doth not allow it He granteth that the Church of the fourth age florished aboue the former in externall glorie and splendure in wealth and plentie of learned men but that the Church of the former ages was equal with it or excelled as touching the orthodoxall rightnesse of faith and sinceritie of incorrupt discipline he is perswaded that none can make any doubt We finde euery where in the holy Fathers of the fourth age Basil Nazianzen Ierome Chrysostome Augustine and others most grieuous complaints of the faults and sundrie deprauations of their Churches Neither can it be doubted that the further men liued from the first originall the further also they departed from the originall puritie and sinceritie Wherefore when there is a serious purpose to clense and to sweepe the house of God why should not an especiall regard bee had to the time of the Apostles or the times neere the time of the Apostles It is true indeed that for the greatest part of that time the godly Christians did liue in obscuritie in pouertie and miserie by reason of perpetuall persecution yet consider well if in this sense also it be not better to goe into the house of mourning then into the house of mirth Pouertie and miserie are called the sisters of good minde riches and glorie haue not that honourable report And although many of the writers of those times be lost yet some are extant and those worthie of regard S. Cyprian that holy Martyr of Christ he alone if there were none else can better informe vs in the gouernment and discipline of the primitiue Church then many others which liued in the fourth age Wherefore the summe of his Maiesties answere vnto this obseruation is that he is well content there should be arguments brought out of the writings of the Fathers of the fourth and fifth ages but with this caution and condition that those things be allowed for ancient and necessarie to saluation which had not their beginning then but which may be cleerely proued to haue been continually obserued from the first originall of the Church vntill those times THE FIFTH OBSERVATION WHen there is question made about the vnanimitie and consent of Fathers some will haue it then to bee manifest when the matter controuerted is found in all the Fathers in expresse tearmes whose opinion being manifestly vniust it is more equitie for knowledge of consent of Fathers that these two rules be vsed First that the consent of Fathers should then be thought to be sufficiently proued when the worthiest of euery nation do consent in the auerring of any thing and that no man accounted orthodoxall doth oppose them So S. Augustine when he had praised eleuen of the principall writers of former times and the Fathers of the Ephesine Councell when they had brought out ten against Nestorius they all thought that they had giuen sufficient testimonie concerning the consent of the ancient Church The second rule is this When the Fathers do not speake as Doctors nor say that this or that is thus to be done or thus to bee beleeued but when as witnesses of those things which the vniuersall Church of their times beleeued or practised they affirme this to be the faith or practise of that Catholike Church through the whole world then they are so much to be honoured that such an affirmation must be held sufficient to proue the vnanimitie and consent of the Church HIS MAIESTIES ANSVVERE IT is an equall demaund that the parties which contend in these times should consent and agree how they may vse profitably the authoritie of the ancient Fathers For if the testimonie and authoritie of the primitiue Church bee taken away his Maiestie freely confesseth that on mans part the controuersies of these times can neuer haue an end nor by any disputation be determined Wherefore that it may be agreed vpon what and how much is to bee attributed to the Fathers and how farre their authoritie is to take place it will not be amisse that certaine rules be composed by the mutuall consent of the parties prescribing the manner hereof Amongst many other profitable and necessarie rules for this purpose his Maiestie thinketh that these two which you haue noted may haue their place But because the controuersies of these daies are not about ceremonies and other matters of lighter moment but about some articles of faith and opinions appertaining to saluation therefore his iudgement is that aboue all there be a generall agreement vpon this rule that opinions concerning matters of faith and whatsoeuer should be beleeued as necessarie to saluation ought to bee taken out of the sacred Scripture alone neither must they depend vpon the authoritie of any mortall man but vpon the word of God only wherein hee hath declared his will vnto vs by his holy Spirit Because the Fathers and the ancient Church had authoritie of deducting articles out of the sacred Scriptures and explaning but of coyning new articles of their owne they had no authoritie This foundation being laid both the maiestie of the Scriptures inspired by God shal remaine inuiolated and that reuerence shall be giuen to the holie Fathers which is due That this was the minde of all the Doctors of the