intend to hold unto our last breath wee firmly believe of the Holy Ghost wee believe the Holy Ghost and in the Holy Ghost Of the Holy Ghost that he is the one true God with the Father and the only begotten Sonne distinguished in this only that he proceeds from both by vertue of which faith quickning renewing reforming every one attaineth the participation of Christs meritorions grace justification truth fortitude and perfect salvation by which Spirit also the Holy Church is grounded in the faith of Christ against which the gates of hell are not able to prevaile which also by the same Spirit in the members of true faith he washeth justifieth sanctifieth ordereth governeth gathereth strentheneth fructifieth As also by the same Spirit were the Holy Scriptures inspired and are known by him the members of the Church are vnited from him are the gifts of ruling the Church and many other things which by the same Spirit are made perfect unto the life of glory Wee believe the Holy Ghost when wee fully consent unto the Divine Scriptures or Apostls of God Wee believe in the Holy Ghost when with clear knowledge and unfained faith wee love him and with the members inspired by him wee keep his revealed truth unto eternall glory By the same fulness of formed faith wee believe that the holy Catholick Church in respect of the foundation of lively faith is the number of all the elect from the beginning of the world unto the end thereof whom God the Father in Christ by his Spirit hath chosen justifieth calleth unto the glory of salvation and magnifyeth without which is no salvation unto man But in respect of ministry and dispensations wee believe that the holy Catholick Church is the congregation of all Ministers and people subdued by obediente obeying the will of God from the beginning of the world unto the end of it whom God only sendeth inspired by his Spirit giving them the word of truth peace reconciliation that they may bring forth the fruit of salvation in the unity of the Church and their travell be not disappointed of the saving reward whose names and number He only knoweth because he hath writen them in the book of life That first Church hath none that shal be damned and the other is mixed untill the appointed time of the last judgement But the Church of malignants seekes them that are of that evil one whom Satan sendeth in this time of mortall life to the perdition of the world and tryall of the elect On this Church all the curses and sad things that Christ his Apostls have foretold shall be heaped to wit that they who are unworthy of ecclesiastical honour may rule over them by their power The promises also of renovation are fulfilled in her And yet wee arrogate not so much unto us as that we would be called or bee the only Catholick Church as if salvation were to be found with us only but wee endeavour with all diligence to be partakers of the ecclesiasticall truth and wee are afraied to be subject unto orobey evill workers whom wee find to be enmies of the Church and its truth for fear of everlasting damnation and for obedience unto Christ and because they doe minde speak and doe unto his Church things contrary unto his law Wherefore wee willingly endure oppression tauntings and calumnies for the salvation of our souls for un less Holy fear and the horrour of hell did withhold us we would embrace the liberty of the world with it's vanities wherin one may live as he listeth But wee would rather choose the strait derided and sad way in which our Redeemer Christ and the Church his spouse condemned by the world and despised yet following the example of Christ have walked than to taste and follow the momentany pleasures of the world The first and chief ministry of the Church is the Gospell of Christ whereby grace and truth that were painfully purchased by the torment of the cross is revealed which grace is given for salvation by the Holy Ghost and God the Father unto the Elect which are called by the gift of faith Another necessary ministry of the Church wee declare to be the word of teaching by which the saving truth is known in the sense of faith through which knowledge the life of grace and glory is administred unto the men of good desire Likewise wee declare that the seven sacraments are useful unto the Church of Christ by which Sacraments the promises of God are signified to be fulfilled unto believing people and by them entrance into the Church of God for keeping unity among them that walk unto glory is ministred Faith which God gives causeth us think of baptisme the first Sacrament these things whosoever of ripe age by hearing Gods word believeth and believing is renewed in soul and is enlightened such by outward washing for argument of inward cleanness attained by faith should be baptized in the name of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost into the vnity of the holy Church Our profession is also extended unto children which by the decree of the Apostles as Dionysius writes should be baptized and then by the guidance of their God-fathers being instructed in the law of Christ should be invited unto and accustomed with the life of faith By faith received out of the Holy Scriptures wee professe that in the dayes of the Apostls this was observed whoesover in their young years had not received the promises of the gifts of the Holy Ghost such did receive them by prayer and imposition of hands for confirmation of aith Wee thinke the same of infants Whosoever being baptized shall come to the true faith which he purposeth to follow through adversities and reproaches so that new birth appeareth in his spirit and life of grace such a one should be brought unto the Bishop or priest and being demanded of the truths of faith and of Gods commandements and of his good will and constant purpose and works of truth and shall testify by confession that all these things are so such a one is to be confirmed in the hope of attained truth and he is to be helped by the prayers of the Church that the gifts of the Holy Spirit may be increased in him for the constancy and warrefare of faith and finally for confirming the promises of God and the truth that he hath he may be associated into the Church by laying on of hands in vertue of the name of the Father of the Word and of the Holy Spirit By this faith which we have drunk from the Holy Scriptures we believe and confesse with our mouth Wheresoever a worthy priest with believing people according to the mind and purpose of Christ and order of the Church shall shew forth his prayer with these words This is my bodie and This is my blood immediatly the present bread is the body of Christ which was offered unto death for us and so the present wine is his blood shed
and countrie but I dare not inclose the omnipotencie of God in narrow bounds and restrain him in a little part of the earth whom the Heaven cannot comprehend Every one of the believers are weighed not according to the diversitie of places but by excellencie of faith and true worshippers do adore the Father neither at Jerusalem nor on mount Garizim because God is a Spirit and his worshippers must worship him in spirit and truth the spirit bloweth where he pleaseth the earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof since the Fleece of Judea is dried up and all the World is wet with the dew of Heaven and many comming from the East and West are set down in the bosom of Abraham God hath ceased to be known in Juda only and his name to be great in Israel but the sound of the Apostles hath gone thorow all the World and their words unto the ends of the earth Our Saviour being in the Temple said unto his Disciples Arise let us go hence and unto the Jews Your house shal be left desolate seeing Heaven and Earth shall pass away certainly all earthly things shall pass away therefore the places of the Cross and Resurrection are profitable unto them who bear their Cross and they rise with Christ daily who shew themselves of so great habitation Moreover they say The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord let them hear from the Apostle Ye are the Temple of the Lord and the Holy Ghost dwelleth in you both from Jerusalem and from Brittan is the gate of Heaven equally patent Antonius and all the multitude of Monks of Aegypt Mesopotamia Pontus Cappadocia and Armenia have not seen Jerusalem and without this Citie the gate of Paradise is patent unto them Blessed Hilarion although he was born and lived in Palestina saw Jerusalem but one day only that he might not seem to despise the holy places for their vicinitie nor yet include the Lord in one place You will say Why go I so far off To the end thou shouldest know that nothing is deficient to thy faith though thou hast not seen Jerusalem and that thou think not us the better that we enjoy the habitation of this place but whether here or there thou shalt have alike reward according to thy works Augustine also in his book de morib eccl cathol cap. 34. complaineth that many did adore graves and pictures and some did drink upon the dead and luxuriously burie themselves upon the buried which abuses the Church indeavoureth daily to amend Agreeable unto this complaint is that passage in Gregorie lib. 9. Ep. 71. Whereas the English were wont to sacrifice Oxen to their Gods and on that day they did feast and make merrie Gregorie adviseth Way was given unto rites for a time Augustine to turn that Divelish solemnitie into a feast of dedication or birth-day of some Martyr and then to kill the Oxen not to the Divel but to praise God when they did eat to the end that the hard-hearted people be not discouraged for want of a merrie day to forsake their idolatrie and because they who will climb high must go by degrees And lib. 12. Ep. 31. speaking of the English he saith according to the Apostle who saith I gave you milk to drink and not strong food I have yeelded now these things unto them but not to be held or continued in after-times lest the good which is lately planted and yet but of a tender root be pulled up but rather being begun may be strengthned and carried to more perfection Truly if those things that we have done be otherwise then we should have done know thou that it was not done for the thing it self but by commiseration Whence it appears that not only these feasts at the graves but many other rites came into the Church by condescending unto the rudeness of the Gentiles and they who at first did indulge them did not simply allow these rites but would by degrees bring the people unto the Christian faith and they would not have used them if the rude people would have imbraced the puritie of God's worship But afterwards especially in the Western Churches religion did consist for the most part in such rites and if people would observe these little care was to inform them in the faith Then as in the preceding 200. years people had affection towards Jerusalem so when the Bishop of Rome was called the Universal Bishop people forgat Jerusalem for a space and looked towards Rome and would go thither to confess their sins as we will find more particularly and yet even then many did reprove it as followeth for the present I will add but one testimonie of Bernard in Ep. 113. ad Lelbert Abbat S. Michae saying This your son having forsaken by my counsel his peregrination though he undertook it by your licence hath returned for when we knew that he had attempted it in levitie and you had yeelded because of his importunitie we reproved him sharply as he was worthy and perswaded him to return repenting so far as we could guess of his levitie and improbitie and promising amendment hereafter we judging righteously that howsoever one be guiltie he should exerce repentance in his own Monasterie rather then by going from Province to Province for the purpose of Monks is not to seek the earthly but heavenly Jerusalem and that not by walking on foot but by amending in affections thus Bernard And when the worship of Saints and reliques was once received it was easie for Priests to perswade pilgrimages unto this or that monument either for pennance or some special remedie to be found there more than in another place Bellarm. de cult Sanct. lib. 1. cap. 20. Of this hear Pol. Vergil saying We read not go to any part of the earth to seek God who is everie where but some have no such intention but rather go to behold the image of some Saint never thinking in all their journey of God far contrarie to the worship that was prescribed by the Fathers Against such men may well be applied that of Persius O souls prone to the earth and void of Heaven Why should we use such rites in our Churches and in the way they feed themselves delicatelie and lest they wax sad they have with them some Pleasant I will not say their Whores or Mistresses to cause them to laugh and tell them merrie sports as it were to refresh their wearied minds O vain travel we should sojourn that being sequestred from domestick cares which divert us from thinking upon the other life to dart the bodie and cause it to do service unto reason and give unto the poor as Christ commandeth Vergil in Interpret Orat. Dom. 9. Out of what is said may be partlie seen what was the estate of the Western Of Monks Church in the daies of Pope Gregorie the I. and that after him a thicker mist arose out of the Sea as indeed puritie of Doctrine perished
also that in the end of that Synod the Britan Bishops confessed that it was the right way of justice and righteousness which Augustine taught But it is clear from Beda that the Britans did oppose all that he spoke and they who said so were at the first meeting when Augustine had not discovered himself Likewise out of the Interrogatories that Augustine sent unto Gregory the I. and are with the answers in the end of Gregory's works it is easie to be seen that the first Arch-Bishop of Canterbury was no learned Clark but very superstitious and especially in the eighth answer that he was ambitious in that he did aim to have the Bishop of France subject unto him After the death of Augustine Laurence who did come from Rome with him took his charge he did invite the Scots dwelling in the same Island unto a Synod and thought to have found them meliores saith Beda lib. 2. cap. 4. readier to his mind than the Britans were but he found no less opposition by them for the Scots differed nothing from the Britans Dagan and Columban did refuse all communion with him and would not lodge in the same Inn where any Romish Bishop was If we compare all these premises we may see the cause why our Writers have spoken so diversly of Augustine some calling the English conversion a perversion and iâ—ebriation and others terming it a gracious conversion to wit when they consider how Pagans by the light of the Gospel were brought unto the faith though tainted with some errours they do with the Angels of Heaven rejoice in remembrance of that English happiness but when they consider that the old Professours of the ancient faith were by the importunity and ambition of Augustine and his successours inthralled in multitude of new inventions and in an unjust subjection yea and that so many were martyred by means at least by suggestion of Augustine justly have they termed this work of Augustine a perversion of the faith so giving this twofold censure in the spirit of discretion and not of contradiction even as Christ knew and approved the works of Ephesus but he had some things against her 2. The difference in observing Easter was thus The Romans in remembrance Difference for Easter of Christ's resurrection did observe the first Sunday after the full Moon of March and the Eastern Church as also the Britans kept the fourteenth day of the Moon on whatever day of the week it fell For this matter was no small debate between the Greek and Latine Churches long before as also in Britain about the year 657. betwixt Finnan a Scot and Bishop of Lindsfarn and Ronan another Scot and coming lately from Rome Finnan was so reverenced by the Romish faction that nothing was altered in his daies and he writ a book Proveteri Paschatos ritu Beda hist lib. 3. cap. 25. This jar was renewed about the year 670. by Wilfrid Bishop of York who had been at Rome Colman a Scot and Successour of Finnan and Cedda who afterwards was Bishop of York defend the old custom alledging as is before that this Island had received their rites from Asia and had kept them from the beginning of their conversion untill this time Wilfrid and Agilbert a Bishop and Agatho a Priest and James a Deacon said Rome should be preferred above Asia because the bones of Peter were at Rome Colman answereth that Anatolius and Eusebius Pamphili do evidently declare what were the rites of Asia and the same were received from John the Evangelist and were followed by Columba whom they could not deny to have been a good and devote man Wilfrid replieth The authority of Peter is greater for Christ said to him Thou art Peter and to thee will I give the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven Then another question was propounded concerning the shaving of the Clergy mens heads which the Scots did refuse But Beda hath not recorded the dispute In the end King Oswin said Seeing these rites were received by Saint Peter and now he is Porter of Heaven I will follow him lest he thrust me back when I come thither Beda loc cit When Colman saw that the authority of a rude Prince did oversway he would stay no longer but excluded his Bishoprick with Eata Abbot of Meilrose and thereafter he carried a Convent of Monks into one of the Isles Hebrides where they lived by the works of their hands Beda ibid. cap. 26. Wilfrid after that contest was accused of pride and misdemeanours but refused to answer and fled Then Theodore Arch-Bishop of Canterbury set another in his place thus the controversie for Easter was ended in England And to end it altogether after other contests about the year 716. Ecbert or Berect as some call him an English man did so prevail amongst the Scots that Easter was kept in the Isle Hu after the Romish manner the 24. of April but he died suddainly The suddainness of his death Beda lib. 5. cap. 23. calleth a confirmation of his doctrine He might as well have said The Lord did approve the fact of Lot's wife 3. About the year 600. Brude King of Peichts though a Christian had The Conversion of the Saxons in Britain conjunct Wars with Ethelfrid King of Northumberland against Aidan King of Scots and Malgo a Duke of the Britans The Scots did prevail with great loss The report is saith Buchan hist Scot. lib. 5. that Columba Boetius calleth him Colm Abbot of the Monastery in Colmkill or Jona did assure his fellows of the victory the same hour of the fight After some years Ethelfrid renewing his forces came against the Scots Aidan waited for the Britans in vain and was put to flight with great slaughter on both sides After that fight Columba died for grief and Aidan was so commoved for the unlucky success and for the want of good Columba and for fear of the apparent danger of Christians from that cruel Pagan that within few weeks he died Not long after Ethelfrid was killed by the Britans as is said before Edwin succeedeth him and thereafter was setled in the general government of the Saxons Then the friends of Ethelfrid amongst whom were his seven sons and one daughter fearing cruelty fled into Scotland King Eugenius the 4. son of Aidan not regarding the hostility of their fathers accepted them and caused them to be instructed in the Christian faith Edwin was slain in Battel an 633. by Penda King of Mercia and Kedwalla King of the Britans there was never a more cruel Battel in this Island for Penda pursued the new converted Christians and Kedwalla would destroy the Saxons wherefore their rage did spare neither age nor sex Buchan hist Then Northumberland was divided into two Kingdomes Osrich cousin german of King Edwin was King of Deira and Eanfrid or Andefrid the eldest son of Ethelfrid was King of Bervici or North part they were both Christians the one instructed by Paulin Bishop of York and the other
