of Trent c Vt Augustinum Basilium c. taceam quorum non semper sumus opinionibus addâ—â—â— I say nothing of Austin Basil Athanasius both Cyrils Chrysostome and Epiphanius to whose opinions we are not alwayes tyed Pererius the Jesuite in his eighth Book upon Genesis Disp 1. d Pudet dicere quae de optimâ—â— scriptoribus hoc loco dicturâ—â— sâ—â—m adco sunt non modo faâ—sa sed pudeadâ— absâ—â—dâ— I am ashamed to tell what I must say here against the best writers so much doe they say things not oneâ—â— false but also shamefull and absurde Now the Fathers whom he meaneth are Justin Martyr Ireneus Tertullian Clemens Alexandrinus Cyprian Ambrose Lactantius Eusebaus Sulpitius Severus Salmeron the Jesuite in the eight Prolegomene a Pag. 85 Quisque Patrum diverse ab alio unum locum exponit immo etiam unus idem vario modo Every Father expoundeth one place of the Scripture otherwise than the rest yea one and the same Father expounds it in severall fashions And in the third Prolegomene pag. 13. he bringeth many examples of Fathers which contradict themselves The same man in the 51 Disput upon the Epistle to the Romanes acknowledgeth that the Fathers generally are against him in the point of the Conception of the Virgin Mary Whereupon he shifts off thus b Contra hanc quam objectant multitudinem respondemus ex verbo Dei Exod. 23. In judicio plurimorum non acquiosces sententiae ut devies à vero Against this multitude objected against us we answer by the Word of God Exodus 23. Thou shalt not yeeld in judgement to the opinion of many c Ego ut ingenuè fatear plus uni summo Pontifici crediderim in his quae sidci mysteria tangunt quà m mille Augustinis Hieronymis Gregorijs for to decline from the truth Cornelius Mus Bishop of Bitonto upon the 14 chapter of the Epistle to the Romanes I would give more credit to confesse it ingenuously to one Pope than to a thousand Austine a thousand Hieromes a thousand Gregories I should never make an end if I would produce all the places wherein our Adversaries abuse the Fathers and accuse them of error or of untruth or of ignorance and have reason in some things in others not a Chrys honul 45. in Matth. 21. in Iohannem Chrysostome accuseth often the Virgin Many of mbition temeritie and importunitie b Iustin Deal in T â—ph Cle. 6. Strom. Justin Martyr and Clemens Alexandrinus say that God created the Sun and the Moone that the Gentiles might worship them least they should bee without Religion c See Ireneus in his 5. Booke Justin Ireneus Lactantius Ambrose Tertullian and many others were Chiliastes holding a Reigne of Christ that is to endure one thousand yeares in feastings and carnall delights d Lâ—b 1. de Spirâ—tu Sancto c. 2. Ambrose teacheth that Baptisme conferred in the name of the Holy-Ghost without naming the Father or the Sonne is good and warrantable Austin hath condemned the Children dead without Baptisme to the eternall flames Cyprian taught the Rebaptization of Hereticks and assembled a Councell in which hee did condemne the doctrine of the Roman Church a Lib 10. de Trinitate in Psal 68 138. in Psal 118. litera Gimel Hilary taught that our Saviour Christ suffered no paine at his death And that the Virgin Mary is to be purged by the fire of the last judgement b Hier. lib. 1. 2. in Iovinianii saepe alibi Saint Hierome calleth Marriage an ignominie â—he end whereof is death and the persons marryed Vessels unto dishonour c Hier. iâ—â— Epist ad Titum c. 1. He taught also that Bishops and Priests are equall by divine right Whereupon Bellarmin in his first Booke de Pontif. chap. 8. saith This opinion is false and must bee refuted in its due place Gregory of Nice in the first Oration of the Lords Resurrection teacheth that when Christ instituted the Eucharist his body was already dead and that his Soule was in hell For which he is censured by the Jesuite Salmeron saying d Salm Tomo XI Tract 7. de modo resurr Christi pag. 49. Cujus in verbis continentur multa non satis in Ecclesia recepta In these words of Gregory there are many things which the Church doth not approve off Clemens Alexandrinus teacheth that the Pagans were saved by Philosophy Tertullian maketh God to be corporall Clement the first Bishop of Rome in a Decretall Epistle will have goods and women to be common In the ninth Tome of Baronius Annales there is an Epistle of Pope Gregory the second wherein