two things very clearly 1 st That at that time they kept the Bread of the Eucharist in a Casket or Coffer so far were they from making it an Object of their Adoration 2 d That the mingling only of the Bread that was consecrated before with the Wine that was not consecrated made them look upon the Wine though not consecrated by the Words of Jesus Christ as the Blood of Jesus Christ which is the most extravagant and sensless Notion in the World if we suppose that these Fathers were season'd with the Doctrine of Transubstantiation which attributes to the Words of Christ only the Virtue of changing the Substance of the Wine into the Substance of the Blood of Christ Allatius takes a great deal of pains to avoid this Argument which shews that the Greek Church that believes the same cannot be of the Faith of the Church of Rome In the mean time the thing is certain and Mabillon has ingenuously acknowledged that this is the true sense of that Canon And indeed there are many Proofs that make it evident that both the Greek and Latin Fathers were of this Opinion Salonius one of the most famous Bishops of Gallia Narbonensis owns no other Doctrine but that of the Old and New-Testament Drink Waters out of thine own Cistern and running Waters out of thine own Well S. By Cistern he means the Catholick Doctrine that is that of the Old and New-Testament and by the Well he understands the Depth and Height of the same Catholick Doctrine that is the various meanings of holy Scripture For in these Words he teacheth us to beware of the Doctrine of Hereticks and to attend to the reading of Holy Scripture He will have the Author 's Meaning and not Tradition to be the Explication of Scripture Do not remove the antient Land-marks or Bounds which thy Fathers have set S. By the antient Bounds he understands the Bounds of Truth and Faith which Catholick Doctors have plac'd from the beginning He would have no Man therefore receive the Truth of Holy Faith and gospel-Gospel-Doctrine any otherwise than it hath been handed down to them by the Holy Fathers and likewise commands that no Man interpret the Words of Holy Scripture otherwise than according to the Intention of each Writer He doth not own the Apocrypha How many Books did Solomon publish S. Three only according to the number of their Titles Proverbs Ecclesiastes and Canticles V. What doth Solomon say in the Proverbs or what doth he teach in Ecclesiastes and his Songs He assigns but two Places whither the Soul goes immediately For by the Tree Man is understood because every Man is as it were a Tree in the Wood of Mankind by the South which is a warm Wind is signified the Rest of Paradise and by the North which is cold is signified the Pain of Hell and the meaning of it is Wheresoever Man prepares a Place for his future abode if to the South when he falls that is dies he shall abide to all Eternity in the Rest of Paradise and the glory of the Kingdom of Heaven He makes it the greatest Absurdity that a Man should eat his own Flesh which yet follows from the Doctrine of Transubstantiation But that Expression He eats his own Flesh is spoke by an Hyperbole V. What is an Hyperbole S. When any thing is exprest that is incredible V. How is this exprest hyperbolically he eats his own Flesh S. Because it is incredible that any Man should eat his own Flesh but to aggravate the slothfulness of this Fool he saith that he eats his own Flesh to shew that a Fool rather desires his Flesh should waste by Hunger and be consumed by the Misery of Want than to support it by the labour of his Hands These are all Maxims concerning divers important Articles very different from the present Maxims of the Church of Rome I grant that Prosper who was a Native of Aquitain was no more than a Lay-man but he was in so great a Reputation that there were but few Bishops of his time that have shewn more Knowledg or exprest more Zeal for the defence of Truth than he did This Testimony is given of him by Cassiodorus Photius and Vasquez Wherefore his Testimony concerning the Faith of his Country must be of great weight with us Would we know the Opinion of the Church of this Diocess He tells us of a small part of the Body of Jesus Christ thereby meaning the Eucharist or the Sacrament which was given in little Bits And it is in the same sense that he speaks of a small part of the Sacrifice Expressions that are utterly inconsistent with the Notion of the Church of Rome concerning the carnal Presence And indeed it is plain in all his Writings that he follows the steps of St. Augustin in his Expressions and Judgments of things which are contrary to those of the Church of Rome This we may see in his Extract of the Sentences of St. Augustin where he repeats what that Father had said upon Psalm 33. upon occasion of these Words of the vulgar Version which says that David ferebatur in manibus suis in the presence of Achish Where it clearly appears that he understood those Words as well as St. Augustin did of the Sacrament of his Body which may be called his Body in some sense that is to say by way of Likeness as St. Augustin expresseth himself concerning it I cite nothing here from those other Works which are attributed to him because indeed they are none of his I shall only observe two things The first is that in his Epistle to Demetrius he plainly shews that he knew nothing of the Doctrine of the Church of Rome concerning the Necessity of the Ministers Intention for the Validity of the Sacraments for there he attributes all to the Work of God and not to that of the Minister according to the Doctrine of St. Augustin upon the Question of the Validity of Baptism conferred by Hereticks The other is that as he follows St. Augustin in the Matter of Free Grace as one may see in his Poems gathered from the Opinions of St. Augustin and his Sentences so he rejects the Doctrine of Merit and Works as a pure Pelagian Doctrine in several Places of his Writings Lastly We must join with these Authors Arnobius the Rhetorician since it is very probable that he lived in Gallia Narbonensis because he has dedicated some of his Works to Leontius Bishop of Arles to the Bishop of Narbonne and Faustus Bishop of Riez who died about the year 485. Arnobius explains his Belief in the Matter of the Eucharist after this manner We have received saith he upon the 4 th Psalm Wheat in the Body Wine in the Blood and Oil in Chrisme So likewise on Psal 104. he saith of Jesus Christ that he administers not only the species of Bread but also of Wine and Oil. Thus it is he describes the Eucharist and
