I am the lesse moued with their speaches because it is the custome of lamed creeple men to be mounted vp on horsebacke an euil cause supporteth the own infirmitie by the loude trumpet of rayling wordes yet haue they not cleared to the world that wee maintaine obstinatly any point of doctrine repugnant vnto the articles of true faith and vnto the principall grounds of Christian religion preached by Christ and committed to write by the holy Apostles Let them be as prodigall in their curses as they please crying out against vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I answere with simplicitie of a humble mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this word written with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a thing hanged vp in the Lordes Temple and dedicat to God Haue we not seene with our owne eyes deepe woundes made in the flesh of man that haue beene needled by skilfull Chirurgians and in end cured and healed and the skinne of man cutted in twaine by the sword vnited againe by the needle medicinable plasters That doctrine which endenoureth to needle the wounded world and to vnite it againe vnto that holy doctrine taught by the Apostles and Euangelistes and professed in the first hundreth yeere of our Lord shall we call it hereticall Shall we be so babish that wee cannot discerne the sword from the needle conjunction from separation healing from hurting welfare from woe If we knew Christ Iesus and the power of God working by his word we had not so rashly condemned the trueth of God The Iewes spake as confidently against Christ as euer the Councill of Trent hath spokeÌ„ against vs We hâ—…ue a law according to our lawe hee ought to de because hee made himselfe the Sonne of God Ioh. 19. ver 7 Vnder pretence of zealous keeping of the Law made against blasphemers Leuit 24. 15. they condemned the holy One of God as a blasphemer But his father by loosing the sorowes of death receiuing him into heauen placing him at his owne right hand annulled ipso facto that rash sentence giuen out in earth against the innocent Lamb of God Euen so the Lord in his owne appointed time by receiuing our soules into those celestiall mansions prepared for his owne Saintes shall vndoe the rash decreetes that are giuen out against vs in the earth In all ages this matter hath bene contrauerted and Heretiques haue obstinatly maintained their bad and reprobat opinions and as obstinatly refused the odious and vile name of Heretiques and this question in our dayes is like to a flame of fire which no aboundance of water can sloken The definition of an heresie we haue alreadie set downe in the 3 chap resteth nowe in this treatise to ponder the name it selfe to consider the ground of heresie the propagation and preuailing power of it at sometimes the greater and more preuailing power of the curse of God making heresie in end to wither as the figge tree did that was cursed by Christ And finally to declare what should be the cariage both of Pastours magistrats and people toward Heretiques 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a word of the Greeke language and very ample in signification for it signifieth a choosing Now it is certaine that it is no fault to a man to take a choise when God doth offer it vnto him as when it was offered to SALOMON to aske what hee liked best he choosed rather to craue wisdome then riches from God 1. Reg. 3. and when DAVID choosed rather to fall into the hands of God then of man 2. Sam. 24 ver 14. DAVID in choosing the pest rather then the sworde or famine tooke a choice which was offered vnto him by God And the pondering of the generalitie of the worde may declare that in things indifferent wherinto God hath granted vnto men a libertie free choice such as eating of flesh or abstinence from it marying or not marying a man may take his choice in these things at such times as he findeth it granted by God as well as DAVID and SALOMON and a man is not to be called an Heretique because he marieth because God hath giuen him libertie to marie or not to marie as a man listeth best prouiding alwayes he seeke counsell of God to dispose him in such indifferent things that way whereby he shall be most meete and able to glorifie God For true it is that the Euangelist writeth No man hath seene God at any time the onely begotten Sonne of God who is in the bosome of his Father he hath reueiled him Ioh. 1 which words plainly doe testifie that in matters of faith God hath not giuen vnto a man a free choice to embrace what opinion he pleaseth but God hath tied bound vs in matters of faith to the mouth of his deare Sonne to the ende we should thinke no other thing of God then Iesus Christ hath reueiled vnto vs. Now anent the ground of heresie I followe the opinion of AVGVSTINE in his booke of exposition of some places of the epistie to the Galathian wherein hee compareth Heretiques to the sonnes of KETVRA whome ABRAHAM maried after the death of SARA Gen. 25. These children were procreated of an old father and of a yong mother euen so Heretiques pretending antiquitie of Scripture but forging vnto them a new yong sense whereinto Scripture was not written they become defenders of a false opinion The words of S. AVGVSTINE are these Ex occasione antiquaeveritatâ—…s in novitio temporalique nati sunt mendacio that is through occasion of antiquitie of the trueth they are borne into the noveltie of a temporall lie so that AVGVSTINE his judgement soundeth to this that Heretiques pretend antiquitie of scripture for their father but they are more like to KETVRA then ABRAHAM following rather the noueltie of error then the antiquitie of veritie In this maner IRENEVS thinkèth that heresies do spring vp of a false vnderstanding of holy Scriptures vsing the comparison of men who breake the golden image of the king after it is molten againe fashion it according to the similitude of a Foxe now it can not be called the kings image any longer albeit it be composed of that selfe same golde whereof the kings image was made euen so when wordes of Scripture are drawen to a new false hereticall sense count that new sense heresie not Scripture Iren adversus Ualent lib. 1. cap. 1. Now these opinions of IRENEVS and AVGVSTINE concerning the originall ground of heresie do well agree with the word of Christ himselfe written in holy Scripture Are ye not therefore deceiued because ye know not the Scriptures neither the power of God Marc 12. 24. The Sadduces knew wel eneugh the wordes of scripture but not the right sense and meaning of them And therfore it is great wisdome to mixe our reading with prayer to the ende that the Lorde who guided the
that terrible pit whereinto there is not one drop of consolation soChrist hath found out to vs by his suffering foresaid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle saith Heb. 9. ver 12 that is euerlasting redemption This is the true sense of that place for scripture conferred with scripture will find out the right meaning of scripture but the wresting of scripture to the conceits of our minde is a perpetuall deteining of vs in blindnesse and ignorance To this agreeth wel the exposition of August decivit Dei lib. 18. cap. 35. and Theodoret in Zach. cap. 9. In like maner in the prophecie of Malach. Behold I will send my messinger and he shall prepare the way before mee and the Lord whome yee seeke shall speedely come to his temple euen the messinger of the couenant whome ye desire behold he shall come saith the Lord of hostes But who may abide the day of his comming and who shall endure when he appeareth for he is like a purging fire and like fullers sope And hee shall sit downe to trie fine the siluer he shall euen fine the sonnes of Leui and purifie them as golde and situer that they may bring offerings vnto the Lord in righteousnesse Malac. 3. ver 1. 2. 3. If we credite the holy Euangelists this is spoken of Christs first comming and of IOHN Baptist his forerunner and of the effectuall ministrie of the Gospel in purging sinne Mat 11. ver 10. Marc. 1. ver 2 Luc. 1. ver 76. But Papistes not conferring scripture with scripture whersoeuer they find fire or darknesse or a deepe pit and dungeon or a terrible tempest there they thinke mention is made of Purgatorie as I could easily prooue by many other places but let these suffice for examples of the old Testament wrested and abused In the new Testament it is said And whosoeuer shall speake a wâ—…d against the Son of man it shall be forgiuen him but whosoeuer shall speake against the holy Ghost it shall not be forgiuen him neither in this world nor in the world to come Mat. 12. ver 32. Ofthese words it is inferred that some faults shal be forgiuen in the world to come albeit the finne against the holy Ghost shall neuer be forgiuen The true sense and meaning of these words is set down by the Euangelist MARKE in these words But he that blasphemeth against the holy Ghost shall neuer haue forgiuenesse but is culpable of eternall damnation Marc. 3. ver 29. What needeth further requisition when the spirit of God hath interpreted his owne meaning Againe it is is said in the new Testament For other foundation can no man lay then that which is laid which is Icsus Christ And if any man build on this foundation golde siluer pretious stones timber hay or stubble Euery mans worke shall bee made manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall bee reueiled by the fire and the fire shall try euery mans worke of what sort it is If any mans worke that he hath built upon abide he shall receiue wages If any mans woâ—…keburne hee shall lose but he shall be saued himselfe neuerthelesse yet as it were by the fire 1. Cor. 3. ver 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. The last of these verses is brought foorth as a testimonie of scripture proouing Purgatorie fire so much the rather because S. AMBROSE doeth so expone the foresaide verse Let vs therefore with AMBROSE agree vpon all the rest and contrauert onely vpon the last verse The foundation of Christ the golde siluer and precious stones is true and solide doctrine the timber hay and stubble is friuolous doctrine the triall by day and fire is a triall by the worde of God full of light as the day and mightie in operation as the fire In this triall hee whose doctrine is authorized and not ouerthrowne by the worde hee hath double vantage first his worke standeth next himselfe shall be rewarded as a good builder But if in the triall a mans doctrine be found friuolous albeit not hereticall hee shall sustaine double losse First hee shall see his doctrine ouerthrowne by the light and fire that is by the worde of God next albeit himselfe shall be saued because hee adhereth by faith to the foundation yet because hee hath beene a slouthfull teacher in teaching friuolous things with a glorious shewe of eloquence of in steade of solide and necessarie things hee shall bee saued by fire that is as wee say hee shall be cast into the fornace of temporal troubles to learne repentance and amendement in this life wherein onely is time and place of repentance But the Papistes thinke that men after their death shall bee cast into the fire of Purgatorie there to satisfie for their fault and after satisfaction to be purged and saued Here first note that the Apostle vttering by a continuated allegorie the estate of those who build vpon the right foundation any kinde of doctrine either solide or friuolous in the end he perfiteth his allegorie comparing the chastisements of God sent for our amendement vnto a fire This agreeth better then to interpret all the rest allegorically and the last words into a simple meaning without any figure to father that opinion vpon PAVL whereof neither hee nor any other Apostle maketh mention in their writings Next consider that they would seeme to be followers of the interpretation of AMBROSE when as their conscience I meane of those that are learned amongst them knoweth the contrarie that AMBROSE meaneth of that fire at the latter day whereof ORIGEN writeth but not of that Purgatorie fire immediatly after the issue of this life whereof the Papistes speake Indeed if Purgatorie fire should be set forth as an article of Christian faith it should bee grounded not vpon allegories or obscure places of scripture but vpon cleare and plaine places as all the ancient fathers in one voyce doe consent but this place of scripture is an allegorie and an obscure place ORIGEN and AMBROSE take it in one sense the Papistes take it in another sense we take it in the third sense and some of their owne scholasticke doctors are so dashed with the varietie of diuerse interpretations that they dare determine nothing certainely but say that either with the fire of Purgatorie or with the fire of tribulation or with the fire that goeth before the face of the great Iudge men who haue committed veniall sinnes shall be purged and saued THOMAS AQVINAS in 1. Cor. 3. When their owne scholasticke Doctours are in such doubts there was no time to step forwarde and to make it an article of their faith The chiefe place cited out of Apocrypha bookes is Macab 2. cha 12. froÌ„ the 40 ver to the end of the cha in these words Now vnder the coates of euerte one that was slâ—…ine they found jewels that had bene consecrated to the idvles of the Famnites which thing is forbidden the Jewes by the Law Then euerie man