bold reprover of Kings he became a shameless flatterer of Popes for he is said to have first moved the decree in Gratian. dist 40. cap. Si quis if a Pope carry with him innumerable souls into Hell no man ought to say unto him What doest thou He spoke so and afterwards the Popes did aim at exemption from censure untill they did attain it he had from Rome a power Legantine in Germany neither preached he only unto the Heathens but did corrupt several Provinces where Christ had been preached as Thuringia Argentina c. with Roman Manicheism condemning some meats forbidding marriage of Priests and permitting to have Nuns or Whores urging the worship of images in a word his care was not so much for Christianism as for Papism for he writ unto Pope Zachary saying How few soever Disciples God giveth me in this my charge I cease not to incline them to the obedience of the Apostolick See he caused the Monastery of Eulda to be built in favour of English men and was killed at Borna being suspected of a conspiracy 5. Many did preach and write against him and his superstitions as Adelbert The opposers of his Rites a French Bishop and Sidonius an Arch-Bishop of Bavaria Samson a Scot Bishop of Auxerre and Virgilius an Irish man Bishop of Juvavia as Nauclerus and Aventine do record Boniface dilateth them unto Pope Zachary and as Bern. Lutzenburg in Catol writeth the Pope in a Synod at Rome condemneth them depriveth them of their Priesthood and excommunicateth them before they were heard and when they sought to be heard and plead their cause in a Synod Boniface denied access unto them and said Excommunicated men should not be admitted into a Synod nor have the benefit of the Law So partly by tyranny of the Pope and partly by authority of Pipin Boniface did oppress all his adversaries Catal. test ver ex vita Bonifac. Particularly one Clemens did reprove Boniface 1. That he did so advance the authority of the Roman Bishop seeing all Teachers are equally successours of the Apostles 2. That he condemned the marriage of Priests 3. That he did speak too much for the Monkish life 4. That he had anointed the King of France contrary to the undoubted right of the Merovei 5. That he appointed Masses for the dead and other new Rites unknown in the Church heretofore Aventin Annal. lib. 3. Epist Zachar. ad Bonif. in tom 2. Concil 6. Albine or Alcwin had good knowledge of the Latine and Greek languages Alcwin and his doctrines Charls the Great calleth him his Master in an Epistle written unto him deseptuages sexages Biblioth de la Bigne tom 3. where are some of his works On Ps 51. he writeth thus It is said unto the Father Then wilt thou accept the sacrifice of righteousness that is the most glorious passion of the Son who offered himself a sacrifice for all men that they might attain salvation which the world did not deserve by their works Ibid. When I look on my self I find nothing in me but sin thy righteousness must deliver me it is thy mercy and not my merits that saveth me we are quickned by the mercy of God in the name of our Saviour and not by our merits In his works he often useth the word merite but here we may see in what sence he and others do understand it On the fourth poenit Ps I could defile my self but I cannot cleanse my self unless thou Lord Jesu do cleanse me by sprinkling thy holy blood No good can be in us unless it be thy working grace who hast made us On Ps 118. Thou hast made me to be desirous of thy Commandments make me also able to do help that I may do what thou commendest and give what thou commandest And in another place Free-will abideth as yet in men by nature that in whom God willeth he may be pleased to make free by grace that they have not an evil will for since the first man by free-will was sold under sin the freedom of man is evil because the goodness of the will is taken away from the free-will which goodness none can have of himself unless he have it being helped by the grace of God's mercy without whose help free-will can neither turn unto God nor make any progress unto God He hath the like words in lib. 2. de Trinit cap. 8. On Eccles cap. 1. The Sun Christ inlightneth all things with the splendour and vertue of his spiritual grace in whose punishment is our salvation he ariseth to them who believe in him and he goeth down to every unbeliever Ibid. cap. 3. We should rejoice in this spiritual pleasure of meat and drink not only in the Sacrament but in reading the Holy Scriptures also where we may eat and drink of the Tree of life Ibid. cap. 7. Let us consider the works of God how great and wondrous they are and how in his free mercy he hath chosen one and in his just judgement he despiseth another as it is written of the Twins I have loved Jacob and hated Esau In Praefa lib. 1. de Trinit We should all pray that the Catholick faith which only quickneth mankind and only doth sanctifie may be truly fixed in the hearts of all men by one confession Ca. 1. Although we be thrown down from the joy of blessed felicity into the miserable blindness of this exile for the just punishment of original sin yet we are not so cut off that even in this changable and temporary estate we know not to seek and desire eternity truth and blessedness which is clear in that we have not a will to die nor be deceived nor be miserable whence is this natural instinct that all men would be blessed although this appetite is diversly in the minds of particular persons some think to be blessed in riches The whole divine Scriptures exhort us to be lifted up from earthly unto heavenly things where is true and eternal blessedness unto which it is most certain that none can attain but by the faith of the Catholick peace In Praefa lib. 2. All the authority of the holy books serve unto us to make us believe rightly of God and to love him with all our heart but the sight of man's mind is not able to behold the most excellent light of God's Majesty unless it be inlightned by the brightness of the righteousness of faith and love through the gift of God's grace therefore we should pray for the grace of God that the ey of our heart may be cleansed to see how properly the Trinity is the one and only and true God and how rightly the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit is said understood and beleeved to be one and the same substance Lib. 3. cap. 1. What did the human nature in the man Christ deserve that it should be assumed into the unity of the person of the only Son of God what good will what desire of
decent union in Christ of twoe persons man and woman keeping a chast bed without breach and it is a signe of a great truth to wit the coupling of Christ with the Church and a believing soul By faith wee affirme that if God give a contrite and humbled heart for sin unto a falling sinner having the true faith of Christ and if with heart and mind and really he repent of his former sins such a one being so truly disposed if he find a presbyter able to discerne good from evill and whose lips preserve the knowledge of Gods law he should reveale uprightly unto such a priest his sins by confession by whom as a judge ruling in stead of God and the Church according to the law of the Lord the weight of the fault may be rightly discerned to the end he may be ashamed and being corrected he may have advice of repentance unto reformation of himself and being either loosed or bound by Christs keyes he may obey humbly and that such humble contrition of the heart is a sacrament that is a signe of true grace bestowed on the repentant But if there be not a heart contrite humbled through faith abhorring vice and an afflicted Spirit embracing the will of God and also confession with relaxation of the fault and moreover if fained satisfaction be added wee pronounce it to be a vain signe and void of the grace of Christ The anointing of the sicke containes two things in it first a cause of a more ready approaching unto the diseased for this it is not a sacrament the other is the thing signified by that unction which is given by God in Christ for which thing prayer especially should be made in true faith that it may be given unto the sick believer as blessed James commandeth saying Is any sick among you let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray for him anointing him in the name of God and the prayer of the faithfull shall save him and the Lord wil relieve him and if he be in sins they shall be forgiven him By faith of the sick the signe of unction assures him of the forgiveness of sins When wee have declared the faith of the Catholick Church and her truth by which truth holiness is given unto her it remaines to declare by the same certainty of faith the communion of Saints The communion of the Saints is when the members of the Holy Church doe for common benefite use the good free saving and administring grace of God which is given without repentance and they exercise themselves according to the grace of God given unto them to the common utility of others It is cleare then that the elect only are partakers of true faith grace and righteousness in Christ by his merite unto the glory of eternall salvation as also they receive the sacraments to the evidence of faith albeit they have been seduced yet damnation shall not ceize upon them But the wicked of unformed faith albeit they communicate truly in the Sacraments digniries administrations and publick manners if they he destitute of true faith they communicate unworthily as hypocrites and if they follow the erroneous by their leading they fall into seduction and deceit By faith of Christs grace wee pronounce freely that who communicateth with a lively faith by the same he attaineth through Christ true remission of his sins and also because he partaketh of the Sacraments of the Church he getteth by the same faith and certainty the relaxation of crimes and at the time of the last judgement in the resurrection the glorification of his soul Amen The Letter which they sent with this Confession is worthy of reading But for brevity I omit it When the Confession was delivered their adversaries ceased not to accuse them still as if they had writen otherwise then they did believe or practize and so the King went on in cruelty against them Wherefore they sent another Apologie where in they tooke God to witness of the injuries done unto them by their adversaries and that they had writenin singleness of heatt nor did their tongue dare to speak what their heart did not believe There also they expresse them selves more clearly in some particulares as concerning the Eucharist they say Wee do not only believe and confesse that the bread is the naturall bodie and the wine is the naturall blood sacramentally but also that the bread is the Spirituall bodie and the wine is the Spirituall blood And to believe this we are induced by the saying of the Apostle Paul The bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ and the cup ..... for wee that are many are one bread and one bodie for wee are partakers of one bread and of one cup ...... The Redeemer of mankind hath commanded to take eate and to doe that in remembrance of him but no command is given unto believers to worship the sacramental subsistence of Christ's body and blood for Christ gave unto his disciples sitting what they should use and they obeying him did eat and drink but did not worship the sacrament And the Apostles and their successours for a long space of time went to the houses of believers and break the bread with joy and certainly they did not worship the sacrament nor in so doing did they erre nor were called hereticks But they did worship the personall subsistence of Christ at the right hand of the Father And unto the true worshippers of the Divine Majesty it is commanded in both the Testaments the old and new to worship and adore Christ very God and Man not in the sacramentall existence but in his naturall and personall subsistence at the right hand of his Father For the old Testament as the triumpher over Satan tempting him remembreth saith It is wrtiten Thou shall worship the Lord thy God and him only shall thou serve The vessell of election explaines the New when he saith God hath exalted him and given him a name which is a bove every name that at the name of JESUS every knee should bowe .... The incarnat truth confirmes this when he saith That all men should honour the Sonne as they honour the Father But none doeth worship the Father in any creature but only in heaven as that prayer published by Christ testifieth Our Father which art in heaven c. In the words following because they were accused that they did not worship the Virgine Mary nor the Saints they shew that they did esteem of the Virgine as blessed above all women not only for that she was sanctified but also for that the Sonne of God did assume a body of her body and they esteem of all them who were sanctified by faith in the grace of God through Christs merite and so as blessed of God they doe honour them with due honour they love them and would follow them but they can not give them more honour than Gods word directs them 10. When
they make void ipso facto the name of redemption for every one who is redeemed certainly is delivered from bondage Whence then is the man redeemed if he was not captive under guilt it is clear therefore that he is very unwise who thinks so Then he bringeth the example of the Thief on the Cross who being a sinner was changed by inward grace upon the Cross Here by the way observe Gregory useth the word meritum but in another sense then the Papists do now for in the same place he saith Divine Grace finds not mans merit that he may or should come but when he hath come he makes it and God coming into an unworthy soul maketh it worthy by coming and he maketh in it merit that he may reward who did find only what he might have punished He makes it clear in cap. 26. They who hold that a man is saved by his own power do guess that the confession of man is by vertue of the man self which if it were so the Psalmist would not say to the praise of God Confessio magnificentia est opus ejus we receive therefore from him to confess from whom it is given unto us to do great things c. There thorow three chapters Gregory speaks against mans merit or deserving and he teacheth that it is only by the grace of God that man is able to do any good and when he useth the word meritum in a good sense he understandeth simply good works without the ad-signification of deserving He useth also the word meruit improperly as in the same book cap. 33. Abraham did never profess himself to be but dust and ashes untill habere Dei meruit collocutionem where that word cannot signifie to deserve but to attain as also Bernard in Cant. ser 2. saith Herod would have seen Christ but because not of a good mind non meruit that is he obtained not Again on Ps 7. poeniten Gregory saith at the word auditam fac although God bestoweth Heaven according to works yet he giveth it not for works If the blessedness of the righteous be of mercy what is that He will render to every one according to his works And if it be rendred according to works how is it called mercy It is one thing according to works and another for works where it is said according to works the qualification of works is meaned that whose good works are seen shall have the reward of glory for no labour or works can be compared unto that blessed life where we shall live with God and in God It is sure then that to whom it is mercifully given to do well in this life unto those it is more mercifully given that they shall be rewarded a hundred-fold in everlasting blessedness This is the grace that as the Apostle saith shall be given for grace unto the Saints of God to whom is given from God the grace of holiness in this life to them shall be given the grace of eternal felicity in the life to come On Iob lib. 9. cap. 1. A godly man because he seeth all the merit of his vertue to be vice if it be narrowly examined by the inward Judge will truly say I cannot answer for one of a thousand by a thousand is oft meaned universality In lib. 20. cap. 4. he saith fitly if I would have gone unto them for as it is written Eph. 1. he worketh all things according to the counsell of his will not according to our merit but because he so willeth the Lord enlighteneth us with his visitation And so when he willeth he cometh and when he cometh he sitteth first both because his coming into our heart is of his favour and the appetite of desiring him in our thoughts is not equal to our other desires It followeth When I sate The Lord sitteth as King in the heart because he governs the buzzing motions of the heart Lib. 23. cap. 18. An afflicted heart in all that it desireth and yet feeleth the contrary order of things would so far as can be have an answer from the voice of God why it is so or so that it may have the advice of God in every controversie and then rest knowing his answer But in fore-seeing that God would give the Holy Scripture that in it he might answer both the publick and private questions of men saith Thou contendest with him that he hath not answered to all thy words God speaks once and will not repeat it as if he had said God answereth not to the private voices of every heart but he gives such a word by which he satisfieth the questions of all men for in the words of his Scripture every one of us find our causes if we inquire nor is it needfull that what each one suffereth particularly we should ask a particular answer by the voice of God In Ezek. lib. 1. hom 9. Behold the voice of God biddeth the Prophet when he lieth to arise but he could not arise at all unless the Spirit of the Almighty had entred into him because by the grace of the Almighty God we may indeavour unto good works but we cannot do them if he who commandeth doth not help So when Paul did admonish his Disciples saying With fear and trembling work forth your salvation immediately he sheweth who worketh these good things in them saying God worketh in you both the will and the deed Hence truth himself saith Without me ye can do nothing but here it is to be considered because if our good things be so the gift of God that something in them be not ours why seek we eternal reward as for works But if they be so ours that they are not the gift of God why give we thanks for them unto God But we must know that our evils are ours only but our good things are both God's and ours because he preveeneth us by inspiring that we do will and he following us by helping lest we will in vain that we may fullfill what he willeth therefore by preveening grace and good will following that which is the gift of God becomes our work which Paul declareth shortly and well saying I have laboured more then they all and lest he might seem to ascribe unto his own vertue what he had done he addeth yet not I but the grace of God with me for because he was prevented by heavenly gift he confesseth himself as a stranger from his own work yet not I but because preveening grace had made will in him free and good that by free-will he had followed the same grace unto the work he addeth But the grace of God with me as if he had said I have laboured in the good work yet not I but I also for in respect that I was prevented by the meer gift of God not I but in respect that I followed the gift with my will I also These things I have said shortly against Pelagius and Coelestine Truth himself saith of the Preachers of Antichrist