they all sound for the Churches Gain 1. See what he saith of the Pope's Authority In Constantine's time the Priesthood was removed and it was not decreed that the Bishop of that Church should necessarily have a Primacy over all others as is here supposed Neither do I believe that any Catholick is so foolish as to believe that when Christ's Vicar writes Let it be done and he who spake the Word and all things were made doth not approve of it he hath any Right to command because of him alone it can be said with Truth So I will and so I command let my Will stand instead of Reason And accordingly he was condemned by the Council of Constance for believing That it is ridiculous to suppose the Pope to be the Highest Priest and that Christ never approved of any such Dignity neither in Peter nor in any one else 2. Of the Power which the Popes assume to themselves over the Temporalities of Kings Wicklef wrote a particular Treatise intituled De Civili Dominio to overthrow their Claims where he speaks thus In Civil Power there cannot be two Lords of equal Authority the one must be principal and the other subordinate We will not subject our King in this matter to him when he bestowing any Mortmain reserves to himself the capital Dominion 3. He did not believe the Pope's Infallibility The Pope may sin as Head of the Church He may sin by Nature having a capital Lord above him There is no doubt but that an Error may be committed in the Election of a Pope and yet more in his following Conversation He may err in Feeding the Churches or in Articles of the Faith Many Popes have been corrupted with heretical Pravity He believed it was probable That all the Bishops of Rome for 300 Years and more before his time were fully Hereticks 4. He made no Difficulty of saying that the Pope was the chiefest Antichrist 1. Wicklef informs us what his Thoughts were of the Church of Rome when he saith It is possible that the Lord Pope may be ignorant of the Law of Scripture and the Church of England may be far truer in her Judgment of Catholick Truth than the whole Church of Rome that is made up of the Pope and Cardinals 2. He maintains that the Church of Rome may err but that this doth not hinder but that the Purity of Doctrine may be preserved in the Catholick Church It is necessary says he That the Catholick Faith be in the whole Mother-Church 3. He did not believe that wicked Men were true Members of the Church and censures those who teach that Men who shall be damned are notwithstanding Members of the Church so joining Christ and the Devil They teachen together saith he that tho Men that shall be damned be Members of Holy Church and thus they wedden Christ and the Devil together he saith that unbelieving and ungodly Men are in the Holy Church by Body not by Thought by Name not by Deed in Number not by Merit As to the Doctrine of Justification it is very plain that he was not of the Opinion of the Church of Rome as these Words shew The Merit of Christ is of it self sufficient to redeem every Man from Hell 't is to be understood of a Sufficiency of it self without any other concurring Cause All that follow Christ being justified by his Righteousness shall be saved as his Offspring He rejects the Doctrine of the Merit of Works and falls upon those which say That God did not all for them but think that their Merits help Heal us Lord for nought that is no Merit of ours but for thy Mercy Lord not to us but to thy Mercy give thy Ioy. As for what concerns the Lord's Supper we find that this great Man did not believe Transubstantiation See how he expresses himself This Bread is fairly truly and really spiritually virtually and sacramentally the Body of Christ as St. John the Baptist was figuratively Elias and not personally As Christ is both God and Man at once so the consecrated Host is the Body of Christ and true Bread at the same time because it is the Body of Christ at least in a Figure and true Bread in its Nature or which signifies the same thing it is true Bread naturally and the Body of Christ figuratively He constantly affirmed that this Doctrine lasted in the Church for a thousand Years till Sathanas was unbound and the People blinded by Friars with the Heresy of Accidents without Subjects 1. He owned but two Sacraments as appears by the 45 th 46 th 47 th and 48 th Articles condemned at Oxford and in the Council of Constance 2. He was against the Use of Chrism in Baptism 3. He maintained that extream Unction was not a Sacrament If corporal Unction were a Sacrament as now is pretended Christ and his Apostles would not have been wanting to declare it to the World 4. His Opinion concerning Confirmation as it is practised amongst the Papists he expresseth thus As for the Oil wherewith the Bishops anoint Children and the linnen Coif that covers the Head it seems to be a vain Ceremony that can have no Foundation in Scripture and that this Confirmation being introduced without any Apostolical Authority is Blasphemy against God 1. He declam'd against the Use of Images with great Earnestness We ought to preach saith he against the Costliness Beautifulness and other Arts of cheating wherewith we impose upon Strangers rather to pick their Pockets than for the Propagation of Christ's Religion The Devil by his Falshood deludes many who sometimes suppose a Miracle to have been wrought when indeed it was nothing but a Cheat. The Poison of Idolatry lies hid in continued Imagination 2. One may see how he distinguisheth Sins Some Sins are called little Sins in comparison of greater and venial because God's Son forgives them 3. He did not own the Necessity of Auricular Confession Vocal Confession made to the Priest introduc'd by Innocent is not so necessary If a Man be truly contrite all outward Confession is superfluous and unprofitable to him 4. He wrote against the Doctrine of Satisfaction The present Pope has reason to blush for the modern Penance established by him without any Ground since it is not lawful for any Mortals no not for the Apostles themselves to make the Law of God difficult beyond what he himself hath limited 5. His Judgment concerning Pardons and Indulgences he expresseth in these Words It is a foolish thing to rely upon the Indulgences of the Pope and the Bishops 6. He gives this Rule concerning Fasting In Works of Humanity we must follow Christ by doing such Works as bear some Proportion with his We must fast 40 Days from Sin and as far as is possible to
Johannis de Wyndsour nova per supra scriptos Augustinum Stere Henricum Benet Willielmum Brigger Richardum Hignell Willielmum Priour Richardum Goddard xxviii die mensis Januarii anno Domini millesimo cccc nonagesimo praesentibus tunc ibidem venerabilibus viris magistris Laurencio Cokks Edmundo Martyn Johanne Mayhowe decretorum doctoribus Daye sacrae theologiae professore Radulpho Hethcote Canonico Ecclesiae Cathedralis Sarum Willielmo Thynlawe Vicario perpetuo Ecclesiae praefatae Briano Willielmo Birley artium magistris Thoma Clerke in legibus baccalareo Johanne Wely scriba Registrario per dictum Reverendum Patrem in hac parte assumpto multis aliis Quibus quidem die loco idem Reverendus Pater injunxit praefato Augustino Stere in parte poenitentiae suae quod ipse Augustinus nudus tibias pedes caput corpore toga camisia ac foemoralibus lineis tantummodo indutus unum fasciculum sive fagotum super humerum suum unum facem anglicè a bronde in manu ejus gestans diebus locis infra scriptis viz. die sabbati xxix die mensis Januarii anno praedicto circa mercatum ville de Wyndesour nova ubi quando fuerit populi multitudo die dominica extunc sequenti viz. ultimo die mensis ejusdem circa Ecclesiam parochialem beatae Mariae Rading die Sabbati quinto die Februarii circa mercatum de Newbery die dominica extunc sequenti circa Ecclesiam parochialem ibidem die dominica prima quadragesime in Ecclesia Cathedrali Sarum die martis extunc sequente circa mercatum ibidem caeterisque diebus diversis per loca scil per Monasteria de Serne Milton Abbottesbery Abyndon Shirborn necnon circa Mercatum ibidem Sarum Diocaeseos coram processionibus circa Ecclesias Monasteria loca praedicta aut in eisdem locis prout aeris temperies permiserit ut moris est faciendis more humilis poenitentis incederet finitisque hujusmodi