CHAP. I. The extent of the differences betwixt the Churches.

THe first blessing that I dayly begge of my God, for his Church, is,Ioh. 14.27. our Sauiours Le­gacie, Peace: that sweete Peace; which in the verie name of it comprehends all happi­nesse both of estate and disposition.Adrichoni descr. Hiero fol. fig. 19 [...]. As that mountaine whereon Christ ascended, though it abounded with Palmes, and Pines, and Mirtles, yet it caried onely the name of Oliues, which haue beene an ancient Em­bleme of Peace: Other graces are [Page 2] for the beautie of the Church; this for the health and life of it; For how so euer,Faciunt fau [...]; & v [...]s [...]e faciunt Ecclesias & Marcionitae. Ter tull. aduer. Mar­cion. l. 4. c 5. euen Waspes haue their Combes, and heretickes their assemblies (as Tertullian,) so as all are not of the Church that haue Peace; yet so essentiall is it to the Church, in Saint Chrysostomes opi­nion,Ecclesiae nomen consensus, con­cordiae (que) est Chrysost. com. in Ep. ad Gal. that the very name of the Church implyes a consent, and con­cord; No maruel then if the Church labouring here below, make it her dayly suite to her glorious Bride-grome in heauen, Da pacem, giue Peace in our time, O Lord: The meanes of which happinesse are soone seene, not so soone attained; euen that which Hierome hath to his Ruffinus, Sit inter nes v­na fides & illico pax sequetur Hier. aduers. Ruff. Vna fides; Let our beleefe be but one, and our hearts will be one.

But since, as Erasmus hath too truely obserued,Erasm. Epist. l. 20. Paulo De­cimario. there is nothing so happie in these humane things, wherein there is not some intermix­tures of distemper;1. Cor. 11. and S. Paul hath told vs, there must be heresies, and [Page 3] the Spouse, in Salomons Song,Cantic. 2. vlt. com­pares her blessed husband to a yong Hart vpon the mountaine of Be­ther; that is, Diuision; Yea, rather,Victor. Perser. Afric. l. 5. as vnder Gensericus, and his Van­dals, the Christian Temples flamed higher then the Townes; so for the space of these last hundred yeeres, there hath beene more combustion in the Church, then in the ciuill state; My next wish is, that if dif­ferences in Religion cannot bee a­voided, yet that they might bee rightly iudged off, and be but taken as they are. Neither can I but mourne, and bleede, to see how miserably the World is abused on all hands with preiudice in this kinde: whiles the aduerse part brands vs with vniust censures, and with loude clamours cries vs downe for heretickes: On the other side, some of ours, doe so sleight the errours of the Romane Church, as if they were not worth our conten­tion;Spalat. de hist. Eccles. tom. vlt. lib. 7. as if our Martyrs had beene rash, and our quarrels trifling; O­thers [Page 4] againe doe so aggrauate them, as if we could neuer bee at enough defiance with their opinions, nor at enough distance from their commu­nion. All these three are danger­ous extremities; The two former whereof shall (if my hopes faile me not) in this whole discourse be suffi­ciently conuinced; wherein as wee shal fully cleare our selues from that hateful slander of heresie, or schisme, So we shall leaue vpon the Church of Rome, an vnauoydable imputa­tion of many no lesse foule, and en­ormious, then nouell errours; to the stopping of the mouthes of those Adiaphorists,Melanct. Postill. de Baptismo Chri. whereof Melancthon seemes to haue long agoe prophe­sied; Metuendum est, &c. It is to be feared (saith he) that in the last age of the world this errour will raigne amongst men, that either Religi­ons are nothing, or differ onely in words.

Diog Laert.The third comes now in our way; That which Laertius speakes of Menedemus that in Disputing his [Page 5] very eyes would sparkle, is true of many of ours, whose zeale trans­ports them to such a detestation of the Romane Church,Hooker. Eccles. Pol. l 4. §. 3. Comment. in Euang. saepe. Patres nostri & saluberrimam consuetudinem tenuerunt vt quicquid diui­num ac legiti­mum, &c. Aug-Ne (que) propter pa­leam relinqui­mus aream Do­mini, ne (que) prop­ter pisees malos rumpimus retia domini Aug, Epist. 48 Sic Anabaptistae accusant Paedo­baptismum. Pa­pismi Cliston, contr. Smith. Sic Neariani Trinitatem ar­guunt & arti­culum Papae. Probant· Fascic· c. 1. as if it were all errour, no Church; affecting no­thing more, then an vtter oppositi­on to their doctrine and ceremonie, because theirs; Like as Maldonate professeth to mislike and auoide ma­ny faire interpretations, not as false, but as Caluins: These men haue not learned this in Saint Austens Schoole, who tels vs, that it was the rule of the Fathers well before Cy­prian and Agrippinus, as since, that whatsoeuer they found in any schi­me or heresie, warrantable and ho­ly, that they allowed for its owne worth, and did not refuse it for the abettors; Neither for the chaffe doe we leaue the floore of God, neither for the bad fishes doe we breake his nets. Rather, as the Priests of Mer­curie had wont to say, when they eate their Figs and Honie, [...], &c. All truth is sweet; it is indeed Gods, not ours, wheresoeuer it is found, [Page 6] the Kings coyne is currant, though it be found in any impure channell.

Nos fatemur sub papatu plu­rimum esse boni Christiani, imo omne bonum Christianum; dico insuper & imo vero verum nucleum Christi­anitatis. Luther. in Epist. ad 2. pleb. de Anabapt. cit [...]a Cromero de falsa relig. Lu­theran.For this particular; they haue not well heeded that charitable profes­sion of zealous Luther (Nos fate­mur, &c) We professe (saith hee) that vnder the Papacy there is much Christian good, yea all; &c. I say moreouer, that vnder the Papacie is true Christianitie, yea the very ker­nell of Christianitie, &c. No man I trust will feare that feruent spirits too much excesse of indulgence; vn­der the Papacie may bee as much good, as it selfe is euill; Neither doe we censure that Church for what it hath not;Aliud est crede­re quod Papa credit, aliud credere quod est Papae. Prolaeus. ibid. vbi supr. but for what it hath: Fundamentall truth is like that Ma­ronaean wine, which if it bee mixed with twentie times so much water holds his strength: The Sepulchre of Christ was ouer-whelmed by the Pagans with earth and rubbish;Euseb. de vita Constantini. l. 3. c. 25. and and more then so; ouer it, they built a Temple to their impure Venus; yet still, in spight of malice, there was the Sepulchre of Christ; and it [Page 7] is a ruled case of Papinian, Iustin. Tit. 1. §. 4. Annot. in leg. 12. Tan. that a sa­cred place looseth not the holinesse, with the demolished walles; No more doth the Romane, loose the claime of a true visible Church, by her manifold and deplorable cor­ruptions; her vnsoundnesse is not lesse apparent, then her being; If shee were once the spouse of Christ, and her adulteries are knowne, yet the diuorce is not sued out.

CHAP. II. The Originall of the differences.

IT is too true that those two maine Elements of euill (as Timon called them) Ambition and Co­uetousnesse,Magistris vten­tes Ambitione & Auaritiá Bern, ad Henric Senonensem. which Bernard profes­ses were the great Masters of that Clergie in his times, hauing palpa­bly corrupted the Christian World, [Page 8] both in doctrine and manners, gaue iust cause of scandall, and complaint to godly minds;Quae fuerant vitia, mores fi­unt. Ger [...]. de negligentia prae­ [...]atorum. Ex Seuet. Gra­uam. Germ. Which (though long smothered) at last brake forth into publike contestation; augmen­ted by the fury of those guiltie defen­dants, which loued their reputation more then peace: But yet so, as the complainants euer professed a ioynt allowance of those fundamentall truths, which discried themselues, by their bright lustre, in the worst of that confusion; as not willing that God should leese any thing by the wrongs of men, or that men should leese any thing by the enuie of that euill spirit,Matth. 13.25. which had taken the ad­uantage of the publike sleepe for his tares: Shortly then, according to the Prayers and predictions of ma­nie holy Christians, God would haue his Church reformed; How shall it be done?Per disciplinam & [...]e [...]um, nun [...]u imsponia. [...]en. Licentious courses (as Seneca wisely) haue sometimes beene amended by correction, and feare, neuer of themselues; As there­fore their owne president was stirred [Page 9] vp in the Councell of Trent,Corrigenda & [...]eformanda est Ecclesiastica dis­ciplina quae iam diu deprauata at (que) corrup. &c. Orat. praesid. conc. Trid ses. 11 Prim or dia cun­cta Pauida sunt. Cassiod. Luther offered 95. Conclus. to be Disputed at Wittenb. Io. Tecelius. of­fers the con­trarie Propos. at Francfort. Vid. hist. Conc. Trid. lib. 1. Lutherus, &c. Ita venio beatis­sime Pater, &c. Et adhuc prost­ratus rogo, &c. Epi. ad Leonem▪ 10 Ibid. Lut. 1 Eckius & Sil­uester Pieríus write ag. Luth. vid. histor. Conc Trid. Saepe solutisue repestifera. Ser Iames Hogo strata Dominican Inquisitor stirs vp Pope Leo to capi­tall punishments of Luther and his followers. Ibid hist. Concil. to crie out of their corruption of discipline; So was the spirit of Luther, some­what before that, stirred vp to taxe their corruption of Doctrine; but, as all beginnings are timerous, how calmely did he enter, and with what submisse Supplications did hee sue for redresse? I come to you (saith he) most holy Father, and humbly prostrate before you, beseech you, that, if it be possible, you would be pleased to set your helping hand to the worke, Intreaties preuaile no­thing; The whiles, the importune insolence of Eckius, and the vndis­creete carriage of Caietan (as Luther there professes) forced him to a pub­like opposition. At last (as some­times euen poysons turne medici­nall) the furious prosecution of abu­sed Authoritie increased the zeale of truth; Like as the repercussion of the flame intends it more; And as zeale grew in the plaintiue, so did [Page 10] rage in the defendant;A primordio iu­stitiam vim pa­titur statim vt coli Deus coepit inuidiam religio sortita est. Tert. Scorpiac. aduers. Gnostic. c. 8. So as now that was verified of Tertullian (A primordio, &c. From the beginning righteousnesse suffers violence, and, no sooner did God begin to be wor­shipped, but Religion was attended with enuie. The masters of the Py­thonisse are angrie part with a gaine­full (though euill) guest: Am I be­come your enemie because I tolde you the truth? saith Saint Paul, yet that truth is not more vnwelcome, then successefull;Bapt. Porta. For, as the breath of a man that hath chewed Saffron discolours a Painted face, so this blunt sinceritie shamed the glorious falshood of superstition.

Leonis Bulla. Anno 1518.The proud offenders, impatient of reproofe, trie what fire and faggot can doe for them; and now accor­ding to the old word,Punitis ingenijs gliscit authori­tas. suppressed spirits gather more authoritie; as the Egyptian violence rather ad­deth to Gods Israel. In so much as Erasmus could tell the Rector of Lo­uan, Erasm. Godesch. Rosemund. that by burning Luthers bookes they might rid him from the Li­ [...]raries [Page 11] of men, not from their hearts.

The ventilation of these points dif­ [...]used them to the knowledge of the world; and now, vpon serious scan­ning,Non defuisse magnos Theolo­gos qui non ve­rebantur affir­mare nihil esse in Luthero quin per proba­tos Authores defendi possit. Eras. lib. Epist. 15. Godeschalco Rosemund, &c. Theod. Bez▪ con­tr. Andreā, &c. vid. histor, conc. Trid. l. 1. it came to this (as that honor of Rotterdam professe (Non defuisse) [...]hat there wanted not great Di­ [...]ines, which durst confidently af­firme, that there was nothing in Luther, which might not be defen­ded by good and allowed Authors.

Nothing doth so whet the edge of wit as contradiction; Now, hee, who at first, like the blind man in [...]he Gospell (it is Bezaes compari­son) saw men like trees, vpon more cleare light, sees and wonders at [...]hose grosse superstitions, and ty­rannies, wherewith the Church of God had beene long abused: And [...]ow, as the first Hue and Crie ray­seth a whole Countrie, the world was awakned with the noyse, and startling vp, saw, and stood amazed to see its owne slauerie and besot­ [...]ednesse: Meane while; That God, [Page 12] who cannot bee wanting to him­selfe,Hulr. Zu [...]ng [...]us in Eccl. Zurich. opon [...] se Tratij Sampsoni Me­diolan. Francis. Hugo Constanti­ens. Episco [...]us opponit se Zuin glio. ibid. Bullasecunda Leonis Papae. An. 1520. rayseth vp abettors to his truth; The contention growes, Bookes flie abroad on both parts. Straight Buls bellow from Rome nothing but death, and damnation to the opposites; Excommunicati­ons are thundred out, from their Capitoline powers, against all the partakers of this (so called) heresie; the flashes of publike Anathemaes strike them downe to hell.

The condemned reprouers stand vpon their owne integritie, call hea­uen and earth to record, how iustly they haue complained, how vniust­ly they are censured; in large Vo­lumes defending their innocence; and, challenging an vndeniable part in the true visible Church of God, from which they are pretended to bee eiected;Anna. 1518. Vid. Histor. Concil. Trid. l. 1. appeale, (next to the Tribunall of Heauen) to the sen­tence of a free generall Councell, for their right.

Profer is made at last of a Sy­node at Trent; but neither free, nor [Page 13] generall; nor such,Tres salui-conductus concessi Protestantibus, sed quam fru­stra. vid. Iunij animaduersiones in Bellar. as would afford (after all semblances) either safetie of accesse, or possibilitie of indiffe­rencie; That partiall meeting (as it was Vid Epist. Epi. Q [...]in (que) Eccles. in histor. Concil Trid. Iudicandi pote­stas apud accu­satores erat. Ruffin. hist. l 1. cap. 17. [...]. q. Mu [...]t [...], &c. 3. q. 7. Nullus debet. Sententia non praesentibus par­tibus dicta nullius moment [...] est Cassiod. de Ami­cit. c 5. Nullus ante rectam cognitio­nem causae debet priuari suo iure. Rodriguez. Cas. cons. c. 241. prompted to speake) con­dems vs vnheard; right so as Ruffi­nus reports it in that case of Atha­nasius; Iudicandi potestas, &c. The power of iudging was in the accu­sers; contrarie to the rule of their owne Lawe; Non debet, &c. The same partie may not bee the Iudge, accuser witnesse; contrarie to that iust rule of Theodericus, reported by Cassiodore (Sententia, &c.) The sentence that is giuen in the ab­sence of the parties is of no moment. We are still where we were, op­posing, suffering. In these termes wee stand, what shall wee say then, if men would either not haue deserued, or haue patiently indured reproofe, this breach had neuer beene. Woe bee to the men by whom this offence com­meth; For vs, that rule of Saint Bernard shall clearely acquit vs, be­fore [Page 14] God,Cum carpuntur vitia & inde scandalum ori­turipso sibi scan­dali causa est qui fecit quod argui debet, non ille qui arguit. Bernard. ad Hug. de Sancto Vict▪ Epist. 78. and his Angels (Cum car­puntur vitia, &c.) When faults are taxed, and scandall growes, hee is the cause of the scandall, who did that which was worthie to bee re­proued not he that reproued the ill doer.

