sheep On Cap. 12. speaking of the word Osanna he saith Out of these Texts any man may understand that the Scripture attributes salvation unto God only On Cap. 20. Though many signs of his resurrection were given yet these only are written and that not for ostentation or that the glory of the only begotten may be shewed but that ye may beleeve saith he What is the gain who reapeth it not Christ for what gain hath he that we beleeve But it redounds unto us for he saith That ye beleeving might have life through his name On Rom. 1. What righteousness can we have who are defiled with abomination and filthy deeds but God hath justified us not by our works but by faith On Cap. 3. If the Law had power to justifie what need had we of Christ If thou wilt say By what law is this glorying excluded is it by works seeing the Law commandeth He who doth these things shall live by them for these things did the Law of Moses command He saith Not but by the Law of faith which gives righteousness by grace and not by works You see how he calleth faith a law because this name was in such veneration amongst the Jews On Cap. 6. He calleth life grace and not a reward as if he had said Ye do not receive the reward of works but by grace are all these things given unto you through Christ which worketh and doth them all On Cap. 10. The righteousness of God is by faith which requires nothing glorious or grievous of us but all our hopes is on the grace of God On Cap. 11. If of works then no more of grace or else work were no more work if we be made acceptable unto God through works grace were superfluous but if grace be superfluous then must works also be taken away for where grace is working is not requisite and where working is no grace is required What then .... When he hath shewed what grace is and that it is the gift of God without the works of men he asserteth that the Israelites have not attained justification though they sought it because they sought it not rightly and they thought to have righteousness by works which could not be But saith he the election that is they which are chosen have attained it and by this word election he shews that the excellency of things to come and all other things are bestowed on men by the gift of God On Cap. 13 He the Apostle teacheth that all men whether a Priest or Monk or an Apostle should be subject unto Princes On Cap. 16. The Apostle teacheth that dissensions and scandals that is heresies are brought in by them which bring any doctrine besides the doctrine of the Apostles On 1 Cor. 3. Miracles are done very often for the profit of others and therefore are they done sometimes even by unworthy men Cap. 14. Signs are for unbeleevers for beleevers have no need of them seeing they do already beleeve ... but prophecies are profitable both to beleevers and unbeleevers ...... Behold how by degrees he proveth plainly that he who speaks with his tongue only and understands not doth the less good even to himself and this was the meaning of Basilius on this place ..... What then is more to be sought of God that we may pray in the Spirit that is with grace and with the mind that is with meditation to conceive what we should pray On 2 Cor. 4. That the excellency may be of the power of God and not of us that it may be clear saith the Apostle that the excellency of the
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
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
the death of my Lord Jesus Christ betwixt thee and my wicked merits and I offer the merit of his most worthy passion for the merit that I should have had and alas I have it not Say again O Lord I lay the death of my Lord Jesus Christ betwixt thy wrath and me Then let him say thrice Into thy hands O Lord I commend my spirit Ia. Vsser de succes Eccles c. 7. sheweth from Cas Vlenberg lib. causar caus 14. that all Christendom received this form of questioning the sick from this Anselm but it hath been changed from time to time In the Book Institutio baptizandi aliaque Sacramenta administrandi ex decreto concilii Tridenti restituta printed at Lions ann 1598. at that part de recommendatione anima are the same questions and answers but there are set first these Believest thou dear brother all the Articles of the Faith and all the holy Scripture according to the exposition of the holy and Catholique Doctors Ans I believe Doest thou detest and refuse all Heresies and Superstitions which are damned and disallowed by the holy Mother the Catholique Church Ans I do disallow Instead of these two questions the above-named Jesuit reporteth ex Bibliotheca Vaticana thus If he be a secular man he should be demanded so Believest thou these things that belong unto Christian faith in so far as they be determined by the Church Ans I believe And in the end he saith These things being finished Anselm saith Without doubt the sick man shall be saved Observe Here is no word of Purgatory nor of saying Masses for him after death But the most remarkable difference is in Index Expurgat set forth by Cardinal Quiroga there it is ordered to blot away or leave out these questions Believest thou that our Lord Jesus Christ died for our salvation and that none can be saved by his own merits or any other way but by the merit of his passion And where it was said in Or do baptizandi printed at Venice ann 1575. at the end of these questions We need not dispair of his salvation which with his heart believeth and with his mouth confesseth these questions that Index ordereth to leave out these words also By this form and the changes of it we may see how the Papists have changed their faith especially in this main cordial for a sick soul The same Anselm wrote two Books etituled Cur Deus homo against some The reasonableness of redemption by Christ whom he calleth Infidels And it appeareth certainly unto me these have been the Fore-fathers of the Socinians and that Socinus have gathered the most part of their quirks out of these Books but as the man hath been wickedly minded he hath not taken to heart what Anselm hath answered unto these Infidels I studying brevity will onely repeat some of the answers except onely the first objection Lib. 1. c. 2. The Objector saith As right order requireth that we should believe the profound things of Christian faith before we presume to search them by reason so it seemeth to be negligence if after we be confirmed in the faith we endeavor not to know what we do believe wherefore as by the preveening grace of God I think that I know the faith of our redemption so that albeit I cannot comprehend by reason what I do believe yet nothing shall be able to pull me away from the certainty thereof I crave that thou wouldest declare unto me which many others do crave as thou knowest upon what necessity and reason hath God seeing he is Almighty assumed the baseness and weakness of humane nature for the restoring of us This is the main objection and the preamble of it condemneth implicite faith Anselm answereth cap. 3. We do neither wrong nor reproach to God but giving thanks with all our heart we do praise and set forth the unspeakable altitude of his mercy that how much the more wonderously and above all imagination he hath restored us from so great and so deserved wickedness wherein we were unto so great and so undeserved benefits which we had lost he hath set forth the greater love and pity toward us for if they would diligently consider how conveniently the restauration of man is procured after this maner they would not jeer at our simplicity but with us they would commend the wise bountifulness of God for it was necessary that as by the disobedience of a man death entered into mankinde so by the obedience of a man life should be restored and as sin which was the cause of our damnation had its beginning from a woman so the Author of our righteousness and salvation should be born of a woman and as the divel overcame man whom he perswaded by eating of a tree so a man should overcome him by suffering whereof he was the author on a tree Cap. 4. Is not this a necessary reason why God should do these things seeing his so precious a work mankinde was altogether lost nor was it fitting that what God hath propounded concerning man should be altogether annulled nor could his purpose be brought to pass unless mankinde had been delivered by the Creator himself Cap. 5. Whatsoever other person had delivered man from everlasting death man might be judged to be a servant unto that person and if it were so man had not at all been restored unto that dignity which he had had if he had not sinned seeing he which should have been the servant of God onely and equal unto the good Angels in every respect should have been a servant unto one which is not God and whose servants the Angels are not C. 8. The will of God when he hath done a thing should be a sufficient reason unto us albeit we see not why he hath done so nor should any think it contrary to reason when we confess that God hath done these things which we believe of the Incarnation And they understand not what we believe for we affirm without any doubt that the divine nature cannot suffer nor in any respect can be brought from his Celsitude nor hath any difficulty in whatsoever he will do But we say that our Lord Jesus Christ is very God and very man one person in both natures and two natures in one person wherefore when we say that God was humbled and suffered weakness we understand it not according to his imsuffering nature but according to the infirmity of humane nature which he had assumed and so it is clear no reason is against our faith for thus we do not understand any humiliation of the divine substance but we declare that there is but one person of God and man nor did God the Father deal with that man so as you seem to understand or give an innocent unto death for the guilty for he did not force him unto death against his will nor suffered him to be killed but he himself did willingly suffer death to the end he might save us from death
new named Peter Abbot of Cluniac wrote against him and imputeth these as errors unto him 1. Altars should be broken down 2. Sacrifices for the dead are foolishness and impieties 3. Priests and Monks should have wives rather then burn in filthiness and whoredom 4. Crosses should not be worshipped and should be removed as superstitious 5. Churches should not be so sumptuous but seeing they are not necessary should rather be cast down 6. God is but mocked with the songs that Monks and Priests do chant in the Churches 7. The forbidding of meats on certain days is but superstitious 8. We should believe onely the Canonical Scriptures and the writings of the Fathers have not the like Authority Albeit this Abbot did write bitterly against him and imputed other things unto him yet he sheweth not obscurely that wrong was done unto him and he saith Because it is not manifest unto me that he thinketh or preacheth so I will suspend my answer until I shall finde undoubted certainly I should not rashly assent unto that deceitful monster of report Ex lib. 1. Ep. 1 2. He began to preach about the year 1126. After him his disciple Henry a Monk continued preaching the same doctrine Guilerm an Abbot writing the life of Bernard lib. 3. cap 5. saith of this Henry He denied the grace of baptism unto infants he dispised the prayers and oblations for the dead the excommunications of Priests the pilgrimages of believers the sumptuous buildings of Churches the idleness of festival days the consectation of chrisme and oyl and all the Ordinances of the Church He sheweth there that the people sent for Bernard to come against him but he refused until Albericus Bishop of Ostia was sent Legate against him and he perswadeth Bernard to go with him unto Tolouse And then Bernard wrote his 240. Epistle unto Hildefonsus Count of S. Giles against this Henry and complaineth that by that mans preaching Churches were without people people without Priests Priests without reverence and Christians without Christ the Churches were accounted Synagogues Sacraments not holy things and holy days wanted solemnities men died in their sins without penance nor guarded with the holy communion He writeth against his life and calleth him an apostate because being a Monk he had returned to the lusts of the flesh as a dog to his vomit and a player at dice. It is certain as the proverb is Bernard saw not all things and howbeit he writ bitterly against him yet he commendeth him as a learned man and calleth him a wolf under a sheeps fleece he had then the shew of godliness yea and he was so reverenced that the people did follow him and though the man might be truly so blotted in his life yet we see that some errors were taxed by him and he was allowed and followed by the people for taxing these errors Debruis was burnt at Tolouse and Albericus carried Henry into Italy Their books were burnt that we can finde nothing of them but by the hands of their adversaries who may be thought to have dealt with them as the Heathens and Jews dealt with the Primitive Church that is bely them 17. Potho a Priest of Prumia wrote De statu domus Dei where are these passages Lib. 1. Liberty of will is lost and we are brought into captivity Lib. 2. With us is but one word to wit the word which was made flesh and one sacrifice which was once offered by the Mediator of the New Testament and doth make perfect for ever them who are sanctified Lib. 3. The holy Church is built on a rock and continueth in all adversities with immoveable certainty And after he hath largely rebuked the hypocrisie ambition and avarice of the Clergy he concludeth saying Seeing ambition reigneth in them how can they adorn the profession of Christ by word or works Catal. test ver lib. 14. 