said and done wt is to be thought and beleevd wt is to be hoped and feard wt concerns God and his creaturs wt angels and men wt earth and heaven wt our creation and redemption wt the beginning and end of things First where is the order and method to find out these things You will find that the story and doctrinall part goes hand in hand together wch is not the ordinary way of teaching If I peruse the story of Gospell by it self I shall scarcely find it answerable to my expectation whiles I find mention onely of one howr of Christs birth and not a word more for twelv years together and then but one single action of his appearing in the publick Schools and not a word again of his whole life till almost twenty years after and then onely some works he did in publick for the space of about three years so his death wch is far less than I should expect or desire to know And the doctrine our Lord deliverd is no more of it set down than what he spake incidentally in fields and streets and publick places the three years space of his publik appearance and not a word of any thing he taught his Schollers or Disciples in particular on set purpose without reference to publick speeches which was without all doubt the main doctrin primarily intended both by the Maister his disciples and most copiously explicated Moreover those publick speeches of or Lord we have set down in Gospell they are deliverd us but under certain generall heads and brief notes wthout any order or connexion at all that can appear to any the subtillest wit that is Our Lords Sermon on the mount is the largest piece of doctrin we hav of his deliverd at one time and most heavenly and divine it is like its authour but he that reads the sift sixt and seaven Chapters of S. Mathew where t is set down shall desire connexion And indeed the holy Evangolists collecting their Gospels as brief memorialls did it wthout all doubt the best way And t is sufficient and far better than if all had been set down in that order and fulness of discours our Lord deliverd it For the few separated notions of Christian morality set down in Gospell wer enough to give testimony to the traditionall doctrine the Apostles had methodically received from their master for his Church Finally those speeches of our Lord recorded in Gospell be only some brief sentences and parables questions and replies to interrogatories wch be far short to a whol body of divinity tho abundantly enough for a Church in whos bowels the Messias would imprint his law and intire will It appears then both by the mingling of the story and dogm together by the few parcells of the history it self by the want of that method and connexion in the dogmaticall part wch our dull capacities require for learning and the omission of great many things we should need to be imformd in far more amply than we can find it set down in Scriptur concerning the use of Sacraments government of the Church and a thousand difficulties rising about the exercises of charity and faiths I say it appears by these and such like things that the Scripture of the New Testament was never pend on any purpose to teach us our religion but rather to confirm and ratify by incidentall passages therein such religion and doctrin as should be deliverd by the Church the prime and sole mistresse of faith after God and in place of him in all clearnes of methodical beleef and practise To you saith our Lord to his Apostles Luc. 8.10 it is given to known the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven to others in parables that seeing they may see and not understand The Apostles and the Church derived from them were made acquainted wth the mysteries and secrets of Christian religion for their beleef and practise and the same Church clearly knows and understands them as the mysteries of her own profession and art wch she hath receivd and practisd from the beginning to this day But to others that be aliens and out of the Chuâ—ch it seems our Lord so orderd his speech that they should hear and yet not understand nor everfully perceiv his will till beleeving they were incorporated into his mysticall hody unto which alone all the mysteries of religion are delivered in perspicuity and clearnes This generall purpos and intention of penning the Gospell and other parts of the New Testament as short manuall notes for Christians within the Church or such as are to be congregated unto it from wch Churches hands they have both a larger explicit declaration of their faith and a full and ample practis thereof in her bosom must needs infer such an obscurity as shall obstruct all possibility out of the Church of God by this bare letter ever to arrive to a clear understanding of the waies of Christian Religion This is the first and great cause of that obscurity scripture carries with it unto such as come to seek their religion in a Book wch was never made to teach it nor written for such a propos The churches doctrin as it comes out of her lips that is the thing that converts nations and regenerats unto heavenly life and this written word is a good milk to nurs us up after we are regenerated wch made S. Peter to exhort Christians 1 Pet. as new born babes to desire that sincere milk of the word that they may grow by it 1. Pet. 2. But it is not the thing that givs us the first life Indeed the Scriptur does little or no good but as it is presented by the Church and received with her interpretation and practisd in her bosom wthout wch three things I wil be bold to say it is not the Word of God nor hath it any vertue at all The Ark of God so long as it was upheld by the Priests it comforted and sanctified them but touched or lookt into by others it destroyd them nor was it unto them an Ark of salvation but an offence and occasion of fall If we descend to particulars we shall espy reasons enough of obscurity such as will frustat all desire of any perspicuous discovery of faith to be made by any man wthout the churches help The very history doth afford disputs enough hardly to be answered by the learnedst of divines as they will easily grant that have examind them The Prophesies and mysteries of faith containd therein who is able to trace them And the morall or dogmaticall part tho it seem familiar yet hath it a profoundnesse beyond all human writting Indeed by this it is demonstrated to be the Word of God wch must needs be like himself unsearchable Out of the abundance ef the heart the mouth speaketh saith our Lord and where the heart is immense the word is also incomprehensible I doubt not but there be too many amongst our people in England who read the
either keep me still from you or split me wth you LA. Wt shall we do wth you Sr Harry sith you decline scripture wch as it is the purest so t is the easiest way for your conversion VIC Shall I tell you he wil even go out of his way as Balam and his ass did I le show you the story as t is written in 22 chapter of numbers t is a very pretty one Ther you wil see how the ass confuted his rider and said unto him Am not I thine ass so prettily Read here from the 22 vers to the 36. If you go not in the right way Sr Harry as we would have you be sure you shall be checkt by a very ass When any such thing happens you may take it for a certaine sign that you ar out of your way KN. Scriptur is a good instrument to drawn men from paganisme to Christianity but no fit means to divert us from Catholik Religion to heresy That heavenly seed wch makes sons of God can never make children of perdition except it self be mischievously corrupted And therfore I decline it not at all but admit allow and embrace it as containeing that irrefragable doctrine wch eminent persons in the church of God penned wch industrious and religious persons in the same Catholik church coppied transcribed wth their owne hands above a thousand years together before printing was invented to keep that sacred letter alive and lastly wch by the Catholik body of the said Church hath beene authenticated and canonised and therfore it must needs be pure and holy being madâ— conserud and ratified by holy Church But its facility and easinesse that I do not so easily conceive or agree unto especially if you separate it from the Church whose book it is The mind and meaning of any writing no man can understand so well as the Authour no man can interpret aright