THE SECOND PART OF THE PROTESTANTS PLEA AND PETITION FOR PREISTS AND Papists Beeing an historie of the holy preisthood and sacrifice of the true Church of Christ Inuincibly prouing them to be the present sacrificing preisthood prouing also the sacrifice of the Masse vsed in the Catholike Roman church and that these were promised and foretold by the Prophets instituted by Christ and exercised by all his Apostles Moreouer that they haue euer from the first plantinge of Christianitie in this our Britanye in the dayes of the Apostles in euery age and hundred of yeares beene continued and preserued here All for the most part warranted by the writinges and testimonies of the best learned Protestant Doctors and antiquaries of England and others The preisthood beeing chaunged there is made of necessitie a chaunge also of the lawe Hebr. cap. 7. ver 12. WITH LICENCE Anno 1625. AN ADMONITION OF THE Author to all Readers of this his historie comprehending the Argument and contents thereof KNowinge well by longe and daiely purchased experience the great and greeuous persecutions which formerly haue beene raysed and persecuted in England against consecrated Preists of the Romane Church and professors of that Religion and for nothing more then holy priesthood and the sacred sunctions thereof And yet often hearinge all sorts of people euen persecutors themselues contestinge and cryinge out they would willingly stand to the Iudgement of and bee arbitrated by diuine Authoritie and reuerend antiquitie I an vnworthie member of that holy order a longe student in diuinitie to which these are either parts or haue a subordination for my discharge of dutie to God and his holy Church comfort and strengtheninge those that bee in truth and satisfying or confounding such as bee in error haue taken in hand to write a briefe history of this subiect beginning at the first originall of Christianitie especially in this Kingdome of great Britaine to which onely after my more generall Introduction and preface ended to preuent 〈…〉 both in writer and Readers I will confine my selfe And to winne the loue and likinge of all and auoide the dislike of any I meane to follow that most frendly and to all protestants fauourable maner and methode in writinge insinuated in the Title of this worke alwaies or moste commonly to carry with mee the allowance and warrant of the best learned Doctors and Antiquaries of their Religion And yet for Catholicks I trust none of them shall finde the least occasion of feare that though I shal walke vpon so vnlâ—…uell ground I will betray their moste iust and holy cause but rather adde a greater luster and splendor of glory then bringe any the least diminution of honor vnto it And make this matter so palpably manifest by all Authorities diuine and humane the scriptures both of the old and new testament and all kinde of expositors of them friends or ennemies that they which shall not acknowledge the vndoubted and onely truth of the doctrine of the holy Catholike Church in these misteries must needes bee said wilfully with malice to close their eyes against it And though the lawe of Moises wherein the Prophets liued and God spake by them was but a figure of thinges to come and gaue but a darke shadowe or glimeringe of the gratious brightnes and shininge which our blessed Sauiour the true light of the world reuealed vnto it in the lawe of the ghospell yet I shall in the very beginning as a preface to this holy historie so inuincibly proue by the scripture 〈◊〉 old testament by all original texts hebrue or greeke all Authors the Rabines before Christ the best learned Doctors of the primatiue Church of Christ and protestants themselues that the Messias promised and foretold by the Prophets was to ordeine a new sacrificing priesthood and that blessed sacrifice of his bodie and blood which wee coÌ„monly name the sacrifice of the Masse and this was one of the most apparant distinctiue signes to know him by so that whosoeuer denieth this consequently denieth Christ to bee the true Messias And the more plainely to demonstrate this when I come to the first plantinge of the faith of Christ in this kingdome in the Apostles time I will make manifest by all testimonies and antiquities that Christ our blessed Sauiour and Messias accordingly to the prophesies of him did institute this sacrificing priesthood and both celebrated and ordeined the sacrifice of Masse for his Church for euer That all his Apostles were sacrificing massing preists and offered that blessed sacrifice And that in this kingdome of Britanie in particular as in the whole Christian world besides in euery age and hundred of yeares from the first preachinge and receiuing of Christian Religion here in the Apostles time in the first second third fourthe fift and six hundred yeares of Christ and so longe as the best learned protestants affirme that holy primatiue Church remained vnspotted in the first receiued truthe and integritie thereof The same holy sacrificing priesthood a continual succession of sacrificinge massinge preists and Bishops and sacrifice of Masse euer continued here in the same maner as they are now vsed and obserued in the present Romane Church without any the least essentiall change or difference By reason whereof many cheife Articles in Religion now questioned as the supernaturall change or transubstantiation of bread and wine into the blessed body and blood of Christ there offered a propitiatorie sacrifice for sinne prayer to the blessed Virgin S. Mary other Saints and Angels prayer for the faithfull departed merit of sacrifice and good workes with insufficiencie of sole faith and other principall things which protestants commonly disallow in Catholicke Religion will bee thus proued and deduced in euerie age in this our Britanie euen with the allowance of our best learned protestants and such antiquities as they approue and cannot disallow One most materiall point of the Popes power and spirituall prerogatiue in this nation from the first embracinge of Christian Religion in all ages which I promised in my first parte I vnderstand to bee effectually performed already Therefore I shall sparinglie make mention thereof in this history except in some things and places where it shall bee needfull for the more perfect handlinge of the present subiect of this worke And hereby it will sufficiently appeare vnto all protestants and persecutors of the holy Catholike Romane Church that seeing the controuersie is whether the Catholike or protestant church is the true church of Christ that by no possibilitie the protestant congregation can bee this true and holie church For by their owne Articles of their Religion to which all protestant Bishops and ministers haue sworne and subscribed Articl of Engl. protest Relig articul 19. The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithfull men in which the pure worde of God is preached and the Sacraments bee duly ministred according to Christs ordinance in all those things that are requisite to the same Which bee the