thought of their Gods Impious was the opinion of Vigilantius who deprived the Martyrs of all honour if he did so Foolish was that of Eunomius who would not enter into the Churches of Martyrs lest he were compelled to adore the dead Martyrs are to be reverenced and not adored as God as Jerom writeth against Vigilantius And in his next Annotation he saith But now the fashion is when religion is solemnized unto Christ who delivered mankind by his death to shew plaies unto the people nothing differing from the old scenical plaies although I say no more he will think it fitly enough who shall hear it sports are made of a most serious purpose He continueth shewing their abhominable sports Hither may be referred another History in Chrysostom to 1. in his book against the Heathens The Apostate Emperour Julian went to the Temple of Apollo at Daphne and with great instance did ask a response concerning a purpose intended by him and it was answered This place of Daphne is full of dead bodies which hath averted the Oracle whereupon Julian commandeth to take away the body of Babylas There Chrysostom argueth against the Emperour that Babylas were mightier then Julian's God But the good man did not conceive the policy of the Divel by subtily instilling into the minds of imprudent men a superstitious fancy concerning the reliques of the dead and their power as Bellarmine de cultu Sanctor lib. 2. cap. 2. would prove from the same example that the reliques should be adored And whereas he alledgeth that the miracles that were done at the graves of the Martyrs were done to the end these reliques should be worshipped Augustine de civit Dei lib. 22. cap. 9. saith contrarily Unto what faith did these miracles attest save unto that where Christ is preached to have risen in the flesh and to have ascended into Heaven in the flesh for even the Martyrs were Martyrs that is witnesses of this faith they giving testimony unto this faith did indure the enmitie of the world and did overcome them not by fighting but by dying for this faith they died who may obtain these things from the Lord for whose name they were killed for this faith their wondrous patience hath gone before that in these miracles so great power might follow for if the resurrection of the flesh eternally hath not gone before in Christ or shall not be as is fore-told by Christ or was fore-told by the Prophets who had also prophecied of Christ why can the Martyrs do so great things who were killed for that faith by which the resurrection is preached For whether God worketh by himself in a wondrous way whereby the eternal worketh temporarie things or if he doth those things by his servants and the same things that he doth by his servants whether he doth some of them by the spirits of the Martyrs as by men that are as yet in the bodie or all these by his Angels whom he commandeth invisibly and without bodies so that what things are said to be done by Martyrs are done by them praying and obtaining and not working or whether these things be done some one way and some another which can no way be comprehended by mortals nevertheless they give testimonie unto that faith which preacheth the resurrection of the flesh for ever So far he Hence we see that Augustine will not say definitively that the miracles were done by the Saints and that he holdeth that they were for confirmation of the faith which the Martyrs did believe and preach and for no other faith But most certain it is not any Martyr did ever teach or believe that Saints or their reliques should be worshipped Add the testimonie of Ge. Cassander in Consult art 21. We read saith he that of old they made vows and undertook pilgrimages unto places famous for the reliques of Martyrs which then was profitable while the memorie of the Martyrs was yet fresh and certain and while God by undoubted miracles did shew that their souls do live whose bodies were dead thereby confirming the faith which they did profess But abuses did by little and little creep in for Basil did complain that in his daies this custom was corrupt and in the time of Augustine the custom of bearing meat unto the graves of Martyrs was forbidden by Ambrose as is clear in Augustine Confess lib. 6. cap. 2. and in latter times too much hath been given to the reliques and memories of Saints when wicked men began to put false confidence in foolish worship which abuse is condemned by the Councel at Cabilon Cap. 45. and other corruptions were added to wit for gain false reliques were daily suggested and feigned miracles were reported superstition was thereby fostered and by illusion of the Divel new reliques were invented which abuse is condemned by a Councel at Lions at this day the world seems to be full of reliques so that it may be feared that upon due examination most detestable impostures may be manifested as in some places it is made manifest as of old it hapned unto Saint Martine who did find under the famous name of a Martyr the monument not of a Martyr but of a wicked Robber Wherefore it seems good to abstain from all ostentation of reliques and to stir up the people to reverence the true reliques that is to follow the examples of their godliness and vertues that are extant written by them or of them Thus Cassander hath observed two corruptions to wit superstitious confidence in the worship of true reliques and a sacrilegious forging of false reliques But now the superstitious custom of Rome is come to such height that Jesuit Vasques is licentiated to send in publick That the very worms may be worshipped with a good intention and sincere faith as if the worms consumers of the holy reliques were filled with some vertue yet not to be worshipped publickly Vasq lib. 3. adorat cap. 8. num 114. and Bellarm li. cit cap. 4. saith The reliques of Saints to wit their bones ashes cloaths c. are to be adored although not with the same kind of adoration as the spirits of the Saints yet with more than human or civil worship to wit with religious supplication kissing circumgestation thurification lighting of Tapers c. 8. In former times many were desirous to see Jerusalem but others did disswade Pilgrimages them as Jerom to 1. Ep. ad Paulin. saith It is laudable not to have been in Jerusalem but to have lived well in Jerusalem for that Citie is to be sought which killed not the Prophets nor shed the blood of Christ but which maketh the currents of the flood glad which being on a mountain cannot be hid which the Apostle calleth the mother of the Saints in which he rejoiceth that he had freedom with the righteous Neither in saying so do I reprove my self of inconstancie or condemn what I do that I seem in vain after the example of Abraham to have forsaken my kindred
he leaveth others in their wickedness and hath condemned them unto everlasting death In the Preface before 3 Reg. In all things we have need of aid from the Holy Spirit In 4 Reg. cap. 19. Whosoever by true faith toucheth the death of Christ and truly laieth hope on him shall without doubt be pertaker of his resurrection Catal. test ver lib. 10. 8. Raban Magnentius otherwise surnamed Maurus was famous in the University of Paris for Poesie Rhetorick Astronomy others Philosophy and Theology unto whom neither Germany nor Italy brought forth an equal saith Trithemius He became Abbot of Fulda where he was born and there he writ Commentaries on all the Books of the Bible His Monks were offended that he did so study the Scriptures and did not attend their Revenues as Trithem writeth therefore after 24 years he gave place to their anger and left the Abbey but they besought him to return and he would not but did abide with the Emperour Lewis untill Otgar Bishop of Ments died and Raban succeeded Tho. Walden in the daies of Pope Martin the V. reckoned him and Herebald or Reginbald Bishop of Altisiodor amongst Hereticks because they favoured Bertram Out of some of his works I have picked out these passages In Eccles lib. 4. cap. 7 he saith In meditating and reading The perfection of Scripture the Holy Scriptures we should be wary neither to add any thing to that which is written nor take away from those things which are comprehended by the Authours of Divine Scriptures in those books but we should thing of them with the highest veneration and with all our strength fullfill the commandments thereof Ibid. cap. 1 Man can now be saved no other way but by the death of Jesus Christ who is our Redeemer Ibid. lib. 5. cap. 5 The foundation A sure foundation which the Apostle Paul hath laied is one the Lord Jesus Christ upon this foundation both firm and stable and strong in it self is the Church of Christ builded In Ier. lib. 18. cap. 2. Lest they would say Our fathers were Against merits accepted for merits and therefore did they receive great things from God he adjoineth this was not for their merits but because it so pleased God whose free gift it is whatsoever he bestoweth De modo satisfact cap. 2. 17. Whatsoever one remembreth that he hath done wickedly let him declare it Confession unto the Priest by confession but if thou art ashamed to reveal thy sins before men cease not with continual supplications to confess them unto him from whom they cannot be hid and say Against thee only have I sinned he useth to heal not publishing thy shame and to forgive sin without upbraiding De Eucharist cap. 24. Behold what these two Sacraments do by Two Sacraments baptism we are regenerate in Christ and by the Sacrament of the body and blood regeneration is proved to continue not only by faith but by unity of flesh and blood Here he speaks but of two Sacraments and so he calleth them expressly But de Institut Cleric lib. 1. cap. 31. one may think that he speaks of more Sacraments for he saith Because we have spoken of more Sacraments Baptism and Chrism it remaineth that we speak of the other two that is of the body and blood of Christ But when he calleth the body and blood of Christ two Sacraments it is clear that he calleth the two elements two Sacraments and that is improperly And in cap. 28. of the forenamed book When the baptized person ascends out of the Fount immediately he is signed in the face by the Presbyter with holy chrism here he speaketh not of extream unction as they now speak but of an appendix of baptism as they were wont in those daies and this he calleth improperly another Sacrament but in that chap. de Eucharist he speaketh properly and nameth two baptism and the body and blood of Christ Ibid. cap. 41. And The signs are distinguished from the thing signified because he Christ according to the flesh must pierce the heavens to the end those who by faith are renued and born again in him might more earnestly and confidently long after him he hath left unto us this Sacrament as a visible figure and resemblance a sign and seal of his body and blood that by these things our minds and our bodies by faith may be more plenteously nourished to partake of invisible and spiritual things now it is the sign which we outwardly see and feel but that which is inwardly received is all substance and truth and no shadowing or resemblance and therefore there is nothing but truth and the Sacrament of the very flesh of Christ which is manifested unto us for the very flesh of Christ which was crucified and buried even the Sacrament of that true flesh it is which by the Priest upon the Altar through the word of Christ and power of the Holy Spirit is consecrated and hallowed See how Raban distinguishes that which is received outwardly and inwardly in the Sacrament and he calleth the outward part a visible figure and representation a sign and seal of the body and blood and that which is received inwardly is no shadow or resemblance but substance and truth even the very body of Christ which was crucified and as he saith in the first part of this testimony which hath pierced the Heavens De Institut Cleric lib. 2. cap. 30. Satisfaction is to exclude the occasions and suggestions of sin or not to commit sin again Reconciliation is that which is done after repentance for as we are reconciled unto God when we are converted first from gentilism so we are reconciled when after sin we return Lib. 2. cap. 57. He hath the Confession that was professed at that time saying 9. This is next unto the Creed of the Apostles the most certain faith A confession of faith which our Teachers have given That we should profess the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit of one essence of one power and sempiternity one invisible God so that the propriety of persons being reserved unto each one neither the Trinity should be divided substantially nor confounded personally to confess also that the Father is unbegotten the Son is the only begotten and the Holy Spirit is neither begotten nor unbegotten but proceedeth from the Father and from the Son that the Son proceedeth from the Father by generation the Holy Spirit not begotten but proceeding also that the Son did assume of the Virgin perfect manhood without sin that whom of his goodness only he had created of his mercy he might restore after he was fallen who verily was crucified and rose again the third day and with the same flesh being glorified he ascended into Heaven in the which flesh he is expected to come and judge the quick and the dead and that Christ in one person beareth both the divine and the human nature being perfect in both because neither the
apparent vertue comes not from us but from God or lest it be thought that we can do any thing worthy of praise as of our selves let us ascribe all unto God and let us acknowledge that is of his gift whatsoever we do well On Gal. 2. Paul demonstrates in this place that he was equal unto Peter for saith he he who wrought by Peter in the Apostleship of circumcision wrought also by me amongst the Gentiles ...... Some say It was not Peter the excellent follower of Christ which was rebuked by Paul but another Cephas ... But hear most wise man for neither do we say that Peter as ignorant what he should have done was rebuked by Paul but we say that he willingly did admit reproof that he might give unto others an example of patience On Eph. 1. at these words The exceeding greatness of his power in us he saith Nor is it easie to be understood how great is that power and vertue which changeth a man's mind from the wonted custom and to pull it out of errours from which to draw a man sticking in them so great power is requisite that so great power scarcely appears in raising the dead for the Lord did raise the dead with one word and yet he converted not the Jews to him by perswading with multitudes of words and miraculous works He saith therefore the revelation of the Spirit is necessary that we may learn the same faith which we have received that we have received it by the greatest power and working of God for as he raised Christ from the dead so hath he brought us unto light when we were dead and hath drawn us from infidelity and therefore he saith it was done by the exceeding greatness of his power and the power of his vertue On Cap. 2. Yea it is to be thought a greater power to bring into the right way straying souls and addicted to sin then to raise up the dead And at these words By whose grace ye are saved he saith He puts in this as being strucken with astonishment wondring at the unspeakable gift of God for he saith Ye are not saved by your travel or work but only by grace as for your works certainly ye were worthy of wrath and punishment On Cap. 6. The Apostle sheweth how Parents may bring their children into obedience if ye will saith he have your children obedient unto you bring them unto and acquaint them with the word of God and say not let Monks study the holy Scripture for it is the duty of every Christian and especially of him who converseth in worldly affairs and the rather that he hath need of more help as who is driven among the waves of the World therefore it is most profitable for thee that thy children both hear and read the holy Scripture and out of them they shall learn Honour thy father and thy mother but if thou breed thy children in the books of Heathens they will learn very bad things out of them which shall not be if they be acquainted with the word of God On 1 Thess 1. It is manifest that souls are brought unto faith and salvation not by perswasion of man but by the power of God On 2 Thess 2. The Lord will not come unless there come first a departing that is the Antichrist whom he calleth a departing because in very deed he will cause many to depart from Christ .... So that he sits in the Temple of God as a God not in the Church of Jerusalem only but he will sit in all Churches every where Shewing himself that he is God he saith not Saying but Shewing that is he will attempt to prove that he is God for he will make such great works and signs that he may deceive all men .... What with-holds that is hindreth but what is that some have said it is the grace of the Spirit some say the Roman Empire to which opinion John Chrysostom agreeth for unless the Roman Empire be destroied Antichrist can have no way to do as he willeth Paul hath expressed this darkly for he would not rashly take upon him the malice of the Romans nor cast himself into danger in vain for if he had said the Roman Empire will be taken away shortly they presently would have buried him quick as threatning the ruine of the Empire and they would have killed all the Beleevers that followed him as if they wished the overthrow of so great an Empire .... Only he that with holds shall with-hold .... that is when the Roman Empire shall be taken away then shall he come for so long as they are under the fear of this no man will easily submit himself unto another but when this is overthrown he will begin another dominion and as if all were his he will pervert the things that concern both God and man for as other Monarchies were taken away one by another before the height of the Romans .... so this Kingdom of the Romans shall be destroied by the Antichrist and Daniel hath prophecied that it shall be so Some understand otherwise but I would have thee to think as we have said with blessed Chrysostom On 1 Tim. 1. at the last words he saith Thou seest how to search curiously into divine things turned into blasphemy for it is injurious against God when we indeavour to comprehend in our mind and thought the things that are done by his will and dispensation On Cap. 3. One may ask why the Apostle omitteth the Priests because what things are spoken of Bishops belong unto Priests for these are commanded to instruct others and to govern the Churches and are inferiours unto them by the only ceremony of consecration On 2 Tim. 3. That the man of God may be perfect amendment saith he must be sought from the Scriptures that nothing may be lacking to him which walks according to God if therefore thou desirest to be perfect and wishest neither to be cast down with adversity nor puft up with prosperity for that is perfection seek advice of the holy Scriptures when thou wantest me And since he writ of such reading unto Timothy being filled with the holy Spirit how much more are we to be exhorted thereunto which have need of this Spirit And observe how we cannot be upright and perfect unless the holy Scriptures do help us On Heb. 9. so And Christ was once offered by whom was he offered by himself and not by another man for though he was the High-Priest he was also the sacrifice and the oblation To take away the sins of many .... Why saith he of many and not of all men Because all men beleeve not but Christ's death is equal to the perdition of all men that is it is sufficient that all men perish not and and it was paied for the salvation of all men and he died for all men so far as was in him and nevertheless he hath not taken the sin of all men because they fight against him and so they