CHAP. III. The reformed vniustly charged with noueltie, heresie, schisme.

Nos vetera in stauramus, noua non prodimus Eras. Godes­chalco, &c. BE it therefore knowne to all the World, that our Church is onely Refor­med, or Repaired, not made new: There is not one stone of a new foundation laide by vs; Yea, the old wals stand still; Onely the ouer-casting of those ancient stones which the vntempered mor­ter of new inuentions,Ʋide. Fregeu [...]l­lij Politi (que) Re­forme. An. 1588. displeaseth vs. Plainely, set aside the corrupti­ons, [Page 15] and the Church is the same: And what are these corruptions, but vnsound adiections to the anci­ent structure of Religion; These we cannot but oppose; and are there­fore vniustly, and imperiously eie­cted; Hence it is that ours is by the opposite stiled an Ablatiue,Haeresia non tam docent cre­dere, noua, quam vetera non cre­dere: magis e­nim heresis in non credendo. Ioan. Lensaeus Bellidanus de Christiana libert l. 12. c. 7. or ne­gatiue Religion; for so much as wee ioyne with all true Christians in all affirmatiue positions of ancient faith, onely standing vpon the de­niall of some late and vndue addita­ments to the Christian beleefe; Or if those additions bee reckoned for ruines:Durand. Ration. lib. 1; It is a sure rule which Du­randus giues concerning materiall Churches, applyable to the spiritu­all; that if the Wall be decayed, not at once but successiuely, it is iudged still the same Church, and (vpon re­paration) not to bee reconsecrated, but onely reconciled. Well there­fore may those mouthes stop them­selues, which loudly call for the names of the Professors of our faith,Fisher. contr. D. White, & D. Featly. in all successions of times, till Lu­ther [Page 16] look't forth into the World. Had wee gone about to broach any new positiue Truths, vnseene, vn­heard of former times, well and iustly might they challenge vs for a deduction of this line of doctrine, from a pedigree of Predecessours; Now, that we only disclayme their superfluous, and nouell opinions, and practices, which haue beene by degrees thrust vpon the Church of God, retayning inuiolably all former Articles of Christian faith, how idle is this plea, how worthy of hissing out? Who sees not now that all we need to doe, is, but to show that all those points which wee cry downe in the Romane Church, are such, as carrie in them a manifest brand of newnesse, and absurditie. This proofe will cleerely iustifie our refusall; Let them see how they shall once, be­fore the awfull Tribunall of our last Iudge,Accuatio non debet admitti quae non proce­dit ex charita­te 4. qu. 5. iustifie their vncharita­blenesse, who cease not vpon this our refusall to eiect, & condemne vs.

[Page 17]The Church of Rome is sicke;Nec inficior Rom. Ecclesiam à prisco suo de­core & splendo­re non parum diuersam, multisque mor­bis, & vitijs de­formatam. Cass­de Offic. boni vir, &c. Vtilia vero & nolenti ingeren­da. Bern. de vita Solit. Lutherus porre­xit orbi pharma­cum violentum & amarum; Id quale, quale sit optarim vt ali­quid bonae sani­tatis, &c. Eras. Georgio Saxon. Duci. l. 21. Nouis morbis nouis obuiandum medicamentis. Bern. ep. 161. Ingenuous Cassander confesseth so; (nec inficior, &c.) I deny not (saith he) that the Romane Church is not a little changed from her ancient beautie, and brightnesse, and that shee is deformed with many disea­ses, and vicious distempers; Ber­nard tels vs how it must bee dieted; profitable, though vnpleasing, me­dicines must bee poured into the mouth of it; Luther, and his asso­ciates did this office (as Erasmus acknowledgeth; (Lutherus porre­xit) Luther, saith hee, gaue the World a potion violent, and bit­ter; what euer it were, I wish it may breed some good health in the bodie of Christian people, so mi­serably foule with all kinds of euils. Neuer did Luther meane to take away the life of that Church, but the sicknesse;Dulcior est reli­giosa castigatio, quam blanda re­missio. Ambr. in obit. Theodos­ser. 6. Wherein (as Socra­tes answered to his Iudges) sure­ly, he deserued recompence, in steed of rage; For as Saint Ambrose worthily; (Dulcior est) sweeter is a [Page 18] religious chastisement, then a smoo­thing remission.

This that was meant to the Churches health, proues the Phy­sitians disease; so did the bitter­nesse of our wholsome draughts offend, that we are beaten out of doores;Non fu [...]us sed [...]. [...]aus [...]b. ad Per [...]n. Qui ab Ecclesia & communio [...], &c. Cyrill, orat. de exitis Animae. Opertebat qui­dem nihil non ferre ne Eccle­siam Deiscinde­res. Di [...]. ad Nouat Euseb. l. S. c. 44. &c. Neither did wee runne from that Church, but are driuen away, as our late Soueraigne pro­fesseth by Casaubons hand; Wee know that of Cyrill is a true word; Those which seuer themselues from the Church, and communion, are the enemies of God, and friends of Deuils; and that which Diony­sius said to Nouatus; Any thing must rather be borne, then that we should rend the Church of God: Farre, far was it from our thoughts, to teare the seamelesse coate; or, with this precious Oyle of Truth to breake the Churches head;

Qui statum conturbat Ec­clesiae ab eius li­minibus arcea­tur. 2. Epist. A­lexand. Pap.We found iust faults; else, let vs bee guiltie of this disturbance. If now, choler vniustly exasperated with an wholsome reprehension, [Page 19] haue broken forth into a furious persecution of the gainesayers, the sinne is not ours; If we haue defen­ded our innocence with blowes, the sinne is not ours. Let vs neuer pros­per in our good cause, if all the water of Tyber can wash off the bloud of many thousand Christian soules that hath beene shed in this quarrell, from the hands of the Ro­mish Prelacie. Surely, as it was ob­serued of olde, that none of the Tribe of Leui, were the professed followers of our Sauiour, so it is too easie to obserue, that, of late times,Ingenia genero­sa doceri capi­unt, cogi non ferunt; cogere tyrannorum est, cogi tantum asi­norum. Eras. Rosumdauo. vbi supra. Cauendum est ne cum r [...]m du­biam emendare volumus maio­ra vulnera fa­ciamus. Alip. Aug. Epist, 239. this Tribe hath exercised the bitte­rest enmitie vpon the followers of Christ. Suppose wee had offended in the vndiscreet managing of a iust reproofe; it is a true rule of Eras­mus, that generous spirits would bee reclaymed by teaching, not by compulsion; and as Alipius wisely to his Augustine; Heed must bee ta­ken, least whiles wee labour to re­dresse a doubtfull complaint, wee make greater wounds then we find. [Page 20] Oh how happy had it beene for Gods Church, if this care had found any place in the hearts of her Gouernours; who regarding more the entire preseruation of their own honour, then Truth, and Peace, Were all in the harsh language of warre ( [...]) smite, kill, burne, persecute: Had they beene but halfe so charitable to their moderne reprouers, as they pro­fesse they are to the fore-going, how had the Church flourished in an vn­terrupted vnitie?Index Expur­gat. Belg. iussu Phil. 2. An­twerp. Offic. Plaut. In Catholicis veteribus alios plurimos, &c. In the old Catho­like Writers (say they) wee beare with many errours, wee extenuate, and excuse them, wee find shifts to put them off; and deuise some com­modious senses for them; Guilti­nesse, which is the ground of this fauour, workes the quite contrarie courses against vs: Alas, how are our Writings racked, and wrested to enuious senses, how miscon­strued, how peruerted, and made to speake odiously on purpose to worke distaste, to enlarge quarrell, [Page 21] to draw on the deepest censures.

Woe is mee, this cruell vncha­ritablenesse is it, that hath brought this miserable calamitie vpon di­stracted Christendome; Surely,Magdeb, Cent. 2. as the ashes of the burning Mountaine Vesuuius being dispersed farre and wide, bred a grieuous Pestilence in the Regions round about; so the ashes that flie from these vnkindly flames of discord haue bred a wofull infection, and death of soules through the whole Christian World.

CHAP. IIII. The Church of Rome guiltie of this Schisme.

Quae [...] deprauata at (que) corr [...]sp [...]a, [...]arum [...] haere­ [...]m magna ex pa [...] causa ori­go (que) [...]x [...]iti [...]. O­re [...], praes, Cone. Trid. sess. 11. Pe [...]us Oxon. sum. concil. sub sixto 4. Si authoritas quaer. tur. orbis [...] est vr [...]e [...] fuerit [...] Romae, siue Eu [...]lij Hic [...] [...]gria. [...] d [...]ctr. fid. Tem. 1 [...] [...] P [...]s [...]us. Hierar. Eccl. l. 6.3. Turrect [...] [...], & alij Vid. Mart. [...]. lib. 4. c. 2. §. 6. IT is confessed by the President of the Triden­tine Councell, that the deprauation of discipline and manners of the Romane Church, was the chiefe cause and originall of these dissensions. Let vs cast our eyes vpon the doctrine, and wee shall no lesse find the guilt of this fearefull Schisme to fall hea­uily vpon the same heads.

For first; (to lay a sure ground;) Nothing can be more plaine then that the Romane is a particular Church, as the Fathers of Basil well distinguish it, not the vniuer­sall; though we take in the Chur­ches of her subordination or cor­respondence: This truth we might make good by authoritie, if our ve­ry senses did not saue vs the labour,

[Page 23]Secondly,Answer of the Bishop of S. Dauids Chapl. to Fisher. Nec Papa, nec Episcopus pro­prie potest pro­positionem ali­haereticare, No particular Church (to say nothing of the vniuersall since the Apostolike times) can haue power to make a fundamental point of faith; It may explane or declare, it cannot create Articles.

Thirdly, Only an errour against a point of faith is Heresie.

Fourthly, Those points wherein wee differ from the Romanists are they, which only the Church of Rome hath made fundamentall, and of Faith.

Fiftly, The reformed, therefore,Gers. An liceat in causis fidei, &c. being by that Church illegally con­demned for those points are not he­retickes.

Hee is properly an Hereticke,Nil. Thessal. O­rat. de dissens. Is proprie haere­ticus dicitur qui suo ipsius iudi­cio condemnatus s [...] sponte seip­sum eijcit ab Ecclesia. Hosius de legiti­mis Iudicibus rerum, Ecclesia­s [...]icarum. l. 2. (saith Hosius), who being conui­cted in his owne iudgement, doth of his owne accord cast himselfe out of the Church; For vs, we are nei­ther conuicted in our owne iudge­ment; nor in the lawfull iudgement of others; We haue not willingly cast our selues out of the Church, but howeuer wee are said to be vio­lently [Page 24] eiected, by the vndue sen­tence of malice, hold our selues close to the bosome of the true Spouse of Christ, neuer to bee remoued; As farre therefore from Heresie as Charitie is from our Censures. Only wee stand conuicted by the doome of good Pope Subesse Roma­no, &c. Extr. de maior. & obe [...]. vnam, &c. Boniface; or S [...]lu. Prier. Epitom. resp. ad Luther. l. 2. c. 7. Syluester Prierius. Quicunque non, &c. Whosoeuer doth not re­lie himselfe vpon the Doctrine of the Romane Church, and of the Bishop of Rome as the infallible rule of faith, from which euen the Scrip­ture it selfe receiues her force, he is an Hereticke. Whence followes that the Church of Rome condemning and eiecting those for Here­tickes which are not, is the authour of this wofull breach in the Church of God.

I shall therefore, I hope, abun­dantly satisfie all wise and indiffe­rent Readers, if I shall show that those points which wee refuse, and oppose, are no other then such, as by the confessions of ingenuous au­thors [Page 25] of the Romane part,Nilus imputat diuisiones orbis Christiani prae­sumptioni Ro­manae Ecclesiae, quae susceperit in se absque Graecis definire de rebus fidei, & contra senti­entes anathema te ferire. Orat. de dissens. Ec­cles. haue beene (besides their inward falsity) manifest vpstarts; lately obtruded vpon the Church) such as our an­cient Progenitours in many hun­dreds of successions, either knew not, or receiued not into their be­liefe, and yet both liued and dyed worthy Christians. Surely it was but a iust speech of Saint Bernard, and that which might become the mouth of any Pope, or Councell; (Ego si peregrinum, &c. Ego si peregri­num dogma in­duxero ipse pec­caui, Bern. in Cant. ser. 30. Cit. Demosth. Annotat. in leg. 12. Tab.) If I shall offer to bring in any strange opini­on; it is my sinne: It was the wise Ordinance of the Thurians, as Dio­dorus Siculus reports, that he who would bring in any new Law a­mongst them to the preiudice of the old, should come with an halter about his necke into the assembly, and there, either make good his proiect, or die. For, howeuer in humane Constitutions ( [...], [...]. Modest. Annot. ibid. &c.) the later orders are stronger then the former; yet, in Diuinity, Primum verum; The first is true, as [Page 26] Tertullians rule is; The old way is the good way, according to the Prophet; Heere wee hold vs; and because we dare not make more Ar­ticles then our Creedes, nor more sinnes then our Ten Commande­ments, we are indignely cast out.

Let vs therefore addresse our selues roundly to our promised taske; and make good the nouel­tie, and vnreasonablenesse of those points we haue reiected; Out of too many Controuersies disputed be­twixt vs, we select only some prin­cipall; and out of infinite va­rieties of euidence, some few irrefragable te­stimonies.

CHAP. V. The newnesse of the Article of Iustification by inherent righteousnesse.