longe and tedious trauailes hee founde in those parts diuers massinge preistes that did vsually say Masse and had most sumptuous Altars of Christal who affirmed they were disciples to S. Patricke and by him directed thither And were most holie and miraculous men and amonge other things then prophesied to S. Brendan how that contrie should bee descryed and visited againe by Christians to their great good comforte after many ages as happily wee finde it was Post multa annorum curricula declarabitur ista terra vestris Successoribus quando Christianorum superuenerit persecutio Written in many Manuscripts manie hundreds of yeares before the late discouerie of America and by Capgraue others published longe before that time THE XX. CHAPTER Wherein is proued by protestants and others that the church of Britanie and Rome accorded in this age in these misteries and how all the Popes beeing massinge preists and Popes yet no one of them made any materiall alteration in this sacrifice THus hauinge shewed both by Catholicke and Protestant authorities that the holy sacrifice of Masse massing preists and preisthood generally and inuiolablie continued in Britanie all this age and hundred of yeares because it is confessed this nation was still hitherto directed in Religion by the see Apostolicke of Rome and there want not protestāt aduersaries which say the Popes there in this time also added and altered diuers things to and in the sacrifice of Masse wee will now proue by these protestants them selues that not anie one Pope altered or added any one materiall or leaste essentiall thinge therein in this age The first Pope after S. Celestine which these men accuse for addinge or alteringe in this matter is that moste learned and renowned Pope S. Leo against whom a Protestant Bishop thus exclaimeth Bal. l. 2. de Act. Pontif. Rom. in Leone 1. Robert Barns in vit Pont. in cod Leo primus Thuscus in canone Missae hoc sanctum sacrificium immaculatam hostiam hanc igitur oblationem non sine magna Dei blasphemia addidit Pope Leo the first a Tuschan by birth did add in the canon of the Masse not without great blasphemie of God this holy sacrifice immaculate offeringe and therefore this oblation To this I answere and first to the pretended addition of the prayer Hanc igitur oblationem That as our renowned contryman S. Albinus with others proueth Albin Alcuin l. de diuin offic cap. de celebrat Missae this prayer especially the first part which hee taxeth is as auncient in the Masse as the Apostles time and was vsed both by S. Peter and others of that sacred order Missam Petrus Antiochiae dicitur celebrasse in qua tres tantum orationes in initio fidei proferebantur incipientes ab eo loco vbi dicitur Hanc igitur oblationem Therefore S. Leo added nothinge in this prayer beeing for the first part vsed by the Apostles and others in their dayes which is that this Protestant Bishop excepteth against and for the later end thereof which hee taxeth not was by this man himselfe and others both Catholicks and Protestants added longe time after and then first by S. Gregorie the great and first Pope of that name Baleas l. 2. de Act· Pontfic Rom. in Gregorio 1. Rob. Barnes in vit Pontif. Rom. in eodem alij communiter 2. So that it is euident S. Leo neither did nor could add any part of this prayer to the sacrifice of Masse as his owne addition or inuention all that hee did or possiblie could doe therin was to take order that the decree or custom of the Apostles should be obserued which cannot be either great or little blasphemie of God as this barbarous mouth affirmed but honor vnto God in that behalfe To make all sure I will cite the whole praier then vsed thus in English Therefore ô Lord wee beseech thee that thou wilt be pleased to accept this oblation of our seruice and all thy family through Christ our Lord. The rest being added by S. Gregory is thus and dispose our dayes in peace and commaund wee may bee deliuered from euerlasting damnation and numbred in the flocke of thy elected seruants In which addition of S Gregory there is not any one word of matter now in controuersie but al holy and allowable by Protestant Religion And in that part which I say with S. Albin or Alcuine was vsed by the Apostles there is not one word except oblation which is or can by protestants bee called into controuersie by them or any Christiā Therfore to answere that hoc sacrificium immaculatam hostiam together If S. Leo added these wordes to the canon of the Masse then the canon of the Masse was before S. Leo his pretended additions and in other places of this canon of which no protestant doth or will produce any Author beeing as is proued before apostolicall this Liturgie of Masse is called in can Missae antiq donum munus sanctum sacrificium illibatum oblatio benedicta adscripta rata rationabilis sacrificium hostia pura hostia sancta hostia immaculata A present a guift holy sacrifice vnspotted an oblation blessed adscribed ratified reasonable a sacrifice a pure hoste an holy hoste an immaculate hoste 3. And this Protestant Bishop himselfe hath testified also that the offertorie was vsed in S. Celestines time before which is this in English O holy Father omnipotent eternall God receue this immaculate sacrifice or oblation which I thy vnworthie seruant doe offer vnto thee my liuinge and true God for my innumerable sinnes and offences and negligences and for all here present as also for all faithfull Christians both liuinge and deade that it may bee to mee and them for saluation to eternal life Suscipe sancte Pater omnipotens aeterne Deus hāc immaculatam hostiam quam ego indignus famulus tuus offero tibi Deo meo viuo vero pro innumerabilibus peccatis offensionibus negligentijs meis pro omnibus circumstantibus sed pro omnibus fidelibus Christianis viuis atque defunctis vt mihi illis proficiat ad salutem in vitam aeternam Amē So likewise it was for the chalice offerimus tibi Domine calicem salutaris ô Lord wee offer vnto thee the chalice of saluation And I haue proued in all ages before from Christ euen with the allowance of our protestants that Masse was an holie sacrifice and all truely consecrated preistes did euer in all times and places still offer that moste holy sacrifice both for the liuinge and faithfull departed and that this was so an vndoubted and generally receued custome truth in the whole church that by our protestants graunt it was iustly condemned to bee heresie to deny it and this longe time before S. Leo was borne Therefore none of those names could bee by any possibility his inuentiō in this kind Which this protestant accusing Bishop him selfe to confound and contradict himselfe teacheth in the same place when hee saith of