contrary to the Authour no man where it is obscure and uncouth may peremptorily interpret wthout the Authour MIN. You will soon grant it to be easy if you consider that t is called a light to the understanding Wt thing is there more apparent than light And therfore t is said in the Ephesians if our Gospell be hid t is hid to them that are lost VIC Sweet heart you are mistaken that sayeing is not in the Ephesians but Corinthians 2. Ep. and the 4. c. LA. T is no matter Mr person so we find out your riddle tho it be by plowing wth your heyfer according to the saying of Samson Iud. 14. VIC I told you even now Madam that the ass will rebuk his rider when he goes astray KN. A light if it be set behind us or under a bushell or to an eye ill affected inlightens not and a prejudiced mind is a veyld understanding where light cannot enter I must say more he that goes out of the Church puts out his own eyes and he that never enterd in never had any but gropes in darknes Light is come into the world saith our Lord but men love darknes more than light Jo. 1. namely because they shut their eyes against it and no marvell that unto such the Gospell should be hid Catholikes all of them have indeed the whole Gospell by heart and comprehendit sufficiently for the life and spirit of it yet still the bark and letter of it hath obscurity enough wch is opend and manifested as far as is needfull upon occasion by the lips of priests wch preserve knowledg No man understands the mind of man but the spirit that is in man nor the meaning of scriptures can any comprehend but the spirit of that Catholik body whose the scriptures be For these be imediatly the word and doctrin of the Church and therfore called the Word of God because that Catholik body from whence it issued is animated by the spirit of Jesus Christ her naturall head who is God blessed for ever and the particular penmen therof being members of the sayd church were peculiarly illustrated by that spirit unto such an effect So then the word of God is a light and enlightens good Catholiks it enlightens not others that remain blinded in infidelity and separated from that holy mysticall body of Christ and yet t is a light still t is hid to them that are lost People that live in a family colledg or corporation by the daily sight and practis of things to be don therin do fully comprehend all that is to be said or acted there But others who be out of those societys shall never by bare reading of books written of such emploiments so long as themselves stay out attain to any satisfactory light therof but remain pusled in a wood of dark words and either mistake or not apprehend the reality and truth of things So our people wthin the Church see distinctly and clearly the truths of God in whose practis they are daily conversant so that words and writtings are not necessary unto such as be in a continuall exercise of their trade but sectaries paymins al infidels who be aliens and strangers to this Society out of the family altho they should look upon their book of statutes scripturs or laws yet will they still be pusling about words and never clearly understand the secrets of the profession One artist or tradesman knows more by heart and practise than the whole world besides that is out of that body or not conversant in the society can ever attain unto by reading A man may demonstrat by Philosophicall reason that light it self enlightens not but by reflexion no more do the word and scripturs except they reflect upon us from the bosom of the Catholik body wch actuats them in their operation If you would seriously ponder these few words you should quickly perceive unto whom the scriptures be obscure and unto whome they be easy and how they be easy to Catholiks for the practise life and meaning of them tho the letter may still keep its obscurity as children of a family may clearly understand all the whol affaires and businesses of the house tho if books should be written therof they might not so easily understand the letter of those books Yet these have great advantage in the understanding of such books abov those who are not coversant in the affairs being aliens and strangers to the family For t is easier by the knowledg perfect comprehension of things to understand words that be written of them than by reading of words to perceiv things we are altogether unexperienced in But to speak abstractively of the letter of Scriptur wthout reference unto persons as if the case were that neither you nor I ever knew any thing of the Christian religion but what we get out of the Bible or new Testament put now into our hands Could either of us or all of us together see clearly in this letter the whole state of the Catholick Church or without obscurity discern wt is to be
for it and all kind of obscurity contrary to such an end But to conclude If Scriptur be indeed so clear and easy for each capacity to read out of them to cull his faith and by them to frame his religion as sectaries pretend and this be indeed the judgment of all reformers wherfore do they themselves so multiply their catechists interpretours and expositours theron to wt end is all their preaching and weekly teaching this if it be indeed to any end must needs be either to expound faith or promote good works if the faith be clear enough the expounding is in vain as for good works they be long ago exploded bannisht out of the land and the empty preaching for aught I know may go foot it after them for words are in vain that tend to no end In fine whence comes all these diversities of opinions amōgst us here in England about matters of faith and religion and so opposit one to another and yet all grounded upon Scriptur Is that way so uniform and easy that leads men so diversly Nor am I satisfied at all in hearing som answer as they do that this coms not of Scriptur but the disorder and mistakes of men so lōg as I see it may wthout the Churches help be so shreudly mistaken I have reason to suspect mistakes in my self too if I once lean upon mine own spirit and industry as others do being my self no better than my neighbours And therfore I am loth nay I shall never be perswaded to leav the secure footing I now hav in all tranquillity peace uniformity wth the Catholik body of Gods Church by the result of truth delivered us by antiquity consonant to Gods word both written and unwritten and run my self with the confusd rout of disagreeing sectaries upon the rock of the Bible so apt as it appears by the event to be mis-understood and and wrested awry that I am clear of the opinion that no man out of the Church of God nor nobody of meē besides the Church of God understands it right Nor shall I be so mad now in my old age to go to dig my self religion having so fair a one already stamped to my hands wch all the art of men and angels put together can never mend Put him in Bedlam that undertakes both labour and hazard for naught LA. Do you think Sr Harry ever to perswade me that reading the Gospell I do not sufficiently understand the story of Christ his birth and life death and passion resurrection and ascension I fear not to affirm that I understand it perfectly and by your favour as fully as is necessary I do also conceiv well enough nor is it hard so to do wt his doctrin and miracles conduced to mankind I am moved also wth the divine discours of Christ and his Apostles Every Sabboth-day I go to Church and hear the word of God preacht I cannot see wt is more to be done he that reads and hears and beleevs the word of life cannot miscarry VIC And I for my part understand all that ever I either read or hear Alas when I was a young girle I was even then so towardly that I could read the Scripture as I ran up and down the house according as it is written write the vision and make it plane upon Tables that he may run that readeth Hab. 2. My husband and I every Sabboth day go hand in hand to Church together like the beasts that went into the ark by two and by two the Male and his Female Gen. 7.2 Surely this is sufficient for the salvation of all flesh KN. Madam you have now toucht upon the main busines wherein all sectaries be most pittifully deluded If they do but go to Church and hear a Sermon each one according to his fansy their duty is done and all his safe I will not stand now to examine whether the preaching be orthodox or no. Be it