the summe of the Nicene Faith is confirmed The continencie of Bishops Elders and Deacons is recommended with abstinence euen from matrimoniall societie so earlie began men to bee wisâ—…r then GOD But in the twelfth Canon of the thirde Council of Carthage it may bee perceiued that this constitution as dâ—…sagreeable from GODS worde was not regarded because Bishops in AFRICKE married and had sonnes and daughters and these are inhibite to marrie with Infideles and Heretiques in the Canon fore-saide The making of Chrisme and conâ—…ecrating of holie Virgines is ordained onely to belong to Bishops The Canons of this Councill for the moste 〈◊〉 tende to this to aduance the authoritie of their owne Bishops fore-smelling as appeares the usurpation of preheminence in the Bishops beyonde sea The thirde Councill of Carthage was assembled in the yeere of our LORD 399. Aurelius Bishop of Cartâ—…age seemeth to haue beene Moderatour of the Councill AUGUSTINE Bishop of Hippo was present Manie good constitutions were accorded vpon in this Councill as namely that the Sacramentes shoulde not bee ministred to the dead That the sonnes and daughters of Bishops and others in spirituall offices shoulde not bee giuen in marriage to Pagans Heretiques or Schismatiques That men in spirituall offices shoulde not be intangled with seculate businesse according to the precept of the Apostle 2. Tim. 2. verse 4. That men of the Cleargie should practise no kind of usurie That no man shall bee ordained Bishop Elder or Deacon before hee haue brought all persons of his owne familie to the profession of Christian Religion That Readers who are come to perfect yeeres shall either marrie or els professe continencie That in the ministration of the Sacrament or Sacrifice to wit Eucharisticke nothing shoulde bee offered except bread and wine mixed with water of the fruites of the Cornes and Grapes That the Bishop of Rome shoulde bee called the Bishop of the first seate but not the high Priest nor the Prince of Priestes That nothing except holy Canonicke Scripture should bee read in the Churches vnder the name of holy bookes About the yeere of our LORD 401. vnder the reigne of Honorius was assembled againe a great nationall Councill in Carthage of 214. Bishops Augustine Bishop of Hippo was also present at this Councill Manie Canons were set downe in this Councill almoste equall with the number of conueened Bisshops That persons married for reuerence of the blâ—…ssing pronounced to the marriage shoulde not companie together the first night after their marriage That the Bishop shoulde haue his dwelling place neere vnto the Church his house-holde-stuffe shoulde bee vncostly his fare shoulde be course and vndelicate and that he should conquiese authoritie vnto himselfe by fidelitie and vprightnesse of an holy conuersation That a Bishop should not spende time in reading the bookes of Pagans the bookes of Heretiques if necessitie required hee might reade That a Bishop entangle not himselfe deepely with household businesse to the end hee may attend vpon reading Prayer and Preaching That a Bishop admit no man vnto a spirituall office without aduice of the Cleargie and consent of the people That a Bishop without aduice of his Cleargie pronounce no sentence els it shall haue no force except they confirme it That a Bishop sitting shall not suffer a presbyter to stand That an assemblie of Heretiques conueened together shall not bee called Concilium but Conciliabulum That hee who communicateth with an Heretique shall bee excommunicate whether hee be of the number of the Laikes or of the Cleargie That such as refuse to giue vnto the Church the oblations of defunct persons shall bee excommunicate as murtherers of the poore Heere marke what is meaned by Oblationes Defanctorum not Soule-masses said for the defunct but the charitie which they haue left in testamentall legacie to the poore That no woman shall presume to baptize TREATISES BELONGING TO THE fourth CENTURIE A TREATISE Of Inuocation of Saintes IT is more easie in this TREATISE to disapproue the doctrine of Inuocation of Saintes then accurately to point out the minute of time whereinto this abuse sprang vp for the inuious man who sowed tares in the husbandrie of GOD hee did it while men were asleepe And no good Christian how vigilant soeuer hee be can bee at one and the selfe same time both sleeping and waking Neuerthelesse albeit the sowing time bee vnknowne to vs the time whereinto the blade springeth vp and manifesteth it selfe vnto the sight of men may be knowne And therefore I haue referred this Treatise vnto the fourth CENTURIE It is true that Origene about the yeere of our LORD 240. like as he disputed curiously of all things without any certainty of sacred Scripture yea euen of plurality of worlds so in like maner he disputed of the charity and affection that good Christians departed this life might possibly beare to the members of the MILITANT CHURCH of CHRIST And hee thought it not inconuenient to suppose tâ—…at they had a care of our saluation and supported vs with their prayers Neuerthelesse he spake doubâ—…somely Ego sic arbitrior that is I suppose it is so but he durst not with ful assurance affirme any such thing In the third CENTURIE also wee reade of a commemoration of the names of holy Martyres in time of ministration of the holy Sacrament but neither of purpose to pray for them who were already possessed into their rest nor of purpose to request them to pray for vs for such grosse errour was not yet admitted into the bosome of the Church But rather of purpose by such a commemoration 〈◊〉 animate the godly to follow the foote-steps of those men in well-doing whose names were thought worthie at solemne times to bee commemorated in the Church The Rhethoricall libertie of Basilius Magnus and Naziaâ—…nus brought inuocation of Saintes in the mouthes of all the people for it is their custome after they haue commended the patient suffering of Martyres in end they desire to bee supported by the prayers of the holy Martyres These glorious Oratours learned not this lesson in the bookes of holy Scripture but rather in the schoole of Libanius whose frequent incalling vpon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his declamations accustomed Basiliâ—…s Naziâ—…zenus to call vpon the Martyrs to the end that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Gentiles might bee forgotten and the holy Martyres by whose examples men might bee led into the foote-steps of vertue and godlinesse might be remembred Alwayes seeing these learned Fathers had no warrand in Scripture for inuocation of Saintes they are compelled to speake doubtsomely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as I suppose And againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is if it bee not too much bolden esse so to speake And againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is if there be any sense
God saw the daughters of men that they were faire and tooke wiues vnto themselues whome they liked Gen 6. ver 2. And on the other parte when God will needes reueile his blessed will by the written word then will wee flie to vn writteÌ„ traditions euen to such as be repugnaÌ„t to the writteÌ„ word And so men become like to a shadow wheÌ„ the sun shineth in the East the shadow goeth toward the West when the sunne goeth down in the West the shadow inclineth to the East so do men obstinatly repine against the wil ofGod Beside this wee are to consider what great detriment hath ensued vpon those who leauing the certaintie of the written worde leaned vpon the vncertaintie of Apostolicke traditions Beside PAPIAS B. of Hicrapolis who fell into the errour of the Chiliasts CLEMENS ALEXANDRINVS trauailed through many nations but tooke better heed to tradition then to the written word of God whereby it came to passe that he filled his bookes called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with most vngodly and foolish opinions as hath bene declared in the historie of his life When we haue said all that we can say that place of the second epistle to the The ssalonians cap. 2. ver 15. ringeth so lowd in their eares that they can heare nothing that soundeth to the contraric wherefore we are to consider the illatiue words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is therefore which coupleth this verse with the preceeding text wherinto the Apostle admonished the Thessalonians of the comming of the Antichrist whose comming is after the working of Satan in all power and signes and lying wonders ver 9. And his comming shall be so strengthened by the hand of the deuil that he cannot be borne downe but by the breath of the mouth of God and brightnesse of his comming Now to the ende that the poore handful of the sheepe of Christ may be saued from the deceite of the Antichrist hee exhorteth them to adhere fast vnto the Apostolicke doctrine which they had receiued both by word and write Scripture is abused when it is wrested to another sense different froÌ„ the meaning of the writer but it is more abused when it is drawen to the cleane contrarie sense This place is set downe to teach vs to beware of the deceit of the Antichrist by fast adhering to the Apostolick doctrine but the Papists abuse it to make vs beleeue that their traditions repugnant to the word of God should haue alike authoritie with the writren word of God which is the ready way to fall into the snare of the Antichrist and not to be fred from his deceits To conclude like as DAVID did great honour to ABISHAI when as in great matters of weight importance hee tooke him to be his follower to viewe the host of SAVL 1. Sam. 26. ver 7. euen so God doth great honour to his holy scriptures when he vseth them as an instrument to doe his great works by them Christ reigneth as a King and he hath made his word to be the scepter of his kingdome Psal. 110. Christ is the shepheard of our soules the word is his shepheards staffe Ps. 23. Christ is the builder of his fathers house the word is the measuring line of the building Christ is our Sauiour and the word of God is the power of God to saluation toeuery one that beleeueth Rom. 1. ver 16. Seeing Christ hath done so great honour to the scriptures what are we that we should regard any thing spoken in the contrary God graunt wee may conforme our selues to the will of Christ Amen Of the doctrine of Deuils THe Heretiques called Gnostici disallowed mariage allowed fornication and the Heretiques called Encratite damned the eating of flesh and drinking of wine as a sinne and abhorred the Epistles of PAVL as hath beene declared in the historie and the Romanists themselues acknowledge that Gnostici and Encratitae were Heretiques and taught a doctrine of deuils as likewise the Manicheis of whome we shall speake in the next Centurie Godwilling but the doctrine of the Romaine church concerning prohibition of mariage and meates is different from the doctrine of Gnostici Encratitae and Manichaei True it is there is some difference concerning persons times some other circumstances For the Heretiques called Gnostici damned mariage in all persons the Romaine church damneth it only in the person of Priests men hauing church orders Likewise Eucratitae damned at all times the eating of flesh drinking of wine but the church of Rime only prohibits the eating of flesh at certaine seasons and vpon certaine dayes such as in Lent and vpon Fryday c and that without prohition of drinking of wine moderatly Thirdly the Manicheis counted the good creatures of God flâ—…sh and wine to be in themselues polluted and vncleane but the Romaine church thinketh not so but for memorie of the Lordes suffering for mortification of the flesh for preparation to receiue the sacraments and for testimonie of obedience to the vicar of Christ successor of PETER it is necessary to abstaine in maner abouewritten This difference is cast in to exeeme the Romaine church from the imputation of the doctrine of deuils yet is not the difference very great for the Romaine church forbiddeth mariage meats to some men at all times and to all men at sometimes but consider againe that differences of magis and minus that is of more and lesse doe declare a communion rather then a contrarietie as IRENEVS speaketh Plu. minus non de his dicitur quae inverse communionem non habent sunt contrariae naturae pugnant aduersus se sed de his quae sunt ejusdem substantiae communicant secum solum autem altitudine magnitudine differunt lib. 4. cap. 22. As a litle water and a litle fire differeth from a great water and a great fire not in substance but in quantitie euen so the Papistes differ from the Manicheis not in substance but in the discrepance of Plus and Minus The wordes of the Apostle are the ground whereupon all this treatise is founded Nowe the Spirite speaketh euidâ—…ntly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giuing beede vnto spirits of errour and doctrines of deuils speaking lies in hypocrisie hauing their conscience seared with an hote yrone forbidding to marrie and commanding to abstaine from meates which God hath created to be receiuâ—…d with thankesgiuing of them which beleeue and kâ—…ow the trueth for euery creature of God is good and nothing to bee refusâ—…d if it be receiued with thankâ—…sgiuing 1. Tim. 1. 2. 3 4. In these words the Popish church will grant that the Mam. hets and other forenamed Heretiques are damned but they denie that these predictions of the holy Apostle doe damne the doctrine of the Romaine church anent forbidding of mariage to some persons and meates at some times as a doctrine of deuils crying out that it is not to be