18. The poor men of Lions began a new Sect of Monkery as Bellarmin Of the Waldenses speaketh De Monach. cap. 4. and went to Rome to have their Religion confirmed by Pope Alexander III. but because it was mixed with sundry Heresies as he speaketh they were rejected and their Religion was condemned The History of these men is worthy of knowledge as many have written against them and others for them About the year 1150. was a rich Merchant at Lions of good reputation for wealth and prudence Peter Waldius or Waldensis so surnamed from Waldy a Village in the East borders of France afterwards called Vandra It happened on a day when the elder men of Lions were assembled that one fell down and died suddenly this spectacle gave occasion unto this Peter of thinking upon the frailty of this life and the vanity of mens cares for so brittle a thing wherefore he resolveth to be more mindeful of that eternal life First to this end he purchaseth a Bible which in those days was not forbidden yet very rare in the hands of either Laicks or Clergy and like the man desirous to buy the jewel he spent the rest of his days in seeking the water of life that which he learned he imparted it unto his family and catechised them His maner of instructing was so familiar and effectual that sundry of his neighbors were desirous to hear him he was no less willing to teach them and informed them not of private fantasies but expounded the holy Scriptures and translated some parts thereof into the French Language Ia. Thuan. ad Ann. 1550. The Priests were offended and like dogs who neither can eat hay nor suffer the oxen to eat they charged him to leave such work and put not his hand into their harvest unless he will bring worse upon himself The man cared more for conscience then their menaces and followed his course nor did the people abstain from his company Some made better progress with him then they had done before and became his colleagues in teaching others Wherefore John Arch-Bishop of Lions excommunicated him and all his followers and did confiscate all their goods So after five years they were scattered some seeking place of residence in one Countrey and some in another Wheresoever they went they purchased the praise of good conversation and by way of pity were called the poor men of Lions as indeed they were deprived of their goods and not professors of poverty as our adversaries speak of them They were also called Leonistae from the same City which by some is called Leon and they were called Insabbatati or Inzabbatati not because they kept not the holy days nor because they followed the Jewish Sabbath but from Zabata or Zabati which is an up-land shoe as Ia. Vsser de Eccles statu cap. 6. sheweth from Nic. Eimeric in par 2. direct Inquisit because upon their shoe they had a certain sign whereby they knew one another Afterwards other names were given unto them from the places of their abode as Tolosani Albigenses Caprarienses c. and from their Teachers they were
Purgatory was not known and then it was believed by some by degrees partly by revelations and partly by Scriptures and so at last it was believed generally by the whole Church we may easily understand some cause of pardons Seeing then Purgatory was so lately known who can now admire that there was no use of pardons in the primitive Church c. 4. A fourth device of the Friers 4. Meritum ex congruo condigno was the distinction of merit ex congruo condigno some holding the one part onely and some both parts but it was never universally approved among them seeing always some did abhor to say A man by his merits is worthy of the Kingdom of heaven Of which number were Guiliel Parisien Jo. Scotus Gregorius de Arimino Biel c. This particular leadeth to another consideration Their contrary doctrines of these Friers that as they do differ in degrees the latter sort for the most part being worse or more erroneous then their fathers and ready to produce a worse generation so they did and still do differ in contrary opinions for they preach not Christ of good will saith Agrip. de vanit scien cap. 97. but for contention so that there is more hope of agreement among Philosophers then among these School-men seeing they have darkened and killed all maner of Divinity with opinions of men and new errors c. and the posterity sweareth into the words or tenets of their Master and they are led captive by his opinion so that they will not yield unto contrary reasons nor Scripture This is clear by the families or Sects of Thomists and Scotists striving the one against the other not in Philosophical or indifferent points but in matters of greatest moment As for example 1. Thomas saith A man is accepted of God not for his vertue but by the grace of God which is the fountain of these vertues In 2. Sent. Dist 26. q. 1. ar 4. But Capreolus on that place bringeth Scotus Durand and Aureolus holding the contrary 2. Thomas saith A man deserveth glory ex condigno 1 2. qu. 114. ar 3. yet to make this smooth he hath devised that distinction that a work deserveth either as it proceedeth from free-will or as it proceedeth from God's grace and so on that part of Rom. 6. Jâ—ct 4. he saith If good works be considered in their own nature or as they proceed from mans free-will they deserve not eternal life ex condigno but onely as they proceed from the grace of the holy Ghost But Durand in 2. Sent. Dist 27. qu. 2. refuteth both the tenet and that frivolous distinction 3. Thomas proveth that a man cannot understand supernatural things without the light of grace In 2. Sent. Dist 28. qu. 1. ar 5. But Durand on that place striveth for the contrary 4. Thomas saith No man in this life without habitual grace can eschew all and every sin 1 2. qu. 109. But Scotus holdeth the contrary In 2. Sent. Dist 28. 5. Thomas saith None without the help of God can sufficiently prepare himself unto habitual grace loc cit ar 6. and there he declareth what it is to prepare himself to wit to turn unto God as he which hath his eyes turned from the Sun prepareth himself to receive the light of the Sun when he turneth himself unto the Sun Against this doth Durand dispute in 2. Sent. Dist 28. qu. 5. 6. Thomas saith Grace differeth really from vertue as the soul from the faculties in 2. Sent. Dist 26. qu. 1. ar 4. Scotus holdeth the contrary on that place 7. Thomas holdeth that want of original justice in babes is a sin ibid. Dist 30. qu. 1. ar 2. Durand on that place holdeth the contrary 3. Thomas saith Original sin cannot be properly called a quality or absolute form inclining to ill actions 1 2. qu. 82. ar 1. Gregor de Armi. on 2. Sent. Dist 30. qu. 1. ar 2. teacheth that according to Augustin original sin is a positive quality or carnal concupiscense by which man is inclined to sin actually 9. Thomas holdeth that every action of man if it be evil is properly a sin 1 2. qu. 21. ar 1. Gregory in loc cit holdeth the contrary 10. Thomas proveth that every act of man as it is an act is from God De malo qu. 3. ar 2. Capreolus on 2. Sent. Dist 37. qu. 1. ar 1. bringeth Durand Gregory and Aureolus disputing in the contrary 11. Thomas teacheth that to the goodness of an action is required the goodness of the matter and of the form and intention Capreolus on 2. Sent. Dist 38. bringeth sundry School-men holding that the goodness of intention is not necessary 12. Dominicans generally hold that the Sacraments do work grace after the maner of a knife cutting and framing a thing and not a vessel containing grace But the Franciscans deny all effective power in the Sacraments but bring the vertue of them from the onely power of God's promise so oft as the Sacrament is administred They do agree in the opere operato and differ in the maner Concil Trident. lib. 2. 13. Dominicans held that the Sacraments of the old Testament did not confer but onely fore-signifie grace which was to be given after the sufferings of Christ The Franciscans held the contrary ibid. 14. Thomas par 3. qu. 75. ar 4. saith It is necessary to believe that the body of Christ is in the Eucharist by the change of the substance of the bread into it But Bellarmin De Euchar. lib. 3. cap. 23. saith Scotus held that transubstantiation was not thought a doctrine of â—aith before the Lateran Councel and that there is not express Text of Scripture which without declaration of the Scripture can convince one to admit transubstantiation Certainly the opinion of Thomas was according to the sense of the article which Innocentius the III. did decree and howbeit the Romanists hold still the word transubstantiation yet they are all for the most part fallen upon another conceit that the substance of the bread evanisheth or is annihilated and the body of Christ cometh in stead of it And hence ariseth many questions among them as whether the body of Christ be eaten with the teeth and go into the belly whether the wicked do eat the body of Christ They who will read any School-man on Lombard Lib. 4. Dist 10 11. will finde many such questions concerning the Sacrament In a word all the huge volumes of Thomists and Scotists upon the Sentences are so many monuments of controversies betwixt antagonists in the Romish Church as lately Dr. T. Mortan hath proved the Protestant faith by testimonies of these School-men or as he speaketh even the enemies being judges Therefore all the boasting of Papists concerning the unity of their Church is indeed but to delude them which are not acquainted with their books Thus the Church was pitifully divided with these Sects and when the disciples of these School-men went abroad to preach one
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
small like a tree Then the Spirit of the Lord said unto me It signifieth the condition of the Roman Church Again he saith As I was the same way exercised I saw in the Spirit and behold a man walking in the same habit carrying sweet bread on his shoulders and very good wine by his side and he held in his hands a round stone biting it with his teeth as an hungry man biteth bread but he did nothing then two heads of Serpents came out of the stone and the Spirit of the Lord instructing me said This stone is unprofitable and curious questions wherewith the hungry souls are turmoiled when they leave substantial things And I said What meaneth those two heads He said The name of the one is Vain Glory and the other is Overthrow of Religion It is to be observed that about that time the chief questions in the Schools were Whether the bread of the Mass be turned into the body of Christ or whether the substance of it evacuateth what eateth a mouse when she eateth the Sacrament wherein subsisteth the accidents of the bread whether in Christ's body or by themselves c. Again he saith I saw a clear Cross of Silver like to the Cross of Tolouse but the twelve apples of it were like to vile apples that are cast out of the sea What is this Lord Jesus The Spirit said The Cross is the Church which shall be clear with pureness of life and shril with the clear voice of the truth preached Then I said What meaneth those rotten apples The humiliation of the Church-men which shall come to pass Here he prophecied of the Reformation Possevin in Apparto 2. calleth this Robert An excellent Preacher of the Word Mornay in Myster pag. 427. 6. Marsilius Paravinus wrote the book Defensor pacis about the year 1324. there he debateth the question between the Emperor and the Pope and by the holy Scriptures Laws Canons and Histories Ecclesiastical and Civil he maintaineth these positions Christ is the only head and foundation of Rare Theses in those days the Church He made none of the Apostles to be universal Vicar of the Church nor made he the other Apostles subject unto Peter It is more probable that Peter was never at Rome far less had he his seat there who had no fixed seat as also not any of the Apostles The fulness of power in any man is a manifest lye an execrable title the beginning of many evils and the use thereof should be discharged in a good Councel The authority of the keys is that judiciary power that consisteth in dispensing the Word the Sacraments and Discipline Christ whose Vicar the Pope calleth himself did never exercise temporal authority on earth he was subject unto the Magistrate and so were his Apostles after his ascension and they taught others to obey Princes If a Pope usurp temporal authority Princes should by the Law of God resist by word and deed or they are unjust and sin against God and those who fight for the Pope should be accounted the Soldiers of Satan Unto the Pope belongeth not the election nor confirmation of the Emperor but contrarily the Christian Prince with consent of Clergy and People should name the Pope or if one be chosen in his absence he should confirm him If the Pope go astray or be accursed the Emperor should reduce him into the way and judge him in a Councel When Peter lived he might have fallen and erred neither hath the Pope any priviledge against error That that Christ said to Peter I have prayed for thee is to be extended unto the other Apostles Only the Canon of the Bible is the fountain of truth against which Canon we may not believe either Pope or Church Concerning the sense of Scripture or any Article of the faith we may not believe the Pope and his Cardinals seeing not once have they seduced silly souls into hell The Christian Church is the universality of believers and not the Pope and his Cardinals she is represented in a lawful and general Councel A Councel should be assembled by the Emperor with consent of Christian Princes as anciently it was always The Word of God should be the only rule and chief judge in deciding causes Ecclesiastical Not only the Clergy by Lay men also if they be godly and learned should have voice in general Councels The Clergy and Synagogue of the Pope is a den of thieves c. This book was printed at Basil An. 1522. In another Treatise he saith Good works are not the efficient cause of salvation but causa sine quanon Mornay ibid. pag. 452. He was condemned as an Heretick by Pope John the XXIII Catal. test ver lib. 18. Consider what a Modern could say more of this matter and whether they shew not themselves to be ignorant of antiquity who accuse us of novelty 7. The same positions were held by John de Janduno or Gandanensis at the same time as is manifest by his books printed at Venice and Florence So wrote also Luitpold Bishop of Bamberg namely in a Treatise De Translatione Imperii printed Lutet An. 1540. he saith The Authority of governing the Empire belongeth unto the Emperor so soon as he is chosen and the Coronation by the Pope addeth nothing since Caesar is not his vassal nor feudatory The donation of Constantine is but a fable He was also condemned by Pope John Catal. test ibid. Michael Cesenas General of the Franciscans was bolder saying expresly The Pope is the Antichrist and Rome is Babylon drunk with the blood of the Saints Therefore Antonin par 3. tit 21. cap. 5. reckoneth him among the poor men of Lions For the Valdenses still suffered persecution in sundry Countries and under divers names as the adversaries pleased to brand them Many errors are imputed unto them by the writers of those times but because they did abhor the Pope and his Court they were reviled as we have heard from Arnold de Villanova and sought out to the fire as An. 1302. Nogaret the Father of him who took Pope Boniface the VIII was burnt in Aquitania Clemens the V. caused it to be proclaimed to take up the flag of the Cross against them and destroyed 4000 near the Alps whether they had sled Platin. Others went higher unto the mountains of whom some remained in his days saith Antonin par 3. tit 22. cap. 10. From them were the in-dwellers of Angronia and adjacent parts continuing until the Councel at Trent Trithemius testifieth of many that were burnt in Austria about that time howbeit he believing the reports of malice imputeth many errors unto them yet he testifieth that they abhorred the Mass calling the Hosty a god invented by man the Church of Rome a Synagogue of unbelievers and not the flock of Christ they denied all mens merits intercession of Saints the difference of days and meats c. He witnesseth also that the professore of the same doctrine were innumerable in Bohemia Austria
