noe Archbishop as at the cominge of the pagan Saxons hither and driuinge the Archbishop from thence to the Pope himselfe immediately these Protestants proue vnto vs by the auncient Antiquitie called Notitia Prouinciarum which they cited before for in that thus wee reade S. Andreae Episcopatus est Domini Papae The Bishoprick of S. Andrewes belōgeth to the Pope of Rome where the Annotation is olim in Scotia nullas erat Archiepiscopatus adeoque Episcopatus Scotiae Domino Papae in spiritualibus immediatè suberant vt in manuscriptis exemplaribus nostris notatur In auncient tyme there was noe Archbishopps See in Scotland but the Bishops of Scotland in spirituall thinges were immediatelie subiect to our Master the Pope as is noted in our manuscript copies Notat Episcopat in Scotia edit per Aubert Miraeum Aubert Miraeus in annot in illum locum Which first immediate subiection to the Pope and not the Archbishop of Yorke did begin but in the time ot Kinge William of Scotland as Roger Houeden and others proue setting downe the Popes decretall letters thereof at lardge but had continued vnder the Iurisdiction of Yorke by the first institution of Pope Eleutherius a thousand yeares and besides the testimonies of many Authors both late and auntient Catholicks and Protestants settinge downe the whole proceedinges at lardge how Pope Clemēt did onely exempt it from the See of Yorke and subiected it immediately to the See of Rome because of the continuall all moste wars betweene these twoe nations This matter is publicklie confessed and acknowledged by Kinge William of Scotland and Dauid his Brother Richard Bishop of S. Andrewes with others in their publick Charter in publick councell in the church of S. Peter at Yorke as Houeden and others sett downe at lardge Epistol Clementis Papae ad Guliel Scotorum Regem apud Roger. Houed part histor in Henric. 2. epist Papae Caelestini apud eund in Richard 1. Thom. Walsing in Eduard 1. Polydor. Vergil Angl. histor l. 13. l. 9. l. 24. Guliel Malmesb. l. 3. de Regib Godwyn Catalog in Yorke in George Neuill Roger Houeden Annal. part postr in Henric. 2. And when Scotland after a thousand yeares subiectiō vnto the Archbishop of Yorke by the Popes ordinance neither was nor could notwithstandinge soe many dissentions betweene these kings and nations bee exempted from that obedience but by the Pope himselfe and yet with this reseruation to bee immediately subiect to the Pope of Rome as the words of the Popes decree thus testifie Epistol Clement Papae apud Rog. Houed supr Clemens Episcopus seruus seruorū Dei Charissimo in Christo filio Willielmo illustri Scotorum Regi praesentis scriptis pagina duximus stastuendum vt Scotticana ecclesia Apostolicae sedi nullo mediante debeat subiacere Clement to his most beloued sonne in Christ William the Renowned kinge of Scots Wee haue thought good to decree by this our present writinge that the church of Scotland shall bee immediatly subiect to the See Apostolicke Soe that it is most euident by all testimonies that this kingedome of Britanie was from the first conuersion thereof to Christ euer subiect to the See of Rome in spirituall things as farr as the Pope of Rome now requireth or Catholicks attribute vnto him Which these our Protestants of England and from Authenticall Antiquities as they say will more Amply proue vnto vs and in the highest degree of papall priuiledges For they tell vs that kinge Lucius did not onely receaue the Christian faith Iuridicall direction and settling of all spirituall and meerlie Religious affaires by the authoritie of the Pope of Rome but the same holy Pope not onely with the good likinge and consent of Kinge Lucius but by his suite and petition interposed himselfe in the ordeyninge alteringe or correctinge and settlinge the very temporal lawes thēselues in this kingedome to gouerne Rule and direct it euen in ciuill and meerely humane thinges as is manifest in a certaine Epistle which these Protestants with generall consent asscribe to S. Eleutherius himselfe written to kinge Lucius as responsory and satisfactory to some letters which this kinge had written vnto him to such purpose to haue temporall lawes from him to gouerne this kingdome by Petistis à nobis leges Romanos Caesaris vobis transmitti You require of vs writeth this holy Pope to king Lucius the Romane Lawes and the Emperors to bee sent ouer vnto you vvhich you vvould practise and put in vre vvithin your Realme the Romane Lawes and the Emperors vvee may euer reproue but the Lawe of God vvee may not you haue receaued of late through gods mercy in the kingedome of Britanie the Lawe and faith of Christ. You haue vvith you vvithin the Realme both parts of the scriptures out of them by gods grace vvith the councell of your Realme take you a Lawe and by that Lavve by gods sufferance rule your kingedome of Britanie for you bee gods vicar in your kingedome Epist. Eleutherij Papae ad Lucium Reg. Britan. apud Foxe to 1. Iuel contra Hard. Franc. Mason l. 2. Godwyn Conuers of Brit. pag. 38. Lambert in leg S. Vsuardi Stow in Lucio Thus these Protestants translate that part of that Popes Epistle Whereby first it is manifest That Kinge Lucius now a Christian did not and in conscience coulde not write for or absolutely desire the Imperiall Lawes the Emperors then beeing pagans and their Lawes accordingely mayntaining the Idolatries of the gentiles but as they should bee moderated and corrected by the Lawes of Christ which noe man could with more authoritie and better performe then the holy Pope hauing then the supreame place in the church of God For otherwise he should haue beene an enemy to Christ his lawe which hee now professed and beeing in soe high grace and fauour with the Emperor and Roman Senate as these Protestants and other antiquities tell vs hee might should with farr more honor loue and likeinge haue receaued these Lawes from the Emperor himselfe the Senate of Rome or manie Romans here in Britanie whoe then liued accordinge to those Roman and Imperiall Lawes then from Pope Eleutherius whoe liued not as those Lawes commaunded but soe farr otherwise that hee and all the Popes of Rome before and many after him were both persecuted and putt to death for christian Religion by those lawes Therefore kinge Lucius requestinge such Lawes from Pope Eleutherius must needs hereby acknowledge that as by sendinge soe farr vnto him to be instructed in the faith of Christ and all such matters spirituall to bee settled and ordered here by his highest power soe in his temporall proceedings which to bee iust holy must needs haue a subordination vnto spirituall and the iudgement ouer Lawes Whether they ar holy iust and such as Christians in conscience and Religion ought to vse and bee directed by is to bee made by them cheifly whoe haue the greatest knowledged and commaunde in such cases and
there were yett liuinge many Bishops consecrated by S. Peter and the Romane Papall authoritie S. Aristobulus Mansuetus Beatus and probably S. Iosephe Taurinus Nicasius Angulus and others for to add to the former S. Anacletus saith in his Epistle approued by our Protestants of England our contryman S. Marianus and others Rob. Barns in vita pont Rom. in Anacl Mar. Scot. l. 2. de aetat 6. col 250. Florent Wigorn. in Domit. that the prouinces where Archbishops were were diuided by the Apostles and S. Clement his predecessor ab Apostolis Beato clemente praecessore nostro ipsa Prouincia diuisio renouata est Some do make Clitus and Anaclitus alone and make him praedecessour to S. Clemente see Baro. to 1. Therefore most euident it is that S. Clement tooke vppon him and exercised this supreame Papall and spirituall power in this kingedome THE SECOND CENTVRIE OR HVNDRED YEARE THE IV. CHAPTER Shewing by these Protestants how the popes of Rome in this second Century of yeares claymed had and exercised supreame spirituall Iurisdiction and power in Britanie TO begin with the second age and hundred yeare Saint and Pope Anacletus offereth him selfe first beeing the next and immediate Successor to S. Clement and as hee himselfe wittnesseth Epist decretal Marian Scot. l. 2. aetat 6. col 250. Florentius Wigorn in Domitiano Matth. Westin an 102. Both instructed and taught and made preist by S. Peter cheife of the Apostles vt à beato Petro principe sumus instructi à quo presbyter sum ordinatus This holy Pope S. Peters disciple beginning his papacy in the 102. yeare of Christ as our Protestants of England enforme vs. Rob. Barns in vit pontif Rom. in Anacleto Ormerod pict of Pap. pag. 78. Thought that the primacy ouer all churches was graūted to the church of Rome by our Lord himselfe and ouer all Christian people Ab ipso Domino primatum Romanae Ecclesiae super omnes Ecclesias vniuersumque Christiani nomine populum concessum esse asseruit And they tell vs further how according to this supreamacie graunted by Christ to the See of Rome ouer all churches and Christian people hee executed the same in makinge his general decrees bindinge all Bishops Priests and others both concerninge the most blessed sacrifice of the Masse and Iurisdiction Amonge other thinges to speake in Protestant words Rob. Barns supra Episcopos officio pares ordine duplici distinxit eos primates siue patriarchas appellari voluit qui in illis ciuitatibus praeessent in quibus olim primarij Flamines sederunt in alijs metropolitanis vrbibus Episcopos Metropolitans vel Archiepiscopos nominandos esse censuit Hee distinguished Bishops equall in order into two degrees causinge them to bee named Primates or Patriarkes which ruled in those cities in which of olde the Archflamens did sitt in other Metropolitane cities hee would haue them named Metropolitans or Archbishops and hee calleth this not his owne decree but the decree of S. Clement his predecessor and Saint Peter alsoe Anacl supr apud Mar. Scot. Flor. Wigorn. supr And setteth downe in a certayne Tome what cytes were to haue primates both accordinge to his owne S. Clements and the Apostles order And this decree of Sainct Anacletus in this highest question of Iurisdiction was soe vniuersall and generall in it selfe soe embraced of all and includinge that as not onely Giraldus Cambrensis and auncient authorities of this nation Lib. 2. de Iure Metropol eccles Meneuen ad Innocent 3. but the cheife Protestant Antiquaries themselues as Mathew Parker the first Protestant Archbishop of Canterburie Lib. antiquit Britannic pag. 24. and Syr Iohn Prise Io. Pris defens histor Britan. pag. 73. doe plainelie acknowledge that by that Tome of Saint Anacletus Pope it was conteyned and decreed how manie and which were the places throughout all this Iland euen as it conteyned England Scotland and Wales And thereupon this Protestant Archbishopp doth in expresse termes call the diuision of Britanie in that respect Ex Anacleto huius Insulae diuisionem The diuision of this Iland according to the decree of Pope Anacletus And though this diuision was not actually made at that time for setting Archbishops in those prouinces at that time but was deferred vntill in after when the faith was recreaued here in more publicke maner when persecution ceased or was mitigated yett by these authorities there is noe doubt but this holy Pope both claymed and exercised the same highest spirituall Iurisdiction as well in this as all other nations that decree beeing generall and without limitation for all nations as it is allowed by these Protestants and making all prouinces in the knowne world substitute and subordinate to the church of Rome in such affaires and none exempted And as this decree alone will witnes hee sent as opportunitie and the cause required Bishops and preists into other contries soe he did the like to this to encrease and continue that happy buildinge which his predecessors had founded here before Soe wee must say of his immediate Successor Saint Euaristus except wee will reiect the authoritie of one of our moste auntient and approued historians Nennius who in his manuscript auntient history written if wee may beleeue the Protestant Bishop Bale l. de scriptor cent 1. in Nennio A thowsand yeares since confidently affirmeth that Britannicus Rex A kinge of Britanie receaued an ambassadge from Euaristus Pope of Rome to receaue the faith of Christ missa legatione à Papa Romano Euaristo Mennius hist. M. S. who yett sayth with others that the generall cōuersion of this land was not vntill the yeare of Christ 167. others making it later This holy Pope began his papacie in the yeare 111. and liued therein vntil 120. before which time our kinge Coillus brought vp at Rome was soe well disposed to Christian Religion that as our Protestants and the antiquities of Glastenbury tell vs hee confirmed the twelue hides of land to the religious Eremitage of Glastenbury Antiquitat glast apud Capgrau in S. Ioseph and others And therefore cominge from Rome into Britanie to bee kinge his Father kinge Marius beeinge deade wee cannot thinke but as many of our contrimen his subiects then at Rome were Christians and in soe greate number that in one Brittish house there the house of S. Claudia our Brittish Lady and children after her there were at or soone after this time in the time of Pope Pius the first 96. christians Act. 5 Pudentianae Breuiar Rom. in vit eius 19. Maij. So many of them and of other nations also and cleargie men were sent hither by the Pope of Rome at that time which many of our Protestant historians will confirme assuringe that both now and at all times vntill the conuersion of kinge Lucius there were many christians which came from Rome liuinge in this kingdome Godwyn Conuers of Britanie pag. Caius l 1. antiq Cantabrig Will. Harrison descript of Brit. Holinsh hist of Engl. Soe doe
cities of the Realme That is in London in Yorke and in Glamorgantia videlicet in vrbe Legionum by Wales Thus far these Protestants and one of them named the Archbishop telleth vs that the constitutinge of Archbishops in the places of the gentâ—les Archflamines by these Legats of Pope Eleutherius was to followe the example and order of S. Peter himselfe whoe did soe as S. Paul likewise and maketh this reason Whitgift dâ—f of the Answ. pag. 320. 321. Which might bee done in respect of the citie and place and not in respect of the Idolatrous preists for Archiflamines were in greate cyties which being conuerted vnto Christ might haue in the place of their Archiflamines godly and learned Archbishops to ouersee and direst the rest of the Bishops and preachers that vnitie and order might bee obserued Thus Paul did at Ephesus and Creta And why might not Peter doe it in other places likewise Master Iohn Selden a greate Protestant antiquary and lawier writinge of these two holy Legats speaketh thus Io. Selden Analect c. 6. Beati doctores cum per totam ferè Ierusalem paganitatem deleuissent Templa quae in honore plurimorum deorum fundata fuerant vni Deo ciusque Sanctis dedicauerunt diuersisque ordinatorum coetibus repleuerunt When the blessed Doctors had blotted out paganisme allmost throughout the Iland the temples which were founded in honor of manye gods they dedicated to one God and his Saints and replenished them with diuers companies of cleargie men The very same bee the words of Matthew of Westminster as hee is published by English Protestants Matth. Westm an Dom. 185. And this present Protestant Antiquarie refutinge the ridiculous and ignorant or verie willfull singularitie of Godwyn the Protestant Bishop singularlie and onely as hee himselfe writeth Godw. conuers of Britanie p. 26. excepting Sutcliffe denying Archflamines in this Iland citing for authors Pomponius Laetus and Fenestella thus addeth Pompn laet de Sacerdot Rom. ca. 7. Fenestell de Sacerd. Rom. c. 5. Quemadmodum autem Episcopis apud nos Archiepiscopi sic Flaminibus Archiflamines praeponebantur Horum potestati caeteri Iudices in Insula subijciebantur Hos autem ex praecepto Apostoli Idolatriae eripuerunt vbi erant Flamines Episcopos vbi erant Archiflamines Archiepiscopos posuerunt Sedes autem Archiflaminum in tribus nobilioribus ciuitatibus fuerunt Londonijs videlicet Eboraco in vrbe legionum His tribus euacuata superstitione octo viginti Episcopi subduntur diuisisque parochijs subiaeuit Metropolitano Eboracensi Deira Albania quas magnum flumen Humbri à Loegria secernit Eboracensis autem Archiepiscopis in omnes Scotiae praesules ac Antistites iure primatis olim fungebatur Quod resaucitum erat sub Henrico secundo Hugone Legato Pontificio celebrato concilio As Archbishops with vs Christians are in power ouer Bishops soe were Archflamines ouer Flamines In this Iland the other Iudges were subiect to their power these by the the coÌ„mandement of the Apostle and Pope they deliuered from Idolatry and where there were Flamines they placed Bishops and Archbishops where there were Archflamines And the Seats of the Archflamines were in the three more noble cyties in London to witt in Yorke and the cytie of the Legions To these three superstition beeing taken away eight and twentie Bishops are subiected and the parishes or diocesses beeinge diuided Yorkeshire Scotland which the great riuer of Humber doth diuide from Loegria England was made subiect to the Metropolitane of yorke And the Archbishop of Yorke did of old time enioy the Right of Primate ouer all the prelates and Bishops of Scotland Which was againe decreed in a cowncell held vnder kinge Henry the second and Hughe the Popes Legate The like to this haue all our Antiquaries Catholicks or Protestants writinge of this matter The Author of the old Brittish historie the booke of Landaffe the Antiquities of Glastenbury S. Bede Ponticus Virunnius Radulphus de Diceto Asserus Capgraue Will of Malmesbury with other auncients and our present Protestant Antiquaries consentinge as Cambden Holinshed Harrison Stowe Howes the Theater writers and others two many to bee recited and needles their workes commonly extant and to bee seene of all onely I will alleadge Bicetes because his manuscript is rare and hee much commended both for Antiquitie and Authoritie by the ProtestaÌ„t Authors of the greate Theater Thus hee writeth Eleuther Papa ad quem Lucius Rex Britanniae missa epistola se fieri Christianum impetrat Eleuther ergo misit Faganum Dinuanum qui Regem Lucium baptizauerunt Templa etiam quae in honore plurimorum deorum fundata erant vni Deo dedicauerunt Erant tunc in Britannia 28. Flamines tres Archiflammines vbi erant Flamines Episcopos vbi autem Archiflamines Archiepiscopos posuerunt Londonensi subiacuit Loegria Cornubia Eboracensi Diera Albania vrbi autem legionum Kambria Eleuther Pope of whome Lucius kinge of Britanie obteyned by an epistle hee sent vnto him to bee made a Christian sent Faganus and Dimianus which baptized Kinge Lucius The Temples which were founded in honor of manie gods they dedicated to one God There were then in Britanie 28. Flamines and three Archiflamines and where there were Flamines they placed Bishops and where there were Archflamines they placed Archbishops To the Archbishop of London England and Cornwall were subiect To the Archbishopp of Yorke were subiect Diera the North of England and Scotland and Wales to the Archbishop of Caerlegion Galfrid Monum l. 4. c. 19.20 Chronic. eccl Lond. apud Cam. l. 1. antiq cantabrig Antiq. Glast apud Capgra in S. Patric Bed l. v. hist c 4. Pontic Virun l. 4. Radulph de Dicet hist. in Lucio Guliel Malmes de antiq caenob Glast Camb. in Brig Holinsh. hist of Engl. in Lucius Harris descript of Brit. Stow Howes in Lucius Theat of greate Brit. lib. 6. Hector Boeth l. 5. fol. 86.85 with others Thus wee see by all historians olde and late Catholicks and Protestants that in this general plantinge of the faith in this nation all Religious matters were wholly ordered by these Legats of the Pope his supreame direction all Iurisdiction spirituall of Archbishops and Bishops with their peculiar diocesses and gouernements assigned and distinguished by this highest papall authoritie of the Pope of Rome by his legats here And to assure vs that nothing was then thought by the kinge himselfe or any christians here to bee firme and validate in this kinde without the confirmation of the Pope himselfe when these Archbishops and Bishops with their Iurisdictions were settled many churches dedicated to God and his holy Saints vniuersities or colledges for christian learninge and education assigned all orders of cleargie men instituted with all other necessary things in such a cause remembred in our histories which I haue at lardge related in an other place these holy Legates returned to Rome againe to obtaine the Popes confirmation