hee declareth that it is not lawfull to paint out God the Father But Baronius a Postea usu venisse ut pingatur in Ecclesia Deus c. noteth in the margent that the Church now hath ordained of it otherwise Six hundred and thirty Bishops decreed at the Councell of Chalcedone that the Bishop of Constantinople should be equall in all things to the Bishop of Rome The Milevitan Councell where Saint Austin was present and framed the Canons of it forbiddeth upon paint of a curse to appeale beyond the Sea that is to say to appeale out of Africk to Rome The sixth Councell of Carthage confirmeth the same prohibition and writeth to Celestin Bishop of Rome long Letters which are inserted in the Councel wherein the Councel warnes him to take heed henceforth from receiving any appeales out of Africk and not to send them his Legats any more not make use any more of supposed Canons for to advance his authority and not to bring in worldly pride into the Church In all these things and in a thousand others more the Roman Church condemneth the Fathers and maketh no reckoning of their authority Whence appeareth that it is to no purpose that our Adversaries in certaine questions alledge the Fathers unto us seeing themselves reject them and subject them to the Judgement of the Pope and Church of Rome CHAP XXV Of the corruption and falsification of the Fathers writings and of the difficultie to understand them IN the Allegation of Fathers about our Controversies we have this disadvantage that we have them but by the hands of our owne Adversaries For all the impressions that have been made of them were made upon the Manuscripts found in Monasteries written by Monkes who had faire opportunitie to clip and alter them at their pleasure and set old titles upon new Bookes made and composed by themselves It is a hard case to one of the parties that goes to Law when he can make use of no other writings but of such as his owne Adverse party furnisheth him with who hath thrusted in such clauses as seemed good unto him But it is come to passe through the Providence of God that the most part of these falsifications are so grosse and so palpable that we have not
the power of Priests who make him and pin him up and walke him and may if they will cast him into the fire As Gabriel Biel a famous Doctor saith in the first Lesson upon the Canon of the Masse †Biel Lect. 1. in Canonem Missae Super utrumque corpus Christi Sacerdos insignes habet potesiates The Priest hath great power over the one and the other body of Christ that is to say over the Church and over the consecrated hoste Whereupon he addeth * Quis hujus rei â—ndâ—t similia Qui creavit me si fas est dicere dedit mihi creare se Eâ— qui creavit me creatur mediante me Who ever saw things like unto this He that hath created me if I may say so hath given me to create him And he that hath created mee without me is created by my meanes Thus Priests doe create Christ in the Masse and make Christ who is made already As if one should beget a man already born CHAP. VII That the very words of the Masse are contrary to Transubstantiation IN the midst of this alteration of the Lords Institution God hath permitted that in the Masse some clauses should remaine which manifestly condemne the Transubstantiation For a great part of the Canon of the Masse are prayers which have beene added when they did not yet beleeve the Transubstantiation As when the Priest having before him the consecrated hoste saith * Osserimus praeclarae â—uae Majestati de tuis domis datis hostiam puram Wee offer to thine excellent Majesty of thy gifts and presents a pure hoste By these gifts they understand at this day Christ himselfe Surely never a man in his right sense called Christ gifts and presents in the plurall But that agrees very well with the bread and wine The Priest goes on saying †Supra quae propitio aâ— sereno vuliu respicere digneris accepta habere sicut accepta habere d gnatus es munera pueri tui justi Abel Vpon which things vouchsafe to looke with a cheerefull eye Is it not a jeast to call Christ these things and for a full measure of abuse to aske of God that he may looke upon Christ with a gracious eye as if Christ had need of our recommendation Moreover the Priest demandeth of God afterward that he would be pleased to have these gifts and presents as acceptable as he had acceptable the presents