what it will It will not serv the turn I have already to my ability declared that the reading of Scriptur is no sufficient means of finding out our faith tho so much as it is it doth all of it confirm and verify the Churches doctrin I shall now go forward and evince two truths more First that reading or preaching of Gods word or the hearing therof tho it be indeed Gods word and pure and orthodox is not the essentiall or cardinal work of Christian religion Secondly that a man may hear and read it all his life time and yet be lost at the end both for want of grace and truth Our Lord wrote nothing himself as all men know yet notwthstanding he would never have failed either to have done it himself or commanded others to have done it if reading or hearing had been the great work of his religion to be imposed upon mankind For reading you know and expounding of Scriptur presupposes writing and his great work had been no other than to see things written if our great work had been no other than to read or hear them The four Evangelists afterwards put together some few heads of our B. saviours life and doctrin haply to carry about wth them in their bosom and entertain their converts wthall But we do not read that our Lord gave them any command to do so And this is an argument in your principles that he gave them none at all And as he gave them no order to write so neither did the promise them any assistance in their writing for all the concurrence we find promised either them or their successours was onely for the pectorall custody of their traditions orall doctrine and Church government And therfor since you deny the constancy of Christs assistance in the continuall government of his Church internall beleef and externall doctrin unto wch that assistance was promist affirming that the Church of Christ as it is not in it self infallible so hath it gone astray both in practis and doctrin me thinks you might wth as much ease and indeed more plausibility deny the same concurrence to any of the Churches writings whereunto it was never promist at all nor the Scriptur or writing it self so much as commanded by him wthout whose order nothing of force or autority could be done Nor it is to be thought but that Peter James Andrew and others of the Apostles had been both as able and as willing to write Evangells as the other four wherof two of them were but disciples of a far inferiour rank to the Apostles and indeed but companions and attendants upon them as may be seen in the Acts. Nay if writing had been such a capitall work S. Peter would never have neglected to have writ a Gospell himself especially when S. Mark his pupil and companion wrote one But this is an argument they had some greater work in hand and more nearly enjoind than that was Nor can we find by any monument that any of the other ten Apostles who were sent severall waies
I am fully assured of that the Protestant is not abl to bring any one argument for himself against the Independent but what he borrows from the Catholik church and which being admitted and prest home will destroy all his own protestancy that is to say all thoss negative wherby he differs from the Catholik and wch he hath striven thes hundred years to defend and therfore it behovs him to take heed wt he does for the Independent is quick and resolut and as well verst in his principles as himself and able I am sure wth the Protestants own grounds to convince him neither to be fish nor flesh nor yet good red herring as the proverb speaks neither sound Catholick nor pure reformd The Catholik doctrin is all fixt and permanent and therfor every reformation can find what to deny of it but they can never all agree together wt and how much therof to affirm the latter still denying more of the Catholick faith than the former had don alltho it proceed upon the same principles wth it The Church will easily make good all her affirmativs against you all so soon as you shall agree al together how much you will deny But so long as you jar one amongst another and speak contraries it is not possible to stop all your mouths at once In a word all the changes made by the Independent are either legall just and religious or els protestancy it self is an unjust illegall and impious apostasy for if all men be obnoxious to errour and the Scriptur sole judg and guid of faith by wt right can the Protestant oblige men to her tenets further than they approov of them by the test of Scriptur wch they hav in in their own hands if thos principles be fals wth wt justice did the Protestant himself revolt from the Catholik upon those sole grounds Nay the Independent is far more honest and excusabl than the protestant for he prefers his judgment onely before a Church that profest her self to be fallible but the protestant rebeld against an infallible guid and one that profest her self such And altho the Catholik Church wer not infallible yet professing her self infallible she has that caus of blaming the revolting protestant wch the protestant can never hav against the Independent for an infallible Church may well expect an universall subjection whereas the protestant professing herself fallible cannot in modesty either oblige peopl to her cannons or dislik their freedom of judgment however dissenting from her own And so she must needs have the Presbyterian excusd and the Presbyterian he cannot do otherwise than comend the Independent as the nimbler work man For sith both of them went about to mend the Protestant reformation and correct the dictats of that fallible mistres the Independent did his work more speedily and fully than the other and so indeed may be maliced by him as the better workman but never blamed Finally if this last reformation of Independency be indeed an abolishing of all reliques of popery hanging upon the Protestant and not clearly casheerd by the Presbyterian then does the Catholik and Independent stand like extrems having the intermediat reformations of Protestancy and Presbytery and the like between then two as white and black be the two extrems of colours between which are red blew green and the like borrowing their existency from the natur of both in a severall mixtur And all other reformations interjacent are diversified in themselvs according as they do mor or les partake of the Catholik positivs and Independents negativs These two claim an absolute liberty of conscience in their own territories the Catholick a freedom of the Churches judgment the Independent of his own particular And either all is true that the Catholik affirms or all the independent denys MIN. I mean not to interpose my self in the busines of reformations let them be as they will but do maintain onely in the generall that reformation of popery is good lawfull not executed without the speciall commission instinct Spirit of Christ VIC So it is written Without me ye can do nothing Jo. 15. KN. And I likewis do onely in generall wish you to consider yet two or three things wherby you may suspect this busines not to be of God and consequently the whol work of reformation unlawfull Thes speciall commissions do ever bring with them some peculiar seals and letters patents such as heaven uses to send to mankind as be signs wondrous operations and miracles wthout wch man cannot in reason desert his station Reformers had none of thes to show But I will not insist hereon altho it be a worthy and waighty consideration becaus t is copiously don by others I say then First it would seem strang to a reasonabl man and a thing of much suspition that all reformations are but negativ abolitions of the ancient Catholik religion without any positiv institution at all T is an odd kind of dressing a garden still to be grubbing up trees and never plant any in the place nor is it likly God should send workmen into his vineyard onely to destroy and pull up Again reformers do all of them equally pretend to be sent from God wth an extraordinary commission to enlighten the world And yet they all hitherto did their work to the halfs keeping still as much popery as they cast away Gods extraordinary messengers use not to do their work imperfectly or remain themselvs in that errour they were sent on purpos to correct Martin Luther that extraordinary light of the world did if we may beleeve the succeeding reformations both liv and dy in as much popery as himself abolished If popery be so damnable as both Luther and other reformers cry out and say it is I should think that half a score swinging articles of popery are enough to sink a man and so much Luther must keep stil if we beleev the following reformation and this detaind no les if we may credit the third The purity of these times found so much popishnes still hanging on Protestants skirts that they thought it worth the hazard of their lives to brush it off And som think that even these purest are not themselves absolutly free from it and surely never wil be so long as the Bible wch is the Popes book and sent immediatly from him into this island is yet in their hands Ar all these reformers sent from God why then did non of them doe their work to the full till at the end of a full age the Independent stept in to accomplish it if yet he hath himself don the deed to the utmost Why should I think ill onely of the Catholik whom Luther raild against and not as well hate Luther whom Calvin condemnd or judg Calvin whom the Protestant church of England censurd in many things and forsook or detest also the Protestant Church wch the purity of thes times have destroied Sith we be all so much severd from