iudgements which bee the gouernors and Bishops of the church of God hee thought noe Lawes to bee vncontrolably warrantable but such as the cheife pastor of the church of Christ the Pope of Rome should giue validitie vnto by his confirmation and allowance For amonge soe many Lawes as soe ample and greate a kingedome was to bee ruled and gouerned by there must needs bee many which of necessitie were thus to bee examined by the Lawe of God and cheifest interpreters thereof Which Saint Bleutherius warned Kinge Lucius of when hee prescribed vnto him to haue his Lawes warranted by the scriptures and taken forth of them by the councell of the Realme and by that Lawe to Rule the kingedome where it is euident that hee appointeth the Lawe of Britanie to be conformable to the Lawe of God and to bee secure it should bee such it to bee enacted and concluded by the best councell of his Realme in such things which were the Bishops cleargie and learned diuines cheifely which S. Eleutherius had settled here for they were the onely or principall Interpreters of holy scriptures here at that time and others in a maner concerninge such things Catechumenes to bee instructed themselues and not to drawe Lawes out of scriptures to instruct and direct others And so a Protestant Bishop with such publick warrant expoundeth it in these wordes By the aduise of the cleargie of their dominion Bridges def l. 16. pag. 1355. And S. Eleutherius takinge vppon himselfe as Pope of Rome the supreamacy ouer the whole church as these Protestants haue told vs cannot by any but carelesse or ignorāt of truth bee interpreted to giue any such preeminence to a newly become Christian temporal prince but calleth him onely the Vicar or Vicegerent of God as all princes Christians and others ar or should bee to see iustice performed to all within their dominions which is sufficiently expressed in this very epistle it selfe where that holy Pope telleth Kinge Lucius what is the dutie and office of a king the wordes by Protestant trāslation ar The people and nations of the kingedome of Britanie is yours such as ar diuided you should gather them together to the Lavve of Christ his holy church to peace and concord cherish maintayne protect gouerne and defend them from the iniurious malicious and their enemies A kinge hath his name of gouerninge and not of his kingedome soe longe you shall bee a kinge as you rule well otherwise you shall not bee soe named and loose that name vvhich God forbid God graunt that you may soe rule your Realme of Britanie that you may Reigne vvith him euerlastingely whose Vicar you ar in the said kingedome Epistol Eleuther apud Godwyn Conuers pag. 23. Foxe tom 1. Stowe and Hovves histor in Lucius Bridg. def p. 1355. Ieuel ag Hard. Lambard de legib Theater of Brit. and others Where wee see in what sence this holie Pope called Kinge Lucius the Vicar or Vicegerent in his kingdome to see iustice ministred the church of Christ to bee defended from wronge and the priuiledges thereof to bee kept inuiolable Which this holy king moste christianly performed for when all ecclesiasticall matters were settled here by the Popes authoritie and these Lawes here appointed for this kingedome first here cōcluded and then with the rest confirmed by the Pope cuncta quae fecerant à pontifice confirmari impetrauerunt Then this kinge accordinge to the direction and instructions of the holy Pope to speake in Protestants owne words endowed the churches of Britanie with liberties Lucius Rex ecclesias Britanniae libertatibus muniuit Which ar to many to bee related and ar sett downe in the Brittish historie Matthew of Westminster and others Pontic Virun lib. 4. in fine Galf. Mon. lib. 4. histor Reg. Britan. cap. 2O Matth. Westm an 186. Protest Annot. vppon Matth. West an 187. Galfrid Monum sup l. 4. Matth. West an 187. And in this sence our best Brittish and christian Saxon kings who were most obedient euer to the church of Rome were from that time and by vertue of that donation of Pope Eleutherius giuinge Lucius the Title of the vicar or vicegerent of God in his Kingdome soe called and enioyed that Title as a Protestant Lawier and Antiquarie thus deduceth Selden Analect l. 1. pag. 40 Ex quo non solum Britannorum sed ettam Anglorum subsequentes Reges hoc nomine vicarij Dei sunt potiti From which time or the graunt of Pope Eleutherius the kings that followed not onely of the Britans but English alsoe obteyned this name of the vicars of God and citeth the auntient Lawyer Henry Bracton for the same But wee neede not demurre vppon the authorities of priuate Lawyers or Antiquaries for this matter For wee haue Lawes themselues of good kinge Edward which William the Bastard afterward confirmed a Protestant Lawyers or rather the words of the Lawe to confirme warrāt this Where the very words of the Lawe thus auntient and confirmed are these Leges S. Eduardi apud Gul. Lamb. fol. 126. pag. 2. leg 1. cap. 17. leg 77. Rex autem quia Vicarius summi Regis est ad hoc est constitutus vt regnum terrenum populum Domini super omnia sanctum veneretur Ecclesiam eius regat ab iniuriosis defendat maleficos ab ea euellat destruat penitus disperdat Quod nisi fecerit nec nomen Regis in eo constabit verum testante Papa Iohanne nomen Regis perdit The kinge because hee is the Vicar of the highest king is constituted for this to rule the terrene kingedome and people of God and aboue all things hee ought to reuerence his holy church and defend it from iniurious people and to pull from it and destroy and wholly ouerthiowe euill doers Which except hee performeth the name of a Kinge shall not bee appearinge in him but as Pope Iohn doth wittnes he loseth the name of a kinge or Ruler Where wee see by the publicke Lawes themselues that the Kinge is not called the Vicar or Vicegerent of God in respect of spirituall but temporall affaires to reuerence and defend it and suffer noe wronge to bee done vnto it or priuiledges taken from it which is more plainely expressed in the same Lawe in this maner leg S. Vsuardi supr Debet Sanctum Eccesiā regni suicum omni integritate libertate iuxtae constitutiones patrum praedecessorem seruare fouere manutenere a kinge ought to keepe foster maintayne the holy church or his Kingedome with all integritie and libertie accordinge to the constitutions of the Fathers and predecessors Which a kinge ought to sweare in proper parson vppon the ghospels and relicks of Saints before the laietie preists and clergie before hee is crowned by the Archbishops Bishops of the kingdom hither to this holy law of our auntiēt kings I haue insisted vpon this Epistle of Pope Eleutherius the longer because with Protestants it is in soe high
esteeme soe auntient and certaine that a Protestant Bishop writeth Wee haue seene the Bishop of Romes owne letter to kinge Lucius that is reputed to bee the first christian kinge of Britanie Iohn Bridges def of the gouernm in the church of Engl. l. 16. pag. 1355. The Theater writers say it is in the custody of Syr Robert Cotton Baronet of Conington in Huntington shire Theater of greate Brit. l. 6. c. 19. Others say it is likewise founde in the old historie called Brutus Caius antiquit Cantab. l. 1. Stowe writeth I finde the same entered in a booke intituled Constitutions pertayninge to the Guilde hall of London Stovve histor in Kinge Lucius And it is founde alsoe amonge the old Lawes of Saint Edward our kinge and others before him and placed receaued as a part of our Lawe both by our Saxon kinges and Norman alsoe as namely kinge William the first as the Protestant publisher of them him else a lawyer and antiquarie is witnesse vvith all moste all writers plaerique scriptores omnes as hee testifieth Williel Lambard lib. de Prisis Anglorum legib fol. 1. ante praef fol. 126.131 Therefore I may boldely terme Pope Eleutherius the first Christian Lawe maker and first director and confirmer of Lawes in this kingedome Which how it can stand to bee iustly done as all these our kinges their nobles clergies lawyers and these Protestants auouche without as greate a preeminent power as the Popes or these times doe clayme or commonly Catholicks ascribe vnto them I leaue to the quickest sighted Protestants to distinguish And yet this schole of Protestant antiquaries doe reade a lesson vnto vs to clymbe a stepp higher in such affayres For they assure from the same publick lawes or our auncient Saxon and other kinges and from the same Pope Eleutherius his owne donation that hee declared to be annexed to the crowne of this kingedome all the Ilands betweene vs and Norway and that our kings should haue care thereupon to enioye them The words of that auncient Lawe by Protestant publishing and allowance publick ar these Leges Edowardi Regis c. 17. apud Lumbard supr fol. 130 pag. 2. Debet de iure Rex omnes terras honores omnes dignitates iura libertates coronae regni huius in integrum cum omni integritate sine diminutione obseruare defendere dispersa delapidata amissa regni iura in pristinum statum debitum virioius omnibus reuocare Vniuersa vero terra tota Insulae omnes vsque Norwegiam vsque Dariam pertinent ad coronam regni eius sunt de appendicys dignitatibus Regis vna est Monarchia vnum est regnum vocabatur quondam Regnum Britanniae modo autem vocatur Regnum Anglorum tales enim metas fines praedictae sunt constituit imposuit coronae Regni Dominus Eleutherius Papa sententia sua qui primo destinauit coronam benedictam Britannia christianitatem Deo inspirante Lucio Regi Britonum The kinge of right ought with all integritie and without diminution obserue and defende all lands and honors all dignities and Rights and liberties of the crowne of this kingedome wholly and call backe againe al the Rights of the kingdome that bee dispersed dilapidated loste with all his power vnto their auncient and due state And the whole and all the Land and the Ilands euen to Norway and Denmarke doe belonge to the crowne of his kingdome and ar of the Appendicies and dignities of the kinge and it is one monarchie and one kingedome and it was anciently called the kingedome of Britanie now is called the kingdome of the English men for our Lord the Pope Eleutherius did by his sentence cōstitute and appointe such limites and boundes to the crowne of the kingdome first sending by the inspiration of God a hallowed crowne and Christianitie to Britanie to Kinge Lucius Hitherto this soe auncient publicke authoritie and antiquitie now seeing all writers Catholicks and Protestāts agree that both S. Eleutherius which made this declaration and confirmation of soe manie Ilands and Rights and Kinge Lucius which accepted it was in the like degree and all our kings soe many hundred yeares after many of them holy Saints which by this declaration esteemed these territories to bee their owne to keepe them all or any of them declarer or receauers from horrible and damnable vsurpation as of necessitie by these Protestants wee must doe what way is there to end this difficultie except wee allowe of the Popes Authoritie in such a declaration But to yeeld a greater and more auncient honor and priuiledge to this kingedome and the kings thereof then many Protestants enemies to our Brittish Antiquities will allowe vnto it not onely to comprehend al these Northren Ilands vnto Norway vnder the name of Insulae Britannicae the Brittish or Britons Iland But that the kingedome of Denmarke was subiect and tributary to Britanie diuers hundreds of yeares before Christ and soe consequently the adiacent Ilands which by Ius gentium belonged to the Continent next adioyninge wee shall by this exempt this kingdome from receauing any thinge by a free donation from Pope Eleutherius in this kinde claiminge by this that hee only adiudged the old Right and Title of Britanie to bee true and lawfull in this case not giuing any new prerogatiue by that confirmation Yett this will not exempt either kinge Lucius from embracinge or Pope Eleutherius from assigning and confirminge that diuision and preferringe the Title of kinge Lucius before the Scots and others which by their histories had then enioyed longe time diuers of those Ilands and soe wee must still acknowledge that both Eleutherius the Pope and kinge Lucius then thought the decision of such things did in some respect in conscience belonge to that See Apostolick otherwise neither would the one haue made it or the other sought for or accepted it in that maner both of them beeing worthie and renowned Saints in the church of Christ M. S. pr. Regnum Britanniae in Gurguntio Ioh. Rom apud Stowe in eod Stowe and Howes histor in Gurg an ante Christ 375. Ioh. Lydgate in Cantab. Ioh. Harding Chron. c. 34. fol. 29. 30. Caius Antiq. Cantab 1. Matth. Westm. aetat 5. c. 5. Hect. Boeth hist. Scot. Giral Cāb ap Stow. supr And into the same laborinth we fal by these men denying power in the Pope of Rome to giue pardōs or Indulgences to mitigate or release the punishments of sinnes if wee should harken vnto them for they greately commend vnto vs the Epistle ascribed to S. Patrick the Irish Apostle in the antiquities of Glastenbury to bee of greate authoritie and yett in this wee reade Quod sanctus Phaganus Deruuianus ab Eleutherio Papa qui eos miserat decē annos Indulgentiae impetrarunt That S. Phaganus and Deruuianus obteyned of Pope Eleutherius that sent them ten yeares of Indulgence for the pilgryms visiting
to roote out the Pelagian heresie which began to increase there vnder Eugenius the second whoe died in the yeare 460. since this time the Realme continued longe in the profession of the Romish church vntill these later dayes Edward Grimston Booke of Estates pag. 20. cap. 17. Hee meaneth the dayes of this our Soueraigne kinge Iames the first of England and sixt of that kingedome Therfore it is a thinge without question that this holy Pope soe earnest for the spirituall supreamacie of his Apostolicke See settled it with other doctrines in this Iland where with the rest it still continued vntill these times as these Protestants haue declared Which is euident by all histories not any one affirminge but rather denyinge that hee altered anie thinge of that constitution of Pope Eleutherius submittinge the whole nation of Scotlande to the Archbishopp of Yorke in spirituall affaires And if kinge Donald and the nobilitie of Scotland then had not beene assured that this supreame spirituall power in disposinge and orderinge church matters in such cases had belonged onely to the Popes of Rome of all people and places in the world they would not haue appealed to Rome for those thinges at that time in the Empire of Seuerus when aboue all others there was the greatest enmytie and warrs betweene the Romans and Scots that euer were testified by all their histories Bed l. 1. histor c. 5. Hect Boeth lib. 5. Scot. hist Bucan Rer. Scotic l 4. Holinsh. hist. of Scotl. in seuerus In an other point alsoe wee are assured that S. Victor whoe had by his highest authoritie excōmunicated soe many churches both greeke and latine as these Protestants haue told vs before for their wronge keeping of Easter settled the right obseruatiō thereof in Scotland at this time For to speake in Protestants wordes of this Pope Hee confirmed the ordinance of Pius touching the celebration of Easter vppon the Sonday Soe did Pope Eleutherius before him and soe consequently alsoe amonge other Christian doctrines by his legates taught and deliuered it here in Britanie And wee are taught by these learned Protestants that in the first generall councell of Nice De obseruatione Paschae antiquus canon sancitus est ne porro in hac re Ecclesiae variarent The old canon of the obseruation of Easter was decreed least the churches should afterward differ about it Ed. Grymston p. 436. in Victor Rob. Barnes in vit Pont. Rom. in Victor Bal. lib. 1. de act prat in eod Magdeburg centur 3. in Eleuther Damas in Eleuther Barns in Siluestro Magdeburg cent 4. And that wee had Brittish Bishops there which consented to this decree and receaued it for Britany they testifie in these termes Theater of greate Britanie l 6. cap. 9. pag. 206 n. 19. The Britannes continued constant in christianitie and the censures of their Bishops for the greate estimation of their constancie pietie and learninge were required and approued in greate points of doctrine amonge the assemblies of some generall councells as that of Sardis Where appeales to the Pope were decreed and Nyce in the tyme of greate Constantine vvee had our Bishops present And all men of readinge are assured of this both Constantine the Emperor in his epistle to the churches and S. Athanasius in his Apologie write plainely that this our Britanie receaued the councell of Nice Epist Constāt apud Theodoret Athanas Apolog. Therefore it is a very idle and ignorant coniecture or rather malitious error of some Protestants to seeme to write as though Britany had receaued the faith frō some of the Asiatical churches because some of the later Scots and Britans die erre in that obseruation but this error of the Britans as diuers haue proued allready was quite differēt from that or some part of Asia greeke And the first gretian that came hither except some sent by Roman Authoritie that I finde was S. Regulus Albutus borne in Achaia whoe came into Scotland when Augustinus was kinge allmost two hundred yeares after this and longe after the controuersie of keepinge Easter was ended and brought thither holy relicks of S. Andrew the Apostle vvhoe coming into Pictland and the same of this knowne very many came to reuerence the holy relicques of the Apostle and made offerings there and the kinge of the picts Hirgustus receaued by him with procession and lyinge vppon the grounde vvith much reuerence kissed the holy relicques and after masse ended hee bequeathed his palace to Saint Andrew and to Regulus and the Preists to serue God in Huius rei fama per Pictorum regiones delata permultorum animos ad visendas venerandas que sacras Apostoli reliquias attendit Confluxerunt ergo illuc vndique donaria Christi Apostolo pretiosa asserentes Affuit Heirgastus Rex eorum quae fama ad eum detulerat visendi cupidas Venientem ad se Regulus cum sociijs pio apparatu cum Sacerdotum ac Monachorum religiosa deductione in hymnis canticis excepit Rex humi proenmbens sacras reliquias multa veneratione osculatus vbi sacra Christiano more curus ipse Heirgustus erat obseruantissimus erant peracta regium palatium amplis structuris ornatum diuo Andreae Regulo ac Sacerdotibus ibidem deinceps Optimo Maximo Deo famulaturis liberè erogauit struxit haud procul à Palatio sacram aedem diuo Apostolo dicatam and builded an other church not far from the palace dedicated to the holy Apostle And thus much of S. Victor Next to him succeeded Pope and S. Zepherinus whoe to proue hee still maintayned this Romane supreamacie as his predecessors before ouer all Bishopes Primates Patriarckes and whomsoeuer or wheresoeuer of the cleargie or others did generally decree as these Protestants tel vs. Rob. Barns in vit Pontif. Rom. in Zepherin hee calleth him seuerus Sine Romani Pontificis authoritate accusatum Episcopum nec à Primate nec à Patriarcha nec à Metropolitan in Iudicio condemnandum esse That a Bishop accused should not bee condemned neyther by the Primate nor Patriarcke nor Metropolitane without the authoritie of the Pope of Rome By which is euident that euen the Archbishops themselues of Britanie to whome all others were subordinate in thinges spirituall were subiect to the Pope of Rome at this time Pope Calixtus succeeded next and to speake in a Protestant Doctors wordes Powell 1. of Antichrist pag. 130.131 Calixtus Pope defined that all Bishops though gathered in a generall councell shall fulfill the vvill of the church of Rome They which doe not this are pronounced to keepe a conciliable not a councell And to bee short in this matter the Protestants of England proue vnto vs that this busines of the spirituall power of that See ouer all other churches is the cheife scope of many of their Epistles decretall Rob. Barns in vit Vrbani Antheri Dovvnam lib. 1. Antichristi cap. 3. pag. 35. And to giue some particular instances hereof more in Britanie in
AN ECCLESIASTICAL PROTESTANT HISTORIE OF THE HIGH PASTORAL and fatherly chardge and care of the Popes of Rome ouer the church of Britanie from the first planting of the christiā faith there by S. Peter the Apostle and his Disciples continued in euery age and hundred of yeares by holy Bishops and cleargie men sent hither and consecrated by them his Successors in the See Apostolicke Euidently deduced and proued by historicall narration from the published and priuiledged writings to appease al protestants of the most learned allowed English protestant pretended Bishops Doctors Antiquaries others of that Religion Mementote praepositorum vestrorum qui vobis locuti sunt verbum Dei. Obedite praepositis vestris subiaceta eis ipsi enim peruigilant quasi rationem pro animabus vestris reddituri Hebr. 13. With licence 1624. THE GENERAL ARGVMENTS OF THE ENSVINGE HISTORIE SERVINGE ALSO FOR A PREFACE to the Reader to declare the scope of the Author and contents of the worke THE Catholick Author well requainted with the proceedings of Protestants in these times and the controuersies of them to accept and allowe of nothing but what is liked and allowed by them selues and yet to make the world beleeue they are Reuerencers of antiquitie and would willingly embrace and followe that which was our first faith in any question deliuered by the Apostles thence continued from them the greatest of all beeing that who planted here first the holy faith and since had cheifest commanding power in such things Hee setteth historically downe from the best Antiquaries and learned protestant writers of this contry other antiquities approued by them the meanes and maner of our first conuersion vnto Christ and by what spirituall cheife ruling authority this nation hath euer beene gouerned in such thinges since then vntill the conuersions of the Saxons by S. Augustine and his associats sent hither by Saint and pope Gregory the first after which tyme now aboue 1000. yeares our protestants put it out of Question and agree that the power of the popes of Rome absolutely ruled here in such matters Therfore this historie of the first sixe hundred yeares is diuided into sixe Centuries or ages euery one conteyninge one hundred yeares In the first hee sheweth from those protestant Authors and Antiquaries how S. Peter that greate Apostle of Christ both immediately by himselfe and mediately by his holy disciples first preached here founded our church consecrated for vs Bishops preists and other cleargie men and ordeyned all thinges thereto belonging and how from this first institution by him we euer had a continued succession of such consecrated parsons vnto the more generall conuersion by pope Eleutherius in the daies of kinge Lucius after which time there can bee no question of such a succession of Bishops here And how after the death of S. Peter vnto the end of the first hundred yeares spirituall matters were ordered here by authoritie and direction from the see of Rome and successors of S. Peter there In the second hundred of yeares is proued by the same protestant authors and their antiquities how from the beginninge of that age to the end thereof all spirituall things were likewise managed here by that see Apostolicke more or lesse as the times then permitted And in the generall conuersion of kinge Lucius and his kingdome all ecclesiasticall businesses were done and settled by iurisdiction of the popes of Rome and their legats directed hither by their authoritie exercising here as ample iurisdiction spirituall to the greate honor of this kingdome as any pope of Rome may clayme Such was the estate of spirituall power and proceedings here in the third fourth fift and sixte age or hundred of yeares also in the later end whereof S. Augustine was sent hither to conuert our auncestors the Saxons In all which ages and Centenaries of yeares both the Kings Archbishops Bishops and others both Rulers and Ruled in this kingdome gaue as much priuiledge and prerogatiue to the popes of Rome as Catholicks now may doe by their catholick Roman Religion In which tyme also amonge all those christians which then liued here those Bishops of Scotland and Walles who as our protestants tell vs and commend them for it did onely or most oppose against the pope his legates and authoritie here were those alsoe by the same protestants which did much more intermeddle in princes affaires then any popes their legats or such as were most obedient vnto or Ruled by them Which proceedings the Author doth in all places leaue to protestants relation and medleth not with them otherwise at all But soe much as with probabilitie in historie hee may mitigateth such matters as some protestants euen with publick allowance of the protestant state of Englād haue boldly published to the world in that kinde freely and before God protesting as hee neuer hitherto had any intermedlinge with the temporall affaires of Princes but euer to his vttermost did yeeld and render all dutie vnto them praying for the safety honor and preseruation of his Soueraigne and this kingdome soe hee will euer continue the same moste humble and dutifull affection Other particular Questions in Religion depend vppon this Because whosoeuer in anie Religion hath the cheife chardge and cure the particulars depend vpon his proceedings whether it bee Pope Prince Superintendents Presbyteries or whatsoeuer and soe beeing proued that from the beginninge of christianitie in this kingdome the Pope of Rome euer had cheife cōmaund direction in Religious things It must needs followe that which protestants name papistrie euer raigned here But I vnderstand there is a generall controuersiall historie to bee shortly published of all such things in particular from the first preaching of the Gospell in this kingdome which will giue full and ample satisfaction in all such Questions THE FIRST CENTVRIE OR HVNDRED OF YEARES THE I. CHAPTER Wherein is briefly made demonstration by the best learned protestant Antiquaries and others of England that Saint Peter the Apostle first preached the faith and founded the Church of Christ in this our Britanie TO bringe vs vnto a more certayne and vndoubted knowledge of the first preachers of christian Religion in this kingdome the best learned protestant Antiquaries wee haue prescribe certayne Rules and squares to bee directed by to come vnto them in their iudgment Matth. Parker antiq Britan. pag. 1. Godw. Conuers of Brit. Holinsh hist. of Engl. Mason l. 2. c. 2. pag. 51. Theater of great Brit. l. 6. cap. 9. first they affirme that the Britans receaued the faith soone after the Ascension of our blessed Sauiour in the time of Tiberius Caius Caligula or Claudius Emperor and they build this their assertion cheifely vppon the words of S. Gildas l. de Excid conq Britan. c. 5.6 Who speaking of things done here in Britanie either in the time of Caius or Claudius addeth Interea glaciali frigore rigent Insulae indulget sua praecepta Christus In the meane time while these things