S. Leo Missae sacrificium approbanit Hee did approue the sacrifice of Masse therfore Masse was termed and knowne to be so accepted a sacrifice before his time and approbation For a thinge approued or to bee approued vnseparably carrieth with it a precedency to the approbation that which is not cannot possibly bee approued as a thinge past or present and euery such allowance or approbation necessarily supposeth the thinge to bee so allowed or approued And this will suffice for S. Leo. 4. After whome in this age the onely Pope which is produced by these men to haue added or altered in the Masse is Gelasius of this Pope a protestant thus writeth Robert Barnes in vit Pontif. in Gelasio praefationem Missae verè dignuÌ„ iustum est instituit But this is euidentlie vntrue as I haue proued before for S. Ciprian and before him Tertullian informe vs it was in vse in the church before their times and S. Ciprian alleadgeth it is an apostolicall common known custome of the church Ciprian l. de orat Dominic and Foxe the protestant proueth Io. Foxe Tom. 2. in Q. Mary that this could not bee any inuention of Gelasius for that both the auncient Greeke church before that time and both S. Ciprian and S. Augustine so agree it was in vse before Ciprian sup Aug. de vera Religione cap. 3 therefore followeth therein the opinion of Thomas Waldensis that it could not bee the inuention of Pope Gelasius And Pope Vigilius which liued not longe after Gelasius who writinge to the Bishops of Germany and Fraunce desirous to know the order which the church of Rome obserued in the prefaces of Masse answereth in this maner Vigilius epistola ad Episcopos Germaniae Galliae Inuenimus has nouem praefationes in sacro catalogo tantumodo recipiendas quas long a retro veritas in Romana Ecclesia hactenus seruauit Wee finde that these 9. prefaces are to bee receued in the holy catalogue which truth hath longe time from former ages hitherto obserued in the Roman church And thus hee recoÌ„pteth them one of Easter another of the Ascension of our Lord the third of Pentecoste the fourth of the natiuitie of our Lord the fift of the apparition of our Lord the sixt of the Apostles the seuenth of the holy Trinitie the eight of the Crosse the ninth in Lent And thus concludeth has praefationes tenet custodit sancta Romana Ecclesia has tenendas vobis mandamus These prefaces the holy Roman church obserueth these wee commaund to bee kept by you And Houeden as our protestants haue published him reciteth all these out of the same authoritie to haue bene receued in England in a councel of our Bishops manie hundred yeares since setting downe the begininge of euery one of them and addeth the tenth of the blessed Virgin decimam de beata Virgine Roger. Houeden in annal part posterior in Henr. 2. 5. And our English Protestants themselues by their highest parlamentary authoritie in such things with them vse the same prefaces except that of the Apostles and blessed Virgine in their publick church seruice their communion booke Protest communion booke titul communion and yet in that of the blessed Virgine which seemeth to haue beene added after the dayes of Pope Vigilius there is no inuocation of her nor any matter now questioned by protestants found in it And concerninge that of the Apostles of matters questioned there is onely this clause or petition vnto God for preseruing his church vt gregem tuum Pastor aeterne non deseras sed per beatos Apostolos tuos continua protectione custodias vt ijsdem Rectortbus gubernetur quos operis tui Vicarios eidem contulisti praesse Pastores That God the eternall Pastor will not forsake his flocke but keepe by his blessed Apostles with continuall protection that it may bee gouerned by the same Rulers whome Vicars of his worke hee hath appointed Pastors to rule it Which is not a prayer immediatlie to the Apostles but to God for the protection of his Apostles and such as our protestants themselues in their publick seruice on S. Michael his day doe vse for the protection of Angels as is manifest in their collect or prayer of that feast being the old Catholick prayer word by word translated into English And yet if there were any immediate prayer vnto the Apostles or any other Saints or Angels in any oÌ„f these prefaces I haue proued before that it was the receaued doctrine of Christs church from the beginninge 6. And if wee should allow vnto protestants that Pope Gelasius did add in the prefaces all that clause verè dignum iustum est vnto per Christum Dominum nostrum What is there in it but holy and allowable and still practised by themselues in their church seruice This it is verè dignum iustum est aequum salutare nos tibi semper vbique gratias agere Domine sancte Pater omnipotens aterne Deus per Christum Dominum nostrum ô Lord holy Father omnipotent eternall God verely it is a thinge worthie and iust right and belonginge to saluation that wee alwayes and in all places giue thanks to thee by Christ our Lord. Are not all Christians in all iudgements bound to bee of this minde and this being a dutie so bindinge and belonginge vnto al that beleeue in Christ is it not the better the oftner and more publickly it be acknowledged oâ—… if it be good by protestants and in their publick practise how can it be ill in Catholicks or could bee so in Pope Gelasius And if hee had added Te igitur clementissime Pater per Iesum ChristuÌ„ filium tuum Dominum nostrum supplices rogamus ac petimus Therefore ô moste mercifull Father wee aske and beseeche thee by Iesus Christ thy sonne our Lord. It is the same reason as before this beinge a very Christian and holy prayer by Protestant Religion to aske all things of God in the name of Christ as hee himselfe said whatsoeuer you shall aske in my name that will I doe Io. c. 14. v. 13. and whatsoeuer yee shall aske of the Father in my name hee may giue it you Io. c. 15. v. 26. 7. Whereby these men may see that neither the primatiue church which vsed inuocation of Saints nor the present church of Rome insistinge therein did or doe diminish any honor or dutie to Christ by honoringe them which honor him and are honoured by him Yet S. Remigius witnesseth this prayer Te igitur clementissime Pater to haue beene vsed from the Apostles Remig. in epist. 1. ad Timoth. cap. 2. Wheras some protestants write of Pope Gelasius Balaeus l. 2. de actis Pontif. Rom. in Gelasio Gelasius hymnos prefationes gradualia collectas orationes praescripsit Pope Gelasius did prescribe hymnes prefaces graduals collects and prayers I haue proued by these protestants that all these were vsed in the church and laudably longe before and by the word praescripsit hee did