processionibus vel cum ab aliquo Curatorum hujusmodi Ecclesiarum sive locorum proceditur ad pulpitum quibusdam literis in Anglico scriptis errores opiniones dampnabiles praedicti Augustini ipsius Abjuracionem in se continentibus lectis declaratis per ipsum Augustinum alta intelligibili voce sua declarando exponendo recitando ac confitendo publicè prout in eisdem literis continetur de qua quidem poenitentia per ipsum Augustinum bene fideliter peracta prout sibi mandatum fâ—erit per curatos alios de quibus supra sit mencio praefatus Reverendus Pater Dominus plenarie sufficienter fuerit certificatus unde postea idem Reverendus Pater in tempore certificationis hujusmodi sibi factae in complementum poenitentiae suae injunxit quod singulis diebus vitae suae coram Ymagine crucifixi genuflectendo diceret devote quinquies oracionem Dominicam quinquies salutationem Angelicam semel Symbolum Apostolorum quod injuncto die parassephes vigiliis beatae Mariae per unum annum integrum immediate sequentem in pane aqua Item quod lapso termino ...... dierum per dictum Reverendum Patrem assignato ad villam de Newbery vel ad aliquem locum situatum infra septem milliaria à villa de Newbery praedictâ non accideret nisi ex licentia praefati Reverendi Patris petita primitus obtenta FINIS Books lately printed for Richard Chiswell THE fifteen Notes of the Church as laid down by Cardinal Bellarmin examined and confuted by several London Divines 4 to With a Table to the whole The Texts which the Papists cite out of the Bible for Proof of the Points of their Religion examined and shew'd to be alledged without Ground In twenty five distinct Discourses by several London Divines with a Table to the whole and the Authors Names The Lay Christian's Obligation to read the Holy Scriptures By Dr. Stratford now Lord Bishop of Chester Some Remarks upon the Ecclesiastical History of the Ancient Churches of Piedmont By Peter Allix D. D. 4 to Reflections upon the Books of the Holy Scripture to establish the Truth of the Christian Religion In two Parts 8 vo By the same Author The Judgments of God upon the Roman Catholick Church from its first rigid Laws for universal Conformity to it unto its last End With a Prospect of these near approaching Revolutions viz. 1. The Revival of the Protestant Profession in an eminent Kingdom where it was totally suppressed 2. The last End of all Turkish Hostilities 3. The general Mortification of the Power of the Roman Church in all Parts of its Dominions Geologia Or a Discourse concerning the Earth before the Deluge wherein the Form and Properties ascribed to it in a Book intituled The Theory of the Earth are excepted against And it is made appear That the Dissolution of that Earth was not the Cause of the Universal Flood Also a new Explication of that Flood is attempted By Erasmus Warren Rector of Worlington in Suffolk 4 to The present State of Germany or an Account of the Extent Rise Form Wealth Strength Weaknesses and Interests of that Empire The Prerogatives of the Emperour and the Priviledges of the Electors Princes and Free Cities adapted to the present Circumstances of that Nation By a Person of Quality 8 vo Memoirs of what past in Christendom from the War begun 1672 to the Peace concluded 1679. 8 vo V. CL. Gulielmi Camdeni illustrium virorum ad G. Camdenum Epistolae Cum Appendice varii Argumenti Accesserunt Annalium Regni Regis Jacobi I. Apparatus Commentarius de Antiquitate Dignitate Officio Comitis Marescalli Angliae Praemittitur G. Camdeni vita Scriptore Thoma Smitho S. T. D. Ecclesiae Anglicanae Presbytero Euseb l. 4. c. 20. Praefat. in Zechariam T. 7. B. P. pag. 170. Pag. 173. Pag. 210. Pag. 211. Pag. 212. Pag. 219. cap. 8. Ibid. cap. 9. Pag. 234. Dial. c. 1. Pag. 235. Dia. c. 3. ad finem Pag. 253. Pag. 254. Ibid. T. 4. B. P. pag. 72 73. Pag. 78. cap. 39. Ibid. Pag. 79. c. ante penult Ibid. Institut Caenob lib. 4. cap. 10. Ibid. lib. 7. cap. 1. Lib. 7. cap. 16. Collat. 8. cap. 3. Inst Caenob l. 5. cap. 14. Ibid. lib. 5. cap. 34. De incar lib. 7. cap. 4. Collat. 20. c. 8. Collat. 21. cap. 30. Lib. 3. pag. 64. T. 5. B. P. Ibid. pag. 68. Pag. 72. Lib. 6. pag. 103. Lib. 5. pag. 94. Lib. 8. pag. 125. Lib. 7. pag. 114. Pag. 142. ad Ec. Cath. Lib. 1. Pag. 148. ad Ec. Lib. 2. Comment de Ordine Rom. pag. 139. B. P. T. 1. pag. 134. Pag. 141. Pag. 147. Pag. 157. Pag. 153. Cod. 54. T. 1. disp 91. cap. 11. Dimid Temp. cap. 6. Vpon Psal 120. T. 2. B. P. pag. 148. Rom. 8. Book 2. chap. 4. Pag. 726. Lib. de Creat Pag. 598. Pag. 278. Homil. 8. pag. 282. T. 3. B. Patr. pag. 381. Ep. 3. ad
REMARKS UPON The Ecclesiastical History OF THE Antient Churches OF THE ALBIGENSES By PETER ALLIX D. D. Treasurer of the Church of Sarum IMPRIMATUR August 3. 1691. Z. Isham R. P. D. Henrico Episc Lond. Ã Sacris LONDON Printed for Richard Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard MDCXCII TO THE QUEEN May it please your Majesty THIS Defence of the Albigenses the Antient and Illustrious Confessors who some Ages ago enlightned the Southern Parts of France is laid down at your Majesty's Feet for Your Protection as well as their Successors do now fly into your Dominions for Relief That Charity which moves your Majesty to protect them by your Gracious Favour and support them by your Royal Bounty makes me presume to offer this Historical Apology to your Sacred Majesty Their Faith was in most things the same with that which our Reformers taught in opposition to the Church of Rome and after all the Endeavours that have been used to blacken them by the most horrid Calumnies as well as to destroy them by the cruellest Inquisitions and Croisades the Innocency of their Lives and the Exemplariness of their Deaths makes them to be justly gloried in as the true Authors of the Reformation It was from them that this Church now so happy in your Majesty receiv'd the first Beams of that heavenly Light which it now enjoys and which it of late maintained with such vast Advantages that it is deservedly esteemed the chief Body as well as the justest Glory of the whole Reformation The Persecutions of those earliest Restorers of the Doctrine of Jesus Chirst drove them out of their Country and forced many to fly into this Kingdom for shelter who brought with them the first Seeds of those Truths which have since yielded so plentiful an Encrease There is nothing in this History that will either strike or charm Those true Disciples of their crucified Master were considerable for nothing but the Purity of their Doctrine the Innocency of their Lives and the Patience as well as the Constancy of their Sufferings But the Glories of this World which surround your Majesty do not darken or lessen in your Esteem these distinguishing Characters of the Religion of Christ our Saviour and of those his Suffering Members in whose Afflictions you are pleased to take so great a share that you do very much diminish their own sense of them and make them so much the easier by those vast Supports you give them May that God who has raised up your Majesty to support Religion and protect its Confessors in their lowest Circumstances and who has so miraculously preserved and prospered the King and your Majesty in Opposition to the Enemies and Persecutors of his Truth still pour down the richest of his Blessings upon your Majesties May You perfect what You have so gloriously begun May You be Long Great and Happy here and infinitely Greater