a disturber of the Christian Empire a sower of discord where peace was a most wicked man calling into question the Catholick faith a Necromancer infected with a Pythonical spirit c. For which crimes they declare him unworthy of the Roman See and unless he willingly leave the place they threaten him with an everlasting curse and they chose Gerebert or Wusbert Bishop of Ravenna to govern the Church him they call Clemens the III. Otho Frising and Pet. Mexia But think you that the Pope would obey No way Wherefore the Emperour made all speed with an Army towards Rome Mathildis hearing of his marching and fearing his power gave the Provinces of Liguria and Tuscia unto the Church of Rome Bellarm. de Rom. Pont. lib. 5. cap. 9. In the way the Emperour subdued her Lands and the Lands of the Marquess Esten and thereafter he came to Rome where An. Another Synod against the Pope 1083. thirty Bishops assembled in Councel and conclude against Gregory as they had done at Brixia and did subscribe the Decree The Romans stood up so long as the Pope abode with them but when he had brought them into the extreamest jeopardy he fled into Adrian's Tower and then the Gates of the City were set open but the Emperour would not enter untill a way was made for his Army thorow the Walls and Pope Clement was received into Saint Peters Gregory sent for Robert Guiscard the Norman Duke of Naples for aid and unto Mathildis but all in vain So he was glad to escape into Salerno where he died in exile and as may be read in Fascic rer expetend and in Matth. Paris and sundry others when he was sick before his Cardinals he bewailed his fault in his Pastoral charge and that by instinct of the Divel he had stirred up sedition and wars among men Benno testifieth that he sent this his Confession unto the Emperour and unto all the Church intreating that they would pray for pardon of his sins After his death and the death of them whom the Emperour had left Governours of the City the Romans set up Pope Urban the II. who insisting in the trace of his Predecessour did perswade the Emperour's eldest son Conrade the Father had left him Governour of Italy to take up Arms against his father and gave him in marriage Mathildis then the relict of the Duke of Naples He put Clemens from his Seat but when his father came against him Conrade was out-lawed with consent of all the Princes and the younger brother was declared heir of the Empire but first with an Oath given that during his fathers life he should not meddle with the Kingly power without his fathers consent Fascic rer Now many feared intestine Wars between the two brothers but Conrade died soon thereafter and Urban was made out of the way and the fore-named faction set up Paschalis the II. He would be inferiour unto the others in nothing and excommunicated the Emperour and dealt with his son though by nature and solemn Oath bound to the contrary to take the Scepter in his hand and bear himself as King rather then both his father and himself be dispossessed and suffer hazard by another The young man was inticed and The Son circumvenes the Father the Pope caused the Princes to elect Henry the V. Armies were levied by both parties and some skirmishes follow but the Father had the better yet seeing there could be no end of the Wars without ruining the Empire he consented unto a parley with his son who was advised to deceive his father by this means he came to him with feigned repentance the Father welcomed him as the Prodigal in the Gospel and dismissed the greatest part of his Army whereas his enemies gather at Mentz and appoint Binga for him to keep Christmas So soon as he was entred the City himself being the fourth person the gates were shut and all others were held out Then the son spoke fairly unto his father and promised all duty if the father would reconcile himself unto the Church The Father referred the whole matter unto the Diet of the Princes and they went together unto Mentz There at first the son said unto his Father Seeing the Bishops would admit no communion with him he would do well for peace sake to retire unto such a house near unto the place of the Diet and if he had refused he was able to force him But the Father doth it willingly and then the son kept him as in close prison permitting none to speak with him but his accustomed servants and he freely exerced the Imperial power untill the year 1106. In that Diet the Bishops of Alba and Constance the Pope's Legates spoke much against Henry the IV. for his simony and contumacy against the sentences of so many Popes and exhorted them all as obedient children to provide for the safety of their mother the Church by breaking the pride of one a contumacious person They all do consent to the deposition of the Emperour and they sent the Bishops of Mentz Colein and Worms to take the Imperial Ornaments from him against his will They declared unto him the sentence of the Diet. Henry asked For what cause had the Princes pronounced so severe Sentence against him before he was heard They answer For simony in bestowing Bishopricks and Abbocies He saith unto them one by one you Bishop of Mentz and you Bishop of Colein What have I got from you They answer Nothing Then saith the Emperour I thank God that in so far ye are honest men truly your Bishopricks might have brought much treasure into my Exchequer if I had sought it and my Lord of Worms knows neither is any of you ignorant whether I did advance you for gain or of meer favour wherefore I say unto you Fathers continue in loyalty I am now an old man and turn not Our glory into shame I appeal unto the general Court and if I must yeeld I will give the Crown unto my son with my own hands They refuse and speak menacingly Then he went aside and arayed himself with the Imperial Robes and returning saith These are the badges of my honour these hath the goodness of the eternal King and the election of the Princes bestowed on me and God is able to continue me in them and to restrain your hands from what you intend and We did not fear such violence nor have provided against it but if duty move you not stand in aw of God and if ye do not regard duty nor fear of God here We are and unable to resist violence The Bishops were astonished yet after a little pause they exhort one another they take the Crown off his head then draw him from his seat and pull off all his Royal Robes This was a Pastoral work The Emperour with deep groans saith The God of revenge look to it and avenge this iniquity of yours the like ignominy was never heard before I confess God is
in them all confirming the Decrees of his Master Gregory against the Emperour and against married Priests and strengthning the Laws for the Papal authority At last he was constrained to fly unto Claremount where he assembled a Councel under pretence of consulting for recovery of the Holy Land from the Turks An. 1094. of which it follows There he made many constitutions as The Church is pure in faith and free from all Secular power No Bishop Abbot or Clark shall accept any Ecclesiastical dignity from the hand of a Prince or any Laick Whosoever shall lay hands violently on or apprehend men of holy Orders or their servants shall be accursed Whosoever shall marry within the seventh degree of kindred shall be accursed c. Matth. Paris in Wilhel 2. There also he renewed the excommunication against the Emperour and against Pope Clement So one Pope at Rome and another Pope at Claremont had contrary Synods cursing one another burning one anothers Acts and abjuring their Consecrations Baptisms and Masses Nations and Cities were divided and some people espying the pride and vices of both the Popes did continue neutral and learned by lamentable experience that a Church can be ruled without a Pope When Popes and Bishops were taken up with bloody wars and tyrannical usurpations of Secular power what could the Sheep learn from such Pastours Urban did ordain that these words should be propounded unto all Intrants at their admission Wittingly and willingly I shall not communicate with them who are excommunicated by the Church of Rome likewise I shall not be present at the consecrations of them who accept Bishopricks or Abbeys from Laicks so may God help and these holy Evangelists as I shall never change from this sentence Platin. He did confirm the hours and Matins of Saint Mary saith Hec. Boet. lib. 12. cap. 12. And the Officium to be solemnly read on the Sabbath-day saith Fascic tempor Pol. Vergil de invent rer lib. 6. cap. 2. saith As Pelagius the II. ordained the Priests to keep the seven Canonical hours as a present remedy of mens weakness who fall seven times a day so Urban the II. ordained that so many hours should be kept to the honour of the Virgin The Arch-Bishop of Toledo covenanted with this Urban that he should make him Primat of Spain and therefore the other should indeavour to make all Spain Tributary unto Rome Before that time the Church of Spain was not subject unto Rome neither do we read of any Spanish Cardinals at Rome The Order of Cistersian and Carthusian Monks were about that time devised in Burgundy and confirmed by Urban After the Councel at Claremont he returned into Rome but with such authority that he was glad to lurk in the house of a Citizen Peter Leo the space of 2. years and died there in the 13. year of his Papacy and the year of our Lord 1099. To move the more men unto the expedition against the Turks and Sarazens he devised the first proclamation of indulgences or the full remission of all sins unto all that would go thither to deliver that holy Land as he said and the Sepulchre of Christ our Saviour from the power of the Mahumetans His Successours following this his example as it is easie to add unto things that are once devised did inlarge these indulgences to the benefit not only of them who went thither but unto every one which though they went not yet would contribute for the maintaining of Souldiers in that expedition Upon this account great sums of money were brought unto the Pope Thereafter these Indulgences were proclaimed unto all which would contribute unto the Wars against those which were called enemies of the Roman Church though they were Christians Under these colours vast sums were gathered from time to time although many times the money was imploied another way as followeth and God who brings light out of darkness made the same indulgences to be the occasion of Reformation CHAP. III. Of Divers Countries 1. IN the beginning of this Century were many prodigies as tokens of evils following Platin. signs in the Heavens above Earth-quakes below in the Sun darkness on earth Snakes were seen fighting against other Fountains were turned into blood the air was corrupt Ia. Vsser hath them at great length de success Eccles cap. 3. 4. Whereby some were moved to say Antichrist is come into the world Tho. Cooper ad An. 1099. In an assembly at Aken in the year 1016. were convened many both Princes and Bishops The Emperour Henry spoke of God's wrath hanging over their heads and advised them to think upon a way how these judgments might be turned off A Decree was made that all men should study to escape those judgments by fasting actions of piety and alms for say they the true doctrine of inward and saving repentance or of turning unto God as the consideration of sins that are committed against the ten commands of faith in Christ and the true and serious amendment of life hath been altogether obscured yea and buried by outward worship and human traditions therefore by publick authority of this Synod it is compounded that Priests attend more upon their Service all people give themselves unto fasting and Princes be more liberal in their Alms. Sigebert Crantz in Saxon. lib. 4. cap. 4. 2. The Fathers of the Primitive Church guessed that after a 1000. years from Christ's birth or passion or from the destruction of Jerusalem Antichrist should come and shortly after his appearing the world should have an end as Germanus Patriarch of Constantinople sheweth in Rer. Ecclesiast Theoria out of Theophilus Cyril Chrysostom c. And about the thousand years from Christ's nativity many men looked that it should come so to pass But when the thousand years were expired after the destruction of Jerusalem and they saw no such Antichrist as they had imagined neither did such things come to pass as they had conceived concerning the end of the World then as if they had been delivered from the danger thereof saith Baronius Annal. tom 11. they made fair buildings and Churches throughout the World especially in Italy and France Whereunto Ia. Vsser doth apply that saying of Henry Beware of Antichrist it is evil that the love of Churches hath overtaken you it is not well that ye reverence the buildings and walls of Churches ye conceive amiss of these is it any doubt that Antichrist shall sit in these The Mountains and Lakes and Woods are more safe unto me Likewise some made defection from the Faith and returned to Paganism as in the North parts Luitici Obotriti Vari c. So did Vilgard a Gramarian in Ravenna trusting to the apparitions of foul spirits in the likeness as they professed of Virgil Horace and Iuvenal when he began to vaunt foolishly of his knowledge of humanities they appeared unto him and gave him thanks for his love to their Books and promised to make him partner of their glory Thereafter he
began to profess that the Divinity of the Poets was true at last he was challenged and condemned by the Patriarch Peter But many in Italy Sardinia and in Spain followed the same impiety and were punished some with the sword and some with fire Rodolp Histo l. 2. c. 12. 3. Berno excellent in all learning was set over the Augianes anno 1008. he wrote many Books in Marc. Evang. sect 3. he saith In the holy Scriptures do hang the armor of our salvation Serm. de concor offic c. 5. Our weakness can do nothing without God as Lazarus could not rise by himself Serm. de ascend Dom. Christ is the head of the whole Church and all the elect are his members At that time lived Oecumenius and Olympiodorus two famous Greek writers Guthet Bishop of Prague was famous for learning and holiness and was put to death by the enemies of the faith Platin. in Benedict 8. and in Benedict 9. he saith Gerard a Venetian and Bishop of Hungary a good and learned man suffered martyrdom the Infidels tied him to the wheel of a Cart and let it run from the top of an high mountain so that he was all crushed yet he suffered it with joy 4. Fulbert Bishop of Charties or Carnatum was a learned man sundry Sermons and Treatises that are among the works of St. Augustine are said to be his He wrote an Epistle to Adeodatus wherein he first reproveth a gross opinion of some men who held that Baptism and the Eucharist were naked signs Then he proveth that these should not be considered as mere and outward signs but by faith according to the invisible vertue of mysteries The mystery of faith it is called saith he because it should be esteemed by faith and not by sight to be looked on as the spirit and minde and not as sight of body seeing onely by faith beholdeth the secret of this powerful mystery for what seemeth outwardly bread and wine now inwardly it is the body and blood of Christ we being encouraged by the authority of our true Master when we communicate of his body and blood we confess boldly that we are transfounded into his body and that he abideth in us Taste and see how savoury that meat is unless I be mistaken it tasteth like Angels food not that thou canst discern it with thy mouth but mayst taste it with thy inward affection open the mouth of faith enlarge the hope and the bowels of love and receive the bread of life even the food of the inward man from faith of the inward man proceedeth the tasting of the inward food while certainly by the infusion or preception of the gracious Eucharist Christ floweth into the bowels of the communicating soul when a godly soul receiveth into her chaste corners in that form wherewith she beholdeth him present with her under remembrance of the mystery and as the Spirit revealeth to wit as an infant lying in his mothers bosome or offered upon the alrar of the cross or lying in the grave or verily having trampled death under foot and rising again or carried high in glory above the heavens according to which forms Christ entreth into the acceptable habitation of the communicant and refresheth his soul with so many to speak so several blisses as are the ways that the eye of holy meditation can behold him neither let it seem a vain thing unto thee that we say that according to the beholding of a desirous soul Christ is found within the bowels of the communicant seeing thou art not ignorant that our fathers sojourned through the wilderness and were refreshed with Angels food to whom a fertile rain brought meat of one colour but of divers tastes and according to the appetite of every one it gave sundry delights of taste that whatsoever their appetit did covet the secret dispensation of the Giver did furnish the same to whom their gust gave what their eye could not see because it was one thing which was seen and another which was taken therefore wonder thou no more What Manna under the law did signifie by shadow the revealed verity of Christ's body layeth open in which body the divine Majesty condescendeth mercifully unto our weakness that with what sort of punishment mans body is punished he should taste the same in his body sensibly but God performeth this in the breast as he saith himself He who cometh of me shall live by me Now therefore the scruple or doubt is to be removed seeing he who is the Giver is a witness of the truth Then he illustrateth the same by comparison of a baptised man who albeit outwardly he be the same he was before yet inwardly he is another being made greater then himself by increase of invisible quantity that is of saving grace c. here is no word of substancial change of the elements the bread is still bread but we finde two other changes to wit the faithful are transfounded into the body of Christ and Christ is infounded into the habitation of a faithful soul yet so that Christ's body remaineth in the heavens and by the revelation of the Spirit faith beholdeth Christ present or lying in his mothers bosome and dying and rising and ascending and he entreth into the gracious habitation of a faithful communicant and refresheth him so many ways as is said Here also we see that the substance of bread remaineth as the substance of him who is baptised remaineth albeit inwardly he be another Biblioth part de le Bigne tom 3. 