his flock But the Pope of Rome was so busie against the Pope of Avenion that neither of them had leasure to attend such matters and Wickliff did return It happened that he became sick and there was little hope of his recovery the Friers sent four of their Order and four elder men unto him and wished him then in the hour of his death to recant his former opinions He desired his friends to set him up and then said with a loud voice I shall not die but live and declare the most wicked facts of Friers they left him with confusion and he did recover and wrote a Treatise against the Order of Friers of which Treatise Doctor James maketh mention in his Book called Wickliff's conformity to the Church of England An. 1382. they assembled a Convocation against him to condemn his Doctrine and Books in the very hour of their first meeting all England was shaken with an earth-quake that all who were assembled thought it expedient to surcease for that time At last he died in peace in Lutterworth where he had been Parson An. 1387. Such a God is the Lord that whom he will keep nothing can hurt John Bale hath a catalogue of his Books in five full pages and Aen. Silvius in Histor Bohem. testifieth that more of his Books were extant than of Augustine The late Papists do impute many errors unto him and so did the Councel of Constance but others have cleared him of those imputations especially the above named Antiquary Doctor James And that the reader may see the falshood of those criminations this is one that he condemned all oaths therein savoring of Anabaptism But by the testimony which I have cited out of The path-way it is clear that he speaketh of customary and false swearing and in that same Chapter he saith that to swear by any is the honor of God alone and therefore it is Idolatry to swear by any Saint or creature and by this one instance it may be judged of others The Councel of Constance ordained to take up his body and burn it and so the English Prelates took up his bones forty and one years after his death to burn them such was their rage against the professors of truth At that time happened a rebellion in Ireland Richard A prank of the Bishops the II. went to suppress it while he was there Thomas Arundel Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and the other Bishops stole away the hearts of his subjects from him because he had hearkened to the doctrine of Wickliff and perswaded them to advance Henry Earl of Derby to the Crown to the end that both they might be rid of such a Soveraign and have a King for ever obliged to authorise their bloody designs against God's people but all their treason and cruelty could not smother the truth It is bitterly enough marked saith Io. Bale Cent. 6. 25. in Appen that the Earl of Salisbury despised confession Many were called Lollards and the Popish Sacraments at his death Sir John Montague threw down all Images within his Lands John Purvey wrote Books in defence of his Master's Lessons he wrote a Commentary on the Revelations where he saith Seven years are past since the Pope of Rome was generally made known to be the Antichrist to wit from the year 1382. Behold how God bringeth light out of darkness I had not written such things against Antichrist and his Prelates if they had not imprisoned me lest I did speak against them There he applieth all the prophesies concerning Antichrist and the Whore unto the Pope and his Court. The Arch-Bishop had imprisoned this Purvey and by cruel torments caused him to recant seven godly Articles at Paul's Cross but when he was at liberty he spoke more boldly and accused the Pope for denying that the Word of God is sufficient to salvation without the Decrees and Decretals He said also Spiritual men write Books against the Pope and these Books are either hid or burnt nor is any man suffered to preach but which are devoted unto the Pope and good men are drawn into prison but said he more Books and more vehement shall be written against the Pope For these and such other things Henry Chichelay Successor to Thomas imprisoned him again An. 1393. Walter Bruite was in question before the Bishop of Hereford and delivered a book yet extant saith Geo. Abbot against Hill in answer to the first reason in the Register of that Diocy wherein he wrote these and many such positions Bread remaineth in the Sacrament after the consecration the Pope is the Antichrist nothing is to be believed as necessary to salvation but what may be confirmed by Scripture the City described in Revel 7. is Rome justification is freely by Christ alone miracles now are no assurance of truth infants dying before baptism are not therefore condemned auricular confession is not prescribed in the Scriptures the Canon Law is ill grounded the numeral letters of DVX CLERI make up the number 66â— worship of Images is Idolatry that men are not rashly to be reputed Saints the Pope hath no power beyond other Saints nor is the head of the Church Papists mistake the keys of binding and loosing the Pope deceiveth men in his pardons absolution is to be sought at the hands of God only Priests use vain prayers in the Mass exorcisms and holy water are unlawful Priests do sin who bargain to sing for the souls of men departed religious men and women are the devourers of widows houses selling of Orders and Dirges is naught the Pope is the Beast with the two horns like the Lamb while he challengeth the double sword temporal goods may be taken from the Clergy offending The same Author loc cit sect 25. saith Yea so far was the Doctrine of Wickliff spread the Pope Gregory XI in the year 1378. did direct his Bull to the University of Oxford against the Doctrine and Articles of that learned man even Rome it self ringing of his opinions in that University neither did his followers die when he died but long after that Pope Gregory the XII did direct another Bull to Oxford in which he useth the same words which his Predecessor had that is that Wickliff did follow the doctrine of Marsilius of Padua and of John of Gandune of unworthy memory Which speech is worth the marking saith Abbot to shew that this man had his predecessors The Copy of this latter Bull is to be seen in a Book which that worthy lover of Antiquities Mr. Hare gave to our University saith he 13. In time of the rebellion against King Richard amongst all the Bishops only Thomas Merks Bishop of Carlile was for him In the Parliament they were not content to depose him but were devising more mischiefs against him Then said Thomas None here present is worthy to pass his sentence on so worthy a King whom they have obeyed as their lawful Prince full twenty two years this is the part of traitors cut-throats
of your affairs he hath given unto our holy Mother his godly and acceptable confession and hath received the Doctrine of the true Faith from her wherein all men should agree who desire to be saved which also we will declare unto your charity Wherefore beloved Brethren and Sons if it be so as we believe and trust hasten the unity together with us for where can ye be more zealous against tempters then in the bosom of the true Church and under the shield of true salvation and where can ye better refresh your selves then where the fountain of the water of life is open All therefore who are thirsty come unto the waters come buy the wine of sober joy without money and receive milk from the teats of her comfort we trust then that in all things ye agree with us wherefore from henceforth with singular care and love we will provide unto you spiritual Pastors which shall have care of your souls and feed you with the word of truth and example of life and shall not afflict you Moreover concerning the Rites of the Church we will graciously yield unto you with the Apostle in these whatsoever have a good ground and a pure intention the granting of which may tend to your edification and shall not be contrary to the honor of this our holy and true Mother and her communion and obedience for verily we intend to dispense and deal with good will and discretion in the difference of Customs and Rites The Almighty God grant that we may hear as we have heard that many others have likewise received the spirit of true life to the increase and multiplying of the beloved Children of the true Mother and cause you together with us to rejoice in the house of the Church with the same Professions and Rites yea that we may praise him with heart and mouth for ever and ever Amen Given at Constantinople Ianuary 18. An. 1451. Rer. Bohem. autiqui Scriptor pag. 235. Edit Hannoviae An. 1602. 26. George Pogiobratz King of Bohemia was a good Warriour and did not fear the threats of the Pope and Emperour and he restored the ruined estate of the Kingdom Vratislavia and Silesia refused to obey him because he was an Heretick as Cochlaeus speaks Hist Huss lib. 12. But Pius the II. then intending Wars against the Turk did by all means perswade them to yeeld obedience and the King did require the Pope to keep the Compacts of Basil in favours of the Bohemians The Pope refused to grant so much Wherefore the King called the Estates together and protested before that he would live and die in that faith which they did profess and so did the Nobles An. 1462. Cochl ibid. Pope Paul gave that Kingdom unto Matthias King of Hungary and when he was busie against the Turks and had recovered several Towns and had entred into Thracia with good success Rodulph the Pope's Legate drew him back from the Turks to invade the Christians in Bohemia but God protected them against him although he had the aid of the Pope and the Vratislavians and some Cities did accept him yea God defended that Kingdom so that when George died An 1471. and the Pope had stiled Matthias King of Hungary and Bohemia the Estates of Bohemia would not accept him even howbeit he had married the daughter of George before the Wars but hated him for his unnatural usurpation and did chuse Ladislaus the son of Casimire King of Poland And the two sons of Pogiobratz prevailed in Wars against Matthias and the Emperour made them both Dukes This was so offensive unto Matthias that he proclaimed Wars against the Emperour but he was taken away by death Pet. Mexia 27. Stephen Brulifer a Doctor of Sorbone and a Franciscan taught in his lessons and maintained in disputes that neither the Pope nor Councel nor Church can make any Article or Statute to bind the conscience of a Christian that all their authority consists in the urging of obedience unto God's word in preaching it and administring the Sacraments which he hath instituted so that they bring nothing without his command he called justification by merits a Divellish doctrine since the Lamb of God was sacrificed and hath satisfied God's justice for us The Doctours of Sorbone would not suffer him amongst them But he went to Diether Bishop of Mentz which had been deposed for speaking against the avarice of Rome and was restored Fascic rer expet fol. 164. 28. John de Wesalia a Preacher of Worms was delated by the Thomists unto the same Diether he gathered his books and sent them unto the Universities of Colein and Heidleburg to be examined They convened this John before them at Mentz in February An. 1479. After they had viewed his books they found these Articles which they called errours 1. All men are saved freely by the meer grace of Christ through faith 2. We should beleeve the Word of God only and not the glosses of any man 3. God hath from all eternity written in a book all his Elect whosoever is not written there shall never be written in it and whosoever is written in it shall never be blotted out 4. Our Doctours do expound the Scriptures wickedly and falsly 5. Christ never appointed a Fasting nor Festival day neither forbad to eat any meat upon any day 6. When Peter did celebrate the Eucharist he said the Lord's Prayer and the consecration and then did communicate with others but now the Priest must stand an hour and more when he saith Mass 7. They are fools who go in Pilgrimage to Rome for they may find as much good elsewhere 8. The Word of God should be expounded by conferring one Text with another 9. Prelates have no authority to expound Scriptures by any peculiar right given unto one more than to another 10. Mens traditions as Fasts Feasts Pardons set Praiers Pilgrimages and such other things are to be rejected 11. Extream unction confirmation auricular confession and satisfaction are to be contemned They demanded of him several questions as Whether Christ was present bodily in the Sacrament or spiritually He answered Christ's body was there present and the substance of Bread and Wine remain also 2. What he thought of the Procession of the Holy Ghost Ans He beleeved not that he proceeds from the Father and the Son as from one principium because the Scripture speaks not so 3. What he thought of the Vicar of Christ Ans He beleeved not that Christ hath a Vicar for he said Behold I am with you unto the end of the World 4. What he thought of pardons Ans He had written a book wherein he had shewed that the Treasure of the Church cannot be distributed by Popes because it is written Revel 14. Their works follow them After these interrogatories and others of that sort three Doctors were appointed to deal with him privately He said unto them As ye deal with me if Christ were here you would condemn him as an Heretick but he