and Happier for ever These are the daily Wishes and most earnest Prayers of May it please your Majesty Your Majesties most Dutiful most Faithful and most Obedient Subject PETER ALLIX THE PREFACE IT was no hard matter for us to justify the Waldenses from the Accusation of Schism which the Bishop of Meaux thought fit to charge upon them for by shewing the Antiquity Purity and Succession of those Churches I have made it appear that what the Bishop calls Schism ought in Justice to be look'd upon as a vigorous Opposition to the false Worship and Usurpations of the Romish Faction and by consequence that there is no more reason to call the Waldenses Schismaticks because of their refusing Subjection to the Pope and rejecting the Errors of the Church of Rome than there is to call the Church of England Schismatical for the same Reasons But it is so long since the heads of the Church of Rome have founded their Design of an Universal Monarchy and so have fitted their Stile to their Pretensions that it is now become a very familiar thing with them to treat those as Rebels and Schismaticks who will not submit to their Authority so that we need not wonder if they who have espoused the Interest of the Church of Rome and who defend her against the Protestants do boldly charge those with Schism against whom they write without giving themselves the trouble of proving their Charge Nay perhaps we are to think our selves obliged to the Bishop of Meaux who raising himself a little above the common Method of the Doctors of his own Communion has limited himself to accuse the Waldenses of Schism only whereas he might with as much reason have charg'd them with Heresy if he had followed the Writers of Controversy of his own Party or the Legends of the Saints of his Communion For it is certain that the Writers of Controversy in the Church of Rome and those who have writ the Lives of those Inquisitors that have been canoniz'd have never look'd upon the Waldenses as any other than Manichees so thorowly rooted is the Spirit of Calumny in the Members of that Church the Character of Father of Lies being very necessary to support that of Murtherer honourably whereof they have been in Possession so very long I cannot tell whether the Bishop of Meaux has forgiven himself for his Tenderness towards the Waldenses whom he only treats as Schismaticks For seeing one Day informs another and that thus Men come to refine their Notions to the utmost who knows but the Bishop who when he writ his Book of Variations had only obscurely hinted that to accuse the Pope of being Antichrist was a Character of Manicheism who knows I say but that now he sees so clearly that the Waldenses have formally declared that the Pope is Antichrist he will not a-new make them Manichees once more the better to accommodate himself with the Maxims of his New System If he should not do it himself to avoid the shame of being guilty of a Variation at least it 's very obvious to believe that some of those who are engaged with him in the same Cause will not fail of taking that Course and therefore I am glad I have prevented him by showing that the Waldenses were no Manichees though they took the Pope to be Antichrist Be it as it will I hope it will not be harder for us to justify the Albigenses from the Accusations brought against them by the Bishop of Meaux He uses his utmost Endeavours to maintain a most abominable Calumny raised by his Predecessors and strives by representing the Albigenses as a People who had revived the Errors of the Manichees to make them equally odious to those of the Church of Rome and the Protestants of France whom his Violence together with that of his Colleagues have forc'd to take upon them the external Profession of Popery The Jews built the Tombs of those Prophets whom their Fathers slew process of Time having cur'd them of their Fury that enrag'd their Forefathers against the Ambassadors of Heaven
out of Paradise and by a Virgin we have found eternal Life 12. That he did not believe we ought to have recourse to the Intercession of Saints can be invincibly demonstrated from hence because he did not believe that the Faithful should see the Face of God before the Day of Judgment lib. 5. c. 3. 13. He plainly asserts that the Apostolical Succession is of no Consideration without the Truth of Doctrine Lib. 4. c. 43. so far was he from making it a bar to hinder Believers from examining the Doctrine propounded to them 14. He maintains that the Gates of Heaven were open'd to Jesus Christ because of the Assumption of his Flesh so far was he from believing that his glorified Body could penetrate Bodies Lib. 3. c. 18. lib. 4. c. 66. He asserts that Jesus Christ at his being born opened the Blessed Virgin 's Womb lib. 4. c. 66. which the Church of Rome condemns for divers Reasons And for as much as he holds the Holy Ghost to be the Food of Life lib. 4. c. 75. accordingly he maintains c. 2. lib. 5. that our Bodies are nourished by the Creatures of God received in the Eucharist and that they receive growth by them He distinctly asserts that the Sacrament of the Eucharist as to its Substance consists of Bread and Wine which are the Creatures of God which he receives as Oblations of a different kind from the Sacrifices of the old Testament and indeed in case he had otherwise conceived the matter he would have favoured the Opinion of the Gnosticks who pretending that the Work of the Creation was not the Work of the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ could never have lighted upon a more comfortable Doctrine than that of Transubstantiation by means of which the Nature of Bread and Wine would be destroyed by Jesus Christ in the Sacrament and nothing left but the Accidents that is to say meer Fantomes without any thing of Reality L. 4. c. 34 57. In like manner we find him asserting lib. 5. c. 33. that what Jesus Christ gave to his Disciples in the Cup was the Generation or Product of the Vine 15. We see clearly from what Eusebius has preserved of St. Irenaeus that the Variety in observing a Fast before Easter was very great and that there was no Law of the Apostles or of Jesus Christ injoining it every one using it according to his own free Will and Devotion We find also that whatsoever Respect St. Irenaeus had for the Church of Rome he was no more inclined to be led by her sole Authority than St. Polycarp was whom he much commends and if he considered her as an Apostolick Church yet he never attributed to her any Authority over the other Flocks of the Lord. I will not dissemble that St. Irenaeus seems somewhat at a loss about the state of Believers after Death but to this it is sufficient to say 1. That we find in St. Irenaeus an Abridgment of the Faith almost in the same form that we find it in the Apostles Creed as it is called 2. That if we do not agree to all the Opinions of St. Irenaeus about the State of Souls after Death 't is certain that the Doctors of the Church of Rome do at least reject as many Articles as we do yea and more too From what I have said we may however perceive what was the State of the Christian Religion in Gaul a little after the middle of the second Century which is the time wherein St. Irenaeus lived and flourished I wish I could produce for the following Century as Authentick a Witness concerning the State of the Churches in this part of Gaul but indeed though there were diverse famous