Apostles fell upon imediately after the ascension of our Lord according as he had taught them to do at his passion where by word and action showing his Apostles the manner of that great work he added his charg Hoc facite This do ye For saith holy text Then returned they from Jerusalem and when they wer com into an upper room they all continued wth one accord in prayer and supplication wth the women and Mary the mother of Jesus Act. 1.12 The great work here was bowing of knees not squatting down in a pew supplication not exhortation praying not sermoning And the sweet penman of that story speaking of the presence of the other sex out of his peculiar devotion exprest by name Mary the mother of Jesus who wth her presence graced the first high mass of the Church in all angelicall purity And the church since that time had never high mass without her The sacred text insinuats that this great work held them no small time together by saying that they continued wth one accord therin T is likely they were constant and daily at it all the ten dayes between Ascension and Pentecost for they were comanded to keep together till they were endued wth power from on high Luc. 24.49 And in som one of those dayes probably after the sacred ceremony was ended S. Peter stood up and propounded to the body of the church an election of some one in place of Iudas that the sacred hierarchy might be made up against Pentecost when the holy Ghost was to descend upon them when indeed he did descend upon them all united wth one accord in the same exercise S. Peter declareing and defending the novelty of that strang infusion to such Iews and Gentils as came running in amongst them at the noys therof And as before Pentecost they Christians did constantly persever in that sacred solemnity so did they after the holy Ghosts descension wth exceeding chearfulnes and joy of heart persist therein much more The same holy pen sets forth this their Eucharisticall action both before and after Pentecost in most significant terms the words in originall Greek are more emphaticall than can be rendred in English Our Lord ascending saith the Euangelist lift up his hand blest his people who having worshipped him as he ascended returned back to Jerusalem wth great joy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et erant omnino in sacro laudaÌ„tes benedicentes Deum Luk. 24.53 And they were wholly or altogether in the sacred action or sacrifice praising and blessing God I know Translatours read it thus They were continually in the Temple for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sacrum in his primary acceptance signifies the sacrifice and secondarily the place where it is performed or the temple and Catholiks may render it the temple because that sacred action renders the place where it is done a temple or sacred ground But that the word in this place must of it self signify the religious exercise liturgy of sacrifice of the primitive Christians and not the temple in that sense the word temple is commonly understood I am induced by three reasons to beleev First becaus the Christians had then no Church or Temple of their own as it is manifest and as for the temples or Synagogues of the Jews tho one or two of the Christians might upon som occasion go thither haply to inform the people that went in and out of the truth of the Messias and by some signe or miracle to testify his power as Peter and John heald a lame man at the Temple-gate Act. 3. Yet it is not to be thought that al the whole Flock and Congregations of Christians people would be permitted to take up those places day by day and to fulfill their Christian rites and ceremonies in the Jews Churches who lookt upon them all as apostats and excommunicated men and hated and persecuted them unto death And therfore when t is here and in other places of the Acts said that the Christians were wholly or altogether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in sacâ—o this word in sacro cannot signify the place of worship as it is usually taken but the action or worship it self Secondly this wil yet more demonstrativly appear if we join the latter end of S. Lukes Gospell now mentiond wth the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles wherein the story is continued and more largly exprest For in the end of S. Lukes Gospell are compendiously set down the religious exercises of the Christians after our Lords ascension who are said to have come back to Jerusalem and there to be continually in sacro blessing God v. ult And in the beginning of the Acts the same thing is repeated again wth some addition and inlargment of the story the text saying that the Christians returning from the mount whence our Lord ascended unto Jerusalem they betook themselves in the City 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto a gallery or upper chamber to do their devotions where they all continued wth one accord in praiers Act. 1.12 This is spoken of the same people at the same time and in the same action And therfore they were not in the Temple as we commonly take the word temple to signify but in a gallery or upper-chamber of som house where mass or Christian liturgy was celebrated and yet they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in sacro as S. Luke expresses it And men that are but meanly skild in Greek and Latin know that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sacrum is a word of elegance wherby the sacred work of religioÌ„ is exprest to this day a Priest at mas is said to be in sacro or in sacris Thirdly the same holy Scripture expressing this Christian worship as it was don after Pentecost saith of the Christians that they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in sacro domi in this sacred action or sacrifice at home or in their own houses Act. 2.46 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And day by day they strongly perseverd unanimously in sacro at their houses breaking the bread they received the food in exultation and singlenes of heart praising God having grace wth al people Act. 2.46 The whol Christian synaxy is here described both the sacrifice and communion the circumstance both of the place persons who were in sacro at their sacrifice and comunicated wth exultation in their own houses That his sacrum and fraction of bread was a high religious ceremony is apparent by the constant mention of it in such places of that book as do purposly treat of the religious exercises piety and devotioÌ„ of the primitiv Christians who are comended and described unto as persevering daily either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in sacrifice or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in communion or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in breaking of bread praier supplication and the like As also for that the two Disciples travelling to Emaus wth whom our Lord joined himself in the way knew and discernd him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in fractione panis in his breaking of bread Luk. 24.35 For that religious work they knew was done by none but Christ himself or