Christ that one and the same work of Indulgence shall have vertue sometimes for six years sometimes for seven sometimes for seven hundred sometimes for seven thousand and sometimes full and absolute Then answering unto that position The Church is ruled by the Spirit of God he saith It is true in so far as the Church is holy but not in these particulars whereof she is ignorant and in which she erreth as alas we lament that she erreth grievously as appears by the unsavoury salt the delated Husband-man and the unfaithfull Steward whom Bernard expoundeth to be Mercenaries in place of Shepheards yea and Wolves for hirelings and Devils for Wolves In his Book De subditis superioribus he averreth That the Pope may err and when he erreth he should be resisted Pius the II. did usurp all the Kingdoms of the earth and Sixtus the IV. dispensed with all maner of oaths in causes temporal not only that were already made but that shall be made which is nothing else but to give unto men licence to forswear themselves and deceive others Because the Pope and his Cardinals are contrary unto Christ they are the Antichrist John Ostendorp a Canon of St. Levin in Daventry went once to visit him and Wesselus said unto him O diligent youth thou shalt live until that time when the doctrine of these late Divines and contentious School-men shall be forsaken Wesselus died in the year 1490. and Ostendorp lived until the year 1520. Gerhard Gelderhavrius writeth that he heard his Master Ostendorp report this Prophesie Ja. Triglandius in his Church History against â—tenboga par 3. writeth of him that when Pope Sixtus the IV. was chosen Wesselus went to visit him because he had been his good friend in Paris The Pope bade him ask what he would and it should not be denied unto him He answered I wish that since now you are universal Pope you would demean your self in your office according to your name that in due time you may hear that approbation Come thou good and faithful Servant enter into thy Master's joy The Pope said Why seekest thou not somewhat for thy self He said I crave no more but an Hebrew and Greek Bible out of the Vatican The Pope answered That you shall have but fool thou mightest have sought a Bishoprick or some such thing Wesselus answered Because I have not need of so great things When he died some Friers burnt all his books and papers but he had given sundry books unto others which were collected and printed at Wittemberg in the year 1522. When Luther saw them he spake of the Prophet Elias who thought that he was left alone and yet the Lord had preserved seven thousand that had hot bowed the knee to Baal so said he hath God preserved many thousands from the Idolatry of the Pope And he wrote of him as followeth There is one Wesselus come forth whom they call Basilius a Friselander of Groning a man of wonderful understanding and of an excellent spirit who hath been taught of God as Isaiah hath prophesied of Christians for it cannot be thought or said that he hath learned such things from men as neither I have If I had read those books before mine enemies might have said Luther hath taken all this out of Wesselus we do so agree But by these my joy and courage increaseth and I doubt not but I have learned the truth since he and I do agree in so constant unity and almost in the same words although differing in place and time and occasions And I admire by what mishap it is come that so Christian works were not published by another 37. Among the lights of that time Rodulph Agricola may justly be reckoned he was born in Friseland Ph. Melanchthon writing his life saith Josquin Groningensis had reported unto him that when he was young he heard Vesselus and Agricola often lamenting in their Sermons the darkness of the Church the abuses of the Mass the single life of Priests and that they both taught that men are not justified by works but by faith as Paul oft teacheth and they condemned the multitude of traditions He died An. 1489. Buxtorf Ind. 38. Paul Scriptor teaching on Scotus in Tubing when he came to the fourth Book Dist 10. did speak against transubstantiation and said All things should be tried by the Word of God as a true touch-stone all Scholastical teaching shall shortly be abolished and the doctrine of the primitive Church shall be restored according to the holy Scriptures Conradine Pelicanus was his Auditor and testifieth that he heard him reprove many errors and abuses of the Roman Church therefore the Minorites caused him to be banished and as Rud. Gualter in his Epistle before his Homiles on Matthew testifieth he was put to death as many did suspect being not moved with uncertain conjectures He died at Keiserberg in the year 1499. 39. Nicolaus Rus a Batchelor of Divinity preached at Rome and wrote The Pope hath not such power as is commonly believed the Pope should not be heard when he strayeth from the Scripture his Indulgences are but fraud those only are true pardons which God giveth of his free grace in Christ Saints should not be adored and far less their bones they who are called the Spiritualty to wit the Roman Clergy have packed up all Religion in mens traditions and vain superstitions and they are careless of their office and are Ministers of Antichrist These things are written in his Threefold Cord where he expoundeth the Lord's Prayer the Creed and the ten Commandments which he wrote in the Saxon Languauge that the common people might understand he left Rome and abode there and had many Auditors The Pastors of the Waldenses in Bohemia came and visited him At last he was forced to flee into Liveland where he died 40. Jerome Savonorola a Dominican in Florence taught these Articles 1. Men are justified freely by faith 2. The Communion should be administred in both kindes 3. The Pope's Indulgences are frivolous 4. The keys were given unto the Church and not to Peter alone 5. The Pope hath not from Christ any primacy above other Bishops 6. The Pope followeth neither the life nor doctrine of Christ and therefore he is the Antichrist 7. He who feareth the Pope's excommunication is excommunicated of God 8. He preached against the vices of the Clergy Io. Fox in Act. Mon. Philip Cominaeus did confer with him and testifieth that he was a man of most upright life He foretold that God would raise up a King to punish the Tyrants of Italy and that God would shortly reform the Church therefore some did hâ—te him and some believed him namely the Senate of Florence was perswaded by his preaching to give way unto Charls the VIII King of France When the league was made in Italy against the French he foretold that Charls should return in safety of his person maugre all the power of his adversaries Charls returning from Naples sent for
intend to hold unto our last breath wee firmly believe of the Holy Ghost wee believe the Holy Ghost and in the Holy Ghost Of the Holy Ghost that he is the one true God with the Father and the only begotten Sonne distinguished in this only that he proceeds from both by vertue of which faith quickning renewing reforming every one attaineth the participation of Christs meritorions grace justification truth fortitude and perfect salvation by which Spirit also the Holy Church is grounded in the faith of Christ against which the gates of hell are not able to prevaile which also by the same Spirit in the members of true faith he washeth justifieth sanctifieth ordereth governeth gathereth strentheneth fructifieth As also by the same Spirit were the Holy Scriptures inspired and are known by him the members of the Church are vnited from him are the gifts of ruling the Church and many other things which by the same Spirit are made perfect unto the life of glory Wee believe the Holy Ghost when wee fully consent unto the Divine Scriptures or Apostls of God Wee believe in the Holy Ghost when with clear knowledge and unfained faith wee love him and with the members inspired by him wee keep his revealed truth unto eternall glory By the same fulness of formed faith wee believe that the holy Catholick Church in respect of the foundation of lively faith is the number of all the elect from the beginning of the world unto the end thereof whom God the Father in Christ by his Spirit hath chosen justifieth calleth unto the glory of salvation and magnifyeth without which is no salvation unto man But in respect of ministry and dispensations wee believe that the holy Catholick Church is the congregation of all Ministers and people subdued by obediente obeying the will of God from the beginning of the world unto the end of it whom God only sendeth inspired by his Spirit giving them the word of truth peace reconciliation that they may bring forth the fruit of salvation in the unity of the Church and their travell be not disappointed of the saving reward whose names and number He only knoweth because he hath writen them in the book of life That first Church hath none that shal be damned and the other is mixed untill the appointed time of the last judgement But the Church of malignants seekes them that are of that evil one whom Satan sendeth in this time of mortall life to the perdition of the world and tryall of the elect On this Church all the curses and sad things that Christ his Apostls have foretold shall be heaped to wit that they who are unworthy of ecclesiastical honour may rule over them by their power The promises also of renovation are fulfilled in her And yet wee arrogate not so much unto us as that we would be called or bee the only Catholick Church as if salvation were to be found with us only but wee endeavour with all diligence to be partakers of the ecclesiasticall truth and wee are afraied to be subject unto orobey evill workers whom wee find to be enmies of the Church and its truth for fear of everlasting damnation and for obedience unto Christ and because they doe minde speak and doe unto his Church things contrary unto his law Wherefore wee willingly endure oppression tauntings and calumnies for the salvation of our souls for un less Holy fear and the horrour of hell did withhold us we would embrace the liberty of the world with it's vanities wherin one may live as he listeth But wee would rather choose the strait derided and sad way in which our Redeemer Christ and the Church his spouse condemned by the world and despised yet following the example of Christ have walked than to taste and follow the momentany pleasures of the world The first and chief ministry of the Church is the Gospell of Christ whereby grace and truth that were painfully purchased by the torment of the cross is revealed which grace is given for salvation by the Holy Ghost and God the Father unto the Elect which are called by the gift of faith Another necessary ministry of the Church wee declare to be the word of teaching by which the saving truth is known in the sense of faith through which knowledge the life of grace and glory is administred unto the men of good desire Likewise wee declare that the seven sacraments are useful unto the Church of Christ by which Sacraments the promises of God are signified to be fulfilled unto believing people and by them entrance into the Church of God for keeping unity among them that walk unto glory is ministred Faith which God gives causeth us think of baptisme the first Sacrament these things whosoever of ripe age by hearing Gods word believeth and believing is renewed in soul and is enlightened such by outward washing for argument of inward cleanness attained by faith should be baptized in the name of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost into the vnity of the holy Church Our profession is also extended unto children which by the decree of the Apostles as Dionysius writes should be baptized and then by the guidance of their God-fathers being instructed in the law of Christ should be invited unto and accustomed with the life of faith By faith received out of the Holy Scriptures wee professe that in the dayes of the Apostls this was observed whoesover in their young years had not received the promises of the gifts of the Holy Ghost such did receive them by prayer and imposition of hands for confirmation of aith Wee thinke the same of infants Whosoever being baptized shall come to the true faith which he purposeth to follow through adversities and reproaches so that new birth appeareth in his spirit and life of grace such a one should be brought unto the Bishop or priest and being demanded of the truths of faith and of Gods commandements and of his good will and constant purpose and works of truth and shall testify by confession that all these things are so such a one is to be confirmed in the hope of attained truth and he is to be helped by the prayers of the Church that the gifts of the Holy Spirit may be increased in him for the constancy and warrefare of faith and finally for confirming the promises of God and the truth that he hath he may be associated into the Church by laying on of hands in vertue of the name of the Father of the Word and of the Holy Spirit By this faith which we have drunk from the Holy Scriptures we believe and confesse with our mouth Wheresoever a worthy priest with believing people according to the mind and purpose of Christ and order of the Church shall shew forth his prayer with these words This is my bodie and This is my blood immediatly the present bread is the body of Christ which was offered unto death for us and so the present wine is his blood shed