Writers whose Works are cited by St. Jerome yet there is in a manner nothing of them left to us I know there are some who believe that Victorinus was Bishop of Poictiers in the third Century but this is not found true for it is certain that he was Bishop of Passau Patavionensis and not Pictaviensis so that we must proceed to those who can inform us of the State of this part of Gaul during the fourth Century CHAP. III. The Faith of Gallia Aquitanica and Narbonensis in the Fourth Century ST Hilary Bishop of Poictiers a famous Confessor in the Persecution which the Arians stirr'd up against the Orthodox can afford us much Light concerning the State and Faith of these Diocesses This great Man was married as he who published his Works at Paris owns after the famous Baptista Mantuanus observing that the Law for the Celibacy of the Clergy was not yet introduced and that before that time as St. Jerom expresseth it they rather made choice of married Persons than unmarried because the former were judged more proper for the Functions of the Holy Ministry But this is not the only Article wherein he differ'd from Popery as well as the Church of Aquitain 1. He counts the Canonical Books as we do and plainly holds them for Apocryphal which we reject as we find in the Preface to his Commentary upon the Book of Psalms 2. He lays it down for an Error and piece of Impiety to look upon the Scripture as imperfect in Psalm 118. Lit. Vau. 3. He asserts that Ignorance is not capable of excusing Men seeing the Scripture is proposed to us as the Rule of our Faith and Manners Non habet veniam ignoratio voluntatis quia sub scientiae facultate nescire repudiatae magis quam non repertae scientiae est reatus Ob id enim longe à Peccatoribus salus quia non exquisierint Justificationes Dei Nam utique non ob aliud consignatae literis manent quam ut ad universorum scientiam notionemque defluerent Ignorance of the Divine Will gives no Excuse because to be ignorant when we may learn makes us guilty of rejecting Knowledg rather than missing of it For therefore is Salvation far from Sinners because they search not after that which justifies before God and which indeed is for no other reason preserv'd in Writing but that it might be derived to the Knowledg and Understanding of all This is a Stile and these are Maxims very different from those of the Church of Rome 4. He affirms that we are to be ignorant of whatsoever the Scripture doth not teach us and after having asserted that it is the Character of Hereticks to conceal the Holy Scripture fol. 204. he maintains that it is another Mark of Heresy to believe beyond what the Gospel teacheth us Tu qui ultra Evangelium sapis necesse est ut aliis alibi arcanorum doctrinis cognitionem Paterni nominis adeptus sis Thou who art wise beyond the Gospel it must needs be that thou hast elsewhere by other secret Doctrines attained the Knowledg of God the Father fol. 132. 5. He asserts that it was the Will of God that the Scripture should be plain and clear Quantae enim potuit Dominus verborum simplicitate
who upon several Attaques maintained the Interest of Truth against Paschasius and his Followers it will be our Business to represent how far these Disputes were serviceable in hindring the Opinions of Paschasius from getting the upper-hand in the Diocesses of Aquitain and Narbon and how this prepar'd their Minds for a Separation from the Church of Rome Never was any Man so often condemned as Berengarius never was any Man more back'd than he nor ever did any Man give more trouble to those who endeavour'd to crush him than he did An Author of the 12 th Century hath writ a Book Concerning Berengarius 's manifold Condemnation and Mabillon hath taken care to collect the Names and the Times of all those Assemblies wherein he was condemned but withal we may assert that the Reasons and Authorities he produc'd gave his Enemies a terrible deal of Trouble His Adversaries have employ'd their utmost Efforts to abolish the Memory of his Works but a sufficient part of them have been preserv'd by their own care to enable us to judg of the Injustice of their Calumnies against him and of the Purity of his Faith in the Matter of the Eucharist And for as much as he was of considerable use to the Albigenses in their opposing of the Doctrine of the Carnal Presence which the Faction of Paschasius and his Followers endeavoured to introduce and establish under the shelter and favour of that gross Ignorance which reigned at this time I suppose I may affirm that his Works whereof Lanfrank hath given us an Extract were of no small Service to oblige those who undertook his Defence to separate themselves from the Communion of the Pope or rather to hinder him from subjecting them to his Yoak seeing it was at this very time that the Popes began to make them selves Masters of the Churches of the West It will be of great moment to prove that the Popes had not as yet made themselves absolute Masters of this Part of the Church which was always careful to maintain its Rights against their Encroachments and Usurpations My intent therefore is to employ the following Chapter upon this Subject before I proceed to enquire how the Faith was preserved in these Diocesses in the next Age when they refused to submit themselves to the Authority of the Popes of Rome CHAP. XII That these Diocesses continued independent of the Popes until the Beginning of the Twelfth Century I Acknowledg that were the business to be decided by the modern Pretensions of the Popes of Rome to the Empire of all the Churches of the World and in particular to a Patriarchate over all the Churches of the West we should be forced to own that they had been subject to them ever since the time that the Gospel was first preached in Gaul in both these respects They have made it their business to persuade Mankind that the whole World is but the Pope's Parish and that more particularly the Churches of the West which have been founded by their Ancestors who sent them the first Preachers of the Gospel do belong to their Patriarchate as if these Envoys of the antient Popes in their Endeavours to propagate the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the World had design'd to establish the Papal Empire over all the New Conquests that they acquired to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ But notwithstanding all these new-found Claims and Pretensions of the Popes we can prove that nothing can be imagin'd more vain or more destitute of any Ground or Foundation than they are For it is not true that those Churches which have received the Gospel from another are therefore subject to it as we can demonstratively evince by the Examples of the Churches of Vienna and Lions which were founded by Persons sent from the Churches of Asia upon which account it was that St. Irenaeus sent them a Relation of the Persecution they suffered Neither is it true that the antient Popes how careful soever otherwise they might be to promote their own Authority did ever pretend to be the Patriarchs of all the West or of Gaul in particular This is a Truth we can unanswerably prove by the Testimony of the first Council of Nice which assigns no other Jurisdiction to the Pope save that which he enjoyed in those which Rufinus calls the Suburbicarian Regions and which the Learned Men of the Church of Rome at present own to have been comprehended within the ten