his Priests This discours upon the words of Scriptur I hav somwt inlarged beyond my custom not to teach Catholiks for altho the Greek should be rendred by them in templo they know well enough that every place where that most sacred rite is done is a temple and so t is indifferent to them to translate it either in templo or in sacro but to let others who be not Catholik understand that more is implied in such expressions than they do ordinarily think of and that the religion of the primitiv Christians was not preaching wherof here is no mention at all but prayers supplications sacrifice or fraction of bread Wch religious emploiment is in another place of the sam chapter yet more fully exprest They were saith he firmly persisting in the doctrin of the Apostles and in comunion and in fraction of bread and supplications v. 42. They firmly persisted both in the Apostles doctrin unanimously united in faith wthout schisme division or any singularity of opinions wch might separat them from the main body into particular conventicles and also in comunion one wth another both by fraternal charity Ecclesiasticall obedience and Christian Sacraments in Fraction of bread wch was the great Cardinall capitall work of their faith and the very quintessence of Christianity and in supplications in the plurall number both for living and dead both for pastour and people for every degree for every necessity This was a right Catholik body and the right exercise of their Catholik faith And such and no other is the faith religion of all Catholiks to this day those I meane who are traduced by frivolous people under the notion name of Papists wch is a barbarous word and neither Latin Greek or Hebrew nor yet good English and if it signify any thing it is as much as to say Fatherists because they persist unanimously and firmely in the doctrine of Apostolical pastours and fathers in comunion with them in fraction of bread and supplications day by day persevering in sacro and breaking the bread at their houses wch they take together in exultation and singlnes of heart praysing God and having grace towards al good people Pray God bless thē all To make themselvs worthy of this Holy comunion our Catholiks do frequently examin and clens their consciences as P. Paul advises to do wch clensing and examining of conscience none but Catholiks know wt it means This sacred Action and venerable service of God was by the first Christians named Missah a notion they had out of the old Testament where the Sacrifice of the Messias peculiar onely to his people and religion by way of constitution distinction from all others is so named and the Latin and western part of the church did ever keep the name as well agreeing to the Latin tongue But the Eastern and Greek churches called it ordinarily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Liturgy wch was their own language and o word wherby that sacred action was exprest in the new Testament In the Acts of the Apostles t is frequently called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 breaking of bread The primitiv Christians gave it severall names the Eucharist the Synaxy the Dominicum and the like changing the word as souldiers do the watchword that uncircumcised paynims should not know wt they meant as our Catholiks now in England use some by-expressions therof for concealment And the antient doctours of the church wrote very cautiously of it especially in such books as they thought might haply fall into the hands of pagans as may be seen in severall places of Origen S. Austin and others I observed the last time I read over S. Austin de civitate Dei a very notable passage to this purpose tho I have not now the book to turn to it where speaking accidentally of the venerable bread of Christians he presently recalls himself saying they know wt I mean whose bread this is and in whose cause I write And a certain Roman prelat in antient times denied to send by writing an answer of som doubts propounded by ultra-marin Christians concerning some circunstances of the mass least the pagans intercepting his letters should therby discover the mystery of Christian Religion but he promist to send a messenger to the petitioners who should inform them by word of mouth So carfull they were not to cast this pearl before swine Yet as soon as Paganism was subdued their writings came abroad copiously and gave ample testimonies therof S. Ambrose was in the third age of the church and yet he began to be bold and writ not onely of the substance of the thing but betrayed the very name wherby it was generally known and called namely missa or mass But they all frequently spake of the Altar and Priests the Sacrifice and service of the most high God performd in Christian Religion and the like And the writers of the last twelv hundred years speak so amply and so plainly therof that the very citation of their evidences would fill a volume For this divine service were all our churches in England erected by Catholiks in the form of a cross the high Altar now called the Chancell being placed in the head of the church and the Tabernacle over it for the body of our Lord to repose on for Christian mens solace wth candles and lamps before it below it was the quire for the clargy to sing prayses night and day before their redeemer on both sides of the church lesser Altars for other priests to celebrate in at their devotion and the nave or body of the church kept clenly and vacant for the people to kneel in continue wth one accord in their supplication and prayer according as it is written My hous is the hous of prayer If churches had been onely buylt for preaching and hearing Sermons they would not have been made in the form of a cross as they be but of a theater or amphitheater rather wth scaffolds about for that purpose and such stalls or pews below as now all our churches are pesterd wth in Catholik times utterly unknown And if a man look into the places of devotion the Christians resorted unto in times of paganism before they had any churches erected wch were for the most part in dens and caves bottoms of mountains wherof many are still to be found in all Kingdoms of Europ he shall easily discern what their busines was there I once saw one of them in a hill neare Paris cald mount Dammartin wch descended as I remember three score steps into the hill at the bottom there is a place of the bignes of a chamber and an Altar stone at the head of it in part still remaining and a hole in the same rock over the Altar for the Priests chalice to stand in And generally wher ever such
and Son Abaylardus again that power was not appropriated but proper to the Father wisedom to the Son and bounty to the Holy Spirit The Manichees contended that the devill is evill by his owne natur and not made so by his fall Origen that the devills should at length be deliverd from hell Hermannus Risswick in the year 1512. held wth much stiffnesse that neither the good Angels nor bad were created of God The church of God resisted all these could she do otherwise Others denied the creation of the soul imediatly by God Seleucus affirming that it is made by Angels of spirit and fire Tertullian that the soul of the Son is made by the soul of his Father as his body by his body The Gnosticks on the other side said it was made of the substance of God himself wch was afterwards defended by the Manichees the wild ofspring of Manes a Persian who affirmd himself to be both Christ the Paraclet too sent out his twelv Disciples about the world to spread abroad his haeretical dogmes who were much multiplied in the time of pape Foelix Tertullian thought that the souls of wicked men were after death turned into devills wch surely is an errour if he speak of a physical and not of a morall turning The Arabians on the other side affirmed that all souls quite perish wth their body wch atheism was also defended by the above named Rissnick the Hollander The Albigenses in the time of Pope Jnnocent 3. averd according to Pythagoras his doctrin that souls pas from one body to another Origen that they were created before the body and imprisond therin for some offence committed wch opinion is assuredly against the common judgment of Catholiks The Gnostiks that all bruit beasts were maisters of understanding and reason The church if she had desired to have done it would