5. Berengarius Deacon of St. Maurice in Angiers was his disciple who hearing Math. Parisiensis calleth him Archiepisc Turonen a contrary error unto the former was broached in his days to wit that the bread of the Eucharist was the very body of Christ and the wine his blood substantially or properly Berengarius I say hearing this taught that the body of Christ is onely in the heavens and these elements are the Sacraments of his body and blood as followeth The occasion of this controversie at that time is written by Guitmund in his second book against Berengarius to wit when Lanfrank Abbot of Bec-heloin in Normandy was a boy in Italy it hapned that a priest as he saith saying Mass found very flesh upon the altar and very blood upon the chalice he burned to take them and immediately declared the matter unto the Bishop who assembling with moe Bishops ordained that that flesh and that chalice with the blood should be kept in that altar for ever as a most worshipful Relique From this deceiving Impostor many were moved to believe that the body and blood of Christ was present in the elements not onely sacramentally as the Fathers spake but substantially Berengarius wrote and preached against this Capernaitis error and therefore Adelman Bishop of Brixia wrote unto him In the beginning he saluteth him his holy and beloved Brother and condisciple under Fulbert Bishop of Carnatum Then he sheweth he heard it reported that Berengarius
they are letcherous in such a maner that they have not broken any bond of marriage Ibid. cap. 3. It is not possible that any of these whom God hath predestinated unto the Crown can lose their Crown it may be and it hath come to pass that some lose the Crown whom God hath called by a visible calling or which might have been heard by man Ibid. lib. 6. cap. 11. Excepting the Apostles whatsoever other thing afterwards is said let it be cut off neither have any authority therefore albeit after the Apostles there be any holy man how wise soever he be let him not have that authority seeing the Lord speaketh in the Scriptures Ibid. lib. 11. cap. 20. Possibly one will say Since Christ overcame death and ascended into the heavens doth he descend thence again surely he descendeth but invisibly all the world hath heard his descending when a sound was heard from heaven as of the Spirit coming and filled the house where they were sitting did not Christ then descend from heaven Is the substance or Majesty of the Son separated from the Spirit that when the holy Ghost descendeth the Son of God descendeth not also certainly he descendeth not in the form of his manhood yet undoubtedly he descendeth in his uncircumscribed Deity or in the Spirit that he giveth and he descendeth to visit the Nations by his Messengers whom he inspireth 9. Bernard in Epist 56. ad Gaufrid Episco Carnot writeth that Notbert Praemonstratensis did teach that Antichrist was before the doors and to be revealed in the same age Within these few days saith Bernard there I obtained to see this mans face and I learned many things from an heavenly fistule to wit from his mouth Behold what account this Author made of him who spake thus Hen. Oraeus in Nomenclat saith this Notbert was the beginner of the Order of Monks in the Diocy of Magdeburgh Pol. Vergil de inven rer lib. 7. cap. 3. calleth him a Priest of Lorrain and saith that he began that most exact Order after the rule of Augustinians as also in that Chapter and the preceeding he sheweth that sundry others seeing about that time that the Monastical institutions were not observed men becoming always worse and worse and godliness was corrupted by riches quae pietas ut mater illas à principio Ordini pepererat quotidie sunt qui ignaviae suae potius quà m religioni consulant therefore they would reform the Order and added some new Rites for distinction from others of the same Order who were become looser and by these means the number of Orders were multiplied 10. Theodoricus Abbot of St. Trudo at Leodium about the year 1120. said Simon Magus now reigneth at Rome and not Simon Peter and Simony is in place of the Gospel what may we not have if we have money In Catal. test verit lib. 14. are some of his verses concerning the Government of the Church he saith Vt Mopso Nisa corvo datur ecâ—e columba Qualis pullus erit quem fert commixtio talis Hence it appeareth that good men at that time bewailed the wretched condition of the Church 11. Hugo de S. Victore by Nation a Saxon and Abbot of S. Victor at Paris was in great account about the year 1130. His works are extant in three Tomes In one place he saith The Clerks of our time know not the Law nor learn they it but they study vanity ease surfeiting and drunkenness they are often in the streets seldom in the Churches slow to search the faults of sinners and ready to follow the trace of hares they give more bread to dogs then to the poor their beds are better arayed then the altars the barking of dogs and lowing of oxen is more pleasant unto God then the singing of such Clerks their preaching may be dispised whose life is contemned Of our communion with Christ he saith on Iohn 6. The Lord shewing a difference betwixt the bread he gave and which they did eat in the wilderness saith I am the bread of life for he is the bread wherewith an hungry soul is refreshed which is when true faith embraceth him for by faith we love him and by love we are united unto Christ which is our life therefore this spiritual bread is eaten by faith even without Sacramental eating and is profitable unto salvation dayly we have need of this bread while this present life endureth and so said Augustine Why preparest thou thy teeth and stomach believe and thou hast eaten On Chapter 20. he saith Whose sins ye forgive i. e. whose sins are forgiven by you God also forgiveth them this is spoken generally not onely unto the Apostles as some say this is the prerogative of the Apostles but it is spoken and granted unto all their successors On Rom. 3. The written Law is called the Law of works because men under the Law thought that all their righteousness was in the works of the Law but the Law of Faith and Grace is so called because men under Grace set the sum and efficacy of their salvation on Grace onely knowing that as no man is saved by righteousness of his works so none is justified by works of his righteousness for righteousness is not of good works but good works are of righteousness On Chapter 4. If man had not sinned he should have had perfect righteousness which consisteth in the perfect fulfilling of God's commands so that he should have had no lust against reason and he might have loved God with all his heart but after sin and for sin man cannot have this perfect righteousness unto which eternal life is justly due but God of his grace giveth faith unto man and of the same grace reputeth it for that perfection as if he had the perfection of righteousness De Scriptura Scriptor Sacris cap. 1. he saith That Scripture onely is truly called Divine which was from the Spirit of God and written by those who spoke by God's Spirit that maketh a man divine and reformeth him according to the image of God by teaching to know him and by exhorting to love him whatsoever is taught therein is truth whatsoever is commanded is good and whatsoever is promised is blessedness for God is truth without falshood goodness without wickedness and blessedness without misery In cap. 6 7. All Divine Scripture is contained in the Old and New Testaments and when he hath divided the Old Testament into the Law Prophets and Hagiographa and hath reckoned the Books that are in the Hebrew Canon he addeth There be also other Books as Wisdom the Books of Syracides Judith Tobias and the Maccabees that are read indeed but are not rolled in the Canon Catol test ver lib. 15. Likewise De Sacramentis fidei lib. 1. cap. 28. If it be asked What is original sin in us It is a corruption or vice by which in our birth we draw ignorance in our minde and concupiscence in the flesh And cap. 19. In the
have the investiture of the Sacrament note of the Lord 's precious body and blood for that Sacrament worketh two things in us it diminisheth the feeling in the smaller sins and taketh away the consent in the more grievous If now any of you do not feel so oft so bitter motions of wrath envy letchery and such others let him give thanks unto the body and blood of our Lord because the vertue of the Sacrament worketh in him and he should rejoyce that the wretched ulcer is like to be healed But what shall we do seeing so long as we are in this body of sin and in this evil time we cannot be without sin shall we despair God forbid Blessed John saith If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us but if we confess our sins God is faithful to In many things we all offend yet none should dispise or think little of that for it is impossible to be saved with these and it is impossible they can be washed away but by Jesus Christ and unless he wash them I say therefore let none be perniciously careless and use the words of wickedness to excuse his sins for as he said unto Peter unless Christ shall wash them away we shall have no part with him and yet we should not for them be too solicitous he will forgive as readily and gladly if we acknowledge what we are for in such sins as inevitable both immoderate fear and carelesness is worthy of blame hence it is that he hath taught us to pray dayly for the forgiveness of sins for as I said of lust he hath taken away the damnation of it as the Apostle saith There is no damnation unto them that are in Christ nevertheless for to humble us he suffereth it to live in us and to afflict us grievously that we may know what grace doth unto us and that we should always run unto him for help so doth he with us in these lesser sins by a pious dispensation that they are not altogether taken away but by them God will teach us that seeing we cannot shun these lesser things we might be sure we do not overcome greater sins by our own strength and so we should be ever in fear and watchful that we lose not his grace which we see to be so many ways necessary unto us Super. Cant. Serm. 13. Hearken what God saith My glory I will not give unto another Lord what wilt thou give unto us he saith Peace I give unto you peace I leave unto you It is enough for me I take it thankfully what thou leavest and I leave what thou reservest so I am content and I doubt not but it is for my advantage I do altogether abjure glory lest if I do usurp what is not given I do miss that which is offered and lose it justly peace I would have and I desire no more he who is not content with peace is not content with thee for thou art our peace who hast made both one this is necessary this is enough to be reconciled with thee and to be reconciled with thy self for since I became an adversary unto thee I have been grievous unto my self and now I am more wary and I would not be ingrate for the benefit of peace which thou givest nor a sacrilegious usurper of thy glory unto thee Lord unto thee be glory wholly happy am I if I have peace Serm. 14. The Law which never brought any man to perfection is a yoke that neither they nor their fathers could ever bear but the Synagogue is strong and careth not for a light burthen nor a sweet yoke she is whole needeth not a physician and trusteth in the Law Ser. 22. Whosoever being grieved for his sins hungreth and thirsteth for righteousness let him believe in thee who justifiest the ungodly and being justified by onely faith he hath peace with God Ser. 61. Confidently will I take what I have need of out of the bowels of the Lord they abound in mercy the piercing nail is unto me an opening key that I may see the Lord's will why should I not see through these holes the nails cry the wounds cry that verily God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself therefore the mercy of the Lord is my merit I shall not have need of merits so long as he wanteth not merits and if the mercies of the Lord be manifold I have merit enough Shall I sing of thy righteousness Lord I will mention thy righteousness only for it is also mine seeing that thou wast made even of God to be righteousness unto me Shall I fear that it be not sufficient for us both it is not a short mantle the righteousness of the Lord endureth for ever What is longer then eternity it will cover both thee and me sufficiently it is a large and eternal righteousness and indeed in me it will cover a multitude of sins but in thee Lord what will it cover but treasures of piety and riches of bountifulness Ser. 62. The vine of the Lord is the Church of them who are predestinated Ser. 63. What is so powerful to heal the wounds of conscience and to purge the sight of the minde as the frequent meditation of Christ's wounds Ser. 65. By the vine I mean her which filleth the earth whereof we are a portion that large vine planted by the Lord's hand redeemed by his blood watered with his word propagated by his grace and made fertile by his Spirit Ser. 66. The Spirit saith manifestly that in the last days some shall depart from the faith giving heed unto the spirits of errors and doctrines of divels certainly he speaketh of these men now for they forbid to marry and abstain from meat which God hath created but see now whether this be not properly the craft of the divel and not of men as the Spirit hath foretold Ask the Author of that Sect they can give you none What Heresie hath not a principal Author among men the Manichees had Manes each of these pests had their master from whom they had their beginning and name but what name or title will ye give these none because that Heresie is not from men and yet we will not say that it is by the revelation of Christ but rather and without doubt as the Spirit hath fortold by the fraud of divels speaking lyes in hypocrisie and forbidding to marry certainly they speak so in hypocrisie and guile of the fox faining that they do it for love of chastity which they have devised to increase and multiply filthiness The matter is so plain that I admire how a Christian could ever be perswaded thereunto except they are so beastly that they could not perceive how he that condemneth marriage looseth the bridle unto all uncleanness or certainly they are so full of wickedness and divelish malice that though they know it yet they dissemble and rejoyce in the destruction of men Take away