ancient Church it may be easily demonstrated out of their owne writings For what words more frequent in their workes then these That the doctrine which is taught in the Church of God ought to bee taken out of the word of God And these For controuersies in matters of religion let the Scripture be iudge Or who knoweth not the golden words of S. Basil the Great in his booke De Fide It is a manifest fall from faith and argument of presumption to reiect any thing of the written word or to bring in any thing which is not written seeing it is the speech of our Lord Iesus Christ My sheepe heare my voyce And thus much be spoken concerning the obseruations proposed Now follow the foure instances For your illustrious honour being come to the hypothesis to the end that you might euince that his excellent Maiestie doth not beleeue those things which the Catholike Church did anciently beleeue you goe about to demonstrate it by foure arguments drawne from such things as concerne the outward worship of God or the liturgie and matters of daily practise in religion and afterwards you giue this reason why especially you bring these instances because if there were agreement concerning these the rest would bee easily agreed vpon His excellent Maiestie most illustrious Cardinall could wish that this might be hoped for but considering with himselfe what it is which at this day is vrged by your writers with chiefe care and eager contention there appeares no great hope of peace no not if there were agreement about these foure heads which you haue proposed For now adaies there is as eager contention about the Empire of the Bishop of Rome as for these or any other points of Christian religion
readie at al times as our Sauiour teacheth to scatter tares amongst the good seede And considering in these times wee see with our eyes that this is come to passe and it is so grosse that wee may almost grope it with our hands it is ridiculous and most absurd to dispute whether this thing could heretofore happen or hath now happened Therefore the Church of Rome the Greek Church the Church of Antioch and of Aegypt the Abyssine the Moschouite and many others are members much excelling each other in sinceritie of doctrine and faith yet all members of the Catholike Church whose ioynture in regard of the outward forme was long since broken For which cause his Maiestie doth much wonder when hee considers how some Churches which heretofore were but members of the bodie once entire doe now ingrosse all the right of the whole and appropriate to themselues the name of Catholike excluding from their communion and affirming boldly that they belong not to the Catholike Church whosoeuer doe dissent from them in anything or refuse the yoke of their bondage Neither do you only challenge to your selues this right there are others that do the same For his Maiestie speakes it with griefe there are at this day many priuate Churches which beleeue that they onely are the people peculiar which they call the Church Giue them that strength which the Church of Rome hath and they shall doe the same with her and pronounce of all others as hardly as she doth What shall wee say are there not sundrie sects now adaies which are certainly perswaded that they only haue insight into the Scriptures and as the Poet saith that they only are wise that all others walke like shadowes It is true indeed that in euery age there were conuenticles of sectaries and dissemblies which did boast themselues of the Catholike Church and by this prouocation did allure many vnto them but it is the peculiar and famous calamitie of these latter times that the Catholike Church vnto which of necessitie a man must adhere either really and actually or at the least in will and vow is become lesse manifest then it was of old lesse exposed to the eyes of men more questionable and doubtfull For which cause his excellent Maiestie thinketh that he ought more carefully in such a deluge of variable opinions to betake himselfe to the mountaines of the sacred Scripture and as S. Augustine gaue counsell to the Donatists to seeke the Church of Christ in the words of Christ And so S. Chrysostome both elsewhere and of purpose in his 33. Homilie vpon the Acts of the Apostles handling the question How the true Church might be discerned amongst many Societies which challenge to themselues that name teacheth that there be two meanes of deciding that question first the word of God and secondly antiquitie of doctrine not inuented by any new author but alwaies knowne from the birth and beginning of the Church These two trials the King and Church of England embracing doe auouch that they acknowledge that doctrine onely for true and necessarie to saluation which flowing from the fountaine of sacred Scripture through the consent of the ancient Church as it were a conduit hath been deriued vnto these times Wherefore to make an end of this obseruation his Maiestie answeres that it is faultie many waies and cannot stand with the hypothesis propounded Because saith he the Church of England is so farre from forsaking the ancient Catholike Church which she doth reuerence and admire