have found somthing to do to comply wth all these men Seleucus and Hermias would have the matter wherof the world was made to be coeternall wth God and not created Foelix a Manichean affirmd the same of the Earth Others of Water The Albanenses said that the world should never end Simon Magus as also the Gnosticks Manichees said that the world was made of the ill God and not by the good one and that corporall creatures and mans body were therfore evill in themselves and in their own substance Florinus in the time of Pope Eleutherius taught that God whom he acknowledgd to be both one good did notwthstāding evill things wth a positiv purpos of il as to harden mens hearts deceiv them Coluthius an Egiptian on the other side denied God to inflict so much as the evill of punishment Tatianus in the time of Pope Julius the first affirmed that Adam and Eve were for their sin perpetually damned And yet notwthstanding wisdom is said to have brought him who was first formed and father of the world out of his sin Sap. 10. Origen that Adam lost by sin the image of God wch was an errour surely if he spake properly of his image that is founded in natur and not of similitud founded in grace and blessednes Pelagius in the time of Honorius and Theodosius the younger avouched that Adam died not through demerit of his fault but condition of natur and so had died although he had not find The Armenians inhabitants of Asia betwixt Taurus and Caucasus after their separation from the Catholik church wch happend as I remember upon the councell of Chalcedon wherein Eutiches Abbot and Dioscorus Byshop of Constantinople were condemnd whos conciliary acts the Armenians would not receiv but made themselvs a primat of their own they fell into many errours amongst wch one was that Adam and Eve if they had not sind had never ingendred children and therfore they held marriage to be unlawful Philaster mentions others who maintained that Adam and Eve before they had sinned were blind Thes be blind guids for the church of Christ to follow How many wayes should she turn to trace all these mens steps In a a word not to insist longer upon the old Testament S. Austin and S. Epiphanius in their Books of Heresys mention som who taught that Melchisedeck was not a pure man but som diuine vertu or Christ himself T is easy to say any thing of every thing VIC O the father what a number of pretty opinions be here Truly I find in my heart to hold som of them They were most witty interpreters of Scriptur Pray go on sweet Sr Harry this is the best discours you ever made yet go on it delights me exceedingly according as it is written Thy lips drop as the honey comb Cant. 4. The more you speak the more my appetit encreases MIN. Pray Sr let us break this discours wch I was not aware of and com to matter I have furnisht my self wthall for your conversion This talk corrupts my wife VIC Earth to earth and ashes to ashes Pray be content let me be corrupted thē Thou fool that wch thou sowest is not quickend except it dye Look in the 15. c. of the Corinthians and expound me that place And then tell me first if in right Logick corruption go not before generation tell me secondly who is that same Thou fool LA. I could willingly have Sr Harry to go on in this his speech for it is not altogether unprofitable to hear it and I conceiv not dangerous to us For nothing I hope can hurt such as be well confirmd in their religion VIC No forsooth for it is written of protestants Independents If they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them Mar. 16. KN. The errours and wild opinions that have rose in Christianity about the particulars of the new Testament have been so many and various in severall ages of the church that it is hard to bring them into method Our Doctours set them down in every age as they rose naming wth them the Catholik divines who wrote against them the councels that condemnd them the time they lasted and the mischiefs they did in the world I shall endeavour as wel as I may to reduce them all according to my forementiond method unto three sorts errours namely against persons places and actions of Christian faith Persons as Christ our Lord the blessed Virgin Mary S. John the Saints Pope Councells c. As concerning Christ our Lord I. Ebion about the time of Pape Cletus maintained that Christ our Lord was but pure man against whom S. John intreated by the Byshops and Priests of Asia wrote his Gospell Wth Ebion joind Cerinthus and Carpocrates and after them Theodotus of Bizantium who being under persecution denied Christ also Paulus Samosatenus in Syria under Pape Victor wth his disciple Photinus II. Others on the other side denyd him to hav any human natur at all as Cerdon in the time Pape Higin and the Proclianites people of Galatia who taught that Christ came not in flesh III. Apelles
pleasur by wth drawing tithes or tribut or otherwayes sess 8. against his 27. art Indeed the opinion is a way to all rebellion and disorder in church and state XVI Finally that no degree may scape the Waldenses and Luther inveighed bitterly against religious orders as the invention of the devill affirming that the founders of them were damnd for it if they repented not and that none could be saved in them wch desperate madness was censurd also in the said councell of Constance Sess 8. And strongly confuted by Chlitoveus Roffensis Albertus Thomas Waldensis a Carmelit and before them by S. Thomas and S. Chrysostome XVII To prevent all danger on any hand for any heresy or disorder the Waldenses spread abroad that no judg can condemn any man to punishment But they either forgat or simple souls never knew that S. Paul saith if ye do evill fear for the magistrat bears not the Sword in vain XVIII There were others who taught that no hereticks were to be punisht but left to Gods judgment 19. The Rhetorii saies Philaster affirmed that al hereticks thought aright XX. Nicolaus Eimericus reports of others in the time of Pape Gregory the eleaventh who affirmed that any one that commits a mortall sin is an heretick XXI S. Austin testifies of the hereticks called Ophitae that they worshipt the Serpent that beguiled Eve and the Caiani respected Judas for a Saint for that he was cause of our redemption These be some extravagant opinions of sectarys concerning severall persons in the church kings and subjects religious men clargy men priests students byshops the Senate of prelates popes Saints Christ and what not so sensles so wild so inconsistent so contradictory that the wisedom and integrity of the Church of God were not able to suffer much lesse approve them being contrary many of them to common honesty others to right reason all of them to Christian faith How shall the immaculate spous comply heaven and hell may sooner come together I think VIC T is a marvellous thing Sr Harry you can have all thes opinions in your head and hold none of them What difference is ther betwixt having and holding If I should ever think of them they would mingle wth my creed I can beleev any thing if it be not popery and take all that coms as I did my Husband to have and to hold for better and for wors as it is written MIN. Com you speak like one of the foolish women VIC How did you speak when you took me wth the very same words and said wth a blith and bucksom countenance I Iohn You have been a year or two at a pagan university where you learnt to worship Judas for a Saint you are so proud upon it deny if you dare that I understand the bible wch is the highest book in the world wherin then can you exceed mee T is true you are a parson but is it not written I have more understanding than my teachers Psa 119.99 You would fain com in wth your few texts against Sr Harry that you have been scribling out of a concordance being out of all patience that his Discours keeps you back Pray be content t is as pleasing to me to hear talk of these men as of my owne father and mother that begat mee expect your kue good sweet Husband Your hour is not yet come as t is written LA. T is agreed upon Sr Harry that you proceed in your discours Mr Doctour in the end will I beleev make use of it all to his owne advantage KN. I have declared som severall odd conceptions of men concerning sundry persons in the church Others there be concerning places as the temple or place of worship purgatory after life hell and