the 29. B. of Rome who continued in that ministration 5. yeres 6 months 21 dayes He liued in the dayes of MAXENTIVS by whom he was enclosed into a filthie stable to the end that lacking the salubritie of wholsome aire he might be destroyed with the filth stinke of the dung of beasts which thing also came to passe indeede for he died in the stable This holy martyr so long as he liued he made the stable like vnto a sanctuarie for hee neuer intermitted the holy exercises of prayer fasting and the Church when peace was granted to them by the mercie of God they builded a temple in that same place where the stable had beene whereinto MARCELLVS died Platin. de vitis The name of MARCELLVS is pretermitted by EVSEBIVS After MARCELLVS succeeded EVSEBIVS the 30. B. of Rome and continued 6. yeeres 1 month 3. dayes In his time PLATINA writeth that HELENA the mother of CONSTANTINE found the crosse of Christ. But ONVPHRIVS himself is compelled to grant that both DAMASVS and PLATINA erred in that narration because CONSTANTINE at this time had no dominion in Syria neither was hee as yet conuerted to the faith of Christ. But the tyrant MAXIMINVS with great crueltie oppressed the Church of Christ in the boundes of Syria and Iudea And therefore such as read the historie of the primitiue Church let them read with judgement because it is an easie thing to erre if any man giue such vndoubted credit to ecclesiasticall writers as he giueth to sacred scripture TERTVLLIAN a learned preacher of the African prouince of the citie of Carthage a man of a quicke wit pregnant ingine flourished vnder the reigne of SEVERVS the 5 persecuter When he came to Rome he vas not free of the enuy and reproches of the clergie of the Romaine church and mooued with anger he declined to the opinion of the Heretique MONTANVS wrote books against the true Church such as the volumes following De pudicitia De peâ—…cutione De jejunâ—…s De monogamia De exstasi lib. 6. his 7. booke against APOLLONIVS This lamentable defection of TERTVLLIAN may be an example to all men of great vnderstanding and excellent learning not to be puft vp nor to be high minded lest they fall into the snare of the deuill For TERTVLLIAN wrote learned apologies for the Christians and mightily confuted the errour of MARCION notwithstanding of al this he was high minded joyned himself to the opinioÌ„ of MONTANVS Ierom. Catal. script eccl if he had kept himself free of this foule spot he was worthy for his giftes to haue ben counted amoÌ„g the most famous doctors of the Church after the dayes of the Apostles Hist. Magd. Cent. 3. cap. 10. ORIGEN the sonne of LEONIDES an Egyptian was a yong man of 17. yeeres of age when his father was martyred in the persecution of SEVERVS Ierom Catal. script eccles His ingine was so pregnant in his youth and so capable of all kinde of instruction that his father would oftimes vncouer his brest when he was on sleepe and kisse it giuing thanks to God who had made him father of so happie a sonne hist. Magd Cent. 3. cap. 10. After his fathers death he sustained himselfe his mother sixe brethren by keeping a schoole for all his fathers goods were confiscate for his confession of Christ. When ORIGEN had spent his young age the description of his life in Greeke saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is when he was in his mid age the Churches of Achaia vexed with Heretiques sent for him as he was vpon his journey to Athens he went through Palestina was ordained to be a preaching Elder by ALEXANDER B of Ierusalem THEOCTISTVS B. of Caesarea This fact offended DEMETRIVS B. of Alexandria so highly that he was full of rage against ORIGEN and wherefore because he beeing a man of Alexandria receiued ordination to an ecclesiasticall office from the Bishops of Ierusalem and Caesarea When Bishops become serious in trifling matters and haue a greater regarde to their owne gloâ—…y then to the aduancement of the kingdome of God then that may bee spoken of them which IEROM writeth of DEMETRIVS Qui tanta in eum debacchatus est insania ut per totum mundum super ejus nomine seriberet that is He was so ful of rage against him that he replenished the world with writings mentioning the name of ORIGEN But consider what fault was in ORIGEN who was crauing no ordination And what fault was in ALEXANDER and THEOCTISTVS men whose names shall be had in euerlasting remembrance They did nothing of intention to grieue the heart of DEMETRIVS B. of Alexandria but onely beeing carefull of the aduancement of the kingdome of God they endeuoured to strengthen the hands of ORIGEN against the Heretiques of Achaia by conferring vnto him the calling of a Presbyter No man can justly offend against me if I cast in this sentence as a common admonition to all preachers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let vs not be ouer serious in ridiculous matters The name of ORIGEN was so famous that not onely the Bishops of Achaia sollicited him to come to their bounds for stopping the mouthes of Heretiques but also he was sent for at two diuerse times to bee present at the Councils conucened in Arabia against Heretiques Some Heretiques affirmed that the soules of men perish with their bodies and are raised vp againe in the day of the resurrection with the bodies whom ORIGEN mightily refuted Comment Func in Chron. lib. 6. Likewise he was present at the Councill in Arabia gathered against BERYLLVS B. of Bostra who denied that Christ was existent before his manifestation in the flesh and by the trauelles of ORIGEN BERYLLVS was reclaimed and reduced to the true faith therefore I reckone him not into the roll of Heretiques Euseb lib. 6. cap. 33. FIRMILIANVS B. of Caesarea in Cappadocia inuited ORIGEN to come to Cappadocia where he deteined him a long time Likewise MAMMEA the mother of ALEXANDER the Emperour sent for him to come to Antiochia and had him in reuerent regarde Likewise hee wrote to the Emperour PHILIP and to his mother who was the first Emperour that professed the Name of Christ Ierom. catal script eccl He studied to be acquainted with the Hebrew language farre contrarie to the custome of his own nation he conferred the Hebrewe text with the Greeke translations not onely the Septuagints but also the translations of AQVILA THEOLOSION and SYMMACHVS and hee found out the fift sixt and seuenth editions Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 17. Ierom catal scrip eccles Notwithstanding of all these excellent gifts and renoumed fame of ORIGEN he wanted not his owne grosse errours foolish facts In expouÌ„ding of scripturs he became a curious searcher out of allegories Yet this father of allegories ORIGEN took the words of Christ spoken of Eunuches There be some chaste which haue made thâ—…mselues chaste for the kingdome of
and are to be solde at his shop on the North side of the high streete a litle beneath the Crosse ANNO DOM. 1613. A SHORT COMPEND OF THE ARRIAN and EVTYCHIAN PERSECVTIONS Comprised in the IIII. V. and VI. CENTVRIES Whereunto is added TREATISES DECLARING THE noueltie of POPISH Religion EDINBURGH PRINTED BY ANDRO HART Anno Dom. 1615. TO THE MOST NOBLE VERTVOVS AND ELECT LADIE MARIE COVNTES OF MARRE Wisheth grace mercie and eternall felicitie THE prouident care of our GOD most noble Ladie hath appointed that the vertues of his Saintes like vnto gold should bee tried in the furnace purged from drosse counted pretious In the first 300. yeeres of our LORD the faith patience of Christians was tried with the yoke of tenne cruell persecutions In the next 300. yeeres the knowledge of the Church was tried by heretiques who by the mistie cloudes of errour endeuoured to blind-fold the eyes of men and to lead them captiue from the simplicitie of the trueth of God But in these ages also the power of the light of God was manifested euer dissipating darknesse as the Sunne rising abolisheth the darknesse of the night This is an incouragement to vs when wee see false Teachers dayly renewing their Fortes to fight against the trueth as the Philistimes did who faught against Dauid in the valley of Rephaim after they had bene oft ouercome by him The last period of all their obstinate reluctation against the Anointed of the Lord was losse and hurt vnto them selues and dishonour to their gods whom they were compelled to leaue behind them and Dauid tooke them and brunt them with fire and the place was called Baal perat-zim that is the rupture of Baal The aduersaries of the Gospell in our land by renewing their forces againe are procuring a newe name vnto their idoles They cannot bee content with the names of Baal-Pâ—…or Baal-Meon Baal-Thamar Baal-Chatsor Baal-Gad But they will spread out their banners in the valley of Rephaim against our Soueraigne LORD his Highnesse Statutes and Lawes longing for the last name Baal-Peratzim The grandour of the speeches of Scottish Papists is not vnknowne to mee but tumour and swelling in the flesh is seldome joined with salubritie and health It is time for mee to bee afraide of the din of emptie pitchers when I finde them furnished within with holie Lampes and to be backed with the sound of holy Trumpets blowne by the Commandement of GOD I meane such as were in the Armie of Gedion Of this I am fully perswaded that the light of GOD the trumpet of GOD the sword of GOD and Gedion shall haue the vpperhand in GODS appointed time Some of them seeme to be deuout and they lament for vs as Iaakob lamented for his sonne Ioseph whom he supposed to haue beenedead But our lamentation for them is grounded on better knowledgâ—… as the lamentation of Ioseph was when he fell vpon his Fathers face and wept vpon him and kissed him Alwayes Madame consider that the sense of feeling the chiefe of all senses the most vnseparable companion of the spirituall life is most inlaking in them who striue against the Gospell of CHRIST preached in this land They haue so many easie remedies at hand to vnladen their soules of the heauy burthen of sinne such as sprinckling of holy water auricular confessions and pennance indulgences and pardons that they neuer suffer men to enter into a deepe consideration of their own miserie of the superabundant compassions of GOD freely pardoning sinne but they are content with the superfice and scruif of new inuented remedies In the meane time Madame receiue vnder the shadow of your Ladysh fauourable protection this Booke also Of the Arrian and Eutychian persecution wherein as in a viue mirrour is represented the falshood deceite and subtilty of lying Teachers and likewise their mercylesse inhumanity and cruelty against GODS seruants when they are assisted by the supporting strength of secular powers And let your La. and your noble house continually beware of Teachers whom yee find to bee deceitfull and bloody for they walke in the way of Cain Now the mercies of the LORD IESUS the author and finisher of our faith attend vpon my Lord your Husband vpon your Ladiship and all your noble house for now and euer AMEN Your La. humble seruant P. SIMSON TO THE READER IN writing of COMPENDES euery man who hath presumed to doe such a worke hath found difficulties and it hath not beene an easie thing to any man to satisfie either himselfe or others beeing inuironed with many straites If he be short in his Compend hee seemeth obscure if hee write at length then his Compend seemeth to haue need of an other Compend to