for the remission of sins This profession of our faith is confirmed by the words of Christ which are written by the Evangelists and Holy Paul Unto this profession may be added this body of Christ and his blood should according to the institution of Christ and his Church should be taken in both kindes of bread wine in remembrance of his death and of his blood shed as he said Doe this in remembrance of mee Then this death of Christ as it is declared in the Gospel and the fruits of his death should be preached as also the hope of his blood shed as the Apostle witnesseth saying So oft as ye eat of this bread and drink of this cup ye shall shew forth the Lords death untill He come Thirdly according to the sure knowledge of spiritual truth of which the Euangelist John doth write as also for assurance of giving taking using and of truth by faith in hope as the Lord saith Take and eat Take and drinke Fourthly for the conjunct use for according to the institution and practise of Christ and the primitive Church the Priest should then administer when the necessity of believers requireth and he should receive with them as He saith Doe yee this in remembrance of mee And Paul saith The cup which we blesse is it not the communication of the blood of Christ and the bread which we break is it not the partaking of the body of Christ for wee many are one bread and one body who are partakers of that one bread and one cup. Fifthly for distinction of believers from the unbelievers and unworthy and for excommunication and rebuke of those who being defiled with the spot of vices do refuse to amend Of this saith Paul I would not have you partakers with the Devils yee can not drinke of the cup of the Lord and the cup of Devils And again he saith Put away the evill from yourselves for if any who is called a brother among you be covetous or a fornicator or an idolater or a dronkard or a railer or a thief with such a one eat ye not Behold this is our faith most Gracious King concerning the body and blood of Christ which as we are afraid to change or forsake these things which our Lord JESUS hath been pleased to testifie and for which end we doe now declare it so neither dare we add any thing unto it which the Lord of the Sacrament hath not added as also the primitive Church which followed Christ in poverty and affliction in singleness of heart hath not altered the ordinances of his law Concerning this Sacrament which our Lord through his great mercy hath ordained for love of his elect have many contentions arisen in opinions expositions and addition of sanctions or decrees so that contrary unto the intention of the Lord's institution they have furiously raged against others even to take away their lives But we for eschuing so great mischief have our refuge unto the faith of Christ even unto his words and meaning so often repeated in his word so that what He commanded to believe we do believe it simply and what He hath commanded to do we would do it faith fully truly we doe not only believe that that bread is His body which being taken and blessed and broken He testifieth to be his body but also if He had taken a stone and said This is my body we would have fully believed it Because of this our simple faith and because we will not suffer ourselves to forsake it for the opinion of men wee are called hereticks likwise for the actuall use unto which the word of Christ and his Apostles and the example of the work of the same sacrament doe invite us because we doe and use it so with upright faith in remembrance of the death of Christ wee are condemned judged worthy of prison and are afflicted for wee being tied unto Christs command and dissuaded by his forbidding doe worship him with reverence and honour due unto him and we feare to worship any other thing as him only sitting at the right hand with the Father and the Holy Ghost Wherefore gracious King let your highness understand that we do so not in contumacy or any contempt but for feare of God and in obedience unto him and wee pray that your Highness would shew compassion on us who are condemned for the faith of Christ as wee wish that the most High would of his grace be pleased to preserve and keep your honour from his wrath By the same faith we believe that the ordination of priests is truly from the high Bishop and great priest that in stead of the embassage of Christ the ministery preaching of the gospell doctrine judging offering of prayers by men thanksgivings and praises may be done unto God by them And it is from God unto men that the promise of God may be verified in hope of the received true faith and by excommunication the wicked may be debarred from that good And by the same faith wee confesse that the promises of God may be verified in hope of the received true faith and by excommunication the wicked may be debarred from that good And by the same faith wee confesse that they who intend to ordain others should follow the example of Christ and should consummate his ambassage with a right mind without respect of persons free from covetousness and simony By the same faith we declare that they which are to be ordained or promoted to higher or inferior orders should excell other believers in a godly life and faith in Christ for a lively faith sanctifieth and maketh fit unto all offices and possesseth the blessing and life for good works of an honest conversation are the garments and ornaments of a priest to the glory of the heavenly Father and example of the people and shew the vertue of the word they should also have more aboundant gifts of the Holy Spirit to wit more servent love toward Christ confidence of their own and their nieghbours salvation trust in God equity of mind a wholsome feeling of faith in a good conscience theire feet prepared unto the Gospell of peace prudence of Spirit knowledge of Gods law discerning of Spirits and the like What clerck soever by such an ordination is advanced unto the priesthood wee professe that such an ordination is a Sacrament because it is a signe of the true priesthood of Christ Jesus and of his ordination by God the Father and a forme of the ministry as of the head of his Church to offer unto God the incense of truth in Christ Wee approve that three things are necessary unto the full gradation of a presbyter first the the triall of his life faith gifts and fidelity in lesser things that are intrusted unto him another prayers with fasting thirdly the giving of power with words suitable there unto and the imposition of hands for corroboration By faith wee doe testify that marriage is a lawfull honest and
doctrine and in the end he saith the Holy Scriptures of both Testaments are to be revised and corrected according to the antient Copies of the first Originals that they may be purged from the errours which have crept-in by the carelesness of Writers or default of times Solemn ceremonies concerning which some broils have been antiently are to be brought into some allouwable order and true histories are to be distinguished from Apocryphe fables c. Orat. Io. Pici in Concil Lateran ex Fascic rer expetend 12. Jacobus Faber Stapulensis had then renown for his learning and knowledge in all sciences especially in Divinity Aventinus had been his disciple and testifieth that he heard him and Clichtoveus say sixe hundred times that Lombard had troubled the most clear fountain of Divine philosophy with the durt of questions and pudlle of opinions He wrote Commentaries on the Psalmes Ecclesiastes on the four Evangels and the epistes of Paul His works began to be printed An. 1508 and as Jo. Sleidan writes he suffered many grievous persecutions by the Masters of Paris but the King by his missives from Spain exhorted them to spare him What was his belief in many articles now in controversy may be guessed by this that the Authors of the Belgick Jndex Expurgatorius have filled 18 pages with the catalogue of passages which they have ordained to be blotted out of his books as out of his Comm. on Mathew they blot out these words By faith in Christ only wee look for salvation The righteousness of works is a Pharisaicall doctrine Let none say Peter was that rocke And on Luke The grace ofsalvation is due not to works but of the goodnes of God only In very deed not priests but God doth cleanse yet they are witnesses All prayer and adoration belongs unto Him alone And on Iohn This faith can not bee without love He fell down and worshipped which is a duty to be done unto God only and the duty of him which confesseth that the Son of God is God All the Saints are nothing if the question be of true worship Yee believe in God believe also in mee Or els he is but an infidell albeit he think that he believes But the Authors of the Spanish Index have made a shorter cut they order to destroy all the Commentary on John because it can not be wel amended say they 13. William Budaeus was Secretary to Francis I King of France in his fifth book de Asse which was printed An. 1513. he describes the estate of the Church at that time saying The clergy are worse than the worst of the people in all kind of vice and wantonness prelats are ignorant and enemies of learning having no respect to the salvation of souls but rather thrusting them down to hell by their false teaching or wicked example He saw how they sought to abolish the Pragmatica Sanctio and therefore when he hath shewed that the riches of the present times are not comparable unto the former times he addeth except one sort of men who indeed should not have been excepted these are the priests whom now we behold to be the only rich men almost next unto Kings And when he had spoken a little satyrically of them he addeth Whence hast thou o France that liberty to be called most Christian if as by religion thou didst deserve that honourable name so by the same religion thou endevoirest not to retain it still O how would thy enemies clap their hands and rejoice who do envy thee this Palladium of thy happines Kingdom a gift sent unto thee from heaven which being taken away or fading from thee thou canst no more be happy Beware I pray thee that thou bee not to credulous unto these sonnes of the earth who building honorable estates like unto the Aloidae seeme to make warre against God climbe into the heavens to wrong them who are above for by consent of all men the cause of all these cometh from the head top of Christendom who unless he be well disposed all the inferiour members must draw the causes of disease from him We see likewise that godly men do wish that by providence the pillar of the Church may be amended or another be sett up more profitable Neither am I ignorant that the foundations of this house were layd by a cunning hand on a most firme rock which by no force can be pulled down c. Then he sheweth the abuses of the Church especially those that proceed from simony whereby the government of the Church is altogether diverse from the institution of Christ He compareth Christ his Apostles with the Pope and his court so that he is compelled to say The Bride hath renounced her Spouse Then he complaines that the discipline of the Church is corrupted by them who should have been the chief maintainers of it and who can believe that the men who have done these things can acknowledge the good true faith who knoweth not that the choice stones of the sanctuary have been castdoun long since and dispersed so that the Majesty of the Church being ruined now the Spouse of Christ forgetting her marriage-bond not only hath left her husband but shamelesly hath been wandring in the broad waies streets licenciously gone a whooring thorough Provinces who knoweth not that the sheapherds are become not only deserters but drivers away of their flockes What Have we not seen the most eminent of the praelats behaving themselves so preposterously so filthily that they who should have framed all the daunce to grauity comelynes have altogether abhorred the comelynes of order c. The Jesuits of the Spanish Jndex Expurg have ordained all such passages to be blotted out In his secound book De Translat Hellenism he saith O if we had but the relicqus and ashes of the old faith which now is almost buried From which faith God hath called some of his stewards faith full who being full of Divine courage of godly emulation of the Spirit of God have been a glory ornament of the Church But now and even of a long tyme the Church is a wasted house having no colour nor shew of that religion which Christ taught if we judge of the universality by the greatest part 14. Iacohus Almainus Doctour of Divinity in his book printed at Colen De potestate Pontificis against Thomas de vio aliàs Cardinal Cajetan the Legate of Leo X. writeth particularly of indulgences saying The power of binding loosing seemeth not to be extended unto them that are in purgatory seing wheresoever promises are made in the Scriptures or grace is promised it is alwayes said on earth as whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth c. and it is never spoken of these who are departed this lofe Thence it followeth saith he That the souls in purgatory can not be delivered from punishment by indulgences albeit they may be by prayers 15. John Tritemius was at this time Abbas Spanhemiensis
he had many bickerings with the monkes In one epistle he calleth the priests contemners of the Holy Scriptures in another he complaineth that Aristotle was more preached in pulpits then Christ In his answer unto the 8. questions of the Emperour Maximilian he hath these propositions If there be any salvation without Christ Christ is not the Saviour of all 2. Seing the Sacred Scripture is the work of God we must necessarily confesse it is in all respects perfect for the great God whose works are all perfect hath given unto his Scriptures such order as he pleased and without all doubt he inspired his pen men how they should write Adquaest 4. 3. The heavenly doctrine is not in the words but in the meaning of the Scriptures not in the pages of an hid oration but in the secret of mysticall inspiration ibid. 4. Neither hath the Church any authority without the Scripture nor is faith given unto the Scripture without the Church for as Augustin saith I had not believed the Scriptures if the authority of the Church had not moved me So John Gerson said I would not believe the Church if the Gospell did not move me the Church confirmeth the Scripture and is confirmed by the Scripture when the Church doubteth she hath recourse unto the advice of the Scriptures for the same Spirit of God hath founded the Church on the faith of Jesus Christ and he only hath inspired the Scriptures This is the three fold cord which is not easily broken when the Holy Scripture is by the Holy Spirit coupled with the authority of the Church so that the Scriptures commend the Church and the Church commendeth the Scripture 5. Some men think that the Holy Scripture is in many things confused and imperfect and yet if they would read it with due purity of mind they would find it very perfect solid At last he concludeth The authority of any Catholik Church not of any particular Church is great which only in the doubts concerning faith hath place to expound the Scriptures to wit out of the Scriptures themselves which are perfect as he said before unto whom speaking according to the Scriptures the neckes of all powers are subject c An. 1516. died the worthy Carmelite Baptista Mantuanus a Poet of such same that he is aequalized unto the antient Poets as Bostius writeth unto Burellus In many places he describeth the estate of Rome to wit he professeth his own affection toward that Church in Fast. lib. 12. saying Et licet his olim nugis juveniliter aures Praebuerim tamen ut melius cum tempore factum Judicium lis haec mihi perniciosa videri Caepit ex gravium cuneis abigenda virorum In his Eclog. 9. he describeth the City thus Mille lupi totidem vulpes in vallibus istis Lustra tenent quod dirum ac mirabile dictu est Ipse homines hujus tanta est violentia coeli Saepe lupi effigiem moresque assumere vidi Inque suum saevire gregem multâque madere Caede sui pecoris factum vicinia ridet Nec scelus exhorret nec talibus obviat ausis Saepe etiam miris apparent monstra figuris Quae tellus affecta malis influxibus edit Saepe canes tantam in rabiem vertuntur ut ipsos Vincant caede lupos qui tutela fuerunt Hostiles iâ—eunt animos ovilia mactant And in his first book Sylvarum after along catalogue of the impieties of Rome he saith Singula texentem convitia deseret aetas Tantum ac tale tuae est impietatis onus Romanis Pater est Mavors lupa Martia nutrix Haec hominum mores ingeniumque docent Vivere qui sanctè cupitis discedite Romae Omnia cùm liceant non licet esse pium And in Fast. libr. 2. he directeth his speech unto Pope Leo X. Sed tria praesertim restant curâ atque labore Digna tuo bellum est primum quae fessa laborat Italia pleni humano jam sangnine campi Est aliud Romana gravi maculata veneno Curia quae spargit terras contagia in omnes Postremum est oppressafides expósta rapinis Vndique in praedam populis subjecta cruentis A te haec subsidium magnis clamoribus orant Sancte Pater succurre Leo Respublica Christi Labitur agrotatque fides jam proxima morti 17. The University of Padua in their determination for the divorcement of Augustinus Furnarius a Noble man of Genua did hold that those things which appertain unto the law of God are not subject unto the power of the Romish Pope and that in these things the Pope is not the Vicar of Christ but only in such things that are committed unto the jurisdiction of men Corn. Agrippa in Apolog. § 2. 18. Cornelius Agrippa Count a Niettesheim Doctor utriusque Juris became afterwards counseller unto Charls V. Emperour Albeit he continue professing himself to be a member of the Romish Church and wrote despitefully of Martin Luther yet in sundry of his works he dissembleth not the estate of the Romish Church An. 1510. he had a declamation against diverse abuses of the Church and in defence of his declamation he wrote a book which he calleth De vanitate scientiarum artium in which his purpose is to shew that no where no not in the Pope nor in Scholastik Theology is there any Divine solidity but only in the word of God and in proof heer of as he taxeth the faults of all studies and Arts so he concealeth not the vices of priests monks Bishops Cardinals and Popes as elsewhere I have touched especially in cap. 54. he sheweth that the Doctours of Theology in Lovan do reckon among the canonized Saints Aristoteles who by killing himself had made himself a sacrifice unto the Devils and nevertheless they had caused to print a book de Salute Aristot and they had published another booke de Vita Morte Arist with a Theologicall glosse in the end of which they conclude as John the Baptist was the fore-runner of Christ in things concerning grace so Aristotle was the forerunner of Christ in other things c. In c. 60. he saith It is not the least part of Religion that consisteth in the pompe of ceremonies in cloaths in vessell candles bell organs concents odours sacrifices gestures pictures in the choise of meates fastes such other things that are in singular admiration adoration of the unlearned people who receive and take heed only to such things as are before their eyes But as it oft happeneth that those things which are ordained for remedy turne to harme so it comes to passe that by the multiplication of the lawes concerning these caeremonies Christians are now burdened with too many constitutions with moe that the Iewes of old and which is more to be lamented whereas those rites are neither good nor bad in themselves people trust more in them and observe them more praecisely than the commandements of God
