account to impose the proof upon the lawfull possessors but among all methinks it seems very unfair for any that stiles himself of the church of England to deny this principle of lawfull possession since their own best writers do much insist upon it to make out their right against thoses secttaryes who like new swarms separated from the stock As the Presbyterians Anabaptists Quakers sosinians c. But to come to the present point let us see the arrogant challange of this proud Goliah which runs to this purpose Whosoever is deserious to find and embrace a church where the old incorrupted principles of christianity are taught such doctrines only as were maintain'd by the ancient and pure church even of Rome for upward of 300 years after christ let him embrace the present church of England where the said principles are duely profess'd the old church of Rome and the present church of England being the same in principles whereas the doctrines which the presnt church of Rome has added over and above what the church of England maintains wherein the said churches do now differ were never maintain'd by the said ancient church of Rome but newly brought-in some eight or nine hundred years others seven the most of theÌ„ 600 years after christ In justification of which charge we alwayes have and still do bid defiance to any Roman catholick liviÌ„g to bring any sufficient sentence out of any old doctor or father or out of any old council or out of the holy scriptures or any one example of the primitive church whereby it may be clearly and plainly prov'd 1 That there was any privat masse in the whole world at that time for the space of six huÌ„dred years after christ 2 That the communion was administred unto the people under one kind 3 That the people then had their common prayes in a toÌ„gue which they understood not 4 That the bishop of Rome was then call'd the universal â—ishop or the head of the universal church 5 That then the people were taught to believe that christs body is really or substantially in the sacrament 6. That then the people did fall down and worship it with godly honour 7. That in the sacrament after the words of consecration there reman only the accidents shew without the substance of bread and wine 8. That whosoever had then said the sacrament is only but a figure a pledge a token or remembrance of christs body had therefore been judg'd for an here tick 9. That images were then sett up in churches to the intent that the people might worship them 10. That then the people did invocate saints or pray to them 11. That then the people believ'd that there is a third place which commonly the Papists call purgatory 12 That then the people were forbiddeÌ„ to read the word of god in their own tongue If these thiÌ„gs be as we alleage it follows that whosoever maiÌ„taiÌ„e the aforsaid abus'd principles are not of the aÌ„cieÌ„t church of Rome but only of the preseÌ„t corrupted church of Rome if our allegatioÌ„s be false we desire to be disprov'd Before I come to any particular answer to the several points of this extravagant challange which the mans ignorance or vanity makes him belive unanswerable I will only thus in general retort his own argument upon himself that J may form his discurse in the true and right method Whosoever desires to find and embtace a church wherein the old incorrupted principles of christiaÌ„ity are taught and such doctrines only as were maintain'd by the ancient and pure church even of Rome for upwards of 300 years after christ let him embrace the present church of Rome wherein the said principles are duely profess'd the old and the present church of Rome being still the same in principles whereas the doctrines of those who now call themselues the church of England and wherein the said churehes do now differ were never maiÌ„tain'd by the aÌ„cieÌ„t church of Rome but rather impiously brought in by a series of hereticks who for those very doctrines were from time to time coÌ„demn'd by many general national and provincial councils and also by the most eminent fathers and doctors of the catholick church in those respective ages whose authorityes and very words I will hereafter produce in my answer to the several points heré controverted that every impartial reader may see how all the aspersions and calumnies rais'd by our pretended reformers against the church of Rome are but meer fictions without any toserable ground reason or authority In the mean time I think it is very plain that my retortion ought to take place before my adversaryes precaâ—ious sort of discourse and consequently that such a challange belogs properly to the church of Rome and not to any upstart sectary whatsoever for as J hinted before it is a principle in all well govern'd common-wealths that a peacable possessor ought not to be disturb'd untill by manifest proof he is convicted to be an unlawfull possessor but the church of Rome which undenyably was a peaceable possessor of thé true faith for the first 300 or as my adversary