abridge his prolixity Yet in all these difficulties it is better to set forward to doe some good both to our selues and others then to spend our time in idlenes lest our cogitations bee like vnto the vpper and lower Milne-stones lacking good graine to grind vpon they rub violently one vpon another vntill both be broken and incase our cogitations bee not well exercised our thoughtes will bee spent vpon vaine things which wil procure harme both to our soules and bodies In my TREATISES I haue ouerpassed with silence the question anent Festuall dayes lest I should seeme â—…t one time to contend both against friends foes as some men haue done who if they had more increased their charitie and diminished the feruent heat of their contentious spirits they had benefited the Church of Christ more then they haue done Would GOD LUCAS OSIANDER had walked in the foote-steps of Christian loue Now I will begge this fauour at thee Christian Reader that my weake trauels may be taken in good part The house of our GOD in this land is large and ample praised bee his moste holy NAME therefore it hath need of bright-shining torches for the Halles Parlours and Chambers and it hath need of smaller Lightes for Sellers and office houses let my pennie Candle giue light in the lowest Seller of the House of our GOD and mine heart is fully content Farewell CENTVRIE IIII. CHAP. I. OF EMPEROVRS CONSTANTINE THE CHURCH of CHRIST flourished in time of the ten persecutions as a Palme tree groweth vnder the burthen and spreads out her branches by increasing growth toward Heauen Sathan on the other part that pearcing and crooked serpent who striues against the militant Church of GOD both by might and slight when his might faileth it is time to trie his slight which hee did by the Canker-worme of hereticall doctrine Now therefore let vs intreat of the ARRIAN and EUTYCHIAN Persecutions in the three subsequent CENTURIES Other Heretiques albeit they were fierce and cruell such as the Donatists yet their crueltie was like vnto the stighling of a fish when the water is ebbed and she is not couered with the deepenesse of ouer flowing water the more stir she maketh the nearer she is vnto her death
Nice suffered Meletius to enjoy the name of a bishop without power of ordination In the yeere of our LORD 324. sprang vp Arrius a presbyter in Alexandria who denied that the Sonne of GOD was begotten of the substance of the FATHER but that hee was a creature and made of things not existant and that there was a time whereinto the Sonne was not Alexander Bishop of Alexandria dealt with him to reclaime him from his Hereticall opinions but his trauell was spent in vaine Therefore Alexander was compelled to use the last remedy to depose and excommunicate Arrius with his complices to wit Achilles Euzoivs Aethales Lucius Sarmata Iulius Menas Arrius alter Helladius This excommunication had allowance by the Bishops of Thebaida Pentapolis Lybia Syria Lycia Pamphylia Asia Cappadocia and manie other places But Arrius an head-strong Heretique was incorrigible Neither the letters of the good Emp. Constantine nor the trauailes of Osius bishop of Corduba coulde worke anie amendement in him Hee laboured to fortifie himselfe in his Hereticall opinion especially by the assistance of Eusebius bishop of Nicomedia a perilous and deceitfull man Arrius was condemned by the Councill of Nice and was banished by the Emperour Constantine Albeit hee was reduced againe from banishment by the meanes of Constantia the Emp. sister and of an Arrian presbyter whom she commended to the Emp. her brother when she was concluding her life Yet the LORD punished the insolent pride of this Heretique with a shamefull and vnquoth death as hath beene already declared This heresie was propagated by Constantius by Iustina and her sonne Valentinian the second by the Emp. Valens and by the kings of Gothes Vandalles The principall defenders of this Heresie were Eusebius bishop of Nicomedia Menophantes bishop of Ephesus Theogonius bishop of Nice Ursatius bishop of Sygdonia and Valens bishop of Mursa in vpper Panonia Theonas b. in Marmarica Secundus b. of Ptolemaida in Aegypt Maris b. of Chalcedon Narcissus b. in Cilicia Theodorus b. of Heraclea in Thracia and Marcus b. of Irenopolis in Syria In the number of most impudent Arrian bishops was Ishyras the chiefe accusâ—…r of Athanasius to whom the Arrians gaue the wages of iniquity and ordained him b. of Mareotis The ouer-throwing of the holy Table the breaking of the holy Cuppe the burning of the holy bookes the slaughter of Arsenius and many other accusations were all forged against Athanasius by Ishyras for hope of reward Eulalius Euphronius Placitus Stephanus Leontius Spado and Eudoxius Bishops of Antiochia all these were defenders of the Arrian Heresie with manie others of whom I will haue occasion to speake hereafter Albeit Anomai were a branch of the stocke of the Arrians yet they differed from other Arrians in this that they abhorred from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which other Arrians embraced The principall Authors of this Heresie were Acatius Eunomius and Aetius whereof it came to passe that some called them Acâ—…tiani others Eunomiani and some Aetiani Acatius in the Councill of Selâ—…ucia manifested the Hypocrisie of his deceitfull speeches because in his bookes he had called the Sonne of GOD 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of like substance with the FATHER he was demanded in what sence he had so written he answered that the Sonne of GOD was like vnto the FATHER in will but not in substance Eunomius bishop of Cyzicus in Bithynia was the first inuenter of this miserable Heresie of Anomaei a man who delited in multitude of wordes as many Heretiques doe Sozomen blames him for altering the custome of thrise dipping in water in Baptisme The people of Syzicus complained to the Emp. Constantius of the bad and reprobate opinion of Eunomius The Emp. was offended against Eudoxius bish of Constantinople who had placed him in Cyzicus Herof it came to passe that Eudoxius who was of that same opinion himselfe but durst not auow it he sent secret aduertisement to Eunomius to flie out of Cyzicus Basilius Magnus in his fiue bookes written against Eunomius as it were filled with the spirite of Phineas who with one speare killed Ombri and Cosbi euen so Basilius with one penne confounded both Eunomius his Maister Aetius This Aëtius was a Syrian admitted to the office of a Deacon by Leontius Spado he spake vnquoth thinges of the Trinitie and was justlie called an Atheist The Emp. Constantius albeit hee loued other Arrians yet hee disliked Anomei and procured his deposition and excommunication by the Bishops who came to Constantinople from Ariminum and Seleucia Eudoxius first Bishop of Germanitia in the confines of Cilicia after Bishop of Antiochia and last Bishop of Constantinople a hunter for preheminence of places He was a fauourer of the sect of Arrians called Anomei or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet he had the heart of a beast for neither would hee embrace the true Faith neither durst hee defend the Iye whereunto his heart was inclined But in the Councill of Constantinople holden after the Councils of Ariminum Seleucia he transferred all the blame vpon Actius whom the Emp. banished so that it is a strange thing that this errour shoulde haue had the name also from such a feeble patrone as Eudoxius was to be called the errour of Eudoxiani Macedonius rather by the authoritie of the Emp. Constantius then by the consent of the people was made bishop of Constantinople Paulus lawfull bishop of Constantinople was banished to Cucusus a towne of Armenia and there hee was strangled by the Arrians also 3150. of the people were slaine and troden vnder feete at his violent entrie This bloody Tyrant denyed the diuinitie of the holy Ghost Hee was deposed by the Emperours procurement because hee durst presume at his owne hande to transport the bones of the Emp. Constantine from one Church to another His followers were abhorred more then any other branch of the Arrian Heresie for their inconstancie They sent Messengers to Liberius Bishop of Rome and consented in al points to the Nicene Faith but afterward like vnto dogges they returned to their vomite againe Hee was damned as a notable Heretique by the seconde Generall Councill gathered at Constantinople by the Emperour Theodosius anno 386. Hee died in a little Village neere to Constantinople and Eudoxius obtained his place Photinus Bishop of Sirmium in Illyria was the Disciple of Marcellus Bishop of Ancyra in Galatia These two renewed both the Heresie of Sabellius and Samosatenus and augmented the blasphemous opinion of Samosatenus with this addition That the Kingdome of CHRIST was not euerlasting but it had a beginning when he was borne of the Virgine and should haue an ende at the latter day This Heresie hath the name from the disciple not from the maister in regard that Marcellus continued not so obstinately in his errour as did Phot. his disciple but renounced his errour was receiued into the fellowship of
the assemblie some urging the matter of Faith to bee first entreated others crauing that the liues of such as were accused or deposed shoulde bee first examined and both parties grounded themselues vpon the warrande of the Emperours letters The principall ring-leaders of the one faction were Acacius bishop of Caesarea Palestinae Georgius bishop of Alexandria Uranius of Tyrus Eudoxius of Antiochia and their followers exceeded not the number of two and thirtie On the other side were Georgius bishop of Laodicea in Syria Sophronius of Pompeiopolis in Paphlagonia and Eleusius of Cyzicus and the greatest number of the Councill followed the opinion of these Bishops So it came to passe that the moste parte thought it expedient that the matter of Faith shoulde bee first entreated After this the Councill was of newe againe diuided into three factions Acacius and his complices thought meete that the forme of Faith shoulde bee altered The moste parte were in a contrarie opinion that the summe of the Nicene Faith shoulde bee kept onelie the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shoulde bee left out Silvanus bishop of Tarsus was in the thirde opinion that the summe of Faith compiled in ANTIOCHIA at the dedication of the Temple shoulde bee kept Pluralitie of voyces preuailed that the Sonne of GOD shoulde neither bee called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is like vnto his Father because in Scripture he is called the image of the inuisible GOD. And they consented to excommunicate all those who called the Sonee of GOD 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is vnlike vnto the Father Nowe Acacius and his complices who were indeede Anomaei woulde haue seemed to accorde with the rest of the Councill But when it was demanded of them in what sense they counted the SONNE alike vnto the FATHER They answered that hee was like in will but not in substance After that much disputation and little aggreement had beene Leonas a secrete fauourer of Acacius dissolued the assemblie Neuerthelesse the Fathers of the Councill conueened to judge the cause of Cyrillus Bishop of HIERUSALEM whome the Acacians had deposed and warned the Acacians to bee preâ—…ent but they woulde not compeare Therefore the Councill proceeded to the deposition of Georgius bishop of Alexandria Acacius bisshop of Caesarea Uranius bishop of Tyrus Patrophylus bishop of Schythopolis and Eudoxius bishop of Antiochia in whose place they substituted Avianus a presbyter in Antiochia others call him Adrianus The Acacians laide handes on Avianus and deliuered him into the handes of Leonas and Lauritius and they banished him The Councill protested against Leonas Lauritius the Acacians that they had violated the Decrete of the Councill and without further delay they addresse to Constantinoplc to giue information to the Emperour But the Acacians preuented the rest and misinformed the Emperour accused the Councill and perswaded him to reject the summe of Faith aggreed vpon in Seleâ—…cia The wrath of the Emperour against the Fathers of the Councill of Seleucia made the rest to bee dispersed onely the Acacians remained still in Constantinople and they gathered together fiftie Bishops out of Bithynia and other neere adjacent places In this Synode they confirmed the summe of Faith read by Ursatius and Valens in Ariminum It is judiciously obserued by Socrates that after the Councill of Nice the Arrians in the multiplied conceites of their wauering mindes set foorth nine diuers summes of Faith to wit In the dedication of the Church of Antiochiâ—… two formes The thirde by those who adhered to Narcissus was exhibited to Constantine in FRANCE The