TO begin with Iustificati­on.Card. de Mon­te praes. Concil. Orat. sua. sess. 11. professes what they meant to haue dispatcht in 15. dayes; cost seuen moneths worke. Vnica formalis causa est iu [...]titia Dei non qua ip­sa iustus est, sed qua nos iustos facit, &c. Concil. Trid. sess. 6. The Tridentine Fa­thers, in their seauen moneths debating of this point, haue so cunningly set their words, that the errour which they would establish, might seeme to be either hid, or shifted; Yet, at the last, they so far declare themselues, as to determine, that the only formall cause of our Iustification is Gods Iustice, not by which he himselfe is Iust, but by which he makes vs iust; wherewith being endowed by him wee are renewed in the spirit of our mindes, and are not only reputed, but are made truly iust, receiuing e­uery man his owne measure of Iu­stice, which the Holy Ghost di­uides to him, according to each [Page 28] mans predisposition of himselfe,Secundum pro­priam cuiusque dispositionem & cooperationem. ibid. Si quis dixerit, &c. per eam ip­sam for maliter iustos esse. Vel sola imputatione iustitiae Christi, vel sola remissi­one peccatorum &c. anathema sit. Can. 10.11. and cooperation; And withall, they de­nounce a flat Anathema to all those, who shall dare to say that wee are formally iustified by Christs righte­ousnesse, or by the sole imputation of that righteousnesse; or, by the sole remission of our sinnes, and not by our inherent Grace diffused in our hearts by the Holy Ghost; Which termes they haue so craftily laid together, as if they would cast an aspersion vpon their aduersaries, of separating the necessitie of san­ctification from the pretended Iu­stification by faith; wherein all our words and writings will abundant­ly cleare vs, before God and men; That there is an inherent iustice in vs, is no lesse certaine, then that it is wrought in vs by the Holy Ghost. For God doth not iustifie the wic­ked man as such;Nunquam re­mittetur culpa quin fimul in­sundatur iusti­tia. Bell. l. 2. de Iustificat. c. 13. but of wicked makes him good; not by meere ac­ceptation, but by a reall change; whiles hee iustifies him whom hee sanctifies; These two acts of Mer­cie [Page 29] are inseparable;Perfecta sunt o­pera Dei ex Deuter. 32. Bel­larm. l. 2. de Iu­stif. c. 14. Iustitiam in no­bis recipientes vnusquisque su­am secundum mensuram quam Spiritus Sanctus parti­tur singulis pro­ut vult, & se­cundum propri­am cuiusque dispositionem. Conc. Trid. vbi supra. But this Iustice being wrought in vs by the holy Spirit, according to the modell of our weake receit, and not according to the full power of the infinite a­gent, is not so perfect, as that it can beare vs out before the Tribunall of God.

It must bee onely vnder the gar­ment of our elder Brother, that wee dare come in for a blessing; His righteousnesse made ours by faith, is that whereby wee are iustified in the sight of God; This doctrine is that which is blasted with a Triden­tine curse.

Heare now the historie of this doctrine of Iustification, related by their Andrew Vega (de Iustif. l. 7. c. 24.) Magna fuit, &c. Some ages since (saith hee) there was a great concertation amongst Diuines, what should bee the formall cause of our Iustification: some thought it to be no created iustice, infused into man, but only the fauour and mercifull acceptation of God. In which o­pinion [Page 30] the Master of Sentences is thought by some to haue beene: O­thers whose opinion is more com­mon, and probable, held it to bee some created qualitie informing the soules of the iust; This opinion was allowed in the Councell of Vienna: And, the Schoole-doctors after the Master of Sentences deliuered this not as probable only, but as cer­taine: Afterwards, when some de­fended the opposite part to be more probable, it seemed good to the ho­ly Synode of Trent, thus to deter­mine it. So as, till the late Councell of Trent (by the confession of Ve­ga himselfe) this opinion was main­tayned, as probable only; not as of faith:Forense vocab. Iustif. verbum Iustificandi in alia significatio­ne vfurpant pa­tres. Chemnit. exam de Iustif. Causa formalis propter quam homo dicitur iustus coram Deo, Bell. l. 2. de Iustif. c. 1. Yea, I adde, by his leaue, the contrary was till then most cur­rant.

It is not the Logick of this point, we striue for; It is not the Gram­mer; it is the Diuinitie: What is that whereby wee stand acquitted before the righteous Iudge, whe­ther our inherent Iustice, or Christs [Page 31] imputed Iustice apprehended by faith;Yet in the next Chapter he corrects this propter in Chemnitius; and expresses it by per. l. 2. c. 2. Chrysost. in Gen. hom. 2. O mise­recordiae mag­nitudinem, &c. repente (que) iustus apparet. Chrys. in Galat. c. 3. Crux sustu­lit execratio­nem fides inue­xit iustitiam iu­stitiam iustitia vero gratiam spiritus allexit. Ambros. de Ia­cob. & vita bea­ta. Non operi­bus iustificamur sed fide, quo­niam carnalis infirmitas, &c. Ibid. c. 6. Non gloriabor quia mens, &c. Similiter de Cain & Abel. l. 1. c. 9. de fuga, sec. c. 3 & 7. The Diuines of Trent are for the former, all Antiquity with vs for the latter. A iust Volume would scarce contayne the pregnant Te­stimonies of the Fathers to this purpose.

Saint Chrysostome tels vs it is the wonder of Gods mercie, that hee who hath sinned, confesseth, is par­do [...] secured, and suddenly ap­p [...] [...]st; Iust, but how? The [...] [...]ooke away the Curse (saith be [...] [...]ost sweetly. Faith brought in Righteousnesse, and Righteous­nesse drew on the Grace of the Spirit.

Saint Ambrose tels vs that our carnall infirmitie blemisheth our workes, but that the vprightnesse of our faith couers ours errours, and obtaines our pardon; And profes­seth that hee will glory, not for that he is righteous, but for that hee is redeemed, not for that he is void of sinnes, but for that his sinnes are forgiuen him.

[Page 32] Hieron. aduers. Pelag. l. 1. Tunc iusti sumus im­perfectos nos, &c.Saint Ierome tels vs then wee are iust when we confesse our selues sin­ners, and that our righteousnesse stands not in any merit of ours, but in the meere mercie of God; and, that the acknowledgement of our imperfection, is the imperfect perfection of the Iust.

Gregor. in E­zech. hom. 7. ad finem iustus igitur aduoca­tus noster, &c.Saint Gregorie tels vs that our Iust Aduocate shall defend vs righteous in his iudgement, because we know and accuse our selues vnrighteous, and that our confidence must not be in our acts, but in our Aduocate.

But the sweete and passionate speeches of Saint Austen, and Saint Bernard would fill a Booke alone; neither can any reformed Diuine either more disparage our inherent Righteousnesse,Ergo fratres, omnes de pleni­tudine eius ac­cepimus, de pl [...] ­nitudine mise­recordiae, &c. Quid? Remis­sionem peccato­rum vt iustifi­caremur ex fide, August. Tract. 3. in Ioannem· or more magnifie and challenge the imputed; It shall suffice vs to giue a taste of both:

We haue all therefore, Brethren, receiued of his fulnesse; Of the ful­nesse of his mercie, of the abun­dance of his goodnesse haue we re­ceiued; What? Remission of sinnes [Page 33] that we might be iustified by faith; And what more, Grace for Grace; that is, for this Grace wherein we liue by faith, we shall receiue ano­ther; saith that diuinest of the Fa­thers; And soone after;Omnes qui ex Adam cum pec­cato, peccatores omnes qui per Christum iustifi­cati, iusti non in se, sed in illo. Nam in se si in­terroges Adam sunt &c. Ibid. August. All that are from sinfull Adam, are sinners, all that are iustified by Christ, are iust, not in themselues; but in him; for in themselues, if ye aske after them, they are Adam; in him, they are Christs. And elsewhere; Reioyce in the Lord, and bee glad, O yee righteous: O wicked, O proud men that reioyce in your selues;Laetamini &c. O qui laetamini in vobis, O im­pij, O superbi qui laetamini in vobis; iam cre­dentes in eum qui iustificat impium, &c. Aug. 2. Enar­rat in Psal. 31. Quis accusauit, &c. Sufficit mi­hi ad omnem iustitiam solum habere propitiū cui soli peccaui. now beleeuing in him who iustifieth the wicked, your faith is imputed to you for righteousnesse.

Reioyce in the Lord; Why? Because now yee are iust; and whence are yee iust? Not by your owne Merits, but by his Grace; Whence are yee iust? because yee are iustified.

Who shall lay any thing to the [...]harge of Gods Elect? It sufficeth [...]ee for all righteousnesse, that I [Page 34] haue that God propitious to mee, against whom only I haue sinned; All that he hath decreed not to im­pute vnto mee, is as if it had not beene;Omne quod &c. Non peccare Dei iustitia est: hominis iustitia indulgentia Dei, Bern. in Cantic. ser. 23. Et si miserecor­dia Domini, &c. Nunquid iusti­tias meas. Do­mine memora­bor iustitae [...]ue soli [...]es, &c. Not to sinne is Gods Iu­stice, mans iustice is Gods indul­gence, saith Deuout Bernard.

How pregnant is that famous profession of his. And if the mer­cies of the Lord be from euerla­sting, and to euerlasting; I will al­so sing the mercies of the Lord e­uerlastingly; What, shall I sing of my owne righteousnesse? No Lord, I will remember thy righteousnesse, alone; for that is mine too; Thou art made vnto me, of God, righ­teousnesse;Non est pallium breue, &c. should I feare that it will not serue vs both? It is no short Cloake, that it should not couer twaine;Et te pariter & me operiet lar­giter larga & aeterna iustitia, &c. Bern. sup. Cant. serm. 61. Thy righteousnesse is a righteousnesse for euer; and what is longer then eternitie? Behold thy large and euerlasting mercie will largely couer both thee, and mee, at once; In mee it couers a multitude of sinnes, in thee, Lord, [Page 35] what can it couer but the treasures of pittie, the riches of bountie: Thus he.

What should I need to draw downe this Truth through the times of Anselme, Lombard, Bona­uenture, Gerson.

The Manuell of Christian Re­ [...]igion set forth in the Prouinciall Councell of Coleyne, Bellarm. de Iu­stif. l 2. c. 1. & l. 3. c. 3. shall serue for [...]ll; Bellarmine himselfe grants them [...]erein ours; and they are worth [...]ur entertayning;Qui liber ab omnibus erudi­toribus Theologis etiam per I­taliam & Gal­liam summope [...]e commendatus fui [...], &c. Cass. Consult. Art. 4. That Booke is [...]ommended by Cassander, as mar­ [...]ellously approued by all the lear­ [...]ed Diuines of Italy, and France, [...]s that, which notably sets forth the [...]umme of the iudgement of the Ancients concerning this, and o­ [...]her points of Christian Religion; [...] Nos dicimus, &c. Nos dicimus ho­minem per fi­dem donum iu­stificationis tum demum accipe­re, &c. Enchi­rid. Colon.) Wee say that a [...]an doth then receiue the gift of [...]ustification by faith, when being [...]rrified, and humbled by repen­ [...]nce, hee is againe raysed vp by [...]ith; beleeuing that his sinnes are [...]rgiuen him for the Merits of [Page 36] Christ; who hath promised remis­sion of sinnes to those that beleeue in him; and when he feeles in him­selfe new desires; so as detesting euill, and resisting the infirmitie of his flesh, he is inwardly inkindled to an indeauour of good; although this desire of his be not yet perfect. Thus they, in the voyce of all Antiquitie; and the-then-present Church. Only the late Councell of Trent hath created this opinion of Iustification a point of faith.

CHAP. VI. The newnesse of the doctrine of Merit.

MErit is next;Concil. Trid. sess. 6. c. 16. can. 32. si quis &c. augmentum gratiae, vitam aeternam, & ip­sius vitae aeternae consecutionem Anathema sit, &c. wherein the Councell of Trent is no lesse peremptory. If any man shall say that the good workes of a man iustified doe not tru­ly merit eternall life, let him bee A­nathema.

It is easie for errour to shroud it selfe vnder the ambiguitie of words; The word Merit hath been of large vse with the Ancient, who would haue abhorred the present sense; [Page 46] with them it sounded no other then Obtayning,O foelix culpa quae talem me­ruit habere sal­uatorem, Eccle­sia cauit in be­nedictione Ce­rei. Salm. in 1 Tim. 1. Apo­stoli à suis ciui­bus occidi meru­erunt, Aug. in Psal. 35. Maiorest mea iniquitas quàm vt veniam me­rear. Gen. 3. Vulg. Tral. vid. Mort. Appell. or Impetration; not, as now, earning in the way of con­digne wages, as if there were an e­qualitie of due proportion betwixt our Workes, and Heauen; without all respects of pact, promise, fauour; according to the bold Comment of Sotus, Tollet, Pererius, Costerus, Weston and the rest of that straine.

Farre, farre was the gracious hu­militie of the Ancient Saints from this so high a presumption; Let Saint Basil speake for his fellowes;Manet sempi­terna requies, &c. Basil. in Psal. 114. [...], &c. Ʋeteres omnes summo consen­su tradunt, &c. cassand. Con­sult. de bonis quaest. Eternall rest remaynes for those who in this life haue lawfully stri­uen, ( [...], &c.) not for the Merits of their deedes, but of the grace of that most munificent God in which they haue trusted: Why did I name one; when they all with full consent (as Cassander witnesseth) professe to repose them­selues wholly vpon the meere mer­cie of God, and merit of Christ, with an humble renunciation of all worthinesse in their owne workes. [Page 47] Yea that vnpartiall Author deriues this Doctrine euen through the lower Ages of the Schoolemen,Neque ab hac &c. Scholastici scriptores & re­centiores Eccle­siastici, &c. and later Writers; Thomas of Aquine, Durand, Adrian de Traiecto (after­wards Pope) Clictoueus, and deliuers it for the voyce of the then present Church; And, before him,Tho. Wald. tom. 6. sacr. Tit. 1. c. 7. Thomas Wald. praeclarus Wicklifistarum impugnator. Andr. Vega. l. 7. de Causis Iustif. c. 24. Thomas Waldensis the great Champion of Pope Martine, against the mis­called Hereticks of his owne name, professes him the sounder Diuine, and truer Catholique, which simply denies any such Merit, and ascribes all to the meere grace of God, and the will of the giuer. What should I need to darken the ayre with a cloud of witnesses, their Gregorie Ariminensis, their Brugensis, Marsi­lius, Pighius, Eckius, Ferus, Stella, Faber Stapulensis; Let their famous Preacher Royard shut vp all (Quid [...]gitur is qui Merita praetendit, &c. Royard. tom. 5. Dominic. 11. post Pentecost.) Whosoeuer he be that pretends his Merits, what doth hee else but de­serue Hell by his Workes?

Let Bellarmines Tutissimum est, &c. [Page 48] ground it selfe vpon Saint Bernards experimentall resolution, Periculosa habita est, Perilous is their dwelling place who trust in their owne Me­rits, perillous, because ruinous; All these and many more teach this, not as their owne doctrine, but as the Churches; Either they and the Church whose voyce they are, are Hereticks with vs, or we orthodoxe with them; and they and wee with the Ancients.