is willing to allows for six hundred years after christ was never convicted by any competent authority or proof that ever she fell from the true faith of Jesus christ therefore it necessarily follows that shee must be still suppos'd to retain the same true faith to this very day The major is manifest and a maxim in law and the minor J prove thus If the church of Rome could at any time be juridically condemn'd or declar'd to have fallen from the true faith it must have been either by some immediate revelation or commission from God as the written law was abrogated to make Place for the law of grace and as the high Priesthood was transfer'd from the house of Heli to an other family or by some other Church call'd and summon'd by the inspiration of the holy Ghost in some National or general Council as the Arians Macedonians Nestorians Pelagians Eutychians and many other Heresies were condemn'd in former times but neither of those can be alleag'd in the case propos'd the first is not so much as pretended nor can the later be alleag'd by any man in his wits for no National or General Council no nor any old Chronicles Registers Ecclesiastâ—al or prophane Histories makes tention that ever the Roman Church fell from the true faith so that if we except the inconsiderable dregs of coÌ„demn'd Heresies which lay hid in obscurâ— corners of the earth there waâ— no Church or society of ChristiaÌ„s extaÌ„t in the sixth seveÌ„th eighthâ— ninth c. Centuryes but were aâ—â— in communion with the Church oâ— Rome in their respective ages all the eminent Doctors Fatherâ— of those times seriously exposâ— her cause as the cause of Chrisâ— wherefore either the Church Rome kept the true faith inviolably all that while or Christ haâ— no true Church upon earth whicâ— is
sayes thus It was not in vain the Apostles order'd that they shou'd be remember'd in the venerable and terribile mysteries for they knew this to be a relief and help to them for when all the people with open arms and the priests offer that dreadfull sacrifice full of veneration how shall we not pacific God praying for them he hath such an other Authority in his 41. Homily on St. Pauls first Epist to the Corinthians and in his 7. Homily on his Epist to the Hebrews he sayes thus speaking of Christ we offer alwayes the same truely noe other but still the same therefore it is one sacrifice for this reason because he is offer'd in several places are they many Christs no not at all but one Christ in all places who is wholy and intirely here and there one boâ—â— in his 32. de Consubstantiali â—â— Sharply reprehend those who neglect to hear masse and in his 2â— Homily de baptismo he compare those who leave masse before thâ— last benediction to Judas who the Lords last supper departe before giving thanks More â—â— his Authorityes may be seen nâ— only in his liturgy but also iâ— several places manifestly proving the ancient practice of celebrating masses St. Augustin whâ— liv'd in the begining of the 5. century declares in his 9 book oâ— Confession c. 12. that there wâ— masse said for the soul of his own Mothâ— Monica her body being laid beside tâ— sepulchre In his 32 Ser de verb is Apostoli speaking of the dead he sayes the following words the prayers of the holy church the comfortable sacrifice and the alms which are offer'd for those spirits is not to be doubted that they are help'd by them for this hast been deliver'd by the Fathers which new the universal Church observes that those whodye in the communion of the body blood of Christy are remembr'd when the sacrifice is offer'd who doubts them to be favour'd for prayers are not in vain offer'd for them to God And in his Enchiridion c. 110. he also sayes that it is not to be deny'd that the soul of the dead are oâ—s'd when the holy sacrifice is offer'd for them In his 22. book of the city of God chap. 8. he relates that when Hesperious's couÌ„try house was troubl'd by malignant spirits thaâ— he desir'd one of his priests to go thither by the vertue of whose prayers the spirits might give over one of them went saith he and offer'd there the sacrifice of the body of Christ and afterwards the House was no more troul'd More of St. Augustins Authorityes may be seen in hiâ— 46. Epist in his book de cura promorcuis c. 18. in his book desancta virgin c. 45. in his first book de origine animae c. 9. 