preached here and founded our church and not to exclude all Apostles in after times from this kingdome for I wil at leaste probably shew that S. Paul was here a little before his death in an other place and there alsoe giue his due to S. Ioseph and his holy company in a far more honorable degree then any protestant or other one writer yet to my reading hath performed towards them But S. Ioseph from whomsoeuer hee was sent cominge hither but in the 63. of Christ almost twenty yeares as before after this kingdome had receaued the faith of Christ neyther S. Ioseph nor any of that holy fraternitie could bee the first preacher here And soe farr vnprobable or impossible it is that by the Iudgment of our English protestants or others S. Philip the Apostle should bee then in Fraunce to send S. Ioseph hither that hee was many yares before crucified soe dead by martyrdome in Phrygia at Hierapolis there in Asia as the common consent of antiquities the whole-church of God and the protestants of England in the Rituall of their Religion generally vsed and allowed by them and all other protestants doe wittnesse and therfore keepe his festiuitie accordingly vppon the first day of May in or about the 54. or 55. yeare of Christ longe before S. Iosephs cominge into this part of the world Bre. Rom. 1. Maij. Martyrolog Rom. Bed Vsuard Ado 1. Maij. Chrysost hom de 12. Apost Abd. lib. 10. Metaphrastes 14. Nou. Euseb l. 4. c. 24. Niceph lib. 1. ca. 39. Pet. de Natal l. 4. c. 107. Antō part 1. tit 6. ca. 11. Eisengr contra 1. Prot. Com. Booke and kalend 1. Maij. Therfore of necessitie both Catholiks and protestants must needs acknowledge that S. Peter the most worthie and blessed Apostle was our first most happy father master in Christ which I haue made lardge demonstration of in other places and will for particulars bee more euident in the next chapter and this whole history an historicall truth soe testified by many authors that Syr William Cambden whome others therein followe the best antiquary of this nation writeth in many editions Quid ni crederemus why should wee not beleeue them Cambden in Britania in diuerse editionis Andree Chesnee l 3. hist d' Angleterre Budley pag. 171. Makinge S. Peters preachinge and foundinge the church of Christ here in Britanie a thinge soe certayne that hee meruayleth any man of Iudgment can make doubt thereof Therfore I may boldly vse these wordes and affirme them true of a protestant Bishop in the name of the rest Wee should accompt it a greate glory to deriue the pedigree of our spirituall linage from soe noble and excellent a father as Saint Peter Godwyn Conuers of Britanie pag. 6. THE II. CHAPTER Where both the former is more manifestly declared and in particular farther proued by these protestants antiquities by them allowed what highest spirituall offices the same glorious Apostle and his disciples performed here TO proue more amply what hath beene said of S. Peters beeing and preachinge here and to shewe what hee did for the first foundinge of our church A protestant Archbishop from diuers authorities writeth Whitgifts Answ. to the Admonition pag. 65. sect 1. and def of the Answ. pag. 318. The Apostle Peter did in euery prouince appoint one Archbishop whom all other Bishops of the same prouince should obey An other with great priuiledge saith Sutcliffe Subuers pag. 3. Peter preached in noe place but hee there ordeyned Bishops and teachers and founded churches And to shew that all these and such benefits came to vs first from S. Peter and his holy see of Rome among other Marcus Antonius de Dominis now by the greate mercy of God a penitent in the catholicke church when hee was in profession a protestant in England Marcus Anton de Domin de Repub christian l. 4. cap. 10. with publick priuiledg in England and a chosen champion for that Religion against the Pope by cheifest protestant authoritie in England then testifieth Est caput Roma quatenus ab ea diffusum est euangelium in reliquas totius occidentis ecclesias in multas orientis atque in barbaras etiam extra Romanum Imperium nationes Rome is the head of the church in so much as from it the ghospell was diffused into the other churches of all the West and into many of the East and into barbarous nations also without the Romane Empire And our Soueraigne kings speach in parlam 1. publickly protested of this church of Rome It is our mother church and consequently that it first brought vs forthe in spirituall christian birth as mothers doe their natural children to the world and that wee except wee will turne bastardly vnnaturall and disobedient children doe owe and must performe all dutie and obedience vnto it our most holy mother in Christ And to further this our bounden dutie the protestants of England in their Theater of the Emp. of greate Britanie pag. 203 l. 6. c 9. num 5. will helpe vs foreward whoe write in this maner That S. Peter the Apostle preached the word of life in this Iland as to other gentiles hee did for whome God had chosen him that from his mouth they might heare the ghospell as himselfe alleadgeth and that hee here founded churches and ordeined preists and deacons which is reported by Simon Metaphrastes out of the greek Antiquities and Gulielmus Eisingrenius in the first of his Centuries Therfore this beeing written by soe learned and holy a man as S. Simon Metaphrastes was and soe auntient aboue 700. yeares since and out of such monuments and Authorities of the Gretians as in his time were honored with the Title of Antiquities this alone might content vs in this matter as it hath already the best learned protestant Antiquaries of this nation But because allowance is giuen to the authoritie which cannot be denyed because it is the maner of Protestants to mynce authorities I will cite that holy auntient Father and Saint S. Sim. Metaphr 29. die Iunij in his owne wordes which bee these Romā redijt ex qua venit Mediolanum Photicen quae sunt ciuitates in Continente In quibns cum constituisset Episcopos Presbyteros venit in Britanniam Quo in loco cum longo tempore fuisset moratus multas gentes non nominatas attraxisset ad fidem Christi angelicam aspexit visionem quae dicebat Petre instat tempus tuae resolutionis oportet te ire Romam in qua cum mortem per crucem sustinueris recipies mercedem Iustitiae Cum ergo propterea Deum glorificasset egisset gratias apud Britannos mansisset dies aliquot verbo gratiae multos illuminasset ecclesias constituisset episcoposque presbyteros diaconos ordinasset duodecimo anno Caesaris Neronis rursus Romam reuertitur S. Peter by reuelation came to Hierusalem at the death of the mother of God then returning into Egipt by Africk came
that S. Paul was not an Apostle vntill in the 13. chapter of the Acts of the Apostles before which time by the protestants before Britanie had receaued the faith and probably S. Aristobulus was then a Bishop as many others of the 27. Disciples were And many ar called the disciples of the Apostles which were peculiarly the disciples of S. Peter the cheife Apostle as appeareth in diuers places of the same Authority S. Aristo Arch. of this our Britanie And that this holy disciple of S. Peter was not onely our Bishop but Archbishop alsoe in Britanie I haue warrant both of Catholicks and protestants to auouche it First if wee examine either by Dorotheus or any whomsoeuer writing of the residēcies of the 72. disciples of Christ wee shall hardly finde any amonge them whicn had not the dignity of that high callinge yea hee relateth S. Aristobulus as a cheife amongst thē then beeing sent to this kingdome of Britanie soe greate ample And where as in other such kingdomes our protestants before assure vs S. Peter ordeined an Archbishop wee cānot doubt but in particular it was this his moste worthy disciple as also the disciple of Christ which first exercised by S. Peters assignement that Archie and cheife pontificall order in this Iland Secondly because wee reade it confidētly written and from more auncient authoritie that this holy disciple of S. Peter was not only our first Apostle but here began and first founded the hierarchical order of our Brittish church a thinge proper to that highest spiritual callinge Arnold mirac Theatro conuers gentium in Britan. Aristobulo Britānia Straboni à Britone Rege nuncupata primum Aristobulum fiue illū cuius meminit S. Paulus quod Dorothaeo probatur siue aliū vnū certe ex 72. discipulorum classe Apostolū est nata Deinde Fugariū Damianū qui ordinem Hierarchicè Ecclesiae istic fundatae ab illo inchoatum constituerunt sanxeruntque more nimirum Apostolico Britania so named by Strabo of Kinge Brito or Brutus had for the first Apostle therof Aristobulus either him whome S. Paule remēbreth which Dorotheus approueth or an other surely one of the order of the 72. disciples after that Fugarius Fugatius by others and Damianus whoe constituted confirmed by Apostolick maner the Hierarchical order begun by him of the church founded there Where wee see S. Aristobulus the first founder of the Hierarchicall order in this church of Britanie a thinge which as al protestāts against the puritans maketh the peculiar office of an Archbish Whitgift answ to the admonit Bridges eccles gouern Bilson against the purit Couel Downam Barlowe c. Thirdly These protestants of England especially the vniuersitie of Cambridge by their chosen champion Mr. Thomas Rogers for defence of their Articles of Religion of Protestants writing to vse his wordes by the lawfull authoritie of the church of England allowed to bee publicke Thom. Rogers booke of the faith of England pag. 1. doe playnely saie that S. Aristobulus was Archbishop in this our Britanie Thus hee writeth in the name of English protestants and by their warrant Rogers supra artic 36. pag. Albeit the Termes and Titles of Archbishops we finde not yet the superioritie which they enioye and authoritie which Bishops and Archbishops doe exercise in orderinge and consecratinge of Bishops and ecclesiasticall ministers is grounded vppon the word of God for wee finde that in the Apostles daies how themselues both were in dignitie aboue the Euangelists and the 70. disciples and for authoritie both in and ouer the church as twelue patriarches saith Beza and alsoe established an ecclesiasticall heerarchie Hence came it that bishop was of Hierusalem Iames of Antioch Peter of the Asian churches Iohn of Alexandria marke of Ephesus and all Asia Timothie of all Creete Titus of Philippos Epaphraditus of Corinth and Achaia Apollos of Atheus Dionisius of Fraunce Crescens of Britanie Aristobulus Beza in act Apost 1.2 D. Chrisosto in Act. Homil. 33.2 Hieron in Gal. Euseb D. Hieron ad Euagr. D. Hier. in 2. Tim. 1. Theod. arg in epist. ad Tit. Theod. in epist. ad Phil. Euseb lib. 2. Dorotheus in Apostol Synops Where we see S. Aristobulus not onely ioyned in ranke and dignitie of spirituall preeminence with the Euangelists and Apostles themselues but with the generall authoritie of the protestant church of England plainely declared to bee the first founder of ecclesiasticall hierarchie and Archbishop of this our Britanie And to giue euident testimonie that in their iudgement this nation of the west both deriued the succession of the Bishops thereof from S. Peter and Aristobulus and neuer wanted by such vntil these dayes they thus conclude in this matter supra pag. 197.198 Finally from the Apostles dayes hetherto neuer wanted a succession of Bishops neither in the East nor Weste churches soe prouidēt hath the almightie beene for the augmentation of his glorie and people by this kinde and callinge of men And thus much for the first Archbishop of Britany ordeyned by Saint Peter Now to come to speake of the Bishops hee consecrated and ordeyned for vs although it is precisely proued before that such there were Episcopos ordinauit S. Peter ordeyned Bishops here in Britanie for vs and euery Archbishop which is cheife of Bishops such as S. Aristobulus was vnto vs doth necessarily inferr and proue some Bishops subordinate and vnder els hee could not bee the cheife and principall for euery Archbishop inferreth necessarily some Bishops or Bishop vnder him their cheife in that callinge Diuers Antiquities of Glastenbury apud Capgrau in S. Ioseph affirme that one of the holy company of Saint Ioseph of Aramathia namly his sonne Iosephe was a Bishop which if so it was hee must needes bee subordinate to S. Aristobulus And yett if I would sett downe vncertayne thinges I might place our holy Bishoppe and marty S. Angulus in or neare this time with much more probabilitie then some without any authoritie I can finde referr him to the dayes of Diocletian his persecution or say that S. Martine to whome the christian Romans builded dedicated the church at Canterbury was a British Bishop and in this time for that such a S. Martyne a Bishop there was about those dayes there bee many testimonies and that hee was consecrated by Romane authoritie and soe aunciently to proue it probable hee was a Britanie that the auntient Manuscript of Radulphus de Diceto deane of London or whosoeuer Author of Abbreuiatio chronicorum saith that it was builded in the time of kinge Lucius for speaking of the time of that our first christian kinge hee affirmeth Abbreuiatio chronicorum in Lucio M. S Tunc constructa est extra Cantuariam ecclesia Sancti Martini then the church without Canterbury dedicated to S. Martyne was builded As diuers also were to S. Peter our moste glorious Apostle One I finde consecrated by S. Peter or his successor at Rome which was both a Britanne and liued and died a Bishop
diuers auntient antiquities of the Annals of Burton and others of forreine nations And touchinge the time of Pope Alexander the first next successor to S. Euaristus hee beinge made Pope in the yeare 120. and continuinge Bishop of Rome by common opinion 8. yeares and fiue moneths in the fourth yeare of the papacie of this blessed Saint as both Matthew of Westminster Annal. Burton an 141. Catal. Episcop Tungr and the autient Table hanging in the church of S. Peter in Cornehil in London then builded in the time of kinge Lucius wittnesse beeinge the 124 yeare of Christ The yeare of our Lord God 124. Lucius was crowned kinge soe the one the other saith anno gratiae 124. Coillo Britonum Rege defuncto Lucius filius eius regni diademate insignitus est In the yeare of grace 124. Coillus kinge of the Britans beeing deade Lucius his sonne was crowned king Math. Westin an 124. This kinge Lucius although neither hee nor the kingdome were yett soe generally conuerted yet well knowinge that many preachers had beene sent hither from Rome and diuers Brittans here were desirous to embrace the faith of Christ did not onely giue way vnto it in this beginning of his Reigne but except Albertus Krantzius a man well acquainted with our Brittish antiquities as a Protestant antiquary witnesseth doth deceaue vs. Io. Caius antiq Cantabrig l. 1. Albert. Krantzius Metropol l. 1. cap. 6. Did write vnto S. Alexander the first Pope of Rome to haue christian Religion preached in this kingedome Religionem Christi Lucius quondam Britanniae Rex ab Alexandro primo eius nominis summo pontifice impetrauit in Insula predicari Lucius Kinge of Britanie did obteyne of Pope Alexander the first to here Christian Religion preached in that Iland Which is confirmed by many Authorities prouening vnto vs that this Iland at and immediately after that time had diuers preachers of the faith of Christ and among them some Bishops besides those I named before to proue that wee had a continuall succession of holy Bishops from Rome as these alsoe were from our first christianity And that wee had many preachers and many by them conuerted may appeare by that is acknowledged before from these Protestants to which many of them add from antiquities that many Schollers Doctors of our Vniuersities then were conuerted in the yeare 141. nyne in one place of Cambridge In peruetustis Annalibus Burtonensibus sic lego Anno Domini 141. hic baptizati sunt nouem ex Doctoribus Scholaribus Cantabrigiae I doe reade sayth one in very old Annals of Burtō thus In the yeare of our Lord 141. here were baptized nyne of the Doctors Schollers of Cambridge Caius lib. 1. de antiq Cantab. pag. 95. Theater of greate Brit. lib. 6. Harris descript of Brit Like to this haue many other Protestants who assure vs this succession could not come from S. Ioseph of Aramathia and his company for a Protestāt Bishop according to the truth of histories writeth Godwyn conuers of Brit. pag. 16. c. 3. It seemeth that Ioseph and his fellowes preuayled little by their preaching and therefore gaue themselues at last vnto a monasticall and solitary life in the Iland of Aualon And euen their memorie was soe much forgotten when kinge Lucius was conuerted that as our best antiquities wee haue of that matter tel vs those which S. Eleutherius sent from Rome found the best information of them at Rome their auncient howse or church was soe desolat that it was become Latibulū Ferarum a den for wyld beasts at their cominge hither Antiquit. Glaston apud Capgrau in S. Ioseph Aramath in S Patr. I finde in histories no others from whom wee haue the leaste probabilitie to clayme a continuaunce in Religion therefore it must needs bee from Rome from whence alsoe wee had amonge these holy men some Bishops to continue a succession from thence For although S. Beatus was but lately deade liuing vnto this yeare 110. it is not vnlikely but his companion was still liuinge and except there were twoe of that name and in those times and the same contrie which no history doth remember S. Mansuetus was yet a liue and longe after vntil wee had manie other Bishops sent from Rome or consecrated here by the Romane authoritie in the time of this Kinge Lucius For wee reade in the Annals and Catalogue of the Archbishops of Treuers neare vnto Tullum that in the yeare 160. S. Mansuetus was Bishop there Mansuetus qui huic nomini vocationi suae vita proba anno Domini 160. optime respondit The seuenth Archbishop of Treuers was Mansuetus whoe by his godly life did excellently answeare this his name to bee meeke and his vocation in the yeare of Christ 160. Annales Arch. Treuer Petrus Merssaeus Catal. Arch. Treuer Which by noe historye I can finde was or could bee any other but Saint Mansuetus our contryman spoken of before both the name time and place soe neare vnto Tullum where hee was first Bishopp alloweinge it and nothinge impugninge it And amonge those Bishops here in Britanie and of our owne nation I finde two named beinge both consecrated and sent hither by the Authoritie of the See of Rome one of them S. Tymotheus sonne to our holy contryman Saint Marcellus or by some Marcellinus a Britanne borne and a Bishop here and after Bishop of the Tungers and lastely Archbishop of Treuers both which preached here in the time of Kinge Lucius longe before his conuersion and at or before this time and were instruments of his happy conuersion actually and parsonallye concurringe therto by mission and Authoritie from the Popes of Rome of which I haue made more lardge and ample relation in other places for this purpose soe many Authors here cited will suffice both Catholicks and Protestants consentinge that S. Tymothie and S. Marcellus or Marcellinus preached here in the time of kinge Lucius and before his conuersion Petrus de Natalib lib. 1. cap. 24. Harris Tom. 2. Magdeb. centur 2. Annal. Eccles Cur. Io. Stumph in Rhetia Petrus Merssaeus in catalog Archiep. Treuer in Archiep. 20. Anton. Democh. l. 2. de Miss cont Caluin Gulielm Eisengren centen 2. part 4. distinct 7. Petr. Merss in Archiep. Treuer And that this S. Tymothie could not bee Saint Tymothie Bishop of Ephesus S. Pauls Scholler to whome hee wrote the Epistles whoe was martyred many yeares before Kinge Lucius was borne and S. Onesimus was his Successor in S. Ignatius time as hee himselfe is witnesse Epist ad Ephes But onely S. Tymothie our blessed contryman by his mother S. Claudia Martyrol Rom. die 20. Iunij and a child baptized by the Apostles and thereupon called their disciple whoe was owner of the house in Rome where S. Peter by the Roman tradition first entertayned there and of S. Tymothie the Lord thereof in his time named Thermae Timothinae the Bathes of Tymotheus Act. 5. Iustini Philosoph Baron annot in 20. Iunij in S. Nouato which