4. pag. 118. de Sacrosancta Eucharistia Ipsius necessitatem toties inculcauit nisi manducaueritis carnem filij hominis biberetis eius sanguinem non habebitis vitam in vobis â—…anis quem ego dabo caro mea est pro mundi vita Ioh. 6. Luc. 22. postea in vltima caena accepto pane gratias egit fregit dedit eis dicens hoc est corpus meum quod pro vobis datur hoc facite in meam commemorationem Panis consecrationem in corpus Christi vini in sanguinem ipse coram Apostolis fecit eandem ipsi quoque vt facerent frangerent darent expressè mandauit Concerninge the holy Eucharist Christ did very often inculcate the necessitie of it except you shall eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his blood you shall not haue life in you The food which I will giue is my flesh for the life of the world After in his laste supper when he had taken bread he gaue thankes brake and gaue to them saying this is my body which is giuen for you doe this in my commemoration Hee made the consecration of breade into the body of Christ of wine into his blood before the Apostles and expressely commaunded that they also should do the same consecration of bread wine into Christs body and blood 10. And in an other place he teacheth with S. Chrisostome whom he followeth therein and other holy auncient Fathers Marc. Anto. l. 1. cap. 1. pag. 9. Chrisostom hom 17. in epist ad Hebr. That the sacrifice which the Apostles were here commaunded to offer by Christs wordes doe this and which by that power they did offer and which all truely consecrated preists did after offer was the same body blood of Christ which hee himselfe offered the same and no other sacrifice Hoc facite in meam commemorationem Quid ergo nos ait Chrisostomus nonne per singulos dies offerrimus offerrimus quidem Et vna est hostia non multae Quomodo vna est non multae quia semel oblata est in Sancto Sanctorum hoc autem sacrificium exemplar est illius idipsum semper offerrimus Pontifex noster ille qui hostiam mundantem nos obtulit ipsam offerrimus nunc quae tunc oblata quidem consumi non potest And much more to as great effect or greater and yet at his pleasure hee doth maine and make lame the sentences of that holy Author And to auoide the friuolous cauill of some about the wordes in my remembrance or commemoration of mee whereby they would haue it gathered that this is onely a commemoratiue sacrifice or commemoration of that sacrifice this man with all other Protestants Marc. Ant. l. 1. cap. 12. pag· 146 147. Mumer 26.27 and the expresse scriptures are witnes that the preists and sacrifice of the lawe of nature and Moises of Adam Seth Enoch Noe Sem Abraham Isaac Iacob and his twelue sonnes Iob Melchisedech Aaron and all in the lawe were true preists and sacrificers yet they were in all Christian learninge but figures of the truth in the time of the Messias 11. Therefore if this were onely a commemoration it should at leaste by as great reason and authoritie bee also a sacrifice and the parson that celebrateth it a sacrificinge preist both beeing farr more excellent then those preists and sacrifices And the words in remembrance or commemoration are so far from hindering the truth of these preists and sacrifice that they rather giue a second power vertue vnto them euen by these protestants themselues for they haue told vs before that by these wordes doe this Christ gaue power to consecrate the bread and wine into his body and blood and doe what hee did in that sacrifice then addinge after the wordes in remembrance or commemoration he gaue them a second power and commaundement different from the other yet both of them preistly and sacrificall otherwise Christ himselfe should bee said which cannot be that hee did consecrate and offer this remembrance of himselfe and his owne action Therefore the words must needs conteine a double virtuall power and commaund to the Apostles the one part and principall beeing to doe that Christ did expressed plainely in the powerfull wordes doe this the other in remembrance or commemoration conteyned in the same terms Which was by a then publick protestant preachinge minister both preached publickly and with publicke allowance after printed in this maner Edw. Maie serm of the communion of Saints printed by Iohn Dauson an 1621. pag. 6. 12. God hath giuen to preists a power ouer his owne naturall bodie which is himselfe for to them onely was it said doe this in remembrance of mee by which words they haue commission to dispose of that very body which was giuen for the life of the world and of that inualuable blood which was shed to redeeme sinfull soules for which cause the Bishops and presbyters haue as antiquitie can tell beene honored with an honor which no Kinge no Angel had euer giuen him They are the makers of Christs body they doe a worke which none but the holy Ghost besides them euer did And in the margine hee thus citeth Isodor Pelusota l. 2. epist 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a power the Kings of the earth haue not An other speakinge of the consecratory preistly power by those words of Christ spoken in his parson This is my body This is my blood concludeth Couel def of Hooker pag. 116.117.276 The omnipotency of God maketh it his body And of preists To these parsons God imparteth power ouer that naturall body which is himselfe a worke which antiquitie calleth the making of Christs body And of preistly power By blessing visible elements it maketh them inuisible grace it hath to dispose of that flesh which was giuen for the life of the world and that blood which was powred out to redeeme soules Others say The sacrifice of the altare and vnbloody sacrifice were vsed in the primatiue church The primatiue church did offer sacrifice at the altare for the deade sacrifice for the deade was a tradition of the Apostles and auncient Fathers Aerius was iustly condemned of heresie by the primatiue church for denying sacrifice for the dead Middlet Papistom pag. 51.91.113.49.137.139.47.48 Fâ—…ild l. 3. cap. 29. pag. 138. 13. And to put vs out of doubt that this is or should bee the common doctrine and Religion of all English Protestants their chosen champion with greatest allowance amonge them as hee affirmeth writeth plainely Haec est fides Regis haec est fides Ecclesiae Anglicanae this is the faith of the Kinge this is the faith of the church of England Io. Casaub resp ad Card. Peron pag. 51.52 And their publicke statute of al the Protestant Princes of England saith so and so decreeth to be obserued of all authentically prouinge in protestants Religion that this most holy sacrifice of the altar was instituted by Christ that it is