fourth was sent by Eudoxius to Italie In Sirmium three formes were indited whereof one was read in Ariminum with noting the names of the Consuls in whose time it was written The eight was the summe of Faith set foorth in the Councill of Seleucia The ninth was the summe of Faith set downe in Constantinople with this addition that the wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shoulde bee silenced when Preachers spake of GOD. Thus we see that there is no end of wandering when men haue once forsaken the narrow path of the â—…rueth of GOD. The Emperour Constantius and the rest of the Arrians were like vnto a troubled sca that cannot take rest yet another Councill must be gathered in Antiochia for abjuring both the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that in time to come no man shall call the Sonne of GOD consubstantiall with the Father nor yet of a different substance from the Father The Bishops conueened thought expedient before they intreated concerning the Faith that the chaire of Antiochia vacant at that time without a Bishop should first bee prouided Choise was made of Meletius some time bishop of Sâ—…bastia in Armâ—…nia He receaued ordination by Arrians who subscribed also to his admission and their hand-writs were deliuered into the custody of Eusebius Samosatenus But when Meletius disappointed the expectation of the Arrians they procured his banishment and that Euzious shoulde bee placed in his stead Likewise Eusebius Samosatenus for no minassings and threatnings of the Emp. would deliuer backe againe the subsâ—…riptions of the Arrians so that the Emp. both commended and admired the magnanimous courage of Eusebius This Councill was holden in the 25. yeere of the reigne of Constantius In it the Arrians coulde not perfect their intended purpose anent a new summe of faith which woulde haue made out the tenth forme of faith indited by them because Constantius got knowledge of the seditious attempts of Iulian and he lest the Councill to preueene the interprises of Julian but he fell sicke by the way and died at Cilicia Vnder the reigne of Iulian Iouinian some particulare Councils were assembled such as a Council in Alexandria gathered by Athanasius Eusebius Vercellensis for damning olde Heresies and confirming the Nicene Faith Another in Palestina for ordaining a bishop in Maiuma Another in Antiochia by the Acacians vnder the reigne of Iouinian These wandering starres accustomed to accommodate themselues to times places and persons to gaine sauour at the Emperours hands they subscribed the Nicene Faith But I set forward to the rest Laodicea is the Metrapolitane towne of Phâ—…ygia and one of the seuen Churches of Asia to whom the Apostle Ihon when he was banished in Pathmos for the worde of GOD did write his Epistles This description I haue premitted to distinguish Laodicea of Syria a citie neere approaching to Antiochiae and whereof frequent mention is made in the Ecclesiastical History from Laodicea of Asia In this towne Laodicea of Asia a Synode was gathered after the death of Iovinian about the yeere of our LORD 368. Nothing was determined in this Councill concerning matters of Faith but onely constitutions concerning Ecclesiasticall policie were made in number 59. In this assemblie the worshipping of
a Poetesse of Scycion were abhorred by the Gentiles because in her verses shee brought in Adonis matching Cucumbers and Aples with the sunne yet is it a more tolerable thing to match an earthly creature with a heauenly creature than to match creatures with the Creator who is blessed for euer After that this opinion of Indulgences and Pardons in a newe and Romane sense once tooke place it is a wonderfull thing to heare what progresse it made from euill to worse Some thought that by Pardones might bee obtained a reliefe from temporall punishments or at least a permutation of eternall punishments into temporall but others running as it were to the supeâ—…latiue excesse of all spirituall madnesse affirmed that by vertue of Popes 〈◊〉 men were absolued both from fault and punishment aâ—… 〈◊〉 Pardones were called Plenissima Indulgentiae Of this sort was the Pardone that BONIFACIVS the eight proclaimed to such as would come to Rome in time of his appointed Iubile and visite the Church of Lateran ann 1399. Of this which I haue alreadie spoken it is euident that the Papistes in the wordes of Satisfaction and Indulgences deceiue both themselues and others for what auaileth it to keepe the ancient wordes vsed in the primitiue Church and to vse them into a newe sense vnknowne to Fathers who spake of Satisfaction and Indulgences Did not the Athenians of olde weare the badge of the golden Grashopper in token they were not extraneers but they were inhabitants in that lande whereinto both their predecessors and themselues were borne but when they were conquessed by the Romanes and their golden libertie was lost what auailed the badge of the golden Grashopper Euen so when substance of ancient words is lost what auaileth it to talke of Satisfaction and Indulgences as ancient things In the rest of this Treatise God willing I shall declare the absurditie of Popish Satisfactions and Indulgences The Councill of Trent in the 12. Canon deoperibus Satisfactionis they write If any man says that the whole punishment and fault is continuallie remitted by GOD and that the Satisfaction of penitent persons is no other thing but faith whereby they apprehend that CHRIST hath satisfied for them let him bee accursed This Act of the Councill of Trent in all the parts of it is flatly repugant to the Scriptures of God There we are taught that in Satisfaction two thinges are principally required First a perfect obedience to the Lawe of GOD. Secondly a perfect sacrifice for the sinne committed by man both these things are to bee found in CHRIST alone who by his obedience hath abolished the sinnewhich came in by the disobedience of ADAM and by one oblation hath consecrated for euer them who are sanctified Nowe to pronounce a curse against all them who leanes vnto the obedience and sacrifice of CHRIST as vnto their onely Satisfaction to the Iustice of GOD is all one as if they would pronounce a curse against all the true disciples of CHRIST who beleeues according as they are taught in the holy Scriptures of GOD. If at any time ancient Fathers speake roundly in this matter it is ourparte to doe that fauour to them which is done to all men to wit to giue them libertie to interprete the meaning of their owne wordes So when AMBROSE writteth that teares washes away sinnes hee declareth in what sense hee spake this to wit not to count the teares of PETER to bee a satisfaction for his threefolde deniall but rather that his teares was a testimonie that hee was one of the Elect for whose sinnes CHRIST had satisfied The wordes of S. AMBROSE are these Legi quidem Petri lachrymas sed satisfactionem non lego that is to say I haue reade of the teares of PETER but of his satisfaction I reade not The Romanists in our dayes are like vnto men who haue benetrauelled vpon the Sea and in end they arriue to the harberie and when they set their foot on shore they thinke that the ground is running about them in a circulare reuolution This is nothing els but the conceates of their troubled braines euen so when Papistes reades in holy Scripture many exhortations to Fasting Prayer Almesdeedes they imagine that Scripture is speaking of Satisfactions for sinne But holy Scripture is like vnto the solide globe of the earth which is not vnder a continuall agitation but is euer like vnto it selfe and sendes vs continuallie in the matter of Satisfaction to that one oblation which hath consecrated for euer them who are sanctified Yea the false teachers of our dayes are like vnto the Edomites who were more cruell than the Babylonians who contented themselues with slaying of some and carying of others captiues and setting the towne on fire but the children of Edâ—…m câ—…ied out that the very foundations of the citie should be razed to the end it should neuer be a citie againe euen so they who sends vs to our owne satisfactions they would vndoe our sâ—…luation from the very ground as if Christ had beene manifested in our nature in vaine to make satisfaction for our sinnes for which wee must make satisfaction in our owne persons and by our owne workes our selues The principall argument whereby they endeuoure to prooue humane satisfactions by Scripture is in the wordes of the counsell of DANIEL giuen to NABVCHADNESER Wherefore O King let my counsell be acceptable unto thee and breake off thy sinnes by righteousnesse and thine iniquities by mercie toward the poore Loe let there be an healing of thine errour What is conteined in this most wholesome counsell of DANIEL but an exhortation to leaue off the course of doing euill and to doe good to the ende that the change of his conuersation might be a testimonie that GOD had forgiuen him his sinnes and accepted him in fauour The like wholesome counsell the Apost PAVL giueth to them who had sometimes bene theeues Let him that stole steale no more but let him rather labour and worke with his handes the thing which is good that hee may haue to giue vnto him that needeth Is there anything heere but an exhortation to desist from wonted vngodlinesse and to leade a newe and holy conuersation but the Apostle is speaking nothing of humane satisfactions yea that the holy Spirit who filled his mind with celestiall knowledge sanctified also his memorie that hee should speake nothing repugnant vnto that hee writeth vnto the Hebrewes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is By one oblation hee hath consecrated for euer them who are sanctified And the Apostle IOHN writing to to them who were already baptized and counted the children of GOD he sayeth My babes these things I write vnto you that yee sinne not and if any man sinne wee haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the Iust. So that this new Theologie of our owne satisfactions for faultes committed after Baptisme came not from CHRIST and his Apostles but it is an inucntion of
when as of olde the people were wont to communicate euerie daye and therefore hee calleth the Lordes Supper a daylie sacrifice The Papistes are so farre from reproouing the people for not communicating that they make prouision onely for one to eate and drinke at the Altar and not for manie and they inuite not the people to communicate with them but rather by the noueltie of their newe inuented religion they distinguishe the Altar from the Communion table and the Sacrifice from the SacrameÌ„t farre contrarie to the custome of the Primitiue Church who by a Metaphore called the Sacrament a Sacrifice and by the like Metaphore called the Communion table an Altar If anie man will rudely presse the wordes of Chrysostome expresse contrarie to his meaning let him vnderstand that the like forme of speaking is vsed in Holy Scripture where it is saide And no â—…an receiued his testimonie to wit the testimonie of Christ. The meaning is not that no bodie receiued the testimonie of Christ but that verie fewe receiued it Euen so the meaning of the words of Chrysostome is that verie fewe of the people did communicate And this hath bene verie judiciously marked by Master IEWELL that worthie Bishop in his disputation against master Harding To bee short in this head of Antiquitie of the Popish Masse Their bragging of Antiquitie is not vnlike to the Gibeonites shoos which were olde and put on of purpose to deceiue yet were not their shoos so olde as the shoos of GODS people which by the miraculous worke of GOD lasted fourtie yeeres in the Wildernesse and were not rent GODS people might haue bragged indeede of ancient and vnrent shoos but the deceitful Gibeonites they bragged and deceiued Gods people with antiquitie falsely pretended Such is the antiquitie of the masse and no better Before I leaue this head I will admonishe the Reader not to bee deceiued with olde Latine transations of Grieke Authors Socrates writeth of the fauourers of Paulinus that after hee died they communicated not with Flauianus bishop of Antiochia but they kept Assemblies apart by themselues Nowe the wordes of the Grieke language 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is better translated this way Separatim conuentus faciebant than as some olde Latine interpreters translate the wordes Separatim missarum celebrabant solennia howbeit the olde interpreters by missarum solennia vnderstand nothing but Ecclesiasticall conuentions IN the second head we haue the definition of the Masse to be set downe and to bee examined The Masse is called a sacrifice propitiatorie vnbloodie wherein the Priest offereth the bodie of the Sonne of God to the Father vnder the formes of bread