that she departeth not from the faith of the Church of Rome in any point wherein that Church agreeth with the ancient Catholike If you question the succession of persons behold the names of our Bishops and their continuance from the first without any interruption if the succession of doctrine come make triall let vs haue a free Councell which may not depend vpon the will of one The Church of England is readie to render an account of her faith and by demonstration to euince that the authors of the reformation here had no purpose to erect any new Church as the ignorant and malicious doe cauill but to repaire the ruines of the old according to the best forme and in their iudgement that is best which was deliuered by the Apostles to the Primitiue Church and hath continued in the ages next ensuing His Maiestie grants that his Church hath departed from many points of that doctrine and discipline which the Pope of Rome now stifly defendeth but they doe not thinke this to be a reuolting from the Catholike Church but rather a returning to the ancient Catholike faith which in the Romane Church by new deuices hath been manifoldly and strangely deformed and so a conuersion to Christ the sole Master of his Church Wherefore if any man grounding vpon the doctrine of this obseruation will inferre from it that the Church of England because it reiects some ordinances of the Romane hath therefore departed from the ancient Catholike Church his Maiestie will not grant him this vntill he prooue by sound reasons that all things taught by them of Rome especially those which they will haue to be beleeued as necessarie to saluation were allowed of from the beginning and established by the ancient Catholike Church Now that no man can euer doe this at least neuer yet hath done it his Maiestie and the reuerend Bishops of the English Church doe hold it to be as cleere as when the Sunne shineth at mid-day Lastly his Maiestie thinketh it a great offence to forsake the Church but hee vtterly denieth that hee or his Church are guiltie of this crime For saith his Maiestie we depart not voluntarily but we are driuen away And your Honour well knoweth how many and how excellently learned and godly men for these fiue hundred yeeres at the least haue wished the reformation of the Church both in the head and members What grieuous complaints haue been often heard of worthie Kings and Princes lamenting the estate of the Church in their times But what auailed it for vnto this day we see not any one thing amended of all those which were thought most needfull of reformation Wherefore the Church of England in this separation feareth not any fellowship with the Donatists if the matter be debated by ingenuous men They willingly and without cause left the Catholike Church which at that time the consent of all nations did approue whose doctrine or discipline they could not blame but England being enforced by great necessitie separated her selfe from that Church which innumerable Christian people did not grant to be the true Catholike and vniuersall Church nay more which many of your owne writers haue heretofore ingenuously confessed to haue varied much from the ancient Church in matters of faith and discipline to haue patched many new things to the old and euill to the good which indeed is now better knowne to the vniuersall world then that any man can denie or be ignorant
be bound with any peremptorie necessitie of vsing the same For he holdeth Necessarie and Indifferent to be of a contrarie nature But of these more largely in the Obseruation following THE THIRD OBSERVATION SEeing in the matter of religion there is more then one kinde of necessitie we must take heed when we speake of things necessarie to saluation that we be not deceined with the ambiguitie of the tearme For there is necessitie absolute and vpon condition a necessitie of the meane and of the precept There is also a necessitie of beleeuing which bindeth all Christians without exception and another which doth not generally binde all Lastly there is a necessitie of action and a necessitie of approbation HIS MAIESTIES ANSVVERE THe doctrine in this Obseruation wherein the diuers kinds of necessitie are learnedly and very accurately declared his excellent Maiestie is so farre from disliking that on the contrarie he thinketh if these distinctions be taken away a manifold confusion would follow in matters of religion For what can be thought more dangerous then that things absolutely necessarie should be held as necessarie only vpon condition or contrariwise and that other distinction which serueth for the right and orderly disposition of all things in the house of God is no lesse profitable Likewise in your examples his Maiesty obserueth nothing greatly to be disallowed But in your explication of things absolutely necessarie hee commendeth the truth of that speech that there is no great number of those things which be absolutely necessarie to saluation Wherefore his Maiestie thinketh that there is no more compendious way to the making of peace then that things necessarie should be diligently separated from things not necessarie that all endeuours