natal l. 5. Antonin part 1. Volater l. 7. Guliel Eisengr cent 1. fol. 148. pag. 2. This for Aqueus where he was Bishop For S. Lazarus his beeing a massinge preist and his saying of Masse at Marssiles in Fraunce where hee was Bishop the holie vestiments in which hee said Masse beeing to this day preserued and to be seene in the cathedrall church there ar sufficient witnes In Cathedrali Ecclesia vestes in quibus Missam celebrabat adhuc hodie conscruantur monstrantur Demochar l. 2. contr Caluin c. 32. Petr. de natal l. 1. c. 72. Antonin part 1. tit 6. cap. 19. Guliel Eiseng centen 1. fol. 149. 16. How famous S. Martial disciple of S. Peter and sent into Fraunce by him was in many parts of that nation so wel known to our British Druides in those dayes it is not vnknowne to any antiquarie of these contries And as little ignorance can any man pretend that hee was a massinge sacrificinge preist for so renowned hee was for this that the infidels themselues then knew it amonge whome the cheife idolatrous preist or Druid of Limogen as the french Annales tel vs forsooke the towne by reason of an Hebrue called Martiall who being come into Gaule vseth not wine nor flesh but when he offereth sacrifice to God si non que au sacrifice de Dieu Who buildinge a chappel there celebrated Masse in it Celebré le Sainct sacrifice de la Messe S. Aurelian in vet S. Martialis Doctor Puel D. Tigeon Cl. March Ro. Seigneur de Faux Augenin histor Gallic in S. Martial Vincent in specul hist cap. 41. Io. Gualt Chronolog ecclesiasticopol an Do. 56. And in that citie still remayneth the holy altar on which hee vsed to say Masse whereof hee himselfe maketh mention in his epistle ad Burde galenses for that cause so honored that it is by publick edict of parlament examining and approuing the truth of that history from auncient time decreed that seuen candels should continually bee kept burninge before it the body of that their Apostle beeing buried neare vnto it Florimund Remund de Origen haeres l. 8. cap. 12. edict inter log parlam Galliae de hac re Annon videtis S. Martialem ad Burdegalenses nostros scripsisse se aram Deo Israelis martyri ipsius Stephano dedicasse ea ara in ciuitate Lemogicum vbi Apostolus ipse Aquitaniae quiescit conspicitur aedificata à Principe Stephano quem ad Christianismum ipse conuerteret ante eam noctes diesque ardent septem candelae iuxta antiquam istam fundationem in parlamento nostro disceptatam confirmatam 17. And this holy Saint and Apostle of Aquitaine himselfe teacheth what great honor and reuerence is due to Christian sacrificing preists and what an excellent sacrifice they offer of Christs sacred body blood in holy Masse thus he writeth to his late conuerted Christians S. Martial Episc ad Burdegales cap. 3. honorabatis Sacerdotes qui decipiebant vos sacrificijs suis qui mutis surdis statuis offerebant qui nec se nec vos iuuare poterant nunc autem multò magis Sacerdotes Die omnipotentis qui vitam vobis tribuunt in calice pane vino honorare debetis Before you were conuerted to Christ you did honour your preists which deceaued you with their sacrifices which did sacrifice to dumbe and deafe statues who could neither helpe themselues nor you But now much more you ought to honour the preists of God almighty which giue vnto you life in the chalice and liuelie breade And a little after speaking more plainely of this holy sacrifice offered vnto God vppon the altar hee saith Sacrificium Deo Creatori offertur in ara Christi corpus singuinem in vitam aeternam offerrimus Quod Iudaei per inuidiam immolauerunt putantes so nomen cius à terra abolere nos causa salutis nostrae in ara sanctificata proponimus scientes hoc solo remedio nobis vitam praestandam mortem effugandam hoc enim Dominus noster misit nos agere in sui commemorationem Sacrifice is offered to God our Creator vppon the altar We offer the body and blood of Christ for euerlasting life That which the Iewes did offer through enuy thinking to abolish his name from the earth wee offer this vppon an hallowed altare knowinge that by this onely remedy life is to be giuen vnto vs and death to bee auoided For this our Lord Iesus commaunded vs to doe in his commemoration 18. Thus this holy Saint that stilleth himselfe The Apostle of Iesus Christ who as hee saith was present with Christ in his life when hee was buried and see him after his resurrection Martial epist. ad Burdegal epestol ad Tholosanos was one of his 72. disciples was by speciall commaund of Christ vnto S. Peter whose disciple hee after was sent by him to bee the happy Apostle of that contrie And I haue rather amonge many others in the like condition cited this history of S. Martial because morally to speake the best learned Druids others of this our Britanie where the cheifest and commaunders in that sect remayned could not bee ignorant of these thinges for both S. Aurelianus successor immediate to S. Martial at Limogen and S. Martial also himselfe are most worthy witnesses that Sigebertus the summus Sacerdos high preist Arch-flamen and cheifest of the Druids sect in those partes was by S. Martial conuerted to this his holy sacrificinge and massing Christian Religion S. Aurelian in vit S. Martial Martial epistol ad Burdegal cap 3. And S. Aurelianus doth make this his holy conuersion so famous that it could not be concealed from the rulers of the Druids Religion in Britanie whom it so much concerned Aurelian supr annotat in S. Martial for presently after Benedicta wife of the Prince of that Prouince was conuerted by S. Martial this high preiste of the Druids Sigebert being also conuerted did breake in peeces all their Idols destroyed their Temples except the Temple dedicated to the vnknowne God and shiuered the altars of the diuils into dust Ipsemet Sigebertus Pontifex Idola omnia confregit minutim Templa euertit excepto Templo ignoti Dei altaria daemonum in puluerem Which S. Martial himselfe doth sufficiently insinuate when hee saith dum altaria daemonum in puluerem redigerentur aram ignoti Dei ad consecrationem reseruari iussimus Quia dedicata in nomine Dei Israel testis ipsius Stephani qui pro eo à Iudaeis passus est S. Martial sup cap. 3 when the altars of the deuils were beaten into dust wee commaunded the altare of the vnknowne God to bee reserued for consecration Which was dedicated in the name of the God of Israel and Martir Stephen who suffered for him by the Iewes 19. And if wee come to the nearer parts of Fraunce Paris Rouen Britany Normandy Picardy and all the sea coaste we shall euidently see that no other doctrine or