hee forsooke for the loue of God and this his nation soe soone that by Pope Pius the first martyred in the yeare 154. his said house was cōsecrated a church hee himselfe beeing then in all probabilitie preaching in this Iland as so many Authorities cited doe warrant The historie of S. Marcellus or Marcellinus both to haue beene a Britane a Bishop and to haue preached here longe before S. Linus was conuerted that hee persuaded him to bee a Christian and after went into Germany and returned from thence into Britanie againe sent with others from Pope Eleutherius to conuert kinge Lucius this kingdome as they did is an vndoubted veritie acknowledged by all that write of that matter And therefore our Protestāts of England freely graunt vs in these wordes Euen from the dayes of those godlie men whoe first taught the Britans the ghospell there remayned amonge the same Britans some Christians which ceased not to teach and preach the word of God most sincerely vnto them But yett noe kinge amongst thē openly professed that Religion till at length this Lucius perceauinge not onely some of the Roman Lieutenants in Britanie as Trebellius and Pertinax with others to haue submitted themselues to that profession but alsoe the Emperor himselfe to begin to bee fauorable to them that professed it And then hee setteth downe how kinge Lucius sent to Pope Eleutherius to bee instructed in and receaue the faith of Christ and in like maner is the Relatiō of other Protestāts Holinsh. histor of England lib. 4. cap. 19. Math. Park Antiquit Britan. pag. 4.5 Ioh. Goscelius in histor Manuscript Bal. l. 2. de actibus Pontif. in Gregor 1. l. de Scriptor cent 1. in August Dirnoth Godwyn Conuers Powel annot in l. 2. Girald Cambr. c. 1. Foxe to 2. Act. pag. 463 Fulke Ans to count Cath. pag. 40. Middlet papistam pag. 202. Stowe Holinsh. c. Then if by these men there stil continued a succession of true preachers in Britanie from the Apostles time Protestant Articl of Religion Bils Whitgift Barlow Bridges Downam Hockeer Couel others against puritans Which the puclick Protestant Religion denieth to bee without true Bishops to consecrate such preists and preachers and the Romane Luietenants themselues and christians and soe consequently as the greatnes of their state and necessitie of the church here required had Bishops and rather from Rome beeing themselues Romans And I haue exemplified in soe many Bishops consecrated and sent hither by S. Peter and his holy successors Popes of Rome and not any one Instance can bee giuen of any one Bishop or preist in all this time sent or consecrated by any others wee must needes leaue that prerogatiue to Rome and honor to Britanie to haue had the holy Bishops and pastors of this church from thence And that Apostolicke See to haue ruled here in spirituall things as these Protestants haue freely acknowledged in the holy Popes S. Anacletus Euaristus and S. Alexander allready Rob. Barns in vit Pontific in nominibus citat Downam lib. 1. of Antichrist cap. 3. pag. 35. And soe they teach that al the following Popes vnto S. Eleutherius to witt S. Sixtus the first Telesphorus Higinius Pius and Anicetus the immediate predecessor to Eleutherius tooke vppon them generally the supreamacy and highest commaūding power in all spirituall things and all places without exception or limitation S. Sixtus gaue authoritie to appeale to the Popes of Rome from all Bishops Ab Episcopo ad Romanum Pontificem appellandi Ius dedit ecclesiasticis ministris Barnes supra in Sixto Saint Telesphorus prescribed generally the fast of Lent in Telesphoro Published the maner or order of Masse and made a decree as supreame Iudge howe all suites and controuersies should be tryed and decided Saint Higinius made a lawe byndinge all Bishops Metrapolitans and the whole cleargie in Higinio S. Pius dedicated the howse of our renowned contrywomā S. Pudentiana in Rome to bee a church In Pio made general decrees for the holy sacrifice of the Masse binding all Priests Bishops Declared it to bee sacriledge in all people whomsoeuer which cōuerted lāds or goods dedicated to Religion to prophane vses Appointed the age of virgins to bee consecrated Hee decreed that matters apperteyning to Religion should bee heard in prouinciall councells of Bishops reseruinge the authoritie of the Pope of Rome and appeales to him Quae ad Religionem spectant à suae Synodis audienda esse statuit salua tamen pontificia authoritate Idem in vit Pont. in Aniceto S. Anicetus the next before S. Eleutherius made or renewed the decree how both Bishops and Metropolitans were to bee ordeyned That an Archbishop was to bee accused before the Pope of Rome That noe Archbishops should bee called primates except that prerogatiue of name were graunted him from the Pope of Rome Archiepiscopos non primates appellandos nisi ista praerogatiua nomenclaturae ei à Romano Pontifice concederetur Wherfore these Popes beeing by all Protestants holy Saints and Martyrs and the church of Rome then by his maiestie and al other learned men of the Protestant profession our mother church the true churche commandinge church most high Apostolicque church and these their decrees vniuersal and generall comprehending all and excluding none either in Britanie or any other nation except wee will bee willfully headstronge in disobedience wee must needs acknowledge that this kingdome from S. Peters first preachinge here vnto the generall conuersion thereof in the time of Pope Eleutherius of which sufficiently in the next chapter euer was and did acknowledge it selfe subiect in spirituall thinges to the holy Apostolicke See of Rome And this in particular alsoe proued by soe many auncient and approued Authors historians and others that entreate of this subiect shewinge how often the Popes of Rome in these remembred dayes sent preachers hither and the Britans likewise acknowledginge euer that See for the cheifest and supreame sent thither though soe far distant hence to haue preachers and Instructors to bee sent hither by the highest papall power there I will insist in Protestants relation for this busines They tell vs that S. Bede the old chronicle of Lādaffe Goceline in the life of S. Augustine cap. 31. historiae maioris the old chronicle called Brutus Ioannes Nauclerus an old manuscript history which the Protestāt Bishop Godwyn saith hee had in latine say that many preachers were sent hither frō the Pope of Rome in the yeare of Christ 156. when S. Pius was Pope and I haue read a very old manuscript testifyinge that king Lucius did in that yeare send legats to the Pope of Rome to that purpose An epistle written from the Pope of Rome to the kinge of Britanie dated in the yeare 159. found amonge the old constitutions of this lande and in the old chronicle called Brutus which the Protestant Bishop Bridges saith hee had seene saith there was the like sendinge in or about that time Mennius
as these men tell vs affirmeth as much of the yeare 164. soe doth an other auncient chronicle which Godwin citeth William of Malmesbury hath the same of the next yeare 165. S. Edwards lawes say soe of the yeare 167. Henry of Hardfrord hath the life of the yeare 169. Marianus Scotus published by our Protestāts so writeth of the yeare 177. The Protestant Bishopp Bale hath so of the yeare 179. Polydor Vergil the history of Rochester Matthew of Westminster and Martinus Polonus by Protestāts soe say of the yeare 188. Therefore to saue the creditt of these and many others soe auncient and allowed by Protestants wee must needes by their leaue and allowance say alsoe that this our kingedome in those daies depended vppon the See of Rome in Religious affaires And thus much of this matter before our generall conuersion in the time of Kinge Lucius Io. Caius antiq Cantabrig lib. 1. pag. 109.110.111 Godwin conuers of Britannie p. 21.22 Holinsh. hist of King Lucius Theater of Brit. lib. 6. M. S. pr. gloriosi ac Deo dilecti in S. Dubritio Matth. Westm. an 154. Godwyn Conuers pa. 29.30 Stow hist in Lucius Caius supr pag. 100. Godw. Conuers pag. 29.20.22 Mason booke of consecrat in Lucius Will. Lambard lib. de leg Reg. fol. 130. pag. 2. Godwyn Conuers pag. 22. THE V. CHAPTER How in the generall Conuersion of this kingedome in the time of Kinge Lucius all spirituall thinges were ordered settled and confirmed here by the Popes Authoritie AT the time when our Kinge Lucius this kingedome was generally conuerted there were as these Protestants haue proued or graunted before diuers Bishops and Preists in England wee had many vniuersities as Cambrige Stamford Greekelade Bellisium Oxford and others as our Protestants contend and diuers learned men in them our next and neighbouringe contries Fraunce the hither parts of Germany Lorraine Heluetia and all Italie euen vnto Rome it selfe scituated in the further part thereof were full of Bishops preists and learned cleargie Ioh. Lidgate in Cant. Caius antiq cont Brian Twin antiquit Oxon. Harrison descript of Brit. Cambd. in Britan Harding histor l. 1. c. 15. Ioh. Bal. in praefat ad l. de scriptor c. And yett Kinge Lucius and his nobles now resolued to receaue the faith of Christ could finde noe center to rest their holy desires of soe happy a chaunge vntill they arriued at the Apostolicke See from whence this nation from the first originall of christianitie here euer receaued instructors and instruction And to obteyne this his soe heauenly purpose this Renowned kinge with applause of his nobilitie did not send one onely Messadge Ambassadge or epistle and at one time to that end but as our best antiquities say Epistolas suas Eleutherio Papae direxit Epist Eleuther ad Luc. leg S. Eduardi apud Lumb Calfrid Monum l. 5. cap. 19. Pont. Virun l. 4. Matth. Westm an 185.186 hee directed his epistles to Pope Eleutherius diuers Epistles and consequently diuers Ambassadges soe reade the old Brittish historie Ponticus Virunnius Matthew Westminster as they ar published and allowed by our Protestants and others And these soe diuers epistles were onely to become a Christian to haue his kingdome instructed in the faith of Christ and all things thereto belonginge ordered by his highest papall authoritie petens ab eo vs christianus efficeretur And none of these epistles was that which our Protestants tell vs hee wrote vnto that holy Pope for lawes to gouerne his kingdome by which were distinct from this of which I shall speake hereafter Wherby it is euident that this blessed kinge his wisest councell at that time by soe often writinge both to this holy Pope Eleutherius and some others of his predecessors before as appeareth by that I haue written alreadie did fully and constantly informe themselues that the highest directing power in things religious was onely residing in the Popes of Rome otherwise they were all straungers vnto him far distant and aboue all Bishops of the world more persecuted all of them before this time and longe after sufferinge cruell deathes and Martyrdome for Christ Therefore it was for the due honor and right belonginge to that holie See and not temporall glory or countenance as a Protestant Bishop would glosse the matter Godwyn Conuers of Britanie c. 3. pag. 36. but the supreamacy of the Roman Bishops which these Protestants haue giuen to all the Popes before And because to speake in the words of the first Protestant Archbishop in England The renowne of the popes of Rome at that time was most famous in all the world for their often martyrdome and constancy sincere discipline of faith quorum tunc fama crebro martyrio constantia ac sincera fidei disciplina per totum Christianum orbem celeberrima fuit Matth. Parker antiquit Brit. pag 5. This was that which moued kinge Lucius to giue this due honor to the See of Rome and appeale vnto it for instruction for he saw that by that holy See the faith of Christ was dilated into all these nations as the recited Protestant Archbishop thus witnesseth Parker supr pag. 4 Cognouit complures nobiles Romanos eandem fidem à pontifice Romano accepisse eorumque exemplo Christianum nomen in singulas prouincias sparsum disseminatum fuisse statuit in eadem fide sub Eleutherio tunc Romano pontifice inaugurari When Kinge Lucius knew that very many noble Romans had receaued the faith of Christ from the Pope of Rome and by their example the Christian name was dispersed and sowen abrode into all prouinces hee did resolue to receaue the same faith from Eleutherius the Pope of Rome Where it is euidently confessed that if kinge Lucius had not acknowledged this highest spirituall dignitie in the See of Rome and haue sued to haue the Christian Religion settled here by that authoritie hee should haue beene singular in that kinde as our Protestants now are all other prouinces giuing then that honor to Rome and hauinge their faith in Christ established from thence And this is euidētly declared by the maner of the sending writting of this kinge to that Pope S. Eleutherius S. Bede saith hist eccl l. 1. c. 4. that K. Lucius did humbly beseech Pope Eleutherius by his letters that by his cōmaundement hee might bee made a Christian. Obsecrans vt per eius mandatum Christianus efficeretur The Roman Tradition saith In the beginninge of the papacy of Eleutherius there came humble letters vnto him frō Lucius Kinge of the Britans to receaue him and his subiects into the number of Christians Huic initio Pontificatus supplices literae venerunt à Lucio Britannorum Rege vt se ac suos in Christianorum numerum reciperet Breu. Rom. in S. Eleuther 26. Maij. Baron hist. Eccl. tom 2. A Protestant Bishop readeth praying that by his direction and appointment hee might bee made a Christian Godwyn conuers p. 20. An other Protestant antiquary
saith Desiring Eleutherius Bishop of Rome to send some deuout and learned men by whose instruction hee and his people might bee taught the faith and Religion of Christ The old chronicle of LaÌ„daffe is implorans vt iuxta eius ammonitionem christianus fiat Humbly entreatinge that by his appointment hee might bee made a christian Annal. Landaf apud com antiq Cantab l. 1. pag. 98. thus our Protestants alleadge that Antiquitie Others of them say Lucius sent an Ambassadge to Eleutherius Bishop of Rome by Eluanus and Meduinus Britans intreating Eleutherius by them that hee would open a passadge by himselfe and his ministers for the fosteringe and cherishinge of christian Religion in Britanie Frauncis Mason l. 2. p. 52. ca. 3. Like is the testimony of other historians both Catholicks and Protestants that kinge Lucius proceeded in this humble and submissiue maner in his writings and Ambassadges to the Pope of Rome at that time in these affayres The which highest authoritie spirituall in the Pope of Rome these our Protestants further confirme in that they teach generally that these two Ambassadors of Kinge Lucius Eluanus and Meduinus receaued all the authoritie they had to preach here in Britanie from Pope Eleutherius whoe consecrated the one Eluanus a Bishop and made the other a Doctor to preach the ghospell Theater of great Brit l. 6. Stow. hist. in Lucius Godwyn conuers of Brit. Mason l. 2. c. 3. Bal. cent 1. in Eluan And the present Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury Doctor George Abbot director of Master Mason as hee protesteth and his directed Scribe ar of this opinion that all the Bishops of Britanie after this deriued consecration and succession episcopal from this one onelie Bishop Eluanus consecrated and authorized by Pope Eleutherius Frauncis Mason consecrat of Bish l. 2. c. 3. p. 55.56 Which and more is approued by an other a Protestant Bishop by whome Pope Eleutherius euen in this great busines is termed Paterfamilias the Master of this spirituall howse and familie of Britanie Bal. l. de Act. Pont. Rom. l. 1. in Eleuther and this kingedome was consequently of his family and vnder his rule and commaund and thereupon as a good Master and Gouernour of this familie did confirme and solidate the Brittans and the whole kingedome in the faith receaued by the Apostles Eleutherius vt bonus paterfamilias de thesauro suo noua cum veteribus proferens effecit vt confirmatis consolidatis Britannis in suscepta prius ab Apostolis doctrina totum illud regnum in eius fidei verba iuraret And to make moste euident demonstration further euen by these Protestants aswel as by al other Antiquities that the supreame power spirituall in all proceedinges in this kingedome at that time was wholly and vndeniably in Pope Eleutherius and those his twoe Legats which hee sent hither Damianus and Fugatianus as they are commonly called The Protestant Archbishop and his Mason tell vs in these words Mason l. 2. e. 3. p. 55 56. From Rome there came two Fugatius and Damianus but wee cannot learne that eyther of them was a Bishop This is the constant writinge of these Protestants yett to deale plainely these men knew not all thinges or else they might easelye haue knowne that both the Brittish historie Ponticus Virunnius and Matthew of Westminster as they are published by Protestants call them Antistates Bishops and a Protestant Bishop produceth an old Manuscript Author testifying that the first church of Wincester was hallowed and dedicated to the honor of our Sauiour October 29. 189. by Fuganus and Damianus Bishops Galfrid monum l. 4. hist. c. 20. Pontic Virun lib. 4. in fine Godwyn Catal. in Winchest Matth. Westm. an 186. And if they were noe Bishops it soe much more aduaunceth the Popes power in this kingedome for these Protestants with others shall testifie that by their legatine power from Pope Eleutherius they exercised more and greater Iurisdiction spirituall here then any Bishop or Archbishop of that time And if they were Bishops as those Authors affirme yett I finde none to write that either of them was an Archbishop yett as before and shall immediately bee proued they by their delegate power from Pope Eleutherius executed here greater Iurisdiction spirituall and more ample then any Bishop Archbishop prince kinge or whosoeuer the Pope himselfe excepted could lawfully doe Which these Protestants and other vndeniable antiquities doe thus demonstrate vnto vs. The first Protestant Archbishop of Canterburye Parker antiquit Britan. pag. 5. writeth from diuers wittnesses that these two Religious men were assigned by Pope Eleutherius as cheife worke men tanto operi praeficiundo in gouerninge soe greate a worke and establishinge the discipline of christian Religion In sancienda christianae religionis disciplina and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cooperarij adhibiti in administranda ecclesia pâ—riti Ioined by Pope Eleutherius with the Bishops in gouerninge the church beeings killfull therein Which must needes bee by their legatine power from Pope Eleutherius Martianus Polonius In Eleutherio Papa col 49. published by Protestants and dedicated by them to Queene Elizabeth saith Papa Eleutherius misit duos Religiosos viros Fuganum Damianum qui Regem praedictum populum baptizarent erant tunc in Britannia viginti octo Pontifices Idolorum quos Flamines vocabant Inter quos tres Archiflamines erant sed praedicti Sancti de mandato Apostolico vbi erant Flamines instituerunt Episcopos vbi Archiflamines Archiepiscopos Pope Eleutherius sent two Religious men Fuganus and Damianus who baptized the said Kinge Lucius and his people There were then in Britanie 28. high preists of the Idols whome they called Flamins amonge which there were three Archflamins but the said holy men by the commaundement of the Pope did institute Bishops where there were Flamins and Archbishops where there were Archflamins This is confirmed not onely by all Antiquities of these things but the cheife Protestant writers amonge which the Protestant Archbishop Whitgift and his frend Foxe write in this maner Whitg defence of the Answ. pag. 323. Foxe tom 1. fol. 146. Eleutherius the good Bishop hearinge the request of the kinge and glad to see the godly towardnes of his well disposed minde sendeth him certaine teachers and preachers called Fugatius or by some Fuganus and Damianus or Dimianus which conuerted first the kinge and people of Britanie and baptised them The temples of Idolatrie and other monuments of gentility they subuerted conuertinge the people from their diuers and many gods to serue one liuinge God Thus true Religion with sincere faith increasing superstition decayed with all rites of Idolatrie There were then in Britanie 28. Head preists which they called Flamins and three Archpreists amonge them which were called Achiflamins hauinge the ouersight of their maners as Iudges ouer the rest These 28. Flamines they turned to 28. Bishops and the three Archiflamines to three Archbishops hauinge their seates in the three principall
of all these their holy ordinances constitutions which was orderly performed as both Catholick antiquities and Protestant historians doe thus vndoubtedly assure vs herein First Ponticus Virunnius in his Brittish historie l. 4. as it is warranted by Protestants saith of these Legates sent by Pope Eleutherius Romam redierunt cuncta quae fecerant a Pontifice confirmari impetrarunt confirmatione facta cum pluribus alijs redierunt in Britanniam They returned to Rome and obteyned to haue all things they had done to bee confirmed by the Pope and the confirmation beeing made they returned into Britanie with other The Author of the old Birttish history published with the selfe same Protestant approbation Galfrid Monument l. 4. histor Britan. cap. 20 saith Denique restauratis omnibus redierunt Antistites Romam que fecerunt à beatissimo Papa confirmari impetrauerunt confirmatione vero facta reuersi sunt in Britanniam compluribus alijs comitati At laste when the Bishops soe Virunnius also termeth those Legats had restored all things they returned to Rome and obteyned to haue those things they had done to bee confirmed by the most blessed Pope and the confirmation beeing made they returned againe into Britanie accompanied with many others Like bee the words of Matthew of Westminster warranred by these Protestants in this maner Matth. Westm. an 186. Anno gratiae 186. beati Antistites Faganus Deruuianus Romam reuersi quae fecerāt impetrauerunt à Papa beatissimo confirmari In the yeare of grace 186. The blessed Bishops Fuganus and Deruuianus returned to Rome and obteyned those things which they had done to bee confirmed by the moste blessed Pope Which beeing finished the said doctors with many others returned into Britanie And our English Protestants in their Annotation vpon this place thus approue it Protest annot Morginal in Matth. West supr ad an 186. Fides Christi in Britannia confirmatur The faith of Christ is confirmed in Britanie All things of this nature were here confirmed by the Popes Authoritie De mandato Apostolico by the Popes commaundement as Martinus Polonus turned Protetestant by these men in their publishinge of him De mandato Apostolico ex praecepto Apostoli by the commaundement of the Apostle or Pope as readeth the Protestant Antiquarie Master Selden Martin Pol. in Eleutherio col 49. Selden supr in Anaclet c. 6. And soe all Protestants doe or ought to confesse approuinge those Authors I haue cited before and fetchinge the greatest euidence they haue of these things and tymes from them soe particularly as before registringe both the necessitie of the Popes approbation and confirmation to bee such that the Legates themselues were enforced to go frō hence to Rome to procure it and returned not hither for a finall settlinge of all things vntill the Pope had confirmed and approued them at Rome And this illimitated and supereminent Power both claimed and exercised by this holy Pope was not confined in and with his proceedinges with this kingedome soe happily conuerted to the faith by him but to shew himselfe by these Protestants as his his holy predecessors before haue beene proued by the same allowance to bee the supreame and highest commaunder and gouernor of the church of Christ in all places on earthe hee generally proceeded accordingly makinge and ordeyninge decrees for all parsons and places and times as these Protestants thus assure vs. Robert Barnes in vit Pontif. Rom. in Eleutherio Hoc tempore Lucius Britanniae Rex Christiano caetui cum suis subditis adiungi à Pontifice petijt per literas In this time of Pope Eleutherius Lucius Kinge of Britanie desired of the Pope by his letters that hee and his subiects might bee ioyned to the Christian companie as though S. Eleutherius then Pope by power of that nam place had such power ouer the whole company of Christians that none that is a kinge or greate prince on whose publick conuersion together with his people so manie matters requiring the consent and confirmation of the highest Pastor supreame Iurisdiction depended might bee admitted to bee a Christian without the Popes Approbation And to confirme this highest power spirituall in him as in his predecessors before they further tell vs. Rob. Barns supr That generally in the cases of Bishops which is the greatest hee decreed that nothing should bee defined in their cases but by the Pope himselfe Accusationem contra Episcopos intentatam Episcopos audire permisit sed vt nihil nisi apud Pontificem definiretur cauet And againe that any preist might appeale from his Bishop to the Pope of Rome if the sinceritie of the other iudge his Bishops was suspected Vt nemo Clericum accusatores pertraheret ad alterius dioecesis Episcopum sed accusaret eū apud suum Episcopum Si vero Iudex Clerico suspectus esset appellandi facultatem dedit Reo Where hee euidently by these Protestants maketh himselfe his Successors in the See Apostolick of Rome supreame Iudge in spiritual thinges and reserueth appeales to them in such affaires from all other Iudges THE VI. CHAPTER How this moste renowned Pope Eleutherius did by these Protestants and antiquities allovved by them clayme exercise and settle here for him and his Successors as ample prerogatiue and Iurisdiction as Catholicke Scholes doe and Catholicques may giue to Popes ANd because there is greate difference betweene Catholicks and Protestants concerninge some priuiledges which the former commonly yeeld and the second as vsually in England denye vnto him and eyther of them would bee thought to reuerence and embrace the opinion and practise of that blessed Pope Eleutherius and those vnspotted times especially as they are interpreted by themselues lett vs now take counsaile and aduise of these Protestāts their persecutors in this kinde whether this moste blessed Pope Eleutherius whoe soe conuerted this nation and was soe blessed and worthie a Saint with these men was not by their Iudgements and testimonies as far ingaged in this matter as Pope Gregorie the fifteenth of that name now is or Kinge Lucius that holy kinge and Saint the holy Bishops and cleargie and all the Christians of this land at that tyme did not giue to the Popes of Rome then as much in this kinde as anie English preist or Catholicke now doth and by the present Roman Religion may giue and allowe to this present Pope or any other This is euidently proued and inuincibly made manifest vnto vs before not onely by soe many our best Antiquities but generallie by the best learned English Protestant historians iointly and with an vniforme consent agreeing in this that at the settlinge of manie Archbishops and Bishops in this Iland by the highest Papall power of Saint Eleutherius by the same alsoe the whole kingedome of Scotland with the Northern Ilands were made subiect to the Archbishopp of Yorke in spirituall thinges as I haue proued before by the best historians Catholicks Protestants which haue written of this