acknowledge nothing in the Supper but bread and wine and ascribe nothing unto the sacraments but that they be badges of Christian profession But now I affiâ—e before the Lord unto his Church as my diuâ—lged books can testify that I was never of that mind or did think that in the holy Supper nothing â—â— given or distributed but bread and wine as empty signes of the Lords body and blood and not also the body and blood of the Lord. Likewise albeit in the sacraments I did speak of that as a main thing that they are the badges of our profession yet I never denied that the Lord gives those also for recommending his mercy and exhibiting the giâ—ts of life yea and the same gift not in one place only The only thing that I did impugne was that the sacraments do of themselves confirm faith seing that is the work of the Holy Ghost But when the dispute continued and Luther had declared all the matter of the sacrament more fully I saw that he neither did unite the Lords body and blood by any naturall ty unto the bread and wine nor did inclose them locally in the bread and wine nor did ascribe unto the sacraments the proper virtue whereby they of themselves can bring salvation unto the receivers but he did assert only a sacramental union between the Lords body and the bread and between his blood and the wine and that he did teach that the confirmation of faith which is asscribed unto the sacraments is by virtue not which cleaveth unto the external things by themselves but which belongs unto Christ and is dispensed by his Spirit by means of the Word and the holy Sacraments So soon as I did observe this it was my serious purpose to shew and recommend it unto others and so I desire to testify in this place unto all men who shall read this that Luther and others who are truly with him and follow his teaching rightly doth not hold any impanation in the holy supper nor any local inclosing of Christs body in the bread or of the blood in the wine neither attributeth any saving power unto the external actions of the sacraments of themselves But they hold a substantiall presence and exhibition of the Lords body and blood with the bread and wine in the holy supper and the reby they declare plainly the words of the Lord and the testimony of the Apostle which presence and exhibition is certain by the Lords word and institution without any natural union of the Lords body and blood with the elements for the Lord doth not come down again from the heavenly glory into the condition of this corruptible life They do also acknowledge and preach the saving presence and exhibition but by virtue of the Lords and noâ— of the external action and that the communicants enjoy it when with true faith they partake of the sacraments Certainly our Saviour did intend as in all his actions so especially in the sacraments to advanoe our salvation which if wee enioy not it must be through our own fauâ—â— For the bread which wee break is the communication of the Lords body and the cup of thankes-giving is the communication of his blood and unboubtedly unto the end that both the communion of Christ may groweâ—h us and all salvation may be perfected Therefore who knowing this mystery can doubt that all who are religiously partakers of the Lords table by the same partaking have their â—aith into Christ more confirmed that is more full salvation not indeed by the benefit of the external action of itself but through the good pleasure of our heavenly Father and power of our Lord Jesus Christ which he shewes toward us in the ministry of the holy Church For the more gravely and with the more religious ceremony the redemption of Christ and the communion is set forth in the holy table pious hearts that believe the promises of the Lord are the more commoved and do the more earnestly embrace the tendered communion of Christ and afterwards are the more zealous in confidence and duty unto Christ And therefore what either I in my former Enâ—â—rations or others have written against the natural union of the bread and Christs body or that local inclosing think not godly reader that those were against Luther and them that stand rightly with him for those neyther hold nor teach any such thing neither do the words which they do use carry such an opinion by themselves as even I thought some time for which only cause I did carpe at their words and I doubted not that their mind was any way more sound Huldric Zuinglius whom all that knew him know to have been Zealous and of admirable dexterity in windicating the Church unto Christ from the tyranny and superstition of the Pope when M. Luther and others contended that the bread is the body of the Lord or that the Lords body is in the bread did persuade himself that they thought the Lords body either to be turned into the same substance with the bread or to be inclosed locally in the bread and therefore he did alwayes alledge against the first If the bread be the Lords body the bread was crucified for us and against the other those passages which â—estify that the Lord left the earth and went into the heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father out of those he began to expound Is in the words of the Lord This is my body for signifieth and by the heat of contention he was so carryed that when he would impugne only the impanation and local inclosing or presence of Christ after the manner of this world and said that the Lord is more absent then present in the holy supper and that the signes are rather given here then the body and blood of the Lord and yet it was not his judgement that the Lord is simply or wholly absent from the supper or that the symboles are given without or altogether empty of the Lord body and blood as he himselfs professed afterwards when he was here treating about the agreement of the Churches in this particular and so did he write in the Apology unto the Princes of Germany for he there did maintain the presence of the Lord by the words of Augustine So sometimes when he would beware that men sought salvation by the external work of the â—acraments he averred plainly that the sacraments are but badges of Christian society and conferre nothing unto salvation But in other places he writes plainly that the sacraments do help faith Whence it it cleaâ—e that when he writes Sacraments do confer nothing unto salvation nor confirm faith thereby he understood that the sacraments that is the outward actions of the sacraments have of themselves no power to strenghthen the conscience with encrease of faith for when he intended to prove that his saying The sacraments give not salvation nor confirm faith he alledgeth that to confirm or encrease faith is the work
regard of the second sort Others ascribing predestination in all unto mans consent condemned both parts Who adhered unto Augustin said it was true in a compound sense but damnable in a divided sense This distinction was called dark though it was declared thus As he who moves can not stand still when he moves but he may at another time The 3 article The elect only are justified and the 6 article Those who are called and are not of the number of the elect never receive grace In these was admirable concorde saying It hath been alwayes the opinion of the Church that many receive grace and afterward loose it and are damned as Saul Salomon Luther As for the 6. that calling were an ungodly derision when those who are called and nothing wanting on their side are not admitted Against the 5 The justified can not fall from grace they brought the words of Ezekiel If the just leave his righteousnes c. and the example of David falling into adultery and of Peter denying Christ and they derided the foly of Zuinglius who said A just man can not fall from grace and yet sinneth in every work The other articles concerning the certainty of grace were condemned of temerity excepting extraordinary revelation When they came to frame decrees of those three particulares justification free-will and predestination it was hard to please all parties from the beginning of September untill the end of November scarcely passed one day in which the Legate took not some paines in changing some words as he was advised now by one party and then by another untill they were couched in this frame as â—hey are and then because of their ambiguity they pleased them all and the Superintendent Court of Rome also As for the Reformation the residence of Bishops was the only purpose and after much jangling an article was framed as the prelats would yet derogating nothing from no-residents except the inferior sort V In time of those disputes the Emperour prevailed in his warrs then the Pope being jealous thought to provide for himself before all Germany Variance concerning in the Synod were subdued he considered the Emperour might be along time busied there and so not able to vexe him with forces unless he could juduce the Protestants to come unto the Councel To dissolve the Councel it seemed too scandalous a remedy seing they had treated seven months and nothing was done or published Therefore he intends to publish the â—hings that were already digested and then the Protestants either will not come or shall be forced to accept and the chief controversies consisting in those points The victory were his own And it were sufficient to prove good for him that the Emperour would have had no controversies decided So as he directed at Trenta congregation was held January 3. 1547 the Imperialists oppose the holding of a Session nevertheless on the 13 day in the Session the Decrees were published and the next Session is to be held March 3. The same year So to the Dominican wrote three books de Natura et gratia as a Commentary on these Decrees of doctrine When these came abroad Vega a Franciscan set forth 15 greater books as a Commentary on the same Decrees They both allowed the anathematismes but in expounding the canons they were directly contradictory who reades them will marvell how those two leading men did not understand the sense of the Synod and Catharinus writing differently from them both gave at least occasionally all men to understand that the Synod agreed in words but never in sense Each party dedicates their books unto the Synod and printed apologies and antapologies making complaints that the adverse party did impute unto the Synod that which they never said and bringing testimonies of the Fathers to confirm their own opinion The Prelats were divided some neutrals said They knew no difference but allow the Decrees De Santa Cruce went with Vega and Catharinus De Monte was for the third party The Bishop of Biponto said in a Sermon The Synod was a congregated body and the Holy Ghost assisting them made them determin the truth though not understood by them as Cajaphas prophecied Others said God makes reprobates to prophecy without understanding but believers prophecy by illumination of their mind Others said Divines say uniformly Synodes do not deliberat of faith by Divine inspiration but by humane disquisition which the Spirit doth assist to keep them from errors so that they can not determine without understanding of the matter But truly they debating the contrary opinions when they were framing the decrees every one refused the words that were contrary unto his own mind and were all contented with the words which they thought appliable to his own opinion and they were not so curious in condemning the Protestants where-in they all did agree as what were said against themselves But in all these broils behold the hand of God! The Pope and the Emperour had contrary interests so had the Legates and the Prelats and so had the Dominicans and Franciscans even from their first beginning and could never agree so that the old phrase vatinianum odium was turned into Theologorum bellum when men would express an irreconcilable difference At that time all those parties professed an unity and yet were clashing one against another like flint-stones and God made the trueth to spark out from among them even against all their wills yea and to flash upon them when they were busiest to smother it VI. After that Session a general congregation was assembled the Session 7 next day to advise of the matter for the 7 Session In doctrine they resolve to follow the order of the Augustan Confession where the next point is of Ecclesiastical Ministery containing the authority of preaching and administring the sacraments Hence arises a controversy which of the two to debate first or both jointly The Legates fearing that in speaking of the first they might fall upon the authority of Councels and of the Pope enclined unto the reasons for beginning with the sacraments Concerning Reformation the chief points of not-residence were yet remaining here the Spanish Bishops and some others hoping to recover episcopal authority in their own Diocies as when the reservation of Benefices of Cases absolutions dispensations and the like were not known these I say brought many reasons to prove that residence of Bishops is de jure Divino and therefote the Pope can not call them from their charge neither dispence nor restrain their authority On the other side the Legates and others did cunningly shun that purpose and said His Holiness understanding to his great grief their former debates craves this question to be handled before himself at Rome and to assist the Synod with his counsel and because such is the Popes will no more speach should be of that particular but look to the Reformation of inconvenients which have caused the abuses of not-residence especially the plurality
communication is extended We believe that upon the personal vnion followes so reall a communication of properties whereby the Son of God communicates unto the assumed nature his omnipotence omnipresence omniscience power of quickning c. by which communication the Godhead becomes not weaker but his humane nature is exalted and not abolished as is the union of the body and soul and of the fire and iron the body lives verily but by vertue of the soul and the iron burneth but by vertue of the fire neither is any of them turned into another therefore we believe that because of this personal union Christ according to his manhood is almighty or which is all one the humane nature of Christ is almighty For the Scripture gives unto him even as he is man all power which is no other thing but omnipotency and in testimony of this he gave sight unto the blind ........ We believe that Christ in his manhood now in the estate of glory and Majesty perfectly knowes all things that have been or shall bee For the Spirit was given him not in measure ..... but where it is said he knew not the day of judgement it is not meant simply of his manhood but of the form of a servant which afterwards he layd aside The Scriptures also bear witnes that Christ in his humanity is present with all creatures especially with his Church Beloved I am with yow untill .... but the manner of this presence is not exprest and so we believe not that he is locally or physically but supernaturaly with all his creatures how this is in true humility we confess that we are ignorant We believe also that in his flesh he hath the power of quickening as he said I am the bread of life and he had this majesty of omnipotency and of ..... as he is man because of the personal vnion even in the wombe of his mother but he shew it not then after he was born he shew it in miracles so oft as it was needfull and so far as the respect of his office and calling did require for he was then in form of a servant and had abased himself that he might suffer But the exinanition or form of a servant which was but for a time derogates nothing from his Majesty into which he entred fully when he went up to heaven and sate at the right hand of God this right hand is the Majesty of Christ reigning praesenter according to both natures both in heaven and earth this is to sit at the right hand of God And this our Mediator is to be adored with all religious worship according to both natures for we have not two Christs whereof the one should be worshipped and not the other but of wholl Christ it is said Let all the Angels worship him On the morow Beza answered thus There is ambiguity in the word communication it signifieth the personal union and also the effects of it We believe a real communication that is an union of natures in which union both natures remain distinct both in their own properties and therefore that communication whereby his humane nature is said to be every where and almighty is not so much as verbal but is as false as if yow would say His humanity is become his Deity Although all the properties of the Deity may be attributed unto Christ-man that is unto his person even named by his manhood or in concreto as we say The man Christ is almighty and eternal but neither may the natures be spoken one of another neither the properties of the one be given unto the other for this is a sure rule In the personal vnion both natures remain distinct and they both distinctly do what is proper unto them So the Word is distinctly that which the worde is as the flesh remaines distinctly the flesh Briefly as are two natures in Christ distinct in number and not separated one from the other so there are two wills and two workings or operations but one work as there is but one person Neither can that saying of Athanasius be otherwise understood It pleased the Worde to shew his Divine nature by that flesh in it and with it As for the alledged places of Scripture those concerning the power and authority of Christ are impertinently brought because his power or authority should be reckoned amongst the gifts bestowed on his flesh And so those places concerning his omnipotency and omnipresence must be understood of his person or Deity and not of his manhood To this purpose he cited some testimonies as of Tertullian Wee see a twofold estate not confounded but united in one person God-man and the properties of both natures are so safe that the Spirit or Deity shewes his own things in him that is his virtue works and signes and the flesh exerciseth its passions being hungry when with Satan and thirsty with the woman of Samaria As for that power of vinification we deny not that the flesh of Christ hath that power but not in that sense as yee take it for the flesh is vivificative not with that virtue which is proper unto the Deity that is not communicable but first because in this flesh Christ hath abolish'd death for us having fulfilled all things that were required to acquire eternal life unto us and then because by means of this flesh being communicated spiritually unto us by faith we receive life from Christ God-man It 's manifest that those gifts which were powred on the flesh of Christ were not at one instant perfectly bestow'd on his soul and body because he is said to have grown as in stature so in knowledge and grace and he was verily subject unto all our infirmities excep sin in time of his humiliation and so after his ascension he began not the use and declaration but the consummation of his power and glory The form of a servant and the exinanition signify not both one thing as yee suppose but by the form of a servant we understand his very humanity according to which he ever was is and shall be inferior to himself the Word and by which he is of the same nature with us though he hath laid aside all our infirmities when the work of our redemption was finished but among those infirmities circumscription is not to be numbred or else when he shall come in a bodily circumscribed substance he were not then most glorious but base having resumed that infirmity We profess also that Christ reigneth now and hath all power both in heaven and earth according to both natures but not praesenter in respect of his flesh for now as the Apostle saith we are strangers from Christ and he desired to be out of the body that he might be with Christ And it is said He will come again to wit visibly and bodily Lastly in that one adoration of our one and only Mediator according to both natures we divide not the person but we distinguish the natures for the Worde