the 49. yeare of Christ in the Empire of Claudius Guliel Eisengr centur 1. fol. 56. cit Petr. de natal l. 11. Demochar l. 2. so that if this Britanie had a massinge preist made by S. Peter whose disciple he was in the 40. yeare of Christ and the same a massinge Bishop within 9. yeares after the sacrifice of Masse beeing of continuance here aboue 1580 yeares it maketh a sufficient time of prescription to claime title of continuance And hee was one of the oldest massing preists and Bishops that I finde of this nation onely S. Kentigern equall perhaps vnto him therin for the annals of Treuers say that this S. Mansuetus I finde no other in that time was successor to the greate massinge Archbishop of that city S. Maternus of whome I haue spoken before Anno Domini 160. in the 160. yeare of Christ at which time by many authors Kinge Lucius and this kingdome was conuerted and besides many such preists had 28. massing Bishops as I shall demonstrate in the next age Petrus Mersseus Catalog Archiep. Treuer an 160. 9. And very probable it is euen by our English Protestants The Protestant Theater of great Britanie l. 6. teaching that about this time betweene the 40. and 50. yeare of Christ many in Britany became Christiās as namely Pomponia Graecina the wife of the Romans Lieutenant Aulus Plautius and about the same time S. Beatus and his holie companion Anonymus but that a German writer calleth him Achates made massing preists by S. Peter directed by him this holy massinge preist S. Mansuetus had some cooperatiō in that happy busines And that these our two renowned contrimen S. Beatus and his companion were sacrificing massing preists it is euident first because they were here first instructed in the faith of Christ by thē which of necessitie no others being here or els where at that time were massinge preists secondly because as these protestāts both Germā English tell vs they were further instructed directed by S. Peter a massing preist and Apostle if perhaps which these men doe not insinuate S. Peter was martired before they were consecrated preists yet beeing consecrated at Rome without all question where none but massinge Bishops and consecrators were S. Linus Cletus or Clemens they must needs bee consecrated massinge preists which is further proued by the places of their moste aboade after S. Beatus liuinge in and beeinge the Apostle of Heluetia where abouts many massinge preists before remembred consecrated by S. Peter as S. Eucharius Valerius Clemens Mansuetus his contryman with others were The other came into his owne contry of Britanie here where as before as he could finde none but massinge preists so hee left behinde him no others as I shall proue herafter 10. And manifest it is that our Christian Britans which were conuersinge at Rome when and where they were consecrated and with whome they also at their beeing there conuersed were for their qualities sayers or hearers of Masse Which is clearely proued by the Christian family of our noble contriwoman Claudia or Sabinella wife to Aulus Pudēs whose house by the Romane antiquities as it was the first lodginge of S. Peter the Apostle that great massinge preist so it was their cheifest place of saying and hearinge Masse Maiorum traditione praescriptum est domum Pudentis Romae fuisse primum hospitium Sancti Petri illicque primum Christianos conuenisse ad Synaxim coactam Ecclesiam Martyrolog Rom. in S. Pudente Praxede Pudentiana Donato Timotheo Baron ib. annotat die 19. Maij. Where wee see it the first and principall massinge church in Rome both for the Britans Romans also that were Christians and the best residency S. Peter or his successors which were the consecrators of preists there had at that time And hee had such care of this house and family that not onlie the parents Pudens and Claudia but all their children S. Nouatus S. Timotheus Pudentiana and Praxedes were by him instructed in the faith and S. Timothie was made massinge preist as the auncient Roman Martyrologe and others witnes Romae depositio S. Nouati filij beati Pudentis Senatoris fratris S. Timothei presbyteri sanctarum Christi virginum Pudentianae Praxedis qui ab Apostolis eruditi sunt in fide Martyrolog Rom. die 20. Iunij Vsuard eod die Baron annotat in 20. diem Iun. act S. Nouati S. Iustine Therefore this S. Timotheus our holy cōtriman by his blessed Mother S. Claudia beeinge instructed by S. Peter a massinge preist and consecrated by a massinge preist and Pope and resigninge his house to be a massinge church as will euidentlye appeare in the beginninge of the next age when I come to that notorious massinge preist and Pope S. Pius by our protestants confessions who dedicated that house for a massing church must himselfe also by these protestants bee a massing preist and his holy parents brother and and sisters sacred Virgins with the rest of our Christian contrimen there bee reuerencers and frequenters of holy Masse 11. The like I might without reprofe write of others whose names I haue els where remēbred that probably they preached in Britanie in this age and out of question were massinge preists but hauing so many certaine and euident examples without exception I neede not the assistance of probabilities onely because wee are assured by great English Protestants Bishops and others that as the truth is there is a mutuall relation and dependance betweene an altare and sacrifice and that an altar doth as naturally and as necessarily infer a sacrifice as a shrine doth a Saint a Father a sonne Morton Apolog. part 2. pag. 82. Morton appeale l. 2. sect 1. pag. 162. these protestants confesse vnto vs againe which they cannot deny that longe before they imagine any alteration of Religion in the church of Rome this kingdome had Christian altars Theater of great Britanie l. 6. Gildas l. de excid and amonge others they iustifie vnto vs the antiquities of Glastenbury which assure vs there was an altare in the olde church there builded by S. Ioseph of Aramathia and his holy company and this altar and holy place was of such reuerence that the holy Saint Patrick with others desired to bee buried by that holy altar and an Angel from heauen did assigne him that place of buriall Sepulturam Angelo monstrante flamamque ingente de eodem loco cunctis videntibus erumpente in vetusta Ecclesia in dextera parte altaris promeruit Where we see an Angel from heauen and with a great signe and miracle openly before all people present cunctis vidētibus to giue testimony to the worthines of the holy altar place in respect therof Io. Leland in assert Arthur Math. Park antiquit Britan. Stow hist Godw. conuers of Brit. antiquit Glastō apud Capgrau in S. Patric Gul. Malm. l. antiq caenob Glast 12. And not without iust cause deseruing by these our protestāts who in Gildas as they allowe him