The noueltie of this Romane Doctrine is accompanied with Er­rour; Against Scripture, against Reason.

CHAP. VII. The newnesse of the Doctrine of Transsubstantiation.

THe point of Transsubstan­tion is iustly ranked a­mongst our highest diffe­rences.Fons Idoloma­niarum Trans­substan. Me­lanct. Ad ami­cum, 1544. Boxhorn. Isag. ad concord. l. 3. Vpon this quar­ [...]ll, in the very last age, how many [...]ules were sent vp to Heauen, in [...]he midst of their flames; as if the [Page 52] Sacrament of the Altar had beene sufficient ground of these bloudie Sacrifices.Fox Acts and Mon. passim.

The definition of the Tridentine Councell is herein beyond the wont) cleare, [...], &c Concil. T [...]d. de Trans­sub. c. 4. Ca [...]. 2. and expresse. If any man shall say that in the Sacrament of the sacred Eucharist, there re­maynes still the substance of Bread and Wine, together with the Body and Bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ; and shall denie that maruellous and singular conuersion of the whole substance of Bread into the Bodie, and the whole substance of Wine into Bloud, the (Species) semblan­ces or shewes only of Bread, and Wine remaining;In Syraxi s [...]ro [...]ran subsia [...]tia­tionem de fi [...]it Ecclesia. Diu satis erat crede­re, siue sub pa [...]e consecra [...]o, si [...]e qu [...]cunque mo­do adesse verum corpus Christi, Eras. Annot. in 1 Cor. 7. (which said Con­uersion the Catholike Church doth most fitly call Transsubstantiation) let him be accursed. Thus they.

Now let vs inquire how old this piece of faith is; In synaxi sero, &c. It was late ere the Church defined Transsubstantiation (saith Eras­mus:) For, of so long it was (saith hee) held sufficient to beleeue that [Page 53] the true Bodie of Christ was there, whether vnder the consecrated Bread, or howsoeuer. And how late was this? Scotus shall tell vs; (Ante Concilium Lateranense) Be­fore the Councell of Lateran, Transsubstantiation was no point of faith;Bellar. de Eu­char. l. 3. c. 23. as Cardinall Bellarmine himselfe confesses his opinion, with a ( [...]minime probandum.) And this Councell was in the yeere of our Lord one thousand two hundred and fifteene; Let who list,Ibid. Bellar. beleeue that this subtile Doctour had neuer heard of the Roman Councell vn­der Gregory the seuenth, which was in the yeere one thousand seuentie nine; or that other, vnder Nicholas the second, which was in the yeare one thousand and threescore, or that he had not read those Fathers, which the Cardinall had good hap to meet with; Certainly, his acute­nesse easily found out other senses of those Conuersions which Anti­quitie mentions;Consitente eti­am Suarez. and therefore dares confidently say (wherein Gabriel [Page 56] Biel seconds him) (non admodum antiquam) that this doctrine of Transsubstantiation is not very an­cient. Surely, if wee yeeld the vt­most time, wherein Bellarmine can plead the determination of this point,Saltem ab annis [...]ngentis dog­ [...]a [...]ranssub. [...] anathemate [...]b [...]tum. Bell. de Euch. l. 3. c. 21. wee shall arise but to (saltem ab annis quingentis, &c.) Fiue hun­dred yeares agoe; so long, saith he, at least was this opinion of Trans­substantiation vpon paine of a curse established in the Church: The Church, but what Church? The Roman, ywis, not the Greeke. That word of Peter Martyr is true, That the Greeks euer abhorred from this opinion of Transsubstantiation; In so much as at the shutting vp of the Florentine Councell, which was but in the yeare 1539. when there was a kind of agreement betwixt the Greekes and Latines about the Procession of the Holy Ghost,Concil. Florent. [...]ss. vlt. the Pope earnestly moued the Grecians that amongst other differences they would also accord, (de diuinâ panis Transmutatione,) concerning the [Page 57] diuine Transmutation of the Bread; wherein notwithstanding they de­parted as formerly, dissenting; How palpably doth the Cardinall shuffle in this businesse, whiles hee would perswade vs, that the Greekes did not at all differ from the Romans in the mayne head of Transsubstantia­tion; but only concerning the par­ticularitie of those wordes, where­by that vnspeakeable change is wrought; when as it is most cleere by the Acts of that Councell, rela­ted euen by their Binius himselfe,Se firmiter cre­dere verbis illis Dominicis sa­cramentum fi­eri, Ibid. sess. vlt. that after the Greekes had giuen in their answere, that they doe firmely beleeue that in those words of Christ the Sacrament is made vp, (which had beene sufficient satisfaction if that only had beene the question) the Pope vrges them earnestly still, (vt de diuinâ panis transmutatione, &c.) that in the Synod there might bee treatie had of the diuine trans­mutation of the Bread; and when they yet stif [...]ly denied, he could haue beene content to haue had the other [Page 56] three Questions of vnleauened Bread, Purgatorie, and the Popes Power discussed, wauing that other of Transsubstantiation, which hee found would not abide agitation. Since which time their Patriarch Ieremias of Constantinople, hath expressed the iudgement of the Greeke Church,Act. Theol. Wit­tenberg. Ann. 1584. (Et enim verè) For the Bodie and Bloud of Christ are truely Mysteries; not that these are turned into mans bodie, but that (the better preuayling) wee are tur­ned into them yeelding a change, but Mysticall not Substantiall.

As for the Ancients of either the Greeke or Latine Church, they are so farre from countenancing this o­pinion,Whitak. contr. [...]ur. l. [...]. fol. 220. that our learned Whitakers durst challenge his Duraeus; Si vel vnum, &c. If you can bring me but one testimonie of sincere antiquitie, whereby it may appeare that the bread is transubstantiate into the flesh of Christ, I will yeeld my cause. It is true that there are faire flouri­shes made of a large Iurie of fathers, [Page 57] giuing their verdict this way;Ignat. ad Smyr. Iren. l. 5. cont. haeres. Tertull. de resur. Orig. hom. 5. in diuer. loc. Cyprian. de Coena Dom. Ba­sil. in reg. breu. q. 172. Greg. Nyssen. in Ca [...]e­chet. Cyrill Hie­rosol. Cat. myst. 4. Hilar. l. 8. de Trinit. Ambr. de sacr. l. 4. c. 4. & 5 Greg. Naz. in Epit. Gorgon. Epiph. in Anch. Chrys. hom 24. in 1 Cor. Cyril Alex. Epist▪ ad Caelesyrium. Aug. in Psal. 33. [...] ad Hedib. Theodor. dial 3. I. eoser. 6. de Ieiunio. Damas. l. 4 de fid. orth. Theophylact. in Luc 22. Et quidem mu­tatur; Est enim alia elementi natura, Sacra­mentialia. Eliens. cont. Bell. Bellar. de Eu­char. l. 2. c. 4. whose verie names can hardly finde roome in a margine. Scarce any of that sa­cred ranke are missing; But it is as true, that their witnesses are grossely abused to a sense that was neuer in­tended; they onely desiring in an holy excesse of speech, to expresse the Sacramentall change that is made of the elements, in respect of vse, not in respect of substance; and passionately to describe vnto vs the benefit of that Sacrament in our blessed Communion with Christ; and our liuely incorporation into him.

In so much as Cardinall Bellarmine himselfe is faine to confesse a verie high hyperbole in their speeches (Non est nouum) It is no vnusuall thing (saith he) with the Ancients, and especially Irenaeus, Hilarie, Nys­sen, Cyrill, and others, to say that our bodies are nourished by the ho­ly Eucharist.

Neither doe they vse lesse height of speech (as our learned Bishop [Page 60] hath particularly obserued) in ex­pressing our participation of Christ in Baptisme,Bish. Mortons Appell. wherein yet neuer any man pleaded a Transsubstantiation.

Neither haue their beene wan­ting some of the Classicall leaders of their schooles, which haue confes­sed more probabilitie of ancient e­uidence for Consubstantiation, then for this change. Certainely, neither of them both entred euer into the thoughts of those holy men, how euer the sound of their words haue vndergone a preiudiciall mistaking. Whereas the sentences of those An­cients against this mis-opinion are direct, punctuall, absolute, conuictiue, and vncapable of any other reasonable sense. What can bee more choaking then that of their Pope Gelasius aboue a thousand yeares since (Et tamen, Gel [...]s. Pap. de duabus Christ. nat. Biblioth. Patr. Tom. 4. &c.) yet there ceaseth not to be the very sub­stance of Bread and Wine? What can bee more plaine then that of Saint Augustine. It is not this Bo­die which you see,August. in Psal. 98. that you shall eat, [Page 61] neither is it this Bloud which my Crucifiers shall spill,Non hoc ipsum corpus quod vi­detis &c. neque hunc ipsum san­guinem, &c. sa­cramentum vo­bis aliquod com. &c. Vbi slagitiam, &c. Aug. de doctrin. Christ. l. 3. c. 16. that you shall drinke; It is a Sacrament that I commend vnto you; which being spiritually vnderstood, shall quicken you. Or, that other; where a fla­gitious act seemes to bee comman­ded, there the speech is figuratiue; as, when he saith, Except yee eat the flesh of the Sonne of man, &c. it were an horrible wickednesse to eat the very flesh of Christ; therefore here must needs bee a figure vnder­stood.Tertull. contr. Marcionem. l. 4. Theoder Dial 2. & 3 [...], &c. Carnale est du­bitare quo modo de coelo descen­dit, &c. & quo­modo possit car­nem suam dare ad mandecan­dum; Haec in­quam omnia carnalia, quae mystica & s [...]iri­taliter intelli­genda sunt. Chrys. in cap. 6. Ioan. hom 46. What should I vrge that of Tertullian (whose speech Rhenanus confesseth to haue been condemned after in Berengarius) My Bodie, that is, the figure of my Bodie; That of Theodoret; The mysticall signes, af­ter consecration, lose not their owne nature. That of Saint Chrysostome, It is a carnall thing to doubt how Christ can giue vs his flesh to eate; when as this is mystically and spi­ritually to bee vnderstood: And soone after, inquiring what it is to vnderstand carnally; he thus expli­cates [Page 60] it; It is to take things simply as they are spoken, and not to con­ceiue of any other thing meant by them.Simpliciter vt res dicuntur ne­que aliud quip­piam excogita­re, &c. ibid. In iliud si quis dixerit contra filium h [...]m▪ This wherein we are is a bea­ten path, trod with the feet of our holy Martyrs, and traced with their bloud; What should I need to produce their familiar and anci­ent Aduocates, who haue often wearied and worne this bar [...]. Atha­nasius, Contr. Try­phon. Iustine, Hom. 7. in Leuit. Origen, De Coena Dom. Cyprion, In Epitaph. Caesarij, & ad ciues Nazaian. Nazianzen, L. de Baptis. Basil, In Esa. 66. Hierome, Lib. 8. de Trin. Hillary, In Ioan. l. 3. c. 34. Cyril, Hom. 27. Macarius, Lib. de Corp. & Sang. &c. Albin. in Ioa [...]. c. 6. Ber­tram, besides those whom I for­merly cited. Of all others (which I haue not found pressed by former Authors) that of our Albinus or Al­cuinus, Bedaes learned Scholler (who liued in the time of Charles the Great) seemes to mee most full and pregnant. Hoc est ergo, this is there­fore to eate that flesh, and to drinke that bloud to remayne in Christ and to haue Christ remayning in vs; so as he that remaynes not in Christ, and in whom Christ remayneth not, without doubt doth not spiri­tually [Page 61] eat his flesh, although carnal­ly and visibly hee chew the Sacra­ment of his Bodie and Bloud with his teeth:Dentibus pre­mat, &c. but rather he eates and drinkes the Sacrament of so great a thing, vnto his owne iudgement, because hee presumed to come vn­cleane vnto those Sacraments of Christ, which none can take wor­thily but the cleane; Thus he.

Neither is this his single testimo­nie,Sicu [...] etiam a [...] ­te nos intellexe­runt homines Dei. Ibid. but such as hee openly profes­seth the common voyce of all his Predecessours: And a little after, vpon those words The flesh profi­teth nothing; hee addeth; The flesh profiteth nothing, if yee vn­derstand the flesh so to bee eaten as other meate, as that flesh which is bought in the Shambles. This is the ordinary language of Antiquitie, whereof wee may truely say as the Disciples did of Christ,Ioh. 16.29. Behold now thou speakest plainly, and speakest no Parable. At last, ignorance and mis­understanding brought forth this Monster of opinion, which super­stition [Page 62] nursed vp, but fearefully and obscurely, and not without much scope of contrary iudgements; till after Pope Nicholas had made way for it in his proceedings against Ba­rengarius (by so grosse an expression as the Glosse is faine to put a caueat vpon) Anno 1060. the Laterane Councell authorized it for a matter of faith,Anno 1215. Anno 1215.

Thus young is Transsubstantia­tion; Let Scripture and Reason show how erroneous.

CHAP. VIII. The newnesse of the Halfe-Communion.

THe noueltie of the Halfe-Sacrament, or dry Com­munion, deliuered to the Laitie, is so palpable, as that the Patrones of it, in the pre­sumptuous Councell of Constance, Constant. Synod. sess. 13. professe no lesse. Licet Christus, &c. Although Christ (say they) after his Supper, instituted, and admini­stred this venerable Sacrament vn­der both kinds of Bread, and Wine, &c. (Licet in primitiua, &c.) Al­though in the Primitiue Church, this Sacrament were receiued by the faithfull vnder both kindes; (Non obstante, &c.) Yet,Inter alia, prop­ter periculum effusionis. Io. de burgo. 4. partis cap. 8. this cu­stome for the auoiding of some dan­gers, and scandalls, was vpon iust reason brought in, that Laickes should receiue only vnder one kind; And those that stubbornely oppose [Page 72] themselues against it, shalbe eiected, and punished as Heretickes. Now this Councell was but in the yeare of our Lord God, one thousand, foure hundred fiftie three. Yea, but these Fathers of Constance, how euer they are bold to controule Christs Law by Custome,Ibid. yet they say it was (consuetudo diutissimè ob­seruata) a custome very long ob­serued;

True; but the full age of this (Diutissimè) is openly and freely calculated by their Cassander. Cassand. consult. de vtra (que) spec. sacr. &c. (Satis constat) It is apparent enough that the Westerne, or Romane Church, for a thousand yeares after Christ, in the solemne and ordinary Dis­pensation of this Sacrament, gaue both kinds of Bread, and Wine to all the members of the Church. A point, which is manifest by innu­merable ancient Testimonies, both of Greekes, and Latines; and this they were induced to doe, by the example of Christs institution. Quare non temerè, &c. It is not [Page 73] therefore (saith hee) without cause, that most of the best Catholickes, and most conuersant in the reading of Ecclesiasticall Writers, are infla­med with an earnest desire of ob­tayning the Cup of the Lord; that the Sacrament may bee reduced to that ancient custome and vse, which hath beene for many Ages perpe­tuated in the vniuersall Church. Thus he; Wee need no other Ad­uocate.