matter Which alsoe agree that these kingedomes were at that time longe before and vntill the vnion of them by our present Soueraigne kinge Iames not onely distinct and diuers kingedomes vnder diuers kinges lawes and gouernments but ordinarily as then they were at open warres and hostilitie in ciuill and temporall respects Therfore it was neyther Kinge Lucius whoe to vse the words of Hector Boethius Scator histor l. 5. fol. 83. Godwyn conuers of Britanie pag. 22.23 aggreing with our English Protestants and others in this was but a kinge by curtesie of the Romane Emperors and their Authoritie Lucius Britonibus Caesaris beneuolentia authoritate imperitabat Therefore hee neyther had nor possibly could haue his power and principalitie extended further then that of the Romans was which went noe further then the wall of Adrian which diuided the kingedomes makinge Scotland a distinct kingedome and neuer subiect to the Roman Emperors Which could not allowe to kinge Lucius more then they were Lords and Masters of themselues for accordinge to that lawe maxime vsed by manie Protestants and a grownde in the lawe and light of nature it selfe Nemo potest plus Iuris in alium transferre quà m ipse habet Noe man can giue more power to another then hee himselfe hath For soe hee should giue that which hee hath noe right or power to giue beeinge a thinge vnpossible Therefore kinge Lucius nor the Roman Emperors hauinge any power or right at all spirituall or temporall ouer the Scots or Britans or any people then dwellinge beyond that Wall in the kingedome now called Scotland they could not by any possibilitie giue such spirituall power to the Archbishop of Yorke to commaund in that contrie nor commaund the inhabitants of Scotland in noe respect subiect vnto them to bee subiect to the Bishop of Yorke their subiect in temporall respects Neither did would or could the kings of Scotland then pagans subiect and submitt their people and contry to the Archbishop of yorke of an other kingdome now enemy to them both in spirituall and temporall respects And it is directly against all Protestants professions confessions or churches that any Protestant Prince or other whosoeuer clayminge or pretending supreame spirituall Iurisdiction among them should challendge or presume to extend it further then their temporall ditions and Gouernments as is euident in all places where the new Religion is admitted as England the Lowe contries the cantons of Switserland and the rest where the spirituall Iurisdiction which they claime is limited and confined within the circuites of their temporall Dominions without any further progresse Parlam 1. Elizab. 1. Iacob Scotic Confessiones Heluet. Gallic Saxonia Belgic Therefore this highest supreame directing spirituall power which established at that time and longe after the subordination and subiection of Scotland and the Ilands to the Archbishop of Yorke must needs by these Protestants and all Antiquities bee onely peculiar to the Pope of Rome whoe and that alone effected these things as soe manie Protestants and others haue proued before and others from our best antiquities affirme that all ecclesiasticall thinges were ordered here according to the commaundment of Pope Eleutherius that blessed man Secundum iussum beati Eleutherij Papae Annal. Landaf apud Io. Caium l. 1. de antiquit Cantabrig p. 90. Which is an euident demonstration that this holy Pope had this supreame spirituall power ouer all this Iland at that time for without such a power these things could not haue beene performed And demonstrateth alsoe that noe other power on earth could haue duely performed it especially any temporall Kinge Prince Emperour or Lieutenant whatsoeuer for soe contrarie to the names offices and powers of such Rulers they should bee Emperors Kinges Rulers Regents and the like where they haue noe Empire Kingedome Rule Regiment soueraigntie or any subiects a thinge in the light of nature of it selfe imployinge contradiction and impossible And lett noe man say that accordinge vnto some as namely Giraldus Cambrensis this Iland was diuided into fiue prouinces Britannia prima Britannia secunda Flauia Maxima and Valentia which now is Scotland and that there was an Archbishop there Girald Cambr. l. de Iure Metropol eccl Meneu apud Park antiq Britan. pag. 24. Io. Pris def hist. Brit. For I answeare this diuision was made longe after this as the twoe laste prouinces Maximia Valentia proue in their owne names For the same Author saith that Maximia was soe named of Maximus the Emperour Maximia Ab Imperatore Maximo vocata and Valentia now Scotland was soe called of Valens the Emperour Valentia à Valente Imperaeore sic dicta est Girald Cambr. Parker Pris sup Both which Emperors Maximus and Valens were longe after this time and Scotland not vnder the Romans to bee made a prouince by them and besides soe many Protestant Authors and Antiquities before that there were but onely three Archbishops here at this time nor after diuers hundreds of yeares the Scottish histories and all Protestants agree that Scotland had neyther Archbishops nor Bishops perhaps longe after this time The testimonies of these things ar to manie to bee produced therefore I will onely instance in the present Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury and his deputy in writinge the booke Intituled of the Consecration of the Bishops of the church of England who speake in this maner Frāc Mason epist dedicat and l. 2. c. 3. pag. 54 The Romans before this time of Kinge Lucius his receauinge the faith had diuided Britanie into three Prouinces one of them was called Maxima Caesariensis the Metropolis whereof was Yorke An other Britannia prima the Metropolis whereof was London the third Britannia secunda the Metropolis whereof was Caerlegion And prouinge besides soe many other Authorities before cited both by Asseruius Meneuensis schole-master to Kinge Alfred Ptolomeus Lucensis in the life of Eleutherius William Reade De vit Pont. in Eleuther pag. 3. and Iohn Leland M.S. Leland in assert Arthur fol. 36. that the Archbishops of this Iland were onlie seated in those three Metropolitane cyties of London Yorke called also Maximia or that prouince wherof it was Metropolis and Caerlegion To answeare fully this obiection thus they add Georg. Abb. Fraunc Mason supr pag. 54. Although Britanie was after the Nicen. councell diuided into fiue Prouinces Valentia and Flauia Caesariensis beeinge added to the former yett there were noe new Archbishopricks erected The reason whereof was because those two new Prouinces Notitia Prouinc Occid pag. 117. were taken out of the former and consequentlie could not haue Bishopricks without the diminishinge of the authoritie of the former in whose Iurisdiction originally they were which was not sufferable because it was against the canon of the Nicen councell Can. 6. decreeinge that in Antioche and in other Prouinces the dignities prerogatiues and authorities of churches should bee maintayned And for S. Andrewes in Scotland to haue beene alwayes subiect to Yorke or when Yorke had
that holie place a greater power in the Pope then the other by these Protestants And thus much of this hundred yeares Theater of great Britanie lib. 6. Godwyn Conuers of Britanie cap. 2. pag. 10. Ioh. Leland in Assert Arthur Antiquitat Glaston in tabula lignea Capgrau in Catal. in S. Patricio M. S. Antiq. in eodem THE THIRD CENTVRIE OR HVNDRED YEARE THE VII CHAPTER How the Popes of Rome in this third Centurie or hundred of years alsoe by our Protestants and others ruled and gouerned here in Britanie in spirituall things by their supreame power therein NOw hauing ended this second hundred yeare when there was soe generall an acceptance of this highest papall Authoritie in Britanie by the kinge his Nobles three Archbishops soe many other Bishops and the noble cleargie and others here wee may bee more breife in ages followinge for it is a common consent of the Protestant writers of England that the same faith and Religion in all materiall points such as this is continued firme and inuiolable here at the least vntill the cominge of S. Augustine hither in the later end of the sixt hundred yeare And it is a veritie granted by all followinge S. Bede susceptam fidem Britannie vsque in tempora Diocletiani Principis inuiolatum integrumque quieta in pace seruabant The Britans kept the faith which they receaued in the time of kinge Lucius inuiolable and whole in quiet peace vntill the times of Diocletian Bed hist eccles l. 1. c. 4. Whoe did not begin his Empire vntill the yeare 285. his persecution longe time after about the yeare 296. And no man can thinke but amōge soe many Archbishops Bishops and cleargie men which together with the whole christian Religion embraced the papall power liued and gouerned the church of Britanie here many yeares in this age in the same maner and order as it was commended vnto them by the Romane supreame spirituall Authoritie of S. Eleutherius and his Apostolicke Legates Therefore to bee breife the next Pope which was in the beginning of this hundred yeare Scotland as hereafter a greate portion of this Iland and then a distinct greate and inuincible kingedome vnto the most powerable Romane Emperors was conuerted to the faith of Christ The very name of this holy Pope and Martyr carieth spirituall supreamacy with it in all the Christian world Asia Africk and Europe by the mouthes and pennes of all Protestants and others A Protestant Bishop for all shall answere in these words Pope Victor excommunicated all churches both greeke and latine which differed from his church in the obseruation of Easter Morton appeale l. 1. cap. 9. Which noe man can question but it was the highest act to haue and exercise such power ouer all churches and yett moste iustly and lawfully and hee a blessed man which both a Protestant Archbishopp and his maiestie kinge Iames shal testifie for all The church of Rome was then a Rule to all saith our Kinge Kinge Iames in parlam The other saith Victor was a godly Bishop and a martyr and the church at that time was in greate puritie not beeinge longe after the Apostles times Whitgift Answ. to the admonition p. 80. sect 4. Wherfore Kinge Donalde of Scotland now moued by the example of Kinge Lucius his neighbouring Sociate in terrene principalitie and his whole kingedome and beeing assured by this supreame power spirituall exercised by S. Victor ouer all churches that it was his right and the surest waye in time of controuersies as that was in the obseruation of Easter to adhere vnto the cheife and commandinge church of Rome hee sent to this holy Pope to bee instructed in the faith of Christ a longe paineful troublesome iorney labour on both sides soe many Bishops now beeing in Britanie Fraunce and in all places betweene Scotland and Rome if kinges kingedomes could haue beene conuerted to the faith of Christ and matters of the church with them ordered without his direction or confirmation For as truely write the Scottish historians Pope Victor sent preists in extremam Albionem to the vttermoste part of Albion or the vttermoste Albion to preach the doctrine of Christ Hector Boeth l. 5. Scot. histor fol. 89. p. 2. Boeth supr p. 1. Buchan Rer. Scotic 1. 4. Reg. 27. Holinsh. histor of Scotl. in Donald Ed. Grymst p. 20. in Scotl. § 17. the narration whereof is this Talem dederat Donaldo Regi animum pacis Princeps author Christus Dominus quod vera pietati aspernato malorum demonum cultu sese paulò ante addixerat Nam Seuero Imperante Romanis apud Victorem Pontiscem maximum qui quintus decimus post Petrum Ecclesiae praefuit per legatos obtinuit vt viri doctrina Religione insignes in Scotiam ab eo missi se cum liberis coniuge Christi nomen profitentes baptismate insignirent Regis exempla Scotica nobilitas sequuta auersata impietatem Christique Religionem complexa sacr◠fonte est abluta Fuit annus ille quo Scoti ad lumen vera pictatis Dei Optimi Maximi benignitate vocati sunt recepti ab eo qui primus fuit humanae salutis tertius supra ducēte simum à Scotorum Regni institutione quingente simus tricesimus tertius Christ our Lord prince and Author of peace gaue such minde to kinge Donald that castinge aside the worship of wicked deuils hee had a litle before addicted himselfe to true pietie For when Seuerus was the Romane Emperor hee obteyned of Pope Victor the fifteenth after S. Peter that ruled the church that men renowned for learninge and Religion sent from him into Scotland might baptise him with his wife and children professinge Christ The Scottish nobilitie followeinge the example of the kinge forsakinge impiety and embracing the Religiō of Christ was baptized This was in the yeare of the Incarnation of Christ two hundred and three and from the beginninge of the kingdome of the Scots fiue hundred thirtie and three And a little after speakinge of the renowned leardned Christians of that time hee addeth Incipere nostri tum primum sacras colere literas Sacerdotibus praeceptoribus quos Victor Pontifex Maximus ad Christi dogma propalandum in extremam miserat Albionem At that time our Scottish men first began to study diuinitie hauinge for their Tutors those preists which Pope Victor sent to teach the Religion of Christ in Albion the vttermost country in this part of the world And againe nostri qua fide pietate instituti semel fuerunt hactenus erroribus aspernatis perseuerant Our contrimen of Scotlād perseuer at this day it was written in the yeare 1526. in the faith and pietie wherein they were then instructed Hector Boeth in fine praefat Bal. centur 5. in Hector Boeth And a Protestant of England in the yeare 1615. writteh Scotland receyued the faith in the time of Pope Victor the first in the yeare 2O3 Celestin the first sent Palladius thither
for first it is most probable some of them were present at this Roman councell soe great consistinge of the westerne Bishops Secondly in all Iudgments they must needs acknowledge this supreamacy either in the Pope or Emperor But not the Emperor which yeelded it to S. Siluester Thirdly because the next Pope Saint Marke who was Pope but three yeares claimed for the Romane See to be mater omnium ecclesiarum the mother of all churches and priuiledged from heresie Marcus epist. ad Athanas caeter Egipti Episcopos And as these Protestants tell vs his successor S. Iulius appointed appeales to the See of Rome and taught noe councel could bee kept lawfully without his consent Rob. Barns in vita Pontif. Roman in Iulio And two other Protestant Bishops speaking of this time affirme The canō of the primatiue church made euery thinge voyde that was done without the Bishop of Rome Bilson true differ pag. 66.67 And againe The canon of the primatiue church forbad any councell to bee called without his consent Morton Appeale pag. 286. And to make all sure in this matter that the whole cleargie of Britanie and Christians vnder them at this time attributed this spirituall supreamacie to the Pope of Rome our Protestants haue told vs before which aunciēt Authorities alsoe affirme Theater of greate Britanie l. 6. Sulpit. Seuer sacr histor lib. 2. Athan. apol l. 1. cont Ar. Concil Sardic can 4.7 that wee had of this nation diuers Bishops in the generall councell of Sardis a cytie of Lydia in Asia with 300. Bishops and therfore this kingedome with the rest acknowledged the supreamacie of the Pope of Rome in all places and that Appeales were to bee made to him as highest iudge And whereas the councell of Arles in Fraunce in the time of S. Siluester in the subscription of the Bishops there many Protestants and other Antiquaries assure vs Concil Arelat in subscript Theater of Brit. lib. 6. Stow histor in Lucius Godwyn catalog in London 1. that Restitutus our Archbishop of London was present there and subscribed for this nation that place beeinge soe remote from London wee must needs say that hee was called thither by the Pope of Rome or doe that which neuer any yett would allowe to graunt a superioritie vnto the Bishops of Fraunce ouer them of this kingedome And soe for those our Bishops which were at the councell of Ariminum in this time for noe others medled in these affaires in those dayes Which wee are further taught by the Example of our holy Bishop S. Ninian Capgrau in Catal. in Ninian Bed hist Anglic. Theater of greate Britanie lib. 6. Bal. centur 1. de script in Niniano Bernini whoe towards the later end of this centurie of yeares was made Bishopp at Rome by the Pope there and by him sent Apostle to the Western parts of Britanie to people there which had not yett receaued the faith of Christ Where hee conuerted the nation of the Picts preached the ghospell through the contryes of the Britans Scots and Picts ordeyned there preists consecrated them Bishops and diuided the contry into parishes as both Catholicks and Protestants are witnesses Audicus Pontisex Romanus quosdam in occiduis Britanniae partibus necdum fidem Christi suscepisse ad Episcopatus gradum Ninianum consecrauit Concreditum à Deo talentum per Britannorum Scotorum australium Pictorum terras ad senium vsque latissimè profudit Ordinauit presbyteros Episcopos consecrauit totam terram per certas parochias diuisit And liuinge in this preachinge vntill hee was very ould as a Protestant Bishop writeth Bal. centur 1. in Ninian Palladio Patricio he died in the yeare of Christ 432. before which time S. Palladius S. Patricius SS Germanus and Lupus were sent hither by S. Celestine Pope of Rome And yett that hee came hither in the fourth century it is euident for in his cominge hither from Rome hee came by S. Martin Bishopp of Tours in Fraunce as Capgraue and others writte Ioh. Capgr in S. Ninian and yett by Sigebert and others S. Martine died within the first 400. yeares Sigebert in Chronic. ad an 399. In which time alsoe wee had Coelius Sedulius of this nation scholler as a Protestant Bishop writeth to Hildiberthus a learned Bishop of Scotland Ioh. Bal centur 1. in Coel. Sedul after whose death hee trauailed many nations for learninge sake as Spayne France Italy and Asia and beeinge excellently learned returned to Rome where hee longe time continued and was soe learned holy and gratefull a man to the Popes of Rome that Pope Gelasius to vse the Protestants words in the decrees distinct 15. calleth him venerable Sedulius and much prayseth his writings Neyther can wee thinke otherwise of his Master Bishop Hildibertus of whome hee was instructed and directed in these courses And this Sedulius himselfe alsoe was a Bishop as both Sigebertus and Bostius our contryman and the Protestant Bishop Bale from them are wittnesses Sigebertus Bostius apud Bal. centur 1. de Script in Coel. Sedul In which time alsoe liued S. Kebius our Cornish Bishop successor though perhaps not immediate to S. Amphibalus in the Bishoprick of Mona Ioh. Capgrau in S. Kebio Harpesf histor pag. 26. Pits in Kebio Whoe liued longe time with S. Hilary Bishopp of Poicters in Fraunce that worthie piller of the true Catholick faith and honor of the church of Rome and Successor of Saint Peter there that hee calleth him Hilar. ad Psalm 131. in Matth. can 16. Ecclesiae fundamentum caelestis Regni Ianitor cuius arbitrio aeterni aditus traduntur cuius terrestre iudicium praeiudicata authoritas sit in coelo Foundation of the church porter of the kingedome of heauen The happy foundation of the church the blessed porter of heauen to wose will the eternall passadges are committed whose iudgement on earth is preiudicate authoritie in heauen Such a tutor pedagoge and consecrator alsoe had this our happie contryman Saint Kebius in those turbulent hereticall times of the Arrians and their opposition against the Romane church a greate meanes by this our holy Bishop S. Restitutus Fastidius Priscus our Archbishops then and other godly Bishops of this nation to preserue this kingedome in the true faith and obedience to the Pope of Rome in soe much that S. Hilarie himselfe lib. de Synodis aduersus Arr. commendeth the Bishops of Britanie for the sinceritie in those times to their eternall honor Hee dyed as our Protestants write in the yeare of Christ 370. And in this age alsoe was that renowned S. Vrsula with her glorious company of Bishops other cleargie men Virgins and others as those Protestants ar witnesses whoe as both Ptolomaeus Lucensis Capgraue the Antiquities of Collene and the German histories testifie Baleus centur 1. in Vrsula Cynosura an 390. Stowe histor an 394. in Theodosius Martyrolog Roman die 21. 22. Octob. Beda hac die Vandelbert Baron in annot Ptolom Lucens in S. Vrsula Capgrau in S.