it became more ciuill by the Romans rulinge and abidinge here and receauing the faith of Christ there was no nation in this part of the world knowne then to the Romans that might bee so truely termed ferociores rebelliores gentes more feirce and rebellious nations then these of Britanie as not onely the Roman historians of those times but S. Gildas himselfe a Britan moste lamentably bewaylinge it their owne Brittish history and others ar sufficient witnesses Iul. Caesar l. de bell Gallic Cornel. Tacit. Sueton. Diod. Sicul. Gild. l. de excid conquest Britan. Galfrid Monum l. 3.4 and yet S. Clement plainely saith that hee then already had or would by the grace of God send Bishops into al those contries and that it was S. Peters commaunde vnto him to send to all cities where hee himselfe had not ordeyned Bishops Therefore wee cannot doubt but S. Clement did performe this commaundement of S. Peter and his owne promise in sending some learned Bishops and preists into this kingdome S. Antoninus Philippus Bergomensis diuers in the opinion of Harrison a protestant and Master Harris a late Catholicke writer thinke hee sent S. Taurinus hither S. Antomn Florent Archiep. histor part 1. Philipp Bergom histor in S. Taurino Will. Harrison descrip of Britanie Harris theatr l. 1. and this laste affirmeth the same of S. Nicasius citing also Arnoldus Mirmannius who plainely saith that amonge other people S. Nicasius instructed the Britans in the faith beeinge sent thither Apostle by S. Clement Britones formauit fide S. Nicasius à S. Clemente illuc Apostolus delegauit Arnold Mirmann theatr conuers gent. at which time there were no Britans but of this Britanie 6. The same I may and not vnprobably say of S. Martine to whome a church was dedicated at Canterbury in the time of Kinge Lucius and S. Marcellus or by some Marcellinus a Brittish Bishop of this Land or the nere ensuinge time And if any man obiecteth three of these S. Taurinus Nicasius and Martine by diuers writers preached in Fraunce this hindereth nothinge but rather proueth seeing others affirme it that they preached here also S. Marcellus or Marcellinus which was certainly a Britan both preached and was Bishop in a forreine contry so was S. Mansuetus and S. Beatus in the same case before and it is euident by Methodius and Marianus already cited that this was vsuall in those daies for the same men to preach not onely in their owne but forreine and straunge contries And our English Protestant publishers of Matthew of Westminster incline to thinke so of diuers sent into Fraunce by S. Clement Matth. Westm an 94. amonge whome there are numbred S. Nicasius and Taurinus for where the Monke of Westminster saith they were sent by S. Clement ad locandum in Gallijs nouae fidei fundamentum to place the foundation of the faith in Gallia these protestants giue a larger circuite and say plainely doctores mittuntur versus occidentem that S. Clement sent those doctors S. Denis Nicasius Taurinus Trophinus Paulus Saturninus Astremonius Martialis Gratianus Iulianus Lucianus Firminus Photinus into the West where Britanie is Protestant Marg. annotat in Matth. Westm supr an 94. and very straung it should be if S. Clement as before hauing so great charge giuen vnto him by S. Peter as well of Britanie as Gallia and by his owne words and promise was to send Bishops into this our Britanie should bee so mindfull of Fraunce so nere vnto vs to send so many as we see thither and forget S. Peter himselfe and Britanie so much as to send none vnto it at all 7. That S. Clement and consequently those holy preists and Bishops which were consecrated and sent by him into these parts were sacrificinge and massinge preistes is manifest before his owne works ar so euident in this behalfe that if S. Clement was not a massing preist and Bishop and consecrated such there neither is or euer was any massinge preist in the world For hee setteth downe at large the whole order of that holy sacrifice as it is now offered and celebrated by Roman Catholicks prouinge that vnbloody sacrifice to bee the moste holie bodie and blood of Christ so naming it as also holy Oblation Masse and other such titles as the present Roman church doth Clem. l. 6. constitut cap. 23. l. 2. cap. 6.20 epistol 2. l. 7. constitut Apostol cap. 43. l. 8. cap. 35. l. 10. Recognit epist 2. can Apost 3.4.5.72 hee remembreth also the consecrated Altars whereon it was offered altare cloathes and veales for the altare lights thereuppon church vessels of gold and siluer chalices cruets pales incensinge holy vestures by the Bishops and preists at that time the signinge with the Crosse naminge of holy martyrs and their memories the preface to the Masse and canon thereof wherein was offered the same sacrifice Christ himselfe instituted Prayers and sacrifice for the deade the ghospell and epistle reade at Masse the pax or holy salutation and with other ceremonies the preists benediction at the ende of the holy sacrifice how the Catechâ—…ens not baptised were not permitted to be present at the sacrifice but dismissed before and in no materiall thinge differeth from the present missale vsed in the church of Rome epist 2. l. 8. constit cap. 16.17 l. 2. constit cap. 23.61.63 l. 8. cap. 17. l. 6. cap. 30. l. 8. cap. 18.47.48 l. 2. cap. 63. l. 8. cap. 15. l. 2. cap. 61.62 8. And it would bee a very vnlearned obiection in this case for any man to say that S. Clements workes haue beene corrupted for euident it is before that all his predecessors in the see of Rome all the Apostles Euangelists and their disciples in all places taught and practised this holy doctrine and sacrifice of Masse so that except S. Clement should be singular against them all in this point which is manifestlie vntrue before his bookes could not bee corrupted or corrected in this respect and if they had beene altered therin they had beene corrected to the common receaued truth and not corrupted with errors Secondly no man that saith S. Clements workes to haue beene corrupted as Ruffinus and others doe say they were corrupted in any such matter but by the Eunomian hereticks thrustinge in some things sauouringe of their heresie into his books Ruffin Apolog. pro Origene and Ruffinus and all those men were teachers practisers and defenders of holy Masse Ruffin histor eccl l. 1. cap. 22. Thirdly our protestants which graunt the church to haue beene free from error longe after the first 400. yeares of Christ before which Ruffinus liued and these bookes were corrupted as hee with others testifieth may not bee allowed by their owne Religion to say these sacrificinge and massinge doctrines were errors but truthes of those vnspotted times And so it is not possible that exceptinge some thinge tendings to the Eunomians heresie foisted into his works by them any thinge els about these matters should be thrust in for