Yea, their Vasquez drawes it yet lower, Negare non, &c. We cannot deny that in the Latin Church there was the vse of both kinds, and that it so continued vntill the dayes of Saint Thomas, which was about the yeare of God 1260.

Thus it was in the Romane Church; but as for the Greeke; the World knowes it did neuer but communicate vnder both kindes. These open Confessions, spare vs the labour of quoting the seuerall testimonies of all Ages; Else it had beene easie to show how in the Ly­turgy [Page 74] of Saint Basil and Chrysostome, the Priest was wont to pray,Liturg. Basil. & Chrysost. Vouch­safe, O Lord, to giue vs thy bodie, and thy bloud, and by vs to thy people.Vid. Cassand. consult. vbi su­pra. How in the Order of Rome the Archdeacon taking the Chalice from the Bishops hand confirmeth all the receiuers with the bloud of our Lord.In Epist. ad Phi­ladelph. And from Ignatius his ( [...]) One cup distributed to all; to haue descended along, through the cleere records of S. Cy­prian, Hierome, Ambrose, Augustine, Leo, Gelasius, Paschasius and others to the verie time of Hugo and Lom­bard, and our Halensis; And to show, how S. Lib. 1 Ep. 2. Cyprian would not deny the bloud of Christ to those, that should shed their bloud for Christ: How S. Lib. de Coena dom. Austen (with him) makes a com­parison betwixt the bloud of the le­gall sacrifices, which might not bee eaten, and this bloud of our Saui­ours sacrifice,Quaest. in Le­uit. 57. Grat. decret. de Consecrat. dist. 2. c. 12. comperi­mus. which all must drinke.

But, what need allegations to proue a yeelded truth? so as this haluing of the Sacrament is a meere [Page 75] noueltie of Rome, and such a one,Diuisio vnius eiusdem mysterij non sine grandi sacrilegio potest peruenire. as their owne Pope Gelasius stickes not to accuse of no lesse then sacri­ledge;

CHAP. IX. The newnesse of the Missall Sacrifice.

IT sounds not more prodi­giously, that a Priest should euerie day make his God, then that hee should sacrifice him. Antiquitie would haue as much abhorred the sense, as it hath allowed the word. Nothing is more ordinarie with the Fathers, then to call Gods Table an Altar, the holy Elements an Obla­tion,Macarium in altare insult as­se, mensam do­mini euertisse, Socrat. l. 1. c. 10· Chrys. in Ps. 95. the act of Celebration an Im­molation, the Actor a Priest. S. Chrysostome reckons ten kindes of Sacrifice, and at last (as hauing for­gotten [Page 80] it) addes the eleuenth; All which we well allow;Concil. Trid. sess. 6. c. 2. can. 1. Verum, pro­prium propitia­torium, &c. and indeed many Sacrifices are offered to God in this one; but a true, proper, pro­pitiatorie Sacrifice for quicke and dead, (which the Tridentine Fa­thers would force vpon our beleefe) would haue seemed no lesse strange a Soloecisme to the eares of the An­cient, then it doth to ours. Saint Augustine calls it a Designation of Christs offering vpon the Crosse.In lib. sent. Prosp. Hom. 17. ad Hebr. Saint Chrysostome (and Theophylact after him) a Remembrance of his Sacrifice: Emissenus a daily celebra­tion in mysterie of that which was once offered in payment;Prece mystica consecratur no­bis in memoria dominicae passio­nis. Lomb. sent. l. 4. d. 12. and Lom­bard himselfe, a memoriall and re­presentation of the true Sacrifice vpon the Crosse: That which Cas­sander cites from Saint Ambrose or Chrysostome, Cassand. consult. de sacrificio. Et Ibidem, hoc autem sacrifi­cium exemplar est illius. Chrys. vbi supra. may be in stead of all. In Christ is the Sacrifice once offe­red able to giue saluation; What doe we therefore? Doe we not offer euerie day? Surely, if we offer daily, it is done for a recorbation of his [Page 81] death: This is the language and meaning of Antiquitie,Si qu [...]s dixerit Missae Sacrifi­cium antum esse laudis & tiarum actionis, &c. Sess. 6. cap. 9. the verie same which the Tridentine Synod condemneth in vs. If any man shall say, that the Sacrifice of the Masse is onely a Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing, or a bare commemo­ration of the Sacrifice offered vpon the Crosse, let him be accursed·

CHAP. X. Newnesse of Image-worship.

AS for the setting vp, and worshipping of Images, wee shall not neede to climbe so high, as Arno­bius, or Origen, or the Councell of Eliberis, Anno 305. Or to that fact and historie of Epiphanius, Epist. Epiphan. Inter opera Hierom. &c. (whose famous Epistle is honoured by the Translation of Hierome) of the pi­cture found by him in the Church of the village of Anablatha, though out of his owne Diocesse; how he tore it in an holy zeale; and wrote to the Bishop of the place,Quae contra re­ligionem no­stram veniunt, &c. beseech­ing him that no such pictures may be hanged vp, contrarie to our reli­gion; Though (by the way) who [Page 88] can but blush at Master Fishers eua­sion, that it was sure the picture of some profane Pagan, When as Epiphanius himselfe there sayes it had (Imaginem quasi Christi, vel sancti cuiusdam;) the Image, as it were of Christ, or some Saint: Surely ther­fore the Image went for Christs, or for some noted Saints; neither doth he find fault with the irresemblance, but with the Image; as such:

Biblioth. Patr. [...]om. 9.That of Agobardus is sufficient for vs; (Nullus antiquorum Catholi­corum) None of the ancient Catho­liques euer thought, that Images were to be worshipped, or adored; They had them indeed, but for hi­storie-sake; To remember the Saints by, not to worship them.

Greg Epi [...]t. l. 9. Epist. 9. Indict. 4The decision of Gregory the Great (some six hundred yeeres after Christ) which he gaue to Serenus Bi­shop of Massilia, is famous in euerie mans mouth, and pen: (Et quidem quia eas adorari vetuisses, &c.) Wee commend you (saith hee) that you forbade those Images to bee wor­shipped; [Page 89] but we reproue your brea­king of them; adding the reason of both; For that they were onely re­tained for historie and instruction, not for adoration; which ingenu­ous Cassander so comments vpon,Cassand. Con­sult. 2 [...]. Artic. de cultu Imag. as that he showes this to be a sufficient declaration of the iudgement of the Roman Church in those times. (Videlicet ideo haberi picturas, &c.) That Images are kept not to bee a­dored and worshipped, but that the ignorant by beholding those pi­ctures might, as by written records, be put in minde of what hath beene formerly done, and bee thereupon stirred vp to pietie; And the same Author tells vs, that (Sanioribus scholasticis displicet &c.) the sounder Schoole-men disliked that opinion of Thomas Aquine, who held that the Image is to be worshipped with the same adoration, which is due to the thing represented by it; recko­ning vp Durand, Holcot, Biel. Not to spend many words in a cleere case. What the iudgement and practice [Page 90] of our Ancestors in this Iland was, concerning this point, appeares suf­ficiently by the relation of Roger Houeden our Historian;Rog. Houeden. Part. Annal 1. Anno 792. fol. 3 Who tells vs that in the yeere 792. Charles the King of France sent into this Isle, a Synodall Booke directed vnto him from Constantinople, wherein there were diuers offensiue passages; but especially this one, that by the vna­nimous consent of all the Doctors of the East, and no fewer then 300. Bishops, it was decreed, that Ima­ges should be worshipped (quod Ec­clesia Deiexecratur) (saith he) which the Church of God abhorres. A­gainst which errour, Albinus (saith he) wrote an Epistle maruellously confirmed by authoritie of diuine Scriptures; and in the person of our Bishops and Princes exhibited it together with the sayd Booke vn­to the French King; This was the setled resolution of our Prede­cessours; And if since that time pre­uailing superstition haue incroa­ched vpon the ensuing succession of [Page 91] the Church, ( [...]) Let the old rules stand, as those Fathers deter­mined: Away with nouelties.

But, good Lord, how apt men are to raise or beleeue lies for their owne aduantages? Vspergensis, Ʋid. Binium in vita Constantini P. and other friends of Idolatrie, tell vs of a Councell held at London, in the dayes of Pope Constantine, Anno 714. wherein the worship of Ima­ges was publiquely decreed; the occasion whereof was this: Egwin the Monke, (after made Bishop) had a vision from God, wherein hee was admonished to set vp the Image of the Mother of God, in his Church. The matter was debated; and brought before the Pope in his See Apostolike; There, Egwin was sworne to the truth of his vision. Thereupon Pope Constantine sent his Legate Boniface into England; who called a Councell at London; wherein, after proofe made of Eg­wins visions, there was an act made for Image-worship. A figment so grosse, that euen their Baronius and [Page 92] Binius fall foule vpon it, with a (fa­cile inducimur, &c.) we are easily in­duced to beleeue it to be a lie. Their ground is, that it is destitute of all testimony of Antiquitie; and be­sides, that it doth directly crosse the report of Beda, who tells vs that our English, together with the Go­spell, receiued the vse of Images from their Apostle Augustine; and therefore needed not any new visi­on for the entertainment thereof. Let vs inquire then a little into the words of Beda; Beda Eccles. hist. Angl. l. 1. c. 25. &c. At illi (but they, Augustine and his fellowes) non dae­moniaca &c. came armed not with the power of Deuils, but of God, bearing a siluer Crosse for their Standard, and the image of our Lord and Sauiour painted in a Ta­ble, and singing Letanies both for the saluation of themselues, and of them whom they came to conuert. Thus he.

This shewes indeed, that Augustine and his fellowes brought Images in­to England, vnknowne here before; [Page 93] (A point worthy of good obserua­tion) but how little this proues the allowed worship of them, will ea­sily appeare to any reader, if hee consider, that Gregorie the first and Great was he, that sent this Augu­stine in England, whose iudgement concerning Images is cleerely pub­lished by himselfe to all the world in his fore-cited Epistle, absolutely condemning their adoration; Au­gustine should haue been an ill Apo­stle, if he had herein gone contrarie to the will of him that sent him. If withall he shall consider, that with­in the verie same centurie of yeeres, the Clergie of England, by Albinus Bedes Scholler, sent this publique declaration of their earnest disauow­ing both of the doctrine and practice of Image-worship.

CHAP. XI. The newnesse of Indulgences and Purgatorie.

NOthing is more palpable then the noueltie of In­dulgences, or pardons, as they are now of vse in the Romane Church; the intolera­ble abuse whereof,His [...] ▪ Concil. Tr [...]. l. 1. gaue the first hint to Luthers inquirie; Pope Leo had [Page 101] gratified his sister Magdalene with a large Monopoly of German par­dons; Aremboldus her Factor was too couetous, and held the market too high: The height of these ouer­rated wares caused the chapmen to inquire into their worth; They were found as they are, both for age and dignitie; for age so new, as that Cornelius Agrippa, De'vanit. scient. c. 61. De Inuent. rep. lib. 8. c. 1. Dies Indulgen­tiam referuntur ad poenitentias pro vita iniun­ctas. Gers. reg. moral. and Polydore Vir­gil, and Machiauell (and who not?) tells vs Boniface the eighth, who li­ued Anno 1300. was the first that ex­tended Indulgences to Purgatorie, the first that deuised a Iubilee for the full vtterance of them; The In­dulgences of former times were no other then relaxations of Canoni­call Penances, which were enioy­ned to hainous sinners; whereof Burchard the Bishop of Wormes set downe many particulars, about t [...]e 1020. For example, if a man had committed wilfull murder, hee was to fast fortie dayes together, in bread and water, (which the com­mon people calls a Lent) and to ob­serue [Page 102] a course of penance for seuen yeeres after; Now these yeeres of penance, and these Lents were they, which the pardons of former times were vsed to strike off, or abate, ac­cording as they found reason in the disposition of the Penitent; which may giue light to those termes of so many Lents and yeeres remitted in former Indulgences. But that there should bee a sacred treasure of the Church, wherein are heaped vp piles of satisfactions of Saints, whereof onely the Pope keepes the keyes, and hath power to dispense them where hee lists, is so late a de­uice, that Gregorie of Valence is for­ced to confesse, that not so much as Gratian, or Peter Lombard (which wrote about 400. yeeres before him) euer made mention of the name of Indulgence;

Well therefore might Durand & Antonine grant it not to bee found either in the Scriptures,Greg. de Val. & Bellar. l. 2. de Indulgent. or in the writings of the ancient Doctours; and our B. Fisher goes so farre in [Page 103] the acknowledgement of the new­nesse hereof, that hee hath run into the censure of late Iesuites.

Iust and warrantable is that chal­lenge of learned Chemnitius, Chemn. Exam. de Indulgen. c. 4. that no testimony can bee produced of any Father, or of any ancient Church, that either such doctrine, or practice of such Indulgences was euer in vse, vntill towards one thousand, two hundred yeeres after Christ. Talium indulgentiarum: Some there were in the time immediately foregoing; but such as now, they were not. Be­sides, Eugenius his time which was too neere the Verge;Ibid. for the words of Chemnitius are For well-neere a thou­sand two hun­dred yeares. (Per annos fermè mille ducentos) Bellarmine instances in the the third Councell of Lateran, about the yeere 1116. wherein Pope Paschal the second gaue Indulgen­ces of fortie dayes to those which visited the threshold of the Apo­stles; but it must be considered, that wee must take this vpon the bare word of Conradus Vrspergensis. Se­condly, that this Indulgence of his [Page 104] is no other but a relaxation of Ca­nonicall penance.

For hee addes, which Bellarmine purposely concealeth (ijs qui de capi­talibus, &c.) to those that should doe penance for capitall sinnes, hee released fortie dayes penance; So as this instance helpes nothing; nei­ther are the rest, which hee hath ra­ked together within the compasse of a few preceding yeeres, of any other alloy.