might be spent about the agreement in the necessarie and as touching the not necessarie that a Christian libertie might bee granted Simply necessarie his Maiestie calleth those things which the word of God expressely chargeth to bee beleeued or practised or which the ancient Church by necessarie consequence hath drawne out of the word of God But such things which out of the institution of men although with a religious wise intent yet besides the word of God were receiued and vsed of the Church for a time those he thinketh may be chāged or relaxed or abolished And as Pope Pius the second said of the single life of the Clergie that there was good right in times past to ordaine it but now there is better to disanull it his Maiestie thinkes that the same speech may be vsed in generall of the most Ecclesiasticall obseruations which are brought into the Church without any precept of Gods word If this distinction were vsed for the deciding of the controuersies of these times and if men would ingenuously make a difference betwixt diuine and positiue law it seemes that amongst godly and moderate men touching things absolutely necessarie there would bee no long or bitter cōtention For both as I said euen now they are not many and they are almost equally allowed of by all which challenge the name of Christian And his excellent Maiestie doth hold this distinction to be of such moment for the diminishing of controuersies which at this time doe so vexe the Church of God that he iudgeth it the dutie of all such as bee studious of peace diligently to explane it to teach it to vrge it Now will we addresse our selues to speak of some examples which are proposed in this Obseruation Amongst the things absolutely necessarie yet not simply but in respect of diuine institution you reckon the baptisme of infants which wee say you doe referre vnto this kinde of necessitie Afterwards you bring a place out of S. Augustine wherein the possibilitie of saluation of children not baptised is precisely denied Here first his Maiestie professeth that himself and the Church of England doe allow the necessitie of baptisme in respect of diuine institution as wel as you The Church of England doth not binde the grace of God to the meanes which is contrarie euen to the doctrine of the better sort of schoolemen yet because God hath appointed this for the ordinarie way to obtaine remission of sins in his Church and Christ himselfe denieth the entrance into the kingdom of heauen to those which are not borne againe of water and the Spirit therefore it is carefully prouided heere by the Ecclesiasticall lawes that parents may haue baptisme for their children at any time or place Wherefore that which Tertullian saith of the primitiue Church that Bishops Priests and Deacons did baptise and lastly that the same was lawfull for lay men also in case of extreame necessitie the same as concerning Bishops Priests and Deacons is at this day practised in the Church of England without any rigid or inuiolable obseruation of whatsoeuer time or place But for the baptisme of lay men or women as by the lawes of the Church it is forbidden to be done so being done according to the lawfull forme in a manner it is not disallowed the Church pronouncing it to be baptisme although not lawfully administred But his excellent Maiesty doth so highly esteeme of this Sacrament that when some Ministers in Scotland pretending I know not what ordinances of new discipline refused vpon the desire of the parents to baptise infants readie to die he compelled them to this dutie with feare of punishment threatning no lesse then death if they disobeyed Wherefore the words of S. Augustine which doe precisely exclude the not baptised from eternall life if they be vnderstood of the ordinary way thither and the only way that Christ hath taught vs his Maiestie hath nothing to obiect against that opinion but if it be simply denied that almightie God can saue those which die vnbaptised his Maiestie and the Church of England abhorring the crueltie of that opinion doe affirme that S. Augustine was an vnnaturall and hard father vnto infants Vndoubtedly his Maiestie thinketh that both these extreames are with the like care to be eschewed lest if wee embrace this rigid sentence we abbreuiate the power of God and offer wrong to his infinit goodnesse or whilest as some doe we reckon baptisme amongst such things the hauing or forgoing whereof is not much materiall wee should seeme to make light of so precious a Sacrament and holy ordinance of God S. Augustine was a worthie man of admirable pietie and learning yet his priuate opinions his Maiestie alloweth not as articles of faith neither doe you allowe them for example Saint Augustine beleeued as did Innocentius the first before him that the receiuing of the blessed Eucharist by infants was no lesse necessarie to their saluation then baptisme and this he auoucheth in many places of his writings yet you beleeue it not neither hath the Church of England changed this point of doctrine which she receiued from you Amongst those things which impose necessitie of action vpon some persons you number mariage Siquis sobolem tollere voluerit If any