and wine and that without suffering for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead From the worde of Sacrifice auncient Fathers did not abhorre but they called the Holy Sacrament a Sacrifice of thankesgiuing and a commemoratiue Sacrifice of the death of Christ the wordes of Augustine are these Hujus sacrifitii caro ante aduentum Christi per victimas similitudinum promittebatur in passione per ipsam veritatem reddebatur post ascensum Christi per sacramentum memoriae celebratur that is to say The flesh of this sacrifice was promised by sacrifices of similitudes In the suffering of Christ it was in verie deede exhibited and after the ascension of Christ it is celebrated by a Sacrament of His memoriall In these wordes Augustine distinguisheth a sacrifice prefiguratiue before Christes comming and a sacrifice commemoratiue after the Lordes ascension from the sacrifice of Christes bodie in veritie and actually exhibited vpon the crosse other sacrifices point out as types and figures the great sacrifice of the bodie of Christ once offered vpon the crosse but they are not that selfe same sacrifice except by a figuratiue manner of speach And like as the towne Nicopolis was not the victorie of Augustus Casar when hee faught against Antonius and Cleopatra but it was onely a memoriall of the victorie Euen so the commemoratiue sacrifice of the new Testament is not the true sacrifice of Christes bodie but only a memoriall of that blessed sacrifice Iustinus Martyr had good occasion offered vnto him to write of the sacrifices of Christes Church because Paganes slaundered Christians and called them Atheistes in regarde they offered not bloodie sacrifices nor incense vnto their God to whome Iustinus returned this answere That Christians offered to GOD such sacrifices as they knew to bee moste acceptable to Him to wit the sacrifices of prayer and thankesgiuing And as concerning the creatures of God appointed for the sustentation of mankinde we keepe them saith hee for our owne vse and for the sustentation of indigent people but we consume them not with fire If there had bene anie corporal sacrifice in the Church of the bodie of the Sonne of God vnder the formes of bread and wine Iustinus had occasion offered vnto him to haue spoken of it but hee knew no such sacrifice in his time Yea and the sacrament of the Lords Supper is called by Iustinus a Sacrifice of thanksgiuing who confidently affirmeth that prayer thanksgiuing are the onely sacrifices perfect and acceptable to GOD euen at that time when the Sacrament is ministred which putteth vs in remembrance of the Lordes suffering Testimonies out of the bookes of ancient Fathers should bee cited without fraude and deceite and should not bee wrested to another sense and meaning than they were spoken into by the Authors And so the worde Sacrifice could offend no man if it were spoken in such sense as ancient Fathers spake it The Romane Church shoulde doe well so to remember the names that ancient Fathers haue giuen to the Sacrament that they shoulde not forget that Holy Scripture calleth it a Communion of the bodie and blood of Christ. Then let it be such a sacrifice wherein many participates of one bread and one cup and thereby sealeth vp that they are all members of one mysticall bodie of Iesus Christ but not such a sacrifice wherein the people standeth gazing and looking and the Priest alone eateth and drinketh and distributeth nothing vnto the people They answere that the Priest who offereth at the Altar he communicateth with others who doe the like seruice in other places This is but falsehoode in reasoning arising vpon the deceitfull handeling of one worde hauing two significations The worde Communion importeth two things First a Communion in religion Secondly a participation of the Holy Supper in one place and an eating of one bread and drinking of one cuppe and in this second sense it is taken by the Apostle in the 10. Chapter of his first Epistle to the Corinthians in which sense their priuate Masse cannot be called a Communion The second word of the definition of the Masse is propitiatorie This word doeth signifie a sacrifice purchasing remission of sinnes as the Apostle witnesseth And this honour doeth onelie appertaine to the sacrifice of Christ who
saith that the Mediator of Intercession prayeth for vs but no man prayeth for Him And to the ende it might appeare the they are countenanced by antiquitie they insert some prayers vsed by holy Fathers in time of celebration of diuine mysteries but by a deceitfull transposition of their wordes they vtterlie peruert the right sense and meaning of the words of the ancient Fathers as namely when Ambrose saieth Command thou these to wit oblations to bee caried by the hands of thine holy Angell vnto the high Altar in Heauen Ambrose spake of the bread and wine that God would vouchsafe vpon those elements the high honour that they might represent vnto vs the blessed body blood of Christ which was like vnto an eleuation of the elements vnto the Heauen But by a deceitfull transposition of the words of Ambrose inserting them after the words of cōsecration they ordaine their sinfull Priest to pray for the body of the Sonne of God which is a notable abusing of the words of Ambrose Likewise in the Canon of the Masse there is inuocation of Saincts farre contrarie to the auncient custome of the Church who albeit they made a reuerend commemoration of the names of holy men when they celebrated diuine mysteries yet they inuocated them not as Augustine clearly testifieth saying The names of Martyres are commemorated in their owne place and order as men of God yet are they not inuocated by the Priest who offereth sacrifices The seconde absurditie of the Masse consisteth in the verie grounds thereof which I referre first to the superstition of some Christian people who had a zeale to God but not rightly ordered with knowledge Some Christian people were so superstitious that they were not content to eat the Communion bread at the holy Supper in the Church but also they carried a part of it home to their houses they ate it secretly in their chambers Of this the defenders of the Masse inferreth If it was lawfull for them to communicate alone in their chamber much more is it lawfull for the Priest to communicate alone in the Church Vpon such sandie ground is the Popish Masse builded The secōd ground of the Masse is the timorous minds of simple people who being informed by their deceiuing teachers that they might haue like benefite with lesse hazard and danger by seeing of the sacrifice as they had by participation of the Sacrament The people began to loathe the frequent resorting to the holy Sacrament and they came to see the sacrifice of the Masse Both these groundes of the Masse are abuses of the Lords holy Supper In the first ground that which Christ cōmandeth to be presently eaten in remembrance of him a part thereof is reserued to be eaten in the chamber contrary to Christs institution as is already declared In the second ground the Apostolicke precept is neglected which commandeth vs to trie our selues and so to eat drinke at the Lords table but he forbiddeth vs not to approach to the Lordes holy table if we be duely rightly prepared neither giueth hee allowance to this new forme of communicating that the people shall stand only gazing and beholding and shall communicate by the mouth of the Priest alone They who brag of antiquitie and follow new inuented toyes they haue no honour by their bragging The third absurditie of the Masse consisteth in the rotten pillars whereupon the Masse standeth to wit Trans substantiation and Purgatorie for incase the bread bee not changed into the substance of Christs bodie the priest cannot offer Christs bodie to His Father And incase there be no soules tormented in Purgatorie how doeth the priest offer a sacrifice for the dead So it is manifest that these are the two rotten pillars vpholding the Masse I shall refute the doctrine of Transsubstantiation GOD willing in its own place for the present I say If there be Transsubstantiation in the holy Sacrament then is the spirite of man corporally fedde and the body of Christ is eaten by many in the Sacrament to whom hee is not promised in the Word which is an absurd thing once to imagine it And if such a place as Purgatorie had beene then Christ who hath reueiled vnto vs all thinges necessarie to be knowne hee woulde haue reueiled that mysterie also vnto vs. But Christ hath tolde vs of the pleasures of Heauen and of the terrours of Hell but neuer a word of Purgatorie If a house builded vpon sandie grounde and leaning vnto rotten pillars can stand then possible the Masse also may consist and stand if not the Masse also is in danger to fall The fourth absurditie of the Masse is a vile abusing of places of holy Scripture for vpholding the sacrifice of the Masse In the olde Testament they confirme the sacrifice of the Masse by the fact of Melchisedek who brought foorth bread and wine to refresh the wearie armie of Abraham but not to offer these elements in a sacrifice to God And the ancient Fathers who translate the Hebrew word obtulit in stead of protulit yet their opinion is that Melchisedek offered bread and wine to Abraham for his refreshment but not to God in a sacrifice But suppose the words of Moses did sound to that sense that Melchisedek offered a sacrifice of bread wine vnto God What belongeth that to the sacrifice of the Masse wherin they say that bread and wine is not offered vnto God but the verie bodie of Christ vnder the accidents of bread and wine This was not the sacrifice of Melchisedeck Also the words of the prophesie of Malachi are mis rably abused for confirmation of the sacrifice of the Masse whereas hee saieth For from the rising of the Sunne vnto the going downe of the same my Name is great among the Gentiles and in euerie place ncense shall bee offered vnto my Name and a pure offering for my Name is great among the Heathen saith the LORD of hostes The Prophet expoundeth his owne meaning so clearelie that there is no neede of any other commentarie for hee is speaking of the calling of the Gentiles to the kingdome of God and vnder one point of the true worship of God namelie inuocation of his blessed and glorious Name hee comprehendeth all other points of Gods worship such as faith obedience and confession of God before men Tertullian Eusebius and Chrysostona expounde this pure sacrifice to bee prayer and thankesgiuing vnto GOD. Iustinus Martyr citing this place of Malachi affirmeth that this prophesie was performed at that time when Grecians and Barbarians Hamaxobii and Nomades and Scenitae offered prayers and thankesgiuing vnto GOD the Father and Creator of all thinges in the Name of IESVS who was crucified In the newe Testament besides the wordes of Christ spoken at the institution of the holie Supper where of I haue spoken already two other places are mightily abused First the place of the Epistle to the Hebrewes