Neither hath that Cardinall offe­red to cite one Father for the proofe of this practice; the birth whereof was many hundred yeeres after their expiration; but cunningly shifts it off with a cleanly excuse,Bellar. lib. 2. de Indulgent. c. 17. Ne­que mirum, &c. Neither may it seem strange if wee haue not many anci­ent Authors, that make mention of these things in the Church, which are preserued only by vse, not by writing: So he: He sayes, Not ma­ny authors; hee showes not one: And if many matters of rite haue been traduced to the Church with­out [Page 105] notice of pen, or presse; yet, let it be showne what one doctrine, or practice of such importance (as this is pretended to bee) hath escaped the report, and maintenance of some Ecclesiasticke Writer, or other, and we shall willingly yeeld it in this; Till then, wee shall take this but for a meere colour, and resolue that our honest Roffensis deales plainly with vs; who tells vs, Quam diu nulla fu­erat de Purgatorio cura, &c. So long as there was no care of Purgatorie, no man sought after Indulgences; for vpon that depends all the opini­on of pardons; If you take away Purgatorie, wherefore should wee need pardons? Since therefore Pur­gatorie was so lately knowne, and receiued of the whole Church, who can maruell concerning Indulgen­ces, that there was no vse of them in the beginning of the Church. In­dulgences then began, after men had trembled somewhile at the tor­ments of a Purgatorie; Thus their Martyr, not partially for vs, but in­genuously [Page 106] out of the power of truth professes the noueltie of two great Articles of the Roman Creed; Pur­gatorie and Indulgences. Indeed, both these now hang on one string; Although there was a kinde of Pur­gatorie dreamed of,Aug. Enchir. c. 69. De Ciuit. Dei, l. 21. c. 26. Quicquid sit quod illo signifi­catur sum Ab­brabae confess. l. 9 c. 3. Serm. de Temp. 232. Qui cum Christo regnare non meruerit, cum diabolo abs­que dubitatione peribit &c. ibid. and the like De civitate Dei, l. 21. cap. 25. Cypr. contra De­metrian. ad fi­nem. Hic etiam nobis est. prompta me­dela, Post autem clau­sa est omnis me­dicina salutis. before their pardons came into play: That de­uice peept out fearefully from Ori­gen; and pull'd in the head againe, as in Saint Austens time, doubting to show it; Tale aliquod, &c. That there is some such thing (saith hee) after this life it is not vtterly incre­dible, and may be made a question: And elsewhere. I reproue it not, for it may perhaps be true. And yet a­gaine, as retracting what hee had yeelded, resolues; Let no man de­ceiue himselfe my brethren, there are but two places, and a third there is none: Before whom Saint Cyprian is peremptorie; Quando istinc ex­cessum fuerit; When wee are once departed hence, there is now no more place of repentance, no effect of satisfaction; Here is life either [Page 107] lost, or kept;Naz. Car. de re­bus suis. Carm. 1. fig. 13. c. Ambros. orat. de obitu Theodos. ad medium, &c. And Gregorie Nazian­zens verse sounds to the same sense. And Saint Ambrose can say of his Theodosius, that being freed from this earthly warfare; Fruitur nunc luce perpetua, &c. hee now enioyes euerlasting light, during tranquilli­tie, and triumphs in the troopes of the Saints. But, what striue wee in this? Wee may well take the word of their Martyr, our Roffensis for both: And true Erasmus for the ground of this defence;Eras. Epist. l. 20. Hier. Agathio. (Mirum in modum &c. They doe maruellously affect the fire of Purgatorie, because it is most pro­fitable for their Kitchins.

CHAP. XII. The newnesse of Diuine Seruice in an vnknowne tongue.

THat Prayers and other Diuine offices should bee done in a known tongue, vnderstood of the peo­ple,Cai [...]t. in 1. Cor. 14. Ex hac Paul [...] doctrina h [...]be­tur quod [...]e­li [...]s ad aedis [...]a­tion. in Ecclesiae est orationes publicas quae audiente po [...]u [...] dicantur dici lingua communi clericis & po [...]u­lo quàm dici La­tine. Lyr. ibid. Concil. Later. Anno 1215. is not more auailable to edifica­tion (as their Caietan liberally con­fesseth) then consonant to the pra­ctice of all antiquitie; In so much as Lyranus freely, In the Primitiue Church, blessings and all other ser­uices were done in the vulgar tongue.

What need wee looke backe so farre, when euen the Lateran Coun­cell, which was but in the yeere 1215. vnder Innocent the third, makes this decree. Quoniam in plaerisque, Because in many parts within the same Citie and Diocesse, people are mixed of diuers languages hauing [Page 115] vnder one faith diuers rites and fa­shions, wee strictly command, that the Bishops of the sayd Cities or Diocesses prouide fit and able men, who according to the diuersities of their rites and languages may cele­brate diuine seruices, and admini­ster the Sacraments of the Church to them, instructing them both in word and example. Cardinall Bel­larmines euasion is verie grosse. That in that place Innocentius and the Councell speake onely of the Greeke, and Latine tongue: For then (saith he) Constantinople was newly taken by the Romans, by reason whereof there was in Greece a mixture of Greekes and Latines; in so much as they desired that in such places of frequence two Bi­shops might be allowed for the or­dering of those seuerall Nations. Whereupon it was concluded, that since it were no other then mon­strous to appoint two Bishops vnto one See; it should be the charge of that one Bishop to prouide such vn­der [Page 116] him as should administer all ho­ly things to the Grecians in Greeke, and in Latine to the Latines. For who sees not that the Constitution is generall, Plaerisque partibus, for verie many parts of the Christian world, and (Populi diuersarum lin­g [...]arum) People of sundrie langua­ges; not as Bellarmine cunningly, (diuersae linguae) of a diuerse lan­guage: And if these two only lan­guages had been meant, why had it not bin as easie to specifie them, as to intimate them by so large a circum­locution? This Synode is said to be vniuersall, comprehending all the Patriarkes; seuentie seuen Metro­politans, and the most eminent Di­uines of both East and West Chur­ches; to the number of at least 2212. persons, or, as some others, 2285. besides the Embassadours of all Christian Princes of seuerall lan­guages; Now shall wee thinke that there were in all their Territories and Iurisdictions no mixtures of in­habitants, but onely of Grecians [Page 117] and Romans? or, that all these Fa­thers were carelesse of the rest? E­specially, since the end which they professe to propose vnto themselues herein, is the instruction of the peo­ple, of what nation or language so­euer; which end, as it was neuer meant to bee limited to two sorts of people, so could it neuer be attained without this libertie of language fit­ted to their vnderstanding: To which may bee added, that the Greekes and Latines, of all other, had the least need of this prouision, since it was famously knowne that they had their seuerall seruices al­ready of receiued and currant vse, before this constitution was hat­ched.

Neither, is it of any moment, which hee addeth, that in Italy it selfe this decree was not extended to the vse of vulgar tongues; for that it is euident that Saint Thomas (who liued soone after) composed in Latine the Office of the feast of Corpus Christi; not in the Italian;Thom. Aquin­in [...] Cor. c. 4. [Page 118] although the same Aquinas con­fesses that that the vulgar tongue of Italy at that time was not Latine; For, what childe cannot easily see, that if their great Doctor would write an office for the publique vse (as is intended) of the whole Church; hee would make choyce to write it in such a language as might improue it to the most com­mon benefit of all the Christian world? not confining it to the bounds of a particular Nation; Be­sides what was the Italian (in those times especially) but a broken and corrupt Latine differing more in Idiome and termination, then in the substance of speech: That which Radeuicus about the yeere 1170. re­cords for the voyce of the people, in the election of Pope Victor, Papa Vittore Sancto Pietro l'elege, makes good no lesse; for what such diffe­rence is betwixt this, and Papam Vi­ctorem Sanctus Petrus elegit; So as this instance doth nothing at all in­fringe that iust decree of the Ro­man [Page 119] Fathers. Howsoeuer, that ob­seruation of Erasmus is true, and pregnant to this purpose,Nec lingua vul­garis populo subtracta est, sed populus ab e a recessit. Eras. de­clarat. ad Cen­sur. Purif. tit. 12. sect. 14. Bed histor. l. 1. (Nec lin­gua vulgaris &e.) Neither was the vulgar tongue (i. the Latine) with­drawne from the people, but the people went off from it.

And as for our Ancestours in this Island; Our venerable Bede witnesses, that in England the Scriptures were read by them in fiue languages, according to the number of the bookes wherein the Law of God was written, namely English, Scottish, Brittish, Pictish, and Latine; which saith hee in me­ditation of the Scriptures is made common to all the rest. A point which the sayd Author specifies for a commendation of the well-instru­ctednesse of those people, not, as purposing to intimate that the vse of the Latine did thrust out the other foure; for, he there tells vs that in all foure they did not only search, but confesse, and vtter the know­ledge of the highest truth. This re­straint [Page 120] then is not more new then enuious and preiudiciall to the ho­nour of God, and the soules of men.

CHAP. XIII. The newnesse of forced Sacra­mentall Confession.

Concil. Trid. Si quis dixerit in Sacram. Poe­nitentiae ad re­missionem, &c. Anath. &c. Sess. 14. Gloss. Grat. de Poenit. dist. 5. c. In poenitentia. Graeci solummo­do Deo confi­tendum dicunt. de poenit. d. 1. THe necessitie of a particu­lar, secret, full, Sacra­mentall Confession of all our sins to a Priest; vpon paine of Non-remission, is an Act or Institution of the Romane Church, For, as for the Greeke Church it ownes not either the do­ctrine, or practice. So the Glosse of the Canon Law directly; Confessio apud Graecos, &c. Confession is not not necessary amongst the Grecians; [Page 125] vnto whom no such Tradition hath beene deriued.

That Glosse would tell vs more;Multa alia & magni ponderis emendata sunt. In notis ibid. and so would Gratian himselfe, if their tongues were not clipt by a guiltie expurgation. But in the meane time the Glosse of that Ca­non (hitherto allowed) plainly con­troules the Decree of that late Councell; For if the Necessitie of Confession be only a Tradition, and such a one, as hath not beene de­duced to the Greeke Church, then it stands not by a Law of God, which is vniuersall; not making differences of places, or times; like an high-eleuated Starre which hath no particular aspect vpon one Region.

That there is a lawfull, commen­dable beneficiall vse of Confession was neuer denied by vs; but to set men vpon the racke, and to straine their soules vp to a double pin, of ab­solute necessitie (both praecepti and medij) and of a strict particularitie; and that by a screw of Ius diuinum, [Page 126] Gods Law, is so meere a Romane noueltie, that many ingenuous Au­thors of their owne haue willingly confessed it.

Bellar. de poenit. l. 3. c. 1. In Annot. Hier. ad Ocean. In notis Tertull. de poenitent. &c.Amongst whom Cardinall Bel­larmine himselfe yeelds vs, Erasmus, and Beatus Rhenanus, two noble Witnesses; Whose ioynt-Tenet he confesses to be, Confessionem secre­tam, &c. That the secret Confession of all our sinnes is not only not in­stituted, or commanded Iure Diuino, by Gods Law; but that it was not so much as receiued into vse in the Ancient Church of God. To whom he might haue added, out of Mal­donates account (omnes decretorum, &c.) all the Interpreters of the De­crees, and amongst the Schoole­men, Scotus.

We know well those sad and au­stere Exomologesis, which were pub­likely vsed in the seuere times of the Primitiue Church: whiles these tooke place, what vse was there of priuate? These obtayned euen in the Westerne or Latine Church, till [Page 127] the dayes of Leo; about 450. yeares.De presbyt. poe­nitentiarijs, vi­de Socrat. l. 5. c. 19. In which time they had a graue pub­like Penitentiarie for this purpose. Afterwards (whether the noted in­conueniences of that practice, or whether the cooling of the former feruour occasioned it) this open Confession beganne to giue way to secret; which continued in the Church, but with freedome, and without that forced and scrupulous strictnesse which the later times haue put vpon it.Beat. Rhenan. Argum. in Tert. de poenitentia. It is verie remark­able which learned Rhenanus hath (Caeterum Thomas ab Aquino, &c.) But (saith hee) Thomas of Aquine and Scotus (men too acute) haue made confession at this day such,Argentora­tum, &c. as that Ioannes Geilerius a graue and holy Diuine, which was for many yeeres Preacher at Strasburgh, had wont to say to his frends, that ac­cording to their rules it is an impos­sible thing to confesse; Adding, that the same Geilerius being familiarly conuersant with some religious Vo­taries, both Carthusians and Fran­ciscans, [Page 128] learned of them, with what torments the godly mindes of some men were afflicted, by the rigour of that confession, which they were not able to answer; and thereupon he published a booke in Dutch, en­titled The sicknesse of confession. The same therefore which Rhenanus writes of his Geilerius, he may well apply vnto vs; Itaque Geilerio non displicebat, &c. Geilerius therefore did not dislike confession, but the scrupulous anxietie which is taught in the summes of some late Diuines, more fit [...]deed for some other place, then for Libraries. Thus he. What would that ingenuous Au­thor haue sayd, if hee had liued to see those volumes of Cases which haue beene since published, able to perplex a world; and those peremp­torie decisions of the Fathers of the Societie, whose strokes haue beene with Scorpions, in comparison of the rods of their Predecessors. To conclude; This bird was hatched in the Councell of Lateran, (Anno [Page 129] 1215.) fully plumed in the Councell of Trent; and now lately hath her feathers imped by the moderne Casuists.

CHAP. XIV. The newnesse of the Romish Inuo­cation of Saints.

OF all those errours which we reiect in the Church of Rome, there is none that can plead so much show of Anti­quitie,Spalat. de Resp. Eccl. l. 7. c. 12. § 16. as this of Inuocation of Saints: which yet, as it hath beene practised and defended in the latter times, should in vaine seeke either example or patronage amongst the Ancient; How euer there might be some grounds of this deuotion se­cretly muttered, and at last expressed in Panegyricke formes, yet, vntill al­most fiue hundred yeeres after Christ,Rex Iacob. praemonit. ad Prin­cipes, &c. it was not in any sort ad­mitted into the publique seruice. It will be easily graunted that the bles­sed Virgin is the Prime of all Saints; neither could it be other then iniu­rious, that any other of that hea­uenly societie should haue the pre­cedencie [Page 137] of her: Now the first that brought her name into the publike deuotions of the Greeke Church,Niceph. l. 15. c. 28. is noted by Nicephorus, to be Petrus Gnapheus, or Fullo, a Presbyter of Bi­thynia; afterwards the Vsurper of the See of Antioch, much about 470 yeeres after Christ; who (though a branded heretick) found out foure things (saith he) verie vsefull and be­neficiall to the Catholike Church; whereof the last was,Ecclesiae Catho­licae commodis­sima, ibid. (Vt in omni precatione &c.) that in euerie prayer the Mother of God should bee na­med, and her diuine name called vp­on; The phrase is verie remarkable wherein this rising superstition is expressed.