Timothie his scholler dead longe before S. Lucius Britanniae Rex S. Timothei Apostoli Pauli discipuli cruditione ad Religionem Christi inductus est Petr. Merssaeus Annal. Archiep. eccl Treuer in S. Marcello If wee reflect vppon the Saints that were sent cheife Legats hither from Rome S. Fugatius and Damianus the principall of them in all antiquities as wee must needs to giue them their due that bee chosen and selected mē they must needes be learned vertuous and of mature age and iudgment to be imploied in so weightie a busines and as all histories testifie they were and so must needes bee consecrated massinge preists beeing sacred by those remembred sacrificinge Popes which neither did nor could consecrate any other nor they bringe any other doctrine in this or any other points of Religion but what they had receaued from those holy Popes 4. And to this besides so many generall Arguments S. Gildas the moste auncient and renowned Brittish Author is a particular witnes if it could please our protestants to publish it to the worlde except that renowned Abbot Doctor Fecknham did abuse his auditory in the first parlament of Queene Elizabeth in his publicke oration which no indifferent man will thinke hee did or durst to doe for feare of open shame and confusion if hee should haue aduouched an vntruth in that assemblie And yet speaking principally of the sacrifice of Masse then to bee condemned by that parlament citeth Gildas in the proeme of his history testifyinge that the same Religion and church seruice the sacrifice of Masse which was then to bee abrogated was brought hither and settled here in the Latine tonge by the Legats of Pope Eleutherius Abbot Fecknham orat in parlam 2. of Queene Elizabeth and all our cheife protestant antiquaries and historians of England as their Bishops Parker Bale Godwine with others Gosteline Powell Foxe Fulke Middleton Stowe Holinshed others confidently affirming that the Christian Brittans neuer chaunged in any materiall thinge that holy Religion which they receaued in the time of the Apostles but constantly continued in the same vntill the cominge of S. Augustine hither from S. Gregory the great Pope of Rome and after Parker antiquitat Britan. pag. 6.45.46 Balaeus l. 2. de act Pontif. Rom. in Gregor 1. l. de scriptor cent 1. in August Dronotho Godwin conuers of Brit. Powel annot in l. 2. Giraldi Camb. de Itiner Cambr. cap. 1. Foxe act pag. 463. edit an 1576. Fulke answ to a count Cath. pag. 40. Middelt papistom pag. 202 Stow histor in S. Augustine and Kinge Ethelbert Holinsh. histor of Engl. cap. 21. pag. 102. 5. But as I haue proued before by these protestants and otherwise the Britans by that Apostolicke man receaued the doctrine profession and practise of sacrificinge preisthood preists and sacrifice of Masse and continued them vnto this time soe I will demonstrate by them and all antiquities hereafter in euery age that they kept and obserued the same inuiolablie to those dayes and after without interruption And yet this is but a needles probation for being so inuincibly proued before that they receaued these holy doctrines and professions from the Apostles and from them to these daies if they had departed from them now or after they should bee apparantly guiltie of error in departinge from those truthes which the Apostles and all from them to these dayes continued And if wee looke into the catalogues of holy writers in this time whose works bee preserued to posteritie wee shall see that the holy sacrifice of Masse and massinge preists were generally in al places in as great vse and honour as at this day The moste renowned writers of this time whose bookes bee extant now were S. Iustine S. Irenaeus and Tertullian all they doe plainelie testifie that the sacrifice of Masse offeringe vp the sacred body and blood of Christ was the generally vsed knowne sacrifice of the Christians in this time in omni loco in euerie place saith S. Iustine Iustin Dialog cum Tryhone Ecclesia in vniuerso mundo offert Deo The church doth offer it in all the world saith S. Irenaeus Irenaeus aduers Haeres lib. 4. cap. 32. therefore the church of Britanie must needs offer it and I haue proued by our Brittish antiquities before that Rome Fraunce and Britanie in these daies of Eleutherius and Irenaeus which went to Rome in the papacy of S. Eleutherius vsed one and the same order of Masse And Tertullian that notorious massing Author declaring how Christiā Religion was then dilated in the worlde and the sacrifice of Masse was the common sacrifice thereof expressely nameth this our Britanie to haue receaued the Christian faith and to agree with other Christian nations therin Tertullian de cultu Faeminar cap. 11. l. ad Scapul cap. 2. l. de orat cap 14. l. de vel Virg. cap. 9. l. contra Iudaeos S. Iohn Chrisostome speaking of this conuersion of our Britans witnesseth manifestly and our protestants acknowledge it for truth that the Brittish churches then founded which were many had altars for their preists erected in them Chrisostom serm· de Pentecost protest Theater of great Britanie l. 6. § 12. which as is confessed before by these protestants neither were nor could in Christian Religion bee ordeyned but for massinge preists and the sacrifice of Masse as wee finde in the moste auncient churches of this nation as S. Iosephs dedicated to our Lady at Glastēburie Antiquit Glaston Capgrau in S. Patricio M. S. antiq in Lucio S. Martins at Canterbury and the olde church at Winchester where as we read there were Christian altares so also that the sacrifice of Masse was from their first foundation offered on them Bed hist. l. 1. cap. 27. Galfr. Monum l. 11. histor cap. 4. Stowe histor in Constantine sonne of Cador. c. so of S. Peters church in Cornhill in London and others And S. Damianus and Phaganus the cheife Legats of S. Eleutherius bearing so great deuotion to the massing church builded by S. Ioseph at Glastenbury that they themselues continued and dwelled there some time and settled twelue of their company to continue there duringe their liues must needs bee massinge preists as all had here euer beene from the Apostles time in which faith and Religion this holy Pope as our protestants with al antiquities assure vs confirmed the kingdome of Britanie Eleutherius vt bonus paterfamilias effecit vt confirmatis consolidatis Britannis in suscepta prius ab Apostolis doctrina totum illud regnum in eius fidei verba iuraret Ioh. Bal. l. 1. de act Pontif. Rom. in Eleutherio 6. So that by this Protestant Bishop and his and other authorities those doctrines of sacrificinge preists and Masse which from the Apostles dayes as I haue aboundantly proued had without discontinuance euer continued here in diuers particular places and parsons were now generally by this holy Pope and his massinge Legats established and confirmed in this kingedome confirmatis