heaven wch opinions maintained wth pertinacy caused the authours thereof to be cast out of the Catholik body of Gods church wherin they had been members I. Eustachius derided all Saints temples The Waldenses afterward would have all churches taken away as too much straitning the majesty of God whose temple is the wide world The Pseudapostoli added that a consecrated church is no more worth than a swine sty as also Zisca the German who wth his companions whom he called Taborites from mount Tabor where Christ was transfigured spoild and defaced all holy places they came neare The councell of Gangres defined against this madnesse c. 5. decret II. The same Waldenses would not endure that time should be spent in saying the canonicall hours in the church and their ape Wicleph gave his reasō for it becaus forsooth it is not fit that Christians should be tied to prayer at any time This reason if it wer worth any thing would destroy the Sabboth But all singing in the church they scofft at as nois made to Baal The Arrians before them disprooud singing in Catholik churches but their reason was becaus of so many Hymns and anthems made in the honour of Christ against their impious opinion Against al thes is the councel of Gangres c. 30. decret III. That all images are to be taken out of churches was stifly maintained both by the said Waldenses and their squire Wicleph For wch heresy long before their time Leo the third emperour in Constantinople was excomunicated by Pape Gregory the third yet notwthstanding the emperour Constantin the fift and emperour Leo the fourth his son adhered still to it but after his death Irene his wife ruling the empire in the name of the Infant Constantin the sixt obtained the second Nicen counsell to be called where by three hundred and fifty Byshops the heresy was condemnd though Constantin the sixt being of age would not submit to the councell wch was one of the mainest causes of the dislike and grudg between the Latin Greek emperours The errour was afterward condemnd in the councell of Frankford under pape Adrian the first IV. The adoration given in Catholik temples unto the cross and crucifix the above named Iohn Wicleph an english Priest who lived about the yeare 1380. would by all means have taken away But Thomas Waldensis his country man almost contemporary still confuted him and his blind Lugdunian guides who were also judgd condemnd by all the Prelats in Constance V. There also was censurd another errour of theirs that preaching in temples should be lawfull for any although prohibited by superiours VI. The said Wicleph denied tiths to be due to Priests serving at the Altar preaching and praysing God wch errour was also condemnd in the 18 place at Constance But this opinion he had from the Pseudapostoli whose ringleader was Gerardus Sagarellus of Parma who was burnt in the yeare 1260. VII Both the Waldenses and Wiclevits blasphemd all benedictions of water candls palms altars challices churches forgetting or not beleeving that every creature is sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer 1. Tim. 4. VIII No less peremptory was Wicleph Huss and Luther against excomunications from church and altar inflicted on
cross imprinted on the forehead to be inefficacious Indeed the church uses both the sign of the cross and crism wch the ancient Christians would by no meanes have omitted and the minister of the Sacraments should sin in omitting those or other rites of the church yet if in case baptisme should be administred in the right matter and form wthout these it would have its valiew so the same church ever beleeved And the Eucharist though haply it might be given to som wth baptism yet not of necessity sith baptism was instituted long before it VIII The Waldenses on the other side affirmed that baptism by all means ought to be received wthout mixtur of holy oyle The leader of these so often named Waldenses was one Waldo of Lions in France and therfore they were sometime called Waldenses sometime Pauperes Lugdunenses the sect began about the yeare 1570. condemnd at Rome in a generall councell IX That infants are not to be baptised was the assertion first of Pelagius because he thought they had not originall sinne and then of Wicleph because he thought that the faith and prayers of their parents sufficed them But the Milevitan councell defined that baptism was absolutly necessary to infants salvation as also the councell of Florence under Eugenius the fourth the councell of Trent Sess 6. c. 4. X. Others ther were on the other side who held that a man in age and of mature judgment could no wayes possibly be saved wthout baptism how much soever he might be contrite in heart But the sayd Tridentin councell under Paule the third silences thes also Sess 6. c. 4. XI Luther Melanchthon and Bucer taught that baptism takes not away all sin becaus concupiscence remains But then baptism should not be a laver of renovation Tit. 3. Nor should we by baptisme be buried wth Christ unto death Rom. 6 Radical or habitual concupiscence is no sin at al except it be actuated by the consent of reason XII The Flagellantes maintained that in their time baptism of water had ceased and baptism of blood succeeded wch thing say they was signified in Cana of Galile when at the end of the feast water was turnd into wine And so they went up and down France whipping themselves till the blood came when they were told by their Catholik Prelats that castigation of body was good and allowable and practised even by the best Christians but it ought not be don wth the prejudice of other parcells of faith reveald in Gospell they replied that the whole Gospell at their coming had ceased These be the principall mistakes I have taken notice of concerning baptism As for Confirmation wch ancient Christians called Consignation from the fact of the Byshop signing the forhead wth crism the Waldenses denied it to be a Sacrament Wicleph their squire did not com home wth them in this point for he acknowledgd it a Sacrament but taught it might be conserd by any Priest Against both these is the Ispalen councell c. 7. dec the Tridentin under Paule the third Sess 7. can 1. as also the Florentin Toletan third and fourth councell of Carthage As for Pennance Luther bables odly about sacerdotall absolution affirming that it is not in it self necessary at all and that t is efficacious not because t is given but beleeved to be given whether it be indeed given or no and that a man beleeving himself to be absolued is absolued whether he be so or no although he have not so much as contrition The Tridentin counsell under pope Julius the third blasted this errour Sess 4. can 9. II. The same Luther added that a woman or child gave as good absolution as the Pape III. Again he denied ther were three parts of Pennance contrition confession and satisfaction as the church had taught But the councell of Florence under Eugenius in their definition of faith about the Sacraments given to the Armenians defined the three parts according to Catholik faith as likewise the councell of Trent in the sixt session c. 14. and againe in its fourth session under Julius c. 4. IV. Novatus a priest in Rome was peremptory that no pennance wtsoever should ever procure remission to one that had fallen and finned mortally The Roman councell under pape Cornelius of fifty Byshops and as many priests disabled this pernicious errour as also the councell of Trent under Paul the third the sixt session in their doctrine of Justification c. 4. V. Luther affirmed that contrition or sorrow for sins arising from the fear of hell was unprofitable nay a mortall sin Against this also is the councell of Trent under pope Paul Sess 6. can 8. and again under Julius Sess 3. c. 4. VI. That confession to a priest was instituted by man and not by God was taught by Petrus Osmensis reader of divinity in Spain but he was condemnd by Alphonsus Carillo Archbyshop of Toledo and Primat of Spaine by the autority of pape Sixtus the fourth Luther after him taught the same Some orientall Hereticks called Iacobits said it was not necessary to confess to a priest but to God onely Wicleph thought it superfluous because of contrition Waldenses also tooke away all confession But yet that this Catholik confession notwthstanding was instituted by Christ himselfe S. Leo S. Austin S. Ambrose