Ernest Archb. of Magdeburgh was a dyng An. 1511. his Chaplain Clemens Schaw and two Franciscans were by him and one of the Franciscans said Famous Prince be of good confort wee will communicate unto your Highness not only all our good works but likewise of all the Order of the Minorites and without doubt when you have these you shall stand just and blessed before the throne of God Ernest answered By no means will I trust either in mine own works or in yours but the works of Christ only are sufficient Catalog Test. ver lib. 19. ex Cl. Schaw 11. John Picus Lord of Mirandula and Earle of Concordia was about that time admired for his learning his books began to be printed An. 1504. He wrote 900 Propositions which he defended in publick disputations at Rome amongst them were these following The true body of Christ is in heaven locally and on the altar sacramentally By the power of God one body can not be in diverse places at once Consecration is not made precisely by these words Hoc est corpus meum unless the antecedent words be added The Lord Jesus in the night he was betrayed ..... Neither the cross nor any image is to be adored with the worship of latria no nor as S. Thomas expresseth it The Doctours condemned these Theses And he wrote an Apologie defending them to be Catholick especially concerning the sacrament he said The body of Christ may be present without any conversion or annihilation of the bread He said May be and not is present to eschue their bonds without doubt he had spoken more plainly if he could have done it freely In an epistle unto the Emperour Maximilian An. 1500. he saith With such faith and piety as I can I beseech thee that with all diligence thou wouldest accomplish that thy most Holy purpose to restore the Christian Republick unto the antient liberty it is wasted by outward enemies and torne by inward and the sheepfold of Jesus Christ which was consecrated by his blood hath suffered and dayly suffereth farr worse from wolves under sheepskins then under their own colours Go-on then most worthy Caesar and excite Christian Kings by what means thou canst and shew thyself a faithfull servant unto Christ the King of all Kings who will quickly deliver his sheep as wel from outward enemies as from false shepherds In time of the conflict of the two Councells of Pisa and Lateran hee handled that question Whether in the cause of faith a Pope should be preferred before a Councell or contra and said according unto the Glosse of the Decree dist 19. c. Anastasius where it is said The Pope should in matter of faith seek a Councell and therefore the Synode is more than a Pope And he adds Wherefore the archdeacon of Bononia approving the glosse said It is dangerous to make our faith subject unto the pleasure of any man and so said Bernard What greater pride one man to prefer his judgement before all the world And when he had shewed his judgement that the greater number should be preferred before the lesser caeteris paribus he addeth But if the greater part would decern any thing against the word of God or against these things that should not be violat and a smaller number opposeth them wee should cleave unto the lesser number as in the Councell of Arimino and the second at Ephesus yea we should believe a Country man or an old wife rather than a Pope or a thousand Bishops if these bee contrary unto the Scriptures and the former follow the Gospell Likewise speaking of that question Whether the Pope and Councells may erre he saith It may be easily decided because he hath already shewed they may erre from the Scripture many Councels and Popes have fallen into heresy it oft hapneth that he who is accounted President of the Church hath not dutifully discharged his presidence and somtimes he can not be President at all seing it is recorded that in former time a woman was Pope and I remember of a learned man who in our age had attained great esteem of religiousness and taught albeit not altogether publickly that hee who was chosen Pope at that time was not Pope .... and I remember of another who was received and adored as Pope whom good and worthy men thought neither to be Pope nor that he could be Pope for he believed not that there was a God! and they did testify of his most wicked deedsin buying the papacy and exercising all kind of wickednes yea and they declared his most wicked words for it was affirmed that he confessed unto his familiar friends that he believed there was no God even since hee was ruler of the Papall See I heard of another Pope who in his time sayd unto his friends he believed not the immortality of souls and when hee was dead he appeared unto the same man and said that to his great losse and by everlasting fire he had found or knew that souls are immortall Ph. Morn in Myster This John had an oration in the Councell at Lateran before Pope Leo X. wherein he spake freely of a necessity of Reformation because of their corrupt manners their adulterate Lawes and canons their decaied religion even among the chiefest of them Godliness said he is almost turned into superstition righteousness into hatred or favour and men of all Estates doe sin openly so that vertue is oft blamed in good men and vice honoured in place of vertue especially by those who would have as it were the walls and hedges of their own crimes and strange insolency and contumacy unpunished These maladies these sores thou must heal o great highpriest or if thou refuse to cure them I fear lest he whose crown thou holdest on earth cut off and destroy the infected members not with fomentations but with fire and sword I think verily that He gives certain signs of his future medicine by pestilence famine and bloody warrs at such admonitions and heavenly thunders wee should have lifted up our ears unto repentance but wee rather loose them like the Moores which become deaf at the continuall noise of Nilus nor is it any marvell for Iohn Chrysostom thinks that all evill procedes from the Church and Hierom writes that he had found no man which had deceived the people but the Priests If thou wilt reforme and correct these things willing or unwilling thou shalt be thought by the Christian world to haue lifted up a standert of a full Reformation This thou o great high priest shouldest doe and none other on earth more then thou and if thou wilt not remember I pray thee that old Priest who was punished for not punishing the sin of his son for they who are set over others should not only be innocent themselves but resist the nocent and represse their wickedness And when he had shewed more particularly that the conversation of the clergy had very great need of Reformation he proves the same of their
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
Bishops and priests in the mean time looking on these things as it were thorough their fingers and providing well for their own bellies c. But briefly for rebuking these and such other corruptions in the Church Agrippa was delated by the Masters of Lovan unto the Emperour as an haeretik he defended himself by a published Apologia and for examples sake they condemned him of haeresy because he had said in Cap. 100. The knowledge of the word of God came by no schoole of Philosophers by no Sorbone of Divines and by no colledge of Scholastiks but only God and Christ have given it unto us To which no thing should be added nor paired Unto this their censure he answered in Apolog. Sect. 23. They think these words offensive unto godly eares not that they are contrary unto Scriptures or unto the Church but because it is dissonant from the schooles who seeme to have decreed that Philosophy is necessary unto salvation and they think it all ungodly that their Aristotle hath not imagined But if these Propositions be false the contrary must be true and Catholik to wit not God and Christ only but schooles and Sorbones and colledges have given us the knowledge of Gods word and we may against Gods command adde unto and pair from the canonical Scripture Who would think that the Magistri of Lovan are so fond doting that they will think this proposition Catholike c. And in Sect. 34. he said O Moses ô Salomon ô Paul ô John ô Christ ô Church of God what a Disciple of Satan is this who forgeth calumnies against the words even of the Holy Scriptures what will he answer when he shall stand with me before the throne of Christ to give account that he hath maliciously detracted from the word of God surely in that day many of Magistri nostri will rise and say O Lord in thy name we have boldly slaundered in thy name we have disputed eagerly In thy name we have burnt many men confidently In thy name we have suffred ourselves to be called Masters in Divinity but Christ will say unto them I never knew you c. This Agrippa is called a Necromancer but God will have truth to be justified even enemies being Judges 19. Polydorus Vergilius was born in Urbino and sent by the Pope into England in the dayes of Henry the VIII to gather the Peter-pence because the King saw him a learned man he wished him to stay so he became Archdean of Wells Albeit in his writtings he professeth himself a Papist yet he condemneth the worshipping of images Tractat. on the Lords Prayer Pag. 2 he maintaines the liberty of mariage unto the priests de Inv. lib. 5. c. 4. and in these books he sheweth the novelty vanity of many other abuses of Rome as I have elsew here noted and he plainely describeth the matter and manner of the preachin in his daies saying John the Baptist preached in the desert of Judaea our Saviour preached and commanded his Apostles to preach saying Goe teach all nations and preach the Gospell Whereof some of our Divines are ashamed when they preach or then they are weary of it for when they have perfunctoriously read a part of the Gospell as if then people had no more need of instruction they digresse to their fained quaestions there they wrestle and as if they were mad they vexe themselves wresting the Holy Scriptures as they please they corrupt all they confound all with their cries when their fury is allayed they come to base things talk of the prices of victuals of pedlers lik jests some times they jeere and for the same are they commended by the foolish people and this sort of preaching is most frequently used and most commended But would to God oft times they spred not worse for as no sort of men is so profitable for religion if they would preach the Truth so none doe more harme when they study to preach for to pleas the people for when they have once gotten the name of holyness they doe most harm because they are most easily believed as if they would teach nothing but that men should live better But some who should preach teach nothing at all so that they may justly be called dumbe dogs So either by vanity or silence they suffer Christ to be unknown among the people Some times they prate one thing after another off hand that like flying birds they wote not themselfes where they will end de Inven. rer lib. 5. cap. 9. Again in his treatise de Interpert Orat. Dom. he saith We eat the bread of Christ when we believe that he is the Son of God as it is said he who believeth in me hath eternall life and the priests should distribute this bread unto us by preaching but thou wilt say how can priests feed so many seing the greatest part of them is ignorant of letters and the number of people is infinite Let us also passe by that c. Briefly it is manifest how many things he did not love in the Church then that the Authours of the Index Expurgatorius have fulled 8 pages with the catalogue of these things which now they disallow in that his one work de Invent. rer 20. At the same time some Cardinals Bishops incited Lewes II. King of France against the Waldenses who had continued so many hundred years in these places on this side of the Alpes as if they were incestuous witches and haeretiks and therefore they wished the King to expell them all without examination On the othersyde they sent commissioners to declare their innocency before the King The Cardinals would have debarred them from the Kings presence because the canon-law saith Haeretiks should not be heard Lewes answered If I were to fight against the Turk I would first hear what he would say So he sent for the commissioners of Merindole and Cabriers they reverently declared that they believed the Holy Scripture and the Creed of the Apostles but they leaned not to the Pope and his doctrines if the King shall find other wise they submit themselves most gladly unto his censure The King sent one of his Counsellers Adamus Fumaeus and his confessour N. Parvus à Dominican to inquire whether it where so as they had said They went into these Provinces and after due search they reported that the Infants among them were baptized the articles of faith and the law were preached the Lords day was religiously observed and the word of God was expounded they could find no witchcraft nor whoredom among them but they had no images in their Churches nor ornaments of the masse The King answered with an oath as afterwards Pope Gregory XIII said unto his Cardinals concerning the Calvinists saying These men are better then I and my people Jo. Lampad in Mellif part 3. Also Claudius Seisselius Archbishop Taurin gives them a large testimony of approbation howbeit he following the multitude wrot aganst them 21. An. 1516.