And as for the Latine Church, we heare no newes of this Inuocati­on, in the publique Letanies, till Gre­gories time, about some 130. yeeres after the former.

And in the meane time, some Fa­thers speake of it fearefully and doubtfully; How could it bee otherwise, when the common opi­nion [Page 138] of the Ancients,Ios. Scalig. Notis in Nouum Test. euen below Saint Austens age did put vp all the soules of the faithfull, except Mar­tyrs in some blinde receptacles, whe­ther in the Center of the earth, or elsewhere, where they might in can­dida expectare diem Iudicij, as Tertul­lian hath it foure seuerall times; And Stapleton himselfe sticks not to name diuers of them thus fouly mistaken.Stap. l. de au­thor. scr.

Others of the Fathers haue let fall speeches directly bent against this Inuocation (Non opus est patronis, &c. Chrysost. Homil. de poenitentia, hom. 4. Which place, the Margine of the Latine Edition of Ve­nice, set forth by the authori­tie of the In­quisition, tels vs, (and wee must beleeue it) makes no­thing against Inuocation of Saints. Vide Ibid.) There is no need of any Ad­uocates to God, saith Saint Chryso­stome; and most plainly elsewhere, Homines si quando &c. If wee haue any suit to men (saith he) wee must fee the porters, and treat with iesters and parasites, and goe many times a long way about; In God there is no such matter; he is exorable without any of our Mediatours, without mo­ny, without cost, he grants our petiti­ons: It is enough to cry for thee with thine heart alone, to powre out thy teares, and presently thou hast [Page 139] won him to mercie. Thus hee.

And those of the Ancients, that seeme to speake for it, lay grounds that ouerthrow it; Howsoeuer it be, all holy Antiquitie would haue both blushed, and spit at those formes of Inuocation, which the late Clients of Rome haue broached to the world; If perhaps they spake to the Saints (tanquam deprecatores, Spalat. l. 7. c. 12. § 26. Gul. Altis. in 4. sent. &c. Dea, primas Coe­li, &c. praecipe Angelis vt nos custodiant. In Rosar. Canon. Reg. Anonym. Diuidunt co­ram Patre inter se mater & si­lius pietatis of­ficia, & con­dunt inter se re­conciliationis nostrae inuiola­bile testamen­tum. Arnold. Carnot. de lau­dibus 5. virg. Lud. Ʋiues in Aug. de Ciuitat. Dei l. 8. c. vlt. vel potius comprecatores) as Spala­tensis yeelds; mouing them to bee competitioners with vs to the throne of grace, not properly, but improperly, as Altisiodore construes it; how would they haue digested that blasphemous Psalter of our Ladie, imputed to Bonauenture, and those stiles of meere Deification which are giuen to her; and the di­uision of all offices of pietie to man­kinde, betwixt the mother and the Sonne. How had their eares glow­ed to heare, Christus orauit, Fran­ciscus exoranit, Christ praied, Francis preuailed; How would they haue brooked that which Ludouicus Viues [Page 140] freely confesses, Multi Christiani &c· Many Christians worship (diuos, di­ua [...]que) the Saints of both sexes, no otherwise then God himselfe; Or that which Spalatensis professes to haue obserued that the ignorant multitude are carried with more en­tire religious affection to the blessed Virgin,Nam & plebem rudiorem reli­giose &c. Et magis plurimos interne religioso affectu erga Beatam Ʋirg. &c. quam erga Christum, Spa­lat. de Re. Eccl. l. 7. c. 12. s. 28. or some other Saint, then to Christ their Sauiour. These foule su­perstitions are not more hainous then new, and such, as wherein we haue iustly abhorred to take part with the practices of them.

CHAP. XV. The newnesse of seuen Sacraments.

Summa Caran­zae, &c. THe late Councell of Flo­rence indeed insinuates this number of seuen Sa­craments, as Suarez contends: But the later Councell of Trent deter­mines it,Concil. Trid. Cess 7. Can. 1. Si quis dixerit aut plura, &c. [Page 149] If any man shall say, that there are either more, or fewer Sacraments then seuen, viz. Baptisme, Confir­mation, &c, or that any of these is not truly and properly a Sacrament, Let him be Anathema.

It is not more plaine that in Scrip­ture there is no mention of Sacra­ments, then that in the Fathers there is no mention of seuen. Cardinall Bellarmines euasion, that the Scrip­ture and Fathers wrote no Cate­chisme, is poore and ridiculous; No more did the Councels of Flo­rence and Trent, and yet there the number is reckoned and defined.

So as the word Sacrament may be taken (for any holy, significant rite) there may bee as well seuentie as se­uen; So strictly as it may be, and is taken by vs, there can no more bee seuen, then seuentie. This determi­nation of the number is so late, that Cassander is forced to confesse,Cassand. Con­sult. Art. 13. de numero sacr. Nec temerè, &c. You shall not easily find any man before Peter Lombard, which hath set downe any certaine [Page 150] and definite number of Sacraments. And this obseruation is so iust that vpon the challenges of our writers, no one author hath bin produced by the Roman Doctours, for the dis­proofe of it,Luther de cap­ti [...]t. Babyl. I [...] loc. com. Cass [...] l. ibid. Thus all Anti­quitie runnes upon two. [...]em recognit. [...]. A­ [...] 2 tertull de [...] Milit. & [...] 2. Epist. 1. [...] August, &c. elder then Hugo, and the said Master of Sentences. But, numbers are ceremonies. Both Lu­ther, and Philip Melancthon professe they stand not much vpon them; It is the number numbred (which is the thing it selfe mis-related into that sacred Order) that we sticke at. There we find that none but Christ can make a Sacrament; for none but he who can giue grace, can or­daine a signe and seale of Grace; Now it is euident enough, that these adscititious Sacraments were neuer of Christs institution. So was not confirmation, as our Alexander of Hales, and Holcot; so was not Ma­trimony,Suar. Tom. 4. disp. [...]9. s. 2. Vid Mort. Ap [...]ell. l. 2. c. 26. §. 5. as Durand; So was not Extreme Vnction, as Hugo, Lom­bard, Bonauenture, Halensis, Altisio­dore, by the confession of their Sua­rez. These were ancient rites, but [Page 151] they are new Sacraments; All of them haue their allowed, and pro­fitable vse in Gods Church, though not in so high a nature; Except that of Extreme Vnction; which as it is an apish mis-imitation of that extra­ordinarie course,Marc. 6.13. Iames 5. which the Aposto­like times vsed in their cures of the sicke, so it is grossely mis-applyed to other purposes, then were intended in the first institution. Then it was (Vngebant & sanabant;) the oyle miraculously conferring bodily re­couerie; but now, (Non nisi in mor­tis articulo adhibetur) it is not vsed, but vpon the verie point of death, as Caietan and Cassander confesse, and all experience manifests;Franc. Iun. Ani­madu. in Bellar. l. de verb. Dei. 4. and by Felix the fourth, drawne to a necessitie of addresse to eternall life.

CHAP. XVI. The newnesse of the Doctrine of Traditions.

THe chiefe ground of these, and all other errours in the Church of Rome,Concil. Trid. Sess. 4. is the ouer-valuing of Tra­ditions; which the Tridentine Sy­node professeth to receiue, and re­uerence with no lesse pious affecti­on,In his rebus de quibus nihil certi flatuit scriptura diui­na, mos populi Dei vel instituta maiorum pro lege tenenda sunt. August. Epist. 86. then the Bookes of the Old, and New Testament; and that, not in matter of Rite, and Historie only, but of faith and manners also; Wherein, as they are not vn willing to cast a kind of imputation of im­perfection vpon the written Word; so they make vp the defects of it, by the supply of vnwritten Tradi­tions; to which indeed they are more beholden, for the warrant of the greater part of their super-added Articles, then to the Scriptures of God:

[Page 157]Both which, are points so dan­gerously enuious, as that Antiquitie would haue abhorred their menti­on: Neither is any thing more common with the holy Fathers of the Church, then the magnifying the complete perfection of Scrip­ture, in all things needfull, either to be beleeued, or done.

What can be more ful and cleere,Aug. l. 2. de do­ctrina Christ. c. 9 In his quae aper­tè posita sunt in Scriptura in­ueniuntur illa omnia quae con­tinent fidem mores (que) viueun­di. Bell. l. 4. de verb. Dei. 6.11. then that of Saint Austen, In his quae apertè, &c. In these things, which are openly laid forth in Scripture, are found all matters that containe either faith, or manners.

Cardinall Bellarmines elusion is not a little preiudiciall to his owne cause. He tels vs, that Saint Austen speakes of those points, which are simply necessary to saluation for all men; All which hee acknowledges to be written by the Apostles; But besides these, there are many other things (saith hee) which wee haue only by Tradition; Will it not ther­fore hence follow, that the common sort of Christians need not looke [Page 158] at his Traditions? That common­ly men may be saued without them? that Heauen may bee attained, though there were no Traditions; Who will not now say, Let mee come to Heauen by Scripture, goe you whither you will by Traditi­ons? To which adde, that a great, yea, the greater part (if wee may beleeue some of their owne) of that which they call religion, is groun­ded vpon only Tradition; if then Tradition bee only of such things as are not simply unnecessary to sal­uation, then the greater part of their mis-named Religion, must needs be yielded for simply vnnecessary to all men: And if wee may bee saued without them, and bee made Citi­zens of Heauen, how much more may we without them, be members of the true Church on Earth? As for this place, Saint Augustines words are full, and comprehensiue, expressing all those things, which containe either faith, or manners, whether concerning Gouernours, [Page 159] or people: If now, they can finde out any thing, that belongs not ei­ther to beleefe, or action, wee doe willingly giue it vp to their Traditi­ons, but all things which pertaine to either of those, are openly compri­zed in Scripture.

What can bee more direct, then that of holy Athanasius? Athanas. l. 4. cont. Gent. Ini­tio [...], &c. Sufficiunt per se vertit Nannius. Tert. lib. aduers. Hermogenem. [...], &c. The holy Scriptures inspired by God, are in themselues all-sufficient to the in­struction of truth; and, if Chemni­tius construe it, All truth, this needs not raise a cauill; The word signi­fies no lesse; for if they bee all-suffi­cient to instruction, they must needs be sufficient to all instruction in the truth intended; Tertullian professes openly, Adoro Scripturae pleni [...]udi­nem, &c. I adore the fulnesse of Scripture; Let the skill of Hermo­genes show where it is written; if it bee not written, let him feare that woe which is pronounced against those, that adde or detract. Thus he. Who can but feare that the [Page 160] Cardinall shifts this euidence against his owne heart? For (saith he) Ter­tullian speakes of that one point. That God created all things of no­thing, and not of a pre-existent matter, as Hermogenes dreamed; now, because this truth is clearely expressed in Scripture, therefore the fulnesse of Scripture, as concerning this point is adored by Tertullian; And for that Hermogenes held an o­pinion contrarie to Scripture, he is said to adde vnto Scripture, and to incurre that malediction; Now, let any reader, of common sense, iudge, whether the words of Tertullian be not generall; without any limitati­on; and if the first clause could bee restrained, the second cannot; Scriptum esse doceat &c. Whatsoeuer therefore is not written, by this rule may not be oberuded to our beleefe; Neither doth he say, If it be written against; but, If it be not written; and his challenge is (nusquam legi) that the words are no where read, as if this were quarrell enough, [Page 161] without a flat contradiction to what is read.

So as the Cardinals glosse meerely corrupts the Text; How easie were it for me to tire my reader, with the full suffrages of Origen, Cyprian, Chrysostome, Basil, Cyrill, Epiphanius, Hierome, Ambrose, Theodoret, Hila­rie, Vincentius Lirinensis, and in a word with the whole streame of Antiquitie, which though they giue a meet place to Traditions of Cere­mony, of historie, of interpretation, of some immateriall verities, yet re­serue the due honour to the sacred monuments of Diuine Scriptures. Our learned Chemnitius hath freely yeelded seuen sorts of Traditions, such as haue a correspondence with, or an attestation from the written word, the rest, we do iustly (together with him) disclaime, as vnworthy to appeare vpon that awfull Bench, amongst the inspired Pen-men of God.

CHAP. XVII. The newnesse of the vniuersall Head-ship of the Bishop of Rome.

THose transcendent Titles of Head-ship, and Vni­uersalitie, which are chal­lenged to the Bishop,Haereseos mater est principatus cupiditas, Chry­sost. in Gal. 5. and Sea of Rome, are knowne to bee the vpstart brood of noted ambiti­on. Simple and holy Antiquitie was too modest, either to require, or tolerate them. Who knowes not the profession of that holy Martyr in the Councell of Carthage; (Ne­que enim, &c.) There is none of vs,Neque enim quisquam no­strum Episco­pum Episcopo­rum se consti­tuit, aut tyran­nico terrore ad obsequendi necessitatem suos, adigit. O­rat. Cypr. in Syn. Greg. Epist. l. 4. Epist. 32. & 34. that makes himselfe a Bishop of Bishops; or by a tyrannous feare compels his Vnderlings to a neces­sitie of obedience; But perhaps, at Rome it was otherwise; Heare then with what zeale their owne Pope Gregorie the Great, inueighs against the arrogance of Iohn Bi­shop [Page 170] of Constantinople, for giuing way to this proud stile; His Epistles are extant in all hands; so cleare and conuictiue,Et lib. 6. Ep. 24. as no art of Sophi­strie can elude them; wherein hee calls this title (affected by the said Iohn, and Cyriacus, after him,) a new name, a wicked, profane, inso­lent name,Nouum, scele­stum, profa­num, &c. Et lib. 4. Epist. 38.39. &c. the generall plague of the Church, a corruption of the Faith, against Canons, against the Apostle Peter, against God himselfe; as if he could neuer haue branded it enough.