of Abel That is to say that Christ may be as acceptable unto God as the beasts sacrificed by Abel This prayer is good being said upon the bread and the wine but being said upon Christ it is altogether blasphemous Chiefly this is evident in that the Priest looking upon the consecrated hoste and the chalice saith that * Per Christum Dominum nostrum per quem haec omnia Domine semper bona creas sanctificas vivificas henedicis by Christ our Lord God creates alwayes for us these good things sanctifies them and vivifies them Can Christ be called these good things Doth God create and vivifie Christ alwayes And since God creates these things through Jesus Christ as the Masse saith it is certaine these things are not Christ But all that agrees very well with the bread and wine We must not omit that Christ giveing the bread to his Disciples said simply Take Eate But in the Canon of the Masse there is Accipite manducate ex hoc omnes Take and eate all of it Whosoever added these words E X HOC lie did not beleeve that in the Eucharist the Lords body was really eaten by the mouth of the body For to eate of that is to eate a part thereof and not all Which cannot be said of Christs naturall body CHAP. VIII Recrimination of our Adversaries THe Prophet Elisha accused the Israelites of Idolatry and of forsaking Gods Covenant They out of revenge called him bald-pate which was a reproach nothing belonging to the doctrine We stand upon the like termes with our Adversaries We accuse the Roman Church to have brough in Idolatry in the Masse worshipping of the Sacrament and a Sacrifice of Christs body which Christ hath not instituted To have taken away from the people the halfe of the Sacrament To have changed the nature of the Sacrament yea of Christ himselfe which are thing of importance and altogether essentiall to the Eucharist and to Christian Religion But they out of recrimination tell us that we have likewise changed many things in the Lords Institutution For say they ye solemnizâ— the Supper in the morning but Chriâ—â— instituted it after Supper Ye celebrate it in a Temple but Christ did celebrate it in an upper Chamber Yee receive women to the Communion But when Christ instituted the Eucharist there were none but men Things whereof the two first are indifferent and all three not onely are not of the essence of that Sacrament but even make no part of that action To this objection Christ affords us an answer For hee said Doe this in remembrance of mee Hee said not Doe this in such a place nor at such an houre nor with such a Sexe or such persons But hee said Doe this commanding us to doe as hee hath done and to imitate his action Christ did not exclude women If any had beene there present worthy to be partakers of the holy Supper he would not have rejected them CHAP. IX Causes why the Pope admitteth not of any alteration in the Masse and will not conforme himselfe to the Lords Institution THough the abuse be so apparent yet the Church of Rome and the Pope will not let goe their hold and suffer any change or alteration to be made in the Masse The cause of that is easie to be knowne For if the Church of Rome should yeeld to the least alteration it would overthrow the three Maximes that are the basis whereon all Popery is grounded whereof the first is that the Church of Rome cannot erre the second that the Pope and Church of Rome are not subject to the holy Scripture and have greater authority than the holy Scripture the third that the Pope and Church of Rome have power to change Gods Commandemens and make new Articles of Faith All which things are seene not one by practice in that all the doctrine 〈◊〉 the Roman Church is contrary to thâ— holy Scripture but also by example of Popish Councels and open profeâ—sion of the principall Doctors of thaâ— Church whereof I will alleadge soâ—â— places in the next chapter CHAP. X. Places wherin the Doctors and Councels of the Roman Church maintain that the Pope and the Church of Rome are not subject to thâ— Scripture and have greater authority than the Scripture anâ— may make voide and abolish thâ— Commandements of God THe Romish Decree and its Glosseâ— are all stuffed with this brave maxime * Can. Lect. Dist 34. in Gloss Papa dispensat contra Apostolum Innec III. Dâ—cretaâ—â—le Concessione Praeâ—end Tu. 8. c p. Proposâ—â—t