and there entred into the monastery of the Augustinians After three years he was inuited to be professour of Philosophy in Witembergh and there he was graduat Doctour of Divinity by Andr. Catolstadius An. 1512. In Erford he had learned of an old Augustinian that it is not sufficient to believe generally the remission of sin or that it belongs unto them only whose names are registred in Scriptures but every true penitent may believe that his own sins are forgiven him freely in Christ and accordingly is that to be understood Wee are justified by faith freely Afterwards he read the works of Augustin and despised not the Sententiaries namely Thomas Biel Occam c. In the year 1516. he had a publick disputation of Free-will against the common doctrine of the School-men as Lu. Osiand in Epit. hist cent 16. li. 1. c. 19. rehearseth His Question was Whether man being created after the image of God can by his naturall power keep the commands of God the creator or do or think any good and by grace deserve and know his merites Hee answereth in three Conclusions and so many Corollaries unto each of them Conclu I Man in respect of his soul made to the image of God and so fitted for the grace of God doth by his naturall strength only make every creature which he useth subject to vanity and seeketh himself and things according to the flesh Corollar 1. The old man is vanity of vanities altogether vanity and makes all creatures even which are good to be vain Coroll II. The old man is called flesh not only because he is led with sensuall concupiscence but albeit he be chast wise just because he is not renewed of God by the Spirit Corol. 3. Albeit all unbelievers be vain and do no good yet they shall not all suffer alike punnishment Conclus 2. A man without Gods grace can no way keep his commandements nor prepare himself unto grace vel de congruo vel de condigno but necessarily abides under sin Goroll 1. The will of man without grace is not free but serveth albeit not unwillingly Cor. 2. When a man doeth what is in himself he sinneth seeing of himself he can neither will nor think well Cor 3. Seing the righteousnes of believers is hid in God and their sin is manifest in themselves it is true that only the un just are damned and sinners whoores are saved Conclus III. Grace or charity which helpeth not but in extream necessity is very dull or rather no charity unless by extream necessity be understood not the perrill of death but every one's want Coroll 1. Christ Jesus our strength our righteousnes the searcher of the hearts and reines is the only searcher and judge of our merites Cor. 2. Seing unto a believer all things by the power of Christ are possible it is superstitious to depute other helps unto mans will or of other Saints Cor. 3. According to the premisses is the answer unto the Question He wrote unto an Eremite thus I desire to know what thy soul doeth whether now in the end it be weary of it's righteousness and learneth to be refreshed with and trust in the righteousness of Christ for in our time the tentation of presumption is strong in many and chiefly in those who study to be just and good by their own strength and being ignorant of the righteousness of God which is in Christ abundantly and is given freely seek by themselves to do well so long untill they have confidence to stand before God as it were adorned by their own strength and merites which is impossible Thou wast some time in this opinion or errour and so was I but now I fight against this errour but as yet have not overcome therefore dear brother learne Christ and him crucified learne to sing unto Him and despairing of thyself to say unto him Thou Lord Jesus art my righteousness but I am thy sin thou hast taken mine and hast given mee thine thou hast taken what thou wast not and hast given mee what I was not Take heed lest at any time thou aspire unto so great purity that thou wouldst not seem to thy self a sinner yea or not to be a sinner for Christ dwelleth not but in sinners for therefore came he down from heaven where he dwelt among the righteous that he might dwell in sinners Think upon that his love and thou shalt see his most sweet consolation For if we must come by our labours and afflictions to the peace of conscience why hath he died therefore thou canst not finde peace but by him and by fiduciall despairing of thyself and thy works and further thou shalt learne thereby that as he hath taken thee and made thy sins his so hath he made his righteousness thine Howbeit Luther had so disputed and written yet none did oppose him but rather he purchased love and estimation 3. When the Indulgences were proclaimed and preached in the manner Luthers first assault named before his zeal could not endure the vanity of them and the blasphemies wherewith they were commended At the first he spoke not against the use of indulgences but against the abuses of them and against the blasphemous commending of them and as he shewes in his Apology which is in Sleidan lib. 13 he wrote unto the Bishop of Mentz exhorting him humbly to inhibite or restrain these Friers but the Bishop returned him no answer yet the Bishop of Brandenburgh hearing of that epistle did admonish Luther to take heed lest he brought himself into danger Likewise Alb. Crantzius the historian said unto him Brother you speak truth but you can not help it go into your cell and pray Lord have mercy upon us And the Prior and subprior of Wittembergh did entreat him that for respect unto their Order he would be silent and not bring it into contempt and the rather that the Franciscanes were beginning to rejoice that the Augustinians were falling into contempt even as they Luther answereth All this will fall if it be not begun in the name of the Lord but if it bee let us trust to God that he will carry it on Schultet Annal. ad An. 1517. John Bishop of Misna at that time said he had lately read the holy Scriptures and therein had found a religion very unlike unto that that was presently professed And a litle before his death he heard of Tecelius and said This will be the last seller of such wares for intollerable is his impudence Ibid. A rich woman of Magdeburgh after confession could not have a pardon from a Dominican unless she would give a hundred florenes she adviseth with a Franciscan her former Confessour and he said unto her God forgives sin freely and selleth not as a merchant And he besought her that she would not tell Tecelins who had informed her so But when Tecelius knew that for this cause she would not give the mony he said that he shall be either burnt or banished
diverse men some of them are seditious and some are good and honest Men zealous and loyal unto God and their King and would in nothing offend the one nor the other in living and dying they shew their desire to enioy salvation and to find the way thereunto and when they have that way they fear not losse of life nor goods nor any manner of punishment As yet we see it plainly enough that the punishments which have been devised against them have done no good but rather their patience in the midst of firy flames hath stirred up many to love their cause whence it hath been that many who never knew of their doctrine were desirous to know it for which those had suffered and did embrace the same doctrine with no less affection and zeal Therefore look upon the examples of the Bishops in the first general Councels who never used any other weapons but the word of God against the Arrians and other heretiks And the Christian and good Emperours did use no severer punishment against the authours of these sects but bannishment As for those privy meetings they were alwaies forbidden and the king hath sufficiently provided against them by Edicts yet so that according to equity consideration may be of the time manner purpose and number of them who do meet lest the innocent be afflicted Then Charles Marillac Bishop of Vienna was bidden to speak and his advice was to this purpose There be two as it were main pillars of a kingdom exercise of Religion and the good will of the people The controversies of Religion in antient times were determined in general Councels but now there is no hope of a general Councel for two causes first it is not in our power that the Pope the Emperour and Kings will agree on the time place and manner of a Councell seeing there be so many questions for those circumstances And next as when a man is grieved by some dangerous sicknes he can not tarry for remote Physicians because of the uncertainty of their comeing So the present malady is grievous unto every part of the kingdom and there is small hope of forreign cure therefore we must have a Councel of our own Nation as it was before concluded and the King did promise the necessity of the miserable Church requires it as also the Kings credite and the decrees yet extant shew that our ancestours were wont to assemble every fifth year in a general Councel and the histories of this Nation shew that Councels were called in every kings time some from the whole Realm and some from the half or a Province one or more and it was seldome seen but from these some good ensued to the Reformation of doctrine or manners Let us not stick in this matter nor fear to be accused We have many sorrowfull examples to set before us which are forewarnings of sad desolations ensuing as the miserable condition of the Jewes Greeks Egyptians and Africans where the Church hath flourished but now scarcely have the name of a Church For those causes I think that we can delay no longer to call a Councell notwithstanding these things which the Pope objecteth as letts thereof And while this Councel or Parliament of the Church is in preparation I think three or four remedies may be provided 1. that Prelates abide in their Diocies and here he inveighes against the Italians who reap the gain or thrids of Benefices and have no care of the office 2. that nothing be done in the Church through Simony or bribes 3. to confesse out own faults unto God and make this manifest by publick fasts which was alwayes the custom of the Church in time of publick calamities and what greater danger can there be then that which slayeth mens souls 4. to stay seditious persons that they hinder not the common tranquillity and let it not be permitted upon any occasion whatsoever to rise in arms without the kings leave seing hereby have been many enormities on the one part we have seen the tumult of Amboife and on the other certain preachers have stirr'd up the people violently to destroy and bannish the Protestants Under pretence of godly Zeal so grievous offences followed on both sides ..... The other main point is to keep the people in due obedience and reverent estimation of their Soverain whereof I judge this to be the way If the complaints of the people be hearkned unto and convenient remedies be applied There is a great difference between privat and general grievances publick complaints should be heard in a publick assembly of the Estates and at this time the people complain of many things and when common complaints are not heard the hearts of people are commoved c. Thuan. hist lib. 25. The judgements of others were heard namely the Cardinals said Nothing can be done concerning a Councel without the Popes advice The Bishop of Valence said If the Parisians have need of water may they not bring it from Sene more easily then from Tiber. It was concluded Seing the present maladies require present remedies there should be a National Councel and on Aprile 11. it shall be called to assemble September 10 and an Oratour was sent with all possible speed to declare unto the Pope their necessity of a Councel and to entreat that he would take in good part what they had concluded But his travell was in vain-Soave in Conc. Triden lib. 5. At that time it was decreed also that the Estates should conveen at Orleance or where the King will please to appoint to advise of things to be propounded in the Councel and to the same end particular meetings should be in every Province and the Bishops should prepare themselves and in the mean while none should be troubled for religion unless they be found to take up arms seditiously and the punishment of such men to be reserved unto the King French Commentar lib. 2. Afterwards the Guises suggest unto the king that Antony king of Navar and his Brother the Prince of Condee had plotted a new couspiracy The king sent for them both and resolved to satisfy the Guises with their blood These two being guilty of nothing obey The Prince of Condee was imprisoned and a guard was set to attend the king of Navar. The Pope promiseth to call a general Councel therefore the National Councel was left off king Francis died Decemb. 15. in the 17. year of his age An. 1560. and so the Guises were disappointed In this kings time Emanuel Duke of VValdenses are persecuted in Savoy Savoy commanded the Waldenses of Lucern Angronia Perossa and Sanmartius to receive the Masse c. or he would punish them as rebels They sent a supplication and Confession of their faith professing that they believe all things contained in the old and new Testament and the faith in the Creed of the Apostles and of Nice and of Athahasius and the doctrine of the antient fathers so far as they agree with the Scriptures
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