S. Cyprian S. Cyrill and all doctours agree and that it was practisd in the primitiv times is evident enough in the Acts of the Apostles where t is said that the new converts or beleevers came confessing and declaring their deeds Act. 19. And that t is necessary even wth contrition is witnessed by the councell of Constance Sess 8. and by the councell of Trent under Julius the third Sess 4. can 3.6 VII Some Greeks also denied restitution to be necessary But against the very law of natur wch bids to do as we would be done by that famous aphorisme of S. Austin Non dimittitur peccatum nisi restituatur ablatum Against the truth of the holy Eucharist ther have risen many fals judgments I. The Manichees made not their Eucharist of bare bread wch they judged unclean but mingld human seed wth it for wch purification they were called Catharists II. The Greeks made their Eucharist in leavend bread thinking our blessed Saviour had consecrated in leaven And a very great dispute rose about it three Gospells saying expresly that our Lord eat his last supper in the first day of azyms or unleaved bread S. Iohn the day before the Pasch wch the Latins interpreted to be the evening or beginning of the azyms the Greeks the day before it when leaven was eaten He that thorougly ponders the Gospell may see the Greeks were deceived And though the church in her councell of Florence under Eugenius the fourth for the Union of the Greeks acknowledged that a consecration in fermented bread was valid yet she binds all her priests to consecrat stil in azym III. The Waldenses in their Eucharist are said
not to consecrat wth the usuall words of the Church but wth seaven Pater Nosters IV. That in this Sacrament is not really contained the true body of Christ severall Hereticks at times have avoucht it yet disagreeing in their manner and reasons for it Nestorius putting two persons in Christ said in the Eucharist was indeed the true flesh not of God but of pure man Berengarius placed the flesh of Christ the Son of God there not really but onely significativly He was the first that broched this wicked fansy in the church he was by nation a French man deacon in the church of S. Maurice a captious logician otherwise wise of small learning in comparison of his great pride and turbulency wch proceeded so far that pope Leo the ninth to prevent the fall of Catholiks called a councell at Vercelles wher Berengarius not appearing was anathematised Victor the second succeeding Leo celebrated another councell at Tyrone by Hisdebrand a Roman Cardinal President therin wherin Berengarius appearing was confuted by many learned men especially Lanfrank our byshop of Canterbury but he returnd afterwards to his vomite for wch cause pape Nicolas the second succeeding Victor congregated a councell at Rome of a hundred and thirteen Byshops where Berengarius being present recanted and died penitentially About a hundred yeares after one Almaricus raised up the heresy againe A hundred yeares after him Wicleph revived it in this last age Oecolampadius followed by Suinglius and Calvin But Luther curst all these Sacramentaries wth a bitter curs as perverters of the last will and Testament of the Son of God V. Luther admitted the reall presence of our Lords body in the Eucharist but the substance of the bread to remain also This companation is rejected as not conformable to Catholik tradition by the councell of Lateran under Innocent the third the councell of Trent under Iulius Sess 3. c. 4. VI. The Aquariâ— would not consecrat wine but water VII The Armenians on the other side put no water at al in the challice as Catholiks have ever done even from the first beginnings of the church as witnesseth S. Cyprian VIII The Messalians Euchetae or Enthusiasts said that the Sacrament of the Eucharist was of no worth They attributed so much to praier as the Flagellantes did to their bloody discipline that neither of them esteemd of any other observance But the excellency of this Sacrament is maintaind by the councell of Florence under Eugenius and the Tridentine under Julius Sess 3. c. 2. IX Some Greeks are said to hold that this Sacrament consecrated in caena Domini is of more worth than any other day X. Luther would that examination discussion of sins and confession is no preparatory to this Sacrament but onely faith Expresly against Scriptur Let a man examine himself c. 1 Cor. 11. XI Magister sententiarum makes mention of some that held men comunicating in sin receiv not our Lords body But Judas it may easily appear received the same thing as the rest of the Apostles though not to the same effect Joh. 13. XII Many Lutherans have taught that the body of our Lord is onely present in the use and therfore not to be kept yet this opinion is not to be found in Luthers work though it be in Bucer XIII The Bohemians said that comunion is necessary to be given under both kinds though they had not this conceit from John Huss their prophet but one Petrus Dresensis a German who being driven out of his countrey for the Waldensian heresy wherwith he was infected went to Prague in Boemia where having perverted one Jacobellus Misnensis a notable preacher by his means he drew after him great multituds of people from the Catholik body Something more than a hundred years after Luther infected Germany wth the same errour But the church hath ever taught us that Christ is wholly under any species for comunion though she commands consecration to be made in both for although whole Christ be under either either kind quoad continentiam yet not quoad significationem the consecration or immolation must signify the effusion of blood but comunion is of the thing contaiend XIV The Quatradecimans would have the Christian Pask or Easter when this Sacrament was instituted and first celebrated to be kept expresly on the fourteenth day of the first moon This raised a controversy in the time of Pape Anicetus between the Orientall and Occidentall Byshops those standing for the 14 day these for the Sunday following and the contention lasted till the time of Pape Victor the first who would have excomunicated al the Byshops of the East for their contumacy had not Ireneus strongly wthstood it It was raised again after Victor but quite ended in the councell of Nice where it was decreed to be kept on the Sunday XV. That Mass was not instituted by Christ was the wicked beleef of Wicleph condemnd in the councell of Constance And its institution by Christ clear enough in Gospell This do ye is expresly asserted by most venerable and ancient fathers Rabanus Isiderus S. Ambrose Eusebius S. Chrysostome S. Cyprian Pope Alexander the first and sixt from S. Peter Martialis one of the 70 disciples and companion of S. Peter and Telesphorus That mass is neither sacrifice nor yet good work is blasphemously maintaind by Luther and Calvin But this venerable Liturgy is ratified by the first Toletan councell c. 5. By the councell of Lateran under Innocent the third c. 1. decr by the sixt generall Synod and the Ephesine councell c. 32. decr Me thinks these men should not be ignorant that the translation of the law infers translation of priesthood and where is a peculiar priesthood is a peculiar sacrifice as the Apostle discourses Heb. 7. Now Melchisedek is the only figure of Christ his priesthood as it is there affirmed by the Apostle els wher by the prophet stiling our Lord a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek Psal 109. And yet that Priest of the most high God offered nothing to him but bread and wine as Fathers Scriptur testify Gen. 14.18 This very function of Melchisedek did Christ our Lord exercise when he offered up to God his body and blood telling his Apostles present what he did and what he would have done hereafter what he did when he said This is my body wch is given not wch shal be given for you on the cross but wch is immolated and offerd now This is my blood wch is shed He showed what he would have done when he said Hoc facite This do ye Here is the order of the new priestood according to Melchisedek set up I would to God our Countrymen would seriously ponder these things and not so slightly pass over a thing of such importance saying that Melchisedek did but bring forth that bread and wine only to refresh Abram and his Souldiers If that were all why should the Scriptur add presently for he was