Romane Church supposeth that the wordes of Consecration are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that is Take eat this is my bodie And againe these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Drinke all of this for this is my blood of the New Testament which is shedde for manie for remission of sinnes But the Graecian Church thought that the blessing or consecration was not only made by the words afore-saide but also by prayer as Iustinus Martyr calleth the elements 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The foode blessed by the Worde of prayer Let no man separate the thinges that CHRIST hath conjoyned together to wit prayer and the wordes of the holie institution and wee shall easilie accorde about the consecration of the elementes The time in the which the elementes are thought to be consecrated is not the time in the which these wordes This is my bodie c. are begun to bee vttered but rather when they are ended So that the consecration is not an action fashioned by partes but wholly in one minute and at once perfected when the wordes are ended Albeit I agree to this opinion with full consent of my mind yet I could wish that the Romane Church who haue auouched the same would make no exception against their owne doctrine But when they speake of the intention of the consecrating Priest which is continually vnknowne to the people the people are left in a doubt whether they are partakers of Christes bodie or not And this is not the forme of the teaching of Christ to leaue the people in a suspence and doubting but to manifest clearely vnto them the mysterie whereof they doubt if so bee it bee necessarie to bee knowne as Christ manifested to his Disciples the parable of the sower and the seede and of the husbandrie and the tares c. The first word of Consecration is the principall word impugning Transsubstantiation for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a demonstratiue pronowne and it pointeth out something and Scripture conferred with Scripture is the best Commentarie to declare what is pointed out by the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle Paule in his first Epistle to the Corinthians expoundeth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is This bread and the seconde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee expoundeth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is This cuppe So we see that the substance of the elementes in the Sacrament of the Supper are neither changed nor euanished but remaining in their former substaÌ„ce they are honoured with a great honour to bee made Sacramentes of the Lordes blessed bodie and blood but their substance is not changed as saide is The next words of coÌ„secration are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is is my body The bread is the Lordes body because it is the Sacrament of the Lords body like as the Sacrament of faith to wit Baptisme saith August after a maner is faith euen so the Sacrament of the Lordes body after a maner is the Lordes body the wordes secundum quendam modum and quodammodo that is to say after some maner of way so oft repeted by August is forget by papists insomuch that they remember when August saith ferebatur Christus in manibus suis quando commendans ipsum corpus suum ait hoc est corpus meum that is Christ was borne vp in his owne handes when as deliuering his owne bodie hee saieth This is my bodie but they forgette the expositorie wordes in the which Augustine manifesteth his owne meaning namelie these Accepit in manus suas quod norunt fideles ipse se portabat quodammodo cum diceret hoc est corpus meuâ—… that is Hee tooke into his handes as is knowne to the belieuers and did beare after a maner himselfe in his owne hands when he said This is my body It is better in singlenesse of hart to make a true rehearsall of the words of ancient fathers in that same sense the they spake than with deceitfull speaches to abuse the simplicitie of the Reader who possibly will not take paines to search out in what sense Augustine said that Christ did beare himselfe in his owne hands In like maner Augustine writing against Adimant saieth that the blood is the life euen as Christ was the Rocke Nowe the Apostle saieth not Petra significabat Christum but saieth Pâ—…ra erat Christus quae rursus ne corporaliter acciperetur spiritualâ—…m illam vocat id est spiritualiter intelligi docet that is the Apostle saith not the rocke signified Christ but hee saieth the rocke was Christ which againe lest it should bee taken in a corporall sense hee calleth it a spirituall rocke teaâ—…hing vs that wee should spiritually vnderstand it Then if we fellow the exposition of ancient Fathers it cannot be inferred of these wordes this is my bodie that the bread is transsubstantiated into the substance of Christes bodie for such vaine conceits neuer entered into their mindes Papistes doe grant that after consecration Sainct Paule calleth the elementes bread and wine because they haue the shewe and shape of bread and wine as the brasen Serpent was called a Serpent and Angels in Scripture are called men because they so appeared But this is a friuolous shift because the Apostle when he speaketh of bread and wine after the words of consecration he speaketh expressely of bread that is eaten and of wine that is drunken This cannot bee the shape and accidentes of the elementes but their verie substance The Angels did not appeare only in the shape of men but also had mens bodies indeede so that their feete were washed and they did eate and drinke with Abraham and Lot The brasen Serpent was not in shewe but in substance and altogether of brasse These examples helpe not An euill cause hath more neede of a true confession than of a false defence as August writeth and Chrysost. saith most truely that albeit a bitter roote may sende foorth sweete and pleasant fruites yet a roote of bitternesse can neuer produce sweete and pleasant fruites warning vs thereby to beware of men who disseminate and propagate erroures and obstinately striue against the knowne trueth of God The last wordes of the consecration are these Doe this in remembrance of mee Marke the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for albeit Christ only suffered but once yet it is his will that wee should keepe a continuall remeÌ„brance of his death because the death of Christ is the fountaine of our life Now when we offer the Sacrifice of thankesgiuing vnto God in the holy Supper because hee hath saued vs by the death of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. This Sacrifice which wee offer differeth from that which Christ offered vpon the Crosse because that Sacrifice was but onely once offered and was receiued into the most holy place as Chrysostome speaketh but this which we offer is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Oleum and againe it shall bee saide thrise Aue sanctum Chrisma and the thirde time it shall bee saide thrise Aue sanctum Balsamum that is to saye Haile holie Oyle Haile holie Chrisme Haile holie Balsome No such commaundement is contained in the Scriptures of GOD. In like manner they saye it is onlie lawfull for a Priest to applie this Oyle as if in the dayes of the Apostle IAMES there had beene such sacrificing Priestes as are in our dayes Whereas by the contrarie Pope INNOCENTIVS the first who liued in the dayes of AVGVSTINE permitted not onelie Priestes but also common Christians to comfort themselues and their friendes by annointing them with oyle as SIGEBERTVS writeth in his Chronicles Also with this oyle made by the Bishop exercised consecrated and saluted as if it were a sensitiue and reasonable creature the organes of mens senses are to bee annointed such as the eyes the eares the nosthrils the lippes the handes the feete and the reines In this poinct their heartes are ouer-casten with darknesse and they erre mis-knowing the Scriptures and power of GOD For the grounde of corruption is in the heart and not in the senses and the verie heart of EVA was corrupted with infidelitie and pride before her eyes or hands or mouth did sinne GENES 3. No man can discourse rightlie of sinne nor of anie other thing except hee knowe the fountaine and well-spring thereof Concerning auncient Fathers they had no such custome to annoint with oyle the eyes eares and the rest of the organes of senses before mens departure from this life And whereas they bring foorth the testimonie of AVGVSTINE Lib. 2. De visitatione infirmorum reckoning Unction as one of the necessarie consolations to bee adhibited to them who are concluding their life This citation is an ouer-giuing of their cause and a secret confession that Extreame Unction is but the inuention of man for they cannot bee ignorant that those bookes De Visitatione Infirmorum were not written by AVGVSTINE bishop of HIPPO but by another after his death who sette them foorth vnder the name of AVGVSTINE AECVMENIVS writing vpon the aforesaide place of the Apostle IAMES is shorter in his Commentarie than the Apostle is in his precept or counsell which thing hee could not haue done if hee had thought that an holie Sacrament had beene recommended to the Church to remaine vnto the ende of the worlde for hee writeth onelie that the Apostles had this custome whilest CHRIST was conuersant with them in the earth to annoint sicke persons with oyle and to restore them to health Aecum in Epistol Iacob cap. 5. vers 14. The custome of the Romane Church approacheth somewhat nearer to the fashions of the Pagans and olde Heretiques called Gnostici than to the custome of the Apostles for the Pagans annointed with oyle the bodies of the dead as the Poete witnesseth in these wordes Corpusque lauant frigentis vnguunt Iren. Lib. 1. Cap. 18. And olde Heretiques annointed the head of the dead with oyle and water to procure redemption to their soules The Romane Church annointeth not the dead with oyle but they annoint them who are halfe dead in whome there is no hope of life and recouerie LINDANVS in all his writinges is like vnto an ASIATICKE Oratour fighting rather with the shaft than with the poinct of the Speare and when hee citeth a place of CHRYSOSTOME De Sacerdotio Libr. 3. to prooue Extreame Unction to bee an ordinarie Sacrament in the Church hee prooueth starke nothing yea the thing that is not in controuersie betwixt vs and the Papistes for CHRYSOSTOME affirmeth that men are more benefited by their teachers than by their parentes in respect their naturall parentes haue begotten their bodies but their pastors haue begotten their soules to GOD Yea and their naturall parentes haue not supported their bodilie infirmities so much as their pastors haue done for oft times by prayer and annointing them with oyle they haue procured health to their bodies as Sainct IAMES witnesseth which their naturall parentes were not able to procure In all this discourse there is not one worde which wee denye But this prooueth not Extreame Vnction to bee a Sacrament of the Newe TESTAMENT instituted by CHRIST to continue vnto the ende of the worlde This Popishe Sacrament LINDANVS in his Panoplia entraiteth of it in the last rowme as a secure hauen in the which hee will leaue them of his religion reposing and resting themselues And truelie when I consider the grounde whereupon Papistes woulde haue their disciples to leane and the hauen vnto the which they woulde haue them to arriue I am compelled to saye that their grounde is sandie grounde MAT. 7. and that their hauen is like vnto the hauen of NAVPLIVS and they are wisest who hath least confidence in such deceitfull refuges yea they are wise who with VLISSES and DIOMEDES can beware of the stonie rockes of EVBOIA and sette their course another waye Nowe the LORDE open vnto vs the bosome of His sweete Compassions which is the true Citie of our Refuge in the which our soules maye finde true securitie and rest AMEN A TREATISE Of the Sacrament of Order THE ORDERS in the ROMANE Church are diuided into inferiour and superiour Orders The inferiour Orders are doore-keepers readers exorcistes and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is followers whome by a newe inuented name they call Ceroferarii or Waxetaper-bearers The superiour Orders are sub-Deacons Deacons and Presbyters By inferiour Orders mens humilitie and obedience was tried and so by degrees they were promoted to superiour Orders But seeing in euerie one of these Orders the outwarde signes at their entrie are different and the thinges signified are different to wit diuerse graces of the holie Spirite increassing according as men by ascending degrees mounted vp to higher honoures what is the cause that all these seuen are counted one SACRAMENT and not rather seuen SACRAMENTES To all these Orders one thing was common to wit all were shauen in the vpper part of their heads to represent as Lindanus affirmeth Panopl Libr. 4 Cap. 77. that the glorie of Church-men is to weare a crowne of thornes and to bee partakers of the sufferinges of CHRIST And the Councell of Triburium in the 20. Canon thereof citeth the same cause of shauing the heads of Clergie men It is true that men and women of olde delighted in haire as a naturall ornament of their bodies and MARIE is commended for this that shee dryed the feete of CHRIST with the haire of her head IOAN CAP. 12. vers 3. And all the glorie of the worlde yea and the crownes of immortall glorie shoulde bee casten downe at the feete of CHRIST APOCAL. CAP. 4. vers 10. Neuerthelesse the fact of SAMSON is reprooueable who suffered his haire to bee cutte off and casten at the feete of DELILA IVDG CAP. 16. vers 19. And the shauing of the haire of men to bee casten at the feete of the Antichrist and to bee a