Vrsula Annal. Coloniens c. made that their moste holy pilgrimadge to Rome and at their returne receaued the crowne of Martyrdome at or neare Cullen in Germanie where as alsoe in the whole Christian world and both to their honor and the glory of our country they are celebrated in the most auncient Martyrologes in which sacred company as Capgrauius and diuers others testifie there were manye Bishops of this kingedome as namelie Willielmus or Michael Columbanus Ywanus Eleutherius and Lotharius Which I rather name that wee may know how this kingedome at that tyme both was soe replenished with Bishops that it might spare soe manie to bee sent from hence with those holy Virgins and to giue euidence how deuoted and respectiue the Bishops and cleargie with the rest of the Christians of this kingedome were towards the See of Rome in these dayes THE FIFTE CENTVRIE OR HVNDRED YEARE THE IX CHAPTER Shewinge by these Protestants of England how both the Popes highest spiritual power was still here continued and a perpetuall succession of our Bishops and Cleargie alsoe in Britanie from the See of Rome as in the other Ages before NOw wee are come to the fift Century in the beginning whereof the first Fathers of Heresie and Opposers against the holy Apostolick See of Rome which I finde to haue beene of our Brittish nation were the monstrous rebellious Hereticks Pelagius and Timotheus not that I finde them more formally directly opposite to the See Apostolick then other Hereticks were but as the nature and necessitie of heresie is to bee euer contrarie and disobedient to their cheife iudge and commaunder in such cases the Pope of Rome with councels assembled for as our Protestants tell vs diuers Popes of Rome both by themselues and in councels had condemned Pelagius for an hereticke and yett hee obstinately persisted in his condemned errors Innocentius the first condemned Pelagius the monke and Coelestius of heresie for preferringe free vvill before the grace of God and sayd the vvil of man by it selfe was sufficient able to fulfill the cōmaundements of God and tooke avvay the necessitie of Baptisme and faith in Christ Rob. Barns in vit Pont. Rom in Innocent Bal. centur 1. de Scriptorib in Pelagio heresiarcha Innocentius primus Pelagium monachum Coelestium haereseos damnauit quod liberū arbitrium gratiae Dei praeferrent dicerentque voluntatē per se sufficere ad implenda Dei mādata praesul ordinatus Pelagius sui nominis haeresim fabricabat asserens hominem sine peccato nasci ac solo voluntatis imperio sine gratia saluari posse vt ita nefarius baptismum ac fidem tolleret Pelagius after hee was made a Bishopp framed an heresie of his name affirminge that man was borne without sinne and by the onely commaunde of his wil without grace by Christ might bee saued that the wicked man might soe take away both baptisme and faith Pope Sozimus alsoe as these men tell vs condemned this hereticke and to vse their wordes Rob. Barnes sup in Sozimo Papa That Sozimus might declare that nothinge was in any place ratified that was done in holy things except it were done by the Popes authoritie hee sent Faustinus a Bishop two preists to the councell of Carthadge The decrees of the councell were brought to Pope Sozimus which beeinge by him approued the Pelagian heresie was condemned euery where Vt Sozimus declararet nihil vsquam ratum fore quod in rebus sacris ageretur nisi id Romani Pontificis authoritate fieret Faustinum Episcopum duos presbyteros ad Cathaginensem Synodum misit Synodalia decreta ad Sozimum perlata sunt quibus approbatis Pelagiana haeresis passim damnata est Thus wee see by these Protestants that the Popes of Rome euen in this time when they were moste afflicted and Rome it selfe taken and sacked by Gothes in the time of this Pope Barns supr beeinge Pope but one yeare 3. moneths and twelue dayes Sozimo Pontifice Roma à Gothis capta est They still exercised and practised this highest spirituall power in all places euen in Africk as these Protestants assure vs and not onely in Europe where our Britanie is In which they shewed and exercised this their highest supreamacy in many and diuers matters in that time And first in this Busines of Pelagius the monke or Abbot of Bangor in Wales Thus writeth a Protestant Bishop with consent of Antiquities Bal. centur 1. de Scriptor in Palladio Graeco Hector Boeth hist Scotor l. 7. fol. 132.133 Holinsh. histor of Scotland Ed. Grymston cap. Relig. of Scotland pag. 20. Prosper in Chronico Palladius Graecus à Caelestino Romanorum Pontifice Antistes mittebatur vt Pelagianam haeresim quae tunc magnam Britanniae partem inquinauerat à Britannorum gente arceret atque Scotorum populum ad veram pietatem à qua continua bellorum atrocitate paulùm aberrarit rite reduceret Hunc ferunt concionibus pijs à quibusdam gentilium superstitiūculis ecclesias illas purgasse atque ob id in hodiernum vsque diem Scotorum Apostolus appellatur Palladius a Graecian was by Celestine Pope of Rome sent a Bishop to driue from the nation of the Britans the Pelagian heresie which then had defiled a great part of Britanie and rightly to reduce the Scots to true pietie from which by the continuall crueltie of wars they had erred The saying is that with his godly sermons hee purged those churches from some superstitions of the gentiles and soe is to this day called the Apostle of the Scots Here wee see it first left to the Popes Iudgment what was heresie to bee condemned what was error to bee recalled superstition to bee reformed and in his power spirituall the temporall Romane then hauinge nothing to doe in any part of this Iland to assigne and send a Bi-Bishop and Apostle to that nation which was neuer subiect either in temporall respects to the Romane Emperors whoe soe performed the highest sacred duties and authoritie in that church that as before and by all writers hee is called Scotorum Apostolus the Apostle of the Scots as iustlie hee deserued it settling all things there by his legatine power makinge a Bishop an Archbishop and the like matters of greatest Iurisdiction as namely S. Seruanus Bishop of the Orchads and S. Teruanus Archbishop of the Picts Palladius Seruanum Episcopum ad Orchadas Insulas missum vt Populum rudem christiana pietate institueret creauit Teruanum quem Infantē lustrico lauerat fonte Pictorū Archiepiscopum constituit Palladius created Seruanus a Bishopp and sent him to the Orchads Ilands to instruct the rude people in the christian faith and hee appointed Teruanus whome hee baptized when hee was an Infant to bee Archbishop of the Picts Hector Boeth hist. Scotor l. 7. folio 133. pag. 1. Georg. Buchan Rerum Scoticar l. 5. Rege 42. pag. 146. Polidor Verg. hist. Anglic. l. 3. pag. 58.59 Thus the Scottish histories
teach vs. By which it is euident that the whole state of the church of Scots and Picts alsoe was then settled by the Authoritie of this Roman Legate and that the other Gouernors which he appointed in it were alsoe sent from Rome for if Teruanus whom hee appointed Archbishop of the Picts was baptized when hee was but an Infant as these Scottish historians tell vs hee was baptized at Rome or those parts where S. Palladius then liued not in this kingdome where it is confessed by all antiquities that S. Palladius liued a verie short time And S. Teruanus beeinge made by him an Archbishopp amonge the Picts it both informeth that there were other Bishops there vnder him els he could not bee Archbishop cheefe of the Bishops there and maketh probable that S. Ninian whoe as a Protestant Bishop writeth Bal. cent 1. in Ninian Bernic died about this time was alsoe Archbishopp there and now dyinge Teruanus was by Palladius his legatine power ordeyned his successor or that both these were Archbishops of Yorke soe appointed by the See of Rome and named Bishops of the Picts because they with other prouinces were subiect to the Archbishops See of Yorke a subordination neyther altered by S. Celestine or any other Pope vntill such time as I haue before declared except in such extraordinary cases of special legats sent immediately from Rome with cheife authoritie such as S. Palladius was whoe by that prerogatiue exercised this iurisdiction extraordinarily in consecrating and instituting Bishops within the limitts of the Metropolitane of Yorke which ordinarily belonged vnto his See by the order of Pope Eleutherius from the beginning of our publick receauing of the faith of Christ And the same care and chardge which S. Celestine then Pope of Rome tooke of the Scots and Picts at this time the same alsoe hee had and as cheife pastor performed both to this kingedome of Britanie and Ireland alsoe Concerning Britanie these Protestants assure vs that when Pelagius was dead before and his heresies by many Popes and councells condemned yett it beeing maintayned here by Leporius Agricola a very learned Hereticke Bal. centur 1. de scriptor in Leporio Agricola l. 2. de Act. Pontif. Rom. in Celestino Rob. Barns l. de vita Pontif. Roman in Caelestin That Saint Palladius of whome I haue spoken the Popes Legate in Scotland informed S. Celestine Pope hereof whoe therevppon sent the twoe french Bishops Germanus and Lupus hither to strengthen the Britans in the true doctrine of heauēly grace and to cōfute the wicked doctrine of the sufficiency of mans vvorkes vvithout the grace of Christ. Quod per Palladium audiēs Caelestinus Pontifex Romanus Germanum Antissiodorensem Lupum Tracafessum Gallicanos Episcopos illuc misit vt Britannos in fide gratiae caelestis solidarent impiam atque Hipocriticam humanorum operum doctrinam confutarent And that wee may bee fully informed that S. Celestine the Pope did not send these two holy Bishops into Britanie onely to suppresse the pelagian heresy but to supply the spiritual wants in this kingdome this Protestant Bishop and greatest enemy to the See of Rome will tell vs more plentifully where hee describeth that holy Pope and his doctrine in this maner Balaeus l. 2. de act Pontif. Rom. in Coelestino Robert Barns in vit Pont. in Coelestino Caelestinus Campanus Introitum graduale Responserium tractum offertorium papisticae missae inseruit atque vt Sacerdotes pontificum Canones scirēt arctè praecepit Germanum in Britanniam Palladium in Scotiam Patricium cum quodam Segetio in Hiberniam vt pelagianas haereses extirparent Episcopos misit obijtque anno Christi 435. Confessorum numero asscriptus Pope Celestine borne in Campania did put to the Papisticall masse the introite graduale responsorie tract and offertorie and streightly commanded that preists should knowe the canons of the Popes hee sent Bishops Germanus into Britanie Palladius into Scotland and Patricke with one called Segetius into Ireland to roote out the Pelagian heresies And hee died in the yeare of Christ 435. in the number of Confessors An other interpretinge this addition hee made to the masse saith Barns supr In initio sacrificij vt Psalmus Iudica me Deus discerne causam meam c. à sacrificaturo diceretur ordinauit Graduale in missa ordinauit vt Sacerdotes canones sacros tenerent praecepit Pope Celestine ordeyned that in the beginninge of the sacrifice when a preist was to sacrifice hee should say the psalme which beginneth Iudge mee o God and discerne my cause c. hee did order the graduale in the Masse cōmaunded that preists should vnderstand or keepe the holy canons as before And the Protestant Archbishopp Whitgift Whitg Answere to the Admonition pag. 44. sect 1.2 Speaking of this holie Pope writeth Celestine was a godly Bishop and the church of Rome at that time had the substance of the Sacraments accordinge to gods word neither was there any superstition mixed with them the Introite that hee appointed was one of the psalmes The like hath Master Foxe Foxe tom 2. in Queene Mary pag. 1401. whoe affirmeth this vse of a psalme before the Masse was vsed longe before in the Greeke church And it is the common opinion of our English Protestāts their Bishops Antiquaries and doctors that the Religion which these holy Legats of Rome SS Germanus and Lupus taught here was in all things veritatis praedicatio doctrina sincera sincerissima purus Dei cultus qùalis ab Apostolis mandato diuino Christianorum Ecclesiis traditus erat The preaching of truth sincere doctrine moste sincere doctrine the pure worship of God such as by the commandement of God was by the Apostles deliuered to the churches of Christians and soe it continued here in this puritie longe after Matth. Parker Antiq. Britan pag. 6.45.46 Goscelin histor Bal. l. 2. de act Pontif. Rom. in Greg. 1. l. de Script centur 1. in August Dionatho Godvvyn Conuers of Brit. Povvel in annot in lib. Girald Cambr. de Itinerar Cambr. c. 1. Foxe pag. 463. edit an an 1576. Fulk Answ. to a count Cathol pag. 40. Midleton Papistam pag. 202. Stovve histor in Ethelb Holinsh. histor of Engl. cap. 21. pag. 102. Therefore wee may not now make any doubt of any thinge done here by these holy Bishops by power from the Pope either in causinge the decrees and canons of the Popes soe much dignifyinge the highest spirituall power in the See of Rome generally to bee vsed and receaued here by all preists and cleargie men as this holy Pope had commanded nor in consecratinge Bishops and Archbishops with limitation of their Iurisdictions and the like but they were moste Iustely and religiously performed Matth. West an 446. Matth. Park antiq Brit. Holinsh hist. of Engl. Sigibert an 428. Stowe and Howes histor in Theodosius Bal. centur 1. in Leporio Agricola And yett besides their powerable and authoritatiue condemninge of the Pelagian heresies
entreated by Aurelius Ambrosius the Kinge or Ruler of Britanie to come ouer and yeeld their best helpe for extinguishing the Pelagian heresie that had then taken great roote in this contry And they appointed his See to bee at Landaff which soone after was remoued to Caerlegion vppon Vske in Monmoutshire And in an other place thus hee writeth Godwyn Catalog in Landaff 1. in Dubritius The cathedral church of Landaffe is reported to haue beene first built in the time of Lucius about the yeare of Christ 180. But I perceiue not that any Bishop satt there before Dubritius that by Germanus Bishop of Altisiodore and Lupus of Trecasia tvvo Bishops of Fraunce vvas first consecrate Archbishop of those parts and sate sometimes at Caerleon sometimes at Landaffe Where hee quite forgetteth his kinge Monric attributinge all to the Popes Legates And a little after citinge the very same booke of Landaffe which hee did before hee produceth many Bishops of that See to haue excommunicated the kinges or princes of that contry of which hereafter Godvvyn Catalog of Bish in Landaff pag. 518.520.521.523 edit an 1615. Soe that there is not the leaste suspition left eyther by the booke of Landaffe or any antiquitie but the cheife spirituall power and iurisdiction in this kingedome was euer acknowledged generally to be in the holy Apostolick See of Rome and at this time executed here by those holy Legats from thence Which more appeareth in this holy Archbishop S. Dubritius whoe was not onlie thus consecrated and disposed of in those highest spirituall affaires by authoritie from Rome but was alsoe himselfe the Popes Legate here in Britanie as Robertus Caenalis the french Bishop the Brittish history and other witters say Robert Caenal Gallic hist. l. 1. perioche 6. Galfr. monum l. 9. cap. 12. histor Brit. Ex Vrbe Legionū Dubritius hic Britaniae primas Apostolicae sedis Legatus tanto religione clarebat vt quemcumque langore grauatis orationibus suis sanaret Dubritius Archbishop of Caerlegion Primate of Britanie and legate of the See Apostolicke was soe holy that hee healed all sick parsons by his prayers Therefore beeing the Popes Legate and liuinge here soe longe vntill the yeare of Christ 522. as two Protestant Bishops tell vs. Godwyn sup Bal. centur 1. in Dubricius And Primate of Britanie there can bee noe doubt of the Popes power here in this time if wee had noe other instances and Arguments to Insist vpon in this matter for those daies But these Protestant Antiquaries Galfrid monum histor Reg. Britan. l. 6. c. 13. Io. Capgrau Catal. in S. Dubritij Manuscript of Saints old in Dubrit and others tell vs that these Legats thus sent from the Pope did not come hither onely to extirpate those heresies but to preach the true Religion in all other things for the christianitie of the Britans was then corrupted not onely by the Pelagian heresie but by the Pagans which the kinge had brought hither and by the preachinge of these blessed men the Popes Legats the Religion of true faith was restored amonge them In tempore illo venit S. Germanus Antissiodorensis Episcopus Lupus Trecensis Episcopus vt verbum Dei Britonibus praedicarent corrupta namque fuerat christianitas eorum tum propter Paganos quos Rex in societatem eorum posuerat tum propter Pelagianam haeresim Beatorum igitur virorum praedicatione restituta est inter eos verae fidei Religio And in particular besides the common Pelagian heresies against the necessitie of Baptisme and grace of Christ it seemeth the Pelagian preists and Bishops contrary to christian Religion in all churches had women whom they called their wiues for wee reade that Leporius Agricola the greate promoter of that heresie here was the sonne of Seuerianus a Pelagian Bishop saith one Protestant Stowe histor in Theodosius the yonger Seueri cuiusdam Pelagianorum Sacerdotis in Britannia filius the sonne of one Seuerus a Pelagian preist in Britanie saith an other Io Bal. centur 1. de Scriptor in Leporio Agric. And the kinge Vortiger soe countenanced the Pagan Saxons that wee heare that many christians intermarried with them as the kinge himselfe had done although hee had then aliue his christian wife by whome hee had three sonnes to wit Vortimer Catigern and Pascentius yett hee married the Pagan daughter of Hengistus the Pagan named Rowenna and soe aduanced the Infidels that the whole kingedome was endaungered and to aggrauate these sinnes this kinge kept in vvicked maner his owne daughter vvhich hee had by his Christian vvife and begott a child a daughter of her Mattheus Westminster anno 450. Generat etiam ex eadem coniuge filiam quam in societatem thori suscipiens filiam ex ea proceauit Whereupon to speake in Protestant wordes Stovve and Hovves histor in Vortigern Vodine Archbishopp of London a man of singular deuotion and good life by the aduise of Vortimer the kinges eldest sonne and next kinge went to Vortiger and said to him that hee had not done as a Christian prince in departinge from his lawfull wife and takinge an other woman whose father was an enemy to the Christian faith and alsoe went about to conquer the crowne of Britanie Hengist hearing Vortiger make lamentation forthwith slew the good Archbishop Vodine and many other preists and Religious parsons all the churches in lent were polluted with blood the Nunnes with other religious parsons were by force putt from their howses and goods constreined to pollutiō of their bodies The Brittās consideringe the daily repaire of the Saxons into this Realme shewed to their kinge the Ieoperdie that might therof ensue and aduertised him of the daunger but all was in vaine for Vortiger by reasons of his wife bare such fauour to the Saxons that hee would in noe wise heare the counsaile of his subiects Thus farre these Protestants But Nennius in his manuscript history writing as a Protestāt Bishop saith Io Bal. centur 1. in Nennio Bamachorensi Nennius in M. S. histor in Guorthigirno Rege a thousand yeares since writeth plainely that amonge other wickednesses of this kinge hee tooke his owne daughter for his wife and had a daughter by her Which when it was proued to S. Germanus the Popes Legate hee came with all the cleargie of Britanie to correct the kinge And when a Synode of the cleargie and nobilitie was assembled The kinge arose and was very angry and sought to fly from the face of S. German and hee was accursed and condemned by blessed German and all the councell of the Britans Super haec omnia mala adijciens Guorthigirnus accepit filiam suam propriam in vxorem sibi quae peperit ei filiam Hoc autem cum compertum esset à Sancto Germano venit corripere Regem cum omni clero Britannum dum conuenta esset magna Synodus Clericorum in vno concilio ipse Rex surrexit iratusque est vehementer vt à facie Sancti