This alone is now made the article of faith whereon all the rest doe depend Wherefore what hope remaines but in the goodnesse and mercie of God to whom onely it belongeth of right to cure the maladies of his Church in him let vs hope though against hope he will effect it To returne to the purpose the Instances which you bring against the Liturgie of the English Church they be these 1. They beleeue not the reall presence of Christ in the sacred Eucharist 2. They reiect the doctrine of the sacrifice of the Christian Church 3. They pray not for the dead 4. They condemne the inuocation of Saints which are in heauen Vnto these foure his Maiestie answereth in few words To the first Instance concerning reall presence IF in the sacred mysteries of Christian religion the faithfull should bee thought to beleeue nothing but that which they perfitly vnderstand according to the manner then surely they would be found to be vnbeleeuing in many things which now they doubt not but that they do most firmely beleeue That Christ our Lord is the Sonne of God the Father begotten of the Father before all worlds that the same Christ being very God did assume humane flesh in the wombe of the blessed Virgin that hee was borne of her without any violation of the virginitie of this mother that the diuine nature is vnited in the same person with the humane these things I say and the like all Christians doe make profession to beleeue of whom notwithstanding if you demaund the manner how they are done they will answere that faith in matters of Theologie is one thing and humane science is another and they will religiouslie alleage Galen who otherwaies is no good Master of religion whose excellent words in his 15. booke De vsu partium are these How this was done if you enquire you will be taken for one that hath no vnderstanding neither of your owne infirmitie nor of the power of the Creator And as for the Fathers how often they dehort vs from this question of the manner and from curiositie of explaning the manner in diuine mysteries I should be too long if I should goe about to rehearse You know the words of Gregorie Nazianzene in his first oration De Theologia You heare the generation of the Sonne be not curious to know the manner You heare that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father be not busie to enquire how and the same author in another place Let the generation of God be honored with silence it is much for thee to haue learned that hee was begotten as for the manner how wee grant it not to be vnderstood by the Angels much lesse by thee Gregorie had to deale with the Arrians those peruerse heretikes whose impious curiositie he goeth not about to satisfie with subtiltie of disputation but forbiddeth them to search into the manner of so great a mysterie and enioyneth them silence Now if his Maiestie and the Church of England doe vse this godly moderation about the mysterie of the sacred Eucharist I pray you who ought to enuie it We reade in the Gospels that our Lord instituting this Sacrament tooke the bread and said This is my body but that our Lord did so much as by one word explane how it was his bodie we doe not reade The Church of England doth religiously beleeue that which she reades and with the same religion she is not inquisitiue into that which she reades not They acknowledge and teach that this is a great mysterie which cannot be comprehended much lesse declared by the facultie of mans wit but concerning the power and efficacie of it their opinion is with all sacred reuerence They command those which come vnto this holie table diligently to search all the secret corners of their consciences to make confession of their sinnes vnto God and if need be to the Priest also They carefully warne the commers that they compose their mindes vnto all humilitie and deuotion they receiue the Communion of the bodie of Christ vpon their knees and they doe not onely diuide the mysticall bread amongst the faithfull in their publike assemblies but they giue it also to those which be towards death pro viatico that is for victuals in their iourney as the Fathers of the Nicene Councell and all antiquitie doe call it Lastly his Maiestie although he would haue his to abstaine from all manner of curiositie yet alloweth also of whatsoeuer the holie Fathers of the first ages haue spoken in the honour of that vnspeakable mysterie Neither doth he reiect the words of the Fathers as transmutation alteration transelementation and such like if they be vnderstood and expounded agreeably to their intention If this doctrine of his Maiestie and the Church of England doe not giue you satisfaction then what remaines but that hee yeeld vnto the opinion of Transubstantiation if he will be friends with you But that is not piously to beleeue the veritie of the thing but with importunate curiositie to decree the manner thereof which the King and his Church will neuer doe will neuer allow But his excellent Maiestie wondreth that whereas your Honour granteth that you require not primarily the beleeuing of Transubstantiation but that there be no doubt of