massacre them as to those that went into Syria against the Sarasens for to reconquer Christs Sepulcher to whom he gave the remission of all their sins and a degree of glory above the ordinary as may bee seene in the Bull of Innocent the third placed at the end of the Councell of Lateran The Earle of Montfort having with him one Dominicke author of the Order of the Jacobins with an army of these crossed ones did massacre in a few moneths above two hundred thousand of them And for to strengthen and fortifie this abuse there was no speeche in those times but of miracles coyned of purpose tending to the worshipping of Images and establishing of the reall presence of Christs body in the Eucharist They gave out to the people that such an Image had sweated blood that another had nodded his head That a woodden Crucifix prickt in the side had cast blood This fable is recited by Fulgoslib 1. c. 6. And by Nauclerus Gener. 44 That to an Image of the Virgin Maries brought from Damascus breasts of flesh were grown upon the wood That in such a place the Host had appeared in the forme of a child and an Angell by it that did hacke him to peeces That an Hoste pricked by a Jew had gushed out blood and being cast into a great cauldron or kittle was turned into a man as is to be seene yet at this day in Paris represented upon the forefront or porche of the Church of the Billetes The life of Saint Anthonie of Padoua saith that he presented the consecrated Hoste to an Asse which presently left eating of his Oates and worshipped the Hoste a Albertu Krantzius Metropol lib. 1. ca. 9. Wedekindus a Saxon Prince saw a child thrust into the mouth of the Communicants b Paschasius Rathertus de corpore sangnine Domini c. 14. Guil. Mal. mesbur l. 3. cap 27. An Angell did present Christ in the Masse unto a Priest called Plegâ—ls in the shape or forme of a childe which he kissed and imbraced with great courage 〈◊〉 A little Jewish boy comming by chance into the Church as he was playing saw upon the Altar a little boy that was minced and cut into small peeces and thrust by small lumps into the mouths of the Communicants Thomas Cantipratensis in his second Booke of Miracles Chapter 40 saith that at Doway in the yeare 1260. the consecrated host being fallen to the ground rised up againe of it selfe and pearched it selfe upon the cloth wherewith the Priest did wipe his hands in the shape or forme of a fine little boy who instantly became a tall man having a crowne of thornes upon his head and two drops of blood running downe from his forehead on both sides of his nose Jodoeus Coccius collected about one hundred of such miracles Iodoeus Coccius Thesaur Tom. II. lib. 6. de Eucharistia For in Berengarius his time such miracles were very rise and frequent Matthew Paris an English Historian in the yeare of the Lord 1247 relates that the Templers of the holy land sent to Henry the third King of England a little Christall bottle full of the true blood of our Saviour Christ that he shed upon the Crosse which Cristall bottle that silly King carried upon his nose to Westminster Church in Procession a foot clothed with an old sleâ—velesse gowne Salmeron the Jesuite in the XI Tome and fifth Treatise page 35. saith that at Rome in the Church of Lateran there is some of Christs blood kept Item in the Church of Saint Maximin at Rome which Marie Magdalen gathered up at the foote of the Crosse There was also at Rochelle some kept as the same Jesuite saith in the same place Sigonius in his fourth Booke of the reigne of Italy * Forte saÌ„guinis ex imagine crucâ—fiâ—â— Salvatoris in syria effusi portio delata MaÌ„tuam fuerat c. Carolus Leonem Pontisicem per literas obsecravit ut accurate horum miraculâ—rum vâ—ritatem vellet explorare compertam sibi significare Ob id Leo Roma â—gâ—â—ssâ—s Mantuam venâ—t re cognâ—ta ad C roâ—tum ser psit saith that in the yeare 804. was brought out of Syria to Mantua a portion of the blood that ran out of the Image of a Crucifix which did many miracles And that the fame of it being come to Charles the Great he intreated by letters Pope Leo to enquire of the truth of the matter And that the said Pope having knowne and perceived the truth of the thing wrote to Charle-maine touching the same And in the eighth Booke in the yeare 1048. he saith that the inhabitants of Mantua having forgotten this blood and knowing no more what it was this blood beganne