charge must be subiect to the censure and correction of Ministers and Elders not of his chief town only but also of the whole Province of which he is appointed overseer If his offence be known and the Ministers and Elders of the town and province be negligent then the next one or two Superintendents with their ministers and elders may conveen him and the Ministers and Elders of his chief town provided it be within his own province or chief town may accuse or correct aswell the Superintendent in these things that are worthy of correction as the ministers and elders of their negligence and ungodly toleration of his offence Whatsoever crime deserves deposition or correction of any other minister deserves the same in the Superintendent without exception of persons He hath also curtailed these rules for what cause he hath so done he who pleaseth to confer the two may guesse XII The Parliament as was appointed in the Treaty sate down in The Reformation is establisht by Parliament and the Confession of faith August at Edinburgh there were present sixe Bishops twelve Abbots and Priors nineteen Earls and Lords with many Barons and of Commissioners of Burghs none were absent Many Lords both of the one and other Estates did absent themselves contemptuously saith the author of the History of Reformation The first thing they treat was a supplication of the Barons gentlemen burgesses and other true subiects of the realm professing the Lord Jesus for a Reformation of Religion So soon as it was read the Barons and Ministers were called and command given unto them to draw into plain and severall heads the sum of the doctrine which they would maintain and desire to be established as wholesom true and only necessary to be believed This they willingly accept and on the fourth day to wit August 17. they present the Confession which afterward was registred in the first Parliament of King James 6. and is commonly seen also in the Harmony of Confessions When the Confession was read first by the Lords of the articles and then in audience of the whole Parliament all were bidden in Gods name to obiect if they could say any thing against that doctrine some Ministers standing-by ready to answer if any would defend Papistry or impugne any article No obiection was made then a day was appointed for concurrence in that and other heads that day the Confession was read again each article severally and the votes were asked accordingly The Papisticall Bishops said nothing Three Lords Athol Sommerwell and Bortwick said Wee will believe as our fathers believed The Earle Marshall said It is long since I had some favour unto the Trueth and since I had a suspicion of the papisticall Religion but I praise my God who this day hath fully resolved mee in the one and the other for seeing the Bishops who for their learning can and for their zeal that they should bear unto the verity would as I suppose have gainsaid any thing that directly repugneth unto the verity of God Seing I say the Bishops here present speake nothing against the doctrine proposed I can not but hold it for the very truth of God and the contrary to be deceivable doctrine and therefore so far as in melyeth â— approve the one and condemne the other And yet more I must vote by way of Protestation that if any person Ecclesiasticall shall after this oppose themselves to this our Confession that they have no place nor credite considering that they having long advertisment and full knowledge of this our Confession none is now found in lawfull free and open Parliament to oppose themselves to that which we profess and therefore if any of this Generation pretend to do it after this I protest that he be reputed one that loveth his own commodity and the glory of the world more than the Trueth of God and the salvation of mens souls After the voting and establishing of the Confession by the whole Body of the Parliament there were also read two particular Acts one against the exercise of the Masse and the abuse of the sacraments and the other against the supremacy of the Pope these were severally voted and concluded then and renued in the Parliament An. 1567. With these Acts Sir James Sandelanes Knight of the Rhodes who had been neutrall hetherto was sent into France for obtaining ratification and was ordered to clear the Noble men and others from the imputations of dissoyalty and to pacifie the mindes of their Soveraines But he found his ambassage and himself contemned the Guisians checking him bitterly at his first audience that he being a Knight of the holy Order had taken a Commission from rebells to sollicite ratification of execrable heresies I will not stay here upon the reasonableness of this answer nor to consider who gave it only this is added by my author that more care was given unto three persons the Bishop of Glasgow the Abbot of Dumfernlin and the Lord Seton who went away with the French Army The Countrie then was greatly troubled for this cold entertainment of their Commissioner for they were sensible of their own weakness if France would invade again and they were doubtfull of England because their last support was with so great charges and hazard and the Earls of Morton and Glencairn who after the Parliament were sent to give thanks unto the Queen Elisabet and to entreat the continuance of her love had given no advertisement In time of this doubtfulness newes was brought that young King Francis was dead then sorowfull were the hearts of the Popish faction and the Countrie were confident to have their Queen at home again as God brought it to pass in despite of all the attempts that that faction did use in the contrary After the death of the King a Convention of the Estates was called to meet in January 1561. then was Lord James Stuart appointed to go in their names unto the Queen Commission was given to severall Noblemen and Barons in severall parts to pull down the abbeys and cloisters that were yet standing and to demolish all moniments of idolatry throughout the Country Then also the book of Discipline was presented and the Ministers supplicate the Convention to establish it Alexander anderson Subprincipall of the Vniversity at Aberdeen was called to obiect against it He refuseth to dispute there in matters of faith pretending for excuse a sentence of Tertullian The Ministers reply The authority of Tertullian can not preiudge the authority of the Holy Ghost commanding to give a reason of our faith to every one that requires it and for the present it is not required of him nor of any man to dispute in any point of our faith which is fully grounded upon Gods word and all that wee believe is without controversy contained in the holy Scriptures But it is required of him as of other Papists that they will suffer their doctrin constitutions and cermonies come to a tryall and especially
created by God and infused into the soul whereby that man is made acceptable unto him Here a new controversy is started about the word Justificare some said It must be taken effectivè to make just and not declarativè Amongst those was Soto but the Caâ—melite Marinarus would prove from Rom. 8. by the judiciall process of accusing and condemning that justification must also be a judicialact Hereupon was another sharp dispute Whether the habite of grace be the same with the habite of charity or a distinct one The Scotists held the first part and the Thomists the later In this neither party would yeeld into the other Then they dispute Whether beside that inherent justice the justice of Christ be imputed unto the justified person as his own All said Christ dd merite for us and we are made partakers of his righteousnes but some loved not the word Imputed because it is not among the Fathers and for the bad consequences which Lutherans draw from it to wit this only is sufficient without inherent righteousnes the sacraments confer not grace punishment is abolished with the guilt there remaines no place for satisfaction c. These contentions were fostered by sundry persons upon several interests the Imperialists would had them leave the doctrin and the Pa palines sought a way to divide the Councel and so a void the apparent or aimed-at reformation others sought to deliver themselves from appearing and heavier incommodities in Germany and they feared dearth and others had little hope to do good At that time the Emperour sent Letters unto the Pope and unto the Councel representing a necessity of holding the Councel on foot for avoiding mis-reports if it be dissolved and he promised to bend up all his wit to keep Trent secure he earnestly entreated that they would not handle controversies lest the Protestants be provoked with contrary decrees and therefore to treat of reformation only or at most medle with points of lesser weight The Pope was desirous to be freed of the Synod but to gratify the Emperour in respect of the present confederacy he wrote unto the Legaâ—s to hold the Councel a foot but without any Session untill he give new advertisment and to entertain the Prelats and Divines with congregations and such exercise as seemed best July 25. a Jubilee was published at Trent to pray for good success unto the German warrs and the Session was adjournied untill a new intimation and the congregations were discharged for 15. dayes nor did they sit untill the 20. day of August Then the Legat de Monte judged it inconvenient to suspend the Fathers any longer but De Sancta Cruce a man of melancholy nature took it upon him When they came to the congregation this Legate and three Bishops and three Generals were deputed to frame the Decrees and anathematisms So he set on edge the heads of the former opinions shewing that the points were weighty and should be sifted and he gave place to other controversies as whether a man can be assured of grace Some said It is presumption pufts up and makes a man negligent Of assurance of grace in doing good and to doubt is more profitable and meritorious to this purpose they cited Eccles 9. 1. and 1. Pet. 1. 17. and some testimonies of the Fathers Those were Vega Soto c. On the other side Catharinus Marinarus and others alledged other passages of the same Fathers and they said The Fathers had spoken occasionally somtimes to comfort and at other times to repress but if we hold close to the Scripture it shall be more certain seing Christ said often Believe that thy sins are forgiven but He would not give occasion of pride nor drowsiness neither would he deprive men of merite if doubting were usefull The Scripture bids give God thanks for our justification which we can not do unless we know that we have obtained it St. Paul confirmes this when he willeth the Corinthians to know that they are in Christ except they be reprobats The Holy Spirit beares witnes with our Spirit that we are the children of God and to deny his testimony is no less then to accuse them of temerity who believe the Holy Ghost speaking with them for S. Ambrose saith The Holy Ghost never speaks to us but when he makes known that he speakes then they added the words of Christ The world can not receive the holy Ghost because it knowes him not but the disciples know him because he dwelles in them It is like a dream to say A man hath received grace and can not know whether he hath received or not The other party shrunk a little with the force of these reasons some granting a coniecture and some confessing a certainty in the Apostles and Martyres and them who have been lately baptized and some by extraordinary revelation Vega fearing conformity with the Lutherans said Certainty is not Divine faith but humane and experimental as he who is hote is sure by sense that he is hote Then the defenders of certainty ask Whether the testimony of the Holy Ghost can be called Divine and whether every one be tied to believe what God reveeles They went so far in sifting this question as who listeth may see in the large history that the Legate willed them make an end of it It was twice commanded to leave it as doubtfuli but their affections led them to it again Then the Legate propounded to speak again of preparatory works and the observation of the law whereupon depends the question of free-will So sixe Of free will articles were framed as maintained by the Protestants Of the first God is the total cause of our works both good and bad Some said It was a fanatik doctrine condemned antiently in the Manichees Abelhard and Wicklif and deserves not dispute but punishment Marinarus said As it is foolish to say No action is in our power so it is absurd to say Every action is in our power seing every man findes that he hath not his affections in his power Catharinus said A man hath no power to do moral good works without Gods special assistance Vega spake a while with ambiguity and concluded there is no difference in this point But it seemed unto some to be a prejudice to reconcile different opinions and composition is for Colloquies Here arose that question Whether it be in mans power to believe or not to believe The Franciscans said As knowledge necessarily followes demonstrations so faith followes persuasions and it is the understanding which is naturally moved by the object and experience teaches that no man believes what he willeth but what seemes true and none could feel any displeasure if he could believe what he pleases The Dominicans said Nothing is more in the power of the will then to believe and by the determination of the will only a man may believe that the number of the starrs is even The second article was to the same purpose On the third
communication is extended We believe that upon the personal vnion followes so reall a communication of properties whereby the Son of God communicates unto the assumed nature his omnipotence omnipresence omniscience power of quickning c. by which communication the Godhead becomes not weaker but his humane nature is exalted and not abolished as is the union of the body and soul and of the fire and iron the body lives verily but by vertue of the soul and the iron burneth but by vertue of the fire neither is any of them turned into another therefore we believe that because of this personal union Christ according to his manhood is almighty or which is all one the humane nature of Christ is almighty For the Scripture gives unto him even as he is man all power which is no other thing but omnipotency and in testimony of this he gave sight unto the blind ........ We believe that Christ in his manhood now in the estate of glory and Majesty perfectly knowes all things that have been or shall bee For the Spirit was given him not in measure ..... but where it is said he knew not the day of judgement it is not meant simply of his manhood but of the form of a servant which afterwards he layd aside The Scriptures also bear witnes that Christ in his humanity is present with all creatures especially with his Church Beloved I am with yow untill .... but the manner of this presence is not exprest and so we believe not that he is locally or physically but supernaturaly with all his creatures how this is in true humility we confess that we are ignorant We believe also that in his flesh he hath the power of quickening as he said I am the bread of life and he had this majesty of omnipotency and of ..... as he is man because of the personal vnion even in the wombe of his mother but he shew it not then after he was born he shew it in miracles so oft as it was needfull and so far as the respect of his office and calling did require for he was then in form of a servant and had abased himself that he might suffer But the exinanition or form of a servant which was but for a time derogates nothing from his Majesty into which he entred fully when he went up to heaven and sate at the right hand of God this right hand is the Majesty of Christ reigning praesenter according to both natures both in heaven and earth this is to sit at the right hand of God And this our Mediator is to be adored with all religious worship according to both natures for we have not two Christs whereof the one should be worshipped and not the other but of wholl Christ it is said Let all the Angels worship him On the morow Beza answered thus There is ambiguity in the word communication it signifieth the personal union and also the effects of it We believe a real communication that is an union of natures in which union both natures remain distinct both in their own properties and therefore that communication whereby his humane nature is said to be every where and almighty is not so much as verbal but is as false as if yow would say His humanity is become his Deity Although all the properties of the Deity may be attributed unto Christ-man that is unto his person even named by his manhood or in concreto as we say The man Christ is almighty and eternal but neither may the natures be spoken one of another neither the properties of the one be given unto the other for this is a sure rule In the personal vnion both natures remain distinct and they both distinctly do what is proper unto them So the Word is distinctly that which the worde is as the flesh remaines distinctly the flesh Briefly as are two natures in Christ distinct in number and not separated one from the other so there are two wills and two workings or operations but one work as there is but one person Neither can that saying of Athanasius be otherwise understood It pleased the Worde to shew his Divine nature by that flesh in it and with it As for the alledged places of Scripture those concerning the power and authority of Christ are impertinently brought because his power or authority should be reckoned amongst the gifts bestowed on his flesh And so those places concerning his omnipotency and omnipresence must be understood of his person or Deity and not of his manhood To this purpose he cited some testimonies as of Tertullian Wee see a twofold estate not confounded but united in one person God-man and the properties of both natures are so safe that the Spirit or Deity shewes his own things in him that is his virtue works and signes and the flesh exerciseth its passions being hungry when with Satan and thirsty with the woman of Samaria As for that power of vinification we deny not that the flesh of Christ hath that power but not in that sense as yee take it for the flesh is vivificative not with that virtue which is proper unto the Deity that is not communicable but first because in this flesh Christ hath abolish'd death for us having fulfilled all things that were required to acquire eternal life unto us and then because by means of this flesh being communicated spiritually unto us by faith we receive life from Christ God-man It 's manifest that those gifts which were powred on the flesh of Christ were not at one instant perfectly bestow'd on his soul and body because he is said to have grown as in stature so in knowledge and grace and he was verily subject unto all our infirmities excep sin in time of his humiliation and so after his ascension he began not the use and declaration but the consummation of his power and glory The form of a servant and the exinanition signify not both one thing as yee suppose but by the form of a servant we understand his very humanity according to which he ever was is and shall be inferior to himself the Word and by which he is of the same nature with us though he hath laid aside all our infirmities when the work of our redemption was finished but among those infirmities circumscription is not to be numbred or else when he shall come in a bodily circumscribed substance he were not then most glorious but base having resumed that infirmity We profess also that Christ reigneth now and hath all power both in heaven and earth according to both natures but not praesenter in respect of his flesh for now as the Apostle saith we are strangers from Christ and he desired to be out of the body that he might be with Christ And it is said He will come again to wit visibly and bodily Lastly in that one adoration of our one and only Mediator according to both natures we divide not the person but we distinguish the natures for the Worde