the truth of the presence yet the Church of England hath not satisfied you in this point which in publike writings hath so often auouched her beleefe hereof Wherefore that you may certainly know what is beleeued and what is taught in this Church concerning that matter I haue heere set downe a whole place out of the right reuerend the Lord Bishop of Ely his booke against Cardinall Bellarmine which some few moneths agoe he published Thus he saith in the first chapter Our Sauiour Christ said this is my bodie not after this manner is my bodie whereof the Cardinall is not ignorant vnlesse willingly and wittingly We agree with you concerning the obiect all the strife is about the manner Concerning this is wee beleeue firmely that it is concerning after this manner it is to wit that the bread is transubstantiate into his bodie after what manner it is done whether by or in or vnder or beyond there is not a word in the Gospell and because there is no word therefore we haue reason to banish it from beleefe We number it per aduenture amongst the decrees of the schoole but not amongst the articles of faith That which Durandus is reported to haue said doth not dislike vs we heare the word we perceiue the sound we know not the manner we beleeue the presence we beleeue I say the true presence aswell as you concerning the manner of the presence we doe not vnaduisedly define Nay more we doe not scrupulouslie enquire No more then we doe in Baptisme how the blood of Christ clenseth vs no more then we doe in the incarnation of Christ how the diuine nature is vnited in one person with the humane We
reckon it amongst the mysteries and indeed the Eucharist is a mysterie the remainders whereof should be consumed with fire That is as the fathers doe elegantly vnderstand it which should be adored by faith not debated by reason This is the saith of the King this is the faith of the Church of England Who that I may summarily comprise the whole matter doe beleeue that in the Supper of the Lord they are made really partakers of the bodie and blood of Christ as the Greeke Fathers speake and as Bellarmine himselfe confesseth spiritually For by faith they apprehend and eate Christ and they belecue that there is no other kind of eating profitable to saluation which all your men also haue confessed To the second Instance concerning the sacrifice in the Christian Church HIs Maiestie is not ignorant neither doth he denie that in place of the manifold sacrifices of the Mosaicall law the ancient Fathers did acknowledge one sacrifice in the Christian religion But this he auoucheth to be nothing else but the commemoration of that sacrifice which Christ did once offer to his Father vpon the crosse Therefore S. Chrysostome which maketh mention of this sacrifice as oft as any vpon the ninth chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrewes after he hath called it a sacrifice straightwaies adioyneth by way of explication or correction or rather commemoration of that sacrifice That tearme or rather what force it hath you know very well And often hath the Church of England protested that they would not contend about the word so they might obtaine of you to haue the ancient saith restored And that these things which you practise contrarie to the custome of the ancient Church might be abolished For it is certaine that the celebration of the Eucharist without any communicants and all that merchandise of priuate Masses condemned by many of your owne Diuines tooke their originall from the peruerse doctrine concerning this sacrifice And whereas for the deliuering of the soules of the deceased from the flames of Purgatorie the necessitie of many Masses is vrged his Maiestie doubteth not but that this is a dotage of idle braines and such as for their owne gaine doe wickedly abuse the simplicitie of the people Remoue those and the like grosse and soule abuses which raigne amongst you the Church of England which in her Liturgie maketh expresse mention of a sacrifice can be well content to rest in the custome of the ancient Church Wherefore his excellent Maiestie being lately informed that not long agoe at a famous assemblie of Dominican Friers you disputed learnedly concerning a double sacrifice of Expiation and of Commemoration or religion hath affirmed in the hearing of many that he approued that distinction and commandeth me now to signifie so much vnto you To the third Instance of prayer for the dead THat it was a very ancient custome in the publike prayers of the Church to make commemoration of the deceased and to desire of God rest for their soules which died in the peace of the Church few are ignorant much lesse is it vnknowne vnto his Maiestie Neither is there any doubt but that this custome sprung from a vehement affection of charitie Likewise the ancient Church hereby gaue testimonie of the resurrection to come This custome although the Church of England condemneth not in the first ages yet she thinketh not good to retaine it now for diuers and weightie causes some whereof I will touch heere First because she is verely perswaded that without any precept of Christ the supreme Lawgiuer