Provinces of Italy to which the Papal Ordination did belong as we see it was under Honorius and which were distinguish'd from the Diocess of Italy properly so called that is to say the seven Provinces which constituted the Diocess of Milan This Canon therefore looks upon it as a thing not to be questioned that Gaul was a Diocess distinct from that of the Popes having its Authority within it self governed by its own Synods without having the Ordination of its Clergy the Determination of its Affairs or the Authority of its Assemblies subjected to the Pope's Authority as their Superiour If we had not this Canon of the first Council of Nice which distinctly determines the Pope's Diocess yet would it be very easy to prove it by other Arguments such as these 1. We find that the Churches of Gaul convocated a Synod upon the contest about Easter towards the end of the 2 d Century without receiving any Orders from Pope Victor for so doing 2. We find that when the Donatists were condemned by the Pope they desired the Emperor that they might be judged by the Bishops of Gaul and accordingly we find that Marinus Bishop of Arles presided in the great Council of Arles in the year 314 at which were present 83 Bishops twenty One of Italy eleven of Spain eleven of Africa five of Britain and thirty five of Gaul Since the Council of Nice we find the Churches of Gaul governing themselves with the same Independency under the Conduct of their several Metropolitans We are to observe in general that these Churches had their peculiar Code of Canons made by themselves and that these Canons continued to have the force of a Law till the 8 th Century when their Discipline began to receive a great Alteration by the cares of Bonifacius Bishop of Mentz and his Successors This is amply proved by Justel in the Preface to his Collection of the antient Canons Now it is visible that a Church which had its particular Rules could not be dependent on the Pope whose Diocess had its own particular Rules and Canons We can truly affirm that the Bishops of Gaul were so far from acknowledging the Pope as their Patriarch that his Name was not so much as ever recited in the Churches of Gaul till the year 529 as may be clearly collected from the Council of Vaison where it was first determin'd that the Pope should be mention'd in their publick Prayers And indeed if we enquire into the constant Conduct of the Bishops of Gaul throughout
first made use of a Canon of the Council of Sardica which gave them Power to send Legats into the Provinces to examine the Processes and the Depositions of any Bishops in Cases where any complaint was made After that they had thus accustomed the French Bishops to admit their Legats in this Case they by little and little gain'd another Point when the Princes were weak which was to send some amongst them without any Complaint or Appeal at all and at last after they had submitted to the Yoak Alexander II. established it as a Rule that the Pope ought to have the Government and Administration of all Churches Of these Legats some had a whole Kingdom under their Jurisdiction others some part only they came thither with full Power to depose Bishops yea the Metropolitan himself when ever they pleased to assemble the Councils of their District and to preside therein with the Metropolitan but taking place of him to make Canons to send the Decision of those Matters to the Pope to which the Bishops would not give their Consent as likewise all the Acts of the Council whereof he disposed at his Will and Pleasure And it is to be observed that their Suffrages outweigh'd those of all the Bishops together and that oftentimes by their simple Authority they judg'd and determin'd the Causes of the Elections of Bishops of Benefices of the Excommunications of Lay-men and the like Insomuch that these Assemblies which before were so Sacred and so Soveraign for the supporting and maintaining of Discipline having no Power any longer were to speak properly rather Councils to authorize and ratify the Will and Pleasure of the Pope than any lawful or free Councils So that it was not till the Papacy of Alexander II. and Gregory VII that the Churches of Aquitain saw themselves in danger of losing their Liberty by submitting to the Papal Yoak as well as the rest of the French Churches We are now to see how they avoided this Yoak which was thus imposed upon them in some measure CHAP. XIII Of the Opposition that was made by a Part of these Churches to the Attempts of the Popes and of their Separation from the Communion of Rome before Peter Waldo IT is difficult precisely to set down the Year wherein a considerable Part of these Diocesses rejected the Power of the Pope's Legats and lowdly condemned the Errors which they would have introduced under the Name of Councils which the Popes had so often assembled against Berengarius But we have great reason to conclude that it happened under Gregory VII when he undertook to oblige the Bishops of France to swear an Oath of Fidelity to him in much a like Form as Vassals swear to the Lords of the Fee for in reality it is the very same this strange Piece of Novelty which at one Blow destroy'd all the Rights of the Church excited both Pastors and People to defend their Liberties and to reject this imperious Yoak Then it was also that he endeavour'd to change the Common Service of the Church by striking out all that was not agreeable to the Roman Service which was very proper to inflame the Minds of the People and make them more watchful for the Preservation of the Doctrine and Ceremonies of Religion which they had received from their Ancestors For instance It is certain that in the 11 th Century they changed the Collects which concern'd the Prayer for the Dead We have an Example of it that was inserted in the Decretal of Gregory IX 'T is an Answer of Innocent III. to John de Beauxmains Archbishop of Lions who at that time was retired in the Abby of Clairvaux It contains the Question which that Archbishop who was the Persecutor and Condemner of Peter Waldo propounds to Innocent III. together with the Pope's Answer Your Brothership has enquir'd why there was a Change made in the Service of Saint Leo so that whereas the antient Books express the Prayer thus Grant to us Lord that this Offering may be of advantage to the Soul of thy Servant Leo in the modern Books it is exprest thus Grant to us O Lord we beseech thee that by the Intercession of St. Leo this Offering may be of advantage to us To which we answer saith the Pope That since the Authority of Scripture assures us that he doth an Injury to a Martyr who prays for a Martyr we are by a Parity of Reason to judg the same of other Saints because they need not our Prayers as being perfectly happy and enjoying all things according to their Wishes but it is we rather that stand in need of their Prayers who being miserable are in continuable trouble by reason of the Evils that surround us Wherefore such Expressions as these That such an Offering may be of advantage to this or that Saint for their Glory and Honour which we meet with in most Prayers are thus to be understood That it may conduce to this end that he may be more and more glorified by the Faithful here on Earth Though most suppose it a thing not unworthy of the Saints to assert that their Glory is continually encreased until the Day of Judgment and therefore that the Church may in the