11 in his 84. treatise in JoaÌ„nem All which I omit to produce for breviti sake shall only insert that of venerable Bede who in his first book c 29 â—â—lates that St. Gregory had sent Priestly ornaments to St. Augustin the apostle of England and in his 4 book c â—2 he tells that when Jâ—ma was taken captive by the enemyes that he cou'd never bety'd by reason of several masses which his brother Tunna the monke said for his soul believing that he was kill'd in the battel and also in his 5 book c. 13. speaking of that terrible vision of Driethelme who after his death reviu'd and told wonderfull things concerning the pains of purgatory from which said venerable Bede Prayers alms fasts and celebrations of masses doe release many before the day of Judgment Now let us see the councils Authorityes It was decree'd in the 5 can of the council of Vasens atowne in France where 18 Bishops gather'd the year 442 that kyrie eleison shu'd be said in the masses throughout all the Churches of France as it was said long before in the East and in all Italy here are the councils very words quia tam in sede apostolica quam etiam per totas Orientis atque Italiae provincias dulcis et nimis salubris consuetudo in tromissa est ut kirieelcison cum grandi affectu accompuÌ„ctione dicatur placuit etiam ut in ominibus Ecclesiis nostris ista consuetudo sancta et ad matutinum et ad missas et ad vesperam deo propitiante intromittatur Likewise it was enacted in the 6 can of the same council that the following words holy holy holy shu'd be said iÌ„mornig masses iÌ„ the masses of lent and in those masses which were offer'd for the dead as it was accustom'd to be said in solemn Masses the words of the CouÌ„cil are these In omnibus missis sive matutinis sive quadragessimalibus sive in illisquae prodefunctorum commemorationibus siunt semper sanctus sauctus saÌ„ctus eo ordine quo ad missas publicas dici debeat quiatam dulcis et desiderabilis vox etiam die noctuque possit dici fastidium non potest generare et hoc nobis justum visum est ut nomen Domini Papae quicunque sedi apostolicae praefuerit in nostris Ecclesiis recitetur Which Authorieyes doe not only make out the ancient practice of celebreating Masses but also the Popes supremacy of which I shall treate in my answer to the 4 point In the mean time let us hear the Declarations of other old Councils concerning the present point We read in the 18 can of the council of Agato celebreated the year 506 that the seculars were then oblig'd to receive the CommunioÌ„ trice in the year viz at Christemas haster and Whitsuntide and in the 47 can of the same couÌ„cil t is expres'd that they were oblig'd to hear masse every sunday Which plainly makes out that in the primitive Church it was lawfull for the Priest to say masse tho' none else wou'd receive the Communion along with him to confirm which I shall produce the Authorityes of the two following Councils who sate above a thousand years agoe the fathers of the 12 council of Toleto can 5 sharply reprehend'd certain Priests for not receiving the Communion when they said Masses which is asign that they acknowledg'd the Masse to be lawfull tho' none wou'd communicate but onely the Priest And the council of Nant c 30 quoted by Ivo p 3 deer e 70 â— prohibit'd the Priests to say masse alone withoÌ„ut the assistance of one to answer them which Authority proves the ancient practise of celebrating privat masses Tho' Luther and his doctrine aleadges the contrary for the fathers of that Council only obliges the Priests to have clerks to answer them but mentions not a word of a second person to be requisite for receiving the communion along with the Priest for they knew too well that there was no divine or Ecclesiastical precept obliging the Priest not to say Masse if none else wou'd communicate along with him and moreover that there was no Precept commanding others to receive the Communion as often as the Priest wou'd celebrat Masse for that was left to the
the â—hosple the charge of the whâ—le Church to have been committâ—d by the â—ord to Peter the Prince of all the Apostle And the General Council of Calcedon wherein 630 Fatherâ— were assembled call'd action 3 S. Peter the Rock and pillar of the Church All which proofs do sufficiently make-out that it was alwayes believ'd and acknowledg'd by those of the Primitive Church St. Peter to have been instituted a supream pastor but the same charge still remains being the office of a pastor is an ordinary and a perpetual office and as long as there are sheep to be feed so long there ought to be a pastor to feed them which because St. Peter did not perform in his own person those many hundred years there must needs be some other lawfull successor to execute the office in his place for we see by daily experience many strifes and contentions to happen amonghst the flock in matters of faith and discipline who then shall appease reconcile them you will say the Bishops but how often doth differences of this sort araise and happen amonghst the Bishops themselfs perhaps you will answer that they ought to appeal to Primates and Patriarches but what if they be also at variance as Flavianus and Dioscorus Cyrill and Nestor were peradventure you may say that they ought to goe to temporal princes and civil Magistrates but t is not their part to ingage themselves in Ecclesiastical affairs and their factions may be more dangerous then any of the former to whom then shall the people appeal it will be said to a general Council but who shall summon who shall order or who shall direct and guide that assembly what if they decline from the true faith of Iesus Christ as the Council of Ariminium the