of his Church this custome was introducted neither could the contrarie hitherto bee demonstrated by any of your Doctors Wherfore although his Maiesty doth not take vpon him as he hath protested in his Monitorie epistle to condemne an ordinance which is approued by the practise of the ancient Church yet he is vndoubtedly perswaded that his Church is not bound by any necessitie to obserue it For whatsoeuer the ancient Christian Fathers haue done on this part all that his Maiestie reserreth vnto the head of things profitable or lawfull of which wee haue spoken in the second obseruation neither can it be prooued that this custome is to be referred vnto those things which are of absolute necessitie For whence should this necessitie spring not from the law of God for he neuer commanded it and if it flow not from that fountaine it is no necessitie For wee haue alreadie laid this ground that nothing ought to be accounted necessarie to saluation which is not either expressely contained in Gods word or thence by necessarie consequence deducted And wee haue declared that such things as the ancient Church beleeued or practised without necessitie the same ought now also to be left with libertie vnto vs. A second reason is that although his Maiestie acknowledgeth the authors of this custome to haue been very ancient yet no man hitherto could proue that such was the vse in the beginning and in the Apostolike times which is the fountaine of all antiquitie in the Church Besides that the prayers then vsed doe much differ both in their end and manner from these which are now practised and taught A third reason is added by his Maiestie that when once prayer for the dead tooke place amongst Church rites not long after a rout of shamefull errours and doting superstitions did band together and breake into the Church Now let indifferent arbitratours iudge to whom the name of Catholike should be denied whether to the King and his subiects which by reason of errours ensuing haue left off or thinke it not lawfull to vse a custome grounded vpon no necessitie or to your men which by sophisticall cauillations and incredible obstinacie had rather maintaine then reforme all the errors of former ages though neuer so grosse and pernicious To the fourth Instance concerning the inuocation of Saints COncerning the inuocation of Saints his Maiesties answere is the same with his former touching prayers for the dead From a small beginning as all men know it grew to such greatnesse that in former ages and I wish it were not so now in many places Christian people haue put more confidence and hope of present aide in Saints then ô horrible impietie in our Sauiour himselfe who being in the forme of God that he might bring saluation vnto vs which were his enemies did emptie himselfe by taking the forme of a seruant and humbled himselfe being obedient vnto death euen the death of the crosse And when this blessed Sauiour according to his neuer enough admired goodnesse and clemencie doth inuite miserable sinners with these sweete words of his Gospell Come vnto me all you that are wearie and heauie laden and I will refresh you yet some haue endeuoured by the peruersnes of their wit to frustrate this gracious inuitation and painting Christ who is our onely Aduocate to God the Father alwaies terrible and vnmercifull they would perswade poore soules that there is no way
to Christ but through the mediation of many Saints Moreouer some others haue openly taught that our Sauiour Christ hath reserued the seueritie of iustice vnto himselfe but indulgence and mercie he hath granted to the blessed Virgin Againe how haue they distributed offices and powers of healing amongst the Saints with wonderfull curiositie or rather detestable superstition And heretofore their suffrages only were desired that being gracious with God almightie they would make intercession for men but afterwards the world was filled with bookes concerning the proper seruice of this or that Saint and peculiar formes of prayer to be made vnto them Wherefore in place of that diuine booke of the Psalter which the ancient Christians neuer laid out of their hands which was the solace of men and women yong and old rich and poore learned and vnlearned there haue succeeded the Houres of our Ladie and Legends or rather impious and doting fables I speake not of the true histories of Martyrs and such vile stuffe And yet further as if it were not iniurie enough to robbe Christians of so necessarie and diuine a booke one of your men hath turned all the Psalmes to the honour of the blessed Virgin attributing vnto her as if there were no difference betwixt the creature and the Creator whatsoeuer was prophecied concerning the onely Sonne of God His excellent Maiestie doth extoll the happinesse of the most glorious virgin mother of our Lord affirming that she is eleuated vnto the highest degree of honour which God the Creator could impart to any humane creature he reioyceth also that the Church of England vpon set daies in the yeere doth solemnize the honoured memorie of that most blessed Virgin but the Sophisters of these times can by no cunning euer perswade