mean time lawfully wish for the encrease of their Glorification But whether in this Point that Distinction may take place which teacheth us that of those who are dead some are very good others very bad others indifferently good and others indifferently bad and therefore whether the Suffrages of Believers in the Church for the very good are Thanksgiving for the very bad Comforts to the Living for those who are indifferently good Expiations and for the indifferently bad Propitiations I leave to your Prudence to enquire Moreover the Popes Nicholas II and his Successors undertook to defend the Celibacy of the Clergy by which means a great many Pastors were depriv'd of the Functions of their Ministry which obliged also a vast number of them to separate themselves from the Communion of the Pope whose Creatures after the Decree was past for authorizng Celibacy look'd upon the married Clergy to be no more than simple Lay-men not to mention now that the Multiplicity of Schisms and Anti-popes had reduc'd most of the Diocesses of France into a strange Confusion some holding for one Pope others for another But though we cannot assign the precise Epocha of the beginning of this couragious Opposition to the See of Rome which had no other Original but the just Defence of their Liberties and the Desire of preserving their antient Truths yet thus much seems to be certain as far as we can gather from the poor Remainder of Records which the Barbarity of the Inquisitors hath suffer'd to come down to us 1. That this publick Opposition against the Efforts of Popery was made about the beginning of the 12 th Century 2. That without great Ignorance both in History and Chronology it cannot be supposed that the Albigenses were the Disciples of
it seems that they could never attain their End We have a Letter writ by an Earl of Tholouse to the Abbot of Cisteaux and to the general Chapter of that Order in the Year 1177 which declares that the Clergy sided with the Party which he accuseth of Manicheism and that the Popish Churches were reduced to extream Desolation he himself being in no Condition to remedy it or to oppose himself against the Torrent most of the great Lords having declared themselves for them So far saith he hath this noisom heretical Infection prevailed that almost all closing with it believe that in so doing they do God good Service and the wicked one who is now exerting the Mystery of Iniquity in the Children of Unbelief doth so transform himself into an Angel of Light that the Wife separates from her Husband the Son from his Father and the Daughter-in-Law from her Mother-in-Law And O miserable has the Gold lost its Lustre amongst us to that Degree that it is trod under the Devil's Feet like Dirt for even the Priests are depraved with the Filth of Heresy and the ancient and once venerable Churches appointed for Worship are left desolate and lie in Ruins And now what shall I say there are none that consider with themselves and say in their Hearts What do we do for we see that these Men do a great deal of Mischief If we let them alone all Men will believe in them and he who hath swallowed down a River already will not wonder at it from the Boldness of his wicked Presumption if Jordan should flow into his Mouth For my part who am girt with one of the two divine Swords and who do own my self an Avenger of the divine Wrath and Minister of God appointed for that Purpose whilst I endeavour to set Bounds and put a Stop to this Infidelity do find that my Power is too weak to effect such and so great a Work because the most part of the Gentry of my Dominion having drunk of this Poison of Infidelity already are wasted away with its Contagion and together with them the greatest part of the common People fall'n from the Faith pines likewise so that I neither dare nor am able to undertake it Roger Hoveden sets down a Letter of Peter Cardinal Legate at Tholouse wherein he makes mention of the Albigensian Pastors Raymond Baimiac Bernard Raimond and some other chief Hereticks who came to speak with him under his and the Earl of Tholouse's safe Conduct and made profession of their Faith in a great Assembly in the Church of St. Stephen He afterwards gives us an account of a Letter of Henry Abbot of Clairvaux who lamenting the Corruption of Tholouse by these Arch-hereticks adds these Words Yea so far had this Plague prevailed in the Land that they had not only made to themselves Priests and Bishops but had also their Evangelists who having depraved and cancell'd the Truth of the Gospel had copied to themselves new Gospels and from their wicked Hearts preached to the deceived People new Doctrines I lie if there was not amongst them a Man of a great Age of a very plentiful Estate who had several Brethren and Friends and who had the Reputation of a great Man amongst the greatest of the City whom in Punishment for his Sins the Devil had so blinded that he declar'd himself to be John the Evangelist and he distinguished the Word that was in the Beginning with God from another Principle of things as from another God he was the head of these miserable Wretches and the Ring-leader of the Hereticks in this City who though a Lay-man and an Idiot and so knew nothing yet as a Fountain of diabolical Wisdom the bitter Waters of Perdition and Death flowed from him amongst them A Company of dark Owls associated to him at Nights where he sitting amongst them in a Garment like a Rochet and a Surplice over it seem'd like a King with his Army standing about him and was the Preacher to these Fools He had fill'd the whole City with his Disciples and Doctrine no Body daring to oppose him because of his Power and Riches Yea so great was the Licentiousness of these Hereticks that at our entrance into the Town as we passed through the Streets and Lanes they mocked us and pointed at us with their Finger calling us Apostats Hypocrits and Hereticks Peter Monk of Vaux Cernay owns that the Albigenses had their Teachers whom they called Bishops and Deacons He takes notice that the Earl of Tholouse who never went any whither without a New Testament had always with him some of these Ministers for his Instruction and Consolation We find in the Council of Montpellier in the year 1214 that there was some difference between the Hereticks that were the Pastors and the Believers that is to say the People as it is particularly taken notice of in the Preface and in the 29 th Canon of the Council of Gallia Narbonensis We find in Matthew Paris a Letter of the Bishop of Porto the Pope's Legate for this Business of the Albigenses written in the year 1223 to the Archbishop of Roan where he mentions one Bartholomew a Bishop of the Hereticks who had removed himself into the Country near Tholouse where he created Bishops and set Rules to the Churches of his Communion His Words are these Etenim de Carcassonâ oriundus vices illius Antipapae gerens Bartholomaeus Haereticorum Episcopus funestam ei exhibendo reverentiam sedem locum concessit in villâ quae Perlos appellatur seipsum transtulit in partes Tholosanas Iste Bartholomaeus in literarum suarum undique discurrentium tenore se in primo salutationis alloquio intitulat in hunc modum Bartholomaeus servus servorum sanctae fidei tali salutem Ipse etiam inter alias enormitates creat Episcopos Ecclesias perfide ordinare intendit For this Bartholomew the Bishop of the Hereticks Vicar to that Antipope originally of Carcasson paying him an unhappy Reverence yielded him his Seat and his Place in the Village called Perlos and removed himself into the Country near Tholouse this Bartholomew stiled himself Servant of the Servants of the holy Faith and in his Letters which he sent about amongst his Flock as also in his first Salutations of those who addressed themselves to him he always assumed that Character He also added to his other Crimes that of creating Bishops and perfidiously took upon him the Government of those Churches Lucas Tudensis speaks of one of their Bishops that was burnt William of Puylaurens in his Chronicle at the Beginning speaks of the great Respect that was given to these Ministers of the Albigenses whom he calls Waldenses because of the Holiness of their Lives Lastly We see in the Acts of the Inquisition of Tholouse several Names of those that were Pastors of the Albigenses and who had been ordain'd to the holy Ministry by Men of their own Communion This therefore was the