second Council of Ephesiâ—â— ' and several other Schismatical Councils did who then shall Iudge their case who shall deside their dissentions unless some certain head be appointed by the divine providence of the holy Ghost whose decrees are infallible whose censures ought to be obey'd and in respect of whom St. Peter may be still said to performâ— his duty and feed the sheep intrusted to his charge as the premisses do plainly make-out Now let us see if those of the Primitive Church did belive and acknowledge the Popes of Rome successiuely from age to age since Peter's death to have been that Supream head of the Universal Church as St Peter was in hâ—s own time St. Irenous who liv'd in the year 180 in his 3 book Chap 3 sayes the following words The fouâ—ders of the Church deliver'd the Episcopaâ—y of over-seeing the Church to Linus and Anacletus succeeded Linus Clemens Anacletus Evaristus Clemens c. numbring all the rest of the Popes of Rome who govern'd the Church from St. Peter's time to that very instant St. Basil who liv'd in the 4 Century in his 52 Epist which is to St. Athanasius sayes thus It is convenient that we shu'd write to the Bishop of Rome that he might take notice of what is done here and produce his sentence and use his Authority in the case choese some sound men who can câ—rrect those stoburn and crosse people that are here with us and cancel what has been done by force ud violâ—nce in Ariminium St. Athauasius in his Ep written in the name of all the Bisâ—ops in Egypt to Marke Pope of Rome sayes the following words To the holy and Venerable Marke Pope of the Vniversal Church ruler of the holy Apostoâ—ical sea we desire by the Authority of your holy sea which is the Mother and hâ—ad of all Churches that we may know by the present legates what ought to be done for the recovery and correction of the faith full Orthodox foâ— being supported by your Authority and sâ—râ—nthn'd by your Prayers we can escape safe from the enemyes of God's Church and ours and be able to root-out those committed unto us such an other convincing Authority may be seen in St Athanasius's Epist to Felix and also in St Cyprian's Epistles to Cornelius Lucius and Stephen Popes of Rome St Hierome in his Epistle to Pope Damas sayes thus altho' your grandeâ—â— terrisies me yet yâ—â—r mildness invicts me I do crave from the Priest the victim of Salvation from the Pastor succoâ—r to a sheep I speake to the succâ—ssor of the fisher and disciple of the cross following none buâ— Christ I do joyne with your holynesse in communion that is to say with the chaier of Peter for I know the Church to have been built upon that Rocke whosover shall eat the â—amb out of this house is prophane St Crysostome in his first Epist to Pope Innocentius beseeches him to declare the proceedings of the Eastern Bishops void and of no effect and to punish with Ecclesiastical Censure the promoters of the discorde and in his 2 book de Sacerdotio Châ—p â—â— he syes the fallowing words speaking of Christ why did he sâ—ed his own blood certainly it was to purchase those sheep whose care he committed both to Peter and to Peter's succesors Theodoretus in his Epist to Pope Leo sayes thus I do expect the sentence of your Aposlolical sea and I humbly beseech and Pray your holynesse that your just and upright judgment may aâ—de me appealing to you and command mâ— to come before you in his Epist to Renatus he also sayes thus I beseech you to perswade the most holy Archbishop Leo to use his Apostolical Authority and command me to appear at your Council for that holy sea has the Goverment of all Churches thro' the whole world St Augustin in his 262 Epist which is to Pope Caeleâ—stinus sayes the following words I congratulate your merits that our Lord estabâ—ish'd you in that sea without any opposion of the people secondly I do inform your holynesse of what is committed near us here that not only by praying for us but also by advising and assisting us you may relâ—ef us I beseech you thro' the blood of Christ and remembrance of the Apostle Peters who admonish'd the chifest of the Christian people not to sufer these things to be done All which Authorityes do plainly make-out that the holy Fathers and Doctors of the primitive Church firmly believ'd and acknowledg'd the Popes of Rome to have been successively from age to age the Supteam head of the Universal Church on earth Which may be further confirm'd by the coÌ„tinual practice and consent of several Nations who in the primitive Church appeal'd to the Popes of Rome acknowledging each of them in his own time to have been Christ's Vicar-generall on earth As for exemple to whose high tribunal did Flavianus the Patriarch of Constantinople appeal from the â— Ephesian Councilâ— but to that of Leo Pope â— Rome as Liberatus in his breviate c 12. writes whose assistance diâ— Athanasius Bishop of Alexandrâ— depos'd by the Aerians imploreâ— but the assistance of Marke Feliâ— and Iulius Popes of Rome â— St. Athanasiu's own Epistles â— the