him to allow or endure that Psalter of our Ladie For as touching Cardinall Bellarmine which hath lately defended it his Maiestie is perswaded that he is distasted of your owne as many as haue but any small sense of pietie Considering then that the Church of Rome is almost deadly sicke of such inward diseases his Maiestie wondred most illustrious Cardinall when hee read in your epistle that the inuocation of Saints as your men doe now practise it is the same which was in vse in the primitiue Church Wherefore his Maiestie answereth in few words First it cannot be proued that in the beginning of the primitiue Church any other but the almightie God was inuoked secondly that there is no precept in the word of God for it no one footstep of any example God onely was adored God onely was implored through the intercession of his onely begotten Sonne the one and only Mediatour betwixt God and man Afterwards was brought in the vse of praying at the sepulchres of Martyrs then began the making of apostrophees vnto Saints besides the worship of God then the making of vowes and prayers not primarily to pray them but that they should pray God Yet if these new examples had gone no further his Maiestie would not greatly haue reprooued the custome of those times at the least not so much condemned it as the abuses which hereupon ensued For his Maiestie doth honour the blessed Martyrs and other Saints which now raigne with Christ the head of both Churches triumphant and militant neither doubteth he of their continuall prayers for the necessities of the Church beleeuing stedfastly the benefit thereof but hee confesseth ingenuously that hee knoweth no reason whereby any man can promise or warrant vs that they heare our prayers and that wee should account them as our household gods and protectors Wherefore hee exceedingly disliketh that which followed in after-ages For by degrees it came to that which I haue shewed which the Church of England affirmeth to be impious in the extreame And if there bee examples extant in the Fathers of the fourth age for this inuocation as no doubt there are neither doth the King denie it yet this is a testimonie of the decay of ancient simplicitie and of an euill then growing but in no respect comparable with that which in the Church of Rome at this day is openly practised tolerated and defended Lastly although the holy Fathers did allow the custom of that time amongst things profitable or lawfull yet they neuer accounted of it as a thing necessarie to saluation which is the present argument of our speech And thus much concerning the foure obiections against the English Liturgie Now his Maiestie commendeth your iudgement that amongst all the things which you dislike in his religion you haue made choice especially of those which concerne matters of Church assemblies and diuine seruice For the communion of the faithfull consisteth much in the publike exercises of pietie and this is the chiefe bond of vnion so much desired by good men Wherefore if Christians could but agree about this why might not all Europe communicate together only granting a libertie to schoole-Diuines with moderation to debate other opinions Which were a thing much to be wished and that foundation once laid by the helpe of God much hope might be conceiued of the rest For this cause his excellent Maiestie greatly commending your iudgement herein hath himselfe likewise heere deliuered what things in your Liturgie he thinketh worthie to bee reprooued But if for the want of these foure things in the English Liturgie you think there is iust cause that they which vse it should neither be accounted nor called Catholikes then consider I pray you what his Maiestie may pronounce of the Church of Rome in whose Liturgie for hee passeth other points of your religion godly men haue obserued so many things manifestly repugnant to the word of God and the ancient Catholike faith Which things neuerthelesse the Pope had rather maintaine then reforme when the truth now shineth so cleerely And here although his Maiesty could easily rehearse many grieuous abuses in the Romane Liturgie yet it pleaseth him to name only foure which he opposeth to the other foure named by you The first is the vse of an vnknowne tongue contrarie to the precept of S. Paul and the practise of the primitiue Church to whom in their assemblies nothing was dearer then the good and edification of the hearers Wherefore the Fathers prouided the translation of Scripture into all languages and as Epiphanius noteth in the end of his third booke they had their Interpreters who if need were did translate one language into another in their readings as hee speaketh that is when the Scriptures were read vnto the people Surely that the things read were generally vnderstood this alone is sufficient proofe that in most of the Homilies of the Greeke and Latin Fathers wee meete with these words vt audistis legi or vt hodie lectum est as you heard it read or as it was read to day Which if your preachers should say were it not ridiculous when the poore people vnderstand nothing that is read out of the Scriptures notwithstanding they haue more