heauen Mat. 19. ver 12. these words I say spoken in an allegoricall sense he tooke in a simple and vnfigurat meaning and gelded himselfe to the ende he might liue without all suspition of vncleannesse Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 8. No learned man hath commended this fact of ORIGEN so far as my reading can extend for if a man might lawfully dismember his own body to the end that he might liue chastly why might not a man in like maner cut off his owne hand to the ende hee should not in hastie motion of anger kil his neighbour But the obedience of the commandements of God is seated in the heart and more commended for voluntarie subjection then for necessity of abstinence of committing euil because there is not an instrument in the body able to commit transgression Finally by seeking of diuinitie without the bounds of the holy scriptures of God in stead of true diuinitie he was intangled with foolish errours anent the creation of many worlds one succeeding to another anent the paines of deuils and wicked men after long torments to be finished and anent the possibilitie of mans nature to keepe the whole law of God For which opinions long after his death he was excommunicat in the 5 generall Council holden Ann 551. Concerning his weaknesse in offering to idols rather then to suffer his chaste body to be abused I haue spoken in the history of the 7. persecution He liued vntil the dayes of GALLVS VOLVSIANVS died in the 69. yeere of his age in the towne of Tyrus where he was also buried CYPRIAN was an African borne in Carthage in his youth altogether giuen to the study practise of Magical artes His cōuersion was by the means ofCECILIVS a preacher whose name after hee bare and through occasion of hearing the historie of the Prophet IONAH Ierom catal script eccles Ierom. comment in Ionam After his conuersion he distributed all his substance to the poore Ierom. ibid. and became first a preaching elder and afterward Bishop of Carthage He was banished in the persecution of DECIVS and martyred vnder VALERIAN Nazianz in laudem Cypriani The worthy D. I. FOXE thinketh that NAZIANZEN commendeth another Bishop of that same name borne in Antiochia and Bishop in Antiochia who suffered martyrdome in the dayes of DIOCLETIAN This CYPRIAN B. of Carthage was a man full of loue a great comforter of CORNELIVS B. of Rome He suffered martyrdome as IEROM writeth that same day albeit not in that same yeere that CORNELIVS concluded his life by glorious martyrdome Ierom Catal. script eccles He had great strife against two contrarie sectes viz. against NOVATVS who was excessiue rigorous against those who had fallen in time of persecution and against NOVATIANVS FELICISSIMVS who by the contrarie would haue had both Heretiques and Apostats receiued without all forme of ecclesiasticall discipline Hist. Magd Cent 3. cap. 10. He esteemed much of those who suffered rebuke for the Name of Christ he said of the mettall mines and those that were condemned for Christs sake to worke in them that whereas they were wont to deliuer golde and siluer and precious things vnto the world no we by the contrarie the mines receiued golde and siluer and the most precious things in the world counting the Confessours and martyrs of Christ the rich treasures of the earth of whom the world was not worthy His opinion anent rebaptizing such as were baptized by Heretiques albeit it was erroneous yet his modestie in not damning thē rashly who were of a contrary opinion is great ly praised by S. AVSTEN who saith that the modestie of CYPRIAN in his error was mo◅e to be regarded then a sound right opiniō anent baptisme without humility modesty August de Baptis contra Donat. lib. 5. cap. 17. He was a faithfull builder of the house of God not by word onely but also by write and his bookes remaine vntill this day as a precious treasure in the Church of Christ. The booke de Revelatione capitis Ioannis Baptista is supposititious because in it mention is made of the reuerence that PIPINVS king of France did to the heade of IOHN Baptist when it was transported from Constantinople to France and it is knowne that PIPINVS was not borne three hundreth yeeres after the martyrdome of CYPRIAN how then could CYPRIAN write of a fact done so long time after his death The Church of Christ was multiplied vnder the persecutions of SEVERVS MAXIMINVS DECIVS VALERIAN AVRELIAN DIOCLETIAN All these sixe persecutions are comprehended in the third Centurie In Ierusalem was NARCISSVS against whome wicked men banded themselues together with forged accusations and false testimonies sealed vp with othes and imprecations to grieue the heart of NARCISSVS in so much that he left his calling and fledde to the wildernesse where he Iurked a long time But the false witnesses who bare testimony against him escaped not the punishment of God One of them and his whole familie and substance was burned with sudden fire another of them was stricken with an heauie disease such as hee himselfe in his imprecation had wished vnto himselfe the third was terrified with the sight of the judgements of God that lighted vpon the other two and hee repented and powred out the griefe of his dolorous heart in such aboundance of teares that hee became blinde All these false witnesses were punished Euseb. lib 6. cap 9. and hee who was penitent albeit the Lorde pardoned his sinne yet hee chastised him with temporal punishments The Bishops of the next adjacent Churches because they knewe not what was become of NARCISSVS they admitted another called DIOS who continued but a shorte time To him succeeded GERMANION and after GERMANION GORDIVS in whose time NARCISSVS manifested himselfe againe to the Church of Ierusalem who requested him to vndertake his office againe for they reuerenced him as a man raised from death to life againe and the punishment of God inflicted vpon his accusers increassed their reuerence toward him He was old and not able to discharge the weightie office of a Bishop theresore ALEXANDER a worthie man was joyned as fellow-labourer with him EVSEBIVS writeth that hee was admonished by a celestiall vision of the will of God that hee should be Bishop of Jerusalem with NARCISSVS for hee had beene Bishoppe of another parochin before in Cappadocia by the like celestiall vision NARCISSVS and others of the clergie were admonished that the day next following a Bishoppe should enter into Jerusalem whome God had appointed to be an helper to NARCISSVS Ierom Catal. scrip eccl He defended ORIGEN against the furie and madnesse of DEMETRIVS B. of Alexandria who set both himselfe and others to great businesse for a matter of no importance as said is Ierom ibid. In the persecution of DECIVS he was caried to Casarea closed into a darke prison and died a martyre as hath beene declared ALEXANDER is supponed till haue beene the 35. Bishop of Jerusalem
to wit in those that are dead If they had followed the certaintie of Scripture what needed such doubtsome and staggering speeches When a tall Cedar falleth many little trees are bruised by the fall of it and when worthie men doe fall into an errour it is offensiue to manie The dolorous examples of Iacob Dauid Salomon and the plurality of their wiues contrary to the first institution of GOD proueth this to bee true Helcana the father of Samuel was not free of this fault And when the Apostle Paul writeth of the giftes that are requisite in a bishop hee would haue him to bee the husband of one wife which exhortation had beene vnnecessary except the preposterous following of the faultes of holie Fathers had beene so uniuersally ouer-spread that scarce the Pastors themselues were free of the contagion of this disease But the GOD of Heauen hath permitted this to bee for our triall euen to trie whether wee loue the LORD our GOD with all our heart or no for if wee loue the LORD with all our heart wee will neuer prefer men to GOD nor mens examples to GODS Commandements how holy and godly so euer they haue beene But now to returne to these two learned Fathers of whom I began to speake Some excuse this weakenesse by the libertie of Rhethoricall ornamentes And indeede incase a lap of this transparent-couering bee not spred ouer the speeches of Nazianzenus who preferreth the paineâ—…ull trauâ—…ls of Basilius to the trauels of the Apostle Paul who filled the world with the preaching of the Gospel from Iudea to Ilyricum If I say this forme of speaking bee not excused by Rhethoâ—…icall ornamentes and namely the figure Hyperbole no Christian man coulde gladly lende his eare to such speeches But now to leaue the sandie ground of mens speaches to conuert our selues to the doctrine of diuine Scriptures as to a sure foundation wherevpon if wee leane we shall not bee deceiued The LORD saith in his word Call vpon meâ—… in the day of thy trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie mee From this ground of holy Scripture let our Treatise arise wherein GOD willing first wee shall consider the purpose of the Prophet next wee shall declare that Prayer is a part of spirituall worship onlie belonging to GOD thirdly that IESUS CHRIST is the only mediator of our intercession and last that prayers to Angels to the blessed Virgine the mother of our LORD and to the Saintes departed hath no grounde in Scripture and this custome was disliked by many of the ancient Fathers Now the purpose of the Prophet in the fifty Psalme is manifest namely this to conuict Hypocrites who contenting themselues with outward sacrifices neglected the spiritual worship of GOD wherein GOD hath principall delight as CHRIST saith GOD is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and trueth But Hypocrites will needes present vnto GOD chaffe in stead of Corne drosse in stead of Golde and an outward scroofe of externall worship in stead of the very substance of his spirituall seruice To draw them from this grosse imagination he brings in GOD himselfe speaking from his holy Sanctuarie and declaring that outward sacrifices haue bene oft times intermitted without any reproofe of them who beeing compelled by necessitie and not willingly left off the offering of sacrifices In Aegypt the Iewes coulde not offer such beasts as the Aegyptians worshipped els they would haue stoned them to death In Babylon they had not an Altar whervpon they coulde offer sacrifices to GOD lawfully And at some times when both Alter and sacrifices were at hand yet Dauid complaineth that by violence he was debarred from the Courtes of the LORD All these times GOD did not reproue his people for omitting of externall sacrifices because they were constrained by necessitie to intermit such outward exercises In the meane time they worshipped GOD in spirit and trueth and it lay not in the power of their hatefull enemies to hinder them from worshipping GOD spiritually Secondly the Prophet brings in the LORD declaring that hee had no pleasure in bloody sacrifices because hee neither eateth flesh nor drinketh blood and in case hee delited in such things hee would not require them at mens handes seeing that all the foules in the Mountaines and all the beastes in the Forrest are the LORDS and hee may use them according to his owne will and blessed pleasure But the LORD did institute such kind of sacrifices to last for a time as shadowes of thinges to come but they coulde neuer sanctifie the commers the reunto Therefore if they bee separated from CHRIST to whom they led the people as Types and Figures of his euerlasting sacrifice the LORD had no kind of regarde of them True it is that Sathan hath a delite in bloody sacrifices euen in so far as they are bloody and a destruction of the creatures of GOD as the sacrifices in the valley of Ben-hinnon doe testifie and the sacrifices offered to Diaâ—…a in Taurica chersonesus and the bloody tribute paied by the Athenians to Minos King of Candie by the expresse aduice and counsel of Apollo as Chrysostome clearelie affirmeth And this declareth that the deuill who was a murtherer from the beginning hath a delite in bloody sacrifices But God delited not in such sacrifices except only in so far as they were types and figures leading to the sacrifice of Christ. Yea the sacrifices of the Law were like vnto the fire set vpon the top of the marble towre of Pharos for the wellfare of ships and to direct them vnto the right harboure of Alexandria and like vnto the fire set vp vpon the vttermoste wall of HIERUSALEM on the North side called by Cosmographers Turris furnorum This serued to direct the foote-steps of them who in the night season were journeying to the holy Citie that they shoulde not aberre from the right entrie of the gates of HIERUSALEM Notwithstanding children sate about these fires and warmed themselues and knewe none other use wherefore they were appointed saue onely to warme those who were acolde in winter nightes euen so carnall Iewes reposed vpon sacrifices but marked not the right ende wherefore they were appointed by God But the Prophet leades a carnall people from externall sacrifices vnto spirituall exercises and namely vnto prayer and thankesgiuing and consequently to the obedience of faith the very vndoubted grounde of prayer and thankesgiuing for in these exercises consist deeper pointes of the worship of God then in outward sacrifices whether we looke to God or to our selues when wee looke to God hee is a spirit and consequently hee deliteth in spirituall seruice and when wee looke vnto our selues wee haue an earthly bodie and a spirituall soule and if we present vnto God the seruice of the most base part of our person and not the best part then wee fall vnder the curse threatned by