And least any man should cauill that this stile is only cryed downe in the Bishops of Constantinople, which yet might bee iustly claymed by the Bishops of Rome; Gregorie himselfe meetes with this thought, and answers beforehand;Nunquam pium virum huius­modi titulis v­sum esse, &c. nullum praede­cessorum meo­rum, &c. Nunquam pium virum, &c. that neuer any godly man, neuer any of his Pre­decessors vsed those Titles; and, more then so, that whosoeuer shall vse this proud stile, hee is the very fore-runner of Antichrist. If in a [Page 171] fore-sight of this vsurpation, Grego­rie should haue beene hired to haue spoken for vs, against the Pride of his following Successours; he could not haue set a keener edge vpon his stile. Consonant whereto, it is yet extant in the very Canon Law (as quoted by Gratian out of the Epistle of Pope Pelagius the second) Vni­uersalis autem nec etiam Romanus Pontifex appelletur;Pelag. 2. omni­bus Episcopis il­licite à Ioanne & Decret. p. 1. dist. 99. c. 4. Nullus, &c. Not the Bishop of Rome himselfe may bee called Vniuersall;

Yet how famously is it knowne to all the World, that the same Gregories next Successour, saue one, Boniface the third, obtained this title of vniuersall Bishop from the Emperour Phocas; which the said Emperour gaue him in a spleene a­gainst Cyriacus Patriarch of Con­stantinople,Baron. An. 606. for deliuering Constan­tina the Wife of Mauritius and her Children; or (as some others relate it) vpon a worse occasion: And accordingly, was this haughty title communicated by the same [Page 172] power to the See of Rome, and by strong hand euer since maintained.

This qualification their Register Platina confesses,Plat. in vita Bo­nif. 3. was procured not without great contention. And Otho Frisingensis fully and ingenuously writeth thus.Gregorius mi­gra [...]it ad domi­num, &c. A quo, &c. vt ipsius authoritate, &c. Otho Frising. l. 5. c. 8. Gregorie departed hence to the Lord; After whom (the next saue one) Boniface obtained of Phocas, that by his authoritie the Romane Church might bee called the head of all Churches; For at that time the See of Constantinople (I suppose, because of the seat of the Empire translated thither) wrote her selfe the first. Thus their Bishop Otho: Now if any man shall think that hence it will yet follow, that the See of Rome had formerly en­ioyed this honour, how euer the Constantinopolitan for the present, shouldred with her for it; Let him know the ground of both their challenges, which (as it was suppo­sed by Otho) So, is fully (for the sa­tisfaction of any indifferent iudge­ment) layd forth in the Generall [Page 173] Councell of Chalcedon.Concil. 5. Gener. Act. 15. The same (say those Fathers) we determine of the priuiledges of the most holy Church of Constantinople, called New Rome: For the Fathers haue iustly heretofore giuen priuiledge to the Throne of old Rome, because that Citie was then the Gouernesse of the world; and vpon the same consideration were the hundred and fiftie Bishops (men beloued of God) moued to yeeld equall priuiledges to the Throne of new Rome, right­ly iudging, that this Citie, which is honoured with the Empire, and Se­nate, and is equally priuiledged with old Rome the then Queene of the world, should also in Ecclesiasticall matters bee no lesse extolled and magnified. Thus they. And this act is subscribed, Bonifacius Presbyter Ecclesiae Romanae statui & subscripsi. I Boniface Presbyter of the Church of Rome haue so determined and subscribed; (Et caeteri &c.) And the rest of the Bishops of diuers Prouin­ces and Cities subscribed. What [Page 174] can be more plaine? This headship of the Bishop was in regard of the See; and this headship of the See was in regard of the preeminence of the Citie; which was variable, according to the changes of times, or choyce of Emperours. But Binius wrangleth here; Can we blame him when the free-hold of their Great Mistresse is so neerely touched? This act (saith he) was not Synodi­call,Seuer. Bin. in notis Concil. Chalced. as that which was closely and cunningly done, in the absence of the Popes Legates, and other Or­thodox Bishops, at the instance of Anatolius, Patriarch of Constanti­nople, an ambitious man, by the Easterne Bishops only. How can this plea stand with his owne con­fessed subscription? Besides that their Caranza in his Abridgement,Caranz. Epi­tom. Concil. showes, that this point was long and vehemently canuassed in that Councell, betweene Lucentius and Boniface, Legates of the Romane Church, and the rest of the Bishops; and at last, so concluded, as we haue [Page 175] related;Sedes Apostolica Nobis praesenti­bus humiliari non debet. Ibid. not indeed without the protestation of the sayd Legates, Nobis praesentibus &e. The Aposto­like See must not in our presence be abased: Notwithstanding, this act then carried; and, after this, Pope Simplicius succeeding to Hilarius made a decree to the same purpose,Constantinopoli­tano, Episcopo damnato Eccle­sia [...]um omnium primam esse Ro­manam, Caranz. Epit. not without allusion to this conten­tion for precedencie, that Rome should take place of Constantino­ple: Yea, so vtterly vnthought of was this absolute Primacie and headship of old; as that when the Roman Dition was brought downe to a Dukedome, and subiected to the Exarchate of Rauenna, the Arch-Bishop of Rauenna, vpon the verie same grounds, stucke not (as Blondus tells vs) to striue with the Bishop of Rome for prioritie of place. So necessarily was the rising or fall of the Episcopall Chaire an­nexed to the condition of that Citie, wherein it was fixed.

But in all this, we well see, what it is that was stood vpon; an arbitra­ble [Page 176] precedencie of these Churches, in a prioritie of order; and accor­ding thereunto, the Bishop of Rome is determined to be primae se­dis Episcopus, Concil. Carthag. 3. Can. 20. De [...]r. p. 1. d. 99. [...] pri­ [...]eg [...]um con­cessum à Iusti­niano. S [...]ncimus senior [...] Rome Papam primum esse omnium sa­cerdo [...]m. Praerog. ante a­lios refidendi. Cod. de sacr [...]s. Eccl. decerni­mi [...]s. the Bishop of the first See. A style, which our late learned Soueraigne professed with Iustinian not to grudge vnto the moderne Bi­shops of that See; But as for a Pri­macie of Soueraignty ouer all Chur­ches, and such an Headship, as should enforme, and enliue the bo­dy, and gouerne it with Inf [...]uentia vi­tae. Capistran. Inf [...]uentia regi­minis. August. Triumph. infallible influences, it is so new, and hate­full, as that the Church in all ages hath opposed it to the vtmost; nei­ther will it bee endured at this day by the Greeke Church, notwith­standing the colourable pretence of subscription hereunto, by their dy­ing Patriarch Ioseph of Constanti­nople,Bin. in Concil. Florent. in the late Florentine Coun­cell, and the letters of vnion subscri­bed by them, Anno 1539.

Yea, so farre is it from that, as that their Emperour Michael Paleolo­gus, for yeelding a kinde of subie­ction [Page 177] of the Easterne Bishops to the Roman, would not bee allowed the honour of Christian buriall, as Aemilius hath recorded.P. Emyl. hist. Gall. And in our time Basilius the Emperour of Russia (which challengeth no small part in the Greeke Church) threat­ned to the Popes Legate (as I haue beene informed) an infamous death, and buriall, if hee offered to set foot in his Dominions, out of a iealous hate of this vsurpation.

CHAP. XVIII. The Epilogue both of Exhor­tation and Apologie.

NOt to wearie my Reader with more particularities of Innouation; Let now all Christians know, and be assured, that such change as they sensibly find in the head, they may as truly (though not so visibly) note in the bodie of the Roman Church, yea rather in that soule of Religion, which informeth both: And if thereupon, all our endeuour (as we protest before God, and his holy Angels) hath beene, and is, only, to reduce Rome to it selfe; that is, to recall it to that originall Truth, Pie­tie, Synceritie, which made it long famous through the World, and happy, how vniustly are we eiected, persecuted, condemned?

But, if that Ancient Mistresse of the World shall stand vpon the [Page 191] termes of her honour, and will needs plead the disparagement of her re­tractations, and the age and autho­ritie of these her Impositions, let me haue leaue to shut vp all, with that worthy and religious contestation of Saint Ambrose, with his Symma­chus.

That eloquent Patron of Idola­try had pleaded hard for the olde Rites of Heathenisme; and brings in Ancient Rome speaking thus, for her selfe▪ Optimi Principes, &c. Inter Epistolas Ambrosij lib. 2. Epist. 11. Ex­cellent Princes, the Fathers of your Countrey, reuerence yee my yeares, into which my pious Rites haue brought me: I will vse the Ceremo­nies of my Ancestors, neither can I repent mee. I will liue after mine own fashion, because I am free. This Religion hath brought the World vnder the subiection of my Lawes; these sacred Deuotions haue driuen Hannibal from our walles, from our Capitoll; Haue I beene preserued for this, that in mine old age I should be reproued? Say, that I did see what [Page 192] were to bee altered,Sera tamen & contumeliosa est emendatio sene­ctutis. ibid. Ambros. Epist. l. 2. Ep. 12. yet late and shamefull is the amendement of age. To which that holy Father no lesse wittily and elegantly answers, by way of retortion, bringing in Rome to speake thus, rather. I am not a­shamed in mine old age to be a Con­uert, with all the rest of the World. It is surely true, that in no age it is too late to learne. Let that olde age blush that cannot mend it selfe; It is not the grauitie of yeares,Nullus pudor est ad meliora tran­sire, ibid. but of manners, that deserues prayse. It is no shame to goe to the better; And when Symmachus vrges (Ma­iorum seruandus est ritus) wee must obserue the Rites of our forefathers; Dicant igitur, (saith Saint Ambrose) Let them as well say, that all things should remayne in their owne im­perfect Principles, that the World once ouer-couered with darknesse, offends in being shined vpon by the glorious brightnesse of the Sunne; And how much more happie is it, to haue dispelled the darknesse of the soule, then of the bodie; to bee [Page 193] shined vpon by the beames of Faith, then of the Sunne. Thus he; most aptly to the present occasion; wher­to did that blessed Father now liue, he would doubtlesse, no lesse readi­ly apply it: Nec erubescas mutare sententiam, saith Hierome to his Ruffinus, Neuer blush to change your minde;Non es tantae authoritatis vt errasse te pude­at, &c. Hier. A­pol. adu. Ruffin. you are not of such authoritie as that you should bee ashamed to confesse you haue erred: Oh that this meeke ingenuitie could haue found place in that once fa­mous, and Orthodoxe Church of Christ; how had the whole Chri­stian World beene as a Citie at vni­tie in it selfe, and triumphed ouer all the proud hostilities of Paga­nisme? But, since wee may not bee so happie, wee must sit downe; and mourne for our desolations, for our diuisions. In the meane time wee wash our hands in innocence. There are none of all these instanced parti­culars (besides many more) where­in the Church of Rome hath not sensibly erred in corrupt additions [Page 194] to the faith; so as herein wee may iustly (before heauen and earth) warrant our disagreement of iudge­ment from her. The rest is their act, and not ours; wee are meere pati­ents in this schisme; and therfore go, because we are driuen; That we hold not communion with that Church, the fault is theirs; who both haue deserued this strangenesse by their errours, and made it by their vio­lence; Contrarie to that rule which Cato in Tully giues of vnpleasing frendship, they haue not ript it in the seame, but torn it in the whole cloth.

Perhaps, I shall seeme vnto some, to haue spoken too mildly, of the estate of that debauched Church: There are that stand vpon a meere nullitie of her being, not resting in a bare deprauation; For mee, I dare not goe so farre: If she be foule, if deadly diseased (as she is) these qua­lities cannot vtterly take of her es­sence, or our relations.

Our Diuines indeed call vs out of Babylon, and wee run; so as here is [Page 195] an actuall separation, on our parts; True, but from the corruptions (wherein there is a true confusion) not from the Church; Their verie charge implies their limitation; as it is Babylon, we must come out of it, as it is an outward visible Church,Fr. Ian. de Ec­clesia. we neither did, nor would: This drop­sie, that hath so swolne vp the body, doth not make it cease to bee a true body, but a sound one. The true Principles of Christianitie, which it maintaines, maintaine life in that Church; the errors which it holds,Capitis autem male saniet deliri contagia vitan­da sunt, ne & ipsi artus pesti­lenti humore la­besierent. F. Pic. Mirand. Theor. 23. together with those Principles, struggle with that life, and threaten an extinction: As it is a visible Church then, we haue not detrected to hold communion with it (though the contemptuous repulse of so ma­ny admonitions haue deserued our alienation) as Babylon, wee can haue nothing to doe with it. Like as in the course of our life; we free­ly conuerse with those men in ciuill affaires, with whom we hate to par­take in wickednesse.

[Page 196]But will not this seeme to sauour of too much indifferencie? What need wee so vehemently labour to draw from either part, and triumph in winning Proselytes; and giue them for lost, on either side, and brand them for Apostates that are won away; if (which way so euer we fall) wee cannot light out of a true visible Church of Christ? What such necessitie was there of Martyrdome, what such danger of relapses, if the Church bee with both.

Let these Sophisters know, that true charitie needs not abate any thing of zeale. If they bee acquain­ted with the iust value of truth, they shall not enquire so much into the persons, as into the cause. What euer the Church be, if the errours be damnable, our bloud is happily spent in their impugnation; and wee must rather chuse to vndergoe a thousand deaths, then offend the Maiestie of God, in yeelding to a knowne falshood in religion; nei­ther [Page 197] doth the outward visibilitie of the Church abate ought of the hai­nousnesse of mis-opinions, or the ve­hemence of our oppositions. Were it Saint Peter himselfe, if hee halt in Iudaizing, Saint Paul must resist him to his face; neither is his fault lesse, because an Apostles: Yea, let me say more; Were the Church of Rome, and ours, layd vpon seuerall foundations, these errours should not be altogether so detestable, since the symbolizing in many truths makes grosse errours more intolera­ble, as the Samaritan Idolatrie was more odious to the Iewes then meerely Paganish:Maldon. In. 4. Ioan. If the dearest daughter of God vpon earth should commit spirituall whoredome, her vncleannesse is so much more to be hated, as her obligations were grea­ter. Oh the glorious crownes ther­fore of those blessed Martyrs of ours, who rather gaue their bodies to bee burnt to ashes, then they would betray any parcell of diuine truth.

[Page 198]Oh the wofull and dangerous condition of those soules, which shutting their eyes against so cleere a light, either willingly sit downe in palpable darknesse, or fall backe from the sincerity of the Gospel into these miserable enormities both of practice and doctrine. It is not for me to iudge them; that, I leaue vn­to that high and awfull Tribunall, before which I shall once appeare with them; but this I dare say, that if that righteous Iudge shall punish either their obstinacie, or relapses with eternall damnation, he cannot but bee iustified in his iudgements, whiles in the midst of their tor­ments, they shall bee forced to say, Thou, Nehem. 9.33· O God, art iust in all that is be­falne vs; For thou hast done right, but we haue done wickedly.

For vs, as wee would saue our soules, let vs carefully preserue them from the contagion of Romish su­perstition; Let vs neuer feare that our discretion can hate errour too much; Let vs awaken, our holy [Page 199] zeale to a serious and feruent oppo­sition, ioyned with a charitable en­deuour of reclamation. Shortly, let vs hate their opinions, striue against their practice, pittie their mis-gui­ding▪ neglect their censures, la­bour their recouerie, pray for their saluation.