is the true and absolute object of our adoration and adoration is due unto God only but we exclude not that flesh from our adoration lest we divid his person with Nestorius yet so that we worship that flesh not in itself but respectively as it is the flesh of the Sone of God to this purpose he brought a testimony of Cyrill and the eight anathematism of the Councell at Chalcedon They disputed on this article other three dayes but no agreement March 27. the Wurtembergers gave their propositions of Popish churches images and organes in churches They agreed that these are in themselves indifferent if the abuses be shunned Then they gave theses of baptism where the question was Whether baptism is the laver of regeneration in the holy Spirit or whether it be only a signe signifying and sealing adoption The VVurtembergers said It not only signifieth and sealeth adoption but is the very laver of regeneration because it is said He washes his Church by the laver of water and Unless a man be born again .... and they condem these propositions The grace of the holy Ghost is not tied unto the sacraments The sacraments are appointed only to confirm Gods favor toward us Regeneration or salvation depends not absolutly on baptism It is an improper speech Baptism washes away sin In the elect only is the virtue of baptism All infants that are baptized are not partakers of the grace of Christ or regenerated It is unlawfull that women do baptize even in case of necessity Beza gave his answer in writ the sum is The sacraments are not bare signes but the efficacy of the Holy Spirit should be distinguished from the power of the water as they are distinguished by John in Matth. 3. and by Pet. 1. Ep. 3. and of the whole ministery it is said He who planteth or watereth is nothing And he declares the words of the institution and the effects of baptism In the dispute Jacob Andreae held that there is but one washing because Paul saith one baptism Beza said There is an outward and an inward washing and he rebuked the Wurtembergers that they do not call the blood of Christ the thing signified in baptism Do. Jacob answered A sacrament is such as the word describes it but neither Christ nor Paul speaking of baptism make any mention of blood They asked Whether infants have faith Beza denied and the other affirmed it They questioned Whether the elect being sanctified may lose faith Beza denyed and the other put it off unto the article of predestination They asked What hope may parents have of their baptised children Beza said All should hope well but we are not Prophets to foretell that this or that child shall be a good or bad man Concerning women's baptism Th. Beza said There can be no such necessity for which the Divine ordinance of the Ministry should be trangressed Iacob said As a woman may confort a man in time of necessity Beza replied There is another consideration of exhorting and conforting one another and not the want but the contempt of the sacrament doth condemn Neither in this point did they agree Concerning predestination the Wurtembergers said God from all eternity not only foresaw the fall of man but hath also foreknown and chosen them that shall be saved and hath appointed them unto salvation that is that they should be saved by Christ for the election was made in Christ The number of them who shall be safed is certain with God So the question remains say they whether God hath predestinate his elect unto life so that he in his hid and absolut judgement hath appointed certain men yea the most part of men unto eternal damnation that he will not have them to repent nor be converted and saved We believe that such decree can not be shewd by Scripture that without respect of their unworthiness but at the meer pleasure of his will he hath appointed any man far less the greatest part of men unto everlasting damnation or that he will not have them to repent Because whatsoever is written is written .... that we through patience and consolation might have hope and God will have all men to be saved ...... They reiect these propositions Reprobation is the most wise purpose of God whereby from all eternity he hath constantly decreed without all unrighteousness not to shew love on them whom he hath not loved that in justly condemning them he might declare his wrath against sin and shew his glory The cause of the decree of election or reprobation is his eternal favour toward them who at his pleasure are appointed unto salvation and his eternal hatred of ill ordaining whom he pleased unto damnation but wherefore he hath appointed these men rather then those unto salvation or damnation there is no other impulsive cause but his will God willeth not that those who are appointed to damnation should be saved or that the death of his Sone be available unto them Beza answered thus What yee deny that the vessels of wraith alswel as the vessels of mercy were ordained from eternity Wee do affirm not only because there is alike reason of contraries and the very word Election proveth it but also it is declared by the express word of God Rom. 9. 11. And this is so far from any ground that man can challenge God of unrighteousness that He were not unjust though he had condemned all men seeing we all are the children of wraith and he is debter to none Wee say further that their condemnation who in the eternall decree are left in their corruption is not rightly attributed unto this decree For albeit that which God hath decreed can not miss but shall come to pass and so they who perish do not perish without this decree yet the cause of the execution or of their condemnation is not that decree of God but their natural corruption and the fruits of it from which it pleased God to exeem them only whom he hath chosen to salvation That there ever was and is a great number of them who perish the matter it self shewes and Christ saith Many are called and few chosen and Few enter in at the strait gate Lastly that God will not have them to be converted and saved it 's not to be understood as if they were willing and God resisteth their desire but that they will not be converted nor can they will being forsaken of God and left in impenitency He answered also to the obiections but I will not repeat them here In this dispute they come to that question Whether Christ died for all men even for the sins of the damned Iacob held the affirmative and Beza the negative When thâ—y both repeated the same arguments and answers Prince Frederik thought it expedient to close seeing no appearance of agreement he exhorted them to give one to another the hand of fraternity and to abstain from bitter writings untill God shall give them more cause of peace Jacob
publickly read I. In the beginning of the Conference it was thought good that a Supplication be penned by the Assembly concerning those that shall vote in Parliament in name of the Church This is appointed to be penned by John Row and Robert Pont and be brought unto the Assembly on Mooneday II. Concerning the Observations the Assembly proceeds as followes In Chap. 2. the 3. article is agreed-upon conform to the conference In Chap. 3. the 7. article is to be further considered the tenth article is thought plain in itselfe Concerning the advice what censure shall be put to non-residents the Church thinks meet a civill law be craved decerning the Benefice to vaik for not-residence In Chap. 4. the 9. article agreed conform to the conference and desiring the penalty of persons excommunicat to be horning or caption by speciall act of Parliament to be executed by the Treasurer or others whom it will please his Majesty to appoint In Chap. 5. agreed with the two supplications desired In Chap. 6. the perpetuity of the persons of the Elders agreed conforme Here the book of the Assembly wants two leafes Then is some what of visitation of colledges schools and hospitalls and the book wants other two leafes Then concerning commissioners of countries or Provinces and other two leafes are wanting The next assembly is appointed to conveen at Edinb Octob. 24. The historicall Narration saith All that could be obtained in this Parliament was a Commission to conferre upon the Heads of the book the Commissioners which sought the ratification of it took this for a shifting seing the book was before allowed in the conference except four particulares wherein was no difficulty and were now explaâ—â—ed by the Assembly and therefore they craved that at last so many may be ratified as were agreed upon that was not granted for Morton was the chief leader in this Parliament In the assembly October 24. David Ferguson is chosen Moderator 1. The Noble men in the town are desired to be present 2. At The 36. Assembly the desire of the assembly came the Lord Chancelor the Earle of Montrose the L. L. Sâ—ton Lindsay It was shewd by the Moderator what care and study the church had taken to entertain and keep the purity of the sincere word of God unmixt with the inventions of their own heads which their speciall care was to reserve unto the posterity and seing true religion can not continue long without good Disciplin in that part also they have employd their wit study and drawn forth of the pure fountain of Gods word such a discipline as is meet to remain in the church this they have presented unto the Kings M. with their supplication at whose direction certain commissioners were appointed to reason with these who were appointed by the church there the wholl matter being disputed it was resolved and agreed except a few heads and thereafter being presented unto the Lords of the articles that the same disciplin might take place and be established by acts lawes of the realm but their travells have not succeeded praying therefore the Nobility present alswell openly to make profession to the assembly if they will allow and maintain the religion presently established within the realm as also the disciplin and policy already mentioned and to labour at the Kings and Counsells hands for answer unto the Heads after following that is that his Gr. and Counsell will establish such heads of the policy as were already resolved and agreed-upon by the Commissioners and cause the others to be reasoned and put to an end and that his Gr. and Counsell will restore the church unto the act of Parliament concerning the thirds and that none vote in Parliament in name of the church but such as shall have commission from the church for that effect and that presentations of Benefices be directed to the commissioners of countries where the Benefices lye And to the end the matter may be the better and sooner exped that their Lordships would appoint a time convenient thereunto as they may best spare that such brethren as shall be named may wait upon their Honours The Noble men answered that some of them had made publick profession of the Religion heretofore and all now declair they embrace the religion and shall maintain the same to their power and in the other particulares they think that supplication be made unto the King and Counsell and they will insist with the King for his answer and they will shew them to morrow the time for that effect 3. The act of the preceeding assembly concerning the suspension of Benefices the Assembly otdaines it to stand in full strength untill the next Assembly 4. James boid Bishop of Glasgow being required to submitt according to tâ—e Act of the last assembly gave his answer in write as followes I understand the name office and reverence born to a Bishop to be lawfull by the Scriptures of God and being elected by the Church and King to be Bishop of Glasgow I esteem my calling and office lawfull and as for my executing of that charge committed unto mee I am content to endeavour at my utmost ability to perform the same and every point thereof and to abide the judgement of the Church from time to time if I offend in my duty Craving always a brotherly construction at their hands seing the charge is weighty and the claimes to be layd to my charge are to be examined by the Canon left by the Apostle 1 Tim. 3. as that place was pointed unto mee at my reception thereby to understand the duties of a Bishop As for my living and rents and other things granted by the Prince unto mee and my successors for serving that charge I reckon the same lawfull As to my duty unto the Supreme Magistrate in assisting his Gr. in counsell or parliament when I am craved thereunto my subjection compelles mee to obey it and it 's no hurt but good to the Church that some of our number be at the making of good lawes and ordinances in the doing whereof I protest before God I intend never to do anything but what I believe shall stand with the purity of the Scriptures and a well reformed country As also a good part of the living which I possess hath been given for that cause This answer was read and after voting is judged not satisfactory and therefore he is oâ—dered to return after noon with better resolution Here the books of the Assembly want two leafes and it appeares thaet asupplication was sent unto the King and Counsell by these imperfect words following Vices universally abounding within this realm may be punished and bridled and to insist with convenient diligence with his Ma. Counsell for granting the premisses And to reporte 5. All that are now or hereafter shal be deposed from the Ministry for their offenses shall be charged by the commissioners of the bounds to dimitt their Benefice .... and if they