English Protestants that the Popes of Rome in al this age both claymed and exercised this their supreame spirituall power and commaunde in this kingedome of Britanie And because the kingedome of Ireland is now belonging to the crowne of greate Britanie and S. Patricke generally called the Apostle of that nation was borne in this our Britanie and sent to Ireland by the same Pope Celestine whoe sent S. Palladius Germanus and Lupus hither I must say some-what of him and his proceedings in this matter The very name of the Apostle of Ireland which is giuen vnto him in all Antiquities and that hee was thus sent from the Pope of Rome Saint Celestine with that highe spirituall power requisite in such a case of the conuersion of soe greate a contrye will sufficiently warrant the dependance of the same in spirituall things of the Apostolicke See of Rome For to speake nothinge of his miraculous powerable proceedings with greate opposites vnto him remembred by the writers of his life and others Nennius himselfe is thus farr a witnesse for this renowned Saint and Irish Apostle Nennius in manu-scripto codice antiq in Patricio Sanctus Patricius Euangelium Christi externis nationibus per annos 40. praedicabat virtutes Apostolicos faciebat caecos illuminabat leprosos mundabat surdos audire faciebat daemones obsessis corporibus fugabat mortuos numero vsque nouem suscitauit captiuos multos vtriusque sexus proprijs donis redemit scripsit Abegetoria 300. sexaginta quinque aut amplius ecclesias quoque eodem numero fundauit trecentas sexaginta quinque ordinauit Episcopos 365. aut amplius in quibus spiritus Dei erat presbyteros autem vsque ad tria millia ordinauit duodecim milia hominum in vna Regione Conachta ad fidem Christi conuertit baptizauit quadraginta diebus totidemque noctibus in cacumine montis Eile ieiunauit S. Patrick did preache the ghospell of Christ 40. yeares to externe nations hee wrought Apostolicall miracles hee made the blinde to see cleansed lepers caused the deaffe to heare draue away deuills from possessed bodies hee raised to life nyne deade parsons hee redeemed many captiues of either sexe with his owne goods hee wrote Abegetories 365 or more hee founded churches in the same number three hundred sixtie fiue hee ordeyned three hundred three score fiue Bishops or more in whom there was the spirit of God hee ordeyned preists to the number of three thousande and hee conuerted to the faith of Christ and baptized twelue thousand men in one Region called Conacht hee fasted fourtie dayes soe many nights in the topp of the montaine Eile Thus this auntient Brittish Author comparinge this holy Bishop S. Patrick to Moyses in fower thinges first for his speakinge with an Angell in rubo in a bushe secondlie for his fast of fourtie dayes and nights thirdlie for the yeares of his age 120. fourthlie for the place of his buriall vnknowne By which narration of Nennius soe auntient and recommended an Author that S. Patricke did consecrate soe manye preists and Bishops especiallie a-aboue three hundred and threescore holy Bishops when the fourth part of them could not bee employed for these Ilands of Britanie and Ireland it is an euident argument that his legatine power from the See Apostolick of Rome did not confine it selfe in these Ilands but extended it selfe to other parts farr off which wee now call America because neyther Fraunce nor any nation in the old continent was then subordinate to Britanie or Ireland to receaue Bishops and preachers from them And this Nennius seemeth to insinuate when hee sayth Saint Patricke preached the ghospell externis nationibus to externe and straunge nations the Popes power spiritual rechinge vnto all Regions this is cōfirmed by the writers of the life of S. Brendan whoe as both an old manuscript which I haue seene an old manuscript in the life of S. Brendan written diuers hundreds yeares since and Iohn Capgraue in Catal. in S. Brendan whoe wrote longe before and was published in print an 1516. the late discouerie of America are witnesses founde in diuers places manie dayes saylinge from Ireland in America and Ilands belonging vnto it diuers religious Christians that came thither in the time of S. Patricke and sent or brought thither by him And the Iland called still S. Brendan in those parts may seeme to haue taken and still to keepe the name from that holy Saint beeinge there in those his holie trauailes Insul Sancti Brendani in descript Amaric apud Abrah Ortel alios And yet to conclude the labours of Saint Patrick and his testifyinge the spirituall prerogatiue of the Roman See here in Britanie where hee was borne these Protestants haue before recommended his epistle vnto vs wherein hee declareth that as Saint Phaganus and Deruuianus Damianus by others obteyned ten yeares Indulgence of S. Eleutherius for the holy place of Glastenburie Antiquit. Glasten apud M.S. antiq Ioh. Capgrau al. in S. Patricio soe hee obteyned of S. Celestine Pope whoe sent him into these parts twelue yeares of Indulgēce for the same place Et ego frater Patricius à piae memoriae Caelestino Papa duodecimo annos Indulgentiae acquisiui And to make all cleare that neither S. Palladius S. Germanus and Lupus or S. Patricius did any thinge in these parts nor any vnder them but by the Popes actuall or virtuall approbation or allowance thus it is testified by our Protestant historians in these words Raphael Holinsh. Iohn Hooker histor of Ireland pag. 53. Palladius Landed in the North of Ireland whence hee escaped right hardly with his life into the Iles adioyninge where hee preached the ghospell and conuerted noe small number of Scots to the christian faith and purged that part which was christened from the infection of the Pelagians Hee was required by the Scots that inhabited here in Britanie to leaue the Iles and come ouer vnto them there to Instruct the people in the way of true saluation to the which with the Popes Licence hee seemed willinge enough and the Bishop of Rome the more redily condiscended thereunto for that in the instant time when Palladius was to depart and Patrick attended at Rome suinge for licence to bee sent into Ireland the Pope therefore graunted that Palladius might passe ouer to the Scots in Britanie and appointed Patricke to goe with authoritie from him into Ireland Thus wee see all ecclesiasticall things ordered and disposed here by the Popes authoritie in this age THE SIXTE CENTVRIE OR HVNDRED YEARE THE X. CHAPTER Wherein the same highest spirituall power of the Popes of Rome is still by these English Protestant Diuines and Antiquaries continued in this kingedome IT is euident by that which is entreated before that in the beginninge of this sixt hundred yeares and longe after the susupreame papal power continued inuiolably in this kingedome for S. Dubritius the Popes Legate liued vntill the yeare 522. And many or moste of the
renowned men in this age in Britanie were his Schollers taught and instructed by him thus the Antiquarie of Cambridge writeth Ioh. Caius antiquit Cantabrig l. 1. pag. 148. Catal. Sanct. Wall in S. Dubrit In vetusto codice cui titulus est de vitis Sanctorum Wallensium in vita S Dubritij ista lego creuit illius Dubritij fama cum vtriusque legis notae veteris peritia pertotam Britanniam ita quòd ex omni parte totius Britanniae Scholares veniebant non tantum rudes sed etiam viri sapientes doctores ad eum studendi gratia confluebant These I reade in an old booke intituled of the liues of the Saints of Walles in the life of Saint Dubritius The fame of him Dubritius with his knowledge both of the new and old lawe soe increased throughout all Britanie that out of euerie part of all Britanie schollers came vnto him not onely the ignorant but wise men and doctors flocked vnto him to study cheifely S. Helian Sampson his disciple Vbelinus Merchiguinus Elguoredus Guninus Longual Artbodu Longur Arguistus Iunabin Conbram Goruan Guernabin Iouan Elhebarn Iudnon Curdocui Aidan Cinnarh and with these he had a thousand clergie men seuen yeares together in the villadge Hentlan vppon the riuer side of Guy in the studie of diuine and humane learninge giuinge them example in himselfe of a religious life and perfect charitie Therefore these soe manie renowned men out of all parts of Britanie and schollers to a Master the Popes Legate and primate of Britanie and many of them by the same authoritie after made Rulers in the church of Britanie and one of them S. Sampson Archbishop of Yorke they could not in any equall iudgement bee otherwise affected to the See of Rome then that their soe glorious and renowned Master and instructor was for otherwise they could not haue bee named his schollers and beeing soe many a thousand more in number it is not credible but all moste or many of them followed him in this as in other doctrines Like was the case of S. Iltutus of whome I haue breiflye spoken before hee alsoe liued longe after this time as a Protestant Bishop wittnesseth in the yeare of Christ 520. Bal. l. de Script centur 1. in Ilchat Morgan fol. 29. Egregius iste Britannorum Magister inquiunt Vincentius Antoninus ex discipulis erat diui Germani Qui omnium scripturarum veteris ac noui testamenti omnium artium philosophiae cunctorum suae gentis scientissimus futura Dei dono praenouit In magno numero discipulos iste habuit tam Gallos quam Britānos quorum fuere praecipui Sampson Paulinus Dauid Gildas Badonicus This excellent Master of the Britans say Vincentius and Antoninus was one of the disciples of S. German the Popes Legate whoe among all of his nation was the moste skilfull in all scriptures both of the old and new testament and in all arts of philosophie and by the guift of God knew things to come This man had disciples in greate number aswell French men as Britās of the which the cheifest were Sampson Paulinus Dauid and Gyldas Badonicus The same is proued vnto vs by other Protestants Merchiannus Rex in Dipl apud Caium antiq Cantabr l. 1. pag. 147. Catalog Sanct. Wall in S. Iltuto And how the Pope graunted him this priuiledge of such publick teachinge Magistralis tibi cura à Pontifice concessa est as the kinge of those parts in his princely graunt with others witnesse Therefore if the greatest doctors and teachers of others in Britanie in these times were thus licenced by the Popes their Legates and schollers of their legats wee cannot question but such as the Masters such likewise the schollers and disciples were especially when wee find their cheifest Schollers S. Dauid S. Sampson made Archbishops by the Poopes Authoritie and this former primate of all Britanie by the Popes graunt as hereafter Matth. Westm. ad An. 727. And that the scholers of Britanie were not then allowed without the Popes priuiledge doth further appeare by our Protestants Hardinghe Lydgate and others Ioh. Hardinge apud Bal. in praefat ad l. de Script Stow histor Ioh. Caius l. 1. antiq Cantabrig Brian Twin apol Oxon. l. 1. testifying that in the tyme of S Gregorie the vniuersities or publick Scholes of Stamford Caerlegion and perhaps some others were interdicted by the Pope for some errors they held at this time The Antiquaries of Cambridge contend Caius sup l. 1. that their vniuersity was then Innocent and soe preserued and priuiledged Brian Twyn apol l. 2. pag. 143. They of Oxord seeme to graunt and glory in it that S. Germanus the Popes Legate did confirme the orders and constitutions of the vniuersitie of Oxford and alledge Asserius Meneuersis to that purpose Asser Meneu apud Brian Twyn supr Diuum Germanum Oxoniam aduenisse annique dimidium illic esse moratum qui ordines instituta illius loci mirum in modum comprobauit Saint German came to Oxford and stayed there halfe a yeare and greately approued the orders and institutions of that place And to proue that all the Christians of this Britany then in this age acknowledged this power of the Pope of Rome and their dependance of him in spirituall things the Archbishops See of London beeinge wasted and persecuted by the pagan Saxons moste swayinge in the prouinces subiect vnto it wee doe not reade of any Archbishop of London after the martyrdome of S. Vodinus vntill Theonus Bishop of Glocester tooke charge thereof in the yeare 553. as a Protestant Bishop writeth in this manner Godwyn Catalog of Bish in Lond. in Vodinus and Theonas Stow. histor in Lucius I finde onely one of them named viz. Theonus that beeing first Bishop of Glocester forsooke it and tooke the chardge of London vppon him in the yeare 553. soe write other Protestants Therefore wee must now seeke to the other two Archiepiscopall Sees Caerlegion and Yorke For S. Dubricius hee was both consecrated by the Popes Legate S. Germanus and hee himselfe alsoe both the Popes Legate and Primate of all Britanie Britanniae Primas Apostolicae sedis Legatus Galfrid Monum hist Reg. Brit. l. 9. cap. 12. Godwyn Catal. in S. Dauids 1. Landaff 1. Soe that there is noe question of him but hee acknowledged this highest spirituall power in the See of Rome whose Legate hee was then in this kingedome Neyther can there bee any doubt of the Archbishop of Yorke in this behalfe at this time for S. Sampson was then Archbishop there whoe as before was both scholler to S. Dubritius soe earnest a patrō of the Romane See and alsoe of S. Iltutus as before scholler to S. German the Popes Legate and warrāted to bee publick professor teacher here by the Popes allowāce to giue more certaynety herein this holy man S. Sāpson was miraculously chosen of God as Capgraue and others write to the Archiepiscopall See of Yorke Ioh. Capgrau
singulorum Pontificium Principum huius Regni licentia sedis Apostoliâ—ae statuo praesenti scripto firmiter decerno vt ciuitas Scholarium praedicta à publicis vect galibus operibus onerosis absoluaÌ„tur Where wee see the Popes licence requisite and first obteyned of this kinge euen from freeing that schole in teÌ„poral respects This licence as it seemeth beeing obteyned from Pope Iohn the second for the Charter beareth date anno ab Incarnatione Domini 531.7 die Aprilis in ciuitate Londoni the yeare of Christ 531. the seuenth day of Aprill in the citie of London at which time Iohn the seconde is coÌ„monly thought to haue beene Pope How many Popes confirmed that schole and exempted it from all other iurisdiction but the See Apostolick I haue written before and now add from Pope Sergius the first apud Caium lib. 1. de antiquit Cantabr accadem pag. 78.79.80 shewinge how his predecessors in the See Apostolick had done the same Sergius Episcopus seruus seruorum Dei praesentium authoritate decreuimus vt nulli Archiepiscopo seu Episcopo alijue ecclesiasticae personae vel seculariliceat vniuersitatem vestram aut aliquem vestrum suspendere seu excommunicâ—re vel quolibet sub interdicto ponere absquâ— summi Pontificis assensu vel eius mandato speciali prohibemus infuper ne quis priuilegia à sede Apostolica gratiosè concessa vel indulta ausu temerario infringere seu restringere praesumat vel attemptet nulli igitur heminum omnino liceat hanc paginam nostrae concessionis exemptionis infringere vel ei quouismodo contraire Si quis autem hoc attentare praesumpserit indignationem omnipotentis Dei beatorum Apostolorum Petri Pauli se nouerit incursurum Sergius Pope seruant of the seruaÌ„ts of God Wee haue decreed by the Authoritie of these presents that it shall bee lawfull for noe Archbishop Bishop or other parson spirituall or secular to suspend or excommunicate or any way to interdict your vniuersitie or any of you without the Popes assent or special commandement Wee further forbid that noe man by temerarious boldnes presume or attempt to infringe or restrict the priuiledges gratiously graunted giuen by the See Apostolick It shall bee lawfull for noe man at all to infringe or contradict the tenure of this our graunt and exemptioÌ„ if any man presume to attempt it lett him know that he shall incurr the indignation of almightie God and the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul Where wee see all parsons in Britanie then subiect and subordinate in spirituall iurisdiction to the Pope of Rome And this testified by our Protestants theÌ„selues Wil. Lamb. in l. de leg Reg. in Legib. Edward fol. 126. Ingulph histor in fine Whoe goe furher in such things and assure vs from the common lawes themselues of our auncient kings S. Edward the confessor and others and confirmed by king William the first both as Ingulphus and our Protestant antiquaries acknowledge that this kingdome at that time and kings therof did acknowledge as great power in the See of Rome in matters concerning this nation as any catholick now may yeeld vnto it for our auntient publick lawes warranted by our Protestants thus Instruct vs Leges S. Eduardi titul de iure appendicijs coronae Regni Britanniae Guliel Lamb. sup p. 137.138 Hackluit booke of trauailes pag. 244. Impetrauit temporibus illis Arthurus Rex à Domino Papa à Curia Romana quod confirmata sit Norweia in perpetuum coronae Britanniae in augmentum Regni huius vocauitque illam Arthurus Cameram Britanniae Hac vero de causa dicunt Norwegienses se debere in regno isto cohabitare dicunt se esse de corpore regni huius scilicet de corona Britanniae Thus in english by a Protestant minister kinge Arthur obteyned in those dayes of the Pope and Court of Rome that Norway should bee for euer annexed to the crowne of Britanie for the enlardgment of this kingdome and hee called it the chamber of Britanie For this cause the Norses say that they ought to dwell with vs in this kingedome to witt that they belonge to the crowne of Britanie And if wee would bee as little beholding to the See of Rome for confirming Norway to this kingedom as to Pope Eleutherius before to the Ilands and say kinge Arthur claymed Norway by a former Title as DeÌ„marke was before or Iurebelli as a conqueror and the Pope did nothinge but confirme these or one of these Titles it sufficeth to asscribe the iudgment of that question to the See Apostolicke This seemeth to mee to confesse and acknowlege greate and ample prerogatiue in the Pope of Rome in spirituall maters and directing also of temporal to a spiritual end as Catholicks now attribute vnto him or hee demaunde And yett wee are by these Protestans whoe freely acknowledge the Popes and church of Rome then to haue beene holy assured that the holy Pope and court of Rome soe practized it That our kinge Christianus optimus fuit kinge Arthur was an exceeding good christian who sought accepted it both he the Bishop cleargie and the whole kingedome soe approued thereof that it was by publick authoritie receaued for a lawe in this nation and ratified both by our BritaÌ„s Saxons Normans after them For it is set downe in this lawe before that from that time the Norses or Norwegians claymed priuiledge to bee free here by those proceedings Which is more plainly expressed afterward in the same lawe in these words by Protestants translation The people of Norvvay may and ought from henceforth dvvel remaine in this kingdome vvith vs as our louinge and svvorne Brethren Qua de causa possint debent praedicti de caetero nobiscuÌ„ cohabitare remanere in regno sicut coniurati fratres nostri Guliel Lamb. in leg Eduardi sup Richard Hackluyt p. 245. And the motiue whereupon the Pope then soe proceeded in annexing and confirminge the kingdome of Norway to the crowne of Britanie seemeth to bee the very same the spirituall good both of that contrie this kingedome alsoe and the church of God in ordine ad spiritualia Which the present Pope and Catholicque diuines alledge ordinarilie for priuiledges of the See Apostolicke in such causes the spirituall good and helpe of all or many and hurt of none at all For besides many histories of those times soe testifyinge and to bee passed ouer it is recorded in these verie lawes themselues soe warranted by Protestants and antiquities Leges S. Edwardi supr titul de Iure Appendicijs Fuerunt gentes ferae indomitae non habuerunt legem Dei nec proximi fuerunt autem ibi Christiani occultè Arthurus autem Christianus optimus fuit fecit eos baptizari vnum Deum per totam Norweiam venerari vnam fidem Christi semper inuiolatam custodire caperunt vniuersi proceres Norweiae vxores suas de nobili gente Britonum
tempore illo vnde Norwegienses dicunt se exijsse de gente sanguine regni huius They were wilde and barbarous nations They had not the lawe of God nor neighbour but there were Christians there secretly But kinge Arthur was an exceeding good Christian and caused them to bee baptized and throughout all Norway to worship one God and to receaue and keepe the faith of Christ inuiolably all the noble men of Norway tooke wiues of the noble nation of the Britans Whereuppon the Norwegians say that they ar descended of the race and blood of this kingedome And then immediatly followeth that which is cited before The aforesaid kinge Arthur obteyned in those daies of the Pope and Court of Rome that Norway should bee for euer annexed to the crovvne of Britanie Whereby it seemeth by these Protestants the motiue of the Pope to ioyne Norway to the crowne of Britany was the spiritual good of both kingdomes and the church of God kinge Arthur soe worthie a christian hauing procured soe straunge and happy an alteration in the kingedome of Norway his victories there against the barbarous giuing free libertie and accesse to such christian preachers as by the Popes licence and allowance were directed thither For S. Kentegern made Bishop by S. Palladius the Popes Legate if wee may beleeue the puritan historian of Scotland vvent seuen times to Rome and the Pope sent him to performe the worke of the ministry enioyned him by the holy ghost Vir Dei septies Romam adiens sanctus Papa illum virum Dei Spiritus sancti gratia plena intelligens in opus ministerij à Spiritu sancto illi iniuncti destinauit Georg. Buchan Rerum Scotic l. 5. Rege 42. pag. 146. Ioh. Capgr in Catal. in S. Kentegerno And as our Protestants with others testifie this Apostolick man thus warranted and priuiledged sent of his disciples some to the Orchades to Norway and Island that they might receaue the light of faith by their instructions For hee had in his colledge at Elguel in Walles three hundred sixtie and fiue learned men allwayes soe prepared to preach Bal. l. de Scriptor centur 1. in Kentegerâ—… Elguensi Cap. supr cod Hector Beeth Scot. hist. l. 9 Ex discipulis suis quosdam ad Orchadas ad Norwegiam Islandium misâ—t vt eorum instructionibus fidei lumen reciperent nam in Elguensi collegio trecentos sexaginta quinque literatos viros ad id semper paratos habebat And to add further to the honor of the See Apostolick of Rome by the example of this moste blessed man S. Kentegern hee neuer beeing but an ordinary Bishop somtimes in Walles sometimes in Scotland yett by the priuiledge hee had from the Popes of Rome in that kinde besides his labors here in Britanie Norway and the remembred other places to write in a Protestant Bishops words Ioh. Bal. centur 1. in Kentegerno in Elguen Formam primitiuae seruauit Ecclesiae Apostolico more pedes ad praedicandum porrexit plaerosque ad fidem conuertit Apostatas reuocauit Pelagianos eiecit nondum renatos baptizauit simulachra subuertit Ecclesias construxit aegrotis ministrauit languores curauit atque in magna vixit abstinentia praedicabat ad flumen vsque Fordense ad mare Scotium Caledonos Athalos Horestos ac vicinarum Albainae regionum Incolas docendo mouendo hortando ad verae pietatis obseruationem instigauit Hee kept the forme of the primatiue church after the maner of the Apostles goinge on foote to preach hee conuerted very many to the faith recalled Apostats cast forth Pelagians baptized those that wanted baptisme ouerthrew the Idols builded churches ministred to the sick cured diseases and liued in great abstinence hee preached euen to the riuer of Fordâ—ne the Scottish See hee incited by teaching admonishinge and exhortinge to the obseruation of true piety the CaldoniaÌ„s Athals Horests and the inhabitants of the Regions neare to Albania This holy Bishop beeing first Bishop of Glascow in Scotland came into Walles about the yeare of Christ 560 and there settled an episcopall See hee beeing the first Bishop thereof by the riuer Elwy and notwithstandinge hee was at the first resisted therein by Malgo or Malgocunus a Brittish kinge in that contry yett his authoritie and power soe preuailed that to speake in a Protestant Bishops phrase Hector Boeth hist Scot. in Kentigern Godwin Catalog in Assaph 1. The kinge at last was content to allow the same church to bee an episcopall see and moreouer to bestowe vppon it diuers Lordships manners immunities and priuiledges Kentegern hauinge stayed here some number of yeares gaue ouer his Bishoprick vnto a disciple of his named Assoph a man of greate vertue and learninge whoe writ the life of his Master Kentegern and besides that hee was disciple to soe greate a patron of the Apostolick Roman See to giue Euidence that hee himselfe was soe alsoe affected notwithstandinge there were then many Bishops and Archbishops alsoe in Britanie yett a Protestant Bishop writeth Bal. centur 1. in Asapho à Pontificis Romani discipulis Angliam aduentantibus authoritate vnctionem accepit Hee receaued both authoritie and consecration from the disciples of the Pope of Rome that came into England and liued vntill the yeare of Christ 590. claruit anno à communis salutis origine 590. Within foure yeares of S. Augustines coming hither Before which time alsoe and in this age S. Iuo a Persian by birth and an holy Archbishop was sent by the Pope of Rome into this our Britanie or England together with Sithius his Nephew Inthius his Kinsman and others of whome the Towne yet called S. Iues in Huntington shire where about hee moste liued tooke the name dyinge after many yeares in the yeare of Christ 600. or there about beeinge here longe time by the Pope of Rome his mission before S. Gregory his sendinge S. Augustine hither Iohn Capgrau in S. Iuone Flor. Wigorn. an 600. Andr. Leucand Gotzelin in vita eius Neyther were our owne Archbishops that liued in this age after S. Dubritius Vodinus and Sampson otherwise affected in this matter First S. Sampson beeing driuen by the pagans from Yorke Pyramus or Pyrannus chapleyne to that greate freind of the Romane See kinge Arthur was Archbishop there conuocato Clero populo with common consent and consecrated by S. Dubricius the Popes Legate and primate here then noe other beeing to consecrate him Galfrid Monum histor Reg. Brit. lib. 9. cap. 8. Matth. Westm. an 522. The immediate successor to S. Dubricius bothe in his legatine power from the See of Rome and primate Metropolitane here in those times by common consent of writers Protestants and others was Godwyn Catalog in S. Dauids 1.2 and Landaffe 1. Bal. centur 1. in Dubrit and Dauid Capgrau Catalog that glorie of this nation S. Dauid to vvhome S. Dubritius resigned in his life liuing as an Eremite Relicto Episcopatu eremiticam vitam elâ—gat ac tenuit