againe to doe miracles Vasquez the Jesuite upon the 76 question of the third Part of Thâ—mas * Art 8. saith that yet at this day there is in Spaine some of Christs blood kept in Reliques Thus the darknesse grew thicke and the mysterie of iniquity strengthened it selfe dayly more and more the kings having no knowledge at all of the holy Scripture and trembling under the Popes thunderbolts and excommunications and powring abundance of wealth and riches into the bosome of the Clergie for the easing of their soules after death And for a full measure of mischiefe new Orders of Mendicant Friers did spring up namely the Franciscans and Dominicans whereof Francis Assisias in Italy and Dominick Calarogensis in Spaine were the first Founders in the yeare of our Lord 1216. and 1223. An incredible multitude of these Monks were dilated and spâ—ead over all the regions of the Popes Empire who made use of them as of so many torches and trumpets for to provoke and encourage Princes to the persecution of the faithfull And it was the said Monks that hâ—ve coyned and forged the Schoole Divinity all bristled with pricks and twisted about with subtilties much like unto the Cray-fish in which there is much picking but little to eate It is from this Divinity that suttle distinctions are drawne wherewith they cover themselves against the truth Aâ—istotle is alleadged there a great deale oftner than the Apostle Saint Paul Thus it behooved the mysterie of iniquitie should advance it selfe At the birth of these begging Friers Innocent the third in the yeare 1215. called a Councell at Rome in the Lateran Church in which the word of Transubstantiation not as yet received by any definition in the Roman Church was established by an expresse Canon and authority of Councell CHAP. IX Of the Judgement which the Doctors of the Romane Church doe make touching the apparitions whereby a little Child or a morsell of flesh hath appeared at the Masse in the hands of the Priest and touching Christs blood that is kept in Reliques A Long time hath beene that if one had doubted that a childe or a pâ—â—ce of flâ—sh that had appeared in a Priâ—stâ— hand were not truely Christ and that Christs blood that was kept in
of all men is to be judged of none Except he doe swerve from the Faith Stapleton an English Doctor in the second Booke of the authority of the Scripture chapter 11. * Dixi dico non taÌ„ ipsius fidei regulam in se esse Scripturam quaÌ„ ipsarum Scripturarum regulaÌ„ esse sidem Ecclesiae I have said and say still that the Church is the rule of the Scripture By this reckoning Sinners shall rule God and shall be masters of his word Lindan in the Index of the Chapters of the fifth Booke of his Panoplia The Church by the will of God is not tyed to the Scriptures For he and the rest with him will have the Church bound to the Tradition of the Church that is to say to the Lawes which she giveth to her selfe Now by the Church they understand alwayes the Roman Church and by the Romane Church the Pope Costerus the Jesuite in his Enchiridion Chapter 1. calleth the Tradition of the Romane Church a second kinde of Scripture and saith that a Hujus Scripturae praestantâ—a multis partibus superat Scripturas quas nobis in membranis Apostolâ—re lâ—querunt the excellencie of this Scripture goes famâ— beyoud the Scriptures which the Apostles left unto us written in parchements Gregory de Valentia the Jesuite it the fourth Booke of his Analysis chapter 2. b Scriptura sacram non esse judicem omnium controversiarum sidei probatur The Scripture is not the Judge if controversies And in the third Chapter c Probatur secundo Scripturam non esse sufficientem sideiregulam The Scripture is no sufficient rule of Faith And in the fourth Chapter d Scripturam arâ—â—no Deâ— judicio esse velut lapidem ossensionis in tentationem pedibus insipientium ut quive lint ea sola niti saâ—â—â—lime impingant errent The Scripture by the secret judgement of God is 〈◊〉 stumbling block and a temptation to the feâ—â— of fooles to the end that those which wilâ— rely upon it alone may easily stumble and swerve from the way Wherefore after he hath withdrawne us from the holy Scriptures in the seventh Book he sâ—nds us back to the Pope saying e Pontâ—fea Romanus ipse est in quo authoritas illa residot quae in Ecclesia extal adjudicandum de omnibus omnino controversiâ—s The