their books and practises The other book is written by one of that Society bewailing the corruptions thereof as appeares by his epistle unto the Reader and in Pag. 37. he hath the words of Claud. Aquaviva their General complaining thus Secularity and Aulicism insinuating into the familiarity and favor of strangers is a disease of our Society dangerous both within and without unto them that are infected and Us the Superiors who almost know nothing of it Under a fair shew indeed of gaining Princes Prelats and potent Men of concilâ—ating such persons unto the Society for divine obedience of helping others but in truth wee seek ourselves and by degrees we decline into secular affaires And in Pag. 43. are these words of Joh. Mariana a Jesuit in his book De Morbis Societatis Cap. 19. Our rules have been oftymes changed the body of the Society is altogether contrary unto that which our Fundator Ignatius conceived and framed men are scandalized grumble and hate us for no other cause but that they see us so singular and interessed or seeking our own gain ..... None can deny that our society hath departed from right reason And in Pag. 49. he shewes that by the first foundation and also by later constitutions under Aquaviva they should follow the doctrin of S. Thomas Aquinas but because many questions are started up that were not known by him they follow no precedent He speaks of their prudence Pag. 12. as of men desirous to serve God and Mammon who because they have gone unto the world and hate God as Christ teaches Matt. 6. all good men should hate them and follow David who said Do I not hate them who hate thee o Lord Their last aim or end which they profess and fain is the glory of God and salvation of their own soul The middle and remoter end is the spiritual salvation of their nighbours and the nearest is the honor of the Apostolical See But really the end aimed-at and the rule of all things done by the Society according to the mind of their Superiors is the last the proper good of each one gain pleasure and glory And the middle remoter is the glory and vast dominion of their Generall And the nearest is the Monopoly of things that are of greatest necessity and worth as 1. of grace with God that none should be in favour with God nor obtain remission or absolution of sins but by Jesuites and that none should attain to honor Offices and wealth from Princes but by Jesuites 2. Of faith that none should be turned from paganism to Christianity nor from heresy to the catholick faith but by means of Jesuites 3. Of perfection that none should be held perfect or a Saint but by Jesuites that is unless he be of the Iesuites 4. Of learning that now none may learn Divin or humane Letters but under a Jesuite 5. Of vertue or good manners that none should be instructed but by the admonitions and example of Jesuits 6. Of fame or good name that none should be thought good or learned but by the suffrage of the Jesuites at least these not resisting In Pag. 28. he speakes of the fruits of this depraved Society and distinguishes them into inward and outward The inward are special or general The special are 1. in Superiors the ambition of the general affecting a Monarchy and vast Empire Courtliness secularity and Polypragmosyne or medling with many affaires and tyrannicall manner of domineering that is deceitfulness and violence 2. in the subjects effeminate and dainty breeding of Novices a great number and great licence of laiks Mangonia or a divelish way of alluring men into their society an unwillingness of mind or a desire to forsake the Society aloss of goods brought into the Society and beggery a hunting of inheritances flattering of Superiors and potent strangers quadruplies or delaying of pleas from time to time envy against the learned and famous without their Society contumacy against Superiors courtliness and secularity The general fruits are the multiplication of Colledges contrary unto the ordinances multitude of but half-learned Masters a sophistical way of teaching not for advancing of learning but serving unto the ambition of the General who would have many colledges and many Masters to be planted in new Schools paucity of men eminent in learning ........ hypocrisy doubleness simulation and dissimulation as of men living sparingly and disclosing themselves simply unto none a shameless denying of the things that are done by catholicks especially by the clergy though these things are known certainly a contumelious way of contending and disputing with the heterodoxe and stirring up of Princes into violence against them The external fruits are privat or publick the private are many children and young men do unwarily by impulsion of Jesuitesâ—ty themselves with the vow of chastity that they must be Jesuites many hate learning and forsake it being terrified by the multitude of Grammare rules many are craftily cheated of their patrimony many indigent are deprived of godly mens alms many are through envy so diffamed that they can do no good in publick especially if the Pharisees conspire with the Herodians ..... The publick fruits are the first or secondary the first are ecclesiastical or Politicall The ecclesiastical are 1. rarity of Councels for they persuade men that Councels are not necessary seeing they can perform all thing concerning the preservation of faith and discipline 2. the unfitness of Bishops seeing by the teaching and example of their Masters the Jesuits they know not a contemplative life nor Apostolical patience ... Epicurism of the Sadducees or clerks who live so as if they believed neither resurrection nor that there is a soul and spirit .... the infamy of the antient sort of Monks as if they had been the broachers of all heresies some scandalous wicked and heretical opinions which they have hid for a long time and now having power dar vent them as may be seen in Apologia Perfectionis Mic. Ã Jesus Maria printed twice at Rome and again at Ravensburg c. The Political fruits are in respect of Princes or subjects through the flattering and indulgence of Confessary Iesuits is the tyranny of some Princes who account their will a law and their proper interest to be the end of their power seeing the Superiors of the Society commanding the same way and not only absolve Princes their imitators but also pronounce them blest c. In subjects the corruption of faith and manners ignorance imprudence for Jesuits partly by their traditions and partly by exemple persuad the people that God and Mammon may be both served and he may enter into the Kingdom of heaven who puts his hand to the plough and looks back again ..... as may be seen more fully in that Apologia The secundary fruits are the offense of God by profaning ecclesiastical goods ... civil wars arising from that warre that sinners have against God and from the bloody doctrin of Jesuites
tumultuous talking of their Vocation and of the Supper After that day they changed again the form of Conference five men were chosen on either side to dispute all the matter peaceably On the one side were the five Ministers named before and on the other was Janus Bishop of Valencia Vallius Bishop of Seen Botiller an Abbot the Bishop of Salignac and Espensaeus the Sorbonist They agree on the order of disputation the time place and Notaries They began with the question of the Supper aforme of agreement was drawn up when it was shewd unto the Prelates they would not consent they framed another the next day and shew it unto the Ministers who would not admit that On the thrid day all the ten consented unto this forme We confess that Jesus Christ in the Supper offereth gives and truly exhibiteth unto us the substance of his body and blood by the operation of the Holy Ghost and that we eat spiritually the same body which died for us that we may be bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh to the end also that we may be quickned by him and may understand all things appertaining to our salvation And because faith being grounded on the word of God maketh things that are promised and understood by us to be present by this faith we truly and effectually receive the true and natural body of Christ Jesus by the power of the Holy Ghost and in this respect we confess the presence of his body and blood in the Supper The other Prelates were content with this form but the Sorbonists would not and they blamed their chosen men that they had made a compact with the Ministers neither would they consent unto any more treating Thus was that Conference ended without any effect and the Ministers of Germany after three moneths did returne Ibid. Thus we have seen by what means God did revive the Gospell in France to wit by men of low condition at the first who suffered slaunders proscription stripes burning and every kind of vexation and when it pleased Him he joined unto the Church the Princes and Peers and He opened a wide doore unto the preaching of the Worde when the greatest enemies of the Trueth had the supreme power of government and yet seemed to be brought on their knies The University of Paris in proceedings ages had stood for the trueth and resisted errours creeping-in but at that time became most gross enemies And then Antony King of Navar not only resigned his part of the government unto the Queen and so unto the Guises but was also allured by fair promises of the Pope that he should have all his kingdom of Navar restored unto him and should have divorcement from his present wife and shall have the Queen of Scotland in marriage by whom he may be King of Scotland and England By such persuasions he left the Reformation and became a bitter enemy and seemed most of any to bring ruine unto the Church The Guises then and the Prelates lift up their heads again and used cruel butchery against the Reformed for in the year 1562. in the town Vassi the Reformed were assembled in a large Barn to heare the Word the Duke of Guise came upon them unawares and instantly killed 24. of them 45. were wounded so that within few dayes they died and the Minister with many others were carryed into prison At the same time by means of the Cardinal of Lorrain and the Marshall of Santandrae many of the common people in the town of Seenes and some of the Kings Counsellors were cruelly murdered It was done in like manner in many other places of France Osiander ex Beuther XLVII About the yeare 1540. sundry youngmen in Hungaria hearing The Gospell in Hungary of Luther and Melanthon went unto Witteberg to wit Steven Galssetsi Matthias Devai Andrew Batizi Steven Kis better known by the name Szegedin from his native town Benedict Abadi Emerik Ozorai and some others These being informed in the trueth return into their Country and preached the Gospell with happy success but not without persecution for the Monks stirred up the Civil power against them namely Devai was imprisoned at Cassow where a smith was also in the same prison for laiming the Kings horse in the shoeing there Devai informeth the smith in Religion afterwards the Kings horse amendes and the King commandeth to dismisse the smith and to burn Devai as an heretick The smith answereth I am of the same Religion with Devai and I will live or dy with him for I never knew what Religion or piety was untill I have learned it now from him When this was reported unto the King they were both set free The greatest enemy of those Teachers was George the Treasurer who had been a Monk of S. Pauls at Buda and among them all the most usefull in promoting the Truth was zegedin a learned man as his Works do shew he was persecuted from City to City where he came he had many hearers not only in the Schools but pulpits also and the more he was persecuted the more hearers flocked unto him and the Gospell was the more spread Amongst all those Students who went to Witteberg none maintained the opinion of Brentius concerning the Ubiquity but only Peter Melius and in the end he was convinced by Szegedin and did subscribe unto the truth Michael Starin a Baron became a preacher and Bishop of his own Barony near unto Tolna Mat. Scaric in vita Szegedini At Varadin a learned Mahumetan A dispâ—â—e between a papist and a Turk Deruis Gsielebi did provoke all the Franciscans unto disputation in matter of Religion Neither their Prelate George nor any of the Convent durst answer him wherefore the man like another Goliah did bragg against all Christians untill Bar. Georgieviz who had been a pilgrim and knew the Turkish language undertook the dispute The 29 day of May being the Pentecost in the year 1â—47 was appointed and many both Papists and Turcks assembled in the Monastery The Turk first asks where was God before the making of heaven and earth and other things This question seemed unto the Pilgrim to be impertinent as to the differences of Religion but lest the other might impute it unto his ignorance if he had declined it he said Before the creation God was in his own nature The Turk replieth This answer is dark and can not be understood Georgieviz said God was where He is now Deruis That could not be but He was in a cloud Georgieviz He could not be in a cloud for so a cloud had been before the heaven and the earth but this is contrary unto the words of Genesis The Turks read the books of Moses After more words on both sides Dervis bids the other propound then Georgieviz writeth out of the Alcoran these words in the Arabick language Bisem Allahe El rahmanne El ruoahim that is In the Name of God and of Mercy and of the Spirit and he
bids the Turk expound those words Deruis said Whence have Christians those words we use them in the beginning of all our works and they are prefixed before every chapter of the Alcoran But what mean they said Georgieviz He answered We understand them no otherwise but according to the Letter Georgieviz They have another even a mystical signification they signify the three Persons of the Deity the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost and they are borrowed from the Hebrew language Beshem El Abba u Ben veRuach elchutz that is In name of God the Father and the Son and the holy Ghost Deruis said How can God have a Son seeing both we and ye hold that God hath no spouse nor children Georgieviz We call God the Father because he is the first cause of all things creating conserving them he was evermore in the same essence wherein he is now and shall be for ever he is also the first Person of the Deity We believe also rhat He hath a Son whom Mahumet called Rachman or Mercy not begotten of a woman nor according to the lust of the flesh but begotten of the Essence or substance of the Father and He for taking away our sin took upon him the humane nature of the Virgin Mary he suffered and died for us and was buried and as the Prophets foretold he rose from the dead he ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of the Father he will come again and judge both quick and dead and then he will give the blessedness of immortality unto them who believe in him and everlasting punishment unto them that believe not and pointing unto the image of Christ crucified behold whether Mahumet hath justly called the Son of God Mercy seeing with outstretched arms he calleth upon us to accept of mercy saying Come unto mee all that are weary and laden with sin and I will refresh you And that thou mayst the better understand the Mystery of the Trinity behold the Sunne as that one Sunne hath beawty heat and splendor so there is one God even the Father who hath a Son and the Holy Ghost whom we call Ruah and God consists in those three Persons who all are of the same substance equally from all eternity without any Creator Then Derviscried Allah Allah that is o God ô God! neither I nor any of us did ever believe that yee think so well of God we thought that yee were lying in darknes but by thy words I understand that ye think very well of God except that yee contemn Mahomet the great Prophet of God Georgieviz said What have we to do with the toies of Mahomet who except baptisme and the mystery of the Trinity which he had learned from us Christians hath nothing true for example What a fable is that of two Angels Aroth and Maroth who as Mahomet saith were sent from heaven unto the earth to give lawes unto men and they commanded to abstain from wine and women neither did they shew the way to heaven but they transgressed the commandement of God and were deceived by a woman and they shew her the way to heaven and when God saw her in heaven he said unto the Angels standing about him Who is this come into heaven in such a forme When the Angels told him she was turned into a starr and the two Angels were tied with chains and cast into a ditch to be tormented for ever And what a fable is that of the beast El Barahil which carried Mahomet into heaven where Mahomet saith he saw the Angels with many heads c. When Dervis heard these words he was ashamed and would not answer Then he went into the Church and said What mean those images do ye not worship those Georgieviz answered Think not that we worship stocks or stones but we have those not to worship them but for representation of Christ and the holy Virgin and of other holy men we worship only the true God and we honour the Saints even as ye do your Kings and God hath said Blessed are they who dy in the Lord VVee also hae these images to praise God for his gifts bestowed on them and that we may learn and endeavour to follow their holiness charity and devotion In the mean while some dogs were in the Church and the Turk said Is it lawfull that dogs be in your Churches Georgieviz said This is the sloth of them who keep the doors Then Dervis aâ—ked VVat form of prayer do ye Christians use Georgieviz turned the Lords prayer into the Turkish language and gave it unto him Dervis commended it and took his leave Bar. Georgieviz in disputat cum Turca printed at Wittemb Anno 1560. XLVIII Howbeit there was no publick Reformation in Italy yet Sparks of the Gospel in Italy they were not only sensible of their bondage and darknes but the light of the Gospell did shine upon them and they partly for fear and partly through wilfulness did shut their eies against it I will shew some instances About the year 1530 Peter Martyr who was born at Vermile in Florence Governor of a Colledge at Napels by his study of the sacred Scriptures and knowledge of the Hebrew and Greek languages and through the illumination of the Holy Ghost did observe the errours and abuses in the Church thereupon hearing what business was in Germany he sought and gote Bucers Commentaries upon the Evangels and his Annotations on the Psalms and some books of Zuingsius by those as he afterwards confessed he profited much He dayly conferred with some others whom he knew to be desirous of Reformation to their mutuall edification towit Benedict Cusanus Anto. Flaminus and John Valdesius a noble Spaniard made a Knight by Charles V. who spent his life in Italy by his life and teaching gaining many unto Christ especially of the learned men and Nobility as the Noble Galleacius Caracciolus Marques of Vico and the Lady Isobella Manricha who was afterward banished for Christs cause c. So a Church being thus by Gods providence gathered at Naples Peter Martyr began to expound unto them the first Epistle to the Corinthians Not only the Fellows of the Colledge resorted unto him but some Bishops and Noble men When he came to the words in Ch. 3. Every mans works shall be made manifest ..... he interpreted them contrary to the received opinion This stirred up many enemies against him for it was thought commonly that these words imply a Purgatory but he shew'd out of the Fathers that these words can not be so understood But many knowing that if Purgatory were overthrown their gain by Masses indulgences c. would eftsoon cease Therefore they accused Martyr and prevailed so far that his Lecture was forbidden but he refused to obey the Sentence as unjust and trusting to the goodness of the cause he appealed to the Pope at Rome he overcame his adversaries by the assistance of some potent friends as Cardinals Gonzaga