against S. Augustine Bed lib. 2. histor cap. 2. Galfrid mon. lib. 11. hist. Matth. Westm. an 603. Capgrau in S. Augustino and speaking of an Archbishop of the citie of Legions and yett not anie one of them maketh the least mention that any Archbishop did either resist S. Augustine or pretend the least dislike of the spirituall supreamacie in the See of Rome or gainesay any order or decree of the blessed Pope S. Gregorie which sent him hither nor any Protestants though diuers of them name the Bishops as they coniecture which resisted S. Augustine Matth. Parker ant Britan. in August Godwyn Conuers of Brit. Stowe histor in Ethelb Bal. l. de Act. Pont. Rom. in Gregor 1. doe once name S. Telaus or any Archiepiscopal See at S. Dauids or anye other place in Walles at that time to haue consented to that opposition Hardinge in his Cronicle maketh this matter playne that the Britans which gainsaid S. Augustine did not deny the supreame spirituall power of the Pope of Rome in Britanie at that time but rather defended and maintayned it and thereby alsoe as they thought did iustely refuse S. Augustine for when hee demaunded obedience of them thus they answeared by this Author Ioh. Hardinge Chronicle cap. 88. in Ethelbert kinge of Saxons fol. 83.84 To which Britōs answeared that they not knew That hee had such estate in all Britanie For they had three Archbishops to obeyu Of Caerlion London and Yorke citie By Bishops of Rome graunted to vs ordinate Full longe afore yee had such dignitie Wherefore wee will obey noe nevv primate And specially none English nevv prelate For Englishmen and Saxons haue vs noyed And haue our Land and all our kyn destroyed Where wee see the Britans were soe far from disallowinge the Popes Authoritie in such things that by the same they both claymed and maintayned the power and prerogatiues of three Archbishops amonge them now foure hundred yeares since But these Protestants themselues with others acknowledge that the moste renowned Bishops that were in this kingedome at that time both receaued the Authoritie of the Pope of Rome and submitted themselues to S. Augustine his holy Legate Of the holines and learninge of S. Assaph I haue spoken before yett a Protestant Bishop saith of him Bal. centur 1. in Assaph A Gregorij Pontificis Romani discipulis Angliam aduentantibus authoritatem accepit hee receaued authoritie from the disciples of Gregorie the Pope of Rome that came into England S. Asaph in the life of his Master S. Kētegern Capgraue and others after affirme as much of S. Kentegern S. Assaph Ioh. Capgrau in vit S. Kentegerni that hee did acknowledg this high power in S. Gregory the Pope and receaued power and confirmation from him All our histories with generall consent affirme the same of S. Lethardus the french Bishop that liued with Queene Bertha in Kerit I haue proued the same of S. Iuo the Persian Archbishop that then preached in Huntington-shire Of S. Telaus alsoe the Archbishop of Walles sufficient is said all-ready And yet these were onely the cheife holy and learned Bishops here in that time not anie one comparable to the meanest of these mentioned in any writer I can finde to haue resisted either the Popes ordinance or his Legats authoritie And to satisfie a vaine obiection of some Protestant writers That S. Columbanus the holy Irish or Scottish Abbot whose authoritie some Britans in the tyme of S. Augustine pretended for defence of their error in obseruing the feast of Easter not presently submitting thēselues to the cōmaund of the church of Rome it is euident by auntiēt histories that both this S. Columban and the cheifest of them submitted thēselues wholly vnto it receaued both instruction and iurisdictiō frō thence For it is testified in a very old Manuscript cited by Surius that both S. Kelian which was the most renowned of them and that S Columbanus and S. Gallus submitted themselues with their associats to the Pope of Rome in all thinges at that time Thus it testifieth of S. Keliā made Bishop of Herbypolis Wirtzburg in Franconia by the Pope Sur. in vit S. Kel M.S. peruetust apud eund supr Praedicationi abstinuit donec Romano se Pontifici praesentaret quatenus apud Romanā sedem integrū christianae Religionis dogma licentiā praedicādi acciperet Hibernia siquidem olim Pelagiana faedata fuerat haeresi Apostolicaque censura damnata Hee abstayned from preaching vntil hee presented himselfe vnto the Pope of Rome that hee might receaue frō the See of Rome both the sownd doctrine of Christian Religion and licence to preach For Irland his contry was auntiently defiled with the pelagian heresie and condemned by apostolick censure and there sheweth how hee had companions both of his iorney and submission amonge others Saint Columbanus and S. Gallus leauing the first in Italy and the other in Almayne The like hath Iohn Capgraue and a verie old manuscript which hee followeth if not the same with that of Surius Ioh. Capgrau in S. Kilian M.S. antiq pr. gloriosissimus Rex Eduardus in S. Kiliano In oppido orientalis Fraunciae quod Wirttzburch eorum lingua dicitur cum aliquo tempore sub silentio stetisset Romam profectus est officio praedicandi à Papa recepto Episcopus ordinatus socijs eius Columbano scilicet in Italia Gallo in Almania remanentibus Saint Kilian stayed in a Towne of east France called in their languadge Wirtzburch and when hee had beene there some time in silence hee went to Rome and receauing from the Pope power to preach and beeing ordeyned a Bishop returned leauing his Companions Columbanus in Italy and Gallus in Almayne Where it is euident not onely these Scottish Saints did not onely submitt themselues to the Pope in all matters both of doctrine and iurisdiction but the Pope at that time extended and exercised that his supreame spirituall power both in Italie Fraunce Almayne Britaine and Ireland both to censure a whole nation and to disable any to preach or exercise spirituall function without his licence And although the kings of Britanie after Kinge Arthur euen to the desolation of the Britans were by all histories euen of their owne as Gildas Nennius the Brittish historie and others moste wicked men and such that by all testimonie of Protestants and others their kingedome was ouerthrowne by God for the sinnes of them and their people yett not anie one of them by any historie did denie this power of the See Apostolick but euen their last kinge Cadwalladar as their owne historian writteth Gildas de excid Britan. Galfrid mon. l. 11. histor cap. 3.4.5.6.7.8 monum histor beeing admonished from heauen Nolebat Deus Britones in Insula Britanniae diutius regnare that God would not haue the Britans reigne any any longer in the Iland of Britanie went as hee was admonished on pilgrimage to Rome submitted himselfe to Pope Sergius and died an holy Saint in soe much
that our Protestants thus note of him Galfrid mon. l. 12. cap. 17.18 Bed l. 4. histor in Epitom an 688. Matth. Westm. an 688.689 Protest annot in Matth. Westm. an 688. Regnum relinquens propter Deum Romam venit leauinge his kingdome for gods sake hee went to Rome An other saith Stowe histor in Cadwallader Cadwallader forsakinge his kingely authoritie went to Rome whoe after became a monke and was buried in S. Peters church at Rome hee was the laste kinge of Britanie saith Geffrey Galfrid Mon. l. 11. cap. 12. And for the Archbishop of Walles to whome some British Bishops in the time of S. Augustine said they ought obedience cum suum Archipraesulem haberent there is not the least colour or pretence of any title by these Protestants themselues how hee or his See could bee exempted from the Popes Authoritie for as these men haue told vs before it was first instituted by Pope Eleutherius in the time of kinge Lucius and by the succeedinge Popes and their Legats here as is before declared confirmed and ratified they receaued their Palle the signe of an Archbishop from Rome and after their vnion with the Saxons and disciples of Pope Gregory in the time of S. Theodore Archbishop of Canterbury vsed it and Archiepiscopall Authoritie in all degrees and by the Popes permission and allowance fiue and twentie Archbishops successiuely from S. Dauid to Archbishop Sampson and had seuen Bishops subiect vnto them vntill this Sampson flyinge the contry in a time of sicknes carried away the Pall into little Britanie Amonge manie others a Protestant Bishop thus relateth this matter Girald Cambren in Itinerar Cambr. Antiquit. eccl S. Dauid apud Godwin S. Dauid Matth. Park antiquit Brit. Rog. Houeden Godwin Catalog in S. Dauids in Sampsone In the time of Sampson the See of S. Dauid had seuen Bishops Suffragans subiect vnto it as the Antiquitie of the church of S. Dauid declareth to witt Exeter Bathe Hereford Landaff Bangor S. Assaph Furnes in Ireland Roger Houeden vvhich I accompt more likely reckoneth these Landaffe Lanpatern in Cardigan shire Bangor Saint Assaph Chichester Hereford and Worcester While hee was Bishop it hapned the people of all that contry were wonderfully vexed with Ianudise soe as great numbers of them died daily of that disease By the importunitie of his clergie and disciples hee was induced to flie the contry and sailed into Britanie where the Bishoprick of Dola beeing voide hee was straight way elected vnto the same Hee had brought thither with him the Archiepiscopall Pall of S. Dauid and vsed it duringe his life as did alsoe his successors there for many yeares vntill they were compelled by the Pope at the suite of the Archbishop of Turon to leaue it and make profession of obedience vnto him as in former times By this occa on it fell out that the Successors of Sampson in Saint Dauids what for want of their Pall or for pouertie or negligence or some other occasion loste their Title of bishop and to this day neuer recouered the same Howbeit they vsed all authoritie belonginge to an Archbishop by consecratinge of other Bishops and neither did they euer make profession of subiection vnto Canterburie vntill the time of Henry 1. Kinge of England Godwin supr in Bernard 46. When Bernard Chaplaine vnto King Henry the first and chauncellour to his Queene was consecrate by the Archbishop of Canterbury Iulij 12. 1115. not chosen by the clergie of Walles as hitherto had beene accustomed but forced vpon them by the Kinge of England And there with others declareth how this Bernard tooke vppon him the title of Archbishop but Theobaldus Archbishop of Canterbury prouinge before the Pope in the councell of Rhemes by witnesses cum suam fidem obseruantiam cantuariensi astrinxisse that Bernard had promised obedience vnto the Archbishop of Canterbury the cause was by the Pope adiudged against Bernard and the See of S. Dauid Match West an 1115. Matth. Par. an 1115. Godwin supr Girald Lambr in Itiner Camb. Topogr Harps secul 12. cap. 46. Soe it is euident that from the beginning thereof to the endinge of the same the Archiepiscopall See of Walles depended of the Pope of Rome and it was not hee but the Acts of their owne Bishops which ouerthrew the dignitie priuiledges of it which the Popes had graunted and confirmed Of the Popes power here after the cominge of S. Augustine there is noe denial amonge Protestants all generally consentinge that from that time now aboue a thousand yeares the Popes supreamacy euer ruled here in spirituall thinges hee chaunged the Metropolitone See of London to Canterbury constituted that of Yorke interdicted our vniuersities constituted Bishops in places as seemed best to him Kinge Ethelbert chaunged his lawes and receaued the customes of the Romans cassatis paternis legibus nouas Sapientum consilio iuxta Romanorum consuetudines Anglorum sermone constituit Bal. centur 1. in Ethelberto The greate flaterer of King Henry the eight whoe first denied the Popes supreamacy and tooke it to himselfe Polidor Vergil speaketh of that parlament Polidor Verg. l. 27. pag. 689 Habetur concilium Londini in quo ecclesia Anglicana formam potestatis nullis ante temporibus visam induit Henricus enim Rex caput ipsius ecclesiae constituitur A parlament is held at London in which the church of England did put on a forme of power neuer seene in any time before for Kinge Henry was made head of the church The first Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury speaking of the lawes of that parlament plainely confesseth Matth. Parker antiquit Britan. in Tho. Cramner pag. 329. His legibus potentia papalis quae nongentis amplius annis in Anglia durauit facile concidit By these lawes the power of the Pope which had continued here in England aboue neyne hundred yeares was easely ouerthrowne The present Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury director to Francis Mason and hee with others in their booke of pretended consecration of Bishops speaking of the same Matthew Parker Fran Mason Booke of consecrat 3. cap. 4. pag. 131. vit Matth. Parkeri say Concerninge Archbishop Parker beeing the 70. Archbishop after Austin yett of all that number hee was the onely man and the first of all which receaued consecration without the Popes Bulls To this this man himselfe together with their Protestant Bishop Godwin Goceline and others in the liues of the Archbishops of England doe plainely testifie to this all antiquities and antiquaries agree none dissenteth Matth. Parker in antiq Britan. Godwin Catalog in Canterbury and Yorke Goceline in epist THE XI CHAPTER How by these Protestants the Britans and Scots which opposed against S. Gregories disciples did take vpon then greater or as ample power in Princes matters as euer the Popes of Rome or their Legates did in this kingedome BEcause our Protestant Antiquaries and writers of England doe with a common consent agree in this that the Britans at the coming of
S. Augustine hither from S. Gregory did truely and inuiolably keepe in all points that holy Religion which was planted here in the Apostles time especially they which at the first opposed against the proceedings of that our holy Apostles Matth. Park antiq Britan. pag. 1. Godwin Conuers pag. 43.44 Bal. l. 2. de Act. Pont. Rom. in Gregor 1. Theater of greate Brit. l. 6. cap. 9. Dauid Povvel in annot in l. 2. Girald Cambr. Itiner Cambr. c. 1. Holinsh. histor of Engl. cap. 21. pag. 102. Fulk Ansvv. to a count cath pag. 40. therefore to walke still by their directions lett vs now learne of them what was the opinion and practice of those Scots and Britrans in this question of Iurisdiction in spiritual Rulers claimed and deriued from whome soeuer they will or any of them shall please though it is euidently proued in all ages before that neuer any such was practized here but that which was deriued and approued from and by the Apostolick Roman See And wee shall plainely see that these their soe much by them commended gayne-saiers to S. Augustine and the Pope alsoe as many of these men contend did further intermeddle with Princes and temporall affaires then the Popes of Rome or any their Legats in this kingedome our Protestant Antiquaries with others write of Kinge Frequahard or Frechard the first of Scotland sonne to Eugenius in this maner Hect. Boeth lib 9. fol. 179. pag. 1. Georg. Buchan Rer. Scotic lib. 5. Reg. 52. pag. 160. Holinsh. histor of Scotand in Frequahard pag. 112. Frequahard besides other his vvicked behauiours vvas alsoe infected vvith the erroneous opinion of the Pelagian heresie Which suspition vvas the more increased for that hee vsed to haue sondry Brittish preists in his company the vvhich nation had beene euer noted vvith the spot of that damnable infection The nobilitie of the Realme moued herevvith sommoned him to come to a councell vvhich they had appointed to hold of all the states that they might there vnderstand if it vvere true or not vvhich vvas commonly reported of him But hee refusinge to come they assembled together and beseiged him in a castle vvherein hee had inclosed himselfe and vvinning the place got him into their hands and immediately thereuppon committed him to safe keepinge This done they consult together for the administration of the Realme vvhether they should quite depose Frequahard or restore him to his place Then it followerh how they deposed him and sent to S. Fiacre his Brother then an Eremite in Fraunce to gouerne the kingedome but hee refused it Then these Protestants add Holinsh Buch. supr Hect. Boeth supr The Lords of the land assembled themselues together in Argile about the choosinge of a nevv kinge vvhere by common consent Domoald the third sonne of Eugenius beeing called thither vvith Bishop Conan out of the I le of Man vvas inuested kinge vvith greate ioy and triumph Where wee see that S. Fiacre though next heire liuinge in Fraunce where the Popes Authoritie was generally embraced would not consent to the deposition of kinge Frequahard to gaine a kingedome when his Brother Domoald and all those Scots which by these Protestants then opposed against the Popes Authoritie performed this with great Ioy and triumphe Of kinge Frequahard the second they write in this order Holinsh. histor of Scotl. pag. 114. Buchan Rer. Scoticar l. 5. Reg. 54. Hee was couetous wicked towards God a Tormentor of the iust and righteous people insatiable in all vnlawfull affections such of the prelates as hee vnderstood to bee wealthie hee rested not till hee had picked one matter or other vnto them vvhereby they vvere suer to forfeite all their Treasure vnto his coffers Buchanan addeth which I am ashamed to translate Buchan supr Eandem in suos furorem vertit Iugulata vxore stupratis filiabus ob haec scelera communione christianoruÌ„ fuit exclusus For these wicked offences hee was excluded from the communion of Christians Holinsh. supr The Bishops of the Realme namely those tvvo reuerend Fathers Colman Finnan perceyuinge such wickednes in the prince blamed him sharply sondry times for the same and at length because they savv hee regarded not their admonishments hee vvas by them excommunicated Thus continuinge certaine yeares in his vvickednes at length the nobles began to conspire against him soe that they vvould haue deuised a meane hovv to haue ridd him out of the vvay if Bishop Colman had not forbidd them that practise Then followeth how beeing miserably punished for his sinnes and beeinge at the last penitent hee was absolued of his excommunication by the same Bishop Colman whoe was that great opposer against the disciples of Saint Gregory and Saint Augustine and disputant for the Scots against S. Wilfride And the Bishops of Walles which were in the same opposition to the disciples of S. Gregory the Pope were in the same case by these Protestants One a Bishop and antiquary amonge them writeth from the antient antiquities of that nation Godvvin Catalog in Landaff Annal. eccles Landaffen in Oudoceus 3. Kinge Morcant hauinge killed one Frioc his Vncle beeinge therefore excommunicate by the Bishop vppon his absolution besides a graunt of diuers priuiledges vnto the church of Landaff gaue Cynciriâ—l and certaine land called Cynfall as alsoe the churches of Ythat-Haffern In Guruan 10. Bishop Guruan excommunicated Tendur king of Brechinianc for killing Engistill a kinge of that contry trecherously for absolutioÌ„ had from him the guift of Lannihangel tref ceriaÌ„c Guoderec slew his owne Brother Merchion In Greciclus for which deed hee was by Bishop Grecielus excoÌ„municate and enioyned by way of penance before hee might bee absolued to spend a yeare in pilgrimadge to the church of Dola in little Brittanie Garcan the sonne of GuinaÌ„ In Berthygion 14. kept his owne stepmother and beeing excommunicate for that Incest gaue to the Bishop Marchywis In Bish. Cerenhir 18. Houel Kinge of Glewissig by periury circuÌ„uented GalluÌ„ the sonne of Cidrich for which hee was held vnder excommunication by the space of a yeare at the time of his absolution hee gaue Merthir-buceil Merthirminor Tircollan Like was the case of Ili the sonne of Conblus whoe vpon the like occasion gaue Gulipe Aquod sonne of Ioua falling out with the Bishop draue him and his men into the church of Landaff threw stones at them into the very church for soe doinge hee was excommunicate and to bee absolued was glad to giue Pennoun with the church of Lautilul and certaine other Lands In Bish. Ioseph 28. Monric Kinge of Glamorgan beeinge excommunicate for puttinge out the eyes of Ergum the sonne of Guriat of Gueinscot in the time of a truce to haue his absolution gaue Painiprisc Whoe desireth more of such proceedings by the Britans soe recommended by Protestants may enquire theÌ„ in the auntient Annals of Landaffe and this Protestant Bishop Francis Godwin Protestant Bishop there who in his treatise of that See is very plentifull in such Examples And this shall suffice for this short historie of the Popes preeminence and proceedings here from the beginning of our first faith in Christ by them and their happie instruments therein By whome whose preeminence spirituall this kingdome from that time hath receaued many greate and irrecomprehensible graces and benefites both spiritual temporal to bynde vs euerlastingly to honor and reuerence with al dutie that Apostolick See and cheifest pastors thereof successors to our most glorious first Fathers and founders in the faith of Christ and our cheife Sheephards on earth except wee will desperately runne away and cast our selues out of the blessed flock and folde of the militant church of God out of which there is noe saluation FINIS Faults escaped Pag. 42. line 1. distributor reade distribution pag. 52 line 19. there nowned reade the renowned pag. 153. line 19. this reade these AN ADVETISEMENT Whereas in the first hundred yeare it is as suppose written in the story of S. Mansuetus that Ireland was neuer plainely called Scotia I wish it thus to bee qualified pag. 34. For if we graunt as some few write that Ireland hath beene called Scotia or Scotia Maior Scotland or the greater Scotland yett that is very seldome found in histories but it is commonly called in them auntient and late Hibernia Iuernia Inuernia and Ierne Iris and Ogigia little Brittanie and by the Irish themselues Erin when the part of great Britanie after the name of Albania ceased is commonly in all historians named Scotia Scotland Aristotil l. de mundo Pompon Mela l. 3. Solinus Poly. histor c. 25. Strab. l. 4. Iuuenal Satyr 2. Claudian l. 7. Stangh Hunfrid Lhuid Stow Holinsh. hist. Hect. Boeth Buchan Capgr in Catalog Gryimst in Ireland