to any Man This they prove after this following Manner First They say it is clear that when God pardons Sin he doth it not with any respect to the Merit of any Man but of meer Grace whence it follows evidently that the Remission of Sins cannot be attributed to a Man's confessing of them for if it were so we must own that the Remission is no longer of Free-gift but that it is a Recompence given by God to the Merit of him that confesseth Secondly They say if it be Confession that procures a Man the Pardon of his Sins what will become of that Passage in the third Chapter of the Epistle to Titus where it is expresly declared That God hath saved us of his Mercy and not according to the Works of Righteousness that we have done Or how shall we explain that in the ninth of the Romans That it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth Mercy We know that the first Grace that God works in us is the Remission of Sins now if this Grace be absolutely the Effect of the Mercy of God it cannot be the Effect of Confession which by Consequence is not necessary to Salvation And having thus endeavoured to defend their Opinion by Reason they endeavour also to back it by the Authority of the Fathers and quote St. Ambrose who saith upon Luke St. Peter wept because his Sorrow was so great that it did not permit him to speak we find that he wept but not that he said any thing I read his Tears but I find nothing of his Confession The fourth Heresy is of those who acknowledg that we ought to confess but add that we are not to confess to Man What need is there say they to confess to a Man now under the Covenant of Grace seeing that even under the Law it was sufficient to confess to God by a single Act of Contrition They alledg also the Authority of St. Chrysostom who saith upon the Epistle to the Hebrews It is not said that you need publish what your Sins are to the World neither need you accuse your self before all Mankind you are only enjoined to practise the Exhortation of David in the 136 th Psalm That you spread all the Parts of your Life in the Presence of God that you confess to him who is your true Judg and that you rather express your Repentance by the secret Groans of your Conscience than by the abundance of Words this is the true way to obtain Grace from Heaven They make use also of another Passage of the same Father where he saith If thou desirest to have thy Sins blotted out confess them but if thou beest ashamed to discover them to any Body repeat them every Day in the secret of thine Heart It is not necessary to tell them to Men they might it may be afterwards reproach thee with them but declare them rather to God who only can give thee such a Remedy as thou wantest and though thou shouldest not confess them to him yet he still sees thee he was present and look'd upon thee whilst thou didst commit them From all which he concludes That we ought to confess our Sins only to God And this detestable Heresy which is practised in secret Assemblies hath already infected a great number of People The sixth Heresy is of those who maintain that it is not necessary to confess to a Priest when a Man can confess himself to a Layman The seventh Heresy is That we ought to obey none but God alone This is the Error of a certain Arch-Heretick called Waldo from whom the Hereticks that we now call Waldenses derive their Name This miserable Wretch without being sent from God took upon him of his own Head to form a new Sect and without the Permission of any Bishop without Inspiration without Knowledg or Learning set up for a Preacher so that we may well say of him as Alanus doth in his Book against Hereticks that he is a wise Man without Reason a Prophet without a Vision an Apostle without being sent and a Doctor who never had Instruction See here how his Followers undertake to defend his Heresy We see say they in the 5 th Chapter of the Acts that St. Peter and St. John speaking to the Scribes and Pharisees tell them Judg ye-whether it be reasonable to obey you rather than God and not to do what he commands us because you forbid us Moreover these Hereticks maintain That if we obey a Man when we ought not to obey him we commit a Sin because then we don't obey God Samuel say they saith to Saul in the 15 th of the 1 st Book of Samuel that Disobedience or Rebellion is as the Sin of Witchcraft Now he that addicts himself to Witchcraft doth in a manner renounce God but he that refuseth to obey a Man doth not therefore commit the Sin of Witchcraft which Sin is not committed but where a Man refuseth to obey God We ought therefore to obey God and not Man because in disobeying Man we are not guilty of that Sin but only when we disobey God The eighth Heresy is what these same Waldenses profess that supposing we ought to obey any Man it must be such a Man as is not under Sin himself and that good Priests only have the Power of binding and loosing This also was one of the Errors of John Havel that is to say Wicklef an Englishman who amongst many others which he taught maintained that a temporal Lord a Bishop or Prelate have no Authority as long as they are under mortal Sin And he hath been followed by another Fox who asserted the same thing John Huss a Bohemian and by another Viper Jerom of Prague who were both of them condemned for Hereticks in the Council held at Constance in the Year 1414 in the Presence of Martin V. They say therefore that we ought to be obedient to good Prelats that is to say to those who are no less Successors of the Apostles in their Lives and Conversation than in their Charge and Function but as for those whose Life and Conversation has nothing in it Apostolical they are Hirelings and no true Shepherds They endeavour to support this their Error first by the Words of St. Austin in his Book of Baptism That God pardons Sins either immediately by himself or by the Members of his Dove and that the Saints can either absolve us of our Sins or retain them He saith also upon Exodus speaking of the Plate of Gold which was to be always upon the Fore-head of the High Priest This Plate was the Testimony of a good Life and that he only who hath the Testimony of a good Life not in a Figure but in Truth and Reality can forgive Sins So likewise St. Gregory declares That they only in this World have the Power of binding and loosing so as the Apostles had who retain their Doctrine and imitate their Examples And Origen