Roman Bishop is he in whom resideth that authority of judging wholly of all the controversies of Faith According as Andradius saith in the first booke of the Defense of the Tridentin Faith Our faith is contained and sub sisteth by the Popes faith and all mens Salvation depends on his authority The same Jesuite in his first booke of the Sacrifice of the Masse Chapter forty finding no proofes in the Scriptures whereon to ground the Sacrifice of the Masse saith that a Si maxime hic cultus non esseâ— institutus à Deo concluditamen abastis non possit allum non esse legit imum cumid ad bon tatem cultus sacrificij minime requiratur If this worship or Service were not instituted of God Yet these men could not draw from thence this conclusion that it is not lawfull For that viz. to be instituted by God is in no wise required for to make a worship or a Sacrifice to be good And in his second booke b At ego suprà alias saepius ostendi praeceptum Dernon requirâ— ad honitatem culâ—us Here above and often elsewhere I have shewed that for the goodnesse of a worship or service Gods commandemem is not required For these causes in the fourth Tome of his Commentaries he affirmeth that c Greg. de Val. Tomo IV. Dâ—sp 6. qu. 8. Punct 5. §. 10. Et certe quaedam posterioribus temporibus rectius instituta esse quam â—â—tio se haberent there are some things which in the latter times are better ordained than they were at the beginning For he supposeth that the Church now is better instructed than it was in the Apostles time Of this power which the Roman Church taketh upon her selfe to change cancell and make void the commandements of the Lord we have a remarkable example in the Councell of Constance kept in the yeare 1416. which is the first Councell that tooke away the Cup from the people That Councell acknowledgeth in the 13 Session that Christ instituted the Eucharist under both kinds and that in the Primitive Church the people received the Cup. Yet withall it dare say a Cum in nonnull is mundi partibus quidam temerarie asserere praesumâ—nt populum Christia num debere Sacramentum Eucharistie sub utraqu panis vâ—ni specâ—e suscipere â—â—anâ— concupisâ—entia quam aliquando Apostolus piccatum appâ—llat sâ—nâ—â—a Sy 〈…〉 Cathal 〈…〉 â—â—â—peccatum appellari quod 〈◊〉 propâ—â—◠〈…〉 pâ—câ—â—â—uâ—â— sit that in somâ— parts of the World some dare affirme rashly that the Christian people ought to take the Eucharist under both kinds as if it were a temerity to follow Christs example And ordaining that henceforth the people shall receive the species of the bread onely will have this custome to be held as a Law which it is not lawfull to reprove or change Finally this Councell concludeth that those which obstinately affirme the contrary â—ught to be dâ—iven out as Hereticks and grievously punished With the like audacity the Councel of Trent in the 5 Session bâ— speaking of the concupiseence forbidden in Gods Law which Saint Paul in the seventh Chapter to the Romanes calleth sinne declareth and defineth that concupiscence is no sinne in those that are regenerate that is to say baptized and that Saint Paul spake neither truly nor properly Whence will follow that a baptised person may without sinne cover his neighbours wife but in an unbaptised person it is a sin Now let every unpartiall Reader judge with what reason our Adversaries call our Religion a new Religion seeing they doe declare themselves that they may change the Commandements of God add to the Creed and make a new Religion and that in the Masse they are not tyed to the Lords Institution CHAP. XI That our Exposition of these wordes This is my body is conformable to the Scripture and to the nature of Sacraments and approved by the Ancient Fathers and confirmed by our Adversaries THe interpretation that wee give of these wordes This is my body is the same which Christ himselfe giveth in the same place viz. that it is his commemoration And the same which Saint Paul giveth in the 10 chapter of the first to the Corinthians The bread which we breake is the communion of the body of Christ The Sacrament being a figure there is nothing more sit than to make use of a figure drawne from the nature of the action by which the name of the thing siguified is given to the signe Even as in the seventeenth of Genesis the Sacrament of Circumcision is called the Covenant of God a 〈◊〉 in